The Protestant religion truely stated and justified by the late Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter ; prepared for the press some time before his death ; whereunto is added, by way of preface, some account of the learned author, by Mr. Danel Williams and Mr. Matthew Sylvester.

The Two and Fiftieth accused Point.

That the publick Service of the Church, ought not to be said, but in a Language that all the People may understand.

Ans. The Reformed Catholicks indeed hold this, with these exceptions: 1. That by All be meant the Ordinary Congrega∣tion; not meaning that if a French-man, or a Dutch-man, come in among them, they must needs speak to him apart in his own Tongue.

2. That if any Rustick, Illiterate, or No∣vices, understand not many words in the Translation of the Bible, or some apt words of the Minister, we must not there∣fore change the Translation, nor forbear those apt words that are suited to the more Intelligent; but help to amend the under∣standing of the Ignorant.

But that in Publick and Private, the Congregation should understand what they hear as the Word of God, and what is said in Confession, Prayer and Praise to God, this we hold as a matter of grand importance.

1. Because it's purposely, plainly, and copiously decided so by the Holy Ghost, in the Apostle Paul, 1 Cor 14. Do but read the Chapter and judge.

2. Because Christ always Preached to the people in a known Tongue.

3. He prayed, Joh 17. in a known Tongue, and taught them so to pray.

4. The Apostles where ever they came, Preached and Prayed in a known Tongue.

5. They wrote the Gospels, the Acts, and all their Epistles, to whole Churches, in the Tongue most commonly known to the Reader, and so to be read to, or by all.

6. It was their standing Rule; Let all be done to Edification.

7. Their Preaching and writing was all for Teaching: And it is no Teaching to speak to men in a strange Language, (unless we be teaching them to under∣stand it.)

8. Praying is the expressing of known desires to God: It's no Prayer that ex∣presseth no Desire, and Ignoti nulla Cupi∣do: There is no Desire, save sensitive Ap∣petite, that supposeth not Knowledge that the thing is good and needful. The words of a Parrot are not a Prayer. And con∣fession of Sin is the act of a penitent Soul, and it is no Repentance or Confession that is but words of they know not what: It's no penitent Confession to hear or speak words, not understood what Sin they signifie.

And to give God thanks, implyeth that we understand what Mercies or bene∣fits

the words express. And to praise God is understandingly to magnifie his perfect∣ions or Works. So that words without understanding them, are no more to be called Prayer, Praise, Confession, Thanks∣giving, than the singing of a Bird is, or the Crowing of a Cock.

9. No reasonable man would be thus served or conversed with: A Parent in∣deed can understand an Abba, or a look from an Infant; but it is on supposition, that the Infant himself perceiveth what he would have: And if it be not by intel∣lectual but sensitive perception, it is no more a Petition to his Father, than a Dogs waiting for Food, tho' the person deserves more pity. So God understand∣eth the meaning of Spiritual Groans, in one that wants words for large expression: But that supposeth that it is true inward desires after him which those Groans signifie.

But publick worship requireth a conjun∣ction of Soul and Service, and therefore a conjunct understanding: Else there is no true Union and Communion in the wor∣ship. For one sound of words with dis∣cord of desires, is no Christian Union and Communion. It must be supposed that either the Hearers are not praying at all,

or else that every one is secretly praying after his own thoughts for various things, without any Concord.

What melody would it be for all the Church to sing in as many Tunes as per∣sons? What King or Judge will take it for a Petition, for a man to talk-gibberish to him, or say he knoweth not what?

10. Even Papists deride Quakers, for meeting to say nothing: And what diffe∣rence is there, when they hear and say nothing understood, saving that the Voice maketh it a more pompous Mockery, than the Quakers Silence? O! who would have thought that the primitive manner of publick worship, should ever have dege∣nerated into such a prophane abuse of God and man, against plain Scripture, univer∣sal practice, and humane Reason? And this as a part of a grand design to kill the Life of all true Religion▪ and delude Souls with the dead Carkass of mortified For∣malities, and Ceremonies; and that men should think that Souls are saved as Wiz∣ards do pretend, to do Cures by Charms of words not understood; they serve God with empty shells, when they have cast away the Kernels: Like the silly Samari∣tan▪ Woman, that lookt for a Christ to come to tell them, whether in this Moun∣tain

or at Jerusalem men ought to worship, little knowing what it was to worship God as a Spirit, in Spirit and Truth, when it should be neither at that Mountain, or at Jerusalem.

But hath this man no Scripture, (against Scripture?) Yes, Luk. 1.8. [The people were praying without, while the Priest was offering Incense within.] Therefore the publick Worship may be performed, so as the people understand not: That, 1. The Priests action only out of their sight is the publick worship, and the peo∣ples praying is not so. 2. The offering Incense, is Praying; or because the peo∣ple are not to do the Priests Office in Incense and Sacrificing, therefore Mini∣sters must pray and praise God alone, without the people, and all this publick worship. 3. If the Levitical, Sacrifices were offered by the Priest alone, Christs Gospel worship must be performed by the Priest alone, the people not knowing what he saith: And the precepts and ex∣amples of the New-Testament, must all be reduced to the Levitical Order of In∣cense and Sacrificing. 4. And is he sure that all the people in the outer Court, prayed they knew not what, or in an unknown Tongue? What use is Scripture of to these men?

His next is, Levit. 16.17. None was to go in with the Priest to make attonement for the Congregation, &c. Ans. You see that these men are Judaizers, and set up the Levitical Law for the Churches Rule of Service, as if Christ had not changed the Law. But our Question is not now, Whether their Priest have any solitary at∣tonement to make for the Congregation; but whether Christ hath not instituted such publick worship, in which Ministers and people must understandingly joyn? Doth their Priest celebrate their Mass alone, out of the peoples sight or hearing, in a Sanctuary while they are in the outer Court? Do not their people assemble to their Mass? Will they stand to it, that their Church renounceth all worship of God in Holy Assemblies, save by the Priest alone? And is this the Holy Catho∣lick Church?

And the man here professedly calls the Priests solitary action, the publick Service, which is for the people, and not by them, and therefore they need not understand; and all the peoples Prayers are private and should be understood; so that (the Mystery ope∣ned,) either the Priest is all the Church, or else they have no publick Church Service, if they must meet, that every one may

have a secret Prayer of his own, and may only see the Priests Service called pub∣lick. And by this he pretends that he answereth Paul, 1 Cor. 14. Adding most shamelesly, 1. That it seemeth there by the Text, that the common Service of the Church, was not then in a Tongue com∣monly understood. 2. Because there was one to supply the place of the Ideots, to say Amen, where he saith, that the Geneva∣men, most deceitfully and maliciously Tran∣slated, [He that is an Ideot, how shall he say Amen?] And raileth at them for putting [So be it.] O! what is man, and how incredible is the pretended infallible Cler∣gy, that can expect that all men trust their Souls on such palpable deceit! When St. Paul spent a great part of the Chapter to disswade those that by Inspiration, could speak strange Languages, that they should not use them in the Church, as being un∣edifying, or at least not without an Inter∣preter; this man gathers, that the com∣mon Service was in an unknown Tongue? As if this disswaded use of some Prophets gift, were the common Service. 2. And when he disswadeth them from Praying in an unknown Tongue, or giving thanks in it, saying, else how can he that occupi∣eth the Room of the unlearned say Amen,

this man feigneth, that yet they were to give thanks in an unknown Tongue, and one was to supply the place of the Ideot or unlearned, in saying Amen, (See vers. 23.) Paul would have all say Amen, this man says one was to do it for them: Paul argueth that therefore they must speak to the understanding of the unlearn∣ed: This man turneth his own words against him: Doth his Supplier of the Ide∣ots place himself, understand or not? If not, Paul saith, How can he say Amen? If he do, how doth he supply the place of the Ideots, that are supposed should say Amen, and cannot?

For the sake of this Chapter and In∣stance, I shall never think any words so plain, that Papists cannot turn against their most evident sense.

But what is the Man's pretence for this erroneous Confidence? Why, the Vulgar Latine Translateth it, Qui supplet locum, instead of Qui implet locum: And that La∣tin Translator by supplet meant the same as implet, possidet vel tenet: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is well known to signifie to fill up: Their own Expositors are many of them for the Sence which this Doctor chargeth as de∣ceitfully and maliciously given: Cornelius a Lapide saith that, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is Denuo im∣plere,

vel simul & Communiter omnes im∣plere, to fill again, or all together, or in common to fill: It is not Qui supplet vicem indocti, but Qui locum occupat inter in▪doctos, or Idiotae locum tenet.

And so it is expounded by the anci∣ents, Chrysostom, Occumenius, Theophy∣sact.

And are not these Roman Priests noto∣riously Perjured, that all Swear to ex∣pound the Scripture, according to the unanimous consent of the Fathers, when as (besides that the Fathers have but few of them written Commentaries on the Scriptures, there are very few of them that unanimously agree, of the Sence of the one half of the Scripture Texts, but either say nothing of them, or differ: And not only in this, but in most points named by this Doctors Touchstone, he and others go flat against them?

And what meaneth the man to rail at them, that say So be it, instead of Amen? Is it not a true Translation? But he will prove that it should not be Translated, and consequently that Servict may be said in an unknown Tongue, for Amen is not Greek but Hebrew. Ans. 1 . Who can stand before these Arguments, if they be but backt with Guns and Swords, or

Smithfield Fires, which are too hot for any Answer save Patience. He may also prove it from Christs Words on the Cross, Eloi Eloi Lamasabacthani: For Christ was now the most publick Priest, and was offering the most publick Service by his Sacrifice: Ergo, the publick Service should be in an unknown Tongue: And it may be, they may find some other untranslated word, that shall confute not only all the Bible, but all the Septuagint and Vulgar Latine Translations.

But seeing these Men's Arguments are too hot for me to answer, as they might know that the Church of England refuseth not AMEN, so neither will I, (though as I can prove, that the Corinthian Church were Hebrews and Gentiles mixt, and that Amen was understood by both; so Prote∣stants use it as a word understood.)

From the Serpents Seed, and his deceiv∣ing subtil Lies: From Cain and his Suc∣cessours, and the malignant and Blood-thir∣sty Enemies of Abels faithful acceptable wor∣ship; from such a worldly and fleshly Sa∣cred Generation as take gain for Godliness, and make their worldly carnal interest the Standard of their Religion, and their proud Domination to pass for the Kingdom of Christ: From an Ʋsurping Vice-Christ,

whose ambition is so boundless, as to extend to the Prophetical, Priestly and Kingly Headship, over all the Earth, even at the Antipodes; and to that which is proper to God himself, and our Redeemer: From a Leprous Sect, which Condemneth the far greatest part of all Christs Church on Earth, and separateth from them, and calleth it self, the whole and only Church: From that Church that de∣creeth Destruction, to all that renounce not all humane Sense, by believing that Bread is not Bread, nor that Wine is Wine, but Christs very Flesh and Blood, who now hath properly no Flesh and Blood, but a Spiritual Body; and that decreeth the Excommunication, Depo∣sition, and Damnation, of all Princes that will not exterminate all such; and absolveth their Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance: From that Beast whose Mark is PER Perjury, Perfidi∣ousness, and Persecution, and that think they do God acceptable Service, by kil∣ling his Servants, or tormenting them; and that Religion which feedeth on Christs Flesh, by Sacrificing those that he calleth his Flesh and Bones, Ephes.5. From the infernal Dragon, the Father of Lies, Malice, and Murder, and all his

Ministers and Kingdom of Darkness: GOOD LORD make haste to de∣liver thy Flock; and confirm their Faith, Hope, Patience, and their Joyful desire, of the great, true, final, Glorious De∣liverance, AMEN. AMEN, AMEN.

FINIS.