tion-The same corruptions and the same spirit still existing
Intolerance of the Romish church of itself a reason why we
should separate from her-Three heads of corruption parti-
cularly noted-First, idolatry-Second, doctrine of merits-
Third, erroneous ideas of Christian perfection-Other errors
subservient to these, and all to the advancement of the papal
usurpation-Titles given to the pope--Transubstantiation--
Belongs to the first class---Indulgences and penance to the
second---Preliminary points---Evasions of the Romanists---
Denial and palliation of their doctrines---A religion intended
for the poor must be taken as understood by the poor---
Subterfuges and ambiguities particularly inadmissible in the
Romish church, on account of her pretensions to certainty
and infallibility-More especially when arguing on the Re-
formation, we have a right to take the religion as then prac
tised and avowed---The question is, whether Henry the 8th,
and Elizabeth, were schismatics---The Romanists, on their
own shewing, can have no right to allege any supposed sub-
sequent improvements---First head considered---Idolatry,
how practised---In the worship of images and relics---Pre-
tence, that only relative---This is no more than what the
heathen pretended---Usage and judgment of antiquity---Gre-
gory the 1st---Council of Constantinople---Of Frankfort---
Second commandment---How evaded, and kept from sight---
Short forms of decalogue---Difficulty here, as to what shall
be the 9th, and what the 10th commandment---Worship of
relics--- On what built---No, real foundation---Legends be
longing to them---Often involve impossibilities---Abuses at-
tendant on the practice--- Adoration of the cross in par
ticular---Invocation of saints...How defended---Inferior
worship---Texts, in which we are bidden to pray for one
another...Difficulties of the Romanists themselves in account.
ing for the manner in which saints become acquainted with
our prayers...Saints are directly prayed to in the church of
Rome...Most pointedly against Scripture---Moses's body---
Christ's language to the virgin---Little known of the apostles

...Adoration of the bread and wine in the mass---
Why de

vised...A matter of traffic---Absurdity, as well as impiety of

transubstantiation...Reasoning of the apostle to the He-

brews. Variety of opinions among the Romanists themselves

...Doctrine of the intention of the priests---Suicidal---How

absurd in its consequences---Conclusion---The odiousness of

this traffic.
P. 190.

こ

SERMON VI.

MARK Vii. 9.

In vain do they worship me, teaching for Doctrines

the Commandments of Men.

SIMILARITY between the Rabbis of the Jews and the
Popish doctors---Second head of corruptions---Supposed
merits of the saints---Adoration paid to them---Of what
nature, and to what extent---Instances---Doctrine of satis-
faction---Object of it---Purgatory---The pains of it, how to
be redeemed---Works of supererogation---Indulgences---
How obtained, and to whom granted---At first particular...
Afterwards general---Still subsisting, and authorised and re-
commended by the Romish bishops in England---Use made of
the Vulgate translation---Sacrament of marriage...Penance
...The doctrine detailed---How held at this moment...Traced
from the beginning---Penances imposed---Turned to the ag-
grandisement of the see of Rome, and the clergy of that
church. Nature of the merits ascribed to the saints...A
short review of our Lord's conduct---Of that of his apostles
...Contrasted with that of the Romish saints---Instances of
the particular kind of merits shewn forth in the lives of these
saints...The foundations upon which they stand examined...

Conformities of St. Francis---Popish miracles... What re-
quired to the composition of these saints---Monastic vows---
Supposed evangelical councils---Objections made by Pro-
testants to these and the like practices---Why insisted upon
by the popes---Popish doctrine of traditions--- Withholding
the Scriptures from the laity---Prayers in an unknown tongue
-Persecution---Particularly a doctrine and practice of this

church---The fact established---The church of Rome the only

power that has adopted and pursued it as a system---Traced

up, and shewn so to be---Answer to the question where our

church was before Luther---Transubstantiation, a novel doc-

trine--Always some description of Christians who denied

it-Fourth Lateran council--Dr. Milner's assertions re-

specting its authority---Alleged distinction between canons

of doctrine and of discipline---Other allegations---That it is

the laity who persecute---That the clergy cannot, even in-

directly, concur in the shedding of blood---Persecution the

most sure mark of Antichrist--- Variations among Protestant

churches no argument against reformation in religion---Such

variations have always existed---Even in the church of Rome

---Union must be sought for only upon proper grounds---

Conclusion.
P. 253.

SERMON VII.

HEBREWS xiii. 8.

Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and

for ever.

OBSERVATIONS on the text---Weakness of human nature
shewn particularly in its variableness---In the differences
which took place at the reformation---Extremes into which
some of the reformers suffered themselves to be transported---

Disputes upon points of doctrine---Consubstantiation---Pre-
destination---Divine grace---How enforced by the different
parties---Points of discipline---Prejudice taken up against
episcopacy---New order---Presbyterianism---Excesses of cer-
tain bodies of men---Conformity insisted upon by Calvin
and his followers---By Luther---Attempt to ascertain fun-
damentals---Mode and practice of the reformation in this
country---Effects produced---More temper and moderation
---Less spoliation---More lenity towards dissenters---Pu-
ritans---Their principles and language---Origin and growth
of the sect---Required conformity in all the members of
churches. Their professed aim a more complete reformation
---Independents---When arose, and how increased in number
and consequence---Gained the upper hand of Presbyterians
---Observations---For upwards of a century no considerable
body of men advocates for unbounded latitude---Circum-
stances under which this principle first maintained---Fruits
which it produced---Numbers of sects which started up and
disappeared---Present state of sects in this country---Broad
fine of distinction---Some sects differing from us in essentials

Others not---The first properly heretics---The term now
chiefly confined to those who are unsound in their opinions
of Christ...Necessary to consider these, as producing divi-
sions in the church---Their objections to our worship ana-
logous to those which we bring against the Romish church---
Term of Unitarians---Variety among them---Some of them
Worship Christ---Some consider the worship as idolatrous...
This variety observed upon, with a reference to the text---
Atonement made by Christ, the peculiar and distinguishing
doctrine of Christians---That which shocked the Jews and
the Greeks---This doctrine always held by the great body of
Christians--- Without variation---Further contrast---All Pro-
testants continue to agree in the causes of their separation
from the church of Rome---Never any change in that re-
spect---But in their cause of separation from us the dissenters
are perpetually varying, both as to us, and with respect to

each other---Liberties with Scripture taken by the Unita-
rians---Priestley---Evanson---Monthly Reviewer---Our dif
ferences with them irreconcileable---So of Quakers---They

also

vary among themselves---Importance of the true doc
trine respecting our Lord.

P. 316,

SERMON VIII..

JAMES iii. 1.

My Brethren, be not many Masters, knowing that
we shall receive the greater Condemnation.

TEXT explained, and commented upon---Applicable par-
ticularly to those who intrude into the ministry---Second
description of Separatists---Not differing in essentials---Great
variety of them---Old denominations out of use---General
term of Dissenters---Why preferred---Prevalence of Me.
thodists-Growth of them---Grounds upon which they
found themselves---Want of education in their preachers---
Consequence of this---Whitfield's followers---Their preach-
ing and doctrines---Leading to Antinomianism---Caution
used in respect to these doctrines by the divines of our church
--By the old Puritans---Why resorted to by later sectaries,
and how handled by them---Imputation against the regular
clergy---Evangelical preachers among the churchmen---Fruits
of the latitudinarian system---As hostile to the more regular
dissenters as to the church---Recapitulation---Main position,
that schism is a sin---Separation may be on justifiable grounds
---Every man must be guided by his conscience... Yet no
foundation for the latitudinarian system---Combination
against the church--- Favour with which certain persons
holding, or supposed to hold heretical opinions in the church,