Serm. IX. OfConflnncy in the Prole ion of the True Religion. 6 H. That the Do&rines and Pra&ices in difference betwixt us and the Church of Rome, are 'either contrary to this Rule, or deftitute of the Warrant and Au- thority of it, and are plain Additions to the Ancient Chriftianity, and Corrup- tions of it. , III. That our Religion hath many clear Advantages of that of the Church of Rome, not only very confrderable 'in themfelves, but very obvious and difcern- able to an ordinary Capacity, upon the firft propofal of them. I fhall he as briefin thefe as I can. I. That we govern our Belief and Pra&ice in Matters of Religion,, by the true ancient Rule of Chriftianity, the Wordof God contain'd in the Holy Scriptures : But the Church of Rome, for the maintaining of their Errors and Corruptions, have been forced to devife a new Rule, never owned by the Primitive Church, nor by the Ancient Councils and Fathersof it ; that is, they have joyned with the Word of God contained in the Holy Scriptures, the unwrittenTraditions of their Church, concerning feveral Points, of. their Faith and Pra&ice, which they acknowledge cannot be proved from Scripture, and thefe they call the unwritten Wordof God ; and the Council of Trent hath decreed them to be of equal Au- thority with the Holy Scriptures, and that they do receive and venerate them with the fame pious Affection and Reverence; and all this, contrary to the ex- prefs declaration and unanimous confent of all the Ancient Councils and Fathers of the Chriftian Church, (as I have already (hewn ; ) and this never declar'd to be a Point of Faith, till it was decreed, not much above a Hundred Years ago, in the Council of Trent. And this furely, if any thing, is a Matter of great confequence, to prefume to alter the Ancient Rule of Chriftian Doctrine and Pra&ice, and to enlarge it, and add to it, at their pleafure. But the Church of Rome having made fo great a change in the Do&rine and Pra&ice of Chriftiani- ty, it became confequently neceffary to make a change of theRule : And there- fore with great Reafon did the 'Council of Trent take this into cgnfiderátion in the firft place, and put it in the front of their Decrees, becaufe it was to be the Foundation and mainProof of the followingDefinitions of Faith, and Degrees of Pra&ice, for which, without this new Rule, there had been no colour. II. The DoPrines and Pra&ices in difference betwixt us, and the Church of Rome, are either contrary to the true Rule; or deftitute of the Warrant and Authority of it, and plain Additions to the Ancient Chriftianity, and Cor- ruptions of it. The Truth of this will belt appear, by inftancing in force of the principal Do&rines and Pra&ices indifference betwixt us. As for their two great fundamental Do&rines, of. the Supremacy ofthe Bifhop of Rome over all the Chriftians in the World, and the Infallibility of their Church, there is not one Word in Scripture concerning thefe Privileges; nay it is little lefs than a demonftration that they have no fuch Privileges, that St. Paul in a long Epiftle to the Church of Rome takes no notice of them, that the Church of Rome either then was, or was to be foon after, the Mother and Miftrefs of all Churches, which is now grown to be an Article of Faith in the Church of. Rome; and yet it is hardly to be imagined, that he could have omitted to take notice of fuch remarkable Privileges of their Bifhops and Church, above any in the World, had lie known they had belonged to. them. So that in all probability he was ignorant of thofe mighty Prerogatives.of the Church of Rome; otherwife it cannot be, but that he would have written with more deference and fubmiflion to this Seat of Infallibility, and Center of Unity; he would certainly have paid a greater Refpe& to this Mother and Miftrefs of, all Churches,' where the Head of the Church, and Vicar of Chrift either was already feated, or by the appointment of Chrift was defigned for ever to fix his Throne and eftablifh his Refidence ; but there is not one Word, or the leaft intimation of any fuch thing throughout this whole Epiftle, nor in any other part of the New Teftament. Betides that both thefe pretended Privileges are omitted, by plain Fa& and Evidence of things themfelves; their Supremacy, in that the far greateft part of the Chriftian Church, neither is at this day, nor can be hewn by the Records K 2 of
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=