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A58090
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Religio laici, or, A lay-mans faith touching the supream head and infallible guide of the church : in two letters to a friend in the country / by J. R. a convert of Mr. Bays's.
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J. R., Convert of Mr. Bays's.
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1688
(1688)
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Wing R30; ESTC R16164
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20,013
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32
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RELIGIO LAICI OR A Lay-mans Faith Touching the SUPREAM HEAD AND INFALLIBLE GUIDE OF THE CHURCH In Two Letters to a Friend in the Country By J. R. A Convert of Mr. Bays's Licensed June the 1st 1688. LONDON Printed for John Newton at three Pigeons over against the Inner-Tempe Gate in Fleet-street 1688. THE AUTHOR TO THE READER Courteous Reader A Little before the late King of ever Blessed Memory dyed a Poem was Published call'd Religio Laici c. and not long after another by the same Author call'd the Hind and Panther Which Pieces though as opposite to one another as Light and Darkness fell into an intimate Friends hand of mine who knowing me a great Admirer of that Authors Poems writ to me to desire my Judgment touching the Infallibility of his Mother Hind which was the occasion of the following Letters which indeed has been long since writ and the Reasons why they were not Published before are two The first is the same which a late Reverend Author gave in his Reasons for taking away the Test viz. They were design'd for a private use The second was my fear through a knowledge of my own Inability of a good Cause suffering by the weakness of its Advocate but however the Importunity of my Worthy Friend to whom I writ did at last prevail with me to send them thus as we all came Unpollished into the World. And as you have found them without Prejudice if possible read them and if you meet with any thing that makes amends for the pains I have my End if not I am sure you miss Yours J. R. THE FIRST LETTER SIR THE many and never to be forgotten Favours I have receiv'd commands a ready Compliance to your Request of giving you my Opinion touching the Doctrine of Infallibility so universally receiv'd and believ'd in the Church of Rome though at the same time they differ amongst themselves where to fix this Infallible Guide some are for placing it in a General Council others in his Holiness and Council together and a third sort in the defusive Church and a fourth in the Person of the Pope only he being St. Peter's Successor to whom our Saviour gave as they say the power of the Keys c. But however though they differ in the Manner yet they do all agree in the Matter that such a Convenient Doctrine should belong to their Church and truly I cannot blame them for it for it is indeed the only Rock and Foundation on which all their other Rubbish and Fopperies are built and the Removal of it would be like Sampson's pulling down the Pillars or main Prop so that consequently the whole Fabrick would fall to to the Ground But this being a Herculian work more proper for the fam'd Heroes of our Age viz. Men of great Parts and Letters I had not so much as attempted it but only Sir in obedience to your Command in doing which 't is possible I may put a helping hand toward the removal of some trash and trumpery out of the way whereby others of my own mean Rank and Capacity may the better discern the weakness of this Babel Foundation which has made such a Confusion in the Christian World. And amongst all the late Learned Pieces in Vindication of this Sovereign Antidote viz. Infallibility for if swallow'd it would without doubt exspel the Poyson of all the other Pestilential Doctrins of that Church none has made a greater noise in the World than the last though least unlearn'd Piece of the most famous cellebrated Author Mr. Bays the new Adopted Champion of the Roman Catholick Cause by the Name and Title of the Hind and Panther writ in the true Dialect and Language of the Beast J. D. in which he proves the necessity of an Unerring Guide as plain as a Pike-staff or rather as Demonstrable as Transubstantiation is made out in a late Reverend Authors Reasons for taking away the Test Now for an Unletter'd Lay-man to ingage with this Mighty Sampson of an Author is as rash an Undertaking as little Davids fighting with Great Goliah without Armour But we read Ecclesiastes the 9th and 11th The Race is not always to the swift nor the Battel to the strong therefore in hopes of being assisted by him whose Cause it is namely the Lord of Hosts through whom David not only fought but overcame the Champion of the Philistines I enter the Field and if I perish I perish however the attempt of great things is Honourable And the Method I shall take to engage this Potent Adversary shall be first to fight him with his own Weapons and discharge his own Artillery upon him viz. his own Arguments when he was possible of another Opinion I had almost said Religion but I am Inclinable to believe he never had any Secondly I shall examine those Places of Scripture which the Papists do most insist upon for the Proof of their Infallible Doctrine c. but I will begin with the first and Arm my self with Mr. Bays's own Armour of Proof that he has formerly engag'd with against the Asserters of this Doctrine in a Poem of his call'd Religio Laici In the Preface of which he has Page the 4th these words viz. For having laid down as a Foundation that the Scripture is a Rule that in all things needful to Salvation it is clear sufficient and ordain'd by God Almighty for that purpose I have left my self no right to Interpret obscure Places because whatsoever is obscure is concluded not necessary to be known On which as a Rock I shall being of the same Opinion Erect and build my Faith and that it may the better hold out a Siege against the mighty Host of Wild Beasts Commanded by their Infallible Mother Hind I will fortifie it with such strong murdering Morter-peices of his own c. that I 'le defie all his Bears and Boars his Woolves and Tygers his Foxes and Asses and Lyons c. to demolish and pull it down And the first is the Case which he puts between a Socinian and them of his own Church what that was then you will best understand from his own Arguments which are I think as strong and he as much Inspir'd when he writ them as when he writ the Immortal Milk white Hind and Panther but be your own Judge Religio Laici Page the 20. We hold and prove from Scripture plain That Christ is God the bold Socinian From the same Scripture urges he 's but Man. Now what Appeal can end the Important suit Both parts talk lowdly but the Rule is mute Shall I speak plain and in a Nation free Assume an honest Lay-mans Liberty which I hope is as little a fault now by Virtue of his Majesties Gracious Declaration as it was when Bays did it I think According to my little Skill But to my own Mother Church submitting still That many have been sav'd and many may That never heard this question brought in play The Vnletter'd
Now any body would think if St. Peter had been invested with such a Power c. none more fit to order and appoint Persons for that business because it might have been done with much less trouble than by assembling the Multitude which was the method they took as you may read verse the 2. and 3. of that Chapter Then not St. Peter but the Twelve called the multitude of the Disciples unto THEM and said It is not reason that WE should leave the word of God and serve tables Wherefore Brethren look ye out among you seven men of honest report full of the holy Ghost and wisdom whom pray observe WE may appoint over this business Which was done accordingly And when THEY had prayed THEY laid their hands on them c. And in another Cause different from this When the Apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had receiv'd the word of God THEY sent unto them Peter and John. Now this methinks seems very odd for the Chief of the Apostles and Head of the Church to be sent by his Inferiors as it were of an Errand So that it is plain the Apostles did not behave themselves as they ought or else they did not believe any such Authority to be plac'd in St. Peter but we do not find only the Apostles but the new Converts contending and chideing as it were St. Peter so that he was forc'd to tell a long Story for his Justification as you may read Acts the 11. from the beginning to the 18. verse from which 't is evident THEY had the same opinion of his being the Head of the Church then as we have of his pretended Successors now But once more to make if possible the Cause more plain in the 15. of the Acts we have an account of the first Council that ever was held in the Christian Church where were most if not all the Apostles and likewise the occasion of it as you may read ver the 1. and 2. And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissention and disputation with them they determined Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem unto the Apostles and Elders about this question And the Apostles and Elders came together about this matter But in all that account we do not find one Syllable of St. Peter's taking Place or exercising any Authority above the rest in this Assembly nor the rest taking any notice of him in that kind But when there had been much disputing Peter rose up and said unto them c. verse the 7. So it does not appear that he spake first to the business in hand for there was much disputation before he began to speak to the matter and ver the 12. Then all the multitude which argues there was a great number kept silence and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul c. And after they had held their peace James answer'd and said Men and Brethren harken unto me And so goes on from the 13 to the 22. verse of that chapter from which we may observe that if any of them was infallible it was St. James for they all as you may observe in that Place seem'd to be concluded by what he deliver'd for we do not find that any contradicted him or so much as spoke after him But it follows Then pleased it the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church which I suppose was all the Multitude there Assembled to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas namely Judas surnamed Barâ—abas and Silas chief men among the Brethren And wrote letters by them after this manner The Apostles and Elders and Brethren send greeting unto the Brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia Forasmuch as we have heard that certain which went from us have troubled you with words subverting your Souls saying Ye must be circumcised and keep the whole Law to whom we gave no such commandment It seemed good unto VS being assembled with one accord to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul verse the 22.23 24. and 25. of the same 15. of the Acts. And we find Paul and those that were with him as they went through the Cities deliver them the decrees for to keep that were ordain'd of the Apostles and Elders that were at Jerusalem Acts the 16. and 4. verse Which decrees may possibly rise up in Judgment against some body for if ever any Council was infallible this was and the Decrees they made yet we do not find in the least manner neither by St. Peter nor the rest of the Apostles any thing of this Infallible Head-ship pretended to by them which is a strong Argument there was no such Notion known in their time and that which further confirms me is that Place of St. Paul Galatians the 2. and 12. ver But when Peter was come to Antioch I withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed Now this sounds very strange What! the Infallible Head of the Church and Prince of the Apostles in a fault that deserv'd such a sharp Reproof sure St. Paul was in an Error and mistaken or else the pretended Infallible Successors of St. Peter are for I cannot be perswaded but if St. Peter had been but as Infallible as some have made themselves it was impossible for him to do any thing that might give occasion to St. Paul to be angry with him as no doubt but he was when he withstood him to the face There is two Places more I cannot omit by reason they are much to the purpose but I will but name them and hasten to a conclusion for I did not at first entrance upon this Discourse design to have been so redious but the matter being of so great Consequence I judg'd it necessary to give you Sir as full satisfaction as possible I could Corinthians the 1st chapter the 12. verse the 28. And God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers and so on Now if St. Peter had been the Head as our Romish Friends would perswade us why should St. Paul omit it in this Place where he seems to be so exact in distinguishing the Orders and Degrees that God had set in his Church by First Second and Thirdly c. but it is evident he knew nothing of the matter for if he had 't is but reason to suppose he would have given an account of those Orders thus viz. God had set some in the Church First St. Peter the Head secondly Apostles thirdly Prophets c. And in the 4th of the Ephesians ver the 11. much to the same purpose And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers but not one word of this Infallible Guide which to me and I hope all unprejudic'd Persons is a sufficient Proof that no such Power was ever intended by our Saviour to St. Peter nor that St. Peter did ever own that he had any such Authority nor the Apostles believe any such matter which is I think sufficient for the second Inquiry Whether the Apostles did give Place or Preheminence to St. Peter as believing him to be the Head of the Church c. And now to Conclude all they ground their Arguments upon are general Considerations That there ought to be an Infallible Judge and from thence they would infer our Saviour did possibly Institute such a one and the most likely Person was St. Peter from those words of our Saviour Thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church c. But the most that this can amount to is but a favourable Construction of the matter Now by the same Rule 't is I hope as rational to presume the contrary especially from the Consideration of so many Places of Scripture as I have here set down which do not favour this Infallible Doctrine all which I will draw up to this one single Point