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Josh. 22.

18, 19.

imagining, that the Reubenites & Gadites intended to facrifice on that Altar against the commandment of God, they fay to them, ye rebel against the Lord. Timeredou which in the Greek is rendred, you are become Apoftates from the Lord. On the other hand the Reubenites juftifying themselves, fay, the Lord knows, if this thing be done in rebellion. They ufe this word mered, and the feptuagint have rendred it by that of apoftacy, When the Spies returned, foshuah and Caleb being defirous to induce the Ifraelites to purfue their journey, to endeavour the conqueft of the Land of Canaan according to the intention of God, they fay to them, revolt not, al timeredon; and the Greek hath it, do not turn apoftates, Inftances are without number, and 'tis fufficient to have intimated it.

According to this ufe of the word, which is certainly the Scripture use of it, 'tis evident that the Papifm is a true apoftacy, a rebellion, a revolt. Apoftacy To be an Apoftate in the Scripture fenfe, it is not always fig neceffary that a man should utterly abandon the defection. true God. When the Ifraelites on this fide for

doth nor

nify a total

dan, accuse the Reubenites of an intention to turn Apoftates, do not revolt, they do not fo much as fuipect, that they intend entirely to renounce God, but only to build an altar against the Altar of Mofes, to facrifice to that God that brought them out of Egypt. Do not apoftatize, say they to them, in building you an Altar befides the Altar of the Lord our God. When Caleb and Joshuab fay to the Ifraelites, on the occafion of their refufing to go towards the Land of Canaan, do not apoftatize, they did not apprehend, that the Ifraelites were minded to chufe another God; but only that they would revolt from the orders

of

of the true God, but yet without renouncing him for their God.

Articles of

It is not therefore neceffary, that the Papilm How the fhould be a formal and entire renunciation of the Papifm defaith; it is enough that 'tis a revolting from the faith. Now certainly the Papifm is fo. There faith. are none of the Articles of the Chriftian faith, which it doth not deftroy, and against which it doth not plant its engines. There are rebels, that do in words acknowledge a Prince for their King, who yet do not ceafe to make war against him. This is the ordinary way of rebels. The Papifm doth perfectly the very fame thing. It doth homage in words to the principal Articles of the Chriftian faith, but indeed it fights against them, it deftroys them. It acknowledges a God manifeft in the flesh; but it revolts from this Article, and destroys it by another carnal God, or a God in the flesh, i. e. the Bishop of Rome, to whom it ascribes a double power, which agrees to Jefus Chrift alone, and which even Jefus Chrift himself would not exercife, while he was here upon Earth. It deftroys alfo this God manifeft in the flesh by another Jefus Chrift, incarnated, breaden, tranfubftantiated, indivifibly united to the accidents of the bread; and of this falfe Chrift it makes a true Idol. It believes one fefus, the redeemer of the World; but it deftroys this article offaith, and revolts from it, in faying, the Saints are our mediators, in offering to God their me rits, besides the merits of Jefus Chrift, and in praying to God in their name and by their interceffion. It believes one only God; but it revolts from this article, in fuppofing new objects of worship, to which it renders a truly religious worship. It believes that the blood of 7. Chrift cleanfeth

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cleanfeth us from all fin; but it revolts from this Article divers ways, in feeking out strange fatisfactions, and in fuppofing a purgatory, the use of which is to expiate the fins of men.

And that we may clearly understand, that alk poftacy these things and others of the like nature, may faith to in- very well be called an Apoftacy from the faith, that which we must again make ufe of that paffage in the is befide 22th Chapt. of the book of Joshua, where the the faith. Ifraelites fay to their brethren, do not apoftatize

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in building an Altar, befides the Altar of the Lord. Thefe words fhew, that one may be an apoftate, not only by bringing things into Religion, which are against Religion, but also in promoting things that are befides Religion. For they do not fay against the Altar, but befides the Altar. Now in this fenfe, it is clear, that the Papifm is an Apoftacy. For be fides the true object of worthip, it introduces new objects of religious adoration; befides the fole and only Jefus, it introduces many faviours; befides the fole Interceffor, many interceffors; befides the fole facrifice another facrifice; befides the true Sacraments,falfe ones. The Papifm introduceth doctrines & worship,both against the faith & befides the faith, therfor tis a true revolting or apoftacy from the faith. The Papifm My third Obfervation is this, that to have a is an Apo- right knowledge of the Papifm, we must not look be confide- upon it as is ufually done, as compounded with red alone. the opinions and worship of Chriftianity, which

acy, if it

it hath retained. This is one of the great artifices of the Devil and his Agents, tomake us confider, the Papifm as a Religion that confeffeth one only God, that worships J. Chrift God co-eternal with the Father, the Redeemer of the World; that believes the refurrection, the life everlafting, Hell, and the laft Judgment. The eye confounds

thefe

thefe fair and great objects, with the additi-
ons of popery. And this confufed and indiftin&t
view makes the additions to be esteem'd as no-
thing, and appear very inconfiderable, on the ac-
count of that Chriftianity that lies at the bottom.
That therefore we may know the Papifm, and
what name we ought to give it, we muit confider
it alone, by it felf, and as feparated from the
Chriftian Religion. Then it is certain, it will
deserve the name of an apoftacy or a formal revolt
from the faith. For do but look only on that
Troop of fecond Gods, of Pilgrimages, Indul-
gences, Maffes, Saints, Patrons, Interceffors,
The-Saints, Images, Reliques, Idols, the bread
that is worshipp'd, pray'd to, and before which
men proftrate themfelves. This is a true Paga-
nism,
and a formal apostacy from the Christian

faith.

Neh. 9. 16.

My fourth and laft Obfervation, to justify that the terms of Apoftacy from the faith, which the Apostle makes ufe of here, are not too high, but agree very well to the Papifm is, that Apo- Apoftacy ftacy, though the word ordinarily fignifies all fort especially fig nifies of rebellion, yet when Religion is spoken of, it Idolatry. particularly fignifies Idolatry. So when the Levites confefs the fins of their Nation and oftheir Fathers, they fay, they were disobedient, and they rebelled against thee. The feptuagint renders it, they departed from thee, and fell into apoftacy; by which, without doubt, is meant the Idolatry of the Ifraelites. For that was the fin that did principally draw down the wrath of God upon them. And the feptuagint also fays of Abaz, that plun ged himself into the Idolatries of the Heathens, that be apoftatized from the Lord with a great apoftacy not that he did abfolutely abandon the 2 Chro, 28,

God

2 Kings 16.15.

God gives fuch an I

dea of the

latry as

feems very

gant,

God of his Fathers; for he kept the brazen Altar to enquire of the Lord therewith.

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If all the Idolatry of the Church be called apotacy, and deferves that name; it is certain, the popish Ido- Idolatry of the Papifm may well be called apoftacy. And hereupon, 'tis worth the while to enquire extrava- into the reason, why God'fpeaks in fo high terms concerning the Idolatry of the Papifm: He calls that Church, the great Whore, that makes the Kings of the Earth drunk with the wine of her fornication. He faith, she holds in her hand a Cup full of abominations; and all this, because of her Idolatry. This looks as if it were very extrava gant, when applied to the Idolatry of the Papifm." For after all, its falfe worship doth not appear to be any great matter; the Church of Rome invocates Saints; but befides that, they are the friends of God, she invocates them only in relation to God, because he hath honoured them with his gifts. She believes, that the good things which are asked of the Saints, are not obtained of them, but because thofe Saints themfelves do obtain them of God by their interceffions. She proftrates her felf before Images; but the worship the gives them is relative, and goeth up to their original. And lastly, it doth not appear, that this popish Idolatry doth come near the Idolatry of the Heathens, to which nevertheless the Holy Spirit hath not given fuch frightful names. Here then are two things to be enquired into. First, why God gives us fo odious an Idea of this popish worship. Secondly, why he fpeaks of it in higher terms then he doth of the beatben Idolatries.

As to the first queftion, Ianfwer, that we need but plainly lay open the invocation of Saints, their mediation, their interceffion and the adora

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