ble Head of that Church, to which they were added, and indeed in all probability many of them never so much as heard either of Rome, or the Bishop of Rome, or of any fuch thing, as its being the Mother-Church, or the Bishop's Supremacy, or Infallibility. More need not be laid here of the falfe Notes of a true Church given by our common Adverlary. What we have given us by all forts of Proteftant Churches, are contained in the 19th Article of the Do. ctrine of the Church of England, and thereunto have our diffenting Brethren very lately fubfcribed. The words of the Article are as followeth (The visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithful Men, in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments duly administred according to Chrift's Ordinance in all those things that are of neceffity requifite to the fame.)According to this Arti cle, in what Place, Nation, Country or Kingdom foever the Word of God is truly preached, fo that the Doctrine is found and orthodox, and the Sacraments are rightly adminiftred according to Chrift's Inftitution in all effential things, in that Nation, Piace or Kingdom is fuch a true Church, as is a found and orthodox Part of the Catholick Church, as unto which all profeffed Chriftians or baptized Perfons fafely may, and in duty ought to join themfelves, and with which they ought to communicate in all Holy Offices and Administration, and the contrary must hold good if this be fo, that there is no true orthodox Church in any Place without them. Variety of Arguments may be brought

to prove the former of thele Propofitions, which I fhall not need to produce, it being openly allowed of by the feparating Teachers by their fabfcribing this Article with 35, more, as is required of them, to have any benefit of the late Act of Toleration. And the proper Inference from it, is to confirm all that are in communion with the Church of England, as it is now efta blished in the true Grace of God, wherein they ftand, as having no juft Caufe to be thaken in, mind by any bad Suggestions of either of its Adverfaries, Papifts or Diffenters, betwixt whom our Church hath been a long time truly mili tant, and like Corn, ground betwixt two Mill ftones, No man that will in the leaft exercile his understanding aright, need be at all perplexed by thofe, for we have not only the Confeffi on of all the reformed Churches in Chriftendom, but also of the Chief of the Diffenters themselves, as may be feen at large in the Books cited in the Margent of the Preface, that the eftablifhed Church is found and orthodox, and a true Church of Chrift; all that they pretend to defire, being to reform it more, and to make it ftill purer: But in all that they find fault with, abundant fatisfaction hath been given to all, that are unprejudicial Inquirers, as by divers larger Volumes ever fince the Reformation, and more especially in the late London-cafes put forth in the latter End of King Charles the Second's Reign. It is confeffed by us, that fome accidental Abufes and Corruptions may be picked up to the fhame of many, our, both Minifters and Members As what Church on Earth

is

is there perfectly free from the like? And them indeed we ought to bewail, and pray againft, and in our respective Stations endeavour to reform. But for the Conftitution of our Church, as to all the effential Requifites of either orthodox Doctrine, Worship, or Difcipline, we are hot afraid to juftifie them, as having nothing of humane Invention in them required, or practi fed as effential to them: Nothing taught for Doctrine which is a mere Commandment or Tradition of Men, nor the least thing in the whole Conftitution, that is finful or contrary God's Word or Commandment; and there is no doubt but all Men are fafe in this Churches Communion as to their final State, that do but confcientioufly walk up to the holy Doctrine, and to the Rules of Godliness therein taught, and prefcribed them. In this way may we all thearfully fay, whofoever they may be that may call it Herefie, or any other evil thing, in this way, will we after the Examples of the Primitive Churches, and Chriftians, and of our moft Holy Martyrs, who reformed this Church, and lived in, and died for it, and left it us, as we now have it ; after these fo good Patterns (the beft that can be,) will we unmoveably continue in the eftablifhed Churches Communi. on to worship the Lord God of our Fathers. And having thus juftified this Church to be true, and orthodox, by the undoubted Notes of a true Church, by a very eafie Inverfion, the contrary Propofition, that without fuch Purity of the Word and Sacraments there can be no true or orthodox Church in any Place or Nation

what

whatsoever, will put our Adverfaries very hard to it to juftifie themfelves. I hope the Reader will be content to take it for granted at present, and if fo,

The Papifts boaftings of the Church, the Church, as if theirs was the only Church on Earth, muft be most vain-glorious, while the World feeth them confcious to themselves of the Inconfiftency of their Doctrine with the Word of God, by their locking it up in an unknown Tongue; by their forbidding the Peoples reading it, yea or having it fo much as in their Houses upon pain of Herefie, who must be content with what Portions of Scripture they fuffer to run in fome few pudled Streams in their Service-books; by their making the Churches Decrees and Traditions the Rule of Faith, and over-ruling the plaineft Scripture-doctrines by, and fubjecting them to, the Popes corrupt Gloffes, and Interpretations, as being an infallible Judge, and by their ftudious holding the People in that Communion to an implicit Faith, and blind Obedience: And for the Sacraments, while they add five to those two of Christ's Inftitution, and for them two, while they corrupt them with divers Errours, and Superftitions, in no wife agreeable to their Nature, End or Inftitution, as the Doctrine of Tranfubstantiation, their half Communion, and efpecially their turning the Lord's Supper into the abominable Mals; to which if we add their Prayers in an unknown Tongue, their Invocation of Angels and Saints, and especially the Virgin Mary, or at leaft of God by their Interceffion, together

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with their Image-worship, all which confidered, I may fafely conclude, that wh fately conclude, that what fuch Jewels may lie hidden in the Rubbish of that Communion, as have not bowed the Knee to Baal, is known to the All-feeing God alone: But for the Body of the Papacy in an intire Obedience to, and full Communion with the Roman Church, it is fo far from being a true and orthodox Church of Chrift, whereunto any Chriftians, tender of their Souls, can fafely join themfelves, that it is a very faction against Christ and his Church very Harlor for Idolatry and divers Abominari. ons. Now in this cenfure, I doubt not of our diffenting Brethrens free confent with me. But then this Task will fall to their fhare to juftifie their Churches alfo to be true Churches of Chrift, by thefe Marks of a true Church, which they can never do, as any reasonable Perfon may judge, at the firft Motion of this Quere, being no better, whatever their Doctrine and Sacraments be, than Churches gathered out of, and fet up in oppofition to the Church of England, which the moft and best of themselves, have freely acknowledged to be found and orthodox, and which hath been all along look'd upon by reformed Churches with honour, as the chief Bulwork to keep Popery out of them all; but to let this pafs with this fhort remark in this place, the Separatiits of all Denominations have caufe to expect the being often called to an account for their Church-ftate, notwithstanding their appropriating unto themfelves, (fike, the Donatifts, Novatians and Catharifts of the Primitive Times) to be the only Saints and godly People: