I cannot perceiue some fallacy in my reasons against it or neuer hereafter open your mouth in defence of it I answere it seemes to me that your reasons are already sufficiently prooued to be fallacyes since from them either nothing can be deduced for your purpose or else you must acknowledge your selfe to haue no certainty that there is a God that vertue is to be imbraced or that Christian Fayth is euen probable 7. And yet I adde that you must in another respect also solue your owne obiections Remember these your words (zz) Pag. 36.37 Yet all This I say not as if I doubted that the spirit of God being implored by deuout and humble prayer and sincere obedience may and will by degrees aduance his seruants higher and giue them a certainty of adherence beyond their certainty of euidence And elswhere (a) Pag. 112. Gods spirit if he please may work more a certainty of adherence beyond certainty of euidence Now you caÌ„not deny but that these men may be tempted against their Fayth by inuoluntary doubting that they may increase in it that they may commit some deliberat sinne and may make daily progresse in Charity and good workes euen by the greater increase of their Fayth and yet you graunt them a certainty of adherence beyond their certainty of euidence And so in this case your selfe must answere your owne arguments and confesse them to be but fallacies Euen your maine reason that Christian Fayth can be endued with no stronger certainty then the probable motiues on which it relyes by this selfe same instance is proued a Sopbisme For now you grant a certainty of Fayth not without probable arguments of credibility yet not for them it being more certaine then they are and therefore you are still put vpon a necessity of answering your owne arguments And whereas pag. 330. you make a shew of answering this particuler obiection really you do not answere but plainly contradict your self labouring to prooue that it is impossible that there should be a certainty of adherence beyond the certainty of euidence as the Reader may cleerly see and shall be demonstrated in due time 8. One thing more I must not let passe and it is That whereas you say We would fayne haue Christian Fayth belieued to be infallible that there might be some necessity of our Churches infallibility it seemes you are apt inough to yield infallibility to Gods Church if once it be granted that Christian Fayth is infallible And with good reason For seeing you teach that vniuersall Tradition and other arguments of credibility cannot produce an infallible beliefe of holy Scripture and of the mysteries belieued by Christians it must follow that some other infallible meanes must be found out for the propounding to vs the holy Scriptures which other infallible meanes euen according to your persuasion being not Scripture it selfe nor euery mans priuate spirit there remaynes only the authority of the Catholicke Church which as an instrument of the holy Ghost may be an infallible propounder both of Scripture and all diuine verities Wherein there is a large difference betweene the Church and other Iudges These in their sentences or determinations intend not to deliuer points of infallible Fayth as the Church must intend and do it if once it be granted that from her we must receiue holy Scriptures and belieue them with a certaine and infallible assent of Christian Fayth The second Doctrine Chap. 3. That the assurance which we haue of Scriptures is but morall CHAP. III. 1. THis man magnifies holy Scriptures in many places as the only thing on which he relyes his Saluation but whosoeuer shall walke along with him from place to place marke well his wayes will find that they lead to the quite contrary and shew that he neither doth value them to their right worth nor doth lay any other grounds but such as are more apt to breed disesteeme then esteeme of them This may be seene in that he teacheth (b) Pag. 141. 62. That our assurance that the Scripture hath been preserued from any materiall alteration and that any other booke of any profance writer is incorrupted is of the same kind and condition both morall assurances 2. If this may be allowed it must necessarily follow that the assurance which we haue of Scripture must in degree be much inferiour to the assurance which we haue of such bookes of prophane Authors as haue a more full testimony and tradition of all sorts of men to wit Atheists Pagans Iewes Turkes Christians wheras the bookes holy Scripture are either vnknowne or impugned by all except ChristiaÌ„s by some also who would beare of Christians and consequently the morall assurance of them and of the incorruptednesse of them is the much the lesse and of lesse morall credit And by so same reason whosoeuer builds vpoÌ„ this mans grouÌ„ds cannot haue so great assurance that there was a Iesus Christ that he had disciples and much lesse that he wrought wonderous things and lesse then this that those wonders were true miracles as that there was a Coesar Alexander Pompey c. or that they fought such battailes and the like For these things descend to vs by a more vniuersall tradition then the former (c) Pag. 116. Do not your selfe speake thus We haue as great reason to belieue there was such a man as Henry the Eight King of England as that Iesus Christ suffered vnder Pontius Pilate You should haue said we haue greater reason to belieue it if we consult humane inducements only and consequently if Christian Fayth be not absolutely infallible euen aboue the motiues of credibility we are more certaine that there was a King Henry then a Iesus Christ A thing which no true Christian can heare without detestation 3. That which followes out of the same 116. page is of the like nature laying a ground for vn wary people to reiect Scripture For hauing spoken of some barbarous Nations that belieued the doctrine of Christ and yet belieued not the Scripture to be the word of God (d) Pag. 116. for they neuer heard of it and Fayth comes by hearing you adde these words Neither doubt I but if the bookes of Scripture had byn proposed to them by the other parts of the Church where they had been before receiued and had been doubted of or euen reiected by thâ—se barbarous nations but still by the bare beliefe and practise of Christianity they might be saued God requiring of vs vnder paine of damnation only to belieue the verities therein contained and not the diuine authority of the bookes wherein they are contained 4. If this be granted why might not any Church haue reiected the Scriptures being proposed by other parts of the Church And why may not we do so at this day Nay seeing de facto we know the verities of Christian Fayth by Scripture only according to your doctrine we cannot be obliged to belieue the Scriptures
aggregate of Iewes Manicheans Arians and other condemned sects which all good Christians ought to detest I hartily with their Conuersion yet if they will obstinately resist in despite of their inuentions the words of the Apostle will be verified Iesus Christ yesterday and to day Hebr. 13. â— the same also for euer And they shall giue a fearefull account for their contempt of al Churches and errours against Christian Fayth when repentance will nothing auaile Euen at that day when as S. Ambrose grauely sayth Lib. 5. de fide c. 7. The Iew shall perforce acknowledge whom he crucified when the Manichean shall adore whom he belieued not to haue come in flesh when the Arian shall confesse him to be omnipotent whom he denied And I may adde when all good Christians shall ioyfully behold him whose Fayth they laboured to Maintaine The Doctrines confuted in the ensuing Treatise THe first Doctrine That Fayth necessary to Saluation is not infallible Chap. 1. The grounds of this Doctrine lead to Atheisme Chap. 2. The second Doctrine That the assurance which we haue of Scriptures is but morall Chap. 3. The third Doctrine That the Apostles were not infallible in their Writings but erred with the whole Church of their tyme. Chap. 4. The fourth Doctrine Iniurious to the miracles of our Sauiour and of his Apostles Chap. 5. The fifth Doctrine By resoluing Fayth into Reason he destroyes the nature of Fayth and Beliefe of all Christian Verities Chap. 6. The sixt Doctrine Destructiue of the Theologicall Vertues of Christian Hope and Charity Chap. 7. The seauenth Doctrine Takes away the grounds of Rationall Discourse Chap. 8. The eight Doctrine Opens a way to deny the B. Trinity and other high mysteries of Christian Fayth Chap. 9. The ninth Doctrine Layes grounds to be Constant in no Religion Chap. 10. The tenth Doctrine Prouides for the impunity and preseruation of whatsoeuer damnable Errour against Christian Fayth Chap. 11. The Conclusion CHRISTIANITY MAINTAINED OR The discouery of sundry Doctrines tending to the Ouerthrow of Christian Religion The first Doctrine That Fayth necessary to Saluation is not Infallible CHAP. I. CHRISTIAN Fayth being the foundation of Hope the eye of Charity the lesser light appointed for the night of this world the Way to Heauen if this Foundation be faulty this Eye deceitfull this Light an Eclypse to it selfe this way erroneous our Hope Charity Light Happinesse and all Christianity must end Chap. 1. in worse then nothing in euerlasting vnhappines For as S. Thomas said to our Sauiour (a) Io. 14.5 We know not whither thou goest and how can we know the way So what will it auaile vs to know whither we goe if we follow a misleading way the Direction of a Fayth weake waueriug and subiect to Errour such is Christian Fayth in this man's iudgment deliuered in the Doctrine with which I thought fit to begin in regard it is the substance and summe of that which he deliuers and labours to prooue through his whole booke and is persuaded that it is of great and singular vse and demonstrable by vnanswerable arguments 2. I must confesse it is of great vse to ground Socinianisme which as the (b) Cap. 1. p. 7. Direction fortold reiecteth infallible supernaturall infused Fayth from being necessary to saluation and maketh our Christian Fayth of the Gospell and of Christ Iesus our Lord and Sauiour to be a meere human opinion resolued into the authority of men of no greater certainty then other human Traditions and Histories knowne by report Hence the saying in Charity Maintayned that an absolute certainty of Fayth is necessary to Saluation he taxeth deeply as (c) Pag. 328. most pernicious and vncharitable and els where (d) Pag. 325. n. 3. as a great errour of daungerous pernicious consequence yea pag. 37. thus he writeth Men being possessed with this false principle that Infallible Fayth is necessary and that it is in vaine to belieue the Gospell of Christ with such a kind or degree of assent as they yield to other matter of Tradition and finding that their Fayth of it is to them indiscernable from the beliefe they giue to the truth of other stories are in daunger not to belieue at all c. It is true that pag. 36. n. 8. he sayth We cannot ordinarily haue any rationall and acquired assent more then morall founded vpon credibilities wherby some may conceiue that besides human and rationall Fayth he supposes and requires Diuine Fayth which is a pure sincere firme adhesion to Gods word not caused by reason and discourse but infused by the Holy Ghost's inspiration into a belieuing soule But in truth he disclaimes from any necessity of Diuine Fayth or any diuine light aboue the light of meere reason and will haue men to be saued by the natiue forces of human rationall and fallible Fayth Men sayth he (f) Vbi supra pa. 36. n. 8. are vnreasonable God requires not any thing but reason They pretend that heauenly things cannot be seene to any purpose but by the midday-light but God will be satisfyed if we receiue any degree of Light which makes vs leaue the works of darknesses They exact a certainty of Fayth aboue that of sense and science God desires only that we belieue the conclusion as the premisses deserue wherof in rationall Fayth one is euer weake credible and not infallible And againe pag. 112. n. 154. Neither God doth nor man may require of vs as our duety to giue a greater assent to the mysteries of our Fayth then the motiues of credibility which are fallible deserue This is his doctrine which he deliuers often makes vse thereof to reiect the infallible Authority of Gods Church so prophane impious vnchristian as I wonder that a man professing himselfe a Christian durst venture to vent the same in print in a Christian country For is the certainty of the Fayth which Christians yield to the truth of the Gospell to the life of Christ Iesus our Lord and Sauiour to the histories of holy Scripture of no greater discernable certainty then the beliefe we yield to humane traditions I appeale to the conscience of euery true Christian whether he do not most cleerely discerne his assent to the Truths of holy Scripture to be superiour and incomparably more firme then his beliefe of meere humane storyes That the Serpent spake vnto Eue and persuaded her to eat of the forbidden tree that our first Parents were naked and did not perceiue it till they had eaten of the forbidden apple these storyes other the like would any Christian belieue them yea would they not laugh at them as they doe at Aesops Fables were they not of more credit with them then Caesars Commentaries or Salusts histories as this man * Pag. 327. n. 5. saith they are not That God requires not any thing of vs but only reason That he exacts no more then that we belieue the misteries of Christian Fayth with
68. n. 42. that the Controuersy about Scripture is to be tryed by most voyces and yet what is your greater number but most voyces And as for greater Authority what can you meane thereby except perhaps greater learning or some such quality nothing proportionable to that Authority on which Christian Fayth must relye The third Doctrine That the Apostles were not infallible in their writings but erred with the whole Church of their time CHAP. IIII. 1. IT can be no wonder that he should speake meanly of the necessity and infallibility of holy Scripture since he labours to fasten errour vpon the Canonicall writers and deliuerers thereof the Apostles themselues and the whole Church of their time Chap. 4. And this coÌ„cerning an Article of Fayth of highest consequence and most frequently reuealed in holy Scripture the deniall whereof had byn most derogatory from the glory of our Sauiour and from the abundant fruit of his sacred Passion to wit that the Ghospell was to be preached to all nations You shall receiue it in his owne words (m) Pag. 1â—7 n. 21. The Church may ignorantly disbelieue a Reuelation which by errour she thinkes to be no Reuelation That the Gospell was to be preached to all Nations was a Truth reuealed before our Sauiours Ascension in these words Goe and teach all nations Math. 29.19 Yet through preiudice or inaduertence or some other cause the Church disbelieued it as it is apparent out of the 11. and 12. Chapter of the Acts vntill the conuersion of Cornelius And that the Apostles themselues were inuolued in this supposed errour of the most primitiue Church he deliuers without ceremony in another place (n) Pag. 144. n. 31. That the Apostles themselues euen after the sending of the holy Ghost were and through inaduertence or preiudice continued for a time in an errour repugnant to a reuealed Truth it is as I haue already noted vnanswerably euident from the story of the Acts of the Apostles Is not this to ouerthrow all Christianity If the Blessed Apostles on whom Christians are builded as vpon their foundation Ephes 2. were obnoxious to inaduertence to preiudice to other causes of errour what certainty can we now haue The Apostles might haue written what they belieued and so we cannot be sure but what they haue written may contain some errour proceeding from inaduertence preiudice or some other cause If they euen after the receiuing of the holy Ghost and with them the whole Church of that time could either forget or transgresse so fresh a Commaund imposed by our Sauiour Christ for his last farewell at his Ascension it will be obuious for aduersaries of Christian Religion to obiect that perhaps they haue byn left to themselues to obliuion inaduertence and other humane defects in penning the Scripture If they erred in their first thoughts why not in their second With the assistance of the holy Ghost they can erre in neither without it in both 2. The Obiection which he brings is not hard to solue S. Peter himselfe neuer doubted That vision was shewed to him and he declared it to the conuerted Iewes for their satisfaction as it happened in the Councell held by the Apostles about the obseruation of the law of Moyses which some Christians conuerted from Iudaisme did much vrge But neither the Apostles nor the other Christians had any doubt in that matter as likewise in our present case not all the Church but only some Zealous for the Iewes did oppose themselues to S. Peter For before the conuersion of Cornelius other Gentils were become Christians as (o) Com. in Act. cap. 10. post vers 48 Cornelius à Lapide with others affirmes proues For which respect the text expressely declares (p) Act. c. 11. v. 2. that they who were offended with S. Peter were of the circumcision that is Iewes made Christians 3. He goes on in this conceit and addes a point no lesse daungerous then the former The Apostles Doctrine sayth he (q) Pag. 144. n. 31. was confirmed by miracles therefore it was entirely true and in no part either false or vncertain I say in no part which they deliuered constantly as a certaine diuine truth and which had the attestation of diuine miracles Thus you see he couertly calls in question all the Apostles writings and layes grouÌ„ds to except against them For if once we giue way to such distinctions and say that the Apostles are to be credited only in what they deliuered constantly as a certaine diuine Truth we may reiect in a manner all Scripture which scarce euer declares whether or no the writers thereof did deliuer any thing as a certaine diuine Truth and much lesse that they remained constant in what they deliuered by writing Or if it should expresse these particulars yet we could not be obliged to belieue it if once we come to deny to the Apostles an vniuersall infallibility For what reason can this man giue according to these grounds of his why they might not haue erred in that particular declaration 4. And besides will he not oblige vs to belieue with certainty any thing deliuered by the Apostles which had not the attestation of diuine miracles It seeemes he will not and thereby in effect takes away the beliefe of very many mysteries of Christian Fayth and verities contayned in holy Scripture For that miracles were wrought in confirmation of euery particular passage of Scripture we cannot affirme neither out of holy Scripture it selfe nor any other credible argument rather the contrary is certaine there being innumerable verityes of the Bible which were neuer seuerally confirmed in that manner and yet it were damnable sinne to deny them And moreouer where or when did the Apostles particularly prooue by miracle that their writings were the word of God Thus you see into what plunges he brings all Christians by his owne Inconstancy from which certainly ariseth this itching desire of his to put conceites into mens heades as if the Apostles also might haue byn various in their writings and not constant 5. I cannot omit another distinction preiudiciall to the infallibility of the Apostles of their writings which he deliuereth in these words (r) Pag. 144. n. 32. For those things which the Apostles professed to deliuer as the Dictates of human reason and prudence and not as diuine Reuelations why should we take them as diuine Reuelations I see no reason nor how we can do so and not contradict the Apostles and God himselfe Therefore when S. Paul sayes in the 1. Epist to the Corinth 7.12 To the rest speake I not the Lord. And againe Concerning virgins I haue no commaundment of the Lord but I deliuer my iudgment If we will pretend that the Lord did certainly speake what S. Paul spake and that his iudgment was Gods commandment shall we not plainly contradict S. Paul and that spirit by which he wrote which mooued him to write as in other places diuine Reuclations which he certainly
Catholique then from Catholique to Protestant then about againe to Catholique till at last he be come to that passe that it is hard to say What he is neyther Precisian nor Subscriber to the 39. Articles nor confessed Socinian nor right Christian according to the grounds which he hath layd If you will belieue himselfe for matters of Religion he is constant in nothing but in following that way to heauen which for the present seemes to him the most probable He followes that which at the present seemes most probable A poore comfort in matters of Fayth wherin errour is of so great consequence And yet this cold comfort is vpon the point of being lost for the probability is limited to the present 2. Would any man thinke that in matters of this nature and after so much profession that he is now satisfied he should (i) Pref. n. 2. professe himselfe still to haue a Trauellers indifferency most willing to be led by reason to any way or from it And accordingly to tell vs (k) Pref. n. 1. That had there been represented to his vnderstanding such Reasons for our Doctrine as would haue made our Religion more credible then the contrary certainly he should haue despised the shame of one more alteration with both armes and all his hart most readily haue imbraced it Such was the preparation which he brought to the reading of that Booke comming with such a mind to the reading of it as S. Austin before he was a setled Catholique brought to his conference with Faustus the Manichee Did S. Austin after he was a setled Catholicke come with the like disposition to conference with any Heretique or mis belieuer To what purpose then doth this man bring S. Austin here but to shew the difference betwixt the Fayth of one that is a Catholicke and of one that is not the difference I say in point of adhesion to his Fayth the Catholicke belieuing so assuredly that he may say with the Apostle If we or an Angell from heauen euangelize (l) Gal. 1. ◠to you besides that which we haue euangelized to you be he Anathema Others not being able euer to be certaine of what they belieue because they build vpon grounds which by their owne confession are not certaine and infallible 3. In which respect also it may be iustly wondred with what sense this man taking vpon him to be a guide to others and to leade them a sofe way to heauen professeth himselfe not to be setled in his way and stil to haue not only a (m) Prof. n. 2. Trauellers but an Ignorant Trauellers Indifferency willing to be led to any way or from it because he knowes not whether he be right or wrong otherwise if he know himselfe to be right certainly it were not his part to be so willing to be led to any way or from it which giues me hope that no man of iudgment and timorous conscience will aduenture the eternall saluation of his soule vpon the writings or Doctrine of one who is so vnsetled whom he either knowes not where to find or how long to keep in any one opinion or profession to whom the words of S. Bernard (n) Ep. 193. concerning Petrus Abailardus who taught that Fayth was but opinion may be applyed Homo sibi dissimilis est totus ambiguus He is a man who disagrees euen from himselfe wholely composed of doubtings I leaue out his middle words intus Herodes foris Ioannes 4. One thing certainly people would be very glad to know that whereas he maintaines that his Alterations were the most satisfactory actions to himselfe (o) Pag. 303. that euer he did and the greatest victories that euer he obtained ouer himselfe Men I say would be glad to know vpon what new and great Motiues these most satisfactory actions greatest victoryes were ouer throwne againe and frequent changes grounded For his first being Catholicke we haue Motiues in writing vnder his owne hand and now in print But what new reasons mooued him to forsake vs this would people willingly know If he had no better reasons then be the answers to his owne Motiues I scarcely belieue that any iudicious Protestant will allow the alteration to haue been good diuers of them being against Protestants themselues and some repugnant to all Christianity as may be well seene by the effects which they haue wrought in him to wit so much vnsetlednesse in beliefe and Religion that he knowes not to this day what he would be at But we may well suppose that as he willingly leaues all men to their liberty prouided that they improue it not to a Tyranny ouer others so he reserues the like liberty to himselfe and is in fine resolued to belieue whatsoeuer for the present doth seeme most probable to him and so liuing in perpetuall Indifferency be an example to others to be constant in no profession which is as good as to be of no Religion The tenth Doctrine Prouides for the impunity preseruation of whatsoeuer damnable errour against Christian Fayth CHAP. XI 1. HE is no lesse prouidēt to conserue then industrious to beget Vnchristian errours Atheismes Suppose an Orthodoxe Belieuer fall first into damnable Heresies then to Turcisme or Iudaisme afterward to Paganisme and finally to Atheisme Let him freely speake his mind to the learned and vnlearned to high and low to the Laity and Clergy to all sorts of persons Let him haue swarmes of followers let Circumcision be reduced the Saturday obserued for Sunday with Iewes or Friday with the Turkes and in confirmation of these sacrileges let Bookes be written What remedy Must these things be tolerated in a Christian Common wealth or Kingdome with resentment of a Christian Prince in despite of Christian Prelates vnder the eyes of Christian Deuines in the midst of Christian people They must be suffered if we belieue this mans doctrine (p) Pag. 297. that no man ought to be punished for his opinions in Religion We are willing sayth he to leaue all men to their liberty prouided they will not improue it to a Tyrāny ouer others (q) Pag. 179. n. 81. a good meanes to preserue euery one in his liberty without feare of punishment And the contrary persuasion and practise what is it It well becomes them who haue their portions in this life who serue no higher state then that of England or Spayne or France who thinke of no other happinesse but the preseruation of their owne fortunes and tranquillity in this world who thinke of no other meanes to preserue States but human power Machiauillian Policy How daungerous to Church euen to State this pernicious errour is and what encouragement it giues for vnquiet persons to oppose Authority and how deepely it taxes England other Protestant Churches of Machiauillian Policy and to be men who haue their portions in this life who serue no higher State then that of England or Spayne or France who thinke
of no other Happines but the preseruation of their owne fortunes in this world for hauing punished Heretiques euen with death I leaue to be considered by higher Powers 2. Chap. 11. I grant he would seeme to mitigate his doctrine and confine it within certaine limits but such that his exception is worse then his generall Rule vnlesse I mistake his meaning therefore present his words as they lye to the Readers iudgment There is saith he no daunger to any State from any mans opinion vnlesse it be such an opinion by which disobedience to Authority or impiety is taught or licenced which sort I confesse may iustly be punished as well as other faults or vnlesse this sanguinary doctrine be ioyned with it That its lawful for him by human violence to enforce others to it Thus he As for his first limitation it either destroyes all that he said before or els it is but a verball glosse for his owne security For if he grant that euery Heresy is impiety and brings with it disobedience to Authority as certainly it does if it be professed against the lawes of the Kingdome or Decrees and Commaunds of the Church State Prelats where the contrary is maintained If I say his meaning be this then his former generall Doctrine vanisheth into nothing it will still remaine true that men may be punished for their opinions heresyes But if his meaning be that no opinion is to be punished except such as implyes disobedience to Authority or licenseth Impiety in things which belong meerely to Temporall affayres and concerne only the ciuill comportment of one man to another as theft murther and the like then he still leaues a freedome for men to belieue and professe what they please for matters of Religion And so if they iudge a thing to be vnlawfull which their Superiours affirme to be indifferent yet they may hold their opinion and disobey their Prelates and may be able to tel them from this mans doctrine that to enforce any man in points of this kind is vnlawfull Machiauillian Policy 3. His second limitation seemes to goe further telling vs that a maÌ„s opinion may be punished if this sanguinary doctrine be ioyned with it That it is lawfull for him by human violence to enforce others to it FroÌ„ whence for ought I can perceiue it cleerly followes that if any Church prescribe some forme of Beliefe and punish others for belieuing and professing the contrary the Prelats or others of that Church who coÌ„curre to enforce by punishment such contrary belieuers may themselues be iustly punished As if for example an Arian be punished with Death in any Kingdome the Prelats or other Persons of authority in that State may according to his doctrine be lawfully punished as holding it lawfull to enforce men against their conscience which he calles a sanguinary Doctrine How daungerous a position this might prooue if Arians or Socinians or any other sect or vnquiet spirit could preuaile in any Kingdome or Commonwealth where Hereticks are punished it is not fit for me to exaggerate being sufficient for my intention to haue made it cleere that the enemy of mankind could neuer haue inuented a more effectual meanes then this freedome of opinion and encouragement by impunity for the enlarging of his infernall Kingdome by Heresy Paganisme Atheisme and in a word by destroying whatsoeuer belongs to Christianity 4. As for punishing Heretiks with Excommunication in words he grants it may be done but I haue reason to suspect what his meaning is indeed whether he speake thus only for some respects For I know that a great Socinian hath printed the contrary Iren. Philal disp de Pace Eccles And if no man can be punished with temporall punishmeÌ„t for imbracing that which his Conscience persuades him to be Truth how can he be lawfully punished by Excommunication for doing that which to his vnderstanding he is obliged to do For not acknowledging any authority of Church or Prelats indued with infallibility he is still left to his owne reason Besides one effect of excommunication is to exclude the Person so censured from the ciuill conuersation with others other temporall punishments in all Courts being also consequent to it Seeing then he denyes that men are to be punished for their opinions by Temporall punishments he cannot with coherence affirme that they may lawfully be excommunicated This certainly being a greater enforcement then death it selfe to such as vnderstand the spirituall benefits and aduantages of which men are depriued by that Censure The Conclusion 1. By that which hath been said in these few precedent Chapters it euidently appeares first how fitting it was for the good of our Country in these present circuÌ„stances that people should haue learned by some such Treatise as the Direction to beware of impious Doctrines such as were foreseene that this maÌ„ would vent vnder colour of defending the Protestant cause and answering Charity maintayned And that although nothing could be intended more disgracefull to Protestant Religion then to see a Champion a way chosen to defend it which openly destroyes all Religion yet Compassion could not but worke in a wel-wishing soule and mooue it to desire and to endeauour that such a way should not be taken which might make people more and more insensible of any Religion by blurring the common principles of Christianity and digging vp the foundation thereof to lay insteed of them the grounds of Atheisme 2. Secondly though this hath not taken the full effect which could haue been wished that notwithstaÌ„ding the warning giuen he hath interlacâ—d his whole booke with such stuffe as here you haue seene yet this we haue gotten further that it is discouered cleerly to the world how deeply Socinianisme is rooted in this man and as it is to be feared in many others with whome he must needes haue had much conference since his vndertaking the worke in regard that no timely aduise or Direction no force of reason no feare of shame or punishment no former impressions of Christianity could withdraw him from steeping his thoughts and pen in such vn-Christian inke nor the many Corrections endeauoured by the Approouers of his Booke blot out his errours though in respect of the alterations which haue been by report made in it by them it is quite another thing from the first platforme which he drew and put into their hands and consequently how iust reason the Directour had to suspect that his true intention was not to defend Protestantisme but couertly to vent Socinianisme 3. Now thirdly whether it be not high time that people should now at the least open their eyes vpon this second warning and take that order which may be conuenient to preuent the spreading of so pernicious a Sect I must leaue to the consideration of euery one whome it may concerne I do only for the present wish from my hart that the maintayning of that Blessed Title and State of Christianity of which our Countrey hath been for so many ages possessed may be the effect both of this mans wauering and wandering trauells and of these my labours FINIS Errata PRaesat pag. 10. lin 25. to our nation corrige of our nation Ibid. pag. 11. lin 26. with corrige with Pag. 32. lin 3. is the corrige is so Ibid. lin 4. by so corrige by the Pag. 53. lin 21. Christ is God lege is the Sonne of God In the margent pag. 11. ouer against S. Bernard eited line 3. put Bernard Epist. 87.