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fond Thing vainly invented, and grounded upon no Warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of GOD.

12. THE Papift fays, I acknowledge the Holy Catholick and Apoftolick Roman Church to be the Mother and Mistress of all Churches. But I profefs and declare, that I believe the Roman Church not to be Holy, but Wicked and Abominable: That She is neither Catholick nor Apoftolick, having fhamefully corrupted the Catholick and Apoftolick Faith, by adding to it all the forementioned Articles, which are fo contrary to it. Nor can She be the Mother of all Churches, for that Title belongs only to the Church of Jerufalem, where the Gospel was first preached, and the firft Church established by Chrift and His Apostles: Neither is She the Mistress of all Churches, for there are ftill, and ever were many Churches, that never acknowledged Her Superiority or Sovereignty; nor has She any Right to a Power over those few National Churches, who yet think fit to acknowledge Her Authority. Her Epifcopal Power extends but to the City and Suburbs of Rome, Her Metropolitical Power reaches but to that Province, which was fubject to the Prefect of the City, and Her Patriarchal Power to thofe Provinces, that were under the Vicar or Lieutenant-General of

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Rome: Which extended no farther, thari to Sicily, and about one Half of Italy: And for Her Papal Power, that is all Tyranny and Ufurpation.

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13. THE Papift says, I promise and fwear true Obedience to the Roman HighPrieft, the Succeffor of St. Peter the Prince of the Apostles, and the Vicar of Jefus Chrift. But I declare, that I believe the Roman High-Prieft to be a Schifmatick, and an Heretick, and confequently not a true Succeffor of St. Peter, from whose Faith he has fcandaloufly deviated. Neither do I believe St. Peter to have been the Prince of the Apostles, in their Monarchical Senfe of Princeps; the Apostles having been all of equal Power and Authority; and that were the Pope truly Orthodox and Catholick, he would be no more the Vicar of Chrift, than any other Bishop, Metropolitan, or Patriarch; and that I owe him no more Obedience, than I do the Patriarch of Conftantinople, or any other Foreign Bishop: And that as he is a Heretick, Ufurper, and Tyrant, I can hold no Manner of Communion with him. And to conclude this Article in the Words of our Church, The Bishop of Rome hath no Furifdiction in this Realm of England.

14. IN the laft place the Romanift fays, I undoubtingly hold and profefs all other Things

deliver'd,

deliver'd, defin'd, and declar'd by the Sacred Canons and OEcumenical Councils, and chiefly by the Holy Synod of Trent: And alfo condemn, reject, and anathematize all Things contrary to them, together with whatsoever Herefies are condemned, rejected, and anathematized by the Church. This last Article comprehends fo much, that if I fhould defcend to the Particulars contain'd in it, I must write many Volumes instead of a Letter, even ALL THINGS delivered, defined, and declared by the Sacred Canons and OEcumenical Councils. But I declare, that I cannot fubfcribe this Article, because my Mother the Church of England, whofe Articles I have more than once fubfcribed, and am ready to do it again when requir'd, has taught me, that General Councils may err, and SOMETIME HAVE ERRED, even in Things pertaining to God: Which 'I think I am also able to prove of some Councils called General, And I will not, by the Grace of GOD, wilfully fubfcribe to an Error, especially in Things pertaining to God. Besides, I have read over many of the Romish Canons, which I can by no means affent to. I have likewife read over the Acts of fome of their. OEcumenical Councils, particularly that of Trent, in which I find many Things which I firmly believe to be erroneous, and contrary to D 2 the

the Word of GOD. And for this Reafon also I cannot subscribe, affent to, or in any wife approve this laft Article of Pope Pius's Creed, which all Papifts are obliged to believe as firmly as any Articles of Faith whatsoever. For at the Conclufion of this Creed, they fay,

15. THIS true Catholick Faith, without which no Man can be faved, which I now freely profefs, and firmly bold, I will conftantly, by God's Affiftance, hold and confefs, whole and undefiled, to the last Breath of my Life. But I thank GOD, I neither hold nor confefs any One of these Articles which the Church of Rome has added to the Ancient Orthodox Creed, but deteft and renounce every One of them, as abominable, and contrary to the True Christian Faith, either in Whole, or in

Part.

AND now, I think, I may fubmit it, not only to the Judgment of all Impartial Men, but even to the Judgment of the most Prejudiced, whether I deferve to be called a Papift, who do not believe any One Point of Popery; who cannot fubfcribe to any One Article of the Church of Rome, wherein She differs from the Church of England, and from the truly Ancient Ca-4 tholick and Apoftolick Church of Chrift. Can any One believe, that a Person reconciled

conciled to the Church of Rome, as the News-Writers reported me to be, would thus folemnly renounce every Article of the Roman Faith, which they hold peculiar to themselves? What is it that diftinguishes a Papift from another Chriftian, but these fore-mentioned Doctrines I have here fo particularly declar'd againft? They profefs, as well as we, to believe all that is contain'd in the Three Creeds placed in our Liturgy: But the foregoing Points, to which I here, as publickly as I am capable of, declare my Diffent, are Matters which they have added to the Faith profeffed in the Church of England, and in the truly Ancient Catholick and Apoftolick Church of Chrift, and which I believe were never thought neceffary to Salvation, till the Council of Trent pretended to make them fo. And now, if a Man must be counted a Papift, who fo folemnly renounces every Article of Popery, then indeed I may be thought a Papift ftill, and must despair of fatisfying the World that I am not fo. Our Laws think it a fufficient Test, that a Man is no Papift, if he renounces the single Article of Tranfubftantiation; but I here not only renounce that, but every other Part of the whole Popish Creed. And if this will not clear me from that foul Afpersion, I muft defire those who will yet charge me

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