then to declare all Catholicks ever owned what he teaches Since I have good reason to question whether our Author be of that number And that 1. Because all true Catholicks ever held the Doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation of our Blessed Saviour to be things which concern Faith and as such to be plainly contained in Scripture But our Author on the contrary saith these are not plainly contained in Scripture and then either according to St. Austin they should not concern Faith or our Author is none of those Catholicks that own what St. Austin teaches 2. The Church of Rome which whatever others think I question not but the Prover holds to be Catholick owns not what St. Austin teaches for she affirms there is a Word Unwritten as well as Written and that this Unwritten Word is as necessary as the Written Forasmuch as there are things relating to Faith and Manners in the Unwritten Word that are not contained in the Written But here our Author has prevented me for he will prove this also to be the sense of St. Austin and both consistent as thus All Catholicks own what St. Augustin teaches that all things which concern Faith and Manners are plainly contained in Scripture For as the same St. Augustin observes about true Baptism which he held absolutely necessary to Salvation that we have no proof in this case from Scripture Yet c. That is the Scripture contains all things necessary relating to Faith and Manners for we have no proof from Scripture for a point absolutely necessary to Salvation which is as if he should say England is a Country that abounds in all things necessary to Life for it wants Bread which is absolutely necessary to it This is in our Author's phrase Pag. 5. a special piece of Logic. I will for the honour of St. Austin and in charity to our Author suppose he turned not to the place in that Father when besides this impertinence he charges upon that Learned Writer he reads we have no proof for we have no example and speaks so darkly of the case it self I will direct him to it it 's Contr. Crescon l. 1. c. 32. let him read it at his leisure and compare it with Ch. 33. And in the mean time I shall furnish him with another saying of the same Father Whether concerning Christ or his Church or any other thing which belongs to Faith and Life I will not say If we who are not to be compared with him that said Though We but if an Angel from heaven shall teach besides what ye have received in the Prophetical or Evangelical Writings let him be accursed But the case in this first Question as it appears stated by the Addresser is Whether all things necessary to Salvation are immediately and expresly contain`d in Scripture or drawn thence by an evident Consequence Our Answerer proves they are so by the three following Texts his Proofs I will set in a due form that their force may lie open to all The first Text is taken out of Joh. 20. 31. where the Evangelist having premised v. 30. Many other signs also did Jesus in the sight of his Disciples which are not written in this Book says v. 31. These which he had set down are written that you may believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that believing you may have Life in his Name Now what Conclusion can be drawn from this Text to our present purpose but one in one of these two forms First thus The signs set down by St. John Ch 20. are sufficient to make us believe that Jesus is Christ the Son of God but precisely to believe that Jesus is Christ the Son of God is all that is necessary to have Life in his name or to Salvation therefore the 20th Chapter of St. John contains all things necessary to Salvation Or else thus in the Answerer's words All that is as sufficient in its kind to beget Faith in us as Faith is to save us contains all things necessary to Salvation But the 20th Chapter of St. John`s Gospel as it appears by ver 31. is as sufficient to beget Faith in us therefore that 20th Chapter contains all things necessary to Salvation A special piece of Logic However his Conclusion eases the Members of his Congregation from the Obligation of reading any part of Scripture besides the 20th Chapter of St. John 's Gospel Our Author from his love to Logic and his Skill in it undertakes to set the Answerer's Proofs in a due form But by his leave I shall put in a small Charge or two against it As The first Charge I have against what he calls a setting the Proofs in a due form is that his Conclusion is false in its form as his Syllogism has four Terms in it For saith he The signs set down by St. John 20. are sufficient to make us believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God but Precisely to believe that Jesus is Christ the Son of God is all that is necessary c. For precisely to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is to believe that and no more Whereas by that Phrase the Scripture implies the believing the whole Gospel So Joh. 11. 27. I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God. Acts 8. 37. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 1 John 5. 5. Who is he that overcometh the World but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God 2. He puts his Query too extravagantly Now what Conclusion can be drawn from this Text to our present purpose but one therefore the 20 th Chapter of St. John contains all things necessary This is a Conclusion of his own forming and before he can infer it must ask two or three things which he may be sure will never be granted him 1. He takes it for granted that by these in St. John are to be understood only the Signs set down in that Chapter Whereas 1. St. John in the former Verse speaking of the Signs done by Jesus saith they are not written in this Book but these are written Where Not in that Chapter for to say the truth on 't whatever our Author thinks St. John did not divide his Gospel into Chapters but in that Book And thus inded Bellarmin understands it But 2. The Apostle further enlarges this Phrase Chap. 21. 24 25. This is the Disciple which testifieth of these things and wrote these things And there are also many other things which Jesus did And so what is true of the Signs is also true of the other things wrote by that Evangelist 3. Tho St. John spoke this more especially of the things writ by himself yet the same is applicable to what was wrote by the rest of the Divine Writers And it might be said of what was written by them as well as of what was written by him These are written that ye might believe And this was the
into due Form is this If the same Apostle saith the Scriptures are able to make us wise unto Salvation that saith they are of Divine Inspiration then we are as certain of their Sufficiency as we are of their Authority but the same Apostle saith the Scriptures are able to make us wise to Salvation that saith they are of Divine Inspiration Therefore we are as certain of their Sufficiency as we are of their Authority This is the Argument and this I will abide by and if our Author had been a fair Disputant he would have shewed how either the Premises were false or the Conclusion not justly inferred from them and since the place in which his Cause was most concerned is ver 15. that the Scriptures are able to make us wise unto Salvation he should have directed his Answer to it but he found it too hard for him and so shuffles it off to the next verse All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable c. Whereas supposing that all Scripture there was after his wild way which I am not at present concerned to refute to be applied to each part of Scripture yet what is that to ver 15. where it's said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holy Scriptures the same which Timothy had known from a child are able to make wise unto Salvation But though for fear of being engaged further he durst not undertake it yet he insinuates in an inference of his own that it was the old Testament only that Timothy had read But 1. How doth it appear that he read not also the Books of the New that were then extant of which there were many For Bellarmin in his Answer to this only says When this Epistle was writ the Apocalypse was not then extant nor the Gospel of John and perhaps some other Book was wanting of the Body of the Scripture Thereby yielding the rest were then Written and Published 2. If the Old Testament was able to make them that then read it wise unto Salvation then surely both Old and New is as sufficient now as the Old alone was then Our Author may remember where this was urged upon him but he prudently pass'd over that Paragraph in silence I shall still therefore conclude that the Scripture is not only profitable but necessary and not only necessary but sufficient to answer that end for which it was revealed and written and that is that we might believe and be wise unto Salvation His third Proof is this Christ sent the young man who put that Question to him Master what shall I do to inherit eternal Life to the Commandments thou knowest the Commandments and again declared that Moses and the Prophets were sufficient to dispose a sinner to repent Behold another Logical Inference of great credit to the University this Answerer was brought up in By reading Moses and the Prophets I am moved to repent from my sins and if I will know what I must do to inherit eternal Life I must know the Commandments therefore all things necessary to salvation are contained in Scripture I may with Justice return to this man more than what he ungroundedly says to the Addresser p. 1. that he takes up with such a sort of Arguments which tho not useful to make any ef his Religion may very well make others of none If such use only could be made of Scripture it would be of no use at all to our Salvation no senseless Heresie hath appeared this 1600 years which was not backt by more seeming Proofs from Scripture than these Here our Author again prevaricates The words in the Answer are these From which Consideration that all things necessary are in Scripture it was that all doubts relating to Salvation were hereby to be resolved which could not be were not all things necessary to Salvation contained in it In which there are these Two plain Propositions 1. That all doubts relating to Salvation might and were to be resolved by Scripture 2. That they could not be resolved by Scripture unless all things necessary to Salvation were contained in it The first of these which is the chief thing to be proved the Answerer shewed from Luke 10. 25 26. and Mark 10. 17 19. Luke 16. 29. In the first of these places our Saviour upon the Question put to him Master What shall I do to inherit eternal life Replies What is written in the Law how readest thou And he answcring said Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. To which our Saviour replies v. 28. Thou hast answered right this do and thou shalt live What saith the Prover to this His Answer from Bays p. 7. might well be returned were it seemly in so serious an Argument as we are upon He is indeed silent and in his words elsewhere one may guess at the reason without casting a Figure The same Question is again put to our Saviour Mark 10. 17. and our Saviour answers v. 19. Thou knowest the commandments c. implying That in the Law of which the Decalogue was a part there was the way prescribed by which Eternal Life was to be obtained The Third place in the Answer is Luke 16. 29. where the Rich man in Hell intreating that Lazarus might be sent to his Five brethren lest they come into that place of torment he was answered They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them And when he supposed that was not sufficient but if one went from the dead they would repent Abraham answers again If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded c. In which there are these things First it 's supposed That if they did repent they would not come into that place of Torment 2. That if they hearkned to Moses and the Prophers they would repent 3. That whatever was necessary to their Repentance they might find and was contained in Moses and the Prophets What saith the Prover to this Why instead of an Answer he will be at his Logic and putting the Answerer's Proof in a due Form which he ushers in with great Triumph Behold another Logical Inference of great Credit to the Vuniversity this Answerer was brought up in Well what is this Logical Inference It 's this By reading Moses and the Prophets I am moved to repent of my sins and if I will know what I must do to inherit Eternal Life I must know the Commandments therefore all things necessary to Salvation are contained in Scripture If our Prover's Sincerity be no better than his Logic he is no more a Credit to his Religion than he is to his University if ever he was of one Here 's a defect in both but which prevails is not easie to determine I can relieve him by no other way but by supposing the Argument in the Answer gave him a Shock and his Brain was out of order before his Inference But without exposing his weakness further I
will set him right and leave him to his Cell for the rest The Answerer's Argument is this when set in due form If all questions and doubts relating to Salvation are to be resolved by Scripture then all things necessary to Salvation are contained in Scripture but all questions and doubts relating to Salvation are to be resolved by Scripture as appears from the Texts quoted above therefore c. I shall here return him my words again because in repeating he has perverted them He takes up with such a sort of Arguments which how useful soever they may prove I will recall it and say with him tho not useful to make some men of their Religion have a plainer tendency to not as he corrupts them may very well make others of none Q. 2. Whether all things necessary to Salvation are clearly contained in Scripture Ans From Scripture not a word However he condescends to deliver His sense and that of his Church on this Qnestion It is That all persons cannot immediately learn all the necessaries to Salvation by meer reading of Scripture that many other helps are necessary to wit attention consideration to be cleared from prejudices and prepossessions from pride love of the world interest obstinacy partiality sloth and besides all this the assistance of teaching Guides and a dependency from God for the Wisdom he hath promised such promises I find made to the Church but not any to particulars that shall refuse to be absolutely guided by the Church So that Scripture is plain in this sense only that by these means it may be apprehended Now by Guides he means not false ones such as Christ bid us beware of and consequently till a Protestant hath a reasonable conviction that his Church-Teachers tho' divided from the Catholic Church and condemned by General Councils tho' Abettors of a Religion of not 150 years settlement tho not in Communion with one Bishop in the whole World out of His Majesty's Dominions yet still are true Guides and till he be morally sure that he wants not himself any one of the ten other dispositions requir`d is to persuade himself that he may very well be one of those who wrest the Scripture to their perdition and consequently hath no good ground for any one Act of Faith. This will create but small comfort to any Protestant Less yet will he find in St. Cyril's Sentence The things that are easie are yet to Heretics hard to understand especially if all those be Heretics according to St. Augustin who when the Doctrine of Catholic Faith is declared to them chuse to oppose it and rather embrace what is their own sense if the Catholic Faith be according to the same Dr a Communion with the whole world so that according as his Scholar St. Prosper defines it a Christian when in Communion with this General Church is a Catholic when separated from her an Heretick I wonder how this man was so confident as to name that word Heretic which his Brethren are usually as much afraid to mention as a murtherer to come up to the murder'd Corps lest by its bleeding he be betray'd He saith that as to this second Question there is from Scripture not a word in the Answer And what needed it when the same Texts that were brought to prove the Scripture contains all things necessary do prove that it plainly contains them As for instance Joh. 20. 31. These are written that ye might believe and that believing ye might have life Where the end for which they were written which was that they might believe and the persons for whom they were written for all Christians sufficiently prove that they were for the manner so exprest as well as from the matter so evident that they might believe So again 2 Tim. 3. 15. The Scriptures are able to make thee wise unto Salvation If they were the Scriptures that Timothy knew from a child and were able to make him wise unto Salvation surely they were plain in those things So again Luk. 10 25. What is written in the Law How readest thou must needs imply the Law was plain to be read and understood So Luk. 16. 29. They have Moses and the Prophets But to what purpose if Moses and the Prophets were not to be understood by them But 2. What proof would he have of this Can he have any plainer proof than from the things contained therein Tolle lege will shew there is a God and God alone is to be worshipped That the Soul is immortal That there is a future state and that a state of rewards and punishments That man is fallen That Christ redeemed him That Christ is the Son of God. That he became man. That he was Crucified and died a Sacrifice for us That he rose from the dead ascended into Heaven is there our Mediator c. of which and the like we may say as Justin Martyr did to Trypho the Jew Attend to what I shall rehearse out of the holy Scriptures proofs which need not to be explained but only to be heard But he goes on However the Answerer delivers his sense on this Question It is That all persons cannot immediately learn all necessaries by meer reading of Scripture that many other helps are necessary to wit attention consideration And can he say any thing to the contrary Some things are so plain as that with the meer reading of them they are immediately understood Others require attention and consideration and yet be plain though not equally as plain as the former The Answerer further proceeded to shew the mind ought to be clear'd from prejudices And doth this detract any thing from the perspicuity of Scriptures For the Propositions may be plain but yet be obscure to him that is under prepossessions as was shewed at large in the Answer All which were there sum'd up thus If men come with an honest heart and use a competent diligence with a dependence upon God's assistance for the wisdom he hath promised I know nothing necessary to Salvation but what is plainly taught in Scripture and may be learn'd from it What hath the Prover to say to this Such promises of obtaining wisdom from God I find made to the Church but not to any particular that shall refuse to be absolutely guided by the Church But is not this promise made to particulars without any mention of the Church that he is to learn it from What thinks he of the place the Answerer had his eye upon Jam. 1. 5. If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God and it shall be given him What of Joh. 7. 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God Now it should have been according to our Author's projection If any man lack wisdom or would know whether the Doctrine be of God let him go to the infallible Church to the Vicar of Christ or a Council called by him or to the