Worship in the greatest detestation and abhorrence because they know 't is impossible that Popery should ever return upon Us or be establisht again in England while our Common-Prayer-Book is kept unaltered For the whole Form of our Worship is point blank contrary to Image-Worship praying to Angels and Saints Propitiatory Sacrifice Doctrin of their Sacraments Transubstantiation c. And this is the true Reason why they do so mortally hate both Vs and our Religion And again those Prayers in our Liturgy which were taken out of the Mass-Book are many of them the Collects and Devotions of the Antient Fathers which were in use before ever Popery was known in the World which being purged from the Popish Superstition by our Reformers are now lawfully used by the Church of England according to their Original Institution Insomuch that those who cavil at our Service because some part of it is used by the Papists may as well find fault with the Epistles and Gospels Psalms Chapters Creeds Commandments Lords Prayer c. these being also in the Papists Mass-Book Having fully cleared this first Objection we pass to the 2. And they charge Us again with many Corruptions Additions Defects and circumstantial Errors in our Set Form of Worship and Discipline for they have no Objections against our Doctrin and Fundamentals and for those seeming Reasons they think themselves obliged to withdraw and separate from our Communion Answer This may seem to be a weighty Objection at the first sight and the most plead it being joined with the former which we have answered to the full as the Cause why they think and speak so hardly of our Church and desert our Communion But they might be persuaded to alter their Opinion if laying aside all Prejudice they would but seriously and impartially consider these few Things And 1. 'T is a true and undoubted Maxim that all Persons are obliged to hold Communion with the National and Establish'd Church where they live and must by no means separate from it tho there be some circumstantial Additions Errors and Defects in its external Worship Politie or Discipline For 't is plain that the Prophets and People of God did not separate from but held Communion with the Jews in their Publick Worship tho there were very many and great Defects and Corruptions c. both in their Doctrin and Practice This is clear in many Instances For the solemn Ordinances of God as Circumcision and the Passover were for a long time a-wanting and such Monuments of Idolatry were set up as not only the People thereby became superstitious and immoral but even the Priests also as Eli's two Sons c. brought a Scandal upon their Religion Were not these greater Faults than any of our fiercest Adversaries can charge upon us And yet for all that we sind not one President of so much as any single Person that departed from their Communion 2. At the time of our B. Saviours coming into the World the Jewish Worship was exceedingly corrupted with the Leaven of the Pharisees the Heresie of the Sadduces who denied the Immortality of the Soul and the Resurrection of the Body Besides the whole Service of God was intolerably prophaned the Temple polluted Religion subverted Judgment and the Love of God trampled upon and neglected many needless and superstitious Ceremonies interlarded with their Worship the People addicted to all manner of Wickedness and even the Priests themselves very heterodox and dissolute both in their Faith and Manners And yet at that time we find several religious Persons both Men and Women with great Zeal and Devotion worshiping God in the Temple as Zachary and Simeon Hannah and Elizabeth c. And our Blessed Saviour himself was by his pious Parents presented in the Temple according to the Custom and Law of Moses He afterwards kept the Passover and all the Festivals of the Jewish Church frequented and taught daily in the Temple in their Synagogues gave Honour and Reverence and paid Tribute to their Rulers nor did he ever desert their Communion till he was forced to retire to save his own Life So that he thought it necessary and so did those other Votaries to join in Gods Publick Worship notwithstanding those great Errors and Defects which thanks be to God are not chargeable upon Us. But 3. There were many Errors and Defects both in the Doctrin and Practice of the then slourishing Churches of Corinth Galatia c. and yet the Apostle S. Paul was so far from encouraging a Schism in and Separation from the Communion of those Churches that he threatens those Persons with the severest Punishments who were the Instruments in fomenting and promoting those Animosities and Divisions Nor is there any one Instance or President in the whole Scripture to warrant our departure from any Church that is Sound and Orthodox in her Principles however erroneous and corrupt in the Politie and Circumstantials of Divine Worship We might hereunto add 4. The concurrent Judgments and Opinions of the most Eminent and Reformed Divines beyond Sea who have unanimously declared their Dislike of a Separation from our Communion as Calvin Bullinger Bucer and many others And tho they dissented from Us in lesser Things yet held Communion and Correspondence with our Church Church-men as may appear by their several Letters to our Reformers and would have been glad if their Circumstances would have allowed our Form of Church Politie and deservedly preferr'd it to any Church Government in the World. But to argue yet more closely 5. If any will refuse our Communion and separate from Us because there are some pretended Errors in the Discipline and Circumstantials of our Worship which yet none have ever been able to prove against Us they 'l be obliged upon the same score to withdraw their Communion from all the Churches in Christendom For what Church Government shall they be ever able to assign that 's so pure and sincere as to be wholly exempted from Circumstantial Errors and Defects And were there not more Faults in the Worship of the Primitive Churches for the five first Centuries than are at present in Ours Are there no Errors in the Worship Constitutions and Ecclesiastical Government of Geneva and Amsterdam I 'm sure many of their Learned Divines have ingenuously acknowledg'd that all things were not according to their Desire and yet did not think it Prudence to alter the Government for the sake of some small Errors In short our Dissenting Brethren must either disclaim these Conceits or turn Hermits and Anchorets live in a Cell or Wilderness and even depart from themselves who as I could easily shew them are guilty of as many if not more and greater Faults and Errors in their little Assemblies than can be justly charged upon Vs or the Liturgy and Government of the Church of England Whither would not these wild and extravagant Fancies carry any Man that shall give way to them So that they must either prove their own Churches
to be infallible in point of Worship and Discipline which I think the most of them disclaim or for ever quit their Pretensions for a Separation from Us because of the little Errors which they have discovered in our Administrations Having thus fully answer'd the chief Objections of our Brethren for their unwarrantable Separation from the Church of England which I know will fully satisfie you We shall proceed Secondly To draw some clear and undeniable Inferences from the Premises for the prevention of all further Scruples in this Case And 1. It would be a strange Delusion and no less than absolute Prophaneness to cast off all the Publick Ordinances or neglect the Sacred and Solemn Worship of God because some things may be disliked or excepted against in their Administrations 2. The greatest Honour we can ascribe to God is to worship solemnly and devoutly in the Publick Assemblies of the Church And therefore it must be the most heinous Crime to make a Schism and Rent in any particular Church where Christ is effectually present by his Grace and Spirit Nor can any one have a sufficient Plea to withdraw from the Publick Ordinances in any Nation till Christ has deserted them which no Man can object against the Pure and Apostolical Church of England Wherein as before the whole World will acknowledge that the Word of God is purely preach'd and the Sacraments duly administred in that admirable Order and Vniformity which is scarce to be parallel'd in any National Church upon Earth Besides those who are so strait laced as to require absolute Perfection in the Administration of Divine Offices and Church Government must be guilty of that Popish Error in confining the Church with all its Priviledges and Immunities to their own Sect and Party and so cast off a considerable Part of the Catholick Church as the Church of England is at this Day which professes and practises all the Essentials of Faith and Worship Hence we also infer 3. That many great and unavoidable Mischiefs do always attend a wilful and unlawful Separation For a Scissure in and departure from a True Church as the Church of England is and none of our severest Adversaries can deny is most dishonourable and displeasing to God a scandal to Religion hinders the Success of the Gospel opens a wide Gap to Atheism and Prophaneness Heresie and Popery and is a dismal Presage of the removing of our Candlestick Mat. 12.25 Why then should any Persons withdraw and separate themselves from the Communion of our Church for the sake of a few Ceremonies and set up Altar against Altar and hereby put an Opportunity into the Adversaries hands to ruin both us and themselves But 4. Tho all Persons in this Nation are obliged to hold Communion with the Church of England seeing those pretended Defects in her are only modal and circumstantial which no Church in the World can be free from in this State of Tryal and Probation yet we are sorbidden to communicate with any Church in Sin And this is the true reason and ground of forsaking the Church of Rome because her Errors are Fundamental as we have seen already and the Conditions of Communion with her such as we cannot comply with unless we offer Violence to our own Reason and Conscience And we do always solemnly declare that if their New Articles of Faith and unchristian Practices did not hinder Us we should most freely and chearfully communicate with her nor do we further depart from her than she departs from Christ and her Self as to her antient Faith and Worship And again we have so much Love and Charity for our modern Dissenters in England that if any one has a truly tender Conscience so as after a diligent and faithful use of all convenient and necessary Means and Methods for his Conviction as earnest Prayer to God reading of good Books consultation with his Parish-Minister or some other Pious and Learned Divine of the Church of England he still remains scrupulous and unsatisfied yet rather than sin against his own Conscience we do not blame but pity him if he modestly withdraws from our Communion But I am afraid there are some who have not practised these Methods altho I have the Charity to believe that very many have and that most of those who have separated from our Communion have not done it through a wilful Obstinacy but meerly upon the account of Conscience 5. Our Brethren of the Non-conformity might do well to consider also that none gains any thing by a groundless Schism and Separation but that sort of Men whose chief Maxim to promote their own Ends hath always been Divide impera For 't is very observable that the Interest of the Reform'd Religion is daily weaken'd by our unchristian and intestine Divisions And 't is very certain that we cannot do our Enemies greater Service nor more precipitate our own Ruine than by crumbling our selves into Sects and Parties Insomuch that I am afraid that those who now separate from Us and in this juncture forsake our Communion will one day find and feel to their great cost not to mention the present Mischiefs that it were a thousand times better to swallow an innocent Ceremony than rend a Church seeing the greatest Sins shall have a lighter Punishment than Schism and Separation For the Eye that mocketh his Father and despiseth the Garment of his Mother the Ravens of the Valley shall pluck it out and the young Eagles devour it See further upon the Mischiefs of Schism Dr. Falkners Libertas Eccles from the beginning Which brings me to the Third and last thing Which will be to lay down some Rules by way of Caution and Advice which may secure you and by your Influence many others from a groundless Separation And 1. We must be subject to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake For they are Gods Ministers and the supreme Magistrate of these Kingdoms is invested with Sovereign Power and Authority to order and administer the Affairs of Government for the peace and benefit of Mens Souls as well as their Bodies and Estates Nor can this seem strange to any one who either understands the Scriptures or Ecclesiastical History For 't is plain that the religious Kings of Judah Israel as King David Solomon Asa Jehoshaphat Hezekiah c. and all the Christian Emperors as Constantine the Great and his Successors till the Bishop of Rome's Usurpation were as much concern'd in ordering of the Affairs of the Church as the Administration of Civil Government And indeed unless this Power and Soveraignty were allow'd to the Supreme Magistrate he should be unable to provide for the benefit of his Subjects nor could there be any such thing as Order and Vniformity in the Churches of Christ the Ecclesiastical Laws being only Bruta fulmina without the concurrence and enforcement of the Civil Power So that from hence it must needs follow that a cheerful Obedience to and a hearty Compliance
't is not the Province nor in the power of private Men to reform Religion this being wholly lest to the prudent management of those Governours whom the divine Providence has constituted and appointed to rule over Us. Wherefore that precipitant and rash Zeal which some miscall Puty will more disturb the Peace of their own Consciences and prejudice the Interest of the Church than their charitable and peaceable Compliance with those seeming Error and Defects which they so much cavil at and complain of 7. 'T is the greatest Argument then of Imprudence and Indiscretion to run upon manifest and real Evils upon those Fears and Jealousies which are meerly groundless and only imagin'd to be so Will any Man of Reason and Religion dare to forsake Gods publick Ordinances and make a Schism in the Church of Christ because perhaps there may be some probable Defects in her Communion For Gods Commands to attend his Publick Worship and endeavour the Peace of the Church are plain and positive whereas the Errors objected against us are dubious and disputable And now to cast the Scales the far greater number of pious learned judicious Men are on our side so that for any thing they know they may be mistaken But granting 'em that we do err let our Governours see to it we have a sufficient Rule for our Obedience nor dare we substract it for the sake of an Inconvenience only if their Commands be not sinful but they have none for their Disobedience And therefore seeing they have no lawful Authority to reform the least Error or Mistake in Government it would be the greater Prudence and more Christian like to pray mourn in secret for what they apprehend amiss than to disobey and exasperate their Governours stir up Divisions in the Church run upon the dangerous Hazzards of a licentious and unwarrantable Separation 8. We should be always more concern'd for promoting the Interest of the Gospel and our own National Church than the gratifying of our own personal and private Fancies and Opinions For it has been a great fault in most of our Brethren of the Non-conformity who have been so wedded to their own private Humours and Conceits that they have almost quite forgot the Peace of the Church and the true Interest of the Protestant Reform'd Religion Hence have sprung those Heresies and Schisms and that Atheism and Prophaneness which have so strangely over-spread the whole Nation to the great scandal of our Religion and Government and have done what in their power lies to yield up themselves and us a Prey to our cruel and merciless Enemies Whereas if they had the least sense of their Duty and Interest they would keep close at this Time especially to our Communion which under God would be their chief Refuge and yield in some small Matters tho less agreeable to their own private Sentiments and Opinions for the greater Benefit of the Publick 9. No Prejudice should prevail with any Man so far as to make him unwilling to recant and disclaim his Errors upon a through Conviction and return to the ways of Truth and Peace from which he has formerly erred And therefore 't is a great Fault in many who are unwilling to retract those Errors which they have espoused lest they should be censured by their Party as Renegadoes and Apostates from their Religion Whereas if they would but seriously consider it 't will be their greatest Honour as well as Interest and a special Evidence of their Integrity to acknowledg recant their Errors Mistakes nor need any Man be asham'd or afraid to confess he has erred St. Aug. writ a whole Book of Retractations for which he was deservedly as much esteem'd as for any of his other Works Nor can any Man come under the vile imputation and scandal of an Apostate who changes only some mistaken Errors and Opinions not his Religion And Lastly Others have been extreamly to blame in setting up their own private Glosses and Interpretations of the Holy Scriptures as infallible Maxims and necessary Conclusions insomuch that they I rather disturb the Peace of the Community than be persuaded to recede from them For being ignorant of the scope and meaning of those sacred and lively Oracles they presently sancy without the least true ground that every Passage founding that Way must be a strong and forcible Argument to prove and confirm their Opinion The Scriptures indeed be allowed and are of important and necessary use for the Conduct of their Faith and Manners in the ways of Religion But then shall every Mechanick presume to be an Interpreter and Judge and think himself as infallible as the Pope in Cathedra of all the abstruse and difficult Passages in Holy Writ Now what can it be but meer Enthusiasm and Delusion in any one to pretend to interpret the dark Points of Scripture which neither concern Mens Faith nor Manners without the use of those Means which are out of the reach of the Vulgar They 'l readily grant that in all other Professions Arts and Sciences a Man must be a considerable time and take great pains to gain Experience ere he can be capable of managing and must be an approved Artist before any one will entrust him with Business in his way of Dealings in the World. Shall every Novice then who can scarce read a Chapter distinctly in the Bible presume to have as much Skill in Divinity and the Holy Scriptures as he that has been train'd up all his life in the Schools of the Prophets has the advantage of all useful Books understands the Languages wherein the Scriptures were originally written and makes this Study his whole Business and Profession These are such wild and extravagant Conceits as one would think that no Man of common Reason and Prudence should once pretend to And yet there are several illiterate country Hobs and conceited Tradesmen in Market Towns and of my acquaintance as there are in most places of this Kingdom who 'l undertake to interpret the Scripture and preach according to their way and yet with more boldness and confidence than the greatest Doctors of the Chair But we leave such to their own Fancies and Delusions which can neither concern you nor me more at present than to pity and pray for them that they may come in due time to a true sense of their unaccomtable Errors and whilst unretracted unpardonable Mistakes These I am persuaded are such Reasons as will puzzle our Dissenting Brethren to answer and obviate all their Pleay and Pretences to a warrantable Separation from the Church of England However Sir such as they are are humbly offer'd to your serious Perusal and probably they may be useful to you in your present Circumstances having calculated them primarily for that Meridian Yet let not these or any other so bind you up as to neglect greater and better of your own For it will be your great Interest and Advantage to weigh and measure the Drift and Design of all Counsels by the Dictates of your own Reason and Judgment I doubt I have wearied your Patience with a tedious Epistle the Subjects being so copious have drawn it out to an undue Proportion Yet when you have seriously consider'd the Scope and Design of it in its full Latitude and Importance I hope you 'l candidly excuse not only the Length but all other Mistakes and Defects in it without any further Apology Whatever Indiscretions I have been guilty of either in the Undertaking or management and composure of this Discourse are wholly imputable to my Self none of your Relations or Friends being yet acquainted with it For all which I do most earnestly and humbly beg your Pardon Now that God Almighty may ever bless preserve succeed and prosper you in your Progress and Return and that all your Endeavours may be acceptable to Him well-pleasing to your Friends and a comfort and benefit to your Self shall be the most earnest hearty and constant Prayer of Prayer of Honoured SIR Your humble devoted Servant March 6h Stylo vetere 1687 / 8.
of Grace and other vertuous Accomplishments as full of Words Vanity and other vitious Habits and Inclinations Now Sir if you should unhappily Miscarry which the Lord of his great Mercy prevent as it would be the greatest mischief to your self so not only your Parents hopes of your Youth but the Staff and Comfort of their Age will lie a bleeding to their unexpressible Grief and Sorrow These Considerations have very much affected me which I took the freedom to mention to some of your Friends when I first heard of their Design of sending you beyond Sea and upon more due and serious deliberation do now with more considence yet humbly communicate my Thoughts to you upon these Subjects For I am very well assured that considering me as a Divine and True Friend I shall not incur the least suspicion of being herein too bold or presumptuous and will think my self sufficiently apaid if thro God's Blessing I may be an happy Instrument in doing the least good to your Soul. I know it would be the greatest Happiness to your self as well as a Comfort to all your Friends if you be persuaded by any means to fall in love with Religion betimes and remember your Creator in the Days of your Youth Eccles 12.1 This has been for many Ages the glory and support of your Family which has been always eminent for Religion and Loyalty nor could there ever be less Danger of a degenerous Heir not to slatter you Sir nor puff you up nor greater Hopes of its establishment to future Generations But before we come to the Point give me leave to note to you for your greater Security That you 'l be in danger of meeting with many Brokers of Villany whose Trade and Business it is to pervert and do live upon the Spoils and Ruins of Young Gentlemen insomuch that scarce any Person of your Quality can travel into Foreign Parts but he shall be mightily caress'd and treated with so much respect and civility as if it were a pleasure to be seduced We know very well what Stratagems are used by some Men to undermine the sacred Foundations of the Doctrin and Worship of the Church of England insomuch that before his Majesties Declaration of Indulgence neither Laws nor Penalties could restrain them What then will they not dare to attempt within their own Territories and Jurisdictions especially when they meet with Persons of Temper and Quality who are inclin'd and dispos'd as you are to Religion And seeing also they have not only free scope and priviledge but encouragement to seduce so that 't is next to impossible not to be assaulted at least by their close and cunning Insinuations There have been alass too many perverted already the loss of whom joyned with the Churches we have sufficient cause to lament And indeed 't is a great wonder we have lost no more and let us praise God for it considering the importunate Methods and Plausibleness of our Adversaries on the right hand and on the left who like those infected with the Plague have always an itching desire of tainting others Wherefore none can blame the Clergy of the Church of England if we be as zealous for Truth as our Adversaries of Falshood which Argument alone might be a sufficient Apology for this Undertaking I have read Sir of some Countries I wish your Curiosity may not carry you thither whose chief Vertues modestly speaking do very much border either on Impiety or Superstition and yet those very Places as Travellers observe which are most worth seeing are of all others the most contagious Now 't is no small difficulty for a Young Gentleman to be chast and vertuous in the midst of Sodom and few have travell'd thither however they may please themselves with variety of Objects and returned home without some dangerous Tincture either of Sin and Wickedness or Schism and Sedition Thus I have noted in general what Temptations and Hazards you are exposed to amongst Foreigners and the greatest of all is the danger of being corrupted and contaminated in your Religion and Manners And 't is certain tho your Tutors be never so careful yet much must be left to your own Temper and Inclination how to sever Good from Evil For there 's no Man proves Factious Superstitious or extreamly Wicked on a sudden but thro several Declinations falls by degrees from Vertue and Religion Seeing then so many Temptations and Snares may await you in every Place where you come which no Mans Prudence can foresee and your own Heart prove deceitful and forward to betray you Therefore I beseech you be constantly upon your Guard and if your Tutors should either be negligent or persidious as many have been in the like Trust and I could name some of them yet thro the Assistance of God's Grace you may secure your Religion and Conscience inviolable But for the further prevention of their Machinations who lie in wait to deceive and your Establishment and Confirmation in the Religion of the Church of England I offer these Three following Particulars to your serious and impartial Consideration And First I shall give you a true tho short Account of the Constitution of the Church of England both as to her Doctrin and Worship or Discipline which I hope may for ever oblige you to continue in her Communion Secondly We shall enquire a little into the Principles and Practices of the Romish Church and Religion wherein they chiefly differ from Vs A Religion of all others within the Pail of the Christian Church the most pleasing and delightful to Flesh and Blood A Religion which no Man scarce can comply with especially if he has been bred up in the Church of England but must offer violence to his own Reason and Conscience if he pretends to either Thirdly We shall consider the Pretensions Reasons and Arguments which our Brethren of the Non-conformity have urged in their own Defence to palliate their Separation from our Communion and seduce others By all which I hope 't will evidently appear that there cannot be the least colour of Reason nor any thing like Argument to tempt much less to persuade you or any other Person of Parts and Education who is not blinded with Passion Interest or Prejudice to separate from the most truly Orthodox and best constituted Church in the whole World I mean the Church of England Of all these severally And First Of the Religion of our Church both as to its Doctrin and Worship or Discipline And First Concerning her Doctrin Wherein 't is most plain and evident That we have a clear Profession of all Fundamental Truths and Duties both to God and Man in our Creeds Commandments Lords Prayer and the Doctrin of the Two Sacraments which every Orthodox and Believing Christian in the whole World will readily subscribe and say Amen to Our Sabbaths are duly observed and kept with the greatest Reverence and Solemnity God's Holy Word is purely and faithfully preach'd his Sacraments duly
be continually upon your Watch that you may return with the same Soul and same Body you carried from hence and all the Tempers and Dispositions of both And for this End endeavor throughly to understand and then live up to the Principles and Rules of that Religion you have hitherto profess'd This will prove the best Antidote against that destructive Poison which might otherwise taint and infect both your Intellectuals and Morals and not only destroy the Christian but even the Man or rational part within you Let me advise you still more particularly not so much as to lend an Ear to hear nor a Tongue to discourse with those inchanting Syrens be afraid of their seeming Favours whose Errand is Deceit and under the pretence of Kindness and Respect will wound you to the very Heart Look not upon the pompous Ceremonies and costly Ornaments of that Religion wherein all things are outwardly glorious and pleasant to the Eye but keep close to innocent Truth and let your Soul be always deeply affected with that Worship whose Majesty is in the Heart not in the Face which we profess with the greatest comfort and satisfaction and may we ever do so in the Communion of the best of Churches Thus we have seen at length that the Errors and Superstitions of the Church of Rome wherein they differ from Us are Fundamental Points both of Faith and Worship Therefore have no communication with those of that Way unless it be where civil Relations and Offices of Humanity and Charity require your compliance Now to conclude this Point all the Members of the Church of England are called Protestants a Name common to Us with our Brethren of the Reformed Churches beyond Sea and so indeed we are For we do solemnly protest against the Popish Universal Hierarchy Infallible Judgment Dispensations with the Laws of God and Sins of Men Oral Traditions and other Sacriledges disposing of Kingdoms deposing and Murdering of Princes the Merit of Good Works in our Conversion the Priests pretended Power of transubstantiating Bread and Wine into the Body and Blood of Christ the Sacrifice of the Mass Adoration of the Hostie Images Relicks Prayers to Saints and Angels Power of Indulgences Doctrin of Purgatory necessity of Auricular Confession Prohibition of Priests Marriages Pilgrimages Prayers in an unknown Tongue multitude of Sacraments Penances Miracles and Indian Wonders and pretences of curing the Deaf Dumb Blind Lame and raising the Dead Equivocations mental Reservations pious Frauds legendary Fables devilish Incantations sacred yet diabolical Magick and all their other Delusions and Fopperies as damnable and anti-christian You 'l be pleased Sir to join with me in this Protestation the very naming whereof tho I cannot now insist upon all the Particulars might almost induce you to it and let all true hearted and reformed Protestants both here and every where say Amen There are also several other Religious Sects or rather Hereticks which do err from the Foundation and the true Faith Such are the Anti-Trinitarians Arians Socinians c. who deny the Doctrin of the Holy Trinity the Divinity of Christ and the Holy Ghost and our Saviours Satisfaction All which being excommunicated by Us you must avoid them as the Pests and Enemies of our Religion and have no Intercourse nor Communion with them There 's another silly Sect called Quakers a People so far fallen from Christianity that they do scarce retain any one Article of the true Faith slight and reject all the Ordinances of the Gospel and extol the Light within them above the Holy Scriptures as the only sufficient Rule they are obliged to walk by I only tell you in short what Quakerism is and shall need to say no more of it being there 's so little Temptation to that Opinion Thus much by way of Digression My method leads me Thirdly To consider those Pretensions Reasons and Arguments which our Brethren of the Non-conformity have urged in defence of their Separation from Us. But to do them all the Justice imaginable I must note to you in the first place That those called Antinomians Anabaptists Independants and Presbyterians do hold the Foundation tho they differ from Us in some Opinions not essential to Salvation and notwithstanding their uncharitableness to Us we account them Christians and Brethren as holding the Essentials of Christianity tho they build upon a weak Foundation And seeing Providence has led you into those Countries for the present where you cannot worship God according to your own Way the Church of England both in her Judgment and Practice allows you to communicate with those Sister-Churches of the Reformation to whom we have always given the right Hand of Fellowship tho there be some circumstantial Differences between Them and Us. But You 'l probably meet with some in your Travels as well as in our own Nation who will be very forward to find Faults with and censure our Liturgy and Discipline as we have many of that capricious Humour amongst Us tho they scarce understand it Therefore for the further Confirmation and Establishment of your own Judgment herein and that you may be better fortified with Reasons and Arguments to vindicate our Church and clear those Objections which may be urged against her We shall consider First The most material Objections which have been formed against our Liturgy and Church Politie both at home and abroad Secondly We shall draw some rational Inferences from those Answers and Solutions for your further satisfaction And Thirdly Lay down some Rules by way of caution which I hope may secure you and by your Influence many others from a groundless Separation Of these distinctly And First All the Scruples of our Non-conforming Brethren against our Discipline and Set Form of Worship are reducible to and comprehended under these two Objections And 1. They charge Us with Popery which we abhor as much if not more than they do because say they our Form of Common Prayer by Law establisht is taken out of the Popish Mass-Book that they are Popish Prayers and much of our Discipline and many of our Ceremonies are now used in the Church of Rome Which Objection at the first appearance seems to be very harsh and has so affrighted some weak yet well-meaning Christians that they dare scarce come near Us but hold off and separate from our Communion To which I Answer This Objection is so far from being of any force against Us that it do's very much approve and justifie the singular Moderation of the Church of England as most willing and desirous to communicate with the Papists in all Things wherein we can do it lawfully and with a safe Conscience Besides those Divines who compiled our Liturgy were all Men of extraordinary Parts Piety and Learning and several of them died Martyrs for our Religion Nor have our dissenting Brethren the least colour of Reason to brand our Church Service with savouring too much of Popery seeing the Papists always have and ever had our
administred according to our Blessed Saviours own Institution We worship God viz. the One Divine Essence and Trinity of Persons in Spirit and Truth in and thro' Christ without the Mediation of Saints and Angels We hope for and believe the Remission of Sins and Salvation of our Souls and Bodies by the Merits of Christ alone thro' the Mercies of God and upon the condition of a sincere and unseigned Repentance Which Repentance in the Judgment of our Church implies a true Sight and Confession of hearty arrow for and the hatred and forsaking of all our former Sins with a stedfast Resolution never to return to them again with any consent delight or approbation and the use of all possible Endeavours to put these Resolutions in practice even to our Lives End So that if we shall at any time fall into the commission of the least Sin or the neglect of any Duty either wilfully or by infirmity and surprize we do again seriously and solemnly renew our Repentance and are never at peace with our Selves and in our Consciences till we be again reconciled unto God or our Neighbour whom we have offended And this we do as well after as before our Conversion not daring to continue in any one sin unrepented of unreformed When we have thus renounced and abandon'd Sin the World and the Devil as our deadly Enemies we think our selves further oblig'd to magnifie and adorn our Profession by the Works and Fruits of Piety and true Holiness Justice and Charity Purity and Sobriety Tit. 2.12 and to perform all and every one of these Duties both to God and Man without Partiality without Hypocrisie This is a short Specimen of the Doctrin and Fundamentals of our Religion which in all and every particular are warranted and recommended to Us by God's infallible Word and the concurrent Suffrages and Confessions of all the Churches of Christ in the Primitive and Purest Ages of the Gospel And as the Doctrin of our Church is Sound and Orthodox so Secondly Our Worship and Discipline is truly Antient and Apostolical For there 's not one single Passage in our Liturgy and Church Service and Circumstantials of Worship our most rigid Adversaries being Judges that is either Anti-Scriptural or Sinful but do all very much conduce to Decency Order Vniformity and the Edification of its Members All which I could easily make appear to you by an Induction of Particulars insomuch that there 's not one National Church under the Cope of Heaven that 's more Orthodox than Ours in Her whole Worship and Politie Consult and examine our Liturgy Articles Homilies Canons and Constitutions Ceremonies c. and there you 'l find a truly Primitive and Apostolical Spirit in the disposition of the several Parts for the Honour and Glory of God and Advancement of his true Religion and Worship amongst Vs And for a further Testimony hereof and your own particular Satisfaction read when you can have the convenience of those Books and leisure to read 'em Hookers Ecclesiastical Politie Dr. Comber's large Volume on our Church Liturgy and Dr. Falkner's Libertas Ecclesiastica which Triumvirate are sufficiently able to answer all the Doubts and Scruples of any unbiast and unprejudiced Reader Besides I can give you a Catalogue of such Books when you please to command it as have treated so learnedly judiciously and convincingly of the Religion of the Church of England in all the Points of Faith Worship and Discipline as will furnish you with such Reasons and Arguments as neither Papist nor Phanatick were ever yet able to answer Let your Religion then and that Church into which you were admitted and initiated by Baptism and in whose Communion you have been hitherto educated be as dear to you as your Estate and Life Remit nothing of your Love and Affection Zeal and Courage to defend it when you are thereunto lawfully called For the Doctrin and Worship of our Church has been transmitted to Us by our pious Ancestors with all the Sanctions both of divine and humane Authority and as sure as there is a God the Religion which you profess came down from Heaven For the everlasting Prince of Peace has consign'd and confirm'd it to Us by the Effusion of his own precious Blood and the Suffrage of many Saints and Martyrs in this Kingdom so that you have not the least reason to scruple your Compliance with and Conformity to it If therefore an Angel or Devil or any ill Men should at any time suggest the contrary to you have no Communication with him but reject him as an utter Enemy and Impostor And when you have more leisure opportunity and experience your Curiosity may lead you to read over and consider the Canons and Constitutions of the Greek and Latin Churches wherein you 'l find the true State of Things and Times the Beginnings Proceedings Increases Encounters Yieldings and Restaurations of the Gospel and what the Primitive Fathers did and suffer'd for the propagation of the Christian Religion and the interest of the Church And herein you 'l also see the Conformity of our Church of England Men since the beginning of the Reformation to the Primitive Pattern And when you have thus made some considerable Progress in inquiring into the Fundamentals and Superstructures of our Religion you 'l be better able to judge of the Opinions and Errors of those that differ from Us. But till you have more time and convenience to inform your self as to the Particulars I shall present you Secondly With a true and brief Account of Popery or the Doctrin and Practices of the Church of Rome as to those Particulars wherein they differ from the Church of England For which cause we are forced to separate from them since we cannot communicate with them without sin nor have we departed further from 'em than they have departed from Themselves and the Truth Now for Method's sake we shall consider also First The Principles or Doctrin And Secondly The Practices of the pretended Catholicks of the Romish Church Whereby 't will evidently appear that Popery if rightly understood is no such beautiful and charming Object as to allure any Man of Reason and Conscience to fall in love with it And First For the Principles of Popery and we are obliged to call them so because they are so esteem'd and accounted by their own Church For since their Council of Trent no Man can properly be admitted into the Romish Communion however in Popish Countries but shall be censured and condemned as a damn'd Heretick unless he believes as followeth viz. That a Mortal Man as the Pope in Cathedra or as some say with his Council of Cardinals is infallible knows all things and can err in nothing that he directs informs animates and commands both in Earth and Purgatory expounds Scripture forgives Sins canonizeth Saints creates new Articles of Faith and in all these and many other of the same Stamp and Character is as absolute and infallible as his Maker But
Which is a confessed Argument of our Charity and Moderation Secondly That the One Church of Christ is more likely to be found in all World than in a Corner As if there were no true Church in the World but theirs Thirdly In all Ages than of later Years Not considering that we had a Christian Church in England before ever Popery was known in the World. Fourthly That this One Church is rather to be found in Vnity than in Division Which we could easily recriminate and retort upon themselves For there are more and greater Schisms and Divisions in the Church of Rome than in any other Christian Church whatsoever Fifthly That they have a Succession of Bishops Priests and Deacons from the Days of the Apostles downward So have we as is fully evident from all our Antient and Authentick Records See Bishop Bamhal's Account of the Schism of the Church of Rome And they have quite forgotten that there were three Popes or Bishops of Rome at the same time What then became of their uninterrupted Succession Sixthly That the Bishop of Rome is the Supreme Head of the Church Vniversal and Christs Vicar in extraordinary upon Earth Which spurious Title and Vsurpation as we noted before is rejected by at least two parts of the Catholick Church at this day and disliked by some National Churches as 't is supposed of their own Communion who are inclinable enough if they knew but how to cast off that Papal and Tyrannical Yoke Seventhly That the Church of England is only a Branch lopt off or a Rag torn from the Coat and that we had no Church nor Religion before Luther This is a most gross and manifest Vntruth For we had a Christian Church in England before ever St. Peter came at Rome founded by Joseph of Arimathea and flourished under King Lucius the first Christian Monarch in the World. And we know very well by what Vsurpations and Encroachments and the time when Popery first got footing in England that Augustin the Monk caused some hundreds of that Order to be slain at Bangor to make way for it And 't is further evident by what Means and Methods the Bishops of Rome did work upon the Weaknesses and Credulity of some and the Necessities of others of our Christian Princes not having the Power or Courage or Resolution to cast off the Popes Supremacy till the Reign of Henry the Eighth King of England A Person whose Temper and Affairs let our Adversaries bespatter him as they please made him a fit Instrument to begin the Reformation which thro' God's Providence and the prudent and religious Conduct of his Successors has been happily carried on and perfected which we hope thro' the Favour and Protection of his Sacred Majesty who now Reigns may be continued a Blessing to Vs and our Posterity Hence therefore 't will appear to you That these are all thred-bare and stale Evasions and Subtersuges to colour and palliate their groundless and unreasonable Pretences to Antiquity Visibility Vnity Magnificence Right of Succession of and in their Church All which have been answered at least an hundred times by Worthy and Learned Authors as you 'l see afterwards But this Controversie has been so well stated and throughly canvassed by our Church of England Men in these last three Years that there will be more difficulty now than ever to persuade any Gentleman of Sense and Ingenuity to believe their incongruous and hateful Absurdities But yet there are some others of the same Foot-mark who having laid aside all Modesty and Candour their Foreheads are so steel'd with Confidence as to affirm That we have neither Church Priests Sacraments nor Religion amongst Vs and are so uncharitable as to load Vs with all the nonsensical and unjust Calumnies imaginable not regarding what they are so they be but spiteful and malicious observing the old Maxim Fortiter calumniari aliquid haerebit Nay they 'l even disclaim their own Popish Doctrins and Practices as the Invocation of Saints Worshiping of Images c. and do tell the credulous People that their Adversaries out of meer Spight and Malice do misrepresent them These Methods have been lately used by an Eminent Papist here of my Acquaintance and Neighborhood to some Persons of our Communion who were formerly my Parishioners and seem'd to be warping towards Popery They acquainted me with it and look'd upon those Sophisms to be nervous and strong Arguments and Motives and so indeed they were if they had been true to persuade them to change their Religion But such shuffling Tricks as these carry their own Confutation along with them for this is an old piece of Legerdemain which one would have thought should have been long since exploded And I find the very same Hocus pocus Illusions used by the Popish Priests about the beginning of the Reign of Q. Elizabeth For we know very well what Priviledges are allow'd them to swear and forswear and not only deny but even rail against their own received Doctrins Practices Church and the Pope himself for the Interest of the Catholick i. e. the Roman Religion Consult Dr. Nalson's Foxes and Firebrands and there you 'l find many of their jugling Devices and being Men of Latitude and Faculties to prepare Dishes for every Palate I have been a little more express in stating these Differences because I know those Popish Emissaries are crept into all Countreys and do every where lie in wait to debauch and corrupt Young Gentlemen both in their Principles and Manners There are not a few Instances of both who have been taken Captives by them I shall name Two particularly The one a Person of good Quality strong and quick natural Parts an excellent Scholar under the Conduct as 't was supposed of a well qualified Tutor well educated according to the Church of England by his pious and prudent Parents and yet for all this was perverted in his Travels and continues a zealous and cunning Papist There was another Gentleman also both of my Acquaintance not inferior to the former and every way as well fitted for Travel yet did contract such a habit of Lewdness and Debauchery to say no worse that in few years an Estate of above 2000 l. per Annum is intirely wasted and nothing remains but a bare puff of Honour without any Estate to support it I could tell you all the particulars by what Methods that unfortunate sweet and ingenuous Young Gentleman was allured and trapan'd into these Mischiefs who also died immaturely c. Which Examples amongst many others have been often in my Thoughts And tho there be not the least grounds of any Jealousie or Suspition of your Miscarriage yet I have set them in your View as Land Marks and Sea Marks to prevent the danger of splitting your Vessel so well built and richly laden either upon the Sands and Shelves of Debauchery and Prophaneness or the Rocks and Splinters of Schism and Superstition Therefore Dear Sir let me beseech you once more to
with all the Laws and Constitutions of our admirable Government both in Church and State is absolutely necessary not only for our own sakes but the Peace and Preservation of the whole Body 2. 'T is a strange Mistake then which some have run upon that nothing is to be admitted in our Publick Worship and Ecclesiastical Discipline and Politie of our Church but what is plainly exprest in the Holy Scriptures hereby excluding all human Laws and Constitutions in Matters and Things indisserent Which wild Hypothesis has been the Original of all those untenable Opinions now on foot and the very most of our unchristian Divisions which have almost torn in pieces our Church are owing to this unreasonable and groundless Conjecture Whereas on the contrary the Writers of the greatest Note and Eminence amongst our Brethren of the Non-conformity are forced to acknowledge that there are many Circumstances in the Public Service of God and the Government of the Church which must be regulated and order'd according to the Light of Nature and Laws of Christian Prudence as the holy Apostle directs in those general Rules Let all things be done decently in order and for Edification And do also confess that even in their own Assemblies and we know it to be true and certain there are many such Circumstances for which they have no express Rule in Scripture but do use them prudentially for the Honour and Interest of Religion and the Order Uniformity of Gods Worship Besides 't is observable that the Holy Scriptures treat chiefly of the Essentials of Faith and Worship and only mention the Governours and Government of the Church with some general Rules as before for the ordering of its Politie and Discipline Insomuch that many Persons of great Learning and Judgment are of opinion that there 's no one Set-Form of Government for the Christian Church to be found in the whole Bible but must be left to our Governours to order and appoint according to the Rules and Dictates of sound Judgment and Discretion Which the Learned and Judicious Hooker gives a most admirable Account of in his Ecclesiast Polit. Nor can this in the least impeach as some have vainly objected the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures or the Fidelity of Christ in not leaving a perfect Model of Church Government behind him For we have seen already that the Holy Scriptures were primarily intended to instruct us in the Fundamentals of Faith and Christian Morality and speak only overtly of Church Discipline and Government And for the Fidelity of Christ herein 't is plain that the Church in our Saviours Time was in her Minority which must afterwards by degrees grow up to a state of greater Liberty and Perfection What others have urged from the Form of Church Government under the Jewish Oeconomie concludes nothing For the Jews lived all under one Politie and in one Nation whereas Christianity is dispersed all over the World under many disserent Civil Governments and therefore the Circumstances of Religious Worship and Church Discipline must be suited to the State and Condition of different People within their several Jurisdictions as may appear most just and reasonable to the Judgments and Discretion of their lawful Governours Therefore 3. Tho every Person be obliged to hate and flie from Idolatry Heresie c. yet none should be affrighted from his Duty with meer Buggs and Scar-crows or the empty Appearances of Error without sufficient Grounds For tho our Liturgy and Set-Forms of Worship have been extreamly cavil'd at by some of our Adversaries yet 't is evident that neither the Prophets of old nor our Saviour and his Apostles nor the Primitive Fathers did ever find fault with the Stated Methods and Forms of Prayer but did practise and appoint 'em themselves and highly encourag'd them in others For there are many Set-Forms of Prayer Benedictions and Thanksgivings in the Writings of the Prophets our Saviour composed a Form of Prayer to be used by his Apostles and Followers tho they were doubtless as able to pray by the Spirit as the most Seraphick Enthusiast which Method also was observed by John the Baptist for the direction and assistance of his Disciples in God's Worship All which Stated Forms became Patterns and Presidents to the Churches of Christ in after Ages who had all their several Liturgies as we have nor is there any thing in our Service Book which is contrary to but most exactly conformable to those Rules 4. Let not the bare Pretence then of some small Errors in and about the Circumstances of Publick Worship prevail with any Man to separate from the Communion of his National Church seeing there have been and are as many and probably greater Errors in all the Churches of Christ in all Ages of the Gospel For tho our Blessed Saviour promis'd that the Gates of Hell should not prevail against the Vniversal Church that he will be with her to the end of the World send his Spirit to lead her into all Truth and abide with her for ever yet these Promises do only respect the Fundamental Doctrins of the Catholic and Universal Church of Christ or a People professing the Truth however they may err as all of them do in Opinions not essential to Religion And seeing every particular Church may be guilty of some Errors and Mistakes in outward Circumstances of Religion therefore fore he that will separate upon this Account can scarce hold Communion with any National Church upon Earth And those fickle and fanciful Persons might have had the same Plea to have separated from the Christian Church in the time of the Apostles that they have now from Us Nor is there any one that understands the State of our Church but will readily acknowledge that our Orders of Bishops Priests and Deacons and Set Form of Worship and Discipline are if not of Apostolical yet of Primitive Institution 5. No meer Inconveniences or circumstantial Errors or Defects and those only alledged not proved against Us can justifie or excuse a Departure from Us since I have made it fully evident that our Church holds and maintains all the Essentials both of Faith and of Worship For we have seen already that all Men are oblig'd to conform themselves to the Constitutions of their National Church tho some of the external Modes Forms be inconvenient disorderly and defective rather than not be of any Church at all And what they cannot reform without disturbing the Peace of the Church 't is their Duty to tolerate seeing there 's no National and Particular Church in the World as we have already observed whose Constitutions and Government are absolutely perfect Therefore 6. Those Persons are extreamly to blame that require greater Purity in Gods Public Worship than the Holy Scriptures have commanded or our Blessed Saviour and his Apostles or the Primitive Orthodox Fathers have recommended to Posterity And tho there were some things amiss in the outward Rules and Laws of Worship and Government Yet
they are not yet agreed amongst themselves where to fix this Infallible Judgment whether in the Pope alone or Council or the Pope and his Council and therefore their Church and Pope for any thing they have yet prov'd or determin'd are erroneous and fallible in the first Principle of their New Creed and monstrous Doctrin of Infallibility The the Pope is the Supreme Head and Christ's chief Vicar in and has an Unlimited Jurisdiction over the whole Catholick Church that he has power to dispense with the Laws of God and can set up Laws of his own devising which obliges all Men's Consciences to pay him the Tribute of Fealty Obedience as will more fully appear afterwards This is a grand Usurpation upon the Rights and Priviledges of Kings Emperours and all other Christian Bishops two parts of Christendom having rejected his Authority and that upon most reasonable and just grounds For the Jurisdiction of the Bishops of Rome was limited for the five first Centuries to the Suburbiarion Regions and had only a Primacy of Order not Jurisdiction over his Fellow Bishops See Hammond's Fundament Dr. Barrow upon the Supremacy and Dr. Fulwood's Roma ruit Which Usurpation do's also directly overthrow Christ's Kingly Office. Council of Trent Sess 13. Chap. 1. Canon 1. That the Bread and Wine in the Eucharist is transubstantiated into the real Body and Blood of Christ which was sacrificed for our Sins upon the Cross at Hierusalem the Colour and other accidental Qualities of the Elements only remaining without their Substance This violates the Truth of Christs Human Nature which themselves do confess is in Heaven and yet according to their Hypothesis must be in a thousand places on Earth at the same time contradicts the holy Scripture Man's best Reason common Sense and the Nature and Design of the Sacrament of Christs holy Supper Lib. 6. p. 465. Hist Council Trent That there is no real difference between Christ on the Cross and Christ in the Mass it is the very same in both only differing in the Reason of Offering For on the Cross he offer'd himself immediatly in the Mass he offers himself by the Ministry of his Vnder-Priests Which Doctrin of the Popish Mass is one of the greatest Idols that ever was invented in the World For a piece of Bread is made the Saviour of Mankind and a proper Sacrifice for the pardoning all Sin is worshiped as God and of singular benefit not only for the Living but the Dead And this they are bound to believe tho the Apostle has told them in express terms That there remains no more Sacrifice for Sins because Christ once appear'd to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself Heb. 9.26 Council of Trent Sess 6. Chap. 16. Canon 3. That Good Works are meritorious of Grace and eternal Life which are not so much given of God freely and out of liberality as out of debt Which Doctrin destroys Justification by Faith and the Merits of Christ Jesus who came down from Heaven on purpose to redeem us from all Iniquity and tells us when we have done the best we can we are unprofitable Servants deserving nothing but Hell and Damnation every hour Decret Council Flor. about 200 Years ago That there 's a certain place call'd Purgatory wherein as in a Prison Souls are purged after this Life that were not fully purged here to the intent they may enter pure into Heaven Which Article of their New Creed destroys the Satisfaction of Christ and his meritorious Intercession with the Father for Vs makes good Men afraid to die being a terrible thing as their Priests represent it to enter into Purgatory and bad Men less careful to prepare for Death because a great part of their business may be done by other hands when they are gone Council of Trent Sess 8. Canon 9. That if any say that the Clergy who have received Holy Orders or Regulars who have sosemnly professed Chastity may contract Marriage and that such Contract notwithstanding the Ecclesiastical Law and their own Vow is valid and that the contrary Assertion is no other than to condemn Marriage and that all altho they have vowed Chastity may contract Marriage that do find they have not the Gift of Continency let him be accursed Forasmuch as God will not deny this Gift to those who rightly seek it neither will he suffer Us to be tempted above what we are able Now this Doctrin is expresly contrary to the Word of God which saith That Marriage is honourable in all c. Heb. 13.4 See also 1 Cor. 9.5 Tit. 1.6 1 Tim. 3 2 4 5 11 12. 1 Cor. 7.1 2 8 9. Besides the Prohibition of Priests Marriage has been the cause of much Lewdness and Villany as Adultery Fornication Incest Sodomy Murder c. Council of Trent Sess 9. That the Saints reigning with Christ and offering up their Prayers for Men it is good and profitable humbly to invocate them and that we may obtain Benefits of God thro his Son Jesus Christ our Lord who is our only Redeemer and Saviour to have recourse to their Prayers Aid and Assistance c. This Doctrin has no Foundation in nor Warrant from God's Word For there 's not one Precept nor Example of praying to Saints in the whole Bible nor Promise that such Prayers shall be heard and accepted but the contrary is every where evident Besides this Practice is irrational and absurd For the Saints and Angels are neither omnipresent nor omnipercipient and therefore they cannot hear Us. Cassand de Merit Intercess Sanct. And they do also solemnly invocate and worship many of their reputed Saints whose Saintship nay whose Existence says one of their own celebrated Authors is very questionable Not to trouble you with Citations at large there are several other known and received Doctrins of their Church which bear the same Impression and Character but those I have mention'd already being the most considerable the rest will either stand or fall by ' em Yet their Doctrin of Oral Tradition which I had almost omitted deserves its place amongst the rest For this vilifies the Holy Scripture destroys its Authority and Sufficiency by a certain Dependance upon the Church whereby they make our Saviour's Prophetical Office a meer Nullity in saying no less than that He has not sufficiently reveal'd the Will of God to the Sons of Men but all the World must be beholden to the Church of Rome for their Oral Tradition In a word all their Pardons Confessions Indulgences Satisfactions Merits c. do expresly contradict the great End and Design of our Saviours Incarnation and set up the Pope and Priests in his stead These are the New Articles of Popery which as incredible and absurd as they are the Subjects of that Communion are bound to believe under the pain and peril of the Pope's Anathema And indeed they are all New you may see the Original of 'em in Dr. Comber's Advice
to the Roman Catholicks and wholly unknown to the Old Church of Rome in her Primitive and Gospel Purity For these Errors and Delusions seem to have been contrived on purpose for the Support and Maintenance of the Pride and Covetousness of the Bishop of Rome and his Clergy as well as the Advancement of the Stateliness and Grandeur of their Church I could easily make it appear to you in all the Particulars that there 's not one of these Articles that has any Foundation in Scripture or Primitive Antiquity but are contrary to both and do undermine and overthrow almost all the Articles of our Christian Faith. But what I have said already concerning these Doctrins may be a sufficient caution to you not to venture your eternal Salvation upon such a Bottom lest you communicate with them in their Plagues Rev. 18.4 I have taken some pains to digest the whole Body of Popish Controversie into Order and Method for the satisfaction of my Self and Friends which I thought of necessary use at this time There are other excellent Authors which may be more valuable but you may command this if you please 't is not very large yet Methodical But to return As the Doctrin and Principles of the Church of Rome in those Instances wherein they differ from Us are heterodox absurd and erroneous so Secondly Their Practices are the natural and genuin Results and Consequences of such Principles Not to mention their private and personal Immoralities which may consist well enough with that Religion especially considering the Liberty and Indulgence allowed them which do more professedly belong to those of that Communion than any other we shall consider their Practices as Popish which are warranted to them by the Examples and Sanctions of their Superiours And of this Rank are Their Worshiping of Images Relicks Crosses Angels Saints and particularly the Virgin Mary all which are a most direct Violation of the Second Commandment and therefore they leave it out of all their Catechisms Manuals Mass-Books c. lest it should rise up in Judgment against them which Practices are also contrary to the whole Word of God and the Doctrin both of the Old and New Testaments Such also are their Dealings with the Laity who rob them of the Bread of Life in denying them the reading of the Holy Scriptures the Cup in the Sacrament and in commanding the whole Worship of God to be celebrated and perform'd in an unknown Tongue which few of their Laity and perhaps some of their Priests do not understand Tho they cannot but know that our blessed Saviour has expresly commanded that all indefinitely both Priests and People should search the Scriptures drink of that holy Cup and pray with the Spirit and pray with the Vnderstanding also Which no Person can in their Communion unless he understands Latin well and the strange Mumblings of their Priests who being generally too ignorant themselves are afraid that the People should know it O horrendum Nefas that such Practices as these should be so much as tolerated by those that are call'd Christians And yet there are still others as bad or worse than the former viz. Their Spiritual Tyranny in exacting a blind Obedience in Matters of Faith their innumerable Ceremonies and Superstitions which almost swallow up the whole Substance of Religion their notorious Schism many degrees worse than that of the Donatists and Novatians in separating from all other Churches far more Pure and Orthodox than themselves and yet because they cannot be the Pope's Subjects therefore they shall be none of Christs To say nothing of their School Points and Casuistical Divinity 't is evident that their whole Religion is only the bare shadow and outsides of Christianity and meer Pageantry and Formality of Devotion For alass their poor simple and ignorant Laity say hear and do they know not what and return from their Churches as void of Instruction and Christian Admonition and Edification as when they went and yet for all this which is the highest aggravation of their Sin and Misery they are obliged to believe that this their blind Devotion is not only acceptable but meritorious Besides how many notorious and damnable Sins pass for Venial and how easily are they atton'd for Insomuch that a few Drops of Holy Water and Cross upon their Breasts or Foreheads will throughly wash off the Stain according to their groundless Apprehensions and expiate the guilt of all their heinous and crying Sins Their notorious Equivocations have scarce left any room for Truth whereby they deceive others and offer violence to their own Consciences But tho poor ignorant and unwary Souls may be imposed upon and deluded yet it cannot be so with an All-seeing God who will one day convince all Men and expose their Sophistical Villanies and Reservations to the open and publick view both of Men and Angels Now this Liberty and Indulgence of theirs is so pleasing and acceptable to sensual and carnal Men that 't is no great wonder that they gain so many Proselytes to their Party as some do presumptuously and vainly boast But then if we give our selves the trouble to enquire what sort of Persons they are whom they have perverted we shall find that many of 'em are silly Women and Men notoriously debauched or ignorant or of mercenary Spirits who expect Preferment in that Way And therefore we have no great cause to regret the loss of them and if our number be less yet we are not the worse For if all our Licentious Hypocrites and Malefactors who are not worthy to live in the World should go over to their Communion we shall have no great cause to complain But alas these erroneous Principles and worse Practices of the Papists who being the more intelligent and judicious sort of that Communion cannot be so much the error and mistake of their Judgments as the perverseness of their Wills And tho a simple and ignorant Popeling who lies under such Temptations and Obligations as before may be saved yet I am afraid the more Learned and Discreet having made Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience are in a very dangerous State if they live and die according to those corrupt Principles because they are in the number of those damnable Heresies the Scripture speaks of What I have already offer'd are Truths as clear as the Sun nor can any thing in the World be more demonstrative to a Person throughly acquainted with the Principles and Practices of Popery And yet for all this 't is a thousand to one you 'l meet with some bold and cunning Sophisters who 'l tell you a great many plausible Stories and endeavour to elude the most clear and convincing Reasons which can be urg'd against them whereby they do strangely impose upon and many times entrap poor ignorant and unwary Souls To instance in some Particulars And First A Catholick say they so living and dying even by the Confession of the Protestants themselves may be saved