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
what manner our Saviour both before and after his Resurrection took notice of St. Peter more than of the rest of his Disciples in Relation to his being the Chief and Head of the Church But the better to understand this Infallible Point which is of so great concern that if gain'd it would be like a General 's taking the Metropolis of a Kingdom all the little Towns and Villages would fall in in course I will go one step further and inquire whether the Apostles themselves did know or believe any such thing in their Time for certainly if St. Peter had been invested with any such Power they could not be ignorant of it and that time viz. after Christs Ascension into Heaven and sending the Holy Ghost was the most proper to have put it in Execution But in the prosecution of this I shall make two Inquiries First Whether St. Peter did assume or take upon him any such Power and Authority above the rest of the Apostles And secondly Whether the rest did give Place or any Preheminence to St. Peter as believing him to be their Chief and Head and if neither of these two things do appear I hope it will sufficiently clear the Point in hand I will begin with the first Whether St. Peter did assume any such Power c. after the Disciples return from seeing our Saviour taken up into Heaven Acts the 1. and 13. verse we thus read And when they were come in they went up into an upper-room where abode both Peter and James and John and Andrew Philip and Thomas Bartholomew Matthew James the Son of Alpheus and Simon Zelotes and Judas the Brother of James which indeed is all the Eleven but without any manner of distinction which certainly would have been a great fault in St. Luke the supposed Author of the Acts had he known St. Peter to have been the Head c. And again when the Apostles met to chuse one in the room of him which betrayed our Lord verse the 23. and 24. And they appointed two Joseph called Barsabas who was surnamed Justus and Matthias And they prayed and said Thou Lord which knowest the Hearts of all men shew whether of these two thou hast chosen And verse the 26. THEY gave forth their Lots and the Lot fell upon Matthias and he was number'd with the eleven Apostles From which it is evident St. Peter did not assume any Power above the rest in this matter though it was of so great concern as the chusing an Apostle but did only act equally with the rest as appears by those words before recited viz And THEY appointed and THEY gave forth their Lots c. So that from hence 't is reasonable to suppose that neither St. Peter nor the rest of the Apostles did so much as dream of such a Power lodg'd in any one of them for if they had one would think then it had been as proper a time to have made use of it as any since and then upon such an occasion it had been rational for the Evangelist to have given the Account of that matter thus viz. St. Peter the Chief of the Apostles and Head of the Church c. did Summons the Rest to attend and be present at HIS Chusing or Consecrating a Person whom HE judg'd sit to be Ordain'd a Witness with them in the room of Judas of our Blessed Lords Resurrection This as it would have been to the purpose so likewise it would have been highly necessary at that time for then the rest of the Apostles wou'd not only have known this great Prerogative of St Peter but likewise how to have behav'd themselves accordingly and also to have instructed their Followers in the like Obedience to him and his Successors But to proceed in the second of the Acts we read of the Holy Ghost's descending verse the 3. and 4. And there appeared unto THEM Cloven Tongues like as of Fire and it sat upon I pray mark not one St. Peter only but EACH of THEM and THEY were ALL filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other Tongues as the Spirit gave THEM utterance where by the way we may take notice the Evangelist still keeps to his Rule of giving an impartial account for in this place also he tells us the Holy Ghost made no distinction notwithstanding St. Peter's being present but sat upon EACH and THEY were ALL filled c. And in the third of the Acts verse the 6. we find St. Peter cure a Man that had been lame from his Mothers Womb yet St. John's being present he does not assume as if he only in the Name of Jesus had done it but makes St. John a Copartner and instrumental in it as you may observe upon the Peoples being gather'd together ver the 11. and 12. And when Peter saw it he answer'd unto the People Ye men of Israel why marvel ye at this or why look ye so earnestly on VS as though by OVR own Power or Holiness WE had made this man to walk In which Place no less than three times he speaks in the Plural Number viz. VS OVR and WE c. which plainly shews that neither St. Peter's humble Temper nor Spirit does reign in his pretended Successors And so much shall serve for the first Inquiry whether St. Peter did take upon him or assume any such Infallible Power c. The second is Whether the Apostles did give Place or Preheminence to St. Peter as believing him to be their Chief and Head of the Church c. When the High-Priest and those that were with him which was the Sect of the Sadduces had laid hands on the Apostles and put them into the Common Prison the Angel of the Lord by night opened the Prison-doors and brought them forth and said go stand and speak in the Temple to the people all the words of this Life And when THEY heard it THEY enter'd the Temple c. as you may read Acts the 5. from the 17. to the 22. verse in all which we do not find any difference but an equal Power and Authority was deliver'd to them all But 't is possible the Romanist may object against the Commission given by this Angel and say 't is the same that St. Paul gave them caution of saying If an Angel from Heaven preach any other Doctrine than Infallibility c. let him be accurs'd But what they will say to the Holy Ghost and Spirit of God for not taking notice of the Prerogative given as they say by our Saviour to St. Peter I cannot imagin but I suppose the next General Council that 's call'd by his supposed Successor something may be done to be even with Him. But to go on After the Church began to increase we read Acts the 6. and the 1. verse And in those days when the number of the Disciples was multiplyed there arose a murmuring of the Graecians against the Hebrews because their Widows were neglected in the daily ministration
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
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