of Chrift and his Apoftles. They eclipfe and extinguish as much as they can the light of scripture, and fet up the ignis fatuus of tradition in it's ftead. There is no need of arguments to expofe fuch a practise. It is fo contrary to all the principles of reason, so repugnant to the natural rights of mankind, fo deftructive of the very end and design for which the fcripture was given, that the abfurdity, the tyranny, the irreligion of it fufficiently expose themfelves: And really one knoweth not which to wonder at moft, the cruelty and arrogance of their clergy for acting in this manner, or the tameness and ftupidity of their laity in suffering it. 2. The next woe denounced againft the Scribes and Pharifees is for devouring widows boufes and at the ver. 14. fame time for a pretence making long prayers. They were very fanctified in appearance, but in reality they oppreffed the widows and fatherlefs. They They made their prayers of an intolerable length, and by these means impofed upon the credulity and fu2 Tim. iii. perftition of filly women. A learnWhitby. ed commentator fays that they con 6. tinued their prayers fometimes for damnation. 3. The third woe denounced against the Scribes and Pharifees is for 2 for compaffing fea and land to make ver. 15. one profelyte, and when he is made making him two-fold more the child of bell than themfelves. To illuftrate this text commentators cite a paffage out of * Juftin Martyr, wherein he fays, that the profelytes do not only not believe, but even two-fold more than you (speaking to the Jews) blafpheme the name of Jefus. And generally we may obferve that the converts to any religion are greater zealots for it than those who were born and bred up in it, I fuppofe the better to fhew the fincerity of their conversion, and to recommend themfelves the more effectually to their new mafters and companions. Now the diligence of the Roman priests and missionaries in compaffing fea and land to make profelytes is not at all inferior to that of the Scribes and Pharifees. It is really Οι ἢ προσήλυτοι ε μόνον ἐ πιςεύσαι αλλά διπλήτερον ὑμῶν (Judæos alloquitur) βλασφημᾶσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα du Chrifti fcilicet. Juftin. apud Grotium. See Whitby too, a a distinguishing part of their character, and I wish the present times did not afford fuch melancholy proofs of it. But this we may fay, it is owing to our weakness and not to their own ftrength, that they prevail. While we are afleep, they fow their tares. If we would but awake, we fhould find their beft arguments no ftronger than the green withs upon Sampfon's hands; but while we lie Judg. xvi. fleeping in the lap of Delilah, in luxury and pleasure, they cut off our hair and deprive us of our ftrength. It is indeed among the poorer fort chiefly that they prevail by bribes, which they call charities. They do not fo properly make converts, as purchase them: and as SiA&ts viii. mon Magus thought that the gift of God might be purchafed with money; fo they make merchandise and fimony of fouls, and buy them into their communion. 'Tis true this method doth little honor to them, but 20. it is the more dangerous to us, as it is in a manner inlifting men into their fervice; for every convert they make is not only the lofs of a member to the church, but of a fubject to the king, the new converts, as we obferved, being commonly greater bigots, and two-fold more the children of bell than thofe who convert them. 4. The fourth woe denounced against the Scribes and Pharifees is for their vain diftinctions of oaths, what were binding and what were not, when they were all alike obligatory. And will not this again put us in mind of the fchoolmen and cafuifts of the church of Rome, fo remarkable for splitting of hairs, and making of diftinctions where there is no difference? They know how to difpenfe with the neceffity of keeping faith with hereticks. They can inftruct people how to take an oath without any intention of fulfilling it, or after they have taken it can in vent ver. 16, &C. |