Whether we may be infallibly certain out of the Church or how we can find out the Church infallibly if the Church alone be infallible and that we cannot be infallibly certain till we come into the Church Q. 9. Where is the Seat of Infallibility in the Church whether in every particular Person or the Supreme Pastor or a General Council And whether they all agree in this matter Q. 10. Whether what they disagree in can be the Sentiment of the whole Church or that we are hound to believe what they cannot agree in Q. 11. Whether we are any more bound to believe the Infallibility of their Church which they thus disagree in than the Address would perswade us we are not obliged to believe the Trinity because the Arians tho Christians deny it Q. 12. How one at a vast distance of Time or Place can be infallibly assured of the Certainty of those Decrees which are said to proceed from an Infallible Power or that he can be any more certain of the Truth Certainty and Sense of these than he can be of the Truth Authority and Sense of Scripture Q. 13. Whether our Saviour has not spoken as plainly and intelligibly in Scripture as his pretended Vicar or their Councils have done in their Decrees and Canons Q. 14. Whether when the Persons that publish or give the Sense of those Decrees and Canons are Fallible a Person can be infallibly certain that these are the very Decrees or that the true Sense of them Or whether a Person in these Circumstances can be any more certain tho a Member of an Infallible Church than another may be that is a Member of a Fallible Church Q. 15. Whether for example we can be any more certain that there ever was such a Pope as Pope Pius or that ever there was such a Creed drawn up by him or that this or that is an Article or the Sense of it than we are that the Scriptures are the Word of God and that the Doctrines of the Trinity and Incarnation are clearly contained in them These are the Questions in the Answer and which I have drawn out in order I hope they shew themselves to be Sense it remains to the Prover to shew they have no difficulty to be resolved All well-meaning Protestants finding that Scripture interpreted the Protestant-way is so far from being an easie and clear Rule of Faith that a Protestant in the Answer to an Address made to the Ministets of the Church of England approved by a Chaplain to the highest Ecclesiastical Authority under the King cannot as much as teach by it the first Principles of Christian Religion will seek a better method of using that Divine Rule and not be hereafter so easily imposed upon by those Guides who give them but their own private fancies under the Veil and Name of the Word of God. I was I confess surprized to find Guil. Needham c. approving this Answer but God and Truth are of our side Et inimici nostri sunt Judices the weakness of our Opposers Arguments bear a proof to it Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam I may now leave the case to all well-meaning Protestants for who that is of that number or indeed is impartial but may soon discern who they are that make the Scripture a Rule of Faith Whether those that resolve all Necessaries to Salvation wholly into it or those that join Tradition with it in Esteem and Authority They may again as soon discern Whether the Scripture be Easie and Clear and best understood in the Protestant Method when it 's Translated for Vulgar use in the Mother Tongue and the People are allowed and exhorted to read it or in the Popish Method when it 's kept in an unknown Tongue or if Translated not permitted to be read by them Whether again They feed them with their own private Fancies that teach the people nothing but what both Teacher and Hearer learn from Scripture or they that make things necessary to be believed and done which are not contained in Scripture I find our Author surpriz'd to find Guil. Needham a Chaplain to the highest Eeclesiastical Authority under the King we know who they are that set up an Ecclesiastical Authority above the King to approve the Answer But why so surprized When it 's likely G. N. was as confident as the Prover could be on his own that God and Truth are on the Answerer's side and perhaps might have a good opinion of his Performance though I grant it 's likely not as good as our Author hath of his own Clear Proof Here I should have ended but it seems the poor Answer has met with another Adversary one as he himself tells us that at a full mixed Assembly in the City so laid it open that most of the Protestants there ashamed of it found no better Salvo than to disown the Answerer as an Ignorant Scribler who had betrayed his Cause I wish this successful Undertaker had but given us a Breviate of the Case as he propounded it to that Assembly for if he managed it in the same way as his Friend the Prover has done or as he himself has answered the Preservative sometimes omitting sometimes mangling and at all times Misrepresenting his Adversaries Arguments I will for once excuse my Friends the Protestants if they then thought the Answerer worthy of no better a Character than is here related who I hope for the future they will have less reason to believe an Adversary and use that kind of liberty which the Church of Rome so much envies them and belongs to them as Men and as Christians and judg for themselves by seeing with their own eyes whether the Cause is maintained or betrayed But after all I know not whether I may not have as little reason to believe him concerning these Protestants as they had to believe him concerning the Answer FINIS Books lately Printed for Richard Chiswell THE Incurable Scepticism of the Church of Rome By the Author of the Six Conferences concerning the Eucharist 4 o. Mr Pulton Considered in his Sincerity Reasonings Authorities Or a Just Answer to what he hath hitherto published in his True Account his True and Full Account of a Conference c. His Remarks and in them his pretended Confutation of what he calls Dr. T 's Rule of Faith. By Th. Tenison D. D. A Full View of the Doctrines and Practices of the Ancient Church relating to the Eucharist wholly different from those of the Present Roman Church and inconsistent with the belief of Transubstantiation Being a sufficient Confutation of Consensus Veterum Nubes Testium and other late Collections of the Fathers pretending to the Contrary 4 o. An Answer to the Representer's Reflections upon the State and View of the Controversy With a Reply to the Vindicator's Full Answer shewing that the Vindicator has utterly ruin'd the New Design of Expounding and Representing Popery 4 o. An Answer to the Popish Address presented to the Ministers of the Church of England 4 o. An Abridgment of the Prerogatives of St. Ann Mother of the Mother of God with the Approbations of the Doctors of Paris thence done into English with a PREFACE concernining the Original of the Story The Primitive Fathers no Papists in Answer to the Nubes Testium to which is added a Discourse concerning Invocation of Saints in Answer to the Challenge of F. Sabran the Jesuit wherein is shewn that Invocation of Saints was so far from being the Practice that it was expresly against the Doctrine of the Primitive Fathers 4 o. An Answer to a Discourse concerning the Celibacy of the Clergy lately Printed at Oxford 4 o. The Virgin Mary Misrepresented by the Roman Church In the Traditions of that Church concerning her Life and Glory and in the Devotions paid to her as the Mother of God. Both shewed out of the Offices of that Church the Lessons on her Festivals and from their allowed Authors Dr. Tenisons Sermon of Discretion in giving Alms. 12 o. A Discourse concering the Merits of Good Works The Enthusiasm of the Church of Rome demonstrated in some Observations upon the Life of Ignatius Loyola Founder of the Order of Jesus A Vindication of the Answer to the Popish Address presented to the Ministers of the Church of England 4 o. Reflections upon the Books of the Holy Scripture in order to establish the Truth of the Christian Religion in 3 Parts 8 vo In the Press The Texts which the Papists cite out of the Bible for Proof of the Points of their Religion Examin'd and shew'd to be alledged without Ground In several distinct Discourses Five whereof are published viz. Popery not founded in Scripture The Introduction Texts concerning the Obscurity of Holy Scripture Of the Insufficiency of Scripture and Necessity of Tradition Of the Supremacy of St. Peter and the Pope over the whole Church In Two Parts Of Infallibility The Rest will follow Weekly in their Order Clear Proof Vindication Clear Proof Vindication Clear Proof De Praesc Ep. 7. Vindication De verbo non Scripto l. 4. c. 12. SS dico secundo Script Clear Proof Vindication Clear Proof De Doctr. Ch. l. 2. c. 9. Vindication Contr. Liter Petiliani l. 3. c. 6. Clear Proof Vindication De Verbo l. 4. c. 10. ss Respondeo ad primum De Verbo l. 4. c. 10. ss Neque Ut supra C. 12. ss Respondeo ad C. 11. ss Septimo Clear Proof 1 Tim. 6. 20. 2 Tim. 1. 13. Vindication Cap. 10. 8. Quod autem Clear Proof Luc. 10. 25. Luc. 16. 29. Vindication Clear proof Mat. 7. 15. In Jo. l. 1. c. 4. L. 4. de Bapt. cont Don c. 16. L 2 con Gaud. In Dim H. Vindication De Verbo l. 4. c. 4. ss septimo De Unit. Eccles c. 18. C 19. Clear Proof Vindication Clear Proof Vindication De Christo l. 1. c. 4 c. De Christo l. 1. c. 4. ss Quod autem De Christo l. 1. c. 6. ss Secundo probo Clear Proof Vindication Epist Imper. Theod. n. 6. Concil Tom. 4. Ad Monach. Aegypt ss 12. Clear Proof Gen. 2. 3. Vindication Epist 118. Contr. Adimant c. 16. Nova Collectio Concil Baluz p. 10. Clear Proof Vindication Clear Proof Vindication Clear Proof Cc. 2. in Psal 30. De Vnit Eccl. l 4. c. 8. Gal. 5. Vindication De Pastore c. 14. Clear Proof Vindication Clear Proof Vindication An Answer to Dr. Sherlock's Preservative
finding out a particular person and that he that would find him out knows not the man but for his better direction applies himself to one that knows somewhat of this matter and asks him Sir How shall I find out such a Man or where may I seek the Marks by which he may be discover'd Would it not force a Smile to have this Answer Do you ask that Why Friend the Marks and the Man are found at once for they are to be seen in his Face Would he not be made much the Wiser by this grave Reply and forthwith be able to find out the Man he seeks for by this goodly Direction Or would he not say Sir I came not to be informed of that which every one that is not a stark Fool understands as well as your Worship but I would know what are those Marks which are to be seen in his Face and by which I may know him from your self or any other and where are they describ'd And will not the other if he be able and willing to inform him then tell him the Marks are in the Gazette and there you may find them Now which is to be found out first the Marks or the Man And what are those Marks and where must I seek them Surely it needs no Application As for his Triumphant Marks of the Church he may find them answered to purpose in the Book not long since published upon that Argument 'T is also observable at what a distance these men are from the true Church who conceive it so hard to find her out All holy Fathers ever judged it a most easy thing to each Person insomuch that the Holy Doctor St. Augustin thus delivers his Sense of it I tell you with truth Brethren the Prophets have spoken more obscurely of Christ than of the Church I believe because they saw in Spirit that men would make Sects against the Church but would not be so much divided about Christ But 't is natural for a Crimnal to question the Power of his Judge and these men know it hath ever been the Sense of all Christians which St. Augustin exprest in the following Words There is no Salvation out of the Church who doubts of it Therefore whatever you have from the Church Seripture Creed Sacraments c help you not to Salvation out of the Church whether you believe contrary to the Truth or being divided from the Vnity gather not with Christ whence St. Paul says to Heretics Those who do such things shall not possess the Kingdom of Heaven He saith 'T is observable at what a distance Men are from the true Church who conceive it so hard to find it out But our distance from the true Church is not the more because we conceive it so hard to find her out in their way and by such Marks which if there are no other it 's impossible to find her out by But now if we go in St. Austins way then it 's not difficult for thus he determines it The weak seeks for the Church The wandring seeks for the Church I inquire after the Voice of the Pastor Read this to me out of the Prophet and read it out of the Psalms recite it from the Law the Gospel the Apostle Look for it in the Scripture and there you will find it Here the Prover cites a Passage out of St. Austin which I am confident he did not read there For 1. he quotes the 4 th Book of St. Austin de Vnitate whereas there is but one Book in all 2. There are several mistakes in the Quotation it self As he saith There is no Salvation out of the Church who doubts of it Whereas the Words of St. Austin are Qui autem super arenam aedificant i. e. qui audiunt Verba non faciunt as just before quis dubitaverit quod regnum Dei non possidebunt That is But those who build upon the sand who doubts that they shall not possess the Kingdom of Heaven Again the Prover reads it Whatever you have from the Church Scripture Creed Sacraments c. help you not to Salvation out of the Church Whereas there is nothing of this but it follows after what was said of the builders on the sand Nihil utique prodest Baptismi Sacramentum that is So that the Sacrament of Baptism profits not such And then he quotes that of St. Paul Those which do such things c. without that other Insertion of his Whether you believe contrary to the Truth c. The matters are not much material but by this the Reader may judg what a careless injudicious or confident to say no worse Adversary I have to deal with His other Queries have no difficulty and withal so little of Sense that I shall not offer to force my Readers Attention on them Whether the other Queries had any Sense I shall leave to others to judg but however because they may not be so easie to others as to himself it is to be wished he had shewed a little more of his good Nature and Condescendency to have resolved them I shall try once again whether I can make sense of them and leave him to try whether he can answer them If they are not Sense they are not to be understood and so there can be no hurt to Propose them If they have no difficulty they are the easier and the sooner answered The Queries Propounded in the Answer and yet remaining to be resolved are these Q. 1. What those Necessaries to Salvation are that are not contained in Scripture and where each of them is to be found Q. 2. Whether the Articles of Pope Pius's Creed joined to the Nicene Creed are as clearly to be proved from Scripture as those of the Nicene Creed or that those of the Nicene Creed are no more to be proved from Scripture than those of Pope Pius Q. 3. Whether it 's as necessary to believe the Church of Rome is the Mother and Mistress of all Churches and the Pope to be the Vicar of Christ and all the other Articles of that Creed of Pope Pius as it is to believe that our Lord Jesus was Incarnate and the rest of the Articles of the Nicene Creed Q. 4. Which has the first and Supreme Authority the Scripture or the Church Q. 5. Whether the Church can ordain new Articles of Faith and which when so ordained are as much to be received and believed as those which have their Authority immediately from Scripture Q. 6. Which is to be sought for first the Notes or the Church that is to be found out by these Notes If the Church then how shall I know it If the Notes where must I seek them Q. 7. If the Church be to be an Infallible Guide when it 's found out then what is the Guide that will infallibly lead to the Church And whether is that Guide to be sought for within the Church or without it Q. 8.
then to declare all Catholicks ever owned what he teaches Since I have good reason to question whether our Author be of that number And that 1. Because all true Catholicks ever held the Doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation of our Blessed Saviour to be things which concern Faith and as such to be plainly contained in Scripture But our Author on the contrary saith these are not plainly contained in Scripture and then either according to St. Austin they should not concern Faith or our Author is none of those Catholicks that own what St. Austin teaches 2. The Church of Rome which whatever others think I question not but the Prover holds to be Catholick owns not what St. Austin teaches for she affirms there is a Word Unwritten as well as Written and that this Unwritten Word is as necessary as the Written Forasmuch as there are things relating to Faith and Manners in the Unwritten Word that are not contained in the Written But here our Author has prevented me for he will prove this also to be the sense of St. Austin and both consistent as thus All Catholicks own what St. Augustin teaches that all things which concern Faith and Manners are plainly contained in Scripture For as the same St. Augustin observes about true Baptism which he held absolutely necessary to Salvation that we have no proof in this case from Scripture Yet c. That is the Scripture contains all things necessary relating to Faith and Manners for we have no proof from Scripture for a point absolutely necessary to Salvation which is as if he should say England is a Country that abounds in all things necessary to Life for it wants Bread which is absolutely necessary to it This is in our Author's phrase Pag. 5. a special piece of Logic. I will for the honour of St. Austin and in charity to our Author suppose he turned not to the place in that Father when besides this impertinence he charges upon that Learned Writer he reads we have no proof for we have no example and speaks so darkly of the case it self I will direct him to it it 's Contr. Crescon l. 1. c. 32. let him read it at his leisure and compare it with Ch. 33. And in the mean time I shall furnish him with another saying of the same Father Whether concerning Christ or his Church or any other thing which belongs to Faith and Life I will not say If we who are not to be compared with him that said Though We but if an Angel from heaven shall teach besides what ye have received in the Prophetical or Evangelical Writings let him be accursed But the case in this first Question as it appears stated by the Addresser is Whether all things necessary to Salvation are immediately and expresly contain`d in Scripture or drawn thence by an evident Consequence Our Answerer proves they are so by the three following Texts his Proofs I will set in a due form that their force may lie open to all The first Text is taken out of Joh. 20. 31. where the Evangelist having premised v. 30. Many other signs also did Jesus in the sight of his Disciples which are not written in this Book says v. 31. These which he had set down are written that you may believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that believing you may have Life in his Name Now what Conclusion can be drawn from this Text to our present purpose but one in one of these two forms First thus The signs set down by St. John Ch 20. are sufficient to make us believe that Jesus is Christ the Son of God but precisely to believe that Jesus is Christ the Son of God is all that is necessary to have Life in his name or to Salvation therefore the 20th Chapter of St. John contains all things necessary to Salvation Or else thus in the Answerer's words All that is as sufficient in its kind to beget Faith in us as Faith is to save us contains all things necessary to Salvation But the 20th Chapter of St. John`s Gospel as it appears by ver 31. is as sufficient to beget Faith in us therefore that 20th Chapter contains all things necessary to Salvation A special piece of Logic However his Conclusion eases the Members of his Congregation from the Obligation of reading any part of Scripture besides the 20th Chapter of St. John 's Gospel Our Author from his love to Logic and his Skill in it undertakes to set the Answerer's Proofs in a due form But by his leave I shall put in a small Charge or two against it As The first Charge I have against what he calls a setting the Proofs in a due form is that his Conclusion is false in its form as his Syllogism has four Terms in it For saith he The signs set down by St. John 20. are sufficient to make us believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God but Precisely to believe that Jesus is Christ the Son of God is all that is necessary c. For precisely to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is to believe that and no more Whereas by that Phrase the Scripture implies the believing the whole Gospel So Joh. 11. 27. I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God. Acts 8. 37. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 1 John 5. 5. Who is he that overcometh the World but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God 2. He puts his Query too extravagantly Now what Conclusion can be drawn from this Text to our present purpose but one therefore the 20 th Chapter of St. John contains all things necessary This is a Conclusion of his own forming and before he can infer it must ask two or three things which he may be sure will never be granted him 1. He takes it for granted that by these in St. John are to be understood only the Signs set down in that Chapter Whereas 1. St. John in the former Verse speaking of the Signs done by Jesus saith they are not written in this Book but these are written Where Not in that Chapter for to say the truth on 't whatever our Author thinks St. John did not divide his Gospel into Chapters but in that Book And thus inded Bellarmin understands it But 2. The Apostle further enlarges this Phrase Chap. 21. 24 25. This is the Disciple which testifieth of these things and wrote these things And there are also many other things which Jesus did And so what is true of the Signs is also true of the other things wrote by that Evangelist 3. Tho St. John spoke this more especially of the things writ by himself yet the same is applicable to what was wrote by the rest of the Divine Writers And it might be said of what was written by them as well as of what was written by him These are written that ye might believe And this was the