of God accepting them as it had before pleased to assist in the doing of them All which I prove by these express Scriptures God commands Abraham to walk before him and be perfect Gen. 16. and he will be his exceeding great reward The Prophet Esay says of God Isay 40.10 Jer. 31.16 Prov. 11.28 that his reward is with him The Prophet Jeremy tells us thus for thy work shall be rewarded saith the Lord. The wise King Solomon assures us that the wicked worketh a deceitful work but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward The Lord recompence thy work Ruth 2.12 and a full reward begiven thee of the Lord God of Israel Out of these and infinite more places in the old Scriptures it is plain that God does promise and assure rewards to those that do well But the Evangelicall Scriptures are yet more full He that reapeth receiveth wages Iohn 4.36 and gathereth fruit unto life eternal that is man so that he that soweth that is God and he that reapeth may rejoyce together Our Saviour in his Sermon in the Mount Mat. 5.12 Luke 6.22.23 to encourage his disciples against persecution speaks plainly thus Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven in like manner S. Luke relates it Blessed are ye when men shall hate you persecute you or reproch you for the son of mans sake Rejoyce ye in that day and leap for joy for behold your reward is great in heaven c. Heer reward is plainly promised now we know that reward and merit are such relatives that one cannot be understood without the other Not every one that saith unto me Lord Mat. 7.21 Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven Thus cleer it is that is not enough â—o believe in the Lord that we may enter into life but we must do his will Again Mat. 10.42 Whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water onely in the name of a disciple verily I say unto you be shall in no wise loose his reward Yet again the same Gospel tells us that all the labourers in the Lords vineyard were to receive their reward Mat. 20.7 8 9. from the last unto the first and so they did every one their peny and adds whatsoever is right that shall ye receive observe how the Lord makes the reward of mans works a piece of his justice The same S. Matthew still tells us Mat. 19.17 how our Saviour chargeth the young man in the Gospel if he will enter into life to keep the commandments something therefore is to be done on our parts But above all the same Evangelist in another place quite states the question Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Mat. 25.34 35 36. for I was a hungry and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye grve me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me Here our Saviour was pleased to instance in all the works of charity to shew how they are all and every one of them meritoriously accepted by him Does not S. John likewise plainly tell us Iohn 5.28.29 our Saviours express words that those that are in their graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation and again you are my friends if ye keep my commandments can you yet think that there is nothing due to good works Will you hear what S. Paul tells you that God will render to every man according to his deeds Rom. 2.6 10. glory honour and peace to every one that worketh good c. and then concludes that not the hearers but the doers of the Law shall be justified Again 1 Cor. 3.8 to the Corinthians he says every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour and in his second Epistle to the same Corinthians he tells them thus 2 Cor. 5.10 1 Cor. 9.17 For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad again if I do this willingly I have a reward 1 Cor. 15 58. and at last concludes that great Chapter concerning the Resurrection Therefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. The same Apostle forewarns the Galatians not to be deceived Gal. 6.7 God is not mocked for what soever a man soweth that shall he also reap The same Apostle prays heartily for the Collosians Colos 1.10 Colos 3.23.24 that they might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good work and then afterwards tells them plainly that whatsoever they do they should do he artily as to the Lord and not unto men knowing that of the Lord they shall receive the reward of their inheritance c. To the Hebrews he says plainly Heb. 6.10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which you have shewed towards his name Heb. 13.16 in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do minister and in another place adviseth them that to do good and to communicate they forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased S. John in his second Epistle general adviseth all the world to look to themselves 2 John ver 8. that they loose not those things which they have wrought but that they receive a full reward S. Peter is no less cleer in this sense 2 Pet. 1 10 11. as you may see by the Counsell general that he gives wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if ye do thus ye shall never fall for so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And then in his first Epistle he exhorteth to an honest conversation c. that the world may be convinced by the good works which they shall behold and glorifie God in the day of visitation Then that faith is utterly vain without works James 2 14. ver 17 18 19 20 21 24. see how throughly the blessed Apostle S. James delivers it What doth it profit my brethren though a man say he hath faith and hath not works can faith save him then a little after tells us that faith if it hath not works is dead being alone then says the Apostle I will shew my faith by my works thou believest there is
fourth marke you make is to exalt and oppose himself to and above all that is called God and that you say the Pope does when he exalts himself above all ecclesiastical and civil power here give me leave to tell you that Moses was above all ecclesiasticall and civil power and yet in that he was not exalted above God Thus four markes of Antichrist you are pleased to take out of the Epistle of S. Paul to the Thessalonians your fifth marke followes out of S. John That he must deny Jesus Christ which you say the Pope does by the corruption of the doctrine that concernes the mediation of Christ and introducing of new mediators but that I have proved to be a corruption of yours as you wil see in my last paper The sixth marke again you make to be that he is a Lyer and worker of fals miracles so you say the Pope does at Loretto and other places I wonder your understanding is so weak as to think that we think that the Pope does the Loretto miracles but God If you would prove any thing as to this point you should prove indeed that the Pope does those very miracles which the Scripture foretells that Antichrist shall do Revel 13.13.15 as that he should make fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men Then that he should make the Image of a beast to speak c. neither of these miracles as ever I heard of hath been attempted yet by any pope The seventh and last marke you give is that he causeth all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive a mark c. and the pope you say plainly does that Revel 16.13 ch 14.9 when he imposeth his Character upon some and marks upon all as by the Sacrament of confirmation wherein he useth the unction of his Chrisme to sign the foreheads c. Here are cleerly three conditions required by the text to the accomplishment of this mark first that it should be common to all great and little rich and poor bond and free Secondly that he should impose his Character either in their foreheads or right hands Thirdly that none but he that has his mark or character shall be priviledged to buy or sell Now let any man shew that those conditions do at all suite with the unction of Chrisme and Isle rest fully satisfied otherwise this argument which you so fondly boast of hath no force at all So according to my former method I shall be bold to reply and to conclude your trouble and mina upon this occasion That the whole Church of Christ cannot possibly erre and that the Roman Catholick Church is that Church disperst over all the world I prove by most express Scripture thus How that the Catholick Church is the body of Christ the spouse of Christ and the kingdom of heaven is clear by many Scriptures what probability then nay what possibility is there that a thing so nearly related to him and in so high dear and honorable relations should be forsaken by him First That the Church is his body is plain out of S. Paul who tells us Eph. 4. that God laid all things under his feet and gave him to be head of the whole Church which is his body and the fulnesse of him who filleth all in all wherefore walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called with all humility and meekness with patience and long suffering supporting one another in charity Cap. 5. and carefull to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace there is one body and one spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your calling one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all who is above all and through you all and in you all Then to the Corinthians again 1 Cor. 11. Rom 12. and to the Romanes he sayes ye are the body of Christ and members one of another Then that the Church is the Spouse of Christ is plain out of other Texts as first out of the Canticles My Dove Cantic 6.9 my undefiled is but one she is the onely one of her mother she is the choice one of her that bare her c. And in another place A garden inclosed is my Sister my Spouse Cant. 4.11 a spring shut up a fountain sealed and therefore S. John sayes of the new Hierusalem which is the Church of Christ Rev. 21.2 that he saw her coming down out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband And S. Paul more largely and plainly yet tells the Ephesians thus Wives submit your selves unto your Husbands as unto the Lord for the Husband is the head of the Wife even as Christ is the head of the Church Ephes 5.22 23 24 25 26 27. and he is the Saviour of the body therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ so let the Wives be to their own Husbands in every thing Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy without blemish Now examine I pray you what a prety piece of Christianity it is to impute impurity and errour to it Then that the Church is called the Kingdome of Heaven too Mat. 20. is as plain by Scripture first out of S. Mat. 22.2 3. Matthews Gospell For the Kingdome of Heaven is like unto a man that is an householder which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard Then again The Kingdome of Heaven is like unto a certain King Mat. 25.1 2 3. which made a marriage for his Son and sent forth his servants to call them that were bid to the medding c. Then again The Kingdome of heaven shall be likned to ten Virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the Bridgroome and five of them were wise and five were foolish c. Many more such Parables we find in the Gospells but these three will be enough for our purpose to draw from thence these three conclusions first if the Church be called the Kingdome of Heaven how should errour falsity and uncleaness raign in it so many hundred years as you pretend it has when the Kingdome of Heaven we know is the Kingdome of truth and purity Secondly It is plain that God goes out even untill the evening to hire labourers whereas you do and must maintain that none were hired in the Church for above a thousand years but your late upstart Doctors Thirdly It is plain that the Church here militant is a collection of good and bad for our Saviour saies plainly that of the Virgins five were wise and five foolish and so fishes good and bad come to the net of the
steple houses Nay did not Jesus Christ live a poor life upon earth and counsell poverty to all the followers of him what need have we then of all those splendid sumptuous buildings and statly ornaments and rich revenues of your Churches which are but golden snares for to entrap Christian souls and our Saviour himself declared as aforesaid how much he abhorred and did afterwards destroy the riches of Solomons Temple and a heathen Poet himself could say at vos dicite Pontifices in sacro quid facit aurum nempe quod veneri donatae a virginie puppe Yet you will persist in that foolish idolatry 8 Then that your Churches nor your Churhmen are to be priviledged or exempted from the jurisdiction of the secular power more than others I prove by the express precept and president of our Saviour who not onely suffered himself to be judged by Pontius Pilat a meer lay man John 19.11 and a heathen but aproved his power granting expressly to him that his power was given him from above what reason then have any of your Churchmen to refugiate themselves under any pretended priviledge or be exempted from the secular power more than we 9 Nay that all faithfull Christians are Priests and the Lords Anointed and that by Baptisme it self 1. Pet. 2.5 9. is plain by many express Scriptures And therefore Peter twice in one chapter inculcates it thus first ye allso as lively stones are built up a spirituall house an holy preisthood to offer up Spirituall Sacrifice acceptable to God by Jesus Christ and again but ye are a chosen generation a Royall Preisthood an holy nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light By which it is plain that all good Christians are as much priests as any of your black coats what soever and this is likewise affirmed by John who tells us that he loved us and washed us from our sins in his blood and made us a Kingdome and priests to God his Father 1. Cor. 12.13 10 Then the Apostle Paul tells us that by one Spirit we are all baptised into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one spirit it must follow therefore Rem 12 that we are equally Preists with any of you Nay does not the same Apostle tell us yet more plainly that we may do the office of Priests which is to offer Sacrifice when he chargeth us to present our bodys a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is our resonable service and cannot we do that as well as you 11. Last of all for your Canonicall hours and formall prayers in your Churches and by your pretended preists I can for my part finde as little aggreeable to Scripture for first our Saviour to discountenance that kinde of devotion Matt. 7. tells us plainly that not every one that says unto him Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven Then if that kinde of praying were of any use or force with God at all then the Lord would be in a manner necessitated and constrained to his actions by those prayers but that we know he cannot be Over and above if such praying were prevalent with God what need will there be of living in obedience to his Law or of any good works at all 12. Again our saviour Christ tells us that our Father in heaven knowes what is needfull for us Matt 6. before we aske him to what purpose therefore should we pray at all to him onely do his will and leave the rest to his own goodness For so the Prophet Malachy assures us likewise Malac. 3.13 that they are his own words I am God and am not to be changed You gain nothing therefore upon his decrees by your prayers 13. Then that our Saviour Christ was clearly against that kind of praying appears by those words Matt. 6. but when ye pray use not vain repetitions as the Heathens do for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking Methinks you should therefore be ashamed of your many repetitions and prayers at your Canonical hours forsooth when you know that there is no such thing as Canonical hours commanded and besides that nothing should be read or said in any congregation but what is for the edification of Christians souls That it is not lawfull to make war with Turks Jewes Heathens or Heritcks or to persecute them for any cause of conscience nay that Christians cannot justify to make war at all or to bear any civil Magistracy whatsoever or give or take any oaths I prove by express Scripture thus 1. First it is plain that to wage war against Turks Jews Heathen or Hereticks is to resist the will of God and his holy Sprit visiting our sins upon us and punishing us by their hands and our duty is to fight with prayers and tears not with the the sword As the Apostles did 2. Then we finde our Saviour Expresly forbid all kinde of resistance and returns of injury for injury when he says in Matthews gospel Matt. 4.39 But I say unto you that ye resist not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek turn to him the other also 3. Nay more expresly yet we have it in the same Gospell Mat. 26.52 Then sayd Jesus unto him put up again thy sword into his place for all they that take the sword shall perish by the sword and that this was so understood by the Apostles primitive Christians is plainly held forth by John in his Apockalyps where it is said Rev. 13.10 he that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword heer is the patience and the faith of the saints so that all war must be simply and of it self unlawful 4. Then we find that persecution for cause of conscience is utterly unlawfull for the Apostles and primitive Christians did never seek to princes to give them any force to defend them against any â—ersecutors whatsoever nor do we find the Gospell or Apostles teach us any thing but submission to our Sufferings and that all the enemies of Christ are to be over come onely with the sword of the spirit which is the word of God 5. The Lord in Matthews Gospell commands again expresly that the Tares which the enemy sowed should not be pulled up Matt. 13.30 but that both be let to grow together till the Harvest that is the end of the world and then he will say to the Repers gather ye together first the tares and binde them in bundells to burn them but gather the wheat into my barne 1. Cor. 11.19 So that Hereticks as well as Turks Jews and Infidels must be let alone to grow till the end of the world and Paul plainly asserts the necessity of that
conceive enough said on your part against it so I conceive I have said sufficiently for it in my reply to those two parts of it Confession and Satisfaction to which I refer you So I shall make it my business now to prove the other four to be Sacraments and of divine institution and I shall begin with the Sacrament of Confirmation Every Sacrament is a sensible sign having an infallible assistance of the grace of the Holy Spirit and such I prove Confirmation to be by most express Scriptures thus We find in the Acts That when the Apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had receiv'd the Word of God Act. 8.14.15 16 17. they sent unto them Peter and John Who when they were come down pray'd for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost Fâ—r as yet he was fallen upon none of them only they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Then laid they their hands upon them and they received the Holy Ghost Here was manifestly a confirmation after Baptism and a sensible sign to wit Imposition of hands by which the grace of the holy spirit was confer'd and that is enough to make a Sacrament Again we find in another Chapter of the same Acts Act. 19.2.3 4 5 6. That Paul being at Ephesus and finding some Disciples there said unto them have ye received the Holy Ghost since â—e believed and they said unto him we have not so much as heard whether there be any holy Ghost and be said unto them unto what then were ye baptized and they said unto him Johns Baptism then said Paul John verily baptized with the Boptism of Repentance saying unto the people that they should believe on him which should come after him that is on Christ Jesus when they heard this they believed on Christ Jesus And when Paul bad laid his hands upon them the Holy Ghost came on them and they spake with Tongues and Prophesy'd Here is I say again after Beliefe and Baptism an Imposition of hands by which the grace of the Holy Spirit was ferr'd Now that this Sacrament waa instituted by Christ himself is plain by the Gospells John 16. where he promiseth his Apostles the Comforter his Holy Spirit with which they should be confirmed by virtue from above now the mission of the Holy Ghost in the time of Penticost either was the Sacrament of confirmation it self or instead of it Mark 11.13 14. Matth. 10. again we find in the Gospels That they brought young children to Christ that be should touch them and his Disciples rebuked them that brought them but when Jesus saw it be was displeased and said suffer the little Children to come to me for of such is the Kingdome of God c. Now it is very probable that he did either institute this Sacrament then or at least infinuate it So enough I coceive said to that Now that the Sacramnot of Orders was instituted likewise by Christ himself and with a sensible sign conferrs grace I prove this by expresse Scriptures First we find that when Jesus had called unto him his twelve Disciples Mat. 10.1 he gave them power against unclean spirets and to heal all manner of sicknesse and all manner of diseases Then again Jesus going up into the Mountain and called unto him whâ—m he would and they came unto him and he made that Twelve should be with him Mark 6.7 and he sent them to preach c. And after these things the Lord appointed other seventy also and sent them tweand two before his face into every City and place whither he himself would come Then again we find Luk 10.1 that taking bread he brake it giving thanks and saying this is my Body c. Do this in remembrance of me Then last of all look into St. Johns Gospel and you wil find yet a more express Ordination and mission As my Father hâ—th sens me so send I you Lâ—k 28. And when he had said this he breathed on them and saith unto them receive ye the holy Ghost John 10. â— 21 22 23 Whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosoever sins ye retein they are reteyned Thus you have in the four Gospells the institution of this Sacrament Let us now look a little into the Apostolicall practise We find in the Acts Act. 13. â—â— As they ministred to the Lord and fasted the holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them and when they had fasted and prayed and I did their hands on them they sent them away Here again is plain Ordination and Mission St. Paul gives direction to young Timothy how to behaave himself in his Ministry and then says 1 Tim. 4.14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given to thee by Prâ—phecy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery Then again he says Lay not thy hands on any man over haftily and again the Elders that govern well are worthy of double honour Then the same Apostle tells Titus 1 Tim. 6. For this Cause I left thee in Creet that thou shouldst make Elders in severall Cities 2 Tim. 1. Then to Philemon he says of those Elders those that are of this sort have a great regard to thus you see what respect St. Paul had to holy orders and yet to admonish us further of our duties to them he makes it his humble request to the Thessalonians thus Phil. 1. We beseech you brethren to know them that labour amongst you and over you on the Lord and admonish you in the Lord and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake and be at peace amongst your selves See what charge St. 1 Thes 5.12.13 Peter gives the Elders The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder c. Feed the flock of God which is among you taking the eversighe thereof c. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of glory that fadeth not away So St. Paul again in the Acts of the Apostles Exhorts the Elders of Ephâ—sus thus Take heed therefore unto your selves and to the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Bishops or Overseers as you would have it for it is all one to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Blood Act. 20.28 Geâ— 1.37 Observe that the Holy Ghost made them Bishops and Overseers and yet you will deny Orders to be a Sacrament but it is plain it is for Imposition of hands is the visible sign which carries with it the invisible grace of the Holy Spirit as you have seen at large proved by Scripture That Matrimony is a Sacrament and instituted by Christ I likewise prove by expresse Scripture thus First it is very probable that the blessing which God Almighty gave to Adam and Eve in Paradice was not unaccompani'd with divine
dead and that he sent two thousand Drachmes of silver to Jerusalem to offer a sin-offering doing therein very well and honestly in that he was mindeful of the resurrection for if he had not hoped that they that were slain should have risen again it had been superfluous and vain to pray for the dead and also in that he perceived that there was a great favour laid up for those that dyed godly it was a holy and good thought whereupon he made a reconciliation for the dead and that they might be delivered from sin 2 Tim. 1.16 18. But if you will deny the authority of this book you will not sure deny that of S. Paul who prays for the whole household of Onesiphorus some whereof were dead in all probability and Onesiphous himself dead in history before the writing of that Epistle wherefore he prays to the Lord to give mercy unto them and that Onesiphorus himself may finde mercy of the Lord in that day it is plain from hence that there is a capacity for mercy at the lastday by consequence therefore there must be a third place that is nesther Heaven nor Hell and so by consequence again prayer for the dead must be a a very good devotion and available to the case and release of those poor souls And to this truly if all Scripture were perfectly silent the practise of the Church of Christ has been cleer and universal that no prudent Christian can deny his assent if he be not resolved to shake the very foundations of Christianity it self which the gates of bell shall never prevail against Thus my Lady having dispatcht her answer and replies to this paper made hast to open the next which she found to this purpose following Madam this is the last paper that I shall be bold to offer to your Ladiship which indeed might have served for all the rest for it striks at the very root of all your Religion and what a pitiful weak and sandy foundation you have you shall see if you shall please impartially to confider what followes That your Pope or Bishop of Rome is not nor can be head of the Church of Christ nor S. Peter successor as you pretend nor has any priminary or superiority over other Bishops I prove out of Scripture thus 1 S. Rom. 12.5 Paul tells the Romans plainly that we being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another Heer the Apostle acknowledgeth no head but Christ and concludes Peter to be as much a member as any one of the faithfull and that not onely in respect of Christ we are members but in respect of our selves is cleer by those words every one members one of another so that Peter Pope or Bishop be he what he will is not onely a member of the body of the Church as he has relation to Christ the head but as he does relate to the other faithfull members 2 Again as the head and the other members make up one entire naturall body 1 Cor. 12 so Christ and his Church make up one entire mysticall body which is so made up of head and members as the Apostle tells us therefore all others besides Christ who is the head are but members of the body of the Church and none but Christ can be the head of the Church 3 We finde in the Gospells Math. Mark Luke John that Jesus Christ does equally commend the care of his Churh to all his Apostles for he said to all the rest as well as Peter as the father sent me so send I you again go ye and teach all Nations c. then again we know that he did teach and instruct them all equally and sent the holy Ghost to them all equally and indifferently at the time of Pentecost therefore Peter had no priveledge nor prehemminence over the rest 4 S. Gal. 2.11 Paul tells us that when Peter was come to Antioch he withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed therefore Peter was not then taken for the head of the Church For S. Paul had he beleived that would not have shewed such arrogancy and perversness as to resist the head of the Church in such an open manner 5. Then it is manifest that the Church of Christ could not be built upon the person of Peter for then the gates of Hell had prevailed against it and him when he was terrified from his faith by the voice of a silly wench And so by consequence it cannot be built upon his successors who are dayly guilty of such personall crimes 6 Again we finde that the Church of Christ is built upon a Rock and that Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 3. 1 Cor. 10 therefore it could never be understood of Peter for another foundation can no man lay besides that which is already laid as the Apostle tells us 7 Then it is very disputable whether Peter was ever at Rome and sure we are out of Scripture that he was eighteen years at least after our Saviours passion in and about Jerusalem where was then the Romane Church 8 Then again how could Peter be the Rock upon which he would build his Church when our Saviour himself said to him Mat. 16. get thee behind me satan he never intended sure satan should be the head of his Church as it is too much to be feared he makes himself now to be of yours 9 We cannot finde that S. Peter did ever exercise any power or jurisdiction over the other Apostles Acts 8. but they did plainly over him when they sent him and John into Samaria 10 Again Peter knew fullwell that such a power or superiority was expresly forbiden by our Saviour himself Mat. 20.25 Mark 10.46 Luke 22.24.25 in all the Gospeles you know saith he that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentils exercise Lordship over them and their great ones exercise authority upon them but so shall it not be amongst you but whosoever will be great amongst you shall be your Minister who soever of you will be the cheifest shall be servant of all All which our Saviour spok rebuke a strife that was amongst them who should be the greatest Nay it is plain by the Text in all those Gospells that it is onely for the Kings and rulers of the Earth to take upon them power and Authority Bishops therefore of the Church have nothing to do with it therefore not the Pope 11 Nay our Saviour shews such a detestation of this affected superiority that he rebukes the Diciples for it and warnes them against it in severall other places of the Gospells and set a little child before them and tellls them Mot. 18.4 Mark 9.46 that whoosever shall humble himself as that little child the sames is greatest in the Kingdome of heaven c. How well your Pope is an immitator of Jesus Christ and follower of his commands I will leave your self to judge who takes upon him
that we are all the foot when we know that there is and must be a difference between the members themselves wherefore the unity of the body may consist with the difference of members Then as to that other Text out of the Romanes we do acknowledge that all Christians though meerly Lay-mem may offer spiritual oblations and so may be mistical Priests erecting in their hearts an Altar of their affections to God but it does not at follow from thence that therefore there are not nor ought to be external and Hierarchical Priests To the Eleventh We say that our Saviour in that Gospel you urge sinds not fault with praying but praying as the Hepocrites doe who with his words prayes to God not with his deeds which kind of praying shuts the gates of the Kingdome of Heaven against them Then as to a necessity which you say our prayers must impose upon God we do absolutely deny any such thing but yet we know that God is pleased to express himself as if he were necessitated by the importunity of faithfull prayers as he said to Moses let me alone that my fury may wax hot as if he were hindred from his purpose by Moses his prayers he requests him to let him aloue And as to your inference that if prayrs be prevalent with God than good works an necessary we do absolutely deny it for we are to do the one and not toleave the other undone for by fasting and alms giving c. Prayers are carried up to Heaven as with Angels wings To the twelfth To what you urge out of S. Mathew and the Prophet Malachy we acknowled that God foreknowes our wants before we aske him but yet we confess his power in praying to him and beseech him as he is all powerfull to help us we ask therfore onely that which God has ordered us to ask for and has promised to give to our prayers and God will be askt before he gives least we should do that which most in the world do vilify his profered graces Neither is God to be thought to be changed by our prayers that is in his essence but the effects of things are many times changed by holy prayers as that before by Moses You mistake therefore if you think that our prayers are ordained to change the divine disposition but that we may obtein by our prayers what his divine goodness had disposed for us before the world was To the thirteenth and last We say that our Saviour forbids not much speaking in prayers simply but as the heathen doe vain repetitions and babling in prayers is forbiden not prolixity to continue long in prayer it is the superfluity of words that is offensive to God therefore the old Fathers prayers were very short Luke 22.1 Sam. 1. but frequent Christ himself prayed long and Amn prayed long and multiplied prayers Luke 2.6 Nay our Saviour was a whole night in prayer as the Scriptures testify Then that Canonicall hours are not commanded in holy writ I grant but they are sufficiently insinuated and the Church has allways learnt them from its holy Masters the Apostles and we ought to obey those that are set over us in the Lord Then last of all Heb. 11. what can be more edifying to Christians than those collects of holy prayers and homilies made by the holy Fathers of the Church the legands of the Saints and agonies of those invincible martyrs who have seald our Chrsstion faith with their blood if they be well and faythfully writen So now give us leave to reply a little upon you That it is lawfull to build use and adorn Churches and to give lands and possessions to them and to the persons that Officiate in them and that we are not all equally Priests and that our Canonicall hours and prayersure lawfull we prove by Scripture thus First we finde in Exodus that Jacob sayd surely the Lord was in this place Exod. 28 16 17. and I knew it not and again how dreadfull is this place this is no other but the houset of God and the gate of heaven Agayn in Deuteronomy we finde thus Deut. 46.2 Thou shalt therefore Sacrifice the passover unto the Lord thy God of thy flock and of thy heards in the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse to place his name there Therefore God appoints some places for his worship and delights in them more then in others We finde in the Chronicles that it was not permitted to David because he was a man of blood 1 Chron. 17. and had made many wars to build a house to the name of God Heer it is to be observed that the Lord had a great care of the Reverence due to his house when he would not suffer it to be built by a warriour or a man of blood ibid but by a king of peace as Solomon was Then in the same chapter and els where God expresseth himself to have walkt about in Tents 2 Kin. 7. and Tabernacle from place to place observe he that was every where says he was in the Tabernacle 1 Kings 6 7 8. c. How often does the Almighty call Solomons Temple his house to dwell in what infinite care and vast expence was in the building and not so much as the noise of a hammer to be heard about it all the while it was building and you will pull down Temples with noise of Drumes and Trumpets 1. Chron. 17. Then that God is more propitiated and hears our prayers sooner in a place hollowed to his name than in an other place is as plain for it is sayd That King David came and stood before the Lord that is the Arke by which it is plain that God is more present in one place than in another Daniel when he could not pray in the Temple Dan. 6. being a captive in Babylon yet prayed thrice a day with his face towards the Temple in Jerusalem Then the Prophet Isay tells us that God sayes Isay 36. my house shall be called by all people the house of prayer which our Saviour himself repeats confirms and adds upon the Jews but ye have made it a denne of Thieves Mat. 21. so many of your faction have made our Churches lately worse than dennes of Thieves It is said in the Acts Acts 3. how Peter and John went up into the Temple to pray at the ninth hour of prayer observe how the Apostles would pray in the old Temple when there was no Christian Church built 1 Cor. 11. St. Paul rebukes the Corinthians for prophaning of their Churches with eating and drinking and may not we say to you as the Apostles does to them despise you not the Church of God ibid. does not the same St. Paul require that women should hold their peaces in the Church out of reverence 1 Cor. 14.25 and that an unlearned man coming into the Church should falldown upon his face should worship