should he doubt that Saints want this Priviledge in some manner granted to sinful Men and to wicked Spirits who tho' departed this life are not so properly dead as translated from a mortal life to an immortal one where enjoying God Almighty they lose no Perfections which they enjoy'd while on Earth but possess all in a more eminent manner having more Charity more Love and being more acceptable to God than ever becoming like Angels And as these offered up their Prayers for Jerusalem and the Cities of Judah Zach. 1. 12. so undoubtedly they likewise fall down before the Lamb having every one of them Harps and golden Vials full of Odours which are the Prayers of the Saints Apoc. 5. 8. 3. Of Addressing more Supplications to the Virg. Mary than to Christ HE believes the Virgin Mary to be much more powerful in Heaven than Christ and that she can command him to do what she thinks good And for This reason he honours her much more than he does her Son or God the Father For one Prayer he says to God saying ten to the Holy Virgin HE believes it damnable to think the Virgin Mary more powerful in Heaven than Christ Or that she can in any thing command him He honours her indeed as one that was chosen to be Mother of God and blessed amongst all Women And believes her to be most acceptable to God in her Intercession for us But owning her still as a Creature and that all she has of Excellency or Bliss is the Gift of God proceeding from his meer Goodness Neither does he at any time say even so much as one Prayer to her but what is directed more principally to God because offered up as a Thankful Memorial of Christ's Incarnation and an acknowledgment of the Blessedness of Jesus the Fruit of her Womb. And this without imagining that there 's any more dishonouring of God in his reciting the Angelical Salutation than in the first pronouncing it by the Angel Gabriel and Elizabeth Or that his frequent Repetition of it is any more an idle Superstition than it was in David to repeat the same words over twenty six times in the 136 Psalm IV. Of paying Divine Worship to Relicks HE believes a kind of Divinity to remain in the Relicks of his reputed Saints and therefore Adores their Rotten Bones their corrupted flesh their old Rags with Divine Honour Kneeling down to them kissing them and going in Pilgrimage to their Shrines Sepulchres And he is so far possess'd with a conceited Deity lying hid in those senseless Remains that he foolishly believes they work greater Miracles and raise more to life than ever Christ himself did HE believes it damnable to think there 's any Divinity in the Relicks of Saints or to Adore them with Divine Honour or to Pray to their rotten Bones old Rags or Shrines or that they can work any strange Cures or Miracles by any hidden Power of their own But he believes it good and lawful to keep them with a Veneration and give them a Religious honour and respect And this he thinks due to them in as much as knowing himself oblig'd to respect and honour God Almighty from his heart he looks upon himself also oblig'd to respect and honour every thing that has any particular Relation to him But this with an inferiour honour as the Jews did to the Ark to the Tables of of the Law to Moses's Rod to the Temple to the Priests So we generally allow to the Bible because it contains God's Word to the Church because it is God's House to Holy Men and Priests because they are God's Servants And so he does to Relicks because they appertain to God's Favourites and being insensible things are yet very sensible Pledges and lively Memorials of Christ's Servants dead indeed to us but alive with him in Glory And more especially because God himself has been pleas'd to honour them by making them Instruments of many evident Miracles he has visibly work'd by them as is manifest upon undeniable Record And this he believes as easie for God Almighty now and as much redounding to the honour of his Holy Name as it was in the Old Law to work such Miraculous effects by Moses's Rod by Gideon's Trumpets by Elia's Mantle after he was taken up into Heaven 2 Kings 2. 14. Eliseus's Bones 2 Kings 13. 21. and infinite other such like insensible Things And also in the New Law by the Hem of his own Garment Mat. 9. 21. by the Shadow of St. Peter Acts 5. 15. by the Napkins and Handkerchiefs that had but touch'd the Body of St. Paul casting out Devils and curing Diseases Acts 19. 12. and such like And thus by having a Veneration and Respect for these he honours God And does not doubt but that they that contemn and prophane these do the like to God as much as they did who prophan'd the Bread of Proposition the Temple and Vessels that belong'd to it V. Of the EUCHARIST HE believes it lawful to commit Idolatry and makes it his daily practice to Worship and Adore a Breaden God giving Divine Honour to those Poor empty Elements of Bread and Wine Of these he asks Pardon for his sins of these he desires Grace and Salvation These he acknowledges to have been his Redeemer Saviour and hopes for no good but what is to come to him by means of these household Gods And then for his Apology he alledges such gross contradictions so contrary to all sense and reason that whosoever will be a Papist must be no Man Fondly believing that what he adores is no Bread or Wine but Christ really present under those appearances and thus makes as many Christs as many Redeemers as there are Churches Altars or Priests When according to Gods Infallible Word there is but one Christ and He not on Earth but at the right hand of his Father in Heaven HE believes it unlawful to commit Idolatry and most damnable to Worship or Adore any Breaden God or to give Divine Honour to any Elements of Bread and Wine He Worships only one God who made Heaven and Earth and his only Son Jesus Christ our Redeemer who being in all things equal to his Father in Truth and Omnipotency he believes made his words good pronounc'd at his last Supper really giving his Body and Blood to his Apostles the Substance of Bread and Wine being by his powerful Words chang'd into his own Body and Blood the Species or Accidents of the Bread and Wine remaining as before The same he believes of the most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist consecrated now by Priests That it really contains the Body of Christ which was deliver'd for us and his Blood which was shed for the remission of Sins Which being there united with the Divinity he confesses Whole Christ to be present And him he adores and acknowledges his Redeemer and not any Bread or Wine And for the believing of this Mystery he does not at all think it
meet for any Christian to appeal from Christ's Words to his own Senses or Reason for the examining the truth of what he has said but rather to submit his Senses and Reason to Christ's Words in the obsequiousness of Faith And that being a Son of Abraham 't is more becoming him to believe as Abraham did promptly with a Faith superiour to all Sense or Reason and whither these could never lead him With this Faith it is he believes every Mystery of his Religion the Trinity Incarnation c. With this Faith he believes that what descended upon our Saviour at his Baptism in Jordan was really the Holy Ghost though Senses or Reason could discover it to be nothing but a Dove With this Faith he believes That the Man that Joshua saw standing over against him with his Sword drawn Josh 5. 13. and the three Men that Abraham entertain'd in the Plains of Mambre Gen. 18. were really and substantially no Men and that notwithstanding all the information and evidence of Sense from their Colour Features Proportion Talking Eating and many others of their being Men yet without any discredit to his Senses he really believes they were no such thing because God's Word has assured him of the contrary And with this Faith he believes Christ's Body and Blood to be really present in the Blessed Sacrament though to all appearance there 's nothing more than Bread and Wine Thus not at all hearkning to his Senses in a matter where God speaks he unfeignedly confesses That he that made the World of nothing by his sole word That cured Diseases by his Word That raised the Dead by his Word That expell'd Devils That commanded the Winds and Seas That multiplied Bread That changed Water into Wine by his Word and Sinners into Just Men cannot want Power to change Bread and Wine into his own Body and Blood by his sole Word And this without danger of multiplying his Body of making as many Christs as Altars or leaving the right hand of his Father But only by giving to his Body a supernatural manner of Existence by which being left without eztension of parts and rendred independent of place it may be one and the same in many places at once and whole in every part of the Symbols and not obnoxious to any corporeal Contingencies And this kind of Existence is no more than what in a manner he bestows upon every Glorified Body Than what his own Body had when born without the least violation of his Mothers Virginal Integrity When he arose from the Dead out of the Sepulchre without removing the Stone When he entred amongst his Disciples the Doors being shut And though he cannot understand how this is done yet he undoubtedly believes That God is able to do more than He is able to understand VI. Of Merits and Good Works HE Believes Christ's Death Passion to be inneffectual and insignificant and that he has no dependance upon the Merits of his Sufferings or the Mercy of God for the obtaining Salvation but that he is to be sav'd by his own Merits And for this reason he very zealously buisy in Fasting in Whipping himself in Watching in going in Procession in wearing Hair-shirts and using a thousand such like Mortifications And having done this he thinks himself not at all beholding to God for his Salvation and that to give him Heaven will be no favour It being now his due upon the account of his own Meritorious Atchievements without any God-a-mercy to Christ's Passion or his Makers Goodness HE believes it damnable to say that Christ's Death and Passion is ineffectual and insignificant And that 't is the Doctrine of Devils to believe That he has no dependance for his Salvation upon the Merits of Christ's Sufferings or the Mercy of God but only upon his own Merits and good Works 'T is his Faith to believe That of our selves we are not sufficient so much as to think a good thought that the Grace by which we are justified is given us purely gratis upon the account of Christ's Merits moreover that no Man how just soever can Merit any thing either in this life or in that to come independant on the Merits and Passion of Jesus Christ Nevertheless that through the Merits of Christ the Good Works of a Just Man proceeding from Grace are so acceptable to God that through his Goodness and Promise they are truly Meritorious of Eternal Life And this he has learn'd from the Apostle 2 Tim. 4. 8. where he is taught that there is a Crown of Justice which our Lord a just Judge will render at the last day not only to Saint Paul but also to all those that shall have fought a good fight and consummated their course kept the Faith and lov'd his coming Knowing therefore that at the day of Judgement he is to receive according to his Works He endeavours by good Works to make his Vocation and Election sure And in following this Councel he thinks he no more offends against the fulness of the Merits of Christ's or God's Mercy than the Apostle does in giving it VII Of Confession HE believes it part of his Religion to make Gods of Men foolishly thinking that these have power to forgive sins And therefore as often as he finds his Conscience oppress'd with the guilt of his Offences he calls for one of his Priests who are commonly more wicked than himself and falling at his feet he unfolds to him the whole state of his Soul and having run over a Catalogue of his sins he asks of him Pardon and Forgiveness And what is most absurd of all he is so sillily stupid as to believe That if his Ghostly Father after he has heard all his Villanies in his Ear does but pronounce three or four Latin words making the sign of a Cross with two fingers and a thumb over his head his sins are forthwith forgiven him although he had never any thoughts of amendment or intention to forsake his wickedness HE believes it damnable in any Religion to make Gods of Men. However he firmly holds that when Christ speaking of his Apostles said Joh. 20. 21. Receive ye the Holy Ghost whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven and whose sins you shall retain they are retained He gave to them and their Successors the Bishops and Priests of the Catholick Church Authority to Absolve any truly Penitent Sinner from his sins And God having thus given them the Ministry of Reconciliation and made them Christ's Legates 2 Cor. 5. 18. 19. 12. Christ's Ministers and the Dispensers of the Mysteries of Christ and given them power to loose on Earth whatsoever was to be loosed in Heaven Matt. 18. 18. he undoubtedly believes that whosoever comes to them making a sincere and humble confession of his sins with a firm purpose â—â—â—mendment and a hearty Resolution of turning from his evil ways may from them receive Absolution by the Authority given them from Heaven and not doubt but God ratifies
above the sentence pronounced in that Tribunal Loosing in Heaven whatsoever is thus loosed by them on Earth And that whosoever comes without the due Preparation without a Repentance from the bottom of his heart and real intention of forsaking his sins receives no benefit by the Absolution but adds sin to sin by a high contempt of God's Mercy and abuse of his Sacraments VIII Of Indulgences HE believes that his Holy Father the Pope can give him leave to commit what sins he pleaseth Especially if he can make him a present of a round Sum of Money he never need doubt of an Indulgence or Pardon for himself and his Heirs for ever for all sorts of Crimes or Wickedness he or any of his Posterity may have convenience of falling into And having this Commission in his Pocket under the Pope's Broad-Seal he may be confident that Christ will confirm and stand to all that his Vicar upon Earth has granted and not call him to any account for any thing he has done although he should chance to die without the leâ—â— remorse of Conscience or Repentance for his sins HE believes it damnable to hold that the Pope or any other Power in Heaven or Earth can give him leave to commit any sins whatsoever Or that for any Sum of Money he can obtain an Indulgence or Pardon for sins that are to be committed by him or his Heirs hereafter He firmly believes that no sins can be forgiven but by a true and hearty Repentance But that still there is a Power in the Church of granting Indulgences which concern not at all the Remission of sins either Mortal or Venial but only of some Temporal Punishments remaining due after the Guilt is remitted So that they are nothing else but a Mitigation or Relaxation upon just causes of Canonical Penances which are or may be injoyn'd by the Pastors of the Church on Penitent sinners according to their several degrees of demerit And this he is taught to be grounded on the judiciary Power left by Christ in his Church of binding and loosing whereby Authority was given to erect a Court of Conscience to assign Penalties or release them as circumstances should require And this Authority he knows Saint Paul plainly own'd 2 Cor. 2. 6. where he decreed a Penance sufficient says he to such a man is this punishment And 2 Cor. 2. 10. where he released one For your sake speaking of the Penance injoyn'd the Incestuous Corinthian I forgive it in the Person of Christ And what Money there is given at any time on this account concerns not at all the Pope's Coffers but is by every one given as they please either to the Poor to the Sick to Prisoners c. wherefore they judge it most Charity And tho' he acknowledges many abuses have been committed in Granting and Gaining Indulgences through the default of some particular Persons yet he cannot imagine how these can in Justice be charg'd upon the Church to the prejudice of her Faith and Doctrine especially since she has been so careful in the retrenching them As may be seen by what was done in the Council of Trent Dec. de Indulg cum potestas IX Of Satisfaction HE believes very injurously of Christ's Passion being perswaded that his Sufferings and Death were not sufficiently satisfactory for our sins but that it is necessary for every one to make satisfaction for themselves And for this end after he has been at Confession the Priest injoyns him a Penance by the performance of which he is to satisfie for his offences And thus confidently relying upon his own Penitential Works he utterly evacuates Christ's Passion and though he professes himself a Christian and that Christ is his Saviour yet by his little trusting to him he seems to think him to be no better than what his Crucifix informs him that is a meer Wooden one HE believes it damnable to think injuriously of Christ's Passion Nevertheless he believes that tho' condign Satisfaction for the Guilt of Sin and the pain Eternal due to it be proper only to Christ our Saviour yet that Penitent Sinners being Redeem'd by Christ and made his Members may in some measure satisfie by Prayer Fasting Alms c. for the Temporal Pain which by order of God's Justice sometimes remains due after the Guilt and the Eternal Pain are remitted So that trusting in Christ as his Redeemer he yet does not think that by Christ's Sufferings every Christian is discharg'd of his particular Sufferings but that every one is to suffer something for himself as Saint Paul did who by tribulations and in suffering in his own flesh did accomplish those things that wanted of the Passions of Christ and this not only for himself but for the whole Church Coloss 1. 24. and this he finds every where in Scripture viz. People admonish'd of the greatness of their sins doing Penance in Fasting Sack-cloath and Ashes and by voluntary austerities endeavouring to satisfie the Divine Justice And these Personal Satisfactions God has sufficiently also minded him of in the punishments of Moses Aaron David and infinite others and even in the Afflictions sent by God upon our own Age in Plagues Wars Fires Persecutions Rebellions and such like Which few are so Atheistical but they confess to be sent from Heaven for the just chastisements of our sins and which we are to undergo notwithstanding the Infinite Satisfaction made by Christ and without any undervaluing it Now being thus convinc'd of some Temporal Punishments being due to his sins he accepts of all Tribulations whether in Body Name or Estate from whence-soever they come and with others of his own chusing offers them up to God for the discharging this debt still confessing that his Offences deserve yet more But these Penitential Works he is taught to be no otherwise satisfactory than as joyn'd and apply'd to that satisfaction which Jesus made upon the Cross in virtue of which alone all our good Works find a grateful acceptance in God's sight X. Of Reading the Holy Scripture HE believes it part of his Duty to think meanly of the Word of God to speak irreverently of the Scripture to do what he is able to lessen the repute of it and bring it into disgrace And for this end he says it is obscure full of ambiguous expressions plain contradictions not fit to be read by the Vulgar nor fit to be Translated into Vulgar Languages And without respect to Christ or his Apostles prophanely Preaches that no Ten Books in the World have done so much mischief to Christianity as this one And under a vain pretence of preventing farther inconveniences endeavours to deprive all of this Spiritual comfort of this Divine Food of this Heavenly Light that so being kept in darkness they may be also preserv'd in ignorance and Damn'd Eternally HE believes it damnable in any one to think speak or do any thing irreverently towards the Scripture or by any means whatsoever to bring it into dis-repute or
Articles of Popery They peruse every scurrilous Pamphlet and abusive Libel and such ridiculous Fables as are only fit for a Chimney-corner they borrow thence and set them down for so many Articles of Popery They turn over every Popish Author and whatsoever light loose or extravagant Opinions whatsoever Discourses carried on either through Flattery Disgust or Faction appear in any of them they are all mark'd out for so many Articles of Popery And by these and such like means is finisht at last a compleat draught of Popery in which she is render'd so foul monstrous and abominable that there can be nothing raked from the very sinks of Turcism nothing borrow'd from the wild Africans or barbarous Americans that can make her more odious or add to her deformity Why and is not Popery then such as 't is thus generally painted No 't is no more like it than Monarchy is to that which turbulent Republican Spirits shew for it when displaying to the multitude some Miscarriages of State Frailties in Persons in Dignities Abuses of Government c. they cry out Behold this is Monarchy By these means making it Infamous among the People that they may more easily overthrow it And are not the Papists such as they are commonly Represented No They are no more alike than the Christians were of old under the Persecuting Emperors to what they appear'd when cloathed with Lions and Bears Skins they were exposed in the Amphi-theatre to Wild Beasts under those borrow'd Shapes to provoke their Savage Opposites to greater fury and that they might-infallibly and with more rage be torn in pieces Let Monarchy be shewn in its own colours and the Christians be expos'd in their own form and one will have but few Maligners and the others will meet with a more Tame behaviour even from the wildest Beasts Let any but search into the Councils of the Church of Rome even that of Trent than which none can be more Popish let them peruse her Catechisms that ad Parochos or others set forth for Pastors to instruct their Flock and for Children Youth and others to learn their Christian Doctrine of which there is extant great variety in English Let them examine Vernon's Rule of Faith and that set forth by the Bishop of Condan Let them look into the Spiritual Books of Direction Those of Bishop Sales the Following of Christ the Christian Rules the Spiritual Combat Granado's Works and infinite others of this sort which Papists generally keep by them for their Instruction And then let them freely declare whether the Papists are so ill principled either as to their Faith or Morals as they are generally made appear A little diligence in this kind with a serious inquiry into their conversation their manner of Living and Dying will easily discover that that of Beast with which they are commonly expos'd to publick is not theirs but only of the skin that is thrown over them The Papists own that there are amongst them Men of very ill Lives and that if every corner be narrowly sifted there may be found great abuses even of the most sacred things that some in great Dignities have been highly vicious and carried on wicked Designs That some Authors maintain and publish very absurd Opinions and of ill consequence But these things are nothing of their Religion they are Imperfections indeed the Crimes the Scandals of some in their Communion but such they are so far from being oblig'd to approve maintain or imitate that they wish with all their heart there had been never any such thing and desire in these Points a thorough Reformation Tho' the Imprudences therefore the Failings the Extravagencies the Vices that may be pick'd up throughout the whole Society of Papists are very numerous and great and too too sufficient if drawn together for the composing a most Deform'd Antichristian-Monster yet the Popery of the Roman-Catholicks is no such Monster as 't is painted Those things which are commonly brought against them being as much detested by them as by the Persons that lay the charge of their dis-favour and having no more relation to them than Weeds and Tares to the Corn amongst which it grows or Chaff to the Wheat with which it lies mix'd in one heap A Papist therefore is no more than he is above Represented and whosoever enters that Communion has no obligation of believing otherwise then as there specified And though in each Particular I have cited no Authorities yet for the truth and exactness of the Character I Appeal to the Council of Trent And if in any Point it shall be found to disagree I again promise upon notice publickly to own it And as for the other Part of the Papist Mis-represented it contains such Tenets as are wrongfully charged upon the Papists and in as many respects as it is contrary to the other Character in so many it is contrary to the Faith of their Church And so far they are ready to disown them and subscribe to their Condemnation And though any serious enquirer may be easily satisfied as to the truth of this yet for a publick satisfaction to shew that those Aominable Unchristian Doctrines are no part of their Belief however extravagant some men may be in their Opinions the Papists acknowledge that a Faith assenting to such Tenets is wholly opposite to the Hononr of God and Destructive to the Gospel of Christ and do publickly invoke God Almighty's Judgements upon that Church which teaches either publickly or privately such a Faith And since 't is lawful for any Christian to answer Amen to such Anathema's as are pronouno'd against things apparently sinful the Papists to shew to the World that they disown the following Tenets commonly laid at their dore do here oblige themselves that if the ensuing Curses be added to those appointed to be read on the First day of Lent They will seriously and heartily answer Amen to them all I. Cursed is he that commits Idolatry that prays to Images or Relicks or Worships them for God â„Ÿ Amen II. Cursed is every Goddess Worshiper that believes the Virgin Mary to be any more than a creature that Honour her Worship her or puts his Trust in her more than in God that believes her above her Son or that she can in any thing command him â„Ÿ Amen III. Cursed is he that believes the Saints in Heaven to be his Redeemers that prays to them as such or that gives Gods Honour to them or to any creature whatsoever â„Ÿ Amen IV. Cursed is he that Worships any Breaden God or makes Gods of the empty Elemeats of Bread and Wine â„Ÿ Amen V. Cursed is he that believes that Priests can forgive sins whether the sinner repent or no. Or that there 's any Power in Earth or Heaven that can forgive sins without a hearty repentance and serious purpose of amendment â„Ÿ Amen VI. Cursed is he that believes there 's Authority in the Pope or any others that can give leave to commit sins
the Dispensers of the Mysteries of Christ resolving to turn from his evil ways and bring forth Fruits worthy of Penance there is then and no otherwise an Authority left by Christ to Absolve such a Penitent Sinner from his Sins which Authority Christ gave his Apostles and their Successors the Bâ—shops and Priests of the Catholick Church in those words when he said Receive ye the Holy Ghost whose Sins you shall forgive they are forgiven unto them c. II. Though no Creatare whatsoever can make condign satisfaction either for the Guilt of Sin or the pain Eternal due to it This satisfaction being proper to Christ our Saviour only Yet penitent Sinners Redeemed by Christ may as Members of Christ in some measure satisfie by Prayer Fasting Alms-Deeds and other Works of Piety for the Temporal Pain which by order of Divine Justice sometimes remains due after the Guilt of Sin and Pains Eternal are gratis remitted These Penitential Works are notwithstanding satisfactory no otherwise than as joyned and apply'd to that satisfaction which Jesus made upon the Cross in virtue of which alone all our good Works find a gateful acceptance in God's sight III. The Guilt of Sin or Pain Eternal due to it is never remitted by Indulgences but only such Temporal punishments as remain due after the Guilt is remitted These Indulgences being nothing else than a Mitigation or Relaxation upon just causes of Canonical Penances enjoyn'd by the Pastors of the Church on Penitent Sinners according to their several Degrees of Demerit And if any abuses or mistakes be sometimes committed in point either of granting or gaining Indulgences through the Remisness or Ignorance of particular Persons contrary to the ancient Custom and Discipline of the Church such abuses or mistakes cannot rationally be charg'd on the Church nor rendred matter of Derision in prejudice to her Faith and Doctrine IV. Catholicks hold there is a Purgatory that is to say a place or State where Souls departing this Life with Remission of their Sins as to the Eternal Guilt or pain or yet Obnoxious to some Temporal Punishment still remaining due or not perfectly freed from the Blemish of some Venial Defects or Deordinations as idle Words c. not liable to Damnation are purg'd before their Admitance into Heaven where nothing that is defil'd can enter Furthermore V. Catholicks also hold That such Souls so detain'd in Purgatory being the Living Members of Christ Jesus are Reliev'd by the Prayers and suffrages of their Fellow-members here on Earth But where this place is Of what Nature or Quality the Pains are How long each Soul is detained there After what manner the suffrages made in their behalf are apply'd Whether by way of satisfaction or Intercession c. are Questions superfluous and impertinent as to Faith VI. No Man though just can Merit either an Increase of Sanctity or Happiness in this Life or Eternal Glory in the next independent on the Merits and Passion of Christ Jesus the Good Works of a just Man proceeding from Grace and Charity are acceptable to God so far forth as to be through his Goodness and Sacred Promise truly meritorious of Eternal Life VII It is an Article of the Catholick Faith That in the most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist there is truly and really contain'd the Body of Christ which was deliver'd for us and his Blood which was shed for the Remission of sins the substance of Bread and Wine being by the powerful Words of Christ charg'd into the substance of his Blessed Body and Blood the Species or Accidents of Bread and Wine still remaining Thus VIII Christ is not present in this Sacrament according to his Natural way of Existence that is with extention of parts in order to place c. but after a supernatural manner one and the same in many places and whole in every part of the Symbols This therefore is a real substantial yet Sacramental presence of Christ's Body and Blood not expos'd to the External Senses or obnoxious to Corporal Contingences IX Neither is the Body of Christ in this Holy Sacrament seperated from his Blood or his Blood from his Body or either of both disjoyn'd from his Soul and Divinity but all and whole living Jesus is entirely contain'd under either Species so that whosoever receives under one kind is truly partaker of the whole Sacrament and no wise depriv'd either of the Body or Blood of Christ True it is X. Our Saviour Jesus Christ left unto us his Body and Blood under two distinct Species or Kinds in doing of which he instituted not only a Sacrament but also a Sacrifice a Commemorative Sacrifice distinctly shewing his Death or Bloody Passion until he come For as the Sacrifice of the Cross was perform'd by a distinct Effusion of Blood so is the same Sacrifice commemorated in that of the Altar by a distinction of the Symbols Jesus therefore is here given not only to us but for us and the Church thereby enrich'd with a true proper and propitiatory Sacrifice usually term'd Mass XI Catholicks renounce all Divine Worship and Adoration of Images or Pictures God alone we Worship and Adore Nevertheless we make use of Pictures and place them in Churches and Oratories to reduce our wandring thoughts and enliven our memories towards Heavenly things And further we allow a certain Honour and Veneration to the Picture of Christ of the Virgin Mary c. beyond what is due to every prophane Figure not that we believe any Divinity of virtue in the Pictures themselves for which they ought to be Honour'd but because the Honour given to Pictures is refer'd to the Prototype or things represented In like manner XII There is a kind of Honour and Veneration respectively due to the Bible to the Cross to the Name of Jesus to Churches to the Sacraments c. as things peculiarly appertaining to God also to the glorify'd Saints in Heaven as Domestick Friends of God yea to Kings Magistrates and Superiours on Earth as the Vicegerents of God to whom Honouâ— is due Honour may be given without any Derogation to the Majesty of God or that Divine Worship appropriate to him Furthermore XIII Catholicks believe That the Blessed Saints in Heaven replenish'd with Charity pray for us their fellow-members here on Earth that they Rejoyce at our conversion that seeing God they see and know in him all things suitable to their happy state but God is inclinable to hear their Requests made in our behalf and for their sakes grants us many favours That therefore it is good and profitable to Desire their Juteocession And that this manner of Invocation is no more injurious to Christ our Mediator or superabundant in it self than it is for one Christian to beg the
and there to imploy it in Meditation Love Thanksgiving Imitation c. as the Object requires As many good Christians placing a Death'-head before them from the sight of it take occasion to reflect often upon their last end in order to their better preparing for it or by seeing Old Time painted with his Fore-lock Hour-Glass and Scythe turn their thoughts upon the swiftness of Time and that whosoever neglects the present is in danger of beginning then to lay hold when there 's no more to come These Pictures or Images having this advantage that they inform the mind by one glance of what in reading requires a Chapter and sometimes a Volume There being no other difference between them then that Reading represents leisurely and by degrees and a Picture all at once Hence he finds a convenience in saying his Prayers with some devout Pictures before him he being no sooner distracted but the sight of these re-cals his wandring thoughts to the right Object and as certainly brings something good into his mind as an immodest Picture disturbs his heart with naughtiness And because he is sensible that these holy Pictures and Images represent and bring to his mind such Objects which in his heart he loves honours and venerates he cannot but upon that account love honour and respect the Images themselves As whosoever loves their Husband Child or Friend cannot but have some love and respect for their Pictures and whosoever loves and honours his King will have some honour and esteem for his Image Not that he venerates any Image or Picture for any Virtue or Divinity believ'd to be in them or for any thing that is to be petition'd of them but because the honour that is exhibited to them is refer'd to the Prototypes which they represent So that 't is not properly the Images he honours but Christ and his Saints by the Images As it is not properly the Images or Pictures of Kings or Dukes we generally respect or injure but by their Images or Pictures we respect or injure Kings or Dukes themselves All the veneration therefore he expresses before Images whether by kneeling praying lifting up the Eyes burning Candles Incense c. 't is not at all done for the Image but is wholly referr'd to the things represented which he intends to honour by these actions And how by so doing he breaks the Second Commandment he cannot conceive for he acknowledges only one God and to him alone gives Sovereign Honour and is so far from honouring Images as Gods that for any ones satisfaction he is ready to break or tear a Crucifix or other Image whatsoever into a thousand pieces and cast them into the fire And what respect he shews them seems to him no more injurious to any of the Commandments than 't is for a Christian to love and honour his Neighbour because he bears the Image of God in his Soul to kiss and esteem the Bible because it contains and represents to him God's Word or to love a good Preacher because he minds him of his Duty all which respects do not at all derogate from God Almighty's Honour but are rather Testimonies of our greater Love and Honour of him since for his sake we love and esteem every thing that has any respect or relation to him II. Of Worshiping Saints HE makes Gods of Dead Men such as are departed hence and now are no more able to hear or see or understand his necessities And tho' God be so good as to invite all to come unto him and to apply themselves to their only and Infinite Mediator Jesus Christ Yet so stupid is He that neglecting and as it were passing by both God and his only Son and all their Mercies he betakes himself to his Saints and there pouring forth his Prayers he confides in them as his Mediators and Redeemers and expects no Blessing but what is to come to him by their Merits and through their hands And thus without scruple or remorse robs God of his Honour HE believes there 's only one God and that 't is a most damnable Idolatry to make Gods of Men either living or dead His Church teaches him indeed and he believes That it is good and profitable to desire the Intercession of the Saints reigning with Christ in Heaven but that they are Gods or his Redeemers he is no where taught but detests all such Doctrine He confesses That we are all redeem'd by the Blood of Christ alone and that he is our only Mediator of Redemption But as for Mediators of Intercession that is such as we may desire lawfully to pray for us he does not doubt but 't is acceptable to God we should have many Moses was such a Mediator for the Israelites Job for his three Friends Stephen for his Persecutors The Romans were thus desir'd by St. Paul to be his Mediators so were the Corinthians so the Ephesians so almost every sick man desires the Congregation to be his Mediators that is to be remember'd in their Prayers And so he desires the Blessed in Heaven to be his Mediators that is that they would Pray to God for him And in this he does not at all neglect coming to God or rob him of his Honour but directing all his Prayers up to him and making him the ultimate Object of all his Petitions he only desires sometimes the Just on Earth sometimes those in Heaven to joyn their Prayers to his that so the number of Petitioners being increas'd the Petition may find better acceptance in the sight of God And this is not to make them Gods but only Petitioners to God 't is not to make them his Redeemers but only Intercessors to his Redeemer he having no hopes of obtaining any thing but of God alone by and through the Merits of Christ for which he desires the Saints in Heaven and good men on Earth to offer up their Prayers with his the Prayers of the Just availing much before God But now how the Saints in Heaven know the Prayers and Necessities of such who address themselves to them whether by the Ministry of Angels or in the Vision of God or by some particular Rovelation 't is no part of his Faith nor is it much his concern it should be determin'd For his part he does not doubt but that God who acquainted the Prophets with the knowledge of things that were yet to come many hundred years after That inform'd Elijah of the King of Syria's Counsel tho' private resolv'd on in his Bed-chamber and at a distance 2 Kings 6. 12. can never want means of letting the Saints know the desires of those who beg their Intercession here on Earth Especially since our Saviour tells That Abraham heard the Petitions of Dives who was yet at a greater distance even in Hell and told him likewise the manner of his living while as yet on Earth Nay since 't is generally allow'd that even the very Devils hear those desperate wretches who call on them Why
context of it is so every where full of Corruptions Falsifications and intolerable Abuses that it almost every where belies its Title and is unfit for any one who professes himself a Christian HE believes it a damnable sin to abuse the Scripture or any ways to pervert it for the maintenance of Errours or Superstitions and thinks himself oblig'd rather to lay down his life than concur to or approve of any such Falsifications or Corruptions prejudicial to Faith or Good Manners For this reason being conscious that in all Ages there has been several Copies of this Sacred Volume quite different from the Originals in many places either through the mistake of the Transcribers or malice of others endeavouring by this means to gain credit to their new Doctrines He is commanded not to receive all Books indifferently for the Word of God that wear that Title but only such as are approv'd by the Church and recommended by her Legitimate And such is that he daily uses commonly known by the name of the Vulgar Translation which has been the principal of all other Latine Copies in all Ages since the Primitive times much commended by Saint Augustine and never altered in any thing but once heretofore by the Holy Studies of St. Hierome And twice or thrice since being review'd by Authority and purg'd of such mistakes as in length of time had crept in by Transcribers or Printers faults And that this Translation is most pure and incorrupt as to any thing concerning matter of Belief or difference in Religion is not only the Doctrine of his Church but also the Sentiment of many Learned Men of the Reformation who approve this Version and prefer it before any other Latine one whatsoever Beza in his Preface to the New-Testament Anno 1559. blames Erasmus for rejecting it Paulus Fagius cries out against all that disallow it Cap. 4. Vers Lat. Paraph. Chald. Ludovicus de Dieu with admiration confesses it to be most Faithful in Not. ad Evang. Praef. Causabon prefers it before the Greeks Text now in use and acknowledges that it agrees with the Antient Manuscripts in Not. ad Evang. Act. Grotius professes to the World that he highly esteems it for that it contains no erroneous Opinions and is very Learned nulla dogmata insalubria continet multum habet in se eruditionis Praef. Annot. in vet Test And for this reason he refers his Annotations generally to this Translation as he declares himself So that seeing this Version is deliver'd to him with the approbation of his whole Church and is commended by most Learned Adversaries he thinks he has great reason to receive it and that he may peruse it without any danger that can come to him from any Corruptions or Falsifications And because he has not the like assurance of the English Translation allowed by Protestants or any other made since the Reformation by any of that Perswasion but sees that there has been almost as many different Translations made and publish'd by these as there had been Men of different Humours different Spirits and different Interests whereof none have ever approv'd the Versions of any of the rest but cry'd out against and Condemn'd them of many Alterations Additions Detractions and Forgeries Bucer and the Osiandrians exclaiming against Luther Luther against Munster Beza against Castaleo Castaleo against Beza Calvin against Servetus Illyricus against Calvin and Beza Our English Ministers against Tindal and his Fellows And this not upon the account of some oversights or light mistakes or the following of different Copies but accusing one another of being Absurd and senseless in their Translations of obscuring and perverting the meaning of the Holy Ghost of Omissions and Additions of perverting the Text in eight hundred forty and eight pieces of corrupt and false Translations all which in express Terms has been charg'd by great Abbettors of the Reformation against a Bible yet us'd in England and ordered to be read in all Churches by Queen Elizabeth and to be seen in the Abridgement of a Book deliver'd by certain Ministers to King James pag. 11. 12. In Mr. Burges's Apology Sect. 6. Mr. Broughton's Advertisement to the Bishops And in Doctor Reynold's refusing before the King at Hampton-Court to subscribe to the Communion-Book because it warranted a corrupt and false Translation of the Bible For these and such other reasons he is commanded not to read any of these Translations but only that which is recommended to him by the Church XIII Of the Scripture as a Rule of Faith HE believes it lawful nay that it is his obligation to undervalue the Scripture and take from it that Authority which Christ gave it For whereas Christ left this to the World as the Rule of Faith and as a Sacred Oracle from whence all his Followers might be instructed in the Precepts of a good life learn all the Mysteries of their Faith and be resolv'd in all difficult and doubtful Points of Religion He is taught flatly to deny all this and to believe that the Scripture is not capable of desiding any one point of Controversie or reconciling the different Sentiments of Men in Religion And thus demeans himself towards the Word of God in a manner most unbecoming a Christian HE believes it damnable to undervalue the Scripture or take from it the Authority given it by Christ He gives it all respect due to the Word of God he owns it to be of greatest Authority upon Earth and that it is capable of leading a Man to all Truth whensoever it is rightly understood But to any one that mis-understands it and takes it in any other sense than what was intended by the Holy Ghost he believes it to such a one to be no Scripture no Word of God that to such a one it is no Rule of Faith nor Judge of Controversies And that what he thinks to be the Doctrine of Christ and Command of Heaven is nothing but his own Imagination and the suggestion of the Devil And since by the experience of so many thousand Heresies since our Saviour's time all pretending to be grounded on Scripture he finds that almost every Text of the Bible and even those that concern the most Essential and Fundamental Points of the Christian Religion may be Interpreted several ways and made to signifie things contrary to one another and that while thus contrary meanings are by several Persons drawn from the same Words the Scripture is altogether silent without discovering which of all those senses is that intended by the Holy Ghost and leading to Truth and which are Erroneous and Antichristian He is taught to believe that the Scripture alone can be no Rule of Faith to any Private or Particular person not that there is any thing wanting on the Scripture-side but because no private person can be certain whether amongst all the several meanings every Text is obnoxious to that which he understands it in is the Right or no. And without this certainty of
HE believes that the Faith of his Church may receive new Additions every day And that he is not only oblig'd to believe what Christ taught and his Apostles but also every Definition or Decree of any General Council assembled by the Command of the Pope So that as often as any thing is issued out by the Authority of any of these Church-Parliaments and order'd to be believ'd he thinks himself under pain of Damnation immediately bound to receive it and having added it to his Creed to assent to it with as Firm Stedfast and Divine a Faith as if it had been Commanded by Christ himself and Decreed in the Consistory of Heaven And by this means he never comes to understand his Religion or know what he is to Believe but by the continual Alterations Additions Diminutions Interpretations of these Councils he is preserv'd in a necessary Confusion and tho' he changes often yet he fondly thinks himself always the same HE believes that the Faith of his Church can receive no Additions and that he is oblig'd to believe nothing besides that which Christ taught and his Apostles and if any thing contrary to this should be defin'd and commanded to be believ'd even by Ten thousand Councils he believes it damnable in any one to receive it and by such Decrees to make Additions to his Creed However he maintains the Necessity and Right of General Councils lawfully Assembled whose business it is not to coin new Articles of Faith or devise Fresh Tenets but only as often as any Point of Receiv'd Doctrine is impugned or call'd in question to debate the matter and examine what has been the Belief of all Nations who are there present in their Prelates in that Point And this being agreed on to publish and make known to the World which is the Catholick Doctrine left by Christ and his Apostles and which the new-broach'd Error And by this means to prevent the loss of infinite number of Souls which might otherwise be deluded and carried away after new inventions not being capable by their own knowledge and abilities to distinguish betwixt Truth and Falshood and discover the subtilties of every crafty Deceiver And in this case he believes that he is oblig'd to submit and receive the Decrees of such a Council the Pastors and Prelates there present being by Christ and his Apostles appointed for the decision of such Controversies They having the care of that flock committed to them over which the Holy Ghost has made them Overseers to feed the Church of God Acts 20. 28. and to watch against those Men who should arise from among themselves speaking perverse things to draw Disciples after them Ib. vers 30. And he having receiv'd Command as likewise the whole Flock of Christ to obey their Prelates and to be subject to them who watch and are to render an accouut for their Souls Heb. 13. 17. with an assurance That He that heareth them heareth Christ and he that despiseth them despiseth Christ Luk. 10. 16. And withal being taught that as this way of the Antients of the Church and Prelates meeting in case of any danger threatning their Flock or any new Doctrine arising was the means instituted by Christ and practised by the Apostles in the first planting of the Church for the preventing Schisms and preserving Vnity among the Faithful and that they should speak and think the same thing and be perfectly joyn'd together in the same mind and same judgement 1 Cor. 1. 10. So it ought to be the means in all succeeding Ages for the preventing Divisions and conserving Vnity among the Faithful And that therefore as that Controversie concerning the necessity of Circumcision Act. c. 15. arising in the Apostles time was not decided by any private Person nor even by Paul and Barnabas who nevertheless had received the Holy Ghost and one would have thought might have pretended to the Spirit and a Heavenly Light but by a General Meeting of the Apostles and Elders of the Church at Jerusalem who were consulted by Paul and Barnabas about this Question So all other Disputes and Difficulties of Religion arising in succeding Ages ought to be refer'd to the Successors of the Apostles whose Charge Dignity and Office is to continue to the end of the World tho' they are dead in Person who are to consider of the matter Acts 15. 6. as the Apostles did while all the Multitude keeps silence ver 12. without any one presuming on any Learning Gift Virtue Prayers or Inspiration to intermeddle in the Dispute or put an end to the Question This being none of their business or obligation but only with all Patience and Humility to expect the Determination of their Prelates and Elders and receive it with the same expressions as those Good Christians did heretofore who rejoyced for the consolation Act. 15. 31. And unless this that the Apostles did and their Obsequious Flock be taken as a Pattern in all Ages for the ending such-like difficulties he believes 't is impossible that Believers should stand fast in one Spirit with one Mind Phil. 1. 27. and be not carried away with divers and strange Doctrines Heb. 13. 9. XVII Of Infalibility in the Church HE believes that the Pastors and Prelates of his Church are Infallible and that like so many Divine Oracles or petty Familiar Deities they are exempt from Errour and cannot deceive But this especally when they are met together in a General Council It being a main part of his Faith That then they are secure from all mistakes and that it is as impossible for them to decline either to the right hand or to the left in any of their Definitions and Decrees as it is for God to leave Heaven and become the Author of lies Thus fondly believing these to be assisted with a necessary Infallibility like Gods whom their Ignorance ill Example and Debauch'd Lives to a true Considerer scarce speak to be Men. As if God Almighty did so blindly throw his Benefits and Graces amongst his Creatures that none should have a more powerful assistance of God's Truth and Infallible Spirit than those in whom there was least of God to be found HE believes that the Pastors and Prelates of his Church are Fallible that there is none of them but may fall into Errours Heresie and Schism and consequently are subject to mistakes But that the whole Church can fail or be deceiv'd in any one Point of Faith this he believes impossible knowing it to be built on better promises such as secure her from all Errour and danger of Prevarication Her Foundation being laid by Christ against which the Gates of Hell shall not prevail Matt. 16. 18. The Power that protects her being Christ himself Behold I am with you all days Matt. 28. 20. The Spirit that Guides and Teaches her being the comforter of the Holy Ghost who shall teach her all things and suggest to her all things that Christ has said to her Joh. 14. 26. The time
Saviour Jesus Christ instituted at his last Supper when leaving unto us his Body and Blood under two distinct Species of Bread and Wine he bequeath'd as a Legacy to his Apostles not only a Sacrament but also a Sacrifice A Commemorative Sacrifice lively Representing in an unbloody manner the bloody Sacrifice which was offered for us upon the Cross and by a distinction of the Symbols distinctly shewing his death Christ's until he come This he gave in charge to his Apostles as to the first and Chief Priests of the New Testament and to their Successors to Offer commanding them to do the same thing he had there done at his last Supper in commemoration of him And this is the Oblation or Sacrifice of the Mass which has been observ'd perform'd frequented by the Faithful in all Ages attested by the General Consent of antient Canons universal Tradition Councils and the practice of the whole Church mention'd and allow'd of by all the Fathers Greek and Latine and never call'd into question but of late Years being that Pure Offering which Malachy Prophecying of Christ foretold should be offer'd among the Gentiles in every place Mal. 1. 11. as it is understood by several Fathers and particularly S. Cypr. l. 1. c. 18. advers Jud. S. Jerom S. Theodoret S. Cyril in their Commentaries upon this Text S. Augustine l. 18. c. 15. de Civit. S. Chrysost in Psal 95. and others XXIII Of Purgatory HE believes contrary to all Reason the Word of God and all Antiquity that besides Heaven and Hell there is a third Place which his Church is pleas'd to call Purgatory a Place intended purely for those of his Communion where they may easily have admittance after this life without danger of falling into Hell For that though Hell was designed first for the punishment of Sinners yet that now since the blessed discovery of Purgatory Hell may easily be skip'd over and an Eternal Damnation avoided for an exchange of some short Penalty undergone in this Pope's Prison where he never need fear to be detain'd long for that if he has but a friend left behind him that will but say a few Hail-Maries for his soul or in his Testament did but remember to order a small sum to be presented to some Mass-Priest he never need doubt of being soon Releas'd For that a Golden Key will as infallibly open the Gates of Purgatory as of any other Prison whatsoever HE believes it damnable to admit of any thing for Faith that is contrary to Reason the Word of God and all Antiquity And that the Being of a Third Place call'd Purgatory is so far from being contrary to all or any of these that it is attested confirm'd and establish'd by them all 'T is expresly in the 2d of the Machabees c. 12. where Mony was sent to Hierusalem that Sacrifices might be offered for the slain And 't is recommended as a Holy Cogitation to Pray for the Dead Now though these Books are not thought Canonical by some yet St. Augustine held them as such and says they are so received by the Church l. 18. de Civit. But whether so or no One thing is allow'd by all viz. That they contain nothing contrary to Faith and that they were cited by the Antient Fathers for the Confutation of Errors forming of good Manners and the explication of the Christian Doctrine Thus were they us'd by Origen for Condemnation of the Valentinan Hereticks Orig. in cap. 5. Ep. ad Rom. thus by St. Cyprian Lib. de Exhor Mart. c. 11. thus by Euseb Caesariensis Lib. Praepar Evang. 11. c. 15. thus by St. Greg. Naz. Ambros c. And he is in a manner certain that these Books would never have been put to this Vse by these Holy and Learned Fathers they would never with such confidence have produc'd their Authority nor would they have been read by the Church in those Golden times had this Doctrine of a Third Place and of Prayers for the Dead which they maintain been any Idle Superstition a meer Dream contrary to Reason the Word of God and Antiquity or had it been any Error at all The being also of a Third Place is plainly intimated by our Saviour Matth. 12. 32. where he says Whosoever speaks against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this World neither in the World to come By which words Christ evidently supposes that though these shall not yet some sins are forgiven in the World to come Which since it cannot be in Heaven where no sin enters nor in Hell whence there is no Redemption it must necessarily be some Middle-state And in this sense it was understood by St. Augustine nigh twelve hundred Years ago as is manifest in his Works Civ Dei l. 21. c. 13 24. lib. 6. cont Julian c. 15. so also by St. Bernard against the Hereticks of his time In the same manner does St. Gregory the Great L. 4. Diacl c. 39. so by St. Augustine understand those words of St. Paul 1 Cor. 3. 15. He himself shall be saved yet so as by fire Where he thinks him to speak of a purging fire Aug. in Psal 37. So the same Father understands that Prison of which St. Peter speaks 1 Pet. 3. 19. to be some place of Temporal Chastisement Aug. Ep. 99. And if this great Doctor of the Church in those Purer times found so often in the Bible a Place of Pains after this Life from whence there was Release how can any one say without great presumption that the Being of a Third Place is contrary to the Word of God Neither can the Antiquity of this Doctrine be more justly call'd in question of which is found so early mention not only by this Holy Father but even by others his Predecessors the Disciples of the Apostles and the best Witnesses of their Doctrine Dionys l. de Eccl. Hier. c. 7. In Actis SS Perpet Felicit mention'd and approv'd by S. Aug. l. I. de Anima ejus Orig. c. 10. l. 3. c. 9. l. 4. c. 18. Tertul. l. de Cor. Mil. c. 3. Cypr. Ep. 66. ad Cler. Arnob. l. 4. cont Gen. pag. ult and many others quoted at length by the Learned Natalis Alexand. Tom. 9. Hist Eccl. dissert 41. And as for the Reason of this Tenet he is bound to think it does not want it since he finds it abetted by such Virtuous Learned and Considering Men whom he dares not reckon Fools never hearing that these us'd to Believe but upon very good Grounds and substantial Reasons And he thinks he is able to give some himself by what he has learn'd from the Scriptures and these Fathers For having been taught by these First That when a sinner is reconcil'd to God though the Eternal Punishment due to his sins is always remitted yet there sometimes remains a Temporal Penalty to be undergone As in the case of the Israelites Num. 14. who by Moses's Prayers obtain'd Pardon for their Murmuring and yet
must needs have Words let him behold with the eye of Faith the gaping Wounds of his Redeemer and see if those speak nothing to his Soul If they do not 't is because he wants Faith It nothing therefore concerns his Devotion that the Mass is said in Latine If the Church has order'd it thus so to preserve Vnity as in Faith so in the External Worship of God and to prevent alterations and changes which it would be expos'd to if in Vulgar Languages and other good Reasons What 's that to him He should receive but little advantage if it were in his Mother Tongue For besides that the greatest part is said in so low a voice that it is not possible he should hear it the Words do not belong to him That 's only the Priest's Office and the Obligation is to accompany the Priest in Prayer and Spirit to be a joint-Offerer with him to contemplate the Mysteries there represented and to excite in his Soul Devotions according to the exigency of every Passage According to the Directions he finds in his English Prayer-Books of which there are extant great variety set forth for the help of the Ignorant by which they are taught the meaning of every Part and Ceremony of the Mass and how to apply their Devotions accordingly And if at any time he be present at other publick Devotions as the Church-Offices the Litanies solemn Thanksgivings Exequies c. which are all perform'd in Latine or should say any private Prayers or sing an Hymn in the same Language which he ununderstands not yet is he taught that this may be done with great benefit to his Soul and the acceptance of God if at these occasions he does but endeavour to raise his thoughts to Heaven and fix his heart upon his Maker For that God does not respect the Language of the Lips but of the Heart does not attend the motion of the Tongue but of the Mind and if these be but directed to him in Thanksgiving in Praising in Petitioning in Humiliation in Contrition and such like Acts as circumstances require he need not doubt but that God accepts his Prayers and Devotions It being an undeniable thing that to say Prayers well and devoutly 't is not necessary to have attention on the Words or on the Sense of the Prayers But rather purely on God Of these three Attentions this last being approv'd by all as of greatest perfection and most pleasing to God And this he can have whether he understands the Words or no. It being very usual and easie for a Petitioner to accompany his Petition with an earnest desire of obtaining his suit though the Language in which it is worded be unknown to him XXV Of the Second Commandment HE is kept in Ignorance as to an Essential part of his Duty towards God never being permitted to know the Commandments but by halves For in the Books deliver'd to him for his Instruction such are Catechisms and Manuals the Second Commandment is wholly left out And he by this means Superstitious Worship and is taught to fall into all sorts of down-right Idolatry And then the Commandments he does learn are in such disorder by a confusion of the two first into one and a cutting the last into Two by putting only three in the first Table and seven in the Second That no reason can be able to justify this mangling and chopping in opposition to all Authority and Antiquity HE is instructed in his whole Duty towards God and most especially in the Ten Commandment He is taught to understand them all and every one that there 's an Obligation of observing them under pain of eternal Damnation and that whosoever breaks any one of them loses the Favour of God and as certainly hazards the loss of his Soul as if he broke them all And though in the short Catechisms and Manuals in which the whole Christian Doctrine is deliver'd in the most compendious and easie method in condescendence to weak Memories and low Capacities the Second Commandment as 't is reckon'd by some be wholly-omitted Yet is it to be seen at length in other Catechisms and Doctrinal Books to be met with every-where in great plenty And if any one should chance not to see any of these yet would he be out of of all danger of falling into any Superstitious Worship or Idolatry for that having read his First Commandment Thou shalt have no other Gods before me he is taught that by this he is commanded to Serve Love Adore and Worship one only True Living and Eternal God and no more That 't is forbidden him to Worship any Creature for a God or to give it the honour due to God and that whosoever Worships any Idols Images Pictures or any graven thing whatsoever the Object be whether in Heaven above in the Earth beneath or in the Waters under the Earth for God breaks the Commandment by committing Idolatry and stands guilty of an inexcusable and most damnable sin Now having been taught that this is the intent of the first Precept of the Decalogue he thinks there can be but little danger of his becoming Superstitious in his Worship or an Idolator for want of the Second there being nothing in this but what he is fully and expresly instructed in by having learn'd the First it being rather an Explication of this than any New and Distinct Precept And for this reason he finds them in his Books put together as One or rather as the first Commandment with its explication by which means it comes about that there are only Three in the first Table teaching him his Duty towards God and seven in the latter concerning his Duty to his Neighbour which is the Division assign'd by St. Augustine And tho' St. Hierom observes not this method but divides them into Four and Six yet there being no direction in Scripture concerning the Number of the Commandments to be assign'd to each Table nor to let us know which the first which the second which the third Commandment or which the last He is taught that 't is but an unnecessary trouble to concern himself about the Number of them or Division when-as his whole business ought to be the Observance of them in his Life and Conversation XXVI Of Mental Reservations HE is taught to keep no Faith with any that are reputed Hereticks by his Church and that whatsoever Promises he has made tho' never so positive and firm with this sort of People he may Lawfully break and cheat and cozen them without any scruple And though he must not do this by down-right Lying and telling Vntruths for that would be a sin yet he may make use of any indirect ways such are dissimulation Equivocations and Mental Reservations and by these means draw them into his snares And this without fear of offending God who is well pleas'd with these kind of pious Crafts allows of these Holy cheats HE is taught to keep Faith with all sorts of People of
of all Nations do every where understand and yet these espy no such Ridiculosities which fright them from their Faith but notwithstanding the seeing all through and through they yet admire all for solid holy and Apostolical and remain stedfast in their Profession how can it be imagin'd that the vulgar weak and unlearned sort did they but understand all as well as they would espy any such Errors and Superstitions which these others with all their Learning and Judgment cannot discover No he thinks there 's no reason to fear that what passes the Test among the Wise and Learned can be groundedly call'd in question by the Multitude 35. Of the Vncharitableness of the Papists HIs Church teaches him to be be very uncharitable it being her constant Doctrin that none out of her Communion can be saved So that let a man be never so honest in his Dealing never so just to his Neighbour never so charitable to the Poor and constant in his Devotion to his Maker yet all this shall avail him nothing if he be not a Member of his Church 'T is not enough for him to believe in Jesus Christ to confess him his Redeemer to believe that he died for our Sins that he rose again and ascended into Heaven unless he believes and assents to every Article and Tenet declar'd by any of his General Councils for that obstinately to deny any one of these does as certantly place him at the Left hand of the Judge as if he perversly stood out against the truth of Christianity and denied Jesus Christ to be God And by this means as many as by his Church are mark'd out for Schismaticks or Hereticks are to expect nothing but Damnation or rather are condemned already HIs Church teaches him no uncharitableness at all and the Doctrin she delivers concerning the desperate Estate of Hereticks and Schismaticks is nothing but what she has learnt from the mouth of Christ and his Apostles Among the last advices recommended by our Saviour at his Ascension is found the Sentence of Doom pronounced against all such as would not receive the Doctrin preach'd by the Apostles Preach the Gospel says Christ Mark 16. 16. to every Creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that beleiveth not shall be damned And this is all his Church delivers in this point repeating the same Sentence of condemnation against all such as will not recieve and believe the Doctrin left by Christ and preached by his Apostles And if among those that believe not she comprehends not only Infidels and Heathens but also all Hereticks and Schismaticks 't is nothing but what she has receiv'd from the Apostles who did not only shake the dust off their Feets in witness against those who denyed them entrance and refused to believe in Jesus but also denounc'd such of the Brethren to stand guilty of damnation who notwithstanding their belief in Jesus that he died for the Redemption of Man and that rising again he Ascended into Heaven did make Divisions amongst the Faithful or Preached any new Doctrin contrary to what they had deliver'd St. Paul is very express in this who foretelling Timothy 1 Tim. 4. 1 2 3. of some who in latter times would come and Preach a Doctrin Forbidding to Marry and commanding to abstain from Meats which God hath created to be receiv'd brands them with the infamous Title of Men depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrins of Devils In these words plainly letting him understand that though these Men would not deny Christ yet that their false Doctrin in those two other Points were enough to make them Seducers Deserters of Christ and Leaders to the Devil And does not he as expresly in his 2 d Epistle to Timothy c. 2. v. 16 17 18. condemn Hymeneus and Philetus for prophane and vain bablers increasers of Ungodliness and overthrowers of the Faith who concerning the Truth erred only in one Point saying that the Resurrection is past already By which 't is manifest to him that the Doctrine now taught him by his Church is nothing but what she has learnt from St. Paul and the rest of the Apostles it being deliver'd by them that he is a Lyar who denieth that Jesus is the Christ 1 Joh. 2. 22. And that every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God ib. c. 4. v. 3. And not only this but likewise A man that is an Heretick after the first and second admonition reject knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself Tit. 3. 10 11. With this weighty advice to the Brethren in which they are commanded in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ to speak all the same thing that there be no divisions among them but that they be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment 1 Cor. 1. 10. For that having strife and divisions among them they will shew themselves to be Carnal and to walk as Men ib. c. 3. v. 3. That therefore there being but one Body and one Spirit one Lord one Faith and one Baptism they should endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace and not be tossed to and fro like Children and carryed about with every Wind of Doctrin by the slight of men and cunning Craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive Ephes c. 4. v. 3 4 5 14. Who transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ are false Apostles deceitfull Workers 2 Cor. 11 13. But certainly accursed for that troubling the Faithful they would pervert the Gospel of Christ and preach another Gospel than that which had bin preach'd by the Apostles Gal. 1. 7 8. And this is the Sum of the Doctrin of his Church which believing that Faith is necessary to Salvation it being impossible whithout Faith to please God Heb. 11. 6. teaches likewise that the Faithful ought to hold fast the profession of their Faith without wavering for that not only they lose it who deny Jesus Christ to be God as some have done but also all those who endeavor to pervert the Gospel of Christ and in any point of Faith obstinately deny or teach otherwise than was taught by Christ and his Apostles as Hymeneus and Philetus did so that that Christian makes but a very imperfect and lame profession of his Faith who can only say I believe that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and that he is God and Man the Redeemer of the world unless he can with truth add this likewise I also believe the whole Gospel that he preach'd and every point of Faith that he has taught and deliver'd to us by his Apostles there being the same Obligation to obey his Precepts and hearken to his Words as to acknowledge the Divinity of his Person and it being a sin of the same blackness obstinately to oppose any point of his Doctrine as to deny the truth
to them the Faithful the decrees for to keep that were ordain'd by the Apostles and Elders which were at Jerusalem Acts 16. 4. See how St. Paul commands the Thessalonians to hold fast the traditions they had been taught by word or by Epistle 2 Thess 2. 15. See how he comands the Hebrews Obey them that have the rule over you Remember them which have the rule over you Heb. 13. 7. 17. See with what earnestness St. John urges this He that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth us not 1 Joh. 4. 6. hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of errour And then again does not St. Paul commend the Corinthians for their Obedience Now I praise you Brethren that you remember me in all things and keep the Ordinances as I deliver'd them to you 1 Cor. 11. 2. And then having given them directions as to their behaviour in their Assemblies he adds But if any man seem to be contentious We have no such custom neither the Churches of God 1 Cor. 11. 16. And now it being thus evident that the Church of Christ in the Apostles time was founded and preserv'd by a Submission and Obedience of the Flock to their Pastors the Papists teach and believe that what was taught and commanded by the Apostles to the Faithful then living ought to be receiv'd as a Doctrin necessary for all succeeding Ages and that Submission and Obedience ought to have been as much the Duty of Believers ever since as it was then the Commands and Practice of that time being undoubtedly the best and only Pattern for the Faithful for all times even to the End of the World And they do not only teach this Doctrine of Submission in their Books and Sermons but also observe it in their Lives having in all Ages depended on their Elders and Prelates in all matters touching the Discipline and Goverment of the Church leaving Rule to those whose Charge and Office it is to Rule and never believing that they who are under Charge and Command expresly by Saint Paul to Remember and Obey those who have the Rule over them can upon any pretence whatsoever nay tho' an Angel from Heaven should come and Preach otherwise be discharg'd from this Christian Obligation and be exempted from Remembring and Obeying whom thus by God speaking by his Apostle they are Commanded to Remember and Obey And upon this ground it is that in things concerning the Order to be observ'd in the Divine Service in all Ceremonies Holy Rites Ecclesiastical Constiâ—utions and Ordinances they have neither Nill nor Will of their own but always receive and think that the best which is Order'd and Appointed by those to whom by Divine Law they owe this Submission and Obedience and to whom the Ordering and Appointing these things appertains And therefore if these appoint a Day of Humiliation for imploring God's Mercy or averting his Judgements they never scruple to observe it if a day of Thanksgiving in memory of some signal Benefit they likewise Obey If these judge it fit that on every Friday should be commemorated the Death and Passion of our Redeemer in Fasting and command Lent to be observ'd in remembrance and imitation of our Lord 's forty days Fast in the Desart they think it their obligation to do so If these order such and such days to be set apart and kept Holy in Remembrance and Thanksgiving for the Incarnation Nativity Circumcision Resurrection and Ascension of Christ and for other such like intentions they esteem it sinful to oppose it If these judge it decent that the Faithful should bow at the Name of Jesus stand at the reading of the Gospel prostrate or incline themselves at the Confession If they appoint Tapers and Lamps to be used in Churches to represent our Saviour who came to enlighten the World and Incense to be used to mind the people that their Hearts and Prayers should like the Smoak ascend directly toward Heaven If in the Administration of the Sacraments in Exorcisms in the Offices and the Celebration of the Mass these determine several Rites and Ceremonies to be observ'd for more Decency greater Solemnity and that by such exteriour helps the minds of the Faithful may be mov'd to the contemplation of the Sacred Mysteries and rais'd more sensibly to the apprehension of the Majesty of God in whose Honour all is perform'd they look upon themselves bound to allow and embrace all these things without reluctance or opposition always thinking that to be most proper which is instituted by such who have the Rule over them And if any endeavour to raise Disputes and be contentious concerning the Necessity of these Institutions they have no such Custom neither the Churches of God One thing they know to be necessary that is that they should be Obedient and that in the Service of God they must not honour him as the Jews did Isa 58. 13. by doing their own ways finding their own pleasure and speaking their own words but as Christians are Commanded in a true Self-denyal a sincere Humility and Obedience submitting to those whom God has left to rule and govern the Flock Neither is there any danger of falling back into the Jewish Law by approving the allow'd Ceremonies of the Church it being certain that in the Abrogation of the Old Law all Ceremonies were not at the same time extinct But only such as were meer Types and Figures of things to come in the New Law which are now fulfill'd Whilst others fit for the raising Devotion and expressing the affections of the Soul and other such ends are still commendably retain'd as lawful and equally necessary now as heretofore such are Kneeling Fasting lifting Hands and Eyes to Heaven Sighing knocking the Breast days of Humiliation Thanksgiving Watching Hair-cloth Singing Impositions of Hands Benedictions using Oyl Spittle Breathing c. all which are as lawful convenient and necessary for Christans as they were for Jews and no more to be neglected because they were us'd in the Old Law than praying meeting Reading the Law Singing Psalms Humility and Obedience c. are to be laid by and disown'd by Christians because they were observed by the Jews Especially since these with many others have been recommended to us by the practice of Christ and his Apostles and of all Primitive Christianity Neither has the use of Holy Ceremonies been wholly dis-approved by those of the Reformation The English Profession of Faith publish'd in the year 1562. allows them in the 34th Article The Bohemick Confession in the 15th Article Anno 1537. The Augustine Tit. de Miss Anno 1530. as it was penn'd by Melancthon So that since Ceremonies are generally look'd on as commendable and lawful amongst Christians the Papists judge it proper to those who have the Rule to Order and Dispose of them and declare to the Flock how when and where they are to be observed And if they who govern judge fit to oblige the Faithful to
and as Represented And as different as the One is from the Other so different is the Papist as reputed by his Maligners from the Papist as to what he is in himself The One is so Absurd and Monstrous that 't is impossible for any one to be of that Profession without first laying by all thoughts of Christianity and his Reason The Other is just contradictory to this and without any farther Apology may be expos'd to the perusal of all Prudent and Vnpassionate Considerers to examine if there be any thing in it that deserves the hatred of any Christian And if it be not in every Point wholly conform to the Doctrine of Christ and not in the least contrary to Reason The Former is a Papist as he is generally apprehended by those who have a Protestant Education such as whensoever reflected on is conceiv'd to be a perverse malicious sort of Creature Superstitious Idolatrous Atheistical Cruel Bloody-minded Barbarous Treacherous and so Prophane and every way Inhumane that 't is in some manner doubted whether he be Man or no. The other is a Papist whose Faith is according to the Proposal of the Catholick Church which by Christ's Command he is oblig'd to believe and hear and whose whole design in this World is for obtaining Salvation in the next And is it not strange that these two Characters so directly opposite so wholly unlike one the other that Heaven and Hell is not more should agree to the same person 'T is certainly a strange piece of injustice and yet not at all strange to those who know that they that follow Christ shall be hated by the World that those who study the Wisdom of Heaven shall have the repute of Fools and that as many as attend the Lamb shall be painted in the Livery of Satan Our Fore-fathers were so before us all the Primitive Christians the Apostles and even the Lamb himself our Redeemer Calumny ever follow'd them Mis-representation waited upon them and what wonder that Infamy was their constant Attendance And now if the Orthodox Christians have thus in all Ages had their double Character one of Justice exactly drawn from what they really believ'd and practis'd the other of Malice copied from them as Mis-represented 'T is not at all strange to find it so now in our days when Calumny Malice Ignorance c. are as powerful as ever who though from the beginning of the World that is above five thousand Years they have made it their chief business to Paint Copy and Represent Things and Persons yet they never did it with so much injury so altogether unlikely as they do now to the Papists there being scarce any one Point of their Faith and Profession which they do not either blindly mistake or basely disguise The Papists believe 't is convenient to pray before Holy Images and give them an inferiour or relative respect These describe the Papists Praying to Images and Worshipping them as Idols The Papists believe 't is good to desire the Prayers of the Saints and Honour them as the Friends of God These Paint out the Papists as believing Saints to be their Redeemers and Adoring them as Gods The Papists believe that Christ left a Power in the Priests of his Church to Absolve all truly Penitent Sinners from their Offences These Represent the Papists as believing That the Priests can infallibly forgive all such as come to Confession whether they Repent or no. The Papists believe there 's Power in the supreme Pastor upon due Motives of granting Indulgences that is of releasing to the Faithful such Temporal Penalties as remain due to their past sins already remitted as to their guilt on condition they perform such Christian Duties as shall be assign'd them i. e. humble themselves by Fasting Confess their sins with a hearty Repentance Receive Worthily and give Alms to the Poor c. These make the Papists believe That the Pope for a sum of Mony can give them leave to commit what sins they shall think fit with a certain Pardon for all Crimes already incurr'd and that there can be no danger of Damnation to any that can but make a large Present to Rome at his death The Papists believe That by the Merits of Christ the good Works of a just Man are acceptable to God and through his Goodness and Promise meritorious of eternal happiness These report That the Papists believe they can merit Heaven by their own Works without any dependance on the work of our Redemption The Papists worship Christ really present in the Sacrament true God and Man These say they fall down to and worship a piece of Bread Some Papists maintain the Deposing Power These will have it to be an Article of their Faith and that they are oblig'd to 't by their Religion Some Papists have been Traytors Rebels Conspirators c. These make these Villanies to be Meritorious among the Papists and that 't is the Doctrine of their Church And thus there is scarce any one thing belonging to their Faith and Exercise of their Religion which is not wrong'd in the describing it and injuriously Mis-represented And if any be so curious as to desire to be satisfied how this comes about let him but stand by any of the Undertakers while they are taking the Copy of Popery and observe their Method and he may soon come to the bottom of the Mystery He may see them seriously viewing some of her Tenets and upon a short consideration immediately to fall to the making Inferences and deducing Consequences then down go these for so many Articles of Popery They go on and see other of her Tenets and these containing Mysteries such as Reason cannot reach to when Faith is not an assistant they are presently follow'd with variety of Absurdities and seeming Contradictions And down go these to the former for so many Articles of Popery They pass on to others and these being not conform to the Principles of their Education several Mis-constructions are presently rais'd upon them and down go these for so many Articles of Popery They look forward and seeing others in the practice of which many Abuses have been committed then down go the Abuses for so many Articles of Popery Hence they turn to the Court of Rome and as many Disorders and Extravagancies as they find there so many Articles of Popery They enquire into the Actions and Lives of her Pastors and Prelates and as many Vices as many wicked Degsins they discover there so many Articles of Popery They examine the behaviour of her Professors and whatsoever Villanies whatsoever Treasons and Inhumanities they find committed by any that own themselves Members of that Communion down they all go for so many Articles of Popery They hear the reports of such as have deserted her Authority and tho' through their extravagancies and rashness they deserve not credit even in a trifle yet their whole Narrative shall be accepted and all their idle Stories be summ'd up for so many
disgrace He holds it in the highest Veneration of all Men living he professes it to be the Dew of Heaven Oracles of God Fountain of Eternal Life that to prophane it is to incur the guilt of Damnation And that we are rather bound to lose our lives than concur any way to its prophanation 'T is true he does not think it fit to be read generally by all without Licence or in the Vulgar-Tongues Not for any dis-respect to it But I. Because he understands that private Interpretation is not proper for the Scripture 2 Pet. 1. 20. II. Because that in the Epistles of Saint Paul are certain things hard to be understood which the unlearned and unstable deprave as also the rest of the Scriptures to their own perdition III. Because God hath given only some to be Apostles some Prophets other-some Evangelists and other-some Pastors and Doctors Eph. 4. 11. For these Reasons he is taught That 't is not convenient for the Scripture to be read indifferently to all men but only such as have express Licence and good testimony from their Curates that they are humble discreet and devout Persons and such as are willing to observe directions in the perusing this Sacred Volume That is take notice of all Godly Histories and imitable examples of Humility Chastity Obedience Mercy to the Poor c. and all such places as are apt to provoke and stir up the hatred of Sin fear of God's Judgements love of Virtue c. and in all Hard Obscure and Disputable Points to refer all to the Arbitrement of the Church to the judgement of those whom God hath appointed Pastors and Doctors Never presuming to contend controul teach or talk of their own Sense and Phansie in deep Questions of Divinity and high Mysteries of Faith but expecting the sense of these from the Lips of the Priest who shall keep knowledge and from whose mouth they shall require the Law Mal. 2. 7. And this Caution is used lest that the Scripture coming into the hands of a presuming sort of proud curious and contentious People be abused and perverted who make it their business to enquire into Dogmatical Mystical High and Hidden secrets of God's Counsels into Predestination Reprobation Election Pre-science and other such incomprehensible Mysteries and upon the presumption of I know not what Spirit immediately become Teachers Controllors and Judges of Doctors Church Scripture and all and acknowledging no Authority left by Christ to which they are to submit under pretence of Scripture and Gods Word make way for all sorts of Prophaneness Irreligion and Atheism So that 't is not for the preserving Ignorance he allows a restraint upon the reading the Scriptures but for the preventing a blind ignorant Presumption And that it may be done to edification and not to destruction and without casting the holy to dogs or pearls to swine XI Of Apocryphal Books HE believes it lawful to make what Additions to Scripture his Party thinks good and therefore takes no notice of the antient Canon approved by the Apostles and Primitive Christians but allows equal Authority to the Books of Toby Judith Ecclesiasticus Wisdom and the Macchabees as to the other part of the Scripture although these were always rejected by the Jews never extant in the Hebrew Copy and expresly condemn'd by St. Jerome as not Canonical and never admitted by the Church but only of late years in some of their Synods which made these Innovations contrary to the sense of their Ancestors HE believes it damnable to add and thing to the Scripture And yet allows the Books of Toby Judith Ecclesiasticus Wisdom Macchabees to be Canonical because the Church of Christ has declar'd them such not only in these later Ages but even in the Primitive times St. Gregory Nazianzen Orat. de SS Macch. who lived in the year 354. Also St. Ambrose lib. de Jacob. vit beat An. 370. Innocent I. Ep. ad Exup They were also received by the Third Council of Carthage Anno 419. which approv'd all these Books as Canonical Can. 47. and was subscrib'd by St. Augustine and confirm'd in the Sixth General Synod August lib. 2. Doct. Christ cap. 8. So that to him 't is of little concern whether they were ever in the Hebrew Copy the Canon of the Church of Christ being of much more Authority with him than the Canon of the Jews He having no other assurance that the Books of Moses and the four Gospels are the true Word of God but by the Authority and Canon of the Church And this he has learn'd from that great Doctor St. Augustine who declares his mind plainly in this case saying That he would not believe the Gospel except the Authority of the Catholick Church mov'd him thereunto Contra Ep. Fundam c. 4. Now he is well satisfied that many doubted whether these Books were Canonical or no and amongst others St. Jerom because the Church had not declar'd them so But since the Church's Declaration no Catholick ever doubted no more than of other Books viz. of the Epistle to the Hebrews the Epistle of St. James the second of St. Peter the second and third of St. John St. Jude 's Epistle and the Apocalyps All which were for many years after the Apostles time doubted of but afterwards declared and receiv'd as Canonical This he finds St. Jerome expresly confessing of himself viz. That for some time the Book of Judith seemed to him Apocryphal to wit till the Council of Nice declar'd it otherwise Praef. in Judith The like he affirms of St. James's Epistle that it was doubted of by many for several years Paulatim tempore procedente meruit authoritatem By little and little in process of time it gain'd Authority De viris illus verb. Jacobus For this reason he matters not what Books have been reputed Apocryphal by some and for some years But only what Books are Receiv'd and Declar'd by the Church Canonical in what year and at what time soever For believing the same spirit of Truth assists her in all Ages he looks upon himself equally oblig'd to receive her Definitions of the Year 4. 19. as of any of the precedent years It not being possible for Christ to fail of his Promise or the Holy Ghost to err or misguide the Church in that year more than in any other XII Of the Vulgar Edition of the Bible HE makes no Conscience of abusing the Scripture and perverting for the maintenance of his Errours and Superstitions And therefore though he dares not altogether lay it by lest he should by so doing lose all claim to Christianity Yet he utterly disapproves it as it is in its genuine Truth and Purity and as allow'd in the Church of England and crying this down he believes it unlawful to be read by any of his Communion And then puts into their hands another Volume which in its Frontis-piece bears the Title indeed of the Word of God with the names of the Books and Chapters but in the