and all rabid cruelty and unheard of inhumanity and in that also the Church of Rome corrupteth yea annihilateth all the offices of Jesus Christ retayning onely his name but adulterating all true christian Religion and by consequence destroying the very humane nature of Jesus Christ making it present in many places at one and the same time and yet not visible a body and no body I say in all these respects a man may without any wrong done to the Church of Rome conclude that shee is no true Church nor the ground and pillar of Truth But to the end Mr. Montague that neither you or any other may think I do too highly prayse the Church of England for the purity of her Doctrine and worship and honouring of Christ or calumniate the Church of Rome when I charge her with all these things of adulterating all the true Christian Religion and annihilating all the offices of Jesus Christ c. I thought it very necessary here to parallell the Doctrine of the Church of England and that of the Church of Rome together that it may the more evidently appeare unto all men under one view as it were in a Table which of the two Churches believeth best concerning Christ his natures and offices and whether of these Religions is most sound and Orthodox touching all things necessary to be knowne and practised by all such as desire salvation by Jesus Christ And to begin with Christs Kingly office The Church of England believeth that Jesus Christ is the onely and sole King and governour of the whole Universe to whom all power in Heaven and Earth is given Mat. 28. but more especially of his Church who by God himselfe was set King over his holy mountaine Psal 2. v. 6. And that he is the King of Righteousnesse Heb. 7. The King eternall Jsa 9. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Apoc. 17. and that he doth by his mighty power and wisdom uphold and governe all things but with a more peculiar care and in a more speciall manner preserve and defend his Church 1 Tim. 4. v. 10. as that which he hath purchased with his precious blood and by his power redeemed out of the captivity and slavery of Satan and that he is the head of his Church which is his body who infuseth life into it Righteousnesse Peace Joy Happinesse and all the graces of Wisdome and knowledge of God with certainty and assurance of his love and that his Kingdom and Empire is a spirituall and heavenly Kingdome no terrene and fading Monarchy John 18. vers 38. Luke 1. v. 33. And is uphold and governed onely by the scepter of his spirit and word and not by the authority virtue or wisdome of any humane power Shee also believeth that they are the impious and blasphemous inventions of frothy and windy ambition to affirme that Christ appointed any one to be a Vicar and Governour under him over his Church who by an infallible and unerring spirit should moderate and rule it to the end of the World and to assert that Peter was this monarch and Vicar generall and that the Pope is his successor the head and foundation of the Kingdome of Jesus Christ all these assertions and blasphemous titles the Church of England abominateth as derogatory to the honour and dignity of their Lord and King Jesus Christ and injurious and hurtfull to the salvation of mankind Shee also believeth that the Church of Christ which is his Spouse is onely to be governed and ordered by Christ her head and husbands command Will Word and Lawes as they are set downe in his holy Word and not by the decrees determinations authority and traditions either of Councels or Fathers no farther than they are consonant to his Lawes and blessed Word as they are written and set downe in the Bookes of the old and new Testament Shee believeth also that the pure Preaching of the Gospel and the right administration of the holy Sacraments and the true invocation of God are the infallible ensignes of a true Church and the never deceiving markes and notes of the same Withall shee believeth that such is the condition of the Church militant that by reason of persecutions and bloudy Tyranny and the cruelty of the enemies of it she may be brought to so low a condition and be so obscure that shee may be without any visible forme splendor and outward government and lie hid not only from publike view or the eyes of the common people but even from the sight of the dearest servants of God themselves as it hapned not onely in Elias his time but in many ages besides as the holy Scripture abundantly declareth and that the Church doth not alwaies come with observation as our Saviour said of the Kingdom of God in his time that it came not with appearance and magnificence And therefore the Church of England doth not believe that pompe state and outward worldly dignity and riches miracles multitude and grandeur are the markes and notes of a true Church but rather the very characters of the whore of Babylon who sitteth as Queen And this is the beliefe of the Church of England concerning the Kingly Office of Christ and his Kingdome the Church Now Mr. Montague let us see what the Church of Rome believes concerning Christs Kingly Office and Kingdome that both our tenents and beliefes being set downe together it may the better appeare which of our faiths is most orthodox and which of our Churches doth most glorifie and honour Christ their King and magnifie his Kingly dignity and absolute soveraignty The Church of Rome doth in words acknowledge that Christ is the King of his Church but in their workes and deeds they deny it For they make him a terrene Monarch and his Kingdome to be of this world neither doe they admit and allow him to be the sole alone and onely King of his Church but they joyne a Vicar with him and divide the care of governing his Kingdome between him and his Vicar-generall the Pope who they assert to be of an infallible and un-erring spirit and proclaime him to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords the foundation and head of the Church and Lord of all the Kingdomes of the earth that he may dispose of them as he pleaseth and give them to whom he lusteth and take them from any that hath not a desire to humour him all which are titles of blasphemy and unsufferable indignity to the King of Saints and King of Kings the Lord Jesus Christ The Church of Rome believeth and holdeth also that the Kingdome of Christ which is his Church ought to be governed not onely by the Lawes and Word of Christ but by the determinations and decrees of Fathers Councels and Synods and by the Popes Canons and the vaine and impious traditions of men which they doe not onely equalize but preferre before the holy Scriptures They also affirme that the markes and notes of Christs Kingdome are multitudes
succession miracles pompe state and magnificence antiquity unity c. and that it is and alwaies hath been in a perspicuous and glorious forme and visible appearance and the Church of Rome also affirmeth that the pure preaching of the Gospell the right administration of the Sacraments and the true invocation of God are not the notes of a true Church which is most impious to thinke All this which I have now spoke is the beliefe and faith of the Church of Rome concerning the Kingly Office of Christ and his Kingdome the Church as you well know Master Montague Now I intreat you and all men a little to consider whether the faith of the Church of England or the beliefe of the Church of Rome touching Christs Kingly Office and his Kingdome be more orthodox and which of them most honoureth Christ the King And whether the Church of Rome doth any more but in word onely acknowledge Christ to be King and his Church to be his Kingdome but in workes deny them and whether the Church of England doth not both in word and deeds truely honour him for their King and venerate his Church and Kingdome as his Spouse The Church of England gives unto Christ his due honour prerogatives and priviledges and all his glory and dignity as their onely Law-giver and to the utmost of their power and abilities endeavour that his Soveraignty and Royalty may suffer no diminution nor may in the least thing be impeached or damnified and therefore they doe believe that the honour of governing and moderating of his Church is Christs peculiar priviledge and right and so annexed to his Crowne and Royalty and so peculiarly belonging unto the Lord of life as it is blasphemy in any to assume that honour of governing upon themselves or any of his glorious titles as that of Lord of Lords and foundation of the Church which are his Prerogatives and she believes also that it is a great sin and wickednesse in any Christian to allow and approve of such derogation from their King and master Jesus Christ The Church of Rome on the contrary ascribes and gives that honour and glory and those titles of dignity which belong unto Christ onely and are his peculiar Prerogatives unto a mortall Pope Christ and his Kingdomes immortall enemy and divides the government of the Church his Kingdome between Christ and the Pope yea they doe ascribe and give unto their Pope a greater power and authority than Christ assumed unto himselfe or that they give unto Christ For their Pope may both dispense with the Law of God and Christ and breake it when he pleaseth and decree against it as you know very well Mr. Montague which Christ never did or assumed to himselfe and the Church of Rome in all things gives more honour and obedience to the Pope than to Christ For where Christ forbids if the Pope commands they will obey the Pope and neglect Christs command and make nothing of it and where Christ commands and the Pope forbids they listen unto the Pope and obey him and trample Christs command under their polluted feet But for the more cleere evidencing of this truth and that neither you Mr. Montague nor any other may say I falsely charge the Church of Rome consider I pray these few following particulars to omit many more Christ in Matth. 20. ver 25. condemneth all worldly Dominion and princely government in his Church and in expresse words forbids his Apostles and in them all their successors to affect Soveraignty one over another or over the Church of God in these words The Kings of the Nations beare rule over them but it shall not be so among you Contrary unto this command or rather prohibition of Christ the Church of Rome setteth up a most tyrannicall worldly Monarchy and Dominion ruling over both the soules bodies and estates of all sorts rankes and degrees of men and such a Soveraignty as advanceth it selfe above all that is called God and establisheth a government in Christs Kingdome most like to the government of the Kings of the Nations whereas Christ would have the government and rule of his Church most unlike to that kind of government and therefore in this particular it is manifest they preferre the Popes command before Christs the King of his Church Christ in John 5. saith Search the Scriptures for in them ye thinke to have eternall life The Church of Rome on the contrary not onely takes away the Scriptures out of the hands of the people but prohibits the searching and the reading of them yea punisheth the reading of them or but the having of them in their houses in the vulgar tongue with fire and fagot and most blasphemously accuseth them to be the cause of all errours schismes and heresies and of all factions in Kingdomes and States And in this point also you may see how they listen more unto the Pope than unto Christ himselfe Christ Luke 11. instructeth all Christians how to pray saying When ye pray say Our Father which art in Heaven c. And in Matth. 11. Come unto mee all yee that are weary and heavy laden c. The Church of Rome on the contrary commands the people to pray unto Saints and Angels and sends them on pilgrimages to their shrines there of them to demand health in the time of their needs and necessities In this particular in like manner they listen more to the Pope and sleight Christs direction and command Christ in the 24. of Matth. vers 26. saith If they shall say unto you that Christ is in the Desert goe not forth behold he is in the secret places believe it not The Church of Rome on the contrary teacheth and believeth that Christ is really present in all their Masses and that he is there in the hands of their Priests on their Altars and in their Pixes and where they please and that they ought there to give him Divine worship and punish the neglect of such worship with fire and sword and the not believing of that doctrine which is contrary unto Christs command with most cruell deaths and most exquisite tortures You see how in this point also the Church of Rome yeelds more obedience to the Popes command than Christs The Lord Jesus in the institution of his holy Supper Matth. 26. vers 27. tooke the Cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to his Disciples saying Drinke ye all of it The same doctrine was taught by Paul as received by Christ himselfe with a command that it should be continued untill his comming that all that were worthily prepared should take the cup as well as the bread 1 Cor. 11. Notwithstanding this double command of Christ the King the Church of Rome obeyes the Pope and practices the contrary and wholly takes away the cup from the people and will not so much as let them touch it much lesse taste of it a most abominable sacriledge and intolerable disobedience and rebellion Innumerable
ought to be denyed And this is the language and opinion of many as their Pulpits can witnesse and their Pamphlets declare in the which they signifie unto us likewise that they have not spoke all they can plead for themselves and against us but that they doe keepe a reserve donee ad Triarios redierit res untill it come to a dead lift in case they shall be brought before Princes and Rulers to give an account of what they do or desire These are their formall words and farther adde that we put them upon too unreasonable a taske to satisfie us in all that they do and desire Whereas Saint Peter in his first Epistle chap. 3. commands all Christians to be ready to give a reason of their hope to every one that shall demand it of them And as by such expressions as these it doth evidently appeare they jugle and deale not candidly with their brethren and according to the revealed Will of God and the example of Paul who delivered unto the Ephesians the whole counsell of God and kept no reserve donee ad Triarios redierit res untill it came to a dead lift and that he was brought before Kings Rulers but publiquely and privately from house to house night and day taught them the whole counsell and will of God and withheld nothing that concerned them to know or practice nor never ketp any reserve Act. 20. So also they publish their uncharitablenesse and unchristian dealing towards their brethren whiles they not onely conceale from them and keepe a reserve of such things as they pretend are conducible to bring them to salvation and to a more perfect knowledge of Jesus Christ and of the good will pleasure and waies of God but whiles they un-Church un-Christian and un-Minister them likewise and make them all no better then the off-scouring of the earth and a company of cast-awaies which they doe in word and deed as their daily practice doth testifie and manifest to all men when they separate from our Congregations and assemblies and proclaime us all a false and an Antichristian Church and enemies of Jesus Christ and his Kingdome Now that I may manifest unto all the World that the Papists who accuse our Church to be hereticall doe most impiously and malignantly abuse us and that all other that deny the Church of England to be a true Church doe also most maliciously and falsely traduce us and belie the truth and for the convincing of both their errours and maintenance of the truth and in the just defence of the Church of England and for the proving of her a true Church and for the stopping also of the mouthes of all gainsayers I have published the following discourse which if thou Christian Reader shalt peruse without a prejudicate opinion I doubt not but thou wilt finde arguments sufficient to prove the Church of England a true Church and firme reasons also to continue constantly in the communion and fellowship of the same and to abhorre those unwarrantable waies of separation howsoever in their mildest and sweetest discourses they account of all such as now stand up in the defence of the truth against the errours of the times as of a company of Wolves Beares Lyons and Tygers for this is the language they give us and that in such bookes as in which they professe meekenesse of spirit with whom they ought to have no fellowship and brotherly communion And if thou through the blessing of God upon the reading of it shalt reape any benefit by it I shall desire thee to give the glory to God who hath used me as an instrument and to esteeme of him who as he is and ever shall be filius Ecclesiae Anglicanae so thy servant for our Masters sake JOHN BASTWICK THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND a true CHURCH By JOHN BASTWICK Doctor in Physick Master MOUNTAGUE AS there is nothing in the World I more wish and earnestly pray for than that God may be glorified his name and truth known amongst all men that they may be saved so there is no man that doth more fervently desire and shal more diligently endeavour to the uttermost of his abilities to bring men into the right way how they may come to the knowledge of God and of themselves wherein consists their eternall happinesse than my selfe And this I take to be not onely my duty but the duty indeed of all those that call upon the name of God in sincerity And I am most assured that no ingenuous man will misinterpret this my zeale or blame my love or condemne me that I wish the common salvation of mankind and that they may both know and constantly persevere in that faith that was once delivered to the Saints of old Jude vers 3. which all Christians are bound earnestly to contend for especially if they consider that in all this my care I seeke not my selfe or any private emolument by it but that men may live happily and comfortably in this world and be perennally blessed when mortality shall be swallowed up of life And this was the principall cause that made me so willing to seeke your acquaintance and gratifie your desire which was that I would come and conferre with you about points of Religion in controversie betweene the Church of Rome and us I confesse there were many thousands in the Kingdom fitter for that imployment and that might have given better satisfaction in those questions than my selfe yet because I heard you had been many moneths in prison and had earnestly wished to discourse with any of our religion and none came to you as you signified to Master Lieutenant from whom you received this answer that he never had any notice of any such thing before this time and understanding withall that you had a desire in particular to dispute with me it made me the more willing to imbrace the occasion and chiefly because there went a great fame of you to be a man both of candour learning and ingenuity Which worthy praise of yours shall never be impeached by me neither will any man endeavour in the least to diminish it as I hope if you shall stand to your resolution and solemne promise which was that if any man could prove unto you that the Protestant Church or the Church of England was a true Church that then you would come to our Church and be of our profession All which you did in the presence of the Lieutenant and many other Gentlemen then and there againe seriously protest Now I say if upon evident demonstration and infallible arguments it shall appeare to all men that the Church of England is a true Church and where salvation may be found if you stand to your promise you must renounce the Church of Rome and become a sonne of the Church of England a true Protestant and in so doing you shall bring glory to God comfort to your soule and have the praise of all men for your integrity and faithfulnesse in your
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
their owne good that their daies might be multiplied and the daies of their children as the daies of Heaven upon the earth vers 21. So that it had been a prodigious thing in Israel to forbid the people the reading of Moses his writings and books when God commanded all the people without exception to write his Laws upon the posts of their doores and upon their gates to the end that all men of what ranke or quality soever they were might read them and square their lives according to them and yet the Church of Rome contrary unto Gods command forbids the people either to read or have the Scripture in their houses And in the 34. of Isaiah ver 16. Seeke ye out of the booke of the Lord and read c. The Prophet here addresseth his speech to all the people of the earth as is evident by the beginning of the chapter And in Malachi 4. vers 4. Remember ye saith the Prophet the Law of Moses my servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the Statutes and judgements Here likewise all the people are commanded and enjoyned to the reading and remembring of Moses Law Yea Kings themselves and Governours are commanded to read the Law and to governe themselves and the people committed to their charge according to the Law of God Deut. 17. ver 18 19. And it shall be when he sitteth upon the Throne of his Kingdome that he shall write him a copy of this Law in a booke out of that which is before the Priests and the Levites And it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the daies of his life that he may learne to feare the Lord his God and to keep all the words of his Law and these statutes to doe them that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren and that he turne not aside from the Commandement to the right hand or to the left to the end he may prolong his dayes in his Kingdome hee and his children in the middest of Jsrael Hâ—re we see the Kings themselves are as strictly commanded to keepe the Law of God as the meanest of the people And Josua 1. v. 7 8. Only be thou strong and very couragious that thou mayest observe to doe according to all the Law which Moses my servant commanded thee turne not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goâ—st This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shall have good successe Josua was the Generall of their Army and yet hee is by an expresse command injoyned to reade and meditate in the holy Scriptures night and day and commanded not to turne to the right hand or to the left but to order his life and governe the people according to the same all the dayes of his life And Josua in the 23 Chap. vers 6. exhorts the people saying Be ye of a valiant courrage to observe and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses that ye turne not there-from to the right hand or to the left He ties all the people to the written Law and commands universall and constant obedience unto it and promiseth them blessings from God if they shal obey and pronounceth judgements from God against them if they shall rebell and be disobedient and for the more animating of them to the duty of obedience he sets his own example before them Chap. 24. v. 15. with his resolution that hee and his house would serve the Lord if others would not and by that he teacheth every one their duty that if all the world would go from God yet every one of us is particularly bound to cleave unto him and the way to cleave unto the Lord is to follow the direction of his Law and continually to have it before our eyes and in our hearts according to Solomons counsell frequently set down My sonne saith he Pro. 3. vers 1. Forget not my Law but let thy heart keepe my Commandements for length of dayes and yeares of life and peace shall they adde unto thee Let not mercy and truth forsake thee binde them about thy necke write them upon the Table of thy heart So shalt thou finde favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man Solomon contents not himselfe only to teach all men their duty but withall shewes them the benefit that redoundeth and ariseth from it viz. All manner of blessing according to that of S. Paul the first of Timoth. chap. 4. vers 8. Godlinesse is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come And in the sixth Chap. vers 20. My sonne saith he keepe thy fathers commandement and forsake not the Law of thy mother That Law saith Solomon that God gave unto thy Father and to thy Mother and injoyned them in the sixt of Deut. and the 11. to teach unto their children that Law and Commandement keep thou and forsake it not yea binde them continually upon thine heart and tie them about thy neck When thou goest it shall leade thee 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 Infinite places more might be alledged out of all the holy Scriptures of the old Testament where all the holy Prophets exhort the people to the studying meditating and reading of the Law and where they pronounce them blessed that delight and meditate in the Law night and day Psal 1. But now let us see what Christ and his Apostles taught us in the new Testament and what the practise of all the Saints and holy men of God was in those dayes Christ in John 5. v. 38. saith Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to have eternall life and they are they that testify of mee And in Luke 16. vers 29.30 in the person of Abraham hee sends all that deâ—â—re salvation and to be freed from the torments of Diâ—eâ— to Moses and the Prophets and bids them heare them And tells them farther 〈◊〉 if â—â—y will not heare Moses and the Prophets though one should arise from the dead they would not be perswaded no miracles will be so prevalent and available either to instruct them or deterre them from their sinfull courses as Moses and the Prophets and therefore the Lord Jesus the Prophet of his Church ties them to the written Word And in both these places our Saviour speaketh unto all the people and not unto the Doctors and Teachers onely And S. Paul the Doctor of the Gentiles writing to the Colossians and in them to all Christians as S. Peter in his second Epistle confirmeth