salvation which is to be had in our church, and the church of Rome, they shall have no salvation at all. It is fit and orthodox that men should perish for following their consciences, and for understanding the scripture without the leave of the ordinary.

Thus when they debate with the papists, they praise the scriptures, inveigh against the imposing of opinions, and speak in the stile of dissenters. But when they are pleased to rebuke nonconformists, they borrow the language of papists, urge the authority of our apostolick church, and her divine right to judge for others; and deal hard language and worse usage to all that take the same privilege which they do. There is, however, this small difference between us conformists and the schismaticks: we have good pay for being orthodox, and the separatist pays dear for being in the wrong. If these are not two good reasons for delivering him over to Satan, I despair of finding better.

In consequence of this power in high churchmen to be the mouthsmen of the Bible, which, if we take their word, cannot speak for itself, they claim a right to make creeds for others: and this is what I am now to examine.

I think it but justice to the goodness of God to affirm, that belief or disbelief can neither be a virtue or a crime in any one, who uses the best means in his power of being informed. If a proposition be evident, we cannot avoid believing it; and where is the merit or piety of a necessary assent? If it be not evident, we cannot help rejecting it, or doubting of it; and where is the crime of not performing impossibilities, or not believing what does not appear to us to be true? Are men who have good eyes, the more righteous for seeing? Or do they offend in seeing too well? Or do blind men sin, in not distinguishing colours?

When we see clearly the connexion of a proposition, or know that we have God's word for it, our assent is inevitable. But if we neither comprehend it ourselves, nor see God's authority for it, and yet swallow it, this is credulity, and not divine faith, which can have nothing less than divine truth for its object. When we are sure that God Almighty speaks to us, we readily believe him who cannot lie, nor be mistaken, nor deceive us: But when men speak, though from God himself, our belief in them is but human confidence, if we have only their own authority that they had it from God: Their being bishops, their being learned, their meeting together in synods; all this alters not the case: We can judge of their opinions no otherwise, than as of the opinions of men; and of their decisions, but as of human decisions. When the articles of any creed appear to be contained in scripture, whoever believes that, does in consequence believe them; and then such creed is unnecessary: But when we cannot, or think we cannot, find them in scripture, and yet give equal credit to them, we depreciate and profane the divine authority itself, by accepting the words of man's invention as wiser and more significant than the words of God's own choosing.

We are sure that the scripture phrases were inspired by the Holy Ghost, and as sure that our own forms and injunctions are human, and framed by priests. It is therefore strange, that the former should be insufficient and unintelligible, and the latter infallible, and to be em

braced and obeyed on the pain of damnation; and that the priests must do what God Almighty has, without success, endeavoured to do. Besides, as the imposition of human creeds is contrary to reason, so it is also to charity. They were generally made in a passion, not to edify, but to plague those for whom, or rather against whom they were intended. They were the engines of wrath and vengeance, nor could they serve any other purpose Those who believed them already, did not want them; and those who disbelieved them, were not the better for them. But this was not the worst of it; for they who did not receive them against their conscience, were cursed; and they who did, deserved it. So that either the wrath of God on one hand, or the wrath and cruelty of the clergy on the other was unavoidable. If peo ple said they believed, and did not, they mocked God and shipwrecked their souls; and if they did not believe and owned it, though they saved their souls, they provoked their reverend fathers, and were de stroyed.

Whenever these dictators in faith had a mind to be mischievous, and to undo one who gave them signal offence, either by his good reputa tion, or good bishoprick, they began his ruin by their great care for his soul; and so invented a creed for him, which ruined him effectually, by giving him, as they said, to Satan, but, in truth, to beggary, stripes, or flames. He therefore who had any virtue or religion, was a certain sufferer by these systems of faith, which, were contrived for that purpose. The man that had no conscience nor honesty, was not worthy of their anger; or, which is most likely, was on the orthodox side, or at least quickly became a convert to it, being. like themselves, able to swallow any thing.

Thus creeds, as they were the result of revenge, pride, or avarice, were the constant preludes and introductions to ignorance, cruelty and blood; and the wretched laity were craftily, as well as inhumanly, made the deluded and unnatural instruments of butchering one another, to prove the infallibility of the faith-makers; who, while they were wantonly shedding Christian blood, and dooming to damnation those who called upon the name of the true God, had the shameless assurance to miscall themselves the embassadors of the meek Jesus.

And indeed, what better could be expected from men so chosen, so unqualified, and so interested, as the members of these general creed. making councils for the most part were? They were chosen from several parts by a majority of votes; and they who were most aspir ing, factious, or crafty, carried it: they sprung from the meanest of the people: they were bred in cells: they popped into the world without experience or breeding: they knew little of mankind, and less of government, and had not the common qualifications of gentlemen: they were governed by passion, and led by expec.ation: and, either eager for preferment, or impatient of missing it, they were the perpet ual flatterers, or disturbers of princes.

These were the men, this their character. When these reverend fathers were got together in a body, by the order of a prince or pope; who, having his necessity, or the ends of his ambition to serve, chose proper tools for those purposes; they were directed to form such creeds and systems of faith, as his present views or interests made requisite for mankind to believe.

- In this new employment every member, we may be sure, was forward to shew his talents in starting new tenets, or in contradicting those already, and so to make himself considerable enough for that preferment which he was resolved to earn one way or another. And this being the great aim of them all, jealousies and hard words were carri⚫ ed to the most violent pitch. There was no end of their wrangling and reviling. Not content to abuse each other by word of mouth, they sometimes scolded in writing; and every reverend father drew up a bitter billingsgate petition against another reverend father. Some. times, not satisfied with vollies of scurrility, unheard of in assemblies of gentlemen, they had recourse to club-law, and made good their inventions and distinctions with blows and blood. And if the truth could not be found out by scolding, contradiction, and battle, it was not found out at all.

Thus any emperour or pope might have what creed he pleased, provided he would be at the pains and price of it. And for the rest of mankind, they had this short choice, to comply, or be undone. G.

NUMBER 7.

Of Uninterrupted Succession.

SINCE all the most idle and visionary pretences of the popish and popishly-affected clergy, have their ends, and their danger, and therefore should be narrowly watched, and vigorously opposed; I shall in this paper enquire into the validity of a principal claim of theirs, I mean that of uninterrupted succession; and endeavour to find whether there is any foundation to support this corner-stone of their authority, except in their own wild imaginations.

One might reasonably imagine, that a doctrine of so much importance to the temporal and eternal state of all mankind, should be expressly laid down, and fully explained in the holy scriptures, to prerent all possibility of mistake about it. But, instead of this, the word, as far as I remember, is not once mentioned there, nor any other word equivalent to it; so that we are under a necessity of recurring to the clergy themselves for information: and here too we are as much bewildered as before; for some of them boldly assert it, and others flatly deny it.

Besides, those who hate and damn one another, claim it equally to themselves, and deny it to all others. Those who are successours to the apostles in England, disown their brother successours beyond the Tweed and about the lake; and they their brother successours at Rome; and they theirs at Greece and Armenia, as well as every where else. Now all these, who so confidently assume the successorship to themselves alone, are as opposite to each other in sentiments and worship as light is to darkness. They cannot therefore all have it; and if only one has it, how shall we know who he is? No man's testimo

ny ought to be taken in his own case; and, if we take that of other people, there are twenty to one against them all.

If the clergy of the church of England as by law established, be, of all the reformed, supposed to enjoy this line of entail entire to themselves; pray, how came they by it? Not from the reformation, which began not till near fifteen centuries after the apostles were dead; and Cranmer owned ordination then to be no more than a civil appointment to an ecclesiastical office. It is certain, at that time this utopian succession was not so much as thought of by any who embraced the protestant religion. At present, indeed, and for a good while past, the Jacobite high clergy contend for it with equal modesty and truth. But, in order to adopt it, they are forced to drop the reformation: for,

You must know, courteous reader, that this same succession is now deduced from Rome, and the pope has had the keeping of it; who, by all that adhered to the reformation, was held to be antichrist, and the man of sin. He was often an atheist, often an adulterer, often a murderer, always an usurper; and his church has constantly lived in gross idolatry, and subsisted by ignorance, frauds, rapine, cruelty, and all the blackest vices. It is certain, she was full of wickedness and abomination, and void of all goodness and virtue, but that of having kept the apostolick orders pure and undefiled for our modern highchurchmen.

However, I think they themselves seem to be now sensible, that it will be a difficult matter to make out, this way, their kindred to the apostles, without being nearer akin to popery. They are therefore forced to own the church of Rome to be a true church. Nor ought we to be surprized if, in succeeding to the orders of that church, they also succeed to most of her good qualities. I confess, amongst us laymen, it would look a little absurd, if any one should gravely assert, that, "indeed Lais was a filthy strumpet, and no virtuous woman would converse with her; but, for all that, she was a true virgin, and all chastity was derived from her!”

But such absurdities as these go for nothing amongst some sorts of ecclesiasticks. We will therefore, in the next place, enquire what it is which they would succeed to. The aposties had no ambition, jurisdiction, dignities, or revenues; to which they could be successours. We read not in scripture one word of ecclesiastical princes, popes, patriarchs, primates, &c. On the contrary, our Saviour himself declares, that his kingdom is not of this world; and when the young man in the gospel (St. Matth. ch. 19th) asked of him, What he should do to obtain eternal life? He answered, that, besides keeping the commandments, he should sell all that he had, and give it to the poor. N. B. He did not bid him give a penny to the priests.

In the 20th chapter of the same gospel, our Saviour takes notice to his disciples, that the princes of this world exercise dominion over them; but, says he, it shall not be so amongst you; but whoever will be great amongst you, let him be your minister; and whoever will be chief, let him be your servant. Nay, he says that even the son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. In the 23d chapter he condemns the Scribes and Pharisees, for loving the uppermost rooms, and the chief seats in the synagogue; and their desiring

to be called of men, Rabbi; and he forbids all this pride to his disciples as well as his other hearers; and orders them not to call one another master; for one, says he, is your master, even Christ, and he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. Nor do I find that, while he was upon earth, he laid claim to any power but to do the will of him that sent him. Indeed, after his resurrection, he tells his disciples that all power is given to him in Heaven and in earth; and he bids them teach it to all nations, and baptize them in the name of the father, the son, and the holy ghost; but he does not give them the least power, or dominion, of any kind whatsoever.

And it is plain that his disciples understood him so. St. Paul tells the Corinthians, in his second epistle to them, Chap. 1. that they had not dominion over faith, but were helpers of their joy. In the fourth chapter of the same epistle, he tells them, that they preach not themselves, but Christ Jesus their Lord, and themselves THEIR servants for Jesus sake. In the first epistle to the Corinthians, chap. 3. he admonishes them not to glory in men, no not in himself, nor Apollos, nor Cephas; and tells the people, that even the apostles themselves, and all things are theirs, and they are Christ's, and Christ is God's. In the ninth chapter he tells them, that though he is free from all men, yet he has made himself servant unto all, that he might gain the more. St. Peter also, in his first epistle, chap. 5. exhorts the elders to feed the flock of Christ, and to take the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as be-. ing lords over God's heritage, but as being examples to the flock.

Now either these elders were clergymen, or they were not: if they were clergymen, their pretended successours may see upon what terms they are to be feeders, and overseers of the flock of Christ: but, if they were only laymen, then it is plain that no other qualifications were necessary to a spiritual shepherd, than a willing, disinterested, and humble mind; and all subjection is, in the fifth verse, commanded to be reciprocal-Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves to the elders: yea, all of you be subject to one another, and be clothed with humility; for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

For myself, I confess that I am not master enough of any language to find words more expressive, or which can more fully renounce all sorts of jurisdiction and dominion, than those in the passages which I have here quoted: and nothing more ridiculous, as well as impious, than to oppose them with equivocal, doubtful, and figurative expressions. If the popish priests could but find out one such clear text on their side, how would they exult upon it!

As I have made it fully appear, that the apostles understood our Saviour in this sense; so it is evident, that the first Christians had not the least apprehension that the apostles claimed any power or authority to themselves. They were poor men, of mean and mechanical professions, who left fathers, mothers, children, families, trades, and renounced all the good things of this world, to wander about it, and preach Christ. Their disinterestedness and sufferings were powerful arguments of the truth of their doctrines: whereas, if they had told their hearers, in the modern high-church strain, that "as soon as they became their converts, they became also their spiritual subjects; that they themselves were ecclesiastical princes; and that spiritual govern