_ 
 
 tf* 
 
 „ oi the ®fa<%fo 
 
 PRINCETON, N. J 
 
 Collection of Puritan Lierj 
 
 Division 
 ■T^ C— ~" L^) Section 
 
*"S 
 
 
PROTESTANCY/J^ 
 To be Embrac'd : /X*^? 
 
 OR A / ^ *>&• 
 
 New and Infallible Method "Xc? 
 To Reduce 
 
 ROMANISTS 
 
 FROM 
 
 POPERY 
 
 T O 
 
 Protefbncy. 
 
 A Treatife of great life to all 
 His MajcftiesSutyefts , and necerTaiy 
 to prevent Error and Popery. 
 
 By DaYid Ahcrcromhy D. 
 Lately Converted, after he had 
 Profefs'd near Nineteen Years 
 Jefuitifm and Popery. 
 
 LONDO N, Printed for the Author, 
 by Thomas Hocigkjn. 1682. 
 
TO THE 
 
 Right Reverend Father fn GocJ, 
 
 HENRY, 
 
 Lor d B 
 
 f 
 
 ISHOP O 
 London , Dean of His 
 Ma jellies Chappel,and 
 one of His mod Ho- 
 nourable Privy Coun- 
 cil. 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 Iff^ once fully re/oh 
 ved to fide firji openly 
 with the Troteftant Church, 
 A 1 and 
 
The Epiftle 
 
 and then to inform theQub* 
 lick of the true motives of 
 my Converfion from Po- 
 pery to Proteftancy ; but 
 upon fecond thoughts , ad 
 obftruendum os loquen- 
 tium iaiqua, to Hop the 
 mouths offuch as could mif* 
 conftrue my intentions , I 
 judgd it neceffary to pre* 
 "Vent the reflexions offome y 
 and Jurprtfal of others. 
 
 I acknowledge my f elf 
 in this Conjuncture Ac- 
 countable by duty to two 
 forts of perfons : i.To the 
 Jefuites my former ^Bre- 
 thren. 
 
Dedicatory. 
 thren. i. To the (Roman 
 Catholicks of my familiar 
 acquaintance : I^as looked 
 upon by thofe as being able 
 to ferVe them at home, as I 
 had not been ujelefs to them 
 abroad , and by thefe as a 
 jealous Defender of To* 
 pery. If 1 can but allay the 
 firfl heats of both, and bin* 
 der a fudden rife of anger 
 and pafjion, 1 may hope by 
 this peaceable method to 
 conquer irrefijlibly their 
 under '{landings, yea, if pre* 
 occupation [land not be- 
 twixt them and the truth, 
 A 3 jhikc 
 
The Epiftle 
 
 ftrike at their hearts > and 
 change their Tvills. 
 
 My Thoughts y my 
 Lord y were not long at a 
 fiand 5 under whofe Tatro* 
 nage this fliort Treatife 
 Jhouldface the Publick, it 
 being chiefly intended for the 
 ConjerVation of theTrote* 
 fiant tf^eligion, and Conner* 
 [ton of His Majeflies Sub* 
 pBs from Superstition and' 
 popery, I was of opinion you 
 could claim a peculiar right; 
 to it y not only on the account 
 (f your Character and Dig* 
 wty.fiut particularly hecaufe v 
 
Dedicatory. 
 
 of that Jpettolick zeal yon 
 are infiatnd ivithall for 
 your Flocks fiiritual Com 
 cerns andTroficiencyiwheye* 
 by you are powerfully moved 
 to accept of , and defend 
 whatever may prove inftru* 
 mental to the increafe of 
 true Virtue and Clmfiwi 
 Piety. 
 
 J confefs ingenuouf* 
 
 b y y° ur ® ee P fyowledge 
 makes me fomefbhat apprc* 
 henfive of your Qenfure y 
 hut your eminent Virtue puts 
 me in hopes again you will 
 eafily pardon whatever you 
 A 4 flnll 
 
The Epiftle 
 
 /ball find defective in this 
 method, or not anfwerabk 
 to your own Accuracy. Yet I 
 baVe caTd it, and hope it 
 fl?all prove fuch , infallible 
 for two tyafons. i. Be* 
 caufe taken wholly, it a? 
 mounts to a clear and for* 
 cible Vernon (I ration, though 
 perhaps each Argument it 
 contains will notproVe a full 
 ConviBimto every ohfiinate 
 (l^omanifl. 2. Becaufe it 
 relies on Self-evident Trin* 
 ciplesy and overthrows the 
 moft material Obstacles to 
 the Converfion of tf(pma? 
 
 nifis, 
 
Dedicatory. 
 niflsy I mean their preoccu* 
 pated Opinions, and ground* 
 lefs Fancies , That ^rote* 
 flants are all Reprobates, 
 Schifmaticks > Hereticfo> 
 and fuel? as retreat from 
 Popery to Troteftancy,dpo* 
 flates ; but hcTtoeyer this 
 method proye otherwife in* 
 fallible , which the event 
 tnuji determine ; one thing 
 I may confidently afcertain y 
 it mill fhew infallibly to To* 
 fterity, -frith lohat refteB I 
 am, 
 
 MY LORD, 
 Your moft Humble 
 
 And Obedient Servant, 
 David Abercrombp 
 
The moft material Contents 
 of this Book. 
 
 L hp HE EPTSfLE DEVI- 
 1 CATORT. 
 
 II. The Authors former Life , and 
 the oxafion of his Converfion. 
 
 Page i 
 
 III. That Froteftants may be fa- 
 ved. ip 
 
 Grounded^ 
 
 1. On their Allegiance to all their 
 refpe&ive Superiours. 2 i 
 
 2. On Gods general providence and 
 care to illuminate all men for at* 
 taining the end he created them 
 for. 25 
 
 3. On their highfentiments of Gods 
 mercies^ and Chrifts merits. 2 7 
 
 4. On their living and lively faith. 
 
 28 
 
 5. On .their belief of all Funda- 
 mentals, and AUs of true divine 
 Love. 3 q 
 
 6. On the Nature and Dotlrine 
 
 of 
 
The Contents. 
 
 of a probable Opinion received by 
 Romanifts. Page 33 
 
 7. On this undeniable Truth, That 
 they are neither Scbifmatickf , nor 
 Heretickj , but true Members of 
 the Vniverfal Church. 44 
 
 IV. That Proteftants may be faved 
 more eafily and with greater fecu- 
 rity than RormmC\s,grounded on 
 their not admittance of thefe ob- 
 fiacles that are infallibly to be 
 met with in the Prof eft on of \ Ro- 
 ma m fnt. 62 
 Such be, 
 
 1 . Their rajh and implicit e Faith. 
 
 64 
 
 2. Their endlefs Scruples, caused by 
 their doUrim relating to Baptifm. 
 
 3. Their lefs apprehenfwn of Hell 
 by their relying on Purgatory, and 
 of mortal fin, by that dangerous 
 Opinion of theirs, That all fins 
 deferve not eternal pmijhment. 70 
 
 4. Their neglett and not reading of 
 
 Pi- 
 
The Contents. 
 
 ' "Divine Scriptures. Page 7 1 
 
 5. 'their Prayers in an unknown 
 Tongue. 75 
 
 6. Their Vottrine of Tranfubftan- 
 tiation. *]6 
 
 7. Their Invocation of the Virgin 
 Mary, and other Saints. 95 
 
 8. Their Image-worfhip , Wafer- 
 tPorJhipyRelicktWorfhipt&CC. 9 7 
 
 p. Their renouncing Senfe and Rea- 
 fon, in favor of their Romijh de- 
 cifions. 1 06 
 
 lO.Their multipliedFafis andAbfti- 
 ntncyjtnder pain of mortal fin.ioy 
 
 11. Their forbidding Ecckjiafticjy 
 to marry. no 
 
 12. Their infnaring Vows of Cha- 
 Jlity, Poverty, Obedience , and of 
 
 mere than God hits commanded 
 them to do. 112 
 
 IV. Conclufwns flowing from the 
 Principles eftabliftfd in the firfi 
 two Articles. 12$ 
 
 V. Charitable Advice to all His 
 Majefiies Subfe&s of ihe Romifh 
 P-erfuafjon. 145 
 
(O 
 
 Proteftancy 
 To be embraced : 
 
 o R 
 
 An Infallible Method 
 
 to reduce Rowamfts 
 
 From 
 
 *Popery to ^roteUancy. 
 
 I. '"'■ "*His little Treatife 
 * I will be a Subjeft 
 -*- of great amaze- 
 ment to all fuch as have 
 known my former Life and 
 Converfation, whereof cour- 
 teous and curious Reader, 
 take this accurate, fhort, and 
 true account. 
 
 B 2. I 
 
(O 
 
 2. I was bred up in my 
 greener years at Doway, and 
 in a fhort time became lb 
 good a Proficient in the my- 
 fteries of Popery, that I en- 
 ter 'd the Order of Jefuits in 
 France at my firft inftance : 
 I lived amongft them full 
 eighteen years and more.and 
 I may fay,without vanity, in 
 fome efteem and repute of a 
 Scholar being judgd after a 
 (blemn examen, capable to 
 teach Divinity and Philofo- 
 phy in the moft renown'd 
 Univerfities of 'Europe, which 
 is the Jefuits way of Gradua- 
 ting their own men in Divi- 
 nity. I taught in France 
 Grammar, in Lorrain Ma- 
 thema ticks aid Philofophy 5 
 and being graduate in Phy- 
 
 fick, 
 
CO 
 
 fick, I pra&is'd it not unhap- 
 pily, and intend to pra&ife 
 it hereafter, with certain 
 hopes, God willing of the 
 lame good fuccefi. 
 
 3. All this while I ftudied 
 more to the endowment of 
 the intelleftive faculty by hu- 
 mane Sciences, than to per- 
 fect my will by folid Vercues 
 and Piety: To which I 
 thought the School-divinity, 
 as taught by Romanifts, was 
 not afmallh'mderance: The 
 lpeculative part thereof be- 
 ing apterto beget doubts of 
 the truth of Chriftianifm, 
 than to clear thofe that men 
 may, and do fometimes frame 
 to themfelves, 
 
 4. Take for inftance, they 
 call in queftion and difpute, 
 B2 if 
 
C4) 
 
 ifthe Incarnation of God was 
 poffible or not > if God can 
 lyeorfpeak afalfhood 5 if it 
 be within the reach of his 
 Omnipotency to condemn an 
 Innocent foul to the pains of 
 everlaftingflames^ifhis a#ual 
 exiftency can be clearly pro- 
 ved, or pointed out by the 
 light of a true demonstrati- 
 on, and the like: Such dis- 
 putes I ever thought, Otiofi- 
 rum homtnum negotia^ the af- 
 fairs of thofe that have no af- 
 fair to bufie themfelves with- 
 al 3 1 judg d them fitter to de- 
 ftroy than edifie, to nourifti 
 and fpread Errors, than to in- 
 creafe Piety and difpell Igno- 
 rance. 
 
 5. I ftudied (everal years 
 the Jefuit School-divinity, 
 
 and 
 
(5) 
 
 and I may fay in all truth, I 
 reapM no other benefit there- 
 by, lave only that in my own 
 conceit, and perhaps in the 
 opinion of (bme others, I be- 
 came an able Difputant, a- 
 bout what ? About Chyme- 
 ra's, beings of reafon, as they 
 Ipeak, Impoffibilities, and 
 fuchlike whimfical notions. 
 
 6. Yet in the midft of theft 
 hot difputes we had often for 
 tneer Punftilo's of hon9ur 5 
 and a vain repute of fome 
 fharpnels, I felt often the Spi- 
 rit of God working interi- 
 ouriy my Converfion, by the 
 fecret voice of his Holy In- 
 fpiration, which caus'd me 
 often to break out in thefe or 
 the like words : Quid h£c ad 
 aterniiatem? What avails all 
 B 3 this 
 
(6 J 
 this for my laftend and eter- 
 nal felicity. 
 
 7. As to the practical part 
 of the Komi(h School-divini- 
 ty, relating to Cafes of Con- 
 fcience, the World knows 
 how far from a true and fin- 
 cere Conference are thofe men 
 commonly called Cafuifts : I 
 rea>d feveral of them molt ex- 
 actly 5 but was ftill difpleasd at 
 their far fetched fubtil ties, in- 
 vented for the avoiding of 
 fin, but in reality are the true 
 fcurces of all loolhefs and ini- 
 quity: Whatever crime your 
 Confcience accufeth you of, 
 confult but a Romifh Cafuift, 
 and he will inftantly indea- 
 vour your repofe by fome by- 
 afi or another tending to his 
 own intereftj and the fet- 
 
 ling 
 
(7) 
 ling of your inward peace on 
 fornc frivolous diftin£tion 3 or 
 groundlefs precillon. 
 
 8. Such fort of men are 
 great Patrons of felf-love,and 
 always prone to pronounce 
 in favour of our corrupted 
 nature againft the light of 
 their own Confcience and 
 Reafbn, and under pretence 
 of fliunning feverity, they 
 fall into th 5 other extream, 
 more dangerous, by yielding 
 through an interefs'd com- 
 placency to the perverfe Incli- 
 nations of fuch as require 
 their advice. 
 
 9. I had great intimacy 
 with feveral Romanics per- 
 fwaded of the lawfulnefs of 
 fuch immoral Practices} their 
 common by- word was, Les 
 
 B 4 gens 
 
(8) 
 gens d'efprit m pechent pointy 
 thai is witty men hardly ever 
 fin: Their reafon was, be- 
 caufe fin, for inftance Adul- 
 tery, may be look'd on as a 
 double facd medal 3 the one 
 fide whereof reprefents to us 
 a natural aft, th' other fide an 
 injuft aft 5 their meaning is, 
 if you content to an Adulte- 
 ry as Vis a natural ad pre- 
 cifely,you (hun by this preci- 
 fion the guilt of fin, fince an 
 aft as natural is not finful, but 
 if you content to it as 'tis an 
 injuft aft, you commit then 
 a fin, which witty and (harp 
 men, efpecially Cafuifts,! fan- 
 cy will never do, knowing 
 how to diftinguifh in the 
 fame individual aft, rationem 
 a&us^& ratiomm peccati^tho, 
 
 for- 
 
(9) 
 formality of an aft, from that 
 of a finful aft. 
 
 io. So thedultifh fort on- 
 ly, either incapable of, or 
 not reflefting on fuch precifi- 
 ons,(hall commit Adulteries, 
 or any other fins for want of 
 this prefcinding faculty : 
 Than which no greater illu- 
 fion could I ever conceive, as 
 to commit a fin were not 
 mpre than enough to defire 
 an ill thing, or what is necef- 
 farily tyed to an ill and un- 
 lawful objeft known to be 
 fuch. 
 
 ii. Thefe and the like 
 dangerous opinions which 
 we ftiall difcufs in another 
 place, put often my thoughts 
 to a ftand, in order to exa- 
 mine what truth could be in 
 B 5 theft 
 
(10) 
 
 thefe ordinary reproaches 
 made by Protectants againft 
 ■Romamfts, accus'd common- 
 ly by them of difconformity 
 *vith the Primitive Church of 
 Novelties, Errors, and Su- 
 perftitions. 
 
 12. Being thus perplex'd 
 in mind and as Hercules in 
 Bivio, uncertain what way 
 to make choice o£ I came to 
 Scotland^ where becaufe of 
 Ibme repute I had got abroad 
 of a Scholar, I was put in- 
 ftantly to work by thejefiiitsy 
 againft M. Menzeis^ Doftor 
 and Profeffor of Divinity in 
 Aberdeen. I wrote then in a 
 ftiort time a Treatife of fome 
 bulk againft his way of de- 
 fending the Protejiant Religu 
 m^ but neither to my own la- 
 
 us- 
 
( II ) 
 
 tisfa&ion, though feveralo- 
 thers feeing things but under 
 one light, feem'd to be per- 
 fwaded by my arguments,nor 
 to the fatisfa&ion of moft Ro- 
 manijis^ who thought and 
 faid my Doftrine in fome 
 material points was not un- 
 like, or the fame with that of 
 Protejiants. 
 
 13. After a ftay of about 
 two years in Scotland, after 
 an accurate parallel of Pro- 
 teftancy and Popery, and a 
 fcrupulous fcrutiny of the 
 moft material grounds they 
 both ftand on, I came to 
 London as to a fafe Sanftuary, 
 where I might ferveGod in 
 all freedom and fecuritjv 
 
 14-. The 
 
( ™) 
 
 14. The extream kindneis 
 of the Londoners to all di- 
 ftrefs'd Perfons, and their late 
 unparallelable Charity to the 
 Perfecuted Brethren of the 
 French Nation, could not 
 but inlpiremewith highfen- 
 timents of their Piety and 
 Religion. 
 
 15. I muft confefsherein- 
 genuoufly, that the Engtifi 
 Nation, exceeded not only 
 formerly their Neighbours in 
 Warlike Exploits, and would 
 yet, if times and occafion put 
 them to it, but were ever, 
 and are ftill far beyond them 
 all in beneficency and works 
 of Charity , the genuine 
 Characters of Divine Faith 
 and true Chriftianifm influ- 
 enc d no doubt by the exam- 
 
 * pie 
 
(13) 
 
 pie of our moft wife and 
 moft Gracious Soveraign, 
 who as he defends and con- 
 ferves by all imaginable 
 means the Protejiant Religi- 
 on^ fo favours all fuch with 
 his Royal Prote&ion and 
 Friendfhip, that conform to 
 it, by renouncing their Er- 
 rors and Popery. 
 
 1 6. 1 forefee this change of 
 mine, how well grounded fo- 
 ever, will ftir up againft me. 
 I. My former Brethren, the 
 Jefuits. 2. My neareft Re- 
 lations, who are for the moft 
 part, and ever were Zealous 
 Romanifts : I doubt not ne- 
 verthelefi but they fhall put a 
 favourable conftruftion on 
 what I have done > provided 
 i. They condemn me not, 
 
 incog- 
 
(H) 
 
 incognita caus'h^ unheard, and 
 2. Sufpend their cenfure till 
 after an impartial, and intire 
 perufal of this prefent Trea- 
 tife, all preoccupation Mo- 
 ther of error laid afide. 
 
 17. They cannot fay that 
 any other motive but that of 
 faving my Soul in the fecureft 
 way, caus'd me to withdraw 
 from them, and fide with 
 Protectants: They know F 
 was in a Condition amongft 
 them to want for nothing, 
 being fupplyed withnecefla- 
 ries fufficiently$ but now I 
 muft rely on Gods Provi- 
 dence and my own Induftry. ; 
 Yet this I am not troubled at, 
 fince Chriit has faid, Search 
 firft after the Kingdom of 
 Heaven, and then all other 
 
 things 
 
( 15) 
 
 things ye ftand in need of, 
 lhall be added unto you; 
 Since he can neither deceive 
 nor be deceiv'd, may we ei- 
 ther think or fay without 
 Blafphemy, he will difappoint 
 fuch as have fetled all their 
 hopes in his infallible promi- 
 ses 3 but to fhun Prolixity, I 
 come to the main point I aim 
 at, which is to give to the 
 publick an infallible method, 
 not written of for ought I 
 know by any other, to re- 
 duce Romanifts to Confor- 
 mity with the Reformed 
 Churches: By the fame 
 means I (hall lay open to the 
 World on what grounds I 
 have forfaken Popery and 
 embracd Proteftancy. 
 
 1 8. This 
 
18. This method to be 
 fuch as 'tisdefign'd, (hall be 
 i. Plain, that every one may 
 underftand it. 2. Peaceable, 
 that the will may be gain'd, 
 and by it the underftanding 
 fweetly conquer'd. 3. Short, 
 that it may be proportionable 
 to theleifureof the moft bu- 
 lled, and none through Pro- 
 lixity loth to read it : All 
 this I hope I (hall perform to 
 the fatisfaftion of Protectants 
 and Convi&ion oiRomanifis^ 
 if I make out with theclear- 
 nefi of a Noon Sun-(hine : 
 
 1. That Protectants may 
 be faved. 
 
 2. That they may be fa- 
 ved more eafily, and with 
 greater fecurity than thofe of 
 the Romifti perfwafion. 
 
 15. The 
 
1 9. The firft of thefe Prin- 
 ciples proved, will caufe Ro- 
 manifts to look upon Prote- 
 ctants with a brotherly Love 
 and Charity 5 the ftcond 
 once eftablilfrd, will force 
 themfweetly but irrefiftably 
 to fide with them, as to mat- 
 ters of Religion and Divine 
 Worfhip 5 fince they are per- 
 fwaded in a bufinefs of fuch a 
 weighty moment, as is that of 
 our Everlafting Happinefs: 
 Tut i us Jenifer efi eligendum^ 
 thefafeft muft ftill be prefer- 
 red before what is lefs fe- 
 cure. 
 
 20. This Treat ife (hall 
 contain three (hort Articles 3 
 in the two firft, I (hall prove 
 evidently to all Impartial 
 Readers, the fbrementioned 
 
 truths 5 
 
( i8) 
 
 truths} inthelaft we (hall 
 raife fuch inferences as flow 
 naturally from thefe two 
 foregoing Principles. 
 
 AR.TIC 
 
C*9) 
 
 ARTICLE I. 
 
 PRINCIPLE I. 
 
 That Proteftants may be 
 fayed. 
 
 SECT. I. 
 
 i. T^ TOching makes Ra- 
 l^^l mantjls more a- 
 -*- ^ verfefrom Pre* 
 tejiants, than this groundlefi 
 perfwafion of theirs, that 
 Protectants cannot be faved, 
 this is the fole caufe of their 
 obftinacy in Popery 5 the 
 
 true 
 
(20) 
 
 true fource of their immor- 
 tal hatred againft us, and the 
 very root of thefe extream 
 Rigors they have pra&isd a- 
 gainftProteJiantS) where- ever 
 they happend to be abfolute 
 Mafters : This pitiful miftake 
 wherein I livd feveral years, 
 was as a veil before my eyes, 
 hindering me to fee the truth, 
 which now by the Grace of 
 God I fee clearly. 
 
 2. Becaufe this Principle 
 is of great moment for the 
 Converfion of RorAan&s. I 
 (hall prove it to peiiivafion 
 in two different ways. 
 
 i. Pofitively, by pofitive 
 and evincing Reafons. 
 
 2. Negatively, by (hew- 
 ing there can be no let or 
 hinderance of Salvation , 
 
 to 
 
(21) 
 
 to fuch as profefs Prote- 
 ftancy. 
 
 3. I can imagine but two 
 things nqceffary to Salvation, 
 or the attaining of Eternal 
 Felicity. 
 
 The Firft is to live confor- 
 mably to the Law of God, 
 becaufe he is what he is, our 
 Soveraign Lord and Ma- 
 tter. 
 
 The Second is, to live 
 conformably to the lawful 
 Commands of fuch men as 
 have their Authority deriv'd 
 from him, as the firft Law- 
 giver 5 fuch are Kings, Magi- 
 ftrates, Princes, and all Su- 
 periors whatfoever, in their 
 refpeftive degrees of Superi- 
 ority, and Authority. 
 
 4. As 
 
4. As to the firft point, 
 what people in the World 
 profefieth a more (incere alle- 
 giance to God, or a more 
 fcrupulous obfervance of his 
 Holy Law, than the Refor- 
 med Churches do? So as of 
 old it wasfaid,Ni?*#f injud^a 
 DeuS) that God was known 
 particularly to the Jews, we 
 may fay in all truth of them 5 
 there is no where fuch a gene- 
 ral knowledge, whether pra- 
 ftieal, or fpeculative of his 
 Holy Law, as amongft Pro- 
 teftants 5 they read it in their 
 Churches, they interpret k 
 in their Pulpits, they perufe 
 it in their Families, they 
 make it the Subjed of their 
 private Meditations, of their 
 more ferious Conventions: 
 
 The 
 
The Star they guide them- 
 felvesby through the ftormy 
 Sea of this World is no other 
 but Gods Infallible written 
 Word, whereunto they con- 
 form 5 or which is all one for 
 my intent, they ought by 
 their Principles, to conform 
 their Thoughts, Words, and 
 all their A&ions : Is it than 
 confident with reafon, to 
 exclude from a capacity of 
 Eternal Felicity, fuch a? not 
 relying upon uncertain Tra- 
 ditions, regulate all their 
 fteps by the rule of God's In- 
 fallible Word? Let us lay 
 afideour ov\n particular fan- 
 cys , and renounce our too 
 partial and preoccupated 
 Judgments, and we (hall in- 
 ftantly pronounce in their fa- 
 vour 
 
(24) 
 
 vour not a little difcontent, 
 and amaz'd at our former 
 uncharity and grofs mi- 
 flakes. 
 
 5. Their Doftrine relating 
 to our allegiance due to all 
 Superiors, is fb wholefome 
 and peaceable, that I can 
 imagine none more fubfervi- 
 ent to the intereft of Princes 5 
 they are infinitely aver(e,and 
 with all reafon from that ir- 
 rational opinion of mo&Ro- 
 manili Divines 5 who teach 
 the Pope of Rome has power 
 toDepofe Princes, when it 
 pleafeth him to fancy they are 
 Hereticks : Whether they 
 give adireft authority to the 
 Pope over Kings, which is no 
 left than to enflave all 
 Crownd Heads to the Bi- 
 
 fhop 
 
C 25 ) 
 (hop of Rome, or an indireft 
 one, only to depofe Princes 
 in certain Jun£turcs,Yis clear 
 they take from C<efar what is 
 C<ejar\ that independency 
 on all earthly power, God 
 has allowed him here on 
 Earth. Princes are accoun- 
 table to the King of Kings for ' 
 all their a&ions, and we to 
 them, if we forget fo far our 
 duty, as to refufe them due 
 allegiance. This Dodrine be- 
 ing confefs'd and profefs'd 
 by all true Protectants, can 
 we either think or fay they 
 are Reprobates, or not in 
 the way to Heaven ? 
 
 6. To banifh fuch an un* 
 
 chriftian fancy far from your 
 
 thoughts, remember what is 
 
 faid in Scripture, God illu« 
 
 C mi nates 
 
(26) 
 
 minates all men, illuminat 
 cmnem hominem^ for what 
 end ? For no other but that 
 by this light they may difco- 
 verthe way to their laft end} 
 if all men be thus illumina- 
 ted, are Vrotefiants except- 
 ed ? Are they not men, and 
 moft of them great examples 
 of vertue and piety ? 
 
 7. I wonder'd often to 
 hear Romamjis grant fuch as 
 (hall never hear of Chrift and 
 his Gofpel, were nevertheless 
 in a capacity to fave their 
 Souls, provided they lived 
 conformably to thediftates of 
 right reafon : I was amaz'd I 
 fay, to hear themconfefs this, 
 and fo iriconfequentiallydeny 
 the fame to Protectants jbut 
 what can we expeft from pre- 
 
 occu- 
 
(27) 
 
 occupatedjHdgmentsjDUtinjuil 
 Cenfures,uncharitable Reflex- 
 ions, and illegal Conclusions? 
 8. I defire them here to 
 confider that no people in 
 the World hath higher fen- 
 timents of God, and lower 
 of themfelves, than thofe of 
 the Reform'd Churches : 
 Which are confefledly the 
 beft Difpofitions can be ima- 
 ging, to render us capable of 
 that end we were created for. 
 They neither rely on the Me- 
 diation and Merits of Saiats, 
 nor on their own good 
 works, they ground all their 
 hopes of Solvation on the 
 precious blood of Chrift, 
 (bed for us upon the Altar of 
 the Crofs, they e alt highly 
 by all thete principles, Gods 
 C 2 infi- 
 
infinite goodnefs and mercy 
 ever acknowledging when 
 they have done all they can, 
 they are but ufelefs Servants, 
 and that all their fufficiency 
 floweth from that overflow- 
 ing Fountain of all power, 
 goodnefs, and mercy. 
 
 9. And if without faith 
 'tis impoffible to pleafe God, 
 we have all reafon to fay they 
 are moft acceptable to his 
 eyes, (ince they (how by their 
 works their Faith is a faving 
 and living Faith. Who- ever 
 hath conversd with them 
 more intimately, and will 
 peak impartially what he 
 fihinks of their Life and Con- 
 verfatidn, (hall eafily aflent 
 to this, and confefs ingenu- 
 ouflythey are the beft repre- 
 
 fenta- 
 
fentatives of the Primitive 
 Chriftians, fo real you (hall 
 find them in their intentions, 
 fo Ho^ere in their words, and 
 upright in all their proce- 
 dures 
 
 io. How than can Ronu- 
 nijts without the guilt of an 
 extream uncharity, impofe 
 fo pitifully upon the ignorant 
 fort, caufmg them to believe 
 on their bare word and au- 
 thority, without the leaft ra- 
 tional inducement imagina- 
 ble, that no Protejiunts are 
 Elefts,- that to be a Repro- 
 bate and a Protejlant, is one 
 and the fame thing ? Are they 
 Gods Counfellors } Advifeth 
 he with them who is to be ft- 
 ved, and who not? If a rafli 
 judgment be a fin, as un- 
 C 3 doub- 
 
( so; 
 
 doubtedly 'tis, they are not 
 innocent, when raftily aad 
 upon groundlefs grounds , 
 they condemn fo unmerci- 
 fully their Neighbours, who 
 are as good, if not better 
 than themfelves. 
 
 ii. Believe they not all 
 the Fundamental points , 
 whatever is contain'd in the 
 Greeds and Scripture ? And 
 if afts of Divine Love have 
 been ever thought neceflary, 
 and fufficient means to the at- 
 taining of our laft end 5 
 where (hall we find a grea- 
 ter aptitude, and better dit 
 pofitions to fuch ads, than a- 
 mongft Proteftants? 
 
 1 2 . As Ignoti nulla cupido^ 
 There is no Love without 
 Knowledge: The more know- 
 ledge 
 
(3i ) 
 ledge we have o£ and the 
 greater perfections we difco- 
 ver in the objeft we tye our 
 hearts to, our love is ordina- 
 rily fo much the more ar- 
 dent.The Reformed Church- 
 es have this advantage above 
 all others: They read the 
 Scriptures^ and command 
 them to be read by all their 
 Suhjedfe 5 whereby they at- 
 tain to a high knowledge of 
 Gods infinite Power, Cle- 
 mency, Wisdom, Mercy, and 
 his otker attributes: Their 
 underftanding thus enlight- 
 ned, their will takes eafily 
 fire, and burns with a flame 
 of true Divine Love: The 
 Origine whereof is no other 
 but that not ordinary know- 
 ledge of God they attain to 
 C 4 by 
 
(50 
 by reading often and medita- 
 ting frequently his infallible 
 Word : Which I know cer- 
 tainly to be wanting amongft 
 Romamfls, becaufe of their 
 flight performance, or rather 
 intire negleft of fuch a Chri- 
 ftian duty. 
 
 13. Out of thefe forego- 
 ing reflexions the Charitable 
 and Impartial Reader may 
 eafily gather,they go ftreight 
 on their Journey,andnot one 
 ftep out of the way, who 
 forfakingPtf/^r; imbrace Pro- 
 tejlancy 5 and if any Romaniji 
 doubt yet of thisfelf-evident 
 truth, I (hall be at the pains 
 to convince him once more, 
 by an argument beyond the 
 reach either of a rationalan- 
 fwer or flat denyal, it runs 
 hus, ad homimm. 14* 
 
_ (33 ) 
 
 14. The learnedeft fort o 
 Romanijis teach it lawful 
 and fecure in Conference to 
 fquare our actions by the 
 rule of a probable opinion, 
 yea the Jefuits hold it fafe,to 
 ftand to that opinion which 
 is lefs fure, and participates 
 lefs of probability than the 
 oppofite, though in reality 
 furer and more probable 5 
 their reafon is, becaufe a man 
 fo doing, afts prudently, and 
 confequently fins not. 
 
 1 5. But the main and ma- 
 terial point, is to know what 
 is underftood by a probable 
 opinion : The Romanifts ge- 
 nerally, and I think none can 
 deny it, mem by a probable 
 opinion, that which learned 
 and pious men hold and fol- 
 low* 
 
(34) 
 
 low : For if they be pious, 
 godlinefs and piety will be 
 their fole aim-in all their pra- 
 fticerrif learned, they will 
 believe nothing without fuf- 
 ficient grounds and good 
 reafbn 5 this definition of a 
 probable opinion laid as a 
 confeft'd Principle and im- 
 moveable ground- ftone, I 
 build thereon this enfuing, 
 clear, and fhort Difcourfe. 
 
 16. Who- ever follows a 
 probable opinion, fins not, 
 does neither rafhly, nor im- 
 prudently, but who holds 
 that Frotefiatits may be faved, 
 follows a probable opinion, 
 trgo, he fins not, he neither 
 does rafhly nor imprudently 
 in lb doing. The fccond 
 propofition I prove, argu- 
 ments 
 
(35) 
 mtnto ad hominem, invinci- 
 bly thus, that opinion is pro- 
 bable which is believed, and 
 defended by learned and pi- 
 ous men, that Protectants 
 may be faved, 'tis believ'd 
 and defended by learned and 
 pious men j ergo 'tis a proba- 
 ble opinion, and by a necef- 
 lary inference may be fol- 
 lowed and believ d without 
 the leaft appearance either of 
 fin, raftinefs , or impru- 
 dence. 
 
 17. The middle propofi- 
 tion is not unlike to a felt 
 evident principle, and on this 
 account can be denyed by 
 none as have their Wits a - 
 bout them, or fo much of 
 common fence and under- 
 Handing as to fee through 
 
 the 
 
the terms 'tis enounc'd in : 
 Dare they fay Protectants 
 are neither pious, nor lear- 
 ned > 
 
 Auditum admijfi rifitm tene* 
 atis amicu 
 
 I am perfwaded they will be 
 afbam'd of fuch a childifh and 
 groundlefi anfwer: For if 
 they be neither pious nor 
 learned, they muft then both 
 be wicked and ignorant, I 
 know no middle, this muft 
 be their inference, which isfo 
 pitiful that the meer recital 
 of fuch an extravagancy, is a 
 full and intire refutation 
 thereof, ' enanaffe , refutajje 
 
 1 8. Bwi 
 
(37) 
 1 8. But fure I am, they 
 will grant willingly their own 
 Divines to be both pious and 
 karned men, yet they teach, 
 and I was taught by them, 
 that all Protejiants are not 
 Reprobates : To underftand 
 this 'tis obfervable they dK 
 ftinguifh xwo forts of Prote- 
 fiants, the one they call 
 material, and th* other we 
 may call for diftin&ion's fake, 
 formal. The Material Pro- 
 tectants are bred up in an in- 
 vincible ignorance of what 
 die Romanifls think neceffary 
 to Salvation, as the belief of 
 Tranfubftantiation, of Pur- 
 gatory, and the like; In an^ 
 Ignorance, I fay, invincible ; 
 becaufe living in the midft of 
 Protectants, they are fuppo- 
 
 fed 
 
C3&) 
 fed to want all opportunity 
 of inftru&ion, and fo muit 
 rely on their Paftors authori- 
 ty : To thefe they- extend 
 their charity, and grant they 
 maybefaved, they are not 
 fo merciful to th' others,who 
 live they fay in a vincible ig- 
 norance of Catholick truths, 
 which they may eafily difpel 
 and overcome, but will not 
 through wilfulness and obfti- 
 nacy. 
 
 19. But tofuchalfol (hall 
 caufe them to be favourable, 
 and by a parity of reafon, 
 paritate rationk^ force them 
 to impart,will they, nill, they 
 a part of their Chanty : Be- 
 cauie generals produce not 
 fuch a clear knowledge as 
 particulars do, I (hall take 
 
 this 
 
(39) 
 
 this particular, the Tranfub- 
 ftantiation , for inftance : 
 The belief of this myftery, 
 fayes the Romanill^ is necef- 
 fary to Salvation, yet confe£ 
 feth a Material Protectant 
 may be faved without it, be- 
 caufe he livethin an invinci- 
 ble ignorance, occafion'd by 
 his want of opportunity to 
 be inftru&ed : But the For- 
 mal Protejiant upon another 
 account liveth likewife in an 
 invincible ignorance of this 
 neceffity, becaufe the Rea- 
 fons he is convince! by are 
 ftronger in his opinion than 
 yours, and foyou (hall never 
 influence him by your argu- 
 ments to believe, acknow- 
 ledge, or underftand the 
 contrary > what then the 
 
 want 
 
, ( 40 ) 
 want of inftru&ion or under- 
 ftanding worketh in the Ma- 
 terial Protectants^ this wit ef- 
 fe&uates in thofe whom for 
 method's fake we have called 
 formal : If thofe, I mean the 
 former, be guiltleft, becaufe 
 hearing nothing of Tranfub- 
 ftantiation, they cannot af- 
 fent to the exiftency thereof, 
 thefe are not to be blamed, 
 for though they hear of fuch 
 a myftery, yet their under- 
 ftanding is conquer'd by 
 lights deftru&ive to it, which 
 difcovering to them clearly 
 the truth of this Negative, 
 there is noTranfubfiantiation^ 
 remove far from their in- 
 telle&ive faculty, the know- 
 ledge of this Pofitive, there. 
 is aTranJkbjkantiation. 
 
 20. E 
 
(4i) 
 20. 1 fay then ihev are not 
 to be blam'd, becauf 'is not 
 in the power of the will to 
 force upon our underftand- 
 ing the belief of a known 
 falfhood, or of what appears 
 to us evidently falfe 5 to con- 
 clude as I have begun, pari- 
 tate rationk^ by a parity of 
 reafon, fince the Romamjis^ 
 becaufeof the forefaid invin- 
 cible ignorance, grant to 
 fome Proteftants & capacity of 
 being laved, unlefi they be- 
 lye themfelves, they will not 
 refufe the fame to thofe in 
 whom we meet with a like 
 invincible ignorance , yea 
 more and harder to be over- 
 come, as may appear by what 
 I have faid. 
 
 21. I 
 
(4*) 
 21. I fbrefee the Roma- 
 nia may reply, that thofe 
 Protefiants he hath no chari- 
 ty for, are fuch as refift the 
 known truth, for inftance, 
 they are perfwaded the argu- 
 ments in favour of Tranfub- 
 ftantiation are better groun* 
 ded than thefe, they oppole 
 againft it : So they (hall not 
 be faved through their own 
 misbelief wilfulnefs, and ob- 
 ftinacy in error : To which 
 I make this (hort and fatisfa- 
 dory anfwer, that fuch men 
 are not true Protejiants of 
 whom only we fpeak, but 
 rather abominableHy pocrites 
 profeffing outwardly a Do- 
 ctrine they judge in their 
 hearts falfe and erroneous. 
 This Obje&ion than vanilh- 
 
 eth, 
 
( 43 ) 
 
 eth, as being de fiibjtUonon 
 fopponente, grounded on a 
 felfe fuppofition. 
 
 SECT. II. 
 
 I. T Have proved pofitive- 
 J ly, and I think to per- 
 fwafion, if preoccupation be 
 laid afide, the undeniable 
 truth of my firft Principle, 
 that Protejlants may be fa- 
 ved : For the Readers intire 
 fatisfa&ion, I (hall make out 
 the fame in a Negative way, 
 by (howing to all not will- 
 fully blind, there can be no 
 let or hinderance to their 
 Salvation 5 what-ever Ro- 
 manias can inftance as i ncon- 
 
 fiftent 
 
(44) 
 fiftent with their attaining to 
 eternal bappiiiefs> may be re- 
 duc'd either to Schifni or He- 
 refie, and th^t either jointly 
 or feverally : After an im- 
 partial fcrutiny of their beft 
 grounds of fuch foul afperfi- 
 ons, I found them all to be 
 groundlefs , unw arrantable, 
 and infufficient. 
 
 2. Schifm is a feparation 
 from the true Church of God, 
 Vrotellants are not feparated 
 from the trueChurch of God, 
 ergo, they are not guilty of 
 Schifm, they are not Schif- 
 maticks : All generally con- 
 fefs the Chriftians of the three 
 firft Centuries, to have been 
 the conftituent Members of 
 Chrift's true Church 5 from 
 thefe the Protejlants are not 
 
 fepara- 
 
(45) 
 feparated either in belieB 
 manners,or EcclefiafticalDit 
 cipiine, this I could prove to 
 the convi&ion of the moft 
 ohfVinate, had it not been 
 perfbrm'd abundantly, and 
 more than once by others : 
 The lame cannot be faid of 
 the Romanics , fince they 
 have admitted of many no- 
 velties never heard of in thefe 
 Primitive times, fuch are in 
 invocation of Saints, adora- 
 tion of the confecrated Wa- 
 fer, Image- worfliip , Popes 
 Supremacy, &c. So if they 
 ftand to the fame Fundamen- 
 tals with the Church in her 
 pureft age, 'tis certain they 
 have added thereunto, and 
 are guilty of divers Super- 
 ftruftures which the Prote- 
 
 Star** 
 
(46) 
 Plants were never, and can- 
 not be accus'd of: But 'tis 
 not fo much my defign in this 
 place to charge Romamjisjs 
 to juftifie Protejlants, and 
 thole who embrace Prote- 
 ftandy. 
 
 3. They will perhaps fay 
 we are Schifmaticks, becaufe 
 feparated from the Church 
 of Rome 1 But 
 
 1. The Church of Rome 
 is a particular one, and a 
 member only of the Univer- 
 fal Church. 
 
 2. As it now (lands. Vis 
 not our rule , but that 
 undoubted of Chriftian 
 Church in the Primitive 
 times without (pot or ble- 
 mifti. 
 
 3. This 
 
(47) 
 
 ?. This afperfionofSehifm 
 fmites rather themfelves $ 
 For thofe only we call Schif 
 maticks who are guilty of 
 divifion and breach of unity, 
 by doing that which is the 
 true caufe thereof.- That the 
 meaneft capacities may un- 
 derftand this, let them take 
 notice of what follows: If 
 my body were united or 
 clofely joining to yours , 
 would ye not be judg d the 
 true caufe of our Reparation, 
 if ye put any thing between 
 you and me hindring this 
 union ? fo you are the true 
 Separatift, not I, becaufeyou 
 have thruft me from you by 
 that middle Obftacle you 
 have plac'd betwixt us both, 
 which unlefs firft removed, f 
 
 can- 
 
(48) 
 cannot unite ray body to 
 yours again. 
 
 4. This is downright our 
 prefent cafe if well under- 
 ftood : The Proteftants and 
 Romanifis were once two 
 united bodies in the pure age 
 of the Church, in thefe hap- 
 py times when Superftition 
 had not as yet gain'd a foot 
 of ground amongft Chrifti- 
 ans, they were one People, 
 anima una cornnum^ one Soul, 
 and one Heart : But at length 
 the RomamUs fet up betwixt 
 us and them^murufn aheneum^ 
 an invincible obftacle, aheap 
 of errors deftrudive both to 
 union and unity, fo if we be 
 feparated now, who were 
 formerly united , 'tis evi- 
 dently by their fault we could 
 
(49) 
 not perfevere in union with 
 them becaufe of this middle 
 wall that did feparate us, let 
 them throw it down as they 
 are obliged in confcience to 
 do, and we (hall draw up to- 
 gether and joyn them clofe 
 again : Since then they gave 
 a juft occafion, yea, and are 
 the true caufes of this repara- 
 tion, they are the Separa- 
 tes and true Schifmaticks, 
 not we. 
 
 5. As forHerefie let Ro- 
 mumfts fay what they pleafe, 
 it can^t with the leaft appear- 
 ance of truth be laid to our 
 charge : He is not guilty of 
 that crime, who defends ob- 
 ftinately any opinion what- 
 fomever, elfe all School-men 
 D and 
 
(50) 
 and Divines (landing ftifiy 
 to their own fancys in Do- 
 <9:rinal points, would be reck- 
 oned Hereticks: Such be 
 thofe only who deny flatly 
 and with obftinacy Divine 
 Truths or Articles of Faith, 
 which cannot be impos'd up- 
 on Protectants without inju- 
 ftice, ignorance, and calum- 
 ny. 
 
 6. They deny indeed Ge- 
 neral Councils to be infallible 
 in their decifions, but their 
 infallibility is no Article of 
 Faith*, elfe Auftin was a He- 
 
 retick ; afferting, 
 **$*> " GeneralCouncils 
 
 " gathered out of • 
 " all. the Chriftian World, 
 " are often corrected , the 
 f former by the latter, cor- 
 rection 
 
(5i ) 
 reftion of a Council un- 
 doubtedly fuppofeth a pre- 
 cedent error and a Council 
 to be errable , as every one 
 understands that knows any 
 thing : On the fame account 
 he (peaks after this manner to 
 Maxima*, an Arian Bi- 
 fhop. 
 
 "Neither ought J*fl> con. 
 " I to inftance the ff l H*\ 
 tc Council of Nice, 
 ]i nor thou the Council of 
 f Arimem i to take advan- 
 I tage thereby, for neither I 
 I am bound by the authority 
 I of this nor thou of that 5 fet 
 ;c matter with matter, caufe 
 t with caufe, reafon with rea- 
 f fon, try the matter by the 
 :c authority of Divine Scrip- 
 c femes. 
 
 D 2 7. An 
 
(50 
 ?. An Article of Faith muft 
 either be clearly contained in 
 Scripture, or according to 
 the Romanifis^ declared ex- 
 prefly by fome of their Ge- 
 neral Councils: But that Ge- 
 neral Councils are infallible in 
 their Decifions, is neither 
 contain'd clearly in Scrip- 
 tures, let them tell us in what 
 Part, Book, Chapter, Verfe, 
 nor is it determined in any of 
 the eighteen Genera] Coun- 
 cils, they acknowledge as the 
 rules of their Faith 5 none 
 can be inftancd, where this 
 hath been decided: Upon 
 what grounds then hold they 
 this as a Divine Truth, whi#h 
 is nothing elfe but a fanciful 
 opinion hindering them to 
 follow AhJIw's advice, to let 
 
 matter 
 
(53 ) 
 matter with matter, caufe 
 with caufe, reafon with rea- 
 fon, to try the matter by the 
 authority of Divine Scrip- 
 tures. 
 
 8. The general Councils 
 are fo far from pretending to 
 he infallible Judges of con- 
 troverfial Debates, 
 that in a fet form P' onU?t - 
 
 cr% • Cue, con. 
 
 or Prayer appoint- * 
 ed to be laid after every 
 Council, they pray that God 
 would fpare their ignorance, 
 and pardon their errors : and 
 if they curfe and anathematize 
 fuch as rejeft their decifions, 
 this argues not they arrogate 
 to themfelves any infallibility 
 in deciding, for thafame is 
 the praftice of Provincial and 
 Particular Councils, who 
 D 3 nei- 
 
(54 ; 
 
 neither pretend to be, nor 
 areiook'd upon by the Ro- 
 mamjis as infallible Judges. 
 
 9. This undeniable truth 
 is of greater moment than 
 perhaps it appears to be of 
 at firft : For if the General 
 Councils be not infallible 
 when they decide in matters 
 of Faith, none of their deci- 
 fions can* be holden by Ro- 
 manics as divine and reveal'd 
 truths, unlefi they be evi- 
 dently conformable to God's 
 written Word: Wherefore 
 receive they not the definiti- 
 ons of a private man as re- 
 veal'd Oracles? the reafon is, 
 becaufe they know he is falli- 
 ble and lyableto error : Now 
 the fame being the condition 
 and fate of General Councils, 
 
 they 
 
( 55 ) 
 they muft cf ncceffity confl (s, 
 they impofe no obligation 
 upon us to believe their deci- 
 fions as Articles of Divine 
 Faith : Who then rejcfts as 
 Protejlants do Tranfubftan- 
 tiation, Invocation of Saints, 
 Image-worfhip , Power of 
 Popes to depofe Princes, 
 Prayer for the dead, and all 
 other points we yield not to 
 the Romanists, deny's only 
 what is afferted by errable 
 Councils, and confequently 
 no Articles of Divine Faith, 
 we are therefore notorious- 
 ly calumniated, when on this 
 account we are called by 
 Paptfis obftinate in error and 
 Hereticks. 
 
 10. But how fay es the Ro- 
 
 manift} (hall we refolve our 
 
 D 4_ doubts 
 
doubts in matters of Faith, if 
 we acknowledge not the de- 
 finitions of General Councils 
 as divine and infallible Ora- 
 cles? You was told before by 
 S. Auftin how to behave in 
 this cafe : 1 repeat his words, 
 fet matter with matter, fayes 
 he, caufe with caufe, reafon 
 with reafon, try the matter 
 by the authority of Divine 
 Scriptures, never yet corrup- 
 ted in material points, nore- 
 ver (hall by Gods efpecial and 
 neceffary Providence over 
 his Church 5 if then you 
 read his Infallible Word with 
 true humility and a fincere 
 deiirc of your own fpiritual 
 profit, he will open your un- 
 derftanding , refolve your 
 fcruples, give repofe to your 
 
 confci- 
 
(57) 
 conference, and as great in- 
 fight in his Word as he knows 
 to be convenient for your 
 Ipiritual intereft. 
 
 ii. This method is better 
 and fecurer than that of the 
 Romanics 5 what-ever is de- 
 cided by a lawful general 
 Council, is to them an Arti- 
 cle of Faith, a reveal'd truth, 
 a divine Oracle, but fuch 
 Councils they hold none to 
 be, unlefs the Members there- 
 of have been really baptiz'd, 
 vyhich they can never be cer- 
 tain of, becaufe this depends 
 on the uncertain intentions 
 of thofe who Baptiz'd them : 
 For they generally teach be- 
 fidesthe pronunciation of the 
 words, I Baptize thee in , the 
 Kiwe of the Father, 5kc. The 
 D 5 Mini- 
 
(53) 
 
 Minifters intention to confer 
 the Sacrament, is abfolutely 
 neceffary, fo if it be wanting, 
 as eafily it may, the Child is 
 not Baptizd. On the feme 
 account they are not certain 
 if their Popes be Priefts, be- 
 caufe perhaps the Bifhop who 
 ordaind them, had no fuch 
 intention when he pronoun- 
 ced the fet form of ordinati- 
 on : Of this I (hall fay a word 
 againin another place. 
 
 12. But if the general 
 Councils be not infallible, 
 what mean the Scriptures, by 
 afferting, The Gates of Hell 
 (hall not prevail againft the 
 Church, the Church is the 
 pillar and ground of truth } 
 To this l"anfwer, There is 
 nothing here as is evident re- 
 lating 
 
c 59 y 
 
 lating to that ptetended in- 
 fallible decifive faculty of 
 General Councils : The firft 
 Propofitionfignifieth only the 
 true Church (hall have an 
 exiftency and being to the 
 end of the World, maugre 
 the oppofition of Tyrants, 
 Persecutors, and all her Ene- 
 mies, though it may fall out 
 (he be not always vifible in 
 any Affembly or Congre- 
 gation: As it happen'd to 
 the Primitive Church at.jfc- 
 rnjakm, when all her Mem- 
 bers were fcattered abroad 
 throughout the Pvegions of 
 J ttd£a and Samaria 5 
 as it happen'd when *&*%* *■• 
 Chrift was (mitten, 
 and a VI the reft were hid, as 
 it happen'd ia Ettas his time, 
 
 who 
 
(6o) 
 
 who thought he was left a- 
 lone, not knowing where 
 tli other feaven thouland 
 true Worfhippers of God 
 were, ask happen d during 
 the Perfecution of the Ro- 
 man Emperors, and lately 
 before the General Reforma- 
 tion of the Chriftian World, 
 yet the Gates of Hell pre- 
 vaiPd not againft the Church 
 becaufe (he was ever exiftent, 
 though not vifible as now to 
 the World : Her Meetings 
 and Aflemblys being of necek 
 fityinthat juncture of affairs 
 very fecret and unknown to 
 her Enemies* She is (aid to 
 be the pillar and ground of 
 truth, by reafon of Gods es- 
 pecial Providence over her 
 Children, never Suffering 
 
 them 
 
<*o 
 
 them all to fail and err, but 
 ftill ftirring up fome or feve- 
 ral in oppofition to Superfti- 
 tion, Idolatry and Errors. 
 
 ARTIC 
 
ez*o 
 
 ARTICLE II. 
 PRINCIPLE II. 
 
 That Trote/lants may be 
 fayed more eafily^ and 
 ibith greater fecurity, 
 than ^omanifls. 
 
 I Hope the foregoing Di£ 
 courie will beanoccafi- 
 on of moderation to the 
 moft fevere Rovtamjls, who 
 refle&ing impartially on their 
 former miftakes, rafli Judg- 
 ments, and preoccupated o- 
 pinions, will convert their 
 former zeal, or rather fury 
 againft 
 
(6 3 ) 
 
 againft Protejiants, into Bro- 
 therly Love and Charity. I 
 (ay more, if they will be at 
 the pains to confider a mo- 
 ment or two, and ferioufly, 
 the Contents of this fecond 
 Article 3 they (hall, I doubt 
 not, let go the uncertain, 
 take what is (ureft, and em- 
 brace Protejlancy^ astheea* 
 fieft and fafeft way to our 
 Eternal Happinefc, fince by 
 the grace of God it wants 
 thefe lets and impediments to 
 be met with in the Profeffi- 
 on of Popery : To run over 
 fome of them, with order 
 and method, we (hall take 
 notice. 
 
 1. Of their Faith and 
 Doftrine. 
 
 2. Of 
 
(*4> 
 2. Of their Divine Wor- 
 (hip and Ecclefiaftical Difci- 
 pline. 
 
 SECT. I. 
 
 Their Faith andDo&rine. 
 
 r. r ~T^ Heir Faith is fb blind, 
 X that I have heard 
 many of them fay, if a Ge- 
 neral Council had defin'd 
 white to be black, they 
 would believe it, whereby 
 you fee they are difpofed to 
 admit of any error, if it be 
 authomd by a General 
 Council, though the infalli- 
 bility thereof be no point of 
 their Faith, as I have proved 
 
 evi- 
 
C*5) 
 evidently in the foregoing 
 Article. 
 
 2. They believe Baptifin 
 abfolutely neceffary to Salva- 
 tion, and none a true and re- 
 al one, if the Minifter when 
 he pronounceth the words 
 intends not to Baptize, which 
 no doubt happens frequently, 
 fince his intention may be 
 eafily diverted to his other 
 defigRs and affairs : Let all 
 the World judge if people 
 thus principled can enjoy a 
 true repofe of mind or peace 
 of Confcience, the only fore- 
 taft we have in this life, of 
 that to come : For how can 
 they know affuredly,whether 
 the Minifter or Prieft really 
 intended to Baptize them or 
 not, and fo they may doubt 
 
 if 
 
(66) 
 
 if they be Chriftians? for 
 fuch they grant none is to be 
 accounted without true Bap- 
 tifm} and of this they can 
 have no certainty, becaufe 
 they are ftill uncertain of the 
 Minifters intention, judg'd 
 by them fo neceOary to the 
 validity of this Sacrament, 
 that if he intended only the 
 meer pronounciation of the 
 words, I Baptize thee in the 
 name of the Father, &c. 
 The Baptifm could be no 
 more a true one than a bare, 
 frivolous, and infignificant 
 Ceremony 5 what trouble 
 then and turmoil of Spirit 
 they muft needs perpetually 
 wreftle with, while Prote- 
 fiants as to this point enjoy a 
 perfeft Tranquility, holding 
 
 Bap- 
 
(6 7 ) 
 Baptifin independent on the 
 Minifters good or ill will,ma- 
 lice or intention, provided 
 he pronounce ferioufly the 
 words, and fet form of Bap- 
 tifin, which we cannot be 
 but fure of. 
 
 3. I was once eye-witne(s 
 to the cruel torture of Con- 
 fcience, a Romanist differed 
 upon a doubt of his Baptifm, 
 occafion'd by this Romtjh 
 Dodrine: We were in the 
 fame Ship together upon Sea, 
 prefs'd by a furious Storm to 
 think on what was our only 
 concern in that conjunfture : 
 In the mean time this Gentle- 
 man (bowing by his melan- 
 choly looks the inward di- 
 ftemper of his Soul 5 cryes 
 aloud, as if he had been be- 
 
 fide 
 
(63) 
 
 fide himfel£ he fear'd to be 
 d&tnrid : I queftion'd him on 
 what grounds he fpoke fa 
 raShly, becaufe, faid he, I 
 know not whether I be Bap- 
 tiz'd or not 3 I doubt if the 
 Prieft had any (uch intention 
 when he pronouncd the 
 words commonly ufed in 
 Baptifm 5 I told him whate- 
 ver I thought fitteft to con- 
 vince his underftanding and 
 quiet his Conference, but 
 could not prevail, becaufe he 
 knew the Council of 'Trent 
 teacheththe Minifters inten- 
 tion to be abfolutely neceffa- 
 ry to the exiftency of Bap- 
 tifm, 
 
 4. On the fame grounds 
 
 they may doubt if theirPriefts 
 
 can ablolve, and be truly 
 
 Priefts, 
 
{6 9 ) 
 
 Priefts, becaufe in their per- 
 fwafion they are no Priefts 
 without the intention of the 
 Bifhop that ordain'd them, 
 which perhaps he had not 
 when he utter'd the fet form 
 of Ordination. This minds 
 me of a Bifhop lately de- 
 ceas'd in France^ who con- 
 fefsM at his laft hour he had 
 ordain'd many, but ever 
 without intention to ordain 
 any : I was intimately ac- 
 quainted with one ordain'd 
 by the fame Prelate, and I 
 am fully perfwaded if he 
 were advertisd of this laft 
 confeffion of his, he would 
 fcruple to continue a moment 
 in the function of Prieft- 
 hood. 
 
 5. Who 
 
(7o) 
 5. Who can relifh, if he 
 hath any fentiment of true 
 Piety, what they teach of 
 their Purgatory and purging 
 fires. ThisDo&rine flatters 
 finners in their imperfe&ions, 
 caufeth them to live more 
 loofely than othervvife they 
 would do, to make little fcru- 
 pleof thefe fins they call ve- 
 nial, and never eternally pu- 
 nifh'd : On this account they 
 are not (b apprehenfive of 
 thefe Everlafting Torments 
 we fhould ever remember o£ 
 when we are follicited to fin, 
 if no higher motive can with- 
 draw us from it : Hell I fty 
 enters not fo deeply into their 
 thoughts" becaufe they rely 
 on this third place : And the 
 worft of them all after an ab- 
 
 folu- 
 
C70 
 
 folution got from a Prieft, 
 hopes to go to Heaven, if 
 not ftreight, at leaft a little 
 about by Purgatory: The 
 Protectants who believe no 
 middle place after death, out 
 of Heaven or Hell, walk 
 more cautioufly, fear more 
 God's dreadful but juft Judg- 
 ments, certain if they dye in 
 the Lord, they (hall reft from 
 their labours, if in (in they 
 (hall be liable to his wrath for 
 ever. 
 
 6. The Scripture is the 
 true Spiritual book we (hould 
 ftill have in our hands. 
 
 Notfurn'a verjare tn&nu ver- 
 fire diurnL 
 
 Here we are to gatlter that 
 
 Spiri- 
 
(70 
 
 Spiritual Manna to nourifh 
 not our Bodies but our Souls, 
 while we travel through the 
 Wildernefs of this wild 
 World. Thefe facred Wri- 
 tings are capable to make us 
 wife unto Salvation 5 fearch 
 the Scriptures faith S.John, 
 for in them ye think ye have 
 Eternal Life : Yet the Roma- 
 mjis deprive the people of 
 this Spiritual Food, forbid - 
 ing them feverely to read the 
 Holy Scriptures, as if they 
 were more hurtful than pro- 
 fitable 5 hence 'tis they live 
 in a deep ignorance of all 
 trueChriftian Duty, inindif- 
 ferency, and lukewarmnek, 
 without 1 elifh of heavenly 
 things, without true devoti- 
 on, whfch is never snore ftir- 
 
 red 
 
(73) 
 red up, than when we hear 
 Godfpeaking in the fecretof 
 our hearts by the Divine Co- 
 racles of his Holy Word. 
 
 7. They caufe the People 
 to contemn or at leaft to 
 have lefi veneration for Di- 
 vine Scriptures, by teaching 
 they contain not all things 
 neceffary to Salvation, they 
 are obfcure, theyr are imper- 
 fect They feem fometimes to 
 queftion their Divine Origi- 
 nal, when they ask how we 
 are fure they are infpir'd by 
 the Holy Ghoft , as if that 
 were not known to fay no 
 more by the Air, Majefty, 
 and Simplicity of expreilion, 
 proper to God only, as we 
 know the Kings Letters and 
 Commands to his Subjects by 
 E his 
 
(74) 
 his Seal and proper exprefli- 
 ons, none but the King ut- 
 tering himfelf after that man- 
 ner : So the Holy Scriptures 
 being as God's Patents and 
 Letters to us, we need not 
 enquire from whom they 
 are, let us only difclofe them, 
 and we (hall inftantly know 
 their Divine Original, qnafl 
 deijigillo, as by God's own 
 Seal and Characters proper 
 to him only, without having 
 recourfe to the pretended in- 
 fallible decifions of General 
 Councils, as Romamjis do, 
 who muft run back to the 
 Scriptures again to prove 
 theft decifions infallible, and 
 (b, in circuits ambulant, they 
 turn round in a circle without 
 advancing one ftep. But 'tis 
 
 not 
 
(75) 
 not fo much my clefign to dif- 
 pute and quarrel with the 
 Rowamjls, as to go on peace- 
 ably and in the Spirit of Chri- 
 ftian Charity, pointing out 
 as with the finger, the great 
 Obftacles to perfe&ion they 
 meet with, by following 
 blindly the Maxims of Pope- 
 ry: I add only here their 
 Prayers in an unknown 
 Tongue unfruitful as S. Paul 
 faith, to the underftanding, 
 is not a fmall let to Piety and 
 Devotion } what Spiritual 
 Confolation can the .ignorant 
 fort reap at Mafs, or as they 
 call it, Divine Service , by 
 hearing the Prieft praying 
 they know not what ? unlets 
 they hold againft common 
 fence and reafon, that igno- 
 E 2 ranee 
 
(76) 
 ranee is the Mother of Piety 
 and Devotion. 
 
 8. Their Doftrine of 
 Tranfubftantiation, is on fe- 
 veral accounts dangerous and 
 enfharing. 
 
 Firft, It deftroys all evi- 
 dence grounded on the ex- 
 perimental knowledge of our 
 fenfes, and makes void the 
 proof Chrift made ufeofto 
 his Apoftles, in aim 
 Lufi. 24.32. to convince them 
 he was not a Spirit 5 
 Handle me, fayeshe, and fee, 
 for ajpirit hath not Flejh and 
 Bcnes as ye fee me have, which 
 can be no conviction to Ro- 
 manics, : who both taft, han- 
 dle, and fee bread in the Eu- 
 charift^ii they will truft their 
 own fenfes as our Saviour in 
 
(77 ) 
 a not unlike cafe defirvJ his 
 Difciples to truft to their?, 
 yet deny flatly what they fee, 
 taft, and handle, to be Bread, 
 againft their own and the ex- 
 perience of all men not blind 
 of both eyes: Oar Saviour's 
 Proof, I fay, that he was not 
 a Spirit, fhall never influence 
 a Papiji to Conviction, for 
 though the Apoftles could 
 both fee and handle our Sa- 
 viour's Body, neverthelefs 
 'tis no neceflary inference by 
 their Doctrine of Yranfub- 
 frantiaiion, that ChrifVs Bo- 
 dy was there 3 may they not 
 fay the Apoftles could touch, 
 handle, and fee the appear- 
 ance only thereof , as they 
 handle, and fee the accidents 
 of Bread, and not really 
 E 3 Bread 
 
(78; 
 
 Bread in the Eucharift in their 
 opinion of this Sacrament, 
 which taketh quite away the 
 force of Chriftfs argument 
 grounded on the meer Te- 
 ftimony of our fenfes and fa- 
 vours, the Marciomfis deny- 
 ing he had ever a true and re- 
 al body ? 
 
 I (hall fay yet fomething 
 more furprizing, but no lefs 
 true than what I have faid be- 
 fore. ThisDo&rineofTran- 
 iubftantiation. i. Eftablifheth 
 that old and odd fancy of 
 ibme .doting Philofophers, 
 who doubted of all things 
 how evident loever. 2. Tis 
 evidently deftru&ive to the 
 whole body of Chriftian Re- 
 ligion : In order to prove 
 4pdi£licalljt thefe two Pro- 
 
 pofi- 
 
(79) 
 pofitions, I muft fuppofe a 
 Third one, as a felf-evident 
 Principle, and whence they 
 both flow as from their only 
 fource, That our Scnjcs in the 
 Eucharift, are deceivd in and 
 about their proper objeti 5 
 which I think can be denyed 
 by no Romamjls, fince they 
 confefs, though they fee all 
 the appearances of true 
 Bread, that neverthelefs there 
 is no fuch fiibftance in the 
 Eucharift, but the Body and 
 Blood of Chrift, under the 
 veils of Bread and Wine : I 
 fee nothing, I taft nothing, I 
 touch nothing in a Confed- 
 erated Wafer, but what my 
 fenfes are fenfible of in an 
 unconfecrated one, but faith 
 the Romamft) I muft not 
 
 ftand 
 
(8o) 
 ftand in this cafe to the judg- 
 ment of my fenfes, what I 
 fee, touch, and taft, after 
 the Confecration, is no more 
 in reality Bread, what- ever 
 the conftant and experimen- 
 tal knowledge of our Senfes 
 teach us to the contrary ; they 
 will grant then I hope they 
 are deceive], and miilake 
 their own proper obje£t$ 
 but perhaps becaufe they 
 fbrefee the dangerous confe- 
 quence of fuch a Conceffion, 
 fome will be apt to run to a 
 School-diftin&ion, in aim to 
 defend with a (how of rea- 
 fon this (elf evident falthood, 
 that our Senfes in the cafe 
 here handled are not decei- 
 ved as to their proper Ob- 
 ject : They may diftinguilh,! 
 
 fancy, 
 
(8, ) 
 
 fancy, two fore of Objefts, a 
 Mediate one, and another 
 Immediate, the Immediate 
 one is , the colour, ftape, 
 quantity, and other accidents 
 or appearances of Bread, the 
 Mediate one is thefubftance 
 it felf$ our Senfes, fay they, 
 miftake not the former, be- 
 caufe the accidents are the 
 fame both before and after 
 the Confecration, but fure I 
 am, they miftake the latter, 
 ic being now by their Princi- 
 ples invifibly changed inro 
 the Body ofChrift : This di- 
 ftinftion then cannot ferve 
 their turn. Let them torture 
 their difcurfive. fatuity never 
 fo much, they (hall never be 
 able to prove that our Senfes 
 are not truly deceiv'd, re- 
 E 5 paf.nc- 
 
( S* ) 
 
 prefenting to us as Bread, 
 what really,if we believe the 
 RomanOis, is not Bread. I 
 come now to theConclufions 
 Springing naturally from this 
 granted Principle : If I mind 
 to play the Pyrrhonian^ and 
 doubt of every thing I have 
 from the R 0/#?/Z>Tranfubftan- 
 tiation, a ground whereon 
 to build this extravagancy 5 
 whither- (be ver Idireft my 
 fight, I can afcertain you of 
 nothing that my eye lees : 
 enter into a Garden, and 
 there I behold here Lillies, 
 and there Rofes, I fmell 
 them, I touch them, and yet 
 I may xjueftion the truth of 
 this, and doubt if I fee any 
 fuch thing, what if the red 
 of the Rofes and the white of 
 
 the 
 
( «3 ) 
 
 the Lillies be now by an Eu- 
 chariftick-like Miracle the 
 covertures of fome other fub- 
 ftancesthat are neither Rofes 
 nor Lillies 5 fo perhaps 'tis 
 not a Rofe that I fmell, a 
 Lilly that I fee, Fire that I 
 feel, an Apple that I taft, a 
 Trumpet that I hear, but 
 fbme other fubftances in their 
 fhape, and cloath'd with their 
 Garments : As 'tis not Bread 
 that I fee in the Eitcharijl^ 
 but another fubftance, to wit 
 Chrift's Body and Blood un- 
 der the accidental parts of 
 Bread and Wine } what do 
 we know but the whole vifi- 
 ble Mafs of this World, and 
 all the Objefts of our Senfes 
 are nothing elfe but meer ac- 
 cidents and Superficial Re- 
 
 pre- 
 
(8 4 ) 
 prestations of things that 
 perhaps were and now have 
 no foundation in being, or 
 never were, but have ever 
 been fupplied by God s infi- 
 nite power ? Thus the Pj/r- 
 rhonian Triumphs upon the 
 fame ground whereon the 
 RomaniB fettles that ftrange 
 Do&rine of Tranfubftantia- 
 tion,while the whole Body of 
 Chriftian Religion is as it 
 were a flote and carried too 
 and fro by the wind of this 
 uncertain Do&rine. For if 
 our Senfes may miftake their 
 own proper objeft, asconfef- 
 fedly the &?^//7/?fayes they 
 do in the Eucharifl,ox\v Faith 
 is nothing elfe but fancy and 
 uncertainty: Comes it not 
 by hearing? Fides exau- 
 
 ditn ? 
 
(8 5 ) 
 ditu .<? if than one fence may 
 be deceiv'd, why may not 
 hkewife the other ? What I 
 fee in the Euchariji is not 
 Bread 5 though it appears to 
 be fuch, perhaps what I hear 
 is not the true Word of God, 
 though it (bine with all the 
 Chara&ers thereof: In fine, 
 fince our Senfesare capable of 
 an errour relating to their 
 proper objeft, an eye-wit- 
 nefs now can be no witnefs 
 at all, or at leaft no Convi&i- 
 on: To what purpofc- then 
 did our Saviour (how him- 
 felf after his ilefurre^ion fo 
 ofttn. nnd to fomany in the 
 daj of his glorious Aicenfion? 
 In prompt h caufa eft, the An- 
 Iwer is at hand,to iiopurpofe, 
 if our Scnfes could miftake 
 
 their 
 
(86) 
 their proper objeft, and 
 what (b many eye-witnefles 
 (aw and judg'd to beChrift, 
 could have been his meer 
 fhape and figure,as theMarcim 
 omfi pretends, with a clear 
 advantage over and from the 
 Romanics whofe Doftrine 
 he may eafily make ufeof in 
 defence of his error and He- 
 refie. To conclude, ifwhut 
 appears to the eyes of all men 
 to be Bread, is no fuch thing, 
 what has been (bunded in the 
 ears of all the World, from 
 Father to Son as a truth may 
 prove a faKhood ? Our ears 
 being no lefs apt to be im- 
 pos'd upoa than our eyes. 
 Which looks like a mortal 
 blow to all tradition of equal 
 authority with Divine Scrip- 
 tures, 
 
(87) 
 tures, and I difcover not yet 
 how the Romanitt can fhun 
 it: For fince he grants we 
 may all, and have been from 
 the Cradle of the Church, 
 miftaken in what we lee, may 
 not we likewife be deceiv d 
 in what we have heard from 
 our Fathers,and they in what 
 they have heard from their 
 Fore-runners, &c. And the 
 rather that an ear-witnefs is 
 not fo much to be credited 
 as he that has feen : You judge 
 by this difcourfe, what ex- 
 treams thefe are forc'd into, 
 who deny on fo flight 
 grounds the greateft and 
 nsoftfenfible evidence,which 
 is that of our fenfes : But 
 Chrift's Word, fayes the Ro- 
 mawjty is my fecurity $ he af- 
 
 fures 
 
( 88 ) 
 fures us the Bread is changcl 
 into his body, I enquire no 
 more: Who (peaks lb for- 
 gets, or knows not what is 
 laid elfewhere, litera occidit, 
 the letter killeth, and the 
 literal Senfe is an occafion to 
 feveral of grofs errors and pi- 
 tiful miftakes : Chrift is cal- 
 led a Door, a Rock, a Wine 
 Tree, a Lyon, &c. We 
 would be look'd upon as be- 
 fides our felves if we affent- 
 ed to all this, as interpreted 
 in the literal fence, and ac- 
 cording to the bare found of 
 the words : For as the lite- 
 ral fence of fuch^and the like 
 expreffions,involves not only 
 obvious iraplicancys and ma- 
 nifeft abfurdities, but more- 
 over was constantly contra- 
 
 dlftcd 
 
(8 9 ) 
 difted by the experimental 
 knowledge of fuch as were 
 Co happy as to fee Chrift, e- 
 ven fo in our cafe,thefe words. 
 this is my Body, if under- 
 ftood conformably to the 
 mute Letter, both reprefent 
 to our mind a World of ille- 
 gal, abfur'd, and irrational 
 inferences, and are befides 
 contradifted through all A- 
 ges by the conftant experi- 
 ence of all feeing and feel- 
 ing men : Let no Man ne- 
 verthelefs imagine we ground 
 our myfteries on the Tefti- 
 mony ofourSenfes, we only 
 fay nothing can be fuppos'd 
 as a myftery that is point 
 blank againft the evidence of 
 fence and infallible experi- 
 ence, which cannot be retort- 
 ed 
 
ed againft the myftery of the 
 Trinity, for though we nei- 
 ther fee it nor feel it, yet our 
 Senfes (hew nothing to us e- 
 vidently deftruftive to it, 
 and on this account this my- 
 ftery is not againft but above 
 the reach both of Senfe and 
 Reafba. 
 
 Secondly, This Doftrine 
 inclineth the meaner capaci- 
 ties to idolatry, and the 
 fharper wits to Hypocrifie 
 and Diffimulation : The com- 
 mon People, becaufe incapa- 
 ble to diftinguifti the appear- 
 ance of Bread they fee, from 
 the Body of Chrift they fee 
 not, and being taught to a- 
 dore him hidden thus under 
 the veils of Bread and Wine, 
 are apt to, and no doubt 
 
 do 
 
(91) 
 do frequently adore the acci- 
 dents they fee, which they 
 call fometimes blafphemoufc 
 ly, God, yea fay commonly, 
 when the Wafer is lifted up 
 by the Prieft in the midft of 
 the Mafs, on leve D/e#, God 
 is lifted, their underftanding 
 finding no paffage through 
 the Confecrated Wafer to 
 Chria's Body. 
 
 9. As for the (harper fort 
 of Romanics when they re- 
 flefts 
 
 1 . On what is faidin Scrip- 
 ture, that the Hea- 
 vens muft receive A ^- 5- 22. 
 Chrift until the 
 times of reftitution of all 
 things. 
 
 2. That 
 
(9= ) 
 
 2. That a Body can no 
 more be without its dueex- 
 tenfion, for example, of five 
 or fix foot, than water with- 
 out humidity, fire without 
 heat, a ftone without hard- 
 nefi. 
 
 ?. That the Bread cannot 
 be miraculoufly chang'd into 
 ChrifVsBody, becaufe all mi- 
 racles are of neceffity vifible, 
 as is clear by all thofe we ever 
 heard or read of: But here 
 the fubftance into which the 
 Bread is converted, is not vi- 
 fible: This vifibility never- 
 thelefs is neceflary in a change 
 really miraculous, as it ap- 
 pears by that of water into 
 wine, of Mofes Rod into a 
 Serpent, &c. 
 
 4. That 
 
(93 ) 
 4. That 'tis inconfiftent 
 with reafbn to fay Chrifts 
 Body is at the fame time in 
 Heaven and Earth, yea, and 
 in as many places as there be 
 all the World over Confe- 
 crated Wafers : Who-ever 
 underftands thefe abfurdities, 
 will never, I am confident, 
 believe a true Tranfubftanti- 
 ation, though he profefs o- 
 therwife outwardly through 
 Hypocrifie and Diffimulati- 
 on : The Trinity, I confefs, 
 and Hypoftatical Union, or 
 the Incarnation, are far be- 
 yond the reach of our reafon, 
 yet becaufe they are not the 
 Objefts of our Senfes, we be- 
 lieve them with leg relu&an- 
 cy, and more eafily upon au- 
 thority } but that which hath 
 
 ever 
 
(94) 
 ever been, and ftill is evi- 
 dently repugnant to the ex-i 
 perimental knowledge of aHI 
 our Senfes, as the Tranfub-; 
 ftantiation confejffedly is, can, 
 fcarce ever be looked upon 
 as a truth, by fuch as make 
 ufe of their difcerning facul- 
 ty : The Romanics inftance 
 commonly thefe Words of 
 Chrift, This is my Body, as 
 the ground of this Doftrine, 
 which they fay, muft not be 
 taken in a figurative fence, 
 becaufe they are Chrift'slaft 
 Will and Teftament 3 and no 
 man, neither ignorant nor 
 malicious expreiicth his laft 
 Will by Figures and Meta- 
 phors: But here lies their 
 miftake, that thefe words, 
 This is my Body, are a true 
 
 and 
 
(95) 
 
 and real Teftament,or Chrijt% 
 Legacy to his Apoftles : For 
 he fays not, I leave you my 
 Body, which is the ufual man- 
 ner of uttering our felves in 
 Teftaments, but, This is my 
 Body. Tis no Teftament,than 
 as they imagine, or at le^ft 
 not a proper one. 
 
 10. Their Do&rine relat- 
 ing to the mediation of the 
 VwgmMary and other Saints, 
 withdraws them from ren- 
 dering to Chrift our only 
 Redeemer due Honour and 
 Glory : For. though there is 
 no other Name under Hea- 
 ven whereby we muft be la- 
 ved but that of Chrift, yet 
 many of them pretend to E- 
 ternal Happinefi by the me- 
 rits of the Saints and the Vir- 
 gin 
 
(90 
 gin Mary, whom they jovn 
 ftill with Jejus in their Vifits 
 to the Sick, either crying a- 
 loud to them, or-exhorting 
 the fick to pronounce Jefuf 
 Maria, as if they judg'd 
 Chrift's merits infufficient, or 
 that fome other Name, than 
 that of Chrift our Advocate, 
 with the Father, could be a 
 propitiation for our Sins 5 
 hence 'tis they extol fo much 
 their meritorious works, that 
 we have reafon to fay, they 
 ground thereon their beft 
 hopes of the other Life 5 at 
 leaft 'tis certain, the firaple 
 undifcerning fort relysmore 
 on what they do than on 
 what Chrift did for them, I 
 mean more upon their good 
 works than on his infinite me- 
 rits and mercys. SECT. 
 
C97) 
 
 SECT. II. 
 
 Their Divine WorJhipandEc- 
 clejiajiical Difcipline. 
 
 i. '■nr^Heir manner of Di- 
 X vine Worfhip is not 
 unlike that of the ancient 
 Heathens,and on this account 
 is far from the purity of the 
 Primitive Church : They a- 
 dore God inr^Pictures and 
 Images, as he was adored by 
 the Heathens ifl the $un, 
 Moon, and other leiLrioble 
 Creatures, or rather to (peak 
 in their own terms, they 
 worihip thofe Images as re- 
 prefentations of that invifi- 
 F ble 
 
(98) 
 ble and Soveraign Being, we 
 call God : Though this was 
 feverely punidied in the Ijra- 
 elites worshipping the Gol- 
 den Calf as a reprefentation 
 of God, for I cannot ima- 
 gine they adord it as a true 
 God,unlefsyou fuppofethey 
 were as void ofreafon as it 
 was 5 if then this Worflaip 
 of theirs be looked upon by 
 all as Idolatry, what may 
 we judge of that Romijh I- 
 mage Worfhip the very fame, 
 or at leaft in nothing material 
 differing from it? 
 
 2. Images are commonly 
 called the Books of Igno- 
 rants, but in my judgment 
 they deferve rather to be de- 
 nominated the Books of Ig- 
 norance, becaufe they occa- 
 
 fion 
 
fion often miftakes and er- 
 rors: Asforinftance, an Old 
 Man reprefenting God the 
 Father, a Dove the Holy 
 Ghoft, are apt to make the 
 ignorant fort believe they 
 have indeed fomefuch (hape. 
 I (hall not conteft here about 
 this point, be^aufe it hath 
 been difcufs'd fo often by o- 
 thers : One thing only I (hall 
 fey, which I think is undeni- 
 able, that Protectants ferve 
 God more in fpirit and truth 
 than Romamjis do : Becaufe 
 they make their Addrefles to 
 him immediately, without 
 having recourfe to Images, 
 or imploring the help of 
 Saints as Mediators : I know 
 they anfwer this by diftingui- 
 fhing a relative andSoveraign 
 F 2 Worflaip. 
 
( ioo ) 
 Worthip. The former they 
 allow to Images, the latter 
 to God only : But 
 
 Firft, This relative Wor- 
 ship was condemn'd and pu- 
 niQrd in the Ijraelites, as I 
 have infinuated above. 
 
 And Secondly,They adore 
 confeflfedly the CroG, chUh 
 Utri<e, with that Soveraign 
 cult belonging to God on- 
 ly: What then can they in- 
 ftance in defence of their in- 
 nocency? I muft as, yet tell 
 them in this place $ 
 
 3. They fall thort of the 
 end they aim at, in covering 
 the infide of their Churches 
 with rare Pi&ures, and Ima- 
 ges of exquifite Artifice 
 their aim is, as I charitably 
 fuppofe, to ftir up the people 
 thereby 
 
(roi) 
 
 thereby to greater devotion. 
 But we find by experience a 
 quite contrary effe&$ they 
 are diverted from Prayer,by 
 that great variety of alluring 
 objefts they have before their 
 eyes, you may fee them in 
 their Churches more gazing, 
 for the mod part, than pray- 
 ing: At leaft, certain it is, 
 the common fort is with- 
 drawn by fuch outward 
 (hows, from uniting their 
 hearts to God by fervent 
 Prayer : The ufe of Images 
 then, is not fo great a help to 
 Devotion, as the Romanijls 
 do falfly imagine. 
 
 4. Neverthelefs their I- 
 mage-worfhip, though to be 
 rejefted, is not fo intolera- 
 ble as their adoration of the 
 F 3 Con? 
 
(102 ) 
 
 Confecrated Wafer 5 becaufe 
 befides what I have faid be- 
 fore, it may happen, and I 
 am of opinieu ver r frequent- 
 ly, that their Prigfts jither 
 want the neceffary intention, 
 crintircly forget, or defign- 
 edly will not Confecrate the 
 Wafer : In this cafe meer un- 
 confecrated Bread is ador'd, 
 and exposed on their Altars 
 to the publick Cult: Will 
 they lay this is no inconveni- 
 ency , though the People may 
 be guiltlefs becaufe of their 
 invincible ignorance, and 
 ftrong imagination of thrift's 
 Body really there exifteat. 
 *fhe thought of this accident, 
 vyhich no doubt happens fre- 
 quently, with-draweth feve- 
 ral RomamSfs from yielding 
 
 to 
 
( io 3 ) 
 
 to the Wafer, that Soveraign 
 Cu!^ due to God only. 
 
 5. There is another in- 
 conveniency, p ot unlike the 
 precedent, in a fort of Wor- 
 fhip ordinary amongft Ro- 
 manifis: They honour the 
 "Relicks of Saint.;, as their 
 Bones, Garments, and Par- 
 cels of their Bodies, they ex- 
 pofe them to the publick Cult 
 on their Altars, they carry 
 them with a ceremonious 
 pomp in their folemn Procef- 
 fions : But what if thefe Re- 
 licks be of Men that are not 
 in Heaven ? For I fuppofe 'tis 
 no Article of their Faith, 
 that whom the Pope Cano- 
 nizeth, as they fpeak, is not 
 a Reprobate 5 fince his infal- 
 libility was never yet declar- 
 F 4 ed 
 
C 104 ; 
 
 ed by any of their eighteen 
 General Councils, he is not 
 infallible, when he declares 
 this man to be in Heaven, or 
 t T 1 Woman to be a Saint : 
 Perhaps then youinvocatea 
 damn d Soul, you kneel be- 
 fore the Bones of a Repro- 
 bate, you ask help from thofe 
 whom God has rejefted 5 
 than which I can imagine no- 
 thing more abfur'd : If this 
 were well refleftedon by the 
 Romamjisy they would not 
 be fo forward in worfhip- 
 ping the remainder of the 
 dead. 
 
 6. 'Tisnow full time, left 
 I exceed the bonds I havefet 
 to my felf, to fpeak one word 
 of their Ecclefiaftical Difci- 
 pline: When I confiderbe- 
 
 fides, 
 
( io 5 ) 
 
 fides, the Written Law of 
 God, how many and how 
 heavy Obligations the Romiflo 
 Church impofeth upon her 
 Subjefts, I am fully c-r.v.n- 
 ced that Popery is juftly cal- 
 led, and without exaggerati- 
 on, a meer ilavery } the 
 Crown'd heads arelyable to 
 it, no lefs, yea rather more 
 than others: Moft of Ro- 
 manist Divines teach with- 
 out any warrant, either from 
 Scripture or reafon$ the Popes 
 ofjR<?*#ehave power tode- 
 pofe Princes, untye their 
 Subjefts from their fworn al- 
 legiance, to give their Do- 
 minions, primo occupant* , 
 to fuch as can conquer them 
 if they refufe to purge their 
 Ringdomsof opinions judge! 
 F 5 'by 
 
C 106 ) 
 by Romanifts Heretical. This 
 you may lee at large in the 
 Council.of Lateran^ held un- 
 der Innocent the third, third 
 Chapter. 
 
 J. The Romijh Church 
 enilaves fo far the under- 
 ftanding of her Followers, as 
 to forbid them the u(e of that 
 rational faculty God has be^ 
 flowed upon us, chiefly to 
 find out by its light the true 
 Church, and having found 
 it to govern our felves there- 
 in by the fame, tofearch the 
 Scriptures 5 to try the Spint> if 
 they be of God or not, left 
 we be carried away by the 
 wind of -all fort of Do&rine. 
 But. this is not permitted to 
 the P^omamjif^ they muft 
 pull out their eyes and fay, 
 
 white 
 
C 107 ). 
 white is black, if a General 
 Council, though never as yet 
 proved by them infallible, 
 affirm it : This occafion'd an 
 ancient Philofopher to call 
 the Chriftian Religion, the 
 Religion of Fools 5 not be- 
 caufe they believe things a- 
 bove the reach of Humane 
 Rcafon 3 for that is no folly, 
 but on this account, that 
 fome of them, to wit the 
 RomaniBs^ believe as 'twas 
 snftanc'd in the Euchariji, or 
 Lord's Supper, that which is 
 contradifted by thee experi- 
 mental knowledge of all our 
 Senfes. 
 
 8. 'Tvvas a Liberty and 
 Priviledge of the Primitive 
 Church, as S. Paul r 
 
 I Ci)Y. 10 2 1 
 
 witneileth to the 25,27. 
 
 Corinthians \ 
 
(io8) 
 
 Corinthians, that whatsoever 
 is fold in the Shambles, what- 
 ever is fet before us we may 
 eat, asking no queftion for 
 Confcience-fake, that every 
 Creature of God is good, and 
 nothing to be refuted, if it be 
 received with Thankfgiving $ 
 the Roman Church has taken 
 away this Priviledge, and 
 commands abftinence from 
 Meats, ordains Fafts obfer- 
 ved moft pun&ually by fome 
 of them, falfely perfwaded 
 the beft part of Chriftian 
 perfe&ionconfifts in fuch in- 
 difcreet Rigors, not know- 
 ing that true vertue confifts 
 mainly in an intire Vi&ory, 
 we (hould endeavour to get 
 over our own Paffions, our 
 moft dangerous, becaufe Do- 
 meftick 
 
( 109) 
 
 meftick Enemys: So many 
 commanded Fafts as we fee 
 in the Romiflo Church, under 
 the pain of Mortal Sin, are 
 no doubt, an occafionof fin 
 and difobedience to many, 
 who think themfelves obli- 
 ged in Confidence to obferve 
 them as injun&ions of their 
 Church : Cardinal Bellarmim 
 that Renown'd Romania 
 was of this opinion : Tis re- 
 ported, he was wont to fay, 
 that if 'ere he happen'd to be 
 Pope, he would abolifh the 
 Obligation of the Lent Faft. 
 No doubt becaufe he judg'd 
 it a too heavy Yoke, and on 
 this account more hurtful 
 than profitable. 
 
 9. Marriage 
 
( I TO ) 
 
 9. Marriage in thepureft 
 age of the Church, was not 
 forbidden to Ecclefiaftickg^ 
 faith not ; S. Paul, 
 1 Timet. 5. that a Bifhop may- 
 be the Hufband of 
 mbr. 13- 4- one Wife. That 
 Marriage is ho- 
 nourable in all, and the Bed 
 undefird : And 
 1 tfmot.4.1.6. writing to Timo- 
 thy, that forbid- 
 ding to Marry, and com- 
 manding to abftain from 
 Meats, is the Dodrine of the 
 Devils : Was not the Fore- 
 runner of Chrift, the Son of 
 the High-Prieft Zaeharias^n 
 evident mark, that our Savi- 
 our approved of, and honou- 
 red fuch fort of Marriages ? 
 yet the Romp Church ad- 
 ding 
 
(Ill ) 
 
 ding ftill great and heavy 
 weights to the yoke of 
 Chrift, forbids expresfly Ec- 
 clefiatficks to Marry, 
 though S. Pad faith, » cmntk 
 let every man, that 7 * 2 * 
 is, whether Clergy or Lay- 
 man, unlefs he hath the Gift 
 of Continency, have his own 
 Wife 5 which Gift is always 
 fuppos'd when a Man or a 
 Woman vows Chaftity : So 
 if you find by experience, 
 you have it not, you are 
 obliged not to vow, or if 
 you have vowed raftily, flat- 
 tering yourfelf, you had this 
 Gift, you are no more en- 
 gaged by your former vow, 
 becaufe none is obliged to 
 perform beyond what lies in 
 his power, and 'lis in no mans 
 
 power 
 
(112) 
 
 power to live continently, 
 without a Gift ofContinen- 
 cy , which God befto weth on 
 whom he pleafes, and refti- 
 feth it to others as he thinks 
 fit 5 who may, and perhaps 
 are obliged in this cafe, to fe- 
 cure themfelves from Sin and 
 Temptation, by a lawful 
 Marriage: For in this con- 
 junfture, Melius eft nubcre 
 quant uri, 'tis better to Mar- 
 ry than burn. 
 
 io. 'Tis obfervable, the 
 moftofthofethat enter thefe 
 Orders, they call commonly 
 Religious, make their vows 
 fo young and fo inconfide- 
 rately, that they hardly ever 
 refleft on what they under- 
 take, feveral of them proteft 
 they are forced thereunto by 
 
 their 
 
("31 
 
 their Parents, or upon the 
 account of fbme other hu- 
 mane refpefts and intereft, 
 am 1 if afterwards they renew 
 twice a year, as 'tis cuftomary 
 amongft the Jefuits, their firft 
 vows, 'tis but with their 
 Lips and not from their 
 Heart: They may fin, I con- 
 fefi, by this diffimulation, 
 though I am perfwaded, their 
 Crime is none of the greateft, 
 becaufe of the junftureand 
 necefiity of their affairs 5 but 
 however this Sin communi- 
 cates no validity to their 
 vow, which fubfifts not in 
 reality, without an intire li- 
 berty, freedom, and inward 
 content, becaufe of the hea- 
 vy and infupportable Yoke it 
 lays on their Necks 5 which 
 
 in 
 
cm) 
 
 in this cafe they may (hake 
 off at the firft opportunity, 
 and follow that fort of Life 
 they (hall find moft conve- 
 nient for their Spiritual con- 
 cerns and good of their 
 Souls. 
 
 ii. Iwonder'd often up- 
 on what grounds the Ro/aa- 
 nifis call thefe three vows of 
 Chaftity, Poverty, and O- 
 bedience to tneir Superiors, 
 Evangelical Counfels, be* 
 caufe I had never read in the 
 Gofpel, that Chrift exhorted 
 ever any to tye themfelves 
 to his fervice by folemn vows. 
 He counfelled, I confefi, a 
 young man to fell all he had, 
 and give it to the Poor, but 
 not to make a vow to do fo : 
 Neither could lever be per- 
 fwaded, 
 
( "5 ) 
 
 fwaded, nor any Rational 
 man ever will , that 'tis a 
 higher degree of perfection 
 to vow, for inftanqe, Cha- 
 ftity ,than to live in Continen- 
 cy, without fuch a tye and 
 obligation. 
 
 12. This is neverthelefs 
 the Do&rine of the moft 
 learned Romanics. And if I 
 remember well of their chief 
 Divine Thomas Aquinas, but 
 as they commonly fay in Sor- 
 *bori, Amicus Ariftoteks, ami- 
 ens Divus Thomas, Jed magis 
 arnica 'veritas, no man's au- 
 thority is to be admitted of 
 againft the truth, which un- 
 doubtedly fides not with 
 them in this conjun&ure 5 be- 
 caufe their aflertion is intirely 
 grounded on this weak and 
 
 illu- 
 
(ii<S) 
 
 illufbry reafon, that he who 
 vows Continency, facrificeth 
 to God the thing men make 
 moft account o£ that preci- 
 ous liberty, they think pre- 
 ferable to all the Riches of 
 the World, which he that 
 lives chaft without fuchatye 
 does not. 
 
 13. This I lay is a mee£ 
 falfhood and a flat illufion, 
 for though I vow, I keep ia- 
 tirely my former liberty. 
 True 'tis J can't break thi§ 
 promife and vow made to 
 God if it be a real one, with- 
 out committing a fin, but this 
 puts me in a worfe condition 
 than /.was in before.* For 
 now if /fall, I commit two 
 Sins, one againft my Vow, 
 and another againft the ver- 
 
 tue 
 
( "7) 
 
 tue of Continency, whereas 
 before I vowed I could be 
 guilty but of one. I think 
 then the ftate of higheft per- 
 fection is that which remo- 
 ved! us far theft from fin and 
 the occafions thereof which 
 certainly vows do not, but 
 enfnaring men rather becaufe 
 of their great weaknels and 
 frailty, expofe them to both 
 by that perverfe, though in- 
 bred inclination of theirs, to 
 whatever is forbidden them 5 
 for nothing more true than 
 nitimur in vetitum femper f 
 
 1 4. This engageth nrj here 
 to the defence of an Affer- 
 tion , which will be looked 
 upon as a Paradox by the 
 Romanifts, yet if refle&ed 
 
 on 
 
(n8) 
 
 on without preoccupation, is 
 a clear, fimple, and undeny- 
 able truth : They dry up all 
 the veins of their Eloquence 
 in extolling a Religious Life, 
 as they call it : they fay it is 
 moft perfed, happy, blefled, 
 and what not : read Jerome 
 Platus on this Subjeft , and 
 you fhall find him as whim- 
 fical in his notions of this ima- 
 ginary happinefs , as Plato 
 was in his abftraft Ideas. 
 
 15. I can prove to per- 
 fwafion there is no way of 
 ferving God more dangerous, 
 and wherein you (hall meet 
 with greater obftacles to 
 your fpiritual progrefs and 
 eternal happinefs, than in 
 thefe pretendedReligious Or- 
 ders , as they now ftand of 
 
 the 
 
( "9) 
 
 the Romifh Church 5 my rea- 
 fon is clear , and runs thus, 
 becaufe their yoak is incom- 
 parably greater and heavier 
 than that of other Chriftians, 
 fince befides the Commands 
 of God and their Church, 
 they tye themfelves to a num- 
 berlefs number of petty ob- 
 fervances and rules ? which 
 though they confefs bind not 
 their confcience, yet they 
 teach none of them can fcarce 
 ever be tranfgrefPd without 
 ^either ratiomfiandali, by 
 reafon of the fcandal,or ratio- 
 ne contempt us, becaufe of the 
 contempt of Authority,oron 
 lome other account^ hey fay as 
 yet fomething more ftrange, 
 that non progredi, regredi eji, 
 'tis not enough for them "to 
 obferve 
 
( "O ) 
 
 obferve the Commands of 
 God and the Church, they 
 call that nonfrogredi) no pro- 
 grefs, unlefs they do more 
 than he has commanded, by 
 {landing with as great pre- 
 cifenefs to their Cuftomsand 
 Rules, as if they were an efc 
 fential part of Gods written 
 L. w. 
 
 15. In what fears then, if! 
 they have a timorous confci-i 
 ence$ in what troubles and 
 turmoils, and what vexation 
 of fpirit they live in : for i8 
 fo few keep Gods Commands, 
 as Ms (aid the Juft fells feveq 
 times a day, what judgment 
 may we frame of them who 
 pretend to do more than hd 
 has ordain d, by obfervinga 
 number innumerable of petty 
 
 Rules, 
 
( 121 ) 
 
 Rules, Statutes, and frivolous 
 Cuftoms. On this account I 
 have heard feveral amongft 
 them fay what I believe to 
 be moft true, that their yoke 
 was not like to the yoke of 
 Chrift, fweet and light, Ju- 
 gnm fearje & onus leve^ but 
 rather exceedingly bitter , 
 and moft heavy, Jugum atna.- 
 rum & onus grave. 
 
 1 6. In fine, I may affirm, 
 without deviating from the 
 Truth, That thefe Romijf) 
 Vows are rather Snares to 
 intrapSouls, than true means 
 to their attaining to a higher 
 degree of Glory in Heaven. 
 The Devil overcomes force' 
 by manifeftTemptations 3 and 
 a flat Propofition of Sin, but 
 becaufe force others, defirous 
 G to 
 
( "0 
 
 to live after a more perfed 
 manner, admit not fo eafily 
 of his Suggeftions, he catch- 
 eth them by their own incli- 
 nations , by vowed engage- 
 ments, to the purfuance of a 
 Perfe&ion, which, through 
 Humane Frailty, they (hall 
 never reach to 5 fb weary to 
 iwim always againftthe wa- 
 ter, they are fore d,*at length, 
 to yield to theftream,and go 
 downwards , which was the 
 Enemies fole aim and main 
 defign. 
 
 17. Out of this foregoing 
 Difcourfe, we may conclude, 
 Proteitants to be mod hap- 
 py, as meeting with none of 
 thefe forementioned Obfta- 
 cles, to their eternal happi- 
 nefs.fo long as they follow the 
 Maxims 
 
(123 ) 
 
 Maxims of true Proteftancy. 
 For, 
 
 Firft, Their Faith is not fo 
 blind, though fubmiflive e- 
 nough to Church Authority, 
 as to hold for Divine Truths, 
 the fanciful Opinions of £il- 
 libleMen,orDecifionsof er- 
 rable Councils: The Word 
 of God onely is their Rule, 
 to this they are taught to 
 conform their Faith and their 
 Aftions. 
 
 Secondly , They are not 
 tortur'd and turmoil'd with 
 Doubts, if they be B^ptiz'd 
 or not , becaufe they know 
 the Exiftency of Baptifm to 
 be independant on the Mini- 
 fters uncertain intentions. 
 
 Thirdly, They have no In- 
 citement to Sin, by relying 
 G 2 -on 
 
C 124 ) 
 
 on a middle place between 
 Heaven and Hell 5 they hold 
 no Purgatory, and fo are 
 powerfully deterr'd from of- 
 fending God, through fear of 
 his terrible Juftice exercis'd 
 in Hell , upon fuch as die 
 without Repentance. 
 
 Fourthly, Theyreje£t the 
 dangerous diftinction of Ve- 
 nial, and Mortal Sin, as open- 
 ing a door to Loofenefs} for 
 though fome Sins be more 
 heinous than others , yet in 
 this we muft confefs a perfeft 
 equality, that they are all ofr* 
 fences of an infinite Majefty, 
 and confequeatly deferve his 
 eternal Wrath, as being of an 
 unlimited malice. 
 
 Fifthly, They allow every 
 one to read the Scripture as 
 
 the 
 
Cm) 
 
 the Fountain ofallwholefbm 
 Doftrine , and capable to 
 make us wife unto Salvation, 
 as being a Light to ourlln- 
 derftanding,left we err 5 and 
 a Fire to our Will , left we 
 wax Cold in Charity and 
 Love towards God and our 
 Neighbors. 
 
 Sixthly, Their Doftrine 
 concerning the Lord's Sup- 
 per is fpirit and life, it gives 
 no occafion either of Idola- 
 try or Hypocrifie, by teach- 
 ing that ftrange Novelty of 
 Tranfubsia?2tiation : They ca- 
 ptivate indeed their under- 
 ftanding hi obfequium Fidei^ 
 in obedience to Divine Faith, 
 but pull not out their Eyes 
 to believe there is no Bread 
 in the Eucharift, where they 
 G 3 fee 
 
( 126 ) 
 
 tee all the infeparable Proper- 
 ties thereof, as Colour,Shape, 
 Quantity, &c. 
 
 Seventhly,They rely folely 
 on the Merits of Chrift^nei- 
 ther on the mediation of 
 Saints,nor on their own good 
 works , fully perfuaded of 
 this Chriftian Truth , when 
 they have done all they can, 
 they are but ufelefi Servants, 
 and that all their fufficiency 
 is from Above. 
 
 Eighthly , Their Divine 
 Worlhip is pure, and with- 
 out mixture of Superftition 
 or Idolatry 3 neither intirely 
 without Ceremonies, noro- 
 verburden'd with em fuper- 
 ftitioufly. 
 
 Ninthly, They adore God 
 in Spirit and Truth, not un- 
 der 
 
(127) 
 
 der corporal Shapes, and falfe 
 Reprefentations 5 they adore 
 him as Spirit and Truth,as he 
 is in reality .knowing perfeft- 
 ly all their fpiritual needs,and 
 bodily neceffities, without the 
 help of Saints as Speakers and 
 Informers. 
 
 Tenthly, Their Ecclefiafti- 
 £al Difcipline is moft confor- 
 mable in all its parts to that of 
 the Primitive Church, as alfo 
 their Faith,their Manners,and 
 way of living, as may be ga- 
 thered out of this and the 
 foregoing Article 3 and eve- 
 ry one knows that is not al- 
 together a Stranger to Anti- 
 quity. 
 
 Eleventhly , They ferve 
 
 God in all freedom of fpirit, 
 
 without endangering their 
 
 G 4 Souls 
 
( «8 ) 
 
 Souls by vows, of Continen- 
 cy, true Snares rather to In- 
 nocency, than fit means for 
 attaining to Perfeftion and 
 eternal Felicity. 
 
 ART1G 
 
C 129 ) 
 
 ARTICLE III. 
 
 SECT. .1, 
 
 Conclusions flowing from the 
 firji Principle of thk Me- 
 thod. 
 
 £ Y firft Principle wm 9 
 
 T.hat thofi who pro- 
 
 fefi Protejiancy^ may he fivtd, 
 
 I proved it to Conviction., 
 
 without invedives or bitter- 
 
 nefi,in the fpirit ofChriftian- 
 
 G 5 Chari- 
 
C 150 ) 
 
 Charity, Meeknefs and Leni- 
 ty, perfuacted of this clear 
 Truth,that Convi&ion of the 
 intelleftive Faculty worketh 
 never a trueConverfion,un- 
 lefs the Will be conquer'dby 
 a civil and charitable way of 
 debating. 
 
 H.Tis Proverbial amongft 
 the RomaniUs^ That out of 
 the Church there is no hopes 
 of falvation. In what fenfe 
 this is true, 'tis not my defign 
 here to inquire 5 but I af- 
 firm they are pitifully mifta- 
 ken , .underftanding by the 
 .Church,that handful of Chri- 
 ftians united together in 
 communion with the See of 
 Rome D which is as unreafb- 
 
 nable, 
 
( W ) 
 
 nable, as if one would fay, 
 a Particular is an Univerlal , 
 a Part is the Whole , or at 
 leaft of as great and vaft a 
 bulk. They will grant then, 
 I fuppofe, Protcjlants to be 
 Members of the Univerfal 
 Church, but dead ones,defti- 
 tuteof life^fpirit and vigour. 
 The contradi&ory of this 
 Proposition ftands demon- 
 ftrated in the firft Article ^ 
 for fince they may be faved 
 by the merit9 and influence 
 of their invifible Head 
 Chrift, they are both whole- 
 fom , living , and vigorous 
 Members of his Church. 
 
 III. They cannot be accu- 
 
 fedcf S:hifai, nor without a 
 
 ground- 
 
groundless Calumny called 
 Schifmaticks , fince they are 
 ftiil contained in the Catho- 
 Ifck or Univerfal Church, 
 their Reform being in the 
 Church, not from it 5 hold 
 they not all Points neceflary 
 to falvation ? and whatever 
 wns of Divine Faith in the 
 primitive Times. They fe- 
 parated, I confefs, from the 
 particular Church of Rome y 
 but Romamjls were the true 
 caules of this Separation, by 
 introducing Errors and No- 
 velties, fo they are properly 
 the Separatists , not Prote- 
 fiavts : Let them be afhamed 
 then to found perpetually as 
 they do In the Peoples ears, 
 iach a notorious Calumny, 
 
 which 
 
C 133 ) 
 
 which with greater truth 
 may be Retorted againft 
 themfelvcs. 
 
 IV. I hope hereafter they 
 (hall prove more moderate, 
 and call them Brethren, 
 i whom they have thought hi- 
 therto Hereticks 5 for I am 
 perfuaded they &£ convinc d 
 this foul afperlion of Herefie 
 is groundkfs, as being a meer 
 illufion,and the produftof a 
 preoccupated judgment. The 
 ProteftantVay they, are He- 
 reti'cks , becauie they reject 
 obftinately the Decifions of 
 General Councils 3 but will 
 they never refleft that thefe 
 Decifions can neither be 
 looked upon by us , nor by 
 
 them 
 
(134) 
 them as revealed Truths, un- 
 lets their Infallibility be ei- 
 ther grounded on clear Scri- 
 pture, or in their fentiment 
 oq the Authority of fome 
 General Council. In what 
 Scripture is it faid, General 
 Councils are infallible Judges 
 of Controverfial Debates ? 
 In what Council was it deci- 
 ded , that General Councils 
 were unerrable? Here they 
 areamaz'd,and their thoughts 
 at a ftand 5 they are forced 
 to yield, and confefs ingenu- 
 ouily, that this pretended In- 
 fallibility hath no other foun- 
 dation in being, but that of 
 their own Opinion and Fan- 
 cy : For though 'twere 
 grounded on the Decifion 
 
d35) 
 
 of fome General Council, 
 this muft be firft proved In- 
 fallible by an Evidence di- 
 ftinft from its own Tefti- 
 mony. 
 
 V. But becaufe my onely 
 defign in this place is to raife 
 Inferences, and not to frame 
 new Arguments, I entreat the 
 Romania Reader, after a fe- 
 riousperufal of my firft Ar- 
 ticle, to refleft a moment 
 upon his own Uncharity a- 
 gainft fo many Thoufands of 
 His Majefties Subjefts , and 
 other Nations, fo commen- 
 dable for their unftamd Life 
 and Converfation 5 fo accep- 
 table to God, becaufe of their 
 Virtue and Innocency. Let 
 
 them, 
 
( *# ) 
 
 them, I fay , upon fecond 
 thoughts, repent of their for- 
 mer Llncharity, in condemn- 
 ing their Neighbors foincon- 
 fiderately , as Schifmaticks , 
 Hereticks 3 Reprobates. Let 
 them deteft from the bottom 
 of their hearts this Llnchri- 
 ftian Rigor and Severity ; if 
 perhaps upon fuch groundleft 
 pretences they were perfua- 
 ded 'twas lawful to perfecute 
 them by Treafon , Fire and 
 Sword. , the deep ignorance 
 they liv'd in could be as a 
 Veil to the Enormity of 
 their Crime: But after the 
 perufal of thisTreatife they 
 can no more pretend igno- 
 rance, they are told of 
 their Errour, and fufficient- 
 
(137) 
 ly inform 'd of their former 
 miftakes. 
 
 VI. Neither can they whh 
 the leaft appearance of Truth 
 call Apoliates fuch as embrace 
 Protejlanty, fince they retain 
 ftill the Faith of that Church 
 which flourifhed the firft 
 three Centuries after our Sa- 
 viour's Birth, and isconfefled 
 by all Parties to have been 
 the true Church of Chrift. 
 They admit not indeed the 
 additional Articles of Purga* 
 tory^raftfitbjlantiationjmage- 
 worjljip, Invocation of Saints, 
 &c. for the grounds above 
 laid. But on this account 
 they are in no true fenfe Apo* 
 J?<tf e/,becaufe Apoflajie is a de- 
 fection 
 
C 138 ) 
 tedion from the true Faith, 
 and thefe Points are either 
 grofs Errors, or, as a learned 
 Divine of the Enelifh Church 
 calls them, inferiour Truths, 
 not deftruftive to Divine 
 Faith,whether believ'd or de- 
 nied 5 though they be, as I 
 have infinuated elfewhere, 
 not a little prejudicial to 
 true Virtue, and Chriftian 
 Piety. 
 
 VIL Rafbnefs or Impru- 
 dence can with as little juftice 
 be objefted to fuch as retreat 
 from Popery. It has been de- 
 monftrated by the confent 
 of Kommilis , and felf-evi- 
 dent Principles they follow, 
 by profeffing Protefiancy a 
 
 pro- 
 
C 139 ) 
 
 probable and well-grounded 
 opinion, That worftripping 
 God after the Protectant 
 manner, they may attain to 
 the end they were created 
 for, which is eternal happi- 
 nefs. 
 
 SECT* 
 
( Ho ) 
 
 SECT. 2. 
 
 Cenclufions flowing naturally 
 from the fie on d Principle 
 of this method. 
 
 TH E fecond Principle 
 was, That Protejiants 
 may be faved more eafily* and 
 with greater fecurity , than 
 ihofe of the RomiJI) Perjuafion. 
 I fhall not repeat here what 
 Ifaid before, to explain, ra- 
 ther thain to prove this (elf- 
 evident Truth, hence only I 
 infer what is evident enough 
 of it ftlf without any formal 
 inference, 
 
 I. That 
 
( Hi ) 
 
 I. That Romjjh Priejis are 
 obliged not to endeavor, as 
 they do, the Converfion, or 
 rather Perverfion of Prote- 
 
 Jlants, becaufe 'tis a fin to 
 withdraw any man from the 
 fafeft way to Heaven. 
 
 II. The Romamlh once 
 convinc'd, as I hope they are, 
 of this fecond Principle,muft 
 of neceffity renounce Popery^, 
 and profefs Protefiancy^ there 
 being an obligation incum- 
 bent to all men in matters of 
 fuch a high Concern, tochufe 
 that which is fecureft. 
 
 HI. Pr defiant s muft ftand 
 ftoutly to their own Religi- 
 on, 
 
( 142 ) 
 
 on, and way of Divine Wor- 
 fhip, and cannot, if they re- 
 gard a good Confcience,after 
 this inftruftion turn Roma- 
 wi?j,becaufe in fo doing they 
 would endanger their own 
 Souls, by reafon of the fore- 
 mentioned obftacles to falva- 
 tioninthe profeffionof Po- 
 pery. 
 
 IV. All true Protectants, 
 and more particularly Thofe 
 who by their Dignity , Of- 
 fice, and Imploy ment , are to 
 watch over the Flock, muft 
 needs, if they will perform 
 their duty, endeavour with 
 all Charitable and Chriftian 
 means the Confirmation of 
 Protectants, in ProteUancy, 
 
 and 
 
C 143) 
 
 and the Converfion of their 
 PopilhSubje&s from Popery^ 
 elfe they forfeit their Cha- 
 racter and Miniftry , as ne- 
 glecting the fpiritual con- 
 cerns of Souls redeem'd by 
 the precious blood of Chrift, 
 and committed to their truft 
 and vigilancy : If I have been 
 my felf inftrumental to the 
 perverfion of feveral , while 
 mifled by a blind Zeal, I faw 
 things but under one light, 
 I (hall, at Conveniency, 
 repair this Damage done 
 to the Church, by writing in 
 my fpare- hours fuch inftru- 
 cYions as may be fubfervient 
 to their returning home- 
 wards, or ufeful to the con- 
 verfion of others, and parti- 
 cularly 
 
( 144 ) 
 cularly my neareft and dea- 
 reft Relations. 
 
 V. I (hall put here a flop 
 to my Pen , and an end to 
 this Treatife , with a (hort 
 and charitable Advice to all 
 HisMajeftiesSubje&s of the 
 Romijld Perfualion. 
 
 Chart- 
 
( i45 ) 
 
 Charitable Advice to 
 all His Majefties 
 Subje&softbe Ro- 
 mifh Perfuafion. 
 
 YOu have b^Jiev'd 
 till now, as an 
 Article of your Faith, 
 That Proteftants were 
 all Reprobates , Here- 
 ticks, Schifmaticks, and 
 H many 
 
( Ht ) 
 many of them Apo- 
 ftates. Your Faith being 
 ever an implicite one, 
 and pinn'd on other 
 mens ileeves. You are 
 more to be pitied for 
 this grofs miftake 5 than 
 blam'd. You are not 
 unlike, pardon me the 
 freedom of this Parallel, 
 to thofe that are blind 
 from their birth. You 
 may induce fuch men to 
 believe any Falfiiood 
 you pleafe , as for in- 
 stance , that White is 
 Black,or Black is White, 
 
 be- 
 
( *0 
 
 becaufe they want the - 
 uie of their vifive Fa- 
 culty^and folely relie on 
 your Authority. You re- 
 nounce not only to your 
 reafon, in favour of the 
 pretended Council-Ora- 
 cles. You hold not only 
 your underftanding ca- 
 ptive whcn^ome (peaks, 
 but you extinguish the 
 cleared light thereof, in 
 fubmiflion to her De- 
 cifions ; as if you were 
 quite blind, and under- 
 ftood nothing , or as if 
 Nature had not beftow- 
 H 2 ed 
 
(i 4 S) 
 
 ed upon you an intel- 
 lective Faculty, in order 
 to difcern good from e- 
 yil, falfliood from truth, 
 to try the fpirits whence 
 they are,whether of God 
 or not. The <l{o?namJis, 
 your Mafters , imitate 
 thofe ancient Heathens, 
 who, to gain the Peoples 
 efteem and greater ve- 
 neration for their Laws, 
 faid confidently , They 
 had received them im- 
 mediatly from the gods : 
 So they, to hold you in 
 awe, and tyrannize over 
 
 your 
 
( H9) 
 your under/landings, as 
 by a principle of Con- 
 fcience,call boldlywhat- 
 ever is decided in Gene- 
 ral Councils, Divine O- 
 racles,Reveard Truths, 
 Faith-Articles, which is 
 the .-greateft Artifice the 
 Prince of Darknefs could 
 invent, to fpread all the 
 World over Error,Igno- 
 ranee, and Superftition. 
 To avoid then your be^ 
 ing fedue'd hereafter, 
 make ufe of your Rea- 
 fon, fince ^cis chiefly al- 
 lowed you for your at- 
 
 H 3 tain- 
 
( *5° ) 
 taining to the know- 
 ledge of faving Truths, 
 perufe often , and me- 
 ditate frequently this 
 Treatife , wherein you 
 fhall difcover clearly, 
 
 I. That Troteftants, 
 you have been fo averle 
 from hitherto , through 
 preoccupation and igno- 
 rance, may be faved, as 
 being true Members of 
 the Univerfal Church, 
 and neither Hereticks 
 nor Schifmaticks. 
 
 ILThat 
 
( '5i ) 
 
 II. That they attain 
 to Eternal Happinefs 
 more eafily , and with 
 greater fafety than 5(o<= 
 manijisy ftanding to the 
 Principles of Topery. 
 
 III. That theboaft- 
 ed of Infallibility of 
 General Councils is no 
 Article of Faith amongft: 
 tifyman-'Catholkks , but a 
 meer politick defign to 
 domineer by this perfiia- 
 fion over all Nations , 
 for the increafe of tem- 
 poral Concerns ; and 
 
 that 
 
( m ) 
 
 that as %ome of old fub- 
 dued the World by force 
 of Arms, flie may ftill 
 enflave it by Religious 
 Scruples 5 and ftrong Fan- 
 cies of the Divine Ori- 
 ginal of her Oracles , 
 which was meant by the 
 Poet that fung thus : 
 
 tifyma caput mundl^quicquid 
 non pofftdet armis tf^eli* 
 pone tenet. 
 
 You have pretended 
 formerly your Confer- 
 ence fuffered you not to 
 
 con- 
 
( *53) 
 
 conform to that Divine 
 Worfliip now eftabli- 
 flied by Law in thefe 
 three Kingdoms , you 
 thought it not lawful to 
 forfake Popery, and pro- 
 fefs Troteftancy, as being 
 in your opinion nothing 
 el(e but Here(ie 5 Schifm ? 
 Apoftafie. This can- be 
 no more an Obftacle to 
 your Converfion, you 
 are now informed to 
 Conviction of the con- 
 trary j and of your in- 
 cumbent Obligation to 
 retreat from ^pmanifm ; 
 
 of 
 
( i?4 ) 
 
 of two Evils, the Ieaft 
 is to be chofen ; and of 
 two ways to Heaven, 
 that which is fecureft, in 
 matters of this Concern 
 all deliberation laid a- 
 fide , your Confcience 
 will prefsyou to the fuk 
 reft. So 1 ong as you en* 
 
 deavour your being in* 
 
 fenfible to her Checks, 
 you pretend in vain to 
 any true happiriefs in 
 this life, flie will found 
 perpetually in your ears 
 the extreme danger you 
 are in through your 
 
 own 
 
( *55 ) 
 
 own fault, and as an in- 
 
 feparable,terrifying,and 
 threarning Ghoft^difturb 
 your Repofe by day 
 and by night, in all times, 
 and in all places. 
 
 Omnibus umbra locis aderit. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
*