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Minds of Men, that, under all thefe Difcouragements, and notwithstanding the laft Inftance of their Malice, against our bleffed Saviour, which they thought had effectually destroy'd the farther Propagation of his Doctrine, we find his Difciples preaching with fuch undaunted Courage in Support of what they afferted, that the Minds of their Hearers were immediately convinced, and The Sound of the Heavenly Evangelifts " and Apoftles went out into all Lands, and their "Words into the Ends of the Earth." So that they who derived their Ignorance from their Ancestors, be-ing freed from their cruel Mafters, and eafed from their heavy Burthens, by the Power of Chrift, and the Preaching and Miracles of his Difciples, did, with Scorn, reject the Multitude of gods brought in by Devils, and acknowledged One only God, Maker of All Things, and Him they worshipped, agreeable to that Holy and Reasonable Religion, which our Saviour had inftituted and taught to Mankind.

Thus the Doctrine of Chrift and His Apoftles was received and obeyed by the Primitive Chriftians: But by Degrees in a few Ages the Simplicity of the Gofpel both in Faith and Worship was corrupted, and more especially by the Church of Rome; which almost in every Age encreased her Errors and Tyranny; And forefeeing that a Reformation wou'd foon change the Face of Religion, and clearly discover and lay open her moft Antichriftian Artifices, fet in Motion all the Springs. of her refined Politicks to maintain the Errors and Abufes from which the drew fuch vaft Gains; and to extinguifh a Light that was likely to prove fo deftructive of her Grandeur. She fpared neither her Bulls, nor Anathemas, to render the pious Reformers odious to all the World. She raised against them all the different Bodies of her Clergy, whofe miferable Ignorance and Corruption they fo briskly attack'd. She branded them with the detestable Name of Hereticks and Schifmaticks, as having forfaken the Faith and diffoly'd the

* P/alm 18.4.

Unity

Unity of the Chriftian Church. She alledged that they neither had any Regard to the Worship of God, nor any Chriftian Difcipline among them. In fhort, fhe inAluenced the Multitude to believe, that a Man cou'd not profefs himself a Proteftant without being tainted with all Sorts of Errors and Crimes. But the Reformation was too neceffary, plain, and just not to find Numbers of good People difpos'd to embrace it. They who had long groan'd under the intolerable Yoke of the Superftitions and Tyrannies of the Church of Rome, were rejoiced to receive the pure Light of the Gofpel, and thofe who preach'd it with fuch forcible Evidence against her Corruptions, as well in Points of Doctrine and Worfhip, as Manners and Difcipline. So that without any Worldly Aid, it has not only spread itself into many Countries, but is the established Religion of many Kingdoms in a very few Years Time. This happy Reformation has proved, that the Churches in thole Days, and doth tell us, and will inform our Pofterity, that in every Kingdom, State and Principality, which hath thus renounced the Superftition and Antichriftian Religion of the prefent Church of Rome, and embraced the pure Gospel of Chrift, the Primitive and Apoftolical Days of the Church are again in great Meafure restored.

The better therefore to convince our malicious Adverfaries that they ought not to perfift in their Calumnies, and to prevent the bad Influence they may poffibly have on fome weak Minds of our own Communion, we shall vindicate the Proteftant Religion from all the Afperfions that the Enemies of the Reformation wou'd fix upon it, by clearly fhewing, that in our Separation from the prefent Church of Rome, we have acted without Regard to any other Intereft than our Duty towards God; that what we reject, the Gospel of Chrift rejects, or never approved of, and that we only chufe to adhere to the Faith and Practice of Chrift and his Apostles, and of the true Primitive Chriftians, rather than to continue in thofe wicked and pernicious Errors, which we charge them with, and fhall directly prove upon them.

And

And this we shall make out, First, By demonftra、 ting, that in the grand Points in Difference between us and the Papifts, the Primitive Church in general, and the beft learned Fathers believed as the Proteftants do at this Day.

Secondly, We fhall refute more particularly and diftin&tly the most notorious Doctrines held by the prefent Church of Rome, as neceffary to Salvation, which in themfelves are either new, or abfolutely falfe, or condemn'd by God's Word.

Thirdly, We fhall take a Review of the State of the Roman Church, from their own Teftimonies for many hundred Years before the Reformation; By which it will appear, that it was no very difficult Matter in those Days to impofe the most notorious Falfhoods upon the credulous and undifcerning World.

Laftly, We fhall fhew the juft Caufes of our Separation from the prefent Church of Rome, and offer fome Realons for our perfevering in the Proteftant. Principles.

CHAP. I.

W Difference between us and the Papifts, the Pri

E are now to prove, that in the grand Points in

mitive Church in general, and the best learned Fathers believed, as the Proteftants do at this Day.

This we shall endeavour to do in a moft p'ain and familiar Method, by fhewing, that the Doctrine of our Religion, is agreeable to the Word of God, and the Doctrine delivered in the Writings of the Fathers in the first Ages after Chrift; but that the Popish Tenets do flatly contradict thole Teftimonies, which will be abundantly fufficient to evince the Truth of the One, and Fallity of the Other; becaufe. no Article of Faith can be true, which weakens or fubverts the Grounds or Foundation of the

Chriftian

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Chriftian Religion; nor no Religion whatsoever can be authentick, which impofes thofe Things as neceflary to Salvation, which are either abfolutely falfe, or condemned by God's Word.

All Proteftants affert, that the Holy Scriptures are the fafe Means whereby God hath been pleased to reveal unto us his Commands, and the only means whereby we can. come to the Knowledge of the Chriftian Religion, and confequently the only Means whereby we can be enabled to worship God according to his Will, which Will, it hath pleafed the Goodness and Wisdom of God to deliver to us in thofe Writings which we call the Holy Scriptures; fo that whatever Worship is not according to thefe Holy Oracles, is not true, but falfe and vain: And such our Affertion is particularly witneffed by the Word of God.

(a)" All Scripture, fays St. Paul, is given by the In"fpiration of God, and is profitable for Doctrine, for

Reproof, for Correction, for Inftruction in Righ"teouinefs, that the Man of God might be perfect, and "thoroughly furnished unto all good Works." Again, (b)" They are able to make us Wife unto Salvation." Which they could not be able to do, if they contained not a perfect Doctrine, of all fuch Points of Faith as we are bound to believe, and of the Duties we are required to practile.

And again, (c) Though we, or an Angel from Heaeven, preach any other Gofpel unto you, than that ye "have received, let him be accursed.

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(d)" Ye fhall not add unto the Word, which I command you, faith the Lord, neither fhall you diminish ought "from it, that ye may keep the Commandments of the "Lord your God, which I command you. (e) "Turn "not from it to the Right Hand, or to the Left, that "thou mayft profper whitherfoever thou goeft.

(a) 2 Tim. 3. 16, 17. (b) 2 Tim.3. 15. (c) Gal. 1.8 9. (d) Deut.4.2. (e) fo.1.7.

"Every

(a)" Every Word of God is pure, faith the Wifeft of "Men: Add thou not unto his Words left he reprove "thee, and thou be found a Liar.

(b) "If any Man fhall add unto thefe Things, God "fhall add unto him the Plagues that are written in this "Book: And if any Man fhall take away from the Words "ot the Book of this Prophefy, God fhall take away his "Part out of the Book of Lite, and out of the holy City, and from the Things which are written in this "Book."

How then fhall we fay to these Men? or what Manner of Men are they? and how is it we are to call them, which equal their Doctrines, Injunctions, Precepts, and Traditions to the Word of God? Now, that this is the Cafe of thofe of the Religion of the prefent Church of Rome, will be evident to any from thefe Testimonies.

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For of their Doctrine, fay the Rhemists, (c) "What"foever the lawful Apoftles, Paftors, or Priefts of God's "Church, preach in the Unity of the fame Church (meaning the new Church of Rome) is to be taken for "God's own Word." To the fame Purpose, but more blafphemously fpeaketh Stapleton, "(d) As the Jews were to believe Chrift, fo are we fimply, and in every Thing "to believe the Church (of Rome) whether it teacheth "Truth, or Errors.

(e) "Whatsoever by the Authority of the Church is "commanded, ought of all Men to be esteemed "as the very Gospel, faith Abbot Trithemius." Of Popish Precepts: (f) "He that defpifeth the Churches "or her, lawful Paftors Precepts, c. And of their Traditions; (g) "He that refufeth Ecclefiaftical Tradi❝tion, deferveth to be thrown out of the Church among the Heathen, as well as he which refuseth the Gospel,

(a) Prov. 30.5, 6. (b) Rev. 22. 18, 19. (c) Teft. Rhem. An. 1 Theff. 2. 12. (d) Staple. a Evang. in Luke: 10. 16. p. 528. (e) Tract de propriet. Monarch. Cap. 4. (f) Teft. Rhem. An, i Theff. 4.8. (g) Stella in Luk. 10. fol.20.

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