Ufage, to all that take the fame Privilege'which they do. There is, however, this fmall Difference between us Conformifts and the Schifmatics: We have good Pay for being Orthodox, and the Separatift pays dear for being in the Wrong. If these are not two good Reasons for delivering him over to Satan, I defpair of finding better.

IN Confequence of this Power in High-Churchmen to be the Mouthfmen of the Bible, which, if we take their Word, cannot fpeak for itself, they claim a Right to make Creeds for others: And this is what I am now to examine.

I think it but Juftice 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 Propofition be evident, we cannot avoid believing it; and where is the Merit or Piety of a neceflary Affent? If it be not evident, we cannot help rejecting it, or doubting of it; and where is the Crime of not performing Impoffibilities, or not believing what does not appear to us to be true? Are Men, who have good Eyes, the more righteous for feeing? Or do they offend in feeing too well? Or do blind Men fin in not diftinguishing Colours?

WHEN We clearly fee the Connection of a Propofition, or know that we have God's Word for it, our Affent is inevitable. But if we neither comprehend it ourselves, nor fee God's Authority for it, and yet fwallow it, this is Credulity, and not Divine Faith, which can have nothing lefs than divine Truth for its Object. When we are fure, that God Almighty fpeaks to us, we readily believe him, who cannot lye, nor be mistaken, nor deceive us: But when Men fpeak, though E 6 from

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 Bifhops, their being learned, their meeting together in Synods; all this alters not the Cafe: We can judge of their Opinions no otherwise, than as of the Opinions of Men; and of their Decifions, but as of human Decifions.

WHEN the Articles of any Creed appear to be contained in Scripture, whoever believes that, does in Confequence believe them; and then fuch Creed is unneceffary: 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 wifer, and more fignificant,'than the Words of God's own choofing.

WE are fure, that the Scripture-Phrases were infpired by the Holy Ghoft, and as fure, that our own Forms and Injunctions are human, and framed by Priefts. It is therefore ftrange, that the former fhould be infufficient and unintelligible, and the latter infallible, and to be embraced and obeyed on the Pain of Damnation; and that the Priests muft do what God Almighty has, without Success, endeavoured to do.

BESIDES, as the Impofition of human Creeds is contrary to Reafon, fo is it alfo to Charity.. They were generally made in a Paffion, not to edify, but to plague, thofe for whom, or rather against whom, they were intended. They were the Engines of Wrath and Vengeance, nor could they ferve any other Purpose. Thofe who believed them already, did not want them; and those who difbelieved them, were not the better for them. But this was not the worst of it; for they who did

not

not receive them against their Confcience, were curfed; and they who did, deferved 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 People faid they believed, and did not, they mocked God, and fhipwrecked their Souls; and if they did not believe, and owned it, though they faved their Souls, they provoked their Reverend Fathers, and were destroyed.

WHENEVER these Dictators in Faith had a mind to be mischievous, and to undo one who gave them fignal Offence, either by his good Reputation, or good Bishoprick, they began his Ruin by their great Care for his Soul; and fo 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 Religion, was a certain Sufferer by these Systems. of Faith, which were contrived for that Purpose. The Man that had no Confcience nor Honesty, was not worthy of their Anger; or, which is moft likely, was on the Orthodox Side; or at least quickly became a Convert to it, being, like themselves, able to fwallow any thing.

or

THUS Creeds, as they were the Refult of Revenge, Pride, or Avarice, were the conftant Preludes and Introductions to Ignorance, Cruelty and Blood; and the wretched Laity were craftily, as well as inhumanly, made the deluded and unnatural Inftruments of butchering one another, to prove the Infallibility of the Faith-makers; who, while they were wantonly fhedding Chriftian Blood, and dooming to Damnation thofe who called upon the Name of the true God, had the fhameless Affurance to mifcal themselves the Embaffadors of the meek Jefus. AND

AND indeed, what better could be expected from Men fo chosen, so unqualified, and fo interested, as the Members of these general Creedmaking Councils for the most part were? They were chofen from feveral Parts by a Majority of Votes; and they who were moft afpiring, factious or crafty, carried it: They fprung from them eaneft of the People: They were bred in Cells: They popped into the World without Experience or Breeding: They knew little of Mankind, and lefs of Government, and had not the common Qualifications of Gentlemen: They were governed by Paffion, and led by Expectation: And, either eager for Preferment, or impatient of miffing it, they were the perpetual Flatterers, or Difturbers 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 a Pope; who, having his Neceffities, or the Ends of his Ambition, to ferve, chofe proper Tools for thofe Purposes; they were directed to form fuch Creeds and Syftems of Faith, as his present Views or Interefts made requifite for Mankind to believe.

IN this new Immployment every Member, we may be fure, was forward to fhew his Talents in ftarting new Tenets, or in contradicting thofe already started, and fo to make himself confiderable enough for that Preferment which he was refolved to earn one way or another. And this being the great Aim of them all, Jealoufies and hard Words were carried to the most violent Pitch. There was no End of their Wrangling and Reviling. Not content to abufe each other by Word of Mouth, they fometimes fcolded in Writing; and every Reverend Father drew up a

bitter

bitter Billingsgate Petition against another Reverend Father. Sometimes, not fatisfied with Vollies of Scurrility, unheard of in Affemblies of Gentlemen, they had recourfe to Club-law, and made good their Inventions and Diftinctions 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 Emperor or Pope might have what Creed he pleafed, provided he would be at the Pains and Price of it. And for the reft of Mankind, they had this fhort Choice, To comply, or be undone.

G.

S

NUMBER VII.

Wednesday, March 2. 1720.

Of Uninterrupted Succeffion.

INCE all the moft idle and vifionary Pretences of the Popish and Popifhly affected Clergy, have their Ends, and their Danger, and therefore fhould be narrowly watched, and vigoroufly oppofed, I fhall in this Paper inquire into the Validity of a principal Claim of theirs, I mean that of Uninterrupted Succeffion; and endeavour to find whether there is any Foundation to fupport this Corner-ftone of their Authority, except in their own wild Imaginations. CNE