as the whole Claim of the Church of Rome depends upon her being in all Points infallible: fo, if in any fingle Point the proves to be mistaken, her Pretence of being believed in the reft falls intirely to the Ground. But indeed, though for your fuller Satisfaction I have confuted many of her Doctrines, yet any Person may have fufficient Satisfaction of his own being in the right Way, without fo much as knowing or having heard what any one of her Doctrines is. For let him but keep close to the Creed and the Commandments; believe those Things which Scripture hath made neceffary to be believed, and do thofe Things which Scripture hath made neceffary to be done; and he is under no Manner of Obligation to enquire, what any Church on Earth thinks fit to believe or do befides. Many Opinions may be true and ufeful; many Practices may be innocent and edifying; but nothing can be Matter of Neceffity, except what Chrift and his Apostles have required as Terms of Salvation. Every Person, that complies with thefe, is a true Chriftian: every Church that teaches thefe, is a true Church and neither Ignorance nor Error about any other Matters can forfeit our Title to everlasting Life. Search

then

then the Scriptures and fee: is there any one Thing made neceffary there which our Church forbids? Is there any one Thing declared finful there which our Church requires? If not, let other Churches prohibit or enjoin as they please at their own Peril. We are no Way bound to inquire what they do, or why. Letting alone their Peculiarities, we are fure is fafe. Whether making Use of them be or not, is their Business to confider, not ours. So that were Tranfubftantiation, for Inftance, and Purgatory true; were the Worship of Images and praying to Saints lawful; which, God knows, they are far from being; yet as there is no Pretence that they are neceffary Doctrines and Practices; the Mistake of rejecting them could have no Harm in it; but the Uncharitableness of condemning and accurfing those who reject them may have great

Harm. For when once Chrift hath faid, believe and do fuch and fuch Things, and you shall be saved; who is it that shall dare to say, believe and do more, or you fhall not be faved? It is dreadful Arrogance, therefore, which the Church of Rome shows in this Refpect; coining new Articles of Faith, fome of which they own were not Articles of Faith from the Beginning, and fentencing Men to Hell for not believing

what,

what, before that Sentence, themfelves acknowledge no Body was bound to believe. This, you fee, is changing the Terms of the Chriftian Covenant arbitrarily, and making a new Gospel at their own Pleasure. But in Oppofition to their Decifions and Anathemas, hear one of St. Paul: Though an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gofpel unto you than that which we, the Apostles of Chrift, have preached, let him be accurfed. Trust then yourselves on this Foot: for other Foundation can no Man lay, than that which they laid. Nor indeed did the` primitive Church, for feveral hundreds of Years, at

tempt it, or make any Doctrine neceffary, which

we do not: as the learned well know from their Writings; and the unlearned may know from the most ancient of their Creeds, which we now ufe in our conftant Service. Afterwards indeed needlefs Additions first crept in, then false ones: but, had they begun ever so much sooner, our Cause had received no Prejudice. To the Law and to the Teftimony, as the Prophet directs, we appeal: if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no Light in them.

• Cor. iii. 11.

p If. viii. 20.

SER

SERMON XVI.

I

I PET. V. 12.

Exhorting and testifying that this is the true Grace of God wherein ye ftand.

COME now to conclude the Subject on which I have been fo long employed. A

fufficient Number of the Doctrines of the Romanifts have been confidered, and what they plead for them, examined. But befides the Pleas they make for each in particular, they have others for all in general. Should they, when they want to make a Convert, fairly propose to him each of their Notions separately, and give him Proofs, first that it is true, and then that it obliges him to quit our Communion for theirs; this they are sensible would be a hopeless Undertaking. And therefore very wifely they are for shorter Work, and have general Arguments, it seems, to prove that, let their

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