LIX.

SERM. ply for the weakness and want of argument. If a man can prove what he fays by good argument there is no need of confidence to back and support it. We may at any time truft a plain and fubftantial reason, and leave it to make its own way, and to bear out itself. But if the man's reasons and arguments be not good; his confidence adds nothing of real force to them, in the opinion of wife men. and tends only to it's own confufion. Arguments are like powder, which will carry and do execution according to its true ftrength; and all the reft is but noise. And generally none are so much to be sufpected of error, or a defign to deceive, as thofe that pretend most confidently to infpiration and infallibility as we fee in all forts of enthusiasts, who pretend to inspiration, although we have nothing but their own word for it; for they work no miracles, and all pretence to inspiration and infallibility, without miracle, whether it be in particular perfons, or in whole churches, is enthusiastical; i. e. a pretence to inspiration without any proof of it.

And therefore St. Paul was not moved by the boafting and confidence of the falfe apostles; because they gave no proof and evidence of their divine inspiration and commiffion, as he had done; for which he appeals to the sense of men, whether he had not wrought great miracles; which the falfe apoftles had not done, though they had the confidence to give out themselves to be apoftles as well as he; 2. Cór xii. 11, 12..“ I am (says he) become a fool in glo"rying, ye have compelled me. And truly the figns of an apostle were wrought among you in "all patience, in figns and wonders, and mighty "deeds." And Rev. ii. 2. CHRIST there com mends the church of Ephefus, because “she had

LIX.

"tried them, which faid they were apoftles, but SERM. were not; and had found them liars." And as we are not to believe every one that fays he is an apostle, so neither every one that pretends to be a fucceffor of the apostles, and to be endued with the fame spirit of infallibility that they were; for these also, when they are tried whether they be the fucceffors of the apostles or not, may be found liars, And therefore St. John cautions Chriftians not to believe every spirit, (that is, every one that pretends to divine inspiration and the fpirit of GOD') "but "to try the spirits, whether they be of GOD; be "cause many false prophets are gone out into the "world," 1 John iv. 1. And therefore the confidence of men in this kind ought not to move us, when their pretence to infallibility is deftitute of the proper proof and evidence of it, which is a power of miracles; and when their doctrines and practices have neither the evidence of reafon or scripture on their fide.

For inftance; that the church of Rome is the mother and miftress of all churches; which is one of the new articles of pope Pius the IVth's creed and yet there is not one fyllable in scripture tending to this purpose. And in reafon it cannot be, that any but that which was the first chriftian church fhould be the mother of all churches; and that the church of Rome certainly was not, and the church of Jerufalem undoubtedly was.

And then that the bishop of Rome, as fucceffor of St. Peter there, is the fupreme and univerfal paftor of CHRIST's church by divine appointment, as he affumes to himself; and that it is neceffary to falvation, for every human creature to be fubject to the bishop of Rome, as is declared in their canon-law by

5

a con

LIX.

SERM. a conftitution of pope Boniface the VIIIth, which con ftitution is confirmed in the laft Lateran council; of all which there is not the leaft mention in fcripture, nor any divine appointment to that purpose to be found there. And it is against reason, that all the world should be obliged to trudge to Rome for the decifion of caufes and differences, which in many and the most weighty matters are reserved to the decision of that fee, and can be determined no where else. And against reafon likewise it is to found this univerfal fupremacy in his being fucceffor of St. Peter; and to fix it in the bishop of Rome, rather than at Antioch; when it is certain, and granted by themfelves, that St. Peter was firft bishop of Antioch, and out of all queftion that he was bishop of Antioch; but not fo, that he was bishop of Rome.

Nor is there any thing in fcripture for the deliverance of fouls out of purgatory by the prayers and maffes of the living. The whole thing is groundlefs, and not agreeable to the conftant fuppofitions of fcripture concerning a future ftate. Nor is there any reason for it, befides that which is not fit to be given, the wealth and profit which it brings in.

The invocation and worship of the bleffed virgin, and of all the faints departed, is deftitute of all scripture-warrant or example, and confeffed by themselves not to have been owned or practised in the three first ages of the church, because it looked too like the heathen idolatry; which deferves to be well confidered by thofe, who pretend to derive their whole religion from CHRIST and his apoftles by a continued and uninterrupted fucceffion. And this practice is likewife deftitute of all colour of reason; unless we be affured, that they hear our prayers in all places; which we cannot be, unless they be prefent in all

places,

LIX.

places, which they themselves do not believe; or SERM that God doth fome way or other reveal and make known to them the prayers which are made to them, which we canot poffibly be affured of, but by fome revelation of GOD to that purpose; which we no where find, nor doth the church of Rome pretend to it.

But I proceed to the

2d Thing; namely, that we fhould much more "hold faft the profeffion of our faith" and religion, against the confidence of men, contrary to scripture, and reason, and the common fenfe of mankind. For these are the chief grounds of certainty, which we can have for or against any thing; and if these be clearly on our fide, we ought not to be much moved by the confidence of men, concerning any doctrines or practices of religion, which are plainly contrary to these. If in points wherein we have

this advantage on our fide, we do not "hold faft "the profeffion" of our religion; our error and folly are capable of no excufe. And this advantage we plainly have in feveral points and controversies betwixt us and the church of Rome.

As in the worship of images; which is as exprefly and clearly forbidden in the fecond commandment, and that without any diftinction, as any other thing is forbidden in the whole bible. And that it is fo forbidden in this commandment, and that this commandment is ftill in force among Chriftians, was the universal fenfe of the ancient chriftian church.

Prayers and the fervice of GOD in an unknown tongue are directly contrary to the very nature and end of religious worship, which ought to be a reafonable service; which it cannot be, if it be not directed by our understandings, and accompanied

with

LIX.

SERM. with our hearts and affections: but if it be performed in an unknown tongue, our understanding can have no part in it; and if we do not understand it, it cannot move our affections. And this likewife is plainly contrary to scripture; namely, to a large difcourfe of St. Paul's, almost throughout a whole chapter, where he purposely fets himself to fhew the unprofitableness and grofs abfurdity of praying, or celebrating any other part of religious worship in an unknown tongue. If any part of our religion had been half fo clearly condemned in fcripture, as this is (which yet is the constant and general practice of the church of Rome) we must have "lain 'down in our fhame, and confufion would

have covered us ;" and we must either have rejected the authority of the bible, or have renounced that point of our religion, whatever it had been; though it had been dear to us as our right hand, and our right eye, we must upon fuch plain evidence of fcripture against it, have "cut it off, and plucked "it out, and caft it from us."

The like may be faid of locking up the fcriptures from the people in an unknown tongue, contrary to the command of the fcriptures themselves, and to the great end and defign of Almighty God in the writing and publishing of them; and contrary to the perpetual exhortations and councils of all the ancient fathers of the christian church for a great many ages, not one excepted. They are hardly more frequent, and copious, and earnest in any argument; than in perfuading people of all ranks and conditions, to the conftant and careful reading of the holy fcriptures. And contrary to the common reafon and fenfe of mankind. For what fhould men be perfuaded to be acquainted withal; if not with that