Serro. IV . OfGonffancy in theProfeflon oftheTrueReligion. And yet, for ought I can fee, this is the Principle which the Church of Rona Both, with great Zeal and Earneftnefs inculcate upon their Poople ; difcouraging. all Doubts and Enquiries about their Religion, as Temptations of the Devil ; and all Examinations of the Grounds and Reafons of their Religion, as an Inclination and dangerous Step towards Herefy. For what elfe can they mean, by taking the Scriptures out ofthe Hands of the. People, and locking them up from them in an unknown Tongue; by requiring them abfolutely to fubmit their Judg- ments, and to refign them up to that which they are pleafed to call the Catho- lick Church, and implicitly to believe -as She believes, tho' they know not what that is ? This is, in truth, to believe as their Prieft tells them ; for that is all the Teaching part of the Church, and all the Rule of Faith that the Common People are acquainted with. And it is not fufficient to fay in this Matter, That when Men are in the Truth, and of the right Religion, and in the Bofom of the true Church, they ought to refs fatisfied, and to examine arid enquire no farther. For this is mani- feftly unreafonable, and that upon thefe three Accounts. t. Becaufe this is a plain and fhameful begging of the Thing in queflion ; and that which every Church, and every Religion cloth almoft with equal Con- fidence pretend to ; That. Theirs is the only right Religion, and the only true Church. And thefe Pretences are all alike reafonable to him that never examined the Grounds of any of them, nor hath compared them together. . And therefore it is the vaineft thing in the World, for the Church of Rome to pretend, that all Religions in the World ought to be examined, but Theirs ; becaufe Theirs, and none elfe, is the true Religion. For this which they fay fo confidently ofit, That it is the true Religion, no Man can know till he have examined it, and fearched into the Grounds of it, and hath confidered the Obje&ions which are againft So that it is fond Partiality to fay, that Their Religion is not to be examinedby the People that profefs it, but that all other Religions ought to be examined, or rather, becaufe they are different fromThat which they prefume to be the only true Religion, ought to be condemned at all Adventures, without any farther En= quiry This, I fay, is fond Partiality ; becaufe every Religion, and every Church, may (for ought that appears to any Man that is not permitted to examine things impartially) fay the fame for themfelves, and with as much Reafon ; and if fo, then either everyReligion ought to permitit felf to be examined; or elfe no Man ought to examine his own Religion, whatever it be ; and confequently }ems, and Turks, and Heathens, and Hereticks, ought all to continue as they are, and none of them to change; becaufe they cannot reafonably change, without. examining both that Religion which they leave, and that which they embrace inftead ofit. 2. Admitting this Pretence were true, That they are the true Church, and have the true Religion ; This is fo far from being a Reafon why they fhould not permit it to be examined, that, on the contrary, iris one of the belt Reafons in the World why they fhould allow it to be examined, and why theymay fafely fuffer it to be fo. They fhould permit it to be tried, that Men may upon good Reafon be fatisfied that it is the true Religion : And they may fafely fuffer it to be done ; becaufe, if they be fure that the Grounds oftheir Religion be firm and good, I am fure they will be never the worfe for being examined and looked into. But I appeal to everyMan's Reafon, whether it be not an ill Sign that they are not fo fure that the Grounds of their Religion are folid and firm, and filch as will abide the Trial ; that they are fo very loth to have them fearched intoand examined ? This cannot but tempt a wifeManto fufpeéf, that their Church is not founded upon a Rock; and that they themfelves know fomething that is amifs intheir Re- ligion, which makes them fo loth to have it try'd, and brought o the touch. ;. It is certain among all Chriftians, that the Do&rine preached by the Apo- flies was the true Faith of Chriff ; and yet they never forbad the Chriftians to, examine whether It was fo or not : Nay, on the contrary, they frequently exhort them to try and examine their Religion, and whether that Doetrine which they had delivered to them was the true Faith ofChrift. So St. Paul, 2 Corinth. 13. I. Examineyour felves, whether ye be in the faith ; proveyour own [elves. And F again,
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