Page images
PDF
EPUB

Calu. It is the will of the Almighty, which muft

be obeyed.

Boy You will firft fatisfy yourself, touching the conformity of the Primitive Church and the prefent Catholicks.

Calu. Mr. Mofes, and you though a child, have fatisfied me, that Jefus Chrifi is God, which though I preached, and lived by this preaching, ftill I was a ftranger to him, not knowing whether he is God, or the feducer the Jews believed him to be; but now he is God, all that proceeded from him are infallible. On this I rifk falvation.

my

Boy. (Looking at Luther.) I think. you have agreed to thefe fundamentals of Chriflianity, Infallibility, Supremacy of the Pope, Unity and Uniformity of the Catholick Church.

Luth. Thefe principles are authorised by Scripture, which every Chriftian muft comply with.

Mof. Allowing the Catholick religion to be infallible, which is her doctrine, the Sacraments are, being part of her doctrine.

[ocr errors]

Luth. You have my Common Prayer-book, what does it fay? I am a Parson.

Calu. Your Common Prayer-book establishes the three creeds on the fame grounds of infallibility, with the other Scriptures.

Luth. And what are the principles of the creeds, the ground on which I will ftand. f

Caly. You then believe One, Holy, Catholick and Apoftolick Faith, without which you cannot be faved. This Faith is the religion of the Ro man Catholicks, Luth

T

Luth. These are hard truths to a Church-Parfon, that is poffeffed of three good livings, and himlelf loves eafe and plenty.

Boy. Whofoever will be faved, it is neceffary that he hold the Catholick Faith, which Faith, unless he keeps whole and undefiled, without doubt he fhall perish everlastingly.

Luth. And is this paragraph in our Common prayer?

Mof. Moft undoubtedly here it is, your own prayer-book.

Luth. I made ufe of this book near thirty years for the rule of my faith, but never obferved this; however as it is the faith of the Church, I am in duty bound to acquiefce, I do therefore, according to the faith of my Common-prayer, believe the infallibility of the Catholick religion, without which faith I cannot be faved.

Boy. Obferve this truth; God is not to be mocked. Words, without works, will not anAwer your purpose to falvation."

Luth. What elfe can be required, if I fay the Creed, with the other prayers, as I have always done, and not cheat, or maim my neighbour, and do to all men, as I would they fhould do unto me, I think I fulfill my duty to my God and to my neighbour, which is all Chrift demands of us. By doing this we fulfill the law. A remnant of all religions fhall be faved. This is the Law and the Prophets.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Mof. Not the Law of Mofes, nor Prophets of Ged: your Law and Prophets must be a fpuivus breed.

Boy.

Boy. The Acts of the Apostles declare all that are faved, are added to the Church; they therefore must partake of the fame facraments, join in the fame worship and facrifice of the altar, adhere to, and be of our communion and faith.

Luth. We are all in the fame bond of Chriftianity, therefore are partakers of the fame facraments, iffuing from the fame infallible fountain, in one communion, under one Head.

Caly. Is Jefus Chrift the God of diffimulation, disagreement, hatred, maliciousness, division, implacableness, backbiting and gain-faying? To prove your union with the Catholick Communion, will you come with me to the Catholick altar, and join in making our profession of faith to our Lord's Priest?

Luth. Not a Roman Catholick Priest: you do not call Popery Christianity?

[ocr errors]

Calv. It will puzzle you to find any other christianity: you are a riddle.

Luth. I have no objection, as the rest of our brethren, when we are at Rome, to do as Rome do, that is, to go to Mafs, and do in appearance as they do, though we deteft it, knowing their worship to be idolatrous.

ry

Mof. For fhame, never bekeck, as the saying is, your own neft, you will be looked on as a forbird. A man that wears two faces deferves not to be ranked with the human species; could I perfuade myself, that these words were spoken with an intention to be complied with, I would from this inftant deteft you. Viper's egg, Drofs of the creation, retract those words upon the spot,

or

or I will expofe you. Have you not the honesty of a goat, the most mischievous animal, yet they would not act against instinct.

Luth. Do not mistake my words, Sir, and conftrain them into, or proceeding from a fpirit of diffimulation, or double-dealing, wearing two faces, as you are pleased to term it; but juftify my conduct, with the rest of my brethren, in or der to fet a proper example to all whom it may concern, never to give umbrage to the higher powers. The Scribes and Pharifees have fat on the chair of Mofes; all therefore, whatsoever they fhall fay to you, observe and do; but accord ing to their works, do ye not; for they fay and do not. This you grant is true: doctrine, proceeding from the mouth of truth, whofe injunctions all Chriftians are bound to obey, under the fevereft excommunication, of being looked upon as heathens and publicans. We therefore, under what law or religion we live, fubmit and conform ourfelves; by fo doing we fulfill the law of God and that of our neighbour; by which compliance we fulfill the Law and Prophets. This being granted to the chair of Mofes in the old covenant, how much more forcible is this pofitive command to be obeyed in the new covenant, to the Chair of Peter, the Centre of Unity, the Firm Rock, on which the Houfe of God, the Bulwark of Salvation, the Haven of the Elect, and Great Sion, is built? (At the word Sion, Calvin burft into a flood of tears for his paft errors.) Near the Eden of Blifs grows the Tree of Life, producing her delicious fruits, forming a fhade of delights over

[ocr errors]

the

ON

the river of that God, which flows inceffantly from the plenty of God's houfe to his Elect THIS ROCK I STAND.

Mof. You have repeatedly beat the fame ground, one time acknowledging the infallibility of Scriptures and covenants, prefently difavowing and reprobating this infallibility, that you had just before protested, you would, with all the Proteftant race, pledge your lives and fortunes to fupport, against all adverfaries who dare offend..

Calv. This is the block, if I miftake not, that you named the Mystery of Myfteries, and it is the foundation and grand principle, on which the Proteftant Churches, or Reformations, are founded; I will endeavour to lay it open to you; without this knowledge, we acknowledge ourselves a riddle, not only to the world at large, but to ourselves in particular: and this is the chief caufe, why fo many of our men of letters become infidels, or put an end to their temporal existence. You must know, to be a chriftian proteftant, and to avoid the ftigma of fchifm and herefy, it was found advifeable and abfolutely neceffary, to ground our new religion upon a new principle, which is, that God is the author of good and evil; upon this principle our fabrick is built, which, you not knowing, confidered Luther and myself as agreeing and oppofing the fame thing. By this principle we have the liberty, both to allow and difallow the fame thing, and yet free from contradiction; which advantage is not allowed to any other but Reformers: to be more explicit, we fay the Scriptures and creeds, by al

« PreviousContinue »