Serm. XXXII. of adding to the Dodrine of the Gofpel, 2 3 3 any other of the Apoflles, concerning whofe Divine Cominiffion and Afiiftance they were fo fully fatisfied,, fhould deliver any thing to them contraryto the Gof- pel which they had formerly preached,: they were to reject it with the greateft abhorrence and deteftation; and this neceffarily fuppofeth a liberty toexamine what was delivered, even by thofe whom they believed to be infallpbiy affifted, and a capacity to difcern and judge whether what they faid was agreeable to the Gofpel at firft delivered to them or not. And after this, (hall any Perfon or Church (what Claim foever they may make to Infallibility) affume to themfelves an Authority to dictate in matters of Faith, and that their Dictates ought to be received with an abfolute fub- miffion, and without liberty to examine whether theybe agreeable to the Faith once delivered to the Saints; and tho' they add new Articles to the Chriftian Faith, and of which there. is not the leaft Foot-ftep, or intimation ill-any of the Ancient Creeds of the Chriftian. Church, and do plainly impofe upon Chriftians the .Praftice and Belief of feveral things as neceffary to Salvation, which the Gofpel never declared to be fo, yet no body fhall judge of this, but every Man ought without more ado, to believe blindfold, and to refign up his Underftanding and Judgment to the direftions ofthis vifible Infallible judge ? But furely this is not the reafonable Obedience of Faith, but the foro'd fub- miffion of Slaves to the Tyranny of their Matters. Chriftians are exprefly forbid to call any Man Father or Mailer upon Earth, becaufe we have one Father and Mafter in Heaven. Now to make an abfolute fubmiflìon of our Under- ftandings to any upon Earth, fo as without examination to receive their Dictates in Matters of Faith, is furely, if any thing can be fo, to call fuch a Perfon Father or Matter, becaufe a greater fubmiffion than this we cannot pay to our Father who is in Heaven, even to God himfelf. I comenow to the VI. and laft Obfervation from the Text, That wliofoever teacheth any thing as of neceflìty to Salvation, to be believed or praftifed, befides what theGofpel of Chrift bath made neceffary, does fall under the Anathema here in the Text; be- caufe they that do fo, do according to the mind of St. Paul, pervert the Gofpel of Clore, and Preach another Gofpel. For the Reafon why he chargeth the falfe Apoftles with Preaching another Gofpel, and thofe that were feduced by them, as being removed from him that called them by the Grace of Chre unto another Gofpel, is plainly this ; that they had changed the Terms of the Chriftian Religion, by adding new Articles to it, which were not contained in the Gofpel ; . that is, by making it neceffary to believe it to be fo, becaufe they taught fo'. Now St. Paul exprefly declares this to be Preaching another Gofpel, becaufe they plainly alter'd the Terms of Salvation declared in the Gofpel, and made that to be neceffary to the Salvation of Men, which the Gofpel had not made fo. And whatever Perfon or Church does the fame, does incur the faine guilt, and falls under the Anathema and Cenfure here in the Text ; yea, tho' he were an Apofile, or an Angel: And I am fure no Bithop or Church in the World can pre- tend either to an equal Authority or Infallibility with an Apoftle, or an Angel from Heaven. Let us then hear what St. Paul decla'res in this Cafe, and confider ferioufly, with what earneftnefs and vehemency hedeclares it ; tho' we (fays he) or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gofpel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accurfed. As we faid before, fo fay I now again, IfAny Man preach any other Gofpel unto you, than; that ye have received, let him be accurfed. St. Paul you fee is very earneft in this matter, and very peremptory, and therefore I cannot but think this Declarationof his to be more confiderable, and every way more worthy of our regard and dread, than all the Anathema's of the Council of Trent, which in dire& affront and contempt of this Anathema of St. Paul, hath prefumed to add fo manyArticles to the Chriftian Re- ligion, upon the counterfeit warrant of Tradition, for which there is no ground or warrant from the Scripture, or from any Ancient Creed of the Chriftian Church. H h And
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