Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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ID |
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Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
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A58627
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A sermon preached at White-Hall before His Late Majesty / by John Tillotson.
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Tillotson, John, 1630-1694.
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1686
(1686)
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Wing S1250A; ESTC R25649
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14,978
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33
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as many eâ—â—rors as they please to bring in is their Doctriâ—â— of Infallibility And this they are very stâ—â— and peremptory in tho they are not agreeâ— among themselves where this Infallibility â— seated whether in the Pope alone or a Couâ—â—cil alone or in both together or in the diffusiâ—â— body of Christians But they are sure they havâ— it tho they know not where it is And is this no prejudice against it can anâ— man think that this priviledg was at firâ—â— conferred upon the Church of Rome and thaâ— Christians in all Ages did believe it and haâ—â— constant recourse to it for determining theiâ— differences and yet that that very Churcâ— which hath enjoyed and used it so long shoulâ— now be at a loss where to find it Nothing could have fallen out more unluckily thaâ— that there should be such differences among them about that which they pretend to be thâ— onely means of ending all differences There is not the least intimation in Scripture of this priviledg conferr'd upon the Roman Church nor do the Apostes in all theiâ— Epistles ever so much as give the least direction to Christians to appeal to the Bishop oâ— Rome for a determination of the many differences which even in those times happen'd among them And it is strange they should be so silent in this matter when there were so many occasions to speak of it if our Saviour had plainly appointed such an infallible Judge of controversies for this very end to decide the differences that should happen among Christians It is strange that the ancient Fathers in their disputes with Hereticks should never appeal to this Judg nay it is strange they should not constantly do it in all cases it being so short and expedite a way for the ending of controversies And this very consideration to a wise man is instead of a thousand arguments to satisfie him that in those times no such thing was believed in the world Now this Doctrine of infallibility if it be not true is of so much the more pernicious consequence to Christianity because the conceit of it does confirm them that think they have it in all their other errors and gives them a pretence of assuming an Authority to themselves to impose their own fancies and mistakes upon the whole Christian world 2. Their Doctrine about Repentance which consists in confessing their sins to the Priest which if it be but accompanied with any degree of contrition does upon absolution received from the Priest put them into a state of salvation tho they have lived the most lewd and debauched lives that can be imagin'd than which nothing can be more plainly destructive of a good life For if this be true all the hazard that the most wicked man runs of his salvation is only the danger of so sudden a death as gives him no space for confession and absolution A case that happens so rarely that any man that is strongly addicted to his lusts will be content to venture his salvation upon this hazard and all the arguments to a good life will be very insignificant to a man that hath a mind to be wicked when remission of sins may be had upon such cheap terms 3. The Doctrine of Purgatory By which they mean an estate of temporary punishments after this life from which men may be released and translated into Heaven by the prayers of the living and the sacrifice of the Mass That this Doctrine was not known in the primitive Church nor can be proved from Scripture we have the free acknowledgment of as learned and eminent men as any of that Church which is to acknowledg that it is a superstructure upon the Christian Religion And though in one sense it be indeed a buildding of Gold and Silver upon the foundation of Christianity considering the vast revenues which this Doctrine and that of Indulgences which depends upon it brings into that Church yet I doubt not but in the Apostles sense it will be found to be hay and stubble But how groundless soever it be it is too gainful a Doctrine to be easily parted withall 4. The Doctrine of Transubstantiation A hard word but I would to God that were the worst of it the thing is much more difficult I have taken some pains to consider other Reâ—igions that have been in the world and I must freely declare that I never yet in any of them met with any Article or Proposition imposed upon the belief of men half so unreasonable and hard to be believed as this is And yet this in the Romish Church is esteemed one of the most principal Articles of the Christian Faith though there is no more certain foundation for it in Scripture than for our Saviour's being substantially changed into all those things which are said of him as that he is a rock a vine a door and a hundred other things But this is not all This Doctrine hath not onely no certain Foundation in Scripture but I have a far heavier charge against it namely that it undermines the very foundation of Christianity it self And surely nothing ought to be admitted to be a part of the Christian Doctrine which destroys the reason of our belief of the whole And that this Doctrine does so will appear evidently if we consider what was the main argument which the Apostles used to convince the world of the truth of Christianity and that was this That our blessed Saviour the Author of this Doctrine wrought such and such miracles and particularly that he rose again from the dead And this they proved because they were eye-witnesses of his miracles and had seen him and coâ—â—versed with him after he was risen from tâ—â— dead But what if their senses did deceiâ— them in this matter then it cannot be dâ—â—nied but that the main proof of Christianiâ—â— falls to the ground Well! We will now suppose as tâ—â— Church of Rome does Transubstantiation 〈◊〉 have been one principal part of the Christiâ—â— Doctrine which the Apostles preached Bâ— if this Doctrine be true then all mens senâ—â— are deceived in a plain sensible matter wherâ— in 't is as hard for them to be deceived as 〈◊〉 any thing in the world For two things caâ— hardly be imagin'd more different than little bit of wafer and the whole body of man So that the Apostles perswading men to bâ—â—lieve this Doctrine perswaded them not 〈◊〉 trust their senses and yet the argument whicâ— they used to perswade them to this was buiâ—â— upon the direct contrary principle that meâ— senses are to be trusted For if they be noâ— then notwithstanding all the evidence the Aâ—postles offer'd for the resurrection of our Saâ—viour he might not be risen and so the faitâ— of Christians was vain So that they repreâ—sent the Apostles as absurd as is possible viâ— going about to perswade men out of theâ—â— senses by virtue of an argument the whoâ— strength whereof depends upon the certainâ—ty of sense And now the matter is brought