68 OfConflancy in the Profeon of the TrueReligion. Vol. 1. of any Age, ever to have been fubje& to the Bifhop of Rome, or to have ac- knowledged his Authority and Jurifdiétion over them: And the Infallibility of the Pope, whether with or without a General Council, about which they í1i11 differ, though Infallibility was devifed on purpofe, to determine all differences; I fay, this Infallibility, where-ever it is pretended to be, is plainly confuted by the contradictory Definitions offeveral Popes and Councils ; for if they have con- tradifted oneanother, as is plain, beyond all Contradiftion, in feveral Inftances, then there muft of neceffity be an Error on one fide and there can be no fo certain Demonftration, that any one is infallible, as evident Error and Miftaké is of the contrary. Next, their concealing both the Rule of Religion, and the Pra&ice of it in the Worship and Service of God, from the People, in an unknown Tongue ; and their adminiftring the Communion to the People in on kind only, contrary to clear Scripture, and the plain Inftitution of our Bleffed Saviour. And then their Worfhip of Images, and Invocation of Angels and Saints, and the Bleffed Virgin, in the fame Solemn manner, and for the fame Bleffings and Benefits which we beg of God himfelf ; contrary to the exprefs Word of God, which commands us to worfbip the Lord our God, and toferve bim only ; and which declares, that as there is but one God, fo there is but one Mediator between God and Man, Clore Jefus ; but one Mediator, not only of Redemption, but of In- terce /on too ; for the Apofile there fpeaks of a Mediator of Intercellion, by whom only we are to offer up our Prayers, which are to be put up toGod only ; and which exprefly forbidsMen to woríhip any Image or likenefs. And the Learned Men of their own Church acknowledge, that there isneither Precept nor Example for thefe Pra&ices inScripture, and that they were not ufed in the ChriftianChurch for feveral Ages ; and this acknowledgment we think veryconfiderable, fince fogreat a Part of their Religion, efpecially as it is praftifed among thePeople, is contained in thefe Points. For the Service of God in an Unknown Tongue, and with-hold- ing the Scriptures from the People, they do not pretend fo much as One Tefti- ìnony of any Father for the firft Woo Years ; and nothing certainly can be more unreafonable - in it Pelf, than to deny People the belt means of knowing the Will of God, and not to permit them to underftand what is done in the publick Worfhip-of God, and what Prayers are put up to him in the Church. The two great Doftrines of Tranfubftantiation and Purgatory are acknow- ledged by many of their own learned Writers, to have no certain Foundation in Scripture : And that there are fever Sacraments of the Chriftian Religion, tho' it be now made an Article of Faith by the Council of Trent, is a thing which cannot be fhewn in any Council or Father for above a Thoufand Years after Chrift. And we find no mention of this Number of the Sacraments, till the Age of Peter Lombard the Fatherof the Schoolmen. That the Church of Rome is the Mother and M1ref of all Churches, tho' that alfo be one of the new Articlesof Pope Pius the IV. his Creed, which their Priefts are by a Solemn Oath obliged to believe and teach ; yet it is molt evidently falfe. That the is not the Mother of all Churches is plain, becaufe yerufalem was certainly fo; for there certainly was the firft Chriftian Church, and from thence all the Chriftian Churches in the World derive themfelves : That fhe is not, (tho' fhe fain would be) the Miftrefs of all Churches, is as evident, be- caufe the greateft part of the Chriftian Church does at this day, and always did, deny that fhe hath any Authority or Supremacy over them. Now thefe are the principal Matters in difference betwixt us ; and if thefe Points, and a few more, be pared off from Popery, that which remains of their Religion, is the fame with ours, that is, the true Ancient Chriftianity. III. I íhall thew that our Religion hath many clear Advantages of theirs, not only very confiderable in themfelves, but very obvious and difcernable to an ordi- nary Capacity, upon the very firft Propofal of them ; as, . i. That our Religion agrees perfeétly with the Scriptures, and all Points both of our Belief and Pra&ice, efteemed by us as neceffary to Salvation, are there contained, even our Enemies themfelves being judges. We worfbip the Lord our God,
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