unknown thing Apostles Creed and that is impossible for the eyes of men to discover or no find it out where it is That not onely your Church which I take to be but a part but the whole Church of Christ may and must erre sometimes in faith I prove thus The Jewish Synagouge where was the true Church of God and which was the true Type of the Church of Christ made often saylings in â—â—â—ch as first in the time of Moses when Aaren with all the people worshipt a Calf Exod. 32.4 Again in the time of Elias when there remain'd none faithfull but himself as he himself complains I have been very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts because the Children of Israell have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thy Altars 1 Kings 19 14. slain the Prophets with the sword and I even I only am left and they seek my life to take it away Then in the time of the Prophets Isaiah and Jeremy Isai 1.7 when we see there was an universall revolt of the people from the Lord. And Isay complains how the Ox knew his owner and the Ass his Masters Crib But Israel ha's not known me c. And the Prophet Jeremy complains thus for my people have committed two evills Jer. 3.13 they have forsaken me the fountains of living waters and heat'd them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water c. And yet more plainly we may see in the Chronicles 2 Chro. 15.3 how Azariah the Prophet says that for a long season Israell was without a true God and without a teaching Priest and without Law And then last of all the Synagogue was seen to fail when it felf and all it's devises were abolisht by Jesus Christ And I hence conclude that if the Jewish Church did so grosly fail then the Christian Church may for the reason is the same of one and th' other Again that the Church shall fail in the time of Antichrist is rertain 2 Thes 2. for so the Apostle foretells thus Let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sins be revealed the Son of Pertution c. that is agreed on all sides to be Antichrist Dan. 9.27 but now Antichrist is revealed long time to the Bishop of Rome therefore your which you pretend to be universall ha's fail'd in faith long since We find it says again in Daniell that he shall cause the sacrifice and the Oblation to sence and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate c. Here is a plain Prophets of the fayling of the Church 4. The Church is frequently compar'd to the Moon in the Scripture Cant. 10. Revel 12.1 now the Moon we know is often fayling therefore the Church is not amiss compar'd to it and it's failings we have manifestly seen by the oppositions that some one or two honest and godly men have ever made to it as of Late John Wickliffe John Huss Luther Calvin and others to this very day 3. Lastly that your Church may and must erre I shall adde but this one Argument to prove out of Scripture that your Pope is Antichrist therefore your whole Church must be Antichristian and by consequence the most failing Church in the World The first not of Antichrist is that he must fall away from the faith 2 Thes 3. and that hee ha's done wee in defending of Purgatory invocation of Sauls sacrifice of the Mass c. vers 3. The second Note is that he shal sit in the Temple of God so the Pope sits in Rome as the Head Church of Christ vers 4. The third mark is that he shall shew himself as God and this the Pope plainly does when he makes himself the visible head of Christs Church The fourth mark is to exalt and oppose himself to and above all that is called God This the Pope does whilst he exalts himself above all Ecclesiasticall and civill power All these marks we have of him in that Chapter of the Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians 1 John 2.23 Then a fifth mark we have of him out of St. Iohn that he must deny Jesus Christ This we know by the corruption of the Doctrine that concerns the mediation of Christ and introducing of new Mediators The sixth mark we have again that he is a Lyar and a worker of false miracles and that we see your Pope to do still at Lorettoy and other places The seventh and last is plainly set down by the same St. John in his Revellation that he causeth all both small and great Rich and poor free and bound to receive a mark in their Right-hands or in their Fore heads and the Pope plainly does when he imposeth his Character upon some and marks upon all when by the unction of his Chrisme hee signs the Fore heads of Christians when they take your Sacrament of Confirmation Revel 13.16 c. If this be not enough to prove your Pope to be the great Beast that leads you all into perdition I must profess I know not what is so I shal forbear to offer any further Arguments My Lady had no sooner read this Paper but she fell to work upon it as formerly and she was the rather encouraged being promis'd to be the last of her troubles upon this occasion So she proceeds To what you alledge against our Pope or Bishop of Rome that he neither is nor can be head of the Church of Christ or St. Peters Successor or have any power over other Bishops I answer thus To the first I answer that the Apostle there in that Chapter to the Romans speaks of Christ only as he is head of the Church by the internal influencies of his gifts of grace and so it is true that all the faithfull are fellow members as well Saint Peter himself and the Pope too as any other Christians nor in this sense can the Pope be thought to be head at all for all are to receive grace from Christ the head not from Saint Peter or the Pope But if you speak of Christ as he is head of the Churrh by his eternal Government of it then not only he himself but Peter also is the head for though to him Primarily and in his proper power the Government belongeth so secondarily it belongs to the other and by a power derived from him And whereas I know here you will be ready to reply that the Church has two heads which is monstrous I answer that a Kingdom is not to be said to have two heads when the King is absent and a Vice-king present with it for one is subordinate to another so the Church may have two heads one primary and the other secondary as aforesaid I le give you another example out of the Apostle who tels us that the man is the head of the woman yet the woman has another
c. and assures them that that is the will of God In fine it is plain that the true Christian and evangelicall liberty is nothing else but as S. Gal. 5. Paul pleaseth to define it a redemption or absolution of us from the servitude of the law and of sin made for us by Jesus Christ and by which as he says in another place being dedicated to God and righteousness we receive the adoption of sons John 8.36 and of this freedom it was that our Saviour spake in S. Johns Gospel if the son therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed and that freedom God of his mercy bestow upon us all Now that Humane Constitutions the commands of Councils and Bishops are to be kept and all Ecclesiasticall rites and ceremonies duely observed I prove by express Scriptures thus S. Luke recites our Saviours words thus speaking to the seventy that he sent out Luke 10.16 He that heareth you beareth me and he that dispiseth you dispiseth me and he that despiseth me dispiseth him that sent me Observe I pray you how he that despiseth the Prelates and Ecclesiasticall constitutions of Christs Church is judg'd by Christ himself to despise him and his holy Gospel S. 1 Thess 4.2 8. Paul speaks home to the Thessalonians in this point first tells them of the commandments that he had given them then afterwards be therefore that despiseth despiseth not man but God who hath also given us his holy Spirit Moses and Aaron when the people murmured against them told them frequently Exod. Levit. Numb Deut. that they heard their murmuring against the Lord and again what are we your murmuring is not against us but against the Lord. Observe what S. John says We are of God 1 John 4.6 he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the spirit of truth from the spirit of errour you had best therefore have a care of your selves Nay S. Paul proceeds a little more terribly in the point Let every soul saith he Rem 13.1 2. be subject to the higher powers for there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Now that men have power to make Laws and Statutes to obliedge consciences it is plain by the president of the Apostles Acts 15.19 who commanded the Christians then to abstain from things strangled offerings unto Idols and from blood with divers other Acts which they have left us Then we finde how S. Paul himself made Laws that you will not dare deny obedience to as for the constituting of Bishops concerning widdows and women to be veiled and not to preach in Churches of not for saking the unfaithful husband or wife and of many prophane and meer secular things and judgements as to be seen throughout in his Epistles and the Acts of the Apostles and yet S. Paul himself was but a man Nay it is plain the Priest of the old Law had power of making and altering of Laws Deut. 12. 1 Sam. 7 1 Kings 18. in mater of discipline we finde in Deuteronomy how the Lord commanded that no Altar should be set up but where was the Ark of the Covenant and yet Samuel whilest the Ark remained in Shilo set up an Altar at Masphar and Elias did the same thing in mount Carmel All this is abundantly confirmed by our Saviour Christ himself who bids us Mat. 18.17 if one shall neglect to hear to tell it to the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto then as a heathen man and a Publican Then for Traditions it is altogether as plain that they are to be observed first S. 2 Thess 2 Paul tells us that we must hold fast the Traditions we have received as well by his word as his Epistle Then that the Church of Christ ha's been and is to be governed by custome is playn by-another text of St. Pauls where he saies wee have no such custom nor the Church of God Again to the Philipians he says finally Brethren whatsoever things are true Phil. 4.8.9 whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whotsoeverthings are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any prayse think on these things Those things which ye have both learned and received and hard and seen in me doe c. Now what are all these things but Traditions and ecclesiasticall constitutions Acts 15.41.16 Wee finde in the Acts how Paul and Silas went through Syria and Cylicia confirming the Churches Acts 15.41 and so afterwards wee find how Paul Silas and Timothy passed through cities delivering the Doctrines and ordinances which were decreed by the Apostles Elders that were at Jerusalem observe that ordinances or decrees not one decree onely of the cessation of the legall rites and ceremonies Our Saviour not only gave a power to plant his Church by preaching but also governing which includes the power of making laws Acts 21.28 with out which there can be neither living nor governing and that is plain likewise out of the Acts take heed therefore unto your selses and to the flock over which the Lord hath made you overseers to feed as your translation reads it but ours to govern the Church of God and indeed what is a Bishop or an overseer made for unless to govern the preaching part may be performed by other inferiour priests and Deacons And does not Paul to the Hebrews call them Rulers Heb. 13.7.17 as in one place remember them which have the rule over you and again obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may doe it with joy and not with griefe for that is unprofitabele for you Then the same Apostle requires the Corrinthians that all things de done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14 40. now it is plain that order supporteth a law and rule which the Church of Christ is or ought to be governd by Lastly St. Paul may very well conclude this business and dispute of Tradition which his positive command to the Thessilonians 2 Thess 3.6 Now we command you Bretheren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye with draw your selves from every Brother that walketh dissorderly and not after the Tradi tion which he received of us if this be not cleer I declare for my part that I can see no light To what you Alledge against our days of fasting and abstinence and especially the holy fast of Lent I answer thus To the first I say that our Saviour in the Gospells that you cite says not one word of fasting but endeavouring to take away that Jewish errour and superstition
should deny to be Bishops and yet have very conscientiously avoided marriage The Apostle would not therefore that a Bishop should be found guilty of so much carnality as to be husband to two Wives and the Church taught by Saint Paul ha's forbid bigamy ever since and St. Paul only here lays down the Rule of a Bishops continence that hâ—â— should not take a second Wife To the Fifth I grant chastity to be free but necessary after it is vow'd and then commanded nor does that at all oppose the liberty of the Spirit but promote it for God himselfe does freely and yet necessarily produce the holy spirit It is true likewise what the Apostle says that it is better to marry then to burn but the same Apostle tells you likewise that it is good for a man not to touch a Woman St. Paul would not have a man burn that is tempted of the flesh but he is burnt that is overcome with the flames of concupiscense and for such a man saith he it is better to Marry than to bee always wallowing in the mire if you will put any other sence upon St. Pauls words you wil make St. Paul himself to marry because he had a Prick in his flesh c. I do confesse that I believe it to be very difficult to contein but the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it as our Saviour assures us and St. Paul tels us That though we are tempted of the flesh yet God is faithfull who suffers not to be tempted above that we are able and will be always present to support us if we implore his help To the Sixth To what you urge out of the same Apostle to the Cor. That if thou marry thou hast not sinned c. I answer that St. Paul speaks plainly there of one that was free to marry or not to marry not I say of the Virgin that ha's dedicated it self to God already but of that which is free and at it's own dispose To the Seventh Whereas you say that our vows of Virginity are vain and indeed foolish because impossible I do truly grant as to nature an impossibility and so are many other things that are absolutely commanded But if you consider the assisting grace of God nothing is impossible and every man is capable to receive that whom God shal think worthy to bestow it upon and neither the Pope nor any of his do trust in their external mortifications at all but that God will please to assist those their endeavours with his Almighty grace which hee never denies to those that so dutifully and instantly ask it as they do There is something else that you say in your argument which though it be sufficiently answered I must desire you yet to advise better upon and think whether it was so well said of a woman for which very words Luther himself as I am inform'd lost much of his credit with his own Disciplcs To what you alledge against us for multiplying of Sacraments and making them as you say out of meer humane inventions I answer thus To the First Whereas you are pleas'd to begin so briskly with me and as I take it with a syllogism I professe I know not whether it be true or false in the form but one proposition I am sure is false First that we have any supernumerary Sacraments or any Sacrament that was not of Christs own institution as you shall see how I will prove anon To the Second Whereas you say you have sufficiently already convinced the Sacrament of penance to be none by overthrowing the parts of it Confession and Satisfaction I answer that I humbly conceive that I have sufficiently in my reply restor'd that Sacrament both in whole and in it's parts so shall insist upon it no further neither To the Third Whereas you say that our Sacraments of Confirmation and order are but meer constitutions of the Church and not of Christ I have but your bare word for it and so you must give me leave to deny it To the Fourth As you are pleased to give me something like an Argument so I shall give you something like an answer You say there can be no pretence for to make Matrimony a Sacrament but a few mistaken words of Saint Paul who had no power to make a Sacrament neither c. I concurre with you that Saint Paul had no power at all to constitute a Sacrament nor any but our Saviour Jesus Christ and that it was he who constituted it a Sacrament I shall prove â—non As for the mistaken words in which you pretend Sacrament for Mystery I do confesse that Matrimony is a mystery but how dare you therefore inferre that it is no Sacrament when we know that all Sacraments are mysteries and so the Greeks as I am inform'd do generally call all the seven Then that it is a great Sacrament in Christ and his Church as the Apostle tells us does it therefore follow that it is e're the less a Sacrament on the contrary the Apostle here explains how it is a Sacrament that is how it coms to be the sign of a holy thing and that not of grace only as all the others are but of something more that is of the union between Christ and his Church so upon the matter it is so farre from being no Sacrament that it may be well reputed as a double one with Reverence be it spoken To the Fifth Wheras you say we have a less pretence for our extream unction to make it a Sacrament I do in one sence submit to it for it is not so literally constituted a Sacrament by our blessed Saviour as the other was but yet it was of his own institution as we shall shew anon and if it were not I do not find any matter of false faith in it that an Apostle by the commandement of Christ and possest with his ful authority should have the power to institute a Sacrament But it is plain that our Saviour did institute it and Saint James only publish and declare it And though it were at sâ—me time doubted whether that Epistle were written by any body else besides Saint James yet it is plainly now admitted to be Canonicall and never denied yet by your own Church And truly he that shall refuse to hear the Church in this particular approving the Epistle of this Apostle will presently throw all Scripture into uncertainty and by the same reason may deny the Epistles of St. Paul or any other Apostles Now because you seem to take for granted that our Sacraments are for the most part humane constitutions and it is of faith that they are of divine institution 1 Pet. 3.15 and we ought to be as St. Peter adviseth us Always ready to give answer to every one that asketh us a reason of the saith and hope that is in us I shall take some pains to prove it to you thus As for our Sacrament of Penance as you
conceive enough said on your part against it so I conceive I have said sufficiently for it in my reply to those two parts of it Confession and Satisfaction to which I refer you So I shall make it my business now to prove the other four to be Sacraments and of divine institution and I shall begin with the Sacrament of Confirmation Every Sacrament is a sensible sign having an infallible assistance of the grace of the Holy Spirit and such I prove Confirmation to be by most express Scriptures thus We find in the Acts That when the Apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had receiv'd the Word of God Act. 8.14.15 16 17. they sent unto them Peter and John Who when they were come down pray'd for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost Fâ—r as yet he was fallen upon none of them only they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Then laid they their hands upon them and they received the Holy Ghost Here was manifestly a confirmation after Baptism and a sensible sign to wit Imposition of hands by which the grace of the holy spirit was confer'd and that is enough to make a Sacrament Again we find in another Chapter of the same Acts Act. 19.2.3 4 5 6. That Paul being at Ephesus and finding some Disciples there said unto them have ye received the Holy Ghost since â—e believed and they said unto him we have not so much as heard whether there be any holy Ghost and be said unto them unto what then were ye baptized and they said unto him Johns Baptism then said Paul John verily baptized with the Boptism of Repentance saying unto the people that they should believe on him which should come after him that is on Christ Jesus when they heard this they believed on Christ Jesus And when Paul bad laid his hands upon them the Holy Ghost came on them and they spake with Tongues and Prophesy'd Here is I say again after Beliefe and Baptism an Imposition of hands by which the grace of the Holy Spirit was ferr'd Now that this Sacrament waa instituted by Christ himself is plain by the Gospells John 16. where he promiseth his Apostles the Comforter his Holy Spirit with which they should be confirmed by virtue from above now the mission of the Holy Ghost in the time of Penticost either was the Sacrament of confirmation it self or instead of it Mark 11.13 14. Matth. 10. again we find in the Gospels That they brought young children to Christ that be should touch them and his Disciples rebuked them that brought them but when Jesus saw it be was displeased and said suffer the little Children to come to me for of such is the Kingdome of God c. Now it is very probable that he did either institute this Sacrament then or at least infinuate it So enough I coceive said to that Now that the Sacramnot of Orders was instituted likewise by Christ himself and with a sensible sign conferrs grace I prove this by expresse Scriptures First we find that when Jesus had called unto him his twelve Disciples Mat. 10.1 he gave them power against unclean spirets and to heal all manner of sicknesse and all manner of diseases Then again Jesus going up into the Mountain and called unto him whâ—m he would and they came unto him and he made that Twelve should be with him Mark 6.7 and he sent them to preach c. And after these things the Lord appointed other seventy also and sent them tweand two before his face into every City and place whither he himself would come Then again we find Luk 10.1 that taking bread he brake it giving thanks and saying this is my Body c. Do this in remembrance of me Then last of all look into St. Johns Gospel and you wil find yet a more express Ordination and mission As my Father hâ—th sens me so send I you Lâ—k 28. And when he had said this he breathed on them and saith unto them receive ye the holy Ghost John 10. â— 21 22 23 Whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosoever sins ye retein they are reteyned Thus you have in the four Gospells the institution of this Sacrament Let us now look a little into the Apostolicall practise We find in the Acts Act. 13. â—â— As they ministred to the Lord and fasted the holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them and when they had fasted and prayed and I did their hands on them they sent them away Here again is plain Ordination and Mission St. Paul gives direction to young Timothy how to behaave himself in his Ministry and then says 1 Tim. 4.14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given to thee by Prâ—phecy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery Then again he says Lay not thy hands on any man over haftily and again the Elders that govern well are worthy of double honour Then the same Apostle tells Titus 1 Tim. 6. For this Cause I left thee in Creet that thou shouldst make Elders in severall Cities 2 Tim. 1. Then to Philemon he says of those Elders those that are of this sort have a great regard to thus you see what respect St. Paul had to holy orders and yet to admonish us further of our duties to them he makes it his humble request to the Thessalonians thus Phil. 1. We beseech you brethren to know them that labour amongst you and over you on the Lord and admonish you in the Lord and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake and be at peace amongst your selves See what charge St. 1 Thes 5.12.13 Peter gives the Elders The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder c. Feed the flock of God which is among you taking the eversighe thereof c. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of glory that fadeth not away So St. Paul again in the Acts of the Apostles Exhorts the Elders of Ephâ—sus thus Take heed therefore unto your selves and to the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Bishops or Overseers as you would have it for it is all one to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Blood Act. 20.28 Geâ— 1.37 Observe that the Holy Ghost made them Bishops and Overseers and yet you will deny Orders to be a Sacrament but it is plain it is for Imposition of hands is the visible sign which carries with it the invisible grace of the Holy Spirit as you have seen at large proved by Scripture That Matrimony is a Sacrament and instituted by Christ I likewise prove by expresse Scripture thus First it is very probable that the blessing which God Almighty gave to Adam and Eve in Paradice was not unaccompani'd with divine
not onely a power over all Bishops but Princes That it is not in the power of the Pope neither by himself nor with all his Cardinalls and councells to determine any matter of faith I prove thus by Scripture 1 We finde in Isay that we are commanded to the law and to the Testimony Isay 8.20 if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them as the Jews were commanded to their law and to their Testemony Luke 16.29 so are we Christians to our Scripture for our judge of all things in difference so our Savior brings Abraham in the Gospell saying that they have Moses the Prophets let them hear them woe are not therefore to have recourse for any matter of faith to Pope or any power else whatsoever 2 Again our Saviour commands us thus Starch the Scriptures for in them ye thinke ye have eternall life and they are they which testify of me John 5.39 Christ therefore remits us to Scripture onely for a judge of controversie 3 Again we finde in the Acts of the Apostles how those of Berea were commended acknowledgeed to be more noble than those of Thessalonie Acts 17.11 in that they received the word with all redyness of minde and Searthed the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Heer we finde I say that those of Berea did not overhastyly beleive what the Apostles themselves delivered to them but did examine all things by the Rule of Scripture is it not therefore fit that we should follow their example and acknowledge nothing but Scripture for our Rule and judge 4 It is manifest by reason that the judge of all controversie in matter of faith ought to be infallible for if the judge should erre all that follow his judgement must erre likewise now it is plain on tone side that Scripture is infallible being the word of God which cannot erre and on the other side that all men are lyars and subject to errours as we finde in the Romans Rom. 3.4 Psal 111 God is true but every man is a lyar Now the pope is but a man all the Cardinalls are but men nay councells themselves are but collections of men no man therefore that builds himself upon their judgement in point of faith can have any security at all but onely by depending upon the infallible and true Pâ—â—le of Scripture 5 Counsels we know have erred in matters of faith and made decrees one against another at least altered one anothers constitutions and if that any such things as councells are to be why should not lay men be made a part of them since they are a part of the Church as well as any preists or Bishops and their salvation as much concerned in those decrees as any Clergy men whatsoever it should be therefore as necessary for them to be present there That the Scripture it self is and ought to be the entire Rule of faith and that neither your whole Church nor all the Traditions of it have any power to prescribe to to us in matter of Faith I prove thus The authority of Scripture is greater then the Authority of the Church for the Church ought to be govern'd by Scripture the Word of God we know is to yield to no man nor is it lawfull for any man or power of men whatsoever to oppose or diminish it 2. We find expresly in Deuteronomy Ye shall not adde unto the Word which I command you neither shall you diminish out from it Deut. 4.8 that ye keep thn Comandements of the Lord your God which I command you all your tradition therefore are to cast away for they adde to the written Word of God 3. Again We read in another place of the same Book thus Deut. 1â— 32 Whatsoever thing I command you observe to do it thou shalt not adde thereto nor diminish from it That therefore is to be done onely which God commands what men require or adde of their own is unlawfull and not to be obey'd 4. St. Paul declares his mind in this particular very freely to the Galatians thus but though we or an Angell from Heaven preach any other Gospell unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed and presently repents As we said before so say I now again If any man preach any other Gospel unto you Gallat 1. thaâ— that ye have received let him be accursed I say therefore that we are to admit of no Traditions nor any thing else besides the Gospell Again We have most solemnly said in the Revelation of St. John Revel 22.18.19 That if any man shal take away from the Words of the Book of that Prophesie God shal take away his part out of the Book of Life And so if any man shall add unto these things God shall adde unto him the plague that are written in that Book Therefore it is not lawfull to adde your Traditions 6. 2 Tim. 3.16 17. St. Paul assures Timothy that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works Therefore we have no need of Traditions Our Saviour tells such Observers of Traditions as you are Mat. 15.6 Thus have you made the Commandements of God of none effect by your traditions and the Apostle gives the like caution to the Colossians Col. 2.8 beware least any man spoil you through Phlosophy and vain deceit 1 Pet. 1.18 after the tradition of men after the rudiaments of the World and not after Christ And St. Peter puts the whole World in mind how they were redeem'd from their vain conversation receiv'd by Tradition from their Fathers Thus you see how much Jusus Christ and his Apostles were carefull to forewarn and forbid us and yet you will restore to us the vanity of those very Traditions 8. Again Rom. 1.17 how can that be said to be determined by the whole Church which the Pope with his Cardinals Gal. 7.11 and it may be his Bishops assembled in Councell does determine Heb. 10.38 when the Church is a Congregation of all the faithfull and a connexon of them in the true saith by which the just man lives as the Apostle tells us It is not therefore what all the Popes Cardinalls Bishops or Councills tell us though backt with all the strength of your Traditions which is to be believed for they can be at most but a part of the Church not the whole Church 9. Then Lastly when you speak of the whole Church you speak of what you no ways understand for it is a spirituall thing and hidden from the eyes of men it cannot be visible for if it were then it could not be an Article of faith as wee know it is so I would fain know what obligation can possibly come from such an
head that is her natural one befides her husband shall we therefore say that every married woman is a Monster with two heads To the second I answer as before that a head is taken two ways in relation to the Members first according to the internal influence which proceeds from the head into the other members and so there can be but one head of one body Secondly as to the external Government so there may be two heads of one body so the body of a woman as aforesaid has but one head from which it receives the influence of sensitive spirits but has two as to the Government of her external actions for in the one she is govern'd by her own natural head and in the other by her husband who is her moral head It is just so in the Church which has but one head as to the influx of grac but two as to its Government whereof one supplies the place of the other the first was only Christ is head and all others are members the last way not only Christ but Peter is head who the former way is so far from being a head that he is but a common member When therefore the Apostle tels the Corinthiaus that Christ and his Church make but up one entire mystical body which consist of head and members this must be understood in the former sence for the Apostle speaks plainly there of Christ as he is head of the Church by the internal division of his gifts of grace as is plain by the context and so in that case it cannot be denied but all besides Christ are Members of the Church and none besides him can be head of it But if you speak as to the external Gouernment then Christs Vicar may be head and all others Members as in Kingdoms Govern'd by a Deputy or Vice-king as aforesaid To the third I freely grant what you urge out of the Gospels that Jesus Christ did commend the care of his Church to all his Apostles but I deny that he commanded it equally to all for only to Pater he said Feed my sheep therefore the Supream Pastorship was only committed to Peter and to none of the rest Nor do I understand any force in that argument of yours which follows thus All of them were equally taught and instructed by Christ and all of them received the holy Ghost equally therefore one had no more jurisdiction then another For it is one thing to speak of the Learning and Sanctity of the Apostles and another to speak of their power or jurisdiction It is not necessary that all which have equality of one should have equility of the other Otherwise a King in his Kingdom if he had not more learning and holiness than his Subjects should not have a greater power and authority which you know how absurd it is to say and the reason is plain for power and jurisdiction do not necessarily and of themselves depend upon Learning and Sanctity and suppose we grant that all the Apostles were equal before Christ said to Peter Feed my sheep it does not follow that they were all equal afterwards but that Peter had ever after that his just preheminence To the fourth I grant that Paul did resist Peter and justly for Peter was in an errour and yet not in any Article of faith neither for in that he could not err for Christ assured him that he had askt his Father that his Faith should not fail but his errour was in matter of Fact only because he did unadvisedly dissemble Judaism to the scandall and offence of the Gentiles but from hence it follows not that Peter was not the head of the Church no more then this is a consequence David was rebuked by Joah therefore David was not the Head of his Kingdom Nay all good men will collect rather this from the reprehension that Paul gave to Peter that Superiours when they are in fault may be reproved by Inferiours when they shall do it with due humility and charity Now can this be called perversness or arrogance in St. Paul because he pid it with a good zeal to take away a scandal that was like to rise by the unwary dissimulation of St. Peter Beside this was no more then what belonged to the Apostleship of St. Paul to look to the edification of Faith and as to the duty of Apostleship and the honour of it they were all equal though not in point of power and Government for therein Peter had the Primacy To the fifth Your Inference does not hold that Peter having offended in his person therefore the gares of Hell prevailed against his power so the succession of the just jurisdiction will hold as due to the successors of St. Peter though their persons be never so sinfull For Christ gave the power of the Keys to his Church in the person of St. Peter so St. Peter had the power of the keys as he bore the person of the Church onely Besides all this it is plain that when Peter deny'd Christ the Church was not then founded upon him but to be founded for Christ said upon this Rock I will build my Church that was to be understood after his Resurrection To the Sixth It is most true that Christ himself is the principal Rock and primary foundation of his Church yet he may have Vicars and Substitutes for secundary Rocks for though saint Pauls saying be true that Christ is the only Foundation the saying of saint John must be as true that the Wall of that City had twelve Foundations and in them thennees of the twelve Apostles To the Seventh It would be too long abusinesse and out of the Road that we have proposed to our selves to prove out of antiquity that St. Peter was at Rome which no question is more sure then that you and I were once in London and never was denyed till some upstart Doctors of yours were pleased to make a Question of it I am inform'd that all the Antient Doctors of the Church do understand the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans as sent on purpose to confirm them in that Faith which they had received by the Preaching of St. Peter there and was so famous as to be spoken of throughout the whole World for so he himself implies when he said he writ to them some spirituall gift to the end that that they might be established c. Paul would confirm what Peter had preached that by the Testimony of two Apostles their faith might be strengthned And as for his so late comming to Rome it is as great an errour It is true he was five years in Pontus and Asia and seven years in Antioch before he went to Rome but then he did go and in Eighteen years after Christs Passion he return'd again to Jerusalem to preside in a Councell there which is the groand of your errour in saying that he was eighteen years in and about Jerusalem before he went to Rome But howsoever all that
Old Scripture to shew what a stamp of Majesty and Authority God Almighty fixt upon such assemblies and what respect the people always rendred them So it shall suffice to give you our Saviours own words and so conclude this point We find in St. Matthew thus Again I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven Matth. 18. v. 18 20. for where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them Now I would fain know who can be convinced more evidently not to hear the Church then he that will not hear a Councell there can be no where a greater and more conspicuous consent than in a Council nor can there be any Congregations assembled more in the name of God then generall Councells are and yet you are pleased to cast contempt upon them But give me leave to tell you let the Authority of Councells be once taken away and all things in the Church will bee ambiguous and uncertain First all the antient Heresies that have been condemned by the authority of Councells and cast out of the Church may be reviv'd and reinforced upon Christians with as much reason as any primitive and Catholick Doctrine Then set up the Authority of Scripture alone against that of the Church and Councills and then Scripture it self will be uncertain for thrusting out that authority wich ha's commended sacred Scripture to us and commanded us to recive it what Scripture is it that opinionated men wil not reject and condemn for Apocrypha which will not save their own turns as some of your Doctros have notoriously done and so in fine we can never agree upon the point what is Scripture and what is not Thus must the Church of Christ fall into a most miserable condition for upon the arising of any doubt in matter of faith there can be no way found out to decide it but every particular person according to the proportion of wit in his own pate shall frame to himselfe faith of what form or fashion he pleaseth How then hath Christ provided for his Church a sufficientrule to go by and why should his Evangelioall Law be called the most perfect if he has not otherwise order'd a determination of all emergent coutroversies But thanks be to our most gracious God and Saviour he has abundantly done it for us as I shal more amply shew in my answers and replyes to the following heads of this your Paper which God give you grace with prudence and impartiality to petuse To what you alledge for Scripture to be the only Rule of our faith and against the Authority of the universall Church and it's Traditions I answer thus To the first I say that you are very much mistaken in matter of Scripture so I shall be bold to inlarge a little upon it for your better understanding And first it is to be observed that our Saviour himself writ no book at all neither commanded his disciples or Apostles to write any inso much as being to send them to plant his Church Matth. 28. he said not to them go and write but go and preach to the whole World Therefore we find the Old Law written in Tables of Stone but the Gospell had no other writing then but in the hearts of Christians So St. Paul plainly expresseth it Ye are our Epistle c. again 2 Cor. 3.2 3. Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declard to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us not with ink but with the spirit of the living God not in Tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart c. This was before prophesyed by the Prophet Jerem. Behold the days come Jer. 31.31.302 3 saith the Lord that I will make a new Cavenant with the House Israell and with the House of Judah not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days saith the Lord I wil put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I wil be their God and they shall be my people c. Again we find that the Church is much ancienter then Scripture for when the Apostles began to preach there was no Evangelical Scripture no Epistle of St. Paul extant and yet the Church was then purchased and sprinkled with the blood of Christ Acts 1. and governed by his unerring Spirit So the Apostles without any authority of the Scripture of the New-Testament proceeded to the election of Matthias and to the ordination or seven Deacons Acts 5.6 c. So Peter proceeded to the sentence against Ananias and Saphira which struck the breath out of their bodies c. Now we know that the Apostles were very diligent in preaching and sowing the word of God and yet we finde but very little that they left us in writing so it must follow that they taught a great deal more then they wrote which must have equal authority with their writings Yet further it is plain that the Scripture it self cannot be authentical without the authority of the Church for the Canonical Writers themselves were but members of the Church and how shall any private man know what Scripture is Canonical and what not but by the Church John 3. Why should any man believe the Gospel of St. Mark to be Canonical who never saw Christ and the Gospel of Nicodemus not to be so who both saw and heard Christ as St. John testifies of him and why should the Gospel of St. Luke the Disciple be receiv'd and the Gospel of St. Bartholomew the Apostle be rejected unless we humbly comply with the power and authority of the Church which hath so ordered it and clearly confess that the Church can judge of Scriptures Thus since it is plain that the Church is ancienter then Scripture and that no Scripture can be thought authentical without the authority of the Church Exod. 20. can any Christian be blamed for saying that he would never believe the Scripture but that the Authority of the Church commanded it over over and above all this the Authority of the Church over Scripture is hugely evident in many particulars of Scripture As first Matth. 28. Act. 15. the Scripture commands thus Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day six days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God c. And yet the Church changed the Sabbath into the Lords day by its own authority Matth. 28.19 20. and not only without but against known Scripture Again Christ said to his Disciples in the Mount that he came not to dissolve the Law but fulfill it and yet the Church in the Apostles Councel decreed and pronounced boldly for the Cessation
of those Legalities We find again in the last of St. Matthew Christ saying to his Disciples Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Here Christ laid down an express form of Baptism in the name of the holy Trinity and yet the primitive Church did think fit to change that form into a Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ only for so St. Peter enjoyned them Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins c. And again we finde that the Samaritars were baptized by St. Philip in the name of Jesus Act. 2.38 Acts 8. Act. 19.5 Act. 15.28 29. So again upon St. Pauls preaching at Ephesus when they heard this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Above all this we find the Scripture telling us that it was defined in the Apostles Councel thus It hath seemed good to the holy Ghost and to us c. that ye abstam from meats offered unto Idols and from blood and frous things strangled c. This we see is most plainly and expresly defined by the Apostles and as clearly attested by Scripture and yet the Church in after Ages hath thought fit to change that decree and permit Christians to eat strangled things and blood nay you that dispute against the Authority of the Church in matters of Faith are contented to submit to it in point of eating you could not otherwise deny the eating of a black pudding or strangled Hen to be a most notorions transgression nor could any thing excuse us from sin in so doing if the Church hâ—d not a power over the Scriptures And to conclude if the authority of the Church were not over the Scriptore then all Jews that should be converted now to the Faith of Christ and come to Baptism should be tyed still to the observation of Mases his Law for so we finde in Scripture that the Apostles themselves and others of thâ— Nation which became Converts did always do St. James and all the Elders said to St. Paul upon his return from the Gentiles Thou seest brother how many thousands of Jews there are which believe and they are all zealous for the Law and they are informed of thee that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses Saying Act. 21.18 20 21 22 23 24 25. that they ought not to circumcise their children neither to walk after the custums What is it therefore the multitude must needs come together for they will hear that thou art come Do therefore this that we say unto thee we have four men which have a vow on them Them take and purifie thy self with them and be at chrrges with them that they may shave their heads and all may know that those things whereof they were informed concerning thee are nothing but that thy self also walkest orderly and keepest the Law As touching the Geutiles which believe we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing save only that they keep themselves from things offered unto Idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornicaâ—on Here it is plain that St. Paul with many thousands more did observe the Law of Moses and that by the immediate order of St. James the Prelate of the place and the Councel of all the Elders This we know clearly altered since by the authority of the Church and what a fine confusion it would produce if otherwise practised now I will leave your self to judge To the second I say that what you urge out of Deuteronomy makes no more against us then it does against the Apostles themselves from whence we received our Traditions but most especially St. Paul who expresly bids us to hold fast the Traditions which we have received Nay and all the holy Fathers of the Primitive Church who have always imbraced and held them Nay yet further you do most manifestly oppose and oppugne your own selves who receive the Tradition of Scripture the Lords day and many holy days with divers other things which you hold in great reverence by no other Authority If therefore we Catholicks offend in so doing then the Apostles themselves and all the Primitive Fathers and Christians and you your selves are as guilty of a fault if they be innocent and you too why should we be condemned Again give me leave to tell you that you have wholly mistaken the sense of that Text and that I will demonstrate to you out of the context which runs thus Deu 4.1.2 Now therefore hearken O Israel un-the Statutes and unto the Judgements which I teach you for to do them that ye may live and go in and possess the Land which the Lord God of your Fathers giveth you Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it that ye may keep the Commandments of the Lord your God which I command you As if he should say I give unto you precepts both Ceremonial and Judicial which ye ought perfectly and entirely to keep for so much is signified in those words ye shall not add nor diminish and this precept to that people is delivered though in other words yet to the very same sense in divers other places that they should be punctual in the observation of what was commanded them and not to swerve or turn to the right hand or the left So that these three things are upon the matter all one that is perfectly and intirely to keep Moses his precepts Deut. 17.20 Deut. 28.14 Deut. 31.29 Josu 1.7 not to turn from them neither to the right hand nor to the lest and last of all neither to add to nor diminish from their observation Which now is plain cannot be so understood as if it were unlawfull to add any new precept for then it had been utterly unlawful to add those new Evangelical precepts as Faith in the blessed Trinity the whole business of Holy Baptism and the Eucharist which you receive as well as we but the sense of those Texts must be plainly this that they ought to be very exact in the observation of Moses his Laws not to corrupt them with any addition or dimunition but to keep them intirely as for example this was a Mosaical precept Levit. 12.2 3. If a woman have conceived seed ann born a man child then she shal be unclean seven days c. And in the eighth day the flesh of his soreskin shall be circumcised c. To this precept now it was not lawful to add or diminish from that it was not lawful neither before nor after the eigth day to circumcise the child nor was the uncleanness of the mother to last more or less than seven days Now the same reason holds throughout all other precepts as I shall
THE FEMALE DUEL OR The Ladies Lookingglass REPRESENTING A Scripture Combate about business of Religion fairly carried on between a Roman Catholick Lady and the wife of a Dignified person in the Church of England TOGETHER With their joynt answer to an Anabaptists Paper sent in defiance of them both Entitled the Dipper Drowned New Published by THO. TOLL Gent. Matth. 11.25 God hath revealed these things unto babes and sucklings and concealed them from the wise c. London Printed by H. Bell and P. Lillicrap 1661. TO THE ROYAL HIGHNESSE Of the most Peerless Pair of PRINCESSES Daughters of Great Britany France and Ireland HAd I not fully known most incomparable Princesses by a long experience in your most Royal Family that Clemency Mercy and Pardon were your apparent Birth-rights by Lineal Traduction from your great Progenitors especially from that glorious Martyr for his people your most Royal Father of eternal memory and that incomparable Confessor your blessed Mother whose sufferings for her King and Conscience deserve to be written with a Pen of Adamant in the Temple of Eternity I had not dared to address these poor home-spun Papers wrought by true spinsters hands to your most Princely view much less present them as a New-years-gift or make them to appear in the world under so great a Patronage Now the greatest aggravations most Seraphical Sisters that can be alledged against me are First that I should presume to present any thing that carries with it the scratching of womens controversies for so most of their disputes do usually determine or that does so much as sound like a jar to such serene Pacifick spirits as your highborne souls are known to be whose very looks are capable to quiet the most tempestuous and troubled seas and words to calm the rage of Tygers and the fury of the most tumultuous and stormy breasted Monsters of Mankind in whose bosome the very Unicorn would be ambitious to fall asleep and Lions themselves rejoyce to lick your Princely feet Nay that I should dare to offer so much as the sound of a Duel to two such sublime Personages and that are so much one in affection though different it may be in some perswasion and are by that great example of your most serene Mother the Grand Mistreses of Peace Piety Modesty and Humility to all Womankind But indeed my fault is not so grievous in this neither as at first blush it may appear to be for this Paper Duel is without a disturbance This Scripture Combate without a quarrell and this fair dispute is almost without a difference I am sure without an uncivil word and though it was managed as can be proved only by women yet it may serve to direct into the true mode and method of arguing the most dextrous Doctors and Disputants in the world and teach them to improve their arguing unto edification But the greatest aggravation most excellent Ladies that caâ—â— rise in judgement against me is yet behind as Timourus Penitents use to have their most crying sins to bring up the Rear which is that I should presume to present any actions of inferiour Persons as Looking-glasses to their Princes especially to such as you most incomparable Pair are known to be your selves being the matchless Mirrours of all perfection Mirrours said I nay most pure and Christialine Fountains that shew not only to all the Ladies in the world their deformed spots stains and blemishes but likewise how to wash them off and wherewithall to clear themselves from them which truth has been most plainly proved and confirmed to us by that strange and almost miraculous reformation of our Womens manners since the splendor of your most Princely vertues has appeared amongst them for which I am sure both Sexes do owe most immortal obligations to your Royal Highneses as for a new Conversion of the Nation Nay give me leave to affirm that the blessings we have received in order to that ought to be put into the Balance with any of those other great ones that â—is Sacred Majesty has been so graciously pleased to power down upon us in his comming to us and redemption of us from a life of sin and slavery For truely the Mankind here were not depraved into Sedition Treason Rebellion and Irreligion turning all faith into faction making truth it self to lye all Loyally to be Treason Religion to be Rebellion and pulling down of Churches the edification of Gods house by any instigation so great as that they received from their wicked women The Seas were less furious a Thunder-clap less dread full the gall of Dragons and poyson that swelleth up the necks of Asps was much more tolerable than their malice Nor were they only so guilty in making of their Husbands become Traytors to their God King and Countrey but they did study likewise to appear as unnatural Traytors to the honour of their whole Sex in England which was as famous as St. Paul magnifies the faith of the Romanes to be spoken of over all the world flying out into such prodigious pieces of impiety and debaucht lewdness that Heathens themselves have abhorred and very Turks trembled at From all these horrid infamies and national scandalls your very presence here has ransomed our Countrey and by your all healing examples set a new fair and reformed face upon all our Woman-kind The one being the highest Patroness of all conjugal and vidual Honor and the other the most pure pattern of all Virginal sweetnesse and chastity and both appear to be no lesse than two Intelligences that have left the Heavenly Orbes and vouchsafed your selves to be inchased in those beautifull bodies for the benefit and glory of your Sex To whom therefore could this Ladies Looking-glass be more properly presented than to your Royal Highnesses to whom all that is good in the whole Sex amongst us must be ever attributed as Rayes only reflected from your perfections This is my humble Plea most incomparable Princesses according to which joyned with my clear acknowledgement and most dutiful Confession I doubt not but your Princely goodness will proceed to absolution and dispense a pardon to Most Peerless Princesses Your Royal Highnesses most devoted humble Vassal and loyal Servant of your Royal Family THO. TOLL THE PRINTER TO THE READER YOu may please to take notice that this Epistle Dedicatory was past to the Press before the loss which the whole English Nation sustained in the death of that most incomparable Princess Mary princess Dowager of Orange and as the Publisher left it so I am oblieged to prosent it The Publishers PREFACE To the Gentlemen Readers of the FEMALE DVEL I Have already understood a grand exception against me for charging so much devotion and divinity upon the sex of women who are the Actors in this Scene and the Authours of this discourse it is true upon the first perusual of these papers I my self did little expect to finde such Masculine vigour in them and truly I dare boldly affirm
are yet more clearly explicated by St. Paul who tels us thus 1 Cor. 11.23 24 25. For I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread And when he had given thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my body which is broken for you you this do in remembrance of me and after the same manner also he took the cup when he had supped saying This cup is the New-Testament in my blood c. And then to set the business out of all doubt concludes He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body Can any thing be more plain Then further St. Paul begins with a Preface I speak as to wise men 1 Cor. 10.15 16 17. judge ye what I say The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the body of Christ The Bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ For we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread Does not the Apostle here most clearly and expresly shew that in every particle of the consecrated bread the whole body of Christ is communicated and as he thought them only wise that could understand that mysterie so we must think them stupid that will not and worse then Jews that go about to pervert and torment this and other Texts to any other sense Over and ahove all this consider a little more upon that Text before cited 1 Cor. 11.28 29. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that Cup for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body Here it is clear that by reason of the presence of the body of Christ the unworthy Receiver is damned because he sins against that body There is no man can deny but the unworthy eater be it what it will that is eaten must be guilty of that which is eaten Here St. Paul most clearly instructs the Corinthians that it is no simple bread or ordinary nourishment that is set upon the Altar but the very body of Christ that who ever eats thereof should be guilty of it therefore the Apostle adds not discerning the Lords body that is not distinguishing it from other food This I am likewise informed by the Learned to be the sence of the Church in all Ages no Primitive Christian ever daring to oppose the clearness of so much express Scripture till one Berengarius as they call him had the impudence to do it but afterwards recanted and abjured it before the Pope thirteen Arch-bishops and an hundred Bishops which God grant all those that have followed his footsteps to do likewise Now that this Transubstantiation Gen. 2. or transelementation is no way impossible to be done no nor for you to conceive as you alledge see what God hath done in the like kinde first in the beginning of the world God form'd man of the dust of the earth here God changed dust into flesh in the same chapter we finde how God turn'd the rib of man into woman a bone into flesh Gen. 19. Exod. 4. Then Lots wife looking back is turn'd into a pillar of salts then Moses threw down his Rod and it was turn'd into a Serpent Then I will strike the water of the River with my Rod and it shall be turn'd into blood Exod. 7. and divers more such mutations there are in the Old Testament As for the New we find that our Saviours first publick miracle was to turn water into wine and this great omnipotency of his the Devil full well knew when he to tempt him said If thou beest the son of God turn these stones into bread Thus you dispute that power in him which the Devils themselves acknowledge Now as Christ with five little Breads did feed five thousand men by making of bread by his Almighty multiplication so now he feeds his whole Church of the faithful with one Bread that is his body Sacramentally Then that Jesus Christ did do some things miraculously with his body whilest he was upon the earth which we cannot do with our bodies nor can any humane reason comprehend you will not dare to deny as that he pierced the grave and Tombstone afterwards when he rose from the dead that he pierced a house the doors and windows being shut and that he pierced the Highest Heavens with his body when he ascended all these things I say you will not dare to deny yet this which is enjoyned you by the same Authority to believe you are pleas'd to dispute What is this but to pick and choose what you please your selves to believe and from being such a chooser in matter of Faith shall be ever a part of my Letany Good Lord deliver me for that I am told is to be a true Heretick To what you alledge of Impiety against the Church of Rome for depriving the people of the Cup I answer thus To the first Argument I shall clearly grant what you say that Christ being then to Consecrate did Institute the Sacrament under both kinds and gave it to his Apostles in both kinds who now were Priests Therefore the Priest to this day that celebrates takes it likewise in both kinds but what is this to the Laity For those words Drink ye all of this was said only to his Apostles and Priests who do it still that is Consecrate in the Commemoration of Christ for no other were present at his most holy Supper but the Apostles no not his own blessed Mother as it is clear out of all the Gospels Nay St. Mark tells us Mar. 1â— 23 that they all drank of it which shews clearly that that all was only meant of the Apostles for it was impossible to be true of the Laity To the second I shall likewise grant that he that drinketh not his blood as well as he that eateth not his flesh hath no life in him but to a Sacramental eating and drinking there is required still a Spiritual intelligence according to what our Saviour himself said the words that he spake they were spirit and they were life From whence we may conclude that since the whole Christ both body and blood is comprehended under one Species a Lay man may be said to drink the blood of Christ though not under its proper species yet under the species of Bread Again our Saviour in that Chapter of St. Johns Gospel treats principally of our incorporation into him which is sufficiently effected by our Communion in one kind the whole Christ being there and the other Species is not at all to be said necessary to that incorporation with Christ To the third I shall grant likewise that it hath been permitted to the Laity to participate of the blessed Sacrament under both kinds
but once in the year and that is Saturday in the holy week neither is there any consecration at all made that day of the Sacrament But the Eucharist that was consecrated the former day is then receiv'd lest the Church of Christ should remain depriv'd of the comfortable fruits of our Lords Passion The other way of Oblation is cleerly Sacramental and yet nevertheless real by which Christ is daily offer'd in the Church and receiv'd by Priests in the Sacrifice of the Mass under the Sacrament in commemoration of the Passion Dead and that former Oblation once made upon the Cross So that the Priest in the person of the whole Church doth present to God the Father the Oblation made by the Sonne upon the Altar of the Cross and him offered and that is the Offering according to the order of Melchisedech However this Oblation may be but rightly call'd commemorative not that Jesus Christ is not rightly and truly offered but because he is offered here under a Sacrament invisibly and recordatively in remembrance of his former Oblation by his own command Numb 28.3 and according to his own Institution And this is the oblation that was signified by the continual burnt-offering in the Old Law in which there was a Lamb without spot to be offered every morning and every evening This second Oblation I say the Priests of Christ doe make daily by the command of Christ himselfe Luke 22. grounded upon those words Do this in remembrance of me For this word do cannot referre onely to a bare sumption or taking of the Sacrament as you would have it but an Action and Oblation otherwise they should not have had the power of Consecration by those words Christ perfected at once the Oblation of himself upon the Altar of the Cross in one bloody Sacrifice and by the frequent repetition of this unbloody one the fruits and effects of the former are daily deriv'd to us So that the Mass is not only a representation of our Lords last Supper but of his Passion Death and Oblation of himselfe and therefore our Eucharist is not onely a Sacrament as you say but it is also a real Sacrifice a Sacrament truly it is as it does represent and is taken but a Sacrifice it is as it is offered and sacrificed to God and by this reason our Mass in which this great Sacrifice is celebrated is called a Sacrifice too To the second and third In the like manner I shall answer both your following arguments for those Texts doe clearly speake of the first Oblation that Christ made of himself our Sacrifices here are but examples of that and yeâ— we offer still the same thing not as in the Old Law to day one Lamb and to morrow another but alwayes the same so it is still one Sacrifice for as he that is offered is one body not many so is our Sacrifice still but one Behold how we offer daily one Sacrifice which once was offered though as is aforesaid there is great difference in the manner of offering the one by a real bloody oblation the other by recordation and representation To the fourth That our Saviour did say that his blood was the New Testament c. I grant but deny that therefore the Mass should be so for that which he spoke was onely to confirme our Faith in the New Testament Exod. 24.8 for as Moses being to confirm the Old Testament took the blood of Calves and Geats c. and sprinkled the people saying this is the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words So Christ with his own blood confirm'd his New Testament unto us and enter'd into the Holy of Holyes Besides there be many things of the New Testament that belong not at all to the Mass as Baptism the Power of the Keyes c. Nay over and above all this it does not follow Heb. 9. that if the Mass were a Testament it should be therefore no Sacrifice for a Testament according to that of the Apostle includes the death of the Testator and the Mass being a Testament does imply the death of its Testator Jesus Christ and so by consequence must involve the Oblation To the fifth and last I shall clearly grant you again that the Mass is a recordation or remembrance of the Passion of Christ but not so nakedly as when a Lay person does simply communicate but it is a remembrance after this manner as it is the representative action of the whole Passion And this Jesus Christ said do ye not onely take ye but do ye that is if we joyne the precedents and sebsequents together consecrate offer take therefore that part of the Mass is called Action So therefore as there was a continual Sacrifice in the Old Testament so in the Law of Grace is Christ our Saviour made our continual Offering and shall continue so for ever till Anti-Christ shall come as our Doctors do affirm and then it shall cease for a while Now give me leave again to return you some proofes out of the Scriptures of the congruity and necessity that the Mass should bee a Sacrifice First Lev. 5.6.9.14 it is manifest that in the Old Law there was to be an offering for the sins of the people and it was alwaies the duty of the Priests to offer for their ignorances and sins and for their cleansing And what Religion was there ever so stupid as to pretend to the service of a Deity without some Sacrifice except some novel Christians to the very scandal of Jews and Turks Secondly Malach. 1.10 11. The Prophet Malachy does most plainly Prophesie of our great Sacrifice when he brings the Lord speaking to Israel I have no pleasure in you saith the Lord of Hosts neither will I accept any offering at your hand for from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same my name shall be great amongst the Gentiles and in every place Incense shal be offered unto my name a pure offering for my name shall be great among the heathen saith the Lord of hosts Is not this a most plain Prediction of the Cessation of the Sacrifices of the old Law and the Institution of the Sacrifice of the new Law Nor can this be meant of that Sacrifice which Christ offered once upon the Cross because the Prophet speaks of a Sacrifice to be offered in every place and speaks but only of one oblation and that is nothing nor can be but the pure Sacrifice of the body of Christ so often repeared upon in our Masses and upon our Christian Altars Nay yet examine a little further in this great Prophet Malath 3.1 2 3. and you will finde yet a clearer evidence for our Christian sacrifice for being about his prophecies of the Messiah to come and having foretold the coming of the Baptist before him says plainly that the Lord shall suddenly come to his Temple even the Messenger of
the Covenant whom you delight in saith the Lord of Hosts c. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness Then shall the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years What can be more plain then this Prophecy that the Saviour of the world should purifie his Priests that is our Evangelical ones to offer Sacrifices not in blood but in righteousness which can be nothing but our most holy Eucharist The Prophet Daniel comes yet if possible Malach. 3.1 2 3. closer to the purpose saying Many shall be purified and made white and tryed but the wicked shal do wickedly none of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away the abomination that maketh desolate set up there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days This is a clear Prophecy of the coming of Antichrist and how long he shall reign during which time the continual Matth. 24. or daily Sacrifice and this our Saviour himself affirms shall be sulfilled that upon the coming of Antichrist there shall be an universal Cessation of our great sacrifice for almost four years and nothing but desolation of Churches Let them look to it therefore that are hinderers of this glorious and continual Sacrifice from being offered in private Churches least they be convinced to be the forerunners of Antichrist But yet more plainly let us hear what St. Heb. 5.1 2 3. Paul says in the Epistle to the Hebrews For every High Priest taken from amongst men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins Who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity And by reason hereof he ought as for the people so also for himself to offer for sins Can any thing be more plain here the Apostle being to define the duty of a Priest declares it to be principally to offer for sins and whereas you say that no one man can offer for another St. Paul sure was of another Religion for he says the Priest ought to offer for the Peoples as well as for his own sins and to this purpose I have been told by those that are skil'd in Antiquity that it has been call'd the Sacrifice of the Mass ever since the beginning of Christianity So enough I conceive said as to this point To what you alledge of abuse in our Church by our Mass being said in Latine and not in English I answer thus To the first I shall for your satisfaction reserr you to the current of that whole Chapter of St. Paul to the Corinthians which you so urge against our Mass where it is plain that he speaks of Prophesying that is of preaching interpreting and expounding the Scriptures and sure it would be a very absurd thing that any man should undertake to preach to the people in an unknown tongue therefore the Apostle in the 19. verse explains himself thus Yet in the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding 1 Cur. 14.19 that by my voice I might teach others also then ten thousand words in an unknown tongue I pray you mark those words that I might teach others which must be understood of Preaching not of celebration of the Mass or publick Liturgy of the Church To the second I answer as before that the understanding so required by the Apostle is principally meant of prophecying and preaching As for praying I shall not enter into the dispute for it is too nice a one for me whether prayers though not understood be not profitable and meritorious I am sure some of the most Learned Doctors have concluded that they are But to our present purpose I say that though the Laity do not all of them understand the words of the Mass yet they do perfectly all the Mysteries of it which they learn from their Cradles either by instruction of their Parents and Masters or by the preaching and catechising of their Pastors and Curats then having the words of the Mass in their own Mother Tongue delivered to them in their private Primars and other books they perfectly understand by those mysterious actions and Ceremonies that the Priest useth whereabouts in the Mass he is and what words he is about to say and this is manifest by the peoples actions there who sometimes kneel and sometimes stand up sometimes bow sometimes beat their brests and other times sign themselves with the sign of the Cross as the several passages in the Mass shall require By which external actions of theirs it is notorious that they understand more of the mysteries of the Mass then the most Learned Latinist in the world could not being instructed in the mysteries To the third and last As to this I might refer you for further answer to what has been said before for all your arguments upon this point touch but upon one string but I will yet shew you how much use and edification more the people doe receive by our Masse though in Latin First there is very much of the Holy Scripture in it and by that the Holy Ghost speakes and instils instruction into our hearts though delivered in any tongue Then the scope of the whose Masse is unknown to no body though never so ignorant for the end of the Masse and principal intention of the Church who ever hears must know whether he understand the words more or lesse to be the offering of the sacrifice for the living and the dead in the memory of the passion and death of our Saviour to the glory of God edification of his Church and the honour of our Blessed Lady and all his Saints And why should not so much understanding in a Lay person be enough to his edification Nay I I am confident that by their scantling of understanding their devotions are usually raised to a greater height than the most learned and intelligent Auditors who please themselves with a dry understanding of the words Nay it is evident that the devotion of a man may be very much hindered by too much attention to words So much I conceive enough to your Arguments to conclude a Latin Masse to be sufficient for the people but yet if this were all in difference between us I am perswaded the Church would easily permit you to have it in your own Mother tongue for in what language it is said is onely matter of Discipline But yet I have thought good to send you some Arguments likewise to convince you of the congruitie and conveniencie if not necessitie that the celebration of those Divine Mysteries should be still in Latin The Scripture tels
us throughout Exodus Leviticus and Numbers with what care the people of the Jews were kept off from the holy place at the celebration of their Sacrifices how many Veyles and Curraines there were to be between the Tabernacle and them and none but the Priests suffered to enter is not our great Christian sacrifice then to be attended with as much reverence Nay the Priests themselves went only into the first Tabernacle but into the second went the High Priest alone and that but once every year not without blood which he offered for himselfe and for the errours of the people Are not the Mysteries of our Faith more sacred I 'm sure all their Sacrifices were but types of ours and all those reverences which they payed then were but to teach us our humble distance and how to behave our selves before our dreadfull and most mysterious sacrifice now We find our Saviour in the Garden withdrawing himself from his Disciples and praying filently and secretly as you may see both in Saint Matthews and Saint Lukes Gospels Hee prayed undoubtedly for all the world but his prayers were not heard much lesse understood by any Now that you may be better inform'd in this point of Discipline I must tell you that our Church has been ever carefull to pay equall reverence to those most sacred Mysteries insomuch as from the beginning of Christianity the people nor yet Princes were ever suffer'd to come within the Rayle before the Altar and where there is no Rayle the people are forbid to presse up towards the Altar for fear of disturbing him in his great celebration Nay in the Primitive Church the Christian Altars were covered with as many Curtains and Veyles as the Jewish formerly were and those Curtains never drawn but at the time of Elevation and the people were kept at such a distance as they could not onely not hear but not see what would you say to such a reverence as that And truly we are but children to those Primitive Christians as well in devotion as in time Now it would be worth your knowing likewise how the three principall Languages that were in our Saviours time were these three Hebrew Greek and Latin which is clearly by the Title affixt upon the Crosse of Christ that Pilate caus'd to be written in those three Languages questionless not without a Mysterie for as his Divine Majesty was pleas'd to suffer his name then to be glorifi'd by that Triumphall Title in those three Languages so his Church hath ever since thought fit to glorifie it and to perform divine offices principally in those tongues and therefore in our Mass is retein'd the Hebrew Allellujah Osanna Eya Sabaoth c. Then the Greek Kyrie Eleyson Christe Eleyson Agios Otheos Yskyros Athanatos Cleyson Emas which words are as well now interpreted and made known to the vulgar as if they were words in their own Mother-tongues Then it wil be worth your while to take notice that it is not in the power of any man to find out that ever divine service was celebrated in any part of the Western Churches but in Latine For as we Western Christians receiv'd our Faith from Rome so we have their Language still in divine service and indeed so speaking Latine may be call'd our Mother-Tongue for so it is of our faith and what a confusion would follow upon a change of Language in divine service how should Italians Spaniards French Dutch Bohemians Hungarians c. Communicate with us if our Masses were in English all Christian Nations would seem Barbarians one to another and the sacred Mass it self would fall into contempt whereas now all Nations as if they were of one Parish hear service in the same Tongue every where which may therefore as I said before be truly call'd our Mother-tongue because it belongs to so many eminent Nations and proves such a common benefit to all you may please to adde all this to that upon reducing of the Mass into vulgar Languages there would not only follow a confusion upon divers Nations but a terrible scandall in each particular people and Nation For let us look no further than our own little England here and examine the variety of Language in it we shall find that some use the same word one way and others another way and the same word will signifie honestly and well in one part of the Nation and knavishly and vilely in another Then we know that there is such a diversity in Tones and pronunciations amongst us betwixt North and South East and West that these sacred mysteries falling into such vulgar mouths that would not onely endanger to induce by their ridiculous dissonancy a Babylonish confusion amongst us but likewise expose that most sacred thing in Christianity to a contempt And yet after all these necessities and conveniences are considered if you will remain obstinate in your opinion nor will otherwise be Catholick but upon such an account as this that you may have our Mass said to you in English I tel you again that I dare assure you your whole Church may have it so for I have been fairly inform'd that it ha's been already proffer'd by the Pope towards an accommodation for that I am sure he may for a greater good dispence withall it being but a pure point of discipline Thus Mistresse N. I have been bold to send you the best satisfaction I could to your ingenious Paper and I beseech you be pleas'd to examine what I have here return'd with the sameunbyassed judgement as I have done what you brought me and I doubt not but we shall quickly find our selves at the end of our controversie So praying God to bless you and yours I remain your true friend to serve you M. I pray you be pleas'd to take notice by the way that I do not refuse to fight with you at your own weapon that is your own Scripture clearly waving all the advantages that the difference of our Translations might give me POSCRIPT The Messenger my Lady sent with this Paper seal'd having delivered it to Mistresse N. her own hands she receiv'd it with great humility and kindnesse desired him to stay a little whilst shee returned a word in answer which she did and seal'd it up with some papers inclos'd the Contents whereof were to this purpose Sweet Madam I have receiv'd the favour of your Ladyships answer to the paper left with you but as yet I have not had time to peruse one line of it but I will promise your Ladyship that I will do it with the greatest candor ingenuity and integrity that I can Now Madam during the time that you have been drawing up your return to my last Paper I have been bold to prepare another trouble for you which I hope your Ladyship will accept likewise and pardon the boldnesse that I take to make you work but it is from the encouragement your Ladyships own goodness has given me and I 'm sure your thoughts cannot be
just shall live by faith alone Now to believe truly in God according to the received use of Scripture is to adhere to him by love and this our Divines call a formed faith which can never be without charity as S. Paul most amply explains to his Galatians Gal. 5.6 For in Jesus Christ saith he neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Here S. Paul assures us that it is not every faith that is sufficient to justifie us but onely that which worketh by love To the second You might be satisfied in this by the answer before but I shall adde that such a faith as that of the woman with the issue of blood and of the blinde men in the Gospel might obtain such a temporal benefit as the curing both of the one and the other I say temporal benefits may be procured by an unformed faith as the Romans and other Heathens have visibly found Gods blessings to follow them for their many virtues and this S. Paul intimates when he tells the Hebrews that by faith the Harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not when she received the spies with peace here was a good work too went along with her faith Heb. 11.31 Rom. 4. Heb. 11. And there is no doubt but an unformed faith accompanied with charity humility and devotion may obtain by grace a justification from sin and whosoever does believe in Jesus Christ that he can justifie a sinner it shall be imputed to him for righteousness for without faith it is impossible to please God To the third What you urge out of Genesis S. Paul and S. James is sufficiently explained and answered by the foregoing words of the said S. James 5.21.22 James was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered up Isaac his son upon the Altar seest thou how faith worketh with his works and by works was faith made perfect and in the verse immediately following that which you urge against us he concludes ye see there how that by works a man is justified Ver. 24. and not by faith onely for as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also To the fourth What you urge out of S. Lukes Gospel is to be understood as the context shews of servants that do what they are commanded onely to do and that is but their duty and no thanks are due to them in like manner those that keep the commandments of God do but their duties our Saviour says nothing by your favour of those that observe the Evangelicall counsells as the building of religious houses giving our goods among the poor or mortifying of our bodies which you seem to draw into the same conclusion Besides as to the keeping of the commandements do you think the meaning of that text is that there is no merit at all due to that it cannot possibly be so understood must the case be the same between him that does his duty well and him that does it not at all for so it must be as you seem to understand it for at the worst they can be but unprofitable and at the best you would have them be so too and this would not onely throw confusion into all divinity but would be the destruction of all civil government and humane conversation It is true what our Saviour says when we have done all that is required of us we are unprofitable servants that is to him whom we serve we are unprofitable what does the Almighty and infinite creator get by the salvation of his creature nothing can be added to him But the text tells us not that in so doing we are unprofitable to our selves God forbid for that would be to discourage all virtue piety and Christianity it self To the fifth I answer perfectly as to your first for that text of S. John cannot be understood of a bare beliefe but such a one as is accompanied with charity for it is impossible that a good faith should be without it To the sixth I say you are most cleerly mistaken for charity is not a fruit of faith but a fruit of the spirit as indeed faith it self is no less as S. Paul instructs the Galatians Gal. 5.22 The fruit of the spirit is love joy peace longsuffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance c. And that our Saviour taxeth Pharisaicall works for Hypocritical is granted who planted all their Religion in Ceremonies and neglected the weightier matters of the law which were the true good works and always commanded not censured by him Besides our Saviour chargeth us expresly in these words Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your father which is in heaven To the seventh and last To what you alledge first out of the Prophet Isaiah I answer that the Prophet there speaks comparatively between the righteousness of the Law and that of the Gospel for the legall purity compared to the Evangelicall is impurity it self as our righteousness compared to Gods is no righteousness so our Saviour tells us Luke 18. Mat. 19.17 that none is good but one that is God because our goodness compared to Gods goodness is no goodness is no goodness To your next text I answer that it onely infers that there is none so righteous but at sometimes sinnes not that a man when he does well sins Then to what you alledge out of the Psalms it is very plain that the prophet David begs of God that he would not judge him according to his own divine righteousness that is so absolutely pure and without sin for so saith he Psal 25.21 no flesh living can be justified for he saith in another Psalm let integrity and uprightness preserve me for I wait on thee Last of all to what you urge so hard out of S. Paul to the Romans S. Paul himself answers in the beginning of the next Chapter There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death that is both from sin and the punishment of it Rom. 8. and so proceeds to shew that though there be a repugnancy in the Law of the flesh to the Law of the spirit yet they that mind the things of the spirit shall be judged accordingly and no sin imputed to them which I conceive clean contrary to the sence that you would impose upon the Apostle Now Mrs. N. I must desire you to give me leave to follow my former method and to return to you some Texts that as I conceive do expresly conclude our Churches doctrine which is that faith does not nor can suffice without works and that works are something in the sight of God that is meritorious of eternal life by the grace
one God thou doest well the devils also believe and tremble but wilt thou know O vain man that faith without works is dead was not our father Abraham justified by works c. and after the Apostle had upon the matter stated the whole question he concludes yee see then now that by works a man is justified and not by faith onely Can any thing be more cleer then this yet see how S. Matthew justifies this doctrine relating our Saviours last charge and Commission to his Apostles thus Mat. 28.19.20 Go ye therfore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost teaching them not onely to believe Johu 9.6.7 but to do and observe all things whatsoever I have commanded c. S. John relates how our Saviour would not cure the blinde man with that omnipotent salve the clay made of his spittle but he would enjoyn him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam something he would have done on his part Then S. Paul assures us that if he hath faith to a perfection nay so much as to remove mountains and hath not charity he is nothing what then are we without it Nay S. Paul teacheth Timothy how to press the matter 1 Tim. 4. that they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life c. and concludes of himself I have fought the good fight I have perfected my course I have kept the faith from hence forward is laid up for me a crown of glory which the Lord the just judge shall render to me in that day here S. Paul cleerly expects from the justice of God a retribution to his merit Now over and above all this John 8. it is plain that faith it self is a work for to the question that was asked our Saviour What shall we do to do the works of God he answers presently this is the work of God to believe on him whom he hath sent and again saith he Gen. 15. if ye are the children of Abraham you would do the works of Abraham now the principal work of Abraham was his faith for Abraham believed and it was accounted to him for righteousness see faith is plainly to be reckoned up amongst works now if a man by faith be to be justified then he is so by works Last of all what you seem in all your discourses to infer that the best works are full of sin so by consequence cannot justifie observe I beseech you what S. John says to you 1 John 3 7 8 9. little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous he that committeth sin is of the devil c. whosoever is born of God does not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God Note here if you please that he cannot sin that follows the inclinations of charity according to which a man is said to be born of God For S. Paul assures us too that charity does nothing amiss Thus if I have not darkned this truth with too thick a cloud of witnesses I presume it must be cleer as light it self that your doctrine of onely faith depressing of good works is not onely against the whole stream of Scripture and so unchristian but also against all the rules of humane reason so impertinent unpolitick to the destruction of all civil conversation and therefore I am bold to insist the longer upon it which I desire you to pardon and I will make a speedy amends in the contraction of my self upon the other heads To what you are pleased to alledge against our Auricular Cenfession I answer thus To the first It is true that in that Text of S. John there is no confession mentoned but sufficiently imply'd in the power of absolution It is enough to satisfy any reasonable Christian that our Saviour has so clearly declar'd that high power and prerogative which he conferred upon his Priests and to shew us our Physitions and remedy that we may have recourse to them for our health if we so please but if we will not confess we are sick we have no need of a Physition at least he cannot be at all usefull to us Now that use and practice of this high power and prerogative of remision of sins the Church has learnt and derived from the very times of the Apostles by the conduct of the holy Ghost as you shall see more hereafter To the Second I must likewise grant S. Iames not precisely to determine in that Text to whom we should confess nor was it at all needfull for it was to be presumed that no man would confess but where he thought to finde a pardon now that power of pardoning was apparently in the Apostles hands then and in their successors continues since It was enough therefore for the Apostles to express so much as was necessary to that great business of absolution that is confession without pointing out that particular person to whom to be made indeed it is as before sufficiently implyed To the Third and fourth I do acknowledge that our Saviour said no more to the woman taken in adultry but go and sine no more but there the power of absolution was not settled in the Church how then could the adultress and the Magdalen and Peter be obliged to confession before confession was instituted Besides these were miraculous pardons of sins not by any former prescription for we know that the indulgence of a spirituall priviledge to any one is not to be drawn into a consequence for others or made a generall rule of by us To the Last I do utterly deny that confession was ever abrogated in any one age something I remember in ecclesiasticall history that publick and open confession was solemly forbiden but never private and auricular on the contrary give me leave to prove the necessity of it by Scripture against you David confesseth his sins and is pardoned by the prophet Nathan 2 Sam. 11.13 S. Mathew tells how our Saviour enstated Peter in this power of the keys the other Evangelists speaks of his disposing of it amongst his Apostles by all which it is plain that to deny the power of the keys to be given to the Church is to deny that our Saviour never had them in his custody which I take for blasphemy The text you urge out of S. James 5.16 James is alledged for our doctrine against you by all our divines as I am cold I am sure it is cleer as to me This great duty of a Christian was absolutly taught and prefigured in the Baptisme of John for S. Mat. 3.6 Mathew tells us how all the people round about flockt to him And they were baptised of
already in my last paper upon those two parts of it confession and satisfaction which being proved to be impertinent your Sacrament of Penance must needs fall 3. Then for your Sacrament of Orders and confirmation it is plain that there was nothing of them instituted by Christ but constitutions of the Church afterwards established them how thou can they be reputed Sacraments 4. For matrimony there can be no pretence to make it a Sacrament but out of a few mistaken words of S. Paul Ephes 5.32 who had no power to make a Sacrament neither for when he says marriage is a great Mystery you read as I am informed that it is a great Sacrament nor does the Apostle say absolutely that it is of it self a great mystery or Sacrament but onely in relation to what it signifies between Christ and his Church 5. Then last of all for your extreme Unction there is a less pretence James 5.14.15 for first at most there can be but an Apostolical authority for that no Apostle as I said before had power to institute a Sacrament besides there is a great dispute amongst the learned about the authority of that Epistle and some very principal persons have agreed that it should be thrust out of the Canon of the Bible Thus have I been bold to make it the business of this paper to shew you how your Church abuseth you with their own inventions and would obtrude them upon us for divine institutions To what you alledge against our Church for over lading the souls of Christians with Traditions and humane corstitutions c. I answer thus To the first I acknowldedge it to be as you say both wicked and damnable to add any thing to or diminish from Scripture that is of the essence and being of Scripture or shall go about to corrupt or deprave it otherwise if the Church or any civil power shall promote any thing that is not literally there so it be but consequentially it is enough or if it be to advance what is commanded or consulted of in Scripture Now all the Churches constitutions even those you most tax though they are not expresly and in proper forme to be found in Scripture yet they are all cleer emanations from thence as I shall plainly prove heerafter Again that Text you quote out of the Proverbs cleers all the rest Prov. 30.5.6 add not unto his words least thou be found a lier so it is not every simple addition that is forbidden but only such as is false and lying that is either to the corruption or adulteration of the Text. To the Second It is plain that our Saviour does not there in that Gospell reprove all Traditions of men absolutly but only such as they made contrary to the law of God or such as swerved from it for so we finde by the context of the same chapter Mark 7.8 9. as for laying aside the commandment of God hold the tradition of men c. and then agin fullwell you reject the commandments of God that ye may keep your own tradition in the same maner S. Mathew delivers it Mat. 13. which two Gospells S. Paul sufficiently explains thus not giving beed to Jewish fables 1 Tit. 14 and commandments of men that turn from the truth so it must be onely such as those that our Saviour findes fault withall and not simply all humane constitutions And hence it is that the woes of eternal damnation are threatued by God and pronounced by the Prophet against the makers of such wicked constitutions and traditions Isay 10.1.2 in these words Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees and that write grievousness which they have prescribed to turn aside the needy from judgement and to take away the right from the poor of my people and that they may rob the fatherless c. But this makes nothing at all to your purpose for the constitutions of our Church are so far from being guilty of that that they are acknowledged by all temperate persons to be the greatest promoters and advancers of divine worship the greatest restrainer of the concupiscencies of the flesh and do dispose men to the keeping of Gods commandments a more expeditious and cleer way inflaming all men to brotherly kindness and charity To the Third S. Paul it is true forbids us to be servants of men that is as you will finde by the context not to make schismes in the Church by pretending to follow some leading men for one to say I am of Cephas and another I am of Apollo this is to rebuke an error of yours and nothing at all of ours for we endeavour to keep our selves within the bonds of Catholike unity and you do all you can to break those bands and fall into the captivity of private opinions by rendering your selves servants nay slaves to some single Doctors of your own that best agree with your fancy but you had best take heed of that according to S. Pauls warning which you urge heer against us To the fourth What the Apostle tells the Gallatians that they which are led of the Spirit are not under the Law we acknowledge but it is to be understood that he speaks of the Mosaicall and coercive Law which they that are perfectly led by the spirit need not at all but he cannot mean the divine and directive Law which must last to govern faithfull Christians for Adam himself had such a law in Paradice To the fifth We say not that the law is made for the righteous as he is righteous and governed wholy by the Spirit of God but for so much as the flesh lusteth aginst the Spirit he ought to have a reforming law or indeed the former answer to your fourth argument might have served the turn so far and as for what you alledge all out of the Romans that the law worketh wroth it must be understood of the Mosaick law which worketh wroth indeed if we be not releived by divine grace but we are helped by grace and Truth by Jesus Christ To the sixth You must give me leave to tell you here that you very much mistake Christian liberty for by that we are not exempted from the power of and obedience to our superiours but that liberty opposeth it self onely against the servitude of the Mosaicall Law and slavery of sin it cannot possibly be meant that it should free us from the wholsome constitutions and commandments of the Church which are all made for the advancement of godliness Gal. 5.13 this S. Paul sufficiently explains thus for brethren you have been called into liberty onely use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another 1 Pet. 2.16 13 14 15. Rom. 6.7 8. and S. Peter notes when he says as free and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness but as the servants of God so he chargeth them to submit to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake
which was that to eat meat with unwasht bands made the meat unclean and the eater two tells them that not that which goeth into the mouth defileth c. This I say was onely to rebuke that foollish errour of theirs for he could not mean it absolutly otherwise they that in the Apostles time should have eaten meats offered to Idolls things strangled or blood or poyson willingly and knowingly should not have been defiled but so we know they were Over and above let it be granted that all meat whatsoever which enters the mouth passeth into the belly and is cast out into the draught does not defile a man Yet when a man shall against the commandment of God and his Church or the custome and Tradition of it or against his own vow or with the scandall of his neighbour take any meat whatsoever it does and must of necessity defile him for this proceeds out of an evil and malicious heart that is from a plain contempt of God and his Church in so slighting their precepts Thus if the Rechabites had drunk wine though in it self good they had defiled themselves because it was against the comand of their father And it is plain that God approves their abstinence for that very reason and pronounceth a blessing to the whole family for being obedient to the precepts of Jonadab their fatherâ— In the like manner the Angel Gabriel foretold of John the Baptist Luke 1. Mat. 3. Mark 1. Luke 3. that he should neither drink wine nor any strong drink and that his fool should be Locusts and wilde hony Now I would aske the question whether if the Baptist had transgrest that rule he had offended or not but enough of this To the second I say the Apostle in those words that you so much insist upon means onely that he would not have such a judiciall observance continued amongst Christians as to hold some meats absolutly unlawfull and perpetually forbiden as swines flesh excepting onely what was decreed against in the Councell of the Apostles Acts â— But the Church of Christ beleives every creature of God to bee good though for a while and to mortify the old mans he commands an abstinence from some Again the Apostle speaks not heer at all of fasting or mortification of the flesh but because certain heretickes there were that held some creature to proceed from an evil principle the Apostle goes about to beat down that opinion and tells them 1 Tim. 4. that every creature of God is good to be received with thanks giving and that is our religion though we hold not that every good thing is good at all times and seasons nor does the Apostle heer command it should be so To the Third You are to understand that by the old law some creatures were unclean but that Typically and by signification onely though the Jews were so sottish as to beleive that they were so in their one nature This errour the Apostle goes about to destroy saying to the faithfull all things are pure and so by consequence to be eaten in their seasons but that it is not lawfull to abstein from a sort of lawfull meat for a certain time is a wonder to me how you could draw into that Apostles sence who was himself as he says so often in fastings and some of the fathers as I have read in story never drank wine or eat flesh in all their lives To the Fourth I answer in the like manner that the holy Apostle would not have his Collosstans nor any other faithfull Christians judged about meat and drink and holy days after the old Jewish fashion and not a word of fasting there To the fifth I shall freely grant to you that it is by the spirit that we are to mortify the deeds of the flesh but I must tell you again that the spirit receives strength from the weakening of the flesh and crusifying of it with fasting as the Apostle himself whom you urge explains it to the Gallatians Gal. 5.23.24 when he first tells them that Temperance is the fruit of the spirit and after assures them that they who are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts c. but above all I pray you observe what he says to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 9.25 26 27. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things c. I therefore so run not as uncertainly so fight I not as one that beateth the aire but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection least that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast away Thus it is plain that S. Paul thought that he advanced the vigour of his spirit by his subjugation of his flesh To the sixth and Last As for your pretence of Christian liberty I have shewed you plainly before that it pertains not a jot to this purpose As for what you say that Jesus Christ himself never made any distinction of meats nor commanded any such thing I grant it for he employed himself whilst he was on earth in matters of greater moment to our Salvation and left those things which were to expedite and promote our way to heaven to the direction and government of his holy Spirit that was to animate his whole Church Besides though our Saviour says nothing of destinction of meats he does not withstanding much of fasting and to give us example did most miraculously practise it in his own person so now I presume you will give me leave to prove my part And first I prove that the Church does lawfully forbid certain meats for certain times by express Scriptures thus First the Apostles themselves being assembled in counsel laid an injunction upon all Christians Solemnly so to do in these words For it seemed good unto the holy Ghost and to us c. Acts 15.28 29. that ye abstein from meats offered unto Idolls and from blood and from things strangled c. S. Rom. 14.20 21. Paul declares freely to the Romanes that we ought not for matter of meat destroy the worke of God all things indeed are pure but it is evil for that man who cateth with offence it is good neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine nor any thing whereby thy Brother stumbleth or is offended or is made weak c. heer is a perfect abstinence commanded for certain times and particular reasons Again he says to the Corinthians that meat commendeth us not to God for noither if we eat are we the better neither if we eat not are we the worse c. and then concludes wherefore if meat make my Brother to offend I will eat no flesh whilest the world standeth least I make my Brother to offend heer again is abstinence for certain time and certain reasons Then that such an abstinence is acceptable to God see the express words of the Prophet Daniel speaking of himself Dan. 10.2.3 I Daniel was mourning
grace But howsoever the institution of our Saviour I 'm sure could not be without it Matth. 19.1.6 and first he is pleased to repeat the words of the first Institution For this cause shall a man leav his Father mother shall cleave to his Wife and they twain shall be one flesh wherefore they are no more twain but one flesh What therefore God hath joynd together let no man put asunder Now if God hath joyndthemtogether it must be a divine conjunction and that cannot possibly be without divine grace But this is most fully exprest by St Paul to the Ephesians thus Wives submit your selves to your own Husbands as unto the Lord for 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 therefore as the Church is subject to Christ Ephes 5.22 23 225 so let the Wives be to their own Husbands in every thing Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it c. And then concludes for this eause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joyned with his Wife and they two shall be one flesh This is a great Mystery or Sacrament chuse you which Here the Apostle clearly proclaims it a Sacrament because the Conjunction of man and wife is the visible sign of that Sacred Conjunction between Christ and his Church Again to the Hebrews he says thus Marriage is honourable in all and the bed undefiled Heb. 13.4 but Wheremingers and Adulterers God will judge Now if there were not a divine and Sacramentall grace in marriage how could the Bed be undefiled Again to the Corinthians he adviseth every one to have his own Wise 1 Cor. 7.2 for the avoyding of Formeation yet it is not to be supposed that any man by the help of a Wife onely be she what she can be of virtue and beauty can be capable to avoyd Fornication without the said Sacramentall Grace Again to the Thessalonians thus 1 Thes 1. Let every one amongst you know how to possess his Vessells in sanctification and honour now sanctification we know cannot be without divine grace Then he tells Timethy that a woman shall be saved by Childbearing if she remain in saith and love now to beget children without the grace of this Sacrament would be more probably occasion of damnation than salvation Then again to the Corinthians he saith 1 Cor. 7.12 13 14 If any brother hath a wife that believeth not and she be pleased to dwell with him let him not put her away And the woman which hath a busband that believeth not and if he be pleased to dwell with her let her not leave him For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband else were your children unclean but now are they holy which must needs be understood as by the grace of this holy Sacrament I shall conclude all concerning this Prov. 19. with what the wise King Solomon tells us that a house and riches we have from our Parents but a prudent wife is from the Lord. Thus we must acknowledg God to be the immediate Authour of Marriages as we say matches are made in heaven and by the grace of this Sacrament onely to be made happy That extream Vnction is a Saeroment likewise and a visible sign of an invisible grace I prove by ezpress Scripture thus We find in Saint Markes Gospell how our Saviour called unto him the twelve Mark 6 7 8.9 10 11 12 13. and began to send them out by two and two and gave them power over unclean Spirits c. And after he had given them their mission fully with orders how to behave themselves in their business we find that they went out accordingly and Preached that men should repent and they cast out many Devills And then anointed with Oyle many that were sick and healed them This it is not to be thought that they did this upon their own heads but by their Masters command by whose power they did those mighty works and having his command sure then none can deny but it was his Institution Then this Sacrament is so loudly proclaimed by Saint James that I admire how any Christian can believe in Scripture and doubt the other It any sick among you says the Apostle James 5.14 15. let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him anointing him with Oyle in the Name of the Lord c. and if he have committed sinns they shall be forgiven him Here is plainly a most visible sign and as plainly a most extraordinary grace accompanying it that is to say remission of sins Thus you may clearly see how extream Unction is a Sacrament of our Saviours own Institution or at least plainly impli'd to have been instituted by him and that by the action of the Twelve Apostles before his face whilst he was upon earth and at large declar'd to be so by the express words of one of the Twelve that is Saint James Over and above this we have the universall tradition of the Church of Christ that in these matters of faith we know cannot erre and that alone indeed might have been a sufficient proofe of the verity of it if our Saviour himself his Apostles and Evangelists had been silent in it The truth is that the Evangelists being to write in short for if they had writ at large the whole world had not been able to contain the books that might have been written as Saint John tells us of the Acts and words of our Saviour Jesus Christ made it their principall care to deliver punctually to us onely those things that were most highly necessary to our salvation as we see how amply they have set down the Sacraments that were absolutely necessary as Baptisme Pennance and Eucharist and as for confirmition and extream Unction they do not so much as insist upon because they are not of absolute necessity to salvation though they are very great expedients towards it the one to confirm us in grace after Baptism the other to remove the reliques of sin after a hearty repentance And it is the opinion of the learned in this point that the benefit of this Sacrament is such that a penitent with attrition onely receiving this Sacrament receives likewise such a grace along with it that by virtue of it his sins though mortall may be forgiven him Thus I conceive enough said as to this and all the rest of your last paper and when you please I am ready for another and to serve you with any thing that may lye within the power of Your faithfully loving and true friend M. This paper my Lady had no sooner dispatcht but she sent it away by one of her servants sealed up and by him she roceived this Answer Madam I have received your Ladyships Letter and Paper
one Argument against so foul a thing and that is this either Images are commanded or commended for good meanes of divine worship or they are not if they be then shew it by Scripture if they be not then it must follow that it is a piece of will-worship and that all Images are meer fond and vain things That your Doctrines of Indulgences Purgatory and Prayer for the dead are derogatory to Gods glory and abusive to the world Iprove by Scripture thus And First as to your business of Indulgencies I shall give but one blow and that I presume will be a mortall one out of Saint Paul to the Romanes where he saith for I reckon that the sufferrings of this present time Rom. 8.18 are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which shall be revealed in me If then the merits of the Saints upon earth are more then enough rewarded by the glory which the Lord is pleased to confer upon them in heaven how can there be a superabundance of their merits pick'd up by your Church and laid up in a storehouse or treasury for the Pope to take out at his pleasure and apply to the use and advantage of other men which is as I am inform'd the prophane and sottish opinion of your Church Then as to your Doctrine of Purgatory I shall disprove it thus The Prophet Daniell mentions but two ways for soules to go The one to everlasting life Dan. 11.2 Matth. 25.46 John 5.29 the other to everlasting contempt Our Saviour does mention no more And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the Righteous into life eternall so St. Matthew And again in St. Johns Gospell They that have done good unto the Resurrection of life and they that have done evill unto the Resurrection of damnation How dare any man invent a third place upon his own head when God himself ha's appointed but two Again the Scriptures plainly tells us that those which are to be saved go immediately to Heaven without any stop or stay by the way therefore your Purgatory must needs be very much out of the way Luk. 23.43 As first we find in Saint Lukes gospell our Saviours own words to the Thief upon the Cross And Iesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise that is understood immediately after his death without any delay in Purgatory Phil. 1.23 or else where Then again St. Paul tells the Philipians that he had a desire to depart and to be with Christ therefore after departure the saved soul goes immediately to Christ without any rubbs stops or stays by the way what then is become of your pitifull purgatory So I presume I need not trouble your Ladyship with any more arguments to convince so foul an errour I shall only produce one or two more against your prayer for the dead which is a consequent of your Purgatory and so conclude this Paper That your Doctrine of Prayer for the dead is an impertinent piece of devotion and contrary to Scripture I prove thus 1. It were enough for the satisfaction of any resonable person in this point to have disproved purgatory as I have done already for if there be no Purgatory there can be no prayer for the dead usefull at all but I will proceed more particularly to prove against prayer for the dead thus The Prophet Jeremy not only forbids to pray but to weep for the dead saying Weep ye not for the dead Jer. 22.10 neither bemoan him but weep for him that goeth astray c. If the dead be not in a condition to be wept for they are mch lesse in a condition to be pray'd for and by consequence again there can be no Purgatory 2. Luk. 7.13 Our Saviour again in like manner forbids the Widdow to weep for her Son that was dead so still it follows if there ought to be no weeping then no Purgatory and if no Purgatory then no prayer for the dead 3ly and Lastly for the Explication of all that ha's been said 1 Thes 14.13 14 15.16 17 18 and the conviction of all gainsayers Observe what St. Paul says to the Thessalonians But I would not have you be ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep that ye sâ—rrow not even as others which have no hope for if we believ c. So to the end of the Chapter comforts them with an assurance of resurrection to life eternall without any the least mention of Purgatory or prayers for the dead This Paper my Lady had at sooner peras'd but she disposed her self immediately to her pen and writ as followeth To what you are pleased to alledge against our Doctrine for the invocation of the Saints in Heaven I answer thus To your first second third and fourth I shall answer together and with good reason for there runs the same fallacy along with them all and I do wonder you should be so deluded by the Sophismes of your Doctors for those very Arguments that they have furnished you withall against us in this point do as well take away the Intercession of Christ himself and the prayers of the Saints living upon earth as the intercession of the Saints in heaven For if this be a good consequence God is only to be worshipt therefore it is not lawfull to invoke the Saints in heaven then this must be a good consequence too God is only to be worshipped therefore it is not lawfull to invoke or desire the Saints on earth to pray for us For this word only exclude as well one as the other and must of necessity as well condemn the invocation of the Saints Militant which all of you use and the Apostle himself did too as the invocation of the Saints Triumphant Besides we do acknowledge it to be our duty to pray and ask of God and to pray and ask in Jesus his name and to pray and to ask with confidence as the Apostle would have us but nothing of all this can make an exclusion of the Saints For by the Saints as our fellow Members we pray in the name of Jesus our head wherfore our Church always doth conclude its Collects of the Saints with through Jesus Chirst our Lord and you are to understand that though God be most good most gracious and merciful yet he is a God of order and disposeth of all things so sweetly that all Inferiours may lead us to Superiours and so in this particular case our Church is likewise well pleased that we should come boldly to the Throne of Grace to the fountain of Grace Father of Mercy and God of all comforts but this she tels us that we may more commodiously do it by the Saints then only by our selves who are most miserable sinners and so must of necessity be abhorred by him And the Scripture tels us that our God is a consuming fire and we may justly fear lest we perish before his face as wax melteth
dare presently to thrust himself before his divine Majesty that he has offended but by mediators and intercessors The wisest of Kings Solomon rose up to meet his mother and bowed himself unto her 1 Kings 2.19 and caused a throne to be set for his mother and she sate on his right hand and shall not Jesus Christ a greater and a wiser than Solomon honour his mother in the like kinde It is most manyfest that the Angells are assisting to us and pray for us Mat. 2.8 Mark 12 Psalm 33 then why should not we pray to them and there is the same reason for the saints as for the Angells who are their equalls in heaven as we finde in the holy Gospells Psalm 90. how freequently in the Psalmes does the Royal prophet speak of Gods sending his Angells to snatch us out of dangers to gard us and to keep us in all our ways c. Then we finde in the Prophet Zachcariah Zach. 1.12.13 how the Angel of the Lord interceded for the people in these words O Lord of Hoste how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem Heb. 1.7 and on the Cities of Judah against which thon hast bad indignation these threescore and ten years and the Lord answered the Angell with good words and comfortable words Then S. Acts 12.12.7 8. Paul calls the Angels minnistring spirits and we finde how freequently they have delivered Gods servants as S. Peter out of prison c. now I say if it be in the power of the Angells in heaven to help us by their prayers the same reason will hold for the saints who are as the Evangelists aforesaid tell us their equalls both in their favour and power with God And that they do too is as manifest for the Lord has sometimes sought for a saint to stand in the gap as he saies himself in Ezeckiel Ezek. 22.30.31 and I sought for a man amongst them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land that I should not destroy it but I found none therefore have I powred out mine indignation upon them I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath c. therefore did the Lord do it for want of an acceptable intercesor But it is most cleer in the Apocalyps Revel 4. 5. how the four beasts and four and twenty elders are continually falling down before the Lamb and interceding for the faithfull on earth with their Violls full of precious oyntments which are the prayers of the saints And then again it is expressly said that another Angell came and stood at the Altar haveing a golden censer Revel 8.3.4 and there was given unto him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden Alter which was before the Throne and the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the faints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand c. If yet there be any doubt remaining me thinks meer reason raised from a most undoubted Scripture should cleer this point as first we finde and I thinke no body questions it that Jesus Christ as he is man does continually interde for all mankinde especially his faithfull ones if any man does doubt let him look into S. Paul to the Romans Rom. 8. Heb. 7. and Hebrews where it is positively said in divers places that Jesus Christ does constantly interecde for us And S. John tells us if any man have sinned 1 John 2. we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins nor for our sins onely but for the sins of the whole world If therefore Christ our head according to his humanity pray for us why should not his members the saints that rain with him and are conformable to him intercede likewise in their proportion for their fellow members uppon earth for we are all members of the same mysticall body Again the liveing pray for one another and frequently obtain Exod. 17 31. Mat. 15. Luke 7. Acts 17. Collos 4.2 2 Thes 3.1 as Moses pray'd and obtained for the people the woman of Canan for her daughter the Centurion for his servant Paul for those that sailed with him Nay S. Paul desired the Colossians to be instant in prayer and particularly for himself and so to the Thessalonians he says finally hretheren pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course c. If therefore the living may pray for one another why may not the glorifyed saints in heaven do the same for us who are more perfect in charity more powerfull with God and more pure in understanding for if they may not pray for us as the living do it would appear unworthy of Christs grace and favour to them which we cannot apprehend or it must be because it is a purpose of the excellency that it is fiting onely for Christ himself to do it and no person else and then it will not be lawfull for us mortals to pray for one another But that we know the contrary by what has been before set down and as S. Paul does earnestly beseech the Romans Rom. 15.30.31 James 5.16 for the Lord Jesus Christ sake and for the love of the Spirit that they pray to God for him So I do humbly beseech the blessed mother of God and all the saints of heaven to pray for me and all the world besides And so as S. Iames adviseth us let us pray one for another that we may be saved I pray you heer take notice that I have made use of no Scripture out of Baruch the Machabees or any parts of Scripture which you question for Apocrypha though by all the Canons of the Church they are received so I proceed To what you alledge against our use of images which you call an abominable and idolatorrious doctrine I answer thus To the first I say that God Allmighty in that commandment has sufficiently explained his own minde both in the precedent and subsequent words for as he did forbid the worship of strange Gods so he forbide the Images of them to be erected But we worship not the saint for Gods therefore we are not at all prohibited by that commandment to set up their Images For in the first place he saies thou shalt have no strange Gods before me then follows thou shalt not make to thee any graven Image c. then last of all thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them see then the whole drift of that commandment is evident that Images should not be made to that end and purpose and so we concur with you For if to make and erect Images were absolutly and in it self unlawfull then it would follow that Moses himself had sinnd immediately after the giving of that commandment nay that God Almighty had shewed the first way to breake his own commandment for God commanded
dead and that he sent two thousand Drachmes of silver to Jerusalem to offer a sin-offering doing therein very well and honestly in that he was mindeful of the resurrection for if he had not hoped that they that were slain should have risen again it had been superfluous and vain to pray for the dead and also in that he perceived that there was a great favour laid up for those that dyed godly it was a holy and good thought whereupon he made a reconciliation for the dead and that they might be delivered from sin 2 Tim. 1.16 18. But if you will deny the authority of this book you will not sure deny that of S. Paul who prays for the whole household of Onesiphorus some whereof were dead in all probability and Onesiphous himself dead in history before the writing of that Epistle wherefore he prays to the Lord to give mercy unto them and that Onesiphorus himself may finde mercy of the Lord in that day it is plain from hence that there is a capacity for mercy at the lastday by consequence therefore there must be a third place that is nesther Heaven nor Hell and so by consequence again prayer for the dead must be a a very good devotion and available to the case and release of those poor souls And to this truly if all Scripture were perfectly silent the practise of the Church of Christ has been cleer and universal that no prudent Christian can deny his assent if he be not resolved to shake the very foundations of Christianity it self which the gates of bell shall never prevail against Thus my Lady having dispatcht her answer and replies to this paper made hast to open the next which she found to this purpose following Madam this is the last paper that I shall be bold to offer to your Ladiship which indeed might have served for all the rest for it striks at the very root of all your Religion and what a pitiful weak and sandy foundation you have you shall see if you shall please impartially to confider what followes That your Pope or Bishop of Rome is not nor can be head of the Church of Christ nor S. Peter successor as you pretend nor has any priminary or superiority over other Bishops I prove out of Scripture thus 1 S. Rom. 12.5 Paul tells the Romans plainly that we being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another Heer the Apostle acknowledgeth no head but Christ and concludes Peter to be as much a member as any one of the faithfull and that not onely in respect of Christ we are members but in respect of our selves is cleer by those words every one members one of another so that Peter Pope or Bishop be he what he will is not onely a member of the body of the Church as he has relation to Christ the head but as he does relate to the other faithfull members 2 Again as the head and the other members make up one entire naturall body 1 Cor. 12 so Christ and his Church make up one entire mysticall body which is so made up of head and members as the Apostle tells us therefore all others besides Christ who is the head are but members of the body of the Church and none but Christ can be the head of the Church 3 We finde in the Gospells Math. Mark Luke John that Jesus Christ does equally commend the care of his Churh to all his Apostles for he said to all the rest as well as Peter as the father sent me so send I you again go ye and teach all Nations c. then again we know that he did teach and instruct them all equally and sent the holy Ghost to them all equally and indifferently at the time of Pentecost therefore Peter had no priveledge nor prehemminence over the rest 4 S. Gal. 2.11 Paul tells us that when Peter was come to Antioch he withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed therefore Peter was not then taken for the head of the Church For S. Paul had he beleived that would not have shewed such arrogancy and perversness as to resist the head of the Church in such an open manner 5. Then it is manifest that the Church of Christ could not be built upon the person of Peter for then the gates of Hell had prevailed against it and him when he was terrified from his faith by the voice of a silly wench And so by consequence it cannot be built upon his successors who are dayly guilty of such personall crimes 6 Again we finde that the Church of Christ is built upon a Rock and that Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 3. 1 Cor. 10 therefore it could never be understood of Peter for another foundation can no man lay besides that which is already laid as the Apostle tells us 7 Then it is very disputable whether Peter was ever at Rome and sure we are out of Scripture that he was eighteen years at least after our Saviours passion in and about Jerusalem where was then the Romane Church 8 Then again how could Peter be the Rock upon which he would build his Church when our Saviour himself said to him Mat. 16. get thee behind me satan he never intended sure satan should be the head of his Church as it is too much to be feared he makes himself now to be of yours 9 We cannot finde that S. Peter did ever exercise any power or jurisdiction over the other Apostles Acts 8. but they did plainly over him when they sent him and John into Samaria 10 Again Peter knew fullwell that such a power or superiority was expresly forbiden by our Saviour himself Mat. 20.25 Mark 10.46 Luke 22.24.25 in all the Gospeles you know saith he that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentils exercise Lordship over them and their great ones exercise authority upon them but so shall it not be amongst you but whosoever will be great amongst you shall be your Minister who soever of you will be the cheifest shall be servant of all All which our Saviour spok rebuke a strife that was amongst them who should be the greatest Nay it is plain by the Text in all those Gospells that it is onely for the Kings and rulers of the Earth to take upon them power and Authority Bishops therefore of the Church have nothing to do with it therefore not the Pope 11 Nay our Saviour shews such a detestation of this affected superiority that he rebukes the Diciples for it and warnes them against it in severall other places of the Gospells and set a little child before them and tellls them Mot. 18.4 Mark 9.46 that whoosever shall humble himself as that little child the sames is greatest in the Kingdome of heaven c. How well your Pope is an immitator of Jesus Christ and follower of his commands I will leave your self to judge who takes upon him
World And just as each single Sheep so long as it remains in the society and Communion with the Flock and under the aare and custody of the Shepherd is safe and secure from the mouths of wolves so is each single Christian so long as he remains joyned and tyed up in the unity of the Church that is submits to the sence and doctrine of the whole Church is never err'd yet in matter of faith nor ever can now I presume you may require to know of me whether all and every one of this Church hath this great assistance and direction of the Holy Spirit that he cannot erre in matter of Faith I do readily answer that every one of the faithfull has it but by way of dependance upon the Church and from it So long therefore as any man remains in conjunction with the Church he cannot erre if he separates or dissents from it he must needs of necessity fall into an errour which I 'le thus explain to you by two Examples or similitudes The one may be taken from the proportion of a humane body in which we see that all the members do jointly and severally paticipate of the vitall and sensitive spirits by which life is preserved in them all but yet they have these spirits derivatively from and by way of dependency upon the head and heart for it is from them as from a double Fountain those spirits are derived into the other members so that when the Channells and passages by which that derivation and distribution is made are stopt or intercepted it must follow necessarily that the other Members must be left destitute of spirits and be rendred incapable of performing their Office but being open all will be well So likewise in the Church all the faithfull which are as it were Members of it have a certain assistancy and direction from the holy Ghost but by way of dependency upon the Pope who is as the head of the Church and from Councils which are safe and secure from all danger of errour and infidelity In the last place as sheep that go astray from the flock are out of the protection of the Shepherd and by consequence must fall into the danger of Wolves so Christians which depart from the common sence and doctrine of the Church must of necessity fall into millions of errours for want of the assistance of the holy spirit which is the Judge and Guardian of that I pray you good Mistriss N. have a care how you expose your self to this terrible danger To the Fifth I utterly deny that generall Councells have er'd in matters of faith it is possible that some particular Councells might or some false Councells more truely call'd conventicles Then that some councills have determined variously as to discipline and Ecclesiasticall government I grant for variety of times requires diversity of Laws and God himself gives the president of that who changed many things in the new Testament that were commanded in the Old And as for Lay-men to be present in Councels we do not at all deny so they be as witnesses defenders Counsellors Suggestors or Executioners of their decrees but never as to have a Voyc in any Councill or Church businesse and this is plain by those Gouncils that we find in the Acts celebrated by the Apostles and so clearly in every Age since and why should Lay-men have to do more now Now give me leave to reply something to you and I 'le be short in my proof having been so long in my answers That the Pope with a generall Council may detrmine what is of Fath and what is not I pove by expresse Scripture thus We find in Scripture some Councils celebrated by the Apostles that have actually made such determinations As first for the taking off the burthen of Circumcision and other Indaicall obligations we find the result thus For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us Act. 15.28 29. to lay upon you no greater burthen than these necessary things that they abstein from meats offered to Idols and from blood and from things strangled and from Fornication from which if ye keep your selves ye shalde well See here the form of an Apostolical Councell First the Text tells us that the Apostles and Elders came together and that St. Peter was President and Prolocutor then they issued out their decrees with this authoritative preface It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us Now do you find that any faithfull Christians then did question their authority ver 6.7 as you do now that of other Conncells assembled in like manner and assisted by the same spirit Thus you see that Councell did decree somethings to be necessary for a time which were not simply and of themselves matters of faith and to take off from the Jews many things that were to them before matters Faith as circumcision and other mosaicall Statutes Why should not I say the Church now have the same power when the same necessity shall require we have I 'm sure the same Christ the fame holy spirit the same faith the same Church why not the fame power in Councills We read again of another Council celebrated by the Apostles when they wer to part one from another Apostles Creed and to go preach the Gospel as the Lord had commanded them over the whole World when they met together and upon a large debate delivered to us the Creed which you your selves and I 'm sure the whole Church of Christ submits to as as points of faith and is to this day called the Apostles Creed and for some of those Articles we have no Scripture at all nor any other authority but this that they were so delivered by the Apostles and I conceive it a duty incumbent upon all good Christians what the wise Man adviseth Prov. 22.28 not to remove the antient Land-marks which our Fathers have set In what respect a Councill or Convocation of Elders was with God and ever taken for the representative body of the Church is plain in many places of Exodus Exod 19.3 7 8. especially that where God commands Moses to say to the House of Jacob and tell the Children of Israell c. And yet afterwards it is said of Moses that he came and call'd for the Flders onely of the people and laid before their faces all these Words which the Lord commanded him c. And though it is plain that the Elders of the people onely answered with whom Moses was talking Deut. 32.7 yet the Text tell us That all the people answered together and said c. Which could dot be â—nless onely so representatively by their convocation of Elders How well therefore does the same Moses express this in his fong when he saith Remember the days of old confider the years of many generations Ask thy Father and he will shew thee thy Elders and they will tell thee c. I should be infinite to run through all the
Heathen and a Publican Matth. 18. Now he that would tell the Church any thing in your sence must ramble all the World over to do it But it is plain that our Saviour by the Church there meant the Prelates and Presidents of it for presently after he speaks to his Apostles as to Prelates and give them the power of binding c. That you may the better understand this take along with you the whole context of that place of Denteronemy which I have before quoted to you and that you shell find to be this Deut. 17. If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment between blood and blood between Plea and Plea between stroak and stooak being matters of controversie within thy Gaces then shalt thou arise and get thee up into the place which the Lord thy God shalt chuse and thou shalt come unto the Priests and Leviteâ— 8 10 11 and unto the Judge that shall be in those days and enquire and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgement And thou shalt do according to the sentence which they of that place which the Lord shall chuse shall shew thee 12 13 14. and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee Accorto the Sentence of the Law which they shall teach thee according to the judgment which they shal tel thee thou shalt do thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee to the right hand nor to the left And the man that will do presumptuosly and will not heark in unto the Priest that standeth to Minister there before the Lord thy God or unto the Judge even that man shall dye and thou shalt put away the evill from Israel I pray you observe there the power and great authority of the old Legal Priests and consider then the just power that the Evangelicall ones ought to have and do not forget to observe the dismall punishment of presumption and disobedience Then I pray you be pleas'd to observe how the Primitive Christians did follow the orders that were given by Moses in Denteronemy for we find in the Acts that when a great dissention arose about the businesse of circumcision the Apostles and Elders came together for to consider the matter and upon the issue of the dissention and disputation they determined to send Paul and Barnabas up to Jerusalem unto the Apostles and Elders there about this question and they did so and it follows it so pleased the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church now what was the whole Church there not the whole Congregation of Christians but they went up to the Apostles and Elders about this question here it is plain that the Apostles and Elders were the representative body of the Church To the Ninth and last I utterly deny the whole Church to be such an invisible thing as you world have much less not to be understood for first if it were so hidden from the eyes and understanding of men why or how should our Saviour command us to tel the Church and if he hears not the Church Math. 18. Rom. 12. 1 Cor. 1.12 Ephes 1.5 Col. 1. c. Now if the Church were hidden how could any man tell it any thing and if it were not to be understood how could any men hear it Do we not find that the Church is the body of Christ and all Christians the members and this is plain in severall places of Scripture Now how can you say that body and those members are hidden and the Church to be only in clouds when St. Paul tells us plainly you are the body of Christ and members one of another c. Luke 11. It has been of Hereticks always to run into Dens and Caves and hiding holes the Church hâ—'s always put the Candle in the candlestick as the Gospel teacheth us The Church ha's been always visible to us in Councils in the Apostolicall Seat in Bishops Presidents and Pastor of severall Churches 2 Cor. 8.18 For if the Church were in the clouds and a meer Mathematical Phancasme as you would have it how could the Brother that St. Paul speaks of have his praise throughout all the Churches And the Prophet David repeats so often with thee is my praise and glory in the Congregation of thy people and in the Chair of the Elders Psalâ— 21. Psal 106. let thy name be praised and desires that he may see the good of his chosen that he may rejoyce in the gladnesse of his people and that he may glory with his inheritance c. Now I have been inform'd indeed that it ha's ever been the fashion of all old Hereticks to strengthen the Church with a narrow compass and draw it within the compasse of one of their convanticles I hope you will not be guilty of that fault and whereas you urge it for a matter of faith therefore not to be seen I ask you whether God the Creator be not to be seen in every thing that moves and has a being and yet the Creation is an Article of faith I ask whether Jesus Christ God the son was not seen in the flesh and to ascend visibly into heaven and yet matters of faith I ask again whether God the holy Ghost was not seen visibly to discend upon the Apostles and yet an Article of faith propoâ—'d by the same Apostles and so the same I say of the Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church Now because I have been so large in my answers I shall not need to be otherwise then short in my replies but something I shall urge to you out of Scripture according to my former method and that Scripture alone cannot be the Rule of our faith I prove thus I shal begin with the Articles of your faith and ours contein'd in the Apostles Creed and aâ—k you whether alll those are to be proved out of expresse Scripture As first that Article of Christs discent into Hell the Church ha's ever believed it â—ecles 24. as it is propos'd locally but how shall we prone it I say out of Scripture if out of Ecclesiasticus where it is said I will pierce into the lower moâ—â— parts of the Earth you will say it is Apocripha If out of St. Paul to the Ephesians Eph. s 4.9 10. where is it said now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth he that descended is the same also that ascended up farre above all things c. Some of your Doctors have found a shift for that too First they will say that he descended by his power not by his person Then they will tell you of his descen into the wombs of the Virgin c. Now as you are pleased to distinguish upon it what are we the better in that point for the Scripture Then in the Athanasian Creed how will you prove the one substance of the blessed Trinity if from
are something hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction Thus do you see what unhappy mistakes there were upon St. Pauls writings while St. Paul himself was yet alive how much more then must there needs be now upon those grounds that you receive them Niy St. Paul himself tells you that if his Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost Now it is plain it cannot be hidden to us who take the sense and interpretation of the whole Church you had best therefore look to your selves that you be not lost by hiding of it from your selves And if the blessed Fathers of the Church that were so conversant in Scripture yet understood it not in those times so near to the time of Christ himself as some of you say that they did not how can you presume upon your selves and some late Doctors that have dared to give you a contrary Doctrine to what they have delivered to us I have often meditared upon that place in St. Lukes Cospel where it is said of the good Samaritan that when he departed he took out two pence and gave them to the Host and said unto him take care of him and what ever thou spendest more when I come again I will repay thee Just so me thinks our Saviour hast left us two Testaments and whatsoever the Apostles Doctors and Fathers of the Church have added more and we shall humbly observe he when he comes again of his great goodness will repay us Now to summ up all it is plain by this that has been said that some Traditions of the Church must have equal authority with Scripture as the commands of a Prince have equal force and power upon Subjects whether by word of mouth delivered or by writing So the word of God written or delivered is still the word of God and of equal power And if you say that the Apostolical Tradition cannot be the word of God I ask you whether the other part of the Apostles that have left us nothing in writing were not as well inspired of the Holy Ghost as they that did you cannot sure deny it and they were too the greater part of the Twelve Now the Church of Christ still retains many things of their Doctrine thorgh we have none of their writing and sure we are to give as much credit to those that writ not as those that did I ask you again whether it be not a point of faith that the whole Scripture taken together of the Old and New Testament is the word of God and again whether all that Scripture especially in those things which concern Faith and Salvation be not most clear from corruption and again that we have the true genuine and legitimate sense of that Scripture is a point of faith too I believe you will not deny any one of these to be a point of your Faith I am sure they are all of mine so you must first acknowledge that I give as great an honour to Scripture as your self and then if we both admit those three positions as principles of Faith we must necessarily admit of Traditions for we have no Authority but that to justifie them and if we do not admit those for principles our Faith it self is wholly vain Then besides these three principles of Faith there are others also which we have only by Tradition as that the Symbol of our Faith is Canonical and Apostolical Then that Infants are to be baptized Then that those who are baptized by Hereticks are not to be re-baptized Then as is aforesaid that the blessed Mother of God alwayes remained a Virgin Then that in Baptism those words ought to be pronounced I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and that without them there can be no valid Baptisme Then that there is a certain and determinate number of Sacraments and what that number is All these things I say are not clearely to be found in Scripture but we must be beholding to the Authority of Tradition But last of all for Ecclesiastical Rites and Ceremonies it is manifest that we can have no other authority but Tradition and not Apostolicall for all those neither but some of them only from the Primitive Fathers that succeeded the Apostles in the Government of Christs Church and that sure it security enough for the practice and perswasion of any Christian for I have heard that a very ancient and most learned Father said that it was a piece of most insolent madnesse to dispute the doing of that which the Church of Christ throughout the whole world has always frequented and practised so 〈◊〉 you to it There were other wicked and idolatrous Kings as Abaz Manasses Amon and some others wicked though not idolaters but yet the use of the Divine Sacrifice and worship according to the Mosaical Law does appear still to have remained in the Temple of Solomon til the Babylonish captivity as is evident by several places of Scripture Then for the failing of the Synagogue in the time of Christ which you alledge it is not to be supposed that they failed from the true faith which was before profest but she with her ceremonies and Sacrifices was turned out of dores as was before typified in Abrahams bondwoman it does not therefore follow that the Church the true wife should be so too Then the Synagogue was therefore turned away because it was neither perfect nor sufficient to salvation Heb. 7.19 for so St. Paul tells us that the Law brought nothing to perfection and in that sense the ceremonies and Sacraments of the Synagogue are called by the same Apostle Gal. 4.9 weak and beggarly elements but now the Church of Christ is perfect and sufficient to salvation because it's Sacraments which are instituted by Christ carry with them a vertue of justification and taking away of sinnes the Sacrrments of the old Law only promised a Saviour but the Sacraments of the new give salvation Again the Synagogue contained only the shadow of future things as St. Paul speaks Heb. 10.1 Ioh. 1.9 but the Church contains the light it self which is Christ as St. Iohn assures us now the shadow must necessarily fly before the light the Synagogue therefore with the Mosaical Sacrifices ought to cease when the Church comes with Christ Last of all the Synagogue was instituted for servants the Church for sonnes now servants take wages of their masters for a time and so are dismist by their masters but sonnes succeed in the perpetual inheritance which the Apostles thus insinstates to the Galatians Gast out the bondwoman and her sonne Gal. 4.30 for the sonne of the bondwoman shall not be heire with the sonne of the free woman and so enough of difference I conceive is shewed between the Synagogue and the Church to shew you that the reason is not the same To
the second I deny that there shall be an universal falling away of the faithfull in the time of Antichrist but of some onely And in that methinks you contradict your self for you say that Antichrist is already come and yet you affirm that there are some faithfull lest Then it is a great dispute as I have understood amongst the learned whether the Apostle out of whom you take your proofe speaks there of a falling away from the faith for many of the most learned are of opinion that he only speaks of a falling away from the Romane Empire But that euriosity I shall not further meddle withall it being out of our road and above our pitch To the Third In truth methinks it is a very sad course of arguing that most of your Church are pleased to use that is if you can find any one Text that is never so obscure if it can be fashioned at all for your turn you will entirely insist upon it though there be hundreds of clear Texts to the contrary As for example This Text you urge out of Daniel is very dark That he shall cause the Sacrifice and oblation to cease I am sure these Texts are very clear That the gates of hell shall not prevail against it again I am alwayes with you to the end of the world and again I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not and again The Church is the pillar and foundation of truth These Texts I say are clear and need no Interpreter the other that you quote is so obscure that the greatest learning in the world may be at a stand to understand it For most understand that place of the failing of the Synagogue and the cessation of the Jewish Sacrifices not at all of the Christian Church And those that do interpret it of the Christian Church make it to be the cessation of publick worship only not of the Christian faith To the Fourth I grant that the Church is frequently compared to the Moon but never as to her failings but in these respects following First as the Moon in the beginning of the moneth is very litle and so by litle and litle encreaseth till she grow full andperfect so the Christian Church in the beginning of its rise took up but very litle room afterward encreased and spead it self by degrees that at last it should diffuse it self over the face of the whole world Secondly as the Moon receives corporeal light from the Sun so the Church receives its light of faith and holiness from the Sun of righteousness that is Christ Thirdly as the Moon is subject to changes so is the Church in this life for sometimes she flourisheth in the splendor of peace sometimes is oppressed with persecutions but never totally fayles it may be clouded for a while but never quite extinguished You see then in what the similitude between the Moon and the Church consists and no similitude as I am informed is obliged to run upon four feet The Church cannot at all be like the Moon in her failings but more resembles the earth as she is likewise called in Scripture for her firmness stability unmoveableness Then why should you bring that similitude to the prejudices of the Church when there are so many to the favour and honour of her throughout the sacred Scripture where you may find that she is as frequently called the Sun as the Moon an enclosed Garden a Fountain a Paradise a fair Dove the City of God the Land of the living the woman cloathed with the Sun the Queen in a vesture of gold c. and many more such honorable titles as those you cannot but your own reading find out in Scripture and those methinks all dutifull children should be more ready to give to their Mother then to throw dirt in her face or to asperse her with calumnies as for the honesty goodness of Wicklif Huss Luther and Calvin I will not meddle but only ask you who were the one or two honest and godly men that in the ages before them did ever so contradict the Church if you know not any such why do you so rashly affirm it if you do I should desire you to name them and let us know whereabouts they lived Howsoever by your argument you make the Church of Christ to be in a worse condition then the Synagogue of the Jews Gal. 4.11 when we know the Church is our Mistress and the Synagogue but a servant but the Synagogue was never so deserted that but two onely were to be found in it Nay in the time of Elias Rom. 9.4 when it was thought to be most forsaken yet there were found in it seven thousand how can you possibly think the Church of Christ should be ever left so desolate as but two honest and godly men should be found in it when we find it so clear said in the Prophesie of Isay Isay 54.1 that the Church should be of a far larger extent and more fruitfull in its children than ever the Synagogue was so I pass to your last and grand concluding argument which proves the Pope to be Antichrist and then I hope I shall make an end with you To your last argument and that which you presume will conclude me as you have layed it I look upon it to be the weakest and least signifycant that you have alledged yet for truly all those markes of Antichrist that you produce upon the Pope are meer trifles and tricks of some of your Doctors invention and truly would agree better in the application to themselves than to his holiness and how imposible it is that they should be applicable to him I 'le pass through every particular The first note that you give of Antichrist is that he must fall away from the faith now defending of purgatory invocation of saints and sacrifice of the Mass cannot be called falling from the faith because the most ancient fathers of the Church have allways been of that opinion Your Doctors therefore are most manifestly fallen from the faith that so expressly oppose those received Doctrines The second mark you give of the Beast is that he shall sit in the Temple of God and that you say the Pope does as the head of the Church at Rome Truly I doe humbly conceive the case to be very different between sitting in the Temple of God at Hierusalem and sitting in the Church of Christ at Rome Antichrist shall sit in the Temple of Hierusalem and be adored of the Jews the Pope sits in the Church of Christ at Rome which all you have most unhappyly forsaken The third marke you say is that he shall shew himself as God and that the Pope plainly does you say whilst he makes himself the visible head of Christs Church but sure that is not all one as to shew himself as God For Peter himself shewed himself as visible head as we have proved already but onely Antichrist shall shew himself as God The
Church I beseech you be pleased to make your own application Over and above all this I shall prove that the Church is not only incapable of errour because it is the Spouse of Christ his body and called the Kingdome of Heaven but because she is governed by the perpetual presence power and authority of the Holy Ghost who is never to forsake her Joh. 14. and first our Saviour promiseth that be will ask the Father and he shall send another comforter and so accordingly he did not long after in the same Gospell Holy Father Joh. 17.11 keep through thine own name those that thou hast given me c. and he explains himself in the same chaâ—ter that he prayes not for them onely meaning his Apostles but for them who were afterwards to believe in him through their preaching 1 Tim. 3.15 Does not S Paul tell his Disciple Timothy how he is to behave himself in the house of God which is the Church of God the pillar ground of truth how then can it possibly erre Then S. John tells us that our Saviour said that he had many things to say unto them but that they could not bear them then but when the spirit of truth should come he should teach them all truth Again the same S. John in his Epistle General tells us 1 John 2.20 that we have an unction from the holy one and that we know all things and that we shall be alwaies capable to distinguish a lye from truth it must be therefore the unction of the holy Ghost that alwaies teacheth the Church In fine Matth. 28.20 S. Matthew makes them the concluding words of his Gospel Go yet herefore teach all Nations c. teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and loe I am with you alwaies even to the end of the world Christ who is the way the truth and the life said this to his Disciples it is plain therefore that this Church which is the pillar and ground of truth that has him for its leader and the Holy Ghost for its teacher can never erre how probable is it then that it should be in an errour for above a thousand years together as you fondly imagine Then as the Church is but one so it is necessary that unity should be in the Church I prove out of the express words of S. 1 Cor. 1.10 Paul Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there he no divisions amongst you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement and then in another place in the same Epistle sayes 1 Cor. 14.33 that God is not the author of confusion but of peace as in all Churches of the Saints What then will you say for your selves that have nothing but confusions amongst you nay is it not more probable that God will rather inspire his own body that is the concord and unity of his Church than any private Doctors whatsoever that teach a dissent from it Nay how much this unity of his Church is desired by God himself is evident by what the same S. Paul writes to the Romanes Rom. 15.4 5 6. for whatsoever things are written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ c. Again the same Apostle in the same Epistle laies an injunction upon the Romanes Rom. 12.16 whose faith he acknowledged before was celebrated over the whole world that they should be of the same mind one towards another not to mind high things but condescend to men of low estate and not to he wise in their own conceits which all they are and must be that are out of the Church Observe I pray you the most pathetical exhortation of S. Paul to this purpose Phil. 2.1 2. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowells of mercy fulfill ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one wind Nay the breach of this peace unity and unanimity in Gods Church is most passionately if it be lawfull to say so Jerem. 2.12 13. bewailed by God himself as the Prophet Jeremy expresseth it nay proposeth it as a matter of amazement to Heaven it self be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord foy my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water I pray you seriously examine with your self whether you do lesse by leaving off the Church the true and living fountain and digging to your selves broken cisterns out of Wicklif Huss Luther Calvin c. In vain sure hath God sent his Son in vain the Holy Ghost and yet more in vain hath he sent Apostles Martyrs Confessors Doctors in all ages to perpetuate the truth of his Church to us when a few of such precious persons as those of yours would have served the turn Here are only two things now as I conceive left to be cleared the one is that the Prelates and principal Persons of Christs Church assembled together do make the representative body of the whole Church the other is that the Romane Catholick Church is that universal Church disperst over the whole world As to the first it is sufficiently clear by many such Scriptures as thse And he stood and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice c. And the King and all Israel with him offered Sacrifice before the Lord now that this must be onely meant of the body representative of Israel is plain to sense and particularly exprest in the beginning of the Chapter Then Solomon assembled the Elders of Israel and all the heads of the Tribes the chief of the Fathers of the Children of Israel unto King Solomon in Jerusalem 1 Kings 8.58.62.1 Thus it is plain that the heads of the Church assembled represent the body of the whole Church Then as to the clearing of the next point I must tell you a great mistake amongst you for you commonly speaking of the Church of Rome take it only for the particular Church which formerly was and still is there and so it is no more indeed than particular But if you take it for the collection of all the faithfull who being disperst over all the world did in old daies alwaies adhere and still do to the Bishop of Rome so it is called Catholick or Universal because diffused over the whole world and it is called
advice and assistance in the management of hir further discourses with my Lady The Doctor was at this time fallen into some indisposition of body notwitnstanding he took the pains to look hastily over them and then called his wife to him and told her after this manner Indeed sweet-heart you have done very ill to engage your self in any business of this nature without my knowledge and approbation for what you have said or done amiss in it wil be all imputed to me though utterly ignorant and innocent in the matter And I must tell you that you have ventured very boldly upon some main points in which the most learned Doctors in the world are yet to seek for satisfaction and again give me leave to tell you that you charge the Church of Rome with some things that the Church of England does not and so instead of healing up those breaches that are betwixt us which should be all our endeavours to do you have made the wounds wider and differences greater then indeed they are and that truly is no small fault amongst us all Then last of all I fear you have hazarded much of that good opinion that my Lady had of us by entring the list with her upon this occasion and that interest we had in her was not a little considerable being so excellent a neighbour and especiall a friend as she has always been to us so for my part I will have nothing to do in the business but as you begun you shall e'n make an end without me but if you must needs be scribling of controversie and dabling in divinity I 'le let you a task and you may offer it to my Lady if you please and you are both I perceive so good Scripturists as that I may entrust you with it it is a Paper that I received from Mr. R. the grand Patriarch of all the Anabaptist in these parts I will write a Letter to my Lady to beg her excuse of me for not waiting on her Ladyship at dinner Mr is N. not a little troubled to finde no better acceptation of her zealous and painful endeavours for my Ladies conversion yet being unwilling to move her husband further at that time took the Anabaptists paper from him so left him to his other studies and she betook her self to her houshold occasions The next morning early she made her self ready to wait on my Lady that she might have some private discourse with her Ladyship before dinner so calling for her husbands letter she took her walk and comming to my Ladies house she found her in her Kitchin giving orders about dinner and directing her servants how to employ themselves in the other affairs of her family My Lady begging pardon for her being surprized in that place and posture took Mrs. N. along with her to her chamber where after she had delivered her husbands letter they fell to read the Anabaptists paper which when they had done my Lady willingly undertook the task to joyn with her in the answer but what shall we doe with the Latine that is here said my Lady O for that Madam replyed Mrs. N. my husband will direct us and has promised us all his assistance in this though he does not approve our other disputes at all Nay further he sayes that when we have answered in our way he will answer it too in his Well then replied my Lady we will not trouble him till we have done for I have a Kinsman in my house that will be able to give us the English of his Latine and so they fell to work immediately and in two or three meetings more they made an end of the business in this manner as followeth That to build or to use Steeple-houses which you call Churches in the service of God is altogether unlawfull much more to beautifie or adorn them and to give priviledges lands or possessiens to them or to the persons of your Churchmen but that we are all Priests equally and that your Canonical hours and prayers in those Churches are utterly unlawfull too I prove by Scripture thus 1. FIrst we find that Stephen in the latter end of his Sermon and in the words foregoing his death expresly declares against the vanity of all Temples or Churches call them what you please Acts 7.48 49 50. and quotes the Prophet for it Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in Temples made with hands as saith the Prophet Heaven is my Throne and earth is my footstool what house will ye build me saith the Lord or what is the place of my rest hath not my hands made all these things c. From hence it is plain that God delights not in any of your Steeple-houses Again we find Paul as plainly declaiming against the Idolatry of all Steeple-houses assuring the Athenians Acts 17.24 25. that God that made the world and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of Heaven and earth dwelleth not in Temples made with hands neither is he worshipt with mens hands c. Thus you see how in the begining of Christianity there were not onely no steeple-houses but by Scripture expresly forbiden that there should be any 3. The Apostle Paul bids us again 1 Tim. 2. to pray always in all places holding up pure hands what need have we more of Churches and steeolehouses to pray in than in any other roomes 4 Nay finde we not our Saviour Jesus Christ himself prophesying the destruction of that Idoll of the Jews their Temple to say Matt 24.2 Verely Verely I say unto you there shall not be left heer one stone upon another that shall not be throwne down You may see then what pleasure he tooke in that place which was the gloriousest of the whole world what then will become of your pittifull Temples and steeple-houses 5 Our Saviour yet more plainly shews his distast of that kinde of worship when he tells the woman of Samaria in S. Johns Gospell John 4.21.23 Women believe me The hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Hierusalem worship the Father c. But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him Heer it is plain that he will not have his worship confined to places no not to his holy Temple 6 Then does not the Prophet Jeremy heat down the fond confidence that the Jews had in their Temple when he bids them not to trust in lying words saying Jer. 4.7 The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord it is plain he says that to call that the Temple of the Lord was to give lying words 7 Is not God in every place and can there be any one place shewed where he is properly present but he is always ready to hear sinners every where as is frequently sayd in Scripture what need have we then of your Churches or
that we are all the foot when we know that there is and must be a difference between the members themselves wherefore the unity of the body may consist with the difference of members Then as to that other Text out of the Romanes we do acknowledge that all Christians though meerly Lay-mem may offer spiritual oblations and so may be mistical Priests erecting in their hearts an Altar of their affections to God but it does not at follow from thence that therefore there are not nor ought to be external and Hierarchical Priests To the Eleventh We say that our Saviour in that Gospel you urge sinds not fault with praying but praying as the Hepocrites doe who with his words prayes to God not with his deeds which kind of praying shuts the gates of the Kingdome of Heaven against them Then as to a necessity which you say our prayers must impose upon God we do absolutely deny any such thing but yet we know that God is pleased to express himself as if he were necessitated by the importunity of faithfull prayers as he said to Moses let me alone that my fury may wax hot as if he were hindred from his purpose by Moses his prayers he requests him to let him aloue And as to your inference that if prayrs be prevalent with God than good works an necessary we do absolutely deny it for we are to do the one and not toleave the other undone for by fasting and alms giving c. Prayers are carried up to Heaven as with Angels wings To the twelfth To what you urge out of S. Mathew and the Prophet Malachy we acknowled that God foreknowes our wants before we aske him but yet we confess his power in praying to him and beseech him as he is all powerfull to help us we ask therfore onely that which God has ordered us to ask for and has promised to give to our prayers and God will be askt before he gives least we should do that which most in the world do vilify his profered graces Neither is God to be thought to be changed by our prayers that is in his essence but the effects of things are many times changed by holy prayers as that before by Moses You mistake therefore if you think that our prayers are ordained to change the divine disposition but that we may obtein by our prayers what his divine goodness had disposed for us before the world was To the thirteenth and last We say that our Saviour forbids not much speaking in prayers simply but as the heathen doe vain repetitions and babling in prayers is forbiden not prolixity to continue long in prayer it is the superfluity of words that is offensive to God therefore the old Fathers prayers were very short Luke 22.1 Sam. 1. but frequent Christ himself prayed long and Amn prayed long and multiplied prayers Luke 2.6 Nay our Saviour was a whole night in prayer as the Scriptures testify Then that Canonicall hours are not commanded in holy writ I grant but they are sufficiently insinuated and the Church has allways learnt them from its holy Masters the Apostles and we ought to obey those that are set over us in the Lord Then last of all Heb. 11. what can be more edifying to Christians than those collects of holy prayers and homilies made by the holy Fathers of the Church the legands of the Saints and agonies of those invincible martyrs who have seald our Chrsstion faith with their blood if they be well and faythfully writen So now give us leave to reply a little upon you That it is lawfull to build use and adorn Churches and to give lands and possessions to them and to the persons that Officiate in them and that we are not all equally Priests and that our Canonicall hours and prayersure lawfull we prove by Scripture thus First we finde in Exodus that Jacob sayd surely the Lord was in this place Exod. 28 16 17. and I knew it not and again how dreadfull is this place this is no other but the houset of God and the gate of heaven Agayn in Deuteronomy we finde thus Deut. 46.2 Thou shalt therefore Sacrifice the passover unto the Lord thy God of thy flock and of thy heards in the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse to place his name there Therefore God appoints some places for his worship and delights in them more then in others We finde in the Chronicles that it was not permitted to David because he was a man of blood 1 Chron. 17. and had made many wars to build a house to the name of God Heer it is to be observed that the Lord had a great care of the Reverence due to his house when he would not suffer it to be built by a warriour or a man of blood ibid but by a king of peace as Solomon was Then in the same chapter and els where God expresseth himself to have walkt about in Tents 2 Kin. 7. and Tabernacle from place to place observe he that was every where says he was in the Tabernacle 1 Kings 6 7 8. c. How often does the Almighty call Solomons Temple his house to dwell in what infinite care and vast expence was in the building and not so much as the noise of a hammer to be heard about it all the while it was building and you will pull down Temples with noise of Drumes and Trumpets 1. Chron. 17. Then that God is more propitiated and hears our prayers sooner in a place hollowed to his name than in an other place is as plain for it is sayd That King David came and stood before the Lord that is the Arke by which it is plain that God is more present in one place than in another Daniel when he could not pray in the Temple Dan. 6. being a captive in Babylon yet prayed thrice a day with his face towards the Temple in Jerusalem Then the Prophet Isay tells us that God sayes Isay 36. my house shall be called by all people the house of prayer which our Saviour himself repeats confirms and adds upon the Jews but ye have made it a denne of Thieves Mat. 21. so many of your faction have made our Churches lately worse than dennes of Thieves It is said in the Acts Acts 3. how Peter and John went up into the Temple to pray at the ninth hour of prayer observe how the Apostles would pray in the old Temple when there was no Christian Church built 1 Cor. 11. St. Paul rebukes the Corinthians for prophaning of their Churches with eating and drinking and may not we say to you as the Apostles does to them despise you not the Church of God ibid. does not the same St. Paul require that women should hold their peaces in the Church out of reverence 1 Cor. 14.25 and that an unlearned man coming into the Church should falldown upon his face should worship
God c. Now that the building of Churches is acceptable to God is evident because it was practised in the Apostles time Luke 7. and the Jews knew that it was acceptable to our Saviour when they told him of the Centurion that he loved their Nation and built them a Synagogue Exod. 23.26.29.30.31.35 c. Then how acceptable to God the adorning of Churches must be I pray you look upon the sumptuous offerings that were made by the people in the old law towards the building of their Tabernacle and the making of costly ornaments for their Priests and so for their Temple afterwards and I presume you will be satisfyed Nay not withstanding the Temple was so richly provided for by Solomon Num 27.28 29. Nehe 10.32 and in every thing most abounding yet Nehemiah tells us that the Jews made ordinances to oblige and charge themselves yeerly with the third part of a sheckel for the service of the house of their God besides their free-will offerings which were unvalvable And our Saviour discommends not the rich Temple then in his days Luke 21. for takeing the poor widdows mite Jos. 21. towards its encreas and ornament As for the possessions of the Priests there was as great a care taken by God Num. 25 as first we finde that Joshuah divided citys amongst the Priests and levites as the Lord commanded by Moses And again we finde that the Prists and Levits had the tithes The first borne the first fruites Lev. 27. and great parts of the offerings and sacrifices for their attendance on the Tabernacle Num. 18. where they served day ly and all this was by the express precept and ordinance of God 2 Kings 12.4 5. Then in the Kings we finde that Joash sayd to the Priests all the mony of the didicated things that is brought into the house of the Lord even the mony of every one that passeth the account is the mony that every one set at all the mony that cometh into any mans heart to bring into the house of the Lord let the Priests take to them c 2 Chron. 31.4 5.6 7 8 9 c. So Hezekiah commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give proportionably to the Priests and Levites that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord and we find in the Text that they of Judah and Jerusalem did bring in so abundantly that new chambers and granaries were erected to receive their offerings Luke 8.2.3 Jesus Christ himself we know carried always a treasurer or purse-bearer with him that was Judas who was to receive and dispose of what was sent to him And we finde that divers did minister unto him of their substance as Joan the wife of Chusa Herods Steward and divers others S. Paul is so express in this point that I wonder you or any man can doubt not onely that it is a good devotion but a necessary duty to contribute towards their Priests For he saith Who goeth to warfare any time at his own charges 1 Cor 9.7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof Or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milke of the flock say I these things as a man or saith not the Law the same also For it is writen in the law of Moses thou shalt not muzlle the mouth of the Ox that treadeth our the corne doth God take care for Oxen Or saith be altogether for our sakes for our sakes no doubt this is written that he that ploweth should plough in hope and he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope If we have sowen unto you spirituall things is it a great thing if we shall reape your carnall things Do you not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they which waite at the alter are partakers with the alter Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospell 1 Tim 2. should live of the Gospell c. Then the same Apostletells Timothy that a Bishop must be blamless the husband of one wife vigialent sober of good behaviour given to hospitallity apt to teach c. Now I would fain know how a Bishop can be hospitable Acts. 4 24.25 if he have not wherewithall Then in the Acts we finde how so many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the prices of the things that were sould and layd them down at the Apostles feet c. By what is it most plain that in the primitive Church there were collections for the sustertation of the clergy in a plentyfull manner which fayling then benefices succeded in their roomes And to conclude all that we mean to say in this point Luke 10. our Saviour tells you that the labourer is worthy of his hyre Mat. 27.25 26. As to immunities due to their persons we shall adde onely one word or two our Saviour askes Peter of whom do the Kings of the earth take tribute of their own Children or of strangers Peter sayth unto him of straingers Psal 104 Jesus sayth unto him then are the Children free The Psalmist in the person of God comands thus not to touch his anointed nor do his Prophets any harm And again the same Kinge David says in another place Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords anointed and be guiltless 1 Sam. 26.1 This was spoken truly of the unction of a King but the same must follow upon the unction of a Priest Mat. 19. Mar. 9. Mat. 21. Now that we are not all Priests equally is sufficiently proved in our paper concerning the Sacrament of holy orders so shall not he make repetition Then for our Canonicall hours and prayers we are justified by Scriptures Luke 11. Matt. 6. Mat. 14. Mark 6. Luk 5.16 Luke 9. Luke 22. Mat. 26. Mar. 14. Mat. 24. Mar. 13. Matt. 5. Luke 18. Mat. 26. innumerable First the Disciples sayd to Christ Lord teach us to pray and he sayd when ye pray say our Father c. and then sending away the multitude he went into a mountain alone for to pray again he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed again he went into a mountain to pray and he was all night in prayer to God again he went up into a mountain to pray and whilst he prayed his countenance was changed Then again kneeling down he prayed saying Father if it be thy will let this cup pass from me and being in his agony he prayed long So much for our Saviours practise as for his precept observe first Pray that your flight be not in the winter nor on the sabbath day again watch and pray for ye know not when the time will come again pray for those that persecute you c. again pray always and faint not again pray that ye enter not into temptation then this
and the character imprest upon the souls of Christians by Baptisme we answer thus To the first It is plain that in both those gospels both of St. Mathewe and St. Markt our Saviuor onely speaks of those that are grown and for that you urge that to believe and be baptised is 〈◊〉 enough for our Saviour requires that the person before baptisme should be taught made to keep the commandments of God we answer again that Children are taught and believe and keep the commandments of God by others that is their God Fathers and God Mothers as they did contract the sin by others which in baptisme is forgiven in the same manner the Church lends her motherly mouth to promise for the teaching and nursing of these little ones which cannot confess with their own mouths the Lord Jesus nor can beleive in their own hearts to Salvation as the Apostle expresseth it And if they may be called faithful because they profess the faith by the mouths of those that hold them and answer for them why may they not also be reputed penitents when by their mouths likewise that hold them they do renounce the world and the Devill Now the reason of all this is plain to sense for the Spiritual regeneration holds great proportion with the carnall generation especially in this for as children in their mothers wombs Rom. 10.9 do not take nourishment themselves by themselves but are sustained by the nourishment of their mothers So children not having yet the use of reason being as it where in the womb of the Church do not by themselves but by the Churches action receive Salvation and so the faith of others that is of the Church their Parents and God Fathers offering them up to Baptisme is sufficient for their Salvation as the faith of those which offered the man sick of the palsy to our Saviours cure was the means of his recovery Matt. 8. Matt. 9. Mat. 15. and the forgiveness of his sins for our Saviour seeing their faith said Son thy sins are forgiven thee So the faith of the Centurion obtained health for his son and the faith of the Caananitish woman obtained for her daughter the dispossession of the Devill To the second We say that what you urge of Philip and Cornelius makes nothing to our purpose for they were grown men so ought to be taught and have the Gospel preacht to them To the Third To your grand argument out of reason we answer return it thus upon you Reprobates are not to be baptised but many grown men are reprobates therefore all grown men are not to be baptised It is altogether So as strong against you as against us To the fourth To what you so learnedly urge out of antiquity that the ancient primitive Christians did administer baptisme but thrice a year therefore children so soon as they were born were not to be baptised We will grant you more than that for it was administred but twise a year and that was in the time of Easter and Whit-suntide but that was the solemn baptisme for those that were grown taught by a long course of Catechising in that the primitive Church did rightly observe the order that was prescribed by our Saviour Jesus Christ which was this first to instruct them that were to be baptised in the faith Secondly to teach them to keep the commandement of God 3ly To baptise them but this order we say was only to be observed with those that were grown and capable of such instruction and in this we conceive by all your main mistakes To the Fifth That there is not a word in Scripture concerning the baptisme of infants we utterly do deny and shall anon prove to the contrary as also that it was the invention of Pope Nicholas is altogether as false but as bad antiquaries as we are we will prove it to have been a constant practice in the Church in S. Ieroms S. Augustins and S. Cyprians time that were before Pope Nicholas four hundred and Six hundred years To the Sixth We answer as for the character imprinted on the soul by baptisme that gives you so much offence it is no feigned thing by the Fathers as you pretend but those men of God have always so understood it by the instruction of the Holy Ghost and out of the letter of Scripture as we shall shew you anon more largely To the Seventh We say that by your favour it is no such ridiculous thing that water by the assistance of divine grace should make such a character or impression on the soul It is not we say water but God that makes such an impression by the means of baptismall water his divine omnipotency assisting that Sacrament and in this point Christians have a priviledge over the Jews for we have the mark and impression of the spirit on our souls but they had it only in the flesh of their bodies so give us leave to reply again and we shall conclude That the Baptisme of Infants is lawfull and by it there is a character imprest upon Christian souls we prove by Scripture thus First we find expresly in Genesis that Children are capable of the Covenant of Grace for the Lord saies there This is my Covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee every man-child amongst you shall he circumcised Gen. 17.10.14 c. And then afterwards it is said and the uncircumcised manchild whose flesh of his fore-skin is not circumcised that soul shall be cut off from his people he has broken my Covenant c. If Children are capable of breaking the Covenant then they are also of keeping it and Baptisme is the same in the Church that Circumcision was in the Synagogue for as by Circumcision the Jewish Infants were included in the divine Covenant so Christian Infants sure are not to be excluded from the Covenant of Grace wherefore Infants are to be baptised and those that are not so are in danger of damnation All this is plainly made good by our blessed Saviour in the Gospells where we find that they brought young Children to him that he should touch them but his Disciples rebuked them that brought them but when Jesus saw it he was much displeased and said to them Mar. 10.13 14.16 Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdome of God and he took them in his armes put his hands upon them and blessed them c. How can your Sect therefore justify to hinder little Children to come unto Christ Our Saviour again in St. Matthews Gospell commands his Apostles to baptise all Nations Mat. 28.19 you must therefore grant Children to be included as a part of those Nations St. 1 Cor. 11.1 2. Paul plainly requires the Corinthians not to be ignorant of this and tells them how that all our Fathers were under the Cloud and all passed thorough the Sea and were all baptised
that the sum of all the controversies that our English Schools have been wrangling and the Pulpits railing about this hundred years is here perfectly represented on both sides nor is it to be wondred at that women should arive to such a perfection in divinity in this age wherein all learning is almost become prostitute when above a thousand years ago we finde one of the curiousest peices of divinity written by Athenais who seemed to be that which the Poets feigned of Pallas she was bred in Paganisme better acquainted with the Theogony of Hesiod than the genealogy of Jesus Christ better skil'd in Homers Illiads then the books of the Gospel and better in the Apothegmes of Pythagoras then the commandments af God but she became afterwards so skilful in the Christian Law that she wrote in Homerick verses the principal Acts of Jesus Christ and even as the blessed Magdalen with the same hair wherewith she had weaved nets for wanton love did afterwards turn into a Towel to wipe the feet of our Saviour so she consecrated all the Graces of her wit and learning which she had before misimployed in vanities to the Trophy of Jesus Then as to the devotion of that sex I conceive it less questionable when women are right set none can go beyond them for that The Church hath always given to them the title of the devout sex Their blessing is in the dew of Heaven they resemble Bees which are born in hony or rather those birds of the fortunate Islands that breath no air but perfumes and are onely nourisht with incense they grow wholly Angelical insomuch as forgetting their sex and all their natural imperfections they furnish themselves with the most perfect Ideas of divinity and scarce retain any thing in them common with matter We find likewise that great priviledges and prerogatives are given to them by our Saviour for as the chast womb of a woman served him for a lodging at his first entrance into the world so when he was to issue out of it amongst so many horrors and terrible images of death when stones were rent in sunder for grief under his feet and heaven it self distended with sorrow over his head women also were found near to the Cross as witnesses of his last words and survivers of his bloud nay they were the first likewise that he would do the honour to appear to after his resurrection Now I must confess that the prejudicators of this piece and all the devotion and divinity of that sex carry with them a great deal of reason too for there is a sort of fisking Gossips who imagine devotion to he nothing but an ordinary practise of motions and gestures such as little puppets would make if annimated with a quantity of Quicksilver whilest the true virtues of devotion we know according to S. Thomas is nothing else but a prompt will to the service of God others there are of them whose devotion is altogether silken and very fine forsooth in all things so coy and curious they will be in the choice of persons that Sacraments themselves are good for nothing if they he not tyed to such and such hands where vanity seeks its interests nay forsooth their dovotion is such that they will plant their prettie petite pride upon the very hair cloth of Penance and if God would chastise such creatures to their liking he must be forced to tye up his rods with silk or else they will never receive correction from his hands Though they rise not till noon yet as if they feared the vapours of the serain they must be armed before they come out of their beds with restoratives from the Kitchin to keep their colours more fresh Then they will set themselves down to be cloathed with their Lookingglasses before them as if their fingers were too good to touch their own clothes and yet will be drest up like Idols and so adored too by their servants who are to stand about them admiring of their beauty which they have more ado too to preserve then the Vestals of Rome had to maintain the sacred fire one presents their Ladyships with white another with red this with some Serous that with some Fucus another attends the Looking-glass to hold it or remove it at their Ladyships pleasure whilest another stands behind to he the tell-clock but dares not tell their Ladyships that the hour of the Curch is ready to be past whilst their Ladyships are fastening on their Pennons Necklaces or Bracelets yet must the Canons of the Church be as easily broken as a glass to obey the humors of these women and the celebration begin when it is to be doubted whether the Sun begin not then to bend towards its setting prayers in the Church must be past over with making of some sowre faces and looking scornfully with a good grace with some slight ceremonies of devotion it may be which go no further neither then the outward parts There it is where resolutions are made of entertainments of time to be chosen for the next day then follow visits gaddings coachings dancings c. besides what passeth behind the Curtain their husbands in the mean time are very uncivil as they say if they give them not permission to do any thing and as it is said of the Moon that she never agrees in qualities with the Sun but when she hath ecclipsed him so they find no concord in marriage but in the diminution of their husbands authority These are the Lady-birds that will make their husbands sell a large patrimony to buy them a little Cabinet lay out thousands of pounds upon a rope of Pearl to wear about those necks that do better deserve a halter nay their very ears which they take a pride to shew little and slender yet they must have whole Lordships hanging upon them A man would say to see how they pamper their bodies that they were discended from heaven and that thither they intended to return without passing through the sepulchre so they deifie their flesh and to fatten and gild a dunghill covered with snow they sport with the blood and sweat of men what a sight it is to see these Ladies groan as at a torture under the weight and straightness of their garments and yet for all this will court and adore their own punishments He that will take the pains to examine well the furniture of them will think that they resemble those birds that have no body almost under a great deal of feathers then their apparrel is made rather to sell their bodies then to cover them I know not for my part what may be reserved for the eyes of their husbands when through all the streets and markets the secret parts of their wives bodies are exposed as open as if they were ready to be delivered over to the best bidders Then the cloaths they wear are so extravagant in their head dressings flying elbows great gorgets and farthinggals that the Church dores
must be made wider to receive them These are the devotes of this age that spend a fourth part of their life in dressing and besmearing themselves to make themselves gross in one part and little in a nother to raise terrets on their heads and shackles on their hands and heels to be as solicitous about adress as if they had a Venetian Common-wealth to manage Then they are so imperious and proud withall that they must be no more offended than those Stars which are thought to send tempests upon such as have not humbly saluted them So many hundred Communions and exhortations have not taken off one hair of their vanities they will eat the immortal Lamb once or twice a week it may be and yet daily upon all occasions they will become Lionesses in their houses They will lay the holy Eucharist on their tongues as the seat of the spouse and yet will not bridle or restrain them from one evil word and will speak more slanders in one dinner time then they eat morsels This was the reason sure that Solomon so divinely assures us Prov. 19. domus divitiae dantur a parentibus a domino autem uxor prudens houses and riches come from Parents but a wise and virtuous wife from the hand of God and such doubtless as Solomon speaks of were our divine Duelists here as for the Doctors wife here she was not after the rate of other Parsons wives who must always be the best women in the parish and take place of their Landlords and Patrons wives if they be not Ladies forsooth and wear better cloths two then they no her husband was not of the common rate of Churchmen neither who take a pleasure to employ the patrimony of Jesus the sweat and blood of the faithful in good cheer excess and play and suffer their Churches to fall to decay the Altars to become naked the windows shivered to pieces the walls to weep and Spiders there to spin their webs Rats to run up and down and the poor of their parish famish whilest I know not what little wives or wenches drag silk at their heels at the charge of the Crucifix Nor was our Roman Catholick Lady here of a much different make being a true widdow indeed and wholly taken up with hospitalities and charities notwithstanding she was always under a most severe persecution here for her conscience Vinegar is said to be used for precious stones which have their fire frozen over and their luster ecclipsed so she was to have a little touch of acerbity to enlighten her virtues she was indeed like a Pearl that comes from the salt sea and beheld her self involved almost from her birth in great perplexities and horrible confusions of the age from whence she alwaies arose with so much luster as she made still her adversities to be steps to the Temple of glory Sports and feasts were punishments to her she was seldome found in the company of men unless it were some beggers whose miseries she relieved and persons assisted in sickness and in health Her whole heart went towards God her feet to the divine service her hands to alms her eyes to reading books of devotion her arms to the exercise of huswifry and works of her sex and her whole body to the sacrifices and victims of her soul Thus because I was obliged not to publish our Duelists names I have been bold to give you an imperfect character of some of their qualities which I hope will discharge you of a prejudice against their following discourses and obtain at least a pardon from them if not acceptance from you which I should most humbly beg likewise that your candour would please to bestow upon the Publisher Your most humble Servant THO. TOLL THE FEMALE DUEL Or the Ladies LOOKINGLASS Representing a Scripture combate about business of Religion THe occasion of this feminine encounter is related thus Mirs N. wife to a Dr. of Divinity and a dignified person in the Church of England a woman highly honored by all her neighbours for her Religion virtue and discretion came one day to visit my Lady M. of the same Parish though of another perswasion yet equally esteem'd for her great piety and prudence a Person wholly made up of charity and good neightbourhood and was truly that widdow indeed which S. Paul would have Now after the common complements of such visits were past between the Doctors wife was pleased to assault her Ladyship with these or the like words Mrs. N. Madame it would prove I fear but a pitiful piece of flattery I me sure impertinency to tell your Ladyship how much you are beloved and honour'd by all your neighbours for those great charities and hospitalities that your goodness is pleased here daily to dispence amongst us for your Ladyship cannot but know it your self But one thing now I must be bold to tell your Ladyship which it may be you yet know not and I presume your excellent good nature will not be offended at it for I am sure it proceeds from a true zeal to your Ladyships service Lady M. Truly Mirs N. you needed not have troubled your self with so much apology to usher in your discourse you know that I love nothing like a friendly neighbourly freedome and faults as I know I have enough so I desire to hear and to amend Mrs. N. Nay Madame it is no fault that by your Ladyships favour I am about to tell you but a meer misfortune onely and so it is humbly conceived by all those that as I said before do so cordially love and honour your Ladyship and might be with as much ease and happyness to your self remedied as we all do apprehend L. M. Deer Mrs. N. I prethee make hast to take me off the thorns of my longing expectation to know the issue of your desires and I 'le promise you faithfully my best endeavours to the very utmost of my power to render you and all the world besides what satisfaction is desired in that particular Mrs. N. O madame that you would so say and hold I should then be the happiest woman in the world Lady M. Why Mrs N. I hope you never yet found me worse then my word I pray you therefore be cleer with me and you shall be sure of an equal return Mrs. N. Why then dear Madame give me leave to say that I am but the voyce of many thousands more who have so perfect a love and honor for your Ladyship that they would think their lives too little to serve you and are doubly troubled first for your Ladiships sake whom they take to be the pattern of all noble goodness and so perfectly amiable in your self that you should yet remain in such an odious and idolatrous Religion then for themselves that they cannot have the happiness to enjoy your Ladiships company and family in our Churches as well as in our Markets and that our souls do not meet in a spiritual as well as
and yet that use was not universal neither as it appears in the second chapter of the Acts where it is said that the people continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine Acts. 2 4â—.46 and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers and verse 46. And they continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread there is no mention made at all of the Cup. But howsoever the use was then and there we are sure in the Western Church the Cup was never permitted to the Laity and that for many reasons First considering the multitude of Communicants some old some young some weak and some strong there would be great danger of spilling that most precious liquour 2. It would be very difficult to finde a commodious Vessel to contain a quantity equal to such a multitude from whence it might be taken without danger of effusion 3. The Sacrament under the species of Wine could not easily be conserv'd for the use of the sick because it would be apt to grow sower and corrupt to the moving of a nauceousness and a vomit in the Receiver 4. Without great danger of effusion it could not be easily carry'd from place to place as it should be to the sick 5. It would happen sometimes that some high irreverencies would be offer'd to that most celestial and worthy Sacrament 6. We have it related and attested from some most holy learned persons that some Religious men though Lay Brothers were importunate to receive in both kindes whilst the Priest was in the action of the Sacrament the Patin or Plate where the sacred Host lay appeared full of blood to the astonishment and satisfaction of all the beholders and the Petitioners gave off the importunity of their former request Over above all this we are to beleeve that it was a most ancient custom in the Primitive Church that the Laity should communicate but under one species Nay that it came from the very Tradition of the Apostles because the beginning of it could never yet bee shew'd nor can by any man Besides we know that there were some amongst the Jews that never did nor could drink Wine and in some Christian Countries there is a great difficulty and at some times almost an impossibility to get any Wine Now as for your inference that if the Church could take away one species it might as well take away both I utterly deny for the whole Christ being no lesse under one species than under both and as much fruit of comfort and spiritual nutriment to be had from one as well as the other the Church neither does nor can deprive any Christian of the Benefit of the whole Sacrament To the fourth and last I grant again that the Priest who is to consecrate does and ought to consecrate both species because he is to perform the representation of our Lords passion therefore the body and blood together are consecrated under both their proper species and the Priest in the person of the whole people present offereth and taketh it under both species and the whole people in the person of the Priest do or ought to beleeve that they receive and drink the very blood of Christ by a spirituall kind of taking which is very sufficient for them so there can be in them no guilt of omission at all Now here again give me leave to return to you some Texts that you may bee pleas'd to consider of and I hope you will receive the same satisfaction that I have done in the full right and reason of the point that it is sufficient for the people to receive the Sacrament under one kind only First be pleas'd to examine throughly the sixth Chapter of Saint Iohns Gospel where our Saviour so often calls himself the bread of life Joh. 6 3â— 33 34. My father giveth you the true bread from heaven For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world Then again Iesus said unto them I am the bread of life 48. And again I am the bread of life Again 50. this is that bread which came down froâ— heaven that any man may eat thereof and not dye And again I am the living bread which came down from heaven if any man eate of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Here our Saviour is pleâ—s'd to mention nothing but Bread Secondly St. Luke assures us Luk. 24.30 that our Saviour gave the Sacrament himself but in one kinde to the two Disciples going to 〈◊〉 And it come to passe as he sate at meat with them he tâ—â—k bread and blessed it and brake and gave to them and inmediately their eyes were opened c. And this was the onely time that our Saviour gave the Sacrament to the Lairy Our Saviour therefore taught us in St. Mat. 6.11 Matthew to pray daily for our substantial Bread no mention at all of Drink Then we find in the Acts of the Apostles immediately after the Ascention of Christ that the people continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread Act. 2.42.46 and in prayers And again They continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking of bread c. Now for a further confirmation of all this St. Paul makes this inference 1 Cor. 5.7 8. For even Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us therefore let us keep the feast neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth And in the tenth Chapter explains it thus For we being many meaning Priests and people are one Bread and one body 1 Cor. 10.17 for we are all partakers of that one Bread All these Texts as I am inform'd the Holy Fathers of the Primitive Church understood as the Church does now and being at the point of death themselves would never communicate but in one species To the Proofes that you are pleased to produce against the Sacrifice of the Masse I answer thus To the first Those Texts of the Apostle which you urge are clear to another sence than what you propose For you are to understand a twofold offering of Christ yet both reall and true for in both Christ is truly offered and sacrificed The first way of offering is that with which he once offered his living body and blood to God the Father upon the Altar of the Cross for the sinnes of the whole world and salvation of mankinde and of that great offering the Apostle onely speaks there shewing the excellency of that sacrifice above the sacrifices of the Law Of which sacrifice speaking likewise to the Ephesians Ephes 5.2 he saith he hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savâ—n Now this grand oblation is represented by our holy Mother the Church
back is fit for the Kingdome of God And again Remember Lots Wife Luk. 9.17 Gen. 19. Matth. 10. chap. 24. 2 Thes 2.7 Prov. 20.25 Matth. 22.31 who looking back was turn'd into a pillar of Salt Again he that perseveres to the end shall be saved that is till death The wise King Solomon assures us it is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy and after vows to make inquiry Our Translation reads it thus It is a ruine to man to devoure the Saints and after vows made to retract them Let all pious Votaries therefore according to our Saviours Words in St. Matthews Gospel Renden unto God the things which are Gods that is their Vows that through his mercy they may deserve to be saved To the second I freely grant that Vows of themselves and all the externall works of piety dictated from the severest Rules of Monastick life cannot renew the inward man yet doubtlesse they are very helpfull to the spirit and keep the body from too much oppressing the soul nay I 'le grant too that if those externall works as you call them be done that they make seen of men they are Hypocriticall if done clearly to the glory of God you must sure grant them at least to be laudable Besider the Apostle says not that bodily exercise profiteth nothing but grants that it profiteth a little if it be imployed to piety To the Third Whereas you say that externall works are enemies to Christianity and do extinguish faith and weaken hope c. They are so far from that that they are the very life and nourishment of faith for St. James tells us that faith without works is dead Jam. 2. and it must strengthen his hope for by works both his faith and he must be justified as was sufficiently proved to you in my last Paper Luk. 17. But indeed if he dare to presume in his works then he is not only guilty but condemned already For when we have done all that we can we must say that we are but profitable Servants To the Fourth Whereas you say it is grand presumption in our Votaries to oblige themselves beyond the Rule of Baptisme and the Evangelicall Rule c. It is plain that they make their Vows to no other intent or purpose then to dispose themselves to perfect the Evangelicall precepts and what they promis'd in Baptisme with more commodiousnesse and greater facility they undertake their Rules only to promote in their way to perfection and to enable themselves with more expedients in the service of God To what you alledge against our vows of chastity and restraining of Priests from Marriage I answer thus To the first I grant that it was indulg'd to the Priests and Levites in the Old Law to have Wives because they had a long time of vacancy from the exercise of their Ministry or Priesthood For there was a great multitude of them and they served by course The case is not the same now for our Priests are in dayly service of the Altar and commanded to be always ready and without delay to attend their Ministry so it would be very inconvenient for them to be clog'd with Wives besides the indecency of it Again they were to be only of one Tribe the Tribe of Levi that were to bee taken into their Priesthood it was therefore necessary for the conservation of the Tribe and propagation of the Priesthood it self which otherwise in one age would have fayled that their Priests should marry Besides we find that those that were to sacrifice in the Old Law did abstain somtime from their Wives likewise so that St. Luke testifies of Zacharias And then it came to pass that so soon as the days of his Ministration were accomplished Luke 1.23.24 he departed to his own house and after those days his Wife Elizabeth conceiv'd c. Over and above all this the Priests of the Old Testament did handle but their proposition bread with the flesh of Goats Oxen Lambs and the like but ours do dayly handle the precious body and blood of Christ As to the other part of your Argument that the Greeks and other Christians have a liberty for their Priests to marry I say you are mistaken for no Priest amongst them is permitted to marry after he is a Priest but one that has taken a Virgin to Wife may be afterwards made a Priest and if his Wife dye he must remain single So a married man may be made a Priest but no Priest can be made a married man To the Second That command of the Almighty which you insist upon to increase and multiply was given when the earth was to be replenish'd heaven too for then then there were but few to procreate now they are innumerable Therefore that command is not to be taken amongst those permanent Laws which were to oblige all Mankind and every particular person for then St. John the Baptist had been a sinner who liv'd and dy'd a Virgin Our blessed Lady had sinned who is the grand Example of Virginity Paul himself had sinned who was the great Counsellour of Virginity and out Saviour Christ had never commended Eunuchs for the Kingdome of Heaven In like manner that precept and repeated by our Saviour Whom God hath joyned let no man separate concerns not sure every one in the World though it be given to every one multitude of the World So the command concerning Tillage and Husbandry does not make it necessary that all the World should bee Husbandmen though some must bee Neither is it necessary for every individuall of mankind to imploy himself in procreation though it is necessary that some must make it their businesse to propagate And so it is in an infinity of other things that are necessary for a whole community and yet not at all for every single person but it sufficeth that it be done by some To the third I deny perfectly that the Church forbids marriages at all but when any man is ty'd by his own voluntary Vow to the contrary the Church prohibits the violation of that Vow for before his vow it was as free for him to marry as for a married man it is impossible to contract again The Church takes a care in this point onely that hee whosoever hee is that vowes shall not deliver up the power of his body to another which was before delivered up to Christ And the Hereticks which you speak of Mark 15. 1 Cor. 10. which Saint Paul mentions were those that succeeded presently after as I am inform'd that did absolutely condemn Matriages for unlawfull To the Fourth That Saint Paul commands Titus to choose a Bishop that was the Husband of one Wife we do not deny but sure you do not believe that hee commanded that a Bishop should of necessity be a married man for then neither he himself nor Titus neither had been Bishops nor many of your own whom you would take it ill if we