OF True Religion HAERESIE SCHISM TOLERATION And what best means may be us'd against the growth of POPERY The Author J. M. LONDON Printed in the Year 1673. OF True RELIGION HAERESIE SCHISM and TOLERATION IT is unknown to no man who knows ought of concernment among us that the increase of Popery is at this day no small trouble and offence to greatest part of the Nation and the rejoycing of all good men that it is so the more their rejoycing that God hath giv'n a heart to the people to remember still their great and happy deliverance from Popish Thraldom and to esteem so highly the precious benefit of his Gospel so freely and so peacealy injoy'd among them Since therefore some have already in Publick with many considerable Arguments exhorted the people to beware the growth of this Romish Weed I thought it no less then a common duty to lend my hand how unable soever to so good a Purpose I will not now enter into the Labyrinth of Councels and Fathers an intangl'd wood which the Papist loves to fight in not with hope of Victory but to obscure the shame of an open overthrow which yet in that kind of Combate many heretofore and one of late hath eminently giv'n them And such manner of dispute with them to Learned Men is useful and very commendable But I shall insist now on what is plainer to Common apprehension and what I have to say without longer introduction True Religion is the true Worship and Service of God learnt and believed from the Word of God only No Man or Angel can know how God would be worshipt and serv'd unless God reveal it He hath Reveal'd and taught it us in the holy Scriptures by inspir'd Ministers and in the Gospel by his own Son and his Apostles with strictest command to reject all other traditions or additions whatsoever According to that of St. Paul Though wee or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which wee have preacht unto you let him be Anathema or accurst And Deut. 4. 2. Ye shall not add to the word which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it Rev. 22. 18 19. If any man shall add c. If any man shall take away from the Words c. With good and Religious Reason therefore all Protestant Churches with one consent and particularly the Church of England in Her thirty nine Articles Artic. 6th 19th 20th 21st and elsewhere maintain these two points as the main Principles of true Religion that the Rule of true Religion is the Word of God only and that their Faith ought not to be an implicit faith that is to believe though as the Church believes against or without express authority of Scripture And if all Protestants as universally as they hold these two Principles so attentively and Religiously would observe them they would avoid and cut off many Debates and Contentions Schisms and Persecutions which too oft have been among them and more firmly unite against the common adversary For hence it directly follows that no true Protestant can persecute or not tolerate his fellow Protestant though dissenting from him in som opinions but he must flatly deny and Renounce these two his own main Principles whereon true Religion is founded while he compels his Brother from that which he believes as the manifest word of God to an implicit faith which he himself condemns to the endangering of his Brothers soul whether by rash belief or outward Conformity for whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin I will now as briefly show what is false Religion or Heresie which will be done as easily for of contraries the definitions must needs be contrary Heresie therefore is a Religion taken up and believ'd from the traditions of men and additions to the word of God Whence also it follows clearly that of all known Sects or pretended Religions at this day in Christendom Popery is the only or the greatest Heresie and he who is so forward to brand all others for Hereticks the obstinate Papist the only Heretick Hence one of their own famous Writers found just cause to stile the Romish Church Mother of Error School of Heresie And whereas the Papist boasts himself to be a Roman Catholick it is a meer contradiction one of the Popes Bulls as if he should say universal particular a Catholic Schismatic For Catholic in Greek signifies universal and the Christian Church was so call'd as consisting of all Nations to whom the Gospel was to be preach't in contradistinction to the Jewish Church which consisted for the most part of Jews only Sects may be a in true Church as well as in a false when men follow the Doctrin too much for the Teachers sake whom they think almost infallible and this becomes through Infirmity implicit Faith and the name Sectary pertains to such a Disciple Schism is a rent or division in the Church when it comes to the separating of Congregations and may also happen to a true Church as well as toa false yet in the true needs not tend to the breaking of Communion if they can agree in the right administration of that wherein they Communicate keeping their other Opinions to themselves not being destuctive to Faith The Pharisees and Saduces were two Sects yet both met together in their common worship of God at Jerusalem But here the Papist will angrily demand what Are Lutherans Calvinists Anabaptists Socinians Arminians no Hereticks I answer all these may have some errors but are no Hereticks Heresie is in the Will and choice profestly against Scripture error is against the Will in misunderstanding the Scripture after all sincere endeavours to understand it rightly Hence it was said well by one of the Ancients Err I may but a Heretick I will not be It is a humane frailty to err and no man is infallible here on earth But so long as all these profess to set the Word of God only before them as the Rule of faith and obedience and use all diligence and sincerity of heart by reading by learning by study by prayer for Illumination of the holy Spirit to understand the Rule and obey it they have done what man can do God will assuredly pardon them as he did the friends of Job good and pious men though much mistaken as there it appears in some Points of Doctrin But some will say with Christians it is otherwise whom God hath promis'd by his Spirit to teach all things True all things absolutely necessary to salvation But the hottest disputes among Protestants calmly and charitably enquir'd into will be found less then such The Lutheran holds Consubstantiation an error indeed but not mortal The Calvinist is taxt with Predestination and to make God the Author of sin not with any dishonourable thought of God but it may be overzealously asserting his absolute power not without plea of Scripture The Anabaptist is accus'd of Denying Infants their right to Baptism again they say they
deny nothing but what the Scripture denies them The Arian and Socinian are charg'd to dispute against the Trinity they affirm to believe the Father Son and Holy Ghost according to Scripture and the Apostolic Creed as for terms of Trinity Triniunity Coessentiality Tripersonality and the like they reject them as Scholastic Notions not to be found in Scripture which by a general Protestant Maxim is plain and perspicuous abundantly to explain its own meaning in the properest words belonging to so high a Matter and so necessary to be known a mystery indeed in their Sophistic Subtilties but in Scripture a plain Doctrin Their other Opinions are of less Moment They dispute the satisfaction of Christ or rather the word Satisfaction as not Scriptural but they acknowledge him both God and their Saviour The Arminian lastly is condemn'd for setting up free will against free grace but that Imputation he disclaims in all his writings and grounds himself largly upon Scripture only It cannot be deny'd that the Authors or late Revivers of all these Sects or Opinions were Learned Worthy Zealous and Religious Men as appears by their lives written and the same of their many Eminent and Learned followers perfect and powerful in the Scriptures holy and unblameable in their lives and it cannot be imagin'd that God would desert such painful and zealous labourers in his Church and oft-times great sufferers for their Conscience to damnable Errors a Reprobate sense who had so often implor'd the assistance of his Spirit but rather having made no man Infallible that he hath pardon'd their errors and accepts their Pious endeavours sincerely searching all things according to the rule of Scripture with such guidance and direction as they can obtain of God by Prayer What Protestant then who himself maintains the same Principles and disavowes all implicit Faith would persecute and not rather charitably tolerate such men as these unless he mean to abjure the Principles of his own Religion If it be askt how far they should be tolerated I answer doubtless equally as being all Protestants that is on all occasions to give account of their Faith either by Arguing Preaching in their several Assemblies Publick writing and the freedom of Printing For if the French and Polonian Protestants injoy all this liberty among Papists much more may a Protestant justly expect it among Protestants and yet some times here among us the one persecutes the other upon every slight Pretence But he is wont to say he enjoyns only things indifferent Let them be so still who gave him authority to change their nature by injoyning them If by his own Principles as is prov'd he ought to tolerate controverted points of Doctrine not slightly grounded on Scripture much more ought he not impose things indifferent without Scripture In Religion nothing is indifferent but if it come once to be Impos'd is either a command or a Prohibition and so consequently an addition to the word of God which he professes to disallow Besides how unequal how uncharitable must it needs be to Impose that which his conscience cannot urge him to impose upon him whose conscience forbids him to obey What can it be but love of contention for things not necessary to be done to molest the conscience of his Brother who holds them necessary to be not done To conclude let such a one but call to mind his own Principles above mention'd and he must necessarily grant that neither he can impose nor the other believe or obey ought in Religion but from the Word of God only More amply to understand this may be read the 14th and 15th Chapters to the Romans and the Contents of the 14th set forth no doubt but with full authority of the Church of England the Gloss is this Men may not contemn or condemn one the other for things indifferent And in the 6th Article above mentioned Whatsoever is not read in Holy Scripture nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any man as an article of Faith or necessary to salvation And certainly what is not so is not to be required at all as being an addition to the Word of God expressly forbidden Thus this long and hot Contest whether Protestants ought to tolerate one another if men will be but Rational and not Partial may be ended without need of more words to compose it Let us now enquire whether Popery be tolerable or no. Popery is a double thing to deal with and claims a twofold Power Ecclesiastical and Political both usurpt and the one supporting the other But Ecclesiastical is ever pretended to Political The Pope by this mixt faculty pretends right to Kingdoms and States and especially to this of England Thrones and Unthrones Kings and absolves the people from their obedience to them sometimes interdicts to whole Nations the Publick worship of God shutting up their Churches and was wont to dreign away greatest part of the wealth of this then miserable Land as part of his Patrimony to maintain the Pride and Luxury of his Court and Prelates and now since through the infinite mercy and favour of God we have shaken off his Babylonish Yoke hath not ceas'd by his Spyes and Agents Bulls and Emissaries once to destroy both King and Parliament perpetually to seduce corrupt and pervert as many as they can of the People Whether therefore it be fit or reasonable to tolerate men thus principl'd in Religion towards the State I submit it to the consideration of all Magistrates who are best able to provide for their own and the publick safety As for tolerating the exercise of their Religion supposing their State activities not to be dangerous I answer that Toleration is either public or private and the exercise of their Religion as far as it is Idolatrous can be tolerated neither way not publicly without grievous and unsufferable scandal giv'n to all consciencious Beholders not privately without great offence to God declar'd against all kind of Idolatry though secret Ezekiel 8. 7 8. And he brought me to the door of the Court and when I looked behold a hole in the Wall Then said he unto me Son of Man digg now in the wall and when I had digged behold a Door and he said unto me go in and behold the wicked Abominations that they do here And verse 12. Then said he unto me Son of Man hast thou seen what the Antients of the house of Israel do in the dark c. And it appears by the whole Chapter that God was no less offended with these secret Idolatries then with those in public and no less provokt then to bring on and hasten his Judgements on the whole Land for these also Having shown thus that Popery as being Idolatrous is not to be tolerated either in Public or in Private it must be now thought how to remove it and hinder the growth thereof I mean in our Natives and not Forreigners Privileg'd by the Law of Nations Are we to punish them
by corporal punishment or fines in their Estates upon account of their Religion I suppose it stands not with the Clemency of the Gospel more then what appertains to the security of the State But first we must remove their Idolatry and all the furniture thereof whether Idols or the Mass wherein they adore their God under Bread and Wine for the Commandment forbids to adore not only any Graven Image but the likeness of any thing in Heaven above or in the Earth beneath or in the Water under the Earth thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them for I the Lord thy God am a Jealous God If they say that by removing their Idols we violate their Consciences we have no warrant to regard Conscience which is not grounded on Scripture and they themselves confess in their late defences that they hold not their Images necessary to salvation but only as they are enjoyn'd them by tradition Shall we condescend to dispute with them The Scripture is our only Principle in Religion and by that only they will not be Judg'd but will add other Principles of their own which forbidden by the Word of God we cannot assent to And the common Maxim also in Logic is against them who deny Principles we are not to dispute Let them bound their disputations on the Scripture only and an ordinary Protestant well read in the Bible may turn and wind their Doctors They will not go about to prove their Idolatries by the Word of God but run to shifts and evasions and frivolous distinctions Idols they say are Laymens Books and a great means to stir up pious thoughts and Devotion in the Learnedst I say they are no means of Gods appointing but plainly the contrary Let them hear the Prophets Jerem. 10. 8. The stock is a Doctrin of Vanities Habakkuk 2. 18. What profiteth the graven Image that the maker thereof hath graven it The Molten Image and a teacher of Lyes But they alleadge in their late answers that the Laws of Moses giv'n only to the Jews concern not us under the Gospel and remember not that Idolatry is forbidden as expresly in several places of the Gospel But with these wiles and fallacies compassing Sea and Land like the Pharisees of old to make one Proselite they lead away privily many simple and ignorant Souls men or women and make them twofold more the Children of Hell then themselves Matt. 23. 15. But the Apostle hath well warn'd us I may say from such Deceivers as these for their Mystery was then working I beseech you Brethren saith he mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrin which ye have learned and avoid them for they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the heart of the simplea Rom. 16. 17 18. The next means to hinder the growth of Popery will be to read duly and diligently the Holy Scriptures which as St. Paul saith to Timothy who had known them from a child are able to make wise unto salvation And to the whole Church of Colossi Let the word of Christ dwell in you plentifully with all wisdome Coloss. 3. 16. The Papal Antichristian Church permits not her Laity to read the Bible in their own tongue Our Church on the contrary hath proposd it to all men and to this end translated it into English with profitable Notes on what is met with obscure though what is most necessary to be known be still plainest that all sorts and degrees of men not understanding the Original may read it in their Mother Tongue Neither let the Countryman the Tradesman the Lawyer the Physician the Statesman excuse himself by his much business from the studious reading thereof Our Saviour saith Luke 10. 41 42. Thou art careful and troubled about many things but one thing is needful If they were ask't they would be loath to set earthly things wealth or honour before the wisdom of salvation Yet most men in the course and practice of their lives are found to do so and through unwillingness to take the pains of understanding their Religion by their own diligent study would fain be sav'd by a Deputy Hence comes implicit faith ever learning and never taught much hearing and small proficience till want of Fundamental knowledg easily turns to susperstition or Popery Therefore the Apostle admonishes Eccles. 4. 14. That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carryed about with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive Every member of the Church at least of any breeding or capacity so well ought to be grounded in spiritual knowledg as if need be to examine their Teachers themselves Acts. 17. 11. They searched the Scriptures dayly whether those things were so Rev. 2. 2. Thou hast tryed them which say they are Apostles and are not How should any private Christian try his Teachers unless he be well grounded himself in the Rule of Scripture by which he is taught As therefore among Papists their ignorance in Scripture cheifly upholds Popery so among Protestant People the frequent and serious reading thereof will soonest pull Popery down Another means to abate Popery arises from the constant reading of Scripture wherein Beleivers who agree in the main are every where exhorted to mutual forbearance and charity one towards the other though dissenting in some opinions It is written that the Coat of our Saviour was without seame whence some would infer that there should be no division in the Church of Christ. It should be so indeed Yet seams in the same cloath neither hurt the garment nor misbecome it and not only seams but Schisms will be while men are fallible But if they who dissent in matters not essential to belief while the common adversary is in the field shall stand jarring and pelting at one another they will be soon routed and subdued The Papist with open mouth makes much advantage of our several opinions not that he is able to confute the worst of them but that we by our continual jangle among our selves make them worse then they are indeed To save our selves therefore and resist the common enemy it concerns us mainly to agree within our selves that with joynt forces we may not only hold our own but get ground and why should we not The Gospel commands us to tolerate one another though of various opinions and hath promised a good and happy event thereof Phil. 3. 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you And we are bid 1 Thess. 5. 21. Prove all things hold fast that which is good St. Paul judg'd that not only to tolerate but to examine and prove all things was no danger to our holding fast of that which is good How shall we prove all things which