Serin. LXX. The Authority of lefts Chrifi. 517 of this Text, by the confiant ufe of this Phrafe inScripture, the Letter of this Promife will extend to the end of the World: z. But however this be, it is certain that the Reafon of this Promifedoesex- tend to all thofe that fhould fucceed the Apofiles in their Miniftry, to the end of the World : I will fuppofe now (to give our Adverfaries their utmoft (cope) that which we have no reafon to grant, that the Letter of this Promife reach- eth only to the Apofiles and their Age, and that our Saviour's meaning was no more but this, that he would fend down the Holy Ghoft upon them in miracu- lous Gifts, to qualify and enable them for the fpeedy planting and propagating Of the Gofpel in the World, and that he would be with them, 'till this Work was done. Now fuppofing there were nothing more than this intended in the letter of it, this ought not much to trouble us, fo longas it is certain; that the Reafon of it does extend to the Succeffors of the Apoftles in all Ages of the World. I do not mean, that the Reafon of this Promife does give us fufficient AGurance, that God will affift the Teachers and Governors of his Church in all Ages, in the fame extraordinary manner, as he did the Apoftles, becaufe there is not the like reafon and necefìïty for it ; but that we have fufficient Affurance from the Reafon of this Promife, that God will not be wanting to us, in fuch fitting and neceffary Aflìftance, as the State of Religion, and the welfare of it in every Age hall require : For can we imagine that God would ufe fuch extra- ordinary means to plant a Religion in the World, and take no care of it after- wards That he who had begun fo good a Work, fo great and glorious a De- fign, would let it fall to the ground for want of any thingthat was neceffary to the Support of it ? This is reafonable in it felf; but we are not alfo without good ground for thus extending the general reafon of particular Promifes beyond the Letter of them. The Apofile hath gone before us in this, for Heb. 13. S, 6. he there extends two particular Promifes of the Old Teflament to all Chriftians, Let your Cánverfation (lays he) be withoutCovetoufnefs, and be content with fuch things asye have r For he bath laid, I will never leave thee nor forfake thee. And again, theLordis my helper, I will not fear what Man can do unto me. ThefePromifes were made to particular Perlons ; the firft of themto 5ofhua, and the other to David ; but yet the Apoftie applies them to all Chriffians, and to good Men in all Ages, becaufe the general Ground and Reafon of them extended fo far. He who gave jofhua and David this encouragement to their Duty, will certain- ly be as good to us, if we do ours. And thus I have done with the fide Controverfie about the Senfe of thefe Words, which concerns the Circumftanceof time mentioned in this Promife, al- S ways' to the end of the World, and have plainly !hewn, that both the Letter and the Reafon of this Promife does extend further than the Perlons of the Apo- files, and the continuance of that Age, even to all that fhould fucceed them in their Miniftry to the end of the World. I come now to confider, Secondly, The Subfiance ofthe Promife it felf, namely, what is meant by our Saviour's being with them. And here our Adverfaries of the Church of Rome would fain perfuade us, that this Promife is made to the 'Church of Rome, and that the meaningof it is, that that Church fhould always be infallible, and ne- ver err in the Faith. But as there is no mention of the Church of Rome in this Promife, nor any where elfe in Scripture upon the like Oceafion, whereby we might be dire/led to underftand this Promife to be made to that Church ; fo to any unprejudiced Perfon the plain and obvious Senfe of this Promife can be no other than this, that our Saviour having commiffionated the Apoftles to go and Preach the Chriftian Religion in the World, he promifes to affìft them in this Work, and thofe that fhould fucceed them in it, to the endof the World. But how any Man can conftrue this Promife, fo as to make it fignifiethe perpe- tual Infallibility of the Roman Church, I cannot for my life devife, and yet this is one of the main Texts upon which they build that old and tottering Fa- brick of their Infallibility. Here
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