The Practical Divinity of the Papists Discovered to be Destructive, Discourse · Conclusion
The Concluſion.
BY the Premiſes, it is manifeſt that Popery by its practical principles, is deſtructive to Chriſtanity 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 burys 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 ingaging 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 dutys of Chriſtianity which are neceſſary and eſſential to it; and allowes and incourages all that it forbids and condemns, even what is moſt repugnant to, and inconſiſtent with it. It makes all Chriſtian acts and dutys needleſs, and all wickedneſs, oppoſite thereto, ſafe and practicable, without fear of condemnation, and there needs no more to ruine the Religion of Chriſt. A great part of thoſe dutys are by this doctrine mere matter of Counſel, and thereby they are made no dutys, 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 dutys; 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. Or if they gueſs at the time, and point ſome out as probable, yet when the time comes, the acts (though the life of Chriſtianity conſiſts therein, and the ſalvation of the perſons depends thereon) need not to be done, ſomething elſe will ſerve inſtead thereof, ſome natural act, or faint wiſh, or falſe conceit, ſomething or other, though neither truly Chriſtian nor Virtuous (with the Sacrament at leaſt) will excuſe them from all other Chriſtian acts. It is not the Acceſſaries of Religion only that they make thus bold with; but thus they handle the very vitals of Chriſtianity, and make them unneceſſary for Chriſtians. The very acts of Faith, and Hope, and Love, yea, Repentance it ſelf, and all the reſt with theſe, are thus made needleſs, and they may be true Chriſtians (at their rate) and ſaved (in their conceit) without ever exerting in a whole life ſo little as one act of grace or Chriſtian vertue. The world never ſaw Chriſtianity, into what hands ſoever it fell, more clearly ſtript, not only of its luſtre and ornament, but of its life and being. If this ſuffice not to make an end of all Religion truly Chriſtian, they not only diſmiſs as more than needs, what the doctrine of the Goſpel makes moſt neceſſary, but advance and incourage what is moſt oppoſite to it, not only ignorance, unbelief, diſaffection to Chriſt, impenitency; but therewith all diſobedience unto the Goſpel. Inſtead of the holy rules thereof, they have formed a doctrine of licentious Maxims, which give ſecurity to the practice of any wickedneſs, and take away (when they had left no other reſtraint) the fears of Hell from thoſe who live and dye in damning ſins. Whatever it is that Chriſt forbids, it is with them either no ſin, or not dangerous, or (the worſt of all by vertue of ſome devices of their own) not damning. So that they may venture upon any wickedneſs freely, and perſiſt therein ſecurely till death, and yet by ſome evaſions which they tell them of, eſcape the wrath to come (whatever Chriſt ſay to the contrary), without either the fruits or acts of Repentance. There are many ſins, and amongſt them horrid and enormous crimes condemned by the Law of God and natural light, and ſuch as the practice of them is reproachful to the Chriſtian name, which yet, with them, paſs for no ſins; and they are furniſhed with expedients to make any other ſo too, when they ſee occaſion, and in theſe they will diſcern no ſhadow of danger. There is a world of wickedneſs, which by their doctrine is Venial, abundance more than enough, utterly to deface Chriſtianity, and to make any (who takes but part of the liberty given by their Divines) to look more like an Athieſt, or a Bruit, a perſon of no Religion, Conſcience or Honeſty, than a true Chriſtian. They can gratifie any vicious diſpoſition, which way ſoever it leads, with impiety and debauches enow to fill up a whole life; and yet (if he will be ſatisfied with any thing, but the higheſt degrees of wickedneſs) promiſe him ſecurity.
If he could ſwallow ten millions of their Venials, every minute at a gulp, they would not (by their divinity) indanger him, though one that will follow the rules of Chriſt, muſt chooſe death, rather than venture upon ſome one of them. There is with them no danger in thus ſinning, though the Chriſtian doctrine never diſcovered any thing elſe in ſin. Or if their Catholicks will be outragiouſly wicked, and cannot be ſatisfied with leſs than the practice of the moſt mortal crimes, they will not diſoblige them (the party muſt be kept up, though their ſouls ſink) they ſhall have their liberty upon eaſie terms; deadly ſins ſhall be as free for them, and in a manner as ſafe as their harmleſs Venials. That which makes Venial faults ſeem leſs dangerous than mortal; is becauſe they will not damne a man, though he never repent of them; but even herein they have made venial and mortal alike ſafe; for by their doctrine, he may he live in all ſorts of deadly wickedneſs, & die therein without any act of true Repentance, and yet eſcape damnation. They commend to them ſeveral evaſions to ſecure impenitent Sinners, how damnable ſoever their neglects or practices have been to the laſt. But that of the Trent Council muſt not be doubted of; attrition (which they confeſs alone to be no ſufficient, no ſaving Repentance) with the Sacrament of confeſſion will paſs any Sinner into a ſaving ſtate. This one device of their own, will ſerve inſtead of all that Chriſt hath preſcribed; if this be obſerved, though they live and die in the neglect of all Chriſtian vertues, and in the practice of all wickedneſs which Chriſt condemns; they need not fear, this alone will ſecure them. The leſt natural, or ſlaviſh remorſe, and a Prieſt, is all the Chriſtianity that a Papiſt need trouble himſelf for: if he can but make ſure of theſe at laſt gaſp, he is ſafe, though all his life he be more like a Devil incarnate than a Chriſtian. By this alone Chriſtianity is utterly ſubverted, all the Laws of Chriſt in effect repealed, and their obſervance rendred needleſs, the whole Goſpel made a Cypher, and a way to ſalvation opened by bold Impoſtors, not only without, but againſt the Goſpel, and quite croſs to the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Sect. 2. No more is needful to manifeſt that the practical part of Popery (however it hath paſſed for more harmleſs than the other more inſiſted on) is deſtructive to the ſouls of men. It leads them out of the way of ſalvation, if real Chriſtianity be the way. It obliges them to neglect as needleſs not only the leſſer, but the principal parts of that way, without which Heaven is altogether inacceſſible, They that have diſcovered another Hell, may as well fancy another Heaven: but they way to that Heaven, which Chriſt hath prepared for his people, lyes through the knowledge of Chriſt, Love to him, Faith in him, that Repentance from dead works, and exerciſe of Chriſtian vertues, that Mortification of ſin, Holineſs of life, and real Worſhipping of God; which by this doctrine is abandoned as unneceſſary. It tempts them into the way of deſtruction, incourages them in ſuch practice of wickedneſs as Chriſt hath declared to be the broad way. It promiſes ſafety therein, and hides the danger from their eyes; it covers the pits (whoſe deſcent is into that which is bottomleſs) with Spiders webbs, and perſwades them it is firm ground. It leaves them no ſenſe, nor notice of many ſins; no Conſcience of far the moſt; no fear of any, no not of the worſt, ſuch as themſelves call deadly crimes. It gives as much ſecurity to ſuch wickedneſs, as a heart that has ſold it ſelf to it, need wiſh. For what need he deſire more than aſſurance, that after a whole life ſpent therein, there is a very eaſie way for him to be ſaved, ſo eaſie that he need not trouble himſelf ſo much as truly to repent? Such grace as any Prieſt can help a Sinner to (an impenitent Sinner) at laſt gaſp, will bring him to Heaven, though he never once thought of the way to it all his life.
Such being the rules which Roman Catholicks have for the conduct of their hearts and lives; and the worſt ſort of them being as much approved by their Church, as any practical doctrine currant amongſt them; let it be conſidered what regard that Church hath of Religion or Salvation, which leaves them to ſuch doctrine as is ſo inconſiſtent with both, and what regard they have of their ſouls, who after notice hereof will truſt them to ſuch a conduct. It gratifies the luſts and corrupt inclinations of the ſeduced, and ſerves the intereſt of the contrivers (drawing the world into the boſom of the Popes Church, and intangling it there by all the charms of ſuch a Religion as diſſolute perſons would make for themſelves): but if the God of infinite Goodneſs & Truth, have given us any certain notice of the ways of eternal Life and Death, thoſe that believe and practice it will certainly deſtroy theis own Souls.
FINIS.