Fides Catholica, or, The doctrine of the Catholick Church in eighteen grand ordinances referring to the Word, sacraments and prayer, in purity, number and nature, catholically maintained, and publickly taught against hereticks of all sorts : with the solutions of many proper and profitable questions sutable to to [sic] the nature of each ordinance treated of / by Wil. Annand ...

SECT. VI.

The Sixth thing we promised in the opening of the Doctrine was to draw some Corolarier which shall be of Information and of Dioection.

• I. Information. And that
  • 1. Of the necessity of having the s••cred Scripture in a known Tongue. It cannot dwell Richly where it is not understood; a strange Language cannot edify the so••l that hears not: how shall the Lord be praised, served and worshipped by him that cannot un∣derstand the Lords meaning. If the Trumpet give an u••certain

• ...
  • ... sound, who shall prepare himself to battel? •• Cor. 14.8. So like∣wise you, except you utter from the Tongue things easie to be under∣stood, how shall it be known what is spoken? The Scripture ought not to be kept from the people by keeping it in an unknown Language. Sacrilegious, therefore is the Church of Rome for so doing. It ought not so to be. For
    • 1. The Prophets and Apostles that were the writers of it, writ it in Tongues then known and common to every Nation did they Preach and write in that common vulgar tongue then in use in that Nation.
    • 2. They are to be the Spiritual weapons for those that receive them. The Scripture is the Armour of a Christian, Ephes. 6.17. his Armour is to be by him, to secure him at all times against his Ene∣mies that are always watching an opportunity against him.
    • 3. There is a generall precept for all Christians to search them, Iob. 5 29. Deut. 31.11. This command is not only for Scholars, but for the whole company of Believers; every one singularly, and all of them universally are to search the Scriptures; they must therefore be in a Tongue and Language that they can under∣stand.
    • 4 It is against Common equity and justice. When Modecai wrote Letters to the hundred twenty and seven Provinces, Est. 8.9. He write unto every Province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their Language; and ought not the mind of God and the gospell of our Lord, be made known to all, according to their severall Languages? its but equity that people understand those Laws, they are governd by; especially when their lives are in hazard, as the case was then with the Jews; but most of all when mens souls are in hazard, as the case is now with the Ro∣manists.

    But let me not wrong Rome; she lately consented since neces∣sity drove her to it, to allow Bibles to some in their Vulgar Tongue; yet prayers to be made, Sacraments to be delivered to a people, Church or Congregation in a tongue common, that is in any, save in the Latin, is no lesse sin at Rome then blasphemy: making the poor people at those Ordinances, p••••take of that that they have no knowledge of.

• ...
  • ...

    From their practice in this dissent the Reformed Churches; and the Church of England, Article 14. the Article it self is this.

    Art. 24. of the Church of England.

    It is a thing plainly repugnant to the word of God, and the custom of the Primitive Church, to have publick prayer in the Church, or to minister Sacraments in a tongue not understood of the people.

  • 2. This informs us with what spirit they are possessed, that con∣temn or flight the Scriptures, and tread it underfoot as unsavoury salt, counting it an unholy thing. Must the word of Christ dwell richly in all? How is it that many scorn it all? That spirit that is in them sets its face against that Spirit that the Scripture was written by: therefore we may know whence he came: but of these &c.
• 2. Direction.

  Seeing how necessary it is that the word of Christ be known and received, it is expedient to direct the Christian to walk in that Road where the word of Christ is to be found, that he may bring salvation to his house.

  The Direction shall be general, to follow or practise four things; which are four Ordinances of God, contemned and slighted in this Age, though they be necessary means of the words indwelling, and the power of God to salvation: the Directions are these;

  • 1. To read the Scriptures.
  • 2. To hear the Scriptures.
  • 3. To confer about the Scriptures.
  • 4. To sing some part of the Scriptures.

  Which being practised by the watering of his grace that work∣eth all, the good man shall bring forth of his treasure things new and old; his leaf shall never wither, nor be shaken with the blasts of persecution, nor blusterings of Hereticks or Seducers, which is the cause and ground of our undertaking this subject at this time, wherein so many are shaken to and ••ro by every wind of Doctrine; desiring to establish you in that Faith, once given to the Saints, and

• ...

  to confirm you in the do••••rine of the holy Catholick Church, to which I presume you were baptized, we shall from this Text main∣tain several grand truths, in reference to the Word, Sacraments, and Prayer, which may serve you as Antidotes against that poyson that hath already slain thousands at our right hand, and ten thou∣sand at our left: but we must first come to the last Section, and see some questions resolved.