Answer to Book by Romish Priests, Doctrine 2
II. The Proteſtants, he ſaith, affirm. That in matters of Faith, we muſt not rely upon the Judgment of the Church and Her Paſtors, but only upon the Written Word.
Anſwer.
OUR Doctrine is, That the Written Word is the only Rule of our Faith: And therefore we cannot rely barely upon the Judgment of the Church, and of Her Paſtors (as Papiſts do) but muſt have what they deliver proved out of the Word of God.
This is not contrary to our Bibles, but conformable to them: For they call us to the law, and to the teſtimony, VIII. Iſa. 20. And the Apoſtles themſelves, we find, nay, our Bleſſed Lord and Saviour, did not deſire to be believed, unleſs they ſpake according to the Scriptures, unto which they appealed, XXIV. Luke 27.44. 1 Cor. XV. 3, 4. Whoſe expreſs words, if we contradict, we are void of all ſenſe; but if we do not, it muſt be confeſſed he is void of all ſhame, in charging us with affirming that which is contrary to the expreſs words of our own Bibles; particularly XXIII.XXIII. Mat. v. 2, 3. Mat. 2. The Scribes and Phariſees ſit in Moſes ſeat. All therefore whatſoever they bid you obſerve, that obſerve and do.
Let the Reader here ſeriouſly conſider, what a Front this Man hath, who talks of expreſs words, when there is not an expreſs Syllable in this place, either of Church, or of Paſtors, or of their Judgment, or of Faith. O! but he ſpeaks of Scribes and Phariſees, which is the ſame. But doth this anſwer his Pretenſions of giving us expreſs Words, and not words Tantamount? And if Scribes and Phariſes be equivalent to Church and Paſtors, it muſt be his own Church and Paſtors, (for they are not our Paterns) which is not much for their Honour to be the Succeſſors of the Scribes and Phariſees. Whoſe Authority ſure, was not ſuch, that our Saviour here required his Diſciples to rely upon it, in matters of Faith. For if they had, they muſt have rejected their Lord and Maſter, and denied him to be the Chriſt. Into this Ditch thoſe blind Guides at laſt plunged thoſe who blindly followed them. Therefore all that our Saviour here meant, is, (as wiſer Men than this, and Jeſuits too, acknowledg) that they ſhould obey them, being Teachers, in all things not repugnant to the Law, and the Divine Commandments. So the before-named Menochius upon the place, to ſay nothing of the Ancients, who would have thruſt out of the Church ſuch a Man as this, who maintains that Chriſt taught his Diſciples, to obey thoſe Paſtors, not only in ſome principal Matters, but in all whatſoever, without Diſtinction or Limitation. Which I may truly ſay, is a Doctrine of the Devil.
Nor is there any thing expreſs in the next place, and therefore he only makes his Inference from it;X. Luke 16. which ſhould have been this, if he had known how to diſcourſe; That the Apoſtles were the Legats and Interpreters of Chriſt, as Chriſt was of God. Therefore he that deſpiſed the Apoſtles, deſpiſed Chriſt; as he that deſpiſed Chriſt, deſpiſed God. But, what then? Truly nothing to this Man's purpoſe. For the Church and the Paſtors now, have not the Authority of Apoſtles. If they had, they would not deſire, no more than the Apoſtles did, to be believed without proof from the Scriptures.
Upon the next place, XVI. Matth. 19.XVI. Mat. 19. which is as impertinent, he paſſes a very wiſe Note; That our Saviour doth not ſay, whoſoever, but whatſoever thou ſhalt bind on earth, &c. Whereby he ſhuts out St. Peter, and his Succeſſors (to whom they commonly apply this Text) from all Juriſdiction over Perſons, and confine it unto things only. Let his Church reward him for this Service; for we are not at all concerned in his Note; but rather note how far he is ſtill from bringing expreſs Texts to his purpoſe; here being as little expreſs mention of Faith, and of Paſtors, and of the Church, and their Judgment, as in the former places. And if you will believe Menochius (a better Interpreter than this) our Saviour ſpeaks of the Supreme Power of remitting or retaining Sins, of excommunicating and abſolving; not a word that he could ſee, of untying Knots and Difficulties in Matters of Faith.
He bids us ſee more places in XVII. Deut. 8. &c. But I would adviſe the Reader not to trouble himſelf to turn to them. For the firſt, and two laſt, are nothing to his purpoſe; and the ſecond is directly againſt him. For the Prophet doth not bid them go and ask the Prieſts their Opinion, but ask them what the Law of God was, in the caſe propounded.
And there is as little to be found in the Fathers, the laſt of which is no Father. For he lived in the time of our King Henry 1. and was a ſtickler for his Maſter, Pope Ʋrban; who in this Man's Logick, is become the Church and her Paſtors, upon whoſe Judgment we muſt rely. In good time: they will be Judges in their own Cauſe, and then the buſineſs is done.