The Baptist Against the Papist, Authors statement
TO THE Nameleſs Author OF THE VII. QUERIES; And in him, to all the SONS of PAPAL ROME In the County of LINCOLN.
HItherto the things pertaining to Religion, as they concern the Baptized Congregations, (commonly called Anabaptiſts) and you that are commonly called Papiſts, have been very little controverted. And whether it ſhall ever pleaſe God to try his Peoples Faith and Stedfaſtneſs, by your open oppoſition, as he hath done it by others, I may not preſume to determine; nor doubt I, but if it ſhall ſo fall out, he will advance his Truth thereby.
It is moſt certain, that of thoſe many wayes whereby the antient path of the Goſpel hath for a long time been oppoſed, there is not found any more potent than yours; and the rather, becauſe your ſubtilty is utterly unknown to the generality of Chriſtians in this Age and Nation, where your Religion hath, as it were, lain dormant for many years.
The moſt dangerous ſtratagem wherewith you uſually aſſail your oppoſits, is, your denyal of the Scripture, &c. the high doom of Judgment in matters of Faith; and aſcribe that dignity to your ſelves, under pretence of your being the Church; wherein if you conquer any one, your work is, as it were, wholly accompliſhed.
Whereupon, I have here preſented to the world, ſomewhat of your skill, in this important Queſtion, Whether we are to reſolve all Differences in point of Religion, only out of the written Word of God? yea, I have faithfully tranſcribed your laſt Reply to my Anſwers, which contains the ſum of what you ſaid in all your other Papers. Whereby the Reader will diſcern (if I think right) wiſdom uſed to the hurt of them that have received it. I have forborn at this time to publiſh all that hath paſſed between us about the ſeven Queries; partly, for that one thing is oft repeated in our ſeveral Papers; and partly, and indeed eſpecially, for that it is to little purpoſe to controvert any particular point of Religion, till we be agreed about the Judge, that muſt determine our Differences. Now, whereas you do aſcribe this Prerogative to your ſelves, under pretence of your being the Church of Chriſt, I have therefore laid down ſeveral Reaſons, by which it may appear, that you are not the Church, and ſo not that Judge, whereunto you pretend to be ſo willing to adhere.
I have likewiſe ſhewed, that we, your oppoſits, have the true claim to the title of Chriſt's Church; that ſo, if you will appeal to her, you muſt then appeal to us; which yet we believe you will not be perſwaded to, nor indeed do we deſire you ſhould, whilſt this is the Queſtion, Whether we, or you, be the Church? No, we are content to ſay with Auguſtine, Ask not us Auguſt. contra Max. l. 3. c. 14.in this caſe, we will not ask you, but let this matter be tryed by the Scripture: yea, ſaith he, let the Prophets, Chriſt, and his Apoſtles be Judge, Yea, we ſay further in his words, Let matter with matter, cauſe with cauſe, reaſon with reaſon, counted by authority of the Scriptures, not proper to any but indifferent Witneſſes to both parts.
My final Anſwer to the firſt of the ſeven Queries, I have here publiſhed, with as little alteration or addition as poſſibly I could, to give the Reader a true underſtanding of the matters in difference. And if you publiſh any thing hereupon, I deſire no fairer dealing from you, than you have in this caſe from me.
I have ſeriouſly conſidered what ſhould be the deſign of your Queries; and hitherto it appears to be chiefly, to exalt the authority of mens Traditions, above the lively Oracles of God, the Scriptures. For though it ſhould be granted (which you can never prove) that there hath continued a true Church at Rome ever ſince it was there planted; yet would it not follow, that all which your Church holdeth under the title of Eccleſiaſtical Tradition, muſt needs be obeyed by us; for it is certain that the Jews did retain the ſtate of a true Church, when yet their Traditions (however by them accounted) were but the Traditions of men, which both the Prophets and Chriſt himſelf, termed vain Worſhip; eſpecially ſuch of them as made void the Commands of God, as we are ſure many of yours do▪ and therefore, as Chriſt ſaid to them, Why do you tranſgreſs the Command of God by your Tradition? the ſame we are humbly bold to ſay to you, when Mar. 7.you ask us, why we tranſgreſs your Traditions? for ſurely, of none can it more fitly be ſaid than of you, that laying aſide the Commandments of God, you hold the Tradition of men.
THO. GRANTHAM.