suffer Inquisitions Persecutions Excommunications and what not so among us you must believe Scripture as Interpreted by the Church of England or you are condemned by them you must believe Scripture as Interpreted by the Presbyterians or you are accursed by them you must believe as Anabaptists do or you are damn'd by them and not one Congregation among us but would Root all the others out of the World if it could and we do not fear that danger whereof St. Paul Gal. 5.15 warns us If we bite and devour one another let 's take heed we be not consumed one of another giving us likewise a wholsom advice in the same place how to prevent this Evil Stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ has made us free and be not intangled again with the Yoke of Bondage The World did groan under this heavy Yoke in Popery wherein our Rule of Faith was Scripture as Interpreted by the Pope and Church Scripture was kept from the hand of the flock No man permitted to give or believe any Interpretation or Sense of it but what the Pope Church and Fathers did approve Our Reason our Judgments our Consciences were Slaves under this Yoke until that God raised our glorious and blessed Reformers Luther Calvin Zuinglius Beza and others who took a Holy Liberty and gave us all Liberty for to Read and Interpret Scripture to believe no Doctrine but what we judged to be true Scripture To believe any Sense of it which we judged to be true tho contrary to all the World They took for their Rule of Faith Scripture and nothing else but Scripture as each one of them understood it this same Rule of Faith they left to us and a Holy Freedom and Liberty of our Judgments and Consciences that any man of sound Judgment may hold and believe whatever Sense of it he thinks to be true This therefore is the scope and end of my following Treatise that whereas our Rule of Faith as I will prove by the unanimous Consent of our whole reformed Church is Scripture or Gods Written Word as interpreted by each Person of sound Judgment that whereas by the Principles of our Reformation no Man is to be constrained to believe any Doctrine against his Judgment and Conscience otherwise why were not we left in Popery it is impious tyrannical and quite against the Spirit of the Reformation to force us by Acts of Parliament Decrees of Synods Invectives and Persecutions of indiscreet Brethren to embrace this or that Religion that every one ought to be permitted to believe what he pleases if you think Bigamy to be the Doctrine of Scripture If you think by Scripture there is one Nature and four Persons in God if you think Transubstantiation to be true if you judge by God's Words there 's neither Purgatory nor Hell finally whatever you think to be the true Sense of Scripture you are bound as a true Reformed Child to believe it that it is quite against the Spirit of Reformation to Censure oppose or blame the Doctrine or Tenets of any Congregation or of any Doctor of the Reformed Church because that any Doctrine professed by any Christian-Congregation whatever the Popish excepted or that ever was delivered by any Man of good Judgment of the Reformation since the beginning of it until this Day is as truly and really the Doctrine of the Reformation as the Figurative Presence or Kings Supremacy is Consequently Protestants are deservedly to be check'd for Persecuting Quakers Quakers for murmuring against Presbyterians these for their invectives against Anabaptists and Socinians All are very good and you may lawfully according to the Principles of our Reformation believe them or deny them This Evangelical Liberty of believing any thing which we judg to be the Sense of Scripture though all the rest of the World should Judge it to be a Blasphemy is the most distinctive sign of the Reformation from Popery for Papists are the Children of Agar the Slave they live in Bondage and Constraint to believe any Doctrine which the Pope and Church proposes to them and if a Learned Man or Vniversity should judge it to be contrary to Scripture he must submit his Judgment to that of the Pope or be condemn'd as an Heretick In our Reformation we are the Children of Sarah the free our Rule of Faith is Scripture as each Person of sound Judgment in the Church understands if we do not like the Doctrine of the Pope Church or Council we may gainsay them all and hold our own Sense of Scripture We enjoy the Prerogative of Rational Creatures we are lead by our own Reason which God has given us for our Conduct and are not like Beasts constrained to follow that of others We follow the Rule given us by S. Paul Rom. 14. He who Eats let him not despise him who does not Eat and who does not Eat let him not despise him who does Eat for God hath received him That 's to say he who believes let him not check him who does not believe as he does And he who does not Believe let him not blame him who does believe But let each one believe or not belive as he thinks best in the Lord This holy Liberty and freedom is the Spirit of God for where the Spirit of God is there is Liberty 2 Cor. 3. Says the great Apostle The Lord inspire to our Parliament that now sits upon a perfect and new settlement of Government and Religion to follow the Footsteps of our first renowned Reformers To enact that there may be no other Rule of Faith but that which we received from our Reformers and which is laid down for us in the 39 Articles of the Church of England That is Scripture as each one best understands it without regarding the Judgment Sense or interpretation of any but the pure Word of God as we understand it And to enact Penal Laws against any so bold and uncharitable as to censure or blame the Tenets of any Congregation be it Lutheranism Presbytery Arianism Judaism or Paganism Or any Doctrine whatever that any Man of sound Judgment thinks in his Conscience to be the Sense and Doctrine of Scripture Three things make me hope that this Treatise will be welcome to the well inclined and pious Reader of our Reformed Church First that there is not one Author quoted in this Book but our own Doctors Learned and Godly Children of the Reformation and this I observe that my Reader may know there 's not a jot of any Doctrine here but what is of the Reformatiâ—n and also advertise our Writers and School-Men how much they discredit our Reform'd Church by making so much use of Popish Doctors and Books in their Writings as if we had not great and learned Men of our own if we look into our Bishops and Ministers Libraries we shall meet with Books either of confessedly Papists or strongly suspected of Popery and you shall hardly meet in any of them the works of Luther
Presbyterians c. have all for their Rule of Faith Scripture which each of them Interprets in a different Sense Luther for the Real Protestants for the Figurative Presence Protestants for Episcopacy Presbyterians against it and so of others And tho' each esteems his own sence to be the best yet none is so bold as to say that others may not be saved in their own Sence of it or deny them to be true Children of the Reformation nay that Venerable Synod of Charenton as I quoted above has declared that the Lutherans tho' opposite to them in their chief Tenets are their beloved Brethren and have nothing Idolatrous or Superstitious in their manner of Divine Worship The fundamental reason of all this is that our Rule of Faith is but Scripture as each Person of sound Judgment understands it Ismael I grant all your Discourse as to this particular for it 's certain Lutherans will not admit Scripture as Interpreted by Pretestants but as Interpreted by themselves and so of each other Congregation Isaac If you admit our Rule is Scripture as each understands it then you must grant that our Doctrine of the Reformation is whatever Doctrine each Person of sound Judgment understands to be of Scripture and from this it appears plainly that my Principle whereat you boggl'd is true That whatever Doctrine is professed by any of our Congregations Synods Parliaments Doctors or particular Doctor of our Reformation is to be truly reputed and esteemed the Doctrine of our Reformation which Principle being true my discourse of Yesterday is undeniable That you may change Religion as often as you please and remain still a true Reformed Child Ismael But you have said that not only the Doctrine of each Congregation and Synod is the Doctrine of the Reformation but also whatever any one particular Doctor teaches and this seems to be very absurd Isaac It 's not so absurd as it 's true I 'll prove by the Principles of our Reformed Church by the testimonies of our most learned and best Doctors and Reformers and by reason and experience that the Doctrine of any particular Doctor among us has as much right to be called and esteemed the Doctrine of the Reformation as Protestancy Presbytery or Lutheranism for what is Lutheranism but the Judgment of Luther a particular Doctor against the whole Church of Rome What is Calvanism but what Calvin a particular Doctor judged to be the sence of Scripture against that same Church What is Quakerism but honest Naylor's Godly and Pious Sentiments upon Scripture It 's undeniably the Principle of our Reformed Church that our Rule of Faith is scripture as Interpreted not only by Synods or Congregations but by any Person of sound judgment in the Church No Congregation or Synod is to us a Rule of Faith because all are â—…llible but Gods written Word as each one understands it and if we do not like the sence of it delivered by any Council Synod or Congregation we may safely deny it Therefore our great Calvin says and proves with great Energy of Scripture and Reason that we are not obliged to the Decisions and Doctrine of any Council Synod or Congregation if after having examined Scripture we do find their Interpretation and Sense of it is conformable to the Word of God. Let Synods and Congregations say what they will if any particular Doctor thinks his own private Sence of it to be better he may stick to it against them all and be a good true Child of the Reformation as Arminius in Holland did withstand the Synods of Dordrecht and Delfe as Luther and Calvin did against Rome I will be free says our unparallel'd Proto-Apostle Luther I will not submit my self to the Authority of Councils Church Doctors Vniversities or Fathers but will teach and preach whatever I think to be true Did ever any Apostle speak with more Courage And the blessed Man acted with no less he knew full well the whole stream of Antiquity Doctors Fathers and Councils were against him as he confesses himself and did not care a rush for them all Lay aside says he call Arms of Orthodox Antiquity of Schools of Divinity Authority of Fathers Councils Popes and Consent of Ages we receive nothing but Scripture but so that we must have the Authority of Interpreting it Nor was it only Luther and Calvin spoke thus but all our first blessed Reformers and why because our Rule of Faith is Scripture not as interpreted by the Church of England France will not admit it nor as interpreted by the Quakers the Anabaptists and Independants will not hear it nor as interpreted by Luther Calvin rejects it nor as interprèted by Calvin Thorndike and Bramhall will not yield to it nor will Stillingfleet stand to their Interpretation nor others to that of Stillingfleet Finally our Rule of Faith is Scripture not as interpreted by any but as each Congregation Synod particular Doctor or Man of sound Judgment Interprets it and consequently whatever Doctrine any man of sound Judgment judges to be of Scripture is to be esteem'd the Doctrine of the Reformation and you may safely believe it if you like it and remain still as truly a Reformed Child as the proudest Protestant of England Ismael Can you prove that our Rule of Faith is Scripture as any particular Doctor or Person of sound Judgment understands it Isaac Behold how convincingly first we have heard Luther quoted but now say We receive nothing but Scripture but so as that we must have the Authority for to Interpret it Hear him again The Governours and Pastors have Power to teach but the Sheep must give their Judgment whether they propose the Voice of Christ or of Strangers And again Christ has taken from the Bishops Councils and Pastors the right of judging of Doctrine and given it to all Christians in General and the Rule is Scripture as each one will think fit to interpret it And consequently to this we have heard him say above I will be free and will not submit to Doctors Councils or Pastors but will teach whatever I think to be true Barlow The Apostles have given to each particular the Right and Power of Interpreting and Judging by his inward Spirit what is true it is needless that either Man or Angel Pope or Council should instruct you the Spirit working in the Heart and Scripture are to each particular Person most assured Interpreters Blison Bishop of Winchester says the same The People must be Discerners and Judges of what is Taught Our Religion has no other Rule of Faith says our French Reformation by the Mouth of Du Moulin Drelincourt and the Holy Synod of Charenton but the written Word of God as interpreted by us Lastly says the Church of England We have no other Rule of Faith but Scripture as each Person of sound Judgment in the Church understands it and what is proved by it And again in the Catholick Doctrine of the Church
not abuse this Liberty That we should have Liberty for to believe or deny Supremacy Figurative Presence Communion in one or both Kinds and such other inferiour Truths controverted among Christians and that each Congregation may in such Articles believe as it understands by Scripture to be true may pass and it 's practised in our Reformed Churches But that we should run so far as to have Liberty by our Rule of Faith to believe or deny the Fundamental and Chief Articles of Christianity as the Trinity Incarnation Divinity of Christ amp c. That Liberty ought not to be given Our Reformation very wisely and piously permits the Lutherans to believe one thing the Presbyterians another the Protestants another and so of the rest And all are true Reformed Children because each of them believes as they Judge by Scripture to be true But the Reformation has never given nor never will give Liberty to interpret Scripture against the fundamental Article of Christianity We must be moderate and keep our rambling Fancies within Compass and if any should judge and interpret Scripture in favour of any scandalous and abominable Tenets against Christianity and good Manners he must be checked and not commended This Moderation the Church of England uses and will never permit to the contrary Isaac I perceive a great deal of Popish Blood to run in your Veins and that if you and your Church of England were in Power at the beginning of our Reformation we should never have had a Luther Calvin Beza or such other noble and renowned Reformers By what I gather from your discourse I do not see the breadth of an Inch's difference betwixt the Church of Rome and you and your Church of England for the Church of Rome will not stick to grant that Gods Word alone is her Rule of Faith but so that none must believe any sense of it but as she believes it nor Interpret any Text but receive her Interpretation of it The Church of England has Scripture for her Rule of Faith and gives us Liberty for to Interpret Understand and Believe some Text of it as each one thinks best and so permits Presbyterians to deny Episcopacy Lutherans to deny Figurative Presence c. and confesses they are all her Brethren of the Reformation but she will give no Liberty at all for to Interpret other Texts but all must understand them as she does or all must Hereticks and damn'd Men No that Text My Father and I are one must be Interpreted to signifie the Unity In Nature of the Father and Son as the Church of England believes none must Interpret it otherwise So that the difference betwixt the Popish Church and that of England is the first gives us no Liberty at all the second gives us some Liberty the first robs us of all the second but the one half The Rule of Faith in Popery is Scripture as Interpreted by the Pope and Councils the Rule of Faith in England as to some Articles is Scripture as Interpreted by the Church of England and as to other Articles Scripture as each person of sound Judgment understands it And thus Protestants are but half Papists and half Reformed and both these ingredients will never make a good compound Let any unbyass'd and impartial Man Judge if the Church of England proceeds justly in this For if our Rule of Faith be Scripture as each Person of sound Judgment understands it as she mentions in her 39. Articles and as the whole Reformation believes if we are not to be constrained to believe any Church Council or Mans sense of Scripture if we do not Judge by the Word of God it 's true by what Authority Rule or Reason can the Church of England give me Liberty to understand and believe some Texts as I please and deny me Liberty for to understand and believe others as I Judge by Scripture they ought to be understood I pray observe well this Discourse here are Luther Calvin Beza Zuinglius and our other first Reformers they Interpret some Texts against the Doctrine of Rome and others against the Doctrine of the Church of England They are praised for the first and esteemed Apostolical Reformers because without any regard of what the Church of Rome said they freely taught and believed what they Judged by Scripture to be true why must not they be praised and esteemed true Reformers also for not regarding what the Church of England or any other says but teach the impossibility of Gods Commandments the sufficiency of Faith alone and all those other Tenets which you so much mislike since they Judge by Scripture that to be the true Doctrine Are they bound to submit their Judgments to the Church of England more than to that of Rome Ismael But in those Tenets they do not only contradict the Church of England but all Christian Churches and Congregations for all will say those are wicked and scandalous Doctrines Isaac And if they Judge by Scripture that those Tenets are not such but found and good Doctrine may not they believe them tho' all the World and ten Worlds did gainsay them Is not Scripture our Rule of Faith and are we to regard what any Church or all Churches say further than we find by Scripture that they say well But being these Tenets which you call horrid Blasphemies displease you I 'll change my discourse and because I see you are Popishly inclin'd I will shew you how by the Principles of our Reformation you can be as good a Papist as the Pope one Principle excepted wherein you must dissent from the Church of Rome if you intend to remain a true Reformed Child Ismael You promise too much and more than I desire to know I don't desire to have any Communication with the Pope I know by the Writings of our Authors what kind of Beast he is Isaac By your favour you may believe the Popes are Worthy Honest and Godly Men many Doctors of our Reformation and our Travellers to the Court of Rome give this Testimony of them You may also believe that Popes and Cardinals are Knaves and Atheists who look on Scripture as a Romance and deny the Incarnation of Christ for Calvin says so and would never have said it if it had not been true But beware not to speak so in Rome or they 'll lodge you where Honest Taylor the Quaker was nor in Spain or they 'll stop your Mouth with an Inquisition faggot Ismael I care not what the Pope or Cardinals are but I would gladly know what Religion and Congregation you are of for whereas you are my immediate Instructer it behoves me to know what Religion you have Isaac As to my Religion I doubt not but that my Readers will be divided in their Judgments of me if a Papist reads me he 'll swear I am an Atheist but I hope he will not pretend to be infallible as his Pope if a Protestant he 'll say I am a Papist and that my drift
Church Councils or Fathers The Church of Rome proud and impatient of any Opposition condemned them as Hereticks for not submitting their Judgments to her for taking Scripture as they understood it and not as the Church and Councils understood it for their Râ—â—â— of Faith and if this be a crime we are as guilty as they we are equally â—… ocent or innocent we are both Hereticks or none is we are therefore concern'd in their Honour and ought to defend the integrity of their procedure against the common Enemy which is the Pope They were Reformers of the Church in their times as we are in ours and whereas they have the same Rule of Faith so they have the same Religion with the Reformation Ismael Then you will say Arianism is the Doctrine of the Reformation and we may lawfully believe it Isaac I say God's Unity in Nature and Trinity in Persons is the Doctrine of the Reformation because the Protestant Lutheran and Hugonot Church judge by Scripture it is true and if you judge also by Scripture it is the true Doctrine you may believe it I say also if you judge by Scripture this Mystery is not true you may safely deny it acccording to the Principles of the Reformation and be still as good a Member of the Reformed Church as they who believe it for whoever believes what he judges by Scripture to be true is a true Reformed And that the denial of the Trinity is as much the Doctrine of the Reformation as the belief of it it appears not only because it was the Doctrine of the Arians who as I proved are truly of the Reformed Church but because it was taught by the greatest Lights of our Church Calvin says the Text. My Father is greater than I must be understood of Christ not only as he is Man but also as he is God. And that the Council of Nice did abuse the Text My Father and I are one for to prove the Vnity of both in Nature whereas it only signifies their Vnity by conformity of Wills. Again he says Epist 2. ad Polon in Tract Theol. pag. 796. That Prayer Holy Trinity one God have mercy of us is brabarous and does not please me And adds The Son has his own substance distinct from the Father His Disciple Danaeus says it 's a foolish insipid Prayer And our great Apostle Luther who as Fox witnesseth was the Chariot and Conductor of Israel and a Man extraordinarily raised and replenish'd with Gods Spirit to teach the purity of the Gospel caused that Prayer to be blotted out of the Litanies That word Trinity says he sounds coldly my Soul hates that word Humousion and the Arian did well in not admitting it Lastly Ochinus that great Oracle of England impugns this Mystery with a strong discourse We are not obliged to believe says he more than the Saints of the Ancient Testament otherwise our condition would be worse than theirs but they were not obliged to believe this Mystery therefore we are not obliged Examin I pray the Works of these eminent Doctors where I quote them consider if they be not not only Men of sound judgment but Men extraordinarily raised by God says the Synod of Charenton the Chariots and Conductors of Israel says Fox Men to be reverenc'd after Christ says our Doctor â—owel and Apostolical Oracles sent to teach us the purity of the Gospel and conclude it 's an undeniable Verity that this is the Doctrine of the Reformation whereas it's Scripture as Interpreted by such Men Oh! But England France and Scotland believe this Mystery well And what then That proves that the Mystery is also the Doctrine of the Reformation because whatever any Man of sound Judgment thinks to be Scripture it 's the Doctrine but is England or France alone the whole Reformation Are not Luther Calvin Danaeus Ochinus as well of the Reformation and Men of as sound Judgment as they Since therefore they understand by Scripture there 's no Trinity it 's the Doctrine of the Reformation also that there 's none Believe it or deny it which you like best and you 'll be still of the Reformed Church Isaac By the principle you run upon you say any may Blasphemy is the Doctrin of the Reformation for there 's hardly any so execrable but some Dr. of ours has delivered and taught it Ismael The Principle I run upon is this Scripture as each person of sound Judgment interprets it is our Rule of Faith Judge you if that be not a good Principle in our Reformed Church whereas this is the Rule of Faith given us by the 39 Articles and generally by all our Doctors as I proved in my first Dialogue this being our Rule of Faith and Reformed Doctrine it 's evident that whatever Doctrine is judged by any person of sound Judgment to be contained in Scripture is the Doctrine of our Reformation some persons of sound Judgment say the Real Presence is expressed by Scripture this therefore is the Doctrine of the Reformation others say only Figurative Presence is taught in Scripture this also is the Doctrine of the Reformation some understand by Scripture there is a Mystery of the Blessed Trinity this therefore is the Doctrine of the Reformation others understand there 's no such Mystery this also is the Doctrine of the Reformation so that whether you believe or deny this or any other Tenet controverted you 'll still hold the Doctrine of the Reformation Ismael Calvin says Christ pray'd unadvisedly the Eve of his passion that he uttered words whereof he was afterward sorry that in his passion he was so troubled of all sides that overwhelm'd with desparation he desisted from invoking God which was to renounce all hopes of Salvation And says he if you object it 's absurd and scandalous to affirm Christ despair I answer This desparation proceeded from him as he was man not as he was God. And this is not only the Doctrine of Calvin but of Brentius Marlotus Jacobus Minister quoted by Bilson and of Beza Will you say this is the Doctrine of the Reformation or that we can without scruple believe it Also Calvin says That Christ's corporal death was not sufficient for to redeem us but that after having despaired on the Cross he suffered the death of his Soul that 's to say that his Soul after his corporal death suffered the pains of the damn'd in Hell. And says he in the same place they are but ignorant doltish brutish men who will deny it Luther also teaches the same Doctrine As he suffered with exceeding pains the death of the body so it seems he suffered afterward the death of the Soul in Hell Epinus a learned Lutheran says Christ descended into Hell for thee and suffered not only corporal death but the death and fire of Hell. Mr. Fulk and Perkins avow this is also the express Doctrine of Illiricus Latimer and Lossius Also Luther
most impiously affirms that not the human Nature of Christ dyed for us but also his Divine Nature see Luther's words quoted at large by Zuinglius and Hospinian If you say such scandalous blasphemies may be safely believed you will render your Christianity suspected and if you say that they are the Doctrine of the Reformation or that they may be believed according to the Principles of the Reformation you will make the Reformation and its Principles to be hated by any good Christian Isaac If I walk by the Rule of Faith of the Reformation I 'll prove my self a true Reformed Child and if I prove my self to be a Reformed Child my Christianity cannot be justly suspected What Tenet have you related of all those which you call blasphemies and scandals but has been judged by those eminent Doctors of our Reformation to be express Scripture or conformable to Scripture and since our Rule of Faith is Scripture as each person of sound Judgment understands it and since the Doctrine of our Reformation is but whatever any such person of sound Judgment judges to be expressed in or proved by Scripture it 's evident that all those Tenets are undeniably the Doctrine of the Reformation I say then and will say without any offence to my Christianity or blemish to our Reformed Church that those Tenets are the Doctrin of the Reformation and may be as safely believed by any Child of it as Figurative Presence Supremacy or Two Sacraments and let not any Bigot pretend to frighten me from this Doctrine by calling it Blasphemy and Impiety No it 's Scripture as interpreted by our renowned Reformed Doctors therefore it 's no Blasphemy Let any man convince me that our Rule of Faith must not be Scripture as each person of sound Judgment understands it and he will convince that this cannot be justly called the Doctrine of the Reformation but whilst that Principle and Rule of Faith stands unshaken nothing that is taught by any Person of Judgment to be the Doctrine of Scripture but it is to be called our Doctrine and may be safely believed You say that whoever has any Love for Christianity will hate the Reformation and its Principles if they give Liberty for to believe such Blasphemies But can any Mother be more indulgent to her Child than the Reformation is to us such as think those Tenets to be Blasphemies the Reformation gives them leave not to believe them and if any judges by Scripture that they are not Blasphemies but pure Doctrine as Luther Calvin and others did they have Liberty for to believe them He who denies them cannot in Charity check them who believe them nor can they who believe them check those who deny them whereas each follow the Rule of Faith and believe what they judge by Scripture to be true And if you or your Church of England cry out Blasphemy Blasphemy against all that you judge to be false why do not you cry Blasphemy against Presbyterians Lutherans and other Congregations from whom you dissent And what difference betwixt you and â—he Church of Rome The folly of this is to call Heresy and Blasphemy all that is not her own Doctrine And all that your Church of England mislikes must be Fanaticism Blaphemy and Impiety Must our Rule of Faith be Scripture as the Church of England understands it and not otherwise Presbyterians and Lutherans will never allow it If therefore our Rule of Faith be Scripture as each Person understands it any Person of sound Judgment in the Reformation may without scruple believe what he understands to be the Doctrine of Scripture Fourth DIALOGUE ISMAEL You still insist upon that principle that our Rule of Faith is Scripture as each person of sound judgment understands it and from that principle will follow many absurd consequences destructive of Piety and Religion Isaac That Principle is not invented by me it 's of our Holy Reformation if I did discourse with a Papist I would prove the principle to be true and Gods express Word but since I discourse with a Reformed Child I suppose I need not spend my time in proving it This principle then being an unquestionable truth in our Reformation no Reformed Child must be so irreverent and bold as to say that any Doctrine which clearly and unavoidably follows out of it is Blasphemous or Impious for that would be to condemn our principle by which we walk Ex vero non sequitur nisi veram From a true Principle nothing can follow but true Doctrine Can you deny but this was the Rule of Faith and principle of our first blessed Reformers and of the Church of England mentioned in her 39 Articles If therefore they judged and if any other judges by that Rule and Principle that those Tenets which you call Impious and Blasphemous to be true Doctrine they cannot be blamed for believing them Ismael I confess our first Reformers did speak so but I say such Errors and Impious Doctrines cannot without Irreverence be called the Doctrine of the Reformation and cannot without impiety be believed because our Reformation at present condemns and detests those Blasphemies for we must grant that our Reformation in its beginning was not in its full perfection of Doctrine God began it by Luther Calvin Zuinglius and others Those great Men had their frailties they did overlash in some things and what they said amiss Gods Heavenly Spirit inspired to the Church from time to time to correct it and has at length brought our Church to that purity of Doctrine and fulness of perfection which now it enjoys Nothing is to be called now the Doctrine of the Reformation but what is now believed by our Congregations and none of them believes those execrable Tenets you related Isaac You wrong the Reformation very much in saying it had not its full perfection in the beginning it 's rather to be thought that that polishing and refining of it in ensuing Years with new perfections and correcting the first draught of it by our first Reformers has been a corruption of it with some mixture of Popish Errors and Superstitions For all Religious Congregations and Pretenders to Piety are at the first beginning in the height of their perfection and in Progress of Years they decline and decay from their primitive Spirit into errors and corruption of manners Religious Congregations are not like Arts and Sciences which by time and experience receive new perfections but like Chimnies which grow daily blacker by continual smoke and fire Witness the Jewish Church and Law in its beginning flourishing and holy but corrupted in progress of time by Traditions of Men and Superstitions of Pharisees Witness also the Law of the Gospel in those happy times of the Apostles holy and pure but corrupted after some Years by errors of Popery If we be to seek for the pure and Orthodox Doctrine of the Primitive Church ought not we to be said by the Apostles Men raised