some of them would impose upon us but almost the whole Body of them are of Opinion that their Infallible Master has a Right over Kings not only in Spituals but Temporals not to name Mariana Bellarmine Emanuel Sa. Molina Santarel Simancha and at the least Twenty others of Foreign Countries We can produce of our own Nation Champian and Doleman or Parsons besides many are nam'd whom I have not read who all of them attest this Doctrine that the Pope can depose and give away the Right of any Sovereign Prince Si vel paulum deflexerit if he shall never so little warp but if he once comes to be Excommunicated then the Bond of Obedience is taken off from Subjects and they may and ought to drive him like another Nebuchadnezzar ex hominum Christianorum Dominatu from Exercising Dominion over Christians and to this they are bound by Virtue of Divine Precept and by all the Tyes of Conscience under no less Penalty than Damnation Which is more than our Saviour and the Apostles ever taught or pretended to but the contrary is very evident and to that purpose St. Paul in the 13th to the Romans ver the 1. says Let every Soul be subject unto the Higher Powers c. which Power is there understood the Supream Magistrate and ver 6. For this cause pay you Tribute also for they are Gods Ministers attending continually upon this very thing And to the same purpose St. Peter himself Commands this Duty Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supream or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him c. the first Epistle of Peter the 2. chap. the 13. and 14. verses So that 't is plain who the Apostles calls Supream and whom our blessed Lord own'd does appear by his putting himself to the Charge of a Miracle lest he should offend But this was a great while ago and the Cause and the Times alter'd and another sort of a Supremacy set up which was not known in those days not till many Centuries after for if St. Peter had been invested with any such Authority as his pretended Successors pretend too certainly our Saviour or the Apostles would in some manner one time or other have taken notice of it but for our Hearts we cannot find any such thing But to oblige our Roman Friends I will examine the Matter a little farther and the better to inform our selves of this great Point we will take a view of our Saviours treating St. Peter after this suppos'd Prerogative deliver'd him in the same 16th of St. Matthew where our Saviour is supposed to give St. Peter only the Power of the Keys we find our Blessed Lord telling his Disciples what he was to suffer c. From that time forth began Jesus to shew to his Disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things of the Elders and Chief Priests and Scribes and be killed and be raised again the third day Then St. Peter took him and began to rebuke him saying Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee ver the 21. and 22. but pray mark our Saviours answer to this Infallible Head in the next verse But he turned and said unto Peter get thee behind me Satan thou art an offence unto me for thou savourest not the things that be of God but those that be of Men. By which it appears it was not the Person but the great Truth in the Confession which he deliver'd in the behalf of himself and the rest that was the Rock our Saviour would build his Church c. which indeed is a good and strong Foundation such a one as our Saviour speaks of in the 7th of St. Matthew the 24. and 25. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him unto a wise man which built his House upon a Rock and the Rain descended and the Floods came and the Winds blew and beat upon that House but it fell not for it was founded upon a Rock which Parable is understood of a good Christians Faith which will hold out against the Storms and Tempests of Persecution which all good Christians will do whose Faith is built upon that Confession of St. Peters viz. Thou art Christ the Son of the living God which as a good and strong Foundation will support all the rest of our Creed and therefore by an Allegorical Expression call'd a Rock which must be understood in a Spiritual Sense on which Christ would erect his Spiritual Kingdom Agreeable is that place of St. Paul Ephesians the 2. and the 19. and 20. verses Now therefore ye are no more Strangers and Foreigners but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner Stone So that here 't is plain and beyond all dispute that the Apostles and Prophets were the Rock and Foundation that is to say the Faith and Doctrine which they did profess and teach and not their Persons was the Rock and Foundation that both our Saviour and St. Paul meant on which the Christian Church was built if otherwise why should he omit telling them they were built upon St. Peter that Rock and Head of the Church and so of the rest but we see he takes no more notice of St. Peter than the rest Besides there is little reason to suppose our Saviour shou'd mean the Person of St. Peter when he so well knew the weakness of that Foundation for tho' he was indeed very forward upon all occasions as his attempting to go to our Saviour when he was walking on the Sea yet we find this presumptive Faith soon fail'd him for he was forc'd to implore our Saviour's Assistance by crying out Lord help me or I perish And again notwithstanding his Resolution to dye rather than deny his Lord c. yet we find our Saviour telling him Matthew the 26. and 34. verse Before the Cock crow he shou'd deny him thrice in all which we do not find any more notice taken of St. Peter by our Saviour than of any of the other Disciples unless it were to reprove him for his want of Faith and other Faults And we may observe further that on all occasions our Saviour was not wanting in cautioning his Disciples not only to forbear setting up such an Authority as we have been treating of amongst them but likewise commanded all Obedience to be given to the Supream Powers that was then in the World and from thence it was that he reprov'd St. Peters rashness in drawing his Sword though he did it with design to defend him against those that came to apprehend him John the 18. ver the 11. Then said Jesus unto Peter put up thy Sword c. and he gives the reason for it ver the 36. Jesus answer'd my Kingdom is not of this world if
my Kingdom were of this world then would my Servants fight that I should not be deliver'd to the Jews but now is my Kingdom not from hence which I think is a very powerful Argument against him who calls himself Christ's Vicar and Lords it over all the Kingdoms of the World contrary to Christs Command and the Practice of the Apostles and Primitive Christians for almost a Thousand years after Christ But to proceed since we cannot find in all the time of our Saviours being with his Disciples in the Flesh any thing to warrant our belief of St. Peters being the Head c. We will go one step further and inquire if after his Resurrection which was the accomplishment and Confirmation of all he had deliver'd to them whether he did deliver to St. Peter any Power or Commission more than he did to any of the rest of his Disciples In the three last verses of the 28th of St. Matthew we thus read All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth go Ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I command you and loe I am with you even to the end of the world Now 't is granted that here is a Commission given but to whom was it deliver'd to Peter James or John c. No but to them all in those words Go Ye c. Neither do we find any distinction though St. Peter and all the rest was there at the same time as you may read verses the 16th and 17th of that Chapter Then the Eleven Disciples went away to Galilee into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them and when they saw him they worshipped him but some doubted And in St. Mark the 16th and the 14th and 15. verses And afterward he appeared unto the Eleven as they sat at meat and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen And he said unto THEM go YE into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature So that here is again the same Commission but without any Preheminence given to either of them St. Luke makes no mention of this Matter And for that Place of St. John which the Romanists brag so much of from our Saviour biding St. Peter three times feed his Sheep it is I think impossible to be understood as if from thence our Saviour intended Him to be the Head and Chief of the Apostles but rather as it is most probable to strengthen his Faith that he might be the better enabled to go through with a difficult Work for we find our Saviour telling him in the two following verses being the 18th and 19th of the last of St. John What he was to suffer for his sake c. So that it is very reasonable to suppose that our Saviour's knowing his weakness from his former denying him might upon that account lay a more strict Command upon him than any of the rest Besides it is not unreasonable to suppose from those words of our Saviour viz. Simon Son of Jonas lovest thou me which was as oft repeated as his biding him Feed his Sheep might be to upbraid him for his former denying him whereby he might take notice he had given our Blessed Lord sufficient reason to doubt and as he had notwithstanding his Resolution to the contrary deny'd him with Oaths and Imprecations three several times So possible that might be one great Reason why our Saviour did likewise trible his Commands c. And to me it appears plain that our Saviours trible Command of biding St. Peter Feed his Sheep can have no Relation to his being made Head of the Church notwithstanding that Papistical objection viz. to whom did our Saviour so oft bid Feed his Sheep c which objection I must needs say is a very strong sheepish one though at the same time I know it is urg'd as a strong Argument to confirm as they say the Commission which our Saviour gave to St. Peter in those words viz. Thou art Peter and upon this Rock c. And they tell us our Saviour's giving such a particular charge to St. Peter must import something more than ordinary which indeed is very true and I think the reason as plain for as I before observ'd our Saviour well knowing his Faith wanted his special assistance took more than ordinary care that his Faith might be agreeable to his Confession which indeed was the Rock our Saviour meant and to that purpose we read in the 22. of St. Luke the 31. and 32. verses And the Lord said Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not and when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren By which words we find he was not as yet converted nor indeed any of them until after the Resurrection for as our Saviour had foretold Matthew the 26. verse the 31. I will smite the Shepherd and the Sheep of the flock shall be scatter'd abroad So after the Jews had put our Saviour to death we find them disperc'd and scatter'd up and down for indeed they could not tell well what to make of the matter as appears by the discourse our Saviour had with some of them as they were going to Emmaus which was distant from Jerusalem some three-score Furlongs Luke the 24. from the 13. to the 25. verse and at the 21. verse But we trusted that it had been He which should have Redeemed Israel c. By which it appear'd they was still in doubt but after Christs Ascension and sending the Holy Ghost the promised Comforter amongst them we find they were very bold and couragious and some thousands was converted Acts the 2. and the 41. at St. Peter's first Sermon from which some Learned Men have understood those words Vpon this Rock I will build my Church c. as a particular favour of our Saviours to St. Peter in making him the first Instrument of laying the Foundation of his Church not at Rome but Jerusalem which indeed was the Mother Church and as our Saviour was to the Jews so may the misunderstanding that Place of Scripture viz. Vpon this Rock c. be a stumbling Block possibly to the Papist And for those words of our Saviours bidding St. Peter feed his Sheep it cannot possible without taking leave of our Understandings be understood as our Roman Friends would perswade us but much rather from their being so oft repeated we may reasonable gather our Saviours purpose was they should make the greater and deeper impression in his Heart that so he might not forget this his last Command as he forgot him Matthew the 26.72 ver And again he deny'd him with an oath I do not know the Man. And so much shall suffice for our inquiry how or in
but Asses would venture so much as to chaw them by reason of their pricking and choaking quality But to give the Devil his due I must needs own Mr. Bays has a most powerful and luxurious hand at Satyr and may challenge all Christendom to match him for indeed I never in my slender Province met with any that was to compare with him unless that unknown but supposed worthy Author that writ to him upon his at last turning Roman Catholiâ—k for Bays like the Vicar of Bray in Henry the 8th Edward the 6th Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth's days was resolved to keep his Place and the quoting an Author to the purpose is the same thing the Learned say as if it was his own and that will I hope excuse my putting them down here Thou Mercenary Runnegade thou Slave Thou ever Changing still to be a Knave What Sect what Error wilt thou next disgrace Thou art so lude so scandilâ—â—sly Base That Antichristian Popery may be Asham'd of such a Proselite as thee Not all thy Rancor or Felonious spite Which animates thy lumpish Soul to write Could ha' contriv'd a Satyr more severe Or more disgrace the Cause thou wouldst prefer Yet in thy favour this must be confest It suits with thy Poetick Genius best There thou To Truths disus'd mayst entertain Thy self with Stories more fanciful and vain Then e're thy Poetry could ever fain Or sing the Lives of thy own fellow Saints 'T is a large Field and thy assistance wants Thence Copy out new Opera's for the Stage And with their Miracles direct the Age. Such is thy Faith if Faith thou hast indeed For well we may suspect the Poets Creed Rebel to God Blasphemer o' thy King Ah tell whence cou'd this strange Complyance spring So mayst thou prove to thy new Gods as true As thy old Friend the Devil has been to you Yet Conscience and Religion 's your pretence But Food and Drink the Methologick Sence Ah how perswasive is the want of Bread Not Reasons from strong Box more strongly plead A Convert thou 't is past all believing 'T is a damn'd scandal of thy Foes contriving A Jest of that malicious monstrous Fame The Honest Lay-man's Faith is still the same And so much for Mr. Bays for he has already detain'd me a little too long from what I chiefly intended but since his Arguments were so strong and pertinent to my purpose I judg'd it not amiss to have my Opinion favour'd by so Eminent an Author of their own which I made use of only as an Introduction to the more serious and useful part namely what I promis'd in the beginning of the Letter viz. the Examining those Places of Scripture which the Papists do most insist on for proving their Church or the Pope no matter which Infallible But I fear I have already transgress'd the Bounds of a Letter and therefore I shall reserve the rest till another opportunity in the mean time I shall Subscribe my self Sir Yours to Command so far As in the power lyes of your oblig'd J. R. THE SECOND LETTER SIR I Have Receiv'd yours and am not a little proud at your gracious Acceptance of my last which gives me no small Encouragement of giving you the trouble of a second which I hope will give you a full satisfaction of what my poor Sentiments are touching the Doctrine of Infallibility which indeed is the second Part to the same Tune only with this difference Neither Mr. Bays nor his Banter Of his Milk white Hind and Panther is at all concern'd in this for though Bays's Reasons and Arguments are strong and to the purpose yet with those of our Saviours and the Apostles I did not judg it necessary they should be Transcrib'd in one Letter no more than I thought them fit to be nam'd in the same day and that was the Reason Sir of my giving you a double trouble but without any more Preamble I will endeavour to make good my Promise in my last viz. the examining those Places of Scripture which are made use of for the proving the Doctrine of Infallibility and likewise those Places which all Honest and sincere Protestants ought to consider that plainly prove the contrary I will begin first with those Places or rather that Place for I can find but one that seems so much as to favour the Point in Hand which is Matthew the 16. and the 17 18 and 19. Verses Then Jesus answer'd and said unto Peter blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven And I say unto thee thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it and I will give unto thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven In which words the Romanist do believe St. Peter to be made the Infallible Head of the Church c. as sure as the Wafer after Consecration is transubstantiated into the Corporeal substance of our Blessed Lords Body and upon that account it is the pretended Successors of St. Peter has Lorded it over not only their Fellow Bishops but all Christian Princes and Crown'd Heads but upon what Grounds this more than Sovereign Authority has been set up and practised I shall now inquire and I do not question but to make it appear from our Saviours own words that he neither meant or intended any such Power and Authority to be set up by his Disciples and Followers as is at this day exercised by some body in the World c. and that will plainly appear if we consider the occasion of those words of our Saviour to St. Peter which was the Question our Saviour ask'd not St. Peter but all the Disciples Matt. the 16. and 13. ver When Jesus came into the Coasts of Cesarea Philippi he asked his Disciples saying Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am Now it is not to be supposed that our Saviour asked them because he did not know as well as they what the Peoples thoughts were concerning him but in all probability it was to draw a Confession of their own Opinion of him for in the 15. ver He saith unto Them but whom say Ye that I am then we find ver the 16th And Simon Peter answer'd and said thou art Christ the Son of the living God upon which account it was that our Saviour in the next verse said Thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church c. so that it is plain our Saviours words had Relation to all the rest of the Disciples whose Answer it was though St. Peter like a Foreman of a Jury deliver'd it as the Belief and Sentiments of them all for we find as I before observ'd the question was put to them all but it would be
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
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
unreasonable to suppose they should as in a rout answer we all all one and all do believe c. but they being all present without contradicting St. Peter 't is not to be question'd but that they did All believe and own the same thing so that it would be some violence offer'd to that place of Scripture to understand our Saviour meant the Person of St. Peter and not the Confession which in the behalf of them all he deliver'd being so happy as he was always very forward to speak first and it is not unreasonable to suppose that if any of the other Disciples had said the same thing our Saviours answer would have been the same likewise And that our Saviour did not intend those words to be understood as some would have them will better appear if we consider two things First the great caution that our Blessed Saviour gave with the care and pains he took upon all occasions to prevent his Disciples entertaining so much as a Notion of that Nature And Secondly a positive Command to the contrary As to the first we find in St. Mark the 9. and 33. our Saviour asking his Disciples What it was they were disputing of among themselves by the way but they held their peace c. and well they might for they knew they had been disputing upon a rong Topick for the matter was no less than who amongst them should be the greatest as you may read ver the 34. and in the next ver we have our Saviours answer And he sate down and called I pray mark the Twelve and saith unto them if any Man desire to be first the same shall be last of all and Servant of all From which we may observe the early care our Saviour took to prevent this Doctrine of Exercising Authority over one another and though it was possible but a Discourse to pass away the time as they were coming to Capernaum yet our Blessed Lord that knew their thoughts as well as their dispute takes an occasion to crush this Cockatrice in the Egg that it might not reign in his Spiritual Kingdom for no doubt he did foresee the ill Consequence of it But were this Doctrine of such important use as some would make it one would think nothing had been more necessary for the Peace and Good of the Christian Church than the Doctrine of St. Peter and his Successors Infallibility to have been deliver'd to the World so plain as is indeed the contrary that it could not admit of a Dispute And therefore for our Saviour and the Apostles to be if I may so say wanting in a matter of so great concern appears to me wonderful strange and it is not to be doubted that if such an Infallible Guide and Head of the Church had been necessary our Blessed Lord whose design and purpose of coming into the World was to do and procure for us all imaginable good would not have been wanting in instituting so convenient a Determiner of all Controversie nor likewise sparing of his pains in the instructing and directing us how and where to find this Balm of Gilead this Philosophers Stone which is able to refine and cure all the Distempers and Divisions of the Christian World about the true Worship of God c. Besides had Almighty God design'd his Church such a particular Head how unreasonable would it be to suppose our Saviour should be ignorant of it and if the contrary to conceal it from his Disciples especially at this time when they were contending as it were about the same thing who amongst them should be the greatest And without all doubt had our Saviour design'd to have invested St. Peter with such a Power he would have acquainted them with it and would as this had been a very fit time have told them they need not trouble themselves about those unnecessary Disputes for there was one amongst them that was already design'd and intended to be the Rock and only Foundation on which he would build his Church and so consequently their Principal Head and Governour and they ought to respect him and his Successors accordingly But as there is no Footsteps or Place of Scripture to warrant our Belief of any thing of this kind let us inquire whether there be any to the contrary which is the second thing to be consider'd viz. our Saviours positive Command to his Disciples that they should not exercise any such Authority c. and that will more plainly appear in the 20th of St. Matt. and the 20. and 21. verses When the Mother of Zebedees Children came to desire that her two Sons might sit the one on the right hand and the other on the left of our Blessed Saviour in his Kingdom we find all the rest mov'd with Indignation against the two Brethren for their Ambition of being exalted above their Fellows and though 't is reasonable to suppose this desire was grounded upon a mistake of Christs Kingdom which the Jews nay the very Disciples themselves at that time did believe it a Temporal one yet we find our Saviour takes care to rectifie both their mistakes and ambitious Temper of Mind of being exalted one above another which was by no means to be practised amongst them as you may read from the 25th to the 29th of the same 20th of St. Matthew But Jesus called them unto him and said Ye know that the Princes of the Gentiles exercise Dominion over them and they that are great exercise Authority upon them but it shall not be so among you but whosoever will be great among you let him be your Minister and whosoever will be chief among you let him be your Servant even as the Son of Man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and give his Life a Ransom for many To the same purpose in St. Mark the 10th from the 42. to the 46. and in St. Luke the 22. and the 25. and 26. Verses and so on by all which Places and many more to the same purpose we may observe the more than ordinary care our Saviour took to cure this Epidemical Distemper that had began to infect them in his days that they might be the better prepar'd to follow his Example especially in that humble peaceable Temper of Mind c. The consideration of which one would think is sufficient to convince any Rational Creature of the unreasonable pretence of the pretended Successors of St. Peter's claiming a Supream Power and Authority not only in Ecclesiastical matters but Temporal over all Christian Kings and Princes pretending they hold their Authority by Vertue of the Popes Grace and Favour and that he can depose one and set up another as he thinks fit And that this is no new Notion you shall hear what my Brother Lay-man says to the same purpose in the Preface to his FAITH Page the 5th How can we be secure from the practice of Jesuited Papists in that Religion for not two or three of that Order as