Papists not to be so bad as those very same which still are in Popery thus to defend our own we are more engaged in the Defence of theirs over Head and Ears No doubt but that Place I already mentioned 1 Cor. 2.23 is as Beza well noteth to be understood of Superstition which some foolishly call indifferent things so are our Ceremonies yet how can they be indifferent when joyned to God's Worship and though Practice made so inseparable a Part of it that one shall be refused the Ordinance if he will not take the Ceremony with it now we have a learned Author Daneus who maketh it Blasphemy to think and teach that any outward things of Human Institution may be made a Sign in the Church of spiritual things because indeed 't is to make of them a kind of Sacrament which none but Christ may institute without Blasphemy What is it that made our Saviour speak so much against the Pharisees though Moses had dreadfully threatned not to add any thing yet several Innovations have been brought in as for an Instance their Washings wherein the Addition first is condemned then our Saviour blameth the Superstition because the Pharisees were not satisfied to have made Additions contrary to the Precept but further in these Additions or Washings they placed something of Religious Worship and last of all they were so fond of these Additions that they stood upon and pressed their Observation more than of that Worship which God himself had instituted and I leave it to the Judgment of any impartial Man whether or not these three things are not visibly to be found in our Ceremonies Namely first The Addition or the Ceremony secondly The Superstition placing therein a Religious and Spiritual Signification Thirdly pressing these Ceremonies more than God's Institutions so that the same Censure which our Saviour passed upon the Pharisees for theirs may be passed upon us for ours with the same Reason for both which he gives upon that Occasion and in that Place Every Plant which my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out Matth. 15. from v. 2. till 14. After God's Institution came such Teachers who did not think themselves wise enough till they had patched something of their own to the Word of God yet no Addition to that Word is tolerable to invent new Washings was an idle Vanity Had they rested in the Law of God their Modesty would have been more pleasing to him than their Forwardness in doing otherwise Let us assure our selves we shall ever be unruly and wild-headed there shall be no End to our Fancy our Imagination shall be boundless until the Lord hath fixed us and made us settle upon and stick to this Ground that it is no more lawful for us in any wise to add any thing to his Law than it is lawful for us to take any thing from it Therefore it is better for Men at last to leave off the things wherein they have too long continued to abolish those which have caused nothing but Troubles Animosities Persecutions given Encouragement to prophane Persons and Advantage over us to Papists and have been amongst us a kind of accursed thing for God's Blessig never goes along with those Inventions of Man's Brains as are brought into his Worship his Word and Experience we have for it I say 't is better to abolish all such things which in themselves may be called meer Fopperies rather than to fence for them in as much as we would do for the Gospel and to be as loth to part with them as with the Doctrine of Faith and with true Religion Let not Men therefore set all their Wits at Work to scrue something here and there to defend these but rather to promote the Glory of God the Good of his Church the Salvation of Souls and the Edification of all our Neighbours and to be for and own the Truth ERRATA PAge 19. Line 25. read People p. 37. l. 13. r. hath not taught p. 40. l. ult r. made to p. 86. l. 30. r. Heresie and Idolatry p. 121. l. 27. in the Margin r. September 10th 1571. p. 125. l. ult r. an equal p. 128. in the Margin r. latomi p. 129. l. 29. r. Island and l. 31. first Word p. 133. l. first r. Vbiquity p. 139. l. 32. r. Contrivers and l. 35. desirable A DISCOURSE ABOUT CEREMONIES Church-Government and Liturgy COmparisons are odious is a common saying and true upon several accounts as when some pretend to advantages and priviledges above others as may be to more Parts Learning or to be Wiser Greater or Better Which last is the case of our National Church by some of the Members called the best Protestant Church I shall not say the best Reformed for we have some who love the name no more than the thing of any other whatsoever beyond Sea when 't is not modesty to be so positive in our assertions and so magisterially to decide in our own case to the prejudice of others The instruments of Reformation amongst us were good pious and learned but not infallible men which they did not pretend to they did their best as God enabled them and wherein they followed his Word for their Rule they did admirably well but not so in some things about which they consulted with their own Wisdom and wherein they were guided by humane and worldly considerations for hereupon they all did not agree there being those who were for being wholly and only directed by the word and not biassed by any Worldly Policy Our Church was certainly well Reformed in the main points of Doctrine and in the grossest Superstitions of Popery I say it was before Semipelagianism or Arminianism had infected many of her Members though the Doctrine as then received still remaineth sound but in regard of some Ceremonies and of Ecclesiastical Government 't is not-the-best Reformed Church seeing it doth still retain some Corruptions and Abuses of the Romish which are unprofitable inconvenient dangerous and hurtful and therefore ought to be removed for if those Ceremonies that were of God's own appointment were disannulled Heb. 7.18 much more ought those to be taken off for the same reason that are of Man's Invention which never were good because part of Will-Worship as others were but abuse is a sufficient ground to have them laid aside 2 King 18.4 as was the brasen Serpent and if we are to answer for every idle word much more for every idle Ceremony which may happen to prove a destructive Snare to many Souls in matters of Worship as in others 't is not enough to teach the truth but also it must be truly taught and that 's only out of God's Word which is to be the Rule of Worship and Discipline as of Doctrine As the infirmity of Men newly converted from Judaism and Gentilism did bring into Christian Churches Customs like unto those used amongst Jews and Gentiles so our Men newly come out of Popery kept several Popish Ceremonies
instead of adorning them as pretended broken Unity under the Notion of settling Uniformity All which mischiefs might easily be prevented if they would be prevailed to lay them aside They are inconvenient conveniency is esteemed when a thing after the consideration of all circumstances is found at least to bring with it more Good than Evil but our Ceremonies by Experience have brought more Evil than Good They can do hurt saith Beza but no good God knows saith Foxe they be the cause of much blindness and strife amongst Men they have been and still are notoriously abused unto Superstition The sum of the second Commandment is that in the Worship of God or Ceremonies thereabouts we are to devise nothing of our own head or borrow any thing of Heathenish or Idolatrous Rites our Ceremonies have an aptness to provoke to Superstition and Idolatry in Popish Countreys the Cross is an Idol Now as God hath forbidden to sowe the Field with mingled Seed Levit. 19.19 so in the Church there ought to be no mixture of Humane Inventions with God's Institutions Ceremonies borrowed from Idolaters such are Papists are vicious and superstitious Worship therefore not to be borrowed of them The Jews by God's Command Levit. 18.3 were not to live according to the Laws and Examples of other Nations The words of Pelicanus upon the place are remarkable God saith he by this one Law would have them cast away and abhor whatsoever in Worship had pleased the Gentiles much more care ought Christians to have of this who being taught to Worship God in Spirit and in Truth ought first and last to have abhorred the idle unreasonable and deceitful Forms and Rites of Idolaters which if the ancient Bishops had well considered the Church had never been pestered with so many prophane Rites and base Ceremonies by which it came to pass that some Christians differ little from Gentiles save in the Names of their Idols This is home and to the purpose this was commanded for detestation of Idolatry because Idolaters did so the Israelites may not do so In Ceremonies we must strictly hold to the Word of God least we transgress either in number or in form And the like Command is given in two several places of the New Testament 2 Cor. 6 14. Rev. 18.4 to shew we are bound to the same under the Gospel as they were under the Law nay God therein looks narrowly into the things that seems the least only that they should not be like the Heathens Ye shall not round the Corners of your Head Levit. 19.27 neither shalt thou mar the Corners of thy Beard We are commanded to keep our selves from Idols 1 John 5.21 and from Idolatry and Appearances of it or to have any thing to do with what hath been or is abused to Idolatry Such as I said before are our Ceremonies and so because unprofitable unnecessary dangerous hurtful and inconvenient ought to be abolished But this is not all they are unlawful because Will-Worship which is so expresly forbidden in the Word of God Deut. 4.2 which we must never add to nor diminish from God commanded Moses Heb. 8.5 See that thou make all things according to the Pattern shewed to thee in the Mount The true Worship is that appointed by God and the false is that not appointed by God for there is but two kinds of Worship First True and Good Secondly False and Evil That is the same which he hath commanded This is that which he hath not commanded and certainly Man's Inventions he hath not commanded but forbidden Tertullian saith That is forbidden which is not permitted That is we must account that not to be permitted by the Word against which any reasons out of the Word may be given though there be no particular Word against it Though there were free-will Offerings whence they would set up Will-Worship yet they were to be of such things as were manifestly known to be prescribed by God's revealed Will and so not the Offering but the undertaking of it at such a time or in such a measure was left unto the free Choice of Men according to occasion 'T is no Will-Worship to pray thrice or seven times a day to Preach once twice or thrice on Sabbath-day to Pray and Preach are necessary Duties but how often that comes under the necessary Circumstances of God's Worship as to Time and Place Prayer is expressly allowed by God's Word and the determination of it as to this or that time is to be ruled by Reason and these are the things which fall under that 1 Cor. 14. Such things are allowed as accessary parts of outward Worship but not such as Cross or Surplice Now all Humane Ceremonies imposed and observed as parts of God's Worship are unlawful and this is the true question We must Ceremonise saith Pelicanus only according to God's Word and Vrsin all feigned Worship is forbidden all Worship which is not of God but is set up by Men when Worship or Honour is feigned to be done to the true God in some work which he hath not enjoyned And Zanchi saith We may not Worship God with any other Worship though it be in the kind of External and Ceremonial than that which he hath required in the Holy Scripture to be worshipped by us These Ceremonies are Superstitious and this makes them also unlawful Now saith Vrsin Superstition is that which addeth Humane Inventions to Divine Precept 'T is a Will-Worship which is more than is appointed by the Law of God On Acts 17.4 saith Dr. Fulk And Perkins saith On the second Command Superstition is Worship of God without his Commandment they cannot wipe off the imputation of Superstition seeing they judge them necessary in their use though indifferent in their nature Thus a Minister may not read without a Surplice nor Baptise without the Sign of the Cross but their Superstition appeareth the more in that they make them to be significant Ceremonies which we shall have farther occasion to speak of They divide their Ceremonies into single and double and threefold the former are those whose use is only for Decency and Order the others serve also for Edification by some profitable signification but if all circumstances belonging to Time Place Persons Instruments of sacred Actions be sacred significant Ceremonies then not only the Clock but the leaden Weights of it not only the Ground which they do stand upon but also the Rushes by occasion strewed upon it the Besom the Minister's Black Cap or Perriwig his Beard c. shall be holy significant dumb and speaking Ceremonies dumb because unprofitable speaking idly in such a place When an Image of the blessed Virgin spake to Bernard in the Church Good morrow Bernard good morrow he answered O Madam you forget your Sex it is not lawful for a Woman to speak in the Church Just so should be silenced our idle significant Ceremonies the more because the Gospel is the
Sacrament teach us the same thing Are we not with him buried by Baptism and with him raised in Newness of Life Do we not in Baptism give Christ our Names take his Livery and Badges upon us and as much as in us lies make a Vow to forsake all to follow Christ the crucified Are we not thereby admitted into his Church to fight under his Banners during the whole Course of our Life against all our Spiritual Enemies Doth the Sign of the Cross signifie any more than this The Ceremony is then a superfluous thing seeing it can signifie no more nor do more good than the Sacrament doth This Signification being an Engagement that we shall not be ashamed of the Cross must be believed must be in Faith without which it is Sin but how can there be Faith where is no Word of Precept or Promise As there is none at all but I know what there is in the Practice of this Sign of the Cross in Baptism namely an abominable Presumption and Addition to the Sacrament which is not of the Institution this implieth as if the Ordinance was imperfect and something in it wanting which must be added by Man and we have no more leave given us to add to the Sacraments than to the Word under the threatned Penalties Rev. 22.18 And though this Sign of the Cross be an ancient Custom 't is never the better for that Antiquity without Truth saith Cyprian is an old Error However the Administration of the Sacrament without it is much more ancient Wherefore when Water thorough the fault of the Pipe or of some other Cause groweth bad and corrupt we must go to the Spring Illud verum quod primum saith one that 's true which agrees with the Institution the Valentinian Hereticks first used the Cross in Baptism and gave also the Lord's Supper to Infants which must be owned to be ill because they could not examine themselves nor discern the Lord's Body and as this Custom hath been left so there was as much Reason to have left the other as others have been too when Men found cause for it 't was a Custom in Prosper's some say in Cyprian's time at the receiving of the Lord's Supper to sop the Bread into the Cup this continued for some hundred of Years and lasted as long as that of Infants receiving of the Lord's Supper but were left off not without good Reasons so might Cross in Baptism have been left with as much Reason for sopping was not worse than it sopping was an Alteration and Cross an Addition which is as bad every jot as Alteration if not of the things instituted yet of the Institution as making it insufficient or imperfect by it self alone for when Christ said do this he meaned as well do this only as do this all more is to be said for sopping which was used by Christ at the very Table of the Supper but the Sign of the Cross was never used by the Lord Jesus If crossing ought to be used in Baptism the Apostles in their Doctrine concerning it would have made some mention of it except some would think they then did not know or cared not to use the best way of signifying Christian Valour and Constancy in fighting under Christ's Banner If this Sign of the Cross or any other Ceremony in Baptism be referred to Order or Decency as it is is it not thereby blasphemously to accuse the Baptism of John and of the Apostles which was without it of Disorder and Uncomeliness Whereas the Comeliness and Dignity of the Sacraments is to be esteemed by the Word of God by the Institution of Christ by the Simplicity of the Gospel and by the Practice of the Apostles nothing is more decent and orderly than that which Christ commandeth and alloweth nothing more undecent and unseemly than that which Men invent in the Service of God and in the Celebration of the Sacraments thereby inverting and perverâ—ing the holy Ordinances of God Is it not a strange thing that though in Scripture the Cross be neither commanded nor permitted yet the Rule is Cross or Baptize not a Child shall be deprived of the Sacrament of the Seal of the Covenant if the Addition of the Cross be not with it this is as bad if not worse than Anabaptism and I think they have more to say for not baptizing Infants than these People have to deny Baptism upon such an account and no doubt that hath made several Anabaptists for some Men being in Conscience dissatisfied with that Ceremony would not have their Children baptized with it thus they had rather to keep them unbaptized but rather than they should not be at all having kept them so till they were older they inclined to have them baptized in their way I cannot tell how those that have a Commission from Christ to preach and to baptize can answer at last for refusing upon such an account to baptize for they disobey the Commission 't is most certain the Lord never said baptize with the Sign of the Cross but baptize in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost So that except Men refuse to be baptized in that Name which no body doth being a visible Member of the Church 't is an abominable Wickedness and Disobedience upon such an account to deny Baptism with a just Cause we complain against Papists for taking away the half of one Sacrament and have we not much more reason to cry out against those amongst us who having a positive Command to baptize do wilfully and unjustly deprive the Children of believing Parents of the Seales of the Covenant which God hath absolutely ordered to be administred unto them In Popery the Cross is not only an Occasion of Superstition but is also made an Idol they kneel before and as such do Worship it and where they pretend to have a piece of the Wood of the Cross they lay it up as a most holy Relick have Days appointed to come kiss and worship it upon their Knees they suppose Miracles to be done by it and have Prayers made for it ought not the Thoughts of this make any one that hates Idolatry to detest and abhor the Idol and not so much as to endure the Sight of it but not only the Cross but also the Sign of it is abused amongst them they believe the Sign of the Cross Opere operato as they call of it self and being made hath the Vertue to drive away Devils and to this same purpose they use it in Baptism in consecrating Churches baptizing of Bells making their Holy Water exercising saying Mass and in every thing else they do in Religion so that amongst them there is not one Ceremony more generally abused than this they use it also to keep off the Thunderbolt and if in a Morning when they go out they do but make the Sign of the Cross they think themselves safe enough for the rest of the Day And though amongst
Pleasure have justled out Right and Reason and when selling and buying and such like evil Practises turn the House of God into a Den of Thieves But this Point I shall conclude with an excellent Letter sent to the Bishops by Dr. Humphrey President in Magdalen College in Oxford and Reader of Divinity Lecture there It is thus Your Lordship's Letters directed unto us by our Vice-chancelour although written in general Words yet hath so hearted our Adversaries that now we are no more accounted Brethren and Friends but Enemies And seeing the old Mass Attires be so straighly commanded the Mass it self is shortly look'd for a Sword is now put into the Enemies Hands of those that under Queen Mary have drawn it for Popery and under Pretence of good Order are ready without Cause to bewreck their Popish Anger upon us who in this will use Extremity in other Laws of more Importance Partiality I would my Lords have wished rather privy Admonition than open Expulsion yet I had rather receive Wounds of my Brother than Kisses of mine Enemy If we had privily in a convenient Day resigned then neither should the Punisher have been noted of Cruelty nor the Offender of Temerity neither should Papists in their seditious Book have accused Protestants of Contention Religion requireth naked Christ to be preached professed glorified that graviora legis the most weighty things by the most faihful Ministery of feeding Pastours should be furthered and after that Orders tending to Edification and not to Destruction advanced and finally the Spouse's Friends should by all means be cherished favoured and defended and not by Counterseit and false Intruders condemned over-born and defaced But alas A Man qualified with inward Gifts for lack of outward how is he punished And a Man only outwardly conformable inwardly quite unfurnish'd is let alone yea exalted the painful Preacher for his Labour is beaten the unpreaching Prelate offending in the greater is shot-free the learned Man without his Cap is afflicted the capped Man without Learning is not touched is not this directly to break God's Law Is not this the Pharisees Woe Is not this to wash the Outside of the Cup and leave the inward Part uncleansed Is not this to prefer Mint and Anise to Faith Judgment and Mercy Man's Tradition before the Ordinance of God Is not this in the School of Christ and in the Method of the Gospel a plain Disorder Hath not this preposterous Order a Woe That the Catechism should be read as the Word of God it is the Order of the Church to preach it a necessary Point of a Priest to make quarterly Sermons is Law to see poor Men of the poor Men's Box reliev'd Vagabonds punish'd Parishes communicate Rood Lofts pulled down Monuments of Superstition defaced Service done and heard is Scripture is Statute That the Oath to the Queen's Majesty should be offered and taken is required as well by Ordinance of God as of Man These are plain Matters necessary Christian and profitable to wear a Surplice a Coap or a cornered Cap is as you take it an accidental thing a Devise only of Man and as we say a Doubt or Question in Divinity seeing then all these substantial Points are in all Places of this Realm almost neglected the Offenders little or nothing rebuked and seeing the Transgressors have no Colour of Conscience it is Sin and Shame to proceed against us first having also reasonable Defence of our Doings Charity my Lords would first have taught us Equity would first have spared us Brotherliness would have warned us Pity would have pardoned us if we had been found Trespassers God is my Witness who is the Beholder of a I Faith I think of your Lordships honourably esteeming you as Brethren reverencing you as Lords and Masters Alas Why have you not some good Opinion of us Why do you trust known Adversaries and mistrust your Brethren We confess one Faith of Jesus we preach one Doctrine we acknowledge one Ruler upon Earth in all things saving in this we are of your Judgment shall we be used thus for a Surplice Shall Brethren persecute Brethren for a forked Cap devised singularly of him that is our Enemy Now shall we fight for the Popish Coat his Head and Body being banished Shall the Controversy so fall out in Conclusion that for lack of this necessity Furniture as it is affirmed Labourers shall lack Wages and Churches preaching shall we not teach shall we not exercise our Talents as God hath commanded us because we will not wear that which our Enemies have desired and that by the Appointment of Friends O that ever I saw this Day that our Adversaries should laugh to see Brethren fall together by the Ears O that Ephraim should thus eat up Manasseh and Manasseh Ephraim My Lords before this takes place consider the Cause of the Church the Triumphs of Antichrist the Laughter of Satan the Sorrow and Sighs of a Number the Misery and Sequel of the Tragedy I writ with Zeal without Proof of my Matter at this present time but not without Knowledge of it nor without Grief of Mind God move your Spirit at this present to fight against Carnem Circumcisionem imo Concisionem against Literam Legem which principally is now regarded and rewarded Speak I humbly beseech you to the Queen's Majesty to the Chancellour and to Mr. Secretary and the rest that these Proceedings may sleep that England may understand your zealous Mind towards the Worship of God your Love towards the poor Well-willers your Hatred towards the professed Enemies your Unity in true conformity the other neither be needful now neither exacted in any good Age so shall the little Flock be bound to you so shall the great Shepherd be good to you There appears in this Letter a Sence of Piety Modesty and Christian Resolution not to halt between two but to suffer rather than to sin according to our Saviour's Rule we cannot serve God and Mammon When one is convinced of a Truth he ought to adhere to it Yet one Dr Burgess who hath written for that Cause would make us believe our blessed Saviour was a Trimmer when in his Rejoynder he saith our Saviour walked a middle Path between the Excess of the Pharisees and the Preciseness of the Sadducees observing many significant Ceremonies in Religion The instituted Ceremonies under the Law he fulfilled but as to their Traditions the Evangelists declare how smartly he reproproved them for certainly such Expressions to speak of them as moderately as may be shew a great Want of Reverence for our blessed Saviour but thatStyle is no Stranger with some of them witness what Dr. Morton saith in his Defence In Hezekiah's Time saith he the Idolatry about the Serpent could not be cured but by abolishing the Serpent but in our most truly Reformed Church which doth most lively express the Face and full Body of her primitive Mother Church this Disease would be found curable without any such Extremity
Thus whilest with one Hand we are hugging and imbracing Papists and as it were courting them to own a Relation of our Bishops being by means of Ordination descended from theirs on the other Endeavours were used here to crush and destroy poor Brethren Some though Christians and Country men proved Wolves and Tygers against others Nonconformists as were and are submissive and obedient to Authority who are for Order and Ministry by way of Office in the Church not guilty in the least of any blasphemous Doctrine against the Person Offices or Grace of Christ nor of any Fundamental Errors yet meerly for Consciencce sake for nothing but Non-conformity was laid to their Charge they were vexed fined cast into Prison where some of them died and otherwise cruelly persecuted which ought to make those that have any thing of the Spirit of Christianity to blush and be ashamed Such Practices ought to be left for the Children of him who is a Murderer from the Beginning For cruel Tyrants and Heathen Emperors and for the Romish Anti-Christ who by any means goes about to compel Men to believe their Opinions to believe as they say as they and do as they do a thing never practised by the Lord Jesus nor by his Apostles nor by true Christians when they had the Power of the Sword For Christian Religion and the true Doctrines of the Gospel must not by Men be forced but perswaded nor promoted by any violent ways One Man may have a Power over the Body of another but no Right or Authority over the Souls one of another that 's God's own Right and Property and they are all Usurpers that do encroach upon it Reformation began first in Saxony under Luther but there they neither kept nor did set up any Bishops nor have any such Diocesian to this very Day but they have a Lay-man residing at the Elector's Court commonly a privy-Counsellor called the President of the Presbytery and in those Parts of Germany they have secularized several Bishopricks as Bremen Minden Halberstad c. Now to the third and last general Part about the Liturgy Of the Common-prayer-book ONE thing more I must speak of though already this Discourse be longer than at first I thought it would be and that is the Liturgy which I shall do as briefly as possibly I can In order to it 't will not be amiss to take notice how much that Space of Time namely Queen Mary's Reign between King Edward's and Queen Elizabeth's had altered that Spirit which appeared in the Reformation under that pious young Prince the Josiah of his time That bloody Persecution had destroyed the Lives of several of those Godly and Learned Instruments of Reformation under the former Reign who in that great and good Work proposed unto themselves no Humane By-Ends but only the Glory of God according to his Word and though in the Beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Days there were several worthy Instruments yet the Spirit they were acted by was somewhat altered if not in the whole yet in part as it will appear if we compare the Articles as they were set forth in King Edward's Days in the Year 1552 with the Edition which the Convocation under Queen Elizabeth in 1571 hath left us There are some considerable Alterations in the Articles as also in the Common-prayer-book what they are for Brevity sake I shall not set down yet I shall say they are about the Articles of Grace of Justification of Sacraments of the Lord's Supper and of Traditions The Expressions left out of them hath proved some Detriment to the Truth for they were strong against some Errors that appeared since and to confirm the Truths therein contained But this in general may be observed about the Prayer-Book how the Common-prayers are taken out of the Breviary the Administration of Sacraments Burial Marriage Visitation of the Sick out of the Ritual the Consecration of the Lord's Supper Collects Gospels and Epistles out of the Missal and for the Book of Ordination of Archbishops Bishops Ministers c. out of the Romish Pontifical Two Popes Pius 4th and Gregory 13th would have approved of it if Queen Elizabeth had been content to have taken it from their Hands and as to matter and manner they are such as that when the Devonshire Papists understood it was no other but the Mass-book in English they were pacified about it A ranck Papist Dr. Carrier said the Common-prayer-book and the Catechism contained in it hold no Point of Doctrine expresly contrary to Antiquity that is the Romish Service only it hath not enough in it Considerat pag. 45. sect 8 9. It is observable how Secretary Walsingham hearing there was a Bull of Excommunication to come out against Queen Elizabeth used a politick Trick to prevent it He caused two of the Pope's Intelligencers at the Pope's own Choice to be as it were in secret brought over and to them he appointed a Guide to shew them in Canterbury and London Service solemnly sung and said with all its Pomp which Order the Popish Intelligencers seeing and admiring they wondered their Master would be so unadvised as to interdict a Prince or State whose Service and Ceremonies did so well agree with his own so returning to the Pope they shewed him his Oversight affirming how they saw no Service or Ceremonies in England but what might very well have been performed in Rome whereupon the Bull was presently called in The Prayer-book is the Beads of our high Church-People for as Papists think all is well with them if they do but tell their Beads so many times a Day hence it is that they look upon it as their great Work when they go to their Churches where they mutter so many Pater Nosters or so many times the Lord's Prayer and Avemarias or the Angel's Salutation to the Virgin So we have amongst us those who think to have performed the whole Christian Duty if they do but go to the Service as they call it and hear the Prayer-book read Out of the Common-prayer-book in that Part of the Litany where it is said from Sedition and privy Conspiracy the following Words are left out From the Tyranny of the Bishop of Rome and from his detestable Enormities I think after the bloody Tragedy acted under Queen Mary we had no more reason to leave out that important Truth than they had before to have it in But to speak something more in general upon this Subject though within as narrow a Compass as I can because by others much hath been said to the Purpose We declare we are not against Liturgies other Reformed Churches have them and we own they are Help upon Occasion wherefore we be wronged when traduced for Enemies to Liturgies we love them full comprehensive and to the purpose but not clogged with superfluous Repetitions 'T is good to have a Form for Administration of Baptism of the Lord's Supper and blessing of Marriages but they must not be too long nor too many
from them on the other side to say so argues a very great Ignorance of what Popery and Presbitery are as indeed it is common amongst some of our ordinary Sort of People which like Parrets in a Cage have learned the Name they often heard repeated unto them by some of the Church's passionate Teachers who will as confidently affirm Arminianism to be the Doctrine of the Church though never so false and who sometimes have been heard to complain how the first Reformers went too far they might have spared several things and not have been so rigid to have preserved Union with the Romish Church and not made an absolute renting from it doth not a sensible Man believe that Men of such Principles will be ready when it doth not cross their Worldly Interest to meet half way with the Church of Rome but such no Reason can cure the very Springs of their Souls are corrupt the Disease is past Recovery without the immediate working of God's Spirit wherefore I shall not trouble my self with speaking to those that are such But to the unlearned that are imposed upon and that sin out of Ignorance I shall give Reasons to inform and Satisfie their Judgments no Man may with himself to be of a Church except he already be a Member of it that believeth such Fundamental Errors which a Man dying in cannot be saved and doth practise Idolatry if Scripture saith Truth Here I desire not to be mistaken as if I should say how none that is a Papist can be saved for God's Mercy is great and free and when he pleases he can reveal his Truth to some that now lie in the Ignorance and Blindness of the Errors in Judgment and Practice of that Church so the good God may do to any Jew Mahometan or of any other wrong Perswasion whatsoever as in Practice to the repenting Thief but I say that a Papist dying in the Belief of those effential Errors God not imparting the Light of the Truth unto his Mind and the Love of it into his Heart such an one if God's Word speaks Truth shall not be saved Why so Because the Church of Rome hath instituted several Ways of Salvation when Scripture speaketh but of one surely all but that must be wrong and false so Christian Religion owns but one only Saviour namely the Lord Jesus Christ Acts. 4.12 Neither is there Savation in any other For there is none other Name under Heaven given amongst Men whereby we must be saved and as there is a Saviour and but one Saviour so there is a Mediator and but one Mediator there is one God and one Mediator mark as there is but one God so there is but one Mediator for in the Original the Word to express one God is the same to signifie one Mediator the Man Jesus Christ Now any one though but little versed with the Doctrines of the Popish Religion knows that they have other Mediators to trust to to intercede for them whom they worship and pray to as all their Saints specially the blessed Virgin and these in a high Degree as her Litany doth fully evidence they attribute her a Power of commanding her Son the Lord Jesus Now as to their other Ways of Salvation they are many and by Vertue whereof they pretend to be justified before God as are good Works Indulgencies of Popes See seasonable Discourse about Religion in 1689. Treasures of the Church Merits of Saints for the Favour of one Saint or other whose Protection they put themselves under they do much trust to and depend upon 'T is true they do not exclude the Merits of Christ but they come in only in part and as Sharers to what purpose this Heb. 7.25 Seeing Christ is able to save them to the utter most that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them he alone hath satisfied God's Justice and pacified his Wrath I have trodden the Winepress alone Isa 63.3 and of the People there was none with me saith he by the Mouth of his prophet neither Archangel or Angel or any Creature in Heaven or in Earth being joyned with him in that Work and can we think that after he alone hath endured the Torments of making Atonement for our Sins he would leave with the Creatures the Honour to have it applied throrough their Intercession Heb. 12.2 Now he is the Author and Finisher of our Faith take notice of both Author and Finisher of our Salvation and of all things belonging thereunto which is more clearly explained in that other Place he became the Author of eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him and he is also called the Captain of our Salvation Chap 2.10 Again I say they which for Salvation depend upon any other Sacrifice than that which Christ made of himself upon the Cross may not upon any good Grounds hope for Salvation because no Promise for it in the Word Scripture makes mention of none other but of that only We shall be content with quoting some few Places all out of one Book of Scripture where the Point of the Lord Christ's Priesthood is of a set purpose and fully treated of and therein the pretended and abominable Sacrifice of the Mass is condemned which Point alone if there was none other is a sufficient Cause for true Christians to break off Communion with that Church Heb. 9.25 26 28. 't is in the Epistle to the Hebrews Nor yet that he should offer himself often speaking of the Lord Jesus for then must he often have suffered since the Foundation of the World Hence we see how Christ was not often to offer himself The Reason is because he was not often to suffer wherefore they that would have him often offered would have him also often to suffer for whether he offereth himself or be offered by a Priest still a Sufferer he must be Now to shew how often this was to be 't is expressed and fixed v. 28. so Christ was once offered to bear the Sins of many once and no more and that 's passed too Christ was once offered and it must be of a high Concernment for us to know it ought to have been but once for Chap. 10. 't is repeated twice in v. 10. We are sanctified thorough the Offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all and v. 12. But this Man Jesus after he had offered one Sacrifice for Sins for ever but one Sacrifice and that for ever that is never to be reiterated any more and v. 14. the Reason is given why there ought to be no more because there is no Necessity for it for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified But why should I trouble my self any longer to insist upon these essential and abominable Tenets and Practices of the Church of Rome which is full of Errors in Doctrine and of Idolatry and Superstition in Worship I hope no true Son of the Church can have the Face to deny the Church of Rome to be guilty of Idolatry for they yield a religious Worship to the Creature as to the Pope whom after his Election Cardinals do place upon the Altar and there adore him for that 's the Word to signifie the Homage which at that time they give him then to the Virgin to Saints to Images and to their Wafer-God whereof they have Millions amongst them Now I say no more only neither Presbyterians nor Independents believe or do so that is that there is any other Mediator than the Lord Jesus that there are other Ways of Salvation than by the only Sacrifice he once made of himself upon the Cross neither do they practise any Idolatry as the Church of Rome doth and we know for certain that no Idolaters shall inherit the Kingdom of God I hope these few things of many more I might have said will satisfie any impartial Reader not blinded with Prejudice or with a violent Passion As for those that had rather to be Papists than Presbyterians let them now with their Mass in their Mouth their other Saviour and Saints upon their Backs with their Superstition and Idolatry about their Girdle go home with Shame and hide themselves or rather amongst the Church of Rome where they would be in their proper Place and not amongst us for we can spare them well enough FINIS