viaries with wondrous tales of fabled Miracles and suppositious Saints, which are in general so il contrived, so absurd, so obscene, so ill attested, so utterly unworthy of attention, that far from advancing the interest of our opponents, they serve rather as proofs of the instability and badness of that cause which they are brought forward to maintain; and must convince, even the most casual observer, that Reason and Religion can have no connection with a party who are compelled to have recourse to such puerile tricks to maintain even a shadow of authority over ignorance and superstition.

This Creed has in truth placed an impassable barrier betwixt Popery and the Reformation, and has for ever separated the Roman from all other Christian Churches. For by the decision of the Council of Trent many of their errors have become Articles of Faith, and been declared necessary to Salvation: and every one who ventures to express a doubt respecting the Doctrines or Discipline of the Roman See is * stig

* Dubius in fide censetur Hereticus.

History of the Council of Trent.

matized as an heretic. "You may not," says the learned author of the Holy Inquisition, " question, nor so much as hesitate about any point in the New Articles; neither may you interpret them, or seek to give them a commodious sense, as certain Bishops have endeavoured to do, to make them plausible: the whole Creed and Oath must go down in the Pope's sense that imposed it, be it what it will. So that except a man truly and thoroughly believe all this, he cannot with any conscience comply with the Church of Rome, or remain in its Communion. And all the gilded words and promises of the Popish Clergy to those they would seduce about tolerating different opinions, and leaving them to themselves; are (as appears by this Bull and Creed) but pious Frauds, and downright Lies." *

The Papists have declared that salvation absolutely depends upon an implicit belief in certain doctrines, which God has no where revealed; which in many respects are directly contrary to his Word, and the True Catholic Faith of all Christians. How different the conduct of our Reformers of the Church of England. They have

* "The Holy Inquisition." Lond. 1681.

not proclaimed any thing as necessary to salvation, but that which our Saviour himself hath declared; they have imposed no doubtful or controverted doctrines on the people; have taught nothing but that which all true Christians have professed in every Age and Nation; and in a word have given Provocation to no men to withdraw themselves from the Protestant Communion, but to such as implicitly believe the Creed of Pius IV. which Mr. Butler acknowledges to be the standard of the Popish Faith.

And who that believes Jesus Christ to be that Great Prophet by whom the whole Counsel of God was revealed, and who is alone to be heard as the author and finisher of our Faith, can swear unqualified obedience to the Pope, and embrace in his creed all the vain Traditions of the Church of Rome, (which they themselves cannot number) and receive, as of equal authority with the Gospel, all the Declarations and Decrees of her Councils, especially that of Trent, and, believe her to be the Mother of all Churches?

Who that believes, that-" if any man shall add

unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this Book; and if any man shall take away from the words of the Book of this Prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the Holy City, and from the things which are written in this Book:"* who that believes this, can for a moment consider, that Christ is truly sacrificed in the Mass for the Living and the Dead; that he is wholly contained under either species in the Sacrament; that there is a Purgatory, and the Souls detained therein are helped by the suffrages of the faithful; that the Saints, reigning together with Christ, are to be honoured, and invocated; that they offer up prayers to God for us, and that their Relics are to be venerated; that the images of Christ, the mother of God, and also of the other Saints are to be worshipped; and that the power of granting Indulgences was by Christ left to this Church?

The Doctrine of Christ we have in the Gos

pelt; "which whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in, hath not God :" and this Doctrine the Protestant Creed fully comprehends, which contains the glorious attributes of God; his + St. John ii. 9.

Revelations xxii. 18, 19.

wonderful works of power and mercy; what mighty things he has done for us and our Salvation; and what we may still expect from him in a future state and all these merely to induce us Religiously to serve and love him alone, and own him for our Supreme Lord by an Holy Worship and Obedience.

Far different are the Articles of Roman Faith. In these the unlimited power and dominion of the Pope, and his Church over the Souls and Consciences of Men is arrogantly proclaimed; and every means are authorized and sanctioned, however nefarious, by which their wealth may be increased, or the luxury of their tables sup, plied. For instance, the sale of Indulgences, the disposal of the Sacred Mass, their appropriation of the offerings made at their innumerable shrines and altars, and open traffic for the Redemption of Souls from Purgatory.

For refusing obedience to this New and Unchristian Doctrine our Forefathers suffered all the torments and cruelties which Papal Ingenuity could invent: For this a Hooper, a Ridley, a Latimer, a Cranmer perished in the Flames.