is not done yet and how long then should we have stayed For these very Things which the Reformation rejects are still defended by her and all the Protestations and Applications that have been made to her have had no effect upon her to procure a Reformation on her part and we do not know when they will have But why must we stay till the Church of Rome had ordered the Reformation which we see would have been long enough What is the Church of Rome to us but as a Sister Church whatever she pretends of her Catholicism and Masterdom or Mistresship over the rest of the Churches which is refuted before And what hath she to do then to control our Reformation or to oblige us to stay her leisure Or why have not Princes and National Churches in themselves full Power and Authority to reform what is to be reformed in their own Precincts We see what the good Kings of the Jews Asa Hezekiah Josiah did And what did we do but what in a like case they did before And if the Church of Rome had had never so much an Authority over us yet if upon due Applications she would not reform Errors and redress Abuses and yet these Errors and Abuses be of a most pestilent and dangerous Nature to the Souls of Men and most contrary to the true Religion must we therefore persist in these false Beliefs and Practices whilst she thinks fit to retain them And hazard our Eternal Salvation in rejecting Divine Truth and contradicting the Light of our Minds and the true Gospel-Doctrine meerly out of respect to her Or must we not provide for our own wellfare our selves without which we should run the hazard of Eternal Perdition if others will not do it who ought Now this was the very Case The Corruptions of the Church of Rome were so very great both in Faith and Worship as may appear partly by this little Treatise and were so very dangerous and fatal to Mens Souls and so universally spread and so stifly maintained that there was no hope of a Reformation of them by that Church but the Council that was assembled to remove Corruptions setled them the stronger Because they could not be brought to a better mind to renounce these Errors must we therefore continue to err for company Or when we could no longer hold Communion with them without having a Communion in these Corruptions had we not a just cause then of separation from them Jer. 51. 9. We would have healed Babylon and she is not healed forsake her and let us go every one to his own Country It is just the same in our Case we have remonstrated to the Church of Rome her Errors and she hath not reformed them but on the contrary she hath excommunicated and persecuted with Fire and Sword those that have publish'd the Truth and therefore we had just cause to abandon her Communion 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty And Rev. 18. 4. Come out of her my People that ye be not partakers of her Sins and that ye receive not of her Plagues Here is our Call to do as we have done when we could no longer abide in the Communion of the Church of Rome without being defiled with her Sins and partaking of the Torment which is prepared for her we were then obliged to come out of her Rom. 16. 17. I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them This we say the Church of Rome hath done so that we are required by the Apostle to mark and avoid them For Gal. 1. 9. Whosoever preacheth saith he another Gospel than that which ye have received let him be accursed And we have seen that the Church of Rome hath corrupted the Doctrine of the Gospel in many and very great Instances so that it looks like another Gospel than what was preach'd by our Saviour and his Apostles 1 John 5. 21. Little Children keep your selves from Idols And if the Church of Rome be guilty of Idolatry as hath been proved and we cannot keep to them without keeping to her Idolatry must we not then keep our selves from both For it is in vain to pretend that their Doctrines that is we say their Corruption is antient This was no warrant to the Jews formerly to follow the old Heathen Customs because of their Antiquity But saith Joshua Chap. 24. 14 15. Put away the Gods which your Fathers have served on the other side of the Flood and is Egypt and serve the Lord. And if it seem evil to you to serve the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serve whether the Gods which your Fathers served that were on the other side of the Flood or the Gods of the Amorites in whose Land ye dwell but as for me and my House we will serve the Lord. The like we say doth concern us And if others will persist still in their false Worship it doth not follow that we should do so too And therefore if the Worship of the Church of Rome be such as we prove it is in many Instances we are bound to renounce it though it were never so Ancient yea though it were older than Noah's Flood SECT III. They object to us the Divisions that are among the Reformed BUT what do they get by this Because there are Divisions among the Reformed is therefore the Reformation it self evil Or because we are divided among our selves in some things and some of us then must be in the Wrong doth it therefore follow that they are in the Right If this be an Argnment against the Reformation the same might have been an Argument against Christianity it self For as soon as Christianity spread it self abroad were there not Divisions then too amongst those that embrac'd it Some were for retaining the legal Ordinances and mixing the Ceremonies of the Law with the Gospel of Christ with whom the Apostles had great contention Some very famous Churches were leavened with this Error as that was which was in Galatia Other strange Heresies were broach'd in the Church of Corinth and obtained amongst many even in the Apostles Days And there soon arose many others that corrupted the Faith of the Gospel both in the Apostolical and following Ages Gnosticks Valentinians Marcionites Arians c. which spread far and wide and continued a long time Was this now a just Objection against Christianity that there were Divisions and Heresies among those that profess'd themselves Christians And how comes it then to be so mighty an Argument now against the Reformation We are sorry indeed to see it fall out so that there should be no better agreement amongst the Reformed and that there should any Heresies spring out of
Christ for the edifying of the Church Ephes 4. 11 12. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the Vnity of the Faith c. But not one word of such an Office as that of supreme Pastor or universal Sovereign over all Which we may be sure he would not have omitted if such an Office had been so necessary to the aforesaid Ends as is pretended CHAP. IX That the Pope hath power over Kings to Excommunicate and Depose them and can give Power to resist Soveraign Princes and can absolve Subjects from their Allegiance And that all Ecclesiastical Persons are exempted from the Jurisdiction of Secular Courts The 3d General Council of Lateran Cap. 27. 14. The 4th of Lateran Can. 3. de Haereticis Can. 43. Council of Lions Ann. 1245. Council of Constance Sess 17. Council of Trent Decret de Reformat Cap. 12. THis vast and exorbitant Power being founded upon the Pope's Headship over the Church which is refuted before there needs no new Arguments here for the confutation hereof For it is not pretended that the Pope hath a proper and direct temporal Soveraignty but as a necessary Consequent to and appendix of his Spiritual and for the promoting the Ends thereof The Pope can change Kingdoms take them from one and give them to another as the soveraign spiritual Prince if this be necessary to the Salvation of Souls Which are the words of Bellarmiâ—◠〈◊〉 Rom. Pontif. lib. 5. cap. 6. So that the same Arguments produced before to refute the spiritual Soveraignty serve also to overthrow the temporal and more strongly this having only relation to the former and inferr'd from it by far-fetch'd Consequences without the least intimation from Scripture And the exemption of all Ecclesiastical Persons from the Temporal Power is grounded likewise upon the same Papal Headship For he being supposed to be their supreme Governor and Soveraign is to take cognizance of all Causes that have relation to them as their proper Judg. And this being the Consequent of such a Principle the Principle being overthrown the Consequence must also fall with it And then there remains no other Power upon Earth to which the Clergy are to be subject as their supreme Governor under God and Christ but soveraign Princes and States in their several Dominions But yet this pretended Exemption of the Clergy may be likewise farther confuted from the following Texts Rom. 13. 1 2. Let every Soul be subject unto the higher Powers meaning the supreme Civil Authority whatsoever it is whether Emperor King c. in their several Dominions Here 's an universal Assertion respecting all Persons under such Authorities and no exemption of any For there is no such Power lawfully constituted but of God The Powers that be are ordainded of God. Wherefore he that resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation So that there is no Power whatever that can absolve Subjects from their Allegiance to the supreme Magistrate or free them from his Jurisdiction lawfully constituted For he beareth not the Sword in vain 't is his part to bear and wield and Sword of Justice For he is the Minister of God to execute Wrath upon him that doth evil and to punish Offenders And therefore Ecclesiastical Persons as â—ell as others if they do evil against the Laws of God and a lawful Government are liable to the just execution of punishments inflicted by such Governours But it is well known that the Republick of Venice was put under an Interdict for having began a Process against an Abbot and a Canon who were notoriously criminal and punishable 1 Pet. 2. 13 14. See also St. Peter ' s Judgment Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King as Supreme or unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil Doers and for the praise of them that do well He doth not say Submit your selves to me as the supreme Head of the Church neither saith he Submit your selves from time to time to my Successor in Rome but submit your selves to the King as Supreme And how could he more manifestly teach subjection which all Persons of whatsoever Condition and Quality should render unto him For he makes no exception of the Clergy but this Epistle is directed to them as well as others See Chap. 5. Tit. 3. 1. See here again to the same purpose St. Paul Put them in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers and to obey Magistrates Who were these that Titus was to put in mind to be subject but those who by St. Paul's direction were committed to his care and teaching among which we find the Elders and Bishops of the Churches Chap. 1. 4 5. these were some of those then whom Titus was to put in mind to be subject Aaron was Elder Brother to Moses and chief Priest yet nevertheless he was subject to Moses and called him his Lord Exod. 32. 21 22. And Moses said unto Aaron What did this People unto thee that thou hast brought so great a Sin upon them viz. of the Golden Calf of which they spake And Aaron said Let not the Anger of my Lord wax hot thou knowest the People that they are set on mischief And Numb 12. 11. Aaron said unto Moses Alas my Lord lay not this Sin upon us wherein we have done foolishly and wherein we have sinned for he and Miriam had murmured against Moses The chief Priests were subject to the Kings of Israel For which you need but read the Books of Kings See one Example hereof to which no reply can be made 1 King. 2. 26 27. Vnto Abiather the Priest said King Solomon Get thee to Anathoth unto thine own Fields for thou art worthy of Death but I will not at this time put thee to death because thou bearest the Ark of God before David my Father c. So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being Priest unto the Lord. But now under the New Testament saith Cardinal Bonaventure the Temporal Rule is subject to the Priesthood and Popes may now degrade Kings and depose Emperors as this hath often come to pass But wherein is the difference and where is the proof of this impious Assertion St. Paul pleadeth his cause before Felix a secular Judg and doth not except against the Jurisdiction of the Court Acts 24. And so again before Festus Acts 25. But now the meanest Priest and the poorest Monk of them all where he can refuseth to appear before the secular Judges And it is a received Maxim The Pope ought to judg all the World and be judged himself of no Body Distinct 40. Can. Si Pape At last St. Paul appeals unto Cesar Acts 25. 10 11. Then said Paul I stand at Cesar
preach'd 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have a more sure Word of Prophecy whereunto ye do well to take heed St. Peter praises those that read the Prophets and why should Men he blamed then for reading the Apostles and Evangelists Note whereas he says vers 20. That no Propheâ—cy of the Scripture is of any private Interpretation He doth not speak it to deter private Men from the reading or judging of the sense of it but to shew the sureness of their Rule that it was not first interpreted or written by the Fancy or Will of private Men but it came by the Will of God and holy Men of God spake therein as they were moved by the Holy Ghost ver 21. Acts 8. 27 28. Behold a Man of Ethiopia an Eunuch of great Authority and Power under Candace the Queen who had the charge of all her Treasure as he was returning from Jerusalem and fitting in his Chariot read Isaias the Prophet Observe that this Person was not a Church-man but a Treasurer or Minister of State to the Queen And Philip was sent to him by the Spirit to help him to understand the Prophecy he was reading Which is a clear Testimony of the holy Spirit 's approbation of his practice and is a great incouragement to others to do the like and in doing so to hope for the divine Direction and Blessing Acts 17. 11. 't is said The Bereans therefore were more noble than than those of Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all readiness and searched the Scriptures daily to know whether these things were so 'T is noted as an Instance of an excellent Spirit in them that they search'd the Scriptures for their satisfaction about what was delivered by the Apostles So 2 Tim. 3. 15. From a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures See here a Child exercised in the Holy Scriptures And this is noted by the Apostle as an excellent and praise-worthy thing in him Observe that the Apostle St. Paul addresses the most part of his Epistles not to the Priests or Bishops but to the Churches of God to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus and to all that call on the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ see Rom. 1. 7. 1 Cor. 1. 2. 2 Cor. 1. 1. Gal. 1. 2. Ephes 1. 1. And to shew clearly that he wrote to the People as well as to the Pastors he distinguishes them in his Epistle to the Philippians Chap. 1. 1. Paul and Timotheus the Servants of Jesus Christ To all the Saints that are at Philippi with the Bishops and Deacons So likewise St. James addresses his Epistle to the Twelve Tribes that are scattered abroad And St. Peter his first Epistle To the Strangers scattered throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and â—ithynia Chap. 1. 1. His second Epistle is yet more general To all those that have obtained like precious Faith with us through the Righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ St. John writes to Fathers to young Men and to Children Now what colour can there be to hinder those Persons from reading those Epistles that were sent and addrest to them Add to this that the Apostles did formally and expresly command and require Persons to read their Epistles Thus Col. 4. 16. When this Epistle is read among you cause that it be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans and that ye likewise read the Epistle from Laodicea So 1 Thess 5. 27. I charge you by the Lord that this Epistle be read to all the Holy Brethren And note that for this end they were writ in a Language best known to the generality of People As also all the Holy Scripture besides was writ in a Language that was best understood by the People for whom it was writ The Old Testament in Hebrew for the use of the Jews The New Testament in Greek that being the Language then most generally used And for this end there were Translations made of the Scriptures into the Languages of several Nations that People of all sorts might read them As to what is said 2 Pet. 3. 16. That in the Scriptures there are some things hard to be understood which many do wrest to their own destruction It is from the vice and rashness of Men that they do so wrest them which if they were of humble and teachable spirits they might avoid And therefore to prevent this wresting of them the Apostle doth not prohibit the People the reading of them but only cautions them that they be not led away with these Errors of the Wicked and directs them to grow more in knowledg the way to attain unto which is to peruse them with greater care and diligence And it is an unreasonable thing to build a Prohibition of reading the Scriptures upon a far-fetch'd consequence from this Text against so many express Commands to the contrary Yet see moreover Rev. 1. 3. Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophecy and keep those things that are written therein Note here the most difficult Book of Scripture is commended to Mens reading and the Spirit of God calls those Blessed that read and keep it And what reason can there be then to deter Men from reading the Gospels and Epistles of the Apostles which contain Things much more familiar and easy to be understâ—â—â—â—â— Of the Church CHAP. IV. That the State of the Church is always visible Bellarm. de Eccles lib. 3. cap. 11. THat the Church of God shall continue in being in all Ages is not denied but that it shall be always gloriously and conspicuouly visible to the observation of all Persons that they may know whither to have recourse to it to join in communion with it and may be moved thereunto by its splendour is against many Scripture-Instances and Prophecies to the contrary Which many Times comes to pass through the prevailing of Corruptions in it or Persecutions against it which very much darken and obscure it So that a very few Persons may retain the purity of Doctrine in it and those not visible to the Notice of many others As for Example What was the Face of the Church then when God brought Abraham out of the 〈◊〉 of Infidels and Idolaters Gen. 12. What was the Face of the Church when Israel was in Egypt where they defiled themselves with the Idols of Egypt Ezek. 20. 7 8. Then they rebelled against me says God and would not hearken unto me they did not every Man cast away the Abominations of his Eyes neither did they forsake the Idols of Egypt then I said I will pour out my Fury upon them and mine Anger against them in the midst of the Land of Egypt Here was a very great Corruption in the State of the Church and that in the very chief and principal Points of Religion What was the Face of the Church in the Time of the Judges of Israel Judg. 2. 10 11 12 13. All that Generation were gathered unto their Fathers and
Servant of all If our Saviour had intended a primacy of Jurisdiction or Authority to St. Peter over the rest of the Disciples would he have exprest himself in such universal Terms so absolutely denying this Authority and Superiority to all Would he not have excepted St. Peter's Right and Priviledg which he intended to him But here 's an universal Negation of such supreme Authority to all of them indifferently without any such Exception Mat. 19. 28. Jesus said unto them Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit upon the Throne of his Glory ye shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel The Apostles are here represented sitting equally upon twelve Thrones Is not this to let us understand that they were to have an equal Authority Whereas if St. Peter was to have had a superior Authority one would think he should have had a Throne too superior to all the rest Mat. 23. 8. Be not yâ— called Rabbi or Master for one is your Master even Christ and all ye are Brethren Here is no assignation of any Mastership to St. Peter as Christ's Vicar But all the Disciples are joined together in an equality of Brotherhood under Christ their Lord. Luke 22. 24. There was also a strife among them which of them should be accounted the Greatest Note that this Dispute was but the Evening before the Passion of Jesus Christ after these words were spoken Mat. 16. 19. I will give unto thee the Keys If St. Peter had been then constituted the Chief of the Apostles there would never have been this Dispute among them touching the Primacy For our Saviour upon this Dispute said not one word that he had given it to St. Peter But on the contrary Vers 25. 26. The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise Authority upon them are called Benefactors but ye shall not be so Which certainly excludes such a Supreme Authority as is claim'd by the Pope John 20. 22 23. Jesus Christ breathed upon his Disciples and said unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost Whose Sins ye remit they are remitted and whose Sins ye retain they are retained Note here that the Power of binding and loosing which was promised to St. Peter Mat. 16. 19. is here given to all the Disciples indifferently Therefore that Promise conveyed no special Priviledge or Authority to St. Peter but what was given in common to them all Ephes 2. 20. Ye are built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-Stone Note that the Apostles and Prophets are here put in the same rank and are all equally called Foundation-stones as St. Peter was called a Rock Matth. 16. 18. and James and John Pillars as well as he Gal. 2. 9. To Jesus Christ alone belongs the Preheminence So Rev. 21. 14. And the Wall of the City had twelve Foundations and in them were the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. You see here still the Apostles advanc'd to the same degree of Honour Buâ— note that the Apostles are not called Foundations in respect of their Persons but in respect of the Doctrine which they held or preach'd And in the Text Matth. 16. 18. Thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church The Rock there mentioned is expounded by many of the Ancient Fathers as St. Chrysostom St. Ambrose St. Austin c. of the Doctrine which St. Peter confest that Christ was the Son of the living God. Which Christ calls a Rock and that upon which he would build his Church with allusion to St. Peter's Name that spoke it which signifies a Stone And upon this Doctrine all the Apostles indifferently founded the Churches where they came as well as he John 21. 17. Where our Saviour three times saith to St. Peter Feed my Sheep What is there contained in that or signified by it but what is equally the duty of all other Pastors of the Church So that here is no Priviledg conferr'd only to him but a Duty injoined which concerns all but is there particularly three times repeated to St. Peter and urged upon him as the best expression of his Love which he then professed to his Lord and Master whom before he had thrice denied and perhaps was as a rebuke for that denial three times repeated 1 Pet. 5. 1 2 3. Here St. Peter puts himself in the rank of the Elders that is to say the Pastors of the Church and doth not in the least attribute to himself any manner of Domination and forbids the same to others The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder He doth not say who am supreme Ruler and Governor over all as he might and should have done to have inforc'd his Exhortation the more if it had been true For he should have magnified his Office as St. Paul did Feed the Flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof Which is the same Exhortation which our Saviour gave him And how then is it a special Prerogative belonging to him alone But then he adds likewise not by constraint but willingly not for filthy Lucre but of a ready Mind neither as being Lords over God's Heritage but being Enamples to the Flock Quite contrary to the Pride and Arrogance of many Bishops of Rome that lord it over all Consider farther there are no Indications of any such supreme Authority in St. Peter but the quite contrary in very many Instances St. Peter is not always named in the first place as Mark 16. 7. Joh. 1. 44. 1 Cor. 1. 12. Gal. 2. 9. He spake not first in the Council of Jerusalem but a great Dispute there had been before he began his Discourse Acts 15. 7. It was not by his Sentence that the Decree of the Council was stated vers 13. The Message to the Gentiles was not sent by him vers 22. The Decree of the Council was not publish'd in his Name vers 23. He shared the Ecclesiastical Charge with the Apostles as their Fellow and Companion in the Work of the Lord. Gal. 2. 9. And when James and Cephas and John who seemed to be Pillars perceived the Grace that was given to me they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of Fellowship that we should go unto the Gentiles as they unto those of the Circumcision St. Paul makes himself equal unto him in all things Gal. 2. 6. Of those that seemed to be somewhat whatsoever they were it maketh no matter to meâ— God accepteth no Man's Person They that seemed to be somewhat in Conference added nothing to me So 2 Cor. 11. 5. For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest Apostles It had been good manners to have excepted St. Peter his Head and Lord at least St. Peter was sent in Commission by the rest of the Apostles Acts 8. 14. When the Apostles that were at Jerusalem
heard that Samaria had received the Word of God they sent unto them Peter and John. Doth this look like his being their Head or having supreme Authority over them Sure it would be esteemed a strange piece of presumption if the Bishops should undertake to do the like to the Pope St. Peter was required to render an account also of his Carriage Acts 11. 2 3. And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem they that were of the Circumcision contended with him saying Thou wentest in unto Men uncircumcised and didst eat with them But Peter rehearsed the Matter from the beginning and expounded it by order to them He was also publickly reproved by St. Paul Gal. 2. 11. When Peter was come to Antioch I withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed And vers 14. When I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel I said unto Peter before them all If thou being a Jew livest after the manner of the Gentiles and not as do the Jews why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews Was this very decent in Paul if St. Peter was his Head and chief Governor over all So that here is not the least Testimony or Sign of any such Supremacy or Power ever owned or acknowledged by St. Peter Note also that all Headship over the Church is always appropriated to Christ and that in such a manner that it cannot be delegated to St. Peter or any other Thus Ephes 1. 22 23. God hath put all things under the feet of Jesus Christ and hath given him to be Head over all Things to his Church which is his Body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Had it not been proper to have said And under the feet of St. Peter too and his Successors as Christ's Vicar if it had been so But as in the Body of Man there is but one Head so there is but one Head in the Church of which we are all Members Ephes 5. 23. The Husband is the Head of the Wife even as Christ is the Head of the Church and he is the Saviour of the Body Where the Apostle joins his being Head of the Church and Saviour together So that he that is not the Saviour of the Church cannot be the Head. And note that our Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church in the same manner as the Husband is the Head of the Wife So that as in the business of Marriage there is to be no Substitute so neither is Christ to have a Deputy or Vicar in his Church 1 Cor. 3. 11. For other Foundation can no Man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ But supposing that St. Peter was Head of the Church why must the Pope be so Or if it could be proved that there was such an Headship in St. Peter how doth it appear that this was any more than a personal Privilege in which therefore he was to have no Successor and an Honour conferred upon him out of particular respect and not from any universal necessity of such an Office in the Church A supreme Pastor they say is necessary to the Unity of the Church and therefore St. Peter was such a one and therefore he ought to have a Successor in that same Office. But is it sufficient to build so great a Pretension that can be rightly grounded upon nothing but a Divine Institution upon a mere humane reasoning of the expediency and necessity of the Thing Is it not more modest rather to argue the contrary that because there is no Divine Institution of such an Office that therefore it is not necessary however we may mistake the conveniency of it Shew the Institution and we will believe it or else though St. Peter should have been Prince of the Apostles and Head of the Church under Christ which yet is shown that it was not why may not we take this for a particular Honour and not for a necessary Office Cannot our Saviour who is God over all sufficiently dispence his Influences and provide for his Churches Welfare as far as he thinks meet in this military State by other Means and Church-Officers without such a Vicar Head Or how is it possible that a meer Creature should be capable of executing such an Office over all the Churches for their good at such remote and distant places or how could he be able to manage such a wide and mighty Empire But after all if it could be proved that St. Peter was vested in such an Office for the Time being yet how does it appear that he was to have a Successor in it or that it must be the Bishop of Rome rather than any other So that here we are altogether at uncertainty still and must build an Institution again upon meer humane Reasoning If because he himself was Bishop of Rome so was he said to be of Antioch too And why should not his Successor at Antioch claim this Privilege as much as he at Rome If because Rome was his last See when he died how doth it appear that his dying there transfers his Authority to the following Bishop unless it appears it was his last Will to have it so and that he had power to make such a Will But lastly doth it appear by the Scripture at all or certainly by ancient Record that ever St. Peter was at Rome much less Bishop there And if not how is the Pope his Successor at all See for this a late Discourse printed at London called A Modest Inquiry Whether St. Peter were ever at Rome c. So that here is nothing but uncertainty still to build all their glorious Pretences upon And considering all I cannot but conclude as our Church doth Sermon of Obedience 3d. part The usurped Power of the Bishop of Rome which he most wrongfully challengeth as the Successor of St. Peter is false feigned and forged Neither is it necessary then to the being of a true Church to be united to the Pope as supreme Pastor and Governour over it as is pretended Catech. Roman par 1. de 9. Artic. Symbol sl 11. If no such Center of Unity be appointed by Christ who is the Lord and Bridegroom of the Church then it cannot be necessary to the Unity of the Faith to be united in it nor is that an essential Note of the True Catholick Church And so all those great Pretensions of the absolute necessity of Peoples being in Communion with the Church of Rome under the Pope as supreme Pastor upon the pain of Damnation for the guilt of Heresy and Schism in breaking this Union are meerly false and vain So that our Church may be a Member of the true Catholick Church and in Catholick Unity still though we have separated from them if there be nothing else to render our separation culpable besides this vain pretence The Apostle gives us an account of all other Church-Officers both ordinary and extraordinary that are appointed by
of a Priest nor was it exacted or required as a Matter of necessary Obligation And as for what St. James says Chap. 5. 16. Confess your Faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed Note that he directs to this only in case of bodily Sickness accompanied with an afflicted or distressed Conscience in order to the obtaining the more fervent Prayers of those who are made privy to their Case for their relief and help from God but he does not appoint it for an universal standing Rule for all Men and of absolute obligation upon them in all Cases for the obtaining of Remission of Sin by a Priestly Absolution And note that when our Saviour says John 20. 23. Whose soever Sins ye remit they are remitted and whose soever Sins ye retain they are retained It can only be meant of such Sins as might happen to come to their knowledg and in such Cases wherein they might be able to make a right and sure Judgment of Mens Repentance of or pertinacy in Sin which the Apostles were sometimes enabled to do by special Revelation and then they had an extraordinary Power given them by the Holy Ghost to inflict extraordinary Punishments upon Men and to take them off again as they saw cause upon Mens Repentance Acts 5. 3 4. 13. 11. 1 Cor. 5. 5. 2 Cor. 2. 6 7. But the most that any Priest now can do who is not invested with those extraordinary Gifts is to pronounce Men absolved from the Guilt of their Sin upon condition of their Repentance or condemned for their not coming up to it And here is no Institution of Confession to be necessarily made to a Priest nor the least intimation given that the Sins of Men cannot be otherwise remitted if so be they perform the condition of a sincere Repentance in themselves There is no trace or track of it in our Saviour's dealing with Sinners though he had to do with very great ones Nor yet in the Apostles And St. Peter himself when he sinned we hear of him only that he went out and wept bitterly by that Sign expressing the real Contrition and sincere Repentance of his Heart but we read not a word of his going to a Priest to make Confession In case of publick Scandal indeed given to the Church a publick Confession is very needful and was always the Discipline of the Ancient Church And in case of perplexity of Conscience for the disburdening of that and as an help to Repentance a private Confession of the Sinner and opening his Case to some Spiritual Guide is also very useful But that a particular private Confession of all Mortal Sin with all its Circumstances to a Priest is of perpetual and necessary obligation to all in order to the obtaining pardon of Sin can no where be proved And therefore is an horrid Imposition and intolerable Tyranny upon Mens Consciences and is to change the Terms of Salvation from what God himself has appointed and to make that both easier and harder than he has made it either as it is said that Confession is enough with bare Attrition or that it must be added over and above to true Repentance it self And note that the priestly Absolution when it is given is not Authoritative and Judicial For so to absolve Sinners and forgive Sins belongs only to God Mark 2. 7. Isa 43. 25. who is the only Lawgiver Jam. 2. 12. or to Jesus Christ who hath the Key of David who openeth and none shutteth Rev. 3 7. who alone hath the supreme independent and absolute Power and Authority to do all things in the Church And whereas he hath likewise given unto the Pastors of the Church the Key of the Kingdom of Heaven they then open Heaven when they declare the Grace of God to repenting Sinners they shut Heaven when they declare the Judgment of God to impenitent Sinners But if they be ignorant or wicked let them pardon the Impenitent and excommunicate the Good that which they do on Earth is not ratified in Heaven The Authority they have to pardon Sin or to absolve the Sinner being only ministerial declarative and conditional upon the profession and supposition of the Sinner's Faith and Repentance Of the Merits of Good Works and Works of Supererrogation CHAP. XXII That the Good Works of Justified Persons are truly and properly Meritorious and fully worthy of Eternal Life Council of Trent Sess 6. chap. 16. Can. 32. THese Good Works are said by them indeed to be done by the Grace of God and Merit of Christ But then it is the good Works themselves that are truly meritorious of Eternal Life And the Grace of God and Merit of Christ have only a remote or mediate Influence towards the procuring Eternal Life viz. by giving us Grace to enable us to act And that being done the Acts or Works themselves which justified Persons perform do truly and properly deserve Eternal Life Contrary to Rom. 6. 23. The Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. He said The Wages of Sin is Death Sin deserves Death But he doth not say by way of opposition the Wages of Righteousness is Eternal Life but the Gift of God is eternal Life To teach us that Eternal Life is a free Gift to us and not merited by the Righteousness and good Works of any For free Gift and Merit cannot stand together So Luke 12. 32. Fear not little Flock it is your Father's good Pleasure to give you a Kingdom The Kingdom of Heaven is represented as a Gift and that as flowing from the Father's good Pleasure and therefore not from their merit So again John 10. 28. My Sheep hear my Voice and follow me and I give unto them Eternal Life This is given to Men upon their hearing and following of Christ It is not their following of him doth deserve it Ephes 2. 8 9. By Grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God. Both Faith and Salvation it self which is the End of Faith is all of Grace and Gift not of Works lest any Man should boast So Tit. 3. 4 5. After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward Man appeared not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost that being justified by his Grace we should be made Heirs according to the Hope of Eternal Life Regeneration is of Grace and Justification is of Grace and free and we have the hope of Eternal Life as Heirs partaking of the Adoption which is free and not as Mercenaries by Work and Merit And the whole of our Salvation from first to last is of meer Mercy Thus Exod. 20. 6. Shewing Mercy to thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandments Those that love God and render the most obedience to the Commands of God have yet need of his Mercy