and all Monuments of Antiquity, when they make against their late invented Errors. For this Reason, and no other, they have their Judices Expurgatorii.

Having had frequent Occafion to mention the learnedDoctors which flourished in the Church for thefe fix primitive Centuries, ufually ftiled the Fathers: And by the numerous Teftimonies we have taken from their Works, and it appearing how they in general main-tained the fame Opinions with us, and fince our Adver-faries fo boldly challenge them, and clamour at us for flighting their Authority; we think fit here to declare the Refpect we have to thofe holy Men and their Writings.

We reverence the antient Fathers, but ftill with Refervation to the Father of us all, whom alone we acknowledge the Author and only abfolute Director of our Faith, on whom we fafely ground our felves in Things that are to be believed. For every Article of Chriftian Faith must be grounded on divine Revelation, but all Opinions of the Fathers are not divine Revelation. We defpife not their Authority, we neglect not their Teftimony; whereever we feem to vary from any of them, 'tis either, 1. In Things Human, Arbitrary, and Indifferent: Or, 2. In Matters not fully difcuffed by the Antients: Or, 3. Ins Points where they do not jointly agree among themfelves: Or. Lastly, In Things which are contradicted by plain Teftimonies of holy Scripture.

And this Beference and Refpect to their Writings, as it is as much as is due, fo they themselves require no more, allowing a Liberty of Diffenting, for that they were Ad-vifers not Dictators; and therefore St. Auftin freely tells us, (a)" I wou'd have none embrace all my Opinions, "fo as to follow me, unlefs only in thofe Things wherein "he fhall find me to follow Truth." And again, he candidly acknowledges, that, (b) " As in his Manners, fo in "his Writings, many Things might juftly be taxed." And

(a) Aug. de perfev. Sanit. Cap. 21. Tom. 7. (b) De Orig. Anim. Cap, 1.

elsewhere

elsewhere he delivers bis Opinion, which is alfo ours: (a) "This Reverence and Honour have I learned to give "to thofe Books of Scripture only, which are called Ca"nonical: That I moft firmly believe none of their Au"thors have err'd in their Writings; but others I read "with this Liberty, that with what great Holiness or Learning foever they do excel, yet, I do not think any thing to be true, because they fo thought it, but be"cause they perfuade me, either by Scripture, or Reason, "that it does not (werve from Truth.

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The present Romanifts themselves do not yield Infallibility of Judgment to the Fathers, but very often exprefly, and more frequently obliquely, and in Fact reject their Dogma's, and Opinions. This is confeffed and allowed by two of the most Learned, that ever wore Purple in that Church; that is, Bellarmine, and Barronius. The firft tells us; (b) "Their Writings are no Rules of Faith, nor have any Authority to bind." The Second, in his Annals, faith, (c) "The Church doth not always, and "in all Things, follow the Fathers Interpretation of the Scriptures. And, Canus, an eminent Author declares," That the antient Fathers fometimes err, and, Ibeing only Men, advance monftrous Opinions." So their great Canonift, Gretfer, concludes, (d) "That if "the Fathers teach other wife than the Church, they are, not Fathers, but Step-fathers, not Doctors, but Seducers." And, Mus, Bishop of Bitonto, on the 14th of the Romans, fticks not to affirm, "That in Points of "Faith, he gives more Credit to one Pope, than a thou"fand Auftins, Hieroms, &c." Yet, these are the Men that upbraid us for contemning the Fathers, whereas in truth they themselves do but ufe them as Merchants do. their Cyphers, fometimes standing for Pence, fometimes for Pounds, even as they are neceffary to make up their Accompts.

(a) Epift. 19. Tom. 2.

(b) De Concil. Author. Lib. 2. Cap. 12. (c) Ad. An. 34. (d) De jure prohibendi

Libros. Lib. 2. Cap. 10.

Thus,

Thus, we hope, we have herein briefly and fatisfactorily fhew'd, that the late invented Errors of the present Church of Rome, had no Allowance from the Word of God, the Gospel of Chrift, the Practice of the primitive Church, or the Monuments of Antiquity, from the best and most learned Chriftian Writers of each of thefe fix firft Centuries, of which Period, the first three Centuries must be acknowledged to be the very Flower of the primitive Church, and moft purely to have received the Faith delivered to the Saints, and to have maintained it. Becaufe, the Truth of the Gospel was first infallibly taught by Chrift and his Apoftles, in their own Perfons, and afterwards by holy Men, who had the Opportunity of hearing and converfing with thefe bleffed Difciples of Jefus. But that the Doctrines then maintained in the most material Heads in difpute between us and the prefent Church of Rome, were the fame as are at this Day taught, and generally believed by the Proteftant Churches; which is what was to be demonftrated.

We fhall now proceed to refute more particularly and diftinctly the most notorious Doctrines held by the prefent Church of Rome, as neceffary to Salvation, which-in themselves are either new, or abfolutely false, or con demn'd by God's Word.

CHAP

CHA P. II.

Against the Pope's Supremacy.

HE antient Statuaries never beftowed half fo much

nable Deities, as the late Romish Doctors have done, on their darling Idol the Papacy; fo that now (fave Truth and Sincerity) there is nothing wanting to make it awful and venerable. "As the Gentiles with their Hands, fo "Hereticks with their Words, faith Tertullian, are the "Makers of Idols. For every Lie that they speak of “God, whofe Effence is Truth, becomes a Kind of ldolatry." And in this Senfe, our Men of Rome are palpably guilty. They have finished their Dagon, and fet it before the ARK of the LORD, and fall down and wor-fhip it themselves, and wou'd force all others to adore it likewife, as the Oracle of Infallibility, the Touch-ftone: of Truth, and the Pillar of Salvation. Thus the Pope hath claimed and ufurp'd the Prerogative of the great God. of Heaven and Earth, by making himself the immediate Foundation of all Faith; fo that Nothing is to be taken for Matter of Faith, but upon his Authority, difpenfing: against the holy and eternal Laws of God, pardoning Sin, difpofing of Kingdoms, and doing whatfcever to him feems moft meet. Tis for upholding this Supremacy of the Pope, that all the Romish Clergy are in Arms. He that holds not this, whatsoever elfe he holds, cannot by the Doctrine of the Romish Church be a true Catholick. Hence arifes the Impoffibility of a Reconciliation beween us and them; we cannot be Members of their Church, but we must join with them in Acknowledgment:

ledgment of this Papal Authority; They cannot renounce this Opinion, but they muft withal utterly diffolve their Church, the effential Form whereof confifteth in this very Manner of Government. Surely here we fee that of the Apoftle fulfill'd, (a) "And for this Caufe, God fhall "fend them ftrong Delusions, that they should believe a "lie." For, what greater Delufion can there be, than. for a Man to believe that of every Pope that no Pope ever believed of himself, or any of his Predeceffors? And tho' no Roman Bishop pretended himfelt qualified with the Title of Univerfal, 'till after the Years of Chrift fix hundred, yet having once taken it up, as Rebels when they have ufurp'd a Crown, endeavour by fome forg'd Pedigree to colour an antient Titie; fo the Pope then began, and to this Day continues, to derive his Right from St. Peter: Therefore, it will be convenient for us to confider the Validity of that fundamental Plea.

The Story they wou'd have us believe, is in fhort this, that Chrift conferr'd a Power on St. Peter over the reft of the Apostles, and to him committed the Government of his Church throughout the whole World as his Vicar; and that Peter being Bishop of Rome, this Right is devolved upon his Succeffors, the Bishops of Rome, unto the End of the World.

Against this vain Pretence, and this Tale of Succeffion, we fall offer thele Arguments.

ift, If fuch a Power were granted to St. Peter above the reft of the Apoftles, the Evangelifts, who by Inspiration of the Holy Ghoft, wrote all Things that are neceffary to Faith and Salvation, would not have been filent therein; but they record no fuch Thing, therefore, no Man can think, that a Matter of fo great Importance wou'd have been paffed over in filence, if there were any ground to believe it.

(2) 2 Theff. 2, 1-1.