meanes of attaining this faith by which they may save their soules is the preaching and hearing of the Word and as this faith is attained to by hearing so it is dayly increased by the same as also by the right use and administration of the holy Sacraments and Prayers to all which duties they stir up the people with all sedulity and godly care And that they may the more deterre them from sinne and all manner of evill they do not onely declare unto them the horror of sinne and the present danger of it as that it is the cause of all miseries and calamities here but that it will also bring endlesse and eternall misery upon them hereafter and that they must all appeare at the last day before a dreadfull Judge there to give an accompt of whatsoever they have done in the body whether good or evill 2 Cor. chap. 5. vers 10. And that they should not deceive themselves for God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reape for hee that soweth unto the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that soweth unto the spirit shall of the spirit reape life everlasting Gal. 6. v. 7 8. So that if we run through all the Theoricall part of Divinity you shall not finde the Church of England failing or defective in any point of beliefe speculative that is required and necessary for salvation when it teacheth every thing that Christ himselfe requires at mens hands that they should know to make them blessed Now all the knowledge that makes men blessed and that Christ injoynes them is the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ and self-deniall This is life eternall saith Christ Iohn 17. to know thee to be the only true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ And Mat. 16. If any will be my Disciple let him deny himselfe and come after mee Now I say when the Church of England teacheth the people the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ and the knowledge of themselves it teacheth all things for beliefe speculative for all speculative Divinity is contained in these two poynts And this shall suffice to have spoke of the Theoricall part of Divinity wherein the Church of England doth her duty And now Mr. Montague I will as briefly as I can declare and prove that the Church of England fayleth nothing in teaching all things for Religion practicall for in that shee teacheth us our whole duty both towards God and towards our Neighbour what we should doe and what wee should not do in the whole course of our lives for the pleasing of God and avoyding of sin and misery she doth her duty also in the practicall part of Divinity perfectly and fully For as all speculative Divinity consists as I sayd before in the knowledge of God and of our selves so all practicall Religion consists in the performance of our duty towards God in giving him his due honour and such a worship and service as he requires of us in his Word and that is spirituall as wee see John 4. vers 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth And in performing all offices of love and charity to our Neighbour and carrying our selves unblamably in this present World Jam. 1. vers 27. Pure Religion and undefiled saith S. Iames before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and the Widow in their affliction and to keepe themselves unspotted from the World and in observing and fulfilling that royall Law chap. 2. vers 8. in loving our Neighbour as our selves In these two points consists all practicall Religion which is nothing else but a framing of our whole lives according to the Law of God considering that we are not at our owne disposing nor at our owne liberty but consecrated and dedicated unto God and therefore wee must deny our selves and forsake our owne reason and resigne our selves up to be guided and governed by the Word and Spirit of the Lord in all things belonging unto his worship And that wee ought not to seeke after those things that are our owne but those things that are according to the Will of God and tend to the advancement of his glory and Kingdom and in this does our practicall Religion concerning God consist and our love and duty towards our Neighbour is contained in these two things in being kindly affectioned one towards another with brotherly love in honour preferring one another Rom. 12. v. 10. In doing nothing through strife and vaine-glory but in lowlinesse of mind each esteeming others better than themselves Phil. 2. vers 3. And then in imploying our selves to the uttermost of our abilities with all sincerity and truth of affection and unfained love to procure their good and emolument in all things And under these two heads the love of God and of our Neighbour is comprised all the practicall Divinity or Religion the Word of God makes knowne unto men and requires at our hand Which when the Church of England doth dayly publish unto the people and teacheth all things concerning them fully it is aboundantly evident to any unpartiall man that she teachteh all things both for Theory and practice necessary for salvation and for the proving of her selfe to to be a true Church the ground and pillar of truth and to be built upon the foundation of Peter And as this conclusion doth necessarily issue upon the premises for the proofe of the truth of the Church of England so on the contrary this likewise will of necessity follow that that Church that neither teacheth those things that belong unto the beliefe speculative nor to the Religion practicall cannot be a true Church And I am confident Mr. Montague that you your selfe upon deliberation will not deny it And then also any man may inferre that the Church of Rome cannot be a true Church nor the ground and pillar of Truth when shee neither teacheth the people the true knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ nor the knowledge of themselves nor makes knowne unto them the spirituall way of worshipping him which he requires nor teacheth them their love and duty towards God and towards their Neighbour which God commands but with far greater reason they may conclude that the Church of Rome is not a true Church if they consider also that the Church of Rome not onely neglecteth her duty in not teaching the people the true knowledge of God and of themselves but also in that shee taketh away the Key of knowledge from them snatching the Word of God out of their hands and hindering the pure preaching of both Law and Gospel by which men might be saved and setting up an idolatricall worship and bringing in a new service of their owne devising and in that also that the Church of Rome doth not teach the people love towards their Neighbours the true servants of God but hatred and animates them to persecute them with fire and faggot
Chap. 3. vers 16.17 saith Let the Word of God dwell in you richly in all Wisdome teaching and admonishing one another in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever yee do in word or deede do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him words Mr. Montague worthy of serious consideration The Apostle sayes not let the Word of God be received into your Families and be sure you have it among your Bookes that you may now and then reade it but saith he let it dwell in you let it be in your hearts and reside there and let it dwell richly in your hearts not in a poore and beggerly manner content not your selves only with the knowledge of some parts of it and storyes of it but be furnished with the full knowledge of all the holy Scriptures that like the good Scribe you may be ever able and ready to bring out of the old and new Treasury that is out of all the old and new Testament the sweete and comfortable promises and gracious instructions by which you may alwayes be able in all conditions to support and comfort your selves and teach and instruct others and let it be your rule and direction for the ordering of your thoughts words and actions that whatsoever you do in word or deede you may doe all in the name of the Lord Jesus all according to his will that you may with rejoycing call upon his name for his speciall assistance and blessing upon what you either do or goe about which you with boldnesse and assurance of being heard may doe if you do that which is good and according to his will and word and therefore be sure you do nothing neither secretly nor openly that you have not a warrant for out of Gods Word and in the doing of the which you may never be ashamed though all the World did see you which you shall never be if you follow the direction of the Word of God and continually set the rule of his Law before your eyes and have it written in your heart which will ever teach you that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our lives Lu. 1. vers 74.75 These are the imployments of Christians holinesse and righteousnesse before him in Gods presence not for a time but all the dayes of our lives universall and constant obedience to be holy in all manner of conversation is required of Christians by the Law of God 1 Pet. 1. and that yee may be alwayes thus imployed and taken up and teach and admonish others concerning their duty and speake the Oracles of God 1 Pet. 4. vers 11. Let the Word of God saith he dwell in you richly let it alwayes cohabit with you and reside in your soule that you may live by faith and die with comfort and therefore doe nothing contrary unto this blessed Word and grieve not the holy Spirit of God by whom you are sealed unto the day of Redemption Ephes 4. vers 30. Mr. Montague I shall now intreate you a little to consider with your selfe and examine how the Church of Rome obeyes these-precepts and commands of God and of the great Prophet and of the blessed Apostle and whether or no by her disobedience and Rebellion shee deservedly hath not lost the Title of a true Church which by S. Paul first of Tim. 3. is called the ground and Pillar of truth in that every true Church putteth not the Candle and light of the Word under a Bushell but setteth it up and holdeth it forth maintaines and defendeth it and offereth it to the view and hearing of every one But doth the Church of Rome this Mr. Montague Nay doth shee not take the Word of God the everlasting Gospell out of the hands of the people and deprive them of that Key of knowledge and punish the reading of it with severest cruelty and the but having of it in their houses in the vulgar Tongue with the Inquisition and death Christ our Prophet sayth Search the Scriptures S. Paul the Teacher of the Gentiles sayth Let the Word of God dwell in you richly c. And the Church of Rome prohibiteth the reading of the Scripture and is so farre from letting the Word of God dwell in the hearts of the people that shee will not permit them to have it in their houses How then is she I pray you the ground and pillar of Truth when shee is the mother of error and confusion for our Saviour in the 22 of Matthew sayth Yee erre not knowing the Scriptures That Church then that taketh away the Scriptures from the People is no true Church but an erroneous and false Church Consider I pray what I say and suffer not your selfe to be deluded But I will go on a little farther to shew the wickednesse and sacrilegious dealing of the Church of Rome in this point and how farre shee is gone from both the precepts of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ and of all the holy Apostles and from the example and practice of all the Primitive Christians whose examples in all well-doing wee are bound to follow Christ in Luke 11. vers 28. sayth Blessed are they which heare the Word of God and keepe it If they be blessed that heare the Word of God and keepe it then they also are no lesse blessed that reade the Word of God and keepe it So saith S. John Revel 1. chap. 3. Blessed is he that readeth and they that heare the words of this Prophecy and keepe those things that are written therein for the time is at hand If our Saviour Christ and his blessed Apostles were upon the earth men and women would desire to heare their Sermons What a wickednesse and sacriledge thâ—n is it in the Church of Rome to hinder the people of blessednesse and to keepe them from happinesse and life eternall when they will not let them read the Sermons Christ and his Apostles preached unto the people What will they be able to answer to the righteous Judge of the whole World at the last day for their unrighteous and unâ—ust dealing in robbing the poore people of the Word of Life S. Peter saith 2 Epiâ—t chap. 1. vers 19. Wee have a more sure Word of prophesy to which you dâ—e well to take heed as to a light in a darke place Here S. Peter prayses and commends those that reade the holy prophets and his pretended successor the Pope hee blames those that reade the Gospell and punisheth with fire and faggot those that have either Law or Gospell in their houses What thinke you Mr. Montague of this businesse Tell mee ingenuously the next time I see you what you thinke of your father the Pope whether hee be not as honest a Genleman as ever went over a house Now I pray looke upon the practice
and as prevalent to declare the truth of that tenent as if indeed that word had been expressed Notwithstanding all that I have now said to prove the doctrine of free justification by faith alone to bee grounded upon the Scripture and that according to the holy Word of God the Church of England preacheth it and by that proves it selfe a true Church yet the Church of England doth not teach that that faith by which we are justified is alone or solitary without the company and fellowship of good workes and other vertues and graces which are the fruits of faith but urgeth likewise and teacheth all holy duties to be joyned with Faith as wee shall see afterwards and that wee should be abounding in good workes which God hath before ordained that we should walke in for the glorifying of his name and to justify unto the world the livelinesse of our faith as all the Saints of old have done But now Mr. Mountague that you may see the error of your wayes and that all men may behold the impiety and vanity of the doctrine of selfe-merits and of the works of supererogation and that we may all be humble under the mighty hand of God and learne this lesson of selfe-denyall I shall for a corollary adde a few things and then conclude this point Our Saviour Christ saith Luke the 17. When you shall have done all those things that are commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to doe Is not this an extreame arrogancy think you Master Montague in any man when our Saviour Christ himselfe teacheth us to say we are unprofitable servants when we have done whatsoever is commanded us both in the law and the Gospell to say and affirme that we are meriting and deserving servants yea is it not an impious ridiculosity to affirme it when notwithstanding we do transgresse the Commandements of our Master a thousand wayes For these two conclusions do necessarily result out of our Saviours words First that when wee have done all that God commands we are yet but unprofitable servants The second that we have done but that was our duty to doe Out of the which words I thus argue Hee that when he has done all that he is commanded to do is yet but an unprofitable servant he cannot merit much lesse doe workes of supererogation But every man when he hath done all that is commanded him to doe is yet but an unprofitable servant Ergo he cannot merit much lesse do workes of supererogation All this is confirmed by our Saviours owne words who cannot erre we must leave the works of merit to Christ alone and say we are unprofitable and deny our selves if we will be his Disciples Out of the same words I gather this argument also They which have done but that which was their duty to do when they have done all that was commanded them they cannot merit much lesse do workes of supererogation But when they have done all that was commanded them both in the Law and Gospell they have done but that which was their duty to do Ergo they cannot merit much lesse do works of supererogation You must needs understand Mr. Montague the Doctrine of merits who are able to discourse a weeke together of them and therefore you know very well that in your Roman Dialect merits works of supererogation are such things and performances as are done above that that is commanded them and when men do more than they are injoyned by God and exceede in their duty to a superplus This I say is your language But if no man can attaine to such perfection of obedience as the Romanists speake of then by their own confession the Doctrin of merits is a false doctrin and ought by all men to be abominated and so much the rather we ought to abhor it because it is a Doctrine of blasphemy and is as much in effect as to give the Lord of Life truth it selfe the lie for Christ sayth When you have done all things that are commanded you say you are unprofitable servants for you have done that which was your duty Notwithstanding the Papists say they can merit But Christ who is the Master and Doctor of his Church and whom we are commanded to heare Mat. 3. Mat. 17. has taught us otherwise affirming we cannot merit much lesse do workes of supererogation which will plainly appeare if we examine a few instances and go through some particulars We are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart with all our mind and with all our mighâ— and to love our Neighbour as our selfe I now demand of you Mr. Mountague whether either your selfe or any man can attaine unto this perfection of love the Lord requires at your hands and so fulfill the Law If it be acknowledged that no man can attaine to this perfection of love then he is a transgressor of the Law and is so far from meriting favour at Gods hand as he merits eternall death by it for the soule that sinnes shall die Ezekiel 18. for the wages of sin is death Numb 6. But if you answer that you can keepe this Law notwithstanding you cannot yet merit by it by Christs own words who proclaimeth you an unprofitable servant affirming that you have done but your duty Againe in the fifth of Matth. 4. vers 8. our Saviour saith Be yee therefore perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect Here the Lord Jesus Christ for the ordering of our obedience and regulating of our lives sets before us as a modell rule and example which we must ever follow the perfection that is in God himselfe our Heavenly father and commands all men to be perfect as he himselfe is perfect I demand of you Mr. Montague can you or any man attaine unto this perfection that is in God which neverthelesse we are commanded to do If you do acknowledge that no man can attaine to it as no man can indeed then you are a transgressor of this command and fayling in your duty you deserve condemnation and therefore are far from meriting But if you shall affirme that you can attaine to this perfection and should really do that you are commanded yet you are still an unprofitable servant and have done but your duty and therefore have not yet merited any thing We are commanded both in the old Testament and in the new to be holy and for the pattern of our holinesse as of our perfection the holinesse of God is set downe before us for our imitation As he that hath called you saith St. Peter is holy so be you holy in all manner of conversation because it is written Be yee holy as I am holy Levit. 11. ver 24. 19.2 the 20.7 I desire you to tell me whether you or any man can attaine to that perfection of holinesse through the whole course of your life that is in God if not you have transgressed this
Commandement and by it are liable to an eternall punishment having sinned against a most holy and eternall Majesty But if you say you can you are yet but an unprofitable servant and have done but your duty as the Lord affirmes and have not yet merited Christ saith Luk. 6. vers 31.32 33 34 35 36. And as you would that men should doe to you do yee also to them likewise For if you love them which love you what thanks have you for sinners also love those that love them And if you do good to them which do good to you what thanks have you for sinners also do the same And if yee lend to them of whom you hope to receive what thanks have you for sinners also lend to sinners to receive as much againe But love yee your enemies and do good and lend hoping for nothing againe and your reward shall be great and yee shall be the children of the Highest for he is kind unto the unthankfull and to the evill and be yee also mercifull as your Heavenly Father is mercifull I demand of you Mr. Montague whether ever you or any mortall man ever did fully keepe these Precepts and Commandements and were as mercifull as God our Heavenly Father is mercifull if not you are a transgressor and far from merit or works of superrogation and if you have kept these holy Commandements you are yet but an unprofitable servant and have done but your duty Saint Paul saith to the Philippians chap. 4. vers 8. Finally my brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsover things are pure whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue and if there be any prayse thinke on these things Those things which yee have both learned and received and heard and seene in mee do and the God of Peace shall be with you What duty Mr. Montague in the whole course of a mans life is there either of love and obedience towards God or towards our Neighbour that any man can performe that is not included in this precept and which by it he is not bound to do and the which if he performes not maketh him a transgressor and yet if he should perfectly fulfill this command he is but an unprofitable servant and hath done but his duty and therefore cannot merit much lesse do a worke of supererogation So that the impiety of the doctrine of merits is sufficiently evinced by that I have now said I might yet instance in a thousand things but I wil insist but upon one or two more which is the lesson in hand of selfe-deniall If any man saith Christ will be my disciple let him deny himselfe and take up his cross dayly and follow me I aske you Mr. Montague whether you thinke your selfe or any man did ever perfectly yet learne this lesson and did wholy deny himself and with willingnesse and without any murmuring or resisting take up his crosse and to the last houre of his life follow Christ both in cheerfull doing and suffering without which his service will not be acceptable for God loveth only cheerfull sufferers as cheerefull givers If you shall answer that none can perfectly keepe this precept you shall answer truly and by that acknowledge a transgression which makes you liable to punishment and therefore unable to merit by it But if you shall be so temerarious as to affirme you can keepe this Commandement notwithstanding you are yet but an unprofitable servant in Christs esteeme and you have done but your duty because you do no more then God commands you And truly Mr. Montague I will grant you thus much if any thing we can do or performe could merit at Gods hands suffering and dying for his cause and renouncing all honours pleasures and profits and abandoning life it self for the love of him and his truth might have the first place in our obedience for to challenge merit yet I say doing all this we are but unprofitable servants and have done but our duty and therefore cannot merit much lesse doe a worke of supererogation by it if Christs words be true Yea Paul in Rom. 8. vers 8. excludes merits even from our sufferings saying I account the afflictions of this present time are not worthy the glory that shall be shewed unto us The glory therefore we expect doth a thousand fold surpasse the misery of our afflictions therefore our pressures and sufferings themselves are excluded for if the very martyrs merit not then ordinary Christians cannot merit And in 2 Cor. 4.17 there he saith Our light affliction which is but for a moment worke for us a farre more exceeding and eternall waight of glory c. Now Master Montague I intreat you to declare unto me how any man by their sufferings can merit not onely life eternall but an augmentation and degree of glory in Heaven seeing by the expresse word of the Apostle there is no more proportion betweene that which is most excellent and glorious in this world and the glory and felicity of the Kingdome of Heaven than is between a moment of time and eternity for all men will easily conclude that a temporary and momentany suffering of affliction cannot merit eternall and never ending glory and that by the light of reason though the Scripture should say nothing to the contrary which doctrine of merit notwithstanding it doth in many places confute For however the Lord hath made many gracious promises in his holy Word of rewarding his suffering servants as Rom. 8. ver 17. saying If so be that we suffer with him we may also be glorified together As also in the second Epistle to Timothy chap. 2. ver 12. If we suffer we shall also reigne with him And innumerable places more might be cited for our incouragement in suffering as that in Rom. 2. ver 6 7. Who will render to every man according to his deeds To them who by patient continuance in well doing seeke for glory and honour and immortility eternall life All which declare that God out of his infinite favour will reward his servants for the practice of those very gifts and graces he hath bestowed upon them according to that in Revel 2. vers 10. Be thou faithfull unto the death and I will give thee a Crown of life But ever take notice this reward and this Crowne of life is not bestowed upon sufferers as wages or reward and merit but as a gift of mercy and grace as will afterward appeare And if you looke Mr. Montague into the 7. of the Revelation vers 13 14 15. there you may if you shut not your eyes behold the truth of this doctrine that the very martyrs come not to Heaven for their sufferings And one of the Elders answered and said unto me What are these which are arrayed in white Robes and whence come they and he said unto me These are they which came out of great tribulations and have washed their robes and
made them white in the blood of the Lambe therefore they are before the Throne of God c. Here you evidently see that the blessed martyrs which are now in Heaven have not attained unto that felicity and eternall glory by the merit of their sufferings but for that they were washed in the blood of the Lambe the Lord Jesus Christ And as it is not the suffering Mr. Montague but the cause that makes a martyr so it is not for that they passe through many tribulations that they enter into the Kingdome of Heaven but that they are washed in the blood of the Lambe and by that onely are made worthy to be Citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem for when we have suffered all we are but unprofitable servants and have done but our duty for our Saviour saith If any will be my Disciple let him take up his crosse and follow me I will adde but one instance more out of Matth. 11. Learne of me saith our Saviour for I am humble and meeke Doe you believe Mr. Montague that you can keepe or ever observe this commandement of Christ the Lord But if you could attaine unto the greatest degree of humility and meeknesse you were but an unprofitable servant and had done but your duty But how much more Mr. Montague have you and your Roman kindred to answer for your loftinesse and high opinions of your selves who stand upon your justification by your good workes and pretend yea and presume of your selfe-merits and of your workes of desert and that before God If this be not a transgression and a very rebellion against the Commandement I know not what prevarication and rebellion is Yea Mr. Montague if we could observe the whole Law and keepe all the Commandements for doing and suffering that ever God gave if we will be Christs Disciples we must ever say we are unprofitable servants and daily pray forgive us our sinnes and with the leper cry out We are uncleane we are uncleane and have continuall cause of deepe humiliation and selfe-deniall If they Mr. Montague which love God most and most diligently keepe his Commandements and yield the greatest obedience unto them have need yet of mercy how can any mortall man then merit before God who daily and hourely transgresseth all his glorious Commandements yet see what the Lord saith Exod. 20. ver 6. Shewing mercy to thousands of them that love me and keepe my Commandements Learn this lesson of Christ M. Montague to be humble and labour for selfe-deniall and a lowly spirit and meeke heart and with the Church of England and all the blessed Saints disavow your owne righteousnesse knowing that Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance such as are weary and heavy laden which only finde rest unto their soules and think not with the Romanists and justiciaries by your merits or good workes to scale Heaven but I intreat you to endeavor with us of the Church of England to enter into the most holy by the blood of Jesus by that new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vaile that is to say his flesh Heb. 10.19 20. If you enter not by this way M. Montague you wil never come thither But now to conclude this point That Church which doth believe in Jesus Christ renouncing all selfe-merit and teaches the way to Heaven by the blood of Jesus and by that new and living way that Church believes aright as it ought to believe and is built upon the foundation of Peter against which the gates of hell can never prevaile but the Church of England doth all this Ergo it is a true Church where salvation may be had And this note alone is an infallible and never deceiving marke of a true Church As for antiquity universality unity succession multitude visibility c. if they have not this doctrine joyned with them of the free grace of God and justification by faith in Christ alone they are but markes of errour and abomination which will seduce you from the right way and misleade you into by-paths where you will never finde rest for your soule And thus much I thought fit to speake of this point it being a fundamentall one and such an one as where it is not preached and published there can be no true Church And now I come to the other clause of this proposition viz. renouncing all will-worship and humane inventions in Gods service An eminent marke also of a true Church which when the Church of England doth it is manifest that it is a true Church For all men know that mixtures in Gods worship annihilates a true Church But following my former custome I will first signifie what I meane by will-worship and humane inventions in Gods service and then shew where they are entertained in Gods service and admitted they so adulterate his worship as he himselfe disavoweth it and affirms they serve in vaine By will-worship therefore and humane inventions I understand whatsoever either for Doctrine Service Discipline Ceremonies men out of vaine devotion doting or superfluous feare or unbridled errour or out of humane reason or hypocrisie or whatsoever other pretence they have out of their own brain excogitated and brought into the service worship of God or whatsoever they have added to his worship either of images or representations or traditions against his revealed will or without his expresse command and imposed upon the people as the worship and service of God and proclaime these their ordinances to be Gods service and worship and place holinesse and religion in the observation of them and account the neglect of them irreligion and prophanenesse and worthy of punishment and the submission to them piety religion and obedience which God notwithstanding proclaimes an abomination to him For piety and true religion proceeds from the right knowledge of God the first of the which is the reverence of God joyn'd with love which ariseth from the knowledge and contemplation of Gods manifold favours mercy and goodnesse towards mankind the second which is pure and true religion is faith joyned with a serious and earnest feare of God the which feare containes in it a voluntary and willing reverence and alwaies brings with it the right and exact forme of worshiping him which is onely that way of serving him which he hath prescribed in his holy Word which Word of God alone must be the rule of his worship and of all our obedience so that what he prescribeth and enjoyneth it is our duty both to know and performe and the neglect of which is sinne and whatsoever is contrary to this is either open idolatry or superstition because it is supra quod statutum est and therefore hatefull to God and abominable in his sight as his whole Word declares And as it is the glory honour and very note of a true Church to follow the rule of Gods Word in serving him so it is the evident marke of a false
Church where either open idolatry or notorious superstition or mens traditions and devices domineere and are set up and countenanced for Gods service by what authority soever it be all which I understand by will-worship and humane inventions in Gods service so that that Church is reputed the true Church that serves God according to his will revealed in his Word and continues in its native purity and primitive simplicity and whose eares are not hanged with the Jewels of Jewish Paganish or Popish ceremonies and humane inventions for true religion doth not consist in the observation of the traditions of men and their pompous ceremonies but in the obeying of Gods Commandements that is in righteousnesse peace and joy of the holy Ghost proceeding all from a pure heart and conscience purged from dead works and faith unfeigned And thus much shall suffice to have spoken concerning my meaning of will-worship and humane inventions in Gods service all which are against his expresse word and adulterate his worship and annihilate a Church which things I will prove in order Moses the servant of the Lord as we read in Exod. 25. vers 40. had an expresse command when he was to make the Tabernacle that he should doe all according to the patterne he had seen in the mount So that if Moses that saw God face to face might not adde or put so much as a Law to the Tabernacle that God had not commanded him what boldnesse and impudence then is it in any man to dare to introduce any thing in Religion either for Doctrine Service Discipline or Ceremony that neither Christ nor his Apostles have taught or commanded especially when God in his holy Word hath commanded the contrary For in Deut. 4. ver 2. the Lord saith Ye shall not adde to the word which I command you neither shall ye diminish from it that you may keepe the commandements of God which I command you Now if the Church of the Jewes ought not to joyne or adde any thing to that which God commanded by Moses how much lesse ought the Christian Church to adde any thing to that which Christ and his Apostles and Evangelists have taught in the Gospell when they have so fully declared the will of God therein and in the fist chapter of the same booke verse 32. the Lord saith Ye shall observe to doe therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you ye shall not turne aside to the right hand or to the left Here observe that God forbids not onely to turn unto the left hand which is to say to doctrines manifestly wicked and abominable but he forbids them also to turne to the right hand which is of purpose spoke to prevent all mens inventions under what pretence or appearance soever of devotion or religion as of more cleanly neatly or decently serving God And in the 12. chapter vers 32. as if the Lord could never sufficiently enough have inculcated this precept upon them he saith Whatsoever I command you observe to doe it thou shalt not adde thereto nor diminish from it How then dare any either receive or admit the traditions and ordinances of men and joyn them with the Commandements of God when notwithstanding God enjoynes us onely to observe and doe what he commands without adding thereto or detracting from it And Prov. 24. ver 21. My sonne saith Solomon feare thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change for their calamity shall rise suddenly and who knoweth the ruine of them both In these words there is a command and in it a direction to all Israel teaching them what they should do and what they should not doe in Gods matters a precept both imperative and prohibitive and every word of it deserving due consideration and serious thoughts For howsoever this command was peculiarly given to the Israelites and especially concerned that government yet in the generall equity of obedience it concernes all Christians and bridleth them likewise from making any alteration or innovation in Gods ordinances and in his government established in his Church and prohibits all Christians to meddle with or have any communion with such as are given to change The principall observables in these words not accurately to handle them are briefly these First a duty enjoyned feare and that twofold towards God and towards the King and in the word feare synecdochically we are to understand all reverence towards God and indeed his whole worship which is to give him his due honour as in the same word is included all civill obedience and honour to those that are set over us in authority and that specified in expresse tearmes Feare God and the King The second observable implicitly set downe is the rule by which they should regulate their feare and obedience both towards God and the King and that was the whole Law both morall judiciall and ceremoniall and all that setled government as it was then by God himselfe established in the daies of David and Solomon by Gods owne commandment according unto the pattern the Lord delivered to David in writing and David to his sonne Solomon both for the place and manner of Gods worship and the ordering of the Kingdome which was to be perpetuated and continued without alteration or innovation till the comming of the Messiah without a speciall command and warrant from God himselfe and this Law and Word of God is that rule implicitly here set down from which they were not to vary or make any change but to observe that in ordering their feare and obedience both to God and the King For that feare and reverence only is pleasing unto God that is according to his owne command not that which we out of our owne braine imagine or what men conceive for the Lord abhors all such feare as is taught by the precepts of men Isaiah 29. ver 13. saying The feare towards me is taught by the Precepts of men And in the 15. of Matth. 9. our Saviour saith of such feare In vaine doe they worship me teaching for doctrine the commandements of men So that all that feare reverence and obedience that we desire or endeavour to honour God by if it have not a warrant our of his word it is displeasing unto him being will-worship And as our feare towards God must be warranted by his word so all our obedience to civill authority must be in the Lord for Magistrates and Governours in Israel and all Christian Governours at this day are commanded to rule and order their Kingdomes according to Gods Word as we may see Deut. 17. vers 18 19 20. and Joshua 1. And those Kings and Princes that rule not by Gods Word use not nor manage not a Kingdome but a robbery when they reigne not to this end that God may be glorified and his name honoured in their dominions Neither may they thinke them selves exempted for their greatnesse for St Paul saith Rom. 3. ver 19. Now we know
that whatsoever things the Law saith it saith to them that are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world become subject to the judgment of God So that all Magistrates as well as subjects that are under the law whether morall or Evangelicall they are all to be subject to the Law of God without exception and to be guided by it and to rule and command according to that rule and they have their bounds set them how farre they may goe in commanding and that is according to the Will of God and no farther And the subjects likewise have their limits prescribed unto them how farre they may obey and that is in the Lord and no farther And so long as the Magistrates keepe themselves within the compasse of Gods Commandements and command according to his Word and Will the subjects in conscience are bound to obey But if rulers will transgresse and goe beyond their confines the subjects have a dispensation from their obedience Knowing that they ought to obey God rather than men Acts 5. ver 29. Yea Christ himselfe hath taught us this lesson Marke 8. ver 15. Saying take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharises and of the leaven of Herod Here is a doubling as it were of the caution Take heed and beware Of what of all the doctrines and traditions of all sorts of men whether Ecclesiasticall or Civill in Gods service for by leven our Saviour understands the traditions and doctrines of the Pharisees and Sadduces as is evident in Matth. 16. v. 12. many other places so that under what authority soever they come ratified be it from Kings and Princes themselves as here by Herod we have a dispensation from our obedience And there are many prendents in Gods Word of such as have detracted their obedience to unlawfull commands with Gods good liking as the Midwives in Exod. 1. the three children in Daniel and Mordecai in Ester and the Apostles Act. 5. to omit many other And in expresse words in the 13. of Deut. God absolves very children from their duty of obedience to their parents which he strictly commands in the 20. of Exod. if they command against Gods Word So that the common rule for all both in commanding and obeying is Gods Word according to which our feare and obedience towards all must be regulated as is here manifest And this rule did Solomon tie and binde all Israel to and all Christians to the end of the World The third observable is a caveat or dehortation to decline the society and company of such as would bring in any alteration or innovation either in religion or the government then established in these words And meddle not with them that are given to change In which caution two things are denoted the one in expresse termes the other tacitely that which is expressed is that we should have no communion or familiarity with such as are innovators or goe about or endeavour either to change the worship of God or to alter any thing in matters of religion That which is tacitly set downe is that every man in his owne person should have a speciall care that he himselfe make no change in religion or bring in any alteration in the government of the Church which Christ the Lord hath in his holy Word established and ordained knowing that it is to be perpetuated and continued as was lest by Christ and the holy Apostles to the end of the world 1 Tim. 1.5 vers 21. chap. 6. ver 13 14. I charge thee saith St. Paul in the sight of God who quickneth all things and before Jesus Christ which under Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession that thou keep this commandement without spot and unblameable untill the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ That government therefore that was established and setled by the Apostles is without any alteration by all Christians to be preserved as much as in them lies they must make no change in it and this charge is given to every soule in particular tacitly as I said for if we must not keepe company or meddle with such as are given to change then wee our selves may make no alteration or change The fourth observable is the reason of this dehortation why they should not meddle with such as are given to change and that is in regard of the danger and misery that will ensue upon it For their calamity saith the Prophet shall rise suddainly and who knoweth the ruine of them both here is ruine threatned and that both sudden and inevitable A forcible reason therefore to dehort any man from keeping company with wicked and ungodly men and such especially as innovate or change any thing in religion for by so doing they make themselves lyable to the same punishment and are equally guilty according to that of David Psal 50. ver 18. When thou sawest a thiefe thou consentedst with him c. So that the very consenting to evill brings a guilt and with it a punishment as well as the acting of it and this truth by the very light of nature was taught by the heathen and profest through the world who make complices and consenters to any treason or conspiracy as guilty as the contrivers and actors and the holy Word of God is full of presidents of this nature It is said of Jezabell that she kild the Prophets But when Elias puts up his bill of information into the Court of Heaven he speaks there in the number of multitude saying Lord they have killed thy Prophets 1 King 19. vers 14. Here the Officers and the people as well as Jezabell are guilty and lyable to punishment and that because they did helpe her and assent unto all her wickednesse So Paul in his information against all the Gentiles in the first chapter and last verse he makes them all equally guilty as if they had been all actors of those villanies and liable to the wrath of God which was revealed from Heaven against all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse ver 18. as well for consenting unto them in their wicked waies as acting his words are these Who knowing the judgement of God that they that do such things are worthy of death not onely doe the same but consent with them that doe them or have pleasure in them that do them Consenters and actors in Gods account are equally guilty Herod is said to have killed John Baptist but when our Saviour Christ upon an occasion speakes of St. John Baptist They saith he have done to him whatsoever they pleased Here our Saviour makes all the people guilty the Nobles that sate at Table with Herod and did not disswade him from that tyranny nor speake in the behalfe of the Baptist the Officers that forwarded and furthered the bloody designe and all the people that assented unto Herods wickednesse and crueltie And Paul speaking of the death of the blessed martyr Stephen makes himselfe as equally guilty of persecution and of his
should be a rule of our faith and manners and that it is the very Word of God and his lively Oracles as having the testimony of Christ himselfe Luke 24 Luke 16. John 5. and many other places and Saint Paul Rom. 3. and Saint Peter in his second Epistle chap. 3. v. 15 16. confirmes the authenticality of St. Pauls Epistles and of all the holy Scriptures and affirmes that they were written for the comfort and benefit of all the faithfull and commands them to make them the rule and guide of their faith and manners which if they doe he promiseth them that they shall not be led away by the errour of the wicked and from their owne stedfaâ—â—nesse but that they shall grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus which is his prayer that they might do and it is and shall be my earnest prayer for you also Mr. Montague that the Lord would open your eyes and that you may see your errours and renounce them and at last believe that the holy Scriptures are Gods very Word and were writ by his speciall command and are to be the rule of our fath and manners and by the which we shall be judged at the last day And this shall suffice to have spoke concerning this point Now I come to prove that the holy Scriptures are not obscure and darke but cleare and perspicuous in all things that concerne salvation David in the 19. Psal ver 7 8. The Law of the Lord saith he is perfect converting the soule The testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart the Commandement of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes Here are two things Master Montague confirmed by David who wrote by the Spirit of God which cannot erre the first is that the Law of the Lord is perfect and converting the soule and making wise the simple the second that it is cleare illuminating the eyes What Blasphemy then is it in the Church of Rome to accuse the whole Scripture not onely of imperfection but of darknesse and obscurity Yea what else is it but to give the Holy Ghost the lie who saith that the holy Scripture is not onely perfect but illuminating and enlightning the eyes And in Psalm 119. v. 103. Thy Word saith he is a Lampe unto my feet and a light to my waies And in the 130 verse The entrance of thy Word saith he giveth light it giveth understanding to the simple So that there are none Master Montague that will not turne their backe upon this Lampe but may see the light of it And in Proverb 1. ver 2 3 4 5. among the praises of the holy Word he saith That it giveth subtilty to the simple and to the young man knowledge and discretion And in the 6. chap. ver 23. he saith That the Commandement is a Lampe and the Law is light And in chap. 8. ver 8 9. All the words of my mouth saith he are in righteousnesse c. they are all plaine to him that understandeth and right to them that find knowledge Infinite places to this purpose might be cited but I will content my selfe onely with two more out of the New Testament 2 Cor. 4. v. 3 4. If our Gospell saith the Apostle be hid it is hid to them that are lost to whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ who is the image of God should shine into them Take notice Mr. Montague that as the Sunne though it shineth forth never so gloriously and in all its greatest brightnesse yet the blind see never the more in like manner though the holy Scripture be never so cleare and perspicuous in all things necessary to salvation yet the unbelievers and incredulous whose eyes the God of this world hath blinded they can neither see nor comprehend the light of them St. Peter in his second Epistle chap. 1. v. 19. We have also saith he a more sure word of Prophesie whereunto you doe well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place untill the day dawne and the Day-starre arise in your hearts If the holy Apostle Peter compares the writings of the Old Testament to a light and the Scripture of the New Testament unto the Day-starre what wickednesse then is it Mr. Montague in the Church of Rome to accuse all the holy Scriptures of obscurity and darknesse and to make them the cause of all errours and heresies and of all confusions I will now Mr. Montague briefly prove that the people ought to read the holy Scriptures and that it is their duty to study them diligently and that it is a great and insufferable injury and wrong done to them by the Church of Rome to take the Scriptures out of their hands and to prohibite the reading of them for in that they like the Scribes Pharisees and Lawyers take away from them the Key of knowledge and the meanes of their salvation Luke 11. v. 52. contrary to the command of God and Christs precept who was the onely Prophet of his Church whom we are bound to heare and obey in all things Matth. 3. Matth. 17. This Master Montague I will first doe and then come to the point The Lord after that he had proclaimed his Law unto the people and writ it with his owne hand commanded all the people carefully to observe to doe according to that he had taught them and that they might the better remember it he enjoynes them to keepe it in their hearts and to write it upon the Posts of their houses and on their gates the words are these Deut. 6. ver 6 7 8 9 All these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou sittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up And thou shalt bind them for a signe upon thy hand and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thine house and on the gates And in the 11. chapter of the same booke he reiterates the same command vers 18 19 20. Therefore saith the Lord shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soule and bind them for a signe upon your hand that they may be as frontlets between your eyes And ye shall teach them your children speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way when thou liest downe and when thou risest up and thou shalt write them upon the doore posts of thine house and upon thy gates Here is precept upon precept as if the Lord could never have spoke enough unto the people to stir them up to the diligent learning and studying of his holy Lawes and all for
to walke in for the attaining unto eternall happinesse they are the rule that all men are to be guided by and therefore he proclaimeth him blessed that delighteth in the Law of the Lord and doth meditate in it night and day Psal 1. Solomon likewise in Prov. 3. v. 1 2 3. and in Prov. 6. v. 20 21 22 23. and in many other places sendeth his sonne and all the people to the Law of the Lord for the rule of their lives and manners saying My sonne keepe thy fathers commandement and forsake not the law of thy mother Bind them continually upon thine heart and tie them about thy necke when thou goest it shall lead thee and when thou sleepest it shall keepe thee and when thou awakest it shall talke with thee For the Commandement is a Lampe and the Law is light and reproofes of instruction are the way of life And in Eccles 12. v. 13. Let us heare saith he the conclusion of the whole matter Feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man By all which places it appeareth that the holy Prophets made the written Word of God and that onely the rule of their lives and manners and commanded all people to have ever recourse unto that and that onely for the square to order their lives by And the Prophet Isaiah in the 8. v. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony saith he if they spake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them There was no other rule Mr. Montague knowen to the Prophets for the directing of the people how to serve God and to which they were tied but the Law and Testimonies the written Word and if under the Law they were ever to have recourse unto the Scripture and nothing in matter of faith was to be received which was not contained in the Scripture it was then a perfect rule and the onely rule by which they were to be guided and much more now Mr. Montague ought we to content our selves with the Word of God and to make that the onely rule of our faith and manners and of all our doctrines when the doctrine of the Gospell also written by the Apostles and Evangelists is joyned unto the Law the which hath also fully explained the meaning of all those hidden mysteries and shadowes and brought us into the cleare sunshine of all truths and hath indeed taught us the way the truth and the life The Prophet Jeremiah also in the 6 chap. vers 16. Thus saith the Lord Stand yee in the wayes and see and aske for the old pathes where is the good way and walke therein and yee shall finde rest unto your soules Here the Prophet sends them to the Law and the Testimony that old way and tells them the benefit that will accrue unto them by following his counsell viz. That by it they shall finde rest unto their soules And the Prophet Malachi 4. vers 4. Remember yee saith he the Law of Moses my servant which I commanded him in Horeb for all Jsrael with the statutes and judgments The Law of Moses and the Prophets was the rule Mr. Montague that all Israel was tied unto as that which was an absolute and perfect rule of direction from which they were bound not to swarve and which had no neede of any Traditions for the compleating of it much more now is it a perfect rule when the Gospell is annexed to it and therefore all Christians ought to make the old and new Testament the sole rule of their faith and manners and by all these precepts they are commanded and many more to cleave onely unto it But now Master Montague let us see what precepts and directions wee finde layd downe unto us in the New Testament that by the mouth of both these Witnesses the Truth of God may yet more fully be confirmed In Matthew 17. vers 51. And behold a voyce out of the clouds which said This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare you him And Acts 3. vers 22 23. For Moses truly said unto the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise unto you of your brethren like unto mee him shall ye heare in all things whatsoever hee shall say unto you and it shall come to passe that every soule that will not heare that Prophet shall be destroyed from the people Here are two things Mr. Montague observable first a command viz. that we should heare Christ that Prophet the Lord our God should raise up Secondly the danger that would insue if we heard him not viz. destruction for that is pronounced against those that do not heare him Now let us take notice how he teacheth us John 5. vers 39. Search the Scriptures saith he Here our great Prophet Mr. Montague sendeth us onely to the Scriptures he makes them the onely rule which wee are to follow And in Luke 16. in the person of Abraham hee sendeth all men to Moses and the Prophets vers 29. they have Moses and the Prophets saith he let them heare them This Mr. Montague was the old way to salvation where men might finde rest for their soules Moses and the Prophets and thither doth Christ the onely Prophet of his Church send all men to the holy Scriptures and to the Doctrines contained in them as the absolute and compleat rule that all the Christians are for ever tied to and out of the Scriptures and them onely did Christ confirme all his preaching as is evident out of Luke 24. and many other places averring that the people erred not knowing the Scriptures Mat. 22. The Apostles likewise in all their Sermons and Writings did the same and inoyned all Christians to cleave unto the holy Scriptures and to make them onely the rule of their faith and manners as by the places following do most cleerly appeare Paul in the 16 of the Rom. v. 17.18 Now I beseech you brethren saith he marke them which cause division and offences contrary unto the doctrine yee have received and avoyd them for they that are such serve not our Lord Iesus Christ but their owne belly and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Here the holy Apostle ties the Romans unto the doctrine they had received and which he writ unto them and forbids them to have any communication with any members of that Church that should teach contrary unto that Doctrine they had received for they that are such saith he serve not our Lord Jesus Christ All therefore Mr. Montague that teach any Doctrine contrary unto the written word swarve from the truth and are not by the Apostles command to be communicated with and therefore the written Word must be the onely rule of our direction And in the 4 of the 1 of Cor. vers 6. Hee commands them not to be wise above that that is written tying them ever to the doctrine that is set down in the written Word and in that
dictates unto us that if the holy Apostles in their writings give precepts unto all the Pastors and Teachers of the Church how they shall teach and instruct the people and prescribe unto them a rule which they are ever to follow and from which they may not swarve in their preaching and injoyne them withall to keepe that rule unblameable untill the second comming of the Lord Jesus Christ and in those instructions among other things in speciall charge them to take heed of all the Traditions and Precepts of men in Gods service and injoyne them also to reprove such as teach any other doctrine than that they have received from them and also command to shun and decline them that teach contrary to that doctrine I say as the Ministers of the Gospell have a rule set them by which they shall teach and from which they may not vary if they notwithstanding will goe beyond their commission and teach contrary yet the people are not to listen unto them or to heare them in so doing for they are bound and tied likewise by the same rule and written word to the contrary as by the places above specified is manifest and many more that follow But now Mr. Montague let us a little examine what Paul writeth to Timothy and Titus and in them to all Ministers and Teachers and what rules hee prescribeth unto them in their preaching and what rules after in the following Epistles and Writings of the Apostles are given to all Christians S. Paul in his 1 Epistle to Timothy before he comes to any particular instructions gives him a reason why he left him at Ephesus when he went into Macedonia and that was saith he vers 3.4 That thou mightest charge some that they teach no other Doctrine neither give heed to fables c. Here the Apostle ties all Ministers to the rule the Doctrine that they had received from him and the other Apostles And accounts all the Traditions of men fables and vanities as in the third Chapter he more fully declareth and in the 16 verse he saith Take heede unto thy selfe and unto thy doctrine continue in them for in doing this saith he thou shalt both save thy selfe and them that heare thee Here hee ties Timothy to the rule and tells him withall of the benefit that will redound unto him and others continuing in it and that is the salvation both of him and his hearers So that the swarving from it must needs be pernicious to both Teachers and Hearers And in the 5 chap. 21. J charge thee before God saith he and the Lord Jesus and the elect Angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before an other And in chap. 6. vers 3. Jf saith hee any man teach otherwise and consent not to the wholesom words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse c. from such withdraw thy selfe Here againe he ties him to the rule to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ the doctrine taught by Christ as it is set down in the severall Gospells and commands Timothy to withdraw himselfe from all such as taught not according to that doctrine and in vers 13.14 I give thee charge saith hee in the sight of God who quickneth all things and before Christ Iesus who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession that thou keepe this Commandement without spot untill the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ Here is a rule given to the end of the World which all Teachers and Hearers are bound to observe and keepe The Ministers and preachers by it are to teach nothing contrary unto the wholesome words and doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ and what hee taught and the people they are not to receive or heare any thing contrary to that doctrine but both Ministers and people are commanded to shunne such and to withdraw themselves from them And in his second Epistle as if the Apostle could never sufficiently enough have taught all Ministers their duty in Chap. 1. vers 13. Hold fast saith he the forme of sound words which thou hast heard of mee in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus Have a speciall care thou variest not from that way of teaching thou hast learned from mee the two principall heads of the which doctrine or the sum of which is faith and charity teach them the saving doctrine of faith therefore as I taught it according to the written Word ground all thy preaching concerning faith upon the Scripture not upon the vaine Traditions of men and humane authority but upon the written word So likewise when thou teachest them their duty of love both towards God and towards their Neighbours and one towards another instruct them in that according to the written Word and not after the Precepts and commandements of men and from this way of preaching swarve thou not but hold fast that forme of sound Words for so I taught thee And in Chap. 3. vers 14. Continue thou saith he in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them Here againe hee injoynes him to preseverance in that doctrine onely which he had taught him who was guided by the Spirit of God and confirmed all that hee taught out of the Scriptures and therefore there could be no doubt of the Truth of it and that he commands Timothy and all other Ministers to continue in their Teaching and not to vary from it or to give eare or heed unto the Traditions of men And in his Epistle to Titus chap. 1. vers 13.14 Wherefore saith he rebuke them sharply that they my be sound in the Faith Not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandements of men which turne from the truth What Mr. Montague can be spoke more evident against all Traditions of men which teach that the worship of God consisteth in outward performances as in the observation of dayes and ceremonies and abstaining from Meats and Marriage all inventions of crafty men and which teach that wee must worship God according to the commandements of men when the Apostle in expresse words in Chap. 3. of the 1 of Timothy vers 12 3. affirmes that these are the doctrines of Devills and in this place commands Titus sharply roughly and plainely to reprove all such preachers as teach men by such performances to serve God or instruct them to worship him after the commandements and traditions of men and gives him a reason why Titus should sharply rebuke such teachers because saith he they that indoctrinate the people in this manner to serve God are so far from teaching the truth as they turn them from it and lead them into errours and by-waies to their eternall perdition Truely Mr. Montague if there were but this very Text in all the new Testament for our direction for the right serving of God it were enough for ever to deterre us from the traditions of men and to make us cleave close to the