5 > 8 'Ihe /ldvz?ntazes of 7 rut .h, 'Pot 1. They teach things fuitable to their Worldly Defignsami to , <: Le, ou any Man impartially furyey thofe which are the proper Do/trines of the Rswn;,j Church, and which we challenge for innovation and Corruption of the truly An- dent Catholick and Chriftian Do&rine, and it will at firft fight be evident to him, whither thefe Do&rives tend, and that they do not ferve the Ends of Religion, but of worldly Greatnefs and Dominion. What greater inflame of Ambition, than the claim Of the univerfil Supremacy of the Bithopof Rome over all Chriftians and Churches in the World, without the leaft Ground, or indeed colour of Ground, either from Scripture or Antiquity ; and not only of an univerfal Spiritual Power. over Chriftians, but of an indire& Temporal Power over Princes in order to Spi- ritual Ends, which may be extended to any thing, and bath béen upon occafion to the Donation of Kingdoms, and the depofing of Princes, and the transferring of Temporal Dominion fromLawful and Hereditary Princes, to thofe who had no manner of Right or Title? What more arrogant and direltlytending CO the enfla- ving of Mankind, than their pretence to Infallibility, which yet they could never agree among themfelveswhere to place ? What greaterTyranny can be exercifed over Mankind,. than tooblige them to an implicit Faith, and blind Obedience, to ,believe what the Church believes, tho theydo not know what it is ; and todo what the Church commands, rho' they doubt never fo much of the lawfulnefs of it ? than to hide the word of God from them, and to lock it up in an unknown Tongue, and to deter them from the free ufe of that which was defigned by God to be the great In(trument of the Salvation of Mankind ? than not to let Men ex- ercife their Underfiandings in theService of God ; nor when they joyn in publick Prayers, to fuller them to know what it is they ask of Gad ; as if the Prieß's lips were fo to preferve knowledge, as to keep it all to.themfelves, and not to make ufeof it for the Benefit and Edification of the People? And Lilly, to impofe upon Men, under pain of Damnation, the belief of Doctrines, not only contrary to the true Senfe of Scripture, but to all the Senfeand &eafon of Mankind, as is the Do- /trine of Tranfubftantiation ? How is it pofíible to bring People into a greater lub- je&ion to thePriefts, and dependance upon them, than by Auricular Confeflion, and that unreafonable Do&rìne of making the Efficacy of the Sacraments to de- pend upon the Intention of the Prielt ; and confequently to put into the Power of a malicious and bad Man to damn all his Parifh? And to mention but one thing more, what better contrivance could be thought of to enrich the Church, anddrain the Purfes of the People, than their Do/trines of Purgatory, and Prayers for the Dead,. of Indulgences and Satisfa&ion, and their Farm of Sins and Vices of all kinds, call'd the Taxof the Apofoliek Chamber ? Can any Man think that thefe and fuch like Do&rives are of God, which do fo dire&ly ferve the Ends of Covetouf- nefs and Ambition? Anyone that does not wilfully flint his Eyes, may plainly fee that filch Dotrines, and filch Teachers, are of the World, and that they fpeak and teach thefe things out of a Worldly Intereft and Defign. And here I might take notice likewife, that they fpeak from the World alto in another fenfe, by fhewing what Worldly and Irdirc& Means (not to fay Wicked and Sinful Arts) they commonly make ufe of to make Dilciples and gain Profe- lyres, by Flattery and Falftood, by concealing and mifreprcfenting their own Do- &rines and Pra&ices, by defaming their Adverfuies with known Fi&ions andCa- lumnies, tempting Men from their Religion by Promifes of Temporal Advantages, which, when they have gained them, they do net always perform and make good. Can any thing be more oppofite to the Genius of true Religion, than to promete it by Means fo plainly contrary to the very Nature and Defign of it ? 3. Thofe who hearken to them, and are feduced by them, are generally like themfelves, they fpeak from the World, 'andthe World heareth them. Not but that Men of very honett and fincere Minds may be feduced into great Errors, through Prejudice, or Weaknefs, or a melancholy Superltition : but generally loch a Reli- gion as is calculated for the promoting of Secular Intereft, and is carried on by 'Secular Arts, does gain upon Carnal and Worldly Minds, and it is ufuallyCome Worldly Cdnfideration or other that prevails with Men to embrace and profefs ir. A Religion that can find out ways to faveMen without fincere Repentance and a good
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=