Page images
PDF
EPUB

Luth. I hope you will fee the danger of fchifm and repent your folly, and not continue under the cenfure of excommunication.

Mof. I obferve you make no diftinction be tween the divine law and the law of the realm, which is human.

Calv. If diffenting from the religion of the ftate be criminal, you involve Luther and Calvin in the wicked apoftacy and the whole reformation, in which Kore, Dathan, and Abiram, with all that appertained to them, were guilty, which plumped them into the jaws of hell.

Luth. No perfon of reafon can fufpect that I mean to criminate the champion of Chriftendom, from whom I received my christianity, I only mean to confirm the excommunication of that great man against popery, and all diffenters from his law.

Calv. Your human, and carnal law, is the gofpel of you Lutherans, oppofite to the gofpel of Christ.

Luth. Obedience is better than facrifice.

[ocr errors]

Calv. Let me put this question, which, I believe, will confound your method of reafoning, and free us from the odium you feem to ftigmatize us with. Was it obedience in Luther to diffent, oppose, and place himself as a bulwark against all laws, both divine, and laws of his country, and never ceafed raifing feditions? and I may be allowed, rebellious, to beat, maim and kill all who dare gainfay his violent infected will. The fpirit parted our meek and faint-like forefathers from fo turbu

[blocks in formation]

3

lent, violent and carnal a man, ftifled with pride, &c. as our fathers have fet forth.

Mof. We draw to the clofe of our third Conference, and you have not proved one charge against your Catholic Mother, to anfwer my purpose, I will therefore bring it to a conclufion.

Mof. The day is far fpent, your table well fpread, exhaling a fumigation that, by appearance, has overcome your manly deportment. The features and colours of your faces are in a moment transfigurated; and your eager, quick, keen, hot, four, earneft, angry, impa tient, and devouring refolves, mark out the fchool in which you have both been trained. This is, perhaps, not one of the fmalleft crimes you ftand accountable, both for yourselves and flocks. You are no ftrangers to the reftrictions laid down and enjoined, both by the Jewish covenant and chriftian. The church of England, if I mistake not, Mr. Luther, commands the following fafts: feventeen vigils, one vigil before a holyday; the forty days of Lent ; the Ember-days, at the four feafons, being the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, after the first Sunday in Lent. 2d, The Feast of Pentecoft. 3d, September 14. 4th, December 13. The three Rogation days, being the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Holy Thursday, and all Fridays, except Christmasday fhould fall on a Friday. This you teach or ought to train up yourfelves and flocks in. Without this duty to your church you cannot pretend or fancy yourfelves in the way of fal

vation.

Luth.

Lath. What goeth into the mouth defileth hot, but that which proceedeth from the heart fo that we make no diftinétions in meats, or days, according to the fcriptures.

Mof. This is Calviniftical logic, which should never efcape the lips of a parfon, or any member of the church of England. Obferve this, a perfon in your ticklish ftate of religion should be guarded on every fide, having no friend to fuccour, relieve, or fuftain you.

Luth. The fcriptures are our fuccour and help.

Mof. If you will not obey the church, you are a heathen and a publican.

Luth. Our church does not faft.

Mof. She then proves herself a heathen and publican. Chrift will judge her, in his own words, out of your own mouth I judge you, you wicked fervant. Again the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away, then shall his difciples faft. This fentence will condemn you, as the eating of the forbidden fruit is the condemnation of Adam and bis pofterity,

Calv. Mr. Mofes, you have proved this matter by a pofitive demonftration. The church of the living God, dictated by his fpirit, commands no obedience from her children but. what is damnation and reprobation to refufe. This is a truth which none but reprobates can gainfay.

Luth. You then condemn the church of England in a state of reprobation.

Mof. Calvin does not condemn you, your church condemns you; yourself condemns

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

Adam and Eve for eating the apple, which had it not been proved was a fair and excellent fruit; but the difobedience changed its excellent deliciousness into the everlasting ftings and torments of the damn'd. Oh, the eternal lot, and never-ending pains of a difobedient loft foul; for a bit of meat, I will give up my God.

Luth. Can a man of reafon give into this Jewish and papistical doctrine, for common fenfe and reafon makes this clear, that days make no alteration in meats; therefore what is wholefome and permitted on Thursday is equally fo on Friday.

Mof. Do you own yourself a Calvinift?

Luth. I deteft Calvinifm as I do a fnake. Mof. What are your objections to Calvinifm?

Luth. Their diabolical principles, and in all their opinions vague and heterodox.

Calv. We keep ftaunch and faithful to what we pretend; but you, throughout your whole' conduct, profefs the church of England, and act on principles of Calvinifm, with your mouth. That is your church; you cry out faft and with the fame mouth, you vipers brood, you feed upon the very morfel you con demn. The tongue that holds forth the con demnation, perfidious member, is the very inftrument that gives its affiftance to twift and convey the poifoned bit into your ftomachs. Double-hearted crew. You cry God's mercy, and laugh, with a fneer in his face; fo that the proper title that marks you is damnation.

Mof.

Mof. It is unfavourable to refufe the difcipline of your mother; you appear incorrigible and licentious, and your church without regus larity, rule or order.

Luth. Your fynagogue is under fevere reftraint; but the law of grace gives liberty of will. Mof. You do not call difobedience religion

Luth. We concluded needful to lay certain duties on vulgar and illiterate minds, in order to keep up a certain fhew of religion amongst them, but by no means to yoke ourselves. You do not enter into the fpirit of our reformation, without which the appearance makes an une pleafing afpect.

Mof. You accufe your church of anarchy, connivance, irreligion, contradictory and diametrically oppofite to good morals and found doctrine, by what has escaped you, and your lives in general prove you do not confider it from God; but contrived, as you fay, to keep the vulgar in awe. This, I fear, is too generally believed; for we obferve the learned and great are the more licentious. I will finifh, bidding you to be as careful of your fouls as you are of pampering your bodies. Adieu. Luth. & Calv. We are now at liberty; a happy riddance. Adieu.

Luth. Blefs and increafe us and these thy creatures, O Lord, that we may enlarge daily in this life and enjoy all things with you in the

next.

Calv. So be it.

Lutb. & Calv, The whole is well cooked

moft delicious.

Amen.

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »