Serm.IX. Of Confiancy in theProfe/Jion oftheTrue Religion. 7 i even the Authors and Writers of their own Church, when they fpeak too freely of any-Point ; as may be feen in their Indices Expur atorii, which much againft their wills have been brought to light. To which I (hall only add thefe three grofs Forgeries; which lie all at their Doors, and they cannot deny them to be fo. r. The pretended Canon of the Council öf Nice in the cafe of Appeals, bey tween the Church of Rome and the African Church ; Upon which they infifled a great while very confidently, till at lait theywere convinced by Authentick Copies of the Canons of that Council e 2. Conflantine's Donation to the Pope, which they kept a great í1Ì`r with, till the Forgery ofit was difcovered. 3. The Decretal Epiftles of the Ancient Popes ; a large Voluiné of .Forgeries, compiled by Ifidore Mercator, to countenance the Ufurpations of the Bithop of Rome, and of which. the Church of Romé made a great ufe for feveral Ages, and 'pertinaciouílydefended the Authority of them, till the Learned Men of their own Church have at !aft been forced for very flame to difclaim them, and tö confefs the Impofture of them. A like iriltance whereto is not I hope to be (hewn in any Chriftian Chúrch. This is that which St. Paul calls &Reim, the flight of Men, fuch as Gainefters ufe at Dice ; for to alledge falfe and forged Authors in this Cafe, is to play with falfe Dice, when the Salvation of Men Souls lies at flake. t r. Our Religion bath this mighty advantage, that it Both riot decline Tryal and Examination, which to any Mari of ingenuity inuit needs appear a very good Sign of an honeft Caufe ; but if any, Church be flay of having her Reh gion Examined, and her Dö&fines and Pra&ices brought hito the open light; this gives .juft ground of Sufpicion that the bath fome diftruft of them ; for Truth doth not feek corners, nor flaw the light. Our Saviour hath told us who they are that love darknefs rather than light, vii. they whofe deeds are Evil ; for every one, faith he, that doth Evil, bateth the light; neither cometh be to the light, left his deeds fhould be reprovedand made manifefl. There needs rio mote to render a Religion fufpe&ed to a wife Man, than to fee thole who profefs it, and make fuch proud boafts of the Truth arid Goodnefs of it, fo fearful that it fhould' be examin'd and look'd into, and that their People íhould take the liberty to hear and read what can be laid againft it. aa. We perfwade Men to our Religion by Human and Chriffian ways, fuch as our Saviour and his Apoflles ufed, by urging Men with the Authority of God, and with Arguments fetcht from another World, the Promife of eternal Life and happinefs, and the Threatningof Eternal Death and Mifery, which are the proper Arguments of Religion, and which alone are fitted to work upon the Minds and Confciences of Men. The Terror and Torture of. Death may make Men Hypocrites, and awe them to profefs with their Mouths what they do not be- lieve in their Hearts; but this is no proper itfeans of converting the Soul, and convincing the Minds and Confciences of Men ; and thefe violent and cruel ways cannot be denyed to have been pra&ifed in the Church of Rome, and let on foot by the Authority of Councils, and greatly countenancedand encouragedby Popes themfelves ; witnefs the many Croifades for the extirpation of I-ereticks, the ftanding Cruelties of their Inquifition, their .occafional l'vIaffacres and Perfecu- tions, of which we have frefh Inftances in every Age. But thefe Methods of Converfion are a certain Sign that they either diftruft the Truth and Goodnefs of their Caufe, or elfe that they think Truth and the Arguments for it are of no force, when Dragoons are their Ratio ultimd, thei laft Reafon which their Caufe relies upon, and the belt and molt effe&úal it cari afford. Again, we hold. no Do&rines in defiance of the Senfes of all Mankind;_ fuch as is that of Tranfubftantiation, which is now declared in the Church of Rome to be a Necefiàry Article of Faith, fo that a Man cannot be of that Religion, unlefs he will renounce his Senfes, and believe againft the clear Verdi& of them in a plain fenfible matter ; lut after this, I do not under, ftand
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=