Truth and security from Errour he knows there 's nothing capable of being a Rule XIV Of the Interpretation of Scripture HE believes that his Church which he calls Catholick is above the Scripture and prophanely allows to her an uncontrollable authority of being Judge of the Word of God And being fondly abus'd into a distrust of the Scriptures and that he can be certain of nothing even of the Fundamentals of Christianity from what is deliver'd in them though they speak never so plainly he is taught to rely wholly upon this Church and not to believe one word the Scripture says unless his Church says it too HE believes that the Church is not above the Scripture but only allows that Order between them as is between the Judge and the Law And is no other than what generally every Private Member of the Reformation challenges to himself as often as he pretends to decide and doubt of his own or his Neighbours in Religion by interpreting the Scripture Neither is he taught at all to distrust the Scripture or not to relie on it but only to distrust his own private Interpretation of it and not to rely on his own Judgement in the Resolution of any doubt concerning Faith or Religion though he can produce several Texts in favour of his Opinion But in all such cases he is commanded to re-cur to the Church and having learnt from her the sense of all such Texts how they have been understood by the whole Community of Christians in all Ages since the Apostles and what has been their Receiv'd Doctrine in such doubtful and difficult Points he is oblig'd to submit to this and never presume on his own Private Sentiments however seemingly grounded on Reason and Scripture to Believe or Preach any New Doctrine opposite to the Belief of the Church But as he receives from her the Book so also to receive from her the sense of the Book With a Holy Confidence that she that did not cheat him in delivering a False Book for the True one will not cheat him in delivering a False and Erroneous sense for the True one her Authority which is sufficient in the one being not less in the other And his own Private Judgement which was insufficient in the one that is in finding out the True Scripture and discerning it from all other Books being as incapable and in-sufficient in the other that is in certainly discovering the meaning of the Holy Ghost and avoiding all other Heterodox and Mistaken Interpretations XV. Of Tradition HE believes the Scripture to be imperfect And for the supplying of what he thinks Defective in it he admits Humane Ordinations and Traditions of Men allowing equal Authority to these as to the Scriptures themselves thinking himself as much oblig'd to submit to these and believe them with Divine Faith as he does whatsoever is written in the Bible and confessedly spoken by the Author of all Truth God himself Neither will he admit of any one to be a Member of his Communion although he undoubtedly believes every Word that 's written in the Scripture unless he also assents to these Traditions and gives as great credit to them as to the Word of God although in That there is not the least footstep of them to be found HE believes the Scripture not to be imperfect nor to want Humane Ordinations or Traditions of Men for the supplying any defects in it Neither does he allow the same Authority to these as to the Word of God or give them equal credit or exact it of others that desire to be admitted into the Communion of his Church He believes no Divine Faith ought to be given to any thing but what is of Divine Revelation and that nothing is to have place in his Creed but what was taught by Christ and his Apostles and has been believ'd and taught in all Ages by the Church of God the Congregation of all True Believers and has been so deliver'd down to him through all Ages But now whether that which has been so deliver'd down to him as the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles has been by Word of Mouth or Writing is altogether indifferent to him he being ready to follow in this point as in all others the command of St. Paul that is To stand fast and hold the Traditions he has learn'd whether by Word or by Epistle 2 Thess 2. 15. And to look upon any one as Anathema That shall preach otherwise than he has thus receiv'd Gal. 1. 9. So that as he undoubtedly holds the Scripture to be the Word of God penn'd by Prophets and Apostles and inspir'd by the Holy Ghost because in all Ages from Moses to Christ and from Christ to this time it has been so Taught Preach'd Believ'd and Deliver'd successively by the Faithful and never scruples the least of the truth of it nor sticks to assent to it with a stedfast and Divine Faith altho' they are not nor have not at any time been able to prove what they have thus taught and deliver'd with one Text of Scripture In the like manner he is ready to receive and believe all that this same Congregation has together with the Bible in all Ages successively without interruption Taught Preach'd Believ'd and Deliver'd as the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and assent to it with Divine Faith just as he does to the Bible and esteems any one Anathema that shall Preach otherwise than he has thus receiv'd And although some may seriously endeavour to convince him that several Points of Faith and other Religious Practices which he has thus receiv'd and believes are not the Doctrine of Christ nor Apostolical Institutions but rather Inventions of Men and Lessons of Antichrist and should produce several Texts of Scripture for the proving it He is not any thing surpriz'd at it As well knowing that he that follows not this Rule of Believing all to be of Christ that has been universally taught and believ'd as such by the Church of Christ and of understanding the Scripture in the same sense in which it has in all Ages been understood by the same Church may very easily frame as many Creeds as he pleases and make Christ and his Apostles speak what shall be most agreeable to his Humour and suit best with his Interest and find plain proofs for all And make no more difficulty in producing Scripture against Christ's Doctrine than the Jews and the Devil did against Christ's Person who never wanted their Scriptum est It is written when 't was necessary to carry on their designs And if there were any thing in these sort of Arguments to make him doubt of the truth of any Point of Doctrine thus receiv'd he thinks it might make him call in question the Truth of the Scripture and the Bible it self as soon as any thing else They all standing upon the same foundation of the Church's Tradition which if it fail in one leaves no security in any XVI Of Councils
that she is to be thus protected taught and assisted being not only while the Apostles liv'd or for the first three four or five hundred years next after but for ever to the end of the World Behold I am with you all days Matt. 28. 20. He will give you another Paraclete that he may abide with you for ever Joh. 14. 16. And the thing that she is to be thus taught to the end of the World being all truth He shall teach you all truth Joh. 16. 13. Now being assured by these Promises that the Church of Christ shall be taught all Truth by the special assistance of the Holy Ghost to the end of the World he has Faith to believe that Christ will make his Words good and that his Church shall never fail nor be corrupted with Antichristian Doctrine nor be the Mistress of Errours but shall be taught all Truth and shall teach all Truth to the consummation of things and that whosoever hears her hears Christ And whosoever despiseth her despises Christ and ought to be esteemed as an Heathen or a Publican Matt. 18. 17. The like assistance of the Holy Ghost he believes to be in all General Councils which is the Church representative as the Parliament is the Representative of the Nation by which they are especially protected from all Errour in all Definitions and Declarations in matters of Faith So that what the Apostles pronounc'd concerning the Result of their Council Act. 15. 28. It hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to Vs He does not doubt may be perfix'd to all the Determinations in Point of Faith resolv'd on by any General Council Lawfully Assembled since that time or to be held to the Worlds end The Assistance being to extend as far as the Promise And tho' 't is possible that several of the Prelates and Pastors in such an Assembly as also many others in Communion with the Church of Christ should at other times either through Pride or Ignorance prevaricate make Innovations in Faith teach Erroneous Doctrines and endeavour to draw numbers after them yet he is taught that this does not at all argue a Fallibility in the Church nor prejudice her Faith but only the Persons that thus unhappily fall into these Errours and cut themselves off from being Members of the Mystical Body of Christ upon Earth Whilst the Belief of the Church remains pure and untainted and experiences the Truth of what St. Paul foretold That Grievous Wolves shall enter in among you not sparing the Flock Also of your own selves shall Men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them Act. 20. v. 29. 30. which as it prov'd true even in the Apostles time by the fall of Nicholas and his followers as also of several others So it has been verified in all Ages since by turbulent and presuming Spirits broaching new Doctrines and making Separations and Schisms But this without casting any more aspersion on the Church or Congregation of the Faithful than the fall of Judas did on the Apostles or the Rebellion of Lucifer on the Hierarchy of Angels which was no more than that such wicked and presuming Spirits went out from amongst them and were expell'd their Communion as unworthy Neither does it reflect at all on the Churches Authority or make the truth of her Doctrine questionable to him that many of her Eminent Members Doctors Prelates and Leading Men have been or are great enormous Sinners infamous for their Pride covetousness or other Vices whatsoever The Promises of God's continual and un-interrupted assistance to his Church being not to be frustrated by the wickedness of such particular Men tho' in great Dignities These Promises being made surer to her than ever the Jewish Church Which nevertheless stood firm in her Authority and the Delivery of Truth notwithstanding the frequent Idolatry of the People Nadab and Abihu's Consecrated Priests offering strange Fire Corah Dathan and Abiram's making a great Schism and the sins of Moses and Aaron and other High-Priests in all her succeeding Ages Nay tho' all things touching Religion and Virtue were in a manner run to decay in our Saviour's time both in Priests and People yet did he maintain the Authority of the Jewish Church and commanded all to be Obedient and submit to those who had the superiority without calling in question their Authority or doubting of the reasonableness of their Commands The Scribes and Pharisees says he Matt. 23. 2. sit in Moses 's Chair All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do But do ye not after their works If therefore God's special assistance was never wanting to the Church of the Jews so as to let it fail in the Truth of its Doctrine or its Authority notwithstanding the Pride Covetousness Cruelty Impiety Idolatry of many of her Levites Elders Priests and High-Priests Why should not he believe the same of the Church of Christ which as St. Paul says is built on better promises and that it remains entire in the Truth of her Doctrine and her Authority notwithstanding the viciousness of many of her Governours Especially since he 's in a manner confident that there has been nothing so infamous acted by any Priests Prelates Popes or others since Christ's time but what may be follow'd Nay was out-done by the Priests of the Jews XVIII Of the POPE HE believes the Pope to be his great God and to be far above all the Angels That Christ is no longer Head of the Church but that this Holy Father hath taken his place and that whatsoever he Orders Decrees or Commands is to be received by his Flock with the same respect submission and awe as if Christ had spoken it by his own mouth For that his Holiness having once receiv'd the Triple-Crown on his Head is now no more to be look'd upon as Man but as Christ's Vicar whose Office it is to Constitute and Ordain such things as Christ forgot when he was upon Earth not throughly considering what would be the Exigencies of his Flock in future Ages And for this intent he is assisted with a certain Mysterious Infallibility such as hides it self when he is upon his own Private Concerns exposes him to all the Designs Cheats Malice and Machinations of his Enemies and lets him be as easily over-seen as imprudent as silly as his Neighbours But when he comes into his Chair to hear any Publick Business then it begins to appear and protects him from all Mistakes and Errors and he becomes immediately full of the Holy Ghost though he had the Devil and all of Wickedness in him just before HE believes the Pope to be none of his God neither Great nor Little That he is not above the Angels but only a Man He believes that Christ as he is supreme Master Governour and Lord of all created things so also of his Church of which he acknowledges him to be the Founder and Head But as notwithstanding this Lordship and Headship of Christ
permits a moderate use of it as at other times But is so far from giving liberty to any of her Flock of committing Excesses that she declares Drunkenness and all Gluttony whatsoever to be more hainous and scandalous sins on such Days than on any other They being expresly contrary not only to the Law of God but also to the intention of the Church which appoints these times for the retrenching Debaucheries and conquering our vicious Appetites And now if any of his Profession make less Scruple of being Drunk on a Fasting-day than of eating the least bit of Flesh he knows nothing more can be said of them than of many others who will not break the Sabath day by doing any servile Labour on it for all the World looking on this as a most Damning sin and yet at the same time have little scruple of Swearing Cursing Lying or revelling the greatest part of the day Which is not because they have more liberty for these than the former they being all most wicked Offences but because they that do thus are but Christians by halves who with a kind of Pharisaical and Partial Obedience seem to bear some of the Commandments most zealously in their Hearts while others they trample under their feet scrupling many times at a Moat and on other occasions passing by a Beam undiscern'd For which their Church is not to be accountable but They themselves as being guilty of a wilful blindness and a most unchristian negligence This is the real case of such of his Communion who on days of Humiliation while they abstain from Flesh yet give scandal by their Intemperateness They have a Command of God by which they are oblig'd on all days to live soberly and to avoid all Gluttony and Drunkeness and on Fasting-days besides this Command of God they have a Church-precept by which they are bound if able to eat but one Meal in a day and that not of flesh And now if some are so inconsiderate and careless as to be scrupulously observant of one of these Commands and wholly negligent of the other 't is not because their Religion teaches them to do so which detests and condemns all such scandalous partiality and complying with their Duty by halves but because they shut their ears to all good Instruction and chuse rather to follow their own corrupt Appetites than the wholsom Doctrine of their Church XXIX Of Divisions and Schisms in the Church HE is of a Religion in which there are as many Schisms as Families And they are so divided in their Opinions that commonly as many as meet in company so many several Tenets are maintain'd Hence arise their Infinite and endless Disputes and the disagreement of their Divines who pretend to give a true and solid explication of the Mysteries of the Christian Faith and yet differ in as many Points as they write of Besides what variety of Judgements are there in their Religious Houses and Cloisters none agreeing with another in their Foundation Institution and Profession This being of the Religion of St. Dominick That of St. Francis a Third of St. Bernard Others of St. Benedict and so without number so that as many Orders as many Religions And yet they pretend to Christian Unity amidst this diversity growing upon them every day HE is of a Religion in which there are no Shisms or Separations all the Members of it however spread through the World agreeing like one man in every Article of their Faith by an equal submission to the Determinations of their Church And no one of them tho' most Learned and Wise ever following any other Rule in their Faith besides this of assenting to all that the Church of God planted by Christ assisted and protected by the Holy Ghost proposed to the Faithful to be believ'd as the Doctrine of the Apostles and receiv'd as such in all Ages Which is all unanimously to believe as the Church of God believes No one of his Communion ever doubting of this or scrupling to receive any thing after this Crurches Declaration And now tho' they all thus conspire in every point of Faith yet there is great diversity among School-men in their Divinity-points and Opinions of such matters as are no Articles of Faith and have no relation to it but as some circumstance or manner which being never defin'd by their Church may be maintain'd severally either this or that way without any breach of Faith or injury to their Religion And of these things only they dispute and have their Debates in manner of a School-Exercises without any disagreement at all in their Belief but with a perfect Vnity The like Vnity is there amongst their Religious Orders all which say the same Creed own the same Authority in the Church of Christ and in every thing prosess the same Faith and have no other differences than as it were of so many several steps or degrees in the practice of a Devout and Holy life Some being of a more Severe and Strict Discipline others of a more Gentle and Moderate Some spending more time in Praying others more in Watching others more in Fasting some being intended for the Catechising and breeding up of Youth others for taking care of Hospitals and looking after the Sick others for going amongst Infidels and Preaching to them the Gospel of Christ and for such like Pious and Christian Designs to the greater Glory and Honour of God Which differences make no other difference in the several Professors than there was between Mary and Martha who express'd their Love and Service to their Lord in a very different imploy but both commendably and without any danger of prejudicing the Vnity of their Faith XXX Of Fryars and Nuns HE is taught to have a high esteem for all those of his Communion who cloistering themselves up become Fryars and Nuns a sort of People who call themselves Religious and are nothing but a Religious Cheat under the cloak of Piety and pretence to Devotion deceiving the World and living to the height of Wickedness under the notion of Saints The vow Chastity Poverty and Obedience and observe nothing less but live in all respects so irregular and scandalous that were there to be taken a compendions draught of all the Luxury Pride Covetousness Irreligion and other Vices through the whole World it might be modell'd according to what is acted between any of these 4 Walls in which these Recluses live without danger of omitting any thing that is wicked and unchristian HE is taught to have a high esteem for those of his Communion who undertake that sort of life which according to Christ's own direction and his Apostles is pointed out as the best A sort of People who endeavour to perform all that God has Commanded and also what he has Counsell'd as the better and in order to more perfection They hear Christ declaring the danger of Riches they therefore embrace a voluntary Poverty and lay aside all Titles to Wealth and Possessions St.
Paul Preaches That he that giveth not his Virgin in Marriage doth better than he that does and that she that is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord how she may be holy both in body and spirit They therefore chuse a single state Consecrating their Virginity to God that so they may be wholly intent on his service and be careful how to please him while she that is married cares for the things of the World how she may please her Husband 1 Cor. 7. 32 33 34 38. The Gospel Proclaims that those that will follow Christ must deny themselves they therefore renounce their own wills and without respect to their own proper inclinations pass their life in a perpetual Obedience And because the World is corrupt so that to a pious Soul every business is a Distraction every diversion a Temptation and more frequently the provocations to Evil than Examples to Good they therefore retire from it as much as possible and confining themselves to a little Corner or Cell apply themselves wholly to Devotion making Prayer their business the Service of God their whole imploy and the Salvation of their Souls their only design And now if in these Retirements where every thing is order'd as it may be most advantageous for the promoting Virtue and Devotion nothing permitted that is likely to prove a disturbance to Godliness or allurements to Evil yet some live scandalously and give ill example to the World What can be said but that no State can secure any Man and that no such provision can be made in order to a Holy Life but it may be abus'd But yet he does not think that such abuses and the viciousness of some can be argument enough to any just and reasonable Man to condemn the whole and the Institution it self Is not Marriage abus'd an infinite number of ways and many forc'd to embrace this state or at least to accept of such particular Persons contrary to their own choice and liking Is there any state in this World any Condition Trade Calling Profession Degree or Dignity whatsoever which is not abus'd by some Are Churches exempt from abuses Are not Bibles and the Word of God abus'd is not Christianity it self abus'd and even the Mercy of God abus'd If therefore there is nothing so Sacred and Divine in the whole World which wicked and malicious Men do not pervert to their will designs to the high dishonour of God and their own Damnation How can any one upon the meer consideration of some abuses pass Sentence of Condemnation against a thing which otherwise is Good and Holy 'T is an undeniable truth that to embrace a Life exempt as much as can be from the turmoils of the World and in a quiet retirement to Dedicate ones self to the Service of God and spend ones days in Prayer and Contemplation is a most commendable undertaking and very becoming a Christian And yet if some who enter such a course of life as this fall short of what they pretend and instead of becoming eminent in Virtue and Godliness by their un-exemplar lives prove a Scandal to their Profession Is their Rule and Institution to be condemned or rather they who swerv'd from it No let not the Dignity of an Apostle suffer for the fall of Judas Nor the Commandments lie under an aspersion upon the account of those that break them XXXI Of Wicked Principles and Practices HE is Member of a Church which is called Holy but in her Doctrine and Practices so Foul and Abominable that whosoever admires her for Sanctity may upon the same grounds do homage to Vice it self Has ever any Society since Christ's time appear'd in the World so black and deform'd with Hellish Crimes as she Has not she out-done even the most Barbarous Nations and Infidels with her Impieties and drawn a scandal upon the name of Christian by her unparallel'd Vices Take but a view of the horrid Practices she has been engag'd in of late years consider the French and Irish Massacres the Murders of Henry III. and IV. Kings of France the Holy League the Gun-powder-Treason the Cruelty of Queen Mary the Firing of London the late Plot in the Year 1678. to subvert the Government and destroy His Majesty the death of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey and an infinite number of other such-like Devellish Contrivances And then tell me whether that Church which has been the Author and Promoter of such Barbarous Designs ought to be esteem'd Holy and respected for Piety and Religion or rather be condemn'd for the Mistereis of Iniquity the Whore of Babylon which hath polluted the Earth with her Wickedness and taught nothing but the Doctrine of Devils And let never so many pretences be made yet 't is evident that all these Execrable Practices have been done according to the known Principles of this Holy Church and that her greatest Patrons the most Learned of her Divines her most Eminent Bishops her Prelates Cardinals and even the Popes themselves have been the chief Managers of these Hellish Contrivances And what more convincing Argument that they are all well approved and conform to the Religion taught by their Church HE is Member of a Church which according to the 9th Article of the Apostles Creed he believes to be Holy and this not only in Name but also in Doctrine and for witness of her Sanctity he Appeals to her Councils Catechisms Pulpits and Spiritual Books of Direction in which the main design is to imprint in the hearts of the Faithful this comprehensive Maxim of Christianity That they ought to love God above all things with their whole Heart and Soul and their Neighbour as themselves And that none flatter themselves with a confidence to be sav'd by Faith alone without living Soberly Justly and Piously as 't is in the Council of Trent Sess 6. c. 11. So that he doubts not at all but that as many as live according to the Direction of his Church and in observance of her Doctrine live Holily in the Service of and Fear of God and with an humble confidence in the Merits and Passion of their Redeemer may hope to be receiv'd after this Life into Eternal Bliss But that all in Communion with his Church do not live thus Holily and in the fear of God he knows 't is too too evident there being many in all places wholly forgetful of their Duty giving themselves up to all sorts of Vice and guilty of most horrid Crimes And tho' he is not bound to believe all to be Truth that is charg'd upon them by Adversaries their being no Narrative of any such Devillish Contrivances and Practices laid to them wherein Passion and Fury have not made great Additions wherein things Dubious are not improv'd into certainties Suspicions into Realities Fears and Jealousies into Substantial Plots and down-right Lies and Recorded Perjuries into Pulpit nay Gospel-Truths Yet really thinks that there has been Men of his Profession of every rank and degree Learned and
Scripture and all other Christian Mysteries and Duties respectively necessary to Salvation VIII This Church thus Spread thus Guided thus visibly continu'd in One Vniform Faith and Subordination to Government is that Self-same which is term'd the Romau Catholick Church the Qualifications above-mentioned viz. Vnity Indeficiency Visibility Succession and Vniversality being applicable to no other Church or Assembly whatsoever IX From the Testimony and Authority of this Church it is that we Receive and Believe the Scriptures to be God's Word And as She can assuredly tell Us This or That Book is God's Word so can she with the like Assurance tell us also the True Sense and Meaning of it in Controverted Points of Faith The same Spirit that Writ the Scripture Enlightening Her to understand both It and all matters necessary to Salvation From these Grounds it follows X. All and only Divine Revelations deliver'd by God unto the Church and propos'd by her to be believ'd as such are and ought to be esteem'd Articles of Faith and the contrary Opinions Heresie And XI As an Obstinate Separation from the Vnity of the Church in known declar'd Matters of Faith is Formal Heresie So a wilful Separation from the Visible Vnity of the same Church in matters of Subordination and Government is Formal Schism XII The Church proposes unto us matters of Faith First and chiefly by the Holy Scripture in Points plain and intelligible in it Secondly By Definitions of General Councils in poins not sufficiently Explain'd in Scripture Thirdly By Apostolical Traditions deriv'd from Christ and his Apostles to all Succeeding Ages Fourthly By her Practice Worship and Ceremonies confirming her Doctrine SECT II. Of Spiritual and Temporal Authority I. General Councils which are the Church of God Representative have no Commission from Christ to Frame New Matters of Faith these being sole Divine Revelations but only to Explain and Assertain unto Us what anciently was and is Receiv'd and Retain'd as of Faith in the Church upon arising Debates and Controversies about them The Definitions of which General Councils in Matters of Faith only and propos'd as such oblige under pain of Heresie all the Faithful to a Submission of Judgement But II. It is no Article of Faith to believe That General Councils cannot Err either in matters of Fact or Discipline alterable by circumstances of Time and Place or in matters of Speculation or Civil Policy depending on meer Humane Judgement or Testimony Neither of these being Divine Revelations deposited in the Catholick Church in regard to which alone she hath the promiss'd Assistance of the Holy Ghost Hence it is deduc'd III. If a General Council much less a Papal Consistory should undertake to depose a King and absolve his Subjects from their Allegiance no Catholick as Catholick is bound to submit to such a Decree Hence also it follows IV. The Subjects of the King of England lawfully may without the least breach of any Catholick Principle Renounce even upon Oath the Teaching or Practising the Doctrine of deposing Kings Excommunicated for Heresie by any Authority whatsoever as repugnant to the fundamental Laws of the Nation Injurious to Sovereign Power Destructive to the Peace and Government and by consequence in His Majesties Subjects Impious and Damnable Yet not properly Heretical taking the Word Heretical in that connatural genuine sense as it is usually understood in the Catholick Church on account of which and other Expressions no-wise appertaining to Loyalty it is that Catholicks of tender consciences refuse the Oath commonly call'd the Oath of Allegiance V. Catholicks believe That the Bishop of Rome is the Successor of S. Peter Vicar of Jesus Christ upon Earth and the Head of the whole Catholick Church which Church is therefore fitly stil'd Roman Catholick being an universal Body united under one visible Head Nevertheless VI. It is no matter of Faith to believe That the Pope is in himself Infallible separated from a General Council even in Expounding the Faith By consequence Papal Definitions or Decrees though ex Cathedra as they term them take exclusively from a General Council or Vniversal Acceptance of the Church oblige none under Pain of Heresie to an interior Assent VII Nor do Catholicks as Catholicks believe that the Pope hath any direct or indirect Authority over the Temporal Power and Jurisdiction of Princes Hence if the Pope should pretend to Absolve or Dispence with His Majesties Subjects from their Allegiance upon account of Heresie or Schism such Dispensation would be vain and null and all Catholick Subjects notwithstanding such Dispensation or Absolution wouldbe still bound in Conscience to defend their King and Countrey at the hazard of their Lives and Fortunes even against the Pope himself in case he should invade the Nation VIII And as for the Problematical Disputes or Errors of particular Divines in this or any other matter whatsoever the Catholick Church is no wise responsible for them Nor are Catholicks as Catholicks justly punishable on their account But IX As for the King-killing Doctrine or Murder of Princes Excommunicated for Heresie It is an Article of Faith in the Catholick Church and expresly declar'd in the General Council of Constance that such Doctrine is Damnable and Heretical being contrary to the known Laws of God and Nature X. Personal Misdemeanors of what Nature soever ought not to be Imputed to the Catholick Church when not Justifiable by the Tenents of her Faith and Doctrine For which Reason though the Stories of the Paris Massacre the Irish Cruelties or Powder-Plot had been exactly true which yet for the most part are notoriously mis-related nevertheless Catholicks as Catholicks ought not to suffer for such Offences any more than the Eleven Apostles ought to have suffer'd for Judas's Treachery XII It is an Article of the Catholick Faith to believe that no Power on Earth can License Men to Lie to forswear and Perjure themselves to Massacre their Neighbours or Destroy their Native Countrey on pretence of promoting the Catholick Cause or Religion Furthermore all pardons and Dispensations granted or pretended to be granted in order to any such Ends or Designs have no other Validity or Effect than to add sacriledge and blasphemy to the above-mention'd Crimes XII The Doctrine of Equivocation or Mental Reservation however wrongfully Impos'd upon the Catholick Religion is notwithstanding neither taught nor approv'd by the Church as any part of her Belief On the contrary simplicity and Godly sincerity are constantly recommended by her as truly Christian Virtues necessary to the conservation of Justice Truth and Common-security SECT III. Of some Particular controverted Points of Faith I. EVery Catholick is oblig'd to believe that when a Sinner Repents him of his Sins from the bottom of his Heart and Acknowledges his Transgressions to God and his Ministers
HE believes that the Faith of his Church may receive new Additions every day And that he is not only oblig'd to believe what Christ taught and his Apostles but also every Definition or Decree of any General Council assembled by the Command of the Pope So that as often as any thing is issued out by the Authority of any of these Church-Parliaments and order'd to be believ'd he thinks himself under pain of Damnation immediately bound to receive it and having added it to his Creed to assent to it with as Firm Stedfast and Divine a Faith as if it had been Commanded by Christ himself and Decreed in the Consistory of Heaven And by this means he never comes to understand his Religion or know what he is to Believe but by the continual Alterations Additions Diminutions Interpretations of these Councils he is preserv'd in a necessary Confusion and tho' he changes often yet he fondly thinks himself always the same HE believes that the Faith of his Church can receive no Additions and that he is oblig'd to believe nothing besides that which Christ taught and his Apostles and if any thing contrary to this should be defin'd and commanded to be believ'd even by Ten thousand Councils he believes it damnable in any one to receive it and by such Decrees to make Additions to his Creed However he maintains the Necessity and Right of General Councils lawfully Assembled whose business it is not to coin new Articles of Faith or devise Fresh Tenets but only as often as any Point of Receiv'd Doctrine is impugned or call'd in question to debate the matter and examine what has been the Belief of all Nations who are there present in their Prelates in that Point And this being agreed on to publish and make known to the World which is the Catholick Doctrine left by Christ and his Apostles and which the new-broach'd Error And by this means to prevent the loss of infinite number of Souls which might otherwise be deluded and carried away after new inventions not being capable by their own knowledge and abilities to distinguish betwixt Truth and Falshood and discover the subtilties of every crafty Deceiver And in this case he believes that he is oblig'd to submit and receive the Decrees of such a Council the Pastors and Prelates there present being by Christ and his Apostles appointed for the decision of such Controversies They having the care of that flock committed to them over which the Holy Ghost has made them Overseers to feed the Church of God Acts 20. 28. and to watch against those Men who should arise from among themselves speaking perverse things to draw Disciples after them Ib. vers 30. And he having receiv'd Command as likewise the whole Flock of Christ to obey their Prelates and to be subject to them who watch and are to render an accouut for their Souls Heb. 13. 17. with an assurance That He that heareth them heareth Christ and he that despiseth them despiseth Christ Luk. 10. 16. And withal being taught that as this way of the Antients of the Church and Prelates meeting in case of any danger threatning their Flock or any new Doctrine arising was the means instituted by Christ and practised by the Apostles in the first planting of the Church for the preventing Schisms and preserving Vnity among the Faithful and that they should speak and think the same thing and be perfectly joyn'd together in the same mind and same judgement 1 Cor. 1. 10. So it ought to be the means in all succeeding Ages for the preventing Divisions and conserving Vnity among the Faithful And that therefore as that Controversie concerning the necessity of Circumcision Act. c. 15. arising in the Apostles time was not decided by any private Person nor even by Paul and Barnabas who nevertheless had received the Holy Ghost and one would have thought might have pretended to the Spirit and a Heavenly Light but by a General Meeting of the Apostles and Elders of the Church at Jerusalem who were consulted by Paul and Barnabas about this Question So all other Disputes and Difficulties of Religion arising in succeding Ages ought to be refer'd to the Successors of the Apostles whose Charge Dignity and Office is to continue to the end of the World tho' they are dead in Person who are to consider of the matter Acts 15. 6. as the Apostles did while all the Multitude keeps silence ver 12. without any one presuming on any Learning Gift Virtue Prayers or Inspiration to intermeddle in the Dispute or put an end to the Question This being none of their business or obligation but only with all Patience and Humility to expect the Determination of their Prelates and Elders and receive it with the same expressions as those Good Christians did heretofore who rejoyced for the consolation Act. 15. 31. And unless this that the Apostles did and their Obsequious Flock be taken as a Pattern in all Ages for the ending such-like difficulties he believes 't is impossible that Believers should stand fast in one Spirit with one Mind Phil. 1. 27. and be not carried away with divers and strange Doctrines Heb. 13. 9. XVII Of Infalibility in the Church HE believes that the Pastors and Prelates of his Church are Infallible and that like so many Divine Oracles or petty Familiar Deities they are exempt from Errour and cannot deceive But this especally when they are met together in a General Council It being a main part of his Faith That then they are secure from all mistakes and that it is as impossible for them to decline either to the right hand or to the left in any of their Definitions and Decrees as it is for God to leave Heaven and become the Author of lies Thus fondly believing these to be assisted with a necessary Infallibility like Gods whom their Ignorance ill Example and Debauch'd Lives to a true Considerer scarce speak to be Men. As if God Almighty did so blindly throw his Benefits and Graces amongst his Creatures that none should have a more powerful assistance of God's Truth and Infallible Spirit than those in whom there was least of God to be found HE believes that the Pastors and Prelates of his Church are Fallible that there is none of them but may fall into Errours Heresie and Schism and consequently are subject to mistakes But that the whole Church can fail or be deceiv'd in any one Point of Faith this he believes impossible knowing it to be built on better promises such as secure her from all Errour and danger of Prevarication Her Foundation being laid by Christ against which the Gates of Hell shall not prevail Matt. 16. 18. The Power that protects her being Christ himself Behold I am with you all days Matt. 28. 20. The Spirit that Guides and Teaches her being the comforter of the Holy Ghost who shall teach her all things and suggest to her all things that Christ has said to her Joh. 14. 26. The time
of all Nations do every where understand and yet these espy no such Ridiculosities which fright them from their Faith but notwithstanding the seeing all through and through they yet admire all for solid holy and Apostolical and remain stedfast in their Profession how can it be imagin'd that the vulgar weak and unlearned sort did they but understand all as well as they would espy any such Errors and Superstitions which these others with all their Learning and Judgment cannot discover No he thinks there 's no reason to fear that what passes the Test among the Wise and Learned can be groundedly call'd in question by the Multitude 35. Of the Vncharitableness of the Papists HIs Church teaches him to be be very uncharitable it being her constant Doctrin that none out of her Communion can be saved So that let a man be never so honest in his Dealing never so just to his Neighbour never so charitable to the Poor and constant in his Devotion to his Maker yet all this shall avail him nothing if he be not a Member of his Church 'T is not enough for him to believe in Jesus Christ to confess him his Redeemer to believe that he died for our Sins that he rose again and ascended into Heaven unless he believes and assents to every Article and Tenet declar'd by any of his General Councils for that obstinately to deny any one of these does as certantly place him at the Left hand of the Judge as if he perversly stood out against the truth of Christianity and denied Jesus Christ to be God And by this means as many as by his Church are mark'd out for Schismaticks or Hereticks are to expect nothing but Damnation or rather are condemned already HIs Church teaches him no uncharitableness at all and the Doctrin she delivers concerning the desperate Estate of Hereticks and Schismaticks is nothing but what she has learnt from the mouth of Christ and his Apostles Among the last advices recommended by our Saviour at his Ascension is found the Sentence of Doom pronounced against all such as would not receive the Doctrin preach'd by the Apostles Preach the Gospel says Christ Mark 16. 16. to every Creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that beleiveth not shall be damned And this is all his Church delivers in this point repeating the same Sentence of condemnation against all such as will not recieve and believe the Doctrin left by Christ and preached by his Apostles And if among those that believe not she comprehends not only Infidels and Heathens but also all Hereticks and Schismaticks 't is nothing but what she has receiv'd from the Apostles who did not only shake the dust off their Feets in witness against those who denyed them entrance and refused to believe in Jesus but also denounc'd such of the Brethren to stand guilty of damnation who notwithstanding their belief in Jesus that he died for the Redemption of Man and that rising again he Ascended into Heaven did make Divisions amongst the Faithful or Preached any new Doctrin contrary to what they had deliver'd St. Paul is very express in this who foretelling Timothy 1 Tim. 4. 1 2 3. of some who in latter times would come and Preach a Doctrin Forbidding to Marry and commanding to abstain from Meats which God hath created to be receiv'd brands them with the infamous Title of Men depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrins of Devils In these words plainly letting him understand that though these Men would not deny Christ yet that their false Doctrin in those two other Points were enough to make them Seducers Deserters of Christ and Leaders to the Devil And does not he as expresly in his 2 d Epistle to Timothy c. 2. v. 16 17 18. condemn Hymeneus and Philetus for prophane and vain bablers increasers of Ungodliness and overthrowers of the Faith who concerning the Truth erred only in one Point saying that the Resurrection is past already By which 't is manifest to him that the Doctrine now taught him by his Church is nothing but what she has learnt from St. Paul and the rest of the Apostles it being deliver'd by them that he is a Lyar who denieth that Jesus is the Christ 1 Joh. 2. 22. And that every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God ib. c. 4. v. 3. And not only this but likewise A man that is an Heretick after the first and second admonition reject knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself Tit. 3. 10 11. With this weighty advice to the Brethren in which they are commanded in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ to speak all the same thing that there be no divisions among them but that they be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment 1 Cor. 1. 10. For that having strife and divisions among them they will shew themselves to be Carnal and to walk as Men ib. c. 3. v. 3. That therefore there being but one Body and one Spirit one Lord one Faith and one Baptism they should endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace and not be tossed to and fro like Children and carryed about with every Wind of Doctrin by the slight of men and cunning Craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive Ephes c. 4. v. 3 4 5 14. Who transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ are false Apostles deceitfull Workers 2 Cor. 11 13. But certainly accursed for that troubling the Faithful they would pervert the Gospel of Christ and preach another Gospel than that which had bin preach'd by the Apostles Gal. 1. 7 8. And this is the Sum of the Doctrin of his Church which believing that Faith is necessary to Salvation it being impossible whithout Faith to please God Heb. 11. 6. teaches likewise that the Faithful ought to hold fast the profession of their Faith without wavering for that not only they lose it who deny Jesus Christ to be God as some have done but also all those who endeavor to pervert the Gospel of Christ and in any point of Faith obstinately deny or teach otherwise than was taught by Christ and his Apostles as Hymeneus and Philetus did so that that Christian makes but a very imperfect and lame profession of his Faith who can only say I believe that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and that he is God and Man the Redeemer of the world unless he can with truth add this likewise I also believe the whole Gospel that he preach'd and every point of Faith that he has taught and deliver'd to us by his Apostles there being the same Obligation to obey his Precepts and hearken to his Words as to acknowledge the Divinity of his Person and it being a sin of the same blackness obstinately to oppose any point of his Doctrine as to deny the truth
of his Person 'T is not therefore any uncharitableness in his Church to declare plainly this miserable unhappystate of all such who wilfully oppose and seperate from the Doctrine of Christ deliver'd by the Apostles and continued in the Catholick Church and of such who disobey and seperate from the Government of the same Church which Christ has Commanded all to hear and obey But 't is her Zeal so to do and the same solicitude for the salvation of Souls which mov'd the Apostles heretofore to Preach the like Doctrine to their Flock as also the Primitive Christians to expel their Communion and Anathematize all such who by broaching erroneous Tenets contrary to any point of Receiv'd Doctrine or by disobedience did wilfully divide themselves from the Belief or Discipline of the Catholick Church Such as were Marcion Basilides and Bardesanes who were Condemn'd in the First Age for opposing that Article of our Faith in which we believe the Resurrection of the Dead such the Archonticks Condemn'd likewise for denying the necessity of Baptism Such Tatianus c. for Preaching Marriage to be unlawful Such the Millenarians for maintaining a thousand Years Reign of Christ upon Earth with his Saints in sensual pleasures And so in all Ages others were condemn'd upon the like account It having been always a received Custom even in the purest time of the Gospel for the Elders and Prelates to whose charge Christ committed the care of his Flock to oppose all those that by new Doctrin or by making Schisms and Divisions did disturb its peace and not to permit any that by such like means did endeavour to destroy his Unity so much desired and recommended by the Apostles So that they were equally declar'd Enemies of Christianity who denyed Christ and they who confessing Christ did yet contradict and reject any part of his Doctrin And this upon the Principle that Christian Faith ought to be entire For that every Article Mystery and Point of it being deliver'd by the same hands and recommended by the same Authority whosoever did oppose any one Point of it was immediately judg'd guilty of all in discrediting the Authority on which the whole stood equally grounded And this is that great Truth proclaimed above thirteen hundred years ago and now every where read in St. Athanasius's Creed Whosoever will be saved before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholick Faith Which Faith except every one do keep Whole and undefiled without doubt he shall perish everlastingly By which words was made known to the Christian World the Sense and Doctrine of the then pure and unspotted Church as receiv'd from Christ and his Apostles That it is in vain for any one to hope for Salvation unless he first believe the Catholick Faith and that whosoever does not believe it Whole and Undefiled shall certainly perish everlastingly Which is a Doctrin like that deliver'd by the Apostle concerning the observance of the Laws of God that as whosoever fails in one is made guilty of all so also whosoever disbelieves one Article of the Catholick Faith does in a manner disbelieve all There being no more hopes of Salvation for one that denies obstinately any one Point of the Catholick Faith tho' he believes all the rest than there is for one who keeps Nine of the Commandments with the Breach of the Tenth An obstinate opposition against one Point of Faith and a sin against one Commandment being as certainly damnable as if 't were against all There being the same reason and an equal necessity that the Observance of God's Law and the Assent to the Catholick Faith be alike entire and Whole And now being convinc'd that none can believe to Salvation but he that embraces the Catholick Faith thus wholly and entirely by an equal submission to all the Mysteries contain'd in it without opposition to any And being likewise convinc'd that no one can arrive to the true knowledg of this Faith with an assurance of its Integrity but by receiving it as propos'd and believ'd by the Church of Christ Which Church was founded by the Son of God watred with his Bloud and by an infallible assistance of the Holy Ghost by which it was to be taught all Truth to the end of the World was secur'd from the danger of being deceiv'd or deceiving others to the consummation of things he does not doubt but as in the Apostles time so also ever since and at present God addeth to this Church daily such as shall be saved Acts 2. 47. there being no entire faith necessary to Salvation to be found out of this Church and no possibility as St. Cyprian says that God shall be a Father to any who own not this Church for his Mother But now where and which this Church is and what Society of Men are Members of it among such variety of Pretenders though it may seem a great difficulty to some to distinguish yet to him it is none at all for since there is no other Church besides the Roman Catholick which has had a continued and visible Succession of Bishops and Pastors in all Ages since the Apostles no other that has converted Infidel Nations to Christianity no other that has always preserv'd Peace and Unity amongst its Members all of them speaking the same thing and being perfectly join'd together in the same mind and the same judgment no other that by assembling the Elders and Prelates has oppos'd in all ages Heresies and Schisms and condemn'd all those who not sparing the Flock have spoken perverse things endeavouring to draw away disciples after them no other that has in obedience to the command of Christ send Apostles amongst Infidels and Unbelievers for the preaching to them the Gospel and instructing them in Christianity and by this way without Arms or blood have spread their Faith throughout the World No other that by evident and undeniable Miracles have prov'd the truth of her Doctrin No other but what has begun by seperation whose first Preachers have gone out from this the time of their first Preaching and shewing themselves to the World being upon Record and their new Doctrine censur'd and condemn'd by that Church from whence they separated Since I say there 's no other Society or Christian Congregation in the World to which these certain Marks of the Church of Christ does agree 't is evident to him that this is the only true Church that whosoever denies any Article of her Faith denies so much of Christ's Doctrin that whosoever hears her hears Christ and whosoever obstinately and wilfully is separated from her is in the same distance sparated from Christ himself and finally that God addeth to this Church daily such as shall be saved Acts 2. 47. 36. Of Ceremonies and Ordinances HIs Church upon the presumption of being Apostolical and Commissioned by Christ has brought in such an infinite number of unnecessary superstitions Ceremonies that the whole exercise of her Religion consists in nothing but a vain
Dead the Vse of Holy Images Relicks the Sign of the Cross Processions c. were a receiv'd Doctrine and common Practice of Christian in those Primitive times Then shall the Papists remain as they are as being of the sinne Faith and Religion with those Antient Believers without any Additions and Alterations and all their Adversaries ought in justice to return again to their Communion and making up one Quire cry out with them Blessed are they who believes as our Forefathers believ'd who receiv'd their Faith from the Apostles and their Successors and Accursed be they who separate from this Faith and upon the Noise of Novelty and Errour make Divisions in the Church and fall from her Communion believing Lies rather than Truth In order to this I intended in this place to have given the Reader a fair prospect of the Doctrine and Belief of the Fathers at the first five hundred years after Christ but finding the Matter to increase so much beyond expectation upon my hands I have reserv'd them for another occasion But however upon confidence of what I am able to produce in that point I cannot omit to assure the Reader that the chief and most material Points charg'd upon the Church of Rome for Novelty the Primitive Fathers do so plainly own to have been the Faith and Profession of the Church in their days and to have been deliver'd down and taught as the Doctrine of the Apostles that an impartial Considerer need not take much time to conclude whether are the greater Innovators those that now Believe and Profess these Tenets and Practices or they that disown or reject them 'T is evident that every Point of that Doctrine which is now decry'd for Popery and basely stigmatiz'd with the note of Errours introduc'd of late and of a modern invention is by many Ages older than those who are reputed to be the Authors that every particular Article laid to the Ignorance of the Tenth Century and to the contrivance of Pope Gregory are as expresly and clearly own'd and taught some Ages before as it is now at this day That those Great Men were as down-right Papists in these Points as we are now And that any disturber of Christianity might have as well defam'd them for believers of Novelties and Errours as we are now at this present The Faith that they profess'd then we profess now and if any of our Doctrine be Novelty 't is a Novelty of above twelve hundred years standing And who can question it not to be of an older date If it was the publick belief of the Christian World in the fourth Century who can be better Witnesses of what was believ'd before them even in the third Age than They They tell us that the Doctrine they maintain and deliver is the Faith of the Catholick Church receiv'd from their Fore-fathers and as it was taught by the Apostles and we don't find that in any of these Points they were challeng'd by any Authority or opposed by the Pastors of the Church or any Writers either then living or succeeding them but received always with great veneration And upon what grounds can any callenge them now Is it possible that any living now can give a better account of what was believ'd and practis'd in the third Age than They that immediately follow'd them Which will be more credible Witnesses of what was done in Forty Eight those that shall be alive fifty years hence or they that are not yet to come these thousand years If therefore these Holy Men declare to us the Doctrine they believ'd with an assurance that it was the Faith of the Catholick Church so believ'd by their Ancestors and as they had receiv'd it from the Apostles and their Successors do not they deserve better credit than others who coming a thousand years after cry out against all these several Points that they are nothing but Novelty and Errour 'T is evident therefore to him that this noise of Novelty was nothing but a stratagem for the introducing of Novelties and that those that brought an Infamy upon these Points by this aspersion might with as great applause every and as easily have laid a scandal upon other Article of the Christian Faith which they thought fit to retain and have had them all exploded for Novelty And this has been so far done already that even three parts of that Doctrine pick'd out by the first Reformers for Apostolical and conform to the Word of God we have seen in our days clamour'd against for Novelty and thrown by with as general Approbation and as clear Evidence of the charge as ever they laid by Transubstantiation and the Primacy The first Reformers cast off the Authority of the first Bishop as being a Novelty Others soon after cry'd down the Authority of all Bishops for a Novelty The First disown'd a great part of the Priestly Function as being lately crept in the Others disown'd all the rest and even Ordination it self as having all crept in together The First threw out a great number of Ceremonies as being not Apostolical but of a modern Institution The Others threw out even what they had retain'd for being no more an Ordination of the Apostles than the former The First laid by five of the Sacraments the Others laid by the other two And thus Novelty was the Word whensoever any receiv'd Doctrine of Christianity was to be outed and may to be made for a Novelty And he does dot doubt but that if the noise of Novelty continue long so unhappily successful as of late and the liberty be permitted to every presuming Spirit to fix this scandal upon whatsoever Doctrine or Institution they shall think fit that all Christianity is in a fair way of being thrown out of doors and the Bible Preaching Catechising Christ's Incarnation and Passion c. is as likely to be cast off for a Novelty as all the rest have been Those that will but shew to the People that even these things have been all receiv'd from Rome and that the Papists by their Missonaries spread these Doctrines over the World may soon perswade them they are nothing but Popish Inventions meer Novelties that those that began the Reformation did their business by halves and that the World will never be throughly Reform'd till all these Romish Superstitions are laid by with the rest they being of the same date He takes no notice thereof of all the clamours rais'd against several points of the receiv'd Doctrine of his Church his Faith is founded on better Principles than to be shaken with such a Vulgar Engine Novelty Novelty is a cry that may fright unthinking Men from their Religion but every serious Man will require better Motives than a Noise before he forsake any point of his Faith and 't is impossible he should joyn with any in condemning such things for Novelties which he finds the Profession of all Antiquity The Conclusion THese are the Characters of the Papist as he is Mis-represented
the Dispensers of the Mysteries of Christ resolving to turn from his evil ways and bring forth Fruits worthy of Penance there is then and no otherwise an Authority left by Christ to Absolve such a Penitent Sinner from his Sins which Authority Christ gave his Apostles and their Successors the Bâ—shops and Priests of the Catholick Church in those words when he said Receive ye the Holy Ghost whose Sins you shall forgive they are forgiven unto them c. II. Though no Creatare whatsoever can make condign satisfaction either for the Guilt of Sin or the pain Eternal due to it This satisfaction being proper to Christ our Saviour only Yet penitent Sinners Redeemed by Christ may as Members of Christ in some measure satisfie by Prayer Fasting Alms-Deeds and other Works of Piety for the Temporal Pain which by order of Divine Justice sometimes remains due after the Guilt of Sin and Pains Eternal are gratis remitted These Penitential Works are notwithstanding satisfactory no otherwise than as joyned and apply'd to that satisfaction which Jesus made upon the Cross in virtue of which alone all our good Works find a gateful acceptance in God's sight III. The Guilt of Sin or Pain Eternal due to it is never remitted by Indulgences but only such Temporal punishments as remain due after the Guilt is remitted These Indulgences being nothing else than a Mitigation or Relaxation upon just causes of Canonical Penances enjoyn'd by the Pastors of the Church on Penitent Sinners according to their several Degrees of Demerit And if any abuses or mistakes be sometimes committed in point either of granting or gaining Indulgences through the Remisness or Ignorance of particular Persons contrary to the ancient Custom and Discipline of the Church such abuses or mistakes cannot rationally be charg'd on the Church nor rendred matter of Derision in prejudice to her Faith and Doctrine IV. Catholicks hold there is a Purgatory that is to say a place or State where Souls departing this Life with Remission of their Sins as to the Eternal Guilt or pain or yet Obnoxious to some Temporal Punishment still remaining due or not perfectly freed from the Blemish of some Venial Defects or Deordinations as idle Words c. not liable to Damnation are purg'd before their Admitance into Heaven where nothing that is defil'd can enter Furthermore V. Catholicks also hold That such Souls so detain'd in Purgatory being the Living Members of Christ Jesus are Reliev'd by the Prayers and suffrages of their Fellow-members here on Earth But where this place is Of what Nature or Quality the Pains are How long each Soul is detained there After what manner the suffrages made in their behalf are apply'd Whether by way of satisfaction or Intercession c. are Questions superfluous and impertinent as to Faith VI. No Man though just can Merit either an Increase of Sanctity or Happiness in this Life or Eternal Glory in the next independent on the Merits and Passion of Christ Jesus the Good Works of a just Man proceeding from Grace and Charity are acceptable to God so far forth as to be through his Goodness and Sacred Promise truly meritorious of Eternal Life VII It is an Article of the Catholick Faith That in the most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist there is truly and really contain'd the Body of Christ which was deliver'd for us and his Blood which was shed for the Remission of sins the substance of Bread and Wine being by the powerful Words of Christ charg'd into the substance of his Blessed Body and Blood the Species or Accidents of Bread and Wine still remaining Thus VIII Christ is not present in this Sacrament according to his Natural way of Existence that is with extention of parts in order to place c. but after a supernatural manner one and the same in many places and whole in every part of the Symbols This therefore is a real substantial yet Sacramental presence of Christ's Body and Blood not expos'd to the External Senses or obnoxious to Corporal Contingences IX Neither is the Body of Christ in this Holy Sacrament seperated from his Blood or his Blood from his Body or either of both disjoyn'd from his Soul and Divinity but all and whole living Jesus is entirely contain'd under either Species so that whosoever receives under one kind is truly partaker of the whole Sacrament and no wise depriv'd either of the Body or Blood of Christ True it is X. Our Saviour Jesus Christ left unto us his Body and Blood under two distinct Species or Kinds in doing of which he instituted not only a Sacrament but also a Sacrifice a Commemorative Sacrifice distinctly shewing his Death or Bloody Passion until he come For as the Sacrifice of the Cross was perform'd by a distinct Effusion of Blood so is the same Sacrifice commemorated in that of the Altar by a distinction of the Symbols Jesus therefore is here given not only to us but for us and the Church thereby enrich'd with a true proper and propitiatory Sacrifice usually term'd Mass XI Catholicks renounce all Divine Worship and Adoration of Images or Pictures God alone we Worship and Adore Nevertheless we make use of Pictures and place them in Churches and Oratories to reduce our wandring thoughts and enliven our memories towards Heavenly things And further we allow a certain Honour and Veneration to the Picture of Christ of the Virgin Mary c. beyond what is due to every prophane Figure not that we believe any Divinity of virtue in the Pictures themselves for which they ought to be Honour'd but because the Honour given to Pictures is refer'd to the Prototype or things represented In like manner XII There is a kind of Honour and Veneration respectively due to the Bible to the Cross to the Name of Jesus to Churches to the Sacraments c. as things peculiarly appertaining to God also to the glorify'd Saints in Heaven as Domestick Friends of God yea to Kings Magistrates and Superiours on Earth as the Vicegerents of God to whom Honouâ— is due Honour may be given without any Derogation to the Majesty of God or that Divine Worship appropriate to him Furthermore XIII Catholicks believe That the Blessed Saints in Heaven replenish'd with Charity pray for us their fellow-members here on Earth that they Rejoyce at our conversion that seeing God they see and know in him all things suitable to their happy state but God is inclinable to hear their Requests made in our behalf and for their sakes grants us many favours That therefore it is good and profitable to Desire their Juteocession And that this manner of Invocation is no more injurious to Christ our Mediator or superabundant in it self than it is for one Christian to beg the
should he doubt that Saints want this Priviledge in some manner granted to sinful Men and to wicked Spirits who tho' departed this life are not so properly dead as translated from a mortal life to an immortal one where enjoying God Almighty they lose no Perfections which they enjoy'd while on Earth but possess all in a more eminent manner having more Charity more Love and being more acceptable to God than ever becoming like Angels And as these offered up their Prayers for Jerusalem and the Cities of Judah Zach. 1. 12. so undoubtedly they likewise fall down before the Lamb having every one of them Harps and golden Vials full of Odours which are the Prayers of the Saints Apoc. 5. 8. 3. Of Addressing more Supplications to the Virg. Mary than to Christ HE believes the Virgin Mary to be much more powerful in Heaven than Christ and that she can command him to do what she thinks good And for This reason he honours her much more than he does her Son or God the Father For one Prayer he says to God saying ten to the Holy Virgin HE believes it damnable to think the Virgin Mary more powerful in Heaven than Christ Or that she can in any thing command him He honours her indeed as one that was chosen to be Mother of God and blessed amongst all Women And believes her to be most acceptable to God in her Intercession for us But owning her still as a Creature and that all she has of Excellency or Bliss is the Gift of God proceeding from his meer Goodness Neither does he at any time say even so much as one Prayer to her but what is directed more principally to God because offered up as a Thankful Memorial of Christ's Incarnation and an acknowledgment of the Blessedness of Jesus the Fruit of her Womb. And this without imagining that there 's any more dishonouring of God in his reciting the Angelical Salutation than in the first pronouncing it by the Angel Gabriel and Elizabeth Or that his frequent Repetition of it is any more an idle Superstition than it was in David to repeat the same words over twenty six times in the 136 Psalm IV. Of paying Divine Worship to Relicks HE believes a kind of Divinity to remain in the Relicks of his reputed Saints and therefore Adores their Rotten Bones their corrupted flesh their old Rags with Divine Honour Kneeling down to them kissing them and going in Pilgrimage to their Shrines Sepulchres And he is so far possess'd with a conceited Deity lying hid in those senseless Remains that he foolishly believes they work greater Miracles and raise more to life than ever Christ himself did HE believes it damnable to think there 's any Divinity in the Relicks of Saints or to Adore them with Divine Honour or to Pray to their rotten Bones old Rags or Shrines or that they can work any strange Cures or Miracles by any hidden Power of their own But he believes it good and lawful to keep them with a Veneration and give them a Religious honour and respect And this he thinks due to them in as much as knowing himself oblig'd to respect and honour God Almighty from his heart he looks upon himself also oblig'd to respect and honour every thing that has any particular Relation to him But this with an inferiour honour as the Jews did to the Ark to the Tables of of the Law to Moses's Rod to the Temple to the Priests So we generally allow to the Bible because it contains God's Word to the Church because it is God's House to Holy Men and Priests because they are God's Servants And so he does to Relicks because they appertain to God's Favourites and being insensible things are yet very sensible Pledges and lively Memorials of Christ's Servants dead indeed to us but alive with him in Glory And more especially because God himself has been pleas'd to honour them by making them Instruments of many evident Miracles he has visibly work'd by them as is manifest upon undeniable Record And this he believes as easie for God Almighty now and as much redounding to the honour of his Holy Name as it was in the Old Law to work such Miraculous effects by Moses's Rod by Gideon's Trumpets by Elia's Mantle after he was taken up into Heaven 2 Kings 2. 14. Eliseus's Bones 2 Kings 13. 21. and infinite other such like insensible Things And also in the New Law by the Hem of his own Garment Mat. 9. 21. by the Shadow of St. Peter Acts 5. 15. by the Napkins and Handkerchiefs that had but touch'd the Body of St. Paul casting out Devils and curing Diseases Acts 19. 12. and such like And thus by having a Veneration and Respect for these he honours God And does not doubt but that they that contemn and prophane these do the like to God as much as they did who prophan'd the Bread of Proposition the Temple and Vessels that belong'd to it V. Of the EUCHARIST HE believes it lawful to commit Idolatry and makes it his daily practice to Worship and Adore a Breaden God giving Divine Honour to those Poor empty Elements of Bread and Wine Of these he asks Pardon for his sins of these he desires Grace and Salvation These he acknowledges to have been his Redeemer Saviour and hopes for no good but what is to come to him by means of these household Gods And then for his Apology he alledges such gross contradictions so contrary to all sense and reason that whosoever will be a Papist must be no Man Fondly believing that what he adores is no Bread or Wine but Christ really present under those appearances and thus makes as many Christs as many Redeemers as there are Churches Altars or Priests When according to Gods Infallible Word there is but one Christ and He not on Earth but at the right hand of his Father in Heaven HE believes it unlawful to commit Idolatry and most damnable to Worship or Adore any Breaden God or to give Divine Honour to any Elements of Bread and Wine He Worships only one God who made Heaven and Earth and his only Son Jesus Christ our Redeemer who being in all things equal to his Father in Truth and Omnipotency he believes made his words good pronounc'd at his last Supper really giving his Body and Blood to his Apostles the Substance of Bread and Wine being by his powerful Words chang'd into his own Body and Blood the Species or Accidents of the Bread and Wine remaining as before The same he believes of the most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist consecrated now by Priests That it really contains the Body of Christ which was deliver'd for us and his Blood which was shed for the remission of Sins Which being there united with the Divinity he confesses Whole Christ to be present And him he adores and acknowledges his Redeemer and not any Bread or Wine And for the believing of this Mystery he does not at all think it
meet for any Christian to appeal from Christ's Words to his own Senses or Reason for the examining the truth of what he has said but rather to submit his Senses and Reason to Christ's Words in the obsequiousness of Faith And that being a Son of Abraham 't is more becoming him to believe as Abraham did promptly with a Faith superiour to all Sense or Reason and whither these could never lead him With this Faith it is he believes every Mystery of his Religion the Trinity Incarnation c. With this Faith he believes that what descended upon our Saviour at his Baptism in Jordan was really the Holy Ghost though Senses or Reason could discover it to be nothing but a Dove With this Faith he believes That the Man that Joshua saw standing over against him with his Sword drawn Josh 5. 13. and the three Men that Abraham entertain'd in the Plains of Mambre Gen. 18. were really and substantially no Men and that notwithstanding all the information and evidence of Sense from their Colour Features Proportion Talking Eating and many others of their being Men yet without any discredit to his Senses he really believes they were no such thing because God's Word has assured him of the contrary And with this Faith he believes Christ's Body and Blood to be really present in the Blessed Sacrament though to all appearance there 's nothing more than Bread and Wine Thus not at all hearkning to his Senses in a matter where God speaks he unfeignedly confesses That he that made the World of nothing by his sole word That cured Diseases by his Word That raised the Dead by his Word That expell'd Devils That commanded the Winds and Seas That multiplied Bread That changed Water into Wine by his Word and Sinners into Just Men cannot want Power to change Bread and Wine into his own Body and Blood by his sole Word And this without danger of multiplying his Body of making as many Christs as Altars or leaving the right hand of his Father But only by giving to his Body a supernatural manner of Existence by which being left without eztension of parts and rendred independent of place it may be one and the same in many places at once and whole in every part of the Symbols and not obnoxious to any corporeal Contingencies And this kind of Existence is no more than what in a manner he bestows upon every Glorified Body Than what his own Body had when born without the least violation of his Mothers Virginal Integrity When he arose from the Dead out of the Sepulchre without removing the Stone When he entred amongst his Disciples the Doors being shut And though he cannot understand how this is done yet he undoubtedly believes That God is able to do more than He is able to understand VI. Of Merits and Good Works HE Believes Christ's Death Passion to be inneffectual and insignificant and that he has no dependance upon the Merits of his Sufferings or the Mercy of God for the obtaining Salvation but that he is to be sav'd by his own Merits And for this reason he very zealously buisy in Fasting in Whipping himself in Watching in going in Procession in wearing Hair-shirts and using a thousand such like Mortifications And having done this he thinks himself not at all beholding to God for his Salvation and that to give him Heaven will be no favour It being now his due upon the account of his own Meritorious Atchievements without any God-a-mercy to Christ's Passion or his Makers Goodness HE believes it damnable to say that Christ's Death and Passion is ineffectual and insignificant And that 't is the Doctrine of Devils to believe That he has no dependance for his Salvation upon the Merits of Christ's Sufferings or the Mercy of God but only upon his own Merits and good Works 'T is his Faith to believe That of our selves we are not sufficient so much as to think a good thought that the Grace by which we are justified is given us purely gratis upon the account of Christ's Merits moreover that no Man how just soever can Merit any thing either in this life or in that to come independant on the Merits and Passion of Jesus Christ Nevertheless that through the Merits of Christ the Good Works of a Just Man proceeding from Grace are so acceptable to God that through his Goodness and Promise they are truly Meritorious of Eternal Life And this he has learn'd from the Apostle 2 Tim. 4. 8. where he is taught that there is a Crown of Justice which our Lord a just Judge will render at the last day not only to Saint Paul but also to all those that shall have fought a good fight and consummated their course kept the Faith and lov'd his coming Knowing therefore that at the day of Judgement he is to receive according to his Works He endeavours by good Works to make his Vocation and Election sure And in following this Councel he thinks he no more offends against the fulness of the Merits of Christ's or God's Mercy than the Apostle does in giving it VII Of Confession HE believes it part of his Religion to make Gods of Men foolishly thinking that these have power to forgive sins And therefore as often as he finds his Conscience oppress'd with the guilt of his Offences he calls for one of his Priests who are commonly more wicked than himself and falling at his feet he unfolds to him the whole state of his Soul and having run over a Catalogue of his sins he asks of him Pardon and Forgiveness And what is most absurd of all he is so sillily stupid as to believe That if his Ghostly Father after he has heard all his Villanies in his Ear does but pronounce three or four Latin words making the sign of a Cross with two fingers and a thumb over his head his sins are forthwith forgiven him although he had never any thoughts of amendment or intention to forsake his wickedness HE believes it damnable in any Religion to make Gods of Men. However he firmly holds that when Christ speaking of his Apostles said Joh. 20. 21. Receive ye the Holy Ghost whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven and whose sins you shall retain they are retained He gave to them and their Successors the Bishops and Priests of the Catholick Church Authority to Absolve any truly Penitent Sinner from his sins And God having thus given them the Ministry of Reconciliation and made them Christ's Legates 2 Cor. 5. 18. 19. 12. Christ's Ministers and the Dispensers of the Mysteries of Christ and given them power to loose on Earth whatsoever was to be loosed in Heaven Matt. 18. 18. he undoubtedly believes that whosoever comes to them making a sincere and humble confession of his sins with a firm purpose â—â—â—mendment and a hearty Resolution of turning from his evil ways may from them receive Absolution by the Authority given them from Heaven and not doubt but God ratifies
the observance of any in particular they teach that it is the Duty of the Flock to Obey Things indifferent after such Commands being no longer of choice but necessary and no less obliging than the Commands of a Father to his Child where in case the thing be not apparently sinful 't is no perswasion of the thing being superfluous can excuse an obstinate denyal from Disobedience It being more safe and Christian-like for all that are under any Government whether Natural Ecclesiastical or Civil to perform and comply with such things as they judge in their own private Sentiments Vnnecessary meerly upon the account of being Commanded than upon such considerations to disturb the order of Government and fly in the Face of Lawful Authority than which nothing is more opposite to the Principles of Christianity and destructive of all Humane Society And upon these grounds it is that the Papists founding themselves upon the sure foundation of Humility and Obedience have in all Ages acknowledged Overseers and Rulers over them to watch and feed the Flock to whom God hath given Power there being no power but of God and that whosoever resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Rom. 13. 1 2. XXXVII Of Innovations in Matters of Faith HIS Church has made several Innovations in Matters of Faith and howsoever she lays claim to Antiquity with a pretence of having preserv'd the Doctrine of the Apostles inviolable and entire Yet 't is evident to any serious Observer that the greatest part of the Belief is meer Novelties that bearing date from Christ or his Apostles but only from some of her own more modern Synods There scarce having pass'd any Age yet wherein there has not in these Ecclesiastical Mints been coyn'd New Articles which with the counterfeit stamp of Christ and his Apostles are made to pass for Good and Currant amongst his credulous and undiscerning retainers And besides these what a great number of Errours have been introduc'd at other times how many did Pope Gregory bring in and how many the Ignorance of the Tenth Age So that if we compare the Church of Rome now with the Primitive times of the first three or four hundred years there are no two things so unlike she is a Garden now but quite overgrown with Weeds she is a Field but where the Tares have perfectly choak'd up the Wheat and has little in her of Apostolical besides the Name HIS Church has never made any Innovation in Matters of Faith what she believes and teaches now being the same that the Catholick Church believ'd and taught in the first three or four Centuries after the Apostles And tho' in most of her General Councils there has been several Decisions touching Points of Faith Yet can no one without an injury to truth say that in any of these has been coin'd new Articles or Christians forced to the acceptance of Novelties contrary to the Scripture or antient Tradition These have only trodden in the Apostles steps as often as they have been in the like circumstances with them doing exactly according to the Form and Example left to the Church by those perfect Masters of Christianity And therefore as the Apostles in their Assembly Acts 15. determin'd the Cortroversie concerning the Circumcision and proposed to the Faithful what was the Doctrine of Christ in that point of necessity to be believ'd of which till that decision there had been rais'd several Questions and Doubts but now no longer to be questioned without the Shipwrack of Faith So in all succeeding ages the Elders of the Church to whom the Apostles left their Commission of watching over the Flock in their Councils have never scrupled to determine all such Points which had been controverted amongst the Brethren and to propose to them what of necessity they were to believe for the future with Anathema pronounced against all such as should presume to preach the contrary Thus in the year 325. the first Nicene Council declar'd the Son of God to be Consubstantial to his Father against the Arians with an obligation on all to assent to this Doctrine though never till then propos'd or declar'd in that Form Thus in the year 381. the Holy Ghost was declar'd to be God against Macedonius and his Followers in the first Constantinopolital Council And in the first Ephesin Anno 431. Nestorius was condemned who maintain'd two Persons in Christ and that the blessed Virgin was not Mother of God with a Declaration that both these Tenets were contrary to the Catholick Faith In the second Nicene Council Anno 787. Image-breakers were Anathematiz'd And so others at other times and at last in the Council of Trent was declar'd the Real Presence Transubstantiation Purgatory the lawfulness of the Invocation of Saints of keeping Holy Images c. against Luther Calvin Beza c. And now though in all these and the other General Councils the persons condemned took occasion from these New Declarations to cry out Novelties Novelties to fright the people with the noise of new coin'd Articles and that the inventions of Men were impos'd on them for Faith Yet 't is evident that these New Declarations contain'd nothing but the Antient Faith and that there had never been any such Declarations made had not the Doctrine propos'd in them being oppos'd and contradicted by some seducing Spirits who going out from the Flock endeavour'd by making Divisions to draw numbers after them So that the new Proposal of a Tenet is but a fallacious proof of the Doctrine being lately invented but a good Argument of its being lately oppos'd 'T is certain from Scripture Act. 15. that the Apostles had never declar'd the non-necessity of Circumcision had not certain men come down from Judea and taught the Brethren the contrary And that Consubstantiality of the Son had never been defin'd by the Nicene Fathers had not Arius with his Followers oppos'd this Catholick Doctrine And as certain it is that the Council of Trent had been altogether silent as to Transubstantiation Praying to Saints Purgatory c. had not Luther Calvin and their Disciples once professors of this Doctrine gone out from the Flock and upon the presumption of a New Light endeavour'd to perswade the Faithful that these Tenets then believ'd by the whole Christian World were no longer to be own'd but to be quite thrown by as Antichristian and Diabolical 'T was this oblig'd the Pastors to watch and take care of their Flock and therefore not flying away as the Hireling does when the Wolf catcheth and scattereth the Sheep they assembled together in a Body and declar'd to all under their charge that they ought not to follow strangers that howsoever these came pretending to the Shepherd's voice yet since they came not by the dore into the Sheepfold but climbing up some other way they were no Shepherds but Thieves and Robbers such whose business was not to feed but to steal kill and
destroy 'T was this made them encourage all under their care not to waver but to stand fast and hold the profession of their Faith and notwithstanding all pretences by no means to suffer themselves to be deluded and led away with strange Doctrine and that they might the better secure them from falling into Errours they gave them a Draught of their Christian Doctrine especially of all those points which these modern self-commissionated Apostles did preach against and endeavour to undermine particularly declaring to them the Faith they had been bred up in which they had receiv'd from their Forefathers and been deriv'd even from the Apostles Securing them that whatsoever was contrary to this was Novelty and Errour And now in the Pastors declaring this to the Faithful where was the Innovation The Council did nothing but propose fully and explicately what before their meeting was the Doctrine of all Christendom and had been so amongst the Primitive Fathers 'T was they made Innovation who preach'd contrary to the Doctrine thus believ'd and receiv'd which Luther was not asham'd to own himself guilty of plainly acknowledging that He separated from the whole World But it seems that the whole World was then corrupted and the Religion then every where profess'd was overgrown with Superstitions Errors and Abominations such as had crept into the Church some five Hundred Years before some nine Hundred and some a Thousand and 't was from these Luther separated intending to Reform Christianity and bring it to the purity of the Primitive times of the first three Hundred Years And was it not very strange now that so many gross Fooleries idle Superstitions and even down-right Idolatry should creep into a Church and spreading it self through all Nations infect the whole World becoming the publick profession of Christendom for so many hundred Years and be confirm'd and establish'd by the Laws of every Kingdom and that no body should take notice of any such thing either at its first Rise or in all its progress of so many Years Insomuch that had not Luther made the Discovery 't is likely we should never have come to the knowledge of these Thousand Years Errors and Corruptions No thinking Man certainly but judges it impossible that the very Fundamentals of Christianity should be shaken and the Religion planted by the Apostles turned into Idolatry and yet that no Learned Man should any where appear to contradict these Abominations no Zealous Pastors to withstand them no pious Princes to oppose them History sufficiently satisfies any Curious Reader that from the first planting of the Church there has been in no Age and Man yet that has preach'd any Heterodox and Erroneous Tenets and by introducing Novelties has endeavour'd to infect the minds of the Faithful with Heresie and Superstition but immediately have stood up Virtuous and Learned Men in defence of the Truth in their Writings and Sermons publickly confuting and condemning the Errours and giving an Alarm to the World to beware of such Deceivers and their wicked Doctrine and withal never omitting to Record their Names to Posterity with an account of the Year when they began to Preach under what Emperours and what was the occasion of their Revolt Was not all this and even more done against Arius How many appear'd against the Manichees How many against the Donatists against the Novatians against the Macedonians the Nestorians the Eutychians the Pelagians the Berengarians c. So that never any thing has made so much noise in the World so many commotions so many disturbances nothing has been so impossible to be carryed on with secresie and silence as the broaching any new Heresie the making a Schism the alteration of Religion the starting up of some new Society and Pretenders to Reformation What Tumults did all the fore-mentioned Apostles raise disturb'd at the Doctrine of Mahomet and the crying up the Alcoran What Stirs and Commotions at the Reformation of Church and Faith pretended by Luther Zwinglius and Calvin How then can it be judg'd in the least probable that great variety of erroneous Tenets and Antichristian Doctrin should be introduc'd by the Papists contrary to the sense and belief of all Christianity either in the fourth fifth sixth or tenth Century and yet that there should not be the least disturbance occasion'd by it no tumults or opposition but all done with so much quietness in such a profound Peace and Silence that had it not been for the News brought some Ages after we had never suspected the Alteration And is this possible Is it possible that the whole Christian World should change their Religion both as to the Internal Belief and external Profession and exercise of it and no body be sensible of the change so as to withstand the Abomination or to transmit to Posterity even so much as the least Word of its beginning or propogation Let any man upon some consideration tell me whether it be possible that this one little Kingdom of England should fall from this Pure Apostolical Doctrine it now professes into down-right Popery or any other way alter the whole Sheme of its Religion and have the Alteration confirm'd by several Acts of Parliament and continue in the publick Exercise of it for a thousand five hundred or even on hundred years and yet no one in this Kingdom or out of it should be sensible of the Alteration but also to be manag'd with such Policy and Craft that the whole business should be a Secret for many Ages And if this be scarce to be thought possible of this one Kingdom what can be imagin'd when 't is affirm'd of many Nations of the whole Christian World Can any thing look more like a Fable or Romance Or can any Rational Man barely upon such a Report condemn the Faith and Religion of his Ancestors for Novelty and Humane Inventions and quite laying aside this take him for the Rule of his Reformation who thus without Reason Justice or Truth has thrown such an Infamy upon all the Christians preceeding him for a thousand years But not to insist upon these reasonings for the wiping off the scandal of Novelty from the Doctrine of the Church of Rome 't would not be amiss here to look beyond the Tenth Century as also beyond the time of Pope Gregory And if in those earlier Christians nothing can be found of that Faith and Profession which is charged as Novelty and Errour against the Church or Rome all the Papists in the World shall joyn with their Adversaries and condemning Pope Gregory for a Seducer and all of the Tenth Age for so many Ignoramus's shall in one voice with them cry out against all such Doctrine Novelty Novelty Errour Errour But if on the contrary every Point thus challeng'd of Novelty shall appear to have been the Profession of the Faithful in the time of the Purity of the Gospel if before Pope Gregory we find that Invocation of Saints the Real Presence Transubstantiation Purgatory Prayer for the
Or that can forgive him his sins for a sum of Money â„Ÿ Amen VII Cursed is he that believes that Independent of the Merits and Passion of Christ he can Merit Salvation by his own good Works or make condign satisfaction for the guilt of his sins or the pains Eternal due to them â„Ÿ Amen VIII Cursed is he that contemns the Word of God or hides it from the people on design to keep them from the knowledge of their Duty and to preserve them in Ignorance and Errour â„Ÿ Amen IX Cursed is he that undervalues the Word of God or that forsaking Scripture chuses rather to follow Humane Traditions than it â„Ÿ Amen X. Cursed is he that leaves the Commandments of God to observe the constitutions of Men. â„Ÿ Amen XI Cursed it he that omit any of the Ten Commandments or keeps the people from the knowledge of any one of them to the end they may not have occasion of discovering the Truth â„Ÿ Amen XII Cursed is he that Preaches to the People in unknown Tongues such as they understand not or uses any other means to keep them in Ignorance â„Ÿ Amen XIII Cursed is he that believes that the Pope can give to any upon any account whatsoever Dispensations to Lie or Swear falsly Or that 't is Lawful for any at the last hour to protest himself Innocent in case he be Guilty â„Ÿ Amen XIV Cursed is he that encourages sins or teaches Men to defer the amendmeut of their lives or presumption of their Death-Bed-repentance â„Ÿ Amen XV. Cursed is he that teaches Men that they may be Lawfully drunk on a Friday or any other Easting-day tho' they must not taste the least bit of Flesh â„Ÿ Amen XVI Cursed is he who places Religion in nothing but a pompous shew consisting only in Ceremonies and which teaches not the People to serve God in Spirit and Truth â„Ÿ Amen XVII Cursed is he who loves or promotes cruelty that teaches People to be Bloody-minded and to lay aside the meekness of Jesus Christ â„Ÿ Amen XVIII Cursed is he who teaches it Lawful to do any wicked thing tho' it be for the Interest and Good of Mother-Church or that any Evil action may be done that Good may come of it â„Ÿ Amen XIX Cursed are we if amongst all those wicked Principles and Damnable Doctrine commonly laid at our Dores any one of them be the Faith of our Church And Cursed are we if we do not as heartily detest all those Hellish Practices at they that so vehemently urge them against us â„Ÿ Amen XX. Cursed are we if in an answering and saying Amen to any of these Curses we use any Equivocations Mental Reservations or do not assent to them in the common and obvious Sense of the Words â„Ÿ Amen And can the Papists then thus seriously and without check of Conscience say Amen to all these curses Yes they can and are ready to it whensoever and as often as it shall be requir'd of them And what then is to be said of those who either by Word or Writing charge these Doctrines upon the Faith of the Church of Rome Is a lying spirit in the mouth of all the Prophets Are they all gone aside Do they back-bite with their tongue do evil to their Neighbour and take up reproach against their Neighbour I 'le say no such thing but leave the impartial Considerer to judge One thing I can safely affirm that the Papists are foully Mis-represented and shew in publick as much unlike what they are as the Christians were of old by the Gentiles that they lie under a great Calumny and severely smart in good Name Persons and Estates for such things which They as much and as heartily detest as those who accuse them But the comfort is Christ has said to his Followers Ye shall be hated of all men Matt. 10. 22. and St. Paul we are made a spectacle unto the World and we don't doubt that who bears this with patience shall for every loss here and content receive a hundred fold in Heaven For base things of the World and things which are despised hath God chosen 1 Cor. 1. 28. FINIS The CONTENTS 1. OF Images Page 1 2. Of Praying to Saints 2 3. Of Praying to the Virgin Mary 4 4. Of Relicks 5 5. Of the Eucharist 6 6. Of Merits and Good Works 8 7. Of Confession 9 8. Of Indulgences 10 9. Of Satisfaction 11 10. Of Reading the Holy Scripture 12 11. Of Apocryphal Books 13 12. Of the Vulgar Edition of the Bible 15 13. Of the Scripture as a Rule of Faith 17 14. Of the Interpretation of Scripture 18 15. Of Tradition 19 16. Of Councils 20 17. Of infallibility in the Church 22 18. Of the Pope 25 19. Of Dispensations 27 20. Of the Deposing Power 29 21. Of Communion in one kind 31 22. Of the Mass 32 23. Of Purgatory 34 24. Of Praying in an Vnknown Tongue 37 25. Of the Second Commandment 39 26. Of Mental Reservations 41 27. Of Death-bed Repentance 42 28. Of Fasting 43 29. Of Division and Schisms in the Church 45 30. Of Fryars and Nuns 46 31. Of Wicked Principles and Practices 48 32. Of Miracles 52 33. Of Holy Water 53 34. Of Breeding up People in Ignorance 55 35. Of the Vncharitableness of the Papists 57 36. Of Ceremonies and Ordinances 61 37. Of Innovations in Matters of Faith 67 Roman-Catholick PRINCIPLES In Reference to GOD and the KING PARAGRAPH I. Of the Catholick Faith and Church in General I. THE Fruition of God and Remission of Sin is not attainable by Man otherwise then in and by the Merits of Jesus Christ who gratis Purchas'd it for Us. II. These Merits of Christ are not apply'd to Us otherwise than by a Right Faith in Christ III. This Faith is but One Entire and Conformable to its Object being Divine Revelations to all which Faith gives an undoubted assent IV. These Revelations contain many Mysteries transcending the Natural Reach of Humane Wit or Industry Wherefore V. It became the Divine Wisdom and Goodness to provide Man of some Way or Means whereby he might Arrive to the Knowledge of these Mystrries Means Visible and Apparent to all Means propotionable to the Capacities of all Means Sure and Certain to all VI. This Way or Means is not the Reading of Scripture Interpreted according to the Private Reason or Spirit of every Disjunctive Person or Nation in Particular But VII It is an Attention and Submission to the Doctrine of the Catholick or Vniversal Church established by Christ for the Instruction of all Spread for that end throughout all Nations and visibly continu'd in the Succession of Pastors and People throughout all Ages From which Church Guided in Truth and secur'd from Errour in Matters of Faith by the promiss'd Assistance of the Holy Ghost every one may and ought to Learn both the Right Sence of the