to the church, Eph. i. 21, iv. 15, Col. i. 18. Who is with it always, even to the end of the world:

That the kingdom of Christ, being not of this world, bears no resemblance to the hierarchy and monarchy of the papal kingdom:

That the possessing the see of Rome no more proves the pope to be the successor of St. Peter, than the possessing the city of Constantinople proves the Great Turk, to be the successor of Constantine the Great.

That if the pope were the vicar of Christ, (which is not yet proved) still he would have no authority to change or abrogate the laws of his Lord and King; much less to make laws just contrary to them, or to exempt any from obeying the laws of Christ:

That attempts of this kind denote an adversary, rather than a faithful and upright vicar of Christ.

17. They doubt of these things the more, because the primitive church knew of no such thing as an universal head:

Because no bishop was acknowledged as such, at the time of the council of Nice:

Because Gregory the Great declared, "He should ac"count any man to be antichrist, who called himself by "such a title:"

Because it is apparent that Boniface III. the next pope but one to him, about the year 606, was the first to whom the title of Universal Bishop was given, as a reward for his absolving the tyrant Phocas, after he had murdered his master, the emperor Mauritius, with his empress, and eight children:

Because the succeeding popes acquired one part of their power after another, by various methods, either of fraud or force :

Because many of them have been notoriously wicked men, and encouragers of all manner of wickedness: notwithstanding all which men are required to believe that they were all enlightened by the Holy Ghost, in so extraor

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dinary a manner, as to be rendered infallible; although one pope was continually contradicting another, and reversing the decrees which his predecessors had most solemnly established.

18. When the Romanists are desired to prove by Scripture, that the pope is the head of the church, they urge, that Christ said to St. Peter, 1. I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. 2. Feed my lambs ; feed my sheep.-Therefore

We answer, These texts by no means prove that Christ made St. Peter himself his vicar; much less that he gave that dominion to the pope, which he now usurps over the consciences of men.

And hence we are the more clearly convinced,

That the papal power is not of divine original;

And that we have great cause to bless God, whom the pope has excluded from his communion, and thereby restored to that unshaken liberty of conscience, wherein, by the grace of God, we shall always stand.

9. In the proper use of this liberty every member of our church, if he gives himself up to the guidance of God's Holy Spirit, may learn the foundation of his faith from the written word of God;

May read and meditate therein day and night;

May devoutly pray in the spirit of adoption, like the holy men of ancient times;

May comfort and quicken himself and others with psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs;

May enjoy all the ordinances of Christ, according to his own institution;

May be assured of the remission of his sins, and of his justification through faith in Christ, the Spirit of God witnessing with his spirit, that he is a child of God;

May study to have a conscience void of offence, both toward God and toward man;

May freely enjoy every blessing which God hath bestowed upon our church; and

May make advantage of whatever good the providence of God has still preserved in the Church of Rome:

He may cheerfully look for a happy death, and a blessed eternity:

And, at length, by resting on Christ alone, and patiently partaking of his sufferings, he may, with certain hope of a resurrection to eternal life, without any fear either of purgatory or hell, resign his spirit into the hand of God, and so be ever with the Lord.

A SHORT METHOD

OF CONVERTING ALL THE ROMAN CATHO LICS IN THE KINGDOM OF IRELAND.

Humbly proposed to the Bishops and Clergy of that Kingdom.

I. IT is a melancholy consideration to those who love the Protestant interest, that so small a part of this nation is yet reformed from Popery. They cannot observe, without a very sensible concern, that in many parts of the kingdom, there are still ten, nay, fifteen, perhaps, upwards of twenty Papists, to one Protestant. Nor can they see any prospect of its being otherwise; few Papists being brought over to our church, notwithstanding all the methods which have been used, while many Protestants are seduced from it.

II. Yet they cannot but earnestly desire, that all the Papists were convinced of their errors. How much would this redound to the glory of God, who willeth all to come to the knowledge of his truth! How greatly would it advantage their own souls both in this world and in the world to come! What an advantage would it be to the kingdom in general to be no longer divided against itself, to have that grand cause of contention removed, and all its inhabitants of one heart and one mind! And how highly would it advance both the honour and interest of our gracious Sovereign, to have all his subjects cordially united together, thinking and speaking the same thing?

III. Why then is not this desirable end pursued with a vigour proportionable to its importance? Is it because we despair of any success? Because we think it impossible to VOL. XV. P

be attained? But why should we imagine it to be impossible? A common and plausible answer is, because the Papists are so bigotted to their clergy; believing all that they affirm, however contrary both to Scripture and Reason, and doing all that they direct, whom they generally believe to be the holiest and wisest of men.

IV. Undoubtedly this is a considerable difficulty in the way. And yet I cannot think it is insurmountable. Still I conceive it is possible to convince all the Papists, provided there are proper instruments for the work. And what instruments are so proper as the clergy? Not only as they are in every place, distributed through the whole nation, and always ready on the spot for the work: but likewise as it more immediately belongs to them: as it is no inconsiderable branch of their business who are peculiarly set apart to watch over the souls of men as they that must give account.

V. But what way can the clergy take, with any probability of success? There is one way, and one only; one that will (not probably, but) infallibly succeed. If this way is taken, I am willing to stake my life upon the success of it. And it is a plain, simple way, such as may be taken by any man, though but of a small capacity. For it requires no peculiar depth of understanding, no extraordinary height of learning; but only a share of common sense, and an honest, upright heart.

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VI. It was observed, that the grand difficulty of the work lies, in the strong attachment of the Papists to their clergy. Here therefore we are to strike at the root. And if this bigotry be but removed, whatever error or superstition is built upon it, will of course fall to the ground.

Now this may be effectually done thus. The Papists themselves allow that one set of clergy were holier and wiser even than their own, namely, the apostles. They allow these both to have lived and preached better than the present clergy even of the Roman church.

Here therefore is the short and sure method. Let all the clergy of the church of Ireland only live like the apostles, and preach like the apostles, and the thing is done.