hold the truth in unrighteousness;" (Rom. i. 18;) and "to them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish" will God repay "upon every soul of them." (Rom. ii. 8, 9.)

And this, I suppose, is the genuine meaning of the place.

OBJECTION. But our adversaries will be asking, What pope, what council says so; by what authority will we enforce their receiving of this sense?

ANSWER. To which I answer in two particulars :—

1. I note [that] the commentaries of popes and councils, however good they be at it, are very rare things, and come not to every one's hands. One may guess them choice jewels, that they keep them so close: though, they are a spiteful sort of folks, if they only know the mind of God, that they so rarely apply themselves to open the word of God.

2. I suppose [that] there is authority in the text sufficient to bow our minds to read it with meekness, and without prejudice; and, being confident of this, I am less solicitous for the authority of the comment. For, in our giving the sense of scripture, we pretend not to have dominion over any one's faith, that we should come with serjeants and bailiffs to arrest any one's consent without his due conviction to it; but it suffices us to propose with fidelity what, on our best search and most serious prayer, seems likeliest to be the mind of God, and "commend ourselves" and sense to every man's conscience in the sight of God." (2 Cor. iv. 2.) And he that hath an eye to see, let him see; but he that will flutter out all the light that is brought to him, because it is not set on a candlestick that likes him, let him lie in darkness, if he affects it; but let him think of the blackness of darkness that may be reserved for him, as a just punishment of his despite of light. (Jude 6.) This has been thought a meet recompence for such error.

*

IMPROVEMENT.

Briefly, then, as I promised, to improve this genuine sense,

1. By way of exposition of Protestants' charity, wherein Papists much glory. Even we, say they, hold that they may be saved. We do ; but observe in what cases.

(1.) In case of invincible ignorance.-And thus we hope well of many a devout soul that died in their communion in the night of Popery, and had not means or opportunities to know better. Their walking in all known duty, and repenting even of unknown iniquity, might commend them to God's infinite mercy; but still this is only our charity, a reliance on which, except we had better judgments than they think we have, makes not for their safety.

(2.) In case of their reformation in compliance with after-conviction.And thus we have like hope of Turks and Pagans. And this, I am apt to think, is almost generally expected, since the day of gospel-light has begun to dawn; and much more as it grows brighter and brighter, and its beams dart hotter and hotter upon their consciences. Let the learned of them especially look to it; for however it go with the simpler sort, that are so of necessity, they will hardly escape, persons and works

Soc. De Dyp. et Mundo.

too; but if they abide together, now the day of the Lord is begun, and his fire gone forth, they are likely to be burnt up, and perish together. And it is not our charity, nor, may be, God's mercy, that will relieve them, while Christ's merit, in despite of all the convictions of his Spirit, is thus slighted by them.

2. By way of call to ingenuous Papists, to close with this way that is discovered for their salvation, by quitting their strawy and wooden superstructions, and giving up all their vain inventions to their first conriction. I would not have them prevent it, nor delay upon it; it is dangerous abiding in Babylon when it is day, retaining the works of darkness when it is light; when you do hear God's call, (and hearken for it,) "Come out of her, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues;" (Rev. xviii. 4 ;) or, to apply what was said to Lot: "Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountains, lest thou be consumed." (Gen. xix. 17.)

3. By way of caution to unwary Protestants, that, may be, hold the foundation.-Look also to the superstruction; take heed of strange and uncouth opinions; and when you have imbibed them, be not overtenacious of them; but give them up straight to conviction. And stand not on the loss of reputation. The quitting [of] them may be the only means of thy salvation; for though there may seem no great evil in thy opinion, thy obstinacy in adhering to it, when sufficient light is given to see the folly of it, may in continuance become the sin against the Holy Ghost, that will never be forgiven. (Matt. xii. 31, 32.)

CONCLUSION.

To conclude: I read of " many that had used curious arts, which brought their books together, and burned them before all men and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God, and prevailed." (Acts xix. 19, 20.) A remarkable instance, indeed, of the power of the word,— that scholars should be wrought on to burn their books, their books of curious arts, that got them probably their credit, their books of such a value ! And the truth on it is, to accommodate our present case hereto, men's own notions and fancies are dear to them, when no outward advantage follows them :

but much more when their interests are twisted with them. Yet, methinks, their souls should be much more precious; and, for their sakes, I beseech all concerned in the former charge of foolish builders, that they "cast away their idols of silver and of gold, to the bats and to the moles." (Isai. ii. 20.) And I beseech God, in the behalf of Rome, and all that partake with it in its unmeet and unworthy superstructions, though on the common foundation, that, on the warm application of the word, they may separate from their works; lest, as the fire grows hotter, they be consumed with them. A blessed bonfire it would be, to see their works all burning; and therein blessed, as it would tend to their souls' • "A man who will yield in his favourite opinions, is rarely indeed to be met with.”— Edit.

saving.

But O! my heart misgives me. If God's word so far prevail for their conviction, what means that crackling noise [which] I hear, of fire and brimstone, prepared for their destruction? (Rev. xvii. 16; xviii. 8.)

Cease frighting one another with your purgatory-flames, that are but imaginary; and fly [from] the fire of God's wrath, kindled at his jealousy, that is likely to prey upon you unto all eternity.

SERMON XII. (VIII.)

BY THE REV. WILLIAM JENKIN, A. M.

NO SIN IS IN ITS OWN NATURE VENIAL; BUT EVERY SIN IS DEADLY, AND DESERVES ETERNAL DAMNATION.

NO SIN VENIAL.

The wages of sin is death.-Romans vi. 23.

*

Ir was a censure more true than smart, which a late learned pen publicly, in this expression, pronounced against Popery: Romana religio, in quantum differt a nostra, est mera impostura : "The now Roman religion, as it differs from ours, is a mere cheat, juggle, or" kind of "religious legerdemain." And herein the imposture of that religion eminently appears, in that, under the varnish of Christian, most of it seems calculated only for hooking-in of worldly gain, and promoting of secular advantage. What bishop Senhouse (the Cambridge Chrysostom of his time) saith in his sermon upon Acts xix. 28, concerning Demetrius and his fellow-craftsmen,—their crying of "Great is the Diana of the Ephesians; "The shrines of Diana causing their shrieks for Diana, and their great gain by her raising up their great cry for her, showed there was dolus in idolo, deceit in their contention for the idol,'"-may as truly be said of the Romish Demetrius, the pope and the Popish priests, their eager outcry in the defence of the points of Popery; it being not Christ but mammon, not piety but money, not God but gold, that engageth them in their advancing of their doctrines and devotions. As St. Ambrose spake of Benjamin's sack, (Gen. xliv. 12, 13,) Sacco soluto apparuit argentum, "When the sack was loosed, the silver appeared;" resolve the most of their theology into that whereof it is constituted, and silver (gain, I mean) will be found to be the chief element of its constitution. Of this their own writers are fittest witnesses, whom I have cited in their own words for [the] proving of this my accusation. Æneas Silvius, afterwards pope, informs us, that "the Roman court gives nothing without silver. It sells," saith he, "the imposition of hands, the gifts of the Holy Ghost; nor is pardon of sin given to any but such as are well-moneyed."+ A poet of their own DR. PRIDEAUX'S Lectiones. + Nihil est quod absque argento Romana curia dedat. Ipsa manuum impositio et Spiritús Sancti dona venduntur: nec peccatorum venia nisi nummatis impenditur.-ENEAS SILVIUS, Epist. Ivi.

saith, that "with them temples, priests, altars, prayers, yea, heaven, and God himself, are all set to sale for money; "* and that "Rome gives trifles and takes gold."+ Another relates, that Romana permutatio auri cum plumbo, "the Roman change, of lead for gold," was grown into a proverb. "Only money reigns at Rome," thus speaks another, "and makes that lawful for the rich which is unlawful for the poor."§ And, as he goes on, "Lay down but money and then that which was forbidden before as a heinous wickedness, shall now be dispensed with, and made no sin; but without money there is no dispensation." And, as my author Claudius Espencæus mournfully proceeds, "The vice [which] they esteem greatest is, to want money; and to have nothing, is the greatest piece of barbarity among them." And, as that plain-dealing Papist adds, "To heighten their abomination, they allow their very clergymen to dwell with whores and harlots, and to beget bastards, for a certain tax; which they do not only receive of the adulterous, but even of the continent and innocent persons; alleging for this, that even these might have taken whores also, if they had pleased." I blush to translate what he adds; namely, that "bastards, thieves, adulterers, perjured persons, are not only absolved for money, but admitted to all dignities and spiritual benefices; and for money, dispensations are granted for murders, though of presbyters, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, yea, of wives, nay, for witchcraft, incest with the nearest of kin; and," which is most amazing, "for uncleanness," contra naturam cum brutis, "for the" (not-to-be-named) "sin of bestiality." And Rivet tells us, in his Castigation of Petra Sancta, the Jesuit, that there came to his hands a book, written by one Tossanus Denys, printed 1500, at Paris, cum privilegio; where, in folio 38, are taxed, at a certain rate, "all absolutions in the court of Rome for murdering of brethren and sisters, fathers, mothers, wives, and for the carnal knowledge of a man's sister or mother," pro eo qui sororem, matrem carnaliter cognovit. (In his thirty-seventh page of his Jesuita Vapulans.)

Chemnitius, in his Examen concerning the point of indulgences, gives us a copy of verses written over the altar in a Popish cathedral; of which verses, when I read them in Chemnitius, I could hardly say whether they more proved my foregoing accusation of, or provoked my just indignation against, Popery, that master-piece of painted atheism.

Titum.

Venalia nobis

Templa, sacerdotes, altaria, sacra, coronæ,

All

Ignis, thura, preces: cœlum est venale, Deusque.-BAPTISTA MANTUANUS, lib. iii. ↑ Si quid Roma dabit nugas dabit; accipit aurum,

Verba dat. Heu! Roma nunc sola pecunia regnat.-Idem, Eclog. 5 et 9. In proverbium jamdudum abiit Romana permutatio, plumbi videlicet cum auro.-DUARENUS, De Sac. Ec. Min. lib. i. cap. 6. § Regina rerum pecunia divitibus licitum facit quod in pauperibus est illicitum.-CLAUDIUS ESPENCEUS, digr. ii. ad cap. i. Epist. ad || Si spes refulserit nummi, quod interdictum fuit priùs, jam libere fit et impune. Quod vetatur, numeratâ pecuniâ, dispensatur; quasi nullum sit peccatum majus quàm nummis carere: ut ille apud HORATIUM: Credidit ingens pauperiem vitium; (Serm. lib. ii. sat. iii. 91 ;) et ut alter: Nunc sit barbaries grandis habere nihil. (Lib. iii.) non excipit presbytericidas, parricidas, matricidas, incestos, denique contra naturam cum brutis, &c.-Idem, in Tit. pp. (mihi) 478, 479. Si nihil numeraveris, indispensatus manes. -Clericos cum pellicibus cohabitare, liberosque procreare, sinunt; accepto ab eis quotannis certo censu, atque adeò alicubi a continentibus: Habeant, aiunt, si velint.- Idem.

Таха

the verses of that pitiful piece of poetry are too many to set down, some of them are these :

Ut tibi sit pœnæ venia, sit aperta crumena.
Hic datur exponi paradisus venditioni.
Hic si large des, in cœlo sit tua sedes;

Pro solo nummo gaudebis in æthere summo.

The sum whereof, and the rest, is but this: "Lay down your money, and doubt not of getting up to glory." The Romish Jeroboam (I mean, the pope) sets up the two calves of his golden faith and worship to preserve to himself his carnal kingdom; of which faith and worship, the greatest part is purely subservient to the pope's either coffer or kitchen, and of which kingdom, more truly than of war, money may be said to be the soul and sinews. If their doctrines may be witnesses to prove so clear an accusation, I might produce a far greater number than is needful to make up an ordinary jury, by mentioning those of auricular confession, pilgrimages, penance, images, prayers for the dead, indulgences, purgatory, sacrifice of the mass, merits, holiness of places, breaking faith with heretics, the pope's superiority over princes, dispensation with oaths, and this before us, of venial sin. All these arrows, if they were not levelled at the mark of gain, yet, sure I am, they most exactly hit and centre in it strange they should meet so unitedly, if shot at rovers! If you consult the generality of their doctrines, most of the questions in the Popish catechism may easily be reduced to this one: "What shall we get for our paunches and purses?" A catechism not composed by Peter, the pope's pretended predecessor; (who, though he said, "Silver and gold have I none," Acts iii. 6, yet also said, "Thy money perish with thee," Acts viii. 20 ;) but by Judas, his bag-bearing pattern, in that question of his for betraying of Christ: Quid dabitis? "What will you give me?" It was ingeniously spoken by a late poet, when he thus versified: An Petrus Romæ fuerit sub judice lis est : Simonem Romæ nemo fuisse negat:

:

"We are not sure that Peter ever sat

In Rome; but Simon did; we 're sure of that,"

Simon, that Simon who bartered and chaffered for the Spirit with money, is constant resident at Rome; where, some hundreds of years, in many thousands of bargains, he hath been as successful in selling to fools, as ever was his predecessor unsuccessful in his attempt to buy of the apostles. Among all their doctrines of this earthen and muddy complexion, we shall this day more particularly produce this of venial sin; principally both set-up, and shored-up, that the pretended punishment of those in purgatory may be bought off by money; and that without any beholdingness to the blood of Christ, provided the purse will but bleed freely, as drawn by Romish priests, the common purse-leeches or religious cut-purses of the Christian world. And from hence it was, that sins, by Papists called "pardonable," have been rather termed "saleable,”—venalia, not venialia,-with a very small and venial alteration of the word "venial."

I wonder not therefore that Bellarmine, in his first chapter of venial sin, thus sets out: "We teach," saith Bellarmine, "by common consent, that there are some sins which, of their own nature, do not render a man