Serm. VIII. OfConflancy in theProfe,fJion ofthe 1 rueReligion. 65 with the Praftice of the Church of Rome in this Matter. And fo likewife the Epi- ftle of St. Paul to the Calojians, with the Worfhip of Angels ; and the Epiftle to the Hebrews with offering the Propitiatory Sacrifice of Chrift in the Mafs a thoufand times every Day. And to give but one Inftance more : Whereas a Man, by his private Spirit, would be very apt to 'understand the Second Command- ment to forbid all Worfhip of Images ; Tradition difcovers the Meaning of this Commandment to be, that due Veneration is to begiven to them. So that at this rate. of interpreting Scripture by Tradition, it is impoffible to fix any Ob- je&ion from Scripture, upon any Do&rineor Pra&ice which they have a mind to maintain. Fourthly, Whereas they pretend the Tradition oftheir Church, delivered from the Mouth of Christ, or di&ated by the Holy Spirit, and brought down to them, and preferved by continual Succeffion in the Church, to be of equal Authority with the Word ofGod ; for fo the Council of Trent fays, That the Holy Synod doth receive and venerate thefe Traditions with equal pious Afetlion and Reve- rence as they do the written Word of Godr This we mutt declare againft, as un-, reafonable in it felf, to makeTradition, conveyed by Word of Mouth from one to another, through fo many Ages, and liable to fo many Miftakes and Mif- carriages, to be, at the diftance of a Soo Years, of equal Certainty and. Authority with the Holy Scriptures, carefully preferved and tranfinitted down to us ; becaufe this (as I faid before) is to make common Rumour arid Report of equal Autho- rity and Certainty with a written Record. And not only fo but hereby they make the Scriptures an imperfe& Rule ; contrary to the declared Judgment of the Ancient Fathers and. Councils of the Chrillian Church ; and fo, in . truth; they fet up a new Rule of Faith, whereby they change the Chriftian Religion. For a new Rule ofFaith and Religion, makes a new Faith and Religion. This we charge the Church of Rome with, and do challenge them to thew this new Rule ofFaith, before the Council of Trent ; and confequently where their Religion was before that Council ; to thew a Religion, confifting of all thofe Articles which are defined by the Council of Trent as neceffary to Salvation, and efia- blithed upon this new Rule, profeffed by any Chriftian Church in the' World be- fore that Time. And as they have pitch'd upon á new Rule of Faith ; fo it is eafy to fee to what End. For take Pope Pius the IVth's Creed, and we may fee where the Old and New Religion parts; even at the end of the Twelve Articles of the Apoffles Creed, which was the ancient Chriftian Faith ; to which are added, in Pope Pius's Creed, Twelve Articles more, defined in the Council of Trent, and fupported only by Tradition. So that as the Scripture anfwers for the Twelve old Articles, which are plainly contained there ; fo Tradition is to anfwer for the Twelve new ones. And therefore the Matter was calculated very exa&ly, when they make Tradition juft of equal Authority with the Scriptures ; be- caufe as many Articles of Their Faith were to be made good by it, and rely upon it, as thofe which are proved by the Authority of Scripture. But that Tradition is of equal Authority with the Scriptures, we have nothing in the whole World for it, but the bare Affertion of the Council of Trent. I fhould now have added force other Confiderations, tending to confirm and eftablith us in our Religion, againft the Pretences and Infinuations of Seducing Spirits : But I fhall proceed no farther at prefent. SERMON
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