that intended by the Holy Ghost, and agreeable to truth; and which are erroneous and antichristian: he concludes that the scripture alone, without taking along with it the interpretation of the church, cannot be to every private person the whole rule of his faith. Not that there is any authority wanting on the scripture side; but because no private person can be certain whether, amongst all the several meanings every text is liable to, that which he understands it in, is right, or not. And without this certainty of truth, and security from error, he knows there is nothing capable of being a sufficient rule of his faith.

12. Of the Interpretation of Scripture.-The Papist truly represented believes that the church is not above the scripture; but only allows that order between them, as is between the judge and the law; and is no other than what generally every private member of the reformation challenges to himself, as often as he pretends to decide any doubt of his own, or his neighbour, in religion, by interpreting the scripture. Neither is he taught at all to distrust the scripture, or not to rely on it; but only to distrust his own private interpretation of it; and not to rely on his own judgment in the resolution of any doubt concerning faith or religion, though he can produce several texts in favour of his opinion. But in all such cases he is commanded to recur to the church; and having learnt from her the true sense of all such texts, how they have been understood by the whole community of Christians, in all ages since the apostles; and what has been their received doctrine, in such doubtful and difficult points; he is obliged to submit to this, and never presume on his own private sentiments, however seemingly grounded on reason and scripture, to believe or preach any new doctrine opposite to the belief of the church; but as he receives from her the book, so also to receive from her the sense of the book; with a holy confidence, that she that did not cheat him in delivering a false book for the true one, will not cheat him in delivering him a false and erroneous sense for the true one; her authority, which is sufficient in the one, being not less in the other: and his own private judgment, which was insufficient in the one, that is, in finding out the true scripture, and discerning it from all other books, being as incapable and in

sufficient in the other; that is, in certainly discovering the meaning of the Holy Ghost, and avoiding all other heterodox and mistaken interpretations.

13. Of Tradition.-The Papist truly represented believes the scripture not to be imperfect, nor to want human ordinations, or traditions of men, for the supplying any defects in it; neither does he allow the same authority to these, as the word of God; or give them equal credit; or exact it from others, that desire to be admitted into the communion of his church. He believes no divine faith ought to be given to any thing, but what is of divine revelation; and that nothing is to have place in his creed, but what was taught by Christ and his apostles, and has been delivered and taught in all ages by the church of God, the congregation of all true believers, and has been so delivered down to him through all ages. But now, whether that which has been so delivered down to him, as the doctrine of Christ and his apostles, has been by word of mouth or writing, is altogether indifferent to him, he being ready to follow, in this point, as in all others, the command of St. Paul, that is, to stand fast, and hold the tradition he has learned, whether by word or epistle, and to look upon any one as anathema, that shall preach otherwise than as he has (thus) received. So that as he undoubtedly holds the whole bible to be the word of God, because in all ages it has been so taught, preached, believed, and delivered successively by the faithful; although they are not, nor have not at any time been able to prove what they have thus taught and delivered with one text of scripture; in the like manner, he is ready to receive and believe all this same congregation has, together with the bible, in all ages successively, without interruption, taught, preached, believed, and delivered as the doctrine of Christ and his apostles; and assents to it with divine faith; just as he does to the bible; and esteems any one anathema, that shall preach otherwise than he has thus received.

14. Of Councils.-The Papist truly represented believes that the faith of his church can receive no additions, and that he is obliged to believe nothing, besides that which Christ and his apostles taught; and if any thing contrary to this should be defined and commanded to be believed, even by ten thousand councils, he believes it damnable in

any one to receive it, and by such decrees, to make additions to his creed. However, he maintains the authority of general councils lawfully assembled; whose business it is," not to coin new articles of faith, or devise such tenets; but only, as often as any point of received doctrine is impugned or called in question, to debate the matter; and examine what has been the belief of all nations, who are there present, in their prelates, in that point; and this being agreed on, to publish and make known to the world, which is the catholic doctrine, left by Christ and his apostles; and which the new broached errors. And by this means to prevent the loss of an infinite number of souls, which might otherwise be deluded, and carried away after new inventions. And in this case he believes that he is obliged to submit, and receive the decrees of such a council: the pas tors and prelates there present being by Christ and his apostles appointed for the decision of such controversies; they having the care of that flock committed to them, over which the Holy Ghost has made them overseers to feed the Church of God, and to watch against those men who should arise from among themselves, speaking perverse things to draw disciples after them. And he that received command, as likewise the whole flock of Christ, has to obey their prelates, and to be subject to them, who watch, and are to render an account for their souls, with an assurance, that he that heareth them, heareth Christ; and he that despiseth them, despiseth Christ.

20. Of the Mass.-The Papist truly represented believes that the sacrifice made by Christ upon the cross was altogether sufficient: that by it he saved and redeemed us, paying the debt of sin, and satisfying the infinite justice of his Father: that by it he procured for us all means for our salvation; all graces in order for faith and good works; all the sacraments; and which of all things is most honourable to God, the offering of a sacrifice. But as Christ's worshipping of God, his fasting, praying and suffering for us, does not hinder or evacuate our worshipping of God, our fasting, suffering, or praying for ourselves; so neither did his sacrifice hinder or evacuate all sacrifices for ever. And as he instituted fasting, praying, and suffering for his followers, that by so doing, they might apply what he did to themselves; so also he instituted a sacrifice, that by it they might apply the merits of his sa

crifice, and make it beneficial to their souls. So that though he firmly believes that Christ offered sacrifice for our redemption, and by the one only offering, spoken of by St. Paul, perfected, by way of redemption, the sanctifi cation of all those that are sanctified; yet he also believes, that to receive the benefit of this offering, we must also do our parts, by our good works concurring with Christ, and in some manner purifying our own souls, and therefore not omit the best of all works, which is sacrifice: which our Saviour Jesus Christ instituted at his last supper, when leaving to us his body and blood under the two distinct species of bread and wine, he bequeathed as a legacy to his apostles, not only a sacrament, but also a sacrifice: a commemorative sacrifice, lively representing, in an unbloody manner, the bloody sacrifice which was offered for us upon the cross; and by a distinction of the symbols, distinctly shewing forth his (Christ's) death until he come. This he gave in charge to his apostles, as to the first and chief priests of the New Testament, and to their successors to offer; commanding them to do the same thing he had done at his last supper, in commemoration of him. And this is the oblation, or sacrifice of the Mass, which has been observed, performed, frequented by the faithful in all ages, attested by the general consent of all antiquity, universal tradition, and the practice of the whole church: mentioned and allowed of by all the fathers, Greek and Latin, and never called into question till of late years; being that pure offering which the prophet Malachy foretold should be offered among the Gentiles in every place, as this text was ever understood by the ancient fathers.

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21. Of Purgatory.--The Papist truly represented believes it damnable to admit of any thing for faith that is contrary to reason, the word of God, and all antiquity: but that the existence of a third place, called purgatory, is so far from being contrary to all, or any of these, that it is attested, confirmed, and established by them all. It is expressly taught in the second of Maccabees, c. xii., where money was sent to Jerusalem that sacrifice might be offered for the slain, and it is recommended as a wholesome practice to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins. Now these two books of Maccabees were certainly held in great veneration by all antiquity; and, as St,

Augustine informs us, were then accounted canonical by the church. The being also of a third place is plainly in timated by our Saviour, where he says, whosoever speaks against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. By which words Christ evidently supposes, that though these shall not, yet some sins are forgiven in the world to come; which, since it cannot be in heaven, where no sin can enter; nor in hell, where there is no remission; it must necessarily be in some middle state; and in this sense it was understood by St. Augustine about 1300 years ago. So also by St. Gregory the Great. In the same manner does St. Augustine understand these words of St. Paul. He himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. When he thinks him to speak of a purging fire, so the same father understands that prison of which St. Peter speaks, to be some place of temporal chastisement. And if this great doctor of the church, in those purer times, found so often in the bible a place of pains after this life, from whence there was release, how can any one say, without presumption, that the being of a third place is contrary to the word of God? Neither can the antiquity of this doctrine be more justly called in question, of which is found so early men. tion, not only in this holy father, but in divers others his predecessors, who came not long after the apostles, and were the best witnesses of their doctrine. As to the rea sonableness of this tenet, his reason convinces him, 1. That every sin, how slight soever, though no more than an idle word, as it is an offence to God, deserves punishment, and will be punished by him hereafter, if not previously cancelled by repentance here. 2.That such small sins do not deserve eternal punishment. 3. That few depart this life so pure as to be totally exempt from spots of this nature, and from every kind of debt due to God's justice. 4. There fore, that few will escape without suffering something from his justice for such debts as they may have carried with them out of this world; according to that rule of divine justice by which he treats every soul hereafter according to their works, and according to the state in which he finds them in death. Thus his reason convinces him that there must be some third place; for, since the infinite goodness of God can admit no one into heaven who is not clean, and pure from all sin, both great and small, and his infinite jus