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T O T H E

READER

THE Author of the fallowing Trait is the Reverend Mr. Baxter, now enjoying that Glory he fo converfed with in his mortal /late. Among his many Excellencies, his Love to God. to Peace, and Truth, xv as not the leaft eminent* The I aft rendred him averfe to Logomathies and con* fufion ; well knowing, How vain all erifrick. debates be, if the ^uejlion be not truly and flainly /fated. ThisBookjmllgive thee a Sfs* cimen of that peculiar accuracy in this kind* ' as even determineth the Controverfie before an Argument be produced.

It is not to be concealed,that fome complain of the multitude of his diftinftions; but juch may confider, that the Comprehenfivenefs of his Mtnd accommodated things to the moft fubttf, us well as the lefs intelligent Reader ; and provided again ft future Errouri, as well as the miftakes he attends to in the particular pointk before bhn.

1 cedhc was a man born for more lofting A * ftrvic$

To the Reader.

fervict.thtn one Jlgc -, y*a,kv Name will be grew ft, when impartial incj^iftivetiefj after Truth flia/l rezdez men pa\nf^l j and fad ex-ferience of the rflifchitj of narrow And dividing Print if les hath forced the confident to piutuuil allowances^ and mil ft tidied deter* minations. < But how unhappy war he (or rather fitch as mi [take him) that he is oft whx'Sgcd with deftrtinf this or that* Truth, b?-taiifc he widerfto oi it in a c+nfificncy with it fclf, and fxch other truths wherewith it rvas connected: sjjjfOrt hodoxit mnft b* j*erificedwhen-evtr a DoUrine is made intelligible ;, or the choice of terms more apt to confute tht trrmioH*, left obnoxious to miftakfs 7 and; moft expreffive *f dtgefted thought s^ ought to alarm ail fjich t who- feet* capable to know little more of Truth than tht found of oft repeated Phrafss.

Nay y at more convincing what treatment #ny man muft cxpett , whofets himfcif to heal a blind depraved World ; The clear eft reprefentation of his mind ] will not fdtnc&tb* ignorant from charging him with thoje E; • roars which he moft cxprcfly dtfowns. 7 <h$e cf the tnoft matertal are denied and c&futfd by Mr. Baxter *>/ this very Trcatife, viz. the moral freedom of the WiU of an itnregem, tnan y conditional ElcEtion^ and the merit of good IVvrks as oppofed to , or coordinate

with

To the Reader.

rrifb the Riehteoufnrfi of Cbrift* Neither must it be ovtr-lco\(d, that it was his (Con* cern tn this Bcok^ above any other, to fpeak^ as near to thefe feints as his Judgment could admtt ; and in other Treatifes he more Urge-, ly declares avainfr' them*

r. Of Free-Will, p. 87. he tells us, hi

dtmes that mans Will in his unregenerate

ft ate is free from vitious inclination, or from

the condkd of an erring Intelletl, or from the

Biafr of Smfuaiity, &c. 2. He denies that

the Will thus vitiated^ mil ever deliver it

felf without Gods Spirit and Grace, it being

rather inclined to grow wcrfe* 3. As that

degree of common Grace,, which is in the

mregentrate, is but fuch as confifreth with

the predominant Reign of Sin ; fo the Will

of every unregenerate man in that pravity^

is as a Slave to its own vitiotu difpofrtians^

orfmir, and temptations. Who can Jay more

ayfiirifl Free-WiU ? Ob}. But he affirms the

natural freedom ofthe Will. AniV. He doth

fo, and explains *> >( p. 84, 85, 86, 9c and.

it is no mert than that aSwner is a man frilly

tbo* he be depraved ; and be is a liberal, and

not a forced Agent in what he afteth^

Obj. But he faith, p. 8S, That by comrrc

Grace a, wan may do more good and Ijtfs

evil than he doth. AnfV. It'strut, he foil*

f But) p., 8;, he difringuijhib bttwetn

*A ? com-

To the Reader.

common and fpecial Grace, and denies that We can do that by common Grace , which is proper to facial Grave : and faith,mtuhavc tut juft fo much, and no more moral Liberty, **/power, as'tbey have of Gods Grace to relieve their vitiated Wills. Set p. 91.

2. Of Conditional Election, p. 99. He condemns the Notion r«iJW Scientia Media : p. \ 00, he faith fiod decreeth not mens Salvation\ or Sanftification, meerly en Forefight of our faith : bnt decreeth our Faith itfetf. Sin he permitteth, but Faith he effetteth, and decreeth to effeft: and p. 101. he jhews, bow God decreeth both the means and end. And tho* Godjuftly denieth his Grace to many that forfeit it by wilful refinance and contempt j yet he takes not the Forfeiture of the Eieft. Tea be adds, That he is deceived, and wrong* *th God, that feigneth him to fend his Son to redeem the World^ and bis Word to call them, and his Spirit to renew them ; and all this at random, not knowing whether it may not All be loft j or leaving it chiefly to the Free~ Will of them, whofe Wills are contrarily in-dined and vitiated ; whether Chrifi and all his preparations fhall be loft: p. 102. he op* proveth the plain Chriflian who holds that our tttftrutlion is of our felves, but our help and Solvation of God j and God is the firft and chief Caufc ofallgoed 0 and men and Devils of all evil. ' ~ . r , Obj.

0*<T . X<t>

To the Rracer.

Ob). But he wtll not fay, that Gad bath j bis Will and Decree ordained fr^m Eterni-rj thut men frail fin, or will and chafe evil^ p. ico, & 101. God doth not decree that ncnjhall fin, that they.may be damned ; for % is no worl^ of God, &c.

Ani\v, But yet he faith, p. icO. that,

1. God dccrectbwhojhall be damned for fin.

2. That he forefaw mens fins, not as an idle ' Sfettator, but a willing Sujpender cfhis^own

Atts, fa far as to leave Sinners to their felf~ determining Wills. Reader, if thpn art a man ef thought, thou feeft Mr. Baxter is clear for ah folate Elcftion, tho he did not thin\ itneceffary for the vindication thereof $ $ judge, that God abfolutely decreed ?nen to fm, that he might damn them : it's enough, that it is from Gods Sovereign Will, that many are not eltcled ; it would be an eafe to the damned, that they could juflly fay, God dc~ creed us to all our fins, that he might bring-m under all this puniflwent, a Non-elcttion to Efficacious Grace, and a, fofittve Decree to damnfuch for fin, which themfelves would chooje, beft fuited with hisConceftsons of Gids Goodnefs, Truth, and Purity.

3. Of the Mem of good Works: Note,

Reader, that he is not fond of the word Me-

; fit, but his Adversary leads him to the ufe of

it, oi thou majftfee p. 96- Bat kt hs hear

A 4 what

To the Reader.

what bis price & cf this MM • p. tt 9 . M Saints are faVe'd I Efficient Merits

of Chrijf, and have tii fell ,-f ; } :-ir own,

wilcfi the dmiabienefs cf Grace freely given them,be called tkc:r Merit ; and^p.y;. we do with Paul renounce aii Works of-our own, that are thought to m&e the reward to be of Debt, and not of Grace ; arid that are fex in the leaft oppofitton, or competition rvith Chrifts Merits, or in any place, fave commanded fubcrdination to him : nay y he fays he firmly holds, That Works done rvith a con-Ci it of obliging God by A4erit in commutative Juflice, or as conceited fufficient without a Saviour, and the pardon of their failings, do more further their Damnation, than Salvation. Tea, p. 97. none but Chfiff merited of firiB diftrrbutive fuflice^ according to the Law of iHnocency, nor by any\¥o*ks that will fave ftom the charge of fin y and defert of death. And that thou mayeft know what he afcribri to our Grates, fJolinefi, or Workj : He tells us., pi 119. m mean by Merit but the moral aptitude for the reward of a free Benefail or, who alfo is Reel or, when the or* dering of a free gift fufyended on official conditions, is fapientially made a means of pro* curing obedience. This one Cteufe, tf under* Jfood (and he is a bold Traducer of fo great 4 Man^ that cannot wdtrfftnd words. J i

pUin)

To the Re

flain) will acquit Mr. B. a^d \rn . «/ rib* />/4c* of *// GofpeL Conditions. GoffeUbleffings are the fiee gifts ofCbrift u BeuefaQer, thcybave their being without & re .d to what we do, therefore nothing ■ man is a jot of the right eon fnefs or merit ior •which they are beftewed. 2. Chrifi is c Rector or Governor, he willrkle us at well m be bztufcan tow. 3. As a means to incline ua to comply with him as Reft or, he (nlpends thejebUffings en terms of what he makes oht Duty ; a/id wifely orders them as Motives to cur Obedience\ % 4. Any Aft of cur Obedience is no more than a conjermtty to that Or-' der ofbisy and doth not hinder all wt receive from him to be of free gift.

Obj. But he faith, that good Work/ Mf nep&ffary to Salvation. ' Anfw. He doth fo, and Ijow few deny it ? But, 1. Not if a man dye as foon as he be converted ; btit.ifhe have time, p. 94. 2. Their rcwardabUnefs ts by Gods free Grac^ and Promiie.,/^ the fal^e of Chrifts meritori-9Ht Ru(hieoufnefs, Sacrifice, and hit treeffi-■ ijnpeifeftion being pardoned, and through him': 7'. , p.76. 3. tl faith J Not wil

: to the Sacrifice, Me*

dec of Chrifi our Saviour,

, p. 93, 75- <dnd we give

To the Reader.

our felves to Chrift, as our Prophet, Pri and King, to be faved by his Merit^ p. 94. 4. He faith*, our heft Works will not fave a man from the charge cf fin, and defer t of deathj p. 97. 5. He denies that external Obedience is t^ceffary to our admiffion into a juftifi&i ftate^ as he fhews in the Thief on the Crofs. And when he faith, we are jujiifi-edby our Faith, Godlinefs, and Works ? "Ju-ftification is not taken by him for the pardon of fin, which he afcribes wholly to the Merits of Chrift ; but he takes Justification therefor our acquittance again fi the ace h fat ion that ve are Infidels, Ungodly, and Hypocrites. jind faith, that again ft the charge, that we are Sinners, deferving Hell, we are juftifieei fy Chrift believed in, p. 94. His meaning is plainly this, Chrift' alone by his Merits forgives our fins , and purchafed eternal Life for its* But feeing that Chrift hath pratnifed { to forgive none but the penitent Believer, and declared he will deftrcy all impenitent, unbelieving, ungodly finners : Now he things, tbdt tee muff be truly acquitted, that we arc not fuck, or Wejhall not be faved byChnft : Tea, he thinks, that when God juftifies a mm for ChriftsMerits,he doth alfe decitre a man to be a trneBeliever^ecanfe he will jajhfic no other , and will jufttfie all fuch ; and when Goi ad$\ nuts a nun into GUry y be doik even the t v • adjud-ri

To the Reader.

tdjudgc him a beueving^ penitent , holy, and vpright man \ mdf-ee from the charge of \eing an infidel, hypocrjtickt, unholy Enemy ; *g*inft whom the Gcrfcl denounceth Vengeance and bars relief Let theft things be , weighed^ and none will wonder that he jhould fay on hirficl^ bed^ No worfcs, I will leave out works, if he grant me the other: And truly, in health none Jpake more humbly of his own Worlds than he ufed to do. But be* caufe fome confident weak perfons have infer-red from that p*ff*ge, that he changed his Principles when he came to dye ; we (haB inform thee , that after that pafage was ut-terd by him, even the night before his death, Mr* Baxter was asked, whether he was of \he fame fentiments, as formerly, about Ju-ftification ? He anfwered, That he had told the World fuffciently his thoughts about it by fcvcrM Writings, and otherwife ; and thither he referrd them. And after a little paufe, with his Eyes lifted up to Heaven % he cryed, Lord, pity, pity, pity the Ignorance of this poor City, And in the time of his fieknefi he declared to tu and others, that his thoughts in thefe things were the fame as formerly.

Out regards to Mr. B. force the Publication of what we here infer-t ; tho we would not be judged fo happy, as to arrive at his

To tlie Reader.

Lights to lead Hi to a, full Agreement with *& his StHtime?its. As to this Boo^ we wtfh there be not ftill great need of jnch helps a-gainft Popery ; and* we are ajfuredit will give more light than fome greater Volumes on this Sttbjett : Thit God may render it Hfefnl,(li*ll be the Prayer of

Thy Servants in the Gofpel,

Daniel Williams. Matthew Sy/vejter*

THE

THere will in due time he publipnd a Urge Account of Mr. Baxters Life 3 mojlty written by himfclf.

THE

CO

*te t** r*-> zZz «il2 c!c a!c s&s s!c cie s!e sfc sic «& <gp

Proteftant Religion

THE Deceiver calleth his Book The ToHchftone of the Reformed Co/pel^ as if he owned a Go* fpel diftindt from that of the Reformed Church. And he undertakes to name fifty twopoiuts, which the Pro-teftants affirm, bat tells you not where, nor proveth his affirmation, but you mud believe him as a Tonchftone of Truth.

_ pet. The fir ft Proteftant affirmation feigned, is, That there is not in the Chart* One, and that) an infallible Rule for hndcr-$ an din/ the lioly Scripture, and confer ving if Vnity in matters of Faith.

An fa. A meer Lye, if he mean that thi> is any part of Proteftant Do&rinc j but

-

(*■)

he may find as crude confufed words, i forae ignorant per [on that is called a Prof teftant.

The Reformed Catholicks hold, that/JWp if in the Church one, and that an infallibly Rule for mderftanding the holy Scripture, am conferving of Vnity tn matters of Faith' And that Rule is, [_The Evidence of'itsow) meaning as inherent in its felf, difcemible- o\ intelligible by men prepared and inft rutted, b competent Teaching and Stndy y and the ne ceffary help of Gods Grace and Spirit. ] Thir ij is that Rule.

But the Reformed believe not i . Tha 1 there is any Rule by which ignorant,preju diced, heretical, wilfully blind, wicked,] 0 uncapable men can underftand fuch Scrip->l tare, as they are hereby undifpofed tc underftand, unlefs by a great change mad< on themfelves. Nor that any Prince cai make a Statute, which no Man can mif i underftand, abufe or violate.

2. Nor that Men can underftand v * without teaching, and that found teaching ;l nor by hearkening to Erroneous Deed vers.

3. Nor that the Slothful, that will no meditate on it, can underftand it, tho|[. they have thefoundeft teachers.

4.. No

r:

m

Nor that Novices can underfland s much in a lhort time and fmall Study, ._ed long exercifed Students.

5. Nor chat wicked proud men, that prteit Gods help, can favingly under-;and it without his Grace and Spirit.

6. Nor that any man, how holy foe-er, perfeftly underftandeth every word 1 the Scriptures.

7. Nor that a perfon may not be faU ble^ and deceived, that yet knoweth rhich is the Infallible Rale : It maketh ot all Infallible that know it.

8. Nor that any Church, or any Nura-cr of Chriftians on Earth have fuch a , y as confiiteth in perfift hnjwledge and

merit in* all matters of Faith , that is,

.re-record from God.

Nor that God hath tyed this

ifallible Regulation to the Bifhop of

ome, or made him this Rnle '0 feeing no

ich word of God is extant, and Gene-

jl Councils, have condemned Popes of

j lie, Infidelity, Ignorance, and moll

i(h lnft and wickednefs. t 10. Nor that the Judgment of the mart of Chriftians or Biflwps is the In-llible Rule j for 1. The Papal part e but a third pan: And they will hard-N believe that the other two or three B 2 parts

(4)

parts ( j&ijfwes, Egyptians, Syrians, jA\ menians, Georgians, Ctrcafftans, G reeks, Mh} \ covstes. Protectants) are the Infallible rnlt { 2. And if they met in an equal Councils they that are moft out of the Council j would be the moft in it. And Epbef. 2 J and many others now condemned, hav m bad the Major part. And Chryjoftom tha \ thought that [few Bifiops or Pritfts werf faved,2 thought not the greater numfl her to be the infallible Rule. ■

11. And Pope and Councils agreein; { are not that Infallible rule ; for avojallt^ bles makes not one infallible, nor twr| Knaves one honeit Man. Popes and Coun t cils have oft condemned one another yea, they have oft agreed in evil, ^al that at Lateranc the 4th. under In?iocu> \ the 34/. that decreed the depofition ofprk c£s, that exterminate tm all thatrenouric not all Senles and Humanity -, for thol that have led into the Churches of th Weft all the horrid Errors of Rome, t pretend yet that they are the lnfallik, rule of under ft andwg Scripture, is Impi dency quite beyond that of Satan hiir iilf.

J2. If this Deceiver hold what is con trary to his accufed Proteftant Opinioi h§ muft coinlemn the Church of Rom>

(5)

jrhat agreeth not of the fefife of a thou-jfand Texts of Scripture, Horftloads of ♦Commentators, and Cartloads of Schooi-p>ntenders, contradi&ing one another : |And he that will fay that all revealed in Jscriptsre is not matter of Faith, re-jproacheth God, as revealing tbat which lis not to be believed. All matters of ♦Faith are notej^r/rf/to ChrifUanity, but tfome are only for the ycrfetlion of it: All lis matter of Faith that we are bound to believe as Divine Revelation. All the Scripture is fuch, tho the ignorant mult have time and help to underftand it, and explicitely receive it. The Popes thetn-felves ( e. g. Sixtns Qutntus^ and Clem. 8. ) have differed in many hundred Texts a-bout the very Latine Tranflation. Many hundred Volumes of Controverfies among them, tell us how far they are from Ending Controversies, and agreeing in all iratters of Fnith : But in fo much as isne-celi-ry to Salvation, all ferious believing Proteftant*, or Reformed Catholicks, are agreed.

Now, to trouble the Reader with the proof of any of thefe twelve particulars, would be but to abufe Time and him \ as ro prove that no Man is perfect, and be that ftith be hath no fin^ is a Lyar : and B 3 to

(A)

to prove that the ! Deceivers of

Church arc not I . illible, andth ; Ctqc[# Word is not onei ; - nd . i : :i!ig:jj ble, and that Pjch V Councils and Hiftori ns fty m PopiL were, fpesks rot more into] , anC

wifely than God \> and that the Volunuj of Canons and Priefls Writings are i c of more evident meaning than Gccj Word }thcfc need proof to none buuhoij, •. bie pf it.

What Rule is there for die Infallibly underftanding the fence of all our Sta f rate Laws? none but what I mentionecfc The intelligible evidence in the wordsfc (whatelfe are words ufed for) to meg duely inftrudled and ftudyed. The jWift €s govern by deciding particular cauftjr by the Law, but are not an Infallible Rh\ for all Men to irnderftand the true fen.cE of the Law by, (while Judges and Pai liaments differ from each other, as Pop< [ t and Councils did.)

The Texts cited by the Deceiver, ai fo vilely abufed, as if he purpofe<l bi B to make fport by taking Gods Wot.

to

m vain.

ct Point 2. Jccuftdi £ That in mattefc ct of Faith we mult not rely on thejudj "ment of the Churchy and of h„r PajloA ct hnt only on ttie mitt m word. An

rf. The Deceiver would Cheat f :; c by Confufion •, 2nd belying the Reformed Catholicks: for,

j falfe, that the Reformed hold Lhis undiftingniftring Aden ion. tTiiey diftinguifh between humane Faith ine. ( And I hope, God and Alan be diftingnifhed.) They fay that uft be a Divine Faith (that i3, The f of Gods word for the Infallible Veil od) th2t muftfave us, and not (Man alone : Burthsi a htfmd ?aith is reedfnl in Subfervkncy toaDk;.. God hath appointed hunuwe Teachers to :lie (locks, and Oportet difcentem Credere ; rie will never /f*rtf, that will ie/jfw no-:hing on his Teachers Credit. But he "null believe Man but as Man^ an ifllper-^d, fallible Creature, yet as like ttf tnow more than he that choofeth him for lis Teacher •, And that which Man is to each us, is to fee the Evidence of Gods )m Word, that we may believe it for bat Evidence , as our Teachers themfelves mi ft do. For if the Teqchers do but ye one another^ and not God, (or God Dnly for Man's Authority, ) this is noC ion , nor Divne Fauh, but hnmane, fuch as they had that believed Fythagoras y Plato , Mahomet , &c. If Boys learn of B 4 their

their School-Matter to underftand th<|{ Greek or Latin Teftament, and bclicvik them as to Sence, this is not Divine FaithU but a help towards it. The word of God is Infallible : And by the help oH fallible Men, (fuch as difagrecing ComW itientators be J we are furthered for unK derftanding it. But falfe bloody UfurM pers are not the liked to teach us th<p Truth, nor fitteft to be trufted.

His Citations of Scriptures, (to mifta : ted Controverfies,) are fo putidly imptr ; twenty that I am ajhamed to detett them bjr words , which every Alan may do.

The Third accufed Poiat.

That the Scriptures are eafy* to be HtidcrV floods and therefore none are to be rejiraineM from ^Reading them.

Anf Meer Cheat to the Ignorant, bjM confufion and falfhood.

1. We and all Papifls with us agree J. ( (the more is the Guilt of the Deceiver!^ Fraud,) that fome of the Scripture i: cafy to be underitood, and is attuallj underftood by all true Chriftiaris, ever all that is efjentsal to Chriftianity, and &I ce/fary to Salvation. Bellarmine^ Caftrns I aod many others, teH us, that for all that

the

(9 )

c Scripture is plain and fufficient* Yea, fo it is, in many Thoufand particular Texts: If this be not fo, Jet this Man tell us if he can, how it cometh to ||i>a"fs, that Papifts, Greeks, and Prote-[ ftant Commentators agree of the meaning of moft of the Scripture, (perhaps of Nineteen Texts i/i Twenty, ) if it be >not plain.

But do Proteftants fay, that there is nothing in the Scripture hard to be under-I flood ? The Father of Lyes will fcaree i affirm this of them, left their Commentaries and Controverfies fhamehim.

2. But what ? Muft the people be forbidden to Read Gods Word , becaufe fome paflagesare dark? Why not alfo forbidden to Read Statutes, Canons, Fathers, Jejuits, Fryars, and the Loads of Papijh Controverfies ? Is there nothing sJiard in all thefe Volumes ? what not in all the Canons} In all Cbryfojiom, Aitfiin^ ( il, &C ? In all Lombard, Aquino, £o. tnturz, Scotusj Gckgm, Cfjcunt, and r he Tribe? In all Siunz., l r «fqncz., Udo, Albi&ine, &c ? In all Cajacim, and his Tribe ? Why are not thefe forbidden ? Do but rub your Foreheads, and teli me 5

i. Whether the Law wps not dnrkeiL than the Gofpel ? and yet God charged a them, Dent. 6. and u. To teach tfo), words to their Children^ and that lying down z I And rifmg itp 1 at home and abroad ; and tc ij) write them on the pojis of their Houfes, ana y their Gates : And every blcjftd M*n*\ (Pfal. i.) was to deliaty tn the Law of the t Lord, arid meditate in it Lay and Night i %\ Read VfaL Up.

2. Whether Chrifl did not Preach the1 words Recorded in the Gofpel to the 8 unlearned common people } and Piter and j Paul, and all the Apoltles, toall the vul- G gar JtKS and Gentiles ?

3. Whether they writ not their Recorded Epiflles to the Vulgar, even to all the Churches?

4. Whether it is not Gods Word that we mull all be Ruled and Judged by, and is the Charter of our right to Heaven } and fhoukl we be forbid to read it ?

5. Whether Hierom, Chryfoftom, Attain, and all the Fathers, do not prefs Men and Women of all Ranks, to read or learn, and ftudy the Scriptures f

6. Wi ether he be not like Antichrift. that will forbid Men to read that, which God lent his Son from Heaven to Preach,

and

(■

Chrift appointed A pottles, Paftors, Jjnd Teachers, to communicate to all the orld ?

7. Whether the Prince of Darknefs I nd Pride himfelf, would not be alhamed

; .iy r to fay, / have fo much skiU to /peak.

ligtbly y and God fo little^ that yon mi(t

tad my Books , and not read his ? And

whether Popes and Priefts Volumes are

jpot as unskilfully written, as Gods,

jind as like to draw Men to Herefie and

in f

8. Whether he that thus Conderaneth |3od and his Law, and extolleth Man's* be like to make good his accufation at God's Barr ? Alas! muft fuch things as thefehedifputcd by Men that would be onr Infallible Rule ?

.. Either the knowledge of God's ! Word is needful, or not. If not, why did God write part of it himfelf? And I fend his Son to Preach it ? And his Spirit in his Prophets and Apoliles to write and Record it ? Are blind Worms fit to ac-1 God of Folly, and needlefs Work ? Can Men obey God's Law that know ic not ? But if the knowledge of it be need-to our Obedience and Salvation, ask common Reafon, whether the Difficulties (hould nor rather oblige us to read and

ftudy

ftudy it fo much the more, till we understand it, rather than not to read it at all ? Do their ductile Followers that read it not, underftand it better than thofe that ftudy it Day and Night ? The lefs we know of needlefs things, the better and quieter we are: If God's Law and Gof-pel be fuch, what a God and Governour have we! Can Heathens and Turks Blaf-pheme him more, than to take him for fo foolilh a Governour of the World > as to make a ftir by his Son from Heaven, 2nd by Angels and Prophets, to give them fo needlefs, yea , pernicious a Law and Gofpel, as that Men muft be kept fromV reading it, left it Poyfon them with He1 refie ?

10. Is it not effential to him that relatively we take for our God, to be the Governour of the World ,and to be our Saviour, and the Holy Ghoft to deliver and Seal the Gofpel as glad Tidings to all Nations ? And is it not by his Law that God Governeth, and by his Gofpel that Ghrift Saveth, and the- Holy Ghoft doth illuminate and Sanftifie ? And doth not that Man or Clergy then put down God the Father, Son and Holy Ghoft, and fet up themfelves in the ftead, who forbid the reeding of God's Law and Gok

(«})

pel, and Command the knowledge arid obfervance of their own Canons and Dilates inftead of them, as more Intelligible and fafe ? And is not this (as Robert Grofihead told Innocent 4-)next the Sin of Lhciftt and Amkhrift^ or rather plain jiruichriftianifm it felf ?

u. Is the Stage manner of Maffing liker to make the people underftand God's Law and Gofpel, (by multitudes of Ge-ftures, Motions, Croffings, Ceremonies, that need long Expofitions, that overwhelm the ftroiigeft Memories,) than the reading and ftudy of the plain and full wordsof God in Scripture ?

12. Did this Deceiver ever hear Pro-teftants fay, that the jifocalypfc, and Da-nkl, and Ezjekjtl y and the Canticles^ and the Chronologies of Scripture, arealleafy to be underltood ? For if he have heard fuch a Fool, did he ever read this in the Confeffions of any Church? Do not their Commentaries tell the difficulty? And ask this Man or his fellow Creature, whether the Infallible Pope, ov Councils, have overcome all thefe difficulties to the Papifts, and made all this eafy to them ? Or do not their Valnrpinous dif-agreeing Commentaries, and Controversies, (hew that they are Itill as hard to them as to us. 13. And

13- And ask them whether Pope Council, have ever yet written an Infallible Commentary on the Bible, or all fuch difficult Texts? If not, is it be-cailfe they cannot, or becaufe they will not ? And what the better then is their Church for their feigned skill and power , infallibly to decide difficult Scripture Controver-fies ? What can be more fliamelefs than' tbis pretence, in Men that will not do it, nor ever did ?

14. And if ftill they tell you ; that the people were always bound to believe and obey the Churches Rites, without difputc or Comradiftiw • ask them whether it was not the Chtrch Rulers that killed Chiift, and called him a Biafpbemer and Deceiver , and that Perfecuted and accofed the Apoftles? And whether the People were bound to believe them, (as Jewifh Pa-pifts,) and whether all the Apoftles and Chriftians were Rebels and Hereticks, for not believing them ? And whether it was uot for the Sins of Priefts and Princes, and the r.:oples complying with them, that God by his Prophets reproved the Ifrad'ueS) and at laft forfook them to Captivity, 2 C'hron. laft. Jer. 5 laflr.

15. And if they tell you of the Peoples need of Teachers, tell them that

that

( 1$ )

that is none of the Controverfie. But •whether their Teacheis mnft teach them to underftand God's Book, or to throw it ) ? May not the Teacher and the Book* confift together? Muft School-Boys be forbid to Learn their Grammar, becaufe they muft have a Teacher ? Muft he teach them tbe Book, or teach them without Book ? But all the Craft is, to get all the World to take only fuch Cheaters as this for their Mafters, and then Bible or no Bible may ferve turn.

i<5. Is it not the Office of Teachers to Tranilate God's Word into known Tongues, that the People may underftand it i This is the fir ft part of Preaching it: If not, why do they ufe Tran-Hationsin the Church of Rome, the Sep-itit, and the Vulgar Latin ? And ; did Sixtm 5th* and Clem. 8. make h a ftir to Cot reft the Latin ? And why do fo many Comment on them? hcA the Rhemifis turn it into Englifli ? BuK at is all this for, but to help Men to

ftand the Book? 17. Doth not all the Word of God cry down Ignorance, and cry up Knowledge, from End to End ? And what Knowle is it, but Divine,- of the Word and Law of God? What cite is the fcope of all

the

( iO

the firft Nine Chapters of Solomons Proverbs, and of PfaL i. ip. and 119, &c. God faith, Hof: 4. 6. My People pcrijli for lack, of knowledge : And I fa. 27. 11. It is a people of no Mnderftanding y therefore he that made them will not fave them. Ignorance and Blindnefs are made the common caufe of Errour, Sin and Mi-fery.

But we are fo far from taking all parts of Scripture to be equally neceflary to be underftood, that we are more than the Papifts for firft and moft diligently teaching them the Eflentials, the Creed, Lord's Prayer, and Commandments, and Baptifm, and Church Communion, and the Lord's Supper, and letter parts as they grow-up; what they muft learn firft their Teachers muft inftruft them.

18, If he fay, as they ft ill do, that the Ignorant will mifunderftand the Scripture y and every one turn it to his own Fancy, and Here lie ..: I anfwer, The wav to prevent this r is to teach ic them diligently, (what elfe is the Miniftry for?) and not to forbid it them. Every Knave may pervert the Law of the Land to maintain his own ill Caufe} and muft the Law therefore be forbidden them ? Reafon is far more commonly abufed than Scrip.

ture. x

( t7)

tare: There is no Herefie, % or Error, ro Villany, Perjury, Cruelty, Perfection, Oppreffion , or Injuftice, but Reafon is pleaded for it: Muft Reafon therefore be renounced ? Herefies are for want of underftanding God's word ^ and muft be cured by underftanding it.

19. And if all the World muft take the Popes or Priefts words, inftead of Gods, or for their Rule, how (hall thofc in t^Ethiopia, Syria, America , or here r know what the Popes Word is ? That never fee him, or any that hath feen him ? And how (hall we know, when above twenty times there have been two Popes at once, which of them is the Right ? And when they contraditt and D*mn each other, which of them muft we believe ? And when General Councils accufe them of Errour, and Condemn them, which is to be trufted with our Souls ? Or if it be Councils that muft be to us inftead of Scripture, when they Damn each other , which muft we believe ? (And fo abundance of them have done.) When the Pope and they agreed to depofe ChrilMan Princes, and give away their Dominions , and difoblige their Subjects from all their Oaths of Allegiance, is it as true as the word of

God,

( i8)

God, that all Subjects muft: believe and obey jthem ?

But how fhall all the poor People knotf what the Pope and Councils fay and hold? They can neither read their Volumes, nor understand them, nor know which are authentick and true ? Muft they all believe their PariP*i Prieft f What if he be a* very a Deceiver as the writer of this Touch/tone, that doth but Cheat from the beginning to the end ? Yet muft we take his word inftead of Gods ? Or when other Priefts or Fryars contradidt him, which of them muft we believe ? What if his Parifhoners know him to be ignorant, or a common Lyar ? Yet rauft our Salvation reft on his word, and God's word be forbidden us. What if we obey him in Error, and Sin, will he undertake to-be Damned for us? Or will his undertaking or Damnation fave thofe whom he miflead, &c ?

As to his Citation of Scripture againft Scripture, it is fo palpable a perverfion, that I will leave any Man that will but Read the Text, to his own ability, to an-fwer him : Rev. 5. 1. No Man in Heaven or Earthy was worthy to open the Sealed Books that John faw in his Vifion : What then, muft no Man therefore open the

Bible ?

Jible? Or becaufe the Revelation is rd, muft therefore the People be forbidden to Read it, andthereft of God's v i, which was written for them, as I icient to make them nife to Salvation^ yea, to make thcfimplewife, Pfal.19. d with as Ihamelefs a Face doth he the Fathers, againft toe drift of all their writings and Labours, and the 11 of all the Churches of Chrift, tor nanny hundred years, of its pureft founded Primitive times.

The Fourth accufed Point.

" That Apoftolical Traditions, and • " ancient Cuftoms of the Church, (not <c Founded in the written word,) are not 44 to be received, nor do oblige us.

Anf. This ft but more Deceit, by con-fufton and falfe report.

The Reformed Catholicks hold,

i. That iMemory is not fo fure a way to deliver any Laws and Do&rines to Po-fterity, through many hundred years, as writing is. For it mult lie on the Memories of fo many Thoufands, in fo many s, and fo many parts of the World} Pi io many Languages, Kingdoms, and crofs liitcrefts and Opinions in their

quarrels j

quarrels i and the things to be rerncm-bred are fo many , that this needs no proof, with any but Fools or Mad-men : What a Religion (hould we have had, if inftead of the Bible, it muft have all been brought us down by the Memories of all the Rabble of ignorant and wicked Popes ? yea, or of the bell ? and by the Memories of all the Prelates and Prieits that have pretended to be the Church ? Why do they themfe;ves write their pretended Traditions, if writing them were not needful? And why have we all our Statutes, Records, and Law-Books, if the Lawyers and Peoples Memories would keep and deliver them without thefe ? When Men's Memories, Wits, and Ho-nefty art fo weak, tbat we can (carce get one Story canied without faliifying through many Hands.

2. We hold, that God in mercy hath therefore confidered Mans Weaknefs, and Neceffity, and before the Apoftles died, infpired them to Record fo much of his Law, and GofpeJ, and Will, as was univerfally neceflary for all his Subjects to know, in order to Divine belief, Obedience', and Salvation : And hath left nothing of this importance and neceffity unrecorded in the Law of Nature**

(God's

( 2i ;

(God's Vifible works,) and Scripture, knowing that after Ages were not to have new univcrfal Legillators, to make fuch Laws for all the World ; nor to have Men miraculoufly enabled to do it, and give proof that it is Divine.

3. We hold that God's written Word and Law, is pcrfe<ft in its kind, Pfel. 19. and fufficient to its proper ufe and end : Which BclUrmine, Cajfmtu , and the Council of BafU^ and many School-men, in their Prologues on the Sentences, con-fefs extcndeth to all things commonly neccflary to Salvation, yea , and to be the Divine Rule of Faith.

4. Yet we deny not, that if God had feen meet to deliver any neccflary part of Law or Gofpcl, Faith or Prs&ice, as his will, by bare word and Memory of M m } we had been bound to believe and obey it, when we hid found proof that it was indeed from God.

5. We hold, that for fnlleft certainty, wc have poflcflion of the Bible it felf, and of the Eflent!2ls of Chriftianity, brought us bv two Means ConjanA, that is, 1 : . -, and praftical Cuftom of the i cb. As the Scripture or written Word (hineth to us by its own Light, fo Tradition teils us which be the Canonical

tooks,

Books, and how the Church received them as Divine, and that there are no otl fucb: And the practice of Biptifmaf Profefiion and Covenanting, and of the Church AfTemblies , and reading Scripture, and Catechizing, and of Euchari-ftical Communion, and Prayer, &c. tell us what in all Ages hath been taken for trueChriftianity. As we hold a humane Belief, needful in Subferviency, as a means to Divine Belief, fo we hold hn-mant Tradition needful to the conveyance of God^s Word to us. But, by yoar leave, we will diftinguifh the Mcjfen^er from the Anthour : If the King fend me a Law or Mandate by a MeiFenger, or by the Pen-ny-Poft, I will receive and obey it, and yet not take the Poll or Meflenger for King, or Legiflator, or Infallible.

6. And the Reformed Catholicks do own al^rue Tradition, but are for a far fur™ Tradition than, the Roman Sett. Oar Tradition of Scripture, and the great points of Chriftianity, cometh to us by Evidence Infallible, that may be called Natural, with the greateft advantage of Moral Evidence > alfo •, and not on t;he boaft and bare word of one proud Se&, that pretendeth to Fanatick Infpiration and Authority above all others. I

I call chat Natural Evidence, which a-rifeth from fuch neceffary Gaufes that cannot be otherwife, nor can deceive: And 1 call that the beft iMoral Evidence,which cometh from Mens teltimony ofgreateft credit for skill and honefty , and we have both thefe.

Mans Soul hath fome neceffary afts that cannot but be, and cannot be otherwife : Such is fen fat ion of [en [Me objects dnely prefented ; Intelltttual perception of things prefented according to the evidence in which they appear : The Love of our /elves and our own known welfare, and any thing that is known to be an only and neceffary means thereto, and hath Omni-:m ratiomem boni : The Love of Truth ss Truth, and Good as Good : The hatred of mifery^ &c. Thefe.all Men have as men, and that which dependeth on thefe dependeth not only on mens honefty. And our evidence of Tradition is foch as this. It is from the Common Confent of all capable Witneffes, of various Opinions, Paffionsand Interefts, Friends and ; whereas the Tradition of Seftari-Papifts, dependeth on the Credit of Seft, that filfly pretend a peculiar truft with both Scripture and Tradition, tho' againft the greater part of Chri-

fdans.

f*4> ftians: And pretend Fanatically that even ignorant Popes and Prelates in Coun-cil,have a gift: of infallible knowledge.

For Example: If there were a doubt raifed, Whether there be any fuch City in the World as Rome, Paris, Vienna? or whether there was ever fuch perfons asK. James, K. Charles, Ludovicus 14. of France, &c ? Or whether the Statutes in our Books were really made by the Kings and Parliaments named in them, and be the fame unchanged, &c There is Natural evidence of all this, becaufe it arifeth from neceflary atts : All forts of men of contrary interefts could never a-gree v to lie and deceive men in fuch cafes, no more than they could all agree to kill themfelves: And if fome would be falfifyers, the reft would prefently detect and fhamethern: If any Lawyers would falfyfie or change the Statutes, o-thers would prefently manifeft the deceit, they being commonly known, and the crofs interefts of fo many depending on them ; yea, I fay not only that this is Natural Infallible Evidence, but thit it is more than very much other Phyfical Evidence of roany other things \ becaufe we have better means to know Mans Na tural neceiTary afts, thap we have to

know

< *<> )

k moft other Creatures of God.

And then for Moral Evidence, we have aUthe Godly'satteftationof all Ages, and Nations, and Sefts of Chriftians, and a-mong the reft the Papifts alfo, agreeing that This Bible, and This Creed, and thefe Eflentials of Chriftianity, were all certainly, tranfmitted to us from Chrift and his Spirit, in his Apofties.

And what's the Tradition of the Papal Seft to all this, who tell us falfely, you cannot know the Scripture to be God's Word y but by taking it on the belief of the Pope and ( rch of Rome, as Endowed with the Power of Judgment, and the gift of InfaUibi-lity. Alas ! what abundance of Impoffi-bilities muft be proved true, before any Man can by this method believe God's word !

i. Before they can believe the Gofpef, and that Jefus is the true Chrift, they muft believe that he hath a Vicar.

2. And a Church.

5. And the Pope is this Vicar, and his Sedi this Church*. And

4. That he hath the Office, Power ind Gift, of infallible Judging, which ;he Major number of Chriftians orChur-:hes have not,

C 2<5 )

5- And that Chrift (not yet believed in,) gave him power and Infallibility.

6. And that he that now Reigneth, is the true Pope by due Eleftion, Conlecra-

.tion, Qualification, &c. With many more fuch Impoffibilities : And what is itto give up the Caufe to the Infidels, if this be not ?

7. But we jadge that God's Law in Scripture, fecured from the charge of pretended Rememberers and' Vfurpers^ is lb fufficient to its proper ufe, that there need-eth no Supplemental. Tradition , as if it were but half God's Law ; bur only fab-fervient historical Tradition. And we challenge the Papifts to prove de facio,

1. That any fuch iupplemental Tradition is Exigent.

2. That they poflefs any oth?r, but what the other Churches know.

3. That they are more than other Chur-| ches, authorized to be the Keepers and Judges of that Tradition. And

4. We fully prove them Innovator? and that Popery is a meer Novelty : [r i copioufly proved by Peter Moulin^ de no v it ate Papifmi, iDAvid Blondelde Ecctifia , Andrew Rivet Defence of Morney again! 1 *' Coffetem^ and againft Silvefter, and man others. Can they without the moft pre

fligi

( 27 ) fligateImpudence pretend Apoftolical Tra^ dirioil, br denying the Laity the Ctip in .,. }.'a barift, and tor their fraying in an i :•,-.,. Tongue, and forbidding the Scrip-i z, and deposing Princes, and dijfolving Oaths of Allegiance , and for tormenting and killing aU baptized perfons that obey not the Pope, with many (uch ?

!, If Tradition cell us of any Cuftoms ufed in the Apoftles, or Primitive times, that be not in Scripture, and fo be not made matters of Neceffity to all; yea, or of any occafion all mutable Cnftoms thatare mentioned in Scripture, (as wajhing the Saints Feet, the Holy Ktfs, the Womans Kail, lo?ig or Jhort Hair, Collc&ions each Lords Day, Preachers Travelling on Foot, C^c.) we quarrel not with the then ufe of iuch Traditions, when they were fea-fonable , no more than with forbearing things ftrangled and blood : Nor quarrel we with the Churches after, that ieded Eafier Day, and made the 10th. Canon of the Ntcene Council, and ufed divers Ceremonies at Baptilm. But Traditions b£ things Indifferent and Mutable, we receive but as fHch, to be laid afide w r ken the oc-safion'ceafeth : And if any wiil turn them Into a necefjary common Law, we dilclaim luch Qfurpers; for they crofs that very C 2 Trl

(*8 )

Fraditim. It was delivered as Indifferent y and you feign and make it a neceflary Law, and (b deftroy it.

9. We maintain openly, that Tradition is againft the Papacy and its Corruptions : They are but a third or fourth part of Chrifti^ns: The other two or three parrs of the Chriftian World, profeis that the Tradition of their Churches is againft :he Vopes universal Sovereignty, and againft all the Corruptions of which they accufe him. None but the (hamelefs will deny that the jibafftans) Armenians, Greeks, %nd others, plead that this is their Tradition. And Reader, tell us, why the Tradition of two or three parts of the Church fhould not rather be believed againft a third part, than that which the third part boaft of againft all the reft.

1 o. Ask them which way they know and keep their Traditions ? Whether the} have any Hiftory, Records, or any othei way which we may nor know as well a: they ? If they pretend that it is a Secret, kept by their Church, it's a ftrange Secre that fo many Thoufands know : But if f fce a thing proveable, let them prove it,

11. Is it not unmercifuInefs,to tell all th .Chriftian World, that as big and hard t\ the Bible is, if they knew and obeyed :Jj

all, they cannot be faved, unlefsthfcy believe and do more, kept by the Pope, and called Tradition ? When yet thefe Deceivers candifpenfe with the knowledge and pra&ice of God's own word, and think the Bible a Book too big and hard, fand the Prophane fay, too drift,) to be commonly imderftood and kept; And yec all the Bible is not Enough, but we muft be bound to as much more as they v ill call Tradition, yea, Volumes alio of Papal Canon Laws.

12. Did not Chrift for this thing Condemn the Old Pharifees, Mat. 15 ?

Prove your Traditions to be Apoftoli-cs!, zv.i about things neceflary, and not your Forgeries, or about things mutable and indifferent, and we will obey all fuch ApoftolicaI Traditions- But your Novelties and Ufupations (hall not paft with us for Divine Laws, becaufe you can call them fuch.

The Fifth ace h fed Point,

cc

cc That a Man by his own underftand-ing and private Spirit, may rightly

U J H ^ e an A interpret Scripture.

Av.(. Can any Man unriddle what this

Deceiver meaneth ?

C 3 1. Caa

( ?o)

i. Can a Man judge without his own mderftartding ?

1. What meanetb he by a private Spirit ? Little know I. If he mean God's Spirit, it is no contemptible nor private Spirit, even in a private Man : If he mean a Man's own Spirit, Soul or Intellect, it is the lame as [his own under ft andingr\ If he mean any Evil Spirit, or fancy and £>-roneous felf-conceit, we defie fuch Spirits, and Deceivers that ufe them.

To underftand without our own under-(landings, is a Myftery fit for Rome: Why may not a Dog, or a Sheep, be faid io to underftand the Scripture, if it may be un-derftood without our own underftandings ? What a Curie is on the ignorant Nations, that will be led by iuch words asthefe!

But if he will fay that he meant, £ By his own under ft anding alone without a Tea-thtr^\ why did he not fay fo, but laj one thing and do another ? But that hac been too grofs a Lye, to have been be lieved, by them that fee that we fee Oj Teachers in all our Congregations.

3. Therefore I can imagine nothing bu ^bfurdity in his words, unlefs he mear that we hold that a Man may rightly Ir terpret Scripture by his own underftanc ing immediately, inftrutfed by his Teach?!

arfi

*nd Gdd's Spirit, withont taki&g the Sence only at the rebound, on the belief of the Pope and his Clergy. For we never thought that a Man's own natural Wit without a Teacher, and the help of Cod's Spirit, can favingly underftand and apply *he Scripture.

And yet we would fain tell Papifts a better way to Convert a Philoibpher v or a Tarfc, than to Preach to them thus: God hath written .his Law and Gofpel to the World, but you cannot tell what is the mean-%ng of it, till you take that fence on truft from our Pope and Clergy, and know that Chrifi authorised him to be Judge ; and that before you believe in Chriji, or underftand the word that fo authoriz^th him. VVefe nor corrupted Nature very blind in things Spiritual, Plow-men, and Tinkers, and Coblers , would be able to confute fuch Fopperies , and much more Priefts, and Popes, and Prelates.

4. But I pray you tell me, whether the Tope and his prelates , do not interpret Scripture by their own under/landing*?

■ Whofe underftandings elfe do they judge by, in Conclaves or Councils ?

5. And tell me, whether he that judg-I eth that the Pope is Chrifts frce.Chrift and I Ruler, at the Antipodes, and is infallible,

C 4 tho T

( *o

tho* he be by Councils condemned (ox a /: ?r nifty an Infidel, an Atheifl, a Seducer-, or an ignorant Sot ? Doth not this Man judge alJ this by his own underftanding? If a Man take an ignorant fottifh Prieft for the Mouth of the Catholick Church > tho- he knotf no more what he talks a-gainft, than this Roman Deceiver , doth he not judge this by his own underftand-ing ? If a Sot will believe you, that your Stli is the whole Church, and all are Damned, tho' they love God, and believe in Chrift, if they will not be ruled by the Pope and every Mafs-Prieft, doth he not judge thus by his own under ft anding ? Do you Preach to Men, or Beajts, that have no understanding of Gods Law and Will ? If a Man muft believe all the Canons of ?opc* and Councils, in Baronim, Binnius, Suri-us, Nicolinw, Caranna , &c. doth he Dot do it by his own under-ftan ding *

6. Oh ! But the meaning is, Ton are at private ignorant Men, and we are the Clergy ; Kings chooje fome ef hs , and Poyesi choofe others, and whether we are Wife or\ Fools, Learned or Vnlearned, Infidels or\ Chriftians, you are all Damned if yon wibl not follow us, and if we be Damned^ you\ muft be content to be Damned with us. And J is it fo ? Hath God made Man for no fafeil

and!

.and better a Condition, than to be Dam-ned when ever Sottifh. Drunken Priefts ili tell , fYou muft believe us that are • ih of the Pope, and the Pope, tho s that the Word of God is

agaiii.c it?3 Speak out Deceiver; would you have ail Men.be of their Rulers Religion, or not ? Should the Jews have believed the Church, that Chrift was aBUf-phemer, Deceiver and Tray tor, and the Apoftles Seditious Fellows? Muft we be Mahometans uhder Turks, Perfians , and Indians , and Papifts under Papifts ? And why not Lutherans under Lutherans alio ? And Co our King fhall be our God, and onr Religion humane. Or muft Men judge what is true or falie, good or bad* by thejrown understandings ? Do Kings and Prelates Rule Men, or Dogs, and Brutes? ItCromweB&y, He U Supream, and King Charles ky, He is Stream, tell uswhether we muft not ufe our own under)anding j, to know which of them to believe and

w^-Vj A ? d muf * we not do fo » «f the W odd, the Fiefh, and the Devil, fav one thing, and Chrift another ?

And I pray you tell us, whether that be a... <on thzt Knot Divine, and whether it

r.ot our own under/landing, that mufc

dtttiDguiftitetw en Cod and Man? Did

( 34 ) xiot Vulgar Folly fit flothfu! FooJ?;,for | Hell, they would eafily perceive that Popery engaging them to renounce their own wnderftandings, maketh us all Voluntary Brutes, to gratify the ambition of Men, .and puts down God from being our Gover-. nour, and Man from being a Voluntary - Subjeft, and turns the Kingdom of Chriji into the Kingdom of Beafls.

The Sixth Point accufed.

That St. Peters Faith hath failed.

Anf. Who could more ignorantly have ftated a Controverfie ?

i. Proteftants are further from the Opinion that Peters Faith failed, that* thegrea tefl Papift Dcftors : Some Proteftants hold that no Man that hath true faving Faith, doth ever totally lole it i much leii JPeter. Others hold, that no Elett Perfor that hath true Faith, doth rotally lofe it And fo thought Auguftme : Others add! that though fome, as \ Calvin fpeaks, quale-CHnque femenfidei prderim^ having no man immutable Grace than Adam had in In nocency, vet all that ha^e a Confirmee Radicated*Habit, perievere. And as u .Peters Faith, allfavethofe called Armim anj agree, -(as far as I know,) that hi

Fait

•Faiih was not totally loft, nor Titer re-lapied into a State of Damnation: But will all the Jejuitshy as much ?

We commonly hold that the Habit of Peters Faith, muft be diftinguifned from the AEs, and the Act of Ajfent from the ACt that exciieth Confeffion and conqneretb Oppofition. And that Peters Faith did not totally fail as to the Habit, nor the Ajfent 3 that Chrift was the Meffiah : But that it adually failed as to the latter A<ft, that fhould conquer Fear : Chrift faid to him and the reft before that, Why arc ye fear* 'full & y e °f foil 6 Fdiih : Little Faith, u ¥aith failing in Decree. This is oxr ViElo-; over the World, even our Faith, faith St. John. And did not Peters Faith fail as to part of that Vidtory, when he Curft and Swore that he knew not the Man ?

But by Peters Faith, this Deceiver mea* neth the Popes Faith: And he inftanceth in the Scribes and Fharifees, that were to be heard becaule they Sate in Mofe's Chair, and in Cajaphas the High-Prieft. Reader, fee what Chriftians theie Slaves of Chrifts pretended Vicar are : Doth he uot plainly infer, that the people did well that believed the Priefts, and the Scribes, and Fharifees, that Chrift was a Decei . and workt Miracles by the Devil

C sO

was a Bfafpbemer and a Tray tor, and tf e* ferved Death ; and that cryed !M><t$ with him: Crucife him ? And what wonder if they obey their High-Prieft, when he Commandeth them to Munher Thoufands and Hundred Thoufands Saints Nicknamed Hereticks, when they juftifie them that killed Chrift and the Apoflles, becauie the Church Commanded it, (i^nleis they will renounce their own plain Conle-ijuence ?)

And muft we indeed believe, that the Popes Faith never failed, becaufe Meters did not? Then we muft believe that General Councils that are their Church, have been very falfe and flandercu*. Reader, I will give thee but an Account of one or two, (when their own mod flattering Hi-, ilorians have written of many a long time, that they were rather jifoftatici^ thar>| j4poftolici, and named but to keep the Ac* count of time.)

The great General Council at Conjtance y (that Barm John //#*and Jeromeot Prague, for Truth and Honefty,) finding three Popes Heading three Churches called Ro* man Catholickj y had no way to return to Unity , but by putting down all three Vvich much adoe they got down two ol |hem: But Pope Jehu at Rome had the

fefteft

( 37 ) fefteft hold, and they had more adoe to get him down 9 and had not the Emperour reiblved to back them , they had been foiled. Hereupon he is accufed in the Council, Firft, by Fifty Four Articles, of iuch Monftrous Viilanies , as one would think humane Nature were uncapable of. Afterward many more are added, of Poy-foning Pope Alexander , of Inceft with his Brothers Wife, and the Holy Nuns, and Ravifhing Maids, and Adulcery with Mens Wives, and much more; and of Simony*, almoft incredible : And amongft the reft, (which I forbear to recite, left I tire the Reader,) they fay and prove, that he vcot a notorious Simoniackj and a pertinacious Heretick } That oft before di* vers Prelates, and other Honeft Men, Jby t Devils perfwafion he pertinacioujly faid, afferted, dogmatized, and maimaintd^that there is no Life Eternal , nor any after this : And he faid andpertinacioufy believed, that Man s Soul dieth with the Body, and is ex* tincl? as are the Bruits : And he [aid, that the Dead rife not, contrary to the Articles of the Rcfiirrettion, &c>

Theie Articles being (hewed ta the Pope, he conftjl his Sin, and confented to ie Dcpofed, and begged Mercy, but all in Hypocrilie, while he iought to get out of ihtir Hands and Power. And

( ?8)

And now Reader, doft thou think that it is the mark of a Heretick, and defer-veth Burning and Damnation, for a Man to think that this Popes Faith failed? Were it not for tiring you, I would repeat fuch Articles againft many others of them, as would make you think, that not only the Heathen Philoiophers, but even Mahomet was a Saint incomparifon of thefe Swinifll and Diabolical Popes.

After this, the Great Council at Bafi acculed Engcnius the <\th. of Herefie and multitudes of horrid Crimes, and«iepofed him: But he outfaced them, and {landing it out to the laft, got the better, and the Succeffion is ever fince continued from this Pop^ that was depofed by a grand General, Council.

Before thefe, Pope John the 1 2th. was depofed by a Council at Romt y celled by Otho the Emperour, for fuch horrid Villages, as no Pagans that we read of evei matcht. Read them but in B^ronius^ and Binnim : Drinking Healths in Wine to the Devil, and calling at Dice upon jxpite} and VwMy befides Murders, Simony, hi ceft and all Wickedne's, aTe all confiften with Papal Faith : And if this be no failing I (hall grant that the Popes Faith (nor th Devils, ) can n^^t fail*

Th

( 39)

The Seventh ac:nfed Point, That the Church can Err y and hath Er-

Anf. This is truly and honeftly recited: All Proteftanrs hold it, and marvel that all the Devils in Hell can io befool any as to deny it-

i. No Body can tell what it is that they call the Church, till they tell us: But what ever1t;'rs, except confirmed Angels and Souls in Heaven, if they cannot Err, God and our Saviour, and the Apoftles have Erred. For they tell us that, \we know but tnfart^] and if any Man fay that he hath no Stn^ he is a Lyar, i Joh» i. 7 Cor. 13. 12. And in many things we offend all, Jam. 2.2. Pial. 19. 12. Who can nndtrftand his Etyohys , cleanfe thon me from fecret faults. 1c was the Church of which God complaineth, that they alway Err in their Hearts*) and have not known Gods ways y TfaL 95. 10. Heb. 3. 10. unlefs Caleb and Jojhua were all the Church, /fa. 53. 6. All we likf Sheep have gone a*

If by the Church they mean the Priefis^

bow full of Complaints agajnft their Er-

rours are all the Prophets, and Hiftory

aAT cf

(4o ) of the Kings and Chronicles? Ifa. 3. 12. 0 i«y (topic, they that lad thee, caufethet to Err, and deftroy the way of thy paths, Ifa, 9. 15, \6. For the Lenders of tlots people canfe them to Err, and tbty that arc ltd of them are deftroyed. Mai. 2. The Priefl s Lips fhould keep knowledge, and they fjould feck the Law at his Mouth, for he is the Me (linger of the Lord of Ho [Is: Bat ye are departed out of the way y and ye have can fed many t-o fumble at the Law : Tt have corrupted the Covenant of Leyij faith the Lord of Hofts : Therefore have J alfi made yon contemptible and bafe before ah the people, according as ye have mt kept m) ways, &c. Hof. 4. 5. My people are cut off for lack^ of knowledge: Becaufe thot haft re jetted knowledge, I will olfo re\d\ thee, that thou fljalt be no Priefl to me. Jer 5 3. 3 r. The Prophets prophecy falfety, aiu the Priefl s bear Rule by their means, an my people love to have it fo, and what veil ye do in the end hereof? 2 Chron. 36. 14 16* 17. All the chief of the Priefls and th people Tranfgreffid very much after the aba nunx-ions of the Heathen : But they mockj* the Meffergers of the Lord^ and dejpifed hi words , and rinfufed his Prophets, till tlA wrath of the ^ord arofe againfi his people and thercwai.no healing. Jolfa i.2 ; ^4-

Reai

is it not worfe than fnfid at theie Men teach, if they fay that the Church hath not Erred ? Was it no Er-r ; when Aaron fet them up the Golden-Calf ? not when they went -after the Idols of the Heathen, and worfhipped in the hi h places? Was it no Error to take Chrift for a Deceiver and Blafphemer, worthy to be Crucified ? Was ir no Error to rejeft the Goipel, and periecute the Apoftles?

And had the Apoftles no Error , whet) they believed not that Chrift muft Die for sur Sins, and rife again, and afcend to Heaven, but thought he mult then fet up ia Earthly Kingdom ? Was it no Error >f Ptter, Math. it. to diflwade Chrift T6m Suffering, for which Chrift faid, Get hee behind me Sathan y thou favonrefi not he things that be of God, bnt thofe that hi f Men ? And I think he Erred, when ?anl openly rebuked his Separation, Jal.i.

If alltfmChurch on Earth conftft only )f ferfans that have many Errors, then the vi h Church b*th many Errors: But the \ntecedent is fo true, that I take him that lenyeth it, to be fo far from knowing vhat the Church is, or what a Christian s, that he knoweth not what a Man is,

and

r

( 4* )

•nd a Church of fuch are fo unfit to be trufted as infal]ible,with all Mens Salvatioti, that they have not the Wic of common illiterate Men, or Children : And if in all thitigs elfethey uere as mad as in thele two Opinions. 1, That the Church never did nor can Err.

2. And rhat all Mens Senfes muji be dittyed for TranfubjlantiAtiw ; doubtlefs they ftould be kept in BedUrn from humane Convefrfe.

But for my part^ I do not think that an) Man of them not ftarkmad, doth believe himfelf that there are any men in tht World that have no Error, (that have an) ufe of Underftanding.) He is far front knowing what M*n is, that knoweth no that he fwatmeth with Errours : I ofrne doubt whether the greater number of moi mens thoughts, are true or falfe.

But if by the Church they mean on! | the Popej if he cannot Err, then it is n Errour to believe that there is no Life bi| this, and that Mans Soul ckpth as thf Beafts, and that it is lawful ro Murthc Gods Servants by Thoufands, or hundrefj Thoufands ; if all the forelaid Popes in tVl ages 800, 900, icoo, noo, Erred nof| fure there is no fuch thing as Errour in World.

But perhaps by the Church is ipeant General CoHflCl S.

But i. If they Erred not in their Decrees, doth ir follow that therefore they had no Errour ?

2. But did not the fecond Council at Efhejus Err ? Where they tell us that Sc/a tttri Navtchla, only the Popes Meffen-gers eicaped the Herefie ? Did not the Council of Calcedon Err in their Opinion , when it determined that the Reaibn of Homes Primacy was becaufeit was the Imperial Sear, &c? Were all the Councils free from Errour that were for the Arri-*ns ? And thole that were againft them ? And all that were for the MomthtUtes ? And thofe that were againft them ? And all that were for Images, and thofe that were againft them, &c ?

Butatlaft they come to this, that the Pope may Err, and Councils may Err, but when they agree, they cannot Err: A happy meeting of Erring peribns, if they are both cured by ir. But lure it is not the meeting : For the Pope is at Rome, when the Council is at Trent, Ephefa, Cenflan-twopuy £~c. M a Council may Err, and the Pope Err, what proverh it impoftble for them to agree in Errour ? The Pope and Council at Latcran 4th. agreed for

the

(44) the Popes depofing Princes that Exrer-i initiate nor all out of their Dominion! that deny Tranfubftantiaticn, &c. W« this no Errour ?

Obj. But this was not a matter of Faith

Au(. Is it no matter of Faith with them . Whether it be Lawful or not, according re Gods Law, to kill men that believe theii Senfe6, andtodepofe Princes? And whe ther Subjects may break their Oath: of Allegiance, and forfake their Prinot if the Pope Command them, and all be caufe their Prince will not be a Murthc rer or Perfecutor ? Thefe are no matter of Faith with them ? But fure they hav< made them Articles of their Religion £*v£ skbsr the Rebels, and MurtheTers and Pope and Council Err, or elie God Law and Gofpel Err.

The Judgment of the Reformed Catho licks is this,

i. That there is no man living withoo Errour.

2. That the Apoftles of Chrift weo Commiflioned to deliver his Gofpel to the World, by Word and Record, and ha< his promile of his Spirit co lead them int. all Truth, and keep them from doing tha WorkErroneoufly which they were conn mifHoned to do : (Tho* not to make ther

able

C45)

ibfolutely free from Sin or Erronr in all other things.) And therefore the Scrip-tore written by them is free from Errour, by Virtue of the fpecial promile and Spirit.

5. That all trne Chriftians, (really regenerate,) are free from all Errour, in-confiftent with true faving Faith, and Title to Salvation.

4. That therefore the Church as it figni-fierhonly the faid regenerate true Chriftians, hath no Damning Errour,, or none but what is pardoned, as confiftent with faving Faith and Holinefs.

5. That the Univeri'al Viftble Churchy is the whole Company of men on Earth, that profefs true laving Faith, and are by Covenant Vow Baptized into this Pro-feffioa: And that all this true Vifible Church, profe(feth no Errour, inconfiftent with their Profeffion of the forefaid faving faith : Becauie the profejfion of faving Faith is ejfentialto vifible Chrijlianity^ and tathe vifible Church.

>; For mark, that I fay not that they profefx no Erronr inconfiftent with fine ere Faith in themselves fabjetiively , nor yet iKjras to objective Faith, may nor by un-i'c: C9nj(cjitcnce overthrow it: For there is uch a concatenation of Divine revealed \ Truths,

Truihs , that ic is a doubtful c: . whethei any one Errour (which all men have,) dc not by remote Confequence iubvert ;.ht very Foundations. But no true VifibU Church or Christian, io profejftth any one Errour, as not to profefs the tffential point. of Faith and Godlinefs, tho 7 they mi\ think fallely that both are trne. Therefore Proteftants teach, that unfeen Con Sequences are not to be io charged ot thole that fee them not, and hold faft thi (injured) Truth, as if it wetea known o direct denyalof the Truth.

6. But every Church, aad every man being imperfedt both in knowledge, Faitl and Holinefs, have all ibme Errour: Fo to be objedively defide, is to be of Divin Revelation : And all the Scripture is D; vine Revelation. And if the queltion be Whether any Pope, Council or Church underftand all the Scripture without air Errour ? judge by Commentators , an< common Experience.

And now what faith the Deceiver a gainft all this ?

i. He citeth I fa. 59. 21. God hat!t promifed to preferve his Word in thi, Church : Ergo, the Church cannot Errl A forged Confequence, no more follow? cth, but that the true Church (hall ncf

loi

( 47 1 pfe or forfake Gods Word : For then it ybuld ceafe ro be the Church :

But i. Not that the beft Churches un-lerftand all that Word without any Er-our.

2. Nor that any particular Church vifi-;Ie may not apoftatize, or turn Hereticks, >r corrupt Gods Word, and forbid men

0 ufe it in a known Tongue, as the Pa->ifts do.

Next heciteth Joh. 14. 16. As if all he Church had the lame promife of the >pirit of Infallibility, as the Apoftleshad: f lo, then,

1. Papifts are none of the true Church, )ecaule they have many Errours.

2. And if the major part be the Church, er than a minor Sett, then all other

riftians that are 3giinft Popery are free >om Errour, for they are twice or thrice \i rr :iy as the Papiiis.

3. And when the far greater part were Amam , they were free from Errour: yea , the Council of Sirminm, to which

1 Liberia profefled full confenr. Or lid Chrirt break his promife to all thefe ?

If the Pope or all his Prelates, have is full a promife of the Spirit as the A ponies, then they may write us a new Bible 7 ,nd Word of God, as they did : No wonder

(48 )

derthen if the Canons and Decretals be ;| much Gods Word as the Bible ? But \vh 1 then do they not confirm their Canons b I Miracles as the Apoftles did ? And whw did fo many Popes contradict each other I, Had both Stephanas^ FormofiUy NichoLt. | and the forefaid Johns that denyed the Lif i to come, &c. the fame Gift as the Ape files ? Surely we may well fay to them a • St.famcs^ Shew me thy Faith by thy Works t They did (hew it by moft odious Simony \ Gluttony , Drunkennefs, Lying witl i Maids and Wives, even at the Apoftolicl i Doors , Murdering Chrifts Members fr Thoufands, Silencing faithful Preachers ! Depofing ELmperours, Commanding Peri jury and Rebellion, even to Sons againfl ( their own Fathers: Forbidding all Churcl Worftiip of God to whole Kingdoms foi many years, when a King will not obey the Pope: By fuch Works they (hew| their Faith! O the power of Satan, and the horrid pravity of man, when fuch things are not only Juftified, but trufted tl for Juftification, and made confiftent will a Church that never Erred. \l

Indeed thefe Errours crept in by De-.j grees, which maketh it difficult to Expc i- l .tors of Scripture Prophefie, to knowjuft); the year whea the mifchief became for

ripi

(49)

, as to prove Rome to be Babylon Apo-ftateio Pagano-Chriftianity, and the Pope to be Anttchrift. But if I iee a man Raging mad in Bedlam, I will not make it an Anideof my Faith, that he is Sane mentis* becaufe 1 know not juft when his amenti* t delnatio , or MelanchoUy became a ' '•■ tia* or Furor.

The Deceiver alfocireth, Mat. 18. 17. Becaufe men mud hear the Church' where a Sinner dweiierh , th,atcal!eth hint :o Repenrarice after due Proof and Admo-iition , therefore the Pope and his Prepares cannot Err. An Argument liker a ^enfion, than a ferious Proof: Did not he Pope then Err , when Bifhops and councils have in vain called him to Re-r Doth not the Church Err then moft amnably, that commandeth Murder rea.'on , and moft heynous Sin, and is le Leader of the Impenitent ? Muft we ike fuch then as Heathens and Publicans > lit as the man thin\eth, lo the Belt tint? h. Do bur Fancy that by the {Church\ meant only the Pope and his Clergy •

that all is fuch Sin which the Pope Uech io, tho* God command us, and sn all fuch Texts will fcem to them w

whanhey would have them!.

*> The

( So) The man alfo citeth, Eph. 5.27. viz. Chrift will prefent his Regenerate Church. perfect and lpotlefs in Judgment. Whai then ? Ergo, the Vifible Church on Earth bath no Errour or Spot: And Ergo, th* Pope and his Clergy are this Vifible per fe£t Church. And why not as wefi Con (tantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, or Je> rufalem, the Mother Church? Which par is it that, is the whole, or indefectible What is profaining Gods Word, if thi be not ? If any fhould be forbidden th Scripture, it is thefe prophaning Priefts.

The Eighth acenfed Point.

That the Church hath been hidden an Invisible.

Anf. We do not think that the Pop, and his Clergy-Church have been hidde'* and invifibie. Their Wars, even in Ita and Rome, for many.Ages made them V fible : Yea, and palpable too : TheKinj and Emperours that they Fought again or Depoled, knew them ; above icoec^ Waldenfes and Albigenfcs felt them to th Death : Qu& Rcgio in terris talis non pier labor is. Whether this man knew not rn Proteftants Judgment herein -; or wtfj ther he would not have, his Reader kne

ir it is.

C 5< )

I cannot tell ; but I (hall tell you what

1. Protectants commonly hold, That as the Word [Church'] fignifieth the Com-pany of fineere Christians, and Heart-can. s to the Bapti final Covenant, fo it is (tble to Man that knoweth not tha Heart. Inward Faith and Love which de* nominate them , are not Icen by others, dare any deny this ?

But as the Word ZChurch] fignifieth

rfality of men baptized yrofefiinr

priftiantty in public^ Afiemblies, fo it was

lever invifibie, fince iuch publick profet

ion and Aflemblies firft began.

3. But when the Pagan Perfecutors for-ed their meetings into Woods and Cells nd Pits, called Conventicles, and toNight-leetings, they were hidden from the Per-:cutors, as well as they could hide them-•Ives : And lb they were, when they :d themielves from the Arrian Perfecu-™ of Vmns, Confvumr.u, Genfericm, and from the Verfiians : And ■ 2 of Tbolmfe, Piedmont, Bo-and others that hid themielves, and -m the Cmlados, ander Simon M$nt-* , and„St. Dcmomck, and others that i them. Chrill himfeff fled te Wee, from Perfecutors. His D Dii-

( 50

Difciples were met fecretly for fear of the Jews, when Chrift appeared to them when Peter was inPrifon, many were af lembled by Night in a Conventicle, at tht Houfe of Marks Mother, to pray for him ThePapifts thera'elves keep hidden Meet ings, where they cannot bave more pub lick.

4. God hath not promifed his Church fuchconftant Profpericy, as that in ever Age any Nation (hall have publick Ltbert| without all Periecution ; much lets tha thevfhallbe ftill uppermoft, and Maftei of the World, and have Kings and Ehr perours always for them.

5. But we cannot lay, that yet th Church hath been fo low fince (he days Coufitntine, that all Princes have dilbwne the Eflentiakof Chiiuianky, and we hoj it never will be fo.

6. huiall Ages and parts of the Chuicl have not been cqiuiiiy pure and founcf: fome Ages the ArrUm were mod : In tl Reign of Thcodofiw Junior, Aia : the £ntkhi*ns prevailed : In the days Philippic™ the Monothtiacs prevailed, that at one of their Councils Binim fan There were InnhmerabU BiJJjops : In o. Emperonrs time thofe prevailed that wt againii Images j in Irene*s and Thecdotr

tin!

es, thofe tmit were for them : Some-tirre the Bifhop of Rome had moft Power, and fometime the Bifhop of Conflamine*

, and Alexandria : For an Hundred years, even much of Italy forfook him, and let up a Patriarch at Aqmleia as their Head : Through many Ages the Citizens of Rome themielves expelled him or Fought againfl: him.

Now in all thefe Cafes, the Church, as prcf ffwg Chr ift inanity ^ was ftiUfifible : Bur which of all the parts was the fitreft and fonndeft , was known to none but the jennd farts themfelves. And when and where the Errours became to great as really to nullifie, or invalidate the Profeffion of Chriftianity, this was known only to thofe near, that had opportunity to know the mind of the acculed : For Noxa Ca* put fcquitur: One man, iho' a Prince os Prelare, canno: make all his Subjects He-reticks by his Errour.

So that nothing hath been more Vifibf^' than that there hive ftiil been profeffed Chriftians, a:id \b an Uuiverfal vifible Church on Ear:h. Bat which parts of this Church have de fatto been Sound ^ and which Corrupt , and what Errours have nullified their Profeffion , and what only ble/mjljt it y this hath never been vi-D 3 fible

fible to the Erroneous ; W( For no mar knoweth that he Erreth ;) buc ic hath beer vifible to the Sound. And fo, that the I Church of Rome yet Profefleth Chriftiani-'j ty 7 we know : Bur whether their Erroun \ prove them Babyicn , or nuliifie thehj Chriftianiry, muft be known only t>yl trying the guilty Individuals.

Here the Cheaters fay to the Ignorant. If the Church hath bce?i Always PifibU \{ where voa* jour Church before Luther }

Anf. i. Where-ever there were men profefiing^Chriftianity and Baptized, and not Apoftatizing. Were there none Tuch^ in the World-, muft we be put to prove where there were any Christians before Luther? Were not the Hearers grofly Ignorant , the Cheaters would have no Confidence in fuch Fopperies as thefe.

Obj. But the Church of Rome prof eft Chri' ftianity before Luther.

A?if. It did fo , and as Chriftianx we nre of the fame Church with them,.we know no Univerfal Church, but the t ftianasfuch, that is, all Chrifiians as mly Headed byChrifi If you cannot tell whe. ther before Luther there were any Chri. ftians in the World, (in Abaffia, tjypt. Syria , Armenia, the Greeks•> Mafcov . . &c.) it's your groLs ignorance of Hiftory.

But

( 55 )

Bui whether Papifts, Arrians, Ektychians-, N lorians , Menothelites , Phantafians^ Image- Worfhippers, do invalidate their profeflion of Chriftianity, by their contrary Errours and Crimes, it much more concerneth themielves, than us to enquire and judge.

But tho' thofe that nullify not their pro-feffionof Chriftianity, are all of the tame Church Univerfal that we are of,yet we pro* fefs that their New humane Churchy which is [only the Pope as Headend all that adhere to bim at [nch,~] are no Church of Chrift at all. AH Chrij}ians as Juch are pans of the Chrijlian Church: But a Policy confining of a Vice-Chrifl and his SkbjeQu is a Rellellious Ulurpation, and no Church, Forma denominat : As Chrift is the Head, all are of the Church that truly cleave to him as Head : As the Pope is the pretended Head, they are all a pack of Rebels.

And now what an ignorant Cant is it to fay, The Church'cannot Apofiati^e^ Ergo, it cannot Err \ Ergo, the Pope of Rome, 'and his hireling Clergy cannot Apoftatiz*e j •and Ergo, They c wnot Err ! Tell me, whether Rome be all the World ? And i whether the Church of Rome, and theChri-flian World, be Words of the lame fig-D j m£,

(5

nification in any Dictionary ? And whethe* an Alexandrian Catholic^ or a C. P. are Catholic^ be not as good Sencc, as a Ro> man Catholic 1 *^? And whether the Texts or Fathers, that you nam* prophanely., will prove that the Church of C. P. Alexandria , Antioch, or Jemfalem, can never Err, or Apoftatize , or be Invifible? And whether your own Jefuits confeis not that Rome fhall do fo too, in the Reign of Antichriji ?

In the mean time take this anfwer.

i. The Church as intimately Sanftified, and fincere, was ever invifible.

2. The Church Univerfal, as profefling Chriftianity , was ever Vifible, tho' oft hid by Perfection.

3. Whether Rome, C. P. Jerufalem be a true Church or Apoftate , is invifible to thofe that knew them not

4. That the Papal Church, as informed by a Univerfal Vice-Chrift, is a falfe Church, is Notorious. This is oyr Judgment.

The Ninth accufed Point.

That the Church was not alvrays to retnair. C4tbolicl^ or Vniverfal : And that thi Chftrch of Rome is not [nch a Church.

Anf.

Jr?f. The firft parr is a meer flat Lye: f We hold thac the Church is always to remain Univerfal, till it be preienred perfeA in Giory : If it remain not Univerfal , what becomes of it ? Is it a pare of tome-thing elfe, or annihilated ? If Chrift have no Churchy he is no Head of the Church, and io no Chrift. What Proceftanc Church ever laid any fuch thing, as you falfly charge them with ?

That the Church of Rome is not fuch a Church , that is, Is not the Vniverfal Church, indeed we not only fay., but think the contrary, fitter for a man Drunk than Sober ? What, is Rome all the World ? Is jAbaffu, America , Mefofotamia , Aiufco-vy , Afni , Thrace , England , Scotland^ Sweden, Denmark^ no part of the World, yea, of the Chrifiian World ? And is not the Chriftian World, the Church Vniver-fal ? Reader, here is a Controverfy worthy the Wits, Learning and Honeftyof all the Famous Fathers, and Dolors, and Juglersof the Roman Carholick Church. The Queftion is, Which of the Rooms in the Hcufe is the whole Houfe ? One faith that the Kitchin, or the Co!e-Houfe, or the Houfe of Office, is the whole? Houfe. i|\Ve Proreflamsfay, tha: no one Roon is the whole, but Hall, Parlors , bining* D 5 Room,

(SBJ

Room-, and all the Chamber?, and Clo lets, and Kinchin, are the w hole } and if the CoteHoufe, and Houie of Office will needs be parts, we will nor contend witlf them, but we will never grant that the} are either the whole , or the beft part L Tho' by Fire and Stink, they think tcJ force us to it.

But the ancient Writers diftinguifh be tween the C^tholick Church, and a O*. tholick^ Church : By the firll: is meant th( whole Church: By the iecond is mean fuch a particular Church, as is not Schil matical, but a true and found part of th< whole.

But what could thefe Self-Condemner: fay more againft themielves , than thm| openly to confeii, that thei; Sedi claimed to be the whole Church, and Jo Trayte ropfly ucchyrcheth two or three parts o the Church of Chrift, and Damneth mofi £hriftians,for not being Tray tors to Chrift, as they ?

To confute his bafe abufe of Scripture ; is ntedlels and irkibme.

The Tenth point accufed.

7h*t the Churches Vnisy 7 is not neecjfjrj \ui>ts of faith.

< 59/ \ ft This we verily hold, for all that 'God hath revealed in Scripture to be be^ lieved, arr noinis of Faith, (if the Word be ufed intelligibly by theie men.) But afi the poincs of Genealogies, Topography, Chronology , Prophecy in Scripture, are revealed to be believed , therefore they are points of Faith i and if Unity in all theie is necefiary to the Unity of the Church, then no Church on Earth hath Unity: Certainly Rome hath not, whole Commentators and Doctors difagree a-bout many hundred Texts of Scripture, and Sixtns 5th. and Clemens 8th, Popes, ! about the very Tranflation of many hundred Texts.

Theie men mud now fay, that we are not bound to believe ail Gods Word, or elfe they muft cotifefij that their Church hath not Unity.

That which Reformed Catholicks hold is, t. Firft points of Faith, for revealed to be believed,) areiome of them Eflen-tial to Chriftianity, and of ueceflity to Salvation , and lb me but Inrergrals, if not lb me Accidents: The firft all the True Church sgreeth in : The lecond not: As who is Antichrift ? or Babylon f or the Ten-Horned, or Two-Horned Beaft in the \tionsi What is the Time, Tim

and.

( 6o %

and half a Time, with an Hundred fwch « Bur in general, all beliere that all Gods Word is true. It might convince theie men, in that it was long before all the Churches received all the Canonical! Books of Scripture, and ^et all received! rot all their Apocryphal Books. And arc! thefeout of the Church ? Or are none oil thefe Books ro be believed ?

The Eleventh, Taint ace fifed.

That St. Peter was net Ordained by Chrifn the fir ft Head or Chief among the Jfpojllesfll And that ameng the Twelve^ none nas grea~ ter or lejfer than other.

AnJ\ Meer Falfehood, asundiftinguifht, The word Head is ambiguous j this Writer hath a Head^ itfch as it is, that other Heads much differ from. Reformed Ca< tholicks hold, that Peter is called firjt in numbring them : That he was by Chrift in many mftances, preferred before others: That he was an Eminent Speaker , and worker of Miracles : That all the Apoftles were not Equal in parts and worth } but ibme herein greater than other. What, was Judas no lefler than the reft, that was a Thief and Traytor * John was Eminent, ly the Diiciple whom Jelus loved.

But

( 6i )

But we hold, x. That as John -was not made Lord or Ruler of the reft , by being Loved more, io Peter s Prehemineqce made him no Alafttr cr Ruler of the reft : The twelve Apcftlcs were chofen Relatively, to the twelve Tribes. Peter as Reuben . was the firfij and dtr.yed Chrift, and was called Satan, with a Get bthtnd me, (Mat. !tf.) as Reuben defiled his Fathers Bed. But as Levi was the third, fo was James the firft SanBifed Jpoftle .• And as Judu the fourth, is called the Law-giver, from rthem the Scepter flionld not depart, &e. fo John the fourth is the Diiciple of Eminent Love ; and Love is the Everlafting Grace, when Faith and Prophefie ceafe. But Chrift made no one of them Ruler of the reft.

Proved, 1. No Text fpeaketh any fuch thing : And the Headftiip of Governing Power, would have been of fuch grand necefTity to be known, that Chrift and his Apoftles muft needs have plainly and of: inculcated it.

2. Peter never Exercifed any fuch Pow* er ; what mention is there of any Laws or Mandates of his to the other Apoftles ?

3. The reft never fought to him for Laws or Orders.

4. The Schifm and Controverfie* of Chriftians were never decided by appeal ing to him as the Judge*

5. When fome ac Corinth would have made him their Head, and faid, / am of Cephas, Paul reproveth them as carnal, ( faying of all , What are they but MinijierS\ by whom ye believed ?

6. /V'/*/reprovech him, Gal.i.

7. The Jewifh Chriftians contend a-gaiufthim, for Eating with Gentiles, All 11 . whom he fatisfiech by proof from God and not by pleading his Supremacy.

8. He never once claimed any fuch Power.

9. Paul, 1 Cor. 12. tells us of" none in the Church greater than Apoftles. Bat the reft were Apoftles as well as he.

10. No fuch Article was ever put into the Churches Creed.

We grant that Chrift did in instituting the Apoftles Office, inftitute a disparity of Minifters in his Church, and this to be con tinued in the Ordinary continued part of their Works, but not in the Extraordinary. And we grant that in putting Peter firft, Chrift intimated, that among men oi the fame Office, there may for Order fake be a Priority ; as the/ Prefident of a Synod or Coiledge, or the Fore-man of a

Jury.

it

(^)

Jury, or a Chiel-Juflice, or the Speaker

of a Parliament : God is not the God of Confufion , but of Order , as in all rhe Churches: If a Parifh cr ag Independant Chuich have one grave Pallor, with divers young Affiftants, that were but his Scholars, nature will give him Tome awing Prehcminence among chem. We ore not againil iuch a Primacy among Biilhops, or Arch-Bifhops : Buc*this is nothing to a GV-vmiing Office. And if Peter had had iuch^ what's that to the Pope of Rome i

The Twelfth Point ace a fed.

That a Wcman may be Head, or Supreme Govemefsof the Church in allCanies, as the Ute Queen Elizabeth v.

Anf A cheat by Confufion and Equivocation.

The Church hath two forts of Government: One by the Ward of God^ and the [Keys called Eccleiiaftical. The other by the Sword, called Princely or Magiftratical: never had King or Queen that claimed ,the former, and i Enemies of Go-

vernment deny the latter : Queen £/*£*-and ai! our Kings fince have p'ublickly by Office ol ys and I nits? which maketh the

Clergy

.

(<H)

Clergy Tryers and Judges what to Preach and whom ro Baptize and receive tc Church Communion, abfolve or Excom municate. Bpt ask this Deceiver, Mnfi the Church ' have none to Govern by th Sword ? All Chrijlians are the Churchy anc fo all Chriftian Princes are dtpofed, be caufe they are Chriftian*. Or muft the Clergy have no fuch Government ovei them ? Yes, the Pope^ fay the Papal Canons ; he is Sword bearer over the Cler gy : So you iee what Chitrch-pcwer is come to. But I trow, few Papilt Kings wii grant that they have no Sword-Govern ment over the Clergy, left every Prief be Mailer of their Houfes, Wives, anc Lives. The King is no Phyficain, 01 Philofopher, no Architect, Shipwright Pilot, &c. but may he not be King an< Ruler of all thefe ? He is no Clergy-mat or Prieft, but the Ruler of the Clergy.

But they fay, it muft not be in Caufe. Ecclefiaftical. Anf. Caufes Ecclefiaftica have two lorrs of Government, in orde to two Ends. As if one be accafed fo: Preaching againft God or Chrift, or the Life to come} or for Perjury, Adultery Murder, &c. Here the Bijhops are Judges (and the Church,) whether this man b* Guilty in order to his Communion or Excom

muni

( 6% J

,>:.., ?;<?;/, ox Admonition. But the King Bnd his Judges are to Judge, xvhether toe be "Guilty , and fo whether to be Imfrilcned, \Fincd, Banijhed^ &c. fo far as Cau.es of JReligion or Church, are to be punifhed by the Swo? d , the King is Head or Go-vernour, and Judge: who would think that a fort of men that deny this, (hould have the Face to fay that they are Loyal to Kings, or any forcing Government: Muft Kings Burn or Kill, as many Thou-fands at the Popes command as the Pope will call Hereticks, and yet never have power to judge whether they are fuch, fand do deferve it ? O! how much worfe [than Hangmen, 'would fuch men make all Kings and Magiftrates!

Was not all the Chriftian World in a fad cafe then , when the Pope was under the Arrian Gothi^ and the Subject of a Foreign Art an muft Rule all Kings and [Kingdoms?

No man of Brains can be ignorant that Popedom cr Prelacy, do not always make men mortified Saints, (that oft have been fcarce Men, much lefs Chriftians;) nor that the Prince hath a great Power, both in Choofing and Ruling the Clergy that are his Subje&s. It fell out happily, that Thecdoriek the Arum, (and divers Spanifi

Arian

(66 )

Avian Kings,) were an honeftibrt of men I but lbre they were very mighty Prince! at Rome^ when one Subjecft of an Arnai I Goth , was Ruler of all the Kingsancl Souls on Earth, (dejnre, fay our DeceiJ vers.) And if the 7V><, fliould poiTef: J Rome , as he doth C. F. ail Kings anci Nations mult be fubjett to his Subject I And what Power he hath over the four Pa f rriarks of C. P. Alexandria, Anticch, anil Jerufalem, is too well known, 'And whet I Baronim, Binnim, &c. tell us of famou -. Whores, (Marozsa, and Theodora,) tha ' made, and Ruled and unmade Popes J how was the World Governed ? As i was faid by a Lord Mayors Child, tha he Ruled all London, laying, my Fath.e i| Jluleth London, and my Mother RuletU my Father, and I Rule my Mother ; i\ i might it be faid, theie Whores Ruled aP the Kings and ,Nations of ChriHians 01* Earthy (if the Roman claim be Currant 1 for they made and Ruled Popes that claim B ed the Rule of all the World.) O! hov J much greater was a Roman Whore, (Ma ■& roz.ia, Theodora, &c.) than Pal/as, Venus] or the great Diana of the Ephefiaxsl Bu )j the miichief was, that they were muta :1 ble, and could unmake a Pope, as well a« make him, and let the Cuy and Countr 2

b

/ the Ears: as tALqua Venus Teucris\ ,," \is tut qua fuit. And if at) King* muft oe Subjefts to the Suhjed, (or Chaplains) :>f him that can win Rome, let us v 1 hat he may not be a Mabotnttan, >r Art an .« And why laid I when an Anti-arian Pope, can Minder

li-ftians by Thoufands, whe -ick would not have h«rc them.

The Thirteenth Point annfed.

That Antichrift foall not be a particular pan, and the Pope is Anticbrift. : Anf. This is Popifh Stating Cafes; ^roteftants find in the Creed, the Name >f Cbrift % but not the Name of Amichrift j fnd therefore while they know and truft thrift, they think it not neceffary to Saltation to know Antichrtft : But they be-itve Chrift,who laid, that « aiyjhould cows n his Name jayi^g, I am Cb.ijt and dec. nany, even before the Deftrucftion of the ; and rhey believe St. John , that nid, there are many Anticbrifts already : rhe Fathers and Papifts fay, there is fomc Great A/jticbrt/} to come towards the nd cf the World: Moft Proteftants uhat is defcribed, in i ■:/">. and Rev. 12. 13, 17. To confute

?4

Mil

(68 )

fute King James , Bifhop George Do name. Dr. Henry More, (above all) Mtde, C'Invents , Grafferus, &c. will v ouire more than this Writers Impertine cies. There are many Proteftants th think it a meer miftake, that there will fcj any one Anticbrift fo Eminent as to obfcur all the reft: And they pretend not to judg|£ of Anticbrift by the Apocalyps, but by t Ten Commandments , and all the Gofpel And they believe, that be is Anticbrift the nfurpeth Chrifts Prerogative, and yet o\ fofetb his Kingdom: And fuch they thin the Eaftern Antichrist Mahomet is th tnojt notorious, and the Weft em Antichrij< the Pope is his Second ; in that he claimet Chrifts Prerogative of Governing 'all Nat ens of the Earth as Vice-Chrift, and yet Lies, Malice and Blood, fuppreffeth h. true Gofpel, Grace and Kingdom ; confut this if you can ; Amending would bs yot beft defence.

We doubt not but Anticbrift s pad:, ha\ been Individual men, fuch was Barcbochi ba, and fome fay Herod, and fome Dicclt fan, but undoubtedly Mahomet : And the Pope be the Weftern Anticbrift, it the Individual Popes that are fuch} bt many of thofe Individuals may make Succeflion of Antichriftian Policy. At

fw

D*\ More, and Cluverus of this, \C ycu are able.

We lay not our oppoGcion to Popery chiefly, on the dark Revelation, Prophecy, or on the queftion, Who is the Jnti-thrift : But on the plain Word of God: If wc find a Succcffion of men, claiming Om-xipotertcy and Cbrtfts Prerogative, to Govern all Kings and Nations on Earth, and this by bare and bafe VJurpation and Novelty ', and find thefe men ft tip their numerous, falfe, treafonable^ inhumane Canons, and forbid and revile Gcds Law and Word, and find them turning Gods \Vor\\:ip into unintelligible Mummery end Stage-Shores , and Ce)e;nony y and find them living as Lea on Bloody yea, on the Blood of Ihoufands . .JiChriftians, and damning and fe-from the far greater part cf the C f.n World^ becahfe they refufe Sub-jccltcn to this upsrpirg Vice-Chrifi , and all to fire and Ruinc that rencui.ee .me Senfes , and worflrip not ad pretended to it deifycd by daily mime-i Miracles of the bafefi Vrie'is , and . Pill not be fitch Execu-

' : 'fi l fyi' r: %> t ^ !Cir Subjc'fts in Ptr-

jwy and Rebellion : We will no: differ with you fur the Name, whether you will call thoie that are fuch, Antiehrifis, or

JDia-

( 7°)

biMifiJ : Whether luch a State be t\ Babylon, qifarworfe, as finning again more Light, and by more horrid abuie the Name of Chriit againft himfelf.

The Fourteenth accufed Point.

That no 02*77, nor any but God, can f aive or retain Sins.

Anf. Falle as undiftinguifhed. \V j hold, i. That to forgive Sin, being th forgiving of the pnni\hment of Sin, an< the obligation thereto, i. Parents ma on juft caufe forgive Corrective panifh ment to their Children , and Matters u their Servants.

2. N4agiftratesmay on juft cau r e, for give Corporal putriihme-nt to Subje&s.

3. Equals may forgive injuries t< Friends and Enemies.

4. Patiors may on juft caufe, forgive the Church penalries, of Excommunica tion , which they had power to.inflict . And all the Flock mull forgive and rtceivi che penitent accordingly.

5. When a Shiner by Faith and Repen tance, truly performeth the Coudition o Gods pardon expreiTed in Scripcure, the Minifters of Chrift are b^ Office authori. zed to declare and pronounce him pardonec

bi

(70

>yGod, and by the'Sacraments of Bap-ifm and the Lords Supper to Invert htm a a pardoned State, by delivering him a Sealed pardon : But only Suppofitively^ If ris Faith and Repentance be fincere, elfe he lath not Gods pardon of the Divine Punifl)-Tient. This is all true and plain, and mough.

But we deteft their Do&rine that fay, r. That men can pardGn the Spiritual and Eternal Punifhment, any othenviie than :onfequentIy declaring and delivering Gods pard.-1, which (hall hold good , if die Prieft refute to declare or deliver it.

2. Or that Popes or Priefts pardon, iPurgatory pains, and MafTes, and Money, and the Redundance of Saints Merits, and pleafing the Pope, conduce thereto.

But if you will Sptak fo abfurdly, as to lay, that if the King lend a pardon to a Traytor or Murderer, the Mtfjwger par-dhim } we leave you to your ph rales.

None of the Texts or Fathers cited,

k for any more than what we hold.

The Paftors are to declare men pardoned,

God pardonerh : And while they la

. c ge according to Gods Word, it is par-

d in Heaven: But not if they pardon

ie d ui.vinitem.

Tbi

(72;

The Fiftcetith ace h fed Point.

Th.tt we ought not to confefs our Sins azy m*in bat to God only.

Anf.* This is a mere impudent Lie I- We ought to confefs our Sin, to t\ Magiftrate ac his Judicature, when we at juftly accufed of it.

2. And to thofe that we have injurec; when it is needful to repair the wrong, c to procure their forgiveneis.

3. And to thofe that we hav? tempted it to Sin, or encouraged in ir, when ir isneec ful to their Repentance.

4. Andto&me faithful bofome Frieoc when it is needful that fuch know 01 Faults, that they may watch over us, c advifeus, or pray for our pardon and dt liverance.

5. And w r hen in Sicknefs, danger 0 Death, or other Affii&ion , we get th

-Paftors of the Church to pray for us; w fhould confeis our Sin to them, that the' may know on what caufe they ipeak u Gsd for our forgivenels.

6. And in any cafe of Guilt, Trouble Fear, or Difficulty, in which we need th< Paftors Couniel for our fafety, eafe anc peace of Confcience, ourfelves and othe

Friend

(n)

Friends being infufficienr hereto, we (hould confefsour Sins to the Paftors, whofe advice we feek : As a Patient muft truly open lis Cafe to his Phyfician, and a Clyent to its Councellor, if he will not be deceived* by deceiving them. Is all this no Coa-feflion ?

But Proteftants believe not, i. Thatwe muft go to a Phyfician for every Flea-biting, or Scratch, or Cut-Finger, or to a Lawyertogive him an account of all our Anions, Money , ot Lands ; nor to Priefts in cites that our ielves or ordinary Friends ran iafely and latisfadtprily refolve.

2. Nor that our Conftffbr muft needs be 11 Fdfift Prieft, or one chofen by the Pope* pr our Enemies i and not by our felves.

3. Nor that we muft open all our Se-- ro him i or make any Confiffun^ which do more hurt than good \ nor over far

jo truft rhe Fidelity of a Knave, nor a ,[■ '. ?£\td oruntryedperfon.

tad we have reafon to fufpedl Jhem that are importunate to know our Jecrets.

5. And when ConfeflTion is required^

s in order to obtain a falfe forged pardon^

nd to fet up the Domination of Ufurpers

ver men's Confciences, and over the

'Vorld, it's then unlawful; If Proteftants

E would

(74)

would force Papifts to confefs all the fecret Sins to them, would noc this fan Deceiver lay, it were unlawful ?

The Sixteenth accufed Point.

7hat Pardons and Indulgences were n in the Apples time.

Anf. Another meer Lie, as undifti ^juiftied. Such Pardons as I before own< uvere in the Apoftles times: But the P pifh feigned pardons were not.

The Seventeenth accufed Point.

That the attions andpajfions of the S*it\ do ferve for nothing to the Church.

Anf. Moft impudent calumny and fal hood. i. We hold that the Prayers all the Saints on Earth, are of great ii portance for the Churches welfare.

2. And that their Doctrine, Counfih/ and Reproof is lb too, they being 1 ai Lights of the World, and the Salt of r c Earth.

3. And that their Example is of gn benefit ro the Church and World, wl. { { iheir Light fo (hineth before men, that tfy. may fee their good works , and glorife tk father which is in Heaven*

(7S)

4 And their Charitable Worksof themselves, fu re are beneficial to the Church; And fo is their Defence of the Truth.

5. And their Sufferings Glorifie Gods Power, and his promises of reward; and they encourage others to Viftorious Conftancy. Do all thefe ferve for no* thing to the Church ?

6. Yea, we are fo far from holding what he feigneth, that it is not the leaft caufe of our hatred of Popery, that it liveth by the Defamations, Slander, Persecution, and cruel Murder of Saints.

7. Yea, as jibels^lood cryed againft Cain, fo the Blood of Martyrs, and dead Saints, cryeth for Vengeance againft the Perfecutors of the Church.

8. And feeing Chrift faith, that the Children of the Relurrettion are like or equal to the Angels, we have reafon to believe that even now they are perfetted Spirits, Heb. 12. 24. And knowing that Angels are very ferviceable and beneficial to the Church on Earth, we know not how far :he Spirits of the juft are fo too.

But we have a lufficient Mediator and Advocate with the Father, whole Sacrifice, Merits, and Advocation are perfect, and need no fupplement: And the Spirits of pe juft do praile him as faved by his Me-£ z cits.

( 76) tits, and never boaft that they have < their own a Redundancy to fave other But we all with thankfulnefs confeis, th God ufeth to blefs the Houfes of the Fairt ful; the Children for the Parents fak< and hath expreft this in the Decalogu and by many Promifes : Yea, that Y Would have fpared Sodom, had there bet but Ten Righteous perfons there : And a P< tiphars Houfe, and a Prifon may be ble in part for Jofephs fake. And when P; rents are Dead, this blefling may be c their Children, through many Generat ons. And God jtmembred J&rahan \ when his Pofterity provoked him. Davi had a fpecial promife for his Seed. Not of this is denyed by us.

1 at, i. There is no Merit in any mai Works, but their Rexvardablenefs by Got free Grace and promife, for the fake Chrifts meritorious RighHoufmJs, Sacrific And IntCiCeffiGn > their Imperfcllion beh pardoned through him , and their Hoiine ■ : amiable to God.

2. No man ihall be faved for anothe Merit, or Holinefs, or Works, that noc truly Regenerate and Holy himfelf.

*ai no man can do Works of Supererro~ on.

Supererrogation is a fuftian word of your own, by which you may mean What you pleafe.

i. No man can perfor o God, more fc)utythanhe oweth him: It's a Contra-aiftion \ Duty is quod debetur.

2. No man can profit God by any thing that he doth.

3. No man, fave (Shrift, lived wirhout all Sin : And he that finneth doth not all his t)uty, or keep all Gods Law perfectly* And he that doth not a/i, doth not all and more.

4. There is no Mora! good done by any man, which was not his Duty, and Gods Law commanded not : For Gods Law is perfrft, and therefore obligeth to all Moral good : And as Sin is the Tranf-: tt on of the Law, fo Moral good is the conform Obedience to the Law.

5. God hath not Counfeh to Moralafli-on^ which are not obliging Laws, and make notour Duty. For to keep them is Mo-

^od, and the Law were imperfeft if it obliged not to all fucb good. If the E 3 Coun-

( 78 )

Counfel oblige ut norma officii^ it's a Law: If it oblige nor, it's vain.

6. But there are many anions that are neither Commanded , nor Conn felled j nor forbidden : But thofe arenot Moral actions, as being no objects of oar Choofing or Re-fnfmg by Reafons Condufl. The ntctns\< oculorum, our Breathings our Pulfe , the Circulation of the Blood, &c. are no Moral adts, Commanded or forbidden, but' necejfuated : Manmaketh it no aft of deliberation and choice, which Foot he (hall fet forward firft, or juft how many Steps he (hall go in a Day; which of two equal Eggs he (hall Eat, and an hundred fuch, Thefe are neither Duty nor Sin, Commanded, nor Counfeiled, nor forbidden j neither virtuous or vicious.

7. And there are innumerable adb'ons, that are not the Matter of any Common-JLaw or Counfel, and To as fuch, are neither Sin nor Duty, which yet as Circumftanti-med and Gloathed with Accidents, are to this or that man either Duty or Sin.

This not underftood, maketh thefe Ignorant CVi/w/?/abufe the words of Chrift and Paul? about Chaftity, and Marriage. And becaufe Chrift faith, every man can-mot receive this Sayings and Paul, {lie hath not Sinned : He that Marrieth doth ive/t 7

and

( 79 )

md be flat doth not, doth better*, theyga-1 ther that there are Moral allions which

re not beft, and yet no Sin. The true pie in folution is from the two laft Confiderations. 1. God h&:h made no Law commanding or forbidding Marriage, or Celibate as Jack, or in Common* To Marry is no Sin, confidered meerly as Marriage- 2.. But God hath made -aws again tud injurious Mar-

riages, and to guide ;ien to know, when Marrying is a Duty or a Sin. 3. And if any ones cafe were fo neutral, as that ic could not be difcerned, whether Marrying w^re a hurt 01 benefir, ic would be no Moral, eligible or refufeable action. 4. But to fomc it is a great Dnty by accidents, and to fome a great Sin. Therefore P«hI never meant that it was no mans duty, and no mans fin, but only that (imply as Marriage it was no mans dnty or fin y or the matter of a commanding or forbidding Law, but only by accident, it may beiuch to one m than to another.

That this U Pauls meaning, the Papifts mull: confeis. For 1. Do not ihey lay tharthe Marriage of Priefts, Fryars and Nuns are Sin? 2. If any one Marry an Infidel , or utterly unfuirable Fitrfon, without neceffity , againft Parents witls, E 4 or

( 8o )

or one that is impotent, or hath the Pox, or that he cannot maintain, &c ? Is not this a hainous Sin ? What elfe fignifie Gods Law, and mans, againft unlawful Marriages.

And if one cannot live chaftly withoot: Marriage, and Parents command it, it is jiot a Sin to refufe ? The Law faith, Let aR t kings be done to Edification , and whet her ye Eat or Drin\, or whatever ye do, do all, to the glory of God, And is it only Coun-fel and no Command, to Marry or not Marry as it makes to Gods Glory or a-gainft it ? There are few a&ionsof a mans Life, that make lo much to his hurt, and fitter mifery, as unwiie and unmeet Marrying. And is this no Sin ? May they not fee Panls meaning then, if they were but wiUing ? It is hard to imagine a cafe in which fo important an aftion as Marriage, can be neither Sin nor Duty.

2, But fometime men ufe the word £S*tf>3 and [Sinners,'} for meer Wick-ednefs, and fuch Sin as is inconfiftentwith a ftare of Salvation. And we eafily grant, that all Sins are not fuch Sins as thefe: But Gods Law is perfect, tho' man be im-perfeft, and forbiddeth all Sin, even the ieaft^

B(Sx ) rhe Herefies of Popery > 5 iaith, [ To do that which is „ , .:ct neceffary, becznfe one may

heverthelefs be fa-ved : Bnt he voho omitteth vhat is com-, i.mdzd, (unlefs he do pennance 7 y cannot efcap: Eternal fains.']

i. See h re whar a frivolous CounfelleS hey moke C rift, when it's not necefiary o follow his Couniel.

2. See here how they make Necefflty to 3e only of that which a man cannot be fayed without : When Saul a Perfecutor* and Blaiphemer, an Infidel, Murderer,^?, may befaved, if he be truly Convi<Sed~ Obedience hath it's Neccffuy, tho' we kne\ar hat God would forgive Diiobedience, to the Convicted.

3. See here how they damn themfelves-and all mankind, every man lining omittetb what is commanded many hundred times,. for which he doth not that which they call Pennance. He is a Lyar, that faith he bath no Sin, fpecially of Omifliom Gods Law bindeth us all to Believe, to Hope,, todefire Holinefs and Heaven, to love God and our Neighbours, and ourEne* mies, with a ftronger degree of Faith^. Hope, Defire, and Love, than we do: ~ >ery Prayer, and Meditation is finfully

feftive ; Every hour hath fomg omifliorv E 5 <*?

( 2 2 ) of improvement: And all this h not re-xnembred, nor all confeft to a Prieft, noi all known or obferved by any Sinner: And fome omiffion we are guilty of at oui very Death, by gradual defeft of Faith, Hope, Patience, Love, Content, and Joy. And muft all thefe goto Hell ?

4. Seeing by Penance they mean nol bare Repentance, but making God iatis-fattion by a task, of Penalty laid on their by a Prieft, ye fee how they damn them-felves, would be the Mafters of all other! Salvati n, by their Pennances.

5. But it's like that Purgatory is inclu cled by them in Pennances \ or elie n< man fhould go to Purgatory, but all tc Hell: For all have many omiffions o commanded Duty, which they did nt Pennance for in this Life.

6. But you fee of how fktle value the 1 judge Chrifts Sacrifice* and Merit, tha pardoneth no omiffion of a duty wit ho h Pennance, and Satisfaction truly.

The Nineteenth aeenfed Point*

That by the fall of Adam, we have a hft our Pr it-will, and that it is nrf in 0% \owertQthwfegoody but only Evil.

Jin

(8? )■

r . Reader, I mud defire thee not to-. |udgeof all t Learned Papifts, by this river : For if rhou haft read the loads f Voluminous Conrroverfies about Grace nd Free-will among themfelves, it will main dopbtful to :b-e 5 whether this mans ting /roteftants Do&rine, prove

him ignorant of it, or a willing Cheater* He tells you not,that this is as much a Con-iroverfie among themfelves, as with the Proreftants. He tells you not, how Aug*-fiinc and Talagius managed it, and that their Pope Celcfiine took Angujlines part: He tells you not, that the Tbomifts, bomi~ means y Oratorians, and moft Nominals % and Sccti(ts, fay as much againft Free-will as we do, and we as much for it as they. He foppofeth that you never read what Lomb&rd, Aquinas, Bradwardim, Cajc* tunc , Ferraricvfis , Zumel, Banner , Al~ z. , lALgtdins Komi, Cafrcolns, and a Multitude more, fay as much, and many more, againft Free-will, than the Prote-ftants: He tells, you, not that even the I med Je[nits, Snarez., Vafqne^, Bel-larminc, with Pmottus, and many fuch, are as much againft Free-will, as moft Learned Proteftams, The man takes you for a Herd of filly Animals , that know , but that he faith true, what ialfhood

lO*

( 8 4 ) foever he fhall tell, you : But the truth of the Controverfieisthis :

i. The Proteftants loath fo filly a Hating of Controverfits, as this chat of Free-will without diftinAion : And fo of Fewer.

2. They know that Fhyficat, Moral % and Political Freedom of will, are not all one thing. Phyfical Freedom or Power, is that by which the natural faculty of the will , can determine it (elf to ad, (not without a fuperiour Cauie, bur) without any extrinfick or intrinfick Coattor, or nt-€tjfitating caufe of Ev \ ,

Moral Freedom and Power, is that by which the will is from under the overftrong Byas of a vicious Dtfpofition, or deceiifut Argument.

3. political Freedom is, when no Law of God or Man obligeth him to any Evil, but all to good.

Protheftants hold, 1. That Phyfical Liberty and Power, is common to man, as man. That is, that he wants not natural faculties to choofe aright, but a right lncl;nuion\ At;d that he finneth not for want of fuch faculties, but for want of their right difpofition and aftion.

2. That all men have jt^ft io much, and no nr.CK'e Moral Liberty and power, as they

have

ce, to Relieve their * ted wills and difpcfnions, and to help thera in the act. No man is freed from vitiont hi inations, further than Gods Grace freetb him, which is much more where there is [fecial Grace and prong, than where there is but common Grace or weak. And that the Thraldom or Imfoten:y of the Vinous, is bat the difeafe of their wills, and aggravation of their Sin: e.g. Where the Drunkard or Fornicator lakh, / cannot forbi in: He is lb much the worfe

and more unexcuteable.

3. Every man hath Rot only Political Liberty to avoid Sin, but much more, even Gods urgent Precepts, Promises , and Threats: God doth not only give us Leavej but commandeth us not to Sin.

i. It is the very Effence of the mil to be a natural power or faculty of willing good and ntiling evil, a* fueh, as fo apprehended by the mtelleft , and commanding the inferior faculties, feme politically, and fome dc-fpotically, fome difficultly, fome eafily, fome perfectly , feme imperfectly , according to \iis resolution and their receptivity.

2. Libert as hommu, when a man may have what he choofeth, is more than Libert** Voluntatis, which is but the A: of it's lclf ^examination', as w.t.iout i

haint it is a felf determining its own elicite a&s 5 confidered cowpari-lively.

Which is, i. Liberty of contradiction-or Exercife, vi^ to^ will or not will, nill or not nill. 2. Liberty of Contrariety, or Specification of the Ad , viz*. To wik this or nill it. 3. Liberty of Competition^ to will TKr object or That : To nill 1 1 or r/^r, (of which fee £</krf Baronim his Metaphyficks.)

The will hath fuch various forts of Li* berty, and the word £ Free-will"] is fc ambiguous, that it is a fhame, and irkiome to read a pretended Teacher, ftate a caft thus indiftinftly, Whether we have Freewill ox power to choofegood and rcfufe evil He is no man that hath no fuch Free-wil and power. And no man hath*// forts o Free-will and power. Nay, as Liberty i oppofed to Necfffity^ every man is neceffi tated to will Good as Good, and nill Evil a Evil y and can do no otherwife : And when ever he willeth Evil, it is fub ratione bom miftaking it for good : And who-ever nit Icthgood, dorh it falfely, fnb ratione mah The will is free from Constraint to Sin God will not ib conftrain it; Men, De vils, Objects, cannot. He that had rea but their Pennattw and Gibievf onl}

wool

•:o rid fee what a fhame it is thus confu-=dly ro talk for or againft Frce-ivtll.

Bl c thar which Prorefiants deny, is this. . They deny that mans will in his unre-■enerate State, is free from zVhiow Inclination, or from the Conduit of an Erring ntellctt, or from the Byafs and Tetnpta-ion of Stnfuahty, or vitiated Sevfes and hnagination } or frcm the Temptations of Jatan and the World.

2. They deny that the will thus Vitia-ed and Tempted, will ever deliver itfelf without Gods Spirit and Grace} being ra-her inclined to grow worfe.

3. They deny that this Grace is ferfctl n any in this Life, as without ail defefl in iegree, or totally freeth any man from til Sin: and therefore they deny that my mans will is perfe&ly and incul-[>ably free from every degree of vice and danger.

4. And as that degree of common Grace which is in the unregenerate, is but |uch as confifteth with the predominance or Reign of Sin, lb thar will ot every un-regenerate man in that prstvity. is as a il

to it's own vitious

tour , Objects, ana Temp r s', bt

not delivered as to the predominance.

5- Yet

CSS)

5. Yet we believe that common Grace is fuch, that theie men are not utterly void of all good Inclination , and knowledge : and therefore that in Moral Sexce, every man can do more good y and lefs Evil than he doth : And that men perifh, becaufe nor only they will not (by pravity) do what they have natural firength to do, but alfo becaufe they will not choofe and do whai morally they might have chofen and done : as to the wills own power.

6. And we (til) fay, that whenever a man finneth, ic was not becaufe it was na» turally impojfible to do otherwiie, (as to touch the Moon, to fee without Eyes, or! through the Earth, &c. y ) nor for want ol natural faculties? nor doth God by Grace, give man other natural faculties, making him an Animal of another Species : But men fin becaufe they will fin , aud they will becaufe they are tempted and now viti* onjly inclined ; from which their wills are made free only in that meafure, that Gods Grace doth fanttifie them.

If our Prieft would have told us, what there is in all this Do&rine of Free-will, that he dare accufe, (and what dare he not cccufe,) we fhould have feen caufe to confider of his Arguments : But now he citeth Scripture as in a Dream.

Tl?2

r wemieth accufed Point.

t it is irnpoflible to keep the Command-ems of God, tbo affiftzd ' with all his rat . . Holy Ghojv.

Anf. Still meer Confufion. Proreftants

iftinguifh, I. Impoffibility as natural or

It /it j 2. Of Grace as per/eft or Imperfect,

id as determitately Operative, or only

Iffifiing and not Determining.

And they hold, i. That no Duty is Im-ijfible, ( or the performing of no Commandment,) by meer Phyfical Impojfibility : 'he realon is, becaufe God commandeth o Phyfical lmpoffiblts : Such as before amed, to fpeak without a Tongue, to . j e without Light or Object, to know lings not knowable or revealed, to ?ad without any 'Teaching or Learn-

If a man indeed difable himfelf, as put v 'ih Eyes that he may not rend, or cue •uchis Tongue^hat he may not Preach; he difabling aft is vitioufly aggravated* rom good to which he difabled

limfelf, as if it ftill had been his Duty : Jut we cannot fay that God ftill command-th him when Blind to Read, or when 3umb to Speak, &c. Indeed God changed

(90 ) cth not his Law ; but recipitur ad modni recipients: The man hath changed hi Capacity, aud is now no Subjett capabl of fuch aii Obligation or Command ; tho he be capable'of punifhment for difablin: himfelf, and Non-performance : Sin is n further Sin than it is Voluntary, by th wills Omjfion or Aft^ immediately or me diately.

2." But that it is Morally by otrtf pravh now Impojfible^ for any man to keep all Goa Commandments and never Sin ; what need there more than fad experience of the mat ter of Faft.

i. Did he ever know the man himfelf that from his firft uieof reafon to his Death did fpend every minute of his time as Goc commanded him, and did Believe, anc Love God and Man, and all good, witl as great Love as God commanded him And was as free from every Fault Thought, Paflion, Defire, Fear, Care Trouble, Pleafure, Word and Deed a God commanded ? He w*uld be no imal Sinner that were fo felf ignorant, proud unhumbled, as to fay that he is n« Sinner.

2. Why elfe do thefe Priefts force a men to confefs their Sins to them, if me be fuch as never finned ?

( 9' )

n. Why othey compofe all their Li-rgies and Offices for their Churches, :th Confe.Tions of Sin ; and Prayers for rgiveneis ?

4. \\ hy do they Baptize all, if they ve no Sin ? And in what Sence do they ve them the Eucharift ?

5. How little uie do they feign fuch en to have of a pardoning Saviour ?

6. In what Sence (hall fuch fay the )rds Prayer, Forgive m our Sins or Tre£ ffes?

7. Doth not the Text exprefly call him -yar that faith he hath no Sin j as afcre-}d: And Chrift condemn the Pharifee 3t juftiBed himfelf, and joftified the |nfeffing Publican ?

I But it's like he will fay that he did not lean, that any man dot is keep all the Com-\tnds % but that he can do it, tho* he da ^t. jinf. I again fay, 1. He can as to Unral flrength, if he were but perfeRly t&conftantly willing : But it cannot be that b fhould be fo willing without Grace, and •race is not perfect in this Life. 2. The ;ore he boafteth of his Power to keep all ods Laws , the more he condemneth mielf that can and will not. 3. And fru~ *a fit pottntia qn& mtnquam & a nemine dncitnr in an am ; If he confels that no

man

(90

man doth it, he muft confefs fuch a Mor\ impoffibility as the Prophet meant, thl faid, Can the Leopard change his Spots, the Blackjnore his Skin ? Then may th\ that are tccuftomcd to do 'Evil, ham do well.

But perhaps he meant not that it is pofil ble to keep all the Commands, for all oil Lives, but tot fome foort time ? I anfwe i. While a man hath the ufe of his Rej fon, he doch not reach the commande degree of Faith, Love, Joy, Heavenly nefs, one moment of time: But indeec when a man is ajlsep, in a Swoan, an Api flexy, (lark^ mad, &c. he may for ttu time breaks no Command, nor keep any.

But perhaps he fpeaketh but of fincet y Obedience, and not of abfolute finleis pel fetfion. Anf. If fo, he is a deceive t ieign that we deny it: But their Dod of Perfeftion and Supererogation is con trary.

Obj. But he fpeaketh not what man c*\ do without Grace, bat by it's ajfijl-.. ct Anf. Grace maketh oo man abfolutely Go; lefs, and perfect in this Life.

Let him know, that Proteftaws do no only fay that man by Gods Grace n a\ keep Gods Commandments fincerely, (thp not finlefly and perfectly, ) bat that nc

mil

C 91 ) f Age and , Reafon (hall be faved oth not fo. 2 . And that tho' all our Obedience be iperfett , the Imperfections are pardo-?d, and our Obedience accepted and regarded, for the Merits of the perfect O-sdience , Sacrifice, and Interceflion of ur Saviour.

, The One and Twentieth aceufed Point.

i bat F Aith only Jnftifieth, and that good 'forks are not abjolntely necejfary to Saltation.

Anf. Many wordy Controverfies are lade about things, that in Sence men are ommonly agreed in. 1. We all believe 5ods Word, that they were deceived that bought they could be juftified either by le Law of Innocency or Nature, or the ,aw of Mofes^ or any merirorious Works f their own,without,or as a lupplem-.nt to ie Sacrifice, Merits and free Grace of thrift our Saviour, and Faith in him.

2. By Faith is meant Chrifiianity: In he Goi'pel it i^all one to be a Believer , a Difctple of Chritty and to be 4 a Christian. \ he Chriftian Faith is that which is ex->reft in the Baptifmal Covenant, believing n and giving up our felves to, God the

Father,

C 94) Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft: To Chr as our Prophet, Prieft and King, i\> faved by his Merits and free Grace: Ai this is put in oppofition to the Works Adams or Mofes.L&Wi or any other th are conceited to luffice and merit, withe the forefaid Redemption by Chrift. Ai is not this the true Doftrine of all tr Chriftians ?

2. Thefe good Works that are our ( bedience to the Law of Chrift, are but tl performance of our Bapciimal Covenan and the Fruits of Faith, without which is dead Hypocrifie, and are of abfolu neceffity to Salvation , to all that ha^ time to do them.

Againft the charge, That we are Sinne deferving Hell, we are juftified by Chri believed in : Againft the accafation, Th, we are Infidels , Ungodly, Hypocrice j we muft be juftified by our Faith, Godl nefs, and Works, orperifh.

But wedoalfohold, i. That if a mc be convitted, as the Theif on the Crof andftioulddiefuddenly, no outward goo which he cannot do, rs abtoiutely necefT i-y to his Salvation, but only his inwar Faith, Love, and Repentance, and Coi feffion jf able.

(9-J )

2. We do firmly hold, that Works done ith a conceit of obliging God by Merit,

commutative Juftice, or as conceited ffkient without a Saviour, and the p»P >n of their failings, arefuchas morefur-er Damnation than Salvation, at leaft thofe that hear the Gofpel.

3. And we are no Papifts, and there-re believe not that ignorant words of rayer in a Tongue not underftood, and earing Reliques, and going on Pilgrima-?s, and needlefs coflfeflmg to Prielts, and ibjeftion to an univerfal Vice-Chrift, and ving upon the Blood of Saints, Murde-ng the Living, and praying to the Dead, pd the Sons honoaring their Days, Recks and Monuments, whom their Fathers urnt or Periecuted ; thefe are not Good Vorks necefiary to Salvation, as is plain, dath.is. and Revel. 14. 17, 18, c Vedo, with Paul, renounce all Works of ur own, that are thought to make the leward to be of Debt and not of Grace, nd that are let in the leaft oppofition or ompetition with Chrifts Merits, or any •lace lave commanded Subordination to im.

The

The Two and Twentieth acenfed Point.

That no Good Workj are Meritorious*

Anf. The word Merit is ambiguoi and fo abufed by Papifts, that indeed t! Proteftants are (hyer of it than the Fathe were, left the ufe of it fhould cherifh tl abufe.

i. There is Merit of man, and of Go 2, And this in Commutative Juftice(co ceited,) or only in Governing diftributi-Juftice. 3. And this is either accordi: to the Law of Innocency or Mofes^ or a cording to the Law of Chrift.

Now Proteftants hold, t. As to t! Name, that *|iW and *f j*, worthy ai worthinejs, are Scripture words, and tube ufed ^ and Merit jsbut of the famefi nification, and we condemn not the Anc entsthat fouled it: But the worft Sent mull not be cherifhed.

2. Do they hold, 1. That no Creata can merit of God in Commutative Juftic that giveth quid fro quo to his Benefi: God receiveth not from Man or Angeh unlefshe will call Acceptance and Con placence Receiving.

3. None but Chrift merited of ftri Governing Jnftic^ according to the La

( 97)

>l S ... Innocence, nor by any Works mat mm from the charge $f Sin

md 0 ; r o/* Death*

3. All at Age chat will be faved, muft

d Works according to their Capa-ity, for Chrifi is the Author of Salvation y o all thcje that obey him. Heb. 5. 9. iho 1 they obey noc an unknown Prieft at Rime.

Bu: all thefe Works are our Obedience o Chrifis own healing Governmen:, fuel* is the Laws of a Phyfician to the Sick-tod we all agree, that he will Judge (that s > Jufttfic or Condemn in Judgment) all

n according to their Works, that is, ac-rording to the Law and it's promulgation t )y wkich in their feveral Ages and Nati->ns he governed them.

4. Your own Doctors chat know what hey fay, tell us, that by ^r^they mean lothing but the Rtwardabls quality of their

r, related to Gods promife through Chrifis ! t its. And doth any Proteftant Church leny thio ?

The Three and Twtmieth accufed Point.

- That Faith once had, cannot fofitly Its

( ** )

jthf. Still confuted (lander and deceit.

Proteftants hold^ i • That the Faith no reoted^ prevalent and faving y is frequently loft, fuch as youcal] fides in for mi*.

2. That even fincere Faith may be loft as to the Aft for fome little time, that is fufpended in a deliqHmm , as Veters am theirs, Luk- 24. that faid, We trufied thi, had been he , &c.

3. That many lofe to the Death fom degree of their habitual Faith.

4. But they differ in the reft, juft a ^ou do among your felves, Dominican end Jefrits. 1. Some think that no on< (at Age at leaft) in a State of fuch Faith a: at prefent would have faved him,doth eve* totally lofe it. 2. Some think that man) have but fuch iofeable Grace as Adam had x. As being not Eleft to Salvation, anc therefore not in Gods decree of Preierva-tion and Perfeverance, 2. As having 2 Faith not Rooted and Confirmed: And thatthefe may fall from a juftified Stare: But that, 1. The Elett. 2. Nor the Confirmed, never fall away. This was jfuflins Judgment, and his followers, ol which fee Fojfii Thefes. And is that > frit honeft that feigneth this proper to the Proteftants, where the Controverfie is the fame among themfelves ?

(99 )

7 our and Twentieth tccufed Printl

That Cod by his will 4nd inevitable dei ee*> hath ordained from all Eternity^ wb* til be Damned and who Saved. Anf. What a falfe Deceiver is this f at would make us believe, that this is oper to the Proteftants, when it is the ommon Dodhine not only of the DomU cans, but of the very Jtfuits themfelves* d all their Church.

i. None of them dare fay, that men e Damned or Sa?ed without Gods fore-lowledge, nor againft his abfolute will, i overcoming his Power.

2. None of them dare fay, that this re-knowledge of God was not from ;ernity, but that he knew one day what

knew not before.

3. All that the Jcfuits themfelves fay,

[ that God decreed it upon this fore-towtedge, and that he hath a Scientis did, what will come to pafs, fofitis qui-[drnm, if luch and i'uch things be done man ; and that this fore-knowledge in der of Nature is before the Decree * it both from Eternity. But Cardin Came-cenfis ( Petria de Aliaco,} hath irrefra-blycoufnted this impofing Priority and Fi Pofte-

( IOO )

Posteriority of aft on God ; tho' I thin force Divine ads as denominated onl. Relatively from the order of Objects may be fo diftinguilhed *

4. In-all this, we lay not, that God hai by his will and decree ordained from Ece; nity, (or in time) that men /W/ fin, o mil and choofe Evil, but only who fhall b Damned for fm, which God never will* or caufed, but forefaw; not as if hewer an idle Spectator, but a willing fnfpende of his own afts, ib far as ro leave Sinner to their felf-decermining wills.

5. But God being the caufe of Good and Men and Devils of Evil, our Salvatioi is of him , and our Deftiuihon of ou felves; and therefore God decreeth no Men's Salvation or Salification., meerl on forefight of our Faith, but decreet our Faith it ieif: Siu he perrmtreth t>ut Faith he effe&eth , and decreeth to Effcft.

6. As for them that feign that we fay: that God decreeth that ionic fhall be Savec and others Damned however they Live it is but the dictates of the Father of Lies We iay that God at once decreeth th< End, and the Means; as he doth not de^ tree that men fhall live though they neithe Ear nor Drink, nor that they fhall hav<

* ^f^.%t> , Corn

r i, hough they neither Plow nor Sow f r at they fhall Eat and Drink, and IWe

er by ; and that they fhall Plow and

w, and mannure the Soil, and fohave

orn. u So God doth at once decree,

chat this and that man fhall have the

c means of Grace, (efpecially a Saviour

1 and the Golpel,) and (hall faithfully ufe

(< rhem, and be Sanftitied by them, and

<c fincerely obey God, and overcome the

<L World, the Flefh and the Devil, and

14 perfevere to the End, and that for

< € Chrifis Merits he will give rhem rile

" Grace of his Spirit, and pardon th

u Sins, and bring them to Glory, j Ail

this is our Decree of God.

But he doth not decree that men fhall fin, that they may be Damned : For (in is no Work of God, nor a means appointed by him for Men's Damnation, no more than a Righteous King doth make men Traytors or Murderers, that he may Hang tht in. But he juftly denyeth his Grace to many that forfeit it by willful Refiftance* Di obedience, and Contempt; though he take not the forfeiture of his Eleft.

He is deceived and wrongeth God that

maketh him the Author of Mens fin : And

fo dorh he that fdgneth God to lend his

Son to redeem the World, and his Word

F 3 and

I

( ic2 ; <

and Minifters to call them, and \i% Spiri! to renew them, and all this at Rando.^i not knowing whether it may not be all {oft or leaving it chiefly to the Free-wil) oi| them, whofe wills are contrarily inclined and vitiated ? Whether Chrift and all hii Preparations fhall be loft ?

The plain Chriftian that holdeth bu to thefe two points, that onr Deftruttion *f our/elves, but our help and Salvation of t God, and that God is the firft andchiefcanfa of all good , and Mtn and Devils of all Evily is liker to be wife with Sobriety and Safety , than the Ignorant Intruders into Gods Secrets, and the prating Calumniators that fpeak Evil of the things, which they underftand not; and repreach thofe that fpeak not as Rafhly and Ignorantly as themielves, eveninfome equivocal unexplained words

MethinksPapifts fhould be fo kind to God, as feeing the Pope can tell who is a Damned Heretick, and to be kill'd, (even all that believe not in the Pope, or are not his Subje&s,) and who is in Purgatory, and how long he (hall ftay there : Or how many years Torment the Pope can Ihor-ten : They fhould allow God to know a little more, and that not as one whofe Power and Grace is Conquered by impotent

( io* ) btent Worms, againft his abfolute Will

The Vive and Twentieth Ate ufed Point.

That every one ought Infallibly to ajfurt vmfelf of his Solvation , and to believe that h is of the number of the Predeftinate.

Anf. I would fain exeufe the man as far is 1 can, and therefore I hope, that as the man was excufable that did eat Snakes for Snigs, (or Eels,) fo he read lome Pamph -lee of an Antimonian, either Crtfp or 5. marfli , or fome other fuch, or talkt with (bme of their filly Novices, and thoughthe had Convers'd with the Reformed Catho-licks, or read the Confeffions of the Re-formed Churches.

The firft Sentence is a Fundamental Truth , and a damnable Falflwod , as the Equivocal words are varioufly understood. And is it not pity that the Priefts of the Infallible Church, (hould put things fo different into the fame words, and that in an accufation of ib many Churches and Nations ; when yet God himfelf is feigned by them to write by his Spirit fo Unintelligibly, that without thefe Doftors skilful Expofition, it is but like to make men He-reticks, (that is, Adveriartes to the Pope and his Clergy.)

2*0 a/fare cur [elves of t>ur Salvation £may mean, to give all diligence to make our Sai lotion infallibly fare : This every one ought to do.]

Or it may mean, that every man ought to believe it as an infallible Truths that he fall be favedr\ The next Sentence feem-e:h to make this his meaning in the firft ; Which if it be, he is a fahe Calumniator of the Reformed Churches.

But if the firft be his meaning, and he ■deny it, he is an open Enemy to Man's Salvation.

What is all the Scripture for, and all our Religion, but to make fure of our Salvation? 2 Pet. \. 10* Give all diligence to make your Calling and Eicttion fare. And if no man can be fure, to what purpofe hath God made fo many promifes of it, ex-prefling the Conditions, (to them that believe, that love,God, that foriake all for him,) if no man can know whether he perform the Condition, and that he is within this promife ? why doth God lay down fo many figns to difference the Children of God from the Children of the Devil, if they cannot be difcerned ? Sure Heaven and Hell be not like; and yet are the Heirs of Heaven and Hell undiftinguilhable ? Is the Image of God and the Devil fo like

that

io5 ) Hlatnonetan know them afunder? No,

: iheman char hath had them both ? And

,vhv doth God fo afcen call on Believers to

; oyce , if ihey cannot know whether

he> (hall be in Heaven and Hell for ever ?

f \ ou fay, he is nut fure to perfevere^ ma-

ly Pap it: s grant that the Conf.rmed may.

And why may uot Bradford^ Heoper, San-

icrs^ and Thousands el(e, that are Dying

by the Sacred blood-thirfty Church, beat-

lured whea they are Dying, that they have

forfaken Life and alJ for Chrift.

Bat oportet mendacemcffe mcmorem flill: Why do you not tell men when the Pope is lelling them Pardons, and faving them out of Purgatory , that when all's done they can have no aflurance of Salvation? yea, that they ought not to endeavour to makeitibre? And whole now is the fafe Church and Religion , if a Papift can never be fure that he fhall be laved in your Church and Religion ; nor lure thai he is in a State of Salvation/ That is, that he is a true Chriftian, and hath Charity, and is an honeft man ?

ft man that hath got true *nd clear Evidence that he hath a Confirmed Faith\ and Hope , a?id loveth Gody ♦< i :bovc

ally ought conlequently to take i: for an infallible Truth, chat fo Dying, he fl ! F- ? b*

( io6 )

be faved: Elfe he muft either give G< the Lie, that hath promifed it, or he mt be fuppofed to be deceived when he thini eth that he believeth and loveth God. ( But that every man maft believe th he is of the Number of the Predeftina to Salvation, is a damnable Doftrine, b caufeit requireth all the Millions of ungot ly men to believe a Lie, yea to believe as a Divine Truth, and to make God bot the Author of the Lie, and of the dece of our felves by this Command. An when Millions are not of the Number c Sanftified, and therefore not of the Pre deftinate, if they fo continue, what ca more harden them in their Impenitence than to tell them that they muft all believ. that they (hall be faved ? How man' hundred Proteftant Books, and thoufam Sermons tell the World that it is th< Preachers earned drift, to fave Wicket men from fuch Prefnmption, which make: men call them terrible Preachers ? Ever} man is bound to believe Gods promife tc be true, and that he himfelf (hall be faved if he be a true penitent ianftified Chriftiao, and fo continue, and that elfe he (hall be Damned ; and not to diftruft God as unwilling to continue the Grace he hath given him.

Ti

i

(.07)

x and Twentieth ace fifed Poiml

at every man bath net an Angel Guar* or Keeper.

• Anf. i. We hold that every true Chri-

i ian, even the ieaft, hath his Angel who be-

M oldeth the Face of his Father in Heaven:

■ jid that Angels are Gods Miniftring Spi-

4 its, for the good of his Eleft 9 and that

aaey guard us and pitch their Tents about

s, and bear us up in their Hands, and

:eep us in and from Danger, and rejoyce

t the Converfion of a Sinner, and that we

ve in invifible Communion with them,

ind (hall be like them.

1. But whether every Chriftian have me Angel to himfelf alone, that guardeth no other, or one Angel guard Hundreds or Thoufands: Or whether fome ( as Lower Officers are fet over a few, and others as General Officers are over whole Kingdoms,) we leave to the determination of the Infallible Pope, who is bolder with iGods Secrets than we dare be.

3. But till now, I thought they had not been fo prefumptuous,as to aflert that every man hath a Guardian Jingel. Where is there one word of God for this ? Is every man an Heir of Salvation 7 or one of

Chrifts

( ic8 ) j

Chrifts little ones, or under his promifiP Had Cain and Jnda* fuch Angels, and ;[*' the Sodomites ? I

Chrift made it an argument ot Terra] to Perfechtors 1 that they offend \uch at h*W fitch Angels with God : And dare you pair M them as Devils, and Burn them, or MuiU der them by the Dragons Dragoons, i|f f you believe that every man hath fuch ,|f Guardian Angel ? Surely Saints, tho' cailecp Hereticks, have fuch. I

The Seven and Twentieth accused Point* (

That the Holy Angels fray not for usXi nor know our Thvttghrs-#nd difires on Earth.

Anf A falfe aect-fation. We lay not that they pray not for us, nor that they know not our defires, nor any of our* Thoughts. We fay that Angels are not fuch Strangers to Saints and finccre Godli-neis, as not to know that all Gedly men de-fire the Hailowing of Gods Name, the coming of his Kingdom, and the doing of his Will on Earth as ir is done in Heaven: They that know what Grace is, and what our Prayers are, know much of our de-fires : And we do not think that Angels know lets of our Thoughts than Devils,, who wefeei jo oa* Trouble are not altogether

s

( iop )

igethtr unacquainred with them. And ^i thofe Angels that rejoyceat a Sinners Con-

verfion, are nor unacquainted with ir.

n And as to their Playing, we know not

fchowit is that Angels exprels their defires

ito God ; but we all agree that they defire

our welfare, and therefore may befaidto

. pray for ir, if all notified Defire be Prayer.

We fuppole that they know and Love us,

far better than we know and Love each

orher.-

But we read that the Heretical Gnoftickf-, or their like,did deceive men, £by Voluntary Humility, and worflrippinjr of Ana els, intruding into thofe things which they had not fttn, vainly pnft tip by afiejhly mind, ] CoL 2. 18,19. Therefore we dare not pretend to Papal Infallibility, nor boldly to conjecture, how far it is that our Thou£hrs arc known to Angels, nor how much they are ignorant of them ; nor when , or how oft , or bow far, or in what manner they pray for us: How far particularly, and 1 far only generally , &c. Had this knowledge been needful to us, God would have revealed it.- Much lefs do we know what Angel or what departed Soul of a Saint hath the care or charge of our Sheep, and of our Cittel, and who of our Pigs and Geete, and who ol our fruits and

Corni

(no)

Com • abundance of thefe things we leai to the Infallible Church : As we do theiH acquaintance in Purgatory, while our acquaintance and Converfation in Heiven, can reach no higher than the profpeft which we have in and by the Glafs *f Scripture Revelation.

The Eight and Twentieth acenfed Point.

That we may not fray to them.

Anf. i. We may defire Living Saints to pray for us, and this may be called Praying to them : So a Child prayeth to his Father or Mafter. But we pray not to dead Saints nor Angels: i. Becaufe we have an hundred Commands to pray to God, and not one to pray to them, and where there is no Law, there is no Tranf-greflion or Sin. Therefore while we are lure it is no Sin to forbear it, and know not but it is Sin to do it, we go the fafe way : If they fay, it is againftthe Popes Law or his Clergy's, we fay with P«/, it is a imail thing to us to be judged of man, (who can but kill our Bodies,) we have one that judgeth us, even the Lord* Lee the Pope Damn us if he can.

2. As the firft Commandment forbid-deth us to have any God but one, fo the

.lecond

ond forbiddeth us to worfhip fo as the

eachens did their Idols, becaufe it is Bo-

ily interpretative Idolatry and Scandal:

ut the Heathens ufed to pray to their un-

er Deities, whom they judged to be

uch like that which the Papifts judge of

ngels, and prating to Invifible Spirits is

|o imitate them as lcandaloufly as praying

oward Images: No wonder therefore

hat you fo utually leave out the fecond

ommandment.

3. Gods Word is the Rule of all acceptable Religious Worfhip, (tho* but a Ge. ncral Rule in many Modes and Circum-ftances,j and therefore we fear fwerving from it.

4. Angels themfelves never demanded it, nor Chrift befpake it for them, yea, they twice forbad it John: See thon do tt not.

5. Angels being more holy than we^ are more for the Glory of God, and the hatred of Creature arrogance and Idolatry j and as God calleth himfelf fpecially Jealous agairfft bodily Worfinp like the Idolaters+ in the fecond Commandment, fo Angels are more jealous againft it than w$ are.

6. As Angels faid, See thou do it not, fo tontrarily Satan tempted Chrift, with the pffer of the Kingdom and glory of the World\

to

( IT2)

t& fall down and worfliip hhn. Thetfefoi we had rather hearken to the Angels thdh to Devils: And fear, rhey that do otherh wife, vorfhip Devils for Angels, becauli only Devils have fought ibch Worfhipl And the Devil oft turneth himielf as intfl an Angel of Light to deceive, as hi Minifteis do into Minifters-of RighteouG nefs.

7. We know not when Angels hear us. and when they do riot : And therefore know not when and how ro pray to them.

8. As we arefure that God would have! bid us do it, if he would have us do ir, fo we know that he is allfufficient to tell them what and when to doe for us; and tc fray to him is the way to fecure their Service.

9. And we know that there is one Mediator between God and Man, whole Io» terceffionis fufficient.

1 o. And we know that Chriftians praying to Angels and feparated Souls, greatly hardeneth the Heathen World that pray to leparated Souls, and Daemoift that are thffir Sub deities.

11. And when thefe men faf not, we wnft pray to Angels, but voe may do it ; what horrid Murderers are they, that will Burn, Kill, and Damn men, for not doing

( iM )

ihat they thinly they may do , »

y way? or Divine Obligation ? Wny He they ir noe at belt, as par: of their

brks of Supererrogarion ?

12. The Deceiver prophaning the Scrip-

?, i. Puts Jacobs Benediction defiling Angels guard on his Son, to be a

*yer co Angels. Yea, when the Fa-ers fay , that Angel was Chi ill him? If.

2. And Jacobs words to the Angel that feared to him, to be a reafon tor our aying to unieen Spirits: If they appear

us, we fhall the better know what and hen tofpeakto them.

The Nine andTventieth accnfed Point.

That the Angels cannot help us.

j4nj. This is too grofs ftating of Con-roverfies for a Collier or a Cobler, tho' [lot for a Doftorof Infallible Church.

i. We lay, that not only an Angel, but I Man, on Ais, fas Balaams,} a blaft of Wind, Flics, Frogs, Lice (as in £?>? r 0 :an help us, when God lendeth them to lelpus.

2. We believe that Angels are fpecially Empowred and willing for it. So that

they

( iH)

they are GodsEminertt Miniftring Spir] for the good of his Eleft.

3. But we believe that they can do n| thing for us, but what God empowre and CommiflTioneth them to do. He th Cnrfeth thofe that trnfi in man, and ma FUJI) their Arm, inftead of tracing Got will fo Curfe them that fo trufl in Angel But yet we may and muft trnft man an Angels, according to their feveral mea fures of Gods authorizing and enablin^ them. The great Mercies of Proredioi and afliftance that God giveth us by Angels is the matter of much of our daily thank to God : And I am daily thankful to Angel; themielves ; and I think 1 love them bet ter than any Friends on Earth , becaufe they are better, and love God better : And I am the willinger to Die, becaufe I fhaB go to the World of Love, where as God and Chrift is Love, fo Angels love God, and we for his fake, better than I love my ielf, while our Papifts that pray to Angels, devour the blaod of Saints.

The Thirtieth aecuftd Teint.

That no Saint Deceafed, hath after ap feared to any on Earth.

Anj

Jinf. A meer falfe Cafufflny. What oteftant Confefiions have any fuch Ar-c:Ie? How know we what hath been e me of that kind in all the World to this y ? Read but Dr. More, and Mr. GUn-h Books of Apparitions, and Mr. Am~ oft, and Mr. L*wrtticts Books of our mmanion with Angels. Read Z*n-iu* , Luther, McUntton , AfanltHS, IavaIu, &c. and you may fee that this is o Proteftant affertidn. We know that hriffc appeared to SmhI, and that many odiesof Saints aroie at Chrifts Death, nd appeared to many : And what tha ( iVitch of Endor fhowed as S*mnel 7 we ;nownot: We only lay, i. That it is mich liker that Apparitions are ofteft made by Devils or bad Spirits that dwell n the lower Regions, than that bleffed Spirits come from Heaven. 2. But yet feeing Angels thence appear, we cannot fay that Holy Souls never dp. 3. But lhac God will not have it to be any ordinary or trufty means for Men's Salvation : For we cannot know when it is a Holy Soul, and when a Devil: And they that will not believe Mofcs and the Prophets, [and Chrift,) neither will they believe tho* 3ne rofefrom the Dead : It's no Article of our # Faith, that they ever did appear or

eot.

( u6 ) \

«£ An i l [ thefe men rh, " nk othenvtjil

Z2, m A? i. his Opinionmore th ^ tT>

72* 0 W «,</ Thirtieth aceUfed Point.

That the Saints Deceafed, know not nh* fajjeth here on Earth.

■ -^w/: Confufion and Cammny. Ther 1$ knowledge Immediate by Intention and ^ f by Notification from other] And there is knowledge perfeil, and i; part.

i- We take not on us to know the erf.' tent of the knowledge of feparated Souls. And thefe proud Infallible men know no more than we, but fo much lefs, in that they know not their own Ignorance: Yet neither Lilly, nor any Aftrologer, nor Conjurer, that ever I heard of, that pre-tendeth the greareft acquaintance with Spirits, did ever pretend to make their Opinions of them nee?ffary to Salvation;' Dor to kill all Diflenters as Hereticfcs, bu the Vice-Chrift and his Church, we cannot know all that they pretend to know And why muft we needs know whethei ever fuch Souls appeared ? If they did,we will tvy what they are by the word of God,

w'hich

(H7)

tiich is our Rule, And why muft w<? low how much they know ? We know tac they are not Omnifcienr, nor Omni-refent. And how much they know by relent Intention, not one o» thefe Prefers know. That they know more \an we, and know much by the notices f Angels or one another, and fpecially •f the General Srate of Chrifts Kingdom »n Earth, we make no doubt: And what thrift himfelf maketh known to them, we enow not. O ! what lore of men are ^efe, that forbid us to Read the Word of 3od, and yet obtrude on us (on difmal Penalties,) to many things more than all the Bible doth contain !

The Tvcc and Thirtieth Acctfcd Point.

1 I r the S >i?its pray not for w.

A>f. Equivocal and falfe. i. All Saint* on Earth pray for us: It is pirc of the Communion of Saints.*

2. We iay of the Prayer of departed Souls, the fame that we laid before of the Praver of Angels. Their Genera! Re-iquefts for the Church and againft Enemies, | cweth not to us what extent their knowledge of particulars hath, nor what particulars they ask, ner that every Chriftian

can

r n8 )

can lay that they pray for him, and t\ bis particular cafes.

The Three and Thirtieth acenfed Point, j

That Vfe ought not to bejeech God, to gray qht prayers in favour of the Saints, or theii Merits: Nor do we receive any benefit thereby.

Anf. This is before anfwered to the tjth. Accufation. 1 told you that we hold, that* God bleffeth Children for their Hol^ Parents fakes, their Relation making the welfare of the one to be the others : And God bleffed others for Jofephs fake, ancL fometimes preferveth whole Countries fo& the fake of the Godly there : And onu what account, and how far, I wilj not a^| gain repeat.

And the Union *nd Communion of Saints in Heaven and Earth are fo near,] that 1 dare not fay that God doth any ] good to any one faithful Soul, that is not -in fome refpeft for the lake of all the reft i ' as the Cure of an aking Tooth is for the fake of all the Body: That is, i. For the good of the whole. 2. And done out of love to the whole.

But this will not fatisBe confounding De- \ reivers. No doubt it is dead Saints that 1

hei

meaneth: And whit he meaneth by

tits, 1 fuppofehe knoweth nothimfelf;

?Ife he would htve told us .• How far

own, or abhor the pretence of Merits,

tewed before. All Saints are faved by

full fufficient Merits of Chrift , and

e none at all of their own, unlefs the

iablenris of Grace freely given them

called theit Merits, as a thankful Child

re deferveth his Fathers Love, (that is,

more Lovely) than a Rebel that fcorneth

n i and a piece of Gold deferveth to

efteemed above Dirt; and a Nightin-

le above a Toad. Yea their own Je-

f raft/Hex,, not only denieth all Merit of

>d in Commutative Juftice, (as all live

m*ns and a few fuch Sots do,) bat alfo

point of diftributive JnfUce^ by which

feemeth to deny Merit more than Pro-

ftants do- For by Merit we mean but

for* I altitude, for the r crowd of a free

A or who is dlfo RcElor, when the or-

r:r of a free Gift fu[fended en officii!

mdttions, is fafiurtiaMy m*de * means of

oenring Obedience.

Whatever God htth promifed to give for other Men's fake, that he will fa ve. But our Faith (hall not go beyond > Promile: If God have told us any ier-, who Saint Nicolas, and Sr. Becket,

and

C 120 )

and ^i.Chrijhophcr, and St. Jo*n, Jam, tnd'St.lVtnifridaxei and what i were ro us more than others, and they were real Saints, and that he promised us Mercy for their fakes, ar us pray to him for their Meriting for let them fhew us this in his Word. if it be only the Popes Command and Pf mite, let his Subjetts obey and trull it.

We are certain that none but Saints ar faved : And why then muft I go to God for the Merits of St.NiehoLts y or St Bridget any more than for the Merits of all i\ reft, which are many Millions ?

As God is jealous of his Honour agair Idols, fo is he of Chrifts Honour agair jinti thrifts and falie Mediators, and muft do nothing that feemeth to aicril any part of Chrifts proper Office of Mi diation to any Creature : And doth it feem fo, if we pray, Lord bear, pan and favc me for t be Merits of Beetle Bridget, &c. For what more can we iaS of the Merits of Chrift?

But ftill mark, that thefe men lay that, rt>? nuift pray thm for the Merit Saints, but that we may: And muff all Burnt or Damned that will not do all that the Pope thinks they m&y do ?

m

J 21 )

] r we i -< e ?;<? benefit by them, is a >rged Calumny and not our Doftrine: Ve believe that the y*n?j had benefit by ttrabam, Mofcs , David, when they ere Dead: And that the Reformed Charlies have had benefit by the Blood of the iartyrs, fhed by the Blood-thirfty Pa-ifts to this day; and that the whole Church hath benefit by the Writings of hryfoftom , Naxjanzjene, Attguftine, &c. \nther, Calvin, &c.

The Tone and Thirtieth ace ufed Point.

'! hat we ought not exprefly to pray them t* ray or intercede to God for Hi.

Ar.f. There was enough faid of this bene, about praying to Angels.

When God bids us pray to dead Men's ouls, we will do it. Till then your fey-)g we may do it, proveth neither may nor mfttom. Why then cannot you keep four [may^ to your felves ? Never a Con* irer in England cm tell \xs y how far Souls in ieaven can hear, nor where and when they re prefentor within hearing; nor which i them are ((^whether al^or one,or which: >io nor whether thoie Saints that under-rood not Latin on Earth, do underftand ^atin Prayers feat up from Earth, when G the

\he Speaker himfelf underftandeth then ,ot. Alas! Chriftian Reader , what j dark uncertain Worfhip, like Charming would this Infallible Church compell met to offer the mod Holy God, while thej ^ccufe his Word of enfnaring dangerous obfcurity.

We will pray to thofe alive, that wd know do hear us, to pray to God for us, for the fake of Chrift : But it's but profa-nation of the Scriprure, to lay, that bacauli Luke 16, a man in Hell fuppoied to fee and hear Abraham, did pray him to fend La. sLartu on Earth ^ therefore we that neither fee nor hear the Dead, (hould pray to them. But Dives prayed in vain, and fo may you. And what if thofe Souls fnould prove to be in Purgatory ? Muft we pray both to them that are in Purgatory, and for them alio ? And is it certain that the Pope and all his Church, are lure which Saint is not in Purgatory, when ail are there! or worfe flay they,) that ever finned and did not Pennance for it ?

The Five and Thirtieth accufed Point.

That the Bones or Relicks of the Saints are not t9 be kept or refcrved \ no l r irtnc proceed* in? from them after they be ome dead.

j4#f

} nf. i. Where hath God Commanded as ro keep them, for the Virtne that pro-

\ :c(deth from them ?

2 . We deny not but a man may keep a Skeleton or Skull, and if it be his Fathers, we will accufe him no higher than

{ of Imprudence and Paflion. But what proof have you of Virtue proceeding from Bones, till you fee it by experience ? Is it any appointed mean* for God to work

I "Miracles by? And how know you that all were Saints that the Pope calleth fo ? Had all the Debauched Popes of Anno 800, 900, iooo, skiU Infallible to know Saints frcm Hypocrites ? And hath God promifed Virtue to all their Bones i And are you fure that they are their Bones f Alas ! what numerous Tricks have men to truft to, to deceive themfelves and others, that yet will not obey Chrifts plain Commands, and truft his promife !

The Six and Thirtieth accufed Point.

That Creatures cannot be Sanftified, or made more holy than they are already of their own Nature.

Anf. A down-right flander. i. We be-

lieve that all men that fliall be faved, are or

G 2 flud

t

1

( 124 ) •(hall be Sanflified, and made more than they are of their own Nature.

2. We believe that to the Pare, things are Pure^ and are Sanctified by th< Word and Prayer : And that whatever w< Ao % wefhould do it to the glory of God: At$ when a Chriftian devoceth and uleth his Food, Eftate, and all to Gods Service, it is Sanctified.

3. We believe that a Temple, a Font, a Table, and Utenfils, may well be le r

Sarated from common ufes to Gods Wor-lip: And that Separation is a fanttifying of them.

To be Santtifitd or Holy 1 is but to be feparated from common nfe, to Gods [fecial I Service , according to the nature of thje thing ufed.

1. Godly men are SanUifyed and Saints, tecaufe by Soul-confent andi Devotion, iand Practice, they are fincerely leparated to God, from the flavery of the World, -the Flefti and the Devil \ being Habitually and Predominantly lovers of God and Holinefs, by the grace of Chrift and the Holy Ghoft.

2. Profefled Chriftians are Sacramen-tally Sanftifyed, when by outward Bap-tilm, they aredevored to God in Chrift.

3. Fv^

3- Even bad Minifters are externally m&ifyed, as feparated and confecrared o a Holy Office.

4. Temples, and Books, and Church Itenfils are fanftifyed, when by men they tre leparared from common and unclear ifage, ro Gods Worlhip. So that tho' Holinefs in all be this feparation to Godj fet, as the Perfons and things are not the ame, lb neither is their Holinefs in fpuic, but only ingtntrc.

And there is a Super (titioiu and an IdoU-row Moi\^Holinc\s^ when men will devote that to God and Holy ufes which he abhorreth, or accepteth not, nor ever required of them : And lay as the Hypocrite Phariises, it uCorban, who required this at their hands ? The Hypocrites and hdolaters have always been forward for rhis unrequired Mock-Holinefs, to quiet their Consciences, inftead of real laving Holinei's. It's Cheaper and Eafier to have HolyAVarer, Holy-Oil, Holy-Spittle, Holy-Images, Hcly-CrofTes, HoIyVeft-ments of many lores, Holy-Altars, Holy-Shrines , and Pilgrimages, Holy-Bonef f and Chips and Places, than to have Holy-Hearts and Lives, which loye God, and Grace, and Heaven, above all this World and Life it ielf, and by the Spirit mortify aH flelhly Lufts. G 3 Tif

The Seven andTbirtieth acenfed F<ri .;.

That Children may be faved by their pa-1 rents Faith, without the Sacrament zf Ho-\ ly Baftifm-

Anfs Can you unriddle this charge ? | Whether the man mean that they may be laved by Baptifm without their Parents Faith ? Or that both muft be conjoyned as neceffary to Salvation ? He will not tell us that.

1. That God hath made abundance of! promifesto the Seed of the Faithful, and taketh them into the Covenant of Grace with their Parents, and faith that they are Holy, 1 Cor. 7. 14 \ Proteftants have copiously proved againft Anabaptifts and Pa-pills. But it is Gods Mercy, and Chrifts Merit, Grace, and Covenant, that they are faved by : The Parents Faith is but that Qualification and Relation, which maketh them receptive and capable of this faving Grace. The Parenrs Faith faveth them-ieives, but as the Moral qualifying difpo-ution and condition of Gods faving Gift: And to Infants it is required, not that they be Believers, but Believers Seed, devoted to God by Parents or Pro-Parents, whole they are.

2. We

2. Wedoabtnor, but regularly, where I may be had, rhis Dedication (hould be plemnly made by Baprifmal Covenanting : Jisk the Anabapcifts whether we hold not [his I ;: we believe, that as private M*r-j . lakftk Husband and Wife before God y [\ iolcmn Matrimony is neceffary for y Order, without which they may

Jbe puniihed as Fornicators: So if an In-JfuP.: be the Child of one believing Parent, dedicated to God, he is Holy and in the Covenant \\ irh the Parent, (and were l unclean:) But that before the Churchy he is not regularly to be judged in Covenant till it be lolemnized in Chriite appointed way by Baptifm.

Still excepting where Baptifm cannot be had; and there even fober Papifts fay, that the fatam, the Vow, or defire, will ferve.

• And this neceflity is manifold : i. When the Child dieth, before Baptifm could be had.

Where there is no capable Perfon to do it, or that will not utterly deprave it.

3. When the Parent is an Antipoedo-Bap-fift, and omitteth ir, thinking it a Sim If they think that the Infant is not faved by the Parents Faith, why (hou/d they think, that believing Parents Children are dam-

i 4 ned

(fi»)

qedl)ecaufe the Parent Erreth 10 iuc external thing ?

Bur Papills, that turn other parts of Hp r Ifnefsinto Form and Ceremony, and m a Religion of the Carkais mortifyed, would here alio perfwade People, thai: the 1 very outward art of Wafhing, is of lex great moment with God, that though it Were the holyeft Perfons or their Seed,' a miftake, or a delay, or furprize of Death,, will damn them if they be not Baptized, (or Martyred.) This tendeth to Subjeii, til to the Mercy and Dominion of the: Priefts, that they may feem more necefia-ry to Salvation than they are, or at leaft their external Forms, by Lay-men or, Women Bopnxersadminiftred.

Cor?ftamine\\\m(t\f, the Churches great Deliverer, was not Baptized till near his ? Death : Are they fure that he was till then in a ftate of Damnation, and had been, Damned if he had lo Died ? Methinks in gratitude, the Church of Rome , (hould have eaft him no lower than the Torments of Purgatory.

The Eight and Thirtieth acenfed Point.

That the Sacrament of Confirmation is n%t ntceffary> nor to be uffd.

Anf

( t29 ) Anf. You may fo mean by the Wcr4 Sacrament*] and {Confirmation^ as that ;e dp deny them. And you may fo mean, s thac we are more for them than yoa *es

i. If by a Sacrament, you mean one t of

5ods Inftirutjpn 5 appoinredby him ro be his

olemn Delivery and Inveftkure in a ftate

if Chtfftianity or neceflary Grace ; and

f by Confirmation you mean Arch-Bifhops

inointing Infants, or Ignorant Children, or

^erfons, with hallowed Oyl, compoua-

led once a year, nnd his Ceremonious

voicing them, and. fuch other Formalities j

:hen we deny that iiich Confirmation is any'

Inch Sacrament, nor is necefTary, or to be

tried*, becaufe Holy things are not to be

mortyficd and profaned.

2. But if by a {Sacrament'] you mean^ j but a Solemn renewal of our Covenant with God in Chrift j and by Confirmation you mud, that thole Baptized in Infapcy fnouldat due Age, under ft andingly^ under the Pafiors hand or Care, profels their fe~ rious perlbnal Confent to that Covenant Which by others they imputatively made tn Baptilin •, we are lb far from denying: this, that we think till this Solemn ferjouat Covenanting, and ovoning their Baptifm with under ft an ding and feeming ferionfnefs 7 be G 5 made

I H? ) mad. the Entrance into the (late of Adh Church Communion, the woful Corrupt on of the Church is never to be well he led j but while one fide turn Confirmati* into a dead Shadow and Mockery, and tV Anabaptiftsicandalized Herefie, are all fc Rebaprizing inftead of Confirmation, In yhanation and Schifm will gratifie Satat You know, that the Engiifh Bifhops prs ftile Confirmation, and the Liturgy defer beth it as I here do : And are the Churcl of England no Proteftants ? And diver Proteftant Non-Conformifts here have a bout 29 and 30 years ago, written (ul Treatiles for Confirmation.

- The Nine and Thirtieth accufed Point.

That the Bread of the Suffer of cur Lord vpos but a Figure, or Remembrance of the Body of Chrift, received by Faith , anm not his true and very Body. Anf. 1. Proteftancs hold, that as al! words are to be taken according to the ufage of the 5ubje<ft or Science that they are ufed about, Phyfual Terms Phyfically, Rhetorical Rhetorically , Geometrical , Aftronomical, Arithemettcal, according ly, Law Terms according to Lay, and Moral and Theological Terms Morally

and

Jcally i Ao, if as Naturalifls%

p. '; -\ e matter of that Sacrament

. r 3 ' f : If as Mora lifts

' >d Theohgftej , we lay, r> u tbe Body and

o chnft : As if you ask of a Gold

, silver Coyn , what ir is in a Natural

, f, we fay, i* &* Gold and Silver: But

yea ask in a Civil, Political and Law-

c/uc, we fay, ir is a 20 /. f/>*f, a J*-

5 a Carohss piece , or ft is a Crovon^

r a Shilling. So we fay chat Sacrament ally

Morally, and Relatively, that which is

ally true Bread and Wine, is yet alio

1 ';;«• #^y *»*/ JStosirf of Chrifi : And

tfe fay net that if is only a Figure and R&

b; anct, but it is fttcb a Figure as is

::ry Fleft) and Blood:

!And it is ro Dt \u y and Jnveji h$ in 4

Union Chrifi bintjelf\ and

;- . ■ tee,

. r-roxythi:. rativc of aPrince

Marrieth a Foreign Lady, is more than a Remembrance ; ana !o is his Image, if it be uied in the Marriage. A Key, or a Twig and Turf, by which Inveftiture in Houle ad Land is delivered y and a Staff and , by which Biftiopricks were of old ured by Inveftiture, are all more than bbare Remembrance.

2. As to your implied Doiti in? of Trail*

tub-

fubftantiation, that after the v/orxis of Con I iteration, there is left no real Bread and I Wine, it is Copioufly and undenyabjyl proved a Novel Oodtrine,lb monftrous, as J if it had been formed to engage Mankind*' in a Renunciation of Chriftianity, Huma-r nity, and common Senies, and to be an obliging profeflion of this Renunciation/,! It is enough for us to believe, that after thef I true Consecration , it is no more /; i> Jh-cdd and Wim, (as after the Coyning a,| ao/. Piece, a Crown, or a Noble, or an Ij Angel, it is not vittr Gold, but the faid na- I ifted Coyn.) But if ever Satan (hewedb bimlelf a Dragon, under the Name of an \ Angel of Light, it was when he made the \\ Canons of the 4 th. Laterane GtnexsX Council unde* Innoctnt the %d. that fet up Tran. j fubftantiation, and the Murdering of all 1 that deny it, of depoling Princes that will not exterminate them. This adjunfts and effects will (hew the difference between this Counterfeit Sacrament and Chrift. Ghrifts Sacrament was inftmited to be a Sacrament and Covenant of deareft Lovs between God and Man, and one another: But asSatan, when he CovenarXeth with Witches, tofellhim their Souls, mufthave itfealedby his fucking their Blood, ibtho leal that he fet to theM(mftert>fTrm f ttbftari4

tia-

r m )

uio^, wis that his Church and re muft live the blood of thofe that own it not. But what will convince men, rhat by

oile and Worldly Intereft have Conque-

bd all that is proper to a man, yea, or a

ving ienfible Animal.

1. They pretend Chrifts Words, This f my Body, when they know that it was (is ordinary parabolical phraie, and they vill take this Phyfically and Angularly as iifferen: from all the reft. Tho' he fay t ! Am the Door, I am the Vine, and ye are 'he Branches, and my Father is the Hnf~ band-man, and the Field is the World, and the Tares are the Children of the I Picked one,

EndtheHarveft is the md of the World, and he Readers are the Angels ; they that re* eived the Sad try the High-way , arc they that, &$. Andfohe lpeaketh ufually.

2. They know that in 1 Cor. ix. Paul calls it Bread after the Confecration, three times in the three next Verfes: And would they have Burnt Paul for a Heretick ? What cart they devife againft thefe plairt words ?

3. They fenrence all to Death and Hell that will believe (heir Eyes,Tafte,Fet f-ing or any Senfe of themfelves, and all others , that perceiveth true Bread And Wmf.ihtx -ConlccrauoR.

4. Here-

( M4 J

4. Hereby they make God as Crtdtol the Grand Deceiver of the World, by de luding all Men's Senies.

5. And hereby they overthrow all cer tainty of Faith Divine and Humane. Foi Senfe and Humanity are before Faith and Chriftianity^ and their perception prefup-pofed : And if Senfe be prefuppofed fallible, yea falfe, Faith muft needs be fo: For we are not fare that ever we faw a Book, or Man, or Light, or heard man fpeak, or what he faith : And how czn he believe Gods Word or the Popes, or Prietts, that is not fure that ever he heard* orfawthem ?

i. They feign every fottiftr filthy Prieft, to work more Miracles at his pleaibre, by his tranfubftantiating, than Chrift or his Apoftlesdid.

7. They enable a drunken Prieft to un-dce Bakers and Vintners , by laying the words of Confecration Intenttone Co erandi over all their Bread and Wine : And then they have none left.

S. They feign Chrift to have eaten his own Body by his Body, and either that the fame Body did eat it feif, or that he had two Bodies that did eat neither.

9. They feign that his whole Body did eat his broken Body, and that his Diici-

pies

es did cat it, before it was bnoken ;

I id drank his fhed Blood before it was led. i c. When two General Councils C. P. ■Jie $th. and Nice the id. tell us, that 4 thrifts body in Heaven now is not Flcfh And Mood , and PmmI faith 1 Cor. 1 5, that lefh and Blood cannot it: her it the Kingdom yet they maintain that Chrift hath 600 years a body of F/r/T; and

, ---— 7 -— ■lefhand B If Cod, yet bad thefe 1 < Shod.

11. They feign abundance of Accidents without fubjeft Subftances, that are the Accidents (Quantity, Quality, ore.) of nothing.

12. They feign a ibttifti Prieft to make his Maker day by day.

13. When Chrift faith, He that eateth m) I'Up, and drinktth my Blood, pall live for ever ; they feign the mod wicked men to eat his Flefh and drink his Blood.

14. They feign Mice to eat God.

1*. They feign every wicked man to eat his God, and digeft part of him into his own Flcfh and Blood, and cad out the other part into the J ak

\6. They teach men to commie Idolatry, by worshiping Bread as God.

1 7. All this is enforced by Fire and S\w r J, againil the Blood of Holy men.

18. All (his is Novel thrcfit, contrail to the Doftrine of the Univerlal Churdl For a Theufand years after Chrift anl more.

19. It's contrary to P*nl\ Querel iCcr. i2. Arc all xvortys of Mir at lei \ underftood Negatively.

20. It's feigned a fufficienr ground t<\ depoie Princes 1 and deftroy \vhoJt| Lands.

But thefc things, and fpeciaily the for-l ged Miracles of the Traniubitantiation,! are more largely confuted in many Trea* tites* I

What hope of ending any Conrroverfies with Papifts, that agree not with us in the credit of Senfes as Heathens do ? Can we* bring any Controverfie to a plainer ifTue^J than to all Men's common Seales, about; due Obje&s and due Mediums? And is ' there any difputing where no principle is % > agreed on ?

"to

The Fortieth accufed Point.

That rPe ought to receive under both kinds, and that one alone is not fttjjicient.

Anf. Ic concerneth them that deny this, either to keep men from Reading Gods Word, or to tell them it is falfe,

and*

•J* (157 )

ii the Pope's is true that contradideth it:

{hat is a flat defyance of God or his

ord, if this be not ? Chiift faith, Math.

\^1, 28. Drinl^ ye all of it : For this

1 my Blood of the JNew-Teft anient, which

flxd for many, for the remiffton of fins.

* pd St. Taul faith, 1 Cor. 11.23. / have

k reived of (he Lord-that which I delivered

you : That the Lord Jefus, the Night in

inch he was bttrayed, took. Bread, &c.

erf. 25. jiftir the fame manner alfo he

o\the Cup, xthen be had Supped, faying

his Cttp is the Ncio-Teftamcm in my blood :

'Ijji do ye as oft as yon drink, ir, i* re mem-

ranee if me : For as often as y* eat this

read, and drink^ this Cup, ye do fljew the

ords Death'till he come : Wherefore who-

btver frail eat this Bread, and drink, this

\!np of the Lord unworthily, jhaU be guilty of

\he body and blood of the Lord : But let a

nan examine himfelf, and jo let him eat of

hat bread, and drvnk^ of that Cup.

Thefe words do lb plainly lay y it is tread after the Confecration, and do fe Mainly require all to drink of the Cuf, as veil m to eat of the Bread, that the Infallh-)Ie Clergy are fain to accufe the Light of ^arkneis, the Text of deceitful Oblcu-■ity, till the Pope and his Prelates have ex-wyrided it, by giving it the Lye : Juft

like the Knave in Ignoramus Play/ th Proclaimed the man to be Mad, fro whom he intended to extort Money, th is, for binding and abufing him. What it to proclaim Chrift and Paul to be Foot that could not fpeak Senfe, if this be not? But the Doftors have alio contradidlioi to charge on Chrift, even that elfe-uhei hefairh, [He that eateth his FUjh ftm live for ever: 2 dnf. i. That is, Hethk tmftcth in a, Sacrificed Chrift as the means* his Salvation, at bread is the means of na tural Ltfe : He that would notuuderftan* cannot underftand the plaineft Words 4 ,! Bat doth Chrift fay, that any man eatetlX hisflefh, that drinketh mt his blood 1 Qr that he fliall have Life r that doth the one without t ht other? 1

2. And feeing they take every Rogu* that eateth their Wafer to eat Gtri Flefti, do they not here falfly fay thac fuch fhall have Eternal Life: O happ ( miferable ) Church, that hath Eterna Life, how wicked foever, for eating th Wafer, and calling itChrifts Flefh !!Am» all this, thatF*/>fe may not be thought t be meant by eating,

3. But feeing it muft needs be eating b the Teeth, or by Flelh eating that is meant they Ime found out a crafty literal way

Chri

( i39 )

if . f a iththat belo-vtthtnd cherifl>ctbhss

cfhts body, of bis jfcffc, «i'0" ,< And fo they that Murdered a Mil-

eooin/W, and iocooo mJ«^ A Burnt them in £*/*«*, ©"J** the M Countries, and Tormented and Kii i ,hem in *.***■, and many other , , did learn the limal rvay 'f <*""{ - FUh And who doubts but the f ceU hem that they (hall ,fhereby *

f/they draw it out by ftreams Perhaps

helms' ttV^Z)

le of gnawing them, and thus they feed

In ChTifts b&y, J^V^ bring heir Matters beat Witches if they bring L not account at every Meeting, ol bme milchief thatthey have done.

3 . And what but fiat oppoliuon o Chrift, mould move thefe men to forbid ene half of his Sacrament which he caUs the Ne*-Teft*mtnti» his blood? Une would wonder what (hould be then Motive: It is no matter of Pteafure Profit, or Honour: This very Deceiver had more

( M° )

wit than to pretend Anriquity for it,

any one ancient Doftor of the Church

They dare not deny (lave to Ignorant!

and Fools,) that it is a N&velty contrary

to unqueftioned Confent and Prafltce

all Chrifts Church, for above a thouiar

years, or near at teaft. It is undenyafc

againft Chrifts InftitHtion and Comment

againft his Afoftles Doftrine^ and Script*

TraUice \ againft all the Judgment and Pr

iftice of the ancient Church, againft tY

Nature and Integrity of the Sacramenrj

againft the Concord of the Church, that

will never Unire againft all thefe, againft

the Senfe and Comfort of Believers.

What then doth over-rule lb many men to

Tear the Church, to Murder fo many Bv-

hemians as they did, &c. for fuch a thing

as this is ? Reader I will tell thee al] that I

know : The Devil is in conftant War a-

gaiuft Chrift and his Kingdom, and the

Souls of men : As he thought he could

have triumphed in making Job curfe God

to his Face; lo he would fain fhew that he

can make Chrifts own pretended Minifters

oppofe and defpife the plaineft of his Com-

mands, and defie his Word and him to his

Face. To this he gets by the baits of

Worldly Wealth, Honour and Dominion,

a fort of Flefhly Worldly men to be Bt-

(hops,

R( 141 ) ft, whofe very hearts are againft the s of Chrift: And puffing up thefe nen by degrees, he tells them how they imft be Great, and arrogate Power equal o Chrifts Apoftles, and i'o domineer over fhe Souls of men ; and all this on pretence oi honouring Chrift: And having gotten ,a Generation of grofs ignorant debauched [Villains, into the Papal elevared Seat, and the Ruling Church Power, when feme poor Woman once or twice ihed fome of the Wine, oraPrieft chanced to fpill it, their prophane Holinefs decreed that they (hould drink the Wiae no more (lave the Clergy,) but fhould eat Chrifts Blood, yhich they faid was in his Flefh, and a while they dipt the Wafcr in Wine ; and then pretended Infallibility being their yain Glory , they muft not change left they (hould ieem to be fallible, and (hould Repent ; for Repenting undoes Satans fungdom.

The One and Fortieth accufed Point.

That there is not in the Church 4 true

.:.-. proper Sacrifice } and that the Aiafs is not a Sacrifice.

Anj. True and proper, if the words are iiutlligjble,are put againft falfe and equtw-

cal

C M2 3 cal or figurative. And what man can us which Sence of the word Z Sacrifice] muftbe taken for the only proper Senc\ when with Heathens and Chriftians tfc word is ufed in fo many Sences, and the^ are fo many forts of Sacrifices ? This mail would not tell you whether it be the Thing or the Name that he controverteth 5 thaij would be to come into the Light. If i be the things we never doubted but divert things are and muft be in the Churck^ which are called Sacrifices, fomeinScrip-ture,and fome by Papifts: And fome thin£ by them called Sacrifices, are in theiij Church which God isagainft.

If it be the Name that is the qaeftioity we know that in a General Sence it ma\ be given to many things of different Species, and equivocally yet to more ; but which Sence to call proper among fo many 7 let quibling Grammarians tell him: We ftrive no further about Names, than tend-eth to preferve the due Judgment of things.

. Sometime a Sacrifice fignifieth a fecwd thing offered to Gtd by way ofwbrfhip.

Sometime more ftriBly, fomewhat fappo-Jed highly to gratifie or pleafe him, offered ' to expiate fome Crime that dijpleafetb him^ or by pktfivg t0 procure fome benefit from him.

Among

Among Heathens and Jews, there were arious forts of Sacrifices: Some Hilafti-al, Ibme Euchariftical: Some ofrhings jfelefs, and fome of Living Creatures; $ere ftriftly part was hurnt and fo offered o God, and part given to the Prieft, and >art eaten by the Offerers.

We hold, i. That Jefus Chrift offered lis Body on the Crofs a Sacrifice to God or che expiation of Sin, as a thing pleafing o God, in a fence which no other Sacrifice ever was or is } not that God delighted in his Blood, Pain or Death as fuch ^ but as (inis gratia, it was the mod excellent mear;s to demonftrate his Wiidom, Love, Juftice, and Mercy, and fave a finful race of men, with the honour of his Law and Government.

2. We hold that Chrift hath inftituted ttts Sacrament, to be a vifible Reprefwtta-tun of this his Sacrifice, both for Commemoration and for attual Inveftiture and Collation of Chrift to be our Saviour, and Head in Union, and of his Grace and Benefits, Pardon, Reconciliation, Adoption, Judication, Sanftification, and Title to Glory. And we know that the ancient Churches called this often a Sacrifice : Not in the fame fence as Chrift was our Sacrifice ^ nor as the Mofaical Types were Sam

crificu ;

( 144 '

crifices ; but a Rcprefentativc Saetr/fictj preferring Chrifts own. But we are t Ihier to ule the name Sacrifice, where P pifts apply ic to Idolatry.

3. We know that all Ohriftians ai bound to dedicate themfelvesroGod, antf even .to lay down their Lives when he re-quirethir; and bound to ofler him peni* tent ConfefTion, Praife, Thanksgiving, and to give Alms to the poor, and ferve and honour him with all their Wealth and Power. And all thefe are called Sacrifices in Scripture, becaufe they are [acred oh Lit ions, acceptable to Cod through the merits of Chrifts Sacrifice.

Is not this man a Calumniator then/ that faith we hold, £ that there is not in the Church a true and proper Sacrifice,] unlets* he call none true and proper but what no man can offer to God.

But what fay we to the Sacrifice of the.' Mafs ? We fay, that for the Prieft to pretend that after his words, Bread is turned into Chrifts Fle(h in a Phyfical fence, and Wine into his Blood, and that this is our God, and that he facrificeth this God to God, and eateth and drinketh him id la-crificed, and that all that fo receive him have Eternal Life : This is a prophanation of Holy things, a deceiving of Souts, a

blaf-

' ( '45 )

biafpheming of Chrift, and Idolatry a-gai it God. And all facrificing in their Mai?, char is more than a Reprefentation <tf Cbrijis own facnficing himfelf for Comme-/ ; ut t and Communication'of the gifts of hi* Teftametn , and the exprtffion of our Gratitude^ and Dcvoiednefs to God by him y is their own prophane invention.

How do they offer his broken body ttid blood (bed, any other wfe than Rcprefent* tivdy, unlels they kill him, and eat him when he is Dead ? Ic was only a Reprefentation of his own facrificed Body and Blood, wbich he made at the Sacrament himfelf} not then broken and died, butt* be broken y flain , and (hed loon after* (unlets he had two bodies, one dead and one olive.) The Sacrament indeed was called a Sacrifice by the ancient Churches* bo gnifie that it is not Chrilts body as now ghrificd m Heaven that is th^re Re-frefented^ but his body as once fiefii and blood facrificed on the Crofs : And how can ir be that, but by Representation^ facrificing it was kiting ic: Do they kill Chrift a thotr-land thoufand times over, yea, and kill tin body ? He hath no exiftent

Fielh and Blood in Heaven, fpeaking properly and formally •, but a Spiritual glorified

I on Earth :

( 14* )

And doth every Prieft tarn Chrifts Spi; tual glorified body into Flelh and Blov again ? O what a Mais of prophanation a their Mais,

Tho Two and Fortieth acatfcd Point.

That Sacramental Vnftion^ is not to ufedtotheSick^.

jinf.ln thofe Hot-Countries, anointing their bodies was ufed as a great rttreihiJ ment for Delight and Healch. And Chnftl and his Apoftlesapplyed it to the Miracu-j lous ufe of Healing, as Chrift did Ciayj and Spittle to a blind Man : And whilej that miraculous ufe continued, St. Jam cm bids thole that are fick 3S a puuifhmtnt ion fome fin, to lend for the Elders of thej Church, that they may pray lor the paf* don of his fin, and for his recovery, a?;d anoint him with Oil, and if he have net; finned unto Death, (that is, a Capital Crime,, which God would have Magistrates punilh with Death, and will do fo himfelf,) his Sin lhaii be forgiven, aud he (hall be healed.

See now the Malice cf the Prince of Darknefs, He that tempterh men to call out half the fubftance of the Lords Supper, a&erly to fhew what they can and will,

and

i47 ) daredoagainft his Word, and temp-men co Forbid the very Scripture ic fetf, yet to nndoe , he will over doe, and draw men to be wife and Righteous over | much : Who would think thefe men are 'againft the fufficiency of Scripture, that will turn its temporary occafional a&ions inro perpetual Sacraments ? They make . Confcience of wafting Feet,of bearing Palms, Mptehe Holy-Xijs (but on the Pax) and a Sacrament of anointing the fick : And why | they make not a Sacrament of anointing I the Blind with Clay and Spittle^ of waging at jordan or Siioam Pools, and of the faid x Kifs, and wafting of Feet, of bearing Palms, of the Popes Rirfir.g on an jifs % &c. I know not.

But for the Name of a Sacrament, (bring firft a Military, and then a Church Term y nor u!ed in Scripture) we will not quarrel Vuh them: They may laxly extend ic to fcfrnoft any Ceremony or fign Religjoufly iffed*, rightly or wrongly. But, i. They uie that to the Dying, when they judge thetn pajl hope, which S:. James ipake of ufing for Recovery.

2. They u!e that as an ordinary thing, which was to be ufed only for miraculous Cnres: and yet (hew not that they have the Faith or gift of Miracles, nor cure any fcyit. H 2 3. They

( M* J

3. They force men to that feigned crament now ceafed with that gift, whic was ufed to none but fuch as Voluntarf defired it. Why are they not content toufe it themielves, bur they mu(> force a! Others to it as ; cceflarv ? Whac Man, Woman, or Child, do \ou read of in aU the New-Tefta.i em, that vvas anointed in order ro Death, 'ave a W«,man that meant no luch thing, that 'anointed Chrift in Health? Where read you rhat Dragoons or Inquifitors inforced i., and drag-ed naked the bodies through the Streets, and Buryed them in DunghiU, or where Dogs may eat them, if they lefule it? Whole Sacraments can we think are theie?

The Three and Fortieth acenfed Toint.

That no Interior Grace is given by Jnipo-fition of hands in Holy Ordirs : Andthii ordinary Vocation and JMiffion of Fajl^rs r [is not necejfaiy in the Church.

Arif Contranly the Reformed Catho-.licks hold, t. That God often gave miraculous in:*rior gifrs to ir en, by the Impo-fition of the Apoftles hrnds.

2. And.if hepleaic he may now blefs ■'iDmWation to the met if ; " . . ' - vm

EC M9 ) for the Miniftry ; and when he doth fo, we know not.

But we hold, i. That men fhould be fuppofed by the Ordinances to be true Chriftians, and to have competent Mini* fterial Abilities before they Ordain them.

2. That now miraculous gifts ceafe, no man cm tell when any other inward Grace is given by Impofuion of hands in Ordination, than Relative, which is Obligation and Authority for the work of the Mint-ftry. And Darandtis and other of their School-men, (ay that their Indelible Cha* rattzr is no other. And the reft know not what to make of it.

3. If we read of Multitudes of Debauched, Ignorant, Apoftatical Popes and Pre* lates, and many Ages of Church Barba-rifm, and Bruitifhnefs, (even in BtronixS) Gcncbrard, and the fierceft Papifts 5) and if we fee Priefts after Ordination to be Ignorant, Drunkards, Fornicators, unajbte and unapt to Teach, haters of a GocIIy Life, we cannot tell what Grace it is that thefe men are laid to receivein Ordination : Whatever it is, it will not keep them out of Hell, as it keeps them not from ferving Satan.

4- We take an ordinary Calling and

Mifiion to be ordinarily needful to the

H 3 Church-

( Mo)

Chnrch Mirriftry. This Calling confifteth, i. In neceffary Ability without which God fendeth none. 2. [r wiliingnefs and Consent. 3. In the Ordination by Senior Paftors, where it may be had. 4. And to fix them in relation ro particular Con-' gregations, the mutual conlent of them-trlves aud the Flocks.

5. Put we know Rules of meer Order are for the things ordered, and the Edifice ticn of the Church, for which all Chnrch Power isgivoi, and God Commandeththat mM.be done : And we know that God who will have Mercy and not Sacrifice, would not have us deftroy the fubftance by pretence of a Ceremony, And that in feve-ral Cafes, Minifters may be lawfully called without Impofition of hands, and Canoni? cat Qrdination. As, i» In cafe men be caft into Infidel Countries, where no Bi-(hops or Paftors can be had : As by Ship-wrack., or Merchants Faftory, or Embat fadors, or when a Bifhop with them dyeth by the way : They muft not be without all publick Church Worihip, for want of an Impofing Biihop.

2. In cafe Persecution drive all the Bi-Ihops out of reach.

3. In cafe theperfecutedBifiiops refufe to Ordain for fear of luffering.

(l« )

Irr cafe the Bifhops beHereticks, or i ierablellfurpersandno trae Bifhops, wanting the. EfTentials of a Qualification and a Call.

5. In cafe the Biftiops impofe any falfe Oath , Subfcription, Covenant, or Pro-feffion, or any other Sin, as the Condition without which they will not Ordain, ( which is the cafe of all the Papirts Prelates ;) their Ordination in thefe cafes is not necefTary.

6. We know that in fach cafes the Mi* niftry faileih not, but there may be a true fucceffion of Paftors, though regular Canonical Ordination be interrupted. For there is nothing neceftary after Gods L j which fpeciheth the Office by ftared.Jn tiuion, but only the determining who th$ Perfons are that God wenld have in, this Office: Which may be well knowa without Canonical Ordination^ where that cannot lawfully be had. There are inftan-ces in the ancient Churches, that when fome Eletfed to be BHhops, fled or hid 1 rnfieives) the Biihops Ordained them ablent, by writing, without impofition of hands.

7. Yea, we know that if in any one Chusch orNarion, the fucceflion were. ta+ tally interrupted f for many years, God

H 4. hath

( #2 )

ith left means fufficient to rtftbre %. His Word defcribeth the Office, and ;giveth the Authority and obligation to the Perfon when determined of. 2. That Determination may be made, i. By ttite due Qualification of the Pertbn : 2. Tile invitiagNecefThieiof the People and opportunity. 3. Mutual Consent; and without thefe the Ordination and Miffioh of a Bifhop is vain.

8. The Church of Rome more needeth this Dodhine than the Proteftants: For ir is notorioufly certain, that regular Succeffi-on hath failed oft and long in the Papacy, and confequently in its Clergy. 1. There is no more notorious interruption than by the utter incapacity of the Unqualified: And fuch have been thofe that were Children or declared Sots, Beafts, Simonifts, filthy Lechers, Hereticks, Infidels, Schi(-inaticks, by General Council, and the moft Papal Hiftorians. Their Succeflion now is from EHgtnius the 4th. depoied as an Heretick by a General Council.

2. When there have been two or three Popes above twenty times, no man know-eth which was the right.

3. Either Election is in the power of fome in fpecial, or not; if not, the 7V^r, or Heathens * or Hereticks, may choole

a

( t& )

_^pe.- If it be, Then who have the 3 outr ? lcs known thacac firft the Biftop jA Rome u a<s choien by the People of one •Congreganon : Afrer by the Clergy and jpeopie of the Chriiiians of the City: Af-«r that by the Biihop* of the Dioceis: .Sometimes by the Emperors: Or Arriam Kings ( with the Clergy and people :) Sometimes by. General Councils: Sometimes againft General Conncils, by an Armed I action : And of late times by things CaUed a Colledge of Cardinals. If all thefe were lawful, no one fort have the Ele&ing Power: If any was unlawful, the Succel-fion hath been interrupted,

4. Either the Ordination of a Superior b neceilary, or not: If yea, then the Pope "-having do Superior, was never truly Or* -dained : If nor, then a Presbyter may be -Ordained without a Bifllop. Rome k *nore concerned to anl'wer thefe thing* than we.

The Four and Fortieth accufed Point.

That Friefts and ether Religion* perforrs who have flowed their Chaftity to God^ in,ty /; cely Marry notrxthftandin* their fVwv

CM4;

jinf x. Muft none keep Vows but Trieftsand Religious People.

2. The known Dodrine of the Prote. ilants about Oaths and Vows (which you may lee in Sandtrjon dt Juramento^) is, i. That Antecedently it is unlawful to en-Xnareour feives by unneecffary Vows, of) tfeat which is out of our Power, or to mu« Jable, that it may hereafter be made our Puty which now is not. 2. But having once Vowed, we. muft diftinguifli of the Inipfwgi the making of the Vow, and the Matter of iu And that, i. Though it was by Parents, or others unlawfully im-fofed, 2. And by our feives, by temerity an lawfully mad* or from, 3. Yet it the Matter eonf;deratis1hnfidtrandi& be mccfi fary or lawful^ the Vow muft be kept: But il it be Sin that is Vowed, it muft noc be done. Becaufe Man's Vows cannot abrogate or iufpend G$ds Laws. Can any of your Caiuffts deny this ?

Therefore, if Boys or Girls Vow Cha-ility, and it prove thar they cannot keep it without fin , the Matter becometh to them unlawful, and they muft break it: As for infiance : \. If the> cannot kesp k without apparent hurt.to their Souls by Luft\ 2. Or if the Heir of the Crown* «r iome great Eftate, Vow it, and if he-

keep

f .55)

keep if, the Kingdom or Church is like luffer by it. 3. If Parents or Prince c amenmnd the Vow in Youth.

Put if they c v; keef r>, and that k*tpi*£ I ome not Sin by eonfcquent accidents or r grs^ they ought to l^sep it; though they muft repent of their rafh unlawful

. ; : ng it. Gods Law is perfect, and \eth Duty enough for us, and we fhould not foolifhly make more as Lawgivers to our lelves, when we are confei-ous how far fhort we come of keeping Gods own Laws.

The Five and Fortieth acenfed Point.

That Failing and abftinencc from certain Mtzts^ vr not grounded on Holy Scripture*) nor caufeth any Spiritual good.

ill deceitful Confufion : Proteftants hold, i« Fafting is a needful Duty to teve-ral Perions in feveral cafes. As, 1. To take down the Flefh when it groweth too ftrong in Luft. 2. For the cure of many Dileales from fuinefs. 3. To exercile our Humiliation in times of publick Danger and Calamity, or of perfonal repent tance for fome great Sin, or under tome "affliction that callcch for great Humilia-

%. They

( mO

2. They hold that Abftinence is needful id it's time and place, as Fading is in it's: And that all Eating and Drinking is unlawful, which gratifieth the Appetite by Quantity or Quality againft Men s health* and the jaft Rules by which we fhould fudge what is healthiul : Yea, thai bare Eating and Drinking to pleaie the Appetite, which doth not tome way conduce to fit us for our Duty, is Sin.

3. We know that the fame Meat and Prink fx>r Quality and Quantity which is beft for one, is hurtful and mortal to another : And we know that Fafting is as Phy-(ick, whether for Heakh, or for the Saul: and if we are fallen into the hands of (uch Phyficians, as will tyeall the Laud and all the World to take the ftime PhyGck, and .on the fame days, to take a Purge or a Vomit every Wedneiday,, Friday , and Holy Evens , we (hall obey them when we are a-weary of our Lives. I think our London polledges would deride {itch pre-icribers*

4. And if any will tell us that we (hall merit of God, and lave our ielves by forbearing the courleft fort ofFlefli, and eating the more coftly FiLh, Junkets, Sweetmeats , and drinking Wine and ftrong-Drink > we ubJior fweb Mqck-FaRs, for

G?4

_ ;>d wifl not be mocked: But Hfpocrites turn all Religion into a Mockery. I have heard thofe called ftricl prea/e Proteftants, accufed as being againft abftinence and Fading i and upon enquiry 1 found that thoie of my acquaintance, eat and drink lels all the year, than their accuiers of nly acqwaintance do on their Mock-fafting-days. To fuch their Diet would ieem a ftricft: Faft, % evenCW*'«* thai macerated his body, with eating bur a few bits once a day, is by iome Papifts called a fenfual Glutton, (though Maffonnu faith the contrary.)

The Six and Fortieth ace h fed Point.

That Jefm Chrift defcended not into Htll, nor delivered thence the Souls of the Fathers.

jinf. i. And do not thefe falfe Accu* fers know that both the Creed which we all profefs, and the Articles of the Church of England, fay exprefly that Chnji de± feended into Hell? 2. And thofe ahar dif-like the Tranflation of aV^into HtU, yet grant Chrift went into *<Ak • and that's all the Scripture faith: So that all the doubt is but what «tJte fignifieth ? Whether the Hell of Torment, or more Generally the ttnfeen /?*;**/ r fe[ar*tc Souls J If you mean

the

( 158 )

the Iaft, what Protectants deny it ? If yoa mean the firft, what pre<umptuou< cruelty is it, to believe that a!! che Souls of the Fathers were in Hell, till the Deach of Chrift ? Chrift alleadging, / am the God 0 f Abraham , of lfaac , and of Jacob , fure meant not, that God was their God, became they were in Hell: Was La^rus in HelS when Abraham faid, Novo he is Comforted f It was a Hell of Joy and Com-fort : Were Samuel , Ehjha , Job, Daniel, &c in Hell ? Was Afofes in HelJ^ that appeared in Glory on the Monnt with Elias ? But what is it that the Infallible Church cannot make good , when they have once prefumed to affirm it ?

21?* Seven and Fortieth accafed Toint.

That there u no Purgatory Fire^ or other Trifon, wherein fin may befatisfiedfor after this life.

sfcf* i. Which way this Church came to be fo much acquainted with Hell, and Purgatory, and Prifons, and facisfying in them, in the other World, more than is revealed in the Word of'God, we know not, unlets forne have told them that come thence, or from Heaven. But for our pans,, we think Gods Word more trufty

thaa

than Dead men whom we know net: God fendeth us to the Law, and to the Tefti-tncny : If thry fpcak not according to theft % it is bteahfe there is no Light in them, Ifa.8. 20. Abraham preferred Mofes and the Prophets before one from the Dead % The prophane citation of Scripiure by him for iuch a Purgatory-Prifbn, and SatisfatfHon, needs no aniwer lave the perufal of the Texrs.

What mean rhefe men by [faisfyirrg for Stn jQ 1. If they mean that Satisfa-Cltcn by the mtrits whereof God pardoneth fin Without dishonour to his Juftice, Govern-rmnt, or Law:2 Chrift, and he only, hath thus fully fatufied for fin, already, and there remaineth no wore Sacrifice for fin\ for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are fxnftified

2. But if by fatisfying for fin, they mean that all muft fv.fftr all the fxmftment that their fin deferveth, then God forgiv-eth no fin at all: For to forgive the fia> js to forgive the punilhment : And then they renounce the Office y Sacrifice and Blood of Chrift, which are for the pardon of Sin : And they renounce Bapriim and the Lords Supper that give and Seal it; And they caft away all hopes of Salvation^ and damn ail Mankiud : Tor all Sin deferv-

eili

(l60 )

rth fome degree of Damnation- in•. Htll But if the Pope can pardon, lure God doth pardon iome : To deny pardon, is to deny all the Scripture, and aii humane hope and mercy,

3. But if by [_/ati<fying for fn^] they mean that God when he forgiveth through Chrift the dejlrnaivc evcrlajiing l } uw\h-wnt) will yet require fome corrective tem-foral fumjhmerit, with which he is laid to be fatisfied^ in that he requireth no more* we contefe de re, that iuch a thing there is in this World ; Death as Death, and Pain as Pain are iuch; and the Curie on the Earth , and the lois of iome degrees of Grace- they are all corrective Penalties; And if any fay that a lower degree of Glory for theioliof fome degree of Grace is fiidh 5 or that the feparation of the Sotri from the Body till the Refurreftion^ hath fome nature of Penalty; we ftrive with no man about fuch things : But de nomin* we juftly here diflike the Word, [~ Satis* fying]"} becaufein common Sence, it ioun-cieth as fome Compenfittior?) and fomewhat that is of the fame nature with Chrifis Ja~ tjsjattion? and that is all that Juftice requireth to purchafe our pardon. And it encourageth the ill ufe of it by Papifts, that make it meritorious*

And*

( i6i )

A*>d de re we believe bo fuch Pirga-tory, (ffiich-ieis the Popes Powtr to deliver men out of ir, for Mafles or the like,) feecaufe God teDs us of no fuch thing. And the Primitive Churches never owned it: jfufufiine firft Teemed to doubt of it: But I find none before that tver held if, unlets you will call Origens Opinion fuch, that thought the Devils an4 Damned fhonld have a time of Deliverance, (nour called Herefie.)

As to i Car. 3. 13,15. Is there no fiery Tryall of miftaken Dottriue, and of the Erroneous in this Life ?

As to Job. 11. 22. What an Expofnor is this : I know {faith Martha^) that whatever thou wilt as\^ of God y he will give it thee : Ergo, Lax^arns was delivered oat of Furgatory. As well he may fay, All Saints fha/l have a Refurrettion : Therefore all tre in Purgatory. Or God denyeth Chrift nothing ; Therefore there is a Purgatory.

So A&s 2. 24. Whom Cod hath raifed */>, having loo fed the fains of Dcath^ he-caufe it was not poffible that he Jhonld he holden of it. Here he noteth two things. 1. That where Chrijl vrat, there wot. fains, Anf. As if Death it (elf were not a Penalty : It was Chrift* pains, or penal State

( i*a)

of Death, thatPr^r mentianeth, and the man himfelf here cdnfeffeth that Chrift had no fain in that place. 2. But he faith that it was not Ghrifts, bm 'ethers f*in that is faid to be Joofed ; when the Text plainly faith, 1. That it was Chrifts pains of Death. 2. Loofed by his Reiurrettion. 3. Becaufe it was impoffible that he, (3iot they) (hould,be held of it.

So 1 Cor. 15. 24. Becaufe there is no mention of Baptizing for the Deadfie feigo-erh a Purgarbry meant. And Luk* 16. 9. That Receiving at Death into the everlaft-ing Habitations^ proveth a Purgatory : When yet they fay that Purgatory is to none an everlafHng Habitation : And Lak. 23. 42. Becaufe the Thief would be rcmemi bred by Chnji in his Kingdom^ Souls may be holpen after death out of Purgatory: As if it was Purgatory that was the Para* dife with Chrift, where that Thief was to be that day : Is it not tedious but to read fuch prophanationof Gods Word ?

The Eight and Fortieth accufedPoint.

That it is not lawful to make or to have Images.

Anf. This Lie hath conquered the blufh-ing Paffion. 1. Can fuch men beiteva

that

( 1&1 )

there are no Protefrant Painters ? Are there none of aheir Shops in London, or Holland ? Do none but Papifts make or fell Pictures ? Are not the Statues of Kings at the Exchange ., the Stocks-Market, Ch&rwg-Crcfs f. Are there no Images on our Coyn ? Nor our Baaners ? Nor on the Elcutcheons of the Nobility and Gentry of this and other Lands : Are there no Images at the Sign-pods in all London, nor.in all the Cities, and Market-Towns in the Kingdom ? Nor in any of the Church-Wtndows ?

But perhaps they will fay, tho we fpeak fo nniverfally (to deceive the ignorant,) yet vpc Tfttant it of Images of 'Religious fig-nification and nfe. Art], And do rtot all t\& Lutherans keep them in their Churches? Are they not continued in moA Church-Windows in England ?

Obj. But at leaft us true of the Calvi-tiifts or Puritans? Anf. i. And will yoo therefore (lander the reft ? 2. But we mitft not haftily believe any thing that falie ao cufers lay ? Have not the Holland Cafvi-nifts multitudes of Pictures ? Did you never lee Bez,a and others, hones vtrorum Ulnjirium, nor Mr. Samhrl Clerics Lives with Images ? Nor the Paritans Englt(h Geneva Bible, with rhelroagesof the Hi-dories ?

( i<4 ) ftories ? Nor the Dutch 'Quarry-Bricks for Chimneys, on which molt of the Hi-ftory of the Bible is painted? O! for Truth or Modefty.

2. But we confefs that there are fome Images Bawdy ? fome Superftitious, Idolatrous, or Blaiphemous, which we leave to fuch as choofe them, they being not for our ule, (of which after.)

The Nine and Fortieth accufed Point.

That it is not lavpfnl to reverence ltnnges,

nor to give any honour to infenpble things.

jinf. Methinks you {hould fometime fpeak truth, if it were but before you are aware, i. Proteftants commonly hold, that they (hould give Honour to at Inftnfible things: They are all the work of God j difhonouring or not honouring the Creature, or Work, is dijhonouring or pot honouring the Crearor and Maker as fuch. The due praife and honour of a Building, a Book, &c. is necefliry to the due praife and honour of the Auchor! Do you think ProtelUnts Condemn the l8th. Pfaim, the 104th. Pfalm, the 145, and all the reft that Magnifie the work* of God ? Is there any above a Beaft, that doth not honour and praite Sun, Moon;

Stars,

J

C 165 )

jSxars, Heaven and Earth, Sea and Land, as the works of God ? Yea we honour every Plant and Flower, every Vegetable and Mineral, knowing that God is woir-de;ful and unfearchable in all. What is Phvfick. Aftronomy, Geography, but the (hell of knowing and honouring Gods Works, and God in them,

2. And the Image of Kings, of Hofy Men, are purpolely made and Printed by Proteftanrs, in Love, Honour, and Reverence ro the perlons Living or Dead, whom they reprdrnt: You may fee many Rooms adorned with the Images of the Fathers, and of late Divines: For their $tUu<rn they love with fome lore of honour the Pictures of thofe whom you ! st burnt as Hereticks : See whether you find chem not in John Fox his Adts and V numents.

3. but we are warned oft enough by Gcd, and by the miichievous effects of it iii the Churches, againft all Idolatrous arid icar.dalou*, and enfnaring refpeft and ufe of images; whicharerenher falie Repre-i -rations, or are uled contrary to the fe-cond Liommandmenr, to Corporal Idolatry though nor mental, in fuch likenels to the Heathen u'e of their Demons Irrnrcs s ' ' '

feemeth to be but a change of the objett Peribns; or may tempt others ro unlawful ufnge of them: Eipeclally the ufe being not commanded us of God, while it is dangerous.

And we abhor the Papifts Ofliiflion of the fecond Commandment, and turning the Tenth into two, left the people ftiould perceive the evil of i'uch Imagery. No wonder that their Proielytes muft be kept in Ignorance, and forbid the Scriptures in a known Tongue, without a fpecial Licence, when they muft not ordinarily read or hear all the Tea Commandments, even theie Ten written by God himfelf in Stone, are too much for them to be trufted with i and yet all the Mais of Ceremonies, and Ocean of Canon Law?, are not too much : And he that muft be killed for not obeying thefe, muft not know all Gods own Ten Commands; yea many have been burnt for having his Word Tran-flated.

4. And to pray before the Image of Saints, and then to 4 fay, we do not fray to them 0 but to thofethat they reprefenr^ is but to do what the Heathen Idolaters pro-miled to do to their Demons: They ufu-ally faid, We be not Inch Fools as to think Wood, and Stone, and Gold, and Image**

to be God. But as the firft Commandment forbids us ro have any Gods bur the true God j iotheiecond ibrbids us to [tern to have any more y tho 7 our minds de-fpife them, or by their way of Image rvor-#//>, to feem ro be of their mind ; For as a man that ufeth the common Words of an Oath, without any purpofeto Swear, is a prophane Swearer wirh the Tongue,, (which the mind fhoald better rule,) rho' his wind Swear not} fo he that on his Knees in Religious Prayer, looketh on Images, as the mediate Objeft of his Worfrip, his adl is bodily Idolatry^ and his mind is guilty by not better ruling ir.

Where God affixeth the mention of his Jtaloufie, even ro the Third and Fourth I oration, calling the bowers to Images,'

'c that h*te him ; ir is needful to us to be jealous of our anions: For our God is a Cojiiuming Fire. And we are not ignorant of t;he Doctrine of your St. Thoni*s % who iaich that the Image is to be Wor-fhipped, with the Tame fort of Worship as that which it reprefenteth, and the Image of the Crucifix, with Latris t <.a led Divine Worship.

The

( 168 )

The Fiftieth ace ttfed Point.

That no ?nan hath jmen Cod in any Form y and that therefore his Pi&Hre or Image not be made.

Anf. i. But what if it were Lawful to

Paint God? Is it Necejfary ? Why may

you not be contented to have a painted

God your felves? Muft all be burnt and

damned as Hereticks that are not of your

mind ? VVHl you be jealous againft thofe

that bow not to a painted God, as God is

jealous againft thofe that doit ? God faith

ThoHjJjait not bow down to them, nor worjhip

them: Where faith he, Thou ihah bow

down to them, and workup them ? Or bow to- j

w^rdsthem, and fay, It is not to them?

2. God faith, Than jhalt not make to thy (elf the liken*fs of any thing in H \ venor Earth, to bow down to them and worflup them. Bowing down pu-rpofely towards thern, and before them, is inter* pretatively bowing down to them, worshipping them. And God would not be fo worshipped: 7/tf. 40.16,25. To whom wtllye liken Cod ? Or what l^enefs will ye compart unto him ? To whom will ye li\en ~ nil 1 be f qui!* faith *h: Holy m* }

ft

( 1*9)

Jec ~6. i. D^r. 16.22. H^b. x3.

c Molten Imago is a Tcfcher of ,\ 1

I is Blasphemy ro make a Pi q ;tire or 3 e of God, bat what he maketh him-fclf; as if wefaid, Cod is like that Imags er Creature.

But this Deceiver tells us, how God appeared to Adam and others, in a humane or tbrne certain fhape. Anf. 1 • And yet he hath ofc and earneftly forbid making Images of him to worfhip.

2. Anthofomorfhits, that take God to have parts like man, are Condemned as Heretick* by the CJharch of Rome it felfc Every notifying fign of Gods attributes^ is not called his Image ; and man is called his Image, for the Divine Impreflions on his Soul, which cannot it felf be feen and Pictured. If God appear by an Angef, and that Angel appear in humane (hape, we are neverthelels forbidden to worfhip God pillared as a man. Sun, Moon, Stars, yea, every Creature notifieth God to us , yet may we not paint him like thet'e, or any other Creature. Did not Gods tranlcendency, and his exprefs Word plainly and frequently reprove this, Popery had fome i'mall excuies.

IS^ they deny Chrifts ar.d his ApofticS Words, that no man hath fan 6W iX ahy tjme, fave his Son , they repioacfl him : To fee his Works, is only to iee that which notifieth him, and not him-ielf: Elfe every Pagan and Brute feeth God. We deny not but the Sun, and JFVrr, snd a man may be piftured, and that God being partly notified to us by thefe, (and every CreatureJ may be laid lb far to appear in them ? And when did he appear fo wonderfully as in Shrift .• A&dyetit being not his EJfence in it fe!f that we fee in them, but his attributes in part; an Image of a man, of the Sun, Moon, Stars, of a Horfe, or a Dog, or a Toad, is not to be called an Image of God, elieGodmay have as many Images as Creatures,

Tht One and Fiftieth accufid Feint.

«

That BUffwgor figning with thefigt? of th Qrfifoj is not founded in Holy Scripture.

jitf. The mat* would not tell you whether he mean the Lavrfulnefs of the Crols <>nly, or alio the vecejfuy of ufingit. But what are his Proofs ?

i. IUv. 7. 3- Hurt not the Earthy nor JiiiS. till vrc have ftaicd 7 (ire rcaa

figned,)

t

f

('7' )

I

. ,. - .God >n ttxir

U here any mention of Crofting $r Blef-fug with the Crofs T An Angel in prophetical Vifion, is bid to mark or leal the Servants of God, as thofe that are not to be deftroyed, when God commifTioneth other Angels to deftroy the Perfecucors: Therefore the Prieft muft fign all Chriftians wiih the Crofs. And I would they did not infer as #ne did from Ezxk. 9« 4, 5. [_And I to the other hefaid^ go ye after him* through the City and [mite \ let not your Eye ff*re, neither have ye fity, flay utterly Old and Tiling, and little Children and Women ; but come not near any man on whom is the markj and begin at my Sanfttt*ryr\ And thus whatever Plague or Death God bid Angels execute on his uncurable Enemies, Idolaters, and Perfecutors, the Devil will teach men, that Priefts and their Hang-men may execute on all that are not marked in the * Forehead with a Crofs ? But as long a* ;e is fo like to Babylon, they were better teach men a truer Expofition of the relations. Thus they can prove, that the Scripture is but like a Note of Wax, by ufing it as if it were fo. It Was Idolatrous Perlecuting Rome that was to be deftroyed, and it was thofe that had Gods I 2 mark,

( *7* )

mark, and not the Beads that were to be fecured. And who is that Idolatress per-ftcutsng Btfift f

Ther-xc Text ii Mar J^ to. 16. Chrrft fHt his hands on Children, aiid khfftdt them. And would he make men believe, that we deny Chrifts blefling them or ciders/ Or that Paftors may btefc the p-ople in s is $tame? Is here ever * vvortl c>f ilgu^g jyith the Crofs ?

The other is Luke 24. So. *Ht as far as Beth*,' :? s

hands and blejfed them. 1 rne

yrieft muft Crofs men in the a i

Reader, this is the fafhion of ; leri's

confuting the Reformed Carholicks, and proving Popery, and ufing Scripture. And have they not reaion to challenge the fote Interpreting of it ? Let but the Pone nnd-%ts Priefts expound it, and it fhall aH fpe ?. : for them, and (peak Blood and Fireagafrift* all that obey chem not: But till then, they are it's Enemies, becaufe ic is the greateft Enemy to them,

2. But iuppole Chrifts biefling had been CroflTing: .With what Face do they feign Protectants in England, to beagainft Croffing tn the Forehead ? When the World knoweth that the Church of England is aotoaly for it, but Eje&eth and Sifencerh^ i i aU

( 17? ) lers that will Baptize the Child of the moft Godly Chriftians withont it. And they know that all the Churches called I btranuihit. Are none of thefe Pro* reft ants ?

3. And though thofe called Non-Con^ nifts, are not for the ufing of it as a t eating Symbol of Chriftianity in Bap-:ai Covenanting, to bind the Ccvenan-to that Confefiion and holy warfare which is the promiied duty of the Cov?~ 1 \, ", nor for denying Chriftendom t ofc that refufo this ufe of the Cr (out of a fear left this Covenanting make it a human Sacrament added to Bap* tiioi;) yet I meet with few of them that Condemn the ancient Chriftians, th« lived among Heathens, (who fcorned them as worfbiping a Crucified God,) fo* their feafonable Crofling themielves m thofe Heathens fight, meerly to (hew that they were not afhamed oi luch a Crucified Saviour; (not thinking what Papifts would hring it.toatlaft. )

The Twe and Fiftieth acenfcdTointl

)at the pthlick Service of the Chftrch^ \ht not tok*faui\ hnt in a Language th*t the People may Hvderftand %

AnU The Reformed Catholicks indeed hold this, with.thefeexceptions: i. That by Ailhz meant the Ordinary Congrtgdt ...-;; nor meaning that if a French-* .-,.: , or a Dutch wtv, ccme in among the v, they muft needs-ipeak to him apart in own Tongue.

2. That if any Ruftick, I!!irerate : or Notices, underiland not many:-words in the Translation of the Bible, or ibme apt wof ds of the Mmifter, we muft not therefore change the Tranflation, nor forbear thoie apt words that are fVited to the more intelligent; but help to amend the under-(landing of the Ignorant.

But that in Publkk and Private, the Congregation (houLdunderftand what they hear as the Word of God, and what is laid in Cpnfeffton, Prayer and Praife to God, this we- hold as a matter of grand importance.

i. Becaule it's purppfely, plainly, and popioufly decided lb by the Holy Ghoft^ in the Apoftle Paul, i C*r H- Do but read the Chapter and judge.

2. Becaufe Chrift always Preached to the people in a known Tongue*

3. He prayed, Job. 17. in a known 3f©;jgue, and tapght rhejn io to pray.

4.. The

c m )

The Apoftles where ever they . e, Preached and Prayed in a known Tongue.

5. They wrote the Goipels, the Atts, ar>J all the'irEpiftles, to whole Churches* in the Tongue moft commonly known ta the Reader , and lb to be read to, or by all.

6. It was their (landing Rule; Let *ll fa done to Edification.

7. Their Preaching and writing was all for Teaching : And it is no Teaching to ipeak to men in a ftrange Language, (onlefs we be teaching them to underhand itj

1 8. fraying is the exprefling of known 'Jr/ires to God: It's no Prayer that ex-prefferh no Defire, and Jgnoti nulla Cttpi* do: There is no Defire, lave fenfitive Ay-perite, that fuppofeth not Knowledge that the thirrg is good and needful. The words of a Parrot are not a Prayer* And ton* frffion of S'n is the aft of a penitent Soul* and it is no Repentance or Confeffion that IS but words of they know not what: It's no penitent Confefiion to hear or fpeak words, not underftood what Sin they fignifie.

And to give God thanks, implyeth that

we underltand what Mercies or bene-

( '7* )

fits the words exprefs. And to pmfe 6od h underftandingly to magnifie h\% perfections or Works. So chat words without underftanding them, are no more to be called Prayer, Praife, Cocfeffion, Thankf-giving, than the finging of a Bird is, or the Crowing of a Cock.

9* No reafonable man wonld be thus ierved or converfed with : A Parent in-deed can underftand an Abha^ or a look frqjn an Infant \ but it is on fuppofition," that the Infant himfelf perceiveth what he wourd have : And if it be not by intel-le&ual but fenfuive perception, k is na more a Petition to his Pather, than a Dog* waiting for Food, tho' the perfon deierves more pity. So God underftand-eth the meaning of Spiritual Groans, in one that wants words for large expreflion r But that fuppofeth that it is true inward defires after him which thole Groans fignifie.

But publick worfhip reqwreth * conjunction of Soul and Service, and therefore a conjuncft underftanding : Elfe there i* no true Union and Communion in the wor-fhip. Foroneibund of tfords with dif-cord of defires, is no Chriftian Union and Communion. It muft be fuppofed that either the Hearers are not praying at a\l r

( 177 ) or elie that every one is fee, ^ying

after bis own thoughts for various thing without any Concord.

What melody would it be for all : l ;e Church to fing in as many Tunes as ;-.■■■ fons ? What King or Judge will take It for a Petition, for a man to talk gibberifh to him, or fayheknoweth not what?

10. Even Papifts deride Quakers, for meeting to fay nothing.* And what difference is there, when they hear and fay nothing underftood, faving that the Voice maketh it a more pompous Mockery, than the Quakers Silence? O ! who would have thought that the primitive manner of publiek worflhip, (hould ever have degenerated into fuch a prophane abufe of God and man, againfl; plain Scripture, universal practice, and humane Reafon ? And this as a pan of a grand defign to kill the Life; of all true Religion, and delude Souls, with the deiid Carkafs of mortified Formalizes, and Ceremonies i and that men fhoiila think that Souls are live J as \\ , -ai J doprereod, todo Cures by Cb'M of words not underilood i they ferve God with empty (hells, when they have cad away the Kernels: Like the i'-.v '. *r<-mh-Woman, that loukt for a Chrirt to come to tell theoi, whether m this Monn-

t*un

( r?8 )

tain or at Jcrufalem men eifght to worfop, little knowing what it was ro worship God as a Spirir, in Spirit and Truth, when ic fnould be neither at that Mountain, oratJernfaUw.

But hath this man no Scripture. (aga?:,ft Scripture ?) Yes, L/*^. t . 8. £ The People-were praying without , white the Pricjt was offering Incenfe within.'} Therefore the publick Worfhip may be performed, ib as the people underItand not : Tha% i. The Prieds aftion only out of their fight is the publick worfhip, and the peoples praying is not io. 2. The offering Irfcenfe, is Praying j or becaafe the people are not to do the Prieds Office in Ihcenie and Sacrificing, therefore Mini-* fters mud pray 'and praife God alone,' without the people, and all this publick worfhip. 3. If the Levirical Sacrifices were offered by the Pried alone, Chrids Gofpel worfhip mud be performed by the Pried alone, the people not knowing what he faith: And the precepts and ex-amples of the New-Tedament, mud all be reduced to the Levitical Order of In-cenfe and Sacrificing. 4. And is he fure that all the people in the outer Court, prayed they knew not what, 6r in an unknown Tongue > What ufe is Scripture tff'totheiemen ? Hi*

( *79 )

His next is, Lmit. 16. 17. None w.u to.£» , with 'he Prieft to nuke attornment Congregation, &c. An\. You iee : itthefetaen are Judaizers, and fee up the Levirical Law for the Churches Rule of Service, as if Chrift had not changed the Law. But our Queftion is not now, Whether their Prieft have any folitary au tonement to make for the Congregation ; but whether Chrift hath not inftitured fuch pablick worfhip, in which Minifters and people maftunderftandingly joyn ? Doth their Prieft celebrate their Mafs atone, opt of the peoples fight or hearing, in a: SanOuary while they are in the outer Court ? Do not their people aflemble to their Mafs ?■ Will they.ftand to it, that;' their Church renounceth all wot (hip of God in Holy Aflemblies, fave by the Prieft alone? And is this the Holy Catho-lkk Church?

And the man here profeffedly calls the Friefis folitary attion, the public^ Service} rvbixb is far the people, and not by them, and therefore they need not nnderftand\ and all the peoples Prayers are private and JJjould be understood; fo that (the Myftery opened,) either the Prieft * all the Church* or elfe they have n^fubUc^ Church Service^ if they muft meet, that every one m4y

have

C 180 )

have a fecret Prayer of his own, snd may only fee the Priefts Service called pub-lick. And by this he pretends that he anfwereth /W, \ Cor. 14. Adding mo filamelefly, 1. That it feemeth there by the Text, that the common Service cf the Church, was not then m a Tongu< monly underllood. 2. Becaufe there was one tofupply the place of the ideots, to lay Amen^ where he faith, that the Gins?** mtn^ mo ft deceitfully and maltcioufiy Inflated, \He that is an Ideot, how fwiV he ■■ f Amen Vy And raileth at them for patting \Sobeit. 3 O! what is man, and how incredible is the pretended infallible Clergy, that can expert that all men truft their Souls on fuch palpable deceit! Wbeft St. V*ul fpent a great part of the' Chapter tediffwade thofe that by Infpiration, could fpeak ftrange Languages, that they (hould not ufe them in the Church, as being un-. edifying, or at lead not without an interpreter ; this man gathers, that the common Service was in an unknown Tongue ? As if this diflwaded ufe of lb roe Prophets gift, were the common Service. 2. And when he diffwadeth them from Praying in an unknown Tongue, or giving thanks in itf faying, elfe how can he that ocenpi-L etk the Room oftht unUarned fay Aw ,

this

mat) feignech, that yet they were to ;' wkj in an unknown Tengue f and ' one was to /apply the place of the Jdeot or unlearned, in faying Amen. (See verl. 2;.) Faal would have all fay Amcn^ tl .:• man fays cue was tv do it for them : Pant argueth that therefore they rnuft Ijpeak to the undcrftanding of the unlearned : This man turneth his own words a gain ft him : Doth his Sapdter of the Jde-ots place himfelf, underitand or not ? If not, Panl faith, Hew can he fay Amen ? If he do, how doth he.iupply the place of the Ideots, that are fuppofed fhould fay Ameni and cannot ?

For the fake of this Chapter and Irv Ptance, Khali never think any words lb plain, that Papifts caanot turn againft their w >ft evident lenfe.

But what is the Man*s pretence for this erroneous Confidence ? Why, the Vulgar Latine Tranflateth it, Qai /applet Ice , inftead of Qui implet locam: And that La-tin Tranflator by. /applet meant the fame as implet y pc/fidct vel tenet: d+vzhnyZ* js well known to fignifie to fill ftp: Their own Expofitors are many of them for the Sence which this Dodtor chargeth as de-and malicUuflp given : Cornelia* a

| de faith that, aW^SV is D tn ao im-

plere.

( 1*5 )

flere, <vcl fimul & Commumtcr 6?mes ty-r plere,\o fill again, Ot all together, or in common to fill: It is not Qui fapplet i'iltm indotti, but Ojti locum occupat inter m-dottos, or Idiots locum tenet.

And fo it is expounded by the ancients, Chryfoftom , Oecumtnim , ' Thcophj-laft. '

And are not thefe Roman Priefts noto-rioufly Perjured, that all Swear.to expound the Scripture, according to the unanimous confent of the Fathers, when as (befides that the Fathers have but few of them written Commentaries on thfe Scriprures , there are very few of them that unanimoufly agree, of the Sence of the one half of the Scripture Texts, but either fay nothing of them, or differ: And not only in this, but in mod points named by this Bo&ors Touchftone, he and others go flat againft them ?

And what meaneth the man to rail at them, that lay So be it, inftead otAmen Is it not a true Tranflation ? But; he will prove that it (hould not be Tranflated, end confequently that Strzict nfay be * [aid in an unknown Tongue, for Anien is not Crcci^ bat Hebrew. Anf. I. Who can ftand before thefe Arguments, if they be but backt with Guns and Swords, or

Smrth*

*£ynbfitld Fires> which are too hot for any !\ nfu t r fave Patience. He may alib prove it from Chrifts Words on the Crofs, Eloi ; . : I,:. v ibacthani : ForChrift was now the moft publick Prieft, and was offering the moil publick Service by his Sacrifice; 1 ' o, the publick Service fhould be in ah unknown Tongue : And it may be, they may find fome other umranflated word, that (hall confute not only all the Bible, but all the Septuagint and Vulgar Latine Tranilations.

But feeing thefe Men's Arguments are tec hot for me to anfwer, as they might know that the Church of England refuieth not AMEN, fo neither will J, (rhough as 1 can prove, that the Corinthian Church were Hebrews and Gentilesmixr, and that Amen wasunderftood by both} fo Prore-ilants ufe it as a word underftood.)

From the Serfents Seed 0 and hu decc^ itug fulfil Lies : From Cain and his : * -cttfohrs, and the malignant and Blood-ihir* Jty Enemies ofAbels faithful acceptable wor-Jhip ; from fitch a worldly and fiffrly S*z-crcd Generation as take gain for Godlincf, and makf their worldly carnal inter eft the Standard of their Religion, and their proud 1: ;ination to pAfs for the Kingdom of (thrift : From an Vfurpng ViccChrift,

whofc

nnhiion is fo bonndlcfs y as to txttm K thi phetictt , Prie/lly and Kingly

Mc*d'\\u\ ver all the Earth, even *i the and to that which is proper to God hirruelf, and our Redeemef: From a Leprous St ft , which Condsmneth the far greateft fart of aU Chrifts Church on Earth, and feparateth from them, and calleth it felf, the whole and only Church : From that Church that de-creeth Deftrudlion, to ail that renounce not all humane Senfe, by believing that Bread is not Breads nor that Wine is Wine , but Chrifts very Flefli and Blood, who now hath properly no Flefli and Blood, but a Spiritual Body; and that decreeth the Excommunication, Depo-fition, and Damnation, of all Princes that will not exterminate all iuch; and abfolveth their Subk&s from their Oaths of Allegiance: From that Beaft whofe Mark is PER Perjury, Perfidi-mfmfi r, and Perfection, and that think they do God acceptable Service, by killing his Servants, or tormenting them; and thSt Religion which feedeth on Chrifts JF/e/fr, by Sacrificing thofe that he calleth his Flefli and Bones, Ephef. 5. From the infernal Dragon, the Father of Lies, Malice > and Murder , . and ail his

Miai*

C iS> )

Minifters and Kingdom of Darknefs; GOOD LORD make hafte to de-liyer thy Flocki and confirm their Faith, Hope, Patience, and their Joyful defire* of the great, true, final, Glorious Deliverance, AMEN. A M EN, AM E N.

B 1 K I Si.- vi

This Baok^ xvm delivered by Mr. Baxter

h.mfclf to the Bookseller , And not beings J ten by hs the Ant hours of the Epiftle to the Reader, till the Sheets were »rinttd % tbcfe ERRAT A's mnfi be correttcd.

P\%e 76. line 24. read zfttr God threvgh hit, Page 81.I. 14. read Contorted for C . Page 94.I.24. read convened for ton . . ... Page 96.1. 21 . read they de bold % for do the) I Page 97. 1. 1. read finlefs for fwcelifs. Page ntf. 1. 9. read intuition fcr intembx* Page 1 19. 1. 17. read Rtncus for Ramus. Page 149.1. 4. r. Otdamrs for Ordinincts. \\ 150.1. 15,16. r. preference for; ... . Page lalai.r. Councils for Counrii. Page \6i. I. 1*. r. there is mention* Paje 165. 1. 3. r. Vegetable. Fagc 155.1. 27, 28. T.prtfejjid for ;r;»i/W.

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\ N end of Dottriml Controvtr-j[\. fieXy which have lately troubled the Churches, by Reconciling Explication without much difputing: by Richard Baxter.

The Certainty of the World of Spirks, fully evinced by unquestionable Hiftories of Apparitions and Witchcrafts, proving the Immortality of Sou Is. By Richard Baxter.

The. Harmony of the Divine Jt-tr/fate* in th« Contrivance and Ac-eomplifhmcnt of Mans Redemption by our Lord Jefus .Chriir, &c. By

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Two Sermons, opening the Nav ture of Participation with, and de-monftrating the Neceflity of Purification by Chrifl. By the fame Author.

Five Sermons on various Occasions : by the fame Authour.

The Mirror of Divine Love Un-vailed: In a Paraphrafe of the high and myfterious Song of Solomon.

Tho Counrreys Concurrence with the London United Minifters. By & Chandler.

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A New Examination of rhe Accidence and Grammcr.

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