CHAP. II. Directions for them that will deal with a Papist
CHAP. II. Directions for them that will deal with a Papist.
B efore I mention the Grounds or Cause that you must maintain, I must premise this Advice to the Common People.
1. Wrong not the Truth and yourselves by an unequal conflict. Enter not rashly upon Disputes with those that are Learned and of nimble tongues, if you be ignorant, or of weak capacities yourselves. Though I shall here show you that Scripture, Church, Tradition, Reason and Sense are on your side, yet experience tells us how the words of Jugglers have made millions of men deny belief to their eyes, their taste and other senses. An ignorant man is soon silenced by a subtle wit; and many think that when they cannot answer, they must yield, though they deny both Sense and Reason by it. If any of them secretly entice you, desire them to debate the case with some able, learned, experienced Minister in your hearing. It is the office of your
Pastors to defend you from the wolves: If you once despise them or straggle from them and the Flocks, and trust to your own Reason that is unfurnished and unprepared for such work, you may take that you get by it, if you be undone. You need the help of Pastors for your souls, as well as of
Physicians for your Bodies, and Lawyers for your Estates: or else God would never have set them over you in his Church. Let them but come on equal terms, and you shall see what Truth can do. In this way we will not avoid a Conference with any of them. But alas! With ignorant unlearned people, what may not such Deceivers do? That can persuade so many thousand souls to give no Credit to their own eyes, or taste, or feeling, but to believe a Priest, that Bread is not Bread, and Wine is not Wine.
2. Yet I would have the weakest to endeavor to understand the reasons of their Profession, and to be able to repel Deceivers: And to that end, I shall here give you first some Directions concerning the cause which you must defend.
And concerning this, Observe these things following 1. Understand what the Religion is that you must hold and maintain: It is the ancient Christian
Religion. Do not put every Truth among the Essentials of your Religion:
Our Religion doth not stand or fall with every Controversy that is raised about it. That which was the true Religion in the Apostles days is ours now: that which all were baptized into the Profession of, and the Churches openly held forth as their Belief. Reformation brings us not a new Religion: but cleanseth the old from the dross of Popery, which by innovation they had brought in. A man that cannot confute a Papist, may yet be a Christian, and so hold fast the true Religion. It followeth not that our Religion is questionable or unsafe, if some point in Controversy between them and us be questionable or hard. The Papists would fain bring you to believe that our Religion must lie upon some of these Controversies: but its no such matter Perhaps you will say, That then it is not about Religion that we differ from them. I answer; yes: it is about the Essentials of their Religion, but it is but for the preserving the Integrity of ours against the Consequences and
additions of theirs. They have made them a New Religion (which we call Popery) and joined this to the Old Religion (which we call Christianity.)
Now we stick to the old Religion alone; and therefore there is more essential to their Religion, then is to ours; so that our own Religion, even the ancient Christianity, is out of Controversy between us. The Papists do confess that the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the ten Commandments are true, yea that all the Scripture is the word of God, and certainly true: so that our
Religion is granted us as past dispute: And therefore it is only the Papists Religion that is in question between us, and not ours. If you will make those lower Truths to be of the Essence of your Religion which are not, you will give the Papists the advantage which they desire.
2. If the Papists call for a Rule, or Test of your Religion, and ask you where they may find it, assign them to the Holy Scriptures, and not to any
Confessions of Churches, further then as they agree with that. We know of no Divine Rules and Laws of Faith and Life, but the holy Scripture (and the hearts of Believers have an imperfect Transcript of them.) The Confessions of Churches are but part of the Holy Scripture, or Collections out of them, containing the points of greatest weight: And if in phrase or order (much more in matter) there be anything human, we make it not our Rule, nor are we bound to make it good, no more than the Writings of godly men. A point is not therefore with us an Article of Faith, because our Churches or a Synod put it into a Confession, but because it is in the Word of God. For a Councils determinations do with us differ but gradually from the Judgment of a single man, in this respect. And therefore we give them the Scripture only as the full Doctrine of our Faith, and the perfect Law of God; And those points in it, which Life or Death is laid upon, and God hath told us,
we cannot be saved without, we take as the Essentials of our Religion, and the rest as the Integrals only.
If they ask, Why then we do draw up Confessions of Faith? I answer, 1.
To teach and help the people by gathering to their hands the most necessary points, and giving them sometimes an explication of them. 2. To let our
Accusers see that we misunderstand not the Scriptures. 3. To let Pastors and other Subjects know what sense of Scripture the Magistrate will own within his Dominions. 4. And to let the Pastors and the world know what sense in the principal Points we are agreed in. But still we take not our Confessions for our Divine Rule; and therefore if there be any error in a Confession, there is none in the Rule of our Religion, and consequently none in the Religion which we all agree in; but only in such a persons or Churches exposition of the Rule, which yet among Christians is not in any essential
Point.
3. Understand well what is the Catholic Church, that when the Papists ask you what Church you are of, or call to you to prove its antiquity or truth, you may give them a sound and Catholic answer. The Catholic Church is the whole number of true Christians upon earth (for we meddle not now with that part which is in Heaven.) It is not tied to Protestants only, nor to the Greeks only, much less to the Romanists only, or to any other party whatsoever; but it comprehendeth all the members of Christ; and as visible, it containeth all that profess the Christian Religion by a credible profession.
If the Christian Religion may be known, then a man may know that he is a Christian, and consequently a member of the Catholic Church. But if the Christian Religion cannot be known, then no man can know which is the Church, or which is a Christian. All Christians united to Christ the Head, are this Catholic Church. If you tie the Church to your own party, and make
a wrong description of it, you will ensnare yourselves, and spoil your belief, and your defense of it.
4. Run not into extremes: mix not any unsound principles with your Religion. For if you do, the Papists will cull out those, and by disgracing them, will seem to disgrace your Religion.
5. Use not any unsound Arguments to defend the Truth. For if you do, the truth will suffer, and seem to be overthrown by the weakness of your
Arguments.
6. Join not with those men that cast out any Ordinance of God, because the Papists have abused it. Reformation of corrupted Institutions is not by the Abolition of them, but by the Restauration of them. There are few things in use among the Papists themselves as parts of worship, but may lead us up to a good original, or tell us of some other real Duty which did degenerate into these.
7. Join not with those ignorant, unpeaceable, self-conceited, womanish, rabious Divines, or private men, that pour out unworthy reproaches at godly men among ourselves, as if they were Heretics, or such as the Churches should dis-own. For these are they that please the Papists, and harden them in their Error, and offend the weak. They think they may call us Heretics or Blasphemers by authority, when we call one another so. Such Railers teach them what to say, and play their game more effectually than they could do their own. When they are alluring the simple people, how soon will they prevail, if they can but prove their charge against us from the pens of Protestants themselves?
Having told you on what grounds you must make good your cause against them, I shall next give you three or four easy Arguments (some of them
formerly given you) by which even the weakest may prove that Popery is but deceit.