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ment, and the predictions therein concerning him. And this was but reafonable, it being impoffible for any man to receive two revelations, as from God, without liberty to examine whether they be agreeable to, and confiftent with one another. In like manner the Apoftles of our Lord and Saviour, though they were guided and affifted by an infallible fpirit, and had an immediate commiffion from Chrift to preach the doctrine of the gofpel, did not require from men abfolute submission to their doctrines and dictates, without examination of what they delivered, whether it were agreeable to the divine revelation which was contained in the ancient fcriptures.

This was St Paul's conftant cuftom and way of teaching among the Jews, who had received the revelation of the Old Teftament. He did not dictate to them by virtue of his infallibility, but reafoned with the out of the fcriptures, and required their belief no farther than what he faid fhould, upon examination, appear agreeable to the fcriptures. So we find, Acts xvii. 2. 3. And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, (fpeaking of the Jews), and three fabbath-days reafoned with them out of the fcriptures, opening and alledging, that Chrift must needs have fuffered, and rifen again from the dead, and that this Jefus whom I preach unto you is the Chrift. And chap. xviii. 28. he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, fhewing by the Scriptures that Jefus was the Chrift. And St Paul was fo far from reproving them for examining his doctrine by the fcriptures, that he commended it, as an argument of a noble and generous mind in the Bereans, that they did not give full affent to his doctrine, till upon due fearch and examination they were fatisfied, that what he had faid was agreeable to the fcriptures, chap. xvii. 11. 12.. where fpeaking of the Bereans it is faid, That thefe were more noble than those in Theffalonica, in that they received the word, with all readiness of mind, and fearched the fcriptures daily, whether thofe things were fo; therefore many of them believed; that is, because upon fearch they found what he delivered

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to be agreeable to the fcriptures: and it was not a flight, but diligent and deliberate fearch; they took time to examine things thoroughly; for it is faid, they fearched the fcriptures daily. And here in the text St Paul puts the cafe, that if he, or any other of the Apoftles, concerning whofe divine commiffion and affistance they were fo fully fatisfied, fhould deliver any thing to them contrary to the gofpel which they had formerly preached, they were to reject it with the greateft abhorrence and deteftation; and this neceffarily fuppofeth a liberty to examine what was delivered, even by those whom they believed to be infallibly affifted, and a capacity to difcern and judge whether what they faid was agreeable to the gofpel at firft delivered to them, or not.

And after this, fhall any perfon or church (what claim foever they may make to infallibility) affume to themselves an authority to dictate in matters of faith, and that their dictates ought to be received with an abfolute fubmiffion, and without liberty to examine whether they be agreeable to the faith once delivered to the faints; and though they did add new articles to the Chriftian faith, and of which there is not the least footftep or intimation in any of the ancient creeds of the Christian church, and do plainly impofe upon Christians the practice and belief of feveral things as neceffary to falvation, which the gofpel never declared to be fo, yet no body shall judge of this, but every man ought, without more ado, to believe blindfold, and to refign up his understanding and judgement to the directions of this vifible infallible judge?

But furely this is not the reafonable obedience of faith, but the forced fubmiffion of flaves to the tyranny of their mafters. Chriftians are exprefsly forbid to call any man father or mafter upon earth, because we have one father and mafter in heaven. Now to make an absolute fubmiffion of our understandings to any upon earth, fo as, without examination, to receive their dictates in matters of faith, is furely, if any thing can be so, to call fuch a perfon father or mafter; because a greater fubmiflion than this we cannot pay to our father who

is in heaven, even to God himself. I come now to the

VI. and laft obfervation from the text, that whofoever teacheth any thing as of neceffity to falvation, to be believed or practifed, befides what the gospel of Christ hath made neceffary, does fall under the anathema here in the text; because they that do fo, do, according to the mind of St Paul, pervert the gospel of Chrift, and preach another gospel. For the reafon why he chargeth the falfe Apoftles with preaching another gofpel, and thofe that were feduced by them, as being removed from him that called them into the grace of Chrift, unto another gofpel, is plainly this, that they had changed the terms of the Chriftian religion, by adding new articles to it, which were not contained in the gofpel; that is, by making it neceffary to believe it to be fo, because they taught fo. Now St Paul exprefsly declares this to be preaching another gofpel, because they plainly altered the terms of falvation declared in the gofpel, and made that to be neceffary to the falvation of men, which the gofpel had not made fo.

And whatever perfon or church does the fame, does incur the fame guilt, and falls under the anathema and cenfure here in the text; yea, though he were an Apoftle, or an Angel: And I am fure no Bifhop or church in the world can pretend either to an equal authority or infallibility with an Apoftle, or an Angel from heaven.

Let us then hear what St Paul declares in this cafe, and confider seriously, with what earnestness and vehemency he declares it: Though we (fays he), or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accurfed. As we faid before, fo fay I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accurfed. St Paul, you fee, is very earnest in this matter, and very peremptory; and therefore I cannot but think this declaration of his to be more confiderable, and every way more worthy of our regard and dread, than all the anathemas of the council of Trent, which, in direct affront and contempt of this anathema of St Paul, hath prefumed to add fo many ar

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ticles to the Christian religion, upon the counterfeit warrant of tradition, for which there is no ground or warrant from the fcripture, or from any ancient creed of the Chriftian church.

And for the truth of this, I appeal to the creed of Pope Pius IV. compiled out of the definitions of the council of Trent; by which council the Pope only is authorised to interpret the true fenfe and meaning of the canons and decrees of that council; and confequently his interpretations must be of equal force and authority with that of the council itfelf. So that whatsoever he hath put into his new creed for an article of faith, ought to be received with the fame pious affection and veneration, as if the creed had been compiled by the council itself; because the Pope, it feems, and no body else, understands the true meaning of that council; at least is thought fit to declare it. And therefore one may juftly wonder at the prefumption of thofe, who, after this declaration of the council, have taken upon them to expound the catholic faith, and to represent that religion to us, as it is defined in that council; because if there be any controversy about the meaning of its definitions, (as there have been a great many even betwixt those who were prefent at the council when thofe definitions were made), none but the Pope himself can certainly tell the meaning of them.

Now in this creed of Pope Pius, there are added to the ancient creed of the Chriftian church, twelve or thirteen new articles; as concerning purgatory, tranfubftantiation, the worship of images, the invocation of faints, the communion in one kind, and that the church of Rome is the mother and mistress of all churches, and that there is no falvation to be bad out of it, and feveral other points; all which have either no foundation in fcripture, or are plainly contrary to it, and none of them ever efteemed as articles of faith in the ancient Chriftian church for the firft five hundred years; and yet they are now obtruded upon Christians as of equal neceffity to falvation with the twelve articles of the Apofiles creed, and this under a pretence of infallibility, which St Paul tells us would VOL. V.

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not have justified an Apostle, or an Angel from heaven, in making fuch additions to the Chriftian religion, and the impofing any thing as neceffary to falvation, which is not fo declared by the gospel of Christ.

And all that they have to fay for this is, that we do not pretend to be infallible; but there is a neceffity of an infallible judge to decide thefe controverfies, and to him they are to be referred. Which is juft as if in a plain matter of right, a contentious and confident man should defire a reference, and contrive the matter fo as to have it referred to himself, upon a fleeveless pretence, without any proof or evidence, that he is the only perfon in the world that hath authority and infallible skill to decide all fuch differences. Thus the church of Rome would deal with us in things which are as plain as the noon-day; as whether God hath forbidden the worship of images in the fecond commandment? whether our Saviour did inftitute the facrament in both kinds? whether the people ought not to read the fcriptures, and to have the public fervice of God in a known tongue these, and the like, they would have us refer to an infallible judge, and when we afk who he is, they tell us that their church, which hath impo fed these things upon Christians, and made thefe additions to the gospel of Chrift, is that infallible judge. But if he were as infallible as the pretends to be, even as an Apostle, or an Angel from heaven, St Paul hath denounced an anathema against her, for preaching another gospel, and making thofe things neceffary to the falvation of men, which are not contained in the gospel of Chrift.

The inference from all this difcourfe in fhort is this, that we should contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the faints, and not fuffer ourselves, by the confident pretences of feducers, to be removed from him that hath called us through the grace of Chrift unto another gofpel. The neceffary doctrines of the Chriftian religion, and the common terms of falvation, are fo plain, that if any man be ignorant of them, it is his own fault; and if any go about to impose upon

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