he shall be saved c. in the which words there are two things observable the first that Christ onely is the doore of Heaven no entrance but by him according to that of Saint Peter Acts 4. ver 12. Neither is there salvation in any other for among men there is given no other name under Heaven whereby we must be saved The second thing out of these words observable is this that they that enter in by this doore shall be saved and by no other meanes for John 14. ver 6. Christ saith I am the way the truth and the life no man commeth unto the Father but by me In which words Christ doth not onely teach us that he is the way but asserts that there is no other way to come unto God but by him if we will be saved therefore whatsoever waies to salvation either men doe devise and invent or the devill suggests to abuse the world God hath appointed no other way to Heaven and to be saved by but Jesus Christ alone he onely is the Mediator both of Jewes and Gentiles Ephes 2. vers 18. For through him we both have an accesse by one spirit unto the Father And in chap. 3. v. 12. In whom we have boldnesse and accesse with confidence by the faith of him what neede then have men of any other Mediator seeing that the Son Jesus Christ makes the Father propitious and favorable unto us and seeing that entring in by the doore we attaine unto salvation which is the end of our hope 1 Pet. 1. When Christ ascended into Heaven he promised his Apostles to send them his holy Spirit the Comforter which should lead them into all truth and solace them and helpe them in all their tribulations and S Paul in the 8 of the Rom. v. 26. saith Likewise also the Spirit helpes our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered and hee that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the minde of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God Now let us take notice how the Spirit of God teacheth all men to pray who knoweth best what is the Will of God Yee have not saith the Apostle verse 15. received the Spirit of bondage againe to feare but yee have received the Spirit of adoption whereby yee cry Abba Father that is with earnestnesse to cry Father Father Those then that call upon Saints and Angels have not as yet received the spirit of adoption who teacheth them alwayes to direct their Prayers unto God and to cry Father Father but the Spirit of error and delusion And in Gal. 4. v. 6. Because yee are Sonnes saith the Apostle God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father From the which words as from the former it is easy to conclude that they that teach men to call upon Saints and Angels are not guided and moved by the Spirit of God and Christ for all the Prayers that the Spirit of God and Christ frame in our hearts are addressed and directed unto God alone Withall we may observe in both the places cited that the Spirit teacheth us not onely to say but makes us cry Abba Father thereby instructing us to cast away all vaine feares and to come unto God with confidence and all assurance according to that in the. Heb. 4. v. 15 16. For we have not an High-Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of neede Here againe we are directed to come unto God only and to our Mediator when we approach to the Throne of grace neither can we addresse ourselves to any other better than unto Christ in regard that he best knowes our necessities before whom there is not any creature that is not manifest and in whose sight with whom we have to doe all things are naked and open neither is there any that has more compassion and is more touched with a feeling of our infirmities than hee who was in all points tempted like as we neither is there any that has more ability and all-sufficiency to succour help or save us than Christ who has all power in Heaven and Earth given him for the good of his people and reliefe of his Church And in regard likewise that all our Prayers Supplications and Thanksgivings are spirituall Sacrifices and all Sacrifices ought only to be offered to God alone and that in the name and mediation of Jesus Christ As Judges 13. v. 16. If thou wilt offer a burnt offering thou must offer it to God alone Psal 50. v. 14. Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vowes unto the most High and call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee here we see that all Thanksgivings and prayses must be given to him onely to whom wee put up our Prayers and according to this rule have all the holy Prophets Apostles and all the Saints powred out their Prayers and Praises to God alone in the name of Jesus Christ and have directed others so to do as Eph. 5. v. 20. Giving thankes alwayes for all things unto God even the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and saith Peter in his first Epistle Chap. 2. v. 5. Yee also as lively stones be made a spirituall house an holy Priest-Hood to offer up spirituall Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ And therefore they will not be acceptable except they be offered up in the name of Jesus Christ And Heb. 13. v. 15. Let us therefore by him offer the sacrifice of prayse alwayes to God that is the fruit of the lips giving thanks to his name So that if we wil follow the direction of God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost and be taught by God as all believers are Iohn 6. v. 45. then all our prayers Supplications and Thanksgivings are to be put up to God alone in the name and mediation of Jesus Christ and by the assistance of the holy Spirit And this is the Doctrine that all true Christians are bound to persevere and continue in to the last drop of their bloud and if an Angell from Heaven should teach us any other doctrine as invocation of Saints and Angels he is to be accursed Gal. 1. v. 8. The Apostle in that place alluding unto that which is spoken in the first of the Kings chap. 13. where the Prophet sent by the Lord to cry against the Altar of Ieroboam was commanded not to eate bread or drinke water nor to returne the same way and so he answered the King inviting him to goe to his house that if he would give him halfe his house that he would not go with him and gave him a
force of which argument you had thought by a glosse and flourish to have evaded but all the cunning of man cannot doe it as in its due place will appeare But after you had once got your head into this fort and refuge you uttered many things very erroneous equalizing your traditions yea preferring them before the written Word accusing the Scripture of imperfection and denying them that due honour which is to be the rule of our faith and manners and the square by which we must order our lives affirming further more that they were accidentally written and not on purpose to be the rule of our doctrine and manners and that for the making of the Scripture a compleat and absolute rule the unwritten word received and entertained in all ages by tradition ought to be added to it which when the Church of England did not observe and admit of it did not believe as Christ ordained and as it ought to believe for the speculative and practicall parts of Divinity for to believe in Christ effectually and sufficiently to salvation as you said was not enough to believe both the natures of Jesus Christ and all his Offices but it consisted in this that we conforme our selves to a beliefe speculative and to a religion that is practicall for the Church was determined in these two points that is to say without the Church of England would imbrace and entertaine your traditions and believe your unwritten verities as they are commonly termed it could not be a true Church Hereupon I then undertooke to maintaine and prove first that the written Word in it selfe without any unwritten verities or traditions contained all things necessary to salvation Secondly that all Christians were tied to make that and that only the rule of their faith and manners which you said if I could prove you would be a Protestant and after some debate of these businesses and that Sir John Gotherick had said unto you magnifying your unwritten verities that if you could make it appeare that you had as good warrant for your traditions as we could shew for the Scriptures that then he would receive and imbrace them to whom you replyed that you could prove them by better authority than he could prove the Scriptures to be the Word of God But I perceiving at that time that you grew something weary and seeing withall for want of a moderator that things began something disorderly to be handled I told you that I would by writing reduce all those things that were then agitated and bring them into good order and set downe such other arguments as should sufficiently prove the Church of England to be a true Church and send you them all in writing which you not onely liked well of but earnestly also desired me so to doe and I promised likewise in the same writing evidently to prove that the Scriptures of the old and new Testament without any traditions contained all things in them necessary to salvation and that they are the onely rule and square which we are tied unto for the ordering of our faith lives and manners which is now my taske that in the following discourse I have taken upon me and I doubt not by Gods assistance but to make good and maintaine what I have undertaken But before I come to that that all men may see the Church of England faileth in nothing necessary to salvation either in respect of theory or practice although I have formerly proved it yet I thought fit briefly againe to runne over and to declare what she teaches for her beliefe speculative and her religion practicall that I may make use of some of your expressions and wherein she differs from the Church of Rome that the Church of Englands tenent being set downe on the one side and the errours and idolatry of the Church of Rome on the other all men may learne to love and imbrace the Church of England and to abhorre and abandon the Church of Rome that mother of abomination and that you Mr. Montague that have formerly undutifully deserted and forsaken her may with the Prodigall returne and yeild unto her your mother Christian and wonted duty and obedience Which I am confident will be more to your true comfort and honour than ever any thing done by you in all your life And now to begin I affirm for beliefe speculative and religion practicall it is orthodoxly and and clearely taught in the Church of England in all points and to begin with the speculative part Whatsoever I say is required of us to be knowne concerning God is perspicuously taught in the Church of England both in respect of the divine essence and nature of God as also of the persons in the blessed Trinity as likewise of their names and workes and of all their glorious attributes As that there is but one onely true God distinguished into the Father Sonne and holy Ghost the al-sufficient Jehovah Creator and governour of all things which onely living God the Church of England with an unanimous consent doth honour serve and worship in spirit and truth as he himselfe commands John 4. vers 24. and as he hath in all ages been worshipped by all the family of the faithfull that call upon his name in sincerity since the glorious ascension of Christ into Heaven and teaches the people so to worship him The Church of England doth fully likewise instruct the people in what a happy and blessed condition man was created being made after Gods owne Image and likenesse Genes 1. v. 27. and into what misery he afterwards plunged himselfe and all his posterity by reason of his transgression disobedience and infidelity in listning unto the suggestion of the diâ—â—ll as it is at large described in Genes chap. 3. And as it doth daily acquaint them with the nature of sinne the danger of it and the evill consequences that insue upon it as all manner of miseries here and eternall damnation hereafter if by timely repentance they breake not off the course of them which duty they daily exhort them unto In like manner it teacheth the people that next to the eternall love of God who in Christ Jesus made choice of them before the foundation of the world Ephes 1. v. 3 4 5. that they owe the whole worke of their redemption unto Jesus Christ alone who taking humane nature upon him was made sinne for us that knew no sinne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5. vers 21. So that if we consider the whole summe of our salvation and all the parts of it they are contained and comprehended in Christ to whom alone all the honour glory and praise of all our blessednesse both present and future is to be ascribed and not any parcell of it to be attributed to any creature in Heaven or earth So that if any desires to be saved and to be eternally blessed the Church of England instructs them there is no other meanes to
as in him so for his sake and merits with all that shall believe in him And in this notion they acknowledge him as he is revealed in the holy Scriptures and set forth to be the Saviour of his people from their sinnes Matth. 1. vers â—1 to be that Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world John 1. vers 29. Amongst many examples for the more full illustration of the whole matter these few following may suffice as that in the story of Joseph Genesis 37 where the messengers brought Josephs coat to Jacob his father vers 32.33 See now say they whether it be thy sonnes coate or no. Thâ—n he knew it to be the very coat and said it is my sonnes coate He knew it very well before but here he avoucheth his knowledge of it that is he did acknowledge it with certainty Another example we have of Thomas John 20. vers 25 26 27 28 29. who when the Disciples told him that Christ was risen and that they had seen the Lord be said unto them Except I see his hands and the print of the nailes and put my finger into the print of the nailes and put my hand into his side I will not believe it And eight daies after his Disciples were againe within and Thomas with them then came Jesus and stood in the middest and said Peace be unto you After said he to Thomas put thy finger here and see my hands c. and be not faithlesse but faithfull Then Thomas answered and said unto him My Lord and my God Jesus saith unto him Thomas because thou hast seen me thou beleivest blessed are they that have not seen and have believed Thomas knew well that Christ was wounded but when he saw the wounds then he acknowledged as well his owne infidelity as that Christ was his Lord and his God and in expresse words avoucheth his knowledge with certainty Here the story of the Samaritans John 4. may have place who believed before they saw Christ by the womans relation of him that he was the Messiah but they believed much more after they had both seen and heard him and did publikely acknowledge him to be the Christ the Saviour of the World vers 41. This Christ doth the Church of England though they have neither heard nor seen him believe in and know yea with certainty and approbation acknowledge him to be their Lord and their God and the Saviour of the world and therefore by Christs owne mouth are proclaimed blessed and need feare no mans curses Yea the Church of England doth both know and acknowledge this Christ in as ample a manner as humane frailty can attaine to and publish and preach salvation onely in his name according to the holy Scriptures and will to the last drop of their blood acknowledge him to be their Lord and onely redeemer in the which they are most assured to find comfort in life and death and by the power of whose might to be more than conquerours through him that loved them Rom. 7. vers 37. and are sure of life eternall which Christ himselfe hath promised to them that know him John 17. ver 3. This is life eternall saith he that they know thee to be the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ According to the Prophesie of Isaiah Chap. 53. ver 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall be are their iniquities That Church therefore in the which the knowledge of the onely true God and of Jesus Christ is diligently fully and sincerely taught unto the people and where Christ is received and acknowledged by them to be the eternall Sonne of God and the redeemer of the world that Church is a true Church and is built upon the foundation of Peter and believes as it ought to believe But in the Church of England the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ is knowne acknowledged taught and published in as ample a manner as is above specified as all men can witnesse Ergo it is a true Church and built upon the foundation of Peter c. And thus much Master Montague shall serve to have spoken of the first part of my syllogisme the truth of all which you cannot deny without wronging your own judgement and the truth it selfe Now I come to the second part viz That the Church of England doth believe in Jesus Christ as it ought to believe which you denied in that it doth renounce all selfe-merit in the worke of redemption and all will-worship and humane inventions in Gods service which is the qualification and very effigies of true and saving faith and which is requisite in any Church to make it a true Church and without which it cannot indeed be a true Church which will evidently appeare when I have described what is meant by beleeving in Jesus Christ and renouncing all selfe-merit in the matter of salvation and all wil-worship humane inventions in Gods service But now to begin with believing To believe in Jesus Christ is nothing else but to owne and embrace him as he is revealed to us in the holy Word of God for the alone onely and perfect Saviour and to place their whole affiance confidence and trust in him onely for salvation and to rely upon him as their onely Redeemer and perfect Saviour and that with a certaine and solid perswasion and invincible assurance according to that of Saint Peter John 6. ver 68. 69. Lord to whom shall we goe Thou hast the words of eternall life And we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ the Sonne of the living God Here was a certaine and unmoveable assurance in the Apostles which did evidence the truth of their faith Such was Abrahams faith Rom. 4. ver 19 20 21 22 23 24 25. Who against hope believed in hope c. and being not weake in faith c. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbeliefe but was strong in faith giving glory to God And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to performe And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Now it was not written for his sake alone but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him who raised up Jesus from the dead Who was delivered for our offences and was raised againe for our justification In this place we may take notice of the Patriarch Abrahams faith whose example was set down for our imitation that as he believed and gave glory to God by his faith so should we Now consider I pray the variety of the holy Apostles expression in setting downe Abrahams faith Who saith he against hope believed in hope He was not weake in the faith He staggered not at the promise through unbeliefe but was strong in the faith and fully perswaded Here are very glorious praises of Abrahams faith and indeed the praise of the faith of the Saints of old was this that
Christ is become of no effect unto you saith Paul whosoever of you are justified by the Law yee are falne from grace All those therefore that will be justified by the works of the Law deprive themselves of the grace of God in Jesus Christ but the Church of Rome doth this Mr. Montague ergo But for the Church of England it followeth the Apostles example Phil. 3. ver 8 9. Counting all things losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ and that it may be found in him not having its owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith By the which righteousnesse of Christ all the workes of the Law are excluded from justification But I will yet more fully prove that the workes of grace are also excluded from justification Ephes 2. ver 8 9. For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Not of workes lest any man should boast Here againe all workes are removed withall we may observe that the holy Apostle in this place a firming that we are not saved by workes speakes not of those workes before grace and regeneration according to the ordinary evasion of the Church of Rome but he speakes of all the workes men doe in the state of grace and after conversion and which shall accompany us as we presse to the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus as we may see in the 10. verse For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good workes which God hath before ordained that we should walke in them So that good workes are not the meritorious cause of the Kingdome of Heaven but onely the way which God hath prepared and appointed for us to walke in to Heaven And in the 11. to the Rom. ver 6 7. he saith And if by grace then it is no more of workes otherwise grace is no more grace He speakes here of the regenerate Romans and of the workes dond by them after their conversion which he excludes from justification and therefore it is a poore evasion or quillet of the Church of Rome to excuse their pride when they say that God hath given us the grace of meriting which is a flat contradiction for grace doth ever exclude merit as the words of Paul inferre who saith If it be by grace then not of workes and if of workes then it is no more grace otherwise worke is no more worke And in his Epistle to Titus ch 3. ver 4 5. But after saith he that the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared not by workes of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us Here the Apostle includes himselfe in the number of the regenerate as in all the other places and disavowes all workes and excludes them from justification for the mercy and grace of God cannot stand with mens merits as hath been sufficiently already proved And in that verse he further addes that being justified by grace we should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life From which words we learne that we have life eternall as heires of God and not in the way quality of mercenaries So that by all these proofes it is evident that all workes are excluded from justification as by many reasons also may be evinced For sinners are and ought so to be justified before God that all occasion of gloriation and boasting may be taken away as we see Rom. 3. ver 27. Where is boasting then it is taken away By what Law of workes Nay but by the law of faith Now if a man by the workes of grace might be justified he should then have something whereof to glory notwithstanding he acknowledged he received those workes from God as we may see in the example of the Pharisee in the 18. of Luke and should also have more to glory of than Abraham Rom. 4. ver 3 4. where it is said that if Abraham be justified by workes he hath whereof to glory but not before God For what saith the Scripture Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse Againe if a man be justified by workes then the justification of the Law should stand and be of force but that stands not as by all the testimonies before mentioned is evident and from the 14. verse of this chapter For if they which are of the Law be heires faith is made void and the promise made of no effect And not onely this verse but the tenour of the whole chapter proves that Abraham though he abounded in good workes yet was justified before God without the workes of the Law howsoever before men according to that of St. James chap. 2. He declared by his workes the livelinesse of his faith for St. James himselfe saith vers 23. That Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse and he was called the friend of God And that was long before he offered his Sonne Isaac And when the Apostle Paul saith that Abraham was not justified before God by his works it cannot be understood of the works of the ceremoniall Law which was not given till foure hundred yeares after the justification of Abraham But the principall things we may gather out of this whole fourth chapter to the Romans are these First that the workes of grace and after regeneration are excluded from justificaton Secondly that the justification of Abraham the father of the faithfull is the modell and patterne of the justification of all believers and sonnes of Abraham as appeares from the 22. and 23. verses And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him who raised up Jesus from the dead And therefore as Abraham was justified before God by faith without the workes of the law so all believers are justified which the Apostle in his Epistle to the Galatians chap. 3. ver 8. doth againe clearely prove And the Scripture saith he foreseeing that God would justifie the heathen through faith preached before the Gospell unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed so that they which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham And from this very place it is manifest that Abraham then believed when the Apostle affirmes that he was not justified before God by his workes to confirme unto us likewise that we are not justified before God by our workes after that God hath given unto us faith Yea Paul evidences the same by his owne example and by the example of the faithfull that the works of grace also are excluded from justification for in 1 Cor. chap. 4. ver 4. I know nothing saith the Apostle by my selfe yet am I not hereby justified Here
is of all Christians It was the praise of all the Christians of the Primitive Church that they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer Acts 2. ver 42. and that they searched the Scriptures as the Bereans And Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians chap. 2. vers 19 20. for their comfort tels them that they were not strangers and forainers but Citizens with the Saints and of the hâ—ushold of God and confirmes it unto them with a strong reason that they were the people of God and a true Church because saith he Ye are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner Stone So that to continue constantly in the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles is an irresistible argument and proofe of a true Church and that it is built upon the foundation of Peter Which when the Church of England continueth in swarving in nothing from that rule but alwaies hearing the voice of Christ it is manifest they are his sheep and are of God for so saith Christ John 8. ver 7. He that is of God heareth Gods Words ye therefore heare them not because ye are not of God speaking there to the unbelieving Jewes And chap. 10. My sheepe saith he he are my voice ver 27. And in Chap. 18. ver 17. Every one saith Christ that is of the truth heareth my voice And St. John in his first Epistle chap. 4. ver 6. saith We are of God he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth us not Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error In these words St. John confirmeth that his own doctrine and the doctrine of all the Apostles was the assured Word of God and that they that were of God did heare it and that they that did not heare it that is obey it were not of God and that by this doctrine alone all men might distinguish truth from errour they that heare this doctrine are of the truth they that heare it not are led by the spirit of errour and are in darknesse Now then Mr. Montague when the Church of England in all things heareth the voyce of Christ and cleaveth onely to the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles the Church of Rome is not grounded upon the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles but upon their vain traditions doctrines of men and will not suffer the Word of God to be read amongst the people nor permit the voice of Christ to be heard amongst them this necessarily followes from thence that the Church of England is a true Church and built upon the foundation of Peter and the Church of Rome is a false Church and founded upon errour and delusion And therefore Mr. Montague if you desire salvation come out of that confused Babylon into the bosome of the Church of England that teacheth the way the truth and the life and you will finde rest unto your soule And this shall satisfie to have spoken of this third part of my proposition Now I come to the fourth part viz. that in the Church of England the Gospell is purely preached repentance towards God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ and the Sacraments rightly administred and in which there is the true invocation of God Another infallible and never deceiving note of a true Church which were it single and alone were sufficient to evince to the whole world that the Church of England is a true Church and built upon the foundation of Peter and therefore believes as it ought to believe By the pure preaching of the Gospell and right administration of the Sacraments and the true invocation of God I understand when all things are done in the ministry and preaching of the Gospell and administration of the Sacraments and invocation of the name of God and prayer according to Christs institution and according to the commission delivered unto the Apostles without addition of any thing or diminution but observing all things according unto the rule prescribed in all punctuall manner by such as God hath fitted for wisdome learning and all divine knowledge for that holy imployment and who doe accordingly in all uprightnesse sincerity and godly simplicity following the example of Paul 2 Cor. 2. vers 17. We saith he are not as many which make merchandise of the Word of God but of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God speake we in Christ The Apostles did nothing in the ministry craftily or coveteously or lesse sincerely than they ought as more fully is expressed in chap. 4. ver 2. where he saith We have cast from us the cloake of shame and walke not in crafrinesse neither handle we the Word of God deceitfully but in declaration of the truth we approve our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God The Apostles preached the Gospell without subtilty and deceipt seeking no lurking-holes to cover their shamelesse dealing they preached not with excellency of words as Paul in 1 Cor. 2. declares or of wisdome in shewing the testimony of God which was the Gospell neither was their word and preaching in the inticing speach of mans wisdome but in plaine evidence of the Spirit and of power and not for self-ends After this example of the blessed Apostle is the Gospell preached by the Ministers of the Church of England who dispense the Ordinances according to their Commission neither adding nor detracting from it in any thing but withall care sedulity and watchfulnesse without base ends and self-respects attend upon the Ministry in their particular places and as they are made Watchmen unto their flockes by God himselfe so they receive the word from his mouth and give warning to the people Ezek. 3. ver 17. and they swerve not from the rule which will the better appeare if we examine the Commission the Lord Jesus gave to the Apostles Matth. 28. ver 19. Goe therefore saith Christ and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway untill the end of the world Their commission was limited that they should speake nothing but what Christ commanded them nothing of their owne heads and braines and keeping themselves within their limits they were ever sure of Gods presence and assistance who had promised them and all their successours in so doing to be with them to the end of the world they were bound therefore to teach nothing but Gods commands and that the holy Apostles observed and commanded all men though an Angel from Heaven should teach otherwise than they had taught them not to heare them under a fearefull curse Galat. 1. Now when the Church of England diligently keepes it selfe to the Commission given by Christ unto his Apostles and preaches the Gospell in all purity without any mixture of their owne
reason of his so doing because he had a command to the contrary by God himselfe But when an old Prophet that dwelt in Bethel had heard what happened there and what had beene done to the Altar and Ieroboam and being desirous to give him entertainment and for that end following the Prophet at last he overtook him and earnestly intreated him to returne and eate Bread who replying unto him sayd I may not returne with thee nor eate bread for it was said unto mee by the Word of the Lord to the contrary to whom the old Prophet answered I am a Prophet as well as thou and an Angel spake unto me by the Word of the Lord saying Bring him back with thee into the house that he may eate Bread and drinke Water but he lyed And by this lie he deluded the poore Prophet to his ruin as the story telleth to this story I say the Apostle alluding forbiddeth all Christians to take heed of all other Doctrines whatsoever that they have not received from Christ and his Disciples and that they intertaine none contrary to that they have beene taught by him though he himselfe should teach contrary to that he formerly taught or any of the other Apostles yea though an Angel from Heaven should teach them otherwise the Apostle ties all Christians here as in other places to the rule written in the Word of God And in Chap. 6. in the first Epistle to Tim. v. 3. If any man teach otherwise and consent not unto wholsome words even the Words of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Doctrine which is according to godlinesse from such withdraw thy selfe Now to teach invocations of Saints and Angels is to teach otherwise than Christ taught and it is not to consent unto wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus who said when yee pray say Our Father which art in Heaven But we cannot say to any Saint or Angel our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy name thy Kingdome come thy will be done and forgive us our sinnes c. And therefore by Christs Doctrine wee are in our Prayers to pray onely unto him to whom all these Petitions belong and this is to consent unto the wholesome words of Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to godlinesse so that all Praying to Saints and Angels is unwholesome doctrine yea impious and blasphemous and by the command of the Apostle wee are to shun such as bring such Doctrine according to that of S. Iohns Epistle the 2. vers 9.10 11. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God He that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ hee bath both the Father and the Sonne If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine that is to say the Doctrine of Christ receive him not into your House neither bid him God-speed For he that biddeth him God-speede is partaker of his evill deeds They that teach therefore the Doctrin of the invocation of Saints and Angels teach not the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and they that entertaine and imbrace that Doctrine they all transgresse the command and have not God but they that teach the Doctrine of Jesus Christ which is in all our necessities to call upon God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ they have both the Father and the Sonne and by that salvation for they that call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Acts 4. Rom. 10. But the Church of England doth this Ergo. Innumerable reasons Mr. Montague might be given against this Doctrine of invocating of Saints and Angels as that it is a meere will-worship without both president and precept and whatsoever is not of faith is sinne but much more whatsoever is contrary to the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ and contrary unto Faith for how shall they call on him saith the Apostle in whom they have not believed so that faith and invocation goe together and we must call upon none in whom wee believe not but to believe in Saints and Angells is both blasphemous and impious for it is to give the honour due to the Creator who is blessed for ever to the creature Rom. 1. than the which there cannot be a greater sacriledge and it is also to expect salvation from them which belongeth to God alone who only can save for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lordshall be saved Rom. 10. v. 13. Ioel 2. v. 32. Now if by our Prayer unto God we can be saved what neede wee take then any other course as to go either to Saints or Angells if it were neither forbidden nor sinfull but seeing it is a doctrine against the Will of God and every way so abominable it ought of all Christians to be detested and so much the rather because they that make Saints and Angels Mediators of the new Testament saying that Christ is Mediator of satisfaction and redemption but that the Saints and Angels are mediators of intercession by this blasphemous Doctrine they make Christ but a partiall momentany and temporary Mediator and his Mediatorship but for a time and give unto the Saints and Angells that never dying and everlasting Mediatorship than the which there is nothing more impious against God or injurious to men when notwithstanding the holy Scriptures proclaime Christs Mediatorship to consist as well in intercession as redemption and that they cannot be separated or divided and also that Christ now at the right hand of God is Mediator of both who is the appointed advocate and high-priest for this purpose in Heaven and that by God himselfe who is Judge there and to which Office none can be admitted but by God alone Heb. 5. v. 4. 5. And withall the holy Word of God in expresse tearmes delivereth unto all Christians for their comfort that Christ doth now make intercession for them at the right hand of God Rom. 8. v. 31. 1 Tim. chap. 2. Heb. 9.24 25. the 1 of John chap. 2. v. 1 2. Now then I say al these things considered when in the Church of England the Gospell is purely and sincerely preached the Sacraments duly and rightly administred in all respects and the Name of God truly called upon according as God himselfe hath appointed it followeth that the Church of England is a true Church and when in the Church of Rome the Gospell is neither purely and sincerely preached but error superstition and open Idolatry and the Sacraments are adulterated by additions and detractions mingling with their Sacrament of Baptisme Spitle Oyle and Salt making it rather a plaster than a Baptisme and mangling the Lords Supper most sacrilegiously first taking away the Cup from the People and then changing the Sacrament into a sacrifice that abominable Idoll of the Masse to the which they give the worship of Latriae which in their Dialect is onely due to God alone and when they have to all this brought into the Church
be saved by but by the Name of Jesus Acts 4. v. 12. and that Salvation is onely in him And therefore if they seeke and desire all such gifts and graces of the holy Spirit without which they can neither know God nor believe in him as they ought the Church of England teaches them that they are onely to be found in Christs unction of whose fulnesse we have received grace for grace John 1. And if they want strength and power to subdue their corruptions and to support them in temptation the Church of England teacheth that they may finde them in Christs Dominion and Soveraignty to whom all power in Heaven and Earth is given Matth. 28. ver 18. If they desire purity and innocency they have it in his conception If they desire mercy compassion and commiseration they have it in his birth Who was made like unto us that he might have compassion on us and make our reconciliation with God Heb. 3. v. 17. If we desire redemption we have it in his death and passion If we desire absolution and freedome from guilt we have it in Christs condemnation If we seeke a discharge or delivery from malediction and the curse we have it in his crosse Gal. 3. v. 13. If we seeke for satisfaction and a full payment unto the wrath and justice of God we have it in his sacrifice If we desire to be purged and cleansed from all our sinnes and iniquities we have it in his blood 1 John chap. 1. v. 7. If we seeke for reconciliation we have it in his bitter agony and sufferings 2 Cor. chap. 5. v. 18 19 21. If we seeke the mortification of the flesh and crucifying of the old man we have it in his grave And if we desire and seeke for newnesse of life and vivifying of the Spirit and immortality we have them all in his resurrection Rom. 6. v. 4 5. And if we seeke for the Kingdome of Heaven we have it in his ascension And if we looke for ayd and helpe in time of need and in all our distresses or if we desire plenty sufficiency and the affluency of all good things to supply all our wants and necessities we shall finde them in his Soveraignty and Kingdome And if we wait for a joyfull and dreadlesse expectation of the last judgement we have it in Christ who we know is our Mediator that shall be the Judge both of quick and dead and therefore we doe with joy lift up our heads knowing that our salvation and redemption draweth nigh In a word the Church of England teacheth all these things to the people and that all the riches and treasures of all good things are to be found in Christ Jesus Colos 2. vers 3. and that to him alone they ought to have recourse if they would be replenished and have their wants at any time supplied And whither indeed upon all occasions should we flie but unto Christ for as S. Peter sayeth John 6. vers 68. Lord to whom shall wee goe thou hast the words of eternall like Therefore the Church of England teacheth all men to make their addresses to Christ onely for to him onely is to be ascribed all the honour and praise of our Redemption And the Church of England hath very good reason and warrant out of Gods Word ever to maintaine the truth of this Doctrine that the whole sum of our salvation and all the parts of it are onely to be found in Christ For otherwise they cannot yeeld unto God that honour that is due to him and is to be kept and preserved inviolably for him without any diminution neither can they findâ— that peace and comfort in their consciences if they rely upon any abilitie or forces of their owne or rest in any of their own performances in the which they know there is so much imperfection and so many failings And this were but to forsake the fountaine of living waters and to dig themselves broken cisternes which cannot hold a drop of true comfort besides all this there is great danger in so doing in all respects for to ascribe or attribute any thing unto themselves in the work of redemption is meere blasphemy in that they take away that honour that is wholly and intirely belonging to the Mediator God blessed for ever and ascribe it to a meer creature which is indeed an horrid impiety For the Prophet Isa 53. v. 4. 6. saith that the Father hath layd the iniquities of us all upon his Sonne that by his stripes wee should be healed Which very thing S. Peter in other words expresseth 1 Epist chap. 2. ver 24. saying that Christ did in his body heare our sinnes upon the Tree And S. Paul in the 8 of the Rom. v. 2 3. affirmes that sin was condemned in his flesh when He was made sinne for us and redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us 2 Cor. 5. v. 24. Gal. 3. v. 13. That is to say the power force and curse of sin was killed and slaine in his flesh when hee was offered up and given to be a Sacrifice for us upon whom the whole heape and masse of our sinnes with all the curse and malediction with the dreadfull judgement of God and condemnation of death was layd So that I say the Church of England ascribes all the honour of our redemption to Christ alone and teaches all men that if in the least thing they should rob Christ of his due honour as it is an insufferable sinne and indignity in any to do so by it they câ—â—â—ind no peace in their soules and consciences for being justified by Faith wee have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 5. vers 1. who wee know hath fully satisfyed God for us but if any rely upon their owne performances or any workes done by them such is the imperfection of them and so many failings there be alwayes in them that they can never finde any reall and true peace or solid comfort but there will be ever doubtings whether in all things they have done their duty compleatly and as they ought And therefore the Church of England according to the holy Scriptures attributes the whole worke of our redemption to Christ alone and teaches the people that by his stripes they are made whole and so in this speculative belief it fayleth not The Church of England likewise diligently instructeth the people how they may be made partakers of Christ and all his benefits and shewes them the way directly of attaining this felicity and that is by teaching them selfe-deniall and 〈◊〉 humble themselves for their Iniquities Transgressions and 〈◊〉 under God mighty hand and to come out of themselves and exhorts thâ—m to â—y unto Christ and by faith alone to lay hold upon him and â—pply him with all his benefits and merits unto themselves 〈◊〉 which they may stand justified before God and sanctifiedâ— and then it teacheth them also that the ordinary way and
I said before not onely injurious and hurtfull to the soules of men but full of blasphemy and derogatory to the honour of Christ our great and onely Prophet For what I pray Mr. Montague can be spoke more impiously of the holy Scripturs then to affirm they were accidentally written and not of set purpose and by the command of God and to the end that they should be the rule of faith when in the holy Scripture it is evidently cleare that they were written by divine providence for this very end and purpose that by them we should order both our faith lives and manners And what can be spoke more contumeliously against the holy Word of God then to accuse it of obscurity and darknesse when the Holy Ghost affirmeth the contrary and to take it out of the hands of the people and forbid them to read it when notwithstanding Christ commandeth it in expresse words Truely Master Montague these are most blasphemous assertions and such as you of the Church of Rome must earnestly and seriously repent of if ever you will finde favour at Gods hands and the very naming of these your erronious opinions were enough for any man to abhorre them But that you your selfe and all men may see the wickednesse of them I shal before I passe on to the other matters in hand briefly prove that the Scriptures were not accidentally written but of set purpose and by Gods appointment and that they are not obscure and darke in things pertaining to salvation and that they ought to be read by all the people and that they ought to examine all doctrines by them as they be recorded And then I will prove the al-sufficiency of the holy Scripture and that it is the rule which all men unto the end of the World are tied to for the regulating of their faith and manners which is my taske and then I will conclude But first as I said I will prove that the holy Scriptures were not accidentally written but of set purpose and by speciall command and that they are not obscure and darke in matters concerning salvation and that they are to be read to the people And first that they were not accidentally written I thus evince Those bookes that were written by Divine inspiration and by the counsaile of God for the salvation of mankind and for the benefit of the Church of God in all ages and for this very end that men might learne and know the mind and will of God fully and cleerly and have the certaine truth of the things they had heard that they might be preserved and kept from all errors and upheld and comforted in every condition they were not accidentally and occasionally written and out of the peculiar mation and pleasure of the Penmen thereof and by the will of man but by the Spirit of God But the holy Scriptures were written by Divine inspiration and by the counsell of God for the very ends specified Ergo they were not accidentally and occasionally written and out of the peculiar motion and pleasure of the Pen-men thereof and by the will of man but by the Spirit of God And for proofe of all these particulars the holy Scripture it selfe is clearly on our side 2 Tim chap. 3. v. 16. The whole Scripture saith the Apostle is given by divine inspiration or inspiration of God Now Mr. Montague Gods inspiration is Gods dictate and command as all that know any thing in Divinity can tell you if yee be ignorant and it is as much as to say they were written by Gods own appointment for what God inspires men to do that he appoints and commands them to doe so that it was not arbitrary in them to do it or not to do it but they were inspired to it and put upon that imployment to write the holy Scriptures and therefore the holy Scriptures through the whole Bible are called the Voice of God and the mouth of the Lord and the lively Oracles which were uttered and spoke by God himselfe first and afterwards delivered in writing unto the people by Moses and the other Prophets and holy Pen-men according to Gods command Acts 7. v. 38. and therefore the Scriptures were not accidentally written and by the peculiar motion and pleasure of men as the Church of Rome most blasphemously affirmeth S. Peter also is cleere in this point his words are these in his second Epistle chap. 1. vers 19 20 21. Wee have saith he a more sure word of prophecy whereunto yee do well that yee take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place c. Knowing this first that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Take notice first Mr. Montague of the occasion of these words and then consider the expressions duly and you will easily from thence conclude that the Scripture was not accidentally written and by the will of man but by command from God himselfe and of set purpose and that the written word is the rule wee are to be guided by and more sure then the Tradition of the very Apostles themselves although they were both eye and eare witnesses of that they spake and told unto the people For the Apostle Peter in this Epistle confirmes all those Christians that hee writes unto of the truth and certainty of the things that hee declared unto them saying that the holy Apostles had not followed cunningly devised fables when they made knowne unto them the power and coming of the Lord Jesus Christ but were Eye-witnesses of his Majesty for hee received from God the Father honour and glory when there came such a Voice unto him from the excellent glory This is my beloved sonne in whom I am well pleased And this voice which came from Heaven wee heard when wee were with him in the holy mount Here wee see the Apostle Peter with Iames and John as it is in Mat. 17. were both Eye and Eare witnesses of Christs transfiguration and glory and heard the voyce and the people by tradition and the relation of the Apostles that had seene those things admired and believed them and yet the Apostle Peter in this very place signifieth unto them that the written Word of God the holy Scriptures the written Prophecies of the old Testament were a more sure Word than any Tradition yea even of the Apostles themselves though they were both eare and eye witnesses of that they related and preached unto others and commends the people that they did take heed unto the written Word as a light that shineth in a darke place no obscure things then Mr. Montague and he giveth them a reason why the Prophecies of the Scripture were a more sure Word than any traditions of men because saith he we know that the Scriptures are not of any private interpretation or from the peculiar or
certainty of all that Christ both did and spak in the knowledge and believing of the which consists our Eternall happinesse and salvation And this Mr. Montague might suffice to have spoke to prove the al-sufficiency of the Scriptures without Traditions but I will yet adde a few more arguments to establish this Truth more fully and so much the more willingly I do it because it is a point of so great concernment and that about which there hath been and is the greatest contestation betweene us true Catholicks and you Papists S. Luke affords us an other evident testimony to prove the al-sufficiency of the holy Scriptures Acts 1. vers 1. The former Treatise saith hee have I made O Theophilus of all that Jesus began both to do and teach untill the day in which hee was taken up c. From which words I thus argue Those Bookes and writings that containe in them all things that Jesus Christ both did taught and suffered for the redemption and salvation of mankind by the knowledge and faith of the which men may be saved they containe all things in them necessary to salvation and have no need of any humane Traditions to be joyned unto them for the making of them a perfect Rule But the Scriptures of the new Testament comprehend in them all things that Jesus Christ both did taught and suffered for the redemption and salvation of mankinde by the knowledge and faith of which men may bee saved Ergo the Scriptures containe all things in them necessary to salvation The evidence of the truth of this argument is so manifest that besides Lukes owne Testimony which is enough for ever to stop the mouth of all gainesayers the very Rhemists themselves your owne witnesses do acknowledge it whose notes upon this place you may at your best leasure looke on their words are these Not all particularly for the other Evangelists wrote divers things not touched by him but all the principall and most necessary things These Mr. Montague are the expressions of your own men in which observe these two concessions The first that they do acknowledge that at that time that S. Luke writ his Gospell The other Evangelists had writ diverse things not touched by him And this overthrowes your opinion that when S. Paul writ unto Timothy that the Scriptures of the new Testament were not then pend but delivered only viva voce and by Tradition and this was long before that time that S. Paul writ to Timothy The second thing that they grant which is as much as I desired is this that S. Luke himselfe had writ all the principall and most necessary things so that if the principall and most necessary things to salvation were written by Luke alone and the other things of lesse necessity were written by the other Evangelists then by your owne witnesses it followeth Mr. Montague that all things necessary to salvation are comprised and contained in the Scriptures of the new Testament compleatly and fully and therefore they are absolutely in themselves perfect and have no neede of any humane Traditions for the making of them an intire and perfect rule And truly Mr. Montague I dare at any time undertake this taske against all the Papists in the would to prove that if wee had nothing but the very writings of S. Luke I meane the Gospell written by him and the Acts of the Apostles that there were enough pend for the salvation of men and that there were no just cause of complayning of the in-sufficiency of the Scripture seeing that the knowledge and believing of those principall and most necessary things are able to save our soules as most certaine it is the knowing and believing of what hee writ is sufficient to salvation But when God of his infinite favour and goodnesse to mankinde hath by so many of his blessed Servants Apostles and Evangelists in so many severall Gospells and Epistles besides the revelation of S. Iohn so abundantly declared his heavenly good will and pleasure it is not onely an intolerable ingratitude in any not to acknowledge it but also an insufferable blasphemy to accuse all the Scriptures of imperfection yea it is indeed an overthrowing of the Lord Christs propheticall office and to give the Spirit of God and his holy Apostles and Evangelists the lie when they affirme the contrary saying in expresse words that they have writ all things necessary to salvation as by the Testimonies following will appeare See what S. Iohn saith concerning this businesse of so great consequence Chap. 20. vers 30.31 And many other signes truly did Iesus in the presence of his Disciples which are not written in this Booke But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Sonne of God and that believing yee might have life through his Name than the which there cannot be a more pregnant proofe to shew the sufficiency of what was written to salvation The argument from these words is this That which teacheth and declareth unto us the soveraigne and chiefest good and the meanes of attaining unto this good that containes all things in it necessary to salvation But the holy Scriptures doe teach and declare unto us the Soveraigne and chiefest good to wit life eternall and the meanes of attaining this life eternall to wit faith in Jesus Christ Ergo The Scriptures containe all things in them necessary to salvation If Mr. Montague you have a minde to confute this Argument you must then dispute against the Gospell of S. Iohn which confirmeth it But heare Mr. Montague what he saith in his first Epistle vers 1. 3.4 That which was from the beginning which wee have heard which wee have seene with our Eyes which wee have looked upon and our hands have handled of the Word of Life That which wee have seene and heard declare wee unto you that yee may also have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Jesus Christ And these things write wee unto you that your joy may be full The Argument from these words I thus frame The holy Apostles did hear and see whatsoever was necessary to salvation but the Apostles did declare set downe pen and record in their writings whatsoever they thought usefull requisite and sufficient for the attaining of eternall life Ergo the Apostles have declared and set down in their Bookes and writings whatsoever is necessary to salvation and to affirme the contrary is to give the Spirit of God and the holy Apostle the lie who in expresse tearms assert it For the Minor it is also manifest out of the same words For that which unites us with the Father and with his Sonne Jesus Christ and makes our joy compleat that undeniably containes all things necessary to salvation but the holy Scriptures unite us with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ and make our joy compleate Ergo they containe all things necessary to salvation And the same Apostle in the
17 Chapter of his holy Gospell vers 3. has these words This is life eternall to know thee to be the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ Out of the which place I thus reason That which teaches us the knowledge of the onely true God and whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ which is life eternall that containes all things in it necessary to salvation but the holy Scriptures teach us the knowledge of the onely true God and whom hee hath sent Jesus Christ which is life eternall Ergo The holy Scriptures containe in them all things necessary to salvation The Major is the Text the Minor you dare not deny but if you or any shall it hath beene sufficiently confirmed by the former discourse And these Arguments may satisfy any rationall creature for the proofe of the sufficiency of the holy Scriptures without the additions of any humane Traditions for the making of them compleate but by way of a corollary I shall yet adde a few proofes more Heb. chap. 1. vers 1.2 God saith the Authour of that Epistle Who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by his Sonne c. From the which words I thus argue If the Word of God necessary to the salvation of the Church was first delivered by the Prophets and afterwards by Christ and his Apostles and the Word of God delivered by the Prophets is onely at this day to be sought in the writings of the Prophets then certainly the Word of God delivered unto us by Christ and his Apostles is at this day onely to be sought in the writings of the Apostles unlesse there can be some reason given of the dissimilitude But the antecedent is true Ergo The consequent Wherefore the Word of God delivered unto us by Christ and his Apostles is at this day to be sought or found onely in the writings of the Apostles And therefore the whole Word of God necessary to the salvation of the Church is contained and at this day onely to be found in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and not in the vaine Traditions of men The hypothesis or hypotheticall connexion of this argument Mr. Montague is manifest by the very light of nature quae dictat de iisdem idem esse statuendum Now if yee looke into the substance of the word of God you will finde it to be the same both in the old and new Testament according to that of Paul Acts 26. vers 22. Who professeth there that he said none other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come And in Chap. 24. vers 14. he confest before Felix the Governour that after the way they called Heresie hee worshipped the God of his Fathers believing all things that were written in the Law and the Prophets So that for the substance of the word of God it is the same both in the old and new Testament only the difference is this that the exhibition or manifestation of the Word was far more glorious and perspicuous in the new Testament than in the old for there the truth was set forth under diverse shadowes and representations but in the new it was cleerly without any Types and Figures declared unto the World So that S. Paul in his 2 Epistle to the Cor. chap. 3. comparing them together in their glory affirmes in expresse words that the administration of the Gospell was far more glorious than that of the old Testament calling the Ministration of the Law Death and the exhibition of the Gospell the Ministration of the Spirit and the Ministration of Righteousnesse and sayes that it did exceede in glory and in the 18 verse We saith he all with open face behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord Whereas under the Law they beheld all things through Figures and had alwayes a veil before their Eyes And S. Peter in this point agrees with Paul for he in his 2 Epistle chap. 1. vers 19. compares the old Testament to a light or Candle shining in a darke place and the Gospell unto the Day-star And there is a greater difference between the light clarity and brightnesse of the new Testament and that of the old than betweene a little sucking Candle and a great Cathedrall one or betweene a small rush Candle or a little Lampe and a mighty Torch for although a man by the help of a little slender light may be conducted through a darke place and may by it be guided to keepe the right way yet all men know that a Torch or a great light will do that office farre more excellently so although the law was a light sufficient for the guiding of the people and keeping them out of the by-waies of sinne and errour yet the Gospell doth that office farre more illustriously and there is as great a difference betweene them in Saint Peters judgement as is betweene an ordinary light and the Day-starre for they are his own words All which things Master Montague makes greatly for the strengthning of my argument and the confirming of the truth in hand and to prove that if the Word of God necessary to the salvation of the Church under the old Testament was all to be found in the writings of the Prophets much more is the Word of God sufficient to salvation to be found in the writings of the Apostles and Evangelists which will yet more evidently appeare if wee consider and weigh the comparison betweene the old Testament and the new and the Word of God exhibited in them both For if God spake by the Prophets in the old Testament he spake also by the Apostles in the new If the Prophets preached the Word of God so did the Apostles If the Prophets did commit the Word of God to writing and penned it so did the Apostles And if the Prophets did comprehend and comprise the whole doctrine of the old Testament in their writings as they themselves affirme and as I have evidently in this discourse and sufficiently proved the Apostles and Evangelists have also comprised the whole doctrine of the Gospell in their writings as they also testifie and as I have abundantly shewed And therefore with very good reason I may urge this place now in hand and thus argue If the Word of God which was delivered in divers manners and sundry waies in time past be notwithstanding all of it to be found in the writings of the Prophets then the Word of God which under the Gospell was not delivered in divers manners and sundry waies but after one way is to be found in the writings of the Apostles For otherwise who sees not but the force of the Apostles comparison would fall to the ground And if the opinion and doctrine of the Church of Rome be true the Apostle should say or conclude thus As God spake in times past in divers manners and sundry waies unto the
Church under the old Testament so now under the new Testament he hath spake unto us sundry waies viz. by the writings of the Apostles by their Traditions not written and doth daily speak unto us by Ecclesiasticall Injunctions and Canons by Councels and Fathers and by the decrees of the Church all which how contrary they are to the meaning and doctrine of St. Paul every man can easily discerne Yea the very Papists themselves cannot deny it And thus much I thought fit to speak of the hypothesis or hypotheticall connexion of my argument Now for the Assumption it containes these three assertions The first that the Word of God necessary to the salvation of the Church was first delivered by the Prophets and afterwards by Christ and his Apostles which is manifest by the place alledged In time past God spake unto the Fathers by the Prophets but in these last daies he spake unto us by his Sonne Which is also to be extended unto the Apostles by whom Christ spake as is manifest out of the second chapter of this Epistle penned by the same Apostle vers 3. How shall we escape saith he if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoke by the Lord and was confirmed unto us that heard him And in the 20. of Saint John ver 21. As my Father sent me so I send you And Luke 10. ver 16. He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me c. Neither can you Mr. Montague or any deny but that the doctrine of the Gospell was penned and written by the Apostles The second assertion of my Assumption was this that the Word of God delivered by the Prophets is onely to be found in their writings And that is evident from the frequent use of speaking in the holy Scripture which by the Prophets understand the writings of the holy Prophets As in the Epistle to the Rom. chap. 1. v. 1 2. The Gospell of God promised by the Prophets in the holy Scriptures And Luke 16. They have Moses and the Prophets And John 6. vers 45. It is written in the Prophets And Acts 26. vers 27. King Agrippa believest thou the Prophets Luke 24. v. 27. And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himselfe and the same vers 44. And St. Peter in his second Epistle chap. 1. vers 19. By the word of Prophesie understands the writings of the Prophets as by the words following is evident For the Prophesie came not in old time by the will of man saith he but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost And many more places to this purpose might be produced which I omit the truth being so well knowne Neither can any Papist produce an instance or president to the contrary The third assertion in my Assumption is this that there can no reason be given by the Papists why the same should not be determined and ordered concerning the word of God delivered by Christ his Apostles that is concluded or determined concerning the Word of God delivered by the Prophets viz. That the whole Word of God as much as concerned the knowledge faith and salvation of the Church as much as was requisite for their good is delivered and set downe in the writings of the Apostles Therefore Mr. Montague when the Papists doe affirme that there is a dissimilitude in this part or matter till they can shew a reason and that a theologicall reason and grounded upon the Word of God they say nothing and the argument will for ever hold and the conclusion remaine unmoveable that all things necessary to salvation are to be found in the writings of the holy Prophets and Apostles and that we have no need of any Traditions for the making of the Scriptures a compleat rule as the Church of Rome doth impiously and malignantly conclude I confesse Master Montague that I have been very large in this theame but I formerly gave you a reason of it and if I yet say a little more to confirme the truth and for the farther convincing of errour and to undeceive the poore deluded people I hope you will excuse me I therefore shall adde a few more reasons and proofes for the confirmation of the al-sufficiency of the holy Scriptures and that they have no need of any humane Traditions for the making of them a compleat rule Saint Paul in the third of the Galatians vers 15. Brethren saith he I speake after the manner of men though it be but a mans covenant or testament yet if it be confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth thereto Out of which words I thus argue If the Scripture of the new Testament be a Covenant and it be not lawfull to adde unto a Covenant then it is not lawfull to adde any thing to the Scriptures of the new Testament But the antecedent is true ergo the consequent and by vertue of the consequent no Traditions not written by the Apostles nor no unwritten verities as you terme them are to be received or entertained by the Church of God as to be a rule of their faith to be joyned to the Scriptures The connexion is cleare The assumption hath two parts The first is manifest from the very inscription and hath no need of any other proofe The latter is proved out of the words of the Apostle when he saith it is not lawfull to adde no not to a mans covenant or testament and then this conclusion with farre greater reason will ensue and follow that it is much lesse lawfull to adde unto Gods owne Covenant and Testament And they that doe adde their traditions unto the holy Scriptures of the new Testament doe that which is unlawfull unjust and impious and bring that curse and plague upon themselves that is pronounced Revel 22. v. 18 19. If any man shall adde unto these things saith Christ God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this booke And if any man shall take away from the words of the booke of this prophesie God shall take away his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this booke That Mr. Montague that is spoke of this Prophesie is spoke of the whole Scriptures and therefore they that accuse the holy Scriptures of imperfection and adde their impious and vaine Traditions unto them are guilty both of addition and detraction to them and make themselves obnoxious to that fearefull curse but the Church of England dares neither adde or take from either the old or new Testament but acknowledge them both to be a most compleat rule and to containe all things in them necessary to the salvation of the Church and to have no need of unwritten verities But that I may farther confirme the truth and convince the erronious opinion of the Church of Rome I thus argue If the holy
written Word for our rule when the Apostle pronounceth all such doctrines either to be the doctrines of devils or at least to lead and turn us from the truth which we ought to preferre before our lives And in Chap. 3. ver 10. A man saith he that is an hereticke after the first and second admonition reject You know Master Montague that he is counted an heretick among you that continues obstinate and perseveres in his owne opinions against the doctrines of the Church of Rome and their vaine traditions and humane inventions but in Gods Dialect they are accounted orthodox and they onely in the holy Scriptures are counted heretickes that persevere and continue in their owne unsound opinions contrary to the faith once delivered unto the Saints and to the wholsome words of our Lord Jesus Christ such onely by S. Paul are proclaimed hereticks with a command unto all Ministers and people after the first and second admonition to reject and to cast them out of the Church as people with whom godly men and the true Disciples of Christ ought to have no fellowship or commerce and therefore Master Montague the doctrine of the holy Apostles as it is set downe in Scriptures is the rule we are tied to for the discerning betweene true and false doctrine and that we are for ever to have before our eyes for the square we must regulate our faith and manners by And in Heb. 13. ver 8 9. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and the same for ever saith the Apostle Be not carried about with strange doctrines c. here the Apostle forbids all men to listen unto the vaine Traditions of men and to be carried about with any strange doctrines such as are not grounded upon the written Word and conformable to the rule of our faith set downe in it and gives a reason why they should be stable and unmoveable in that doctrine for saith he Christ which is the object of our faith doth not change his nature nor quality in his Person Office and Doctrine and therefore it beseemes you likewise to be solid firme and stable and invariable in your faith in him and that you should not be carried about with strange doctrines or give heed unto the Traditions of men which turne you from the truth and in this you ought alwaies to follow the rule prescribed in the Word and to set before your eyes the example of your godly teachers which have the government over you who have preached unto you the Word of God whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation vers 7. and how they continuing faithfull to the end are now dead in the Lord. If you therefore desire to be eternally blessed as they are imitate and follow them in their faith for they were not carried about with strange doctrines but as they taught you the Word of God and not the traditions and commandements of men so cleave you also to that written Word and be not carried about with strange doctrines for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace c. As if he should have said all the traditions of men doe not establish the heart with grace for the heart is then onely established with grace when the soule and conscience of a believer reposeth it selfe in the true apprehension and feeling of the mercy favour and love of God in Christ Jesus apprehended by faith and in the assurance of his eternall good will when by faith they lay hold on the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ and finde the worke of their spirituall regeneration wrought in their soules which brings forth the fruit of holinesse in all manner of conversation and this onely establisheth the heart with grace and in this consisteth the true worship of God all which the traditions and commandements of men are so farre from teaching as they turne us from them placing religion in outward performances and in observing of mens traditions as worshiping of Images Crucifixes and observing of daies and abstaining from meats c. All which turne us from that spirituall worship of God which God both commandeth and delighteth in For God is a Spirit and they that will worship him according to his Will must worship him in spirit and truth John 4. ver 24. His Will therefore Mr. Montague must be the rule we ought ever to adhere and cleave to if we would not be carried about with strange doctrines and if we desire to have our hearts established with grace I might enlarge my selfe exceedingly in this point and runne through both the Epistles of Peter and the first Epistle of Saint John but I will conclude with that of Saint John in his second Epistle vers 9 10. Whosoever transgresseth saith Saint John and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Sonne If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evill deeds Here Mr. Montague for a conclusion of this point take notice that we are for ever tied to the doctrine of Christ which he the great and onely Prophet of his Church taught us and which we finde writ in the holy Scripture whom we are bound to heare in all things and from the which doctrine we may not swarve nor so much as bid God speed to any that shall teach otherwise unlesse we will partake with them in their evill and so make our selves lyable to the curse and punishment due unto our disobedience in so doing Gal. 1. vers 8. which the Church of England both out of conscience of her duty to the command of her great Prophet Christ Jesus and out of an awfull reverence of his glorious name and out of feare also of that curse that is denounced against all such as transgresse his holy Commandements and are carried about with strange doctrines and abide not in the doctrine of Christ doth with all obedience submit her selfe unto and continually cleaves unto the holy Word of God revealed in his written Word and makes that onely the rule of her faith and manners and by that proveth her selfe to be built upon the foundation of Peter and to teach the way the truth and the life and to honour Jesus Christ and to believe in him aright and as she ought to doe when she owneth him to be her onely King her sole Priest and alone Prophet and followeth the guidance of his Spirit and approaches unto God in his name and mediation and is directed by his Word and heares his voice in all things by all which I say she manifesteth to the whole world that she is a true Church against which the gates of hell can never prevaile and the pillar and ground of truth On the other side it must necessarily follow that the Church of Rome is not