can you say I beat you from all Religion when I directly perswade you to follow the Rule of Faith of our Reformation Scripture as each person of sound judgment understands it let this be your Religion if you will be a true Reformed whatever you judge in your conscience to be true let the Church of England or France or any other say and believe what they will you are to believe but what you judge by Scripture to be true and this is the Religion of the Reformation Ismael I would gladly know if it be lawful to chop or change the Text Isaac It 's the Doctrine of the Reformation that you cannot because God has forbid to add to or take away from his word and therefore we condemn the Papists for their Tradition obtruded upon the Flock as the Word of God It 's also the Doctrine of the Reformation and the practice of our best Reformers when the Text does not speak clear enough that for to refute Popery and establish our own Doctrine we may add or diminish a word or two which is not to change the Word of God but to make it speak more expresly as when Luther had a mind to prach Justification by Faith alone finding the Text said but Man is justified by Faith he added the word Alone and made the Text very clear against Popery which formerly was somewhat obscure Zuinglius being to teach the Figurative presence of Christ in the Sacrament found the Text This is my Body to be too pat against his Doctrine and instead of Is put in This signifieth The Church of England being to preach the Kings Spiritual Supremacy could not convince the obstinate Papist by the Original Text which said 1 Pet. 2. submit your selves unto every humane creature for the Lord's sake whether it be the King as excelling or to c. But in King Edwards time they altered one word and made the Text thus submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man whether it be to the King as being the chief head and the following impressions of the Bible in the year 1557. and 79. say To the King as supreame And so the true Doctrine is clearly convinc'd out of Scripture as also the lawfulness of Priests Marriage for the Text before the Reformation said 1 Cor. 9. have we not power to lead about a woman sister and now our Bibles say have we not power to lead about a Wife being our Sister hence it 's evident according to the Doctrine and practice of our Reformation that when you have a mind to establish a Doctrine which you judge to be true you may change the Text and make it speak to your sense and meaning provided you judge your sense to be true Ismael What do you think of Justifying Faith Does Faith alone justify us Isaac It 's the Doctrine of the Reformation that without charity it cannot because St. Paul says 1 Cor. 13. If I have Faith so as to move mountains and no Charity I am nothing It 's also the Doctrine of the Reformation that it is impious and wicked to say Faith alone without Charity does not justify this is Scipture as interpreted by Luther a man of sound judgment Who say quoth Luther that Faith alone though perfect it be cannot Justify without Charity say impiously and wicked because Faith alone without any good works doth justifie Believe which Doctrine you please both are of the Reformation Ismael Luther was insolent in checking the Doctrine of St. Paul. Isaac Probably he did not reflect that it was the Doctrine of the Apostle and if you will have it to be a Check of St. Paul Luther will answer for himself Be it says he that the Church Augustine or other Doctors also Peter and Paul nay and an Angel from Heaven should teach otherwise than as I teach yet my Doctrine is such that it seteth forth Gods Glory I know I teach no Humane but Divine Doctrine It 's the Doctrine of the Reformation that Faith alone without any good Works and notwithstanding all Sins you are Guilty of doth justifie you This is Scripture as Interpreted by Luther who says nothing can damn you but Incredulity as nothing but Faith can save you of Whitaker Wotton Fulk and Beza whose words I related in our precedent Dialogue which I believe you remember and I need not repeat It 's also the Doctrine of the Reformation that good Works are meritorious of Grace and Glory Hooker and Harmonia confess say it 's the Doctrine of Scripture and what any person of sound Judgment judges to be the Doctrine of Scripture he may believe it for this is our Rule of Faith. It 's likewise the Doctrine generally of all our Church that good Works are not at all meritorious Tindall called by Fox a Man of God and a constant Martyr judges this to be so true that in his Treatise de Mammona iniquitatis he says Christ himself did not by all his good Works merit the Glory And tho' the Scripture says expresly he did Calvin affirms that it 's a foolish curiosity to examine and a rash proposition to say Christ did Merit It 's the Doctrine of the Reformation that tho' good Works be not meritorious nor have not the least Influence in our Justification or Salvation yet they are absolutely needful for both in as much as that true Faith cannot be without good Works because they are the Marks and Signs of a living Faith by whch alone we are Saved this is the Judgment of the Church of England expressed in the 11 and 12 Articles of the 39 and of Melancthon in locis Commun de Bonis operibus and you may believe it You may also believe and it 's the Doctrine of the Reformation that good Works are so far from being needful that they are prejudicious and hurtful to our Salvation and the best way to be Saved is to do no good Work at all this is Scripture as Interpreted by Illiricus Flacius Amsdorsius quoted in Act. Colloq Aldeburg pag. 205. and 299. and Luther was so deeply perswaded of this truth tho that Christ said If thou wilt enter into the Kingdom of Heaven keep the Commandment Luther says it 's an obstacle to our Salvation to keep them Where it is said quoth he that Faith in Christ doth indeed justify us but that it is necessary also to keep the Commandments there Christ is denyed and Faith abolish'd because that which is proper to Faith alone is attributed if the Commandments And again says he if Faith be accompanied with good Works it 's no true Faith that it may justify it must be alone without any good Works This is Scripture as interpreted by such eminent and sound Men and consequently the Doctrine of the Reformation and who doubts but that any Doctrine of the Reformation may be believed Hence forward when you hear the Preacher exhort you to good Works you may believe him if you please
extraordinarily by God and replenished with his Spirit to teach us the Gospel And if we be to seek for the Pure and Orthodox doctrine of the Reformation ought not we to be sway'd rather by Luther Calvin Melancthon Zuinglius Beza and our other first Reformers than by a few Ministers and Bishops of England who tho' they be Wise and Pious Men yet they are not of that stamp as the others And if our present Congregations presume to correct them and say they overlash'd in their doctrine will not the Papists say if they have been such scandalous Masters and false Teachers why did you receive their Reformation And as they erred so grosly in such prime Articles of Christianity why do you fear and suspect they have also erred in the rest Secondly the Papists will say if as they Reformed us you Reform them then you must expect and permit that others may reform you and forsake your Doctrine as you forsake theirs Ismael I wish you could make out that the Reformation was in its full Perfection in its beginning had you read some Writers of ours perhaps you would judge otherwise Musculus â—… learned Lutheran writes thus Thus it is with â—s at Present that if any be desirous to see a great Rabble of Knaves turbulent Spirits deceitful Persons Cozeners and Debauch'd Men let him go to a City where the Gospel is purely Preached and he shall find them by Multitudes for it 's more manifest than the by light that never were there more unbridled and â—nruly People among the Turks and Infidels than the Professors of the Reformed Gospel Luther himself says as much The World grows daily worse and Men are now more covetous revengeful and licentiius than they were in Popery Mr. Stubs says no less After my Travels round about all England I found the People in most Parts proud malicious ambitious and careless of good Works Mr. Richard Gefery in his Sermon at St. Paul's Cross Printed Anno 1604. I may freely speak what I have plainly seen that in Flanders never was there more Drunkenness in Italy more Wantonness in Jury more Hypocrisie Turky more Impiety in Tartary more Iniquity than is practised generally in England and particularly in London Certainly our Reformation at present deserves a better Character never did the Ale-houses and Taverns complain more heavily of want of Trading which is a Proof of our Sobriety the Churches which we see a Building in London is a good Testimony of Piety and we are so far from any smack of Hypocrisie that you shall not see in all London the least appearance of Vertue so hiddenly it's kept from mortal Eyes but what you may meet in our honest Quakers Isaac I confess our Congregations as now they are are very good both in Doctrine and Manners but I say also that the Doctrine and Manners of our Reformation at its first beginning was as pure as Holy and as true as now it is or ever it will be Nay supposing and granted their Manners and Doctrine were so corrupt as those Doctors mention I say that amidst all those Vices their Life was as Holy Innocent Blameless and Pure as yours is now And that you may be convinc'd of this Truth know that Calvin expresly teaches We believe the Sins of the Faithful he means of the Reformation are but venial Sins not but that they deserve Death but because there is no damnation for the Children of Grace in asmuch as their Sins are not imputed to them And again he says We can assure our selves we can no more be damn'd for any Sins then Jesus Christ himself Luther is of the same Opinion As nothing but Faith doth Justifie us so nothing but incredulity is a Sin. Again No Sin is so great that it can condemn a Man such as are damn'd are damn'd only for their Incredulity Whitaker No Sin can hurt a Men who has Faith. The same is taught by Wotton Fulk Tindal and Beza It 's therefore the Doctrine of Scripture as Interpreted by these Persons of great and sound Judgment that Incests Murthers Intemperance or whatever else you call a Sin Incredulity excepted either is no Sin at all or but Venial Sins which do no harm nor cannot damn the children of the Reformation if therefore our Brethren lived in the beginning of the Reformation as those Authors relate they lived according to Scripture as Interpreted to them by Men of sound Judgment and this being our rule of Faith and Manners they did not ill but very well in following it Ismael They were men of the Reformation it 's true who taught these Errors and dissolutition of Life and good Manners insomuch they swerved from the Spirits Holiness and Purity of the Reformation and must not be believed nor commended Look upon the Reformation as now it is and you will not find any such scandalous Doctrine or Corruption of manners Isaac They were not only Men of the Reformation but the greatest Oracles of it which you will not match with any of our preseâ—â—… Congregations and it 's not pardonable in any Reformed Child to say such Oracles Extraordinarily raised by God to teach the Purity of the Gospel should have taught either Errors in Doctrine or dissolution of Manners They taughâ— what in their Consciences they understood by Scripture to be true if you will not be so it revent as to say that they were Knaves who spoke and taught against their Consciences and Knowledge Therefore they taught the Doctrine of the Reformation purely and truly The Consequence is Evident For what is the Doctrine of the Reformation but what wise learned Men of sound Judgment think and understand by Scripture to be true Why is figurative Presence the Doctrine of the Reformation though denied by Lutherans who are Reformed also but because Wise Learned Men Judge by Scripture as they understand it it 's the true Doctrine or can you give me any other Rule of Faith by which we may know what Doctrine is of the Reformation and what not but Scripture as each person of sound Judgment understands it Or what Rule can you give for to know what is good or evil to be done but Scripture as understood by such Persons If therefore Luther Calvin and the other Doctors I quoted Judge by Scripture that Doctrine and manner of Life to be true and good why may not we say it 's the Doctrine of the Reformation If you or the Church of England or Scotland Judge that Doctrine to be false and that manner of Life to be a dissolution and corruption of Manners Why you are Men of sound Judgment you understand Scripture so that will be the Doctrine also of the Reformation you may believe it But you must not deny that Luther and Calvin's Doctrine also is of the Reformation because they were Men of as sound Judgment as you You transgress hainously against Modesty in saying those sacred Organs of God swerved from the
Spirit and Holiness of the Reformation which having no other Rule of Faith but Scripture as each Person of sound Judgment understands it its Spirit and Holiness consists in framing our Life and Doctrine to that Rule as our blessed Reformers and Reformation in its beginning did believing those Tenets which you call Errours and Blasphemy and living that Life which you call Dissolution and Corruption of Manners because they judge by Scripture as they understood it that Doctrine and manner of Life was True Innocent and Good and if you like it as they did you may believe and live as they did and be a good Child of the Reformation Consider I pray all the Works and Doctrine of Luther the like I say of our other first Reformers the three parts of his Doctrine is against Popery and they say all are Heresies and Blasphemies the rest is contrary to the Church of England and she says this is also Errors and Blasphemy so you conspire with the Papists to destroy the credit of our first and best Reformer and betwixt you both you unplume him of all his Feathers and leave him not a bit of good Doctrine But I will stand to the Spirit and Principles of the Reformation and Congregations as now they are since that you do so much boast of its Purity and great Perfections and I will prove that Doctrine and Manner of Life may be believed and followed Lawfully standing to its Principles For if the Spirit of the Reformation be at present among us we must not be forced as in Popery to believe against our proper Judgments what others believe by Scripture to be true and holy but what each one thinks in his own Conscience to be such because even now at present our Rule of Faith is Scripture as each Person of sound Judgment understands it and this is the same Rule which Luther and the Reformation in it's beginning had This Holy Liberty is the best Jewel the greatest Perfection and most glorious Prerogative the Reformation has If therefore now at present any Man judges by Scripture that he can Marry ten Wives at a time that he can kill his own Son as Abraham intended that he may commit incest with his own Daughter as Lot did that there is no Sin but Incredulity as Luther believed nor any Mystery of the Trinity of Persons in one Nature as Calvin believed with what Justice can the Church of England say a Man does not believe and live as becometh a Reformed Child or that his Doctrine and Life is scandalous whereas he lives and believes as he understands by Scripture he may or ought to do which is the Rule of Faith of the Reformation even of the Church of England The Church of England says the Lutheran Doctrin of the Real Presence is not the Doctrin of Scripture that the Presbyterian Doctrin against Episcopacy is not the Doctrin of Scripture that the Anabaptist Doctrin against Infants Baptism is not of Scripture and yet you permit them all to live in Peace you Confess they are true Children of the Reformation though Dissenters from you why Because they follow Scripture as they understand it and this is our Rule of Faith And why will not you say the Belief and Life of that other Man is also of the Reformation though it may seem absurd to you since he believes and lives as he Judges by Scripture he may It follows therefore plainly that this is the Doctrine of the Reformation Ismael I confess our rule of Faith in the Reformation is Scripture as each person of sound Judgment understands it but you cannot doubt but that it 's needful to moderate and curb this Liberty or it may run too far for if every Man be licenced to believe and teach every thing he fancies to be according to Scripture as there is no Doctrine so execrable but some ignorant Reader may hit upon a Text which ill understood may seem to favour it so there will be none but may be believed and called the Doctrine of the Reformation for example Beza teaches and says it 's also the Doctrine of Calvin Sumaize and Geneve that the Lords Supper may be Lawfully administred in any kind of Victuals as well as in Bread and Wine in Eggs Flesh Fish c. Where there is no Bread and Wine says he we may duly celebrate if instead of them we use what we usually Eat and Drink And again in the same place If there be no water at hand and that Baptism cannot be with edification deferred I would Baptize in any other liquor Isaac And why should not it be lawful to any Reformed to believe this whereas it's Scripture as interpreted by a Man of so sound a Judgment but I do not in any wise like that Opinion of yours and of the Church of England that it 's convenient to limit and curb Men's Judgments lest they may run too far this is the policy of Rome They will not permit an arbitrary Interpretation of Scripture alledging forsooth for Inconveniency the multitude of absurd Doctrines which the World would swarm with if such a liberty were allowed No no far be it from any true reformed Child to mislike or blame that all People should interpret Scripture and believe what they judge by it to be true and if what they judge to be true should seem to you false and scandalous do not you believe it but let them believe it and they will be of the Reformation because they follow our rule of Faith. Ismael Luther Melancthon Musculus Ochinus Beza and others teach the lawfulness of Bigamy or Multiplicity of Wives and prove it with the example of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and Ochinus expounding the Text of St. Paul It behoveth a Bishop to be a Man of one Wife The Prohibition says he is not to be understood so that a Bishop should have but one Wife at a time for certainly he may have many but St. Pauls meaning is that he ought not to have too many Wives at a time that 's to say ten or twenty Isaac And will you deny this to be the Doctrine of the Reformation whereas it's Scripture as interpreted by Men of so eminent and sound a Judgment Ismael The Synod of Geneve and the Ecclesiastical Discipline of France printed at Saumure has decreed that a Wife whose Husband is a long time absent may have him called by the publick Cryer and if within a competent time he does not appear without any further Enquiry the Ministers may Licence her to marry any other or marry her himself Isaac I say all Women may practice this Doctrine without scruple or shame whereas it's Scripture as interpreted by that thrice holy Synod but let Seamen beware how they undertake long Voyages for fear their Wives may take other Husbands in their Absence Ismael Luther teaches it's lawful to a Wife if her Husband does not please her to call her Man-Servant or
and a compassion of the poor Pagans so unjustly banish'd from our Nation if what Doctor Stillingfleet says be true he is a learned Religious and diligent searcher into Scripture the Ancient D. Drs. and Fathers of the Church reading Scripture judged and taught that Jupiter was a Devil as well as the rest of the Gods which the Gentiles adored Dr. Stillingfleet and other Reformed D. Drs. reading Scripture Judge he was no Devil but the the true God blessed for ever more any Child of the Reformation may believe either of both and put Jupiter into our Litanies as well as JESUS Christ and offer Sacrifice to him as formerly our Ancestors did for whatever any man of sound Judgment judges to be the Doctrine of Scripture may be safely believed and is the Doctrine of the Reformation As for my part I see our Wise Parliament sits now upon a new settlement of Government and Religion and I will not resolve upon any Religion until I see what it concludes If Dr. Stillingfleet be so zealous as to put in a good word for Paganism before that Religious Assembly he may find Abbetors and as the Parliament cherishes Dr. Oates for the extirpation of Popery so it may cherish Dr. Stillingfleet for the introduction of Paganism and the erecting of Temples and Altars for holy Jupiter his true and evermore blessed God and if he be successful in this undertaking as for exchanging Presbytery for Protestancy he was promoted to the Deanery of St. Paul so by changing Christianity for Paganism he may expect to be his Holy Jupiters High Priest in London Capitol and reign with him everlastingly in the other life in case he believes there is another FINIS a Epist ad Noremb in Comment in Jo. 6. 16. Matt. Theol. Calvin l. 2. fol. 70. c In parva Confes Germ. fol. 55. in Colloq fol. 110. d To. 2. fol. 202. e The Kingdom of Isra pag. 9. f Acts mon. pag. 36. lib. 3. c. 5. g Catal. estium pag. 976. 978. a L. 4. Instit c. 9. b To. 1. E. lit Jen. Resolut d In Colloq mensal fol. 118. e To. 2. Wittem fol. 374 375. f In Defens Art. Reliq Protest Pag. 199. g In his true differ par 2. pag. 353. h Bouclier de la Foy. * Matt. 12. ** 2 Tim. 2. ‖ Jo. 4. a In lib. ad Corin. c 11. b In Explan Art. 17. c To. 2. de minist Eccles instit fol. 369. lib. de Cap. Babyl c. de Ordin lib. de abroganda Missa d In Harm in Matth. c. 26. vers 64. in admonad Poâ—â—… in Tract Theolog. pag. 794. e Comment super Joan. c. 10. f In Act. Seiueti pag. 87. g l. con Cenebrat h In Postil Major in ennarat Evang Domin Trinit i Lib. 2. Dial. 2. k Harm in Evang. Mat. c. 26. vers 39. and c. 27. vers 46. lib. 2. Instit c. 16. sect 10. 11. l In Luk. par 2. hom 65. and in Joan. hom 54. m In March. c. 16. n Recogn pag. 376. o Lib. 2. Inst c. 16. fact 10. and seq p To. 3 Wettemp in sp 16. q In Ps 16. r In Confes majori de Coena Dni Å¿ To. 2. in respon ad Confes Luth. fol. 458. t In Histor Sacram. par 2. fol. 75. a Dom. 1. Adventus liber de Proph. Christi b In Postil super Evangel Dom. 1. Advent Dom. 26. post Trinit c Motives to good Works in the Epist. Dedic d Lib. 3. Inst. c. 4. Sect. 28. e Lib. 4. c. 7. Sect. 2. f In locis commun classe 5.27 g To. 2. Wittem de capr Babyl fol. 74. h De Eccl. cont Bellarm conf 2. quaest 5. i Epist 2.2 25. k To. 5. Wittem serm de Matrim in 1. ad Corin. 7 l Consil Theol. par 1 pag. 648. 134. m In Epist Pau ad Phil. in 2. ad Tim. 3. n lib 2. Dial. 21. o Lib de Repud Divort. pag. 223. p Canon Generales Genuen 1560. q Chap. 13. art 31. r To. 5. Wittem serm de Matrim Å¿ To. 5. Wittemb serm de Matrim t In Scriptis Anglic. de Reg. Chr. l. 2. c. 26. in Matth. c. 19. u In Consil Theol. par 1. pag. 648. s 134. x Dial. 200. 204. in Epist S. Paul. ad Tim. 3. y l. 4. Inst c. 19. sect 37. Discip Eccl. c. 13. z Serm. de Murim a Lib. 4. Inst c. 15. sect 20. 21. b Act. 27. c Can. 29. d Lib. 2. Eccles Polit. pag. 103. e In Tim. c. 50. f In defens Hookeri art 8. a In Praefat. Dialog b Serm. de 50. Artic. in summa summarum c In Harm super Luc. c. 2. d Epitom Cent. 16. par 2. e Tom. 2. cont Catabapt fol. 10 f Victoria verit arg 5 g In cap. 2. ad Gal. h de Eccles cont Bellarm. cont 2. c. 4. i To. 5. Wettem an 1554. in Epist. ad Gal. c. 1. k In Apol. Cof c. de Concil l In cap. 2. ad Gal. serm Aug. Pag. 204. m In Epist ad Gal. c. 1. 2. Tom. 5. Wittemb an 1554. fol. 29. n Lib. 5. de Eccl. Polit. sect 72. o pag. 495. 273. p Acts and Mon. pag. 514. q Lib. 2. Inst c. 17. sect 6. r In comment in cap. 2. ad Gal. Å¿ To. 1. Proposit 3. t Lib. 2. Instit c. 7.5 u Harm Evang. in Luc. c. 10 verse 26. x In Synop. Papismi pag. 564. y Lib. de servo Arbit cont Erasm z Lib. 3. Instit c. 21. sect 5. 7. c. 22. sect 11. cap. 13.1 a Lib. 2. Inst c. 4. sect 3. lib. 1. c. 18. sect 2. lib. 3. c. 23. sect 4. Lo. 1. de deprovid c. 6. in Synops pag. 563. In manifest stratag Papist l 4. Inst c. 7. Sect. 27. a In Defens c. pag. 373.70 395. b In Respons tredecem Propos c In Epist. ad Card. Belay Episc Pariens d In Tract Euchar. ad p. Sarmunm e In Annot. super Novum Testam cap. 10. Matth. sape alibi f To. 1. Edit Jonah l. de cap. Babyl h Lib. de caena Domini i Lib de cap. Babyl c. de Euchar. g Almonit 2. ad Westph defens Oxthod fit k Epist. ad Bahemos in declarat Euch. in serm de Euch. l In Concil Theol. ad March. Elect. de usu utriusque speciei pag. 141. a In Disput Theol. pag. 301. b In Concilliat loc Scrip. loco 191. c In locis Commun To. 1. de Potest Eccl. d In Apol. Conses Aug. art 13. lib. pag. 234. e In p. 5. Epist Jac. v. 4. f Lib. 4. Inst c. 14. sect 5. g In modest Examin h In Eccl. Polit. l. 5. sect 66. i In locis Commun tit de Numero Sacram. k In perpet Regem pag. 109. l In Eccl. Polit. lib. 5. sect 77. m Lib. 4. Inst c. 29. n Epit. Colloq Montisbel o In Centaur Exercit. Theol. pag. 270. p Exampar 4. q In respond ad acta Colloq Montisbel par 2. in Prefas r In locis Commun c. 18. 19. Å¿ Inscrip Angl. pag. 450. t To 1. in Eupian Aâ—t 90. Arâ— 60. u In Apolog. Confess Aug. x To 1. Wittem in resol de Indul. concl 15. Epist ad Spalat z Acts Mon. pag. 462. 312. a To. Germ. fol. 214. b De formula Missa To. 3. Germ. c In Histor Sâ— part 2. fol. 13. d In replis ad Hardingum