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CHAP. IX.

THE UNINTERRUPTED SUCCESSION OF THE CLERGY REFUTED, CONCLUDED.

DR. TILLOTSON, in his Sermon against Transubstantiation, tells us, that it might well seem strange if any man should write a book to prove that an egg is not an elephant, and that a musket-bullet is not a pike. He might have added, that this was the hard circumstance to which the laity were reduced in their disputes about religion with most sets of ecclesiastics; and what is still worse, that when they had proved these propositions, they were never the better.

The greatest part of mankind have learned to judge of religious matters by other faculties and senses than those which God has given them. The first thing they are taught is, that reason may be on one side of the question, and truth on the other; which maxim being well established, there will be an end of all reasoning ever after. There can be no longer any criterion of truth and falsehood; but those who, by education and custom,

have once got possession of the superstition and fears of the people, may impose upon them what crafty and advantageous doctrines they please. By these means the Christian religion, most easy and intelligible in itself, and adapted to the meanest capacities, is become in most countries a metaphysical science, made up of useless sublimities and insignificant distinctions, calculated to gratify the pride of corrupt clergymen, by making them admired and reverenced by the people for their profound knowledge and deep learning. Religion is consequently wholly left to their care and conduct, as being infinitely above poor lay apprehensions; and to this the world is beholden for the depravation of virtue and morality, and for all the domination, pomp, and riches of the popish priesthood.

I hope no one will condemn an undertaking intended to restore Christianity to its primitive innocence and native simplicity; to oppose common sense against pompous nonsense, and learned absurdity; and to shew how, and in what meaning, the kingdom of heaven is said to be revealed to babes and sucklings, while it is hidden from the learned and wise. That is, it is easily learned and known by those who make use of their graciously-assisted natural faculties and uncorrupted reason; but will always be hidden from such who hunt after it in the schools of the philosophers, or in any ambitious and factious assemblies and synods

of popish ecclesiastics.

I shall aim to keep this

plain and easy subject clear of all vain philosophy and metaphysical gibberish, with which the adversaries always attempt to entangle it; as knowing well, that if they can but make it unintelligible, their authority will decide every question in their own favour.

I have already shewn that the apostles claimed no jurisdiction, authority, or coercive power, of any kind, over their hearers, but only obeyed the will of their Divine Master in delivering a message from heaven for the infinite benefit of mankind. To prove their mission they brought their credentials, viz. the power of working miracles. This miraculous power died with them, however, and the power and right they possessed to perform the duties and offices of Christianity, did not descend to one Christian more than to another, but all were equally empowered to exercise alike the functions of their most holy religion.

When a command is given from God to men to perform any action, it is not only the right of every one, but it becomes his duty to execute it himself, when he is capable of doing so. Whoever asserts the contrary, is obliged to prove it; and he must not be surprised if, in a case of this great consequence, we should expect plain and direct texts, describing the extent of the power demanded, and the persons to whom it is given. It will not be enough to collect two or three scattered and dis

jointed sentences, and, putting them on the rack, torture them till they confess what they never meant, and what is against the whole current of scripture. It must be laid down plainly and directly, and be made obvious to the meanest capacities; not depending upon the criticisms of rabbinical learning; not sublimated from Jewish and Heathen traditions; nor extorted from doubtful, equivocal, and unintelligible expressions. It is not consistent with the goodness of God to suffer a power, upon which the being of Christianity and the temporal and eternal happiness of the world depend, to remain in obscurity and darkness; and, therefore, we may be sure that whatever of this kind does so, is the invention of ambitious and wicked men, and not the will of the great, the good, and the merciful God.

It will be incumbent on them to shew one clear and direct text, where our Saviour confines the administration of the sacraments to any set of men whatsoever. But the contrary of this is so evident, that there is not, in scripture, one instance where the sacrament of our Lord's supper was ever administered by any one who, in our translation of the New Testament, is styled bishop or presbyter. And it is as plain that the right of baptizing belonged equally to all Christians.

But to proceed with my subject.—If a chain of uninterrupted succession had been necessary, an uninterrupted course of talents, graces, and abi

lities, superior to those of all other lay-christians, had been necessary also to have made the clergy resemble those whom they were to succeed in an employment which required the highest. But there is no such peculiar genius or virtue found amongst them. They are qualified by means evidently human for this divine calling. They are sent to schools and universities to learn to be successors to the apostles, and, to use Dodwell's remarks on the Jewish priests, they make use of wine, amongst other bodily helps, to obtain the prophetic spirit." All men, who have the same sense and opportunities, thrive, at least, as fast as those who are candidates for the priesthood. They might, if they pleased, apply their learning to the same uses. And as to grace, piety, and humanity, I think the modesty of the clergy will not allow them to pretend to excel their lay-friends in these endowments.

The apostles were inspired, had the gift of working miracles, could bestow the Holy Ghost, and had the discernment of spirits. They were, consequently, proper judges of the fitness of men for the ministry. Our modern divines are not inspired, cannot work miracles, nor give the Holy Ghost; many of them cannot even find out their own spirit, much less can they discern the spirit of other people.

The apostles were a set of extraordinary persons, appointed by the Son of God to convert all nations,