Thus we fee the Disagreement and Confufion amongst Proteftants concerning a Point of the greatest Importance, and upon which the whole Superftructure of the Reformation depends as upon a Foundation, without which it cannot poffibly fubfift. It has been fully fhew'd, 1. That nothing lefs than an extraordinary Miffion was claim'd by the first Reformers. 2. That tho' fome of their Followers endeavour'd at first to fupport this extravagant Pretenfion, the greateft Part have fince rejected it as a defencelefs Cause, and stand up for an ordinary Miffion. And 3. That thefe Advocates for an ordinary Miffion are all at Variance amongst themselves about the Manner of it's Conveyance, and put to the hardest Shifts to patch it up as well as they can.

I fhall therefore now proceed to prove that the first Reformers had no Miffion at all, either ordinary or extraordinary, but climb'd up to the Sheepfold by another Way like Thieves and Robbers. And if the first Reformers had no Miffion, I am fure their Succeffors in the facred Miniftry can have none: Because no Man can tranfmit to another what he has not himself. Nay we may as well fay that a Son can inherit a good Eftate of a Father, who has not a Groat to leave him. So that if the very Fathers of the Reformation had not a lawful Miffion, it is an unconceivable Riddle how their Children fhould come by it; as it is unconceivable how the Succeffors of the Apoftles fhould have had a lawful Miffion, if the Apostles themselves had none. Whence I conclude that if it be made manifeft, that the first Reformers were wholly deftitute of fuch a Miffion, it will likewife be fully proved that their Succeffors are in the fame unhappy Condition and that they who are Members of any of the Reform'd Churches founded by them, as they continue to be Abettors of their Sacrilegious Ufurpation of the holy Miniftry, can be regarded no otherwife than as Perfons, who are out of the true Church of Chrift, in which alone Salvation can be attain'd.

ART.

;

ART. III.

The first Reformers had no extraordinary

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Miffion.

Henever it has pleafed God to raise Men in an extraordinary Manner to be the Guides of his People (as he raifed Mofes to lead them out of Egypt, and as he raised the Apostles to preach the evangelical Law to the whole World) he never fail'd to diftinguifh them by fuch uncontestable Marks of their extraordinary Miffion, as were a folid Motive to the People to form a rational Judgment upon, that they were undoubtedly fent, by God, and that he had bestow'd thofe Marks upon them as a Declaration and Teftimony of his Will, that they were bound to acknowledge them for their Paftors, and fuffer themselves to be guided by them. And this is fo perfectly conformable to the ufual Methods of God's infinite Wif dom and Goodnefs in providing Means proper for their refpective Ends (efpecially in Relation to Things immediately appertaining to the Salvation of Souls redeem'd with the facred Blood of Jefus Chrift) that without it the People would not be guarded a gainst the Seduction of falfe Guides, who might equally pretend to an immediate Commiffion from God; and fo every Impoftor might fet up for an infpired Man, and put his Cheats upon the People, under the Co ver of this religious Mask.

'Tis therefore neceffary the People thould have fome fure Marks to diftinguifh lawful Paftors from Seducers; but more especially when new Doctrines are propofed to them, whereof there is but one Example either recorded in the new Testament, or ever al low'd of by the Catholick Church; viz. the firit Preaching of the Evangelical Law, which doubtlefs was a new Law and a new Do&rine: And therefore the Perfons chofen immediately by God for this great Work were clearly distinguish'd from Impoftors or Seducers

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by three Marks. To wit, Holiness of Life in a moft eminent Degree, Holiness or Purity of Dottrine, and the Gift of Miracles. Thefe were the Marks, by which the faithful were fully affured that the Apoftles had their Commiffion from God For nothing was more holy than their Lives, nothing purer than their Doctrine, and God declared himself to be the Author of it by giving them the Power of Working the most ftupendious Miracles in Confirmation of it.

But I find nothing of thefe Marks of an extraordi- . nary Vocation in any of the first Reformers. For as to Holiness of Life, the very beft amongst them were only fo because they were not quite fo bad as the reft, and their greatest Admirers could never commend them either for Aufterity of Life, or any one eminent virtuous Quality that raised them above the ordinary Level of Mankind: Nay there was not one amongst them, but was guilty of the deadly Sin of Calumny in a very high Degree, in afperfing and mifrepresenting the Doctrine of their Mother Church, as the only means to give fome Colour to their Apoftacy.

But fome of them were eminent for nothing but the Vicioufnefs of their Lives. Witness Martin Luther the very Patriarch of the Reformation; who has left us in his own Writings fuch Monuments of his haughty, fcurrilous, immortified, nay even vicious and impious Difpofition, that his greateft Enemies cannot paint him in blacker Colours than he has done himself: As will appear more fully hereafter, when I come to fpeak of his Doctrine.

Carolostadius, another Head-Reformer, is a fecond Inftance of this Truth. He was the firft amongst the reforming Priefts who married publickly; and Melancthon, who was perfonally acquainted with him, gives him the Character of an ignorant and brutal Man, void of Piety and Humanity, and rather a Jew than a Chriftian; tho' of a crafty and turbulent Nature. Lib. Teftim. Pref. Moft excellent Qualifications to fit a Man for a Reformer of the Church of Chrift call'd by God in an extraordinary Manner.

I omit others to avoid Prolixity, or appearing to take a Pleasure in Expofing the Memory of Perfons, who have long Since had their Trial at the great Tribunal. But I cannot forbear faying fomething of Archbishop Cranmer the first Reformer of the Church of England, and Burnet's chief Hero in his unfaithful Hiftory of the English Reformation. But with all his Skill in daubing over and difguifing hiftorical Facts, he cannot hinder an impartial Reader from forming this Judgment of his Hero; viz. that if inftead of Reforming his Mother-Church he had applied himself to reform the Irregularities of his own Life, 'tis probable England would not have become the Theater of thofe aftonishing as well as fcandalous Disorders, pub lickly committed during the 13 laft Years of King Henry's Reign, whereof he was the chief Author by his pernicious Counfels, and bafe Compliances with that Prince. And yet this Man, who had deliver'd up the Ecclefiaftical Authority to prophane fecular Hands, facrificed the Patrimony of the Church to the Avarice of his Prince, proftituted his Confcience to all his diforderly Lufts, play'd the Hypocrite and diffembled his Religion for at least 13 Years together; this Man, I fay, was in the following Reign in Quality of Primate of England, the chief Ecclefiaftical Tool of the Court in promoting all the Changes of Religion then fet on Foot, which were varnish'd over with the plaufible Name of a godly Reformation. But is it then poffible that God fhould be the Author of aWork, when fuch wicked Men as thefe are the principal Actors in it? Do's he ufually imploy fuch Inftruments as thefe to bring about his Defigns of an extraordinary Mercy! If the Thing be not abfolutely impoffible,. it is at leaft without Example: And I cannot but think it much more conformable both to Reason and the ufual Methods of Providence to fay, that when wicked Men profper in their Defigns, they are not Inftruments chofen by God in his Mercy, but fuffer'd

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*See the Suppliment in the End.

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by him in his Anger as Scourges to punish the Sins of the People.

'Tis plain however that the firft Reformers were· wholly deftitute of the first Mark of an extraordinary Vocation, to wit, Holiness of Life. Now then let us fee whether they were distinguish'd from falfe Guides by the fecond, to wit, Holiness or purity of Do&rine, which is wholly indifpenfable, becaufe falfe Doctrines can only have the Father of Lies for their Author. "Tis true indeed their Boaft at first in Order to impofe upon the Weakness and Credulity of the People was, that they would teach nothing but the pure Word of God: But they fell very fhort of performing this noble Promife; whereof I fhall give fome few remarkable Inftances.

First, the Word of God teaches very plainly that Vows made to God are binding. When thou shalt Vow a Vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shall't not flack to pay it that which is gone out of thy Lips thou shalt keep and perform. Deut. 23. v. 21. 23. And St. Paul fays of Widows confecrated to God, that when they have began to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry, having Damnation to themselves, because they have caft off their first Faith. 1. Tim. 5. v. 11. 12. But the first Reformers could not relish this holy Doctrine, and made bold to give the Word of God the Lie by teaching publickly that monaftical Vows did not oblige Perfons of either Sex that had made them. Accordingly both Pens and Pulpits were employ'd to encourage the Violation of them, and Scriptural Texts were taught to fpeak a Language agreeable to Flesh and Blood. But becaufe Example is ufually more prevalent than Words, Martin Luther, an Auftin-friar, to the everlafting Shame of the Refor mation thought fit to confirm by his own Practice the Doctrine he had preach'd; and leaft the female Sex fhould want an Example of the fame kind, he made Choice of a Nun for his Bride, and fo became guilty of a doubleSacrilege. Their Example, how exorbitantly fcandalous foever, was follow'd by many, who otherwife would never have thought of changing their State. And thus Apostate Fryars, Priefts, and Nuns be

came