it If no Councils nor Tradition support it It has no Principled Doctrin If no Principled Doctrin No Moral certainty If no Moral certainty for meer groundles Glosses cannot giue Any against all the Powerful Motiues of our Church there is no Probability in it If no Probability The whole Reformation must be reduced to fancy only There we found it And there leaue it 11. Now if any except against our casting off Protestancy from the meanest degree of Probability induced to Iudge otherwise vpon this ground That many learned men defend it I haue Answered aboue Meer Probability is insufficient to support Christian Truths Here I both answer and Ask. 2. where were the many learned Defenders of this new Faith when one Luther stood vp alone against the whole Christian world And first broached his Protestancy If at that time there was no Authority nor reason for the Nouelty Process of time hath gained it neither Look then into its Rise or First beginning you 'l find it vnsound at the bottom yea vtterly improbable vpon this certain Principle That the Singular Doctrin of one disgusted Rebel against à whole Church and Thousands more pious and learned then Himselfe can merit no Belief but deserues what it has to be Anathematized 12. We must yet insist à little vpon this Point And lay forth the Vanity of our Aduersaries pretence to Probability which done you shall see controuersies are ended Sectaries May say Protestancy improbable If their own Authority makes not Protestancy Morally certain it cannot but raise it to à high degree of Probability We deny this And shall presently Ask why their Authority more aduanceth this Religion to Probability than the meer Authority of Arians bring 's Arianism to Probability At present we do not only oppose the voice and vote of the Roman Catholick Church against this Plea But the Authority also of Graecians Abyssins and all other called Christians who with one vnanimous Consent decry Protestancy as improbable Compare therefore votes with votes Authority with Authority There is no Parallel For for one that defend's it you haue hundreds yea Thousands that Contradict the Nouelty Thus much is indisputably Euident if we precisely Consider Authority as it were in Abstracto or oppose the Votes of dissenting Parties against it But here is not all We must goe further And distinguish well between à bare Authority and a rational grounded Authority For this is an vndeniable Truth Reasonable Principles euer precede or are presupposed when Religion is pleaded for To the consequent Authority of those whether many or few that Teach or Profess it Hence all say If the first conuerted Iewes to Christianity Had not had most weighty Inducements proposed to reason before they deserted Iudaism and belieued in Christ The change had been most imprudent Nay all had been obliged as is proued in the 4. Chapter To hold on in that Profession still without Alteration So necessary it is to haue rational grounds laid firm in the Foundation of Religion before the Professors allow it either Moral certainty or so much as Probability Thus much premised 13. We draw Sectaries from all Self-Voting or further pleading by their own Authority And force them in this Contest if Sectaries drawn off their own Selfe voting Protestancy be defensible not to say but to proue by Principles distinct from their own bare votes These two Propositions 1. That God who is Truth it self And once laid his Truths the foundation of the Roman Catholick Church permitted that faithful Oracle to become Traiterous to teach Idolatry to tell the world loud Lies for à thousand yeares together And that all this happened when there was no other Orthodox Church on earth to vnbeguile Those poor deluded Christians The second Proposition to be proued is That these Millions of souls learned and vnlearned who firmly belieued this Church And dyed happily in it were All mad All Idolaters All besotted and seduced What the Sectary is to Prou◠by Fooleries And which is à Paradox aboue Expression That à knot of late vnknown Nouellists pretending to Reformation dare now attempt to teach men more learned than Themselues To make these supposed mad wise The Idolatrous Orthodox the besotted Reasonable The Seduced right in Faith again And that this was and is yet done vpon à meer proofles Supposition that we are mad and besotted which stand's on no Principles And for that reason is contradicted by the vast number of most knowing Catholicks And the whole Multitude of Christians Besides 14. When these two Propositions are made probable vpon good Principles Wee shall listen to our Sectaries Authority But if they fumble herein Only talk and proue nothing Wee reiect their vngrounded Authority And say The more votes they multiply without Proofs the less weight they haue You shall yet see how weightles Their Authority is might we here insist longer vpon one Matter of fact which ends all Controuersies In à word All know the great Controuersy between Protestants and Catholicks comes to this Whether they or we teach The difficulty proposed between Catholicks and Protestants Apostolical Doctrin Whether they or we lay forth the genuine sense of holy Scripture Neither Party saw or heard the Apostles Preach Neither pretend's now to Enthusiasms or priuate Reuelations concerning that Doctrin The whole cause therefore is to be tried and decided by Witnesses of foregoing Ages such Testimonies and Tradition must clear this Matter of fact A pretence to Scripture only without precedent lawful Pastors without Doctors without Witnesses teaching that sense and Doctrin which the one or other Party stand's for is here both vseles and impertinent If then The Protestant makes his Doctrin Apostolical His sense of Scripture Orthodox The Catholick replies Be pleased to giue in your last Euidence produce your Witnesses your Pastors And Doctors Four Ages since That taught as you teach And sensed Scripture as you sense it My Church add's the Catholick euidently demonstrates à continued succession of Her Pastors that taught as I belieue as shall be proued hereafter And shewes as clearly à Succesion of the same Doctrin and Faith with these Pastors Her Antiquity is vndoubted and her pleading Possession in preseruing the true Sense of Scripture and Apostolical Doctrin is as great as any King on earth can shew for the Possession of the Crown he weares Now saith the Catholick Wee examin your pedegree of Pastors and Doctors And after some few Ascents by à The first plead by Principles the others not Retrogradation come at last to the year 1517. There we find and most euidently à Luther or Caluin To be the first men in the world that professed Protestanism that interpreted Scripture as you interpret or owned your Religion With these late Runagates you must stop No man on earth can aduance or bring your Genealogy further Therefore to speak in the words of the Ancient Optatus Meliuitan Lib. 2. Contra Parmen At that time you were sons
7. To end this point between S. Austin and the Donatist as also between Catholicks and Protestants I say all Controuersies are fully tried and happily ended by Scripture only But how Not because any can pretend to find euery Tenet of Faith clearly set down in so many express Terms of holy Writ For the Protestant How Scripture decides all Controuersies pretend's not to so much in behalf of his Doctrin But thus the Orthodox discourses with S. Austin Scripture euidently points at the Church of IESVS Christ known by Her Marks and manifest Signes by Her Antiquity Her large Spread ouer the whole world by the Succession of Her Pastors and Doctors Miracles and the like Signal Motiues Thus much once clearly laid forth in the written Word that Holy Book remit's him to the Church Clearly marked commend's Her faith S. Austin and command's him to hear and learn what euer She teaches 8. Whence it is that our profound Doctor Disputing the Case whether the Baptized by Hereticks were to be rebaptized laboured not to decide the Question by any express words in holy Scripture wholly silent in this particular But contrarywise teaches that the Church which is diffused all ouer and no Party of Donatists shut vp in à corner of Afrique was to giue Sentence herein For She is that great Oracle which Scripture commend's Read Lib. 2. de Bapt. C. 4. And de Vnit Eccles. C. 22. Thus briefly you see the true difference between the Protestant and Catholick The first has not à word of Scripture for his Tenets much less any Orthodox euidenced Church The Catholick relies on à Church spread the whole world ouer known by The Catholicks stronge hold Miracles Conuersions c. And Scripture command's him firmly to belieue what euer She Proposes as Faith Qui vos audit me audit Whoeuer hears the Church hears Christ And in this Sense Scripture manifesting Gods own Oracle which cannot but propose truth end 's all Controuersies 9. A 4 th Obiection Iulian the Apostata as S. Gregory Nazian Orat. 1. in Iulian And Theoder Lib 3. Histo C. 3. attest droue away Diuels with the Sign of the Cross Therefore wicked men can doe Miracles And why may not Almighty God A fourth Obiection solued for Reasons best known to his infinite wisdom do strange wonders and permit an Arian to Say All are wrought to Confirm his false Doctrin Contra. Both Parts of the Obiection equally impugn the Primitiue Miracles of Christ and the Apostles To the first I answer An Heretick may work à Miracle to proue Catholick Doctrin but neuer to make his own False Opinion probable The Reason is God who is Truth and Goodnes it self can no more deceiue by his ovvn VVorks than by his ovvn VVords Sicut humana consuetudo saith S. Austin Epist 49. verbis Diuina potentia etiam factis loquitur As man speak's by words so God speak's by his works But the Works or Wonders now Spoken of because supernatural proceed from God And as is God can no more deceiue by his ovvn Works then by by Words supposed deceiue Therefore it ill beseem's an Infinit Truth and Goodnes to do them Vpon this Ground I say likewise Diuine Prouidence will neuer permit his own glorious Works Seals and Signes of Truth to be abused by wicked men But of this particular I intend to speak more largely hereafter 10. Wee now Come to Mr. Stillingfleets Cauils you haue some of them Part. 1. C. 5. p. 134. And 135. Where he doth not Mr Stillingfleets Cauils answered so much impugne Miracles as would haue them done by such Persons as he likes well of Popes for example that pretend to infallibility And if which is easy we produce many wrought by Holy Popes His next Querie perhaps may be Why all all of them are not Miraculous men alike In à word I like not to search into the depth of Gods secret Counsel And therefore briefly discourse of persons fauoured with such Graces as S. Austin doth of different Places Tom. 2. Epist 137 to his Clergy and people at Hippo where he proposeth this Question Quare in alijs locus haec miracula fiant non in alijs Why are Miracles done in some places and not in others VVe haue known some wrought at Millan â—n Africa though full of Saints Bodies not so He return's this wise Answer grounded on the Apostles wotds 1. Cor. 12. Non omnes Sancti c. All saints haue not the Gift of curing diseases all discern not spirits ita nec in omnibus memorijs Sanctorum c. So God And first why God works Miracles by some and not by others who divides his Graces according to his own best will doth not these wonders at the Memory of euery Saint And who dare enter into his secret Counsel or ask why he doth so Why raised he three dead men by S. Dominick and not one we know of by S. Austin Dividit propria unicuique prout vult He is Lord and distributes his own fauours as he pleaseth And thus we Answer Mr. Stillingfleet who next Saith some thing of Miracles done in Corners What can the man mean Are all the wonders wrought at Loreto Compostella Sichem and other places seen to innumerable and All vpon certain record to be callid Corner Miracles Be pleased to hear worse yet 11. Page 135. Think not saith Mr. Stillingfleet VVe are of such easy faith that the pretended growing out of à leg in Spain or any of your famous Miracles wrought by your Priests in Italie will persvvade vs Mr Stillingfleets vnjust exceptions against the Miracle wrought at Zaragosa to believe your Church infallible Again after his Talk of Diuels doing no feats when Opposers are by He utters this scornful language It is an easâ— thing for à Stump to grow à leg in its passage from Spain hither For fama crescit eundo And in despite of Truth cast's out too much bitter venom to obscure à Glorious work of God wrought by the Intercession of our Blessed Lady vpon à young man at Caesar Augusta or Zaragosa in Spain where you haue her miraculous Statua Set on à Marble Pillar And for that reason is called Neustra Sennora del Pilari It is one of the most euident and clearest Miracles vvhich I belieue hath been done in the memory of any man now liuing I haue the whole Printed Relation by me both Latin and Dutch vvritten by Peter Neurat Doctor of Phisick and dedicated to his Excellence Don Francisco Marquis of Caretto and Grana Embassador Extraordinary from the Emperour to His Catholick Maiesty The Substance whereof is thus 12. Ego ab Caesaraugusta Venio c. I come from Zaragosa and bring tydings of à Miracle not heard of in any age A young man had his leg cut of and buried which was Miraculously restored again by the Intercession of the most Sacred virgin My Lord I here present you with à Gift it is not mine but our
REASON AND RELIGION OR THE CERTAIN RVLE OF FAITH Where the Infallibility of the Roman Catholick Church is asserted against Atheists Heathens Iewes Turks and all Sectaries WITH A REFVTATION OF Mr STILLINGFLEETS Many gross Errours By E. W. Author of the Book called PROTESTANCY WITHOVT PRINCIPLES Poteram ..... Omnes Propositionum rivulos vno Ecclesiae sole siccare Hier. contra Lucifer c. vlt. fine PRINTED AT ANTWERP By MICHAEL CNOBBAERT in the Year 1672. Permissu Su 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE PREFACE TO THE READER REligion that choise Evangelical Pearle Matth 13. the best Inheritance and richest Treasure God hath bequeathed to Christians though found and strongly guarded meet 's yet with many who long since had their weak attempts preuailed would haue thrown it out of the world Atheist's deny à Deity the only fundation of Religion Iewes oppose Christ the great Master of Truth and Heretiques band against an euidenced vniversal Church that large field wherein this precious Iewel is found These Aduersaries we encounter and our design is both to vnbeguile and silence them In the first place we attaque those grosser Enemies Atheists Iewes Turks and Infidels This done we enter vpon the main matter and freindly treat with our Modern Sectaries by the force of plain and vndeniable Principles If these stand which none can shake Protestancy fall's to nothing I call this Treatise the Rule of Faith where you haue the Inducements which lead to the knowledge of true Religion clearly proposed and strongly Maintained against all Opposers whose cauils and Calumnies repugnant to truth will appear as they are vain and forceles after due ponderation of the Principles we rely on The prudent search after Religion is euer made and first begun with Reason or à rational discourse for I hold this Principle indubitable None can assent to the high reuealed Mysteries of Faith without preuious euidence had of their Credibility laid forth to reason Now because Atheists Arians and all Heretiques hold what they teach reasonable it is necessary to distinguish between false and true Reason as also rigidly to Examin what euer belongs to that whole Matter which is amply done in the 14 th 15 th and 16 th Chapters of the third Discourse where we prove that Religion is only Reasonable which Heaven it selfe declares reasonable by such visible sensible and illustrious Marks as haue gained Millions to believe in Christ and no other but God's Infinite Power and wisdom can produce Herevpon we lay forth the signal Marks of the Roman Catholick Church clear Cognisances of an Infinite Power and VVisdom Miracles most euident Conversions of Nations wrought by Her Succession of Pastors euer since the Apostles preached with à strict vnity of one Faith in all that Professed Her Doctrin VVe look next vpon this late risen Protestancy and find it naked vtterly strip't of all supernatural Motives No Miracles no Conuersions no vnity in Faith to countenance the Nouelty and therefore conclude that the Professors of it who seemingly stand for Reason and slight an euidenced Church are most vnreasonable and as dayly experience teaches meer Scepticks in Matters of Religion Clemens Rom. in Recog D. Petri. hereafter cited gives this wise Counsel to euery prudent seeker after Truth Before all things examin well by the light of rational Motiues whether one that pretend's to speak in the name of God and call's himselfe à Prophet sent to preach proues himselfe to be really so Thus much learned and the knowledge is easily gained because grounded vpon euidence belieue boldly all he teaches though his Doctrin be sublime and seem's difficult to weak reason The first conuerted Christians were thus induced by the Lustre of our Sauiours glorious Miracles and other Signal wonders to own him as he was à great Prophet or the true Messias sent from God and afterward belieued what euer Doctrin he taught vpon his own Infallible word Apply what is here said to the Roman Catholick Church you will find this great Truth made manifest in the following Discourses viz. That as no Prophet no Doctor ever came neer Christ our Lord in the wonders he wrought so no Society of men since thé world stood was or is Comparable in Miracles and other Cognizances of truth to the Roman Catholick Church She as I now said and no other Society shewes you à Continued Succession of Pastors of Princes and People since the first Plantation of the Gospel She and no other hath been always reverenced all Nations over and was neuer opposed by Orthodox Christians She giues you à large Catalogue of Innumerable Professors eminent in learning in wisdom and sanctity of life In Her the ancient Predictions of Prophets are literally fulfilled Her vniuersal extent far and neer is euident The Conuersions wrought by her Euident The Courage and Constancy of Martyrs who dyed for her Faith Euident Her ancient Possession of truth for Confessedly she was once Orthodox is vndeniable And this is the Church Gentle Reader our Sectaries would destroy This Oracle though signalized with so many Illustrious Marks and Indications proceeding from God inspite of Heaven they iniuriously Calumniate as Idolatrous and Heretical And Consequently make those Millions and Millions who both liuing and dying zealously sought to serve no other but the great God of Truth in this blessed Society Fools Madmen Idolaters and Heretiques I say Calumniate for all they haue done hitherto or can do for the future comes to no more but to à flat iniurious Calumny as is euidenced in the third Discourse C. 19. where you are told that whoever impeaches an ancient Church once acknowledged Orthodox of Idolatry and proves not his charge by clear and vndeniable Principles Calumniates must vniustly and sin 's damnably Protestants do so as is there largely proued and the truth is manifest in their own writings They tell vs the Roman Catholick Church though once right in Faith changed Her ancient Doctrin we iustly vrge them to prove the Assertion by some vnquestionable Principles more convincing or of greater weight and strength to perswade what they assert then the publick judgement of all sound Christians liuing at that time to perswade the Contrary And Mark à strange Proceeding the Calumny it selfe is returned vpon vs without either Proof or probable Principle to vphold it but their own bare and proofles word VVe are told again there was euer à Catholick Church without blemish at least in fundamentals for that Article of the Creed I believe the Holy Catholick Church was true in all Ages VVe seriously demand where or in what part of Christendom that Orthodox Church distinct from the Roman Catholick had its being at that time when the Roman fell from Christ and became Idolatrous There was such à Church which censured and condemned the supposed Roman Errours or not If not the world vpon those supposed errours was wholly Churchles Grant an Orthodox Church distinct from the Roman She certainly opposed those Imagined false Roman Doctrins which then began to infect
Religion is to be esteemed no lesse à work of prouidence and Diuine Assistance then its first establishment was One reason is The Doctrin preached to Christianity further Spread aboue the force of Nature innumerable People not Christian in the Apostles time was the same sublime learning of à Trinity of the Incarnation and other difficult Mysteries The stubbornesse and incredulity of those who heard it at last induced to belieue were alike in them as in the first conuerted Christians Propensions to sensuallity which they quitted as strong and violent The number of those after gained souls you may hold far more their wisdom not inferiour to the former and the quality of innumerable witnes so many Emperours Kings and Princes drawn in following ages to Christianity much exceeded those first conuerted by the Apostles Clear and manifest miracles effects of Gods power only haue been more numerous in the Centuries since the Apostles preaching then before What euer therfore proues the first Propagation of the Gospel miraculous or à work aboue the strength of nature as forceably conuinceth the Truth we here plead for Now if some obiect These later Preachers of the Church sent abroad to preach Christs Doctrin had much more of the humane learning then those first great masters of Christianity and therfore might well by natural Eloquence and humane literature gain many without Diuine Assistance I answer when the Poets perswade me that Orpheus harp and harmony tamed wild beasts and moued stones ' I le belieue and not Sooner that wolues became lambs that the stony hearts of Infidels were softned and made subiect to Christs sacred law by the power of humane learning only What that natural knowledge got by industry could vanquish Idolatry obscure Iudaism and draw innumerable Heathens to deny sensuallity to liue à mortified life and belieue in à crucified Sauiour is not only à Paradox aboue expression but à vast improbability 2. You know there are two things the world stand's for Pro aris focis that is for Religion and earthly commodities Religion you see hath the Preheminence Imagin now that à Heathen Prince should send the most Eloquent and learned Doctors within his Dominions vpon this hard enterprise To gain à forrein Monark and People highly auerse from him his lawes and comands Withall to abandon their old Religion and admit of à new one without the least hope of any worldly interest Nay contrary most assured to lose much which nature seek's after Would such à Policy think yee take or could these Doctors though neuer so Eloquent haue confidence to bring about their designe by wit or learning only No. You will iudge it impossible to gain so humane learning notable to Conuert souls much as one sole Prouince when no motiue of earthly commodity enters but much against it Here is our very case The Church of Christ in ages following the Apostles sent abroad her Missioners and These commissioned Preachers haue not only destroyed Altars erected to false Gods most obstinatly defended by Gentils but introduced à new sacred Religion in place of them mightily opposite to sensuallity and what euer the world loues here is the tribute payd to Christ can we therfore think that wit did this work or perswade our selves that à little breath drawn only from natural knowledge threw down these Altars No. à Diuine virtue and that most Powerful did the deed God only wrought these Conuersions no lesse admirable then Euident to our eyes When S. Peter as we read in the Gospel Luk. 5. 4. launched forth into the deep at Christs command and drew vp great Multitudes of fishes both he and others stood amased at the Miracle And more iustly may all admire the far greater multitude of men drawn out of à gulf of sin and ignorance then fortold Ex hoc The draught of souls out of perdition miraculous iam eris homines capâ—ens by the labours of those first Masters and their Successors Say therfore was the draught of fishes great and all cryed à Miracle And the draught of souls out of perdition far greater and nature only did it No certainly Belieue it Had the Pastors of Christs Church toyled only by that weak instrument of humane knowledge the Idols of the Gentils would yet haue stood and all of them might well haue bemoaned their lost labour with S. Peter Magister per totam noctem laborantes nihil cepimus Master all night long we haue been hard at work and got nothing 3. And here briefly to say à word in passing is the true reason why our modern Sectaries are so vnlucky in any conuersions not only of Heathens but of others also named Christians to their new Religion They launch forth 't is true but without commission and therefore work not by the virtue of Christs command wit alone and à little wordy learning doe all make à noise and their books to swell but draw none of iudgement to the 〈…〉 â—â—les liberty and à rich Benesice two powerful Preachers to corrupt nature catch some The thing is euident for whâ— haue we such signal conuersions wrought by Sectaries withoâ—â—â—ope of any worldly fortune as now to Of particular Conuersions omit ancient times 〈◊〉 very dayes and late ones too shew vs Where haue they one like that Generous and learned Queen Christina of Sweedeâ— who quitâ— Ã Kingdom to become Catholick Where haue they such à Prince as yet liues the grand Turks own Brother not only Catholick but more à Religious man of Blessed S. Dominicks order It s needlesse to giue you in this place à Catalogue of many German Princes true members now of the Roman Catholick Church who were not gained by any worldly motiue to abandon Heresy as they haue done but strongiy called on by Gods grace without delay obeyed the summons as now lately did that great Commander in France Count Marishal Turene whose glorious Conuersion witness his Profession of Faith was grounded on serious thoughts relating to Eternity and not vpon any humane interest These very few but great changes before our Eyes with others innumerable known to the world are plain effects of supernatural grace and manifestly shew that more than wit or humane knowledge had à hand in them 4. Hence I argue That Religion is from God and therfore true which He concurres to and propagates by his special grace and virtue The Christian Cathoiick Catholick Religion miraculously propagated therfore true Religion only hath been thus propagated by Gods special grace and virtue therfore it is true To add more weight to this argument I ask whether those Conuersions wrought by the Apostles them selues are to be held miraculous that is aboue the force of nature or not If you deny blot out those words of the Gospel as most vntrue Mark 16. 20. Domino cooperante c. Our Lord cooperating with them and say all Apostolical conuersions were wrought by natural causes only And grant next Mahometism and Christianity thus
None can question whether the Doctrin be Diuine when the Person who declared it to the world was so Diuine and extraordinary à Person holy in his conuersation wrought vnparalled miracles rose from death to life conuersed with his Disciples and gaue euidence of their fidelity by laying down The question Still begged their liues to attest the Truth c. Contra. 1. Replies the Heathen Here is again the same Petitio principii for either you belieue these particulars because Scripture record's them and then you suppose Scripture to be true and Diuine which he denies or because fallible men report them you own no infallible tradition and this aduances not your cause at all for the Turks and those of China talk as much of their Mahomet and Confusius vpon fallible and perhaps false reports also for yet the Heathen knowes not what Religion is true And next wonders why you speak of miracles of power ouer euil spirits of men laying down their liues c. when you Sectaries either deny or slight all the miracles euidently done in the Catholick Church as also the power She manifest's in casting out Diuels c. And if we mention Martyrs Catholicks haue more who layd down their liues in defense of the Doctrin of this one Church than suffered for Christ whilst the Apostles preach't to the world You hint some thing at miracles like one half affraid to meddle with such Motiues and say these wonders proue the truth of Apostolical Doctrin Pray you Sr Answer When you plead by miracles Doe you only allow those which Scripture relates or others By what miracles Sectaries plead also known by History and humane Authority If you rely on the first you suppose what now is in Question Viz. That Scripture is infallible and of Diuine inspiration If you own miracles registred in Ecclesiastical history and the liues of Saints you haue as I now said of Martyrs à greater number wrought in the Roman Catholick Church in the ages after Christ than were done whilst he and his Apostles liued Slight such à Cloud of witnesses as attest these later wonders and speak no more as you doe of any certainty grounded vpon the report of honest men Own them vpon humane authority as morally indubitable and you proue by virtue of these Miracles that the Doctrin of the Catholick Church is still Apostolical and Orthodox 12. Now here by the way I must lay open your fallacy A dilemma which forceth Sectaries to à vicious Circle when you recurr to miracles recounted in Scripture only and reiect others wrought by the Church Thus I argue Either you suppose and belieue the Doctrin of Scripture to be Diuine because you find the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles recorded there and propose these as the first Motiue and inducement of your belieuing Scripture or independently of Scripture Miracles you proue the Doctrin to be Diuine yea and the very miracles recounted there to be indited by the Holy Ghost If you belieue the Diuinity of Scripture induced therevnto by Miracles related in that Holy book you aduance nothing for all you say is that you proue Scripture Diuine because it recounts these wonders which are as obscure to à Heathen as the Diuinity or the sacred Doctrin of Scripture is Therefore you make à most vicious Circle for you proue the Diuinity of Scripture by Miracles internal to the book and the Miracles themselues not otherwise known by the Diuinity of Scripture Now if you say you know the Scriptures Diuinity antecedently or before you recurr to Miracles related there Scripture-Miracles are vseles to your purpose for if the supposition stand They are yet no more but obiects of Faith and therefore cannot serue you as motiues and inducements to belieue that very Diuinity which is now supposed known aliunde and most sufficiently without them 13. One may ask if God had neuer done any other Miracles but such as Scripture relates whether these are not sufficient to work belief in all The Heathen answers negatiuely and makes them insufficient because Scripture is not proued Miracles related in Scripture Conuince not à Heathen Diuine by them And all may answer so if Scripture be not otherwise first proued Diuine before we haue recourse to miracles internal to the book Howeuer admit gratis they were sufficient the most you can inferr is That the Primitiue Church which shewed them was Orthodox but whether any other Church yet preserues the same pure Doctrin may bee well questioned by à Heathen And here in passing you may note à singular Prouidence of God who age after age has illustrated his Church with most manifest and vndoubted miracles whereof more largely hereafter Disc 2. C. 8. 14. You say lastly That which God chiefly requires from à Heathen is the belief of the Truth and Diuinity of his Doctrin He answers he is ready to do so when you proue the Doctrin to be Diuinely inspired and infallible But hitherto you handle things so faintly that though the matter you treat be excellent in it self yet your proofs most disatisfactory come not home to conuince it Your mishap is iust like that of an ill lawyer who has à good cause in hand but knowes not how to handle it Your whole Method is vnmethodical your proofs prooflesse your iumbling most intolerable In à word you giue no rational A Good Cause ill handled by Mr Stillingfleet account of the reasonableness of the Truth of the Diuinity or of the infallibility of Christs Doctrin Therefore saith the Heathen I 'le suspend my iudgement till I meet with à more knowing Aduersary who I hope will not proue Truth by simply saying he speaks it but Conuince it vpon vndeniable Principles 15. But our Heathen hath not yet done with Mr Stilling for he saith plainly Though all the proofs hitherto hinted at might pass or were supposed valid yet there is not one word spoken to the purpose in behalf of Protestancy If you wonder at the bold Assertion ponder well his reason You Mr Stilling haue treated all this while of the excellency and reasonablenes of Christian Religion considered no man knowes how Pray you lurk not in such General terms but tell me particularly what Christian Religion is thus good excellent and reasonable If good and excellent it must be now found in the world Is it Arianism Pelagianism Donatism Quakerism These sects profess Christianity Are they all excellent and reasonable Affirm it openly if you dare Perhaps you will say no. Is it Popery By no means For may your word be taken it mantains false Our Aduersary Cannot say which à mong so many Religions is excellent and reasonable and erroneous Doctrin and that 's neither excellent nor reasonable Is it Protestancy Yes surely This is the excellent and reasonable Religion And is it possible Can you perswade your self without further proof than your own prooflesse word that the perfect draught or Idea of Christianity lies so fair
indubitable Principles appliable to the Belieuers reason If therefore à Want be found of such proofs and doubts arise whether Christ's Doctrin be taught or no None can by doubtful or ambiguous Proofs of true Religion easy and Conuincing Principles only absolutly say This is Christs Doctrin and Consequently the proofs of true Religion answer to the weightines of the matter that is they are clear conuincing and exclude à possibility of reasonable doubting Thus much supposed 2. I say first who euer endeauour's to shew by arguments what Tenents of Religion now held amongst Christians are pure and Orthodox when the matter is of Controuersy and cannot The sectaries proofs as dark as his Doctrin bring his proofs to à Clearer Principle then the particular assertion is which should be proued argues improbably The Protestant in all the discussed matters of Religion doth so that is he neuer goes beyond the strength of his own weak assertion but eludes all by talk wholly as dark and weightles as the very Assertion is which should be proued therefore he Argues improbably 3. To proue the Minor proposition wherein the difficulty lies Take à veiw of all our Protestant Tenents as they differ from Catholick Doctrin or Constitute this new reformed Religion and ask what Protestant dare appear and venture to proue That Faith only iustifies The like I say of his other negatiue Articles Of no real Presence of no Inuocation of Saints of no Sacrifice of the Mass c. I absolutly affirm He cannot make one of these Articles good by any vndoubted Principle or establish any of them by à proof which is clearer than that dark article is which should be proued One reason is These Doctrins opposite to the Latin and Greek Church also are not euidently known as truths by the light of One reason of our Assertion nature or by any receiued Principle grounded on Reuelation No ancient Church reputed Orthodox held them 7. hundred years agone and Consequently no vniuersal tradition is for them The only difficulty is whether Holy Scripture or the Fathers generally patronize such Doctrins And to fauour Sectaries all that 's possible we will here moue no doubt of the letter of their Bible but withall assure them it will be impossible to draw such new learning out of that Book and the impossibility will be thus manifested As long as these men cannot proue their new Doctrin to be transmitted to them from as good and assured authority as their book of Scripture is transmitted but vpon less sure grounds or less assured tradition so long their doctrin is naught and stands vnprincipled But this is so as we shall see presently And you may by the way note here the difference between the Catholick The difference beween the proofs of Catholiks and Protestants and Protestant The first proues euery particular Tenet of his Faith by as sure à Principle as he proues his Bible to be Diuine the Church assures him of both but the Sectary euer fall's short in this and cannot giue you so strong à proof for his particular Doctrin as he doth for the very letter of his book which he supposes teaches that Doctrin 4. But let vs come to the point which chiefly vrgeth and take one particular Controuersy we cannot insist on all and ask the Protestant How he proues that the real presence of Christs sacred body as Catholicks assert is not expressed in the literal sense of those words This is my body His negatiue assertion most euidently is not there in plain terms We therefore vrge him to make it good by à proof that 's clear or more conuincing than his own dark and yet vnproued Negatiue is And is he not obliged think yee to produce à strong proof indeed when he hath so many powerful Aduersaries to contrast with 1. The clear words of Christ now alleged 2. A long Catalogue of most ancient Fathers vsually cited by Authors opposite to him 3. The Authority of the Greek and Latin Church for both Churches mantain the real substantial presEnce to this day 4. The express Doctrin of general Councils which define our Doctrin positiuely and The grounds of our Catholick Tenets condemn the figuratiue presence of Sectaries 5. Euident Miracles wrought in confirmation of the Mystery related by authors of most indubitable credit These are no slight grounds of our Doctrin Let vs see by what strong receiued Principle the Sectary endeauour's to weaken them or which is immediatly to my purpose proues his new negatiue Position Has he the express letter of Scripture for his Negatiue Christ is not substantially present in the Eucharist Not one word in the whole Bible is like it much contrary Doth the sense of Scripture after all places are compared together fauour him No. What euer sense he drawes from thence seemingly to his purpose will be as obscure and remote from the nature of à proof or any known Principle as his own improbable position is and therefore most vnfit to perswade it Has he as vniuersal Tradition or the vnanimous consent of Fathers for his negatiue or for that sense he would force out of Scripture as he and we haue for the letter of the Text now cited Nothing at all And to show you how iustly I propose this question call to mind what Mr The Sectary answers not to any Stilling exact's of his Aduersary Part. 1. c. 7. P. 216. If I should saith he once see you proue the infallibility of your Church the Popes supremacy Inuocation of Saints c. by as vnquestionable and vniuersal tradition as that is whereby we receiue the Scriptures I would extoll you for the only person that euer did any thing considerable on your side Thus he speakes after this precaution giuen Think not to fob vs off with the Tradition of your Church in stead of the Catholik with the ambiguous Testimonies of two or three Fathers instead of the vniuersal consent of the Church since the Apostles times Your own words Mr Stilling shall here condemn you The Question is whether your Negatiue Christ is not really present in the Eucharist as Catholiks affirm be Orthodox Doctrin We exact as rigid à proof from you as you demand of vs but fob vs not off with your own talk Tradition you haue none nor with the ambiguous Testimonies of two or three Fathers but giue vs the vniuersal consent of the Church since the Apostles time as What we iustly require of Sectaries clear for your negatiue as you demand of vs for the articles now mentioned Or if this be too much giue vs but only the indubitable sentiment of any Church reputed Orthodox four or fiue hundred years past for this your sense and assertion and I will applaud you as à most singular person But this you shall doe when you haue turned all faith out of the world that is neuer I say therefore you haue no more but the ambiguous Testimonies of two or three
what auail's it to haue à Church garded from vniust dealing in Matters of Trust if you make it lyable to Errour in the main Essential which is true Faith the very ground of Saluation And Principle cause also of iust proceeding amongst Christians Perhaps these men will say S. Cyprian in his Elogium respected only the first Romans commended by the Apostle not Those who liued in his An other Gloss refuted time Contra 1. That is not only said without Proof but improbably falsifies the Saints express words Eos esse Romanos as is now noted Contra. 2. If S. Cyprian only relate to the Romans whom the Apostle taught what need is there to keep à coile about the signification of Perfidia when those first Christians had for their Instructor an Infallible Apostle If therefore S. Paul could not err in faith Perfidia may well exclude all misbelief or errour in Matters of Faith from that Apostolical Church And here we make way to discouer the Bishops leuity in his second Gloss. 8. Suppose saith he it be granted that Perfidia Signifies errour in faith or Doctrin yet it belongs not to the Romans absolutely but with à respect to those first Romans whose Faith was commended by the Apostle Contra 1. Vpon what certain Principle doth this confident Assertion stand It belongs not absolutely to the Roman Church Proue thus much by à sure Principle and something is said to the purpose But without à solid Probation we look on it as à whimsey only or à thought of fancy Yet more What mean's his Lordship by those dark words With à respect to those first Romans Will he say that the first Romans were infallible in Faith and make those others to whom S. Cyprian wrote fallible This must be his meaning or nothing A second and third Gloss reiected For if both were equally infallible or both alike fallible he gains nothing by the word Respect to the first Romans Therefore he must hold that ancient Church of Rome to be more infallibly founded in Faith than the later Romans were to whom S. Cyprian wrote Admit this He makes the Saint not only to flatter à whole Church but to speak Nonsense also For in effect he saith thus much Your Ancestors the Romans were so secured from errour in Faith that they could not decline from Christ's Doctrin but you now are in à very tottering Condition for you may swerue from the Faith of your Ancestors you may perhaps belieue as they did and perhaps not Howeuer I will sooth you vp and praise you as à Church impossible to erre with an Ad quos Perfidia habere non possit accessum You are men so faithfull that no Misbelief can touch you The last Gloss of the Bishop is thus S. Cyprians Elogium seem's rather à Rhetorical insinuation than à Dogmatical Assertion Mark the proofles word Seem's t' is only à thought of my Lords fancy which I am sure seem's far from à dogmatical Assertion What That à Saint and worthy Bishop should Rhetorick it in so weighty à Matter But enough of this nothing 9. To make something doe at last Mr Stilling Page 317. laies his Gloss by my Lord's and has à good opinion of it To Mr Stilling misinterpretation giue every man his due it is better than any of the Bishops He sayes in à word after à relation of the present state of Rome at that time when those Schismaticks Felicissimus and Fortunatus came thither that Perfidia may well denote the Falsness and treacherous dealing of those two Persons who seemed good Catholicks but were not so and sought to ioyn in Communion with Cornelius and the Catholick Party but meant it not Now such Iuglers should haue no Access to the Principal Church or to those Romans whose Faith the Apostle so highly extolled so that Perfidia Respects not the Romans nor excludes Errour from that Church but laies falshood as was well deserued on those Schismaticks This I take to be Mr Stilling meaning Contra. 1. The Gloss euery one sees violently strained makes the allusion between Fides and Persidia Both Strained and inconsistent with S. Cyprians sense insignificant 2. It is inconsistent with the Authors whole sense who speak's not of perfidious men but of Falshood and Vntruth which could not haue Access to that principal Church For it is euident that perfidious persons as Mr Stilling tell 's the Story actually had Access And therefore could certainly haue it when Fortunatus and Felicissimus came to Rome 3. Make the most you can of this Gloss it reaches no further but to à meer far-fetcht Guess and what is gained by That Can Mr Stilling establish his Opinion of the Churches fallibility on no surer grounds Can he hope to driue me by guesses and Glosses not only from the Obuious sense of these words but also from the clear Expressions of innumerable other Fathers who stand openly for an infallible Church It is à disperate Improbability Yet so it is These selfconceited Glosses and nothing els Vphold Protestancy in euery controuerted Matter The infinite number of them and the Stories Mr Stilling tell 's to no purpose at all so enlarge his Rational account That if you fling these away you may easily put the remainder of that Book into à smal Decimo sexto 10. Be pleased to obserue à little We say and Christ said it before vs Hell gates should not preuail against the Church founded Glosses opposed to manifest Proofs by Diuine Prouidence But fancied Glosses disputes it at last into à Possibility of being peruerted by Hell and Heresy also We say it is the Pillar and ground of Truth but Glosses laid vpon these words must be thought so strong as to shake it all in pieces We say Christ will be with his Spouse to the end of the world Hold there say Sectaries our Glosses tell you No For this promise was only Conditionally True in all that succeeded the Apostles A fitting Assistance we allow it such as pleases our fancies But no more We say with S. Cyprian S. Hierome S. Irenaeus and other Fathers that the Church neuer depart's from what She once held that in Her is the Rule and square of Faith that in Her is the Spirit of God That She is the welspring of truth The dwelling place of Faith c. But à companie of Glosses spoil all this Doctrin And so rack the sense of these clear Expressions that one may boldly swear the Gloss and Text are sworn enemies CHAP. XVII VVhy the Glosses of Sectaries are impertinent and weightles Mr Stillingfleet misinterprets other Fathers Of his vnskilful Speculation concerning Idolatry Charged on Catholicks 1. MVch is said in the Other Treatise Disc 4. C. 4. n. 8. of our Protestants Glosses Here you haue à further discouery of their weakness And t' is the only thing aym'd at in this And the precedent Chapters In à word thus I conclude That man who in Matters of Controuersies defend's à Doctrin
Tabernacle placed iâ— the sun Ipsa est Ecclesia saith S. Austin Epist 166. In sole posita The Church is placed in the sun Hoc est in manifestatione omnibus noâ—a vsque ad terminos terrae That is She is known by Her own apparent and manifest Euidence all the whole world ouer And because no one Father touches this point with greater Energy than S. Austin Hear yet more Tract 1. m. 1. Ioan Possumus digito c. S. Austins Iudgement concerning The Churches Euidence we can point at the Church and demonstrate it with à finger and They are blind who see it not Lib. 2. contra Crescon Cap. 36. Extat Ecclesia The Church is in Being apparently clear and conspicuous to all Again Lib 2. Contra Petil C. 32. Neminem latet verae Ecclesia The Church of Christ lies hid to none And Lib Contra crescon C. 63. The Church so clearly presents it self to all sort of men euen to Infidels that it stopp's the mouths of Pagans c. See also this great Doctor pondering those words of the. 30. Psalm Qui videbant me foras fugerunt c. Obscurius faith Hee dixerunt Prophetae de Christo quam de Ecclesiâ c. The Prophets haue spoken more darkly of Christ than of the Church And I think this was done because they saw in spirit that men would make Parties against the Church and not contend so much concerning Christ ready to contend about the Church Christ almost euery where was preached by the Prophets in some hidden or couered Mystery Ecclesia apertè but the Church was pointed at so clearly that all might see it and those also who were to bee against it I waue other Authorities for t' is tedious to proue à Manifest Truth or here to transcribe plainer Testimonies relating to this subiect Thus much premised 7. I say first Though Church Doctrin be more clearly expressed by the Church chiefly in all Matters of Controuersy than in Scripture For example you know the Church deliuers the An Assertion concerning Church Doctrin Consubstantiallity of the eternal Son with greater clarity than Scripture expresseth that Truth Yet no man can proue to reason this clearer Doctrin to be immediatly true vpon this sole ground Mark my precise words that the Church teaches it My meaning is The Church yet not manifested to bee God's Oracle by marks extrinsecal to its Doctrin leaues Reason so in suspence that it Cannot say This is the Oracle which teaches Truth or that the Doctrin of this not yet euidenced Society is Diuine and Orthodox The Assertion is so amply proued aboue that it is needles to press the Arguments further in this place All I say now is that we discourse in like manner of Scripture and Church Doctrin precisely considered as Essential Doctrin not yet made Credible by The Doctrin of Scripture or The Church not Proued true by Saying its true signes and Motiues As therefore the Verities of Scripture are not known to be Diuine Ex terminis because I read them in that Holy book But must haue them proued Diuine vpon à certain Principle distinct from Scripture So the Verities of the Church are not known Ex terminis to be certain before I proue the Church by Clear Motiues to be the Oracle of Truth whereby God speaks to Christians what I Assert is euident in Christ our Lord and his Apostles when they first began to preach For neither Iew nor Gentil belieued that Sacred Doctrin vpon their bare preaching Nay It scandalized the one and seemed à foolery to the other But when they saw it confirmed by Euident Signes and Wonders by eminent Sanctity of life by vndeniable Miracles and other Signal marks which the Author of Religion laid open to Reason Both Iewes and Gentils were gained moued to belieue by Such Inducements no less prudent than forceably perswasiue 8. The reason of all à Priori giuen aboue euinces thus much None can indubitably and immediatly own the Doctrin of either Church or Scripture as true and Orthodox but by one of these two means Either the light of natural Reason discouers that Truth Or it must be known by Faith Reason alone too weak to comprehend the Sublime Mysteries reuealed in Holy writ or taught by the Church boggles at all And left to it self reiects The reason of our Assertion at least the harder Mysteries as is manifest in both Iewes and Gentils Now to know them by obscure Faith is wholly impossible vnless one haue sufficient Assurance before hand grounded on other prudent extrinsecal Principles That both Scripture and the Church teach Diuine and certain Doctrin To know thus much the Rational man must discourse And in this present state of things first find out the Church by her Marks and Signes visible to all If reason complies not with this duty the Faith we draw from thence is no Faith but à precipitous foolish Credulity For who can prudently assent to the high Mysteries of Christianity vnlesse Reason first see it is prudent to do so This is what the Apostle deliuer's in few but most pithy words Scio cui credidi certus sum That is I first know why I am to belieue by Reason and then stedfastly belieue without further reasoning But enough of this in the Chapter cited aboue 9. The. 2. Proposition If the Doctrin of Christ's Church precisely considered according to its Essence bee not ex exterminis manifestly true or proues not immediatly that the Church is Orthodox vpon Her own meer saying that She teaches Truth It is euident She must be proued Gods Oracle by Motiues extrinsecal to Her Doctrin Now these Motiues purely considered as Inducements to belieue are not Articles of Faith but sensible reasonable and of such weight that they powerfully incline euery The Church first proued Orthodox by rational Motiues well disposed vnderstanding to this rational assent As God anciently spake by Moses by Christ and his Apostles So he now also speak's by his own true Church And lead's men vnder her safe Conduct to Saluation 10. The ground of my Assertion is no less euident than the very Position it selfe First Christ himself neuer proued his Doctrin true by meerly saying it was so but confirmed it by signes and wonders which made it immediatly credible as is sayd already So also did his Apostles And so doth the true Church to this day 2. Vnless Christians haue those prudent Inducements preuiously applied to reason before they belieue the Holy Catholick Church The wise prouidence of God must be supposed so neglectiue as not to let men know after à prudent and diligent search which or where his true Church is Though Scripture Compares it to à glorious Sun most visible to all And the Fathers say they are blind that see it not 3. All those Millions of Christians who belieued the true Church who liued and dyed happily in it innumerable shed their blood for the verities of it were not
à People mad nor besotted vpon this Account because As the Primitiue Christians more induced to belieue so are wee They proceeded iust as the Primitiue Christians did that alwaies belieued vpon Rational Motiues These Motiues then first enlightned the reason of the most ancient Christians And reason afterward preuented by grace submitted to all the Church teaches But much more of this hereafter because of greatest Consequence though it seem's Sectaries haue little regard to the Euidence of Christianity Drawn from rational Motiues 11. The. 3. Proposition The Marks of Christs Church manifest to all are more sensible and clear than the essential Doctrin is marked by them They are peculiar to the true Church only and distinguish Her from all Heretical Communities Finally taken all together and not by Piece-meal conuince this truth That God speaks to Christians by this Church Euery part of the Proposition proues it self First à Mark is more clear and sensible than the thing marked by it For who euer had seen our Blessed Sauiour walking here on earth and obserued his holy life whoeuer had heard his sacred words and seen his Miracles would haue said his Sanctity words and Miracles were more clear and euident to all than his Doctrin was of being God and man Therefore the first Christians belieued that great Mystery induced by euident works and wonders 2. These Marks are peculiar and proper to the true Church only You haue the reason hereof in the other Treatise Disc 1. C. 8. 1â—3 The force of prudent Motiues Because it is not possible if à true Church be now on earth that God can permit à false Society to equalize it much less to surpass it in the lustre of such Motiues as forcibly perswade to discern between That and all heretical Communities For were this done Falshood would be made as credible to reason as truth And God would be guilty of Arguing less efficaciously in behalf of his own Church against Iewes Gentils and obstinate Hereticks 12. Obserue well the Strength of this Argument I say in à word If an Arian could truly Assert I haue as many forceable Motiues And marks of truth belonging to my followers and Doctrin As the now supposed true Church of Christ can shew for it self could he say with truth I will euidence the like Antiquity the like Perpetuity the like lawful Mission of my Pastors the like vnity in Faith the like conuersions of Heathens wrought in and by my Church The like succession of Bishops preaching my Doctrin from Christs time to this day The like sanctity the like miracles as any Church on earth can demonstrate They distinguish the true Church from false Communities Could an Arian I say or Iew either speak all this with truth no Orthodox Christian could argue the one or other of Falshood in Doctrin For grant thus much These very men might much better handle and interpret Scripture than Protestants do vtterly destitute of all such Marks The Iew if the false supposition stand would draw the old Testament to his sense and so would the Arian the new And who could reproue them could they shew you à Church bearing these signes of diuine Authority Hence Sectaries that only Gloss Scripture and neuer had any thing like an euidenced Church which taught the Doctrin they now maintain and so earnestly Gloss for are most reproueable And vainly attempt to draw any prudent man to à belief of their Nouelties 13. By all you see how important it is to haue à Christian Society clearly marked and distinguished from false Communities with euident Signes and rational Motiues before we recurr to Scripture All faith depends on this greater Euidence laid forth to reason as Shall be demonstrated towards the end of this Discourse 14. I would haue euery one seriously to reflect on what is now said and once more to know That Christs Church like à glorious Sun euidenceth Her selfe by the Lustre of signal Marks though her essential Doctrin belieued by obscure Faith appear's not Euident Find me then out à Church euer in being since Christs time vnited in one Faith glorious in Miracles and conuersions of Heathens wherein Bishops and Pastors lawfully sent haue preached Christs Doctrin age after age Giue me à Church which was neuer censured or taxed of Errour by any Society of known Orthodox Christians She and She only is Christ's true Spouse All other late risen Assemblies are Conuenticles of Satan And these Marks do not only distinguish Her from all One only Church Shewes these Marks such Conuenticles as is now noted but Collectiuely taken conuince this Truth That God speak's to Christians by this Oracle whereof you haue more in the following Chapters 15. In the Interim we must enter vpon à further difficulty and next enquire which among so many Congregations as now are and haue been in the world is the only manifested true Spouse of Christ For all as I said aboue make not one Church vnless Christ hath composed this mystical Body of such members as rightly belieue and of others that iniuriously oppose his sacred Doctrin Now because the chief controuersy is between the Protestant and Catholick The first pretend's to à Church which teaches Christs Doctrin The Catholick vtterly denies the Pretence and pleads for his Own Oracle euidenced by prudent Motiues This I say being the Contest we are in the first place to vnchurch the Protestant and then proue by vndeniable Arguments where and with whom the true Church of Christ is CHAP. III. The Protestant has neither Church euidenced by Marks of Truth nor true Doctrin made credible to reason His whole Faith is built vpon Fancy 1. THe Marks of the Church as is now said are so clear to reason that they make the Oracle manifest to all sort of people to the learned and vnlearned to Iewes to Infidels and much more to Hereticks who pretend to belieue in Christ All of them are alike concerned and obliged to make à search after the true Church and when t' is found to belieue it 2. Now to find it out I Ask whether our English Protestants with these we chiefly dispute like well of the marks Questions Proposed to Sectaries already hinted at or will reiect them I propose my doubt with all candor Will they dare to say That their Church as it deliuers Protestants Doctrin or as it is now reformed in England was euer since Christ time In Being and visible to the world Can they produce à Succession of Bishops or Pastors that taught Protestancy Age after Age without intermission Can they show what Conuersions these Protestant Pastors wrought vpon Heathens to their faith fiue or six Centuries since Can they produce indubitable Miracles done by such Pastors Most euidently No. Therefore our later Protestants reiect these and the other like Motiues as slight and impertinent to euidence their Church which yet say they teaches Christs Doctrin and Wilily do so because they haue none of them Well To
ouerthrow any Doctrin of our Church Alas what this Oracle positiuely defin's is à stronger Principle than twenty dubious Authorities of Fathers if any such were in appearance contrary It followes 2. That the Roman Catholick Church must of necessity be either owned Orthodox in all She teaches or cannot be belieued in any thing 8. Wherefore I say à great word If this Church hath deceiued the world in teaching à Purgatory for example neither we nor Sectaries can certainly belieue that Christ was here on earth or Redeemed vs. For Ask why belieue wee this great Mystery If you Answer Scripture reueal's it you are Questioned again How One Errour in the Church Destroyes all Faith know you that Scripture is Gods word which Ex terminis euidences not it self You must Answer Vniuersal Tradition and all the Churches in the world haue owned the Book for Gods word Very good But The Church hitherto supposed most Orthodox among so many Heretical Societies and Her Tradition likewise haue actually deceiued all For She is now Imagined to haue taught the false Doctrins of Purgatory Transubstantiation c. Therefore you cannot belieue Her or any Tradition for erring in one point of Faith She is not belieuable in any This principle stand's firm Much less can you trust to the Doctrin or Tradition of known Heretical Churches whether Arians Pelagians or others For all these haue erred and most grosly Therefore you haue no certainty of the verities contained in Scripture nor can you belieue this one Prime Article Christ dyed for vs by Diuine Faith 9. Let therefore the Sectary labour all that 's possible to contract the fundamentals of Faith into the shortest room Imaginable let him mince them almost to nothing let this one Article Iesus is the Christ be Faith enough for all I say if the Roman Catholick Church speaking in the name of God as She pretends to speak hath taught but one false Article and obliged Christians to belieue it vnder pain of damnation Purgatory for example none can now vpon any Motiue known to the world firmly belieue That Iesus is the Christ So pernicious is one known errour of the Church that it ruins's all belief of other Articles nor can such à Church be more trusted in any thing She speaks than Scripture relied on were it false in that Article Iesus is the Christ 10. The reason à Priori is All Faith is at last reduced or finally resolued into Gods Diuine Reuelation whether he speaks by this or that Instrument by this or that Oracle imports nothing The Vltimate reason of the Assertion The difference of the Oracle he speaks by diuersifies not faith which alwaies tend's to one Center and rests on one sure Ground Gods Veracity If he speaks by à Prophet that 's his Oracle If by an Apostle he is made an Oracle If by the exteriour words of Scripture they are Oracles if by the Church She is his Oracle Now further Suppose any of these assumed Oracles speaking in the name of God declare à false Doctrin to Christians the Falsity Vltimatly redound's to God who own 's them as Oracles yet by them teaches the world Falsities It fall's out here As if à Prince should send à Legate to à State who speak's in his name and cheat the whole State by his Embassy would not all deseruedly vpon the Supposition more impute the Cheat to the Prince than to the Legate that speaks in his name The parity is exact and proues if either Scripture Prophet Apostle or Church speaking in the name of God deliuers false Doctrin God himself deceiues vs and therefore Rich. de S. Vict. Said well in this sense also Si error est quem credimus c. If we belieue an errour T' is you Great God who haue deceiued vs But if God can once deceiue either immediatly By Himselfe or mediatly by his Oracle The whole Systeme of Christian Faith is desstroyed What I say would bee true Although He should make à solemn protestation of Speaking Truth For euen then he cannot oblige me to belieue because he may deceiue in that very Protestation and deliuer à falsity if the supposition hold 11. Here then is the final Conclusion As subiectiue Faith in à Belieuer is Indiuisible That is it is either wholly good or wolly naught None can haue à piece of Faith without the whole vertue an Could the Church propose one false Article She can bee belieued in nothing Arian cannot belieue Christ to be à Redeemer if He denies the Trinity So if one Matter of Faith proposed by the Church be really Contrary to what She defines None can belieue any thing She teaches For the meer Possibility of deceiuing Christians in one Article impossibilitates the Belief of all She proposeth And this proues the Church absolutly infallible not in some points only but in all and euery Doctrin whereof you haue more in the 15 16 and 17 Chapters following 12. Some may reply I suppose all this while the Church made so stedfastly God's Oracle as not to err in any Doctrin She proposes which is Petitio Principy or à begging of the Question Contra. And Ye Gentlemen whilst you impeach Her of Errour Suppose Her Instrumentum diuulsum an Oracle tom as it were from Gods Sspecial Assistance iust as if I shoâ—ld Suppose the words of Scripture separated from the Spirit of truth You suppose Her à fair spouse yet make Her à harlot when and as Often as you please You acknowledge some Church or other find that out where you can to teach Truth yet you like petulant Schollers will forsooth be so wise as to tell her where she misseth in Her Lesson and correct Her for it And you haue done it to the purpose For you haue destroied Her Monasteries rob'd Her Altars prophaned Her Temples abused Her Children banished some and hang'd vp other Are not these fine God deceiues if the Church câ—n Err. Doings Contra. 2. I suppose nothing but what is manifest that Christ euer had à Church on earth once more find it where you can and that God speaks to Christians by this Oracle which he will be with to the end of the world And against which Hell gates shall neuer preuail Now I say if this Church which God not I makes his own Oracle and promises to teach Truth by it can deceiue but in one Matter of Faith God himself deceiues vs And this Church ceaseth Eo ipâ—o to be Catholick yea and God to be the Eternal Truth For it Matters nothing if he can deceiue whether he do it by Scripture or the Church Solue this Argument if you can 13. You may say 2. The whole ground of this Discourse à Fallacy and comes only to thus much If à man once tell à lie he must be thought à lyar in all he speaks So it is The Church speaks an vntruth in some things Ergo it doth so or may do so in all seemes no good consequence Contra.
the Iewes also for they neuer had any after our Sauiours Comming T' is Sectaries Iewes and Turks disclaim Miracles true that Pond vpon Probatica Ioan. 5. Or as many will haue it the Pond it self so called because the Sheep ordained to Sacrifice were washed there continued Miraculous whilst Christ our Lord preached But soon after ceased And so do all other wonders amongst that abandoned People The Turks who say God gaue Mahomet the sword and Christ the Power of working Miracles pretend to no such supernatural effects at all No more in Iustice can Heathens or the Donatists lay Claim to any whose wonders were but trifles compared with the Glorious works of Christ and His Church None of them all conuerted whole Nations to Christian Religion none of them raised vp the dead None of them after death wrought any Miracles See Tertullian writing of the Heathens In Apolog C. 22. 23. And S. Austin against the Donatists Homil. 13. in Ioan. De Vtilit Credent C. 16. As also Lib. 10. de Ciuit. C. 16. 13. I say 2. If the Miracles of Christ and the Apostles rationally proued against Iewes and Gentils the Credibility of Apostolical The ancient and modern Miracles compared together Doctrin The very like Signes and supernatural effects most euident in the Roman Catholick Church as rationally proue against Sectaries the Credibility of our now professed Catholick Doctrin I would say Church Miracles constantly wrought in all Ages since Christianity began are no less efficacious to draw Sectaries to the Belief of our Church Doctrin than those the Apostles wrought were to induce Iewes and Gentils to the belief of Apostolical Doctrin Here is one Proof The same Signes and Marks of Truth when equal in Maiesty Worth Quality and Number euer discouer to Reason the same Truth For God can no more deceiue by such works of Grace than by his own Diuine word Interrogemus ipsa Miracula saith S. Austin Tract 24. in Ioan Quid nobis loquantur de Christo. Let vs ask of Miracles what they say of Christ Habent enim si intelligaâ—tur linguam suam They want no tongue to speak with their Language is plain for Christ Iust so Say I and proue it Church Miracles Speak as planly for the Church Wherefore if the Roman Catholick Church most clearly giues in euidence of Her Miracles equal in worth quality and number with those wrought by Christ and his Apostles it followes that as those first Apostolical wonders were sufficient to conuince Iewes and Gentils of the Truth of Christianity So these latter also wrought in the Church are of like force and no less efficacious to conuince Sectaries of what euer Doctrin She teaches Now ponder What the Apostles did the Church doth well what the Apostles did They cured the sick dispossed Diuels raised the Dead conuerted Nations c. But these very Miracles haue been done in the Roman Catholick Church yea and greater too Ergo we haue the like Euidence of Truth in both the primitiue Age and this Consequently with it the same Truth The Euidence hath been partly laid forth already and shall be further proued presently The Sequel is vndeniable 14. I say 3. No otherwise nor vpon any better ground can the Sectary Oppose the Miracles of our Church than Iewes and Gentils haue opposed and yet doe oppose those of Christ and his Apostles Obserue well Will the Sectary Say our Miracles are wrought by the Diuels power So the Iewes Calumniated Christ own Glorious works Will he Say they are only fained by poor deluded or bold-lying Catholicks So the Iewes speak of Christ's own Miracles to this day Will he Say that some Miracles auouched true haue been afterward euidently The like opposition made against Christ's Miracles and the Churches Counterfeit and why may not those the Church glories in be rancked with such Contra. And why may not Christs own wonders be also listed with them The Argument if of any force equally concludes against both For if the Forgery of some proue all forged Christ's own Miracles no more escape the Censure than if one should say t' is S. Austins instance all women are naught because some haue been so Let then the Sectary show vpon good Principles That Church Miracles haue been forged and he speak's to the purpose In the interim he may well think his bold incredulous Humour makes none forged 15. One may reply There is à vast disparity between our Sauiours Miracles registred in Scripture and those we plead for only attested vpon humane Faith I Answer in order to Christians there is à Disparity in the Testimony But that fall's from the purpose now First because Christs Miracles were known and admitted vpon humane Authority before Scripture was written 2. And chiefly because both Iewes and Gentils as much slight our Scripture testifying those wonders as the Miracles themselues And make little account of either 16. But when they read these things in Scripture and moreouer both Iewes and Hereticks conuinced hear what Miracles God hath Constantly wrought in euery age yea almost euery year in his Church and yet continues that fauour to our present dayes When they hear and read of the Miracles which that one sacred house of Loreto Euidences the publick Monuments and Testimonies whereof are vndeniably Authentick and able to conuince the most obdurate Gentile When they read or hear of the continual Miracles done at the Reliques of S. Iames at Compostella in Spain the infinite number of Pelgrims resorting thither from all parts of Christendom besides Records bear witness of those great Benefits When they read or hear of that perpetual Miracle seen in France exhibited to all mens eyes in the Sacred Viall of S. Mary Magdalen wherein the precious Blood gathered by that penitent Saint at our Sauiours Passion is yet perserued and Visibly boyl's vp on the very day he suffered after the reading of the Passion A whole Nation testifies this thousands and thousands haue seen it and Spondanus ad An 1147. Saith he beheld the viole in the Church of S. Maximin 17. When again they hear or read of the vndoubted Miraculous Cures wrought vpon the blind the lame and all sort of diseased Persons by the Intercession of our Blessed Lady at Montaigu By what particular Miracles they are Conuinced English vsually call the place Sichem The euidence whereof is so vndeniable without dispute that Iustus Lipsius in suâ— Aspricolli to the Reader most iustly saith They are not men but rather beasts or purposely shut their eyes that See not those Miracles as clear as the Sun For Saith He many of them haue been manifest to our eyes and senses And Erycius Puteanus speak's as fully the sense of his Predecessor See his Praeface ad Aspricol Hâ—c ista c. These very Miracles which the Mother of God began to work at Montaigu this very Age we liue in are so manifest so many and most stupendious that if any doubt of them
they so Confidently gaue out That hee should lose his life at Iapan and dye à Martyr Reflect I The Calumny reiected The Miracle proued true beseech you Had it not been in the highest measure imprudent nay more than à foolish Presumption of those Fathers to haue filled all mens eares with that Prophetical Speech vpon meer future vncertainties The performance whereof all know well was liable to à thousand Disasters and Casualities in that immense voyage from Europe to the furthest parts of the world Speak impartially How easily Might Marcellus none of the strongest Constitutions haue dyed in the way What if Pirates had seized on the Ship and cast him ouer board What if the Vessel had perished by Tempest with the virtuous Man and other Passengers How much scorned would the Fathers haue been who certainly were neuer so strangely besotted as to expose themselues and the reputation of their Order to à publick contempt vpon meer Contingencies and weak Coniectures Hence I infer They had by virtue of S. Xauerius Prophesy à high Moral Assurance of the euent The Prophesy spoken some years before Marcellus his Martyrdom was true And the real Effect of his death proued it true neither Diuel nor Mortal man could certainly foretel Things so remote and yet God wrought the Miracle to come God therefore was the Author of that Prediction And Consequently His Diuine power by the means of the Saint wrought the Miracle 30. It s high time novv to reassume vvhat I began vvith and said above When Iewes and Gentils read our scriptures which with them may well deserue as much credit as Humane faith giues to Caesars Commentaries or any other History When they find in that Sacred book how strangely Christianity was first established and introduced by the virtue of our Sauiours glorious Wonders When they fall lower and see though still vpon Humane Faith an euident Continuance of the very like Miracles wrought in the Roman Catholick Church through euery Age. The Conuiction is by good law so strong the The Proofs hinted at aboue vrged Proofs for vndeniable Miracles so manifest to the dullest Gentile that He may as well deny as Lipsius Saith the Sun to shine as doubt of those most glorious visible wonders vnquestionable in this one Society of Christians And this hold's true Although no more but Humane faith resting on most Certain Authority inform's vs of these Miracles For such à Faith as great Diuines Obserue often comes to so clear à degree of The weight of humane Faith Certitude that you may well call it an vndubitable kind of Euiden◠How certainly do we hold it is S. Austins Instance lib. 6. Confess C. 3. that we are born of such and such Parents How certainly do we belieue and vpon humane Authority Saith Snares Tom. 1. de Incarn Disp 31. Sect. 2. That Titus and Vespasianus destroyed Hierusalem And can any Cordial man Question if He lay preiudice aside but that true and most glorious Miracles haue been as certainly wrought in the Church as that those two Emperours destroyed Hierusalem or that such are our Parents I appeal to euery ones Conscience for Answer 31. By all now said vve see first that vvhat euer can be proposed against our Churches Miracles hath like force against Christ's ovvn glorious works And I challenge Protestants to hint but at one Argument which doth not equally strike at Sectaries iustly reprehensible And why both We see 2. How Hideous à Sin Sectaries commit who Scornfully slight all those known and most euident Miracles wrought among Christians since the Apostles times By this their vnworthy Procedure they rob Christ's Spouse of Her greatest Glory falsify His own sacred words Prophesying of greater wonders than he did And finally make the Conuersion of Ievves and Heathens to Christianity impossible For giue me à naked Church vvithout Signes without Marks vvithout Motiues inducing to truth and the most conuincing Signe of all is the Glory of Miracles Nothing remain's proposable to à poor Infidel that 's meet to conuince his Reason But the bare letter of Scripture or the essential Doctrin of the Church vvhich solely considered more affrights weak Reason naturally auerse from high Mysteries than brings it to any Submission or Acquiescency I say therefore the sin of Sectaries is grieuous Whilst Miracles are slighted by doing so they slight the Church yea Christ himself and hasten apace to Atheism CHAP. IX A word to à few Obiections as also to Mr stillingfleets vnworthy Exceptions against that euident Miracle wrought at Zaragosa in Spain 1. THe obiections are as few as fallacious and cannot be otherwise when as t' is said All of them proue as much that 's iust nothing against our Sauiours own Miracles as against those of the Roman Catholick Church To see this truth manifested and difficulties vanish into nothing be pleased to afford à little Attention 2. The Sectary may Obiect first None of vs all know One obiection what strange effects nature can produce in certain circumstances nor what Povver the Diuel has to work Miracles when therefore Scripture forwarn's vs. 2. Thess 2. Of Antichrists great Prodigies as also of False-Christs and false-Prophets appearing with Signes and wonders Matt. 24. We may iustly suspect if nature alone cannot doe such works that the Diuel had à hand in most of our Church Miracles Contra. 1. And You see Found weak and friuolous first the Argument Equally oppugn's Christs own Miracles licenceth both Iewes and Gentils to slight him as à false-Prophet and his glorious vvonders also Contra. 2. Not one of these False-Prophets once raised the dead to life nor after their own death did any thing like à Miracle as the departed Saints of Gods Church haue done most frequently by à touch of their Reliques only which Truth of mighty vveight deserues Reflexion and refutes what euer Donatist or Coniurer can say in behalf of counterfeit Miracles Contra. 3. And obserue well the Obiection None knowes what nature or the Diuel can doe c. What then I beseech you May one inferr from our not knowing the Diuels power that this euil Spirit hath actually wrought all the Miracles recorded in Scripture and Ecclesiastical History To Assert this we must not only know how farr his power reaches but more haue Assurance also Of his actually doing such Wonders And thus much manifestly improbable neither is nor can be ascertained vpon the weakest Principle within the compass of nature or grace We vsually say the Diuel appear's with à Clouen foot That is you may easily discern his Villainy And we know he neuer cast's out euil Spirits like Himself from possessed Persons which yet hath been done and frequently in God's Church Miracles aboue the power of Diuels Church He can it is true if we belieue History take vp the Deuided Parts of à dead man and act with them for à while But there is no such Motion no such Operations in the dead
à most sâ—uere Examination and finally to make the Glorious vvorks of God knovvn Sentence vvas Iuridically pronounced by à vvorthy Arch-Bishop as is novv said Quod si rei tam notae contradicere ausint And if Sectaries yet dare contradict so manifest à Verity Quis illos c. who is there that vvill not look on them As impudent and list them among incredulous Iewes 21. Yet our Mr Stillingfleet forsooth Shifts all off with à Ieer. It is an easy thing for à Stump to grovv à leg in its passage from Spain hither What will not this man write to his petty purpose if 't come in his way What will he not pare away Mr Stillingfleets cheat and open fraud and add to à Story remote from the knowledge of the vulgar His book is full of such fraud Will he not think ye say any thing before the illiterate and ignorant in the high Mysteries of Faith whilst he blushes not to cheat and deceiue his Reader in à matter of Fact Notorioussly known to the world If he thinks I haue forged this Relation Hee shall haue the very indiuidual Copy I made vse of sent him the Bulk is not big If he doubt's of the Authority of these witnesses already produced and say yet all is à Fourb I 'll say as easily I am fooled in belieuing there is such à man in the world as Mr Stillingfleet whom I neuer saw And next will force him to exchange Principles with me à little You Sir say its à fourb à pretended no real Cure What 's required of Him I say Contrary The Cure was real and à great Miracle Proue now you Your Assertion vpon as good Humane Authority as I haue proued mine And we come to Principles fit to decide in the present Matter Fail to do this your Assertion hath not so much as one leg to stand on besides fancy or something worse CHAP. X. Other Marks and Signes peculiar to the Roman Catholick Church proue her Orthodox And make Her Doctrin euidently credible These laid forth to Sense and Reason distinguish the true Church from all Erring Societies Inferences drawn from the Doctrin Here deliuered 1. VEry little may suffice concerning the first part of the Title our Catholick Authors hauing done the work to my hands whilst they treat most largely and learnedly of the Amplitude and Vniuersallity of the Roman Catholick Church of the continued and Succession of Her Bishops Pastors and people of Her Vnity in one and the same Faith of Her Sanctity of the efficacy of Her Doctrin in conuerting whole Nations to Christ which S. Austin justly hold's miraculous The Largeness of this great moral Body rightly called by Sectaries à growing Religion which no persecution of Tyrants could hitherto suppres For time extends it self without dispute to all pass'd Ages since Christ And The Largeness of the Catholicks Church if we speak of place the growth successiuely was so great That In omnem terram exivit sonus eorum it hath been preach'd with immense fruit to all Nations Answerable to that of the Royal Prophet Psalm 2. where the eternal Father speaking to Christ our Lord as man giues him an ample Kingdome spread all ouer for his Possession Ask of me and I will giue the Gentils for thy Inheritance and thy possâ—ssion the last ends of the earth 2. Hence we first distinguish the Church of Christ from the lewish Synagouge limitated to one time till the comming of our true Messias And to one place also For the Sacrifice essential to that Religion could not be offered but in the Temple of Hierusalem only We distinguish both Church and Doctrin likewise from Mahumatism Nestorianism Eutychianism and other Heresies in Distinguishes Her from all false Sects the East which neuer got any considerable footing in these Western parts of Europe Finally we distinguish it from Lutheranism Calvtanism and Protestanism à confused Mixture of both and other late Doctrins These and their dissenting Heads stay in our Northin Climats without fruit or Progress made into Asia Affrica Greece or the like remote Countries wherefore some doubt not to auerr and most truely That the Holy Orders of S. Dominick of S. Francis and of the Society of Jesus are further spread more diffused through the world at this day â— than all the Sects or Subdiuisions of Protestants euer yet were or I think will be But the Kingdome of Christ's Church as Tertullian Cited aboue Chap. 1. n. 6. well obserues Vbique regnat reignes euery where and is The Amptitude of Christ's Keingdome euery where belieued Nor can these latter Sectaries now in an aged world hope to Propagate further For if S. Austin De Vnit. Eccle. C. 14. Thought it enormously improbable that Donatism then so early could diffuse it selfe the whole world ouer much less can our confined Protestants very late Teachers after so many Centuries when Heresy euery where lyes à gasping Hope to draw forreign Nations to à Belief of their Nouelties 3. The reason à Priori is A greater extent à further increase seem's inconsistent with the very Nature of those who professe this Religion For once liuing in the Vine and drawing Nutriment from thence they wilfully cut them selves off and separated from the Church Therefore as S. Austin saith they lie where they are Withering and dying without Lustre or any Enlargement Again as they began this new learning without Gommission to teach So they can send none hereafter Authoritatiuely to spread it further Hence I Argue That Church only is Christ's true Spouse which euer Protestancy increases not And why was from the first Rise of Christianity and successiuely got Possesin the four Parts of the world But thus the Roman Catholick Church was and is Still diffused here is Christ's promised Inheritance Therefore She is the only true Church Contrarywise the narrow confined and iarring multitudes of Sectaries scattered vp and down in à few corners in Europe All late Beginners and shameful Desertors of this Ancient Society neuer had so ample an inheritance and Consequently Their pretence of being the true Church of Christ is more than improbable 4. VVe may yet subioyn to the Amplitude of our Religion the euer visible and neuer interrupted Succession of Bishops and Pastors in the Roman Catholick Church from Christs time A Mark no less euident to sense than openly destructiue of Heresy This succession long since Prophesied by Daniel Cap. 2. Christ Kingdom shall neuer be dissipated and foretold by the Apostle Ephes 4. 11 He gaue some Apostles c. Sett's forth the Glory of it VVe need not in this place to weary the Reader with the known Authority of S. Austin positiuely Asserting Contra Epist fundam The succession of Lawful Pastors vrged C. 4. That the Succession of Pastors from S. Peters time held him in the Catholick Church and the Argument is more fully urged again Lib. de utilit Credendi C. 17. VVee need not tell any with
no For this we believe by Faith And know not Scientifically Yet they plainly Mark out the great Oracle whereby God speaks to the world And therefore wonder not that Sectaries striue so earnestly to Obscure the euidence Their design is to take from vs the clearest Principle which must end Controversies Why Sectaries endoauour to obs 〈…〉 â—he Churches Lustre For cast oncâ— off à Church manifested by Antiquity Miracles Conuersions c. Nothing remains to regulate Faith but the dark and yet vnsensed Letter of Scripture which is most grosly abused by the one or other dissenting Party who force vpon it quite contrary Senses And by what means can any one come to the knowledge of Him or these that abuse it if Church Authority be excluded or decide not in this most weighty matter VVe need not saith Mr Thorndicke in his Book of Forbearance P. 2. The Heresies of the Primitiue times to tell vs what Irreligious pretenses may be set forth in Scripture Phrase Our own Fanatiks would furnish sport enough with the Foolâ—riâ—s they pretend as from Gods Spirit because they can dâ—liuer their Nonsense in the Phrase of Scripture Again This two edged sword of holy Scripture may proue an edged tool to cut their sâ—ins with who take vpon them and haue not skill to handle it Much better were it say I were the Abuse or ill handling of the Book only found among à few Fanaticks But the euil is spread further you Gentlemen are all alike whether Fanaticks or Protestants that handle gloss and interpret Scripture by Priuate reason conttary to the Iudgement of an uniuersal euidenced Church 13. A third Truth The Church thus manifested by Her Marks which are Obiects of Sense and induce reason to iudge that She only is Gods Oracle Catholicks neuer call into doubt Her Essential owned Doctrin nor seek for further Euidence thereof because there is none in this present State But humbly submit to all she Teaches This Euidence then once attained which ariseth from the Churches Marks And hath drawn Millions to belieâ—e her Doctrin We next turn to our Bible and learn there that the Language of these Motiues for etiam factâ— What these Motiues Speak loquitur Deus saith S. Austin aboue God speaks by his works and the Language of his own written word is one and the same That is what these Inducements point at God expresly deliuers in holy Scripture Obserue an exact parallel 14. The Antiquity of our Church and here is one sensible Mark we plead by giues Assurance that the first Founder was our Lord Iesus Christ No Sectary call's this truth into Question and the Gospel confirms it Luc. 24. 48. Beginning from Hierusalem c. Her Constant Perseuerance visible in all Ages God reueals in Scripture proues Her indeficiency And this is manifest in Scripture A Citty placed on à Mountain Hell gates shall not preuail against Her Om 〈…〉 m etiam infidelium oculis exhibetur saith S. Austin Lib. Con. Crescon C. 63. The Church is so well seen by all that the very Pagans cannot contradict Her She showes you à continued Succession of her Popes Bishops and Pastors from the beginning and Scripture also Ephes 4. 11. And he gaue some Apostles c. long since foretold it She giues in à clear Euidence of Her Miracles through euery age Our Blessed Sauiour prophesied it should be so Iohn 14. 12. Maiora horum facient They shall work greater wonders None can deny most Miraculous Conuersions of Kingdomes and Nations to Her Faith and the Prophesies of Christ's Church fulfilled Prophets euery where Proclaim the truth Many Nations shall flock to Her Zachar. 2. 11. She Shewes how Her Doctrin was propagated through the whole world And therefore is called the Visible Catholick or Vniuersal Church Scripture also Confirm's it Doâ—ete omnes gentes Teach all Nations Dominabitur à mari vsque ad mare She shall raign from sea to sea Finally to say much in few words which might be further amplifyed Is it true which the Church demonstrates that Hereticks as Arians Nestorians Pelagians Eutichyans Lutherans and Caluinists once Professed Catholicks shamefully abandoned Her Vnion and for that Cause iustly deserued the reproachful name of Hereticks and Separatists Scripture Foretell's vs of the Breach and Apostacy Iohn 1. 2. 19. Ex nobis prodierunt They left vs went out from vs. for had they been of vs they would haue remained And thus both Church and Heresy are visibly pointed at by clear Marks and Gods written word also Videndum it is the Expression of Optat. Mileuit Lib. 1. à little after the middle Quis in radice â—um toto orbe â—aâ—serit quis foras exierit We are to see who They were that continued in the root with the whole world and who parted from it We are to see who erected another Chair distinct from that which was before Call these and boldly Hereticks straglers from the Church and the Verities of Christs Gospel And here by the way we vrge our Nouellists to point at à visible Sectaries Vrged to Answer Orthodox Society which the Supposed erring Church of Rome abandoned as clearly as we lay forth to them the time the place the circumstances not only of their own impious Reuolt But of all other more ancient Hereticks from this Catholick Society Could the Sectary do thus much Hee might speak more confidently 15. To end the matter now in hand You see by what is said already If Christs words haue weight Math. 18. 16. In ore duorum vel trium Stet omne verbum That Truth stand's firm vpon the Testimony of two or three vnexceptionable Witnessess Wee here introduce two Testimonies in behalf of our Church which none can except against Gods own voice speaking to reason by Miracles and the Motiues now mentioned is the One And his own sacred reuealed word which most significantly teaches what these Motiues speak is the Other Hence I say Sectaries cannot dispute against this Church without proofs drawn from Motiues as strong and Scriptures as clear as are now alleged in our behalf We press them again and again to giue in their Euidence and seriously demand whether Protestancy was confessedly founded by Christ Or but once owned Orthodox by any sound Christians Sectaries Grauelled at Euery Question As all acknowledge the foundation of the Roman Catholick and the Orthodoxism of it to haue been established by Christ our Lord. We further enquire after à visible Succession of their Pastors after their visible Miracles their visible Conuersions made in foregoing Ages Nothing is answered nothing is or can be pleaded nothing in à word is returned probable Therefore Protestancy is an vneuidenced Religion no Motiues countenance the Nouelty no Scripture speaks for it and Consequently cannot but be in the highest degree improbable 16. A fourth Truth A Church which weares as it were Gods own Liuery and beares the Signatures of Divine Authority in Her Miracles Prodigious Conuersions
Christians who are to learn it as Infallible But Sectaries do So That is they vnnaturely turn A Conuincing â—eason hereof Gods infallible Doctrin out of its own intrinsecal Certainty and Say its only Morally Certain to vs Therefore they wrong that first Verity and abuse all Christians This Principle alone Proues the Churches Infallibility And vtterly ruin's the Protestants Pretence to Moral Certainty whereof you Shall haue More hereafter 25. Now to deal fairely with Mr Stillingfleet let vs at present falsely Suppose Moral Certainty à sufficient ground of Faith Were Church Doctrin only Morally certain Sectaries yet gain Nothing what Good for Gods sake get Protestants by that Can They tell vs where the Church is whose Doctrin must be reputed only morally certain The Arians call themselues à Church so do the Graecians the Protestants likewise and finally so do Catholicks Are all these different iarring Doctrins Morally certain Euidently No. For the Professors of them maintain Contradictions vtterly Destructiue both of Moral and all other Certainty Some One Society therefore teaches it For more than One if diuided in faith cannot This One must be Signalized and pointed out which no Protestant can do For if he name his own Church he hath the whole world against him and will be forced to proue his Assertion vpon indubitable Principles And if he point at the Roman Catholick Church he ruin's his own cause For two opposite Churches cannot teach Doctrin morally Certain Now if he can point at no Church of One Denomination teaching Doctrin Morally certain This certainty is only an insignificant word in the aire appliable to no Christian Society 26. A second obiection The Motiues of Credibility though commonly held only Inducements morally certain so Denote the true Church that all may find it out Therefore though Church Doctrin were only morally Certain and not Infallible it may sufficiently lead to belieue that Doctrin which God has Reuealed Answ Here is neither Parity nor any Inference consequential Faith relies not vpon Motiues inducing to Beliefe And the want of distinguishing between the Credibility of Reuealed Doctrin and its Truth breed's the Confusion The Motiues then only make the Doctrin euidently Credible and remit vs to the Church which teaches Truth She proposes the Doctrin and vpon Her Proposition Faith relies which therefore must be infallible not vpon the Motiues too weak to Support Faith In à word here is all I would say God Reueal's truth infallibly the Motiues in à General way manifest the Church where truth is taught the Church thus Signalized Proposes Truth infallibly And vpon Her infallible Proposition not for the Motiues Christians belieue Infallibly 27. A third Obiection If the Churches Proposition be infallible or if God speaks by the Church As he anciently did by the Prophets and Apostles And She likewise Speak's in his name Whateuer this Oracle Proposes may be called the Voice of God and Consequently the Formal Obiect of Faith I Answer no hurt at all were it so For perhaps in this present State of things few Articles of Faith are or can be belieued independently of the Churches Proposition At least it is very easy to say I Belieue the Sacred Trinity because God anciently Reuealed it to whether the Churches Proposition may be Call'd the Obiect of Faith the Apostles and also because the Church now Testifies that the Mystery was anciently Reuealed Howeuer we here waue this Doctrin and Say The Churches Proposition though absolutely infallible is not properly speaking the Formal Obiect of Faith Though much may be de Nomine First because it is meerly Accidental not Essential to Faith to be proposed by the Church by this or that Oracle For Christ our Lord at his first Preaching was not the Church yet he Proposed Articles to be Belieued and most Infallibly 2. Diuines by the word Formal Obiect vsually vnderstand the Ancient infallible Reuelation made to the Prophets and Apostles And not the Churches Proposition which though it be an Intrinsick Essential and Necessary Condition compleating and Applying the Ancient Reuelation to Belieuers yet Principally it Terminates not Faith Now to be an essential Condition nothing at all impairs the Churches Infallibility Thus much is said to solue the Obiection though the Matter t' is true is capable of higher Speculation but Sectaries like not Speculatiue Learning 28. A fourth Obiection The Churches Infallibility seem's chiefly Asserted vpon this Ground that She is to be Heard and Obeyed which proues nothing For Iudges Gouernours and Parents The Disparity between Gouernours Commanding and the Church defining are to be heard and obeyed though all are fallible Answ A most silly Obiection The very Matter wherein These and the Church are to be Obeyed Shewes the disparity For No Ciuil Magistrate pretend's to regulate Faith or to Define what God Reueal's This the Church and She only is impowred to do To crush Heresies as they rise vp and to establish without Erring the contrary Truths which cannot be effected the matter being so Sublime without the infallible Assistance of the Holy Ghost Now we are to Proceed to the main Business in hand CHAP. XVI Principles premised to the following Doctrin The Roman Catholick Church is à Church of One Denomination She and no other Society of Christians is Infallible Other Grounds of Her Infallibility laid forth The Infallibility of Councils maintained against Mr Stillingfleets Supposed Truth and Reason There are no Principles whereby Approued Councils can be proued Fallible Sectaries Conuinced by their own Doctrin 1. WE here first Premise three certain Principles One that the Doctrin of all Churches seuerally Denominated One Principle importing the Disunion in Faiih from their Authors as Arianism from the Arians Protestancy from Protestants Christian Verities from Christ our Lord â—s not in the whole or totally considered vnder One Notion of Christian Doctrin either True or Infallible For in this whole diffuâ—ed Body We euidently find Contradictions The Arians conâ—adict Protestants These Set against Arians And the Catholick Church Opposes both Therefore All of them maintain neither One nor true nor infallible Catholick Doctrin And consequently infallibility ceases in the VVhole when the seueral Parts stand in an implacable Opposition with One another 2. A. 2. Principle If all Churches which Contradict One another are not infallible One only and of one Denomination Another Principle must be infallible or none at all can be so For example Catholicks and Protestants teach Contrary Doctrin the like is of all other dissenting Societies both Parties cannot be infallible Therefore the One is so or Neither Now further Protestantâ— disclaim the Prerogatiue of teaching infallibly whence it followes First That the Roman Catholick Church enioyes that Priuiledge or there is no such thing on earth as an infallible Church Secondly this is Consequent It is the same to Say The Roman Catholick Church is infallible as to Say that God yet Preserues an infallible Church in Being This
I Assert not only because Protestants quit all Pretence to infallibility but vpon this ground chiefly That no other Society nameable can Parallel this One Oracle in Her Marks and Signs Illustrious Miracles admirable Conuersions Sanctity the blood shedding of Martyrs By these The present Church proued by her Signs as Infallible as the Primitiue Signs the Infallibility of this present Church is no less rationally proued than the Infallibility of the Primitiue Church in the Apostles time Here I Petition our Aduersaries to giue à probable Disparity 3. A. 3. Principle One may teach true Christian Doctrin and yet not Propose it as infallible So all do that hold the Definitions of the Church only morally Certain One again may teach infallible Christian Doctrin and yet not teach it infallibly Different wayes of Teaching infallible Doctrin And thus Sectaries teach the General Truths of Christianity of one God and of one Christ. The Doctrin obiectiuely attested by Diuine Reuelation is in it self infallible But these Nouellists for want of Diuine Assistance teach it not infallibly And therefore Confess themselues so fallible that they may sweâ—â—e from Truth Finally One may teach true and infallible Christian Doctrin with this Addition That he Teaches it Infallibly And these three Perfections now named were most Eminent in the Preaching of Christ and His Apostles They Taught true Doctrin They taught infallible Doctrin and moreouer taught it infallibly In so much that their very formal Teaching was not liable to Errour Thus much Premised here is my Assertion 4. The Roman Catholick Church is Gods infallible liuing The Roman Catholick Church is Gods Infallible Oracle Oracle and teaches not only Christs true and infallible Doctrin But moreouer Deliuers it so infallibly that She cannot err The Proof of the Assertion wholly depend's vpon à Discourse in the other Treatise Disc 1. C. 2. and in the Appendix P. 2. 3. 4. Whence I Argue If once you annul this one Principle that à Church which pretend's to teach Christs Sacred Doctrin teaches it so fallibly that She may Deceiue it doth not only follow that one Eminent Perfection in our Sauiours Preaching who taught infallibly is vtterly lost and now remoued from vs But this is also consequent That no man can haue assurance of so much as of one Christian Verity at this day Proposed or taught the whole world ouer The Reason is Whateuer Church teaches Christian Doctrin fallibly can say no more but thus much timidly That as taught it may by virtue of the Proposition be false but à Doctrin so far remoued from infallible Certainty for want of à due Application of its Infallibility comes not neer to the Doctrin The Assertion proued of Christ and his Apostles which was Applyed Taught and. Proposed Infallibly Therefore such à Doctrin if valued by the merit of its Deliuery Can be esteemed no more but à weak vncertain humane perswasion not at all resoluable into God's infallible Verity For though God own 's à Doctrin obiectiuely True and Infallible because he Reueals it yet he vtterly disowns such à Proposal as discountenances that VVorth and makes it look like à changling or dislike it Self That is neither True nor Infallible but contrarywise Possibly false and fallible And it neither is nor can be more to Christians than fallible if proposed Fallibly 5. The Case is thus As if one had à Gem of mighty Value and skilful Iewellers were appointed to Prise it yet none after all Art and Industry vsed can know the true worth Thereof An Instance The Iewel may indeed be precious and perhaps not More the most skilful cannot Say Put this case the Owner would be little enriched by such an vnknown treasure whilst the worth is not known And no More Say I are Christians now enriched with Christs Precious Verities whilst none can esteeme of Their vltimate Value nor Say infallibly They are Gods own infallible Truths Moral certainty has here no place For the Reasons alleged aboue Hence it followes That as God Reueal's his verities of an Immense Valuation True and infallible So Prouidence has ordained that they be Proposed answerably to their due Estimate truly and infallibly without which Their vnfitnes to ground Faith is more than palpable as will appear by the Resoluing any one act now held de Fide Please to obserue We and Sectaries belieue the Diuine word Consubstantial to his The Assertion further declared Father the Church Proposes that infallible Truth but as it is now Supposed Fallibly the Assent which followes vpon that Proposition and should be Diuine reaches not so high because it Answers not to the Strength of the infallible obiectiue Verity in it Self yet not asserted by any as infallible But to the weaknes of the formal Proposition which is supposed so fallible that it may be false All then that à Belieuer can Say by virtue of that weak Light is thus much only and no more Perhaps the Diuine word is Consubstantial perhaps not For none doth or can auen the Truth otherwise but as à thing doubtful or indifferent to truth and falshood 6. The Reason à Priori of all now said is We neither know nor belieue by external Obiectiue Truths considered in Themselues but by our own Subiectiue internal Acts as therefore an Obiectiue Truth appears in our own internal Acts of so much worth it is to vs And neither more nor less Now further My internal Faith necessarily depend's on two external Obiects when I belieue any Mystery The first is Gods Reuelation The other the Churches Proposition Neither the one or other is my true Faith for that 's inherent in me if I belieue We belieue not by Obiects but by our intâ—riour Acts. When therefore the Church after Her Proposition obliges me to Settle my internal Faith vpon the Diuine Reuelation I rationally demand in what manner Or how I shall fix it Knowing well if God speaks he speak's infallibly But my Scruple is whether the Church can infallibly Assure me so much If She Answer 's truly She doth so I am secure vpon this Principle that an Oracle teaches which cannot Deceiue But if it be replyed She is only impowred to Propose reuealed Truths fallibly and I by my internal Assent close as it were with That or lay hold of the reuealed obiect iust so as it is proposed fallibly most euidently my Assent and Belief is no more but Fallible 7. In this Matter then as in all others we are exactly to attend to the Proposal of Obiects for as they are laid forth to vs so much weight they haue For example A real Good in it Selfe is by mistake Proposed to me as an Euil I adhere to that Obiect as it is proposed and must Adhere to Euil because it appear's so to me In like manner an infallible Truth is Proposed not as it is in it Selfe infallible But discoloured and defaced by à viciated Proposition which is fallible Therefore by force
Peace of Kingdoms and Common-wealths wherevpon their Happines â—est's more secure And is better preserued than if this fiction 〈◊〉 not Hence it followes euidently To know and Profess Truth to quit our Selues of Errour and fiction robb's vs of Happines and makes humane nature miserable The Inference is vndeniable For if we be happy vpon this score that we liue in à Dâ—tage we are miserable in case we get free of it or become Wise which is against the light of Reason For if God has endued Nature is not miserable by being freed from dotage all with à desire of true Wisdom and the knowledge of truth whereof none can doubt Man cannot be miserable if he Possesses that Good which the Author of nature would haue him to enioy Hence it in also Inserred that the vniuersal Perswasion of true Religion is no Dotage no Deception but à Truth and that most notorious 3. Now if you Obiect some liue without Religion and â—â— few embrace à false one you plead by cases meerly Accidental As if one should Say Nature has made man Sociable and giuen him à tongue to Conuerse with others But some Cases meerly Accidental made vse of to no purpose are dumb others abuse their faculty of speaking Therefore man is no sociable creature This is our case Those who liue without all Religion if any such be are the dumbe and blind Those that Profess à falss Religion like lying tongues abuse Gods Gifts the Abuse is Theirs not God's who would haue all to be vâ—ius labij of one Tongue and one heart in à matter of so high Concern And thus much of these first Aduersaries Opposite to true Religion 4. In the next place I may well name our modern Sectaries no less than Arch-aduersaries of Religion who make the Church and all that teach Church Doctrin fallible My reason is A Fained and Fallible Religion are neer Cous 〈…〉 Sectaries parallel'd with the other Aduersaries Germans The one is à Fiction The other at least may be so And for ought any man can know is no better For there is no Principle whereby it may appear so much as probably that all the Christians who liued since the Apostles time or yet are aliue haue not been deluded with fictions concerningâ— Gods truths but rather are plunged into à deep Deluge of gross Errours if the Church and Councils can Teach or belieue false Doctrin And here be pleased to reflect à little Hoâ— neer these two Aduersaries come to one another 5. The first mentioned account it Happines to remain in Errour and Sectaries like well not only the Possibility but more à prefent manifest danger of erring in this matter of highest The Parallel laâ—id forth and proued Consequence Actual errour pleases the one and à great hazard of it contents the other Humane nature say the first would be miserable were men so wise as to learn this Truth that Religion is à Foppery though it be so And we are all vndone Say Sectaries could we acquire so much Wisdom in this present state as to be infallibly Ascertained that Religion is no Foppery which perhaps may be one Wherefore to weaken all certitude They tell vs That none can learn infallibly those truths which God has reuealed because all Churches all Councile all Pastors and Doctors whose Duty is to giue Assurance of trutâ— are so fallible And that the very best may erre and oblige men â—â— belieue Errour Here is all the comfort we haue from Sectaries Thus much premised 6. We come to the fundamental Ground which proues our Catholick Religion and the Church that teaches it to be infallible I Said in the first Disc C. 1. n. 9. speaking against Atheists If we receiue the first lights of nature called general The fundamental ground of the Churches Infallibility 〈◊〉 from any Power inferiour to God They are all fallible and may deceiue vs. This granted which I think no Christian can deny It is most consequent to Assert That if we receiue the Supernatural lights or truths of Grace reuealed in Scripture vastly aboue all humane Comprehension from à less Power than God the wisest of men may liue in errour and cannot but be deceiued And thus both Nature and Grace necessarily depend on God 7. This great Truth iâ— the Apostles Doctrin Iacob C. 1. 17. Omne Donum perfectum de sursum est Euery perfect Gift Deduced from the Apostles Doctrin comes from aboue descending from that Father of lights God therefore rightly stiled the Father of light or as Diuines Speak Prima veritas the first vnerring Verity Pleased to make known some few of his Diuine truths in that Book of Holy Scripture Few I call them compared with innumerable others not at all reuealed which yet his infinite Wisdom comprehend's Howeuer these few often darkly expressed in that mysterious Book or in Terms less perspicuous Dazle the eyes of weak sighted Mortals and wonder nothing The Apostle giues the Reason â— Tim. 6. 16. because all proceed from him Qui lucem inhabitat inaccessibilem That dwell's in an vnaccessible light none can attain vnto Yet truths they are the first vnerring Verity Treasures Communicated Asserts it and therefore ought to be estemed treasures If treasures Prouidence will haue them conueyed vnto vs by secure hands And if eternal truths concerning Saluation God cannot but will and his Will is à law That all be Proposed and Taught as Diuine and infallible Verities depending vpon none How to be Valued if we vltimately bring them to their last Center but vpon the first Truth only who neither will nor can deceiue any 8. Now here is the Difficulty Seing it hath pleased Almighty God for reasons best known to Himselfe to leaue most of the high Mysteries registred in Scripture in no little Obscurity The main Difficulgy Proposed Some express his own Perfections of being one essence and three distinct Persons Others relate to the admirable works of Grace effected by his Infinite Power Of this nature are the Incarnation and the whole Series of mans Redemption The Difficulty I say is to find out à trusty Interpreter some faithful Oracle which can when doubts occurr concerning the darker Mysteries clear all lay open the Book and absolutely Assert An infinite verity speaks thus This sense and no other is what the Holy Ghost intended And this is necessary because Almighty God teaches no more immediatly by himself nor will haue Enthusianisms to be our Doctors 9. Moreouer the necessity of such à sure Oracle if Diuine The necessity of an Infallible Oracle truth must be learn'd is proued vpon this ground chiefly That these mysteries as is now said haue both their Difficulty and Darkness Natural reason left to it self boggles at them Iewes Gentils and Hereticks reiect the highest It is Say they mighty hard to believe á Trinity the Diuine word made flesh God and man to dye vpon à Cross c. What can
I said well His reading and glosses and all he can Allege for himself are nothing but His own weak thoughts as far remoued from the foundation of truth Gods infallible Verity as earth is from Heauen and more 23. But its needles to Prosecute this Point further when one only reason which none can contradict giues Euidence enough against Protestants I Propose it thus What euer Doctrin they teach peculiar to Protestancy or maintain against the Roman Catholick Church either proceed's from Gods infallible Assistance or wholly borrowes strength from their own Sectaries teach Doctrin diuorced from Diuine Assistance fallible Conceptions after their reading and comparing Scripture Grant the first They teach infallible Doctrin by virtue of Gods infallible Assistance and consequently are the men who constitute an Infallible Church Say secondly that all they teach deriues force from their own weak reason guided only by the external words of Scripture vnderstood as they conceiue They teach as the Arians and all Hereticks haue taught before them à learning which is not from God Their And therefore not from God Doctrin in à word Diuorced from all Diuine Aide and Assistance stand's tottering vpon their own errable Sentiments and therefore neither is which I intended to proue Christ's Doctrin nor at all resoluable into that first Principle of truth God's vnerring Verity 24. Shall we to giue some clearer Light to the Controuersy hitherto handled compendiously recapitulate à few of these many reflections made already in the foregoing Chapters And then more establish the Churches infallibility vpon vndoubted Principles To do so may perhaps benefit the Reader 25. Say therefore Is it true that Christian Religion vltimately A briefe recapitulation of what has been Said depend's vpon God the first vnerring Verity No man doubts it Is it true that innumerable called Christians grosly misconceiue those reuealed Truths after their reading and perusing Scripture It is no less certain Is it true That the bare reading and pondering Scripture Sectaries like Arians no more ascertain's Protestants of the Verities there registred than the Arians or any other Hereticks The truth is vndoubted For from whom should they haue greater certainty Is it true That Funaticism Scripture wrested Doubtful faith euâ—ry Fanatique recurr's to Scripture as Sectaries do Experience proues it Is it true That this sole recourse to Scripture wrâ—sted to a sinister Sense vpohld's the most false Sects in the world Is it true That Christian Doctrin doubtfully taught beget's only à doubtful faith Is it true That the only support of Protestants in points of Religion Comparing Texts fallible Scepticism amount's to no more but to their own doubtful and bare pondering Scripture or to their various and fallible comparing Texts together Is it true That these men like Scepticks would stand euerlastingly quarrelling about the sense of Gods word and cannot be iuduced to hear any Iudge No Iudge speak in this cause of Religion but themselues Is it true That we urge them to make choise of what Iudge they please prouided they appeal not to their own Sentiments and Glosses as much controuerted as Protestancy is Is it true That they can name no Orthodox Church which No Orthodox Church Nor Councils Want of Infallible Assistance Fallible Professors of fallible Doctrin Diuine Reuelation wronged Doctrin neuer owned taught as they teach glossed Scripture as they gloss No Council generally receiued Comparable either to the Lateran or Florentine which fauours their Interpretations forced vpon Christs words Is it true That the Doctrin they propound confessedly proceed's not from Gods infallible Assistance Is it true That they assume to themselues the name of Christians and yet are ashamed to be called infallible Professors of the whole systâ—me of Christian Religion Is it true That they haue done their vtmost to take from God's infallible Reuelation it s own intrinsick nature of Infallibility by making it no more but morally certain in order to our Christian Faith Is it true That that half Infallibility some lay claim to in à few yet vnknown fundamentals appear's euen to Protestants not any Doctrin owned by the Christian world nor can it appear otherwise whilst à whole vniuersal Church decryes it as improbable Is it true That These Nouellists raise not their Doctrin Endles Disputes any higher but only to an endles Contest whilst no Iudge but themselues must speak in the cause 26. Are all these things I say more amply enlarged and clearly proued already so vndoubted that no Sectary shall euer rationally contradict them If the Iudicious Reader find I speak truth as he will may Preiudice be laid aside I may boldly Conclude Who euer see 's not the deplorable Condition of misled Sectaries who euer see 's not also an absolute necessity of an infallible Church to set them in the right way of truth Again is wilfully blind supinely negligent Yea vtterly Careless of Saluation CHAP. XIX Certain Principles where vpon the Churches Infallibility stand's firm The End of Diuine Reuelation is to teach all Infallibly Euery Doctrin reuealed by the fiast Verity is no less infallâ—ble then true It s one thing to teach Truth another to teach Diuine and Infallible Truth Sectaries Strangly vngrateful A word of Mr Stillingfleets weak Obiections 1. NOw wee come to the last certain Principles whervpon the Churches infallibilitâ— stand's most firmly Here is one The Doctrin which God reueal's as it proceed's from that first vnerring Verity is not only true but infallible The Second Principle Scripture which makes none infallible is often abused by Hereticks Principles premised The third Principle Some Christians are yet in Being That both teach and learn this true Diuine and infallible reuealed Doctrin The Proof is easy For vnless some Teach and learn it All Teach and learn another Doctrin distinct from that which God reuealed The Principle Proued and this neither is nor can be Diuine but meerly humane at most and Perhaps à foolery That therefore which the Prophet Asserts Iohn 6. 43. All shall be Docibiles Dei docible or taught of God is not so For now if the Supposirion hold's the whole Church take it in what Extent you please is deludeâ— as the Apostle Saith Ephes. 4. 14 With the wind of Doctrin in the wickednes of men in Craftines to the circumuention of errour And this brings ruin to Christian Religion 2. The. 4. Principle This Diuine Doctrin is not only A Church must be acknowledged absolutely infallible true and infallible in it self but moreouer so infallibly Proposed by one vnerring Oracle That all who will receiue it are most indubitably certain of those very truths which God has reuealed and therefore cannot err Make good this one Proposition We haue an infallible Church established not only in à few nicknam'd vnknown fundamentals but in euery Doctrin She teaches Now the Proof is taken from the End of Diuine reuelation which seem's most Conuincing For say I
become Heretiques by it The very hazard men run in this wilful Course is an open Iniury to the Supremest Verity vnauoidable in out Sectaries Principles 15. And here by the way you se the Vanity of that pernicious Doctrin published by them wherewith the world is Sectaries pernicious Doctrin cheated Viz. The Sense of Scripture is plain enough euen to the vnlearned in things necessary to Saluation in other matters not necessary à right Faith an vnerring Guide an infallible Interpreter See◠vseles and superfluous As if forsooth the Arians Pelagians Nestorians had not grosly erred in Points most necessary though Concerning the Clearness of Scripture they read the same plain Scripture which we all read Did the◠that supposed Clearness nothing secure them from Heresy in Necessaries Why should it I beseech you rescue Sectaries wholly as fallible from gross errours in other matters when the words of Scripture are more express against them than against the worst of Arians But hereof enough is said aboue 16. It followes 3. That no Christian has stability in Faith but the Roman Catholick for the most which others no members of this Church can know if yet they know so much is That the Books of Scripture are Gods word but with this half piece of imperfect Learning they neither know nor can belieue one particular Article of Christian Faith because that other The Roman Catholick only has Stability in Faith Principle the last Resoluent of all Belief God speaks infallibly this very Sense has no influence ouer their Assent and therefore is reiected by them as impertinent to ground Faith vpon One instance will giue you more light 17. The Arian and Protestant agree thus farr That those words Iohn 1. 5. 9. Three giue Testimony in heauen c. are Diuine Both Arians and Protestestants want à Stability Scripture yet so vary about the meaning and the difference is in à matter most fundamental that the One Assent's to the sacred Trinity for these words which yet the Other impiously denies Say now vpon what infallible Principle doth the Protestants faith stand more firm than that of the Arian Will Mr Stillingfleet say the Scripture is Clear The Arian takes him off that Plea and endeauours to obscure the passage by adding to it no small number of his Arian Glosses Next And why he Argues thus ad hominem and thinks no wrong at all done Can yee Sectaries belieue that your glosses laid vpon those Scriptures which Catholicks produce against you are strong enough to diuert and peruert the Sense or Interpretation of their Vniuersal Church and shall my glosses opposite to your Doctrin haue no force to diuert or weaken the late priuate inuented Sense of à few Lutherans What law is there for this I call it late and priuate as it comes from you for you How the Arian argues against Sectaries disdain to ground it vpon any Church Authority absolutly infallible in all She teaches Therefore it is your own Priuate Sense and not the Churches O but the Church of Rome in this particular interpret's Scripture faithfully though She err's in other matters Pitiful That is She hitt's right when You 'l giue leaue and misses when you think otherwise 18. One may Say again The whole Orthodox world euer proued the Mysterious Trinity from that alleged Passage of Scripture Contra Replies the Arian I and my Adherents who deny the Mystery hold our Selues as precious à Part of the His Argument Conuinces Orthodox world as you Protestants doe And hope we expound Scripture by the help of our priuate Reasoning and comparing Texts together as well as you Why not I beseech you Or giue à Disparity But say on And the contest is ended Haue you any Oracle which more infallibly Ascertain's you of that Sense of Scripture to be as you gloss then we haue who giue it à quite contrary Interpretation For hitherto we are both alike and expound all by our priuate Iudgements Grant such an Oracle Distinct from Scripture whereby you haue Assurance of God's meaning darkly expressed in those words you become plane Papists Own not Any Infallible you cast your Selues vpon as great Vncertainties as we Arians are thrown who expound Scripture by our own natural Discourse No infallible Church therefore no Stability No Orthodox world without an Infallible Church in faith no Stability in faith that specious word of an Orthodox VVorld Signifies nothing For this I Defend and haue Proued it if all Churches be fallible in their Definitions there neither is nor euer was since Christs time any such thing in being as an Orthodox VVorld 19. It followes 4. That as it has euer been the proper Mark or Character of all faithful Belieuers to yeild Submission The distinct Marks of true Belieuers and All Hereticks to the Churches Doctrin though weak reason conceiues it difficult so Contrarywise stubbornly to resist Church Authority has euer been inseparably the Mark and Badge of all Heretiques whether ancient or modern With this virulent Spirit they began to Oppose God's Oracle and held on for à time But as S. Austin obserues at last ended in shame Conterentur saith the Saint the battered Rock of the Catholick hitherto stand's firm maugre that Violence And their Scattered forces routed and broken as experience tells vs are brought to nothing CHAP. III. More of this subiect Obiections Answered A word to Mr Stillingfleets forceless Instances Motiues of credibility euer Precede Faith VVhether the rational Euidence of the Truth of Christ's Doctrin can be à Motiue to belieue it 1. WHat followes in Mr Stillingfleets 3. or 4 next Pages seem's so slight that the very most is refuted by the grounds already established Yet to Comply with the mans humour we must follow him further How Saith He can you make the Assent to your Churches Testimony to be Infallible when The sirst Argument retorted that infallibility is attempted to be proued only by the motiues of Credibility I Answer Iust as you make the Assent of the Primitiue Christians giuen to the Apostles preaching infallible So I make the Assent to the Churches Testimony infallible The Motiues are alike in both Cases if not greater for the Church 2. He Obiects 2. If Diuine Faith cannot be built vpon the Motiues prouing the Doctrin of Christ what sense is there that it should be built vpon those Motiues which proue our Churches infallibility Here is the old Mistake again I Answer therefore Diuine Faith is not built vpon the Motiues inducing to belieue but vpon the Infallible Testimony of Christ and his Church The Motiues ground the Iudgement of Credibility The Infallible Testimony Support's The second is à gross Mistake Diuine Faith Now if by this word Built you mean no more but rationally To induce I say none in this present State can be induced to belieue Christ's Doctrin reuealed in Scripture in case he reiect's the Authority of that euidenced Church which
both Ascertains him of the Canon and the Sense also Hence That other Obiection fall's to nothing How can there be an infallible Assent to the truth of this Proposition Scriptures are The third retorted and answered the word of God when that Infallibility at the highest is but euidently Credible I Answer and retort the Argument How could the Primitiue Christians Assent to the Apostles preaching as infallible when that infallibility at the highest was but Euidently Credible before they belieued 3. The whole Confusion lies as is said in not Distinguishing between Faith and the Iudgement of Credibility Infallibility therefore whether we Assent to Christ to his Apostles or to the Church all taught one and the same Doctrin is the Obiect of Diuine Faith but none euer assented to any Doctrin these Oracles taught infallibly without sufficient Euidence preuiously had A Discouery of the whole Fallacy of its Credibility And thus I belieue by Faith Scripture to be God's word because the Church Saith so But if you Ask why I hold all the Church Teaches to be Euidently Credible I Euince not this truth by the Infallibility I belleue But recurr to those Motiues whereby She is proued an Oracle as euidently Credible as euer any Apostle was And consequently I belieue Her Infallibility with the same Diuine Faith as I belieue the Words of Scripture 4. Page 114. He Obiect 's 3. We Catholicks make by this way of resoluing Faith euery man's reason the only Iudge in the Choise of his Religion Why doe we more so I beseech you than the Primitiue Christians who certainly had the very like rational Motiues with ours and no other before they belieued But of this Subiect we shall treat largely towards the End of this Discourse 5. Page 115. He Saith If the Infallibility of the Church of Rome be à sure foundation of Faith what will become of the Faith of all those who receiued Diuine Reuelations without the Infallibility of any Obiections grounded on Instance Church at all And he brings in these Instances First of the Apostles belieuing the Diuine Authority of the old Testament when Christ suffered which certainly was not Grounded on the infallible Testimony of the Iewish Church for at that time it consented to the Death of the â—essias 2. Of all that belieued the woman of Samaria no infallible Oracle when She declared the Discourse between Christ our Lord and her self 3. Of such as belieued our Sauiours Doctrin and Miracles related by men honest and faithful These Saith â—e had no infallible Testimony but only à rational Euidence to build Faith non and consequently an Infallible Testimony of the Conueyers of Diuine Reuelation is Vnnecessary to Diuine Faith which seem's vndoubted For very few in the first Ages of the Christian Church receiued the Doctrin of the Gospel from the mouths of persons infallible 6. By the way I much wonder Why Mr Stillingfleet omitted to touch here vpon an other Instance farr more difficult which both he and all other must solue concerning rude and illiterate Persons chiefly if of no great maturity who are induced to belieue by the Testimony or Instruction of their Parents or of Another Instance more difficult some other simple Teachers These certainly may haue Faith without acquiring that full Euidence of Credibility whereunto the learned reach yea and without any Discouery of the Scriptures rational Euidence neuer perhaps heard of much less vnderstood by them 7. Now I Answer to the Obiection None makes the Roman Catholick Church in all Circumstances the only sure foundation of Diuine Faith For the first man that belieued in The Church in all Cireumstances was not the only Foundation of Faith Christ our Lord before the Compleat Establishment of His Church had Perfect Faith resting on that great Master of Truth without dependance on the Christian Church For Christ alone was not the Church But the supreme Head of it Faith therefore in General requires no more but only to rely vpon God the first Veriâ—y speaking by this or that Oracle by one or more men lawfully sent to teach who proue their Mission and make the Doctrin proposed by them Euidently Credible In like manner the Apostles preached no Doctrin in the name of the new Christian Church whilst our Sauiour liued here on earth But Testified that he was the true Messias by virtue of those Signs and Miracles which had been already wrought aboue the force of nature Thus much Supposed 8. It is hard I think for any to Say where the force lies in The Mistake of the first Instance that Instance of the Apostles belieuing the Diuine Authority of the old Testament which innumerable Iewes then dispersed all Iury ouer and the other parts of the world not at all conscious of Christ's Passion most firmly belieued Why therefore might not the Apostles belieue the Diuinity of the old Scripture vpon the Authority of that Church whereof there were at that time many and very many Professors in other places distant from Hierusalem Hence I say the Belief of that Article neuer failed But was alwayes preserued entire in both Churches of the Iewes and Christians for we all yet belieue the Authority of the old Testament And Consequently its hard to Conceiue what this Obiection aymes at 9. Again admit à total Subuersion of the Iewish Church Had not the Apostles our Blessed Lord present who could well Ascertain them that he came not to Cancel any Diuine Supposed true its forceles Authority of Scripture for this was impossible vnless God be contrary to God but to fulfil to perfect and change the old Law into à better State O but the High Priest and the Elders also erred in consenting to Christs death Very true and the Reason is because their Priuiledge of not erring lasted only to Christ's comming and not longer But hence it followes not that then there was no Iewish Church which belieued the Diuine Verities of the old Scripture I verily think Mr Stillingfleet mistook one Obiection for another Perhaps he would haue said that the Apostles lost faith of our Sauiours Resurrection at the time of his Passion But this Difficulty is solued ouer The Apostles failed not in Faith and ouer First it is Answered that Article was not sufficiently Proposed to them Therefore we read Luke 18. 34. They vnderstood none of these things This Word was hid from them Again Had they failed in Faith ar that time They were then as Bellarmin obserues Lib 3. de Ecclesia C. 17. neither the whole Church but only material Parts of it nor could that improbable Supposed Errour haue preiudiced one whit the Faith of others who firmly belieued in Christ 10. That other Instance of the Samaritan woman is soon cleared if we distinguish between the Motiue or the natural Proposition The other Instance cleared by one 〈…〉 tion of Faith which comes by hearing and the infallible Oracle wherevpon it relies And T' is
Lord and the Apostles taught these Doctrins Infallibly The Orthodox Church Disclaim's this petty way of conueying and teaching Christian Doctrin fallibly Therefore No Authority can be conceiued which deliuered such Verities owned euen by Sectaries essential Doctrins vpon Moral Certainly only or Conueyed them fallibly to Any 4. Hence you se first This Dilemma cannot be Answered Either we belieue That our Sauiour is the true Messias the like is of all other Mysteries because God reuealed it And because A Dilemma Christ himselfe His Apostles and the Vniuersal Church euer since taught the Doctrin Or Contrarywise we belieue it vpon some other Authority Inferiour to and distinct from the Infallible Testimony of these Oracles Grant the first our Faith stand's firm vpon à Testimony both Diuine and Infallible and therefore Cannot but be Infallible Say 2. We belieue vpon another Authority distinct from the Testimony of the Oracles now named that misplaced Assent because not resoluable into the first Verity is no Faith at all 5. You se 2. Whoeuer attempt's to turn these high reuealed A 2. Inference Verities out of their onw nature of being Infallible Or rashly presumes to conuey that Doctrin to vs vpon Moral certainty only which God by Diuine Reuelation Christ our Lord The Apostles also deliuered and Conueyed as most infallible certain Doctrin Becomes thereby à publick Corrupter of Diuine Truths vpon this account that He transfigures what the first Verity has spoken Infallibly into weak Topicks and vncertain Moralities The Offence is Criminal and the wrong done to God not pardonable without à serious Repentance 6. You se 3. That No Authority Imaginable vphold's this pretended Moral Certainty of Sectaries in Matters of Faith And here I desire Mr Stillingfleet to Answer Will he belieue that Christ our Lord is the true Messias God and man because No Authority conceiuable vpheloâ—'s All Orthodox Christians assent to the Verity I Answer first All these belieue the truth with infallible Faith and why dare not he do so also 2. If he Assent's because they Vniversally consent to the Mystery He build's his Faith not vpon God's Infallible Reuelation but vpon the Assent of Others which He saith Should only be moral and fallible 3. Will This pretended moral Certainty he belieue the Verity because Heteredox Christians Iudge it true That 's neither God's Reuelation nor Christ's Doctrin And Consequently his Faith has no foundation 4. Will he belieue for the Motiues of Credibility preuious to Faith These considered as Motiues are nor God's Reuelation Nor so much as Apostolical Doctrin Besides as we Shall se presently Protestants haue no Motiues at all to rely on Finally will He tell vs He belieues that Christ was in the world and dyed on à Cross with the same Moral assent as He yeilds to the being of Caesar and Pompey I haue Answered that 's nothing to the Purpose For Gentils assent to such Matters of Fact once Visible and Sensible by Moral where the main difficulty lies Certainty And yet are Infidels That therefore which vrgeth at present Concern's the hidden and obscure Mysteries of Faith In these Moral Certainty hath no place at all The reason is manifest For if as reuealed they stand firm vpon God's infallible Testimony No Power vnder Heauen can alter their own intrinsick Infallibility Or Conuey them vnto vs vpon weak Moral Certainty yet Mr Stillingfleet boldly Assert's There can be no greater Certainty then Moral of the Main foundations of all Religion Iudge good Reader whether this be not à gross Mistake And whether I wrong'd the man when I told you his Discourse is vndigested and highly erroneous 7. Yet we haue not said all Wherefore because Mr Stillingfleet seem's highly to value This late inuented Nouelty of Moral Certainty we will examin the Doctrin most rigidly till at las't the Moral certainty more rigidly examined whole fallacy be discouered To do this my first demand is to what Obiect will He apply his Moral Certainty in this Matter of Fact Christ is the Messias truly God and man These four things and no more can only be thought of 1. The Matter belieued 2. The Diuine Testimony which reueal's that Truth 3. The Faith of those who belieue vpon Reuelation And. 4. The Motiues whereby we are induced to belieue the Truth reuealed Four things to be Considered because God speak's it Now all know first that in Material Obiects purely considered in themselues there neither is nor can be moral Certainty For euery thing is or is not independently of our Iudgements where only Moral certainty is founded therefore God and all those who se things intuitiuely are exempted from this imperfect degree of Knowledge 2. There can be no moral certainty in the Diuine Reuelation which proceed's from an infinite Verity for this without Question is most Supereminently Infallible 3. If that infallible Testimony or Reuelation be infallibly The efficacy of Diuine Reuelation applyed to Belieuers and hath influence vpon their Faith it cannot but transfuse into it infallible Certainty if God Speak's infallibly for this end that we belieue him infallibly And if Faith rest not vpon that Perfection of his infallible Testimony it is no Faith at all Thus we Argued in the other Treatise Disc 1. C. 5. n. 7. 8. It remain's that we now Say à word of the Motiues which what Influence The Motiues haue vpon Faith induce to Faith and examin what Influence they haue ouer it when we either belieue the Doctrin in Scripture or the Churches Definitions Mr Stillingfleet P. 203. Hauing first told vs that the Reuelation which was communicated to one was obligatory to all concerned in it though they could haue nothing but moral certainty for it Concludes thus By this it appears that when we now Speak of the resolution of Faith though the vtmost reason of our Assent be that Infallibility which is supposed in the Diuine Testimony yet the nearest and most proper Resolution of it is into the Grounds inducing vs to belieue That such Our Aduersaries Doctrin à testimony is truely Diuine and the resolution of this cannot be into any Diuine Testimony without à process in Infinitum He would Say That à true act of Faith relies vpon two foundations one remote the supposed Diuine Testimony The other most proper and nearest To wit the Grounds which induce to belieue that fuch à Testimony is in being or truely Diuine And his reason if he has any must be because these grounds immediatly Apply or Conuey vnto vs the supposed Diuine Testimony Now this Conueyance or Application of the Testimony being made by grounds only Morally certain It followes that the Faith we elicit Answer 's not to the strength of the Testimonies Infallibility considered in it self But to the weaknes of the Conueyance and consequently can be no more but only à Moral certain Faith not at all Infallible And thus you remoues Faith from its own Obiect se
of Diuine Inspiration because this Otacle saith so Then we Argue vpon à Principle proued by vs and supposed though not proued by Sectaries The Principle is Scripture is God's word We read the book which all Christians Say is Diuine And proue also from it the Churches infallibility against our Aduersaries Ex probatis concessis That the book is Diuine Here is no danger of à Circle nor any fault in this way of Arguing 8. Yet Mr Stillingfleet makes his Exceptions and will needs haue the Circle goe on against vs. You proue Saith he the Churches infallibility from such Passages Super hanc Petram Pasce oues c. But how come you to know infallibly A reply retorâ—ed that the Sense of those places is as you belieue For your Aduersaries deny any such thing as infallibility proued out of them I may Answer first by proposing the like Question How do these Aduersaries know that their contrary sense is exactly the true Meaning of the Holy Ghost Will they tell vs they think so here is all we haue from them what am I better for that When the Donatists Pelagians and all Heretiques can think as boldly as any Protestant And by their deluded thoughts vnsense as we se by experience the most choise and sacred Passages in holy writ To whom then shall we recurr in case the Sense be doubtful I Answer to the Church O saith Mr Stillingfleet Here we are got into à Circle again and though his own words see them in the page cited fine giue no force to his Probation yet I 'le help them on to all the Strength his meaning is capable of He should therefore Another Reply Answered Argue thus We belieue the Churches infallibility because the true sense of Scripture sayes she is infallible Again We belieue this very Sense of Scripture to be infallibly true because the infallible Church saith so I haue Answered The first Act of Faith wherwith we belieue the Churches infallibility is not at all founded vpon the true Sense of Scripture as yet not known in illo signo to be so much as Diuine but vpon the Churches own infallible Testimony made by it self and for it self immediatly credible 9. Now if we Speak of another Distinct consequent and more explicite act of Faith when we belieue the Churches infallibility vpon this ground That She declares the Scriptures geâ—â—in Sense which proues Her an infallible Oracle There is no difficulty at all Because this very Exposition or Interpretation of Scripture brought to its last Principle is vltimatly resolued into and therefore again belieued vpon the same infallible Authority The sense of Scripture resolued and belieued of the Church or rather vpon Scripture and the Churches Interpretation together For thus iointly taken They ground Faith and not like two disparate Principles As if we first belieued the Scriptures sense independently of the Churches Interpretation And then Vpon Scripture and Church Authority ioyntly again belieued the Churches Interpretation to be infallible because the Sense of Scripture known aliunde or without Depending on Church Authority Saith she is infallible This cannot be if Scripture and the Churches Interpretation Indiuisibly concurr to this lotter act of Faith whereof we now speak 10. Here then is à Dilemma that clear's all and free 's vs from the least Shadow of à Circle We either know or belieue the Scriptures Sense independently of the Churches infallible The Assertion Clearâ—d Interpretation or receiue it vpon her infallible Authority Grant the first There is no danger of à Circle for in case that Truth were know vpon à sure Principle distinct from the Church it would be another new and as strong à Probation of her Infallibility as if an Angel sent from Heauen should interpret Scripture to the Catholick Sense And then we might Assent to the Churches Infallibility vpon two disparate Principles which proue not one another The one Ordinary the Churches own Interpretation The other independent and extraordinary Should an Angel or Prophet sent from God interpret Say 2. We belieue the Sense of Scripture vpon the This way no two Propositions to make à Circle of Churches own infallible Authority There are no two imaginable Propositions to make à Circle of whilst that Sense internal to the letter can not be infallibly propounded otherwise then by the Church 11. Page 128. I find an vnlearned Obiection much to this Sense We Catholicks destroy all Possibility of auoiding à Circle if we proue by the Motiues of credibilty no new Reuelations Distinct from the old And this we Pretend not to For A weak Obiection in effect solued we only seek to euince by these Motiues à Diuine Assistance with the Church in euery thing She Defines but this Assistance cannot be proued from any other ground but only from the Promises made in Scripture Therefore we are still in à Circle For we belieue the Scriptures infallible because of the Churches Testimony and we belieue the Church infallible because of the Promises in Repeated Again Scripture concerning the Assistance of the Holy Ghost with the Church so as to secure Her from all Errour Here in Effect is the same Obiection repeated again Therefore I Answer We belieue not in the first place the Churches infallible Assistance moued therevnto by the Promises in Scripture For this first General Act of Faith wholly relies vpon the Churches own infallible Testimony without depending on Scripture because Her Testimony One Instance clear's all is made most Credible to reason by conuincing Motiues before we belieue that She is insallibly Assisted All must Say what I now Assert For before Scripture was written The Primitiue Christians belieued infallible Assistance granted the Apostles in euery Doctrin they taught being induced to belieue so by the Signes and Miracles which those blessed men Euidenced In like manner we in this present State answerable to the Procedure of these Christians hauing the same Motiues manifest in the Church may well be induced to belieue That She both now is and euer was no lesse Assisted by the Holy Ghost to speak Truth then the Apostles were for as much as concern's the Substance and Verity of her Doctrin CHAP. VI. Mr Stillingfleet solues not His Aduersaries Argument A word of his tedious Shuffling The Motiues of Credibility both distinguish the Church from all other Heterodox Communities and proue Her Infallible The Agreement with the Primary Doctrin no Mark of the Church More Mistakes and Errours discouered Of Mr Stillingfleets double Faith who Belieues but not vpon Diuine the Testimony That the Books of Scripture contain Gods word in them Yet Belieues the Doctrin in those books to be Diuine 1. IN the next place Mr Stillingfleet labours to solue his Aduersaries main Argument the Substance whereof The substance of the Argument is As Christ and his Apostles proued themselues Oracles sent from God by their works Signes and Miracles Again as the Primitiue Christians
induced by such Signes belieued Christ and the Apostles vpon their own Testimony to be infallible Teachers So we hauing euer had the very like Works Signes and Miracles manifest in the Church are prudently induced to belieue Her as an Infallible Oracle vpon her own Infallible Testimony 2. To solue this plain and pressing Argument one of these What 's required to solue the Difficulty two things must be done Either à Disparity is to be giuen between Those first Signes and Miracles of the Apostles and the latter of the Church or it must be shown wherin the Inference made is Defectiue or vnconcluding Viz. That the Church euidenced by Her Signes is not proued God's infallible Oracle as the Apostles were proued by their Signes to be infallible Teachers I heartily wish any would read Mr Stillingfleet through all his long Pages of this Subiect And afterwards Gratify me so far as to Say where or in what Paragraph the direct Answer lies to either of these Difficulties I would Own it as à Singular fauour in the Interim Nothing is or can be Answered giue me leaue to Speak truth He Shuffles all along Waues the main Matter and Answers nothing 3. Thus he trifles The Church of Rome is infinitly obliged to vs could we make all good we Say Our Attempt is Heroical and generous What must men be as much obliged now to belieue your Church infallible as that Moses and Christ were so He wonders nothing at the Seuerity in our Censures of all out of our Church if to deny our Churches infallibility be an Offence of so high à nature Then he Asks. P. 129. Meer Trifles returned Whether the same Motiues of credibility belong to our Church by which Christ and his Apostles shewed their Testimony to be infallible We haue Answered Yea and proued the Assertion largely Disc 1. C. 7. 8. 9. And here press him to refute our Probations Or if he hold's them not refutable to giue à Disparity betwixt the Apostolical and our Churches Motiues 4. But he run's on headlong and to slight the Deuotion and Charity manifest in the Church talk's of our Superstitious Ceremonies and burning of Heretiques To what purpose are these More Parergons in Lieu of à Solid Answer Parergons when à Categorical Answer to the main Business is expected Is it only to giue à vulgar Reader Entertainment or to withdraw all who peruse his Book from minding where and how he would Shift off the Difficulty He shall not do it for we will follow him closely and therefore take notice of one great folly P. 130. Where he pleases to Say How much we haue befooled our selues in attempting to proue the infallibility of our Church in the same manner as Christ and the Apostles proued their Infallibility And Mark his Proof expressed in this proofles Proposition Insisting Saith he on that of Miracles as the greatest Euidence of their infallibility he means the Apostles our Church cannot with any face pretend to it Is not this Heroical and generous only to Say we are befooled and Faceles When we haue conuinced in the Chapters To say we are befooled is no Proof already cited that the Church has wrought Miracles euery way equal with those which the Apostles wrought What Doings are these May men vapour thus with their bare Assertions whilst we Proue and stiâ—l expect to haue the Arguments solued either by Reason or Authority 5. Page 130. As if one still sought to diuert à Reader with à deep piece of Learning He tells vs Mans vnderstanding because More Shifting yet finite cannot be in it self infallible without receiuing à participated Infallibility from an infinite Power aboue it And à tedious Discourse followes herevpon known to euery one but what is all this Said ouer and ouer to our Difficulty Haue we yet any Disparity giuen between the Apostles Miracles and those which the Church Euidences Or is our Inference already made any way infringed hitherto Not à word is yet returned to either and therefore the Argument stand's in its vigour without reply 6. Page 131. He saith first The Apostles deliuered not their Doctrin from Themselues but immediatly from God and consequently their Testimony must be owned infallible Answ Neither can the Church The Apostles Diuinely inspired the Church infallibly Assisted without Diuine Assistance deliuer her Doctrin as from Herselfe but from God As therefore the Apostles were immediatly Inspired to teach as they did so the Church is immediatly Assisted by the same Holy Ghost to define as she doth and vpon this account her Testimony must be owned infallible For what euer reason or Authority ascertains the one ascertains also the other And here we may come to Principles if our Aduersaries please The Proofs are equal Let them euince and t' is à Truth that the Apostles were so â—â—inently priuiledged I will lay down my Proofs by Theirs and Shew by as great Authority that the Church has her Priuiledge also of Diuine Assistance 7. He Adds. It being most vnreasonable to think that God would fauour such persons the Apostles with so extraordinary à power who A paradox should falsify their Message and deceiue the world Gentle Reader consider à little The Apostles taught the world for à few years only The Roman Catholick hath stood inuincible and taught Millions of Christians for sixteen Ages If then it be vnreasonable The Apostles taught for à Short time and Erred not yea impious to think that God could permit those first Blessed men to falsify their message and deceiue with errour for that short time Is it not I beseech you as highly vnreasonable and impious to Iudge that an Infinite Goodnes could permit the very Church he founded made glorious by Her Miracles and other Signal Motiues all which Proue her fauoured with à Power extraordinary to falsifie her Message to betray Her Trust and lead Millions of souls into damnable errour during the vast circuit of à The Church longer and grosly erred thousand yeares Consider I Say And blush at his boldnes who dare impeach this purest Spouse of falshood 8. Page 132. He goes on These Motiues of credibility were wont to be esteemed only the notes of Distinction of the true Church Church Motiues both distinguish and proue from all others and not rational Proofs of her infallibility Answ They both distinguish and proue The Apostles were distinguished from all false Teachers and proued also Oracles sent from God by their Signs and Miracles The like we say of the Church whose Marks and Miracles are not inferiour to those the Apostles manifested and far more Numerous Shew vs à disparity if you can or be silent hereafter 9. Page 132. I find nothing but first leaue giuen Bellarmine to multiply his fifteen Notes of the Church to fifteen hundred A sting at Bellarmine to no purpose How comes this to the Purpose Or what need is there of multiplying when One of those
Fifteen and I le tell you which it is the Churches glorious Miracles hath so silenced Sectaries that none of them all has hitherto attempted to return any better answer than this Bellarmine thou lies't He Saies 2. The only certain Note of the true Church is its agreement with the Primary foundation of it in the Doctrin whâ—ch was infallible and attested by miracles vndoubtedly Diuine This is à strange Note or Mark which cannot be distinguished from the thing Marked as the Motiues of Credibility manifestly sensible are distinguished from the Doctrin belieued 10. Answer therefore Good Sr is this Agreement with the Primitiue Doctrin it s owns Self Euidence as à Mark should be Or do all dissenting Parties accord thus far That anciently such That 's made à clear Mark â—as the Primitiue Doctrin but now is changed from it selfe into another new Learning Most euidently no. For the whole contest between the Church and Her Aduersaries may these be â—eard is whether of vs Professe the Primitiue Doctrin laid in the first foundation of Christianity This point then being yet disputable for so Sectaries will haue it it is meer folly to make it à Mark whereby to distinguish truth from falshood And there is which Sectaries must Say is yet disputable and obscure no clearing it from Improbability vnless you say Sectaries more â—iâ—e then the rest of the world can exactly tell vs who those Christians are that now agree with the Primitiue Doctrin and who dissent from it But others as wise as they want faith to belieue such bare Assertions without Proofs and Principles In à word there is no knowing what the Primitiue Doctrin was nor can any now haue infallible certainty of the Apostles Miracles without à Church actually in Being and Infallible 11. He saith 3. If our Doctrin be repugnant to what was Originally 〈…〉 ered by the Founder of the Christian Church our Society is not the Conditional Propositions here Proofless Christian Church Answ No more Sr is Yours if it be repugnant But To what purpose are these Iss and conditional Propositions when Proofs are expected from Accusers Proue you if you can but doe it vpon sound Principles that our Doctrin is repugnant to that which was Originally deliuered you are Conqueâ—our and we no more Catholicks but Sr à hundred more of your Volumes will neuer Euince this 12. He demands 4. whether we cannot conceiue à Church should A fallible Church cannot be Consonant to Christ's Doctrin be Consonant to the Doctrin of Christ without being infallible Answ No truly T' is impossible and here is the Reason because in à lesse space then one Age there would be as many Religions in such à Church as there are Townes or villages in it And perhaps more And is not this manifest in England where almost euery year we haue à new Religion coyned Therefore to Imagin à Society of men vnited rogether in the belief of Christ's infallible Doctrin without an infallible Oracle to teach is à meer Chimera O but euery Man in this fallible Society is bound to take care of his soul and to belieue the infallible Doctrin of Christ I Answer If to take care of his Soul necessarily implies the Belief of Christ's infallible Doctrin it is impossible to take that care because he can haue no infallible Assurance of Christs Doctrin without à Church which teaches it infallibly Hereof enough is said aboue 13. Page 134. He desires to haue such Miracles wrought as may conuince Infidels as to the point of the Churches infallibility Answ He has all he can desire The Blind se A Parallel of Miracles The Dumb speak the Deaf hear The Dead rise vp to life again were our Sauiours own Miracles and conuinced Infidels but these are our Churches likewise as is largely proued Disc 2. C. 8. What would the man haue more 14. Page 135. To his no little disgrace without any Proof at all he scornfully slights that euident and most known Miracle An Euident Miracle slighted wrought at Zaragosa in Spain But enough of this aboue Disc 2. C. 9. Here I can add hauing it from à right Honourable Person yet liuing who heard His Maiesty Charles the first Say in the presence of many others The cure of that young Man at Zaragosa was certain Some herevpon Proposing à further Question whether it could be thought à Miracle His Maiesty Answered be it as you will the thing was done The leg cut off and buried was certainly restored again 15. In the same Page he Questions whether the Motiues we produce belong only to our Church But grant Saith he they do belong its hard to find the connexion between them and Infallibility We haue Answered to the first No Society of men can shew the like Motiues and therefore vrge Mr Stillingfleet to produce his Euidence That is To proue they The Conneâ—ion between Miracles and Infallibility euinced belong to any other Society But to the Roman Catholick Church only The other point concerning the Connexion Nicodemus à Prince of the Iewes Iohn 3. V. 2. long since cleared Rabbi we know thou art come à Master or Teacher from God for no man can do these Signs which thou dos't vnless God be with him Was then our Sauiour proued by the works and the Miracles he did à Master sent from God to teach And did these Signs conuince reason that God was with him when he taught None can deny it Therefore none can doubt ' but that He was also proued infallible by Virtue of His wonders And consequently the connexion between them and infallibility hold's good But The true Inference the Church and here is our Inference Euidences the very like Signes aboue the force of nature therefore reason concludes that She also is proued Infallible Wherefore Mr Stillingfleet is either obliged to find à flaw in the consequence or to giue à Disparity between our Church-Motiues and those other Primitiue which he neuer goes about to do 16. I meet with nothing in His. 136. Page but loud vntruths Another Parergon to diuert the Reader concerning our Doctrin of Pennance as if we indulged sin here and yet gaue men hope of Heauen hereafter It is à Calumny euery one knowes we teach no such Doctrin and â—n this place à meer Parergon besides I therefore slight it and take notice of another straying out of the way P. 137. where he Speak's thus The Principles of any Conclusion must be â—f more credit then the Conclusion it self Therefore if the Articles â—f Faith The Trinity and Resurrection be the Conclusions And the Principles by which they are proued be only Ecclesiastical Tradition it â—ust needs follow That the Tradition of the Church is more infallible then the Articles of faith if the Faith we haue of those Articles should be finally resolued into the veracity of the Churches Testimony 17. This Difficulty not well digested either Proues nothing or makes euery Resolution
belieued S. Iohns Testimony or that our Sauiour Spake those words Here is our solution God long since said the dead shall rise but this Ancient Reuelation being remote from vs if solely considered cannot moue vs to belieue the truth vnless an Infallible Oracle Ascertain vs that God once spake it iust as S. Iohn assures all that Christ said I am the Messias Ask now â—hy Mr Stillingfleet belieues that our Sauiour vttered those â—ords He will Answer God speaking by S. Iohn an Infallible An Application of the Instance clear in Scripture Oracle Affirms it So I say God speaking by the Church an Infallible Oracle affirm's the Resurrection of the dead O but independently of Church Authority we know the resurrection is reuealed in Scripture Contrariwise we know nothing of our Sauiours words but from S. Iohns Testimony Answ we know indeed the Resurrection is asserted in à Book called Scripture But that the Assertion is Diuine or vttered by Eternal Truth we haue no more Infallible certainty without the Churches Testimony Then if any vulgar Samaritan without Diuine Assistance had said Christ spake those words I am the Messias 23. By what is now briefly touched you se first That as our Sauiours own words and S. Iohns reflex Testimony vpon them concurr Indiuisibly to the Faith of these Aduersaries So the reuealed Verity of the Resurrection in Scripture And the The ancient Reuelation and the Churches reflex Testimony Churches reflex Testimony which infallibly Ascertains vs that it is reuealed may well indiuisibly concurr as one compleat Motiue to our faith whereof more hereafter I say indiuisibly And therefore this Faith vltimatly resolued relies not first vpon Scripture only as our Aduersary conceiues without any relation to the Church and then rest's vpon the Churches Concurr indiuisibly to Faith Testimony as vpon à distinct Formal Obiect but by one simple Tendency it pitches on both together 24. You se 2. It s hard to Say what Mr Stillingfleet would haue when he tells vs. This Principle The Church is infallible must be more credible then the Resurrection of the Dead If We clearly distinguisâ— what our Aduersary Confound's he mean's the Churches Testimony is to vs in this present State the more known and nearest Motiue wherevpon the Faith of that Article is grounded we easily Assent But if he think 's we must first Assent to Scripture which asserts the Resurrection and own that as Diuine or the only Motiue of Faith without all Church Authority attesting it to be Diuine He err's not knowing our Doctrin For we Say no Scripture can be infallible An improper Speech assented to as Diuine independently of the Churches Testimony Again those words More Credible are improper if applyed to the Formal Obiect of Faith For the Formal Obiect terminates Belief the Credibility whereof goes before and is grounded on the preuious Motiues inducing to belieue VVhether we Square Circles in our Resolution of Faith The other mentioned Points in the Title of the Chapter discussed Vpon what ground those Articles called the fundamentals of Faith are belieued in the Opinion of Sectaries 25. In many following Pages we haue little but that the Churches Infallible Testimony must be called the Formal Obiect of Faith whereof something is said aboue And you shall haue more hereafter 26. P. 149. He thinks we Argue like men squaring Circles when on the one side we make Scripture obscure yet on the other giue it light enough to proue the Churches infallibility And then he talk's of an Apocalyptical key hanging at the Churches Scripture Proued Diuine Conuinces the Churches Infallibility girdle able to vnlock all the Secrets in it To the first I haue Answered Thus much Supposed that Scripture is proued Diuine we haue so great light from the seueral Passages thereof to conuince the Churches Infallibility that no glosses of Sectaries shall euer obscure them To the Ieer of the Clauis Apocalyptica I Answer Some one or other must vnlock those high secrets when t' is euident innumerable Heretiques by à wrong key wrest Gods word to most pernicious Senses The Question is whether you Sr or the Church must rurn the key 27. Page 152. After thanks giuen for our Coleworts so often serued â—y Those mute Persons the good Motiues of credibility He is Brisque Ieâ—rs and empty words and in earnest resolute to solue our Argument Asking before hand Whether it be not enâ—ugh to be in à Circle our selues but must â—eed's bring the Apostles into it also Reflect I beseech you We said aboue that the Apostles induced by the Signal works and Miracles of our Sauiour Assented to his sacred Doctrin as most infallible In like manner The Primitiue Christians induced by the works and Miracles of the Apostles belieued them to be infallible The force of our Argument Oracles Therefore we also in this present State hauing Motiues and Miracles of the same weight and Euidence in the Roman Catholick Church Belieue with à firm Assent of Faith that She is God's Oracle and her Doctrin most infallible The short Answer to all this saith Mr Stillingfleet is That the ground why the Christians did Assent to the Apostles Doctrin as true was because God Wholly waued gaue sufficient Euidence that their Testimony was infallible in such things where such infallibility was requisite Pray Consider well whether this be not à gliding or rather à plain running away from the Difficulty We haue vrged all this while the Parity between the Churches Motiues and those of the Apostles We haue proued and yet plead That the Euidence is à like in both The Churches most manifest Signes are The blind se The lame walk The dead rise Diuels are dispossesed c. And these termed by you vnsauory Coleworts and mute good Things were the Apostles Signs also Are not you therefore obliged in all law of Disputation What all law of Disputing requireâ— either to proue and vpon sound Principles indeed That we falsly appropriate such Motiues and Miracles to the Church Or if you cannot disparage so illustrious an Euidence to shew à fault in this Inference The Church is known as well by her Signs to be an infallible Oracle 28. Now mark how we are put off with half an Answer God â—y you gaue sufficient Euidence that the Apostles Testimony was infallible None doubt's it But Say on what want do you find of the very like Euidence in the Church Her Miracles are as manifest Her Conuersions as Numerous and more Her fame as renowned Her name as Catholick finally might we vse your scornful language Her Motiues no mute Persons speak Nothing like an Answer giuen aloud and Her Colewarts are euery whit as good as those were the Apostles serued vp To this you Answer not à word but first tell vs with your Aduersary that the Apostles confirmed their Doctrin with Signs that followed by which Signes all their Heares were bound to aknowledge them for
is highly Probable yet vncertain I Answer to omit VVhat force the will hath that Heretiques without Motiues pertinaciously assent to meer fooleries The Will can with another Help whereof more presently Supply the inefficacy of those intellectual Lights which prudently euince this truth It is euidently credible that God speak's by the Signs laid before mee God's peculiar Language his Seal and Signature appear more clearly in these Euidences tâ—an in any Princes commission sent me when I see his own Seal and Hand writing O but yet we haue not Euidence of his Testimony No thanks to thee poor Creature to Assent had'st thou Euidence Know therefore His Maiesty is too far aboue vs all to humour As reasonable Creatures we are Obliged to submit such à Curiosity As reasonable creatures we are obliged to submit our iudgement to his though it be not euident he Speak's for this Duty the highest Power imaginable requires of vs who infinitely surpasses all created Excellence That vpon à most credible Appearance of his speaking when nothing makes the contrary probable we yeild an Assent answerable to his supreme Excellence that is firme certain and Infallible Who then dare stand trifling in so weighty an Affaire as concern's Saluation Or who dare tell our glorious God Lord I find my self obliged to belieue And Se great Soueraign the Signes and seales Witnesses of your Speaking Yet because all possibly may be counterfeited I will like one little Loath to yeild deal both warily and Sparingly with you You shall haue no other faith Vpon à Credible appearance of God's Speaking from me but what is faint and meagar In fine à poor miserable and moral certain Assent Is this think ye to proceed Nobly with God No. If we belieue our faith ought to suite his great Worth and Dignity or really we belieue not at all 17. From what is Said Two things follow 1. That our Security is greater whilst we belieue God induced by most prudent Motiues though we se not the Euidence of his Testimony Than to belieue the most euident Assertion of any man liuing esteemed one of the very best Reputation The reason is If God speak's I am certain he deceiues not And therefore Two Certainties compared together cannot mistrust his Veracity But If man speak's whom I know liable to errour and deceipt The main ground of Certainty fail's For though I hear his voice and haue euidence of his words yet neither giue me absolute Assurance of Truth 18. The Question therefore is Whether I may not more prudently belieue God who cannot deceiue though I want euidence of his Testimony than to belieue man that by errour or The difference declared mistake may deceiue when I haue only Euidence of his outward words which are separable from Truth In the one case words are euident And I haue with them some degree of moral certainty concerning Truth In the other I haue infallible certainty of truth If God speak's and the highest moral Assurance imaginable of his speaking before I belieue 19. It followes 2. That Euidence in the formal Obiect assented to is inconsistent with Faith which implies à prudent and withall à most infallible practical Assent in order to an Faith quite different from Science appretiatiue Esteem of the will and those effects mentioned by S. Bonauenture Therefore it is of à quite different nature from Science whose tendency is Speculatiue and sees clearly the Obiect assented to But I know some will yet require further Satisfaction in this hard matter I shall endeauour to comply with their wish in the next Chapter CHAP. IX The whole Progress of Faith explained in order to its last Resolution Of that which the Fathers Call the light of Faith It s wholly different from Sectaries Priuate Spirit From whence Faith hath Infallible Certainty Obiections Solued 1. FAith saith the Apostle Rom. 10. 17. Comes by Hearing Again V. 14. How shall they hear without à Preacher Faith comes by hearing But how shall they preach vnless they be sent All then must hear the Diuine Verities and belieue what they hear taught by men lawfully sent to preach Now because God has been pleased to speak by different Oracles anciently by his Prophets by Christ our Lord his Apostles and finally by the Church all together make vp but one School as it were of Diuine learning His One great Truth to be heard whole endeauour euer was in all ages to haue this truth Taught by these Oracles viz. God is the Author of the Doctrins which all are obliged to belieue and to make thus much highly Credible He neuer sent as I said aboue Prophet Apostle or Christ himself to â—each but iointly Authorised them to show the Royal Signes and Seals of his own Soueraignity Miracles I mean and other Supernatural wonders whereby they were proued commissioned Oracles to speak in the name of God 2. To our present purpose therefore None can belieue What necessarily proced's Faith A natural proposition of the Mystery with à Motiue aboue the power of Nature râ—less he hear Which is to Say That Viâ ordinariâ before the Hearer elicites Supernatural faith à natural Proposition of the Mystery reuealed necessarily precedes that Assent Yet more He that Teaches is not barely to Say Vnlesse you yeild assent you will be damned But he must also propound some Motiue of prudent credibility with the Mystery which Motiue so far surpasses all the Power in nature that it manifestly appear's to be God's work or his own vnimitable language as is already noted 3. Besides it is not sufficient that the Preacher tell 's vs God is the Author of his Doctrin clearly confirmed by Miracles but he is to make the Assertion morally certain either by working à Miracle Himselfe as Christ and the Apostles did or in want of that to bring in strong Arguments and witnesses whereby Moral euidence by witnesses it may appear such supernatural Wonders haue been done to confirm that God is the Author of his Doctrin Now this Moral euidence by witnesses is equiualent to the seing of Miracles done before our eyes which fall's out in all euidence called Moral For I am now no lesse assured by most credible witnesses that Cardinal Altieri was clected Pope of Rome then if I had been present at his Election After this natural Proposition made of any Diuine Mystery some apprehensions of its Verity or credibility rather easily follow in the Hearer which also are natural 4. Thus much done by the Preacher One desirous to learn truth discourses and perceiues so great à Concern as Saluation The prudent Iudgement of Credibility depend's vpon his belieuing the Mystery proposed that at last he is brought to this prudent Iudgement of credibility God cannot deceiue the world by such exteriour Signs as are here proposed by this Preacher therefore I ought in prudence to yeild my Assent and belieue Now here enters another Principle wholly necessary
Writings being owned as Containing in them the whole will of God so plainly reuealed that no sober Enquirer can miss of what is necessary for Saluation There can be c. First its false that the whole Will of God is plainly reuealed in Scripture And An Vntruth Supposed had we no more but Thus much only Viz. The vast multitudes of Christians who zealously defend that sense they Conceiue of Scripture yet contradict one another in Points most Though the Assertion were supposed true it helps not Protestants Essential Proues it false whereof enough is said in the seueral parts of this Treatise But let that Pass Suppose it à Truth The Propositions or Proofs must run thus No sober Enquirer can miss of knowing God's will or of what is necessary to Saluation Now add this Minor But the Protestant only is the sober Enquirer For No Arian No Pelagian No Quaker No Papist soberly enquires excepting the Protestant Thus much must be Assumed or to the General Proposition Vnapplyed help 's the Protestant no more then others that execrate his Doctrin For if these or any of them may be listed among the number of sober Enquirers The Reason hereof its ridiculous to exclude all and yet reiect Protestanism The general Proposition for ought appears yet may be applyed as well by euery one to his particular Religion as by the Protestants to Protestancy Therefore it signifies Iust Nothing before à right Application be made by distinct Proofs to the One only true Religion Some may reply euery Man is to enquire and Answer for Himselfe Pitiful That 's to Say we must alwaies be Scepticks euer learning and neuer well taught Weak reason and fancy are thus made Sectaries after their long Enquiry haue no Vnion in Faith our Doctors if this Principle be owned Se Disc 2. C. 17. Per totum In the Interim know this long inquiring after one whole Age brings no vnion in faith to Protestants who are as the world Sees at endless Iarrs amongst themselues 20. The 16th Principle Opposes such Men as pretend to infallible Assistance without giuing an equal degree of Euidence that they are so assisted as Christ and his Apostles did by Miracles as great as publick and conuincing as these were Answ This This Principle is first against Protestants Principle is quite besides the matter First because Protestants own à Church infallible in Fundamentals without giuing an Euidence equal to that of Christ and his Apostles Why then may not such an Euidence as proues the Church Infallible in Fundamentals be further extended and induce All to belieue Her Infallible in euery Doctrin She teaches 2. The Principle Secondly false is falfe We haue Apostolical Euidence in the Church euer since those Primitiue times as is largely proued Disc 1. C. 14. 15. 16. And Disc 3. C. 3. Lastly it is no more Thirdly though Supposed true it help 's not Protestants but à Proofles Assertion against the Church which laies claim to Infallibility And cannot though it were true aduantage Protestancy one whit Please to obserue my Reason Suppose the Catholick Church and the Protestant party were like one another equally fallible vpon what Principle can the fallible Protestant Party plead better or Say more for his Cause then the Supposed fallible Roman Church in behalfe of Her Doctrin Both of them as is proued in the second Discourse would in this case be à Publick scorn to Iewes and Gentils whilst they The reason hereof Conuinces Out-braue one another with the Meer Nothing of fallible Principles And which is euer to be noted can stand on no surer Ground then what is fallible and may be falfe if no Church be owned Infallible 21. In the. 17th Principle we are told its absurd to pretend the necessity of an Infallible Assistance to assure vs of the truth of Scripture And at the same time to Proue the Assistance Nothing yet for Protestancy from those writings from which nothing can be certainly deduced Answ Here again is nothing for Protestancy For Suppose which is false we proue not an Infallible Assistance Are therefore Protestants in à better condition then Catholicks How The Churches Infallibility is first Proued But to speak truth the Doctor wholly Mistakes we proue the Churches Infallibility independently of Scripture Read Disc 3. C. 5. In the. 18. Principle we hear talk again of the best Means for vnderstanding the Scripture but whether we Catholicks Arians or Protestants happily light on 't is not so much as hinted at by the Doctor wherefore I Said aboue these Generalities proue nothing without à neerer Application made by Proofs yet more immediate 22. The. 19th Principle The Assistance which God hath promised to those who sincerely desire to know his will may giue them greater Assurance of the truth of what is contained in Scripture than it is possible for the greatest infallibility in any other persons to doe Supposing they haue not such assurance of their Infallibility Answ All this were it true is to say Iust nothing concerning Protestants vnless they be supposed the only Men who sincerely desire to know Gods Will for if any other called Christians Sectaries gain nothing by this abstract Principle of à different Beliefe be as Sober Inquirers or desire as earnestly to know Gods vvill as Sectaries What gain they by this remote abstract Principle Now to Suppose all other Christians negligent in the Inquiry after God's will and Protestants only the zealous Seekers comes neerer to à bold Presumption than to any thing like the nature of à Principle In à word here you haue all The Application to the Protestant Faith is wanting But what will you The Doctor cannot Vnless they Suppose Themselues the only sober Inquirers Want of Sense be drawn to plead for his own cause Finally sense is wanting in that last clause Supposing they haue not such assurance of their Infallibility Which is only to Say Supposing the Church be not Infallible Catholicks cannot belieue Her Infallibility 23. The 20th Principle No Mans Faith can therefore be infallible meerly because the Proponent is said to be Infallible Answ But if This Principle concern's not Sectaries the Proponent be both Said and Proued Infallible and this is amply proued Faith with the Assistance of God's Grace may well yea and must depend vpon it and be infallible Howeuer let all here Said pass There is yet nothing drawn from the Principle more concerning the Faith of Protestants then of the More then the Arians Arians Obserue well Both hold the Proponent of Faith which is the Church Fallible Make now the Inference Ergo the Protestants Faith seem's more sound then the Arians is à pure Non-sequitur not at all Deducible from this Principle alone nor indeed from any other 24. In the three folloing Paragraphs 21. 22. 23. You haue only gross Mistakes though if all were true Protestancy has None can infer if Taith be
infallible no aduantage by them The Substance of all is thus If Diuine Faith cannot be without an Infallible Assent all other Infallibility He means in the Proponent is rendred vseles Answ Why so I beseech you The Apostles Faith was certainly Infallible That therefore an Infallible Proponent of Faith is vnnecessary did that render our Sauiours Infallible Doctrin Infallibly proposed vseles In like manner the Church teaches Infallibly The Faithful Man elicites Infallible Faith grounded vpon Her Doctrin Doth this make Her Teaching Vseles When the internal faith of euery Belieuer so necessarily depend's vpon an Infallible Oracle that none euer belieued without some one or other absolutely Infallible 25. But now Ad rem Make hauocke of Faith as much as may be Destroy Christian Religion Say boldly and falsly Were all Proponents of Faith faâ—lible the Roman Catholick Church both is and euer was fallible Say also Protestants Arians Pelagians and all the rest are fallible Speak once to the Purpose and tell me For here is the only doubt Why should the Protestant with his fallible Faith be in à The Protestant yet would not be in à better Condition then the Arion better and à more Secure condition than the fallible Papist or the fallible Arian with that faith they lay claim to This the Doctor neuer meddles with nor can the difficulty be solued by him 26. And Hence To rid my Selfe of the rest which followes for really I am more weary of this Sport then the Dr euer was at killing flies you shall Se with what Candor I Proceed I freely permit the Doctor to make vse of all his following Principles yea of the whole Thirty in Number And say notwithstanding this ample Concession He shall neuer Proue or infer from any of them So much as One true Tenet Though all were granted which the Doctor can rationally desire peculiar to Protestants which can be owned by these very men that pretend to belieue Protestancy an Article of Faith necessary for saluation Here is my Reason The General owned Truths as that à rational creature may antecedently to any External Reuelation certainly know the Being of God c no more belong to Protestants than to others The Doctors false Principles as Nothing yet proued his 16. and 17. are though Supposed true euince nothing for Protestancy as is already Proued No more do his other Controuerted Principles denyed by innumerable Christians proue any thing His obscure Ones and his 27 and 29. appear to The reason hereof briefly giuen me of the darker sort must be further explained For truly I vnderstand not what is meant by those obscure words Which reiection is no making Negatiue Articles of Faith with the rest that followes Be it how you will thus much I defend that whether the fore mentioned Principles be True False Controuerted or Obscure no Verity peculiar to Protestants can be deduced from them absolutely necessary to Saluation 27. I Say deduced either by lawful Consequences or by the Addition of any receiued Principle And I Speak thus because Perhaps the Doctor may Answer He intended no more at present but only to set down some general Grounds wherevpon Protestancy by the ayde of further Proofs adioynable though not as yet not made vse of Can be established If this be his Reply I Answer First He has gone most lamely to work The Doctors whole work hitherto most imperfect leauing the whole Matter vndertaken halfe done halfe vndone in à word incompleat I Answer 2. There are neither Proofs nor Principles to goe forward withall I mean whereby to Euince the truth of one Pure Protestant Tenet held by Sectaries themselues necessary to Saluation And I coniure the Doctor who must hold his abstract Principles hitherto laid forth very imperfect He cannot goe on and Compleat it to aduance further That is to euince by some other more immediate Proofs the absolute necessity of Belieuing one Protestant Article This cannot be done 28. The Reason why I Speak thus boldly is the Verity hinted The vltimate ground of my Assertion at in the beginning and proued aboue Protestancy as Protestancy has no truth in it No Essence of Religion No One Article Conducing to Saluation And Hence it is that the Doctor keep 's off at distance Or rather run's on as you se partly by assuming false Principles against the Catholick Church Partly with Generalities which relate no more to Protestancy then to Arianism 29. Now here in passing you may well obserue The different Procedure of Catholicks from Sectaries The first tell you plainly what their Faith is Besides the common Doctrin admitted by all Called Christians They giue you in particular à list of theer Credends The Real Presence Transubstantiation Purgatory Inuocation of Saints and in the first place of the Infallibility of their Church peculiar to Catholicks only They moreouer How differently the Catholick and Sectaries Proceed Assert without the Beliefe of these Articles after à due Proposal made none can be saued And here to omit other Probations taken from Scripture Councils and Fathers They ground their Beliefe vpon the Authority of God's own vniuersal euidenced Oracle which hath taught the world from the Apostles Age. 30. The Sectary on the other side neither dares nor Can name one Article Singular to Protestants Mark my words Or Preach this Doctrin to any of his Hearers Such and such particular Articles you are as Protestants Obliged to belieue as most essential Tenents of our Religion or will be damned if you reiect them The Sectary cannot name one Protestant Article iudged by him necessary to Saluation He cannot build one peculiar Protestant Article vpon plain Scripture vpon ancient Tradition or any other receiued Principle much lesse Proue its Truth by the Authority of à Church which euer Shewed the Marks and Signatures of God's Infinite Power and Wisdom It may be Some Sectary will here Cauil at our Articles and Say indeed we plainly deliuer them but needlesly multiply too many If this be Obiected I Answer first The Assertion is no Principle but à meer vnproued Supposition I Answer 2. in this place it is an Impertinency where we only vrge the Sectary to name but one A possible Cauil answered Article Iudged by him Essential to Protestancy and necessary for Saluation As we plainly giue in our Seueral necessary Articles Thus much Comply'd with We are as ready to Proue the Truth of our Catholick Positions as to Euince vpon sound Principles the Sectaries false and Improbable CHAP. XVIII The Doctors Inferences proued no Inferences but vntrue Assertions Hauing answer'd his Principles and Inferences Satisfaction is required to some few Questions hereafter proposed 1. IT followes Saith the Dr 1. There is no necessity at all of an Infallible Society of men to assure men of the truth The first Inference is à meer Tautology of those things which they may be certain without c. Answ Here you
Apostle writes Ephes. 14. 11. of the Continuance of Pastors and The Apostles words also and Doctors in the work of the Ministery for the edifying of Christ's Mystical body till we meete in one Vnity of Faith most Certainly he Spake not of any deluded or Idolatrous Pastors are likewise vtterly false Nay more that Article of our Creed The Creed falsifyed I belieue the Holy Catholick Church ceased to be true in those dismal dayes when the whole Roman Catholick Church made Idolatrous went to wrack and the res't of Christians if not Idolatrous were all Professed Heretiques 19. Contrarywise if there was at that time another Orthodox Church in Being when Luther Separated from the Roman Catholick What followes if then there was à true Church Society One of these two Consequences necessarily followes Viz. That Luther and his Associates the Protestants either made themselues Members of that Imagined pure Spotles and Orthodox Church Or founded à new One vpon their own Authority neuer before heard of in the Christian world Now further It is most impossible to nominate any such Christians as Luther and Protestants made à new Church Constituted à pure Orthodox Church distinct from the Roman Catholick Therefore Luther and Protestants haue by their own Authority made à new One neuer before known to the world 20. There is yet à third Inference which methinks pinches such Protestants as Say They and we make but one Church Orthodox in fundamentals How can this Doctrin stand if the The Church if Idolatrous err's in the fundamentals of Faith Roman Catholick Church teaches flat Idolatry For vpon this Supposition She err's grosly in that fundamental Point of Idolatry And consequently Protestants must either leaue her as horridly erroneous or maintain Idolatry with Her If it be replyed though thus tainted She yet teaches some few Truths and Sectaries can exactly tell vs which and how many they are They Sectaries improbable Supposition first argue vpon an improbable Supposition and secondly make the louely Spouse of Christ beautiful and vgly treacherous and loyal false and true together whereof enough is sayd in the former Discourses 21. The last question proposed is that the Doctor giue Satisfaction concerning the Mission of Protestants In à word we demand who sent them to teach as they doe that the Roman Catholic◠Church is fallible and Idolatrous That man hath no free will That the Body and blood of our Sauiour are not really in the blessed Sacrament with à number of other Nouelties Our demand A difficult Question Concerning the Mission of Sectaries is grounded vpon the Apostles words Rom. 10. 15. How Shall they preach vnless they be sent Say therefore who commissioned these men who countenanced them to preach such Doctrins Dare they tell vs that as their English Bishops receiued Orders from the Supposed Idolatrous Catholick Prelares So also they had Commission from them Idolatrous as they were to teach Idolatry They neuer had nor can haue Commission to teach Protestancy Grant this and they make their Mission not only ridiculous but null also and vtterly void of Credit Whither will they run next think ye Can they pretend to haue had their Mission from the Arians from the Hussits or Waldenses c No certainly For they teach not in all things as these Hereticks taught And besides neuer receiued Commission from them or The Assertion proued from any men called Christians to teach at all Therefore they are vnsent Preachers and consequently in the Apostles Iudgement ought no more to be heard than the Arians or Pelagians 22. Some Sectaries tell vs its needles to Question their A reply answered Mission whilst the Testimony of the Spirit assures them that they teach the true Doctrin of Iesus Christ. Here is first à Supposition for à Proof because The whole world excepting themselues deny what is now assumed of their teaching truth Howeuer admit gratis this false Supposition The meer speaking truth giues them no Commission to teach it For Children Vagabonds and Diuels also may Speak eternal truths yet are not therefore authorized to preach or made Christ's lawful authorized Ministers The Reason hereof seem's manifest To teach truth argues no Lawful Mission To preach truth is an effect of à lawful Mission and not the cause of it Wherefore this Causal or Inference is good I teach truth because I am lawfully Commissioned to teach it and exactly Comply with my Duty Not the Contrary I teach truth therefore I am Authoritiuely sent to teach it 23. By what is hitherto briefly noted you se in what The desperate condition of Sectaries case Sectaries are who first suppose à long interruption of Orthodox Pastors in the Roman Catholick Church and consequently neuer receiued Commission from them to teach and though which is true they continued Orthodox yet these Catholick Pastors neuer gaue them any Authority Again They No Church Orthodox or Heretical sent them to teach scorn to receiue their Commission from known Hereticks nor can they pretend it because being in most Essential points opposite to Protestants Such Hereticks could not impower them to teach Protestancy For these Reasons Sectaries are obliged to renounce all claim to that Mission which is called Ordinary because No Church No Society of Christians whether Orthodox or Heretical sent these Nouellists abroad to teach as they do their reformed Gospel 24. Now if with Luther they challenge to themselues à Calling Some with Luther plead à Mission Extraordinary and Mission extraordinary Not by men or from men but by the Reuelation of Christ Iesus Their Plea no less Proofles then Presumptuous is highly improbable vpon this ground that neuer any since the beginning of Christianity was sent as extraordinary by Almighty God to preach who made not his Doctrin Credible by manifest Supernatural wonders So Christ our Lord did and the Apostles also Others that followed in the after Ages laid forth the Miracles and signal Marks of the Church whereof they were Members and euinced by Signs the They haue neither extraordinary nor Ordinary Mission Authority of that Oracle which sent them But Sectaries who began with Luther to teach extraordinary Doctrin neither plead by extraordinary wonders hauing none to produce nor can so much as hint at any Church false or true which commissioned them to publish Protestancy Therefore they are vnlawful Ministers neuer sent to preach Christ's true Doctrin nor so much as their own false Nouelties of Protestanism CHAP. XIX The supposed grounds of our Protestants Reformation manifestly ouerthrown Protestancy no Religion but an improhable Nouelty The conclusion of this whole Treatise 1. I Say the Supposed Grounds for in very truth Protestancy What Sectaries pretend to hath not any real Ground to Stand on as is amply proued in the forecited Chapters Howeuer because Pretences are not wanting to such as Oppose God's verities and our Aduersaries seem to build the whole Machin of their
short chapters The work is admirable and most expresse for Christianity In the first The Excellent discourse of Marrochianus conuerted to Christianity Chapter he laies forth the horrid Transgressions of the Iewes their Idolatry and killing of the Prophets and saith Gods wrath was appeased for these sins as Scripture assures vs when our people saith he were set at liberty But now we haue been dispersed and scattered à thousand yeares and more and Gods indignation yet followes vs euery where nec in Prophetis promittitur finis and there is no end promissed in the Prophets be cause of our wickednes And if you ask what enormous guilt that was He answers in his 6. Chapter pondering these words of the Prophet Amos c. 2. vpon three crimes of Iuda I will Conuert or as the Rabbi reads transferam put away but vpon the fourth I will not conuert because they haue sold the iust for silver Paueo Domine I tremble saith Marrochianus when I read this sentence for this iust man was not Ioseph sold into Aegypt nor the fourth hainous wickednes which he proues manifestly but was the iust Lord Iesus whom the Iewes sold for silver and here is the greatest and most crying sin for which we are punished In the 19. Chap. I cannot insist on all He saith that Prophesy of Zach C. 13. strike the shepheard and his sheep shall be dispersed was fulfilled when the Israelites smit that great Pastor of the Apostles Iesus then it was that they anciently his flock were scattered vp and down the face of the earth and that the Apostles succeeded in the place of our Prophets For since that Time we Iewes haue had no Pastors no Prophets no visions no sacrifice no obseruance of Moses law no Holocaust no form of Religion c. Thus he discourses through seueral Chapters and in the last the 27. after he had declared what great respect the very Turcks and Saracens shew to Iesus Christ and his blessed Mother Mary Of Christ their Alcoram saith that He is the true Messias yea and preferr His Genealogy before Mahomets for Mahomets parents were Idolaters and had their Origen from Agar the handmaid Christ descended by à lineal succession from Isaac and the Prophets by à right line to the blessed virgins birth The Alcoran more ouer saith that Elisi in the Arabick tongue 't is Iesus knew all things the whole book 's of Moses the secrets of mens hearts had power giuen him to work Miracles to cure all diseases to cast out Diuels and therfore own him as à mighty great Prophet and the true Messias Much honor and respect also is giuen by the Turks to our blessed Lady as you may read in that Chapter After I say à larger Discours of these two subiects our Christian Samuel concludes that the Iewes haue been à deserted People for à thousand yeares we may add 600 to them The Turks Iewes abandoned yet daily increase by the force of armes and Christians also strangly propagate by the power and virtue of Christ both oppose vs. Nos autem nihil proficimus testimonium multorum stat contra nos we Israelits yet aduance nothing in so much that the malediction of Ruben light 's vpon vs. Non crescas we are still and shall be ignominious we prosper not Such is the iudgement of God against vs. This and much more Marrochianus deliuered Six ages since against his Nation CHAP. III. Christianity as it stands in opposition to Iewes Turks Infidels and Heretickes is the only true Religion 1. THe Assertion is an euident Inference out of the former discours for if true Religion be in the world and not found amongst Heathens Turks or Iewes Those only called Christians enioy that blessing or there is no Religion at all in being Though the Proposition stand's firm on this sole proof yet ' I le strengthen it with two Conuincing Arguments The The first Argument first Where we euidently find the marks cognisances and signes of true Religion there it is but Christs Doctrin only which we call Christianity is vndeniably manifested by clear signes and cognisances of truth and therfore is the true Religion I proue the Minor A cause is best known by its effects the tree by its fruits the sun by its light Faith by its works and the Existence of God by the emanation of his creatures But no other Religion whether it be that of Iewes Turks or Heathens euer shewed to the world the like effects of Truth the like glorious Miracles the like austerity of life the like contempt of transitory Goods the like efficacy of Doctrin or brought so many Infidels from incredulity so many from sensuallity to à holy virtuous life as Christ and his Apostles gained soon after the first promulgation of the Gospel Therfore these most illustrious marks and cognisances of Christianity as clearly conuince that God deliuered truth by the Preaching of our blessed Lord and his Elect Apostles as any effect in nature demonstrat's the cause it comes from The Marks are manifest to our eyes and senses and plead most powerfully for our Christian Doctrin No other sect falsly called Religion has euidenced the like signes and this I am sure no Christian can deny 2. A second argument is so weighty in the behalfe of Christs sacred Doctrin that though we had no knowledge of God or Prouidence vpon other Principles that which I am now to propose would make both most vndoubted I argue therfore That An Other taken from the miraculous propagation of Christian Religion Religion whose Author Founder and chief Preseruer is God we here suppose with Iewes and Turks the actual existence of à Deity is manifestly the true Religion for God cannot found or teach falshood but Christian Religion as taught by Christ and his Apostles had and has God for its Author Founder and Preseruer therfore it is the only true Religion I proue the Minor A Religion drawn into à law of liuing holily which Miraculously began and was spred the whole world ouer aboue the power and force of nature is manifestly from God and subsist's by Diuine virtue only Diuels neuer help't in so pious à work but our Holy Christian Religion was and is still thus miraculously spred and preserued also all Nations ouer aboue the power and force of nature therfore it is from God and subsists by his Diuine virtue To proue that it began miraculously and was propagated aboue the power and Four things Considerable in the propagation of the Gospel force of nature we are to ponder these four things 1. The sublime Doctrin of Christian Religion 2. The condition of those first Masters who taught it and in what difficult circumstances 3. The Quality and number of souls gained to belieue it 4. By what means they were induced to Assent Obserue well You will find in euery particular à Prodigious work aboue the force of nature and no other but Gods powerful hand concurring with it Thus
books of Scripture hee hath not yet so much as moral certainty of that precise Canon he receiues excluding other books which he denies as Scripture For no Orthodox Church no vniuersal Tradition no consent of Fathers no definition of any Council approues his Canon or explodes those books reiected by him therfore the sectaries Canon wherof there is so Much doubt can giue no moral assurance of Gods reuealed verities vnles it were without dispute à liquid truth that their Canon only is Gods word which cannot be supposed whilst so learned and numerous à multitude of Christians oppose it as defectiue and imperfect Yet more Suppose he giues you the exact number of Canonical books hee gain's nothing because the very Doctrin of these books is no more but à Translation and therefore vnlesse the Translator or Printer haue faithfully complyed with their duty and preserued the books in their ancient purity no Protestant can assure himself or any that what we now read is without change or corruption pure in the very necessary points of Faith If you say you compare them with the ancient Original Copies of the Hebrew and Greek I answer the very best Originals men can light on now are no more but meer Transcriptions and consequently may haue been corrupted by the Transcriber The best Originals now extant are only transcriptions the Printer or Librarian Therefore the Sectary hath no Moral certainty of the bare letter in Scripture if he cannot shew vs the hand writing or Autograph's of the Prophets and Apostles wherof there is no danger because he neuer saw any Hence I argue He who hath not infallible certainty of the very letter of Scripture want's infallible certainty of the Doctrin contained in Scripture but the Protestant hath no infallible certainty of the letter of Scripture Therefore he want's infallible certainty of the Doctrin contained in Scripture for no certainty of the letter no An argument against sectaries certainty of the Doctrin drawn from thence But if he has not certainty of the Doctrin he can haue no infallible faith grounded on it Therefore Scripture alone is an unmeet means to teach him what either true Faith or Religion is 2. Mr. Stillingfleet to solve this vnanswerable Argument Part. 1. c. 6. p. 196. saies we beg the Question when we require an infallible Testimony for our belieuing the Canon of scripture yet grants such à certainty as excludes all possibility of reasonable doubting and Chap. 7. p. 211. declares himself further thus Giue me leaue to make this supposition that God might not haue giuen this supernatural Assistance to your Church which you pretend makes it infallible whether men through the vniuersal consent of persons of the Christian Church in all ages might not haue been vndoubtedly certain that the Scripture we haue was the same deliuered by the Apostles I answer if you take leaue to make that supposition licence me to tell you you haue not that certainty of Scripture which Diuine Faith both supposeth and requires And here is one reason to omit others insisted on here after Deny this infallible assurance of the books of Scripture you haue no greater certainty that God endited those words we now read than you haue assurance that Aristotle wrote his Topicks or Caesar his Commentaries And dare you or any say that we receiue Mr. Stilling answer dissatisfactory our Bible vpon no surer ground Or can you Imagin if Christians accept these books vpon à Testimony lesse then vndubitable it may not be suspected that à thousand gross errours haue entred the Copies by the negligence or inaduertency of such as transcribed them Belieue it Were Aristotles Topicks matter of Diuine Faith none would dy after the fallible conueyance of them to our age vpon this perswasion that nothing substantially first writ by that Author hath been changed or altered Since and the same I assert of the Bible vnlesse you say that the words of Scripture were writ in some celestial and incorruptible Matter yet to be read by all or grant which is truth that as God by special Prouidence caused them to be writ pure so also he yet preserues them without blemish and now witnesseth the truth by the Testimony of his infallible Church wherof more largely hereafter At present I will only answer your difficulty about that fallible certainty which you affirm excludes all possibility of reasonable doubting and say first The vniuersal consent of persons of the Christian Church in all ages neuer approued the intire Canon of your Scripture for not only the present Roman Catholick Church but the ancient councils also receiued books which you reiect This truth is so manifest that it need 's no further proof therefore your Canon want's the approbation of the whole Christian world and consequently you haue not so high à certainty of Scripture as excludes all possibility of reasonable doubting I answer 2. And it is à demonstration against Protestants who say the whole Christian world for à thousand years at least erred in Doctrin contrary to the verities of Holy Scriptures for if we goe up from Luther to the 4 th or 5 th age after Christ you 'l find none but condemned erring Hereticks and Roman Catholiks no lesse actually guilty say Sectaries of these professed errours Of praying to Sainâ—s of an vnbloody Sacrifice of the the A further Argument taken from the papists supposed errours real presence c. Thus much supposed I both answer and Argue against you If the whole Christian world was for that vast time so strangely infatuated as to mantain errours contrary to Scripture when the true Doctrin therof no lesse concerned their eternal Saluation then the true letter it cannot possibly be supposed vpon any weak Probability much lesse on such à certainty as excludes all reasonable doubt that these besotted Christians preserued the letter of Scripture pure and intire whose errours are now imagined most gross against the Doctrin contained in God's word Obserue my reason It is much more easy to conceiue if all held corrupted Doctrin that the very letter of Scrtpture was by negligence or ignorance of these Corrupters of Doctrin also corrupted then to imagin the records preserued pure and Millions of Christians to read them and after the reading grosly to mistake Gods verities registred in that book And here I must mind M. Stillingfleet of his proofless and inconsequent way in Arguing 3. You Sr. say first The whole erring multitudes of Christians before Luther preserued Scripture pure yet forsooth these silly men taught one Doctrin after an other contrary to Scripture They perused the book interpreted it yea preached it to their own confusion and condemnation You say 2. It is not possible that Mr. stillingfleets arguments retorted these writings could be extorted out of mens hands by fraud or violence vnder their eyes or suffered to be lost by negligence Yet you make it not only possible but grant the Doctrin therof to haue
is not like the Turks Alcoran stuffed with fooleries but as I am informed some who liued long there and knew the language well say it contain's most excellent moral precepts tending to the preseruation of iustice and à Ciuil life The Iew denies the new Testament The Arian and others the sense of our Scripture How therefore can Scripture alone proue efficacious to conuert these aliens from Christ or be supposed à fit means obliging all to belieue when yet they know not without more light what they are to belieue or why An other way therefore must be found out whereof more afterward In the mean while 9. I truely stand astonished when I consider how pittifully Mr stillingfleet return's no probable Answer Mr Stilling endeauours to soule this most conuincing Argument Read him who will Part. 1. Chap. 6. from page 175. to P. 179. and he shall find him tediously running on but ner'e à whit more forward in his iourney where he ends then at the beginning T is all à long à pure Petitio principij and worse The Question moued is How the Protestant can conuert à Heathen or proue infallibly that the Bible is Gods word Mr Stilling Answers his Lord Primate vndertakes not this task in the first place nor offer 's to Conuince à Heathen that the Bible must be infallibly belieued to be Gods word No but first the excellency and reasonablenes of Christian Religion Considered in it self is to be proued by shewing that the precepts of it are iust the promises such as may induce any reasonable man to the practise of those precepts that the whole Doctrin is very wisely contriued that nothing is vain and impertinent in it that those things which seem most hard to belieue in this Doctrin are not such things â—s might haue been spared out of it as though God did intend only to puzzle mens reason with them And thus he goes on in his draught or Idea of Christianity and so proues the Truth of Christianity by telling à Heathen What it is or what it teaches The Heathen most iustly except's against These proofs so may à Christian too if no more be said and professes all this talk hitherto besides à meer begging the Question seem's to him à pure cheat and fallacy You proceed strangely saith the Heathen for what is à supposed He makes à meer supposition his Proof verity amongst you Christians you turn into à proof against me that denies your supposition You labour to take my difficulties away by proposing to me those very things which cause them Mark well .. You first make the excellency and reasonableness of Christian Religion in it selfe à fit medium to proue Scripture Gods infallible word wheras that supposed reasonableness of your Religion is as dark and obscure to me who am no Christian as the infallibility of your Bibles Doctrin Therefore you proue one vnknown thing by an other wholly as much vnknown I deny both your Bible and reasonableness of your Religion proue the one or both or you speak not one word to the purpose 10. You suppose 2. à Principle which neither Catholick nor protestant euer yet owned viz. That that which you call Christian Religion is known ex terminis to be true by à meer declaration of its Doctrin wheras no Doctrin euen the most Primitiue was euer made discernable from errour by à bare saying it was true without Euidence of Credibility laid forth to reason before beliefe some precedent Euidence of its credibility laid forth to reason And therefore you are told in the other Treatise against Mr Poole â— 21. That if Christ and his Apostles had appeared in the world and only preach't the high Mysteries of our Faith or spoken as you do of the excellence and reasonablenes of its precepts or promises without further euidence they would haue no more drawn Iewes or Gentils to their Doctrin then twelue little Children could now draw vs to the belief of many other verities not yet reuealed had God inspired them to teach without miracles or any other supernatural wonders My reason is As the Bible euidences not it self to be Diuine scripture so the intrinsecal reasonableness of Christianity is no first euidence to it selfe both therefore must bee proued by Clearer Principles Belieue it Had Christ and his Apostles only insisted vpon the reasonableness of Christianity the very Iewes would haue silenced them alleging greater preuious euidence for their Religion shewed by Moses and the Prophets 3. Saith the Heathen because you dare not meddle with the motiues of Credibility which you Scornfully call à Grand Salad too often serued vp by Papists you speak at random when you giue me no other satisfaction to my difficulties than by telling me they are worth nothing You Affirm 4. Nothing is impertinent in Christian Religion I answer The belief of à Trinity of God made an Infant Your whole story of à Serpent tempting Eue and of Sampson Mr. stilling proofs found weightless with your Mysterious book of Apocalyps seem to my humane vnderstanding not only impertinent but improbable You tell me 5. of Christian Religion agreeing with those books you call the Bible That is you would say the Christian Doctrin of the Bible agrees with the book which is idem per idem and therefore highty dissatisfactory vnless you proue both the Bible and Doctrin by further Arguments You say 6. The Heathen ought to belieue some thing besides that he hath heard or seen vpon the report of honest men He answers he doth so farr as those reports moue him to assent and therefore denies not the matter of fact that there was once such à person in the world as Christ but because you say all this Testimony is no more but moral and may be false the Heathens belief goes no higher Iust so the Turks belieue there was such à man as Mahomet the Chineses such à man as Confusius but what get we by iudging there were such persons as these in the world Doth it here vpon follow all they taught Nothing yet proued was true or infallible Doctrin No such matter You say 7. The Heathen must belieue that Christ dyed rose again wrought many miracles and sent his Apostles to preach his Doctrin c. He answers these being Articles of your faith registred in Scripture you Sr either vrge him to belieue them as you ought to doe certainly and infallibly and this you cannot exact for you belieue them because they are in Scripture and yet you haue not proued to the Heathen so much as probably that Scripture is of Diuine inspiration Therefore you suppose what he denies and pittifully beg the Question 11. Or. 2. You will haue him yeild an assent to them vpon the humane testimony of many Christians which you say is fallible and may be false and that auail's nothing for thus the Turks belieue the Alcoran the Chineses their bible vpon the Testimony of innumerable witnesses You say 8.
and both as you see stand opposite to Mr Stilling weak plea drawn from Sense and Reason 6. I might yet cite S. Chrisostome In. 1. Cor hom 24. Other Authorities Chrisostom Pachasius Damascan who saith The kingly body in heauen is set before vs on earth We touch it and do not only touch it but eate it This body the barbarous Magi after à long iourney adored with fear and trembling Thou add's the Saint See'st him not now in the manger but on the Altar not held in à womans arms but by à Priest present c. Therefore in his Oration of S. Perhilg he explain's himself further Truly this table supplies the place of the manger for here also is our Lords body laid Paschasius à latin author who liued about the year 800. is so express for the real Presence à nd Transubstantiation in his book De Corp. Sanguine Dm'i that the Centurist's Cent. 9. C. 4. Col. 215. Praetorius de Sacramen Pag 288. and other Sectaries charge him with the Doctrin of Transubstantiation and oral eating of Christs body No less plain and express is S. Iohn Damascen lib. 4. Ortho. Fid. whose discours on this subiect though long is most significant As bread saith he naturally meat and wine and water by drink are changed into the body and blood of him that eates and drink 's So this bread proposed the wine and water also by the inuocation and comming of the Holy Ghost are in à miraculous manner conuerted into Christs body and blood neither are they two but one and the same Our Lord himself hath said This is not à sign of my body but my body This is not à sign of my blood but my blood Hence Praetorius now cited P. 288. reiects the Doctrin and call's this miraculous Transubstantiation held by S. Iohn Damascen slight and fabulous sodo other Sectaries with him also 7. There are yet more ancient authorities most pressing to our purpose were it not Actum agere to say again what has been so often The Testimony of S. Ignatius Martyr clear noted First the Testimony of S. Ignatius Martyr who liued with our Sauiour and was Scholler to S. Iohn seem's to me vnanswerable Epist ad Smirnen not far from the beginning They saith he that is certain Sacramentarians admit not Eucharists and oblations because they do not Confess the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Sauiour Iesus Christ which flesh suffered for our sins and his Father graciously raised from the dead So Theoderet 12. ages since Tom. 4. Dialogo 3. reads And Iaac Vossius who followes the Florentine Copy differs little or rather nothing at all None can reasonably call the Epistle into doubt which Vossius places before the other Epistles and the sense as you see is most clear 8. The second authority as pregnant is taken out of S. Iustin Martyr in his Apology for Christians vsually called the 2. S. Iustin's also most significant Apology Paris print 1615. Towards the end at those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For we take not this Eucharist as common bread and common drink but as Iesus Christ our Sauiour by the word of God was made flesh and haed for our saluation flesh and blood so also after the same manner we are taught that the food which by the prayer of the word is by him consecrated with thanksgiuing of which food our flesh and blood are by transmutation nourished is the flesh and blood of that Iesus Christ which was Incarnate And for proof hereof he allegeth Christs own words This is my body This is my blood Thus S. Iustin speak's who liued not long after the Apostles about the year 150. and nothing can be more express in behalf of Catholick Doctrin I know some Sectaries Cauil at the expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by transmutation The sectaries Cauil answered and think Iustin held the Eucharist to be food for the body but his sense is clear for he saith only That the same food which nourishes our bodies by real transmutation is made after consecration the very body of Christ and therefore Gaspar Laurentius à learned Caluinist in his Orthodoxus Consensus Pag 368. translates Iustins S. Iustin's true sense words out of the Greek thus Sumimus autem hunc panem hunc potum non vt Communem sed eo modo quo edocti sumus Iesum Christum seruatorem nostrum habuisse pro salute nostra carnem sanguinem sic etiam cibum illum ex quo nostra Caro sanguis aluntur post benedictionem ipsius esse carnem sanguinem Domini That is in plain English The bread or food which naturally nourishes our bodies is by vertue of Consecration made the sacred body of our Incarnate Sauiour Conformable hereunto Gelenius also quoted in the Annotations vpon S. Irenaeus aduersus Haereses lib. 4. C. 24. n. 26. renders S. Iustins words Sic per verbum precationis gratiarum actionis sacratam ab ipso alimoniam quae mutata nutrit nostras carnes sanguinem Illius Incarnati Iesu carnem sanguinem esse didicimus The Interpreter also I follow significantly renders the same sense Alimoniam vnde c. The food from whence from which or where with we are nourished this very aliment is by Consecration made the body of our Incarnate Iesus Well but admit that Iustine call's the Eucharist nourishment to our bodies How some Fathers call the Eucharist Nourishment to the body he makes it not therefore Corporal food but Spiritual which nourishes them to à ioyful resurrection or to immortality and thus the other Fathers chiefly S. Irenaeus now cited c. 24. versus finem speakes Quomodo saith he rursus dicunt c How do these Hereticks plead again that our flesh shall come to corruption and not take life from the body and blood of our Lord where with it is nourished Again Sic corpora nostra c. and thus our bodies receiuing the Eucharist are not corruptible hauing hope of à ioyful resurrection But enough of these authorities Whoeuer desires more may peruse Cardinal Perron in his 2. book of the Holy Eucharist Out of what is said already I argue 9. Either the now quoted Fathers and the Church also haue most impiously betrayed Christs cause in deliuering false Doctrin contrary to sense and reason or worthily defended à Christian verity Grant this second we haue our intent But if Sectaries say these Fathers cheated the world into à false belief and impiously erred in their expressions Ponder first what à frontles impudence accompanies the reply Next make this true inference It is impossible that such à supposed vniuersal errour should euer be rased out of A Conuincing Argument the minds of men by the force of any thing which has the likelyhood of à receiued Principle For what proofs or vndoubted Principles can possibly outweigh the express words of Scripture our Tradition the sentiment of the Church and the iudgement
of this particular Which holy Scripture without all ambiguity Doth demonstrate Thus S. Austin himselfe Answers most profoundly S. Austin And he giues an Answer to the present difficulty viz. That if the Obscurer Part of Scripture speak not plainly in the debate betwixt him and an Heretick the Heretick is to address himself to the Church and learn by Her what the sense of Scripture is Without light borrowed from the Church we haue only words about these high Mysteries but not fully sensed words chiefly when we argue with contentious Sectaries whose glosses depraue the plainest Passages in Holy writ as the Protestant doth Christ's clear Proposition This is my body If therefore we go on in such à contest with words not fully sensed we may well end our liues as S. Austin notes before we end one Controuersy 14. And thus you see as the One Part of Scripture is à body without à soul before it be receiued by the Church so the Other Part is also before it be both receiued and sensed by this Oracle of Truth Vpon this ground all those other Testimonies vsually alleged by Sectaries out of S. Austin against the Donatists Of Optatus Meleuitanus and S. Chrysostom for the clarity of Scripture are clearly solued for here is S. Austins Principle The sense of Scripture intended The sense of Scripture and the Church alwaies the same by the Holy Ghost and the sense of Christs true Church concerning Scripture can neuer clash but is one and the same If therefore I know the sense of the Church I haue with it the sense of Scripture also but with this difference That what Scripture often expresses less clearly Christ's Church deliuers more fully and Explicitly Whence it followes that if the Churches sense conclude against these Sectaries the Scriptures sense where it is obscure is in like manner concluding 15. You may obiect Scripture is in the noblest manner infallible For it hath its infallibility from God immediatly and may well be à distinct Rule or Principle from that sense which the Church giues of it Why therefore should not Sectaries haue recourse to that first and noblest Principle without relying on the Churches interpretation I haue answered because they know not guess they may and miss what Scripture saies in à hundred difficult Passages Therefore they are to recurr to the Church or must make vse of their own fancies to sense it The Argument purely fallacious is much to this sense Christ our Lord when he taught his Disciples was in the noblest manner infallible being Truth it self the Apostles were only infallible in their teaching and An Obiection answered further Explanation of those Verities they learn'd by à Singular Grace or participation of Infallibility Why then should not Sectaries rely only on the first sure Principle Christ's own words flowing from the Fountain of infallibility without depending on the Apostles Doctrin not so eminently infallible Now be pleased to hear S. Austin pondering those words Psal 57. Alienati sunt peccatores c. Where he makes this Parallel betwixt Christ and the Church and solues the Difficulty Ex veritatis ore ag 〈…〉 Christum ipsam veritatem Taught by the mouth of Truth I acknowledge Christ Truth it self ex veritatis ore agnosco Ecclesiam participem veritatis And by the same mouth of Truth I acknowledge the Church partaking also of Verity That is I own the Church to be not Truth it self not Scripture it self but à Copartner of Truth with Christ and Scripture I own it to be not Infallibility it self yet so eminently infallible by à singular grace or participated Infallibility That to dispute against it is most insolent madness Witness the same S. Austin Epist. 118. C. 5. ad Ian If he dare to do so Saith the Saint Serm 14. de verbis Apost C. 18. or rus◠violently against this impregnable wall of the Church let him know his doom ipse confringitur He is shattered in pieces Hence you see first that no mans priuate Iudgement can be contrary to the Churches sense giuen of Scripture without thwarting Scripture it self You see 2. That Scripture and the Church are not two Principles looking as it were different waies but one and the same in order to our direction and regulating Faith whereof Scripture and the Church in order to all is one Principle more Hereafter 16. In the mean while you may ask why our Sectaries keep such à Coile about the Clarity of Scripture concerning things necessary It is hard to say what they driue at For if all this pretended clarity diffused it self through euery passage of Holy writ worse it is for them and to their vtter confusion Obserue My reason The more clear Scripture is made by Nouellists the greater is their shame whilst they cannot proue by it's supposed clarity so much as one Protestant Doctrin nor probably oppugn one Article of our Catholick Faith Therefore nothing is gained this way Nay all is los t by Their casting off Church Authority when after that wicked Fact clear Scripture leaues them as Scripturelesse as Their own malice has made them Churchlesse It is true I see some Colour for their Pretence to Scripture and thus it is Like men lawlesse they haue shaken of all other receiued Principles of Christian Religion Speak of à Church She is fallible and has actually erred Cite Fathers some pitifully gloss them others roundly reiect them as men meerly Fallible Mention Tradition the very word is odious Now for stark shame whilst they bear the name of Christians it is hard to throw away all Christian Principles What 's done therefore Why Sectaries take recourse to the bare letter of Scripture I 'le tell you They lay hold of à body without à Soul I mean the bare letter of Scrrpture without the Sense and this is all that 's left them I say without the sense whereof you haue seen enough already for when the sense of God's word is controuerted between them and vs and their sense run's contrary to the receiued Church Doctrin no probable Principle can make it defensible and vpon this Ground I said right They are as Scripturelesse as Churchlesse All this is most true and I well vnderstand it But why these men labour so earnestly to make the Bible plain when not so much as one plain passage is found there for Protestancy or against our Catholick Doctrin is à Riddle aboue my reach I vnderstand it not Let then as much as you will of the book be clear whilst the Clarity fauour 's not one of our Sectaries forged Nouelties nor Contradict's one of our Catholick Tenets it neither help 's the Protestant nor hurt 's the Catholick In the next Discourse we shall treat of the Church and more oportunely solue there à few obiections of Sectaries CHAP. XV. The other mentioned Principles aboue are insufficient to decide controuersies Or to Regulate Faith 1. THe next Principle after Scripture we named the
As he thinks many à Flaw many à Mistake much iumbling much disorder in the Narration of his Circumstances Reflect well good Reader Doe you not see here à strange Confusion When after the vtmost done by these two Aduersaries You haue two quite different Doctrins raised from the same Authorities of Scripture and Fathers And that after the recourse of both to History You haue two as different Stories told you as Yea and No. In like manner after Their long discourses You haue two contradictory Conclusions drawn out And laid before your eyes to read Vpon what Principle if no more be Said can the yet perplexed Reader come to so much certainty of our Christian Truths as is necessary to Saluation By what means shall He know whether of these Two relates the truer Story Glosses or discourses better O He must peruse Ecclesiastical History Scripture also And the Volumes of Fathers And then iudge Pitiful More than half the world want's means to doe this And He who is able to comply with that laborious Task must at last trust to his own Iudgement Howeuer giue me one who will conform Himselfe to what he Reads and not draw all to à preiudicated Iudgement That man will find out Catholick Religion 4. Be it how you will The Catholick has à better And far more easy Principle to rely on in so weighty à Matter whereof The Catholicks Principle far more easy and plain we shall Treat largely in the next Discourse The Sectary has no other Ground to set footing on But his own priuate Fancy And here is the true Reason why he loues à life to stand dallying with you vpon Authority and History Goe no further He is sure to haue some Reply at hand For it is easy to trifle à long time whilst you only giue him this Authority And that Parcel of History to quarrel with The one as we haue seen He wrest's to what Sense he pleases On the other He can put so fair à Varnish by concealing some Circumstances and iumbling others together That the eyes of à vulgar Reader are easily dazled In the mean time He warily waues And is well content to doe so The last sound Principles which only can end Controuersies Wherefore Methinks one cannot fit the Sectaries Humour better than to attaque him with Authorities And next leaue the Glossing them to his fancy To recurr to Antiquity And permit him to put an other face on the whole Story Thanks be to God the Catholick Writers of our own Nation to say nothing of others who handle Matters most profoundly And in real truth haue already brought these debates to à Period giue no such Aduantage to Sectaries But relying What Sectaries would be at on sound Principles as learnedly reiect these Glosses as our new men wilfully make them without Principles Yet this is Truth As nouellists can do no more But Gloss without Principles So as I said now They are well enough content if the Catholick will doe something like them And only interpret or discourse vpon Authorities And this I call the less or not the last plain way of Ending debates Goe no further they think Themselues safe For example Read S. Austin in the place now cited I would not belieue the Gospel c. Ponder His whole Context attend to his learned Discourse Mark well how He both disputes and proues That he would not belieue the Gospel as Gods Diuine Word but vpon This solid ground That the Authority of the Church then when he wrote moued him to belieue so Descend yet to other particulars taken from his most Connexed way of Arguing Allege all plainly against the Sectary which hath been done and most landably again and again by Catholick Authors Yet after all you see Mr Stillingfleet begins new Quarrels as fiercely as if nothing had been said And if one should vnrauel what he hath wouen in his three pages would not â—e think ye to prolong these vnfortunate Strifes possibly find something to except against you And must not you to vnbeguile the Reader once more reply And except against all his new Exceptions How long may controuersies not yet brought to the last plain Principles run on without ending A shorter way Therefore must be thought of And thus it is 5. Take only that Positiue Doctrin which the Protestant plainly makes his own dogmatical Assertion when he either Adds his The clearest way of ending controuersies new Gloss to an obscure Authority or cast's one clear for Catholick Religion into darknes If you will haue Scripture Quote that Passage of the Apostle The Church is the Pillar and ground of Faith This is my body or what els you like best If Fathers Cite S. Cyril of Hierusalem S. Iustin Martyr or any other quoted aboue in defense of the Real Conuersion of bread into Christs Sacred Body This done First consider well what Church speak's most Conformably to the obuious Sense of these Authorities 2. Distinguish exactly between the Sectaries Gloss which contain's his Doctrin And the plain words of that Authority which he Interpret's Withall Ponder how little these two look like one another How little their Gloss. This is à Sign of my Body hath to doe with our Sauiours clear Expression This is my body 3. Stay not too long vpon the Energy of à Testimony Though plain in your behalf nor weigh ouer much the Circumstances wherein it was spoken For though both be well done yet This fitt's the Sectaries Humour Who waits for such By-Matters And in his Answers as I haue often obserued To shift off what mainly vrgeth will giue you work enough with his Suppositions his May-bâ—â—s And endles Windingâ— What is then to be done when he supposes his coniectures or Glosses to be true Doctrin This way I am sure is very solid 6. Propose with all moderation These following Questions Haue you Sir any Orthodox Church euer since Christianity began The Sectary is vrged I am sure you haue no express Scripture which without dispute as plainly deliuered the Doctrin contained in your Gloss as you now plainly Teach it Haue you any Orthodox Council which without Exception as Clearly defined it as you now Assert it Haue you any Tradition which by à continued Succession Age after age conueyed vnto you the Tenets you pretend to find in some few Fathers And now publish to the world as Christian Truths If you ground your Glosses or Doctrin on such excellent Principles we Catholicks are certainly in Errour And ought to conform to your reformed Gospel But if you fail and fail you must to doe thus much if you only giue vs empty Glosses without further Proofs we look on them as slight things cast off by the Orthodox world as both vnprincipled and vnpatronized Therefore Scriptureless as they are Churchless as they are they fall of Themselues to nothing And bring vtter ruin to your new Machin of Protestancy 7. I doe you no wrong when I draw you off
of that weak Declaration it appear's no other to me but As things are proposed so they are to all that belieue weak and fallible And none on earth can vnbeguile me or Propose it with greater certainty Because all are now Supposed fallible in their Teaching 8. One Instance may yet clear my meaning The Protestant reads Christs Sacred words Matt. 26. This is my Body And Proposes what he conceiues to be belieuable by Faith But An Instance doth it fallibly Imagin that the Roman Catholick Church also could Say no more for Her Doctrin or the Sense of those Words But as the Protestant doth so fallibly that all might be False it is clear That none whether Catholick or Protestant can haue Certainty of the Doctrin which Christ our Lord deliuered in that one short Sentence Why Both declare their fallible Sentiments only and Fallibly concerning the Sacrament So far their teaching reaches and not farther Therefore the Faith which should be had of the Mystery dwindles into nothing but into à fallible Opinion by virtue of that imperfect Teaching 9. Hence we learn that à Doctrin though infallible in Gods word without more Help makes no man though he be à Prodigy of wit an Infallible Teacher The reason is Infallibility Scripture alone makes no man infallible And why Proceed's not from Scripture easily misinterpreted but immediatly from Gods special Assistance And this Assistance which fixes an Assumed Oracle vpon Truth vnerrably no malice can wrest to falshood Now that the Book of Scripture as dayly Experience teaches is horridly peruerted to à Sinister sense needs no proof For all know what ruin Hereticks haue to the vttermost of their Power endeuoured to make of the chief Articles of our Christian Faith though they aknowledged Scripture to be God's Diuine Word There is scarce One which remain's Vnperuerted Some Deny the Necessity of Diuine Grace Others that great Mystery of the Incarnation Others an Equality in the Diuine Persons Others our Sauiours two Wills Diuine and Humane Thus the Pelagians the Antitrinitarians the Apollinarians and Monothelits taught and deceiued The world And when Scripture is Alleged in behalf of euery Orthodox Truth All you haue from them is à return of ouerthwart Glosses Grace must signify what the Pelagians please The VVord made Flesh How abused what the Antitrinitarians fancy and so of the rest Whence it is Euident that Scripture Alone without more light clears not sufficiently its own Truths For here you Se the most Primary Atticles disowned and Consequently Scripture abused by Priuate Spirits which therefore makes none infallibly certain of God's reuealed Doctrin 10. We Catholicks require à further Help One faithful Oracle to teach which in this contest about the Sense of Gods What Catholicks require besides the bare Letter of Scripture Word end 's all Strife and Saies both plainly and infallibly Thus and thus an Infinite Verity speaks in Scripture Yet Sectaries are offended with vs because we can assert without hesitancy VVe belieue infallibly what Truth it Selfe Reueal's infallibly Nay more They are angry with God for hauing done them the greatest fauour Imaginable For to put à Period to these endles A signal Mercy of God makes sectaries offended debates raised among Christians To teach all Infallibly by his own vnerring Oracle what may and ought to be belieued Infallibly is à signal Mercy for which due Thanks can neuer be rendred Disowne the Mercy we liue and shall liue in à Spirit of Contention to the worlds end 11. Now if you Ask why the Church after She has proposed the Sense and verity of Scripture more easily beget's infallible Faith in Her Children Than the bare letter of Gods word can doe without Her I Answer The facility Diuine assistance Supposed arises from the Clarity of Her teaching known to all Vniuersally whether Orthodox or others Whence it is that few of our Aduersaries scarce moue any doubt concerning the Sense of the Churches vniuersal receiued Doctrin for that 's plain but chiefly Question the Truth of it Whereas all is contrary in our contest with the forenamed Hereticks For there is no Dispute whether Scripture be true What is chiefly debated with Sectaries The debate only being what it Saith or what the Sense of Gods sacred word is Here we fight in darkness before the Church Speak's and Declares Her Sense And if She be diuinely Assisted to teach truth as is already and shall be more amply proued in the sequele Discourse that doubt also ceases and vanishes into nothing 12. In the mean while Some may Object 1. The greatest part of Christian Doctrin is now agreed on and Supposed by Catholicks and Protestanss both true and infallible what necessity then haue we of any other Oracle besides Scripture to teach infallibly Answ The Agreement is Null and the Supposition destroies it self if all that taught Christian Doctrin since the Apostles time teach it fallibly For How could any An Obiection Answered agree in this That such and such à Doctrin is both true and infallible when He or They yea all that teach may because fallible erre in their very teaching and call that infallible Doctrin without Assurance giuen of its Infallibility Do Therefore all own the Verities in Scripture infallible not infallible ex Terminis We must ioyntly own with that an Oracle which Proposes these Verities infallibly or can belieue nothing And by this you Se the Supposition destroies it Selfe For The Sectaries Supposition destroyes it selfe to Suppose à Doctrin infallible when none can Propose it answerably to its Merit as infallible or infallibly is as implicatory as to Suppose without Proof the Starrs in Heauen equal in number and from thence to Inferr they are to be iudged equal The Parity holds exactly 13. Obiect 2. Whoeuer though fallible Deliuers by chance Infallible Christian Doctrin Teaches the very sence that Christ taught Answ Very true But he giues no Assurance Aunother Errour of Sectaries That he doth so For à fallible Deliuery of à Truth as yet only Supposed not Proued infallible raises it no higher but to such à State of Vncertainty that one may iustly doubt whether it be Christ's infallible Doctrin or no. 14. Obiect 3. The fallible teaching of an infallible Verity may well conuey vnto à Hearer that which God has Reuealed For why may not an infallible Verity as Reuealed though fallibly Proposed haue influence vpon Faith and work in Belieuers à most firm Assent Answ It is vtterly vmpossible For à fallible teaching of an infallible Verity not yet Proposed as infallible by any neither Supposes the Truth Certain vpon other principles and this is euer to be noted nor makes it infallible It Supposes no Truth taught infalliby for Protestants Say None now can teach so All Doctors being fallible And most euidently Sectaries clearly conuinced it makes not that Verity infallible For the Verity as reuealed was antecedently Infallible before this fallible teaching
To lay Faith as low as may be to remoue it from its own Center and fasten it vpon no man knowes what moral ground 's Finally to introduce à new weak and vncouth way of belieuing is the best seruice Mr Stillingfleet can do for God and Christians But Ad rem 9. I Say first Protestants haue no grounds distinct from the Diuine Testimony whereby to discouer any one particular Truth which God has reuealed I proue the Assertion These supposed Grounds are either reduced to the rational Euidence of Christian Religion already refuted as laid forth by Mr Stillingfleet Or to the Doctrin contained in Scripture And this Saith He. Page The Doctrin refuted 170. VVe belieue by Faith vpon à Diuine Testimony which therefore is not the antecedent Reason or ground Why we belieue it For no verity Assented to by Faith can as assented to be the preuious Reason of our Assent or à rational ground iuducing to belieue Therefore we said our Sauiours Miracles belieued by Faith when Rational Inducements to Faith are euer presupposed to Beliefe we read Scripture are not the Inducements to belieue them because an Inducement to Faith is euer presupposed and not inuolued in the Act of belieuing But it is needles to Say more of this For no man in his wits if Questioned by either Iew or Gentil why he belieues the Sacred Trinity can for the last Answer tell him He belieues so because â—e belieues it or because he read's that Mystery in à book called Scripture Now besides these proofles Inducements there are no other imaginable whereby the Diuine Testimony can be Discouered conueyd or applyed to Belieuers but only those known Catholick Motiues as Miracles Sanctity Conuersions Church Motiues Slighted of Nations c which illustrate the Vniuersal Roman Church And these Mr Stillingfleet scornfully call's mute things à grand Salad too often serued vp found very dry and insipid Therefore he has no rational Inducement morally Certain for any one Article of Christian Religion much less for the Tenets of Protestants 10. I Say 2. If the Grounds or Motiues inducing to belieue let these be what this Aduersary pleases haue Infallible connexion with the Diuine Testimony or conuince vpon Metaphysical Certitude that God speak's the Truths we belieue The Assent giuen to the Motiues is not moral but highly infallible Contrarywise if all Motiues preuious Faith cannot be built on Fallible Motiues to beliefe be supposed so fallible that they may deceiue Faith neither is nor can be built vpon them Therefore Mr Stillingfleet Err's in Saying The nearest and most proper Resolution of Faith is into the Grounds inducing to belieue that such à Testimony is Diuine 11. To proue the Assertion I demand Whether God obliges all to belieue his reuealed verities vpon his vnerring Testimony as the only Formal Obiect or to belieue for Motiues extrinsecal to that Testimony which though morally certain may possibly Deceiue Grant the first Faith stand's fast The Assertion proued vpon its own foundation the Diuine Testimony Say 2. It is iointly built on Motiues as the nearest and most proper Obiect which in rigour may deceiue it hangs as it were Vpon two Heterogeneal Principles The One most firm and Infallible The Other weak and fallible Viz. Motiues which being fallible cannot but contribute as much Weakness to Belief as the infallible Testimony giues it Certainty And so these two Principles by their different Influence Doe and Vndoe build and destroy wind on and wind off The one imparts infallible Certainty the other staikes it away and makes Faith no more but à fluctuating moral and fallible Assent 12. To aduance this Proof yet further I Ask Again if all Diuine Reuelation were by à supposed Impossibility not infallible but only morally certain whether then Christians could belieue the reuealed Mysteries with à Faith as certain as they now elicite vpon Reuelation Answer Tea That Perfection of infallibility essential to Gods Reuelation would then be vseles and impertinent to Support Faith Answer The Proof further explained conuinceth No or Say Faith if the Hypothesis stand's would not be Diuine and certain I infer Ergo it is neither Diuine nor certain De facto My reason is So far and not further Gods infallible Testimony or the Diuine Reuelation has influence vpon Faith as fallible motiues Apply it to Belieuers or giue it leaue might one speak so to Support that Assent But these fallible Motiues which immediatly apply the Reuelation to Belieuers permit it not to raise that Act to any greater certitude than only moral which may be false Therefore the Reuelation de facto communicates no more Certainty to Beliefe than if it were only morally and not infallibly certain For here is our Aduersaries Principle According to the Proofs and grounds whereby we discouer the Diuine Testimony to be in Being We belieue But all these Proofs and grounds Say only Morally and Fallibly that the Testimony is now in Being Therefore faith also can be no more but only Moral Fallible and liable to Errour 13. Hence it followes first That neither the very Apostles Ill Consequences deduced out of nor any other Belieuers euer fince that time had any surer faith than only moral which may be false It followes 2. That the Truth of all Christian Religion inuolues in it à Possibility of salshood For being applyed or proposed to vs vpon Sectaries Doctrin grounds only fallible and moral we are to iudge of it according to the Exigency and Merit of such weak grounds And therefore can esteem it no better than fallible It followes 3. And this I would haue noted That Faith in these mens Principles tend's not absolutely into the Diuine Reuelation but only with doubt and fear or meerly conditionally For euery man may rationally Say Lord if you haue reuealed this truth Christ is the true Messias I belieue it as vndoubtedly true but the certainty I haue thereof is only Setled vpon Motiues which They make Faith à Conditional Assent may deceiue me Therefore my faith can be no more but Hypothetical or conditional to this Sense If you haue reuealed it I belieue if not I reiect it Hence you se it were much better could not the difficulty be otherwise solued to Say the Motiues preuious to Faith conuince with Metaphysical certainty that God speak's by his Scripture and Church Than to make the Reuelation so strengthles that it can because weakned by fallible Motiues contribute no other certainty to Belief but what is Moral and may be false 14. And thus much Mr Stillingfleet could he proced consequently This Aduersary Proceed's not Consequently as he doth not should Assert For if as he saith considering the Nature of things moral Certainty be as great or beget's as firm an Assent as any Mathematical or physical certainty what is it that fright 's the man from allowing Infallible certainty to Faith Or what gain's he to Substitute in Lieu of
Her Motiues Ascertain's vs that such Books are Diuine I Answer 2. Grant such Motiues may in some weak manner and particular Circumstances conduce to belieue the Scriptures Diuinity yet in this present State when we haue à Church most clearly manifested which both Ascertain's vs of Scripture and the Sense also it would be no less than an vndiscreet rashness to cast off her Authority being the most facile and plainest Rule and in Lieu of Her to rely on another forrain vnfit way of Belieuing by Motiues not half fo clear and far less conuincing 2. Thus some Diuines Teach though à Heathen after à due Consideration of the works in Nature may come to belieue that God will reward Good and punish Euil yet none do Assert That when our Christian Articles are clearly proposed to An Instance him by the Pastors and Teachers of the Church For example That Christ dyed for vs. The dead shall rise again God will reward the iust c. That then if he reiect Church Authority he can belieue the forenamed Articles with Diuine Faith This I Deny And the reason is because that way of belieuing when à It is imprudent to reiect we easiest was of Belieuing more ordinary and facile is proposed Seem's temerarious and imprudent And so it would be should any now when the Church giues vs full Assurance of the Scriptures Diuinity lay aside Her Authority and Say I will alsolutely belieue this or that Truth to be God's word because I Discouer apparent Signs of Diuinity in what I read 3. In the next place Mr Stillingfleet Quarrel 's with à word The Roman Catholick Church which in his opinion is iust as much as to Say The German vniuersal Emperour That is particular and vniuersal together for Roman restrain's or marks out one Church vniuersal includes all Answ It is à meer Quibble exploded by A meer quibble exploded by Fathers the Fathers particularly S. Hierome Apolog. 1. aduersus Ruffin not far from the beginning who call's the Roman Faith the Catholick Faith VVhat Saith he is Ruffinus his Faith It is that there with the Roman Church preuail's or another founded in Origens Writings Si Romanam responderit Ergo Catholici sumus If he Answer 's it is the Roman Faith This Inference is good we both profess the vniuersal Faith Therefore Roman and Vniuersal are here synomimal or words of one Signification which the Apostle clearly Insinuates Rom. 1. 8. Your Faith is renowned the whole world ouer Again Epist 16. ad Principiam Virg circa medium He showes that the most ancient Saints addressed themselues to to the Roman Church Quasi ad tutissimum communionis suâ— S. Hierom's express Testimonies portum as to à place of refuge or of mutual Communion which was General Publick and belonged to all Yet more When Epist 57. ad Damasum This great Doctor positiuely teaches That he was ioyned in Communion with no other Society of men then such as adhered to Damasus S. Peters Successor where vpon the Church was built And that those who eate the lambe out of this House were prophane Did he think ye speak of any one particular Roman Diocess and not of the vniuersal Catholick Church It is contrary to his Discourse and reason also 4. Se more of this subiect in the Epistle of S. Athanasius to two Popes Iulius and Marcus Read also S. Cyprians Epistle 52. n. 1. Other Fathers Speak with S. Hierome And S. Ambrose De obitu fratris about the middle and know withall The word Roman added to Catholick is not to limit the vniuersal Iurisdiction of that See But to distinguish Orthodox Belieuers from Hereticks who were professed Enemies of the Roman Faith If therefore we may rightly comprise vnder this word Roman all other Christian Societies past or present vnited in Why the Roman Church was called Vniuersal belief with this one Mother Church There is neither Bull nor Solaecism in speech to call the Roman euer One and the same in Faith the vniuersal Church of Christ 5. Page 127. To catch Carholicks in à Circle Mr Stillingfleet Ask's why we belieue Scriptures to be the Word of God If we Affirm vpon this Ground That the Church which is infallible Mr Stilling endeauour more then weak deliuers them so to vs He demand's again and bidd's vs Answer if we can whether t' is possible to belieue the Churches infallibility any other way than because infallible Scriptures Say She is infallible which implies à plain Circle Answ It is very possible For seing Scripture demonstrat's not ex terminis its own Diuinity nor can be made euidently credible by any light internal to catch Catholicks in à Circle to the Book some other infallible Oracle distinct from it must necessarily ascertain vs that the Book is Diuine And the Doctrin there preserued is yet pure as the Apostles wrote it But this Oracle can be no other but the Church which proues Her selfe by Signs and Miracles to speak in Gods name independently of Scripture therefore the first act of Faith whereby we belieue in à General way the Churches infallibility relies not as this Gentleman weakly supposes on Scripture But vpon the Church it Selfe as the most known manifested Oracle And thus the Circle is easily auoyded 6. You will se more clearly what I aime at by one Instance taken from the Primitiue Christians Ask what induced them to belieue the Apostles Infallibility when they Preached All No Circle in the Primitiue Christians Faith Answer They belieued so because those blessed men immediatly proued themselues commissioned Oracles sent from God and made their Doctrin euidently Credible by sensible Signs and Wonders which surpassed the force of Nature Very true Iâ— like manner we belieue the Churches infallibility hauing preuious Motiues as Stronge to belieue that Truth vpon her Authority as euer Christians had to belieue that S. Paul was infallible when he preached If then there was no Vicious Therefore none in our Resolution Circle in those first Christians Faith there can be none in Ours vhilst all of vs haue infallible Oracles manifested by Supernatural Signs to rely on And Those first now mentioned had them before Scripture was written You will say this Discourse seem's to proue we cannot belieue the Churches Infallibility vpon the Scriptures Testimony It has been Answered ouer and ouer supposing Scripture be one admitted as God's sacred Word â—e proue the Churches infallibility so strongly by it against all Aduersaries who own the Book as Diuine that none of them shall euer return à probable answer to our alleged Testimonies 7. But what Saith Mr Stillingfleet Is there no difference between the way of prouing à thing to an Aduersary and resoluing ones own Faith Answer yes But we both resolue and proâ—â— We Resolue the first Act of Faith concerning Scripture How we both resolue and proue the Churches Infallibility into the Churches infallible Authority and belieue that Book to be
and all the particular Sentences contained in them are not God's written word He could not yet for such à peruerse Denial be accounted an Heretique I Proue it None can incurr the guilt of Heresy but he who denies à Truth which God has reuealed or which stand's firm vpon à Diuine Testimony But he that denies the Books of Scripture to contain Heresy not incurred though one denyed the Books of Scripture to be Diuine God's Word in them renounceth no Truth reuealed by Almighty God For Saith our Aduersary this is no reuealed Truth nor stand's firm vpon any Diuine Testimony Therefore he is no Heretique Now further if he may without the sin of Heresy deny these Books to be Diuine Seing God neuer said so It is impossible to belieue the Doctrin therein contained to be Diuine vpon any Diuine Testimony yet Mr Stillingfleet thinks he may 35. My Reason is No man vnderstand's by the Books of Scripture which contain the Principles or Doctrin of the Iewish and Christian Religion to be meerly the Paper or Couer of the Books but he must vnderstand if he rightly conceiues VVhat is to be vnderstood by the Books of Scripture what Scripture is the very Principles and Doctrin contained in those writings For example Here is one Principle in the old Testament Gen. 17. 4. God made à Conuenant with Abraham and his seed for euer Another in the New Ioan. 1. 14. The Word is made Flesh. Answer I beseech you Can any man truly affirm that these two Principles the like is of innumerable others contained in Scripture stand not firm vpon God's infallible Testimony when T' is manifest the whole Christian world is obliged to belieue them with à Faith grounded vpon the same infallible Testimony that reuealed them Principles of Religion denyed It was Therefore no little Ouersight in Mr Stillingfleet to Speak here of the Principles of the Iewish and Christian Religion contained in à Book called Scripture And positiuely to Assert these cannot be belieued vpon à Diuine Testimony This certainly is not Defensible 36. Some may yet Reply Two things are here to be considered First the bare letter or outward words of Scripture and these we belieue not vpon Diuine Reuelation but haue them from vniuersal Tradition or the consent of Nations An Answerto such as here diflinguish The second is the Sense or Diuine Doctrine which these outward Signes or exteriour words Conuey to vs. Now this Sense or the interiour Doctrin of Scripture as contradistinct from the bare outward letter we purely belieue vpon the Diuine Testimony casting the Assent giuen to the Words vpon Between the bare words and the sense other forrain Principles I belieue Mr Stillingfleet elswhere Saies some such thing as this or must say it Contra. 1. The meer outward words though pure are no Books of Scripture And as separated from the Sense and interiour Doctrin are neither Principles of the Iewish or Christian Religion nor in rigour God's word For God neuer spake nor inspired others to write words but he iointly conueyed with them his own Sense and Doctrin also And Methinks its very hard to belieue this Doctrin This is my beloued Son as God's sacred words and not to belieue those very words to come from God vpon the same Diuine Motiue which Support's the Doctrin Moses saith our Sauiour Iohn 5. 47. Has written of VVords are Diuine me And if you will not belieue his Writings how will you belieue my Words These outward Signes therefore the very words of truth called by the Apostle 1. Thess 2. 13. Verbum auditus Dei words of hearing or heard are in very deed the VVords of God and consequently may well where none can rationally doubt of their Purity be assented to vpon the same Diuine Testimony with the Doctrine contained in them 37. The Reason is God would haue been the same Verity he now is although he had reuealed nothing that therefore which moues or determin's Belieuers to assent to the truths reuealed is not only his increated Authority but the sincere external Reuelation with it also These Two iointly The First Veritas Speaking is the Obiect of Faith concurr as one Motiue whence it is that the First Verity as Speaking or Reuealing may be rightly called the Formal Obiect of Faith I know Diuines vary about this Question Whether the external Proposition be à partial Motiue with Gods internal Verity or only à necessary condition whereby that Verity the vltimate ground of faith is applyed to Belieuers herein much may be de Nomine But none of them all Say The exteriour Reuelation is assented to vpon one Principle which is not Diuine and that the Doctrine conueyed by it is belieued vpon another most Diuine and infallible This is à nouelty VVhat Sectaries should grand Neither do I see how Sectaries can find that Lustre that Maiesty and Diuinity so often talk'd of in the purest words of holy Writ if they be not owned as God's true words vpon his Diuine Testimony 38. Let vs now briefly examin Mr Stillingfleet's Proposition without depending on what he teaches or must teach concerning the belief of words separated from the Doctrin VVe belieue Saith he the Doctrin contained in the Books of The Doctrin in it selfe examined Scripture vpon à Diuine Testimony because God has giuen abundant Euidence that this Doctrin was or is of Diuine Reuelation Here are three things Distinguishable The Doctrin Belieued The Incarnation for example The Testimony reuealing the matter bebelieued and finally the Euidence whereby that Testimony is brought to light Now all our difficulty is concerning the Euidence of this Diuine Testimony wherevpon we belieue any Mystery and we Ask from whence Mr Stillingfleet takes his Euidence He has you se abundance of it wherewith to proue that God euer Said The Diuine word was made flesh 39. The Question seem's reasonable because this Testimony which all ought to belieue and consequently doth Exist is not it's own Selfe euidence nor can it be euidenced by another Testimony of Scripture wholly as obscure to vs that God spake The Diuine Testimony not its own Self euidence that Truth For so we should goe in insinitum and Proue one dark Testimony by another equally as dark Infallible Tradition not written and the infallible Authority of the Church our Aduersaries reiect And may Say Both though admitted are Obiects of faith and consequently vnder tâ—at Notion appear as little Euident to vs as the Scriptures Testimony is we desire to proue Therefore whateuer is rightly called Euidence in this matter whereby all would discouer an obscure Testimony not yet proued God's word must of necessity be extrinsecal to the Testimony it selfe and if extrinsick no other Euidence can Therefore the Euidence of its Credibility must be taken from extrinfick Motiues Possibly be had but that which arises from the known Motiues of Credibility For by these the Church is proued an Oracle no lesse
vnderstanding to an infallible Assent 4. To Solue this pressing Argument many learned Diuines ascribe and Methinks most reasonably so great an Euidence to the Motiues of credibility so strong à connexion between The Iudgement of learned Diuines them and the Diuine Reuelation that it 's impossible to separate what God has conioyned Viz. The Truth of his Reuelation from the euident appearance or rather the real Exhibition of so many glorious Miracles so much blood shedding for Christ so great Sanctity Such innumerable conuersions wrought vpon Millions c. These and the like Signal wonders taken atlogether God cannot permit to be done in his name and with all their Circumstances to confirm à Faith which tend's to no other end but Holiness of life and euerlasting happines vnless the Diuine Testimony were really in Being as these Signs conuince VVhere in the force of Church Motiues lies 5. To illustrate more this necessary Truth be pleased to consider à little wherin the weight of our Church Motiues lies and first behold them as they are Positiues Signes Miracles Sanctity Conuersions so positine that neither Iew nor Gentil can deny one of them 2. Carry well in mind this negatiue Truth also The want of Arguments to the Contrary I would Say Nothing like à rational Proof can be alleged against them but what equally discredit's the admirable Wonders of Christ and hie Apostles Add herevnto 3. That no Society of men be they Heathens Iewes or Hereticks haue hitherto shewen or shall hereafter shew Signes Comparable to these in confirmation of any doctrin apposite to that which the Catholick Church teaches God's exteriour voyce net â—mitable by the Diuel or any false Prophet 6. From what is here hinted at and the Principles already laid I Discourse farther God can speak to creatures in à Language worthy himselfe and so proper to his own great Maiesty that no false Prophet can forge counterfeit or perfectly imitate it The Assertion seem's manifest For if his own Language be forgeable or imitable by Enemies It is impossible to judge by any Sign whether he or the Diuel speaks Nay it followes clearly that God Cannot speak at all in à Language worthy himselfe or powerful enough to gain Belief For if His voyce be not distinguishable from that of an Enemy How Shall men yeild à surer Assent to God when He speaks than to an Impostor that speak's like him 7. Thus much supposed these two things follow ineuitably Church Motiues certainty Speak Something and in right Order First Something is certainly signified by these Marks and signal Motiues manifest in the Church and consequently they are either God's Voice or the Diuels Take which you will If God's own Voice for etiam factis loquitur Deus Saith S. Austin it is so clear and discernable by it selfe from another cogging Gypsie Language that all may know it proceed's from God Or if this cannot be known it auails him not what followes if the Language of the Motiues be an illusion to speak when the language he vtters cannot possibly be discerned to be his Contrarywise if you say The whole Aggregation of Motiues are à meer illusory language of God's professed Enemies you vndoe all you destroy the Euidence of Christianity you annul our Sauiours most glorious Miracles and render the Apostles admirable wonders not only insignificant but contemtible to Iewes and Gentils Let therefore the man appear in publick who dare boldly Assert All the illustrious Motiues and markes God either Speaks by them or Christianity Perishes of the Catholick Church which as I said certainly signify something are the Language of Diuels or false Prophets when it is euident they induce to belieue à Doctrin most Pious and sacred If you Affirm Christianity goes to wrack Say no or acknowledge such supernatural Signes to proceed from God we haue enough the very Lustre of ithem so discountenances and abashes Heresy that it appear's as â—t truely is in the highest measure improbable 8. Hence we see T' is the second inference and the chiefest thing I aym at an inseparable Connexion between these supernatural Signes and the thing signified I mean between the Motiues and the Diuine Reuelation For if it be certain that such Signes The Connexion asserted followes from hence proceed from God which is indubitable vnless either Diuel or false Prophet fourge them None can doubt but that God's interiour Reuelation actually exist's as the Motiues Morally Euident do Conuince 9. You will Say If the Motiues haue an Infallible Connexion with Gods internal Reuelation that very Reuelation and Consequently the Mystery Reuealed must also appear euident Faith not Euident though the Motiues haue an Essential Connexion in Themselues to all Belieuers And so faith would be Euident I deny the Consequence because the Assent giuen to that Connexion which implies the highest Moral certitude conceiuable vnder the degree of most strict Euidence is Science and not Faith For it saies no more but thus much The Diuine Reuelation not seen in it Selfe but only by the light of external Signs is by virtue of these Signes made euidently Credible Now this euidence Faith as Faith leaues Or laies aside And firmly adheres to the Diuine Reuelation only for it Selfe as Contradistinct both from the Moral Euidence of the Motiues and their apparent Connexion with the Reuelation 10. The reason is taken from the Notion of Faith which essentially tend's obscurely vpon its own Obiect as the most ancient Fathers assert whose words because known to Euery one I waue at present and will only mind you of what some Protestants teach Faith Saies one and the Twi-light seem to agree in this Properly The nature and tandency of Faith that à mixture of darkness is requisite to both with too refulgent light the one vanishes into knowledge as the other into day Thus much granted t' is clear that no Euidence of the Testimony assented to can moue to Faith not only because we should in the case of Euidence be necessitated to belieue But vpon this account also that the certitude of Faith taken from the Supremest Verity is of à higher Strain and far surpasses all the certitude we find in Nature or in the Motiues inducing to belieue For were it possible as it is not that these Motiues and all the preuious Proofs leading to Beliefe could deceiue it is yet more impossible that God's infinite The excellence of it surpasses all created Certitude Veracity deceiues any Now by Faith we lay hold vpon this most Supreme or All-comprehending Infallibility proper to God alone not communicable to any creature And in this sense Faith far transcend's the Certitude of the forementioned Connexion which is known to be Infallible by Natural Discourse only 11. It is true The more euident these Motiues appear the better they induce to belieue yet for that reason haue lesse to doe with the very act of Faith which as I sayd rest's vpon and
of Faith Ad. 2. he Answers As man by his natural light Assent's to natural Principles so the virtuous The Angelical Doctors Doctrin man by the Habit of Faith rightly iudges of what belongs to that Virtue And therefore per lumen Fidei diuinitus infusum By the light of Faith diuinely infused he assents to the Mysteries S. Vincentius Ferrerius also in his Sermon vpon the sunday within the Octaue of the Epiphany pondering our Sauiours Answers to the Doctors Questions in the Temple speak's to our S. Vincenâ—ius words conformable purpose and very significantly Christs words Saith he veniebant ad Cor Doctorum cum lumine came to the hearts of those Doctors with light and they Said O verum dicit The Child speak's Truth Again Christus loquebatur Diuinâ virtute Christ spake with à Diuine virtue and all the Doctors vnderstanding him assented Pro certo verum dicit Most certainly he speaks truth Thus. S. Vincentius 11. The Principle whereon this Doctrin relies All must admit Viz. That an act of Faith is wrought in à Soul hy Faith à work of the Holy Ghost the operation of God's Spirit and therefore the Holy Ghost must not be excluded from that work which none can doe but He. Now what we Assert in this particular is that the infallible certainty of faith comes from this interiour Illumination as it more liuely set's forth the formal Obiect assented to or help 's to à clearer Proposal of the Diuine Mysteries 12. And thus in à word we haue the whole Progress of faith in this present State explained First à natural Proposition of the Mysteries precedes This beget's à natural apprehension of their Credibility After some consideration there may arise an imperfect Iudgement of Credibility But should the Wâ—ll offer as yet to incline the mind to Assent only vpon what appear's hitherto it could not moue to à Faith which is an Assent Super Omnia or most certain Therefore The whole Procedure of Faith briefly laid forth the illustration or powerful Inuitation of Grace by which as I said the Obiect appear's another way and more clearly is infused whereof the soul is Recipient The will now after other Preparatiues thus strengthn'd à new command's boldly the vnderstanding to Assent vpon the safest Principles imaginable Viz. Vpon God's infallible Reuelation accompanied with his own Diuine light which makes Faith to grow higher in certainty than all the Reason or knowledge in this life can arise to For as S. Thomas obserues Humane knowledge deriues its Certitude from Mans natural Reason which may Err but Faith has its infallibility Ex lumine Diuinae scientiae from the light of The efficacy of Diuine Light Gods diuine wisdom which cannot deceiue and therefore is most certain 13. Some may Oppose In this Discourse of the Diuine illustration we seem to fauour Heretiques who talk much of their light It is à strange Obiection Saith F. Granado Controu 1. de Fide Tract 1. D. 5. Whilst all acknowledge this Light All Catholicks Acknowledge this Light to be Gratia per Christum à Supernatural grace purchased by our Sauiour which raises vs aboue the force of natural Principles and moues to belieue most firmly And the Motiue is the Diuine Reuelation it Selfe inuested or appearing in God's own Diuine Illustration To what is pleaded in behalf of Hereticks I Answer Hereticks talk euery whit as much of their Faith Heretiques Claim to Faith and light makes neither Diuine as of their Light Do we therefore agree with them in faith because they Say theirs is as diuine as ours No certainly For the like sound of words implies neither the same reallity of things nor any agreement at all Why then should we fauour the light they pretend to which like their faith is à meer illusion and no more symbolizes with the Illustration of Catholicks then their faith doth with true Faith 14. I ground my Assertion on these three Principles S. Paul Saith first No man can belieue vnlesse hee Hear 's nor hear without à Preacher Therefore in this present state of things an exteriour Humane Proposition of the Diuine Reuelation necessarily precedes the true light of Faith and that light is The Pretended light of Hereticks Proued an illusion not giuen to belieue viâ ordinariâ vnlesse one authorized to Preach in God's name Proposes the Reuelation suitable to the natural way of hearing other Verities by our senses Imagination and humane vnderstanding Otherwise that would be possible which the Apostle makes impossible Viz. To hear and belieue without à Preacher Now further none can be à fit Minister to propound the Reuelation but he that makes his Proposition good by à Miracle or some supernatural wonder otherwise à meer Impostor may as well gain credit by Saying he speak's God's truths as the very best of the Apostles But no Protestant is able to doe thus much none of them all can say with truth God has reuealed my particular Doctrin First because none of them can propound their Doctrin as warranted by Supernatural Signs add Seal that very exteriour Proposition with à Miracle As euery Preacher in the Catholick Church can do Therefore the illustration he pleads for is meer Phansy and nothing els 15. Again and here is my second Principle grounded also vpon the Apostles words How shall they Preach vnlesse they be sent Which is to say He only is fit to Propose Gods Diuine Reuelation who proues himselfe commissioned to Preach by Supernatural Signes and indubitable Miracles For thus Christ our Lord sent by his eternal Father thus the Apostles sent by Christ and the Church euer since all shewing Wonders aboue the force of Nature proued their Mission withall euinced That God only impowred them to teach as they did Now here is the main point we vrge Could the Protestant 2. They haue no Commission to teach who certainly neuer yet wrought one indubitable Miracle to countenance his Doctrin giue in Euidence by some one or other Miraculous work That an Oracle sent him to reach He might speak more boldly But this being impossible The light he pretend's to is iust like his doctrin An Signis fatuus vain and void of all reallity 16. 3. Our latter Protestants seem to attribute no other certainty to the very act of Faith then what is moral and necessarily consequent to à humane fallible Ratiocination T' is much like to the Assent we elicit when we say Caesar or Pompey 3. Their Faith being only moral and fallible Cannot Proceed from the Holy Ghost haue been in the world If this Doctrin be defensible its impossible to declare how either Faith it selfe or the illustration preuious can proceed from the Holy Ghost For did the Spirit of God work with à Soul when it belieues The certainty of Faith would without all doubt goe beyond that assurance which is only humane moral and fallible Now wee Say quite contrary That Faith is an absolute
after our priuate perusing those few ancient Records left vs end our debate whilst you 'l turn them to one Sense and I to another Nouel Reason shall end all Catho That I wish for But quit me yet of one Scruple What if your priuate Reason be byassed one way and mine another Or what if you Iudge that Reasonable which I doe not Here the Nouellist like one struck dumb spake not à word 13. Yet the Discourse might well haue gone on for I would haue further inquired whether to do as all the Christians what is to be Iudged reasonable in the world learned and vnlearned haue done be not reasonable None can deny it Then I would haue inferred But all these Innumerable Christians The very Apostles themselues and others haue vpon prudent Motiues Constantly iudged it reasonable to submit to Mysteries aboue the reach of humane Reason Ergo that must pass as à reasonable Principle But the Reason cannot be taken from the very Act The Euidence of Credibility not taken from Faith of submission For that is Faith nor from any Euidence in the Mystery belieued or obscurely proposed nor finally from Scripture alone for that Book Considered in it selfe is not its own Euidence Therefore the Euidence of Credibility Or the Euidence Proposed to Reason is extrinsecal to what euer I belieue and fundamentally lies in the Marks and Signatures of Christs own manifested Church 14. Hence I Conclude with this Dilemma and hold it vnanswerable Either God has set before all Mens Eyes An Oracle which now teaches truth most discernable by clear Marks and Motiues from all false erring Societies Or omitted to do so Grant the first Reason is as much obliged to belieue A Conuincing Dilemma that Signalized Oracle now As the Primitiue Christians were anciently bound to belieue the Apostles Say Contrary There is no such Marked Oracle distinguishable from erring Sectaries Reason is left in à Labyrinth and shall neuer find out true Religion Wherefore Protestants who seemingly stand for Reason and slight the Doctrin of our Euidenced Sectaries vnreasonable Church are the men amongst all other most vnreasonable and as dayly experience teaches meer Scepticks in matter of Religion 15. A 5th Inference The readiest way to conuince à Sectary How they are easily Conuinced and one though no great Clerk may easily do it is in the first place at least to waue that long tedious work of handling particular Controuersies which depend vpon Authority and to plead by Reason Thus I would Argue and haue often done so with good Success You as à Protestant lay claim to à reasonable Reformation and consequently to à Reasonable Religion Say I beseech you from whence haue you the Moral Euidence which makes this Reformation Credible to Reason I speak not yet of it's Truth for Euidence of Credibility e 〈…〉 preced's the anouching of it true We Catholicks proceed candidly Euidence of Credibility is first to be laid forth and propose to the reason of euery one learned and vnlearned the very Marks and Signs of truth manifest in our Church which Christ our Lord and the Apostles euidenced to the sirst Conuerted Christians You set vp à new faced Religion and when that 's done put it out of Countenance because Reason sees nothing in it which has appearance of Credibility You auouch it true before you make it Credible which Sectaries auouch their reformation true before it be made Credible is to put the Conclusion before the Premises 16. One perhaps will Say first The reason of your Reformation stand's vpon this rational Ground that wee Catholicks were deformed or out of all right fashion in our Religion Lamentable And are you the doughty Doctors that must mend what was marred and prescribe à new Model of Religion Can you Say what is or what is not Catholicism It is too much Boldnes not only to teach more learned then They make à false supposition their Proof you Selues But à high Iniury also to make à meer Supposition and very false too to pass for à rational Proof You know wee deny your improbable Supposition And you vpon no Principle call it reasonable Howeuer Suppose the falshood that wee are out of Fashion doth it therefore follow that you are got into the right Mode of Religion No truly If the Supposition stand's wee are both out And both need à new Reformation 17. Some may yet Reply Sectaries regard not that new coyned word of Euident Credibility à Term wholly Popish They endeauour to proue the Truth of Protestancy by Scripture and Fathers And to do so much is more than to make it Credible Contra. 1. Were it possible as it is not to proue the truth of Protestancy That 's besides the matter here in hand They are still besides the matter now agitated whilst wee only Treat of ending Controuersies by Reason Now all know that Authority whose Credibility must first be Euidenced before it haue weight precisely considered as Authority is not the Reason here spoken of For Example I Assent to the Mystery of the Incarnation vpon Gods own Authority that 's Faith but no rational Inducement to belieue What we demand of Sectaries is to haue the rational Motiues which induce to belieue this Protestancy laid open before the Eyes of rational men Herein we require Satisfaction but haue none 18. Contra. 2. Could these men proue their Protestancy by If the Reformation could be proued true Scripture and Fathers it should Methinks be very easy to point at an Orthodox Church which Six Ages since publickly owned the particular Tenets of it Here is my Reason Whateuer Doctrin the Scripture and Fathers teach the Orthodox Church conceal's not but openly Professeth She is not ashamed if Orthodox to teach what God has reuealed Now further Some Orthodox Church must haue owned it Had such à Church euer owned this Reformation it must either haue been like an inuisible Ghost not perceptible which our Newer Sectaries Disclaim or contrarywise discernable by the like Marks and Signatures of the Apostolical Church And if their Doctrin was euer taught by it They are to talk no more of its Truth before Its Credibility be euidenced to Reason by the Marks and Signs of that Church which is now supposed to haue taught pure Protestancy That is in à word They are first obliged to Say plainly what Articles of Faith Protestants as Protestants hold Essential to their Religion And then to make so much Doctrin and no more first Credible then true by the known Authority of an Orthodox Church But This is impossible Hence 19. And it is the last Inference whereby one grand Cheat of our Sectaries is discouered Long haue we inquired but without Satifaction Where their Church was before Luther The Common Answer returned by some latter Protestants making little Account of an inuisible Church is much to this Sense Our Church was there where it now is and where it alwayes
was The same Christian Church as before the Reformation Hauing lost nothing that made it so And if you Obiect The Church in How our Aduersaries Shuffle England before Luther was certainly Popish now its Protestant Ergo it is not the same Church They Answer and vow it to be the very same though it ceased to hold Popery 20. Much might be said against these meer Empty words I 'll here only entertain you with two Reflections vpon the whole Paralogism First it makes the worst of Heresies defensible For might not Arius haue pleaded in like manner My Church They make the worst of Heresies defensible is where it was besore The very same Christian Society though changed into Arianism as the ancient Religion in England now is into Protestanism So also the Pelagians The Macedonians and all other Heretiques could haue Argued excepting perhaps à few Donatists who confined the whole Church to their little Part in Affrick Again As the Thing is reformed it passes with Protestants for à Part of the Catholick Church Therefore as reformed it s supposed à Piece of Reasonable Religion Sectaries And their Reformation vnreasonable pretend not to an vnreasonable Reformation And i' ft be So before the Professors of it talk of the Truth of this Reformation They are obliged to make it Credible by such Miracles Signes and wonders as an Infinite Power and VVisdom and no other Proposes to Reason But all is contrary They begin Becauss strip't of all rational Motiues and bring in à Reformation so naked and strip't of rational Motiues that none can Say God himselfe declares it reasonable by any Signature which may bee esteemed an effect of his Power and Wisdom Or in à word Supernatural 21. And here in passing You haue the true Reason why Sectaries in their Polemicks keep close to the Procedure of all condemned Hereticks The Arians for Example neuer Sectaries follow the strain of Condemned Hereticks went about to giue Reason the least Satisfaction in behalfe of their Rupture made with the Church but leauing that Rational way pleaded by Scripture So do Protestants Before they had Shown any thing like à rational Euidence of Credibility to countenance that shameful Diuorce They voted it Iust So do Protestants Wauing the Ancient Sense of Scripture receiued by the Church they glossed it after their fashion So do Protestants Tradition that strong Tenure whereby the Church hold's Her best Inheritance or Deriues Christ's Doctrin down from Age No Motiues Proposed to Reason to Age The Arians slighted And so do Protestants But All this while though we earnestly wish to hear of Motiues proposed to Reason whereby this Reformation may be made Credible we are turnd off with meer Talk And neuer yet heard or shall hear os more Euidence for That than the worst of Arians can allege for Arianism Wherefore I conclude Protestancy is an vnreasonable Nouelty and consequently no Religion for meerly to Say à Religion is true and from God before it be made Credible by Supernatural Signes Vphold's Arianism Donatism Quakerism and the greatest fooleries in the world CHAP. XVI Obiections solued Sectaries pretending not to Se the Churches Euidence are either blind or wilfully shut their Eyes The Assertion clearly proued A Parallel of the Primitiue and the present Churches Euidence How far Reason may be sayd to Regulate Faith 1. AGainst our pleading Euidence of Credibility for Catholick Religion manifested by the Lustre of supernatural Motiues One may first Obiect Euery Mans priuate Why the Euidence of Credibility is most Conuincing Reason is to Iudge whether this Euidence Conuinces or no And consequently the last Iudgement belong's to the Tribunal of priuate Reason I haue Answered The Euidence vpon two rational Principles is so great that it cannot but conuince First because the Author of it is no other but God who certainly was no Impostor when he set before Reason the light of most glorious Supernatural Signes And by virtue of Two Reasons them hath induced both Iewes and Gentils to belieue in Christ 2. Because That which the most Wise and Learned of the Christian world haue Iudged Euidently reasonable May vpon so great Authority be supposed Reasonable But All those Vast Multitudes Conuerted to true Christian Religion haue Iudged the Euidence of Credibility manifest in the Church both rational and conuincing Therefore it is so 2. Hence it followes 1. That the true Iudgement concerning The Iudgement long Since giuen now is not reuersable this Euidence was long since giuen antecedently to the weak Censure of this or that particular man who now would Cauil at it 2. That all Exceptions made against it are euidently vnreasonable vpon this ground That those Thousands and Thousands most Wise and Learned who owned the Euidence And haue been induced by it to belieue must if Misled be No other Inducements excogitable accounted not only temerarious but also Mad besotted and grosly Seduced by Fooleries This cannot be Granted Perhaps you 'le Say Those Wise and Learned belieued vpon other Inducements Distinct from our Churches Motiues Answ Not one can be Assigned distinct from these if wee speak of Motiues Proposed to Reason as is proued already 3. A. 2. Obiection Sectaries for all this Pretend not to se the Churches Euidence I Answer it is not for want of Light but for want of Ey-sight That is bebause they will be blind Thousands As is now Said as Wise and Learned as they haue Sectaries want not light but Eye-sight seen the Light and followed it Why then do They stumble in Darkness when the same Euidence is Set before their Eyes I haue no other Answer but what Truth it Selfe Deliuers Ioan. 1. The Son of God The Light of the world came amongst vs Et mundus eunt non cognouit The world would not know him Both Iewes and Gentils wilfully shut their Eyes to the Signal Marks of his sacred Preaching And so do Sectaries at this day to the Churches Euidence 4. Some may Reply What we now Say is only to Preach and not to Proue For how can wee Euince that Sectaries Shut their Eyes to any Light of Euidence Answ They wilfully Shut their Eyes Enough is proued Already Howeuer to come closer to the Matter and to leaue them without all excuse I 'll Add one word more which shall be Conuincing 5. Pray you Imagin That some of our Sectaries had liued in those happy Dayes when the Holy Euangelists set forth the Life of our blessed Sauiour And the Apostles preached his Sacred Doctrin to the first Conuerted Christians Would not An Argument drawn from the primitiue Euidence They think ye haue as readily belieued what euer Doctrin those Blessed men then wrote and Preach't As the other vast Multitudes who came flocking in belieued Yes Certainly Their Obstinacy though great would not haue surpassed that of Iewes and Gentils These yeilded after they heard such Oracles speak And so I think Sectaries
would haue done also 6. Now I Demand and the Question is very pertinent vpon what Euidence of Credibility By what prudential Motiues laid forth to Reason could These men had they then The Primitiue Euidence of Credibility was not as some may Imagin been in the world belieued that S. Matthew for example wrote truely the Life and Preached exactly the Doctrin of Iesus Christ Did God Ascertain all men then liuing by priuate Reuelation that the Euangelist was his Diuine Oracle Or did He openly proclaim that Verity to the world by an audible Voice in the Aire Was an Angel sent from Heauen to testify that S. Matthew deliuered Truth and nothing but Truth Or was the Holy Ghost seen in any visible Form to suggest all He spake and wrote And to secure his tongue and hand from Errour in euery Syllable in euery least Iota No. Although God could haue done all this and more yet wee read of no such Wonders 7. Say Therefore Vpon what prudent Motiues by what Euidence of Credibility would Sectaries had they then liued been Induced with Iewes and Gentils to belieue the Words and Writings of this one blessed Euangelist or of any other The Brtâ—â—itiue Euidence explained Infallible Oracle The Gospel Answers Luk. 16. They went forth and preached euery where Our Lord working with them Confirming the word with Signes which followed And the Signes are known to all They cast out Diuels raised the Dead cured the Infirm Suffered persecution Conuerted Nations to the Faith of Christ which was one and perhaps not the least among their many other glorious Miracles The great Apostle Heb. 2. 4. Speak's most significantly this Sense God withall testifying by Signes and wonders and diuers Miracles and Distributions of the Holy Ghost according to his will Here we haue the Apostolical Euidence laid before vs And by it the Doctrin they taught made Credible to Reason Hence I Argue 8. But most certainly the Roman Catholick Church and The Roman Catholick Church only Shewes the like Euidence no other Society demonstrat's the very same Miracles the very same Signes and wonders not one Excepted as is largely proued aboue And to raise Her Glory aboue that which à short time allowed not the primitiue Christians to Se Hitherto neuer wanted the tryal of à 1671 years Persecution from Heathens with an Aduentage Turcks Heretiques licentious Catholicks and Diuels also And yet to Gods Glory be it She keep 's Her Posture Still immoueable Inuincible 9. One word more Had we liued in those happy Dayes Particulars insisted on wee should haue seen or heard of à great Conuersion wrought by our Sauiour vpon one Zacheus à Principal Publican à rich man and à Sinner A plain Miracle cries one of the Older Protestants And therefore The Conuersion comes in with an Ecce Behold the wonder It this so was it indeed à Miracle strange Conuersionâ— Ecce Behold Innumerable notorious Sinners accustomed to vice Conuerted to the true Faith and reclaimed from their lewdness by the incessant Labour of this one Roman Catholick Society 10. Again Had we liued in those Dayes wee should haue seen or heard of à Couragious S. Stephen who sealed with his blood that very Doctrin which the Euangelists wrote And the Apostles afterward Preached We should haue seen or heard how Martyrdoms zealously the blessed man prayed for his merciless Persecutors And from thence haue concluded no other but God gaue the Martyr that Courage to fight on to the end and Charity to dye as Hee did most Gloriously Here cast your thoughts again vpon the Roman Catholick Church in after Ages and Manifest in the Church Ecce Behold for one S. Stephen you haue had Thousands armed with Courage with Charity and Constancy who as behooued true Valiant Souldiers of Iesus Christ stoutly shed their blood for that very Doctrin She maintains at this day 11. Thirdly had you liued in those dayes you would Contempt of the world in those Primitiue tirnes haue heard à new Doctrin preached contrary to corrupted nature and the worlds Vanity you would haue seen moreouer whole Multitudes of Conuerts repaire to the Apostles and cast their wealth down at their feet calling nothing their own but God only who rich in Mercy was their Possession And would you not haue Said after to great à wonder such Preachers were certainly inspired by the Holy Ghost to teach And that those who complyed with the Doctrin were faithful Seruants of the most high God None can doubt it The like in the Church at this day Now. Ecce Behold the very same Learning is yet and has been euer taught in the Roman Catholick Church And to proue by real Effects of what Power it is Thousands ouerflowing with worldly Fortune slighted all and to contemn the Vanity retyred Themselues Some into Desert places others to the Solitude of Religious Cells where rich in Virtue they liued and dyed happily Thus much for à hint only 12. Besides wee haue in this ancient Mother Church other More Aduantages yet Rules of Perfecteon great Aduantages of Holyness and Deuotion answerable to the Practise of the Primitiue times We want not those who earnestly striue to obserue the highest Rules of perfection and to follow the footsteps of the most blessed Saints that now are glorious in Heauen We want not Means to reclaim Imitation of Saints Means to reclaim sinners Submission the most obdurate Sinners and to help on aspiring Souls in the Exercise of mental Prayer and Diuine Contemplation We want not Doctrin worthy of God set forth in the profound Mysteries of our Faith nor à dutiful Submission to them by the greatest Capacities of the world We want not our Fasts our long Abstinences and other Corporal Mortifications Hard lodging poor Fare course Apparel watchings And the like medicinal Austerities weary not out but proue delightsome to Innumerable that might haue had both pleasure Fasts and Austerities and plenty in à secular Condition 13. By the little here briefly hinted at you may learn though à volume might be written of this Subiect How exactly the Roman Catholick keeps Parallel in euery particular with that Primitiue and most perfect Christian Society The The Parallel Euery way Exact Euidence of Credibility is the very same in both Churches The signatures of Diuine Power and Wisdom are no less illustrious in the Church at this Day than when the Apostles preached 14. Hence I Argue And remind the Reader of my Proposition aboue much to this sense Sectaries either Se or A most pressing Argument drawn will not Se the Euidence of our Church Motiues already spoken of These Conuersions these Miracles These Martyrdoms These Austerities c. Appear to them no less clear Effects of Gods Diuine Power now than the very like Signatures or Motiues appeared to the first Conuerted Christians when the Apostles Preached Say They are no less clear no less perswasiue From what
is Sayd already now Sectaries are as much obliged to follow this light of Euidence And to belieue the Church as they would haue been obliged to belieue the Apostles Had they been Eve-witnesses of their Wonders and heard them Preach Say Contrary The Euidence of Credibility seem's much abated from what it was in those Primitiue times I 'll first vrge these Nouellists to giue à Disparity between that ancient Euidence whereby Nations were Conuerted And this we now plead for And if none can be giuen as manifestly there is none I must conclude they are either blind and Se not what the whole world has seen Or which is à Truth that they wilfully shut their Sectaries Obstinate Eyes and vpon that Account are peruersly Obstinate 15. Again Because such Miracles and those other Signes are manifest in the Roman Catholick Church and in no other Society of Christians I will Demand what God for they Gods Intention was not to delude any are the works of his own Power intended by them Was his meaning think ye to foole the world To delude poor Christians To Contenance and Colour falshood by His By His admirable Wonders own admirable Wonders Most certainly No. For they haue not only inclined but obliged all to belieue Christ's Doctrin vnder pain of damnation Again Truth it Selfe can oblige none to Erre The very light of nature teaches there neuer was nor will bee any necessity for God to work Miracles in Confirmation He loues truth for truth of Falshood which He abhorr's louing Truth for Truth as well in others as in Himselfe 16. Some who for stark Shame cannot deny all our Churches Miracles grant many and withall Assent to the other signal Motiues already Specified Yet 3. Obiect None of them haue any necessary Connexion with Truth I haue Answered aboue This Argument either destroies the first great Euidence of Christianity manifest in our Sauiours wonders and the Apostles or becomes forceless Besides the Ground of it The ground of chis Obiection worth nothing hinted at is null For I haue proued already à necessary Connexion between à Real Miracle and Truth vpon this conuincing Principle True Miracles as is now Supposed are and haue been wrought in the Church And by no other but by the Infinite Poâ—er of God they surpass the force of Nature Therefore Wisdom it Selfe either deceiues equiuocates and openly speak's Real Miracles infer truth vntruth when He shewes these supernatural wonders Or this Inference stand's firm A real Miracle and Truth are necessarily conâ—exed 17. Others Argue 4. And more impertinently Were All that profess the Roman Catholick Religion holy and virtuous we might better plead for the Churches Euidence of Credibility But many and very many are great Sinners and this seem's much to obscure Her Euidence Now if we retort the Whâ—ther sin and sinners can obscure the Euidence of Credibility Argument vpon Sectaries and tell them also of their lewd Liuers that Darâ—en Protestancy it s easily replyed and very truly They haue no Euidence of Credibility to Obscure Therefore We who certainly haue it and not They are obliged to Solue the Obiection Answ That 's quickly don And to solue it I am once more to lead our Nouellists to those hapy Dayes of the Primitiue Age and Demand Whether all The Answer is negatiue and then were Saints No certainly We read of à wicked Iudas who betrayed his Master Christ our Lord. Say I heseech you would that haue extinguished the lustre of Christs Glorious Miracles or withdrawn them from belieuing in the true Messias We Read also of à couetous Demas that abandoned S. Paul and returned to the world Demas me reliquit diligens hoe sâ—culum would his bad Example haue obscured the Apostles Wonders Proued by many Examples in the Primitiue times or made the Beliefe of His Doctrin less firm Finally we read of an incestuous Corinthian infamous for Luxury would Sectaries think ye therevpon haue been dismayed or giuen ouer the Practise of Virtue because he was naught Not at all For if Wise they know that Cockle and Wheat grow vp together in the same large field of the Church and it will be so the Gospel is my warrant vntil the Haruest makes the separation Say then did those Iudases those Demases those Incontinent Liuers dishearten any or Eclyp's in the least that Apostolical Euidence We speak of when vast Multitudes were found faithful and eminently virtuous You will Answer No. Why therefore should lewd Liuers at this day Eclyp's Sin Eclypses not or discountenance the Glorious Euidence of the Roman Catholick Church whilst we find in it Innumerable iust Innumerable strong in Faith confident in Hope Zealous in Charity And The resulgent signs of power and Wisdom moreouer which is euer to be noted behold to our great Comfort Gods own illustrious Signatures most apparent Age after Age in this one Blessed Society of Christians 18. Some to Oppose what we said aboue Obiect in the. 5. Place The Church cannot be according to the Principles Another Obiection of à Catholick the Rule of Faith But contrarywise the Catholicks own internal Iudgement of Reason must regulate For this makes the best Catholicks in the world to belieue the Church If you will haue à Proof Hereof Ask any knowing Orthodox Christian Why he hold's the Church His Rule of Faith He cannot Answer because He belieues so but will presently tell you He is assured of that truth by prudent Reason Answ No man whether Sectary or Catholick can make his own internal Iudgement though fancied reasonable à hundred times ouer the Rule of Faith Vnless more bee added Now If you enquire Pretended Reason without rational Euidence no Rule of Faith after what I express by this word More I Answer It implies an Obiectiue Euidence set before euery rational vnderstanding which laid hold on makes à the Iudgement Reasonable without this Obiectiue Light or Euidence euery condemned Heretick may nickname things and call his own fancy Reasonable though He hath nothing like à rational Motiue to settle it vpon This is the main thing to be noted in our present controuersy 19. Now here is the whole Contest between vs and Sectaries We ground our Iudgement of Credibility vpon such an Euidence of Motiues as Conuerted the world We say An Infinite The Catholicks rational Euidence grounded Goodnes cannot permit the world to be led into Errour by Euident Miracles â—uident Conuersions and other both Signal and Supernatural Wonders All this is Reason and vndeniable reason The Signs are Manifest Sensible and Visible In the next place We vrge Sectaries to speak in behalfe of Protestancy or to giue in the like Euidence for that Nouelty They recoyle draw back and talk t is true of Reason but turn vs off with the bare word alone hauing no obiectiue Euidence to ground à rational Iudgement vpon I Sectaries haue none at all speak truth And will defend
that Euery one may perceiue the Aduersary I treat with clearly refuted THE FIRST CHAPTER Some chiefe Contents in this Discourse briefly declared Mr Stillingfleets weak attempts against the Churches infallibility and the Resolution of Faith The Catholick way of resoluing Faith the very same with that of the Primitiue Christians Of the mistakes which run through Mr Stillingfleets whole Discourse 1. IN the following Chapters we first remoue such difficulties as may seem to obstruct the Clearest Resolution What this third Disceurse Contain's And all along discouer Mr Stillingfleets Errorus viz. Chiefly those most apparent in his 5. Chapter 2. We examin what Influence the Motiues of Credibility haue ouer Faith 3. Necessary Principles are premised much auailing to Conceiue the true Analysis 4. We Shew wherein the Main Difficulty lies in this Resolution Omitted by Mr Stillingfleet and solue it 5. The whole Progress of Faith is Explained in order to its last Resolution 6. The true Analysis is giuen in two Propositions Here we also treat of the Euidence of Credibility and solue the Sectaries Obiections 7. This question is proposed VVhether the Churches Testimony may be Called the Formal Obiect of Faith 8. We Ask what is meant by this word Reason And enquire how far true Reason Conduces to end Controuersies 9. Protestancy is proued à most vnreasonable Religion 2. Mr Stillingfleet Part 1. C. 5. P. 109. offer 's at much it is to discouer strange ill Consequences yea grand Absurdities Our Aduersaries bold aduenture if Faith be resolued by the Churches Infallibility and seem's some what ouer-heated in carrying on the cause against his Adversary Let any man saith he iudge whether this be not the most compendious way to ouerthrow the belief of Christianity There is hardly any thing more really destructiue to Christianity or that has à greater tendency to Atheism than the Modern pretence to Infallibility The vnreasonablenes of it is so great that I know not whether I may abstain from calling it ridiculous And much more to this Sense 3. It seems by what I read in Mr Stillingfleet T. C. whose Book I had not then seen said that Catholicks in this present What his Aduersary asserted State resolue their Faith after the very same manner as the Israëlits anciently and the Primitiue Christians resolued Theirs If he said that he Spake à Truth not only defensible but so Sound and Irrefragable that Mr Stillingfleet to vse his own pretty Phrase like one vnder an Ephialtes Shall tumble groan tosse this way and that and yet not rid himself of the vexation 4. The Doctrin I find plainly deliuered and the Instances of the ancient Israelits and the Primitiue Christians so well made vse of for the Catholick Resolution by our learned Countryman Thomas Baâ—on Southwell Analysis Fidei Disp 4. and 5. That here I must needs insert some Part of it because it much auailes to Conceiue the easiest way of resoluing Faith And well penetrated so vtterly defeates what Mr Stillingfleet has that Is Sound Doctrin much more is not requisite to make void his forceles Obiections 5. F. Southwel therefore Analysis Fidei now cited c 〈…〉 n. 18. Speak's much to this sense Had one asked à 〈◊〉 Belieuer in Moses his time after the 〈…〉 uch was written Why belieue you that God is iust wiâ—e faithful in his Promises Or if you will haue one particular why Adam sinned How the Israelits questioned about faith in Paradise He would haue answered Scripture Saith sâ— But if again demanded How know you that Scripture is God's Diuine word Would he think ye haue Answered I se that by the very light and Sparkling of the Letter It is impossible as shall be proued afterward Thus therefore He would haue replyed Moses our great Prophet Affirm's it or rather God speaking by the mouth of Moses laies that Verity open to vs And vpon that ground I belieue it So we read Deuteâ— 1. 3. Moses spake to the Children of Israel all which God had commanded him to say to them Now if thirdly Questioned How Wâ—uld â—aue answered Proue you that Moyses was à true Prophet or God's Oracle He could not haue satisfied by alledging Scripture without à Vicious Circle but would haue Said This truth is immediatly and most euidently Credible by it Selfe for the Wisdom Sanctity and Power of working Miracles manifest to all eyes proue to Reason that Moses is à great Prophet 5. In like manner Catholicks proceed in their Resolution of Faith Demanded why we belieue the Mystery of the Incarnation it is Answered Scripture Assert's it Ask again why we belieue the Diuinity of that Book called Scripture It is replyed The Church ascertain's of That But how do we know that the Church herein deliuer's Truth It is Answered if we Speak of knowledge preuious to Faith Those admirable Signes of Diuinity mentioned aboue and manifest in this one Oracle Viz. The Sanctity of life the Contempt of the world Catholicks in this present State return the very same Answer the c 〈…〉 ed Austerity of Pennance the height of Contemplation apparent in thousands and thousands And aboue all the glorious Miracles most illustrious in this one Society of Christians proue it an Oracle so euidently credible That we cannot if prudent and manifest Reason guides vs but as firmly belieue what euer this Oracle teaches as the Israelits belieued Moses and the Prophets One only Differenâ—â— aduantagious for vs. Here is only the difference And the Aduantage is ours that in Lieu of Moses we haue an ample Church Inumerable multitudes in place of one Seruant of God The incomparable greater light I mean the Pillar and Ground of truth the Catholick Church diffused the whole world ouer 6. Answerable to this Doctrin the primitiue Christians resolued their Faith after the Canon of Scripture was written Ask therefore why these first conuerted People whether Iewes or Gentils belieued Christ to be the true Messias the Son of God and Sauiour of the world They might haue Answered We read this and much more in Holy Scripture But how know you that these Scriptures are not suppositious or fained as some Gospels haue been We belieue this Say They The Primitiue Christians way of resoluing Faith vpon the vndoubted Testimony of those blessed men the Apostles who both taught vs and wrote that holy Book Yet more How know you that those Apostles were not Cheats for there haue been false Prophets and Apostles but men Authorized by Almighty God to teach and write his holy Verities Had they replyed We proue this by Scripture it self the Circle would haue been ineuitable For to Say Scripture is Gods word because the Apostles Assert it and to Say the Apostles were infallible Oracles of Truth because Scripture affirm's that is to Proue Idem per Idem And implies à most vicious Circulation 7. Their Answer then must haue been for there is no other The manifest Miracles wrought by the Apostles Their
eminent Sanctity and Holines of life our Lord working with and confirming their Doctrin by manifest Signes proued them Gods Oracles True and faithful commissioned Teachers And thus Is Our way also we discourse of the Church Whose vndeniable Miracles Sanctity and Conuersions wrought by Her conuince reason of this great Truth that She only is Gods Oracle All this is said supposing the Canon of Scripture already compleat For if we goe higher and consider à Church whether it be that of the ancient Patriarchs of the Israelits or finally of the Christians before Scripture was written Faith must be resolued into Diuine Reuelation by the means of some liuing Oracle Whether One or more it imports not who manifested themselues God's commissioned Teachers by Signes and Miracles Whereof more afterward 8. This much premised And it is Very easily vnderstood you shall Se Mr Stillingfleets verbose Obiections brought to Three Mistakes chiefly pointed at nothing but to meer Cauils and Mistakes Three Mistakes chiefly run through his whole 5. Chapter First he strangely confound's the Iudgement of credibility necessarily prerequired to true Belief with the very Act of Faith it Self whereas the Resolution of these two haue indeed à due Subordination to one The first breeds Confusion â—â—other yet depend vpon quite different Principles The Iudgement of Credibility whereby the will moues and command's the intellectual Faculty to elicite Faith relies not vpon that Obiect which finally Terminates Faith it self But vpon extrinsecal Motiues wihch perswade and Powerfully induce to belieue â—uper omnia 9. Here is the Reason The high Mysteries of Faith the Trinity for example Original Sin and the like Transcend our natural Capacities or to speak with some great Diuines are naturally Incredible Therefore Prouidence hath by the force and efficacy of extrinsecal motiues raised them from that degree of natural Incredibility and made all most credible to humane Reason And this no Sectary can deny For before that Doctrin be belieued which he embraces and before he reiect's the contrary not belieued by him He will tell you He hath Motiues and reasons as well for the one as the other Here is all we require at present 10. Mr Stillingfleets second errour is that he distinguishes not between the nature of Science and Faith Science is worth In the second Science and Faith are not nothing vnless it proue and Faith purely considered as Faith mark well my words is worthles if it proue For as innumerable Fathers affirm Fides non quaerit quomodo Faith reason 's not nor Ask's how these Mysteries can be but simply belieues Science makes vse of Principles Per se nota known by themselues And then discourses Assuming nothing but what is proued wherefore no virtue no validity can be in the progress or Sufficiently distinguished end of à rational Discourse which was not precontained in the first assumed Principles Faith t' is true has its Preambulatory Motiues as we haue seen already yet Scientifically drawes no Conclusion from them and herein Mr Stillingfleet all along beguiles himself and the reader The Motiues inducing to belieue this Truth God has reuealed à Mysterious Trinity are morally certain yet there is à more firm Adhesion to the infallibility of that Diuine Testimony for which we belieue than the extrinsecal Motiues inducing to belief either do or can draw from vs And in this sense Faith contrary to Science goes farr beyond the certainty of all extrinsecal Inducements as shall be presently declared 11. Our Aduersaries third Mistake lies here That he distinguishes not between the humane and Diuine Authority of the The third also wants à Distinction Church S. Austin Lib. con Epist Fundam C. 4. Speaking of the first Saith The profound wisdom of so many Doctors the consent of Nations the Antiquity the continued Succession of Pastors c. held him within the Pale of the Church Catholick yet this Authority precisely considered as humane and therefore fallible is not sufficient to ground Diuine Faith I say as humane for though I belieue that the Church has euer been Visible with à continued Succession of Commissioned Pastors to teach Orthodox Doctrin yet my Act of Faith no more relies vpon such motiues considered meerly as Motiues inducing to belieue Than the Primitiue Christians Faith relied vpon the visible Miracles which Christ or his Apostles wrought 12. As therefore that first Act of Faith whereby they belieued our Sauiour to be the true Messias was built vpon his infallible Diuine Authority manifested by Miracles Sanctity of life c. So that first Act of Faith whereby euery one belieues the Church to be God's own Sacred Oracle is built vpon Her infallible Diuine Authority manifested by Miracles and other signal Marks of truth whereof Scripture plainly Speak's Hell gates shall not preuail against the Church She is the Pillar and ground of truth And so much is said aboue C. 16. 17. that I know well Sectaries What caused our Aduersaries Errour cannot Answer The not reflecting vpon this twofold Authority which Mr Stillingfleet knowes Catholicks do distinguish makes his Circle charged on vs so irregular à Figure that it look's rather like à Rhomboides than à round Circle as shall appear presently with à further Discouery of his other mistakes One thing I cannot but admire and t' is That though his 5 th Chapter be tediously long yet the main and most real difficulty concerning the Resoluing of Faith is scarcely so much â—â— hinted at After à few Pages I will propose the Difficulty and endeauour to solue it CHAP. II. Mr Stillingfleets 5 th Chapter Part. 1. examined is found VVeightles The weaknes of his Arguments discouered His First and chiefest Argument retorted and solued 1. I Must and will waue all this Centlemans Parergons all friuolous excursions with his vnciuil language and if I touch in à word vpon his pretty conceipted Ieers scattered here and there it shall only be Pertransennam as if I little minded them 2. Thus he begins Page 112. The Infallible Testimony of your Church is the only Foundation for Diuine Faith and this Infallibility Our Aduersaries first Argument can only be known by the Motiues of Credibility He means in this present State Therefore this way of resoluing Faith is vnreasonable because it requires an infallible Assent vpon probable grounds beyond all Proportion or degree of Euidence which is as much as requiring infallibility in the Conclusion where the Premises are only probable Answ Our Aduersary Spoil's à good Difficulty by proposing it lamely He would fain say some thing like that which Catholick The difficulty not fully proposed Diuines learnedly propose whilst they handle the Resolution of Faith But so fumbles and doth it by halfes that He â—eaches not home to the main Business 3. I Say therefore first The Argument proposed if of any force destroies all Faith euen the most Primitiue To proue the Assertion I Ask whether the first Christians belieued