is this There is no medium between Men's judging for themselves and giving up their Judgments to others We grant it but what then His Inference is this If the first be their Duty the Press ought not to be restrained But why not His Reason is again the same because it debars Men from seeing those Allegations by which they are to inform their Judgments That 's his Argument to which I answer thus We must distinguish betwixt Man and Man betwixt such as can judge for themselves and such as cannot where the Scripture is express the Words plain and the Sense easie every Man who hath a competent use of Reason and can read his Bible may judge for himself But when several Interpretations are given of any Texts when Doubts are raised when Arguments are produced to defend both Parts of a Contradiction there is a vast number of Men who are no more able to judge which is true and which is false than a blind Man is to distinguish betwixt a good Colour and a bad one 'T is the great unhappiness of such Persons that in matters of Controversy they cannot rely upon their own weak Reason but must either suspend their Judgments or else give it up to the Conduct of some other Person and who is so fit to be trusted with it as their own Ministers provided they be as every Minister should be Men of Piety and Parts able to satisfie Doubts remove Scruples and convince Gainsayers But if Men give up their Reason to the Clergy this Author who vilifieth our Clergy as much as possible he can gives our People an intimation that by so doing they make us the Lords of their Faith But how doth that follow suppose two Persons are engaged in a doubtful Controversie about an Estate claimed by both these Persons being of themselves unable to determine the Case appeal to the King's Judges but do they thereby make those Judges the Lords of that Estate which is contended for surely no the Judge doth no more than according to Evidence and Law declare to which Person that Estate doth justly belong So it is in our present Case several Parties of Men lay Claim to Truth as theirs and produce Evidences for it Now a Man unable to satisfie himself which side Truth is to be found consults his Minister who by Evidence of Scripture which in this case is the only Law assures his Neighbour the Truth lieth here or there And indeed that the Minister is the most proper Judge in Controversies relating to Religion we cannot doubt if we dare believe the Prophet who saith The Priest's lips should preserve knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts This Text doth not constitute us nor do we pretend to be Lords of our People's Faith but as the Apostle speaks Helpers to the Truth We do not require any weak Believer's assent to any one Article of Faith whereunto God requires it not though the Church of Rome doth so And how unjustly then without Modesty or Truth doth this Man stigmatize us as Lords of our People's Faith But beside those weak Christians who in controverted Points cannot judge for themselves there are some other of clearer Heads and more improved Understandings that can and for their sakes this Author saith that the Press ought not to be restrained and his Reason is this Because the Restraint of the Press debars them from seeing those Allegations by which they are to confirm their Judgments This Argument in effect hath already been offered once and again and hath as often been replied to but for the greater satisfaction of my Reader I shall again consider and enlarge my Answer to it and this it is Not knowing and intelligent Christian who is well able to judge for himself can want any new Allegations from the Press to confirm his Judgments in any disputed Points of Faith or Worship because we have already sufficient Rules to judge by For 1. We have the Scripture preached in our publick Churches and if we please we may read and consider them in our private Families and Closets And here I do again affirm that all matters of revealed Religion must be examined proved and determined by the written Word of God This is the only sure balance to weigh and touch stone to try all Matters of Faith and Worship To this our Lord sent his hearers Search the Scriptures and again How readest thou And which is remarkable the ignorance of Scripture did he make the only occasion and ground of Error in Points of Faith so he told the Sadducees Ye err but why not knowing the Scriptures by which our Lord himself proved that great Doctrine of the Resurrection which they denied And when our Lord would prove himself to be a greater Person than David he did it by that Text The Lord said unto my Lord c. This course took our blessed Saviour and so did his Apostles too and so must we we must take the Scripture for our Guide in Matters of Religion for that is the only and infallible Rule and unalterable Standard to measure all the Doctrines and Practices which such or such a Church doth teach recommend or require from us But if it shall be again demanded who must be the Judg whether amongst different Interpretations of Holy Writ this or that be the true one whether in controverted Points such or such a Text do certainly warrant such or such a Doctrine as is grounded thereon I answer again 2. We have the united Judgment and Decrees of several Councils those I mean that were convened in the first and purest times before the Superstitions and Idolatries of Rome had crept in by degrees thro' carelesness vice and ignorance and over-spread the Church The grand Controversie now on foot amongst us concerns the Divinity of Christ the Personality and Deity of the Holy Ghost that Christ in the most strict and proper Sense of that Notion is truly God that the Holy Ghost is a Person and a Divine Person we affirm but our Socinians who are the spawn of old Arius make bold to deny To justifie our Doctrine we cite such and such Texts and to establish their Opinions as well as they can they do the same thing as for the Scripture which we produce to prove the Doctrine of the Trinity because humane Reason cannot comprehend it they do either question the Authority of such Texts or else they wrest them to such an intolerable Sense as every sober Man's Reason may justly abhor Now the Question is Who must judge betwixt us and them Who must determine whether the Scripture be on their side or ours I answer That Heterodox Opinion now much contended for which we call Socinian did appear under some other Names very early in the Christian Church In the first Age the Godhead of Christ was denied by the Jews and particularly by Ebion in the Third Century by
one Theodatus Artemon and Beryllus and Sabellius in the Fourth Century by Arius Eunomius and some others And in the same Age the Personality and Divinity of the Holy Ghost was denied by Macedonius and some others who were there branded by a particular Name and called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oppugners of the Holy Ghost These Heterodox Opinions beginning to spread and disturb the Peace of the Christian Church and some other ill Opinions arising too several General Councils were summoned by several Christian Emperors the Nicene Council by Constantine the Great whose main work was to examine the Opinion of Arius the Council of Constantinople called by Theodosius the First to debate the Opinion of Macedonius the Council of Ephesus called by Theodosius the Second to consider the Opinion of Nestorius and the Council of Chalcedon summoned by the Emperor Martian to consult about the Opinion of Eutyches These Councils consisting of some Hundreds of Bishops having the Glory of God in their Hearts the Settlement of the Church in their Eyes and the Bible in their Hands did after a mature deliberation pronounce the Opinions of these Men to be contrary to the Doctrine of the Gospel and the obstinate defenders of them to be Hereticks And certainly the determinations of these General Councils which were made up of Persons exemplary for their Piety and eminent for their Learning who resolved on nothing without mature Advice and Deliberation are of as great Authority and afford as much Satisfaction in Matters of Religion as any thing of Man can be or do For the Truths of God once taught the World by Christ and his Apostles being unchangeable for ever and our Bibles which are the only Rule to measure Religions by continuing one and the same for ever that which was an Error in those early days must needs be an Error still and that which was a Truth then must needs be a Truth now And if we cannot think of any more proper means for the right understanding of Scripture and the discovery of Truth and Error than the deliberate and unanimous Judgment of so many hundred pious learned and unbiassed Men assembled together then certainly the determinations of those antient Councils are very considerable Evidences for Truth and against Error And the rather because they consisted of such Persons who besides their eminent Piety and Learning had the great Advantage of living nearer the Apostles age and thereby were the better able to inform themselves and us what was certainly believed and done in the very infancy of the Christian Church SECT IX 3. THE Writings of the Antient Fathers those especially that lived within the first six Centuries where-ever they agree and are not since corrupted or maimed by the Frauds and Forgeries of the Roman Church are of singular use in this Matter too That Ignatius Clemens Origen Athanasius Cyril Nazianzene Basil Chrysostom Hierom Austin and many others both in the Eastern and Western Churches were indeed Persons of great Piety and excellent Parts our Socinians without breach of Modesty cannot deny And although some of these great Names in some particular Matters had their peculiar mistakes and shewed themselves to be but Men yet in all Points where we find an unanimous Consent amongst them we are to have so much Veneration for their Authority as not easily to suspect or contradict it True it is if we take these Fathers singly Man by Man where we find any of them alone in their Opinions as Origen in reference to the Punishments of Hell and St. Austin in reference to Infants that die unbaptised we are not in this case much more obliged to accept their Judgment than the Judgment of some single Person yet alive But if we take All the Fathers who lived within six hundred Years after Christ together and in a lump where we find them One in Judgment they are enough to make a wiser Council than any hath been since their time they are enough to inform us what is Error and what is Truth But SECT X. 4. BEcause Learned Men whose Fortunes are Mean cannot purchase and unlearned Men whose Intellectuals are weak cannot read and understand the voluminous Writings of the Fathers we have several Systems of Divinity Confessions of Faith short Abridgments of Christian Religion which are especially to unlearned Persons great helps in this matter too And here methinks those antient Creeds of the Apostles Nice and Athanasius which are so generally received by the Church of God are of great Authority to settle our Judgment in the main and most necessary Points of Faith Besides we have many Choice and Excellent Catechisms composed by Men that were Pious Judicious acquainted with Scriptures well versed in the Primitive Councils and Fathers These short Catechisms compiled by Persons of singular Endowments and approved by the Church are little less than contracted Bibles containing in them whatever Man is obliged to know and delivering enough in easie Terms to inform us in Matters of Practice to secure us from Errors and confirm our Judgments in all the great Points of Faith In short the substance of my Answer to this Argument is this since we have the written Word of God to be our Rule and since this Word in some material Cases according to the different Fancies and Interests of Men hath different Interpretations given concerning its true Sense and Meaning 't is our safest way for our better Satisfaction to betake our selves to the most able faithful and unbiassed Judges and they are the most antient Councils and the Primitive Fathers whose Judgments are declared in our several Creeds in other publick Confessions of Faith and Orthodox Catechisms set forth or approved by the Church of God And since we are very well stored with these excellent Helps I do once more conclude that no Man whether learned or unlearned can need any new Arguments from the Press to confirm his Judgment in Matters of Religion SECT XI 7. THis Author's seventh Allegation against the Restraint of the Press runs thus If it be unlawful to let the Press continue free lest it furnish Men with the Reasons of one Party as well as the other it must be as unlawful to examine those Reasons To this I answer thus We must distinguish between Party and Party between one who is Orthodox and one who is Heretical this distinction being premised I shall resolve this Hypothetical Proposition into these two Categorical ones That it is not lawful for many Orthodox Christians to Examine those Reasons which Hereticks may urge in defence of their ill Opinions And therefore that the Press should not be permitted to furnish such Christians with any such Reasons 'T is notoriously known that there are amongst us vast numbers of Persons who are of weak Judgments not firmly established in their Faith not able to distinguish Truth from Falshood in a fallacious Argument and therefore are apt to be Tossed up and down by every wind of doctrine now for such
World And if so How could the trial of Religions depend upon the Press in those early days when as yet it had no being And because the true Christian Faith is the same in all the Ages of the Church since the Apostles days we must measure our own Religion by the same Rules by which the Primitive Saints measured theirs and what were they Not the voluminous Writings of Men which the Press hath now brought forth but the sacred Oracles of God This is the Course to which the Prophet directs us To the law and to the Testimony This Course did the Bereans take when to examine the Doctrines even of the Apostles themselves They searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so and for their doing so they are highly commended And indeed the Scripture is the lapis Lydius the Touchstone the Canon the only Authentick Rule of Manners Faith and religious Worship a Rule so plain and easie in all necessary points that in order to the trial of our Religion we have no absolute need of any Book but Gods though other good Books do well towards the better understanding of some passages in this 'T is the great Privilege of our Church that we have this Rule of Scripture in such great Quantities that every Man who can and will may at an easie rate have it in his custody and thereby examine his Religion when he pleaseth Nor can we justly blame the restraint of the Press so long as it is permitted to Print our Bibles and prohibited to publish no Man's Book but such only as are contrary to Gods Indeed were the Press in England restrained as it is in Popish Kingdoms from printing the Bible in our Vulgar Tongue this Authors Argument would have had much strength in it but since it is otherwise since we have the Scriptures those Tests and Standards of our Religion preached in our Publick Churches and easily to be had and read as oft as we please in our private Families this Author's Argument against the Restraint of the Press is invalid and unconcluding for it doth not prove that for which he pleads it But to proceed SECT IV. II. THE Second Allegation which this Author urgeth as a grand inconvenience against the Restraint of the Press is this Such a Restraint saith he deprives Men of the most proper and best means to discover truth To which I answer thus There is a very close Connexion betwixt this Argument and the former a Connexion as between an Antecedent and a Consequent or between the Premises and the Conclusion In the former Argument he mentions the examination of Religions and in this as the end and consequence of that the discovery of Truth for to what purpose should any Religion be impartially examined were it not to discover whether it be true or false And for this reason the same answer which I have given to the former Argument might serve well enough for this for since the restraint of the Press doth not as I have there proved prevent the due Examination of Religion it cannot prevent the discovery of Truth But that so it doth our Author is very positive yea and he tells us by what means it doth so namely By hindering Men from seeing and examining the different Opinions and the Arguments alledged for them But let this Author tell us how this can be true can a Restraint of the Press for time to come hinder any Man from seeing and examining the different Opinions of Men and their Arguments for them Are there not already great numbers of printed Books exposed to common Sale wherein the different Opinions of Men about matters of Religion are throughly discussed May not every Man that will and can sufficiently inform himself by Books already extant what Arguments have been pleaded by all Sects of Christians in the defence of their respective Professions And since the Press hath already brought forth such a numerous issue of this kind methinks every future birth of the same sort would be but a Superfetation I am persuaded that should all the Presses in the Christian world be absolutely forbidden to print any more New Books of Controversy and Polemick Divinity it would be no injury to the Catholick Church nor to any one Member of it for nihil dici potest quod non dictum est priùs Prints indeed may be new but Arguments either for old Truths or against old Errors can hardly be so But when all is done Religious Truths cannot be discovered by Humane Arguments any further than those Arguments are grounded upon the infallible word of God 'T is a Rule in Mathematicks Rectum est index sui Obliqui He that would discover the Rectitude or Obliquity of a Line must bring it to and compare it with such a Rule as is already found to be exactly streight So in our present Case he who would discover the truth or falshood of any Opinion in matters of Religion must apply them to and judg them by that infallible Rule which St. James very deservedly Styles The word of Truth And this Rule in all Points necessary to Salvation is so plain and easie that every Man who hath not lost the use of common Reason may thereby judg for himself There are indeed in the word of God as the Apostle saith Some things hard to be understood but in what Texts do these difficulties lie St. Austin answers Non quoad ea quae sunt necessaria saluti c. The Scriptures are not difficult in any of those Points which are necessary to Man's Salvation So thought St. Chrysostom who thus demands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what Man is there to whom all the necessary Truths of the Gospel are not clear and manifest He saith elsewhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Husbandman the Servant the Widow the Boy Persons of very mean Capacities may easily understand what the Scriptures teach about such Points as are Fundamental That this was the Doctrine of the Primitive Church before St. Chrysostom's time is evident from that Testimony of Irenaeus Universae Scripturae Propheticae Evangelicae in aperto sine ambiguitate similiter ab omnibus audiri possunt The whole Scripture the Prophets the Evangelists in such Points as most concern us are so plain express and open that all sorts of Men may equally apprehend them Now if a Man may discover the truth of all those Doctrines which are necessary to Salvation by Scripture Rules if his Faith be grounded on them and his Practice be suitable to them what hazard would that Man run should he never see the different Opinions of Men about them nor weigh their Arguments against them Suppose a Man being well informed by the express word of God do stedfastly believe the Resurrection of the dead what were this Man the worse should he never see nor examine the reasonings of Pagans and Sadducees against this great Article of our Creed Suppose a Man be
of all Opinions and Practices in the Matters of Religion is contrary to the Judgment and Practice of particular Learned Men in the Primitive Church Tertullian indeed tells us Non Religionis est cogere Religionem quae sponte-suscipi debeat non vi the owning of any Religion ought to be free not forced and 't is best that it should be so but lest this Expression should be made use of as Pamelius words it ad sectarum licentiam as a License to Hereticks the same Tertullian saith elsewhere ad officium Haereticos compelli non inlici dignum est it is fit the Hereticks should be compelled not allured to do what becomes them St. Hierom saith of Heresie scintilla statim ut apparuerit extinguenda est the very first spark of it should not be cherished but extinguished and how far he was from countenancing ill Opinions is evident from his Epistle to Riparius where he calleth his opposing the Heresies of those times Christi bellum the War of Christ And Fevardentius tells us Gloriatur Hieronymus se haereticis nunquam pepercisse St. Hierom glorieth that he never spared any Hereticks That great Man St. Austin who was very tender of punishing Men for their Opinions did yet write several Epistles to the Governours of several Provinces which bear this Inscription De moderatè coercendis Haereticis wherein he doth beseech them to Restrain Hereticks not by Capital Punishments but by some gentler Corrections That Sentence which Dulcitius pronounced against the Donatists St. Austin thought too severe and so do we noveritis vos debitae morti dandos know that ye must die as ye deserve such sanguinary Courses are very improper means to reduce Hereticks they are inconsistent with our Lord's Designs and cannot be reconciled to that Command of his Compel them to come in that my house may be filled the Compulsion here required must be such as tends to recover Men not to destroy them and certainly to send them out of the World by bloody Laws were a strange way of bringing them into the Church That Expression of St. Paul will never warrant such a course Galathians 5. 12. I would they were even cut off which trouble you He doth not wish they were killed with the Sword but only cut off from the Church by Excommunication But although sanguinary Laws may not be executed unless it be in case of professed Atheism gross Idolatry or downright Blasphemy yet for the restraint of other Opinions and Practices which corrupt the Doctrine and disturb the Peace of the Catholick Church some gentler Punishments have been used and in St. Austin's Judgment still ought to be In short all those Learned and Pious Men who were so renowned in former Ages Athanasius great St. Basil Irenaeus and many others have declared to all succeeding Generations that they did not approve of a general Toleration of all Opinions and Practices in the Matters of Religion For why else did they write so vehemently against the ill Opinions of Arius Eutyches Nestorius and other Hereticks concerning whom Cyril of Jerusalem gave every Orthodox Christian this Advice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abhor them avoid them do not so much as once salute them so he 2. 'T is certain that an universal Liberty of Conscience an unlimited Toleration of all Opinions and Practices in the Matters of Religion is directly contrary to the Decrees and Canons of antient Councils and that we may see in a few Instances as 1. The Decrees and Canons of Councils did not leave Men to the Liberty of their own Consciences as to the use of both the Sacraments The Council of Carthage established this Canon in reference to Baptism 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whosoever demeth that little Infants newly born ought to be baptised let him be accursed or excommunicated And as to the other blessed Sacrament there is a Canon ascribed to the Apostles themselves which runs thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All Christians who come to the Publick Assemblies and there hear the Scriptures but stay not to receive the Holy Communion ought to be Excommucated and so thought the Council of Antioch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They who turn their Backs upon the Holy Communion ought to be cast out of the Church And the Council of Sardica as Zonaras tells us did by a Canon of theirs Excommunicate all Persons who abstained from the Holy Sacrament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for three Lords Days together 2. The Decrees and Canons of Councils did not leave Men to the liberty of their own Consciences as to the observation of the Lords day Concerning this the Council of Laodicea thus Decreed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no Christian ought to act like a Jew and rest upon the Saturday but to prefer our Lords days and rest in them and as for such as should transgress this Canon the Council passed this Sentence upon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them be accursed of Christ nor was it left as a thing Arbitrary for Men commonly to Fast upon the Sunday if a Clergy-man did it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him be deposed or degraded if a Lay-man did it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him be Excommunicated so say the Apostles Canons 3. The Decrees and Canons of Councils did not leave Men to the liberty of their own Consciences as to the use of Publick Churches and the frequenting of Sacred Assemblies held therein The Heretick Eustathius in the fourth Century despising Publick Churches taught his Followers to Pray and perform other Acts of Divine Service in private Conventicles Against this Practice the Council of Gangra Established their Canons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If any Man teach that the Church and Solemn Assemblies met therein are to be despised and if any Man shall set up Private meetings for the Worship of God without Licence from his Bishop let him be accursed These Canons and many more to the like effect are undeniable Evidences that the Councils of the Primitive Church were far enough from being favourers of a general Toleration of all Opinions and Practices in Matters of Religion 3. 'T is certain that an Universal Toleration of all Opinions and Practices in matters of Religion is contrary to the Judgment and Practice even of the Roman Church itself What their judgment is in this case we are informed from the Learned Men of their Communion Lorinus one of their Jesuites intimates his Opinion as well as his Authors when he saith Haereticos rectè Clemens exterminandos praecipit Clemens did justly command Hereticks to be rooted out Thomas Aquinas their angelical Doctor delivers his Opinion concerning Hereticks very roundly thus Non solùm ab Ecclesia per Excommunicationem separandos sed etiam per mortem à mundo excludendos Hereticks deserve not only to be excluded from the Church by Excommunication but also from the World by