the Sin of Simon Magus; and that none of their Divines or Cafuifts allow of it.

'Tis very strange that any Man fhould fo confidently deny what can be fo eafily prov'd; what is evident from Hiftory, from the very Bulls of their Popes, from their own Writings, and from their constant and daily Practice: This is fo notorious, that I fhall only give an instance or two of it, and leave the Reader to judge for himself.

And First, Did not the Publishing Indulgences, and fetting them to Sale, give Occafion to Lather, to Preach against the Church of Rome? What was it that he found fo much Fault with, but that Lea the Tenth fending Indulgences throughout all Christendom, fet them at high Prices, and collected vaft Sums of Money; part of which he diftributed to feveral Perfons,and particularly to his Sifter Magdalen? Did nót Boniface the Ninth infert this Clause in

his

Seguendo questi effempii Leone, cofi confegliato dal Cardinal Santi quattro mando una Indulgenza, & remiffione de peccati, per tutte le Regioni di Chriftiani concedendola a chi contribuiffe danari & eftendendola anco a morti per i quali quando foffe farta l'esbor fatione, voleva che foffero liberati dalle pene del Purgatorio.

his Bulls, porrigentibus Manus adjutrices; which in plain English is, to those who would give Money for them. Nay is there not a Book extant, entitled, Taxa Cancel lariæ Apoftolica, which gives an Account of the different Rates, which Indulgences for several sorts of Sins are set at; and, as an Author of their own complains, not only teaches Men unheard-of Crimes, but gives a Licence for most of them, and Abfolution for all, at a very easy Rate? Is it not easy to give a Thousand Evidences of this Matter? And yet this Man will bear us down, that there is no fuch thing as Buying or Selling Indulgences in the Church of Rome: They do so indeed in Proteftant Countries, where the Practice is not fo common; but in Popish Countries they turn the Tables; and there fhall hear nothing, but of the Treasury of the Church, and of the Plenitude of Power confer'd upon St. Peter and his

you

Suc

Imperoche havendo egli del 1517, publia çata la univerfale conceffione delle Indulgenze diftribui una parte delle rendite, prima che foffero raccolte, ne ben feminate; donando a diverfi le revenute di diverfe Provincie & riferbando anco alcune per la sua camera. In particolare dono il tratto delle Indulgenze della Saffonia, & di quel braccio di Germania, che di la camina fino al mare, a Madalena fua Sorella. Hift. del Concil.Trid. p. 4.

Succeffors, to forgive Sins and there the the poor People implicitly believe al that is told them, and practife more than a Proteftant can well believexo

But perhaps N.C will fay That thefe are the Abuses he complains of which Papists, with all their Hearts; defire thould be redress'd.10 But were not these Abuses complain'd of, and acknowledg'd long ago at the Council of Trento. And yet no Redrefs could be obtained for them. Are not these Abuses practis'd by their Popes, and Bishops, and Governors of their Church, and continued at this day; and how hei nous a Sin muft it needs he, by thefe Pious Frauds (as fome of their own Authors term them) not only to cheat the People of their Goodsy but to full them into a deep and fatal Security and ruine their Souls, under pretence of pardoning their Sins.Nay is not the Affent to this Doctrine made an Article of Faith, abfolutely neceffary to be believ'd, in order to Salvation, by every Member of the Chriftian Church?nd progr

Well, but fays N.C. Where is the harm of Believing this and the other Points of the Popish Faith; tho' we have not so much Affurance of their being Divine Truths, as we have of other things, how can this hurt any body? But there is infinite Harm in not believing, because

the

Ache Church of Rome has commanded us to believe and cheary to hear and be lieves it should be on Pain of being reputed Hereticks and Publicans, sdSup spofe it thould happen, that the Points in Difpute were not commanded by Chrift and his Apostles where is the Harm in believing thems fince we are com. manded fo to do by the Church an io To which I answer, That True Faith is an Affent founded upon Rational Motives, and that to affent to any thing withouts knowing why sor wherefore, is not Faith, but Credulity; which is fo far from being commendable, that it generally betrays Mens into the most fottith Errors, and the most fuperftitious and unreafonable Practices. God has given us the Holy Scripture to be the Rule of our Faith, and the Guide of four Actions; he has given us a Rational Soul to confider them, and make use of them to our Comfort and Advantage; the expects that we should offer him up the Service of a Man, a Rational Service in proceeding from Choice and Knowledge, and directed by those Rules which he has given us; and whoever worships him with Inventions of his own Brain, and gives himself up to the Conduct of thofe Blind Guides whofe Defign is to make Merchandize of their Profelytes, and whofe whole Religion is

only

only an Art to fupport the Temporal Greatness of the Church of Rome, instead of a Well done, good and faithful Servant, will be ask'd, Who required these things from him? But this is not all: For there are feveral of the Doctrines of the Church of Rome, which neceffarily engage Men' in the Practice of the moft heinous Sins; fuch as Superftition, Uncharitableness, Idolatry; and expofe the best meaning Men of their Communion to apparent Danger of Eternal Damnation: But for those who have been bred Proteftants, and knowingly and willingly run into these Sins, I will leave them to God's Mercy; but can give them no Hopes of Salvation at all, according to the Tenor of the Gospel.

And because they glory fo much in the Number of their Profelytes, and how many they bring over to the Popish Reli gion; whereas, as N. C. tells us, the Pro testant Faith doth not make any Progress. I shall conclude with a Paffage or two from the Archbishop's Sermons, Edit. poft Obit. fhewing us in fome measure the Reason of it. And here, fays His Grace, I might take notice likewife, what world ly and indirect Means they commonly make use of, to make Difciples and gain Profelytes, by Flattery and Falfhood, by concealing and mifrepresenting their Doctrines and Practices, by defaming