The Glory of the Protestant Religion is,

That by the Reformation there was a restoration of the Scrip­tures, in the Vulgar Tongue, as well to the common people as to any others, and this was one main part of the Reformati­on, if not the chiefest of any that came by the Reformation it self, and it is the true glory of it, without which any thing else that came by the Reformation could have been but of little advan­tage to us.

And if a Protestant Prince do assure his people, that he will maintain and defend this Principle, or Foundation of Prote­stantism, This will, and must firmly and strongly ingage all the Hearts and Affections of his Protestant Subjects unto him.

But whether the Prince will defend and maintain this Princi­ple or not, yet it is unavoidable: That all Protestants as well in all other Nations beyond the Seas where any Protestants are as well as in these three Kingdoms, do irresistably cleave to this Prin­ciple, viz. That by the Reformation the free use of the Scripture is re­stored to all people, And this Principle being fixed in them, it hath these four following Effects.

We judging it lawful enough to forsake the Church, when we once judge the Church in what it believes, or in what it acts, or practiseth toward God to have forsaken his Word.

And our Profession or Religion being thus founded, I mean out of Conscience purely to Gods Word: Every man then, properly as a Protestant, if he be Sincere, doth as much believe that the Wor­ship (whatever it be that he professeth) is as truly agreeable to the Mind and Will of God, as is the very Scripture it self. And con­sequently that he is as much to contend for the said Worship, as he is bound to contend for the Authority of the Scripture it self: For these two being taken by him but for one thing, ( viz. the Truth and Authority of the Scripture, and the Truth and Autho­rity of what he professeth,) consequently the same Tye that binds him to the Scripture, must of necessity bind him to that Religion whatever it be, which he as a Protestant professeth unto God. And consequently if there be no Tye so firm or so strong upon the Conscience, as that of the Divine and Absolute Authority of the Scripture is: There can be no Tye stronger than what Prote­stants [Page 9]as such (and as Sincere) must necessarily have for the Re­ligion, whatever it be that they do respectively profess unto God.

The Character of a Papist.

The thing which doth Essentially distinguish a Protestant from a Papist, more than any Note, Mark, or Character whatever besides, is, That a Papist by his Principles as a Papist may not, and indeed cannot dispute any Law whatever, relating to the Wor­ship or Service of God, provided it be declared and established by what he acknowledgeth to be the Church: Because he takes the Authority of the Church for the whole Argument, or for [Page 17]the only Foundation of all his Obedience unto God; rather than the Divine Authority of the Scripture or Word. And because he presumeth the Church also to be a thing altogether Holy, and such as neither hath Erred, nor can Err, for should he que­stion this, he must question the whole of his Religion it self: op­posite to which Character, we shall now consider,

The Character of a Protestant.

But the Protestant Church on the other hand, having separa­ted from the Church of Rome, not only upon the Supposition that she hath actually Erred, but that she hath been grosly cor­rupted as well in Manners as in Faith. And the Protestant Church having for the better Justification of her own Practice, both in the matter of Worship, and in all things relating to Doctrine, and Faith, SET UP The Scriptures as the Sole and Soveraign Rule of Gods Mind and Will to his Church: As she cannot challenge the Exercise of any Authority therefore, that is beyond that of the Scripture; or any that is not subordinate to the said Scripture it self: So it is expected that all the Duties which she requires, and all those Articles or Points of Faith which she at any time re­commends, to such as are the Members of her, should always be enforced from those Arguments properly, and only, which are drawn from the Scripture: Because it is this, which she her self hath appealed unto, and this only which she challengeth to justifie her.

A Protestant then, that understands the Grounds of his Reli­gion, or that hath been at all instructed in the Rise or Principles of the Reformation, taking this for the very first Article of his Faith; That a Church may Err, and may have Corruption in it, and may in its Worship possibly swerve, and depart from the pure Mind, Word, and Wisdom of God: And laying that no less firmly as the Foundation of his Belief on the other hand, viz. That the Scripture cannot Err, nor can be other than the un­alterable, and incorruptible Rule of Gods Law, and of his Will and Mind to his People, he cannot possibly hold the Au­thority of the Church to be Divine, any further or otherwise, than as it appears to be clearly grounded upon the Scriptures as the Word of God. And therefore the Tye or Obligation which he hath to obey the Church, so far as it relates to the Conscience, and [Page 18]binds the Conscience, ariseth out of no other Ground, than from the Conformity which he seeth, or is perswaded that the said Church hath in her Laws, Orders and Doctrines to the said Word, and if this Conformity doth or shall once cease in the said Church, a Protestant as a Protestant, cannot but judge his Tye or Obligation to her as a Church ought to cease also with it.

And this being the true State of that Radical or Essential Dif­ference that is between the Principles of a Protestant, and the Principles of a Papist as a Papist,

It will hence follow,

That if a Church that professeth her self to be Protestant (or the Ruling Clergy of a Protestant Church) shall not much consider, or regard the justifying of what Laws, and Orders she makes by the Consonancy they expresly have, to the Law or Mind of God in his Word, (which is his Rule to the Church) nor shall much concern it self to clear, and inforce the Faith and Doctrine which she holds, by the Evidence of its Truth, or by the Authority of it, as sufficiently grounded upon that Word that is absolutely Divine: But shall on the contrary, in whatever she Commands or in the things she Teacheth, con­strain or exact an Obedience from her Members to her self, and to her own Authority as absolute, and as unsubordinate to the Word of God, and therefore to her Authority as it is a distinct thing from the said Word: That Church, (or the Clergy ra­ther, that are the Rulers of it) so far as she doth this in any Doctrine, or in any Law that she makes indispensable, doth so far cease in her Principles and Practice to be Protestant: and doth so far disclaim not only a main and chief Ground of her Separation from the Church of Rome; but the very Principle it self, upon which she pretends to guide her self, in her Reformation.

For it cannot be denyed that these were the great, and the main Causes of our Separation from the Church of Rome, viz.

First, Because she had made her self Absolute, and had set up an Authority in the matters of Worship and Faith, above that of the Scriptures, as the only Word of God. And

Secondly, Because she did not barely excommunicate men, but did also persecute them, and did deprive them both of their Estates, [Page 19]Liberties, and Lives upon a Principle as contrary to humane Reason, as it was contrary to humane Society, and Quiet: viz. not for any evil in their Conversations, in their Morals, or in their Lives: But meerly for obeying what they sincerely judg­ed to be the Law, Mind, and Will of God. And meerly for believing that his whole Law, Will, and Mind to his Church as a Church, especially relating to the Worship of himself, was contained in his Word.

Thirdly, Because by this persecution, as it was extended to the extreme Punishment of Persons, both in their Liberties, and Goods, and sometimes in their Lives, by stinking Prisons and want of Necessaries; she did unavoidably draw upon her self the Guilt of mens Apostacy, Hypocrsie, and Dissimulation, who durst not but obey and comply with her Commands, meerly out of fear. And did as unavoidably draw upon her the Guilt of all that Suffering, Cruelty, and Blood whatever it were she spilt, and did inflict upon those persons who withstood her Com­mands, and who were otherwise in all things blameless, both as to their Morals, Lives, and Conversations.

I say if it be matter of Fact, and that which cannot be de­nyed, that these three things, were some of the Main, and Principal Causes for which we separated from the Church of Rome; and for which our first Reformers themselves called her Antichri­stian: and sometimes Bloody, and sometimes the Scarlet Whore. And if these three things, when at any time mentioned with reference to the Church of Rome, are still acknowledged to be evil, and so stiled to this day, so far as it concerns her. Yea if these three things, are at this very present in our Controversies with that Church, not only charged upon her, but cast in her teeth, among many other things by way of reproach, and to set forth the just ground, that we even as the Church of Eng­land, (as well as other Churches) have both of exception against and hatred of her.

MUST NOT these three things be MUCH MORE EVIL in a Protestant Church? who after she hath condemned all these things, not only as evil but as Antichristian in the Church of Rome; and after she hath pretended to separate from the said Church for them, doth nevertheless give her self leave to practise them, without condemning her self at all in them? And MUST NOT This Practice cast a manifest Blemish, and Reproach up­on [Page 20]on her own Reformation? and evidence to the world that she doth not either believe the Principles of it, OR doth not at least dare to Trust to it.

Wherefore if the said Church (or the Clergy rather as the Rulers of it) meerly upon these Grounds, and only to these ends, which are both thus evil in themselves, and thus contrary to the very Grounds and Ends of our Reformation, shall endeavour to Ingage the power of the Civil Magistrate to her Assistance, (which God forbid they should ever do any more in England; for we have good ground to believe that several of the Ruling Clergy if not all, do abhor it, to their Praise be it spoken) I hum­bly offer it to Consideration, whether in moving this to a Prince, especially as he is a Protestant, she doth or can move him to a­ny other purpose, than That his Authority may promote the Defection she hath made from her own Principles, and may Countenance her in that, which she knoweth that the Rules of the Reformation, and of Protestan­tism cannot: viz. not only her Cruelty and Severity, but her Ex­orbitancy?

And whether she hath, or can have any Argument to the said Prince, for his Countenancing of her, greater than this, (viz) Than as she knoweth that all the evil which would be charged upon HER wholly and ONLY as a Church may now through his countenancing of her be in part as well charged upon his Royal Authority and Pleasure as upon her. Which Argument being really of no better a nature than this, whether it be therefore reasonable in it self? or whether it be so much as fit or modest for the said Church to make? or whether it be agreeable to that Duty, Honor, and Sincerity which she as a Church professeth to owe, and ought at all times uprightly to pay to her Prince, I humbly leave and submit to the Judgments of all Ingenious Persons, and especially when with reference to the Ef­fect of this Motion, it is matter of Fact; that though twenty six private Persons would be thereby gratified, (some of whom are men of no Birth, Interest, or temporal Estate in the Na­tion) and more than twice so many thousands are greatly griev­ed, injured, and wronged in their Persons, and Estates, which are equally his Majesties Subjects as well as they. And many of which are every way Peers to them, for Birth, for Vertue, for Loyalty, for Temperance, for Morality, for Mercy, for Charity, for temporal Estates; and even for Learning also.

And here it will be necessary in the next place, to consider [Page 21]again what it is in these respects, that we blame the Church of Rome for, I mean,

What the Guilt of the Church of Rome is.

For either Guilt is a thing of Weight before God, or it is not. And either the Guilt which hath been charged upon the Church of Rome, (by reason of her Persecution) by our Reformers first; and by many wor­thy Men of the Church of England since, is justly charged upon her, or it is not.

But if that Guilt be Real, and that it is justly charged upon the said Church, It is apparently Criminal two ways,

First, as she through her Persecution is the cause of all that Hypo­crisie, Dissimulation, and Apostacy, which men commit for meer fear of her, and by which though out of weakness, they do greatly wrong their own Conscience, and greatly injure their former Profession before God, and know they do so, and lye oft-times under trouble of Consci­ence all their lives afterward for it.

And secondly, she is equally guilty, as she is the cause (by reason of her Persecution) of the Sufferings, Distresses, and great Afflictions, which many particular Persons, and many Families groan under: by which she occasions many solemn Complaints, Cries, and Appeals to be made unto God, which men who are conscious to themselves of their Sincerity towards God, did pour out to him as the Righteous Judge of all persons.

And if this be The Guilt of the Church of Rome, and if we as Protestants when we write against the Church of Rome, do say that all the Righteous Prayers, Appeals, and Complaints to God against her shall be heard. And that she shall answer as well for the Crimes of others, as for the Oppressions and Wrongs that she hath done to others.

These things being considered, the Question is, whether any man that is rational, can draw any other Conclusion from them but that,

The said Protestant Church, (or the Ruling Clergy of it) do not [Page 22]believe themselves at all, when they write against the Papists for these things, and that notwithstanding they do threaten the Church of Rome, with the Judgments of God because of their Cruelty, and of their Per­secutions of men for their Conscience sake: yet they do indeed but laugh in their sleeves at it, and do not believe any such thing, as that the direful Judgments of God shall come upon any, either for Cruelty, or for Per­secution of others for Conscience sake, or for being the occasions of many mens sinning against, and wounding of their own Consciences: but that when they speak of the Judgments of God, they speak of them but as Scare-Crows, Bug-bears, or Pot-Guns.

For would it not be an uncharitable thing, or rather is it not an in­credible thing, for any man to think that the Protestant Clergy should do the very same things, which they expresly declare and acknowledge to be heinous Offences, and Crimes against God, in their Adversaries the Church of Rome, if they did really believe themselves in what they usu­ally write, when they threaten them with the Judgments of God upon them for the said things?

If to avoid this, which they perhaps may look upon as some imputation, or reflection upon them: the said Protestant Church (or rather the Ruling Clergy of it) shall deny the Case to be the same, and shall say that the Grounds or Principles upon which they persecute men, are much different from those of the Papists or Church of Rome.

Let them (I mean the Ruling Clergy) lay down the State of it, and shew us wherein the greatness of the said difference doth consist.

For if the Fact for which men are punished by the said Protestant Cler­gy be the very same, (or of the same nature) with that for which the Po­pish Clergy do punish men, viz. for their worshipping God, and for their worshipping of him not contrary to the Scripture, or contrary to any thing that seems clearly, and plainly their Duty in the Word of God, but contra­ry only to some Order or other in the Church. And if the quality of the Persons that do suffer, and that are punished by the Protestant Clergy, are the same also with those that are punished by the Popish Clergy, that is, such men as are neither blameable in, Nor so much as accused or charged by them with or for any Crime, Or any Immorality in their Lives and Conversations: But such as otherwise demean themselves in all Duty, and with all Subjection to their Superiors.

That the Protestant Clergy, do pretend to believe the Scriptures to be the Supreme Rule, and mind of God to his Church; and if asked do free­ly grant, That men are NOT bound in Conscience to any Rule Superior to this, Nor can be bound in the things of Faith, or in things relating to the Worship of God to any Rule above this.

And yet at the same time that they own this, they persecute their Bre­thren, not only in their Liberties, but in their Goods, Fortunes, and E­states, and sometimes in their Lives also (through nasty Prisons, and want of Conveniences) for acknowledging the said Scriptures, to be such as they themselves do own them to be, and for that they accordingly conform to their own Principles. Whereas,

The Popish Clergy, though they persecute men for the same Crimes, yet they do not give so much Honour to the Scriptures, nor do so much as pretend to it,

But which of these two,

Are for this very Cause the greater Crimes before God, may be left to all rational men to consider.

In the mean time, I am most sure of this, That whereas our first Reformers did call the Church of Rome Antichristian, and did charge her with Innocent Blood, and did put the name of Scarlet-Whore for this Reason upon her: Yet now it is most certain, the Stain and Dis­credit of it, is in her eyes manifestly lessened, if it be not wholly bletted out.

For it is impossible that the Church of Rome should ever hereafter grant, these things to be Stains or Crimes proper only to her, which she doth not only see, but can daily observe some Protestant Church or o­ther to follow her in, upon such Grounds as are far less justifiable in the said Protestant Church, according to the Principles they profess, than they are in her self.

And that this is not a thing ever to be hoped or expected from her here­after, is the more clear in regard the said Church of Rome hath already, in so many words, sharply, and closely Retorted it upon the Protestant Church: So that the VERY things which we blame the said Church of Rome for, and for which we accuse her Criminally, And which we pre­tend to be the main Grounds, why we could no longer have any Com­munion with her, which was her laying aside the sole Authority of the Scriptures, And her persecuting such as desired to walk according to the Rule of it, some Protestant Churches have not only imitated her in, but have outgone her, and have done so much worse than she ever did, by how much we have contradicted the Principles we profess, which she hath not.

And that she hath cast this, as a Reproach upon us in words, and hath alledged several Arguments to confirm it, and such as have not to this very day been answered by us, is matter of Fact.

And if in all Courts of Judicature, matter of Fact, be good Evidence, and if the highest Evidence that can be given in matter of Fact is, when the Fact is able to speak and attest it self, or when it is capable to be attest­ed to by thousands, then is the Evidence which I here bring, every way as good, and every way as vallid, to prove what I affirm. Which is,

That the Church of Rome hath endeavoured to justifie and acquit her [Page 24]self, from the Crime of unjust Persecution and Blood, by instancing the same thing in the Practice of Protestants one toward another: and therein hath exonerated her self from the sole Guilt of this evil, and from the sole Guilt of her being alone that Babylon mentioned Rev. 17. which hath been frequently fixed singly upon her, and attributed to none besides her.

And she hath produced several Arguments also, and those of Weight to make it appear, That Protestants In their Persecution one of another, are far more unjust, upon the Principles we profess as Protestants, than she is upon her own Principles, how much so ever we have pleased to inveigh against her, and revile her.

And these Arguments she hath no way scrupled publickly and openly to divulge in English; to the end, that every man that is rational may the better examine them, and judge of them.

And seeing all this is pure matter of Fact, one of these two Conclu­sions therefore do seem to be impossible to be avoided, viz.

That either we have done very evil in charging the Church of Rome as Antichristian, and in charging her as guilty of the Blood of the Saints, which is mentioned Rev. 17.6. (which must nevertheless be inevitably charged some where) and very evil to impose the name of Scarlet-Whore and of Babylon upon her. Or, If the Protestant Churches have said all this really in Judgment and really in Truth against her, Then have some Protestant Churches done much worse themselves, in being actually guil­ty of the same things, which have been so criminally charged upon her.

And if the Church of Rome be guilty of Innocent Blood, then none that is sober can doubt, but she must at length be lyable to the extreme Judgments of God for it.

And therefore if any Protestant Churches have followed her in that very Guilt, the same judgments must as unquestionably come upon them, and perhaps more severe.

And to the end that all Protestant Churches may be awakened, to consider their great Danger in this Case, if they have been Persecutors of their Brethren,

I need do no more, than to lay before them the express Prophesie of our Lord Jesus Christ in this Case, (viz.) That there should be some who delaying in their hearts the Consideration of his coming, should in­stead of giving a portion of Meat to their fellow-Servants, be found smi­ting of them.

The Pertinancy, Weight and Importance of which Prophesie of Christ with re­ference [Page 25]even to the Theme we have at present in hand, will appear very clear upon the Grounds or Arguments following, which are these.

1. That for the certainty of the said Prophesie, viz. That there should be some Persons that would be forward to smite others, we have a double Testimony even by two of the Evangelists, as Math. 24.48, 49, 50, 51. And Luke 12.45, 46, 47.

2. That the Persons who would be so forward to smite others, and of whom therefore the Lord Christ speaks this, were to be of the Church, and were to be those very Officers properly that were to be advanced in his Church above others, is not only plain by the Circumstances of the words themselves, but is yielded to by all Expositors, both Modern and Antient.

3. That the Lord Christ would not have mentioned such a thing ex­presly concerning his own Stewards, even concerning those Officers which were to have the highest Rule and Trust in his own Church, Nor would have left it upon so good a Record to us, if he had not in his Wisdom surely foreseen that this Case, (how notorious and strange so ever it may appear) would certainly happen in his Church, there is not the least Rea­son to doubt. And the less, seeing we have another Testimony left us to this purpose by St. Paul also, Acts 20.28, 29, 30. with reference expresly to the Officers of the Christian Church. Nor is it any way disagreeable to the Analogy of Faith, That if our Lord himself suf­fered properly from his Church, (and his own Prophets, also before him) and suffered from the very Rulers, Elders, and Overseers of the said Church: Then his Servants should not think it a very strange thing, (and much less an impossible) if they suffered also from his Church, and from Persons of the very same Note, Name, Rank, Quality or Dignity in it, and especially seeing Christ hath left a stand­ing Rule John 15.20. John 13.16. Luke 16.40. That the Servant is not greater than his Lord, and therefore is not to expect a Privilege above his Lord.

4. That the Persons who are to be smitten by the Stewards, Prefects, or Chief Officers of Christ's own Church, are [...] even their very fellow-Servants and no other, viz. such Persons as own, and serve the same Master, or Lord, which the said Stewards profess to serve: and such as have received the same Testimony of his Word, or the same Rule of his Mind and Will to them, which the said Stewards and Chief Officers have, is plain and unquestionable also, even from the words themselves.

5. That the smiting which is here spoken of by the Lord Christ is, literally intended by him for actual Stripes, or for such external Pu­nishments, and Miseries which were to be inflicted by the Chief Of­ficers and Stewards of his Church, upon the Persons of Men, is not questioned by any I know of, at least the contrary hath never been maintained in any Age of the Church.

[Page 26] 6. And it appears the rather, because the smiting here mentioned, was to be of a Nature so very injurious, so oppressing and wrongful to them that were smitten; Yea so provoking to the just Mind, and Tem­per of the Lord Christ; That as an Argument how much he abhorred such a smiting, and how much he was displeased at it, he threatens the said Stewards and Chief Officers of his Church, That he would cut them in sun­der for it, and would give them their Portion with the very Unbelievers, and Hypocrites.

7. Which Severity, it were unreasonable to believe, that he who was so meek a Master, would ever have threatned, and threatned especi­ally against the very Stewards, Rulers, and Officers of his own House, or of his own Church, if he had not foreseen, that the Cruelty which these very Stewards and Officers would use towards others in smiting of them, would be such, and so very merciless, that the said Stewards would be such, as would deserve no Mercy, or Pity at all from him.

For if it be a Rule, That they and they only, are to receive Judgment with­out Mercy, who themselves have shewen or exercised no Mercy, James 2.13. Then it is impossible, that these Chief Officers and Stewards of Christ's Church, should be punished by him without Mercy, if they in smiting their fellow-Servants, had not utterly shut out all Bowels, and all mercy toward them.

8. And therefore the summ of the Lord Christ's Speech, and the end indeed of it appears both plainly, and briefly to be this, That as there would be among the very Stewards, and Chief Officers of his Church, some that would be forward to smite their own fellow Servants, and to smite them so cruelly, and in such a manner, as they would shew no kind of Compassion, Bowels, or Remorse at the sufferings of them, though this were but humane:

So the said Stewards should at length, most certainly meet with the like measure of Treatment at the hand of the Lord himself; and should not fail to receive the execution of his wrath and judgments upon them for it.

A Description of the Absurd, Ridiculous and Contemptible Grounds and Foundations on which the Papists Build.

Though nothing is more Evident than this, that the Thraldom or Bondage of the Church of Rome, doth principally consist in the disagree­ableness of her Doctrines, to the Rule of the Scripture, yet neverthe­less it is Matter of Fact, That the Church of Rome doth not in plain, and express Terms deny the Truth, or deny the Authority of the Scripture, or deny the end of them as they are appointed for the Church. And if we cannot for this Cause justly charge her with any of these things; Then we must necessarily grant, that the said Doctrines so far as they are corrupt, and have a real Inconsistency with the Scripture it self, could have their Rise at first no otherwise,

Than by vertue of her Authority as a Church. And consequently, that as they had thus their Rise at first, so they have had their whole Mainte­nance and Support, ever since, no otherwise than as this Authority being [Page 32]Absolute and Arbitrary hath defended them against whatever might be said from the Authority of the Scripture, in opposition to them.

And first, we find that she doth upon her own Authority affirm, That it is neither the Letter of the Scripture, nor the Grammar of it, how Plain, Clear, or Express soever it be, that doth or ought to bind the Consciences of men, but the sence of the said Scripture only. And

Secondly, she doth affirm, That it is not the sence of the Scripture also, which doth or can any way directly bind the Consciences of men, if this sence be consi­dered nakedly in it self, (either as literal, or mystical) but that the said sence is capable of binding only considered as it is Catholick. And

Thirdly, That it is not either in the Letter or in the Grammar of the said Scripture, how clear or plain soever it be, that the Divine Authority of it is placed, but simply and only in the sence of it as this sence is the sence of the Universal Church, and therefore that sence which is properly called Catholick.

Which Propositions, she having in her Prudence thus peculiarly laid down, as the Grounds or Foundations not only of all Christian Faith, but of all Christian Verity and Truth it self.

In the next place she builds upon these unsound Grounds, an As­sumption that is parallel to them, and that is every way as entirely her own as the former, viz. That she alone hath not only the Right (as exclusive to all others) of Dispencing this Catholick Sence to all the Members of the Chri­stian Church, but of dispencing it in order to their Salvation, and hath inherent in her, the full and absolute Power finally, and Inappealeably, to de­termine at all times, and upon all Occasions, what the said Catholick Sence is concerning all Points whatever that may be controverted, and concerning all places of Scripture whatever that may be doubted of, or disputed.

And that as this Power is absolutely necessary for the Preservation of the Unity, so for the Preservation of the Purity of the said Christian Faith: in regard it is impossible, that such a Sence of the Scripture as is wholly Universal and Catholick should at any time Err.

The Conclusion then (if all these Premises be true) is, That the Church of Rome is to be believed, and that all her Determinations whatever they be are for Conscience sake to be Obeyed, and Submitted unto, even by the whole Christian Church, without any Dispute or without so much as any scruple of Mind.

This Conclusion, being that which all the Partizans and Champions of the Church of Rome, do labour with Might and Main to bring every man to, and therefore it is the same with that Security and Rest, which they pretend all men may have, not only with absolute Safety, but with absolute satisfaction, in the Bosom of their Church.

But indeed this Conclusion hath not any tendency to Salvation at all, but is quite contrary to all that is alledged, and leads expresly to nothing else but to the utter Overthrow, and Subversion of the whole Scripture it self, with the Mind, Law, Will, and Counsel of God, so far at least as depends upon Revelation; in regard it puts the Scripture, together with the whole Authority of it, (though Divine in it self) absolutely, perfectly, and entirely into the Arbitrary Will and Power of the said Church.

And therefore the Protestants upon Consideration of the extreme Mis­chiefs, that must of necessity follow from such a Conclusion as this, they do with Indignation reject it. And

First, The Protestants do wholly deny, that the said Church of Rome hath any rightful Authority to make null the Grammar of the Scrip­ture.

Secondly, The Protestants do much more deny, that she hath any Right to institute or set up such a Sence of the Scripture, (under any name or pretence whatever) that is either opposite to the Grammar of the Scripture, or that at least pretends that there is not a necessity to fol­low and observe the Rules of it.

Thirdly, Consequently they utterly deny, that she hath any Right to transfer the Authority of the Scripture, from the Sence proper to the Letter of it self, to such a Sence as is only and properly hers. And

Fourthly, They deny, that she hath any Right or any Power to set up any Sence of her own at all, which is not absolutely subjected to the Rule and Authority that is inherent to the Scriptures, Letter, and Word, with the proper Sence of it, as this is and ought to be Supreme to all others.

Fifthly, And they do much less acknowledge, that she hath any such Right in her, or derived to her therefore, as to make her Sence of the Scripture (or what she declares to be so,) the Sence of the Universal Church.

Sixthly, Or that she hath any Right to make her sence of the Scripture, to be the Absolute or Supreme Rule of all Infallible and Christian Truth, or to disallow any Appeal from her proper Determinations, to the living Rule of the Scriptures Grammar, and to the Letter or Word of it.

Seventhly, And the Protestants denying all these things, they do de­ny therefore that she hath any Authority, Power, or Right to dispence with, That Duty and Obligation which is divinely and absolutely laid upon the Consciences of men, which is, To obey the Word of God in the litteral, plain, and express Sence of it.

Eighthly, And the Protestants do deny consequently, that the Con­sciences of men are, or can any way possibly be obliged to her bare De­termination of the Sence of the Scripture. Especially so far as this is set [Page 34]up absolutely by her, and is not dependant upon any Sence proper to the Words, and Grammar of the Scripture it self.

All and every of which Powers, as the Protestant Church doth wholly deny to the Church of Rome; So for as much as the Church of Rome, can pre­tend to no one of the said Rights, or Authorities now mentioned, o­therwise than as it must by some means or other, be lawfully conveyed or derived to her.

Because, without this Commission can be produced, and produced upon some Clear, Evident and Sufficient Warrant or Ground, for it: All Her pre­tences to the said Authority, (seeing it is so manifestly destructive to the Scripture it self,) must needs appear to be, not only Precarious, but very frivolous and very absurd.

The Church of Rome being thus challenged and provoked in the point of her Commission, and yet well knowing that there is nothing which she can possibly appeal unto for the proof of her Authority, beside the Scripture it self.

She becomes hereupon, to be several ways distressed and perplexed.

First, because she finds that she cannot allow of the Grammatical Sence of the Scripture, in any one Case whatever, But she must necessarily, and unavoidably allow it in all other Cases also, where it may equally and with as good warrant be alledged.

Secondly, she discerns, that if she should allow the Grammar of the Scripture to be Authoritative at all, she should never be able to prevent the pretences that others would have, (even among the Laity it self) to be as competent Judges of the said Grammar as her self.

Thirdly, besides these two extreme Inconveniences (which by her are not to be endured) she evidently also seeth that the Words of Scrip­ture themselves, will not of themselves, by any literal Construction or Exposition of them, be sufficient to prove any such Authority as she claims, and that should the words of the Scripture be urged therefore, no further than according to the express Tenor of them, or according to the sence that the Grammar it self would bear of them, she should be so far from gain­ing the Power and Commission which she pretends to have a Warrant for, that instead of it, she should expose her Authority to a manifest ha­zard, even not only to be sifted, ventilated, and discussed by others; but as freely censured by such as should observe the nature of her Infe­rences, and how weakly and infirmly they are deduced, with respect to the genuine Force or Construction of the words themselves.

And therefore as for all these Reasons, she apparently discerns that the Grammar of the Scripture is an Adversary absolutely to her, so she doth [Page 35]as smartly and dexterously perceive, that the Scripture it self, were the Authority of it allowed to be in the Grammar, would be as great an Enemy every way to her, as even the literal and Grammatical Sence of it is.

For in as much as these three things are at once both equally and necessa­rily Incumbent upon her, and such as cannot any of them possibly be dispensed with by her, viz.

First, to prove the peculiarity of her Authority above any other Church beside her whatever, And

Secondly, to justifie the Incorruption of her Doctrine, And

Thirdly, to preserve the pretence that she hath by this consequently to Infallibility.

And seeing these three do so much concern her, that it is a thing very plain, and very easie to perceive, that unless they can all be main­tained, upheld, and defended in some measure rationally by her, she can no way keep up her temporal Power, nor any way avoid a lyable­ness to a Reformation.

Wherefore having upon a due and serious survey of the Letter and Grammar of the Holy Scripture, sufficiently found, and clearly obser­ved, that the Scripture as thus strictly considered, in the Order, Dispo­sition, and Construction of its Letter, will never be serviceable to her in any one of these three Respects: but will on the contrary, expresly oppose her.

As she is hereby expresly convinced then, that there can be no cause why she should magnifie the express word of it; and much less any cause why she should trust in it, or appeal to it, so lest that others should be carried away with a rational Opinion of it, and should for this cause be induced to urge, and press several things against her from it: She saw it but necessary that she should come to a deliberate Resolution with her self, To wea­ken the Credit of the Scripture wholly, and not only to deny all Authority, and e­ven all Divinity it self to be in the Word, Letter, and Grammar of the Scripture, (strictly considered by it self) but to deny also that any Sence is capable to be certain­ly had from it, or any truth that is infallible, which how hold a thing soever it might seem to be, yet she saw it no way avoidable by her, because she had no way besides this, to secure her self against all that Inconveniency, that she knew the Scripture would and must otherwise cast upon her necessarily, by vertue of the expressness and Authority of its Letter.

Having then taken up this Resolution in the first place, considering nevertheless maturely with her self, that if she should cast off all her Re­lation to the Scripture wholly, and entirely, she could not maintain the very Authority of the Church it self; and much less should be able to defend either the Divinity, or the Infallibility of those things that are sought by her: She therefore cometh to a second Resolution, which she judgeth no less necessary and expedient for her than the former, viz. To [Page 36]maintain the Divinity, and set up the Authority absolutely of the Scrip­ture, though not in the express Letter of it, nor in the Sence proper to it, yet (as we have said already) in another Sence that she sets up in­stead of it; That is, according to such a Sence which she judges con­venient that she her self should (as a Church) put upon it, and put upon it in such manner also, and with such a Construction and Expo­sition, as might be most sutable to her own end; and most answerable to her own particular Interest: which Sence she therefore stiles by the specious Name or Appellation of the Catholick Sence, or of the Sence of the Universal Church, in distinction at least from (and for the better avoiding of) that Sence which is truly literal, and is pro­perly Constructive and Grammatical.

And as it is this Sence alone therefore as Catholick, that she confines both the Authority and Divinity of the Scripture to, and that also en­tirely: So she doth this in her own more than ordinary Judgment and Prudence. In regard she is sure that this Sence will never fail her, but will always be ready to abett whatever shall upon any occasion be deter­mined by her: Because this Sence requires no deeper Reason, nor any firmer Bottom or Ground at any time for it; Than what resolves it self at length into the meer arbitrary Will and Pleasure of her self. And so she can never be accountable further for it, than barely to declare it or affirm it to be the Catholick Sence; because she saith it is the Sence of the Universal Church.

And is not this rare Policy?

And therefore to justifie this medly Sence, which (if what she saith be true) is both the Sence of the Scripture, and is not. And which must necessarily be the Sence of the Scripture because the Church will so have it; and not because it is a Sence really, properly, or radically in­herent in it. To justifie also her Rightful throwing off the Authority of the Grammar it self, and to justifie her transferring the whole Divi­nity of the Scripture, from the natural Order and Construction of its Words, to a Sence altogether forreign to its Letter, and to the express­ness of it.

Which being the very Question it self that was in dispute, and that ve­ry thing therefore that was first of all necessary to be proved by her, she is constrained by this means whether she will or no, to run round in a Circle, viz.

To prove her proper Authority by the Catholick Sence of the Scrip­ture, And

To prove the Catholick Sence of the Scripture by vertue of her pro­per Authority.

And at length not only without all ground, but without all shame or sence of Justice, to beg the whole Argument it self in Controversie be­tween us: Than which we say, there can be nothing whatever, that is either more unreasonable, or more impudent and base.

And having gotten her Authority therefore in this manner, not only, or not so much by shuffling, as by plain snatching it; and being consci­ous to her self that it would be a very vain thing for her, to suppose she should be able to defend the said Authority, by any better Argument than that very Stratagem she made use of it to prove it: she concludes it to be most safe to maintain it therefore, in the same manner as she got it: which is by force, and therefore resolves to punish all men with Death, that will be so hardy as to deny it; so far at least as her Power or Mediation can any way extend to do it.

And yet lest the Quarrel should by this means look as if it were too personal, and too private, and that such Princes as were less concerned at it, should not be much disposed to ingage with her in it: She, as if she were Pious in the very Execution of her Malice, pretends this shed­ding the Blood of men (though it may seem indeed to be very severe yet) is absolutely necessary: not so much because they disobey her as because they disobey and oppose the Catholick Sence of the Holy Scrip­ture, In which Catholick Sence all the Authority, and Divinity of it, (if you will believe her) is properly placed, and that by opposing of this they oppose by Consequence, not only the Catholick Faith of the Church, but the consent of all Christianity it self, In the unquestionableness of which, the Security and Salvation of men can only and alone rest: which pretext is another part as well of her Absurdity as of her Vio­lence and Fraud.

That notwithstanding she neither hath nor can prove any Obligation that men in Conscience can have to her Authority, or to rely upon the Determination of it. And though she cannot otherwise require the be­lief of it from any, but as it is a thing meerly precarious, yet she puts all to death that yield not to this absolute Usurpation of her Power.

The Use of this last preceding Discourse.

From this brief Scheme or summary Prospect of the Nature of this new and peculiar Policy of the Church of Rome, We may easily make a measure of her Wisdom, as well as of her Truth; for by this short State or Account that we now have of these Motives which did mainly induce the said Church, intirely to lay aside the express Letter and Gram­mar of the Scriptures, (at least as to the Certainty, Truth, or Infalli­bility of it) we may easily have a view of several horrible Absurdities, Contradictions, and indeed Impieties, that she is by this means forced, and necessitated to fall into, of which we shall now mention a few Par­ticulars.

For first as it is Matter of Fact (which is the most infallible Evidence in the World) that all the Doctrines of the Church of Rome, do depend solely upon The Authority of the said Church: So it is Matter of Fact equal­ly, That both the said Doctrines and the said Authority it self, (which upholds the said Doctrines,) do depend upon the Catholick Sence of the Scrip­ture. For the same Reason therefore, it is even from the strictness of the Connexion and mutual Dependance of these three one upon another, That as the Doctrines of the Church of Rome, must necessarily be all of them True, and all of them Divine, If the Authority of the said Church is altogether True, and altogether Divine: So also the Autho­rity of the Church of Rome, must be unquestionably Divine, If the Catholick Sence of the Scripture upon which it is alone built, be abso­lutely Divine and free from all possibility of Error.

And consequently then, as the surest proof that we can possibly have of the Divinity of all the Doctrines of the said Church, doth lye in the proof the divine Authority of the said Church, and in the sure­ness of it: So the surest proof of this doth lye in the proof of the Ca­tholick Sence of the Scripture, viz. in the Proof, that this Catholick Sence is both divine and infallible, and free from all manner of Error imaginable.

For it is this Sence alone that gives being to the said Authority.

In as much then, as it is strongly alledged that the Catholick Sence cannot possibly but be Divine, Infallible, and free from all manner of Error: The Authority of the said Church therefore must necessarily be Divine, Infallible, and free from all manner of Error, and therefore it is impossible, but the Doctrines which are taught by the said Church, must be such also: that is, They must be Divine, Infallible, and free from all Error.

So then, these three are and must be all of them Divine alike, viz,

And consequently, the Sence of the Universal Church must be as Divine as any of these three, Because the Catholick Sence of the Scrip­ture, and the Sence of the Universal Church is but one and the same, (Et quae in eodem Tertio conveniunt inter se conveniunt) wherefore seeing of all these, The Catholick Sence of the Scripture is— The main and sure Basis of all the rest—and that upon the Divinity, certainty, and infalli­bility of This, ALL the Divinity, Authority, and Infallibility of the Church of Rome, with its whole Doctrine doth, and must wholly and intirely depend. The absolute and unquestionable Certainty or Divinity of this therefore, is first to be cleared: seeing this (as we said) is of all others the most strongly alledged.

To evidence then the truth of the Catholick Sence of the Scripture, how Infallible and Unquestionable it is, and to manifest not only the ne­cessity, but the absoluteness of its Divinity, We need not much more than one Reason, because this doth of it self upon the matter, amount to a Demonstration; (which is,) That there is nothing more clear or more certain, than that the said Catholick Sence neither really is, the Sence of the Scripture, nor really is not: nor any thing more certain, than that the said Catholick Sence is Both: That is to say, both it is, and it is not the Sence of the Scripture. And that we may be yet the more fully and distinctly instructed in the nature of this Mistery, and of the strangeness of it, we are to know, That the extraordinary wonderful, and peculiar Power of this Catholick Sence, lyeth, in the singular Relation which it hath to the Universal Church, and to the Scripture as it is the Sence of neither of them properly and entirely; and yet is the Sence of both of them at one and the same time.

For though this Catholick Sence cannot be had without the Scripture, and though it is, and must necessarily be given therefore to the said Church by the Scripture. Because it is the Scripture only that the said Church doth always refer to, when it doth at any time cite, or alledge the said Sence as it is Divine. And consequently though without the said Scripture, it had been wholly impossible that the said Church should ei­ther have Challenged or laid Claim to any Truth that had been Autho­ritative or Divine. Notwithstanding this, The said Catholick Sence both is given, and must necessarily be given to the Scripture by the said Church; because without the said Church, it would be impossible that this Sence should ever be found out in the Scripture it self, in regard nothing is more certain, than that the Scripture hath of it self properly no Sence at all (at least none that is True, Certain and Infallible, but as this is by the U­niversal Church, and by the Prudent Care and Foresight of it bestowed upon it. And so we must unavoidably grant, that though the Catho­lick Sence be but One, yet this One Sence is both created by the Church for the Scripture, and created by the Scripture for the Church, ( Which is a very rare and unusual sort of Production.

And therefore it will follow also: that if we regard the Truth, Cer­tainty and Infallibility of this Catholick Sence, it is wholly and entirely from the Church, because neither the Authority properly of it, nor its Divinity, doth consist in its Truth, or in its Certainty, If we regard the Divinity and Authority of this Catholick Sence, it is not only origi­nally, but entirely from the Scripture: because it may be Divine, though it have neither Certainty nor Infallibility in it, (at least) as the Church of Rome tells us. And consequently, the said Catholick Sence considered as it is strictly in the Scriptures, hath indeed both Authority absolutely in it, and Divinity: but it neither hath Truth, Certainty, nor Infallibility. But considered as it is strictly in the Church, [Page 40]it hath both Truth, Certainty, and Infallibility absolutely in it. But it hath not for all this any thing of Divinity, or Authority; for this it must borrow from the name of the Scripture.

So that it is plain, That the said Catholick Sence is neither the Sence of the Church properly and entirely, nor the Sence of the Scripture pro­perly and entirely, and yet that it is the Sence of both of them entirely. And the Reason for this is also plain, viz. Because according to the Do­ctrine of the Church of Rome, the Divinity of the Catholick Sence is one thing: its Truth, and Infallibility is quite another: for though the Church can give to the Catholick Sence its Truth and Infallibility entirely, yet she cannot give any part of its Divinity.

And though the Scripture, can give to the Catholick Sence its whole Divinity; and consequently its Authority entirely yet it cannot of it self give it any thing of truth, or any thing of Infallibility, but this it must have from the Church.

So mystically is this Catholick Sence parted and divided between both. By which partition of the Catholick Sence (which is strange) we come to know another thing also (which is as strange) and which otherwise we should never have been able to have found out, viz. That though the end of giving the Scripture was unquestionably for the enlightening Ruling and Governing the Church, yet the end of setting up the Church was equally also for the en­lightening Ruling and Governing of the Scriptures.

Which as it is a Consequence that can no way be avoided by the Rules of the Church of Rome, so it is as manifestly absurd as all the rest. Secondly, The Divinity of the Catholick sence with the necessity abso­lutely of it, will appear also yet the more clearly if we shall consider, that unless we do admit the Church in the first place to be holy, infalli­ble, and free from all manner of Error imaginable, it will and must be impossible that the Catholick sence of the Scripture should be absolutely True, Holy, Infallible and free from all Error. Because the sence of the Scripture becomes thus Catholick, Holy, Infallible and True, only as it is the sence of the Catholick Church first, and as it is by this means derived to the Scripture it self. And for any to seek a sence in the Scrip­ture therefore that is Holy, True, Infallible and free from all Error a­lone by the Scripture it self, without the Direction and Assistance of the said Catholick or Universal Church is manifestly absurd. Both because the Scripture hath properly of it self no sence at all that is certain: and because it is the immediate Authority of the Church only, upon which the sence of the Scripture so far as it is properly Catholick, Infallible, and absolutely True is wholly and entirely built.

And yet on the contrary, in regard it must be confessed that the Church could not possibly have so much as either Name or Being, were it not for the Scripture it self, and much less that it could have those Privileges, or that Authority placed in it which it challengeth above all others for [Page 41]being Holy, True, Infallible and free from all manner of Error. Un­less we admit therefore the Scripture in the first place to be originally True, Holy and Divine, and therefore to contain all Authority and Truth prmitively in it self, that is Holy, Absolute and Divine: and that by reason of this its primitive Sanctity, Divinity and Truth; it hath a pow­er simply and properly of its self to confer a Divine Right, Authority, and Infallibility to the Church, it will and must be impossible that the said Church, should be any way impowered or enabled either to teach such Doctrines as are Certain, True, Holy and Divine, and without a­ny fallibility whatever; or that it should be able to declare, what that sence of the Scripture is, which is absolutely Holy, True, Infallible and free from all manner of Error. Because if the whole being of the Church is entirely from the Scripture, then not only all the Holiness, Truth, and Infallibility of the said Church, with the truth of whatever it teacheth, but all the Authority also, which it hath or challengeth by reason of any of these extraordinary Properties, is, and must unavoidably be built upon the Scripture also, and upon the primitive Truth, Authority and Sanctity of it.

Both which things now being admitted, it must necessarily follow, that if we will fully comprehend the Divinity of the Catholick sence, and come to be convinced of the necessity and absoluteness of its Infallibility, Authori­ty and Truth; we must grant, that the Truth, Holiness, Infallibleness and Authority of the Church, was and could not but be before the Truth, Ho­liness, and Infallibility, of the Scripture sence. And must also grant that the Truth, Sanctity and Authority of the holy Scripture, was and could not but necessarily be before any Truth, Holiness, Infallibility and Authority was or could possibly be in the Church: and consequently we must grant that these were both first, and so both of them were one before another respectively.

In like manner we must grant that as there is an absolute necessity that the Church, and its Authority as infallible should be built upon the Scrip­ture entirely, and upon the Original Authority of it, so there is as great a necessity that the Sence of the Scripture with the truth of it (wherein its Authority doth properly and principally consist,) should be built upon the Church, and upon the Authority of it, and therefore a necessity, that both these should be built each upon the other mutually and respectively, and therefore a necessity that the Church should be the Foundation of all the Scriptures truth, and that the Scripture should be the Foundation of all the Church its Truth, and therefore that each of these, should be the respective Basis or Ground of the other of these mutually.

And therefore upon the consideration of the whole we may conclude [Page 42]that if all these things now mentioned are substantially true, and capable to be clearly understood by rational Persons, and that they are consistent really one with another: Then it must be certain, that the Church of Rome is both a true Church, and its Doctrines are all certain­ly and unquestionably true, and all its followers must be true Christians also, and free from all Error, for these things must be all of them true and certain alike.

But if these several things above mentioned are manifestly contradicto­ry and absurd, and such therefore as are no way possible to be rationally understood, or capable to be consistent any way one with another: then these things can never be true, viz. Either that the Church of Rome should be a true Church, or that its Doctrines should be all of them true, or that its followers should be such true Christians as to be free from all Er­ror. Seeing none of these three things can be otherwise true, or cer­tain, than as the several things above mentioned are true or certain, which are manifestly absurd and utterly false.

The horrible Wickedness of the Church of Rome further manifested.

The Impiety and Wickedness, as well as Absurdity of the Church of Rome in this invention of the Catholick Sence, and in her setting up of it, will be evident also to any that will consider, that even while she goeth about, not only to corrupt but to defeat the Scripture of its proper Autho­rity (as a Divine Writing) by her denying that any Sence is capable to be had from it, but what the Church only doth give it, and by denying there­fore that the Litteral or Grammatical Sence or Construction of the Scrip­ture is in any place certain, or at least not so certain, as it may be said of its self to be simply, absolutely or infallibly true, or so certain that it is in any place sufficient to give an infallibility of truth to us, she doth no o­ther than discover by all this what her drift is throughout all this Device.

For she would never run her self upon so many Rocks, to maintain things so manifestly gross, and absurd as this Invention puts her upon, were it not that her aim by all this is— To spoyl and deprive the Scripture ut­terly not only of all power and Authority, but of all Right immediately and absolutely of its self, to bind and oblige the Consciences of men to it, even though the sence of it should, from the plain and genuine Construction of its words appear never so strong, clear or coherent to them—which Scope or Design of the Church of Rome, for withdrawing our Obedience and Subjection wholly from the Scripture it self, even in things that are plain, and can be no way doubted by us as we are rational Persons, and understand well enough what the Nature and Import of Sence is. I say this scope or design of withdrawing our Obedience from the Scripture it self, and from the plain and genuine fence of it, is no other than openly to withdraw us from the plain and express Mind of God, (the Scripture being his Word) which is not only to offer an Injury to the Authority and Councel of God, but to his very Grace also, in giving his Word to us. And yet that this is the Chief and Prin­cipal [Page 43]Aim of the Church of Rome in her contending for the Catholick Sence, and in her disallowing all other Sence whatever to the Scripture, is the more clear because it is matter of Fact, that wheresoever she can or doth exercise any Dominion either by her self, or by her delegates, there she will suffer none, even not of her own Clergy, to depend upon the Scripture strictly. But will have all men at all times, to submit all their Judgments, and all their Consciences absolutely to her particular Deter­minations, in all things relating to Faith, whether the things she doth determine be agreeable or not agreeable to the Word, or Rule of Faith it self. And if all her own Natives are treated with this Severity, and Arbitrariness by her, is is easie then to imagine what Strangers may ex­pect from her, especially if we consider that for the more effectual pre­venting the Laity also, to shew any manner of Duty immediately to the Scripture, and lest they should be convinced even by the very sight of it, or should hold themselves obliged to the things plainly and expresly commanded by it, she doth throughout all places, where she hath any Power utterly forbid all use of the Scripture to them, and will not suffer the Scrip­ture so much as to be read, or heard by them in a Vulgar or known Tongue.

By which Instances it may sufficiently appear, (seeing these things are matters of Fact) that the Indeavour used by the Church of Rome to lessen the Credit of the Scriptures Letter, Grammar or Word, as if there were no certainty of sence in it, is not really grounded upon any thing which may justly be attributed to the Scripture it self: * But is a thing absolutely plotted, Contrived, formed or purposely Designed by the said Church for no other end, but that men might not rely upon the Scripture, or trust to the truth of those things that may be plainly and expresly founded in the very Letter of it; and so might be moved to give Obedience to the Authority of it, and to be led by it, NOR for any other end, but that Men might not be able to plead the said Word, with the expressness of it a­gainst her, or have a just ground to examine her Doctrines or Authority by it; and to withdraw from her or to assert there is a necessity that di­vers things should be reformed in her.

And for this Reason it is therefore, that she neither hath any Subjects, nor can, or will admit of any to be her Subjects, whether of the Lai­ty or Clergy, who will not withdraw their Obedience immediately from the Letter of the said word, and from the Authority of it, and give it to her as a Church.

But the greatness and heinousness of it, is made most manifest by that Argument which the Apostle useth, Heb. 2.2, 3. Heb. 10.28, 29. Heb. 12.25. For if the Law or Covenant of Moses how divine soever, was given [Page 44]to the Church nevertheless by one that was no more than a Servant only in Gods house: And if that the Grace and Truth which came by Jesus Christ, was given us by the only Son of God, who was properly the Lord himself of the House: Then a Sin, or Crime done purposely against the Gospel of Christ, and out of a real intent or design to turn men from the express Word, or Letter of that Law or Covenant which was set up by Christ, —must be a far greater Evil, or Impiety against God, than the like sin attempted against the Law of Moses, with a pur­pose or intent to turn men from the Letter and express Word of it.

There is such Force and Strength in this Argument, added to what hath been already said, as there needs no more to be said, to manifest the abominableness of this Evil, and therefore we shall herewith conclude this Discourse, as with that great word of Truth, which ought in this case to be most of all pondered, and considered by them whom it most concerns.

For if it were evil in any, (even in him that had the name of a Prophet,) to turn men from the Law, or from the Word of Moses who was but the Servant of God, with an intent that they should rely upon another word, different from it even upon his Word, (or upon such a Sign or Wonder as was wrought by him) who did desire so to turn them from Moses, and if this was such an Evil, as was by Gods own Command— to be punished absolutely with Death—Then how much greater evil must it be in the sight of God, to go about to turn men from the express Word, and Law of the Lord Christ, who was the only begotten Son of God, with an in­tent that they should rely upon another Word, different from it, and to do this not only wilfully, but avowedly, and professedly, by preaching to men openly; that it is not their duty to rely upon the Word of Christ, (as it is immediately and expresly set down by the Holy Spirit,) but up­on the Church only, and what the Church shall declare to them concern­ing the said Word, and when to effect this also the better, men shall throw so great Contempt and Scandal upon the said Word, as to affirm it to be so dark and confused, that no certain or infallible Sence either is in it, or can possibly be had from it.

And if this sin were the greater under the Law, because of those Miracles which God had wrought by Moses, to testifie him to be the Ser­vant of himself, Then it must be an aggravation of the said sin under the Gospel: Because God hath not only by Miracles, but even by Moses him­self, and by many other means and ways in his Providence, born a far greater Testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ (than ever he did bear unto Moses,) and hath abundantly manifested, That he was the Only begotten Son of himself.

And if any man under the Law, that did attempt to turn men from the word of the said Law, was to be accounted as a false Prophet, much more then ought he to be so accounted, that doth both with all Industry and set Design indeavour to do this under the Gospel.