Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n
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A51740
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A letter to a friend, shewing the vanity of this opinion that every mans sense and reason is to guide him in matters of faith.
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Manby, Peter, d. 1697.
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1688
(1688)
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Wing M386; ESTC R31875
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8,647
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7
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A Letter to a Friend shewing the Vanity of this Opinion That every Mans Sense and Reason is to guide him in matters of Faith. This may be Printed March 30. 1688. Patr. Clogher SIR SAint Austin in the first Book of his Retractations tells us of a certain Friend of his named Honoratus a Manichee that was wont to ridicule the Catholique Religion as irrational for teaching men to Believe rather then understand To convince this Person he wrote his Book De utilitate Credendi Wherein he observes the imbecility of all humane understanding and the incapacity of most men to discern betwixt true Reason and the Appearance of it and how Christians are therefore bound to believe One Holy Catholique and Apostolique Church against which the Gates of Hell shall never prevail I pray be pleased to remember our Saviours words to Saint Thomas the Apostle Thomas because thou hast seen me thou hast believed blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed John 20.29 What great matter is it saith the same St. Austin to believe nothing but what our Sense or Reason can comprehend it being the Excellency of Faith to believe what we do not see To this purpose Ruffinus in the third Chapter of his Ecclesiastical History lib. 1. delivers a passage which hapned at the first Council of Nice about 318 years after Christ The Council being assembled liberty was granted to all learned Pagans to come and object what they could against the Articles of the Christian Faith. Many came and among the rest a Philosopher of great fame for Sense and Reason who disputed very rationally as he thought and despâ—sed all the Answers given by the learned Men of the Council At last one of the Assembly a man of great Simplicity says Ruffinus whose name or quality he does not mention stands up and praying liberty to speak insted of other Resolution to the Arguments of that Philosopher makes a bare Rehersal of his Creed to this effect viz. I believe in God who made me of the dust of the Earth and by the power of his Word created all things This Word is the Son of God who compassionating the lost condition of mankind condescended to assume our likeness and expos'd his Life as a Satisfaction for our Sins I believe his Resurrection from the Grave His Ascention into Heaven from whence he shall return to give Judgment on all our Actions whether Good or Evil c. It pleased God that this plain recital of his Faith was more regarded by that Philosopher than all the other Answers he had receâ—ved Insomuch that he confessed openly whilst matters were controverted in the way of his own Reason he never wanted somewhat to Oppose but now he could not resist the Power of God So that immediately he went forth and was baptized The Plain Man was in the Right not to enter into more Controversie with a Person so opinionated of his own Reason For the Mysteries of our Faith which we receive on the Authority of God and his Church are not to be brought down before the insufficient Tribunal of every Mans Reasons We cannot there fore more effectually put to silence the Arrogance of Schism and Heresie then by those words of St. Paul I have delivered unto you that which I also received 1 Cor. 15. which you are to believe at your peril The first step to Health is to know the root of our Disease the root of all Schism and Heresie is the Opinion of our own Sense and Reason or which is the same thing Scripture interpreted by every Man 's Reason Do but ask a Socinian why he denies the Divine Nature of Jesus Christ He will answer you 't is against Reason and Scripture to believe it but then he means his own Reason and his own Interpretation of Scripture Ask a Protestant why he denies Transubstantiation and he will return you the very same Answer Likewise the Presbyterian and Independent will produce you Reason and Scripture enough as they understand it against the Common-Prayer Book and Ceremonies of the Church of England Thus every Man's Reason or Interpretation of Scripture being set up for his Guide in Religion there must of necessity follow as many Distractions and Subdivisions amongst the Protestants as there are varieties of Reason or Fancy in mens Heads In matters relating to their Temporal Estates wise Protestants are not usually very confident of their own Reason but in matters of Faith not so obvious to humane Sense or Apprehension 't is strange how every one thinks it his wisest course to follow his own Judgment of Discretion presuming so far upon it that he runs headlong with it as though it were every Mans Wisdom to suspect his own Judgment in the Transitory concernments of this Life but not in those of his Soul which are of everlasting importance Now to be so diffident of their own Reason and so apt to submit to other mens advice about the security of their Estates and so negligent in the matter of their Souls what is it in reality but to believe an immortality of their Estates rather than their Souls Well Sir But let us not forget the Answers that are wont to be made to this kind of Discourse First say you if Sectaries mistake Scripture and pretend to Reason what 's that to the true Protestant who makes good use of his own Judgment and Reverences the Authority of the Church Very good but is it not the avowed Principle of all sorts of Protestants that every Man let him be Sectary or what he will must be allowed a Judgment of Discretion to read and interpret the Scripture for Himself so as not to Pin his Religion on the Sleeve of the Church to private men we yield only a Judgment of Discretion saith Bishop Bramhall that is we would not have reasonable Men like Davids Horse or Mule void of understanding To the Pastors of the Church we give a Judgment of Direction and to the chief Pastors or Bishops we give a Judgment of Jurisdiction page 1017. of his Works printed at Dublin Now Sir remember your own Principle every Sectarian Preacher must be allowed his Judgment of Discretion and every little Shopkeeper the liberty of Scripture but what if that Shopkeepers Judgment or Interpretation of Scripture happens to contradict the Judgment of Direction which belongs to the chief Pastors or Bishops of the Church Do you allow any man to read the Bible and then debar him the use of his Reason or liberty of his Conscience Does he mistake Scripture because he cannot see with your eyes or understand as you do And whereas you say the true Protestant reverences the Authority of the Church I pray tell me what church-Church-Authority did the first Reformers under Edward 6. submit to there being at the death of Henry 8. no such thing as a Protestant Church of England but Mass said in all Churches of the Nation yes and in almost the whole Christian World. And
men neither are they out of the pale of the Church nor out of the way of Salvation pag. 396. of his Works printed at Dublin Thus Sir your Answers are so fâ—r from excusing the Liberty of this thing calâ—'d every mans Judgment of Discretion that they expose the vanity and uncertainty of it for you see how the first Reformers by vertue of their Judgment of Discretion did attaint all Christendom of damnable Idolatry for the space of 800 years and more and how Bishop Bramhall by vertue of his Judgment of Discretion pronounces them only material Idolaters that is no Idolaters in the eyes of God or discerning men nor out of the Pale of the Church or way of Salvation His Reason you shall hear by and by In the mean time you shall find nothing in all this Paper that denies the modest use of our Reason in matters of Religion It only intimates the uncertainty of Reason that a wise man cannot trust it when it contradicts the received Faith of the Church And truly unless it be governed by the Grace of God that is with Humility and Charity it runs as naturally into Schism Heresie and Rebellion as a Cockatrice Egg into a Serpent Give me leave to recomâ—end to your consideration these following Texts of Scripture and then conclude with a few passages out of Bishop Bramhall Knowledge puffeth up but Charity edifieth and if any man think that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know but if any man love God the same is known of him 1 Cor. 8.3 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a Fool then of him Proverbs 26.12 Be not wise in thine own eyes fear the Lord and depart from evil Prov. 3.7 Charity never faileth but whether there be Prophecies they shall fail whether there be Tongues they shall cease whether there be Knowledge it shall vanish away For we now see through a Glass darkly but then face to face 1 Cor. 13.8 Be of the same mind one towards another Mind not high things Be not wise in your own conceits Rom. 12.16 All this have I proved by Wisdom I said I will be wise but it was far from me Eccles 7.23 For vain man would be wise though he be born like the wild Asses Colt Job 11.12 Wo unto them that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight Isa 5.21 Trust unto the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thy own Understanding Prov. 3.5 These Texts though I say it had been good Advice for the first Reformers Cranmer Cromwell Ann Bolen Ridly Latimer Dudley Somerset c. whose Charity or Modesty a man can never admire when he seriously reflects upon these words of their Book of Homilies viz. Not only the unlearned and simple but the learned and wise not only the People but the Bishops not the Sheep but also the Shepherds themselves who should have been Guides in the right way as blind Guides of the blind fell both into the pit of damnable Idolatry in the which all the World as it were drowned continued until our Age that is until Henry 8 and Edward 6. by the space of above 800 years unspoken against in a manner 3d Part of Homily against Peril of Idolatry Now Sir If Roman Catholiques may be allowed a little use of their Own reason and choice of their Own Church as well as others I pray satisfie me by what Authority or Mission from God did those Reformers damn all the Christian World And set vp this Altar in England against that in France Spain Germany Italy Burnet Hist 2 Vol. page 14. 2d Edition Greece c. reforming the daily Sacrifice for so the Communion was called in the primitive Church as Burnet confesses into once a month in all Cathedrals and thrice a year in all Parâ—sh Churches Had they any Commission or had they none If they had not as undoubtedly they had none to authorize such immodesty then remember the Divine Indignation against Uzzab for presuming to put forth his hand uncommanded to support the Ark from falling 1 Chron. 13. If they had any do me or your self the kindness to produce it that we may see the contents of it and there is an end of the Controversie But do not pretend a Mission from the Church of Rome or from Christ by the hands of Roman Catholique Bishops For that 's like taking up Arms by the Kings Authority against the Kings Person And by the same pretence a Lutheran Minister having received his Orders from a Roman Bishop may Preach against the Sacraments of the Church of England Besides that it serves as well us Roman Catholiques to Preach against your Church since you can never invalidate our Mission without destroying your own Do not Roman Catholiques Lutherans c. think they understand the Doctrine of Christ as well as you or what extraordinary things do you pretend to I conclude with these passages out of Bishop Bramhall and I promise you his own words fairly First see page 133 of his works printed at Dublin where you shall find him answering this Objection that we meaning the Protestants have Schismatically separated our selves from the Communion of our Ancestors whom we Believe to be Damn'd c. He Answers First for our Natural Fathers the Answer is easie we do not condemn them nor separate our selves from them Charity requires both to think well and speak well of them but Prudence commands us to look well to our selves so say the Presbyterians and Independents excusing their not Communicating with the Church of England we believe our Fathers might partake of some Errors of the Roman Church We do not believe that they were guilty of any Heretical pravity observe this but held always the Truth implicitely in the preparation of their Minds and were always ready to receive it when God should please to reveal it unto them upon these grounds we are so far from damning them that we are confident they were saved by a general Repentance c. Then see page 68. of his whole Works If men might not be saved by a general and implicite Repentance they were in a woful Condition for who can tell how oft he offendeth Psal 19. and if by a general and implicite Repentance why not by a general and implicite Faith Why not by a general and implicite Obedience So as they do their utmost endeavours to learn their Duties and are ready to conform themselves when they know them c. In vain doth he meaning S. N. a Roman Catholique demand whether the Church of Protestants were extant in the World before the Reformation as if Protestancy were of the Essence of the Church As the Errors of the Roman Church were accidental to it so likewise was the Protestation against those Errors and the Reformation of them which might either be present or absent sine interitu subjecti Mark Sir what is the English of thâ—s