The Church of England a True Church, Text (5 of 5)
I deſire you, Maſter Montague, to anſwer mee truely, what you thinke of the condition of ſuch a man, as ſhall believe, that Jeſus Chriſt is the onelyonly and ſole King and head of his Church, and Saviour of his body, that infuſeth life and ſpirituall motion into it, and all ſaving graces, and that guideth it by his holy Spirit and Word, and believeth alſo that he and he onelyonly is to be obeyed in whatſoever he commandeth or forbiddeth, and that we are not in matters of faith and doctrine to follow or heare any voyce or word but what he the King of his Church hath made knowne unto us in his Lawes and heavenly Statutes, as they are recorded in the holy Scriptures, tell me I pray, Maſter Montague, candidly, what you think of the condition of ſuch a man living, and dying in this faith? Can this beliefe any waies prejudice his ſalvation, though he never heareth of the Pope of Rome, whom you and the other Romaniſts proclaime to be head of the Church, and to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords, whoſe oracles, Lawes and Ordinances, you affirme ought to be obeyed in all things as the commands of Chriſt? I ſay if he never heares of ſo much as the name of the Pope or of any ſuch creature as he is, will not his faith in Jeſus Chriſt alone whom hee believeth to be the onelyonly King and head of the Church and Saviour of all ſuch as truſt in him, ſave him eternally? If you ſhall affirme that his thus believing will not ſave him, you overthrow the Chriſtian faith, and deſtroy the true Chriſtian religion, which teacheth us thus to believe, and aſſureth us, that living and dying in ſo believing and in this faith we ſhall be ſaved.
Againe, Maſter Montague, I demand of you what you thinke of the condition of that Chriſtian that ſhall peremptorily believe that the Pope of Rome is not the King and head of the Church militant, but that hee is the enemy of Jeſus Chriſt, one guilty of blaſphemy, as aſſuming unto himſelfe thoſe glorious attributes and prerogatives that are peculiar to Chriſt alone, the King of Saints, and King of Kings, and the onelyonly head and ſole governour of his Church? Can this, Maſter Montague, his ſo believing prejudice his ſalvation, or be any ſinne againſt Almighty God? If you ſhall anſwer, that it may, then I ſhall demand your reaſon, why you conceive that it may be any way prejudiciall to his eternall happineſſe; for where there is no tranſgreſſion there is no ſinne; for ſinne is the tranſgreſſion of the Law: and what law, I beſeech you, doth that Chriſtian tranſgreſſe, that believeth that Chriſt onelyonly is the King and head of his Church, and the Saviour of his body, and that theſe incommunicable prerogatives peculiarly belong unto Chriſt, and that they are not to be given to any mortall man, and that it is a ſinne in any to aſſume theſe titles, or for any to give them to the Pope. Maſter Montague, let me tell you that except you will overthrow the faith of the Goſpell, you can never make either the ignorance or the contempt of your Romiſh doctrine concerning the Popes Supremacy any ſinne, but that a man may live and die in the deteſtation of it, and be eternally ſaved, if by a ſtedfaſt and lively faith and full perſwaſion hee cleaveth unto Chriſt Jeſus the onelyonly head and King of his Church, and believes by his alone power to be delivered out of the hands of all his bodily and ſpirituall enemies.
Againe, Maſter Montague, I deſire you to anſwer me ingenuouſly, what you thinke of the condition of ſuch a man as ſhall believe, that Chriſt Jeſus is the onelyonly and ſole Prophet of his Church, and that he hath fully revealed the whole will and counſell of his Father concerning the redemption of man-kind, and that all things neceſſary to ſalvation are fully and compleatly ſet downe in his holy Word by his command in the writings of the old and new Teſtament, and that the ſacred Scriptures are a perfect rule of themſelves for the regulating of our Faith and manners, and ought to be the onelyonly ſquare and rule of all our thoughts, words, actions, and of our faith, and doctrines unto the end of the world, and that there is no need of any humane traditions for the compleating of them, and making of them perfect and intire, and that all doctrines that are not either grounded upon the expreſſe words of the Scriptures, or evidently and by good conſequence deduced from thence, ought to be rejected, and to be abandoned. I pray, Maſter Montague, what thinke you of the ſtate and condition of ſuch a man living and dying in this faith? Can this his ſo believing any way prejudice his eternall ſalvation, though he never heareth of any of your traditions or unwritten verities, which you notwithſtanding affirm are to be entertained with equall beliefe, that the holy Scriptures are by us received and imbraced? I ſay, if he never heare ſo much as of the name of your Traditions, and of your Councels, Canons, or In…unctions, will not his faith in the holy Scriptures alone, imbracing the doctrine revealed in them, and believing that they containe all things in them neceſſary to ſalvation, ſave him eternally? If you ſhall affirme the contrary, you will not fight againſt mee, but againſt God himſelfe, and give the Spirit of God the lie, who hath ſo often declared that believing thoſe things that are writ in the holy Scriptures, it will ſave our ſoules.
Againe, Maſter Montague, I demand of you, what you thinke of the condition of that Chriſtian, that ſhall peremptorily believe that all thoſe Traditions, of Purgatory, and humane ſatisfactions, of Will-worſhip and Image-worſhip, of Self-merits, and workes of Supererogation, of Indulgences and Pilgrimages, of praying to Saints and Angels, and all the other bundles of your Traditions thruſt upon the poore people as the ſervice of God, and the meanes by which they may pleaſe God, are deteſtable abominations, as being things full of blaſphemy, placing our redemption in other meanes than in the bloodſhed and meritorious death and paſſion of Jeſus Chriſt, and denying the perfection of the holy Scriptures, and equalizing, or rather preferring the Traditions and Inventions of the Pope, the enemy of the Lord Jeſus, before the authority of the written Word, which was dictated by the Spirit of Chriſt himſelfe, the onelyonly and ſole Prophet of his Church, whom wee are commanded onelyonly to heare and obey in all things that he hath declared in his bleſſed Word, which is for ever to be the rule of our faith. Doe you conceive, Maſter Montague, that any Chriſtian ſo believing, and perſevering in this his beliefe unto the laſt houre of his death, it can any way prejudice his ſalvation? If you ſay it may, give me, I beſeech you, your reaſon, for ſinne onelyonly excludeth men out of Heaven; ſhew me therefore what Law of God any Chriſtian tranſgreſſeth in believing Chriſt to be the onelyonly Prophet of his Church, and that he hath fully revealed the Will of God his Father concerning the redemption of man-kind, and that this his Will and good pleaſure is as much as is neceſſary to the ſalvation of the Church, is fully ſet downe and contained in the holy Scriptures, and that the written Word of God is compleat in it ſelfe, without any humane Traditions, and that we are bound to make that onelyonly the rule of our faith and manners, and to reject all doctrines whatſoever are not grounded upon the written Word, and much more all ſuch doctrines as lead us from Chriſt, and teach us another way to Heaven than he hath taught us, who is our onelyonly Prophet, and another way of ſerving God than he hath appointed. I pray, Maſter Montague, is the obedience of any man to Chriſt our Prophets command a ſinne or tranſgreſſion of his holy Law? If you ſay ſo, then you make that a ſinne, which God accounteth of as a vertue and obedience to his bleſſed Will and Word, and ſo by your traditions breake the Commandements of God, and our glorious Prophet Chriſt Jeſus, and by that as by all your other damnable doctrines proclaime your ſelves open tranſgreſſours of his holy Lawes, which without ſpeedy and hearty repentance will bring you to eternall perdition.
Againe, Maſter Montague, I intreat you candidly to tell me, what you thinke of the condition of ſuch a man, as ſhall believe that Chriſt Jeſus is the onelyonly and ſole Prieſt of the new Teſtament, and that hee by his obedience, death and paſſion, and by the Sacrifice of himſelfe once offered upon the Croſſe, when he was made ſinne for us, who knew no ſinne, hath reconciled God the Father unto us, and made for ever our atonement with him, and laid downe a ſufficient ranſome for our redemption, by the which we are freed from both the guilt and puniſhment due to our ſinnes and tranſgreſſions, and that the vertue of this his ſacrifice as it is ineffable and everlaſtingly able to ſave all ſuch as believe in him, ſo it is never to be reiterated, but to be applyed unto the ſoule, and hearts of men by ſuch meanes onelyonly as God himſelfe hath appointed, viz. by the vertue and powerfull working and operation of the holy Ghoſt, by the preaching of the Goſpell, by the adminiſtration of the holy Sacraments, by faith and prayer, and that hee is our onelyonly high Prieſt and Mediator both of ſatisfaction and interceſſion, by whom alone wee have continually acceſſe to the Throne of grace, and that in his Name onelyonly and through his mediation, wee are to put up all our prayers, ſupplications and thankſgivings unto God the Father, and that there are now no reall Prieſts on earth, for the offering up of any propitiatory Sacrifice for the reconciling of God unto us, or any other Mediators in Heaven between God and us, that can make God propitious unto us, but the man Chriſt Jeſus. Tell me, Maſter Montague, ſincerely, what you thinke of the ſtate and condition of ſuch a man living and dying in this faith? Can this his beliefe any way prejudice his ſalvation, though he never heare of your Romiſh Prieſts, whom you affirme to be reall Prieſts after the order of Melchiſedeck, and aſſert that they offer up the body and blood of Jeſus Chriſt daily a propitiatory ſacrifice for the living and the dead? Can this his faith, I ſay, prejudice the ſalvation of any man, though he never heareth ſuch doctrines as theſe be? or can this his faith prejudice his eternall happineſſe though hee never heareth of any other Mediator of the new Teſtament but Jeſus Chriſt alone, or never prayeth to Saint or Angell, to entreat their mediation for him with God the Father, but onelyonly putteth up all his prayers and praiſes in the Name of Chriſt alone? I beſeech you, Maſter Montague, tell me, if hee never heard ſo much as the name of any reall Prieſts beſides Chriſt, or of any other Mediator but of Jeſus Chriſt, or of any other propitiatory Sacrifice, but of that onelyonly which Chriſt offered to God the Father upon the Croſſe, will not this his faith in Jeſus Chriſt alone, his onelyonly high Prieſt and Mediator, and the aſſurance hee hath of the vertue and al-ſufficiency of that his Sacrifice once offered to God, eternally ſave his ſcule, and bring him to life and happineſſe? Take heed, Maſter Montague, what you ſay. For, if you affirme the contrary, you blaſpheme, and overthrow not onelyonly the whole worke of our redemption, but indeed deny the faith, and deſtroy all Chriſtian Religion.
Againe, Maſter Montague, I deſire you further to reſolve me, what you thinke of the condition of ſuch a Chriſtian as ſhall peremptorily living and dying believe, that there are no reall Prieſts now upon earth after the order of Melchiſedeck appointed daily to offer up the body and blood of Jeſus Chriſt to God the Father a propitiatory Sacrifice for the living and the dead: and that there are no other Mediators in Heaven, in whoſe Name and by whoſe interceſſion wee may put up our prayers, ſupplications, and thankſgivings unto God the Father, beſides Jeſus Chriſt, and ſhall not onelyonly conſtantly believe all this, but ſhall alſo confidently affirme, that to bring into the Church of God any other reall Prieſts after the order of Melchiſedeck, beſides Jeſus Chriſt, or any other propitiatory Sacrifice beſides the Sacrifice that he once offered to God the Father upon the Croſſe, or to appoint any other Mediator in Heaven, beſides Jeſus Chriſt, are all the doctrines of high blaſphemy, as derogatory to the honour and dignity of Chriſt Jeſus, the onelyonly high-Prieſt, and ſole Mediator of the everlaſting covenant, and deſtructive and prejudiciall to the ſalvation of mankind, as teaching them another way to Heaven, then by the meritorious death and paſſion of Jeſus Chriſt, by whoſe precious blood alone, and not by any fading things wee have redemption and remiſſion of our ſins Epheſ. 1. v. 7. Col. 1. v. 14. & 1 Peter chap. 1. v. 18. Heb. 1.3. & 13.12. & 1 John chap. 1. ver. 7. Tell me, I ſay, Maſter Montague, if any Chriſtian ſhall peremptorily unto the laſt houre of his life perſevere and continue in this faith and beliefe, and will by no art of perſwaſion be induced to believe any of thoſe horrid and pernicious doctrines which you of the Church of Rome ſuggeſt and impoſe upon the poore people, to their eternall deſtruction; will, I pray you, this his ſo believing and living and dying in this faith deprive him of happineſſe, or any waies hinder the eternall ſalvation of his ſoule? or ſhall hee by this his ſtedfaſt faith and reſolution doe any thing diſpleaſing unto God, or ſinne in ſo believing? If you ſhall affirme that it will, you muſt ſhew what Law of God hee tranſgreſſeth in ſo believing, for where there is no tranſgreſſion of a Law of God, there is no ſinne. Now what Law of God, I beſeech you, is there in all the holy Scripture that maketh it a ſinne to believe that there is no other reall Prieſt of the new Teſtament, no other Mediator of the everlaſting covenant but Jeſus Chriſt, no other propitiatory Sacrifice, but that which hee once offered upon the Croſſe, no other way of redemption and of obtaining remiſſion of our ſinnes, but by the blood of Jeſus Chriſt? Untill Maſter Montague, you can make it appeare, that thus to believe is a ſinne, you can never evince and prove any man guilty of tranſgreſſion by abhorring and rejecting all your impious doctrines of the Church of Rome concerning your blaſphemous Prieſts, and propitiatory Sacrifices and new found out Mediators, and novell waies of obtaining remiſſion of ſinnes. Truely, Maſter Montague, I dare undertake to make it appeare to all men, that there is never a tenent the Church of Rome holdeth more then wee believe in the Church of England, but it is either blaſphemous, impious, or at leaſt ſuperfluous; ſo that a man may die either in the ignorance or contempt of it, without any prejudice to his eternall ſalvation, and that by the confeſſion of the very Romaniſts themſelves that have not reſigned their reaſon or abjured all underſtanding. I writ once about this very thing, to one Siniones a Jeſuit, a fellow-priſoner with me in the Gatehouſe, which you if you pleaſe may read in my Flagello Pontificis of the laſt edition, which is yet unanſwered. But now, Maſter Montague, to returne to the buſineſſe in hand, and to ſpeake yet a word or two of your diabolicall Sacrifice of the Maſſe, which you call a Propitiatory Sacrifice for the living and the dead, but in truth the moſt abominable Idoll that ever the world yet ſaw, being indeed that poyſoned Wine in a goulden Cup, that hath made drunk the Nations of the Earth, that are under the power and Dominion of the whore of Babylon, and that that bringeth in an other way of ſalvation than by the death and ſacrifice of Jeſus Chriſt, by which onelyonly wee have redemption, the remiſſion of our ſinnes; the impieties of the which, Mr. Montague, I ſhall deſire you a little to conſider, and then I will conclude and leave you to your meditations and ſoliloquies. But it will not be amiſſe to ſet downe, what both the Church of England believeth concerning the Sacrifice of Jeſus Chriſt; and what the Church of Rome teacheth, concerning that: That ſo our opinions on both ſides being truly weighed, every one may judge which of their beliefes is moſt ſound, and withall may the better perceive the deteſtable impiety of the ſacrifice of the Maſſe. The Church of England believeth that Jeſus Chriſt is the ſole high-Prieſt and onelyonly reall Prieſt of the new Teſtament, and that his ſacrifice once offered upon the croſſe, is that onelyonly, reall and externall ſacrifice in the Chriſtian Church, and that that ſacrifice is the onelyonly propitiatory ſacrifice for the ſins of mankind, and that there is no other.
The Church of Rome believeth that in that action they call the ſacrifice of the Maſſe, there is a true reall and externall ſacrifice, in the which their Prieſts whom they blaſphemouſly tearme Prieſts after the order of Melchiſedech, do dayly offer up unto God the Father, the very body and the very bloud of Ieſus Chriſt under the ſpecies and formes of Bread and Wine, and affirme that this is a propitiatory ſacrifice for the living and for the dead, and that Chriſt himſelfe is here really preſent in the hands of their Prieſts and upon their Altars, and offered up by them to God the Father and that it is the ſame Sacrifice that Chriſt offered upon the croſſe; and injoyne all the people to put their truſt in it for ſalvation, and to give the ſame Divine worſhip unto it under paine of death, that is to be given to Chriſt himſelfe the Saviour of the World. This, Mr. Montague, you know to be the Doctrine of the Church of Rome, than the which nothing can be more blaſphemouſly or idolatrically taught, and believed, or be more fraught with impieties, or more contrary to all both faith and reaſon, or more pernicious to the ſalvation of the ſonnes of men. But I will not now, Mr. Montague, diſcover all the errors and abominations of this Idoll, onelyonly I ſhall deſire you to take notice of the great impiety and abſurdities of this your doctrine. The Church of Rome affirmeth, Mr. Montague, that the ſacrifice of this idoll Maſſe, is the very ſame ſacrifice that Chriſt himſelfe offered upon the croſſe. Againſt which I thus argue. That Sacrifice which differeth from the Sacrifice of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, both in the efficient, materiall, formall and finall cauſe, that is not the ſame ſacrifice that Chriſt offered upon the croſſe: but the ſacrifice of the Maſſe differeth from the ſacrifice of the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, both in the efficient, materiall, formall and finall cauſe: Ergo, it is not the ſame ſacrifice, but a deteſtable Idoll. For the Major, Mr. Montague, no man will deny it, for that that doth re & ratione diſſentire from any thing, that is not the ſame, as all men know. The Minor I will prove with its ſeverall parts. And thus I diſpute. The ſacrifice of the croſſe, was offered up by that high-Prieſt who is the eternall Sonne of the eternall Father, who is holy, harmleſſe, undifiled, ſeparate from ſinners, and made higher than the Heavens, Heb. 7. verſ. 28. Who through the eternall Spirit, offered himſelfe without ſpot to God. Heb. 9 verſ. 14. But the Sacrifice of the maſſe is not offered up by this Prieſt, nor through the eternall Spirit: but by a moſt polluted Prieſt and through the Spirit of Antichriſt: Ergo, the ſacrifice of the Maſse is not the ſame ſacrifice of Ieſus Chriſt, it differing from it in the efficient cauſe, but a moſt deteſtable Idoll. The Major of this Syllogiſme you cannot deny, Mr. Montague, neither will any man gainſay or deny the Minor, and you know then, the concluſion neceſſarily followeth that the Sacrifice of Chriſt, and the ſacrifice of the Maſſe are not one and the ſame Sacrifice, and therefore to give that honour to the Maſſe that is onelyonly due to Chriſt himſelfe is the moſt abominable Idolatry that the World ever heard of, for it giveth the ſame honour to a creature of mans making that is due to the Creator bleſſed for ever. And that ſhall ſuffice to have ſpoke of the firſt difference, and now I come to ſpeake of the ſecond diſcrepancy in reſpect of the matteriall cauſe. The matter of the ſacrifice of Jeſus Chriſt was the humane nature, very man, that that was borne of the Virgin Mary, that was of the ſeede of Abraham, of the Tribe of Judah, that ſuffered under Pontius Pilate, that was crucified, dead and buried, and is now at the right Hand of God, and made higher than the Heavens. But the matter of the ſacrifice of the Maſſe is not the humane nature, very man, and that that was borne of the Virgin Mary, that was of the ſeede of Abraham, of the Tribe of Judah, that ſuffered under Pontius Pilate, that was crucified, dead and buried, and is now at the right hand of God, and made higher than the Heavens. Ergo, the ſacrifice of the Maſſe is not the ſame ſacrifice of Ieſus Chriſt that was offered upon the Croſſe; but a moſt prodigious Idoll that ought of all men to be abominated. For the Major, Mr. Montague, you cannot deny it, and for the Minor, no man, unleſſe he be bereaved of his ſenſes will deny it, and unleſſe he be unable to diſtinguiſh a peece of Bread, from the humane nature, for Chriſt retaines his humane nature ſtill, whereſoever hee is, and he bade Thomas for the confirmation of his weake faith to put his fingers into his ſide, and to prove the reality of his Reſurrection, and that hee was not a Spirit, hee ſaid unto his Diſciples, Luke 24. verſ. 39. Behold my hands and my Feete, for it is I my ſelfe: handle mee and ſee: for a Spirit hath not fleſh and bones, as yee ſee mee have. So that, Mr. Montague, except a man have loſt all his ſenſes, hee will eaſily perceive the Sacrifice of the Maſſe, and the Sacrifice of Jeſus Chriſt are two different things, for the Sacrifice of Jeſus Chriſt had Fleſh, Bloud and Bones, the Sacrifice of the Maſſe, is neither fleſh, nor fiſh, nor good read Herring, it is neither Man nor Beaſt; I pray, Mr. Montague, anſwer mee ingenuouſly, do you really and indeed believe that that Breaden Wafer the Prieſt holdeth up in his hands, or that lieth upon the Altar, that Dagon of Ginger-bread is the very Chriſt, the Saviour of the World, who is now at the right Hand of God? doe you believe a peece of Bread to be God-man, doe you I ſay believe, that which is betweene the Prieſts hands, ever to have beene in the wombe of the Virgin, to be of the ſeede of Abraham, of the Tribe of Iudah, and to have ſuffered under Pontius Pilate? I am confident your conſcience telleth you the contrary, when you know that it is a meere peece of dow. How then dare you, Maſter Montague, give that honour to a peece of bread that is due to the Lord of life? Was there ever in the world a more unheard of Idolatry? And yet this, Maſter Montague, is the dayly ſervice of the Church of Rome, which is worſe than the worſhiping of Molecke, Rimmon, or the God of Ekron, and exceedeth all either heatheniſh or Iewiſh ſuperſtition. But now I come to ſhew the difference betweene them in reſpect of the formall cauſe. The Sacrifice of Ieſus Chriſt was the giving up of his Spirit into the hands of God his Father, the laying down of his life, the ſeparation of the humane ſoule from his body, and the effuſion of his bloud, and the wounding and piercing of his glorious Body; but in the ſacrifice of the Maſſe there is none of all this, you your ſelves calling it an unbloudy ſacrifice, and by virtue of your concomitancy as you tearme it, you joyne fleſh and bloud, ſoule and body together and make that whole which on the Croſſe was in all reſpects ſeparated: Ergo, the Sacrifice of the Maſſe is not the Sacrifice of Jeſus Chriſt, but a monſter to be abominated of all men, as that that robs Chriſt the Lord of his due honour, and all the adorers and worſhippers of it, of eternall happineſſe, who worſhip a peece of Bread for very God, and in that perpetrate the greateſt Idolatry that ever was committed: And ſo exclude themſelves out of Heaven, for, no Idolater ſhall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven. Revel. 21. verſ. 8. But the Fearfull and Ʋnbelievers and Idolaters, ſhall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire, and which is the ſecond death. And therefore, M. Montague, it highly concerneth you to looke about you, and to conſider well what you do when you goe to Maſſe. But now I come to the laſt cauſe of difference. The Sacrifice of Jeſus Chriſt was of that virtue and efficacy, and offered up to this very end that it might be a ranſome for all believers, 1 Tim. chap. 2. verſ. 6. And Heb. 10.14. For by once offering he hath perfected for ever them that are ſanctified. But the ſacrifice of the Maſſe, is neither of any power or efficacy, nor never yet perfected any, and by the confeſſion of the Papiſts themſelves muſt many times be reiterated to bring one poore ſoule out of their fained Purgatory, therefore in regard alſo of the end it is not the ſame, but differeth from the ſacrifice of Jeſus Chriſt, and ought to be caſt out of the World, as a beaſtly Idoll and an abomination and as a thing of no efficacy and power to ſave any man from miſery, but all-ſufficient to damn ſoules and ſend them to perdition, and to bring downe the judgements of God upon the Nations and Kingdomes, where it is ſet up, as all Idolatry doth, for the Lord will judge thoſe Nations with all manner of plagues, that provoke him by their Idolatries, and after caſt them into the lake that burneth with Fire and Brimſtone, which is the ſecond death; Which that, Mr. Montague, you and all men may ſhun, it deeply concerneth you to conſult what a fearfull condition you yet are in, and all thoſe that are of the Faith and Religion of the Church of Rome which is the Mother of all abomination: and duly alſo to weigh the haynouſneſſe of your offence, who cauſleſly ſo ſeparated your ſelfe from your Mother the Church of England, whom I have as I conceive ſufficiently in my foregoing diſcourſe proved to be a true Church, and built upon the foundation of Peter the ground and Pillar of Truth Mr. Montague, That which I have now to ſay unto you is this. God hath given you excellent parts, and beſtowed many mercies and favours on you, and his long ſuffering, and patience towards you has beene great in all reſpects, who have hitherto imployed your gifts to wrong your own ſoule, and miſlead others, let it be enough, that you have gone ſo farre, and have hither ſo abuſed Gods loving kindneſſe towards you, knowing that the goodneſſe of God leadeth you to Repentance: and therefore take he…d leſt perſevering in theſe erroneous and damnable Idolatries and ſacrilegious impious opinions, you treature not up unto your ſelfe wrath againſt the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgement of God: which that you may not do, it ſhall ever be the Prayer of him that wiſheth no leſſe happineſſe to your ſoule and body than to himſelfe, and who ſhall alwayes remaine
Sir, Yours in the Lord, JOHN BASTVVICK.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Bastwick, The Church of England a True Church (1645)