ON" MATTERS OP BELIEF. 99 



fathers of the church, the councils and tradition. At 

 the beginning they only rofe up againfl abufes which 

 concerned the discipline, as it is called, of the church ; 

 but they foon faw themfelves under the neceffity of at- 

 tacking the articles of faith, behind which thofe abufes 

 were intrenched. Each proportion they discovered to 

 be falfe., naturally drew after it the difcuffion of ano- 

 ther, with which it was connected : and thus it could 

 not otherwife fall out, but that in a few years they muft 

 find the greater! part of the old doctrinal edifice fo 

 worm-eaten and ruinous as it actually was. They made 

 applications to the pope as long as they had any hope 

 that he would remedy the abufes againfl: which their 

 fir ft attacks had been directed : but as fcon as the pon- 

 tif had decided againfl what Luther and his companions 

 held for demonftrated and irrefragable truths, they faw 

 themfelves compelled to examine more nearly * the 

 authority of his papal holinefs ; and found, in the end, 



* Far be it from me, by this alfertion, to defign the infinuation 

 of any thing in difparagement of the iincerity and integrity of 

 Luther ! When be appealed to the pope, he was frill fully per- 

 fuaded of the infallibility of that head of the church, as he had 

 not yet examined into his pretenfions : but he was no lefs con- 

 vinced of the truth of his pofition againfl: thefale of indulgen- 

 ces, only with better reafons. Accordingly, he did not doubt 

 for a moment, that the infallible judge would determine in favour 

 of the truth. As, however, contrary to al! expectation, the 

 reverfe enfued ; and Leo X fo fooliftiiy played the part of Jupiter, 

 that he darted his thunder even againfl palpable truths in defence 

 of palpable enormities : honed Luther was irrefiftibly impelled to 

 doubt of the papal infallibility, and to fet about an inveitigarkm 

 of that tenet, which could not pofiibly turn out to its advantage. 



H 2r that 



