from many instances that by Vertue of their Conduct they can change appearing Sheep at least as unto their natural Tempers into that which is Violent Bloody and Poysonous 6. Under pretence of being this Guide and to impose their Pretensions thereunto on the Minds and Consciences of men this Church hath filled most Nations of Europe with Blood and Slaughter making horrible Devastations of innumerable Persons both fearing God and living Peaceably in the World Ten times more Blood of Christians hath been shed by them unto this End than was shed in all the Primitive Pagan Persecutions All that Dissent from them may say Quae Regio in terris nostri non plena cruoris Is there any Nation in Europe that is not filled with our Bloud The Last Day alone can discover the Blood that hath been shed secretly or with little noise by the Inquisition in the Spanish and some of the Italian Territories England France Germany Flanders Holland Ireland can speak for themselves in the Cruelties which unto this End have been executed in them The sole Reason of all this Inhumane Violence hath been that men would not submit their Souls and Consciences unto that Absolute Power over them and Conduct of them which their Church claimeth unto it self And it is most Probable that their Absolute Conduct is of the same Nature with the Ways and Means whereby they do Attempt it or have Obtained it When men by Force and Fraud Blood and Slaughters do endeavour to impose their Rule upon us we are not to expect but that the Rule will be answerable unto the Means that are used for the Attaining it As in the first Planting and Propagation of Christian Religion the Way and Means of them were Spiritual Light and the evident Exercise of all Graces especially Meekness Humility Patience in Sufferings and Contempt of the World Hereon men had just Grounds to Believe and Expect that the Conduct which they were Invited and Called unto under the rule of Christ would be of the same Nature Meek Holy Just and Good whereof by Experience they found full Assurance So where the Rule of our Souls and Consciences is attempted and carried on by Violence Blood Cruelty and Desolation of Nations we have just Ground to believe that if those who use them do prevail therein their Leading and Rule will be of the same Nature It is but Reasonable therefore for any man before he make choice of this Guide to ask of himself or others these few Questions Is there any thing in the Gospel which gives countenance unto this way of imposing a Guide in Religion on the Minds and Consciences of men Was there any thing like it in the Practices of our Lord Jesus Christ his Apostles or the Primitive Churches Doth this way make a just Representation of the Spirit the Meekness the Holiness the Love the Patience of our Lord Jesus Christ Is it consistent with the Genius of the Doctrine of the Gospel the Religion taught therein as unto its Nature and Ends concerning our Deportment in this World and our Tendency unto another Can any man think without Horror that our Lord Jesus Christ should be the Authour of this way that he hath appointed that all men should be Starved or Hanged or Burned or otherwise Slaughtered who would not Submit unto this Doctrine or Rule of this or any Church as some of the worst of men shall please to state them Is not this that which among other things gives us Assurance that the Doctrine and Superstition of Mahomet were from Hell from the Old Murderer in that it is a prime Dictate of them that those who will not Submit unto them are to be destroyed with Fire and Sword By that time a man hath a little weighed these Enquiries with such other of the same Nature that may be added unto them if he be not forsaken of all sense of the Glory of Christ of the Honour of the Gospel of the Reputation of Christian Religion and all care of the Salvation of his own Soul he will make a long stand before he give up himself Absolutely unto the Conduct of this Church 7. I cannot but mention in the next place that which because it is commonly pleaded I shall but mention And this is that many important Principles and Practices of the Religion which this pretended Guide would impose upon us are evidently suited unto the Carnal Interests and Lusts of them who have the Conduct of it Such are Purgatory Papal Pardons Sacrifices for the Dead Auricular Confession with Priestly Absolution thereon Many have already declared how the Notion and Superstition of these things did both raise and do maintain their Revenues and are otherwise made use of to make Provision for the Flesh to fulfill it in the Lusts thereof And there lyeth no Encouragement herein to ingage Wise men to give up themselves unto its Conduct But 8. Considerate men will be afraid of that conduct under which Christian Religion hath lost all its native Beauty Simplicity spiritual Glory and Power How are these things represented unto us in the Gospel How were they exemplified unto us in the lives of the Apostles and of all the sincere primitive converts The Church was through them a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein dwelt Righteousness The whole of Religion as it was at first professed was nothing but a Representation of the Wisdom Truth Holiness Love and Compassion of Christ an evident and glorious means to recover mankind from its Apostacy from God and to re-introduce his Image on the Soules of men a blessed way continually to exercise the Power of Love Goodness Charity Bounty Zeal and Delight in God a Testimony given unto the Truth Reality and substance of things spiritual invisible and eternal with their preference above all earthly things Under their conduct is this Beauty this Glory of Christian Religion lost and defaced Wee may say with the Prophet of old how is the faithfull City become an Harlot Righteousness lodged in it but now Murderers Isa. 1. 21. The Church is the Temple of God could we have looked into it of old wee might by faith have seen Christ sitting on his Throne the train of his Light Holiness Love and grace filling the whole Temple Look into it under their conduct and there is the dreadful Appearance of the Lawless Person the man of sin sitting in the Temple of God shewing himself to be God to our Horror and Amazement Look into the Primitive Assemblyes of Christians 2. Cor. 3. 8 9 10. you shall see Meekness Humility and the glorious Ministration of the Spirit in outward Simplicity Look into those of this Guide and you shall see them like the House of Micah Judg. 17. 5. an House of Gods with Molten Images graven Images Ephods and Teraphims multiplyed Instruments of Superstition and Idolatry Look on their Conversation of old in the World and it was humble peaceable useful profitable unto Mankind with a contempt of
can chuse the Church of Rome for this Guide foregoing the other of the Scripture with the Divine Aids promised and given for the understanding thereof The Person of whom I speak I suppose to be a wise man that is one who prefers things eternal unto those that are temporal so as not to be ensnared by earthly Interests and Advantages unto the forfeiture of his Interest in things above and will be careful not to be imposed on by men who design their own Advantage in what they would perswade him unto He who is otherwise minded is a fool He is also one that feareth God and therefore is real and in good earnest in Religion as desiring to please him in all things For there are many who give the world no small disturbance about religious concerns who do on all occasions manifest that they have little or no regard unto God in what they say or do But in the Persons whom I address unto I suppose that they really take care above all other things of the eternal salvation of their souls And I shall not deal with them by abstruse Arguments nor by Testimonies of men that may be bandied up and down on the one side and the other but by such plain Reasonings as are accommodated unto the common understanding of all sober sedate rational Persons who own the Principles of Christian Religion which have their force from the general usage of mankind in things of an alike nature the common natural Principles of mens minds where they are not vitiated and depraved with the experience of what they have found already in any Duties of Religious Worship Indeed if we could but prevail with men to be perswaded that every man must believe for himself and obey for himself and give an account for himself this difference would be at an end For the choice of the Church of Rome to be the Guide enquired after is nothing but the putting of the care of saving our souls unto others who will not be able to answer for us when our Trial shall come And this subject in particular I have chosen at present to insist upon for two Reasons 1. Because as was before observed those who at present do plead the Interest of this Church among us do decline what they can all particular Controversies and under various notions betake themselves to this alone about an Authoritative Guide and Leader of all Christians which they pretend their Church to be They do not in their projection for Proselytes go to them and enter into Disputes about Transubsubstantiation the Sacrifice of the Mass Adoration of Images or the like no nor yet about the Popes Infallibility But supposing themselves to be greatly advantaged by the differences in Religion that are among us which usually they enlarge upon without either truth or modesty under a concealment of greater differences among themselves they insist only on the necessity of such a Guide which they pretend their Church alone to be Hereby have they prevailed on many who on one account or other do think themselves unmeet any longer to take care of their own salvation And when once they have prevailed herein there is nothing so horrid nothing so wicked that they cannot impose on the consciences of their Proselytes They will not now scruple or stick at all at those things which they would have dreaded to have thought of whilst they had the care of themselves in any measure upon them Not one man of a thousand who supposeth that he hath himself and his own soul in charge that he must give an account of and for himself will venture on those waies and practices which they will with great satisfaction rush into under their conduct 2. Because of the strange waies they have lately taken to put this pretence into use and practice and to take us all under their conduct Pretending unto the guidance of our souls in the things of God they have attempted to take us into their power as unto our Lives Liberties Laws and all other our concernments in this world which whosoever doth unlawfully forfeits all his own And a sufficient Indication it is of what Guidance we were like to meet withal when way was to be made unto it by Fire Confusion Blood Massacres and Sedition Should there be a School erected pretending unto an easie certain way of teaching all Sciences Divine and Humane should it pretend a Grant that nothing of this nature should be taught or learned but in and by it yet if I saw the posts of the house hung like Shambles with the limbs of slaughtered person if the ground about it be strewed with the bones and ashes of men burned to death here lying one strangled there another stabbed a third poisoned all for no other cause but either because they would not submit to the teaching thereof or would not learn things foolish and wicked I should avoid such a School and its Power so far as I were able But yet because there hath of late among us a great accession been made really unto this Guidance by persons formerly professing the Protestant Religion I shall a little enquire into the Causes of it or the Means whereby it hath been brought about And I shall not fear to say that as unto the most of them who have relinquished the Protestant Religion they are these that follow 1. A profound Ignorance of the Internal Powers of Religion with an utter want of all experience of them in themselves makes them an easie prey to seducers Persons who have never had any concernment in Religion beyond the out-side solemnity of it with some notions and opinions about the Doctrines of it are easily tossed to and fro from one Religion unto another or unto none at all through the cunning slights of men who lye in wait to deceive When men have only a form of Godliness in the Profession of the Truth but know nothing of the Power of it it is an uncertain Accident whether they persevere in that Profession or no. There are Internal Powers of true Religion which are efficacious on the minds of men to enlighten them to purifie them and give them liberty from the adverse Powers of darkness vanity and bondage unto sin Where men have experience of them in their own hearts there and there alone if a vigorous impression unto the contrary do befall them will they be constant in the Profession of the Truth The success of our Roman Emissaries is confined almost unto that sort of Persons who under the outward Profession of the Protestant Religion have been totally ignorant of the vertue and power of the Truth contained therein 2. Wickedness of Life taking shelter in the Promises of eternal security which that Church with presumptuous confidence tenders unto all that will give up themselves unto her conduct though in the last moment of their lives gains them a multitude of Proselytes This engine they apply unto many when they are leaving the world
THE CHURCH OF ROME NO Safe Guide OR Reasons to prove that no Rational man who takes due care of his own Eternal Salvation can give himself up unto the Conduct of that Church in matters of Religion By John Owen D. D. JEREM. 7. 4 9 10. Trust ye not in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these Will ye steal murder and commit Adultery and swear falsly and burn Incense unto Baal and walk after other Gods whom ye know not and come and stand before me in this house which is called by my Name LONDON Printed for Nathaniel Ponder at the Peacock in the Poultry over against the Stocks Market 1679. Imprimatur March 5. 1679. PREFACE THE Ensuing Discourse was the Subject and Substance of two Sermons Preached unto a Private Congregation The Author of them had no design or purpose ever to have made them Publick The importunity of many who judged they might be of use unto others because they found them so unto themselves gave occasion unto this Publication of them Yet had they not so prevailed but that he judged it was neither unmeet for him nor unseasonable for others In publico discrimine omnis homo miles est No man is to be forbidden to bring his Bucket to help allay the flames of a raging Fire And it is the Pretence of the Church of Rome to be the only Guide of all Christians in Religion which is here examined a work which a concurrence of all sorts of circumstances renders seasonable For as this Pretence is the sole Foundation of the whole Papacy with all the Power and secular Advantages that it hath obtained unto it self so it is that alone which gives countenance and warranty unto the Factors and Agents of that Church to design and prepetrate such things as are destructive of all that is praise-worthy or desireable among Mankind and unspeakably scandalous unto Christian Religion Remove the sand or rubbish hereof and the whole Fabrick will dissolve of it self and fall to the ground This small Discourse is an Attempt unto that end whose success is humbly recommended unto the care of God over his Church If there seem to be any severities of expression used towards some of the Church of Rome the Reader is to consider that hard things cannot well be represented in soft and pliant words And if there be nothing of this nature found but what hath the appearance of severity from the things themselves which are expressed there is no blameable excess However the Author is one who heartily desires and prayes for the outward Peace and Tranquility of all men in this world whose Principles will allow them to live peaceably with others THE CHURCH of ROME NO SAFE GUIDE THE Foundation of the small ensuing discourse shall be laid in a Position wherein as I suppose Persons of all sorts who are concerned in the things treated about are agreed namely that it is the Duty of every man who taketh care of his own eternal Salvation to betake himself into some Guide or Conduct that may safely lead him unto the Knowledge of the Truth and the Practice of Christian Obedience The Nature of Religion the State of our own Minds in this World with the eternal Importance of a safe unerring Guidance in things Spiritual and Supernatural do require that the utmost of our Diligence and Prudence be used in the discharge of this Duty in the choice of this Guide No man of himself is sufficient by his own Reason alâ—ne to be his own Guide They who thinking themselves wise have attempted so to be have waxed vain in their Imaginations and their foolish hearts have been darkned Rom. 1. 21. The warning and instruction given by Solomon do principally respect this case He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool but whoso walketh wisely shall be delivered Prov. 28. 26. But the Knowledg of and Adherence unto such a Guide are eminently necessary when there are great Differences and Divisions amongst men about Religion especially if they are mannaged in waies and by means not only scandalous unto Religion it self but pernitious unto Humane Society in their consequents When men not only say and contend that here is Christ and lo there is Christ Matth. 24. 23. but also on the account of these differences ingage into waies and practices ruinous unto the souls of men and destructive unto all that is praise worthy in this World those who are not careful to chuse and adhere unto a faithful Guide and conduct are no less defective in Wisdom than negligent in their Duty Were a man in a Wilderness where are a multitude of cross paths all pretending to lead unto an inhabited City whither he must go or perish if he see men not only contending some for one way some for another but killing and destroying one another about the preference of the several waies they esteem best and safest he deserves to wander and perish if he refuse a Guide that is tendred unto him with sufficient evidence of his Truth and Faithfulness That there is such a one ready in our present case shall be immedately evinced The differences in Religion that are at present among us are of two sorts First Such as comparatively are of small moment as unto the principal ends of the Life of God The measure of these differences is that which way soever they are determined in the minds of men they neither overthrow the Foundation nor obstruct the due exercise of Faith and Love For this is our great Duty with respect unto Doctrines in Religion that we hold fast the form of sound words in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 1. 13. And if any of them are so small as that it cannot be pretended that they overthrow the Foundations of Faith and Love yet if they hinder them in their operations and due exercise according unto the Rule of the Gospel they are pernicious unto the souls of them in whom they have that effect But such differences which comply with this measure tend unto nothing in themselves that is obstructive unto the Glory or Power of Religion whatever they may be pressed and wrested unto by the Lusts Prejudices and carnal Interests of men For there is no ground to be taken from them for severe thoughts concerning the state and condition of them who so differ as unto their Interest in present Grace and future Glory To live in a neglect of Love in all the effects and fruits of it towards such on any pretences to design their hurt and evil is to live in open contradiction unto all the Rules of the Gospel Such severe thoughts are the principal causes and occasion of all pernicious evils in Religion especially those which are most scandalous unto it and most inconsistent with that good of Mankind which Christian Religion is designed to promote For things are come to that pass among the generality
of Christians that when once Persons begin to damn others in their minds for their dissent from them they judge themselves at liberty and count that it is their Duty to do them all the mischief they can in this World They first make themselves their Judges that they must go to Hell and then would be their Executioners to send them thither as fast as they can Whether this be a Representation of Christ or of the Devil is not hard to determine Sure I am it is not compliant with the advice given unto all Guides of the Church of an attendance whereunto they must give an account 2 Tim. 2. 24 25 26. And the Servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil who are taken captive by him at his Will Hence it is that those who have a strong inclination to oppress and destroy other men which their Interest prompts them unto do endeavour to make every the least dissent from themselves on one pretence or other by Sophistical arguments and strained consequences to be a fundamental error and such as makes them incapable of Life eternal But no men can give a greater evidence of their disintrest in Christian Religion of their unacquaintedness with the vertues and Powers of it wherein the glories of it do consist and what is of real price with God than those who are so minded Blessed be God that Christ will not leave his seat of Judgment unto such Persons neither here nor hereafter But such differences as those mentioned will probably continue among Christians so long as they continue in this World For although all those among whom these differences are do chuse the same Guide yet they do not in all things equally hear and understand his voice Perfection in Light and Knowledge are required unto a perfect agreement in all the conceptions of our minds about spiritual things Wherefore it is reserved for Heaven where every thing that is imperfect shall be done away Here we have different measures We know but in part and therefore prophesy in part Rom. 13. 9. It is Love or Charity alone that supplies this defect and gives such an Harmony unto the different parts of the Mystical Body of Christ which is the Church as renders them all useful and the whole beautiful 1 Cor. 13. Col. 3. 14. But these are not the differences which at present I intend There are those which in their Nature are of greater Importance such as are about the Fundamentals of Christian Faith Worship and Obedience such as upon whose determination the eternal welfare and misery of the souls of men do depend And not only so but they are such also which on that wretched mannagement of Religious concerns that late ages have embraced have an influence into the Peace or Disturbance of Humane Society the Tranquility the Liberty and Lives of men Yea they are by some promoted and pursued by all waies of fraud and violence with that height of Impiety as is utterly destructive of all Religion Many we have who plead themselves to be Christians which might be allowed them if they pleased themselves would they not do such things as Christian Religion abhorreth But this is the least part of their claim they will also be the only Christians all others who differ from them however falsely so called being only a drove of unbelievers hasting unto Hell Now although this be intollerable presumption yet because they hurt none by it but themselves if they will not be awakened from this pleasing dream they may be suffered to sleep on But they rest not here these Christians who only are so and so alone know truly what is in Christian Religion will do such things under a pretence of it will perpetrate such execrable crimes avowing them to be the dictates and commands of that Religion that if men were not sure that their former pretences are presumptuously false it would be a sufficient warranty for them whereon to question the whole Truth of the Gospel And these things are done in the pursuit of these differences in Religion which abound among us Wherefore if we would not contribute unto that intollerable scandal against the Gospel that the Religion it teacheth is pernicious to the peace of Mankind and all that is praise worthy in the World which must be accounted for if we have any care about our own eternal Salvation we ought to use our utmost diligence to arrive unto a safe conduct through all these difficulties This being our present case there being such differences in and divisions about Religion among us the mannagement of them being grown incurably scandalous and perilous our enquiry is what Guide or Conduct a man that takes care of his own Salvation that would know the Truth and have the benefit of it that would please God here and come unto the eternal Enjoyment of him hereafter ought to betake himself and firmly adhere unto as that which will safely lead and direct him unto all these ends For if the blind lead the blind both will fall into the ditch Two things are pleaded to be this safe and infallible Guide to have that conduct committed unto them which every one who takes care of his Salvation is obliged to betake himself unto The first is the Church of Rome She it is who at this time laies a most vehement claim to be the only Authoritative infallible Guide of all Christians as unto their Faith Worship and Obedience We enquire not after a ministerial Guide and the benefit which we may receive thereby This they regard not as that which leaves men the exercise of their own understandings and use of all Divine Aids and Assistances as unto the Information Direction and Determination of their Minds in all that they are to believe and practise in Religion But such a Guidance as whereunto by vertue of its Authority and Infallibility we are entirely and absolutely to resign our understandings and consciences what ever it leads us unto is that which this Church claimeth and without which she is nothing nor can stand one moment This is that which those who plead the cause of that Church at present do wholly betake themselves unto the promotion of declining what lies in them all other Differences and Controversies between them and us Such a Guide they say there must be of all Christians and this Guide is their Church And they do wisely consult their own Interest therein For if they can once gain this point all other things which they aim at will follow of their own accord and they may satisfy the desires of their hearts on the consciences of men Wherefore this claim of theirs consists of these three parts or may be reduced unto these three Heads 1. That
this pretence For 1. All Believers are commanded themselves to examine and try all false Teachers Prophets and Spirits that are not of God Doctrines subverting the Faith and endangering the souls of men which is utterly inconsistent with that absolute universal Resignation of themselves unto the Guidance of the Church of Rome which is claimed by it See 1 Joh. 4. 1 2 3. 2. They are directed unto the Way Means and Rule whereby they must make this Trial and come unto the final determination in their own minds Isa. 8. 20. 2 Pet. 1. v. 19. 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. And this also is diametrically opposite unto that Resignation of themselves unto the Church of Rome which it requireth of them 3. They have a Guide promised unto them to give them an understanding of the Rule in the discharge of this Duty and to enable them to make a right and safe Determination thereon Joh 16. 13. 1 Joh. 2 26 27. These things are consistent with a Ministerial Guide such as is found in all true Churches wherein none pretend to be Lords of our Faith but only helpers of our Joy But with a Supreme Authoritative Guide requiring an absolute Resignation of our understandings and consciences unto it self they are altogether inconsistent This is the substance of our case and this is the Determination of it given us by the Holy Ghost Diversities and Divisions in Principles Opinions and Practices in Religion are supposed unto as great an height as they can beat at this day in the World Teachers speaking perverse things departures from the Faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils Teachers not enduring sound Doctrine turning away mens Ears from the Truth and turning them unto Fables false Teachers bringing in damnable Heresies denying the Lord that bought them many following their pernicious waies Spirits of false Prophets going out in the World the Spirit of Antichrist These things I say are all supposed and foretold in the Scripture In this case and state of things that we be not seduced that our souls be not ruined we are commanded our selves to try and examine all those who teach such things whether they be of God or no and by the Scripture we are to try them if we intend not to be deceived and undone for ever Unto the right understanding hereof a sure and faithful Guide is promised unto us to lead us unto all Truth so that no concernment of Religion is more plainly stated and as unto our Duty more expresly determined in the Scripture than this is It is so in a peculiar manner in the first Epistle of John the Apostle Before the end of his daies Divisions Errors Heresies began to abound in Christian Religion This he fully testifieth Chap. 4. 1 2 3 4. And Epist. the 2. 7. According unto his Duty he writes unto Believers to warn them of their danger with reference unto them that seduced them or attempted so to do chap. 2. 26. And he writes unto this purpose unto Fathers young Men and Children or professed Believers of all sorts degrees and endowments ver 12 13. and this not because they did not know the Truth but because they did know it and had experience of its Power ver 21. But in all the Directions he gives them for the discharge of their Duty so as that they might escape the dangers they were exposed unto there is not any one word any intimation that they should betake themselves unto the Guidance of this or that or any Church much less that which is called the Church of Rome But the summe of his Direction is that they should rely on the Vnction they had received from the Holy One or the Aids and Supplies of the Spirit of God to understand the Scripture in the Examination and Trial they were to make of all these things chap. 2. ver 20 27. But to preserve their Interest they tell us that these Precepts and Promises are given unto the Church and not unto individual Believers as though the Church were any thing materially but individual Believers and formally but a disposition of them into a sacred Order for their edification Man was not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath was made for man Believers were not made for the Church but the Church is made for Believers and is of no use but with respect unto their edification And to deny all individual persons to be the first object of all Gospel Precepts and Promises Churches in what sense soever you take them being so only as they are directive of their Faith and Obedience is to exempt their consciences from the Authority of Christ to turn them into beasts and to overthrow the Gospel Let men now who take care of their own eternal Salvation place themselves in their Thoughts in that condition which the present case and their own circumstances do place them in The World the Place where they live the People whereunto they do belong are filled with different Apprehensions Principles Opinions and Practices in and about Religion Some of these as those between the Papists and the Protestants have immediate influence into their eternal condition of Blessedness or Misery as both parties contend Dreadful disorders and confusions have followed and are like to follow these differences even in this World They will in this case find that it highly concerns them to take care that they be not deceived and thereby ruined eternally as multitudes are that they be not high-minded but fear A Guide is that which they are to look after that may carry them safely through all these difficulties and dangers Two immediately offer themselves unto them tendring the utmost assurance in these things which the nature of man is capable of in this world The one is the Pope or Church of Rome which requires no more of them but a blind submission unto its Guidance a way I confess to extricate themselves and to deliver them from all care about their own souls easie and facile if safe The other is the Holy Scripture with the promised Aids of the Spirit of God to lead us unto the understanding of it and the Truth contained in it But in this way it is required of men that they make use of their own Reason Understanding Judgment Diligence with fervent Prayer for Divine Assistance The present Question is Whether of these two Guides such Persons ought to betake themselves unto I am on the consideration of one directive Reason only others shall be afterwards spoken unto And this is that the Scripture which all acknowledge to be the Word of God to speak in his Name expresly supposing this case and all the circumstances of it before laid down doth thereon frequently direct and command us to make use of this latter Guide if we desire to be saved and doth no where no not once on a supposition of this case send us unto the Guidance of the Church or Pope of Rome or any other Church whatever
Wherefore for men to suffer themselves to be inveagled their souls to be perverted and their Faith overthrown by a few captious Sophystical Reasonings of men of perverse minds pursuing their own secular Interest to turn aside from the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles in so plain evident and indisputable a case and Duty is such a folly in it self such an impiety against God such a contempt of the Lord Christ his Wisdom Authority and Care as must be eternally accounted for Thirdly The things for the most part which this pretended Guide proposeth unto and imposeth on the Consciences Faith and Practice of them who give up themselves unto its conduct are so unreasonable so contrary unto the common sense of Christians and the very first notions of the minds of men any way enlightened with the Doctrine of the Gospel so directly opposite unto the design of God in the Revelation of himself unto us and his commands concerning our Faith and Obedience that it is a thing astonishable how they should attain an access unto them who have any sense of these things But when once men have their eyâ—s bored out as they do it for themselves in the Resignation they make of their understandings and consciences unto the conduct of this Church they must grind whatever is brought unto them I shall briefly instance in some few things of this sort 1. The keeping of the Scripture from their daily and continual use I speak not directly unto them who being brought up from their infancy in that Church know nothing of the Scripture but that the Bible is an obscure dangerous Book unto all Lay-men which Hereticks make use of unto their advantage Such Persons can be contented to want it or be without it all their lives especially seeing it is full of Light and Principles inconsistent with their carnal Lusts and Interest But I speak of such who many of them like Timothy have known the Scriptures from Children and having been conversant in them have had some experience of their Power Unto such as these come Persons in the name and on the behalf of this pretended Guide And a compass of plausible words they will use fit to distract and amuse weak and unstable minds But the plain sense of what they say in this case is cast away this Bible this Book it doth but perplex you and disturb your minds with things that are above you which you cannot understand and is therefore an occasion of almost all the pernicious errors that are in the World Will not any such Person be ready to say hath God given this Book this alone as the only Revelation of his Mind and Will unto us as the Guide and Rule whereby we may come unto the eternal Enjoyment of him which you dare not directly deny hath he commanded me to Read Study Meditate and be conversant in it continually have I found the benefit of the Light counsel and consolation administred by it in my own soul and shall I now forsake it cast it away to betake my self unto your Guidance and direction shall I forsake God and Christ and the Holy Spirit all the Prophets and Apostles who daily speak unto me in and by this word to comply with you The very horror of the Proposal is enough to secure the minds of any who have the least spark of spiritual Light or Grace from a compliance with it Wherefore whether it be reasonable to leave the Word of God which is full of Light shining like the Sun in the Firmament to follow the glimmerings of this wandring Meteor which arose out of an horrible pit and there will end is left unto their consideration who take care of the eternal salvation of their own souls 2. The Solâ—mn Worship of God by the Guides of the Church in a Tongue and Language which the people do not understand is another of their Proposals This they are bound to attend unto on pain of damnation But how any thing can be more contrary unto the common sense of them who know what it is to pray in a due manner no man can conceive As unto them who do not yet is it not hard to convince them where they are not obstinate on other prejudices how irrational this Proposal is how inconsistent with that reasonable service that God requireth of us Others will say that they find hinderances and difficulties enough from and in this Duty from the weakness of their Faith and instability of their Minds the suggestions of Satan with diversions from outward objects if you add thereunto that they shall not understand a word of what is spoken in Prayer and they know well enough they shall never pray at all And the Truth is did we not know whence they took occasion for this strange contrivance so contrary to the nature of all Religion and what advantage they make of it unto themselves it could never be sufficiently admired how such a sensless Imagination should befall their Minds I do not design to shew how contrary it is to Scripture Precepts and Examples to the practice of all the Saints under the Old Testament and the New with that of the Primitive Churches and on all accounts what an abominable Sacriledge it is so to rob the Church of its chiefest Treasure it hath been done by others sufficiently I only give it as an instance how unmeet this pretended Church is to be such a Guide as whereunto we are to make an absolute Resignation of our understandings and consciences in all concerns of Religion And there is nothing that can make them who have any regard unto their own souls to reject its Guidance with more detestation Shall they accept them for their Guide in Religion who under pain of damnation confine them in all the publick Worship of the Church unto the use of a Language that they do not understand That instead of praying with their understandings they must be content with a dumb shew with postures and gestures with Altars and Pictures the antick actings of a Priest and a noise of words whose sense they know not at al If a man would seek for an Infallible Guide to Hell it is hard to find one more likely and better qualified unto that purpose than is this Church of Rome 3. There is at the same instant proposed unto us by this Guide the Doctrine of Transuâ—stantiation with the Sacrifice of the Mass thereon depending This they say we must believe at least avow that we do believe on pain of eternal and temporal destruction also But herein they require of us that on the meer credit of their conduct we must renounce the use of our senses the exercise of our Reason and actings of Faith on Divine Revelations all things whereby we are either Men or Christians that we may become blind Idolaters But they who pretending to be our Guides in Religion do thereon impose this monstrous Imagination on our credulity with the Idolatrous Practice