they were certainly assured So we read Luke 1. vers 1. Whereof we are fully perswaded c. and Heb. 10. vers 34. And yee tooke the spoyling of your goods with joy knowing in your selves you had in Heaven a better and induring substance So in the first Epistle of St. John chap. 3. vers 2. Behold now are we the sonnes of God and it doth not yet appeare what we shall be but we know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is In all the Saints we finde an infallible assurance and an undaunted and unremoveable confidence in Jesus Christ who they believed was delivered for their offences and raised againe for their justification knowing there was no other name under Heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved Acts 4 ver 11. And this faith in Jesus Christ is that that will support us in all tribulations and finally save us according to that in St. John chap. 3. ver 14 15 16. As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wildernesse even so must the Sonne of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life For God so loved the world that be gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And vers 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned butâ—â— that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the onely begotten Sonne of God And in Chap. 5. ver 24. Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Numberlesse testimonies might be accumulated out of the holy Scripture to prove that only to be the true faith and knowledge of Christ when we do conceive him in such sort as he is offered of the Father that is to say clothed with the Gospell for faith hath a mutuall relation to the word and the word to faith because the word is the fountaine of faith and the ground of faith and the mirrour in which faith beholdeth God as Christ saith here He that believeth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life This that I have now said Mr. Montague will I hope give satisfaction to any rationall man if not to your selfe that the Church of England believeth as it ought to believe because it regulates the faith of all Christians according to the word of God and Christ their onely Prophet and therefore it is an unanswerable argument that the Church of England is a true Church and built upon the foundation of Peter when it joyneth the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ and faith in him alone together Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus Rom. 3. v. 25 26. When therefore I say the Church of England joyneth the knowledge of God and Christ and faith in them both inseparably together and makes daily publication of this same doctrine it is evident that it is a true Church and built upon the foundation of Peter the ground and pillar of truth and where salvation may be attained unto for that Church which shall confesse with the mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in their heart that God hath raised him from the dead shall be saved for with the heart men believe unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Rom. 10. But the Church of England doth all this Ergo it believeth as it should believe and is a Church where salvation may be found And had the Church of England Mr. Montague but this marke alone it were enough for ever to stop the mouthes of all gainsayers and prove that it is a true Church and built upon the foundation of Peter and believes as it ought to believe And now I come to the qualification viz. That the Church of England doth renounce all self-merit in matter of salvation and all will-worship and humane inventions in Gods service which are requisites in any Church to make it a true Church and without which it cannot be a true Church You may remember Mr. Montague when you heard the name of merit and will-worship you began to bestir your selfe as if it had something troubled you and it doth indeed highly concerne you to looke about you lest falling upon the rocke of your owne merits you dash your selfe in pieces and destroy your owne soule And you affirmed that if you should speake of the doctrine of merits it would last you a weeke Truely Mr. Montague if you should speake a moneth or a yeere together of Christs merits and what he hath done and suffered for the redemption of mankind I should willingly be your anditor and think that nothing sufficient enough could be uttered or expressed to magnifie Gods and Christs love and to stirre up thankfulnesse obedience and love to God and Christ againe for their infinite mercy towards us such miserable creatures as we poore men are But Mr. Montague if you shall speake but one minute of an houre to extoll mans merit or to preach that men by their good workes can or may merit Heaven or if you goe about to establish that blasphemous doctrin for it is no better you shall have just cause to repent all the daies of your life for your so doing for this doctrine tends to overthrow the glorious Gospell and the whole worke of our redemption and Christs sufferings and opens an other way to Heaven than any of the Saints of old knew of who ever taught that Christ onely was the way the truth and the life and not mens merits and workes of supererogation Therefore Mr. Montague that Church that teacheth the free grace and eternall love of God in Jesus Christ unto the people when we were dead in our sinnes and trespasses and that inculcates self-deniall upon all men and urges them in matter of salvation to rely onely upon Christ and his obedience and passion with all his merits and to follow the guidance of his word for the manner of his service and teaches them to reject all will-worship and humane inventions in honouring God that Church believes as it ought to believe and teacheth the true way to Heaven and is built upon the foundation of Peter for all these things are the necessary requisites for the making of a true Church as I shall God willing speedily shew But if I shall be more large upon this point I desire your pardon for in my opinion it is a doctrine of as great concernment as any in Religion and where it is taught it is a sure evidence of a true Church In the handling of the which I will
to whom he is not their Lord he will be obeyed and have his pleasure submitted to or else we cannot be his disciples nor obtaine life eternall So that inevitably and most necessarily it followeth that we must renounce our owne merits and justification by our owne workes if we will believe in Christ as we ought to believe All which when the Church of England teacheth it is built upon the foundation of Peter and therefore is a true Church But that I may conclude this point and clearely evidence the truth of it to you Mr. Montague and all men and by other testimonies confirme it and in so doing prove the Church of England a true Church which you stifly deny I will briefly declare wherein our justification before God consisteth and what it is that makes us acceptable with him and to believe aright which is not to rely upon our own righteousnes but upon the righteousnes of Jesus Christ apprehended by faith And this doctrin we learn out of the holy Scriptures which teach us a twofold righteousnesse Rom. 10. v. 3. a righteousnesse of God and a righteousnesse of our owne which the Jewes relying upon as all Justiciaries do did not submit themselves to the righteousnesse of God therefore did not deny themselves and come unto Christ rely upon him Who was the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that believeth vers 4. For Moses saith the Apostle describeth the righteousnesse which is of the Law that the man that doth those things shall live by them But the righteousnesse which is of faith speaketh on this wise that if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made to salvation Here faith alone is the hand that reacheth forth the righteousnes of Christ unto us and by which apprehending Christ we stand justified before God So that out of the words of the Apostle this twofold righteousnesse appeares the righteousnesse of the Gospell and the righteousnesse of the Law which the Apostle so describeth as no mortall man ever living besides Christ onely since the fall of Adam was righteous or just or indeed could be as is sufficiently by the places above mentioned proved But the righteousnes of the Gospell is that whosoever believeth in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life John 3. For the just shall live by his faith Rom. 1. Gal. 3. Now then when the righteousnesse of the Law consisteth in the absolute and perfect observation obedience and fulfilling of the whole Law and no man can perfectly keepe observe and obey it it of necessity followes that we cannot attaine unto righteousnesse by the Law but we must seeke another righteousnesse which is onely to be found in the Gospell and that righteousnesse is the remission of all our sinnes and our reconciliation with God and the imputation of Christs righteousnesse freely bestowed upon us of God for Christs sake who is our onely Saviour and redeemer And this is to be built upon the foundation of Peter And this is the righteousnesse by which we must be saved and justified before God For we are justified freely by grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ As Paul saith to the Rom. chap. 3. ver 24. and in vers 28. farther expresseth himselfe saying We conclude therefore that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law The sense and meaning of the which words if we do duely consider them will so cleare unto all men this Evangelicall and everlasting truth that there will be no doubting of it to any rationall creature For the finding out therefore of the true sense of these words three things offer themselves to be deliberated on First what is meant here by being justified Secondly what is meant to be justified by faith Thirdly what are those works and deeds which are excluded from justification As concerning the first we are to observe three distinct actions of God in it First the freedome absolution of a sinner from the guilt of his sins and iniquities for the merits of Jesus Christ Acts 13. v. 38 39. Be it knowne unto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you forgivenesse of sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses That is by Jesus Christ they are freed and absolved from the guilt of those sinnes which the Law could not free them from And in this sense doth the Apostle oppose justification to condemnation in Rom. 8. v. 33. which is nothing else but a binding over a man to undergoe the due and deserved punishment The second action of God is imputation or the esteeming or the accounting of a sinner as just for the merits of Jesus Christ Woe be to him that justifieth the wicked Esay 5. ver 22. that is that doth not make him just but accompts esteems and declares him as just So in the Gospell wisdom is said to be justified of her children that is approved of and acknowledged The third action of God is the acceptation or receiving of a sinner to life eternall in Christ For after God hath freed and absolved a sinner and imputed righteousnesse unto him this receiving of him after that to life eternall doth necessarily follow which is therefore cald justification of life Rom. 5. ver 18. where the reason of it is likewise rendered for as Adams sinne and offence was imputed to all or came upon all and by it death entered into the world and reigned so the obedience of Christ being imputed to all believers they are made righteous and obtaine justification of life From the consideration of all which this definition of justification is easily gathered That it is an action of God the Father absolving and freeing a sinner from all his offences and transgressions for the merits of Jesus Christ and imputing righteousnesse unto him and receiving of him to life eternall And now I come to the second thing viz. What is meant to be justified by faith The sense and meaning of the which as it is a matter of great moment and consequence and concernes no lesse than our eternall happinesse so it cals for and requires at our hands all care and diligence for the right understanding of it which the great Rabbins of the Church of Rome are ignorant of and that it may the more easily be delucidated and understood I will declare first what that thing is for which a sinner is justified and accounted just And that is the obedience of Jesus Christ our mediator and redeemer and that both his active and passive for those are not to be separated that God hath joyned together the last of which doth consist in Christs suffering of the first death in respect of his
in that you neither denied major nor minor nor any part of it directly as you had done in your former replies and answers for that indeed you could not now doe the truth was so cleare but in regard also of the obscurity of your expressions and your often affirming and denying the same thing of which you could give no reason to those Gentlemen that were present although they often desired it I will therefore first set downe as well as I can the sum of your answer and bring that into order that was confusedly by you delivered and then relate the severall arguments and reasons I then made to your evasions Your first evasion was That to acknowledge both the natures of Jesus Christ and all his Offices and to believe in him as he was set forth and qualified in the holy Scripture was not sufficient enough to make a Church to be built upon the foundation of Peter And your reason as you said was because to believe in Jesus Christ effectually and sufficiently to salvation consisted in that we conformed our selves to a beliefe which is speculative and to a religion that is practicall in that the Church of Christ was determined in these two points to believe what was rightly delivered to us for speculative and then the externall practice of religion I have set downe your answer as I finde it taken by those that writ it verbatim not trusting wholly to my owne memory But before I relate the answer I then gave you I will first discover the danger and obscurity yea confusion that is in your language and words by which you thought to evade the dint of my argument the truth of which all the force and wit of man can never prevaile against You first affirmed that it was not enough to be built upon the foundation of Peter to acknowledge both the natures of Jesus Christ and all his Offices and to believe in him as he was set forth and qualified in holy Scripture for otherwise to what end were these your words uttered to evade the force and dint of my argument And this is as much as to overthrow all Christian religion and to deny the holy Scripture which offers salvation upon the termes of believing Jesus Christ as he is declared and made knowne in the Gospell for Paul in his first Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 2. v. 2. I determined not saith he to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified A sublimer knowledge and a more excellent learning Paul aspired not unto than to the knowledge of Christ and him crucified and that indeed is a knowledge surpassing all knowledge having both the promise of this life and of that which is to come and brings a man to eternall happinesse For this is life eternall saith Christ John 17. to know thee to be the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ Now Mr. Montague tell me I beseech you wherein doth the knowledge of Christ consist but in understanding this that when he was in the form of God and thought it no robbery to be equall with God he made himselfe of no reputation and tooke upon him the forme of a servant and was made in the likenesse of men Phil. 2. ver 6 7. So that being both God and man he became our Mediator and hath visited and redeemed his people and is the horne of our salvation as he is described in the first of Luke v. 68 69. that hath overcome and vanquished all our enemies by his power as he was our King and has made our atonement with God as he was our Priest being our Mediator both of satisfaction and intercession and in that as our Prophet the wisdome of the Father he hath fully declared the will of his heavenly Father in his holy Word according to the which we ought to square and order our lives in the distinct knowledge of all which things and believing and practising what is declared in the holy Scripture is the whole worke of a Christian and the onely cause of building any upon the foundation of Peter And yet in your dialect Mr. Montague there is more required in a Christian to make him believe aright than to acknowledge both the natures of Jesus Christ and all his Offices and to believe in him as he is set forth unto us and declared in his holy Word which is indeed to overthrow all Christian religion though perhaps you intended no such thing But they Master Montague that will oppose the truth many times expose themselves to great danger running into many errours But let us heare the reason of that your assertion Because say you to believe in Jesus Christ effectually and sufficiently to salvation consists in this that we conforme our selves to a beliefe which is speculative and to a religion that is practicall in regard that the Church of Christ was determined in these two points to believe what is rightly delivered to us for speculative and then the externall practice of Religion By all which if you had understood that in true Religion theory and practice must alwaies goe together and that they were inseparable there had been no controversie between you and me but the very truth is there is a mystery of iniquity in your expressions For what can any man understand by your words when you say to believe in Christ Jesus effectually and sufficiently to salvation consists in that we conforme our selves to a beliefe which is speculative and to a religion which is practicall if you meane not by your beliefe speculative and your religion practicall the knowledge of both the natures of Jesus Christ and all his Offices and to believe in him as he is qualified and set downe to us in his holy Word and the ordering of our lives according to the rule and direction of the same which is all that true religion consists in Now I say if you make your beliefe speculative and your religion practicall a thing divers and different from the knowledge of both the natures of Jesus Christ and all his Offices and relying onely upon him for salvation and believing in him as he is qualified and declared to us in the Gospell and living according to the rule of his holy Word then of necessity you bring in a new religion of your owne altogether unknowne to the Christian world a speculative beliefe and a practicall religion which doth not consist in the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ and the knowledge of our selves in which onely consisteth life eternall So that to speake the truth you are in Babylon and confusion it selfe And now Mr. Montague I come to the answers I then made and gave to your evasions but by the way I cannot but put you in mind of a promise you made me upon my demand which was this if I should clearely and evidently prove unto you that the Church of England taught all those things for speculation and practice that made us believe effectually
is to a hireling and daily labourer and that their Priests can forgive sinnes as Judges by their owne authority This Master Montague you know is the doctrine and faith of the Church of Rome and a great deale more such stuffe Now I intreat you candidly to tell me whether in your opinion the faith of the Church of Rome or the beliefe of the Church of England concerning Christs Priestly Office be more orthodox and which of them giveth most honour to their Mediator she that ascribeth the whole worke of her redemption to him alone or she that robbeth him of all his Priestly honour and Mediatorship Truly Master Montague if you will but duely consider this businesse and weigh it as it ought to be weighed you will quickly perceive that the Church of Rome doth in word onely acknowledge Christ to be a Priest and Mediator but in deeds and workes overthrowes the right and power of his Priesthood And to speake the verity there can be nothing more blasphemously thought imagined or practised against the honour and dignity of the Lord of life the onely and sole Mediator and high Priest of the everlasting covenant then that the Church of Rome doth against him robbing him of his due glory and overthrowing indeed the whole worke of our redemption making our selves and others our owne saviours and mediators and not Christ alone to whom all the honour and praise of our redemption of due belongeth I could be very large Mr. Montague in aggravating of the impiety and blasphemies of the Church of Rome concerning this point but I will say no more of it for the present but this that it is a doctrine that overthroweth all Christian religion and destroyeth the very foundation of our faith And now I come to the Propheticall Office of Christ where we will briefly take notice whether the Church of England or the Church of Rome be most orthodox in their faith concerning Christs Propheticall Office and which of them more venerably believeth touching that or giveth most honour to Christ the onely Prophet of his Church The Church of England believeth that Jesus Christ was appointed by God himselfe to be the onely and sole Prophet Pastor and Teacher of his Church and that he hath fully and perfectly revealed the whole counsell and will of God concerning the redemption of mankind and preached the Gospell and glad tidings of peace unto the World the which Gospell he doth daily vegetate and quicken in the soules of his people by his holy Spirit and corroborate and confirme by the holy Sacraments And she believeth that he hath delivered all things unto the Church that God the Father commanded him necessary for our salvation and that we are onely to heare him in all things whatsoever he shall say unto us and that every soule that shall not heare that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people Deut. 18. v. 18. Matth. 3. v. 17. Matth. 17. v. 5. Acts 3. v. 22 23. And the Church of England believeth also that Jesus Christ did not onely declare and preach the whole and perfect Will of God unto the Church but also that whatsoever was necessary to salvation was written and penned by his appointment and direction and especiall assistance and is all contained in the writings of the old and new Testament and that not in obscure and ambiguous words but in plaine and evident expressions as farre as is necessary to salvation all which in the sequell of this discourse will be made evident She also believeth that all the people ought according to Christs command read them and that the holy Scriptures are the onely Judge of all controversies and have no need of any humane traditions And she farther believeth that we are to serve and worship God onely as he hath appointed in his holy Word and in the divine Scriptures as Christ the Prophet of his Church hath commanded in them and that whatsoever doctrines not expressed and contained in the Scriptures and written Word or grounded upon it or evidently deduced from it are not to be entertained received or obeyed but to be cast out of the Church as abominable things such as are prejudiciall not onely to our salvation and comfort but injurious also and derogatory to the honour of our great Prophet Jesus Christ whom we are commanded only to heare and listen unto And therefore the Church of England doth reject all those doctrins of Will-worship Image and Crucifix worship Bead worship Bread worship Place worship and all Saint and Angell worship and all those doctrines of Service Letanies Ceremonies and indulgencies and those of Fast-daies and Feast-daies all doctrines of Masses and Sacrifices for soules in Purgatory and prayers for the dead with all their doctrines of Pilgrimages and Monkery with their doctrines of devils prohibiting meats and marriage and all those doctrines of the reall and corporall presence of Christ in their blasphemous sacrifices destructive to the humane nature of Jesus Christ making it present in numberlesse places at once and enervating and overthrowing the al-sufficiency of Christs sacrifice And all their doctrins of transubstantiation self-merit works of supererogation and all the other doctrins they teach in the Church of Rome which would both endlesse needlesse to recount the observing of the which is the onely imployment of the Church of Rome the Church of England doth detest as execrable abominations because our Prophet Christ Jesus hath no where taught them in his holy word which must be the only rule of our faith and worship to the end of the world But now let us heare what the Church of Rome believeth concerning the Propheticall office of Christ that we may see how honourably she esteemeth of it The Church of Rome in word acknowledgeth that Christ was by God appointed to be the Prophet of his Church notwithstanding in deeds they deny that Christ did reveale the whole will of God unto the Church in the holy Scriptures and affirmes that the Scriptures were accidentally written and not purposely to be the rule of faith which by its clarity and brightnesse should determine the controversies in Religion they affirme also that the holy Scriptures are darke and obscure and very dangerous for lay-men and therefore that they are to be taken from them and that the Church hath need of the authority of Fathers and Councels and the helpe of Traditions for the compleating of the holy Scriptures and the making of them a perfect and absolute rule both of our faith and worship whereupon they bring in all those abominable doctrins and traditions I even now made mention of many more and thrust them upon the people as the worship and service of God and by the observation of the which they may merit Heaven as they say when neverthelesse there is not one word in all the booke of God concerning any one of them or any thing delivered by our Prophet Christ Jesus touching them all which things are as
as for your most excellent education as also in regard of the opportunities you have had at home and abroad of attaining to erudition you ever being in the society of learned men and in the Schooles of wisdome and knowledge in the which you were never accounted a trewant who alwaies so improved your time as you have made as good a progresse in all learning as any of your yeeres And in this notion I consider you and shall ever allow you the full waight of your prayses earnestly intreating you that you would imploy that talent of understanding and learning that God had bestowed upon you to the advancement of his Glory and Kingdome and that you would not make use of it to the wronging of your owne soule and the dammage of others And especially I intreat you that in this bright Sun-shine of the Gospell and truth you would open your eyes and not love darknesse more than light And now I come to prove my minor the truth of which I thus assert That Church which is built upon the foundation of Peter that Church teacheth the way the truth and the life against which the gates of hell shall never prevaile c. But the Church of England is built upon the foundation of Peter Ergo the Church of England teacheth the way the truth and the life against which the gates of hell can never prevaile and is a true Church the house of God the ground and pillar of truth where salvation may be found You answered that the Church of England was not built upon the foundation of Peter and therefore denied the minor Which by Gods assistance in the sequell I shall sufficiently prove But as then I desired favour that I might for the benefit of the standers by and that the ensuing discourse might the better be understood by all interpret the termes of my Syllogisme First what I meant by the foundation of Peter Secondly what I understood by building upon that foundation and which but in part you then gave me liberty to expresse So I shall now by your good liking take leave more fully to set it down because as I said before it doth much conduce to the more cleare understanding of the following disputation By the foundation of Peter I understand Jesus Christ And it is evident there is no other foundation of Peter nor of the true Church As we may see in the 16. of Matth. ver 13 14. in that parly which was betweene Christ and his Apostles where our Saviour asking his Disciples what men said of him and they replying answered that some said he was John Baptist some Elias and others Jeremias or one of the Prophets Then said Jesus but whom say yee that I am And Simon Peter answered and said Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God And Jesus answered and said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Iona for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven And I say unto thee upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it Here Peter in the name of all the Disciples acknowledgeth Jesus Christ to be the foundation of the Church The same he doth John the 6. vers 69. where againe in the name of all the Apostles he saith We believe and are sure that thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God And in the verse before he said Lord to whom shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life There was no other rock known to Peter and the blessed Apostles no other foundation no other to flie to for life eternall but Jesus Christ But in the 4 of the Acts vers 11. in that glorious Sermon of his Peter in his own name thus speakes concerning Christ This is the stone which was set at naught by you builders which is become the head of the corner neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under Heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved No other foundation therefore of the Church but Christ And in his first Epistle the second Chapter the fourth and fift verses he thus speakes To whom comming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious yee also as living stones are built up a spirituall house c. No other foundation for all Christians to be built upon but Christ according to that of Paul in the first of Cor. chap. 3. ver 11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ the eternall Son of the eternall Father The same is confirmed in the second chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians vers 19 20. Now therefore ye are no more strangers but fellow Citizens c. and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone So that the foundation of all the Prophets and Apostles and all that ever were saved was Jesus Christ who is yesterday and to day and the same for ever Heb. 13. vers 8. the onely Saviour of his people and the foundation of his Church and the onely way and the truth and the life as he declareth himselfe in the 14 of John and therefore in his name onely is salvation preached amongst the Gentiles and to all Nations And this I thought fit to say concerning my meaning of the foundation of Peter Now I will signifie what I understand by the terme of building and to be built upon the foundation of Peter This is a metaphoricall expression taken from Architects and in Gods dialect it is nothing else but to believe in Jesus Christ For as in building the stones polished are by cement and morter joyned to the foundation so all believers those lively stones are built upon Jesus Christ that living stone by faith which joynes them to their head and foundation Christ Jesus and that onely as Peter himselfe interprets it in his first Epistle chap. 2. vers 6. Wherefore it is contained in the holy Scripture Behold I lay in Sion a chiefe corner stone elect precious and he that believes on him shall not be confounded Vnto you therefore which believe he is precious So that to be built upon the rock Christ Jesus by Peters own interpretation is to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation which we cannot doe in any creature without blasphemy The same doctrine is preached by Paul in the second Chapter of his Epistle to the Colossians vers 5 6 7. For though I be absent in the flesh yet I am with you in the spirit joying and beholding your order and the stedfastnesse of your faith in Christ As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walke ye in him rooted and built upon him and established in the faith c. Here to be rooted and built up in Christ is to believe in Jesus Christ and by his alone merits to hope for salvation who was
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
as they finde it in the written word of the old and new Testament as they make that and that only the Rule of their faith and obedience and no unwritten word or Traditions Councells or Fathers no farther than they are grounded upon the written word contained in the holy Bible And this the Church of England hath good warrant to do from Christs both precept and example and from both the Prophets and Apostles practice John the 5. v. the 39. Search the Scriptures saith Christ for in them yee thinke to have eternall life and they are they which testify of mee And v. 46.47 for had yee believed Moses you would have believed me for he wrote of me but if yee believe not his writings how shall you believe my words Here our Saviour Christ ratifyes Moses his writings to be of Divine authority and equalizes them with if not prefers them before his owne words saying if yee believe not his writings how shall yee believe my words And in the sixteenth of Luke in the person of Abraham Christ sendeth all men that desire salvation to the writings of Moses saying v. 29 30 31. they have Moses and the Prophets let them heare them if they would escape damnation and have eternall life And Dives sayd Nay Father Abraham but if one come unto them from the dead they will amend their lives and repent And he said unto him If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead Here our Saviour tyes them precisely to the Scriptures and affirmes they are more prevalent to bring men unto Repentance and to save their soules than any miracles whatsoever and therefore that they are only to be cleaved unto by all the sonnes of Abraham And as he commanded all men to have recourse to Moses and the Prophets so all the time of his life and after his resurrection hee taught all his auditors out of the holy Scriptures Luke the 24. vers 27. and after that our Saviour Christ had upbrayded his Disciples for their unbeliefe He began saith the Evangelist at Moses and all the Prophets and expounded to them through all the Scriptures the things concerning himselfe And vers 44. he said unto them These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes concerning me Here our Saviour Christ instructs and teaches his Disciples onely out of the written Word and in them all Christians and sends them onely to the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalmist and affirmes that they were the voice of God which the Lord spake and uttered by them All the Prophets likewise sent the people to the written word as Deut. 30. Isaiah 8. ver 20. To the Law and to the Testimonies saith the Prophet if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Here the Lord by his Prophet sends all men to the written Word in which he declared his pleasure and will unto them and affirmes that they that speake not according to that Word they have no light in them that is they are in errour and darknesse according to that of our Saviour Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures Matth. 22. ever sending them to the Scripture for knowledge And Malac. 4. the Lord there vers 4. Remember saith he the law of Moses my servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the statutes and judgements Here all the Church of the Jewes were sent unto the written Word and manded ever to remember that that was left by Gods appointment for the rule of their faith and obedience and to that onely they were stedfastly to cleave And Paul in Acts 24. vers 14. in his owne defence before Felix speakes thus This I confesse unto thee that after the way which they call heresie so worship I the God of my fathers believing all things in the Law and the Prophets The written word was the ground of his faith he continued stedfastly in the doctrine of the Prophets and taught all men so to doe proving and confirming his doctrine out of the holy Sciptures of the Prophets and convincing the Jewes out of them from morning to evening Acts 28. ver 23. And in Acts 26. ver 22. Witnessing saith the Apostle both to small and great saying no other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come Nothing but Scripture and the doctrine contained in them was the foundation of both the true Jewish and Christian Church And Apollos a man eloquent and mighty in the Scripture used the same way of teaching Acts 18. vers 28. who shewed by the Scriptures that Jesus was that Christ And Paul to the Thessalonians in the first Epistle chap. 5. vers 19 20. Quench not the spirit saith he despise not the Prophesies a thing worthy the noting after he had exhorted them to nourish in themselves the sparks of the Spirit of God kindled in them that they might not be deluded by any false spirit or conceive they had the Spirit when they had it not he ties them to the rule by which they should try the Spirits whether they be of God or not and that rule was the Prophesies of the old Testament and the studying of them As much as if he had said to the Thessalonians nourish daily within you all the graces of knowledge and wisdome the Spirit of God hath bestowed upon you and increase more and more in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus saying Quench not the Spirit and that you may the better increase in knowledge and abound in all gifts and graces and the truth and that ye may not be led away with any deceiving spirit and vaine delusion instead of true illumination after the manner of many enthusiasts who dreame of new inspirations new lights regulate your whole illumination and your spirit and knowledge according unto the written prophesies of the old Testament follow them and you cannot erre therefore saith he despise not the prophesies but by them try all things and keepe that which is good and agreeable to them and whatsoever is not agreeable to them is a meere delusion and not the true Spirit who is ever like it selfe and therefore he ties them to the prophesies of the old Testament as well as to the Scriptures of the new So Saint Peter in his second Epistle chap. 1. vers 19. We have also a more sure word of the Prophets saith he to the which ye doe well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place untill the day dawne and the day-starre arise in our hearts Here the holy Apostle Peter ties all Christians as well to the written Word of the old as to the Scriptures of the new This written Word was the foundation of the Church of the Jewes and
inventions and doctrines and that with all simplicity and godly integrity and administers the holy Sacraments without any addition diminution or detraction according as Christ appointed and cals upon the name of God according as he hath taught it is cleare to all men that the Church of England is a true Church and built upon the foundation of Peter All which will more perspicuously be evidenced if we examine the severall commissions of the Apostles and consider what they preached unto the people whose example for preaching and doctrine the Church of England in all things follows and swarves not from Saint Peter in Acts 2. ver 37. When the people were pricked in their hearts at his Sermon and said unto the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe in Verse 38. according to his commission Repent saith he and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost for the promise is to you and your children and to all that are afarre off even as many as the Lord our God shall call To preach faith and repentance unto the people was their commission And in chap. 3. ver 23. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sinnes may be blotted out c. and Saint Paul sets downe his commission in the places following in Chap. 13. ver 23. Be it knowne unto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you forgivenesse of sinnes And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses And in Acts 26. the Apostle Paul shewes his commission to King Agrippa and what by that he was to doe in Gods service and imployments His words are these I have saith the Lord Jesus appeared unto thee for this purpose to make thee a Minister and a witnesse both of these things which thou hast seen and of those things I will appeare unto thee in delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee To open their eyes and to turne them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in me Here is the Apostles Commission Now let us take notice how he executes it Whereupon O King Agrippa saith he I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision but shewed first unto them of Damascus and at Jerusalem and through all the coasts of Judea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and turne to God and doe workes meet for repentance So that in the execution of his commission in opening their eyes and turning men from darknesse unto light and from the power of Satan unto God for the receiving of remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified he preacheth unto them onely that they should repent and turne to God and doe workes meet for repentance and believe in Jesus Christ And in this consisted all the preaching of all the Apostles and Prophets and this is all the worke that the true Ministers of Jesus Christ have to doe unto the end of the world Which Commission when the Church of England fully and punctually observeth teaching them to repent and turne from sinne and idols unto the living God and to change their minds and purposes and to come out of themselves and flie unto God for mercy and pardon puting off their old mind and putting on a new in a word when the Church of England teacheth all men that true repentance consists in the universall change of the mind and of the whole life and turning unto God by unfeigned sorrow which proceedeth from an earnest serious and reall feare of God which continueth unto the last houre of mans life in the mortifying of the old man and crucifying of the flesh and in the quickuing of the new man and vivifying of the Spirit and labours by all meanes to humble men for their sinnes by which they have offended God that so they may obtaine mercy and become new creatures and manifest this change wrought in them by the amendment of their whole lives and returning into the waies of Gods Commandements and exhorteth them to the practising of all those vertues and graces God hath adorned them with and bestowed upon them and as they are a chosen generation a Royall Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people that they should shew forth the praises of him who hath called them out of darknesse into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. vers 9. Againe when the Church of England instructeth the people fully in the doctrine of saving faith teaching that it is a certaine setled and assured knowledge of the free grace mercy and love of God towards mankinde in Jesus Christ and grounded upon the truth of the gracious and free promise of God in Christ and is both revealed unto their minds and soules and sealed in their hearts by the holy Ghost so that as the Spirit of God doth illuminate their understanding worketh faith in their hearts withall he doth witnesse unto them their adoption and assureth them of their salvation in Jesus Christ and of life eternall according unto the Commission delivered unto the Apostles and which likewise they in their own particulars preached unto their auditors as the whole Scriptures witnesse now when the Church of England I say not onely instructeth the people rightly to believe and repent but also calleth upon them that they should joyne practise with theory and shew forth their faith by all good workes and a godly life and holy conversation and that they should daily increase and abound in all knowledge and labour for particular faith and certaine assurance of Gods love and that they may the better attaine unto this speciall assurance by which they may be supported in all temptations and tryals they exhort them diligently and carefully to read the Word of God which was written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15. ver 4. and call upon them likewise to be diligent in the hearing of the holy Word and frequenting of the holy assemblies and encourage them to the reall practice of all those instructions and wholsome doctrines that they learne by the ministery of the Gospell that they may not only be Saints in the Church and in publique but at home in their houses yea and in their private closets and be holy in all manner of conversation both publique and private ever instructing their family ever shewing them good example and going before them in a godly and unblameable life walking before God in uprightnesse inall sincerity and before men unreproveable Again when the Church of England administers the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper according to Christ institution without addition and diminution but as they have
meanes of attaining this faith by which they may save their soules is the preaching and hearing of the Word and as this faith is attained to by hearing so it is dayly increased by the same as also by the right use and administration of the holy Sacraments and Prayers to all which duties they stir up the people with all sedulity and godly care And that they may the more deterre them from sinne and all manner of evill they do not onely declare unto them the horror of sinne and the present danger of it as that it is the cause of all miseries and calamities here but that it will also bring endlesse and eternall misery upon them hereafter and that they must all appeare at the last day before a dreadfull Judge there to give an accompt of whatsoever they have done in the body whether good or evill 2 Cor. chap. 5. vers 10. And that they should not deceive themselves for God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reape for hee that soweth unto the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that soweth unto the spirit shall of the spirit reape life everlasting Gal. 6. v. 7 8. So that if we run through all the Theoricall part of Divinity you shall not finde the Church of England failing or defective in any point of beliefe speculative that is required and necessary for salvation when it teacheth every thing that Christ himselfe requires at mens hands that they should know to make them blessed Now all the knowledge that makes men blessed and that Christ injoynes them is the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ and self-deniall This is life eternall saith Christ Iohn 17. to know thee to be the only true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ And Mat. 16. If any will be my Disciple let him deny himselfe and come after mee Now I say when the Church of England teacheth the people the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ and the knowledge of themselves it teacheth all things for beliefe speculative for all speculative Divinity is contained in these two poynts And this shall suffice to have spoke of the Theoricall part of Divinity wherein the Church of England doth her duty And now Mr. Montague I will as briefly as I can declare and prove that the Church of England fayleth nothing in teaching all things for Religion practicall for in that shee teacheth us our whole duty both towards God and towards our Neighbour what we should doe and what wee should not do in the whole course of our lives for the pleasing of God and avoyding of sin and misery she doth her duty also in the practicall part of Divinity perfectly and fully For as all speculative Divinity consists as I sayd before in the knowledge of God and of our selves so all practicall Religion consists in the performance of our duty towards God in giving him his due honour and such a worship and service as he requires of us in his Word and that is spirituall as wee see John 4. vers 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth And in performing all offices of love and charity to our Neighbour and carrying our selves unblamably in this present World Jam. 1. vers 27. Pure Religion and undefiled saith S. Iames before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and the Widow in their affliction and to keepe themselves unspotted from the World and in observing and fulfilling that royall Law chap. 2. vers 8. in loving our Neighbour as our selves In these two points consists all practicall Religion which is nothing else but a framing of our whole lives according to the Law of God considering that we are not at our owne disposing nor at our owne liberty but consecrated and dedicated unto God and therefore wee must deny our selves and forsake our owne reason and resigne our selves up to be guided and governed by the Word and Spirit of the Lord in all things belonging unto his worship And that wee ought not to seeke after those things that are our owne but those things that are according to the Will of God and tend to the advancement of his glory and Kingdom and in this does our practicall Religion concerning God consist and our love and duty towards our Neighbour is contained in these two things in being kindly affectioned one towards another with brotherly love in honour preferring one another Rom. 12. v. 10. In doing nothing through strife and vaine-glory but in lowlinesse of mind each esteeming others better than themselves Phil. 2. vers 3. And then in imploying our selves to the uttermost of our abilities with all sincerity and truth of affection and unfained love to procure their good and emolument in all things And under these two heads the love of God and of our Neighbour is comprised all the practicall Divinity or Religion the Word of God makes knowne unto men and requires at our hand Which when the Church of England doth dayly publish unto the people and teacheth all things concerning them fully it is aboundantly evident to any unpartiall man that she teachteh all things both for Theory and practice necessary for salvation and for the proving of her selfe to to be a true Church the ground and pillar of truth and to be built upon the foundation of Peter And as this conclusion doth necessarily issue upon the premises for the proofe of the truth of the Church of England so on the contrary this likewise will of necessity follow that that Church that neither teacheth those things that belong unto the beliefe speculative nor to the Religion practicall cannot be a true Church And I am confident Mr. Montague that you your selfe upon deliberation will not deny it And then also any man may inferre that the Church of Rome cannot be a true Church nor the ground and pillar of Truth when shee neither teacheth the people the true knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ nor the knowledge of themselves nor makes knowne unto them the spirituall way of worshipping him which he requires nor teacheth them their love and duty towards God and towards their Neighbour which God commands but with far greater reason they may conclude that the Church of Rome is not a true Church if they consider also that the Church of Rome not onely neglecteth her duty in not teaching the people the true knowledge of God and of themselves but also in that shee taketh away the Key of knowledge from them snatching the Word of God out of their hands and hindering the pure preaching of both Law and Gospel by which men might be saved and setting up an idolatricall worship and bringing in a new service of their owne devising and in that also that the Church of Rome doth not teach the people love towards their Neighbours the true servants of God but hatred and animates them to persecute them with fire and faggot
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
more instances Mr. Montague might be produced where Christ the King of his Church commandeth and the Pope prohibits and where Christ prohibits and forbids and the Pope commands the contrary and where the Church of Rome in all things obeyes the Pope and disobeyes Christ by all which it may now easily appeare whether of the two Churches the Church of England or the Church of Rome is more orthodox in their doctrine and whether of them gives most honour to Christ But let me intreat you Master Montague ingenuously to answer me whether that Church that doth all that her Lord and King commandeth her and declineth all hee forbids her and gives her King all that due reverence and dignity that belongeth unto him doth not honour Christ more than that Church that regardeth neither his commands nor prohibitions but neglecteth them both and trampleth all his Lawes under her contaminated feet I am most confident Mr. Montague that upon your mature deliberation you will grant unto the Church of England that preeminency that she is more obedient to Christ her King and more honours his Kingly Office than the Church of Rome and that Christ is King unto the Church of Rome in word onely but in workes and deeds they neither regard either what he commands or what he forbids But now I come to the Priestly Office of Christ concerning which Mr. Montague I shall desire you seriously to weigh and examine the faith and beliefe of each Church concerning that and which of them believeth most orthodoxly and honoureth Christs Priestly Office most whether the Church of Rome or the Church of England Upon triall I believe it will appeare in this point also that the Church of Rome maketh the Priesthood of Christ a matter of nothing howsoever in words they acknowledge it The Church of England believeth that Christ Jesus was appointed and sealed by God himselfe to be the alone and onely mediator between God and man and that he onely has compleated and in all things fulfilled the whole Law of God and satisfied his justice and wrath by paying the ransome due for our transgressions when he offered himselfe a sacrifice propitiatory upon the crosse for our sins She believeth also that Christ alone doth now make request for us with God in whose Name all the faithful with confidence and boldnesse have continually accesse unto the Throne of grace with full assurance to be heard She believeth likewise that Christ alone is Mediator both of redemption and intercession and that we are not to put up our petitions and supplications either to Saints or Angels as being a thing derogatory to the dignity and glory of our Mediator the Lord Jesus Christ and a meere robbing him of his due honour She believeth in like manner that Christ is the onely Priest of the new Testament and that there are no other reall Priests on earth appointed by God to offer up Christ daily to God the Father a propitiatory Sacrifice for the living and for the dead and that it is blasphemy against the eternall Priesthood of Christ so to affirme She believeth also that the Sacrifice of Christ being of an infinite vertue and efficacy is to be applied to all believers by such meanes onely as God himselfe hath appointed as by the vertue and power of the holy Ghost and faith by the preaching of the Gospell and the right administration of the holy Sacraments and Prayer and that this Sacrifice offered upon the crosse was most perfect and absolute and ought not to be reiterated and renewed by any man upon the earth and that the reiteration of it is both derogatory to the al-sufficiency of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ and pernicious to the soules of men and indeed a meere blasphemy She believeth further that we being cloathed with the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ our high Priest and Mediator and appearing before God in it that we are freed by vertue of that both from the guilt and punishment of all our sinnes and are accounted righteous before God She believeth also that the blood of Jesus Christ and that onely purgeth us from all our sinnes and that there is no other Purgatory by which the soules of men are purified and cleansed from their impurities and pollutions and that there is no man living that can either by doing or suffering satisfie the justice of God much lesse merit or doe workes of supererogation and that the preachers of the Gospell have onely power delegative ministeriall and conditionall to forgive sinnes as Ambassadours and not as absolute Judges and that this Office is peculiar to God and Christ alone as our high Priest and Mediator of the everlasting covenant And this is the faith of the Church of England concerning Christs Priestly Office The beliefe of the Church of Rome is this that Christ is the Mediator of satisfaction and redemption but they assigne the other part of his mediation and intercession to Saints and Angels and the prime place of that imployment they give unto the blessed Virgin who they call the Queen of Heaven and the doore of Paradise and they put up their prayers and requests to her and other Saints and Angels hoping to be heard which is nothing else but to allow Christ a momentany or temporary and partiall mediation and to give unto the Saints and Angels that everlasting and never dying intercession then the which there cannot be a greater contumely and indignity offered to the eternall Priest our Mediator Jesus Christ it taking away so great a portion of honour from him and to speake in plaine English it is an unsufferable blasphemy The Church of Rome appointeth other Priests also after the order of Melchisedech to offer up Christ himselfe daily as they say to God the father a propitiatory Sacrifice for the living and the dead which is nothing else but blasphemously to insimulate and accuse Christs Sacrifice of imperfection The Church of Rome also asserteth and believeth that the righteousnesse of Christ our Mediator is not imputed unto us and affirmes that by Christs merits and passion we are onely freed from the guilt of our sinnes but not from the punishment of them that we our selves must satisfie the punishment She believeth also that we are able in this life if we will our selves not onely to satisfie the justice of God and keepe the Law but also to merit and doe workes of supererogation She farther believeth that if any man depart out of this life before he hath fully satisfied God for his sinnes that then he is to remaine in a place called Purgatory there to be tormented and purged from all his pollutions and defilements that there is no entrance into Heaven or redemption out of that place without an especiall indulgence from the Pope or innumerable Prayers and Masses for their soules before they by torment are cleansed from the remainder of all their sins She believeth also that life eternall is of debt due unto us as wages
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
to walke in for the attaining unto eternall happinesse they are the rule that all men are to be guided by and therefore he proclaimeth him blessed that delighteth in the Law of the Lord and doth meditate in it night and day Psal 1. Solomon likewise in Prov. 3. v. 1 2 3. and in Prov. 6. v. 20 21 22 23. and in many other places sendeth his sonne and all the people to the Law of the Lord for the rule of their lives and manners saying My sonne keepe thy fathers commandement and forsake not the law of thy mother Bind them continually upon thine heart and tie them about thy necke when thou goest it shall lead thee and when thou sleepest it shall keepe thee and when thou awakest it shall talke with thee For the Commandement is a Lampe and the Law is light and reproofes of instruction are the way of life And in Eccles 12. v. 13. Let us heare saith he the conclusion of the whole matter Feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man By all which places it appeareth that the holy Prophets made the written Word of God and that onely the rule of their lives and manners and commanded all people to have ever recourse unto that and that onely for the square to order their lives by And the Prophet Isaiah in the 8. v. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony saith he if they spake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them There was no other rule Mr. Montague knowen to the Prophets for the directing of the people how to serve God and to which they were tied but the Law and Testimonies the written Word and if under the Law they were ever to have recourse unto the Scripture and nothing in matter of faith was to be received which was not contained in the Scripture it was then a perfect rule and the onely rule by which they were to be guided and much more now Mr. Montague ought we to content our selves with the Word of God and to make that the onely rule of our faith and manners and of all our doctrines when the doctrine of the Gospell also written by the Apostles and Evangelists is joyned unto the Law the which hath also fully explained the meaning of all those hidden mysteries and shadowes and brought us into the cleare sunshine of all truths and hath indeed taught us the way the truth and the life The Prophet Jeremiah also in the 6 chap. vers 16. Thus saith the Lord Stand yee in the wayes and see and aske for the old pathes where is the good way and walke therein and yee shall finde rest unto your soules Here the Prophet sends them to the Law and the Testimony that old way and tells them the benefit that will accrue unto them by following his counsell viz. That by it they shall finde rest unto their soules And the Prophet Malachi 4. vers 4. Remember yee saith he the Law of Moses my servant which I commanded him in Horeb for all Jsrael with the statutes and judgments The Law of Moses and the Prophets was the rule Mr. Montague that all Israel was tied unto as that which was an absolute and perfect rule of direction from which they were bound not to swarve and which had no neede of any Traditions for the compleating of it much more now is it a perfect rule when the Gospell is annexed to it and therefore all Christians ought to make the old and new Testament the sole rule of their faith and manners and by all these precepts they are commanded and many more to cleave onely unto it But now Master Montague let us see what precepts and directions wee finde layd downe unto us in the New Testament that by the mouth of both these Witnesses the Truth of God may yet more fully be confirmed In Matthew 17. vers 51. And behold a voyce out of the clouds which said This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare you him And Acts 3. vers 22 23. For Moses truly said unto the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise unto you of your brethren like unto mee him shall ye heare in all things whatsoever hee shall say unto you and it shall come to passe that every soule that will not heare that Prophet shall be destroyed from the people Here are two things Mr. Montague observable first a command viz. that we should heare Christ that Prophet the Lord our God should raise up Secondly the danger that would insue if we heard him not viz. destruction for that is pronounced against those that do not heare him Now let us take notice how he teacheth us John 5. vers 39. Search the Scriptures saith he Here our great Prophet Mr. Montague sendeth us onely to the Scriptures he makes them the onely rule which wee are to follow And in Luke 16. in the person of Abraham hee sendeth all men to Moses and the Prophets vers 29. they have Moses and the Prophets saith he let them heare them This Mr. Montague was the old way to salvation where men might finde rest for their soules Moses and the Prophets and thither doth Christ the onely Prophet of his Church send all men to the holy Scriptures and to the Doctrines contained in them as the absolute and compleat rule that all the Christians are for ever tied to and out of the Scriptures and them onely did Christ confirme all his preaching as is evident out of Luke 24. and many other places averring that the people erred not knowing the Scriptures Mat. 22. The Apostles likewise in all their Sermons and Writings did the same and inoyned all Christians to cleave unto the holy Scriptures and to make them onely the rule of their faith and manners as by the places following do most cleerly appeare Paul in the 16 of the Rom. v. 17.18 Now I beseech you brethren saith he marke them which cause division and offences contrary unto the doctrine yee have received and avoyd them for they that are such serve not our Lord Iesus Christ but their owne belly and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Here the holy Apostle ties the Romans unto the doctrine they had received and which he writ unto them and forbids them to have any communication with any members of that Church that should teach contrary unto that Doctrine they had received for they that are such saith he serve not our Lord Jesus Christ All therefore Mr. Montague that teach any Doctrine contrary unto the written word swarve from the truth and are not by the Apostles command to be communicated with and therefore the written Word must be the onely rule of our direction And in the 4 of the 1 of Cor. vers 6. Hee commands them not to be wise above that that is written tying them ever to the doctrine that is set down in the written Word and in that
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
a true Church nor the ground and pillar of truth when she is not built upon the foundation of Peter nor teacheth not the way of the truth and the life nor honoureth not Christ as her King Priest and Prophet nor continueth constantly in the doctrines of the holy Prophets and Apostles and in the which the Gospell of Jesus Christ is neither purely preached nor the Sacraments rightly administred and in the which there is not the true invocation of God nor the true religion that Christ the great Prophet of his Church hath taught us All which Mr. Montague I have as I hope so sufficiently proved in this discourse as I am most confident that there is not any rationall man but will easily perceive and you your selfe Master Montague if you have not resolved to shut your eyes at noone day will now clearely discerne which of the Churches believeth best and which of their faiths and beliefes is most orthodox concerning the Kingly Priestly and Propheticall Office of Christ Jesus and which of them giveth the Lord Jesus most honour either she that neither regardeth what Christ commandeth or forbiddeth or she that in all things heareth his voice and followeth the direction of his Word as it is set downe in the holy Scriptures which I have by Gods assistance proved to containe all things in it necessary to salvation and that wee have no need of humane traditions for the making of it a compleat rule and that this Word is onely the sole rule of our faith and manners and that all Christians to the end of the world are tied unto that to be the rule and square both of their faith and manners and that they ought not to swarve from it upon what termes soever And therefore now Mr. Montague I shall look for the performance of your promise viz. that if I could prove the Church of England to be a true Church and that the Word of God contained all things in it necessary to salvation and that it was the onely rule of our faith unto which all Christians were tied to the end of the world all which I conceive I have fully done that then you would be of our Religion and turne Protestant This was your promise Master Montague before all the Gentlemen and the performance of the which will be to the honour of God and your owne eternall comfort and will ever rejoyce the heart of him that wisheth you all happinesse here and hereafter But Master Montague before I shut up this discourse I shall in way of a corollary desire you to ponder and seriously consider not onely the vanity but the impiety of all those tenents you hold in the Church of Rome more than we have warrant for in the Word of God and that you would deale ingenuously betweene God and your owne conscience in the examination of a few Queries that I shall now before I finish my discourse propound unto you I desire you Master Montague to answer mee truely what you thinke of the condition of such a man as shall believe that Jesus Christ is the onely and sole King and head of his Church and Saviour of his body that infuseth life and spirituall motion into it and all saving graces and that guideth it by his holy Spirit and Word and believeth also that he and he onely is to be obeyed in whatsoever he commandeth or forbiddeth and that we are not in matters of faith and doctrine to follow or heare any voyce or word but what he the King of his Church hath made knowne unto us in his Lawes and heavenly Statutes as they are recorded in the holy Scriptures tell me I pray Master Montague candidly what you think of the condition of such a man living and dying in this faith Can this beliefe any waies prejudice his salvation though he never heareth of the Pope of Rome whom you and the other Romanists proclaime to be head of the Church and to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords whose oracles Lawes and Ordinances you affirme ought to be obeyed in all things as the commands of Christ I say if he never heares of so much as the name of the Pope or of any such creature as he is will not his faith in Jesus Christ alone whom hee believeth to be the onely King and head of the Church and Saviour of all such as trust in him save him eternally If you shall affirme that his thus believing will not save him you overthrow the Christian faith and destroy the true Christian religion which teacheth us thus to believe and assureth us that living and dying in so believing and in this faith we shall be saved Againe Master Montague I demand of you what you thinke of the condition of that Christian that shall peremptorily believe that the Pope of Rome is not the King and head of the Church militant but that hee is the enemy of Jesus Christ one guilty of blasphemy as assuming unto himselfe those glorious attributes and prerogatives that are peculiar to Christ alone the King of Saints and King of Kings and the onely head and sole governour of his Church Can this Master Montague his so believing prejudice his salvation or be any sinne against Almighty God If you shall answer that it may then I shall demand your reason why you conceive that it may be any way prejudiciall to his eternall happinesse for where there is no transgression there is no sinne for sinne is the transgression of the Law and what law I beseech you doth that Christian transgresse that believeth that Christ onely is the King and head of his Church and the Saviour of his body and that these incommunicable prerogatives peculiarly belong unto Christ and that they are not to be given to any mortall man and that it is a sinne in any to assume these titles or for any to give them to the Pope Master Montague let me tell you that except you will overthrow the faith of the Gospell you can never make either the ignorance or the contempt of your Romish doctrine concerning the Popes Supremacy any sinne but that a man may live and die in the detestation of it and be eternally saved if by a stedfast and lively faith and full perswasion hee cleaveth unto Christ Jesus the onely head and King of his Church and believes by his alone power to be delivered out of the hands of all his bodily and spirituall enemies Againe Master Montague I desire you to answer me ingenuously what you thinke of the condition of such a man as shall believe that Christ Jesus is the onely and sole Prophet of his Church and that he hath fully revealed the whole will and counsell of his Father concerning the redemption of man-kind and that all things necessary to salvation are fully and compleatly set downe in his holy Word by his command in the writings of the old and new Testament and that the sacred Scriptures are a perfect rule of themselves for