A SERMON, PREACHED At the opening the Wednesday Lecture in All-Saints Church in Maldon.

Acts, Chap. 24. Verse 14.

But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call Heresie, so worship I the God of my Fathers.

IN the way to my Text, I judge it a reasonable tribute of
our gratitude to our Diocesan, to observe, how those blessed
Effects, and Influences of his paternal care and watchfulness,
which are conspicuous in all places of his Jurisdiction,
are in the most sensible manner made apparent to you,
the Inhabitants of this remote, and almost forgotten corner of
the Kingdom; and that in the occasion of our present meeting,
wherein you have restored to you a most laudable Privilege,

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which you have long wanted, your Weekly Lecture:
In which you must needs acknowledge your engagements to
your Bishop, who hath made himself a debtor to many Brethren
for your sakes: Nor is the Benefaction its self more worthy of
your Gratitude, than the piety of his Lordships intention in this
Lecture, may be commanding of your Thankfulness: Our Bishops
Hopes and Counsels, and Prayers are, not only that you
may have the gracious Arguments of Virtue, Patience, Righteousness,
and Holyness, without which, No Man shall see the
Lord, unfolded, and recommended to your Practice in the most
perswasive Applications: but also, that you may continue in all
soundness of Doctrine, and become armed against the arts, and
surprises of false Teachers, who do either obtrude their own Traditions,
for the Commandments of God, or attempt to withdraw
the Affections of Men from our most excellent Church
by false and unwarrantable misinterpretations of her Doctrines.
I say our most Excellent Church, which is loaded by Rome, with
the imputations of Heresie, because the endeavours to shrowd
her Members from the taint of Rome's Defilements: And has
been reviled by another sort of mistaken Christians, as being
her self Popish, because she labours to preserve the Holy Services
of God clean, from the unhallow'd violence of Man's Profaneness:
Now there cannot be a greater Service done to the Church
of Christ, than when his precious Depositum is kept unviolated,
or to the Edification of his Faithful, than, when the Instructions
tendered to them proceed purely from Truth and Soberness:
This being our Bishops now Charitable intention in this Lecture
which I am to open, I have made choice of this passage of
St. Paul, who here answers the impeachment of the Jews, who
had centured his Labours in Christ, his professing, and propagating
the Christian Religion, just as our Adversaries of the Church
of Rome do all our holy Ministrations, and Services in the support
of the Faith, and truth of the Blessed Jesus as a work of
Heresie, with this Confession, But this I confess unto thee, that

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after the way that they call Heresie, so worship I the God of my
Fathers. That which I shall endeavour at present, shall be the
vindication of the Doctrines and Measures of our Church, as
to some Matters of her Faith and Practice, which are quarrelled
at by our Roman Adversaries; which, in the most insolent Pomp.
and disdain, are exploded by them as Spots, and Deformities in
our Reformation. First, then, That wherewith they think
they shake us most, is this, that we are of a new Religion,
a novel and up-start Church, not able to make out a continuance
for two of sixteen Centuries.
This I take to be the most gainful plea of the Crafts-men
of their Diana, that by which she most fatally allures many
into the Labyrinth of her Delusions: Certainly as to her Doctrines,
the Monstresities of Transubstantiation, Purgatory, of
the Sacrifice of the Mass, and Prayers in a strange Language;
these can have no appearances so beautiful and tempting, as to
prove Charming in themselves, and captivate our Souls englighten'd
by the wisdom of the Gospel: But when they are told they embrace
a new Religion, a Religion not heard of in the Christian
World till these last two Hundred Years; this may possibly startle
ignorant Men, and justly requires our Consideration: In answering
therefore this Objection, I doubt not to expose the vanity,
and disappoint the impressions of such light pretences, and
manifest them to be no other but Noise and Cant. First, Then,
if by a new Church, they mean a Church introducing a new
Scheme of Faith and Belief; methinks that main part of old
essential Verities, wherein they and we agree, together with
our explicit belief of all the known Doctrines of the Scriptures,
and our implicit belief of all things therein contained, may in
great measure declare the Antiquity of ours; especially since we
retain all that Faith, and religiously adhere to all those Creeds,
which the third General Council held at Ephesus, adjudged to
be so material and comprehensive, as positively to forbid the
imposition or addition of any other, if that was the Old Faith

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which was professed by the Primitive Fathers of that Council,
how can ours now be denominated a new one, who have neither
diminished nor added to the Articles of their Belief? The
Creeds confirmed, and authorized in that Council, were that of
the Apostles, and that of Nice, and therefore methinks the
Faith founded on them may with some face pretend to Antiquity.
Again, if by a new Church, they mean a National Church
of but late Strength and Establishment; we deny not the present
Church of England to be a new Church in such a sense; but
then we answer withal, that such a new Church may be said,
without a Paradox, to contain as Old a Religion as the ancientest
foundation of Christ, though not for the Age of its Establishment,
yet for the Antiquity of its Truths and Doctrines,
which only properly speaking can Entitle any National Church
a part of the ancient Church of Christ: And this is the highest
mark of Antiquity our Church pretends to assume, that
she now professes that very Faith which our Saviour taught,
which his Holy Apostles profess'd, and propagated in the first
Ages of Christianity. And let Men pretend what they will,
the only Demonstration and Test of any particular Churches
Antiquity as it is a true or a corrupted part of the Catholick
Church of Christ must be the Antiquity of her Doctrines and
Principles, by reason as no Christian Church can be ancienter
than Christ, the Author and Finisher of our Faith: So again,
no particular Church, professing his ancient Faith and Truths,
can be said to introduce, or embrace a Religion younger than
that of Christ, because it then professes that very truth of
Christ, which has been professed by his Faithful in all Ages:
So that though the Church of England may be later than the
Church of Rome, in such respects as these; either, because
our Conversion to the Faith might possibly have been after
theirs; or again, because our particular establishment, as it
now stands, was enacted many Ages since the first settlement
of a Christian Church at Rome: Yet our Religion now, may be
ancienter still, than their's at present; if they are now changed,
and degenerated as 'tis demonstrable they are from that
Christian Purity, which anciently denominated them an uncorrupted
part of the Catholick Church; and we now faithfully
adhere with all Uprigthness and Integrity which we are ready
to make appear we do to that Faith of Christ which was once
delivered to the Saints; and as by many other Churches, so
anciently maintain'd by the Church at Rome: For, as their new
corruptions, and additional definitions of Faith must fall short
of those Ages wherein Christianity flourished with all Truth
and Purity; and those can be no other than the Days of
Christ, and his Apostles; so the old truths retained and professed
by us, must have been then most triumphant and prevailing.
And therefore that which has puzzled so many weak
and unlearned People of our Communion, to wit, the question
about the Age of our Religion, and our Church, may easily
be resolved if they distinguish the Antiquity of Seat and Place
which is nothing to the business from the Antiquity of Truths
and Doctrines; and this distinction must be allowed good even
by our Adversaries themselves, if they consider, that the dispute
now is not about the Antiquity of particular Sees and
national Constitutions, but the Antiquity of Faith and Religion
its self, which I hope may be the same in a Church of Yesterday's
Conversion, as it was in Antioch, which had the honour
to give the first Name to Christians.
Did the Church of Rome at any time esteem her own Antiquity
lessened, upon such a Consideration as this, that St. Peter
erected his Apostolical Seat first at Antioch, before ever he
had arrived at Rome? Or will she acknowledge a deference due
to that Church in point of Faith and Purity, because she had
the happiness to be Christened before her? I doubt the Mother
and Mistress of all Churches, as she delights to stile her
self, cou'd never stoop to such a Condescension: If my Faith
be found, and perfect now, can it be believed the more new,
and up-start, because not professed by my Fore-fathers, who knew
not the Truths? Or does my late Conversion if good and upright
diminish, or derogate from the Antiquity of Truth its
self? The Antiquity of all other things is calculated from their
Original, and beginning in the World, and why the same
rule won't do in Faith and Religion I understand not. Indeed,
if any particular Church cou'd make out a continu'd Succession
in all circumstances of Doctrine and Discipline, from the times
of the Apostles, unto this very day, this wou'd no doubt be
an incomparable Argument both of her Antiquity, and of
God's especial Goodness and Providence over her: But the
present Roman Church can no more make out such a Succession
than the present Church of England; and if she cou'd, still
such a Succession is not to be esteem'd the only mark of Truth
and Antiquity: And this I think cannot be more clearly illustrated
than from Matter of Fact, to which, we may appeal
in this case; for instance, there can be no Question, but the
ancient Faith of Christ is now professed by the true Faithful of
Christ, and shall continue to be so professed till the Day of Judgment;
and yet there is now no particular Church of the Faithful
that can make out such a Succession, nor any one Church
endowed with an assurance of continuing indefectibly in that
very State in which she is now, till the Day of Judgment.
I know the Church of Rome wou'd fain have us believe her
inspired with these infallible Accomplishments, but she must
produce a better Scheme of her Perfections, than what we
meet in her Trent Definitions; or she will never perswade us,
that she is any more like the Church Establish'd at Rome by
St. Peter, than St. Peter himself was like the most changed
and backsliding Apostle: For as to her Magnificent Stile in
writing her self the Church Apostolick, this must appear rather
a Character of Ornament and Shew, than any certain signification
of her necessary continuance in Truth and Purity. For,
were not the Apostolick Sees as liable to relapse, and degenerate,
as any founded by their Successors? Where is the glory
of Antioch, Ephesus, and Alexandria, which the Apostles themselves
planted and watered with the Dew of Heaven, which
those Heavenly Shepherds nourish'd with the blessed Food of
Evangelical Righteousness? And notwithstanding all the applauses
with which the present Romanists exalt themselves; I
doubt not, but were St. Peter to arise this moment from the
Dead, and visit the Conclave, or inspect the Councils of Rome,
but he wou'd be very much put to it, where to find Faith on
Earth.
I say therefore, her being founded by an Apostle if we grant
thus much can no more Entitle her indefectible in the Faith,
than it has the Churches of Antioch, Ephesus, and Alexandria,
which have either altogether failed, and forsaken the Name of
Christ; or are at least according to their own Roman Tenents
quite cut off for Schism or Heresie from the Communion of
what they call the true Church; let her shew when, and
where, God has anointed her with this Oyl of Perfection above
her Fellows: But now then, if an Apostolick Church may thus
recoil, and become impure, nay, since Christianity shall
not fail why must not some Churches be most pure, which
yet are not Apostolical, I mean taught and instructed by the
lively voice of the Apostles? If this be bad arguing, what may
we think of all the Churches Converted, and founded many
Ages since the days of the Apostles? Or, if this be a good Inference,
what Objection can it be against any particular Church
which is found, and upright in all her Doctrines, that she has
not continued for ever, that she is yet but of a very late Birth
and Duration? If her Doctrines are as Old as the Scriptures,
can the Religion of such a Church fall short of the Age of the
Gospel? If her holy Principles flourished in the ancientest Creeds
and Councils, can she reasonably be Reproach'd for an Innovation
of Two Hundred Years ago? This is the very case of
the Church of England, and for the truth of it, we appeal to
the Scriptures, to the ancientest Creeds, and Councils. Indeed,
the Church of Rome makes a great noise and show with the flourish
of her Succession; but if she means a Succession in purity
of Doctrines, we may easily convince her of Vanity and Tattle;
if she means a Succession in the outward circumstances, and appearances
of a Church, such as consists in true Pastors, Bishops,
and the like; I answer, that there may be such a visible
Succession, and yet that Church that enjoys it in many respects may
be very corrupt and unwarrantable; and this I think is sufficiently
acknowledg'd by the Church of Rome her self, which does
so far acknowledge the Succession of the Greek Church, as to
receive those Ordained by her, into her Communion, with allowance
of Orders received before; and yet whoever considers
the terms in which the Eastern Church now stands, with
that at Rome, must see little reason to conclude much of its
Perfection, from the Argument of Succession; indeed, there
cannot be a true Church without true Pastors and Bishops, but
there may be true Pastors and Bishops, i.e. Pastors, and Bishops
rightly called, and truly ordained, without a true Church in other
respects: Such Succession will indeed prove the Antiquity
of the Seat and Place, and justly denominate it a part of the
Catholick Church of Christ; but it can be no convincing Demonstration
of the purity of its Faith and Doctrines: And therefore
it must follow, that, even from an erroneous Church, may
be derived a true Ministery and Ordination; but, yet it can be
no greater Argument, that such a particular Church, namely,
as the Church of Rome, is a pure Church now, because an other,
to wit the Church of England, who is really so, owes her
Orders or first Episcopal imposition to hers; than it can be, that
because such a particular Man, for his own personal Virtue and
Integrity, shall certainly go to Heaven, therefore he also shall do
so, who made him a Christian: And this I the gladlier mention,
because it plainly answers that Sophistical Induction of the Romanists,
which infer that, because we say our Church derives
her Orders from her; therefore by proving our selves to be a
true Church, we must necessarily conclude their's to be so,
which is the same, as if a Man in declaring his Opinion of
their being Orthodox in some points and particulars, shou'd be
concluded positively to maintain them to be most regular in all
others. A more rational Inference from what has been said in
this case of Succession, must certainly be this, that such a Local
Succession of Pastors, and a settled Establishment from the days
of the Apostles to this time, is not essential to the constitution
of a true Church; but rather on the other side, whatever
Church hath a lawful Ministry, and a right Profession of found
Doctrine let her Succession be never so inconsiderable, though
not exceeding two years must have an equal Right and Title
to a Membership in the ancient Body of Christ, as any particular
Church of the most venerable Succession: And the reason
of the thing is very plain, for, if a Church has a true Ministry,
and a right belief, now what signifies it how long she has enjoy'd
it; she can then want no means to bring Souls to Heaven,
and what advantage can the ancientest Constitution in the
World obtain above her: The Seat where the Religion is fixed
may be new, but the Religion Establish'd, as Old as Truth it
self: And thus I hope the Churches which were the earliest
planted in the World, were as true Churches the first day after
their Plantation, as when they had survived various Centuries:
So that it must be impertinent in our Adversaries to require us
to produce a Succession of Protestant Bishops, so long as there
cou'd be no reason any Bishops shou'd be called Protestant; i.e.
Such Bishops, who protest against Innovations and Corruptions
in the Religion of Christ, till they had defiled God's heavenly
Truths with their Traditionary Pollutions; or again, so long as
we prove our Protestant Faith and Church to be no other, but
a Professor of that Faith, and a Member of that Apostolical
Church, which they have Corrupted; or lastly, so long as

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they are Corruptions introduced by them, which we disavow,
and protest against: Let them prove us defective in any one
essential point of a true Church, and we will yet thankfully receive
it, but this their own fruitless endeavour towards it, may
evince they cannot, and therefore to talk of Novelty and Innovations,
where the Truths are as ancient as the Gospel, and
the Apostles, must argue great Folly in them that urge it, but
more inconsideration in us shou'd we regard it. As we are able
to justifie our cause from all their foulest Imputations, so shall
they never be able to prove our Religion a Novelty, though
its Establishment were but of Queen Elizabeth; for it is the
Antiquity of true Faith only, that we contend for, which can
never be obscured by the latest Profession, because what was
truth in the Apostles time must be so now; and that Church,
which cleaves stedfastly to that, be its Succession never so
late must be both Catholick and Apostolick in the purest
meaning.
After all this stir of Novelty and Antiquity, I see no other
difference in our case, and that of the Romanists but this, that
our Religion is apparently conspicuous in the best and most
Apostolical Centuries; and their's manifest enough in the flourishing
Days of Ignorance and Superstition, when Scriptures
were banished, and the least appearance of such Truth, as seemed
to thwart the progress of an aspiring Monarchy, was silenced
and disabled: That which seems so much to take with inconsiderate
Men, to wit, such Queries as this, Had not God his
true Church in these days of Blindness and Ignorance, which
you Protestants allude to, if so, Then which cou'd be this true
Church, but that at Rome, may easily be removed if they observe
First, That a local and visible Establishment, such as
can be pointed to though we have many such to refer to in
the Eastern parts of Christendom, even in the blindest Ages,
besides that at Rome is not essential to the proving of a true
Church, because the true Church of Christ was most illustrious
before it had enjoyed any Local Establishment whatever. Secondly,
If we consider, that though there were in those times
true Christians, yet it cannot be imagined that they shou'd have
appear'd forward to make Discoveries of themselves, in such
Seasons, when they experienc'd the sharpest Eyes and heaviest
Hands ready to destroy them: So that though we must believe
God had always a true Church, yet we stand not necessitated
directly to know what numerical and individual People made
up that true Church, much less to confess it to have been the
present Establishment at Rome; no, we can no more be oblig'd
to such a Confession as this, than to acknowledge, that the visible
company of the Jews made up the true Church of God:
than, when they were even swallow'd up of Idolatry, and
none but the All-seeing Eye of God able to discover the 7000
Knees which had never bowed to Baal; it is no Tergiversation
therefore; it is no Shuffling, I say though we can't point to it's
individual Members to assert, That God had even then a true
Church, because he has expresly told us, he will have a true
Church for ever; but it must be a most irrational consequence
to conclude, that it was the Roman, when it was the Roman
alone, from whence arose all those misty Tempests and Darkness,
which had obscured the Truth, nay, which had most
grievously then oppress'd and over-born her: If we are not
now able to name who those good Christians were, that then
made up the true Church; we may thank their Furnaces, Inquisitions,
and Expurgatory Subtilties, which affrighted them
from the Light, and still took care to stifle the least occasions
of their manifestations. We confess, God had always his
true Church, and this is agreeable to his Word, but we acknowledge
not that it was the Church of Rome, for this reason,
because she was then, as she is now, most contradictory to
the Truths of his Word.

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And thus I proceed to another Principle of our Church, impeached
of Heresie by that of Rome, and that is our ways
and methods of finding out the Truth: Now these are no other
than what depend upon these two divine Principles, Scripture
and Reason, which, as they are the immediate Gifts of God,
flowing from the Excellency and Perfections of his own blessed
Spirit, so methinks they may not improperly be imploy'd in
his Divine Service: The Religious Man, in Scripture, is frequently
Entitled the Wife and the Understanding Man; and
Wisdom, and Religion are generally used to denote one and
the same thing, but how there can be the greatest Wisdom
and Understanding where there must not be the least use or
pretences to Reason, I leave to these Despisers of Reason to illustrate.
The Wise Man tells us, A blind Sacrifice is an abomination
to the Lord, and we often meet the Holy Ghost in the
Scriptures, lashing at the Sacrifice of Fools, both which are
demonstratively comprehended in that rebuke of our Saviour
against the People of Samaria, saying, Te know not what ye
Worship; and now what can all these Passages suggest to us
but this, that whosoever will pay a fit and suitable Worship
to God, ought throughly to know and understand the Nature
and Excellency of the Divine Majesty, as far as he has been
pleased to reveal himself; and then as one wou'd think, nothing
can more effectually instruct us in this Celestial Knowledge,
than the very Writings and express Revelations of God
himself; so it seems to me next door to a contradiction, for
any Man to aver, that the most infallible way to come to a
right Knowledge and Understanding of God, is to set aside
our Reason, without which, 'tis impossible to know or understand
at all; or again, to renounce the Scriptures which
are the only Books in the World, which his infallible Spirit
has left us for our surer guidance and direction to that blessed
Knowledge.
Perhaps, it may be suggested here, that the Mysteries and
sublime Articles of our Religion, such as the Incarnation, the
Trinity, and the Resurrection, which all infinitely transcend
the highest Capacities of our Reason, depend not on the use
of our Reason, but Faith, which is of those things which are
invisible, even to the most piercing Eye of Man's Reason;
so that we must leave our Reason in the way to our embracements
of them, but this no way weakens the force of our
Argument: For these Mysteries surpass indeed the comprehension
of our Reason, yet the authority upon which we receive
them into our Creed, lies open to our Reason, such as
is the voice of the Scriptures, and the example of the purest
Ages of the Church of Christ; which Reason recommends
to us as the surest guides, to direct us in all Matters of Religion:
And though indeed Reason cannot demonstrate to us
the ineffable ways and explications of these Truths, yet Reason
furnishes us with this Demonstration, that they ought to
be received for the Truths of Christ; upon this account,
because whatever is proposed to our belief upon such infallible
Evidences as the Revelation of God's Word, and the uninterrupted
Authority of his Primitive Church in all Ages, ought in
reason to be believed as true.
I acknowledge, were not these Articles of our Creed manifestly
contained either in the express Words, or in the necessary
conclusions of Scripture, or in the explications of the
purest Ages of our Religion, the belief of them wou'd be irrational,
and these unwarrantably crowded upon the belief of a
Christian: And therefore, even in those very Articles, which exceed
our Reason, it is still Reason which must justifie our Faith:
What, is our Reason given us for no other end, than to consult
for the ease and satisfaction of our Bodies, or must that
most sublime faculty of our Souls be no ways interess'd or engag'd
for its own Happiness and Salvation? Again, can we
think the Divine Wisdom had no design in dictating the Scriptures,
or has he express'd his intention to reach only the Learned
and the Wise? Did not our Lord once make this the most
expressive Argument, that the Messiah was come, viz. The
poor have the Gospel Preached unto them? And must it not seem
very strange, that Matters shou'd be so inverted since he is
gone, and this very Gospel left to us in Writing, that it is
to be inspected now only by Doctors and Philosophers? Though
the Poor have the Gospel still Preached unto them; yet the use
of the Scriptures may well be registred to make up those defects
and imperfections which our Preaching now abounds
with, in respect of those more powerful and efficacious Institutions
of Christ and his Apostles.
I know none of us who are able to Convert Three Thousand
with a Sermon; nor indeed, can we pretend to enforce
any thing worthy of belief in you that hear us, but what
we our selves fetch from that Fountain of heavenly Wisdom,
which is the written Word of God: And then, why every
Man may not as well Read, as hear the Gospel read to him;
I leave to that blessed Spirit to determine, which exhorteth all
Men to search the Scriptures. No doubt, as God has given
us Reason to make us capable of Understanding, and Glorifying
his Divine Majesty, so has he given us his Scriptures also,
on purpose to exalt and englighten our Reason, and convince
us all of the reasonableness of our Religious Services; and I
confess, I see not how that Man can be able to pay his reasonable
Service to God, who has taken up a belief in him
without Reason; for let the Religion professed by such a Man
be never so Holy and Pure, and true in its self, still in respect
of such a Professor, this must be own'd rather to Chance and
Fortune, than such a choice and wisdom as may affirm with
the Bless'd Jesus, We know what we Worship: For without Knowledge,
there can be no Belief, and without Belief, no true
coming unto God: But further, what reasonable Satisfaction
can this be to any Man, to encourage him in his Perseverance
in his Religion in times of Tryals and Temptations; to consider,
he has taken up his Religion by Chance, and though
he knows not why, yet still he is to be sure that he is in the
right.
But can any thing here touch the Proselytes of Rome, who,
without troubling Scripture or Reason for the confirmations
of their Evidence, tell us, they enjoy a far more infallible
Rock, and certainty of their Faith, to wit, the Voice and
Testimony of the Church. In truth, if we search into this
Rock, it will appear no other than that Sandy Foundation,
which was the choice of the foolish Builder: Let us reason the
Case with some Roman Votary: Does thy Church, sayest thou,
tell thee thy Faith is true, then let me ask thee how thou
knowest that the Church which tells thee so is true her self;
doest thou appeal to the Marks and Notes of a true Church,
then I demand again, how dost thou know what peculiar
Marks and Notes are the Marks and Notes of the true Church?
Or again, how is it become certain to thee, that all these
peculiar Marks and Notes do particularly fit and agree with
thy particular Church in all respects? He that gets over these
Questions without Scripture and Reason, must be Master of
more than a Jesuitical flight and artifice; for this must be to
judge of Notes without Judgment, to pronounce a conclusion
without Premises; for where the conclusion is the result of
Premises, there must needs be reasoning: Indeed, this can be
no other, than to reply, Why she is true, because she is true:
And yet I dare boldly affirm, they shall never be able to get
further in the certainty of Faith, who shall first reject the
Scriptures as to ambiguous and unintelligible; and then renounce
their Reason as a thing dangerous, and reducing all to
a private Spirit. But they are not brought to a stand yet,
they have behind a glorious reserve, they will still tell us they
have Councils and Fathers on their side; but to express the
weakness of this hold, how many Volumes of Learn'd Protestants
are there extant, which remain so many monuments
of the groundless vanity of their Plea from Fathers? and if
the four first general Councils may be allow'd worthy of the
name of Councils, we defie the most Artificial Crafts men of
them all to produce thence but one line which may appear
serviceable to the cause of Popery.
But to leave this Contest with the Learned, must it not be ridiculous
in any unlearned Man to renounce the Scriptures, which were
written on purpose for his Instruction in Religion, and which
he may of himself be able both to read and understand, as to
all matters of belief and practice, and betake himself to pleas
from Fathers and Councils, when he is not able so much as
to tell the Letters of that Language in which those Fathers and
Councils were written, when he can be able to judge neither
when those Fathers writ, nor yet what one Opinion they
have left behind them: must there not be a much more rational
satisfaction from such a plain Text of Scripture as this,
Drink ye all of this, to invite us to receive the Cup, than a
Thousand pretended Quotations from such Fathers and Councils
which the unlearn'd are able neither to disprove nor comprehend,
to affright us from the Cup, that we shou'd be deceived
by the plain real truths of the Gospel: 'tis impossible
but the real Doctrines of fallible Men will be liable to deceive
us. But after all, is not this to relapse and be found tampering
with the dangerous consequences of protestant reasoning, thus
to alledge Councils and Fathers: For why does any Man appeal
to Councils and Fathers fancies, he makes them the measures
of his belief, at least of the truth of that point in which
he appeals to them? wou'd he believe as he does, if he apprehended
he had no reason from their authorities to believe so,
and then how does his Faith differ more from that of a private
judgment, than the Faith of a credulous Protestant, who declaies
he believes thus and thus, because he judges the Scriptures
enjoyn him to believe thus and thus; all the difference
that I can perceive between the two Churches here is this;
The one, to wit, the Papist, Reasons from the Testimonies
of fallible Men; but the other, namely, the Protestant, from
the assurances of the infallible Dictates of God's Holy Spirit.
That which here determines the Belief in both, is no doubt
one and the same thing, viz. Man's private Judgment, which
influences the one to believe so and so, and the other to believe
thus and thus, because it appears most reasonable to
them to believe so: And I appeal to any one of that Church,
whether he wou'd thus absolutely give up his Faith to the
Church, did he not think he had great reason so to do; and
then again, whether that Man which owns thus much, does
not in great measure acknowledge himself a Judge of the
Principles of his Religion; let them talk what they will,
the Papist judges for himself as well as the Protestant; for
if we are said to judge, when we declare to believe the
Scriptures upon the authority of an Universal Tradition, may
not they be said to judge, when they declare they believe
in the Church, upon the single authority of her own
assertion?
If they please, they may deny what both they and we
do practice; and indeed, what is not only undeniable, but
what the very Voice and Commandment of God has enjoyn'd
us to perform; in one place, directing us to try all
things, and hold fast that which is good; in another place,
believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits whether they
be of God or no: Again, be ye ready to render a reason
of the hope that is in you, nay, lastly, we have the express
approbation of our Saviour himself, telling us, If the
Blind lead the Blind, they shall both fall into the Ditch, and again
why of your selves judge ye not what is right: Can
any thing be more clear, than that the Holy Ghost in these
places excites us to respect our own Judgment and Reason
in the choice of our Religion: For, how shall that Man be

D

able to render a Reason of his hope, who makes a Profession
of a hope upon no Reason at all? How shall he judge the
Spirits that tries them not? Or again, how shall he make
tryals, who professes to use neither Judgment nor Reason
in matters of Religion? Nay, further, how comes our Saviour
to wonder so much, why, Judge not of your selves
what is right; if nothing be more disagreeable to true Righteousness,
than a Man's own private Conclusions and Judgment.
I say again, these Texts must refer to the tryals of Religion,
and therefore we may bid much good may do them
with their implicit Faith, which is as much as to declare
as to my Religion, I believe what I know not, and I know
not what I must believe; which is to approve the Spirits
without trying; and to conclude them to be of God, without
so much as enquiring what kind of Spirits they are of
which belong to God: Nay, which is apparently to profess
Doctrines, which 'tis impossible they shou'd render a Reason
of, for without knowledge there can be no Reason
given, and no Man will pretend to know that explicitly,
of which he professes purely an implicit Belief, nay, perhaps
which he understands not that he does believe, till the
Church upon an occasion rubs up his Faith and Memory,
and tells him he must, and he does believe it. I am sure
this is such a kind of Faith, which Christ himself detested to
impose; for we may observe, that he never recommended any
thing to the belief of the Jews, but what he still confirmed
with such Tokens as might convince the meanest Spectators
of its Truth; nay, we find he taught his Disciples many
essential Doctrines before his Death, which they believed
not, but did not Anathematize their incredulity, till they
became able to bear them, till they had beheld that most
convincing Demonstration then remaining, even the irresistible
sign of his Resurrection: Nay, that nothing of certainty
might be wanting to the satisfying the Reason of
Man, even after that glorious Demonstration, he humbly
condescended to let mistrustful Thomas thrust his Fingers into
the very holes of the Nails, and behold the Prints in
his Side.
Is here any thing like the imposition of an implicit
Faith, or such a groundless Belief as obliges us not only
to abandon our Reason with all the strongest Convictions
of our Senses, but also to renounce the helps even of the
inspired Writings of that blessed Comforter, which was
sent on purpose to lead us into all Truth: Since Christ himself
was pleased thus meekly to condescend in the giving
satisfaction to our Infirmities, what kind of relation can that
Church bear to him, which disdains a submission to an Examination,
either by Reason, or the blessed Rule of God's
own Word: I am sure it must be a shrewd sign, that that
Church, which makes this refusal, is reconcileable neither
to Reason nor Scripture; for were she agreeable to either,
why shou'd she so imperiously decline a tryal by the two
most Godlike Principles we are enriched with, which certainly
Scripture and Reason may be acknowledged to be; neither
can it be any great disgrace to the purest Church to
be made appear conformable to them. I confess, I can't but
admire the subtilty of the Church of Rome, in usurping
thus an Authority above all Examination, since her Definitions
of Faith are such, as far transcend the Explications either
of Scripture or Reason, the clearest measures which God
has left us to examine by: Is it not much the wisest way to
put off such Commodities by the Gross, which we are satisfied
won't bear a particular inspection? Is there not much
greater security to such a Cause in an implicit Faith, which
swallows down all at a lump, than such an explicit one as
may be curious and inquisitive, and desire the satisfaction of
Sense and Reason; I see no false step here on their Churches

D2

side, in point of Carnal Prudence and Worldly Policy, but
methinks that must be an unintelligible Devotion indeed,
which does thus contentedly ensnare his Soul for a Pig in a
Poke, for what he is neither to scruple, nor yet to understand.
And thus you see upon what contradictory and irreconcileable
positions the Church of England and the Church
of Rome are founded at present: that they are as far from
one another as Scripture and no Scripture, Reason and no
Reason, Antiquity and Innovations, Truth and Falshoods;
and as the Churches stand at variance, so have the faithful
Members of our Church upon all occasions and opportunities
appear'd in defiance of Rome's Corruptions; it is not
many years since most of us beheld, and all of us heard
with what steadiness and Devotion, with what Resignation
to the will of God, and disdain to the pollutions of Men,
the Members of our Church, like so many Illustrious Confessors
withstood the attempts and sollicitations, the threatnings
and invitations of the Whorish Woman: Withstood
them, I say, even then, when many of the Members of our
separate Congregations, who had before shew'd themselves
most uneasie in their fears of Popery, gave life and boldness
to her growing hopes, by their unseasonable Addresses
and Compliances. I speak not this with a desire to make advantages
of the weakness, or by way of insult over the
inconstancy of our fellow Christians now in Charity.
I perswade my self they were rather outreach'd by the
policies, than debauch'd by the principles of Rome, and there
is nothing we ought all more heartily to pray for, or more religiously
endeavour than a mutual forgetfulness of all infirmities:
but I speak it with hopes, that as such Protestants
must acknowledge their error in siding with Popery then;
so they will blush when they upbraid our Church as a
Daughter of Babylon now: if Men wou'd but credit their
own eyes, or give place to the arguments presented to their
own understandings, we need not appeal to other than our
adversaries themselves, whether they can still believe our divine
service to be what some people do ignorantly miscall
it Popery in English, who remember the toleration and liberty
given to every Soul, to run as far out of our Church
and the found of its divine service as they pleased, managed
by the artifice set on foot, and carry'd on by the influence
of the Papists: if the way to Rome lies through a Communion
with our Church as such Men dream, how come the Romanists
who are no strangers to their own interests to seduce
Men out of our Communion as the readiest road to
Popery; had they seen with some Mens eyes amongst us, and
found any thing in our Communion which looks kind and
serviceable to the cause of their own superstitions, 'tis not
to be believed they wou'd so publickly have tempted all Men
out of our Communion, with the alluring promises of the
royal favour; I take that liberty and toleration then given
by the Papistry, to be so manifest an argument and declaration,
of that opposition which our Church, in every particular
of its constitution bears to Popery, which, as every eye
might discern it, so every well-meaning Man ought to be
convinced by it, and retract his censures. The Papists knew
well enough there wou'd be no enlarging their own, without
first thining our Churches, that the Mass Book cou'd
make no advances, whilst the Common-Prayer stood in reputation;
that the only probability they cou'd have of making
any Proselytes must be to get Men as far out of the
bosom of our Church as possible.
Methinks the pretences of some in separation from us, who
reproach our service for Popish, and the practices of the Papists
who were for drawing all Men out of our Communion
as a bar to Popery, are very hard to be reconciled. The
Conclusion from such considerations must be this, Either the
Papists understand not what makes up the Popish Religion,
or the divine service of our Church, which they appeared so
eager to suppress and disgrace, can be no friend to Popery.
No, be not deceived my Beloved, the infamous names and
characters, such as Schismaticks, Hereticks, and the like, which
they fasten upon us, and wherewith they attempt to blacken
the brightest services of all our holy ministrations; the continual
succession of Plots, Stratagems, and Intrigues, which
from Age to Age we have heard and seen formed by Papists
against our holy reform'd Church, from the very first appearance
of its establishment, are and have been Arguments
sufficient to convince all Generations, of the irreconcilable
distance between the Doctrines of Rome, and the principles
of the Church of England: It must be astonishing therefore
to consider, what Sport and Pastime Rome makes of us after
all: when she still so far intoxicates our heads by her
snares of Division, wherewith she lyes in wait to deceive,
and shatters all the foundations of our wisdom and understanding,
by those winds of Doctrines which she has raised
and let loose amongst us, that we turn the wrath and disaffection
we profess to Popery, against that Church which
has in so many, in such illustrious instances manifested her
self the noblest bulwork against Popery, which we may
with modesty express to be the only terror and envy of the
Papists. Is not this the most formidable master-piece of
those deluders, to work up a profess'd enemy to such a
thoughtless zeal of indignation, as to make him fall foul upon
his friends, and under the pretence of wounding his enemy,
give the mortal stroke to his own strongest defence,
which must be the accomplishment of all those shou'd they
ever have their end, which God forbid who labour to overthrow
the Church of England whom Rome has ever treated
as her most deadly foe in order to the reforming Religion
in such a manner wherein it may remain out of all danger
of Popery; this is such an undertaking wherein I am
sure the hearts and hands of Romanists will never be wanting.
The most weak and feeble Animals are seldom to be caught
twice in the same Ginns, neither will the silliest of Creatures
run with open Eyes upon the naked Toil; nay, is it not a
common proverbial Observation among us, that even the
burnt Child dreads the Fire? and shall we with our singed
Fingers catch at those flames of Disunion, wherewith our
Adversaries have so often reduced us to the most terrible Extremities,
wherewith in the last Age they had well nigh consumed
both us and our Religion? When we have so fatally
smarted under the Sting and Poison, shall we still hug and
cherish the Viper that breeds it? O no, let not us who really
wish well to the true Israel of God, who have experienced,
and must be abundantly sensible of the Uncleanness and
Abominations lodged in the inworks of Babylon; let not us,
I say, fortifie her Walls by the works of our Hands, let us
not protest against her Pollutions, and at the same time do
the Drudgeries of her Tyranny; exclaim against her Superstitions,
and pull down the Holy Temple of God's Truth,
carry the name of Protestants and Reformists, and apply
all our Parts, and Wisdom, and Counsels in the undermining
the sacred foundations of that Protestant Church, which is
the most solid and beauteous Pillar in the Reformation; no,
I beseech you my Beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus,
that ye be rather cloathed with Meekness, and like that glorious
Author and Finisher of our Faith, put on Bowels of
Love and Reconciliation, that this may appear before all the
World to be the true, natural and proper Character of an
English Protestant, That he is one, who is more large in his
Charities, and humble in his Censures, more compassionate to
his Brethren, and forgiving to his Enemies, more devoted to
God, and inseparable from the Services of his Church, than
all other Sects and Professions of Christians whatever. To
conclude all, let not us, to whom God has vouchsafed the
inestimable Blessing of a right Knowledge and Faith in
Christ, suffer so glorious a Treasure to lie dead and languid,
and fruitless in our Souls for want of Works: Let us convince
the World of the Excellency of our Faith and Religion,
in the Uprightness and Purity of our Lives, always
bearing in our Minds this Description of the Holy Apostle,
in which he explains to us the end and intention of our
Christian Faith, saying, the Grace of God which bringeth
Salvation, hath appeared to all Men, teaching us, that denying
Ungodliness, and Worldly Lusts, we shou'd live Soberly,
and Righteously, and Godlily in this present World.

FINIS.