But whofoever fall deny me before men, him will I alfo deny before my Father who is in heaven. And he has given us full affurance, that none fhall be lofers by fidelity to him, or by any acts of felf-denial for the fake of him, and his gofpel. And he faid to his difciples, Verily I fay unto you, there is no man, who has left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's fake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come everlasting life. He has himself engaged in this warfare, and knows by experience what it may coft. And therefore he has fometimes expreffed himself after this manner: In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good chear. I have overcome the world. Again: To him that overcometh, will I grant to fit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am fet down with my Father in his throne.

If any of the firft Chriftians were too forward, and needlefsly expofed themselves to fufferings, they are not to be vindicated. For they acted contrary to repeated precepts of Jefus himfelf. Behold, fays he to his difciples, I fend you forth, as Sheep among wolves. Be ye therefore wife as ferpents, and harmless as doves: And, when they perfecute you in this city, flee you into another.

But I do not think, that they often tranfgreffed those rules. I am rather of opinion, that they were generally mindful of them, and paid them due regard. We have feen examples of it in Polycarp and his people, in Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, in the Chriftians at Alexandria, during the perfecution of Valerian, and in the Chriftians living in Pontus and Cappadocia, in the time of Maximin the Thracian. Other inftances of their difcretion might be alledged.

The Chriftians of the first three centuries were not perfect nor infallible. They had their failings, and their errors. Nor were they altogether free from ftrife and contention. But there were among them many men of fincere and undiffembled virtue, and fome eminent therein, who were fhining examples of every thing excellent and commendable in human life. They were quiet and peaceable, and obedient to magiftrates in all things appertaining to their jurifdiction. They prayed for the Roman emperors, and for the officers under them, and for the profperity of the empire. They were kind to each other, and to ftrangers. Our affair, faid the ancient apologifts, Juftin Martyr, and Athenagoras, lies not in words, but in works. And Lactantius, fo low as the beginning of the fourth century, could Say," the great concern of our people is to be holy and unblamable in their lives." Pliny has born an honourable, and ample teftimony to the good defign of their religious affemblies. And they were remarkable for their patience and fortitude under fufferings for the principles which they had embraced. By all

which they glorified God, edified each other, and were con tinually making converts from among their Gentile neighbours, and even from among fuch as hitherto had been their enemies.

If afterwards Chriftians altered for the worfe: if they departed from the faith once delived to the faints: if they admitted into their belief and profeffion corrupt mixtures of human invention if inftead of being perfecuted themfelves, they perfecuted other men: or, if they perfecuted one another for difference in fpeculative opinions, of little importance: or, if they did any thing else, contrary to the purity of the doctrine of the gofpel, we fhall be obliged to acknowledge it without partiality, when we see the proofs of it.

And indeed, Chryfoftom has obferved, "that Christianity rather declines under Chriftian emperors. So far is it from being cherished by the honours and preferments of this world. But it thrives moft, when it is perfecuted, and lies under worldly difcouragements." And faid Sulpicius Severus not long ago, fpeaking of Dioclefian's perfecution: "Glorious martyrdoms were then as earnestly contended for, as bishopricks have been fince fought by ambitious men."

We may do well therefore to emulate the best times, and the fincereft difciples of Jefus Chrift, whom we have taken for our mafter and guide in the things of religion. And we may fometimes recollect what our Lord faid before Pontius Pilate, therein witneffing a good confeffion. For this end was I born, and for this caufe came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth my voice.

Let us then carefully attend to that word of the gospel, which was first preached every where, by men chofen, and appointed, and fully qualified for that purpose, the Lord himself working with them, and confirming it with figns following: and has been fince recorded by his faithful apoftles and evangelifts.'

Our learned and truly eftimable Author concludes this volume with the obfervations of Dr. S. Parker, Bifhop of Oxford, upon the character of Apollonius Tyanææus, and the history of him, written by Philoftratus.

Papils and Pharifees compared: or, Papifts the Corrupters of Chrif tianity. In a Difcourfe on Matthew xv. 1-6. By John Burton, D. D. Vice-Provoft of Eton. 8vo. Is. Rivington.

HIS difcourfe is written, upon the whole, with fo much. good fenfe and judgment, and is withal fo well-timed, it we cannot help recommending it to the particular notice of

Our

our Readers. As the preface contains an anecdote in relation to the life of Cardinal Pole, with which it is proper the public fhould be acquainted, and likewife an account of a very useful defign, which Dr. Burton intends to profecute, no apology will be neceffary for inferting the greatest part of it.

A boafted performance, fays our Author, hath lately appeared in the world, entitled, The Life of Cardinal Pole: but under that cover carrying on a defign more important and dangerous, viz. to promote the caufe of popery, and to justify principles and practices inconfiftent with the conftitution of this kingdom, both civil and ecclefiaftical.

The title page proclaims its publication at Oxford; and from this circumftance many an unwary reader hath been led to imagine that it came out juffu or permiju fuperiorum: and, in fact, many an ungracious reflexion hath been thrown out on the univerfity upon that account. It will therefore not be thought improper to undeceive the public, by this fhort and plain representation of the cafe. The work prepared for the prefs was in form brought to the vice-chancellor, and submitted to his infpection; by his order it was perufed and examined: it was cenfured and rejected, as a production unfit to receive the fanction of our univerfity prefs.

A modeft author would probably have been inclined to withdraw himself from the place where he had given offence, and to diffemble the difgrace or merit of fuch a repulfe: but Mr. Phillips feems refolved that Oxford fhould not be deprived of the intended honour; he accordingly gains an easy access to another prefs in the city, where no imprimatur or approbation was required: in this manner his work came out into the world.

It is not my business or inclination, to enter into a dispute with this gentleman: this is already undertaken and executed by abler hands. But I cannot help confidering every attempt of this kind, as an admonition to the clergy of the established church to ftand upon their guard in oppofition to those, who lie in wait to deceive. When any celebrated author comes forth with a plaufible volubility of language, and declamatory eloquence with fly infinuations, and bold affertions-with specious colouring, and artful mifreprefentations, calculated merely to amuse and delude fuperficial obfervers, to divert their atten tion from the more important points in debate, when fo much art and industry is ufed to recommend principles of popery; it certainly behoves us to take the alarm, to exert our beft endeavours in defence of our establishment, to repel the open attack, and detect the fecret fraud-to take off the difguife of falfe appearances, and confute the fallacious reafonings.

It may here perhaps be faid, that this hath already been done to good purpose by our divines, and especially in that critical period of time before the revolution. All this is indeed true; and to those excellent writers I refer all those who want more exact and full information in any particular points; furely it is not neceffary that every ferious reader fhould at once be carried out into this wide field of controverfy: it is rather expedient that he should be furnished with a stock of fome previous notices; fuch as would be of general use for his direction, or fome fort of manual, which fets forth the principal points in difpute fairly reprefented, and rightly ftated, in a compendious and distinct manner: fo that he may be enabled to form a juft judgment concerning the merits of the caufe, to perceive the difference between catholic gofpel-doctrines, and the peculiar tenets of the church of Rome-between novelty and antiquitybetween authority merely human and divine, and, in a word, between popery and Christianity.

This is what I chiefly have in view: and in profecution of this defign, I have entered upon a regular feries of difcourfes, in which I diftinctly examine the twelve additional articles of pope Pius's creed, fhewing their inconfiftency with gospel verities, and the tenor of Chriftianity. I conceive this is laying the axe to the root of the tree for however many other branches of matters controverted between romanifts and proteftants may admit of fome palliation; yet furely, these muft on all hands be allowed to be characteristical, the teft of authentic and genuine popery, not to be diffembled or difavowed, being a fummary of doctrines established by the council of Trent, and incorporated into their creed, and made an effential part of the catholic confeffion of faith.

I am fenfible that to ftate the true notion of their doctrines in fuch a manner as the Romanifts themselves will allow, is a matter of no small nicety and difficulty; efpecially fince many are delivered in terms indefinite and defignedly ambiguous, in the language of the schools, rather than of the gospel, and accordingly give room for the exercife of fophiftry and evafive fubtilties. I have endeavoured all along to reprefent them fairly as explained and defended by themfelves, and not by drawing confequences to impute to them principles, which they appear to difavow. Therefore in the courfe of my argument I do not build upon the opinion of any particular doctors, however eminent and respectable, but upon grounds which they esteem more fure and infallible, the decrees of their council. And in order to ascertain the true meaning and intents of these decrees, I have collected the fenfe of thofe fathers by whom they were com piled, as recorded in the hiftory of thofe times, and fully ex

preffed.

preffed in the course of the previous debates, and confirmed by fubfequent practice, and common acceptation, by the tenor of their liturgies, catechifm ad parochos, and fuch like authentic documents. Upon the whole I conceive, that nothing more is wanted toward the full confutation of this corrupt fyftem, than a true ftate of it clearly reprefented. This is what I attempt to do: and if the common apprehenfion of the daily increase of popery be well founded, the attempt will be thought not lefs feafonable than important; and be ferviceable to the cause of genuine Chriftianity, by pointing out the corruptions brought in by the church of Rome, and furnish our people with arms offenfive and defenfive, against a common enemy.

My thoughts on this fubject I purpose in due time to communicate to the public: in the mean while, till this attack be made in form against the head-quarters of the Romanifts, I fend out this small performance by way of prelude, or flight fkirmish, velitatio pro caftris, in order to explore their fituation, difpofition, and force, and perhaps provoke fome petty hoftilities.

''Tis obfervable, that our biographer in the course of hiftory, acts out of character, and becomes rather a controverfial writer; and takes much pains to drefs out his fcheme of popery in the faireft colours, with all the wanton fancy of a painter: we see it recommended by the incommunicable high character of catholicifm, primitive antiquity, apoftolical tradition, and every circumftance which may give it an air of dignity and veneration. On the other hand I fhall take the liberty, by way of contraft, to confider this admired fyftem in a very different point of view, and fet forth a different reprefentation of popery, and fhew the Romanifts to themselves in a true light, fhew that their boafted antiquity is really no other than a pious fraud, and an innovation on the original Chriftian plan-that their apoftolical traditions are no other than the inventions of fallible, fallacious men, which have made God's commandments of none effect. In a word, I confider popery, as fuch, in no other view, than as the corruptions of Chriftianity digefted into an artificial fyftem: corruptions fimilar in kind and degree to thofe which our Saviour condemned in the fcribes and pharifees. Accordingly I have drawn out a parallel, and confidered the character of these fcribes and pharifees, Chriftian and Jewifh, in a comparative view: I have pointed out their agreement in principle and practice, their agreement in the finifter motives of proceedings, and wicked manner of conducting them, and withal, the like mifchievous effects from thence redounding to the common cause of true religion and virtue: and in confequence, by parity of reafon, I confider them both as involved in one common cenfure.' The portion of fcripture, from which our Author difcourfes, contains copious matter, both hiftorical and doctrinal. It relates Rev. June, 1766.

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