distance, that they were the doctrine of Chrift, and that they were not either totally innovated, or elfe corrupted in the conveyance from what they were at firft. And if he can fhew this concerning any point in difference, I promife to yield it to him.

$3. I come now to his demonstration, which I shall fet down in his own words, with the principles upon which it relies, p. 77.78. "The effect then we will pitch upon, "and avow to be the proper one of fuch a caufe, is, the "prefent perfuafion of traditionary Chriftians, (or Ca"tholicks), that their faith hath defcended from Chrift "and his Apoftles uninterruptedly, which we find most "firmly rooted in their heart; and the exiftence of this "perfuafion we affirm to be impoffible, without the ex"iftence of tradition's ever indeficiency to beget it. "To prove this, I lay this firft principle, That age "which holds her faith thus delivered from the Apostles, "neither can itself have changed any thing in it, nor "know or doubt that any age fince the Apostles had "changed or innovated therein. The fecond principle "fhall be this: No age could innovate any thing, and "withal deliver that very thing to pofterity as received "from Chrift by continual fucceflion." The fum of which is this, That because a prefent multitude of Chriftians (viz. the Roman church) are perfuaded, that Christ's doctrine hath defcended to them folely by an uninterrupted oral tradition; therefore this perfuafion is an effect which cannot be attributed to any other caufe, but the indeficiency of oral tradition. For if neither the prefent age, nor any age before, could make any change or innovation, then the perfuafion of the prefent age is a plain demonstration, that this doctrine was always the fame, and confequently that tradition cannot fail.

§4. In anfwer to this, I fhall endeavour to make good thefe four things.

1. That these principles wholly rely upon the truth of the grounds of his demonftration à priori.

2. That these principles are not fufficiently proved by

him.

3. That doctrines and practices, which must be acknowledged to have been innovated, have made the fame pretence to uninterrupted tradition.

Gg 2

4. That

4. That it is not the prefent perfuafion of the church of Rome, (whom he calls the traditionary Chriftians), nor ever was, that their faith hath defcended to them folely by oral tradition. If I can now make good these four things, I hope his demonftration is at an end.

SECT. VII. The firft anfwer to his fecond demonftration.

§ 1. THat 'Hat these principles wholly rely upon the truth of the grounds of his demonftration à priori. For if the doctrine of Chrift was either imperfectly taught in any age, or mistaken by the learners, or any part of it forgotten, (as it feems the whole Greek church have forgot that fundamental point of the proceffion of the Holy Ghost, as the Roman church accounts it), or if the arguments of hope and fear be not neceffary causes of actual will to adhere to tradition, then there may have been changes and innovations in any age, and yet men may pretend to have followed tradition. But I have thewn, that ignorance, and negligence, and mistake, and pride, and luft, and ambition, and any other vice or intereft, may hinder thofe caufes from being effectual to preferve tradition entire and uncorrupted. And when they do fo, it is not to be expected, that thofe perfons who innovate and change the doctrine, fhould acknowledge that their new doarines are contrary to the do&rine of Chrift; but that they fhould at firft advance them as pious; and after they have prevailed, and gained general entertainment, then impudently affirm, that they were the very doctrines which Chrift delivered; which they may very fecurely do, when they have it in their power to burn all that fhall deny it.

§ 2. I will give a clear inftance of the poffibility of this in the doctrine of tranfubftantiation, by fhewing how this might eafily come in, in the ninth or tenth age after Chrift. We will fuppofe then, that about this time, when univerfal ignorance, and the genuine daughter of it, (call her devotion or fuperftition), had overfpread the world, and the generality of people were ftrongly inclined to believe ftrange things; and even the . greatest contradictions were recommended to them under the notion of myftcries; being told by their priests

and

and guides, that the more contradictious any thing is to reafon, the greater merit there is in believing it: I fay, let us fuppofe, that, in this ftate of things, one or more of the most eminent then in the church, either out of defign, or out of fuperftitious ignorance and mistake of the fenfe of our Saviour's words ufed in the confecration of the facrament, should advance this new doctrine, that the words of confecration, This is my body, are not to be understood by any kind of trope, (as the like forms in fcripture are, as, I am the vine, I am the door, which are plain tropes), but being ufed about this great mystery of the facrament, ought in all reason to be fuppofed to contain in them fome notable myftery; which they will do, if they be understood of a real change of the fubftance of bread and wine, made, by virtue of these words, into the real body and blood of our Saviour. And in all this I fuppofe nothing, but what is fo far from bcing impoffible, that it is too ufual for men, either out of ignorance, or intereft, to advance new opinions in religion. And fuch a doctrine as this was very likely to be advanced by the ambitious clergy of that time, as a probable means to draw in the people to a greater veneration of them; which advantage Mr. Rushworth feems to be very fenfible of, when he tells us, (Dial. 1. §4.), that the power of the priest in this particular, is "fuch a privilege, as if "all the learned clerks that ever lived fince the begin66 ning of the world, fhould have studied to raise, ad66 vance, and magnify fome one ftate of men to the 66 highest pitch of reverence and eminency, they could "never, without fpecial light from heaven, have thought "of any thing comparable to this." I am of his mind, that it was a very notable device; but, I am apt to think, invented" without any fpecial light from heaven." Nor was such a doctrine lefs likely to take and prevail among the people, in an age prodigiously ignorant, and ftrongly inclined to fuperftition, and thereby well prepared to receive the groffeft abfurdities under the notion of myfteries; efpecially if they were fuch as might feem to conciliate a greater honour and reverence to the facrament. Now, fuppofing fuch a doctrine as this, fo fitted to the humour and temper of the age, to be once afferted, either by chance, or out of defign, it would

take like wild-fire; efpecially if, by fome one or more who bore fway in the church, it were but recommended with convenient gravity and folemnity. And although Mr. Rushworth fays, (Dial. 3. §7.), it is impoffible "that the authority of one man fhould fway fo much in "the world; because (fays he) furely the devil himself "would rather help the church, than permit fo little "pride among men ; " yet I am not fo thoroughly fatisfied with this cunning reafon: for though he delivers it confidently, and with a furely; yet I make fome doubt, whether the devil would be fo forward to help the church; nay, on the contrary, I am inclined to think, that he would rather chufe to connive at this humble and obfequious temper in men, in order to the overthrow of religion, than crofs a design so dear to him, by unfeafonable temptations to pride. So that, notwithstanding Mr. Rushworth's reafon, it feems very likely that fuch a dotrine, in fuch an age, might easily be propagated by the influence and authority of one or a few great perfons in the church. For nothing can be more fuitable to the eafy and paffive temper of fuperftitious ignorance, than to entertain fuch a doctrine with all imaginable greedinefs, and to maintain it with a proportionable zeal.. And if there be any wifer than the reft, who make objections against it, as if this doctrine were new, and full of contradictions, they may eafily be borne down by the ftream, and by the eminency, and authority, and pretended fanctity of thofe who are the heads of this innovation. And when this doctrine is generally fwallowed, and all that oppose it are looked upon and punished as hereticks, then it is seasonable to maintain, that this dotrine was the doctrine of forefathers; to which end it will be fufficient to thofe who are willing to have it true, to bend two or three fayings of the ancients to that purpofe. And as for the contradictions contained in this doctrine, it was but telling the people then, as they do in effect now, that contradictions ought to be no fcruple. in the way of faith; that the more impoffible any thing is, it is the fitter to be believed; that it is not praifeworthy to believe plain poffibilities; but, this is the gallantry and heroical power of faith, this is the way to oblige God almighty for ever to us, to believe flat and downright

downright contradictions: for "God requires at the 46 people's hands (as Mr. Rushworth tells us, Dial. 1. 4.) a credulity of things above and beyond nature; nay, beyond all the fables, be it spoken with refpect, "that ever man invented." After this doctrine hath proceeded thus far, and, by the moft inhumane severities and cruelties, fuppreffed diffenters, or in a good meafure rooted them out; then, if they please, even this new word tranfubftantiation may pretend alfo to antiquity, and in time be confidently vouched for a word ufed by Christians in all ages, and tranfmitted down to them by those from whom they received the doctrine of the facrament, as a term of art appendent to it. And when a fuperftitious church, and defigning governors, have once gained this poft, and by means of this enormous article of tranfubftantiation, have fufficiently debauched the minds of men, and made a breach in their understandings wide enough for the entertaining of any error, though ever fo grofs and fenfelefs; then innovations come in amain, and by fhoals; and the more abfurd and unreasonable any thing is, it is for that very reason the more proper matter for an article of faith. And if any of thefe innovations be objected againft, as contrary to former belief and practice, it is but putting forth a lufty act of faith, and believing another contradiction, that though they be contrary, yet they are the fame.

§3. And there is nothing in all this but what is agree-able both to history and experience. For that the ninth and tenth ages, and those which followed them till the reformation, were thus prodigiously ignorant and fuperftitious, is confirmed by the unanimous confent of all hiftories; and even by those writers that have been the greatest pillars of their own religion. And experience tells us, that in what age foever there are a great company of fuperftitious people, there will never be wanting a few crafty fellows to make use of this easy and pliable humour to their own ends. Now, that this was the state of those ages of the church, will be evident to any from thefe teftimonies. Platina (in vit. Romani, Pape 117.

a.

C. 900) writes of Pope Romanus, that he nulled the acts of his predeceffor Stephanus : " for (fays he) thefe "Popes minded nothing elfe but how they might ex

❝tinguish