ii. 7., " Who can forgive sin but God on ly ?" (2.) The pope, by liis indulgence, encourageth men to sin. What need the papists care what sins they commit, wlien they have a license and patent from the pope to bear tliem harmless ? — 4th. Instead of hallowing God's name, they dishonour God's name, by their invocation to saints. We are to pray only to God, Mat. vi. 6., " Pray to thy Father ;" not pray to a saint, or the Virgin Mary, but pray to your Fa- ther in heaven ; we may pray to none, but whom we may believe in, Rom. x. 14. The saints in heaven are ignorant of our griev- ances, Isa. Ixiii. 16., "Abraham be ignorant of us." — 5th. Instead of hallowing God's name, they dishonour it by their luxury and uncleanness ; they allow of stews. At Rome, fornication keeps open shop, and is in some cases preferred before honourable matrimony, — urbs est jam tota lupanur. — 6th. Instead of hallowing God's name, they dishonour it, by their blasphemies. They give equal, nay, more honour to the Virgin Mary than to Christ ; they ascribe more to l.er milk, than to his blood ; they call her Scala Coeli, — the ladder of heaven ; Janua paradisi, — the gate of Paradise. In their doxologies they say, " Praise be to the Vir- gin Mary, and also to Christ." What blas- phemy is this, to set the creature above the Creator ! They say to her, Ojelix puci-pe- ro, nostra piaris sceleru ! O happy mother of a Son that purgest away our crimes ! — 7th. Instead of hallowing God's name, they dishonour it, by their lies ; their golden le- gend is an imposture, and is full of lying wonders. They shew John Baptist's fore- head for a relic in Spain, yet his whole head they affirm to be seen in St. Sylvester's in Rome ; they shew St. Peter's shadow at Rome : indeed we read of St. Peter's sha- dow. Acts V. 15., but it is strange how the papists could catch his shadow, and keep it by them so long. — 8th. Instead of hal- lowing God's name, they dishonour it, by baptizing sin with tlie name of virtue. Breach of oaths is with the papists a virtue. If a man hath bound his soul to God by an oath, yet to violate ttiis oath is virtuous, if it may propagate the Catholic cause. Kill- ing those who are of a different religion, is not only venial, but a virtue among catho-
OF THE FIRST PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
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lies. Destroying two liundrctl thousand of the Alhigenscs who were protestants, was commended as a gh>nous action, lionoured with a triimiph at Rome, and crowned with liis liolincss's blessing. Is not tliis an higli dishonour to God, to gild over the ftuilest crimes with tlie name of virtue and piety ? — 9tl). Instead of hallowing God's name, they dishonour it, by their damnable asser- tions ; ( 1.) The papists affirm, that the poj)e is above scripture ; that he may disj)ense with it, and that his canons bind more than the word of God. (2.) They teach merit by good works ; but if a debtor cannot ])ay liis creditor, how can he merit at his hands ? (3.) That the scrij)ture is not a perfect rule of faith and manners ; therefore they eik it out with their trjiditions, which they hold to be of equal authority. (1.) They teach, that an implicit faith is saving ; though one may have an implicit faith, and yet be ig- norant of all the articles of religion. (5.) They say, that the inward act of the mind is not required in God's worship ; diversion of the mind in duty, though one prays and never thinks of God, is no sin, saith Ange- lus and Sylvester, and other papists. (6.) The papists make habitual love to God un- necessary ; it is not needful, saith Bellar- mine, to perform any acts of religion out of love to God. Stapleton and Cajetan affirm that the precept of loving God with all our lieart is not binding ; by which they cut a- sunder the sinews and soul of all religion. Thus, instead of honouring God's name, the pajjists dishonour it. Let us pray hear- tily, that this Romish religion may never again get footing in this nation. God grant that this poisonful weed of popery may ne- ver be watered here; but that, it being a plant which our heavenly Father hath not planted, it may be rooted up !
5. God's name is dishonoured by carnal protestants. How is God's name this day dishonoured in England ? His name is like the sun in an eclipse. Christians instead of hallowing God's name, reproach and dis- lionour it : 1st. By their tongues. 2d. By llieir lives.
1. By their tongues. (1.) They speak irreverently of God's name. God s name is sacred. Deut. xxviii. 58., " That thou luayest fear this glorious and fearful name :