the same church notwithstanding these Disputes because it is a very dangerous thing to leave it but they are more beholden to the Inquisition then to infallibility for this Unity 2. How do these Divisions and Heresies which disturb the Church prove that no man can be certain of his Religion If we can certainly know what the sense of Scripture is notwithstanding there are many different Opinions about it then the diversity of Opinions is no Argument against us if we cannot be certain of any thing which others deny dispute or doubt of then how can any Papist be certain that his Church is infallible For all the rest of the Christian Church deny this and scorn their Pretensions to it I may indeed safely acquiesce in the Determinations of an infallible Judge whom I am infallibly assured to be infallible how many contrary Opinions soever there are in the World But when infallibility it self is the matter of the dispute and I have no infallible way to know whither there be any such thing or where this infallibility is seated if diversity of Opinions be an Argument against the certainty of any thing which I am not and cannot be infallibly assured of then it is a certain demonstration against infallibility it self Unless we will take the Church of Romes word for her own infallibility we cannot have the Decision of an infallible Judge in this matter for she will allow no other infallible Judge but her self and yet this is so absurd a way that it supposes that we believe and that we dis-believe the same thing at the same time For unless we before-hand believe the Church to be infallible her saying so is no infallible proof that she is infallible and yet the very demand of a proof supposes that we are not certain of it that we doubt of it or dis-believe it When we ask the Church whither she be infallible it supposes that we are not certain of it otherwise we should need no proof and when we believe the Church to be infallible because she sayes so it supposes that we did before-hand believe that she is infallible otherwise her saying so is no proof The greatest Champions for the Church of Rome never pretended that they could produce any infallible proofâ— which is the true Church Cardinal Bellarmine attempts no more then to alledge some Motives of Credibility to make the thing probable and to incline Men to believe it and yet it is impossible we can be more certain of the Infallibility of the Church then we are that it is a true Church and if a Papist have only some motives of Credibility to believe the Church of Rome to be a true Church he can have no greater probabilities that it is an infallible Church Now not to take notice what a tottering Foundation some high probabilities though they amounted to a moral assurance is for the belief of infallibility which is to put more in the Conclusion then there is in the Premises The only use I shall make of it at present is this That we can at least be as certain of the meaning of Scripture as the Papists are that their Church is infallible for they can be no more infallibly assured of this then we are of our interpretations of Scripture and therefore if the diversity of Opinions about the sense of Scriptures proves that we cannot be certain what the true sense of it is the same Argument proves that they cannot be certain that their Church is infallible because this is not only doubted but absolutly denied by the greatest part of the Christian World and was never thought of by the best and purest Ages of it So this Argument proves too much and recoils upon themselves like a Gun which is overcharged and if for their own sakes they will grant that we may be certain of some things which are as confidently denied and disputed by others then the diversity of Opinions in the Church is no Argument that we cannot be certain of our Religion but only teacheth us greater caution and diligence and Honesty in our inquiries after Truth 3. These Divisions and Heresies that are in the Christian Church are no better Argument against the truth and certainty of our Religion then the diversities of Religions that are in the World are against the truth of Christianity The whole World is far enough from being Christian great part of it are Jews or Pagans or Mahumetanes still and this is as good an Argument to prove the uncertainty of all Religions as the different Parties and Professions of Christians are to prove that we cannot be certain what the true Christian Church nor what true Christianity is The Gospel of our Saviour was not designed to offer any force or violence to mens Faith or understanding no more then to their wills Were there such an irresistible and compulsory Evidence in the Gospel that wherever it was Preach'd it should be impossible for any man though never so wicked and ill disposed to continue an Infidel or to prove a Heretick Faith would be no greater a Vertue then forc'd Obedience and Compliance is The Gospel has Evidence enough to Convince honest Minds and is plain enough to be understood by those who are honest and teachable and therefore has its Effects upon those who are Curable which is all that it was designed for Those who will not beleive may continue Infidels and those who will not understand may fall into Errours and believe a Lye and yet there is Evidence enough to Convince and Plainness enough to Instruct well disposed minds and certainty enough in each to be the foundation of a Divine Faith The sum is this Though the Instructions of the Church are a very good means for the understanding of the sense of Scripture yet they are not the only means the Holy Scripture is a very intelligible Book in such matters as are absolutly necessary to Salvation and could we suppose that a man who never heard of a Church should have the use of the Bible in a Language which he understood by a diligent reading of it he might understand enough to be saved 2. If by Church is mean'd any Particular Church as suppose the Roman Catholick Church or the Church of the present Age it is absolutely false to say that the Church in this sense is alwayes a sure and safe means of understanding the Scripture What has been Universally believed by all Christian Churches in all Ages or at least by all Churches of the first and purest Ages of Christianity which were nearest the times of the Apostles and might be presumed best to understand the sense of the Apostles in the great Articles of our Faith is a very safe Rule for the interpretation of Scripture and the general Practice of those Primitive Apostolick Churches in matters of Government and Discipline before they were corrupted by worldly Ambition and secular Interest is a very safe Rule for our Practice also and this is the
miraculous signs of their Apostolical Office And if they had not had such Assurance themselves and could not have given proof to others of their mission there would have been a defect in the first promulgation of the Gospel and such as could not afterwards have been amended That which at first had been delivered with uncertainty would with greater uncertainty have been conveighed down to after Ages and Men who in process of time graft error upon certain Truth would much more have grafted error upon uncertain Opinion Ever since the Apostles times there has been True Faith and the Profession of it in the Catholick Church And it will be so till Faith shall expire and Men shall see him on whom they before believ'd For a Church cannot subsist without the Fundamentals of Christianity And Christ hath Sealed this Truth with his promise that there shall be a Church as long as this World continues * S. Mat. 28. 20. I mean by a Church a visible Society of Christians both Ministers and People for publick Worship on Earth cannot be invisible But the True Faith and the Profession of it is not fixed to any place or to any succession of Men in it God's Providence has written the contrary in the very Ashes of the Seven Churches of the lesser Asia Neither is any particular Church though so far infallible in Fundamentals as to be preserved from actual error an infallible Rule to all other Christians If they follow the Doctrine of it they erre not because it is true but if they follow that Church as an unerring Guide or Canon they mistake in the Rule and Motive of their Faith For that particular Church which Teacheth Truth might possibly have err'd and the Church which erres might have shined with the True Light But the whole Church cannot erre in any Age for then the very being of a Church would cease Neither doth it hence follow that the Faith of the Roman Church when Luther arose was the only true and certain Doctrine For that Church was not then the only visible Church on Earth The Greek Church for instance sake was then more visible than now it is and more Orthodox The Rich Papacy having much prevailed upon the necessities of it by Arguments guilded with Interest That Church did not erre in Fundamental Points the Article of the Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father by the Son which the Romans accuse of Heresie being easily acquitted of it if Men agreeing in the sense forbear contention about the Phrases Besides if our Fore-Fathers under the Papacy embraced the True Faith we have it still the Faith not being removed but the Corruption Their Question therefore Where was your Religion before Luther is not more pertinent amongst Disputers than this amongst Husbandmen Where was the Corn before it was weeded We have seen that necessary Faith is perpetual and it is as Prop. II manifest that wheresoever God requireth the belief of it he vouchsafeth sufficient means for information and unerring Assent Of all he does not require this belief for to all the Gospel is not preached and where it is preached there are Infants and Persons of Age so distempered in Mind as to remain unavoidably Children in understanding And though thâ— same sum of Doctrines is generally necessary to Salvation yet the Creed of all men is not of equal length seing they have unequal capacities But wheresoever there is a particular Society of Men who call themselves a Church yet erre actually in the necessary Articles of the Faith it is certain they were not forced into that error for want of external means For the Just Judge of the World would never have required Unity in the Faith upon pain of his Eternal displeasure if he had not given to Men Power sufficient for such Unity No Tyranâ— on Earth has been guilty of such undisguised injustice as that is which maketh a Law for the punishment of the Blind because they miss their way The Articles of Christian Religion come not to the Mind by natural reason but by Faith and Faith comes by hearing or reading and where these means are not offered a Man is rather an Ignorant Person then an Unbeliever Wherefore our Saviour told the perverse Jews * Joh. 15. 22 23. that if the Messiah had never been revealed to them they had not been answerable for the Sin of Infidelity But that since he was come to them and by them despised their Infidelity was blackned with great aggravation The means then are sufficient wheresoever the end Prop. III. is absolutely required but whatsoever those means are the Act of Assent is to be utlimately resolved into each Mans Personal reason For no Man can believe or assent but upon some ground or motive which appears credible to him He could not believe unless he had some reason or other why he believed When all is done said Mr. Thorndike * To the Reader of the Dis of Govern of Churches Men must and will be Judges for themselves I do not quote the saying because it is extraordinary but because that Learned Man said it who was careful to pay to Authority its minutest dues If a man believe upon Authority he hath a farther reason for the believing of it He is not willing to take Pains in examining that which is proposed to him or he thinks himself of less Ability in understanding then those from whom he borrows his Light If he desireth another to judge for him his choice is determined by the Opinion he hath conceived of him Every Man has his reason though it be a weak one and such as cannot justify it self or him Something at last turns the Ballance though it be but a Feather This the Romanists own as well as the Reformed till it toucheth them in the case of a new Convert To induce a Man of another particular Church to embrace their Communion they submit these weighty points to his private Judgement What is a True Church and which are the marks of it What is the Roman Church And whither the marks of the True Church do only belong unto the Roman What Men or what Books spâ—â—k the sense of that Church They tell us †R. H. Guide in Controv. in Pref. p. 3. That the Light of a Man 's own reason first serves him so far as to the discovery of a Guide Also that in this discovery the Divine Providence hath left it so clear and evident that a sincere and unbyassed quest cannot miscarry But when once this Guide is found ouâ— the Man is afterwards for all other things that are prescribed by this Guide to subject and resign his reason As if it were not as difficult to judge of such a Guide as of his direction It seems the Roman Church is like a Cave into which a Man has Light enough to enter but when once he is entred he is in thick Darkness But how subservient soever our reason may be
Rule whereby our Church is reformed and to which we appeal There are but three things necessary to be understood by Christians either the Articles of Faith or the Rules of Life or the external Order and Discipline of the Church and Administration of Religious Offices 1. As for the Rules of Life all those Duties which we owe to GOD and Men they are so plainly contained in the Holy Scriptures that no honest man can mistake them I suppose the church of Rome her self will not pretend that there is any need of an infallible Interpreter to teach men what is mean'd by Loving GOD with all our Heart and our Neighbour as our selves 2. As for the Articles of Faith those which are fundamental to the christian Religion and which every Christian ought to believe are so plain in Scripture that every honest and unprejudiced man may understand them but however as I observed before we govern our selves in these things by the received Doctrine of the catholick church of the first and purest Ages and if this be not a safe Rule we can be certain of nothing And what the catholick Faith was we learn from those short summaries of Faith which were universally owned by all catholick churches For what we now call the Apostles creed was very anciently received in all churches with some little variety indeed of Words and Phrase but without any difference of sense and the catholick Faith was not only preserved in such short Summaries and creeds which were as liable to be perverted by Hereticks as the Scriptures themselves but was more largely explained in the Writings of the ancient Fathers and though this will not enable us to understand every Phrase and Expression of Scripture but we must use other means to do that as Skill in the Original Languages a knowledge of ancient customs and ancient Disputes to which the Apostles frequently aflude a consideration of the Scope and Design of the place c. Yet the catholick Faith received and owned by the Primitive Church is so far a Rule as it directs us to Expound Scripture to a true catholick sense As St. Paul commands the Romans that those who prophesie should Prophesie according to the proportion of Faith Rom. 12. 6. Kat ' analogian pisteos according to the Analogie of Faith That is that in the interpreting the Scriptures of the Old Testament they should expound them to a christian sense according to those Doctrines of the christian Faith which he had taught them and this was a safe Rule for expounding the Old Testament which contained the Types and Figures and Prophesies of the Gospel-State And thus in expounding the new Testament now it is committed to writting we must Prohpesie according to the Analogie of Faith or as he commands Timothy in his Preaching Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard from me 2. Tim. 1. 13. It seems the Apostle had given him a form of sound words according to which he was to direct his Preaching whither this refers to a short summary of Faith such as our Creed is I cannot say though it is not improbable it may but it is plain we have a form of sound words delivered to us by the Catholick Church which contains the true Catholick Faith and therefore ought to be so far a Rule to us in expounding Scripture as never to contradict any thing which is contained in it for that is to contradict the Faith of the Catholick Church And when one great Article of this Faith concerning the Eternal God-head of Christ the Son of God was corrupted by Arius a Presbyter of the Church of Alexandria it gave an occasion for a full Declaration of the sense of the Catholick Church about it And though the effects of that Controversie were very fatal to the Church yet it was very happy that it broke out in such an Age when it could be determined with greater certainty and greater Authority then it could have been in any succeeding Age of the Church by men who were venerable for their Age for their Wisdom for their Piety for their undaunted Confessions under Heathen and Persecuring Emperours who knew what the sense of the Catholick Church was before this Controversie broke out and before External Prosperity had through ease and wantonness corrupted the Faith as well as the Manners of Christians 3. As for matters of External Order Discipline and Government the Universall Practice of the Catholick Church is the best and safest Comment on these General Rules and Directions we have laid down in Scripture There is no doubt at all but the Apostles did appoint Governours and Rules of Order and Discipline in the Churches planted by them what these were the Christians of those dayes saw with their eyes â— in the dayly practice of the Church and therefore the Apostles in those Epistles which they wrote to their several Churches did not give them so punctual and particular an account of those matters which they so well knew before but as occasion served make only some accidental mention of these things and that in such general terms as were well enough understood by them who knew the practice of the Church in that Age but it may be cannot meerly by the force of the words which may be capable of several Senses be so certainly and demonstratively determined to any one sense by us who did not see what was done in those dayes as to avoid all possible Cavils of contentious men This has occasioned those disputes concerning Infant Baptism the several Orders and Degrees of Church Governours the Rites and ceremonies of Religious Worship and the like Those who lived in those dayes and saw what the Apostles did in these matters could not doubt of these things thought it were not in express words said that infants should be baptized with their Parents or that Bishops are a Superiour Order to Presbyters and Presbyters to Deacons or that it is lawful for the Governours of the Church to institute and appoint some significant Rites and ceremonies for the more decent and orderly Administration of Religious Offices But because there is not a precise and punctual account given of these matters in the Writings of the Apostles which there was no need of then when these things were obvious to their very Senses some perverse and unreasonable Disputers who obstinately reject all other Evidence will judge of these things just as they please themselves and alter their Opinions and Fancies as often as they please But now if there be any certain way to know what the practice of the Apostles was in these cases this is the best comment we can possibly have on such Texts as are not sufficiently plain and express without it Now me thinks any reasonable man must acknowledge that the best way to understand the Practice of the Apostles is from the Practice of the Catholick Church in succeeding Ages especially while the memory of the Apostles was fresh and the Church
or Apostolical men or has lost the Memory or Records of its first Plantation may yet have very certain means of knowing the true sense of Scripture from the Scripture it self and the Doctrine and Practice of Apostolical and Primitive Churches and a Church which has the most visible uninterrupted Succession from Christ and his Apostles may be so far from being an infallible Interpreter of Scripture that she may be very corrupt and erroneous her self if she forsake the Apostolical Tradition contained in the Writings of the new Testament and Expounded by the Catholick Faith and Practice of the first Churches as we know the Church of Rome has done which is so far from being an infallible Church that we believe her to be the most corrupt Church in the World And thus I think we are prepared to venture upon the last Clause of this Paper wherein the whole force of the Argument such as it is is turned upon the poor Protestant Churches But I doubt sayes the Author of this Paper whither or no the Protestant Church can make out this continual visible Succession and desire to be informed The sting of which Argument lies in this that we Protestants have no certain way of knowing the true seâ—nse and meaning of Scripture because we cannot prove the continual visible Succession of our Church from Christ unto this day and therefore we ought to go over to the church of Rome who has this visible Succession and receive all her Dictates as infallible Oracles But for Answer to this consider 1. That suppose the Protestant Church could not make out such a continual visible Succession yet we may understand the Scriptures very well without it and need not go to the church of Rome to Expound Scripture for us as I have already shewn at large Had he proved that we had been no church for want of a visible Succession of church Officers or that our Religion were a Novelty which was never heard of it in the world before Luther this had been something more to the purpose but to pretend that we cannot understand the Scriptures for want of a visible Succession is such a loose and inconsequent way of reasoning as a poor fallible Protestant would be ashamed of 2. But pray why can't the Protestant Church of England prove her continual visible Succession from Christ till this day as well as the church of Rome Here was a Christian Church planted in this Nation as very good Historians say as early as at Rome and it has continued here ever since to this day when Austin the Monk came over to England he found here a company of resolute Brittish Bishops and Monks who would not submit to the Usurpations of Rome and the English and Brittish Churches under several Changes and Alterations have continued to this day with a visible Succession of Christian Bishops and what better Succession can Rome shew than this I suppose no Roman Catholick will disown the Succession of the church of England till the Reformation and I pray how came we to lose our Succession then Did the Reformation of those Abuses and Corruptions which had crept into the Church unchurch us Just as much as a man ceases to be the same man when he is cured of some mortal Disease Did not the Church of England consist of the same Persons before the Reformation and after A great many indeed disowned the Reformation but were not all those Persons who were so active and zealous in the Reformation formerly of the Roman communion And did they lose their Succession too when they became Reformers When a Church consists of the same Bishops Priests and People which she had before though she have not all the same that she had when she retains the same ancient Catholick and Apostolick Faith which she did before only renounces some Errors and Innovations which she owned before how does this forfeit her Succession The Church of England is the very same Church now since the Reformation which she was before and therefore has the very same Succession though not the same Errors to this day that ever she had and that I think is as good a Succession as the Church of Rome has There are but two things to be considered in the case of Succession Either a Succession of Church Officers or a Succession of the Faith and Doctrines of the Church 1. As for a Succession of Church Officers we have the same that the Church of Rome has Those English Bishops who embraced the Reformation received their Orders in the Communion of the Church of Rome and therefore they had as good Orders as any are in the Church of Rome and these were the Persons who Consecrated other Bishops and so in Succession to this day For as for the story of the Nags-head Ordination that is so transparent a Forgery invented many years after to Reproach the Reformation that I presume no sober Roman Catholick will insist on it But we are Hereticks and Schismaticks and this forfeits our Orders and our Succession together But 1. This charge ought first to be proved against us that we are Hereticks and Schismaticks we deny and abhor both the name and thing and if we be not Hereticks and Schismaticks as we are sure we are not and as the Church of Rome can never prove us to be then according to their own Confession our Orders must be good 2. However be we Hereticks or Schismaticks or what ever they please to call us how does this destroy our Orders and Succession The Catholick Church would not allow in former Ages that Heresie or Schism destroyed the validity of Orders St. Jerome disputes against this at large in his Book Contra Luciferianos And St. Austin allows the Donatists Bishops to have valid Orders though they were Schismaticks and therefore that the Sacraments adminstred by them were valid And indeed if Heresie will destroy Orders and Succession the Church of Rome will be as much to seek for their Orders and Succession as we are which by their own Confession have had several Heretical Popes and no body knows how many Bishops Ordained by them 2. As for Succession of Doctrine which is as considerable to the full as Succession of Orders the great Articles of our Faith are not only plainly contained in Scripture but have been delivered down to us through all ages of the Church by an uninterrupted Succession The Church of Rome her self in her greatest Degeneracy did own all that we do in pure matters of Faith When we reformed the Church we did not make a new Religion but only separated the old Faith from new and corrupt Additions and therefore the quarrel of the Church of Rome with us is not that we believe any thing which they do not believe but that we do not believe all that they would have us The Doctrine of the Church of England is truly Primitive and Catholick taught by Christ and his Apostles owned by the Primitive Church and
excepting the Dispute between the Latin and Greek Church about the Filioque or the Holy Spirits proceeding from the Father and the Son received by all catholick churches to this day which is as compleat and perfect Succession as any Doctrine can have therefore when the Church of Rome asks us Where was our Religion before Luther we tell them it was all the World over all Catholick churches believed what we do though we do not believe all that they do they themselves did and do to this Day own our creeds and Articles of Faith excepting such of them as are directly opposed to their Innovations So that we are on a â—ure Foundation our Faith has been received in the catholick church in all Ages But now the church of Rome cannot shew such a Succession for her new Doctrines and Articles of Faith which were unknown to the Primitive church for many Ages which were rejected by many flourishing churches since the first appearance of them which never had a quiet possession in her own communion and were never formed into Articles of Faith till the packt conventicle of Trent This I think is a sufficient Answer to this Paper and it pities me to see so many well-meaning Persons abused with such transparent Sophistry FINIS A DISCOURSE About the Charge of NOVELTY Upon the Reformed CHURCH OF ENGLAND Made by the PAPISTS Asking of us the Question Where was our Religion before LVTHER LONDON Printed and Edinburgh Re-printed by J. Reid for T. Brown and G. Schaw and A. Ogston and G. Mosman Stationers in the Parliament Closs 1686. A DISCOURSE About the Charge of NOVELTY Upon the Reformed Church of England made by the Papists c. THe Christian Doctrine was once by the way of trust delivered by Christ and his Apostles unto the Saints Men of Care and Honesty and who should preserve it in its first purity and Spiritual intention only to prescribe methods unto Men by Faith and an Honest conversation how they might arrive at Heaven that this Religion might make a deeper impression upon their minds and memories and be more faithfully kept it was set down in plain and significant Terms and reduced into 2 Tim. 1. 13 14. Rom. 6. 17. 1. Tim. 6. 20. short summaries called a form of sound words that good thing that Form of Doctrine a depositum or trust and by the Church afterwards a creed That it might be believed and valued it was in its own Nature of the greatest importance confirmed with variety of the best of Arguments Miracles Prophecies innocent carriage and Death of its numerous Disciples and severe curses denounc'd against any that should add to or take from it till Gal. 1. 8. 9 Rev. 22. 18. their great Master And its Author Jesus should come from Heaven again Yet notwithstanding all this by the Malice and Subtility of the Devil the Designs and Passions of Men the Ignorance and Negligence of some the Cunning and Industry of others this plain and simple Religion began by degrees to be corrupted by the mixtures of Philosophy and niceness by the Rules of Stat Craft and Policy by idle Traditions and Inventions by the Melancholy of some and the gayety of others and the natural Face of it was so strangely changed that it seem'd another Gospel and you might seek Christianity in the Christian World and yet scarce find it Many Kingdoms and People were to blame in this being Teacherous to their Master and false to their trust suffering so Pure and chast a Religion to be corrupted 2. Cor. 11. 2 or Stolen away but the Church of Rome seems the most Guilty of them all especially upon her own grounds her Bishop being the Infallible Vicar of Jesus to whom are committed the Oracles of GOD once indeed renowned Cyp. Epist Ox. Edit p. 5. 6. Rom 18. Platina vitâ— Bon 7. p. 159. vide quaeso quantum degeneraverint c. for her Faith and Pious Governours but now as famous for their Degeneracy as well in Religion as in their Lives Whose Ambition or Interest prostituted the Faith to those Designs and made it Earthly and Sensual or their Negligence and Stupidity suffered the Enemy in the night of Ignorance to sow the tares which so grew up and choakt the Wheat that Faith was turn'd into Fables and Lyes Foppery and Superstition were Nick-nam'd Devotion Ridiculous Gestures and Habits past for Repentance and Mortification the Bible was shut up and contemned and the Legends open'd and praised Honest and Good Men were butchered and unknown Persons and Malefactors canonized Saints with their Pictures and Reliques were made Rivals to Christ in Mediation and Intercession Good Works were spoiled by Merit and Arrogance or done by way of composition for vices the fear of Hell was abated by the invention of Purgatory Christ was fetch from Glory by the Magick of a Priest and put into a Wafer or into a more sordid place riddles and quirks of their Schools were made Articles of Faith in short old truths were rooted up and new errors grafted on them Power and Profit were Stiled the church the court of Rome was brought into the Temple and called the Holy of Holies Such errours as these in the christian Faith came from Rome and infected our Ancient British church not at first planted by the Labours of the Romish Bishops of old but corrupted by their later Emissaries and lasted a long time among us being supported by Power twisted with Interest sutable to the pleasures and vices of Men incorporated into the Government having put out Mens reason to try and discern between Truth and Error and at length became Fashionable Legal Terrible with Fires and censures which made us Sick unto death absolute almost and beyond recovery Such was our condition here of Slavery and Ignorance but it pleased him that dwells between the Golden Candlesticks to dispel our Darkness and restore the Ancient light of Primitive Christianity His Wisdom and Goodness improving the passions and inclinations of some in temporal changes and concerns to Spiritual purposes encouraging the secret groans and desires of others putting many more upon search and enquiry after Truth and infusing courage for it at length came to a resolution of Arguing and Debating the Errors of the Romish Faith and manners of reforming the abuses in Discipline and Devotion and to call back True Christianity again and being dispossest of the Spirit of Rome which oft tore them and rent them till they foamed again are now cloath'd and in their Wits once more upon this account the Friends of Rome call us Hereticks Schismaticks and Innovators Discharge Censures and Excommunications and Eternal Damnation against us are full of Wrath and indignation and to shew a little Wit in their Anger And pretended reason pertly ask the Question where was our Religion before Luther This is the common and trite objection against our Religion very frequent not only in the Mouths of their Bellarmine Campian Smith more Ordinary
Disciples but also of their more Learned Writers who whatever strength they really fancy may be in the Argument it self think it a very proper Weapon to attempt the Vulgar and the Weak withall to amuse and dazle the less discerning eve at least when backâ— and set off with the stately Names of Infallibility Succession Anâ—iquity and the like and they tell us roundly our Faith was but yesterday our Religion is new and upstart as only Henry the Eights and â—romwels contrivance they may truly say as much as their Treason was Cecils Plot That our Faith began only in the year 1517 in Saxony by one Martin Luther an Apostate Fryar who for the sake of a fair Nun and other designs renounc'd the Ancient Faith and set up his new Device of Protestantism at Spires which did not quietly last much above seven years for in the year Bellar. Tom. lib. 4. p. 287 1. 25. starts up Zuinglius after two years more he Anabaptists who change and correct Luther's Religion and draw great numbers of his disciples from him and himself for his reward dyed a strange Death great Noises and Crackings were heard in his Tomb which being opened neither Body nor Bones were found and the smell of Brimstone was ready to stifle the standers by And therefore they say we ought to look from whence we are faln to repent of our Heresie and returne to our first Love and not stick so close to our Religion the new invention of so ill a Man That we may therefore keep those firme that are members of our Religion and bring those back that have revolted from us into the Romish Communion we have endeavour'd to give a satisfactory Answer to this their Question Where was your Religion before the times of Luther Not to trouble our selves with such Legends as these and Uncharitableness along with them the Answer is thus 1. Telling them plainly where our Religion was before Luthers time 2. By shewing what Errors and Mistakes are included in the Question 3. To turn the Question upon themselves and ask them some others of the like nature 1. The plain Answer to the Question is this That our Religion was long before the times of Luther and believed and setled in many Kingdoms and Nations of the World and hath neither Novelty nor Singularity in it 'T is an old Religion I am sure 't is of Age and can speak for it self It hath lasted now these 1600 years and more founded at first by Christ and his Apostles handed down to us through many Sufferings and Persecutions and here it is preserved It contracted indeed in the coming down a great deal of rust by the Falseness and Carelesness of its keepers particularly by the Church of Rome we scowr'd off the rust and kept the mettal that 's the Romish Religon this is the English They added False Doctrines to the Christian Faith we left the one and kept to the other this is Ancient those are New Our Religion is the same with that of the Early Christians Martyrs and Confessors believed in the first 300 years and defended by all Councils truely General Our Religion in those first Ages was in Palestine and Greece in Egypt in Antioch where the Discâ—â—les Acts 11. 26. were fiâ—st called Christians and in Rome it self and wherever the great labours of her first Apostles carry'd her to the different and reâ—ote Countries of the World Then and there our Religion lâ—v'd where Peter Linus and Cletus and all the first and Pious Bishops of Rome did It suffered indeed great variety of changes and conditions by the interest and wickedness of men sometimes more Adulterated and sometimes more Pure it flitted from Country to Country sometimes greater and sometimes smaller in its number sometimes in a dejected and sometimes in a more flourishing state but somewhere or other it was intire and without mixture as it was at first given unto the world and such an old Religion as this we are of holding fast neither more nor less neither adding to nor diminishing what Christ and his Apostles taught and iâ— Antiquity must evidence the Truth of our Religion we are safe and secure that we have right on our side And this will appear if we consider these following things 1. What Conformity our Religion carries to that of Christ and his Apostles Let any impartial eye compare them both together and he will find the features and complexion the whole body of Religion the same in both Whatever they delivered out at first as Fundamental to Salvation whatever they instituted as parts of Devotion Discipline and Order we still faithfully retain in our Church and if any Truth of moment hitherto by Fraud or Negligence be concealed from her she is ready to receive it when ever it is made plain not having stopt up the way of Truth by a pretence of Infallibility or want of Modesty to confess an error She hath the same sense of the Nature Offices the Design and whole Undertakings of Christ that the truly Ancient Church had She receives the Creed and Bible and any Traditions that can be made out to be truly Divine in the same meaning and understanding that Christ and his Apostles gave to the first Christians and they to us What their thoughts of Saints and holy Souls departed were ours are thoughts of respect remembrance and imitation not divine Worship Christ instituted proper Figures and Symbols of Bread Wine to represent and confirm to conveigh and commemorate his bloudy Passion and Benefits to Mankind in this sense She preserves the Institution sacred and doth not really Sacrifice or Crucifie the LORD of Life again Christ commanded good works under the penalty of eternal Damnation She doth the same and in our Masters language bids the doers of them call themselves unprofitable Servants beating down Pride and Merit Christ and his Apostles told the World what departing Souls must expect Her sense is the same that there are no second Ventures and Trials to be made neither can a kind Friend with a good Estate left for Masses or Monks compound for a Life ill spent Run through the whole constitution of our Church in Articles of Faith and Rules of Manners you may trace them to Christ and his Apostles time and all other parts of her Government and Order are truly Primitive And it must needs be so if She sincerely folloâ—s her rule of Faith the holy Scriptures so Ancient so Divine and whatever is declared there essential to Salvation She brings into her Creed and resolves to keep it like a mighty Treasure faithfully unto death And indeed the Church of Rome confesses that what we do retain is ancient and Apostolical but pretends that we are defective in many things and want some necessaries which they have to make an entire Faith But we challenge them to prove that those opinions wherein we differ from them were delivered by Christ or any men divinely inspired in those times
And they farther confess that in the times of Antichrist there shall be neither Pope Monk nor Mass if this be all that Monster is not so terrible as he is painted and their Annalists complain of such sad things as these in the tenth Century And certainly they have read of Ver. 12. 6. 11. 7. 1 Cor. 3. 12. the Woman in the Wilderness and the Witnesses slain and of Hay and Stuble coâ—ering the Foundation Which describe the deplorable condition of the Christian Church and Fopperies Niceties and Inventions of men obscuring the Essentials of the Christian Faith Should a Revolt happen which GOD divert from the Reformed Church of England to Romanism again might not others ask them the same Question Where was your Religion before Eighty three or Eighty four before snch a time Would they not answer at Rome and in England also only kept under and obscur'd by Hereticks and Tyrannical Princes Ours was also here lockt up in Bibles own'd by some numbers desir'd by more onely frighted from a visible profession of it by the Torments that did attend it And Christianity though not so visible yet was purer when it and its professors dwelt in Rocks and Mountains and Denâ— places of Privacy and obscurity in the Reigns of Nero and Diâ—clesian then when some Kings were its Nursing Fathers and Quâ—ens its Nursing Mothers and took possession of the seven Hills And there was a true Church of God though overlay'd and groaning under Arrianism as before Persecution and in Cyprians time as ours once under the Popish Yoke And Cypr Epist p. 59 Ox Edit aspice totum orbem pene vastum c. the truth of Christianity like the truth and essence of other things depends not upon splendid entertainment or judgment of others nor the Church upon the Visible number of its Members but it may be a true Church whither visible or hid which this Question denies 3. This Question supposeth that the Roman Church cannot err but that it remained pure and undefiled as it came from the hands of Christ through the many Centuries of years till it came to the times of Luther and from thence shall so continue till the Worlds end and therefore we made a false charge against them of corruptions in their Religion to excuse our Innovation But we have reason to conclude She hath foully err'd from the Faith and that more fatally and obstinately because She pretends She cannot err For upon what grounds doth She found Her Infallibility Upon the Scriptures They are onely so many dead Letters till the breadth of the Church doth give them life and they are then to do the Church a good turn and give her Infallibility which is such a Circle as makes mens Brains so giddy turning round in it that they scarce know what he Scriptures and what the Church do mean the places of Scripture to prove Infallibility are such which have onely reference to the Apostles themselves their Doctrines or Confessions of Faith as Divine and Infallible but not to their pretended Successours Or else they are restrained not simply Mat. 16. 18. Ioh. 16. 13. Mat. 28. 20 unto all truth but only unto all truth that is necessary to Salvation in which the Pope or a Council cannot err while they follow the Spirit of Truth in the Scriptures and not compel the Spirit and Scriptures to follow them For they do not irresistibly force the minds of Christians into truth Or else relate onely to the Catholick Church and not Mat. 18. 20. to the particular Roman or else are applicable to privaâ—e Assemblies and their Worship of God which no body but Quakers and Enthusiasts think to be infallible And all the first Ages of Christianity and undoubted Tradition never in the least imagined such an Infallibility as now the Church of Rome dreams of They are at War among themselves where this Infallibility is lodg'd either in the Pope alone or in a General Council alons or in both together the Pope sitting in person there or by his Legates or in the council confirmed by the Pope till they agree among themselves and prove it better we say 't is no where plac'd but in the Scriptures and they do not prove any other person or persons upon Earth to be infallible in their determinations To say such an infallible Judge of Controversies to guide the Church is absolutely necessary and therefore Divine Providence hath plac'd him some where or other and who but the Pope can be the man is only to prescribe methods unto GOD and teach him how to govern his Church and not be thankful for the good old wayes of Salvation and Peace Scriptures an honest Judgment with Divine assistance and humane means he hath chalkt out for us but contrive some new ones of their own Such infallibility must be of no use to the Church of GOD for upon the Romish principles it cannot be known for the Pope before he be Infallible must be Bishop of Rome but the Sacrament of Order according to the Council of Trent receives its validity from the intention of the Priest that when he ordained him Bishop he did what the Church intended and who can tell upon these grounds what this supposed Priest was who gave this Order or dyve into his thoughts and intentions which their Casuists confess may sometimes be very perverse But if there be this Infallibility at Rome why do not the Countries and Religious Orders in Archbishop Laud against Fisher 27 2. them still under their Dominion receive the blessed Fruits of it and still all the brawls and squables among themselves if his Holyness be at leasure and it be worth his while And why should not the Champions of Rome bend all their power to prove this main point of Infallibility when all other controversies would fall under and submit unto its power a compendious way to make the Christian world at Peace and Unity with its self But why need we labour to disprove the Popes Infallibility when themselves put their shoulders to it and do the work for us in disputing among themselves whither the Pope being an Heretick may be deposed by which Question they confess that he may fall into heresie which is errour of the highest nature carrying wilfulness and obstinacy with it And acordingly these Infallible men have been guilty of Heresies as Pope Honorius of Monothelitism and Liberius of Arrianism and the like and many of them liv'd most debauched lives as fatal to Christianity as Heresie and Fallibility and wherein Providence is highly concerned This Doctrine of Infallibility looks like a plain contrivance of the Romish Church having some way or other slipt into these gross errors from smal beginings finding them not defensible by all the sleights and arts of their cunning heads are forc'd to quit their hold and betake themselves to their common Sanctuary of Infallibility that let these things be what they will in dispute between us and them
Faith of Christ they shall not teach nor any thing at all whereby the unskilful multitude may be inflaâ—ed either to the study of Novelty or to Contention VI. But though nothing may be taught as a piece of Religion which hath not the forenamed Original yet I must add that those things which have been universally believed and not contrary to Scripture though not written at all there nor to be proved from thence we do receive as pious Opinions For instance the perpetual Virginity of the Mother of GOD our Saviour which is so likely a thing and so universally received that I do not see why we should not look upon it as a genuine Apostolical Tradition VII I have but one thing more to adde which is that we allow also the Traditions of the Church about matters of Order Rites and Ceremonies Only we do not take them to be parts of GOD's worship and if they be not appointed in the holy Scriptures we believe they may be altered by the same or the like authority with that which ordained them So our Church hath excellently and fully resolved us concerning such matters in the XXXIV Article of Religion where there are three things asserted concerning such Traditions as these First It is not necessary that Traditions and Ceremonies they are the very first words of the Article be in all places one or utterly alike for at all times they have been divers and may be changed according to the diversities of countries times and mens manners so that nothing be ordained against God's Word But then to prevent all disorders and confusions that men might make in the Church by following their own private fancies and humours the next thing which is decreed is this Secondly That whosoever through his own private judgment willingly and purposelie doth openlie break the Traditions and Ceremonies of the Church which be not repugnant to the Word of GOD and be ordained and approved by common authority ought to be rebuked openlie that others may fear to do the like as he that offendeth against the common Order of the church and hurteth the Authority of the Magistrate and woundeth the consciences of the weak Brethren Lastlie It is there declared That every particular or National church hath authority to ordain change and abolish ceremonies or Rites of the church ordained only by man's authority so that all things be done to edifying This is sufficient to shew what we believe concerning Traditions about matters of Order and Decency VIII As for what is delivered in matters of Doctrine or Order by any private Doctor in the church or by any particular church it appears by what hath been said that it cannot be taken to be more then the private Opinion of that man or the particular Decree of that church and can have no more authority then they have that is cannot oblidge all christians unless it be contained in the holy Scripture Now such are the Traditions which the Roman church would impose upon us and impose upon us after a strange fashion as you shall see in the Second Part of this Discourse unto which I shall proceed presently when I have left with you this brief Reflection on what hath been said in this First Part. Our people may hereby be admonished not to suffer themselves to be deceived and abused by words and empty names without their sense and meaning Nothing is more common then this especially in the business of Traditions About which a great stir is raised and it is commonly given out that we refuse all Traditions Then which nothing is more false for we refuse none truly so called that is Doctrines delivered by Christ or his Apostles No we refuse nothing at all because it is unwritten but merely because we are not sure it is delivered by that Authority to which we ought to submit Whatsoever is delivered to us by our LORD and his Apostles we receive as the very word of God which we think is sufficiently declared in the holy Scriptures But if any can certainly prove by any Authority equal to that which brings the Scriptures to us that there is any thing else delivered by them we receive that also The Controversie will soon be at an end For we are ready to embrace it when any such thing can be produced Nay we have that reverence for those who succeeded the Apostles that what they have unanimously delivered to us as the sense of any doubtful place we receive it and seek no farther There is no dispute whither or no we should entertain it To the Decrees of the Church also we submit in matters of Decency and Order yea and acquiesce in its authority when it determines doubtful Opinions But we cannot receive that as a Doctrine of Christ which we know is but the Tradition of man nor keep the Ordinances of the ancient Church in matters of Decency so unalterably as never to vary from them because they themselves did not intend them to be of everlasting obligation As appears by the changes that have been made in several times and places even in some things which are mentioned in the holy Scriptures being but Customs suted to those Ages and Countries In short Traditions we do receive but not all that are called by that name Those which have sufficient Authority but not those which are imposed upon us by the sole authority of one particular Church assuming a power oâ—er all the rest And so I come to the Second Part. PART II. What Traditions we do not receive AND in the first place we do not believe that there is any Tradition which contains another Word of God which is not in the Scripture or cannot be proved from thence In this consists the main difference between us and them of the Romish Perswasion who affirm that Divine Truth which we are all bound to receive to be partly written partly delivered by word of mouth without writting Which is not only the affirmation of the Council of Trent but delivered in more express tâ—rms in the Bresace to the Roman Catechism drawn up by their order where we finde these words towards the conclusion of it The whole Doctrine to be delivered to the faithfull is contained in the Word of GOD which Word of GOD is distributed into Scripture and Tradition This is a full and plain declaration of their mind with which we can by no means agree for divers unanswerable reasons 1. Not only because the Scriptures testifie to their own perfection which they assirm to be so great as to be able to compleat the divinest men in the Church of CHRIST in all points of heavenly wisdom 2 Tim. 3. 15. 16. 17. but 2. Because the constant Tradition of the Church even of the Roman Church anciently is that in the Scriptures we may find all that is necessary to be known and believed to salvation I must not fill up this Paper with Authorities to this purpose but we avow this unto the people of
from what hath been now said That there being so little credit to be given to the Roman Church onely we cannot receive those Doctrines of Truth which that Church now presses upon our belief upon the account of Tradition For instance That the Church of Rome is the Mother and Mistriss of all other Churches That the Pope of Rome is the Monarch or Head of the universal visible Church That all Scriptures must be expounded according to the sense of this Church That there are truly and properly seven Sacraments neither more nor less instituted by our blessed Lord himself in the New Testament That there is a proper and propiciatory Sacrifice offered in the Mass for the quick and dead the same that Christ offered on the Cross In short the half communion and all the rest of the Articles of their New Faith in the Creed published by Pope Pius IV. which are Traditions of the Roman Church alone not of the Universal and rely solely upon their own Authority And therefore we refuse them and in our Disputes about Traditions we mean these things which we reject because they have no foundation either in the holy Scripture or in universal Tradition but depend as I said upon the sole Authority of that Church which witnesses in its own behalf For whatsoever is pretended to make the better shew all resolves at last into that as I intimated in the beginning of this Discourse Scripture and Tradition can do nothing at all for them without their Churches definition Though their whole infallible Rule of Faith seem to be made up of those three yet in truth the last of these alone the Churches definition is the whole Rule and the very bottom upon which their Faith stands For what is Tradition is no more apparent then what is Scripture according to their Principles without the Authority of their church which pretends an unlimited power to supply the defect even of Tradition it self In short as Tradition among them is taken in to supply the defect of Scripture so the Authority of their Church is taken in to supply the defect of Tradition But this Authority undermines them both because neither Scripture nor Tradition signifie any thing without their Churches Authority Which therefore is the Rule of their Faith that is they believe themselves To which absurdity they are driven because it is made evident by us that there have been great diversities of Traditions and many changes and alterations made even in things called Apostolical c. And therefore they have no other way but to fly to the judgment of the present Church to determine what are Traditions Apostolical and what are not by which Judgment all mankind must be governed that is we must believe them and they believe themselves which they would have done well to have said in one word without putting us to the trouble of seeking for Traditions in Books and in other Churches But they would willingly colour their pretences by as many fair words as possible and so make mention of Scripture Tradition Antiquity which when we have examined they will not stand to them but take fanctuary in their own Authority saying They are the sole Judges what is Scripture and what Tradition and what Antiquity nay have a power to declare any new point of Faith which the Church never heard of before This is the Doctrine of Salmeron and others of his fellows That the Doctrine of Faith admits of additions in essential things For all things were not taught by the Apostles but such as were then necessary and fit for the Salvation of Believers By which means we can never know when the Christian Religion will be perfected but their Church may bring in Traditions by its sole Authority without end Nay some among them have been contented to resolve all their Faith into the sole Authority of the present Roman Bishop according to that famous saying of Cornelius Mussus promoted by Paul the Third to a Bishoprick upon the fourteenth Chapter to the Romans To confess the truth ingenuously I would give greater credit to one Pope in those things which touch the mysteries of Faith then to a thousand Hierom's Austin's Gregory's to say nothing of Richard's Scotus's c. For I believe and know that the Pope cannot erre in matters of Faith Which contemptuous Speech he would never have uttered to the discredit of those greatmen whom they pretend to reverence if he had not known more certainly that the Tradition which runs among the ancient Fathers is against them then he could know the Pope to be infallible There is no Tradition I am sure for that nor for abundance of other things which rest merely upon their own credit as is fairly acknowledged in two great Articles of their present Creed by our Countrey-man Bishop Fisher with whose words I conclude this particular Many perhaps have the less confidence in Indulgences because their use seems to have been newer in the Church and very lately found among Christians To whom I answer that it doth not appear certainly by whom they began to be first delivered For the Ancients make no mention or very rare of Purgatory and the Greeks to this very day do not believe it nor was the belief either of Purgatory or of Indulgences so necessary in the Primitive Church as it is new And as long as there was no care about Purgatory no body sought for Indulgences for all their esteem depends upon that If you take away Purgatory to what purpose are Indulgences Since therefore Purgatory was so lately known and received in the Catholick Church who can wonder that there was no use of Indulgences in the beginning of our Religion Which is a full Confession what kind of Traditions that Church commends unto us things lately invented their own private Opinions of which the ancient Christians knew nothing In one word their Tradition is no Tradition in that sense wherein the Church alwayes understood it IV. And what hath been said of them must be applied to other particular Churches though some have been more sincere then they None of them hath any Authority to commend any thing as an Article of Faith unto Posterity which hath not been commended to them by all foregoing Ages derived from the Apostles For Vincentius his Rule is to guide us all in this That is Catholick and consequently to be received which hath been held by all and in all churches and at all times V. Which puts me in mind of another thing to be briefly touched that the Ecclesiastical Tradition contained in the Confessions or Registers of particular Churches in these days wherein we live is not received by us nor allowed to have the same Authority which such Tradition had at the time of the Nicene Council for the conviction of Heresie The joynt consent I mean of so many Bishops as were there assembled and the unanimous Confessions of so many several Churches of several Provinces as were there delivered hath not
condition of those who lived in that Communion before the Reformation many of them groaned under those Oppressions from which we are happily freed nay whatever charitable allowance may still be made for them who now live within those Boundaries where they have little opportunity of knowing better and are under vaâ—â— prejudices by contrary Education and the severest awe over them Now far I say these cases may be pleadable must be left to GOD and their own Consciences As for those born and bred among us who have been treacherously deluded into Apostacy from us or will persist in their hereditary obstinate averseness to us against the Clearest conviction which they may receive and in opposition to the express Laws of GOD and of the Land to the perpetual disturbance of the State and confusion of the Church there appears no room for any excuse to lessen their Crime or alleviate their doom which will be mightly encreased when all manner of hidden and crafty Artifices or open violence against the common Rights of Humane Society and moral Honesty as well as the Faith and Charity of Christs Church are imployed and consecrated into a religious but blind Zeal for the destruction of both No marvel if the Nation awakened with the effects hereof which it hath sometimes felt and oftner had reason to fear have provided some severe Laws for an aw over them and to stop the first beginnings of such exorbitant attempts ready to break through all ordinary inclosures and which will hardly be restrained by the usual methods of Government No temper is more difficulty mastered or more mischievous if let loose then such a false fiery zeal which neglected burns all before it But whatever may have been their Treatment of us formerly or we may justly apprehend would be still had they any opportunity which GOD pervent we ought not and hope shall not ever desist from wishing and endeavouring as much as is in our power their real welfaâ—e and so of all our implacable Enemies and therein their hearty Union with us in the holy Offices of Religion and Fellowship of GODs Church where they live with the sincere renounciation of those dangerous Errours and Practices that hitherto keep them at a distance from us In Conclusion instead of querulous expostulations or catching occasions to find fault we have great reason to admire and adore that gracious Providence which amidst so many Confusions Disorders and Corruptions that prevail too much in most places â—ound about hath placed our Lot in so happy a soil and provided for us so goodly a Heritage and safe Retreat in the Bosom of that Church whose Charity is as eminent as its Faith and its Order as signal as its Purity whose Arms are alwayes open to receive its returning Enemies with the most tender Compassions as well as to cherish its faithful Friends with the wholsom and indulgent provisions where nothing is wanting to ensure our safety and encourage our proficiency in every thing that is good and excellent Which upon former tâ—al of both the opposit extremes the whole Kingdom hath seen necessary to fâ—ee back into to repair the Confusions and Devastions they had brought and in its most dangerous Convulsions here hath found the readiest Cure and under whose name her very Enemies desire to shelter themselves which finally engages us to express our gratitude for so peculiar Priviledges by â— ready and impartial Obedience to the holy Doctrine we are taught and a fruitful improvement of all those happy Advantages which we enjoy therein That our Lives may be answerable to our Profession and our pious vertuous peaceable and charitable Conversation may be in some proportion as defensible and remarkable as the Principles we proceed upon or the benefitâ— we lay claim to This would most effectually silence the captious Cavils of our Enemies on every side and more powerfully invite them to our communion then all other the most demonstrative Arguments When their very senses would bear witness that GOD is in us of a truth I hope we are not distitute of some such eminent Examples of unfeigned Piety true Holiness and universal Probity GOD Almighty increase their number more and more Yet whatsoever may be the effect thereof upon other men this method would unquestionably ensure our own firmest Peace here and everlasting Salvation hereafter Here we keep certainly within our own bounds and may most safely and profitably spend all our Zeal while other men please themselves in diverting it aâ—road to what they have no power over It seems horribly â—â—useous to hear men quarrel fiercely about the best church who live in the most open defiance to all Religion and I doubt there are too many of all denominations chargeable herewith Yet whatever the case of others prove it will be most safe and pious to bring it home and close to our selves Be our Church or our Profession never so much better then any other if we be not also suitably better then other men they will rise up in judgment against us at the last But by a careful and diligent observance of its sacred Prescriptions we shall justifie our Reformation throughout put a stop to the Reproaches and shame the calumnies of our Adversaries and which is the Summary of all good intentions and endeavours bring honour to our great LORD and Master the Author and Finisher of our Faith FINIS A DISCOURSE Concerning the Object of RELIGIOUS WORSHIP OR A SCRIPTURE PROOF OF THE UNLAWFULNESS of giving any Religious Worship to any other Beeing BESIDES THE ONE SUPREME GOD EDINBVRGH Re-Printed by J. Reid MDC LXXXVI A DISCOURSE Concerning the Object of Religious Worship The INTRODVCTION OF all the Disputes between â—s and the Church of Rome there is none of greater concernment then that about the Object of Religious Worship We affirm as the Scripture has taught us that we must worship the LORD our GOD and serve him only the Church Mat. 4. 10. of Rome teaches that there is a degree of Religious Worship which we may give to some excellent Creatures to Angels and Saints and Images and the Host and to the Reliques of Saints and Martyrs If they are in the right we may be thought very rude and uncivil at least in denying to pay that Worship which is due to such excellent Creatures and very injurious to our selves in it by losing the benefit of their Prayers and Patronage If we be in the right the Church of Rome is guilty of giving worship to Creatures which is due to GOD alone which is acknowledged on all hands to be the greatest of sins and therefore this is a dispue which can never be compromised though we were never so desirous of an union and reconciliation with the Church of Rome for the Incommunicable glory of GOD and the salvation of our Souls are too dear things to be given away in complement to any Church And should it appear in the next world for I believe it will never
is to all the ends and purposes of a Miracle as if it were not and can be no testimony or proof of any thing because it self stands in need of another Miracle to give testimony to it and to prove that it was wrought And neither in scripture nor in profane Authours nor in common use of speech is any thing call'd a Miracle but what falls under the notice of our senses A Miracle being nothing else but a supernatural effect evident to sense the great end and design whereof is to be a sensible proof and conviction to us of something that we do not see And for want of this Condition Transubstantiation if it were true would be no miracle It would indeed be very supernatural but for all that it would not be a Sign or Miracle For a Sign or Miracle is alwayes a thing sensible otherwise iâ— could be no Sign Now that such a change as is pretended in Transubstantiation should really be wrought and yet there should be no sign and appearance of it is a thing very wonderfull but not to sense for our senses perceive no change the bread and wine in the sacrament to all our senses remaining just as they were before And that a thing should remain to all appearance just as it was hath nothing at all of wonder in it we wonder indeed when we see a strange thing done but no man wonders when he sees nothing done So that Transubstantiation if they will needs have it a Miracle is such a Miracle as any man may work that hath but the confidence to face men down that he works it and the fortune to be believed And though the Church of Rome may magnify their Priests upon account of this Miracle which they say they can work every day and every hour yet I cannot understand â—he reason of it for when this great work as they call it is done there is nothing more appears to be done then it there were no Miracle Now such a Miracle as to all appearance is no miracle I see no reason why a Protestant Minister as well as a Popâ—sh Priest may not work as often as he pleases or if he can buâ— have the patience to let it alone it will work it self For surely nothing in the world is easier then to let a thing be as it is and by speaking a few words over it to make it just what was before Every Man every day may work ten thousand such Mâ—racles And thus I have dispatch'd the First part of my Discourse which was to consider the pretended grounds and Reasons of the Church of Rome for this Doctrine and to shew the weakness and insufficiency of them I come in the SECOND place to produce our Objections against II. it Which will be of so much the greater force because I have already shewn this Doctrine to be destitute of all Divine warrant and authority of any other sort of Ground sufficient in reason to justifie it So that I do not now object against a Doctrine which hath a fair probability of Divine Revelation on its side for that would weigh down all objections which did not plainly overthrow the probability and credit of its Divine Revelation But I object against a Doctrine by the mere will and Tyranny of men impos'd upon the belief of Christians without any evidence of Scripture and against all the evidence of Reason and Sense The Objections I shall reduce to these two Heads First the infinite scandal of this Doctrine to the Christian Religion And Secondly the monstrous and insupportable absurdity of it First The infinite scandal of this Doctrine to the Christian Religion And that upon these four accounts 1. Of the stupidity of this Doctrine 2. The real barbarousness of this Sacrament and Rite of our Religion upon supposition of the truth of this Doctrine 3. Of the cruel and bloudy consequences of it 4. Of the danger of Idolatry which they are certainly guilty of if this Doctrine be not true 1. Upon account of the stupidity of this Doctrine I remember that Tully who was a man of very good sense instanceth in the conceit of eating God as the extremity of madness and so stupid an apprehension as he thought no man was ever guilty of * De Nat. Deorum l. 3. When we call sayes he the fruits of the earth Ceres and wine Bacchus we use but the common language but do you think any man so mad as to believe that which be eats to be God It seems he could not believe that so extravagant a folly had ever entered into the mind of man It is a very severe saying of Averroes the Arabian Philosopher who lived after this Doctrine was entertained among Christians and ought to make the Church of Rome blush if she can * Dionys Carthus in 4. dist 10. art 1. I have travell'd sayes he over the World and have found divers Sects but so sottish a Sect or Law I never found as is the Sect. of the Christians because with their own teeth they devour their God whom they worship It was great stupidity in the People of Israel to say Come let us make us Gods but it was civilly said of them Let us make Gods that may go before us in comparison of the Church of Rome who say Let us make a God that we may eat him So that upon the whole matter I cannot but wonder that they should chuse thus to expose Faith to the contempt of all that are endued with Reason And to speak the plain truth the Christian Religion was never so horribly exposed to the scorn of Atheists and Infidels as it hath been by this most absurd and senseless Doctrine But thus it was foretold that †2 Thess 2. 10. the Man of Sin should come with power and Signs and Lying Miracles and with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness with all the Legerdemain and jugling tricks of falsehood and imposture amongst which this of Transubstantiation which they call a Miracle and we a Cheat is one of the chief And in all probability those common jugling words of hocus pocus are nothing else but a corruption of hoc est corpus by way of ridiculous imitation of the Church of Rome in their trick of Transubstantiation Into such contempt by this foolish Doctrine and pretended Miracle of theirs have they brought the mosâ— sacred and venerable Mystery of our Religion 2. It is very scandalous likewise upon account of the real Barbarousness of this Sacrament and Rite of our Religion upon supposition of the truth of this Doctrine Literally to eat the flesh of the Son of man and to drink his bloud St. Austine as I have shewed before declares to be a great Impiety And the impiety and barbarousness of the thing is not in truth extenuated but only the appearance of it by its being done under the species of bread and Wine For the thing they acknowledge is really done and they believe that they
they saw them were deceived then there might be no Miracles wrought and consequently it may justly be doubted whither that kind of confirmation which God hath given to the Christian Religion would be strong enough to prove it supposing Transubstantiation to be a part of it Because every man hath as great evidence that Transubstantiation is false as he hath that the Christian Religion is true Suppose then Transubstantiation to be part of the Christian Doctrine it must have the same confirmation with the whole and that is Miracles But of all Doctrines in the world it is peculiarly incapable of being proved by a Miracle For if a Miracle were wrought for the proof of it the very same assurance which any man hath of the truth of the Miracle he hath of the falsehood of the Doctrine that is the clear evidence of his senses For that there is a Miracle wrought to prove that what he sees in the Sacrament is not bread but the body of Christ there is only the evidence of sense and there is the very same evidence to prove that what he sees in the Sacrament is not the Body of Christ but bread So that here would arise a new Controversie whither a man should rather believe his senses giving testimony against the Doctrine of Transubstantiation or bearing witness to a Miracle wrought to confirm that Doctrine there being the very same evidence against the truth of the Doctrine which there is for the truth of the Miracle And then the Argument for Transubstantiation and 〈◊〉 Objection against it would just balance one another and consequeâ—â—ly Transubstantiation is not to be proved by a Miracle because thâ— would be to prove to a man by some thing that he sees that he dâ— not see what he sees And if there were no other evidence that Trâ—â—substantiation is no part of the Christian Doctrine this would â—â— sufficient that what proves the one doth as much overthâ—â—â— the other and that Miracles which are certainly the best and higâ—â— external proof of Christianity are the worst proof in the world of Trâ—â—substantiation unless a man can renounce his senses at the same tâ—â— that he relies upon them For a man cannot believe a Miracle withoâ—â— relying upon sense nor Transubstantiation without renouncing it Sâ— that never were any two things so ill coupled together as the Doctriâ—â— of Christianity and that of Transubstantiation because they draw sâ—veral ways and are ready to strangle one another because thâ— main evidence of the Christian Doctrine which is Miracles is resâ—â—ved into the certainty of sense but this evidence is clear and poiâ—â— blank against Transubstantiation 4. And Lastly I would ask what we are to think of the Argumeâ—â— which our Saviour used to convince his Disciples after his Resurrectâ—on that his Body was really risen and that they were not deluded by â— Ghost or Apparition Is it a necessary and conclusive Argâ—ment or not * Luke 24. 3â— 39. And he said unto them why are yâ—â— troubled and why do thoughts arise in your heartsâ— Behold my hands and my feet that it is I my self â—â—â— a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me hâ—â— But now if we suppose with the Church of Rome the Doctrine oâ— Transubstantiation to be true and that he had instructed his Disâ—ciples in it just before his death strange thoughts might justly havâ— risen in their hearts and they might have said to him Lord it iâ— but a few dayes ago since thou didst teach us not to believe our senses but directly contrary to what we saw viz. That the bread whicâ— thou gavest us in the Sacrament though we saw it and handled iâ— and tasted it to be bread yet was not bread but thine own natural body and now thou appealest to our senses to prove that thiâ— is thy body which we now see If seeing and handling be an unquestionable evidence that things are what they appear to ouâ— senses then we were deceived before in the Sacrament and if they be not then we are not sure now that this is thy body which we now see and handle but it may be perhaps bread under the appearance of flesh and bones just as in the Sacrament that which we saw and handled and tasted to be bread was thy flesh and bones under the form and appearance of bread Now upon this supposition it would have been a hard matter to have quieted the thoughâ—â— â—f the Disciples For if the Argument which our Saviour used did â—â—rtainly prove to them that what they saw and handled was his â—â—dy his very natural flesh and bones 〈◊〉 because they saw and â—andled them which it were impious to deny is would as strongâ—â— prove that what they saw and received before in the Sacrament was â—ot the natural body and bloud of Christ but real bread and wine â—nd consequently that according to our Saviours arguing after his â—esurrection they had no reason to believe Transubstantiation before â—or that very Argument by which our Saviour proves the reality of his â—ody after his Resurrection doth as strongly prove the reality of bread â—nd wine after consecration But our Saviours Argument was most â—â—fallibly good and true and therefore the Doctrine of Transubstanâ—â—ation is undoubtedly false Upon the whole matter I shall only say this that some other â—oints between us and the Church of Rome are managed with some â—ind of witâ— and subtilty but this of Transubstantiation is carâ—ied out by mere dint of impudence and facing down of Manâ—ind And of this the more discerning persons of that Church are of â—ate grown so sensible that they would now be glad to be rid of this â—odious and ridiculous Doctrine But the Council of Trent hath fastâ—ned it to their Religion and made it a necessary and essential Point of their Belief and they cannot now part with it if they would it is like a Mill-stone hung about the neck of Popery which will sink it at the last And though some of their greatest Wits as Cardinal Perron and of late Monsieur Arnauld have undertaken the defence of it in great Volumes yet it is an absurdity of that monstrous and massy weight that no humane authority or witâ— are able to support it It will make the very Pillars of St. Peter's crack and requires more Volumes to make it good then would fill the Vatican And now I would apply my self to the poor deluded People of that Church if they were either permitted by their Priests or durst venture without their leave to look into their Religion and to examine the Doctrines of it Consider and shew your selves men Do not suffer your selves any longer to be led blindfold and by an implicit Faith in your Priests into the belief of nonsense and contradiction Think it enough and too much to let them rook you of your money for pretended Pardons and counterfeit Reliques but let not the Authority of any Priest or Church perswade you out of your senses
Credulity is certainly a fault as well as Infidelity And he who said blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed hath no where said blessed are they that have seen and yet have not believed much less blessed are they that believe directly contrary to what they see To conclude this Discourse By what hath been said upon this Argument it will appear with how little truth and reason and regard to the interest of our common Christianity it is so often said by our Adversaries that there are as good arguments for the belief of Transubstantiation as of the Doctrine of the Trinity When they themselves do acknowledge with us that the Doctrine of the Trinity is grounded upon the Scriptures and that according to the interpretation of them by the consent of the ancient Fathers But their Doctrine of Transubstantiation I have plainly shewn to have no such ground and that this is acknowledged by very many learned men of their own Church And this Doctrine of theirs being first plainly proved by us to be destitute of all Divine Warrant and Authority our Objections against it from the manifold contradictions of it to Reason and sense are so many Demonstrations of the falsehood of it Against all which they have nothing to put in the opposite Scale but the Infallibility of their Church for which there is even less colour of proof from Scripture then for Transubstantiation it self But so fond are they of their own Innovations and Errours that rather then the Dictates of their Church how groundless and absurd soever should be call'd in question rather then not have their will of us in imposing upon us what they please they will owerthrow any Article of the Christian Faith and shake the very foundations of our common Religion A clear evidence that this Church of Rome is not the true Mother since she can be so well contented that Christianity should be destroyed rather then the Point in question should be decided against her FINIS A DISCOURSE Concerning the ADORATION OF THE HOST As it is Taught and Practiced in the CHURCH of ROME Wherein an Answer is given to T. G. oâ— that Subject And to Monsieut Boileau's late book De Adoratione Eucharistiae Paris 1685. EDINEVRGH Re-printed by John Reid Anno DOM 1686. A DISCOURSE OF THE ADORATION Of the HOST c. IDolatry is so great a Blot in any Church what ever other glorious Marks it may pretend to that it is not to be wondred that the Church of Rome is very angry to be charged with it as it has alwayes been by all the Reform'd who have given in this among many others as a just and necessary Reason of their Reformation and it must be confessed to be so if it be fully and clearly made good against it and if it be not it must be owned to be great Uncharitableness on the other side which is no good Note of a Church neither as grievous Slander and most uncharitable Calumny which will fall especially upon all the Clergy of the Church of England who by their Consent and Subscription to its Articles and to the Doctrine of its Homilies and to the Book of Common Prayer do expresly join in it For it is not the private Opinion only of some particular and forward men in their Zeal and Heat against Popery thus to accuse it of Idolatry but it is the deliberate and sober and downright Charge of the Church of England of which no honest man can be a Member and Minister who does not make and believe it I might give several Instances to shew this but shall only mention one wherein I have undertaken to defend our Church in its charge of Idolatry upon the Papists in their Adoration of the Host which is in its Declaration about Kneeling at the Sacrament after the Office of the Communion in which are these remarkeable words It is hereby declared that no Adoration is intended or ought to be done either unto the sacramental Bread and Wine there bodily received or unto any corporal presence of Christs natural Flesh and Blood for the Sacramental Bread and Wine remain still in their natural substances and therefore may not be adored for that were Idolatry to be abhorred of all faithful Christians Here it most plainly declares its mind against that which is the Ground and Foundation of their Worshipping the Host That the Elements do not remain in their natural Substances after Consecration if they do remain as we and all Protestants hold even the Lutherians then in Worshipping the consecrated Elements they worship meer Creatures and are by their own Confession guilty of Idolatry as I shall shew by and by and if Christs natural Flesh and Blood â—e not corporally present there neither with the Substance nor Signs of the Elements then the Adoring what there is most be the Adoring some things else then Christs body and if Bread only be there and they adore that which is there they must surely adore the Bread it self in the opinion of our Church but I shall afterwards state the Controversie more exactly between us Our Church has here taken notice of the true Issue of it and declared that to be false and that it is both Unfit and Idolatrous too to Worship the Elements upon any account after Consecration and it continued of the same mind and exprest iâ— is particularly and directly in the Canons of 1640. where it sayes a Canon 7. 1640. about placing the Communion Table under this head A Declaration about some Rites and Ceremonis That for the cause of the Idolatry committed in the Mass all Popish Altars were demolish'd so that none can more fully charge them with Idolatry in this point then our Church has done It recommends at the same time but with great Temper and Moderation the religious Gesture of bowing towards the Altar both before and out of the time of Celebration of the Holy Eucharist and in it and in neither a Ib. can 7. 1â—40 Vpon any opinion of a corporal presence of Christ on the Holy Table or in the mystical Elements but only to give outward and bodily as well as inward worship to the Divine Majesty and it commands all Persons to receive the Sacrament Kneeling b Rubric at Communion in a posture of Adoration as the Primitive Church used to do with the greatest Expression of Reverence and Humility tropo proskynesios kai sebasmatos St. Cyrill of Hierusalem speaks c Cyril Hierosolym Catech. Mystag 5. and as I shall shew is the meaning of the greatest Authorities they produce out of the Ancients for Adoration not to but at the Sacrament so far are we from any unbecoming or irreverent usage of that Mystery as Bellarmine d Controv. de Eucharist when he is angry with those who will not Worship it tells them out of Optatus that the Donatists gave it to Dogs and out of Victor Vticencis that the Arriaâ—s trod it under their Feet
Rich Man and Lazarus S. Basil Prooem in Regulas c. that every one is sent eiâ—her to Abraham's bosome or to torments as soon as this Life is ended St. Baâ—il declares this Nazianz. orati 9. ad Julianum World to be the time of Repentance the other of Retribution this of Hierom. Epist 25. Working that of receiving a Reward So Nazianzen in his Funeral Orations plainly denies â—hat after this Life there is any purging to be expected and therefore he tells us that it is better to be purged now then be sent into torments where the time of punishing is and not of purging St. Hierome also comforts Paula for the Death of her Daughter after this manner let the Dead be lamented but let us whom Christ cometh forth to meet after our departure be the more grieved because so long as we remain here we are Pilgrims from God I could cite more Fathers to this purpose but the Testimonies of these may suffice to shew that all were not of Bellarmin's minâ— as he pretends by his precarious assertion that antiquity constantly taught there was a Purgatory Whereas the Grecians are so far from being of his Faith that they do not believe it at this day The oldest and best Authours that I know to be on his side are Plato in his Gorgias and Phoedo Tully in the end of the Dream of Scipio and Virgil in his sixth Aeneide Tertullian likewise when he was an Heretick seemed to favour his opinion and Origen was very much of that Beâ—ief who acknowledges no other punishment after this life but Purgatory-pains only Notwithstanding the Romish Clergy have the confidence to impose this extravagant Doctrine upon the World now it was never heard of in the Church for the space of a Thousand years after the Birth of our Sayiour when Thomas Aquinas and other Fryars had framed the cheat the Doctours of the Greek Church did publickly oppose it afterwards the Pope and his Agents prevailed so far in the Council Council Florentin sess 25. at Florence that for Peace sâ—ke they were contented to yield That the middle sort of Souls were in a Place of punishment but whither that were Fire Darkness and Tempest or something else they would not contend But as I have said the Greek Church the Muscovites and Russians the Cophtites and Abassines the Georgians and Armenians could never be brought to submit to it But this opinion with some others no less absurd and ridiculous came into the World when Ignorance and Interest had fatally depraved the Primitive purity of the Christian Faith and Worship The broachers of these Fictions are very crafty and industrious in contriving wayes how they may fasten them upon credulous People and although it is more then an hundred years since our Ancestours threw off the Pope's Tyranny yet if he doth not meet with a proportionable zeal in their Posterity to oppose his designs it will not be hard to conjecture the success of a vigorous attacque and a faint defence As therefore we are Memberr of a Christian Church in which we may assuredly find Salvation if we continue in it let us be firmly united among our selves against all innovations in Religion As we have no other rule of Faith and practice then the Holy Scripture let us reject all notorious innovations that are obtruded upon us for fundamentals As we are taught to be obedient to the supreme Magistrate not only for Wrath but Conscience sake so we are bound to avoid the Communion of that Church which claims a power of deposing him and of knocking those on the head who keep close to the Faith once delivered to the Saints What obligations then have we to the Church we are of and to the Religion we profess which hath delivered us from the Laws of the Roman Religion that are written in Bloud that hath recovered us from the Idolatrous practice of the heathen World that will not suffer us to Worship Images or fall down to the stock of a Tree that doth not rob us of the benefit of publick Prayers by putting them into an unknown tongue that doth not enjoyn an implicite Faith or blind obedience but allows to every Christian a judgmentâ—â— of Discretion who keeps within the bounds of due obedience and submission to his lawfull Superiours that he may prove all things hold fast That which is good a Church that hath no pardons at a set price for guilty persons no forged miracles to amuse the credulous and ignorant no pompous shews Beads Tickets Agnus Dei's Rosaries to please the Vulgar or to gratifie the superstitious If therefore we have any love of our Religion or any concern for the happiness of our Church and Nation if we have any desire to hold the freedom of our Consciences or any care for the eternal safety of our Souls it behoves us to beware of the Emissaries of Rome in whose success we must expect to forfeit all these interests every one of which ought to be dearer to us then our lives Let us not be imposed upon by the specious Name of Roman Catholick it is a mere contradiction one of the Pope's Bulls as if he should say universal particular a Catholick Schismatick Let us not be afraid to encounter this pretended Catholick with the Councils and Fathers though these are a Labyrinth an intangled Wood which Papists love to fight in not so much with hope of victory as to hide the shame of an open overthrow which in this kind of combat many of our Divines have given them But let them bound their Disputations on the Scripture onely and an ordinary Protestant well read in the Bible may turn and wind their ablest Doctours for as among Papists their ignorance in the Scripture chiefly upholds Popery so amongst Protestants the frequent and serious reading thereof will soonest baffle it And we need not doubt of an entire conquest if we add to this the amendment of our lives with all speed left through impenitency pride luxury bold and open Atheism uncharitable jarring and pelting at one another through stubborn disobedience to the Laws of GOD and Man we run into that sottishly which we seek so warily to avoid the worst of Superstitions that enervates and destroyes the whole design of Christianity FINIS A DISCOURSE CONCERNING AURICULAR CONFESSION As it is prescribed by the COUNCIL OF TRENT And practised in the CHURCH of ROME With a Post script on occasion of a Book lately printed in France called Historia Confessionis Auricularis EDINBVRGH Re-printed by John Reid Anno DOM. 1686. A DISCOURSE CONCERNING AURICULAR CONFESSION THE Zealots of the Church of Rome are wont to Glory of the singular advantages in the Communion of that Church especially in respect of the greater means and helps of Spiritual comfort which they pretend are to be had there above and beyond what are to be found amongst other Societies of Christians Which one thing if it could be as substantially made out as
guilt of sin or to judge which be Venial and which Mortal sins or especially what circumstances do alter the species of it and it may be too he may be such an one that makes no conscience himself of the sins I confess to him Now when all is transacted between me and such a Priest in a corner and this under the inviolable seal of confession what great shame can this put me to What remorse is it likely to work in me Whatshall discourage me from going to sin again if no worse thing happen to me 2. And then for the multitude of confessions in the church of Rome that also takes off the shame and weakens the efficacy of it so that if it do no harm it is not likely to do any good for who is concern'd much in the doing that which he sees all the World do as well as himself if only notorious sinners were brought to confession as it was in the primitive church then it might probably and reasonably provoke a blush and cause a remorse in him to whom such a remedy was prescribed but when he sees the whole parish and the Priest too brought to it and Men as generally complying with it as they approach to the Lord's Table What great wonders can this work What shame can it inflict upon any Man What effect can be expected from it but that it ordinarly makes Men secure and careless and grow as familiar with sin as with the remedy or at least think as well of themselves as of other Men since it seems they have as much need of confession and absolution as himself 3. To which the frequency and often repetitions of these kind of Confessions adds very much it is very likely that modesty may work much upon a Man the first or second time he goes to Confession and it may something discompose his Countenance when he lays open all his secret miscarriages to a person especially for whom he hath a Reverence for we see every thing even sin it self is modest in its beginnings and no doubt it is some restraint of sin whilst a Man is sensible that he must undergo a great deal of pain and shame in vomiting up again his sweet Morsels which he eats in secret But by that time he hath been used to this a while it grows easie and habitual to him and custom hath made the very punishment pleasant as well as the sin especially if we add 4. The formal cursory hypocâ—itical and illusive wayes of confession in frequent use amongst them as that a Man may choosâ— his own Priest and then to be sure the greatest sinner will have a confessour right for his turn that shall not be too severe and scrupulous with him that a Man may conâ—ess in transitu in a hurry or huddle and then there can be no remark made upon his person nor his sins that a Man may make one part of his confession to one Priest and reserve the other part for another so that neither of them shall be able to make any thing of it that he may have one confessour for his Mortal sins and another for his Venial so that one shall save him if the other damn him nay for failing the forgetful sinner may have another Man to confess for him or at least he may confess that he hath not confessed these and abundance more such illusive Methods are in daily use amongst them and not only taken up by the licentious and unconscionable people but allowed by some or other of their great Casuists now let any Man judge whither this be a likelier way to restraâ—n sin or to incourage it whither the easiness of the remedy if this be oneÌ„ must not of necessity make the Disease seem not very formidable in a word whither this be not a riduculing their own Religion and which is worse a teaching Men to be so fool hardy as to make a mock of sin 5. This sad reckoning will be inflamed yet higher if we consider the slight Penances usually imposed by these Spiritual Judges upon the greatest Crimes The Council determines that the Confessour must be exactly made acquainted with all the circumstances of the sin that so he may be able to adjust a Penance to it now when some great sin is confessed and that in a very â—oul circumstances if the Penance proportioned to it by the Priest be to say two or three Pater Nosters or Ave Maria's extraordinary to give a little Money in Alms to the Poor or some Pious use to kneel on his bare knees before such a Shrine to kiss such an Image to go on Pilgâ—image a few Miles to such a Saint or at most to wear an Hair Shirt or it may be to fast with Fish and Wine and Sweet-meats c. doth not this make that sin which is thus â—awled and stigmatized look very dreadfully can any Man find in his heart to sin again when it hath cost him so dear already Oh but they will tell us these Penances are not intended to correspond with the guilt of the sin but only to satisfie the debt of Temporal punishment But we had thought that the end of Penance had been to work in the Peâ—â—tent a Dispositiâ—n for Pardon by giving him both opportunities and direction to express the sincerity of his Repentance and this was the use of Penance in the Primitive Church together wiâ—h the â—akâ—ng off the Scandal from the Society and for that other end hâ—w doth the Church of Rome know so certainly that there is a debt of Temporal punishment remaining due after the sin is Pardonâ—d before GOD it is true GOD may pardon so far only as he pleases he may resolve to punish Temporally those whâ—m He hath forgiven Eternally as we see he did in the case oâ— David but that this is not his constant Method appears by this that our Saviour releases the Temporal punishment to many in the Gospel whose diseases he cured saying to them Your sins are forgiven you when as yet it did not appear that all Scores were quitted with God so but that they might have peâ—ished eternally if they did not prevent it by Faith and Repentance 6. But lastly to come to an end of this sad story the easiness and prostitution of their absolutions in the Church of Rome contributes as much to the encouraging of Vice and carelesness in Religion as any of the former for what else can be the natural effect and consequence of that ruled case among the Casuists as I shew'd before that the Priest is bound to absolve him that confesses and saith he is sorry for his sin though he doth in his Heart believe that he is not contrite but that either the Priests Pardon is a very cheat or else that Pardon is due of course to the most impenitent Sinner and there is no more to do but Confess and be Saved or what is the meaning of their common practice to absolve men upon their Death beds
Imprimatur February 15th 1686. Jo. Edinburgh A COLLECTION OF DISCOURSES Lately Written by some DIVINES of the CHURCH OF ENGLAND AGAINST THE ERROURS and CORRUPTIONS OF THE Church OF Rome To which is prefix'd a Catalogue of the several Discourses EDINBVRGH Re-Printed by John Reid for Thomas Brown Gideon Schaw Alexander Ogston and George Mosman Stationers to be sold at their Shops Anno DOM. 1687 THE CATALOGUE Of the DISCOURSES contained in this Book I. A Discourse concerning the Guide in Matters of Faith with Respect especially to the Romish pretence of the necessity of such an One as is infallible Page 1 II. The Protestants Resolution of Faith being an Answer to three Questions First How far we must depend on the Authority of the Church for the true sense of the Scripture Secondly Whither a visible Succession from Christ to this day makes a Church which has this Succession an Infallible Interpreter of Scripture And whither no Church which has not this Succession can teach the true sense of Scripture Thirdly Whither the Church of England can make out such a Visible Succession Page 31 III. A Discourse about the Charge of Novelty upon the Reformed Church of England made by the Papists asking of us the Question Where was our Religion before Luther Page 57 IV. A Discourse about Tradition shewing what is mean'd by it and what Tradition is to be Received and what Tradition is to be rejected Page 82 V. A Discourse concerning the Vnity of the Catholick Church maintained in the Church of England Page 117 VI. A Discourse concerning the Object of Religious Worship or a Scripture proof of the unlawfulness of givng any Religious Worship to any other Beeing besides the One supreme GOD. Page 158 VII A Discourse concerning the Celebration of Divine Service in an unknown Tongue Page 212 VIII A Discourse concerning the Devotions of the Church of Rome especially as compared with those of the Church of England in which is shewn that what ever the Romanists pretend there is not so true Devotion amongst them nor such a Rational Provision for it nor encouragement to it as in the Church established by Law among Vs Page 250 IX A Discourse concerning Invocation of Saints Page 295 X. A Discourse against Transubstantiation Page 345 XI A Discourse concerning the Adoration of the Host as it is taught and practised in the Church of Rome wherein an Answer is given to T. G. on that subject and to Monsuer Boileau's late Book de Adoratione Eucharistiae Paris 1685. Page 375 XII A Discourse against Purgatory Page 421 XIII A Discourse concerning Auricular Confession as it is prescribed by the Council of Trent and practised in the Church of Rome With a Postscript on occasion of a Book lately Printed in France called Historia Confessionis Auricularis Page 447. FINIS A DISCOURSE CONCERNING A GUIDE IN MATTERS OF FAITH THE design of this Discourse is the Resolution of the following Query Whither a Man who liveth where Christianity is The Question professed and refuseth to submit his judgment to the Infallibility of any Guide on Earth and particularly to the Church or Bishop of Rome hath notwithstanding that refusal sufficient means still left him whereby he may arrive at certainty in those Doctrines which are generally necessary to the Salvation of a Christian Man Satisfaction in this Inquiry is of great Moment For The moment of this Question it relateth to our great end and to the way which leads to it And it nearly concerneth both the Romanists and the Reformed If there be not such a Guide the Estate of the Romanists is extreamly dangerous For then the Blind take the Blind for their unerring Leaders and being once misled they wander on without correcting their Error having taken up this first as their fixed Principle that their Guide cannot mistake the way On the other hand If God hath set up in his Church a Light so very clear and steddy as is pretended the Reformed are guilty of great presumption and expose themselves to great uncertainty by shutting their Eyes against it Now there lyes before Men a double Temptation to a belief The Temptations to believe the Affirmative part of this Question of the being of such a Guide in the Christian Church Sloth and Vitious Humility of mind Sloth inclineth Men rather to take up in an Implicit Faith then to give themselves the trouble of a strict Examination of things For there is less Pain in Credâ—lity then in bending of the Head by long and strict Attention and severe Study Also there is a Shew of Humility in the deference which our understandings pay unto Authority especially to that which pretends to be under Christ Supreme on Earth Although in the paying of it without good reason fiâ—st understood Men are not Humble but Slavish But these Temptations prevail not upon honest and considerate Minds which inquire without prejudice The true Resolution of the Query after Truth and submit to the Powerful Evidence of it Such will resolve the Question in the Affirmative and they may reasonably so do by considering these propositions which I shall treat of in their order First The Christian Church never yet wanted nor shall it ever want either the Doctrines of necessary Faith or the Belief and Profession of them Secondly Wheresoever GOD requireth the Belief of them he giveth means sufficient for Information and unerring Assâ—nt Thirdly Whatsoever thâ—se means are every Man 's Personal reason giveth to the Mind that last Weigh which turneth Deliberation into Faith Fourthly The means which God hath given us towards necessary Faith and the ceâ—â—ainâ—y of it is nâ—t the Authority of any infallible Guide on Earth Yet Fifthly All 〈…〉 is not to be rejected in our pursuance of the 〈…〉 in the finding out or â—â—ating of which it is a very 〈…〉 Sixthly By the 〈…〉 to us the Holy Scriptures in the 〈…〉 â—â—ans sufficient to lead us to certainty 〈…〉 to â—iâ—e Eternal First 〈…〉 and Profession of the nâ—â—essâ—r 〈…〉 Faith are annexed Prop. I 〈…〉 the Chriâ—â—â—â—â— Church There â—â— but 〈…〉 and accâ—â—â—ing â—â— he saying of Leo the great * Nisi 〈…〉 Fides non est â— M Ser. 2â— If 〈…〉 at all For it cannot be contrary â—â— it seâ—â— And though it be 〈◊〉 â—et Men oâ— diâ—â—ering Creeds â—ret 〈…〉 it as the Merchants of Reliâ—â—s in the Church of 〈◊〉 shew in several places the one â—â—amless Coat of Christ †â—ee Ferrand l. 1. c. 1. Sect 4. disquis Relig. This one Faith never did nor ever shall in all places fail The Apostles were themselves without error both in their own assent to the Fundamentals of the Christian Faith and in the delivery of them They heard the Oracles of Christ from his own mouth and they were Witnesses of his Resurrection And they spake * Act. 4. 19 20. what they had seen and heard And they gave to the World Assurance of the Truth by the
Palaestinians Egyptians Thebaeans Libyans Mesopotamians a Persiaâ— a Socrat. â— Hâ—l c. 8. p. 19. Scythian Bishop and many others from other Countries But there was but one Bishop for Africa one for Spain one for Gaul two Priests as Deputies of the infirm and Aged Bishop of Rome Whilst for Instance sake there were seventeen Bishops for the small Province of * V. Concil Labb Tom. 2. p. 50. c. Isauria yet such Councils are very useful such we reverence but God did not set them up as the only and the infallible Guides of Faith If there were such Guides what Guided the Church which was before them By what rule was Ebion judged before the Council of Nice How can we be infallibly Guided by them in Controversies of Faith not determined by them nay not brought before them nay scarce moved till these latter dayes Such for the purpose are the Controversies about the vertue of the Sacrifice of Christ and of Justification by the Faith of meere recumbence upon his Merits Or how shall a private Man who erres in the Faith be delivered from his Heresy seing he may die some years ere a Council can assemble or being assembled can form its decrees Arius vented his Heresie about ten years before the Council of Nice was called for the suppressing of it And soon after he had given vent to it it spread throughout Egypt and Lybia and the upper Thebes as Socrates †has reported And in a short time many other Provinces and Cities were Socr. Eccl. Hist l. 1. c. 6. p. 9. infected with the contagion of it And in the pretended Council of Trent no less then five Popes were successively concerned and it lasted in several places longer then two legal lives of a Man * From A. 1545. to A. 1563. There was indeed a Canon in the Western Church †V. Council Const sess 39. for the holding of a Council once in the space of each ten years But that Canon has not been hitherto obeyed and as affairs stand in the Church it is impracticable For the Pope will exclude all the Greek and Reformed Bishops He will crowd the Assembly with Bishops of his own Creation and with Abbots also he will not admit of former Councils unless they serve his purpose not so much as that of Nice it self * V. Greg. magn Ep. 6. 31. Leo. 1. Ep. 53. Gelas 1. Ep. 13. He will be the Judge though about his own Supremacy He will multiply Italians and others who upon Oath †Concil Labb Tom. 10. p. 23. 379. Pontific Roman owe their votes to him He will not hold a Council upon the terms approved by all Romish Princes Nor did they agree at their last Council the Emperour would noâ— send his Bishops to Bologna nor the French King his to Tren ' And though the French Church believed the Doctrines of that Synod yet they did not receive them from the Authority of it but they embraced them as the former Doctrines of the Roman Church And the Parisian ' Faculty a A. D. 1542 in coll Soâ—b See Richer H. conc general vol. 4. p. 162 163. c. prepared the way to the Articles of Trent Notwithstanding all this we firmly believe that at least the first four general Councils did not err in Faith and it is pious to think that God would not suffer so great a temptation in the Church on Earth Yet still we believe those Councils not to be infallible in their constitution but so far as they followed an infallible rule For the greaâ—est Truth is not alwayes with the greatest number And great numbers may appear on contrary sides The Council of Constantinople under Constantine Copronymus consisting of three hundred thirty eight Bishops decreed against the use of Images in Churches Yet the 2d Synod of Nice consisting of about three hundred and fifty Bishops determin'd for it And a while after in the West the council of Frankford consisting of about three hundred Bishops reversed that decree And after that the council of Trent did re-establish it though there the voting Persons were not fifty With such uncertain doubts of belief must they move who follow a Guide in Religion without reference to a farther rule But here there is offered to us by the Guide in Controversiâ—â— * an Objection of which this is the sum The fifth Canon of the Church of England does declare Object R. H. Annot. on D. Stil Answer p. 82 83. that the thirty nine Articles were agreed upon for the avoidance of the diversities of opinions and the establishing of consent touching true Religion Consent touching true Religion is consent in Matters of Faith Establishing of consent relateth both to Layety and Clergy The third and fourth Canons of 1640. Decree the Excommunication of those who will not-abjure their holding Popery and Socinianism The Reformed Churches in France teach the like Doctrine threatning to cut them off from the Church who acquiesce not in the resolution of a National Synod ‡ Art 31. ch 5 du consisâ—â—ire si un ou plusieurs c. The same course was taken with the Remonstrants in the Synod of Dort * Syn. Dord sess 138. Wherefore Protestants ought not to detract from the Authority of general Councils whilst they assume to themselves so great a Power in their particular Synods The force of this Objection is thus removed Answer Every Church hath Power of admitting or excluding Members else it hath not means sufficient to its end the order and concord of its Body Every particular Church ought to believe that it does not erre in its deflnitions for it ought not to impose any known error upon its Members But though it believes it does not erre it does not believe it upon this reason because God hath made it an infallible Guide but rather for this because it hath sincerely and with Gods assistance followeth a rule which is infallible And upon this supposition it imposeth Doctrines and excludeth such as with coâ—umacy dissent from them a See Artic. 20. 21 22. 4. This Guide is not the present Church declaring to particular Christians the sense of the church of former Ages How can this declaration be made seing Churches differ and each Church calls it self the true one and pretendeth to the Primitive pattern The Church of Rome hath on her side the suffrages of all the Councils and Fathers the first the middle the last if Campiain the Jesuite may be believed b camp Rat. 3. p. 180. Rat. 5. p. 185. On the other hand Monsieur Larroque hath Written a Book of the confirmity of the Protestant churches in France with the Discipline of the Christian Ancient church taking it for granted that their Doctrine was catholick And we likewise pretend both to the Doctrine and Discipline of it All of us cannot be in the right The Roman church without any proof calleth her self the church catholick and she pretendeth to
seventh Council * Syn. 7. Act. ult p. 886. Con. in Labb Richer H. Conc. Gen. vol. 1. p. 658. Ad calc ejusd act 7 in omn. editionibus concil legitur Epist Synod quam Tarasius c. Et diserte narrat cunctos Patres Honorium damnasse condemned as a Monothilite And he was expresly anathematized for confirming the wicked Doctrine of Sergius The guilt of Heresie in Honorius is owned in the Solemn Profession of Faith made by the Popes at their entrance on the Papacy a Lib. diurn Pontif. con sid 2. p. 41. Autores verò novi hoeretici dogmatis Sergium Pyrrhum Paulum Petru◠Episcopos unà cum Honorio qui pravis eorum assertionibut fomentum impendit pariterque Theodorum Pharamitanum Cyrum Alexandrinum cum eorum imitatoribus c. This matter is so manifest that Melchior Canus b Melch can Loci com l. 6. c. ult p. 242 243. c. professeth no Sophistry is artful enough to put the Colour of a plausible defence upon it A late Romanist hath undertaken to write the History of the Monothilites c Anton. Dez Hist Mon. Par 1678. and the Defence of Honorius seemeth to be the principal motive to that undertaking Yet so great is the power of Truth and such in this case is the plainness of it that in the Apologist himself we find these concessions That the Pope a Id. ib. p. 224. 325 226 218. was condemned by the Council and that the Council was not to be blamed †that Pope Leo the second owned both the Council and the Sentence and that Honorius was Sentenc'd as an Heretick * Id. p. 220. He would abate this guilt by saying b P. 207 208. that Honorius erred as a private Person and not as Head of the Church because his Epistle was hortatory and not compulsive It is true he erred not as Head of the Church for such he was not neither as such was he owned But he erred as a publick person and with Heretical obstinacy For Pope Leo as he noteth said concerning him that he had made it his business to betray and subvert the Holy Faith c Id. p. 122. profanā proditione immaculatam fidem subvertere conatus est Flammam confovit p. 123. Now this matter of Fact sufficeth for the refuting all the fallacious reasonings of the patrons of Papal infallibility For all must agree that they d de Socer Christ p. 40 are not unerring Guides who actually erre The Sieur de Balzac d Socr. Chr. p. 40. mocks at the weakness of one of the Romish Fathers who offered four reasons to prove that the Duke D' Espernon was not returned out of England And offered them to a Gentleman who had seen him since his return There seemeth no fitness in the constituting of such a Arg. V Guide nor any necessity for it Had it been agreeable to Gods Wisdom his Wisdom would not have been wanting to it self God having made Man a Reasonable Creature would not make void the use of deliberation and the freedom of his judgment There is no vertue in the Assent where the Eye is forced open and Light held directly to it It is enough that God the rewarder of them who believe hath given Men sufficient faculties and sufficient means And seing Holiness is as necessary to the pleasing of GOD and to the peace of the World as Union in Doctrine to which there is too frequently given a lifeless assent seing there must be Christian Obedience as long as there is a Church seing as the Guide in Controversie * R. H. Annot. on D. St. Answ p. 81. himself urgeth the Catholick Church and all the parts of it are believed in the Creed to be Holy as well as Orthodox We ask not the Romanists an impertinent Question when we desire them to tell us why a means to infallibility in the judgement rather than irresistibleness in the pious choice of the Will is to be by Heaven provided in the Church Both seem a kind of Destination of equal necessity But though the Reformed especially those of the Prop. V. Church of England see no necessity for an infallible Guide nor believe there is one on the face of the earth yet they do not reject all Ecclesiastical Guidance but allow it great place in matters of Discipline and Order and some place also though not that of an unerring Judge in Matters of Faith At the beginning of the Reformation the Protestants though they refused the judgment of the Pope their Enemy yet they declined not the determination of a Council And in the Assembly at Ausburgh the Romanists and Protestants agreed in a council as the Umpire of their publick difference At this the Pope was so alarumed saith the Sieur de Mezary * Hij A. 1. that he wrote to the Kings of France and England that he would do all they would desire provided they hindred the calling of a Council In the Reformation of the Church of England great regard was had to the Primitive Fathers and Councils And the aforesaid French Historian was as much mistaken in the affairs of Our Church when he said of our Religion that it was a medly of the Opinions of Calvin and Luther a A. as he was afterwards in the affairs of our State when he said King James was elected at the Guild-hall King of England b 10. A. 1603. The Romanists represent us very falsly whilst they fix upon us a private Spirit as it stands in opposition to the Authority of the Catholick Church Mr. Alabaster c See J. Racsters 7 motives of W. A p. 11 12. expresseth one motive to his conversion to the Roman Church in these Words Weigh together the Spouse of Christ with Luther Calvin Melancthon Oecumenical councils with private opinions The Reverend learned Fathers with Arius Actius Vigilantius Men alwayes in their time Burned for Hereticks of which words the former are false reasoning the latter is false History The Bishop of Meaux d Confer avec M. claut de p. 110. reasons after the same fallacious manner Supposing a Protestant to be of this perswasion that he can understand the Scriptures better than all the rest of the Church together of which perswasion he saith very truly that it exalteth Pride and removeth Docility The Guide in controversies d R. H. Annot on D. St. Answ p. 84. puts the Question wrong in these terms Whither a Protestant in refusing the submission of his judgment to the Authority or Infallibility of the Catholick Church in her Councils can have in several Articles of necessary Faith wherein the sense of Scripture is controverted as sure a Foundation of his Faith as he who submits his judgement to the foresaid Authority or also Infallibility Here the Catholick Church is put in place of the Roman Authority and Infallibility are joyned together and it is suggested dishonestly concerning the Reformed that they lay aside
that she died and was not miraculously assumed The Ascension of Elias is thus expounded b Dom. infrâ Oct. Asc in 3. Noct. p. 443. He was taken up into the Aerial not the Aetherial Heavens from whence he was dropped in an obscure place on Earth there to remain to the end of the World and then to expire with it They say †Infra Oct. Asc 3. Noct. Lect. 8. p. 447. of Job That when he spake of a Bird and of her path in the Air he by a figure called Christ a Bird and by the motion of it in the Air figured also our Lords Ascension We may perceive by these few Instances what an entrance into the sense of Scripture is like to be given whilst a Pope has the Key of Knowledge in his keeping Thirdly If Men would use the Church as their Assert III. Ministerial Guide and admit of the scripture as the only Rule by which all Matters of Faith are to be measured they would agree in the proper means to the blessed end of Unity in the Faith This was the perswasion of St. Austine who thus applieth himself to Maximinus * S. Aug cont Max. l. 3. Neither ought I at this time to alledge the Council of Nice nor you that of Ariminum For neither am I bound to the authority of the one nor you to that of the other Let us both dispute with the Authorities of scripture which are Witnesâ—es common to both of us Whilst the Romanists ascribe the differences which arise amongst the Reformed to their want of an infallible Guide and to their different interpretations of the scriptures they unskilfully derive effects from causes which are not the natural Parents of them There is saith St. Austine one Mother of all strifes and she is Pride Neither doth the scripture divide us nor does the infallibility of their judge unite them Their Union such as it is ariseth from the mighty force of their external Polity and they speak not differently because they dare not and the strength of that Polity arose at first from Rome not as the Chair of St. Peter but as the Seat of the Empire Our divisions like theirs arise as all Wars do be they Ecclesiasticall or Civil from the unruly Lusts and Passions of Men. And from these likewise arise generally the misinterpretations of plain Laws and Rules the sense of which must be made to chime according to the Interest of prejudiced Men or else they will not give attention to them If the Lusts and Passions of Men were mortified all Christians agreeing in the certainty of the Scriptures though not of any Living Guide and the words of one being as intelligible as those of the other All might agree in one Creed and put an end to those unnecessary Controversies which entangle Truth and extinguish Charity FINIS THE PROTESTANT RESOLUTION OF FAITH Being an Answer to THREE QUESTIONS I. How far we must depend on the Authority of the Church for the true sense of the Scripture II. Whither a visible Succession from CHRIST to this day makes a Church which has this Succession an infallible Interpreter of Scripture and whither no Church which has not this Succession can teach the true sense of Scripture III. Whither the Church of ENGLAND can make out such a visible Succession London Printed And Edinburgh Re-printed by J. Reid for T Brown G Schaw A Ogston and G Mosman Stationers in Edinburgh to be sold at their Shops 1686. THE PREFACE TO THE READER THese Papers which are here presented to thee were write for the use of a private Person and by the Advice of some Friends are now made Publick We find how busie the Romish Emissaries are to corrupt our People and think our selves equally concerned to Antiaote them against Popâ—â—y and Phanaticism Two extreams equally dangerous to the Government of Church and State in these Kingdoms both in their Principles and Practices and both of them very great Corruptions of the Christian Religion and very dangerous to mens Souls Some of our Clergy have already been so charitable to our Dissenters as to warn them of their danger and by the Strength and Evidence of Scripture and Reason to Convince them of their mistakes and I pray God forgive those men and turn their Hearts who will not contribute so much to their own Conviction and Satisfaction as diligently and impartially to read and consider what is so charitably offered to them Ignorance and mistake may excuse men whâ— have no opportunities of knowing better but such wilfull and resolved Ignorance which bars up mens miâ—ds against all means of better Information will as soon damn them as sins against knowledge And now it might justly be thought want of charity to those of the Roman communion should we take no care at all of them nay want of charity to those of our own communion and to Dissenters themselves who are daily assaulted by the busie Factors for Rome For the Disputes against the church of Rome as well as against Dissenters are for the most part too Learned and too Voluminous for the instruction of ordinary People and therefore some short and plain Discourses about the principal Matters in dispute between us is the most effectual way we can take to confirm men in their Religion and preserve them from the crafty Insinuations of such as lie in wait to deceive Some few Attempts which have been already made of that kind give me some hope that several other Tracts will follow that the ruine of the church of England if God shall please ever to permit such a thing whither by Popery or Phanaticism may not be charged upon our neglect to instruct People better Some Persons it seems whose Talent lies more in censuring what others do then in doing any good themselves are pleased to put some sinister constructions on this Design as it is imposible to design any thing so well but men of ill minds who know not what it means to do good for goods sake shall be able to find some bad name for it Some guess that we now write against Popery only to play an after-Game and to regain the Favour and good Opinion of Dissenters which we have lost by writing against them But I know not that any man has lost their Favour by it nor that any man values their Favour for any other reason then to have the greater advantage of doing them good If so good a work as confuting the Errors of the church of Rome will give the Dissenters such a good Opinion of us as to make them more impartially consider what has been writ to perswade them to communion with the church of England I know â—â— reason any man has to be ashamed to own it though it were part of his design but whither it is or not is more then I know I dare undertake for those Persons I am acquainted with that they neither value the favour nor fear the displeasure either of Phanaticks
found there as the Churches infallibility is But however that be after all this boast of infallibility a Papist has no more infallible Foundation for his Faith then a Protestant has nor half so much We believe the Articles of the Christian Faith because we find them plainly taught in Scripture and universally received as the sense of Scripture by the Catholick church in the best and purest Ages of it A Papist believes the Church to be Infallible because he thinks he finds it in Scripture though the Catholick church for many Ages never found it there and the greatest part of the Christian church to this day cannot find it there Now if they will but allow that a Protestant though a poor fallible Creature may reason about the sense of Scripture as well as a Papist and that the Evidence of reason is the same to both then we Protestants stand upon as firm ground as the Papists here and are at least as certain of all those Doctrines of Faith which we find in the Scripture and are ready to prove by it as they are of their Churches infallibility but then we have an additional Security that we Expound the Scriptures right which they want and that is the Doctrine and Practice of the Primitive Church which confirms all the Articles of our Faith and Rules of Worship and Discipline but gives not the least intimation that the Pope or Church of Rome was thought infallible by them and if the Primitive Church was ignorant of this which is the best witness of Apostolical Tradition it is most probable that no such thing is contained in Scripture though some mercenary Flatterers of the Pope have endeavoured to perswade the World that they found it there So that we have a greater assurance of all the Articles of our Religion from Scripture and Catholick Tradition then a Papist can have of the Churches Infallibility and yet he can have no greater assurance of any other Doctrines of Religion which he believes upon the Churches Infallibility then he has of Infallibility it self So that in the last Resolution of Faith the Protestant has much the advantage of the Papist for the Protestant resolves his Faith into the Authority of the Scriptures Expounded by the Doctrine and Practice of the Primitive Church the Papist resolves his into the Infallibility of the Church which he finds out only by Expounding Scripture by a private Spirit without the Authority of any church but that whose Authority is under dispute And as the Doctrine of Infallibility is of no use in the last Resolution of Faith so it is wholly useless in disputing with such Hereticks as we are who deny Infallibility for it is a vain thing to attempt to impose any absurd or groundless and uncatholick Doctrines upon us by the Churches infallible Authority who believe there is no such infallible Judge but are resolved to trust our own Eyes and to adhere to Scripture and the Catholick Faith of the Primitive Church in these matters And therefore the great Advocats for the Church of Rome are forced to take the same course in confuting Heresies as they call them that we do They alledge the Authority of Scripture the Authority of Fathers and Councils to justifie their Innovations and here we willingl joyn issue with them and are ready to prove that Scripture and all true Antiquity is on our side and this has been often and unanswerably proved by the learned Patrons of the Reformation But there are some very material things to be observed from hence for our present purpose For either they think this a good way to prove what they intend and to convince Gain-sayers the Authority of Scripture and Primitive Antiquity or they do not If they do not think this a good way to what purpose are there so many Volumes of Controversie written Why do they produce Scripture and Fathers and Councils to justifie the Usâ—â—pations of their Church and those new Additions they have made to the Christian Faith and Worship If this be not a good way to convince a Heretick why do they give themselves and us such an impertinent trouble If this be a good way then we are in a good way already we take that very way for our satisfaction which by their own Confession and Practice is a very proper means for the conviction of Hereticks and to discover the Truth and after the most diligent inquiries we can make we are satisfied that the Truth is on our side If the Authority of Scripture signifie any thing in this matter then it seems Hereticks who reject â—he Authority of an Infallible Judge may understand Scripâ—ure without an Infallible Interpreter by the Exercise of Reason and Judgment in studying of them otherwise why do they pretend to expound Scripture to us and to convince us by Reason and Argument what the true sense of Scripture is If the Authority of the Primitive Church and first Christian Writers be considerable as they acknowledge it is by their appeals to them then at least the present Pope or Church is not the sole infallible Judge of controversies unless they will say that we must not Judge of the Doctrine or Practice of the Primitive Church by ancient records and then Baronius his Annals are worth nothing but by the Judgement and Practice of the present Church The sum is this There is great reason to suspect that the Church of Rome her self does not believe her own Infallibility no more than we Protestants do for if she does she ought not to suffer her Doctors to dispute with Hereticks from any other Topick but her own Authority when they vie Reasons and Arâ—uments with us and dispute from Scripture and Antiquity they appeal from the infallibility of the present church to every mans private Reason and Judgment as much as any Protestant does and if the Articles of the Christian Faith may be establish'd by Scripture and Antiquity without an infallible Judge as they suppose they may be by their frequent attempts to do it this plainly overthrows the necessity of an infallible Judge In a word not to take notice now how weak and groundless this pretence of Infallibility is it is evident that it is a very useless Doctrine for those who believe the churches Infallibility have no greater assurance of their Faith then we have who do not believe it and those who do not believe the churches Infallibility can never be confuted by it So that it can neither establish any mans Faith nor confute any Heresies that is it is of no use at all The Church of England Reverences the Authority of the Primitive Church as the best witness of the Apostolical Faith and practice but yet resolves her Faith at last into the Authority of the Scriptures She receives nothing for an Article of Faith which she does not find plainly enough taught in Scripture but it is a great confirmation of her interpretation of Scripture that the Primitive church owned the
And they seem to acknowledge we do not and therefore to make up the matter pretend a Divine Authority in the Church to cast new Articles and Truths fere de fide almost fit for a Creed and some others of them confess that some of their Opinions as Image-Worship and others were not maintain'd in the first Ages of Christianity for fear of coming too near the Heathens Worship and out of other Prudential considerations so that whosoever doth compare the Doctrine of our Church with that of Christ and his Apostles must needs conclude that our Religion is Ancient Christianity and that the charge of Novelty is groundless 2. The Nature of Reformation which was not to found a New Church but correct an old one Christianity that Pearl of great price was hid with trash and Mat 13. 3. filth that the Romish Church had heap'd upon it our Reformers removed only what loaded and obscur'd it and restored it to its first Beauty and Lustre Such a Reformation indeed is later then their errors and it must needs be so it naturally supposing them before otherwise 't is not Reformation but a destructive change but Primitive Christianity which is our Religion was long before the Dâ—sease of Popery though the cure of this Disease was after or later then the disease it self but the sound Body of Christianity for which we are concern'd was before them both for 't is not Reformation barely that we are pleased withal no more then with a Pill or Potion but only as necessary to drive away an inveterate Disease and recover an old Religion to its â—ormer Health When Christ reformed the Jewish Religion from the false senses and glosses that the Scribes and Pharisees had put upon it and grafted Christianity upon the old stock will the Romanists call this a New Religion or rather an old one well amended and improved by Divine Authority Bellarmin doth allow this for Truth and saith that Christianity was rather a new State and Condition then a new church and he that can call our Religion New because 't is mended and made now what it was about 1600 years ago may affirm that Christ built a new Temple when he Whipt the buyers and sellers out of the old And that Hezekiah built a 2 Chron. 305 New Sanctuary and Instituted a New Passover because he cleans'd the one and restor'd the other to its first Institution our Reformation did no more it only scal'd off the Leprosie that stuck to the Body of the Romish church it only pair'd off those Additions that Interest or Superstition Niceness or Foppery had glew'd to it what after remain'd was our Religion the same that Christ and his Apostles taught the world at first And if they can shew that any thing hath been added since pernicious to the Nature of the True and Old Religion our church is ready to remove it or that any thing is wanting that is necessary to its complement and perfection she is ready to entertain it with the same spirit of meekness and Wisdom and Regard to the Gospel that she used in the Reformation but hitherto upon good grounds and strict inquiry She is fully satisfied that Her Religion is absolute and compleat Christianity 3. We have many and impartial Judges on our side that our Religion is Pure and Old Christianity The particular church of Rome indeed that supports her self by a pretended Infallibility to be true to her Principle refuses to be tryed by any other Church but will be only Judge of her self and others too yet we that are certain and sure of the Truth of our Religion though not Infallible dare appeal to the Judgment of other Christian churches The Greek church condemns their half Communion the Doctrines of Purgatory Merit and Supererogation The Adoration of Images their locking up the Scriptures in an unknown Tongue their extreme Unction and sale of Masses and laughs at their Infallibility the thing that makes their errours in Faith incorrigible the Arminian Christians reject the Supremacy Baron Tom. 10. P. 256. of the Pope Transubstantiation Purgary and excommunicat those that worship Images The Jacobites the Indians of St. Thomas the Egyptian and Abassine Christians dissent from most or all of the Romish errours which we condemn We have all the truly ancient Christian Churches on our side and most of the Modern whom the busie Emissaries of Rome have not terrified or seduc'd into their Party Our Writters have appealed with great success to the Ancient Councils the holy Fathers and to the Learned and Pious Bishops and Priests of old and from thence discovered the Novelty of the Romish Faith and the good old way of the English Church And they dare not stand the trial when we desire to be determined by the best and infallible Judge the holy Scriptures exept they must give the meaning of them otherwise they load them with Ignominious Names of â— Lesbian rule mere Ink and Paper and a Nose of Wax Who will they be try'd by by a Council truly General No except it be called manag'd and Confirm'd by the Pope Will they be Judg'd by any that differ from them yet are men of good honest and unprejudic'd Judgements No they are out of the pale of the Church and stubborn Hereticks And the best reason they have for their assurance that they are in the right is that they are sure they are so and keep themselves safe in their Enchanted Castle of Infallibility The Arabian Philosopher was offended at and abhorr'd their barbarous Doctrine of Transubstantiation and eating of their God and resolv'd to stick to his Philosophical rather then be of such a Christian Religion The Roman Images and the Worship of them have laid a Stumbling block before the Jews who therefore approved our Sentence and condemnation of them having therefore such a number of good Testimonies and Judgements on our side we rise up and reverence the gray Hairs of our Religion which Rome once cloath'd in a wanton and phantastick dress and made it ridiculous which because we have pull'd off and put on its ancient habit and made it look manly with the Image of GOD and Christ upon it they call us Innovators Many of their own Writers have spoke in favour of the English Church and many of their distinctions in a fair sense have concluded for her Doctrine and shewn their dislike of many opinions of their own Church 4. That our Religion was long before Luther will appear from the oppositions that were made to the Papal corruptions which did not enjoy so quiet a life but were frequently disturb'd and cry'd oâ—t against not only by other Churches but by many honest and considering men in their own Communion Men they were not of Interest and Discontent Peevishness and given to change of little Learning and less conscience and not in the World but men eminent in their Generation men of Probity and Studies of Temper and consideration men that stood not alone
way or other being necessarily included in that belief And thought that he made sincere and sound Disciples if they believed what he preach'd only Jesus and the Resurrection in their full compass and latitude Though we believe all this in a more express and explicite sence all that is contain'd in Scripture in the Apostles Creed or the two other Creeds drawn up by the Church to explain the Christian Religion in some Articles and to oppose the Doctrines of Hereticks yet the first Christians shall be saved and we shall be damned they shall be the Elect and the Church of GOD we must be Reprobates and the Synagogue of Satan Or let Rome shew her wonted Charity and say she doubts also of their Salvation Or did Christ connive at that time of Ignorance or had he as a Lawgiver forgot to declare some part of the Will and Pleasure of GOD and upon better remembrance after so many hundred years suggested it to his careful Vicar Or did Christ knowing their Nature and Circumstances of it that they could not bear them at that time therefore delay the discovery so long Or did these new Articles lie hid so long conceal'd by his Apostles or buried by some lewd Hereticks in the rubbish of those Churches they pull'd down but afterwards found as they say the Cross was and now stored to light Or are these new Articles some way or other contained in the ancient Creeds which we believe and by easie and natural consequences deduced from them Some such fine reasons as these must be pretended otherwise we can safely conclude that our Church is truely ancient and Apostolical though she disowns the late inventions of the Romish Bishop and is known to be the Spouse of Christ by her first features and complexion though she hath cast off the new Italian dress For was the Christian Church the House of GOD irregular in its building wanting of Beams and Pillars the Essentials of Religion till Romes curious and careful Builder cast it into a new Model and compleated it 2. This Question supposeth that the Christian Church ought alwayes to be visible which is not so strictly true For Visible or Invisible make not two Churches but different States Conditions or Respects of one and the same 'T was designed by Christ that all that are baptiz'd into the Communion of his Faith and Church should make an Outward and Vissible Profession of it by their Religious Assemblies and Worship by their Sacraments Discipline and Government whereby being United among themselves and to Christ their Head they should constitute one Body call'd the Catholick church in whose Communion they must live and dye But so it came to pass that the number of Christian People so proâ—essing and owning the Faith of Jesus was lesser or greater more conspicuous or obscure as Persecutions or Heresies grew and prevailed among them which like raging Plagues wasted whole Countries destroying some perverting others and making many fly into remoter Kingdoms and only some scattered and solitary Christians living in Caves and Wildernesses remained behind or only the face of a distressed Christian Church as it hapned to the Seven Asian and African Churches which now labour under a Mahumetan Pride and Superstition But as it lost in one Countrey it gained in another the Jewish Persecution and others driving several Colonies of Christians into remoter Countries where they spread and enlarged their Religion and many times the distress or triumph of the Church followed the changes and revolutions in the Civil State suffering or flourishing with it And often the abuse of Religion Prostituting of it to Hypocrisie and secular ends the wicked lives of its Disciples or want of Courage or Resolution in its defence hath tempted Providence to permit pestilent Heresies worse then that in these Northren parts to prevail and Paganism to return again but still the promise of Christ to his Church was firm and the Gates of Hell did not prevail against her And though he was forced sometimes to travel from Countrey to Countrey and lookâ— small and obscure in the number of her Followers yet still some or other parts and corners of the World and true and zealous Christians in them made up the little flock and shall never faill while the World endures Popery like the Egyptian darkness had overspread this and other Nations yet here and there was as the Israelite that had light in his dwellings and a counter-charm against the Enchantments of Egypt the Gospel that at length did prevail against corruptions and made its Followers visible and numerous They ask us Where was our Religion before Luther As though it was not because it did not visibly appear or no where in the World because not here in England or in other parts where Popery did domineer and the Romish Faction was all and whole Christianity in the World the Catholick Church which implies contradiction and absurdity Christianity here indeed was obscur'd and like the Sun under the cloud but still the Sun was the same and at length conquer'd the Mists 't is a fine Question to ask Where was the Sun before Noon day We will suppose her Followers to be few yet Christ is true though others are lyars for he never promised that the Members of the true Catholick church should be alwayes famous for their numbers or that multitudes should alwayes follow Truth nor ever directed men to follow the Multitude in search of Truth which is found otherwayes not by Votes and Polling for her Did not our Saviour ask the question when he should come again whither at the Destruction of Jerusalem or at the Judgment day whereof the other was a Type and Prefiguration whither he should find Faith on Earth or no Did not the Prophet Luk. 1â— â— sadly complain in the Reign of Jotham Ahaz and Hezekiah Kings of Judah that the good man is perished out Mich 7. 2 of the Land and there is none righteous among men they could not then reckon up of the Tribe of Judah Twelve thousand and yet there was true Faith and a Church of GOD though little and Obscure Doth not King David cry Psal 12. 1. out Help Lord for the Godly man ceaseth for the faithful faill from among the children of Men corruption in Faith and Manners usually going together And Elijah tells a sad story of the Children of Israel that they 1 Kin. 19. 10 had broken their Covenant and destroyed the Altars and the Prophets and he only was left alive that they sought his life also God tells him that yet for all that he had seven vers 18. thousand knees that had not bowed to Baal still there was a small Church not infected with Idolatry though obscure and unknown to Elijah Have not some of the Romish Writers told us that at Christs Passion the Church was only left in the Virgin Mary all then forsaking Christ but the holy Mother The Shepheard was smitten and the Sheep disperst
glorious with arrogant Titles and borrow'd Names Search into the Pedegree of Romes Religion we do not find Christ or St. Peter or any of his Apostles to be the Authors of it but Pride Interest and Design old Vices indeed but new Fathers of a Christian church which brought in a late and new generation of Opinions and additions to Christs Religion clothing them with the venerable Names of Primitive and Apostolical Where was the Romish Religion before the Council of Trent concluded onely about the year 1563. of a latter date then when Luther first began which legitimated all their Innovations the issue of Scholastick Wranglings pretended Dreaâ—â—s and Visions forc'd and unnatural Senses of Scripture Ambition and Profit the Fxchequer of Rome to be made Sons of the Church and Fundamentals of the Christian Faith Many of their own Writers confess that for 1400 or â— 500 years the Pope was not believ'd to be infallible till of late some of their flaming Zealots have vested him with infallibility whereby the Roman Church is sick unto death and no cure is to be applyed because she is so certain and sure that she is well Their lewd Doctrine of Transubstantiation was not made an Article of Faith till the Council of Laâ—eran under Innocent the third above 1200 years after Christ and many of their own Writers are still dissatisfied about it The Title of Vniversal Bishop was obtained by Pope Boniface the Third not till about 600 years after Christ fearing a powerful Rival the Constantinopolitan Bishop who affected the same and therefore by the Popes themselves was declaimed against as proud and Antichristian but now by Hypocrisie and base compliance with the wicked Phocas who was guilty of Treason and Murder against the Emperour Mauritius Rome gained the delicious point and has made it a fundamental Article of her new Religion though the Popes came not up to their swaggering temper and Power of Hectoring Christian Princes some hundred of years afâ—erwards The Doctrine of Purgatory which some derive from the Platonick Fancies of Origen the Montanism of Tertullian pretended Visions and Pagan Stories Rhetorical Flourishes and doubtful Expressions of the later Fathers yet it was not positively affirmed till about the year 1140. and not made an Article of Faith till the Council of Trent then indeed a good Estate became a surer way to Heaven then a good Life and Conversation The use of indulgences was the Moral to the Fable of Purgatory and began to grow much what about the same time though it came not to the height and perfection till Pope Leo the Tenths time when Luther so stoutly opposed them then Heaven was set to sale and the best Chapman was the greatest Saint though they boast of the second Council of Nice for the Antiquitie of their Image Worship And if it will do thern any good so they may of Simon Magus who was of an elder date and a very fit Patron of Acts 11. 13 such an Opinion yet the Council of Frankfurt condemned it and the purest times did not so much as allow the making of Images And it was not the Catholick Doctrine in France for almost 900 years after Christ nor in Germany till after the 12th Câ—â—tury then indeed such a Doctrine might be very proper when true Religion was turned into Pageantry and a form of Godliness The number of the seven Sacraments is now an Article of the Romish Faith yet the Council of Florence ended in the year 1439 was the first Council and Peter Lombard the first man that precisely fixt that number That the Laity ought to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper onely in one kind was never made an Article of Faith till the Council of Constance concluded in the year 1418 then indeed that Council with the greatest insolence and a direct Invasion of the Authority of CHRIST took the Cup from the Laymens mouths notwithstanding as it was then acknowledged the Institution of CHRIST to the contrary and they may as well Christen the Laicks Children only in the name of the Holy Ghost leaving out the Father and the Son by the way of concomitancy it being as Lawful to Baptize as Communicat by the halfes For what cannot such a pretended Power do The prohibiting of Priests to Marry was not in perfection as 't is now till Pope Gregory the Sevenths time Let them tell us where 't is said by Christ or his Apostles or any of the truly Ancient Writers of the christian Church that Pennance is a Sacrament or that Auricular Confession is necessary to Salvation or that Prayers ought to be made in an unknown Tongue or that good works are strictly meritorious or where can they find the many Impieties and absurdities of their Mass in those early times of Antiquity And since they are fond of asking us this Question we might ask them many more about the many Fopperies and Innovations in their Faith and Devotion and many they are and large is the inventory almost as many as are the Christian Truths in direct opposition to them or prevarication from them But they seem to confess the newness of their Religion when they arrogantly set up a Power in their Church to frame new Articles of Faith and many things only Opinions and Notions at first have grown up by degrees to Fundamental Truths and having once slipt into errour they are bound to maintain it for the Reputation and Autâ—ority of Holy Church And who knows how many of this Nature are upon the Romish forge ready to be put into their Creed and where must we end not till it be believed that consecrated Feathers and Holy Water can convey Divine Grace to us and drive away wicked Spirits and the Weathercocks of our Churches be thought Pâ—illars of it Would the Champions of Rome speak out they would tells us as their Eckius did the Duke of Bavaria That the Doctrine of Luther might be overthrown by the Fathers though not by the Scriptures 't is a plain confession that we have the truest Antiquity on our side and in the beginning it was not so But we add that we have the Fathers also on our side for otherwise what mean their Expurgat orian Indices of the Fathers and other Ancient Writters but that they very well know that these are old Enemies to Pope Pins's new Creed and the Truth in them confounds their errour Such an account as this about the Original and Progress of their new Additions to the old Faith was convenient to be given not because the Nature of the thing did necessarily require it for it had been sufficient only to have prov'd that these Romish Additions to the Christian Faith are contrary to the Word of GOD and no where to be found in any of the Divine Writings the only Infallible Rule of Faith and that they have no power of minting new Articles Fundamental to Salvation but because the Disciples of Rome so frequently ask us the Question and
Power or Design it 's no wonder it did prevail in a sly and silent manner interest having put out their eyes this Kingdom came not with observation and the approaches of the Enemy in the night of Ignorance viz. the darkness that could be felt of the ninth tenth and eleventh century when all good Learning and Manners too were fast asleep the time when many of the new devices of Rome were hammering out and the noise not heard were not discovered till they had taken possession and then by vertue of Power and great Names defended their Title And their own Writers confess that many of the great Guardians of Faith the Popes of Rome were very Vicious and Illiterate persons whose Vice and Ignorance kept them nodding while the little Theives the Notions and Speculations of men of Wit and Interest set open the Churches doors for the greater Errours to come crouding in Our Saviour confirms the truth of this when he compares his Church to a Field which had been sown by him and his Apostles with very good seed Wheat or some other Grain but while men sleept when Christians were grown wicked and careless ignorant or factious comes the Enemy and scatters the Tares and a new harvest of Weeds Heretical Doctrines Superstitious Practices Foppish and Phantastick Mat. 13. 24 25. Rites over-ran and choakt the purer Grain And the Apostle tells his Disciples that men of dangerous principles abusing the grace of God speaking evil of Dignities and despising Dominions and denying Christ that bought them had creept in unawares being well disguis'd with fine Names and pretences Jude 4. while good men were careless and sleept And when most begin to broach nâ—w Errours and spread their inventions for mighty Truths they do it with all the skill and artifice that so bad a design can possibly require Errour and Innovation necessarily calling for the utmost cunning and slyness to its aid and assistance Religion therefore may easily suffer a considerable change yet good men know not how neither the time nor authors of it It being therefore only absolutely necessary for us to know that whensoever and howsoever these errours in the Church first sprung up that they were contrary to the Primitive Faith of Christ and his Apostles and therefore were to be amended and weeded up notwithstanding the common question where was our harvest of Wheat before the Weeders our Reformers came for the Church of England finding old Christianity strangely over-grown with the new Doctrines and Creeds of Rome contrary to the Offices of CHRIST the designe of his undertaking for Mankind and the true spirit of his Religion it became a duty as much as they lov'd their Souls and would be true and loyal unto CHRIST to shake off these new and sinful Impositions and restore true and primitive Christianity Had our differences with Rome consisted only in things less fit and proper used by them in their religious Offices or in Rituals or Gestures not so decent they might have had some pretence to roar against us for breaking off Communion with her but when they plow up the very Foundation as one of her Pagan Captains did the Walls of Jerusalems Temple and lay all waste before them their new additions eating out the very Heart of old Religion to thunder out damnation against us because we renounce her Communion in this is to add uncharitableness and other gross Vices to their former sin as though they could not preserve Christianity but by defacing of it more Our Prince being constituted by GOD a nursing Father of the Church and our Bishops in their Episcopal power being co-ordinate with him of Rome or any other in the Christian World ought under the penalty of Damnation and did accordingly reform the Romish corruptions which had tainted the Vitals of Christianity an indispensable duty it was to preserve the Primitive Faith like a chast Virgin and not to suffer it to be 2 Cor. 11. 2. longer prostituted to the Designs and Passions of men by a solemn Vow and our Souls were at stake we had engag'd to preserve it pure undefiled therefore with all just and proper wayes and methods we were bound earnestly to contend for it In duty therefore to our Lord and Masters Command at such a time we began our Reformation but wish that it had been promoted and compleated many years before though the same Question would have been as fitly asked then or any other time except they think that errours must be immortal and the gates of Heaven shall not prevail against them The goodness and wisdom of our Reformation would be readily acknowledg'd and imitated did not Fame and Ambition Power and Secular Interest infect the Eye and change the natural shape and colour of things and 't is a sign the cause of Rome wants strength when such a trifling only popular Objection against our Reformation is made so powerful to preserve their Disciples in their Communion and amuse our own And we need say no more against it but this and 't is no Roman uncharitableness and rigour That if Rome notwithstanding all the clear evidence against her new and upstart Opinions shall obstinately defend them and contemn a wise and pious Reformation let her suffer the just punishment of her wilful errours He that will prefer an old Disease before a new Cure let him be for ever sick For we have healed Babylon and she was not healed FINIS A DISCOURSE ABOUT TRADITION Shewing what is meant by it AND WHAT TRADITION Is to be Received AND WHAT TRADITION Is to be Rejected The third EDITION EDINBURGH Printed by J. Reid 1686. A DISCOURSE ABOUT TRADITION AN Obligation being laid upon us at our Baptism to believe and to do the whole will of GOD revealed unto us by Christ Jesus it concerns every one that would be saved to enquire where that whole intire Will of God is to be found where he may so certainly meet with it and be so informed about it that he may rest satisfied he hath it all And there would be no difficulty in this matter had not the worldly interest of some men raised Controversies about it and made that intricate and perplexed which in it self is easie and plain For the Rehearsal of the Apostles Creed at Baptism and of that alone as a Summary of the Faith whose sincere profession intitles us to the Grace there conferred warrants the Doctrine of the Church of England in its VI Article that the Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to Salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an Article of Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation But this strickes off so many of the Doctrines of the present Roman Church which are not to be found in the Scripture nor have any countenance there that they are forced to say the Faith once delivered to the
the holy Scriptures into the hands of the Pagans were look'd upon by Christians as men that were content to part with their Religion For which there could be no reason but that they thought Christian Religion to be therein contained and to be betrayed by those who delivered them to be burnt By which I have proved more then I intended in this part of my Discourse that in the holy Scriptures the whole Will of God concerning our Salvation is contained Which is the true Question between us and the Church of Romeâ— Not whither the Scripture be delivered to us as the Word of GOD or no in this our People ought to tell them we are all agreed but whither they have been delivered to us as the whole Will of GOD. And from that Argument now mentioned and many more we conclude that Universal Tradition having directed us unto these Books and no other they direct us sufficiently without any other Doctrines unto GOD and to our everlasting rest And if they urge you farther and say that the very Credit of the Scripture depends upon Tradition tell them that it is a Speech not to be endured if they mean thereby that it gives the Scripture its authority and if they mean less we are agreed as hath been already said for it is to say that Man gives authority to GOD's Word Whereas in truth the holy Scriptures are not therefore of Divine Authority because the Church hath delivered them so to be but the Church hath delivered them so to be because it knew them to be of such authority And if the Church should have conceived or taught otherwise of these Writings then as of the undoubted Oracles of GOD she would have erred damnably in such a Tradition I shall sum up what hath been said in this second particular in a few words Christ and his Apostles at first taught the Church by word of mouth but afterward that which they preach'd was by the commandment of GOD commited to writing and delivered unto the Church to be the ground of our Faith Which is no more then Irenaeus hath said in express words L. 3. C. 1. speaking of them by whom the Gospel came unto all Nations Which they then preached but afterward by the Will of GOD delivered unto us in the Scriptures to be in time to come the Foundation and Pillar of our Faith III. And farther we likewise acknowledge that the sum and substance of the Christian Religion contained in the Scriptures hath been delivered down to us even from the Apostles dayes in other wayes or forms besides the Scriptures For instance in the Baptismal Vow in the Creed in the Prayers and Hymns of the Church Which we may call Traditions if we please but they bring down to us no new Doctrine but only deliver in an abridgment the same Christianity which we find in the Scriptures Upon this there is no need that I should enlarge but I proceed farther to affirm IV. That we reverently receive also the unanimous Tradition or Doctrine of the Church in all Ages which determines the meaning of the holy Scripture and makes it more clear and unquestionable in any point of Faith wherein we can find it hath declared its sense For we look upon this Tradition as nothing else but the Scripture unfolded not a new thing which is not in the Scripture but the Scripture explained and made more evident And thus some part of the Nicene Creed may be called a Tradition as it hath expresly delivered unto us the sense of the Church of GOD concerning that great Article of our Faith That JESUS CHRIST is the Son of GOD. Which they teach us was alwayes thus understood the Son of GOD begotten of his Father before all worlds and of the same substance with the Father But this Tradition supposes the Scripture for its ground and delivers nothing but what the Fathers assembled at Nice believed to be contained there and was first fetch'd from thence For we find in Theodoret L. 1. C. 6. that the famous Emperour Constantine admonished those Fathers in all their Questions and Debates to consult only with these heavenly inspired Writings Because the Evangelical and Apostolical Books and the Oracles of the old Prophets do evidently instruct us what to thiâ—k in Divine matters This is so clear a Testimony that in those dayes they made this compleat Rule of their Faith whereby they ended Controversies which was the reason that in several other Synods we find they were wont to lay the Bible before them and that there is nothing in the Nicene Creed but what is to be found in the Bible that Cardinal Bellarmine hath nothing to reply to it but this Constantine was indeed a great Emperour but no great Doctor Which is rather a Scoff than an Answer and casts a scorn not only upon him but upon the great Council who as the same Theodoret witnesseth assented unto that speech of Constantine So it there follows in these words That most of the Synod were obedient to what he had discoursed and embraced both mutual Concord and sound Doctrine And accordingly St. Hilary a little after extols his Son Constantius for this that he adhered to the Scriptures and blames him only for not attending to the true Catholick sense of them His words are these in his little Book which he delivered to Constantius I truly admire thee O Lord Constantius the Emperour who desirest a Faith according to what is writen They pretended to no other in those dayes but as he speaks a little after look'd upon him that refused this as Antichrist It was only required that they should receive their Faith out of God's Books not merely according to the words of them but according to their true meaning because many spake Scripture without Scripture and pretended to Faith without Faith as his words are and herein Catholick and constant Tradition was to guide them For whatsoever was contrary to what the whole Church had received and held from the beginning could not in reason be thought to be the meaning of that Scripture which was alledged to prove it And on the other side the Church pretended to no more then to be a Witness of the received sense of the Scriptures which were the bottom upon which they built this Faith Thus I observe Hegesippus saith in Euseb his History L. 4. C. 22. that when he was at Rome he met with a great many Bishops and that he received the very same Doctrine from them all And then a little after tells us what that was and whence they derived it saying That in every succession of Bishops and iâ— every City so they held as the Law preached and as the Prophets and as the Lord. That is according to the Doctrine of the Old and New Testament I shall conclude this particular with a pregnant passage which I remember in a famous Divine of our Church Dr. Jacksons in his Treatise of the Catholick Church Chap. 22. who writes
either there or indeed any where else Which is no reproach to other Churches who do not pretend to more then is written but reflâ—cts much upon them and discredits them who challeng the power of the whole Church intirely and would pass not onely for the sole Keepers and Witnesses of Divine Truth but for careful preservers of it For of what should they have been more careful then of these useful things whereof they can tell us nothing when of unprofitable Ceremonies they have most devoutly kept if we could believe them a very great number 3. They tell us indeed of some doctrinal Traditions also which they have religiously preserved but mark I beseech you with what sincerity For to justifie these they have forged great numbers of Writings and Books under the name of such Authors aâ— it is evident had no hand in them which is another reason why we cannot give credit to their reports if we have no other authority There are very few persons now that are ignorant how many Decretal Epistles of the ancient Bishops of Rome have been devised to establish the Papal Empire and how shamefully a Donation of Constantine hath been pretended wherein he gave away the Roman Empire and all its Rights to the Pope Which puts me in mind as a notorious proof of this of the Forgeries that are in the Breviary it self where we read of Constantine's Leprosie and the cure of it by Sylvester's baptizing him which are egregious Fables and of the Decrees of the second Roman Synod under that Pope Sylvester wherein the Breviary affirms Photinus was condemned when all the world knows that Photinus his Heresie did not spring up till diverse years after the death of Sylvester And there are so many other Arguments which prove the Decrees of that Synod to be a vile forgery that we may see by the way what reason they have to keep their Liturgy in an unknown Language least the people perceiving what untruths they are taught instead of God's Word should abhor that Divine Service as justly they might which is stuffed with so many Fables It would be endless to shew how many passages they have foisted into ancient Writers to countenance their Traditions particularly about the Papal Supremacy by which so great a man as Thomas Aquinas was deceived who frequently quotes Authorities which are mere Forgeries though not invented by him I verily think but imposed upon him by the fraud which had been long practised in that Church For we find that the Canons of so famous and universally known Council as that of the first at Nice have been falsely alledged even by Popes themselves Boniface for instance and Zosimus alledged a counterfeit Nicene Canon to the African Bishops in the sixth Council of Carthage who to convince the false dealing of these Popes sought out with great labour and diligence the ancient and authentick Copies of the Nicene Canons and having obtained them both from Alexandria and from Constantinople they found them for number and for sense to be the very same which themselves already had but not one word in them of what the Popes pretended The same I might say of Pope Innocent and others whom I purposely omit because I study brevity 4. And have this farther to adde that as they have pretended Tradition where there is none so where there is they have left that Tradition and therefore have no reason to expect that we should be governed by them in this matter who take the liberty to neglect as they please better Tradition then they would impose upon us None are to be charged with this if it be a guilt more then themselves For instance the three Immersions i. e. dipping the Persons three times in Baptism was certainly an ancient practice and said by many Authors to be an Apostolical Tradition and to be ordained in signification of the blessed Trinity into whose name they were baptized And yet there is no such thing now in use in their Church no more then in ours who justifie our selves as I shewed above by a true opinion that Rites and Ceremonies are not unâ—lterable which it is impossible for them to do unless they will cease to press the necessity of other Traditions upon us which never were so generally received as this which is now abolished To which may be added the custome of giving the Eucharist to Infants which prevailed for several Ages and is called by St. Austin an Apostolical Tradition the custome of administring Baptism onely at Easter and Whitsontide with a great heap more which would be too long to enumerate Nor it is necessary I should trouble the Reader with them these being sufficient to shew the partiality of that Church in this matter and that we have no reason to be tied to that merely upon their Authority which they will not observe though having a far greater Nay all discreet persons may easily see what a wide difference there is between them who have abrogated such Traditions as had long gone even in their Church under the name of Apostolical and us who therefore do not follow pretended Traditions now because we believe them not to be Apostolical but merely Roman He is strangely blind who doth not see how much more sincere this Church is then that in this regard 5. Besides this we can demonstrate that as in these things they have forsaken Traditions so in other cases they have perverted and abused them turning them into quite another thing As appears to all that understand any thing of ancient Learning in the business of Purgatory which none of the most ancient Writers so much as dream'd to be such a place as they have now devised but only asserted a Purgatory-Fire through which all both good and bad even the blessed Virgin her self must pass at the great and dreadful day of Judgement This was the old Tradition as we may call it which was among Christians which they have changed into such a Tradition as was among the Pagans 6. But it is time to have done with this else I should have insisted upon this a while which I touched before and is of great moment That the Tradition which now runs in that Church is contrary to the certain Tradition of the Apostles and the universal Church particularly in the Canon of Scripture In which no more Books have been numbered by the Catholick Church in all Ages since the Apostles time then are in the VI. Article of Religion in the Church of England till the late council of Trent took the boldness to thrust the Apoeryphal Books into the holy Canon as nothing inferiour to the acknowledged Divine Writings This hath been so evidently demonstrated by a late Reverend Prelate of our Church in his Scholastical History of the Canon of the Scriptures out of undoubted Records that no fair answer can be made to it But I must leave a little room for other things that ought to be noted III. And the next is a consequence
all the rest suffer with it and if one rejoyce all rejoyce with it Having an intimate Fellow-â—elling of all the Good or Evil which befals any joyn'd in so near a Relation beyond the compassion of ordinary Humanity whereby we are bound not only to pray for but by all offices of kindness and most intimate Affection especially to assist and relieve each other in the same Houshold of Faith So that by our Personal Consecration all our Labours and Estates are in some measure devoted to the Honour of GOD the Service of his Church and the Necessities of any of its Members 3. In the Unity of Worship whereby we are oblidged not only to offer up the same Worship for substance but also in the outward Act to joyn and communicate with each other therein to present the same Prayers and Praises to celebrate together the same Sacraments to hear the same Instructions to frequent the same Religious Assemblies as much as possible that we may with one mind and with one mouth glorifie GOD even the Father of our Lord JESVS CHRIST Rom. 15. 6. For as the Command of GOD the Honour of his Religion the Edification of his Church the Propagation of his Truth and the peculiar Promise of his Presence and Blessing require a solemn publick exercise of all Religious Worship in united Congregations so hereby we most sensibly prove and secure our unity therein b S. Austin adv literas Petiliani T. 7. p. 124. Huic Ecclesiae quae per totam terram diffunditur quisquis non communicat vides cui non communicat Idem Ep. 50. ad Bonifacium T. 2. p. 230. Ecclesia Catholica sola est corpus CHRISTI cujus ille caput est Salvator corporis sui Extra hoc corpus neminem vivificat Spiritus Sanctus quia sicut ipse dicit Apostolus charitas DEI diffusa est in cordibus nostris per Spiritum Sanctum qui datus est nobis non est autem particeps Divinae charitatis qui hostis est unitatis Et de Bapt. adv Donatist l. 3. c. 16. T. 7. p. 409. Ipsa est enim charitas quam non habent qui ab Ecclesiae Catholicae communione praecisi sunt c. Non habet DEI charitatem qui non diligit Ecclesiae unitatem S. Cyprian de Unitate Ecclesiae p. 113. Inexpiabilis gravis culpa discordiae nec passione purgatur Esse Martyr non potest qui in Ecclesia non est ad regnum pervenire non potest qui eam quae regnatura est derelinquit Whoever then needlesly separates himself from this Church or refuses to joyn in Communion with its Members so far as it is in his power where he may without violence to any Doctrine or Precept of CHRIST such an one divides himself from his Body and so from all the Promises that we know of the Sacred and comfortable Influences of that one Head and one Spirit 4. In the Vnity of Discipline a Tertullian Apolog. c. 39. corpus sumus de conscientiâ religionis disciplinae unitate spei foedere Clerus ad D Cyprian Ep. 30 Ox. Ed. p. 56. Idem enim omnes credimur operati in quo deprehendimur eadem omnes censurae disciplinae consensione sociati Ita etiam argumentatur idem clerus Rom. adv Marcionem excommunicatum à Patre suo ab iis non receptum in S. Epiphanio Haer. 42. l. 1. T. 3. p. 303. Par. Edit Ou dynametha aneu tes epitropes tu Patros su tuto poiesai mia garâ—estin he pistis kai mia he homonoia c. Synesius Epist 58. p. 203. de censura in Andronicum Thoantem eorum consortes Eide tis hos micropolitin aposkybalisei ten Ecclesian kai dexetai tous apokeryctous autes isto schisas ten Ecclesian hen mian ho Christos einai bouletai whereby every Act of any particular Church conformable to the Institutions of our Saviour and the universally received practice of his Church stands confirmed as an Act of the whole Church Particularly whoever is admitted into it accordingly by Baptism in one place is to be accounted a Member of the Church Catholick and received into its Communion where-ever he comes if no evidence appear of his exclusion by any after regular censure Likewise into whatever Office or Ministration any are orderly admitted in one part thereof in the same are they to be acknowledged in all others though without that particular Jurisdiction which they had in their own But whosoever lies under any censure in one Church he is to be supposed under the same in all others and not to be received into communion till the Sentence be reversed by the same power or a stile higher and greater Authority according to the Fifth Canon of the Council of Nice and the design of their form'd and communicatory Letters without which none were to pass from one Church to another Thus every Church is accountable to its Neighbour Churches and so to the whole Church for its Actions that one may not do what the other undoes without any regard to this Unity which would lead to the confusion and distraction of all Wherefore to put an end to such differences when risen or obviate any growing mischief thereby and to receive Appeals from persons who think themselves aggrieved or injured by their own Bishop or Church a Council of all Bishops in each Province is appointed twice in the year by the same Canon and in many others But there was no mention then of any farther or higher Appeal b S. Cyprian ad Antonianum p. 112. Ox. Ed. Cum sit à Christo una Ecclesia per totum mundum in multa membra divisa item Episcopatus unus Episcoporum muâ—torum concordi numerositate diffusus Et Ep. 3. p. 71. Omnes enim nos decet pro corpore totius Ecclesiae cujus per varias quasque provincias membra digesia sunt excubare S. August de unitate Ecclesiae c. 12. T. 7. p. 534. Neque enim quia in orbe terrarum plerumque Regna dividuntur ideo Christiana unitas dividitur cum in utraque parte Catholica inveniatur Ecclesia Thus an amicable correspondence and intimate communication was maintained between the Neighbour Churches and their Governours and by them with others removed at a greater distance throughout the World These need no long proof but may be taken as generally grantted the main dispute will lie in the particular application of the two last Now to prevent as much as may be all difficulties about them it may be added to the third of Vnity of Worship that it will be very convenient if not absolutely necessary in any settled established Church that there be some set Forms of publick Ministrations without which it is hard for any to know before hand what they joyn with especially for strangers But then these forms should be as plain and simple as possible with as little pretence as can be of any danger to
in a different manner according to the condition of those they had to do with or the temper of him that managed them yet they must needs seem more or less grievous to all when power sufficient was not left to the greatest Monarchs to defend themselves or protect their Subjects preserve the peace or promote the welfare and provide for the security of their own Countries Then no marvel if some of them grow weary of so insupportable oppressions and at last take courage to grapple with and extricate themselves from such manifest encroachments upon their own and the Peoples Civil Rights as well as the Ecclesiastical of the Church in their Dominions and be forced to some harsh and almost violent methods when the more gentle and benign could prevail nothing 3. But beside these more publick Invasions upon Church and State that which made the usurpation more odious and insufferable was the farther abuse of the same extravagant power to bring in strange and dangerous Doctrines corrupt and unlawfull practices into the Church and impose them upon all in their Communion exactly fitted to feed their Ambition enrich their Coffers secure their Authority and promote their ease and Luxury Such of the first sort are their Doctrine of Transubstantiation and Purgatory of Merit and Supererogation the multiplicity of Vows and delusions in the Principles of Repentance and ministration of Penance Of the latter sort are the Invocation of Saints and Angels Adoration of Reliques and Images their half Communion the Scripture lock'd up and Divine Service performed in an unknown tongue c. These and diverse like them have proved great Scandals abroad and stumbling blocks at home and whatever varnish they may put upon them by the fairest pretences or however they may cast a mist before the eyes of their Disciples by nice distinctions yet they have so disfigured the face of Christianity that he who compares the late appearances of it in the world with the model of it laid down in Scripture or the Records of the Primitive Church can hardly believe it the same thing But the particulars are not here to be disputed they have sufficiently been confuted and exposed by Protestant Writers and were by several before excepted against and disclaimed though some suffered severely for so doing and many more we may suppose waited an opportunity to free themselves from their pressure That which I am now most to insist upon is this that if the charge we draw up against these of falshood in judgment gross Superstition or Idolatry in Worship and immorality in manners be true and impartial as we have been ever ready to make good and shall do against all the Artifices of the Defendants Then no Authority whatever regularly founded or unexceptionably conveyed can oblidge us to these against the revealed Will or Word of God the Dictates of our Consciences as we hope carefully and righty informed the sense and reason of mankind and the Belief and practice of the Church in the first and purest Ages Greater cause was there to endeavour by all lawful means to throw off such an usurped power that made so ill use of what it had unjustly gotten and to restore Religion to its primitive beauty in Doctrine Worship and Precepts of Life But alas many difficulties lay in the way of its accomplishment and all possible struglings and contentions by force and policy were used by the adverse Party to prevent its beginning or obstruct it Progress Great was their Interest in every place Strong was the influence they had upon persons in Authority Numerous were their Assistants and Dependants at home and abroad Weighty was their concern which lay at stake and many were the advantages which they had of any that opposed them So that no wonder if a Reformation so long wish'd for and much wanted were so slowly effected It is rather more strange that in so many places it did master these and such like incumbrances and in so short a time made so considerable a progress If in some places it proceeded with less Order Uniformity and calmness then could have been wish'd for in a Religious Reformation Necessity in part with many perplexed difficulties and incumbrances may in some measure excuse what no Law before hand fully warrants IV. But leaving others to answer for themselves in my next particular I am to consider how regularly and sedately it proceeded in the church of England within the bounds of catholick Unity 1. With the concurrence and encouragement all along of the Supreme Power to free it from any but suspicion of Rebellion So it began at first with the breaking of the Papal yoke of Supremacy the Translation of the Bible and some like preparatives to Reformation under Henry the Eight and the united Suffrages of his Parliaments and the Bishops themselves therein It proceeded suitably to a further improvement in most particulars under his Son Edward the Sixth And at last it came to its full settlement and establishment under Queen Elizabeth The beginning and carrying on of the Reformation here was by such loyalty of Principles and Practices that we challenge any Church in the World to a Comparison therein Indeed this was so notorious that her Roman Adversares have turned her Glory into a Reproach by upbraiding her though most invidiously with the name of a Parliamentary Religion because it received all along so much countenance and assistance from those great Assemblies of all the three Estates of the Kingdom under their Head and Soveriagn 2. But farther to clear her of all just imputation from hence it must be added that the whole work was carried on with the advice and mature deliberation of the Clergy assembled in Convocation representing the intire body of them and therein a National Council That they from their Education and presumed Knowledge as well as from their Office and Ecclesiastical Authority are ordinarily fittest to judge debate and determine of Religious matters will be soon granted But that the civil Power may and ought sometimes to remind them of their Duty and restrain them from gross Defections from it may be proved by several Scripture Examples in the Old Testament and the Supereminence of their place But happy is that Order and Unity in which both Powers are joyned together for the service of GOD the security of his Church and promotion of his true Religion as it was here though it could not be expected but the first attempts would meet with several difficulties fierce Debates and Controversies yet still the entire establishment was ratified by the regular determination of the Clergy so assembled as before as well as was after confirmed by the Royal Assent 3 Yet farther to justifie themselves from any affected innovation in such a change all was done with the greatest Reverence Respect and Deference to the Ancient Church to clear their continued Unity therewith 1. In Doctrine The ancient Creeds were taken for the foundation of its Confession the four
and Ceremonies she is sensible when they are too numerous how apt they are to darken the inward and more essential luster of Religion and prove a burden instead of a Relief to its Worship which she takes notice c Preface to the common prayer concerning Ceremonies why some are abolished St. Augustine complain'd of in his time But have since so encreased in the Eastern as well as Western Churches that it must argue a great aw to make the Service look like any thing serious and Sacred However this number alone where the particulars are not otherwise obnoxious tempts some to spend all their zeal therein and diverts them from things more necessary or gives too much occasion to others to quarrel about them Yet withal being apprehensive how needful it would be to maintain Order and Decency She hath kept some though very few and those most plain and unexceptionable in their nature most significative of the end for which they were appointed and most ancient and universal in their Institution and practice hinted in the tittle of our Liturgy as it is changed from the former And to prevent all differences hereabout she hath expressed her sense of them so clearly and explicitely that one would think no peevish obstinacy had room to interpose a scruple however the event hath proved Thus abundantly hath the Church of England vindicated her Reformation from all pretence of Apostacy from the True Ancient Catholick and Apostolick Church and shewed in all instances how careful she hath been to preserve the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace with all the Members thereof Nor hath she been wanting in any respect or reverence due thereunto No Church being more cautious and sparing in its determinations more Canonical in its Impositions more Regular in its Succession and more charitable in its Censures making all necessary provision for her own Children so within the bounds of Catholick Unity that had other Churches observed the like method or measures way had been made for an universal consent a Touto gar en pote tes Ecclesias to kauchema hoti apo ton peraton tes oikumenes epi ta perata microis symbolaiois ephodiazomennoi hoi ex hekastes Ecclesias adelphoi pantas pateras kai adelphous euriscon S. Basil Ep. 198. T. 3. p. 409. and every true Christian where ever he came would have found his own Church wherewith to communicate without hesitancy in all Religious Offices And as b St. Augustin observed in his time he would have needed but to enquire for the Catholick Church and no Schismatick would have darred to divert him to their Conventicles But if after the confusions and disorders of so many Centuries amidst such a depraved state by corrupt manners diversities of opinions and perplext Interests so great a happiness be not to be hoped for now that private person or particular Church will clear themselves before GOD and all good men that do what is in their power towards it and pray to Him to amend what they cannot change and in the mean time make the best use of what means they enjoy Upon which Premises an easie Solution is given to the old cavilling question Where was your Church before the Reformation or that time We answer Just where it is Thereby no new Church was set up no new Articles of Faith brought in no new Sacraments no new order of Priesthood to minister in holy things all which would have indeed required new Miracles and a new immediate Authority from Heaven so attested only the old were purged from impurities in Doctrine Worship and Practice which in passing through so many degenerate Ages they had contracted and that an ordinary Power might suffice to do If we were in the Catholick Church before we are so still and hope to better purpose We are not therefore out of it because there rash Censures have excluded us and then they unreasonably take advantage to argue against us from their own act We never formally shut them out what ever they have done to us What degrees of corruption in Faith or Manners may be consistent with the bare being of a Church or the possibility of salvation therein is needless and dangerous for us nicely to enquire it may be impossible for us to know I am sure it is most safe for us to reform what we know to be amiss and to leave those who do not to stand or fall by their own Master It is a very ill requital of our Charity if it be turned into a weapon of offence to wound or slay us by that by which we shewed our desire of their Cure But they and we must stand another trial and await a finall infallible Sentence which ours here cannot change The best security that we know to meet it with comfort will be to use the most strict impartiality with our selves and the greatest Charity to others Yet our Adversaries glory in nothing more then in the name of the Catholick Church and boast in no Title so much as that of Catholicks which hath had deservedly so great veneration in all Antiquity But their claim here truly examined will prove as fallacious and arrogant as in any other instance For the term Catholick if we respect the notation of the word or the most constant use of it is the same as Vniversal and so joyned to the Church signifies the general Body of all Christians dispersed throughout the World opposed to any distinct Party or separate Communion Thus we find it constantly applied by St. Augustin in all his Tracts against the Donatists St. August de unitate Ecclesiae c 2. T. 7. p. 5. 10. Quaestio certe inter nos versatar ubi sit Ecclesia utrum apud nos an apud illos quae utique und est quam majores nostri Catholicam nominarunt ut ex eo ipso nomine ostenderent quia per totum est Ibid. c. 3. p. 514. Christi Ecclesia canonicarum Scripturarum Divinis certissimis testimoniis in omnibus Gentibus designata est Et c. 4. ab ejus corpore quod est Ecclesia it a dissentiunt ut eorum communio non sit cum toto quacunque ea diffunditur sed in aliqua parte separata inveniatur manifestum est eos non esse in Ecclesia catholica Et. c. 12. p. 533. aliud Evangelizat qui periisse dicit de caetero mundo Ecclesiam in parte Donati in sola Aâ—rica remansisse Item de fide symbolo in eam partem de Ecclesia catholica T. 3. p. 149. Haeretici de Deo falsa sentiendo ipsam fidem violant Schismatici autem discissionibus iniquis a fraterna Caritate dissiliunt quapropter nec Haereticus pertinet ad Ecclesiam Catholicam quae diligit Deum nec Schismaticus quoniam diligit proximum and so opposed to them who went about to shut it up within their own Party and straitned Communion therein too closely imitated by our Adversaries who in spite of name
perfection of it that it ought to have great weight in determining our choice to one Communion before another and is one of the most sensible bands of Unity in the Church Answ 1. The restauration of the Primitive Vigour of this hath been alwayes wished for by our Church as in the Preface to the Commination but the accomplishment is very difficult From the degeneracy of the Age which would hardly bear it He that Governs in a less Sphere will find how oft he must bear with things which he does not approve and much easier it is to find fault with then to amend what sometimes we know to be amiss From the multiplicity of Divisions which weaken all endeavours towards it and then froward men unworthily charge the Church with what they themselves make almost unavoidable whereas if executed it would reach themselves as nearly as any who are now so clamorous against the most tender and charitable endeavours towards it as cruel and inhumane 2. The Pretences to it in the Church of Rome according to general practice so far as it can appear to us and we can judge by nothing else are more dangerous then any of these Omissions when turn'd into a constant circle of sinning private Confession and Priestly Absolution upon the imposition of very insignificant Penance and so over again For hereby men have the Authority of their Church to confirm in them the dangerous presumption that they have thus readily cleared themselves before GOD and so soon perfected their Repentance for such Sins which we find them not so watchfull against afterwards as that ought to suppose or make them Whereas the Church of England commands private Confession for our clearer satisfaction and direction in difficult cases as most needful but cannot truly say that it is an indispensable condition of our pardon which was never so believed or practised in the church for many Centuries If people will not be perswaded to their Priviledge unless they be forced to it by false denounciations they must look to that if they miscarry it lies at their own door while they have no hopes here given them of pardon but upon such an intire Repentance as destroyes the habit of sin and plants the contrary Grace and what need they may have of the Assistance of a Spiritual Guide and other helps in many cases in order to this effect they may best consider 3. However the due administration of Discipline is to be placed among conveniencies and advantages to be wish'd for rather then necessaries we cannot be without and it hath been and will be in all Ages of the church more or less perfect according to a great many contingencies not to be stated before hand The church hath ever judg'd it the best measure of using it so as may most serve the ends of Religion and the general benefit of the community and not that she is bound alwayes up to the strict merit of the persons falling under it and yet after all the strictest care and impartiality there will be room for the final Separation when our LORD shall send his Angels to gather out of his own Kingdom all offences and them which do iniquity If we will shun all communication with these though only in what is good we must flie out of any church that ever yet was or will be so far as we know in this World and so from any hopes in that to come yet scarce any considerable Schism hath appeared in the Church which did not shelter it self under this pretence 4. Father it may be alledged that several restraints may be upon the Church from the Civil Power When this had suffered so much by former Encroachments and Usurpations no wonder if it still retain some jealousie of that Yoke which with so much difficulty it cast off and provide as securely as it can for its future preservation though by suspending sâ—â—e of that outward assistance very conduceable to the due effect of Church censures and sometimes by putting a stop to their sensible progress in some cases where no such danger or necessity required it Men by mistakes or prejudice may strain each power too far Better experience of the Regular management of the Ecclesiastical may in due time encourage the Secular farther to enlarge their Liberty and encourage their proceedings so as may be most subservient to the ends of true Religion and the advancement of the common security of Church and State All the power which the Church pretends to as such is spiritual and that can make no alteration in the Civil Rights of men 5. Yet after all the Church amongst us hath not only sufficient Authority committed to her by CHRIST but reserved and countenanced by the Laws of the Land to testifie her Abhorrence of all notorious Scandals to the shame and confusion of gross Offenders and as a direful earnest of a worse doom that awaits them hereafter not here prevented by a satisfactory Repentance I need not refer to particular instances when we have frequent examples thereof If this be not alwayes exercised by those with whom it is entrusted with all due vigour and sincerity after just abatement for necessity and a favourable allowance for such perplext difficulties of which scarce any private person can make a fair and competent judgment the fault will lie only at their doors whose is the neglect and private Christians shall not fare the worse in the performance of their duty nor fail of the salutary effects of the ordinary means of Grace by GODS own appointment because every publick ministration is not performed with that Religious care which becomes such concerns 6. Little pretence can they have from this Objection that desert the Establish'd National Church and that most advantagious outward Bond of Unity therein in pursuit of private Assemblies and select Congregations where all acts of Discipline must needs be supposed Arbitrary on one side and precarious on the other When he or they who inflict them own no power over them to aw or direct their proceeding or upon just occasion ro reverse their Sentence nor he who falls under them has any other engagement to submission then his own free Act nor can suffer any farther prejudice without it then to be forced it may be to change his Company or place of meeting What ever grave and solemn appearance this may carry at the first setting up of such a new Government it will soon degenerate into Mockery or Confusion Whatsoever destroyes the Unity of the Church overturns the main strength and Foundation of all Discipline the defects hereof we may hope to see repaired with the preservation of that but without that no prospect appears of any overtures towards it 7. To which may be added in the last place whatever want of Discipline any may lay to the charge of the Church of England none can complain of her breach of that Unity therein which all Christian Churches ought to maintain She neither invades
ages whither good or bad Spirits the case is the same whoever perswaded them to worship any other Beeing with or besides the Supreme God was to be rejected by them for this is the sense of the Mosaical Laws concerning the worship of one Supreme God as I have already proved and the serving other Gods in this place is opposed to the worship of one God and therefore must include whatever according to the Law of Moses is contrary to the worship of one Supreme Beeing 2. This Law makes the worship of one God eternal and unâ—â—â—geable There is no way of altering any Divine Laws but by a new revelation of Gods will and there is no way to give Authority to such a revelation but by Miracles or Prophesie but in this case Miracles and Prophesie it self can give no authority because God himself has expresly forbid us to hearken to any Prophet whatever signs or wonders are wrought by him who teacheth the worship of any other Beeing besides the one Supreme God So that the Law of Moses having expresly forbid the worship of any other Beeing besides God and as expresly forbid us to hearken to any Prophet though a worker of Miracles who teaches any other worship it is impossible this Law should ever be altered because we are before-hand warned by God himself not to give credit to any Prophet whatever he be or whatever he do who attempts any alteration of it And therefore had Christ or his Apostle taught the worship of Saints and Angels it had been a just reason for the unbelief of the Jews notwithstanding all the Miracles that were wrought by them and it is well the Jews never had any just occasion to make this objection against our Saviour for if they had I know not how it would have been answered I say a just occasion for the Jews did urge this very Law against him before Pilate We have a Law and by our Law he ought to die because he made himself the Son of God In which they refer to Joh. 19. 7. that discourse of our Saviour John 10. 29 30. where he affirms that God is his Father and plainly tells them I and my Father are one for which saying they attempt to stone him for blasphemy and that being a man he made himself a God v. 33. But though he did indeed as the Jews rightly inferred make himself a God by this saying yet he did not preach any new God to them but affirmed himself to be one with the Father that same Supreme God the Lord Jehovah whom they were commanded to worship by their Law he made no alteration in the object of their worship but onely did more clearly and distinctly reveal the Father to them as manifesting himself in and by his only begotten Son And therefore he did not offend against this Law by seducing them to the worship of any other Gods besides the Lord Jehovah which if he had done their accusation had been just and all the Miracles which he did could not have secured him from the guilt and punishment of an Impostor Which shews us what force there is in that Argument which the Church of Rome urges from these Miracles which have been wrought at the Tombs of Martyrs to prove the Religious invocation of them if such Miracles were ever wrought it was in testimony to the truth of Christianity for which they suffered not to betray men to a superstitious and idolatrous worship of them ten thousand Miracles should never convince me of the lawfulness of praying to Saints departed while I have such a plain and express Law against believing all Miracles upon any such account Nor can it reasonably be said that this Law was given only to the Jews and therefore oblidges none but them for we must remember that Christ was originally sent to the Jews to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and therefore by this Law he was bound not to teach the worship of any other Beeings under the penalty of death and they were bound not to own and receive him if he did and therefore it was impossible for the true Messias to introduce the worship of any Beeing besides the one supreme God and if Christ could not teach any such Doctrine I know not how the worship of Saints and Angels should ever come to be a Doctrine of Christianity For what Christ himself cannot do none of his Followers may who had no other Commission but to teach those things which they had learn'd from him and he could not give commission to preach such Doctrines as he himself had no authority to preach So that though this Law was not originally given to the Gentiles but only to the Jews yet it equally oblidges the Christian Church whither Jews or Gentiles because Christ himself who was the Author of our Religion was oblidged by it The worship of one Supreme God and of none else is as fundamental to Christianity as it is to Judaism for Christianity is now or ought to be the Religion of the Jews as well as Gentiles and yet the Jews are expresly forbid by this Law ever to own any Religion which allows the worship of any Beeing besides God and therefore the worship of one God and none else must be fundamental in Christianity if the people of the Jews are or ever were bound to embrace the Faith of Christ SECT IV. 2 ANd therefore I observe in the next place that Christ and his Apostles have made no alteration at all in the object of our worship Christ urges that Old Testament Law in answer to the Devils Temptation It is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Which it seems is as â— Matth. 10. standing a Law after the appearance of Christ as it was before He gives no other direction to his Disciples but to pray To their Heavenly Father and in that form of prayer which he gave them he teaches them to address their prayer neither to Saints nor Angels but to God only Our Father which art in Heaven When St. Paul charges the Heathens with Idolatry he does it upon this account that they joyned the worship of Creatures with the worship of the Supreme God Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned Where the Apostle acknowledges that they did know God that Rom. 1. 21. they did own that Supreme and Soveraign Beeing who made the world and does suppose that they did worship him also For he does not charge them with renouncing the worship of that God who made the world but that they did not glorifie him as God which only taxes the manner of their worship And wherein that was faulty he declares in the following verses As that they made mean and vile representations of him that they vers 23. changed the Glory of the uncorruptible God into
hold a Vulgar Tongue necessary in Divine Service and doth both absolutely forbid their own Missal to be so translated and persecute those that have so used it And yet they cannot dare not say it is unlawful in it self For it is better to have it in the Vulgar then not at all saith one It is matter of Discipline saith a second It hath been granted in some cases is acknowledged by others And it is most expedient to have it in the Vulgar saith a fourth And if so why this diligent Cassander de off pii viri p. 86â— care to prevent and suppress it Why this out-cry against it Why this Severity What need of such Decrees and Anathema's of Councils What need such Commands of the Popes for Princes to oppose it with all their force as that of Gregory VII to Vladislaus of Bohemia what reason is there for a general Convention of the Clergy of a Kingdom to proceed against a translation of their Missal When if we consult the ends for which the publick Service was inâ—â—itutâ—d iâ— we consult the reason of the thing if we consult Scripture or â—athâ—rs or the practice of the Church for about seven hundred Years together we shall find that it is not only expedient but necessary to have it in a Tongue understood of the people and that the Church of Rome that is so forward in its Anathema is under a precedent and greater oâ—â— even that of the Apostle Whosoever shall preach any other Gospel let him be Anatâ—emâ— So that which is most to be respected the Anathema of Heaven or that of the Council the command of God or a Decree of a Pope the Church of God in its best times or the particular Church of Rome in latter Ages whither the edification of the Church of God or the will and interest of a corrupted Church is not difficult to conceive And therefore we may end as we began with the Church Art 24. of England It is a thing plainly repuguant to the Word of God and the 〈◊〉 of the Primitive Church to have publick Prayers â—â— the Church or to minister the Sacraments in a Tongue not understâ—â—d of the people FINIS A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE DEVOTIONS OF THE Church of Rome Especially as compared with those of the CHURCH of ENGLAND In which it is shewn That whatever the Romanists pretend there is not so true Devotion among them nor such rational Provision for it nor Encouragement to it as in the Church established by Law among us EDINBURGH Re Printed by John Reid Anno DOM. 1686. A DISCOURSE Concerning the DEVOTIONS Of the Church of Rome IT is certain one of the greatest Commendations that can be given of any Church or body of Christians that a man can with Truth afirm of it that the Doctrines which they profess the Rules and Orders under which they live that the frame and constitution of the Church tendeth directly to make men more pious and devout more peâ—â—tent and mortified more heavenly minded and every way of better Lives then the way and profession of other Christians For to work men up to this holy frame and disposition was one of the main designs of the Gospel of Christ which intends to govern mens Actions and reform their Temper as well as to inform their Understandings and direct their belief And in this particular it differs much from all the Ethicks of the learned Heathen For whereas they design'd especially to exalt the passions and to raise up the Mind above it self by commending the high and pompous Vertues thereby to stir men up to great designs and to appear bold and braving in the affairs of this Life the Gospel is most frequent in commendation of the humble lowly and mortifying Vertues which would reduce the Mind to it self and keep Men within due bounds and teach them how to behave themselves towards God and to live in a due regard to another Life Now there is scarcely any thing which the Church of Rome doth more often urge for her self or with greater confidence pretend to excel the Church of England in then by endeavouring to perswade that the Frame of their Church is more fitted for the exciting of Devotion and a good Life then ours is And so they will boast of their severe Rules and Orders the Austerities of their Fasts and Penances the strict and mortifyed Lives the constancy and incessancy of Devotions used among them and would thence inferre that that mâ—st needs be the best Religion or way of serving God in which these practices are enjoyn'd and observed That the Tree must needs be good by such excellent Fruitâ— and that if all other Argument fail yet they say they have this to show for themselves that in their Communion there is at least somewhat more like that great Self-denial and Morâ—â—fication so often made necessary under the Gospel then is to be found in the Reformed Churches or particularly in the Church of England Now laying aside all Disputes concerning Points of Doctrine in controversie between them and us in which it hath been abundantly shewn that they err in matters of Faith and that in what they differ from us they differ also from the Scripture and the true Church of Christ in all the best Ages I 'll confine my self to examine their Preâ—â—â—ce to Devotion where I doubt not but it will sufficiently appear that they are as much deficient also in Regularity of Practice that there is not that true Foundation laid for such Devotion as God accepts nor that strict Provision made for it nor that real Practice of it which they would make us believe but that even the best which they pretend to is such as doth by no means befit a truly Christian spirit I 'll discourse in this Method 1. I 'll instance in the several Expressions of Devotion the Motives to it or Assistance of it whâ—ch the Church of Rome pretends to and on which she is used to magnifie her self 2. I will alledge the just Exceptions which we have against such their Pretences 3. And then shew that they are so far from encouraging true Devotion that many things both in their Doctrine and Discipline directly tend to the Destruction of it 4. I 'll shew what excellent Provision is made in the Church of England for the due exercise of all the parts of Devotion and what Stress is laid on it and on a good Life among us First Though Devotion is properly and chiefly in the mind a due sense of God and Religion yet it is not sufficient if it stop there For there are certain outward Acts which are either in themselves natural and proper Expressions or else are strictly required of us by God as Duties of Religion and Evidences of the devout temper of our Minds and these are called Acts of Devotion And all the Commendation that can be given of any Church on Account of Devotion must be either that there is a true Foundation
laid for it in mens Minds or constant Provision made for the due Exercise of it all necessary Encouragement given to it and a sutable strict and regular Practice of it observable among them And there are several things which are not at all insisted on by us which they of the Church of Rome boast of as serving to some or all of these puâ—poses which I shall represent as fairly as I can that we may see what there is in that Church that doth answer such great pretences For it is observed that they of the Church of Rome oftentimes insteed of dispute endeavour to work on our People and too often prevail by appealinâ— to matters of Practice visible to every ones Eye an Argument to which men need not use their Reason but their Sense and this will say they sufficiently convince any of the excellency of our way For here are several things used as Instances and Expressions of Devotion very acceptable to God and sutable to a good Christian Temper which are either not at all used in the Church of England or at least not in that Degree and Measure and yet all those that are used in the Church of England say they are used among us For we not only enjoyn and practise constant use of Prayers publick and private together with Reading and Preaching of the Word Sacraments and whatever is used in the Church of England but we have besides several things which are as well proper Expressions of Devotion as Helps and Assistances which are not used among the Protestants The Principal things which they urge are such as these 1. They blame the Reformation in general as well as the Church of England for the want of Monasteries and such other Religious Houses which are so numerous in the Popish Countries where Holy Men and Women being shut up and having bid adiew to the World live as in Heaven in constant Exercise of praising of God Night and Day and of praying to him for the Church and State and particular Christians as well as themselves and who are not only so beneficial to the World by the constancy of their Prayers but also by their Example putting others in mind of Religion and of doing likewise and by the severity of their lives as to Diet Garbe and other Circumstances live in a constant Practice of that self-denyal which is commanded in Scripture and was so practised by Holy Men almost from the begining of Christianity and are as it were constant Preachers of Holiness and Mortification who tho' they do indeed stay here in the World below yet converse not in it but are in some Sense out of it and live above it 2. They sometimes also boast of the extraordinary Charity and Liberality to all good and Holy Uses pressed and practised among them which is but sparingly used say they among the Protestants Especially their excessive Expence and Cost in building and endowing Monasteries erecting Churches Chappels and Crosses their so pompous adorning the places dedicated to the Worship of God besides their Charitable Assistance and relief which they afford to the Bodies of the Living and the Souls of the Dead and no Man can deny but Charity is a certaint Evidence as well as a great branch and duty of true Religion and Devotion 3. Sometimes they glory in the great number of Saints commemorated in their Church and dying in the Communion of it and urge them as a forcible Example to others and a mighty incentive to Devotion they think also it redounds much to the Honour and Commendation of their Church to have had such glorious Members of it and twit us as they think severely when they ask us what Saints we have of our Church and wonder especially that we should observe so few Festivals and Holidayes whereas the very many dayes set apart in their Church in memory of their several Saints they think not only afford proper Occasions for all Acts of Religion but are a sign of their being less addicted to this World when so great a part of their time is spent in the Service of God and that Piety and Devotion are a considerable part of their Business and Imployment 4. They urge also the multitude of Pictures and Images of several Famous Men and Women who have in an eminent manner served and pleased God and been instrumental in converting the World as very proper assistances of a Mans Devotion instructing some they being the Books of the Unlearned and sensibly affecting and alluring all to the Imitation of the Persons whom they represent 5. Sometimes they commend their Church for the Fastings and other Acts of severity and Mortification used not only by the Monks and Regulars but by all sorts of Men according to the Rules of their Church on set dayes of the Week or Seasons of the Year as well as such Austerities as are enjoyned by their Confessors by way of Penance their going bare-foot and bare headed in Processions their whipping and lashing themselves their drawing great Chains and Weights after them as great and proper Instances of Self-denial and Devotion 6. They place also a great Deal of Religion in Pilgrimages which the more Devout sort take and spend their Estates and sometimes their Lives in to Jerusalem Rome Loretto Mount-ferrdt to St. Thomas at Canterbury St. Winefrid's Well or some such other places where some extraordinary Person hath lived or some strange Relique is left or where they reckon God hath on some Occasion or other wonderfully manifested himself and they reckon that the very visiting or kissing these are either an Argument of truly Devout Minds or that which will make them so And their Manuals or Books which their Priests give into the peoples hands do not fail by all the art imaginable to endeavour to screw up Mens Devotion even to rapture and extasie in Commendation of these Practises and Orders even as if they would have us believe that there is no true Religion and Devotion without these and that where there are these things practised it is a certain sign that the mind is affected as it ought Piety flourisheth in the highest Degree And besides these Matters of Practice their are also several Doctrines and Opinions peculiar to themselves which they reckon do naturally tend to the advancement of true Devotion As 7. Their Doctrine concerning the Intercession of Saints for us and the Advantage of Invocation or prayer to them and that we of the Church of England want one of the greatest Encouragements to Prayer and Devotion that can be who neither own nor make use of these Helps and therefore that we cannot have such hope of Success and Blessing as they have 8. Their Doctrine concerning the Merit of Good Works and Supererogation is of the same Nature in their esteem For the more Worth you suppose in any Action the greater Incouragement is there to the performance of it and therefore surely it must be a most irresistible motive to
Devotion to perswade men that the worth and value of it is such as that you may by it purchase Heaven not only to your selves but for others also 9. Their belief of Purgatoâ—y and of the validity of Prayers for the Dead doth naturally tend to excite men to Devotion say they for here is a greater Scope and Occasion for our Prayers we may hope to be instrumental to more good more Persons to be relieved and helped by our Prayers then are supposed in the Devotions of the Church of England 10. And especially their Doctrine and Practice of Confession Penance and Absolution they look on as so necessary to Devotion that it is a wonder with them that there should be any shew of it where these are received and practised For a particular Consession of all Sins to a Priest being so strictly required they say is the readiest way to bring men to a sense of and shame for their Sins and Penance being also imposed presently on them will surely make Men to be more afraid of sining again when they see it must cost them so dear and that they may not despair or despond by Reason of the Multitude or Weight of their former Sins but may be encouraged to strive more earnestly against sin for the future the Priest gives them Absolution of what is passed at the same time encouraging their hope as well as exciting their fear and endeavouring by the same method both to allure to force and to shame Men into Amendment Lastly they insist much also on the Validity of their Ordinations the Truth and Succession Unity and Authority of their Church and the Obedience that is payed to the Rules and Orders of it as mighty Helps and Assistances and Encouragements to Devotion when they are so sure of the Sacraments being duly administred and all other Acts of Authority rightly performed when the Laws of the Church for the punishment of Offenders are duly executed and when the Church hath Power to oblige all to an Uniform and Regular Practice All these things say they do either encourage and excâ—te men to Devotion or asâ—ist or direct them in their exercise of it give more room or afford better occasions for it or else shew more fully the Necessity of such and such parts of it then what is received and practised in the Church of England and therefore the Church of England that wants these wanteth also much of the Occasion Matter Opporâ—â—â—ities and Argâ—â—â—ts for Devotion so that they laying a side all disputes concerning Articles of Faith they doubt not but it will be readilâ— granted that at least they are a more devout People whatever their belief iâ— their practies is more agreeable to that self denial and Mortification commanded in Scripture that God is more constantly and reverently served among them then he is among us that they take more pains are at more Cost and trouble in the worship of God which they think is an Instance of a good religious mind and will be most secure of God's Acceptance These are I think indeed the most that they do urge for themselves in this point and there is something of appearance of Truth in all this Most of these Instances are such as may perhaps be very taking at first fight with some People they having a shew of Regularity Strictness and Severity or else of being proper helps and Assistances of Devotion For men are wont to admire any thing that looks oâ—d or big especially if others have but the confidence highly to praise and extol it But if we examine them we shall find them to fall infinitely short of such specious pretences some of them to be unlawful and those that are good in themselves to be some way or other spoiled in the use of them alwayes they â—rr in some matterial part or circumstance and taken altogether they have nothing in them which evidence any true devout temper either designed to be wrought by the Church or actually working in the People Much less do they bespeak greater Devotion then is required and practised in our Church For it hath been well observed by the judicious Sir Edwin Sandyes that the Church of Rome hath so contrived its Rules and Orders as rather to comply with and fit every Temper and Inclination good or bad then to work any real good effect on any And therefore as it hath several things which openly agree with and please the profane and debauch'd so it must be granted that it hath somewhat also to suit with and graâ—ifle the melancholly Temper where the devoutly disposed may find somewhat an agreeable Retreat And therefore one would be apt to suspect that the most strict and severe of their Orders were kept up rather out of a politick end to please and quiet the People then really to advance true piety to God and Devotion But however it is plain that taking the whole Frame of that Church together it doth not design to promot serious and true Devotion but only to make a Noise and to appear so to do For when I see the same Church tho' sometimes seeming to countenance the utmost severity as necessary yet at other times to give all Liberty and let the Reinâ— loose to all kind of Debauchery I have just reason to â—ear they are not in earnest for Religion For all such irregular Heats are a sign of a bad Principles or a distemper'd Constitution Just as if I should see the same person sometimes desperately dissolute and debauch'd and at othertimes intollerably strict and severe and this interchangeably and often I shall much question his strictness whither it be sincere If his sense of Piety were real it would be more lasting and uniform and therefore without breach of charity I think I may look on him in his severity rather to act a part on a Stage and to serve a present Turn and Occasion then to be really in his mind what such strictness would represent him And therefore whatever true Devotion is in any of that Communion ought to be ascribed to somewhat else then to the Constitution of that Church For even those things which they are used to boast most of which I have mentioned already we shall easily find to have little that is truly commendable much that is greatly faulty in them and if their best things are no better what are the worst If the subject of their Glory is shameful what will become of the rest 2 And therfore I 'll now shew what we have justly to except against their fore-mentioned pretences to Devotion 1. As for Monkery in general which they boast so much of calling it Status Perfectionis religiosus as if besides the State of Men in Holy Orders that were a State of Perfection and nothing else worth the Name of Religious We confess that scarcely as to any thing concerning the Externals of Religion doth the Church of England distinguish it self from the Romish Church so much as that there is
as those which by being shut up from the world he pretends to avoid And yet such as these are generally legible and observable in the very Looks conversation and carriage-of Monks and Hermits Indeed Retiredness sometimes is an excellent help to the Mind by giving it time to recollect it self and to reflect on its former Miscarriages and the better to prepare it self for its future encounters in the World But a man may exceed in the measures and degrees of this as well as of other conveniences and lawful enjoyments and so it may become a snare and an evil to him For the mind will naturally be as much tir'd with Solitude as with business Besides that the Devil is alwayes busie when men are idle and Diversion and Recreation is as necessary to most Tempers as Health and Cheerfulness are and fits a man even for the Duties of Religion For the keeping the mind in a constant Bent tho' of Devotion will in a short time weaken its Spring and dull its Edge and the Acts of Devotion in such a mind will â—its to be feared be rather a formal piece of Drudgery then a reasonable service And though we should grant that by being confined to a Monastry a man might better escape the Defilements of any kind of sin yet it must be granted that he cannot be in so much capacity of doing good in the World as if he conversed freely with it Sâ—c l. 1. c. 12 And Sozomen quotes is as a most remarkable saying of some of the first Monks that he that abstains from evil but doth no good ought to be esteemed a very bad Man and so the commands of Scripture enjoyn us to take care to do good as well as to abstain from evil else we shall be reckoned among the unprofitable servants We are sure that publick service ought to be preferred before private the Glory of God and the good of men being more advanced by it and therefore though that man that lives in a wilderness and serves God there when he is forced to it by persecution may hope for a Blessing tho' he be alone and neither worshippeth God in publick nor gives a good Example to the World yet he that runs into a Wilderness to be wondred at and admired and neglects the ordinary and most useful way of serving God there is too much reason to fear he hath his Reward At least how far soever it may please God to pardon his blind Zeal and want of Discretion yet certainly this Example of his ought not to be recommended to all as a Rule for them to walk by The first Monks we grant were very good and pious Men and were compelled to forsake their Houses and live in solitude but it is very unreasonable to make their manner of Life a Pattern to be followed in the quiet and peaceable Ages of the Church For this would be to shew our selves insenfible of the goodness of God to us in giving us the Liberty of serving him freely and openly and that we dare profess our Religion without fear of loosing our Lives And for the same reason we should still chase to celebrate the Sacrament in an â—pper 〈◊〉 because our blessed Saviour and his Holy Apostles did so and should have our religious Assemblies in Crypts and Vaults under the Ground because the first Christians in times of difficulty and persecution often durst use no other And as the Solitude of a Monastick Life is no proper Assistance oâ— Expression of true Devotion was not known in the first Ages of the Church and afterwards was not taken up of choice but by Necessity So also in the last place I observe that the Gospel of Christ and the â—ules of Living which are given us by himself and his Holy Apostles never enjoyn or suppose any such thing We are alwayes supposed to live in Company and Society and accordingly the precepts of our Saviour and the Apostles are adapted to the common Cases of Men and the Concerns of such as converse freely in the World And therefore I must needs say that it hath been very wisely ordered that there should be new and distinct Rules made for those that delight in this solitary and Monastick way of Life For they are such a kind of men as the Gospel of Christ hath no proper Rules for Secondly And I am afraid that there is as little true Devotion in their so frequent and constant Prayers enjoyned and practised in their Monastries though this be confessedly what is most commendable in their way of Life and is the only way by which they themselves can pretend to do any Good in the World If I except those which are but very â—ew that work with their hands Praise and prayer is therefore acceptable with GOD as it is in the voluntary Expression of our Souls a free will-Offering and Sacrifice which we offer to GOD in consideration of his infinite Excellencies and Perfections in himself his former undeserved Goodness to us and our Liableness to him Now the constant prayer used in their Monastries in more particulars then one come short of that true Devotion due from Men to their Maker For first they are as much as can be forced on a rational Beeing and on that account must needs lose much of their worth and acceptableness The Monks are oblidged by the Rules of their several Orders to say such and such prayers and just at such and such times whatever Devotion or Intention of Mind they have and they are severely punished if they fail of them Exactly at Midnight at two or three a Clock in the Morning so very often and at so very unseasonable times that many have confessed this strictness of their Devotions to be of all the greatest burden of their Lives And yet this they must do in Imitation of some holy Man of Old who is recorded to have pray'd at these Hours whereas these Mens Devotions is not warm enough to keep them awake when they are at Prayer And therefore these Prayers not being the free Emanations of their own mind methinks the praise of them is not so much due to the Monks themselves as to the head and founder of their Order who oblidged them to such Rules And their Devotion is little more praise-worthy then that of the Jews at Avignon and several other Places who are once in a Week forced to go to Church and hear a Sermon as these Monks are at least to sit there whilst a Sermon is preached and return home as good Christians as they went thither But then they are not only thus strictlie obliged to such Hours of Prayer for that were somewhat tolerable they might possibly be intent on their Prayers notwithstanding But they are at the same time taught that they need only say the Words with their Mouths it is not absolutelie necessarie that their mind should go along with them and this together with the other must needs spoil all true Devotion The
the Gift of God with a few Lashes or a litte Money And I have too much reason to under value and dislâ—ke the Severity of the Monks on both these Accounts They often tie themselves up to such Degrees of Strictness as are above the Measures of a man and consequently not to the purpose of Religion and Devotion And they alwayes design to purchase Heaven for themselves or other by the Merits of such Sufferings At the same time under-valuing the Sufferings of Christ and over-valuing their own and yet making them of less worth in in God's esteem then else they would be ' by their own setting so high a price upon them And besides all this their insisting so strictly on these pieces of Austerity and placing such Religion and Perfection in them is of very ill consequence to other purposes It makes men to acquiesce in the means as the end to content themselves with having performed their Fasts their Number of Prayers and Lashes without ever aiming at any Reformation and Change of Temper and Practises then which nothing can be more absurd in it self or more contrary to the the Design of Christianity It makes men also to esteem this or that kind of Meat and Drinke Condition or Course of Life to be unlawful or sinful which really is not which doth much harm even to Religion For it disparageth God's Creation and brings an evil Report upon the Land It necessarily makes Men querulous and censorious and is the very thing which our Saviour took such pains to correct and did so often rebuke the Pharisees of his Time for And this extraordinary pretence to Severity brings the Persons of such Men into Esteem whatever their Principles Opinions and Practices otherwise are and so injures Religion For so ecclestastical History tells us That those Hereticks that have most hurt the Church were such kind of pretended mortified Men as Montanus Pelagius c. So that what do these more then others Do not even the Publicans so And therefore however praise-worthy the Monastick Life might have been formerly and whatever good might have been done by some of that Order Yet thisis'no Plea for the Monks at this time For the Ancients were very Instrumental in converting many to Christianity but these only live on the spoil of Christians already made so And considering the present posture of Affairs in the World this Monkish way of living is very improper and the abuses that are made of it in the Church of Rome are plainly intollerable Where Men are taught to place Religion in a certain Way and Trade of Life rather then in a truly Christian conversation It strikes at the very Foundation of our Religion for Men to be made to believe that the living or dying in the Habit of this or that severe Order of Monks will have an Influence on the Soul and give it a better Title to Heaven And yet it is too notorious that these things are confidently taught and believed among them In short let Men deny themselves as much as they will for the sake of God and of Religion to humble themselves for their Sins and to keep their bodies and Passions under Let them use their Christian Liberry to the restraint of themselves by a voluntarie self-denial as far as they find it necessary oâ—â—xpedient But for this to be brought into a trade is the most prepâ—â—terous thing in the World Especiallie let them have a Care of censuring and judging others who tread not exactly in their Steps or of over-valuing themselves on account of this severe and strict course of Life For it is evident that for the most part it is not Religion brings them thither or any extraordinary love of Devotion but their Parents send them thither as a pretty cheap way of providing for their younger Children that so they may be able the more honourably to dispose of the rest agreeablie to the Grandeur of the Family Therefore if they will commend the Institution of Monastries as a good and frugal way of breeding up of Youth or of providing for a spare Child or two let them do what they will But it is not to be suffered that when they serve especiallie or onlie to such Politâ—ck ends yet that they should be boasted of as the best or onlie Christian and Religious way of Life as if the persons in them were the onlie Religious and all others were secular and in some Measure Profane Besides it is very unreasonable for Persons to be shut up in Monasteries so as they are when they are young and before they can have fully considered what Temptations they may have or how they shall be able to bear and withstand them and yet if they have but once though of a sudden through their own Melancholly or the Insinuation of others taken the vow on themselves there is ordinarily no revoking or drawing back for ever It is very cruel also for Persons to be put there without any Consideration of their several Tempers and Circumstances For instead of benefiting the publick which they pretend it robbeth the World of many an one that would have been useful to it in an Active Life and Station And some by their Tempers do not need such Mortification as the melanchollie and dejected Others cannot bear the Strictness and Confinement as the weak and sickly And now to force this same course of Liâ—e on all or such a number of Men indifferently is like the Cruelty of that Tyrant that would make all men of the same length And the best that can be said in the the case is that the Persons who thus confine and shut vp their Children and Relations are like to the Persecutors who in the like manner shut up S. Cyprian which certainly was Cruelty in them tho' by so doing they gave him a greater Opportunity for private Devotion So that in truth I look on the Monastries as they are now ordered to be rather a kind of Prisons and places of Punishment then convenient places of Retirement in order to the freer and more undisturbed Exercise of Religion and Devotion And if I am not mistaken the Church of Rome her self whatever she pretends really thinks so of them For the worst punishment that she inflicts on a Priest for one of the worst of Offences viz. for his violating the Seal of Confession is that he shall be condemned to be shut up in a Monastry and I dare say that he and I agree in thinking that to be a severe Punishment rather then an Help to Devotion Secondly And if the Multitude of Monastries in the Church of Rome is no certain Sign of Devotion flourishing among them they have little reason to boast of their Works of Charity For it is most plain that the biggest part of their Charity is turned this way to the building and endowing Monastries and to the Encouragement of the Monastick way of living But besides this though I am very loath to find fault with any
with Thunder in his hand And my Saviour appears more lovely to my mind thoughts when I consider him as coming into the World and dying for us then when I see him pictured and carved on a Crucifix For it is more useful to see him with the Eye of Faith then of Sense and it is not the Proportion of his Body represented to my eyes but the Dignity of his Nature the love that he bore me and the Passions of his Soul for me that I admire most and which no Pencil can draw Besides a Picture or Image tells me nothing but what I knew before and it is by what I knew before that I can make sense or any devout use of this Picture for else I might take it for another profane and idle Story And I would fain know whither the reading considerately the 26 and 27th Chapters of S. Matthew will not affect any pious Heart much more then the seeing and contemplating a Picture Certainly if this will affect the Sense and bodily Passions the other will more work on our Reason and that will be to better purpose Nay the seeing of any Picture often will naturally make it familiar and not at all affecting to us 5. And if the severity of the Monks to their Bodies is not any great Sign of Devotion much less can the Austerities used by the common People turn to any great Commendation of the Church It is true they are forced to keep Fasts but it would make a Man laugh to read how their Casuists have defined concerning the modus the Measure the End of Fasting Escobar hath resolved it That no Drink breaks a Fast be it Wine or Chocolat and because it is not wholesome to drink without eating you may eat two Ounces of Bread For that is but a quarter of a Meal and if a man should chance to break his Vow of Fasting thus he is not bound to fast another day for it unless on a new Obligation And if all this be too hard you may be dispensed with for your whole Life and that whither there be any just cause for it or no. Nay Servants tho they eat never so gluttonously of the Scraps they break no Fast Indeed there need be no Rules set down concerning the Poor Peoples observing Fasting Dayes They are kept low enough without them And as for the Rich their Fasting is Mock-fasting to fast to Luxury with Wine and Fish and Sweet-meats Is not this great Self denial If any therefore are still truly mortified when they can thus help it I must rather commend their own Piety and devout Temper then the Rules and Orders of their Church which give much Liberty that a man must have a very cross-grain'd Appetite or be in the highest degree sensual not to be willing to comply with it We find then no Fault with Fasting being enjoyned and at set seasons For we our selves commend and practise it but let it not be to play tricks but for true and real Mortification and for the proper end of Mortification to humble the Body to the Soul and to bring the Mind to a better Temper and to these ends is Fasting commanded by our Church but not as if we looked on this or that kind of Meat to be unholy or design'd to purchase Heaven by our Abstinence as the Church of Rome doth 6. And as for their Pilgrimages and Worship of Reliques they must needs have less pretence to Religion For their Fasts and other Austerities somewhat resemble true Christian Duties but these have no shew that way If Pilgrimage be enjoyned for Penance then there is no thanks due to the Person performing it If it be voluntary there is no true Devotion in it For the Worth of it must consist in some of these Reasons viz. either First That GOD is more present or Secondly more propitious in one publick place of Worship then another both which are contrary either to the Nature of God or his Declaration in Scripture when he says In every place a pure Offering shall be offered to him Mal. 1. 11. And Where ever two or three are gathered together in Christs Name he is in the midst of them Mat. 18. 20. And the teaching otherwise is in some measure to revive Judaism which allowed God as to some cases to be served acceptably only in one place or Thirdly that the Saint is more present or propitious here then any where else But we are speaking of Devotion to God not to the Saint or Fourthly That it is their punishing themselves that is so acceptable but that hath been sufficiently discarded already Or Fifthly That going so far and taking such pains is a sign of their Love But a man may shew his Love to God and to his Saints too by more proper Instances and do more good by it which GOD to be sure will better accept and the Saint if he be a Saint will like as well And therefore the making such account of Pilgrimages seems rather to favour the Mahumetan then the Christian Religion For the going on Pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the five indispensable points of the Mahumetan Superstition And as for the Veneration of Reliques all the World knows what a cheat is put on Men in vending any old rotten Bone or peice of Cloth c. for a Relique of this or that Saint So that according to a moderate Computation I suppose scarcely one in a hundred is true And some have pleaded they need not be true Now what ever Devotion is performed to or on occasion of these Reliques can be commendable only in regard of the Mind and devout Temper of the Person which I think might as acceptably shew it self in any other proper time and place And there is required a long Series of Consequences before the sight of St. Joseph's Axe or any such other of their Reliques can be pretended to raise a man's Devotion But it being the chief Trade at Rome to sell feigned pieces of Antiquity and other such worthless Trinkets at a high rate I the less wonder that they have such an Esteem for Reliques for it is for their profit to keep up the value of them they being the principal commodities of the place 7. And the belief which they have of the Saints hearing them and their practice of praying to them is no proper Encouragement or instance of true Devotion For all Devotion is properly towards God and therefore the making of Addresses to any other cannot possibly have any direct Tendency to exalt our Devotion to him but is really a great hinderance For it takes mens Mindes off from GOD and sets them on his Creature And the same time that is spent in Prayer to them surely is better spent in praying to God who is more present with us hears us better and loves us more And Men's going to Saints when God is present naturally tends to provoke God's Jealousie For he declares himself jealous as to his Worship
them as to the Succession of their Popes even since the Reformation began For the Election of Sixtus V Was most notoriously Simoniacal and yet one that comes by Simony into the Popedom is by their own Canon Law by the Bull or Constitution of Julius II. approved in the Council of Lateran An. 1513. To be looked on as a Magician Heathen Publican Septimi Decretal Lib. 1. Tit. 3. and Arch Heretick and his Election can never be made valid by any after act and yet several of the Popes since were either made Cardinals by this Sixius V. Or received that Dignity from those that received it from him which is the very case of this present Pope Innocent Eleventh As for their Vnity it is plain that they have more divisions among themselves then they can charge us with For they have not only such as openly dissent and seperate from them but great and violent dissentions among their own Members and such as live in the Communion of their Church one against another and each party pleads the Doctrine of the Church and Decisions of its Councils And yet the Pope himself notwithstanding his Infallibility and Authority either cannot or darr not determine which is in the Right or which Opininion is True So that what ever Power and Authority their Church hath it hath no effect to such ends and purposes to which Church-Power is designed to serve the encouragment of Holines and Vertue and the discountenancing of vice the Preservation of the Doctrine in Purity and of the Members at peace one with another It is true they are more able to see the Laws of their Church Duly executed but it is to their disparagement to have so much Power and yet to do so little good wâ—th it As for us we had rather deserve more then we have then that it should be said that we have more power then we deserve And whatever Power our Church wants and whatever loss Religion suffers by this means we justly Charge the Church of Rome with the guilt of it who have made all Princes jealous and affraid of all Church-Power by their invading their temporal Rights under pretence of a Spiritual Jurisdiction In short though somewhat may be said for the worst thing and a very bade Cause may have a great deal pleaded in its Vindication as we have seen in all the foregoing Helps and Instances of Devotion which the church of Rome boasts of yet if we consider them they all in some respect or other come short of what they pretend to several of them being very improper many plainly Nonsensical and Ridiculous they proceed from bad principles are done in an undue Manner and Measure or to serve some bad end or design or some such other way offend even the most severe practices which most resemble true Self-denial are countenanced or enjoyned rather to make a shew or to gratifie some tempers then to advance Devotion for excesses and over-actings are often Infirmities and the effects of Weakness steddiness being the most certain sign of Strength as the shaking palsy is a Disease and sign of weakness as well as the Dead one 3. I now come to consider such things in the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of Rome as tend directly to promote Debauchery of Manners and Carelesness in Devotion I 'll insist only on these few among very many First The unlimited Power which they ascribe to the Church or to the Pope as Head or Monarch of it For the people are taught that he can make null Duties that were made necessary by God and make necessary what was not so before The consequence of which Doctrine is plainly this that a Man may safely disobey and neglect the serving of God if he pay but his due respects to the Pope And yet their Casuists have defined that the Pope can dispense with Sins or give leave to do things forbidden by the law of God as well as pardon them when committed as in the Dispensations with unlawful Marriages And on the other side he can excuse them from doing what they are by their Duty to God bound to do as in his Dispensations with Vows though made never so solemnly to God himself That is he can Bind where God hath left us loose and he can loose where God has bound us Nay a Superiour can give a Dispensation even when he doubteth whither it be lawful or no because in a doubtful case the milder side is to be taken And if the Reason ceaseth for which the Dispensation was given yet the Dispensation doth not cease Nay a Dispensation may be granted where there is no Reason or Cause for it and yet the Dispensation is valide notwithstanding And not the People only but every Bishop and Priest hath his Share of this Power only there are some reserved and more profitable Cases which his Holiness only can dispense in And though I cannot tell what they think yet I am sure their Casuists are very shy of saying that theâ—e is any Case in which there may not be a Dispensation granted for the doing of it or a Pardon for it when it is done And all Indulgences are directly designed to hinder Devotion for they are given to free Men from Necessity of Mortification frequent Alms and Prayers c. Which else would have been enjoyned as Penance and yet we know that these are the chiefest parts of Devotion And as their general Doctrine concerning the validity of Pardons and Indulgences is very destructive of all true Piety and Religion So Secondly Their constant Practice of giving Absolution before Penance is in a more especial manner influential to that purpose For the People are taught to believe that by the Priests saying I absolve thee c. the sin is actually pardoned by God And though indeed their Guides of Confessors advise that Absolution should not be given till Penance be imposed and accepted yet when the Confessor thinks that the Penitent will acept of the Penance he may absolve him first That is the Person may be absolved before he accept the Penance or even promise to perform it but it is their constant Method to absolve him before Penance be actually perform'd Now if their Absolution be of force the Person is free from his sin and sure enough of Heaven whither he perform any penance or no Which Practice gives all imaginable Encouragement and License to Sin the fear of penance being the only restraint from Sin which they pretend to for if the sin be fully pardoned before Penance be accepted or performed I see not why a man should trouble himself much for the performance of his Penance he sees plainly that it is only an Appendix that is used to be annex'd to Absolution but is neither necessary in it self nor for Absolution the Sin is pardon'd already and at the worst there is only some temporal punishment to be satisfied for which he may get rid of several other wayes Nay indeed
to be conformed to the Image of his Son and â—hom he did predestinate them he called and whom he called them he Justified and whom he Justified them he Glorified The Apâ—stle having said in the verse before verse 28 We know that all things work together for good unto them that love GOD to them who are called according to his purpose adds as a proof of what he had said whom he did foreknow would be persons of Great and noble minds and so fit for the work them he did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son them he did decree to suffer for his sake and by sufferings to be made conformed to his Son who was made perfect through sufferings and whom he did predestinate them he also called them in due time he actually called forth to suffer for his name and whom he called them he justified them he approved of as Faithfull Servants as Loyal Souldiers as Invincible Champions of Truth and Righteousness and whom he Justified he Glorified them he Crowned with Honour and Renown here and with immortal Glory hereafter This was the Testimony God bore to the Apostles and first Bishops of the Church to the Authority they had received to the Doctrine they taught and for which they died this was the Honour the Primitive Christians deservedly shewed to their Victorious Martyrs they did not Invocate them but Loved their Memories Commemorated their Vertues and Blessed God for their example they performed to them not any part of Religious Worship that was Cultus officiâ—sus dilectionis soâ—ietatis specialis observantia S. Aust contr Faust l. 20. 21. ou latreutikâ—s alla schetikos kai ti metikâ—s Cyril l. o. contr Jul. due to God only but as they called it an officious Worship a Worship of Love and society a special and particular observance a respect convenient and proper and which they could not but think was due to them on the account of the great service they had done to the the cause of Christ and the more then ordinary worth and excellency that shined in them But afterwards in succeeding Ages when through the good providence of God and favour of Constantine the great the church had rest and ease and Prosperity began to dawn upon it the Devil finding he coulde not prevail over the Christian Faith by fiery trials and temptations betook himself to other more secret it may be but equally dangerous stratagems and by working on the strong inclinations and affections of Men to ease and softness he too successfully attempted to deprave and corrupt it by loose and superstitious Doctrines most Men are for some kind of Religion whither the Devil will or no which because he canâ—ot hinder he labours what he can it may be such that whilst it pretends fair may do them but little good and Men are forâ—ard enough to close with that which offers at carrying them to Heaven on the easiest terms The Church being now out of Persecution and Riches and Honours attending that profession for which such multitudes had lost all and endured the flames the people began to be more loose and vain in their conversations then when they still expected martyrdom now they began to place their Religion in shews and pretences more then in a sincere and substantial Piety and whereas before they were wont to frequent the Tombs of the Martyrs that at the sight of the place their affections might be raised their Devotions enlivened and their Faith and Charity receive farther degrees of warmth and heat from their burning and shining examples now they placed all their Religion in the bare outward observance of that Solemnity and took more care to Honour the Saints by their lofty Praises and commendations of them then to become Saints themselves by imitating their Graces and Vertues and that what was wanting in the one they might make up in the other they now began to fall into many Superstitious Conceits and Opinions concerning them to break out into too lavish and indeed extravagant expressions of their worth and to fly too high in their Panegyricks and Laudatory Orations Now they began To attribute the miracles done at the Martyrs Tombs to the Martyrs own Power or at least mediation with God the common People observing that many Cures were wrought upon those that at those monuments applied themselves to God were led by degrees to look upon them as so many Testimonies of the Martyrs great interest in the Court of Heaven and instead of begging relief of God to speak directly to the Martyrs themselves To fancy that the Souls of Martyrs were alwayes hovering about their Tombs and Ashes and so joyned their Intercessions with the Prayers of Christians that were put up to God in those places so 't was objected by Vigilantius to St. Hierom To wish that the Martyrs would Pray for them Oret pro nobis Flavianus so they cried out in the Council of Chalcedon Let Flavianus Pray for us and in Theodoret's History of the Lives of the Fathers we find in the close of most of them though some think them not to be his words but Additions and Insertions afterwards I wish and desire that by their Intercession I may obtâ—in Divine help To commend themselves to the Martyrs intercessions Commendare nos orationi St. Aust to beg to be heard for their sakes to be helpt by their prayers to be vouchsaf't the effects of the Prayers that were made by them in behalf of the Church below To pray to them upon supposition if they heard or knew what was done here below Hear oh thou soul Nazian Orat. 2. in Jultan ei de iis soi kai ton hemeteron esti logos Orat. â—nd in Gorgon of great Constantius sayes St. Gregory Nazianzen if thou hast any understanding of these things the like he hath in his Funeral Oration which he made upon his sister Gorgonia If thou hast any care of things done by us and Holy souls receive this Honour from God that they have any feeling of such things as these receive this Oration of ours By such steps and degrees as these the frequenting the places where the Martyrs were enshrined and Honouring their Names and Memories was turned into Superstitious Devotion and that soon ended in solemn and downright Invocation To all this we may add what a Learned Author of our own has ingeniously guest that the great compliance Dr. Tenison and yielding of the Roman Christians in this particular to those Northern Nations the Goths and Vandals when they invaded and overun the Empire did not a little contribute to raise and propagate this Saint-Worship and Invocation in the Church of all the Heathen Nations none were more Zealously Devoted to the Worship of Daemons then those were whereof he gives many Testimonies now it 's not improbable that the Christians to mollify their fierce natures and to induce them the more readily to embrace Christianity might indulge them still that
verily eat and drink the natural flesh and bloud of Christ And what can any man do more unworthily towards his Friend How can he possibly use him more barbarously then to feast upon his living flesh and bloud It is one of the greatest wonders in the World that it should ever enter into the minds of men to put upon our Saviours words so easily capable of a more convenient sense and so necessarily requiring it a meaning so plainly contrary to Reason and sense and even to Humanity it self Had the ancient Christians owned any such Doctrine we should have heard of it from the Adversaries of our Religion in every page of their writings and they would have desired no greater advantage against the Christians then to have been able to hit them in the teeth with their feasting upon the natural flesh and bloud of their Lord and their God and their best Friend What endless triumphs would they have made upon this Subject And with what confidence would they have set the cruelty used by Christians in their Sacrament against their God Saturn's eating his own children and all the cruel and bloudy Rites of their Idolatry But that no such thing was then objected by the Heathens to the Christians is to a wise man instead of a thousand Demonstrations that no such Doctrine was then believed 3. It is scandalous also upon account of the cruel and bloudy consequences of this Doctrine so contrary to the plain Laws of christianity and to one great end and design of this Sacrament which is to untie christians in the most perfect love and charity to one another Whereas this Doctrine hath been the occasion of the most barbarous and bloudy Tragedies that ever were acted in the World For this hath been in the church Rome the great burning Article and as absurd and unreasonable as it is more christians have been murther'd for the denial of it then perhaps for all the other Articles of their Religion And I think it may generally pass for a true observation that all sects are commonly most hot and surious for those things for which there is least Reason for what men want of Reason for their opinions they usually supply and make up in Rage And it was no more then needed to use this severity upon this occasion for nothing but the cruel fear of death could in probability have driven so great a part of mankind into the acknowledgment of so unreasonable and senseless a Doctrine O blessed Saviour Thou best Friend and greatest Lover of mankind who can imagine thou didst ever intend that men should kill one another for not being able to believe contrary to their senses for being unwilling to think that thou shouldst make one of the most horrid and barbarous things that can be imagined a main Duty and principal Mystery of thy Religion for not flattering the pride and presumption of the Priest who sayes he can make God and for not complying with the folly and stupidity of the People who believe that they can eat him 4. Upon account of the danger of Idolatry which they are certainly guilty of if this Doctrine be not true and such a change as they pretend be not made in the Sacrament for if it be not then they worship a Creature instead of the Creatour God blessed for ever But such a change I have shewn to be impossible or if it could be yet they can never be certain that it is and consequently are alwayes in danger of Idolatry And that they can never be certain that such a change is made is evident because according to the express determination of the Council of Trent that depends upon the mind and intention of the Priest which cannot certainly be known but by Revelation which is not pretended in this case And if they be mistaken about this change through the knavery of crosness or the Priest who will not make GOD but when he thinks fit they must not think to excuse themselves from Idolatry because they intended to worship God and not a Creature for so the Persians might be excus'd from Idolatry in worshipping the Sun because they intend to worship God and not a Creature and so indeed we may excuse all the Idolatry that ever was in the world which is nothing else but a mistake of the Deity and upon that mistake a worshipping of something as God which is not God II. Besides the infinite scandal of this Doctrine upon the accounts I have mentioned the monstruous absurdities of it make it in supportable to any Religion I am very well assur'd of the grounds of Religion in general and of the Christian Religion in particular and yet I cannot see that the foundation of any revealed Religion are strong enough to bear the weight of so many and so great absurdities as this Doctrine of Transubstantiation would load it withall And to make this evident I shall not insist upon those gross contradictions of the same Body being in so many several places at once of our Saviour's giving away himself with his own hands to every one of his Disciples and yet still keeping himself to himself and a thousand more of the like nature But to shew the absurdity of this Doctrine I shall only ask these few Questions 1. Whither any man have or ever had greater evidence of the truth of any Divine Revelation then every man hath of the falshood of Transubstantiation Infidelity were hardly possible to men if all men had the same evidence for the Christian Religion which they have against Transubstantiation that is the clear and irresistible evidence of sense He that can once be brought to contradict or deny his senses is at an end of certainty for what can a man be certain of if he be not certain of what he sees In some circumstances our senses may deceive us but no Faculty deceives us so little and so seldom And when our senses do deceive us even that errour is not to be corrected without the help of our senses 2. Supposing this Doctrine had been delivered in Scripture in the very same words that it is decreed in the Council of Trent by what clearer evidence or stronger Argument could any man prove to me that such words were in the Bible then I can prove to him that bread and wine after consecration are bread and wine still He could but appeal to my eyes to prove such words to be in the Bible and with the same reason and justice might I appeal to several of his senses to prove to him that the bread and wine after consecration are bread and wine still 3. Whither it be reasonable to imagine that God should make that a part of the Christian Religion which shakes the main external evidence and confirmation of the whole I mean the Miracles which were wrought by our Saviour and his Apostles the assurance whereof did at first depend upon the certainty of sense For if the senses of those who say
and useless Light especially the Ignis fatuus of Purgatory whicâ— serves onely to mislead Men out of the way and so lose them iâ— the bogs or woods of perpetual errour which teaches us to believâ— quite otherwise then the Papists do for such as these are the instructions of the Holy Spirit John 5. 24. Verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hatâ— everlasting life he shall not come into condemnation but is passâ—â— from death to life Mat. 18. 8. Wherefore if thy hand or thy fâ—â—â— offend thee cut them off and cast them from thee it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed rather then having two hands and two feet to be cast into everlasting fire Mat. 19 29. And every one that hath forsaken houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life Mat. 25. 46. And these shall go into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life everlasting In the sixteenth Chapter of St. Luk's Gospel from the nineteenth to the one and thirtieth Verse we read how the Rich Man was cast into Torments and the Poor Man lodged in Abraham's Bosome Between the places of both these Men there was Mega chasma a Wide Gulph never to be passed Insomuch that Dives did dispair of any relief out of his misery when the gift of a drop of Water to cool his tongue would not be granted him If we can assent to what the Papists say they have paved a large Caus-way over this wide Gulf and have opened a very easie passage from a life of torments to that of eternal happiness For by vertue of some prayers oblations and indulgences they have made the way broad to Heaven and narrow to Hell a Man that hath Money in his pocket cannot be damned and a Camel may assoon pass through the eye of a nedle as a poor man be saved But granting that the written word of God hath nothing of Purgatory in it the Romanists will tell you that Tradition will defend them in the belief thereof which word Tradition they are wont to alledge to give a colour to most of their present innovations Wherefore in the second place I am to shew how they are mistaken in this case of Tradition also and to declare for what reasons the Fiction of Purgatory was first set on foot The Traditions we receive as good and authentick are the Doctrines which we now read in the holy Scriptures but I have proved Purgatory to be none of these Therefore those of the Romish Perswasion must mean some other Tradition that is not to be found written in the word of God But here we ought to observe that the Scripture in this case aswell as in all others is the only rule of Faith therefore Traditions Councils and Fathers are onely to be used as helps to understand the Scripture better but not to be entertained as any rule of Faith in which case we are bound to be of the Apostle's mind If I or an Angel from Heaven preach any other doctrine then that which we have delivered let him be accursed For this reason we cannot receive those Doctrines for truth which the Church of Rome presses upon our Belief upon the account of Tradition Especially when we consider with what strategems of force and fraud this Church hath laboured to keep the People in ignorance for the sake of her New Doctrines that they may be swallowed the more glibly Which is an artifice to enslave Mankind by disabling them either to see or know what she is a doing Whereas if we would keep up the honour and priviledge of Humane nature if we would preserve our Bibles from being sequestred into Hucksters hands if we have any regard to God's pure and undefiled Religion we must resolve against the Novelties of Popery For in the true Religion there is nothing which the reason of Mankind can challenge wherein the judgments of Men may not have so good an account as to receive full and ample satisfaction And to speak the truth I do not understand that there is any Religion farther then that which is owned among Protestants what more is to be found among the Papists is accommodated to serve some by-ends and purposes For this reasons a great Abbot in the Roman Church was wont to say that he did greatly suspect his Religion must needs fail being not built upon so firm a Rock as was supposed because there was so little Ground for many Tenents of it in the word of God I may add that there is as little in the principals of God's Creation or in that which we call Natural Religion If this be so I wonder with what face they can still stand up for Purgatory or imagine such a state in which the Souls of Men are for a time shut up untill they are set at liberty by the Prayers of the Living or a Pope's Indulgence but to justifie themselves in this unpardonable abuse of the Christian Religion they tell us that some Christians in Old Time did make use of Prayers and Commemorations for those who died in the true Faith of our Saviour Jesus Christ Now the question is whither the Supplicants that used this kind of Devotion intended by these means to obtain a pardon for the Criminals that were condemned to this Prison The right understanding of this custome will put an end to the Controversie and who can better inform us of their meaning then they themselves or those that lived in the same Age with them amongst whom may be reckoned Dionysius the Areopagite who treats particularly of the Rites used in their Burials of the Dead this Authour tells us that the Bishop was wont in the midst of the Congregation to make a Prayer of Thanksgiving unto God for his restraining the power of the Devil over Mankind as also for his mercifull admittance of sincere Penitents into his Grace and Favour And farther prayes that God would place them in the Land of the Living seat them in Abraham's Bosome where now they rest from their Labours here they may be received into a place of Light Peace and Joy everlasting this was the end of their Prayers for those that Rest in the Lord. Now leâ—t by mistake we should infer from hence as some have done that the Souls of good Men departed this life are not yet in Paradise but remain for some time in a condition of darkness loss and pain there to be prepared for Heaven by certain Purgations and thence to be discharged by the satisfactions and prayers of the Living the same excellent writer hath mentioned only two divisions of the Dead of those that have lived well and of those that have lived ill whereas the upholders of Purgatory have lodged them in three distinct Apartments But the Primitive Church know but two places of entertainment for the
Dead after this Life Heaven and Hell the first for good the latter for evil Men one for the Beliver the other for the Infidel Heaven is for him whose sins are remitted and Hell is for him whose siâ—s are retained Indeed some Ancient Doctours did seem to doubt what that place was which the Souls of Men did abide in till they should be reunited to their bodies in the Resurrection supposing for a while they lay under the Altars But afterwards the Church of Rome found it more profitable to build for them this place of Purgatory a place wherein she pretends the Souls of Men are cleansed by Burning and made fit for Heaven For as soon as the World was put into a great Fright about purgatory then came in the sale of Indulgences which the subtile Priests put off for securities against the vain fears and dangers to be met withall in this place This indeed is a Doctrine of good advantage to the Church of Rome but most disgracefull to the Christian Religion for what can be more so then to defraud Christ himself of the Title and Merit which he ever had of being The only Redeemer of Mankind as if he had not by his Sacrifice on the Cross fully satisfied the Divine Justice but that this great work was to be done by Pope's Bulls Indulgence and Masses But for all this we will oblidge our selves to believe the Roman Consessours if they can from Scripture Reason or untainted Tradition shew us where God hath told Men tha he is pleased with these things and is resolved to accept of them instead of a good and Christian Life For this was alwayes the Faith of the Primitive Church that the state and condition of a Man into which he passeth after Death shall never be changed this I could prove out of Justin Martyr ad Orthodoxos and out of St. Cyprian ad Demetrianum but my Design is not to fill this brief Discourse with Quotations and indeed there is no necessity for it because we have Scripture the common sense of Mankind and the Faith of the best and purest Ages on our side Wherefore in the third place I will shew what our Belief ought to be in this matter We all know very well that we are to believe as the Scripture directs and herein we are taught that Heaven and Hell are fixed for the two Eternal States of good and bad Men who if after this Life they had any hopes of gaining the first or escaping the latter by the Prayers or the Gifts of their surviving Friends this expectation would in a great measure frustrate the intent of Christ's coming into the World which was to teach Men how in this present Life they must work out their Salvation how through patient continuance in well doing they must here be brought to goodness and real vertue the practice whereof in all probability woud be quite laid aside if they should depend upon such foolish hopes as these are If we do but consider the reason of these promises and threatnings which GOD makes use of in Scripture to reclaim the Disobedient we must be convinced that there can be no such place as Purgatory For promises and threatnings are made use of in Scripture to work upon our hopes and fears two the most prevailing passions of the mind we have the promise of present assistance to encourage our endeavours in a vertuous life and to make this work the more easie we have the assurance of a future reward Whereas Religion would be thought in its strictest duties to be a burthen too heavy for Men to bear if so be they should once entertain the hopes of getting Heaven by such cheap and easie methods as the Church of Rome prescribes Persons that are her Proselytes will not be wrought upon by that fear which is the proper product of the threatnings of the Gospel when the most dreadfull condition that can be feared hereafter may be avoyded as they think by the charms of Masses or some legacy to the Church But these are cunningly divised Fables which the Scripture warns us of which Gospel because of the terrours of it is said to be the mighty power of God to salvation For great fear makes difficulties easie it awakens all our powers and quickens all our motions it turns our feet into wings and enables Men to doe many things with ease which without so strong a motive they would never be perswaded to attempt The lively apprehension of the danger of their Souls and the sad issues of a wicked life is enough to make the most profane Man stop his course it will incite him to summon all his powers to resist so great a mischief as will undoe him for ever Besides the Commands of God are exceedingly sweetned by Love by all the imaginale obligations of Kindness when we have considered how undutifully we have demeaned our selves towards him who is the great Benefactor of our life who hath recovered us from eternal destruction with how much long suffering he hath expected to our amendment what means he hath used to reconcile us to himself by sending his onely Son to dye that we might live to be made a Spectacle of misery and contempt that he might bring us to happiness and glory he onely hath delivered us from Wrath and the Tormentour when we lay open to the revenge of God's Justice If we have any sense of benefits we cannot chuse but love and obey him who hath done so much to oblidge us for his whole Religion presents such arguments and considerations to us as are apt to stir up all those passions in our hearts which are the great instruments to action these are our hope fear and love But the workings of these passions must needs be stifled by a lazy superstitious devotion I mean that devotion of the Papists which is produced by a belief of such dreams as Purgatory Let us therefore that are Protestants consider that the main work we are to doe in the time of this life is to prepare for our immortal state for the time of this life is the day of exercise wherein we are to make tryal of our strength and with all our powers to labour for Heaven the way to which place ly right before us it is strait and narrow so that we must use some care and diligence that we turn not to the right nor to the left the wayes of Popery are like the paths of sin crooked and full of windings through Cells and Cloysters in long Processions and Pilgrimages wherewith Men are rather perplexed then their minds are improved or their lives made better by the practice of these things they are brought off from the true meaning of the Christian Religion and learn at last to content themselves with pompous shews instead of living righteously godly and soberly in this present World For how can the ends of Religion be accomplished by this course when in the place of justice honesty and goodness
that any other speculative scientifical Doctrine doth little or nothing conduce to a happy and blessed life but that on This our everlasting happiness doth depend and that we cannot reject This without certain Ruine Therefore we ought to take head that cunning Men do not deceive us that we do not hearken to the teachers of New Doctrineâ— which have no foundation in the Scripture their pretences to infallibility and demonstration in matters of Faith are false and unreasonable for they assume these great and unwarrantable privileges only to deceive the Ignorant and to obtrude fictitious articles of Faith upon Mankind Wherefore all that now remains is to make some short Reflections upon the Authours of Purgatory and other new-invented Doctrinâ—â— in the Church of Rome First They may be charged for imposing upon our belief things contrary to reason self-inconsistent and incongruous of this I will give but one instance which is their asserting that the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament is changed into the real and substantial Body and Blood of Christ For this is the hardest thing that ever was put upon men in any Religion because they cannot admit it unless their reason be laid aside as no competent Judge in the matter unless also they give the lye to the report of their senses And if they do this how shall we think that GOD made our Faculties true which if he did not do we are absolutely discharged from all duty to him because we have no faculty that can resolve us that this is of GOD for if our reason must not be trusted we must cease to be Men if our senses are not to be believed the chiefest proof of Christians falls to the ground which was the sight of those who saw our Saviour after he was risen from the Dead Now if I may not believe the reason of my â—â—nd in conjunction with three or four of my senses how shâ—ll I know 〈…〉 that any thing is this or that therefore I say that this Doctrine is a gross invention of Men contrary both to reason and sense Secondly The Truths they do acknowledge are made void by subtile distinctions or equivocations as for example their Doctrine of Probability and of directing the intention if a Man can find any Doctour among them that held such an opinion it makes that Doctrine probable and there is nothing so contrary to the rules of Vertue and Conscience but what some Romish Casuistical Doctour hath resolved to be good and practicable just as Tully sayes there is nothing so absurd or ridiculous which some Philosopher or other hath not maintained and asserted So by directing their intention they may declare that which is false and deny that which is true because they intend the credit of their Church and Religion this mere intention shall excuse them from the guilt of downright falshood and lying They are so well practised in equivocations that you cannot confide in any words they speak they are so ambiguous and of such doubtfull meaning in their evasions their Speech shall bear a double sense whereas no Man ought to use wit and parts to impose upon another or to make a Man believe That which he doth not mean For the Christian Law is plain and obvious void of all ambiguity or ensnaring speeches free from all Sophistications and windings of Language never flies to words of a dubious or uncertain signification but plainly declares the truth to Men therefore these practices are contrary to that simplicity and plain heartedness which ought to be in the conversation of every Christian Thirdly They super-add to Religion things altogether unlikely to be true and dishonorable to GOD which will appear in these following particulars I. The use of Images in the Worship of God an Idolatry they are too guilty of otherwise they would never leave out the second Commandment and divide the Tenth into two to conceal iâ— from the People We find better Doctrine then this among the Philosopeers who say God is to be Worshipped by Purity of Mind for this is a rational service and a worshâ—p most suitable to an immaâ—erial Beeing it being the use of that in us which is the highest and noblest of our Faculties II. The veneration of Reliques a very vain and foolâ—sh thing for there can be no certainty at this distance of time what they are and if they were indeed what they are taken for what veneration is or can be due to them For inanimate â—hings are far inâ—eriour to those that have life and for the living to worshâ—p things that are dead is unaccountable and irrational III. The Invocation or worship of Angels and Saints our Fellâ—w creatures particularly of the Virgin Mary to whom they make more Prayers then to our Saviâ—uâ— himself alâ—hâ—ugh her Name be not mentioned in aâ—l the Epâ—stles of the Apostles altâ—ough Christ himself as foreseeing the degeneracy of the Church in this thing did ever restrain all exâ—ravagant imaginations of honour due to her yet the adoration of her is the most considerable part of their Religion But why should a Man so prostâ—ue himself as to Worship those I am sure God would not have me Worship for he would not have us adore any Creature as the Apostle argues Col. 2. 18. It is but a shew of humility to worship Angels who are placed in the highest order of Creatures and if they are not to be Worshipped sure none below them are and God hath declared there is but one supreme self-existent Beeing and one Mediatour between God and Man the Man Jesus Christ IV. They withhold the use of Scripture from the People because they say Knowledge of the very Oracles of God will make them contentious and disobedient to Authority if this be true then the blame of all this must be laid upon our blessed Saviour for revealing such a Doctrine to the World as this is and thereby we should condemn the Apostles for making known such a Doctrine to Men in a Tongue they understand but I suppose the Papists are not willing to lay all the miscarriages of the World upon Christ and his Apostles Although Men may abuse the Knowledge of the Scripture yet the abuse of a thing that is usefull was never accounted a sufficient reason for the taking it away therefore Men are not to be hindred from the Know-of the Scriptures for fear they should become proud or rebellious for this would be as if one should put out a Man's Eyes that he might the better follow him or that he might not loose his way for there is nothing in the whole Doctrine of out blessed Saviour which is unfite for any Man to know but what is plainly designed to promote holiness and the practice of a good life the Romanists do indeed pretend that the unity and peace of the Church cannot be maintained unless the People be kept in ignorance then the mischief will be that for the end of keeping Peace and Unity in the Church
Church and Christian will be both lost which would be as if a Prince should knock all his Subjects on the Head to keep them quiet 'T is true this would be an effectual way to procure it but by these means he must lose his Kingdom and make himself no Prince into the bargain 'T is no doubt but if Men were ignorant enough they would be quiet but then the consequences of it would be that they would cease to be Men. Lastly They frustrate the effects of real Religion by their Pretences to extraordinary Power and Priviledges that is they pretend to make that lawfull which is unlawfull Bellarmine saith that the Pope may declare vice to be vertue and vertue vice by this practice they attempt to change the reason of things which all Mankind agree to be unalterable By this pretended Power they can turn attrition into contrition that is they can make such a consternation of mind as fell upon Judas when he went and hanged himself to be contrition by the Priest's Absolution they can mâ—ke bodily Pennance to be of equal validity with an inward change of mind and true Repentance they pretend they can produce by I know not what magical force strange spiritual effects by vertue of Holy Water and the Cross they are also much puff't up with a Power they assume of Absolving Men from solemn Oaths and Obligations They boast much of the efficacy of Indulgences for the pardon of sin and for the delivery of Souls out of Purgatory by which Invention they detract from the efficacy of God's Grace as if it were not sufficient to prepare us for and at last to bring us to Heaven unless we pass through this imaginary Purgation after Death by which also they themselves are deceived whilst they couple prayer for the Dead and Purgatory together as if the one did necessarily suppose or imply the other But they doe not for though the sins of the Faithfull be privately and particularily forgiven at the day of Death yet the publick promulgation of their pardon is to come at the day of Judgment Christians then may be allowed to pray for this consummation of Blessedness when the Body shall be reunited to the Soul So we pray as often as we say Thy Kingdom come or come Lord Jesus coâ—â— quickly this is far enough from being a Prayer to deliver them out of Purgatory besides the Roman Church is not able to produce any one Prayer publick or private nor one Indulgence for the delivery of any one Soul out of Purgatory in all the Primitive times or out of their own ancient Missals or Records All these things before mentioned are not to be justified but thus the Papists have endeavoured to spoil the best Religion that ever was made known unto Men. Whereas the Christian Religion as it is professed in the Reformed Church is quite another thing for it doth neither persecute nor hold any principâ—es of faction or disturbance but only those of peace and obedience to the Laws of God and Man if there be any agitatours of Miscief and Treason it is the fault of particular parties and not to be charged upon the Reformed Church which Church holds the Worship of God and all other offices of Religion to be performed in the Vulgar Tongue so that Knowledge may be thereby had and promoted which Knowledge of Religion if any Man doth abuse for the ends of Pride Rebellion or Heresie he doth it at his own peril and God will judge him for it But St. Paul is so far from allowing any Service to God in an unknown Tongue that he calls it a piece of madness 1 Cor. 14. 23. If the whole Church be come together into one place and all speak with divers tongues and there come in the unlearned will not they say that you are mad that is they may justly say so Now a Man would wonder that any society of Men retaining the Name of Christians should zealously press that to be necessary for the Christian Church which St. Paul hath said to be a piece of madness The same Reformed Church owns the free use of the Scriptures both in publick and private calls upon Men as our Savâ—our did to search them for these make the Man of God perfect and do richly furnish him for every good work and by their help we are able to render a reason of the hope that is in us We do declare that the Preachers of the Church ought not to take away the Key of Knowledge from the People as our Saviour charges the Pharisees or as St. Augustine saith They do not command Faith in Men upon peril of Damnation to shew their superioritie but they appear as Officers do direct and give Counsel not with Pride to rule but in Compassion to lead others into the way of Truth and to recover them out of mislakes In short we tell the People that the Scripture is the only rule of their faith that it is full and perspicuous in all matters necessary for good life and practicâ— so that if they use diligence and mind them well they may easily understand them and be satiâ—fied we never demand any implicite Faith from them neiâ—her do we expect that they should resign up their Faculties as others believe blindfold and withâ—ut reason Therefore the Reformed Church is honest in all its dealings doth not deceive Men â—e any wâ—yes of fraud or faâ—shood such as the whole Doctrine of Merit â—s and the Relieving of Souls out of Purgatory by Massâ—s But there is a plâ—ce in the World where Coelum est venale Deusque Heaven and God himself is set to sale The premisses considered we may conclude that the Church of England had good reason to declare in her twenty second Aâ—â—cle that The Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory Pardons Worshipping and Adoration as well of Images as of Reliqâ—es and aâ—so Invâ—â—ation â—â— Saints is a fond thing vainly invented and grounded upon no warraâ—â—â— of Scripture but rather repugnant to the word of God For the whole Scripture is against Purgatory wheâ—ein wâ— reaâ— 1 Joh. 1. 7. That the bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin that the Children of God who die in Câ—â—ist do rest from their labours that as they are absent from the Lord wâ—â—â—e theâ— aâ—â— in the body so when they are absent from the body â—hey aâ—e present with the Lord Joh. 5. 24. They come not into Judgemenâ— but pass from Death to Life The same Doctrine is taughâ— bâ—â—â—â— ancient Fathers of the Chuâ—châ— Tertullian Tertul. lib de patien ch 3. sayes it is an Injury to Christ to maintain that such as be called from hence by him are in a Cyprian de Mortali sect 2. edit Goulart state that should be pitied Thus St. Cyprian affiâ—ms the Servants of God to have Peace and Rest as soon as they are withdrawn from the storms of this lower World And Hilary observes in the Gospel Hilar. in Psal 2. of the
it is confidently asserted could not fail to sway very much with all Wise men and would undoubtedly prevail with all devout persons who were made acquainted with the secret to go over to them But if contrariwise it appear upon search that their pretensions of this kind are false and groundless and that the methods of Administring consolation which are peculiar to that Church are as well unsafe and deceitful as singular and unnecessary Then the same Prudence and sincerity will oblige a man to suspect that Communion instead of becoming a proselyte to it and to looke upon the aforesaid boastings as the effect either of designed imposture or at the least of Ignorance and Delusion Amongst other things that Church highly values it self upon the Sacrament of Penance as they call it and as deeply blames and condemns the Church of England and other Reformed Churches for their defect in and neglect of so important and comfortable an Office And under that specious pretext her Emissaries who are wâ—nt according to the phrase of the Apostle to creep into houses and lead Captive silly Women c. insinuate themselves into such of the People as have more Zeal then knowledge and now and then wheadle some of them over into their Society To that purpose they will not only harangue them with fine stories of the ease and benefit of it as of an Ancient and usesull Rite but will also Preach to them the necessity of it as of Divine Institution and that it is as important in its kind as Baptism or the Lords Supper For that Confession to a Priest and his Absolution thereupon obtained is the only means appointed by God for the procuring of Pardon of all mortal sins commited after Baptism As for Original sin or whatsoever Concil Trid. sess 14 c. 2 actual transgressions may have been committed before Baptism all those they acknowledge to be washed away in that sacred Laver. And for sins of Infirmity or Venial sins these may be done away by several easy methods by Contrition alone say some nay by Attrition alone sayes others by Habitual Grace sayes a Vid. Becan Tract de Sacramentis in specie third c. But for mortal sins committed after a man is admitted into the Church by Baptism for these there is no other door of Mercy but the Priests Lips nor hath God appointed or will admit of any other way of Reconciliation then this of Confession to a Priest and his Absolution This Sacrament of Penance therefore is called by them Secunda Tabula post naufragium the peculiar refuge of a lapsed Christian the only Sanctuary of a guilty Conscience the sole means of restoring such a person to Peace of Conscience the Favour of God and the hopes of Heaven And withall this method is held to be so Soveraign and Effectual a remedy that it cures toties quoties and whatever a mans miscarriages have been and how often soever repeated if he do but as often resort to it he shall return as pure and clean as when he first came from the Font. This ready and easie way say they hath God allowed men of quiting all scores with himself in the use of which they may have perfect peace in their Consciences and may think of the day of Judgment without horror having their Case decided before hand by Gods deputy the Priest and their Pardon ready to produce and plead at the Tribunal of Christ What a mighty defect is it therefore in the Protestant Churches who wanting this Sacrament want the principal ministry of reconciliation And who would not joyn himself to the Society of that Church where this great Case is so abundantly provided for For if all this be true he must be extreamly fool-hardy and deserve to perish who will not be of that Communion from whence the way to Heaven is so very easie and obvious no wonder therefore I say if not only the loose and vicious are fond of this Communion where they may sin and confess and confess and sin again without any great danger bnt it would be strange if the more Vertuous and Prudent also did not out of more caution think it became them to comply with his expedient For as much as there is no man who understands himself but must be conscious of having committed sins since his Baptism and then for fear some of them should prove to be of a mortal nature it will be his safest course to betake himself to this refuge and consequently he will easily be drawn to that Church where the only remedy of his disease is to be had But the best of it is these things are sooner said then proved and more easily phansied by silly People then believed by those of discretion And therefore there may be no culpable defect in the reformed Churches that they trust not to this remedy in so great a Case And as for the Church of England in particular though she hath no fondness for Mountebank Medicines as observing them to be seldom successful yet she is not wanting in her care and compassion to the Souls of those under her guidance but expresseth as much tenderness of their peace and comfort as the Church of Rome can pretend to Indeed she hath not set up a Confessors Chair in every Parish nor much less placed the Priest in the Seat of God Almighty as thinking it safer at least in ordinary Cases to remit men to the Text of the written word of God and to the publick Ministry thereof for resolution of Conscience then to the secret Oracle of a Priest in a corner and advises them rather to observe what God himself declares of the nature and guilt of sin the aggravations or abatements of it and the terms and conditions of Pardon then what a Priest pronounces But however this course doth not please the Church of Rome for reasons best known to themselves which if we may guess at the main seems to be this they do not think it fit to let men be their own carvers but lead them like Children by the hand my meaning is they keep People as much in ignorance of the Holy Scripture as they can locking that up from them in an unknown Tongue now if they may not be trusted with those Sacred Records so as to inform themselves of the terms of the New Covenant the conditions of the Pardon of sin and Salvation it is then but reasonable that the Priest should Judge for them and that they await their doom from his Mouth Yet I do not see why in a Protestant Church where the whole Religion is in the Mother Tongue the Old and especially the New Testament constantly and conscientiously expounded and the People allowed to search the Scriptures and to see whither things be so or no I see not I say Why in such a case the Priest may not in great measure be excused the trouble of attending secret Confessions without danger to the Souls of men But besides
this there is a constant use of Confession and Absolution too in the Church of England in every dayes Service which though they be both in general terms as they ought to be in publick Worship yet every Penitent can both from his own conscience supply the generality of the confession by a remorseful reflection upon his own particular sins as well as if he did it at the knees of a Priest and also by an Act of Faith can apply the general Sentence of Absolution to his own Soul with as good and comfortable effects as if it had been specially pronounced by his Confessor But this publick confession doth not please the Romanists neither and they know a Reason for their dislike namely because this doth not conciliate so great a Veneration to the Priest-hood as when all men are brought to kneel to them for Salvation Neither doth this way make them to pry into the secret thoughts of Men as Auricular confession doth wherein the Priest is not only made a Judge of mens estate but a Spy upon their behaviour and is capable of becoming an Intelligencer to his Superiours of all the Designs Interests and even constitutions of the People Moreover the church of England allows of private confessions also as particularly in the Visitation of the sick which office extends also to them that are troubled in Mind or conscience as well as to the afflicted in Body where the Minister is directed to examine particularly the state of the Decumbents soul to search and romage his conscience to try his Faith his Repentance his Charity nay to move him to make a special confession of his sins and afterwards to absolve him upon just grounds Nay farther yet if besides the case of sickness any Man shall either out of perplexity of Mind scrupulosity or remorse of conscience or any other devout consideration think it needfull to apply himself to a Priest of the church of England for advice ease or relief he hath incouragement and direction so to do in the first Exhortation to the Holy communion and may be sure to find those who will tenderly and faithfully as well as secretly administer to his necessities So that I see not what defect or omission can be objected to this church in all this Affair or what Temptation any Man can have upon this account to go from us to the church of Rome But all this will not satisfy them of the Church of Rome they are neither contented with publick confession nor with private no nor with secret neither if it be only occasional or voluntary It is the universality and necessity of it which they insist upon for it is not with them a Matter of Ecclesiastical Discipline to prevent the Scandal of the Society to conserve the Reverence of the Church or to restrain men from sinning or much less an Office of Expediency and Prudence to be resorted to upon exigencies or such as may accidentally become necessary upon emergency as suppose upon the â—trocity of some fact committed the scandalousness of some persons former life which may make him more doubtful of his Pardon the weakness of his Judgment the Melancholy of his Temper or the Anxiety of his Mind or any such like occasion but it must be the standing indispensable duty of all men as the condition of the Pardon of their Sins in one word it must be a Sacrament of Divine institution and of Universal Obligation For so the Council of Trent determines Sess 4. canon 1. Si quis dixerit in Ecclesia catholica poenitentiam non esse vere proprie Sacramentum pro fidelibus quoties post Baptismum in peccata labentur ipsi Deo reconciliandis a Domino nostro institutum Anathema sit i. e. Let him be accursed who shall affirm that Penance is not truly and properly a Sacrament instituted and appointed in the Universal Church by our Lord Christ himself for the reconciling those Christians to the Divine Majesty who have fallen into Sin after their Baptism And in the Doctrinal part of that Decree they teach and assert more particularly First That our Saviour instituted this Sacrament expresly Joh. 20. 22. 2. That this Sacrament consists of two parts viz. The Matter and the Form the matter Sess 14. Cap. 2. of the Sacrament or quasi materia as they cautiously speak is the act or acts of the Penitent namely contrition confession and Satisfaction the Form of it is the act of the Priest in these words Absolvote 3. That therefore it is the duty of every Man cap. 3. who hath fallen after Baptism as aforesaid to confess his sins at least once a year to a Priest 4. That this confession is to be secret for publick cap. 5. confession they say is neither commanded nor expedient 5. That this confession of Mortal sin be very Ibid. exact and particular together with all circumstances especially such as speciem facti mutant alter the kind or degree of sin and that it extend to the most secret sins even of thought or against the 9th and 10th Commandment Ibid. 9. That the Penitent thus doing the Absolution of the Priest here upon pronounced is not Cap. 6. conditional or declarative only but absolute and judicial Now in opposition to this Doctrine and Decree of theirs and the practice of that Church pursuant thereof as well as in defence of the Doctrine and practice of the Church of England in that particular I will here endeavour to make good these Three things 1. That our blessed Lord and Saviour hath neither in his Gospel instituted such an Auricular Confession as aforesaid nor much less such a Sacrament of Penance as the Church of Rome supposes in the recited Decree 2. That Auricular Confession hath not been of constant and universal use in the Christian Church as the Romanists pretend much less looked upon as of Sacramental and necessary Obligation 3. That Auricular confession as it is now used in the Church of Rome is not only unneceslary and burdensome but in many respects very mischievous to Piety and the great ends of Christian Religion If the first of these appear to be true then at the worst the want of such an Auricular confession in the reformed Churches can be but an irregularity and no essential defect If the second of these assertions be made good then it can be no defect at all in those Churches that use not such a Rite but a novely and imposition on their parts who so strictly require it But if the third be true it will be the corruption and great fault of the Church of Rome to persevere in the injunction and practice of it and the excellency and commendation of those Churches which exclude it I begine with the first that it doth not appear that our Saviour hath instituted such an Auricular Confession of such a Sacrament of Penance as the Church of Rome pretends and practises I confess it is a Negative which I
much to her Honour to be singular where there was so much Prudence and Piety to have inclined her to Uniformity However this is gained which is my point that the Church of Rome is noâ— countenanced in her practice of private and clancular confessions by the general usage of the Church as they pretend 3. I observe concerning this Office of Penitentiary that as it was erected upon prudential considerations so it was upon the same grounds abolished by the same Authority of the church which first instituted it and that after about Two hundred years continuance in the time of Nectarius as we have seen and therein he was followed saith Sozomen by almost all the Bishops and Churches in the World this therefore was far from being thought either a Divine or Apostolical constitution Petavius would here perswade us that it was only publick confession and not private which was upon this occasion so generally laid aside as we have seen but this is done by him more out of tenderness of Auricular Confession then upon good reason and Valesius goes beyond him and will needs perswade us that neither publick nor privat Confession were put down in this juncture but only that the lately erected Officer of Penetentiary was cashier'd but I must crave leave to say there is no sufficient reason for either of these conjectures but on the contrary plain Evidence against them for Socrates who is the first and principal relater of this whole story saith he was personally acquainted with this Presbyter Eudaemon who gave the advice to Nectarius to make this change in the Discipline of the Church and that he had the aforesaid relation of it from his own Mouth and expostulated with him about it giving his reasons to the contrary and suggested his suspicions that the state of Piety would be much endamaged by this change and in plain words tells him that he had now â—erest men of assistance in the conduct of their Consciences and hindred the great benefit men have or might have one of another by priâ—â—â— advice and correption Now this fear of his had been the absurd est thing in the World if upon this counsel and advice of his only one certain Man in the Office of publick Confessioner had been laid aside but both the use of publick and privat Confessions had been kept up and retained But after all for ought appears the Church of Rome kept her old Mumpsimus she tenacious of her own customs especially of such as may advance her Interest and Authority complies not with this Innovation or Reformation be it for better or worse but her Priests go on with their Confessions and turn all Religion almost into Clancular Transactions in despight of the example of other Churches It may be she met with opposition sometimes but she was forced to disemble it till the Heriock Age of the School-Men and then those lusty Champions with their Fustian-stuff of vidâ—t ur quod sic probatur quod non make good all her pretensions After them in the year 1215 comes the Fourth Lateran Council and that decrees Auricular Confession to be made by every body once a year at the least and last of all comes the Council of Trent and declares it to be of Divine Institution necessary to Salvation and the constant and universal custom of the Christian Church And so we have the Pedegree of the Romish Auricular Confession Sect. 4. I come now to the third and last Stage of my undertaking which is to shew that Secret or Auricular Confession as it is now prescribed and practised in and by the Church of Rome is not only unnecessary and burdensome in it self but also very mischievous to Piety and the great ends of Christian Religion For the former part of this charge if it be not evident enough already it will be easily made out from the Premises for they cannot deny that they make this kind of Confession necessary to Salvation at least as necessary as Baptism it self is supposing a Man hath sinned after Baptism now if it be neither made so by Divine Institution nor acknowledged to be so by the constant Opinion of the Church what an horrible imposition is here upon the Consciences of Men when in the highest and worst sense that can be they teach for Doctrines the commandements of Men and make Salvation harder then GOD hath made it and suspend mens hopes upon other terms then he hath done if it was prescribed by the present Church as a matter of Order and Discipline only or of convenience and expediency we should never boggle at it upon this account or dispute the point with them or if it was only declared necessary pro hic nunc upon extraordinary emergency by the peculiar condition of the Penitent his weakness of Jugdment the perplexity of his Conscience his horrible guilt or extreme Agonies we would not differ with them upon that neither but when it is made necessary universally and declared the indispensable duty of all men whatsoever who have sinned after Baptism when GOD hath required no such â—hing but declares himself â—atisfied with true contrition and hearty remorse for what is past and sincere Reformation for the time to come this I say is an intolerable Tyranny and usurpation upon the consciences of Men. And that is not all neither for besides its burdensomness in the general it particularly aggravates and increases a Mans other burdens for insteed of relieving perplexed consciences which is the true and principal use of confessions to men this Priestly confession as it is prescribed by the Council intangles and afflicts them more for that enjoyns that the Penitent lay open all his sins even the most secret although but in thought or desire only such as against the Ninth or Tenth commandement according to their Division of the Decalogue now this is many times difficult enough but that 's not all he must also recount all the circumstances of these sins which may increase or diminish the guilt especially such as alter the species and kind of sin Now what sad work is here for a Melancholy Man All the circumstances are innumerable and how can he tell which are they that change the species of the Act unless he be as great a School-man as his Confessor Besides all his it may be he is not very skilful in the distinction between Venial and Mortal sins and if he omit one Mortal sin he is undonâ— therefore it is necessary for him by consequence to confess all Venial sins too and then where shall the poor Man begin or when shall he make an end Such a Carnificina such a rack and torture in a word such an holy Inquisition is this business of Auricular confession become And that eminent Divine of Strasburgh of whom Beatus Rhenanus speaks seems very well to have understood both himself and this matter who pronounces that Scotus and Thomas had with their tricks and subâ—ilties so perplexed this plain
first General Councils are received with great Veneration and a particular a In libro canonum in Synodo Londinensi an 1571. titulo de concionatoribus Imprimis videbunt ne quid unquam doceant pro concione quod a populoreligiose teneri credi velint 〈◊〉 quod consentaneum sit doctrinae Veteris Novi Testamenti quodquo ex illa ipsa doctrina catholici Patres Veteres Episcopi collegerint Injunction was laid upon its Ministers to press upon none the necessary belief of any Doctrine but what may be proved from Scripture and the generall current of the Expositions of the Fathers thereupon So carefull it hath been in all points to keep within the bounds of catholick Principles in those first instilled into its young Disciples in the catechisms and in those delivered in its Articles to be subscribed by such to whom it entrusts any Office that the positive part of them will hardly be disowned by our very Adversaries and can scarce appear otherwise to any then the common Faith of all christians of Orthodox repute in all Ages And for other determinations in the Negative she only declares thereby how little concerned she is to receive or own the false or corrupt additions to the first unalterable Rule No church hath professed and evidenced a more awful and tender regard to Antiquity next to the express Word of GOD. Both which she oft appeals to desires to be ruled by and where their footsteps are not sufficiently clear chooses not to impose upon her own Children nor censure her Neighbours keeps within the most safe and modest boundaries is not forward in determining nice and intricate disputes which have perplexed and confounded many in their hasty and bold Positions particularly about the Divine Decrees and such like sublime Points In which few understand where the main stress of the Controversie lies It may be none can comprehend the depth of the matters upon which the Decision ought to grounded But alas how many have been forward to lay down and fiercely contend for on each side their private opinions herein as the first Rudiments of Theology to be placed in their very Creeds or Catechisms and so a foundation must be laid for endless Contests and Divisions But most cautious hath our Church been in not laying such occasions to fall in the way of any So that both sorts of Adversaries have made their complaints against her for not being positive and particularly in such Declarations though none can charge her justly with defect in any point of Faith so owned in the best Ages of the Church 2. As clear and unexceptionable hath been her proceeding in Church Government preserving that form which from all Testimonies of Antiquity hath continued in the Church from the very Apostles under the conduct and happy Influence of which Christianity hath been propagated and continued throughout the World whatever different measures some other Reformed Churches have taken whither forc'd by necessity or swayed by particular inclination or prejudice The Church of England kept up the universally received distinct prime Orders of Bishops Priests and Deacons not desiring to censure others who can best answer for themselves but endeavouring to confine her self to what was most Canonical and Regular and to shew how little affected she was to alteration from any establishment except in notorious corruptions and abuses And how necessary she thought due Order and Subordination in the Church to prevent Schisms and Heresies and to give the greater Authority and advantage to her Ministrations and finally to free her self from all suspicion of irregularity in her Succession derived down from Christ and his Apostles which she as much as any Church in the World may pretend unto And though some intermediate Ages have been blemished with much degeneracy yet she was concerned only to separate this but retain and convey down to others whatsoever good and wholsome provision she received from those before Farther to evince this particular care was taken by express Law a See the Statute 25 of Henry the 8. cap. 19. Sect. 7 expresly revived 1 Eliz c. 1. sect 6. to confirm the Rules of Government or Canon Law before received in the Church till some better provision could be made so far as it contradicts not the Law of the Land or the Word of GOD making as few changes in the outward face of the Church as was possible and sensibly proving it her design properly not to destroy but build nor yet therein to erect a new but reform an old Church 3. Alike Canonical and orderly hath been her Constitution in matters of Worship Her Forms of Prayer and Praise with the whole order of her Liturgy are composed with the greatest temper and expressed in the most plain and comprehensive terms to help forward uniform devotion pious Affection the most Orthodox Profession and catholick communion So that I think it may be universally affirmed that there is not any thing required in her publick Service necessary to those who communicate with her which any that own the name of christians or are owned for such by the general body of them can almost scruple unless because it is a Form by one sort and because it is ours by another sort But how unreasonable herein are both So careful she hath been to lay the ground of most catholick Unity and to remove whatever might obstruct it This our Adversaries the Romanists confirmed by their own practice when for several years as we have been told a Camdeni Eliz. an 1570 in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths Reign they frequented our churches joyn'd in our Prayers and Praises attended on our Sermons and other Instructions and received as some add our Sacraments according to the order for substance the same as now and had it is like done so still having nothing to object against them but from the after-prohibition of the Pope who had reason to fear they who were so well provided of all needfull supply and defence at home might thus by degrees be withdrawn from subjection to his Authority abroad that darling point never to be dispensed or parted with whatever else might have been yielded b Camd. Eliz. an 1560. Our Reformers who composed our Liturgy carefuly collected the remainders of true Primitive Devotion a camdeni Eliz an 1560. then in use and separated from them all those corrupt additions which ignorance superstition and crafty policy had mixed therewith Therefore it is so far from being an objection that any part of our Liturgy was translated from the Roman Offices that while nothing is retained contrary to wholsome Doctrine and sound Piety it is a convincing argument of her impartial Sincerity and desire to preserve Uniformity as much as possible with all christians abroad as well as at home in her own Members securing all the Substantials of Worship according to the plain sense of Scripture and the pattern of the Primitive church And as to Circumstantials