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A30455
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Six papers by Gilbert Burnet.
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Burnet, Gilbert, 1643-1715.
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1687
(1687)
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Wing B5912; ESTC R26572
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63,527
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69
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〈◊〉 less apt to fail than a Tradition of Points of Speculation and yet we see very neâ—r the Age of the Apostles contrary Traditions touching the Observation of Easter from which we must conclude that either the Matter of Fact of one side or the other as it was handed down was not true or at least that it was not rightly understood A Tradition concerning the Use of the Sacraments being a visible thing is more likely to be exact than a Speculation concerning their nature and yet we find a Tradition of giving Infants the Communion grounded on the indispensible necessity of the Sacrament continued 1000. years in the Church A Tradition on which the Christians founded their Joy and Hope is less like to be changed than a more remote Speculation and yet the first Writers of the Christian Religion had a Tradition handed down to them by those who saw the Apostles of the Reign of Christ for a Thousand Years upon Earth and if those who had Matters at second hand from the Apostles could be thus mistaken it is more reasonable to apprehend greater Errors at such a distance A Tradition concerning the Book of the Scriptures is more like to be exact than the Exposition of some passages in it and yet we find the Church did unaimously belâ—eve the Translation of the 70. Interpreters to have been the effect of a miraculous Inspiration till S. Ierome examined this matter better and made a New Translation from the Hebrew Copies But which is more 〈◊〉 all the rest It seems plain that the Fathers before the Council of Nice believed the Divinity of the Son of God to be in some sort Inferiour to that of the Father and for some Ages after the Council of Nice they believed them indeed both equal but they considered these as two different Beings and only one in Essence as three men have the same humane Nature in common among them and that as one Candle lights another so the one flowed from another and after the Fifth Century the Doctrine of one Invidual Essence was received If you will be farther informed concerning this Father Petaâ— will satisfie you as to the first Period before the Council of Nice and the learned Dr. Cudworth as to the second In all which particulars it appears how variable a Thing Tradition is And upon the whole Matter the examining Tradition thus is still a searching among Books and here is no living Judge XII If then â—he Authority that must decide Controversies lies in the Body of the Pastors scattered over the World which is the last retrenchment here as many and as great Scruples will arise as we foâ—nd in any of the former Heads Two difficulties appear at first view the one is How can we be assured that the present Pastors of the Church are derived in a just Succession from the Apostles there are no Registers extant that prove this So that we have nothing for it but some Histories that are so carelesly writ that we find many mistakes in them in other Matter and they are so differenâ— in the very first links of that Chain that immediately succeeded the Apostâ—es that the utmost can be made of this is that here is an Historical Religion somewhat doubtful but here is nothing to found our Faith on so that if a Succession from the Apostles timâ—s is necessary to the Constitution of that Church to which we must submit our selves we know not where to find it besides that the Dâ—ctrine of the necessary of the Intention of the Minister to the Validity of a Sacrament throws us into inextricable difficulties I know they generally say that by the Intention they do not mean the inward Acts of the Minister of the Sacrament but only that it must appear by his outward deportment that he is in earnest going about a Sacrament aud not doing a thing in jâ—st and this appeared so reasonable to me that I was â—orry to find our Divines urge it too much till turning over the Rubricks that are at the beginning of the Mâ—ssal I found upon the head of the Intention of the Minister that if a Priest has a Number of Hostiâ—â— before him to be consecrated and intends to consecrate them all except one in that case that Vagrant exception falls upon them all it not being affixed to any one and it is defined that he consecrates none at all Here it is plain that the secret Acts of a Priest can defeat the Sacrament so this overthrows all certainty concerning a Succession But besides all this we are sure that the Greek Churches have a much more uncontested Succession than the Latines So that a Succession cannot direct us And if it is necessary to seek out the Doctrines that are universally received this is not possible for a private Man to know So that in ignorant Countries where there is little Study the people have no other certainty concerning their Religion but what they take from their Curate and Confessor since they cannot examine what is generally receiâ—ed So that it must be confessed that all the Arguments that are brought for the necessity of a constant Infallible Iudge turn against all those of the Church of Rome that do not acknowledge the Infallibility of the Pope for if he is not infallible they have no other Iudge that can pretend to it It were also easie to shew that some Doctrins have been â—s Unâ—versally received in some Ages as they have been rejected in others which shews that the Doctrine of the present Church is not always a sure measure For five Ages together the Doctrine of the Popes Power to depose Heretical Princes was received without the least Opposition and this cannot be doubted by any that knows what has been the State of the Church since the End of the eleventh Century and yet I believe few Princes would allow this notwithstanding all the concurring authority of so many Ages to fortifie it I could carry this into a great many other Instances but I single out this because it is a point in which princes are naturally extream sensible Upon the whole Matter it can never enter into my mind that God who has made Man a Creature that naturally enquires and reasons and that feels as sensible a pleasure when he can give himself a good account of his actions as one that sees does perceive in comparison to a blind man that is led about and that this God that has also made Religion on design to perfect this Humane Nature and to raise it to the utmost height to which it can arrive has contrived it to be dark and to be so much beyond the penetration of our Faculties that we cannot find out his mind in those things that are necessary for our Salvation and that the Scriptures that were writ by plain men in a very familiar stile and addrest without any discrimination to the Vulgar should become such an unintelligible Book in these Ages that we must have an
without an Indictment a Tryal or a Jury and because one of the greatest bodies of England would not break their Oaths and obey a Mandate that plainly contradicted them we see to what a pitch this is like to be carried I will not anticipate upon this illegal Court to tell what Judgments are coming but without carrying our Jealousies ton far one may safely conclude that they will never depart so far from their first Institution as to have any regard either to our Religion or our Laws or Liberties in any thing they do If all this were acted by a owed Papists as we are sure it is projected by such there were nothing extraordinary in it but that which carries our Indig nation a little too far to be easily governed is to see some pretended Protestants and a few Bishops among those that are the fatal Instruments of pulling down the Church of England and that those Mercenaries Sacrifice their Religion and their Church to their Ambition and Interests this has such peculiar Characters of Misfortune upon it that it seems it is not enough if we perish without pity since we fall by that hand that we have so much supported and fortified but we must become the Scorn of all the world since we have produced such an unnatural Brood that even while they are pretending to be the Sons of the Church of England are cutting their Mothers Throat and not content with Iudas's Crime of saying Hail Master and kissing him while they are betraying him into the hands of othnrs these carry their Wickedness fâ—rthâ—r and say Hail Mother and then they themselves murtheâ— her If after all this we were called on to bear this as Christians and to suffer it as Subjects if we were required in Patience to possess our own Souls and to be in Charity with our Enemies and which is more to forgive our False Brethren who add Treaâ—â—ery to their Hatred the Exhortation were seasonable and indeed a little necessary for humane Nature cannot easily take down things of such a hard digestion but to tell us that we must make Addresses and offer Thanks for all this is to insult a little too much upon us in our Sufferings and he that can believe that a dry and cautiously worded Promise of maintaining the Church of England will be religiously observed after all that we have seen and is upon that carried so far out of his Wits as to Address and give Thanks and will believe still such a man has nothing to excuse him from believing Transubstaetiation it self for it is plain that he can bring himself to believe even when the thing is contrary to the clearest Evidence that his senses can give him Si populus hic vult decipi decipiatur POSTSCRIPT THese Reflections were writ soon after the Declaration came to my hands but the Matter of them was so tender and the Conveyance of them to the Press was so uneasie that they appear now too late to have one effect that was Designed by them which was the diverting men from making Addresses upon it yet if what is here proposed makes men become so far wise as to be ashamed of what they have done and is a means to keep them from carrying their Courtship further than good words this Paper will not come too late An Answer to a Paper Printed with Allowance Entitled A New Test of the Church of Englands Loyalty 1. THE Accusing the Church of England of want of Loyalty or the putting it to a new Test after so fresh a one with relation to His Majesty argues a high degree of Confidence in him who undertakes it She knew well what were the Doctrines and Practices of those of the Roman Church with Relation to Hereticks and yet She was so true to her Loyalty that She shut her Eyes on all the Temptations that so just a fear could raise in her and She set her self to support His Majesties Right of Succession with so much Zeal that She thereby not only put her self in the power of her Enemies but She has also Exposed her Self to the Scorn of those who insult over her Misfortune She lost the Affections even of many of her own Children who thought that her Zeal for an Interest which was then so much decry'd was a little too fervent and all those who judged severely of the proceedings thought that the Opposition which She made to the side that then went so high had more Heat than Decency in it And indeed all this was so very Extraordinary that if She was not acted by a principle of Conscience She could make no Excuse for her Conduct There appeared such peculiar Marks of Affection and Heartiness at every time that the Duke was named whether in Drinking his Health or upon graver Occasions that it seemed affected and when the late King himself whose Word they took that he was a Protestant was spoke of but coldly the very Name of the Duke set her Children all on fire this made many conclude that they were ready to Sacrifice all to him for indeed their Behaviour was inflamed with so much Heat that the greater part of the Nation be lieved they waited for a fit opportunity to declare themselves Faith in Jesus Christ was not a more frequent Subject of the Sermons of many than Loyalty and the Right of the Succession to the Crown the Heat that appeared in the Pulpit and the Learning that was in their Books on these Subjects and the Eloquent Strains that were in their Addresses were all Originals and made the World conclude That whatever might be laid to their Charge they should never be accused of any want of Loyalty at least in this King's time while the remembrance of so signal a service was so fresh When His Majesty came to the Crown these men did so entirely depend on the Promise that he made to maintain the Church of England that the doubting of the performance appeared to them the worst sort of Infidelity They believed that in His Majesty the Hero and the King would be too strong for the Papists and when any one told them How weak a tie the Faith of a Catholick to Hereticks must needs be they could not hearken to this with any patience but looked on his Majesties Promise as a thing so Sacred that they imploy'd their interest to carry all Elections of Parliament-Men for those that were recommended by the Court with so much Vigour that it laid them open to much Censure In Parliament they moved for no Laws to secure their Religion but assuring themselves that Honour was the Kings Idol they laid hold on it and fancied that a publick reliance on his Word would give them an Interest in his Majesty that was Generous and more suteable to the Nobleness of a Princely Nature than any new Laws could be so that they acquieseed in it and gave the King a vast Revenue for Life In the Rebellion that followed they shewed with what Zeal they