Profession of our Faith without wavering is not meant that those who are capable of examining the Grounds and Reasons of their Religion should blindly hold it fast against the best Reasons that can be offered because upon these terms every Man must continue in the Religion in which he happens to be fixt by Education or an ill choice be his Religion true or false without Examining and looking into it whether it be right or wrong for till a Man examines every Man thinks his Religion right That which the Apostle here exhorts Christians to hold fast is the Ancient Faith of which all Christians make a solemn profession in their Baptism as plainly appears from the context And this Profession of our Faith we are to hold in the following instances which I shall but briefly mention without enlarging upon them 1. We are to hold fast the Profession of our Faith against the Confidence of Men without Scripture or Reason to support that Confidence 2. And much more against the Confidence of Men contrary to plain Scripture and Reason and to the common Sense of Mankind 3. Against all the Temptations and Terrors of the World against the Temptations of Fashion and Example and of Worldly Interest and Advantage and against all Terrors and Sufferings of Persecution 4. Against all vain promises of being put into a safer condition and groundless hopes of getting to Heaven upon easier terms than the Gospel hath proposed in some other Church and Religion Lastly We are to hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering against all the cunning Arts and Insinuations of busie and disputing Men whose design it is to unhinge Men from their Religion and to make Proselytes to their Party and Faction But without entring into these particulars I shall in order to Establishment in the Reformed Religion which we profess in opposition to the Errors and Corruptions of the Church of Rome apply my self at this time to make a short comparison betwixt the Religion which we profess and that of the Church of Rome That we may discern on which side the advantage of Truth lies and in making this comparison I shall insist upon Three things which will bring the matter to an issue and are I think sufficient to determine every sober and considerate Man which of these he ought in Reason and with regard to the safety of his Soul to embrace And they are these I. That we govern our Belief and Practice in matters of Religion by the true ancient Rule of Christianity the Word of God contained in the Holy Scriptures But the Church of Rome for the maintenance of their Errors and Corruptions have been forced to devise a new Rule never owned by the Primitive Church nor by the Ancient Fathers and Councils of it II. That the Doctrines and Practices in difference betwixt us and the Church of Rome are either contrary to this Rule or destitute of the Warrant and Authority of it and are plain Additions to the ancient Christianity and Corruptions of it III. That our Religion hath many clear Advantages of that of the Church of Rome not only very considerable in themselves but very obvious and discernable to an ordinary capacity upon the first proposal of them I shall be as brief in these as I can I. That we govern our belief and Practice in matters of Religion by the true ancient Rule of Christianity the Word of God contain'd in the Holy Scriptures But the Church of Rome for the maintaining of their Errors and Corruptions have been forced to devise a new Rule never owned by the Primitive Church nor by the Ancient Councils and Fathers of it That is they have joined with the Word of God contained in the Holy Scriptures the unwritten Traditions of their Church concerning several points of their Faith and Practice which they acknowledge cannot be proved from Scripture and these they call the unwritten Word of God and the Council of Trent hath decreed them to be of equal Authority with the Holy Scriptures and that they do receive and venerate them with the same pious Affection and Reverence and all this contrary to the express declaration and unanimous consent of all the Ancient Councils and Fathers of the Christian Church as I have already shewn and this never declar'd to be a point of Faith till it was decreed not much above a Hundred Years ago in the Council of Trent and this surely if any thing is a Matter of great consequence to presume to alter the Ancient Rule of Christian Doctrine and Practice and to enlarge it and add to it at their pleasure But the Church of Rome having made so great a change in the Doctrine and Practice of Christianity it became consequently necessary to make a change of the Rule And therefore with great Reason did the Council of Trent take this into consideration in the first place and put it in the front of their Decrees because it was to be the foundation and main proof of the following Definitions of Faith and Decrees of Practice for which without this new Rule there had been no colour II. The Doctrines and Practices in difference betwixt us and the Church of Rome are either contrary to the true Rule or destitute of the Warrant and Authority of it and plain Additions to the Ancient Christianity and Corruptions of it the Truth of this will best appear by instancing in some of the principal Doctrines and Practices in difference betwixt us As for their two great Fundamental Doctrines of the Supremacy of the Bishop of Rome over all the Christians in the world and the Infallibility of their Church there is not one word in Scripture concerning these Priviledges nay it is little less than a demonstration that they have no such Priviledges that St. Paul in a long Epistle to the Church of Rome takes no notice of them That the Church of Rome either then was or was to be soon after the Mother and Mistress of all Churches which is now grown to be an Article of Faith in the Church of Rome and yet it is hardly to be imagined that he could have omitted to take notice of such remarkable Priviledges of their Bishops and Church above any in the world had he known they had belonged to them So that in all probability he was ignorant of those mighty Prerogatives of the Church of Rome otherwise it cannot be but that he would have written with more deference and submission to this Seat of Infallibility and Center of Unity he would certainly have paid a greater Respect to this Mother and Mistress of all Churches where the Head of the Church and Vicar of Christ either was already seated or by the appointment of Christ was designed for ever to fix his Throne and establish his Residence but there is not one word or the least intimation of any such thing throughout this whole Epistle nor in any other part of the New Testament Besides that both these pretended
Scripture or in the Doctrine and Practice of the Ancient Christian Church any Command or Example for the Worship of Images for the Invocation of Saints and Angels and the Blessed Virgin which do now make a great part of their Religion Nay is not the Doctrine of the Scriptures and of the Ancient Fathers plainly against all these Practices With what face then can it be said That the Church of Rome hath made a constant Visible Profession of the same Faith and Practice in all Ages from the time of Christ and his Apostles Or would the primitive Church of Rome if it should now visit the Earth again own the present Church of Rome to be the same in all Matters of Faith and practice that it was when they left it And whereas they demand of Us to shew a Visible Church from the time of Christ and his Apostles that hath always opposed the Church of Rome in those points of Doctrine and Practice which we Object to them what can be more impertinent than this Demand When they know that in all these Points we charge them with Innovations in Matters of Faith and Practice and say that those things came in by degrees several Ages after the Apostles time some sooner some later as we are able to make good and have done it And would they have us shew them a Visible Church that opposed these Errors and Corruptions in their Church before ever they appeared This we do not pretend to shew And supposing they had not been at all opposed when they appeared nor a long time after not till the Reformation yet if they be Errors and Corruptions of the Christian Doctrine and contrary to the Holy Scriptures and to the Faith and Practice of the Primitive Church there is no Prescription against Truth 'T is never too late for any Church to reject those Errors and Corruptions and to reform it self from them The bottom of all this Matter is they would have us to shew them a Society of Christians that in all Ages hath preserved it self free from all such Errors and Corruptions as we charge them withall or else we deny the Perpetual Visibility of the Catholick Church No such matter We say the Church of Christ hath always been Visible in every Age since Christ's time and that the several Societies of Christians professing the Christian Doctrine and Laws of Christ have made up the Catholick Church some parts whereof have in several Ages fallen into great Errors and Corruptions and no part of the Catholick into more and greater than the Church of Rome So that it requires the utmost of our Charity to think that they are a true tho a very unsound and corrupt Part of the Catholick Church of Christ. We acknowledge likewise that We were once involved in the like Degeneracy but by the mercy of God and pious care and prudence of those that were in Authority are happily rescued out of it and tho' we were not out of the Catholick Church before yet since our Reformation from the Errors and Corruptions of the Church of Rome we are in it upon better Terms and are a much sounder Part of it and I hope by the Mercy and Goodness of God we shall for ever continue so So that to the Perpetual Visibility of Christ's Church it is not necessary that the whole Christian Church or indeed that any Part of it should be free from all Errors and Corruptions Even the Churches planted by the Apostles in the Primitive Times were not so St. Paul reproves several Doctrines and Practices in the Church of Corinth and of Colosse and of Galatia and the Spirit of God several Things in the Seven Churches of Asia and yet all these were true Parts and Members of the Catholick Church of Christ notwithstanding these Faults and Errors because they all agreed in the Main and Essential Doctrines of Christianity And when more and greater Corruptions grew upon the Church or any part of it the greater reason and need there was of a Reformation And as every particular Person hath a right to reform any thing that he finds amiss in himself so far as concerns himself so much more every National Church hath a Power within it self to reform it self from all Errors and Corruptions and by the Sanction of the Catholick Authority to confirm that Reformation which is our Case here in England And whatever part of the Church how great and eminent soever excludes from her Communion such a National Church for reforming her self from plain Errors and Corruptions clearly condemned by the Word of God and by the Doctrine and Practice of the Primitive Christian Church is undoubtedly Guilty of Schism And this is the Truth of the Case between us and the Church of Rome And no blind talk about a Perpetual Visible Church can render Us guilty of Schism for making a Real Reformation or acquit Them of it for casting us out of their Communion for that Cause 7. And Lastly to mention no more they pretend that we delude the People by laying too much stress upon Scripture and making it the only Rule of Faith and Manners whereas Scripture and Tradition together make up the entire Rule of Faith and not Scripture Interpreted by every Mans private Fancy but by Tradition carefully preserved in the Church So that it ought to be no wonder if several of their Doctrines and Practices cannot be so clearly made out by Scripture or perhaps seem contrary to it as it may be expounded by a private Spirit but not as Interpreted by the Tradition of the Church which can only give the true Sense of Scripture And therefore they are to understand that several of those Doctrines and Practices which we Object against are most clearly proved by the Tradition of their Church which is of equal Authority with Scripture In this Objection of theirs which they design for the Cover of all their Errors and Corruptions there are several things distinctly to be considered which I shall do as briefly as I can First Whereas it is suggested That We delude the People by laying too much stress upon the Scriptures which certainly we cannot well do if it be the Word of God it ought to be considered whether They do not delude and abuse them infinitely more in keeping the Scriptures from them and not suffering them to see That which they cannot deny to be at least a considerable Part of the Rule of Christian Doctrine and Practice Doth it not by this dealing of theirs appear very suspicious that they are extreamly afraid that the People should examine their Doctrine and Practice by this Rule For what other Reason can they have to conceal it from them Secondly Whereas they affirm that Scripture alone is not the Rule of Christian Faith and Practice but that Scripture and Oral Tradition preserved in the Church and delivered down from hand to hand makes up the entire Rule I would fain know whence they learn'd this new Doctrine
considerable and allow it self in the breach or neglect of the rest no nor with observing the Duties of one Table of the Law if it overlook the other no nor with obedience to all the Commandments of God one only excepted St. James puts this case and determines That he that keeps the whole Law saving that he offends in one point is guilty of all that is is not sincere in his obedience to the rest and therefore we must take great heed that we do not set the Commandments of God at odds and dash the two Tables of the Law against one another lest as St. James says we break the whole Law And yet I fear this is too common a fault even amongst those who make a great profession of Piety that they are not sufficiently sensible of the obligation and necessity of the Duties of the second Table and of the excellency of those Graces and Vertues which respect our Carriage and Conversation with one another Men do not seem to consider that God did not give Laws to us for his own sake but ours and therefore that he did not only design that we should Honour him but that we should be happy in one another for which reason he joyns with our humble and dutiful Deportment towards himself the Offices of Justice and Charity towards others Mich. 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God And 1 John 4. 21. This Commandment have we from him that he who loveth God love his Brother also And yet it is too visible that many who make a great profession of Piety towards God are very defective in Moral Duties very unpeaceable and turbulent in their Spirits very peevish and passionate very conceited and censorious as if their profession of Godliness did exempt them from the care and practice of Christian Vertues But we must not so fix our eye upon Heaven as to forget that we walk upon the Earth and to neglect the ordering of our steps and Conversation among Men lest while we are gazing upon the Stars we fall into the Ditch of gross and foul Immorality It is very possible that Men may be devout and zealous in Religion very nice and scrupulous about the Worship and Service of God and yet because of their palpable defect in points of Justice and Honesty of Meekness and Humility of Peace and Charity may be gross and odious Hypocrites for Men must not think for some acts either of outward or inward Piety to compound with God for the neglect of Mercy and Judgment or to demand it as a right from Men to be excused from the great Duties and Vertues of Humane Conversation or pretend to be above them because they relate chiefly to this World and to the temporal happiness of Men as if it were the priviledge of great Devotion to give a license to Men to be peevish and froward sower and morose supercilious and censorious in their behaviour towards others Men must have a great care that they be not intent upon the outward parts of Religion to the prejudice of inward and real goodness and that they do not so use the means of Religion as to neglect and lose the main end of it that they do not place all Religion in Fasting and outward Mortification for though these things be very useful and necessary in their place if they be discreetly managed and made subservient to the great ends of Religion yet it is often seen that Men have so unequal a respect to the several parts of their Duty that Fasting and Corporal severity those meager and lean Duties of Piety in comparison do like Pharaoh's lean kine devour and eat up almost all the goodly and well-favoured the great and substantial Duties of the Christian Life and therefore Men must take great heed lest whilst they are so intent upon mortifying themselves they do not mortifie Vertue and good Nature Humility and Meekness and Charity things highly valuable in themselves and amiable in the eyes of Men and in the sight of God of great price For the neglect of the Moral Duties of the second Table is not only a mighty scandal to Religion but of pernicious consequence many other ways A fierce and ill governed an ignorant and injudicious Zeal for the Honour of God and something or other belonging necessarily as they think to his true Worship and Service hath made many Men do many unreasonable immoral and impious things of which History will furnish us with innumerable instances in the practice of the Jesuits and other Zealots of the Church of Rome and there are not wanting too many examples of this kind amongst our selves for Men that are not sober and considerate in their Religion but give themselves up to the conduct of blind prejudice and furious zeal do easily perswade themselves that any thing is lawful which they strongly fancy to tend to the Honour of God and to the advancement of the cause of Religion hence some have proceeded to that height of absurdity in their Zeal for their Religion and Church as to think it not only lawful but highly commendable and meritorious to equivocate upon Oath and break Faith with Hereticks and to destroy all those that differ from them as if it were Piety in some cases to lie for the Truth and to kill Men for God's sake So that if we would approve the integrity of our hearts to God and evidence to our selves the sincerity of our Obedience we ought impartially to regard all the Laws of God and every part of our Duty and if we do not our heart is not upright with God 'T is observable that sincerity in Scripture is often call'd by the name of Integrity and Perfection because it is integrated and made up of all the parts of our Duty 6. The last evidence I shall mention of the sincerity of our Religion is if it hold out against persecution and endure the fiery tryal this is the utmost proof of our integrity when we are called to bear the Cross to be willing then to expose all our worldly interest and even life it self for the Cause of God and Religion this is a tryal which God doth not always call his faithful Servants to but they are always to be prepared for it in the purpose and resolution of their minds this our Saviour makes the great mark of a true Disciple if any man saith he will be my disciple let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me this is a certain sign that Men have received the word into good ground and are well rooted in their Religion when they are not shaken by these fierce assaults for many as our Saviour tells us hear the word and with joy receive it but having not root in themselves they endure but for a while and when persecution or tribulation ariseth because of
them under an Inconvenience when they shall come at Age. And can we think them of discretion sufficient at that time to do a thing of the greatest Moment and Consequence of all other and which will concern them to all Eternity namely to chuse their Religion There is indeed one Part of one Religion which we all know which Children at Seven Years of Age are fit I do not say to judge of but to be as fond of and to practise to as good purpose as those of riper Years and that is to worship Images to tell their Beads to say their Prayers and to be present at the Service of God in an unknown Tongue and this they are more likely to chuse at that Age than those who are of riper and more improv'd Understandings and if they do not chuse it at that time it is ten to one they will not chuse it afterwards I shall say no more of this but that it is a very extraordinary Law and such as perhaps was never thought of before from the beginning of the World Thus much for Children As for grown Persons who are of a very low and mean capacity of Understanding and either by reason of the weakness of their Faculties or other Disadvantages which they lye under are in little or no probability of improving themselves These are always to be considered as in the condition of Children and Learners and therefore must of necessity in things which are not plain and obvious to the meanest Capacities trust and rely upon the Judgment of others And it is really much wiser and safer for them so to do than to depend upon their own Judgments and to lean to their own Understandings and such Persons if they be modest and humble and pray earnestly to God for his Assistance and Direction and are careful to practise what they know and to live up to the best Light and Knowledge which they have shall not miscarry meerly for want of those farther degrees of Knowledge which they had no Capacity nor Opportunity to attain because their Ignorance is unavoidable and God will require no more of them than he hath given them and will not call them to account for the improvement of those Talents which he never committed to them And if they be led into any dangerous Error by the negligence or ill conduct of those under whose Care and Instruction the Providence of God permitted them to be placed God will not impute it to them as a Fault Because in the Circumstances in which they were they took the best and wisest course that they could to come to the knowledge of the Truth by being willing to learn what they could of those whom they took to be wiser than themselves But for such Persons who by the maturity of their Age and by the natural strength and clearness of their Understandings or by the due exercise and improvement of them are capable of enquiring into and understanding the Grounds of their Religion and discerning the difference betwixt Truth and Error I do not mean in unnecessary Points and matters of deepest Learning and Speculation but in matters necessary to Salvation it is certainly very reasonable that such Persons should examine their Religion and understand the Reasons and Grounds of it And this must either be granted to be reasonable or else every man must continue in that Religion in which he happens to be fixt by Education or for any other Reason to pitch upon when he comes to Years and makes his free Choice For if this be a good Principle that no Man is to examine his Religion but take it as it is and to believe it and rest satisfied with it Then every Man is to remain in the Religion which he first lights upon whether by Choice or the Chance of his Education For he ought not to change but upon Reason and Reason he can have none unless he be allowed to examine his Religion and to compare it with others that by the Comparison he may discern which is best and ought in reason to be preferred in his Choice For to him that will not or is not permitted to search into the Grounds of any Religion all Religions are alike as all things are of the same Colour to him that is always kept in the dark or if he happens to come into the Light dares not open his Eyes and make use of them to discern the different Colours of things But this is evidently and at first sight unreasonable because at this rate every Man that hath once entertained an Errour and a false Religion must forever continue in it For if he be not allowed to examine it he can never have Reason to change and to make a change without Reason is certainly unreasonable and mere Vanity and Inconstancy And yet for ought I can see this is the Principle which the Church of Rome doth with great Zeal and Earnestness inculcate upon their People discouraging all Doubts and Inquiries about their Religion as Temptations of the Devil and all Examinations of the Grounds and Reasons of their Religion as an inclination and dangerous step towards Heresie For what else can they mean by taking the Scriptures out of the hands of the People and locking them up from them in an unknown Tongue by requiring them absolutely to submit their Judgments and to resign them up to that which they are pleased to call the Catholick Church and Implicitly to believe as She believes tho they know not what that is This is in Truth to believe as their Priest tells them for that is all the teaching Part of the Church and all the Rule of Faith that the common People are acquainted with And it is not sufficient to say in this matter that when Men are in the Truth and of the right Religion and in the Bosom of the true Church they ought to rest satisfied and to examine and enquire no farther For this is manifestly unreasonable and that upon these Three accounts 1. Because this is a plain and shameful begging of the thing in Question and that which every Church and every Religion doth almost with equal Confidence pretend to That Theirs is the only right Religion and the only true Church And these Pretences are all alike reasonable to him that never examined the Grounds of any of them nor hath compar'd them together And therefore it is the vainest thing in the World for the Church of Rome to pretend that all Religions in the World ought to be examined but Theirs Because Theirs and none else is the true Religion For this which they say so confidently of it That it is the true Religion no Man can know till he have examined it and searched into the Grounds of it and hath considered the Objections which are against it So that it is fond Partiality to say that Their Religion is not to be examined by the people that profess it but that all other Religions ought to be examined or
be carried about with every Wind of Doctrine by the slight of Men and the cunning Craftiness of those that lie in wait to deceive For when he is attempted he will either defend his Religion or not If he undertake the Defence of it before he hath examined the Grounds of it he makes himself an easie Prey to every crafty man that will set upon him he exposeth at once himself to Danger and his Religion to Disgrace If he decline the defence of it he must be forced to take Sanctuary in that Ignorant and Obstinate Principle that because he is of an Infallible Church and sure that he is in the right therefore he never did nor will examine whether he be so or not But how is he or can he be sure that he is in the right if he have no other Reason for it but his Confidence and his being wiser in his own conceit than Seven men that can render a Reason It is a shameful thing in a wise man who is able to give a good Reason of all other Actions and parts of his Life to be able to say nothing for his Religion which concerns him more than all the rest 2. To examine and understand the Grounds of our Religion will be a good means by the assistance of Gods Grace to keep us constant to it even under the fiery Tryal When it comes to this that a man must suffer for his Religion he had need to be well established in the Belief of it which no man can so well be as he that in some good measure understands the Grounds and Reasons of his Belief A man would be well assured of the Truth and Goodness of that for which he would lay down hīs Life otherwise he dies as a Fool dies he knows not for what A man would be loth to set such a Seal to a Blank I mean to that which he hath no sufficient Ground and Reason to believe to be true which whether he hath or not no man that hath not examined the Grounds of his Religion can be well assured of This St. Peter prescribes as the best Preparative for suffering for Righteousness sake the 1st Ep. of Peter 3. 14 15. But if ye suffer for righteousness sake happy are ye And be not afraid of their terror neither be troubled But sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts that is make him the great Object of your Dread and Trust and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you 2. The holding fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering doth not imply that Men should obstinately refuse to hear any Reason against that Religion which they have embraced and think to be the true Religion As Men should examine before they chuse so after they have chosen they should be ready to be better informed if better Reason can be offered No Man ought to think himself so infallible as to be priviledged from hearing Reason and from having his Doctrines and Dictates tryed by that Test. Our Blessed Saviour himself the most Infallible Person that ever was in the World and who declared the Truth which he had heard of God yet He offered himself and his Doctrine to this Tryal John 8. 46. Which of you convinceth me of sin that is of Falsehood and Error And if I speak the truth why do ye not believe me He was sure he spake the Truth and yet for all that if they could convince him of Error and Mistake he was ready to hear any Reason they could bring to that purpose Though a Man be never so sure that he is in the true Religion and never so resolved to continue constant and stedfast in it yet Reason is always to be heard when it is fairly offered And as we ought always to be ready to give an Answer to those who ask a Reason of the Hope and Faith that is in us so ought we likewise to be ready to hear the Reasons which others do fairly offer against our Opinion and Persuasion in Religion and to debate the matter with them that if we be in the right and they in the wrong we may rectifie their Mistakes and instruct them in meekness if God peradventure may give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth We are not only to examine our Religion before we peremptorily fix upon it but after we are as we think upon the best Reason establisht and settled in it Tho we ought not to doubt and waver in our Religion upon every slight and trifling Objection that can be brought against it yet we ought always to have an Ear open to hear Reason and consider any thing of Weight and Moment that can be offered to us about it For it is a great Disparagement to Truth and argues a distrust of the Goodness of our Cause and Religion to be afraid to hear what can be said against it As if Truth were so weak that in every Conflict it were in danger to be baffled and run down and go by the worst and as if the Reasons that could be brought against it were too hard for it and not to be encounter'd by those Forces which Truth has on its side We have that honest Confidence of the Goodness of our Cause and Religion that we do not fear what can be said against it And therefore we do not forbid our people to examine the Objections of our Adversaries and to read the best Books they can write against it But the Church of Rome are so wise in their Generation that they will not permit those of their Communion to hear or read what can be said against them Nay they will not permit the people the use of the Holy Scriptures which they with us acknowledge to be at least an Essential Part of the Rule of Faith They tell their people that after they are once of their Church and Religion they ought not to hear any Reasons against it and though they be never so strong they ought not to entertain any doubt concerning it because all doubting is a Temptation of the Devil and a Mortal Sin But surely that Church is not to be heard which will not hear Reason nor that Religion to be much admired which will not allow those that have once embrac'd it to hear it ever after debated and examined This is a very suspicious Business and argues that either they have not Truth on their side or that Truth is a weak and pitiful and sneaking Thing and not able to make its party good against Error I should now have proceeded in the Second place to shew Positively what is implied in holding fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering and then to have considered the Argument and Encouragement hereto because he is faithful that promised But I shall proceed no farther at this time A SERMON ON HEB. X. 23. Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering for he
could to the Rich Man who was in Hell concerning his Brethren that were upon Earth how they might prevent their coming into that place of Torment And he directs them to the Scriptures as the best and most effectual Means to that purpose They have says he Moses and the Prophets Let them hear them Now if in the Church of God among the Jews the same Course had been taken that is now in the Church of Rome the Rich Man might and in all Reason ought to have replyed Nay Father Abraham But they have not Moses and the Prophets nor are they permitted to Read them in a Language that they can understand And therefore this Advice is of no Vse to them And then he might with Reason have press'd him as he did that one might be sent to them from the Dead to Testifie unto them But it appears that Abraham was very positive and peremptory in this Advice and that he prefers the Knowledge of the Scriptures to any other Way and Means that could be thought of and that if this had not its Effect to perswade Men to Repentance and to preserve them from Hell he did not know any thing else that was so likely to do it For he concludes If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded the One rose from the Dead And this is the Conclusion of the Parable Which plainly shews what was the main Scope and Design of our Saviour in it namely to recommend to us the Use of the Holy Scriptures as the best and most effectual Means which the Wisdom of God hath provided for the Salvation of Mankind And now any Man would be apt to think that the declared Judgment of our Saviour in the case should go a great way even with the most Infallible Church in the World However this we must say that it is in truth a very hard case to which the Church of Rome hath reduced Men that it will neither allow them Salvation out of their Church nor the best and most effectual Means of Salvation when they are in it I might say much more upon this Head but this I hope may be sufficient The next Instance shall be in the Doctrine of Transubstantiation which is contrary to the Scriptures which after Consecration so frequently call the Elements Bread and Wine and which without Reason or Necessity puts an absurd and impossible Sense upon those words of our Saviour This is my Body which do no more prove Transubstantiation than those words This Cup is the New Testament do prove that the material Cup which was used in the Sacrament was substantially changed into the New Testament And no more than those Texts which affirm God to have Eyes and Ears and Hands do prove that he really hath so But besides the Contrariety of this Doctrine to Scripture nothing can be more repugnant to Reason It is so big with Contradictions and so surfeited of Impossibilities that it would be Endless to reckon them up And besides all this it plainly contradicts the clear and constant Evidence of Four of our Five Senses which whoever contradicts undermines the Foundation of all Certainty And then the Communion in one kind is plainly contrary to our Saviour's Institution of the Sacrament in both kinds as they themselves acknowledge And therefore the Council of Constance being sensible of this was forced to Decree it with an express Non obstante to the Institution of Christ and the Practice of the Apostles and the Primitive Church And their Doctrine of Concomitancy as if the Blood were in the Flesh and together with it will not help the matter Because in the Sacrament Christ's Body is represented as broken and pierced and exhausted and drain'd of its Blood and his Blood is represented as shed and poured out so that one Kind can by no means contain and exhibit both The next Instance is the Repetition of Christ's Propitiatory Sacrifice in the Mass so often as That is celebrated Against all Reason because the Sacrifice of Christ once offered upon the Cross was a full and perfect Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World and therefore ought not because it needs not to be again repeated for that End in any manner whatsoever And it is directly contrary to the main Scope of a great part of this Epistle to the Hebrews which shews the Excellency of the Gospel above the Law in this respect That the Expiatory Sacrifice of the Gospel was offered once for all whereas the Sacrifices of the Law were perpetually repeated Chap. 7. 27. Speaking of Christ who needs not daily as those High-priests to offer up Sacrifices first for his own Sins and then for the Peoples for this he did once when he offered up himself Chap. 9. 26. But once in the End of the World hath he appeared to take away Sin by the Sacrifice of himself And as it is appointed for all Men once to dye so Christ was once offered to bear the Sins of many And Chap. 10. 10. By the which Will we are sanctified through the Offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all And Verse the 12. But this Man after he had offered one Sacrifice for Sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God And Verse the 14. For by one Offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified There cannot be plainer Texts for any thing in the Bible than that this Propitiatory Sacrifice was never to be repeated And whereas they say that the Sacrifice of the Mass is an unbloody Sacrifice This instead of bringing them off doth but intangle the Matter more For if Blood be offered in the Sacrifice of the Mass how is it an unbloody Sacrifice What can be more bloody than Blood And if Blood be not offered how is it Propitiatory Since the Apostle lays it down for a Certain Rule That without shedding of Blood there is no Remission of Sins i. e. There can be no Propitiation for the Sins of the Living or the Dead which the Church of Rome affirms there is I might have added one or two Instances more and then should have proceeded to shew in the Third place That we are to hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering against all the Temtations and Terrors of the World which is more especially and principally here intended by the Apostle in this Exhortation But I shall proceed no farther at present A SERMON ON HEB. X. 23. Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised IN these words I have told you are contained I. An Exhortation to hold fast the profession of our faith or hope without wavering II. An Argument or Encouragement thereto because he is faithful that promised I am yet upon the first of these the Exhortation to Christians to be Constant and Steady in the Profession of their Religion Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering And that we
of the Infallibility of their Church of their Seven Sacraments Instituted by Christ and of the Intention of the Priest being necessary to the Validity and Virtue of the Sacraments and then several of their Practices as of the Worship of Images of the Invocation of Angels and Saints of the Service of God and the Scriptures in an Vnknown Tongue and the Communion in one Kind and several other things so plainly contrary to the Scriptures and the Practice and Usage of the Primitive Church that almost the meanest Capacity may easily be made sensible and convinced of it These are sore places which they desire not to have touched and therefore they use all possible Artifice to keep Men at a distance from them partly because the particular discussion of them is tedious and it requires more than ordinary Skill to say any thing that is tenable for them and so to paint and varnish them over as to hide the Corruptions and Deformities of them but chiefly because they are conscious to themselves that as in all these Points they are upon the Defensive so they are also upon very great Disadvantages and therefore to avoid if it be possible being troubled with them they have devised this shorter and easier and more convenient way of making Proselytes Not that they are always able to keep themselves thus within their Trenches but are sometimes whether they will or no drawn out to Encounter some of these Objections but they rid themselves of them as soon and as dexterously as they can by telling those that make them that they will hereafter give them full Satisfaction to all these Matters when they are gotten over the first and main Enquiry Which is the true Church For if they can keep them to this Point and gain them to it they can deal with them more easily in the rest for when they can once swallow this Principle That the Church of Rome is the One True Catholick Church and consequently as they have told them all along Infallible this Infallibility of the Church once entertained will cover a multitude of particular Errors and Mistakes and it will very much help to cure the weakness and defects of some particular Doctrines and Practices and at least to silence and over-rule all Objections against them So that the benefit and advantage of this Method is visibly and at first sight very great and therefore no wonder they are so steady and constant to it and do so obstinately insist upon it But how convenient soever it be to them it is I am sure very unreasonable in it self and that upon these Accounts 1. Because the True Church doth not constitute and make the True Christian Faith and Doctrine but it is the True Christian Faith and Doctrine the Profession whereof makes the True Church and therefore in Reason and Order of Nature the first Enquiry must be What is the True Faith and Doctrine of Christ which by him was delivered to the Apostles and by them publish'd and made known to the World and by their Writings Transmitted and Conveyed down to us And this being found every Society of Christians which holds this Doctrine is a True Part of the Catholick Church and all the Christians throughout the World that agree in this Doctrine are the One True Catholick Church 2. The Enquiry about the True Church can have no Issue even according to their own way of proceeding without a due Examination of the particular Doctrines and Practices of that Church the Communion whereof they would perswade a Man to embrace We will admit at present this to be the first Enquiry Which is the True Church Let us now see in what way they manage this to gain Men over to their Church They tell them that the Church of Rome is the One True Catholick Church of Christ. The truth of this Assertion we will particularly examine afterwards when we come to consider the next step of their Method in dealing with their Converts At present I shall only take notice in the General what way they take to prove this Assertion namely That the Church of Rome is the One True Catholick Church and that is by the Notes and Marks of the True Church which they call their Motives of Credibility because by these they design to perswade them that the Church of Rome is the One True Catholick Church I shall not now reckon up all the Notes and Marks which they give of the True Church but only observe that one of their Principal Marks of the True Church is this That the Faith and Doctrine of it be agreeable to the Doctrine of the Primitive and Apostolick Church i. e. to the Doctrine delivered by our Saviour and his Apostles And this Bellarmine makes one of the Marks of the True Church And they must unavoidably make it so because the True Faith and Doctrine of Christ is that which indeed Constitutes the True Church But if this be an Essential Mark of the True Church then no Man can possibly know the Church of Rome to be the True Church till he have examin'd the particular Doctrines and Practices of it and the Agreement of them with the Primitive Doctrine and Practice of Christianity and this necessarily draws on and engages them in a dispute of the particular Points and Differences betwixt us which is the very thing they would avoid by this Method and which I have now plainly shewed they cannot do because they cannot possibly prove their Church to be the True Church without shewing the Conformity of their Doctrines and Practices to the Doctrine and Practice of the Primitive and Apostolick Church and this will give them work enough and will whether they will or no draw them out of their Hold and Fastness which is to amuse People with a general Enquiry Which is the true Church without descending to the Examination of their particular Doctrines and Practices But this they must of necessity come to before they can prove by the Notes and Marks of the True Church that theirs is the True Church And this is a Demonstration that their Method of Satisfaction as it is Unnatural and Unreasonable so it cannot serve the purpose they aim at by it which is to divert Men from the Examination of the particular Points in Difference between the Church of Rome and Us and to gain them over to them by a wile and trick because the very Method they take to prove themselves to be the True Catholick Church will enforce them to justifie all their particular Doctrines and Practices before they can finish this Proof And here we fix our foot That the single Question and Point upon which they would put the whole Issue of the Matter cannot possibly be brought to any reasonable Issue without a particular Discussion and Examination of the Points in Difference betwixt Their Church and Ours and when they can make out these to be agreeable to the Primitive Doctrine and Practice of the Christian Church
will not be proved without so much Trouble and Difficulty that it is better to let them alone and by the confident Assertion of them by Importunity and by any other fair means to get them believed without Proof of this stubborn sort of Propositions which will admit of no Proof This is one That a Part is the Whole or which is all one Thâ—â— the Roman Church is the Catholick Church For that it is but a Part of the Christian Church and not the best Part neither but perhaps the very worst and most corrupt of all the rest is no difficult matter to prove and hath been often done But now to prove the Church of Rome to be the Catholick Church that is the whole Society of all True Christians in the World these following Particulars ought to be clearly shewn and made out 1. A plain Constitution of our Saviour whereby St. Peter and his Successors at Rome are made the Supream Head and Pastors of the whole Christian Church For St. Peter first Can they shew any such Constitution in the Gospel or can they produce the least Proof and Evidence out of the History of the Acts and the Epistles of the Apostles that St. Peter was acknowledg'd for such by the rest of the Apostles Nay is there not clear evidence there to the contrary that in the first Council of the Christian Church at Jerusalem St. James the Bishop of Jerusalem was if not Superior at least equal to him Does St. Paul acknowledg any Superiority of St. Peter over him Nay does he not upon several occasions declare himself equal to the chiefest Apostles even to St. Peter himself And is this Consistent with a plain Constitution of our Lord's makeing St. Peter Supream Head and Pastor of the Christian Church But suppose this to have been so where doth it appear by any Constitution of our Saviour that this Authority was derived to his Successors And if it were why to his Successors at Rome rather than at Antioch where he was first and unquestionably Bishop They must acknowledg that when he was Bishop of Antioch he was the Supream Head and Pastor of the whole Christian Church and then the Style must have been the Antiochian Catholick Church as it is now the Roman Catholick But do they find any footsteps of such a Style in Ecclesiastical History 2. To make good this Proposition That the Roman Church is the Catholick Church they are in consequence obliged to affirm and believe That the Churches of Asia which were Excommunicated by the Bishops of Rome for not keeping Easter as They did and the Churches of Asia and Africa who were Excommunicated by the same Bishop upon the Point of Rebaptizing Hereticks that all these by being turn'd out of the Communion of the Roman Church were also Cut off from the Catholick Church and from a possibility of Salvation This the Church of Rome themselves will not affirm and yet if to be cast out of the Communion of the Roman and the Catholick Church be all one they must affirm it 3. In consequence of this Proposition That the Church of Rome is the Catholick Church they ought to hold that all Baptism out of the Communion of Their Church is void and of none effect For if it be good then it makes the Persons baptized Members of the Catholick Church and then those that are out of the Communion of the Roman Church may be true Members of the Catholic Church and then the Roman and the Catholick Church are not all one But the Church of Rome holds the Baptism of Hereticks and of those that are out of the Communion of Their Church to be good which is a Demonstration that the Roman Church neither is the Catholick Church nor if she believe consistently can she think her self to be so 4. In consequence of this Proposition all the Christians in the World which do not yield Subjection to the Bishop of Rome and acknowledg his Supremacy are no true parts of the Catholick Church nor in a possibility of Salvation And this does not only exclude those of the Reform'd Religion from being Members of the Catholick Church but the Greeks and the Eastern Churches i. e. Four of the Five Patriarchal Churches of the Christian World which taken together are really greater than those in Communion with the Church of Rome And this the Church of Rome does affirm concerning all those Churches and Christians which refuse Subjection to the Bishop of Rome that they are out of the Communion of the Catholick Church and a capacity of Salvation But surely it is not possible that the True Catholick Church of Christ can have so little Charity as this comes to and to a wise Man there needs no other Demonstration than this That the Church of Rome is so far from being the Whole Christian Church that it 's a very Arrogant and Uncharitable Part of it Fifthly and Lastly In consequence of the Truth of this Proposition and of the Importance of it to the Salvation of Souls and to the Peace and Unity of the Christian Church they ought to produce express Mention of the Roman Catholick Church in the Ancient Creeds of the Christian Church For if this Proposition That the Roman Church is the Catholick be true it was always so and always of the greatest Importance to the Salvation of Men and the Peace and Unity of the Christian Church and if it were so and always believed to be so by the Christian Church as they pretend What reason can be imagin'd why the Ancient Christian Church should never say so nor put an Article of such Consequence and Importance in express Words in their Creeds nor why they should not have used the Style of Roman Catholick as familiarly then as they do now in the Roman Church A plain Evidence that this is a new Style which they use when they give themselves the Title of the Roman Catholick Church and that the Ancient Christian Church knew better than to call one Part of the Catholick Church the Whole I am sure that AEneas Sylvius who was afterwards Pope Pius the Second says that before the Council of Nice little respect was had to the Roman Church But how does this consist with their present Pretence that the Roman Church is and always hath been the Catholick Church and that the Bishop of Rome is by Christ's appointment the Supream Pastor and Visible Head of the whole Christian Church Is it possible that this should be believed in the Christian Church before the Council of Nice and yet little respect to be had at that time to the Roman Church This indeed was said by AEneas Sylvius before he sate in the Infallible Chair but is never the less true for that 5ly The next step of their Method is That the Roman Church is Infallible and by this means They have a certain remedy against Heresie and a Judge of Controversies from which there is no Appeal which We want in Our
of the Rule of Faith I know that the Council of Trent declares it for the Rule they intend to proceed upon and make use of for the Confirmation and Proof of their following Determinations and Decrees But did any of the ancient Councils of the Christian Church lay down this Rule and proceed upon it Did not Constantine the Emperour at the opening of the First General Council lay the Bible before them as the only Rule according to which they were to proceed and this with the Approbation of all those Holy Fathers that were assembled in that Council And did not following Councils proceed upon the same Rule Do any of the ancient Fathers ever mention any Rule of Christian Faith and Practice besides the Holy Scriptures and the ancient Creed which because it is an Abridgment of the necessary Articles of Christian Faith contained in the Holy Scriptures is by them frequently called the Rule of Faith Do not the same Fathers frequently and expresly say That the Scriptures are a perfect Rule and that all things are plainly contained in them which concern Faith and Life and that whatever cannot be proved by Testimony of Scripture is to be rejected All this I am sure I can make good by innumerable express Testimonies of the ancient Fathers which are well known to those that are versed in them By what Authority then hath the Council of Trent set up this new Rule unknown to the Christian Church for 1500 Years and who gave them this Authority The plain truth is the necessity of it for the Defence of the Errors and Corruptions which they had embraced and were resolved not to part with forced them to lengthen out the Rule the old Rule of the Holy Scriptures being too short for their purpose Thirdly Whereas they pretend that Holy Scripture as expounded by a private Spirit may not seem so favourable to some of their Doctrines and Practices yet as interpreted by Tradition which can only give the true Sense of Scripture it agrees very well with them I suppose they mean that whereas a private Spirit would be apt to understand some Texts of Scripture as if People were to search and read the Scripture Tradition interprets those Texts in a quite other Sense that People are not to be permitted to read the Holy Scriptures A private Spirit would be apt to understand St. Paul's Discourse in the 14th of the 1st to the Corinthians to be against Celebrating Prayer and the Service of God in an unknown Tongue as being contrary to Edification and indeed to common Sense For he says If one should come and find them speaking and praying in an unknown Tongue will they not say Ye are mad But now Tradition which only knows how to give the true Sense can reconcile this Discourse of St. Paul very easily with the Practice of the Church of Rome in this matter And so likewise the Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians with the Worship of Angels and the Epistle to the Hebrews with offering the Propitiatory Sacrifice of Christ in the Mass a Thousand times every Day And to give but one Instance more Whereas a Man by his private Spirit would be very apt to understand the Second Commandment to forbid all Worship of Images Tradition discovers the meaning of this Commandment to be that due Veneration is to be given to them So that at this rate of interpreting Scripture by Tradition it is impossible to fix any Objection from Scripture upon any Doctrine or Practice which they have a mind to maintain Fourthly Whereas they pretend the Tradition of their Church delivered from the Mouth of Christ or dictated by the Holy Spirit and brought down to them and preserved by continnal Succession in the Church to be of equal Authority with the Word of God for so the Council of Trent says That the Holy Synod doth receive and venerate these Traditions with equal pious Affection and Reverence as they do the written Word of God This we must declare against as unreasonable in it self to make Tradition conveyed by Word of Mouth from one to another through so many Ages and liable to so many Mistakes and Miscarriages to be at the distance of 1500 Years of equal Certainty and Authority with the Holy Scriptures carefully preserved and transmitted down to us because this as I said before is to make common Rumor and Report of equal Authority and Certainty with a written Record And not only so but hereby they make the Scriptures an imperfect Rule contrary to the declared Judgment of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Christian Church and so in truth they set up a new Rule of Faith whereby they change the Christian Religion For a new Rule of Faith and Religion makes a new Faith and Religion This we charge the Church of Rome with and do challenge them to shew this new Rule of Faith before the Council of Trent and consequently where their Religion was before that Council to shew a Religion consisting of all those Articles which are defined by the Council of Trent as necessary to Salvation and established upon this new Rule professed by any Christian Church in the World before that time And as they have pitch'd upon a new Rule of Faith so it is easie to see to what End For take Pope Pius IV. his Creed and we may see where the Old and New Religion parts even at the end of the Twelve Articles of the Aplostles Creed which was the ancient Christian Faith to which are added in Pope Pius his Creed Twelve Articles more defined in the Council of Trent and supported only by Tradition So that as the Scripture answers for the Twelve old Articles which are plainly contained there so Tradition is to answer for the Twelve new ones And therefore the matter was calculated very exactly when they make Tradition just of equal Authority with the Scriptures because as many Articles of Their Faith were to be made good by it and rely upon it as those which are proved by the Authority of Scripture But that Tradition is of equal Authority with the Scriptures we have nothing in the whole World for it but the bare Assertion of the Council of Trent I should now have added some other Considerations tending to confirm and establish us in our Religion against the Pretences and Insinuations of Seducing Spirits But I shall proceed no farther at present The Tenth Sermon as number'd follows THere is a mistake in Numbering of these Sermons The Tenth should be called the Ninth and so on to the end For there are but Fifteen Sermons in this Volume and should be no more A SERMON HEB. X. 23. Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that hath promised THESE words contain an Exhortation to hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering and an Argument or Encouragement thereto because he is faithful that hath promised By the Exhortation to hold fast the
was discovered 3. The Decretal Epistles of the Ancient Popes a large Volume of Forgeries compiled by Isidore Mercator to countenance the Usurpations of the Bishop of Rome and of which the Church of Rome made great use for several Ages and pertinaciously defended the Authority of them till the Learned Men of their own Church have at last been forced for very shame to disclaim them and to confess the Imposture of them A like instance whereto is not I hope to be shewn in any Christian Church This is that which St. Paul calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the slight of Men such as Gamesters use at Dice for to alledge false and forged Authors in this case is to play with false Dice when the Salvation of Mens Souls lie at stake 11. Our Religion hath this mighty advantage that it doth not decline Tryal and Examination which to any Man of ingenuity must needs appear a very good Sign of an honest Cause but if any Church be shy of having her Religion Examined and her Doctrines and Practices brought into the open light this gives just ground of Suspicion that she hath some distrust of them for Truth doth not seek corners nor shun the light Our Saviour hath told us who they are that love darkness rather than light viz. they whose deeds are Evil for every one saith he that doth Evil hateth the light neither cometh he to the light lest his deeds should be reproved and made manifest There needs no more to render a Religion suspected to a wise Man than to see those who profess it and make such proud boasts of the Truth and Goodness of it so fearful that it should be examin'd and lookt into and that their People should take the liberty to hear and read what can be said against it 12. We perswade Men to our Reliligion by Human and Christian ways such as our Saviour and his Apostles used by urging Men with the Authority of God and with Arguments fetcht from another World The promise of Eternal Life and Happiness and the threatning of Eternal death and Misery which are the proper Arguments of Religion and which alone are fitted to work upon the Minds and Consciences of Men the terror and torture of death may make Men Hypocrites and awe them to profess with their Mouths what they do not believe in their Hearts but this is no proper means of converting the Soul and convincing the Minds and Consciences of Men and these violent and cruel ways cannot be denyed to have been Practised in the Church of Rome and set on foot by the Authority of Councils and greatly countenanced and encouraged by Popes themselves Witness the many Croisades for the extirpation of Hereticks the standing Cruelties of their Inquisition their occasional Massacres and Persecutions of which we have fresh Instances in every Age. But these Methods of Conversion are a certain Sign that they either disturst the Truth and Goodness of their Cause or else that they think Truth and the Arguments for it are of no force when Dragoons are their Ratio ultima the last Reason which their Cause relies upon and the best and most effectual it can afford Again we hold no Doctrines in defiance of the Senses of all Mankind such as is that of Transubstantiation which is now declared in the Church of Rome to be a Necessary Article of Faith so that a Man cannot be of that Religion unless he will renounce his Senses and believe against the clear Verdict of them in a plain sensible matter but after this I do not understand how a Man can believe any thing because by this very thing he destroys and takes away the Foundation of all Certainty if any Man forbid me to believe what I see I forbid him to believe any thing upon better and surer Evidence St. Paul saith that Faith cometh by hearing but if I cannot rely upon the certainty of Sense then the means whereby Faith is conveyed is uncertain and we may say as St. Paul doth in another case Then is our Preaching vain and your Faith also is vain Lastly To mention no more particulars as to several things used and Practised in the Church of Rome we are on the much safer side if we should happen to be mistaken about them than they are if they should be mistaken for it is certainly Lawful to read the Scriptures and Lawful to permit to the People the use of the Scriptures in a known Tongue Otherwise we must condemn the Apostles and the Primitive Church for allowing this Liberty It is certainly Lawful to have the publick Prayers and Service of God celebrated in a Language which all that joyn in it can understand It is certainly Lawful to administer the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to the People in both kinds otherwise the Christian Church would not have done it for a Thousand Years It is certainly Lawful not to Worship Images not to pray to Angels or Saints or the Blessed Virgin otherwise the Primitive Church would not have forborn these Practices for Three Hundred Years as is acknowledged by those of the Church of Rome Suppose a Man should pray to God only and offer up all his Prayers to him only by Jesus Christ without making mention of any other Mediator or Intercessor with God for us relying herein upon what the Apostle says concerning our High Priest Jesus the Son of God Heb. 7 25. That he is able to save them to the utmost who come unto God by him i. e. by his Mediation and Intercession since he ever liveth to make Intercession for them might not a Man reasonably hope to obtain of God all the Blessings he stands in need of by Addressing himself only to him in the Name and by the Intercession of that one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus Nay why may not a Man reasonably think that this is both a shorter and more effectual way to obtain our requests than by turning our selves to the Angels and Saints and importuning them to solicite God for us especially if we should order the matter so as to make ten times more frequent Addresses to these than we do to God and our Blessed Saviour and in comparison of the other to neglect these we cannot certainly think any more able to help us and do us good than the great God of Heaven and Earth the God as St. Paul styles him that heareth Prayers and therefore unto him should all flesh come We cannot certainly think any Intercessor so powerful and prevalent with God as his only and dearly beloved Son offering up our Prayers to God in Heaven by vertue of that most acceptable and invaluable Sacrifice which he offered to him on Earth we cannot surely think that there is so much Goodness any where as in God that in any of the Angels or Saints or even in the Blessed Mother of our Lord there is more Mercy and Compassion for Sinners and a tenderer sense of our Infirmities
it but having no root in themselves they endured but for a while and when tribulation and persecution ariseth because of the word presently they fall off And there is likewise a partial Apostasie from Christianity when some Fundamental Article of it is denied whereby in effect and by consequence the whole Christian Faith is overthrown Of this Hymeneus and Philetus were guilty of whom the Apostle says that they erred concerning the truth saying that tbe Resurrection was past already and thereby overthrew the faith of some 2 Tim. 2. 17 18. That is they turned the Resurrection into an Allegory and did thereby really destroy a most Fundamental Article of the Christian Religion So that to make a man an Apostate it is not necessary that a man should solemnly renounce his Baptism and declare Christianity to be false there are several other ways whereby a man may bring himself under this guilt as by a silent quitting of his Religion and withdrawing himself from the Communion of all that profess it by denying an Essential Doctrine of Christianity by undermining the great End and Design of it by teaching Doctrines which directly tend to encourage Men in impenitence and a wicked course of life nay to Authorise all manner of impiety and vice in telling Men that whatever they do they cannot Sin for which the Primitive Christians did look upon the Gnosticks as no better than Apostates from Christianity and tho they retained the Name of Christians yet not to be truly and really so And there is likewise a partial Apostacy from the Christan Religion of which I shall speak under the II. Head I proposed which was to consider the several sorts and degrees of Apostacy The highest of all is the renouncing and forsaking of Christianity or of some Essential part of it which is a virtual Apostafie from it But there are several tendencies towards this which they who are guilty of are in some degree guilty of this Sin As 1. Indifferency in Religion and want of all sort of Concernment for it when a Man tho he never quitted his Religion yet is so little concerned for it that a very small Occasion or Temptation would make him do it he is contented to be reckoned in the number of those who profess it so long as it is the Fashion and he finds no great Inconvenience by it but is so indifferent in his Mind about it like Gallio who minded none of those things that he can turn himself into any other Shape when his Interest requires it so that tho he never actually deserted it yet he is 2 kind of Apostate in the preparation and disposition of his Mind And to such Persons that Title which Solomon gives to some may fitly enough be applyed they are Backsliders in Heart 2. Another tendency to this Sin and a great degree of it is withdrawing from the Publick Marks and Testimonies of the Profession of Religion by forsaking the Assemblies of Christians for the Worship and Service of God to withdraw our selves from those for fear of Danger or Suffering is a kind of Denyal of our Religion And this was the case of some in the Apostles time when Persecution grew hot and the open Profession of Christianity dangerous to avoid this Danger many appeared not in the Assemblies of Christians for fear of being observed and brought into trouble for it This the Apostle taxeth some for in this Chapter and speaketh of it as a letting go our Profession and a kind of deserting of Christianity v. 23 35. Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is He doth not say they had quitted their Profession but they had but a loose hold of it and were silently stealing away from it 3. A light temper of Mind which easily receives Impressions from those who lie in wait to deceive and seduce Men from the Truth When Men are not well rooted and established in Religion they are apt to be inveigled by the crafty Insinuations of Seducers to be moved with every wind of Doctrine and to be easily shaken in Mind by every trifling piece of Sophistry that is confidently obtruded upon them for a weighty Argument Now this is a temper of Mind which disposeth Men to Apostasie and renders them an easie Prey to every one that takes a Pleasure and a Pride in making Proselytes It is true indeed a Man should always have a Mind ready to entertain Truth when it is fairly proposed to him but the main things of Religion are so plainly revealed and lie so obvious to every ordinary capacity that every Man may discern them and when he hath once entertained them ought to be stedfast and unmovable in them and not suffer himself to be whiffled out of them by any insignificant noise about the Infallibility of a Visible Church much less ought he to be moved by any Man's uncharitableness and positiveness in damning all that are not of his Mind There are some things so very plain not only in Scripture but to the common Reason of Mankind that no subtilty of Discourse no pretended Authority or even Infallibility of any Church ought to stagger us in the least about them as that we ought not or cannot believe any thing in direct contradiction to Sense and Reason that the People ought to Read and Study the Holy Scriptures and to serve God and pray to him in a Language which they understand that they ought to receive the Sacrament as our Saviour instituted and appointed it that is in both kinds that it can neither be our Duty nor Lawful to do that which God hath forbidden as he hath done the Worship of Images in the Second Commandment as plainly as words can do it Upon any one of these Points a Man would fix his foot and stand alone against the whole World 4. Another Degree of Apostasie is a departure from the Purity of the Christian Doctrine and Worship in a gross and notorious manner This is a partial tho not a total Apostasie from the Christian Religion and there have been and still are some in the World who are justly Charged with this degree of Apostasie from Religion namely such as tho they retain and profess the Belief of all the Articles of the Christian Faith and Worship the only true God and him whom he hath sent Jesus Christ yet have greatly perverted the Christian Religion by superinducing and adding new Articles of Faith and gross Corruptions and Superstitions in Worship and imposing upon Men the Belief and Practice of these as necessary to Salvation And St. Paul is my Warrant for this Censure who chargeth those who added to the Christian Religion the Necessity of Circumcision and observing the Law of Moses and thereby perverted the Gospel of Christ as guilty in some degree of Apostasie from Christianity for he calls it preaching another Gospel Gal. 1. 7 8. There be some that trouble
and Terrors of Sense Our Faith and Hope have not their due and proper Influence upon us if they do not govern our Lives and Actions and make us stedfast in the Profession of our Holy Religion and in the Conscientious Practice of it St. Paul reason'd himself into this Holy Resolution from the Hopes of a blessed Resurrection Acts 24. 15 16. I have Hope says he toward God that there shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the Just and Vnjust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this cause therefore I exercise my self always to have a Conscience void of Offence towards God and towards Men. VI. And Lastly If we be Sojourners and Travellers in this World we should often think of our End and carefully mind the Way to it Our End is Everlasting Happiness and the direct Way to it is by a constant and sincere and universal Obedience to the Laws and Commandments of God And this in it self is so plain a way that a sincere and honest Man can hardly err in it And therefore we must not suffer our selves to be led and trained out of it upon any Pretence whatsoever not by the Wild-fire of pretended Illuminations and Enthusiasms nor by the confident Pretence of an Infallible Guide that will needs shew us another way and perswade us to follow him blindfold in it Let us not quit the Infallible Rule of God's Word to follow any Guide whatsoever If an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Doctrine and Way to Heaven let him be accursed He who is the Way and the Truth and the Life when he was consulted with about the Way to Eternal Happiness knew no other but this For when the Young Man ask'd him Good Master what good thing shall I do that I may inherit Eternal Life His Answer was If thou wilt enter into Life keep the Commandments 'T is true indeed that by reason of our corrupt Inclinations within and powerful Temptations without this Way especially at our first setting out is rugged and difficult So our Lord hath forewarned us telling us That strait is the Gate and narrow is the Way that leadeth to Life and that there be few that find it Therefore we should strive to enter in take great Care and Pains to discern the Right Way and to overcome the Difficulties of our first Entrance into it and should often pray to God as David did Psalm 119. 19. I am a Stranger in the Earth hide not thy Commandments from me And Psalm 139. 23 24. Search me O God and know my Heart try me and know my Thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the Way Everlasting Thus if we would always have our End in our Eye it would both be a Direction to us in our Way and an Encouragement to quicken our Pace in it there being no more powerful Motive to a good Life than to be assured that if we have our Fruit unto Holiness our End shall be Everlasting Life FINIS ERRATA PAge 16. l. 26. r. Complement p. 28. l. 6. r. Nathanael p. 63. l. 20. after so dele p. 78. l. 19. r. Providence p. 80. l. 4. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 88. l. 11. after Comparison put p. 97. l. 26. r. farther p. 98. l. 16. r. fared p. 104. l. 15. r. established p. 110. l. ult dele p. 130. l. 15. r. sleight p. 142. l. 13. r. against p. 292. l. 1. r. infinitely p. 295. l. 18. after Confession dele p. 298. l. 24. after World put l. ult after Men put a Full Point p. 299. l. 21. r. distrust p. 303. l. 9. after God put l. 11. after us put a Full Point p. 313. l. 8. r. sufficiently p. 426. l. 7. r. goes off BOOKS Printed for Richard Chiswell DR THOMAS TENISON now Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his Sermon concerning Discretion in giving Alms. 1668. His Sermon against Self-love before the House of Commons 1689. His Sermon of doing Good to Posterity before Their Majesties 1690. His Sermon concerning the Wandring of the Mind in God's Service before the Queen Feb. 15. 1690. His Sermon of the Folly of Atheism before the Queen Feb. 22. 1690. His Sermon preached at the Anniversary Meeting of the Clergy-mens Sons Decemb. 3. 1691. His Sermon concerning the Celestial Body of a Christian before the Queen on Easter-Day 1694. His Sermon concerning Holy Resolution before the King at Kensington Decemb. 30. 1694 on Psal. 119. 106. His Sermon at the Funeral of the Queen in the abby-Abby-Church in Westminster March 5. 1694 5. Dr. BVRNET Lord Bishop of Sarum his Discourse of the Pastoral Care 8vo His Four Discourses delivered to the Clergy of the Diocess of Sarum Concerning I. The Truth of the Christian Religion II. The Divinity and Death of Christ. III. The Infallibility and Authority of the Church IV. The Obligations to continue in the Communion of the Church 8vo 1694. His Sermon at the Funeral of Archbishop Tillotson 1694. His Sermon Preach'd before the King at St. James's Chappel on the 10th of February 1694 5 being the first Sunday in Lent on 2 Cor. 6. 1. Dr. PATRICK now Lord Bishop of Ely his Hearts-Ease or a Remedy against all Troubles With a Consolatory Discourse particularly directed to those who have lost their Friends and Relations To which is added two Papers printed in the time of the late Plague The sixth Edition corrected 12mo 1695. His Answer to a Book spread abroad by the Romish Priests Intituled The Touch-Stone of the Reformed Gospel wherein the true Doctrine of the Church of England and many Texts of the Holy Scripture are faithfully explained 8vo 1692. His Eight several occasional Sermons since the Revolution 4to His Exposition of the Ten Commandments 8vo A Vindication of their Majesty's Authority to fill the Sees of deprived Bishops In a Letter occasioned by Dr. B 's refusal of the Bishoprick of Bath and Wells 4to Rushworth's Historical Collections The Third Part in Two Volumes Containing the Principal Matters which happened from the meeting of the Parliament Nov. 3. 1640. to the end of the Year 1644. Wherein is a particular Account of the Rise and Progress of the Civil War to that Period Fol. 1692. The Letters of the Reverend Father Paul Counsellor of State to the most Serene Republick of Venice and Author of the Excellent History of the Council of Trent 1693. An Impartial History of the late Wars of Ireland In Two Parts From the time that Duke Schomberg landed with an Army in that Kingdom to the 23d of March 1692. when their Majesty's Proclamation was published declaring the War to be ended Illustrated with Copper Sculptures describing the most important Places of Action Written by George Story an Eye-witness of the most remarkable Passages 4to 1693. Dr. John Conant's Sermons Publish'd by Dr. Williams 1693. 8vo Of the Government of the Thoughts The Second Edition By Geo. Tully Sub-Dean of York 8vo 1694. Origo Legum Or A Treatise of the Origine of Laws and their Obliging Power as also of their great Variety and why some Laws are immutable and some not but may suffer change or cease to be or be suspended or abrogated In Seven Books By George Dawson Fol. 1694. A brief Discourse concerning the Lawfulness of Worshipping God by the Common-Prayer in Answer to a Book intituled A Brief Discourse of the Vnlawfulness of Common-Prayer-Worship By John Williams D. D. 4to 1694. A true Representation of the absurd and mischievous Principles of the Sect commonly known by the Name of Muggletonians 4to 1694. Memoirs of the most Reverend THOMAS CRANMER Archbishop of Canterbury Wherein the History of the Church and the Reformation of it during the Primacy of the said Archbishop are greatly illustrated and many singular Matters relating thereunto now first published In Three Books Collected chiefly from Records Registers Authentick Letters and other Original Manuscripts By John Strype M. A. Fol. 1694. A Commentary on the First Book of Moses called Genesis By the Right Reverend Father in God Simon Lord Bishop of Ely 4to 1695. The History of the Troubles and Tryal of the Most Reverend Father in God WILLIAM LAVD Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Wrote by himself during his Imprisonment in the Tower To which is prefixed the Diary of his own Life faithfully and entirely published from the Original Copy And subjoyned a Supplement to the preceding History the Arch-Bishop's Last Will His Large Answer to the Lord Say's Speech concerning Liturgies His Annual Accounts of his Province deliver'd to the King and some other Things relating to the History Publish'd by Henry Wharton Chaplain to Archbishop Sancroft Fol. The Possibility and Expediency and Necessity of Divine Revelation A Sermon preach'd at St. Martin's in the Fields January 7. 1694 5. at the beginning of the Lecture for the ensuing Year Founded by the Honourable Rob. Boyle Esq by John Williams D. D. The Certainty of Divine Revelation being his Second Sermon preach'd at the said Lecture Feb. 4. 1695. His Vindication of the Sermons of his Grace John Archbishop of Canterbury concerning the Divinity and Incarnation of our Blessed Saviour and of the Lord Bishop of Worcester's Sermon on the Mysteries of the Christian Faith from the Exceptions of a late Socinian Book Intituled Considerations on the Explications of the Doctrine of the Trinity To which is annexed a Letter from the Lord Bishop of Sarum to the Author of the said Vindication on the same Subject 1695. 4to Historia de Episcopis Decanis Londinensibus necnon de Episcopis Decanis Assavensibus à prima utriusque fundatione ad Annum MDXL. Accessit Appendix instrumentorum quorundam insignium duplex Autore Henrico Whartono A. M. 8vo 1695. An Essay on the Memory of the late QUEEN By Gilbert Bishop of Sarum 8vo Advertisement THere will be published several Sermons and Discourses of the most Reverend Dr. JOHN TILLOTSON late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury by order of his Administratrix faithfully transcribed from his own Papers by Dr. Ralph Barker Chaplain to his Grace Which are disposed of to Richard Chiswell and his Assigns If any Person Print any others except those published in the Author's Life-time they are to be look'd upon as Spurious and False And the Publishers will be proceeded against according to Law
is faithful that promised I Have already made entrance into these Words which I told you do contain in them I. An Exhortation to hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering II. An Argument or Encouragement thereto because he is Faithful that promised If we continue stedfast and faithful to God we shall find him faithful to us in making good all the Promises which he hath made to us whether of Aid and Support or of Recompence and Reward of our Fidelity to him I have begun to handle the First part of the Text viz. The Apoostles Exhortation to Christians to be constant and steady in their Religion Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering The Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render without wavering signifies inflexible and unmovable not apt to waver and to be shaken with every Wind of contrary Doctrine nor by the Blasts and Storms of Persecution And that we might the better comprehend the full and true meaning of this Exhortation I propounded to do these Two things 1. To shew Negatively wherein this Constancy and Steadiness in the Profession of the true Religion doth not consist And 2. To shew Positively what is implied and intended here by the Apostle in holding fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering 1. To shew Negatively wherein this Constancy and the Steadiness in the Profession of the true Religion doth not consist This I spake to the last Day and shewed at large that there are Two things which are not contained and intended in this Exhortation 1. That Men should not have the Liberty to examine their Religion and to enquire into the Grounds and Reasons of it Such I mean as are capable of this examination and enquiry which some I shewed are not as Children who while they are in that state are only fit to learn and believe what is taught them by their Parents and Teachers And likewise such grown Persons as either by the natural Weakness of their Faculties or by some great Disadvantage of Education are of a very low and mean Capacity and Improvement of Understanding These are to be considered as in the condition of Children and Learners and therefore must of necessity trust and rely upon the Judgment of others 2. This holding fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering does not imply that when Men upon examination and enquiry are settled as they think and verily believe in the true Religion they should obstinately refuse to hear any Reason that can be offer'd againg them Both these Principles I shew'd to be unreasonable and Arguments of a bad Cause and Religion I shall now proceed to explain the meaning of this Exhortation To hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering by shewing in the Second place what it is that is implied in the constant and steady Profession of the true Faith and Religion namely That when upon due search and examination we are fully satisfied that it is the true Religion which we have embraced or as St. Peter expresses it 1st Epistle 5. 12. That this is the true Grace of God wherein we stand that then we should adhere stedfastly to it and hold it fast and not suffer it to be wrested from us nor our selves to be moved from it by any Pretences or Insinuations or Temptations whatsoever For there is a great deal of difference between the Confidence and Stedfastness of an Ignorant Man who hath never considered Things and enquired into the Grounds of them and the Assurance and Settlement of one who hath been well instructed in his Religion and hath taken pains to search and examine to the bottom the Grounds and Reasons of what he holds and professeth to believe The first is meer Wilfulness and Obstinacy A Man hath entertained and drank in such Principles of Religion by Education or hath taken them up by Chance but he hath no Reason for them and yet however he came by them he is resolved to hold them fast and not to part with them The other is the Resolution and Constancy of a Wise Man He hath embraced his Religion upon good Grounds and he sees no Reason to alter it and therefore is resolved to stick to it and to hold fast the Profession of it stedfastly to the end And to this purpose there are many Exhortations and Cautions scattered up and down the Writings of the holy Apostles as that we should be stedfast and unmoveable established in the Truth rooted and grounded in the Faith and that we should hold fast that which is good and not suffer our selves to be carried to and fro with every wind of Doctrine through the slight of Men and the cunning craftiness of those that lie in wait to deceive that we should not be removed from him that hath called us unto the grace of Christ unto another Gospel that we should stand fast in one Spirit and one Mind striving together for the Faith of the Gospel and be â—n nothing terrifled by our Adversaries and that if occasion be we should contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered unto the Saints and here in the Text That we should hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering For the explaining of this I shall do two Things 1. Consider what it is that we are to hold fast namely the profession of our Faith And 2. How we are to hold it fast or what is implied in holding fast the profession of our Faith without wavering 1. What it is that we are to hold fast namely the profession of our Faith i. e. of the Christian Faith or Religion For I told you before that this Profession or Confession of our Faith or Hope as the word properly signifies is an Allusion to that Profession of Faith which was made by all those who were admitted Members of the Christian Church by Baptism of which the Apostle makes mention immediately before the Text when he says Let us draw near in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our bodies washed with pure Water And then it follows Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering The Profession of Faith which we made in our Baptisms and which by the Ancient Fathers is call'd the Rule of Faith and which is now contain'd in that which we call the Apostles Creed and which is called by St. Paul Rom. 6. 17. the Form of Doctrine which was delivered to them i. e. to all Christians and 2 Tim. 1. 13. the Form of sound Words Hold fast saith he the Form of sound Words which thou hast heard of me in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus and by St. Jude The Faith which was once delivered unto the Saints So that it is the first and ancient Faith of the Christian Church delivered to them by Christ and his Apostles which we are here exhorted to hold fast the necessary and fundamental Articles of the Christian Faith
and by consequence all those Truths which have a necessary Connexion with those Articles and are implied in them and by plain Consequence are to be deduced from them It is not the doubtful and uncertain Traditions of Men nor the partial Dictates and Doctrines of any Church since the Primitive Times which are not contained in the Holy Scriptures and the Ancient Creeds of the Christian Church but have been since declared and imposed upon the Christian World though with never so confident a pretence of Antiquity in the Doctrines and of Infallibility in the Proposers of them These are no part of that Faith which we are either to profess or to hold fast because we have no reason to admit the Pretences by virtue whereof those Doctrines or Practices are imposed being able to make it good and having effectually done it that those Doctrines are not of Primitive Antiquity and that the Church which proposeth them hath no more claim to Infallibility than all other Parts of the Christian Church which since the Apostles time is none at all In a word No other Doctrines which are not sufficiently revealed in Scripture either in express Terms or by plain and necessary Consequence nor any Rites of Worship nor Matters of Practice which are not commanded in Scripture are to be esteemed any part of that Faith in Re-Religion the Profession whereof the Apostle here Commands all Christians to hold fast without wavering much less any Doctrines or Practices which are repugnant to the Word of God and to the Faith and Practice of the first Ages of Christianity of which kind I shall have occasion in my following Discourse to instance in several Particulars In the mean time I shall only observe That that Faith and Religion which we profess and which by God's Grace we have ever held fast is that which hath been acknowledg'd by all Christian Churches in all Ages to have been the ancient Catholick and Apostolick Faith and cannot as to any part or tittle of it be denied to be so even by the Church of Rome her self I proceed to the II d Thing which I proposed to consider namely how we are to hold fast the profession of our Faith or what is implied by the Apostle in this Exhortation To hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering And I think these following Particulars may very well be supposed to be implied in it 1. That we should hold fast the Profession of our Faith against the Confidence of Men without Scripture or Reason to support their Confidence 2. And much more against the Confidence of Men contrary to Scripture and Reason and the common Sense of Mankind 3. Against all the Temptations and Terrours of the World 4. Against all vain Promises of being put into a safer Condition and groundless Hopes of getting to Heaven upon easier terms in another Religion 5. Against all the cunning Arts and Insinuations of busie and disputing Men whose Design it is to unhinge Men from their Religion and to gain Proselytes to their own Party and Faction I shall go over these with as much Clearness and Brevity as I can 1. We should hold fast the Profession of our Faith against the Confidence of Men without Scripture or Reason to support that Confidence All Religion is either Natural or Instituted The Rule of Natural Religion is the common Reason of Mankind The Rule of Instituted Religion is divine Revelation or the Word of God which all Christians before the Council of Trent did agree to be contained in the Holy Scriptures So that nothing can pretend to be Religion but what can be proved to be so One or both of those ways either by Scripture or by Reason or by both And how confident soever Men may be of Opinions destitute of this Proof any Man that understands the Grounds of Religion will without any more ado reject them for want of this proof and notwithstanding any pretended Authority or Infallibility of the Church that imposeth them will have no more Consideration and Regard of them than of the confident Dictates and Assertions of any Enthusiast whatsoever because there is no reason to have regard to any Man's Confidence if the Arguments and Reasons which he brings bear no proportion to it We see in Experience that Confidence is generally ill grounded and is a kind of Passion in the Understanding and is commonly made use of like Fury and Force to supply for the weakness and want of Argument If a Man can prove what he says by good Argument there is no need of Confidence to back and support it We may at any time trust a plain and substantial Reason and leave it to make its own way and to bear out its self But if the man's Reasons and Arguments be not good his Confidence adds nothing of real Force to them in the Opinion of Wise men and tends only to its own Confusion Arguments are like Powder which will carry and do execution according to its true strength and all the rest is but noise And generally none are so much to be suspected of Errour or a Design to deceive as those that pretend most confidently to Inspiration and Infallibility As we see in all sorts of Enthusiasts who pretend to Inspiration although we have nothing but their own word for it for they work no Miracles And all pretence to Inspiration and Infallibility without Miracle whether it be in particular Persons or in whole Churches is Enthusiastical i. e. a Pretence to Inspiration without any Proof of it And therefore St. Paul was not moved by the Boasting and Confidence of the false Apostles because they gave no Proof and Evidence of their Divine Inspiration and Commission as he had done for which he appeals to the Sense of Men Whether he had not wrought great Miracles which the false Apostles had not done though they had the confidence to give out themselves to be Apostles as well as he 2 Cor. 12. 11 12. I am says he become a fool in glorying ye have compelled me And truly the signs of an Apostle were wrought among you in all patience in signs and wonders and mighty deeds And Rev. 2. 2. Christ there commends the Church of Ephesus because she had tried them which said they were Apostles but were not and had found them liars And as we are not to believe every one that says he is an Apostle so neither every one that pretends to be a Successor of the Apostles and to be endued with the same Spirit of Infallibility that they were For these also when they are tried whether they be the Successors of the Apostles or not may be found Liars And therefore St. John cautions Christians not to believe every spirit that is every one that pretends to divine Inspiration and the Spirit of God but to try the Spirits whether they be of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the World 1 Joh. 4. 1. And therefore the Confidence of Men