Page images
PDF
EPUB

used in granting Indulgences, according to the antient and approved custom in the Church, lest, by too much facility, ecclesiastical discipline be weakened. And being solicitous, that abuses which have crept in be reformed and corrected, which have given occasion to hereticks of blaspheming the venerable name of Indulgences; it ordains in general by this present decree, That all wicked lucre for obtaining them, which has been the cause of many great abuses among the faithful, be wholly abolished. And as for all other abuses, which are occasioned by superstition, ignorance, irreverence, or from what other cause soever, since they cannot be here in particular forbid, by reason of the manifold corruptions of places and provinces in which they are committed; therefore the Synod strictly enjoyns all Bishops to take a particular list of such abuses in their respective dioceses, and give a memorial of them to the first provincial Synod; that being acknowledged by the sentence of other Bishops, they may be forthwith laid before the Bishop of Rome; by whose authority and prudence may be ordained what may be expedient for the whole Church.

Thus stands this point of Indulgences, which has been attended with great abuses: But since the Church of Rome maintains not such abuses, but joins with Luther, and the rest of the Reformation, in using means for their being removed,

we ought not to make such abuses an exception against Communion.”

"Art. XXIII. I do acknowledge the holy Catholic and Apostolic Roman church, to be the mother and mistress of all churches; and I do promise and swear true obedience to the bishop of Rome, the successor of St. Peter, the prince of the apostles, and vicar of Jesus Christ."*

"What is the Catholic doctrine as to the

Pope's supremacy?t-I. That St. Peter was head of the church under Christ. II. That the Pope, or bishop of Rome, is at present head of the church, and Christ's vicar upon earth.

"Q. How do we prove these propositions ?A. By the unanimous consent of the fathers, and the tradition of the church, the bishops of Rome are the successors of St. Peter, who translated his chair from Antioch to Rome, and died bishop of Rome. Hence the see of Rome, in all ages, is called the see of Peter, the chair of Peter, and absolutely the see apostolic; and in that quality has, from the beginning, exercised jurisdiction over all other churches, as appears from the best records of ancient church history."

* Pope Pius's Creed, art. xxiii. + See before, pp. 35-46.

"Q. Why do you call the Romish church the mother and mistress of all churches?-Because her bishop is St. Peter's successor, and Christ's vicar upon earth, and, consequently, the father and pastor of all the faithful; and, therefore, this church, as being St. Peter's see, is the mother and mistress of all churches."*

"Art. XXIV. I do, undoubtedly, receive and profess all other things that have been delivered, defined, by the sacred canons and oecumenical councils, and especially by the holy synod of Trent, and all other things contrary hereunto; and all heresies condemned, rejected, and anathematized, by the church, I do likewise con. demn, reject, and anathematize."+

The Creed then concludes as follows: "I, N. N., do at this present freely profess, and sincerely hold this true Catholic faith, without which no one can be saved; and I promise most consistently to retain and confess the same entire and inviolated, with God's assistance, to the end of my life.”

* The Grounds of the Catholic Faith, p. 51-52. Pope Pius's Creed, Art. xxiv.

Here is a spice of the old leaven: another sample of the damnatory clauses.-How much better are many Christians than their Creeds! How kind and liberal are multitudes, in spite of their faith! and what a mercy it is, that those who invented these damnatory sentences reserved their execution till that period when we shall be in other hands than theirs!

This summary of the Catholic faith has been collected from such authentic sources as have come before me, and I acknowledge assistance to have been derived here, and in other instances, from the History of Religion,* published anonymously, by a Protestant writer of considerable merit.

SECTION III.

A Commination against numerous errors and blasphemies.-Address of the Roman Catholics to Protestants.

I WILL next lay before the reader the substance of a little tract,† containing a solemn declaration and commination against certain tenets and opinions with which some of our brethren have so improperly charged the Roman Catholics:

"1. Cursed is he that commits idolatry, that prays to images or relicks, or worships them for

* Vol. i. p. 138, et seq.

† A Vindication of the Roman Catholics, printed at London, early in the reign of king James, and re-printed in the year 1743, when an invasion was designed against England, by the Pretender.

gods. 2. Cursed is every goddess worshipper, that believes the Virgin Mary to be any more than a creature; that honours her, worships her, or puts his trust in her as much as in God; that believes her above her Son, or that she can in any thing command him. 3. Cursed is he that believes the angels or saints in heaven to be his redeemers, that prays to them as such, or that gives God's honour to them, or to any creature whatever. 4. Cursed is he that worships any breaden god, or makes gods of the empty elements of bread and wine. 5. Cursed is he that believes that priests can forgive sins, whether the sinner repents or no; or that there is any power in earth or heaven that can forgive sins without a hearty repentance and serious purpose of amendment. 6. Cursed is he that believes that priests can give present absolution to any persons for sins they may commit in time to come. 7. Cursed is he that believes there is authority in the Pope, or any other that can give leave to commit sins, or that can forgive him his sins for a sum of money. 8. Cursed is he that believes, that, independent of the merits and passion of Christ, he can merit salvation by his own good works, or make condign satisfaction for the guilt of his sins, or the pains eternal due to them. 9. Cursed is he that contemns the word of God, or hides it from the people, on design to keep them from the knowledge of their duty, and to preserve them in ignorance and error. 10. Cursed is he that undervalues

« PreviousContinue »