just shall live by faith alone Now to believe truly in God according to the received use of Scripture is to adhere to him by love and this our Divines call a formed faith which can never be without charity as S. Paul most amply explains to his Galatians Gal. 5.6 For in Jesus Christ saith he neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Here S. Paul assures us that it is not every faith that is sufficient to justifie us but onely that which worketh by love To the second You might be satisfied in this by the answer before but I shall adde that such a faith as that of the woman with the issue of blood and of the blinde men in the Gospel might obtain such a temporal benefit as the curing both of the one and the other I say temporal benefits may be procured by an unformed faith as the Romans and other Heathens have visibly found Gods blessings to follow them for their many virtues and this S. Paul intimates when he tells the Hebrews that by faith the Harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not when she received the spies with peace here was a good work too went along with her faith Heb. 11.31 Rom. 4. Heb. 11. And there is no doubt but an unformed faith accompanied with charity humility and devotion may obtain by grace a justification from sin and whosoever does believe in Jesus Christ that he can justifie a sinner it shall be imputed to him for righteousness for without faith it is impossible to please God To the third What you urge out of Genesis S. Paul and S. James is sufficiently explained and answered by the foregoing words of the said S. James 5.21.22 James was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered up Isaac his son upon the Altar seest thou how faith worketh with his works and by works was faith made perfect and in the verse immediately following that which you urge against us he concludes ye see there how that by works a man is justified Ver. 24. and not by faith onely for as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also To the fourth What you urge out of S. Lukes Gospel is to be understood as the context shews of servants that do what they are commanded onely to do and that is but their duty and no thanks are due to them in like manner those that keep the commandments of God do but their duties our Saviour says nothing by your favour of those that observe the Evangelicall counsells as the building of religious houses giving our goods among the poor or mortifying of our bodies which you seem to draw into the same conclusion Besides as to the keeping of the commandements do you think the meaning of that text is that there is no merit at all due to that it cannot possibly be so understood must the case be the same between him that does his duty well and him that does it not at all for so it must be as you seem to understand it for at the worst they can be but unprofitable and at the best you would have them be so too and this would not onely throw confusion into all divinity but would be the destruction of all civil government and humane conversation It is true what our Saviour says when we have done all that is required of us we are unprofitable servants that is to him whom we serve we are unprofitable what does the Almighty and infinite creator get by the salvation of his creature nothing can be added to him But the text tells us not that in so doing we are unprofitable to our selves God forbid for that would be to discourage all virtue piety and Christianity it self To the fifth I answer perfectly as to your first for that text of S. John cannot be understood of a bare beliefe but such a one as is accompanied with charity for it is impossible that a good faith should be without it To the sixth I say you are most cleerly mistaken for charity is not a fruit of faith but a fruit of the spirit as indeed faith it self is no less as S. Paul instructs the Galatians Gal. 5.22 The fruit of the spirit is love joy peace longsuffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance c. And that our Saviour taxeth Pharisaicall works for Hypocritical is granted who planted all their Religion in Ceremonies and neglected the weightier matters of the law which were the true good works and always commanded not censured by him Besides our Saviour chargeth us expresly in these words Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your father which is in heaven To the seventh and last To what you alledge first out of the Prophet Isaiah I answer that the Prophet there speaks comparatively between the righteousness of the Law and that of the Gospel for the legall purity compared to the Evangelicall is impurity it self as our righteousness compared to Gods is no righteousness so our Saviour tells us Luke 18. Mat. 19.17 that none is good but one that is God because our goodness compared to Gods goodness is no goodness is no goodness To your next text I answer that it onely infers that there is none so righteous but at sometimes sinnes not that a man when he does well sins Then to what you alledge out of the Psalms it is very plain that the prophet David begs of God that he would not judge him according to his own divine righteousness that is so absolutely pure and without sin for so saith he Psal 25.21 no flesh living can be justified for he saith in another Psalm let integrity and uprightness preserve me for I wait on thee Last of all to what you urge so hard out of S. Paul to the Romans S. Paul himself answers in the beginning of the next Chapter There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death that is both from sin and the punishment of it Rom. 8. and so proceeds to shew that though there be a repugnancy in the Law of the flesh to the Law of the spirit yet they that mind the things of the spirit shall be judged accordingly and no sin imputed to them which I conceive clean contrary to the sence that you would impose upon the Apostle Now Mrs. N. I must desire you to give me leave to follow my former method and to return to you some Texts that as I conceive do expresly conclude our Churches doctrine which is that faith does not nor can suffice without works and that works are something in the sight of God that is meritorious of eternal life by the grace
imployed upon better things so the Lord give a blessing to our endeavours and sweet Madam be pleas'd to continue me in the quality of Madam Your most humble Servant N. The Messenger Arriving speedily back at my Ladies House and delivering the Letter with the inclos'd papers her Ladyship finding the Contents fell to the work iw mediately which you shall hear as followeth Madam the Doctrine that your Church delivers concerning good works is a Mother most strange erroâ—s and abuses of Christianity as confession free will c. Which gives me the boldnesse to make my addresse to your Ladyship wholly to that purpose So I shall first endeavour to overthrow your foundation that is your Doctrine of good works That good Works signifie nothing to the Justification much less to the salvation of a Christian by any way of merit iâ— most manifest out of Scripture 1. The Prophet Habakkuk tells us plainly of him that seeks his Justification by his Works that his soul which is lifted up Hab. 2.4 is not upright in him but the just shall live by his faith The same is insisted on by our Saviour Joh. 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And St. Paul quoting the Prophet tells the Romans For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written Rom. 1.17 the just shall live by faith And again Gal. 3.11 to the Galatians â—ut that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by faith And again to the Hebrews Now the just shall live by faith What then is become of your grand confidence in good works Our Saviour tells the woman diseased with an issue of blood Matth. â— that her Faith hath made her whole And in the same Chapter assures the blind men because they believed that he was able to restore their eyes to them that therefore they should see and saying according to your Faith be it unto you their eyes were opened by this you may see the value that Faith hath in the esteem of God 3. The Scripture expresly tells us that Abraham believed in the Lord Gen. 15.6 Rom. 4. â— and he counted it to him for righteousness the same thing St. Paul repeats to the Romans to the Galatians Gal. 3.6 Jam. 2.22 and so St. James by all which it is plain that Faith is the only thing that justifies and gives the reputation of righteousness before God 4. We finde in St. Lukes Gospel that our Saviour bids us to say when we shall have done all things that are commanded us that we are but unprofitable Servants Luk. 11.43 we have done that which was our duty to do What is become of your doctrine of works Where is your merit in them by them or for them when after you have done all things fill'd the world with Hospitals Colledges Churches and Monasteries given all your goods to the poor mortified and macerated your bodies you are yet so far from meriting that you are but unprofitable Servants 5. Our Saviour tells us clearly and with a vertly verily I say unto you he that heareth my word Joh. 5.24 and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life Can any thing be more plain then this that by Faith alone we are to gain everlasting life 6. Charity it self is but a fruit of Faith so that it is plain Faith alone may suffice to our justification and our Saviour taketh frequently works for Hypocritical and pronounceth a woe to such as depend upon them 7. Then it is plain there neither is or can be any such thing as good works and whosoever pretends to that righteousnesse is a hypocrite for the Prophet Isaiah tels us Isa 54.6 that we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags And again the Scripture tels us that there is not a righteous man upon the earth who does well Eccl. 5. and sins not And the Prophet David cryed out Psalm though a man after Gods own heart Enter not into Judgement with thy servant O Lord for in thy fight shall no man living be justified Where is then your Justification by works And St. Paul that great Vessel of Election complains Rom. 7.15.23 that he was sold under sin for that which he did he allowed not he did not what he would but what he hated that he did and that he saw another Law in his members warring against the Law of his mind and bringing him into captivity to the Law of sin which was in his Members what then must become of us poor creatures if we confide in our own works That Auricular Confession of Sins to a Priest is so farre from being a good work and acceptable in the sight of God that it is meerly to be esteemed Wil-worship and humane invention is proved thus It is plain out of the very Text which you so much urge for your opinion Joh. 20.23 which is in St. John Whosoevrr sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosoever sins ye retain they are retained That Christ commands nothing there concerning confession but only requires Priests to give their absolution 2. And St. James when he seems to command Confession speaks only of a brotherly Confession Confess your faults one to another Jam. 5.16 there is not a word of confession to Priests 3. Then our Saviour said not to the woman taken in adultery go and confess thy sins to a Priest but go and sin no more 4. Again we read of Peters tears and great repentance how he wept most bitterly but we read not a jot of his going to confession and yet his sin was most undoubtedly pardoned 5. Then I have read in Ecclesiastical History that Confession was in one Age wholly abrogated and forbidden in the Church That your Doctrine of satisfaction for sins is most dangerous if not desperate for Christian souls is proved thus 1. St. John the Baptist being sent to be a Preacher of Repentance to the people taught only the observation of the Commandments of God expresly forbidding them to do more then what was appointed for them to do nor makes he mention at all of any satisfaction for sins The Lord himself declares by his holy Prophet Ezekiel Luk. 3.13 that if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all his statutes and do that which is lawfull and right Ezek. 18.21 he shall surely live he shall not die Here is nothing imposed upon a penitent but to do Judgement and righteousness c. not the least word of satisfaction The Prophet Micah does most plainly deride all those that seek to make a satisfaction for their sins
of God accepting them as it had before pleased to assist in the doing of them All which I prove by these express Scriptures God commands Abraham to walk before him and be perfect Gen. 16. and he will be his exceeding great reward The Prophet Esay says of God Isay 40.10 Jer. 31.16 Prov. 11.28 that his reward is with him The Prophet Jeremy tells us thus for thy work shall be rewarded saith the Lord. The wise King Solomon assures us that the wicked worketh a deceitful work but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward The Lord recompence thy work Ruth 2.12 and a full reward begiven thee of the Lord God of Israel Out of these and infinite more places in the old Scriptures it is plain that God does promise and assure rewards to those that do well But the Evangelicall Scriptures are yet more full He that reapeth receiveth wages Iohn 4.36 and gathereth fruit unto life eternal that is man so that he that soweth that is God and he that reapeth may rejoyce together Our Saviour in his Sermon in the Mount Mat. 5.12 Luke 6.22.23 to encourage his disciples against persecution speaks plainly thus Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven in like manner S. Luke relates it Blessed are ye when men shall hate you persecute you or reproch you for the son of mans sake Rejoyce ye in that day and leap for joy for behold your reward is great in heaven c. Heer reward is plainly promised now we know that reward and merit are such relatives that one cannot be understood without the other Not every one that saith unto me Lord Mat. 7.21 Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven Thus cleer it is that is not enough â—o believe in the Lord that we may enter into life but we must do his will Again Mat. 10.42 Whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water onely in the name of a disciple verily I say unto you be shall in no wise loose his reward Yet again the same Gospel tells us that all the labourers in the Lords vineyard were to receive their reward Mat. 20.7 8 9. from the last unto the first and so they did every one their peny and adds whatsoever is right that shall ye receive observe how the Lord makes the reward of mans works a piece of his justice The same S. Matthew still tells us Mat. 19.17 how our Saviour chargeth the young man in the Gospel if he will enter into life to keep the commandments something therefore is to be done on our parts But above all the same Evangelist in another place quite states the question Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Mat. 25.34 35 36. for I was a hungry and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye grve me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me Here our Saviour was pleased to instance in all the works of charity to shew how they are all and every one of them meritoriously accepted by him Does not S. John likewise plainly tell us Iohn 5.28.29 our Saviours express words that those that are in their graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation and again you are my friends if ye keep my commandments can you yet think that there is nothing due to good works Will you hear what S. Paul tells you that God will render to every man according to his deeds Rom. 2.6 10. glory honour and peace to every one that worketh good c. and then concludes that not the hearers but the doers of the Law shall be justified Again 1 Cor. 3.8 to the Corinthians he says every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour and in his second Epistle to the same Corinthians he tells them thus 2 Cor. 5.10 1 Cor. 9.17 For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad again if I do this willingly I have a reward 1 Cor. 15 58. and at last concludes that great Chapter concerning the Resurrection Therefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. The same Apostle forewarns the Galatians not to be deceived Gal. 6.7 God is not mocked for what soever a man soweth that shall he also reap The same Apostle prays heartily for the Collosians Colos 1.10 Colos 3.23.24 that they might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good work and then afterwards tells them plainly that whatsoever they do they should do he artily as to the Lord and not unto men knowing that of the Lord they shall receive the reward of their inheritance c. To the Hebrews he says plainly Heb. 6.10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which you have shewed towards his name Heb. 13.16 in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do minister and in another place adviseth them that to do good and to communicate they forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased S. John in his second Epistle general adviseth all the world to look to themselves 2 John ver 8. that they loose not those things which they have wrought but that they receive a full reward S. Peter is no less cleer in this sense 2 Pet. 1 10 11. as you may see by the Counsell general that he gives wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if ye do thus ye shall never fall for so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And then in his first Epistle he exhorteth to an honest conversation c. that the world may be convinced by the good works which they shall behold and glorifie God in the day of visitation Then that faith is utterly vain without works James 2 14. ver 17 18 19 20 21 24. see how throughly the blessed Apostle S. James delivers it What doth it profit my brethren though a man say he hath faith and hath not works can faith save him then a little after tells us that faith if it hath not works is dead being alone then says the Apostle I will shew my faith by my works thou believest there is
one God thou doest well the devils also believe and tremble but wilt thou know O vain man that faith without works is dead was not our father Abraham justified by works c. and after the Apostle had upon the matter stated the whole question he concludes yee see then now that by works a man is justified and not by faith onely Can any thing be more cleer then this yet see how S. Matthew justifies this doctrine relating our Saviours last charge and Commission to his Apostles thus Mat. 28.19.20 Go ye therfore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost teaching them not onely to believe Johu 9.6.7 but to do and observe all things whatsoever I have commanded c. S. John relates how our Saviour would not cure the blinde man with that omnipotent salve the clay made of his spittle but he would enjoyn him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam something he would have done on his part Then S. Paul assures us that if he hath faith to a perfection nay so much as to remove mountains and hath not charity he is nothing what then are we without it Nay S. Paul teacheth Timothy how to press the matter 1 Tim. 4. that they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life c. and concludes of himself I have fought the good fight I have perfected my course I have kept the faith from hence forward is laid up for me a crown of glory which the Lord the just judge shall render to me in that day here S. Paul cleerly expects from the justice of God a retribution to his merit Now over and above all this John 8. it is plain that faith it self is a work for to the question that was asked our Saviour What shall we do to do the works of God he answers presently this is the work of God to believe on him whom he hath sent and again saith he Gen. 15. if ye are the children of Abraham you would do the works of Abraham now the principal work of Abraham was his faith for Abraham believed and it was accounted to him for righteousness see faith is plainly to be reckoned up amongst works now if a man by faith be to be justified then he is so by works Last of all what you seem in all your discourses to infer that the best works are full of sin so by consequence cannot justifie observe I beseech you what S. John says to you 1 John 3 7 8 9. little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous he that committeth sin is of the devil c. whosoever is born of God does not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God Note here if you please that he cannot sin that follows the inclinations of charity according to which a man is said to be born of God For S. Paul assures us too that charity does nothing amiss Thus if I have not darkned this truth with too thick a cloud of witnesses I presume it must be cleer as light it self that your doctrine of onely faith depressing of good works is not onely against the whole stream of Scripture and so unchristian but also against all the rules of humane reason so impertinent unpolitick to the destruction of all civil conversation and therefore I am bold to insist the longer upon it which I desire you to pardon and I will make a speedy amends in the contraction of my self upon the other heads To what you are pleased to alledge against our Auricular Cenfession I answer thus To the first It is true that in that Text of S. John there is no confession mentoned but sufficiently imply'd in the power of absolution It is enough to satisfy any reasonable Christian that our Saviour has so clearly declar'd that high power and prerogative which he conferred upon his Priests and to shew us our Physitions and remedy that we may have recourse to them for our health if we so please but if we will not confess we are sick we have no need of a Physition at least he cannot be at all usefull to us Now that use and practice of this high power and prerogative of remision of sins the Church has learnt and derived from the very times of the Apostles by the conduct of the holy Ghost as you shall see more hereafter To the Second I must likewise grant S. Iames not precisely to determine in that Text to whom we should confess nor was it at all needfull for it was to be presumed that no man would confess but where he thought to finde a pardon now that power of pardoning was apparently in the Apostles hands then and in their successors continues since It was enough therefore for the Apostles to express so much as was necessary to that great business of absolution that is confession without pointing out that particular person to whom to be made indeed it is as before sufficiently implyed To the Third and fourth I do acknowledge that our Saviour said no more to the woman taken in adultry but go and sine no more but there the power of absolution was not settled in the Church how then could the adultress and the Magdalen and Peter be obliged to confession before confession was instituted Besides these were miraculous pardons of sins not by any former prescription for we know that the indulgence of a spirituall priviledge to any one is not to be drawn into a consequence for others or made a generall rule of by us To the Last I do utterly deny that confession was ever abrogated in any one age something I remember in ecclesiasticall history that publick and open confession was solemly forbiden but never private and auricular on the contrary give me leave to prove the necessity of it by Scripture against you David confesseth his sins and is pardoned by the prophet Nathan 2 Sam. 11.13 S. Mathew tells how our Saviour enstated Peter in this power of the keys the other Evangelists speaks of his disposing of it amongst his Apostles by all which it is plain that to deny the power of the keys to be given to the Church is to deny that our Saviour never had them in his custody which I take for blasphemy The text you urge out of S. James 5.16 James is alledged for our doctrine against you by all our divines as I am cold I am sure it is cleer as to me This great duty of a Christian was absolutly taught and prefigured in the Baptisme of John for S. Mat. 3.6 Mathew tells us how all the people round about flockt to him And they were baptised of
back is fit for the Kingdome of God And again Remember Lots Wife Luk. 9.17 Gen. 19. Matth. 10. chap. 24. 2 Thes 2.7 Prov. 20.25 Matth. 22.31 who looking back was turn'd into a pillar of Salt Again he that perseveres to the end shall be saved that is till death The wise King Solomon assures us it is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy and after vows to make inquiry Our Translation reads it thus It is a ruine to man to devoure the Saints and after vows made to retract them Let all pious Votaries therefore according to our Saviours Words in St. Matthews Gospel Renden unto God the things which are Gods that is their Vows that through his mercy they may deserve to be saved To the second I freely grant that Vows of themselves and all the externall works of piety dictated from the severest Rules of Monastick life cannot renew the inward man yet doubtlesse they are very helpfull to the spirit and keep the body from too much oppressing the soul nay I 'le grant too that if those externall works as you call them be done that they make seen of men they are Hypocriticall if done clearly to the glory of God you must sure grant them at least to be laudable Besider the Apostle says not that bodily exercise profiteth nothing but grants that it profiteth a little if it be imployed to piety To the Third Whereas you say that externall works are enemies to Christianity and do extinguish faith and weaken hope c. They are so far from that that they are the very life and nourishment of faith for St. James tells us that faith without works is dead Jam. 2. and it must strengthen his hope for by works both his faith and he must be justified as was sufficiently proved to you in my last Paper Luk. 17. But indeed if he dare to presume in his works then he is not only guilty but condemned already For when we have done all that we can we must say that we are but profitable Servants To the Fourth Whereas you say it is grand presumption in our Votaries to oblige themselves beyond the Rule of Baptisme and the Evangelicall Rule c. It is plain that they make their Vows to no other intent or purpose then to dispose themselves to perfect the Evangelicall precepts and what they promis'd in Baptisme with more commodiousnesse and greater facility they undertake their Rules only to promote in their way to perfection and to enable themselves with more expedients in the service of God To what you alledge against our vows of chastity and restraining of Priests from Marriage I answer thus To the first I grant that it was indulg'd to the Priests and Levites in the Old Law to have Wives because they had a long time of vacancy from the exercise of their Ministry or Priesthood For there was a great multitude of them and they served by course The case is not the same now for our Priests are in dayly service of the Altar and commanded to be always ready and without delay to attend their Ministry so it would be very inconvenient for them to be clog'd with Wives besides the indecency of it Again they were to be only of one Tribe the Tribe of Levi that were to bee taken into their Priesthood it was therefore necessary for the conservation of the Tribe and propagation of the Priesthood it self which otherwise in one age would have fayled that their Priests should marry Besides we find that those that were to sacrifice in the Old Law did abstain somtime from their Wives likewise so that St. Luke testifies of Zacharias And then it came to pass that so soon as the days of his Ministration were accomplished Luke 1.23.24 he departed to his own house and after those days his Wife Elizabeth conceiv'd c. Over and above all this the Priests of the Old Testament did handle but their proposition bread with the flesh of Goats Oxen Lambs and the like but ours do dayly handle the precious body and blood of Christ As to the other part of your Argument that the Greeks and other Christians have a liberty for their Priests to marry I say you are mistaken for no Priest amongst them is permitted to marry after he is a Priest but one that has taken a Virgin to Wife may be afterwards made a Priest and if his Wife dye he must remain single So a married man may be made a Priest but no Priest can be made a married man To the Second That command of the Almighty which you insist upon to increase and multiply was given when the earth was to be replenish'd heaven too for then then there were but few to procreate now they are innumerable Therefore that command is not to be taken amongst those permanent Laws which were to oblige all Mankind and every particular person for then St. John the Baptist had been a sinner who liv'd and dy'd a Virgin Our blessed Lady had sinned who is the grand Example of Virginity Paul himself had sinned who was the great Counsellour of Virginity and out Saviour Christ had never commended Eunuchs for the Kingdome of Heaven In like manner that precept and repeated by our Saviour Whom God hath joyned let no man separate concerns not sure every one in the World though it be given to every one multitude of the World So the command concerning Tillage and Husbandry does not make it necessary that all the World should bee Husbandmen though some must bee Neither is it necessary for every individuall of mankind to imploy himself in procreation though it is necessary that some must make it their businesse to propagate And so it is in an infinity of other things that are necessary for a whole community and yet not at all for every single person but it sufficeth that it be done by some To the third I deny perfectly that the Church forbids marriages at all but when any man is ty'd by his own voluntary Vow to the contrary the Church prohibits the violation of that Vow for before his vow it was as free for him to marry as for a married man it is impossible to contract again The Church takes a care in this point onely that hee whosoever hee is that vowes shall not deliver up the power of his body to another which was before delivered up to Christ And the Hereticks which you speak of Mark 15. 1 Cor. 10. which Saint Paul mentions were those that succeeded presently after as I am inform'd that did absolutely condemn Matriages for unlawfull To the Fourth That Saint Paul commands Titus to choose a Bishop that was the Husband of one Wife we do not deny but sure you do not believe that hee commanded that a Bishop should of necessity be a married man for then neither he himself nor Titus neither had been Bishops nor many of your own whom you would take it ill if we
consequence the truth on 't is that that Text out of the Reuelation may be most clearly brought against most of you who do not only diminish the Words of that Prophesie but take the whole to be suspected thrust it out of your Canon and account it for Apocrypha Then others of you again are pleasd to adde to it most notoriously as when some of your Doctors go about to intepret that part of the Revelation which tells us that there shall come two witnesses that shall prophesie a 1260. Rev. 11.3.6 days cloathed in Sackclooth who shal have power to shut heaven in the days of their prophesie and have power over Waters to turn them inblood c. they will perswade us that these two witnesses are your two great Prophets Luther and Calvin now it is plain that they were not cloath'd in Sackcloth nor had power to shut heaven c Now it is evident that the Text you Quote makes nothing towards the condemnation of our traditions but forbids that nothing be added to that book but that which is a true part of that Apocalyptical Prophecy Otherwise it must be unlawfull to receive the Prophesies of Jeremy Isay and other Prophets of the Old Testament as also the Gospels and Epistles of the new and our whole Symbol of faith So that it is plain we are only by the Text forbidden to deprave any part of that Apocalyptical Prophesie which the Apostle in inâ—â—tes maybe done 2. ways either by addition by putting any thing into that Prophesie which truely is no part of it Or by dimination as if any man should detract from it any part as not belonging to it which really was so Now when you have shewed that we Catholicks do either of that I shall grant your Argument to conclude something To the Sixth I say you still strangly conclude out of the Apostle and I pray you mark your Argument All Scripture is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction c. Therefore all Traditions are unnecessary I will give you such another cousequence All meat is profitable for nourishment therefore drink is unnecessary Or thus all Alms giving is profitable for Salvation Luk. 11.43 Dan. 1.34 as St. Luke and the Prophet Daniell assures us therefore prayer is to no purpose and the Sacraments themselves are unnecessary Or it may be you intend your Argument thus all Scripture is profitable that is sufficient therefore Traditions are altogether uselesse What strange interpretation of Scripture is this Is to be profitable and sufficient alone then mark this consequence St. Paul tells Timothy that godlinesse is profitable to all things 1 Tim. 4.8 2 Tim. 4.11 therefore all other things are unnecessary Again the same Apostle bids Timothy take Mark and bring him with him adding that he was profitable unto him for the Ministry therefore Timothy Titus Onesimus and Luke that was then with him were all unnecessary Who sees not now that if his Licence may be admitted of interpreting Scripture after this manner that the whole must of necessity be corrupted quickly adulterated But now that you may more clearly see your errour I will shew you the whole scope of the Apostle in these words First in the precedent Words he exhorts Timothr as a Bishop to instruct those that are commited to his charge in faith and good works and to reprove and convince adversaries who rejected the truth and were men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith and so he addes to shew him how he was to do it 2 Tim. 3.8 ver 14 15 16. these words But continue thou in the things that thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them and that from a Child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus for all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction c. Now here by the Scripture which he says Timothy had known from his Infancy he must needs understand the Scripture of the Old Testament for at that time when Timothy was a child there could be no Scripture of the new Testament extant The Apostle the refore in the Text so argues all Scripture divinely inspired is profitable to teach friends to convince adversaries but the Scripture of the Old Testament which thou hast learnt from thy Infancy is divinely inspired there it is so and so profitable In the same manner we under the Gospell may agree thus All Scripture divinely inspired is profitable to teach to reproves c. But the Scripture of the New Testament is divinely inspired therefore it is profitable to teach reprove c. That is whosoever is instructed in knowledge of that shall find great helps to perform all that now out of these Arguments grounded upon that Text which you urg we may collect these 3 propositions to be true First that all Scripture divniely inspired is profitable to teach reprove c. 2ly That the Scripture of the Old Testament is profitable to teach Thirdly that the Scripture of the Old Testament is so and so profitable likewise So as therefore this does not follow the Scripture of the Old Testament is altogether uselesse and unnecessary so neither does this follow The Scripture of the New Testament is profitable Therefore the Scripture of the Old is altogether uselesse and unnecessary Nor can this with more reason follow the Scripture of both Testaments New and Old is so and so profitable therefore Tradition is altogether uselesse and unnecessary Then that which the same Apostle tells us in another place I am sure were altogether impertinent if not impions When he says hold fast Traditions To the Seventh I answer in short that there can be none so blind but must see that which you urge out of the Gospell and Epistles was only spoken either of Traditions of the Jews which the Pharisees made ill use of as I have shew'd you before or of the traditions of the Gentiles which were quite and clean repugnant to Christianity but such as those we speak not of much less defend but onely those divine and Apostolicall traditions which we have received and must for ever continue in the Christian Church to the Eight I confesse the Church to be a Congregation of all the faithfull which are of the body of Christ but yet we know what is done by our Princes Peers and Commons assembled in Parliament is said to be done by the whole Nation so what the Prelates of the Church with those others that are chosen to sit with them in Councels shall determine is said to be done by the whole Church For otherwise the Church could never be Congregated then to what purpose did our Saviour say that in St. Matthew But if he will not hear thee tell the Church but if he shall not hear the Church let him be to thee as a