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S E a/" E N T E E N
SERMONS
AGAINST
POPERY,
PREACHED AT
SALTERS-HALL,
In the Year Mdccxx:>«v.
By the following Ministers;
VIZ. Mr. John Barker, 1 rjEREMiAiiHuNi-^D.D. Mr. Sam. Chandler, I Mr. Joshua Bayes, Daniel Neal, M. A. I Mr. jo . Burroughs, GeorgeSxMyth,M.A. v,^ Mr. John Nev/man, e Wright, I J. EarlI:, D. D.
Samuel W. Harris
D.D.
O. Hughes, D. D. J
Mr. Moses Low man, B.Grosvenor, D.D. ^Mr. Tho, Leavesly.
T> V B L I N:
Printed by S. P o w e l l,
ForR.GuNNE, G.RisK, G. Ewing, W. Smith,
J. Smith and W. Bruce, Bookfellers.
MDCCXXXV.
-4r
4
THE
CONTENTS
Serm.I. DOPE J? y the great Corruption of Chrifiianity. By John Barker.
5. Cor. xi. 3. But Ifear^ left by any means ^ as the Serpent beguiled Eve, thro* his fuhtilty 5 fo your minds Jhould be corrupted from theftmpUcity that is in Chrift, Page i
Serm. II, III. Two Treatifes on the Notes of the Church, By Samuel Chandler,
% Tim. iii. 14, if. ^efe things write I unto thee^ hoping to come unto thee Jhirtly, But if I tarry long^ that thou may eft know how thou oughteft to behave thyfelf in the Houfe of Gody which is the church of the living Gody the pillar and ground of truth,
StRM. IV. Tht Supremacy of St. Peter and the Bifhops of Rome his SuccefTors , confidered. By Daniel Neal, M.A.
Matt. xvi. 18, ip. And I fay alfo unto theCj that thou art Peter ^ and upon this Rock I will build my churchy and the gates of hell fhall not prevail againft it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the king- dom of heaven^ and whatfoever thou fhalt bind on a X earth
CONTENTS.
earth Jlyall he hound in hcanjen^ and zvhatfoever thou fialt loofe on earth Jh all he Ipofed in heaven. , 1 1 8
Serm. V. The Church o( Rome's Claim of ^«- thority and Infallibility^ examined. By Geqrge Smyth, M.A.
z Cor. i. 24. Not for that *we have Dominion ovzr your Faith ^ hut are helpers of your joy : For by Faith ye Ji and. 14P
Sfi R M . V L Scripture and Tradition confidered . By Samuel Wright, D. D.
Ephef. ii. 20. And are huilt upon the foundation of the apoftles and prophet s^ J^fi^ Chriji himfelf being the chief corner-fi one, I p }
Serm. VII. A Difcoiirfe concerning Tranfuh^ Jlantiation: In which the ff^ords of the Injlitw tion of the Lord's-Supper are particularly con* fidered. By W. Harris, D.D.
Lukexxii. ip, 20. This is my Body ivhich is given for you : [which is broken for you^ i Cor. xi. 24.]
This do in remembrance of me. This cup is the
•iievj tefiament in my bloody which is find for you.
Serm. VIII. The Veneration o^SaintszrA Images^ as taught and praftis'd in the Church of Rome^ examined. By O. Hughes, D. D.
Ifaiah xlii. 8. lam the LORD^ that is my name^ and 7ny glory will I not give to another^ neither my praifi to graven images. ^^7
Sepm. IX. The Sources of corrupting both Natural and Revealed Religion, exemplified ni
the
CONTENTS.
the Romijh Doftrine o£ Penance ^ndPilgr images ^ By Jeremiah Hunt, D. D.
Mark vi. 12. And they went out ^ and preach' d that men Jhould repent. 314
Serm. X. The Church of Rome's DoSfrme and Pra^ice with relation to the Worjhip of God in an unknown 'Tongue^ examined. By Joshua Bayes.
I Cor. xiv. p.^ iS*^ Ukewife ye^ except ye utter with the tongue words eafy to be underftood^ how jhall it he known what is fpoken ? for ye jhall [peak into the air, 357
Serm. XI. The P^/iySDoftrine of auricular Con- fefTion and prieftly Abfolution, confidered. By Joseph Burroughs.
John XX. 21 5 12, 23. 'Then faidjefus to them again^ Peace he unto you ', as my Father hath fent me^ enjen [0 fend I you. And when he had faid this^ he breathed on them^ and faith unto thcm^ Receive ye the Holy Ghofi -, whofefoever fins ye remit ^ they are remitted unto them j and whofefoever fins ye retainy they are retained, 567
Serm. XII. The Popiflo Doftrine of Merit and Juftification confidered. By John Newman.
Rom. iv. 4. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace ^ but of debt. 40 f
Serm. XIII. The Popifi T^o&ntitoi Purgatory repugnant to the Scripture Account of Remiffion through the Blood o( ChrijLBy]. Earle,D.D.
I John i. 7. The blood of Jefus Chrifi his Son
ckanfeth us from all fin . 43^
a 5 Serm.
CONTENTS.
Serm. XIV. ThePrincip'les oi Popery fchifmatical. By Moses Lowman.
Rom. xi. zz. Behold therefore the goodriefs and fe- ver it y of God 'y on them which fell feverity^ but towards thee goodnefs^ if thou continue in his good-^ nefs^ otherwife thou alfo Jhalt be cut off. 478
Serm. XV. Perfecution and Cruelty in the Princi- ples, Pradices, and Spirit of ihtRomifh Church, By B. Grosvenor, D. D.
Johnxvi. 2. I'heyjhallputyououtofthefynagogues'y yea^ the time cometh that whofoever kilUth yau will think that he doeth God fervice. yop
Serm. XVI. The Reafons and Neceffity of the Reformation. By Thomas Leavesly.
Hebrews xi. 8. By faith Abraham^ when he wat called to go out, iyito a place which he floould after i-ecH've for an inheritance^ obeyed '^ and he went out ^ not knowing whither he went, J" 36
Serm. XVII. A (econd Difcourfe concerning ^ranfubftantiation: In which the {ixth Chapter of St. John's Gofpel is particularly confidered. By W.Harris, D.D.
Johnvi. fj. Verily^ 'verily^ 1 fay unto you^ Except ye eat the fleflo of the fon of man^ and drink his Moody ye have no life in you. f^i
P o P E R ir
(O
Popery the great Corruption of Chri- ftianity.
A
SERMON
PREACHED AT
S alter s-Hall^ Jan. 9, 1734-j. By JOHN 'BARKER,
2 Cor. xi. 3.
But I fear, left by any means, as the Serpent beguiled Eve, thro' his fubtilty ; fo your minds jhould be corrupted from the Jimp li- city that is in Chrift,
PURSUANT to the Notice which has been publickly given in the feveral Congre- gations of Proteftant Diflenters in and about this City, I appear here to-day •, not fo much to begin the Courfe of Sermons intended to be preach'd in this Place every tlourfday Morning, againft Popery, for fome Time to come, as to in- troduce this Defign, and to let you know what you are to expe6t on this Occafion, and what has f. B induced
2 Popery the great Corruption
induced fo many of us to engage in this Bufinefs at this particular Jundure. Now I may venture to tell you in the general, and at prefent. That you may expect to hear, fo far as thefe Sermons go, the Proteflant Religion defended, and the Popiih Re- ligion fairly charg'd, fully heard, and folemnly condemned, as the grand Apoftacy of the Chriflian Church, a grofs Corruption of Gofpel Simplicity, and a wicked Defign to raife the Authority of Men upon the Ruins of the Authority of Chrift, and to mcreafe their Wealth, Power, and Grandeur in the World, at the Expence of all Civil and Re- ligious Liberty. So odious and dangerous a Thing is Popery 5 and therefore Papiils mufl excufe us, who are thoroughly perfuaded of this fad Truth, if we expofe and treat it accordingly.
Yet this I will venture to fay, and I would chufe to fay it here. That we bear no ill Will to the Per- fons of Papiils, and how ill foever we think of their Religion, we pity them who profefs it, as deluded People, and are grieved for the Blindnefs that has happen d t/) them^ and for the Hardnefs of their Hearts : They very well know, that much has been faid and written by Proteftants for their Convi£tion, and to take off the Veil from their Faces, and we charitably believe concerning many of them, that could they get rid of the Prejudices of Education ; could they come at more and better Light 5 might they fearch the Scriptures, and were not their Inquiries pre- vented by the terrifying Apprehenfions of Cenfure and Punifhment, and were they not intoxicated with the Arts and Sophiftry of crafty anddefigning Men, they would forfake this idolatrous and impure Communion, and readily embrace the Protellant Reformation.
Whether anyPapifts will attend this Lecture or no, I know not j many there are, it feems, both Priefts and Profelytes, in and near this City 3 fhould the one Sort fee fit^ and the other be permitted to
attend
/
of Chriftianity. '5
attend this Service, I verily believe they would hear enough to convince any candid and unpreju- diced Chriftian alive, that Popery is not the fureft Way to Salvation, and that the Proteflant Religi- on, which they fo injurioufly call a damnable Herefy^ and fo freely and frequently curfe, is the Ytry'Truth as it is in Jefus^ and that Faith which was once delivered unto the Saints. In this Faith we mean to confirm our own People j it is the Defign of this Ledure to arm and guard Proteftants againfl the Errors and Dangers of Popery 5 what therefore naturally arifes from theSubjefts in debate will be faid freely, tho', I hope. Care will be taken not to tranfgrefs the Rules of Decency > and fhould Curiofity, or any other Motive, induce either Popifh Priefts or People to be prefent here, I dare fay, they will have no juft Caufeto complain, that they are not treated in this Controverfy either as Gentlemen or as Chriftians. Some of us have heard it has been obje6ted5 that any Opportunity of Converfation upon the Mat- < ters in difpute between us and the Church of Rome has been refus'd, when delir'dj but I believe there is no fufficient Ground for fuch a Pretence. We firmly believe we have great Advantage in this Con- troverfy in Point of Argument, and this will be prov'd and maintain'd freely and fully, whether our Adverfaries care to hear it or no. For if the Bifhop o£ Rome will confidently affume what neither he nor any Man in the World has a Right to -, if Popiih Councils and Prelates will decree and impofe Falf- hood, Abfurdity, Contradiftion, and I know not what Stuff and Trumpery, and this upon Pain of Damnation, and when they have it in their Power, inforce their Authority with all the Cruelties of Perfecution, inhuman Torture, and Effufion of Blood, they mull expeft and bear to be told on't, and till they repent and renounce their Errors and Wickednefs, they muit ftand charg'd with them, and with all the Infamy and Reproach thefe things B z defcrve.
4 Popery the great Corruption
deferve. I fuppofe they'll complain j but if they do, they are to be told, the Fault and Blame is theirs 5 and this will be fhewn and proved to you from Authors and Records which Papills them- felves allow to be approved and genuine.
But before I proceed any further in the Account I am to give you of this Lefture, I will a little con- fider the Text juft now read : The Connexion and Import of which you may take thus.
The Apoille'P^/// having underftood thatfeveral great Diforders were crept into the Church of Corinth^ and that the Corinthians had gotten a new Leader, or Leaders, amongft them, who oppofed him, and raifed a Faftion among them, very much to their own Diihonour and his Prejudice, writes them two Letters j in the firffc of which he tries what Intereft and Power he had in this Church, and attempts to break the Faftion ftirr'd up againil him amongft the Corinthians^ and to reftify their Diforders. Having fucceeded in this Attempt, and found by 'Titus that they repented, fubmitted to his Orders, and were by his firft Letter brought into a good Difpofition of Mind towards him, he writes them this fecond Letter, in which he more freely juftifies himfelf, and deals more roundly and fharply with his Oppofers : This Defign runs thro' the firft feven Chapters of this Epiftle, and being interrupted by an Exhortation to a liberal Contri- bution towards the Neceflities of their poor Brethren at Jerufalem^ is afterwards refum'd, Chapter the loth, and continued in this: Would to God (fays he) Ver. i . you could hear "with me a little in my folly. So he modeftly calls his own Self- Defence, which if it had a Shew of Vanity they had made it necefTary . For I am jealous over you with godly jealoufy. I fear left the vilifying Speeches of my Adveriaries fhould pervert and miilead you. For Ihave efpoufed you to one husband^ that I may frefent
you
of Chriftianity. j*
you as a chafle virgin unto Chrift. I have formM you forChrift, and brought you to him, and am in care that you may not be drawn afide from that Subjec- tion and Obedience you owe to him. But I fear left by any means ^ i. e. fome means or other, as theSer" fent beguiled Eve thro'' his fuhtilty^ i.e. the Devil by the Serpent, under the Pretence of Kindnefs and other Arts, So your minds jhould be corrupted from the [implicit y that is in Chrift. q. d. I fear left your Hearts divide and rove, I am afraid of your being unchafte and corrupted. Chriftianity is plain and fimple, and no impure Mixtures are to be made or allowed with itj no Jewiih Obfervances, no human In- ventions, no old or new Traditions 5 to this fingly, without Addition or Alteration, Ihould Chnltians ftick and adhere, keeping to the Truth as it is in Jefus, and preferving iheSimplicity of theGofpel, not mingling it with any Thing that is falfe and foreign to it, not concealing any Part of it, or mixing any Falfhood with it, or wrefting and perverting the true Senfe and Meaning of it to ferve our own Ends, the Lufts of others, or any worldly Purpofes whatfoever.
Thus the Apoftle ihews his own fair Praftice, and the falfe and fraudulent Behaviour of his Adver- faries as to this in the 4th Chapter of this Epiftle, 2d Verfe, /Ve have renounced the hidden things of dijhonefty^ not walking in craftinefs^ nor handling the word of God deceitfully^ but by manifeftation of the truth J commending our [elves to every man's confcience in the fight of God,
From the Text thus explain'd, I ihould be led to obferve,
I. The Apoftle's Account of the Gofpel, or Chriftian Revelation, it is the Simplicity that is in Chrift,
II. The Concern he expreffes left thofe who are in poffeffion of the Gofpel ihould be corrupted from
B 5 the
6 Popery the great Corruption
the Simplicity of it. This he intimates by godly Jealoufy^ and holy Fear.
Now this as it gives one a pleafing and grateful View of the Gofpel, and engages ones Heart to receive it on Account of its Plainnefs and Perfpicu- ity, its SimpUcity and Purity > fo it ihews us the great Duty andBufinefs efpecially of Chriftian Mi- ni Iters, and that is, to preferve the SimpUcity of the Gofpel themfelves, and to warn and fortify all under their Care againll every flnful and dangerous Corruption. I am ftrangely miftaken if Popery be not a grofs Corruption of ChrilHanity, and a moft fcandalous Departure from the Simplicity that is in Chrill : In oppoiing therefore the Growth of this, carefully watching all its Motions, taking the A- larm ourfelves and giving a faithful Warning to others when we fee any of its Emiflaries taking Pains to propagate this Religion, efpecially if they do it, or are likely to do it with any Succefs 5 is, no doubt, a6bing in Charafter as Chriftian Minillers, and do- ing the Duty of Watchmen^ Overfeers^ Shepherds^ and Stewards who are intrufted with the rich and invaluable Treafure of the Gofpel, and of whom it is required that they be found faithful to God and Chrift, to their own Souls and the Souls ot others.
Permit me to give you only a fhort and general View of Popery under the following Heads, and then leave you to conclude. Whether it be not a Corruption of the Simplicity that is in Chrift.
1 . Many DoiSlrines of Popery are falfe and ab* furd.
2. PopiHi Worftiip is idolatrous.
5. Many Pradtices it recommends are impious and wickccl.
4. The Spirit of Popery is tyrannical, domi- neering iind cruel.
I. Many
of Chriftianity. 7
I . Many Doftrines of Popery are falfe and ab- furd. There are, I acknowledge, fome common Chriftian Principles in which Proteftants and Pa- pifls both agree > fuch as the Being and Perfe6tions of God, the Truth and Infpiration of the Scrip- tures, the Do6trine of the Trinity, and that of the Death, Sufferings, and Satisfaction of Jefus Chriftthe Son of God, our only Lord and Savi- our 'y but then Popery corrupts fo as well nigh to deflroy fome of thefe, and adds many others which are both falfe, abfurd, and dangerous. For infiance^ Papifts own the Bible to be the Word of God, and they allow that all Scripture is given by the infpiration of God 5 but then they make the Scripture to depend upon their Church both for the Authority, Truth, and Senfe of it. Take away, fays the Jefuit, (whoni the celebrated Mr. Chillingworth fo effe6tu- ally anfwered) the Authority of the Church, and no Man can be afTured that any one Book or Parcel of Scripture was written by divine Infpiration. * And then they make themfelves the only Interpre- ters of Scripture. The Council of 'frent is a little upon the Referve as to the former Point -, but as to this, it declares roundly, that it belongs to the Church to judge of the true Senfe and Meaning of Scripture, i" So that we are never the better for our Bible, till they have put a Senfe upon it for us. And as to the Doftrine of Chrift's Sufferings and Satisfaction for Sin, it is fo corrupted with their impure Mixtures of Merit, Indulgence, and Abfolution, as greatly to difhonour the Merits, and eclipfe the Glory of the blefTed Redeemer. And befides the pure Do6brines of Chriftianity which
B 4 they
* Knot or Wilfon\ht]t£\i\U in K\s Mercy and Truth i which Mr. Chillingworth zntwcvcd in his celebrated Piece, entitled, The Religion cf Frotefiants.
tEcclefix eft judicarede vero fenfu 6c interpretatione fcripturaruro facranim. Scff. 4ta,
8 Popery the great Corruption
they corrupt, what a fpurious Offspring do they add— fuch as thofe of Tradition, the Seven Sacra- ments, which are Baptifm, Confirmation, Eucha-f rift. Penance, Extreme Un6bion, Orders, and Matrimony — All thefe the Council of T'rent de- clare to be Sacraments j and if any one fays they are not fo, that they are fuperfluous, or do not con- fer Grace, let him (fays thefe Dodors) be accur- fed. * Add to thefe — The Dodrineof Tran- fubftantiation. Communion in one kind. Venera- tion of Saints and Images, Prayer in an unknown Tongue, auricular Confeflion, Purgatory j buta- bove all, thofe of the Supremacy of St. Peter^ and the Infallibility and Authority of the Church j and you will foon conclude what a Corruption there is in Popery of the Simplicity of the Chriftian Doftrine.
2. The Worfliip of the Church of Ro7ne is ido- latrous. The Scriptures teach us that God is the only proper Obje6t of Worfhip : God is a Spirit^ and to he worjhipped in Spirit and truth, ^hou jloalt worjhip the Lord thy God^ and him only flo alt thoufer've . And they teach us. That Jefus Chrift is the Son of God and Saviour of Men, and our only Mediator and Advocate with the Father : iToere is one God and one mediator between God andmen^ the man Chrift Je- fus. This is the pure and iimple, the plain and un- mixed Doftrine of the Gofpel : But Papifts mif- apply their Worfhip, and give that Honour to Creatures which is due to God alone. They have a great Catalogue of Saints, whom they admit into that Order by a folemn Canonization, and then ac- count them Objects of Worfhip and IntercelTors in Heaven for the Church on Earth. The Coun- cil of "Trent determines, that it is good and profita- ble to invoke the Saints, and declares, that whoe- ver fays this is Idolatry, or contrary to the Word
of >
t Co.Tr.Se(r7.Can.d. ^.
of Chriftianity. ^
of God, or the Honour of Chrift, they do impih fenfire^ their Sentiments herein are impious and wicked. * This is their Do6brine5 and they prac- tife accordingly. They have Hated Offices and Forms of Prayer, according to which they wor- ship their Saints. Sometimes they pray to particu- lar Saints, fometiraes by this and the other Saint, fometimes they join God and the Saint, fometimes not > but I will only mention one generalForm ; it is this : '' O all ye Saints and Eleft of God, I befeech *' you by the Love wherewith he hath loved you— - '' help me moft miferable Sinner before Death fhall " fnatch me hence, and reconcile me to my Crea- " tor, before Hell ihall devour me." f Is this ac- ceptable to God ? Is this honourable to Chrift ? Is not this Idolatry ?
J. Popery recommends many impious and wick- ed Pra6bices. The Simplicity of the Gofpel, as to Praftice, lies very clear and plain before us. The Scriptures teach us the Duty God requires of Men, and they ftriftly and folemnly require of us Purity of Heart, and Holinefs of Life 5 Repentance to- wards God, Faith towards our Lord Jefus Chrift, and unfeigned, impartial, uniform, and perfever- ing Obedience. The two grand things in Religi- on are Knowledge and Prafiice. Chriftianity is a vital, pra£tical thing. We are nothing and do nothing, if we do not aim and labour after all hely converfation and godlinefs. 'the grace of God^ i. e. the Gofpel or Doftrine of Grace, hath appeared unto us J bringing fahation^ and teaches us to deny un- godlinefs and worldly lufts^ andtolive foherly^ right e- oufly^ and godly in this world. Well, this is true, you'll fay, and to be taken on all hands for granted j but how does this affeft Popery ? Are there not ho- ly and good Men of both Communions ? And are there not bad of both ? Ungodly, diihoneft, in-
tem-
* SefT. ij*. Decret. delnvoc.San^^. f Hoi'. B . Virg. Sec. uf. Sar, p. 7 1 .
lo Popery the great Corrupt wn
temperate Proteftants as well as Papifts ? Is there much to chufe in this Point ? Will you put us up- on counting Numbers on both fides ? Can you fay the generality of Proteftants are virtuous and good ? Have Protellant Countries that righteouf- nefs amongflthem which exalteth a nation^ and are they in a remarkable and diftinguifhing manner clearer than Popiih ones, from xhoitfins that are a fhameto any people ? Or is the perfonal Charafter of a Proteftant always or generally better than that of aPapift? Now here, i confefs, I very muchwiih. I could make a better Apology for Proteftants than I am able. I wiOi I could more unanfwerably ap- peal to Fafts and Numbers on this Qiieftion. Would to God the People of our Communion would lay this Matter to heart, and that there were fewer un- godly, difhoneft, intemperate and perfidious Pro- teftants in every Place, and every Day than other !
But when I have admitted this Charge, I
muft take leave to add, that there are fome fad Truths to be told of Popery even here, which can't be either denied or excufed. Proteftants, however they Praftife, are taught to keep the Commandments of God, and if they break any of them, it is no fault of their Religion : But Papifts break the Commandments of God, and teach Men to do fo, and their doing fo is the fault of their Re- ligion. Popery is itfelf fubverfive of praftical Religion, and really teaches thofe things and allows thofe Liberties which naturally tend to andiftue in all kinds of Senfuality, Worldlinefs, and Wicked- nefs. Papifts own one for Head of the Church, who can (they fay) when he pleafes, difpenfe with feveral Commands of Chrift. Bellarmine fays it may be affirmed in a good Senfe, that Chrift has gxvtn Peter Power, to make that to be Sin which is no Sin, and that which is no Sin, to be Sin. ^ TheC. of I'rent affirms— That the Church can
dif- * DcExcufationeBarclaii, cap. 51.
of Chriftianity.
II
difpenfe with fome things forbidden about Mar- riage in the Levitical Law > and if any queftion this, or fay the contrary, they are accurfed j * and they have accordingly taken upon them to re- verfe many lawful Marriages, and make inceiluous ones lawful: The Pope and the Church can (they fay) abfolve Men from the moll folemn Vows, Oaths, and Contracts, and can difpenfe above and againft Law, for this choice Reafon— That the Pope's Tribunal and God's are but one. \ The Pa- pifts likewife teach the bad Do6trine of Venial Sins, i. e. the Perfon who fo fins is not fo far guilty as that God can in juftice puniih him 5 he does not deferve one Stripe in Hell for Thoufands and Millions of thefe Tranfgreflions. Nay they go farther ftill, they grant Licenfes to commit any fort of Sins. Ri- n)et ^ tellsushefawaBookatP^m, printed in the Year i f 00 cumpriviJegio^ where are taxed at a cer- tain Rate all Abfolutions in the Church of Rome for all forts of Sinsj and Dr. I'aylor fays that Pope Innocent the Eighth was either the Author or Enlar- ger of it. And to what do the Do6trines of Inten- tion, Attrition, transferring of Merit, Abfoluti- on, and Purgatory tend, but to licentious Wicked- nefs. I will conclude this Head with referring you to a Book, entitled, 'The Practical Divinity of Pa^ fifts proved deftru^ive to Chriftianity and Men' 5 Souls ^ written by the Venerable Mr. David Clark/on^ fome time Tutor to Archbiihop Tillotfon^ and I have heard, at his particular Defire 5 there you will fee in a Variety of Inftances, and by unqueftionable Evidence, that Popery does moil: fhamefully ftrip God's Commands of all their Authority, and dif- arm his Threatnings of all their Terror. I am to ^ddlaftly,
4. The
* Seir. 24. Can. 3:
t Taylor's Polem. Difco. 542:
+ B.ivet\ Caftigation of thejefuit — • It is called, Taxa, Camera
1 2 Popery the great Corruption
4. The Spirit of Popery is tyrannical, domi- neering, and cruel 5 Papifts not only make void the Law of God by their Traditions, and break, the Commandments of Chrift, and teach Men to do fo, but they impofe their Errors and Conceits, and bind them on Men's Confciences, and require an implicit Faith and blind Obedience. You mull fay you believe whether you do or no, and mull under- Hand with their Underflanding, and contrary to your own, or elfe — What ? — Not that which any reafonable Man would think, and has a Right to ex- peft^ not Argument, Reafon, Scripture, and the Reprefentation of Truth in a fair and convincing Light 5 but opprobrious Names, folemn Curfes, a Sentence of Excommunication, and then cruel Ufage, corporal Punifhment, and every whole- fome Severity, i. e, all Kinds of Perfecution in their turns, and every Degree of it, againll Reafon and without Shame : Such as Imprifonment, Con- fifcation of Goods, Torture, Baniihment, and at lail Death by Sword or Fire, or in any inhuman or terrifying way whatever. Witnefs the Hiflory of feveral Ages and Nations, witnefs your Books of Martyrs, witnefs the Tragedies a6bed in France and Ireland^ witnefs the Inquifition ftill fubfifling, witnefs what your Fathers told you in their Day j and to confute the falfe Pretence impofed on weak Minds, that Papiils are altered, and that Popery is now become mild and gentle, and Lamb-like, wit- nefs the poor Proteflants of Saltzburgh^^ who are driven out of their Country at this very time, only for the Sake of their Religion, many of whom your own Eyes have feen, your Hearts pitied, and your Hands relieved. While Papifts are inveigling and deceiving you they are opprefTmgand perfecu- ting your Brethren, and aftually doing where they have Power, what, where they have none, they artfully excufe, or confidently deny. But, Sirs, let it iharppen your Spirit ever fomuch againftthis
cruel
of Chriftianity. 1 3
cruel and falfe Religion, it is true, unqueftionably true, and beyond all Contradi6tion, that the very Spirit of Popery is a domineering, tyrannical, per- fecuting, and antichriftian Spirit.
And thus I have given you a fliort and general View of Popery, and from this Account it appears to be a great Corruption of the Simplicity of the Gofpel. But I have only touch'd upon thefe things, and barely fhewn you the Surface of this corrupt Religion > my Brethren who follow me will enter more deeply into this Myftery of Iniquity, and carefully reprefent, and fufficiently confute and ex- pofe it.
But I am warranted from this Text to obferve,
z. The Concern the Apoftle exprefles, left the Corinthians fhould be corrupted from the fimplicity thatisinChrift: lam^ {^2.ysh.€) jealous over you^ and I fear lejiyour minds Jh ould he corrupted. Jealoufy is a Mixture of Love and Fear 5 by this the Apoftlc exprefles great Concern for the Good of thefe Chriftians, and great Fear and Apprehenfion of their Danger. He took it to be one great part of hisBufinels to give them good Advice and faithful Warning : He watch' d for their fouls as one who was to give an account . His Jealoufy and Fear made him attend with Diligence and Care, and ufe proper Application and fuitable Methods for their Prefer- vationj from this religious Concern arofe this ten- der and affedbionate Caution.
And that the Apoftle underftood it to be the Du- ty of Chriftian Minifters to do the fame in like Circumftances, may appear from feveral Directions and Cautions, fuch as that jlEts xx. 28, and follow- ing Verfes, to the Elders of the Church of Ephe- fus : 7'ake heed unto y our felves^ and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghofi hath made you overfeers^ to feed the church of God^ which he hath pur chafed with his ^wn blood. For I know this ^ that after my departing
fhall
14 Popery the great Corruption
Jhall grievous wolves enter in among you^ not [paring the flock : Jlfo of yout [elves floall Men ari[e [peaking ferver[e things^ to draw away difiiples after them : "Therefore watch ^ and remember that by the [pace of three years I ceafid not to warn every one night and day with tears. Again, to the Church of Rome he thus writes, Romans the i6th Chapter, the 17th and i8th Verfes, — Now I befiech you brethren^ mark them which cau[e divifions and offences^ contrary to the doctrine which you have learned^ and avoid thcyn 3 for they that are [uch [erve not the Lord Je[usChriJi^ but their own belly > and by good words and fair [peeches de- ceive the hearts of the fimple^ i. e. by flattering and colloguing Words they deceive the plain-hearted and harmlefs, who fufpeft no Hurt. I beg leave alfo to obferve, that St. Peter was of the fame Mind, as appears from that humble and tender Ex- hortation in his firft Epiftle, fth Chapter, ift, 2d, 3d, and 4th Verfes. . The elders which are among you J exhort^ who am alfo an elder ^ and a witne[s of the [ufferings of Chrijl^ and alfo a partaker of the glory that Jhall be revealed. Feed the flock of God which is among you^ taking the overflight thereof^ not by con- ftraint but willingly j not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind 3 neither as being lords over God's heritage^ but being enfamples to the flock . And when the chief Jhep- herd Jhall appear ^ ye floall receive a crown of glory thatfadeth not away. I cannot pafs over this Paf- fage without obferving the modeft, humble, and condefcending manner in which it is delivered, fuit- ably to the Nature of the apoftolick Office, which was a [ervice and miniftry ^ not a [ove- reignty and domination. But fuch are the confi- dent Pretenfions of the Biihops of Rome^ that they claim the Title of Chrifl's Vicars, and the Adminiftration of his Kingdom, by Virtue of a Succeffion from this Apoflle. To which purpofe they tell us— that our blefTed Saviour before he left this Earth, delegated his fupreme Authority to St.
Fetef
of Chriftianity. i j
Peter the Prince of the Apoftles > and St. Peter fixing his See at Rome^ and dying there, bequeathed this Supremacy to his Succeflbrs in that Chair to the End of the World : And therefore the Romijb Bifhop is the Head of the CathoUck Church, his Empire the fame with Chrift's, whofe Lieutenant and Delegate he is, and that all the Chriftian World ought to be fubje^t to him upon pain of Damnation. And as the Succeflbr of St. Peter^ the Pope is accordingly call'd, his Holinefs, the So- vereign Pontiff, our moil holy Lord the Pope, and fometimes our Lord God the Pope 5 and (they fay) all Laws human and divine are lodged in his Breaft, and that it belongs to him to judge all, and to be judged by none. Exorbitant Pride ! horrid Blaf- phemy ! and wretched Abufe of a moft pious hum- ble Man ! whofe own Account of himfelf is only this— Simon Peter^ afervant and an apoftle of Jefus Chrifi, Well! isitnot our Duty who are Chriftian Miniftersto warn People of fuch dangerous Pride, Tyranny, and Blafphemy as this ? Is not fuch daring Infult as this upon the Authority of Chrift to be check'd ? And are not the Corruptions, Errors, and Sins that grow out of this Stock to be expofed and rooted up ? And ihould not Chriftian People be fed and taught more fincerely and more faithfully? If you think fo, I now tell you this is the Defign of this Le£fcure, and if you judge of it as we do, we liope you will encourage it, by attending here once a Week as long as it lafts, and by attending to the things that are fpoken from the Word of God, this being all the Preachers expeft from you as the Re- ward of our Labour.
But I will now enter further into the Reafon of our preaching in this Manner againft Popery,, at this particular Junfture.
I . And I very freely declare, (and am glad at my Heart that I am able to do it fully and ftrongly) that
it
i6 Popery the great Corruption
it is not from any Apprehenfion that our Rulers favour Popery. This is not theReafon. We do not fufpe6t that Popery has any Encouragement from that Quarter. Papifts meet with no Smiles at Court, wherever elfe they find them : There was a Time indeed, (and fome of us have Reafon to re- member it) when the Nation had terrifying Ap- preheniions of this Danger. Charles the Second^ if he had any Religion, was a Papifl : But his Brother, and Succeflbr, abundantly difcover'd that Popery was the Darling of his Heart, and that he was io fet upon the Re-eftabliihment of it here, as to ven- ture at every thing. You know that King James the Second C2iYYY'd Matters fo far as to receive a Nun- cio from the Pope, and he fent an Ambaflador to Rome y in his Reign Popifti Bifhops were confe- crated in the Royal Chappel, and the free and open Exercife of the Popifh Religion was every where fet up. A firft and fecond Declaration for Liberty of Confcience, againft Law, and for the fake of Papifts only, then came out 5 and many Biihops for petitioning the King to excufe them and their Clergy from reading the latter of thefe, were fent to the Prifon of the ^ower j which Event, as con- fequent upon many other illegal and arbitrary Pro- ceedings, awaken'd the People of England to im- plore the Prince of Orange to come over and refcue the Proteftant Religion and Liberties of England. He came accordingly, by the good Hand of our God upon" him, and brought our Salvation with him: And were this a proper Time for it, Ifhould remind you of the general Joy fpread thro' the Pro- teftant Nations, upon his being at length made and declared our King— How Providence carried that immortal Hero thro' a difficult Reign — How he aflerted the Caufe of Truth and Liberty— How he humbled the Power of France^ form'd a Confe- deracy which broke the Scheme of univerfal Em- pire, and left us Men who learned of him how to
defend
^/ Chriftianity^ i^
defend the Liberties^ and revenge the Injuries of Europe. What followed upon the Death of the brave King William^ who purfued his Scheme in the following Reign, and who eclips'd, at lengthy the Glory of his Succeflbr, broke the Confederacy, and led us far back into great Danger of Popery and Slavery, you all know. But there was one Pillar of our Happinefs erected by King William which thofe Managers had not Time to pull down^ that was, the Proteftant Succeffion in the illuftrious Houfe oi Hanover. Yi\VigGeorge\. fucceeded the dead Queen in Peace, and foon after he was feated on the Throne^ wifely enter'd into Meafures to redify our difordered State^ repair our tottering Conftitution^ ftrengthen the Foundations which had been treac her ouily weaken'd, and render thofe Means impra6ticable which had been us'd to pave the Way for a Popifh Pretender.
His prefent Majefty peaceably fucceeded his Royal Father, inherits his Virtues as well as his Crown, and lives and reigns the Patron of Liber- ty, the Guardian of our Laws, and the Defender of the Proteftant Faith. It is now the Great Law of England — And may it be as that of the Perjians and Medes^ never to be altered, — That no Papift is capable of fucceeding to the Imperial Cro\\^n of thefe Realms. It is indeed one Artifice of Popeiy,- to try by any Means to make us carelefs, or indiffe- rent at leaft, what Religion our Prince is of > and fomething of this fort has of late been hinted in that peftilent, malignant Paper, called the Craftfman. — But EngUfomen CTL^ily {ct through that Device; we too well remember our Danger in the Stewarts Reign, to believe this ^ we know the Abfurdity and Inconiiftency of a Popifh Head to a Proteftant Body, and are abundantly thankful to Almighty God for a Proteftant King and Queen, furrounded with a large and lovely Offspring, adorned with Royal and Princely Virtues, and upon whom we
C look
i8 Popery the great Corruption
look as, under God, the Strength and Glory of Great Britain^ and the whole Proteilant World. But futther,
2. We do not now appear agamft Popery, from any Imagination that the Reformation from it has not been unqueilionably proved to be highly reafon- able and abfolutely neceilary. The Reformers waited till Error and Impiety came up to their height, and continued in the Rornijh Church till ilie was moll wofully corrupted j and (as one exprefles it) till her Wounds flunk, and became incurable 5 and then they departed from the 'Tents of thofe Men^ that they might not be confumedin their Sins. And we not only approve the Reformation, and think it jullifiabk, but we heartily rejoice in it, and blefs God, who infpired the Reformers with fo much Zeal and Courage, and gave them fuch good and great Succefs. They bore a noble Tellimony for God, they bravely contended for the Authority of Chrift, and the Faith once delivered to the Saints, and finely pleaded theCaufeof Truth and Liberty, againfl Men who loved dar hie fs rather than light ^ hecaufe their deeds are evil : Their Separation from the Romijh Communion was unqueitionably jufl and neceffary, and the Charge of Schifm^wd Here- fy exhibited againfl thorn on this account, was a moll unjull Reproach, which they were well a- bleealily to wipe off.
Nor do we forget the noble Stand made by the Clergy and People of England^ againfl the return of Popery, in the Reigns I jufl now mentioned j the Reformation was then bravely defended, and this corrupt Religion effectually expofed with mofl folid Arguments, and the grcatefl^ Strength of Reafon,^by Men of the firfl Rank for Learning, Parts and Furniture. The Names of Chii/ifig- worth and Barrow^ of JVilliams and Tillotfon^ of Stillingfleetj Patrick^ Clagget and Sherlock^ who
all
of Cliriflianityi 1^
ail bore fo confiderable a Part, and made fo good a Figure in the Popilh Controverfy, ought always to be mentioned, by all Proteftants^ with the grea- teft Honour > nor are Owen and Clerk fcn^ ^ndPool and Baxter to be overlooked in this Controverfy 5 they were worthy Men, and behaved well in a cri- tical and dangerous Jundure. We have a great Cloud of Witnefles before us, for the Proteflant Religion 5 we follow Men of Renown here 5 and it is indeed a Matter of fome Wonder,- that thofe Men, who fo thoroughly difabled the Advocates for Popery, did not write that Religion quite out of the World ! But it is not in all Cafes enough, it feems, to refer People to Things done a good while ago ; our Religion has, indeed, been well defen- ded, and with great Learning and Labour > but particular Occurrences may happen, that make it exceeding proper to review fuch a Controverfy as this, flirus up to imitate the Zeal of our Fathers, and examine the Ground we ftand on, for our own fuller Satisfaction, and the Information of the rifing Generation. And, which brings me to my main Point, fuch I apprehend is the prefentjun- £bure. Attempts are at this Time made every where about us, by Popifh Zealots, to difeafe and unfet- tle the Minds of Proteftants : We are well inform- ed, that there are great Numbers of Popifh Emif- faries amongft us, many Mafs-Houfesinthe feveral Parts of this City, and other Places, and Great Pains taken to reconcile Proteftants to Popery, take off thofe Prejudices and Horrors they have been wont to conceive againft it, and to abate by degrees^ any Fears of fatal Confequences, if this Religion fhould be again eftablifhed in England. Popifh Ca- techifms, printed this very Year, and other Books which we have feen,- and fome of us have in poffcffi- on, are put into People's Hands, full of Craft and of Alllirance j and frefh Informations are frequent- ly fcut to many of usj of the great Diligence of
G t the
20 Popery the great Corruption
the Papifls at this Time, and beyond their iifual Se* crecy, to corrupt the meaner People efpecially, and to gain over Numbers to their Side. The jult Charges welay againfl Popery, they roundly deny -, — tell People it is now a quite different Thing than what it was formerly 5 and that they, good Men, have laid afide Cruelty and Perfecutipn, and are for doing no Body any Hurt at all, but from pure Motives of Charity and Religion, induced to take unwearied Pains to recover Backllidersto the Fold of Chriil. While Papifls ufe the Subtiltyof the Serpent, they would feem to be as harmlefs as Doves y and they appear on this fide the Water in Sheeps Cloathmg, who on the other are fierce as ravenous and devouring Wolves : One while they put on a grave and folemn Face, and tell People, that Salvation out of their Church is impofiible 5 and therefore befeech them, for the Sake of their Souls, to embrace their Communion. At an o- ther time, after courteous Behaviour, much civil Diicourfe, great good Manners, and a plain and eafy Account of their great Power and Dexterity in helping People to Heaven, they ftrongly and bold- ly undertake for the Salvation of fuch as become Converts to them, believing and doing as they ap- point and require, {aying,— Youarefecure of Sal- vation in our Church 5 your Happinefs is undoubt- ed and unqueftionablcj and, my Soul for yours, you {hall not, and cannot mifcarry.
Thefe confident Undertakers would make Peo- ple believe, that they can eafily fecure them from all Danger that arifes from Ignorance andWicked- nefs j they have Indulgence and Abfolution ready, and at hand, for all that > and the Priefl, by the high and mighty Power he receives from the P(>/>^, and St. Peter^ efpecially at Eaficr^ will make e- very confefTing Sinner, for a frnall Sum, as found andcleanas when he came fir ft into the World. If indeed there fhould be any doubting of the Truth
of
of Chriftianity. 2 1
of this Religion, or the Power of the Priefl: and thtPope^ andany Inquiry into and after the facred Scriptures, thole blefTed Fountains of Light and Truth, this is a moft dangerous Thing, thisihews an heretical Difpofition, and poor Souls are foon frighted out of it, with the dreadful Threatnings of Hell and Damnation. Thus is Popery founded in Ignorance and Wickednefs, and fupported by Craft and Terror.
Well, Sirs, we muft not fleep while the Ene- my fows thefe Tares. Error and Sin muft not fpread their poifonous Roots amongft us unrebuked! while Papifts are diligent to deceive, Proteftants furefhouldnot be idle. AgoodCaufe muft not be left to ftiift for itfelf: It becomes us all to take fome Pains, if we do indeed fear, that as the Ser- pent beguiled Eve thro'* his Suhtilrty^ fo thefe Mana- gers fhould corrupt our People from the Simplicity that is in Chrift. And fure I am, a Plea for Separa- tion from the Church of Rome comes very natural- ly from our Quarter: Proteftant Diftenters are ex- ceedingly coniiftent in the Defence of Truth and Liberty againft all Popifti Domination and Tyran- ny : In this we may engage as a common Caufe, without a Sufpicion of private Intereft or Party Views J and for my Part, I cannot but think the prefent Jun6ture a loud Call upon us, to lay afide all Differences among ourfelves, if any fuch remain, when the common Enemy of DilTenters, and of all Proteftants, is, I know not with what Views, making freili and vigorous Attempts upon us. Be- fides, Silence at fuch a Time as this might turn to our Reproach: We might be fuppofed wanting in our Affection to the Government under which we have the Happinefs to live, and in our Zeal againft a Popifh Pretender and his Adherents, if we did not appear with Readinefs and Spirit on the prefent Occalion -, nor is it a fmall Advantage and Encou- ragement to us, that wc can appear for the Prote-
C 2 ftant
X2 Popery the great Cormptton
flant Religion in the moftpublick Manner, with-? out Offence to our Rulers, and that we are not un- der the fame Inconvenience our Fathers were who pleaded this Caufe in the Reigns of former Kings.'
And now I have faicj what I think may be fuffi^ cient to let you nito the Reafon and Fitnefs of this Lefture againft Popery at this Time. I beg Leave to add a Paragraph out of the Preface of the late Reverend Mr. Bennet of Newcafile^ to his Sermons againft Popery, — - The Words
are thefe '^ Had Popery been an old Here-
^^ fy, dead and buried in the Church a thouilmd ^^ Years ago, I would not have raked in its Afhes f^ and given it a Revival j but 'tis a living Reli- ^^ gion, the Religion of a great Part of Europe^ ^^ and what has long been ftriving for more Room, ?^ endeavouring to extend its Branches over di- ^' ftant Countries, and fpread its Poifon thro' the ^^ Nations round about. And who knows not ^' that ever fince our happy Reformation it has been ^^ waiting for a Return amongft us, feeking an ^^ Hole to creep in at j and even at this Time, ^^ fome think, they fee it ftanding on tiptoes on ^' the other Side the Water, ready to make us an-
f' other Vifit.-' This was written in the Year
1714^ but, thanks be to God, before that Year concluded Thmgs had quite another Afpeft, the Proteftant Religion (often refcued by Providence) was again prefcrved by the Proteftant SuccefJion taking Place, to the Joy and Surprize of us all, and to the Glory and Honour of God. O that ever memorable Firft of Juguftl With what Agitation and Tranfport did we hear King George proclaim- ed? With what Gratitude did we then remember King William and receive his Legacy, and with what Ardour and Piety were our adoring Eyes and Hearts then gifted up unto God? One might have
giieffe4
of Chriftianity. 1^
guefled by the Countenances of thofe that met us, who were difappointed and who preferved.
Well, Sirs, the Corruption we then fear'd, it is the Defign of this Ledure to oppofe^ theBlef- iings we then received, we are now fetting our- felves to defend > and this we do, becaufe where~ ever Popery fets up its Altars, Liberty and Religion are made a Sacrifice ^ as that rifes thofe muft fall : Popery threatens and grafps at all that's dear to us both as Men and Chrillians j no wonder therefore that if any, tho' it be but adiftant Danger of this ap- pear, fuch as we are alarmed, and feize the Oppor- tunity to prevent its Approach by prudent Endea- vours and fervent Prayers to the blefled God, whofe Servants we are, and whofe Caufe in this World we believe to be that of Truth and Liber- ty. This Caufe Proteftant DiiTenters humbly plead with God and Man well knowing it is our Intereft and Duty fo to do 5 for it is eafy to fore- fee, if Popery fhould ever return hither, who are like to be its firft, tho' not its only Sacri- fice. In this Service then let us all agree > our Aim as far as I know is fingly this, to warn Men of the prefent Growth and Danger of Popery 5 to fhew them that this is juft what it ever was, without any real Difference in either its Princi- ples or its Spirit -, to raife and animate that Zeal againfl it which feems too much abated 5 to find out its lurking Places, and root it out of Mens Hearts, and {hew them the Ufe and Value of
their Bibles for the Bible, the Bible, (fiid
Mr. ChilUngworth) is the Religion of Prote- ftants. This Papifts conceal j this they corrupt and adulterate J to this they add, and from this they criminally take away> but this Proteftants prize and contend for, as the great Rule of our Faith, the Charter of our Privileges, and the on- ly Ground of our eternal Hopes : With this
C 4 Sword
X4 Popery //&^ great Corruption y &c.
SwGvd of the Spirit, let us contend with Error and Sin j from hence let us learn to preach, and pray , and live 5 and when we have obtained Mercy from the Lord to be found faithful^ and having fer'* fved God and our Generation according to his Will^ fhall be dead and gone, may others rife up, and bear a Tellimony for God and Chrift, and true Religion, not only as we have done, but much more abundantly.
^e
(M )
The Notes e?//^d' Church conftdered.
I!' ■ I I. -I .1 M . , I ' '" III.
I N A
SERMON
Pre ach'd at
Salters-Hall^ Jan. i6y 1734-5-.
By Sj^MUEL chandler.
pmnes confitentur, in fola vera Ecclefia efle veram fidem, veram peccatorumremifTionem, veram fpemfalutisaeternae.
Bellarm. de Not, Ecelef^
I Tim. iii. 14, if.
The/e things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee Jhortly, But if I tarry long, that thou may eft know how thoti oughteft to be- have thy felf in the Houfe of God, which is the church of the living God, the Tillar and ground of truth,
YO U have been already informed, that the Deiign of this Le£tureis to reprefentand expofe theAbfurdityjand antichriilian Na^ ture of the Corruptions and Errors of the apoftate Church of Rome^ and to confirm and efta- blifli you in the belief of thofc Do6trines of the
Reformation,
%6 TJoe Notes of
Reformation, which have the dicred Writings, and all the valuable Remains of Antiquity to fupport them ; that you may be always upon your Guard, againll the Attempts of thofe who lye in wait to fe- duce you ixomthe iS'/>;^/iaV>' of the Chriflian Faith, toeniiave your Confciences to the tyrannical Im- pofitions of imperious and cruel Deceivers, and to bring you back to thofe impious Idolatries, which are a Reproach to the Chriftian Name, and con- trary to the plaineft Dictates of natural and re* vealed Religion.
One would really wonder, hov/ fo monftrous a Perverfion of Chriftianity could ever take place, and by what kind of Arguments and Pretences, Mankind could be prevailed with to embrace and fubmit to a Scheme, which had they confulted their Senfes or their Reafon, or the facred Re- cords, they muft evidently have difcovered the Falfhood and Impofture of > Popery being really an ImpoHtion upon, and the moil palpable Con- tradidion to the plainefl Teftimony of each of thefe WitnefTcs, as will, I doubt not, be fully de- monitratedin the Courfeof theenfuingLedures.
However, we are far from being ignorant of the Devices of Satan on this Head. Eccleliaftical Hif- tory furniihes us with a Variety of Caufes, to which this great Apoibafy from the Chriftian Faith and Worlhip hath been owing, which well deferve to be dillin6bly confidered, and reprefented to you. But I fhall only mention that particular one, which is more immediately and dire61:ly to my purpofe, which is the Power and Juthority of the Ch:irch ; or rather, the Superflition and Tyranny of the Bilhops and Clergy, who have appropriated the Nam.e of the Church to themfclves, and under that venerable Charaftcr have erected themfelves an Empire, upon the Ruins of primitive Chrifti- nnity, and the civil and religious Liberties of Mankind.
And
the Church conftdered. 27
And as it is but too true, that all the great In- novations, as to the Chriilian Dodtrine and Wor- ship, have been introduced by the Bifhops and Clergy, under the facred Chara6ber of the Church, and as the pretended Authority of the Church is the Pillar and Ground of the Corruptions of Po- pery at this Day, 'tis neceflary that we lay the Axe to the Root, and dillinftly confider thefe Itwo Things,
I. What the true Notion of a Church is. And,
II. What are the peculiar Ppwers and Privi- leges it is inveil^d with.
'Tis to the firft of thefe I am confined. The fecond will be treated of diilinclly by a very able Hand, with whofe Province I fhall as little as poflible internieddle.
I am then to confider what the true Notion of a Church is > or what are the efiential Chara6ters of the Chriilian Church, by which it may be known and diftinguifhed from all other AfTemblies and Bo- dies of Men whatfoever. And here the only pof- fible Way of forming a true Judgment, is from the Holy Scriptures > becaufe thefe are the mofl antient Records of Chriftianity, written by the Apoftles and apoftolical Menj and becaufe they are, even our Adverfaries being Judges, the infal- lible Word of God. 4 Nor will they deny us the Liberty of judging concerning the Nature of the Church by this Rule, provided we will allow them thefe two fmall Things, viz. that the Church may judge for us concerning the Senfe of Scripture, and that the unwritten Traditions of the Church are of equal Authority with the Scriptures themfelves. And this poffibly we might be willing enough to do, if this plain Contradi6tion wiis not unfortu^ ipately in our Way, liiz. that the judging by Scrip-
ture
2 8 The Notes of
ture concerning the Notes of the Church, and yet allowing the Church to judge for us of the Senfe of Scripture, is rendering it impoffible to form any Judgment of either, and fuppoling that the Notes of the Church may beunderilood, before we know what in Reality they are.
For if the Scriptures are to determine the Marks of the Church, the Scriptures muft be known and underftood, before we can form any Judgment from them what the Marks of the Church are. But if the Church is to judge for us what is Scripture, and what the Senfe of it, then we muft know what the Church is, and what her diftinguifhing Marks are, before we can pretend to judge what the Senfe of Scripture is. The Confequence of which is, that 'tis impofTibleto form anyjudgment of either. We cannot judge of the Marks of the Church by the Scripture, becaufe the Church is to determine the Senfe of Scripture > nor can we judgeof Scrip- ture by the Church, becaufe the Scripture is to fettle and determine the Marks by which we are to know the Church. So that according to this Way of arguing, neither the Church nor the Scriptures can have any certain Marks to diftinguifh and dif- cover them, whereby their Church will be of as little Signiikation and Authority, as they would fain have our Scriptures to be.
And by further Confequence, the pretending to prove by Scripture what the Marks of the Church are, and yet affirming that tlie Church is to judge of the Senfe of Scripture, is fuppofing them to be both known before they are underftood, and their Authority demonftratcd even whilft it is incapable of being proved.
Once more, if the Scripture be the Rule where- by we are to judge of the Marks of the Church, the Authority of Scripture muft be fuperior to that of the Church j and if the Church is to determine what is Scripture, and to judge of the Senfe of
it.
the Church Confidered. 19
itj the Authodty of the Church is fupcrior to that of the Scripture > and confequently, they are each of them of fuperior and inferior Authority to the other i they are each of them a Rule by which to judge of the other, and yet can neither of them be a Rule whereby to form a Judgment of either. To thefe fhameful Abfurdities are the Papifts re- duced, by pretending to prove from Scripture, what are the Marks of the Church, and yet affirm- ing, that the Church is to judge for all others what is the Senfe of Scripture. But 'tis no wonder, that they who can be llupid enough to believe, that a Wafer can be changed into the Body and Blood and Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jefus Chrift, iliould be difpofed and given up to believe all other Abfurdities and Contradictions whatfoever. But to leave them in Pofleflion of this Treafure, I ftiall come more dire61:ly to the Argument before me, and in profecuting it, ihall endeavour to do thefe two Things.
1 . To fet before you the Scripture Notion of a Church, and what are the peculiar and diftinguiih- ing Marks of it therein laid down. And,
2. To confider what are the Notes or Mark^ which the Papifrs give of a Church, andfhewyou either that they are no Marks of the Church of Chrift at all j or if they are, yet that they are Notes or Chara6ters which do not belong to the Church of Rome.
I . I am to fet before you the Scripture Notion of a Church, and to give you the peculiar and dif- tinguiihing Marks or Notes of it, as there laid down. The origmal Word ix«Av,<r«a, which we ren- der Churchy denotes in general an AiTembly of People called or met together, either upon civil or iacred Occafions. Thus the Town-Clerk of
Etfhefui
3d ^e Notes of
E-phefm tells the Epheftans^ that * the law was operij and they might determine their caufes in a lawful A (J em- bly. Hence the fame Word is applied to any Num-' ber of Perfons, more or lefs, who embraced the Doftrine of the Gofpel, as preach'd to them by the Apoltles, and worfhipped God in the Name of Jefus Chrift. Thus the firft Converts at Je- rufalem^ who confilled of about 3000 Perfons, -fare exprefly called the Church, becaufe they were an Allembly or Congregation of Chriftians. And when afterwards the Apoftles preach'd the Cofpel in other Cities befidesj^r/ij/^/^;^, the Num- ber of Converts in each of thofe Places conftitu- ted a diilinft Chriftian Church or Congregation, each independent of the other as to all things, their common Faith and Worfhip as Chriftians on- ly excepted. Thus we read of the Church'at An- tioch^ Corinth^ Ephefus^ and other Places, and of the Churches of Galatia and Macedonia^ i.e. the feveral diflinft Congregations of Chriftians in the feveral Cities of thofe Provinces. Yea when the Number of Converts in any Place did not extend beyond the Branches of any one particular Houfe or Family, thofe Converts, though few in Num- ber, are alfo called a Church. Thus we read of the Churth at Prifcilla's Houfe, in the Houfe of Nymphas^ and with Philemon. And as all parti- cular Churches or Congregations of Chriftians where-ever planted, were united in one common Faith andWorlhip, under Jefus Chrift their com- mon Lord and Head j as they were Congregati- ons gathered in his Name, and profeffing a Re- ligion of his Appointment j as they were all Sub- je6ts of his Kingdom, and governed by one Body of Laws, hence the whole Number of Chriftians, wherefoever they dwelt, are alfo denoted by the fame Word, Church or Congregation j becaufe though as to themfelves they were particular inde- pendent * Aas xix. 39. t A(as ii. 47.
the Church conftdered. jt
pendent AfTemblies, yet confider'd in their Re- lation to Chnll, their common Head, they were all one Body, under his efpecial Influence, Prote&ion, and Government. In this Senfc St. Paid ufes the Word Church, when he tells us, ^ that God hath put all things under Chrift'i feet^ and gave him to he head over all things to ths Churchy which is his Body. And this is all the Senfes in which the Word iuKx^aiu or Church is ufed in Scripture, except only once, where it feems to de- note the Place where Chriftians met for Worihip. IVhenye come together in the churchy fays St. PauJ^ "t" I hear there are divijions among you ^ which he ex- plains a Verfe or two after, \ When ye come together in one place. In other Senfes the Word is not ufed in the whole New Tellament.
And I obferve this principally for this Reafon, becaufe though the Clergy have oftentimes appro- priated to themfelves the Name of the Church, exclulive of the Chriflian People, yet they are ne- ver once called by this facred Name in the holy Scriptures. Yea, I find that the Chriflian Laity are ftiled the Church by Way of Diftin^Sbion from thofe, who had any particular Charge or Office in it. Thus when Paul and Barnabas came to Jerufalem^ they were received § of the Churchy and of the Apofiles and Elders \ and when the fa- mous Decree was fent to Antioch^ ^ the Apofiles^ Elders and whole Church fent it by Meflengers of their own. From which Puffages it appears, that the Chriflian Laity are properly and truly the Church of Chrifl, in the Scripture Senfe of the Word > and that neither Apofiles, nor Bifhops, nor Elders are any otherwife to be confiderM, or owi)'d as the Church, than as they are united with the Body of Chriflians in the fame common Faith, Profeflion and Hope.
And
* Eph. i. 22, 23. t I Cor. xi. 18.
% Ver. 10. % Afts xv. 4. ^ Vcr. 22.
32 The Notes of
And this Bellarmim is fo very fenfible of, that though he produces the Words of my Text, iTje church is the pillar and ground of truth^ as a Proof that the Clergy in a general Council cannot err ; yet he doth it,' not by aflerting that the Word Church fignifies the Clergy or Bifhops, but that the whole Authority of the Church or Chriftian People ^ exifls formally only in the Prelates, even as the Light of the whole Body is formally in the Head> the good Cardinal taking it for granted that all the Chriftian People are ftark blind, and thence fhrewdly inferring that they are obliged to fee with his, and his Brethrens Eyes.
But as 'tis one Part of the Chara&er of a good Pro- teftant not to renounce the Teftimony of his Senfes, nor to truft to other Perfons Eyefight whilft he has Eyes of his own, fo we can evidently difcern that this, and many other fuchTexts prove nothing about the Clergy's Infallibility 5 but that if the church is declar'd by St. Paul to be the pillar and ground of truth^ this refers to the Body of Chriftians profef- (ing, maintaining, and holding forth the true Faith of Chrift, and not to their Biihops andPaftors in Con- tradi6tion to them. Though I think the more probable Interpretation is, that the pillar and ground of truth relates to 'Timothy himfelf and not to the Church. The Direftion to Timo- thy was how to behave himfelf in the houfe of God^ and the Advice which the Apoftle gives him was fuitable to thisReprefentationof the Church, 'uiz. he was to behave as one who was a pillar in or foundation of that Houfe j which Timothy ^xo^tx- ly was, as an Evangelift and Prophet, and one who received his lnftru6tions immediately from an in- spired Apoftle, and was himfelf favour'd with fonie extraordinary Gifts of the holy Spirit. And what
con-
♦To'-aaudloritas ecclefiae formallter non eft nlfi in prxlati.^, ficut vifus totius corporis formaliter eft tantum ift capite. I: J • c, i .
the Church conftdered. 35
confirms this Senfe is, that St. Paul^ ^ fpeaking of James and John and Peter^ fays, thtj Jeemed tit be pillars. And indeed this Charadier of Pillars is frequently applied by the primitive Writers to the Apoftles, as I could eafily lhew,wereitnot foreign to the prefent Purpofe.
But not to inflft on this^ yoU plainly fee front what I have faid, that according to Scripture, eve-* ry particular Congregation of Chriftians is a dif- tin£t and proper Church r, and that the catholick or univerfal Church confills of all the feveral Con- gregations of Chriftians throughout the World, who all together conftitute that one Body, of which Chrill is the proper Head and Governor j and thattherefore the Clergy's afluming and appro- priating this Name to themfelves, isanUfurpation of that Honour and Privilege which Chrill hath conferr'd on you 5 on you, fellow Proteftants, whom he hath pur chafed mth his blood y in whom ye are a cho fen generation^ aroyalpriefihood^ an holy nation^ and a peculiar people ^y that true church of the living God^ built upon the foundation of the Apofiles and Prophets^ J^f^^ Chriji himfelf being the chief corner ft one. And this is
I . One eflential and unalterable Mark or Note of a Chriftian Church or Congregation j viz. the conftant and firm Adherence of all the Members of it to Jefus Chrift, as the common Head and Lord and Saviour of Chriftians, and the fubmitting them- felves wholly and intirely to his Influence and Di- re6bionj even as the Members of a natural Body are guided and afted by its natural Head. For we being many are one body in Chrift.^ and God hath gi- ven him \ to be head over all things to the churchy which is his body^ the fullnefs of him who filleth all in alL
D Ah4
* Gal. ii. 9.
t Eph. u 12, 15.
34 ^^ Notes of
And this I rather obferve, becaufe Bellarmine thus defines the church : ^ "That 'tis an AJfembly of men^ frof effing the fame Chriftian faith ^ under the Govern^ ment of lawful Pafiors^ and particularly the Roman Pontiffs the only Vicar of Chrijl upon earth. But could the Cardinal imagine, that this would be taken for granted without Proof? Or that any one, who had ever read the New Teflament, would prefer the Pope, who is never once mentioned in it, to the Son of Godhimfelf, who is exprefly de- clared to be the Church's Head ?
No : The vicarious Power of the Roman Pon- tiff is a thing abfolutely unknown to the Sacred Writings. 'Tis a facrilegious Ufurpation of that fupreme Authority with which God the Father hath invefted his only Son, to whom only our Sub- miffion is due in the great Concern of Religion, and eternal Salvation, in Oppofition to the Claims of all others, who would exclude him from the Government of his Church, or fhare with him in his legiilative Power. Neither be ye called majiers^ for one is your mafier^ even Chrijl^ "f are the Words of our Lord himfelf to his Difciplcs. And St. Paul tells the Ephefians^ \ that God had raifed Chrijl from the dead^ and fet him at his own right
hand^ and hath put all things under his feet^ and
gave him to he head over all things to the church : Head, as Governor and Lord, to appoint the Laws of his fpiritual Kingdom, the Doftrines of his People are to believe, the Form of Worfhip they are to obferve, and the Terms of Communion and Chriftian Salvation, by which all the Members of his Church are to be finally and eternally deter- mined.
And as he fent out his Apoftles in his Name, and as his Witnefles, and under the Condu6b of his in- fallible
* Ecclefiam veram effeccetum hominum ejufdem Chriftianae fidei
profeflTione colligatum, fub regimine legitimorum paftorum, ac
praecipuc unius Chrifti in terris Vicarii, Romani pomificis. Tom. 2. c. 2. fMatth.xxiii. 10. ^^Eph.i. 20,22,
the Church conftdered, ^u
fallible Spirit^ to preach his Religion in the World, their Teftimony is the Teftimony of Chriit, and to receive their Gofpel and Do6i:rinej is to receive and fubmit to Chrift himfelf, as Head and Legifla- tor in the Church. He that receiveth you^ i.e. you my ApoftleSj receiveth me^ ^fays our blelled Lord. Hence the Converts at Jerufalem^ who were the firft Chriftian Church that was ever planted, are defcribed as continuing fie dfaftly in the apfiles doc- trine and fellowjhip. \
Now as we have no full and certain Account of the Dodrines taught by Chrill and his Apoftles, but from the Records of the New Teftament, and as thefe contain the whole Revelation of the Gofpel, all that we are to believe and praftife as Chriftians : 'Tis an undeniable Confequence, that we can no other wife demonflrate our Subjecbion and Fidelity to Chrift, as Lord and Law-giver in his Church, than by our care in acquainting ourfelves with the Sacred Records of Truth, and religiouily adhering to them as the only Rule and Standard of our Faith and Worihip, as God fhall eqable us to underftand them-, in Oppofition to the- Claims of interefted Men to interpret them for us, and to all traditio- nary Doftrines and Pra61:ices enforced and recom- mended as of equal Authority v/ith them. For to argue as the Papiils do about the Church : Pro- teitants and Papiils agree, that the Scriptures are the infallible Word of God 5 but they do not both agree that Traditions are of equal Authority with the Word of God, or a fure Dire(5bion in all Mat-' ters relatin-o; to Confcience and eternal Salva- tion. And of Confequencc it muil be much fater to confult, and govern our Faith and Practice by that Rule, which is allowed onboch Sides to be in- fallible and divine, than by that which on one Side is affirmed to be fallible, human, fuperllitious and erroneous.
D i But
*Mattfe.x,4o, tA^sii.41,
1 6 The Notes of
But I need not fuch kind of Arguments as thefc. You are ChrilHans, the Difciples of the Lord Jefus Chrill j and his Authority, 1 know, you mull al- low to be facred and conclufive. Hear then the Command of the Son of God. *= Search the Scrips fureSj faith he to the JewSj for i^ therd ye think ye have eternal life ^ and they are they which tejiify of me j and good Reafon there was for this Command, be- caufe an infpired Apoflle tells us. All Scripture is profitable for do^rine^ for reproofs for corre^ian^for infiruBion in righteoufnefs^ and are able to make us wife unto falvation^ thro' faith in Chrift Jefus. "f" The Letters of thefeveral ApofUes are almoll all of them written to the Churches, and intended for their Perufal and Edification. And St. Paul exprelly commands the I'hejfalomans^ t Stand fafi brethren^ and hold the traditions which ye have been taught^ whether byword or our Epistle. And that none might be ignorant of the Contents of his Epiftle, he tells the "thefjalonians^ % I charge you by the Lord^ that this epiftle be read unto all the brethren. And the Coloffians^ ^^ When this epifile is read amongfi you^ caufe that it be read alfo in the church of the Lao dice ans^ and that ye likewife read the epifile from Laodicea. So that the Writings of theNewTef- tament were intended, fellow Chrillians, for your Perufal, and without being acquainted with them, you can never continue in that Doftrnie of Chrift and his Apollles, the adhering to which is an ef- fential Note of the Chriftian Church. I will on- ly add further on this Head,
That as far as Men depart from this Doftrine of Chrift and his Apoftles, fo far they ceafe to be Members of the Church of Chrift, and are to be marked and avoided by all the Faithful. Thus St.
Paul
* lohn V. 39. f aTim. iii. 15*, 16, 4: 1 Theff.ii. ij;,
$i'Thefr.v.27. %C0l.iv.1C>.
the Chuvch conjidered. 37
Paul advifes Timothy^ Thefe things teach and exhort. If any man teach otherwife^ and confent not towhole- feme words J even the words of our Lordjefus Chrift^ and to the doBrine "which is according to godlinefs — • from fuch withdraw thy felf. ^ Yea, the Apoftle goes yet farther, and pronounceth a feverer Cenfure on thofe who perverted or altered the Do61:rine and Gofpel which he preached. 'There are^ fays he, fome that trouble you^ and would pervert the gofpel of Chrifi. But thd" we^ or an angel from heaven^ preach any other gofpel unto you^ than that which we have preached unto you^ let him be accurfed. As we faid before^ fo fay I now again^ If any man preach any other gofpel unto you^ than that ye have received^ let him be accurfed. f But thus much as to the firll Scripture Mark of the Chriftian Church. I ihall mention but one more, and that is
2. The mutual and firm Union of thofe, who profefs the Doftrines of Chrift and his Apoftles, in the Praftice of univerfal Virtue, and efpecially, by the Exercife of fervent Charity and Lovej (ince nothing is more evident, than that the Dif- ciples of Chrift are to be diftinguifhed as much by theHolinefs of their Lives, as the Purity of their Faith 5 and becaufe the Love of the Brethren is made one of the diftinguifhing Marks of a true Chriftian by our Saviour himfelf. A new command^ ment I give unto yoUj that ye love one another > as, I have loved you^ that ye alfo love one another. By this fh all all men know^ that ye are my dijciples^ if ye have love to one another. +
'Tis, I confefs, difficult to judge of inward Prin- ciples and Difpofitions j and thofe who as to out- ward Appearance may profefs the true Faith, and wear the form of godlinefs^ may yet be fome of them inlxncere in the Sight of God, and no genuine
D 5 Mem-
* I Eph. vL j'-.j-, f Gal.i.7,8,p, 4: Johnxiii. 34,5)',
jS The Notes of
Members of die Church of Chrifl j and Men, who can judge only according to outward Ap- pearances, may be deceived in the Judgment of Charity which they pafs on them. However, we have one fure Rule to go by, and may certainly conclude who are not of the Church of Chriil > mz. thofe who openly and avowedly pervert and corrupt the Simplicity of the Chriftian Faith, by teaching Do6trines abfolutely fubverfive of the Nature and Delign of it > and who habitually dif- honour the Do6trine of Godlinefs, by the allow- ed Immoralities of a wicked life. Or if thou knoweft, Chriftian, any Societies of Men calling themfelves by the ChrilHan Name, who have put off Bowels of Compaflions, Kindnefs, Humble^ nefs of Mind, Meeknefs, Long-fuiFering, Charity and Love 3 and who, inftead of pradtifing thefe Virtues, excommunicate and damn, malign and re- vile, and by Methods of Iniquity and Blood, tor^ ture and perfecute and deftroy others, for their Ad- herence to the original records of Chriliianity, and the Purity of the Chriftian Faith and Wor- lhip> thou may'ft fafely pronounce them to be _, cut off from Chrift, to be of the Synagogue of S^- tan, and to be aauatedby that Wifdom, which is earthly^ fenfual^ and cle'viUfJj^ James iii. 14, if.
Having thus conlidered the Notes which the Scriptures give us of the Church of Chrift, I now proceed to confider thofe which are laid down by Popifti Writers j tho' 1 think fuch an Enquiry is perfectly necdlcis, conlidering the Account they give of the Church and the Members of it. For iis Cardinal Bellarrnine makes it a Mark of the Church that they fiibmit to the i^f?;?;^;/ Pontiff, and cxprefly allows the molt notorious Sinners and fe- crct Iniidcls to be Members of it, fo they profefs to believe as the Church doth, and communicate in her Sacraments, what need Vv^e any Notes to difcover the Church ? The Church of Rome is
well
the Church confidered. 39
well known, and the Nations that adhere to her Communion i and all the Cardinals Marks can't make her more notorious than fhe is already 5 and if the Church of Chrift and the Church of Rome is the fame thing, and this is to be taken for granted as a firil Principle, 'tis as ridiculous to give Marks of the Church, as it wouldbeof theCityofi?^;;^^ itfelf, or of any other well known City or Coun- try in the World. But to pafs by this, and other things of the like Nature, le: us examine the Car- dinal's Notes particularly.
Note I,
The firft, according to the Cardinal, is, the very name of the CathoUckChurch .^ But I think this is direfb nonfenfej becaufe the Catholick Church is nothing but the Collc6bion of all true Chrillians and particular Churches thro' the World. And therefore to anfwer any Perfon enquiring, which, amongft all who bear the Chriftian Name, is the true Church ? I fay to anfwer him, that it is that which hath the Name of Catholick, is either to fay that the true Church is the Colle6bion of all the true Churches in the World, which is to fay no- thing to thePurpofe, becaufe it is no Anfwer to the Queftion > or, that it is fome particular Church that alTumes the Name of Catholick to itfelf j which is to fay worfe than nothing, becaufe 'tis to affirm that it is a particular Univerfal. And this Contra- diction the ^'xmto^ Roman CatholickvQ'AXyim^YiQS', becaufe 'tis faying that the particular Church or Congregation of Perfons called Chriftians in Ro}7ie is the univerfal Church, i. e, all the particular Churches of Chrifl: throughout the World.
Belides, what can bare Names prove, which Men may take or refufe at pleafure, with Reafon or with- out it? Hcreticks themfelves have, as the Cardinal
D 4 allows,
* Ipfum catholicseecclefiae nomen.
4Q The Notes of
allows, aflumed this Name 5 and if the bare afluming of it proves any thing, they have as much a Right 10 it as the Papi lis,
Farther, there was a time when the Word Ca- fholick could not belong to Rome^ but did adually belong to the Converts of another City, viz, to thofe of Jerufalem j becaufe there were once no Chriftians but what were in that Place, the Gof- pel having been firft publifhed there 5 and therefore the Word Catholick can be no Proof that the Church of Rome is the only true Church, becaufe the Catholick Church exifted before there was any Chriftian Church in Romezt all. Or if by Ca- tholick Church be meant, a Church that holds that Do£brine which is common to all Chriftian Churches, then any Church which holds that Do6trine is as much the Catholick Church as the Church of Rome^ and therefore the mere Name can be no diilinguiihing Mark of that Church.
Note II.
The Cardinal's fecond Note is Antiquity ^hec^uCe^ as he fays, the true church is older than the falfe one^ as God was before the devil. But to this it may be anfwered, that bare Antiquity is no certain Evi- dence of Truth, becaufe there are many Errors and Falilioods which canboaft of Antiquity earlier than Chriftianity itfelf Thus Judaifm^ which is now jnere Superftition, was older than the Gofpel, and Idolatry older than both.
And with refpe6t to the Chriftian Church, we know that there were Errors in it even in the apo- ftolick Age, which can never change their Nature, or be transformed into Truth, becaufe of their Plea of Antiquity. For Inftance : The worftiipping of Angels was introduced during the Miniftry of St.Paul himfclf, and yet itmuftbe allowed to be Superftition and Idolatry. For St. Paul himfelf
cxprcifly
the Church conftdered. 41
exprefly condemns it as fuch ; Let no man beguile you of your reward in a 'voluntary humility^ and worfiip" fing of angels^ vainly puffed up in his flefhlymind^ and not holding the head-y * and by Confcquence the Church of Rome^ which maintains and pra6tiles this old Angel Worfhip, doth not hold the Head, but hath cut: herfelf off from the Unity of the Chriftian Church, notwithftanding the Antiquity of this Superftition.
However Antiquity maybe allow'd to be in fome Senfe a Mark or Note of the Chriftian Church, viz. when any Society of Chriftians hold the true Faith of Chrift and his Apoftles, which was at firft delivered to the Saints ; and this is Bellar- mine'^s lixth Note, viz. an agreement in dotirine with the ancient churchy or with that do6lrine which the apo* files delivered. And as this Note is the fame in the Main with the Second, I fhall confider it here. Now as there is no way of Underftanding the Apo- flles Do6lrine fo certainly as from their Writings, which are allowed even by our Adverfaries to be the oldeft Records of Chriftianity, this therefore is the only true Antiquity to which as Chriftians we are to Appeal. And we are content that the Con- troverfy between us and the Papifts fhall be deci- ded by this Ancient and Infallible Rule. But they, Confcious to themfelves, that there is nothing in this Antiquity to favour their peculiar Do6brines and Pra6bices, decline the Trial by this facred Judge, and fly to Fathers, Councils and Traditions, all of them later than the Writers of the facred Re- cords, and will not fuffer the Laity to read them, left they iliould difcern their grofs Abufes and Cor- ruptions of Chriftianity. However, to you my Brethren I appeal > and now call upon you to judge in the Fear of God, on which Side genuine Antiquity lies. As Proteftants then,
?.Wc
* Ck)l.ii. j8; If.
4t The Notes of
1 . We renounce all dependance on the Pope of Rome^ and acknowledge one Lord, one Law- giver in the Chriltian Church, viz, the Lord Jefus Chriit i and the Reafon is, not only becaufe there is not one Word about the Pope and his Headfhip in intheNewTeftament, but becaufe Chrift himfelf fays, Om is your mafter even Chrift ; * and becaufe St. Paid fays, "There is hut one Lord^ and one faith j and that the ivhole family in heaven and earth is named of the Lord Jefus Chrift. t
2. AsProteftants we affirm that Saints and An- gels are not Mediators in Heaven for us, and that Chrift Jefus is our fole Mediator and Advocate. And here we have Apoftolick Antiquity to fupport us. For St. P<^/// exprefly fays, th^tihereisbutone Gody and one Mediator between God and man^ the man Chrift Jefus. ^
J. As Proteilants we affirm that Angels and Saints have no claim to Veneration and Wor- ihip. Here St. Paul is on our Side, who con- demns it asSuperftition and Will-worlhip, in the Place before cited ; and one greater than St. Paul^ even Chrift himfelf, whofe Doftrine it is. Thou (halt vjorftoip the Lord thy God^ and him only ftnilt ^thouferve."^^ Add to this, that Angels themfelves have condemned this Worftiip. Thus when St. y^^/j;^ fell down to Worfliip before the Angel's Feet, the Angel faid to him, See thou do it not^ for lam thy fellow -ferv ant. JVorfhipGod. W
4. As Proteftants we affirm, that in the Sacra- ment of the Lord's Supper there remains Bread and W ine after the Confecracion, and that they are not tranfubftantiated into the Body and Blood of Chrift. Here alfo, befides the Impiety, Abfurdity, and Contradiction of the doctrine of Tranfubftan- tiation, genuine Antiquity is evidently on our Side. For St. Paul exprefly calls that which we
adually
* Eph. iv. f. f iii. If. -^ I Tim. ii. 5".
f* Mktth.iv. 10. ff Rev.xxii. 9.
the Church confidered. ^45
aftually Eat and Drink in the Sacrament, Bread and Wine. As often as ye eat this bread ^ and drink this €Up^ ye do Jheiv the Lord' s death till he come. ^
f . As Proteilants we affirm that Chriftians have an equal Right to the Wine as to the Bread in the Eucharift. For thus fays St. Paul to the Corinthi- ans^ As often as ye eat this hread^ x?, T^vjile and drink this cup^ ye dojhew the Lord's death till he come. ^
6. As Proteilants we affirm that the Eucharift is only a Memorial of Chrift's Death, and not a pro- pitiatory Sacrifice either for the living or dead. Let Chrift and his Apoftle determine. Do this^ fays Chrift, in remembrance of me. t And that all Chri- ftians were to receive the Elements with this View only, St. Paul affurcs the Corinthians ** from Chrift himfelf. And the Author to the Hebrews tells us, that by one offering Chrijl hath for ever per' felled thofe who are fanEiified j and that becaufe there is remijjion of fins under the new covenant^ there is no more offering for fin. \'\
7. As Proteftants we renounce the Doftrine oir Purgatory, and affirm that the future State is no State of Probation, but a State in which Men are unalterably determined for Happinefs or Mifery. And here we have Scripture Antiquity clearly on our Side. Thus the wife Man, fpeaking of Death, fays, I'hen the Dufijhall return to the earth as it was, and thefpirit fhall return to God who gave it^ tt VN^ith- out any Intimation of ftopping at Purgatory by the Way. And St. P^^// affirms, that at the Judg- ment-Seat of Chrift every oncfijall receive the "things done in the body^ according to that he hath done^ whether it be good or bad-y § the necelTary Confequencc of which is, that there can be no Purgatory antece- dent to the general Judgment to cleanfe away Men's
Guilt i
* iCor.xi. i6. f Ibid. ^ Luke xxii. if.
** I Cor.xi. 24. If Heb.x. 14 — 18.
:j:i Ecclcf. :di. 7. § 2 Cor. v. lo.
44 "^^^ Notes of
Guilt i for then they could not receive at the Judg* ment according to the Deeds done in their Bodies.
8. As Proteftants we affirm, that the Worfhip of God ought to be performed in a Language which all Men underftand. And here we have not only the plain Reafon of the Thing with us, but apoftolick Antiquity too. For St. Paul tells the Corinthians J If I [peak with tongues^ i.e. in fuch a Language as thofe I fpeak to can't underftand, what Jhalll profit you? And hereupon he gives this Com- mand : Let all things be done to edifying, *
And finally, as Proteftants we affirm that all Chri^ ftians have a Right to fearch the Scriptures, an4 make the beft Ufe of them that they can. And here alfo we have the Authority of Chrift, Search the fcripture. And of St. Paul^ Let the word of Chriji dwell richly in you in all wifdom^ teaching and admonifhing one another in pfalms and hymns ^ andfpi" ritual fongs, t Which Command would be impof- fible^ if they had not the Word of Chrift, and the Scriptures of Truth %o read and confult for them- felves.
Now if thefe Proteftant Doctrines are as old as Chrift and his Apoftles, and were taught by them, as we fee plainly they were, it is evident that as Pro- teftants we have the San6i:ion of the moft venerable Antiquity on our Side, and this Note of the true Church of Chrift belonging to us, in its fulleft Per- feftion. When therefore the Papifts fcornfully cry out, and ask us : Where was your Church before Luther ^;^^ Calvin? The Anfwer is obvious : That the Do6trine of our Church was in the Writings of the infpired Apoftles, where theirs is never to be found 5 'twas the fame as was taught by Chrift him- felf, whom they have forfaken, and whofe Faith they have corrupted. And as to the Profeflbrs of our Dodrines, they were to be found among ft thofe
Martyrs;
* I Cor. >iii. 6 — id, t CoJ.iii. \$.
the Church confidered. 45
Martyrs and Confeflbrs, whdfe Blood their Church hath cruelly Ipilt 5 who had from their Bifhops, and Clergy, and Monks, like the antient Worthies, the trial of cruel mockings andfcourgings and bonds and imprifonment^ who were ftoned^ fawn afunder^ flain with the fword^ wandering about ^ thro* their Perfi- dioufnefs and Cruelty, being defiitute^ affliHed^ and tormented^ of whom the world was not worthy^ wan* dering in de farts and in mount aim ^ and in dens and caves of the earth.
We willingly acknowledge thefe were our Prede- ceffors, even thefe perfecuted Difciples of the cru- cified Jefus, who protelled againft the Abominati- ons of their Church, and were put to Death by them for theTeftimony of Jefus.
But now what genuine Antiquity have thePapifts to boaft of in Vindication of their Doftrine and Worfh ip ? I confefs that they have Antiquity for many Things older than the Religion of Chrift and his Apoftles : They have all the idolatrous Nations of the Earth, and the falfe Prophets and Deceivers amongft the Jews^ wholly on their Side, by whofe Authority and Examples they may (if they pleafe) vindicate their own Idolatries : They have the E- gyptian men- eaters, Antiochus Epiphanes^ Nero^ Domitian^ and other Monflers of Mankind, who went before them in the Meafures of Perfecution, Cruelty and Blood : Yea, they have the Example of one more antient than all of thefe, that we will allow them to glory in, even his, who as our blef- fed Saviour tells us, * was a Murderer from the be- ginning.
Other genuineAntiquity they have none to plead. Many of their Doftrines were unknown to, or ab- horred by the primitive Church, and are mere No- velties and Innovations, that were originally intro- duced by Superflition, and then maintained by cm- elty and Blood.
Thr
* Johnviii. 44.
j^6 The Notes of
The Supremacy of the Pope, and his Title of Univerfal Bifhop, was firft confirmed by a Murde- rer, even by Phocas to Pope Boniface III, who per- {u2ided Pbocas to ordain, thatthe Church of Rome fhould be the Head of all Churches, and that the Biihop of it fhould be called, Oecumenical or Uni- 'vcrfal Bijhop. This was above 600 Years after Chrift. And tho' Bellarmine denies that this Title was then firft given the Pope, yet nothing is more evident than that the Popes before this did not afliime it as a Title belonging to their See. For Gregory the Great, who was the immediate Prede- cefFor of Boniface except one in the See of Rome^ reje£fced this Title of Univerfal Bifhop with Ab- horrence,and tells Af^^/n to j the Emperor in aLetter to him, ^ that it was "f a blafphemous title^ and that no one of the Roman Pontiffs ever ajfumed [0 fin- gular a one. And in his Letter to John^ Bifhop of Conftantinople^ t he fays to him : What wilt thou fay to Chrift^ the head of the univerfal churchy in the day of judgment^ who thus endeavour efl to fuhjeU his members to thyfelf by this title of Univerfal ? JVloo^ I ask thee^ do ft thou imitate in this but the Devil? And in his Letter to Conftantina the Emprefs, § he fays. His pride in ajjuming this title floewi'd the times of antichrift were at hand.
Again, the Intercefiion of Saints and Angels is a Do6trine of which there is not the leaft Intimati- on in the Writings of the two firft Centuries, and therefore it wants the Note of genuine Antiquity > though itmuftbe allowed to have been introduced
in
*L.4. Ind. 13. P. 157.
t Abfit a cordibus Chriftianorum nomen illud blafphemiae, in quo omnium fecerdotum honor adimitur, dum ab uno fibi dementer arrogatur. Certe pro Beati Petri, Apoftolorum principis, honore, per venerandam Chalcedonenfem Synodum, Romano Pontifici ob* latum eft. Sed nullus eorum unquam hoc fingularitatis nomen af- fumpfit,
\ Id. Ibid. Epift. 38. 5 Ep. 34.
the Church conftdered. 47
in the very next Century following : Origen and Cyprian exprefly favouring this Superftition.
As to the Worfhipof Saints and Angels, this is ftill of a much later date, efpecially as a ftanding generally received Do6trine of the Church. For though Athanafius was for worlhipping Saints, yet Cyril who lived in the next Century fays, * TVe neither call the holy martyrs Gods^ nor are weufedto worjhip them. St. Auftin affirms, that neither Saints nor Angels mil he worjhipped. And even as low down as Gregory^ in the 7th Century, he tells us, ^ that Angels refufedto be worJJjippedJince the appear'' ance of Chrift.
As to the Worihip of Images, though Superfti- tion had brought them in in the third Century, and though as Platina tells us, they were in the Church of Rome in the fourth, yet Pope Gregory before- mentioned, exprefly condemns the Worfhip of them, inhisLettertOiy^r^^^jBifhopof Alarfeilles. t Yea in the 8th Century the Worihip of Images was condemned by a Council at Conftantinople in the Year 7f f , confilling of 3 38 Bifliops. Nor was it till above 30 Years after this, that this Idolatry was eftabliihed in the Chriftian Church by the fecond Council of iV/V^inthe Year 788, by the Intrigues of the Legats of Rome^ and under the Influence of Irene the Emprefs.
As to the Dodrine of Tranfubftantiation, it doth not appear to have been fo much as broached till the 8th Century, when it was fo far from being received as the Doctrine of the Church, that it was warmly oppofed by the moft learned Men of that Age, and cenfured as an Innovation. The Name itfelf was no older than the twelfth Century, nor the Doftrine ever decreed or eftabliflied by any general Council, till the Council of Trent in the Year iff i.
And
♦ Cont. Jul. p. 203. Ed.Spanhem;
t T.3. p. ao. 4: T. 3. 17. Ep.iii,
48 The Notes of
And as the Sacrifice of the Mafs depends on that of Tranfubilantiatioft, it mull be as novel a Doc- trine as that 5 nor is any Thing more certain than that the bell Writers for many Centuries make the Death of Chrill on the Crofs, the only propitiato- ry Sacrifice for Sin.
As to the Communion in one Kind only for the Laity, this was never introduced till the twelfth Century j and the Council of Conftance^ * though they decree the Communion for the Laity to be re- ceived only in the Species of Bread^ yet in this De- cree they own, that Chriflinilituted the Sacrament in both Kinds, and that in the primitive Church this Sacrament was received in both Kinds by Be- lievers ; thus impudently did they obtrude their own Decree on the World, in Oppofition to the acknowledged Appointment of Chriil, and the Praftice of the primitive Church. And yet the Papifls have the Faceto boall of Antiquity !
As to Purgatory, there is not the leaft Mention of it in the two firft Centuries, and the Notion was fir ft introduced by Origen in the third, or rather to- wards the Beginning of the fourth j though Bel- Jar mine himfelf acknowledges, \ that Origen' s Pur- gatoiy "was very different from that of the Popifh Church, and derived from the Platonick Philofo- phy. And therefore as Origen'* s Purgatory is too late an Invention to have the Sanation of true An- tiquity, much more is the Popilh Purgatory too late, which though it takes its Rife from Or;^^;?'s is quite different from it.
As to the Worlhip of God in an unknown Lan- guage, this is not only condemned in the moft ex- prefs Manner by St. P^/^/, as hath been before ob- feived, but is contrary to the Pra6lice of the Eaftern and Weftern Churches, for many hundred Years; when the Latin and Greek were as much vulgar or common Languages, as any modern Languages whatfoever. Pope JohnYlW.m the pth Century, * L^Enf.VoL I. p. 38(5. t T. 2. 1. i. c. 2. though
the Church confidered, 4^
* though he at firft cenfured the Slavonians for cele« brating Mafs in their own Tongue^and commanded them to do fo no more, yet upon better Information he wrote to their King a Letter, in which he tells him, that it was not contrary to Faith and found Doctrine to fay Mafs and Prayers in their own Tongue^ and therefore permitted the Gofpel to be read and Prayers faid in the Slavonian Language. Nor was it till loo Years after, that Pope Gregory VIL forbid the Celebration of divine Offices in this Way, commanding the Prince of that Nation to oppofe the People herein with all his Forces 5 which gave Occaiion to numberlefs Cruelties and Slaughters.
And finally as to the Ufe of the Scriptures 5 that they wercuniverfaily allowed to Chriftians for their Perufal, is evident from their being tranflated into fo many Languages, and from the moil exprel^ Tellimony of the beft Writers, during the firil twelve hundred Years and more after Chrift. Nor could there be any other End of prohibiting them, than to retain thePeople in profound Ignorance, and keep them in a quiet Subje6lion to the irrational^ unfcripturalandantichriflian Inventions and Super- flitions of the Priefts.
By this Account you fee that there is no Compa- rifon between the Antiquity of the Protellant and Popifh Do6trines > and that the true genuine Anti- quity is on our Side 3 and that their diftinguifliing Tenets and Pra6lices are mere Novelties and Inno- vations that have neither the Teilimony of Scrip- ture, nor the primitive Writers of Chriilianity to defend and fupport them.
Note III.
The Cardinal's third Note is, a perpetual and un- interrupted Duration. But this is nodiftinguiftiing Note of the true Church, becaufc Idolatry and Pa-
E 4 ganifm
* Goun. of Tnnt, p, fS;.
JO The Notes of
ganifm may lay a better Claim to this Note than the Church of Rome^ which-feems to have began from the firil Ages after the Flood, and continues to this very Day amonglt many Nations of the World.
fiefides, as the Cardinal allows in his iixth Note, that confent in Do6trine v/ith theantientapolfolick Church is another Note of the Church, it follows that where this Doctrine is departed from, there can be no true Church of Chrift, even though there may remain the Chriftran Name^ and fome external Profeffion of Chfiflianity. And as it hath been Ihewn that the Church of Rome is fcandalouf- ly departed from the apollolick Do6trine, fhe wants the bell Note that can be given of her being the Church of Chrifb.
And tho' there is Reafon to think that there will always be a true Church of Chrift on Earth, yet this doth' not depend on any particular Churches unin- terrupted Duration : For particular Churches may grow corrupt and utterly ceafe, as was the Cafe of the Stven Churches in Jy?^, mentioned in the Re- velations, and yet the true Faith and Church be ftill preferved amongfb others. And, of Confe- quence, the continued Duration of the Church of Rome^ as a Body of MencalUngthemfelves by the Chriftian Name, is no Proof that the Faith of Chriil is not perverted and corrupted by her, nor of Con- fequence that ilie is the true Church.
Note IV.
The next Note is the Amplitude of the Churchy or the Multitude and Variety of Believers in it > be- caufe the catholick Church, as the Cardinal ob- ferves, muil embrace all Nations, and Kinds of Men. But if this be a good Note, I am fure the Church oi Rome can't be the true Churchy be- cauleitis not catholick in this Refped, there be- ing but few Nations in the World comparatively,
who
the Church confidered. yi
yho embrace her Communion. The Pagans and Mahometans are vaftly fuperior in Number to the Papifls J and if the different Denominations of Chriilians, fuch as Proteftants, Grecians, Arme- nians, and others that may be named, are added to- gether, who renounce her Communion, the Mul- titude will be much larger than the Church o^Rome can boaft of.
Befides 3 if this be a diftinguifhing Mark of the true Church, it muft be fuch a Mark as is infepara- ble from her. But this cannot with any Truth be allerted : For in our Saviour's Time 'twas but a //>- tie flock^ as he exprefly calls it ; and for feveral Years it was almolt wholly confined to the Jew- ifh Nation 5 nor can it be made appear, that there ever was a Time when all Nations embraced the Chriftian Faith, much lefs the Faith of the Church of Rome.
The Truth is, the Number of Believers is a purely accidental Thing, and the fpreading of the Gofpel entirely dependent on the Difpofals of Providence. Nations that have embraced the Gof- pel, have had it taken from them > witnefs the fa- mous Churches o^ Jfta and Africa^ which are now no more, tho' they were formerly more numerous than all the Churches who are within the Pale of the Church of Rome : And others who now have it not, may, in God's good Time, be favoured with it J the Church, in the mean time, remaining the fame, whether more or fewer Nations embrace her Faith, or enter into her Communion.
The Time hath been when Herefy itfelf could boaft of Numbers, and the M^orld wondered to fee itfelf become Arian. But Papifts will not allow that this is a conclufive Argument to prove that the Ariam were the true Church of Chrill. Note V.
The next Note is, the Succeffion of Bifhops in the Roman Church from the Apo files to theprefent Day -,
E z a
jz The Notes of
a Note, which tho' of no Significancy, Is infifted on by many who call themfelves Protellants, asne- ceilary to the Validity of all Sacraments and Ad- miniftrations in the Church.
But to all fuch vain Pretences I anfwer, that the Terms of Salvation and Communion are fixed by God in the Gofpel of Chrill, and that a fincere Com- pliance with them will fecure Men of the Bleffings of Redemption, independent of any Succeflion of Bifhops and Pallors from the Church of Rome^ or any other Church whatfoever. The Circumllances of the Chriilian World, I am fure, mull be very deplorable, if the Validity of all Adminillrations in the Church depended on fo precarious a Founda- •tion. For hov/ ihall ChrilHans know and be af- fured that the Succeflion hath never been interrupt- ed ? Who will undertake to fliew them the Chain whole and unbroken? A fingleLink mifling, upon this Scheme, unchriftians them at once, and leaves them to the uncovenanted Mercies of God. And can any Man of common Senfe, or that hath any .Notion of the moral Attributes of God, believe this to be the Gofpel Scheme, or that God hath left Mankind to fuch a miferable State of Uncertainty ? Is there one Word of this Abfurdity in the facred Records ? or of the Neceffity of fuch a fucceflive Ordination to the Efficacy of God's Word, or fecuring the Benefits of Salvation? In vain haft thou filed thy precious Blood, OJefus, thou Son of the eternal God, if there be no Virtue in thy Sacraments, unlefs adminiflred by Men who can derive their Orders without Interruption from thy Apoitlcs! Muflthe Efficacy of thy Sufferings depend on the precarious Claims of thofe who have no Records, no certain Fa6ts to make them good ? Hafl thou made the Validity of thy Miniflers Ser- vices to depend on the Orders they receive from the Syna^onie of Satan ?
^^ That
the Church confidered. yj
That fome of the Popes of J?^;;^^ have been Mon- iters of Wickednefs, and guilty of the moll exe- crable Crimes, the Papills themfelves allow. And were thofe Monlters the Bilhops of Chrift ? Could there be no true Miniilers, no Paltors of the Chri- llian Church, without their receiving a San6lion from fuch impure Hands ? Is it any Honour to Pro- teflant Epifcopacy, to derive all its Claims from thofe who were not only a Scandal to Chriltianity, but a Reproach to Men ?
Befides \ How fhall we determine the Right when the Popedom was divided, and there were two or three Popes together, anathematifingand damning each other? And yet every Chri llian mud be fure from which of thefe Popes his Bishop hath derived his Orders J and, which is as difficult, that this Pope was the genuine Succeflbr of the Apoftles, if the Validity of all i\dminifl:rations depend upon this regular boafted Succeflion.
I will venture to affirm that the Proof of this is an abfolute Impoffibility ; and that if it could be proved, it would iignify nothing, becaufe the Church of Chrift depends not on the Succeffion merelyofanyOrder of Men, but on the Succeflion and Prefervation of the Chriftian Do6trine. Could the Popes of Rome prove their regular Succeflion from the Apoftles, yet if they have departed from the apoftolick Faith, they are not Chriftian Bi« fliops, and therefore their Ordinations are no more valid, than if they proceeded from an /«^//^;/ Brach- man, or a Mahometan Dervife. Not to add that the Arians heretofore boafted of this Succeflion, as doth the Grecian Church to this Day 5 who yet will ne- ver be allowed by the Church of Rome to be the true Church upon this Account.
The fixth Note I have already confidered.
E } Note
54 Tloe Notes of
Note VII.
The Cardinal's feventh Note is, the Union of the Members amongft tJjemfehes^ and with the Heady be- caufe the Church is called one Body ^ one Spoujbj and one Sheep fold; But if by the Union of the Mem- bers amongllthemfelves, he means their being called by any other common Name than that of Chrii!:, this Note is not goodj St. Paul having given it as one Mark of Schifm, to fay, I am of Paul, I am of ApoUos, and I of C^^h^s. And if he means by the Union of the Members with the Head, their Union with the Pope as univerlal Bilhop, t'his can be no Note of the Church of Chriif, becaufe this Title did not belong to the Popes, and was not af- fumed by them, till above 600 Years after Chrilt, unlefs the Cardinal will affirm, there was no true Church till the Time of Boniface III.
Befides, the mere Union of Perfons one with another, is no Note of Truth or Righteoufnefs! The Pfalmift complained in his Day, The kings of theearth fet them f elves ^ and the rulers take counf el to- gether again ft the Lord^ and again ft his Anointed . And yet this Confederacy was no Proof that their Caufe was good. In the CliriftianChurch^f; /W/j have been as much united as the Catholicks, Pagans have been as much united as Chriflians, and Mahometans are to this Day as much as either. But will this prove that Herefy is truth, that Idolatry is true Worfhip, or Mahomet upon a Level with the Son of Cod ?
But fuppofing that Unity is a Note of the true Church, how will this prove the Church oi Rome to be that Church ? Are there no Differences then of Importance amongft the Members of her Com- munion? Suppoiing there is not, yet how have they maintained the Union they boaft of?. Why, by Violence, and the Terrors of the civil Power : By MafTacres, Dragooning, and the cruel Mercies of an horrid Inquifition : Or elfe, by keeping their
People
the Church confideyed. yy
People ignorant of the Word of God, that they nir^y not have Eyes to fee, and Ears to hear, and • Hearts to underltand, that they might be converted and laved. And is an Union, promoted by fuch antichrilHan Methods, a Note of the true ChrilH- an Church ?
But how vain is this Pretence to Unity amongft the Members of the Church o^ Rome. Even thofe they call Heads of their Church, have differed from each other. ^ Stephen VI. abrogated the Decrees of Pope Formoftus his Predecellbr, drew his Body out of his Sepulchre, cut off his Fingers which heufed in Ordination, and threw them in- to the I'tber-y alledging as a Reafon, that he ob- tained the Popedom by Perjury. Romanus the next Pope, abrogated all the Decrees of his Predeceflbr Stephen 5 and as Platina obferves, this Quarrel had fuch bad Influence, that every following Pope in- fringed, or wholly abrogated the Ads of the Fore- going.
But this is but a fmall Matter. The Chriftian Church was divided for near forty Years together, by the Faftions of the Anti-Popes, there being fometimes two, fometimes three together, each of them afTerting that he was the only lawful Pope, and anathematiiing the other, and putting the Princes and People who would not acknowledge them, under an Interdift.
And as the Heads of their Church have been thus divided, fo alfo have the Members of it too, and indeed are to this Day. Thus the Jefuits and Janfenilts are as much divided as any Proteftants about Predeftination and the like Articles 5 the Dominicans and Francifcans about the immaculate Conception of the Virgin M^r>. Others of them differ about the Infallibility of the Pope : Others whether the fupreme Power refides in a General Council or the Pope> the Synod of Conftance de- E 4 termining
* Platina:
f6 The Notes of
termining f6r the Council, that of Trent for the Pope : Others finally, about the Obligation of the Pope's Conftitution Uitigcnltus^ and the Truth of the Do6trines contained in it.
And thefe Differences amongft the Papifts are fome of them of the highcft Importance in their Scheme, and relate to the Foundations of the Church, and therefore of much greater Confe- quence than any amongft confillent Protelliants, who all of them agree in one common infallible Head of the Church, and in one fixed unalterable Rule of Faith and Worlhip.
Note VIIL
The eighth Note, and the only one which I fhall further mention, is, SanHity of DoHrim \ and the Churchy as BeUarmine obferves, is called holy^ hecaufe its ProfeJJion is holy^ containing nothing falfe as to Do5irine^ nothing impure as to Morals. As to this Note I would obferve, that any Perfon, or particular Churches afiuming the Name of holy, doth not prove that it is adually fo. For thus the Jews amidft their moft abominable Corruptions,faid %o others. Standby^ for I am holier than thou j ^ who yet were an offenfive Smoak before God : Nor doth it follow, that becaufe the true Church of Chrift, in all Ages and Nations, hath a juft Title to the Charafter of holy, that therefore the Church pf Rome^ or any other particular Church, is an holy Church J becaufe particular Churches may depart from the Purity of the Chriftian Profeffi- on : And that this is really the Cafe with the Church of Rome^ may be made evident by almoil: innume- rable Particulars. Give me leave to mention a fev/ out of many.
The Do6trine of the Pope's Supremacy, and pf hi§ Plenitude of Power, and of his being the
yifibk f Jfaiah Ixv. 5".
the Church confidered. 57
vifible Head of the Church, is not aDo61:rineof Godlinefs but Gain, and hath been adually abuied to the moil enormous Immoralities. 'Tis in itfelf an impious Invalion of the Prerogative and legif- lative Power of Chrift, who is the fole Head of the Church, and hath never appointed any vifible Head or fubftitute, under him. Under this pre- tence, Popes have been guilty of the moil execra- ble Wickednefles : They have abfolved Men from the Obligations of the moll facred Oaths, broken the publick Faith, excited Subje<5ls to Rebellion againil their Princes, w^arranted private AiTaffinati- ons and fecret Murders, fan6lified unnatural Con- fpiracies, and publick MaiTacres j diiTolved ma- trimonial Contracbs, and juilified adulterous and inceiluous Marriages, and granted Abfolution to the moil notorious and abominable Sinners. I have indifputable Fa6ls fovallthefe Things, which evenPapiils themfclves cannot deny.
Again, the Interceifion of Saints and Angels, and the Adoration they pay to them, and the Vene- ration they give to Images, Wafers, Pi6lures, Re- licks, and the like Things, is a defiling the Tem- ple of God with Idols, and in fome reipe6ls as for- did an Idolatry as ever was praftifed by the Heathens 5 who indeed fome of them worfhipped Animals to us deteilable, but to them ufeful and beneficial. Whereas Papiils bow down to dead Bodies, and even the fmalleil Bones or Fragments of thofe bodies ; which had they but touched un- der the Jewijh Difpenfation, they muil have re*- rmined unclean feven days. * Yea the Law was yet feverer; JVhofoevertoucheth adeadhody^ or a bone of a man^ or a grave^ Jhall he unclean [even days. And themanthatjhall he unclean^ and Jhall not 'purify him" felf^ that foul Jhall he cut off from the congregation. And yet have I my felf feen, the Bone of a dead Man enfhrined in Silver, folemnly placed on the
pretended
* Numb. xix. i6, iq.
J 8 The Notes of
pretended Altar of God, fprinkled with Incenfc, receiving Adoration from a purpled Prieil:, eleva- ted to the People, prefented to an high-born Im- Eerial Princefs, and reverendly and devoutly faluted y her on her Knees,, as if her Saviour had been prefent, andcomeinPerfonto demand her Subjec- tion and Homage. Good God ! Is this Idolatry, this Worfhip to a Bone, the Religion of Jefus ? Is this the purity of the Faith and Worfliip of Rome ? O my foul come not thou into her fecret^ unto her affemhly mine honour he not thou united.
Again, what is there in their Do£brine of Tran- fubilantiation but a Mixture of Abfurdity, Con- tradidionand Blafphemy ? ThePriell he pretends to turn his Bread into his Saviour's Body and Blood and Soul and Divinity, Prefcntly he adores hiri, and holds him up to the People for Adoration. Then he immediately devours him, digefls him, and at laft cafts him out as an unclean Thing, mo- defty forbids me to mention where.
How evidently are the Doftrines of Purgatory, private Mafles, auricular ConfelHon, priellly Ab- iblution. Penances and Satisfa6tions, venial Sins, and the like Falihoods, all calculated to promote the Pra6tice of Sin, and render Men eafy in the Commiflion of it ? But it would be an almofi; end- lefs Task, to run thro' all thefe and other Dodrines of Popery, and fhew you how they are calculated for the Church'sGain, and to defeat the great defign of the Gofpel Revelation, which is to prepare Men, by the Praftice of Univerfal Holinefs and Virtue, for the Reward of eternal Life. And yet the good Cardinal aflures the World, that his Ca- tholick Church maintains no Error, no Turpitude, and teaches nothing contrary to Reafon, tho' it doth many Things above it. But thanks be to God, v/e know their Errors, anddeteil their Abominations, and areas fure that they have corrupted thefimpli- ^ityof the Chriftian Faith, and the purity of the
Qoipcl
the Church conftdered, 59
iGofpel Worihip, as weare that the Scriptures are the infallible W ord of God. And therefore let me, as an inference from the whole,
Exhort you to beware of all Approaches to the Communion of the Church of Rome-, for if ihe is fairly and impartially tried by fome of her own Notes, file mult be condemned as a falfe and anti- chrillian Church. I know very well, that there are amongft us Men who allow her to be a true, tho' corrupted Church, and who derive their own Sue- ceffionof Bifhops from thofeof her Communion, and think that the validity of their own Sacraments and Orders depends on her preferving that Succeffi- ^ on entire 5 and who farther freely allow that Men may be faved within the pale of xhcRomiJIo Church, according to the Terms of the Gofpel Covenant.
And I own that thefe and fuch like Concellions may be very neceflary to the fupport of fome cer- tain Schemes, Pretences and Claims. But I am very certain it is doing no Credit, nor bringing any Security to the Protellant Caufe > efpecially as thofe who make thefe Allowances, to the Church of Rome^ condemn all who diflent from themfelves, as guilty of Schifm, and all their Sacraments and Adminiftrations as null and void.
But let us take heed. Fellow Proteftants, of fuch large and fatal ConcefHons as thefe > which thofeof the Romijh Church actually employ to in- veigle and deceive Men into their Communion. They tell them, that Proteftants themfelves allow their Church to be a True One, and that Per- fons may be faved in and by their Communion, And if this be fo. What effe6tual Reafon can be urged to prevail with Mentoforfake it, or hinder others from embracing it ?
But I think nothing is more evident, than that the Church of Rome cannot be, inany Senfe, the true Church of Chrift, bccaufe {he hath forfaken both the DoiSbrines and Worihip of that Church. Her Doctrine is impure, and her Woriliip Idola- trous.
6o The Notes of
trous. The Gofpel fhe believes and preaches is a quite different one from what was taught by Chrift and his Apoftles, and fhe hath made void the Com- mandments of God by her Traditions. She teaches, forgive the Expreffion, 'tis not mine, but St. Paul' Sy '^dodirinesof devils^ for bidding to 7narry^ and commanding toahfiainfrommeats^ which God hath created to be receive divith thank [giving. Her com- ing hath been after the ivorkingof Satan with power ^ JignSj and lying wonders ^with all deceivabknefs ofun- righteoufnefs in them that ferifh^ hecaufe they receive not the love of the truth that they may befaved. She leads Men to other Saviours and Mediators befides the only one which God hath appointed, even Je- fus Chriit, and boafts of another fund of Merits for Sinners to depend on, befides thofe of the cru- cified Redeemer. She hath abfolutely altered the Terms of Chriftian Communion and Salvation, and teaches Men how to commute with Almighty God, and compound for the groffeft Immoralities of a wicked Life. She hath uncharitably excom- municated all who have protefted againft her Cor- ruptions, and is therefore a Schifmatical as wellas an Apoftate Church. She hath altered the Infti- tutionsof Chriil, in oppofitionto what flie own- ed to be his Will, and the Pradice of the Primi- tive Church, and is therefore fe If- condemned^ and guilty of Herefy as wellas Schifm.
Now isitpolTible that that Church, thatidola* trous, heretical, and fchifmatical Church can be the true Church of Chrift > or if we allow her to bea branch of Chrift's Church, is flie not a branch that beareth no good Fruit, or rather, a corrupt- ed, withered, dead branch of the true Vine? Or, to ufe Bellarmine's Comparifon, can fhe be confi- dered in any other Relation to the true Church, than 2iSthehairs^ or nails ^ or evil humours in an human bo' dy^ i. e, fuch things as Men cutoff and purge out from their Bodies, to prcferve the Decency and Life
of
* I Tim.iv. I, 3.
the Church confidered. 61
of them ? How then can that part of the Church, which hath no vital Principle herfelf, give Life to her Members ? How can they be fiived by the Com- munion of that Church, which hath no more rela- tion to the true Church of Chrift, than the dead Branches have to the Vine, or our very Excrefcen- ces to the human Body.
Were there any of the Members of that Church here prefent, I would befeech you by the Mercies of God, and the love of Jefus, and the Compaffion due to your own Souls, that you v^^ould confider what Danger you are in, by believing the Errors, and conforming to the Practices flie enjoins. Can any of you imagine that a Man can make his God, and a Prieft turn a Wafer into his Saviour ? Can you eat your Saviour and God at a Morfel without trem- bling? Can you truft to the Mediation of Saints and Angels, in defiance to the plani Do6]:rine of an infpired Apoftle, affirming that there is but one Mediator between God and man^ e^ven the mcin Chrijl Jefus? Will you dare to worihip Pi6lures of the invifible God i when God himfelf tells you, you fhall neither make imcuges^ nor how down to them and ferve them ? Will you venture to venerate and wor- fliip the dead Bodies and Bones even of Saints, who were they living, would reie6c fach Adoration with Abhorrence ? Is not this barefaced Idolatry, thus to give Adoration, though of an Inferior Kind, to mere Idols, without any Warrant from God, yea in dire6t Oppofitionto his moftexprefs Order to the contrary ? And can thefe idolatrous Pra6tices be vindicated by any other Arguments, than thofe which the Pagans of old ufed in Vindi- cation of their Superftitions and Idolatries ?
Atleaft, let me prevail on fuch, if any there be here, to make a fair Examination, and to try thefe Doftrines and Pra6bices by what your own Priefts being Judges, is the infallible Word of God. As Proteftants we defire not to be believed for our own
Word.
6t The Notes of
Word. We appeal to the molt aiithentick Anti- quity and Authority. And we would have you ap- peal'to^ and judge by the fame ^ and if your Prielts and Confeflbrs refufe you this Liberty, doth it not look like fufpeding then' own Cauie ? Mull it not be becaufe they dare not trull the Decilionto that facrcd and impartial Judge? I know they will tell you, that the Scriptures are hard to be underllood; Ask them then, why they appeal to Scripture for the truth of fome of their own Doctrines, and whether there be no Pallages of Scripture plain, but juflthofe which they quote? If they tell you, 'tis dangerous to read the Scripture, ask them, why then did Chriil command us. Search the fcriptures ? Did the Saviour of Mankind give this Command only to enfnare Men into dangerous Errors? Oris this the only Infcdlibility of the Word of God, that it will infillibly lead thofe who honeilly read it into damnable Miftakes? 'Tis Impiety to alTert it, and Blafphemy againll the Holy Spirit of God, under whofe Infpiration it was originally written. How God will deal with thofe who, in the Romijh Church, are invincibly ignorant of the Chrillian Faith, and dellitute of the Word of Salvation to enlighten them, I will not pretend to determine. I am £ir from abfolutely excluding them from allShare in his tender Mercies. However, fure I am that Popery is not the Religion of Chrift, and that Ido^ latry is reprefented in Scripture as one of thofe Crimes for which the wrath of God cometh on tht children of difohedience. And • therefore tho' there maybe aPoifibility of their efcaping eternal Con- demnation in that Church, it cannot be as Members of it, nor according to the fettled Conditions of the Gofpel Salvation 5 and we mull, I think, leave them in the fame State as Jews^ Mahoynetans^ and Pagans^ to the vmcovenanted Mercies of God, and to the Difpofals of his infinite Wifdom, who will deal with all Men according to Equity and Truth,
and
the Chuixh confide red. 6^
and accept every one in every nation^ who fears him^ and worketh righteoufnefs. This poflibly may in fome Men's Judgment be counted Uncharitablcncfs. But I would fain know, whether the Worfhip oF an Image, a Pidure, a Crucifix, a dead Body, or an old Bone, be not as itupid Idolatry, and as Hat a Contradi6tion to the Gofpel Religion, and as ex- prelly condemned by it, as the Idolatries of Paga- nifm? Will any then vindicate Chrillians in thefe Idolatries, and condemn the Pagans ? Or allow Sal- vation to the one, and exclude the other from it ? This is judging deceitfully and partially, and is a very inconfiftent Condu6l. Either let them fairly acknowledge, that Idolatry is no deadly Crime, nor declared inconfiftent with the Terms of the Chri- flian Covenant, or let them equally cenfure it where- ever they find it.
But as to thofe who have been bred up in the Pro- teftant Religion, and have the Liberty of confult- ing the Oracles of Truth, for fuch to embrace the Errors and Idolatries of the antichriftian Church of Rome 'y what Excufe can be made for their Madnefs ? With what Plea can they vindicate fo ihameful an Apoftacy ? Do not they willingly exchange Truth for Error, and the Worfhip of God for an impure Superftition ? Can the Traditions of Men be a Hirer Guide than the Oracles of the God of Truth ? Or can any one think himfelf fafer in a Church, whofe Faith and Worfhip fland upon human Decifions, than in thofe which are built upon the Foundation of the Apoflles and Prophets ? Can that Church dire6t us to a better and nearer Way to Heaven, than the Saviour himfelf ? If not, Come out of her my people^ that ye he not partakers of her fins ^ and thai ye receive not of her plagues. For her fins have reached unto heaven^ and God ivill remember her iniquities.
But I believe I am fpeaking to few comparatively, who have thus made fhipwreck of their faith and a ^^oi^ow/c/V^r^.ProteflantDifTentersare too jealous of
their
64 The Notes of
their Liberties, ever to be brought to facrifice them to the proud Claims of ambitious Priells, and too well eflabliihed in the Grounds of the Proteftant Religion, ever to exchange it for the Fopperies and Deceits ofi^(?r^^. You are acknowledged even by her Mifhonaries to be immoveable^ and they reap their Harvefi: from another Field.
Go on, beloved in the Lord, and hold your Sted- failnefs to the End. Know your Principles, and contuiue conliilent Proteftants. Let the Spirit of Popery, v/here-everyoudifcernit, be your Abhor- rence. Maintain the Liberty of your own Confci- ences, and allow to every one the Rights of private Judgment. Authority and blind Submiffionare the Foundation and very Eflcnce of Popery, and the two grand Caufes to w hich all its Superiiitions and Abu- fes are owing > and whoever they are, that plead for this Authority over the Confciences of others, and inculcate abhnd Submillion to the Priell: as the Duty of the Chriftian People, they are, vrhatever Dif- guifes they may wear. Enemies to the Proteflant Religion and Liberties, and avow the moft dange- rous and pernicious Principle of all Popery.
Take heed farther of every Thing that m-aygive Advantage to the common Enemy 3 and particular- lyof £ivouring the Principles of Infidelity, and of that Indiffercncy in Religion, which expolesMen to be praftifed upon by cunning Deceivers, and is indeed a Scandal and a Reproach to the Proteftant Name and Caufe. The nbufing Liberty to Licenti- oufnefs naturally prepares the Way for Slavery > and when Perfons are indifferent to all Religions, they will when Danger threatens them, Intereft invites them, or delufive Appearances draw them, be ready to receive any. And it will be a plaufible Argument in the Mouths of PopiihPrieftsandMifTionariesto feduce others to their corrupt Communion : Seethe EfFe6ts of thisboafted Liberty amongllProteftants! Thefame Men who have rejeftedour Communion,
have
the Church confidered. 6%
have thrown off their Chriftianity too ! They have renounced our Religion, and are grown indifferent to all ! And though this Kind of arguing from Men to Principles is fallacious and inconclufive, yet it hath a Tendency to make unfavourable Impreflions of the Proteftant Caufej on the Minds of the gene- talitVjWho will much eafier be perfuaded to embrace a falle Religion, than to have none at all.
I therefore befeech you, by all that is valuable to you asChriilians and Proteilants, that you endea- vour to adorn the Do6trine of God your Saviour, by being exemplary in the Pra61:ice of every Virtue, eipeciallyiiy/V^ alllowUnefs and meekncfsj with long- fuffering^ forbearing one another in love^ endeavouring to keep the unity of the f fir it in the bond of pace. Let us beware of a cenforious, dividing, and unchari- table Te^iper. 'Tis inconfillent with the funda- mental Prmciple of Proteftantifm, the Liberty of private Judgment, and with the genuine Spirit of Chriftianity, which inculcates the mod extenlive Benevolence. Differences of Opinion there are in the Church o£ Rome^ and Differences there willbe in all Churches to the End of Time. But whilff we adhere to one Rule, and interpret that Rule as God enables us to underftandit, fhould our Diffe- rences in leffer Matters divide our Hearts, or deltroy that brotherly AffeiSbion, which ought to unite us under our different Apprehenfions ? 'Tis one Note that the Church of Ro^ne can be no true Church, becaufe ilie hath no Charity 3 and curfes, anathe- matifes and damns all who will not fubmit to her U- furpations. Oh that the fame fatal Spirit had never enter'd into the Churches of the Reformation, to diilurb their Peace, to diilrefs their Friends,- and give their E/nemies an Occalion of Triumph ! Were Proteffants like the primitive Chriffians of oyie heart andfpiritj did they like them iledfiftly continue in the Apoffles Dodrine, and were they but careful more generally to pradife the Virtues of the Chri-
F ilian
66 The Notes of
ftian Life, the Proteftant Religion could not fail to triumph over all theCheats and Impoftures o^Rome^ and the moll: fubtle Attempts of her Miflionaries to corrupt and enflave us would be abfolutely ineiFec- tuai.
Finally, if, as we have been informed, Popery is advancing with large Strides into the Nation,- and numerous Converts are brought into the Commu- nion of the Church of Rome^ why fhould not thofe who are firm Friends to the Proteilant Reli- gion ufe fome of the felf-fame Methods to prevent the Growth of Popery, which Jefuits and others ufe to propagate it. I am well aflured, that if the Millionaries who are now amongft us make any Harveft, 'tis amongft the lower and poorer Part of the Nation. And to what is this Succefs amongft them owing? To their Poverty and Ignorance^ cunningly applied to, by Liberality on the one Hand, and Books of Inftrudion and Devotion (as they are called) on the other. Their Neceffities are often relieved by the Charity of thePopifti No- bility and Gentry % they have Coals provided for them, to fupport them under the Severities of the Winter •, they have Perfons to apply to under their Illnelfes, and Remedies freely given them, to heal their Difeafes : And being fubdued by the Kind- nefs of thofe who thus minifter to them in theirNe- ceffities. How can they think ill of a Religion that thus prompts Men to A6ts of Goodnefs .? Ef- pecially when artful Books are put into theirHands, in which the Sound of Scripture itfelf is abufed, in Defence of Dodrines that are a Contradi6tion to the genuine Senfe of it.
And may we not here learn Policy from our Ene- mies? Faseft^ ahhoftedocerl. What ftiould hinder you from being as generous as they ? If the Poor are moft in danger, 'tis every good Man's Duty to en- deavour to prevent their being corrupted. God hathblefledmany of you with plentiful Fortunes,
and
the Church conftdered, 67
and how can you better employ them than in the Support of Liberty and true Religion ? Your own Plenty fhould render you compaffionate to the Wants of the Poor. And if thofe of you who are able, would in the feveral Neighbourhoods where you live, confult the Neceffities of the Indigent, by helping them under the Rigours of Winter, and directing fome prudent and careful Perfons to make fuitable Application to them, under their bodily Diforders> I am perfuaded fuch Methods would have their defired Succefs, and the Progrefs of Po« pery be efFedually prevented j efpecially if Bibles, and fome fmall Books of Devotion, and others con- taining the Grounds of Religion in general, and thofe of the Proteftant Religion in particular, were feafonablydiftributed among it them : As to which latter Article, I beg Leave to fay, that if the Gen- tlemen in the Diflenting Intereft are but willing to encourage fuch a Charity, your Minifters will be glad, many, I believe all of them, not only to draw up fuch Books as may be proper, but to put them into fuch Hands as may moft need them.
I have done, when I have only added, that if Popery be really increa{ing5and if even the^Prelates of the Eftabliihment are feniible of it ; methinks they fliould be fenfible of the Neceflity of a flronger Union amongft all Proteflants, and rendered willing by the Senfe of their own Danger, to take away every Occaiion that may divide or difcontent them. We are indeed publickly told, -f that any Contention to fiew Favour to Dijfenters^ ivhilft the Nation is alarmed at the Growth of Popery^ muftbe aWeaknefs in thofe Diffenters who promote it ^ and perhaps he the only fur e Means to prevent Faniour from being extended to them in any future 'Time. I pretend not to diredb thofe worthy Gentlemen who are in the Dire6tion of our Affairs, how or when to aft: May the God
Ft 'of
^ Bifliop of Un^onh Letter. f Gourant of Jtmnaty lo.
«8 7^(f Notes, &c.
of Wifdom dired them. But as aMinifter of the Gofpel I will venture to affirm, that no Time can be improper to refcue the Ordinances of Chrill from an abandoned Proftitution y and as a Lover of Liberty I beg leave to lay, that every Time is im- proper to lay Hardfhips upon faithful Subje6ts, or continue them when laid : As a Proteftant, I think there can be no lafting Security againft theTyranny of Popery, unlefs we thoroughly renounce all the Principles of it, and never opprefs Men in any In- ilance for their Religion and their Confcience > and if the Danger of its Increafe be really fuch as is ap- prehended, I think all who value the Proteftant Caufe, muft be ready to do Jullice to their Proteftant Brethren, and thus render them entirely eafy : But if this very Alarm is made the Reafon of refufing them this Juftice, thoughtful Men w^ill be too ready to fufceft, that 'tis only a political Fetch, to keep thoie filent, who have fo long had Reafon to complain, and to prevent their Applica- tion for the Recovery of thofe Rights which they have fo juftly deferved, by their Readinefs to fave even the Eftabliihed Church in the Time of her Danger, and by a long, and uninterrupted Zeal for the Family and Perfon of his prefent Majefty, for whofcProfperity we daily pray, and to whole Go- vernment we wifh increaling Honour and Succefs.
p o s r-
POSTSCRIPT
IF I N D the laft Paragraph of this Sermon hath given great Offence, and been reprefented as a Delign to expofe and ridicule the Le6ture itfelf. Sufpicion imagines every thing, and Ill-nature will fay any thing, and 'tis almolt impoihble to guard againll either. I have been my felf fully convinced that Popery is gaining Ground amongll us, and I therefore engaged' in the Le6Lure, with no View to aft a treacherous Part in it, as hath been cruel- ly reported of me, but to do all I could, with the reft of my Brethren, to guard others againft the Infinuations of Popiih Miflionaries, to pervert them to their antichriftian Praftices and Doc- trines.
Neverthelefs, as the Biifhop of London^ in his circular Letter to the Clergy, tells them, that the Increafe of Popery is not fo great as hath been ap- prehended 3 and yet as the Author of the Courant^ referred to, urges this Increafe as a Reafon why the Proteilant Diflenters ihould make no Applica- tion for the Redrefs of their Grievances, and in- folently threatens them if they do : I muft have the Liberty to fay it again, that thoughtful Men will apprehend, that the Alarm of the Growth of Popery, juft at this Juncture, to which the DiiTenters have been advifed and encouraged to re- fer their Hopes of Relief, by the Gentlemen who have had the Management of their Affairs, as well as others, is made ufe of as a political Fetch to (i- lence and difappoint them ^ if an Occafion be ta- F 3 • Un
POSTSCRIPT.
ken from hence to refufe them the Liberty of ap- plying, or render inetfe6bual fuch an Application if made. The Courant before mentioned gave rife to the PaiTage complained of 5 and tho' the Obfer- vation I drew from it may be difpleafing to fome, furely it cannot be fo to any who are heartily in the Diflenting Intereft, or Lovers of the Religion and Liberties of their Country. To be cenfured by fuch would give me real Pain. Thq Cenfurcs of others give me neither Pain nor Fear.
(^O
A fecond Treatife on the Notes of the Church.
ASA
SUPPLEMENT
T O T H E
SERMON
Preach'd at Salters'Hally Jan, i6, 1734-5-.
Being the Subftance of two Sermons preach'd at the If^ednefday Ledture at the Old Jury^ Jan. 11^ and 2,p,
By SJMUEL CHANDLER.
Omnes confitentur, in fola vera Ecclefia efle veram fidem, veram peccatorum remiflionem, veram rpem ^lutis aeternae.
BelUrm, d^ Not. Ecelef,
I Tim. iii. 15'. Thefe thmgs I write to thee, — that thou mayft know hgw thou oughtejt to behave thy felf in the hotife of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth.
HA V I N G in a former Difcourfe, though delivered in =^== another Place, confidered the Scripture Charaders of the Church of Chrilt s and feveral alfo of thofe iMarks which Cardinal Bellarmim lays down as the Notes
F 4 of
* Salters-Hall, Thurfday, Jan. i6, 1734-r.
71 The Notes of
of the true Church, in order to prove that this Character belongs to the Church of Rome > I beg leave here to refume that Subie6b, becaufe I then left it imperfect. The Cardinal's Notes which I then confidered were thefe : i . The Name Catho- lick afTumed by the Church o^ Rome. 2. Antiqui- ty. 3. Perpetual and uninterrupted Duration. 4. The Amplitude, or Multitude, and Variety of Believers, f. The Succeffion of Bifhops in the Church of Rome^ from the Apoftlesto theprefent Times. 6. Agreement in Doctrine with the an- cient Church. 7. The Union of the Members amoFigftthemfelves, and with the Head. 8. Sanc- tity, orHolinefsof Doftrine. As to thefe, I have ihev/n, either that they are no Marks of the Church of Chriil: 5 or that if they are, they do not belong to the Church of Rome.
Note IX.
The CardinaPs ninth Note is, Efficacy of Doc- trine j for the true Church alone ^ fays he, pffejfeth that DoBrine which converteth the Soul.^ Bur, upon a little Confideration, it will appear, that this Note is far from ferving the Cardinal's Pur- pofe : For the Efficacy and Succefs of Doftrines^ may be afcribed to various Caufes.
Sometimes to the natural intrinfick Excellency of the Do6trines themfelves 5 their being evident- ly agreeable to Truth and Reafon, and tending to promote valuable and worthy Ends : To thefc Caufes, the Succefs of the Gofpel Religion was owing upon its firlt Publication, though preached by Men contemptible, as to outward Appearance,* who had neither Arms nor Eloquence to enforce it on, or recommend it to the World > yea, though the Do6brines they preached had no temporal Ad- vantages
♦ Eflficaciadoftrlnsc, fokenim veraEcclefia habetdoilrinaiD, — . convertentcmanimam. Cap. 12.
the Church confidered. 73
%^anta.ges to recommend them, but the ProfcfHon of them was almoil fure to be attended with Per- fecution^ Poverty, and Death. And this Succefs of the Gofpel, as it was partly owing to its natural Excellency and Goodneis -, its approving it felf to the Reafon and Confciences of Mankind j and its Evident Tendency to promote the higheft Happi- nefsof Men, in the Knowledge, Service, and Ac- ceptance of God 3 was, amongll many others, one good Argument of its Truth, and Agreeablenefs to the Will of God. Whereas the peculiar Doc- trines of the Church of Rome^ cannot poilibly havQ any Efficacy upon thefe Accounts 5 becaufe they are many of them abfurd and contradictory to all the Principles of Reafon, and almofl all of them cal- culated to promote the Power and Profit of the Priefts, and to bring the Church of God into the moft abject and deplorable Slavery.
The Do6lrine of Tranfubflantiation is an Infult upon common Senfe, an Objedion which "^ Bel- larmim urges againll fome of the Principles of the Lutherans^ to fnew they cannot be true: For, how can that be the Body and Blood of Chrift, which our Sight, Smell, Feeling, and Tailing, afiiire us is nothing more than a Wafer, or Piece of Bread ? How can the individual Body of Chrift, which is but one, and which is now in Heaven, be multiplied into a thoufmd Bodies at once, and be in the fame inftant in a thoufand Places, and eaten a thoufand Times over upon Earth, and yet, at the fame time, remain whole and uneaten in Heaven .^ How is it pofTible that Chrift, who inftituted the Sacrament, could give himfelf to his Difciples with his own Hands, fee himfelf eaten, fwallowed, and devoured by them, without being eaten, fwallowed, and de- voured at all ; be at the fame time broken, and un- broken, within his Apoftles, and without them 5
be
* Aperte repugnat veritati, nt Au^uflinus fcribat, injuriam faccrc Jiumanisfenfibusquihocdicunt. DeNot. Ecclpf. Not. 8.
74 TT^^ Notes of
be at the fame Inflant folid as Bread, and liquid as Wine y be as big as a Man, and as fmall as a Morfel of Bread ? Was ever Invention fo monftrous as this ? Ever any Do6trine compounded of fuch palpable and ftupid Abfurdities ? Is it not an Outrage upoa every thing called Senfe or Reafon ?
Again, the Worfhip of Images, Pictures, dead Mens Bodies, Relicks, and the like Things, is a Contradiction to the plained Diftates of Truth and Reafon, which lead us to the Adoration and Worfhip of God, the fupreme and ultimate Ob- jeft of Worfhip j who cannot be reprefented by any fenfible Appearances, nor approve of any Ve-* neration given by rational Beings to dead inanimate Ob i efts, that have neither eyes to fee ^ nor ears to hear^ nor tongues to [peak with.
I am willing to allow, that the Worfhip paid to thefe things is relative only, or given to them for the Relation they have to the Obje<Sbs they repre- fent : So alfo was the Worfhip paid by many Hea- thens * to the Images, Temples, and Altars, of their Gods 5 which notwithiVanding the Scriptures con- demn as a very heinous Sin, and monftrous Impie- ty : And with the higheft Reafon j becaufe dead andlifelefs Images, or Pi6lures, can be no proper Reprefentations of the living, fpiritual and invi- fible God 5 and therefore not worthy of any rela^ tive Veneration, becaufe thofe Images, or Pi£bures, cannot in the Nature of Things have any poUible Relation to him, or convey to the Mind any true Idea of him.
As to the Images and Pi6bures of Chrift, the making and worfhipping them, is an abfurd and ir- rational
Uttpuifxevot; ie ati n vtpi t&jv ^bm »v(Teti<; 8<avo«cr9a', k^« \x.t\ct t*- vo^ axogA£Ta)> Bi; to. tepu twv dttav, nut ru ccyahiJ.cclu t»(x>i-; y.cci offtujlyflog^ esQ^fxevo^ uxrirsp av £t -zupovla^ etapcc mq Beag. AyaAfxcclu yap nai /3w- ^/.a', HctiTvpo^; acrg?^a 4)L/Aax-<v, ttxi r-uvlcc a.7:7i'ji(; tu Toix'fict. ffu/xGoAa, oi 'J^OL tzpit; £^ev io r/ii TCtpaciug rwv Gf&'v, hk tva msna 6«H" vo/xtrwfxfv, aAA
i"v« 5/ aulwv Tw; 66B5 Gep^/revcroj/xe;/. Julian, q. 293. Edit. Spanhem..
the Church confidered. 75
rational Super flit ion. For befides that, there is no Warrant for this in the New Teftament Records, 'tis impoflible to make any true Reprefentation of him, as exalted to the right Hand of Glory, or that an Idol made by the Statuary or Carver, and called by his Name, fhould deferve that outward Prollra-^ tion, or inward Veneration, which is due to Chrift himfelfj the Wood, the Stone, and Metal, having no more intrinfick Excellency, and bearing no more Likenefs, or Relation to Ghrill:, after the Artificer hath formed it, and called it by his Name, than when growing in the Tree, or buried in the Bowels of the Earth.
And, as to the Images and Piftures of the Vir- gin Mary ^ and the Saints, together with their dead Bodies and Relicks, the worfhipping them is, if poflible, worfe Folly and Superllition than the other J becaufe there is no Reafon or Precept for worfhipping thofe Perfons themfelves, and by Con- fequencej none for worfhipping their Images, Renmants of their Bodies, or any thing that be- longs to them. And if the worfhipping them without Warrant, yea, in Oppofition to the plain- ^fl Intimations to the contrary, is real Idolatry 5 what Name of Reproach mufl the worfhipping or venerating their Images and Relicks deferve ? This Prafbice of worfhipping de^d Bodies, and Scraps of Bodies, is more flupid and abfurd than almoft any thing to be found amongfl the Pagans y who, though they often deified their dead Heroes, yet either burned their Bodies, or let them remain quiet and undiflurbed in their Graves and Se- pulchres 'y and on this Account Julian reproaches the Chriflians of his Time, becaufe they * turned to the Worjhip of the Dead and their Relicks. And
in
1;. Et< ths vfj<p85 Ka; rx ?,i;lcc.vx (xelxltlfXiifJi^v^q. Julian, p, 4,},
y6 The Notes of
in another place, * hefiiys, TVhocanfufficientlyah^ horyour pra6lice^ in adding fo many neivdeadperfons to him wbofonnerly died ? lou have filled all places with fepulchres and monuments^ though "'tis no where com* manded you to kneel before and worfhip them > yea^ in appojitiontothe wordsof Jefus^ Matt, xxiii. 27.
Other Inftances might be mentioned, fuch as worfhipping in an unknown Tongue, and keep- ing the Scriptures from the knowledge of the Peo- ple y becaufe common Senfe and Reafon evidently alTure us, that there can be no rational Devotion without Knowledge J and that if the Scripture be the Word of God, and contains a revelation of the divine Will to all Mankind, all Mankind mull be concerned tounderlland it, and mufl by neceflary Confequence have a right to read and fearch it.
And as thefe and the like Doftrines are evidently abfurd andcontradiftory to the Principles of Rea-' fon, fo they are plainly calculated, not to promote any real, wife and valuable Purpofe, but to ag- grandife the Power of the Priefls, and to be a kit- ing Fund of Riches to the Clergy. What an high Opinion muft the People have of their Priefls, if they can be brought to believe, that by muttering a few Words, they can change aMorielof Bread into their Saviour and God ? That they can grant them Difpenfations and Indulgences, and authori- tatively abfolve them from all their Guilt? That they can deliver them fromall the Pains of Purga- tory, and fend them flrait to Heaven by the Repe- tition of a few Mafles for their Souls ? How large are the Revenues that flow from the profitable Dodrines of Purgatory, MafTes, priellly Abfolu- tions, Penances, and the like Superilitions ? How vail the Influence, which the Priefls and ConfefTors
have
frpoq oCkixv 35eA'j^v]1a/ 'KCoAct er?^-/ip(Offx]E Tx(Piav ttai (ut.v/|fx.a1ov, kizi roi mc &c. Cyril. Com. Jul. p. 335-.
the Churcli confidered. 77
have over private Perfons, Families, and Nations, by auricular Confeffions, when they are let into the Secrets of Mens Conduft and Confciences, and have a Power to enj oin them what Difcipline, and Penances, and Satisfa6tions they pleafc ? The Truth is, the whole Syftem of Popery is a Scheme of Ambition and worldly Policy, calculated not to promote Knowledge and Virtue, and the Happi- nefsof Mankind, but the Dominion and Grandeur of thePriefts, at the Expence, and upon the moft certain Ruins of each of theie dear and valuable Interefts. So that let the Efficacy of their Doc- trines be what it will, it can be no Evidence that their Church is the Church of Chrift^ becaufethat Efficacy cannot proceed from the intrinfick Excel- lency of thefe Do&rines, theirConformity to Truth and Reafon, and their Tendency to promote the real Intereft and Happinefs of Mankind.
The Efficacy of particular Doftrines, however abfurd and falfe, and particularly of thofe of the Church of Rome^ may beveryeafily accounted for by Reafons, that will rcflecSt but little Honour upon the Succefs that may attend them. When Doc- trines are invented fuitable to the corrupt Paffions and Affections of Mankind, fuch Do6brmes as tend to render them eafy in their Vices, and reconcile Salvation with the Immoralities of a wicked Life > 'tis no wonder that even the generality of Man- kind, who are led more by the Inftin6cs of Senfe, than the Didates of Reafon, fhould be found to countenance and embrace them > for as Bellarminc obferves under this very Note ^ What difficulty is thereto inftil poifon intoaman^ njoho is ready prepared to take it ? Hence St. P^«/afcribes the Prevalence of Error to this very Caufe. Thus he tells the Thefja- lonians^ that God wouX&fend afirong delujion^ thai thofe Jhould believe a lye who hadpleafure in unrighte-
oufnefs,
' ♦ Quae enim diiHcultas eft inftillare venenum hotnini paratoadiel fumendum ?
78 The Notes of
oufnefsi^ tneff. ii.io, ii, 12. And in his id. Epi-^ llleto 'Timothy^ he fays, evil men and feducers jhall "wax isjorfe and worfe^ deceiving and being deceived^ Chiip.ii. 13.
Some of the Doftrines of Mahometanifm were thus made palatable to the Inclinations of thofe, to whom that Impoftor addrefTed himfelf j and that this is really the Cafe with many of the Doc- trines of Popery, hath been fhewn under a t for- mer Head.
Again, the Prevalence or Efficacy of corrupt Do6brines, is oftentimes owing to deep Igno- rance, and the want of means of better Informati- on. To this the Superflitions and Idolatries oi Pa- ganifm were in a great meafure to be attributed. This was one Reafon of the SuccefTes of Maho- met^ and of the Efficacy of his Doftrine among ft the Arabians 5 and the Papifts well know that their own Errors and antic hri ft ian Pra6bices are fup port- ed by the fame Foundation. They have deprived the People of the facred Scriptures, and of allo- ther Books that may tend to their Information. They rigoroufty prohibit all Inquiries andDifputes about Religion, and inculcate an implicit Faith in the Di6tates of the Church, and reprefent it as an heinous Sin, fo much as to queftion or doubt about the Truth of her Decilions. And is it any wonder that Error ftiould flouriHi under the Proteftion of Ignorance ?
Add to this the great Subtleties and many Arts they make ufe of to propagate their Do6trines> viz. thofe pretended Miracles which they boaft of in the Church of Rome^ whereby they impofeon the credulity of the weak Multitude, and inftil into their Minds an high Veneration for the great eft Abfurdities and Corruptions they have introduced into the Houfe of God. Thus to perfuade them that the confecratcd Wafer is the Body and Blood
of t See Note VIIL
the Church conftdered. 7p
tjf Chrift, they have invented Stories of Wafers dropping Bloqd when they have been pierced and cut by wicked Hereticks 5 lively Reprefentations of which, inPi6tures, I myfelf have feen public k- lyhung up in their Churches, for the Admiration and Eftabhfhment of the deluded People. To con- firm them in the Worfhip of Images, they tell them of their fweating, moving their Eyes, bow- ing their Heads^ and performing many wonderful Cures J which are either the Tricks of cunning Prieflsj or owing to fatanical Delulionsj it be- ing impoffible that God Ihould perform any Mira- cles for the Ellablifhment of fo impious a Super fti- tion. In like Manner theLiquefa6tion of St.J^- nuarius's Blood, the miraculous Cures which have been faidtobe wrought by Relicks, and the Hke Rogueries of the Priefts, are Arts to keep up an impure Veneration for dead Bodies, bits of Bones, and the fragments of CrofTes and tattered Garments. Thus alfo they have feigned Apparitions of Spirits tortured in Purgatory, defiring the Prayers of the Living 3 and of other Spirits delivered from Pain and Prison by their Prayers andMafTesj to propa- gate the Notion, and eflablilh the People in the gainful Do6brines of Purgatory and Mafles. It would be endlefs to mention all the Inftances of this Kind that may be produced, and the numberlcfs Frauds that have been ufed to impofe on the Peo- ple i many of which have been difcovered to the Shame and Confufion of the Authors and Pra6bifers of them.
Befides this, they frequently endeavour to fup- port and colour over their Doctrines by the found of Scripture-expreffions 5 or by altering the Words, andcorruptingtheSenfeof it. Thus, to prevent their Peoples Abhorrence of Image and I- dol Worfhip, they have fometimes taken away the fecond Commandment > and, to keep up the Num- ber of Ten, have divided the tenth into two. To
prove
8o The Notes of
prove the Doctrine of Tranfubllantiation, they urge the literal Senle of the Wor^s, This is my Z'o^^jK.Andby thefame Way they might prove that Chrifl is a Door, and a Vine 5 and that God himfelf is pofTelled of all bodily Parts and Paillons.To prove that Holy Order is a Sacrament inftituted by Chrift, they cite thofe Words, Do this in remembrance of we 'y which a Child may fee do not relate to Chrift's granting his Apoftles a Power to confecrate the Bread and Wine, but to their eating the Bread in Remembrance of him. In Support of the Doc- trine of Purgatory, they urge, He himfelf Jh all he faved^ yet fo ashy fire \ to which they have added, in fome of their Verlions, hy the fire of Purgatory. Innumerable fuch Abufes may be eafily feen by thofe who will be at the Pains to confult their Confeffions and Catechifms.
And to render all thefe Arts, and the like, the more effectual, the Roynif^ Priefts pretend great Compaffionfor the Souls of People, and boldly tell them there is noSalvation out of their Church ^that, as Proteftants, they are in a damnable State 5, that Proteilants allow Salvation in the Communion of the Church of Rome \ that they are divided amongft themfelves, and that they cenfure and condemn each other for their Differences 5 and to render all thefe Arts the more effe6tual, they Itrengthen them with Money and Gifts, and other the like Appear- ances of Charity.
And finally, where all thefe Things will not do, they have other Methods, n6t lefs powerfiil to con- vince and convert Gaindiyers, and fecure the deiired Efficacy to their Doftrines. 'Tis well k nown that Herefy amongllthePapiils is a capital Crime, and punifhedin the moil dreadful Manner that the Art of Man can invent j and that, according to them, it confifts in believing any Thing contrary to the received Opinions of their Church, or not believing in all Matters as the Church believes. Now how is it poffible that what they
call
the Church confidered. 8i
callHerefy, which is in reality Truth and Righte- oufnefs, fhould ever fpread amongft them, when they fcruple no Methods of Injuflice and Violence to fupprefs it in its Rife, and prevent its Growth ? This hath been their Way in all Ages, either to convert Men by Force, or deflroy all Op- pofers of their Errors and Superftitions. Thus they propagated and fupported them in Great Bri- tain by Fire and Faggot 5 in Ireland by the MafTa- cre of above One Hundred and Forty Thoufand Proteftants > in France by publifhing Crufadoes againft Hereticks, deftroying their Cities, and murdering Thoufands for their Religion andCon- fciences3 and by the jPariftan * MafTacre, for which, tho' contrived and carried on, and executed with diabolical Perfidioufnefs and Cruelty, a Jubi- lee was appointed mPanSj and folemn Thanks re- turned to God, as tho' it had been a Sacrifice ac- ceptable to him. And not only thus, but as 7^/j na- nus f tells us, they received the News of it at Rome with Tranfports of Pleafure j and the Pope and Cardinals inftantly repaired to St. Alark'Sy to thank God for fo great a Favour conferred on the See of Rome^ and appointed a Jubilee over the whole Chriftian World, for this Slaughter of the Hereticks in France. And I have now by me an O- ration of AntJjfiny Muretus^ in praife of Charles IX. pronounced at Rome before Pope Gregory XIII. in which he ^ blelfes that memorable Nighu in which
G this
* Thuanus, Vol, III. p. 140. Edit. Buck.
f Ibid. p. i_f2.
■^ O ncxftem illam memorabilem, 8c in faftiseximisealicujusnotae .adje6lione lignandam ! qusepaucovum feditioforuminterrita, regem a prsefenti casdis periculo, regnum aperpetua civilium bellorum for- midine liberavit. Qua quidcm node ftellas equidcm ipfasluxilTc fo- iitonitidius arbitror, 6c flumen Sequanam majores undas voivifle, quo ilia impurorum hominum caduvcra evolveret & exoncraret in mare. O fcliciiliman*. mulierem Catharinam regis matrem, qux ■rum tot annos udmirabiii prudemia piirique (diicitudine legnum fi- iio, tiiium regno confcrrvriUc-r, turn dcnumi iecurarcgnantem fillum
adfpexit 1 O regis frarres, ipl'c: qiioqucbcatos ! O diem deniquc
;))iini plenum i.rii^ije JJc KiLiir.cis; quo :ii, Bfrnfilnie Pater, hoc ad
re
8i The Notes of
this iiccurfed Slaughter was committed, extols the King, Qiieeii-Mother, and Brethren of theKing, for the Share they had in this execrable Villany i and calls the Pope himfelf moji hie [fed Father^ for his going in Procellion to return Thanks to God and St. hewis for the welcome News when brought to him. And. even to this Day they fupport their Superilitions by Dragoonings, Imprifonments and Death in that Kirigdom 3 and in Spain^ and Portugal^ and Italy^ by theaccurfed Severities of an Inquilition.
You fee here the Caufes of the Efficacy of Pope- ry y and is it any Wonder it fhculd prevail, under fuch Methods to propagate it ? Or can it be any Proof that the Church oi^Rome is the Church of Chrift, becaufe her Doftrines are fuccefsful, when that Succefs is owing to fuch violent and bloody Meafures? * Bellarmine himid^^ when urged with the Succefs of ik/'^/;o;7^<?^^^^y^5 rightly objeds, that the great Numbers ^vho embraced it ^ were drawn over by the 'Terror of Jrms^ not by the Force and Efficacy of its DoUrifie , and that Mahomet himfelf taught in his Alcoran^ that Men are to be forced by War to theFaith, If this be an Obje6tion againil Mahomet anifm^ it muft be equally fo againil Popery 5 which teaches and ufeth the fame Methods of Propagation, and hath fpilt more Blood in Support of her antichri- flian Dodbrines, than hath been ever fpilt by the Mahometan Princes meerly on Account of their Religion. So that the Efficacy of the Dodrines of Mahometanifyn'in&Vo^pcvj^ is owing to the Cime Meafures of cruelty and Perfecution -, and there- fore, if mere Succefs or Efficacy of Dodrine be a
Sign
te nuncio allato, Deo immortali, & DivoHludovicoregi, cujus hjEC in ipfopervigilioevencrant, gratias a<9:urus, indi6ias a tcfupplicati- ones pedes obriili! Quisautcm oprabilior ad te nunciusadferri pote- rat? aiit nos ipli quid tclicius optare potevamus principiumponti- ficatusnii ? Muret. Qrat. Vol. I. p. 197. 198. Edit.Luhec.
* Mahumetani aurem traxerunc quidcm miiltos j fed terrore ar- momm, nonvi £c efficacia dodirinx. Quare ipfemet iMahumetus in Alcovano, c. 18, 19. docet, hello ccgendos homines ad fidcm. Le. Not. Lcchf. cap. 12.
^ the Church conftdered. g^
Sigtl of the Church of Chriftj Mahometans have as much a Claim to that facred Charafter as the Papilts.
There is indeed a very powerful Influence which Popery generally hath on the Minds of Men5which is not much to the Reputation and Credit of it. For when once this falfeReligion hath got hold of their Minds, it renders them obflinate, and averfetoall Information and farther Knowledge, and Enemies to the very Means of their Convidion and Salvati- on : It fills them with a cenforious, uncharitable Spirit, and with Rancour and Malice towards all who differ from them 5 it too often prepares them for the moil execrable Villanies, and changes the natural Sentiments and Di6tates of Compallion and Tendernefs into an unrelenting Hardnefs of Heart, and an infernal Satisfa6bion in the Punifhments and Miferies of others. For as Dr. Geddes obferves of the Portugueze^ tho' all other Malefa6cors befides Hereticks are greatly lamented and pitied by them when they fufier Death 5 yet when Hereticks are roafted in lingring Fires, and crying out under their exquifite Tortures, their Sufferings are beheld^ by Perfons of both Sexes and all Ages^ with fuch Tran- fports of Joy and Satisf action as are not to be met with on any other Occajions whatfoever. Such is the Spirit of their Religion I Such the dreadful Eliicacy of their DoiStrine !
Whenever thefe are the natural Effe6bs of any Principles, nothing can be more certain than that they muft be contrary to Truth and Religion, x^nd, indeed, nothing can be more fallacious than to ar- gue from the Prevalence of any Doctrines to the Truth and divine Authority of them : For the yT/^- hometan Religion is much more univerfal than that of Chriftianity to this Day 5 and amongftChrifti- ans, Arlanifm could once boail: of its SuccclTes, and of having profclyted many Nations and Kingdoms. And at this Day, How many Nations embrace the Reformation, and the Doctrines of the Proteilant Religion ? And therefore, if the mere Efficacy of
G 2 Doc-
84 TT^^ Notes of
Doftrinebe a certain Note of the Church of Chrift, the Papifts mud allow that we are as much the true Church of Chrill as themfelvcs > and they have no other Way to extricate themfelves out of this Dif- ficulty, but by faying with * Bellarmlne^ that He' reticks only deceive Men^ hut cannot convert them to the Faith ^ which is iliamefuUy to beg the Queftion, but not to anfwer the Objecbion \ and Proteftants may with the higheft Reafon retort the Cardinal's Words upon himfelf. The Papills only deceive Men, but cannot convert them to the Faith. Pa- pifts have indeed tbefcripture^ but will notfufFer it to be read by the People, and have not the true fenfe of fcripture : Nor is it any wonder that they [ometimes pervert Proteftants s for men are prone to go down into the broad andeafy way which Popery opens , and God fuffers it to he Jb^ hecaufe of their ingratitude^ who having been once enlightned^ have not brought forth good fruits^ anfwer able to the light they have received \ To conclude this Head, the mere Efficacy, or want of Efficacy in any Dodrine, proves nothing what the Nature of it is. As Error it felf hath oftentimes amazing Succefs, and gains over innu- merable Profely tes, fo Truth is oftentimes defpifed and rejected > and yet remains Truth, though {he hath few or none to folio v/ her. Even our Saviour . himfelf was wickedly treated by the Jews^ and he had but few who received him, or embraced his Doftrine. His Apoflles after him were oppofed and perfecutcd, and the number of Converts they made, but comparatively fmall with the reft of Manldnd. And yet they were the Meflengers of God, and their Religion founded on Truth, and
worthy
* Majorcm partem Gothorum fuilTe ab Arianisdeceptam. Noa igirurconvertunt homincsad fidem hicretici, non pollunt. Ibid,
f H^rctici habent quidem fcripturam, fednonhabent vcrumfcn-
fum fcriptuvarum. Nequeetiam mirum eft quod Catholicos
pervertant, nam pronifunt homines ad defccnfum, ad viam latam &. facilem quam illi appcriunt. EtDeus id fieri finit proper ingrati- tudinem eorum, qui icmel lunt illuminati, 8w lu mini acccpto bonis opcribus nonreipondent. Id, I^id.
the Church conftdered. 8j
wortliy the Acceptation of all Mankind 5 and the Reafon why their Dodrine had no more Efficacy andSuccefs, was not any defeat in its intrinlick Ex- cellency, or want in the Evidence which attended it > but the finful Prejudices and vicious PalTions of Men themfelves, who being Enemies to Righte- Gufnefs were the Enemies of Truth, and therefore Enemies to the pure and uncorrupted Doctrines of Chriflianity.
Note X.
The next Note is, * thehoUnefsoftheUvesofthe authors y or fir ft fathers of our religion j fuch as the patriarchs and prophet s^ then apo files and teachers^ and lafily the founders of religious orders -y who, as Bel- larmine affirms, were Pious, Chafte, and Sober, and endowed with all manner of Virtues 5 where- as Hereticks are all of them very bad Perfons, and ^^ not one of them good.
But I am apprehenfive that the Cardinal will not do his Church much good by this Note : For as Proteftants we acknowledge no other Authors of our Religion but Jefus Chrift and his Apoflles, the Holinefs of whofe Lives is a great Recommendati- on of the Doctrines they taught > and confequent- ly by whomfoever that Do6lrine is embraced, they may glory in this, as one Evidence amongft others of its divine Original 5 and therefore this is fo fir from being a Note that any one particular Church is more the Church of Chrift than another, that it is an Honour which all Churches may boaft of, who maintain their Doftrines in their original Pu- rity.
As to all others, we renounce them as the Au- thors of our Religion. For in the Bible alone is the
G J Re-
♦ Sanftitas vitaeauif^orum, fivs primorum patrumnoftvaercligi onis. De. Not. Ec. Cap .15. f Ex heretic is nullusdl bonus. 7^/V.
^6 The Notes of
Religion of Protcftants : And though the Fathers andDo&ors of the Church may be allowed, fome of them, to have been excellent and good Men -, yet they were fallible and liable to Errors, and had their Dcfeds and Blemiihes as well as Virtues. It wereeafy to fliew this of fome of the firlt Writers in the Chrillian Church. Now the real San6i:ity of good Men is no Vindication of their Errors, and of Confequence no Argument that the Church of Ro?ne is the true Church, if flie hath embraced their Errors. The truly Primitive ^ Fathers how- ever knew nothing of herdiftinguifhing Doftrines, and therefore {lie hath no more Countenance from them than fhe hath from the Scriptures of Infalli- ble Truth. And if the HolineCs of fuch Fathers add any Credit to any Caufe, this Honour will ac- crue to the Proteflant Churches, who embrace all the Principles they taught from the Word of God, and reject their Errors becaufe contrary to that Word;
As to the ancient Hereticks, fuch as Theohutes^ Simon Magtis^ Valentimis^ Marcian^ Montanus^ Arius^ and others mentioned by Bellarmine^ and cenfured by him as proud, and violent Difturbers of the Church j Protcftants' neither acknowledge their Authority, nor embrace their Heredesj and therefore whatever were their particular Vices, as Protcftants are not their Patrons, Defenders, and Imitators, they reflect no more Dilhonour upon them or their Principles, than they do upon the Clergy and Members of the Church of Rome.
And when the Cardinal adds, i\\-?it the feci s of his age^ meaning the different Parties of the Refor- mation, fprung from amhitiony jf)ride^ envy^ and ha- tred-^ if this was true, 'tis nothing tothe Purpofe. For if the firft Reformers were influenced by thefe Motives, yet if they really preached the Religion of Chrift, may we not fay with St. Paul : Some
preach
* Sec Note 11.
the Church conftdered. 87
preach Chrift even of envy andfirife^ and of contenti- on y fuppoftng to add Jffli^ion to my hojids ? What then ? notwithftanding every way^ whether in pretence or in truth J Chrift is preached: And therein I do re- joice y yea^ and will rejoice, Phil. i. if— -18.
And indeed the QuelHonis not how the Refor- mation came in, orbywhat Kind of Inllrumcntsit was carried on ? But whether the Reformation is the Caufe of Truth and genuine Chriltianity ? Whether the main Do61:rines of it can be proved to be the Do6trines of Chrift and his Apoftles ? If they can, the Proteftant Religion will be the true Religion j to whatfoever Caufes the preaching of it was originally owing, or whatfoever maybe the Chara6ters or perfonal Faults of the fir ft Reformers. Peter himfelf denied his Mafter with Oaths and Curfes, and was guilty of great DifTimulation, and reproved for it by St. Pauhy and yet thefe perfonal Blemifhes were no juft Refle6bion upon the Caufe of Chriftianity. Not to add, that God in his Provi- dence is oftentimes pleafed to make ufe even of bad Men to accomplilb his own Deiigns, and to over- rule eyen their Vices to fubfervethePurpofes of his Wifdom and Goodnefs.
It may therefore be allowed that Luther had his Faults. And who is without them ? But doth anyconftftent Proteftant pretend to juftify him in them ? Or do his perfonal Failings prove that he was not to be commended for bravely oppoling the corrupt Doftrines and Pra6lices of the Church of Rome ? But when the Cardinal adds, that Luther'' % ambition.^ and not heingahle to hear that the publifhing the Pope's indulgences fhould he transferred from the monks of his order to the Predicant friars, gave rife to his own Sed -, this is neither candidly nor truly fiid. Luther himfelf afcribes another Reafon of his Conduct in oppofing the Indulgences, viz,
Q A. ^ becaufe
88 The Notes of
* becaufe the unbounded licence of preaching indul- gences occajionedmany errors^ was ridiculed hyfomein the taverns^ and expofed the holy priefthood of the church to fcorn. Yt2i Maimhurg himfelf, who wrote againil Luther^ acknowledges that there were very fcandalous ahufes committed in the affair of the indul- gences y and that it cannot he denied but that this gave occafionto Lutheranifm. f An abundant Juftifica- tiono£ Luther's Condu6t this, inthe Oppofition he began to the Church of Rome.
But was Luther as proud and imperious as the Cardinal makes him 3 are there no Blemifhes, no Vices chargeable on the great Men, Doftors, and Founders of Orders in the Church of Rome ? We muft as Proteilants be excufed from an over high Opinion and Veneration for them, becaufe we know that many of them were weak and fuperfti- tious Men, who placed Religion in unnecefTary Ab- flinences, whimfical Severities, and ufelefs Cere- monies, more than in real Piety, and fubftantial Virtue. Others of them are canonized for Saints, only for their blind attachment to the See of Rome^ and the Corruptions of that Church > and their Zeal againil the pure and uncorrupted Doftrines of Chrift, and the ProfefTorsof them. Others of them wcreinfolent, bloody-minded and cruel Per- fecutors ^ Rich as St. Francis and Dominick^ who introduced the Inquifition, and were the Occafion of innumerable Violences and Murders. Such Meu may pafs for Saints in the Church of Rome^ which fan(5lifies the moil: outragious Wickedneifes, when committed for her Benehtand Support j but with others, who have not divefted themfclves of all Humanity, they will be abhorred and deteftcd, as the Plagues and Curfes of Mankind. A-
* Ifla«: pofitiones omries cocgit mc poncrc, quo4 viderem alios hlfisopin onibus infics alios per tabernas riderc, 8c fanftum faccr- dotium ccclelix manifefto ludibrio habefc, occafionctam effufx ii- centi?: predicandarum vcniamm. Seckevdorf. \. i. Se<5i. 13. §.17.
f S'.ckend. li.Scdt. ^.
the Church confidered. §9
Amongft thefe Holy Men and Dodors, in which the Church of Rome glories, 'tis pity the Cardinal hath not produced the Popes, thofevilible Heads of their Hierarchy, thofe holy Succeflbrs of St. Peter^ under whom, as we are told, the whole Chriitian Flock is united. But theReafon of the Cardinal's Silence on this Head is obvious. He well knew the Men, and that he had nothing to boaftof in their Lives gnd Characters. Plafina. ^ exprefly calls many of them fhort-liv'd Monllersj and tells us, that they obtained the Popedom by jBribes, that they departed from the Steps of Peter^ were influenced by Ambition, and governed by the moft implacable Refentments and Hatreds. So that if the Church of Rome is to be judged of by the Characters of her Popes, fhe muft be efteemed as the moit Wicked, Degenerate, and Profligate Church in the whole World.
As to the Proteftant Laity, it muft be acknow- ledged that many of them are very corrupt, and live very unfuitable to the Previleges they enjoy. But when the Cardinal adds, ex hwreticis nullus efl honus^ no heretick is good-, this is a Specimen of his Charity, and needs no Anfwer. There were, \ queltion not, too much Reafon for the Complaints of the flrft Reformers againft many who pretended to embrace the Reformation 5 but were thofe of the Romijh Communion lefs criminal ? Myconlm^ who was PaftorandSuperintendantof Gotha^ gives the following Account of the miferable Condition of t;he Church before the Reformation, f " The *^ Antichriftian Papacy was fo abominable and *' foul a BealV, that it could not be fufficiently de- " fcribed by Paul and John. The Paffion and Sa- " tisfadipn of Chrift was treated Xik^Honm'sO' " dyj/ees^ asamere Hiftory. Nothing was menti- oned about Works really good > theie v/cre me-aa
u
'' Things,
♦Chriil.I.p. 515-.
t S:ckcnd. 1. i.ica-.z.
90 The Notes of
*' Things. All Methods were invented to bring '^ in Money to the Priefls and Monks : They that ^^ gave mofl, were lure to merit Eternal Life. " Rapes and Adulteries were common. Thefe ^' were fmaU Crimes, eafily to be expiated by the *' Papal Indulgence. Whores and Whore-mon- '^ gers came to purchafe the Grace of it." And as to the Priefls themfelves, the Canons, Monks, and others of the Clergy, in the Town of Gothay the fame Author fays of them, " They were e- " fleemed facred, and fuch as could Merit Heaven ^^ for us. But their Behaviour was fo very vile '' and profligate, as that nothing in the whole ^^ World could exceed it : For being prohibited '^ Matrimony, and not having the Gift of Conti- ^' nency, they filled the City with Rapes, Adul- '' teries, and Sodomitical Crimes." I forbear to mention many other Teftimonies of the like Na- ture, and fliall only add, that though, to the Re- proach of Proteftants, there are many of them very corrupt and immoral 5 yet their Vices are far from exceeding thofe of thePapifts, eventhofe that are committed at Rome itfelf, not only by the Laity, but by their very Cardinals, Bifhops, and Priefts. So little Reafon have they to boaft of the Holinefs and Virtue of thofe of their Communi-! on.
N o T E XL
BeUarmine'% next Note is, T'he Glory of Miracles. And this Mark he divides into two Parts : i . 27:?^^ Miracles are necejfary for the Confirmation of a new Faith ^ and extraordinary Mijion. 1. That real Mir racles are effeHual and fufficient for this Purpofe. * From the firft of thefe, the Cardinal infers t:hat the
Pro-
* Gloria Miraculorum. Sunt autura duo fundainenta prsemitten-? da. Unum, quod miracula fint necefTaria ad novam fidem, velex- traordinariam miflionem. Aiterum, quod Tmt cfficacia 8c fufHci- entia. J^/Z Cap. 14,
the Church conftdered. 91
Proteftants have not the trueChurch amongfl them 5 and from the latter, that the true Church is the Church of Rome, Let us coniider each of thefc a little diftin6lly.
I . Miracles are necefTary for the Confirmation of a new Faith and an extraordinary Million, and that therefore Proteilants cannot be the true Church 5 becaufc, though they preach a new Faith, and are not fent by the ordinary Prelates, they have no Mi- racles to confirm their Do6trine or Miflion. This is roundly faid, but it hath the Misfortune to be partly falfe^ and partly nothing to the Purpofe. For,
I. 'Tisnot univerfaliy true that Miracles are ne- cefTary for the Confirmation of a nev/ Faith 5 /, e. of Principles contrary to fuch as have been long re- ceiv'd, and embrac'd by the Generality of Man- kind J in which Refped, Principles of e- verlafting Truth may be {aid to be new : For the main Principles of all true Religi- on are founded in the very Rcafon and Nature of Things, and demonllrable to the Mi..ds of all imr partial Confiderers by the ftrongeft Arguments, and need not the Help of Miracles to confirm ihem, and can never be made one Jot more certain and true than they are in themfelvcs, though ever fo many Won- ders fiiouldbe wrought ia Support of them. Thus the Being and Perfedtions of God, that he, and he onlVj is to be worfhipped and adored, that his Wor- Ihip mull: confift in Purity of Heart, and Holinefs of Life, rather than in external Rites and Ceremo- nies y and that moral Virtue is more excellent in it felf, and acceptable to God, and conducive to the Happinefs of Mankind than Immorality and Vice: Thefe, and the like great Articles of Religion, ftandupon the certain and unalterable Foundations of Reafon and Truth, and are eafily difcoverable by JVIen's reafonable Powers without any Help of Revelation, if they will make a right and impartial Ufe of them 3 and though Miracles may be fome-
times
^t The Notes of
times proper to awaken Men's Attention to the Confideration of thefe Things, yet they need not Miracles to afcertain their Truth and Certainty, or to oblige Men to believe and embrace them. And therefore, whofoever teaches fuch Principles as thefe, he deferves to be believed and credited for the Sake of rhe Doftrines themfelves, though he neither pretends to a divine Miffion, nor gives the proper Teftimonials of it by real and undoubted Mi- racles.
Nor doth the Prevalence of contrary Errors, and their having been long embraced by Nations and Kingdoms, make any Alteration in the Cafe : For tho' the Doftrines of true Religion, when firft publifhed, will appear new to thofe, who have been brought up in old Superflitions, which have been ftrengthned and conhrmed by long Practice, and univerfal Example j yet when they are agreeable to, andmaybedemonftrated by the moft evident Rea- fon, their appearing new can be no Argument a- gainfl their Truth 5 and as they have Truth and Reafon thus to fupport them, 'tis abfurd to expe6b or demand Miracles to confirm them. And there- fore, though Proteftants make no Pretences toMi- racles for the Confirmation of their Doctrines, and tliough when they firfi: preached them, they were fo far new, as they were contrary to thofe Er- rors of Popery, which had univerfally obtained for feveral Ages > yet as they were many of them agree- able to the moft certain Principles of Reafon, Rea- fon was fufficient to demonf irate their Truth, with^ out any fupernatural Evidence whatfoever \ and to expect the Teftimony of Miracles in Proof, that Angels, and dead Men, and dead Bodies, Images and Pictures, old Reli6ts, Crofies, and the like Things, are not to be worfhipped, is as idle and vain, as to demand Miracles to prove, that a Man is not God, a Bone is not a living Man, or a wooden
Croft
the Church confidered. 513
Crofsthe Perfon who was crucified and died upon it. Again,
2. Though the Proteftant Religion was a new Faith when firft preached, inrefped of thofe Cor- ruptions which had for fo many Ages before pre- vailed in the Church of Rome^ yet there needed no Miracles to confirm and eflabliih it 5 becaufe in re- ality it was no new Faith, but the ancient Dodrine of the Gofpel, which ivas at firft preached by the Lordhimfelf^ and afterwards hy hisholy apoflles^ God himfelf bearing them witnefs^ by divers gifts and mi- racks ^ andjigns of the holy Ghoft -, by which it was abundantly proved to be the Doctrine of God, and upon which Account all farther Proof became en- tirely needlefs. The Reformation introduced no new Gofpel, but was only a Revival of the old one -, it only cleared the Religion of Chrift from thofe Corruptions and Idolatries, and Abfurdities, with which the Follies and Superflitions of Men had blended it. And for this Work, they had fuffici- ent Authority and Affiftance without any Help of new Miracles, viz. the infallible Word of God, which contains an authentick Account of the Re- ligion of Chrifl Jefus, and of that original Evi- dence with which it was fo glorioufly confirmed. What need then of farther Miracles for the Proof of what God had already fet his Seal to ? Was not that which was given by Chrift and his Apoflles abundantly fufHcient ? If it was, Proteitants have folid Evidence to appeal to in Confirmation of their Religion, even the unqueftionable Miracles of Chriil and his x'Vpo files in the firft Age of the Church, which are the fure Foundation of the Chriltian Faith, and the only unqucftionable Evi- dence that can be fafcly depended on.
But now what Miracles have the Papiits to boaft of, or that they can alledge in favour of their dif- tinguifhing Doftrincs 5 when thofe Do(5trines themfelves were none of them ever fo much as heard of in the Chriltian Church for above two
^hole
p4 ^^^ Notes of
whole Centuries, and many of them not till feven, eight, or nine hundred Years after the Publication of the Gofpel ? As their Do6brines were never taught by Ghriftand his Apoftles, their Miracles could be no poffible Confirmation of them 51 and by Confequence, their Faith, as it is truly a new Faith, never preached by the Prophets of the Old Teftament, nor by the Apollles or the New, ma- ny Ages later than the Gofpel Doftrine, and in- troduced upon the Ruins of it, mull have had Mi- racles to fupport and confirm it, by the Cardinal's own Principles > and therefore cannot be receiv'd as the Do6brine of God, becaufe it hath not had that miraculous Confirmation, which he himfelf- allows every new Faith ought to have. Farther,
3 . Though I will not pretend to fay, that the Re- formation was a real Miracle, yet it was brought a- bout info unexpe£ted a Manner, and by fuch extra- ordinary Methods, as will juftify any fober Perfon inafcribing it to the Influence and Conduft of di- vine Providence. It came into the World jufl as Chriftianity did, in a Time of the grofleft Igno- rance and Darknefs. It was propagated jult as that was, by Preaching, Reafon, and Argument, and by the Sufferings and Blood of its ConfeiTors and Martyrs. The firit Promoters of it were comparatively mean Men, that had neither Birth, nor Riches to recommend them. It was firft pub- lilhed in a Corner, and yet had afterwards an ama- zing Succefs through almoft all the Nations o^ Eu- rope y fo that it might well be compared to the Lea- \^en, and the Muftard-feed in the Gofpel. It was oppofed as the Gofpel was by the Powers of this World, and all the Methods of the moil cruel and bloody Perfecutions. And yet it triumphed over all Oppofition, prevailed againil long cftablifhed Corruptions, and all the Arts and Violences of Men to cruih it in its Infancy > 'till at laft it became the Religion of Nations and Kingdoms, and continues tobefo to this Day, notwithitanding the number-
the Church conftdered. py
lefs Endeavours that have been made ufe of whol- ly to extirpate and deilroy it. And doth not the Hand of God appear in all this ? May we not truly fay, this is the Lord's doings and 'tis wonderful in our eyes ? If the Efficacy of any Dodrine be a Note of the true Church, furely, as Proteftants, we have fome Claim to it > efpecially as this Efficacy hath been only owing to the Nature of the Do6trinc we preach, and not to any Subtleties or Violences that we have praclifcd on Mankind to embrace and receive it.
4. As to the Miffion of the firfl Reformers to preach the Doctrines of the Gofpel, in Oppoiiti- on to the Corruptions of Popery, as they did not pretend to preach any thing but what was contain- ed in the facred Writings, and as they never afTumed the Chara6ter of extraordinary meffengers from God^ the Teftimony of Miracles became abfolutely need- lefs. They were generally fpeaking Men of Learn- ing and Abilities, capable of underilanding the original Records of Chriftianity, and therefore capable of explaining thofe Records to others, and preaching thofe Truths which they themfelves believed. And this was Furniture and Qualifica- tion enough for the Miffion to which they pretend- ed s and indeed every Man, who is thus qualified, hath a Right to preach the Gofpel of Chrifr, and to oppofe with all his Might thofe Corruptions which deform or deftroy the Church of God.
Though therefore, it is certainly true, ^sBellar^ mi e fays, that the fir ft Reformers were not fent by the ordinary Prelates^ will it follow from thence, that they had no Right to preach the Gofpel.^ By no means. For how came thofe Prelates to be the Senders general? How came they to have the fole Right to commiflion Men to labour in the Word and DoElrine ? We demand a Copy of their Warrant and Commif- fion for this Purpofe from Chrill or his Apofdes, and they mull: excufc us from believing them upon their own Word.
The
^6 The Notes of
The Apoftle writing to the Saints and faithful Brethren at Colojfe^ exhorts them: Let the iioordof Chriji dwell in you richly in all wifdom^ teaching and admoniJJnng one another.^ And again, Let your fpeech be always with grace^ feafoned with falt^ that ye may know how ye ought to anfwer every Manf. In his Epiftle to the 'Thejfalonians^ he commands them : IVarn the unruly^ comfort the feeble minded^ fupport the weak^ quench not the fpirity defpife not prophefyings^ prove all things^ and hold fafi that which is good. + And in his fecond Epiftle ; fFe command you^ brethren^ in the name of the Lord Jefus Chrijly that ye withdraw your felves from every brother that walks diforderly^ and not after the tradition which he received of us. If any man obey not our word by this epiftle J note that man^ and have no company with him J that he may beaftoamed%. The Author of the Epiftle to the Hebrews tells them, for the time^i.e. conlidering how long they had been converted, ye ought to be teachers ^^i^. St. JameSy writing to the twelve Tribes fcattered abroad, lets them know. If any of you do err from the truth^ and one convert him^ let him know^ that he which convert eth the Jin- ner from the error of his way^ [hall fave a foul from death "}"_[- > by which he fuppofes one Chriftian ca- pable of converting another, who errs from the Truth, from the Error of his Way, andfaving his Soul. St. Peter calls the fcattered Strangers a royal priefthood^^y and commands them, Js every man hath received the gift^ even fo minijier the fame one to another^ as good ftewards of the manifold grace of (Jod. If ,any man fpeak^ let him fpeak as the oracles of God i if any man minifler^ as of the ability which God giveth. §§ And finally, St. John tells thofe he wiotc to : Beloved^ believe not every fpirit -y but try ibe fplrits whether they are of God*^. Thefe, and many otl er like Paflages that might be mention-
* t^olof, iii. 1 6.
■f Id.iv.6. 4: I ThefT. V. 14 — 21. § iThefT.iii. 6, 14. **Hcb. V. 12. f-f James v. 19. 2.0. ^^ i Pet. ii.^-
§^ Id. iv. 10, II. ** I John iv, I.
the Church conftdered. p7
cd, are Warrant enough for any ferious and un- derftanding Chriftians to teach, admonifh, and, if they can, to convert others who have erred from the Truthj to try the Spirits of thofe who pre- tend to be Teachers and Prophets, and to oppofe them if they find them to be antichriltian and erro- neous Spirits. And therefore, though the firll Re- formers had no Miffion from Popiih Prelates and Biihops, they had what is much better, an abun- dant Warrant from the facred Writings, to pro- teft againft, and warn Men of the Corruptions of the Church of Rome^ and to preach to as many as would hear them, the Doftrines of pure and un- defiled Chriftianity.
■ The Bifhops and Prelates were almoft all of them in a Confederacy againft Righteoufnefs and Truth.- The Corruptions of Religion were the things by which they maintained their Luxury, Pomp and Avarice 5 10 that it was manifeftly againft their In- tereft to encourage a Reformation, or commilH- on Men to promote it. Muft therefore Chriftiani- ty ever remain under thofe Corruptions, becaufe it was the fecular Intereft of the Biftiops and Cler- gy to fupport them ? Muft no Men preach the pure and uncorrupted Religion of Chri ft, becaufe the Biftiops refufed to fend them 5 and the whole Gofpel become ineffectual to convert and fave Men, becaufe the ordinary Prelates made their Profits from their Ignorance, Vices, and Ruin ? Ridicu- lous Suppofition ! to imagine, that God hath made the Religion of his Son to depend on the Miftion of interefted, defigning Priefts -, and the preaching of his Gofpel to be fubjeCl to the Pleafure of thole who are Enemies to the Purity and governing De- fign of it. The Million of Biihops and Prelates is in it felf a trifling Circumftance, of little or no Importance, of which there is little or no mention in the ficred Writings j and if Men are otherwife qualified by the Providence and Grace of God,
H by
p8 7he Notes of
by fufficient Knowledge, by ftrong Inclination, atld a 'real undiilembled Piety, to preach the Gol'pel, they have one of the bell Commiffions from God that they candefire, to engage in this facred Work, without any need of Miracles to confirm their Mif- fion > becaufe every Man hath a natural Right to propagate Truth andRighteoufnefs, and 'tis every Chrillian's certain Duty to promote the Religion of God and the Redeemer, as he hath Ability and Opportunity \ though all the Prelates in the World fhould refufe to authorize him \ or, in the Language of the Church, by Impofition of Hands to ordain him. But thus much as to the firft Part of this Note. I now come,
2. To conlider the other Part of this Argu- ment, '^j'lz. the Miracles which the Papifts boafl of in Confirmation of their Religion, and as wrought by, and in Favour of their Church > or to prove that it is, in Reality,the trueChurch of Chrifl.
1 . And here let it be obfervcd, that whatever Miracles can be fuppofed to prove, they can never
. prove the Truth of real Abfurdities. They can ne- V ver prove that the whole is more, or bigger than 4t felf> i.e. that one individual fingle Body is, or can be ten thoufand Bodies, and prefent in ten thoufand Places at the felf-fame Time. They can never prove that a fingle Body is it felf, and dif- ferent from it felf > i.e. that a Wafer, under the Accidents of Bread, is really a Man> much lefs that it is God, the eternal, uncreated God 3 be- caufe thefe are felf-evident Contradictions, and therefore incapable in their very Nature of being proved by any kind of Evidence whatfoever.
2. Again, Miracles can never prove the Truth of Doftrines contradictory to each other, or of Do6trines contrary to fuch as have been already fufficiently proved by real and uncontelled Mi- racles j becaufe this is abfolutely to deftroy the very Evidence it fclf, and making it equally to
fervc
the church confidered, pp
ferve the Purpofes of Truth and Falfhood % nothing being more plain, than that contrary Do6brines cannot poffibly be on both Sides true. If therefore it is a true Doctrine, and hath been confirmed by the Teftimony of God himfelf, that there is hut one me^ diator between God and man^ even the man Chrift Jefus^j no Miracles can prove that Angels and Saints are Mediators as well as Chrift, becaufe thefe are two oppofite contradiftory Do6brines, one of which muft be neceflarily and unavoidably falfe. And farther,
J. Miracles can never prove that Idolatry and Superftition is the true and acceptable Worfhip of God; that Images, and Pidures, and Relicks^ and the like dead and fenfelefs Things, are Obje6ts of Worfhip 5 both becaufe 'tis abfurd to fuppofe it, and contrary to common Senfe and Reafon ; and becaufe God can never give a San6tion to his own Difhonour, countenance what is contrary ta his own Glory, or command Men to give that Worfhip to the Creature which is not their Due, but due only to himfelf the eternal and blefled Creator. And therefore, as thefe Abfurdities^ Contradi£tions and Impieties, are all adopted into the Faith of the Church of Rome^ 'tis impoilible that any real Miracles can have been wrought by God in Vindication of them, or indeed that they can be fo much as capable of any Demonftration or Proof. 'Tis in vain therefore that the Papifts appeal to the Miracles of Chrift and his Apoftles, which were wrought only in Confirmation of thofe Dodtrines which were taught by Chrift and his Apoftles i and not as Proofs of thofe Corruptions, which they have introduced into his Church, to the Difgrace of Chrift's Religion, and the ma- nifeft Perverfion of the great Defign and real Ten- dency of his Gofpel. Since therefore the Mira- cles of Chrift and his infpire J Apoftles were wrought in Confirmation of Do6lrines contrary to thofe
H 2. taught
loo The Notes, of
taught by the Church of Rome^thit Church wants^ this Proof of theTruth of her Doftrines, and of Con- fequence this Note of her being the true Church.
What muft we fay then of all thofe Miracles of "which the Church of Rome boafls, for a Succeffion of many Ages ? I anfwer, that fuppofing any real Miracles have been wrought in Vindication of her corrupt Do6trines and Practices, the Workers of them are by no means to be regarded and hear- kened to y no, not if he who did them were an An- gel from Heaven, becaufethe Gofpelof Chriftje- fus is immutable, and the Men are pronounced ac- curfed who willingly pervert it.
'Tis laid down by St. Paul^ as one Mark of the great Apoftacy from the Chriftian Church, and of the Character of the man of fin^ and [on of 'perditi- on^ that his comingjhould he after the working of [at an ^ isoith all power ^ and [igns^andlyingivonders^ and with all deceiveahknefs of unrighteoufnefs in thofe that pe- rifh . * And of confequence, this Power, and thefe Signs and Wonders, are not to be regarded as we value our Salvation, and would not be given up of God to firong delufions to believe a lye. Hence our bleffed Lord cautions his Difciples : 'There Jh all a- rife falfe Chrifis^ and falfe prophets^ and fhall floew. great Jigns^ and wonders : But, behold^ I have told • you before : Wherefore, believe it not. -\
So that if the Papifts teach you another Gofpel than what the Apollles preached, believe them not 5 no, not if they perform unqueftionable Signs and Wonders. You may afTure your felves thofe Signs could never be done by the Influence of that holy Spirit that guided the Apodles, who is the Spirit of Truth, and can never contradid his own Teftimony, nor confirm a Religion contrary to ChrilVs. And therefore, if the Miracles boafled of by Papifls, as wrought in Confirmation of their Errors, were real j they were unqueftionably lying Wonders of the Working of Satan j Wonders * 2 Their, ii. p t Matt. xxiv. 24; is, ^6. Wrought
the Church confidered. loi
wrought in Confimation of a lye 5 orelfe thedelu- fivelmpofitions of that evil Spirit, to deceive and pervert thofe, nsjho have pleafure in unnghteoufnefs^ and will not receive the love of the truth that they may hefaved.
The truth indeed is, that many, if not all, of the pretended Miracles of the Church of Rome^ are the inventions of idle, fuperftitious Monks 5 or the Impoilures of crafty defigning Priefts, to create in the People a reverence for their own Cor- ruptions, and to bind them the fafler in Obedience and Subjection to themfelves. The legends of their Saints abound with the moil palpable Abfur- dities, and romantick Impoflibilities > their Mira- cles have no Chara6lers of probability attending them, nor any authentick vouchers to fupport them . Many of them have been proved to be mere Frauds and Cheats, and others of them may be per- formed by Men of common Ingenuity and Dexteri- ty. So that there is no Proof of real Miracles hav- ing been ever wrought amongft them 5 and there- fore, 'tis with as little Truth and Modefty, that they boaft-of the Glory of their Miracles, as of the Purity of their Doftrine.
Note XII.
The Cardinal's twelfth Note is, * The light of prophecy 5 for as Chriji promifed the church the gift of miracles^ fo alfo he did the gift of prophecy^ in the third Chapter of the Prophecy of Joel. To this, afhort Anfwer will be fufficient.
I . That Prophecy can no more prove than Mi- racles, that falfe Do6trines are true, or that the I- dolatry of the Church of Rome^ is the true Reli- gion of Jefus Chrifb.
H 3 1. That
* Lumen propheticum. Sicut enim Chriftus promittit, Ecclefiae donum miraculorum, ita etiam, 7(7^/ iii, promittitdonum prophe- tic. C/»/>. If.
102 The Notes of
z. That the Prophecy of Joel doth not in the leaft ajGiire the Church that the Gift of Prophecy fhouldbe a permanent Gift : Yea, St. P^/^r feeijis toaflertthe contrary, when he tells the y^w/, that ^he Effufion of the Spirit on the Apollles at the Feaft of Pentecoft'^ was that which wasfpoken hy the frophet ] oc\-\ i. e. it was the real Accomplifhment of that Prediction by him •, and therefore, the Con- tinuation of that Gift beyond the Apoftolick Age, was not neceflary to that Accomplilhment j and therefore no neceflary Mark of the true Church.
3. If Prophecy be aneceflaryNoteof the true Church, it certainly follows that the Church can never be, in fome Part or other of it, without this Gift > becaufe whenever it wholly ceafes, then one eflential Mark of the true Church ceafes too 5 and confequently the Church of Rome can never make out her claim to this Charafter. Becaufe Bellar- Tnim himfelf doth not undertake to prove that his Church was never without it, and only mentions three Perfons, St. Bennet^ St. Barnard^ and St. Francis^ who had it fince the time of Auftin^ i, e. about the compafs of one thoufand two hundred Years. And therefore, this Gift can be no eflential Mark of the true Church, nor the want of it a* mongft Proteftants any Proof that they are not a Part of it J orelfe the Church of Rome\iZx{tVi can have no Pretenfions to this Charafter, which, for the greatell Part of above one thoufand two hun- dred Years, appears to be evidently deftitute of it.
4. Nor indeed is there any folid Proof that they, to whom they attribute this divine Gift, ever pof- fefledit. The many fabulous Legends they have in- vented, and the bafe Methods they have taken to fupport their Errors, render all the Accounts of the Prophecies of their pretended Saints ju illy lia- ble to Sufpicion. Men may fometimcs make very
probable t Adsii. ]i(S.
the Church confidered. 103
probable Guefles of future Things j becaufe of a certain Concurrence of Affiiirs, which render fuch events highly probable, without ever deferving the Charafter of Prophets, or indeed having a Title to theCharader of good Men.
f . The Religion of Proteftants, which is the Religion of the Bible, was delivered by Men really pofTefTed of a prophetick Spirit, and by Confe- quence, hath the Confirmation of Prophecy as well as Miracles. Whereas, the diftinguifhing Doc- trines of the Church of Rome were none of them preached by Apoftles or Prophets, and are not to be found in the facred Writings, and thus have nei- ther the Evidence of Miracles or Prophecy to fup- port them . I may jullly add on this Head,
6. That amongft Proteftants, there have been diverfe good and pious Men who have fpoken of future Things with great Clearnefs, and which have a6tually accordingly come to pafs > and who therefore have at leaft as much a right to claim the Honour of this prophetick Infpiration, as any Perfons whatfoever that can be mentioned in the Church of Rome,
Note XIIL
The next Note is, * 'the confejjion even of adver^ faries in favour of the Church of Rome \ whereas the Catholicks are never found to pmife^ or commend the do6lrine^ or life of hereticks: But this Mark proves nothing more, than that Proteftants have more Charity, or lefs Prudence than the Pap ifts. If Proteftants commend any thing that is commenda- ble in any of the Writers of the Romijh Church, they a6t according to the Rules of Jufticeand Cha- rity, how much foever they differ from them in the H 4 eftcn-
* Confeflio adverfariorum. Nunquam invenluntur Catholici laudalTe autapprobafle do<5lrijiam auC vitam ullorum hgereticoium.C't^. 16,
I04 T^^ Notes of
eflentials of Religion. And if Papifts in gener^ cenfure, and reproach, and revile all Proteftants, whatever be their Virtues and Excellencies, meerly becaufe they differ from them in their religious Prin- ciples, 'tis an Argument that they have neither Juf- tice nor Charity in themj and confequently can be no Argument that they are the Church of Chrift.
Befides all confiftent Proteftants unanimoufly condemn the Church of Rome as guilty of Herefy, Schifm, and great Corruptions in the Doftrine and Worfhip of Chrift \ and though fome may allow her to be the true Church, not withftanding all her grofs Abufes of the Chriftian Religion, they are general- ly fuch as have favour'dthe Superftitionsof Rome^ and fhewn a very good Inclination to become recon- ciled to it. This was true of Laud and his Bre- thren in the Time of Charles I. and of allthofeof the Clergy in the prefent time, if any fuch there be, who are his Favourers and Followers. They want to maintain the Charader of God's Ambaiiadors, and theNotion of a linealDefcent from the Apoftles, as their Succeffors in Power and Dignity 5 and therefore, the Church of Rome mult be a true Church to convey the Succeflion down to them, though fhe hath fcarce a fingle Mark of the Church of Chrift belonging to her.
But the Praifes of fuch Men are of as little Effi- cacy, as the Curfes of the Church of Rome. They neither of them prove any Thing at all : And 'tis meer trifling with the World to putthe Approbati-r on of mortal Men againft the Cenfure of Scripture, and the Sentence of \he Spirit of God. The Doc- trine and Praftice of the Church of Rome, areex- prefly condemned by the Oracles of Truth j and therefore, it fignifies nothing though the whole \V orld ftiould juftify or. commend her.
N 0 T K
the Church confidered, loj
Note XIV.
The next Note is, * the unhappy exlt^ or death of thofe who have oppofed the church of Rome. Thus the Cardinal tells us that Luther and Oecolampadius died fuddenly, Zuinglius was killed in War againft the Catholic ks, Carolojiadius was killed by the De- vil, and Calvin was eaten up of Worms, and died curfing andblafpheming : There is need of but few Words to fhew the Impertinence and Inconclufive- nefs of this Mark.
For the arguing from the manner of Mens Death, to the Goodnefs or Badnefs of the Caufe and Princi- ples they have efpoufed, hath no Foundation in Reafon or Scripture, and can proceed from no- thing but Superftition or Prefumption. 'Tis mere Superftition to imagine, that God goes out of the common Method of his Providence to puniihthe Sins of particular Perfons j or that the Accidents which prove fatal to them, and generally happen according to the ordinary Courfe of Things, are infli6ted on them as Judgments for extraordinary Offences. 'Tis alfo great Prefumption, as it im- plies a bold and rafh determining concerning thofe fecret Methods of the divine Condu6b and Govern- ment, which can never be known without an im- mediate Revelation.
'Tis alfo contrary to the plaineft Determinations of the facred Writings, and the Judgment of the Spirit of God contained therein. The wife Man teljs us, "That all things come alike to all^ there is one event to the righteous and the wicked^ to thegood^ and to the clean^ and to the unclean 5 to him that facrificeth^ and to him that facrificeth not : As is the good ^ fo is the finner-y and he that five areth^ as he that feareth an
oath.
* Infelix cxitus, feu finis ^rum qui ecclefiam oppugnant. Caf.
io6 The Notes of
oath,^ And again, There he juft men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked -y and there he wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous, i' Sometimes righteous and good Men are cut off by an unexpc6bed Stroke ; For there is ajuji man that per ijhes in his right eoufnefs j t whilil wicked Men live in Profperity, and pro- long their Days 3 F^r there is a wicked man that prolongs his life in wi like dnefs.
The truth of thefe Obfervations may be proved by manyFafts, and therefore, were all the Inftan- CCS mentioned by the Cardinal juft as he reprefents them, they would prove nothing of what he al- ledges them for, 'uiz. that the Churches of the Reformation are not the Churches of Chrift, or that the firft Reformers were evil Men and Here» ticks. ButheismiftakeninhisFafts, or hath wil- fully miireprefented them. Of Luther^ he fays^ that he died fuddenly in the Night, having chear- fully, and in good Health, eaten a plentiful Supper in the Evening j But this is not true j for Luther had been in a declining State of Health forfeveral Months before his Death, and had lived in the con- (Vant Expeftation of, and Preparation for it. The Evening before he died he fuppcd with his Friends, and talked chearfully with them both upon ferious and other Affairs. In the intervals of his Pains he cried out, O heavenly father^ though I muji he taken out of this life ^ yet^ I certainly knozv that I Jhall dwell for ever with thee^ and that no one Jhall take me out of thy hands ' And afterafolemn Confeffion of hi^ Faith in Chrift, the Agonies of Death came on him, ^nd folding his Hands together, he gently breathed put his laft, and died.
This is the Relation of Jujlus Jonas^ who was prcfent at his Deceafc, as given by Seckendorfy § and utterly deftroys the credit of the Story of his dying
♦ Ecclef. ix. 2. fid. viii.'H. ^ Id.Tii. if-
§ Lib. 3. Sea. ^6. §.133.
the Church conftdered. 107
,a fudden death : But fuppofing he had thus died, what Argument is this of a Punifhment from God ? A fudden death to a good Man is fo far from being an Inftance of the divine Difpleafure, that 'tis rather a very defirable Circumflancc, rather to be asked of God, than deprecated as a Judgment j not to add, that the Prefervation of Luther for fo many Years, from If 17, when he firft began to preach againft Indulgence, to the Year 1 5-4(5, when he died, in Oppofitiontothe Endeavours of his Enemies to deftroy him, is a much ftronger Proof that his Caufe was owned, and he himfelf under the fpecial Prote£bion of God, than the pretended Suddennefs of his Death, had it been Faft, could have been, that 'twas a Punifhment infli6bed on him by God, for his oppofing the Ufurpations, Idolatries, and Abfurdities, of the Church of Rome.
As to ZuingUus^ 'tis acknowledged that he died in War, in Defence of the Religion and Liberties of his Country : And is fuch a Circumftance to his Difhonour, or an Argument of his falling a Sacri- fice to the divine Vengeance, or of the badnefs of the Caufe for