Serm. CLXXVII. Confirmation of Chriftiani j. g 3 chief of it is, there is. no other external Evidence, and which can reafonably fa- tisfie others of any Man's Infpiration or Infallibility, but Miracles ; and therefore the Pope bath done very unadvifedly, inpretending to onewithout the other, when he hath the fame right and title to both, that is, none at all. Sixthly, Moft of the Do&rines in difference betweenus and the Church of Rome; which they chiefly pretend to confirm by thefe Miracles, are not capable of being confirmed by them. There are Three forts of Do&rines, Two of which are in their own Nature incapable of being confirmed by a Miracle, and a Third upon fuppofition of its contrariety to the Chriftian Doatine, which bath already had an unqueflionable Divine Confirmation. r. No Do&tine which is contrary to Senfe, is capable of being confirmed by a Miracle, as Tranfubftantiation ; which becaufe it neceffarily requires the renoun- cing of our Senfes, in order to the belief of it, for that very reafon Miracles can . give no credit to ir. For that which depends on the certainty of Senfe, as Mira. Iles certainly do, can be no competent Argument to prove that which is contrary to Senfe, as Tranfubftantiation evidently is. 2. No Doétrine that does countenance or enjoin Idolatry, is capable of being confirmed by a. Miracle. This is evident from Deut. r g. where Miles .fuppofeth that a Prophet might work a Signor a Wonder ; but if it was to (educe them from the Worfhip of the true God, who is naturally known, to the worfhip of Idols, in. that Cafe they werenot to hearken to him, notwithftanding he wrought a Mira- ele : but the Church of Rome teacheth Idolatry in their worfhip of Images, and of the Hoft, and in the Invocation of Saints and Angels. 3, No Doctrine,- contrary to any part of the Chriftian Do&trine, which bath already received an unqueftionable Divine Confirmation, is capable of being con- firmed by the Miracles pretended to in the Church of Rome, if theywere real. For I-hope they have not the face to pretend their Miracles, to be equal to thofe of our Saviour and his Apoftles, either for the certainty, or greatnefs of them ; and I have already !hewn, that they notorioufly want both the credit and certainty of our Saviour's Miracles, and the marks of their Divinity: Now feveral of the Doâtrines of that Church are direly contrary to, or incon- fiftent with the Doftrines of Chriftianity: Their endeavour to conceal from People the Doetrine of the Gofpel, contained in the Holy Scriptures, is a notorious coq- eradiCtion ro the defign of the Gofpel, and to that particular Miracle whereby the knowledge of it was conveyed-to the World, the Gift of Tongues; and then the Service of God in an unknown Tongue, which is inconfiftent with true Devotion, contrary to Edification, and to the plain Scope and Defign of a whole Chapter of St. Paid to the Corinthians. And fo likewife is the Communion in one kind, to our Saviour's exprefs Inftitution r and the repetition of Chrift's Sacrifice, to as exprefs a declarationof the Apoftle to the Hebrews to the contrary,as is poffible for words to make. Seventhly and daftly, which falls heaviefl upon them of all, the chief Prophecies of the New Teftament, which are concerning falle Prophets,, and concerningAn- tichrift, have mark'd him out by this CharaCter, that he fhould be a great worker of Miracles, and magnifie himfeif upon this pretence. Mllatth. z4. 14. For there;hall arife fa/fe Chrifls, and falfe Prophets, and ;hall Phew great Signs and Wonders, in- fomuch that (if it were poble) they (hall deceive the very E/efi. And 2 Theff.,z. ro. St. Paul foretels there, that in the great degeneracy and falling away of the Chriftian Church, the Man of SinAmid ,come after the working of Satan, with all Power, and Signs, and wonders of Lies, that is, either falfe Miracles, or Miracles wrought to confirm falle Do!trines, and with all deceivableneffofvnrighteoufneß, all the legerdemain and jugling tricks of Falfhood and Imposture : and certainly nothing was ever more vifible than thefe are in the Church of Rome; whether we confider their impudent Forgeries of Writings; (which they have not the face now to deny) or the Natureand Character, of their Miracles. So that tho' Bellarmin is pleafed to make Miracles oneof the Marks of the true Church, yetthe Miracles of the Church of Rome, if we confider all the Circumftances of them, areone of the plainefe Marke of Antichrift, and the very brand of the Beast, as we find . U u u him
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