is this There is no medium between Men's judging for themselves and giving up their Judgments to others We grant it but what then His Inference is this If the first be their Duty the Press ought not to be restrained But why not His Reason is again the same because it debars Men from seeing those Allegations by which they are to inform their Judgments That 's his Argument to which I answer thus We must distinguish betwixt Man and Man betwixt such as can judge for themselves and such as cannot where the Scripture is express the Words plain and the Sense easie every Man who hath a competent use of Reason and can read his Bible may judge for himself But when several Interpretations are given of any Texts when Doubts are raised when Arguments are produced to defend both Parts of a Contradiction there is a vast number of Men who are no more able to judge which is true and which is false than a blind Man is to distinguish betwixt a good Colour and a bad one 'T is the great unhappiness of such Persons that in matters of Controversy they cannot rely upon their own weak Reason but must either suspend their Judgments or else give it up to the Conduct of some other Person and who is so fit to be trusted with it as their own Ministers provided they be as every Minister should be Men of Piety and Parts able to satisfie Doubts remove Scruples and convince Gainsayers But if Men give up their Reason to the Clergy this Author who vilifieth our Clergy as much as possible he can gives our People an intimation that by so doing they make us the Lords of their Faith But how doth that follow suppose two Persons are engaged in a doubtful Controversie about an Estate claimed by both these Persons being of themselves unable to determine the Case appeal to the King's Judges but do they thereby make those Judges the Lords of that Estate which is contended for surely no the Judge doth no more than according to Evidence and Law declare to which Person that Estate doth justly belong So it is in our present Case several Parties of Men lay Claim to Truth as theirs and produce Evidences for it Now a Man unable to satisfie himself which side Truth is to be found consults his Minister who by Evidence of Scripture which in this case is the only Law assures his Neighbour the Truth lieth here or there And indeed that the Minister is the most proper Judge in Controversies relating to Religion we cannot doubt if we dare believe the Prophet who saith The Priest's lips should preserve knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts This Text doth not constitute us nor do we pretend to be Lords of our People's Faith but as the Apostle speaks Helpers to the Truth We do not require any weak Believer's assent to any one Article of Faith whereunto God requires it not though the Church of Rome doth so And how unjustly then without Modesty or Truth doth this Man stigmatize us as Lords of our People's Faith But beside those weak Christians who in controverted Points cannot judge for themselves there are some other of clearer Heads and more improved Understandings that can and for their sakes this Author saith that the Press ought not to be restrained and his Reason is this Because the Restraint of the Press debars them from seeing those Allegations by which they are to confirm their Judgments This Argument in effect hath already been offered once and again and hath as often been replied to but for the greater satisfaction of my Reader I shall again consider and enlarge my Answer to it and this it is Not knowing and intelligent Christian who is well able to judge for himself can want any new Allegations from the Press to confirm his Judgments in any disputed Points of Faith or Worship because we have already sufficient Rules to judge by For 1. We have the Scripture preached in our publick Churches and if we please we may read and consider them in our private Families and Closets And here I do again affirm that all matters of revealed Religion must be examined proved and determined by the written Word of God This is the only sure balance to weigh and touch stone to try all Matters of Faith and Worship To this our Lord sent his hearers Search the Scriptures and again How readest thou And which is remarkable the ignorance of Scripture did he make the only occasion and ground of Error in Points of Faith so he told the Sadducees Ye err but why not knowing the Scriptures by which our Lord himself proved that great Doctrine of the Resurrection which they denied And when our Lord would prove himself to be a greater Person than David he did it by that Text The Lord said unto my Lord c. This course took our blessed Saviour and so did his Apostles too and so must we we must take the Scripture for our Guide in Matters of Religion for that is the only and infallible Rule and unalterable Standard to measure all the Doctrines and Practices which such or such a Church doth teach recommend or require from us But if it shall be again demanded who must be the Judg whether amongst different Interpretations of Holy Writ this or that be the true one whether in controverted Points such or such a Text do certainly warrant such or such a Doctrine as is grounded thereon I answer again 2. We have the united Judgment and Decrees of several Councils those I mean that were convened in the first and purest times before the Superstitions and Idolatries of Rome had crept in by degrees thro' carelesness vice and ignorance and over-spread the Church The grand Controversie now on foot amongst us concerns the Divinity of Christ the Personality and Deity of the Holy Ghost that Christ in the most strict and proper Sense of that Notion is truly God that the Holy Ghost is a Person and a Divine Person we affirm but our Socinians who are the spawn of old Arius make bold to deny To justifie our Doctrine we cite such and such Texts and to establish their Opinions as well as they can they do the same thing as for the Scripture which we produce to prove the Doctrine of the Trinity because humane Reason cannot comprehend it they do either question the Authority of such Texts or else they wrest them to such an intolerable Sense as every sober Man's Reason may justly abhor Now the Question is Who must judge betwixt us and them Who must determine whether the Scripture be on their side or ours I answer That Heterodox Opinion now much contended for which we call Socinian did appear under some other Names very early in the Christian Church In the first Age the Godhead of Christ was denied by the Jews and particularly by Ebion in the Third Century by
one Theodatus Artemon and Beryllus and Sabellius in the Fourth Century by Arius Eunomius and some others And in the same Age the Personality and Divinity of the Holy Ghost was denied by Macedonius and some others who were there branded by a particular Name and called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oppugners of the Holy Ghost These Heterodox Opinions beginning to spread and disturb the Peace of the Christian Church and some other ill Opinions arising too several General Councils were summoned by several Christian Emperors the Nicene Council by Constantine the Great whose main work was to examine the Opinion of Arius the Council of Constantinople called by Theodosius the First to debate the Opinion of Macedonius the Council of Ephesus called by Theodosius the Second to consider the Opinion of Nestorius and the Council of Chalcedon summoned by the Emperor Martian to consult about the Opinion of Eutyches These Councils consisting of some Hundreds of Bishops having the Glory of God in their Hearts the Settlement of the Church in their Eyes and the Bible in their Hands did after a mature deliberation pronounce the Opinions of these Men to be contrary to the Doctrine of the Gospel and the obstinate defenders of them to be Hereticks And certainly the determinations of these General Councils which were made up of Persons exemplary for their Piety and eminent for their Learning who resolved on nothing without mature Advice and Deliberation are of as great Authority and afford as much Satisfaction in Matters of Religion as any thing of Man can be or do For the Truths of God once taught the World by Christ and his Apostles being unchangeable for ever and our Bibles which are the only Rule to measure Religions by continuing one and the same for ever that which was an Error in those early days must needs be an Error still and that which was a Truth then must needs be a Truth now And if we cannot think of any more proper means for the right understanding of Scripture and the discovery of Truth and Error than the deliberate and unanimous Judgment of so many hundred pious learned and unbiassed Men assembled together then certainly the determinations of those antient Councils are very considerable Evidences for Truth and against Error And the rather because they consisted of such Persons who besides their eminent Piety and Learning had the great Advantage of living nearer the Apostles age and thereby were the better able to inform themselves and us what was certainly believed and done in the very infancy of the Christian Church SECT IX 3. THE Writings of the Antient Fathers those especially that lived within the first six Centuries where-ever they agree and are not since corrupted or maimed by the Frauds and Forgeries of the Roman Church are of singular use in this Matter too That Ignatius Clemens Origen Athanasius Cyril Nazianzene Basil Chrysostom Hierom Austin and many others both in the Eastern and Western Churches were indeed Persons of great Piety and excellent Parts our Socinians without breach of Modesty cannot deny And although some of these great Names in some particular Matters had their peculiar mistakes and shewed themselves to be but Men yet in all Points where we find an unanimous Consent amongst them we are to have so much Veneration for their Authority as not easily to suspect or contradict it True it is if we take these Fathers singly Man by Man where we find any of them alone in their Opinions as Origen in reference to the Punishments of Hell and St. Austin in reference to Infants that die unbaptised we are not in this case much more obliged to accept their Judgment than the Judgment of some single Person yet alive But if we take All the Fathers who lived within six hundred Years after Christ together and in a lump where we find them One in Judgment they are enough to make a wiser Council than any hath been since their time they are enough to inform us what is Error and what is Truth But SECT X. 4. BEcause Learned Men whose Fortunes are Mean cannot purchase and unlearned Men whose Intellectuals are weak cannot read and understand the voluminous Writings of the Fathers we have several Systems of Divinity Confessions of Faith short Abridgments of Christian Religion which are especially to unlearned Persons great helps in this matter too And here methinks those antient Creeds of the Apostles Nice and Athanasius which are so generally received by the Church of God are of great Authority to settle our Judgment in the main and most necessary Points of Faith Besides we have many Choice and Excellent Catechisms composed by Men that were Pious Judicious acquainted with Scriptures well versed in the Primitive Councils and Fathers These short Catechisms compiled by Persons of singular Endowments and approved by the Church are little less than contracted Bibles containing in them whatever Man is obliged to know and delivering enough in easie Terms to inform us in Matters of Practice to secure us from Errors and confirm our Judgments in all the great Points of Faith In short the substance of my Answer to this Argument is this since we have the written Word of God to be our Rule and since this Word in some material Cases according to the different Fancies and Interests of Men hath different Interpretations given concerning its true Sense and Meaning 't is our safest way for our better Satisfaction to betake our selves to the most able faithful and unbiassed Judges and they are the most antient Councils and the Primitive Fathers whose Judgments are declared in our several Creeds in other publick Confessions of Faith and Orthodox Catechisms set forth or approved by the Church of God And since we are very well stored with these excellent Helps I do once more conclude that no Man whether learned or unlearned can need any new Arguments from the Press to confirm his Judgment in Matters of Religion SECT XI 7. THis Author's seventh Allegation against the Restraint of the Press runs thus If it be unlawful to let the Press continue free lest it furnish Men with the Reasons of one Party as well as the other it must be as unlawful to examine those Reasons To this I answer thus We must distinguish between Party and Party between one who is Orthodox and one who is Heretical this distinction being premised I shall resolve this Hypothetical Proposition into these two Categorical ones That it is not lawful for many Orthodox Christians to Examine those Reasons which Hereticks may urge in defence of their ill Opinions And therefore that the Press should not be permitted to furnish such Christians with any such Reasons 'T is notoriously known that there are amongst us vast numbers of Persons who are of weak Judgments not firmly established in their Faith not able to distinguish Truth from Falshood in a fallacious Argument and therefore are apt to be Tossed up and down by every wind of doctrine now for such
might be otherwise he did not like it This Example of Constantine was followed by succeeding Emperors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Justinian we Condemn every Heresie and lest the Books of Hereticks should transmit their ill Opinions to Posterity Theodosius and Valentinian did Command by a Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that their Writings should be cast into the Flames We Read that they were debarred from the common Priviledges of Orthodox Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Civil Law and it instances in several particulars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We decree that Hereticks shall be uncapable of any Publick Imployment whether Military or Civil nor might they be admitted as Witnesses in their Courts of Judicature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let not an Heretick's Testimony be received against an Orthodox Christian nay more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No Heretick shall Inherit the Estate of his Father In short we find Hereticks Deposed Degraded Banished and sometimes Fined Witness that Law of Theodosius mentioned by the Council of Carthage which Enacted that in some Cases Hereticks should pay as the Canon words it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ten Pounds of Gold Now we do not Write this with any design to encourage the Governours of our Church or State to exercise any Severity towards our sober and peaceable Dissenters who differ from us only in the Circumstantials of our Religion but we mention these things to confirm our present Argument and to shew that our present unlimited Toleration of all Opinions and Practices in Matters of Religion is quite contrary to the Judgment Usages and Laws of the Antient Church who punished such as held and taught Heterodox Opinions and would not be otherwise reclaimed 5. 'T is certain that an unlimited Toleration of all Opinions and Practices in Matters of Religion is directly contrary to the Divine Law to the Will of God revealed in his written Word The Jewish Church was never permitted to teach and do what they pleased about the things of God they were not allowed to serve their Maker as they Listed they were obliged to Sacrifice when where and what they were Commanded It was not left to them as a matter of Choice whether they would Circumcise their Infants or not no the Law was this the Uncircumcised Man child shall be cut off Nor were they left to their own Liberty whether they would come to Jerusalem to eat the Passover or not no the Text saith of good Josiah The King commanded all the people saying keep the Passover We do not find any indulgence in matters of Religion granted to the Jewish Church by Almighty God or any of their good Kings And as there is no such thing to be found in the Law or the Prophets so there is very little or nothing to be met with in the whole Gospel that gives any Countenance to such a Practice the main place which seems to look that way is in the Parable of the Tares of which 't is said Let them grow until the Harvest what means our Lord by this Is it indeed his pleasure that ill Men and ill Opinions should be indulged and countenanced in his Church St. Chrysostom gives us another Interpretation of our Saviour's words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Lord doth here forbid us to kill and slay Hereticks but is there no difference betwixt a Sword and a Rod Is a Bridle and a Halter the same thing The Heretick must not be destroyed but may he not be restrain'd St. Chrysostom answers thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Lord doth not here forbid to curb Hereticks to stop their Mouths to check their boldness dissolve their Conventicles c. as he goeth on Of the same mind was St. Paul who saith Their Mouths must be stopped but how can that be done if there may be no Penal Laws And if an Universal Liberty of Conscience in Opinion and Practice about matters of Religion be indeed agreeable to the Gospel of Christ what meant St. Paul by that demand of his Shall I come to you with a Rod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall I bring a Rod to whip and scourge you So St. Chrysostom And since St. Paul who well knew the Mind of Christ did upon just occasion make use of his Apostolical Rod to punish not only Immoralities in Life but Errors in Judgment too we may thence infer that an unlimited Toleration of all Opinions in Matters of Religion hath no manner of Countenance from the Law of Christ we read that St. Paul made use of this Rod to strike Elymas blind and why he did so that Expression intimates Wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord It was for his opposing the Gospel and that in all probability arose from the Error of his Judgment But the Case is yet more plain in the Example of Hymenaeus and Alexander of whom St. Paul saith I have delivered them to Satan a severe Punishment surè futuri judicii praejudicium 't is a fore stalling the dreadful Judgment of God So Tertullian But why did St. Paul inflict it He gives this Reason Concerning faith they have made shipwrack or as he elsewhere expresseth it They have erred concerning the Truth It was for their ill Opinion about one Article of our Creed These Instances are enough to shew that a Toleration of all Opinions and Practices in Matters of Religion was never thought to be lawful and consequently such an unlimited Liberty of the Press as tends to bring in and spread Errors and Heresies ought not to be allowed And now I shall take my leave of my Reader when I have admonished him that in all this Discourse I plead for the Regulation of the Press as to such Books only as concern Morality Faith and Religious Worship of which our Learned Ecclesiastical Governours are the most proper Judges But as to Policy and State Affairs they fall under the Cognizance of the Civil Magistrate whose Province it is and whose Care it should be to prevent the publishing of all such Pamphlets as tend to promote popular Tumults Sedition Treason and Rebellion And had this been carefully done some Years ago it might have happily prevented those dreadful Confusions under which our Church and State now do and still are too like to groan Farewel FINIS BOOKS printed for Richard Sare at Grays-Inn Gate in Holborn THE Fables of Aesop with Morals and Reflections Fol. Erasmus Colloquies in English Octavo Quevedo's Visions Octavo These Three by Sir Roger L'Estrange The Genuine Epistles of St. Barnabas St. Ignatius St. Clement St. Polycarp the Shepherd of Hermas c. translated and published in English Octavo A Practical Discourse concerning Swearing Octavo The Authority of Christian Princes over Ecclesiastical Synods in Answer to a Letter to a Convocation Man Octavo Sermons upon several Occasions Quarto These
World And if so How could the trial of Religions depend upon the Press in those early days when as yet it had no being And because the true Christian Faith is the same in all the Ages of the Church since the Apostles days we must measure our own Religion by the same Rules by which the Primitive Saints measured theirs and what were they Not the voluminous Writings of Men which the Press hath now brought forth but the sacred Oracles of God This is the Course to which the Prophet directs us To the law and to the Testimony This Course did the Bereans take when to examine the Doctrines even of the Apostles themselves They searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so and for their doing so they are highly commended And indeed the Scripture is the lapis Lydius the Touchstone the Canon the only Authentick Rule of Manners Faith and religious Worship a Rule so plain and easie in all necessary points that in order to the trial of our Religion we have no absolute need of any Book but Gods though other good Books do well towards the better understanding of some passages in this 'T is the great Privilege of our Church that we have this Rule of Scripture in such great Quantities that every Man who can and will may at an easie rate have it in his custody and thereby examine his Religion when he pleaseth Nor can we justly blame the restraint of the Press so long as it is permitted to Print our Bibles and prohibited to publish no Man's Book but such only as are contrary to Gods Indeed were the Press in England restrained as it is in Popish Kingdoms from printing the Bible in our Vulgar Tongue this Authors Argument would have had much strength in it but since it is otherwise since we have the Scriptures those Tests and Standards of our Religion preached in our Publick Churches and easily to be had and read as oft as we please in our private Families this Author's Argument against the Restraint of the Press is invalid and unconcluding for it doth not prove that for which he pleads it But to proceed SECT IV. II. THE Second Allegation which this Author urgeth as a grand inconvenience against the Restraint of the Press is this Such a Restraint saith he deprives Men of the most proper and best means to discover truth To which I answer thus There is a very close Connexion betwixt this Argument and the former a Connexion as between an Antecedent and a Consequent or between the Premises and the Conclusion In the former Argument he mentions the examination of Religions and in this as the end and consequence of that the discovery of Truth for to what purpose should any Religion be impartially examined were it not to discover whether it be true or false And for this reason the same answer which I have given to the former Argument might serve well enough for this for since the restraint of the Press doth not as I have there proved prevent the due Examination of Religion it cannot prevent the discovery of Truth But that so it doth our Author is very positive yea and he tells us by what means it doth so namely By hindering Men from seeing and examining the different Opinions and the Arguments alledged for them But let this Author tell us how this can be true can a Restraint of the Press for time to come hinder any Man from seeing and examining the different Opinions of Men and their Arguments for them Are there not already great numbers of printed Books exposed to common Sale wherein the different Opinions of Men about matters of Religion are throughly discussed May not every Man that will and can sufficiently inform himself by Books already extant what Arguments have been pleaded by all Sects of Christians in the defence of their respective Professions And since the Press hath already brought forth such a numerous issue of this kind methinks every future birth of the same sort would be but a Superfetation I am persuaded that should all the Presses in the Christian world be absolutely forbidden to print any more New Books of Controversy and Polemick Divinity it would be no injury to the Catholick Church nor to any one Member of it for nihil dici potest quod non dictum est priùs Prints indeed may be new but Arguments either for old Truths or against old Errors can hardly be so But when all is done Religious Truths cannot be discovered by Humane Arguments any further than those Arguments are grounded upon the infallible word of God 'T is a Rule in Mathematicks Rectum est index sui Obliqui He that would discover the Rectitude or Obliquity of a Line must bring it to and compare it with such a Rule as is already found to be exactly streight So in our present Case he who would discover the truth or falshood of any Opinion in matters of Religion must apply them to and judg them by that infallible Rule which St. James very deservedly Styles The word of Truth And this Rule in all Points necessary to Salvation is so plain and easie that every Man who hath not lost the use of common Reason may thereby judg for himself There are indeed in the word of God as the Apostle saith Some things hard to be understood but in what Texts do these difficulties lie St. Austin answers Non quoad ea quae sunt necessaria saluti c. The Scriptures are not difficult in any of those Points which are necessary to Man's Salvation So thought St. Chrysostom who thus demands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what Man is there to whom all the necessary Truths of the Gospel are not clear and manifest He saith elsewhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Husbandman the Servant the Widow the Boy Persons of very mean Capacities may easily understand what the Scriptures teach about such Points as are Fundamental That this was the Doctrine of the Primitive Church before St. Chrysostom's time is evident from that Testimony of Irenaeus Universae Scripturae Propheticae Evangelicae in aperto sine ambiguitate similiter ab omnibus audiri possunt The whole Scripture the Prophets the Evangelists in such Points as most concern us are so plain express and open that all sorts of Men may equally apprehend them Now if a Man may discover the truth of all those Doctrines which are necessary to Salvation by Scripture Rules if his Faith be grounded on them and his Practice be suitable to them what hazard would that Man run should he never see the different Opinions of Men about them nor weigh their Arguments against them Suppose a Man being well informed by the express word of God do stedfastly believe the Resurrection of the dead what were this Man the worse should he never see nor examine the reasonings of Pagans and Sadducees against this great Article of our Creed Suppose a Man be
convinced as well he may be by such Texts of Scripture as cannot with any tolerable Sense be otherwise interpeted that our Blessed Saviour is truly God and truly Man What need such a Person to see the Opinions and weigh the Arguments of Arians and Socinians against this fundamental Point of our Christian Faith To him whose Belief is already grounded upon the infallible Word of God being rightly understood the sight of different Opinions and the Arguments for them signifieth nothing such a Man doth not need the confutation of heretical Cavils to confirm that Faith of his which is already bottomed upon a Rock which is immoveable And as the sight of different Opinions and the examination of Arguments pleaded for them is not needful to confirm a strong and well grounded Faith so it is dangerous and tends to impair and shake a weak one For well meaning Christians bred up in the true Religion being of too easie Belief of slender Judgments and not well acquainted with the Word of God may probably be perverted by heretical Books as being unable to discern the Fallacies contained in them and to cite such Texts as might confute them But here it may be demanded Who must judge whether such or such an Opinion be justified or condemned by such or such a Text I answer where Texts are plain and obvious every discreet and intelligent Person may judge for himself but when Texts are somewhat abstruse and difficult when knotty Questions and Controversies are raised about them then the Judge must be no single Person no nor any small Party of Men who are byassed prejudiced and wedded to their own Opinion but the Judge must be the Catholick Church I mean its Representative in the four first general Councils which consisted of Men not over-aw'd by Authority nor tempted by Interest but Men as Religious as they were Learned as well Versed in Holy Writ as able Interpreters of Scripture as any sort of Men born since those early days And this I think to be the greatest human Authority to warrant the Sense of such and such Texts and prove the Doctrins grounded on them Now Since we of the Church of England are blest with the free use of our Bibles and favoured with the judgment of the best Expositors about the sense of those Texts which tend most to determine those Disputes which have arose betwixt Protestants and Papists betwixt Trinitarians and Anti-Trinitarians we can have no need of any search for Truth to consult the printed Papers of this Age many of which do tend to promote Error much rather than discover Truth And verily when the Licenser of Books doth reject and suppress Heretical Papers he doth good service both to God and Men and if such Papers chance to Steal the Press they ought to be treated like other Thieves who to prevent their doing any future mischiefs are Apprehended Condemned and Executed And so I quit this Argument and proceed to the next SECT V. 3. THIS Authors third Allegation against the restraint of the Press runs thus The Restraint of the Press hinders Truth from having any great influence on the minds of Men which is owing chiefly to examination because that which doth not convince the Understanding will have but little or no effect upon the Will I answer thus What this Author doth here assert in relation to the influence of the Understanding upon the Will and Affections is true in general nor can it be justly denied that a strict examination of Religion is the proper means to convince the Understanding of its Truth But although the subject matter of this Allegation be true in the general yet here it is misapplied and very impertinent to the Case now in hand For this Argument as the former did doth proceed upon a false Hypothesis for it supposeth that if the Press should chance to be restrained for time to come Men would be deprived of all sufficient means for the due examination of their Religion 'T is St. Paul's Command Prove all things 'T is St. John's Command Try the Spirits whether they are of God These Commands must needs suppose that in those days there was a certain Rule by which Religions might be tried and the same Rule in its full force and vertue is standing still Tell me then are our Bibles out of Print or taken from us Have we no Catechisms no Systems of Divinity left amongst us Nay are there not Books of Controversies exposed to Sale in our Cities greater Towns and both our Universities Nay more are there not Popish and Socinian Catechisms to be had in England Do not these Books already Extant contain the strongest Arguments which the most learned Men of all Parties were able to urge in favour of their respective Opinions And may not Men by weighing these Reasons which are already made publick give a judgment which Religion is true and which is false as well as by any new Papers yet to be printed But although there be a great variety of Books which may help to guide us in our searching after Truth yet I must still mind my Reader that the Scripture is the only Adequate and Authentick Rule whereby the Truth or falshood of any Religion must be determined And certain it is that those Convictions of Man's Understanding which arise from the Immediate word of God are like to have a more powerful influence upon the Will and Affections than any other Convictions arising from any such Arguments as are no more than the Dictates and Collections of humane Reason which is fallible and may deceive us whereas the word of God well understood cannot do so And this I think is a sufficient answer to this Authors third Allegation SECT VI. 4. THE Fourth is this The Restraint of the Press is that which tends to make Men hold the Truth if they chance to light on any Guilty and the Reason which he gives is this Because that will not be accepted if it be not the effect of an impartial Examination To which I answer thus I cannot pass by this without observing that this Author hath hitherto much harped upon the same thing and hath hitherto bottomed all his Arguments upon the same Ground and a very slippery one too he hath proposed his Allegations as distinct in their Number but in their Proof there is little or no difference to be found For he tells First That the Restraint of the Press tends to make Men blindly submit to the Religion they chance to be educated in Secondly That it deprives Men of the most proper and best means to discover Truth Thirdly That it hinders Truth from having any great influence upon the minds of Men. Fourthly That it tends to make Men hold the Truth if they chance to light on any guiltily These indeed are very considerable Objections against the Restraint of the Press were they true But how doth our Author prove them so to be To prove them all he hath yet made use
Men to peep into Heretical Books cannot be lawful because they do thereby run themselves into a very dangerous Temptation Our Lord hath left us this Caution Beware of false Prophets it seems they are dangerous Men so we are told again and again They creep into houses and there find success for They lead Captive silly women and again They overthrow the faith of some nay They subvert whole houses it seems that Heresie is a contagious Disease apt to over-run whole Families And doubtless this Poyson may be conveyed in a peice of Paper as successfully as any other way this infection may be received as well by the Eye from a Book as by the Ear from a Tongue for when unlearned Men meet with Socinian Arguments drawn either from Humane Reason or abused Scripture since they themselves cannot confute them they are apt to yield up their own Reason and give up those Truths for lost which they are not able to defend And I think that it will be no breach of Charity if I tell my Reader that I am verily persuaded that the great Reason why this Author pleads so many Arguments though no good ones for the unlimited liberty of the Press is this namely that our Socinians may without controul publish their Books full of subtile but fallacious Arguments to Surprize and Captivate the Judgments of illiterate and undiscerning Men. We know that in the late Reign an Universal Liberty of Conscience was pleaded for and granted by a Declaration upon a design to bring in Popery so now an universal Liberty of the Press is contended for by those Men whose design it is to introduce Socinianism the very worst of Heresies for it totally subverts the very Foundation of our Christian Faith and Hope Indeed to my best observation this Author hath not in his whole Letter so much as once named Socinian nor drop'd one plain word in favour of it but yet Latet anguis in herba This was very prudently done to prevent Suspicion but if he be not a Man of that sort why doth he tell us that if the Press must be Regulated it must be done by some Lay-man for which he can have no substantial Reason save only this namely because from a Clergy-man no Socinian Book can ever expect an Imprimatur But this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only by the way In short the substance of my Answer to this Allegation is this 'T is not lawful for Men of weak Understandings to mind subtile Arguments contained in Heretical Books lest thereby they might be ensnared and for that Reason the Press should not be permitted to publish any such Books unless security could be given that they should never come into Vulgar hands SECT XII 8. THIS Authors Eighth Allegation against the Restraint of the Press is this The Press ought not to be Restrained because the Reformation is wholly owing to it I answer There is no liberty denied to any English Press to publish any Book which tends to help the Devotions to reform the Lives or confirm the Judgments of Men in the true Faith of Christ but as for the Established Religion of our Church in matters of Faith and Worship it is so well refined already from the dregs of Popery and Superstition that we do not need another Luther nor the help of any Press to reform and make it better He that would reform our Religion in any of its substantial Parts must reform the Scriptures too for our Church teacheth no other Doctrines in the great Points of Faith and Worship than Christ and his Apostles taught the World if we may believe those Sacred Writings which they have left us But since I have already under another Head given a sufficient answer to this Allegation I need not here say any more about it SECT XIII 9. THE Ninth Allegation which this Author urgeth against the Restraint of the Press is this Our Divines condemn the Popish Clergy for not suffering their Laity to read Protestant Authors We do so and very justly too but what then The Inference which he intends must be this Our Protestant Clergy must be Condemned for not suffering our Laity to Read Socinian Books and for watching the Press to prevent it To this I answer thus this Inference is a Non Sequitur it is wild and extravagant for there is a great difference in the Case the prohibition of Books may be an Act either to be blamed or commended according as the Books prohibited are either really good or really bad to forbid Men the use of such Books as tend to the benefit of Mankind the advantage of True Religion and the Salvation of Souls is an Act Impious and Tyrannical And this is the known Practice of the Roman Church which forbids Lay-men to Read the Bible and the Writings of such Protestant Authors as teach nothing but what the Scriptures teach and for this do we very justly Condemn them But on the other Hand to forbid injudicious Men the use of such Books as tend to promote Errors and Heresies to distract their Readers Judgment and rather to shake their Faith than to confirm it is an Act laudable Charitable and necessary for the Age we live in for those Predictions of Christ and his Apostles false Prophets shall arise and again false Teachers shall be among you are fulfilled in these times for there are amongst us Romish Priests and Jesuits yea and some far more dangerous than they I mean our Socinians who cannot corrupt so many Souls by their Personal Conferences as they may by their Books And is it not high time to watch the Press lest any thing steal from thence which may Poyson the Heads of unwary Men Or must the Press be permitted freely to spread that destructive Heresie which hath been long since Condemned by the Catholick Church and its Representatives met in General Councils But here this Author to justifie his own Opinion Cites a learned Divine of our own Church and borrows this Passage from him They that have a good Cause will not fright Men from considering what their Adversaries say against them nor forbid them to Read their Books but rather encourage them so to do that they may see the difference between Truth and Error Reason and Sophistry with their own Eyes c. That we may see how little service this Passage doth our Author let us view it again They who have a good Cause but who are they We cannot doubt but this good Man meant the Church of England of which he himself was a very worthy Minister but what saith he of this Church of Ours It will not fright Men from considering c. but what Men This eminent Divine was the Lecturer of Gray's Inn where his Auditory did chiefly consist of such Persons as had been blest with a learned Education and might Charitably be presumed to be well skilled in the Law of God as well as in the Law of Man Now that this
judicious Divine of ours did mean that the Church of England would rather encourage than forbid Persons so qualified to read and Examine the Books of our Adversaries as well as our own to me seems evident from that reason which he subjoyns as the only end of an impartial Examination namely this That they may see the difference between Truth and Error Reason and Sophistry with their own Eyes This Expression doth plainly import the Persons fit to Read Books of Controversie in matters of Religion are only such as have Eyes of their own i. e. clear Heads enlightned Understandings able to discern Truth from Falshood And verily could the Books of our Socinians be confined within the Libraries of learned and judicious Men whether of the Clergy or of the Laity could they be surely kept from purblind Eyes and weak Judgments that unlimited liberty of the Press which this Author doth so earnestly contend for were the more allowable But since this can never be since Heretical Books are and ever will be exposed to common Sale though the Church of Rome doth ill in restraining their Laity from the use of good Books yet the Church of England would do very well in restraining the Press from putting ill ones into the Hands of unskilful Men where they would be more dangerous than edge-Tools in the Hand of a Child who knoweth not how to use them And so much in answer to this Objection SECT XIV 10. THIS Author begins his Tenth Allegation thus I cannot see how they that are for tying Men to that Interpretation of Scripture which a Licenser shall approve and therefore put it in his power to hinder all others from being published can with any Justice condemn the Popish Clergy for not Licensing the Bible it self for the Laity to Read I answer Here are two Suppositions both which are either impertinent to us or false in themselves if the Church of England be not the Persons here charged the Charge is impertinent but if they be it is false For 1. The Church of England doth tie none of her Members to that Interpretation of Scripture which such or such a Licenser of hers shall approve 'T is well known that we have many Interpretations of the Scripture which never were under the Inspection of any English Licenser the Expositions of the Fathers Schoolmen and many other Divines are brought us from beyond the Seas and the free choice and use of them is allowed us by our Church And if such Books chance to be Reprinted here in England the care of the Edition is committed not to the Licenser of Books to judg of their matters but to the Composer and Corrector of the Press to see to their Forms Character and exact truth of Printing Now if this be so as indeed it is if we are allowed to consult various Interpreters of our Bibles if we may take our Choice of such or such Expositors and use what Editions we please why should this undeserved imputation be cast upon the Church of England as if she tied all her Sons to such Interpretations of the Holy Scripture as her own Licensers shall Authorise 2. The Church of England doth not give her Licensers a Despotick Arbitrary and Absolute Power to reject every Book every Interpretation of Scripture which doth not please them 'T is certain that our Licensers do not act by any immediate and independent Power of their own but as Delegates and Substitutes by an Authority derived from their Superiors and if any of them shall either allow any Book which tends to mischief or suppress any Book which tends to common good they do abuse their Power exceed their Commission and must answer for it But is the miscarriage of some few Licensers an Argument that they should all be laid aside Some Kings have proved cruel Tyrants Some Judges have been corrupted and must we therefore have neither King nor Judg Sure I am that in this Age of ours we do sufficiently need a discreet and able Judg of Books and the Test and Censure of such a Judg no Man need fear more than our Socinian Writers for they being no great Friends to the Scripture are very odd Interpreters of it not through Ignorance but design I will not say through Rancor and Malice but I will say through Partiality and Prejudice For because the beginning of St. John's Gospel and several Expressions in St. Paul's Epistles being rightly understood and in the sense of the Catholick Church do totally overthrow their dangerous Hypothesis they fix upon those Texts such Interpretations as are childish absurd and even ridiculous such as none of the Fathers Schoolmen or Criticks so far as I can find did even think of And what an ill Cause do these Men manage who endeavour with handfuls of dirt to stop the Mouths of those Witnesses who being permitted to speak their own sense do so loudly proclaim their united Testimonies against them And methinks this one Consideration were there no more is enough to justifie our Church in appointing some fit Persons to be the Judges of Books and the Interpretations of Scripture offered to the Press and the rather because if any Licenser should out of any by respect or for any sinister end Stifle any Papers which deserve to see the light the injured Authors may appeal from the Licenser to the Vice-Chancellors in either of our Universities or to the Lord Bishop of London or to his Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury so that the fate of Books doth not ultimately depend upon the pleasure or sole Judgment of a Licenser Now Those two forenamed Suppositions upon which this Author bottoms this Tenth Allegation proving false the Superstructure which he builds upon them falls to the Ground and there I leave it SECT XV. 11. THE next Allegation against the Restraint of the Press this Author thrusts into the Mouths of other Men and makes them say what perhaps he himself doth not think namely this 'T is no small presumption that the Clergy themselves are Conscious of the falseness of their Religion How the Clergy what the whole Clergy Are ten thousand of us at once presumed to be Hypocrites Juglers and gross Dissemblers with God and Man We who teach Men that a false Religion leads towards Hell do we know our own to be false and yet embrace it still The Martyrs of England in Queen Mary's days died for the same Religion which we now profess and were they also Conscious that this Religion is false and yet in the defence of it shed their blood Certainly this Presumption is not small but very strange 't is a great breach as well of Charity as of Truth for if the Scriptures be true and who dares suspect them We are abundantly convinced that our Religion cannot be false and why then should any Man presume that we have indeed other thoughts concerning it The Reason here given is this Because the Clergy dare not suffer their Religion to undergo a
of all Opinions and Practices in the Matters of Religion is contrary to the Judgment and Practice of particular Learned Men in the Primitive Church Tertullian indeed tells us Non Religionis est cogere Religionem quae sponte-suscipi debeat non vi the owning of any Religion ought to be free not forced and 't is best that it should be so but lest this Expression should be made use of as Pamelius words it ad sectarum licentiam as a License to Hereticks the same Tertullian saith elsewhere ad officium Haereticos compelli non inlici dignum est it is fit the Hereticks should be compelled not allured to do what becomes them St. Hierom saith of Heresie scintilla statim ut apparuerit extinguenda est the very first spark of it should not be cherished but extinguished and how far he was from countenancing ill Opinions is evident from his Epistle to Riparius where he calleth his opposing the Heresies of those times Christi bellum the War of Christ And Fevardentius tells us Gloriatur Hieronymus se haereticis nunquam pepercisse St. Hierom glorieth that he never spared any Hereticks That great Man St. Austin who was very tender of punishing Men for their Opinions did yet write several Epistles to the Governours of several Provinces which bear this Inscription De moderatè coercendis Haereticis wherein he doth beseech them to Restrain Hereticks not by Capital Punishments but by some gentler Corrections That Sentence which Dulcitius pronounced against the Donatists St. Austin thought too severe and so do we noveritis vos debitae morti dandos know that ye must die as ye deserve such sanguinary Courses are very improper means to reduce Hereticks they are inconsistent with our Lord's Designs and cannot be reconciled to that Command of his Compel them to come in that my house may be filled the Compulsion here required must be such as tends to recover Men not to destroy them and certainly to send them out of the World by bloody Laws were a strange way of bringing them into the Church That Expression of St. Paul will never warrant such a course Galathians 5. 12. I would they were even cut off which trouble you He doth not wish they were killed with the Sword but only cut off from the Church by Excommunication But although sanguinary Laws may not be executed unless it be in case of professed Atheism gross Idolatry or downright Blasphemy yet for the restraint of other Opinions and Practices which corrupt the Doctrine and disturb the Peace of the Catholick Church some gentler Punishments have been used and in St. Austin's Judgment still ought to be In short all those Learned and Pious Men who were so renowned in former Ages Athanasius great St. Basil Irenaeus and many others have declared to all succeeding Generations that they did not approve of a general Toleration of all Opinions and Practices in the Matters of Religion For why else did they write so vehemently against the ill Opinions of Arius Eutyches Nestorius and other Hereticks concerning whom Cyril of Jerusalem gave every Orthodox Christian this Advice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abhor them avoid them do not so much as once salute them so he 2. 'T is certain that an universal Liberty of Conscience an unlimited Toleration of all Opinions and Practices in the Matters of Religion is directly contrary to the Decrees and Canons of antient Councils and that we may see in a few Instances as 1. The Decrees and Canons of Councils did not leave Men to the Liberty of their own Consciences as to the use of both the Sacraments The Council of Carthage established this Canon in reference to Baptism 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whosoever demeth that little Infants newly born ought to be baptised let him be accursed or excommunicated And as to the other blessed Sacrament there is a Canon ascribed to the Apostles themselves which runs thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All Christians who come to the Publick Assemblies and there hear the Scriptures but stay not to receive the Holy Communion ought to be Excommucated and so thought the Council of Antioch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They who turn their Backs upon the Holy Communion ought to be cast out of the Church And the Council of Sardica as Zonaras tells us did by a Canon of theirs Excommunicate all Persons who abstained from the Holy Sacrament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for three Lords Days together 2. The Decrees and Canons of Councils did not leave Men to the liberty of their own Consciences as to the observation of the Lords day Concerning this the Council of Laodicea thus Decreed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no Christian ought to act like a Jew and rest upon the Saturday but to prefer our Lords days and rest in them and as for such as should transgress this Canon the Council passed this Sentence upon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them be accursed of Christ nor was it left as a thing Arbitrary for Men commonly to Fast upon the Sunday if a Clergy-man did it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him be deposed or degraded if a Lay-man did it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him be Excommunicated so say the Apostles Canons 3. The Decrees and Canons of Councils did not leave Men to the liberty of their own Consciences as to the use of Publick Churches and the frequenting of Sacred Assemblies held therein The Heretick Eustathius in the fourth Century despising Publick Churches taught his Followers to Pray and perform other Acts of Divine Service in private Conventicles Against this Practice the Council of Gangra Established their Canons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If any Man teach that the Church and Solemn Assemblies met therein are to be despised and if any Man shall set up Private meetings for the Worship of God without Licence from his Bishop let him be accursed These Canons and many more to the like effect are undeniable Evidences that the Councils of the Primitive Church were far enough from being favourers of a general Toleration of all Opinions and Practices in Matters of Religion 3. 'T is certain that an Universal Toleration of all Opinions and Practices in matters of Religion is contrary to the Judgment and Practice even of the Roman Church itself What their judgment is in this case we are informed from the Learned Men of their Communion Lorinus one of their Jesuites intimates his Opinion as well as his Authors when he saith Haereticos rectè Clemens exterminandos praecipit Clemens did justly command Hereticks to be rooted out Thomas Aquinas their angelical Doctor delivers his Opinion concerning Hereticks very roundly thus Non solùm ab Ecclesia per Excommunicationem separandos sed etiam per mortem à mundo excludendos Hereticks deserve not only to be excluded from the Church by Excommunication but also from the World by