that it is not so plain but that 't is necessary it should be Prov'd Now from whence shall we fetch the Proofs of the Churches Infallability I must take them from her own mouth and believe her to be infallible because she tells me so and for that only reason because she saith it This is manifestly absurd for no man's bare word is to be taken in a business wherein he hath a particular Interest to be partial Hath a Turk right to oblige me to believe the Divinity of his Alchoran only because Mahomet hath said that the Angel Gabriel brought him the Alchoran from Heaven Must I then consult Tradition that is the Councils and the Writings of the Fathers this is another plain Absurdity because it is evident that this way cannot be made use of by three Quarters of the number of Christians and more who are ignorant of Greck and Latin and so cannot read the numberless volumns wherein this Tradition is to be found Or must every one believe his Curate or Pastor when he tells him that the Church is infallible This is another Absurdity for this Pastor must be infallible or I cannot build my Faith upon his Testimony He tells me there is an infallibility in the Church but how doth he Prove it which way soever I turn my self I fall into the former inconveniencies for if he saith I must believe it without proof he deals with me like a Brute and not as a Rational Creature If he gives me Tradition for Argument in this case I tell him I know nothing of it if he turns me over to the Church I ask where is this Church If he sends me to the Pope I tell him I cannot go thither and if I could I 'm told he is not Infallible If he send me to a Councill I say there is none now sitting If he send me to the Canons of former Councills I shall answer that I cannot understand 'em and if I could have no assurance that these Canons were really made by such a Councill If he proves that these Canons were not forged but really made by a Councill there remains another difficulty which I cannot get over viz. that several Good Catholicks maintain the fallibility of a Council There is then but one way left to satisfie my self concerning the infallibility of the Church and that is the Testimony of the H. Scriptures But how can any man make use of that according to the Principles of the Roman Church for I shall say that the Scriptures have no Authority without the Church I cannot believe the testimony of the Scripture till I know it to be divine and I cannot know it to be divine but by the testimony of the Church as we are often told The Scripture then hath no Authority as to me without the Testimony of the Church and yet you would have me believe the Infallibility of the Church upon the Testimony of the Scripture you must therefore in the first place convince me that the Church is infallible without dependance on the Scriptures and then I shall believe the divinity of the Scriptures on the Testimony of the Church and after that I may be able to believe the infallibility of the Church on the Testimonies of the Scripture The absurdities of blind obedience If the Church be infallible a blind Obedience is my Duty to obtain this submission to the Church is the reason of asserting her infallibility I must blindly believe all that the Church affirms But till then I am not obliged to credit any thing which the Scripture saith or seems to say for I am not capable to understand the meaning and sense of the Scriptures without the Church so that until the Church hath declar'd that Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son of God and equal with the Father I have leave to doubt of it There was a time when the Church had not deliver'd her opinion in this point there was then a time when I was permitted to be an Arrian Photinian or Socinian But on the other hand whenever it shall please the Church to determine that the Ark was of a square figure equal in length and breadth or that Aaron's Sandals were with or without latchets it will be necessary that I must believe this or be damn'd Can any man be unapprehensive of the absurdities of such a Doctrine according to which at one time we may Blaspheme God without the least danger and at another time lie liable to Damnation for the least mistake about that which the Church hath decided to be the Truth These Gentlemen tell us that we must believe without examination all that the Church declares And by the same reason the Heathens were obliged to believe all that their Priests told'um and the Jews to receive all that was taught in their Synagogues No you will say they were false Teachers and so not to be credited very well But the Pagans and Jews say the same concerning my Pastors that they are false Guides And if the Jews and Heathens are bound to examin the truth of what is told them by their Guides why are not Christians obliged to know and examin what is told them by the Church at least they ought to examin the Church it self and her Authority and then we fall into the same Difficulties which were mention'd before After all this if a short and easy way could be found out to convince me that the Church is infallible this were not enough to quiet my mind because I know not where to find this infallible Church I see a multitude of differing Sects in the East and West in Europe and Asia who all say that they are the Church and that all other parties of Christians are guilty of Schism The Latins say this of the Greeks and the Greeks are even with 'em and say the same of the Latins the Protestants charge it on the Papists and the Papists on the Protestants I must know which of all these is in the right and to find out this I am plung'd into an abysse of difficulties and how shall I find my way out or extricate my self for there is no way left but by the Scriptures and that way is forbidden me till I am assured of the Infallibility and Authority of the Church without which I cannot be certain that the Scripture is divine It may possibly be said that I may believe the Divinity of the Scriptures before I know in what Sect of Christians is the Church because the Scripture is receiv'd by all the several Sects It matters not may it be said which of them is the infallible Church since they all bear restimony to the Scripture and there is one among them that is infallible viz. the true Church for her where-ever she be the Scripture hath an infallible testimony But this remedy will serve to little or no purpose because 't is necessary that I should know which of these Sects is the true Church before I can understand the
that kindled the flame which burns to this day 'T is a prodigious blindness in which there is somthing supernatural that men should come so far as to utter such Blasphemies and that at this day men should not be afraid to repeat them Scripture insufficient The Third Affront tho Papists offer to the Scriptures is their asserting them to be insufficient and imperfect and that they cannot serve as a Rule of Faith. They employ their greatest Engins to establish this Principle Councill of Trent Ses 4. that Traditions ought to be regarded with the same reverence and veneration that is given to the Scripture Yea that Traditions excell the Scriptures because the H. Scriptures cannot subsist unless confirmed by Tradition Baron Tom. â— Annal. whereas Traditions keep their strength intire without the H. Writings We stand more in need of Tradition than of Scripture for the Scriptures only furnish us with a dead and dumb letter But Tradition as the Church holds it forth helps us to the true sense which is not indeed distinctly layd down in the Scripture yet is the real word of God. W. Bayly Nothing is more injurious to the Scripture than this Nothing is more contrary to the intention and wisdom of God than to suppose that he hath given a Rule of Faith which cannot regulate Faith which is too short by more than three quarters which is crooked dubious flexible and altogether useless without the aid of another Rule that is unknown to all Christians excepting a small number of Learned men who alone are capable of consulting it Scripture hath no Authority The fourth Affront that Popery offers to the Scriptures relates to their Authority They have no Authority without the testimony of the Church Without the Authority of the Church Bayly we should have no more Obligation to believe the Scriptures than the History of Titus Livius The Scripture Hosius if deprived of the Churches testimony have no more Authority than Esops Fables How know we say they that the Writings which go under the name of Moses are his seeing we never had a sight of the Originals And if we should who could assure us that they were writ by Moses's own hand Again if we could be assured of this what certainty have we that what Moses writ is true Who shall assure us that the Evangelists were Witnesses to all that they report But tho we should believe that they saw and heard all the Actions and Discourses of J. Christ which they report yet they might forgett and lye as every man may deceive and be deceived How can we again know with certainty Pighius that what goes under their names are their true Writings and not corrupted or forged I know not what kind of Temper a man must be of who can read and hear such things without trembling He that should speak at this rate of the Alcoran at Constantinople would be impaled alive An Infidel cannot say more to destroy all the Authority of the Holy Scriptures The several ways used by Papists to take away the Credit of the scripture 'T is not enough to these Gentlemen to affront the Scriptures by these four Accusations 1. That they are not necessary to the Church 2. That they are obscure 3. That they are defective 4. That they have no Authority as to us without the Church there is no Method imaginable which they employ not to dishonour them They tell us that they were writ only Occasionally and not at all with any design to make them a Rule of Faith. An Evangelist or an Apostle wrote a Gospel or an Epistle at random by chance and on particular private designs Afterward the Church collected those loose writings into one Book But seeing these were not writ by one or several persons writing in concert we cannot find in them a System of Faith. Can any thing be said more affronting to the H. Spirit who ordered the pens of these Writers and the occasions that obliged them to write The Papists talk just as if the Apostles had writ meerly on their own designs without any Inspiration But did not the H. Spirit who moved them to write design their writings collected together should be the true Rule of Faith To lessen the Credit of the Canonical books that are truly divine Popery hath joyn'd with them fabulous books a tale of Tobit a Romance of Judith of Bel and the Dragon of Susanna This tends to dispose the minds of men to believe whatever they have a mind to propose seeing the veriest Fables when authoriz'd by the Church ought to be received as Truth and the greatest Truth destitute of the Churches Testimony may be rejected as a Fable This is not yet enough the more effectually to abolish the holy Books and their Authority they affirm that at this time we have not the H. Scriptures compleat Many Books say they are lost we have not the Book of the Wars of the Lord mention'd in the Book of Numbers We have not the Books of Gad and of Iddo Solomon wrote concerning plants from the Cedar even to the Hyssop and I know not how many thousand Parables and Songs which we have not S. Paul wrote a third Epistle to the Corinthians which is lost one to the Church of Laodicea and perhaps many others which are not to be found and who knows whether in all these writings that we have not there were not innumerable things which would have made the Rule of Faith more compleat Perhaps what is come down to us are only some Planks escap'd from a Shipwrack which hath swallowed up the Vessel All the sacred Books of the Old Testament were burnt at the sacking of Jerusalem under Zedekiah Afterward Ezra gather'd what he could of the scatterd pieces There are Popish Authors who discourse at this rate Yea they go further Those Books of Holy Scripture that are preserved are yet corrupted and alterd The Jews out of hatred to the Christian Religion have corrupted the Originals at the best these Originals are lost and the Copies have felt the injuries of Time and the fate that is inevitable to all antient Books having for above three thousand years past thro the hands of so many ignorant persons many things may have been changed in them Besides they are dead Languages in which these Books are written such as we understand not we are not skill'd in their Grammar we know not the signification of their words This is what they discourse at this day Lastly to compleat the Affront they pull away these books out of the peoples hands they affright them with these as if they tended to ruin their souls They tell men that it never was the intention of God to abandon his Scriptures to the indiscretion of the Laity And on this pretence the Scripture is become a secret Book hid under a barbarous Language to which none is allowed to approach unless he is aforehand initiated in their
Mysteries At present I appeal to the Consciences of all the men in the World whether the Behavior of Papists towards the H. Scriptures be not exactly like that of an indicted and convicted Criminal who goeth about to reproach the Witnesses and reject the Judges How long will this fatal inchantment last and when will men begin to perceive this Character of Antichristianism which is so manifest If Popery be Christianity why doth it so blame and reproach the Law of J. Christ If the Scriptures are favorable to it why goes it about to take away their credit and why doth it hinder the reading of them The vain Excuses of the modern Papists as to the preceding Points In our dayes those Impostors who are call'd Converters are still telling their Disciples that the most of these proceedings are false that which is true as to them was only the mistakes of some violent spirits who are condemn'd by the rest and lastly that all this is past and gone that at the present the Scriptures are in due esteem Translations of them made and put into the hands of the Laity with Exhortations to read them And those poor blind Creatures who are willing to be deceived believe all this But they ought to remember that even in this present age Cardinal du Perron hath heaped together every thing that might make the Scripture suspected and contemptible pleading that some things in it sound like Fables others are apt to raise in the mind indecent and dishonest Imaginations as some Expressions in Solomons Song the History of Balaams Asse which spoke and the Jawbone of an Ass with which Sampson slew a thousand Philistins c. 'T is in our age and very lately I confess that the Gentlemen of the Port Royal have wrote that we ought to read the H. Scripture Mr. Arnauld that it ought to be in the hands of the Common People that it is full of holy Unction and of great Efficacy and Vertue for Sanctification and Edification But it is likewise very lately said by these Gentlemen Mr. Nicole's apology c. Prejudices c and Calvinists convicted of Schism That it would be a Folly more plain than the day to go about to prove by Scripture that the Gospells according to S. Matthew and S. Mark are of divine authority that we never stop the mouths of the profane with our new Rule of Scripture without Tradition that the H. Scriptures have said nothing concerning the Divinity of J. Christ which may not be evaded that no Interpretations of Scripture are more than probable that the Sâ—cinian Hereticks find as much there for their cause as we for ours that there are some texts of Scripture which do naturally lead men to Error Behold what all their commendations of the Scripture do amount to This is just the same thing that the Ancient Papists were wont to say that the Scripture is a Nose of Wax a Leaden Rule a Sheath for any Sword. The terms are different but any man may perceive that the sense and meaning is altogether the same Lastly It must be observed that for eighâ— hundred years the common People in the Church of Rome have not known what the Scripture was and that the reading of it was forbidden them by their Popes Bishops Councils by the Indexes of forbidden Books and by Parliaments Mallet hath prov'd this against Mr. Arnauld in an irrefutable manner to which he never thought fit to make any Reply He only insists on the Question of Right viz. whether the reading of the Scriptures ought to be forbidden to the People he hath successfully prov'd that it ought not But he durst not meddle with the Question of Fact whether it hath not been always the practice of the Roman Church to forbid the Common People to read the word of God. He did well not to touch upon that for he could not have done it but to his own Dishonour Therfore let our New Converts to Popery no longer deceive themselves by regarding the Church of Rome only in that small part of it which is in France and hearken to that inconsiderable number of Popish Doctors who seduce them for they ought to know that even at this day in Spain and other places to have the Bible in the vulgar Language is a Crime to be punisht with Fire and Fagot and the Inquisition Popish dispensations contrary to the Law of God. 'T were easy to inlarge this chapter concerning the injuries and outrage that Popery is guilty of against the Scripture without digressing or going far we need but consider the bold attempts of the Pope and his Clergy to dispense with the law of God and act contrary to it no greater violence or affront can be offer'd to any Law than to command what it forbids and forbid what is commanded by it This is the case with the Church of Rome Popery requires the making of Images and injoyns the worship of 'em the Law of Christianity forbids it Popery forbids the eating of all sorts of meat at all times and forbids the marriage of the Clergy both are allowed by the Great Law of Christians It grants dispensations contrary to the Old and New Testament it dispenseth with the observation of the most solemn vows made to God and with Oaths of fidelity made to Kings wherein the name of God is invok't It dispenseth with that sacred and inviolable commandment of childrens obedience to their Parents and permits girles of twelve or fifteen years old to cast off the Paternal yoke that they may enter into a Nunnery It authorizeth the revolt and rebellion of Children against their own Fathers even so far as to permit them to usurp their Crowns and overturn their Thrones as is evident in History It establisheth new Sanctuaries and places of refuge in their Churches to save the lives of Murderers contrary to the express command of God. It makes void the plainest precept of God that every Soul must be subject to the Higher Powers by the many immunities granted to their Ecclesiasticks exempting them from the secular power It allows Fornication and Sodomy for such a sum of money and permits Incest contrary to the Law of God. It gives a Woman leave to marry two Brothers or a man to marry two Sisters or an unckle to marry his Neice It dispenseth contrary to the Apostles Rule that a Bishop should not be a Child or a Novice for it bestows benefices and Bishopsricks upon such as are altogether unfit and incapable which agrees exactly with what was foretold concerning Antichrist that he should endeavor to change the Times and the Law. These Seducers will doubtless tell their new Converts that these things are the Enterprizes and abuses of the Court of Rome and that according to the Gallican Church the Pope is not superior to the Laws and cannot dispense with the Canons This is the doctrine of the Sorbonne and of the Parliaments I refer them to what is written by
of the Antiquities of Rome confess it The Pantheon is now the Church of the V. Mary surnamed the Rotunde Twelve Idol Temples are reckon'd that have the same Honour i. e. to be consecrated to the Virgin. The Primitive Christians did so abhor Paganism that they would not for any thing in the world have celebrated their Mysteries in Pagan Temples But Popery which came in afterwards makes use of any thing of the Pagans their Temples their Images their Ceremonies I know not how any one can look on this Conformity otherwise than a certain Character of Antichristianism CHAPTER XVIII The Eleventh Character of Antichristianism that is found in the Papacy a Spirit of Lying and Fables Falsehoods to sustain the Authority of the Pope A short account of the Romance of the V. Mary The Antichristian spirit must be a spirit of Lying and Fables ALL Heresies and false Religions in general have the Father of Lyes for their Author But yet 't is certain that there are some Sects that are distinguisht by this and have a Spirit of Lying for their Character 'T is plain by Scripture predictions that this was to be the Spirit of Antichristianism This is signified by those V. 13. Three unclean Spirits Apoc. 16. that come out of the Mouth of the Dragon and of the Beast and of the false Prophet V. 14. For they are the Spirits of Devils working Miracles which go forth unto the Kings of the Earth These Spirits of Devils are those Lying Spirits who by Fables and false Miracles deceive the Inhabitants of the Earth 'T is of the same Spirit of Lying and Imposture that this Prophecy speaks V. 13. And he doth great Wonders Cap. 13. so that he maketh Fire come down from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of men V. 14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the Earth by means of those Miracles These Wonders are Lying Miracles Delusions Impostures or Fables This is also predicted by St. Paul in his 2. Epist to the Thessalonians V. 9. Whose coming viz. of the Mystery of Iniquity is after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and Lying Wonders But above all this is the Character that the same Apostle expresly giveth the cursed Authors of the Antichristian Apostacy telling us that the Worship of Demons and Spirits as Mediators was to be set on foot by V. 2. Men 1 Tim. 4. speaking Lyes in Hypocrisy having their Consciences seared with a hot Iron The true Spirit of Popery is lying Fables and Imposture and consequently it is Antichristianism Let none wonder that we detain the Reader longer than usual on his Point For there is not a more sensible and palpable evidence that the Papacy oweth its Original to the Devil than this All false Religions have their fabulous Stories Paganism had its Fables corrupted Judaism had theirs But all the Fables of all the false Religions put together do not come near those of Popery either for number or horridness And those who will not see its Falsehood and Vanity by this prospect will never discern it by any other I promise once again that I do not call Popery that which remains of Christianity in the Roman Church for instance the Divinity of Christ his Resurrection his Redemtion and Judging the World c. Popery works no Miracles but to confirm its Superstitions These grand Truths are supported by Miracles and Wonders which were wrought by the Apostles and by Apostolical Persons The Papacy is not at all concern'd to support the Christian Truth by their Lying Miracles it takes little or no eare to preserve any part of it Or rather God hath not permitted that his holy Mystery should be disparaged by fabulous Evidences and Impostures of the Devil But the Papacy not being able to work true and real Wonders to confirm their Doctrines hath framed most horrid Relations fill'd with Lyes and ridiculous Fables to support the Popes Supremacy and Empire the Invocation of Saints the Adoration of the Virgin the Sacrifice of the Mass the Real Presence the Adoration of the Eucharist and of Images We must with some exactness view some Instances of these Lying Histories that we may understand the spirit of Popery Fables invented to set up the Popes Supremacy One of its principal Articles is the Authority of the Pope his Infallibility his unlimitted power his Succession to the Apostelship and Supremacy of St. Peter These things must be found in Tradition for Scripture saith nothing of them And to find them there they must be put into it for they were not there neither To put them into it for want of History they must weave together a heap of Fables Therefore in the first place they must without any proof suppose that St. Peter after he had been seven years Bishop of Antioch came and made himself Bishop of Rome and that he sat there five and twenty years that he was crucifyed with his head downward and at his death appointed a Successor to whom he bequeath'd a full Authority over the Vniversal Church This Successor of St. Peter left his and this third another so that in a continued Succession until this day the Popes of Rome have always been Soveraigns of the Church Umpires of all differences Judges without appeal of all Controversies and Liege Lords of all the Kings of the Earth but all this is founded on meer Fables Fables concerning the abode and actions of St. Peter at Rome First The Journey and Death of St. Peter at Rome are not very certain 'T is true antient Authors have said so But it doth not in the least agree with the History of the Acts of the Apostles or with the Chronology of St. Paul's Epistles That Apostle made two Journeys to Rome where he was twice a Prisoner In his second Imprisonment they will have him suffer Martyrdom with St. Peter 'T is very surprising and astonishing that the Apostle who in his Epistles written at Rome mentioneth so many persons of a mean quality should say nothing of St. Peter The Mystery of Iniquity began to work in Saint Paul's time this Journey and Martyrdom of St. Peter at Rome whether true or false was to be the principal foundation of the vain pretences of this Counterfeit Monarch of the Church 'T is not improbable that this Spirit of Lying which sowed the first seeds of Antichristianism persuaded the Antients of the second Century that S. Peter had appointed the Bishop of Rome to be his Successor tho this was plainly false For St. Peter had the charge of the Jews and of the Church of the Circumcision Now the Jews were very inconsiderable at Rome where they had no more respect than those Fortune-tellers whom we call Gypsies have among us The greatest and most considerable part of the Jews were about Babylon and 't is there that St. Peter dates his first Epistle As to the pretended Episcopacy of St. Peter at Rome which lasted five and twenty years
been so fortunate as the Nuntio of Julius II. who tho taken Prisoner by Francis after the Battel of Ravenna received Hommages from the Souldiers Prostrate at his Feet and begging his pardon for having fought against the Church Such an influence hath the force of Religion on the minds of the people 'T was in vain that Boniface VIII put on his Pontifical Robes at Anagina notwithstanding this his Jawes were bruised with a blow of a Gantlet and he thrust into Prison 'T was therefore necessary to joyn a second policy to the former and support this falsly named Spiritual Dominion with a Worldly Pomp and Grandeur Men are compounded of Flesh and Blood the Passions are ever the prevailing Party and the senses are the Faculties which bear the chief sway in the conduct of men 'T was therefore necessary to maintain this Dominion that men should see something that affects the senses and engageth the Passions Therefore it hath been the Policy of that Spirit which framed this Engine to heap together vast Treasures to have stately Palaces to change Priests into secular Princes to furnish them with greath Revenues with pompous Retinues with sumptuous Tables and indeed with every thing that belongs to Worldly Glory This Policy is owned by the considerable persons of the Roman Church you need only read what hath been written by Pallavicino in his History of the Council of Trent and the Collection out of him drawn up by another Author of the same Religion in an ingenious Book called The new Gospel of Cardinal Pallavicino There it is shewn that the Cardinal makes it a matter of necessity that the Pope and the Church should be Rich and Wealthy should have Palaces Benefices Princes who are equall to secular Princes We cannot doubt that this Policy hath been of admirable use to the Antichristian Monarchy for 't is certain that if the Bishops of Rome had continued poor as they were for the three first Ages of the Church they had never made themselves Masters of the World. Thunderbolts issuing forth from a Cottage or a Tent would not long have astonisht men But coming from the Vatican from a Palace that in poynt of splendour may dispute with the most magnificent in the world people believed that there was indeed something real in those painted Thunderbolts The Authors of the Logick of Port-Royal Part 3. cap. 19. have made a judicious remarque No man doth expresly argue at this rate such a one hath ten thousand pounds per annum therefore he is in the right He is of a Noble Familie therefore we must believe every thing he saith Nevertheless something like this rate of arguing is found in the minds of most men which unawares corrupts their judgments c. They approve every thing done or spoken by a Great man through a secret condescension of mind which bowes down under the weight of Grandeur and wants Courage to look it in the face This is the very Method that the Papacy hath used to gain the minds of men which being once gain'd by this Pomp of Riches and Worldly Grandeur have argued at this rate The Pope is a great Prince therefore be is in the right therefore he hath Authority to do as he doth Yea this very thing hath helped to delude the Popes themselves A Great Person who taketh no pains to rectify the impressions which his secular Grandeur makes on his mind is easily brought to believe that he excels other men as much in moral and intellectual Qualitties as he doth in Riches and Dignitie Thus the Popes seeing themselves to be served as Kings and adored as Gods have easily believed that they have a rightful Authority over the whole World. Third Policy a gainâ—nâ— all the Great ones of the World to its party Again 't is an admirable Policy of the Papacy to have the Art of engaging on its side all the Great Families of Europe and of binding them to itself by the strongest of all the Passions viz. Ambition and Covetousness If the Court of Rome had engross'd her Grandeur and Riches to her self alone it had been the Object of the Envy of all other Courts and its Regency which depends onely upon the Consent of men could not have lasted long But as it hath Riches in all places so it bestowes Preferments in all places Rome is the Common City of the nations the whole World hath the Priviledge of Citizens There is not a great Family which doth not possess great benefices and supports their Luxury and vanity by the Churches Patrimony This Patrimony is the spoyls which have been taken from the World. When ever this Church is ruin'd all these Spoyls must be restored to the owners to whom they belong Therefore all the Great ones are concern'd to maintain this Monarchy which furnisheth them with Provisions for their Luxury and other lusts This consideration makes me assert that there never was any Monarchy in the world which had such firm Foundations as this It hath no Enemies among those who are led by Sense and lust nor can have On the contrary the whole world adores it to get a share in its Favours 'T is a wonder that the Empire of old Rome lasted so long What Interest had the Roman Provinces to contribute to the Grandeur of one City whiles they themselves were Slaves Here the case is not the same all consent to the Greatness of new Rome because all reign with her Priests may come to be Abbots Abbots to be Bishops Bishops to be Cardinals and all the Cardinals of whatever nation to be Popes Fourth Poliâ—yâ—s the Hierarchy That which is call'd the Roman Hierarchy is again a piece of admirable Policy This subordination of the Members of this great Body is a Bond which makes it firm The Curates are subject to the Rural Deans these Deans to their Bishop the Bishop to the Metropolitan the Metropolitan to the Primate the Primate to the Pope And this Pope is call'd the Center of Unity This Fiction is one of the last things which will be ruinâ—d Our French men who are cured of the fondness for the Popes power cannot as yet free themselves from this They adore this great Image whose Head is of Gold the Shoulders of Silver the Belly of Brass the Thighs of Iron the Feet of Earth The disproportion between the Pope and the petty Clergy is greater than that between Gold and Dust There must be a Stone cut without hands out of a Mountain an unconceivable Blow of Divine Power to break this Image in pieces 5. Policy The founding the various Orders of Monks Behold another very cunning Policy of the Papal Monarchy the founding of the different Orders of Monks which are as so many Citadels of this Kingdom These men have an Art to make themselves Masters of Families and Consciences They inspire all their Disciples with Maximes of Submission and Slavery to the Holy See as 't is named They stir up Subjects against
true sense of Scripture one sect interpreting it one way and another sect in a different manner So that I cannot be discharg'd from the obligation to inquire after the true Church among the many differing Sects and to search for it in some way different and independant from that of the Scripture Upon all that I have said I would make these two Reflections First that this pretence of Infallibility on the one hand is the character of Mystical Babylon who boasts of her being alway Queen and that she shall never see sorrow on the other hand that 't is full of Absurdities and Inconsistencies Secondly that this Antichristian false and inconsistent Principle according to the Church of Rome is the great fundamental Principle of Christianity I wish men would reason a little upon these two Reflections in some such manner as this If God hath bestowed on the Church the priviledge of Infallibility 't is one of the best and greatest advantages that can be 't is the Basis of Christianity now it is not plain or probable that God should give for the ground of his Religion such a principle loaded with so many difficulties on the one hand and on the other containing a pretention which the Scripture speaks nothing of save in the mouth of the false Prophet and Antichrist This pretended Infallibility should have been as clear as a Sun upon an high Mountain to give light to all the Faithful at the greatest distance But instead of being so 't is an ocean of impassible Darkness The wisdom of God would not have suffer'd such a Truth to be clog'd with so many absurdities which being the principal and foundation of all others ought to have been the clearest and discernable by the most Ignorant It must not be said that 't is the fate of the Christian Articles to show great Depths and Mysteries in the difficulties which attend 'em and produce the Articles of the Trinity and Incarnation for Examples For we must carefully distinguish those Truths which we are to believe from the Principle for the sake whereof we ought to believe ' um It is not necessary that the Truths we are to believe should be disintangl'd from Difficulties 't is sufficient if the Authority or Testimony on which we give credit to 'um be not obscure or at least have sufficient light to manifest it self to a free and unprejudic'd mind Such is the H. Scripture whose Divinity and true Meaning are visible to all those whose eyes are inlighten'd by the Grace of God. Whereas this Principle of the Infallibility of the Church is visible to none but such whose eyes are shut by their own Prejudices CHAPTER IV. The fourth Character of Antichristianism that is found in the Roman Church is the manner of their dealing with the H. Scriptures the common Rule of all Christians WHile we are on the subject of Blasphemy 13 Exception part 2. chap. 5. which is the proper Character of the Antichristian Beast who carries written on its Heads the Name of Blasphemy and to whom is given a mouth speaking great things and Blasphemies we must go on to show after what manner she treats the H. Scriptures Her carriage in this respect is an exact accomplishment of what was foretold concerning her And she shall open her mouth in Blasphemies Revel 13. v. 6. even to Blaspheme against God and his Tabernacle and those who dwell in Heaven This pretence of Perpetuity and Infallibility which she bears on her forehead is the name of Blasphemy that is writ on the head of the Beast But the manner after which she vilifies and annuls the H. Scripture is in words full of Blasphemy 1. Against God for the H. Ghost who inspired those sacred Writings is infinitely affronted and provoked by it 2. Against his Tabernacle for this H. Scripture is the Dwelling-place of God and his H. Spirit the Ark from whence he speaks between the Cherubims the Temple whence he gives forth his Oracles 3. And against those who dwell in Heaven for the Blessed Prophets and H. Apostles who were the Organs of the H. Spirit are greatly affronted by her treating their Writings after such a manner This Antichristian proceeding of the Papacy against the H. Scripture may be reduc't to three Articles 1. Their Contempt and neglect of the Scripture 2. Their Abuse and ill use of it 3. The out-rage they commit against it by False Accusations for Popery neglects and slights the word of God and hath no esteem or value for it They miserably abuse and wrest it and lastly they accuse it of many faults Popery endeavours to avoid any conformity to the H. Scripture I say then in the first place that 't is the true Character of Antichrist to take no care to comply with the Rule of Christianity Every Religion hath its proper Books the Jews have Moses and the Prophets for theirs the Mahumetans have their Alchoran and the Pagans had their sacred Books and Rituals and accounted it their duty to be exactly Conformable to ' em If the Jews should rebuild a Temple and therein practise such Customs and Ceremonies as had no agreement at all with the Law of Moses we might with justice tell 'em you are not of the Religion that you profess for your Worship and Doctrines have no agreement with the Religion prescribed in Your Law. If among the several sects into which the Mahumetans are divided there should be any that pretending to receive the Alchoran should yet have nothing like it but altogether depart from it would it not be evident that such a Sect were not of the Religion of Mahomet Ought we not to argue after the same manner against the Papacy You call your selves Christians let us see how you prove it if you say true you ought to have some conformity with the sacred Books receiv'd by all Christians But if there be no kind of Conformity and Agreement between your Doctrines your Worship your Religion and that of J. Christ you are certainly Christians only in name but in Truth and reality are Antichristian Now I dare assert that there is no kind of Conformity between Popery and the Laws of J. Christ which to me is an undoubted Character of Antichristianism Paganism 't is true hath no agreement with the Rule of Christians and the Law of Christ but it doth not pretend to have any and therefore cannot be charged with Antichristianism But for men to call themselves Christians and yet neglect the Laws of Christ and have no agreement with the Christian Rule this is to be Antichristian For the Antichristian Church is a false Church an Harlot who pretends to be the Spouse of Christ who saith I am no Widow and shall never see sorrow Therefore to confirm this Character there needs nothing more than to prove that Popery hath no agreement with the H. Scriptures In the Roman Religion Popery must be distinguisht from Christianity To prove that their Religion is
there exercise his Soveraign Authority over the Church and by cousequence that the Bishops of Rome are his Successors By what arguments is that proved to be certain will the Turk reply By Tradition must the Papist answer Common sense will advise the Turk to rejoyn we have lost the Subject and mistake the Case the Question was concerning an agreement with your Written Law and you carry me off to Vnwritten Tradition to prove your Title 'T is quite another Question wherein I perceive you are not of one mind viz. whether the points of your Religion must be decided by Tradition But be that determined how it will you must needs acknowledg upon the matter of fact that there is nothing in your Written Law to prove it The Invocation of Saints and the Adoration of Images and Relicks c. not proved by Scripture The Object of Worship and religious Adoration is a matter of the highest moment in Religion if any thing can be so and I am bold to affirm that any man must have lost Common sense and be delivered over to a reprobate mind who can say that this Article must be tried by Tradition and not by Scripture If then Popery would manifest it self to be Christianity they must show that the objects of their Worship are to be found in the H. Scripture and can be proved from thence They adore God the Father Son and H. Ghost but that is not Popery but Christianity This doth not distinguish Papists from other Christians in the point of Adoration But the Sacrament of the Altar the H. Virgin Saints and Angels Images and Relicks which they worship and invoke and bow themselves before this is that which they ought to justifie from the H. Scriptures Now how can any have the impudence to assert that the Worship of these is to be found in the Scripture to prove that the Sacrament of the Eucharist or Christ in the Sacrament ought to be worshipt they produce neither precept nor Example but those words This is my Body which they think proves all but indeed nothing 'T is Enough they say that we know the Body of Christ is there it will follow clearly that we must adore it If it were enough to declare the subject to teach us what Honour we ought to pay to it why did not the Father content himself to say of J. Christ This is my Son why did he add and let all the Angels of God worship him kiss the Son and pay him Homage Those Appearances of Bread that to us seem to be Creatures in the Sacrament and in reallity are so do forbid us to adore a Subject wherin a Creature is so sensible that Stumbling-block at least should have been removed by an express Command saying worship this as by an express command it is said Eat ye all of it The Religious Invocation of the Virgin and of the Saints takes up more room in the Popish worship than the Invocation of the true God. There are an hundred Chappell 's which bear the names of Saints to one that is consecrated unto God. Where-ever we go we see nothing but Devotions and Altars to the B. Virgin and the Saints Pilgrimages are undertaken to serve and invoke'em Miracles are expected from them great Deliverances wrought by their means and Thanks-givings accordingly return'd to ' em Their Churches resound with Letanies and Ora pro nobis's much more than with Hallelujah's In every prayer to God the Saints must make a part for they add the Merits and Intercessions of the Saints and pray to God to have regard to 'em and for their sakes to show Mercy the Images of those Saints are expos'd to the Adoration of the People in their Churches and even upon their Altars yea 't is not enough to have them in their Temples but they are plac't in the Streets and and in the most publick places There they worship 'em kneel before 'em and carry 'em in Triumph offer Incense to 'em and pay them all sort of divine honour Should an Heathen or an Indian be told that there is not one word to this purpose in the Law of Christians they could not believe it and would reckon it prodigious and unaccountable This is nevertheless true and to manifest that it is so we need but look over the Proofs brought from Scripture by the Papists to support this Idolatrous Worship For Example David saith Let us kneel before the Lord and worship before his Foot-stool Abraham and Lot bowed down before the Angels who appeared to 'em in the form of Men and they took them to be such The false Prophet Balaam kneel'd down before the Angel That reprobate Prince Saul bowed himself down before the appearance or shadow of Samuel Bellarmin lib. 1. cap. 13. de Ecclesitriumph call'd up by the Witch of Endor and Ahab at the feet of Elijah Nebuchadnezar King of Babylon at the feet of Daniel Jacob in blessing the Children of Joseph said The Angel who hath preserv'd me from all Evil bless the Lads Eliphaz saith unto Job Is there any that can answer thee and to which of the Saints upon Earth wilt thou turn thy self Moses saith Remember Abraham Isaac and Jacob. And Daniel prays for the continuance of Mercy to Israel because of Abraham whom he loved These are the proofs for the Invocation of Saints and such as these that they kneeled before the Ark upon which were the two Cherubims that they kneeled before the Serpent of Brass that God said to Moses The place where thou standest is holy Ground S. Paul writing to Timothy saith the Scripture is holy thou hast learnt the Holy Scriptures Moreover he saith that the first day of the week is holy therfore Images are holy and we may kneel before them These are the Texts which are brought to prove the Invocation of Saints and the worship of Images Doth not this very much resemble that worship of the Virgin wherin she is called the Redeemer of Mankind the Queen of Heaven the Gate of Paradise the Morning-star the Goddess of Christians and the Salvation of the Living and the dead wherin she is prayed to to give Grace to grant Pardon to Bind and Loose to Save to Heal to Protect to Deliver from Death from Hell and the power of the Devil wherin they build Temples to the honour of Saints consecrate Altars to 'em and sacrifice the body of J. Christ to their Honour place their Images upon Altars offer incense to 'em worship them and expect Miracles from them and render them all sort of Homage and Adoration Is it not a strange and horrible blindness that should make men call this a Proof of such Worship Is it not rather to proclaim that they despise the H. Scripture and care not for any conformity to it It would be too large to instance in all the Doctrines and Worship of the Roman Church and shew that they have no agreement with the Scripture let any man but consider