The practical divinity of the papists discovered to be destructive of Christianity and mens…

The Conclusion.

BY the Premises, it is manifest that Popery by its practical principles, is destructive to Christianity and the souls of men. As to Christianity, whether we consider it in general, as Religion; or in its specialties, as the best Religion, it is both ways by the Popish-doctrine ruined. This plucks up the Fundamentals of it, and dissolves the whole structure, and buries and confounds both the necessary materials, and the peculiar excellencies thereof in its rubbish. There can be no Religion in reality without real worship, this being essential to it; yet their doctrine declares it needless, either for Clergy or People to be real worshippers of God, being so far from engaging them to be reverent or devout, or sincere, or affectionate towards God in Religious addresses; that it will not have them obliged so much as actually to mind God when they pretend to worship him. There needs not so much as one act of true and real worship to make them as Religious, and as much Christians, as is necessary by their Divinity. So that Christianity, as they form it, is a Religion regardless of God, even when, if ever, he should be most observed and honoured, and thereby sunk lower then Heathenism, and the notions of natural Religion retained by Infidels. Further, it discharges those acts and duties of Christianity which are necessary and essential to it; and allows and encourages all that it forbids and condemns, even what is most repugnant to, and inconsistent with it. It makes all Christian acts and duties needless, and all wickedness, opposite thereto, safe and practicable, without fear of condemnation, and there needs no more to ruin the Religion of Christ. A great part of those duties are by this doctrine mere matter of Counsel, and thereby they are made no duties, all obligation to perform them, being in that notion, quite dissolved. The remnant (all conscience of which is not swallowed up in Counsels) which they cannot but acknowledge to be duties; yet they will have them to be so but sometimes, and that very rarely, and when that is they cannot tell; it is not certainly known when, and the observance thereof must be correspondent, no body knows certainly when.