superâ—atural Things Again it being evident and held by those Christians that none can come to Heaven without knowing there is such a thing or some very great Good reserv'd for the next life nor yet without loving it for none is thought to go to Heaven whether he will or no which Love besides the Knowledge that Heaven is cannot be had without knowing likewise that 't is a Good incomparably greater than any in this life nor can these Knowledges be had by Mankind but by Believing hence Belief of Supernatural things or Faith is conceived necessary for the salvation of Mankind Nor is this found only in the Judgements the learneder Faithful make concerning it by their Discourse but in the very Meaning of the word Faith as it imports Knowledge of superâ—atural things It being then granted by all and in it self most rational that some at least of the vulgar are to be saved that is are to have Faith or Knowledge of God it follows that the Rule of Faith or certain means to arrive at Faith must be appliable to them 9. Moreover since the ruder or unskilfuller people are the lesse capable they are of Science and none doubts but some amongst even the rudest may come to be saved since we experience they have oftentimes well-meaning virtuous and devout hearts the Rule or Means to come to Faith must also be appliable to these that is must be such as even the rudest may be capable to know there is such a thing 10. The Rule of Faith therefore must be Knowable as to it 's Existence by natural impressions upon mens Senses affecting their Souls according to the common light of understanding For seeing the rudest are very shallow Reflecters and Discoursers and suppos'd to be utterly unacquainted with any kind of Skill got by Speculation or Study the Knowledge of the Rule of Faith's Existence must not need any skill or Science acquir'd by Study intervening between the natural power of their Understanding and Itâ— otherwise it could not be Knowable by them 〈◊〉 be to them a Rule by parag 4th 11. Again seeing those who are very rude are yet capable of being put into Doubts concerning their Faith either by Sophistry or faiâ— Language and at length deserting it and 't is most unreasonable there should be no means lest by God sufficient to settle them nor can any Means be sufficient if the Rule of Faith which is the best if not only Means to come to the Knowledge of Faith be dissatisfactory or impossible to be shown worthy to be rely'd on it follows that the Rule of Faith must be of such a nature as iâ— either by its own light evidently secure and worthy to be held a Rule and this even to the rudest who can doubt or else easily evidenceable to them to be such by intelligent persons who art vers'd in such reflexions and this out of Principles they are capable of as was prov'd paragâ— the 5th that is requiring onely common and obvious Reason not scientifical speculation to instill them Otherwise those rude persons would be left unfurnish't of due Means to be stedâ—ast in their Faith 12. Also since the Notion of the word Faith bears that 't is a perfection of the Soul or a Virtue and so no act of it irrational but on the contrary all its Acts rational and the submission of onr Understandings exercisd in it rationabile obsequium 't is evinc't that the Satisfactorines of its Rule ought not onely to be evident or easily evidenceable to the rudest Doubters as we now prov'd but also it ought to be so qualify'd that the Faithful who yet have no doubts should do rationally even while they simply or unreflectingly adhere to it and that it should supply to their common and uncultivated Reason by a natural way what it wants of reflexion I mean so that the common light of Reason may tell them upon solid and true Principles taught them by the ordinary course of things in the World this is to be held or followed thongh they dive not into the Grounds or particular Reasons of their tenets or actions nor can give account of them 13. And since our Saviour intended those out of the Church should embrace Faith and those who are to be converted are Heterodox that is hold contradictorily to the Church in what they dissent from her so that if they change they must now hold is indead of is not or is not instead of is there being no middle to hold to in those points in which they differ from her and no change ought to be in reason or in a rational Nature of which Nature those Heterodox are without true reason to change and the change in our case is to be made not to a meer Suspension which is believing nothing nor to a middle between is and is not but to a contrary or rather contradictory Assent and no Assent can beâ— without sufficient Cause of Assent nor is any sufficient in reason to put that Effect or cause Assentâ— in a thing antecedent to Faith as is the Ruleâ— of Faith but Evidence for while 't is but probable that is while the Understanding must aâ— yet say I know not it is so it cannot say I know iâ— is so which is no more but to say understandingly or to assent that it is so now the Cause of our actuall assenting to the Churches Faith is the Rule of Faith It follows out of the notion of Rational included in the word Faith as apply'd to convettible persons that the Rule of Faith must be beyond all Peradventures how high and presumed soever they be that is absolutely Evident to us and consequently CERTAIN 14. Moreover there being many Eminent Wits in the Chutch vers'd in true Logick enured to Sciences and true Logick and the course of Science necessarily telling them that nothing can in perfect reason be held by one who penetrates difficulties but either Self-evident Principles or Conclusions necessarily deduced by intrinsecal mediums from those Principles nor can they be necessarily deduced without immediate connexion or Identification of the Terms with the Medium which infers the Identity between themselves in the Conclusion and that what is not seen to be thus connected is unknown and so for any thing appears may be false and to see a thing may be false must needs breed some Fear of being so or Doubt if we be concerned in the Truth or Falsitie of that thing and none can rationally assent or fix their judgment where there is left some Doubt or wavering of Judgment and the Judgement or Assent of Faith must be rotional It follows that the Rule of Faith which is the immediate Producer and Cause of the Assent of Faith ought to be of that Nature that it must not onely be plain to the ruder sort but also contain in it self Seeds of perfect evidence to satisfy those learned Persons who shall more narrowly examin it Otherwise the best and wisest portion and
of a Contradiction in a clear matter of Fact which is utterly inconsistent with a judging or congnoscitive nature 6. These Principles lay'd we we will advance to the proof of our main Conclusion on this manner that since neither any Age by our first Principle could hold a new introduc't point for not-new but immediately deliver'd nor yet any foregoing Age by our second make it be receiv'd as not-new by Posterity it follows that in no Age could any doctrin changing the immediate Faith of Fore-fathers or new at that time come in or be received under the notion of immediately deliver'd or not-new at that time Wherefore since nothing can descend or come down under the notion of not-new or deliver'd uninterruptedly unless it first come in or be receiv'd under the notion of not-new or deliver'd uninterruptedly nor be held by us as descended under such a notion unless it did actually descend to us under such a notion by the second it follows manifestly that if we now hold it descended as such it did descend as such and consequently was received by the deliverers as such and the same reason holding equally in each Age from Christ came down consequently from Christ and his Apostles No power then or wit of man could make our Faith now held to be so descended but its having been actually so descended that is onely the Existence of Tradition's Indeficiency could have effected this present persuasion of Traditionary Christians or Catholicks that their Faith descended uninterruptedly from the Apostles It being then manifest by Experience that this Effect or present Persuasion is for all Catholiks hold the Church never fail'd in Faith 't is demonstratively Evident that its proper and onely Cause has been put that is that Christian Tradition has ever been held to by a Body of Men consisting of the Predecessors to those whom we find actually thus perswaded NINTH DISCOURSE Opening the incomparable strength of the Churches Human Authority and the Infinit advantages accrue to It by the Supernatual Assistances of the Holy Ghost 1. BUt all this is Nature may some say and by this Method an Heathen may by his natural wit become a good Christian. By which word Nature if the Objecter means Reason wrought upon by motives laid by God's special goodness to bring Souls to Bliss I wonder what else is Supernaturality but this which he miscalls Nature and why Reason rectify'd by such Lights and Proposals as the force of Nature could not have aym'd at much less effected ought not to be said to be affected supernaturally however those very motives be connatural to our Souls It being evident that we use even the natural power of our Reason in discoursing of things above our reason and on the other side to expect no constant way or common path of motives laid for the Salvation of Mankind but extraordinary inspirations for each particular man unravell's the Order of God's best Providence and is the very notion of Fanatickness But to meddle with this point is out of my road otherwise than to take my rise hence to show how far Christian Tradition is strengthenâ—d above the greatest meerly-human Testimony whatever And that the Church owes this strength to those Motives supervening to meer Nature which we rightly call Assistances of the Holy Ghost in regard they are built on Perfections of Will in the Faithful or on Virtues the Effects properly attributed to that Divine Person 2. Ere we come to explain what advantage the Church as thus divinely assisted has over her self as meerly wrought upon by human motives we will compare first her human Authority with some other vast Body of Testifiers which may most seem to stand in competition with her And an eminent and acute opposer of Tradition has already pointed us out a choice one namely that of the Mahometans for Mahomet's Existence which we doubt not to have the power to convey down the Truth thereof with Infallible Certainty to the end of the world if follow'd not do we think the most Sceptical Protestant doubts but it has had the force to make it self be follow'd hitherto however at unawares their calm Reason grants that to a Body of Turks which their Passion makes them question and even deny to a Church of Christians Yet I averr that the human force of Tradition in the Church for the descent of the main Body of Christs doctrin far exceeds that of the Turks for Mahomet's Existence 3. To shew this in brief I note in the first place and chiefly that howsoever a report may spread universally from a small beginning in the quality of a rumour yet the force of its Credibility if it be a matter of Fact is founded on the Quantity and Quality of those who first saw or perceiv'd it Putting then the Quality of the Testifiers in both cases to be equal so to bring our Controversy to a smaller compass and comparing onely the Quantity or Number of the original Testifiers on both sides what proportion is there between that handful of men about Mecha and some few other places where Mahomet conquer'd and planted his doctrin and those vast multitudes whom all the Apostles Disciples and Apostolical men converted by most powerful miracles in so many distant Nations in the World If we lay them together we shall find that few saw or felt that is were witnesses of Mahomets Existence so much as once in comparison of those who were every day imbu'd with and practicâ—t Christian Doctrine A new Consideration springs hence that 't is a thousand times easier for that single company of Arabians and Syrians to conspire to a ly and so deliver down to us a false Mahomet than it is for such a multitude of people in so remote Countries as first suck't in Christianity to conspire in the very thought of having such a Conspiracy And lastly it was as easie by oft repeated Sensatioâ—s to know Christian Doctrin at first to that degree as to govern their actions by it which is all that is requisit for the generality it giving the Principles to the daily practice of their new Life as they were Christians as it was for these other witnesses to be certain of Mahomet's Existence and much easier in regard the greater part by far of those whom we allow Witnesses of Mahomets Existence perhaps scarce knew him by sight not conversing him daily or very often as each of the Primitive Christians did with those points of Faith they guided their lives by 4. The human Authority then of the Church being such as exceeds she Evidence of other Testimonies which yet are such that amongst all the most extravagant Opiniastres none was ever found so frantick as to doubt them and should any do so all sober Mankind would esteem them stark mad which could not be done in reason unless they renounc't perfect evidence that is unless those Testimonies were perfectly Evident This I say being so some may think it superfluous and a quirk of an
first Revolters a small handfull compar'd to all Christianity besides and onely occasionally not constantly happening that the Descendents of these Revolters were taught by them to believe Them in the right in interpreting Scripture and not their own Judgments that is follow'd the way of Tradition however misplac't To which if we compare the numerous contingencies both in man's Nature and other circumstances hindring Propagation every day happening we shall find much reason to prefer the multitudes of the other before this But if we add to this Consideration the daily decay of innumerable particulars upon whom the Continuation of Mankind depends by natural or accidental deaths and reflect on the innumerable new Subjects and even whole Nations into which Tradition hath and does daily propagate it self and those uninfected by new Heresies for whole Ages that is without any one Deserter of Tradition among them and none of those beholding to Progenitors for their Faith but to Externs who converted them whereas Propagating their Kind can onely be by those of the same race We shall find that the Causes laid to propagate preserve a Body of Traditionary Christians look far more steadily and less needing a recourse to any particular Providence than those which we can discover laid for the keeping on Foot a Body of Men. Whence if any as the common fashion is bring against the perpetuation of Tradition such wildroving Arguments as would equally strike at the Certainty of perpetuating Mankind or continuing any Species in Nature the readiest answer is to show they do so and then to tell them we intend not Tradition should last longer than the onely Species capable of Faith will that is longer than Mankind is to stand who onely can have it or need it EIGHTH DISCOURSE Endeavouring to demonstrate à Posteriori the Vninterruptedness of Tradition hitherto 1. HAving seen and weigh'd the strength of those Causes which preserve and continue Tradition on Foot and thence endeavour'd to demonstrate its Indefectibleness as the proper and necessary Effects of those Causes we will now begin our Discourse at the other end and try if we can conclude the same from some Proper Effect that is from such an Effect as could onely have sprung from the actual Indeficiency of Tradition as its Cause That so we may show the Certainty of Faith's Conveyance to us doâ—bly guarded and on all sides Evident 2 Though indeed this seems a needless endeavour against the Protestant who yeilds that those points of Faith in which we agree came dowâ— by this way of Tradition Whence he is to be prest to answer candidly these Queres Wâ— not the Trinity Incarnation and other points 〈◊〉 which we agree held in all Ages since Christ by Gods Church He must yeild it no Protestaâ—â— ever denying it besides that we both agree to call that God's Church which held those maiâ— points of Faith Next he is to be askt whether seeing those points were held ever of Faith Fathers did not actually teach Children so or the former Age the later Common reason will teach him they did which devolves into this that a Protestant must confess those points came down by Tradition and that Tradition hath not faild to bring them down to us Ask him next by what virtue Tradition perform'd this and whether the same virtue were not powerful to bring down others as well as these had any such been And when he assignes this virtue I cannot suspect him negative in so plain a point Ask him farther Is there not a necessary Connexion and Relation between such a constant Cause and its formal Effect So that if its formal Effect be Those Points received as delivered ever the Proper Cause must be an ever-delivery whence we can argue from such an Effect to its Cause for any particular Point and consequenly for any Point that is in Controversie between Them and Us in case it be a Point we held ever deliver'd And if so as manifest Reason evinces it our now-held Faith was taught by Christ and his Apostles and our dispute is at an end But because I rather suspect the Protestant seeing his Cause and Interest too deep engag'd and himself streightned by such strict Connexion of Terms will fly of and deny Tradition to be a necessary Cause notwithstanding its constant tenour of having wrought this its Effect millions of times or from step to step during so many Ages and will not care to alledge that all this is pure Chance and contingency I shall pursue the Designe and Method I at first intended 3. The Effect then we will pitch upon and avow to be the proper one of such a Cause is The present perswasion of Traditionary-Christians or Catholicks that their Faith hath descended from Christ and his Apostles uninterruptedly which we find most firmly rooted in their hearts And the Existence of this Perswasion we affirm to be Impossible without the Existence of Traditions ever-Indeficiency to beget it 4. To prove this I lay this first Principle That Age which holds her Faith deliver'd thus from the Apostles neither can it self have chang'd any thing in it nor know or doubt that any Age since the Apostles had chang'd or innovated any thing therein This Proposition needs no proof to evidence it but onely an Explication For since no man can hold contrary to his Knowledge or doubt of what he holds nor change or innovate in the case propos'd without knowing he did so 't is a manifest Impossibility an whole Age should fall into an Absurdity so inconsistent with the Nature of one single man 5. The second Principle shall be this No Age could innovate any thing and withal deliver that very thing to Posterity as receivâ—d from Christ by continual succession For since Man is a rational Creature he must have some reason or motive good or bad which he proposes to himself as an Eud to be atchiev'd by his action and whatever his remote end is his immediate End in telling Posterity a late invented thing was held immediately before is to make them believe it Wherefore since a seen Impossibility cannot be a motive to one not frantick and that 't is evidently Impossible they should make Posterity believe a thing so universally known to be false as this must needs be because were it possible the whole Age should conspire to tell such a lye the whole I say otherwise the Refusers would easily discover the cheat yet 't is manifestly Impossible all at age to know the truth should conspire from so many several and so far distant places in the precise time to deceive the new Off-spring every moneth ripening to a capacity of such knowledges or blot out all the Monuments which would evidently undeceive their abused Posterity 'T is then as impossible this Principle should falter as that the foregoing Age should conspire to act without a motive or that the succeeding Age should believe what they know to be otherwise that is should hold both sides
the Knowledge of such things that is to all Mankind who use common Reason This is evident from the former For first Principles are to be Self-evident to all those who are to use them and proceed upon them which in our case is the most ordinary vulgar 26. The Certainty of Tradition being establisht the whole Body of the Faithful by which I mean Catholicks or the Church Essential is by relying on it infallibly certain that it is in possession of Christ's true doctrin For since Tradition is Self-evidently a Certain way if followd Disc. 5. § 8. 13. and both best Nature and best Grace in this world are engaged that it hath been and shall be ever followed Disc. 6. and 9. Again since the Certainty of what Faith was formerly taught must needs descend to us as matter of Fact formerly past that is whose Certainty depends on Authority and Tradition is the first Principle in way of Authority as it engages for matters of Fact formerly past Corol. 24. and Self-evident to the proceeders on it Corol. 25. that is to the Body of Catholicks Lastly since Christian Tradition rightly understood is nothing but the living voice of the Catholick Church Essential as delivering 't is manifestly and manifoldly evident that that Body which relies on It that is the Catholick Church or Corol. 6. 11. the whole Church Essential is infallibly Certain that she is in secure possession of Christs true Doctrin 27. Tradition once establisht General Councils and even Provincial ones nay particular Churches are Infallible by proceeding upon It. For the same reason in regard that proceeding on it they proceed upon a Certain and Self-evident Principle Corol. 24. 25. that is such a one as neither they can mistake nor it mislead them 28. The Roman See with its Head are particularly Infallible by the same means For in regard a more vigorous Cause put at first is apt to produce a greater Effect and the Coresidence Joynt-endeavours Preaching Miracles and lastly Martyrdome of the two Chief Apostles working upon that City which commanded the greatest part of the world were more vigorous Causes to imprint Christs Doctrin at first and recommend it to the next age than was found any where else it follows that the stream of Tradition in its source and first putting into motion was more particularly vigorous here than in any other See Again since uninterrupted publicity of professing Faith makes a greater visibility of Faith which is a manifest advantage to Tradition and no Patriarchal See but the Roman hath continued ever from the Primitive times in a publick Profession of Christs Faith being held under by Barbarians hence the Roman See and inclusively their Pastours and most their chief Pastour have a particular title to Infallibility built on Tradition above any other See or Pastour whatsoever Not to mention and dilate on the particular Assistances to the Clergy of that See and most particular to its Bishop springing out of their divinely constituted office in regard 't is a position unacknowledged by Adversaries against whom I am discoursing 29. Tradition establisht the Church is provided of a certain and Infallible Rule to preserve a Copy of the Scripture's Letter truly significative of Christs sence as far as it is coincident with the main Body of Christian doctrin preacht at first For since â—tis certain the Apostles taught the same Doctrin they writ â—tis manifest the Scriptureâ—s Letter was at first for what of it was intended to signify Points of Faith significative of Faith or Sence writ by miracles preaching and practice in the hearts of the first Faithful Wherefore since the same sence that was preacht at first was preserv'd all along unalterably by Tradition Disc. 6. 8. and the same sence in mens hearts can easily guide them to correct the alteration of the outward Letter so as to preserve it significative of the sence first delivered Therefore Tradition establisht the Church is provided of a certain and Infallible Rule to preserve a Copy of the Scripture's Letter truly significative of Christ's sence as far as Scripture is coincident with the main body of Christian Doctrin preacht at first 30. Tradition establisht the Church is provided of a certain and Infallible Rule to interpret Scripture's Letter by so as to arrive certainly at Christ's Sence as far as that Letter concerns the Body of Christian Doctrin preacht at first or points requisit to Salvation For since Disc. 6. 8. Tradition preserves the first deliver'd sence alive in mens hearts sent down by way of living voice and Christian practice and these were in the beginning evidently a most certain way of knowing the Sence of the Letter â—tis evident that they are still such Wherefore Tradition establisht the Church is provided c. 31. Tradition establish't nothing can be received by the Church as hâ—ld from the first or ever unless held ever For since Disc. 5. § 13. Disc. 6. 8. Corol. 24 25. Tradition is self-evidently a certain method of conveying down matters of Fact as they were found it follows that Tradition establish't points not held ever must be convey'd down such as they were found that is as not held ever and consequently not as held from the first or ever 32. Tradition establish't 't is impossible any Errour against Christâ— s Faith should bee received by the Church that is no Errour contradicting Faith can be received as of Faith For since to be received as of Faith is Disc. 6. 8. to Traditionary Christians the same as to be received as held ever or from Christs time and Corol. 31. no point at all though disparate or indifferent not-held-ever can be received as held-ever 't is evident that much less can an erroneous point contradicting what was held ever be received as held-ever 33. Notwithstanding Tradition Erroneous Opinions and their proper Effects absurd Practices may creep into the Church and spread there for a while For since notwithstanding the Certainty of Tradition the Church is still according to our Saviour a Congregation made up of good and bad and the Bad will do like themselves that is be glad to invent and propagate such Principles as shall make for their own Ends or for Vices that is Erroneous ones Again since it cannot be expected but that multitudes even of good men in the Church should in using their private reasons be liable to Errour in divers particular points or Cases and that the remoteness of Christian Principles or Points of Faith from the Principles of particular Actions or Cases is apt to make the opposition between them not easily nor clearly discoverable at first nay the ambiguity in wording them may make them appear at first sight fairly reconcilable till the Terms be distinguisht and clear'd from equivocation 't is very evident that Tradition's Certainty hinders not but Erroneous Opinions and their proper Effects absurd Practices may creep into the Church and spread there for a while 34.
which relie on Sensitive Knowledge and those are of Certain Authority if the sincerity of the Testator be unquestionable and the conveyance of his sincerelymeant Knowledge to us be Evident not otherwise 2 ly Note secondly that for the reason given Citations from Adversaries and Opinators signifie nothing also those whose words presumed to express the Witnessers sence are Ambiguous or otherwise-interpretable or else their very Letter Uncertain as all are if the way of Tradition be held fallible Thus much in common of Citations as in themselves Considering them next as made use of by D. Pierce we finde he relies on them as on his Principles to conclude against us or as he good man unfortunately calls it Demonstrate Hence 3 ly They must not be Negative for such can conclude nothing 4 ly They must not be false or evidently signifying another thing than they are produc't for nor impertinent for then they are in both cases quite besides the purpose 5 ly They must be express and home to the point for Principles must need nothing but themselves besides the Application to infer the Conclusion pretended to spring from them 9 ly They must be void of ambiguity For Principles must be either self-evident or at least made evident ere they can deserve to be produc't or admitted as such Lastly Principles are Sence not Sounds or Characters and so their Sence ought to be Indisputable 7. The first Note evacuates at once all his Citations from Authours that concern any point between us For he brings no Certainty of any knowledge exprest to be built on Sense that is no Citation against us which in proper speech deserves to be call'd a Testimony The second Note particularly invalidates those of the eighth and ninth sorth The third those of the fifth sort The fourth those of the first and seventh The fifth those of the five first sorts and also those of the seventh The sixth those of the second third and particularly the eighth The last Note enervates the tenth and indeed almost all the rest It being evident that our learned Controvertists give other Sences to those Citations than what Protestants assigne them and maintain still those sences to be better than theirs 8. In a word seeing all Testimonial Authority supposes Knowledge in the Authour and all Knowledge is either from Sense call'd Experience or else from evident connexion of Terms or Reason and that this later knowledge is apt to make a Master that is one fit to convince and teach another rationally by Intrinsecal Mediums or to cause Science in him and so is unfit for Testifying And the former kind of Knowledge onely is fit to be an Extrinsecal Medium or apt to beget Belief of the Witnesses word in regard any person unacquainted otherwise with the Truth of the Point knows by ordinary Experience and common reason that mens Understandings may err but their Sences rightly circumstanc't cannot it follows that no Citation in proper speech deserves the name nor has the force or virtue of a Testimony but those which are built on Sence or Experience This weigh'd reflecting on the main I find not one â—â—â—ress Testimony against any point of our â—aith engaging Sense that is not one which merits the name of a Testimony or to be esteem'd a part of Tradition That of S. Austin for communicating Infants has the true nature of a Testimony in it and deserv'd a more elaborate Answer had its Sence been unquestionable and the Words cited from the Father himself but the Sence of it being Disputable his Expositors explicating S. Austin by himself in another place noâ— to mean oral Manducation but virtualâ—â—â—ly â—â—â—ly which is done by Baptism and withall cited as a private Authours Sence concerning S. Austin it falls under the 6th and 8th Head of faulty or inconclusive Citations and so is already answer'd 9. This is the upshot of that famous Sermon And now I would gladly know what in the Judgment of an intelligent person who examins things by Grounds Dr. Pierce hath perform'd in this so highly extoll'd piece of his more than his dear Brother and fellow-champion against the Pope Mr. HENRY WHISTLER Onely he hath clad his little Nothings in some kind of mock-Rhetorick which like Fig-leaves cover after a pitiful manner the Nakedness of his empty Discourse Yet were even his Rhetorick examin'd by the substantial Rules of that Art I doubt it would come of as ill as his Proofs For 't is obvious to observe that the beginning of his Sermon is a-la-mode a School-boy's Theme and that his Style is far from even or spun on one thread Instead of the Thunder Lightning of strong and sententious Sence astonishing and moving the Auditors reason by the advantageous smartness and Majesty of the Expression he gives us a peal of Ordinance charg'd with ayr a volly of thunder-thumping bombast able to make a solid man's Reason nauseate and this most inartificially plac't at the very entrance of his Sermon § 2. Or else loud Pulpit-beating invectives and railings He makes huge account of little quirking Observations out of Human Authours which have no imaginable force or purpose but to make an ostentation of the uncouthness of his reading the Gallantry of his third paragraph For ingenious surprizes of Reason erecting and taking the Understanding we have wordish Quibbles Quirks and Paranomasias and those most evidently contrary to Art studiously and industriously affected His conâ—ident sayings without Proof make up half his Sermon and his Ironies and Sarcasms are the sauce to make all this windy meat go down 10. I will close with noting his excellent Faculty in quoting Scripture To do which when the place is worth looking as being brought to justify some passage we are about is grave and to some purpose but when no occasion or need invites upon the naming any two or three words which hap to be in Scripture to be still quoting and tricking the Margent with Book Chapter and Verse and relating Stars or little Letters is a very empty piece of Pageantrie and most sillily Pedantical Now our Dr. cannot talk of Faith but he must add though most unsutably to his Reformers in England to whom 't is most notorious no body deliver'd it which was once deliver'd to the Saints and Iude 3. shall ascertain it He cannot name the words which was from the beginning but the margent shall direct you to Mat. 19. 8. The two words Spending and being Spent oblige him to let you know where to find them 2 Cor. 12. 15. At the very naming Help and All sufficient two good honest words which might have been spoke whether Scripture had been or not he cannot for his heart hold but alledges you for it 1. Cor. 1. 27. And will needs though indeed very needlesly to us prove himself a weak Instrument by a plain Text 2 Cor. 10. 4. The obvious and common words condemn'd out of their mouths must have a Star of the First magnitude to light you
to salvation so that to vary from it or hold or practise the contrary is the way to eternal misery are all oblig'd to believe and act as their Forefathers did and not introduce Contrary Doctrins and practices to those they had receiv'd Had it been I say thus propos'd there had been no such cause of wonderment But all these that is indeed all of weight in the point is quite left out Such poor shifts even the best Wits must be driven to when they would maintain a false Cause 25. One word to M. Stillingfleet He hath challeng'd us to make out this Obligation to Belief as the onely Thing we are to prove in the Traditionary way he hath offer'd us the choice of our Weapon either Reason particular Testimony or Vniversal Tradition I have accepted his offer chosen my weapon and given here the first blow I hope he will not now run the Field but return an Answer to my Discourse in the way of Reason which I have chosen by his Offer I am sorry for his sake my reflexions here are not more elaborate being sent to the Press in loose quarters of sheets as soon as writ more time not being allow'd me nor I hope needful to answer such mistakes Onely I request him when he replies to take along with him the nature of the subjecta materia the Doctrins and Practises we speak of the Nature of the Manner of delivering it and the necessary Circumstances which give weight to both as I have declar'd above and I promise him God assisting me a very serious Reply 26. Ere I quite leave this matter I desire to take the Reader along with me in my quest for a Reason or proper Cause why so judicious a person as Mr. Stillingfleet could come to doubt of such an Obligation in posterity to beleeve their Ancestours in a matter of fact or a matter deliver'd to have been not deem'd or thought but done or which is equivalent being it's necessary effect seen or known by Sense For I make account there is not a man in the world or ever was such is the Goodness of rational Nature given us by God who in his natural thoughts could ever raise such a doubt or think he could possibly frame his thoughts to a disbelief of the contrary no more than any man in England whom Speculative Scepticism has not besotted and unmann'd can doubt of William the Conquerors Harry the Eighths or Mahomets Existence much less judge the contrary And it appears at first sight to be a strange distorsion or rather destruction of human Nature which can so alter it Now looking into Things I find it to be a proper and natural Effect of the Protestant's temper and indeed of all who have left the Church For their humour being to chuse every one his Faith by his private Judgment or Wit working upon disputable words They wonder and judge it very unreasonable their Posterity thus imbu'd should be oblig'd to beleeve and act as Ancestours do and so should I too For while they can never deliver it to their Children as received ever by the way of Infallible Sense or Witnessing but must say the former Church de facto err'd and consequently that themselves might do so too so that they can only deliver it as depending or built on their own fallible Opinion in interpreting Scripture all which is imply'd in their making Scriptur's Letter the Rule of Faith and allowing no Living Interpreter able to give infallibly the Sence of it 't is natural their posterity should 〈◊〉 hold themselves oblig'd to beleeve Immediate Ancestors but use their own Judgments and chuse their own Faith when they come at Age as well as They did and Experience tells us they have done so in England till they have chosen fairly And this horrid Unreasonableness is the venomous source the First defective Principle or indeed the very nature of all Heresie imported also in the very word which signifies Choice or chusing one's Religion mention'd by Clemens Alexandrinus cited above p. 135. and counterpos'd by him to Tradition as also by S. Athanasius cited p. 133. 134. where 't is most excellently describ'd and homely apply'd to the Protestants and such others as the Reader may see I am a bad Transcriber 27. I have done my main task and so shall only touch at his next paragraph It begins thus It is to no purpose to prove the Impossibility of motion when I see men move no more it is to prove no Age of the Church could vary from the foregoing when we can evidently prove they have done it You argue well But two things are requir'd ere you can see our Faith varies from the former First To see what our Church holds now and then to see what the former Church held before and if I see any thing you see neither well For while you cannot distinguish between Faith and its Explication some School-men and Church I have no hopes you should see candidly what our Church holds now and if you cannot at present see what our Church holds now how and by what method will you assure us you see what She held formerly The thing to be prov'd is a plain matter of Fact and you have renounc't all living Attestation the common and secure way to bring it down and consequently Fathers too For Fathers speaking of them as such being Evident Witnessers Transmitters or Propagates of the Faith received to Immediate Posterity if you question Delivery or Tradition which you do while you doubt Obligation in Posterity to believe Ancestours you question whether there be any Doctrin deliver'd and so any Fathers and I wonder how you can imagin any man oblig'd to believe Fathers Historians or any that writ or testify'd things long ago and yet think the next age not oblig'd to believe the former in a matter of Fact done in their own dayes How far short then are your Evidences of the former Churches Doctrin like to prove of being parallell to our seeing a man move with our corporeal Eyes But you may say any thing or rather indeed forc't by your bad Cause you must do so 28. You call this Way of ours a Superficial Subtilty I beseech you consider what you say Is that which is wholly builds on the Nature of the Things as you see ours does Superficial or Yours which is meerly an aiery Descant upon dead Words What do you think Controversy is I deal plainly with you you may take it to be an Art of Talking and I think you do so though you will not profess it but I take it to be a noble Science I hold its Object to be rationem reddere fidei or to maintain question'd Faith which is chiefly done by showing the Authority on which Faith depends quoad nos Certain Hence all other Authority depending on Tradition's I hold Knowledge of its Certainty the First Principle in Controversy And this being quoad nos necessarily antecedent to Authority it can onely be
manifested by Reasons taken from Things or men's Minds naturally and if we discourse against those who grant the excellency of the first-preached Doctrin Supernaturally affected or qualify'd as he sees I have endeavour'd in my Discourses 29. So much for our Way Now for yours Who sees not first how Words as interpretable are its subject and if in the method you take to work upon them you lay one Principle which deserves the name of a Principle I dare undertake to be of Mr. Stillingfleet's persuasion He sees in my TRANSITION our Way laid open Either let him acknowledge it solid or remember having provok't us he is challeng'd to produce something for his Rule of Faith which begins with the natures of the Things in hand that is of Rule and Faith and approves it self solider than ours But 't is so impossible their Cause can endure the Trial of that clearing Method that I fear not either Mr. Stillingfleet or any Protestant Writer of the least prudence will dare to attempt it 30. Will you see one Example of our Superficialness and Mr. Stillingfleet's Solidness He gives you both in his next words p. 620. and assures the Reader we would prove no alteration in the Faith of the Church by such an Argument as would prove the world ab aeterno How strangely wide he roves from the mark Our Argument runs thus beginning à priori Causes were laid in the nature of Christs heavenly Doctrin and the nature of its Conveyance down by Testifying to make its Delivery continu'd hitherto à posteriori thus we find a present Effect the present Persuasion of Christians their Faith descended uninterruptedly from Christ impossible to be without such a Cause's Existence or its having been at first taught by Christ whence we conclude that Faith came from Christ Let us parallel it then to his Finds he any such Effect in the world at present apt to spring onely from the Worlds Eternity as its Cause or Causes laid ab aeterno in the nature of the world apt to continue it hitherto If he does he must hold it was Eternal If not how unconsonant is his parallel He makes our Argument run thus The present Age sees no alteration in it and they could not be deceiv'd in what their Forefathers believ'd nor they in theirs and so on in infinitum for no men did ever see the World made and therefore it was never made and so Eternal In return I must first profess there is not a tittle in it parallel to our medium and at next that I never saw in my life more absurdities coucht in so few words For First he should have begun the present Age has a firm perswasion it was ever or have alledg'd some other Effect without which 't is impossible to argue to the Existence of a thing before or a Cause 2 ly He wrongly supposes a Belief in the former Age of the Worlds ever-Existence saying They could not be deceiv'd in what their Forefathers believ'd 4 ly The words Nor they in theirs falsely suppose a Continuance of belief upwards of the worlds Eternity 5 ly He sayes not whether this Belief was founded on Ey-sight at first or Opinion If the later 't is contrary and not parallel to our case If the former then he must suppose some man saw the world made ab aeterno 6 ly The words and so on in Infinitum suppose this belief did go on in Infinitum which put 't is beyond question and plac't in the very Terms that the world was Eternal 7 ly His reason for the last words thus For no man did ever see the World made is manifoldly faulty for 't is a negative argument and as such inconsequent since the world might have been made whether any had seen it or not Again the first men might have known it certainly to have been made whether they had seen it making or no. And lastly 't is directly contradictory to what it should parallel For we agreeing with them that Christ and his Apostles did teach a Doctrin thus qualify'd first put its Existence seen and thence conclude the contrary could never come to be held universally or else we take a present-Belief of its then-Existence as ever receiv'd by Testifying neither of which have any correspondence with his rambling chimerical Argument no two pieces of which hang together with themselves or any thing else 31. He sayes he can evidence the Alteration of Faith I wish he would tell us first what an evidence means whether a strong Fancy of his own or a Demonstration onely which can excuse him or not believing the former Age Attesting His first proof is Because the Scripture supposes a degeneracy in the Christian Church Incomparably argu'd why see we not the place Does it evidently speak of Faith or Manners the universal Church or particular persons that is some Hereticks But be it in Faith Be it Universal Does it suppose this Degeneracy already past which is onely proper to your purpose or yet to come That is does it say there must be a Total Apostasie in Faith before the Year 1664 Alas he had forgot this Yet for such wretched proofs as these baptiz'd God's Word have they left the evidently-attested Doctrin and the Union of the former Church His next Evidences are his own Performances in some other parts of his Book Truly the miserableness of these Evidences disinvite me from thinking the other worth a serious thought But if perhaps there be ever a Testimony among them that is not coincident with some of Dr. Pierce's faulty ones Let him single it out and Print it at the End of his Rejoynder to this it shall have a fair Answer from me or some other more proper FINIS THE HEADS First Discourse SHowing from the nature of Rule and Faith what Properties belong to the Rule of Faith p. 1. Second Discourse Showing the two first Properties of the Rule of Faith utterly incompetent to Scripture p. 12. Third Discourse That the three next Properties of the Rule of Faith are utterly incompetent to Scripture p. 22. Fourth Discourse That the two last Properties of the Rule of Faith are clearly incompetent to Scripture p. 33. Fifth Discourse Showing the notion of TRADITION and that all the Properties of the Rule of Faith do clearly agree to It. p. 41. Sixth Discourse Endeavouring to demonstrate à priori the Indefectibleness of Tradition p. 57. Seventh Discourse An Objection clear'd and the Beginning and Progress of an Heresy connaturally laid open p. 65. Eighth Discourse Endeavouring to demonstrate à posteriori the Vninterruptedness of Tradition hitherto p. 75. Ninth Discourse Opening the Incomparable Strength of the Churches Human Authority and the Infinit Advantages accrue to it by the Supernatural Assistances of the Holy Ghost p. 81. Corollaries from the former Discourses p. 95. Consent of Authority to the Substance of the foregoing Discourses p. 126. Transition to the Appendixes p. 157. First Appendix Animadversions on the groundlesness of Dr. Pierce's Sermon p. 167 Second Appendix Animadversions on some passages in Mr. Whitby p. 179. Third Appendix Animadversions on some passages in Mr. Stillingfleet p. 201.