Senn. VI. OfGonflancy in the Profèffon of the Prue Religion. 45 them or that the Forgivenefs of Sins is fufpended upon the Intention or Abfolu- tìon of the Priefi; but only upon the fincere Refolution of the Penitent. And fiirem ly nothing can be more abfurd, and contrary to Reafon, than that when Men have performed all the Conditions which the Gofpel requires ; yet they fhotild notwithftanding this be deprived of all the Bleffings and Benefits which God bath promifed, and intends to confer upon them ; becaufe the Prieft bath not the fame Intention. So that when a Man bath done all he can to work out his own Salvation, he (hall be never the nearer ; only for want ofthat which is wholly out of his Power ; the right Intention of the Prieft. Betides, that after all their Boafls ofthe fafe Condition of Men in their Church, and the molt certain and infallible Means of Salvation to be had in it ; this one Principle (that the Intention of the Prieft is neceffaryto the Validity and Virtue of the Sacraments) puts the Salvation of Men upon the greatefl Hazard and Uncertainty ; and fuch as it is impoffible for any Man either to difcover or prevent, unlefs he had fume certain way to know the Heart and Intention of the Prieft. For upon thefe Terms, who can know whether any Man be a Prieft, and really ordained ; or not ? Nay, whether he be a Chritlian, and have been truly baptized ; or not ? And confequently whether any of his Adminiffra- tions be valid, and we have any Benefit and Advantage by them? Becaufe all this depends upon the knowledge of that, which we neither do nor can know. So that when a Man hath confciencioufly done all that God requires of any Man, to make him capable of Salvation ; yet without any Fault of his, the want of Intention in an idle-minded Manmay fruftrate all : And though the Man have been baptized, and do truly, believe the Gofpel, and hath fincerely repented of his Sins, and lived a molt Holy Life ; yet all this may lignifie nothing, and after all he may be no Chriflian; becaufe his Baptifin was invalid : And all the Promifes of God to the Means of Salvation which his Goodnefs and Wifdom bath prefcribed, may be of no Efficacy ; if the Prieft do not intend in the Adminiftration of the Sacraments to do that which God and the Church in- tend. Now if this be true, there is certainly no Church in the World, in which the Salvation of Men runs fo many hazards ; and yet all this hazard and uncer- tainty has its rife, from a Scholaffical Point, which is directly contrary to all the Notions of Mankind concerning the Goodnefs of God, and to the clear Rea- fon of the Thing, and to the confront Tenor of the Gofpel ; and which was never afferted by any of the ancient Fathers; much lefs defined by any Coun- cil before that of Trent : So that it is a Do&rine new and needlef and in the .neceffary confequences of it uureafonable and abfurd to the utmoft degree. The laflInfrante Lfhall mention, is their Rule ofFaith. The Rule of Faith univerfally received and acknowledged by the Chriffian Church in all Ages, before the Council of Trent, was the Word of God, contained in the Canonical Books of Holy Scripture ; which were therefore by the Church called Canoni- cal, becaufe they were the Rule of Faith and Manners, of the Do&rives to be believed, and the Duties to be pra&ifed by all Chriftians. But when the Er- rors and Corruptions of the Romifh Church were grown to the heighth, and the Pope and his Council at Trent were refolved not to Retrench and Reform them, they faw it neceifary to enlarge and lengthen out ,their Rule; becaufe the ancient Rule ofthe Holy Scriptures would by no Means reach feveral of the Doctrines and Pra&ices of that Church, which they were refolved to maintain and make good by one means or other.: As namely, the Do&rineof Tranfub- ffant,iarion ; ;of Purgatory;; and of the Seven Sacraments : tnd The Pra&ice of the Worfbip of Saints, and Images ; of the Scriptures; and the Service ofGod in an unknown Tongue ; of Indulgences ; and the Communion in one kind ; and feveral other fuperílitious.Pra&ices in ufe among them. Now to enlarge their Rule to the bell, Advantage for the j.uftifcatiomof thefe Do&rines and Practices, they took thefe two ;ways. Fiat, Theyhave added to the Canonical hooks of the Old Teftarnent, which were received by the jewifb Church (to whom were committed the Oracles of Go
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