Sermons preached on several occasionsSermons preach'd on several occasions

But this must be acknowledged, that 'tis very congruous that the Papists make use of the material Sword, when the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, strikes through the Heart of Popery. The Doctrine of the Mass is a clear Contradiction to the Scripture, and a notorious derogating from the Value and Virtue of Christ's Death: they say 'tis an unbloody Sacrifice of Christ, propitiatory for the Living and the Dead: Whereas our Saviour was offered up but once, the Mass is ten thousand times in a day repeated. Christ's Sacrifice was with Blood, and an unbloody Sacrifice is not propitiatory, nor can obtain Remission. Where can they find in Scripture the Religious Worship of the Saints? They set up an infinite number of Intercessors, and ⟨p. 200⟩rob our Saviour of his Glory, as if he were defective either in his Compassionate Love to us, for whom he mediates, or in his Power with God. They prefer his Mother before him in dispensing Mercy of which Sinners have the most need: they represent him as strict and severe, but she is composed of Sweetness, he is the Judg, she the Advocate and Saviour; we will leave them to the jealous God.

I shall only observe farther, that many erring Sects preserve their Allegiance to the Divine Authority in the Scripture, for they do not assume an Infallibility to themselves, but mistake the Sense of Scripture: but the Papists by asserting that the Authority of Scripture depends upon the Testimony of their Church, that is, the Sun borrows its Beams from her Eyes, and by arrogating an Infallibility to it, do in effect renounce Homage to the Authority ⟨p. 201⟩of God in his Word. And from hence it is that the Adherers to that Religion are so inconvincible: tho Sense, Reason and Scripture discover their Doctrines to be plainly impossible. Their Doctrine of Transubstantiation involves such Contradictions as destroy the Essence and End of Miracles: Their Doctrine of the Pope's Supremacy implies there are two Monarchs of one Kingdom, two Heads of one Body, two Husbands of one Spouse. No Errors are more strong and fatal than such as are armed with Authority, especially if that Authority be esteemed sacred. But to return from this Digression, tho not impertinent.