Dr. Stillingfleet's ANSWER TO J. S's Catholick Letters Imprimatur Liber cui Titulus A Discourse Concerning the Nature and Grounds of the Cerrainty of Faith c. Jan. 5. 1687. H. Maurice Rmo in Christo P. D. Wilhelmo Archiep. Cantuariensi a Sacris A DISCOURSE Concerning the Nature and Grounds OF THE CERTAINTY OF FAITH IN ANSWER To J. S. his Catholick Letters By EDW. STILLINGFLEET D. D. Dean of St. Pauls LONDON Printed for Henry Mortlock at the Phoenix in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCLXXXVIII THE CONTENTS THe Title of Catholick Letters Examin'd Page 1 How J. S. comes to be concerned in this Debate 3 His Doctrine denied to be Catholick by the Sorbon Doctors and others 5 His Self-Contradiction about it in seven Particulars 7 The State of the present Controversie about the Certainty of Faith 15 How it is altered by J. S. 25 Of the Certainty of Particular Points of Faith 27 The Grounds of the Certainty of Faith laid down by the General Consent of the School-Divines 31 J. S's main Argument against our Certainty of Faith Answer'd and Retorted 34 An Evident Proof of the Certainty of Faith without Infallibility 37 The Notion of a Rule of Faith Explained 38 The Sense of Tradition may be mistaken as well as Scripture 43 The Instances of it defended 44 The Second Argument about Fallible Certainty Answer'd 49 The Third about our Rule of Faith being common to all Heresies Answer'd 50 The Fourth about making our Private Judgment our Rule Answer'd 53 The Fifth about Judgment of Discretion Consider'd and Answer'd 54 How far the Scripture is a Rule to our People 55 What Certainty they have as to things necessary to Salvation 61 What Judgment of Discretion allowed by him 62 That it doth not serve only to find an Infallible Authority proved at large 64 His severe Conclusion of his Third Letter Answer'd 69 The Answer to the Argument summ'd up 71 The Sixth Argument about the Apostles not using a Written Rule in their Preaching Answer'd 73 The Seventh about Points necessary to Salvation Answer'd 74 The Similitude of the Purse defended 76 Scripture owned to be a Rule of Faith though not complete by the Divines of the Church of Rome 78 And that all Points simply necessary are therein contained 81 J. S. his Concession that all Points are not necessary to all Persons 83 Some Mens Vncertainty overthrows not the Certainty of Others 85 The Eighth Argument about the Certainty of the Letter of Scripture 86 J. S. overthrows it by allowing it to be corrected by the Sense of the Faithful 87 The Grounds of our Certainty laid down 89 Of Human and Divine Faith 91 The Last Argument about the Number of Canonical Books Answer'd 92 No Books of the New Testament lost 93 How the Canon was entire in the First Ages 95 Of the Vniversal Consent of all Christian Churches 97 The Demonstration for Oral Tradition laid down 100 The Instance of the Greek Church not Answer'd 101 The Argument it self consider'd 104 A clear and distinct Answer given to it and its notorious Fallacy laid open 105 How Errors might come into the Church 109 The late Instance of Molinos produced 109 110 Many other Causes of Errors besides Forgetfulness and Malice set down ibid. The Charge of Pelagianism defended against J. S. 113 Of the Council of Trents Proceeding on Tradition 115 The Proof that it did not referr'd to another Discourse 116 ERRATA PAge 16. line 9. for as Mr. G. read as Mr. S. p. 32. Marg. for 9.6 times r. q. for 19.9 r. 1 2. q. ibid. Marg. l. 9. for the 2 d. 13. r. A. 10. p. 62. l. 23. r. and how far and. p. 105. l. 15. blot out not before really l. 16. add not after are A DISCOURSE Concerning the NATURE GROUNDS OF THE CERTAINTY OF FAITH c. WHEN I published my Two Letters to Mr. G. I had good Reason to expect an Answer from him who began the Controversie But it seems he had better Reason to forbear and it is not hard to guess at it and I am turned over to one who pretends to write Catholick Letters against me I have a great and just Reverence for some Catholick Epistles and believe them written by an Infallible Spirit but for these Catholick Letters though their whole design be Infallibility yet I cannot find so much as a fair Probability in them But why must these be call'd Catholick Letters Are they written by some Catholick Bishop to give an Account of his Faith according to the Custom of the Antient Church Is it that the Doctrine contained in them is undoubtedly Catholick So far from it that I shall make it appear that no one Church of the Christian World ever own'd it But suppose it had been the Doctrine of the Roman Church how could this make them Catholick Letters unless so great a Logician had first proved that a Part may assume the Denomination of the whole But then why not Roman Catholick Letters according to the new Style There was a Reason for this J. S. hath not forgotten how hardly he had lately escaped Censure at Rome for the Principles contained in them and therefore though he hopes they may pass for Catholick here yet he durst not joyn Roman to Catholick in the Title of his Letters But how comes J. S. to be concerned in this Controversie with Mr. G. The Account he gives of it in the beginning of his First Letter is very pleasant He saith He accepted a Commission from Mr. G. to hold his Cards while he is not in Circumstances to play out his Game himself I will not examine Mr. G's Circumstances nor the Game he plays at but methinks this is no very decent way of expressing the undertaking a Debate about Matters of Faith and Salvation But in Truth he makes the business of Infallibility as he handles it to be a Matter of Sport and Diversion notwithstanding all his Grimaces and Tragical Expressions about it It is hard to be severe upon a Metaphor but suppose it be allowed yet I wonder of all Men he should pitch upon J. S. to hold his Cards for him who had plaid his own so ill and so much to the dissatisfaction of the leading Men of his own Church Yet he now appears as brisk and confident as if he were some New Gamester although he produces his old sullied Cards a little wiped over again and seems to have forgotten the Answer to his Sure Footing and the Accompt he still owes to the World for it I know not how far it agrees with the Laws of Ecclesiastical Chivalry for one who hath not defended himself to appear a Champion for another especially in the same Cause but there is no great Reason to apprehend he should do much for another who hath done next to nothing for himself The main Subject of the Debate is about the Nature and Grounds of the Certainty of Faith and the Method I think most natural and effectual to proceed in
suspect any Fraud or Design in the Alterations that appear in the Manuscript Copies And as to Translations that have been made among us the People who are not able to examin them by the Originals have no Reason to suspect them as to any Matter of Faith. Not meerly from the Skill and Integrity of the Persons and the Care that hath been taken but because it was so much the Concernment of some Men to have lessen'd the Credit of our Translations as much as was possible and they have not been able to produce any thing that might shake the Faith of a considering Man. If it be said after all This is but Human Faith and not Divine I answer IV. We must be careful to distinguish the Certainty of Human and Divine Faith in this Matter We do not pretend that we have an Absolute Divine Certainty of things that are only capable of Human Certainty and we do not say that we have only Human Certainty of things capable of Divine Certainty If the Question be put concerning the Objects of Divine Faith then we do answer That we have a Divine Certainty of them from those things which are the proper Evidence of Divine Revelation We believe the Doctrine of Christ with a Divine Faith because it was confirmed by Miracles and Prophecies We believe the New Testament to be written by the Holy Spirit because the Promise of the Spirit was fulfilled upon them and especially in a thing of so great Concernment to the whole Christian Church But if the Question be asked only concerning a Matter of Fact as whether the Books that bear such Names were written by the Persons whose Names they bear then I can have no greater Certainty than belongs to a Matter of Fact but then it is so circumstantiated that I have a greater and more absolute Certainty as to this then any other Matter of Fact which wants the Proofs that this hath And if as to Books and Copies and Translations we have as high a Certainty as the thing is capable of it is madness to expect and require more For where there is but a Human Testimony there cannot be the Certainty of Divine Faith which must not only have a Divine Object but must rest on a Divine Testimony but where the Testimony is Human the Certainty must be such as relates to the highest of that kind But still such a Faith may have Absolute Certainty of its kind and although in regard of its Testimony it be Human Faith yet in regard both of its Object its inward Cause and its Effects it may be truly called Divine IX The last Objection is concerning the Number of Canonical Books Pray satisfie us saith Mr. S. about this exact Number of Books and how many will just serve turn One would think by his Objections J. S. were preparing Matter for the Critical History of the New Testament he seems so concerned to lessen the Authority of it But I shall Answer the Objections he offers 1. There may have been Books lost that were written by Persons divinely inspir'd and we have no unanimous Consent of the Christian Church that there is none lost and those Books might contain Matters different from or to be superadded to the Canon we have now and without this we can have no Certainty that the Books we have now contained all the Divine Revelations I Answer I. If we have the unanimous Consent of the Christian Church that we have the Canon of the New Testament entire then we have their Consent that there is no Book written by Divine Inspiration lost And this appears by the Contest in the IV. Century about the just Number of the Canonical Books The Churches then differ'd about some Books not then Universally receiv'd as the Apocalypse in some and the Epistle to the Hebrews in others Which shews that the Churches were then so solicitous to preserve any Books that appear'd to be written by Persons Inspir'd that although these did then want Universal Consent yet they were still kept and read and dispers'd till upon further Examination they came to be Universally read It is not therefore in the least probable they should suffer any Apostolical Writings to be lost II. This is to charge the Christian Church with so gross a Neglect as overthrows the force of all his Arguments for Tradition For we must suppose an Apostolical Writing sent to some Church by Direction of the Holy Spirit and yet that Church be so notoriously careless as to lose a Book containing in it many Points of Faith now I appeal to any one of common Sense whether he could trust their Word for Matters of Faith who could be so negligent as to lose a great many Points of Faith at once And the more such a Book were dispersed the Argument is still stronger against Tradition Besides this shews the great Insufficiency of Oral Tradition if these Points of Faith are lost because such a Book was lost wherein they were contained If Tradition had been so effectual a Means of Conveying Matters of Faith it should have appear'd in such a Case viz. in preserving such Matters of Faith though the Books were lost But we find nothing like this so much as pretended Although it were much easier pretended than proved III. This is to suppose the Providence of God not to be immediately concerned in preserving Books written by Divine Inspiration Mr. S. doth really suppose that Books written by Divine Inspiration may have been lost or at least that we cannot prove that they are not But we think it a considerable Proof that they could not because the Divine Providence doth so immediately concern it self in preserving that which tends so much to the Good of his Church If a Hair doth not fall from our Heads nor a Sparrow fall on the Ground without the Providence of God as our Saviour affirms is it not very unreasonable to suppose that a Divine Book written for the Benefit of the Christian Church should be wholly lost Especially considering the extraordinary Care the first Christians took in Times of the greatest Persecutions to preserve the Scriptures and no force or violence could extort them out of their hands On Mr. S's Supposition it was no hard Matter for a Book of Scripture to be lost viz. if the several Books had been committed to the Custody of some Men in Trust for the whole Church but if we consider the things as they really were it will appear hardly possible For the Books were not kept up at first in a few hands but dispersed abroad in multitudes of Copies and received with mighty Veneration both on the Account of the Authors of them and the Matters contained in them They were read both in Publick and in Private they heard them in their Assemblies and they made them their constant Imployment at home they were their Rule of Life as well as of Faith. And how is it possible to suppose any Book so received so
esteemed so dispersed so constantly read could be suffer'd to be lost among Christians If it be Objected That they were not all so esteemed at first as appears by the Epistle to the Hebrews and therefore might more easily be lost I Answer That however they were not universally received at first yet they were by those Churches to whom they were written and among them they were not kept up but mightily dispersed so that there was no way to lose them from the first spreading of them abroad unless we can suppose such multitudes of Christians to conspire together to suppress a Book of so great Concernment to themselves As if Persons who claim an Estate by virtue of some Deeds should all agree to imbezel them or any material part of them Here was no pretence for Registers and Abridgments which some make use of to lessen the Authority of the Books of the Old Testament for here we have the very Authentick Writings of the Apostles and their own Epistles in their own style and Expressions And supposing the Churches to whom they were sent to have received them as their Writings and to have communicated them to others as they did I do not see under these Circumstances how a Book containing Divine Revelations could be lost II. He Objects That the Canon of Scripture was not entire but deficient for some hundreds of years till the whole Canon was collected and acknowledged and therefore so long the Church had no Perfect Rule of Faith. I Answer I. I distinguish between a Compleat Rule of Faith and a Compleat Canon of Scripture For if the Books owned and universally received contain in them all Matters of Faith then the Rule of Faith is Compleat although some particular Books may be still in Dispute As for Instance it is certain that in St. Jerom's Time the Church of Rome did not receive as Canonical the Epistle to the Hebrews Had not that Church therefore a Compleat Rule of Faith If God hath so abundantly provided for his Church that there may be a full Revelation of all Points of Faith in the rest then the disputing the Authority of such an Epistle doth not derogate from the Compleatness of the Rule of Faith. For if they have all Points of Faith they must have a Compleat Rule of Faith. II. It is no Prejudice to the true Canon of Scripture that some particular Books of the New Testament were for some time disputed by some particular Churches For if it were done without Ground it doth reflect more on those Churches than on those Books especially when those very Churches afterwards received them And this was the Case of the Church of Rome as to the Epistle to the Hebrews St. Jerom affirms That not only the Greek Churches all received it but that all the Ancient Writers did so and not meerly as an Ecclesiastical but as a Canonical Epistle Therefore this must be a late thing in the Church of Rome and in probability began upon the Novatian Controversie which Epistle was thought too much to favour the Novatian Doctrine and when that Controversie did abate that Epistle recovered its Authority in the Church of Rome But Mr. S. is angry with me for reflecting on the Church of Rome for not receiving the Epistle to the Hebrews in St. Jerom 's Time which he thinks was an Act of Prudence antecedent to the Judgment or Determination of any Church whether Greek or Latin. One may see by this how well versed he is in the Canon of Scripture when St. Jerom declares that not only all the Greek Writers received it but all the Ancient and that as Canonical Was here no antecedent Judgment of the Church in this Matter Doth not the Consent of all Ancient Writers even in St. Jerom's Time make a Judgment of the Church But he adds That what I make a heinous Crime in the Church of Rome was a commendable Caution in it That which I said was That it hence appear'd that the Church of Rome was far from being believed then to have the Authority of making the Canon of Scripture or being Infallible in Faith. And what saith J. S. in Answer to this Not one Syllable but runs it off to another thing But why do I not as well blame the Greek Churches for not receiving the Apocalypse They do not pretend to such Authority and Infallibility in this Matter as the Church of Rome doth I do not deny that there were some Greeks then to blame in rejecting the Apocalypse but Bellarmin saith they were but few and obscure Persons and he produces the Testimonies of Justin Martyr Irenaeus Theophilus Antiochenus Melito Sardensis Dionysius Alexandrinus Clemens Alexandrinus Origen and Athanasius all approving it And the Occasion of disputing it arose from the Millenary Opinion which some thought they could not confute as long as the Apocalypse had such Authority in the Church And such Disputes as these which wore off by degrees are no real Prejudice to the Canon of the New Testament which was at first generally received and although some few Books were contested for a time yet they recover'd their Authority and have ever since been received by the Universal Consent of all Christian Churches III. He Objects against this Universal Consent the Testimonies of Marcion Ebion Valentinus Cerinthus and Epiphanius his other Hereticks who rejected the Canon of the New Testament Could any Man but J. S. make such an Objection as this But he had a mind to bring me in as a Favourer of all Hereticks and as such another Man of Integrity hath done of all Anti-Catholick and Anti-Christian Doctrines But where have I given any Occasion for such spiteful Reflections All that I said was We have the Universal Consent of all Christian Churches for the Canon of the New Testament i. e. Of all since the time that the Epistle to the Hebrews was receiv'd in the Latin and the Apocalypse in the Greek Churches notwithstanding all the Divisions they have since fallen into yet they had no Difference as to the Canon of the New Testament And this I insisted on as the Ground of our Certainty viz. The Unanimous Consent of all the great Bodies of Christians that have continued under different Denominations to this day To this he gives no other Answer but that my Answer to the Fifth Question is co-incident with that to the Fourth I thought J. S. in the Self-evident way would have liked my Answer the better for it But he doth not comprehend the design of it I had said before That we relied on the Universal Testimony of the Christian Church upon that the Question was asked What I meant by the Christian Church My Answer was That it was that which was made up of all Christian Churches i. e. saith J. S. That all the Parts make the Whole and what Incongruity is there When Mr. G. said That the Christian Church may be taken in several Latitudes he desired to know in
main of his Defence But why then doth he urge us to produce our Grounds of Certainty as to particular Points if himself doth not If he pretends no more than to prove them in general why may not we be allowed to do the same He that calls upon others to do it in such an insulting manner is presumed to do it himself and if he doth not he only banters and abuses his Reader And after all this mighty pretence to Demonstration and Infallibility the whole Dispute comes to this whether Men may attain to greater Certainty of Christ's Doctrine by Oral and Practical Traditions than we can do by Scripture Reason and Tradition But this is against his words where he saith Seeing then Christians are bound to profess their Faith true as to those Points of a Trinity for Example or Incarnation c. it follows that it must be affirm'd and held that a Trinity or Incarnation absolutely is and consequently that it is impossible not to be VII About Moral Certainty His whole Book called Faith vindicated was written against it And in the Preface to it p. 3. he opposes absolute Certainty to Moral and he saith those who have it not have no true Faith. Page 17. True Faith by reason of its immoveable Grounds can bear an asserting the absolute Impossibility of its falshood And without this he makes Faith absurd preternatural and irrational Page 34. Moral Certainty is in reality uncertainty and the highest degree of Moral Certainty is the lowest degree of Vncertainty truly so called The same he asserts pag. 36 86 93. Error Nonplust pag. 195. Fallible Certainty destroys all Efficacy all Defence and even Essence of Faith. When I read in Lominus pag. 43. that I. S. in his Vindication pleaded that he required no more than Moral Evidence for the Assent and Profession of Faith I could hardly believe him and therefore I was earnest to see what he would say in Answer to this but even there pag. 23. he owns it and saith expresly That Moral Evidence is absolutely sufficient to Faith But withal he saith There is more than Moral Evidence in Tradition Let now any indifferent Person compare those Assertions together If Moral Certainty be Vncertainty and destroy the Essence of Faith how can it be absolutely sufficient to Faith But besides the Contradiction he hath by this one Assertion overthrown the whole Design of his Catholick Letters For if true Faith may be had without Infallible Certainty what need any such contending about it For the Ground of the Dispute is about such Faith as is necessary to Salvation and if true Faith as J. S. grants which is necessary to Salvation may be had without their pretended Infallibility there is no Colour left for pressing Persons of our Communion to forsake our Church because we cannot have Infallible Certainty of Faith when themselves grant that we may be saved without it And what Sincerity is to be expected from such a Man who makes such out-cries upon us for want of Infallible Certainty for Faith when himself Confesses that Moral Certainty is sufficient to Faith what ever becomes of Moral Certainty I love Moral Honesty and I cannot see how it is consistent with it to make such mighty pretences to the Necessity of Infallible Certainty for Faith even in his Catholick Letters which seems to be the chief Design of them when himself had declared to the Cardinals at Rome that less than that is sufficient for true Faith. But the secret of it is he knows well enough there is no such Necessity for Infallible Certainty and when it will bring him off he can own it but among us Hereticks they must bluster and make a mighty noise about it because it startles weak and injudicious People and they find nothing so apt to terrifie and confound them like Infallibility which like a Flash of Lightning doth not help them to see better but strikes them down with Horror and Astonishment And here I might fairly stop and send the Reader to J. S. for an effectual Answer to his own Letters or at least to shew how very unfit he was after such going forward and backwards in this matter to undertake this Cause 2. But lest I should seem to decline any thing which may seem material I shall now proceed to state the Controversie as it lies between Mr. S. and me For what concerns another Person I shall leave it to himself as not standing in need of any Assistance from me The Occasion of the Conference was set down by Mr. M. to have been That Mr. G. affirmed in some Companies that no Protestant could shew any Ground of Absolute Certainty for their Faith and that Mr. S. had promised him that if I were not able to manifest the contrary he would forsake our Communion So that Mr. G. was the Aggressor by laying this charge upon us That we could shew no Ground of Absolute Certainty for our Faith. And therefore when in the Conference I assigned the Scripture for the Ground and Rule of our Faith and universal Tradition for the Proof of the Books of Scripture I had Reason in my Expostulatory Letter to Mr. G. to desire of him to shew That we have no absolute Certainty of the Rule of our Faith viz. the Scripture although we have a larger and firmer Tradition for it than you can have for the Points in difference between us This plainly relates to the Conference wherein Scripture was own'd to be our Rule and Vniversal Tradition the Evidence on which we receive the Books And to any Man of Sense this is not Shifting and Tricking off the Proof to Mr. G. as Mr. G. often calls it but it is a plain and evident Proof of our Certainty upon their own Grounds For if Tradition be such a Ground of Absolute Certainty as they assert and we have a larger and firmer Tradition for Scripture than they can produce for the Points of Faith in difference between us then it is evident we must have upon their own Principles a Ground of Absolute Certainty for our Faith which was the main Point of the Conference If he will Answer the Argument he must either deny that we have Vniversal Tradition for the Books of Scripture or that Vniversal Tradition is a Ground for the Absolute Certainty of Faith Either of these ways he had said something to the purpose but he found this way of Reasoning too hot for him and therefore he calls it Shifting and Tricking off the Proof to Mr. G. and so falls into a Tragical Declamation against my not proving and making a Secret of the Ground of our Certainty as if a Man intended to make a Secret of a Horse he had lost when he published his Marks in the Gazett Here is the Ground of our Certainty laid down in that very place where he saith I shift off the Proof to Mr. G. but alas for him He cannot see any thing like a Proof unless it be serv'd
by the Confession of Parties what thinks he of those of the Church of Rome who have charged his Doctrine about Infallible Certainty with downright Heresie and Impiety and that it leads to Atheism and Infidelity and overthrows the Christian Faith This we are told is the sense of all the Learned and Orthodox Men of your Church Let the Reader judge what J. S. hath gotten by the Confession of Parties I hope now we shall come to the State of the Question for he charges me with perverting it The First Question he saith at the Conference was Whether Protestants are absolutely Certain that they hold now the same Tenets in Faith and all that our Saviour taught to his Apostles And my Answer he saith was They are By his favour my Answer was not in those words but that we are absolutely certain that we now hold all the same Doctrine that was taught by Christ and his Apostles And for a certain Reason I desire my own Words may express my Mind for I do not find Oral Tradition Infallible and where Words are varied the Sense may be so too But he observes that I trick it off again as he calls it I suppose it is Gamesters Language from the Point of Absolute Certainty of Faith to Absolute Certainty of the Rule of Faith viz. the Scripture but our Saviour and Protestants believe more than that the Book so called is Scripture Is Certainty of this more and Certainty of this Book all one Here is then an enquiry after one thing plainly turned off to another It seems Mr. G. is quite gone for a Gamester for he discerned no Tricking in this matter nor can I. It is very true we do believe More than that the Book so called is Scripture for we believe All the Matters of Faith contained in that Book And what then If by his More he means Articles of Faith not contained in Scripture then I tell him plainly we believe no More And therefore when Mr. G. put his next Question as he thought very pertinently By what Certain Rule do you hold it My Answer was By the Divine Revelation contained in the Writings of the New Testament Whereby I excluded his More if it be not contained in Scripture But if by More he means our Assent to the Points of Faith contained in Scripture I shall give a full Answer to it afterwards Then he asked By what Certain Rule do you know that the New Testament which we now have does contain all the Divine Revelations of Christ and his Apostles And if he puts such Questions concerning the Rule What Tricking was it in me to give a direct Answer to them How did I turn off the Enquiry from one thing to another when I only Answered the Questions he proposed This is not playing Mr. G 's Cards but condemning him for playing unskilfully and desiring to begin a new Game for Mr. G. had a bad hand and managed it very ill But what would J. S. have done The thing to be made manifest by the Conference was the Absolute Certainty of Protestant Faith. And so it was for Protestant Faith is to believe all that is contained in Scripture and no more Mr. G. did indeed ask some Questions about your Certainty of your Rule and I gave him direct Answers Where is the Tricking in all this But I wisely cut off the Course of the Questions before they had question'd away the Certainty of Faith. So far otherwise that I let them alone till they plainly run away from the business of Certainty to another Question and then Mr. T. cut them off by declaring himself satisfied and asking How they could prove the Church of Rome to be Infallible But now we are to see how much better the Cards might have been plaid And now look ye Gentlemen the Man of Skill begins the Game After the Certainty of Scripture from Tradition was admitted there was no Refusing to admit that Tradition causes Certainty and makes Faith as certain as Scripture See the difference of these two Gamesters at Tradition But what if I should yield him that I will not refuse to give my Assent to any Point of Faith which comes down to us from the Apostles Times with as large and as firm a Tradition as the Scripture Then saith he it would have proved something difficult to satisfie even a willing Man that the Faith is certain which is opposed to a Faith come down by Tradition Something difficult Nay very much so without doubt But this is fairly to suppose that you have as Vniversal a Tradition for your Tridentine Faith as we have for the Scripture but this I utterly deny and I hope in another Treatise to shew I have not done it without Reason Let the Matter of Tradition itself as a Rule of Faith be one of these Points If there were a Constant Vniversal Tradition in the Christian Church from the Apostolical Times that there were Matters of Faith necessary to Salvation not contained in Scripture I grant that it would be difficult to prove it to be a Matter of Faith that Scripture alone is our Rule of Faith. But that is the mighty Advantage of our Cause that we have both Scripture and Tradition for us and that no Catholick Tradition can be produced against us in any one Point of the Additional Creed of Pius IV. which is the Design I have undertaken of which I shall suddenly publish the First Part and if God gives me Life and Health I hope to go through the Rest. Well but in the mean time Absolute Certainty of Scripture was not the Point of the Conference Can J. S. tell better than the Managers His meaning is it ought not to have been Nor is it the Point of Concern This is strange Not the Point of Concern to those that own it to be the Word of God and the only Rule of Faith It is of Infinite Concern to us if it be not to you I pity you for it Besides that it is agreed on all hands Men are saved by Believing and Practising what Christ taught not barely by believing Scripture is Scripture This is no New Speculation But what follows from it Therefore we ought to believe Christ's Doctrine contained in Scripture and obey his Commands and do I give the least Intimation against this But the Question was about our Rule of Faith and that I still think is the Scripture and whatever is contained therein is to be believed on that Account But Salvation is the thing that imports us in these Disputes and 't were well if nothing else were minded by Disputers And so think I too I desire no more to end our Controversies than to make Salvation our End and the Scripture our Rule But how can Salvation be the thing that imports us in these Disputes if Men cannot with Reason hold any thing true unless they can produce the Intrinsecal Grounds which prove it to be so Doth Mr. S. in earnest think
was a great variety as to others is evident to any one who will compare the Ancient Creeds as I have lately shewed And these main Articles are those which Aquinas calls the prima Credibilia which are therefore revealed because necessary to be believed by all that hope for Salvation by Jesus Christ. II. There are other Points of Faith which are only necessary to be believed because they are so clearly revealed As that Cajaphas was High Priest when Christ suffer'd that there were two Malefactors who suffer'd with him that he was buried in Joseph of Arimathea's Sepulchre no Man who believes the Scripture can doubt of these things and yet we do not make these Points of Faith in themselves necessary because they have no immediate Reference to Salvation which might have been as effectually carried on if there had been another High Priest or Christ had lain in another Sepulchre But in these Points there is an absolute Certainty from the unquestionable Evidence of their being contained in Scripture III. There are doctrinal points not necessary to Salvation about which some may attain to a greater Degree of Certainty than others And the same Measure is not required of all Because Mens Capacities are not equal if they do use equal Diligence and all are not obliged to the same Degrees of Diligence that some are As to the Points necessary to Salvation God is not wanting by his Grace to make them known to Men of honest and sincere Minds And this is no peculiar Doctrine of mine as J. S. would insinuate but it hath been the constant Doctrine of their most Learned and Judicious School-Divines as is evident from what they speak of the Donum Intellectus and the Lumen Fidei which secure Men from Errour in what concerns their Salvation If he hath therefore such an Inveterate Spleen against this Doctrine let him attaque the greatest Divines of the Church of Rome who have in terms asserted the same which I have done And I would fain see J. S. demonstrating against Aquinas and all his followers That there is no such Security from Errour in Points necessary to Salvation where ever God bestows true Grace As to Points not necessary to Salvation I do not affirm there is any such Ground of Absolute Certainty as to particular Persons who are only concerned as to their own Salvation And that was the Reason of my Answer to the fourth Question The Universal Testimony of the Christian Church concerning the Book of Scripture and the Doctrine contained therein is a sufficient Ground to make us certain of all Matters necessary to our Salvation But of this more afterwards It is sufficient here to observe that even in the Church of Rome there are Points of Doctrine which are not de Fide and consequently the Certainty of Faith is not required to them And then it is most unreasonable to require the Absolute Certainty of Faith in those things which we deny to be Points of Faith. It is as if we should ask them what Absolute Certainty of Faith they have as to the Immaculate Conception and Assumption of the B. Virgin or the Popes Infallibility they would tell us these are no Points of Faith with them and therefore it is unreasonable to ask after the Absolute Certainty of Faith where there is no Faith pretended The same we say in the like Case It is very absurd to demand of us the Absolute Certainty of our Faith in such things wherein we never pretend to a Certainty of Faith but of common Sense and Reason proceeding according to the Rule of Scripture As if Men impose false and absurd Doctrines upon us as Transubstantiation c. we insist upon the Common Right of Mankind not to be required to believe Contradictions and the Right of Christians not to believe what hath neither Scripture nor Reason nor Tradition for it And these are the Grounds on which we reject the Additional Creed of Pius the Fourth We make them no Points of Faith at all and if others do make them so we desire to be excused because it is as certain to us they are not so as we can be of Negatives And farther than this we go not in such Points and if this be what he means by Protestant Faith he hath my Answer IV. The General Reason of the Certainty of Faith in Particular Persons is not from Conclusive Evidence as to the Points of Faith but from some higher Cause And this Mr. S. ought to know hath been the constant Doctrine of the Schools ever since Divinity hath been brought into them I except only one Franciscus de Marchia who required conclusive Evidence to the Certainty of Faith but he is disputed against by Gregorius Ariminensis and he saith His Doctrine was condemned by the Faculty of Paris and Gregory de Valentia speaks of him with great Contempt for holding so absurd a Doctrine The Certainty of Faith is declared by the Antient School-men to be above Opinion and below Science by which they understood the Intrinsic Grounds on which Truth is built which Mr. S. makes necessary to the Profession of it Hugo de Sancto Victore saith That the highest Certainty of Faith is owing to a Pious and pure Disposition of the Mind and an immediate Divine Influence Petrus Pictaviensis That it lies not in Evidence but Adherence Guliel Parisiensis proves Conclusive Evidence repugnant to Faith in a long Discourse Gul. Antissiodorensis thinks rational Evidence good to support and defend the Faith and to prepare men for it But that the Certainty of it lies not in Speculation but in an Adherence of the Mind to the Prime Verity Alex. Alensis saith likewise its Certainty doth not lie in Speculation but in inward Affection and Adherence there is he saith an inferiour sort of Acquisite Faith which relies on Reasons and Testimonies but this he saith is meerly Natural and Preparatory to Divine Faith. Bonaventure saith the Certainty of Adherence is beyond that of Speculation because a Martyr may have doubts and yet die for his Faith. Thomas Aquinas thinks those that go about to bring Demonstrations for Faith expose it to the Scorn and Reproach of Infidels and he resolves the inward Certainty of Faith into Divine Illumination when the Objection was put That Matters of Faith could not be resolved into first Principles Which Mr. S. hath so long and so vainly pretended to Henricus Gandavensis saith There is a Certainty of Adherence in the habit of Faith and that the Evidence of Credibility falls much short of that of Science and he makes Scripture the Rule whereby we are to judge of the Doctrine of the present Church and of all Ages succeeding the Apostles Scotus distinguisheth between Acquisite and Human Faith and Divine or Infused Faith but he denies any Infallibility to belong to the former Durandus denies Faith to be consistent with Conclusive Evidence and that the Motives of
And then my Answer lies in these things I. That the Scripture is a certain Rule of Faith as to all Points necessary to Salvation to all such as make use of it as such and do not through their own fault make a wrong Application thereof II. That the Scripture was not designed for a Certain Rule as to Vnnecessary Opinions and therefore Mens not arriving at a Certainty in them doth not hinder its being a Rule of Faith. III. That Scripture being our Rule of Faith we are bound to reject all pretended Articles of Faith which cannot with Certainty be proved from the Sense of Scripture And so the Proof of Certainty lies upon those who affirm such Articles of Faith and not upon us who deny them This Argument is Mr. S's Goliah and now it is no wonder if his lesser Men at Arms soon quit the Field But I must take some notice of them lest they be magnified by being slighted His next Argument is That I contradict myself I hope I have in the beginning made him unwilling to repeat such a Charge against me till he hath cleared himself But wherein is it In another place he saith I deny any Absolute Certainty as to Tradition attesting the Books of Scripture which in the Conference I asserted I have looked in the Place he refers to and there I find nothing like it I deny the Necessity of any Infallible Society of Men either to Attest or Explain the Scripture Where by an Infallible Society of Men I mean such as have a Divine Assistance to that purpose And what is this to the Absolute Certainty we have of the Books of Scripture by Vniversal Tradition But he urges it further If this Society be not Infallible then it is Fallible and if it be Fallible then we cannot be more than fallibly Certain and so we can have no absolute Certainty from a Fallible Testimony This is the whole force of what he saith To which I Answer I. I understand no such thing as Infallibility in Mankind but by immediate Divine Assistance I grant that the Holy Spirit may where he pleases preserve the Minds of Men from any possibility of mistake as to those things wherein it doth inlighten them but set aside this there is no such thing as Infallibility the utmost is a rational Certainty built on clear and convincing Motives Where the Motives are meerly probable there may be Opinion but no Certainty where the Evidence is thought so strong as to determine Assent there is a Certainty as to the Mind as when we commonly say we are certain of such things we mean no more than that we firmly believe them but when the Evidence is the highest which in point of Reason the thing is capable of then there is that which I call Absolute Certainty i. e. such as depends not meerly on the Assent of the Mind but the Evidence which justifies that Assent II If by being fallibly Certain he means any Suspicion that notwithstanding such Evidence in all its Circumstances I may be deceived then I utterly deny it for otherwise I could not be absolutely Certain but if he means only that there is no Divine Infallibility and I know no other then I own that there is still human Fallibility consistent with this Absolute Certainty But Mr. S. will have Absolute Certainty to be Infallible If nothing will satisfie him but Human i. e. fallible Infallibility much good may it do him but I much rather chuse proper Terms which I know the certain meaning of than improper though they make a far greater Noise I do own an Absolute Certainty in some Acts of the Mind by inward Perception as that I think I doubt and that I am I do own an Absolute Certainty as to common Objects of Sense and as to some Deductions of Reason I do own an Absolute Certainty as to some Matters of Fact by a Concurrence of Circumstances but for all that I do not account Human Nature Infallible nor this an Infallible Certainty unless it be taken in another Sense than Divines take it in For even the Divines of the Church of Rome as well as Ours make a difference between a Human and Acquisite Certainty and that which is Divine and Infallible And if Mr. S. by Divine means Human and by Infallible no more than Certain he must not think he hath gained any great matter when he hath made use of Words in an improper and unusual Sense III. His next Argument is That our Rule of Faith is common to all the Heresies in the World which pretend Scripture as well as we This is just the Old Sceptical Argument against Certainty if there be any such thing as Certainty you must assign such a Criterion which is not common to Truth and Falshood but if you cannot assign any such Mark of Truth which may not as well agree to what is False then there is no such thing as Certainty to be had In Matters of this nature the Proof must not lie in generals but we must come to particulars to shew the Grounds of our Certainty viz. as to the Trinity and Incarnation of Christ and then if we cannot shew why we believe those Points and reject the opposite Heresies as Arianism Sabellianism Eutychianism c. then we are to be blamed for want of Certainty in these Points but not before But this he saith is to make Light and Darkness very consistent and Christ and Belial very good Friends It seems then there is no difference to be found by the Rule of Scripture between the Doctrine of Christ and the Devil Is this in Truth your avowed Principle Do you in earnest believe the Scripture to be such a Chaos where there is no difference of Light and Darkness and that nothing but Confusion can be found in it And we cannot tell by it whether we are to Worship God or the Devil If Mr. S. grants that there is enough in Scripture to distinguish these two then it is a Rule so far as to put a difference between Light and Darkness between Christ and Belial and so these Expressions must be disowned as little less than Blasphemous for all his pitiful Defence of them in his Second Letter which is That he never said that Christ and Belial could be reconciled or advanced any Position that implied it But he said That to make Scripture our Rule is to make Light and Darkness consistent and Christ and Belial very good Friends And is not this Blasphemy against Scripture and implies that if we go by that Rule only they may be very good Friends How can this be unless he asserts that by Scripture alone we can find no certain difference between Light and Darkness between Christ and Belial Let Mr. S. Answer to this and not think to escape with such a poor Evasion If he owns the Scripture a Certain Rule as to the difference of Christ and Belial and Light and Darkness then we have gained thus
much that in some Matters of very great Moment the Scripture is a very sufficient Rule and Ground of Certainty as to all Points between Us and Infidels And if it be so as to these Points then why not as well as to other Points consequent upon these If Christ be the Eternal Son of God in opposition to Heathen Deities and we can know him by Scripture to be so then we may as well know him to be the Eternal Son of God in opposition to Arians and Socinians If against the Heathens we can prove from Scripture that the Word was made Flesh Why will not this as well hold against Nestorians and Eutychians And so the Scripture becomes a very sufficient Rule to distinguish Light and Darkness in such Points among Christians too For is it ever the less fit to be a Rule because both Parties own it But they differ about the Sense of it and therefore Controversies can never be ended by it If Church-History deceive us not the greatest Controversies were ended by it before General Councils were heard of and more than have been since Many of those we read of in the First Ages were quite laid asleep as Theodoret observes but since Church-Authority interposed in the most Reasonable manner some Differences have been perpetuated as appears by the Nestorian and Eutychian Controversies I do not blame the Authority of Councils proceeding as they then did by the Rule of Scriptures but the Event shewed that the most probable Means are sometimes very ineffectual for ending Controversies And those which Men think will most effectually Suppress Heresies do often give a New Life and Spirit to them So vain are the Imaginations of Men about putting an End to Controversies till they do come to a Certainty about the true Sense of Scripture It is possible to stop Mens Mouths by Force and Power but nothing brings Men to a true Satisfaction but inward Conviction as to the true Sense of Scripture and there can be no rational Certainty as to these Points without it If Controversies be not ended let us not blame the Wisdom of Providence for God doth not always appoint the Means most effectual in our Judgment but such as are most suitable to his own Design And we see Reason enough to blame the Folly and weakness the Prejudice and Partiality the Wilfulness and Obstinacy of Mankind and till Human Nature be brought to a better Temper we may despair of seeing any End of Controversies Men may Dispute and for all that I know will do to the Worlds End about the Method to put an End to Disputes For the Controversies about Certainty and Fatality have been always the Matters of Debate among disputing Men under several Names and Hypotheses and are like so to be to the general Conflagration IV. He saith Scripture is not our distinguishing Rule of Faith but our own particular Judgments about Scripture for that which distinguishes my Rule from that of the most abominable Heresies can only be my own Judgment upon the Letter of Scripture and wriggle which way I will there it will and must end at last I wish Mr. S. had been a little better conversant in the old Disputes about Certainty for it would have saved me the trouble of answering some impertinent Objections such as this before us For they would have been thought mean Logicians who could not put a difference between the Rule of Judgment and the Judgment which a Man made according to the Rule Suppose the Question were about Sense whether that were a certain Rule or not to judge by and Epicurus should affirm it and say he so firmly believed it that he judged the Sun to be no bigger than he seemed to his Senses would not he have been thought ridiculous who should have said this Fancy of Epicurus was his Rule The Rule he went by was in it self certain but he made a wrong Judgment upon it but that was not his Rule So it is here We declare the Scripture to be our only certain and standing Rule whereby we are to judge in Matters of Faith and we understand it as well as we can and form our Judgments by it but doth it hence follow that our Judgment is our Rule We may be deceived in our Judgments but our Rule is Infallible we may differ in our Judgments but our Rule is one and the same And how is it possible for those who differ in Judgment to have the same Rule if our Rule and our Judgments be the same For then their Rules must be as different as their Judgments I know not what Modern Logick Mr. S. learnt but I am sure he learnt not this way of Reasoning from the Antient Philosophers who discoursed about the Criterion after another manner than our great pretender to Logick doth V. He objects That our People do not make Scripture the Rule of their Faith not one in a Million relying upon it and therefore this pretence of mine he saith books like a meer Jest and he cannot perswade himself that I am in earnest while I advance such a Paradox What doth J. S. mean to call one of the Articles of our Church a Jest and a Paradox For the Words of our Sixth Article are Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to Salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any Man that it should be believed as an Article of Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation Doth J. S. now take this for a Paradox among us I assure him I love not to make Jests about Scripture nor matters of Faith and Salvation But wherein doth this Jest lie Why forsooth I make the People to make Scripture their Rule and not one in a Million thinks of relying on it Have they then any other Rule of Faith which they rely upon What is it I pray Is it the Churches Infallibility No. Is it Pius the Fourth's Creed No truly while they are Children they believe Tradition Now I think J. S. hath hit it Tradition is indeed a Rule of Faith for Children who are very apt simply to believe their Fathers and Teachers But suppose they come to years of Discretion what Rule of Faith have they then Have they a Judgment of Discretion then No this is another Jest. For he supposes all our People to be a dull sort of Animals that understand nothing of Scripture or Faith themselves I wonder then that they make no more Converts among them but trust their Parson for all For Boves arabant Asinae pascebantur juxta eos therefore the People have no Judgment of Discretion I hope J. S. knows whose Jest or rather Argument that was Whatever he insinuates as to our People I have Reason to believe far better of them and that all those who mind their Salvation do seriously read and consider the Holy Scriptures as the Rule of their Faith. But if
of Faith And hath he found out the Churches Authority too without the Churches Help and yet doth he want some necessary Points of Faith Then it follows that after the submitting to the Churches Authority there are still necessary Points of Faith which may be wanting and then an absolute Submission is not all that is required of one that hath found out the Churches Authority But my whole Argument there proceeds upon a Supposition viz. that if one may without the Churches Help find out the Churches Authority in Scripture then why not all necessary Points of Faith So that it goes upon a Parity of Reason and I see no Answer at all given or pretended but only he endeavours to stop my Mouth with a handful of Dirt. Thus I have dispatched this long Argument about the Judgment of Discretion And I shall now sum up my Answer in these particulars I. Every Christian as such is bound to enquire after the true Way to Salvation and hath a Capacity of Judging concerning it II. Every Christian proceeding according to the best Rules of judging hath Reason to receive the Scripture as the Rule of his Faith. III. The Scripture is so plain in all Necessaries and God hath promised such Assistance to them that sincerely seek it that none who do so shall want the knowledge of such things as are necessary to their Salvation IV. When any thing is offer'd as necessary to be believed in order to Salvation every Christian hath a Right and Liberty of Judging whether it can be proved by the Scripture to be so necessary or not V. We do not allow to particular Persons the same Faculty of Judging in doubtful Points of Controversie which we do as to Matters that immediately concern their Salvation VI. No pretence of Infallibility or Authority can take away that Right of Judging which was allowed them by the Apostles whose Authority was Infallible VII This Right of Judging doth not exclude the Churches due Authority as to Matters of Faith and Controversies of Religion as it is declared Art. 20. of our Church but all that we now plead for is not any Authority as to others but a Right of Judging as to themselves in Matters that concern their Salvation VIII The Certainty of Faith as to them depends upon two Things 1. The clearness of Scripture about them which implies the Certainty of Reason 2. The Promise of Divine Assistance which makes their Faith Divine both as to its Principle its Ground and its Effect But I have not yet ended his Objections about our Rule of Faith For VI. He objects That we cannot necessarily resolve our Faith into the Writings of the Apostles only What is the meaning that we cannot necessarily resolve it I think we must Resolve it into a Written Rule till we see another proved Did the Apostles when they went to convert the World go with Books in their Hands or Words in their Mouths Doubtless with Words in their Mouths Or were those Words a jot less Sacred when they came from their Mouths than when they put them in a Book Not one jot Or lastly doth any Command from Christ appear to write the Book of Scripture or any Revelation before hand that it was to be a Rule of Faith to the future Church No such matter and the Accidental Occasions of its writing at first and its Acceptation afterwards bar any such pretences On the other side their grand Commission was not scribite but only praedicate Evangelium I have given an Account so lately of the Reasons and Occasions of writing the Gospels and Epistles of the New Testament that I need only here to give these general Answers I. Whatsoever was done as to the Writing the Books of the New Testament was done by the immediate Direction and Appointment of the Holy Ghost II. The Reason given by the Writers of the Gospels themselves is that Matters of Faith might be delivered with the greatest Certainty III. Those Writings were not intended only for the Benefit of the Church then being but for future Ages and thence the Books of Scripture were so received and esteemed in the Primitive Churches IV. The most Antient Writers of the Christian Church assure us that the Apostles wrote the same Doctrine they taught and for that purpose that they might be a Pillar and Foundation of Faith. V. The most certain way we now have to know what Doctrine the Apostles taught is by their Writings since they taught and wrote the same Doctrine and we are certain we have the Doctrine they wrote but we have no other Way to be certain what Doctrine they taught VII He objects That the Question being put concerning the New Testament's containing all Divine Revelations of Christ and his Apostles I gave no direct Answer but shuffled it off to Matters necessary to Salvation The setting out of this is the Subject of some pages To which I give an easie Answer The Question concerning the New Testament containing all the Divine Revelations of Christ and his Apostles may be taken in two Senses 1. As relating to the entire Object of Faith and so the Answer was most direct and plain to the second Question That the Rule whereby we hold all the same Doctrine that was taught by Christ and his Apostles is by the Divine Revelations contained in the Writings of the New Testament For since we believe all that is there and nothing but what is there that must contain the Entire Object of our Faith. And the word All must relate to that 2. As to all those things which particular Persons are bound to believe as contained therein and so the Question being put about the Vniversal Testimony to assure us i. e. all particular Christians That the New Testament contained all the Divine Revelations of Christ and his Apostles My Answer was direct and apposite to this Sense viz. that the Universal Testimony of the Christian Church as to the Book of Scripture and the Doctrine therein contained is a sufficient Ground to make us certain i. e. all particular Persons of all Matters necessary to our Salvation So that the Substance of my Answer lies in these three things I. That all our Faith is contained in Scripture and thereby we hold all the Doctrine taught by Christ and his Apostles II. That although all particular Persons may not reach to the entire Object of Faith contained in Scripture yet they had thereby a Certainty as to all Matters necessary to their Salvation III. That the Ground of Certainty as to both these was the Universal Testimony of the Christian Church concerning the Books of Scripture and the Doctrine contained therein The Words of my Letter are We are to consider that the Scripture being our sole and entire Rule of Faith all Matters necessary to Salvation must be supposed to be contained therein and therefore the same Testimony which delivers the Scripture to us doth deliver all the necessary Articles as contained therein
what Sense I took it and could I answer him more directly than to tell him I took it in the largest Sense as it was made up of all the Parts and not in such a Sense as they do who give the Denomination of the Whole to a Part But by this I do not seclude all Hereticks I do not take upon me to judge of all the Bodies of Christians in the World whether they be justly charged with Heresie or not but I take them only as Christians and from their Universal Consent I prove the Certainty of the Canon of Scripture Hereby I profess a Brotherhood with Excrementitious Outcasts I know not what Brotherhood lies in making use of their Testimony but I had rather do it than with unsufferable Pride and Folly call so many Bodies of Christians for whom Christ died Excrementitious Outcasts But although he seems to own that their Testimony doth strengthen the Evidence for the Canon of the New Testament yet he calls it back again and for extraordinary Reasons 1. They may have corrupted the Letter of Scripture although they may allow of the Books Let us then take their Testimony for the Books and examine the Letter afterwards 2. This Vniversal Testimony must reach to each Chapter and Verse but we must have Assurance not only of each Verse but of each significant Word in the Verse How hardly are some Men satisfied about the Certainty of Scripture Are there not different Copies in all Parts to examin and compare if there be cause of Mistrust and if there be none What Prejudice is this to our Certainty At this rate Men may argue against every thing and that there can be no Certainty of any Writing unless the Person stood by and saw the Author write and even then he might question his Senses too These Objections do indeed lead to an Incurable Scepticism in the Church of Rome 3. The Judges suspect the Justness of the Cause if known Knights of the Post are called in to corroborate the Evidence What a desperate Cause is that which forces Men to fling such Dirt in the Face of so many Christian Churches And that without the least Evidence or Proof against them How come all the Greek Abyssine Coptick Oriental Christians to be compared to Knights of the Post because they afford a Concurrent Testimony with us about the Canon of the New Testament They may be the honestest and best Part of Christendom for any thing J. S. knows and what Justice can there be in such Uncharitable Censures It is not enough for you to say They are all accounted Hereticks or Schismaticks by you for we that know how unjust and unreasonable your Censures are so near home have no Cause to regard them at such a distance Thus I have Answered all the Objections I have met with in J. S. against our Rule of Faith. I now come to the last part of my Task which is to examin the Arguments produced to prove the Infallibility of Oral and Practical Tradition The main Argument is thus set down by Mr. S. All Traditionary Christians believe the same to day which they did yesterday and so up to the time of our Blessed Saviour and if they follow this Rule they can never err in Faith and therefore are Infallible And they could not innovate in Faith unless they did forget what they held the day before or out of malice after it All the Parts of this Argument Mr. S. endeavours to shew to be Self-evident but in truth it is a Self-evident Fallacy as I shall shew at large But before I particularly lay it open I must consider what he saith against the Method I used in the Conference for answering it I then thought and do still that the clearest Answer to an Argument which proves a thing impossible was to bring an undeniable Instance that such a thing really was which was proved impossible to be And to this purpose I produced the Instance of the Greek Church which professed to follow Tradition and yet they could not deny to have erred This Mr. S. saith Is giving no Answer at all for this is no Answer to his Argument but producing a new Argument against him And he magisterially tells me That it is my turn to answer and therefore I am confined to Concedo Nego or Distinguo as the Propositions are either true false or ambiguous or I may deny the Inference if I find more terms in the Conclusion than in the Premisses But these are my Bounds which I must not exceed But with submission to these Logicians I answer That where an Argument is designed to prove a thing impossible which is contrary to Sense and Experience the producing an evident Instance is the plainest and shortest way of Answering as well as in an Induction which is allowed to be disproved by a plain Instance As in the Case of Zeno's Argument against Motion Diogenes his Moving was a far more effectual Answer than if he had stood a great while with his Concedo Nego and Distinguo J. S. confesses That the vanity of Zeno 's Argument was not ill ridiculed by Diogenes his moving before him And why might not I then expose the vanity of this Demonstration by the Instance of the Greek Church unless some fault be found in the Instance He brings the Argument and I an Instance against it what are People the wiser and which shall they be for the Argument or the Instance Zeno brought his Argument and Diogenes his Instance were not By-standers the wiser when it so apparently proved the foppery of the Argument Doth J. S. think the vanity of it was not enough exposed by that means But he saith This is excepting against the Conclusion when there lies none against the Premisses No such Matter for it shews there is a Fallacy in the Premisses It is however but an Argument ad hominem call it what you will so it doth my business to shew the vanity of the Demonstration This way doth but sham an Adversary And truly that is a great matter if they be such as P.G. They are of no use for discovery of Truth As much as laying open Sophistry helps to the discovery of Truth which is not a little when we deal with Sophistical Disputers But we come to the Instance How doth he after all clear this Instance of the Greek Church Doth he deny that they hold to Tradition No. Doth he deny that they have erred notwithstanding All that he saith is That P. G. was no ways obliged not to deny that the Greek Church had erred in Points of Faith. No then he must grant that the Roman Church hath erred for they contradict each other Let him take his choice one doth my business as well as the other and more effectually destroys the pretence of Infallibility in the Roman Church But I say they did not err What is my saying to the business in hand Besides there are