Of Conftancfsin the Profeffion of the J rue Religion. w oi. !. 6. Our Religion is evidently more Charitable to all Chriftians that differ from us, and particularly to them, who, by their Uncharitablenefs to us, have done as much as is poffible to difcharge and damp our Charity towards them. And Charity, as it is one of the moft effential Marks of a true Chriftian, fo it is likewife the belt Mark and Ornament of a true Church, and of all things that can be thought of; methinks the want of Charity in any Church fhould be a Motive to no Man to fall in love with it , and to be fond of its Com- munion. 7. Our Religion doth not clafh and interfere with any of the great Moral Duties, to which all Mankind Ytand obliged by the Law and Light of Nature ; as Fidelity, Mercy and. Truth. We do not teach Men to break Faith with Hereticks or Infidels ; nor to deftroy and extirpate thofewho differ from us, with Fire and Sword : No fuch thing as Equivocation or Mental Refervation, or any other Artificial way of Falfhood, is either taught or maintain'd, . either by the Doctrine or by the Cafuifts of our Church. 8. Our Religion and all the Doctrines of it are perfeEtly confiftent with the Peace ofCivil Government, and the Welfare of Humane Society. We neither exempt the Clergy from Subjedion to the Civil Powers ; nor abfolve Subjets upon any pretence whatfóever from Allegiance to their Princes; both which Points, the neceffity of the one, and the lawfulnefs of the other, have been taught and ftif ly maintain'd in the Church of Rome, not only by private Doctors, but by Popes and General Councils. 9. The Doctrines of our Religion, are perfelly free from all Sufpicion of a worldly Intereft and Delign ; whereas the greateft pact of the erroneous Doctrines with which we charge the Church of Rome, are plainly calculated to promote the end of worldly Greamefs and Dominion. The Pope's Kingdom is plainly of this World ;. and the Doctrines and Maxims of it, like fo many Servants, are ready upon all occafion to fight for him. For molt of them do plainly tend, either to the Eftablifhment and Enlargement of his Authority ; or to the Magnifying of the Priefts, and the giving them a per- fed Power over the Confciences of the People, and the keeping them in a flavifh Subjection and blind Obedience to them. And to this purpofe do plainly tend theDoctrines of exempting the Clergy, from the Secular Power and Jurif- didion ; the Doctrine of Tranfubftantiation ; for it mutt needs make the Prieft a great Man in the opinion ofthe People, to believe that he can make God, as they love to exprefs it, without all Reafon and Reverence. Of the like tendency is the Communicating of the Laity only in one kind, thereby making it, the foie Privilege of the Prieft to receive the Sacrament in both : The withholding the Scripture from the People, and celebrating the Service ofGod in an unknown Tongue : The Doctrine of an implicit Faith, and abfolute Refignation of their judgments to their Teachers : Thefe do all directly tend to keep the People in ignorance, and to bring them to a blind Obedience to the dilates of their Teachers. So likewife the Neceffity ofthe intentionof the Prieft, to the faving Virtue and Efficacy of the Sacraments; by which Doctrine; the People do upon the matter depend as much upon the good will of the Prieft, as upon the Mercy of God for their Salvation. But above all, their Doftrine of the Neceffityof Auricular and Private Confeffion of all Mortal Sins committed after Baptifin, with all the Circumftances of them to the Prieft ; and this not only for the cafe and direction of their Confciences, but as a neceffary Condition of having their Sins pardoned and forgiven by God : By which means they make themfelves Mailers of all the Secrets of the People, and keep them in awe by the knowledge of their faults, Scire volient fecrata Domus atque inde timen. Or elfe their Doctrines tend to filthy lucre, and the enriching of their Church. As their Doctrines of Purgatory and Indulgences, and their Prayers and Mafjes for the Dead, and many more Doctrines and Practices of the like kind plain- ly do. zo. Our Religion is free from all difingenuous and difhoneft Arts of main- taining and fupporting it felf. Such are clipping of ancient Authors, nay and even
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