A SERMON PREACHED AT White-Hall Before His Late MAJESTY By JOHN TILLOTSON D.D. and Dean of Canterbury LONDON Printed for Brabazon Aylmer at the Three Pigeons against the Royal Exchange in Cornhill 1686. Price 3 d. A SERMON Preach'd at White-Hall c. 1 Cor. III. 15 But he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire THE Context is thus According to the grace of God which is given unto me as a wise Master-builder I have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid Jesus Christ Now if any man build upon this foundation gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble every mans work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is If any mans work abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward If any mans work shall be burnt he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire In these Words the Apostle speaks of a sort of persons who held indeed the foundation of Christianity but built upon it such doctrines or practices as would not bear the trial which he expresses to us by wood hay and stubble which are not proof against the fire Such a person the Apostle tells us hath brought himself into a very dangerous state tho he would not deny the possibility of his salvation He himself shall be saved yet so as by fire That by fire here is not meant the fire of Purgatory as some pretend who would be glad of any shadow of a Text of Scripture to countenance their own dreams I shall neither trouble you nor my self to manifest since the particle of similitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plainly shews that the Apostle did not intend an escape out of the fire literally but like to that which men make out of a House or Town that is on fire Especially since very learned persons of the Church of Rome do acknowledg that Purgatory cannot be concluded from this Text nay all that Estius contends for from this place is that it cannot be concluded from hence that there is no Purgatory which we never pretended but only that this Text does not prove it It is very well known that this is a Proverbial phrase used not only in Scripture but in prophane Authors to signifie a narrow escape out of a great danger He shall be saved yet so as by fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the fire Just as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used 1 Pet. 3.20 where the Apostle speaking of the eight persons of Noah's family who escap'd the flood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they escaped out of the water So here this phrase is to be rendred in the Text he himself shall escape yet so as out of the fire The like expression you have Am. 4.11 I have pluckt them as a firebrand out of the fire And Jude 23. Others save with fear plucking them out of the fire All which expressions signifie the greatness of the danger and the difficulty of escaping it as one who when his house at midnight is set on fire and being suddenly wak'd leaps out of his bed and runs naked out of the doors taking nothing that is within along with him but imploying his whole care to save his body from the flames as St. Chrysostom upon another occasion expresseth it And so the Roman Orator who it is likely did not think of Purgatory useth this phrase Quo ex judicio velut ex incendio nudus effugit From which Judgment or Sentence he escaped naked as it were out of a burning And one of the Greek Orators tells us That to save a man out of the fire was a common proverbial speech From the words thus explained the Observation that naturally ariseth is this That men may hold all the Fundamentals of Christian Religion and yet may superadd other things whereby they may greatly endanger their salvation What those things were which some among the Corinthians built upon the foundation of Christianity whereby they endanger'd their Salvation we may probably conjecture by what the Apostle reproves in this Epistle as the tolerating of incestuous marriages communicating in Idol-feasts c. And especially by the doctrine of the false Apostles who at that time did so much disturb the peace of most Christian Churches and who are so often and so severely reflected upon in this Epistle And what their Doctrine was we have an account Act. 15. viz. that they imposed upon the Gentile Christians Circumcision and the observation of the Jewish Law teaching that unless they were circumcised and kept the Law of Moses they could not be saved So that they did not only build these doctrines upon Christianity but they made them equal with the Foundation saying that unless men believed and practised such things they could not be saved In speaking to this Observation I shall reduce my discourse to these two Heads 1. I shall present to you some Doctrines and Practices which have been built upon the Foundation of Christianity to the great hazard and danger of mens salvation And to bâ— plain I mean particularly the Church of Rome 2. I shall enquire whether our granting possibility of salvation tho with great hazard to those in the Communion of the Rome Church and their denying it to us be a reaâ—sonable argument and encouragement to anâ— man to betake himself to that Church And there is the more reason to consider â—hese things when so many seducing Spirits â—re so active and busie to pervert men from â—he truth and when we see every day so many men and their Religion so easily parted â—or this reason these two Considerations shall â—e the subject of the following discourse I. First We will consider some Doctrines and Practices which the Church of Rome hath built upon the foundation of Christianity to the great hazard and danger of mens salvation It is not denied by the most judicious Protestants but that the Church of Rome do hold all the Articles of the Christian Faith which are necessary to salvation But that which we charge upon them as a just ground of our separation from them is the imposing â—f nâ—w Doctrines and Practices upon Christians as necessary to salvation which were never taught by our Saviour or his Apostles and which are either directly contrary to the doctrine of Christianity or too apparently destructive of a good life And I begin 1. With their Doctrines And because I have no mind to aggravate lesser matters I will single out four or five points of Doctrine which they have added to the Christian Religion and which were neither taught by our Saviour and his Apostles nor own'd in the first Ages of Christianity And the First which I shall mention and which beinâ— once admitted makes way for
as many eâ—â—rors as they please to bring in is their Doctriâ—â— of Infallibility And this they are very stâ—â— and peremptory in tho they are not agreeâ— among themselves where this Infallibility â— seated whether in the Pope alone or a Couâ—â—cil alone or in both together or in the diffusiâ—â— body of Christians But they are sure they havâ— it tho they know not where it is And is this no prejudice against it can anâ— man think that this priviledg was at firâ—â— conferred upon the Church of Rome and thaâ— Christians in all Ages did believe it and haâ—â— constant recourse to it for determining theiâ— differences and yet that that very Churcâ— which hath enjoyed and used it so long shoulâ— now be at a loss where to find it Nothing could have fallen out more unluckily thaâ— that there should be such differences among them about that which they pretend to be thâ— onely means of ending all differences There is not the least intimation in Scripture of this priviledg conferr'd upon the Roman Church nor do the Apostes in all theiâ— Epistles ever so much as give the least direction to Christians to appeal to the Bishop oâ— Rome for a determination of the many differences which even in those times happen'd among them And it is strange they should be so silent in this matter when there were so many occasions to speak of it if our Saviour had plainly appointed such an infallible Judge of controversies for this very end to decide the differences that should happen among Christians It is strange that the ancient Fathers in their disputes with Hereticks should never appeal to this Judg nay it is strange they should not constantly do it in all cases it being so short and expedite a way for the ending of controversies And this very consideration to a wise man is instead of a thousand arguments to satisfie him that in those times no such thing was believed in the world Now this Doctrine of infallibility if it be not true is of so much the more pernicious consequence to Christianity because the conceit of it does confirm them that think they have it in all their other errors and gives them a pretence of assuming an Authority to themselves to impose their own fancies and mistakes upon the whole Christian world 2. Their Doctrine about Repentance which consists in confessing their sins to the Priest which if it be but accompanied with any degree of contrition does upon absolution received from the Priest put them into a state of salvation tho they have lived the most lewd and debauched lives that can be imagin'd than which nothing can be more plainly destructive of a good life For if this be true all the hazard that the most wicked man runs of his salvation is only the danger of so sudden a death as gives him no space for confession and absolution A case that happens so rarely that any man that is strongly addicted to his lusts will be content to venture his salvation upon this hazard and all the arguments to a good life will be very insignificant to a man that hath a mind to be wicked when remission of sins may be had upon such cheap terms 3. The Doctrine of Purgatory By which they mean an estate of temporary punishments after this life from which men may be released and translated into Heaven by the prayers of the living and the sacrifice of the Mass That this Doctrine was not known in the primitive Church nor can be proved from Scripture we have the free acknowledgment of as learned and eminent men as any of that Church which is to acknowledg that it is a superstructure upon the Christian Religion And though in one sense it be indeed a buildding of Gold and Silver upon the foundation of Christianity considering the vast revenues which this Doctrine and that of Indulgences which depends upon it brings into that Church yet I doubt not but in the Apostles sense it will be found to be hay and stubble But how groundless soever it be it is too gainful a Doctrine to be easily parted withall 4. The Doctrine of Transubstantiation A hard word but I would to God that were the worst of it the thing is much more difficult I have taken some pains to consider other Reâ—igions that have been in the world and I must freely declare that I never yet in any of them met with any Article or Proposition imposed upon the belief of men half so unreasonable and hard to be believed as this is And yet this in the Romish Church is esteemed one of the most principal Articles of the Christian Faith though there is no more certain foundation for it in Scripture than for our Saviour's being substantially changed into all those things which are said of him as that he is a rock a vine a door and a hundred other things But this is not all This Doctrine hath not onely no certain Foundation in Scripture but I have a far heavier charge against it namely that it undermines the very foundation of Christianity it self And surely nothing ought to be admitted to be a part of the Christian Doctrine which destroys the reason of our belief of the whole And that this Doctrine does so will appear evidently if we consider what was the main argument which the Apostles used to convince the world of the truth of Christianity and that was this That our blessed Saviour the Author of this Doctrine wrought such and such miracles and particularly that he rose again from the dead And this they proved because they were eye-witnesses of his miracles and had seen him and coâ—â—versed with him after he was risen from tâ—â— dead But what if their senses did deceiâ— them in this matter then it cannot be dâ—â—nied but that the main proof of Christianiâ—â— falls to the ground Well! We will now suppose as tâ—â— Church of Rome does Transubstantiation 〈◊〉 have been one principal part of the Christiâ—â— Doctrine which the Apostles preached Bâ— if this Doctrine be true then all mens senâ—â— are deceived in a plain sensible matter wherâ— in 't is as hard for them to be deceived as 〈◊〉 any thing in the world For two things caâ— hardly be imagin'd more different than little bit of wafer and the whole body of man So that the Apostles perswading men to bâ—â—lieve this Doctrine perswaded them not 〈◊〉 trust their senses and yet the argument whicâ— they used to perswade them to this was buiâ—â— upon the direct contrary principle that meâ— senses are to be trusted For if they be noâ— then notwithstanding all the evidence the Aâ—postles offer'd for the resurrection of our Saâ—viour he might not be risen and so the faitâ— of Christians was vain So that they repreâ—sent the Apostles as absurd as is possible viâ— going about to perswade men out of theâ—â— senses by virtue of an argument the whoâ— strength whereof depends upon the certainâ—ty of sense And now the matter is brought
in one case when all things are so equal on both sides that there is nothing else in the whole woâ—â— to determine him which surely can neâ— happen in matters of Religion necessary to believed No man is so weak as not to conâ—der in the change of his Religion the meâ— of the cause it self as not to examine tâ—â— Doctrines and Practices of the Churches 〈◊〉 both sides as not to take notice of the conâ—â—â—dence and Charity of both Parties togethâ—â— with all other things which ought to move conscientious and a prudent man And if 〈◊〉 on enquiry there appear to be a clear advaâ—â—tage on either side then this argument is neeâ—â—less and comes too late because the work already done without it Besides that the great hazard of salvatioâ— in the Roman Church which we declare uâ— on account of the Doctrines and Practicâ— which I have mentioned ought to deter â—ny man much more from that Religion thâ— the acknowledged possibility of salvation 〈◊〉 it ought to encourage any man to the embrâ—â—cing of it Never did any Christian Churcâ— build so much hay and stubble upon the foundâ—â—tion of Christianity and therefore those thâ— are saved in it must be saved as it were out 〈◊〉 the fire And tho Purgatory be not meant iâ— the Text yet it is a Doctrine very well suite to their manner of building for there is neeâ— of an ignis purgatorius of a fire to try theâ—â— work what it is and to burn up their hay anâ— â—â—ubble And I have so much Charity and I â—â—sire always to have it as to hope that a â—eat many among them who live piously and â—ve been almost inevitably detain'd in that â—hurch by the prejudice of education and an â—â—vincible ignorance will upon a general reâ—â—ntance find mercy with God and tho their â—rk suffer loss and be burnt yet they themselves â—ay escape as out of the fire But as for those â—ho had the opportunities of coming to the â—nowledg of the truth if they continue in the â—rors of that Church or apostatize from the â—uth I think their condition so far from being â—e that there must be extraordinary favouâ—â—ble circumstances in their case to give a man â—â—pes of their salvation I have now done with the two things I proâ—â—unded to speak to And I am sorry that the â—â—cessary defence of our Religion against the â—â—stless importunities and attempts of our adâ—â—rsaries upon all sorts of persons hath engaâ—â—d me to spend so much time in matters of â—â—spute which I had much rather have emâ—â—oyed in another way Many of you can be â—y witnesses that I have constantly made it â—y business in this great Presence and Assemâ—â—y to plead against the impieties and wickedâ—â—ss of men and have endeavoured by the best â—â—guments I could think of to gain men over 〈◊〉 a firm belief and serious practice of the main â—ings of Religion And I do assure you I had much rather perswade any one to be good man than to be of any party or deâ—mination of Christians whatsoever For doubt not but the belief of the ancient Creâ— provided we entertain nothing that is destrâ—â—ctive of it together with a good life will ceâ—â—tainly save a man and without this no mâ— can have reasonable hopes of salvation no 〈◊〉 an infallible Church if there were any such â— be found in the world I have been according to my opportunitiâ— not a negligent observer of the genius aâ— humour of the several Sects and Professioâ— in Religion And upon the whole matter do in my conscience believe the Church of Eâ—â—gland to be the best constituted Church thâ— day in the world and that as to the maâ— the Doctrine and Government and Worship 〈◊〉 it are excellently framed to make men sobeâ— Religious Securing men on the one hanâ— from the wild freaks of Enthusiasm and 〈◊〉 the other from the gross follies of Superstiâ—on And our Church hath this peculiar advaâ—â—tage above several Professions that we know 〈◊〉 the world that it acknowledgeth a due aâ— just subordination to the civil Authority anâ— hath always been untainted in its loyalty And now shall every trifling consideratioâ— be sufficient to move a man to relinquish sucâ— a Church There is no greater disparagâ—ment to a mans understanding no greater aâ—â—â—ument of a light and ungenerous mind than â—shly to change ones Religion Religion is â—r greatest concernment of all other and it 〈◊〉 not every little argument no nor a great â—ise about infallibility nothing but very plain â—nd convincing evidence that should sway a â—an in this case But they are utterly inexcuâ—â—ble who make a change of such concernment â—pon the insinuations of one side only withâ—ut ever hearing what can be said for the â—hurch they were baptized and brought up 〈◊〉 before they leave it They that can yield â—us easily to the impressions of every one â—at hath a design and interest to make Proâ—â—lytes may at this rate of discretion change â—â—eir Religion twice a day and instead of morâ—â—ng and evening Prayer they may have a morâ—â—ng and evening Religion Therefore for God's sake and for our own â—ouls sake and for the sake of our Reputation â—t us consider and shew our selves men Let 〈◊〉 not suffer our selves to be shaken and carried â—way with every wind Let us not run our â—â—lves into danger when we may be safe Let 〈◊〉 stick to the foundation of Religion the Arâ—â—cles of our common belief and build upon â—â—em gold and silver and precious stones I â—ean the vertues and actions of a good life â—d if we would do this we should not be â—t to set such a value upon hay and stubble 〈◊〉 we would sincerely endeavour to live holy and vertuous lives we should not need to 〈◊〉 about for a Religion which may furnish with easie and indirect ways to get to Heavâ— I will conclude all with the Apostles Exhâ—â—â—tation Wherefore my beloved brethren be steadfast and unmoveable always abounding the work of the Lord. Now the God of peace which brought gain from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 great Shepherd of the sheep by the blood of everlasting Covenant make you perfect in evâ— good work to do his will working in you tâ— which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jeâ—â—â— Christ to whom be Glory for ever and evâ— Amen FINIS ADVERTISEMENT THere is now in the Press a Third Volume of Sermâ—â— and Discourses some of which never before Prinâ— By Dr. Tillotson Dean of Canterbury in Octavo Also a Third Volume of the Works of the Learned Isâ— Barrow D. D. late Master of Trinity Colledg in Cambriâ—â—â— in Folio Never before Printed and are the last that 〈◊〉 be Published of his in English Both which will be Published in Easter-Term next 〈◊〉 Brabazon Aylmer against the Royal Exchange in Cornâ— * Tully ⸫ Aristides