held by the dissenters at the restoration down to the beginning quence between all the dissenters-Even Arians and Socinians taken into favour-Found protection and countenance in certain members of the Church-Hoadly-Whiston-Clarke-- Clayton-Blackburne --Application to parliament in 1772- Supposed or real laxity of opinion in the clergy produced the Methodists-They also have a party in the church favourable to them-All these naturally give encouragement to schism— Hence it is become an evil which requires particularly to be resisted-Plan of the present lectures-Questions which arise. out of it, or are connected with it-Church government-Na- tional establishment-General exhortation to follow after I would they were even cut off that trouble you. TEXT considered-Inference from thence, and from other the Old and the New Testament written for our admonition- SERMON III. MATT. V. 16. Ye shall know them by their Fruits. TEXT explained and commented upon-To judge of a doc- effect and tendency of it-No decisive argument to be drawn HERESIES of the earlier ages succeeded by the corruptions of popery---In the church itself---Words of the text parti. cularly applicable to them---Not to be so lightly thought of, as they are by some men---A false security---How it has grown up---No material change has taken place---Nor can be expected---Proselytism of the Romanists---Pretended mi, racles---Co-operation of Dissenters with the Papists.--Unna- tural...Can only subsist as being directed against the estab lished church...Romanists in these kingdoms equally schis matic with other dissenters---The schism which took place at the reformation all imputable to their church---Case very different as between our church and them and as between the Protestant dissenters and us.--We require no terms of com. munion that are sinful---Nor had the popes ever of right any jurisdiction over our church---The king supreme---As the emperors were---Practice of the first ages---Absolute inde. pendence of bishops at the beginning...How limited---General communion between all bishops and churches---All interested in maintaining the true faith---Hence interposition with each other in particular cases---Synods---First provincial---Their powers---Paul of Samosata---Establishment of patriarchs and metropolitans---Pre-eminence in dignity of Rome...Extended to Constantinople---General councils---Convened by the emperors---And decrees enforced by them...Jurisdiction of popes over other metropolitans, if any, could only have been must of course have ceased in all those parts which were so P. 135. SERMON V. 2 TIM. iii. 5. Having a Form of Godliness, but denying the Power SIMILARITY of error in all ages-Took nearly the same |