THE DOCTRINE Or SCRIPTURE. This is the reason of the case; this the holy Scripture prescribes; this is according to the primitive doctrine, tradition, and practice of the church: for, - 10. In reason, the nature of any spiritual office consisting in in- struction in truth and guidance in virtue toward attainment of salva- tion, if any man leads into pernicious error or impiety, he thereby ceases to be capable of such office; as a blindman, by being so, ceases to be a guide, and much more he that declares a will to seduce, for " who so blind as he that will not see ? "' No man can be bound to follow any one into the ditch, Matt. xv. 14, or to obey any one in prejudice to his own salvation, to " die in his iniquity," Ezek. iii. 18; seeing God says in sucha case, Mársv ri svra! tes, " Invain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the precepts of men," Matt. xv. 9. They themselves acknowledge that heretics cease to be bishops, and so to be popes. Indeed, they cease to be Christians ; for s arpco rat ó roioúroç, " such a one is subverted." 11. According to their principles, the pope has the same relation to other bishops and pastors of the church which they have to their people, he being pastor of pastors; but if any pastor should teach bad doctrine, or prescribe bad practice, his people may reject anddis- obey him: therefore, in proportion, the pastors may desert the pope, misguiding or misgoverning them. In such cases, any inferior is ex- empted from obligation to comply with his superior, either truly or pretendedly such.' 12. The case may be, that we may not hold communion with the pope, but may be obliged to shun him; in which case his authority fails, and no man is subject to him. 13. This is the doctrine of the Scripture. The high priest andhis fellows, under the Jewish economy, had no less authority than any pope can now pretend unto. They " sat in the chair of Moses," Matt. xxiii. 2, xv. 6, and therefore all their true doctrines and law- ful directions the people wereobliged to learn and observe; but their false doctrines and impious precepts they were bound to shun,' and, consequently, to disclaim their authority, so far as employed in urg- ing such doctrines and precepts. "Apere ccvroJç, " Let them alone," says our Saviour, " they are blind leaders of the blind," chap. xv. 14. Under the Christian dispensation the matter is no less clear. Our not a Christian." Non omnes episcopi episcopi sunt. Id. " All bishops are not bi- shops." Oi rap' aúroiç xaráoxe,rar, ob yáp iorioxovroi. Ataan. Cond. Ap. viii. 2. " They with them are scouts or spies, not overseers or bishops." 1 Luke vi. 39, M,k, Siirarae rvq».4 rupáv óleye v; Bell. de P. R., 2, 30, p. 1083. 3 Matt. xvi. 6, `Opárt xal Tperdx'ert zrrá rrç óooeç . áTó rrç Mtaxrçr verse 12. Beware and take heed of the leaven . ... of the doctrine," &c.
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