his Communion it having been their Custom ever since Oaths were first devis'd against them rather to suffer the loss of their Goods Banishments Imprisonments Torments and Death it self than Forswear themselves or protest the least Untruth And 't is not out of the memory of Man that several might have saved their Estates and Lives too would they have subscrib'd to and own'd but one Lie and yet refus'd it chusing rather to die Infamously than prejudice their Conscience with an Vntruth So that it seems a great Mystery to him that those of his Profession should have Leave and Dispensations to Lie and Forswear themselves at pleasure and yet that they should need nothing else but Lying and Perjury for the quiet enjoyment of their Estates for the saving their Lives for the obtaining Places of highest Command and greatest Dignity such as would be extraordinarily advantagious for their Cause and the interest of their Church And yet that they should generally chuse rather to forego all these so considerable Conveniences than once Lie or Forswear themselves And is it not another great Mystery that these Dispensations for Lying and Swearing should be according to the Receiv'd Doctrine of his Church and yet that he or any of his Communion were never instructed nor inform'd of any such Diabolical Point nay had never come to the knowledge of it had it not been for the Information receiv'd from some Zealous Adversaries such as relate either meerly upon Trust or else such as have receiv'd a Dispensatiou of Lying from the Devil that they might charge the like Doctrine on the Church of Rome and the Pope XX. Of the Deposing Power HE believes that the Pope has Authority to dispence with his Allegiance to his Prince and that he needs no longer be a Loyal Subject and maintain the Rights Priviledges and Authority of his King than the Pope will give him leave And that if this Mighty Father think fit to thunder out an Excommunication against him then he shall be deem'd the best Subject and Most Christian that can first shed his Prince's Blood and make him a Sacrifice to Rome and he 's but ill rewarded for his pains who after so Glorious an Atchievement has not his Name plac'd in the Kalendar and he Canoniz'd for a Saint So that there can be no greater Danger to a King than to have Popish Subjects he holding his Life amongst them only at the Pope's pleasure 'T IS no part of his Faith to believe that the Pope has Authority to dispense with his Allegiance to his Sovereign or that he can Depose Princes upon any account whatsoever giving leave to their Subjects to take up Arms against them and endeavour their ruin He knows that Deposing and King-killing Power has been maintain'd by some Canonists and Divines of his Church and that it is in their Opinion lawful and annex'd to the Papal Chair He knows likewise that some Popes have endeavour'd to act according to this Power But that this Doctrine appertains to the Faith of his Church and is to be believ'd by all of that Communion is a malicious Calumny a down-right Falsity And for the truth of this it seems to him a sufficient Argument that for the few Authors that are Abettors of this Doctrine there are of his Communion three times the number that publickly disown all such Authority besides several Vniversities and whole Bodies that have solemnly condemn'd it without being in the least suspected of their Religion or of denying any Article of their Faith Those other Authors therefore Publish their own Opinions in their Books and those Popes acted according to what they judg'd lawful and all this amounts to no more than that this Doctrine has been or is an Opinion amongst some of his Church but to raise it to an Article of Faith upon these grounds is impossible Let his Church therefore answer for no more than what she delivers for Faith let Prelates answer for their Actions and Authors for their own Opinions otherwise more Churches must be charg'd with Deposing and King-killing Doctrine besides that of Rome The Vniversity of Oxford having found other Authors of Prenicious Books and Damnable Doctrines destructive to the Sacred Persons of Princes their State and Government besides Jesuits as may be seen in their Decree publish'd in the London Gazette July 26. 1683. In which they condemn'd twenty seven false impious seditious Propositions fitted to stir up Tumults overthrow States and Kingdoms to lead to Rebellion Murder of Princes and Atheism it self Of which number only three or four were ascrib'd to the Jesuits the rest having men of another Communion for their Fathers And this Doctrine was not first condemn'd by Oxford What they did here in in the Year 1683. having been solemnly done in Paris in 1626. Where the whole Colledge of Sorbon gave Sentence against this Proposition of Sanctarellus viz. That the Pope for Heresie and Schism might depose Princes and exempt the Subjects from their Obedience the like was done by the Vniversities of Caen Rhemes Poictoirs Valence Bourdeaux Bourges and the Condemnation subscrib'd by the Jesuits And Mariana's Book was committed publickly to the flames by a Provincial Council of his own Order for the discoursing the Point of King-killing Doctrine problematically Why therefore should this distoyal Doctrine be laid to his Church when-as it has been writ against by several hundred single Authors in her Communion and disown'd and solemnly condemn'd by so many famous Vniversities And why should the Actions of some few Popes with the Private Opinions of some Speculative Doctors be so often and vehemently urg'd for the just charging this Doctrine upon the Faith of the Church of Rome which to a Serious Impartial Considerer are only meer Fallacies capable of Libelling all Societies in the World of overthrowing all States and Kingdoms and only fit Arguments for Knaves to cheat Fools withal There Being no Government in the World which might not be easily proved Tyrannical No Religion Perswasion or Society which might not plausibly be indicted of Atheism If the Actions Pretences Claims and Endeavour of some few of their Governours and Leading Men the Opinions Writings Phansies of some Authors be allow'd as sufficient Evidence for the bringing in the Verdict of Guilty upon the whole When Malice therefore and Envy have done their worst in this point to render the Papists bloody and barbarous to the World yet 't is certain after all that Popish Princes sit as safe in their Thrones enjoy as much Peace and Security as any other Princes whatsoever And that the Papists in England can give as good proofs of their Loyalty as the best of those that clamour so loud against them They can bid defyance to their Adversaries to shew any one Person of Honour and Estate amongst them or even four of any condition whatsoever that bore Arms against Charles the First during the whole time of his Troubles They can make good that there was scarce any amongst
Adversaries the obstinacy of a byas'd Education render a performance in this kind a just Task for a Tertullian's or St. Augustin's hand yet because I find no such eminent Pen engag'd in this design at present and the shewing the true Religion in its own Colours seems a Duty incumbent on every one that 's a lover of Truth I 'le endeavour to pull off the Vizor from suffering Christianity and Apologize for the Catholick Faith that Faith I mean maintained by those Primitive Fathers with so much Vigour and Zeal which being first planted in the Head City of the World by St. Peter hath been propagated throughout the Universe and derived down to us by many Christian Nations in Communion with that See under the Protection of the Holy Ghost and the charge of A Chief Pastor which beginning in that great Apostle has continued in a Visible Succession to these our days This Faith it is for which at present I design to make an Apology which having been in all ages violently oppos'd does at this time most wrongfully suffer under Calumnies and false Imputations I 'le endeavour therefore to separate these Calumnies and Scandals from what is really and Faith and Doctrine of that Church I 'le take off the Black and Dirt which has been thrown upon her and setting her forth in her genuine complexion let the World see how much fairer she is than she 's painted and how much she 's unlike that Monster which is shewn for her And because the Members of this Church are commonly known by the name of Papists I think I cannot take a more sincere open and compendious way in order to the compleating this design than by drawing forth a double Character of a Papist The one expressing a Papist in those very colours as he is painted in the imagination of the Vulgar Foul Black and Antichristian with the chief Aâ—ticles of his imagined Belief and reputed Principles of his Profession The other representing a Papist whose Faith and exercise of his Religion is according to the Direction and Command of his Church That so these two being thus set together their difference and disproportion may be clearly discerned and a discovery made how unlike Calumny is from Truth and how different a Papist really is from what he 's said to be The former Character is of a Papist Mis-represented the other of a Papist Represented The former is a Papist so deform'd and monstrous that it justly deserves the hatred of as many as own Christianity 'T is a Papist that has disturb'd this Nation now above an hundred years with Fears and Jealousies threatning it continually with Fire and Massacres and whose whole design has been to rob the Sovereign of his Crown and the Subject of his Liberty and Property 'T is a Papist that is so abominable so malicious so unsufferable in any Civil Government that for my part I detest him from my heart I conceiv'd an hatred against him and all his from my Education when as yet a Protestant and now being a Roman Catholick I am not in the least reconcil'd to him nor his Principles but hate him yet worse I am so far from thinking the Laws too severe against such Popish Recusants that I could wish a far greater severity were executed against them their Favourers and all such as make men so sottishly Religious And if to be a Protestant nothing more be requisite than to protest against such Popery to hate and detest it I think my self and all Roman Catholicks as good Protestants as any whatsoever throughout his Majesties Dominions And I dare engage that not only as many Roman Catholicks as under the name of Papists have severely smarted in this Nation for being the Professors of such kind of Popery but also that all Roman Catholick Nations in the World shall subscribe to the condemnation of all such Popish Principles and Doctrines shall joyn with all good Protestants for the extinguishing it with all that Profess or Practice it and utter rooting it out from his Majesties three Kingdoms and the whole Universe The other Papist is one that lives and believes according to what is prescrib'd in the Council of Trent in Catechisms set forth by Catholicks and other Spiritual Books for the Direction and Instruction of all in their Communion whose Faith and Doctrine I have here set down with some Grounds and Reasons of it and will so leave it to Apologize for it self In drawing out the Character of the former I have quoted no Authors but have describ'd him exactly according to the Apprehension I had of a Papist fram'd by Me when I was a Protestant with the addition only of some few points which have been violently charg'd against Me by some intimate Friends of late to shew the unreasonableness of my choice after the quitting of that Communion The latter is wholly copied out from the Papist that I am now being the Sum of what I was taught when reconcil'd to the Church of Rome and which after sixteen years conversation with Men of that Communion in hearing their Sermons in being present at their Catechising in reading their Books and discoursing with them I have found to be their Doctrine I have done both I hope with Sincerity and Truth and without Passion For as my endeavours have been that my Religion should lose nothing by Lies so neither do I desire it should gain by them And did I but know of any thing in the following Papers that has any relation to that unchristian Artifice I would strike it out immediately And do here oblige my self upon information either from Friend or Adversary to acknowledge the mistake as it shall be made appear and make a publick Recantation But it is time we should see what these Papists are A PAPIST Mis-represented and Represented I. Of Praying to Images A Papist Mis-represented Worships Stocks and Stones for Gods He takes no notice of the Second Commandment but setting up Pictures and Images of Christ the Virgin Mary and other his Saints He Prays to Them and puts his Trust Confidence in them much like as the Heathens did in their Wooden Gods Jupiter Mars Venus c. And for this reason He erects stately Monuments to Them in his Churches adorns them sumptuously burns Candles offers Incense and frequently falls down prostrate before them and with his Eyes fix'd on them cries out Help me Mary assist me Anthony remember me Ignatius A Papist Represented believes it damnable to Worship Stocks Stones for Gods to Pray to Pictures or Images of Christ the Virgin Mary or any other Saints as also to put any Trust or Confidence in them He keeps them by him indeed to preserve in his mind the memory of the things Represented by them as People are wont to preserve the memory of their deceased Friends by keeping their Picture He is taught to use them by casting his eye upon the Pictures or Images and thence to raise his heart to the Prototypes
Truth and security from Errour he knows there 's nothing capable of being a Rule XIV Of the Interpretation of Scripture HE believes that his Church which he calls Catholick is above the Scripture and prophanely allows to her an uncontrollable authority of being Judge of the Word of God And being fondly abus'd into a distrust of the Scriptures and that he can be certain of nothing even of the Fundamentals of Christianity from what is deliver'd in them though they speak never so plainly he is taught to rely wholly upon this Church and not to believe one word the Scripture says unless his Church says it too HE believes that the Church is not above the Scripture but only allows that Order between them as is between the Judge and the Law And is no other than what generally every Private Member of the Reformation challenges to himself as often as he pretends to decide and doubt of his own or his Neighbours in Religion by interpreting the Scripture Neither is he taught at all to distrust the Scripture or not to relie on it but only to distrust his own private Interpretation of it and not to rely on his own Judgement in the Resolution of any doubt concerning Faith or Religion though he can produce several Texts in favour of his Opinion But in all such cases he is commanded to re-cur to the Church and having learnt from her the sense of all such Texts how they have been understood by the whole Community of Christians in all Ages since the Apostles and what has been their Receiv'd Doctrine in such doubtful and difficult Points he is oblig'd to submit to this and never presume on his own Private Sentiments however seemingly grounded on Reason and Scripture to Believe or Preach any New Doctrine opposite to the Belief of the Church But as he receives from her the Book so also to receive from her the sense of the Book With a Holy Confidence that she that did not cheat him in delivering a False Book for the True one will not cheat him in delivering a False and Erroneous sense for the True one her Authority which is sufficient in the one being not less in the other And his own Private Judgement which was insufficient in the one that is in finding out the True Scripture and discerning it from all other Books being as incapable and in-sufficient in the other that is in certainly discovering the meaning of the Holy Ghost and avoiding all other Heterodox and Mistaken Interpretations XV. Of Tradition HE believes the Scripture to be imperfect And for the supplying of what he thinks Defective in it he admits Humane Ordinations and Traditions of Men allowing equal Authority to these as to the Scriptures themselves thinking himself as much oblig'd to submit to these and believe them with Divine Faith as he does whatsoever is written in the Bible and confessedly spoken by the Author of all Truth God himself Neither will he admit of any one to be a Member of his Communion although he undoubtedly believes every Word that 's written in the Scripture unless he also assents to these Traditions and gives as great credit to them as to the Word of God although in That there is not the least footstep of them to be found HE believes the Scripture not to be imperfect nor to want Humane Ordinations or Traditions of Men for the supplying any defects in it Neither does he allow the same Authority to these as to the Word of God or give them equal credit or exact it of others that desire to be admitted into the Communion of his Church He believes no Divine Faith ought to be given to any thing but what is of Divine Revelation and that nothing is to have place in his Creed but what was taught by Christ and his Apostles and has been believ'd and taught in all Ages by the Church of God the Congregation of all True Believers and has been so deliver'd down to him through all Ages But now whether that which has been so deliver'd down to him as the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles has been by Word of Mouth or Writing is altogether indifferent to him he being ready to follow in this point as in all others the command of St. Paul that is To stand fast and hold the Traditions he has learn'd whether by Word or by Epistle 2 Thess 2. 15. And to look upon any one as Anathema That shall preach otherwise than he has thus receiv'd Gal. 1. 9. So that as he undoubtedly holds the Scripture to be the Word of God penn'd by Prophets and Apostles and inspir'd by the Holy Ghost because in all Ages from Moses to Christ and from Christ to this time it has been so Taught Preach'd Believ'd and Deliver'd successively by the Faithful and never scruples the least of the truth of it nor sticks to assent to it with a stedfast and Divine Faith altho' they are not nor have not at any time been able to prove what they have thus taught and deliver'd with one Text of Scripture In the like manner he is ready to receive and believe all that this same Congregation has together with the Bible in all Ages successively without interruption Taught Preach'd Believ'd and Deliver'd as the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and assent to it with Divine Faith just as he does to the Bible and esteems any one Anathema that shall Preach otherwise than he has thus receiv'd And although some may seriously endeavour to convince him that several Points of Faith and other Religious Practices which he has thus receiv'd and believes are not the Doctrine of Christ nor Apostolical Institutions but rather Inventions of Men and Lessons of Antichrist and should produce several Texts of Scripture for the proving it He is not any thing surpriz'd at it As well knowing that he that follows not this Rule of Believing all to be of Christ that has been universally taught and believ'd as such by the Church of Christ and of understanding the Scripture in the same sense in which it has in all Ages been understood by the same Church may very easily frame as many Creeds as he pleases and make Christ and his Apostles speak what shall be most agreeable to his Humour and suit best with his Interest and find plain proofs for all And make no more difficulty in producing Scripture against Christ's Doctrine than the Jews and the Devil did against Christ's Person who never wanted their Scriptum est It is written when 't was necessary to carry on their designs And if there were any thing in these sort of Arguments to make him doubt of the truth of any Point of Doctrine thus receiv'd he thinks it might make him call in question the Truth of the Scripture and the Bible it self as soon as any thing else They all standing upon the same foundation of the Church's Tradition which if it fail in one leaves no security in any XVI Of Councils
that she is to be thus protected taught and assisted being not only while the Apostles liv'd or for the first three four or five hundred years next after but for ever to the end of the World Behold I am with you all days Matt. 28. 20. He will give you another Paraclete that he may abide with you for ever Joh. 14. 16. And the thing that she is to be thus taught to the end of the World being all truth He shall teach you all truth Joh. 16. 13. Now being assured by these Promises that the Church of Christ shall be taught all Truth by the special assistance of the Holy Ghost to the end of the World he has Faith to believe that Christ will make his Words good and that his Church shall never fail nor be corrupted with Antichristian Doctrine nor be the Mistress of Errours but shall be taught all Truth and shall teach all Truth to the consummation of things and that whosoever hears her hears Christ And whosoever despiseth her despises Christ and ought to be esteemed as an Heathen or a Publican Matt. 18. 17. The like assistance of the Holy Ghost he believes to be in all General Councils which is the Church representative as the Parliament is the Representative of the Nation by which they are especially protected from all Errour in all Definitions and Declarations in matters of Faith So that what the Apostles pronounc'd concerning the Result of their Council Act. 15. 28. It hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to Vs He does not doubt may be perfix'd to all the Determinations in Point of Faith resolv'd on by any General Council Lawfully Assembled since that time or to be held to the Worlds end The Assistance being to extend as far as the Promise And tho' 't is possible that several of the Prelates and Pastors in such an Assembly as also many others in Communion with the Church of Christ should at other times either through Pride or Ignorance prevaricate make Innovations in Faith teach Erroneous Doctrines and endeavour to draw numbers after them yet he is taught that this does not at all argue a Fallibility in the Church nor prejudice her Faith but only the Persons that thus unhappily fall into these Errours and cut themselves off from being Members of the Mystical Body of Christ upon Earth Whilst the Belief of the Church remains pure and untainted and experiences the Truth of what St. Paul foretold That Grievous Wolves shall enter in among you not sparing the Flock Also of your own selves shall Men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them Act. 20. v. 29. 30. which as it prov'd true even in the Apostles time by the fall of Nicholas and his followers as also of several others So it has been verified in all Ages since by turbulent and presuming Spirits broaching new Doctrines and making Separations and Schisms But this without casting any more aspersion on the Church or Congregation of the Faithful than the fall of Judas did on the Apostles or the Rebellion of Lucifer on the Hierarchy of Angels which was no more than that such wicked and presuming Spirits went out from amongst them and were expell'd their Communion as unworthy Neither does it reflect at all on the Churches Authority or make the truth of her Doctrine questionable to him that many of her Eminent Members Doctors Prelates and Leading Men have been or are great enormous Sinners infamous for their Pride covetousness or other Vices whatsoever The Promises of God's continual and un-interrupted assistance to his Church being not to be frustrated by the wickedness of such particular Men tho' in great Dignities These Promises being made surer to her than ever the Jewish Church Which nevertheless stood firm in her Authority and the Delivery of Truth notwithstanding the frequent Idolatry of the People Nadab and Abihu's Consecrated Priests offering strange Fire Corah Dathan and Abiram's making a great Schism and the sins of Moses and Aaron and other High-Priests in all her succeeding Ages Nay tho' all things touching Religion and Virtue were in a manner run to decay in our Saviour's time both in Priests and People yet did he maintain the Authority of the Jewish Church and commanded all to be Obedient and submit to those who had the superiority without calling in question their Authority or doubting of the reasonableness of their Commands The Scribes and Pharisees says he Matt. 23. 2. sit in Moses 's Chair All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do But do ye not after their works If therefore God's special assistance was never wanting to the Church of the Jews so as to let it fail in the Truth of its Doctrine or its Authority notwithstanding the Pride Covetousness Cruelty Impiety Idolatry of many of her Levites Elders Priests and High-Priests Why should not he believe the same of the Church of Christ which as St. Paul says is built on better promises and that it remains entire in the Truth of her Doctrine and her Authority notwithstanding the viciousness of many of her Governours Especially since he 's in a manner confident that there has been nothing so infamous acted by any Priests Prelates Popes or others since Christ's time but what may be follow'd Nay was out-done by the Priests of the Jews XVIII Of the POPE HE believes the Pope to be his great God and to be far above all the Angels That Christ is no longer Head of the Church but that this Holy Father hath taken his place and that whatsoever he Orders Decrees or Commands is to be received by his Flock with the same respect submission and awe as if Christ had spoken it by his own mouth For that his Holiness having once receiv'd the Triple-Crown on his Head is now no more to be look'd upon as Man but as Christ's Vicar whose Office it is to Constitute and Ordain such things as Christ forgot when he was upon Earth not throughly considering what would be the Exigencies of his Flock in future Ages And for this intent he is assisted with a certain Mysterious Infallibility such as hides it self when he is upon his own Private Concerns exposes him to all the Designs Cheats Malice and Machinations of his Enemies and lets him be as easily over-seen as imprudent as silly as his Neighbours But when he comes into his Chair to hear any Publick Business then it begins to appear and protects him from all Mistakes and Errors and he becomes immediately full of the Holy Ghost though he had the Devil and all of Wickedness in him just before HE believes the Pope to be none of his God neither Great nor Little That he is not above the Angels but only a Man He believes that Christ as he is supreme Master Governour and Lord of all created things so also of his Church of which he acknowledges him to be the Founder and Head But as notwithstanding this Lordship and Headship of Christ
whatsoever Judgment or Perswasion they be whether in Communion with his Church or no he is taught to stand to his Word and observe his Promise given or made to any whatsoever and that he cannot cheat or cozen whether by dissembling equivocations or mental reservations without defiance of his own Conscience and the violation of God's Law This is the Instruction he receives from the Pulpit the Confessionary and his Books of Direction The holy Francis Sales in his Introduction to a Devout Life p. 3. c. 30. tells him plainly Let your Talk be courteous frank sincere plain and faithful without double dealing subtility or dissembling This he is taught to observe and practise and that without this 't is not possible to please God In the Catechism ad Parochos compil'd by order of the Council of Trent and recommended to all Parish-Priests for the instruction of the Faithful he is taught that by the Eighth Commandment he is forbidden all dissimulation whether in Word or Deed that cum scelere conjuncta sunt to speak or do otherwise than for the intimation of what is in the mind is abominable and wicked That no man shall bear false witness against his Neighbour whether he be Friend or Enemy And Pope Innocent XI in a Decree issued forth the Second of March Anno 1679. has strictly commanded all the Faithful in virtue of his holy Obedience and under pain of incurring the Divine Vengeance that they never Swear equivocally or with any mental reservation upon no account or pretended convenience whatsoever And that if any presume either publickly or privately to teach or maintain the Doctrine of Swearing with equivocations or mental reservation that they de facto incur Excommunication latae Sententiae and cannot be absolv'd by any but the Pope himself excepting at the hour of death He is taught therefore to speak plainly and sincerely without dissimulations equivocations mental reservations or any such like Artifices which cannot be but very injurious to all Society and displeasing to the First Truth And now if any Authors in communion with his Church be produced as Patrons of inward Reserves and grand Abettors of these mental Juggles let them hold up their hands and answer for themselves Their Church has declar'd for no such Doctrine and is no more to be charg'd with their extravagant Opinions than with the unexemplar lives of other her Members whose irregularities are not at all deriv'd from their Religion but from the neglect of their own corrupt Inclinations and giving way to the temptations of their Enemy XXVII Of a Death-Bed-Repentance HE is bred up in a total neglect of the service of God of all Virtue and Devotion while he is well and in good health upon presumption of a Death-bed-repentance and a confidence that all his sins will be certainly forgiven if he can but once say Lord have mercy upon me at the last hour And 't is a sufficient encouragement to him to rely wholly upon this to see that there is no such profligate Villain none that has liv'd tho' to the heighth of wickedness and debauchery of his Communion but at his death he shall be assisted by a Priest and shall receive an Absolution from all his sins with an absolute promise of being soon admitted to Bliss and Reigning with Christ if he can but once say he is sorry of if his Voice fail him signifie as much by a Nod of his Head or the Motion of a Finger HE is bred up in the Service and Love of God taught to work his Salvation in fear and trembling to provide in health-time against the last hour and by no means to rely upon a Death-bed-Repentance for that Men generally speaking as they live so they die and 't is to be fear'd greatly that those who neglect God Almighty and forsake him all their life-time will never find him at their death So that with St. Augustine he doubts the Salvation of as many as defer their Conversion till that hour and has no encouragement at all to do it However if any are found that have been so neglectful of their Duty as to put off this great business of Eternity to the last moment He is taught that in Charity they ought to have all assistance possible to put them in mind of their condition to excite them to a hearty detestation of all their Offences To let them know that tho' they deserve Hell-fire in punishment of their wickedness yet that they ought by no means Despair for that God is merciful and who knows but if they heartily call upon him and endeavour for a sincere Repentance with an humble confidence on the Merits and Passion of Jesus Christ he may hear their Prayers shew them mercy and give them time to repent These are all the Promises can be given in this point and this is what he sees daily practic'd And if some by these means are preserv'd from falling into despair 't is well But as for any receiving from hence encouragement of coming into the like circumstances he thinks there 's but little danger especially since there 's nothing so often repeated in Books no more common Subjects for Sermons than the displaying the manifold perils of delaying ones Conversion and putting off Repentance till the last hour XXVIII Of Fasting HE is contented the appearance of Devotion and looking not beyond the name of Mortification he sits down well satisfied with the shadow without ever taking care for the substance And this being a great Pretender to Fasting and the Denial of himself he thinks he has sufficiently complied with his Duty in this point and made good his claim if he has but abstain'd from Flesh And tho' at the same time he Regales himself at Noon with all variety of the choicest Fish and stuffs himself at Night with the best Conserves and delicatest Junkets and drinks all day the pleasantest Wines and other Liquors yet he perswades himself that he is a truly Mortified Man that he has most Christian-like commemorated the bitter Death and Passion of his Redeemer and done a work of great force in order to the suppressing his corrnpt Inclinations and satisfying for the Offences of his Life past Nay he has such a preposterous conceit of things that he believes it a greater sin to eat the least bit of Flesh on a Fasting-day than to be down-right Drunk or commit any other Excess as having less scruple of breaking the Commandments of God than of violating any Ordinance of the Pope or any Law of his Church HIS Church teaches him that the Appearance of Devotion the Name of Mortification and pretence to it are only vain and fruitless things if they are not accompanied with the substance And that 't is but a very lame compliance with the Ecclesiastical Precept of Fasting to abstain from Flesh unless all other Excesses are at the same time carefully avoided 'T is true his Church has not forbidden on these days the drinking of Wine but
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
of his Person 'T is not therefore any uncharitableness in his Church to declare plainly this miserable unhappystate of all such who wilfully oppose and seperate from the Doctrine of Christ deliver'd by the Apostles and continued in the Catholick Church and of such who disobey and seperate from the Government of the same Church which Christ has Commanded all to hear and obey But 't is her Zeal so to do and the same solicitude for the salvation of Souls which mov'd the Apostles heretofore to Preach the like Doctrine to their Flock as also the Primitive Christians to expel their Communion and Anathematize all such who by broaching erroneous Tenets contrary to any point of Receiv'd Doctrine or by disobedience did wilfully divide themselves from the Belief or Discipline of the Catholick Church Such as were Marcion Basilides and Bardesanes who were Condemn'd in the First Age for opposing that Article of our Faith in which we believe the Resurrection of the Dead such the Archonticks Condemn'd likewise for denying the necessity of Baptism Such Tatianus c. for Preaching Marriage to be unlawful Such the Millenarians for maintaining a thousand Years Reign of Christ upon Earth with his Saints in sensual pleasures And so in all Ages others were condemn'd upon the like account It having been always a received Custom even in the purest time of the Gospel for the Elders and Prelates to whose charge Christ committed the care of his Flock to oppose all those that by new Doctrin or by making Schisms and Divisions did disturb its peace and not to permit any that by such like means did endeavour to destroy his Unity so much desired and recommended by the Apostles So that they were equally declar'd Enemies of Christianity who denyed Christ and they who confessing Christ did yet contradict and reject any part of his Doctrin And this upon the Principle that Christian Faith ought to be entire For that every Article Mystery and Point of it being deliver'd by the same hands and recommended by the same Authority whosoever did oppose any one Point of it was immediately judg'd guilty of all in discrediting the Authority on which the whole stood equally grounded And this is that great Truth proclaimed above thirteen hundred years ago and now every where read in St. Athanasius's Creed Whosoever will be saved before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholick Faith Which Faith except every one do keep Whole and undefiled without doubt he shall perish everlastingly By which words was made known to the Christian World the Sense and Doctrine of the then pure and unspotted Church as receiv'd from Christ and his Apostles That it is in vain for any one to hope for Salvation unless he first believe the Catholick Faith and that whosoever does not believe it Whole and Undefiled shall certainly perish everlastingly Which is a Doctrin like that deliver'd by the Apostle concerning the observance of the Laws of God that as whosoever fails in one is made guilty of all so also whosoever disbelieves one Article of the Catholick Faith does in a manner disbelieve all There being no more hopes of Salvation for one that denies obstinately any one Point of the Catholick Faith tho' he believes all the rest than there is for one who keeps Nine of the Commandments with the Breach of the Tenth An obstinate opposition against one Point of Faith and a sin against one Commandment being as certainly damnable as if 't were against all There being the same reason and an equal necessity that the Observance of God's Law and the Assent to the Catholick Faith be alike entire and Whole And now being convinc'd that none can believe to Salvation but he that embraces the Catholick Faith thus wholly and entirely by an equal submission to all the Mysteries contain'd in it without opposition to any And being likewise convinc'd that no one can arrive to the true knowledg of this Faith with an assurance of its Integrity but by receiving it as propos'd and believ'd by the Church of Christ Which Church was founded by the Son of God watred with his Bloud and by an infallible assistance of the Holy Ghost by which it was to be taught all Truth to the end of the World was secur'd from the danger of being deceiv'd or deceiving others to the consummation of things he does not doubt but as in the Apostles time so also ever since and at present God addeth to this Church daily such as shall be saved Acts 2. 47. there being no entire faith necessary to Salvation to be found out of this Church and no possibility as St. Cyprian says that God shall be a Father to any who own not this Church for his Mother But now where and which this Church is and what Society of Men are Members of it among such variety of Pretenders though it may seem a great difficulty to some to distinguish yet to him it is none at all for since there is no other Church besides the Roman Catholick which has had a continued and visible Succession of Bishops and Pastors in all Ages since the Apostles no other that has converted Infidel Nations to Christianity no other that has always preserv'd Peace and Unity amongst its Members all of them speaking the same thing and being perfectly join'd together in the same mind and the same judgment no other that by assembling the Elders and Prelates has oppos'd in all ages Heresies and Schisms and condemn'd all those who not sparing the Flock have spoken perverse things endeavouring to draw away disciples after them no other that has in obedience to the command of Christ send Apostles amongst Infidels and Unbelievers for the preaching to them the Gospel and instructing them in Christianity and by this way without Arms or blood have spread their Faith throughout the World No other that by evident and undeniable Miracles have prov'd the truth of her Doctrin No other but what has begun by seperation whose first Preachers have gone out from this the time of their first Preaching and shewing themselves to the World being upon Record and their new Doctrine censur'd and condemn'd by that Church from whence they separated Since I say there 's no other Society or Christian Congregation in the World to which these certain Marks of the Church of Christ does agree 't is evident to him that this is the only true Church that whosoever denies any Article of her Faith denies so much of Christ's Doctrin that whosoever hears her hears Christ and whosoever obstinately and wilfully is separated from her is in the same distance sparated from Christ himself and finally that God addeth to this Church daily such as shall be saved Acts 2. 47. 36. Of Ceremonies and Ordinances HIs Church upon the presumption of being Apostolical and Commissioned by Christ has brought in such an infinite number of unnecessary superstitions Ceremonies that the whole exercise of her Religion consists in nothing but a vain
destroy 'T was this made them encourage all under their care not to waver but to stand fast and hold the profession of their Faith and notwithstanding all pretences by no means to suffer themselves to be deluded and led away with strange Doctrine and that they might the better secure them from falling into Errours they gave them a Draught of their Christian Doctrine especially of all those points which these modern self-commissionated Apostles did preach against and endeavour to undermine particularly declaring to them the Faith they had been bred up in which they had receiv'd from their Forefathers and been deriv'd even from the Apostles Securing them that whatsoever was contrary to this was Novelty and Errour And now in the Pastors declaring this to the Faithful where was the Innovation The Council did nothing but propose fully and explicately what before their meeting was the Doctrine of all Christendom and had been so amongst the Primitive Fathers 'T was they made Innovation who preach'd contrary to the Doctrine thus believ'd and receiv'd which Luther was not asham'd to own himself guilty of plainly acknowledging that He separated from the whole World But it seems that the whole World was then corrupted and the Religion then every where profess'd was overgrown with Superstitions Errors and Abominations such as had crept into the Church some five Hundred Years before some nine Hundred and some a Thousand and 't was from these Luther separated intending to Reform Christianity and bring it to the purity of the Primitive times of the first three Hundred Years And was it not very strange now that so many gross Fooleries idle Superstitions and even down-right Idolatry should creep into a Church and spreading it self through all Nations infect the whole World becoming the publick profession of Christendom for so many hundred Years and be confirm'd and establish'd by the Laws of every Kingdom and that no body should take notice of any such thing either at its first Rise or in all its progress of so many Years Insomuch that had not Luther made the Discovery 't is likely we should never have come to the knowledge of these Thousand Years Errors and Corruptions No thinking Man certainly but judges it impossible that the very Fundamentals of Christianity should be shaken and the Religion planted by the Apostles turned into Idolatry and yet that no Learned Man should any where appear to contradict these Abominations no Zealous Pastors to withstand them no pious Princes to oppose them History sufficiently satisfies any Curious Reader that from the first planting of the Church there has been in no Age and Man yet that has preach'd any Heterodox and Erroneous Tenets and by introducing Novelties has endeavour'd to infect the minds of the Faithful with Heresie and Superstition but immediately have stood up Virtuous and Learned Men in defence of the Truth in their Writings and Sermons publickly confuting and condemning the Errours and giving an Alarm to the World to beware of such Deceivers and their wicked Doctrine and withal never omitting to Record their Names to Posterity with an account of the Year when they began to Preach under what Emperours and what was the occasion of their Revolt Was not all this and even more done against Arius How many appear'd against the Manichees How many against the Donatists against the Novatians against the Macedonians the Nestorians the Eutychians the Pelagians the Berengarians c. So that never any thing has made so much noise in the World so many commotions so many disturbances nothing has been so impossible to be carryed on with secresie and silence as the broaching any new Heresie the making a Schism the alteration of Religion the starting up of some new Society and Pretenders to Reformation What Tumults did all the fore-mentioned Apostles raise disturb'd at the Doctrine of Mahomet and the crying up the Alcoran What Stirs and Commotions at the Reformation of Church and Faith pretended by Luther Zwinglius and Calvin How then can it be judg'd in the least probable that great variety of erroneous Tenets and Antichristian Doctrin should be introduc'd by the Papists contrary to the sense and belief of all Christianity either in the fourth fifth sixth or tenth Century and yet that there should not be the least disturbance occasion'd by it no tumults or opposition but all done with so much quietness in such a profound Peace and Silence that had it not been for the News brought some Ages after we had never suspected the Alteration And is this possible Is it possible that the whole Christian World should change their Religion both as to the Internal Belief and external Profession and exercise of it and no body be sensible of the change so as to withstand the Abomination or to transmit to Posterity even so much as the least Word of its beginning or propogation Let any man upon some consideration tell me whether it be possible that this one little Kingdom of England should fall from this Pure Apostolical Doctrine it now professes into down-right Popery or any other way alter the whole Sheme of its Religion and have the Alteration confirm'd by several Acts of Parliament and continue in the publick Exercise of it for a thousand five hundred or even on hundred years and yet no one in this Kingdom or out of it should be sensible of the Alteration but also to be manag'd with such Policy and Craft that the whole business should be a Secret for many Ages And if this be scarce to be thought possible of this one Kingdom what can be imagin'd when 't is affirm'd of many Nations of the whole Christian World Can any thing look more like a Fable or Romance Or can any Rational Man barely upon such a Report condemn the Faith and Religion of his Ancestors for Novelty and Humane Inventions and quite laying aside this take him for the Rule of his Reformation who thus without Reason Justice or Truth has thrown such an Infamy upon all the Christians preceeding him for a thousand years But not to insist upon these reasonings for the wiping off the scandal of Novelty from the Doctrine of the Church of Rome 't would not be amiss here to look beyond the Tenth Century as also beyond the time of Pope Gregory And if in those earlier Christians nothing can be found of that Faith and Profession which is charged as Novelty and Errour against the Church or Rome all the Papists in the World shall joyn with their Adversaries and condemning Pope Gregory for a Seducer and all of the Tenth Age for so many Ignoramus's shall in one voice with them cry out against all such Doctrine Novelty Novelty Errour Errour But if on the contrary every Point thus challeng'd of Novelty shall appear to have been the Profession of the Faithful in the time of the Purity of the Gospel if before Pope Gregory we find that Invocation of Saints the Real Presence Transubstantiation Purgatory Prayer for the
of idle Stories and ridiculous Inventions in favour of his Saints which he calls Miracles that nothing can be related so every way absurd foolish and almost impossible but it gains credit with him and he is so credulously confident of the truth of them that there 's no difference to him betwixt these Tales and what he reads in Scripture 'T is a pretty Romance to see what is recounted of St. Francis's Cord the Scapular St. Anthony St. Bridget and other such Favourites of Heaven He that has but read the Atchievements of these may excuse the perusal of Bevis of Southampton the Seven Champions or Quevedo ' s Dreams For these are nothing to compare to the former either for the rare invention wonderful surprises or performance of impossibilities HE is not oblig'd to believe any one Miracle besides what is in the Scripture and for all others he may give the credit which in prudence he thinks they deserve considering the Honesty of the Relator the Authority of the Witnesses and such other circumstances which on the like occasions use to gain his assent And if upon the account of meer History and the consent of Authors few make any doubt but that there was such a one as Caesar Alexander Mahomet Luther c. Why should he doubt of the truth of many Miracles which have not only the like consent of Authors and History but also are attested by great numbers of Eye-witnesses examin'd by Authority and found upon Record with all the formalities due to such a Process St. Augustine relates many Miracles done in his time so does St. Jerom and other Fathers and if they doubted nothing of them then Why should he question the truth of them now He finds that in the time of the Old Law God favour'd many of his Servants working Miracles by their hands and he thinks now that God's hand is not shortned that the Disciples of Christ are no less Favourites of Heaven than those of Moses and that the new Law may be very well allow'd to be as Glorious and as particularly priviledg'd as the Old especially since Christ promised that his Apostles should do greater Miracles than ever He himself had done And what if some Miracles recounted by Authors are so wonderfully strange to some they seem Ridiculous and Absurd are they the less true upon this account Is not every thing Ridiculous to Vnbelievers The whole Doctrine of Christ is a Scandal to the Jews and Folly to the Gentiles And what more Absurd to one that wants Faith than the Miracles recounted in the Old Testament Might not such a one turn them all into Ridicule and Buffoonry Take but Faith away and see what becomes of Balaam and his Ass Sampson and his Jaw-bone Elias and his Fiery-Chariot Elijah's Mantle Ax-head and Dead-Bones Gideon's Pitchers Lamps and Trumpets in demolishing the Walls of Jericho Moses and his Burning-Bush his holding up his hands for the Victory over his Enemies his parting of the Red-Sea and Joshua's commanding the Sun to stand still c. Might not these and all the rest be painted out as Ridiculous as any supposed to be done since Christ's time and be put in the same List with the History of Bevis or Guy of Warwick A little incredulity accompanied with a presumption of measuring God's Works by Humane Wisdom will really make the greatest part of them pass for Follieâ— and Absurd Impossibilities And though he is so far from giving equal assent to the Miracles related in Scripture and the others wrought since that the former he believes with a Divine Faith and the rest with an inferiour kind of assent according to the Grounds and Authority there is in favour of them like as he does in Prophane History Yet the strangeness of these never makes him in the least doubt of the Truth of them since 't is evident to him that all the Works of Heaven far surpass all his reasoning and that while he endeavours but to look even into the very ordinary things daily wrought by God Almighty the Motion of the Sun Moon and Stars the Flowing of the Sea the Growing an Ear of Corn the Light of a Candle the Artifice of the Bees c. he quite loses himself and is bound to confess his own Ignorance and Folly and that God is Wonderful in all his Works a God surpassing all our knowledge Whatsoever therefore is related upon good grounds as done by the extraordinary Power of God he is ready to assent to it although he sees neither the how the why nor the wherefore being ready to attribute all to the Honour and Praise of his Maker to whose Omnipotent Hand most of poor Man's impossibles are none XXXIII Of Holy Water HE highly approves the Superstitious use of many inanimate things and attributes wonderful effects to such Creatures which are but in a very inferiour rank and able to do no such things Holy Water is in great esteem with him so are Blessed Candles Holy Oyl and Holy Bread in which he puts so much confidence that by the Power of these he thinks himself secure from all Witchcraft Inchantment and all the power of the Devil nay that by the help of these senseless Mediators he may obtain remission of his Venial or lighter sins And in the use of these things he is taught by his Church to be so obstinately positive as if he had the Authority of Fathers and Scripture to back it when-as there is not the least grain of Reason no hint of Antiquity no Text throughout the Word of God for the defence command or even permission of it HE utterly dis-approves all sorts of Superstition And yet is taught to have an esteem for Holy-Water Blessed Candles Holy Oyl and Holy Bread not doubting but that as such Men who have Consecrated themselves to the Service of God in the Preaching the Gospel and Administration of the Sacraments have a particular respect due to them above the Laity As Churches Dedicated to God are otherwise to be look'd on than other dwelling Houses So likewise these other Creatures which are particularly deputed by the Prayers and Blessing of the Priest to certain uses for God's own Glory and the Spiritual and corporal good of Christians ought to be respected in a degree above other things And what superstitions in the use of them Has not God himself prescrib'd such in-animate things and Holy Men made use of them for an intent above their natural Power and this without any Superstition Was there Superstition in the Waters of Jealousie Numb 5. 17. In the Shue-Bread in the Tables of Stone in the Salt us'd by Elijah for sweet'ning the infected Waters in the Liver of the Fish taken by the Angel Raphael for expelling the Devil Was it Superstition in Christ to use Clay for the opening the eyes of the Blind or in the Apostles to impose hands for the bringing down the Holy Ghost upon Christians or to make use of Oyl for the curing of the Sick
Dead the Vse of Holy Images Relicks the Sign of the Cross Processions c. were a receiv'd Doctrine and common Practice of Christian in those Primitive times Then shall the Papists remain as they are as being of the sinne Faith and Religion with those Antient Believers without any Additions and Alterations and all their Adversaries ought in justice to return again to their Communion and making up one Quire cry out with them Blessed are they who believes as our Forefathers believ'd who receiv'd their Faith from the Apostles and their Successors and Accursed be they who separate from this Faith and upon the Noise of Novelty and Errour make Divisions in the Church and fall from her Communion believing Lies rather than Truth In order to this I intended in this place to have given the Reader a fair prospect of the Doctrine and Belief of the Fathers at the first five hundred years after Christ but finding the Matter to increase so much beyond expectation upon my hands I have reserv'd them for another occasion But however upon confidence of what I am able to produce in that point I cannot omit to assure the Reader that the chief and most material Points charg'd upon the Church of Rome for Novelty the Primitive Fathers do so plainly own to have been the Faith and Profession of the Church in their days and to have been deliver'd down and taught as the Doctrine of the Apostles that an impartial Considerer need not take much time to conclude whether are the greater Innovators those that now Believe and Profess these Tenets and Practices or they that disown or reject them 'T is evident that every Point of that Doctrine which is now decry'd for Popery and basely stigmatiz'd with the note of Errours introduc'd of late and of a modern invention is by many Ages older than those who are reputed to be the Authors that every particular Article laid to the Ignorance of the Tenth Century and to the contrivance of Pope Gregory are as expresly and clearly own'd and taught some Ages before as it is now at this day That those Great Men were as down-right Papists in these Points as we are now And that any disturber of Christianity might have as well defam'd them for believers of Novelties and Errours as we are now at this present The Faith that they profess'd then we profess now and if any of our Doctrine be Novelty 't is a Novelty of above twelve hundred years standing And who can question it not to be of an older date If it was the publick belief of the Christian World in the fourth Century who can be better Witnesses of what was believ'd before them even in the third Age than They They tell us that the Doctrine they maintain and deliver is the Faith of the Catholick Church receiv'd from their Fore-fathers and as it was taught by the Apostles and we don't find that in any of these Points they were challeng'd by any Authority or opposed by the Pastors of the Church or any Writers either then living or succeeding them but received always with great veneration And upon what grounds can any callenge them now Is it possible that any living now can give a better account of what was believ'd and practis'd in the third Age than They that immediately follow'd them Which will be more credible Witnesses of what was done in Forty Eight those that shall be alive fifty years hence or they that are not yet to come these thousand years If therefore these Holy Men declare to us the Doctrine they believ'd with an assurance that it was the Faith of the Catholick Church so believ'd by their Ancestors and as they had receiv'd it from the Apostles and their Successors do not they deserve better credit than others who coming a thousand years after cry out against all these several Points that they are nothing but Novelty and Errour 'T is evident therefore to him that this noise of Novelty was nothing but a stratagem for the introducing of Novelties and that those that brought an Infamy upon these Points by this aspersion might with as great applause every and as easily have laid a scandal upon other Article of the Christian Faith which they thought fit to retain and have had them all exploded for Novelty And this has been so far done already that even three parts of that Doctrine pick'd out by the first Reformers for Apostolical and conform to the Word of God we have seen in our days clamour'd against for Novelty and thrown by with as general Approbation and as clear Evidence of the charge as ever they laid by Transubstantiation and the Primacy The first Reformers cast off the Authority of the first Bishop as being a Novelty Others soon after cry'd down the Authority of all Bishops for a Novelty The First disown'd a great part of the Priestly Function as being lately crept in the Others disown'd all the rest and even Ordination it self as having all crept in together The First threw out a great number of Ceremonies as being not Apostolical but of a modern Institution The Others threw out even what they had retain'd for being no more an Ordination of the Apostles than the former The First laid by five of the Sacraments the Others laid by the other two And thus Novelty was the Word whensoever any receiv'd Doctrine of Christianity was to be outed and may to be made for a Novelty And he does dot doubt but that if the noise of Novelty continue long so unhappily successful as of late and the liberty be permitted to every presuming Spirit to fix this scandal upon whatsoever Doctrine or Institution they shall think fit that all Christianity is in a fair way of being thrown out of doors and the Bible Preaching Catechising Christ's Incarnation and Passion c. is as likely to be cast off for a Novelty as all the rest have been Those that will but shew to the People that even these things have been all receiv'd from Rome and that the Papists by their Missonaries spread these Doctrines over the World may soon perswade them they are nothing but Popish Inventions meer Novelties that those that began the Reformation did their business by halves and that the World will never be throughly Reform'd till all these Romish Superstitions are laid by with the rest they being of the same date He takes no notice thereof of all the clamours rais'd against several points of the receiv'd Doctrine of his Church his Faith is founded on better Principles than to be shaken with such a Vulgar Engine Novelty Novelty is a cry that may fright unthinking Men from their Religion but every serious Man will require better Motives than a Noise before he forsake any point of his Faith and 't is impossible he should joyn with any in condemning such things for Novelties which he finds the Profession of all Antiquity The Conclusion THese are the Characters of the Papist as he is Mis-represented
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