have itself unseemly, is not easily provoked? We cannot be too strict in the disquisition of the opinions and actions of our own lives; and it may be, we cannot more prudently examine the truth of our opinions, than by the influence they may have upon our actions. The laws cannot be too circumspect in preventing the communication of new and dangerous opinions in religion, nor too severe in punishing those irregularities of life, which dishonour and undermine the exercise of all religion; but we have no obligation nor qualification to pronounce, either upon the most exorbitant opinions or the worst actions, the punishment and judgment of damnation, where our Saviour himself hath not de nounced it; nor do we wisely, in endeavouring to make the way to heaven more difficult than he hath made it; and when he hath contained all necessary opinions within so little room, to add so many more to them, under the same penalty, as disorder our understandings with perplexities, and confound our reason with contradictions. The difficulty of the way to heaven, and the straightness and narrowness of it, doth not proceed from what we think, but what we do; from our not subduing those affections, and not extinguishing those passions and appetites, which always hurry us out of the way thither, and distract us if we are in the way. If it were not too serious a matter to be merry in, it might seem very

ridiculous, to see with what civility and indulgence those men treat fornicators, adulterers, drunkards, murderers, and the like, as if they might go on and hope well, against whom God himself hath pronounced the most absolute exclusion from salvation; who make no scruple positively to determine, that whosoever denies purgatory, transubstantiation, or the pope's supremacy, (of which we have reason to believe that God hath never so much as thought because he hath never spoken of either) cannot escape eternal damnation. This ill temper of mind and understanding proceeds from no cause so much, as from the want of knowledge or of consideration, how much of the religion in all national churches is of the religion of state, nor hath any other foundation than in reason of state; nor is it the less obligatory for that: all liturgies, which have ever been instituted for the service and worship of God, are purely forms of state; if it were otherwise, they would be still the same throughout the church of Christ; whereas there have been great alterations almost every century, and sometimes oftner: all jurisdictions and precedencies are of the grants and authority of princes, and consequently matters of state: the taking the cup from the laity in the sacrament is purely religion of state, for it was instituted in both kinds : all céremonies, festivals, fasts, and Lent itself, (all which

make up the bulk of the Roman religion) are so many constitutions of state. And it is altogether as reasonable to imagine, that the peace, prosperity, and happiness of all the kingdoms, states, and nations in the world would be improved and advanced, if they were under the sole government of one king or emperor, as that it is requisite for all churches to be under the power and direction of one bishop; and a bishop so seated, that his residence is but in one corner of the earth. St Peter would not have been so careful to have transmitted the salutations of the church that was at Babylon, to those to whom he writ, if he had intended that his successor should condemn all other churches and congregations of Christians to be damned, except only those who are under the church of Rome; and it is the most barbarous thing imaginable, to believe that so many Christian churches as are at this time separated from the church of Rome; and expelled by her from her communion, should all affect several errors, (for the errors are not supposed to be the same) and all of such a magnitude, as inevitably excludes them from salvation; and yet not be able to prescribe or imagine any such expedient, as may possibly reconcile those monstrous and destructive opinions and differences which they assure themselves must be attended with such irreparable ruin. They indeed kindly

prescribe a universal submission to the universal bishop, that is, that all the world shall in all things submit to the dictates of the pope; for the church ̧ of Rome hath no other definition, than what re-i solves itself into the determination of the pope ; which no catholic kingdom doth or will own their submission to. And truly, they are not much more › ingenuous, who defend themselves and the doctrine they teach, or the opinions they hold, by professing that they will readily submit themselves and all their thoughts to the decision of a general council, whenever it shall be lawfully assembled: and many catholic doctors are of opinion, that that ingenuity and profession is enough to excuse any man from being an heretic ; but, I say, there is no ingenuity in that declaration, because there is no sincerity; for besides that some councils, which are called general, have determined what other councils as general have contradicted and exploded; they knów E well that nothing is more impossible than that there can ever be a general council called lawfully, and peaceably assembled. Who should call it ? Though antiquity never doubted, that the rights of calling general councils was alone in the emperors, yet all men know that the pope will not allow it to be in any body but himself, and yet he knows and confesses that it is not in his power to compel any. persons to appear there; that obligation is to be

laid upon them by their own sovereign princes; and that whatever is determined in those councils, is not of any force or validity till it be received and admitted by that sovereign power. Where then shall this council meet? if in or near Rome, other parts of the Christian church will be at so great a distance, (and when all the world shall be Christian, which all good Christians hope it will, the distance will be much greater) that it will take up so much of the life of a man, that very few men would live to return to their country with the result of what that council concludes. And if all these objections were away, it is notoriously known that the church of Rome will never admit, nor by its own decrees of council can admit, any prelates or others to sit, consult, and vote with them, who are not already of the same faith; and the princes and people of those nations have little reason to submit to the authority, and to receive the dictates of such a general council. Therefore men shall with much more integrity insist upon the strength of those arguments which have prevailed upon their own understandings, than pretend to refer all to a general council, that they know, as much as they can know any thing, can never meet.

There is indeed another expedient, that would go far towards the removing or composing all those differences which bring scandal upon the church of