they have punished with the cruelest Death such as in Conscience could not subscribe unto it God give them a better Vnderstanding and more Moderation for the future But ye Brethren as you have received these Holy Decrees among the rest of the Heavenly Rules left unto us by the most Antient Fathers even the Apostles of our Lord so walk in them and keep the Ordinances as they were delivered by them who received them of the Lord. Now the Lord increase our Faith that we may be able to stand fast in the Truth and to overcome all Difficulties So prays your Brother Thomas Grantham Hear the Church c. OR AN EPITOME OF THE CHIEF CONTROVERSIES BETWEEN THE PAPISTS AND THE Baptized Believers By THOMAS GRANTHAM Let that therefore abide in you which you have heard from the Beginning if that which ye have heard from the Beginning shall remain in you ye also shall continue in the Son and in the Father and this is the Promise which he hath Promised us even Eternal Life 1 John. Unto the perfect Words of the New-Testament nothing may be added and from which nothing may be taken away by him that will lead a Life agreeable to the Gospel Apollinar l. 5. c. 14. LONDON Printed in the Year 1687. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Christian Friend IT is now about six and twenty years since it pleased a Learned Papist to send seven Queries to the People commonly called Anabaptists in the County of Lincoln about which many Papers were exchanged and in the Year 1662 some part of them were Printed under the Title of the Baptist against the Papist or the Scripture and Rome in Contention about the Supreme Seat of Judgment in Controversies of Religion To which the Querist never replied in Print but only sent me a few Notes in Manuscript which seven Queries with my seven Anti-queries I shall annex to this Epistle The Truth is I did then and do still look upon this sort of Christian-Adversaries so I call them to be the most subtil as well as coherent with their Principles keeping close to their Arguments and using all very much the same Mediums and were the Truth with them as in many things I am satisfied it is not this very thing would be their high Commendation But missing the Heavenly Mark more is the pity they must needs be the more dangerous wherein they stand opposed to the Truth of which being very sensible I cannot as I love plain Truth and the Souls of all Men but indeavour as much as in me is after a Christian sort to undeceive if it may be some of them and to prevent others from being deceived by them I speak not this as fearing them but as truly loving them as they bear the name of Christians and doubtless are as zealous in their way as any tho I do verily believe they are under the greatest mistakes of any that profâ—ss the Christian Religion except professed Enthusiasts That I treat them in Love is no new thing let my Words written more than twenty years since witness now in my Epistle to the Reader thus you find them Not that I envy those of the Papal Church or desire them any evil Not that I desire they should be exposed to a Suffering Condition for matters of Religion or that they should be denied any liberty in that Respect which I desire my self nor for any other prejudice God knoweth do I publish this small Treatise c. And what I said then I say now being verily perswaded by the Scripture and all good Principles which I could ever meet with that they and all men living soberly and quietly under the Government ought to have at least a friendly connivance under our differing sentiments from the established Form or Order of Worship c. But I am no Dictator I must leave these things to the pleasure of God and the prudence of our Governors only this is my Determination in Christ's strength to live and die faithful to what I know of the ways of Truth and to my own Conscience Praying constantly for the happiness of my Prince and all his peaceable Subjects Tho. Grantham Hear the Church The Third PART CONTAINING AN EPITOME OF THE Controversies depending between those who are commonly called PAPISTS and those commonly called ANA-BAPTISTS Occasioned by Seven Queries propounded by a Learned PAPIST LET the Christian Reader know that it is no idle Conceit of the Parts of the Author above his Brethren nor yet above his Adversaries many of whom are undoubtedly Men of very rare Parts and Accomplishments which moveth him thus to appear and to call forth all the Strength of Rome in Argument to defend their Church and Religion against the poor Baptized Churches in this Nation But it is only the Clear Evidence of Truth on their side as contained in the holy Oracles of God which gives Boldness to this great Undertaking Which in all due Humility Christian Love and yet with holy Confidence is thus attempted for a fair Trial of the Case or Cases depending between the Parties above mentioned In the Name of God therefore let us proceed to the Particulars of the Seven Queries sent to the Baptists by a Learned Papist which indeed contains the Sum of the Controversies between the said Parties Papist Query 1. Baptist Anti-query 1. Whether we are to resolve all Differences in point of Religion only out of the Written Word of God What Controversie in point of Religion can you resolve without the Written Word of God And whether the written Word of God be a perfect Rule for Matters of Religion The first Part of this Anti-query concludes in the Negative the latter Part in the Affirmative and affords as I think this undeniable Argument That which is the only perfect Rule to all Christians in the greatest Matters of Religion and that without which neither Christ the Church nor Christian Religion can be known is the only infallible Rule by which all Controversies in point of Religion are to be resolved But the Holy Scriptures are the only perfect Rule to all Christians in the greatest Matters of Religion and that without which neither Christ the Church nor Christian Religion can be known Ergo The Holy Scriptures are the only infallible Rule by which all Controversies in point of Religion among Christians are to be resolved Papist Query 2. Baptist Anti-query 2. How know you precisely what is the true Word of God Whether some Book must not of necessity speak for it self or be received for God's Word upon its own Evidence and whether the Holy Scriptures do not best deserve that privilege And whether it be not too great presumption to say There are no Holy Books but those which you and we have received for such seeing those which we have tell us there were other Holy Writings which never yet came to our Hands nor to yours Forasmuch as no Society of Christians in these days can bear witness to the truth of any
that are to partake of that Bread thereby may feed upon the Body of Christ which is the true Bread and by him live for ever Then he breaketh the Bread pronouncing the words of Christ This is my Body c. willeth the People to receive it in remembrance of Christ and as shewing forth the Death of Christ till he come the second time without sin to Salvation In like manner he taketh the Cup after the People have received the Bread and with Prayer suitable to that great Mystery it being sanctified he poureth out of the Wine remembring the words of Christ This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood c. partakes of it himself as he did also of the Bread and gives it to the Deacons to Communicate to all the Congregation and they all drink of it Then some word of Exhortation is given to the People under the consideration of the unspeakable Mercy of God in the gift of his Son to dye for us that we might live Eternally with him all is concluded with Prayers to the Lord for all his Blessings in the most joyful manner that the Minister is able to express them and then usually something is given to the Poor as every mans heart maketh him willing being not constrained thereunto but as the love of Christ constraineth him TO say nothing here of the Roman Church denying to give the Cup to the People the Priests only drinking of it nor of the Priest only partaking of the Bread and Cup in divers of their Masses the People only looking on neither of their Adoration of the Elements of Bread and Wine in these words I Worship thee I Glorifie thee I Praise thee Nor yet of that Passage in the Communion of the Mass Let us Worship the Sign of the Cross which are things too large to be discoursed in a Letter It shall suffice to set down the manner of their Celebration 1. All is done in an unknown Tongue which the People understand not 2. The Benedicamus Domino is sung ten times together and Ite Missa est is sung thirteen times with long and tedious Notes 3. The Priest is to say divers Prayers privately to himself 4. He is taught by the Rubrick to make thirty several Crosses upon the Bread the Cup the Altar and his forehead 5. Their Gestures are as followeth The Priest boweth his Body and lifting up himself kisseth the Altar on the right side then he boweth again and looketh toward the Host that is the Bread he joyneth his hands wipeth his fingers lifteth up the Host then he lifteth up his eyes and boweth himself and lifteth up his eyes again he boweth again and lifteth up the Host above his forehead then he uncovereth the Cup and holdeth it between his hands keeping his thumb and his finger together Then he boweth and lifteth up the Cup a little then to his Breast or above his Head. He setteth it down again and wipeth his fingers then he spreadeth his Arms a-cross He boweth his Body rising up he kisseth the Altar on the right side He smiteth his Breast uncovering the Cup he makes five Crosses with the Host beyond the Cup twice on each side under the Cup and before it Then he layeth his hands upon the Altar the Deacon reaching him the Paten he putteth it to his right eye then to his left he maketh a Cross beyond his head with it he kisseth it and layeth it down Then he breaketh the Host in three holding two pieces in his left hand and one in his right over the Cup which with a Cross he letteth fall into it Then he kisseth the Corporas the Deacon taketh the Pax from the Priest giveth it to the sub-Deacon and he to the Quire. Then humbling himself he first taketh the Body and then the Blood so he goeth to the right horn of the Altar the sub-Deacon poureth in Wine and the Priest rinseth the Cup and washeth his hands turning himself to the People Cometh again to the Altar and turneth to the People the second time Then bowing his body and closing his hands he prayeth to himself he riseth again making the sign of the Cross and bowing again goeth from the Altar Thus Brethren I have given you a brief account of the Ceremonious Observations of those who would be thought the truest Church on Earth though they have assuredly changed the Ordinances of our Lord more than any sort of Christians I have also set before you the purity and simplicity and yet the great utility of these two great Ordinances that you may be more inwardly affected with them but especially with him whom they so excellently represent for to this end are they ordained to set forth Christ and him Crucified Of all the difficulties with which you are likely to be tried in respect of your Religious Profession that Question which concerns the Judge of these and other Controversies in Religion is like to be the most dangerous because you have been little exercised in it as also because many persons of great Eminency and Authority are deeply radicated and very expert in an opinion diametrically opposite to yours for they say that the living voice of the Church assembled in a General Council of her Bishops and Doctors is the only infallible Judge to determine all Controversies in matters of Faith and Religion On the other side We have been taught and have constantly believed that it is all Christians Duty to rely chiefly and before all things upon the Authority and sufficiency of the voice of God himself as he speaks in the Holy Scriptures as the best and only infallible Decider of all Questions that shall arise especially in the Christian Church and since the holy Scriptures were written and received about matters of Faith and Religion And indeed it seems very strange that any man should think there is a better Judge than God himself of what is true and what is otherwise in matters of Religion and to be sure he speaks to us with the greatest Certainty and Authority by the holy Pen-men of the Scriptures And it is as strange that the Church who must derive all her Light and Authority from God and his Word should appeal men to her self rather than to him methinks they should say to us as Caesar's Substitute said to St. Paul Hast thou Appealed to God as he speaks in his Scriptures to God and his Scriptures shalt thou go And especially when this is the question What sort of Christians are the true Church of Christ for it seems then the most unreasonable thing in the World that any Party contending for this Title The Church should be her own Judge and seeing the Church cannot by meerly avouching upon her own Testimony only that she is the Church make any proof or demonstration that she is so it remains then that we must have some Infallible Rule by which to find the Church And now if God himself does not reveal to us
who is his Church we shall never find her nor does he reveal this but by the Testimonies of the Scripture there must we find the Church of God or no where For none but Enthusiasts pretend to any other Revelation in this Case and to speak feeely I doubt the Papists are more then a little Enthusiastical for rather than let God's Word decide this Question about the Church they will flye to Miracles as if a false Prophet may not shew a Sign or a Wonder yea and that Sign and Wonder come to pass too and yet the thing he brings it to prove be nothing but a lye see Deut. 15. Surely he that shall pretend to work a Miracle or Wonder in these days to prove such or such a People to be the Church I should the more suspect both him and his Church because we have a sure Word of Prophecy confirmed by Miracles already which Word doth as fully set forth the Church as it sets forth any thing insomuch as men may as well call for Miracles to prove there is a God and that this God is true as to call for Miracles to prove the true Church Indeed the Church of Christ being once found then all wise and modest men will readily lend an Ear to her in all things and especially when she undertakes to expound the dark or mysterious points of our Religion or offers her Judgment in things doubtful for as for the common point of the Christian Faith he that is a wise and good Man and no ways byassed by Interest may perhaps know these things as well as the Church or at least such as call themselves Church-men But to be bound to adhere to any Church in these days as to a people which cannot possibly be mistaken in any matters of Faith or Religion seems to be an Atribute too high for any Society of Sinful men and there is none that liveth and sinneth not For seeing God hath not told us any such thing That the Church cannot Err or be Mistaken it ought not to be spoken and if it be only proper to the Almighty to say He cannot lye It must not be said of the Church that She cannot lye lest he reprove us and we be found Lyars Rom. 3. 4. Let God be true and every Man a lyar for thus it is written and again Hos 11. 12. Ephraim compasseth me about with Lyes and the House of Israel with Deceit This was the Case of the ten Tribes and though Judah be justified as to these Impieties yet Chap. 12. 2. God tells them he had a Controversie with them also Certain it is that famous Churches have erred in matters of Faith and others were as liable to err as they no Church being herein priviledged above another for any thing that God has said in his Word but he every where exhorts his People to beware of Sin Error and Apostacy and commands every one that hath Ears to hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches but he does not say to any of them that they cannot Err therefore we are not to hear such a story of any Church Mat. 16. 18. Is a gracious Promise indeed That the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church of Christ as founded upon himself in the true Faith of St. Peter But this Promise belongs to all true Churches equally yet no man ever durst affirm from hence That no true Church can possibly err And St. Peter who understood this Promise never told any Church of his Planting that they could not Err but rather tells them they may err so as to fall from their stedfastness and be led away with the error of the Wicked Indeed if any Church could be assigned here on Earth that cannot err or be deceived in matters of Faith it were the easiest thing in the World to find the Truth having once found the Church for we should have no need to know any thing but what that Church speaks and to receive her Determinations as God's Oracles but then I consider again that we should perhaps have great inconvenience also For if all the Decrees made by General Councils be obliging to us and were bound up together we should never be able to read them nor I doubt to understand them it will then be our best at the long-run to take Sanctuary at the Word of God as our Guide and Superiour to the Church But I consider farther that no man makes any particular Church this Guide but does refer us to the Universal Church as assembled in a General Council Surely either this is to make as many Universal Churches at least as there has been Ages since Christ was upon the Earth or if all make but one Universal Church the direction given to follow her Sentence is scarce practicable for how long will it be before a man can be assured what was held and what was rejected by the Church in all Ages indeed there are Men born of great confidence who will tell us that the Catholick or Universal Church hath always held such Doctrines and such Traditiors as are unwritten c. Now it highly concerns all Christians as much as in them lieth to make sure work with such bold Talkers about the truth of the things which they affirm especially about the truth of the Antiquity of these things that is that they appear by some Divine Record to have been delivered to the first Churches by Men approved of God to be the deliverers of Divine Institutes and if they fail here it will be ill venturing to follow them in their after-enquiries And there is the highest Reason in the World to stand as strongly as possible for the first Age for such pure and undoubted Antiquity is necessary in our Case from the tenour of our Blessed Saviour's Argumentation against the Jews in opposition to a Tradition or Mosaical Precept in the Case of Divorce Mat. 19. 8. From the beginning it was not so For seeing the Apostles did faithfully deliver the whole Counsel of God to the first Churches condemning all that shall teach otherwise than they had taught the the Doctrine of Godliness or that should not consent to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ it is therefore necessary to bring all Doctrine and Practices in the Christian Church to the Test of the most pure and Primitive Antiquity for that Church which hath that Argument fairly on her side cannot fail of all other Arguments which can be any way necessary for her Justification for indeed this first Argument does infer all the rest and they that have not this have none of the other which thing being well considered look back upon your Principles O ye Baptized Christians and upon what hath been said for them even by your Adversaries and take comfort for whoever boasts of the best Antiquity it is certain that you only have it For what is the most ancient Record Doubtless the Holy Scripture and if so let the
question be about Christ and his Church there must we find them both or no where If any Man like not this Doctrine let him shew me if he can these lovely Objects without being beholden to the Scripture Some I have known to attempt this but with lamentable success being soon driven to a shameful silence and indeed the whole World must depart into utter silence as touching this great Mystery Christ and his Church unless the Word of God as it is delivered in the Holy Scriptures through Faith makes us wise in these great Concernments of Salvation 2 Tim. 3. 14. Let men alledge all the Authors in the World and all the Tradition that ever was if the Holy Scriptures must not be their own Evidence and so capable to command our Belief of them then for the same or rather more forcible Reasons then any Man can bring against the Scriptures all Authors and all Traditions shall be dumb and useless as to the production of the least iota of Divine Faith so that the Papists at the long-run must if they know how shew us their Church without Scripture or any Author and without Tradition also as I have formerly written unto you being provoked thereunto by seven Queries sent by a Learned Papist who in his last to me does undertake to deliver himself from this difficulty after this manner We may saith he prove the Church by the Holy Scripture and the Scripture by the Church and this by a Regressus Demonstrativus without a vicious Circle because we suppose them both sufficiently proved and prudently accepted for such by all the Motives of Credibility as Miracles Holiness c. by which Christ proved himself and his New Gospel But as for the Sense of the Scripture I have more than sufficiently demonstrated that the Scripture it self cannot bear witness for it but that this must be had from a Living Judge viz. the Church the Infallible Interpreter of Gods Word To this I answer briefly That is a vicious Circle out of which no man can lawfully deliver himself but must run in a Round without end and truly such is this Circular Argumentation of my Adversary he will prove his Church by the Scripture 2. He will prove the Scripture to be true by his Church and he will prove his Church true by the Scripture before the Scripture be proved true and he will prove the Scripture to be true after it hath proved his Church true This Meander is no way to be avoided that I can see but by suffering either the Scripture or the Church to be its own Evidence for his Demonstrative Regress makes his Case worse for by it they be both sufficiently proved before either of them be proved and both prudently accepted before either of them be accepted and which is most strange of all the rest these things are all done before the Scripture hath any sense known for of this he is the most of all confident that the Sense of the Scripture must be had from a living Judge viz. the Church the Infallible Interpreter of God's Word So that this is the Conclusion of the whole Matter The Scripture without Sense must prove the Roman Church and the Roman Church must then give the Sense of that Scripture which had no Sense before when it proved Her to be the Church here is indeed a Regressus but no such thing as a Demonstrativus Methinks wise men should consider that the Holy Scripture is its own Interpreter in a great if not the greatest part of it the New Testament being the best Interpreter of the Old Testament and of it self also in many places for Example It tells us in one place that the Heavens must receive Christ from the time of his Ascension till the times of refreshing shall come from the Presence of the Lord. Act. 3. 21. And hence we hold that no Christian must say that the real Body of of Christ which ascended to Heaven is upon the Earth till he shall be sent the second time for God shall send Jesus saith St. Peter because the Scripture tells us in another place That if Jesus were on Earth he should not be a Priest Heb. 8. 4. It is therefore as plain as plain can be that the Papists make void the Priesthood of Christ and contradict St. Peter himself when they tell the World that the real Body of Christ which ascended into Heaven is now really carnally corporally present upon the Earth that is upon their Altars and in the Hands and Mouths of their Priests and People as often as they celebrate Mass and consequently he is so far from being received into Heaven till the time of his second coming that he is according to their own Opinion received bodily upon Earth ten thousand times and in ten thousand places to his being once received bodily into Heaven Sure their Opinion is directly against the Scripture as sure as their Transubstantiation is directly against the best Sense and the best Reason with which Almighty God hath endowed the best of Men as has been clearly evidenced by many learned Discourses among which I would commend to your Perusal one lately published under the Title of A Discourse against Transubstantiation Printed this Year and sold by Mr. Aylmer at the Three Pigeons against the Royal Exchange Price Six Pence My Learned Adversary and indeed the Papists generally do urge us vehemently after this manner admitting that the Church is to follow the Rule of God's revealed Word in all her Definitions yet they hold it extreamly irrational that all that can read it should be his own Interpreter of it for so say they He will be his own Judge And as in a Nation where no Judge of the Law is appointed there can be no Justice but every man will be his own Judge so likewise unless there be a Supream Judge in Matters of Faith to wit the Church from whom no Appeal may be allowed there can be no end of Controversies c. This Objection is considerable to which I say 1. What my Adversary means by God's revealed Word I do not very well understand but I doubt he extends that Term farther than the Holy Scripture else I am sure enough the Church of Rome has no revealed Word of God to follow in very many of her Observations but to let this pass at present I answer to the Objection thus 2. It seems to be built upon many dangerous Suppositions such as these That we ought to rest upon the Sentence of a Priest for we must hear the Church out of his Mouth for the state of our Soul as on the Sentence of a Judge in a Civil Court for a matter of Debt c. and that we are no more bound to search the Scriptures for Eternal Life than to search the Statute-Book for our Temporal Life nay here I do them no wrong for they will permit us to read the Statute-Book but they forbid us to read the Holy Scripture It supposes
Hear the Church OR AN APPEAL TO THE Mother of us All. BEING AN EPISTLE TO All the Baptized Believers in England exhorting them to Stedfastness in the Truth according to the SCRIPTURES TOGETHER With some farther Considerations of seven Queries sent to the Baptized Believers in Lincolnshire concerning the Judge of Controversies in Matters of Religion In Three PARTS By THOMAS GRANTHAM And they shall turn away their Ears from the Truth and shall be turned into Fables 2 Tim. 4. 4. But I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scripture of Truth and there is none that holdeth with me in these things but Michael your Prince Dan. 10. 21. LONDON Printed in the Year 1687. TO THE READER THere is nothing which Men sincerely Religious do more heartily desire than that all Men were so too and because they are fully satisfied that they are in that very Way which most truly leads to Life they therefore strive that all may know it and walk in it And truly this is my Case my Hearts Desire and Prayer to God for all Men is that they may be saved And as I believe it hath pleased God to shew me the Path of Life I cannot but do my best to shew it to others for as some by their Labours have been helpful to me so I hope mine may be helpful to others When I call the Primitive Christian Church at Jerusalem the Mother of us All I allude to that Place Gal. 4. 26. Interpreters so far as I have observed take Jerusalem there for the Gospel Catholick Church now this Church had its Beginning and this Beginning was at Jerusalem and because in the Progress of Christianity in the World for near one thousand seven hundred years there has abundance of Errors crept in and much truth in the antient Simplicity of it rejected I think it highly rational that all prejudice being laid apart Men should seek with the greatest diligence for their greatest Security into the State of Christs Gospel-Church as by himself established for whatsoever has not been planted by our Heavenly Father is nigh to its being rooted up God Almighty direct us all is the hearty Prayer of thy Friend Thomas Grantham Let the Reader further take notice that these Papers were originally written upon several occasions otherwise some things repeated would have been otherwise Let thy discretion bear with this Hear the Church The First PART Containing by way of Preface a particular consideration of the State of the first Christian Church at Jerusalem and the Reasonableness of appealing to Her as The Mother of us All. IT is evident to all such as have conversed with the Histories of the Ages which have been since the coming of our Lord to make known and establish all things in the Kingdom of Grace in the first Church at Jerusalem that there hath been great striving among the Christian Churches for some Honour and Prerogative above the rest Sometimes the Church at Alexandria sometimes the Church at Constantinople and especially the Church at Rome pressing very hard for Precedence of Honour and Preheminence of Power few minding the poor afflicted Church at Jerusalem the true Mother of all true Christian Churches when yet the Holy Ghost hath left a high Commendation upon those who do follow Her both in the effectual Reception of the Gospel not as the Word of such or such a man though preached by Apostles but as it is in truth the Word of God 1 Thess 2. 13 14. and also not in persecuting but in suffering like things of their Countrey-men as they did of the Jews And we desire and hope that there may be yet all due consideration had by all Christians in these days of the Heavenly Frame and Holy Walking of that MOTHER-CHURCH Unto whom was committed in the first place the Principles of the Oracles of God unto whom our dearest Lord was a personal Minister and did actually Dispense to and Communicate with them in the Divine Mysteries or Ordinances of the Christian Religion upon whom was poured the most excellent Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit of Promise It was this Church from whom according to the Prophets the Law of Christ should first go forth Isa 2. 3. Mich. 4. 1 2. Here was the House of the Lord established in the top of the Mountains and exalted above the Hills that all Nations might flow unto it an Honour not given to other Churches 1 Cor. 14. 36. What came the Word of God out from you No this was the Glory of another For out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem Which by special Order from Christ was fulfilled when he gave Commandment to his Apostles that Repentance and Remission of Sins should be preached in his Name in all Nations beginning at Jerusalem Luk. 24. 47. And here it was that the Spirit gave utterance unto the Apostles to preach in all Languages that then some of all Nations who were at that very time at Jerusalem might hear from thence the joyful Sound of the Gospel and consequently keep the same Holy Doctrine in all Ages and Nations as it was there delivered and confirmed by divers Signs and Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost Math. 28. 19 20. Heb. 2. 4. Act. 2. Forasmuch then as all Churches in all Ages and Nations are indispensibly bound to follow this Church in the Observation of all things whatsoever Christ commanded them we hold our selves concern'd at this time to declare our unfeigned Assent unto the Truth of the Gospel as it was here delivered and our humble Resolution to keep the Ordinances of Christ as they were here practised not doubting but the same was received in all Churches at the first being confident of this very thing that a safer way cannot be found for the security of our Souls from the manifold Errors which since the Plantation of this Church have been obtruded upon the Consciences of Men in most parts of the Christian Nations To the intent then that we may avoid Error and cleave to Truth we shall consider particularly though very briefly the Frame of this Heavenly Building in respect of her Foundation her Form of Government and the Way of her Worship in order to her Perfection And First We find her Foundation-Principles to consist in six particulars called the beginning of the Word of Christ which Articles are therefore called the Foundation because of the Relation they have to Christ who is a Foundation to his Church as held forth in his own Doctrine and other Foundations than Christ so held forth can no man lay Of such importance are these Sacred Principles that we find the Ancient Christians used to call them the Christian Catechism Chrysostoms Testimony is this That all these are fundamental Articles that is that we ought to repent from dead Works to be baptized into the Faith of Christ and be made worthy of the Gift of the Spirit who is given by imposition of
Hands and we are to be taught the Mysteries of the Resurrection and Eternal Judgment This Catechism saith he is perfect And indeed in the whole New Testament we meet not with such an excellent Epitome of the Christian Doctrine as in this place which was written to this mother-Mother-Church 'T is true we have some mention of a Form of Doctrine delivered to the believing Romans And Timothy is commanded to hold fast the Form of sound Words which he had heard of St. Paul Christ is said to be the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession the Author and Finisher of our Faith we are willed to contend for the Faith once delivered to the Saints But none of these places do shew us as the Text under consideration what this Form of Doctrine this Form of sound Words this Profession and this Faith was in respect of the Composition and Foundamentality of them nor can there any thing be assigned that is so properly the Analogy or Rule of Faith as these Principles of Catechism Happy had it been if all Christian Churches had held fast this Catechism though no more had ever been composed Unity in the Truth would have been better maintained by this one than by so many as are now extant And sure this being of Divine Composure and Authority the Principles of the Oracles of God the Beginning of the Word of Christ must needs outweigh all others being but of Human Composition To begin with the first Principle of this Church let us consider 1. Repentance from Dead Works We are first to consider why Repentance is put in the first place even before Faith sure it is because no unrepenting Sinner can have the Faith of Justification therefore this Principle of the Christian Faith must follow Repentance There is indeed a Faith which we may call the Faith of Mankind to believe there is a God that will both punish Sinners and reward the Righteous and this Faith must needs precede Repentance Heb. 11. 6. This Repentance as it was a Principle of this Mother-Church comprehends three things a true Sence of Sin in the exceeding sinfulness of it in which respect it is said They were pricked at the heart and cried out or said Men and Brethren what shall we do Act. 2. 37. which is accompanied with Godly Sorrow and with Amendment of Life without which Repentance is rather to be repented of than to be esteemed any part of the Foundation of Christian Religion Repent ye therefore and be converted that your Sins may be blotted out Act. 3. 19. Without which Repentance there is no Remission Luk. 13. 5. Except ye repent ye shall all perish saith our Saviour How blessed had it been if this Doctrine had been preached and Men brought to the Obedience of it before they had been admitted to Membership in the Church of Christ The not keeping to this Rule has filled all National Churches with unregenerate unconverted Persons to the Scandal of the Christian Religion 2. Of Faith towards God in this mother-Mother-Church The Excellency of the Faith of this mother-Mother-Church appeared in these things That they gladly received the Word of the Gospel of their Salvation Act. 2. 40. To the illumination of their Souls and the expelling the darkness of Errour and Unbelief by this Faith they had their Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and their Confidence in God had a great Recompence of Reward in the Love and Expectation of which they willingly endured a great Fight of Afflictions whilst they were made a Gazing-stock both by Reproaches and suffering the spoiling of their Goods with joyfulness and were willingly Companions with and charitably compassionate towards those that were in Bonds for Righteousness sake working the Work of God ministring to the Saints labouring in Love all which are Arguments of true and lively Faith. Heb. 6. 10 11. Heb. 10. 32 33 34 35. He that reads and considers this Excellent Epistle written to this Mother-Church wherein we may be sure no new Doctrine is delivered but the same corroborated which they had received shall find that the true Knowledge and Belief of Christ was amongst them in respect of his Divinity Chap. 1. in respect of his Humanity Chap. 2. in respect of Priestly Office and Sacrifice with all other Offices to which he was appointed of God in the residue of the Epistle of which we cannot now speak particularly 3. Of the Doctrine of Baptism in this Church The Lord Christ had fully taught the Guides of this mother-Mother-Church the Doctrine of Baptism both by Word and Example and thereby had informed them of a three-fold Baptism The first delivered by Precept himself making the People Disciples by teaching them to repent and believe the Gospel and then appointing his Disciples to dip them in the River in which respect it is said that Jesus made and dipped or Baptized more Disciples than John Mat. 4. 17. John 4. 1. John 3. 22. His own example being an unquestionable Rule for the manner of Baptizing he being Dipped of John into Jordan as the Greek hath it Mark 1. 9. and then coming up out of the Water And of this whole Church it is said their hearts were sprinkled from an evil Conscience and their Bodies washed with pure water For Baptismal Water is therefore purer because it is Sanctified for our Religious use both by the Person of Christ and by the Word of God. And of this Church was first required that every one of them should repent and then be Baptized and of them it is also said that they that gladly received the Word preached by St. Peter were baptized Acts 2. 38 40. They were also instructed concerning the Baptism of the Holy Spirit it being the Promise of the Father made to all the called of the Lord and was particularly applied to them and poured upon them in the way of Faith and Obedience To be willing to be Baptized with Afflictions for Christ and the Gospels-sake they were also taught by our blessed Saviour in his Discourse with some of his Disciples and by his own Sufferings Luke 12. 30. of which they were also partakers Heb. 10. 32. as also all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must expect the same And it would be considered by what Rule any man can take upon him to make Baptism the first Principle seeing Christ himself has made it the third Principle and by what Rule any man can call Sprinkling Baptizing Dare they speak as they act that is dare they say I sprinkle thee in the Name of the Father c. Would not their Conscience flie in their Face if they should so speak and yet behold they prevaricate in action and lye in expression in that which they call their Baptism God will surely send the proudest prevaricators in this case a Quo warranto for their presumptuous dealing herein Of the Laying on of Hands in this Church There are two great Blessings belong to all true Christians Remission of sin and the Gift
of the Holy Spirit the first is consigned to then in Sacred Baptism the second in Prayer with the laying on of Hands in which way this Mother-Church received this Blessing as is evident from the ennumeration and order of the Principles of her Catechism and also from this Testimony that great Grace was upon them all Acts 4. 33. as also in that it is expresly said that this Church continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine a Principle whereof is Prayer with Laying on of Hands and from this Church this Doctrine and Holy Practice was carried by the Apostles to Samaria Acts 14. for it is not to be imagined they would there innovate a practical principle which had not first been taught in the Church at Jerusalem But God bearing witness to this service of Prayer and Laying on of Hands at Samaria with the same Blessing of the Holy Spirit fore-received at Jerusalem confirms it as an acceptable and needful Service for all Churches And accordingly it was received in the times next succeeding the Apostles days as many witnesses testifie amongst whom Tertullian thus Dehinc manus imponitur c. After Baptism the Hand is imposed by Blessing calling and inviting the Holy Spirit Tunc ille Sanctissimus c. Then that most Holy Spirit most willingly descends from the Father upon the Bodies which are cleansed meaning in Baptism and blessed Of the Resurrection of the Dead taught and believed in this Mother-Church In this Church it was where the Apostle gave witness with great Pâ—wer of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus in whose Resurrection assurance yea very full assurance is given to all men that there shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the Just and the Vnjust It was here that our Saviour shewed himself alive after he had been dead by infallible proofs being seen of his Disciples forty days conversing with them of the things concerning his Church and Kingdom It was here that many dead Bodies of the Saints did arise and come out of their Graves and went into Jerusalem and appeared to many after Christ was risen which was a full proof that the Resurrection is of the same numerical Bodies which are laid in the Graves disrobed only of mortality and all imperfections And this is that Resurrection of the Dead here called a Principle of Christ's Doctrine and of the Foundation of this Mother-Church Of the Eternal Judgment Believed by this Church It was to the Guides of this Church to whom our Saviour first made known this great priviledge that they should sit on Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel at that time when he should sit upon the Throne of his Glory Mat. 19. 28 who also is appointed of God to be the Judge of Quick and Dead Act. 10. 42. which great Article is here recounted among the principles of Catechism Heb. 6. 2. and called the eternal Judgment not only for that it is the last Judgment but because the effects of it shall be perpetual the pains to be imposed in this sentence of Judgment shall be of eternal duration to all wicked men who have contemned the Gospel of their Salvation and judged themselves unworthy of Eternal Life even that Life which then shall be given to Eternity to all such as have held fast the beginning of their Confidence and the hope of this their rejoycing stedfast unto the end Heb. 3. 14. As therefore the Tares are gathered and burnt in the fire so shall it be in the end of the World. The Son of Man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that do Iniquity And shall cast them into a Furnace of Fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of Teeth Then shall the Righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Who hath ears to hear let him hear Matth. 13. 40 41 42 43. Lo the eternal Judgment taught by Christ's own Mouth let all men be admonished to prepare for this Judgment for the coming of the Lord draws nigh Of the farther Order and manner of Worship used in this mother-Mother-Church This did especially consist in frequently assembling themselves together to teach and preach Jesus Christ Acts 5. 42. or for the ministring of the Word of God and Prayers Acts 6. 4. In which we find no Liturgies or Forms of Prayer devised or imposed by the Apostles but these Services were performed by the aid of the Holy Spirit which as they were given for the work of the Ministry so 't is evident they have a remanency in the true Church till the whole be perfected Eph. 4. and it is this Blessed Spirit which helps the Church to make Intercession according to the will of God Rom. 8. 27. They were all very frequent at the Lord's Table breaking the Sacred Bread in remembrance of the Lord Christ giving thanks to God by him Acts 2. 41 47. nor needed they any Mass-Book or Common-Prayer-Book to direct them in either Christ's own Institution of his Holy Table and the holy Prayer which he had taught his Disciples with other Heavenly Rules contained in the Holy Scriptures was abundantly sufficient and are so still to every Faithful Man of God and Minister whom God and his Church hath called to that Work to furnish him to every good work It is also excceding plain that the Holy Table of the Lord is here called the breaking of Bread. And therefore though that Holy Bread and Wine be the Body and Blood of Christ yet they are these in such sort as they are also the Bread of the Lord and the Cup of the Lord 1 Cor. 11 27. And forasmuch as the Apostle here and in the next verse does expresly call the same things by these different titles the Body and the Blood the Bread and the Cup we must of necessity take him to speak Figuratively in one of these but in the latter to wit Bread and the Cup we have no Figure save that the Wine in the Cup is taken for the Cup which is an usual form of speaking and therefore of necessity these Words Body and Blood must be understood to be mystically spiritually or figuratively in the Bread and Wine and not the Bread and Wine to be mystically spiritually or figuratively in the Body and Blood of Christ It is also as certain that the whole Church this Mother-Church Acts 2. 42 did then receive both the Bread and Cup of the Lord as that any one of them did partake of both the whole Service being expressed by a Synecdoche a part for the whole which yet will better appear in that this Ordinance ought to be received by every Recipient as he is a Member of Christ not as he is a Minister 'T is true as I am a Minister I dispense this Mystery but I receive it as a Member saith St. Paul For YE being many are one Bread and one Body For WE are all partakers of that one Bread. It was
it self These were such things as seemed good to the Holy Ghost not that the Holy Ghost now revealed them but brought to remembrance what the Scriptures had said concerning them and partly by what before that time had been shewed unto St. Peter by a certain Vision of God's accepting the Gentiles though not cleansed according to Legal Purification And therefore till the Holy Ghost reverse those Decrees they are to oblige all Churches to keep them inviolable And in this point as indeed in all the rest the Baptized Churches in this Age do stand a witness against the disorder and disobedience of most of the Christian Nations in the World who make no Conscience of abstaining from Blood c. though they know the true Churches did Religiously observe these Decrees for several hundreds of years after Tertullian tells us The custom of Christians is to abstain from all Blood and things Strangled so that it is not lawful for them when they feed at their Tables to meddle with the Blood of any Beast It is further safely concluded from hence that all decrees of General Councils are so far obliging only as the things decreed are proved to be true and not because they are decreed in Council only for here St. Peter proves that Churches are free from the obligation of Legal Ceremonies because they wear a Burthen too heavy to be born 2. Because God had accepted them already without them And James the Angel of this Church proves or confirms the same by the Scriptures and these Arguments and Probations satisfied the Assembly And it 's certain the things prohibited by these decrees were always forbidden even to Noah and his perpetual Generations Gen. 9. 12 c. Nor does this Assembly excommunicate or anathematize all that shall doubt of the Necessity of their Determination but very sweetly tells the Brethren they shall do well to comply with their advice for they knew that every Church had Power to punish offenders and to them they seem to leave that Care and not to take the Power of any Church out of their Hands as the manner of some is Of the Case of Infants or whether they were admitted to Baptism in the mother-Mother-Church In all that is said of the Plantation and growth of this famous Church or in that excellent Epistle which was a long time after written to them there is not one Word to be found of any one Infant being brought to Baptism and therefore we hold to the Negative of this Question and it is observable that though here Infant-Circumcision was absolutely excluded yet is there no Argument urged for it from their Baptism which had been very considerable had there been any such usage in this or the Gentile Churches And because it is granted now by many and these the most Learned too among whom the Papists that there is no Scripture for Infant-Baptism c. But that it stands upon the Authority of Ecclesiastical Tradition all that we shall say to that Plea in this place is to desire any Man to shew who delivered this thing to the Churches and by what Authority whether divine or human For seeing Tradition signifies a thing delivered it is fit the Person or Persons delivering such a thing should be known to be Persons lawfully impowered to deliver such a Tradition before we can with safety receive it But how then shall Infants be saved if Baptism belong not to them I answer out of the mouth of St. Peter Verse 11. By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ they shall be saved And sure a man might as well ask how can Infants be saved without Faith and Repentance seeing it is said he that believeth not shall be damned and except ye repent ye shall all perish c. And what answer could any wise man make save this the grace of God sufficeth them having Christ's express word for it that to them belongs the Kingdom of Heaven and this he spake to unbaptized Infants too which is therefore so satisfactory that we need no other evidence If any man say the words which St. Peter spake in Council Acts 15. 11. are not meant of Infants and therefore not pertinent to my purpose I shall only desire him to consider that those words were spoken in opposition to this position That without Circumcision after the manner of Moses the Gentiles could not be saved Now we know it was after the manner of Moses to Circumcise Infants and therefore doubtless these false Teachers did question the salvation of Infants dying without Circumcision Therefore these words of St. Peter which teaches that by the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ both Jew and Gentile shall be saved have their clear extent to Infants as well as to any other persons whatsoever I shall here only refer the Reader to what we have farther written in a Treatise upon this Subject entituled The Controversie about Infant-Church-Member-ship and Baptism epitomized Of the Reverence due to Saints Angels and to the Blessed Virgin in particular according to the usage of this Mother-Church It was in this Church where the Holy Virgin Mother of our Lord had her Conversation and Society being with that select Company consisting of an hundred and twenty names Acts 1. 15. among whom this most blessed Woman is expresly named and by whose Presence this Mother-Church was honoured above all others And here is the last mention that is made of her in the holy Scriptures And this honourable mention of her by name and as the Mother of our Lord which doubtless calls for great Reverence in the hearts of all God's People is all the honour that the Word of God does here confer upon her This Church makes no Prayers to her nor to Christ in her name nor taught the succeeding Churches to do so yet surely she was the greatest Saint that ever was and if we have no ground from any direction nor President in the Scripture to perform such Devotion to Her we cannot with any shew of Reason or pretence of Truth do it to any other Creatrue Saint or Angel whatsoever And it is remarkable that though this Church had occasion to make express mention of David in their Prayers Acts 4. 25. yet do they not use his Intercession at all But this Honour they give to Jesus Christ that through his Name such things might be done as might confirm the Truth against all Opposers Nor does the Holy Ghost give any notice of the Worshipping of Angels Saints nor the Holy Virgin in particular in that Sacred Epistle which was sent to this Church after the death of Blessed Mary the Mother of Jesus so that this mother-Mother-Church seems altogether unacquainted with such Devotions And much more may we assure our selves they paid no such Devotion to the Images of these or of any of them If any affirm the contrary we answer them in the words of Jerom Non Credimus quia non Legimus And with Apollinarius we dare add nothing to
the perfect words of the New Testament whereto nothing may be added and wherefrom nothing may be taken away by him that will lead a life agreeable to the Gospel Euseb Hist l. 5. c. 14. Thus Brethren I have for your sakes as well as others taken a fresh view of the State of this most Primitive Church to whose holy pattern through the Grace of God you have diligently laboured to conform your souls her Principles are yours her Government in good measure is yours if in any thing any of them be otherwise minded my hearts desire is that God would speedily reveal even the same unto you and then it is to be hoped that all well disposed will in time see themselves concerned to adhere to the truth of your Principles in the very Order wherein you maintain them Hear the Church OR AN EPISTLE TO All the Baptized Christians in England Exciting them to Stedfastness in their Holy Profession under their various Tryals and great Afflictions The Second PART BRETHREN AS it hath pleased God to exercise you many years with various Tryals and Afflictions for your Faithfulness to the Christian Religion in respect of the Restoration of it to its ancient Purity both in the Form and Power of it wherein you have laboured hitherto and have not fainted but by the Grace of God have attained to some degree in that behalf above what hath as yet been attained by the generality of your Country-men for which you owe the greatest Thankfulness to Almighty God. And having as I verily believe laid a right Foundation for a true Church-State you are indispensibly obliged to go on unto perfection as the first Churches which were built upon the same Foundation were expresly required and exhorted Heb. 6. 1 2 3. In which Holy Profession being by the Grace of God one with you and also called to the Ministry and Office of a Messenger of your Churches which I mention because it is the most despised Office amongst all Christians as it seems to have been in the Apostles days 1. Cor. 4. 9. do hold it my Duty at this time to endeavour to strengthen you in what I may in your Holy Profession as also to call upon such as have been shaken in mind by the violence of those Temptations which have befallen them in common with their Brethren For as it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God as those undoubtedly shall who draw back from the Truth they have once embraced unto Perdition so I am very confident that for any to fall from the Truth as it is professed by the Baptized Churches is the most dangerous of all other they being indeed the nearest to the Truth in the Pristine Order and Simplicity of it of all sorts of Persons who own the Honorable Appellation of Christian For What sort of Christians can with any Confidence look upon or bring themselves close to the Rules of St. Pauls Catechism Heb. 6. 1 2. as the Antients used to call it except the Baptized Churches To say nothing of others can they of the present Roman Catholick-Church in any wise square themselves or justifie their present Church-State by the Rule of those Sacred Principles in the simplicity of them No these Principles of Christ's Doctrine will in no wise be concordant with the Catechism of the present Roman Church seeing a Doctor of their own hath told us that if the Scriptures must be our Rule c. they must all cross the Cudgels to the Anabaptists which is a plain giving up the Victory to the Baptized Churches unless a better Form of Doctrine can be assigned than this is which will never be Yea so pressing is this place from the true Institution of the Antient Christian Religion that the Rhemists seem to be under no small difficulty how to express themselves about it For thus they speak upon the Text Heb. 6. 1 2. We see hereby say they what the first grounds of Christian Institution or Catechism were in the Primitive Church and that there was ever a necessary Instruction and Belief of certain Points had by Word of mouth and Tradition before men came to the Scriptures which could not treat of things so particularly as was requisite for the teaching of all necessary Grounds Among these Points were the twelve Articles contained in the Apostles Creed The Doctrine of Penance before Baptism the Manner and Necessity of Baptism the Sacrament of Imposition of Hands after Baptism called Confirmation the Articles of the Resurrection Judgment and such like without which things first laid if one should be sent to pick his Faith out of the Scriptures there would be mad Rule quickly 1. It 's highly observable from hence that the first Grounds and Principles of our Churches which indeed are no other than what men read Heb. 6. 1 2. are openly acknowledged by our most Potent Opposites to be the same which were in the Primitive Church received for the first Grounds and Institutions of Christianity or Christian Institution and Catechism That in the Primitime Church these Grounds were held in the very Order now observed by the Baptized Churches particularly Repentance before Baptism and Imposition of Hands after Baptism Sure this is a full Testimony that the Institution of the Baptized Churches now wrongfully called Anabaptists and theirs only is truly Apostolical Whilst all the Paedobaptists in the World among whom the Papists have quite subverted this Order giving their supposed Baptism before Repentance and that unto Persons that are not capable of Repentance 2. They tell us there was a necessary Instruction and Belief of certain Points had by Word of Mouth and Tradition before men came to the Scripture Admit this to be so in respect of such parts of the Holy Scriptures as were then unwritten when the Apostles first preached the Gospel yet it is certainly false in respect of such Books of Scripture as were then in being for it 's evident that our Blessed Saviour propounded the Text of Scripture Luke 4. 17 18 19. and thence preached to the People and commanded his Hearers to search the Scriptures John 5. 29. He did not send his Hearers to Tradition as the Papists do The great Apostle of the Jews St. Peter even then when he was filled with the Holy Ghost Acts 2. 17. preached from and notably confirms his Doctrine by the Scriptures Act. 2. not by Tradition And Philip Acts 8. 35. began at the same Scripture which the Eunuch read and preached to him Jesus without making any use of Tradition Apollo being mighty in the Scripture not in Tradition convinced the Jews shewing not by Tradition but by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ So did the great Apostle of the Gentiles St. Paul Acts 28. 2â— Perswading men concerning Jesus out of the Law and the Prophets not out of Tradition from Morning to Evening and the best sort of St. Paul's Hearers searched the Scriptures daily not Tradition to see whether the
the Priest cannot deceive us when the Prophet tells us that though the Priests Lips should preserve Knowledge and that we should seek the Law at his Mouth yet they had caused many to stumble at the Law because they had been partial in the Law Mat. 2. 8. It supposes whoever falls under the Sentence of the Priest is as surely damned as he is cast or hanged that falls under the Sentence of a Judge in Law. Which may be false for the Priests did joyntly sentence our Blessed Saviour Saying We have a Law and by our Law he ought to die It 's true whatsoever the Church doth bind on Earth is bound in Heaven but then nothing is bound on Earth unless she judge righteously for it is written that the Curse causeless shall not come Prov. 26. 2. and seeing she may be deceived at least by false Witnesses She may condemn the Innocent though She had no mind to do so which shews She is not infallible whatever men talk to the contrary I do not like this Opinion therefore because it leaves not Liberty for those whom the Church condemns to appeal so much as to Almighty God who knows the Hearts of all men whilst the Church knows them not But I answer to the Objection by saying 1. There is a Judgment Authoritative this indeed must be referr'd to the Church and no wise Man ever thought otherwise and the Members of the Church must be content to abide the Sentence of the Church though they be innocent till God clears their Innocency but all this while we suppose the Church we speak of to be a true Church and that She judges according to Evidence and yet because She knows not all Secrets nor all things contained in the Scriptures we also suppose She may possibly mistake though never so Honest But 2. There is a Judgment of Knowledge or Discretion by which Men receive the Truth of the Gospel as understanding and so believing it to be so and by the same Judgment he refuses what is false as understanding it to be so and till his Understanding be well informed or rationally satisfied by convincing Evidence he cannot if he have the Understanding and Spirit of a Man do either the one or the other And hence it is that Salvation and consequently the means to obtain it are offered to men in the manner of choice Josh 24. 15. Chuse then this day whom you will serve Heb. 11. 25. Moses chose rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a season And forasmuch as all Men are not called at the same moment but some receive the Truth in their Youth others in their middle Age some not till Old Age all the Liberty which we contend for is that Men may have the free use of the Means by which they may know the Truth and be allowed to understand it before they be admitted to Sacred things that they may not only be able to give a Reason of the Hope that is in them but also be able to do as they are also exhorted Prove every man his own Work that he may have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another Gal. 6. 4 5. Thus much in answer to this Objection There is no Man living that would more gladly than my self give to the Church of God all that Honour and Obedience which God hath allowed Her but to say She cannot err is to make Her more like God than She is I think all that can be safely affirmed is That She shall not sail so as utterly to cease from being but that God will have a Church in the World to be his Witness to the end of the World though the Apostacy be never so great or seemingly universal And as it pleased God to foreshew the great Apostacies which should be found among the Christian Nations So he was graciously pleased to intermix some words of comfort that when it should so fall out that the Spouse of Christ should be like the Dove in the secret places of the Stairs Cant. 2. 14. or thrust into Prisons and out of sight which might cause the Faithful even to think there was no Church remaining like that of the Prophet who desired rather to die than to live because he thought the Faithful had utterly failed and himself left alone I say that then they should remember that the Gates of Hell should not prevail against the Church and therefore God hath always had a Church however she might be obscured Finally Brethren my Hearts desire and Prayer to God for you is that you may be of one Mind and Judgment in all the Will of God and especially in these Sacred Principles before mentioned and in the Constitution of your Ministry in respect of the Threefold Order of Ministers under which the first Churches were undoubtedly governed viz. Messengers Elders and Deacons And I do the rather advise to this because some have been pleased to publish in Print that there are only two Offices remaining in the Church of Christ viz. Elders and Deacons This Presbyterian Principle will I fear undo such as receive it They boldly tell us that the Office of Timothy and Titus was Temporary as if they had none to succeed them What I have formerly written in the defence of the first of these Offices is extant among you and as yet unanswered and to that I refer you Our Divisions have been and will be if continued very prejudicial to the Truth it self and our Adversaries know how to make use of them against us and our Holy Profession though they cannot be Ignorant of the great Divisions which were in the Churches in the Apostles Days nor should they be ignorant of their own and to the end they may see they are no more happy in that matter than their Neighbours let them consider what Bernard hath written of them as he is quoted by the Learned in Cant. Serm. 33. His Words are to this effect From whom shall the Church hide her self All are Friends and all are Enemies all are Kinsfolks and all are Adversaries all are Houshold Servants and there is none at peace all are Neighbours and all seek but their own Profit They are Ministers of Christ and serve Anti-Christ they do walk in the Honour of the Goodness of the Lord unto whom they do no Honour Thereby cometh that Beauty of the Harlot which thou seest daily in their Apparel as the Players of Comedies As in the Apparel of a King thereby thou seest the Gold in the Bridles Saddles and Spurs Thereby are the Tables beautified with Meats and Vessels Thereby cometh Drunkenness and Gluttony Thereby proceedeth the Harp and the Viol Thereby are the Presses running over and the Garners full answering the one to the other Thereby are the Boxes full of Oyntment and sweet Savour Thereby are the Purses filled Therefore would they be and are the Princes of the Churches The Provosts Deans Arch-Deacons Bishops Arch-Bishops
and these things come not lawfully but because they walk in the business of Darkness Behold now in Peace my bitterness is most bitter It hath been before bitter in the Death of Martyrs afterwards more bitter in Controversie with Hereticks now it is most bitter in the manners of those of our own House We can neither chase them away they are so mighty and multiplied without Number the Sores and Plagues of the Church are entred into the inward parts and are incurable and therefore is her Bitterness most bitter And in Psal 90. 6 11. O Lord Jesus thou hast multiplied the People but not encreased their Joy all the Christians almost do seek their own Profit they have removed the Offices to shameful Gain and into Works of Darkness and the Health of Souls is not searched for but the Pleasure of Vices Therefore are they shorn Therefore do they frequent Churches and sing Psalms They contend most impudently daily by Process for Bishopricks Arch-Bishopricks c. There remaineth nothing but that the Man of Sin the Son of Perdition be revealed And on the Conversion of St. Paul. Alas O Lord God for these are the first which do persecute thee whom we do see to love the highest Places in thy Church and do hold the Principality and by Power and strength have taken the Arches of Sion and afterward freely have set all the City on fire Their Conversation is miserable the Subversion of thy People is pitiful And speaking to the Pope he saith This Mortal Corruption hath not begun in thy days but I pray God it may end in thy time In the mean time thou art apparelled and decked up very gorgeously If I durst speak thy Seat is rather a Pack of Devils then of Sheep Did St. Peter do so Did St. Paul mock after that sort Behold the murmuring and complaint of all Churches they do cry out that they are cut in pieces and dismembred There are very few or almost none that do not fear the streak or Wound Thus far Bernard Let not then the Papists contemn or despise us because of some Defects in respect of Unity neither let us despise them because of the Discords which have been or are among them Let us beware of the cause of those Calamities and strive only for the true Form and due Power of Godliness then shall the Spirit of Hatred which hath inserted it self amongst Christians be rooted out and then shall that great Badge of Christianity unfeigned Love even the Love of God shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost possess the Room of all our bitter Contentions That thus it may be is the Prayer of Your Loving Brother Thomas Grantham Written in the Year 1685. Post-Script Concerning the Original Manuscripts of the Holy Scriptures BRETHREN BEcause our Learned Adversaries are wont to amuse weak Christians by telling them they knew not the Originals c. I thought fit to transcribe part of what I have formerly printed in Answer to this specious Objection In the Introduction of my Book of Primitive Christianity how vain and pernicious this Talk is about the Original will appear when you consider That no man living ever saw the very Papers in which the Prophets and Apostles did write the first Draughts of the Holy Scriptures and therefore none have the Originals but only Copies of Scripture And let not this offend any Man for It seems to have been the best for all Christians that after many Copies are taken and spread in many Nations these first Draughts should not continue long for had any now but so much Confidence as to say they have these very first Sheets of Paper to show how might they trouble the whole World with such a Report and how might they abuse the World and all the Churches in the World at pleasure as by adding or taking away and who should correct the Original Suppose the Roman Church had those Manuscripts in their Hands what Mists might they cast upon the Nations and who could come to the sight of them to discover any such abuse and the same may be said of any other potent Party But now the Originals being no where to be found but yet a multitude of Copies extant and the same translated by multitudes of Men into several Languages by this means all are forced to be more peaceable than perhaps they are willing to be since they have only Copies of the Divine Oracles and others have Copies as well as they so that they can none of them pretend to have ever seen the Original and therefore can they less quarrel about their Copies Thus hath God's Wisdom disposed herein better for his Church than She could have thought or desired And it is worth observation that scarce any of the Churches to whom St. Paul wrote had the Original sent to them except the Galatians but had only certain Copies written by divers Hands For Instance The Epistle to the Hebrews was written by Timothy as 't is said in the Post-Script The Epistle to the Romans was written by Tertius Four Persons wrote the first Epistle to the Corinthians Post-Script Two Brethren wrote the Second Epistle Post-Script Tichicus and Onesimus wrote that to Colossus All these Churches had only Copies and for ought appears never saw the Originals And what if some of these Copies did accidentally vary some Word or Tittle are the Sacred Epistles ever the worse so long as the Holy Doctrine therein contained was not injured Can we think that when the Holy Apostles preached that they had still the very self-same Phrases This were idle to imagine and yet they had the self-same Gospel to preach in every Place I speak not this as if I approved of altering the Holy Writings no not in the least iota yet if accidentally in Transcribing or Printing there should be some such Failure I do not think that by and by that Copy were to be rejected or the Authority of the Scriptures therefore to be called in question that men might set up themselves above it Some under pretence of being the Church and others pretending the Spirit whilst they both reject the Church and the Spirit as held forth in and speaking by the Holy Scriptures A plain Instance of this we have in the Papists and most Paedo-Baptists who whilst they seem to admire General Councils Fathers c. they regard not the Decrees of the best Councils and Fathers which were held by the Apostles and Elders and Brethren at Jerusalem who among other things forbid the eating of things strangled and Blood which the Church observed for several hundred of years after for indeed they were delivered to the Churches to be kept not to be broken Acts 16. 1 2. and yet without all Conscience of these Decrees they feed upon Blood c. And on the other side how ridgidly do they impose the Decrees of the Trent Councils in the Case of Transubstantiation though never heard of before it was there invented insomuch as