face, that both fwords are in the power of the church; and that the magiftrate is to be her drudge

and executioner.

All that I shall further obferve concerning indulgences is; that however the wisdom of the great governor of all may think proper to chaftife his fervants in this world for their follies, at the fame time that he has a favour for them upon the whole; yet this is no foundation of a reafon for the church to pretend to release the debt of temporal punishment, remaining due upon account of fins, after the fins themselves, as to 'the guilt of eternal punishment, have been already remitted.' This, the author of the Grounds of catholic doctrine fays, is all that is meant by indulgences. But even this, as fmall a matter as he would make it, is, I think, no lefs than ufurping the prerogative of the Most High. It is therefore to no purpose to ‡ quote the cafe of king David, 2 Sam. XII. to whom • Nathan upon his repentance declared, that the Lord had put away his fin, and yet denounced many terrible punishments, which should be 'inflicted by reafon of this fin.' For this was all God's own doing, declared by immediate order from himself, by the mouth of his prophet, and fulfilled upon his family and pofterity, as it was foretold it fhould be. And can the church of Rome, or any other church in the world, have the confidence to put herself in the place of God in fuch matters; to judge and to act, in chastifing and in pardoning, as fhe pleases! From any fuch

fuch church I humbly befeech God in his mercy to defend me.

great

The eleventh article contains a doctrine of great importance to the church of Rome: and is conceived in the following words.

XI. I acknowledge the holy catholic and apoftolic Roman church to be the mother and mistress of all churches: and I promife and fwear true obedience to the pope of Rome, the fucceffor of St. Peter the prince of the apostles, and the vicar of Jefus Chrift.

All the other articles would fignify but little, without fuch a one as this; because if a man should change his judgment in any of the preceding points, it would be natural for him to alter his practice. And it was undoubtedly to prevent this change, or to provide against the confequences of it, that the two firft articles took care to tie down the votaries of Rome to a firm adherence to ecclefiaftical traditions, and all other obfervances and conftitutions of the church; and to admit the holy fcripture in that fenfe only, which the church holds; and to acknowledge it her business to judge of the fenfe and interpretation thereof. But all this, it feems, was not enough. There muft befides be a vow of obedience, unlimited obedience, to the pope, as vicar of Chrift: and

moreover ;

moreover, what is in those two articles faid in a general way, concerning the catholic and apoftolic church, is here exprefsly confined to the church of Rome; that its difciples may be taught to believe, the church of Rome is the catholic church, and the only true church of Jesus Christ.

But how abfurd is this affertion, as well as falfe in fact? The church of Rome is a particular church, profeffing the christian doctrine, tho' in a very corrupt and erroneous manner. Now, to believe that this, or any other particular church, in Italy, or France, or Spain, or England, or any where elfe, is the catholic, i. e. the univerfal church; is to believe that a part is the whole: and to talk of the catholic church of Rome, is just as good fenfe, as to talk of a general special, or a univerfal particular.

And as to the falfity of the Roman church being the mother of all churches; that is very plain from the hiftory of the new teftament. Which affures us, that the first church was gathered in Jerufalem; many circumftances concurring to order it fo: particularly, our Lord's trial and crucifixion there, after he had employed in that place a confiderable part of his ministry; his refurrection from the dead; and the descent of the holy Ghost upon his apoftles. All these circumftances, together with Chrift's own command to his apoftles, to begin their preaching at Jerufalem, Luke XXIV. concurred to make Jerufalem the place, where the firft church should be gathered. And befides the church of Jerufalem, many churches were gathered in other

places,

places, before there was any church at Rome : so far is that from being the mother-church.

Then, as to authority: the new teftament knows no fuch thing, as the making any one church fovereign or mistress over others. If any one could claim the fovereignty, it must be that which was first gathered in Jerufalem, by the miniftry of the apoftles: because it was from that body of chriftians that the christian doctrine was fpred, into all thofe places which afterwards received it. But there is no footstep of any authority or power, claimed by that or by any church in the new teftament, over any other whatever : nor any foundation for this pretended authority of the church of Rome over other churches, but what arises from a wrong interpretation of the words of our Saviour to the apostle Peter; who is fupposed to have been afterwards bishop of Rome, tho' it is still a doubt, whether he ever was there. Upon Peter's confeffing Chrift to be the Son of the living God, Chrift gave a strong teftimony of his approving that confeffion, by alluding to his name, which fignifies a rock, and faying to him: thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell fhall not prevail against it: and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loofe on earth shall be loofed in heaven. Mat. XVI. 16---- 19.

The rock, upon which Christ built his church, was not the firmness of Peter himself, who after this most shamefully denied his master with oaths and curfes; but the goodness of his confeffion: a

greeably

greeably to which we find, in the following hiftory of the new teftament, that the acknowledging Jefus to be the Son of God, was looked on as receiving the whole chriftian doctrine; this being the firm foundation, upon which the whole superstructure was built. As to Chrift's giving unto Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven; that receives a clear explication from his being, by the providence of God, made the inftrument of opening the doctrine of the kingdom of heaven; in being the first preacher of the gospel, both to Jews and Gentiles, after the refurrection and afcenfion of Chrift, whereby his kingdom was established. This is the plain and evident meaning of Chrift's giving to Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven. The giving him thereby the power, of letting in or shutting out from the happiness of that kingdom whomfoever he pleased, is too abfurd a thought to deferve a mention; as it is abfolutely inconsistent with the wisdom of divine government. Befides, if any fuch meaning as this could be gathered from the following words, whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth fhall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loofe on earth fhall be loofed in heaven: the fame extent of power was undoubtedly given by our Lord to all the apoftles, a little before his afcenfion, and confequently not confined to Peter: John XX. 23. Whofefoever fins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whofefoever fins ye retain, they are retained. Yet there is no femblance of an argument, from these or any other words of our Lord, that his apoftles, or any other men upon earth, should have power, at their

will