24. I do alfo without any doubting receive and profefs all other things that are deliver'd, defin'd and declar'd by the Sacred Canons and General Councils, and chiefly by the Holy Council of Trent; and all things contrary to them, and all Herefies whatsoever, that are condemned, rejected and anathematiz'd by the Church, I do likewife condemn, reject and anathe

matize.

This Creed is the Standard of the Popish Religion, and contains that Faith which is profefs'd by every Perfon that embraces it. And therefore I fhall endeavor to juftify my Charge against Popery, by producing inftances of fuch falfe, condemn'd, or groundless Doctrines out of this their undoubted Creed; and this I fhall do in fome following Chapters.

Only I think it convenient to advertise the Reader, that I do not defign to confute all the Articles of the foregoing Creed. The Twelve firft. we Protestants do fincerely profefs and contend for; but we reject the other Twelve as the Errors of Rome. Now out of the Twelve last I -fhall felect fome particulars, which I defign to examin; and I hope to make it appear that they are either falfe, or condemn'd, or groundless Do&trines.

24. Cætera item omnia à facris canonibus & œcumenicis conciliis, ac præcipue à Sacro-San&ta Tridentina Synodo, tradita, definita & declarata, indubitanter recipio atque profiteor, fimulque contraria omnia, atque hærefes quafcunque ab Ecclefia damnatas, rejectas & anathematizatas, ego pariter damno, réicio & anathematizo.

CHAP.

CHA P. II.

That the Doctrin of Tranfubftantiation is abfolutely falfe.

F

Irft then, I fhall inftance in a Doctrin which is abfolutely false.

That the Church of Rome do's maintain the Doctrin of Tranfubftantiation, and impofes it as neceffary to Salvation, is manifeft from the Seventeenth Article of her Creed, in which fhe requires her Members to believe, that the whole fubftance of the Bread is turn'd into the Body, and the whole fubftance of the Wine into the Bloud of Chrift; which change the Catholic Church (meaning her felf) calls Tranfubftantiation. Now this Doctrin is abfolutely falfe; because we have most evident proof, that the fubftances of the Bread and Wine do remain after the Confecration; and confequently there is no fuch change wrought as our Adverfaries do pretend. And this will appear, if we confider two things; 1. That the evidence of fenfe is alwaies certain. 2. That we are affur'd by the evidence Senfe, that the fubftances of the Bread and Wine do remain after the Confecration.

First then I fay, the Evidence of fenfe is alwaies certain. Tis poffible, I confefs, and very easy for us to be mistaken about fome things, which our fenfes inform us of. The eye may be difcolour'd by a difeafe; and make us think that thing to be yellow, which is of a different colour. Or it may be deceiv'd by the Medium, thro' which we perceive an object; or by too great a distance from it; and by that means reprefent it in a different

F 2

shape

Part II. fhape or fize. Thus a large fquare Tower may feem round and fmall, if it be a great way off: and a ftreight Stick, if thrust into the Water may appear crooked to us. Again, there are fome things, which may be examin'd by feveral fenfes; and then we may be mistaken, if we rely upon one of them. Thus we may diftinguish fome Bodies, not only by the touch, but alfo by the taft and smell and fight: and therefore, if we cannot certainly know what they are by one method; we must try another. Nay farther, we may deceive our felves by giving too much credit to a tranfitory View or a flight Perception: and therefore in fuch cases we ought to pause a while, and to beftow time enough for a thorough information..

But then, when our Organs are rightly dif pos'd, and converfant about their proper objects; when they are at a due diftance, and receive their impreffions thro' proper Mediums, and we have had leifure enough to confider of them; when all our fenfes agree in their teftimony; or when we have try'd them all, and find that one do's not contradict the other, tho' one perhaps may be a more proper judge, and yield us a better and more fubftantial proof than the other in that particular inftance; I fay, when this is the cafe, our fenfes do not and cannot deceive us. Then are we faid to have the evidence of fenfe; that is, we are as well inform'd, as our natural fenfes, which are the only tefts of fenfible things, can poffibly inform us.

Now that this evidence of fenfe is alwares certain, has been generally granted by all Mankind: and those who deny it, have ever been thought ridiculous. However, fince our Adverfaries do force us upon it, I fhall endeavor to convince them

of

of it. And that my argument may proceed with the greater force and clearness, I think it neceffary in the first place to prove that our fenfes do gene rally give us certain information. This I fhall make appear by the following Arguments.

1. 'Tis granted that there is a God, and that this God is naturally good and true. Now I appeal to any indifferent judge, whether that God who is good and true, can be fuppos'd to have made rational Creatures after fuch a manner, as makes them liable to everlafting Delufions: and yet this will unavoidably follow from the general uncertainty of our Senfes.

For tho' fome things are fo perfectly abftracted from matter, that the knowledge and uncertainty of them cannot depend upon our Senfes; yet experience proves, that the far greater part of our concerns do relate to material things. Now fince moft of those things which we perceive are corporeal objects, 'tis plain, that if the evidence of our Senfes be not generally certain, we cannot certainly know any of thofe things which we are chiefly converfant with. For whatever we may arrive at hereafter, 'tis certain, that at prefent we know very little by intuition. Wherefore, if our Senfes be generally uncertain, 'tis impoffible that we should act fecurely. These things being confider'd, it must be a great impeachment of the goodness of God, to think that he has given reafonable Creatures a power of judging, which he expects they fhou'd ufe aright; tho' at the fame time he has deliver'd them up to the guidance of fuch Senfes as may caufe almost all their judgments to be erroneous.

Nor do's the general uncertainty of fenfible evidence reflect lefs feverely upon the truth of our F 3 Maker

Part II. Maker. For fince we are able to think, we must be fuppos'd to think according to our beft informations. Now if God has fo contriv'd our Nature, that thofe Senfes by which we receive the far greater part of our notices, and by which we are to be directed, are liable to grofs delufions in fpight of all our endeavors to the contrary; then he do's deceive us himfelf: because he made it neceffary for us to act upon fuch principles, and to be misled by them. So that God must then be thought a grand Impoftor, and to haye pafs'd more Cheats upon the World, than the Devil himself who is the Father of Lies. But this is fuch horrid blafphemy, as ftrikes a Man with horror; and yet it cannot be avoided by thofe, who think that the evidence of Senfe is generally uncertain.

2. As God is good and true, fo he is alfo juft; and this is freely acknowledg'd by our Adverfaries. Now if God be juft, certainly he will reward and punish Men according to their defervings, But how is it poffible, if the evidence of Senfe be generally uncertain? For Juftice and Charity, which are the principal virtues of a Chriftian, do wholly depend upon Senfe in the exercise of them. If my fenfes mifinform me, I may take that Man for an Object of pity, whom I ought to bring to punishment; or I may believe that Man worthy of punishment for a fact, which I thought my eyes had feen, who at the fame time was doing his duty. Thus may I be betray'd into numberless crimes, and commit things worthy of damnation, by an unavoidable neceffity. And can we believe, that God will judge Men according to their deeds, if their fenfes may betray them to fuch finful actions? Are Virtue and Vice fuch un

known