To imagine that, without fuch revelation, mortals can understand, or know the mind and will of GoD, is an abfurdity, even greater than to fuppofe we can know the thoughts of each other, without any' declaration of them either by words or actions. But to admit the neceffity of a divine revelation, to receive the fcriptures as that revelation, and not to make them the only infallible rule and guide, in all matters which relate to the mind and will of GOD therein revealed, is, fo far, to lay afide the revelation of God, to make it void and of none effect, and to place ourfelves in no better fituation, than if no fuch discovery of the mind and will of GOD had ever been vouchsafed us. Thus we rob GoD of His honour, by flighting His word, and thus are people led to fet up the determinations of human wisdom against it, and expose themselves to be carried about with every wind of doctrine, which the folly and fuperftition of weak men, and the wickednefs and craft of defigning men, may happen to invent. By fuch means it has been, that fo many errors of various kinds have found their way, in all ages, into the church, and have maintained their empire over the minds of men. Long ufage has made them venerable. The prefcriptive power of cuftom has given them establishment-and both both these have prevailed on human legiflatures, to afford them the awful obligation of their most folemn fanctions. It cannot want many arguments to prove, that fundry practices, as well as opinions, which are found among the heathen nations, are abhorrent from all our conceptions of propriety, decency, and even humanity itself *.-All these have but one fource--They do err, not knowing the fcriptures. Where revelation is received, yet if it be not adhered to as the only rule of faith and manners, and this unrefervedly, the opinions and practices of men will be as wide from the mind and will of GOD, as those of the Heathen are. I might here inftance in the opinions and practices of the Pharifees of old, as well as of many nations called Chriftian, in more modern days, and who are members of that so * I cannot forbear mentioning here that valuable, learned, and excellent work of John Leland, D. D. on the Advantage and Neceffity of the Chriftian Revelation-wherein that author hath, with a ftrength of judgment, and depth of learning and erudition peculiar to himself, fo proved his point, as to deferve the thanks of all who know how to fet a just value on the fcriptures, as well as of those who would wish to do it. This valuable author fays, "It is the "mighty advantage of a written revelation, that by "an impartial confulting it, the deviations from it "may be detected, and things may again be reduced to the original standard." Vol. i. p. 453. a 3 ciety ciety of profeffing Chriftians which infolently and exclufively ftyles itself-“ THE 66 HOLY APOSTOLICAL and CATHOLIC “CHURCH”—amongst whom the most devout are worshipping a wooden god, which they call a crucifix, and a breaden god, which they call the hoft; and, befides thefe, they worship faints and angels, and many fuch like things they do. The foundation of all which is ftill one and the fame-They do err, not knowing the Scriptures; for though the Papists have the fcriptures, yet they do not adopt them as the only rule of faith and worship. Their fear towards GOD is taught them by the doctrines and commandments of men t If. xxix. 13. which take place of the mind *This invention of the crucifix, or image of Christ on the cross, is but old heathenifm new vamped. Maximus Tyrius, a Platonic philofopher, who was master to M. Antoninus, fays-" The divine na◄ 66 ture stands not in need of images or statues; but "the nature and condition of man being very weak, "and as far diftant from the Divinity as heaven is " from earth, framed thefe figns for itself, and at"tributed to them the names and titles of the "gods"-and he thinks that the legiflators acted wifely in contriving images for the people. See Leland, vol. i. p. 338. The wife men and philofophers pleaded for images as neceffary helps to human infirmity. Ib. 424. + Two of the articles in the famous creed of Pope Pius IV. are as follows: XIII. I moft firmly admit and embrace apoftolical and ecclefiaftical traditions, and all other obfer vations mind and will of GoD, as revealed in His holy word. Happy would it be, could we, reform- < ed Proteftants, clear ourselves of this charge in all refpects! Το prove that we cannot, in fome points of the utmost confequence, is the purpose of the following pages; which, while the reader perufes, I could with him to weigh in the balance of the fanctuary, to vations and conftitutions of the one catholic and XIV. I do admit the holy fcriptures in the fame The Popish canon law frequently affirms-that the church is above the fcriptures. Omnis que nunc apud nos eft fcripturæ authoritas ab ecclefiæ authoritate neceffario dependet." All the au"thority which we attribute to the fcriptures, ne"ceffarily depends on the authority of the church." Pighius de Hierar. Eccl. Lib. i. c. 2. Eccius, in his Enchiridion de Authoritate Ecclefiæ, maintainsEcclefiam effe fcripturis antiquiorem, & fcripturam non effe authenticam, nifi ecclefiæ authoritate." The church is more antient than the fcriptures, and "the fcriptures are not authentic, fave by the au"thority of the church.". Hermannus goes farther, and affirms-Scripturas tantum valere quantum valent fopi fabulæ, nifi accederet ecclefiæ teftimonium.-" The fcriptures are no ' more to be valued than Efop's Fables, unlefs it "were for the teftimony of the church." See Hift. of Popery, vol. i. p. 214. a 4 lay lay his Bible before him, and to call every argument, obfervation, and doctrine, to the ftricteft and most severe account, before that unerring tribunal. If he shall find any thing that is wrong, or detect any thing that is falfe, let him freely set it down to the Author's account. But whatever he shall find agreeable to, or clearly proved by, the word of God, let him not liften to the lying teftimony of prejudice or vulgar error against it, but treasure it up in his mind, for the direction of his own judgment and confcience, in all fitua tions and conditions of life. If the judgment be mis-led or mi-informed, the more confcientious a man is, the farther will he be led into error, and the more firmly will he be attached to it; therefore it is well. for us to liften to the counsel of the wife man-Prov. iv. 7. "WISDOM is the principal thing, there"fore get WISDOM; and with all thy getting get UNDERSTANDING." 66 As to differences, or even errors, (if miftakes about indifferent matters can be fo called) where mere outward forms are concerned, and thofe of human invention, the Author defires to think, and to let think, and wherefoever the fcriptures are filent, to be fo too. He does not efteem it worth his while to expend a fingle drop of ink in fuch controverfies. He does not fup pofe |