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Of the Doctrine, Worship, and Practices of the Roman Church,

b. 91.

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E that increafeth Knowledg, increafeth Sorrow, is an Obfervation which holdeth true of no part of Knowledg,: fo much as of the Knowledg of Mankind: It is fome relief to him, who knows nothing of foreign Wickedness, to hope there are other Nations wherein Vertue is honoured, and Religion is in esteem, which allays his Regrates, when he fees Vice and Impiety abound in his Country; but if by travelling or reading, he enlarge his Horizon, and know Mankind better, his Regrates will grow, when he finds the whole World lies in Wickedness. It argues à cruel and inhumane Temper, to delight in beholding Scenes of Horror and Mifery; and certainly none, who either honours his Maker and Redeemer, or is a lover of Mankind, can without forrow look on, and fee the Indignities done to God and his Son, Chrift, and fee the Enemy of the humane Race triumphing over the World, with fuch abfolute Authority, and fo much enraged Cruelty and that not only in the dark Regions of it, which the Sum of Righteousness hath not yet vifited with his Gofpel, but that where Chrift should have a Throne, Satans Seat should also be, is justly surprising and aftonifhng. That almost all Christendom hath fallen from their first Love, is what none, whofe Eyes are open can deny and it is little less evident, that the greater part of it hath made hipwrack, and erred from the Faith; and that the Church, whofe Faith was once Spoken of throughout the World, is now become the Mother of the Fornications of the Earth It is true, the Scriptures warned us of a falling away, of a Mystery of Iniquity, of an Anticbrift to be revealed in due time, and of a Babylonish Rome, which fhould bewitch the Earth with her Sorceries, but fhould be varnished over with fair Colours and fpecious Pretences, fo that Mystery should be on her Forehead: Being then warned of fo much dan

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ger to the Christian Religion, it is a neceflary (though painful) enquiry to fee if this Antichrift be yet come, or if we must look for another.

But because fome have ftretched the Notion of Antichriftianifm fo far, that things harmeless and innocent come within its compafs; and others have so much contracted it, that they might scape free; we are to take a view of the Nature and De figns of the Chriftian Religion, and to conclude from that what must be Antichriftianism: It being not only a bare contradiction to fome branches or parts of the Gofpel (for then every Error or Herefy were Antichriftianifm) but a Design and entire Complex, of fuch Opinions and Practices, as are contradictory to, and fubverfive of the Power and Life of Chriftianity: And if we find any fuch thing to be broached and received in the World, we may, with the least hazard of uncharitableness, pronounce it be Antichriftianifm; and if it be acted or animated by any Head, he may be concluded Antichrist.

"The Designs of the Chriftian Religion run betwixt these four Heads: The firft is, to give us right apprehenfions of the Nature and Attributes of God, that we may conceive aright of him, and adore him futably to his Nature, and according to his Will, and thereby be admitted to a free converfe with him, and become partakers of the Divine Nature. How little of God was known by the twinkling's of Nature's Light, even to the better and wifer part of the World, Tully's Books of the Nature of the Gods do fufficiently inform us? But if the Philofophers were fo much to feek in it, what fhall we expect from the Vulgar? And indeed Homer's Iliads, and Ovid's Metamorphofis, were wretched Systems of Divinity; and yet fuch, and fuch-like, were the Sentiments of the Nations about the Godhead. It is true, the Seed of Abraham were delivered from that Darknefs, and knew God by his Name Jehovah, and had Laws and Ordinances given them by God; yet their Worship was fo carnal, and did fo ftrike upon, and affect the Senfes, that we will be foon fatisfied, it was not fo fublime and free as became the Spirituality of the Divine Nature, and fo was only fitted for the Infancy of the People of God; but by Chrift the Mystery that lay hid from Ages and Generations, was revealed; for he declared the Father, and revealed him, and taught us to renounce Idols and Vanities, and to ferve the living God, commanding all Men every where to repent, the Times of Ignorance wherein

God

God winked at Idolatry, being then over. That fo Mankind being God's Off Spring, might feel after him, and not worship him any more in the binding groffness of Idolatry, but in a pure spiritual manner; and whereas the Law came by Mofes, by Chrift came Grace and Truth. Grace, in oppofition to the Severity of the Law; and Truth, as oppofed (not to Falihood) but to the Figures and Shadows of Mofes his Law; and therefore God is to be worshipped in Spirit and Truth, in oppofition to the Carnal Ordinances, and Typical Rites, which fhadowed out the Truth in the Law.

The fecond Branch of the Chriftian Religion is, to hold forth the Method of Man's Reconciliation with his Maker. For the Senfe of all Mankind agrees in this, that Sin is an Indignity done God, which deferveth Punishment, and cannot be expiated by any Service Man can do: It was therefore necessary there should be a mean found for incouraging Sinners to imbrace a Religious Life; of which all had reafon to defpair, without Pardon were offered to Penitents, upon the change of their Lives. Now this was that the Heathen could not dream how to procure: It is true, the Jews had Sacrifices for expiating of Sin, but these could never quiet their Confciences, fince the common Senfe of Mankind tells, that the Blood of Beafts cannot appeafe God. The Mystery therefore of the Reconciliation of Sinners to God, is the proper Character of the Chriftian Religion: which holds forth to us how the Eternal Word was made Man, and endured unspeakable Sufferings for the Sins of Men, even to the Death of the Crofs; and was raised up by God, and carried to Heaven, where he is vested with all Power and Authority, and by the Merits of his Death hath a right to grant Pardon, give Grace, and confer Eternal Life on all that believe on him; by whom God conveys all things to us, and through whom we are to offer up all our Worlhip to God, he being the Mediator betwixt God and Man,

The third Head of the Christian Religion is, to teach the perfecteft, clearest, and moft Divine Rules, for advancing of the. Souls of Men to the highest perfection of their Natures. It is true, noble pieces of Morality were acknowledged and taught by the Heathen Philofophers: and the Books of the Old Teftament have the Doctrine of Vertue, Purity, Humility and Meeknefs laid open very fully but without derogating from thefe, it must be acknowledged, that as the Doctrine of Chriftianity, teacheth all thefe Precepts with clearer Rules, and fuller Di

rections;

rections, fo they were in it recommended by the example of its Author, backed with the strongest Motives, and enforced with the greatest Arguments. In thefe are the Leflons of Purity, Cha tity, Ingenuity, Humility, Meeknefs, Patience, and Generofity; fo clearly laid down, and fo fully evinced, that no Man, who is fo much a Man as to love thefe things whereby his Mind may be improved, to all that is truely great and noble, but muft be enamoured of the Chriftian Religion, as foon as he is taught

it.

The fourth Defign of Religion is, to unite Mankind in the closest Bonds of Peace, Friendship, and Charity, which it doth not only by the Rules prefcribed for the tempering our Paflions, forgiving of Injuries, and loving our Enemies, and by the Do&trin of Obedience to thofe in Authority over us, but likewife by allociating us into one Body, called the Church, wherein we are to worship God jointly, and to be coupled in one by the use of the Sacraments, which are the Ligaments of the Body.

Having thus viewed the great defigns of the Chriftian Religion in the feveral Branches and Parts thereof, I fhall add to this, the main distinguishing Characters of our Religion, which are "alfo

four.

The firft its, its verity; that it is not founded on the tattles of Perfons concerned, nor on the reveries of Dotards, nor received with a blind credulity, being founded on the Authority of the great God, which appeared vifibly in thofe that published it,chiefly in the Perfon of Jefus Chrift, who by his Miracles that were wrought in the fight of all the People, even his Enemies looking on, and not being able to deny them, but chiefly by his Refurrection from the Dead, was declared to be the Son of God, which was feen and known by many, who followed not cunningly devifed Fables, but were the Eye-witnelles of his Majesty, who went in his Name, and published it to the World, confirming it by Miracles and mighty Wonders, attefting it, notwithstanding of all the Perfecutions they met with, most of them confirming it with their Blood: And this Doctrine was received and believed by the better part of Mankind, though it being contrary to all the Interests of the flesh, whofe mortification it teacheth, its reception cannot be imputed to credulity or interest.

The fecond Character of our Religion is, its genuine fimplicity and perfpicuity, that all its Doctrines and Rules are clearly and

distinctly