there which makes reason à stranger to Gods truths and from hence gross errors concerning Religion take their rise and have their origen The objection above purely fallacious supposeth those different Pretenders to true Religion to be all of equal Authority and casteth mans weak and erring reason on too long and laborious à work True Religion is known with lesse Adoe then these Adversaries Imagin as we shal shew hereafter and solve the objection in its due place 4. I argue 2. from the assumed principle God exist's Therefore true Religion is and discourse thus There are and ever have been several Religions professed in the world and all are not false for if all were false God whose existence we now suppose would see himselfe not at all adored in spirit and truth but rather Universally scorned by an erroneous worship as if men had been created for this end to mock and abuse their Creator And this seem's contrary to the light of reason Now further All Religions are not false From false Religions one only true is proved ergo one onely is true because two or more which hold Contradictions can not be true and if one be true every rational creature is obliged to follow that when 't is clearly proposed and to worship his maker by à right way of Homage but this obligation must suppose the truth of Religion in being because no one can be obliged to embrace à foolery or to worship God by à meer nothing You will say one may be bound to follow an errour or an erroneous Conscience therefore the proof taken from this obligation evinces not the actual truth of Religion Answ When we are bound to follow an errour in à matter of chiese Concern the Contrary truth which all should assent to so really is that we may be unbeguiled and set right but if all Religions are false there is none true supposable and Consequently the Universal errour of all is à remedilesse evil If therefore God requires à true exhibition of worship from his Creatures He cannot permit all to err Universally and for this reason true Religion is in being You may reply God is independent of us all and need 's not our Homage or adoration Very true but man depend's upon God and by the instinct of nature is obliged to adore him in truth which instinct as we shall prove presently originally proceed's from the Author of nature and therefore God also obliges all to pay him the true tribute of praise and no Counterfeit worship Some Perhaps may object Religion seem's not Capable of à demonstration because that which is true de facto depend's on God's free Revelation the Credibility where of can be evidenced but not the truth I answer in the general assertion already made we abstract from the particular proofs relating to true Religion we treate with all who own à Deity and say these if God had not elevated man to supernatural beatitude or omitted to reveal the sublime mysteries of faith had in that State been obliged to adore theyr Creator with no false homage and thus much reason evinces although we cannot as the objection proves striciâ—ly demonstrate the truth of Christianity but only its Credibility whereof more and very amply hereafter In the mean while 5. Methinks I hear some who stand much for reason say that Atheists rational men oppose all Religion and why may not their Plea be heard in so weighty à matter Answ It s not my intention Atheism proved most unreasonable at present to combate too long with Atheists they are utterley overthrown by the learned Arguments of innumerable grave Authors I have other Adversaries to treat with However because their pretence is reason observe how they destroy not only Religion but reason also yea and extuinguish the very light of nature with it 6. The ground of Atheism is this prodigious accursed Principle There is no God no supreme Power no Numen no Providence for The accursed Principle of Atheism acknowledge à God and Providence reason evidently concludes He is to be adored in spirit and truth and this worship or Adoration we call Religion This Assertion then God is not is à prime truth or the first verity with Atheists wheron all their human actions depend by this supposed verity they are regulated during their mortal lise Contrariwise This Assertion God is an eternal Being by himself is à prime Loud falshood with them to be scorned by every one Hence I argue That first supposed verity God is not depraves the will extinguiseth the light of nature makes men execrable enormously wicked impious sacrilegious takes of all fear of future punishment and hope of reward For if there be no God or no supreme power to punish hainous offences the most hideous sins imaginable would cease to be pernicious and consequently every one might without check or torment of Conscience if it served his ends kill and destroy all he meets with No wrong no open injustice no Treason no rebellion can be invented so monstrous but may be done without reproof of Conscience if this Principle hath influence upon what we act God who can neither punish or reward is not in Being And thus you see how that first Atheism destroyes the light of reason Arch-truth of Atheists God is not horridly depraves and vitiates the will makes it savage and brutish which ex terminis is evidently fals for Truth considered as truth is à perfection of the understanding and cannot per se pervert nature or wrest the will in man to all wickednes On the other side you see that this Arch-falsity of Atheists God is an Eternal Being by its own force and light rectifies nature makes men upright just obedient submissive to lawes and goverment which is impossible for such à grand errour setled in mans intellectual faculty is by it self as wholly unmeet constantly to produce such laudable effects as Truth is to deceive or cold water to warm us You see 3. that unlesse villany and wickednes be deemed wisdom and virtue and justice be accounted of as madnesse Atheists must change the Propositions and say God is remains à supreme Truth God is not is à supreme errour and withall Conclude that the first intellectual Truth cannot make men wicked nor the first errour make them virtuous 7. Some perhaps will reply against our first inference Nature it self abhorres the impieties now mentioned and that 's the Atheists Rule although God were not in Being I answer Nature doth so Nature has her impressions from God without God no truth can be-known now because it receives those impressions from God the Author of Grace and nature but destroy this first Author Eo ipso you abolish those very first lights of nature and make it stupidly brutish The reason hereof à Priori is most convincing Nature is endowed with these first lights because it receives them from an indefectible and unerring intellectual Being for if this first
ignorant what euer Adoration followes vpon them is only à material Offence without the Formal sin as is now declared Wherefore I verily think you Sr vnderstand not your selfe too well when you first suppose the Ratio formalis of prayer or Adoration the same in the Catholick and Heathen And then tell vs we are not to enquire whether the Apprehension be true or false but what the nature of that act of Religion is which is consequent vpon such an apprehension 12. Sr in case of inuincible ignorance it little import's to inquire after the Truth or Falshood of the Apprehension for neither the one nor other because out of the reach of one erring inuincibly has influence into any act of Religion Aand therefore there can be no irreligious worship or formal sin grounded vpon such à iudgement if that Supposition stand All then which ought to be searched into though omitted by you is How or in what manner these misled iudgements tend vnto their Obiect If blameably because vincible they are sinful if inuincible and not in mans power to mend They cannot hurt any In all other cases except this one of inuincible ignorance you must enquire whether the Apprehension or iudgement be true or false Suppose then it be vincibly and culpably false it is apt to beget false worship And should be laid aside Suppose it true It only saies thus much Dead Augustus was à wise and gallant Commander Here is all that can be truely apprehended of him But this iudgement as it find's no What is to be inquired excellence in that dead Prince deseruing prayer or religious Veneration so it cannot incline the will to exhibit any religious duty to him 13. And here we come to enlighten you à little because you say You see not but that kind of worship which was giuen by the Heathens to their Daemons was as defensible vpon the same grounds as the Inuocation of Saints is now Can you Sr Speak in earnest What Now in this present state when mens iudgements are cleared of errour and inuincible ignorance can you find no difference The difference is most palpable For that Deity is not in being The Saint really is in Heauen The Heathen adores his Daemon misled by à false improbable Opinion and Therefore commit's Idolatry The Catholick worship's à Saint assured of the Truth by à iudgement most certain And therefore what He adores is worthy Adoration vnless you can Vnsaint those who are in Heauen or proue they deserue no Reuerence The diffrence between 〈…〉 e and fâ—â—se worship in hat happy State Finally the Heathens iudgement because vnâ—easonable and against the light of nature if it own 's à Deity in Caesar is culpably sinful and ought to be laid down The Catholicks Iudgement point blank contrary ought not to be put away Now Sir if you say All the Heathens worship of their Daemons or inferiour Gods arose from inuincible ignorance of their Excellence which is more then you can proue or probably maintain Here is yet the difference between them and Catholicks that These are neither formal nor material false worshipers The Heathens were at least materially so 14. What followes in Mr Stilling is not like his speculation any choise Matter but vulgar only refuted again and again As. 1. That the Rites of Canonizing Saints Answer to the Rites of the ancient Emperours Apothâ—osis 2. The Formal reason of Idolatry lay in offring vp those deuotions to that which was not God which only belong's to an Infinite Being Let the Expression passe Catholicks I am sure offer vp no such deuotions to Saints as they Adoration very different doe to God knowing well to distinguish by the internal Acts of their Will between the Supreme Excellence and all other power inferiour to That 3. Saith Mr Stilling it is not possible to conceiue any Act which doth more express our sence of an Infinite Excellence And the Profession of our subiection to it than Inuocation doth Pitiful He should haue said then such à particular Inuocation doth tending to an Infinit Maâ—esty For we inuoke and call vpon men now liuing to Assist vs with their Prayers And likewise Address our selues to the Saints in Heauen Yet no man can gather from such deuotions any thing like an acknowledgement of an Infinite Excellence in men now liuing or the Saints in Heauen But enough of these weightles Arguments to touch them is to refute them And thus much of this And the other former Digressions Now we are to à prosecute further Two necessary points CHAP. XVIII The Protestant after all his Glosses can not ascertain any of true Religion He would make Controuersies an endles work 1. YOu haue been ofen told aboue that Sectaries would fain make controuersies à long work I must now giue you the vltimate reason Thereof And withal proue it impossible to know in these mens Principles what is à Christian Truth and what not Their Glosses and impropable way of Arguing laies all which can be said in darknes and obscurity 2. To proceed clearly I suppose first that Christian Truths as reuealed or Contained in Christs Doctrin are infallible and Principles supposed stand firm vpon infallible Reuelation I may here also suppose 2. That either we Catholicks or our Protestant Aduersaries euen in such Tenets as we differ Belieue and profess Christian Truths For example Transubstantiation or no Transubstantiation is à Christian truth The Infallibility of the Roman Catholick Church or Her fallibility is à Christian Truth for they are Contradictories held by Christians Therefore the one or other must be owned true if maintained as Christian Doctrin I suppose 3. That neither part of these Contradictions Transubstantiation or no Transubstantiation in like manner we discourse of all other opposite Doctrins are held their own Self-euidence or manifestly true Ex terminis like the first Principles in nature If Therefore assented to as Christian Truths by the one contrary Party or the other They must be proued by sure Principles extrinsecal to the Doctrin which each Party embraceth 3. Now you shall see What work Sectaries make in these Disputable Matters And how nothing can be certainly known by Them or owned as à Christian verity I would say It An Assertion Proued Can neither be proued in their Principles That to deny Transubstantiation let this one instance serue for all is à Truth or that to hold Transubstantiation is an Errour Here is my reason When Principles whereon solid proofs should subsist are not Proofs must of necessity fail But in those Controuerted Matters Sectaries haue no Principles at all to Argue by Therefore proofs must fail The Minor is euidenced thus All imaginable Principles whereon Proofs can stand in this contest must either be infallible or at least morally certain Meer Probability want's strength to vphold à Christian Truth But the Sectary cannot proue by any either infallible or Moral certain Principle that his Tenet is à Christian Truth And
REASON AND RELIGION OR THE CERTAIN RVLE OF FAITH Where the Infallibility of the Roman Catholick Church is asserted against Atheists Heathens Iewes Turks and all Sectaries WITH A REFVTATION OF Mr STILLINGFLEETS Many gross Errours By E. W. Author of the Book called PROTESTANCY WITHOVT PRINCIPLES Poteram ..... Omnes Propositionum rivulos vno Ecclesiae sole siccare Hier. contra Lucifer c. vlt. fine PRINTED AT ANTWERP By MICHAEL CNOBBAERT in the Year 1672. Permissu Su 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE PREFACE TO THE READER REligion that choise Evangelical Pearle Matth 13. the best Inheritance and richest Treasure God hath bequeathed to Christians though found and strongly guarded meet 's yet with many who long since had their weak attempts preuailed would haue thrown it out of the world Atheist's deny à Deity the only fundation of Religion Iewes oppose Christ the great Master of Truth and Heretiques band against an euidenced vniversal Church that large field wherein this precious Iewel is found These Aduersaries we encounter and our design is both to vnbeguile and silence them In the first place we attaque those grosser Enemies Atheists Iewes Turks and Infidels This done we enter vpon the main matter and freindly treat with our Modern Sectaries by the force of plain and vndeniable Principles If these stand which none can shake Protestancy fall's to nothing I call this Treatise the Rule of Faith where you haue the Inducements which lead to the knowledge of true Religion clearly proposed and strongly Maintained against all Opposers whose cauils and Calumnies repugnant to truth will appear as they are vain and forceles after due ponderation of the Principles we rely on The prudent search after Religion is euer made and first begun with Reason or à rational discourse for I hold this Principle indubitable None can assent to the high reuealed Mysteries of Faith without preuious euidence had of their Credibility laid forth to reason Now because Atheists Arians and all Heretiques hold what they teach reasonable it is necessary to distinguish between false and true Reason as also rigidly to Examin what euer belongs to that whole Matter which is amply done in the 14 th 15 th and 16 th Chapters of the third Discourse where we prove that Religion is only Reasonable which Heaven it selfe declares reasonable by such visible sensible and illustrious Marks as haue gained Millions to believe in Christ and no other but God's Infinite Power and wisdom can produce Herevpon we lay forth the signal Marks of the Roman Catholick Church clear Cognisances of an Infinite Power and VVisdom Miracles most euident Conversions of Nations wrought by Her Succession of Pastors euer since the Apostles preached with à strict vnity of one Faith in all that Professed Her Doctrin VVe look next vpon this late risen Protestancy and find it naked vtterly strip't of all supernatural Motives No Miracles no Conuersions no vnity in Faith to countenance the Nouelty and therefore conclude that the Professors of it who seemingly stand for Reason and slight an euidenced Church are most vnreasonable and as dayly experience teaches meer Scepticks in Matters of Religion Clemens Rom. in Recog D. Petri. hereafter cited gives this wise Counsel to euery prudent seeker after Truth Before all things examin well by the light of rational Motiues whether one that pretend's to speak in the name of God and call's himselfe à Prophet sent to preach proues himselfe to be really so Thus much learned and the knowledge is easily gained because grounded vpon euidence belieue boldly all he teaches though his Doctrin be sublime and seem's difficult to weak reason The first conuerted Christians were thus induced by the Lustre of our Sauiours glorious Miracles and other Signal wonders to own him as he was à great Prophet or the true Messias sent from God and afterward belieued what euer Doctrin he taught vpon his own Infallible word Apply what is here said to the Roman Catholick Church you will find this great Truth made manifest in the following Discourses viz. That as no Prophet no Doctor ever came neer Christ our Lord in the wonders he wrought so no Society of men since thé world stood was or is Comparable in Miracles and other Cognizances of truth to the Roman Catholick Church She as I now said and no other Society shewes you à Continued Succession of Pastors of Princes and People since the first Plantation of the Gospel She and no other hath been always reverenced all Nations over and was neuer opposed by Orthodox Christians She giues you à large Catalogue of Innumerable Professors eminent in learning in wisdom and sanctity of life In Her the ancient Predictions of Prophets are literally fulfilled Her vniuersal extent far and neer is euident The Conuersions wrought by her Euident The Courage and Constancy of Martyrs who dyed for her Faith Euident Her ancient Possession of truth for Confessedly she was once Orthodox is vndeniable And this is the Church Gentle Reader our Sectaries would destroy This Oracle though signalized with so many Illustrious Marks and Indications proceeding from God inspite of Heaven they iniuriously Calumniate as Idolatrous and Heretical And Consequently make those Millions and Millions who both liuing and dying zealously sought to serve no other but the great God of Truth in this blessed Society Fools Madmen Idolaters and Heretiques I say Calumniate for all they haue done hitherto or can do for the future comes to no more but to à flat iniurious Calumny as is euidenced in the third Discourse C. 19. where you are told that whoever impeaches an ancient Church once acknowledged Orthodox of Idolatry and proves not his charge by clear and vndeniable Principles Calumniates must vniustly and sin 's damnably Protestants do so as is there largely proued and the truth is manifest in their own writings They tell vs the Roman Catholick Church though once right in Faith changed Her ancient Doctrin we iustly vrge them to prove the Assertion by some vnquestionable Principles more convincing or of greater weight and strength to perswade what they assert then the publick judgement of all sound Christians liuing at that time to perswade the Contrary And Mark à strange Proceeding the Calumny it selfe is returned vpon vs without either Proof or probable Principle to vphold it but their own bare and proofles word VVe are told again there was euer à Catholick Church without blemish at least in fundamentals for that Article of the Creed I believe the Holy Catholick Church was true in all Ages VVe seriously demand where or in what part of Christendom that Orthodox Church distinct from the Roman Catholick had its being at that time when the Roman fell from Christ and became Idolatrous There was such à Church which censured and condemned the supposed Roman Errours or not If not the world vpon those supposed errours was wholly Churchles Grant an Orthodox Church distinct from the Roman She certainly opposed those Imagined false Roman Doctrins which then began to infect
proue The Assertion 266 CHAP. V. A second Reason showing That if rhe Roman Catholick Church erred but in one Article of Faith thère is now no Fundamental Faith in the world VVere Errour in this Church it is à remediless Euil and cannot be amended by any least of all by Protestants 276 CHAP. VI. Other Euidences of the. Roman Churches Perseuerance in the Primitiue Faith without change or Alteration VVhether wickednes of life necessarily induceth Errour into the Church The Donatists and Protestants Argue and Err alike 285 CHAP. VII Manifest and most vndeniable Miracles peculiar to the Roman Catholick Church only proue Her Orthodox withall show that She still retain's the Primitiue Doctrin 296 CHAP. VIII Miracles euident in the Roman Catholick Church No less induce All now to belieue Her Doctrin Than Apostolical Miracles Anciently Perswaded to belieue that Primitiue Doctrin The Denial of Miracles Impossibilitat's The Conuersion of Iewes and Infidels 302 The Admirable cure wrought by Blessed S. Xauerius in the Famous Citty of Naples vpon à worthy Religious Person called F. Marcellus Mastrilli à Noble man by birth and by Profession of the Society of Iesus The Proof hinted at aboue reassumed 312 CHAP. IX A word to à few Obiections as also to Mr stillingfleets vnworthy Exceptions against that euident Miracle wrought at Zaragosa in Spain 321 CHAP. X. Other Marks and Signes peculiar to the Roman Cathollick Church proue her Orthodox And make Her Doctrin euidently credible These laid forth to Sense and Reason distinguish the true Church from all Erring Societies Inferences drawn from the Doctrin Here deliuered 333 CHAP. XI Christ and his Church made manifest to à Heathen No Prophet comparable to Christ no Church comparable to the Roman Catholick Our glorious Christ Iesus Exhibits à glorious Church Hee is proued the Only true Messias And the Roman Catholick Church His only true Sponse How the Heathen Discourses if rational And Prudent 349 CHAP. XII The Aduersaries of the Roman Catholick Church plead vnreasonably A Discouery of their fallacies The cause of all Errour concerning Religion The only means to remedy Errour 363 Arguments drawn from what is said Reflections made vpon the premised Doctrin 377 CHAP. XIII Other Inferences drawn from the precedent Doctrin Atheists and Hereticks Argue alike The Motiues of Credibility lead to à total Belief of what euer the true Church Proposes A word of Mr Thorndicks Mistakes concerning the Church 181 A VVord of Mr Thorndiks Mistakes discouered in His Book of Forbearance 387 CHAP. XIV VVhether there be à Church of one Denomination infallible not only in Matters miscalled Fundamental but in all and euery Doctrin She Proposes and Obliges Christians to belieue as Faith CHAP. XV. Diuine Faith in this present State of things necessarily requir's à Church infallible The Reason hereof The Church neither Defin's nor can Define by Humane Authority only Her Definitions more than morally certain are Infallible Sectaries Recourse to Moral certainly in Matters of Faith à most frigid Plea Their Fallacy is discouered Obiections Answered 408 Other Obiections proposed by Sectaries Solued More of Moral certainty 419 CHAP. XVI Principles premised to the following Doctrin The Roman Catholick Church is à Church of One Denomination She and no other Society of Christians is Infallible Othet Grounds of Her Infallibility laid forth The Infallibility of Councils maintained against Mr Stillingfleets Supposed Truth and Reason There are no Principles whereby Approued Councils can be proued fallible Sectaries Conuinced by their own Doctrin 423 CHAP. XVII More of this subiect A further Search made into Errours called intolerable VVhether the Roman Catholick Church must be supposed by Sectaries to haue already Committed intolerable Errours Or only whether She may for the future Err Intolerably The Doctrin of Protestants proued False And most inconsequent 443 CHAP. XVIII Two Aduersaries mainly Opposit to True Religion The last and most vrgent Proof of the Churches Infallibility taken from the Necessity the Notion and Nature of true Religion Mr Stillingfleets Obiections found weak and weightles Most of them already Proposed and Dissolued by others A short Reflection made vpon some few 452 CHAP. XIX Certain Principles where vpon the Churches Infallibility stand's firm The End of Diuine Reuelation is to teach all Infallibly Euery Doctrin reuealed by the fiast Verity is no less infallible then true It s one thing to teach Truth another to teach Diuine and Infallible Truth Sectaries Strangely vngrateful A word of Mr Stillingfleets weak Obiections 465 THE THIRD DISCOVRSSE OF The Resolution of Faith CHAP. I. Some chiefe Contents in this Discourse briefly declared Mr Stillingfleets weak attempts against the Churches infallibility and the Resolution of Faith The Catholick way of resoluing Faith the very same with that of the Primitiue Christians Of the mistakes which run through Mr Stillingfleets whole Discourse 477 CHAP. II. Mr Stillingfleets 5 th Chapter Part. 1. examined is found VVeightles The weaknes of his Arguments discouered His First and chiefest Argument retorted and solued 483 CHAP. III. More of this subiect Obiections Answered A word to Mr Stillingfleets forceless Instances Motiues of credibility euer Precede Faith VVhether the rational Euidence of the Truth of Christ's Doctrin can be à Motiue to belieue it 493 CHAP. IV. More of Mr Stillingfleets Errours Of that odd kind of Faith he seem's to maintain grounded on Moral Certainty VVhat Influence the Motiues of Credibility haue vpon Faith Other Parcels of his Doctrin Examined and refuted Obiections Solued 505 CHAP. V. More quarrels Answered Mr Stillingfleets endeauour to catch Catholicks in à Circle demonstrated both vain and improbable His Obiections are forceless A word to an vnlearned Cauil 516 CHAP. VI. Mr Stillingfleet solues not His Aduersaries Argument A word of his tedious Shuffing The Motiues of Credibility both distinguish the Church from all other Heterodox Communitier and proue Her Infallible The Agreement with the Primary Doctrin no Mark of the Church More Mistakes and Errours discouered Of Mr Stillingfleets double Faith who Belieues but not vpon Diuine the Testimony That the Books of Scripture contain Gods word in them Yet Belieues the Doctrin in those books to be Diuine 523 Whether vve Square Circles in our Resolution of Faith The other mentioned Points in the Tittle of the Chapter discussed Vpon vvhat ground those Articles called the fundamentals of Faith are belieued in the Opinion of Sectaries 534 CHAP. VII Necessary Principles premised to the Resolution of Faith God can Speak in à Language proper to Himselfe His external language is twofold VVhen God speaks not immediatly He must be heard by his Oracle VVhat the exact Resolution of Faith implyes 545 CHAP. VIII The main Difficulty in the Resolution of Faith Proposed VVhat Connexion the Motiues haue vvith the Diuine Reuelation Of their vveight and efficacy God's own Language not imitable by his Enemies Faith transcend's the certainty of all Motiues The main Difficulty solued Of our great Security in Belieuing God Though vve haue not
Iudaism or Turcism bee erroneous and improbable 1. WEE here exclude professed Atheists vowed enemies of all Religion And now treat with other Aduersaries but very briefly they are either Heathens Turks or Iewes list if you please with These all condemned Hereticks as Arians Pelagians Donatists and the like rabble of Aliens from truth who really deserue not the name of Christians Heathens now of no account 2. The Gentils or Heathens that adored many Gods as Mars Iupiter Apollo and therfore plain Idolaters because they make deceased men Gods are now of no account in the world Turks Iewes Christians and all other decry their vanity or to speak in S. Chrisostoms worts ipsius Christi virtute dissipati sunt They are wasted dissolued and brought to nothing by the virtue of Christ our Sauiours preaching Diuturnitate temporum perierunt Time has worn them out we need say no more 3. Turkcism which hath gained à great part of the world and à far greater then euer any particular Heresy gained is euidently no more but an open Tyranny The sword no word of God doth all Power and carnal pleasures which corrupted nature easily embraceth vphold this Religion More cruelty followes the Professors of it then Iustice fidelity or any moral virtue yet moral virtue grounded in nature euer accompanies true Religion Again and here is à Demonstration against Turkeism Mahomet who held himself à Prophet only and no God appeared some centuries after Christ yea and owned both A demonstration against Turkeism Christ and Moyses to haue been great Prophets sent from God Hence I argue If sent from God the Doctrin they deliuered was true Therfore Mahomets Alcoran is false which contradict's not only Christs Doctrin but that also of Moses and the Prophets The contradiction is euident by the Alcoran and the inference Ergo The Alcoran contradict's God himself speaking truth by these Prophets is as clear Therfore either God contradict's him self saying one thing by these Prophets and reuoking it by Mahomet which is impossible or Mahomet is à lyar Yet more Let Mahomet iudge as he pleaseth of Christ and the Prophets He and his are obliged to satisfy one Demand viz. What Doctrin that was wherby men were saued before his preaching And I speak of Doctrin not of Ceremonies or temporal positiue Lawes He will not say all from Adam to his dayes were damned for want of true Doctrin nor can he haue recours to the Multiplicity of Gods owned by Heathens these He reiects Therfore he must acknowledge true Doctrin taught before his being in the world but this Doctrin Moses Christ and the Prophets truely deliuered or there was none taught in the world This saued souls anciently therfore if belieued it saues them still once it was true therfore it is now and will be euer so But Mahomet opposeth him self to this true reuealed Doctrin therfore He opposeth God speaking by these Oracles Hence I argue Mahomets errour Very late opposite to ancient truth A Religion which began fifty ages after truth was taught in the world and expresly contradict's that taught truth is false Mahomets Religion is euidently such ergo it is false I say that contradict's the ancient true Doctrin to preuent an obiection which may arise out of ignorance For some may say Christ our Lord long after Moses and the Prophets deliuered Doctrin contrary to them therfore the Argument against Mahomet conuinceth not I answer It is one thing to reueal Truth à new not anciently belieued and an other to abrogate ancient receiued verities Christ besides cancelling the Ceremonial law deliuered more truths then were explicitly declared by the Prophets but neuer contradicted any Doctrin proceeding from God by the mouth of his Prophets as Mahomet did Hence S. Austin and other Fathers Affirm that Christs Church reuerences the Doctrin of Moses and the Prophets and that faith hath euer been the same from the beginning of the world 4. The Iewes who make their Religion most ancient are notwithstanding clearly conuinced of errour and here is my first The Iewes à dispersed People without essence or form of Religion Argument A People dispersed vp and down the world that haue had now for 16. ages neither Essence nor Form of true Religion nor the effects or fruits of it cannot profess true Religion and consequently are not the lawful heires of the Prophets ancient Faith But the Iewes are thus euidently dispersed and want the Essence the Form and effects of Religion Ergo. I proue the Minor A sacrifice essential to Religion which could not according to their law be offered but in Hierusalem only A Temple and Priests also euidently fail them for no Sacrifice no Priest Iudges Prophets and miracles cognisances also of true Religion which neuer failed in their greatest Captiuities now by the iust iudgement of God leaue them therfore the very Form and order of Religion wholy reuersed manifest this people once Populum iam non populum heretofore blessed now accursed for their obstinacy And if we speak of other effects or fruits of Religion their Thalmudick Fables their vnsatiable auarice their cheating and Cozening others their open Hypocricy for gain They exteriourly profess any Religion now Catholicks now Protestants now Arians or what you will These effects I say demonstrate à want of the very Soul of the life of virtue and Religion in them All which is manifest to our eyes and senses 5. To add force to this most weighty Argument S. Cyprian chiefly in his first book Aduers Iudaeos shewes all along how Their dereliction foretold in scripture they were fortold by the very law and ancient Prophets of their losing Religion and future dereliction after Christs comming viz. That Their first lawes and carnal circumcision were to cease and à new law with spiritual circumcision to succeed Isay 8. Mich. 4. That an other order and à new Testament should be giuen Ier. 31. That the old Pastors were to leaue of their teaching and new Doctors come in their place Ier. 3. and. 31. That no other but Christ himself was to be the true Temple and house of God 2. Reg. 7. That the old sacrifices of lambes and beasts should not be offered Isay 1. That the old Priesthood was 〈◊〉 and à new Priest and king raign for euer Ps 109. 1. Reg ◠That the greater People the Iewes should become the lesse and the Gentils far lesser become greater Gen. 15. Osee 2. That à Church once barren should haue more Children than the Synogogue euer had Isa 5. 4. vpon those words Iucundare sterilis Thus S. Cyprian through those seueral short chapters of his first book And we see all these prophesies literally fulfilled after the comming of our Sauiour and the establishment of the Christian Church Those hearts are stupid and eyes blind that perceiue not the Iewish synogogue vtterly abandoned Yet more If you will see this Christian verity amply laid forth read the 9. chapter of Daniel where the
The iudgement of Credibility not attained by examining the Mysteries of Faith he come to this setled iudgement All I read not euidently true ex terminis is yet indubitably so Now this iudgement is not first got by examining the particular verities which Scripture or the Church teaches No. There is à farr easier way whereby reason after à further discourse concludes that either God hath cheated the world by the Miracles the sanctity The blood shedding of Martyrs and all those conuersions wrought by the Church or we must grant That what the Church teaches is true And this general iudgement arising immediatly from à due Ponderation of the motiues of Faith which is Science disposeth an vnderstanding to belieue this great Truth God speaks his eternal verities by that Church be it yet where you will which Christ Iesus founded And in this sense we say à general Notion or knowledge of the Church manifested by supernatural signes is vsually necessary to the belief of euery particular Doctrin deliuered by it and consequently particular Doctrins can be no first mark or sign of this Oracle Thus much is here briefly hinted at to solue the obiection Hereafter the whole Analysis shall be most particularly discussed in its due place 4. A. 2. inference True Religion is first found by its marks The true Church is known before we can know the books of scripture and cognisances before the pure and incorrupt books of Scripture can be owned as Diuine We come therefore to à knowledge of these incorrupt books by the help of that Christian Society where true Religion is taught and cannot first know where true Religion is by the books of scripture only I say First know For without all doubt when incorrupt Scripture together with the sense is once admitted vpon the authority of Christs Church we argue and forceably as the Fathers anciently did against Sectaries by Scripture But all such arguments presuppose the Books proued Diuine and sacred The reason of the inference is These Books only contain à simple narration of our Christian verities which both Iewes and Gentils slight therefore though we cry neuer so loud Scripture is Diuine and written by the Holy Ghost we effect nothing with these Aliens from Christ vnless we first conuince the truth by proofs distinct from Scripture it self And as little is No disputing by Scripture only without the Canon and sense be agreed on done if Christians of à different belief dispute by Scripture when neither the Canon nor the sense is agreed on For example Marcion produceth his Bible The Arian his and his sense A third à Scripture without S. Iames Epistle or that to the Hebrewes Our Sectaries Crowd in with their book whilst others as learned reiect their Canon and much more that sense they force from it in à hundred passages What is to be done in this Confusion Must wee admit of Marcions Bible or submit to our Sectaries Canon and new sense also No certainly it Cannot be expected Perhaps they will say we are to dispute the question and rigidly examin who hath the true Canon and sense of Scripture They or wee This ends the difference Very good But say on I beseech you And first giue vs à sure Principle à doubtful one in so weighty à matter help 's little which may bear vp the controuersy and at last end it for vnless this principle be agreed on the result of our dispute will be nothing but à fruitles wrangling O the Fathers and Antiquity well pondered cannot but decide the debate I answer may we iudge by the effect the assertion is most vntrue The ancient Fathers peruerted by sectaries end not Controuersies For haue not we and Sectaries now read and pondered the Fathers and Antiquity for one whole age what can be alleged on both sides as well for the Canon as the sense hath been said and after all are we not still as much at variance as farr off from ending the controuersy as when we began it Say Now but vpon à solid Principle who is in fault The Sectary thinks wee vnderstand not the Fathers and we are sure he abuseth them with farr fetch 't glosses He saith their words are clear for his sence and we profess the Contrary Hitherto we come to nothing like à Principle The Controuersy therefore driuen on no further but to the sectaries bare Yea and our No hangs yet in the ayre wholly vndecided The reason is Though the Fathers words be neuer so plain for our Catholick verities yet after the Sectary hath laid his glosses vpon them they are most vnworthily made by him as doubtful and à matter of as great contest as the very sense of Scripture is which both of vs would haue cleared by the Fathers testimony That is There is as much adoe may Sectaries glosses haue place to vnderstand what à Father teaches concerning the sense of scripture as to vnderstand Scripture it self before we haue recourse to the Fathers To recurre therefore to their interpretation in Controuerted matters whilst Sectaries as much darken that by their glosses as they obscure the Scripture we dispute about is The matter in Dispute no meet Principle to end it euidently à most vnfit way to end any Controuersy vnless that which is the very matter of Dispute between vs can be supposed à meet and sufficient means to end it which is impossible Now if the sectary blames vs because we reiect that sense he drawes from either Scripture or the Fathers and he also reiect ours what haue we but wrangling Both parties hitherto only word it and stand chafing at one an other without Principles God therefore hath prouided vs à surer and easier way to end debates about Religion whereof more in the sequele Chapters CHAP. XI The Protestant takes away the only means to know true Religion by His proofs whether He defend's Protestancy or impugn's Catholick Doctrin are vnreducible to Principles and neuer goe beyond the weaknes of his own vnproued Assertion Meer glosses support all He saith which is euidenced by à brief handling one Controuersy touching the B. Sacrament Theodoret wrong'd by Sectaries cleared His Doctrin is most Catholick 1. NOte first If God as I said aboue once established true Religion among Christians He made it so discernable from all false sects that it may be found out by prudent reason Omni literaturâ notius saith Tertull. lib. 1. de Testimonio animae It s more known then any other learning For to say on the one side That an infinite wisdom hath planted true Religion in the world which shall not perish and on the other to assert it cannot be proued or found out is first to cast à blemish on Prouidence and next to free all from the obligation of embracing it because none can be obliged to embrace that which cannot be known by reason or rational arguments Note 2. The Doctrin of Christ which essentially constitutes true Religion stand's most firm vpon
Mysteries of Christian Religion which certainly cannot regulate Faith or determine Controuersies concerning Religion For à Rule is the measure whereby we iudge what is true and what is falâ—â— but no man iudges this by the Mysteries themselues Belieued because these proposed without further light are not only obscure but highly Transcend all natural discourse And therefore Reason would reiect them were it not curb'd and rectified by an other Superiour most certain and infallible Rule distinct from the Mysteries I further ground and more à Priori is That man who Iudges of Religion by the Mysteries belieued makes in real truth his own fancy or weak reason to regulate Faith and is sure to erre â—le shew you how Giue me one as yet not setled in any Faith that cast's his thoughts vpon all the different Religions now Professed in the world Iudaism Mahometism and Christianity He call's them all to the Tribunal of his Reason which is guided by the Mysteries of each Profession And is resolued to pitch on so What weak Reason would embraceâ— If left to it selfe much as seem's suitable to his Iudgement Reason certainly if it proceed Reasonably will only pick out of euery one such Mysteries as are Facile and no way torture an Vnderstanding Much may displease this Seeker after Truth in Iudaism yet perhaps not all The filth and Fooleries in Turcism like him not yet something he may approue Finally he fall's vpon Christianity and there find's those insuperable difficulties of à Trinity the Incarnation Original sin c. These suite not with his Reason and consequently are reiected Therefore if Christianity be true à false Religion cannot but haue more sway with him than the vndoubted reuealed Verities of Iesus Christ Thus much seem's clear Perhaps you will ask why I instance in an Vnbelieuer who is yet to chuse his Religion When I should show that Christians euen those we call Sectaries ought not to end Controuersies or to regulate their Faith by the apparent easines or difficulty of Mysteries within the bounds of Christianity whereof many are in dispute between them and Catholicks Answ I haue instanced thus on set purpose to lay open the great Errour of all Sectaries who leauing the These who yet belieue nothing and Sectaries are alike in their Choise Of Religion Conduct of Christ's Church run along with this supposed Vnbelieuer For as he after à consideration had of seueral Mysteries found in the Religions now named takes out of each what is easiest and best likes his Fancy or weak reason So Sectaries ptoceed Though they walk in à lesser compass and for the most part limit Themselues to something taught by men called Christians whether true or false imports not Within such bounds they take and leaue as freely what pleaseth as any Vnbelieuer doth and vsually throw off Mysteries most difficult to sense and Reason Thus the Arian reiect's à Trinity because it is à hard Mystery and not plainly expressed in Scripture The Pelagian denies Original sin vpon the same ground and Protestants thunder against Transubstantiation because the word is not in Holy Writ and the Mystery seem's repugnant to their Reason All therefore are alike as ill Self-chusers with in such à compass as any Vnbelieuer who makes à new Religion on his own head guided by no other Rule but fancy or what seem's to him reasonable The sole cause of this Self-chusing is the Sectaries falling off from the conduct of Christs vnerring Oracle The Church which tell 's them what God speak's This vnfortunately slighted They make him speak iust so much as they think fit or seem's good to their weak and fallible Reason 2. The next Principle Sectaries may lay hold on for à sufficient or at least à Subordinate and concurrent means to decide Controuersies and regulate Faith is the Authority of the ancient Fathers Though Catholiks highly honour these great Lights of the Church And no way decline the tryal yet they Protestants doe and must except against the Authority of Fathers think an easier Rule can be assigned for all and know well that Protestants doe and must except against this very Rule One exception is The labour is immense to peruse exactly the large volumes of Fathers the like is of Councils which can only be done by the more learned of different Religions Howeuer suppose the work performed by à learned Catholick and à learned Protestant and that both diligently read the Fathers The satisfaction giuen to the Generality of other Christians is very little or nothing who first must Hear what These two men report and next credit their dissenting Iudgements And can such iudgement think ye thus at variance as they haue been for à hundred years certainly regulate Diuine Faith in à Seeker after truth or end debates wheron Saluation depend's It is impossible Again These Fathers with Sectaries euen all of them put together are fallible and may teach False Doctrin Nay more They haue actually taught it say Protestants and grosly erred whilst they openly mantained à true Sacrifice vpon the Altar prayers for the dead Inuocation of Saints Translation of Saints Reliqâ—es and their worship Pilgrimages because the Fathers are fallible and teach Popery to Holy places Auricular Confession to à Priest vn written Tradition vowed Chastity the Hallowing of Altars of Churches of water bread oyle candles And the great virtue of the sign of the Holy Cross c. These say Protestants and innumerable others haue been the foule mistakes of Fathers and Therefore Mr whitaker plainly affirm's Popish Religion to be à Patched couerlet of the Fathers Errours sowed together And D. Humfrey highly blames Mr Iewell for his so bold Appeal to the Fathers saying herein he gaue the Papists too large à Scope was iniurious to himself And after à manner spoiled himself and the Church c. The words of these two Sectaries are cited as I relate them in the Protestants Apology Tract 1. Sect. 3. subd 14. Page with me 128. And neuer Aduersary could yet Tax that Author of à false Quotation who also through the Seueral passages of his book showes how Sectaries ascribe the now named and supposed errours to the Fathers It would be tedious to expose all his laborious Collections on this subiect to common view again Who euer desiers further Satisfaction need 's only to bring eyes to open the book and read his Marginal notes Thus much premised 3. I say The Fathers that are not only fallible but also supposed by Sectaries to haue actually wronged Truth can be no Appendant or subordinate much less any sufficient Rule of faith for them when these conceited Errours are so numerous Recourse to Fathers in Fundamentals most insignificant That all along they stick most Close to our Catholick Doctrin as is largely proued in the Protestants Apology Some perhaps will say we must haue recourse to such passages of Fathers as only treat of Fundamentals and so farr are vnexceptionably plain
impossibile 9. Hence Mr. Stillingfleets pretty Put off of Sauing Some and The Religion which saues Some can saue all not All is most inconsequent Doctrin For clear the Religion from all actual essential Errour it can as well Saue all as some And if it be tainted with any essential Errour The whole Religion is naught And can save none But of this more in the next Discourse Chap. 5. 6. where I shall proue that Catholick Religion is eithér intierly Good totally Orthodox or worth nothing And consequently if vpon à supposed impossibility There were but one essential errour in it which I through invincible ignorance know not yet Assent to That invincible ignorance would T is true excuse me from Sin But it cannot free the Religion from being false and forged in it self 10. What followes in the Objection of our narrow escaping damnation in Catholick Religion as men doe with infinet danger in Shipwrack is no more but Mr. Stillingfleets own improbable Assertion not worth refuting And His reason is far worse Protestants Our Adversaries improbable Assertion forsooth vndertake to make it euident There can be no danger if they obserue the Principles of Protestants To make it evident What à vast ouerlashing is this Sir make your Assertion only Morally certain Nay but so much as meanly probable And May I haue the honour to Answer yo will soon disclaim Euidence In the mean while I look vpon it as à meer Vanity worth nothing And so is all the rest in your next page 612. Where you bid vs iudge whether it be wisdom in such à point as saluation is to forsake à Church in which the ground of Saluation is firm to follow à Church in which it is but possible one may be saued but very probably he may doe worse All this is worse than your own improbable Hic glorious bragging Opinion You here Suppose without Proof that the ground of Saluation is firm in your Protestancy And therefore shamfully begg the question in euery word you speak Yet thus you go on 11. His Lordship still asserts the Protestants way to be only the Safe way to Saluation and that in the Church of Rome there is only à limited possibility of it Answ Enough is said already of the Possibility Here you begg the question again you run away with half à Principle And only tell vs what his Lordship Asserts What security haue I from his Assertion There is yet more of this stuff Protestants confesse there is Saluation possible to be attained in the Romam Church but they say with all that the errours of that Church are so many and some so great as weaken the foundation that it is very hard to goe that way to Heauen especially His begging the question to them that haue had the truth manifested Here is nothing but words We only hear what Protestants prooflesly Thinke and Say What am I wiser for that These false Suppositions This His false suppositions manifest begging the Question fall of Themselues without further refutation 12. Were it worth the while I might Ask whether these supposed errours so far weaken the foundation of Catholick Religion that Saluation cannot be had in it His Lordship Answers I grant saluation to Romanists But not as they are Romanists but as They are â—hristians And belieue their Creed c. Pitiful Speak plainly Will The Belief of Roman Catholick Religion damn them or no If it Damn's them The Belief of their Creed's cannot saue them Vnless you both damn and saue them at once Contrarywise if the Belief of the Creeds saues them Roman Religion cannot Damn them for now vpon the Supposition it destroies not that sauing Faith of the Creeds But stands well with it here And therefore cannot damn any hereafter What followes is yet worse if worse can be You Sr Say Page 613. His Lordship dares not deny à possibility of Saluation for the Roman Cathelick but he is far from Asserting it of those who either know the corruptions of that Church and yet continue in them or of such who wilfully neglect the means whereby they may be conuinced 13. Here is first à false Supposition for à Proof Of known Corruptions And à pure begging the question besides Here is 2. The half Principle of his Lordships bare saying laid hold on without more which inferr's no Conclusion But only thus much That my Lord spake and perhaps not what he thought Or if Hee did so wee Catholicks are not of so easy Faith as to belieue him Here is 3. A pretty piece of Non-sense in those words Nothing but Confusion in the Replies of Sectaries But he is far from Asserting it of those who know the Corruptions of that Church c. As if forsooth one truely Catholick could know and own any Corruptions in his Church And yet remain Catholick These two things are inconsistent To remain Catholick And to iudge this Church corrupted in any point of Doctrin Such men My Lord may list among his Protestant Belieuers In à word His Proposition is de Subiecto non supponente And so is also what crowd's in next Of Those who neglect the means afforded by Protestants sufficiently Proposed c. Here is again the false Supposition not proued wee neuer yet heard of any such means nor shall here after I am sure your Rational Account afford's none 14. You add presently à desperate word And t' is That his Lordship Speakes of such Catholicks whose meer ignorance excuseth when the Fundamentals are held c. Ergo you and your Lord damn all Sectaries send to Hall innumerable Learned men the learned of our Church That intierly belieued the Catholick Faith for à Thousand years and vpward You Damn our Bâ—des our Bernards our Dominicks our Brunoes not to be listed amongst the Ignorant You Damn more ouer all the learned Catholicks who haue liued since your Heresy began in Italy Germany Spain France and in other parts of the world Bethink your self well whether this can pass for either Catholick or Charitable Doctrin And neuer more raile at vs vpon the account That we Condemâ— you For for one we comdemn you damn Thousands Comparâ— the ignorant amongst you late beginners with the ignorant oâ— our Church Past and present The learned amongst you with thâ— learned of our Church confessedly Popish for à Thousand year and vpward There is no parallel in the number If then yoâ— damn many why may not we condemn the late risen fewer Multitudes among'st you wilfully diuorced from the Mother Church Again we damn not your Persons No. One Supreme Iudge Catholicks damn none but Condemn Heresy only is to Pronounce the final Sentence vpon vs all But we condemn your Heresy And say as You ought to speak of the Arians Pelagians Macedonian's c. and all such known Renegados That you haue no better Faith than these Look you to the Consequence 15. Your next Demand is When we grant Ã
to intail Church Liuings vpon Luthers Progeny open Rebels against the Church The world neuer heard of greater Iniustlce 22. Now lastly if we speak of different Sects and endles Diuisions in points of Doctrin Most vndoubtedly the Dissentions are greater the Sects more numerous amongst Protestants professing Christianity than among the very Iewes that profess Iudaism A iust iudgement of God A clear Mark of his Indignation set vpon both The Sin of the one for deserting Christ Diuisions more amongst sectaries then Iewes hath scattered that People vp and down the world And the Sin of Sectaries for their deserting an Ancient Church hath more scattered and diuided them into endles erroneous and most iarring opinions Vpon these grounds therefore That Protestants belieue not an Oracle signed with the Marks of our Lord Iesus Christ That they reiect à Church clearly Prophesied of in holy VVrit That they lie hid in vneuidenced Conuenticles And broach Doctrins slighted the whole world ouer That their open iniustice and robbery cryes to heauen for reuenge Practically I say They renounce Christ Church and all Christianity with it Thus much of the Churches Euidence against Sectaries we now proceed to à further consideration CHAP. XI Christ and his Church made manifest to à Heathen No Prophet comparable to Christ no Church comparable to the Roman Catholick Our glorious Christ Iesus Exhibits à glorious Church Hee is proued the Only true Messias And the Roman Catholick Church His only true Sponse How the Heathen Discourses if rational And Prudent CHrist and his Church are so easily laid forth to à Heathen That grant once the Existence of à Power Omnipotent and Infinitly wise in the Gouerment of this world the main work is done Reason if it contradict's not Euidence soon finds out the A Deity supposed what the Heathen would Learn is easily learned One and Other Now if as S. Cyprian Discourses it be à most hainous Offence Eum nescire velle quem ignorare non poterant not to know God whom all cannot But know In like manner say I it must needs imply à Supine negligence in our present State when Christianity is diffused all Nations ouer not to come to the true knowledge of Christ and his Church whilst neither can be concealed The Heathen then that Own 's à God and desires to serue him is supposed to demand of Christians How or in what way due Honour may be rendred to that infinit Being For Answer please to bear in mind these Principles rightly called three stronge Euidences 2. First True Religion whereby we yeild Honour and due Submission to God euer beares the Ensigns of it's Author And Three principles showes by certain Marks it proceeds from God No Iew nor Gentile no Heretick can deny the Principle deliuered in these general Terms though Disputes may arises concerning some particular Motiues 2. A greater Euidence of Credibility in Religion is à certain Matk of its Truth For whoeuer whether Heathen Iew or Christian own 's that matter of Fact of Moses preuailing against the Aegyptian Magicians Or of S. Peters Miracle set against that of Simon Magus See's well by the force of greater Euidence That the Prophet and Apostle maintained Truth against these Sorcerers A third Principle If there be not à Of the Greater rational Euidence for Gods Truth greater excess of rational Euidence or à stronger Conuiction in behalf of true Religion than fdr Sects vnorthodox or false God is frustrated of his End And can oblige none to embrace true Religion For this Obligation necessarily ceaseth if à Spurious Faith could match the Orthodox Religion Or Outuie it in those glorious Wonders which God euidences And hath manifestly appropriated to His own reuealed Truths only See more Hereof in the other Treatise Disc 1. C. 8. Thus much premised 3. VVe here Represent in the first place our Glorious Lord Jesus Christ the great Master and Author of Catholick Religion and Ask what credit the Heathen giues to that holy book we call Scripture or to one Part thereof which recount's the prodigious wonders wrought by our Sauiour Wil he own them vpon Humane faith for we urge him not yet to belieue infallibly as Authentick or as well deseruing Credit as Caesars Commentaries or any other receiued History If he grants we Infer These Miracles far aboue the Power of nature were Gods own works and manifestly testifyed that none since the world began whether Heathen Iew or Heretick euer paralleld Christ our Lord in the like VVonders Now if he wholly flights the Authority of that Book we proceed further vpon Euidence The Heathen conuinced by the manifest Signes of Gods power eÌ„nough and lay before him those manifest Effects which in â short time followed our Sauiours Preaching most apparent in the first Propagation of the Gospel and continual encrease of it Herein the Marks the Ensigns of à Diuine Power clear to sense speak openly without contradiction viz. That no ancient Prophet no Heathen no Iew no Heretick euer opposed sensuallity so strongly as Christ our Lotd did yet he gained Millions to submit to his law No Prophet no Heathen no Heretick preached more difficult Mysteries Yet as the World sees He hath drawn whole Kingdoms and Nations to belieue his Doctrin And if you go on or Ask by what Instrumâ—nts this admirable work was happily accomplished The Answer is ready Twelue poor Fishermen friendles vnlearned despicable in the eyes of worldlings were the chief Oracles These made the incredulous Belieueâ—s Strangers to Christ his own Domesticks Lofty Spirits Submiss to his law No Heathen can doubt of such known Effects signal Euidences of Gods power cooperating with Christ and the sirst Euangelical Preachers But because this Argument is most fully handled in the 4. and 5. Chapters of the first Discourse I petition the Reader to return thither And once more to peruse that Discourse which I hold vnanswerable and most conuincing for our present intent 4. To add yet more in behalf of our Glorious Redeemer and the verity of Catholick Religion for proue the one you proue the other I Propose à second Question to the Heathen and Ask Whether our Blessed Lord who called himself the long expected Messias and the true Son of God Spake Truth or contrarywise most impudently Assumed to himself that so An vnanswerable Dilemma high Prerogatiue Grant the first He was indeed the true Son of God and the wonders he wrought were Gods own works Therefore Christian Faith stands firm vpon Eternal Truth manifested by most glorious Signes Say 2. That Impostor like Hee falsly made himself the Son of God when he was no more but à Cheat. It followes first That either God positiuely intended to draw the world into gross Errour by his Perfidious Preaching which is horrid to think or we must grant that his Gracious Prouidence long before this day should by one euident Sign or other by some Notorious Mark of dishonour haue made manifest
Reason yeild so far or submit to these as eternal Verities when their last and only Proof is taken from à Book which we se euidently sensed different wayes and so interpreted that One in rigour may own the Quineced because the Mysteries are difficult Scriptures Diuinity as the Arians do and yet so farr fauour Reason as not to force vpon it the Belief of such sublime secrets which offer violence to our intellectual Faculties Thus the Arians discourse 10. Now here I iustly appeal to the common Iudgement of Mankind and Ask whether our God of truth who on the one side perfectly comprehend's the depth of his own reuealed Mysteries and on the other penetrat's no less our shallow capacities puzled as we se in the search of the most Obuious things in nature could make choise of men meerly fallible and diuorced from Diuine Assistance to interpret Scripture whilst all of them none excepted because errable may grosly mistake and change the purest Verities which were euer yet reuealed into Errours What think ye could God who from Eternity foresaw and yet sees his written Truths depraued abused yea Heresies drawn from his most sacred words Could this Al-seing wisdom I say put his own Sacred book into such Sacrilegious hanâ—s or like well that à few scattered and diuided Sectaries should be the only best Interpreters of it 11. I say yet more All the men in the world considered meerly as nature has fram'd them fallible would commit the Presumption in this matter easily Committed Sin of Presumption and wrong both God and his verities did they venture so far as to interpret Scripture by no other Rule or law but by their own weak Reason and there vpon resolutely define that God is one pure Essence and three real distinct Persons Original Sin is such an euil as the Orthodox Church teaches Children are to be Baptized c. To deduce thus much from the bare letter of Scripture and to define euery particular resolutely is aboue the force of all natural knowledge Those then who Interpret the Truths of the first Alseing Verity that inhabits light not seen by our natural eyes must be specially Priuiledged and either receiue Diuine Assistance necessary illumination from the Father of Light or thankfully take infallible Assistance from the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Truth which is both promised and readily giuen to the Catholick Church 12. Hence I deduce the Churches infallibility and Argue thus Either there is such à Society of men preserued by Prouidence infallible in all they Define and interpret or not If you Affirm The Roman Catholick Church alone has the Priuiledge for all others disclaim Infallibility If you Deny The A further Proof highest Mysteries of Christian Religion are things only sought for but not found talked of but neuer learned In à word Religion is à meer Scepticism the best that learn it seem iust like those Schollers the Apostle mentioneth 2. Tim 3. 6. Semper discentes c. Alwaies learning but neuer throughly instructed If I euidence not what is here said so manifestly That no Sectary shall rationally contradict it censure me at your pleasure 13. A few Questions will clear all And first I must Demand From whence has that we call Religion its truth All Answer from God the first vnerring Verity Very right But we Ask again Where is the Master teaching Oracle which plainly deliuer's these reuealed truths or clearly Proposes the Mysteries now named Sectaries vsually tell vs Their Oracle is holy Scripture Herevpon followes à third Querie more difficult than all the rest Viz. Who Ascertains you Arians you Donatists you Pelagians you Protestants you Quakers All fallible that you The Sectaries pretence to their reading Scripture examined rightly vnderstand what you read and grosly depraue not Gods Word for without controuersy innumerable called Christians do depraue it Protestants à perfect Representatiue of all the other shall Answer for all O say they VVe read Scripture attentiuely we pray for light we peruse the Originals we compare Passage with passage and after much pains taken we both belieue the highest Mysteries and moreouer perswade our Selues that the new Model of Protestancy is conformable or at least not Dissonant to Gods word Here you haue their last and very best Principle For they will not hear of an Infallible Church 14. Reflect Gentle Reader à little Do Protestants only read pray peruse and compare No Certainly The Arians long since haue done So yet boldly oppose Protestants and deny the highest Mysteries of our Christian Faith If then the Arians Praying perusing and comparing proue no conuiction to Protestants Arians also read and Oppose Protestants Why should the Protestants praying or perusing Conuince the Arians of Errour Again Haue not Catholicks think ye of à longer continuance and far more numerous than Sectaries prayed and perused Scripture None can doubt it And yet they hold the whole Model of pure Protestancy à Nouelty and openly declare it Heretical Therefore vnless Sectaries haue So do Catholicks à singular talent in praying and perusing aboue all other Christians Vnless they can produce better Proofs for the Mysteries of Faith against the Arians and stronger Arguments against Catholicks in behalf of Protestancy than the bare letter of Scripture Sectaries Pretence to reading Scripture And their own weak conferring Texts together or praying vpon them They do not only make Protestancy ridiculous but moreouer euery new whimsy defensible For was there euer yet Fanatique in the world that could not Say thus much He certainly both professes and teaches truth because he has à Bible read's that peruses it and prayes earnestly And will not any Aduersary retort the Argument vpon him and defend whateuer foolery he fancies contrary 15. Belieue it if this way of Arguing haue force the meanest Quaquer in England will make his cause good against the makes Protestancy ridiculous stoutest Protestant and the Protestant if he say I read I Ponder I pray proues his Religion euery whit as strongly against the Quaquer That is neither proues any thing Nay more the worst of Hereticks may vpon this ground maintain his Errours against the Orthodox Church be that yet where you will and could the Church only say She reads Scripture ponders it and prayes Her case would be the same with the worst of Hereticks But besides reading and praying There are other Proofs whereby One Church only is euinced God's Faithful Oracle 16. From what is now said I Argue first A Principle which makes false Religion true yea all Religions though most erroneous as credible as true Religion is more than intolerable The Sectaries Principle makes false Religions true But this Principle of Protestants we read Scripture we ponder and pray makes false Religions true and all Sects though most erroneous as credible as true Religion is Ergo it is more than intolerable The Minor as is now said proues it self For euery Heretick pretend's to
I said well His reading and glosses and all he can Allege for himself are nothing but His own weak thoughts as far remoued from the foundation of truth Gods infallible Verity as earth is from Heauen and more 23. But its needles to Prosecute this Point further when one only reason which none can contradict giues Euidence enough against Protestants I Propose it thus What euer Doctrin they teach peculiar to Protestancy or maintain against the Roman Catholick Church either proceed's from Gods infallible Assistance or wholly borrowes strength from their own Sectaries teach Doctrin diuorced from Diuine Assistance fallible Conceptions after their reading and comparing Scripture Grant the first They teach infallible Doctrin by virtue of Gods infallible Assistance and consequently are the men who constitute an Infallible Church Say secondly that all they teach deriues force from their own weak reason guided only by the external words of Scripture vnderstood as they conceiue They teach as the Arians and all Hereticks haue taught before them à learning which is not from God Their And therefore not from God Doctrin in à word Diuorced from all Diuine Aide and Assistance stand's tottering vpon their own errable Sentiments and therefore neither is which I intended to proue Christ's Doctrin nor at all resoluable into that first Principle of truth God's vnerring Verity 24. Shall we to giue some clearer Light to the Controuersy hitherto handled compendiously recapitulate à few of these many reflections made already in the foregoing Chapters And then more establish the Churches infallibility vpon vndoubted Principles To do so may perhaps benefit the Reader 25. Say therefore Is it true that Christian Religion vltimately A briefe recapitulation of what has been Said depend's vpon God the first vnerring Verity No man doubts it Is it true that innumerable called Christians grosly misconceiue those reuealed Truths after their reading and perusing Scripture It is no less certain Is it true That the bare reading and pondering Scripture Sectaries like Arians no more ascertain's Protestants of the Verities there registred than the Arians or any other Hereticks The truth is vndoubted For from whom should they haue greater certainty Is it true That Funaticism Scripture wrested Doubtful faith euâ—ry Fanatique recurr's to Scripture as Sectaries do Experience proues it Is it true That this sole recourse to Scripture wrâ—sted to a sinister Sense vpohld's the most false Sects in the world Is it true That Christian Doctrin doubtfully taught beget's only à doubtful faith Is it true That the only support of Protestants in points of Religion Comparing Texts fallible Scepticism amount's to no more but to their own doubtful and bare pondering Scripture or to their various and fallible comparing Texts together Is it true That these men like Scepticks would stand euerlastingly quarrelling about the sense of Gods word and cannot be iuduced to hear any Iudge No Iudge speak in this cause of Religion but themselues Is it true That we urge them to make choise of what Iudge they please prouided they appeal not to their own Sentiments and Glosses as much controuerted as Protestancy is Is it true That they can name no Orthodox Church which No Orthodox Church Nor Councils Want of Infallible Assistance Fallible Professors of fallible Doctrin Diuine Reuelation wronged Doctrin neuer owned taught as they teach glossed Scripture as they gloss No Council generally receiued Comparable either to the Lateran or Florentine which fauours their Interpretations forced vpon Christs words Is it true That the Doctrin they propound confessedly proceed's not from Gods infallible Assistance Is it true That they assume to themselues the name of Christians and yet are ashamed to be called infallible Professors of the whole systâ—me of Christian Religion Is it true That they haue done their vtmost to take from God's infallible Reuelation it s own intrinsick nature of Infallibility by making it no more but morally certain in order to our Christian Faith Is it true That that half Infallibility some lay claim to in à few yet vnknown fundamentals appear's euen to Protestants not any Doctrin owned by the Christian world nor can it appear otherwise whilst à whole vniuersal Church decryes it as improbable Is it true That These Nouellists raise not their Doctrin Endles Disputes any higher but only to an endles Contest whilst no Iudge but themselues must speak in the cause 26. Are all these things I say more amply enlarged and clearly proued already so vndoubted that no Sectary shall euer rationally contradict them If the Iudicious Reader find I speak truth as he will may Preiudice be laid aside I may boldly Conclude Who euer see 's not the deplorable Condition of misled Sectaries who euer see 's not also an absolute necessity of an infallible Church to set them in the right way of truth Again is wilfully blind supinely negligent Yea vtterly Careless of Saluation CHAP. XIX Certain Principles where vpon the Churches Infallibility stand's firm The End of Diuine Reuelation is to teach all Infallibly Euery Doctrin reuealed by the fiast Verity is no less infallâ—ble then true It s one thing to teach Truth another to teach Diuine and Infallible Truth Sectaries Strangly vngrateful A word of Mr Stillingfleets weak Obiections 1. NOw wee come to the last certain Principles whervpon the Churches infallibilitâ— stand's most firmly Here is one The Doctrin which God reueal's as it proceed's from that first vnerring Verity is not only true but infallible The Second Principle Scripture which makes none infallible is often abused by Hereticks Principles premised The third Principle Some Christians are yet in Being That both teach and learn this true Diuine and infallible reuealed Doctrin The Proof is easy For vnless some Teach and learn it All Teach and learn another Doctrin distinct from that which God reuealed The Principle Proued and this neither is nor can be Diuine but meerly humane at most and Perhaps à foolery That therefore which the Prophet Asserts Iohn 6. 43. All shall be Docibiles Dei docible or taught of God is not so For now if the Supposirion hold's the whole Church take it in what Extent you please is deludeâ— as the Apostle Saith Ephes. 4. 14 With the wind of Doctrin in the wickednes of men in Craftines to the circumuention of errour And this brings ruin to Christian Religion 2. The. 4. Principle This Diuine Doctrin is not only A Church must be acknowledged absolutely infallible true and infallible in it self but moreouer so infallibly Proposed by one vnerring Oracle That all who will receiue it are most indubitably certain of those very truths which God has reuealed and therefore cannot err Make good this one Proposition We haue an infallible Church established not only in à few nicknam'd vnknown fundamentals but in euery Doctrin She teaches Now the Proof is taken from the End of Diuine reuelation which seem's most Conuincing For say I
All skilful and well spirited Protestants might without any Tradition know it to be God's word This double resolution Supposed 12. Yet more Our Aduersaries maintain à twofold Resolution of Faith First into the Books of Scripture and these Books fallible Tradition without any Diuine light seen as yet Conueyes to vs For Tradition as they say is not Diuine 2. â—to the internal light of the Doctrin contained in the Books And into this light of Doctrin they Resolue their Faith not â—to Tradition 13. Now here you shall haue an vnanswerable Dilemma The Tradition which only Conueyes the Books as Contradistinct from the internal Doctrin makes that very Diuine Doctrin to sparkle we Argue against Sectaries more than it would sparkle without Tradition Or not If â—ot The light the Splendor the internal Lustre of that Doctrin Considered as Doctrin is and must be independent of Tradition and Shine as I now said by it Selfe as à Diamond doth though the Books were found in the Streets Contrarywise if the Tradition of the Books Augments in the least or makes the internal Doctrin there contained to appear more Diuine than it would appear without Tradition That very Tradition must be à ioint Motiue wherevpon we belieue the Diuinity of Scripture I proue it demonstratiuely That â—hich laies before the intellectual Eye of à Belieuer the Lustre light and Sparkling of the internal Doctrin contained in Scripture is the true cause or à Partial Motiue at least The force of the Argument why He belieues that Doctrin Tradition doth this Ergo it is à Partial Motiue why he belieues the Doctrin Or if it â—ail's not at all to discouer that Lustre of the Doctrin the pretious Diamond of Scripture may be well discouered and known without Tradition I would willingly hear what our Adâ—ersaries can reply to this very plain and as I think no triuial Obiection without reminding vs of their killing flies 14. To Say more in this place is needles hauing proued in the other Treatise that the Maiesty and sparkling of Scripture what the true Maiesty of Scripture is lies not in the exteriour Syntax or in any outward Connexion of words common to other pious Books But Contrarywise in the Special Assistance wherewith God directed the Hagiographers to write as also in his own Diuine Volition which Seal'd and approued all that 's Writ as Verities issuing from no other fountain but from Truth it selfe Herein consist's the Dignity worth and Maiesty of Holy Scripture 15. Now because that Diuine Assistance and God's internal Volition whereby Scripture is approued as most sacred are no Obiects of sense It necessarily followes that none can discouer The true Excellence not discouerable by our exteriour Sonses the true Excellence of that Holy Book by any Inspection though most diligently made into the Syntax or outward words of it only Hence I said Had. S. Iohn not at all recorded that truth in his Gospel The word is made flesh buâ— some other without Diuine Assistance had left the Verity written in Velume The words and Truth also would haue been the very same now and then yet very different in their value if Considered as Proceeding from the Spirit of truth in the one case and from no Diuine Assistance in the other 16. By this its plain that the Maiesty of Scripture lies not in any expression of outward words Howeuer admit gratis it did doth that Majesty think yee help any to vnderstand its Though the Maâ—esty of Scripture lay in the words true Sense in Matters controuerted Euidently no. For manifest experience teaches that whole Multitudes of dissenting Christians both read and Reuerence the same bare letter Yea and haue the same Majesty of words laid open to their view yet so notoriously oppose one another and in Points most fundamental concerning the genuin Sense thereof that plain contradictions That would not auail to vnderstand the Sense are forced out of this sacred Book after their Reading But enough of this is said aboue And much more you haue of Mr Stillingfleets strange way of Resoiuing the Protestants faith in the other Treatise Discourse 1. C. 9. Where you may see that Protestancy is neuer medled with nor brought to any better Resolution by him than Arianism or à worser Heresy Yet I Say he took the right Course for in real Truth Protestants haue no Faith to resolue which truth will better appear in the following Chapter where we examin whether true Religion Can be found out by Reason CHAP. XIV The Mistakes of some Sectaries in this Controuersy It s necessary to distinguish between true Reason and fallacious Reasoning Priuate Reason liable to Errour Principles presupposed to the Decision of this Question Reason easily finds out true Religion by à rational Euidence preuious to Faith 1. SOme who endeauour to make à Friendly Agreement The Attempt of some Sectaries between Reason and Religion wholly omit to discusse the mainest point of all which concern's Christianity And T' is in à word to tell vs whether amongst those innumerable Religions now swarming in the world whereof certainly many are false and Only is true men by the force of prudent who Omit the main Business concerning Religion Reason can come to the Knowledge of the true One. This is the Vnum necâ—ssarium worth our knowledge indeed For what auailes it to hear of an Agreement between Reason and Religion if I cannot by the light of Reason find out that Religionwhich God hath established It would be but à comfortles Word should One Say Sir There is à rich Inheritance in the world belonging to you but neither you nor I nor any other after all diligence vsed can tell you where or what it is 2. This and it is à grand Omission may be well grounded The ground of their Omission on another errour these Authors Maintain who first make à Religion according to their own Phansy and then offer to Shew the Reasonableness of it Wheras All iustly expect to haue at least in à General way some Hint of that full Doctrin which Christian Religion comprises before we Cry it vp as reasonable or yeild our Assent to it Thus much neither is nor can be done by any Sectary And mark how we are left dissatisfyed 3. After some general Duties pointed at which belong to Their Distinction of Fundamentals and others improbable natural Religion we hear of à Distinction between the Fundamentals of Faith and Others Then we are told that All the Fundamentals are contained in the Apostles Creed And that if we go beyond the Creed for the Essentials of Faith none can Say where we shall stop Answ Sr you are told in this Treatise where the stop is to be made And there also you will find this late Inuented Distinction of Fundamentals and no Fundamentals cast away as vnsound Doctrin All I will Say at present is that you build vpon Sand you make à meer fancied Supposition
And that which really is Reason There being no word more abused or fallacious than this This word Keason abused by many which vphold's all the Heresies in the world Yea and Atheism also For Euery Atheist euery Arian Euery Donatist laies claim to Reason And thinks his own Errour built vpon reasonable Grounds 13. I Say first The priuate Reason of fallible men considered as priuate and fallible Discerns not easily between truth and falshood chiefly when the contest is about this or that particular Controuerly of Religion The Assertion stand's firm vpon this indubitable Principle None can prudently acquiesce in so weighty à matter as Religion is to that which The weaknes of Priuate and clouded Reason of its own nature may probably bee clouded with Ignorance and Errour to say nothing of passion And for that cause seems vnable to discern between Truth and falshood But the priuate Reason of falltble men considered as priuate and falltble may be so clouded that it discern's not between Truth and falshood Therefore T' is most vnmeet to decide in particular Controuersies 14. To confirm what I Say Imagin that à Protestant and an Arian were at an earnest dispute concerning That which each Party belieues Both plead by Reason What result An Instance think ye can follow vpon the contest whilst both the one and other may iustly auouch Neither of vs know our own Ignorance or weakness Therefore vnless you with whom I Argue can ascertain me And I you That our Reason is purely disinteressed free from mistake and all clouds of Ignorance We must of necessity quit this Tribunal of our own priuate Reasoning and take rccourse to some Iudge that giues Satisfaction And finally declares whose reason is more reasonable 15. One may Reply And t' is the only Obiection of Sectaries Were it possible to find our such à iudge as it is not the priuate Reason of these two Disputants And of euery other particular Man is in points of Religion to ponder well the Sentence giuen T' is He and no other that must The chiefest Obiection of Sectaries conclude within his own Interiour whether the Sentence giuen be reasonable or no And consequently the last Vmpirage the final Decision of all in the choise of Religion is brought to euery Mans priuate Reason Here is the true Rule of Faith Say these when that choise is made For to say Men are damned for Proposed in their own Terms not following the Iudgement of another whilst their own Reason hold's it not Reasonable to do so is harsh Doctrin dissonant to the Principles of nature it selfe And to all Euangelical liberty Wherefore though Atheists Iewes and Turks be Iustly reprehensible because they abuse the Principle of following Priuate Reason yet Sectaries who vse the Principle with moderation And euer belieue something within the compass of Christianity seem not blamable Here you haue the Ground of all Heresy 16. To Ouerthrow this false Pretence and to lay before you à manifest Truth its necessary to premise à few Postulate before we come to our Second Proposition I Suppose first with all Christians Iewes and Turks accord also That God Principles prâ—mised to the has established one true Religion only The Verities whereof as reuealed by the first Verity are infallible I Suppose 2. The end why he reuealed these Truths was that all Should belieue them and belieuing gain eternal Happines Now seing the Apostle 2 Tim. 1. 12. send 's afore his Beliefe à measure or Decision of this Contrâ—uersy degree of knowledge Scio cui credidi I first know it followes that all prudent Belieuers must haue the Euidence of Credibility before they elicite Faith I Suppose 3. That God's eternal Design in establishing Religion which comprises reuealed Truths was to haue it known or found out by easy means obuious to the Reason of euery one learned or vnlearned And certainly its far more easy to know by sensible Marks and Signatures where and by whom true Religion is taught than with an industrious and almost endless Scrutiny to find it out by examining euery particular Tenet contained in it 17. The Ground hereof is clear for true Religion cannot Two Reasons shewing but Shew its own facile Obuious Marks and rational Discernibility Otherwise the Ignorant and Vnlearned would be exempted from all obligation of belieuing seing none can Assent to the high Mysteries of Faith without Preuious Euidence of Credibility laid forth to Reason 18. Now if you Reply The learned in case of Ignorance and obscurity are to instruct the illiterate I Answer That 's very why true Religion is easily found out true But if after all Instruction they bring not the Learner to à due Degree of preuious Euidence The Instruction void of substance becomes both vain and fruitless Again And here is my second Ground The Purpose of Almighty God in foundâ—ng Religion was not to puzzle Mens wits with it or to set them at endless debates concerning so weighty à Concern But if it be not obuious and easily found out by its own rational and clear Indications represented to Reason There arises not from Mans malice as now à dayes fall's out But from the very Nature of it euerlasting Quarrels which breed distast and rather inuite all to loath then to loue Religion 19. Hence I boldly Assert could Religion not be known without so many Iniunctions as Sectaries vsually lay vpon vs. The Sectaries way of Seeking is Were it not attained before an exact perusal made of the Fathers and Councils large Volumes Did it lye in Obscurity till such and such Inferences were drawn out of Scripture Had it dependance vpon This and That Deduction framed by euery fancy that reads Gods word were Libraries to be turned ouer and Languages to be learned as necessary to settle all in Truth Could I Say none come to the true knowledge of Religion long tedious and dissatisfactory without without fo much Adoe And so many endless Incumbrances The most of men might well Supersede all further Disquisition and rightly Iudge all further Enquiry too intricate for them being out of the reach of that wee call easy and obuious Reason God I am sure Disowns such Perplexity in the Religion he founded who tell 's vs Deuter. 30. 11. His commands And what 's more seuerely commanded then to embrace reuealed Truths are not hid from vs nor farr off We need not to The word of truth is neer vs. ascend to the Heauens or Cross the Sea to find them out No. The VVord is neer to vs in our mouth and heart c. But of this enough aboue 20. A second Proposition Reason clear from Passion find's out and easily True Religion by an vndoubted Euidence before debates arise concerning particular Controuersies One Proof of our Assertion is already hinted at God obliges all to embrace true Religion and consequently afford's means to know it for to Say on the one side He
They destroy not eo ipso Probability in Arianism or in any other false Sect Therefore the Conuiction drawn from these Arguments must be so strong That one as is now noted may without Hesitancy The Strength of this Euidence boldly Say first Induced by the force of Euidence its manifest to reason that God has founded one only true Religion 2. Induced by the force of Euidence I'ts manifest This and none but this is the Religion He founded 3. Induced by the force of Euidence its manifest to reason that All other Sects called Religions are false And not only false but in the highest degree perniciously improbable 28. These Assertions Stand firm vpon this one Principle God Gouern's the world whereof no Christian doubt's He The works in nature speak Gods power and Wisdom giues Being to euery creature His Power and Wisdom are most discernable by these works in Nature And shall we haue no clear knowledge think ye of his Wisdom care and singular Prouidence drawn from the Noble works of Grace laid open to all Mens View and most manifest before our Eyes in that admirable Fabrick of true Christian Religion founded by him Shall the works in Nature speak plainly their Creator And the Admirable wonders of Grace be silent And shall the manifest works of Gâ—ace be silent of their Author The common Sense of all rational men disclaims the Paradox And must if induced by Reason acknowledge an Euidence in that Oracle whereby God vouchsafes to Speak But if à false Sect could either Surpasse in its Marks and Indications or so much as Equalize The true Religion That Specious Euidence leading to belieue would Cease and be so much Eclypsed that none could by the force of Reason Say This is the way that lead's to Heauen This is the Religion which God founded And consequently all might shake of the Obligation of belieuing seing none can belieue without à preuious Clear knowledge had of what He is bound to Assent to The Religion therefore I am obliged to liue and dye in must bee Clearly made discernable by its Marks from all false Spurious Sects or This obligation ceases whereof enough is said already CHAP. XV. From whence the Euidence hitherto mentioned Proceed's That Religion only is reasonable which Heauen declares reasonable The Declaration is euidently made in behalfe of the Roman Catholick Religion VVho is the misled reasoning Man Other Particulars handled The readiest way to Conuince Sectaries 1. IT remains now to Examin from whence the rational Euidence here pleaded for proceeds Methinks That receiued Maxim in Schools Qui dat Formam dat Consequentia God who founded Religion ad formam Help 's much to Answer pertinently For if the Cause that giues à Thing being giues it also what 's consequent or belongs to its Being And if all Vnanimously agree concerning the Cause and Author of true Religion This necessarily followes 2. The same God and infinite Goodnes that founded Religion laies also be fore vs the Euidence we Propugn But Layes forth its rational Euidence an Euidence proceeding from such an Author whose works are perfect and is annexed to the Religion which Wisdom it selfe giues Being to must needs bee clear and haue force to Conuince the most obdurate hearts May Prudence Sway and Passion be laid aside To explicate what is here said is to proue it All know that God who will haue vs walk to our last End by obscure Faith giues no Euidence of the Mysteries Considered in Themselues For none knowes the Trinity or that great work of the Incarnation by any Euident It is called the Euidence of Credibility On what it is grounded Principle clearly proposed to Reason Therefore the Euidence wee seek after must bee Extrinsick to the Mysteries belieued which Diuines rightly call the Euidence of Credibility and it is grounded vpon those visible supernatural works of Grace which an infinite Power only can produce And vpon this ground I Said The same God that found 's Religion laies before the Eye of reason its rational Euidence also 3. Hence I boldly Assert and T' is no less of singular comfort to all Faithful belieuers then of shame and Confusion to Heauens declaration Iewes and Heretiques That Religion only is reasonable and brings with it an Obligation of belieuing which Heauen it selfe declares reasonable That Religion only is reasonable which Euidently Supernatâ—ral Signs beares the Marks the Characters and Supernatural signatures of an Infinite Power and Wisdom That Religion only is reasonable which haâ— been approued by the publick Iudgement of the very best the most choise Publickly approued and learned who haue liued since the Creation of the world That Religion only is reasonable which by God's special Assistance hath wrought Admirable Conuersions Neuer Censured Strange Conuersions giues in Euidence of vndoubted Miracles preserueâ— vnity and was neuer yet Censured by any known Orthodox Christian That Religion finally is only reasonable which Assures euery one by à present Vniuersal Tradition of à Church diffused the whole world ouer VVhat God has Said what Christ hath taught and what Doctrin the Apostles preached Here is both Reason and in Tradition the Rule That giues Assurance of Faith with it Find me out then such à Faith such à Religion as euidences these Illustrious Marks the Cognisances and Signs of Heauen that 's only reasonable or none euer was or can be accounted Reasonable 4. We are now in the last place to Examin what Prophets what Teachers or finally what Church haue been Signalized with these strong pleading Testimonies with these Signs and Marks of Who or what Religion can shew these Masks and Signs Power and VVisdom The Iewish Church had them in some measure when Almighty God Exodus 9. 16. told Moses Posui te c. I haue placed thee my Seruant vt â—stendam in te fortitudinem meam to show my Power and Might And that by thee my name may be spoken of through the whole earth Certainly Christ our Lord manifested yet far greater Wonders Iohn 15. 24. If I had not done among them works which no other Man hath done c. Whilst the blessed Apostles preached none can doubt of their Miraculous Signs which Heauen Euidenced and God himselfe manifested by them Thus much supposed and no Sectary can Question the certainty of my Supposition 5. I will come neerer home And to lay Forth the Evidence of the Roman Catholick Church Speak this great truth None but She euer Since those Apostolical times hath had not only the like Vnity in Faith The like Supernatural Marks and The effects of power and wisdom wonders wrought in Her by an Infinite Power and Wisdom But also more Miracles greater Conuersions à greater number of Belieuers and Consequently à more Vniuersal consent of Hearts ioyned together in one Beliefe In à word as full an refulgent in the Marks of the Roman Catholick Church Euidence euery way
Apostle writes Ephes. 14. 11. of the Continuance of Pastors and The Apostles words also and Doctors in the work of the Ministery for the edifying of Christ's Mystical body till we meete in one Vnity of Faith most Certainly he Spake not of any deluded or Idolatrous Pastors are likewise vtterly false Nay more that Article of our Creed The Creed falsifyed I belieue the Holy Catholick Church ceased to be true in those dismal dayes when the whole Roman Catholick Church made Idolatrous went to wrack and the res't of Christians if not Idolatrous were all Professed Heretiques 19. Contrarywise if there was at that time another Orthodox Church in Being when Luther Separated from the Roman Catholick What followes if then there was à true Church Society One of these two Consequences necessarily followes Viz. That Luther and his Associates the Protestants either made themselues Members of that Imagined pure Spotles and Orthodox Church Or founded à new One vpon their own Authority neuer before heard of in the Christian world Now further It is most impossible to nominate any such Christians as Luther and Protestants made à new Church Constituted à pure Orthodox Church distinct from the Roman Catholick Therefore Luther and Protestants haue by their own Authority made à new One neuer before known to the world 20. There is yet à third Inference which methinks pinches such Protestants as Say They and we make but one Church Orthodox in fundamentals How can this Doctrin stand if the The Church if Idolatrous err's in the fundamentals of Faith Roman Catholick Church teaches flat Idolatry For vpon this Supposition She err's grosly in that fundamental Point of Idolatry And consequently Protestants must either leaue her as horridly erroneous or maintain Idolatry with Her If it be replyed though thus tainted She yet teaches some few Truths and Sectaries can exactly tell vs which and how many they are They Sectaries improbable Supposition first argue vpon an improbable Supposition and secondly make the louely Spouse of Christ beautiful and vgly treacherous and loyal false and true together whereof enough is sayd in the former Discourses 21. The last question proposed is that the Doctor giue Satisfaction concerning the Mission of Protestants In à word we demand who sent them to teach as they doe that the Roman Catholic◠Church is fallible and Idolatrous That man hath no free will That the Body and blood of our Sauiour are not really in the blessed Sacrament with à number of other Nouelties Our demand A difficult Question Concerning the Mission of Sectaries is grounded vpon the Apostles words Rom. 10. 15. How Shall they preach vnless they be sent Say therefore who commissioned these men who countenanced them to preach such Doctrins Dare they tell vs that as their English Bishops receiued Orders from the Supposed Idolatrous Catholick Prelares So also they had Commission from them Idolatrous as they were to teach Idolatry They neuer had nor can haue Commission to teach Protestancy Grant this and they make their Mission not only ridiculous but null also and vtterly void of Credit Whither will they run next think ye Can they pretend to haue had their Mission from the Arians from the Hussits or Waldenses c No certainly For they teach not in all things as these Hereticks taught And besides neuer receiued Commission from them or The Assertion proued from any men called Christians to teach at all Therefore they are vnsent Preachers and consequently in the Apostles Iudgement ought no more to be heard than the Arians or Pelagians 22. Some Sectaries tell vs its needles to Question their A reply answered Mission whilst the Testimony of the Spirit assures them that they teach the true Doctrin of Iesus Christ. Here is first à Supposition for à Proof because The whole world excepting themselues deny what is now assumed of their teaching truth Howeuer admit gratis this false Supposition The meer speaking truth giues them no Commission to teach it For Children Vagabonds and Diuels also may Speak eternal truths yet are not therefore authorized to preach or made Christ's lawful authorized Ministers The Reason hereof seem's manifest To teach truth argues no Lawful Mission To preach truth is an effect of à lawful Mission and not the cause of it Wherefore this Causal or Inference is good I teach truth because I am lawfully Commissioned to teach it and exactly Comply with my Duty Not the Contrary I teach truth therefore I am Authoritiuely sent to teach it 23. By what is hitherto briefly noted you se in what The desperate condition of Sectaries case Sectaries are who first suppose à long interruption of Orthodox Pastors in the Roman Catholick Church and consequently neuer receiued Commission from them to teach and though which is true they continued Orthodox yet these Catholick Pastors neuer gaue them any Authority Again They No Church Orthodox or Heretical sent them to teach scorn to receiue their Commission from known Hereticks nor can they pretend it because being in most Essential points opposite to Protestants Such Hereticks could not impower them to teach Protestancy For these Reasons Sectaries are obliged to renounce all claim to that Mission which is called Ordinary because No Church No Society of Christians whether Orthodox or Heretical sent these Nouellists abroad to teach as they do their reformed Gospel 24. Now if with Luther they challenge to themselues à Calling Some with Luther plead à Mission Extraordinary and Mission extraordinary Not by men or from men but by the Reuelation of Christ Iesus Their Plea no less Proofles then Presumptuous is highly improbable vpon this ground that neuer any since the beginning of Christianity was sent as extraordinary by Almighty God to preach who made not his Doctrin Credible by manifest Supernatural wonders So Christ our Lord did and the Apostles also Others that followed in the after Ages laid forth the Miracles and signal Marks of the Church whereof they were Members and euinced by Signs the They haue neither extraordinary nor Ordinary Mission Authority of that Oracle which sent them But Sectaries who began with Luther to teach extraordinary Doctrin neither plead by extraordinary wonders hauing none to produce nor can so much as hint at any Church false or true which commissioned them to publish Protestancy Therefore they are vnlawful Ministers neuer sent to preach Christ's true Doctrin nor so much as their own false Nouelties of Protestanism CHAP. XIX The supposed grounds of our Protestants Reformation manifestly ouerthrown Protestancy no Religion but an improhable Nouelty The conclusion of this whole Treatise 1. I Say the Supposed Grounds for in very truth Protestancy What Sectaries pretend to hath not any real Ground to Stand on as is amply proued in the forecited Chapters Howeuer because Pretences are not wanting to such as Oppose God's verities and our Aduersaries seem to build the whole Machin of their
Churches on earth and proue themselues thereby both Faithles and Churchles But enough for à Preface Open and read Approue or condemn as reason shall guide you In case you Condemn please to say VVhy and shew me where I erre in Principles Pardon the faults of the Printer which are many he is à stranger to our Language except against mine boldly if you find any but do it with Charity and still for this I must inculcate again and again Remember Principles Farewel AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR Mr STILLINGFLEET Sr. PLain dealing is the best you shall haue it in this short Advertisement from à friendly Aduersary no Enemy I assure you who desires to do you good against your will If I be rightly informed Both you and some others find your selves dissatisfied vpon this score that your Rational Account as t is called comprehending the Grounds of Protestant Religion remain's yet vntouch't or not answered Before I reply to these complaints I shall take the boldnes to request one fauour at your hands you will much oblige me by it which is to point out that Chapter or Paragraph through your whole Book wherein the hidden treasure of these Protestant Grounds lie and to giue me in à few lines one or two of them plainly set down in halfe à Sheet of paper I speak of Grounds for Protestancy as it is your peculiar Religion distinct from Popery and all known Condemned Hereties Fob me not off I beseech you with any general talk Tell me not I must seek better and shall find For Sr I assure you though I haue made à diligent Search after your Grounds they are yet so far remoued from my sight that I cannot find one Wherefore because you are more Conuersant in your own writings then others and Plus vident oculi quam oculus I beg to be enlightned by you If you fail to do this the world will iudge as I do that you haue abused the Reader with à Title wherevnto nothing in your voluminous Book answer's I mean you haue no more touched vpon Grounds for Protestancy as Protestancy and mark my words then for Arianism or any other false Religion In the perusal of your Book I se what beguiled you You Sr thought to throw that little dirt wherewith some haue furnished you in our faces was enough to make your bad cause Specious and to prop vp your Protestancy as if forsooth to Cavil at vs were to establish your Novelties Know good Sr that both Arians and all other gone Heretiques were as fierce in their Cauils against the Church as you are but did they therefore either ground or establish their false Doctrins contrary to Gods Truths It is à gross errour to think so For as it is one thing foolishly to brandish à Sword and another fitly to vse à Buckler so it is à quite different busines slightly to impugn Catholick Religion and another to defend Protestancy Tht first you haue attempted like your old Heretiques and with as ill success But the second which is to maintain Protestancy or to settle that vpon solid Grounds neither is nor was nor euer shall be done by any wherefore I tell you in this Treatise read it if you please This Protestancy is wholly vngrounded God never revealed one Article of it as Protestancy nor did ever antient or modern Orthodox Church teach so much as one of your Particular Tenets And for this reason I say it s falsly called the reformed Religion hauing neither Essence nor the Properties of Religion belonging to it Now for as much as Concern's your Clamours because you think your Book neglected or not yet Answered First give me leave to tell you it is a great Vanity to rise to so high à conceipt of your selfe or of your Book as if you were the only Defender of your Faith and à greater to publish it to the world what think you Cannot Protestancy be impugned without taking you or your work in hand It s little wisdom to iudge so A Souldier good Sir who intend's to inuade an enemy takes no directions from him how to enter his Country much less busies his thoughts about remouing euery straw or euery little block that lies in his way but marches on as he thinks best to compass his Design To ouerthrow your Protestancy is our Design and you most vnreasonably prescribe what we are to do That is we must either attaque your Fort and meddle with your Account or you think nothing is done Why so I beseech you Grant which is not true that those who haue written since your Account saw light passed by it without much notice they might well do so looking on it as à Block not worth remouing vnless as I say you will haue them to obey your Commands and assault what Outwork you please It is Sr your Cause we more mind then your Account 2. Why do you or some body for you not only shamefully stopp all the Presses in so much that scarse a sheet of paper can appear in publick But moreover why haue you when all liberty is granted to scrible and print what you please omitted to Answer those Bookes which directly impugn your Doctrin That excellent Guide of Controuersies is the One and Protestancy without Principles the other And you haue done this with much vncivil scornful Language with a meer forced Pish from the teeth outward at the end of a Preface as if forsooth you would be thought to Say You Could Answer but vvill not vvbereas the naked truth is at least wise men Iudge so you would Answer but Cannot Sr believe me it would have been much to the purpose and far more satisfactory to your Protestant Brethren had you when you saw your Protestancy to speak moderatly well shaken in those two Books replyed to some particulars and shewed where either the Principles were false or their Discourses failed But you Cowardly quitted the field sate down silent busying your selfe with reprinting a few Sermons whereof the world had no need at all And this t' is thought was done to cloak your Lazines your ignorance or both because you could not Answer yet we are called on to quarrel with you whilst you like a Priuiledged Person exempt your selfe from medling with vs. That is we must speak and you say nothing But Sr let vs come neerer the point and tell you truth Whatever you account substantial in your Book hath been answered by your two scorned Aduersaries and if any thing be yet wanting it is amply supplyed in this Treatise To conceiue what I would proue please to Note There are two wayes in answering a Booke The one is to follow an Author step after step by examining severally each piece of the VVhole The other is to Consider the Principles wherevpon the VVhole relyes shewing them either false in themselues or not connex't with those Conclusions which should follow from them Destroy Principles you destroy all Thus the Motion of à Watch may be spoiled two
wayes either by disordering euery wheel in it à part or by breaking the Spring The fairest Palace ever was is ruine'd if either you separate euery stone from stone or if you vndermine the fundation and blow vp the whole Fabrick though many of the stones strongly Cimented cling yet together The first way of answering by piece-meal is tedious and obscure and as things are with vs by reason of the difficulty in Printing and transmitting Bookes into England almost impossible The other is clear and easy both are satisfactory to euery rational man and I hold the second most necessary For in all our Discourses there must be some firm Principles laid wherevnto we reduce and from whence wè draw what we Assert which seueral wayes of discoursing Compose the two different Methods Analytical and Synthetical obserucd by Philosophers and Divines Neither is the Foundation more necessary to à house or the weight to a clock then Principles are to a Discourse which then is good when the grounds stand firm and the Deductions of the particular Conclusion from them clear But if either the Principles be false and alien or the Deductions not Coherent the whole Discourse fall's to nothing Apply what is here sayd to your Account or rather to the Religion it Asserts and you have all I would Say Your Account Sr was writ to vindicate Protestancy and must stand vpon the same Principles with that Nouelty therefore whatever shak's and ruin's the Principles of Protestancy necessarily shak's and ruin's the Principles of your Account But your Supposed Principles or Grounds of Protestancy are broken yea demonstrated no Grounds at all in the Book intitl'd Protestancy without Principles where they arc proued either false or no Principles peculiar to your Religion as it is distinct from the Doctrin of other Societies called Non-Protestants And consequently when true they haue no Connexion with Protestancy nor can lead in any conclusion for you And where they are false their falsity is laid before your eyes and an vtter subuersion of your Cause and Account with it because neither can stand when your supposed Principles are destroyed or rather found never to have had Being And thus your Book is solidly Answered If you desire to se more ruin yet fallen vpon you read this Treatise and be pleased to reflect vpon these three things in your Account The length of it The Obiections against Catholick Religion and finally your Principles for Protestancy We find two of them but misse the third The length mighty tedious and too often without substance wearies à Reader God help him say I that vndergoes the druggery to turn ouer all the vneuen stuff which lies heap't vp there Your Obiections vsually borrowed from Mr Chillingworth and some other Protestant Writers are for the most part common and such as haue been answered ouer and ouer Where you think them peculiar to your selfe as they lay in my way I haue reioyned and if some be omitted that 's only to Say euery stone in your Fabrick is not touched or medled with But for as much as concerns your Principles in behalfe of Protestancy I Assert Confidently you haue none and vpon this ground I say once more your Account is answered Goe on therefore and vilify the works published against you as you please call them Wool sacks Rats or Flies add more opprobrious language to gain you credit among your simple and too credulous Vulgar with Intelligent Readers you preuail nothing who well perceiue it Matters not to your Intent if those VVool sacks receiue and break the force of your greatest shot against our Church if the Rats gnaw the best ligaments woven in your Account if but one of these flies enter your throat and bereaue you of breath some report of à great man stifled by à Fly And truly it seem's by your deep silence or not answering since these Books came forth that some of the greater sort haue halfe chok'd you But enough To say more after this strain were to rallie like you and to offend the learned world which requires substance in these serious matters without contempt flowting and empty words Had you Sr gone the right way to work you should either haue kept in your disdainful language or taken Protestancy without Principles in hand Shewing where the Author mistook your Principles Or whether his exceptions were blamable because he thought them either Common and not belonging to you that is wholly alien from your cause wholly impertinent to Maintain Protestancy This proceeding had been Satisfactory but difficult and aboue your force Therefore you wisely waued it knowing well it was easier to giâ—e sharp words and snarle at your Aduersaries than to come neer and bite with pinching Arguments My proceeding with you Sr is quite contrary I slight nor your person but say plainly where your great mistake lies in handling Controuersies You run head-long into the deep Mysteries of Faith by the ill conduct of your weak or not well sighted reason and after à few stagg ring thoughts spent in weighing and musing vpon the difficulties which appear to you in the Mysteries you will needs tell vs what 's true what 's false and therefore boldly take and reiect as you like best It is à perplexed way Sr which will neuer make you either Good Christian good Diuine or so much as à mean Proficient in Christ's School In following it you are just like one as I tell you in the Treatise that takes wholsome Pills into his Mouth chewes them find's them bitter and spitt's all out Hence it is you spit at the Doctrins of Transubstantiation of Purgatory c. because forsooth they are distastful to sense and shallow reason And truly Sr it is wonderful that you haue not long since by this procedure cast off the Doctrin of the sacred Trinity For most certainly might sense and weak reason plead the Cause here far greater difficulties would occur against that sublime Mystery then euer Protestants yet proposed against our other Catholick Tenents In a word Sr if you desire satisfaction in matters of Religion busy not your head with the examination of the Diuine Mysteries Considered in themselues they are aboue your reach but contrarywise consider well how and by what means they are made Credible to reason which is done as S. Austin cited afterward tell 's you by first finding out that clear marked and signalized Church whereby God speaks This Oracle once discouered and the Discouery grounded vpon Euidence is easy Hear and Believe Her She is wiser then you and never think to shake so strong à Fortress by devising pcrty Arguments against Her Doctrin no sooner seen then solued because forsooth you cannot Comprehend it But it is high time to end and I shall do so with one word more of good aduice Fooles they say may sometimes give à wise man Counsel Sr if you intend to write any more Consider for your own sake what you write weigh things well in your
thoughts before they pass your pen. Haue alwaies this one reflexion in mind It s easy to Cauil easy to talk much but most laborious to make sure what you say by sound Principles And Principles your Aduersaries euer haue an Eye to Had you complyed with this Aduice the greatest part of your Account if not all might well have been spared Never rely on the vain prayses of your vulgar Readers all is not gold that glisters in their Eyes nor do they alwayes speak as they think For as much as concern's your selfe shew sr rather the strength of à Father in louing your works then the weaknes of à fond Mother that hugg's her Brats though most deformed I am told you imagin it à great Acchieuement and your selfe the conquerour in hauing gain'd onc priuate man T. C. to follow your triumphant Chariot Abuse not your Iudgement there is no such matter for in good sober earnest by what I haue perused in T. C. his book rather seem's to be an answer to yours then yours to his Abstain hereafter from opprobrious Language lest you meet with some ruffing Adversary that will pay you in your own Coyn. Please to vse your Buckler better in behalfe of Protestancy and tell me when your Negatiue Articles are thrown away as not reuealed what essential Truth remain's vvithin the Compasse of Protestancy reuealed by Almighty God and necessary to Saluation If you think it the wisest Course not to take notice of what is proposed against you in this Treatise vouchsafe to clear your selfe of the Contradictions charged vpon you And because I find you much intangled in your Resolution of Faith and haue laid your mistakes open to publick view when the Spirit of answering fall's vpon you again Answer I beseech you to the difficulties Obiected in the third Discourse But aboue all Answer to God with à hearty repentance for the wrong you haue done his Church and own me Sr Your friendly Adversary THE CHAPTERS IN ORDER THE RVLE OF FAITH Wherein the infallibility of the Roman Catholick Religion is established against Atheists Heathens Iewes Turks and all Sectaries CHAP. I. VVhether true Religion be in the world The Affirmatiue proued Against Atheists Atheism euidently Shewd'improbable 1 CHAP. II. Reason reiects all sects or Religions not Christian VVhether Gentilism Iudaism or Turkcism bee erroneous and improbable 13 CHAP. III. Christianity as it stands in opposition to Iewes Turcks Infidels and Heretickes is the only true Religion 21 CHAP. IV. Whether Christian Religion since its first Propagation hath not been in like manner preserued pure and further spread by Diuine Prouidence aboue the Power of Nature 25 CHAP. V. VVhether all called Christians Belieue intirely Christ's sacred Doctrin And whether meanes be afforded to arriue to the knowledge of true Christian Religion 29 CHAP. VI. Of our Sectaries errour in their search after true Religion As also of Mr Stillingfleets inconsequent way of Arguing 32 CHAP. VII More of this subiect Doubts concerning the seueral editions of scripture None extant more pure then the Vulgar Latin Abstract from Church Authority there is no Certainty of the best Edition Sectaries Comparing the Present Copies with the more ancient giues no assurance A word with Mr Stillingfleet 42 CHAP. VIII How necessary it was to haue one lection of Scripture in the Church A word of the Sixtine and Clementine Bibles Of Mr Stillingfleets mistakes and inconsequences concerning them Obiections answered 55 CHAP. IX Proofs demonstrating that Protestants haue not so much certainty of Scripture as excludes à possibility of reasonable doubting A word of Mr Stillingfleets weak discourse with à Heathen 67 A Discourse between à Heathen and à Christian 71 CHAP. X. The first and easiest way to find out true Religion is not by Scripture only though all Christians had moral certainty of the right Canon and sense also which is to say the meer owning Christs Doctrin is insufficient to proue it to all sort of People 80 CHAP. XI The Protestant takes away the only means to know true Religion by His proofs whether He defend's Protestancy or impugn's Catholick Doctrin are vnreducible to Principles and neuer goe beyond the weaknes of his own vnproued Assertion Meer glosses support all He saith which is euidenced by à brief handling one Controuersy touching the B. Sacrament Theodoret wrong'd by Sectaries cleared His Doctrin is most Catholick 85 Theoderets Testimony alleged aboue Contains most Catholick Doctrin 94 CHAP. XII A Digressian concerning the Real Presence The Fathers plainly assert it Sectaries glosses friuolous The agreement of the Church and Fathers make à Doctrin indubitable The Catholick's certain Principle A word with Mr Stillingfleet 102 CHAP. XIII Mr Stillingfleet grosly abuseth the Fathers that assert the Real Presence His vnprincipled glosses are not only dubions and therefore worth nothing but moreouer highly improbable 119 CHAP. XIV It is further proued that neither Scripture alone nor any other Principle distinct from an Vnerring Church can with certainty decide Controuersies in Matters of Religion or Regulate Christian Faith 138 CHAP. XV. The other mentioned Principles aboue are insufficient to decide controuersies Or to Regulate faith 152 CHAP. XVI One word more of Mr Stillingfleets Glosses and his vnexcusable abuse of other Fathers 159 CHAP. XVII VVhy the Glosses of Sectaries are impertinent and weightles Mr Stillingfleet misinterprets other Fathers Of his vnskilful Speculation concerning Idolatry charged on Catholicks CHAP. XVIII The Protestant after all his Glosses can not ascertain any of true Religion He would make Controuersies an endles work 180 CHAP. XIX The last designe of Sectaries Glosses discouered They end nothing The clear way to end Controuersies of Religion A distinction between Authority and Principl'd Authority Of the improbability of Protestancy 192 CHAP. XX. A word to one or two Obiections It is further proued That Controuersies are ended with Protestants who haue no Essence of Religion but false opinions only 205 CHAP. XXI Protestants granting Saluation to Catholicks by à clear Inference drawn from their Concession end Controuersies of Religion VVhat force their concession hath VVhy they granted so much The Argument is clearly proposed Mr Stillingfleet return's no probable Answer A full discouery of his fallacies 217 THE SECOND DISCOVRSE OF The Church and Rule of Faith CHAP. I. Necessary Principles premised relating to the Controuersy now in hand concerning the true Church And Rule of Faith 241 CHAP. II. The Rule of Faith assigned The properties of à Rule VVhat is meant by the Church Ancient Fathers Assert that the Church is easily found out Her marks more clear than Her Essential Doctrin 248 CHAP. III. The Protestant has neither Church euidented by Marks of Truth nor true Doctrin made credible to reason His whole Faith is built vpon Fancy 256 CHAP. IV. The one and only true Church of Christ was is and shall euer be the Holy Apostolical and Catholick Roman Church Her Antiquity and Constant Perseuerance in the Ancient primitiue Doctrin without Alteration
sacred Doctrin hath been à Diuine vvork aboue the force of nature Thus much performed vve Shevv hovv Sectaries erre it their Search after Religion and euince that it is not found by their priuate pondering Scripture alone much lesse by any vnprincipl'd Glosses Lastly in this Discourse vve lay forth an easy vvay vvhereby all these vnfortunate Debates concerning Religion may come to à happy period THE RVLE OF FAITH Wherin the infallibility of the Roman Catholick Religion is established against Atheists Heathens Iewes Turks and all Sectaries CHAP. I. VVhether true Religion be in the world The Affirmative proved Against Atheists Atheism evidently Shewd'improbable 1. THe question may perhaps seem doubtful to many upon Different judgements Concerning true Religion these grounds First Who euer admit's of Religion must either hold it true upon the Authority of others or because he is perswaded it can be found out by his own search and industry If he relies on Authority He meet 's with as many Pretenders to truth as there are different Professors of Religions on earth The The most of men pretend to it Iew pleads for his as the most ancient the Christian for his the Turk for his the Heathen for following the light of nature and every one thinks well of his own way and votes his own Religion best If therfore à searcher after truth relies on Authority He can no more say these take the Christians word than the Heathens the Heathens then the Jewes the Jewes then the Turks the The diffically about the choise Arians then the Catholicks the Catholicks than the Protestants and Consequently ought in prudence to reject all Religion 2. On the other side if He chuse à Religion by the force of his private judgement only or own industry He is cast into à Labyrinth and shall never find an exit He is obliged in prudence to make à diligent search into all the different Sects which are or have bin since the first creation of things He is carefully to examin the causes of them the grounds they rely on the connexion or coherence they have with one an other He is to converse with the learned of these different Religions or read their books and then to pitch by his own erring judgement on what likes him best which perhaps may be worst of all This task you see is immense and no lesse unsuccesful than laborious mans life is spent before halfe the work be done Therfore it seems none can come to the certain knowledge of true Religion either by Authority or reason Ergo saith the Opponent there is no such thing as true Religion in Being 3. Contrariwise I say True Religion most evidently is in the True Religion is in being The reason of the Assertion world The Assertion is grounded on this certain verity God eternally existing by himself without cause and infinite in all perfection is in Being therfore true Religion cannot but bee also For Grant such à Being as God is necessary of himself without any superiour cause it followes He is to be adored by all rational creatures essentially inferiour to him and not by any false or mock-mock-worship but in Spirit and Truth for such an adoration only suites his Divine nature Of the adoration due to God This reason is reinforced by the light of one indubitable Maxim Quod universis videtur est verum What appeares to all or at least to the most Civillized Nations to be à Truth is so for such à universal consent of nature is the Dictamen and voice of God the Author of nature But all Nations ever owned some Religion therfore this agreement of God and nature is à Truth The minor is evident All civillized Nations own à Numen to say nothing of Christians out of the very writings of Heathens who assure us though people are found so barbarous as to live without lawes learning or civil goverment yet no whole nation was ever yet heard of but owned some kind of Numen some sacrifice some homage some worship due to à power either falsly or truely judged worthy of Reverence and honour Neither is the One difficulty removed force of the Argument infringed by saying many and very many Nations erred in the Truth of Religion which may seem as great an Evil as to have none for thus much is only proved at present that the voice of nature more easily ownes Religion then it professes one true That therfore being the universal Testimony or General consent of all cannot be false Haec testimonia animae its Tertullians Doctrin which S. Cyprian borrowed from him quanto vera tanto simplicia quanto simplicia tanto vulgaria c. This general Truth by how much more pure and simple by so much it 's more vulgarly known by how much more vulgarly known by so much its more common by how much more common by so much it 's more natural by how much more natural by so much it 's more Divine Omni literaturâ notius saith Tertullian omni Doctrinâ agitatius omni homine Majus 'T is à learning more known and resolved in mans mind than all other learning greater then man is and therfore à certain truth setled in all by the Author of nature God himself Now that many err in the truth of The cause of Mistaking true Religion Religion proceeds without doubt too often from want of instruction sometimes from pride ignorance or Malice in the Teacher which is the deplorable case of condemned Hereticks Sometimes and this is most usual it comes from an obdurance of heart begot by à custome of sinning and transgressing against the very light of nature For this custome bring 's à punishment with it that it darken's the mind notoriously and makes reason à stranger not only to weighty rational motives which forceably draw us to good but more over it so stupifies so dulls and indisposeth à soul that the impressions of grace not wanting to the most barbarous touch as it were on flintly rocks and produce either â weak barren fruit or rather no penitential fruit at all Would therfore the most obdurate Scythians or any other uncivilized People yeild to the ordinary grace allowed them for the avoiding of sin known contrary to nature God who illuminates every man in the world would give more light until they came to the knowledge of truths necessary necessitate medij to attain saluation For this is an undoubted Maxim of Divines God is not wanting in necessaries and Facienti quod in se est non denegat gratiam He denies not grace to such as endeavour by the ordinary means afforded them to avoid sin contrary to nature but if careles of that duty which nature obliges to they voluntarily plunge themselves into an Abiss of horrid transgressions the obdurance now mentioned followes The powerful operation of grace lies stifled and much deaded in such hardned hearts and Consequently sense and love of pleasures bear greatest sway
Religion is to be esteemed no lesse à work of prouidence and Diuine Assistance then its first establishment was One reason is The Doctrin preached to Christianity further Spread aboue the force of Nature innumerable People not Christian in the Apostles time was the same sublime learning of à Trinity of the Incarnation and other difficult Mysteries The stubbornesse and incredulity of those who heard it at last induced to belieue were alike in them as in the first conuerted Christians Propensions to sensuallity which they quitted as strong and violent The number of those after gained souls you may hold far more their wisdom not inferiour to the former and the quality of innumerable witnes so many Emperours Kings and Princes drawn in following ages to Christianity much exceeded those first conuerted by the Apostles Clear and manifest miracles effects of Gods power only haue been more numerous in the Centuries since the Apostles preaching then before What euer therfore proues the first Propagation of the Gospel miraculous or à work aboue the strength of nature as forceably conuinceth the Truth we here plead for Now if some obiect These later Preachers of the Church sent abroad to preach Christs Doctrin had much more of the humane learning then those first great masters of Christianity and therfore might well by natural Eloquence and humane literature gain many without Diuine Assistance I answer when the Poets perswade me that Orpheus harp and harmony tamed wild beasts and moued stones ' I le belieue and not Sooner that wolues became lambs that the stony hearts of Infidels were softned and made subiect to Christs sacred law by the power of humane learning only What that natural knowledge got by industry could vanquish Idolatry obscure Iudaism and draw innumerable Heathens to deny sensuallity to liue à mortified life and belieue in à crucified Sauiour is not only à Paradox aboue expression but à vast improbability 2. You know there are two things the world stand's for Pro aris focis that is for Religion and earthly commodities Religion you see hath the Preheminence Imagin now that à Heathen Prince should send the most Eloquent and learned Doctors within his Dominions vpon this hard enterprise To gain à forrein Monark and People highly auerse from him his lawes and comands Withall to abandon their old Religion and admit of à new one without the least hope of any worldly interest Nay contrary most assured to lose much which nature seek's after Would such à Policy think yee take or could these Doctors though neuer so Eloquent haue confidence to bring about their designe by wit or learning only No. You will iudge it impossible to gain so humane learning notable to Conuert souls much as one sole Prouince when no motiue of earthly commodity enters but much against it Here is our very case The Church of Christ in ages following the Apostles sent abroad her Missioners and These commissioned Preachers haue not only destroyed Altars erected to false Gods most obstinatly defended by Gentils but introduced à new sacred Religion in place of them mightily opposite to sensuallity and what euer the world loues here is the tribute payd to Christ can we therfore think that wit did this work or perswade our selves that à little breath drawn only from natural knowledge threw down these Altars No. à Diuine virtue and that most Powerful did the deed God only wrought these Conuersions no lesse admirable then Euident to our eyes When S. Peter as we read in the Gospel Luk. 5. 4. launched forth into the deep at Christs command and drew vp great Multitudes of fishes both he and others stood amased at the Miracle And more iustly may all admire the far greater multitude of men drawn out of à gulf of sin and ignorance then fortold Ex hoc The draught of souls out of perdition miraculous iam eris homines capâ—ens by the labours of those first Masters and their Successors Say therfore was the draught of fishes great and all cryed à Miracle And the draught of souls out of perdition far greater and nature only did it No certainly Belieue it Had the Pastors of Christs Church toyled only by that weak instrument of humane knowledge the Idols of the Gentils would yet haue stood and all of them might well haue bemoaned their lost labour with S. Peter Magister per totam noctem laborantes nihil cepimus Master all night long we haue been hard at work and got nothing 3. And here briefly to say à word in passing is the true reason why our modern Sectaries are so vnlucky in any conuersions not only of Heathens but of others also named Christians to their new Religion They launch forth 't is true but without commission and therefore work not by the virtue of Christs command wit alone and à little wordy learning doe all make à noise and their books to swell but draw none of iudgement to the 〈…〉 â—â—les liberty and à rich Benesice two powerful Preachers to corrupt nature catch some The thing is euident for whâ— haue we such signal conuersions wrought by Sectaries withoâ—â—â—ope of any worldly fortune as now to Of particular Conuersions omit ancient times 〈◊〉 very dayes and late ones too shew vs Where haue they one like that Generous and learned Queen Christina of Sweedeâ— who quitâ— Ã Kingdom to become Catholick Where haue they such à Prince as yet liues the grand Turks own Brother not only Catholick but more à Religious man of Blessed S. Dominicks order It s needlesse to giue you in this place à Catalogue of many German Princes true members now of the Roman Catholick Church who were not gained by any worldly motiue to abandon Heresy as they haue done but strongiy called on by Gods grace without delay obeyed the summons as now lately did that great Commander in France Count Marishal Turene whose glorious Conuersion witness his Profession of Faith was grounded on serious thoughts relating to Eternity and not vpon any humane interest These very few but great changes before our Eyes with others innumerable known to the world are plain effects of supernatural grace and manifestly shew that more than wit or humane knowledge had à hand in them 4. Hence I argue That Religion is from God and therfore true which He concurres to and propagates by his special grace and virtue The Christian Cathoiick Catholick Religion miraculously propagated therfore true Religion only hath been thus propagated by Gods special grace and virtue therfore it is true To add more weight to this argument I ask whether those Conuersions wrought by the Apostles them selues are to be held miraculous that is aboue the force of nature or not If you deny blot out those words of the Gospel as most vntrue Mark 16. 20. Domino cooperante c. Our Lord cooperating with them and say all Apostolical conuersions were wrought by natural causes only And grant next Mahometism and Christianity thus
None can question whether the Doctrin be Diuine when the Person who declared it to the world was so Diuine and extraordinary à Person holy in his conuersation wrought vnparalled miracles rose from death to life conuersed with his Disciples and gaue euidence of their fidelity by laying down The question Still begged their liues to attest the Truth c. Contra. 1. Replies the Heathen Here is again the same Petitio principii for either you belieue these particulars because Scripture record's them and then you suppose Scripture to be true and Diuine which he denies or because fallible men report them you own no infallible tradition and this aduances not your cause at all for the Turks and those of China talk as much of their Mahomet and Confusius vpon fallible and perhaps false reports also for yet the Heathen knowes not what Religion is true And next wonders why you speak of miracles of power ouer euil spirits of men laying down their liues c. when you Sectaries either deny or slight all the miracles euidently done in the Catholick Church as also the power She manifest's in casting out Diuels c. And if we mention Martyrs Catholicks haue more who layd down their liues in defense of the Doctrin of this one Church than suffered for Christ whilst the Apostles preach't to the world You hint some thing at miracles like one half affraid to meddle with such Motiues and say these wonders proue the truth of Apostolical Doctrin Pray you Sr Answer When you plead by miracles Doe you only allow those which Scripture relates or others By what miracles Sectaries plead also known by History and humane Authority If you rely on the first you suppose what now is in Question Viz. That Scripture is infallible and of Diuine inspiration If you own miracles registred in Ecclesiastical history and the liues of Saints you haue as I now said of Martyrs à greater number wrought in the Roman Catholick Church in the ages after Christ than were done whilst he and his Apostles liued Slight such à Cloud of witnesses as attest these later wonders and speak no more as you doe of any certainty grounded vpon the report of honest men Own them vpon humane authority as morally indubitable and you proue by virtue of these Miracles that the Doctrin of the Catholick Church is still Apostolical and Orthodox 12. Now here by the way I must lay open your fallacy A dilemma which forceth Sectaries to à vicious Circle when you recurr to miracles recounted in Scripture only and reiect others wrought by the Church Thus I argue Either you suppose and belieue the Doctrin of Scripture to be Diuine because you find the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles recorded there and propose these as the first Motiue and inducement of your belieuing Scripture or independently of Scripture Miracles you proue the Doctrin to be Diuine yea and the very miracles recounted there to be indited by the Holy Ghost If you belieue the Diuinity of Scripture induced therevnto by Miracles related in that Holy book you aduance nothing for all you say is that you proue Scripture Diuine because it recounts these wonders which are as obscure to à Heathen as the Diuinity or the sacred Doctrin of Scripture is Therefore you make à most vicious Circle for you proue the Diuinity of Scripture by Miracles internal to the book and the Miracles themselues not otherwise known by the Diuinity of Scripture Now if you say you know the Scriptures Diuinity antecedently or before you recurr to Miracles related there Scripture-Miracles are vseles to your purpose for if the supposition stand They are yet no more but obiects of Faith and therefore cannot serue you as motiues and inducements to belieue that very Diuinity which is now supposed known aliunde and most sufficiently without them 13. One may ask if God had neuer done any other Miracles but such as Scripture relates whether these are not sufficient to work belief in all The Heathen answers negatiuely and makes them insufficient because Scripture is not proued Miracles related in Scripture Conuince not à Heathen Diuine by them And all may answer so if Scripture be not otherwise first proued Diuine before we haue recourse to miracles internal to the book Howeuer admit gratis they were sufficient the most you can inferr is That the Primitiue Church which shewed them was Orthodox but whether any other Church yet preserues the same pure Doctrin may bee well questioned by à Heathen And here in passing you may note à singular Prouidence of God who age after age has illustrated his Church with most manifest and vndoubted miracles whereof more largely hereafter Disc 2. C. 8. 14. You say lastly That which God chiefly requires from à Heathen is the belief of the Truth and Diuinity of his Doctrin He answers he is ready to do so when you proue the Doctrin to be Diuinely inspired and infallible But hitherto you handle things so faintly that though the matter you treat be excellent in it self yet your proofs most disatisfactory come not home to conuince it Your mishap is iust like that of an ill lawyer who has à good cause in hand but knowes not how to handle it Your whole Method is vnmethodical your proofs prooflesse your iumbling most intolerable In à word you giue no rational A Good Cause ill handled by Mr Stillingfleet account of the reasonableness of the Truth of the Diuinity or of the infallibility of Christs Doctrin Therefore saith the Heathen I 'le suspend my iudgement till I meet with à more knowing Aduersary who I hope will not proue Truth by simply saying he speaks it but Conuince it vpon vndeniable Principles 15. But our Heathen hath not yet done with Mr Stilling for he saith plainly Though all the proofs hitherto hinted at might pass or were supposed valid yet there is not one word spoken to the purpose in behalf of Protestancy If you wonder at the bold Assertion ponder well his reason You Mr Stilling haue treated all this while of the excellency and reasonablenes of Christian Religion considered no man knowes how Pray you lurk not in such General terms but tell me particularly what Christian Religion is thus good excellent and reasonable If good and excellent it must be now found in the world Is it Arianism Pelagianism Donatism Quakerism These sects profess Christianity Are they all excellent and reasonable Affirm it openly if you dare Perhaps you will say no. Is it Popery By no means For may your word be taken it mantains false Our Aduersary Cannot say which à mong so many Religions is excellent and reasonable and erroneous Doctrin and that 's neither excellent nor reasonable Is it Protestancy Yes surely This is the excellent and reasonable Religion And is it possible Can you perswade your self without further proof than your own prooflesse word that the perfect draught or Idea of Christianity lies so fair
in the new Nothing of à few iarring Protestants which all other Christians in the world decry as false and improbable Can you think that à foul-mouthed Fryar as euer liued and à Nunn sacrilegiously coupled together layd the first foundation of this excellent and reasonable Christian Religion Speak out and tell vs what you iudge or hereafter leaue of to vent such improbable Paradoxes I speak of à Religion now extant in the world or known 4. hundred years agone to preuent your wonted subterfuge of running vp to the Primitiue Church à most vnreasonable plea when you cannot say probably what that Church taught but only by the Tradition of the present which you most causlesly and vnworthily reiect But hereof wee haue said enough in the other Treatise Perhaps you 'l reply You defend that Church which hold's Doctrin agreable to Scripture I marry Sir but where shall we find it out Amongst you They own on vn known Church Protestants think yee when you know not probably the sense of scripture in one only controuerted Text much less so fully as excludes à possibility of doubting nor shall you euer know whilst you own à sense Contrary to the Roman Catholick Church as is already proued CHAP. X. The first and easiest way to find out true Religion is not by Scripture only though all Christians had moral certainty of the right Canon and sense also which is to say the meer owning Christs Doctrin is insufficient to proue it to all sort of People 1. THe Assertion may seem strange had we not an euident proof at hand and t' is thus The Iewes Turks and Pagans although all Christians now and euer agreed in some chief verities concerning Christian Religion as that Iesus is our Redeemer reiect the Doctrin as fals and foolish 1. Cor. 1. u. 23. We preach Christ Crucified à scandal to the Iewes and à foolery to the Gentils Whereby you may well learn how enormously Mr Stillingfleet erred aboue when he told vs that the meer excellency and reasonableness of Christian Religion carries with it its own proof Our Assertion is contrary and grounded vpon this The proof of our Assertion opposite to Mr. stillingfleet Principle The Mysteries of Christian Doctrin considered in themselues transcend all humane Capacity and as the Apostle saith scandalize weak reason Therefore the Mysteries meerly laid forth to à Iew or Gentile are no conuiction because they are aboue the reason of the very best Belieuers Now if you say they ought first to be belieued by faith without any preuious inducement This is the worst of fooleries for none of the Primitiue Christians so much as belieued Christ or admitted Apostolical Doctrin without rendring first some satisfactory reason distinct from their faith why they reiected the ancient Sinagogue and assented to that then new preach't learning Some preuious light therefore distinct from these abstruse Mysteries which God laies before the eye of humane reason induceth all whether Iewes or Gentils to the true belief of Christianity and Consequently the meer supposed verity of the Doctrin only dark in it self is no absolute mark or first self euident Principle The rerity of Christ's Doctrin no selfe Euidence whereby we are immediatly moued to belieue such high secrets Pray you tell me should any one goe amongst some vnciuilised People who either haue heard nothing or very little of Christ and only relate the story of his sacred Birth in à poor stable of his obscure life from the 12 th year of his age till he began to preach c. Would such Barbarians think yee assent to these strange things either by the force of humane reason or Diuine Faith without further proof or motiue to make all good No certainly Yet all is true and very true yea and most reasonable but the verity alone is insufficient to perswade any that 't is true 2. From this short discourse whereof more in the second part these vndeniable inferences follow 1. That Sectaries assert they know not what when they make the true Preaching of the Gospel and right vse of Sacraments to be marks of the true Church For the true Church be it where you will hath euer its marks antecedently supposed to the true preaching of the word which marks first manifest that mystical body at least in à general way as I shall presently declare and thus known by à natural euidence she proposeth the Mysteries we belieue Here The Church is known by her marks before we belieue is the reason à priori of my Assertion That which is the first obiect of our Faith cannot be the first obiect of our knowledge the Mysteries of our belief layd forth by the preaching of Gods word are the first obiects of Faith for these we belieue and as belieued they are obscure therefore they cannot be the first obiects of knowledge if we speak strictly of knowledge or marks preuiously inducing reason to belieue Whence it is that reason hath its euidence or prudent inducements laid forth vpon other extrinsical Principles before we belieue Belief therefore whether you take it for the obiect assented to or the act wee assent by being as I said obscure can be no mark to it self or to the true Church we belieue in for à mark is euer more known than that obiect is whereof it is à mark or which is pointed at 3. Some perhaps will say The Church is vsually defined An Assembly of those who profess the true Doctrin of Christ therefore An Obiection true Doctrin most essential to the Church must necessarily be known before we know the total essence of the Church Ergo true Doctrin or the preaching of the word is à mark whereby we first find out the Church and consequently the Church marked with euident clear motiues is no inducement to belieue true Doctrin The Argument is an euident fallacy First because the Illiterate and simple Christians belieue in the Church and haue faith sufficient to saluation though they neuer arriue to an explicit Briefly solued belief of euery particular Doctrin taught by it 2. They either explicitly belieue all these particular Doctrins by Faith and this is impossible because all of them were neuer proposed explicitly or know them ex terminis to be Diuine Truths by humane reason when they are proposed and this is most vntrue For who can say that this truth Christ is God and consubstantial with his Father is à verity more known ex terminis by humane reason than the contrary errour of the Arians is You see therefore the obiection is forceles For as one who reades Aristotle or Plato knowes what is said or the substance of the Doctrin by the sense of their words yet remains ignorant whether it be true or fals without further reasoning and inspection so à Gentil that reads our Christian Doctrin in the bible may know much of its sense or what is said yet he must both discourse and reason well before
of Faith And the Protestants to Fewer Our more numerous Articles ouer and aboue His fundamentals He calls opinions Holds vnprincipled And hopes to settle his fewer articles or the Essence of his Religion vpon Excellent solid Grounds 3. Hence it followes that all Controuersies hitherto agitated between vs come to no more but to à slight skirmishing about different opinions only For we and they agree in the Essence of Religion Vnlucky opinions surely Cries the Sectary and He would seem to sigh as deeply as we But has not felt so much Smart which haue caused endles Broiles strange confusion and à Shameful Schism in the Christian world Thus much I conceiue some later men who expresly teach the Doctrin would haue vs learn And because it is à new inuented way of defending this falling Protestancy I hold my self obliged First to discouer the whole fallacy of the discourse Next to shew how Protestants themselues put an end to all Controuersies This done the Obiection is soon answered 4. The fallacy lies here That Protestancy is supposed to haue an Essence when really it has none but is wholy made vp of worse then false opinions The false Supposition stands gloriously in Mr Stillingfleets empty Title A rational Account of the The fallacy discouered grounds of Protestant Religion The man surely imagins Protestancy to be à Religion which implies an Essence yea and grounded too I say the contrary it has no Essence and consequently No grounds To proue my Assertion Doe no more but cast out of Protestancy all the Negatiues it has which confessedly are no Essentials And next fix your thoughts on the little which remain's And is called Protestancy You will see the Essence after these Negatiues are gone dwindle to nothing Most surely this is not its Essence To belieue these Negatiues pious opinions or inferiour Truths For if God neuer reuealed the Negatiues He neuer reuealed to any That the Belief of their supposed piety constitutes the Essence of Protestancy An other Essence Therefore must be found out if it haue any And may be it is this Belieue the Creeds or à Doctrin common to all Christians our Aduersaries hint at both and you haue the whole Essence of this Religion Yea and Faith enough to attain Saluation And thus they reduce their Faith to fewer Articles than we doe I might Say à word in passing And reduce all true Christian Faith to à shorter compendium viz. To one only Article of The Apostles Creed I belieue the holy Catholick Church That is who euer own 's the true Church of Christ and firmly adheres to all She teaches An other Sectarian pretence of belieuing the Creeds after à due Proposal made of her Articles And dies in that Faith such à man iointly belieues both the Church and Creeds also But if he run away with one half only or Talk of Creeds as Sectaries doe without à Church And exclude from His Belief that Church which approues the Creeds He separates that which cannot be separated And is à Self-chuser In à word he neither belieues Church nor Creeds And consequently has no Christian Faith 5. Hence I say This very Assertion I belieue the Creeds iâ— the sense of Sectaries now explicated is so far from being à Principled Truth That it is no more but an Errour or à proofles Protestant Opinion As bad or worse as any of the Negatiues are If therefore they make it an Essential Article of Protestancy Wee press them according to their promise to giue à rational Account of it before God and man And here our Queries aboue come in again Haue you Gentlemen any Diuine Reuelation That this half Faith of belieuing Creeds after your bold receding from the Church is so sufficient for your Saluation and mine That more is not required Did euer Orthodox Church expresly teach this to be sufficient Did euer ancient Council define so or vniuersal Tradition deliuer the Doctrin Speak plainly plead by all or any one of these Principles And I haue done But 't is impossible Perhaps you will say All Antiquity and the Fathers likewise highly commend the Apostles Creed as à short Abridgment of our Christan Faith Answ So doe we as highly But know there are different Lections of it whereof you may read in your own Doctor Vshers Diatriâ—a De Symbolis London Print 1647. Sent to his friend Ioannes Vossius We know again may Credit begiuen to S. Hierome Epist 61. Ad Pammach That this Creed was not writ in Charta atramento but in tabulis Cordis And Therefore we must trust to Tradition for the best Lection All other Creeds euen that ascribed to S. Athanasius A Graecis interpolatum dressed vp à new by the Greeks Saith Dr Vsher The Church either made or has approued If then I must build my faith on these Creeds I cannot diuorce it from the Church For Propter quod vnumquodque tale est illud magis tale If I belieue my Creeds much more must I belieue the Church which either made or Authorised them 6. In à word here is all we demand And If Sectaries can Answer they speak to the purpose Let them but name any The Beliefâ— of Creeds and the Church inseparable Orthodox Council Nay one ancient Father that saies Faith is then fully and sufficiently Catholick if one belieues the Creeds Though at that very time He pertinaciously reiect's the present Church we liue in Or will not hear that Doctrin which She teaches aboue The express Doctrin deliuered in the Creeds Let him I say do thus much And he speaks to the purpose But it cannot be done Because both the Ancient and modern Church condemn's all who slight Her Doctrin though not expresly contained in the Creed In this opposition therefore That which the Sectary would make the Essence of his Religion is only his false opinion and in real truth hath neither Moral certainty nor so much as Probability As is already proued He may reply All he pretend's is That the Creeds compleatly contain Matter enough of Christian belief To Add more is vnnecessary And Saies withall Hee slights not that Ancient Church which either composed or approued the Ancient Creeds but blames the Later Church which hath turned meer Opinions into Articles of faith And imposed them on Christians to belieue Answ These men it seems will hold on to be vnlucky in All They say We are now inquiring after that Doctrin which essentially Constitutes Protestancy And here they obtrude vpon vs their Protestant Opinions for Answer 7. To assert Therefore First that the Ancient Creeds explicitly contain Matter enough of Christian Belief is à Protestant False Opinions supposed the Essence of Protestancy opinion only largely refuted by our learned Writers See the other Treatise Discourse 3. C. 5. To assert that the Church in after ages added Vnnecessaries aboue the explicite Doctrin contained in the Apostles Creed Impugn's the most Ancient Councils of the Christian world And is no more
enough to make him one These Inferences seem euident if not I petition Mr Stillingfleet to discouer where the fallacy lies 12. Now on the other side if such à man as belieues his Prouing what is intended against Sectaries Creeds the Roman Catholick Church And all the Articles She teaches iust as I belieue them be notwithstanding essentially Protestant still He is both Protestant and Catholick together Catholick He is whilst He Assents to all without Reserue which the Roman Church teaches And he is also Protestant for He belieues his Creeds And what euer our new men require as essential to their Religion Wherefore vnless The not-belieuing their Negatiues or his submiss yeilding to our Positiue Contrary Doctrins destroy that essential Faith of his Creeds which is impossible He is in these Principles both at once Catholique and Protestant 13. And thus you see How Our new men end Controuersies For now in their Principles There is no more quarrel about Religion The whole contest being purely brought to this whether Party Opines more securely iust as the Thomists and Scotists worthy learned Catholicks dispute whether Schoole teaches the better Opinions Though if the Supposition stand it will be difficult to find out disputable Opinions between vs. what our Aduersary iâ— obliged to 14. Be it how you will Mr Stillingfleet must of necessity change his Tittle The grounds of Protestant Religion For now Protestancy with him consists with Popery or rather is Popery And Popery If we speak of Religion is consistent with Protestancy The Essence and grounds of the one and the other cannot but be the same if which is euer to be noted Protestancy as Protestancy hath not one true essential Article of Orthodox Faith peculiar to it selfe For hauing none The Abettors of it must either bee Catholicks or Profess no Religion 15. And here by the way you may note the difference between vs. As the Catholick own 's all which the Church defines to be de Fide And necessary to Saluation So contrariwise the Protestant own 's nothing within the compass of His Articles to be de Fide or in like manner necessary For both He and I may boldly renounce what euer he hold's as Protestant without danger of loseing our Souls And hence it is that Opinions only and false ones too essentially constitute this whole Religion I speak here of Articles proper to Protestancy For to belieue the Creeds the four General Councils to Assert that the Sacraments giue grace to the worthy Receiuer that Faith and repentance are necessary or what els can be thought of as Matter of Diuine Faith All I say and euery one Constitute the essence of Catholick Religion and are known Doctrins of the Roman Orthodox Church in so much that the Protestant has no proper Special or peculiar Tenet of Religion left him at all which is true to propugn And for this reason He is obliged hereafter Iure humano Diuino to write no more Controuersies of Religion wanting Matter to write of And no less obligation lies on him to leaue off all further quarrelling in behalf of his improbable Opinions I would willingly see this plain discourse answered 16. Some perhaps not penetrating the force of it may A weak reply answered Reply The old strife is now on foot again For as we call the particular Tenets of Protestants Opinions and improbable also So they in like manner say All that the Catholick Church maintains aboue the Common Doctrin of Christians or the Articles of the Creeds c are only Church-Opinions as improbable as Theirs The Doctrin of Transubstantiation seem's as improbable to them as No-Transubstantiation to vs. Inuocation of Saints more improbable than not to trouble Those blessed Spirits with our Prayers c. Answ The reply setled vpon no Foundation is more than simple For either these men Cauil because we call their Negatiue Articles Opinions or Term them improbable Opinions Sectaries themselues call them Opinions that 's vnexceptionably plain Though they know well that the Church neuer speak's so meanly of her contrary Positiue Doctrins The only difficulty remaining is whether they are improbable or no And this stands most clearly euidenced already vpon an vndeniable Principle viz. That when Luther first broached them They were opposite to the whole Orthodox world And for that cause were then as improbable and Heteroclite as one Rebels vote is against à whole Kingdome or as Arianism was against the Vniuersal Church Now since that time they haue gained no more Probability than Arianism And so the old Improbability still clings to them And for this reason the Sectary is to find out à Catholick Church which defended his Negatiues or any one specifical Tenet of Protestancy as Ancient or reputed as Orthodox as our Church then was or is now Thus much done we will allow more to his Opinions than Probability But to doe it is Impossible 17. Thus the first part of the Obiection aboue is solued who are to proue the Protestants Negatiues To That is added of our pressing Sectaries to proue their Negatiues by plain Scripture I answer we iustly exact so much proof of Mr Rogers and his Complices the greater part of Protestants I think who hold them Articles of Faith These are to produce their Scriptures And only vrge Doctor Bramhal and Mr Stillingfleet that call them inferiour truths or pious Opinions to settle these Negatiues or any Tenet of pure Protestancy vpon so much as any thing like à Probable Principle And here we expect their last Propositio quâ—escens for Probability But this cannot be giuen whilst we know The true Church of Christ decries them as improbable and Heretical errours 18. It is very true and that 's next obiected Catholicks haue opinions in schools differently Principled from Articles of Faith but t' is nothing to the purpose when the diffecence betwixt these and our Sectaries Tenents is that Catholick opinions if How Catholick Opinions differ Protestancy probable are euer reduced to probable grounds our Sectaries opinions contrary to the voice and iudgement of à whole Church can haue no such foundation And for this cause we iustly impugn them not as False Opinions only but as Heresies Now to the last Plea of Sectaries making fewer Articles of Faith than the Church doth The Answer is easy It belongs not to them God knowes wholly vnknown to the world one Age past To giue vs now à right measure of Faith The attempt is no less vain than prodigiously bold But Say on How will they Abbreuiate By what Rule By what law By their improbable opinions Here is all Well therefore may they Lament these vnlucky Opinions which haue ruined many à poor Soul and giuen infinit Scandal to the Christian world Vae homini illi per quem Scandalum venit CHAP. XXI Protestants granting Saluation to Catholicks by à clear inference drawn from their Concession end Controuersies of Religion VVhat force their concession hath VVhy they
here and there he seem's to me à little obscure yea to build with one hand and to Pull down with the other How euer by what is clear we haue enough and may well refute his Errours 15. Page 19. In the Book now cited He takes leaue to blame all those who declare in behalf of the Protestant Church that it depart's or Separat's from the Church of Rome For Saith he seeing it hath bin granted in and by this Church euer since the Reformation that there is and alwayes was saluation to be had in the Church of Rome as à true Church though corrupted I am very confident that no Church can Separate from the Church of Rome but they must make Themselues thereby Schismaticks before God I grant 1. Such are Schismaticks as leaue this Church I grant 2. Saluation was and will euer be had in this Church Yet say 3. It is Calumny yea à plain Contradiction to grant Saluation attainable in this Church and to impeach Her of Errour or corrupted Do rin The Calumny Church Motiues either proue that Oracle pure in all She teaches or in Nothing is vnquestionable because the Marks the signes and exteriour Euidence of our Church already insisted on either proue her Gods Oracle as sound and faithful in all She teaches as the Primitiue Church was or conuince nothing What then can these Aduersaries ayme at Will they grant Her no less illvstrious in Marks and Motiues which induce to faith than the Apostical Church was and yet make Her à Monster à harlot and prefidiously false in proposing Faith Haue so many learned Doctors Age after Age taught Her Doctrin so many Martyts shed their blood In defense of it so many Saints wrought glorious Miracles to confirm it and after all can it vpon no proof but vpon à vain and most vniust Supposition be called false and vnorthodox Nothing can be more extrauagant You must therefore either deny the Euidence we plead by which is vndeniable or own this Church entirely sound in euery Doctrin proposed as Faith Whence it is that when Iewes Gentils and Hereticks conuert themselues to Catholick Religion drawn thervnto by the light of euident Motiues they frankly belieue no Part but all Church Doctrin without Exception And the Reason of belieuing thus Wholly and not The Reason of belieuing entirely and not by halfes by halfs is giuen aboue C. 5. 6. where we Demonstrate that if the Roman Catholick Church has erred in the proposal but of one Point of Faith and obliged Christians to belieue that vnder pain of Damnation She is not only traiterous to Christ and therefore can be belieued in nothing But moreouer at this present day there is no true Faith professed in the Christian world Contrarywise if She be true and vnerrable in all teaches She is to be belieued in euery Article without reserue 16. Now to the double Contradiction in the words alleged It is granted Saith Mr. Thorndicke that there is and alwayes was Saluation to be had in the Church of Rome as à true Church though corrupted I Answer this is implicatory For if true She is not corrupted in Doctrin or if corrupted in Doctrin She is not true Vnless one makes by meer fancy à Chimera of the Catholick Church and sayes à true Church may be corrupted which is impossible for truth excludes corruption Therefore no Orthodox Christian euer owned à Church partly true partly false You Sr say 2. Saluation may be had in this Church Very good Ergo Her Faith is sound able to produce The Contradiction euinced against this Author in euery soul Repentance the loue and fear of God and what euer els is necessary to acquire Heauen Or if it want this Essential Perfection and bring not men to à security of Saluation it is no Faith at all and consequently Catholicks must be damned for want of diuine Faith hauing no true Church to belieue in See more Disc 1. C. 21. n. 7. Finally wheras you Assert No Church can Separate from the Church of Rome but they must make themselues thereby Schismatieks before God The Inference Sr is true but most clear against your Selfe And proues that both you and the Protestant Party are Schismaticks before God and man too For this matter of Fact Viz. That you Separated from Protestants proued Schismaticks and rebelled against the Roman Catholick Church is as euident as That England once Catholick communicated with Rome in Points of Faith in the vse of Rites Liturgies Sacraments And afterward diuorced it self from that Communion Reply or tell vs you had cause to do so and so far only receded from this Church as She receded from Her Ancient purity You make again à false Supposition your Proof your self Iudge in à cause you haue nothing to doe with And the louely Spouse of Christ loyal and perfidious Chast and à harlot with one breath 17. Yet one word more You say the Church of Rome is à true Church wherin Saluation is had though corrupted One clear Inference against Mr Thorndick Hence I Argue Either you in England are now at this instant separated from this Church as it is True or not If separated from it as true the Reformation belongs to you only you are to cancel your own Errours according to the form of Doctrin in our Church for She if true is so far pure that she cannot be reformed And thus much you seem to grant P. 33. It is out of loue to the Reformation that I insist vpon such à Principle as may serue to re-vnite vs with the Church of Rome being well assured that we can neuer be well reunited with our Selues otherwise That not only the Reformation but the common Christianity must needs beâ—lost in the Diuisions which which will neuer haue an end otherwise What is this to say but to wish the English Church reformed by the Roman Catholick Therefore something if these quoted words bear sense is amiss not in the Roman but in the English Church which needs Reformation Now on the other side if you say the Roman Catholick was and is à true Church Another Inference as clear and that the English also is altogether as true as she or hath not separated from the Roman in matter of true Doctrin it followes ineuitably if the Supposition hold's that neither of them needs Reformation in matter of Truth for here we speak not of Rites and Ceremonies which are alterable To what purpose then is it to talk of reforming either Church in point of Truth when both are Supposed so true that neither can be reformed nor differ if true in faith from one another 18. Perhaps you may yea and must reply if your Discourse haue sense Though they are true in Doctrins called fundamental yet both haue their lesser corruptions and these need Reformation This is all that can be Asserted For if both are false in fundamentals neither of them at this day is the Orthodox
done which will neuer be I am confident His Extract or what is required of Mr Thorndick Draught would appear so imperfect and mishapen à Business in the iudgement of Catholicks and Protestants also That as the one Party cannot but look on it with disdain so the other would reiect it as vnworthy Acceptance 22. Besides would it not seem à new wonder to Strangers abroad Yea and as ridiculous as wonderful were rhey told that after so much labour spent about reforming Religion in England we haue yet at present à thoughtful Gentleman there that 's very busy in Setting forth the last and best Edition of Protestancy Reformed which perhaps may proue worse than any other gon before Naught it must needs be for this Reason That the means he would reform by has no Proportion with the designed End For by A New◠Reformer of Religion in these old dayes of the world the light of à few dead Manuscripts written 14. or 15. Ages Since He offer 's now to amend all the Churches in the world though the very sense of these Writings which must be the Rule of his Reformation is neither well known to Himselfe nor yet agreed on by those dissenting Churches he would reform What think ye Were this sense yet to be learned the want whereof causes endles Errours among Sectaries would not common Prudence rather take it from à liuing Oracle which has taught the world time out of mind than from à late Nouellist that Professes himself fallible and Therefore may most easily Misinterpret would appear ridiculous to all the best Records This liuing Oracle at least promises infallibility Which Shall be proued presently And therefore is à Surer Principle to rely on Then The Fathers Sentences long Since Written whilst Sectaries make Their sense and true meaning à Matter of Contest 23. Yet one word more and I end Mr Thorndick will Reform the present Roman Church Corrupted by the Primitiue supposed pure for the first 4. or 5. Ages I must needs demand first whether that Primitiue Church the Rule of his Reformation Questions proposed to our Aduersary was infallible and pure in those pretended fundamentals only necessary to Saluation though not in other Doctrins of lesser Moment Or. 2. Whether She because fallible as much needed Reformation in smaller Matters not called fundamental as this present Church is supposed to need Or. 3. Whether She was so entirely pure in euery doctrin little and great that She could not be brought to more Purity or be better Reformed Grant the first viz. That the Primitiue Church was vnerrable and pure in fundamentals only not in others The present Roman Church is as good as She was For our Aduersary own 's Her à true Church wherein Saluation may be had and thus far She needs no reforming Grant 2. that both these Churches because fallible might erre and perhaps haue erred in lesser Matters not named fundamental The Primitiue can be no Rule of Reformation to the present Church because that Primitiue is alike err 〈…〉 alike reformable And for ought men know as much out of the way of truth in Non-fundamentals as the present Church is Therefore I said aboue if the blind cannot lead the blind à Church wanting Reformation cannot reform another sick of the same malady 24. If finally it be Said the Primitiue Church was so infallible so pure euery way both in great and little Matters that She could not be more reformed in the first 5. Centuries for example We haue à Church once entirely pure And then vrge our Herein Satisfaction is most required Aduersary not barely to say it But to proue vpon indubitable Principles Scriptures Fathers or the General Consent of Christians that She continued not wholly as pure in the sixt seuenth or eight Age and so downward to our dayes as She was before To shew à Deficiency in this Church once confessedly true in after Ages will be more than an Herculian labour when it is demonstratiuely euidenced aboue That nothing but à Church equally as Ancient as Vniuersal and glorious in Miracles as the Roman is can probably impeach Her of the least Corruption Mr Thorndicks Mistake is that he makes as Sectaries vsually do à false Supposition his Proof He supposes A supposition made à Proof our Church corrupted in Doctrin and then will amend it according to his fancy by the Primitiue whereas he knowes or ought to know that we Catholicks deny His Supposition and say both are vnerrable and withall Assert that no Authority on earth can better inform vs of the Primitiue Doctrin than the present Roman Church which hath successiuely handed it to vs Age after Age. Howeuer to take away all ambiguity and further Dispute in this Matter you haue next three following Chapters which I hope will giue Satisfaction to the rational Reader More shall be added hereafter CHAP. XIV VVhether there be à Church of one Denomination infallible not only in Matters miscalled Fundamental but in all and euery Doctrin She Proposes and Obliges Christians to belieue as Faith 1. AS the Answer to the Question aym's at à clear and easy way of ending Controuersies Concerning Religion So the following Discourse tend's to settle one great truth in the minds of euery one viz. That both the Ancient and present Roman Catholick Church is not only infallible But that the what we intend to proue Aduersaries of Her infallibility destroy the very Essence of Christian Religion And deseruedly merit vpon that Account The name of Schismaticks and Heretiques also 2. To make good what 's now Asserted à few Postulata or Principles must be premised One is That Church which Promises and proues Herselfe infallible in Doctrin doth not only Vpon these following Principles facilitate but giues also absolute Security to Faith For such à Church Participat's most and comes neerest to that first Diuine Apostolical Spirit which confessedly was infallible 3. A. ◠Principle Whereas nothing hath or ought to haue à stronger Influence ouer the minds of men than Religion So nothing can discountenance it more than à stedfast Perswasion of its Fallibility and Consequently of it 's easily being False This Perswasion Cut's of all Christian Assurance and driues men to so cold an Indifference of embracing this or that Religion That it much import's not which to take to any or none 4. A. 3. Principle The means or influence whereby Christ preserues his Church infallible needs not to be explicated by any Supernatural quality personally inhering in the Teaching Representatiue or intrinsecally eleuating the conuened Prelates to à State of Infallibility for t' is enough that the safe Conduct of Almighty God who is alwaies vigilant and Assists by his exteriour Protection so secures the Church from errour that She neither What the Churches Infallibility requires can be misled when She teaches nor mislead others Yet I deny not but that an interiour Motion of Grace may be yea and often
She euer holdâ— Idem Epist. ad Corne. She is à pure Virgin in Faith and cannot be deceiued or seduced nor ouercome with any Violence being vpheld by Her Virginal integrity Fulgent Epist ad Probum Cap. 5. Her Faâ—â— is inuincible euen to the Powers of Hell Euseb Caesar Praepar E 〈…〉 g. â—ib 1. C. 3. If any fear to be deceiued by the obscurity of à Question let him Consult that Church concerning it which the Scripture Demonstrat's without any ambiguity S. Austin lib. Contra Crescon C. 33. What think ye Is not the Churches Immunity from Errour clearly established No say Sectaries For though we cannot confront these Passages of Scripture and Fathers with others as significant for our Plea of Fallibility Yet we do and must deny Their plain Sense We do and must say The Roman Church has been adulterated otherwise we are Schismatic'ks We must Sectaries deny all or must own themselues Schismatiks say that though once pure She lost what she had receiued And therefore is now no Virgin but à Harlot VVe must Say Her Faith is Vincible That it is not safe to consult Her in dubious Matters for She can return no better Answer than what is fallible and may be false Thus Sectaries 12. Hence it followes first That our great supposed Representatiue made vp of Protestants Catholicks and all other called Christians stand 's without redress in an open Rebellion in à publick Hostility with it Self And consequently taken in its whole Latitude is not Christ's Church Because the Church of Christ is essentially founded in Vnity This supposed Representatiue torn as you see in pieces with intestine Diuisions is not one And therefore most desolate For Omne regnum diuisum in se desolabitur And here by the way I take leaue to tell Sectaries T' is but Folly to talk as They doe of à Catholick Church wider than the Roman Or of à lawful Representatiue possibly to be conuened in Vnity out of the Body of all named Christians For as such à Church considered Two Mistakes of Sestaries in the largest Extent which stands diuided in Faith is not Orthodox So such an assembled Council made vp of so many iarring Belieuers considered vnder that notion of Hostility and Rebellion can be no legitimate Council The reason is Christ neuer owned à Church professing more Faiths than one nor lawful Councils consisting of other Members than Orthodox Christians You will then say Hereticks are not to What Hereticks haue to doe in Councils â—e admitted into Councils lawfully called I Answer they are admitted but how Freely to dispute not to Teach to propose difficulties but not to Regulate Faith to acquiese in the Churches Definitions but not to define remaining Hereticks 13. You see 2. That à Church fallible in Her Definitions concerning Faith vainly attempt's to reclaim Infidels and Hereticks from their Errours Wherefore the Nicene Fathers Condemnation of Arius might haue been iustly excepted against and pleaded reuersable vpon this ground That what they defined because fallible might be as far from Truth as the very Errours they Censured and defined against Nay I say more If that Council was then fallible it lies yet at the mercy not only of Arians but of all Christians at this day to admit or reiect the Nicene Censure or rather if Prudence haue place to suspend Strange sequels if the Church be fallible their Iudgements and say no man knowes what to belieue Into such darkness vpon such Hazard and indifferency Christians are cast if God's Church or that Council could err One instance may giue you some light 14. Imagin à Heathen at that time when Arianism seemed prosperous and carried much vogue in the East well inclined to embrace Christian Religion VVithall Suppose the man firmly setled in this Iudgement That Catholick Religion much resembling Arianism was so fallible that both the one and other might be false Say I beseech you How indifferent would this Iudgement haue made the Heathen to either Religion Nay would it not had interest swayed neuer so little haue drawn him more to Arianism Yes most assuredly For thus he might haue discoursed and prudently VVhat they call Catholick Religion How the Heathâ—n discourses and Arianism are much alike both fallible both may be false My Interest now when Arianism flourishes carries me thither T' is true I meet there with fallible Doctrin which may be false God knowes how things are but the mischief is I can find no better amongst Catholicks nor in any other Society of Christians Now if all I can learn be no better but fallible and perhaps false Doctrin too I may as well learn that from the Arians as from Catholicks or rather ought to suspect all Christian Religion of Errour because none of that Profession And Concludes against à fallible Religion can assure me infallibly what God has Said But such Doctors saith the Heathen who may as easily teach me to iniure an Infinit Verity and ascribe that to God he neuer reuealed as lead me to acquiesce in his reuealed truths were any such truths in being deserue no Credit Therefore I neither can nor will belieue any thing 15. Before we make à further Step to one or two Propositions which decide this Controuersy à few difficulties are to be cleared against the precedent Discourse One is Hostility ceases in the ample Council now mentioned would all which is easy Agree in one Truth That Christs Church is infallible in Fundamentals only or fundamentals simply necessary to Saluation Answ This is to say If that were done which neuer was nor can be done à Reunion followes Alas it is not yet agreed on by all nor euer will be vnless some quit their Errours One obiection answered which and where Christs true Church is It is not yet nor can be agreed on How many or few these fundamentals are For though Catholicks and Protestants Vnite in à belief of the Trinity and call that à Fundamental Article The Arians stand out and Hostility ceases not but encreases by the Sectaries Means oppose both The means then here thought of is so far from establishing Vnion that it increases Diuision And so it will euer fall out whilst à Church of one Denomination is not acknowledged infallible in euery Doctrin She teaches and obliges Christians to belieue vnder pain of Damnation Se more hereof aboue Chap. 5. n. 5. 16. A. 2. Obiection Dissentions in Councils witness those at Basil and Florence or the Access of Hereticks cannot lessen their Power or Anull their Definitions Therefore our Plea taken from the Hostility in à most ample Council Euinces nothing Answ I grant the Antecedent and say Though Heretiques and dissenting Christians meet together yea Though some too busily aduance opinions dissonant to truth and Orthodox Doctrin Yet God's gracious and watchful Prouidence which drawes good out of Euil And often conuert's War into Peace will with all Assurance effect that such Ã
Contradictions And can any thing like euidence or certainty grow from these contrary Glosses which as Experience teaches breed endles Quarrels 15 Other Principles we haue not any except Mr Stillingfleets Common Reason of Mankind the worst of all for doe we not Scripture Church Fathers and all Principle fail Sectaries se that Hereticks euery where make Themselues and their own Sects most reasonable Where we haue nothing like common Reason but so many different and diuided Sentiments of iarring men dispersed vp and down the world If therefore Scripture Fathers and this Common Reason fail to be Principles our Sectaries Supposition of manifest or Euident falsities in the Church goes beyond all Moderation and implies an Ouerlashing more than intolerable 16. Their vngrounded Mistake lies here That Principles are Supposed at hand or ready at à call to Decide in this case of à Councils Supposed Errour Whereas if both Church and Councils can or do Err There are no such things in being as Principles Topicks Vncertain Topicks no Principles at most or an endles iarring vpon meer Vncettainties lead none to an Euident Discouery of Errours Therefore I sayd right they cannot be known as Euident for want of Principles and if not known as such no Power on earth can amend them Yet good Principles reach thus far at least as to Demonstrate that Protestants grosly Mistake in their Clamours against our Churches errours De facto And here you haue my Principles already hinted at 17. Either these supposed Errours are those vnchristian Tenents mentioned N. 8. And certainly Councils neuer transgressed so enormously as to Define such diuellish Doctrins Or. A Strong Argument against Sectaries 2. They are only Possible false Doctrins which may be Defined if Councils can err but yet are not taught If So All must Say that as it is horrid to condemn à man for à crime he may commit though he neuer did it So it is the highest Iniustice to condemn à whole Church for Falshood's She may teach if fallible though She neuer taught them Nothing then remains but to plead against our Church Doctrin de facto as euidently and intolerably Erroneous and herein we will not spare Sectaries one whit but Vrge them as we doe to speak home in the cause Their Accusation is euident we Press them Again and again to iustify it by Proofs and Principles as euident What must these errours be decryed as Euident and intolerable and can none but Sectaries get so much as à glimpse of the Euidence Away with such fooleries No man can hear them with Patience 18. By what is said already you se that The Doctrin of Protestants Shewes it Selfe as it is not only false but most Inconsequent Sectaries Doctrin in consequent Mark I beseech you the Inconsequence These Nouellists Define the Church to be an Assembly of men who Belieâ—â— and Profess the pure VVord of God But such men find them where you can as belieue and profess the pure Word which is iâ— it Self Infallible are certainly infallible if they Belieue it as God's infallible VVord Therefore they must acknowledge an infallible Moral Body of Christians that Constitutes an infallible Church 19. In Lieu of Doing this They Tear all in Pieces and First Decry the Roman Catholick Church as Errable Yea actually erring Next and this Marr's their own Cause they withall Profess themselues fallible Whereas had any thing like consequent Doctrin entred their Thoughts They should at least haue made â—rotestants infallible being as They Say new commissioned By their own Principles they should hold some Society of men Infallible Doctors sent from God to amend the Churches Errours And belieue it their own Infallibility had they casually laid claim to it would as soon haue been perswaded That 's neuer as now without Probability or any thing like à Principle They endeauour to proue the Roman Catholick Church Fallible But let this pass Thus much I Assert To tell vs on the One side There is an Assembly of men who Belieue the infallible Word of God And on the Other To make all that Teach and Belieue it Fallible liable to False Doctrin is not only to proceed The contrary Doctrin ruins Faith inconsequently but moreouer to Expose Christian Religion to the Scorn of Iewes and Gentils yea quite to ruin Diuine Faith And finally to make vs all Scepticks certain of nothing 20. If it be replyed The Councils and Sectarles with them are at least preserued infallible in things Called the Fundamentals of Faith plainly reuealed in Scripture I vrge them first to giue in their Proofs for this half or partial Infallibility which will be more than ridiculous if once they Appear in paper Again if we are all infallible and secure in à few Fundamentals plainly registred in Scripture to what Purpose do Sectaries keep à coyle about smaller Matters called Vnfundamentals Which are neither intolerable or Considerable because Small Much less can they be Euident Errours so long as à whole Their pretended Euidence of Errours is euidently à Fourb Church defends them as Truths For this Euidence cannot but faile Sectaries or come to nothing whilst the Church and They stand in Contest about it Be it how you will Here without à Iudge we are got into the old Labyrinth again of an endles Dispute which can neuer Produce any thing like Euidence in behalf of Sectaries CHAP. XVIII Two Aduersaries mainly Opposit to True Religion The last and most vrgent Proof of the Churches Infallibility taken from the Necessity the Notion and Nature of true Religion Mr Stillingfleets Obiections found weak and weightles Most of them already Proposed and Dissolued by others A short Reflection made vpon some few â— THere is à Knot of half-witted People who Say though Religion Seem's indeed necessary to Preserue humane Society in peace And to Ouer-awe vnruly Spirits yet the Two Paradoxes maintainâ—e by these half mad men best were any Good is no more but à meer Fiction à forged â—ale in fine an Errour These men make nature Monstruous and must Consequently maintain two vast Paradoxes The one That humane Societies euery were That is All Kingdoms and Common-wealths stand in need of Fiction and Errour to make them happy The Proposition is euident For if peace Tranquility Fiction and foolery can make no man happy and the subduing of vnquiet Spirits be à true necessary Happines to all And these cannot subsist without à fained Religion It is manifest that Fiction Foolery and Errour make theâ— happy which is as much as to Say à Constant Sicknes keep 's the body in health weaknes giues it strength Pain and 〈◊〉 â—ase and refreshment Certainly no less is errour dissoâ—â—â—t to à rational Nature than Sicknes repugnant to health 〈◊〉 to fire or heat to water 2. The second Paradox wholly as bad and clear keeps Parallel with this other It is now supposed that Religion which is nothing els but Fiction necessarily conduceth to the
which only induce to belieue So the Primitiue Christians belieued vpon Christ's A Mistake in the Obiection infallible Testimony and built not their Faith vpon the exteriour Motiues Euident to Sense which meerly considered as Motiues only made his Testimony highly credible to Reason Viz. One Instance which none can boggle at That it was Diuine and infallible For example Some saw Others heard of our sauiours great Miracles of his admirable Sanctity And then discoursed The Man that doth these wonders cannot but be one sent from God It is true he preaches both new and difficult Doctrin to our eares But if he be sent from God we are obliged to Belieue him vpon his word And vpon that Word Their Faith relyed 9. Apply this Instance to the Church you haue all I would Say The Church is euidenced by Miracles Sanctity of life in Millions by Conuersions and the like signal Motiues Here are the Inducements which proue Her Gods Oracle and Clears all the Doctrin highly credible aboue what euer all other Societies called Christians haue Taught Yet our Faith is not built vpon these Motiues considered as Inducements but vpon Her infallible Testimony The Instance now giuen Concerning the most Primitiue Belieuers is so clear That our Aduersaries shall neuer weaken the force of it or shew the least Disparity 10. And thus you se all Mr Stillingfleets talk P. 113 Comes to nothing I desire Saith he to know whether an infallible Assent to the Infallibility of your Church can be grounded on those Motiues of Credibility Answ And I desire to know whether an A Question answered and retorted Infallible Assent to the Apostles Preaching was grounded on those Motiues which the Primitiue Christians saw or heard of before they belieued what you say I 'll say Briefly Many learned Diuines hold the Motiues of Credibility Metaphysically connexed with Gods diuine Testimony speaking by the Church and if that opinion be true the Motiues ground an Infallible Shewed also impertinent Assent but that 's Euidence and no Faith And therefore most impertinent to your following Inference If say you we affirm the Motiues ground an Infallible Assent there can be no imaginable necessity to make the Testimony of our Church infallible in order to Diuine faith For we Catholicks you hope will not deny but that there are at least equal Motiues of Credibility to proue the Diuine Authority of the Scriptures as the infallibility of our Church And if so why may not an Infallible assent be giuen to the Scriptures vpon those Motiues of Credibility as well as to our Churches infallibility Answ A strange kind of Argument 11. First Sir you know or should know Catholicks hold with S. Austin That no certainty can be had of Scripture without Church Authority How then do you say You hope we will not deny c No Motiues as is proued aboue and in the other Treatise also immediatly make Scripture Credible independently of the Churches Tradition No Miracles were euer heard of No Motiues make Scripture euidently credible which proued the book of Ruth admitted by you more Canonical Scripture than that of Iudith which you reiect Did any Martyr euer yet dye in defence of Salomons Canticle that 's Scripture say you and refuse to dye for the Book of Wsdom cast out of your Canon Or was euer any soul sooner conuerted by reading the One than the other These Miracles Sr these Martyrdoms these Conuersions immediatly illustrate the Church and proue not à Part only but Her whole Doctrin to be Independently of Church Authority most Euidently Credible and worthy of belief whilst you se your Signs of Diuinity and no man knowes what imagined motiues in behalf of Scripture as little Euidence the Books you admit as those you reiect That is neither indeed haue any Self-Euidence in them abstracting from Church Authority Your Euidence therefore is à strong fancy and nothing els 12. But admit one had Euident Motiues for the whole Canon or bare letter of Scripture you haue not any so much as probable for the Sense chiefly in Controuerted matters which properly is God's Reuelation without the Churches infallible Interpretation Speak Sr your Conscience plainly What can it auaile you or me to know that the Book we read is God's No Motiues for the Scriptures Sense word Seing innumerable false Religions by peruerse Misinterpretations are drawn from thence if that other Principle Deus â—â— dixit God or Truth it self speaks This and this particular Sense lies in darkness concealed from vs. This Principle then God speak's this Sense being the very vltimate Resoluent and last foundation of Christian Faith must when that Sense is Obscure borrow light from no dark mistaken fallible or doubtful Orade But the bare letter of Scripture is dark and grosly mistaken by Heretiques mans priuate Iudgement is fallible our comparing the Scriptures Passages together is meerly Coniectural and dubious Therefore if the certitude of Faith must rely vpon VVithout the Churches Infallible interpretation what God has spoken I mean the infallible Sense of his sacred word The Oracle which interpret's can be no other but an Infallible Church And here I both Petition and vrge Sectaries to assign any other Surer Ground where vpon Faith can be built seing all confess we are obliged to belieue that Infallible sense chiefly in matters they call Fundamental This Argument alone could we say no more forceth euery rational man to own à Church absolutely infallible in Her exposition of Scripture 13. From whence also it followes first that Mr Stillingfleet much mistakes Himself when he Saith Both sides I hope agree Our Aduersary mistaken that there are sufficient Motiues of Credibility as to the belief of Scriptures I answer There is not one firm Motiue for the true reuealed Sense and this only is Scripture if we exclude Tradition and the infallible Interpretation of Gods Church Bring to light but one and I am satisfyed 14. It followes 2. That that half Tradition owned by Sectaries in order to the conueyance and deliuery of the Books of Scripture leaues them wholly Scriptureles and as Faithles The halfe Tradition for the barc letter as if they had no Bible For it neither grounds faith immediatly because it is not God's Reuelation but the fallible Consent of men Nor can it induce as à Motiue to belieue any one particular Article of Christian Religion without further certitude had from the same Churches infallible Tradition and interpretation Not sufficient concerning that most weighty Point of the Scriptures meaning Reiect therefore this infallible Interpreter All of vs iust like Arians Macedonians Donatists desperatly rely vpon the worst Guides Imaginable our own fallacious and vngouernable fancies and will needs learn of such giddy Teachers the pure interpretation of God's Word These we make our Oracles in lieu of Christs Church and in doing so may easily ascribe to God à Doctrin he disdain's to own and
To lay Faith as low as may be to remoue it from its own Center and fasten it vpon no man knowes what moral ground 's Finally to introduce à new weak and vncouth way of belieuing is the best seruice Mr Stillingfleet can do for God and Christians But Ad rem 9. I Say first Protestants haue no grounds distinct from the Diuine Testimony whereby to discouer any one particular Truth which God has reuealed I proue the Assertion These supposed Grounds are either reduced to the rational Euidence of Christian Religion already refuted as laid forth by Mr Stillingfleet Or to the Doctrin contained in Scripture And this Saith He. Page The Doctrin refuted 170. VVe belieue by Faith vpon à Diuine Testimony which therefore is not the antecedent Reason or ground Why we belieue it For no verity Assented to by Faith can as assented to be the preuious Reason of our Assent or à rational ground iuducing to belieue Therefore we said our Sauiours Miracles belieued by Faith when Rational Inducements to Faith are euer presupposed to Beliefe we read Scripture are not the Inducements to belieue them because an Inducement to Faith is euer presupposed and not inuolued in the Act of belieuing But it is needles to Say more of this For no man in his wits if Questioned by either Iew or Gentil why he belieues the Sacred Trinity can for the last Answer tell him He belieues so because â—e belieues it or because he read's that Mystery in à book called Scripture Now besides these proofles Inducements there are no other imaginable whereby the Diuine Testimony can be Discouered conueyd or applyed to Belieuers but only those known Catholick Motiues as Miracles Sanctity Conuersions Church Motiues Slighted of Nations c which illustrate the Vniuersal Roman Church And these Mr Stillingfleet scornfully call's mute things à grand Salad too often serued vp found very dry and insipid Therefore he has no rational Inducement morally Certain for any one Article of Christian Religion much less for the Tenets of Protestants 10. I Say 2. If the Grounds or Motiues inducing to belieue let these be what this Aduersary pleases haue Infallible connexion with the Diuine Testimony or conuince vpon Metaphysical Certitude that God speak's the Truths we belieue The Assent giuen to the Motiues is not moral but highly infallible Contrarywise if all Motiues preuious Faith cannot be built on Fallible Motiues to beliefe be supposed so fallible that they may deceiue Faith neither is nor can be built vpon them Therefore Mr Stillingfleet Err's in Saying The nearest and most proper Resolution of Faith is into the Grounds inducing to belieue that such à Testimony is Diuine 11. To proue the Assertion I demand Whether God obliges all to belieue his reuealed verities vpon his vnerring Testimony as the only Formal Obiect or to belieue for Motiues extrinsecal to that Testimony which though morally certain may possibly Deceiue Grant the first Faith stand's fast The Assertion proued vpon its own foundation the Diuine Testimony Say 2. It is iointly built on Motiues as the nearest and most proper Obiect which in rigour may deceiue it hangs as it were Vpon two Heterogeneal Principles The One most firm and Infallible The Other weak and fallible Viz. Motiues which being fallible cannot but contribute as much Weakness to Belief as the infallible Testimony giues it Certainty And so these two Principles by their different Influence Doe and Vndoe build and destroy wind on and wind off The one imparts infallible Certainty the other staikes it away and makes Faith no more but à fluctuating moral and fallible Assent 12. To aduance this Proof yet further I Ask Again if all Diuine Reuelation were by à supposed Impossibility not infallible but only morally certain whether then Christians could belieue the reuealed Mysteries with à Faith as certain as they now elicite vpon Reuelation Answer Tea That Perfection of infallibility essential to Gods Reuelation would then be vseles and impertinent to Support Faith Answer The Proof further explained conuinceth No or Say Faith if the Hypothesis stand's would not be Diuine and certain I infer Ergo it is neither Diuine nor certain De facto My reason is So far and not further Gods infallible Testimony or the Diuine Reuelation has influence vpon Faith as fallible motiues Apply it to Belieuers or giue it leaue might one speak so to Support that Assent But these fallible Motiues which immediatly apply the Reuelation to Belieuers permit it not to raise that Act to any greater certitude than only moral which may be false Therefore the Reuelation de facto communicates no more Certainty to Beliefe than if it were only morally and not infallibly certain For here is our Aduersaries Principle According to the Proofs and grounds whereby we discouer the Diuine Testimony to be in Being We belieue But all these Proofs and grounds Say only Morally and Fallibly that the Testimony is now in Being Therefore faith also can be no more but only Moral Fallible and liable to Errour 13. Hence it followes first That neither the very Apostles Ill Consequences deduced out of nor any other Belieuers euer fince that time had any surer faith than only moral which may be false It followes 2. That the Truth of all Christian Religion inuolues in it à Possibility of salshood For being applyed or proposed to vs vpon Sectaries Doctrin grounds only fallible and moral we are to iudge of it according to the Exigency and Merit of such weak grounds And therefore can esteem it no better than fallible It followes 3. And this I would haue noted That Faith in these mens Principles tend's not absolutely into the Diuine Reuelation but only with doubt and fear or meerly conditionally For euery man may rationally Say Lord if you haue reuealed this truth Christ is the true Messias I belieue it as vndoubtedly true but the certainty I haue thereof is only Setled vpon Motiues which They make Faith à Conditional Assent may deceiue me Therefore my faith can be no more but Hypothetical or conditional to this Sense If you haue reuealed it I belieue if not I reiect it Hence you se it were much better could not the difficulty be otherwise solued to Say the Motiues preuious to Faith conuince with Metaphysical certainty that God speak's by his Scripture and Church Than to make the Reuelation so strengthles that it can because weakned by fallible Motiues contribute no other certainty to Belief but what is Moral and may be false 14. And thus much Mr Stillingfleet could he proced consequently This Aduersary Proceed's not Consequently as he doth not should Assert For if as he saith considering the Nature of things moral Certainty be as great or beget's as firm an Assent as any Mathematical or physical certainty what is it that fright 's the man from allowing Infallible certainty to Faith Or what gain's he to Substitute in Lieu of
Credibility of Scripture is not grounded vpon any vniuersal fallible Consent but stand's firm vpon other stronger antecedent Motiues Nay it cannot Originally depend therevpon Seing that Consent is an Effect of those other preuious Motiues as S. Austin often cited fully and most amply declares Be it how will 4. The greatest Difficulty yet remain's for if we enquire of The Sectarles Plea taken from any vniuersal fallible Consent is groundless Sectaries where we may find this common Consent we haue but à very slippery Foundation to stand vpon Because not only Heretiques of old denied the greatest part of Scripture But to come to chese neerer times the Machiauellians and Socinians also called Christians hold many things in that Sacred Book so far aboue all humane reach that they Say it is vnworthy God to require from any à firm beliefe of them Add herevnto the multitudes of Heathens Iewes and Turks who imcomparably whole Multitudes against Sectaries surpass Christians in number All these you know Vnanimously reiect our Scriptures How then can the far lesser number of Witnesses agreeing in one consent Plead so much as probably against such multitudes of Opponents If no other motiue be alleged in behalfe of the Scriptures Credibility but only the Consent of few against many 5. But to silence all Sectaries hereafter Who insist so much vpon this vniuersal Consent we will here gratis suppose the Argument drawn from thence to be most conuincing Yet withall Assert it so little aduantages the pretences of Protestants That Sectaries plainly Conuinced it vtterly ruin's their vndefensible Cause For where haue these men any vniuersal Agreement of Christians for their Canon of Scripture Where haue they it in behalf of their iarring Opinions Where for their Negatiue Articles Where for their particular Sense of Scripture which not only the Roman Catholick Church but others also reiect as false vngrounded and Heretical If therefore this Common consent for the Bible Obserue the Proofs were more Vniuersal then it is it help 's not Sectaries whils't their singular Opinions their Canon and Sense And in à word their whole Religion as Protestancy is so particular to Them selues That the rest of Christians ashamed to own it will be no Partners with them 6. And thus you see where the Weaknes of this whole Plea lies They will haue à vniuersal Consent for the bare letter of Scripture Let that be so It s nothing to the purpose if afterward without any thing like à Vniuersal agreement they misinterpret the Book and make it speak what God neuer meant But this is done and I proue it vpon an vndeniable ground thus The Book of Scripture misinterpreted Proues nothing Whilst these men cannot name or Design à Church reputed Orthodox fiue or six Ages since which as vniuersally maintained their new Doctrin as She then owned the old letter of the Bible They misinterpret the Book And gain no more But Sectaries do So and t is proued by vrging that vniuersal Consent for the meer letter then the Arians â—r worst of Heretiques gain But to name such à Church for their Nouelties is imposible and consequently no less impossible to resolue one Article of Protestancy into God's Diuine Testimony expressed in Scripture 7. A 2. Obiection Christians faith seem's not resoluable into the Diuine Testimony speaking by the Church because How the Chutch is both the Truth belieaed And the Motiue also why we belieue the Church is Res credita ot the Material Obiect belieued Witness that Article of our Creed I belieue the Holy Catholick Church Therefore it cannot be Ratio Credendi or the Formal Obiect which moues to belieue I Answer first Sectaries must solue this Difficulty For is not the very Doctrin contained in Scripture according to them the Res Credita or the Material Obiect belieued The Incarnation I hope whereof we read in Scripture the like may be said of euery other Mystery is the Truth belieued with such à faith as they haue And the Sectaries must solue this difficulty very same Word of God wherein thefe Truths are contained is also the Ratio Credendi or Formal Obiect mouing to belieue For demand why they Assent to the Incarnation T' is Answered because God has reuealed it in Scripture No other Motiue can be pretended Therefore the same Scripture differently considered is both the Material Obiect or Verity belieued and likewise the Formal which moues to belieue And thus we Say The Churches Proposition Or rather God speaking by the Church may well be the Truth belieued and à Motiue also why we belieue wherein there is no Difficulty at all Take here one Instance in known Philosophy which teaches that light both terminates our Vision and so considered is the Material Obiect seen withall it moues By two Instances we ciear what is asserted the Power to see it and vpon that Account is rightly called the Formal Obiect In Acts of Faith you haue the like Instance For example When the Iewes Assented to the ancient Prophets vttering these words Haec dicit Dominus c. Our Lord speak's thus They belieued that God spake by the mouth of those Prophets it was one of the Materal obiects Assented to by Faith and they belieued also for those Prophets words as God's own Voice and had respect to them as to à Formal obiect Why they belieued 8. A 3. Obiection If the Church be the Primum Credibile or the first Belieuable Oracle whereby God speak's to all How and in what Order we belieue the truths Proposed by the Church in this present State We are to declare how and in what order those Truths are deliuered by it which all are obliged to belieue And this cannot be done without Confusion and perhaps danger of à Circle also We haue partly Answered aboue where it is said That as the Apostles after the Knowledge had of our Sauiours Miracles belieued first in à General way He was the true Messias So we in this present State induced by all the Motiues of Credibility already laid forth belieue first in General That this Manifested Oracle is Christs own Spouse This general Assent first precedes which infallibly teaches the right way to Saluation And this truth we Assent to immediatly vpon the Churches Proposition or rather vpon God's Testimony speaking by the Church without depending on Scripture Iust as the Apostles belieued Christ our Lord to be the true Messias vpon his own Testimony proued Credible by Miracles and other Signal Wonders Thus far there is no Confusion at all nor any danger of à vicious Circle Now further This General truth admitted we proceed to the Beliefe of other particular Verities proposed and herein also follow the Apostles Steps and practise who assented to euery single Article which our Sauiour deliuered afterward vpon his own Word Why therefore may not we also Afterward we descend to other particulars belieue euery particular
your Proof in Calling That à Reasonable Religion which the greatest Part of Christians reiects as both false and Improbable 4. What Scripture I beseech you what Orthodox Church Why improbable what receiued Authority Nay what Reason euer yet made à few owned Verities and the fewer the better of Christian Religion The whole the full and only Essentials of it If this once passe for sound Learning I se not why à Turk that Own 's one God and Christ our Lord as à Very great Prophet May not as well account those two Articles the Essentials of Christianity as our Sectaries do their Few Fundamentals For if we once begin to Diuide Christs sacred Doctrin Nothing lesse and more valuable in Christ's Doctrin into different Shreds More and Iesse Valuable Say I beseech you where shall we stop in the Diuision And thus your own Question is retorted 5. You tell vs indeed you take some few Fundamentals to be Religion and can proue so much Reasonable I Answer The ground of our Assertion you Mislake For no halfe Pieces of Religion can be proued reasonable without the whole entirely taken and Assented to Here is the Ground of my Assertion and it is amply Proued in this Treatise Either All that Doctrin which Christ our Lord taught And the Church euer since deliuered as Faith is Fundamental Or Nothing at all can be Fundamental 6. Other Flawes I find in this Gentlemans Discourse but haue not time to pursue halfe of them Here is One and of main Importance also He neuer rightly distinguisheth between that Obiect wherevpon Reason rest's And the Obiect of Faith Considered in it self Reason euer precedes Faith A want of Distinguishing between the Obiect of Beason and Faith and is grounded vpon those rational Motiues which Induce to Belieue Faith precisely Considered as Faith relies vpon à quite Different Obiect God's pure Reuelation and Cannot Discourse For the Reasons giuen aboue not here to be repeated Only know thus Much in passing That the wrong done by this Author to the Learned Perron Veron and Others hath its Origen from this Ouersight of not distinguishing between the Obiect of Reason and Faith These Saith He loudly declaim against Reason All know it very well I Answer they declaim Perron and Others Causlesly blamed against Reasoning or Arguing in the very intrinsick Act or Tendency of Faith For Fides non quaerit cur aut quomodo is most true and So you and the whole world must do if you Belieue They declaim against Reason or all rational Discourse built vpon Manifest Motiues Inductiue to Faith is à Calumny and most vntrue 7. Another Mistake The Diuine Authority of Scripture is to be proued by Reason and only by it Yet more The great Argument Another errour for the truth of Scripture is the Testimony of the Spirit in the Miracles wrought by Christ and his Apostles Sr I thought ye all pretended to belieue the great Miracles of Christ and of his Apostles by Diuine Faith founded vpon God's Reuelation in Scripture This granted the rational ground why you belieue such Miracles Cannot be your very Act of belieuing them But must be extrinsecal both to your Faith and its Immediate Obiect also What I Say is Manifest For Questioned by à Iew vpon what rational ground I say rational you belieue the Incarnation or any Miracle in Scripture you will not answer the reason of our belieuing is your Beliefe but must fall vpon prudent Motiues extrinsecal to Faith Otherwise you Confound again the Obiect of Faith with that of Reason 8. You Say moreouer Though Reason Cannot of it Selfe immediatly proue the truths of pure Reuelation Concerning the Trinity for example or the Incarnation Yet it Demonstrates the Diuine Authority of the Testimony that declares them And that way Viz. by demonstrating the Testimony proues euen these Articles Euidence of the Diuine Testimony infer's euidence in the thing attested This Certainly is à Mistake First because great Diuines teach That if the Diuine Testimony be demonstrated Or euidently proued to exist The Verity attested by it is also euidently known Therefore who euer has euidence of this Truth God that Cannot err Reueals the Trinity must euidently infer The Trinity is And So Faith would be euident both in respect of its Formal Obiect and Material also But here lies not my greatest exception 9. I say in à word There is no Principle in Nature or Grace which has force to demonstrate and mark my word That No Principle giues Euidence of the Diuine Testimony God euer said The Mystery of the Trinity Exist s. And first the Doctrin in Scripture no Selfe-Euidence demonstrates not its own Verities The Beliefe of Orthodox Christians terminated vpon the Diuine Testimony is Faith and vnder that Notion obscure Infallible Tradition you own not and Though you did it would Lay no Euidence of the Diuine Testimony before Reason Nothing then remain's if you seek for Rational Euidence but that you recurr to the known Motiues of Credibility which Induce to belieue Now Sr These Motiues demonstrate not the Truth of the Diuine Testimony Euidence of Credibility and Euidence of truth But only make it euidently Ctedible And here by the way I must needs reflect vpon another Mistake You seem not to distinguish between Credibility and Truth Nor between Truth and Infallible Truth A thing may be Credible which is false◠Are to be distinguished As if three or four of good reputation for ought I know Should Conspire to inform me of the death of à Friend in England who yet liues The Relation to me would be prudently Credible yet false Truth implyes à Conformity with its Obiect and Cannot be false Infallible truth in the present matter of Faith requires moreouer the Influence of Supernatural Principles whereby the Act of Faith is determined to rest vpon its own Obiect the First Verity All these Particulars are largely explain'd in this Treatise 10. Thus much briefly noted Though more might be said we Shall Examin by the help of Good Principles How far Reason can proceed in Matters of Faith And whether by prudent reason all may Come to know where true Religion is taught and professed 11. Cardinal de Richelieu Traitte pour Conuertir ceux c. Lib. 1. C. 11. well obserues with the best Philosophers That when à Verity stand's sure vpon one clear rational and indubitable Principle its needless though sometimes not amiss to bring in more Proofs For frustra fit per plura c. One solid Ground is equivalent to many 12. I am you se engaged to answer the Question proposed All debates concerning Religion may be decided by Reason Viz. How far reason is to meddle in matters of Religion And Say in à word All debates in this most weightly Affaire may be decided and easily by Reason only But to clear the Assertion from Mistake we are first To distinguish between à nicknamed or miscalled Reason
after our priuate perusing those few ancient Records left vs end our debate whilst you 'l turn them to one Sense and I to another Nouel Reason shall end all Catho That I wish for But quit me yet of one Scruple What if your priuate Reason be byassed one way and mine another Or what if you Iudge that Reasonable which I doe not Here the Nouellist like one struck dumb spake not à word 13. Yet the Discourse might well haue gone on for I would haue further inquired whether to do as all the Christians what is to be Iudged reasonable in the world learned and vnlearned haue done be not reasonable None can deny it Then I would haue inferred But all these Innumerable Christians The very Apostles themselues and others haue vpon prudent Motiues Constantly iudged it reasonable to submit to Mysteries aboue the reach of humane Reason Ergo that must pass as à reasonable Principle But the Reason cannot be taken from the very Act The Euidence of Credibility not taken from Faith of submission For that is Faith nor from any Euidence in the Mystery belieued or obscurely proposed nor finally from Scripture alone for that Book Considered in it selfe is not its own Euidence Therefore the Euidence of Credibility Or the Euidence Proposed to Reason is extrinsecal to what euer I belieue and fundamentally lies in the Marks and Signatures of Christs own manifested Church 14. Hence I Conclude with this Dilemma and hold it vnanswerable Either God has set before all Mens Eyes An Oracle which now teaches truth most discernable by clear Marks and Motiues from all false erring Societies Or omitted to do so Grant the first Reason is as much obliged to belieue A Conuincing Dilemma that Signalized Oracle now As the Primitiue Christians were anciently bound to belieue the Apostles Say Contrary There is no such Marked Oracle distinguishable from erring Sectaries Reason is left in à Labyrinth and shall neuer find out true Religion Wherefore Protestants who seemingly stand for Reason and slight the Doctrin of our Euidenced Sectaries vnreasonable Church are the men amongst all other most vnreasonable and as dayly experience teaches meer Scepticks in matter of Religion 15. A 5th Inference The readiest way to conuince à Sectary How they are easily Conuinced and one though no great Clerk may easily do it is in the first place at least to waue that long tedious work of handling particular Controuersies which depend vpon Authority and to plead by Reason Thus I would Argue and haue often done so with good Success You as à Protestant lay claim to à reasonable Reformation and consequently to à Reasonable Religion Say I beseech you from whence haue you the Moral Euidence which makes this Reformation Credible to Reason I speak not yet of it's Truth for Euidence of Credibility e 〈…〉 preced's the anouching of it true We Catholicks proceed candidly Euidence of Credibility is first to be laid forth and propose to the reason of euery one learned and vnlearned the very Marks and Signs of truth manifest in our Church which Christ our Lord and the Apostles euidenced to the sirst Conuerted Christians You set vp à new faced Religion and when that 's done put it out of Countenance because Reason sees nothing in it which has appearance of Credibility You auouch it true before you make it Credible which Sectaries auouch their reformation true before it be made Credible is to put the Conclusion before the Premises 16. One perhaps will Say first The reason of your Reformation stand's vpon this rational Ground that wee Catholicks were deformed or out of all right fashion in our Religion Lamentable And are you the doughty Doctors that must mend what was marred and prescribe à new Model of Religion Can you Say what is or what is not Catholicism It is too much Boldnes not only to teach more learned then They make à false supposition their Proof you Selues But à high Iniury also to make à meer Supposition and very false too to pass for à rational Proof You know wee deny your improbable Supposition And you vpon no Principle call it reasonable Howeuer Suppose the falshood that wee are out of Fashion doth it therefore follow that you are got into the right Mode of Religion No truly If the Supposition stand's wee are both out And both need à new Reformation 17. Some may yet Reply Sectaries regard not that new coyned word of Euident Credibility à Term wholly Popish They endeauour to proue the Truth of Protestancy by Scripture and Fathers And to do so much is more than to make it Credible Contra. 1. Were it possible as it is not to proue the truth of Protestancy That 's besides the matter here in hand They are still besides the matter now agitated whilst wee only Treat of ending Controuersies by Reason Now all know that Authority whose Credibility must first be Euidenced before it haue weight precisely considered as Authority is not the Reason here spoken of For Example I Assent to the Mystery of the Incarnation vpon Gods own Authority that 's Faith but no rational Inducement to belieue What we demand of Sectaries is to haue the rational Motiues which induce to belieue this Protestancy laid open before the Eyes of rational men Herein we require Satisfaction but haue none 18. Contra. 2. Could these men proue their Protestancy by If the Reformation could be proued true Scripture and Fathers it should Methinks be very easy to point at an Orthodox Church which Six Ages since publickly owned the particular Tenets of it Here is my Reason Whateuer Doctrin the Scripture and Fathers teach the Orthodox Church conceal's not but openly Professeth She is not ashamed if Orthodox to teach what God has reuealed Now further Some Orthodox Church must haue owned it Had such à Church euer owned this Reformation it must either haue been like an inuisible Ghost not perceptible which our Newer Sectaries Disclaim or contrarywise discernable by the like Marks and Signatures of the Apostolical Church And if their Doctrin was euer taught by it They are to talk no more of its Truth before Its Credibility be euidenced to Reason by the Marks and Signs of that Church which is now supposed to haue taught pure Protestancy That is in à word They are first obliged to Say plainly what Articles of Faith Protestants as Protestants hold Essential to their Religion And then to make so much Doctrin and no more first Credible then true by the known Authority of an Orthodox Church But This is impossible Hence 19. And it is the last Inference whereby one grand Cheat of our Sectaries is discouered Long haue we inquired but without Satifaction Where their Church was before Luther The Common Answer returned by some latter Protestants making little Account of an inuisible Church is much to this Sense Our Church was there where it now is and where it alwayes
Both I suppose are not guilty The Iudge speaks once and no more but these two at discord agree not Their vnreasonable proceeding declared by one Instance about the main point which â— the true meaning of his Sentence may not Both return home as wise as they came and contend till Dooms Day vnless some other Iudge break 's off the quarrel and sayes plainly Thou art the Traitour 22 This is our very case either we or Protestants betray This Discourse driuen home and applyed to these two dissenting Parties Gods truths The one or other Party Contradict's the first Verity and boldly auerres he Speak's what he never Spake We appeal to Holy Scripture and would haue our Debates decided by that Oracle Two or three Passages He that hear's you hears me The Church is the Pillar and ground of Truth He that hears not the Church let him be as à Heathen c. literally taken denote the guilty Party But our Sectaries tell vs we mistake the Scriptures meaning They Sectaries cast themselues into in extricable difficulties vary from vs in the main Point concerning the very Sense of our Iudges Sentence Is it not therefore euident that they must either recurre to some other Tribunal for à final decision or Secondly ingenuously Confesse they are the men who will not haue the traiterous Party discouered Or lastly acknowledge Controuersies can haue no End and that God has not left any means on earth whereby the notorious Deprauers of his reuealed Truths may be known One only Instance will giue more light to what I haue sayd 23. We and Sectaries appeal to Christs sacred words This is my Body We vnderstand them literally and strongly plead our cause what different senses are made of Christs own words alleging for vs not only the Authority of the western and eastern Churches but if need were of the Lutherans also They reiect all yea Say we grosly mistake the sense of Christ's words and therefore hold vs the Traitours that commit grosse Idolatry in the sight of God and Angels Consider good Reader are not such Aduersaries obliged to plead their Cause before How the Catholick plead's this Iudge of Scripture by à Church as vniversal by witnesses as Faithful by an Authority as great as we produce against them or to confesse ingeniously This Controuersy cannot be decided They may 'T is true Oppose the Caluinists to Lutherans but to Sectaries allege nothing for their Sense denote à Church either Latin or Greek that maintained their Opinion of the Eucharist Shall neuer be made so much as meanly Probable O yes the Primitiue Church taught as they teach Contra. It s vtterly vntrue as is largely proued in the first Discourse Again that 's à thlng yet in Controuersy and therefore far from being à manifest sentence against vs yet their Clamours against our Idolatry are manifest and as iniurious as manifest 24. These and yet far more forceable Arguments proposed by Catholick Authors against Protestancy our Aduersaries call Flies Small Grains gnawing of Rats c. We wholly Contrary hold them conuincing and the cause we defend most iust Here both Parties Stick in the hight of their heats Stiffe in their wayes without yeilding to one another Is it not therefore full time and reasonable think A Iudge distinct from Scripture proued absolutly necessary ye to appeal to some Iudge distinct from Scriptureâ— by whose just Sentence it may appear whether we old Papists or our young Nouellists are the guilty men that impiously oppose God's truths 25. You se whilst the sense of Scripture and Fathers is not agreed on we are aduanced no further but only to quarrel as if Contention is not the last end of writing Controuersies Contention were the final end of writing Controuersies Or as if an eternal Debate were desired and after that to haue nothing decided For this sole Reason A Iudge is absolutely necessary though our Aduersaries will hear of none hauing an horrour to admit of any Churches Iudgement whereby the cause now in debate may be happily ended Yet if we follow the Rule of Catholicks appeal to one Iudge Reason what can be more Satisfactory then to appeal to Church Authority in this weighty matter We Catholicks stand to the Sentence of our own euidenced vniuersal Church She is our Protestants are forced to appeal to another of equal Authority or their Cause is lost Iudge Are not Sectaries therefore obliged if their Arguments against vs be thought solid and their cause good to appeal to the Iudgement of some other Church as euidenced by Miracles and as vniuersal as ours is which once taught as they teach and publickly decryed our supposed Errours 26. What we now propose seem's reasonable because Protestants most certainly aâ— they defend Protestanism will not pretend to publish à Doctrin with à strict obligation laid on their They cannot pretend to teaâ—h à Doctrin which no ancient Church euer taught Partizans to acquiese in it which no Orthodox Church euer taught or if any Church euer taught so This must be as clearly euidenced as it is euident that the Roman Catholick Church taught Popery seuen or eight Ages since Here in à word is the true trial of their whole Cause Denote Point out or name an Orthodox Church which owned this Protestancy fiue or six Centuries since Controuersies are ended But if it be as it is most impossible to name such à Church The Abetters of Protestancy Sectaries proue themselues heretiques only follow the strain and Method of all Condemned Hereticks and proue themselues by their own procedure Heretiques That is They plead against Catholick Doctrin by false Calumnies weak Cauils lame coniectures vnsensed Scriptures and Calumnies their only Defensâ— abused Fathers without any Church Authority to rely on And thus all your ancient Heretiques haue Proceeded 27. Wherefore to conclude I Say in à word Protestancy Protestancy proued an Improbable Religion as Protestancy is à most improbable Religion or to speak more plainly no Religion at all The ground of my Assertion will be best laid forth in these few words No ancient vniuersal Church no Orthodox Christians in any part of the world euer taught Protestancy Ergo its improbable Nay more no Heretical Society The ground of our Assertion of men euer taught that whole Doctrin Therefore it is an vnpatronized Nouelty reiected by the Vniuersal Christian world whether Orthodox or others And Hence it is that whateuer Protestants can Say in behalfe of their own Tenets or Contrary to Catholick Doctrin comes to no more but to improbable and vnproued Suppositions Obserue I beseech you 28. They tell vs the Roman Catholick Church once true deserted Improbable Suppositions the only Proofs of Sectaries the Ancient Faith we vrge them to proue the Assertion and with good reason because neither ancient Church nor any sound Christian euer said so before themselues And what Answer haue we The