But Mr. S. saith Their Case is different from ours Do not they make the Vulgar Translation Authentick And will not the same Objections then lie against all those who rely upon it Let us see how J. S. clears this Matter 1. The Canon of the Books comes down saith he by the Testimony of all Christian Churches that are truly Christian And we say the Canon of the Books comes down by the Concurrent Testimony of all Christian Churches however differing in other things And herein I think we have much the advantage For we do not except against the Testimony of any Christian Churches nor condemn them as not truly Christian till their Cause be better heard and examin'd 2. The Doctrine of Christ saith he transfused into the hearts of the faithful both taught them how and obliged them to correct the Copy in those particular Texts that concerned Faith. What is this but in plain terms to expose the Scriptures to the Scorn and Contempt of Atheists and Infidels Who would desire no better a Concession than this that the Scripture hath been corrected in Matters of Faith according to the Faith of the Church If this be granted it is impossible to prove that we have any true Original Texts in Matters of Faith For if the Church did correct the Copy in those particular Texts which concerned Faith according to the Sense of the faithful then the Church in every Age might so correct it and consequently we can never be sure that the Texts continue the same for any two Ages together unless it be first proved impossible for the Sense of the Church to vary in any two Ages or of those who think themselves bound to correct the Texts And I should be very sorry to have my Faith rest upon such a slippery Foundation I will put the Case as to the Arian Controversie How was it possible for the Nicene Fathers to have convinced the Arians on such a Supposition as this You alledge several Texts of Scripture might they say to prove the Godhead of Christ and his Equality with the Father but how can we know that these were Original Texts and not corrected by the Guides of the Church then according to their own Sense We do not deny that there were some leading Men of this Opinion and having gained a Party to themselves they corrected the Texts according to it And therefore we can never be satisfied that these were the Original Texts because we can bring down a Tradition of a contrary Sense from the Apostles times I do not see what satisfaction they could ever receive if this pernicious Principle be allowed that the Texts were to be corrected in Matters that concern Faith according to the Sense of the Church But he saith it is If any Errour through the carelesness unattentiveness or malice of the Translators or Transcribers at any time had crept in This doth not one jot mend the Matter For if the Faith of the present Church be the Rule then the Texts are to be corrected according to it and the blame to be laid on the Carelesness or Malice of Translators and Transcribers This is a miserable Account of the Certainty of Texts of Scripture in Points of Faith As to other Texts of inferiour concern as he speaks they could be best corrected by multitudes of other ancient Copies the Churches Care still going along as was shewn in the highest manner by the Council of Trent that so it might be as exact as Human Diligence could well render it As to multitudes of Copies they serve us as well as them but as to the Care of the Council of Trent I am by no means satisfied For 1. They went no farther than a Translation and declared that Authentick without due regard to the Original Text. 2. The Care taken was not so exact for then Clemens the Eighth did great Injury to Sixtus the Fifth when he recalled and corrected his Bibles in so many Places after Sixtus the Fifth had published his for an Exact Edition 3. There are still complaints in the Church of Rome of want of Exactness in the Vulgar Latin. 4. After all this is but Human Diligence and no such Absolute Certainty as J. S. requires from us But it may be he will say That he doth not at all make it his Rule of Faith Let him declare so much and then we know what to Answer This is still putting off Therefore I will give a distinct Answer I. We do utterly deny that it is in any Churches Power to correct Original Texts because they contradict the Sense of the present Church or any Translations any farther than they differ from the Originals And I do not know any assertion that shakes more our Faith as to the Scripture than this of J. S. doth II. The early Appeals made to Scripture in Matters of Faith by the Writers of the Christian Church make us Certain that there could be no such Alterations or Corrections of the Texts according to these use of the Correctors As for Instance we find the Places produced against the Arians used before against the Samosatenians and Artemonites If it be said They might correct the Fathers to I answer That there is no imaginable Ground for any such suspicion because the Fathers lived in distant Places and Countries and therefore when their Testimonies agree about some places of Scripture alledged by them there can be no Reason to suspect any Corruption or Alteration of the Text. As for Instance no one Text of the whole New Testament hath been more suspected than that of 1 S. John 5.7 There are three that bear Record in Heaven c. And it cannot be denied that there hath been great variety both in the Greek and Latin Manuscripts about it yea there was so in S. Jeroms time as appears by his Preface to the Canonical Epistles who charges the leaving it out to the unfaithfulness of the Translators S. Jerom is cried out upon as a Party in this Controversie and therefore it is said on the other side that he put it in as favouring his own Opinion But his Integrity is vindicated herein because S. Cyprian so long before the Arian Controversie produced this Place So that our Certainty as to Scripture doth not depend upon the meer Letter but upon comparing the best and most antient Copies with the Writings of the Fathers who still made use of the Scriptures in all Discourses and Debates about Matters of Faith. III. The variety of Readings in Matters that are not of Faith cannot hinder our Certainty in Matters of Faith. We do not pretend that there is no kind of variety in the Copies of the New Testament but I am of Opinion that this rather establishes than weakens our Faith. For considering the great Multitudes of them and how insignificant they are it shews that this Book was liable to the common Accidents of Books but yet that there is no such variety as to make one
any Certain Authority they were to submit to for the putting an End to all Controversies This is really a Matter of so much Concernment to the whole Christian World that if any such thing had been in the Design of Christianity I can never believe that the Apostles would have omitted it in their several Epistles Had not they sufficient Care of the Certainty of Mens Minds and of the Peace of the Church Was it a Secret concealed then from them Or not thought fit to be communicated by them when it was most necessary to prevent the early Corruptions and Errours of the Christian Churches But they are so far from it that I cannot find any Intimation to that purpose in all their Writings although they had the fairest Occasions for it VII If Men by Certain Reason have found out this Certain Authority What are they to do with this Certain Reason afterwards Methinks it is a little hard for ever to discharge so useful a Servant immediately after so extraordinary a piece of Service as the finding out an Infallible Guide We do not find the Apostles directing the People not to make use of their Understandings because their Guides were Infallible I am apt to think the Apostles were as Infallible as Tradition or Church-Authority ever since and therefore what allowance was made by them to a Judgment of Discretion is still to continue What doth St. Paul mean to speak to the Corinthians in such a manner I speak as to Wise Men judge ye what I say How different is this from I speak by an Infallible Spirit and ye are not to judge what I say When he saith to the Thessalonians Prove all things Doth he mean Swallow all things and Prove nothing When St. John saith Try the Spirits whether they are of God Doth he only mean till they had found a Certain Authority Did not they believe St. John's Authority to be Certain If not to what purpose did he write this Epistle to them If he did he supposed them still to have a liberty of Judging even those who pretended to Inspiration For many false Prophets are gone out into the world And there are certain Rules and Marks to judge of the Pretences to an Infallible Spirit which were in vain assigned if they were not to judge by them VIII Suppose Men differ about this Certain Authority wherein it lies and how far it extends Are not they to exercise their Reason still about this Suppose some pretend that it lies in an Infallible Assistance which Christ hath promised to his Church in all Ages and Others say this is impossible to be a Ground of Faith because it is it self an Article of Faith Must not a Man exercise his Reason about this Here is Certain Authority pleaded but Others say there is Certain Reason against this Pretence of Certain Authority and they must grant I must follow Certain Reason though against Certain Authority Again Others say the Certain Authority of Oral Tradition is a Novel vain and dangerous Opinion destructive of Faith and leading to Heresie and Atheism What is to be done in this Case Must our Reason be quitted and Men not be allowed to judge of this Authority by it Yes till they come to own it and then they are to judge no longer i. e. put out your Eyes once and ye need never think of opening them after Be very circumspect in the Choice of your Way till you come to a Precipice and when you are come there be sure to throw your self from it headlong and there is an End of Controversies But we do not judge this a very Reasonable Method but think he had much better keep upon plain Ground and use the best Method he can to find the true Way and if his Judgment will serve him to find the Way to a Precipice we think it will much better serve him to keep him from it And that he had better bear with some imperfection of his Sight than put out his Eyes that he may be the more quietly led he knows not whither There is only one thing more which deserves to be taken notice of about this Argument viz. that J. S. saith I expresly exclude the Churches Help which is as he triumphantly concludes his Third Letter The First Principle nay the Quintessence of all Heresie Fanaticism in the Egg perfect Enthusiasm when hatcht and downright Atheism when fledg'd This is a parting Blow indeed It is the bite of an Angry Viper at its last Gasp when it puts its utmost force into the Venom and hopes even dying to destroy Others love to conclude gently but J. S. is a Man by himself and as though he were writing Epigrams would reserve his Sting for the last But what Ground is there for all this venemous Froth Even just as much as there was for the Author of Pax vobis to say that I am for introducing Paganism or for another to make me the Founder of Anti-Catholick and Anti Christian Doctrines whereas I profess to own no other than what have been received in this Church ever since the Reformation But some Mens Spleen and Gall must have a Vent lest it destroy them It is some satisfaction to me to think that none but such who either Oppose or Betray our Church set themselves thus to defame me and it is a great comfort to find such feeble Reasoning where so much Spite and Malice is discover'd Thus it is here with J. S. he could merit nothing without giving me hard words and because many look on the Beginning and End of a Book who mind nothing else in it therefore he hath here put together as the Consequence of my Doctrine no less than Heresie Fanaticism Enthusiasm and downright Atheism He thought he could not make my Case Equal with his own unless I were charged with Heresie and Principles leading to Atheism But he is charged by the most Zealous Catholicks and in respect to his avowed Principles but my charge here is by an enraged Adversary and for such a Doctrine which is owned by all Men of Understanding in both Churches and if I may name him among them even by J. S. himself My words are If it be said that the Churches Power will become explicit to any sober Enquirer then every such Person may without the Churches help find out all necessary Points of Faith. And where lies the Heresie the Enthusiasm the Atheism of this Doctrine which I have already shewed was asserted both by Fathers and School-men And J. S. himself grants that every Man is to judge for his own Salvation and of the best way to his Salvation and of all the Controversies between them and us and especially of the true Grounds of Faith and all this without the Churches help And if he can do all this I desire to know whether he cannot find out all Necessary Points of Faith Hath he indeed resolved all Controversies and yet wants some necessary Points
Dr. Stillingfleet's ANSWER TO J. S's Catholick Letters Imprimatur Liber cui Titulus A Discourse Concerning the Nature and Grounds of the Cerrainty of Faith c. Jan. 5. 1687. H. Maurice Rmo in Christo P. D. Wilhelmo Archiep. Cantuariensi a Sacris A DISCOURSE Concerning the Nature and Grounds OF THE CERTAINTY OF FAITH IN ANSWER To J. S. his Catholick Letters By EDW. STILLINGFLEET D. D. Dean of St. Pauls LONDON Printed for Henry Mortlock at the Phoenix in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCLXXXVIII THE CONTENTS THe Title of Catholick Letters Examin'd Page 1 How J. S. comes to be concerned in this Debate 3 His Doctrine denied to be Catholick by the Sorbon Doctors and others 5 His Self-Contradiction about it in seven Particulars 7 The State of the present Controversie about the Certainty of Faith 15 How it is altered by J. S. 25 Of the Certainty of Particular Points of Faith 27 The Grounds of the Certainty of Faith laid down by the General Consent of the School-Divines 31 J. S's main Argument against our Certainty of Faith Answer'd and Retorted 34 An Evident Proof of the Certainty of Faith without Infallibility 37 The Notion of a Rule of Faith Explained 38 The Sense of Tradition may be mistaken as well as Scripture 43 The Instances of it defended 44 The Second Argument about Fallible Certainty Answer'd 49 The Third about our Rule of Faith being common to all Heresies Answer'd 50 The Fourth about making our Private Judgment our Rule Answer'd 53 The Fifth about Judgment of Discretion Consider'd and Answer'd 54 How far the Scripture is a Rule to our People 55 What Certainty they have as to things necessary to Salvation 61 What Judgment of Discretion allowed by him 62 That it doth not serve only to find an Infallible Authority proved at large 64 His severe Conclusion of his Third Letter Answer'd 69 The Answer to the Argument summ'd up 71 The Sixth Argument about the Apostles not using a Written Rule in their Preaching Answer'd 73 The Seventh about Points necessary to Salvation Answer'd 74 The Similitude of the Purse defended 76 Scripture owned to be a Rule of Faith though not complete by the Divines of the Church of Rome 78 And that all Points simply necessary are therein contained 81 J. S. his Concession that all Points are not necessary to all Persons 83 Some Mens Vncertainty overthrows not the Certainty of Others 85 The Eighth Argument about the Certainty of the Letter of Scripture 86 J. S. overthrows it by allowing it to be corrected by the Sense of the Faithful 87 The Grounds of our Certainty laid down 89 Of Human and Divine Faith 91 The Last Argument about the Number of Canonical Books Answer'd 92 No Books of the New Testament lost 93 How the Canon was entire in the First Ages 95 Of the Vniversal Consent of all Christian Churches 97 The Demonstration for Oral Tradition laid down 100 The Instance of the Greek Church not Answer'd 101 The Argument it self consider'd 104 A clear and distinct Answer given to it and its notorious Fallacy laid open 105 How Errors might come into the Church 109 The late Instance of Molinos produced 109 110 Many other Causes of Errors besides Forgetfulness and Malice set down ibid. The Charge of Pelagianism defended against J. S. 113 Of the Council of Trents Proceeding on Tradition 115 The Proof that it did not referr'd to another Discourse 116 ERRATA PAge 16. line 9. for as Mr. G. read as Mr. S. p. 32. Marg. for 9.6 times r. q. for 19.9 r. 1 2. q. ibid. Marg. l. 9. for the 2 d. 13. r. A. 10. p. 62. l. 23. r. and how far and. p. 105. l. 15. blot out not before really l. 16. add not after are A DISCOURSE Concerning the NATURE GROUNDS OF THE CERTAINTY OF FAITH c. WHEN I published my Two Letters to Mr. G. I had good Reason to expect an Answer from him who began the Controversie But it seems he had better Reason to forbear and it is not hard to guess at it and I am turned over to one who pretends to write Catholick Letters against me I have a great and just Reverence for some Catholick Epistles and believe them written by an Infallible Spirit but for these Catholick Letters though their whole design be Infallibility yet I cannot find so much as a fair Probability in them But why must these be call'd Catholick Letters Are they written by some Catholick Bishop to give an Account of his Faith according to the Custom of the Antient Church Is it that the Doctrine contained in them is undoubtedly Catholick So far from it that I shall make it appear that no one Church of the Christian World ever own'd it But suppose it had been the Doctrine of the Roman Church how could this make them Catholick Letters unless so great a Logician had first proved that a Part may assume the Denomination of the whole But then why not Roman Catholick Letters according to the new Style There was a Reason for this J. S. hath not forgotten how hardly he had lately escaped Censure at Rome for the Principles contained in them and therefore though he hopes they may pass for Catholick here yet he durst not joyn Roman to Catholick in the Title of his Letters But how comes J. S. to be concerned in this Controversie with Mr. G. The Account he gives of it in the beginning of his First Letter is very pleasant He saith He accepted a Commission from Mr. G. to hold his Cards while he is not in Circumstances to play out his Game himself I will not examine Mr. G's Circumstances nor the Game he plays at but methinks this is no very decent way of expressing the undertaking a Debate about Matters of Faith and Salvation But in Truth he makes the business of Infallibility as he handles it to be a Matter of Sport and Diversion notwithstanding all his Grimaces and Tragical Expressions about it It is hard to be severe upon a Metaphor but suppose it be allowed yet I wonder of all Men he should pitch upon J. S. to hold his Cards for him who had plaid his own so ill and so much to the dissatisfaction of the leading Men of his own Church Yet he now appears as brisk and confident as if he were some New Gamester although he produces his old sullied Cards a little wiped over again and seems to have forgotten the Answer to his Sure Footing and the Accompt he still owes to the World for it I know not how far it agrees with the Laws of Ecclesiastical Chivalry for one who hath not defended himself to appear a Champion for another especially in the same Cause but there is no great Reason to apprehend he should do much for another who hath done next to nothing for himself The main Subject of the Debate is about the Nature and Grounds of the Certainty of Faith and the Method I think most natural and effectual to proceed in
And then my Answer lies in these things I. That the Scripture is a certain Rule of Faith as to all Points necessary to Salvation to all such as make use of it as such and do not through their own fault make a wrong Application thereof II. That the Scripture was not designed for a Certain Rule as to Vnnecessary Opinions and therefore Mens not arriving at a Certainty in them doth not hinder its being a Rule of Faith. III. That Scripture being our Rule of Faith we are bound to reject all pretended Articles of Faith which cannot with Certainty be proved from the Sense of Scripture And so the Proof of Certainty lies upon those who affirm such Articles of Faith and not upon us who deny them This Argument is Mr. S's Goliah and now it is no wonder if his lesser Men at Arms soon quit the Field But I must take some notice of them lest they be magnified by being slighted His next Argument is That I contradict myself I hope I have in the beginning made him unwilling to repeat such a Charge against me till he hath cleared himself But wherein is it In another place he saith I deny any Absolute Certainty as to Tradition attesting the Books of Scripture which in the Conference I asserted I have looked in the Place he refers to and there I find nothing like it I deny the Necessity of any Infallible Society of Men either to Attest or Explain the Scripture Where by an Infallible Society of Men I mean such as have a Divine Assistance to that purpose And what is this to the Absolute Certainty we have of the Books of Scripture by Vniversal Tradition But he urges it further If this Society be not Infallible then it is Fallible and if it be Fallible then we cannot be more than fallibly Certain and so we can have no absolute Certainty from a Fallible Testimony This is the whole force of what he saith To which I Answer I. I understand no such thing as Infallibility in Mankind but by immediate Divine Assistance I grant that the Holy Spirit may where he pleases preserve the Minds of Men from any possibility of mistake as to those things wherein it doth inlighten them but set aside this there is no such thing as Infallibility the utmost is a rational Certainty built on clear and convincing Motives Where the Motives are meerly probable there may be Opinion but no Certainty where the Evidence is thought so strong as to determine Assent there is a Certainty as to the Mind as when we commonly say we are certain of such things we mean no more than that we firmly believe them but when the Evidence is the highest which in point of Reason the thing is capable of then there is that which I call Absolute Certainty i. e. such as depends not meerly on the Assent of the Mind but the Evidence which justifies that Assent II If by being fallibly Certain he means any Suspicion that notwithstanding such Evidence in all its Circumstances I may be deceived then I utterly deny it for otherwise I could not be absolutely Certain but if he means only that there is no Divine Infallibility and I know no other then I own that there is still human Fallibility consistent with this Absolute Certainty But Mr. S. will have Absolute Certainty to be Infallible If nothing will satisfie him but Human i. e. fallible Infallibility much good may it do him but I much rather chuse proper Terms which I know the certain meaning of than improper though they make a far greater Noise I do own an Absolute Certainty in some Acts of the Mind by inward Perception as that I think I doubt and that I am I do own an Absolute Certainty as to common Objects of Sense and as to some Deductions of Reason I do own an Absolute Certainty as to some Matters of Fact by a Concurrence of Circumstances but for all that I do not account Human Nature Infallible nor this an Infallible Certainty unless it be taken in another Sense than Divines take it in For even the Divines of the Church of Rome as well as Ours make a difference between a Human and Acquisite Certainty and that which is Divine and Infallible And if Mr. S. by Divine means Human and by Infallible no more than Certain he must not think he hath gained any great matter when he hath made use of Words in an improper and unusual Sense III. His next Argument is That our Rule of Faith is common to all the Heresies in the World which pretend Scripture as well as we This is just the Old Sceptical Argument against Certainty if there be any such thing as Certainty you must assign such a Criterion which is not common to Truth and Falshood but if you cannot assign any such Mark of Truth which may not as well agree to what is False then there is no such thing as Certainty to be had In Matters of this nature the Proof must not lie in generals but we must come to particulars to shew the Grounds of our Certainty viz. as to the Trinity and Incarnation of Christ and then if we cannot shew why we believe those Points and reject the opposite Heresies as Arianism Sabellianism Eutychianism c. then we are to be blamed for want of Certainty in these Points but not before But this he saith is to make Light and Darkness very consistent and Christ and Belial very good Friends It seems then there is no difference to be found by the Rule of Scripture between the Doctrine of Christ and the Devil Is this in Truth your avowed Principle Do you in earnest believe the Scripture to be such a Chaos where there is no difference of Light and Darkness and that nothing but Confusion can be found in it And we cannot tell by it whether we are to Worship God or the Devil If Mr. S. grants that there is enough in Scripture to distinguish these two then it is a Rule so far as to put a difference between Light and Darkness between Christ and Belial and so these Expressions must be disowned as little less than Blasphemous for all his pitiful Defence of them in his Second Letter which is That he never said that Christ and Belial could be reconciled or advanced any Position that implied it But he said That to make Scripture our Rule is to make Light and Darkness consistent and Christ and Belial very good Friends And is not this Blasphemy against Scripture and implies that if we go by that Rule only they may be very good Friends How can this be unless he asserts that by Scripture alone we can find no certain difference between Light and Darkness between Christ and Belial Let Mr. S. Answer to this and not think to escape with such a poor Evasion If he owns the Scripture a Certain Rule as to the difference of Christ and Belial and Light and Darkness then we have gained thus
But however it be expressed or connected his meaning is That we only set up Scripture against the Church of Rome and then set up our own Authority over the People This is not possible if we do allow them a Judgment of Discretion and this is one of the things he so much charges upon me and saith He never read any Protestant that puts Matters more into private hands than I do and yet in the very next Page he saith I deny the People the same Priviledge against Pastoral Authority How can I deny them such a Priviledge if I put Matters into their hands above any other Protestant I do not know that I do in the least differ from the sixth Article of our Church nor do I take off from the due Authority of Bishops and Pastors of Churches But all our Dispute is about this Judgment of Discretion whether it be allowable to People and how far In his Third Letter he resumes this Argument and thither I follow him that I may lay things together into some Method The words he cavils at are If we have the Consent of all Christian Churches against the only pretended Infallible Judge we have their Consent likewise that every Man is to judge for his own Salvation What hurt is there in this It seems then nothing will content us now but Infallibility Was there ever such an awkard Man at Reasoning It follows indeed that either there must be an Infallible Judge or every Man must judge for himself Do I then allow no Authority to Church-Governors that do not pretend to Infallibility Yes very much while they do not pretend to Impose on our Faith by a pretence to Infallibility But what Occasion do I give for this when I say only That every Man must judge for his own Salvation and yet he had the Conscience to leave this out in repeating my Sense but two lines after May not you mistake or pervert to Day what you heard Yesterday when I find you mistaking or perverting my Sense but at two lines distance And then run on in a long Discourse as though you had taken the true Sense of my Words Is not this a fit Person to play out Mr. G 's Game who shuffles in so strange a manner and so openly plays false Cards Where did I ever dispute against Church-Authority in due proposing Matters of Faith provided that every Man is to judge for his own Salvation But I have he saith an aking Tooth at the Churches intermeddling in Matters of Faith. From whence doth this appear This must either arise from great Ignorance as to the Right of Judging every Man hath as to his own Salvation or from a Malicious Design to expose me to all Church-Governors but I pity his Ignorance and despise his Malice What pleasant Entertainment doth he make with the Sober Enquirer 'T is pity saith he but he had a blew Apron on and a Tub to Hold-forth in as a Sober Enquirer may possibly find some Pretenders to Infallibility have done in their Time. But what is the meaning of all this ado about a Sober Enquirer I had said many years ago That the Scriptures being owned as containing in them the whole Will of God so plainly revealed that no Sober Enquirer can miss of what is necessary for Salvation there can be no Necessity supposed of an Infallible Society of Men either to Attest or Explain these Writings among Christians any more than there was for some Ages before Christ of such a Body of Men among the Jews to Attest or Explain to them the Writings of Moses and the Prophets And where lies the Heresie or Danger of this Doctrine If I said that no Sober Enquirer can miss of things necessary to Salvation in Scripture it is no more than St. Chrysostom St. Augustin Aquinas and other School-men had said before me and Were they for blew Aprons and Tubs to Hold forth in Nay to shew how unskilful J. S. is in the Writers of his own Church if they do own him even Bellarmin himself grants as much as I say For being to Answer that Place Jam. 1.5 If any Man lack Wisdom let him ask it of God who giveth liberally c. he Answers This is to be understood of Sapientia necessaria ad Salutem so then a Sober Enquirer praying to God to give him Wisdom shall not want that which is Necessary to his Salvation And he quotes several Passages of St. Augustin to prove that Prayer obtains nothing Infallibly but that which is necessary or useful to the Salvation of him that prays If this be then obtained Infallibly then we see an Infallible Ground of Certainty as to what is Necessary or Useful to Salvation Bellarmin indeed saith that a Gift of Interpretation is not to be had by Prayer and Do I ever say it is Did I ever give the least Countenance to Enthusiastick Pretenders or to the Breakers of the Laws and Orders of our Established Church What means then these spiteful Insinuations Doth the Man hope to raise Himself by exposing Me Or to be caressed by F.P. and F. W. by the brave attempt of throwing Dirt so plainly in my Face Which will never stick being so unskilfully thrown either to my Prejudice or his Advantage But this Matter about the Peoples Judgment of Discretion must not be thus pass'd over For he resumes it at the End of his Third Letter and thought it a good relishing bit to conclude with And towards the very end he begins to state the Controversie this true Logician having forgotten it before or reserved it for a Disert at the last To come closer saith he and take a more distinct view of this Judgment of Discretion It was even time to come closer in the 99th p. of the Third Letter Alas for Mr. G. he is like to have a hopeful Game of it when his Substitute talks at this rate at the very end of the Game But let us see what feats he will do now he comes closer Now he will acquaint me how far he allows it and far and how in what he rejects it This is well but why no sooner He was at ' another Game before viz. two or three throws at the Sober Enquirer and having knock'd him down with his blew Apron and Tub he now comes to T. G's Cards again And let us see how well he plays them First He grants That every Man is to judge for his own Salvation i. e. he yields what the Sober Enquirer aimed at and now methinks he desires the blew Apron and Tub to Hold-forth himself Secondly He saith All Mankind are agreed in it It seems then the Fanaticks are true Catholicks in Mr. S's Opinion Thirdly He yields That every Man is to judge of the best way to Salvation and of all the Controversies between Them and Vs. Now the Tub is turn'd to a Chair and the Holder-forth become a Judge of Controversies Nay he goes so far as to
say the contrary Tenet is ridiculous as what 's most nay that it is sottishness to hold it and to deprive Mankind of this Priviledge of judging thus is to debar him of the Light and Vse of his Reason when it is most useful for him Is not all this very obliging But where now lies the difference Why truly if his Discretion leads him to the Infallible Rule of Tradition all is well but if not it is no longer Discretion What has he been Judge of all the Controversies between Us already and is he to seek for his Rule still What Discretion had he all that time to judge without a Rule What a Judge of Controversies have we found at last Methinks the Sober Enquirer far exceeds him in point of common Discretion for he never pretended to judge without a Rule much less all the Controversies between Us. But this discreet Judge of all Controversies first determins all the Points and when he hath done this he finds out his Rule Of all the Judges of Controversies that have been yet talked of commend me to this set up by J. S. For how is it possible for him to judge amiss who had no Rule to judge by You see saith he how we allow them the Vse of their Reason and Judgment of Discretion till it brings them to find a certain Authority and when they have once found that the same Judgment of Discretion which shewed them that Authority was Absolutely Certain obliges them to trust it when it tells them what is Christ's Faith without using their private Judgments any longer about the particular Points themselves thus ascertained to them but submitting to it To which I Answer I. The same reason which enabled Men to find out this Infallible Guide or Certain Authority will help them to judge concerning this Authority and the Matters proposed by it For either he hath a Rule to find out this Authority or he hath none if he hath a Rule it must be either Scripture or pure Natural Reason If Scripture that only affords Fallible Certainty he saith over and over and so a Man can never come certainly to this Authority And if the Foundation be uncertain what can the Rule do But Mr. S. doth not pretend Scripture but Reason for his Infallible Rule Then I demand whether Reason doth afford an Infallible Ground of Certainty as to this Certain Authority or not If it doth we are yet but Fallibly Certain if it doth not then what need this Certain Authority for in the Opinion of all Reasonable Men certain Reason is better than certain Authority And he cannot deny the Certainty of Reason who builds the Certainty of Authority upon it II. Suppose the particular Points proposed by this Certain Authority be repugnant to that Certainty of Reason by which I am required to believe it As suppose this Authority tells me I am no longer to rely upon my Reason but barely to submit although the Matter proposed be never so much against it What is to be done in this Case I am to believe this Certain Authority on the Account of Reason and that requires me to believe such things as overthrow the Certainty of Reason How is it possible for me to rely on this Certain Authority on the Certainty of Reason when that Authority tells me there is no Certainty in Reason III. Must I believe Reason to be Certain just so far and no further But who sets the bounds Hath God Almighty done it When and where I may and ought to use my Reason in searching after this Certain Authority and judge all Controversies in order to the finding it out all this is allowed but as soon as ever this Certain Authority is discover'd then Goodnight Reason I have now no more Use for you But who bid you be so ungrateful to that Certain Reason which conducted you so far It is very possible it may be as Useful still why then do you turn Reason off so unkindly after so good Service IV. Are all People capable of this Certain Reason or not It requires it seems a great deal of Logick to prove this Certain Authority or this Infallible Guide by Reason and I am one of those that think it can never be done Suppose then some of us duller People can never comprehend the force of this Reason which is to lead us to an Infallible Guide What is like to become of us Uncapable People Are we all to be damned for Dunces and Blockheads No not so neither This is really some Comfort For then it is to be hoped we may go to Heaven without finding out this Certain Authority and then we may have True Faith without it This is still better and better And then I pray what need have I to find out this Certain Authority at all if I may have True Faith and be Saved without it V. I have greater Certainty by Reason of the Certain Authority of Scripture than you can have of the Certain Authority of Tradition Here is Reason on both sides and Authority on both sides but I say there is no Comparison between either the Reason or the Authority The Reason to believe the Scripture is so incomparably beyond the Reason to believe Oral Tradition And the Authority of Scripture hath so much greater Force on the Consciences of Men that it is very extraordinary among those who own Scripture to be the Word of God to find them compared in Point of Authority For we must deal plainly in this Matter the Scripture we look on as the Rule of our Faith because it is the Word of God. If you do not own it to be so but resolve all into Tradition we know what you are but if you do own the Scripture to be of Divine Revelation how can you pretend to set up any Certain Authority in Comparison with it VI. If this Certain Authority be only to lead us into the Certain Sense of Scripture then it must be either into the Sense of plain Places or of difficult and obscure If of plain Places then it is to kindle a Torch to behold the Sun if of obscure Places then who hath appointed this Certain Authority to Explain them Who is to appoint such a Certain Authority in the Church to Explain his Word but God Himself And we desire to see some plain Places that set up this Authority to Explain those which are obscure and doubtful We think it our Duty to read and search the Scripture and especially the New Testament where we find very great Occasion for this Certain Authority to be mentioned We find Churches newly settled and many Disputes and Controversies started among them and those of great and dangerous Consequence we find the Apostles giving frequent Advice to these Churches with respect to these Differences and with great earnestness giving Caution against Seducers and warning them of the danger of them but not one Word can we find in all their Epistles tending this way or mentioning
and Rulers and that which is ruled and regulated by them that we must not expect that he should be tied down to Cardinal Bellarmin's Notions and therefore I must consider what he saith after above Twenty years hard labour about these things He tells me plainly I quite mistake the meaning of the word Rule For saith he it speaks Rectitude No doubt a Right Rule doth But still I mistake his meaning How so There must be a Rectitude in the Rule That is not it What then It must be evident Rectitude i. e. Evident to be Right Not so I hope we shall come at it at last It is such an Evident Rectitude as preserves those who regulate themselves by it from Obliquity or Deviation that is in our Case from Errour And is this the wonderful Mystery There wants but one Word to make it past dispute viz. who effectually regulate themselves by it For Regulating is an ambiguous Word and may be taken either 1. For what a Man takes and professes to be his Rule which he is to act by so a Ciceronian regulates himself by Cicero i. e. he declares his Manner of Speech to be the Rule he orders his Speech by And yet it is very possible that such a Man may use Phrases which are not Cicero's for want of sufficient Skill and Care. 2. For what he doth in Conformity to his Rule And so he doth Regulate himself by Cicero who doth not in the least swerve from his Manner of Speaking But Cicero is the Rule to both these And so the Question here comes to this Whether that can be said to be a true Intellectual Rule which Men through their own default and not through any defect in the Rule may deviate from If a Rule be in it self Certain and be certainly received for a Rule that is surely enough to make it a Rule to a Man but it is not necessary to the being of a Rule that a Man can never deviate from it by his own Fault For there is no Intellectual Rule can be assigned but it is possible for a free Agent to deviate from although he do at the same time profess it to be his Rule Do not all Christians agree the Commands of Christ to be an Infallible Rule of Life And J. S. by his admirable Logick will either prove this not to be a Rule or that it is impossible for Men to Sin. For saith he A Rule speaks Rectitude and that such an evident one as preserves those who regulate themselves by it from Obliquity or Deviation Yes saith he this is very plain those who Regulate themselves by Christ's Rule cannot Sin I grant it those who do effectually Regulate themselves by it but Others may profess this to be their Rule and the most Infallible Rule of Life and yet through their own Fault may deviate from it So here Persons may own the Scripture to be a most Certain Infallible Rule as to Truth and Falshood and they are sure while they effectually regulate themselves by it they can never Err but while they profess to do it they may So that all Mr. S's Subtilty vanishes into nothing by so plain and easie a Distinction Therefore I am still of the mind that a Rule of Faith is that whereby we are to judge what we are bound to believe as to Divine Revelations No saith J. S. I ought to have said It is that by which while we follow it we shall be absolutely secured from erring in Faith. This follows from the Rectitude of the Rule that while Men keep to it they cannot Err but it doth not follow from the Nature of the Rule that Men must necessarily follow it For is it possible for Men to misunderstand a Certain Rule or not i. e. such a Rule which if they truly follow they shall be secured from Erring If not then the Rule must be plain and evident to all Capacities to such a degree that they cannot fail in judging by it If it be possible then although the Rule be in it self Certain and Infallible yet it is possible for Men to Err through such a Mistake and while they think they follow the Rule they may run into Errour And it is strange to me that Mr. S. in all this time hath not discerned the Fallacy that hath misled him If it hath really misled him and not been set up by him on purpose to Confound and Confute Hereticks as he tells the Cardinals at Rome But one of that Number hath fully proved as I have shewed already that the Scripture was intended for a Rule of Faith to the People and then it follows from J. S. himself that while they Regulate themselves by it they can never Err. What Reason then can be given why such a Rule of Faith should be kept from them And the Purse be tied up with so many Mysterious Knots which are utterly inconsistent with the Notion of a Rule of Faith. II. They grant that there is a great difference in the Points contained in Scripture of which some are allowed to be simply necessary to Salvation as those which are required to Baptism and Bellarmin yields That all these Points are certainly contained in Scripture and were the things which the Apostles constantly preached to all People Who cannot be denied to have been capable of Understanding these things when they heard them preached and how could they lose the Capacity of Understanding them when they were written And if they might still Understand them then the Scripture hath no such Mysterious Knots but all Points necessary to Salvation may be understood by the People So that as to these Points of greatest Importance the Scripture must be left as a Legacy to all Christians and not only to the Guides of the Church But J. S. craves leave to Explain himself and it is great pity to deny it him Mistake me not saith he I do not mean Scriptures Letter is not clear in such Passages as concern Morality or the X Commandments nor in Matters of Fact as the Marks or Signs of the Messias foretold by the Prophets Methinks the Mysterious Knots should have been about Prophecies nor in Parables explained by himself and such like but in Dogmatical Points or Tenets which are Spiritual and oftentimes profound Mysteries as a Trinity Christ's Godhead the Real Presence of his Body in the Sacrament and such like and in such as these our Rule is not intelligible enough to keep the Followers of it from Erring I Answer Either the Apostles Preached these Points to all Persons as necessary to their Salvation or they did not If not how come they to be necessary to be believed now If they did then the People were capable of Understanding them when they heard them and therefore may as well understand them when they read them I do not mean the Manner as to the Trinity and Incarnation as to Transubstantiation I know nothing in Scripture about it either as to
suspect any Fraud or Design in the Alterations that appear in the Manuscript Copies And as to Translations that have been made among us the People who are not able to examin them by the Originals have no Reason to suspect them as to any Matter of Faith. Not meerly from the Skill and Integrity of the Persons and the Care that hath been taken but because it was so much the Concernment of some Men to have lessen'd the Credit of our Translations as much as was possible and they have not been able to produce any thing that might shake the Faith of a considering Man. If it be said after all This is but Human Faith and not Divine I answer IV. We must be careful to distinguish the Certainty of Human and Divine Faith in this Matter We do not pretend that we have an Absolute Divine Certainty of things that are only capable of Human Certainty and we do not say that we have only Human Certainty of things capable of Divine Certainty If the Question be put concerning the Objects of Divine Faith then we do answer That we have a Divine Certainty of them from those things which are the proper Evidence of Divine Revelation We believe the Doctrine of Christ with a Divine Faith because it was confirmed by Miracles and Prophecies We believe the New Testament to be written by the Holy Spirit because the Promise of the Spirit was fulfilled upon them and especially in a thing of so great Concernment to the whole Christian Church But if the Question be asked only concerning a Matter of Fact as whether the Books that bear such Names were written by the Persons whose Names they bear then I can have no greater Certainty than belongs to a Matter of Fact but then it is so circumstantiated that I have a greater and more absolute Certainty as to this then any other Matter of Fact which wants the Proofs that this hath And if as to Books and Copies and Translations we have as high a Certainty as the thing is capable of it is madness to expect and require more For where there is but a Human Testimony there cannot be the Certainty of Divine Faith which must not only have a Divine Object but must rest on a Divine Testimony but where the Testimony is Human the Certainty must be such as relates to the highest of that kind But still such a Faith may have Absolute Certainty of its kind and although in regard of its Testimony it be Human Faith yet in regard both of its Object its inward Cause and its Effects it may be truly called Divine IX The last Objection is concerning the Number of Canonical Books Pray satisfie us saith Mr. S. about this exact Number of Books and how many will just serve turn One would think by his Objections J. S. were preparing Matter for the Critical History of the New Testament he seems so concerned to lessen the Authority of it But I shall Answer the Objections he offers 1. There may have been Books lost that were written by Persons divinely inspir'd and we have no unanimous Consent of the Christian Church that there is none lost and those Books might contain Matters different from or to be superadded to the Canon we have now and without this we can have no Certainty that the Books we have now contained all the Divine Revelations I Answer I. If we have the unanimous Consent of the Christian Church that we have the Canon of the New Testament entire then we have their Consent that there is no Book written by Divine Inspiration lost And this appears by the Contest in the IV. Century about the just Number of the Canonical Books The Churches then differ'd about some Books not then Universally receiv'd as the Apocalypse in some and the Epistle to the Hebrews in others Which shews that the Churches were then so solicitous to preserve any Books that appear'd to be written by Persons Inspir'd that although these did then want Universal Consent yet they were still kept and read and dispers'd till upon further Examination they came to be Universally read It is not therefore in the least probable they should suffer any Apostolical Writings to be lost II. This is to charge the Christian Church with so gross a Neglect as overthrows the force of all his Arguments for Tradition For we must suppose an Apostolical Writing sent to some Church by Direction of the Holy Spirit and yet that Church be so notoriously careless as to lose a Book containing in it many Points of Faith now I appeal to any one of common Sense whether he could trust their Word for Matters of Faith who could be so negligent as to lose a great many Points of Faith at once And the more such a Book were dispersed the Argument is still stronger against Tradition Besides this shews the great Insufficiency of Oral Tradition if these Points of Faith are lost because such a Book was lost wherein they were contained If Tradition had been so effectual a Means of Conveying Matters of Faith it should have appear'd in such a Case viz. in preserving such Matters of Faith though the Books were lost But we find nothing like this so much as pretended Although it were much easier pretended than proved III. This is to suppose the Providence of God not to be immediately concerned in preserving Books written by Divine Inspiration Mr. S. doth really suppose that Books written by Divine Inspiration may have been lost or at least that we cannot prove that they are not But we think it a considerable Proof that they could not because the Divine Providence doth so immediately concern it self in preserving that which tends so much to the Good of his Church If a Hair doth not fall from our Heads nor a Sparrow fall on the Ground without the Providence of God as our Saviour affirms is it not very unreasonable to suppose that a Divine Book written for the Benefit of the Christian Church should be wholly lost Especially considering the extraordinary Care the first Christians took in Times of the greatest Persecutions to preserve the Scriptures and no force or violence could extort them out of their hands On Mr. S's Supposition it was no hard Matter for a Book of Scripture to be lost viz. if the several Books had been committed to the Custody of some Men in Trust for the whole Church but if we consider the things as they really were it will appear hardly possible For the Books were not kept up at first in a few hands but dispersed abroad in multitudes of Copies and received with mighty Veneration both on the Account of the Authors of them and the Matters contained in them They were read both in Publick and in Private they heard them in their Assemblies and they made them their constant Imployment at home they were their Rule of Life as well as of Faith. And how is it possible to suppose any Book so received so
esteemed so dispersed so constantly read could be suffer'd to be lost among Christians If it be Objected That they were not all so esteemed at first as appears by the Epistle to the Hebrews and therefore might more easily be lost I Answer That however they were not universally received at first yet they were by those Churches to whom they were written and among them they were not kept up but mightily dispersed so that there was no way to lose them from the first spreading of them abroad unless we can suppose such multitudes of Christians to conspire together to suppress a Book of so great Concernment to themselves As if Persons who claim an Estate by virtue of some Deeds should all agree to imbezel them or any material part of them Here was no pretence for Registers and Abridgments which some make use of to lessen the Authority of the Books of the Old Testament for here we have the very Authentick Writings of the Apostles and their own Epistles in their own style and Expressions And supposing the Churches to whom they were sent to have received them as their Writings and to have communicated them to others as they did I do not see under these Circumstances how a Book containing Divine Revelations could be lost II. He Objects That the Canon of Scripture was not entire but deficient for some hundreds of years till the whole Canon was collected and acknowledged and therefore so long the Church had no Perfect Rule of Faith. I Answer I. I distinguish between a Compleat Rule of Faith and a Compleat Canon of Scripture For if the Books owned and universally received contain in them all Matters of Faith then the Rule of Faith is Compleat although some particular Books may be still in Dispute As for Instance it is certain that in St. Jerom's Time the Church of Rome did not receive as Canonical the Epistle to the Hebrews Had not that Church therefore a Compleat Rule of Faith If God hath so abundantly provided for his Church that there may be a full Revelation of all Points of Faith in the rest then the disputing the Authority of such an Epistle doth not derogate from the Compleatness of the Rule of Faith. For if they have all Points of Faith they must have a Compleat Rule of Faith. II. It is no Prejudice to the true Canon of Scripture that some particular Books of the New Testament were for some time disputed by some particular Churches For if it were done without Ground it doth reflect more on those Churches than on those Books especially when those very Churches afterwards received them And this was the Case of the Church of Rome as to the Epistle to the Hebrews St. Jerom affirms That not only the Greek Churches all received it but that all the Ancient Writers did so and not meerly as an Ecclesiastical but as a Canonical Epistle Therefore this must be a late thing in the Church of Rome and in probability began upon the Novatian Controversie which Epistle was thought too much to favour the Novatian Doctrine and when that Controversie did abate that Epistle recovered its Authority in the Church of Rome But Mr. S. is angry with me for reflecting on the Church of Rome for not receiving the Epistle to the Hebrews in St. Jerom 's Time which he thinks was an Act of Prudence antecedent to the Judgment or Determination of any Church whether Greek or Latin. One may see by this how well versed he is in the Canon of Scripture when St. Jerom declares that not only all the Greek Writers received it but all the Ancient and that as Canonical Was here no antecedent Judgment of the Church in this Matter Doth not the Consent of all Ancient Writers even in St. Jerom's Time make a Judgment of the Church But he adds That what I make a heinous Crime in the Church of Rome was a commendable Caution in it That which I said was That it hence appear'd that the Church of Rome was far from being believed then to have the Authority of making the Canon of Scripture or being Infallible in Faith. And what saith J. S. in Answer to this Not one Syllable but runs it off to another thing But why do I not as well blame the Greek Churches for not receiving the Apocalypse They do not pretend to such Authority and Infallibility in this Matter as the Church of Rome doth I do not deny that there were some Greeks then to blame in rejecting the Apocalypse but Bellarmin saith they were but few and obscure Persons and he produces the Testimonies of Justin Martyr Irenaeus Theophilus Antiochenus Melito Sardensis Dionysius Alexandrinus Clemens Alexandrinus Origen and Athanasius all approving it And the Occasion of disputing it arose from the Millenary Opinion which some thought they could not confute as long as the Apocalypse had such Authority in the Church And such Disputes as these which wore off by degrees are no real Prejudice to the Canon of the New Testament which was at first generally received and although some few Books were contested for a time yet they recover'd their Authority and have ever since been received by the Universal Consent of all Christian Churches III. He Objects against this Universal Consent the Testimonies of Marcion Ebion Valentinus Cerinthus and Epiphanius his other Hereticks who rejected the Canon of the New Testament Could any Man but J. S. make such an Objection as this But he had a mind to bring me in as a Favourer of all Hereticks and as such another Man of Integrity hath done of all Anti-Catholick and Anti-Christian Doctrines But where have I given any Occasion for such spiteful Reflections All that I said was We have the Universal Consent of all Christian Churches for the Canon of the New Testament i. e. Of all since the time that the Epistle to the Hebrews was receiv'd in the Latin and the Apocalypse in the Greek Churches notwithstanding all the Divisions they have since fallen into yet they had no Difference as to the Canon of the New Testament And this I insisted on as the Ground of our Certainty viz. The Unanimous Consent of all the great Bodies of Christians that have continued under different Denominations to this day To this he gives no other Answer but that my Answer to the Fifth Question is co-incident with that to the Fourth I thought J. S. in the Self-evident way would have liked my Answer the better for it But he doth not comprehend the design of it I had said before That we relied on the Universal Testimony of the Christian Church upon that the Question was asked What I meant by the Christian Church My Answer was That it was that which was made up of all Christian Churches i. e. saith J. S. That all the Parts make the Whole and what Incongruity is there When Mr. G. said That the Christian Church may be taken in several Latitudes he desired to know in
Ground they went upon and so we are come to the Debate between Scripture and Tradition II. All Traditionary Christians believe the same to Day which they did Yesterday This is capable of a threefold meaning I. That they do actually believe the same to Day which they did Yesterday Which is a meer contingent thing and proves nothing Or II. That they are bound to believe to Day as they did Yesterday And that may be on several Accounts I. Because they see Evidence from the Word of God to Day as well as they did Yesterday II. Or because their Guides of the Church teach them the same to Day which they did Yesterday whom they believe to be Infallible III. Or meerly because they receive it by an Oral Tradition and not on the other Accounts and then it proves no more than that they are bound to do it and it is too well known that many fail to do what they are bound to Or III. That they do Infallibly believe the same to Day which they did Yesterday But then this ought to have been inserted in the Proposition That Traditionary Christians cannot fail to believe to Day what they did Yesterday If it be said That this is implyed in their being Traditionary Christians then I say the whole is a Fallacy of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for he supposes all true Christians to be Traditionary Christians and then that they Infallibly hold to Tradition as their Rule and from thence he proves Tradition to be Infallible But if the Body of Christians may go upon another Rule or if going upon Tradition they may misunderstand it then there is no inseparable connexion in the several Links of this Chain And there is a further Fallacy in supposing that if any change in Faith happens it must be as sudden and remarkable as if all Men should to day refuse to believe what they believed Yesterday Whereas the changes of Opinions are oft-times wrought by insensible Degrees and many concurrent Causes and sometimes the very same Words may be used and the Faith altered as in the Case of Merit Sacraments Sacrifice c. which sheweth Men may continue the very same Terms and yet believe quite a different thing And where Changes are gradual it is very unreasonable to pitch upon such a precise and narrow space of time as between to Day and Yesterday By the same Method one may demonstrate it to be impossible that any Language should be changed for People speak the same Language to Day which they did Yesterday and the same Yesterday which they did the Day before and so up to the very building of Babel and yet we all know that Languages are continually changed and to such a degree that in some Ages they cannot understand what was at that time intelligible by all In such cases it is enough to assign the general Causes and Reasons of Alterations without fixing a precise and determinate Time. And those I shall speak to afterwards III. And so up to the time of our Blessed Saviour To prove any thing from hence it must be shewed I. That there can be no Pretence to Tradition taken up without Ground for if there may it can by no means follow That if Men pretend to Tradition that Tradition must run up to the Time of Christ. But then they cease to be Traditionary Christians What then Not in pretence for they may call themselves so still but in reality they are not II. That if Men lay claim to a Rule they must always observe it We do not pretend to it as to the Scripture And what Reason is there for it as to Tradition But if Men may pretend to follow Tradition and do not then from their being Traditionary Christians it can by no means follow that this Tradition must be carried up to the Time of our Blessed Saviour II. The second Proposition is And if they follow this Rule they can never err in Faith. This is palpably self evident saith J. S. So say I too but it is only to be a meer Fallacy To follow this Rule is to believe the same to Day which they did Yesterday and so up to Christ or downwards If they did this from Christs time and so forwards they must continue to believe the same to the End of the World. If they really believe the same Doctrine which Christ taught no doubt they cannot err But the Question is Whether this be an Infallible Rule for us to Judge they could never mistake in this Rule nor follow any other For if either of these could happen the Demonstration is lost If it were possible for Errors to come in some other Way or for Persons to misapprehend the Doctrine delivered then it is not possible for us by this Way to be convinced they could not err The latter I have already spoken to I shall now shew that there were some other ways that Errors might come in And here I shall pass over the Common Infirmities of Human Nature which I think Oral Tradition can never Cure and which leave Men always lyable to Error but I shall name some more particular Ways of introducing them I. By the Authority of False Teachers And for this I shall not run back to the False Apostles and Seducers in the Apostles times and afterwards but I shall bring a present Instance in the Church of Rome and that is of Michael de Molinos a Person solemnly condemned at Rome Aug. 28. of this Year for 68 Propositions taken out of his Books and owned by himself as the Decree saith which are there said to be Heretical Erroneous Blasphemous Offensive Rash Seditious and contrary to Christian Discipline This Man is said to have had Thousands of Disciples in Italy in the very Heart of the Traditionary Church Now I desire J. S. to inform me If Tradition be Infallible and that be the Way followed in the Church of Rome how it was possible for such Multitudes to be deceived in Matters of such Consequence To say they were not deceived is to expose the Authority of the Guides of the Church of Rome to the greatest Contempt To say they were deceived is to own That notwithstanding Tradition a single Priest may gain such Authority as to deceive Thousands and where lies then the Infallibility of Tradition II. By Enthusiasm or a Pretence to Immediate Revelation For this I shall not produce the Old Instances in Ecclesiastical History as of Montanus Asclepiades Theodotus Manichaeus Arius AEtius c. who all pretended to Revelations for their particular Opinions But I shall keep to the late Instance of Molinos who asserts That the Perfection of a Christian State lies in a Simple Pure Infused and Perfect Contemplation above the Vse of Ratiocination or Discursive Prayer and that in order to this nothing is so necessary as Self-annihilation This Doctrine is now condemned at Rome but how came it into the Church Did not they believe the same to Day which they did Yesterday
that none are saved but Metaphysical Speculators that perch upon the specifick Nature of Things and dig into the Intrinsecal Grounds of Truth If this be his Opinion How few can be saved But if Salvation be the End the Means must be suitable to the Capacity of Mankind and I do not think the Intrinsecal Grounds of Truth are so But aftey all he saith that I stifle any further talk of the Certainty of Protestent Faith. How can that be when I own no Protestant Faith but what is contained in Scripture or may be deduced from it according to the Sixth Article of our Church I am not conscious to myself of any Art in the matter which he charges me with and he saith I avoid what cannot be performed What is that To make out that Protestants are absolutely certain that they now hold all the same Doctrine that was taught by Christ and his Apostles If all that Doctrine be contained in Scripture and they hold the Scripture by Grounds of Absolute Certainty then Protestants must be certain that they hold all the same Doctrine that was taught by Christ and his Apostles Afterwards Mr. S. starts something that comes nearer to the business which is that Certainty of Faith and Certainty of Scripture are two things For those who have as much Certainty of Scripture as we may have not only an Vncertain but a Wrong Faith and therefore I am concerned to shew not only that Protestants have Certainty of their Rule but of the Faith which they pretend to have from that Rule That which I am now upon is to settle the true State of the Controversie about the Certainty of Faith. In the Conference my first Answer was that We are absolutely Certain that we now hold all the same Doctrine that was taught by Christ and his Apostles And when the Question was asked By what Certain Rule do we hold it I answer'd By the Divine Revelation contained in the Writings of the New Testament So that the Certainty of Scripture was that which I was obliged to answer to Now comes J. S. and he finds fault with Mr. G's management because he asked Questions about the Certainty of the Rule whereas he ought to have gone another Way to work So that now Mr. G. is given up and a New Controversie is begun upon other Grounds and the Words which I used with Respect to the Rule are applied to particular Doctrines He saith The Certainty of Scripture was not the Point for which the Conference was How comes he to know better than Mr. G. unless he directed the Point and Mr. G. mistook and lost it in the Management But I am now bound to manifest that Protestants have Absolute Certainty not only of the Scripture as the Rule but of the Faith they have from that Rule or else to own that I cannot It seems Mr. G's good Nature betray'd him when he asked Questions about the Rule of Faith and so the main Point was lost Yet methinks it was not meer good Nature in Mr. G. For when we are asked about the Grounds and Certainty of our Faith how is it possible we should answer more pertinently than to assign the Rule of our Faith And we declare it to be the Scripture by which we judge what we are to believe and what not And therefore if any ask us of the Matter of our Faith we must answer It is whatever God hath revealed in the Scripture which is our Rule If they ask us How we come to know these Books to be written by such Persons we say It is by the Vniversal Tradition of the Christian Churches If they ask us Why we believe the Doctrine contained in those Books then our Answer is From the Divine Testimonies which make us certain that it came from God. And thus we answer both to that which is called the Material and Formal Object of Faith and if we are absolutely Certain of these we must be so of our Faith. If we ask a Jew about the Certainty of his Faith he saith he is Certain of it because all his Faith is contained in the Books of Moses and he is well assured they were written by Divine Inspiration If we ask a Mahometan of his Faith his Answer is That his Faith is contained in the Alcoran and by proving that he proves the Certainty of his Faith and if that be disproved the Certainty of it is overthrown Those who resolve their Faith into a Written Rule must go thither when Questions are asked them about the Certainty of their Faith. For if I believe every thing in it and nothing but what is in it there lies my Faith and the Certainty of it depends upon the Certainty of my Rule But I must shew the Certainty of the Faith of Protestants as it is pretended to be taken from the Rule Not certainly when the Question is asked about the entire Object of our Faith or when we are to shew how we hold all the same Doctrine that was taught by Christ and his Apostles for the word All makes it necessary for us to Assign our Rule wherein that All is contained If he ask us of the Certainty of any particular Point of our Faith then we are to make it out that this is contained in our Rule and our Certainty is according to the Evidence we are able to produce for it For the Case is not the same as to particular Points of Faith with that of the General Grounds of the Certainty of Faith. A Jew firmly believes all that is contained in the Books of Moses and with the highest Degree of Certainty but whether the Resurrection can be proved certainly from those Books is a particular Point and he may have Absolute Certainty of all contained in those Books though he may not have it as to such a Particular Point And when we come to Particular Points their Case is not only different from the General Rule of Faith but such Points are very different both among themselves and as to the Certainty of them For 1 There are some Points of Faith which were necessary to be Revealed because they were necessary to be Believed in order to our Salvation by Jesus Christ. For as Mr. S. saith Salvation is the thing of greatest Importance and therefore on Supposition that it is to be by Jesus Christ the Nature of the thing requires that we have a firm and established Faith in him And of these Points of Faith the Church hath given a Summary in the Creeds which were proposed to those who were to be Baptized and not only St. Augustin but Aquinas saith these were taken out of Scripture and the Certainty of them to us doth depend not upon the Authority of the Church proposing them but the Evidence of Scripture for them which is very much confirmed to us by the Concurrent Testimony of the Christian Church in all Ages from the Apostles times i. e. as to the main Articles for that there
was a great variety as to others is evident to any one who will compare the Ancient Creeds as I have lately shewed And these main Articles are those which Aquinas calls the prima Credibilia which are therefore revealed because necessary to be believed by all that hope for Salvation by Jesus Christ. II. There are other Points of Faith which are only necessary to be believed because they are so clearly revealed As that Cajaphas was High Priest when Christ suffer'd that there were two Malefactors who suffer'd with him that he was buried in Joseph of Arimathea's Sepulchre no Man who believes the Scripture can doubt of these things and yet we do not make these Points of Faith in themselves necessary because they have no immediate Reference to Salvation which might have been as effectually carried on if there had been another High Priest or Christ had lain in another Sepulchre But in these Points there is an absolute Certainty from the unquestionable Evidence of their being contained in Scripture III. There are doctrinal points not necessary to Salvation about which some may attain to a greater Degree of Certainty than others And the same Measure is not required of all Because Mens Capacities are not equal if they do use equal Diligence and all are not obliged to the same Degrees of Diligence that some are As to the Points necessary to Salvation God is not wanting by his Grace to make them known to Men of honest and sincere Minds And this is no peculiar Doctrine of mine as J. S. would insinuate but it hath been the constant Doctrine of their most Learned and Judicious School-Divines as is evident from what they speak of the Donum Intellectus and the Lumen Fidei which secure Men from Errour in what concerns their Salvation If he hath therefore such an Inveterate Spleen against this Doctrine let him attaque the greatest Divines of the Church of Rome who have in terms asserted the same which I have done And I would fain see J. S. demonstrating against Aquinas and all his followers That there is no such Security from Errour in Points necessary to Salvation where ever God bestows true Grace As to Points not necessary to Salvation I do not affirm there is any such Ground of Absolute Certainty as to particular Persons who are only concerned as to their own Salvation And that was the Reason of my Answer to the fourth Question The Universal Testimony of the Christian Church concerning the Book of Scripture and the Doctrine contained therein is a sufficient Ground to make us certain of all Matters necessary to our Salvation But of this more afterwards It is sufficient here to observe that even in the Church of Rome there are Points of Doctrine which are not de Fide and consequently the Certainty of Faith is not required to them And then it is most unreasonable to require the Absolute Certainty of Faith in those things which we deny to be Points of Faith. It is as if we should ask them what Absolute Certainty of Faith they have as to the Immaculate Conception and Assumption of the B. Virgin or the Popes Infallibility they would tell us these are no Points of Faith with them and therefore it is unreasonable to ask after the Absolute Certainty of Faith where there is no Faith pretended The same we say in the like Case It is very absurd to demand of us the Absolute Certainty of our Faith in such things wherein we never pretend to a Certainty of Faith but of common Sense and Reason proceeding according to the Rule of Scripture As if Men impose false and absurd Doctrines upon us as Transubstantiation c. we insist upon the Common Right of Mankind not to be required to believe Contradictions and the Right of Christians not to believe what hath neither Scripture nor Reason nor Tradition for it And these are the Grounds on which we reject the Additional Creed of Pius the Fourth We make them no Points of Faith at all and if others do make them so we desire to be excused because it is as certain to us they are not so as we can be of Negatives And farther than this we go not in such Points and if this be what he means by Protestant Faith he hath my Answer IV. The General Reason of the Certainty of Faith in Particular Persons is not from Conclusive Evidence as to the Points of Faith but from some higher Cause And this Mr. S. ought to know hath been the constant Doctrine of the Schools ever since Divinity hath been brought into them I except only one Franciscus de Marchia who required conclusive Evidence to the Certainty of Faith but he is disputed against by Gregorius Ariminensis and he saith His Doctrine was condemned by the Faculty of Paris and Gregory de Valentia speaks of him with great Contempt for holding so absurd a Doctrine The Certainty of Faith is declared by the Antient School-men to be above Opinion and below Science by which they understood the Intrinsic Grounds on which Truth is built which Mr. S. makes necessary to the Profession of it Hugo de Sancto Victore saith That the highest Certainty of Faith is owing to a Pious and pure Disposition of the Mind and an immediate Divine Influence Petrus Pictaviensis That it lies not in Evidence but Adherence Guliel Parisiensis proves Conclusive Evidence repugnant to Faith in a long Discourse Gul. Antissiodorensis thinks rational Evidence good to support and defend the Faith and to prepare men for it But that the Certainty of it lies not in Speculation but in an Adherence of the Mind to the Prime Verity Alex. Alensis saith likewise its Certainty doth not lie in Speculation but in inward Affection and Adherence there is he saith an inferiour sort of Acquisite Faith which relies on Reasons and Testimonies but this he saith is meerly Natural and Preparatory to Divine Faith. Bonaventure saith the Certainty of Adherence is beyond that of Speculation because a Martyr may have doubts and yet die for his Faith. Thomas Aquinas thinks those that go about to bring Demonstrations for Faith expose it to the Scorn and Reproach of Infidels and he resolves the inward Certainty of Faith into Divine Illumination when the Objection was put That Matters of Faith could not be resolved into first Principles Which Mr. S. hath so long and so vainly pretended to Henricus Gandavensis saith There is a Certainty of Adherence in the habit of Faith and that the Evidence of Credibility falls much short of that of Science and he makes Scripture the Rule whereby we are to judge of the Doctrine of the present Church and of all Ages succeeding the Apostles Scotus distinguisheth between Acquisite and Human Faith and Divine or Infused Faith but he denies any Infallibility to belong to the former Durandus denies Faith to be consistent with Conclusive Evidence and that the Motives of