it is a Body united together and by consequence brought under some Regulation and as in all States there are subalterne Judges in whose decisions all must at least acquiesce tho they are not infallible there being still a sort of an apperl to be made to the Sovereign or the supream legislative Body so the Church has a subalterne Jurisdiction but as the authority of inferiour Judges is still regulated and none but the Legislators themselves have an Authority equal to the Law so it is not necessary for the preservation of Peace and Order that the Decisions of the Church should be infallible or of equal Authority with the Scriptures If Judges do so manifestly abuse their Authority that they fall into Rebellon and Treason the Subjects are no more bound to consider them but are obliged to resist them and to maintain their obedience to their Soveraign tho in other matters their Judgment must take place till they are reversed by the Sovereign The case of Religion being then this That Iesus Christ is the Sovereign of the Church the Assembly of the Pastors is only a subalterne Judge if they manifestly oppose themselves to the Screptures which is the Law of Christians particular persons may be supposed as competent Iudges of that as in civil Matters they may be of the Rebellion of the Judges and in that case they are bound still to maintain their Obedience to Jesus Christ. In matters indifferent Christians are bound for the preservation of Peace Unity to acquiesce in the Decisions of the Church and in Matters justly doubtful or of small Consequence tho they are convinced that the Pastors have erred yet they are obliged to be silent and to bear tolerable things rather than make a Breach but if it is visible that the Pastors do Rebel against the Sovereign of the Church I mean Christ the people may put in their Appeal to that great Judge and there it must lie If the Church did use this Authority with due Discretion and the people followed the rules that I have named with humility and modesty there would be no great danger of many Divisions but this is the great Secret of the providence of God that men are still men and both Pastors and People mix their Passions and Interests so with matters of Religion that as there is a great deal of sin and vice still in the World so that appears in the Matters of Religion as well as in other things but the ill Consequences of this tho they are bad enough yet are not equal Effects that ignorant Superstition and obedient Zeal have produced in the World Witness the Rebellions and Wars lot establishing the Worship of Images the Croissades against the Saracens in which many millions were lost those against Hereticks and Princes deposed by Popes which lasted for some Ages and the Massacre of Paris with the Butcheries of the Duke of Alvâ—in the last Age and that of Ireland in this which are I suppose far greater Mischâ—â—â—s that any can be Imagined to 〈◊〉 out of a small Diversâ—â— of Opinions and the present 〈◊〉 of this Church notwithstanding all those unhappy Rents that are in it is a much more desirable thing than the gross Ignorance and blind Superstition that reigns in Italy and Spain at this day IX All these reasonings concerning the Infallibility of the Church signify nothing unless we can certainly know whither we must go for this Decision for while one Party shewes us that it must be in the Pope or is no where and another Party sayes it Cannot be in the Pope because as many Popes have erred so this is a Doctrine that was not known in the Church for a thousand Years and that has been disputed ever since it was first asserted we are in the right to believe both sides first that if it is not in the Pope it is no where and than that certainly it is not in the Pope and it is very Incongruous to say that there is an Insallible Authority in the Church and that yet it is not certain where one must seek for it for the one ought to be as clear as the other and it is also plain that what Primacy so ever St. Peter may be supposed to have had the Scripture sayes not one word of his Successors at Rome so at lâ—st this is not so clear as a matter of this Consequence must have been if Christ had intended to have lodged such an Authority in that See X. It is no less Incongruous to say that this Infallibility is in a General Council for it must be somewhere else otherwise it will return only to the Church by some Starts and after long intervals and as it was not in the Church for the first 320 years so it has not been in the Church these last 120 years It is plain also that there is no Regulation given in the Scriptures concerning this great Assembly who have a right to come and Vote and what forfeit this right and what number must concur in 〈…〉 Infalliâ—â—lity of the Judgment It is certain there was never a General Council of all the Pastors of the Church for those of which we have the Acts were only the Councils of the Roman Empire but for those Churches that were in the South of Africk or the Eastern Parts of Asia beyond the bounds of the Roman Empire as they could not be summoned by the Emperours Authority so it is certain none of them were present unless one or two of Persia at Nice which perhaps was a Corner of Persia belonging to the Empire and unless it can be proved that the Pope has an Absolute Authority to cut off whole Churches from their right of coming to Councils there has been no General Council these last 700 years in the World ever since the Bishops of Rome have excommunicated all the Greek Churches upon such trifling reasons that their own Writers are nâ—w ashmed of them and I will ask no more of a Man of a Competent understanding to satisfy him that the Council of Trent was no General Council acting in that Freedom that became Bishops than that he will be at the pains to read Card. Pallavicins History of that Council XI If it is said that this Infallibility is to be sought for in the Tradition of the Doctrine in all Ages and that every particular Person must examine this here is a Sea before him and instead of examining the small Book of the N. Testament he is involved in a study that must cost a Man an Age to go thro it and many of the Ages thro which he carries this Enquiry are so dark and have produced so few Writers at least so few are preserved to our dayes that it is not possible to find out their belief We find also Traditions have varied so much that it is hard to say that there is much weight to be laid on this way of Conveyance A Tradition concerning Matters of Fact that aâ—l People see
the judgments of God but that which is more sensible the loss of their Dominions and it sâ—ems they intend to make us know that part of their Doctrine even before we come to feel it since tho some of that Communion would take away the Horror which the Fourth Council of the Lateran gives us in which these things were decreed by denying it to be a General Council and rejecting the Authority of those Canons yet the most learned of all the Apostates that has fallen to them from our Church has so lately given up this Plea and has so fâ—rmally aâ—knowledged the Authority of that Council and of its Canons that it seems they think they are bound to this piece of fair dealing of wâ—rning us before hand of our Danger It is true Bellarmin says The Church does not always execute her Power of deposing Heretical Princes tho she always retains it one reason that he assigns is Because she is not at all times able to put it in execution so the same reason may perhaps make it appear unadviseable to Extirpate Hereticks because that at present it cannot be done but the Right remains intiâ—e and is put in execution in such an unrelenting manner in all places where that Religion prevails that it has a very ill Grace to see any Member of that Church speak in this strain and when neither the Policy of France nor the Greatness of their Monarch nor yet the Interests of the Emperoâ—r joyned to the Gentleness of his own temper could withstand these Bloody Councils that are indeed parts of that Religion we can see no reason to induce us to believe that a Toleration of Religion is proposed with any other design but either to divide us or to lay us asleep till it is time to give the Alarm for destroying us IV. If all the Endeavonrs that have been used in the last four Reigâ—s for bringing the Subjects of this Kingdom to a Unity in Religion have been ineffectual as His Majesty says we know to whom we owe both the first beginnings and the progress of the Divisions among our selves the gentleness of Q. Elizabeth's Government and the numbers of those that adhered to the Church of Rome made it scarce possible to put an end to that Party during her Reign which has been ever since restless and has had Credit enough at Court during the three last Reigns not only to suâ—pâ—rt it self but to distract us and to divert us from apprehending the danger of being swallowed up by them by fomenting our own Diffâ—rences and by setting on either a Toleration or a Pâ—rsecuâ—iâ—n as it has happened to serve their Interests It is not so very long since that nothing was to be heard at Coâ—rt but the supporting the Church of England and the Extirpating all the Nonconformists and it were easie to name the persons if it were decent that had this in their Mouths but now all is turned round again the Church of England is in Disgrace and now the Encouragement of Trade the Quiet of the Nation and the Freedom of Conscience are again in Vogue that were such odious things but a few Years ago that the very mentioning them was enough to load any man with Suspicious as backward in the King's Service while such Methods are used and the Government is as in an Ague divided between hot and cold fits no wonder if Laws so unsteadily executed have faâ—led of their effect V. There is a good reserve here left for Severity when the proper Opportunity to set it on presents it self for his Majesty declares himself only against the forcing of men in matters of meet Religion so that whensoever Religion and Pâ—licy come to be so interwoven that meer Religion is not the Case and that publick Safety may be preteâ—ded then thiâ— Declaration is to bâ— no moâ—e claimed so that the fastning any thing upon the Protestant Religion that is inconsistent with the publick Peace will be pretended to shew that they are no persecuted for meer Religion In France when it was resolved to extirpate the Protestants all the Discourses that were written on that Subject were full of the Wars occasiâ—ned by those of the Religion in the last Age tho as these was the happy Occaâ—â—ons of bringing the House of Bâ—uâ—bon to the Crown they had been ended above 80 Years ago and there had not been so much as the least Tumulâ— raised by them these 50 Years past so that the French who have smarted under this Severity could not be charged with the least Infraction of the Law yet Stories of a huddred years old were raised up to inspire into the King those Apprehensions of them which â—ave produced the terrible effects that are visible to all the World There is another Expression in this Declaration which lets us likewise see with what Caution the Offers of Favour are now worded that so there may be an Occasion given when the Time and Conjuncture shall be favourable to break through them all it is in these words So that they take especial Care that nothing be preached or taught amongst them which may any ways tend to alienate the Hearts of our people from us or our Goverment This in it self is very reasonable and could admit of no Exception if we had not to do with a set of men who to our great Misfortune have so much Credit with His Majesty and who will be no sooner lodged in the Power to which they pretend then they will make every thing that is preached against Popery pass for that which may in some manner alienate the Sabjects from the King VI. His Majesty makes no doubt of tthe Concurrence of his Two Houses of Parliament when he shall think it convenient for them to meet The Hearts of King are unsearchable so that it is a little too presumptuous to look into His hajesties secret Thoughts but according to the Judgments that we would make of other mens Thoughts by their Actions one would betâ—mpted to think that his Majesty made some doubt of it since his Affairs both at home and abroad could not go the worse if it appeared that there were a perfect understanding between Him and his Parliament and that his people were supporting him with fresh Supplies and this House of Commons is so much at his Devotion that all the World saw how ready they were to rant every thing that he could desire of them till he began to lay off the Mask with relation to the Test and since that time the frequent Prorogations the Closetting and the pains that has been taken to gain Members by Promises made to some and the Disgraces of others would make one a little Inclined to think that some doubt was made of their Concurrence But we must confess that the depth of His Majesties Judgment is such that we cannot fathom it and therefore we cannot guess what his Doubts or his Assurances are It is true the words that come after unriddle the
infallible Iudge to expound it and when I see not only Popes but even some Bodies that pass for General Councils have so expounded many passages of it and have wrested them so visibly that none of the modern Writers of that Church pretend to excuse it I say I must freely own to you that when I find that I need a Commentory on dark passages these will be the last persons to whom I will address my self for it Thus you see how fully I have opened my mind to you in this matter I have gone over a great deal of ground in as few words as is possible because hints I know are enough for you I thank God these Considerations do fully satisfie me and I will be infinitely joyed if they have the same effect on you I am yours THis Letter came to London with the return of the first Post after his late Majesties Papers were sent into the Countrey some that saw it liked it well and wished it to have it publick and the rather because the Writer did not so entirely confine himself to the Reasons that were in those Papers but took the whole Controversy to task in a little compass and yet with a great variety of Reflections And this way of examining the whole matter without following those Papers word for word or the finding more fault than the common concern of this Cause required seemed more agreeing to the respect that is due to the Dead and more particularly to the Memory of so great a Prince but other Considerations made it not so easie nor so adviseable to procure a License for the Printing this letter it has been kept in private hands till now those who have boasted much of the Shortness of the late Kings Papers and of the length of the Answers that have been made to them will not find so great a disproportion between them and this Answer to them The Citation of Gilbert Burnet D. D. To Answer in Scotland on the 27th June O'd Stile for High Treason Together with his Answer and Three Letters wriâ— by him upon that Subject to the Right Honourable the Earl of Midletoune his Majesties Secretary of State I Know the Disadvantages of pleading ones Innocence especially when he is prosecuted at the suit of his Natural Prince to whom he owes so profound a Duty and this has kept me so long in a respectful silence after I had seen my Name in so many Gazettes aspersed with the blackest of all Crimes but there is both a time to be silent and a time to speak and as hitherto I have kept my self within the bounds of the one so I do now take the Liberty which the other allows me but I was not hitherto silent where I ought to speak for I have made many humble Addresses to His Majesty by the Earl of Midletoune his Secretary of State hoping that my Innocence joyned with my must humble Duty would have broke through all those Prejudices and false Informations with which my Enemies had possessed His Majesty against me Upon the first Notice that I had of His Majesties having writ to the Privy-Council in Scotland ordering Process to be issued out against me for High-Treason I writ my First Letter in that I could enter into no particulars for in the Advertisement that was sent me it was said that there was no special Matter laid to my Charge in the King's Letter Some days after that I received a Copy of my Citation to which I presently writ an Answer and sent that with my Second Letter to the same Noble Person to both these Letters I received no Answer but I was advertised that some Exceptions were taken at some words in my First Letter and this led me to write my Third Letter for explaining and justifying those words I have kept my self thus within all those Bounds that I thought my Duty set me and am not a little troubled that I am now forced to speak for my self I have delayed doing it as long as I had any reason to hope that my Justification of my self was like to produce the effect which I most humbly desired and which I expected but now the Day of my Appearance being come in which it is probable Sentence will pass against me since I have had no Intimations given me to the Contrary I hope it will not shew either the least impatience or the want of that Submission which I have on all occasions payed to every thing that comes to me from that Authority under which God had placed me that I publish these Papers for my own Vindication If it had been only in defence of my Life and Reputation that I had been led to appear in such a manner I could have more easily restâ—ained my self and have lest these to be Sacrifices to the Unjust Rage of those who have so far prevailed on His Majesties readiness to believe them as to drive this matter so far but the Honour of that Holy Religion which I profess and the Regard I bear to that Sacred Function to which I am dedicated lay such Obligations on me that I am determined by them to declare my Innocence to the World which I intend to do more copiously within a little while but in the mean time I hope the following Papers will serve to shew how clear I am of all the Matters that are laid to my Charge There is one Particular which is come to my Knowledge since I writ my Answer that will yet more evidently discover my Innocence I have receiv'd certain informations from England that both Sir Iohn Cochran and his Son and Mr. Baâ—ter have declared upon many Occasions and to many Persons that they cannot imagin how they come to be Cited as Witnesses against me that they can scarce believe it can be true since they know nothing that can be any way to my Prejudice and that they must clear me of all the Matters objected to me in this Citation and the Two Witnesses that as it seems are citkd for that Article that relates to Holland have solemnly declared that they know nothing relating to me or to the Matters specified in this Citation which one of them has signifyed to my Self in a Letter under his hand so that the Falsehood of this Accusation is so Evident that it serves to discover the Folly as well as the impudence of those who have contrived it But it is yet too early to set on a Persecution for Matters of Religion therefore Crimes against the State must be pretended and fastned on those whom these Men intend to destroy And as foul and black Scandals are invented to defame me and put in the mouths of those who are ready to believe and report every thing that may disgrace me without considering that they do a thing that is as unbecoming â—hem as it is Base and injust in it self so all Arts are used to destroy me but I trust to the Protection of that Great God who sees
adhered to his Majesty even against a Pretender that declared for them And in the Session of Parliament which came after that they shewed their disposition to assist the King with new Supplies and were willing to Excuse and indemnifie all that was past only they desired with all possible Modesty that the Laws which His Majesty had both promised and at his Coronation had Sworn to maintain might be Exâ—cuted Here is their Crime which has raised all this Out-cry They did not move for the Exâ—cution of â—evere and penal Laws but were willing to let those sleep till it might appear by the Behaviour of the Papists whether they might deserve that there should be any Mitigation made of them in their Favour Since that time our Church-men have have been constant in mixing their Zeal for their Religion against Popery with a Zeal for Loyalty against Rebellions because they think these two are very well consistent one with another It is true they have generally expressed an unwillingness to part with the two Tests because they have no mind to trust the keeping of their Throats to those who they believe will cut them and they have seen nothing 〈◊〉 the conduct of the Papists either â—â—thin or without the Kingdom to make them grow weary of the Laws for their sakes and the same principle of common sense which make it so hard for them to believe Transubstantiation makes them conclude that the Author of this Paper and his Friends are no other than what they hear and see and know them to be II. One instance in which the Church of England shewed her Submission to the Conrt was that as soon as the Nonconformists had drawn a new Storm upon themselves by their medling in the matter of Exclusion many of her Zealous Members went into that Prosecution of them which the Court set on foot with more Heat than was perhaps justifiable in it self or reasonable in those Circumstances but how censurable soever some angry men may be it is somewhat strane to see those of the Church of Rome blame us for it which has decreed some unrelenting Severities against all that differ from her and has enacted that not only in Parliaments but even in General Councils It must needs sound odly to hear the Sons of a Church that must destroy all others as soon as it can compass it yet complain of the Excesses of Fines and â—mprisonments that have been of late among â—s But if this Reproach seems a little strange when it is in the Mouth of a Papist it is much more provoking when it comes from any of the Court. Were not all the Orders 〈◊〉 late Severity sent from thence Did not the Judges in every Circuit and the Favourite Justices of Peace in every Sessions imploy all their Eloquence on this Subject The Directions that were given to the Justices and the Grand Iuries were all repeated Aggravations of this Matter and a little Ordinary Lawyer without any other Visible Merit but an Outragious Fury in those Matters on which he has chiefly valued himself was of a sudden taken in his Majesties special Favour and raised up to the Highest Posts of the Law All these things led sâ—me of our Obedient Clergy to look on it as a piece of their Duty to the King to encourage that Severity of which the Court seemed so fond that almost all people thought they had set it up for a Maxime from which they would never depart I will not pretend to excuse all that has been done of late Years but it is certain that the most crying Seveâ—ities have been acted by persons that were raised up to be Judges and Magistrates for that very end they were Instructed Trâ—sted and Rewarded for it both in the last and under the pâ—esent Reign Church-preferments were distinguished rather as Recompences of this devouring Zeal than of a real Merit and men of more mode ate Tempers were not only ill lookt at but ill used So that it is in it self very unreasonable to throw the load of the late Rigour on the Church of England without distinction but it is worse than in good manners it is fit to call it if this Reproach comes from the Court. And it is somewhat unbecoming to see that which was set on at one time disowned at another while yet he that was the chief Instrument in it is still in so high a post and begins now to treat the men of the Church of England with the same Brutal Excesses that he bestowed so lately and so liberally on the Dissenters as if his design were to render himself equally odious to all Mankind III. The Church of England may justly expostulate when she is treated as Seditinus after she has rendred the highest Services to the Civil Authority that any Church now on Earth has done She has beaten down all the Principles of Rebellon with more Force and Learning than any Body of men has yet done and has run the hazard of Enraging her Enemies and losing her Friends even for those from whom the more learned of her Members knew well what they might expect And since our Author likes the figure of a Snake in ones Bosom so well I could tell him that according to the Apoâ—ogue we took up and sheltred an Interest that was almost Dead and by that warmth gave it Life which yet now with the Snake in the Bosom is like to bite us to Death We do not say that we are the only Church that has the Principles of Loyalty but this we may say that we are the Church in the World that carries them the highest as we know a Church that of all others sinks them the lowest We do not pretend that we are inerrable in this Point but acknowledge that some of our Clergy miscarried in it upon King Edwards Death Yet at the same time others of our Communion adhered more ftedily to their Loyalty in favour of Q. Mary that She did to the Promises that she made to them Upon this Subject our Aurhor by his false Quotation of History forces me to set the Reader right which if it proves to the Disadvantage of his Cause his Friends may thank him for it I will not enter into so tedious a Digression as the justifying Queen Elizabeths being Legitimate and the throwing the Bastardy on Queen Mary must carry me to this I will only say that it was made out that according to the best sort of Arguments used by the Church of Rome I mean the constant Tradition of all Ages King Henry the Eighth marrying with Queen Catherine was Incesâ—uous and by consequence Q. Mary was the Bastard â—â—d Queen Elizabeth was the Legitimate Issue But our Author not satisfied with defaming Queen Elizabeth tells us that the Church of England was no sooner set up by her than She Enacted those Bloody Cannibal Laws to Hang Draw and Quarter the Priests of the Living God But since these Laws disturb him so much what does he
is a shrewd Presumption that they did not understand them in that selfe in which the Church of Rome does now take them Nor does St. Paul in the directions that he gives to Church-men in his Epistles to Timothy and Titus reckon this of submitting to the directions of the Church for one which he could not have omitted if this be the trâ—e meaning of those disputed passages and yet he has not one wâ—rd sounding that way which is very diffeâ—ent from the direction which one possessed with the present view that the Church of Rome has of this maâ—er must needs have given V. There are some things very expresly taught in the N. Testament such as the rules of a good Life the Vse of the Sacraments the addressing our selves to God for Mercy and Grace thro the Sacrifice that Christ offered for us on the Cross and the worshipping him 〈◊〉 God the Death Resurrection and Ascention of Iesus Christ the Resurrection of our Bodies and Life Everlasting by which it is apparent 〈◊〉 we are set beyond doubt in those matters if then there are other passages more obscure concerning other mattâ—rs we must conclude that thâ—â— are not of that Consequence other wise they would have been aâ— Plainly reâ—ealed as others are but above all if the Authority of the Church is delivered to us in disputable terms that is a just prejudice against it since it is a thing of such Consefluence that â—t ought to have been revealed in a way so very clear and past all dispute VI. If it is a Presumption for particular Persons to judge concerning Religion which must be still referred to the Priests and other Guides in sacred matters this is a good Argument to oblige all Nations to continue in the Established Religion whatever it may happen to be and above all others it was a convincing Argument in the Mouths of the Iews against our Saviour He pretended to be the Messias and proved it both by the prophesies that were accomplished in him and by the Miracles that he wrought as for the Prophesies the Reasons urged by the Church of Rome will conclude much stronger that such dark passagâ—s as those of the Prophets were ought not to be interpreted by particular Persons but that the Exposâ—ion of these must be referred to the Priests and Sanbedrin it being expresly provided in their law Deut. 17. 8 That when Controversies arose concerning any Cause that was too intricate they were to go to the place which God should choose and to the Priests of the Tribe of Levi and to the Iudge in those days and that they were to declare what was right and to their dâ—cision all were obliged to submit under pain of Death So that by this it appears that the Priests in the Iewish Religion were authorised in so extraordinary a manner that I dare say the Church of Rome would not wish for a more formal Testimony on her behalf As fâ—r our Saviours Miracles these were not sufficient neither unless his Doctrine was first found to be good since Moses had expresly warned the people Deut. 13. 1. That if a Prophet came and taught them to follow after other Gods they were not to obey him tho he wrought Miracles to prove his Mission but were to put him to Death So a Iew saying that Christ by making himself one with his Father brought In thk worship of another God might well pretend that he was not oblig'd to yield to the authority of our Saviours Miracles without taking cognisance of his Doctrine and of the Prophesies concerning the Messias and in a word of the whole matter So that if these Reasonings are now good against the Reformation they were as strong in the mouths of the Iews against our Saviour and form hence we see that the authority that seems to be given by Moses to the Priests must be understood with some Restrictions since we not only find the prophets and Ieremy in particular opposing themselves to the whole body of them but we see likewise that for some considerable time before our Saviour's dâ—ys not only many ill-grounded Traditions had got in among them by which the vâ—goâ— of the moral law was much enervated but likewise they were universally possessed with a selfe notion of their Messias so that even the Apostles themselves had not quite shaken off those prejudices at the time of our Saviour's Ascention So that here a Church that was still the Church of God that had the appointed means of the Expiations of their sins by their Sacrifices and Washings as well as by their Circumcision was yet under great and fatal Errors from which particular persons had no way to extricate themselves but by examining the Doctrine and Texts of Scripture and by judging of them according to the Evidence of Truth and the force and freedom of their Faculties VII It seems Evident that the passage Tell the Church belongs only to the reconciling of Differences that of binding and loâ—sing according to the use of those terms among the Iews signifies only an Authority that was given to the Apostles of giving precepts by which men were to be obliged to such Duties or set at liberty from them and the gates of Hell not prevailing against the Church signifies only that the Christian Religion was never to come to an end or to perish and that of Christs being with the Apostles to the end of the world imports only a special conduct and protection which the Church may always expect but as the promise I will not leave â—â—ee nor forsake thee that belongs to every Christian does not import an Infallibility no more does the other And for those passages concerning the spirit of God that searches all things it is plain that in them St. Paul is treating of the divine Inspiration by which the Christian Religion was then opened to the world which he sets in opposition to the wisdom or philosophy of the Greeks so that as all those passages come short of proving that for which they are alledged it must at last be acknowledged that they have not an Evidence great enough to prove so important a truth as some would evince by them since 't is a matter of such vast consequence that the proofs for it must have an undeniable Evidence VIII In the matters of Religion two things are to be considered first the Account that we must give to God and the Rewards that we expect from him and in this every man must answer for the sincerity of his heart in examining divine Matters and the following what upon the best Enquiries that one could make appeared to be 〈◊〉 and with relation to this there is no need of a Judge for in that Great Day every one must answer to God according to the Talents that he had and all will be saved according to their sincerity and with relation to that judgment there is no need of any other judge but God A second view of Religion is as
〈◊〉 less apt to fail than a Tradition of Points of Speculation and yet we see very neâ—r the Age of the Apostles contrary Traditions touching the Observation of Easter from which we must conclude that either the Matter of Fact of one side or the other as it was handed down was not true or at least that it was not rightly understood A Tradition concerning the Use of the Sacraments being a visible thing is more likely to be exact than a Speculation concerning their nature and yet we find a Tradition of giving Infants the Communion grounded on the indispensible necessity of the Sacrament continued 1000. years in the Church A Tradition on which the Christians founded their Joy and Hope is less like to be changed than a more remote Speculation and yet the first Writers of the Christian Religion had a Tradition handed down to them by those who saw the Apostles of the Reign of Christ for a Thousand Years upon Earth and if those who had Matters at second hand from the Apostles could be thus mistaken it is more reasonable to apprehend greater Errors at such a distance A Tradition concerning the Book of the Scriptures is more like to be exact than the Exposition of some passages in it and yet we find the Church did unaimously belâ—eve the Translation of the 70. Interpreters to have been the effect of a miraculous Inspiration till S. Ierome examined this matter better and made a New Translation from the Hebrew Copies But which is more 〈◊〉 all the rest It seems plain that the Fathers before the Council of Nice believed the Divinity of the Son of God to be in some sort Inferiour to that of the Father and for some Ages after the Council of Nice they believed them indeed both equal but they considered these as two different Beings and only one in Essence as three men have the same humane Nature in common among them and that as one Candle lights another so the one flowed from another and after the Fifth Century the Doctrine of one Invidual Essence was received If you will be farther informed concerning this Father Petaâ— will satisfie you as to the first Period before the Council of Nice and the learned Dr. Cudworth as to the second In all which particulars it appears how variable a Thing Tradition is And upon the whole Matter the examining Tradition thus is still a searching among Books and here is no living Judge XII If then â—he Authority that must decide Controversies lies in the Body of the Pastors scattered over the World which is the last retrenchment here as many and as great Scruples will arise as we foâ—nd in any of the former Heads Two difficulties appear at first view the one is How can we be assured that the present Pastors of the Church are derived in a just Succession from the Apostles there are no Registers extant that prove this So that we have nothing for it but some Histories that are so carelesly writ that we find many mistakes in them in other Matter and they are so differenâ— in the very first links of that Chain that immediately succeeded the Apostâ—es that the utmost can be made of this is that here is an Historical Religion somewhat doubtful but here is nothing to found our Faith on so that if a Succession from the Apostles timâ—s is necessary to the Constitution of that Church to which we must submit our selves we know not where to find it besides that the Dâ—ctrine of the necessary of the Intention of the Minister to the Validity of a Sacrament throws us into inextricable difficulties I know they generally say that by the Intention they do not mean the inward Acts of the Minister of the Sacrament but only that it must appear by his outward deportment that he is in earnest going about a Sacrament aud not doing a thing in jâ—st and this appeared so reasonable to me that I was â—orry to find our Divines urge it too much till turning over the Rubricks that are at the beginning of the Mâ—ssal I found upon the head of the Intention of the Minister that if a Priest has a Number of Hostiâ—â— before him to be consecrated and intends to consecrate them all except one in that case that Vagrant exception falls upon them all it not being affixed to any one and it is defined that he consecrates none at all Here it is plain that the secret Acts of a Priest can defeat the Sacrament so this overthrows all certainty concerning a Succession But besides all this we are sure that the Greek Churches have a much more uncontested Succession than the Latines So that a Succession cannot direct us And if it is necessary to seek out the Doctrines that are universally received this is not possible for a private Man to know So that in ignorant Countries where there is little Study the people have no other certainty concerning their Religion but what they take from their Curate and Confessor since they cannot examine what is generally receiâ—ed So that it must be confessed that all the Arguments that are brought for the necessity of a constant Infallible Iudge turn against all those of the Church of Rome that do not acknowledge the Infallibility of the Pope for if he is not infallible they have no other Iudge that can pretend to it It were also easie to shew that some Doctrins have been â—s Unâ—versally received in some Ages as they have been rejected in others which shews that the Doctrine of the present Church is not always a sure measure For five Ages together the Doctrine of the Popes Power to depose Heretical Princes was received without the least Opposition and this cannot be doubted by any that knows what has been the State of the Church since the End of the eleventh Century and yet I believe few Princes would allow this notwithstanding all the concurring authority of so many Ages to fortifie it I could carry this into a great many other Instances but I single out this because it is a point in which princes are naturally extream sensible Upon the whole Matter it can never enter into my mind that God who has made Man a Creature that naturally enquires and reasons and that feels as sensible a pleasure when he can give himself a good account of his actions as one that sees does perceive in comparison to a blind man that is led about and that this God that has also made Religion on design to perfect this Humane Nature and to raise it to the utmost height to which it can arrive has contrived it to be dark and to be so much beyond the penetration of our Faculties that we cannot find out his mind in those things that are necessary for our Salvation and that the Scriptures that were writ by plain men in a very familiar stile and addrest without any discrimination to the Vulgar should become such an unintelligible Book in these Ages that we must have an