God*, are a ground for much deeper concern for here is guilt, as well as suffering: mankind not only multiplying present torments, very needlessly, one to another, but treasuring up future and eternal ones to themselves: defeating, as far as creatures are able, the gracious designs of the Creator of all; and turning his world into the very contrary of what he intended it should be. Well might one have hoped, that our natural principles of humanity, at least of religion, would have so far restrained us, that evils of this kind, if they existed at all, should not be frequent, or extreme. But early and general experience hath too fully confuted such imaginations. However, when revelation came in to the aid of reason, giving so much clearer notice of our duty, and stronger motives to it; one should firmly have expected, that the voice of God, speaking expressly from heaven, must have produced a general and a lasting reformation. But, instead of this, a new gloom arises from hence, to make our view still more discouraging. We see revealed religion, as well as natural, professedly scorned by many, and seriously regarded by very few. Yet, though it hath but little influence, were all that influence good, there would still be some joy. But to have the very light, which is in us, become darkness † ; and what was calculated, beyond all things, to make us good and happy, perverted to make us wicked and miserable, this completes the sorrow. Yet so it is the gold itself is become dim; the most fine gold changed. The piety of the patriarchal ages degenerated very early into pernicious idolatries, full of rites impure and barbarous. And no sooner almost were the Jews reformed effectually from the * Rom. viii. 28. ↑ Lam. iv. 1. + Matth. vi. 23. worship of false gods, than their zeal for the true one became, by degrees, so blind and fierce, that the condition of many of them might seem not to be extremely altered for the better. Towards the heathen, and one another, indeed their bitterness might usually defend itself by the plea of antecedent provocation : but their treatment of Christianity, when it appeared, was void of all excuse. That perfectly benevolent doctrine, recommended to them by every instance of unmixed goodness attending its delivery, if it had not charms enough to attract their love, had surely nothing to excite their hatred. Yet such was the turn of this perverse nation, that even their own Messiah, the hope of Israel*, contradicting their favourite scheme, of devoutly indulging their lusts, and piously tyrannizing over the rest of the world; they crucified him, and pursued his followers, with that inhuman bigotry, which, in the words of the text, he foretold they would. Nor did this wicked spirit actuate them alone: but the heathens also, who had borne, for the most part, very patiently, with the infinite variety of one another's gods; who had long borne with the Jewish religion, as opposite to all their own, as could be; yet persecuted the Christians with a most barbarous rage, for three hundred years: till at length, triumphing over cruelty with mere patience and innocence, it gradually became the established belief of the Roman empire. And then, at least, would a compassionate spectator of the course of this world, tired out with the sins and miseries of it, have surely thought, the time must be come now, to lift up his head, and rejoice in the happy change. For who could possibly ima * Acts xxviii. 20. + Luke xxi. 28. gine, that the professors of so merciful a religion, especially after experiencing so long the evil of persecution themselves, would ever be brought to exercise it on their own brethren? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be* ? The wisdom of God foresaw and foretold, what could not but seem to the first disciples very incredible in itself, that, by quick degrees, their successors would bring into the Christian church almost all the corruptions, which they had heard their Master condemn in the Jewish human additions to the law of God; human traditions, that made it of no effect+; dishonest zeal to gain proselytes; implacable resentment against all, who differed from them. Too soon, and too wide, did these offences spread among the professed followers of Christ: and would God any part of them were quite innocent, that ever had the power of being guilty. But unspeakably the deepest root did this evil take in the see of Rome : which begun surprisingly early to verify of itself one part of our Saviour's words, by putting out of the synagogue, excommunicating, or at least attempting to excommunicate, without cause, the churches of Asia, in the controversy of Easter: and employed afterwards, at some times the dignity of the imperial seat, at others the reverence of a principal apostolic foundation, to obtain continually fresh accessions of power; till at length a bishop of that see in the seventh century assumed the title, which his almost immediate predecessor § had declared to be a mark of antichrist; that of the Universal Pastor of Christ's Church. And his successors took effectual care, that it should be fed with such doctrines most diligently, as were most + Matth. xv. 6. Mark vii. 13. § Gregory the First. * Matth. xxvi. 54. subservient to their wicked designs. All, who opposed any of their novelties, but especially any new claim of authority, they prosecuted with infinitely greater vehemence, than if guilty of the grossest immoralities and not only subjected them to the utmost rigour of spiritual censures, but to the heaviest temporal penalties that they could; and, at length, to death itself. Even over princes, in process of time, was this unwarrantable dominion extended: and having often been exercised in fact, was in the last place openly asserted, as a just right. For the fourth council of Lateran, held in the year 1215, and pretended to be a general, and therefore infallible one, after beginning with a creed, of which transubstantiation, then first established, made a part; proceeds, in the third canon, to decree," that all deniers of that, or any "other of the [pretended] catholic doctrines, be ex"communicated, and punished by the secular arm : "that all, who are suspected, unless they clear "themselves within a year, be deemed heretics; and "that all civil powers, of what rank soever, be ad"monished, and, if need require, compelled by eccle"siastical censures, to swear, that they will extirpate "all heretics out of their territories: and if any of "them refuses it, that he also be excommunicated; "and if he give not satisfaction within a year, the "Pope shall declare his subjects to be free from their " oath of fidelity, and give his dominions to catholics; who driving heresy out of them, may possess "them without contradiction, and preserve them in "the purity of the faith." These are the words of that canon. Nay further still; the same council gives to all, who, taking upon them the badge of the cross, shall fight against heretics, the same spiritual pri 66 vileges and indulgences, as if they fought against infidels. For making war on the latter, merely for the sake of their religion, though a most unchristian employment, they had already, for selfish ends, taught to be meritorious. And having now raised fighting against the former to the same degree of merit, they soon effected the destruction not only of the Albigenses, a very blamable sect, but of the poor Waldenses likewise, much better believers than themselves; thus fulfilling the second part of our Saviour's prediction, Yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doth God service. After these beginnings, the instances, that followed, of popish usurpation, treachery, and cruelty, in every nation of Europe, every nation upon earth, in which popery hath got footing, have been so numerous, that the time would fail me even to name them: and therefore I shall confine myself to a general mention of such, as have happened in a country, which, God be thanked, hath felt much less of them, than many others; I mean our own. And this I shall do without bitterness, far from exaggerating any one fact, or dwelling with the least pleasure on things so dishonourable to the Christian profession; and much too mournful to be remembered, if it were safe to forget them. No sooner had King Henry the Eighth been declared, what he undoubtedly was, the supreme head of the clergy as well as laity, in his own kingdom; but, though he had meddled with no one point of the Romish doctrine besides; nay, was so far from The following facts are chiefly taken from Foulis's History of Romish Treasons, fol. 1673, a Discourse concerning the Original of the Powder Plot, 4to. 1674, and a book entitled, The Gunpowder Treason, republished, with a preface, by Bishop Barlow, 8vo. 1679. |