natures for some proceed directly against it others only against some consequences from it I will therefore weigh first his objections grounded upon the different opinions of Catholikes concerning that point 2. His reasons directly proving as he believes that no church of one denomination can be infallible and therefore not the Catholique Church 3. His proofs that Catholiques in their resolution of Faith are entangled in circles and absurdities 4. His arguments to demonstrate that Catholiques can have no assurance either of the authority of the church or the validity of any acts performed by the Pastors thereof c. But before I attempt a discussion of these particulars I may in generall say of all his objections that since they proceed only against the word Infallibility and that word extended to the utmost height and latitude that it can possibly bear Catholiques as such are not at all concerned in them seeing neither is that expression to be found in any received Councell nor did ever the Church enlarge her authority to so vast a widenesse as Mr. Chillingworth either conceived or at least for his particular advantage against his adversary thought good to make show as if he conceived so 2. But come we to consider his arguments against Catholiques grounded upon the different opinions among them in what subject this Infallibility or authority is to be placed The most pressing and pertinent passage in his book concerning this subject is this which follows viz. What shall we say now if you be not agreed touching your pretended means of agreement How can you pretend to unity either actuall or potentiall more then Protestants may Some of you say the Pope alone without a Councell may determine all controversies but others deny it Some that a Generall Councell without a Pope may do so others deny this Some both inconjunction are infallible determiners others againe deny this Lastly some among you hold the acceptation of the decrees of Councells by the universall Church to be the only way to decide controversies which others deny by denying the Church to be infallible And indeed what way of ending controversies can this be when either part may pretend that they are part of the Church and they receive not the decree therefore the whole Church hath not received it Mr. Chil. c. 3. parag 6. 3. Hereto I answer 1. That there is indeed no need at all of an answer since the very objection answers it self for by saying there are variety of opinions among Catholiques acknowledged for such even while they differ it follows that the objector is not obliged to submit to that Judge which any Catholique refuses 2. None of these will deny that decision of the Councell of Trent viz. Ecclesiae est judiâ—are de vero sensu sacrae Scripturae that is It belongs to the Church to judge of the true sense of holy Scripture And Protestants will not be urged to submit to any more rigid or higher expression 3. Yea moreover this indulgence I am confident will be granted them namely That no man will endeavour to oblige them further then to doctrines and practises determined by one or more Councells universall confirmed by the Pope and actually received and accepted by all Catholiques that is as much as to say to believe that there is indeed an obliging authority in the Catholike Church to impose upon her children a belief of all doctrines proposed in her Oecumenicall Councells let this authority be limited and streightned with as many Proviso's and the sense of these doctrines enlarged and qualified with as many mollifying interpretations as any approved Catholike Doctor hath thought good that is indeed as any reasonable man remaining so can desire only upon condition that they do not prejudice nor grate upon the pure simple language wherein the Church expresses her self Christians are at liberty what particular Doctors sense they like to embrace or whether none at all but will content themselves with the naked decisions of the Church as they lye without making inferences or building thereon further conclusions CHAP. XLI His reasons proving no Church of one denomination to be infallible answered 1. IN the second place we will weigh his reasons to prove that no Church of one denomination is infallible and by consequence no Church at all His words are after he had said that he was willing upon courtesie to grant that Christ made a promise absolute of indefectibility to his Church but be interprets it only in this sense viz. That true Religion shall never be so far driven out of the world but that it shall alwaies have some where or other some that believe and professe it in all things necessary to salvation and that such believers shall never erre in fundamentalls for if they did they were not a Church But he denyes utterly that there is any Church fit to be a guide in fundamentalls because no Church is fit to be a Guide but onely a Church of some certaine denomination as the Greek the Roman the Abyssine c. For sayes he otherwise no man can possibly know which is the true Church but by a pre-examination of the doctrine controverted and that were not to be guided by the Church to the true doctrine but by the true doctrine to the Church Now sayes he that there is not any Church of one denomination infallible in fundamnntalls is evident for 1. If it were an infallible guide in fundamentalls she would be infallible in all things which she proposes and requires to be believed 2. That being a point of so mâ—â—n consequence certainly the Scripture would have named that Church 3. Because Catholiques themselves build the assurance of the churches infallibility onely upon motives very credible but not certain Lastly beeause it is evident and even to impudence it selfe undeniable that upon this ground of believing all things taught by the present church as taught by Christ errour was held For example the necessity of giving the Eucharist to Infants and that in S. Augustines time and that by S. Augustine himself and therefore without controversie this is no certain ground for truth which may support falshood as well as truth The same may be said of the doctrine of the Chiliasts which S. Irenaeus and S. Justin Martyr say was a traditionary doctrine from the Apostles times c. 2. To answer this discourse by parcells And first concerning his exposition of Christ's promise of indefectibility to his Church it ha's been answered in more then one place already 2. Where he sayes that there is no Church fit to be a guide in fundamentalls I desire to know whether those whom Christ ha's appointed in his church to be Overseers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Governors Assistants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. be not fit to be accounted guides at least in Fundamentalls Againe whether an agreement of all these Governours meeting in a Generall Councell be not the supremest authority Thirdly
say confidently it is all to be found comprised sufficiently in the little Catechisme made for Infants others would add the Common-Prayer book others the book of Homilyes others would yet thrust in the book of Ordination others the 39. Articles and Canons others besides would have the four first Generall Councells not to be forgotten and lastly some few of those who are pure Protestants indeed would say the whole Canon Law in as much as concerns doctrine especially and as far as it is not revoked by Acts of Parliament All this with all that went before is the entire Rule of English-Catholique Doctrine And all those for their severall answers would produce English Fathers and Doctors whose books have been received and approved without contradiction in the Church of England 4. To save the blushing of an English Protestant I would not suffer Mr. Chillingworth nor my Lord Falkland to put in their votes for they would have renounced all these and protested that neither the Catechisme nor Common-prayer-Book nor Homilies c. nor all these together contain that doctrine of the Church of England to which all are obliged to submit but only the Bible the Bible and nothing but the Bible and this not interpreted by any Bishop or Synod of Divines but by every good mans reason let him shift as he can An answer which it admitted not only totally destroyes the spirituall Jurisdiction of the English Clergy but all authority whatsoever even of the civill Magistrate in matters of Religion yet to shew the great impartiality of English Protestants towards Catholike Faith because they fancied that by such a position Catholiques might receive some damage they not only admitted this position of M. Chillingworths and saw it approved by their Doctor of the Chair but triumphed in it as the great Master-piece of the wit of this Age whereas if they had but half an eye open they might have seen in it the inevitable ruine of their whole Fabrick So that J. P. did not well consider what poor service he ha's done and what small refreshment he ha's given or rather what a dishonorable Epitaph he ha's fixed upon the monument of his deceased Church by giving his Testimony of applause to this Treatise of my Lo. Falklands as one of the great Defenders of the Doctrine of the English Church which is more ruinous to it then all the spitefull writings and plots of Cartwright Knox Henderson or all the rabble oâ— Geneva joyn'd with them But to return 5. A Supposition being made of the foresaid answer and it being granted that all these answers have been published or without contradiction or censure admitted in the church of England should not that man be very negligent of his souls good that being to examine the truth of its doctrine should trouble himself any further then with the little Catechism of half a sheet of paper as plainly and as simply written as is possible as if the children that are to learne it had composed it since all say it is at least part of the Rule of the English Faith and some without censure of others say it is all what a while must the poore mans soul be held in suspense if he were to stay till he had search'd into the Common-prayer-Book Homilies Canons Acts of Parliament Proclamations of the King Antient Councels Canon-Law c. his soul perhaps might be disposed by death God knows where before he had examined the hundredth part of what was necessary 6. Now to apply this to the present subject it is agreed by all Catholiques that the church is an infallible witness and guide Protestants profess that if this could be made evidently appear they would hold out in no controversie at all for they would never dispute perpetually with them whom onely to hear were to be satisfied this therefore is to be made evident unto Protestants yea more evident then that any particular decisions of the Church do seem to them evidently contradictory to Scripture This is the task of Catholicks especially Catholick Missionaries Now though when it is said The Church is infallible This be commonly understood of all the whole Church in general yet when we say She is an infallible Guide it is most ordinarily understood of the Church speaking by some authorised person or persons representing the whole body 7. About this Representative there is diversity of opinions among Catholicks some say the Pope alone does sufficiently represent the Church as a Guide infallible Others a Generall Councell though without the Pope Others a Generall Councell convoked presided in and confirmed by the Pope And lastly others as learned Fa Bacon acknowledges add further this condition that the decision of such a Councell bee accepted and submitted to by the whole Church All that hold any of these opinions are universally esteemed good Catholiques and I would to God all Protestants had so much humility as to subdue their own private Reason to the largest of them and for Catholiques this I may confidently say That they who without betraying the Truth make the way to the Church easiest and plainest have most charity and Faith enough the others may have more Faith I would they had more Charity too Truly to my understanding there is some inhumanity in urging Protestants to more then Catholiques will be obliged to or to think that to Protestants prepossessed with passion and partiality that can be made evident which is so far from being evident to some Catholiques that they renounce it Since all changes therefore proceed by degrees in the name of God let it not be expected from Protestants that they should with one leap mount to the utmost verge and extent of all Doctrines held by Catholiques That they should at one gulpe swallow both all Catholique Doctrines and all Theologicall Dogmes Be it granted therefore that it is true that the Pope is infallible I will beleeve it as a Theological truth but since neither the Church nor the Pope himself has told us so I cannot if I would beleeve it as a Catholick Doctrine what therefore have I to do to dispute of it to Protestants whom my duty is onely to perswade to the belief of the Churches Doctrine What pitty is it that they must be delayed and as it were kept out of the Church till all objections that they can make and be furnished even from Catholicks themselves to make against this position be answered or all advantages that they can advise against any Bulls or Decretals be cleared to their satisfaction 8. Therefore I being ingaged to make good to I. P. That the Church speaking by a Representative is an infallible Guide would fain choose that Representative which is qualified with all the conditions allowed by any uncensured Catholicks to make it most easie and most acceptable to Protestants which is a general Councel Confirmed c. by the Pope and accepted by the Church But yet I wil abstract from this last clause of being acâ—epted
Infallibility or Authority of the Church I am most assured if the reasons given by me against M. Chillingworth be indeed concluding and my answers to his objections satisfactory that if Mr. Chillingworth had been alive to read my book and had thought so too he would not have made that poor shift that I. P. hath done and have said that Mr. Cressy did unreasonably to impugne him 11. In the next place forasmuch as concerns the manner of my Answer which I. P. in the eighth Paragraph says is yet more unreasonable In that I deserting the Infallibility answer onely to the authority of the Church so making this authority answer for that Infallibility I answer that it was onely a mistaken notion that both I and Mr. Chillingworth and all Protestants have of the word Infallibility that I deserted and desire I. P. likewise to desert with me but as for the true Infallibility which is in effect al one with the Authority of the Church it could never enter into my thoughts to desert it and it proving to be the very same thing with the Authority of the Church obliging under damnation it is very reasonable that this Authority should answer for that Infallibility and that Infallibility for this Authority 12. As to the three Absurdities in the opinion of I. P. following from the unreasonableness of my answer of which the 1. is That after all I have said to Mr. Chillingworth's arguments I must still acknowledge them unanswerable as they were intended by him that made them 2. That my Answer must be to no purpose because I pretend to answer his arguments as against the Authority of the Church simply considered without Relation to such an Infallibity which were never made against an Authority so qualified And 3. That if I intend to refute all opposition made to the Infallibility of the Church by an assertion of its bare authority then must I assert that authority which is fallible to be as great and as convincing as that which is Infallible c. Here I answer that there is no need of any further answer for that which is already said demonstrates all these consequences to be meer mistakes grounded upon mistakes Yet because for good I. P. sake I am content to take the pains to say more then absolute necessity requires therefore that which is already said being presupposed to the first pretended Absurdity I answer 1. That Mr. Chillingworth did esteem both the Rhetorick and Logick of his Book prevalent not onely against Dr. Potters single Adversary and his grounds but against the very foundations of all Catholick Authority insomuch as he challenges all Catholicks whatsoever protesting that if they be able to answer but a very few leaves of his Book he will submit and go to Mass presently And 2. The truth is if his positive grounds of The Bible and nothing but the Bible interpreted casually by private reason be the onely Rule not Infallibility onely but all Authority is destroyed Therefore his intention was that his arguments should have heir force not onely against that notion which he thought his Adversary had of Infallibility but against the thing it self whether you will call it Authority or Infallibility And by consequence 3. I have no obligation to think still for it never concerned me to think his arguments to be unanswerable as they were intended by himself 13. To the second pretended Absurdity I further answer that it is true Mr. Chillingworth very often mistakes even his Adversary in his acception of the word Infallibility And this I said in general in the Book and much more that he mistakes in his application of this mistaken notion to the Churches Authority or qualified Infallibility But though I said this in general you will finde that when I come to a particular answer of passages and grounds quoted out of him they are such as concern the positive fundamental grounds of his whole book and destroy not onely all Infallibility but all Authority yea the very being of a Church whether Catholick or Schismatick And where I answer particular objections against the Church I have no recourse to his mistake of Infallibility Therefore my answer is to some purpose though many of his objections be to none as to Catholicks in general 14. To the third supposed Absurdity I answer that I had rather think I. P. did read my Book negligently then that he would censure it malitiously and against his conscience if he did read it with care For it is evident through my whole book that my own thoughts were c I have clearly signified those thoughts to have been that Infallibility and Authority are in effect all one as applyed to the Church For to say that the Church has authority in a General Councel to propose Doctrines of Faith and to oblige all Christians under penalty of damnation to receive and beleeve the said Doctrines and withal to say that she is fallible and may deceive and propose falsities for truths and so propose them as that there can be no appeal from her would be the extremity of injustice and the exalting of a Tyranny more grievous then Sicily ever felt a Tyranny upon Souls I wonder therefore what art it was that I. P. used when he extracted out of my book that because of the ill use that Mr. Chillingworth c. made of the Scholastical word Infallibility exalting it to the supremest degree that the word could import that is to a degree not at all pretended to by the Church no nor scarce by the Scripture it self and therefore I declared my willingness not to serve my self of that word which was none of the Churches own and desired others also either to abstain from it or at least to adjoyn such necessary qualifications to it as were allowed by the Church to the end that Protestants might see what it is that they combat and ought to submit to viz. The just and lawful Authority of the Church in interpreting of Scriptures Authoritatively and proposing of Doctrines with absolute obligation of beleeving I wonder I say by what new art he extracted this consequence that I must assert that that Authority is as great and convincing which is fallible as that which is Infallible Did I ever deny or give the least ground of suspition that it was in my heart to deny the Authority of the Church to be Infallible in Decisions propounded by her as traditionary Is it to say the Church is fallible or a Guide that may lead a soul out of the way or a Judge capable of mistaking because there may be spread in some places of the Church some Opinions no Decisions or some practises which Protestants may account unwarrantable No no it is meer guilt in I. P. that made him draw such an inference he is loath to see the truth appearing out of clouds I may more truly call the word Infallibility the Darling of Protestants then as he does of Catholicks a Darling to them
and after I saw it I did not hastily suffer my selfe to be received into it till I saw there was no other way to escape drowning left me 2. My first thoughts after so successelesse a search of a Church were not doubtingly but sollicitously expostulating in my mind where is the effect of that promise of Christ that the gates of Hell should not prevaile against his Church And Behold I am with you till the end of the world I wondered that the Fathers should so unanimously interpret the Church to be that City seated on the top of a mountaine For I had in vaine sought both mountaines and Valleyes and could not get a sight of it But I concluded that certainly the fault was in mine owne eyes which some mist or disease had blinded and not in want of visibility in the Church since all the Promises of God in Christ are in him YEA and in him AMEM. And therefore that no preconceits of assurance or demonstrations ought to hinder me from examining the pretentions of the Roman Church as well as the rest That it was utterly impossible that the Promises of Christ should faile but that it was very possible that both my selfe and Mr. Chillingworth might be mistaken in beleiving those arguments to be demonstrations which were not That perhaps he did not understand fully the minde of his adversary M. Knot Or perhaps that the opinion and expression of Infallibility combated by Mr. Chillingworth was but an interpretation given by a private Doctour of his sence of the Churches doctrine so the arguments against it not proceeding directly against the Church However that it was very reasonable just and requisite seriously and diligently to examine the true state of that question which if the Roman Church could to my understanding justifie that she had not err'd in there would presently be an end of all my travells and doubts about other particular controversies For who will question or suspect the truth of that Witnesse or Judge in particular speeches or assertions that has once in grosse approved himselfe to be Infallible 3. Had it not been for this point of the Churches Infallibility and some Philosophicall Objections against the Reall Presence c. I had not lived thus long out of the communion of the Roman Church for I alwayes acknowledged that there were in it very many advantages and excellencies to which no other Church had the confidence to pretend As 1. I could not deny having withall the Confession of the most learned Protestants that the Religion of the present Roman Church is the very same Religion which Saint Augustin the English Apostle by the Mission of Saint Gregory the Great planted in England when he converted it from Paganisme so that me thought it was somewhat an extravagant thing to separate now from Rome for those very points by the embracing of which England became Christian Especially considering what persons Saint Gregory and Saint Augustine were of what sublime holinesse and profound learning and how that Religion was confessedly conffirmed by Divine Miracles 2. I could not but admire and infinitely approve the ingenuity of the Roman Church in obliging all her children to interpret Scriptures and to conforme their beleife to the generall consent of Fathers Indeed the Protestants in England especially made honourable mention of the Fathers but none but Roman Catholiques proceed thus farre 3. That if we defined Haeresie and Schisme according to the generall notion of the Fathers viz. that Haeresie is a misbeleife innovated in points of Faith contrary to the Doctrine universally received in the Church and Schisme an uncharitable division of one part from the externall Communion of the whole Of all Churches in the world the Roman could with least reason and justice be accused of these two sinnes for first She only receives and preserves the ancient practise and all the Councells and Synods of the Church Secondly all other Sects apparently broke from her Communion and all Haeretiques were of her Religion before they innovated and introduced new opinions 4. That the method by which the Roman Church decided all emergent controversies namely by the authority of the present Church however I was then perswaded there was some usuâ— pation in it yet de facto ended all disputes and produced an admirable unity in that Church A blessing which not only reason but manifest experience showes to be impossible to be aâ—ceiued in Protestant Churches where scripture interpreted by private judgement is the Rule and Iudge for hitherto never has there been made an agreement in any one controversie among them In so much as the proper difference between Catholiques and Protestants is that if two Catholiques be in debate about any question both of them will agree to bee judged by a third namely the Church and till that be done they breake not Communion But if two Protestants quarrell each of them will interpret and judge both for himselfe and his adversary too there being no umpire between them nor any thing to oblige them to Communion 5. That the sobrâ—st Protestants sometimes are not without some suspicion of guilt in matter of Schisme acknowledging at least that worldly interests had influence upon those Princes that begun separation first a case never to be found among Catholiques And when any such scruples arise in the mindes of Protestants they never trouble themselves with seeing themselves divided from the Greek or Abissine Churches but only the Roman And very many among them on their death beds at least when all secular respects are silent desire reconciliation with the Roman Churches Whereas I believe there never was heard any one example of a Roman Catholique which on his death-bed desired to forsake that Communion to be incorporated into a Protestant Church And 6. There was a sixth advantage far more prevailing with me then all the former though at the first I had but an imperfect view of it namely the eminent rules of sanctity and spirituallity taught by most prudent and pious directors and practised after a manner that nothing in any of the Protestant Churches approacheth neere unto it The story and Order of my information in this particular I will reserve till the Conclusion of this Narration For the present I will content my selfe with avowing that every day the more neare and faire a prospect I had of the beauty of Holinesse my prejudices and objections against that Church in which onely such a jewell was to be found diminished till in the end I could not free my selfe from partiallity at least so farre as to wish that Truth might not be found separated from so heavenly a Companion This Treatise being a Story rather than a controversie I thought my selfe obliged not to conceale my actions though they might be obnoxious to be esteemed imperfect or faulty and am content to heare and thanke whosoever will vouchsafe to reprove mee for them 4. I will not deny but that these seemed to me very specious
authority against Heretiques Thereupon I betook my self to the rending of the Ancient-Church History and besides others I perused exactly Tertullians Praescriptions against Haeretiques c. S. Cyprian S. Epiphanius S. Augustines Epistles and treatises against the Donatists Manichaeans c. Vincentius Lyrinensis S. Hieroms Bookes against the Luciferians Iovinian and Vigilantius I had recourse likewise upon occasion to certaine treatises of Saint Basil and S. Athanasius S. Hilary S. Pacian c. And lastly I judged it an effectuall way of atteining to the understanding the opinion of Antiquity concerning the Church to select the speciall Texts of Scripture wherein mention is made of the Church and to examine how the Fathers interpreted those Texts and what inferences they drew from them in their Sermons and Commentaries in which I might be sure they spoke without interest and passion as having no adversary in sight to combat withall and therefore were not likely to streine themselves in their expressions Such Texts of Scripture were these and the like Die Ecclesiae c. Tell the Church and if he will not beare the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican And Tu es Pertus c. Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it And Ecclesiae quae est firmamentum fidei c. The Church which is the ground of Faith and Pillar of truth c. CHAP. XIX What prejudice the Author received by receiving the doctrine of the Roman Churches Authority express'd in School-language Successe of his enquiry into Councels and ancient Fathers 1. THe answering of the Questions and especially the perusing of those bookes was the businesse of a good space of time above twelve moneths or more The excessive paines and diligence employed by mee which otherwise would have brene tedious was much sweetned by the discovery every day of new light And I could not but observe the strange effects of education and prejudice which made me believe my selfe to be saparated in my beliefe from the Catholique Church at a distance unmeasurable when indeed I was even at the doores and I am certaine I had been much sooner a Catholique if I had thought or rather indeed if I had considered for if I had considered it well I might have found sufficient ground to think so that the beliefe of the Churches doctrines nakedly as she proposeth them and in the latitude allowed by her had beene sufficient to have gained that title But I tooke those to be the necessary doctrines of the Catholique Church which were onely the private opinions and expressions of particular Doctors And the simplicity of the Articles of Christian Faith was clowded by Scholasticall Metaphysicall tearms which being abstruse nice and unknown to Antiquity rendred the doctrines themselves obscure and withall new and suspected to me 2. And all this by a very pardonable fault of mine For from whom should I receive the doctrines of the Roman Church when a Controversie is raised but from the learnedst Masters of Controversie And how few among them propose the points to be disputed between them and the Protestants in the language of the Church Besides how few among them are there who in disputing will allow that latitude which the Church apparently does There is scarce any Point of Controversie which is not severally interpreted streitned or enlarged by severall Catholiques of severall Orders and education and most of them in confuting the Protestants seeme very earnest and make it almost their whole designe to impose their particular interpretations and expressions for Catholique doctrines But with very little or no successe For a Protestant will be very ready and may with good reason say Though by being perswaded by you I shall become a Roman Catholique yet I might deny all that you maintaine and yet be a Roman Catholique too for I can produce Authors which you dare not deny to be good Catholiques that will not receive nor subscribe to your expression and stating of this Point Therefore seek to convert them first and then come and dispute with me Dispute like a Catholique for the question is not now whether I shall be a Dominican Jesuite Scotist c. But whethe I ought to be a Catholique or no. The truth is by these meanes disputations are endlesse Catholiques themselves affording answers and objections to Protestants against Catholiques Whereas if particular Controvertists as were indulgent as the Church is would be content to thinke that the termes wherein Shee expressed her minde were the most proper their adversaries would quickly be silenced Controversies abated and by Gods assistance union in a short time happily restored 3. The great haâ—me which I received by judging of the Churches Faith by particular new expressions of it puts me into this fit of liberty in censuring thus far the method of those men by whom I have been so long a time so far from being perswaded that I was rather hindred from my reunion to the Church And on the contrary this happy successe in following the direction of some few Catholique authours who separating particular opinions of Doctors from necessary Catholique Doctrines and urging nothing upon me but without assenting to which I could not be a Catholique makes me judge by mine own experience as well as reason that that which healed me of my errours and Schism would not by Gods blessing want the same effect in others also especially among English Protestants â—nd the rather if following the advice of the most Reverend the Lord Archbishop of Roven Protestants in stead of wearying themselves with perticular debates would resolve this in the first place why they made the Schism at first and continue in it still What dispensation they have from the authority and unity of the Church so unanimously and affectionately reverenced and obeyed by the ancient Fathers 4. I cannot without ingratitude in this place and occasion omit a profession of that great obligation I have with thankfulnesse to almighty God and respect to his happy instrument to acknowledge the efficacious influence that one Treatise in speciall manner had to the furtherance and facilitating of my Conversion written in French by that skilfull and authorized Controvertist Francis Veron Doctor of Divinity and entituled by him Reiglè generale de la foy Catholique In which he delivers the pure Catholique Doctrine in the words of the Councells streined and separated from all particular opinions or authorities not absolutely obliging And this exemplified throughout almost all the considerable points of Controversie bewteen Catholiques and the severall Sects of Protestants Which method of proceeding is approved by several learned Doctors of the Faculty of Pâ—â—is and the generall designe of it by his late Holinesse Gregory the fifth as was signified to the Author by his Nephew Cardinall Ludovisiâ— yea God himself hath approved and recommended the same Method by his numerous blessings on it in the Conversion
Caesariensis before quoted expresseth it not with ink on paper but by his Spirit in the hearts of his people according to the ancient Prophecies concerning him in the Old Testament And hereupon the Fathers observe that our Saviour left nothing at all in writing neither did he lay any injunction upon his Apostles to write bookes And therefore the same Eusâ—bius Hist. Ecel l. 5. cap. 8. 24. expresly affirmes That the Apostles had the least regard to writing The like is noted by Saint Chrysostome in his frist Homily upon the Acts where he gives the reason why the booke of the Acts does onely or principally conteine the occurrences concerning S. Paul and not those neither to the end of his life But an assurance of this irrefragable is given by Saint Paul himselfe who in severall places of his Epistles referres to the doctrine setled by orall instruction as when he sayes Gal. c. 1. If any one shall preach otherwise then ye have received let him be Anathema And againe Phil. cap. 4. Those things which ye have been taught and received and heard and seen in me doe ye And againe to shew the uniformity of the doctrine every where he calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a forme of wholesome words And againe We write no other things unto you then what you have known And againe 1 Cor. cap. 14. 15. As I teach in all Churches And againe So we have preached and so ye have believed Hence S. Augustine makes this rule The Scripture is wont for brevities sake to be silent of many things which are to be learned from the order of Tradition For this reason it was as antiquity observes that S. Paul kept his residence so long a time in many Cities after he had setled Churches there to the end to inculcate into their memories the substantiall doctrines preached over and over unto them and to establish an uniforme order and discipline among them which by that meanes continued in an exact conformity for severall centuries of yeares in the Catholique Church all the world over as Tertullian S. Basil S. Augustin c. observe 3. Now this way of setling Religion by Tradition and outward practise was much more secure and lasting and far lesse subject to corruptions then writings without unappealable interpreters especially could possibly be If it be objected that memory is not so safe a depositary as written records which are made use of to supply the defects of memory It may be answered that that is true of preserving doctrines meerely speculative but not so of such as may be made as it were visible by practise as almost all Evangelicall doctrines are For as for bookes we see by experience that those which of all other in the world ought to have been preserved with the most exact care and wherein the most scrupulous curiosity was commendable I meane the Sacred Evangelicall writings have not been able to escape the inevitable fate of all bookes especially such as every one almost will thinke himselfe concern'd to transcribe that is to have infinite variety of readings much more then any other bookes that I know of whatsoever and principally in in the originall tongues which were not read in Churches Insomuch as in my hearing Bishop Usher one of the most learned Protestant Prelats in England professed that whereas he had had of many yeares before a designe to publish the New Testament in Greeke with various lections and Annotations and for that purpose had used great diligence and spent much money to furnish himselfe with Manuscripts and Memoires from severall learned men abroad yet in conclusion he was forced to desist utterly from that undertaking lest if he should ingenuously have noted all the severall differences of readings which himselfe had collected the incredible multitude of them almost in every verse should rather have made men Atheistically to doubt of the truth of the whole booke then satisfie them in the true reading of any particular passage An evident signe this is that the ancient Governours of the Church did not suppose that Christian Religion did onely or principally rely upon what was in writing For if they had they would doubtlesse either have forbidden such a multitude of transcribers or have preserved the Originall copies or at least have imitated the exact diligence and curiosity of the Jewish Masorites in their preserving the Old Testament entire for the future namely by numbring all the letters and points and signifying where and how oft every one of them were found in Scripture None of which preventions and cautions notwithstanding have been used in the Christian Church Yea so farre is it from that that at least one whole Epistle of S. Paul to the Laodiceans and that most ancient Gospel in Hebrew secundum Nazaraeos are at this day utterly lost not to speak of severall bookes mentioned in the Old Testament not now to be heard of 4. Well but how casuall soever bookes may prove to be yet it does not hitherto appeare how Orall Tradition and Practise can demonstrate it selfe a way more secure and free from hazard than they I will therefore endeavour to resolve this seeming difficulty by asking these Questions Can any one reasonably say that for example the doctrines of Christs death for mankinde commemorated in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist of his reall unfigurative presence there have beene or could possibly have beene more securely propagated and more clearely and intelligibly delivered to Posterity in bookes written which may be lost and will be corrupted by some transcribers and every transcribers copy is as authentique as any others or as they have been in the Tradition and universall Practise of the Church and in a continuall visible celabrating of those divine Mysteries where every action they did performe published the truth which they believed where their thanksgiving for Christs Passion dayly renewed the memory manner and end of it where their prostrations and adorations demonstrated their assurance of his reall Presence where every mans saying Amen at the Priests pronouncing Corpus Domini nostri Jesu Christi expressed their confession of that Presence with exclusion of all Tropes and Metaphors in the businesse Againe is not the true inward sence of these Christian Doctrines conveyed more intelligibly and represented more exactly lively and naturally by such practises and solemne spectacles than by bare words though they had beene never so eleare and of never so studied a perspicuity With relation to which expresse impossible to be mistaken way of propagating the Mysteries of Christian beliefe and reflecting in his minde thereupon S. Paul in all probability thus reproved the Galatians for their inconstancy in these words of wonder and indignation Gal. c. 3 v. 1. O insensatiGalatae O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth before whose eyes Iesus Christ hath been lively represented being Crucified among you As thinking that nothing of lesse power than a charme could
therefore before they be affirmed or denyed of any thing or to any person he that intends to expresse his mind distinctly and to the purpose must necessarily and expresly before hand declare in what sence to what degree in respect of whom and for what end such things are or are not necessary 2. Therefore first for sorts of necessity There is necessitas medii when a thing is of it selfe necessry to salvation and necessitas praecâ—pti when it is only therefore necessary because it is commanded Againe necessitas fidei specialis that is of things to be believed expresly and distinctly as the Articles of the Creed and necessitas fidei generalis of things which some persons are onely to believe Againe necessitas actus that is of things to be performed by all as Confession of Christs name pardoning of offences restitution c. and necessitas approbationis or non contradictionis when men are at least obliged not to condemne certaine things as vow of Virginity Voluntary poverty c. 3. Then with respect unto objects or things necessary to salvation some are so absolutely that is so as no circumstance of person time or place no ignorance no defect how irremediable soever can excuse the absence of such things other things on the contrary are necessary only conditionally which in some cases to some persons may be excusable Of the former sort there are but extreamely few things necessary For for example if a Heathen at the point of death upon an effectuall exhortation of a Christian should embrace in generall the Religion of Christ not being able to attend particular instruction nor perhaps actuall Baptisme it is very probable that the onely believing of Christ to be the Saviour of the world and relying upon him for the pardon of his sinnes and profession of his resolution to obey whatsoever should appeare to him to have been Cbrists will though death should cut him off from a particular information in other doctrines of Faith the Sacraments particular duties of Christian morality c. would be sufficient to such a man to salvation Of the later sort viz things necessary conditionally it is impossible to tell how many or how few they are till all conditions and circumstances be expressed 4. In regard of persons that is necessary to one which is not to another as more to a teacher than a Disciple to a Governour then to a person subordinate Againe that is necessary to a Congregation which is not to a single person to the setling of a Church in good order which is not to every Congregation to the well-being of a Church which is not to its simple being some persons are obliged to know many things explicitely which others are onely not to dis believe it being sufficient if they oppose them not not necessary that they know them 5. Having considered such an ambiguity and variety of things necessary to which many other distinctions might yet be added I presently judged that whatsoever was the reason that Mr. Chillingworth thought it not necessary to make a distinct application of these severall kindes of necessity according to the exigence of the objects and persons whether it was neglect or want of memory or whether intending onely to repell his adversaries present objections he thought fit to say no more then he was for that purpose necessarily obliged What ever was the cause I am sure that for want of such a distinct application whatsoever he has said to confirme his maine position is little to the satisfaction of any third person as I thinke shall presently be demonstrated CHAP. XII After what manner I judged it necessary for my purpose to examine Mr. Chillingworth's reasonings and arguments 1. THâ—se preparatory grounds being thus premised way was made for the nearer approach to the examination of Mr. Chillingworth's reasons and proofs before alleged for the maintaining of the maine foundation of all Schisme viz. That the Scripture yea any one Gospell conteines in it expresly all things necessary to salvation either for belief or practise In the examination whereof as likewise of other Protestants grounds which follow and are set downe and prosecured more clearely more subtily and I am sure more to the satisfaction of English Protestants by Mr. Chillingworth then by any other I must professe that my intention is not to consider Mr. Chillingworth's discourses as precisely opposed to his adversaries for I have neither the vanity to beleive that so learned and practis'd a Catholique-controvertist should be willing to accept of any one and much lesse of such an ignorant Neophyte as my selfe to defend his excellent booke neither have I the impudence without leave from him to undertake such a taske But since upon mine owne knowledge Mr. Chillingworth believed that his booke as concerning the Positive grounds conteined as much as any Protestant could reasonably say so for the destructive part that it was an unanswerable conviction not onely of what his adversary in particular had said but of what any Catholique could alledge concerning either the Rule of Faith or Judge of Conteoversies Seeing likewise I found it not onely very reasonable in it selfe but absolutely necessary for me considering the condition in which I then was for finding repose unto my mind to inform my selfe not what some particular learned Catholiques taught to be their sense of the Churches beliefe in these points for that would have been a labour insupportable to me who was much pressed with a desire to be no longer alone without any Church to joyne withall but to enquire what the Roman Church her selfe believed and in what language and with what latitude She her self expressed her thoughts and beliefe Upon these grounds I conceived it requisite to exact and apply M. Chillingworth's positions and arguments to the simple doctrines and decisions of the Catholique-Church Resolving that if I found that what She said and in the latitude that She expresseth her self was just and reasonable and withall able to stand firme notwithstanding any of Mr. Chillingworth's oppositions to rest contented therewith For for the present it would be happiness enough for me to get onely within the precincts of a Church though no farther then the door-keepers place I might afterwards if need were at leisure make choice there of what ranke or company I would range my selfe unto 2. Coming therefore to the consideration of M. Chillingworth's conclusion together with the reasons and proofes of it which he beleived of force sufficient to destroy the doctrine necessarily to be believed by all Roman-Catholiques I must needes say that this his Conclusion The Scripture conteines all necessary points of beliefe and practise and the Creed all necessary points of beliefe is so expressed that in severall respects it may and ought to be assented to by any Catholique For as I shewed before if the word necessary in respect of the object relate to necssity absolute and in respect of the subject to any person though
latter CHAP. XIII An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's discourse and reasonings premised before his proofes out of Scripture 1. BUt to come at last to Mr. Chillingworth's reasons and quotations out of Scripture to prove that all things necessary to salvation are not onely sufficiently conteined in the bookes of Scripture in generall but even in any one of the Gospells mentioned before cap. 26. And first for the examination of that which he layes as a ground of his enforcing the said quotations viz. That no man ought to be obliged upon paine of Excommunication to believe any thing but what God hath revealed to be necessary to eternall salvation which is the substance of the New Covenant made by God in Christ conteining points of necessary beliefe and precepts of necessary Evangelicall obedience His reasons being Why should any errour or ignorance exclude him from the Churches Communion which will not deprive him of eternall salvatio Why should men be more rigid then God c. 2. In stead of answering to this I acknowledge the foundation to be very substantiall and the Reasons very concluding Onely I must take leave to explaine one phrase in this discourse viz. Things which are of the substance of the New Covenant For if his meaning be that onely those things are necessary to be believed explicitely which are essentiall substantiall parts of the New Covenant and that directly and of their owne nature I must then deny it and so does himselfe elsewhere although in this place that which followes in consequence to this foundation does seeme to require such a sence of the words And to prove the reasonablenesse of my denyall he being now unfortunately dead I desire any Protestant to resolve these questions To believe that our Lord was descended according to the flesh from Abraham or David is it of the substance of the New Covenant directly and of its own Nature We shall both of us answer No. Nor by consequence is it necessary to salvation to know or believe it I aske then further But suppose a man finde that proposition expresly in Scriptures sufficiently proposed to him and acknowledged to be the word of God is it not then necessary to salvation to believe it I will answer againe as both of us should doe Yes without any question the reason being evident because though to believe Christ to be the Son of Abraham be not in it selfe of the essence of the Covenant yet to believe that whatsoever God sayes is true is and by consequence an accessory may by some circumstances be made essentiall and a man may come to be damned for not believing that which without any the least prejudice to him he might never have known or heard of So likewise for any one who believes that the Church is the depositary of divine Revelation and that she is endued with authority from Christ to command things though in themselves not necessary yet such as she thinkes helpfull to piety for such a man I say to refuse to believe the unlawfulnesse of Rebaptization for example acknowledged by the whole Church both in her universall practise and profession that it was a Tradition unwritten which came from the Apostles and confirm'd by the authority of a lawfull Councell or againe to refuse to absteine and fast in Lent Fridayes Quatuor-Temporibus c. the Church commanding him both these refusalls though the former be of a doctrine of it selfe not of the essence of the New Covenant and the later of an action little more then circumstantiall are mortall sinnes and the Church may justly excommunicate and by consequence God will assureedly condemne such as persist obstinately in such refusalls And this for a reason more effectuall then the former because namely obedience to the Chnrch is not onely commanded expresly in Scripture as in the former case but commanded under this very penalty of Excommunication which the former was not for saith our Lord If any one heare not the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican 3. But to proceede Mr. Chillingworth to prove that this New Covenant is entirely conteined not onely in the whole Scripture but also in the foure Gospells yea sufficiently even in any one of the foure he first alledges these reasons Because saith he the Evangelist's having a purpose to write the Gospell of Christ or new Covenant no reason can be imagined that they who have set downe many passages unnecessary should neglect any necessary for what a negligence must this needs be such an one surely as no man in these dayes undertaking the same designe would commit Besides with what truth could they stile their bookes the Gospell of Christ if they were onely a part of it 4. Hereto I answer that if by the Gospell of Christ he had meant the story of the life acts discourses sufferings death Resurrection and Ascension of our Saviour as I mentioned in my preparatory grounds I should willingly grant that the foure Evangelists joyntly have written the Gospell of Christ entirely not omitting any passage thereof necessary or very requisite to be known I say the foure Evangelists joyntly for of each severally I cannot say so For for example S. Marke either because S. Mathew had done it sufficiently before or for what other reason I will not trouble my selfe to divine but S. Marke omitting the Incarnation of our Lord of a pure Virgin his birth and all things that followed till he was thirty yeares old begins his Gospell with S. Iohn Baptists mission to preach now I suppose these Mysteries omitted by S. Marke are at least in a high degree requisite to be known and believed generally yea I will adde necessary since they are expressed in the Apostles Creed as short as it is yet not necessary absolutely and indispensably to every person in what state soever but only to those that live in the Church much more to persons of ability and parts yet more to Teachers and most of all to Congregations and Churches and if so then that which Master Chillingworth would conclude from hence cannot be satisfactory in this controversie among such persons and Sects and at this time as I shewed before So likewise the Evangelist S. John besides almost all the miracles Sermons and parables mentioned by other Evangelists omitt's the Blessed Sacrament and the Story of our Saviours Ascension Now I desire any Protestant to say whether what ever would become of some particular person ignorant of these things by an excuse of an impossibility of instruction a man living as now in sufficient light and much more one obliged to be a teacher of others could be saved with ignorance of these things omitted by S. John I further desire him to say whether a society of men desiring to be joyned and ordered so as to be made a Christian Church if they had onely S. Johns Gospell for their Rule and patterne yea though they had all the foure Evangelists yea all the Evangelicall writings whether
to exhort Catholiques treating with them especially in such times as these that the fields are even white unto the Harvest and that very many more may probably be won by a charitable complyance yet still without wrong to necessary Catholique doctrine God forbid else then perhaps by the most convincing arguments of reason That they would condescend so far either to the misunderstandings prejudices or infirmity of Protestants as since the Church her self obliges no man to those very expresse termes for a while either to abstain from them in disputes or using them to do it with a qualifying preface urging and fastning no stricter a sense on them then the Churches own Decision of her authority doth require Certainly the receiving of a soul from Heresie and Schisme is a work so infinitely precious and meritorious before Almighty God that it will deserve that we should employ in it not only all our strength of wit and learning but all our charity likwise so imitating the great example of that great Conductor of souls S. Paul who told the Corinthians Astutus dolo vos cepi that is being crafty I caught you with guile namely by instilling Christian Doctrines into their minds leisurely and seasonably neither out of time enforcing unnecessary truths upon them nor hastily and abruptly urging even necessary but perhaps unwelcome ones till he had prudently prepared a way for them Now if we entreating with well minded but seduced souls would imitating S. Paul only propose to them at the first necessary doctrines and those represented with all the lawfull inviting advantages and most easie constructions we should no doubt make many points from which for the present through misapprehension they have a strong aversion very receiveable and very easily digestable to them And by these meanes having been happy instruments of restoring them to the Church we may at leasure if we have a mind seek to induce them to adhere unto and declare themselves for our particular opinions and distinctive interpretations of common points 7. But to return from this digression I most affectionately entreat the Protestants that they would heedfully cast their eyes upon this decree of the Councell of Trent that they would peruse and turn it as they please and when they have done this let them consider if a Synod of Charenton or Dort or Gap do not even while they renounce all visible obliging authority usurp notwithstanding more then the Catholike Church here challenges Would any of them give leave to any among them to interpret Scriptures against their sense established by them Nay do not they command men to interpret Scriptures against doctrines unanimously consented to by Fathers Lastly would they suffer a French Protestant to interpret Scriptures but even as their brethren Protestants in in England heretofore during their prosperity graced by them with that title do ordinarily interpret them for example about Episcopacy reall Presence c If therefore such fragments of churches do allow themselves so much let Protestants try if they can be unreasonable enough to impute tyranny to the Catholique Church for forbidding any in her communion to invent new senses of Scripture contrary not onely to the doctrine universally embraced through the whole Catholike world but to this doctrine as professed to be the same which all Churches before and all Fathers unanimously consent in CHAP. XXII The method whereby the Author arrived to an entire satisfaction concerning the Churches authority 1. I Will now proceed in my narration how and by what meanes after I had informed my selfe of the Roman Churches established doctrine concerning her authority and after I had been assured by very learned Catholiques that I was not obliged to build upon any other expression of this doctrine but that of the Church it selfe I in ashort time arrived to a full satisfaction of all the difficulties and prejudices that before I was incombred withall 2. The objections and difficulties by education and many yeares study setled in my mind against the Churches infallibility or authority and which were not suddainly cleared after I knew that the Church was more moderate and condescending then I had before believed respected not only the substance of this doctrine but likewise many particulars and circumstances of it as likewise the immediate consequences of it forexample How it could be justifyed with certainty sufficient to support a supernaturall faith that the Church was legally possessed of this authority Where this authority was scated whether in the whole Church or some speciall members of it Upon what grounds it was challenged How far it was extended And after all these what might appeare to me to be the most rationall way for a Catholique to expresse his resolution of faith so confidently by all Protestants charged with circles and absurdities 3. To gaine satisfaction in these points as for the foundation I resolved only to consider what the Church her selfe sayd so for an information more particular since the church had not descended to so punctuall an expression of her mind conceived it my best way to have recourse either to the writings or verball resolutions of such Catholiques of unsuspected Opinions as had expressed themselves the most moderately intelligibly with allowing the greatest latitude and lastly most approaching to the grounds which I thought before to be most reasonable The particular persons whose speeches or writings contributed most to my satisfaction I shall occasionally name or reflect upon in the pursuance of this Narration 4. Now I do not vainly pretend to or so much as trouble my self with wishing that any man Catholique or other should believe that the method according to which I proceeded or the grounds which in mine own reasoning I laid were more rationall then others for my intent is only to make an Exomologesis or account of that particular order and progresse whereby I attained repose of mind in the authority of the Church and great contentment in abasing and captivating my reason It will be sufficient for me if the grounds by me laid and inferences from them deserve not to be condemned by Catholiques to prevent which I may with confidence say that I took very good advice and used very great circumspâ—â—â—ion Let them be accounted as imperfect as any man shall please I am very well contented that others should tell me that they could have furnished me with better This only I have to say that purposing to write mine own story and not directions for others I am resolved to tell it freely and ingenuously without concealing whatsoever defaults or wickednesses may by others be imputed to it CHAP. XXIII Grounds laid to prove a certainty of Tradition Severall degrees of it 1. SOme of the grounds laid by me in preparation to a distinct conception and satisfaction concerning the Churches authority founded upon Tradition and the certainty thereof have been already occasionally though somwhat before their due season mentioned in the former conclusion cap. 8. and 9. The substance
of Traditionary certitude that may be of a thing passed so many ages since being confirmed by Orall Tradition Universality Records language and practises or customes 6. An inferiour degree of certainty in Tradition yet certainty however is for example that there was such a man as Alexander the Great This is a thing most certain and yet it wants many of those arguments of assurance in the former example There is indeed a kind of Orall Tradition of this likewise yet not arriving unto this age and climate of the world by such a generall succession as the former by reason that Alexander having lived in a quarter of the world remote from us we are not descended from the men of his age who knew him yet it may be some of them or their children coming to Rome delivered this and so some Romanes conveighed it among these Western parts of the world There are no customes or practises among us relating to Alexander so that the main arguments of certainty are 1. Positive that is writings dispersed abroad made by antient Grecians and Romans all testifying the same thing 2. Negative not one man appearing in this age nor to be heard of in the former that denied it or so much as called it in question 7. A yet inferior degree of certainty in Tradition may be exemplified in some writings as in S. Clements first Epistle to the Corinthians lately published and printed in England For that there was such an Epistle written is testified by all Antiquity and was assuredly believed by all learned men in this age before the publishing of it But it is now near eight hundred years that it ha's been missing in the world for Photius I think is the last writer that takes notice to have read it Of late this Epistle was found in an ancient Manuscript in the King of England's Library sent him for a present out of the Eastern countries Now the certitude that this is the same Epistle anciently acknowledged and read in the Church appears in this 1. That the characters of the Manuscript are very ancient yet I do not believe it to have been written by that glorious Virgin Martyr S. Tecla as the credulous Grecians would pretend so that if it had been counterfeited it was done in times when the falsity might have been discovered by unquestioned copies 2. That the stile is agreeing with the ancient simplicity and gravity of Apostolique writings 3. That the subject is the very same that those ancient Fathers who speak of it do mention 4. That all the extraits and passages which the Fathers of the Church do quote out of S. Clements true Epistle are found in this Upon which grounds it may be truly said and I believe no man will contradict it that this is certainly S. Clements Epistle 8. It is likely that besides these degrees of certainty more upon consideration might be found out but these I esteemed enough for my present purpose Now by certainty I intend not certitudinem rei for so nothing that is or hath been is in it self more certain then another for even a thing that ha's its existence from free or casuall causes when it is is as certain as any other thing produced by causes never so determinate efficacious or necessary But certitudinem quoad nos that is our assurance that it hath been And a thing I call more certain in this notion not which ha's less doubt or suspition of not being for if there be any rationall suspition there is no certainty no not in the lowest degree but that which ha's more wayes to prove it self to be certain then another CHAP. XXIV Divine revelations proved to be certain beyond humane story 1. I Will now proceed by way of comparison to demonstrate the high degree of certitude which we may have of divine Revelations testified by the present Church considered as a simple proponent setting aside the authority which she challenges to oblige all men to submit to In which discourse we are to consider four things especially in Christian Religion coming to us by Tradition but in subordinate degrees of certitude viz. 1. Doctrines meerly speculative and which hardly could be testified in the practise of the church 2. Books of Scripture 3. Ceremonies and externall practises not mentioned expresly in Scripture 4. Doctrines and customes shining in the practise of the Church and likewise more or losse clearly express'd in Scripture 2. First for speculative doctrines which could hardly be express'd in the practise of the Church the Tradition of them seems to be very difficult and the certainty not so demonstrable As for example there are in the Catalogue of Heresies made by S. Epiphanius S Augustine and Philastrius certain opinions called Heresies in a large notion which seem not to have been in themselves of any dangerous consequence but yet have been condemned by Popes c. and ever since by a tacit consent of the Universall Church avoided as the opininions of the Millenaries Melchisedechians c. Now whether these Heresies were condemned as contrary to a Tradition or only by a judgement of discretion by shewing that the grounds pretended for such opinions out of Scripture are not concluding but rather the contrary as the second Councell of Orange seems to condemn some doctrines of the Semipelagians is not very certain However they rest condemned and more probably the former way as contrary to Tradition which may rather be believed of the Millenaries because they pretended for their doctrine a Tradition derived from Papias a scholler of the Apostles and it was very far spread in the church and maintained by great Saints and Doctors as S Irenaus S. Justin Martyr c. It might very possible be that the Traditionary doctrines contrary to these Heresies however speculative and which could not be conveighed by any outward practise of the church might have continued in mens memories to the times when these opinions were confuted For no doubt can be made but that the Apostolique churches together with the books of Scripture received the true sense and interpretation of the most difficult passages which might continue by a successive instruction but of which by reason they were no necessary doctrines of Christian Religion many are lost as I exemplified in the former conclusion So that the certainty of such Traditionary speculative doctrines is very hardly demonstrable and thereupon many learned Catholiques conceive that severall lately controverted opinions in the church as concerning Grace and Freewill the immaculate Conception of our blessed Lady c. have been so much agitated without any decision of the church and it ever any of the said opinions come to be decided by a Councell that the decision will at least oblige to obedience and non-contradiction but not perhaps as an article de fide that is as a divine revelation delivered by universall Tradition Since it is generally confess'd that they want such a Tradition See above in this Section 1 Cha. 9.
and practises to be by all men in all times and places solemnly either seen or practised and these with prescribed formes postures and actions on purpose that the weightiest passages of his acts or sufferings should continually be celebrated in the world leaving an impossibility of their being forgotten without a deluge Nay lastly to secuâ—e all men from the least apprehension did he ingage an omnipotent power to perform a promise that those orders ceremonies and laws should continue to the worlds end in despight of the gates of hell it self Not any of these things have been done by Will. the Conquerour or any other but our Lord to propagate his memory and yet notwithstanding all these defects we are most assured of the Tradition that such a person there was that he conquered England brought in new lawes customes c. What shall we then say of the testimony of the present church for the substance of Christian Religion even while we consider the church only as a bare witnesse or proponent of such things to us Is any confirmation stronger then all this requisite to beget an assurance in us Yea is it possible that more secure order could have been taken then that which the Son of God ha's used to make that which was past now above sixteen ages to remain alwayes as it were visible before our eyes CHAP. XXV The reason of considering this double capacity in the Church Certainty of belief compared with certainty of knowledge 1. THe reason why I enquired into the proofs of the certainty of universall Tradition proposed by the Church considered antecedently to her authority was because I found it necessary as to my self for a distinct understanding the Resolution of Catholique Faith that grounds of certainty of Tradition should first be laid before the authority of the church interpose to oblige us to believe Christian doctrine for the prime authors sake finally which is God 2. Since then Tradition in generall is in it self credible and some Traditions certaine and above all others that ever were or I believe can possibly be the Tradition of the church especially in necessary doctrines of Faith universally believed and all rites universally practised and among them this particular Tradition of an obliging authority in the Church is the most certain we may conclude that the beliefe and assent thereto approaches the neerest to knowledge of sense that beliefe possibly can do But it is impossible ordinarily speaking that it should arrive to all the degrees of assurance that sense cum debitis circumstantiis may have by which means it becomes meritorious that is capable of a reward which I conceive experimentall immediate knowledge is not And hereupon it was that our Saviour told S. Thomas who would not give credit to any reports concerning his Resurrection till his eyes saw him and hands felt him Thomas because thou hast seen me thou hast believed blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed John 20. 29. But it may be objected if manifest vision take away meritoriousnesse by reason of such an apparent certitude as inforces the understanding to assent why should Faith which is or may be built upon grounds demonstrably certain though indeed not in the utmost degree of experimentall knowledge have blessednesse annexed to it I answer the reason seems to be 1 Because before a man arrive to an assurance in Faith there is required a great exercise of his understanding to search all the arguments conducing to a firm grounding of his belief which cannot be done unlesse there be in those persons inquiring some degree of love to the things inquired after which travell proceeding from love is a thing proper to be rewarded 2. Add to this that such persons after such a love and inquiry proceeding from that love will be forced to submit and captivate their understanding to the belief of many mysteries infinitely beyond the naturall capacity of their comprehensions a thing extremely acceptable to God 3. And this is the state requisite in Christians endued with abilities and learning in the Church especially the teachers and governors And however it is most necessary in generall for the setling of a Church that there should be means of assurance of Tradition praerequired to supernaturall Faith because discoursing men especially if they be propossessed with prejudice or a contrary belief would hardly or never be brought without it to captivate their understandings in such a manner But as for silly ignorant Christians to whom God is pleased to give a certainty of adherence beyond a certainty of evidence as M. Chillingworth sayes and who seem rather to believe with their wills then their understandings an immediate and simple captivating of their minds to Christian Verities without searching arguments of assurance may be conceived acceptable to God supposing notwithstanding that they live in a Church where it may be made appear that what they believe is not a lye nor a doubtfull truth but on the contrary certain and infallible To which purpose S. Augustine cont Ep. Fund c. 4 saith As for the other râ—ut of common people it is not the sharpness of their understandings but the simplicity of believing that makes them secure And again If Christ be dead only for those who are inabled by a certain comprehension to discern these things we do labour in the Church almost to no purpose And therefore the Calvinist Ministers c. who profess an undervaluing of Tradition in comparison of pretended inward revelations and assurances from God's Spirit and who teach their followers to hate the very name of Tradition may do well to consider what will becom of them and their faith of Scriptures in generall when they shall begin to doubt that such pretentions are either apparently false or at least impossible to be proved or however no arguments at all to perswade a third person 4. Lastly it is observeableâ— that such Traditions as we now speak of are alwayes capable of being proved to be certain yet are evidently so the neerer they come to their founâ—aine or times whence they take their originall And therefore for example though at the beginning the whole Nation of the Jews were eye-witnesses of the stupendious manneâ— of delivering the law in the wildernesse yet their successors immediately after that generation was dead fell into Idolatry and infidelity the reason whereof was not because they wanted means assuring themselves of the divine authority of their law and the curses attending the breach of it but because of this there was requisite some meditation and exercise of their understanding and besides those curses were future and therefore present temptations of fleshly and secular lusts presently enjoyed by them had so much power over them as to keep them in negligence or busying their understandings and in a presumpâ—â—ion that those curses which were future might perhaps never happen or not upon themselves in person or however by a â—epentance some time or other might be
prevented In like manner and upon the same grounds the Christians of the first times were more holy more unmoved in their faith more zealous for the glory of God then in following ages because the grounds of assurance and other motives did more immediately and so more strongly make an impression upon their minds Notwithstanding the faith and holinesse of the times further distant from the Apostles caeteris paâ—ibus is perhaps more acceptable to God and more meritori us as having more of the will in it as our Saviour implyes in the forecited speech to S. Thomas CHAP. XXVI Grounds pre-required to the Churches Authority 1. HAving shewed the certainty of Tradition in generall and some severall degrees of it and withall the incomparable advantage which the Church as a simple proponent ha's to prove the certainty of her Tradition of those doctrines which concern the substance of Christian Religion In the next place I proceeded to make some neerer approaches to the consideration of the Authority which she challenges to her self and whereby she obliges all in her Communion to believe receive and embrace whatsoever she thus proposeth that is to â—cknowledge the Verity and divine originall of all those Christian revelations deposited in her hands and severall wayes both by orall instruction practise or writing delivered by her to all Christians to be by them believed practised and obeyed The Church as a simple proponent only tells us that such doctrines books and rites were antiently delivered as divine and attested by divine miracles believed most assuredly to be such by all Christians And in respect of this way of proposing even her enemies may joyn with her to confirm this Tradition proofes thereof we find in Jewish and Heathen Authors The Jewes all confesse that the Religion by Christ and his Apostles preached in the world was at least pretended to be of divine authority That strange wonders pretended likewise to be wrought by a divine omnipotence gave testimony hereto But yet neither Jews nor Heathens assent to what Christians infer from hence namely that these were indeed divine miracles and by consequence the Doctrine confirmed by them divine also 2. This being so the Church before she can interpose and make use of her authority to oblige any to submit to the particular doctrines and practises by her proposed and by her likewise where need is explained and interpreted must give a firm unquestionable assurance of these two things 1. That the Religion in grosse which Tradition on all hands agrees to have been delivered is divine and hath been more then sufficiently proved to be so 2. That one of the speciall doctrines of this Religion is her authority so far extended I say this assurance must be firm and unquestionable in both these points for if it be only probable though in never so high a degree I was not able to comprehend how that which is built upon such a ground could be absolutely firm and unquestionable 3. To demonstrate therefore the former point viz. concerning our assurance of the divine originall of Christian Religion I suppose this for a ground That from sufficient principles reason can conclude certainly and necessarily which not being to be denyed by rrason I adde that the principles to be laid by reason as a ground of this our assurance are 1. The consideration of what a nature those miracles were which that they have been wrought we have from Traditâ—on not only assurance but the highest degree of assurance that Tradition can almost afford 2 Of what a nature Christian Religion delivered by an equally assured Tradition is for the confirmation whereof such miracles were wrought These two principles as they give mutual vertue each to other and both of them together do necessarily conclude all that we desire to demonstrate so they ought not easily be disjoyned For first some of the same effects which in Christianity we call true miracles no doubt have been wrought in places where a false Religion hath been professed And on the other side every Religion wherein there is no impiety is not necessary to be esteemed of divine originall But when can it be demonstrated that true miracles have been wrought for the asserting of a Religion and that that Religion teacheth supernaturall doctrines of holynesse piety justice c. then nothing can in reason be objected against it 4. In the present case therefore 1. Concerning Miracles wrought by Christ and his Apostles c. to the end that I may only point at these things since it is not my present purpose to speake of this argument but only as a preparation to my information concerning the churches authority and Resolution of Faith we may consider as in this number of miracles 1. Propeecies in the Old Testament brought to us by most assured Tradition wherein we find expressely foretold that the Messiah should come before the Scepter was departed from Judah that is before the particular Commonwealth of the Jews was destroyed that he should teach a new Covenant to be written not in Tables of Stone but in the hearts of Gods people that he should confirm this Covenant by the same Miracles which our Saviour actually wrought that the Gentiles after the death and glorification of the Messiah should be received into this Covenant and the Jews for their infidelity rejected c. 2. Stupendious miracles apparently wrought by Christ and his Apostles to which because they were but a few persons end therefore lest the narrownesse of the scene should prejudice their authority we may ad a continuance of the like miracles performed by the successors of the Apostles in all the parts of the Roman Empire and by a world of persons learned and unlearned men and women c. None of which could have been performed by any inferiour naturall agent known of us and therefore either by God himself immediately or by good supernaturall spirits at least 5. In the second place for the doctrines and precepts of Christianity the former are indeed many of them above the reach of naturall reason but not directly against it conducing very much to the glory of the divine incomprehensible Majesty and the latter directing mankind in the most perfect manner imagineable to glorifie God to renounce deâ—ie and contemn wicked Spirits teaching men to performe all duties of justice and charity to all manner of persons respectively to preserve peace and tranquility in the world and lastly to perfectionate every single person in sobriety chastity c. after a manner more then humane so that if man be capable of being elevated to a â—elicity beyond nature this is the onely Religion worthy to bring him to it 6. From these principles reason may conclude most assuredly 1. That such miracles were certainly wrought many of them immediately by an omnipotent power and the rest at least by good Angells as Gods Ministers since it is impossible that wicked Spirits should be willing to strain themselves so far on purpose to
return that shall return which was before Again Mat. 6. Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it And again Joh. 14. The Spirit of truth shall remain with you for ever And again Let both grow together unto the harvest And againe Mat. 18. If any man will not hear the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican Upon which S. Augustine lib. 5. de Bapt. thus descants the which house likewise hath received the keyes and a power of loosing and binding Whosoever shall contemne this house reproving and correcting him let him saith he be unto thee as a Heathen and a Publican And lastly The Church which is the pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 4. CHAP. XXVIII The validity of such Texts c. 1. UPon these and other such Texts of Scripture joyn'd with Tradition and uninterrupted practise the antient Church grounded upon her authority the antient Councells their power of anathematizing all gain-sayers and the antient Fathers all their arguments and discourses against all sorts of Heretiques arguing thus That if the promises of Christ were true that his Church should continue for ever and so continue as that she should alwaies be preserved in all truth so that the gates of hell should never prevail against her then whatsoever Heretiques opposed or Schismatiques separated themselves from the present Church either gave Christ the lye or acknowledged themselves to be a Congregation exempted from these promises concluding that no pretence could be sufficient to warrant any man at any time to separate from the Church to which such promises have been made Hence that great Alexander Bishop of Alexandria Theod. Hist. Eccl. l. 1. c. 4. We acknowledge one onely Church Catholique and Apostolique which as she can never be rooted out although the whole world should attempt to fight against her so she surmounts and dissipates all the impious assaults of Heretiques Hence likewise S. Athanasius The Church is invincible although hell it selfe should oppose her Hence lastly Theophilusâ— God at all times affords the same grace unto his Church namely that the body should be preserved entire and that the poysons of hereticall doctrines should have no power over her V. S. Hierom. Ep. 67. 2. Now if these promises of Christ be not both infallible and likewise absolute and unlesse the Church to which such promises belong be not only visible but by the weakest understandings discernable from all other factions and Congregations and lastly unlesse upon the same grounds that all the Fathers took advantage from such promises to condemn all Schismes and Heresies against the Catholique Church of their times all succeeding Catholiques might with as much reason and justice from the same promises conclude as efficatiously against all following Heresies and Schismes whatsoever hath been said by all these Fathers especially the writings of S. Augustine against the Donatists will prove to be the most foolish impertinent jugling discourses that ever were yea that were too mild a censure I should say the most blasphemous and pernicious to Christianity For by ascribing to the present Church respectively such sanctity authority and indefectibility if such titles could not be warranted from Scripture and Tradition all possible means of taking away scandalls and errours among Christians would be utterly lost it would be unlawfull for any men to preach truth and piety or reform vice in a word that fearfull comminatory curse in the Revelation would be converted into an Evangelicall precept Qui nocet noceat adhuc qui in sordibus est sordescat adhuc Let him that doth mischiefe proceed to do more mischiefe still and let hiâ— that is filthy be filthy stil Apoc. 22. I might ad Et qui incredulus est incredulus maneat Let him that is a disbeliever take care that he continue a disbeliever still for whosoever reforms these things are Heretiques and Schismatiques 3. But such promises are too expresse in Scripture the Tradition of them too constant and universall the Fathers too good Christians to leave any suspition in mens minds that they should either lightly imprudently or wickedly make use of arguments to destroy heresies which in future times would be as proper yea far more efficacious to destroy truth Therefore if all antiquity conspired to argue thus Christ has expressely promised and foretold that his Church shall be as a City set upon the top of a hill and that he by his Spirit will be with this his Church to the end of the world in which Church notwithstanding there shall be a mixture of good and bad till the day of Judgement but however the Church it self is without spot or wrinckle Therefore it is a blasphemy in you Manicheans Donatists Pelagians c. to say the Church of Christ was perished or invisible or a harlot till you revived reformed and purified it I say if the Fathers had reason from such promises to argue thus in the second third and fourth Centuries their Successours had as good reason to make the same deductions from the same principles in the fifth and sixth ages and so downward till these very times For as Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever so likewise are his promises and by consequence so likewise is his Church since he ha's engaged his omnipotence to make good such his promises to his Church untill the worlds end 4. If not Let those that forbid such a method of arguing name how long a time and how far those promises are to be extended Let them name the Climactericall year when the effect of them is to cease or what constellation ha's over-ruled the operation of Gods holy Spirit To conclude let them give some reason why the Donatists who though in all points of Christian Doctrine agreed with the Catholique Church yet because for I know not what pretended misdemeanour of one Bishop they separated from his Communion and afterward from all those that communicated with him that is the whole Church are therefore so highly condemned by the Fathers for this their Schisme that they professed the same heaven could not hold them both yea that Martyrdome it selfe could not blot out that crime What priviledge can all those Sects of this age alledge for themselves that the same arguments and judgements of the Fathers should not be applied to them who to their Schisme from charity have added a division from and contradiction to not only the Catholique Church but all manner of Congregations praeexistent in so many points of doctrine and faith of so high importance 5. I confesse I could not imagine what could be opposed to this and therefore I could not but conclude that the antient Fathers Logick was concluding yea that such unanswerable arguments of theirs were powerfull means preordained by Christ for the accomplishing of his good promises to his Church inasmuch as by them the gates of Hell that is as severall Fathers
not only to receive the Scriptures from her as a depositary of them but the true interpretation likewise of them preserved by her together with all other Traditions as much as concerns the substance of Christian Religion This authority seems to be grounded especially upon the promise of indefectibility an indefectibility I mean of the Church considered as one body composed of parts ruling and obeying teachers and persons instructed as S. Paul describes the Church as it is to continue to the perfecting of the Saints Eph. 4. Not as Mr. Chillingworth who would make our Saviours meaning to be no more but that till his second coming his Gospell should not be so utterly rooted out of the world but that somewhere or other there should be some that should professe it 2. By vertue of this promise the Church is assured 1. not to be deprived neither of any necessary truths nor of lawfull Pastors to teach those necessary truths when I say necessary I mean not absolutely necessary to every single person considered in any circumstance exigence or extremity as Mr. Chillingworth and Doctor Potter c. through their whole books understand it whether mistaking their adversaries or no I thought it unnecessary to trouble my self to examine but I am sure without any prejudice to the established doctrine of the Church which remains untouched though all the inferences which they would make from such a notion of the word necessary were allowed them but I mean truths necessary to the constitution of a glorious visible Church which must be furnished with a world of Doctrines and Orders which to all single persons are far from being necessary to be believed or known much lesse to persons wanting abilities or means or time to be instructed 2. She is secured from Schisme or Heresie for remaining to the worlds end one holy Catholique Church as we professe in the Creed how can she be divided from her self either in Faith or Charity For unlesse all Bishops in Councells Oecumenicall and indeed all Christians should conspire to renounce that truth to day which they believed yesterday how can novelty or heresie enter universally into the Church under the notion of Tradition 3. Concerning the subject of this authority the principall subjects are indeed the Governours and Pastours of the Church with whom Christ hath promised that he will be to the end of the world But the adequate subject are all Catholique Christians as well instructers as instructed since Tradition is continued by them both shining in the doctrines taught and received in devotions exercised and in outward practises and ceremonies celebrated by all Christians 4 Now of this authority of the Church there are generally speaking two acts 1. An Obligation lying upon all Christians to acknowledge that doctrine to be true and necessarily to be believed and those practises necessarily to be conformed to which are taught and received by the whole Church and all this upon penalty of being accounted Heretiques that is no members of the Church and therefore by consequence divided from Christ the head of the Church which inspires life into it here and will glorifie it hereafter 2. A coërzion or infliction of spirituall penalties and censures as suspensions deprivations excommunications c. on those that persist stubbornly in opposing those truths and practises And this belongs to the Teachers and Governours of the Church more or lesse according to their severall qualities For every Parish Priest ha's some degree of this coercive power over his stock every Bishop over both Priests and severall congregations within his Diocesse ha's more every Metropolitan a yet larger power A Provinciall Synod above a single Bishop or Metropolitan c. And in conclusion the supreme Ecclesiasticall tribunall is a Synod Occumenicall lawfully called confirmed and some adde universally received by all Catholique Churches that is by their Prelates from which there is no appealing for if there were all authority would be vain enjoying the name but without any effect or use at all as shall be shewed hereafter 5. Concerning the former act of Ecclesiasticall authority viz. an Obligation lying upon all Christians under pain of Heresie to receive the doctrines and practises of the universall Church that it is in the Church antecedently to a generall Councell appears by this namely that there were in the Church very many Heresies taken notice of acknowledged for such by all Catholikes and dissipated before any generall Councell had been called as the Ecclesiasticall history S. Epiphanius will assure us And this is grounded ◠Upon evident reason for what is heresie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but a relinquishing of a former received opinion or practise and the choice of a particular new one an act this is which implies an extreme contempt of the whole mysticall body of Christ and a preferring ones own single judgment or wilfullnesse before whatsoever els is prudent or sacred in the world 2 Upon expresse Scripture for S. Paul commands the Thessalonians and S. John all Christians to abstain from the conversation of and not so much as to bid God speed to all disordinate walkers swerving from the rule established and all introducers of novelties in the Church Yea S. Paul sayes that an Heretique even before the Bishops censure is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemned by himself that is as severall Fathers expound it voluntarily and by himselfe separated from the body of the faithfull so that the solemn excommunication of the Bishop against him may seem to be onely a ratifying of that mans censure against himselfe For I conceive it can hardly be affirmed of all Heretiques in generall that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-condemned that is professing and maintaining errors against their own conscience and knowledge 6. Now this authority residing in the whole body of the Catholique Church I must adde of the present Catholique Church has been in all times preserved so inviolable that besides the fore-cited testimonies of the Fathers this observation will sufficiently justifie it viz. That there was never in any age of the Church as far as I have been able to inform my selfe any one single person esteemed a Catholique that ever either spoke against or in the least degree censured or seemed to render suspitious any doctrine or practise universally believed or received by the Catholique Church during the time that he lived Many Fathers have been very bold and eager against abuses and errours particular some of them perhaps too largely dispersed but never any of them whether private person or Governour learned or unlearned taxed the Church either of errour in doctrine or of superstition prophanenesse or any other enormity in practise Many of them have earnestly called for a free Councell to reform particular disorders and errours in the lives and writings of both Clergy and Laity sometimes not sparing Popes themselves but never to have the Church it self to alter any of her doctrines or to change any of her practises
the universall Christian world Again The letters of Bishops may be corrected by Nationall Councells and Nationall Councells by Plenary ones and former Plenary Councells may be corrected by others that succeed And again We should not have the boldnesse to affirm any such thing were it not that we are confirm'd by the most unanimous authority of the universall Church Now I suppose their intention is not to refund all authority finally upon the ignorant people but upon the whole Body of the Prelates admitting and attesting what was decreed by a few in Councells by which means the universall Government of the Church sets their seal to the Doctrine of Faith and vertually or by consequence in and with them all Christians universally in their communion and under their charge By this means indeed all possible objections will be taken away and the Decisions of Councells will be the Acts not of ten Bishops representing a hundred and perhaps giving suffrages to Doctrines never questioned or debated by them but of all the Bishops of the Christian world Now it is not necessary according to these Authors grounds that there must be such a Reception of conciliary acts by particular Pâ—â—â—â—â—s â—â—prossely fâ—â—mally and directly it being sufficient â—hat it be done interpretatively that is when such Doctrines are known and permitted to be published â—emine reclamante And till this be done shy they the Councell though in it self it be very legitimate and deserving the â—itle of Oecumonicall yet it does not sufficiently and evidently appear to be so whereas a Provinciall Councell yea a Private Fathers or Doctours opinion so received ha's in it the vertue of a Generall Councell 4. Now this opinion maintained by such considerable learned Catholikes and not apparently contrary to any decision of the Church though I did not intend to subscribe to as undoubtedly true for my resolution alwaies was not to engage my self in any private Sects or topicall opinions and least of all in such as appeared to be exotick and suspitious notwithstanding I was very well contented to perceive that it was at least an allowable opinion For I found it of great convenience to my self to free me from many difficulties For thereby 1. Here is no entrenching on the points of controversie between Catholiques and Protestants since they are all not only decided by the authority of Councells but likewise actually assented to and imbraced by all particular Catholique Churches neither as matters of controversie do now stand is it necessary to require any more from Protestants then what ha's been so both decided and received 2. Hereby all the objections which Protestants make from certain reall or imaginary contradictions which may be found in decrees of Councells about other points not now in controversie are apparently rendred ineffectuall for if that be to be only necessarily accounted an article of Catholique Faith which is actually acknowledged and received by Catholiques and since contradictions cannot be actually assented to it will follow that whatsoever decisions of Councells may seem to oppose such articles are not necessarily to be accounted Catholique Doctrines and by consequence not obligatory 3. That so much objected speech of S. Augustine de Bapt. Dom. l 2. c. 3. viz. The letters of Bishops may be corrected by Nationall Councells and Nationall Councells by Plenary ones and former Plenary Councells may be corrected by others that succeed though it be understood of points of Doctrine as it seems to require such a sense because S. Augustine speaks it upon occasion of rebaptization yet makes nothing against Catholiques who upon the forementioned grounds and authorities need account that only to be Catholique Doctaine which is actually imbraced by Catholiques Yea upon the same grounds the like may be said of that yet more bold speech of Cardinall Cusanus viz. It may be observed by all experience that an Universall Councell may fail Cusan concord l. 2. c. 14. 5. But to proceed to the severall grounds upon which I conceived Stapleton determined this question with a greater latitude and indulgence then most other Writers and yet notwithstanding he hath escaped the censure of any being commended even by those who use much more rigor in it then he has done The first is That no Doctrine can be called an Article of Faith but what was in the beginning revealed and delivered to the Church by Christ and his Apostles 2. That these doctrines have been preserved and continued to these times by Tradition that is not only in books approved and delivered Traditionally but rather in an orall practicall Tradition from one age to another For the Church pretends not to any new immediate revelation though she enjoys an effectuall assistance of Gods holy Spirit 3. That there is a double obligation from decisions of Generall Councells the first an obligation of Christian belief in respect of doctrines delivered by Generall Councells as of universall Tradition the second only of Canonicall obedience to orders and constitutions for practise by which men are not bound to believe that these are inforced as from divine authority but only to submit to them as acts of a lawfull Ecclesiasticall power however not to censure them as unjust much lesse to oppose and contradict them 4. That many I may say most constitutions of Councells in order to practise do yet vertually include some degree of belief as that of Communion under one kind of the use of Images in Churches and upon Altars c. of residence of Bishops of authorised Translations of Scripture c. And that in such cases we are not obliged to believe that Christ or his Apostles gave order that such practises should follow but only that considering Christs continuall care over his Church so clearly promised neither these nor any other orders universally established and practised are destructive to any substantiall doctrine or practise of Christianity and that the authority left by Christ in his church was so large and ample as that when she shall judge it fit considering the various dispositions of succeeding timesâ— she may alter externall practises and formes not essentiall orâ— of the substance of Christian Religion even in the Sacraments themselves as we see acknowledged in some cases by all Christian churches as about the altering of the time and posture of receiving the Eucharist the triple immersion in Baptisme abstaining from things strangled and from bloud c. 5. That doctrines determined by Nationall Councells lay no obligation at all upon any other churches but only those whose Bishops meet together and all the obligation even of those Christians who live within such Provinces is only not to contradict they are not bound to receive such decisions as Articles of Faith the reason being evident because one Nation cannot be a competent judge of Catholique Tradition and there neither is nor can be any Article of Faith but what is delivered that way 6. That the authority of the Pastours of the present Church is not of
in any degree wound nor so much as incommodate his adversary 3. Secondly I answer that whatsoever arguments have been or can be made by Protestants against the manner of Resolution of Catholique Faith do not touch the Church at all since she ha's not intermedled in that Scholasticall nicety of the Resolution of Faith If particular men to exercise their wits and to boast their subtilty do busie themselves in this last inquisitive age about such curiosities undebated and unheard of among the antient Doctors of the church what is that to the church her self or her Traditionary doctrines which were proposed and believed before that new language of the schools was invented 4. But thirdly to demonstrate that Protestants do vainly flatter themselves in supposed advantages against Catholiques about this point of Resolution of Faith I will endeavour as briefly and as perspiouously as I can to set down the state of that controversie which when I have done I believe that without any further trouble it will justifie it self not to be obnoxious to those circles and absurdities which Protestants charge upon it 5. Now for a preparation thereto I will lay down these grounds viz. 1. That that is the thing into which we say Faith is last resolved which is the prime motive or authority for whose sake we believe 2. In all kinds of belief the prime authority which deserves Faith must have two qualities viz. Knowledge and veracity 3. In divine Faith the prime authority is alwaies the prime Verity or God 4. In divine Revelations we are to distinguish the faith or assent which we give to the truth revealed from the knowledge or assent to the Revelation or act of revealing 5. In immediate divine Revelations we believe the truth it self for the authority of the revealer or relator himself which is God and we assent to the revelation having a certain knowledge thereof either by the help of our senses externall and internall or without them immediately by our understanding 6. But if divine revelations be conveyed to us by a second hand that is by the report of others yet then faith is not resolved into the conveying authority but into the prime 7. To make faith by vertue of the prime authority certain or firm I must have assurance of the certitude of this conveying hand that is not only that this conveying hand did receive those revealed truths but the true sense of them likewise and withall was not subject to errour in the propagating of them 6. Having laid these grounds we will make application of them to the present purpose in a few examples The first shall be of a revelation made by God immediately either by expresse language or dreams or visions or the Oracle of Urim c. for all these are of the same nature as much as concerns certainty as when God revealed to the Prophet Isaiah the mystery of the Conception of the Messiah of a pure Virgin In this case the Prophet it is to be supposed was assured by a certain knowledge that this revelation was reall and not imaginary so that he believed the truth revealed with a most firm faith for the authority of God the prime verity whom he knew to be the revealer for if he had not assuredly known this he could not have adhered firmly to the mystery though in it selfe never so true and infallible A second example shall be of an immediate revelation also but yet somewhat of a different nature from the former viz. Of our Saviour teaching the Jewes that he was the Messiah the eternall Sonne of God and confirming this truth by divine Miracles In all outward appearance he seemed to be but a man and therefore what he taught could not be the object of divine Faith neither could his hearers have assurance of his authority unlesse they were assured of the truth of his miracles A third example shall be of the same revealed truth viz. That Christ was the Messiah c. but proposed to persons living in the second or third ages after that time by those who either were themselves eye-witnesses or received it from those that were In this case the persons living in the second or third age if they had not certitude that those that told them this did not lye could not with a faith rationally firm and certaine assent to those truths But certain they might be and most undoubtedly were and the grounds of this certainty were as I have largely shewed before a certain knowledge both that they all heard these and all other substantiall truths of Christianity from their Ancestors as a Tradition Universall whether written or no it matters not and that it was as impossible that all their ancestours all the world over should conspire to seduce them with a lie as that their own eyes and ears should deceive them In all these examples there is the same resolution of Faith for both the immediate witnesses of these revelations and their successors do resolve their faith in these supernaturall truths finally and only into the authority of the prime verity For if any of them should be asked Why do you believe that Christ is the eternall Son of God They would all answer because God ha's so revealed neither could they proceed any further But if they were asked how are you certain that there was such a divine revelation the immediate witnesses would say We saw and heard Christ himself publishing these truths and with a world of stupendious miracles confirming them And their successours would say we receive the same truth by an Universall Tradition not only in it self and of it self credible and in a high degree certain but such an one as ha's more advantages to demonstrate its certainty then any other that ever was Now what ha's been spoken of the second and third ages may upon the same grounds be verified of the fourth fifth and all following to the worlds end And likewise what hath been exemplified in one or two supernaturall truths revealed may be extended to all the substantiall points of Christianity all which as I before demonstrated arrive unto us by the same conveying hand of Universall Tradition by severall wayes as writing publike profession and practise propagated 7. Now among these truths or doctrines coming by Universall Tradition and for that reason believed most assuredly by all Catholique Christians and by consequence most certaine and indubitable one principall one is the authority of the present Church considered not as a relator only but as authorized by Christ to teach this and all other doctrines so as to oblige all men to belief and obedience Which speciall doctrine though it were only testified in Scripture as it is evidently enough were sufficient against those that acknowledge only Scripture for their rule yet we are certain of the truth of this doctrine by the former Rule which can neither fail us neither can we be mistaken in it viz. Because it is universally believed in the present
church as a doctrine Traditionary and moreover it is attested by all antient Records of the Fathers of the church nemine explicite contradicente and it ha's been practised by Councells in all ages not one Catholique renouncing his obedience In so much as to my understanding there is not one Christian doctrine delivered with so full an assurance nor in the sense and meaning whereof it is lesse possible for a man to be mistaken Now by vertue of this speciall truth of the churches authority Universall Tradition which of it self is most credible and certain being believed and attested by the present church becomes most necessary to be believed by us the Church supplying the place not only of a witnesse but of an Embassadour likewise instructed and employed by Christ himself as S. Augustine most effectually maintains so that in believing and obeying her we believe and obey Christ himself according to Christs own expression He that heareth you heareth me and If any one heareth not the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican And therefore they that believe Christian doctrines only because they think they find them in the Scripture and believe the Scripture only because their reason or fancy which they miscall the testimony of Gods Spirit tells them that it is the Word of God though the doctrines themselves believed by them be true yet it is a hazard as to them whether they be so or no or however whether that be the sense of them or no it being all one as if a man by some casualty had found a transcribed copy of some part of an Embassadors Pattent or instructions Whereas Catholiques receive the commands of their heavenly King and Master from his Embassadours own hands which not only will not conceale any thing necessary or requisite from them but likewise will be able upon occasion to cleare all manner of difficulties that may arise about the sense of the said instructions or Patent having received glorious promises of continuall residence among us and of divine assistance to preserve him from any at least dangerous error 8. These things thus supposed Mr. Chillingworth's pretended circles and absurdities in the Resolution of Catholique Faith doe clearly and evidently vanish For a Catholique does not only or chiefly believe the Churches authority because to his privaâ—e understanding and reason the Scripture seems to say so but because he knows that the present Catholique Church teacheth so both by profession and practise and that she teacheth this as a Catholike Tradition believed and practised in all ages then which it is impossible there should be any testimony more assured and infallible so that if a man can be sure of any thing done before his own times as all reasonable men do agree that one may he cannot avoid being most sure of this if his passion or interests do not hinder him from searching into the grounds of it I need not therefore particularly give an answer to Mr. Chillingworth's discourse before produced since it wholly proceeds upon a mistake of his adversaries and other Catholiques grounds and since himself in the close of it seemes to confesse by objecting to himselfe Universall Tradition that if this doctrine of the Churches authority could be made appear to be grounded upon Catholike Tradition it would be as much credible as if the Scripture had expresly testified it since in his opinion the Scripture it selfe and nothing besides enjoyes its authority because it is delivered by Universall Tradition and by consequence would not be lyable to any circles or absurdities So that truly I wonder why seeing Mr. Chillingworth could not be ignorant that Catholiques do generally pretend that this doctrine comes from Tradition besides the proofs of it out of Scripture he should notwithstanding dispute against it as if there were no other ground for it but two or three questionable passages of Scriptâ—re CHAP. XLIII An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's allegations of pretended uncertainties and casualties in the grounds of the faith and salvation of Catholiques 1. THere is in Mr. Chillingworth's book another rank of objections which though they do not directly combat the churches infallibility or authority yet they had great effect upon me because they seemed to infer that the faith and salvation likewise of Catholiques depended upon extreme uncertainties and casualties and by consequence that a Catholique could not give any assurance that his faith was safely grounded For thus he argues c. 2. parag 63. ad 68. The salvation of many millions of Papists as they suppose and teath depends upon their having the Sacrament of Penance duly administred to them This again upon the Ministers being a true Priest which is a thing that depends upon many uncertain and very contingent supposalls As 1. That he was baptized with due matter 2. With due forme 3. With due intention 4. That the Bishop which ordained him Priest ordained him likewise with due form intention c. 5. That that Bishop himselfe was a person fitly qualified to give orders that is was no Simoniake c. 6. That all that Bishops Progenitors were fitly qualified and so till he arrive to the fountain of Priesthood Now he that shall put together and maturely consider all the possible wayes of lapsing and nullifying a Priesthood in the Church of Rome I believe saith he will be very inclinable to believe that in an hundred seeming Priests there is not one true one But suppose this inconvenience assoyled yet still the difficulty will remain whether he will pronounce the absolving words with intent to absolve you for perhaps he may be a secret Jew Moor or Antitrinitarian which if he be then his intention which is necessary to the validity of a Sacrament will be wanting c. 2. Hereto I answer 1 That such kind of pretended uncertainties or nullities in particulars do not prejudice the authority and stability of the church in generall but that if it be true which ha's alwayes been believed in the church viz. That Christ ha's promised to continue till the worlds end a church governed by lawfull Pastors and preserved in all truth he will engage his omnipotency to make good his fidelity and by consequence he will take care to prevent or remedy all obstacles that can be imagined to be otherwise able to evacuate such his promises and I suppose two such Attributes of Christ are a foundation strong enough to build a faith not obnoxious to such a world of casualties as Mr. Chillingworth suspects 2. That Mr. Chillingworth's whole discourse proceeds upon a mistake of the established doctrine of the Catholique Church which ha's not declared all those things to be nullities nor any of them in the sense that he alledges It is true in the Canon law and among Câ—suists there are mentioned many nullities of Orders and other Sacraments as Simony or Heresie or Schisme are said to nullifie the Ordination of a Bishop or Priest But how to nullifie it by taking away the
say that he is inferiour But now what Texts are there to be found so evidently expressing the eternall Divinity of the Son of God as there are for appropriating the Divine Nature to the Father only Viz. these two Texts This is eternall life to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent And To us there is but one God even the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ. 7. The truth is if Tradition and the authority of the Church be not admitted to interpret Scripture the Socinians and other Antitrinitarians cannot by Protestants be condemned as Heretiques upon the pretence of denying expresse Scripture since if reason alone be judge those Texts cannot be called express which may be confronted with others seemingly contradicting or which are capable of a sense it may be lesse probable yet so as that without much racking the words will be able to bear a case which to have hap'ned in this controversie every reasonable man will confesse that shall cast his eyes upon the severall positive Texts alledged by Crellius in his book De uno vere Deo I may add further that if the universall Tradition of the present Church in the time of the Councell of Nice had not prevailed for the stating of that great controversie against the Arians so many objections those Heretiques heaped together not only out of Scripture but likewise out of the writings of such Fathers as preceded that Councell that perhaps they might have endangered the cause as will appear to any one that shall cast his eyes upon a world of passages quoted by Heretiques out of Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian S. Justin Martyr Origen Lactantius c. 8. The Second instance is the Heresie of Rebaptization renewed by the Anabaptists of these times and in conformity to Antiquity condemned by English Protestants it is more evident then the Sun that expresse Scripture alone being the Rule and private reason or Spirit the Judge the Anabaptists cannot upon Protestants grounds be accused either to erre in a point fundamentall or however in a point fundamentall contained expressely in Scripture 9. In the last place that upon Protestants grounds no separation among them can justly be called Schisme in the notion of Antiquity appears yet more evidently For among those â—â— of Sâ—â—â—â— now in England which abhor and renounce the Communion of one another 1. There is not any one of them that ha's the assurance to stile themselves the Catholique Church with exclusion of all others not in actuall Communion with them Now Schisme is only a separation from the externall Communion of the Catholique Church at least if universall antiquity may be allowed to be the judge 2. There is not any one of them which dares apply to themselves in particular those words of Christ Tell the Church and if he will not hear the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican or those Promises of his Upon this Rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it And I will send the Comforter which shall lead you into all truth And Behold I am with you to the end of the world Now there is no Schisme but from such a church to which those elogies and promises belong 3. All the means and remedies left them to deale with those they call Schismatiques or Heretiques are not to excommunicate them in a Generall Councell as the Catholique Church ha's continually upon occasion done for what a ridiculoâ—s affembly must that be to which they should presume to attribute the name of a Generall Councell And how more ridiculously would an Anathema sound being fulminated by a Synod of Charenton or Gappe or Dâ—rt c. But their proper course in such cases is to persecute imprison or perhaps burn one another as Calvin did Servetus and by this means the weaker and sufferer would be the only Heretique and Schismatique But of Schisme more in the following Conclusion CHAP. XLV The third Conclusion The point of Shisme slightly considered by Protestants which notwithstanding ought above all others to be chiefly considered THE 3d. CONCLUSION viz. That there is one only Church of Christ and that all Heretiques who believe not all Christian doctrines taught in her and all Schismatiques who breaking the bond of Charity divide themselves from her visible and externall Communion are separated from Christ himself 1. IN my discourse upon this Conclusion I need not separate Heresie from Schisme since I do not know any Sect in these times precisely Schismaticall that is without any mixture of Heresie as the Donatists were in the beginning who agreed in all doctrines with Catholiques but separated upon a quarrell grounded upon a matter of fact Therefore hereafter when I speak of Schisme and enquire upon what party it is to be charged it is to be supposed that Heresie must accompany it seeing the foundation of all the present separations among Christians is â—heir disagreeing in points of faith and doctrine 2. Now though this divine truth viz. That the true Church of Christ is only one and by consequence that an injustifiable separation from it is in a high degree damnable be acknowledged by all Christians that I know since it is an expresse article of our Creed Credo unam sanctam Catholicam Ecclesiam that is I believe one holy Catholike Church and therefore there may seem to be no necessity to put ones selfe to the trouble of proving it Notwithstanding I will not refuse that trouble to make a collection of quotations both out of Scripture and Fathers to the end both to get a distinct notion of what was antiently understood by this word Schisme and to set forth according to their conceptions the abominablenesse and extreme sinfulnesse of that sin and this the rather because a sad meditation upon such passages enforced me to consider in what a state I had formerly lived and likewise made me wonder that heretofore above all other points I had not bent my thoughts and studies to enquire and determine since it is apparent that there is a Schism in the church upon which party the guilt of so horrible and exterminating a sinne did lye 3. But the truth is my wonder decreased when I considered that hitherto I had not met with any Protestant Writers that have throughly considered this point of Schisme which yet above all others ought to have been most exactly ventilated and examined as S. Augustine lib. 2. cont lit Petil. saith in the case of Schisme against the Donatists The whole question therefore is whether you do not ill you I say to whom the whole world objects the sacriledge of so geeat a Schisme the exact examination of which question whilest you neglect all that you say is superfluous and whereas you live like theeves you boast that you dye as Martyrs And again Ep. 164. ad Emer Don. Wherefore in the prime place this is to be enquired for what reason you made
and would the State there suffer them to upbraid the sacrilegious usurping of such infinite revenewes as have been ravished both from the living and the dead in that Nation there is no doubt but that practise would have yet continued there for the English church it self hath decided nothing against it excepting only in consequence by denying Purgatory which is necessarily supposed in prayer for the dead Yet I may say they do not indeed deny Purgatory in the whole latitude as the church ha's decided it which obliges no man to any particular conceits about it though perhaps received as a certain Tradition by many credulous Catholikes as if it could be nothing else but a certain subterraneous mansion ful of tortures fire and brimstone c. None of which the church expressely acknowledgeth but only Purgatorium esse animasque ibi detentas sidelium suffragiis potissimùm verò acceptabili altaris sacrificio juvari i. e. That there is a Purgatory and that the souls detained there are benefited by the prayers of the faithfull and especially by the acceptable sacrifice of the Altar Councell of Trent Sess. 15. Yea in the following words that Councell expressely commands Bishops to take care that neither any uncertain groundless or subtill discourses of it should be published to the people in Sermons but onely what is found delivered by the holy Fathers and sacred Councells which is in sum that the souls of Christians not dying in a perfect estate romain in a condition which may be eased and meliorated by the prayers Oblations and Charity of the living according to the expresse assertion of S. Augâ—stine We ought not by any meanes to doubt but that the Dead are helped by the prayers of the holy Church by the saving sacrifice and by the Almes which are distributed for their soules to the end that God may deale with them more mercifully then their sins have deserved For that is a thing which the church observes having received it from the Tradition of the Fathers Aug. de Verb. Apost Ser. 32. Of Indulgences 5. That which the church commands to be believed as Catholique Traditionary doctrine touching this matter of Indulgences is briefely contained in the Bull of Plus IV. relating to the 25. Session of the Councell of Trent in these words I believe that power of Indulgences hath been given and left in the Church by Jesus Christ and that the use of them is very healthfull to Christian people The ground of which doctrine according to the position of Alexander of Hales Durand Paludanus and others quoted at the end of this discourse is the practise of that severe discipline and correction which in the most primitive times was exercised against especially publike and scandalous sinners those severe penitential Canons then executed those painful Exomolâ—geses prostrations cilices weepings covering themselves with ashes rigorous fasts but principally those long abstentions and banishings from the most holy Sacrament yea even from entring any further then into the porch of the church which the primitive zeal imposed upon Delinquents which are mentioned in the most antient Ecclesiastical writers and most expresly in Tertullian and S. Cyprian An example of which severity more rigorous then all before mentioned S. Paul hath left us in that censure of his upon the incestuous Corinthian whom he delivered over to Satan to be tormented by him in the flesh for the saving of his soul l Cor. 5. which censure he calls by a general word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. an objurgation by or before many 2 Cor. 2. 6. from whence ecclesiasticall censures were called in the 7. 8. General Councels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Notwithstanding to shew that Ecclesiasticall Governors ought to mix Christian charity and meeknesse with their severity especially when they see great signs of compunction and amendment in the Penitents the same Apostle hath left an example likewise of Indulgence and favour to the same person which he expresseth by the two verbs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. graciously to spare and to comfort In conformity to which rule the Primitive Churches as upon occasion they used great severity so likewise great benignity also to Penitents which S. Cyprian calls the giving of Peace 6. But in succeeding times zeal and servor of devotion growing cold and generally Christians not being able to support so great a rigor the church in wisdome thought fit to qualifie both the severity of penalties imposed to shorten the times of abstention from the holy Eucharist and to grant remission and Indulgence especially in Articulo mortis generally unto all Penitents hence came it that the intercessions of Confessors and Martyrs in behalf of Delinquents were admitted by the Bishops as we read frequently in S. Cyprian hence the two favourable Canons of Indulgence viz. the 10 and 12. of the first Councell of Nice 7. In these last and most wicked times wherein the antient Ecclesiasticall Discipline is almost wholly lost not through any fault of the church which enjoynes all Priests to have before their eyes the antient penitentiall Canons and by them to regulate their penances but through the generall overflowing of coldnesse in devotion prophanenesse and impatience of suffering and likewise through the impudence covetousnesse and partiality of Priests no man can yet deny but that as the power of inflicting censures remains in the church so likewise doth the power of Indulgences 8. Concerning which Indulgences all Catholiques do unanimously agree to these two points 1. That they are profitable and 2. That the Church hath power to grant them according to the Decision of the Councell of Trent But as for the extent of the vertue of Indulgences and as touching the conditions required to the receiving them fruitfully Catholike Divines are divided in their opinions For 1. concerning the extent of their vertue Bellarmine l. 1 de Indulg c. 7. sets down this as an opinion maintained by Catholiques viz. That Indulgences are no other then relaxations of Penalties enjoyned by Confessarii or which ought to have been enjoyned according to the Canons Which opinion saith he is maintained by grave Authors Alexander of Hales sum Theolog. p. 4. q. 23. memb 2. Durand and Paludanus Pope Adrian 6. in 4. Sent. q. de Indulg And likewise by Soto the Dominican and Card. Cajetan both which teach that Indulgences are never granted but for Penalties injoyned Now both these were appointed by the church to maintain the Doctrine concerning Indulgences against the late Heretiques Likewise Maldonate the learned Jesuite in his book de Sacram. c. 2. de Indulg q. 1. 2. p. saith that the opinion That Indulgences are only relaxations of the Penalty either enjoyned in the Sacrament of Penance or ordained by Ecclesiasticall Law seems to him to be the most true opinion because it is held by good Authors and seemes to be demonstrated by unanswerable arguments And in pursuance hereof the same Author produceth eleven reasons
Kingdome of God during the times of their infirmity when they were not able to bear them 9. These being the principall points of controversie between Catholiques and Protestants I judged fit to signifie how when I considered what the church had declared to be her sense of them separating them from private opinions to which no man is obliged they appeared so reasonable and so consonant to antiquity that if I should have continued in a separation from her for their cause I must at the same time have professed to have renounced all interest in the most glorious Saints and Martyrs that ever the church enjoyed And if it were Gods good pleasure that all other Protestants lovers of unity would think fit not to judge of the Catholike church by the character given of her by Calvinist Controvertists who lay to her charge whatsoever imprudent or erroneous positions they find in any particular Catholike author insomuch as I am confident not one objection among twenty in their writings proceeds directly against the church but that if they would be perswaded to hear her testifying of her self in her publike doctrine they would find that they have been cousened into the guilt of this pernicious exterminating crime of Schisme by the passions and iuterests af men enemies to peace and Christian charity and that they have been enemies to Gods church for telling them the truth that perhaps themselves believed in the sense and latitude that she proposeth it Lastly if they would but think the judgement of their own Bucer in Mat. c. 26. worthy to be hearkned to who tells them Nihil esse damnandum quod ull ◠ratione bonum esse queat i. e. That nothing is to be condemned especially in the Church the Spouse of Christ and Mother of us all that by any way or in any sense or respect can be good they would think themselves obliged to consider the doctrines of the church with all possible caution modesty humility and charitable construction and not ruine their souls by forsaking her Communion till they found that charity her self which covers a multitude of sins could not excuse her that is till they found that notwithstanding the promises of Christ the gates of bell had actually prevailed against her CHAP. IV. The Holinesse taught and practised in the Catholique Church a great motive to embrace the Doctrines The Authors former exceptious against certaine practises ascribed to the Church with their answers Of the Carthusians Of Mysticall Theology c 1. I Will now discharge the promise which I made in the XVII chap. of the first Section which was to give a narration what effect the eminent rules of holinesse and true solid devotion which contrary to my expectation I found in the Catholike Church had upon me and that not onely to incline my will to love them and desire the practise of them but to dispose my understanding also to be more docible and more easily perswaded of the truth of speculative points which were professed in a Church so enriched and by persons whose whole employment was to love serve glorifie and admire the goodnesse wisdome and all other perfections of Almighty God to meditate day and night upon the holy Mysteries of our Salvation and to mortifie all manner of vice passions and lusts farre more intrinsecally spiritually and perfectly then any thing that I had seen or read before could give me a notion of I hope I need not be ashamed to professe this and however I will not forbeare to publish mine own shame by professing that the life and Councells of S. Charles Borromée and the truly Christian Spirit of humility and meeknesse shining in the writings of Monfieur Sales Bishop of Geneva gave more satisfactory answers to all the objections of Protestants then any I had hitherto found in all the volumes of those famous Cardinalls Baronius Bellarmin and Perron or at least that the former gave a point and a pierceing vertue to the discourses of the later which in former times I had often and without much effect perused 2. That way of satisfying doubts and controversies was the stranger to me because it came directly contrary to my expectation for I must professe I had in former times a far stronger aversion from the Catholike Church considered by me as an enemy to Holinesse then as an enemy to truth I had observed 1. In generall that most of the points in controversie betweene Catholiques and Protestants were such as contributed either to avarice or ambition 2. I saw that rich men to whom our Saviour said it was impossible that they should enter into the Kingdome of heaven were the easiliest admitted of all others by the prostitution of pardons and Indulgences 3. I saw that many Casuists had handled the sins of great men Usury and Simony so tenderly and favourably allowing so many qualifications that it was become almost impossible to deprehend them 4. I saw the antient discipline of the church almost quite vanished and absolution given upon a small penance for such sins adultery blasphemy and that most horrible and atheisticall gallantry of Duelling which the antient church would scarce have pardoned after ten years macerating of the body and soule with fastings weepings and yet greater austerities and for which she would not have received to peace the persons guilty by recidivation by admitting them to the Communion no not in Articulo mortis See the annotation of Petavius upon S. Epiphanius ad Haeres 59. 5. I saw me thought that absolutions were given as of course and that persons though habitually addicted to mortall sins yet upon an outward profession of sorrow expected and challenged pardon and admission to the blessed Sacrament and all this toties quoties 6. I saw that attrition i. e. sorrow for sin meerly out of fear of being damned with the Sacrament was counted a sufficient qualification to remission of sins whereby in my opinion charity it self became unnecessary Such prejudices as these was I possessed withall all which I imputed to the church her self insomuch as though I suspected that my understanding might be over-reached by subtill Disputants to excuse the errours which I believed to be in the Roman church yet I was resolved that it was impossible my will should be seduced so far as to approve such enormous practises 3. Now the occasion and manner how I came to be satisfied of the eminent sanctity taught and practised in the Catholique Church and concerning those practises not that they were excuseable but that they were not to be imputed to the church which was most innocent of them was as follows It hap'ned not long after my arrivall at Paris that my curiosity led me among other places to visit the Monastery of the Carthusians whom we deprehended in their ordinary employment of prayers and in the place of their almost continuall residence the church A sight that was which made a strange impression upon my mind being at that time also in some
Universal Church But they are not satisfied that they ow that submission to the Roman and if not to the Roman they know not to what Church Sol. 16. To say somthing for the clearing this difficulty I shall desire them to consider 1. That whilst the Eastern and Western Churches were joyned in one External communion it is apparent that that Body was the Catholick Church to which the Promises of Christ were made and to which Protestants themselves would not have refused submission 2. That a breach hapning between these Churches is not mortal to the whole Body but onely to that Member that did unlawfully separate 3. By consequence that both the Title and real Authority of the Catholick Church remains in the innocent Part that is either in the Roman or Eastern Church 4. That whethersoever of these two be the Catholick Church English Protestants are Schismaticks since they are divided from both and the pretended grounds of their Divisions are Doctrines received by them both 5. That in case English Protestants would now take into debate to whether of these two parties they should re-adjoyn themselves by that means to become Catholicks again they must be forced to quit both a greater number of their Topical Doctrines and more fundamental ones to fit themselves to an union with the Eastern then with the Roman Church 6. That if they will needs out of Passion prefer the Eastern their Passion will be evident since that whensoever either remorse of conscience or the approaches of death made them see their unsafe condition thousands of them have fled to the Roman Church for shelter but never any to the Grecian or any other but the Roman 7. That as long as they are out of the Roman Church they are in a headless trunck divided from the successor of St. Pèter whom St. Cyprian St. Hierome Optatus c. acknowledged to be the foundation of Unity Order c. Ob. 17. Now if among Protestants any out of a perverse condescendence shal grant that the grounds alledged for the separation of the Eastern Western Churches are not in themselves of such main importance as to hinder them from being really one Catholick Church And therefore that before the present controversies can be decided a general Assembly of them all must be expected Sol. 18. to this they must give me leave to say 1. That they make the Promises of Christ to be casual temporary and obnoxious to critical daies and seasons if they think that the changes of Kingdoms or that the humors of an earthly Tyrant can either evacuate or suspend the force of those promises by which our Lord hath obliged himself to provide that the Gates of Hell that is heresies shall not prevail against his Church The effect of which promise in the opinion of such Objectors must be delayed till the Grand Signior will allow the Grecian Bishops to meet with the Western to consult of and procure the peace and union of Christendom 2. In case they should be permitted to meet Protestants may without the spirit of prophesie foretel their own most solemn condemnation For since both the Eastern and Western Churches do already agree in most doctrines renounced by Protestants viz. Transubstantiation Adoration of the blessed Sacrament Prayer for the Dead and by consequence a Purgatory in which souls are capable of refreshment by such Prayers Veneration of Images Relicks c. Invocation of Saints Indulgences Merit of good works c. In which Doctrines they do agree as acknowledging them to be Traditionary It is impossible they should ever be perswaded to revoke any of them being met in an Assembly unless they will renounce all order and manner of proceeding in former General Councels which is not according to the Method of Protestants Viz. Endlessly to dispute every controverted Point by Texts of Scripture but to judge of the Truth of Points and the sense of Scripture by Traditien In such Assemblies therefore Bishops will ask one another Have your Fathers delivered to you that Bread after consecration becomes the Body of Christ That this body in the Sacrament is to be adored That we ought to pray for Souls departed in the Faith of Christ c. If so Servetur quod traditum est Now it being apparent that at the present all agree that such Doctrines both in the East and West have been delivered by Tradition and that their meeting together in a Councel will not help to make a contrary Tradition possible It will follow that whether divided or united whether alone or in Assembly they are and ever will be at least so far united as to joyn in the condemnation of Protestants CHAP. V. An Answer to the Remainder of the Preface 1. THe rest of the Preface of I. P. touches my self onely and pretends to shew what success the writings of those great Defenders of the Church of England have had against me in particular forcing me to confess That Infallibility is an unfortunate word That Mr. Chillingworth hath combated it with too great success so that I would wish the word were forgotten or at least laid by c. Now since the Church is not at all concern'd in this but my self onely who am charged with writing an incongruous impertinent Book a Book that deserves no answer but answers it self since it maintains that which its Adversary did not combat c. Truly were it not for I. P. and his friends sake more then mine own I would not answer for my self But since I perceive that the word Infallibility is as unfortunate a word to them as it was to me I will endeavour to take order that it shall be so no more 2. First therfore I say with Mr. Veron that the word Infallibility has been found out by the Schools that love to find out as short waies to express their notions as possibly can be And the world finds very great convenience by it Therefore with reference to the Church Schoolmen and from them Controvertists desirous to express the great veracity of the Church considered as a Judge or witness of Divine Truths deposed by God with her and withal the utmost obligation that all Christians have to beleeve truths so determined and witnessed by her found out this single word Infallibility to express both these by But yet the Church her self hath not as yet assumed or borrowed this word in any of her Decisions from the Schools and therefore being none of the Churches word we are not oblig'd to make her to speak it and the truth is though it comprehends al that they intend by it yet it is no adaequate measure of those conceptions because Infallibility may comprehend a great deal more for truth and our obligation to beleeve it is yet in a higher degree in Scripture then in the Decisions of the Church as Bellarmine acknowledges For the Scripture in all points both of Doctrine and Story and all circumstances is infallibly true not so the Decisions of the
some cases it is within the power of the Church to invent de novo some word or phrase proper to signifie and express a Traditionary doctrine namely in contradiction to any Haeresie arising and opposing Apostolique Revelations shining in the publique profession and practise of the Church So to condemn the Arians denying the Divinity of our Saviour the Fathers of the Councell of Nice made choice of the terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though new yet answerable to the sense and notion of that mystery which was received by Tradition in the Church a terme directly and specifically opposite to the Arian Position In like manner the Church of late devised a new or rather borrowed of some particular ancient Father the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Transubstantiation as most proper to expresse the notion which in all ages has been received in the Church concerning the Reall Presence of the body of Christ in Blessed Sacrament a terme which like the flaming two-edged waving sword of the Cherub cuts assunder on all sides whatsoever new Heresies do or probably ever shall devise to oppose that Mystery 5. Notwithstanding some certaine Traditions there were which in the Primitive times were kept secret among the principall Ecclesiasticall Governours as certaine sublime Doctrines the ceremonious formes of conferring some Sacraments of making the holy Chrismes Oyle c. which seemes to have been done partly to gaine a reverence to the Clergy as more neerly approaching to the Divine Light But principally not to expose such Mysteries to the scornfull and profane interpretation of the Heathens or to the weak understandings of the ignorant and not yet sufficiently instructed Christians according to the practise of S. Paul himselfe 1 Cor c. 2. who saith Sapientiam loquimur inter perfectos Wee spèake sublime wisedome among those that are perfect Hence those earnest adjurations in the writings of some very ancient Bishops whereby they conjured others of their own rank when they communicated to them certaine sublime mysteries to preserve in a deep secrecy what they so received a memorable instance we have of this caution in the Books of S. Denis Areopagite Hier. Eccl. c 1. Hence those disguisings of other Mysteries in Books which were to passe publiquely abroad Hence those sudden interruptions when they were ready to discover unawares somewhat above the capacity of their hearers Pagans or Catechumens Frequent examples I could alledge out of S. Epiphanius S. Chrysostome S. Augustine end others But Cuiâ— bono in this placed Since Paganisme has been utterly abolished and meanes of instruction more common and promiscuous especially since the invention of Printing whether happy or not it is doubtfull this cautelous reservednesse has beene out of use perhaps with no little prejudice to the Church in so much as nothing is reserved now in the brests of the Church-Governours even the anciently most secret Ceremonies are divuled to all Mens knowledge So that now Tradition is far more loud and visible then ever it was before and no ground for Protestants to pretend to any suspition that under a shew of Tradition the Church has a mind to exercise either Tyranny or cunning to gaine authority to her determinations 6. Now from this generall Traditionary way of conveying Christian Doctrines c. it came to passe that many Fathers being assured of the truth and authenticknesse of such Traditions and willing to assert them out of Scripture also have interpreted many Texts as conteining such Doctrines which either did not at all afford such a sence or at least not necessarily though perhaps the outward sound of the words might put a man in mind of such Doctrines Examples of this are not a few particularly in the points of Purgatory Prayer to Saints c. So that whereas Protestants cry Victory when they can prove or at least make probable that such Fathers have been mistaken in such interpretations as if the doctrines thence deduced were confuted in my opinion it is without any ground since on the contrary the lesse force that such Texts of Scripture have to evince such doctrines the greater and stronger proofe have such Traditions seeing the Fathers prepossessed with a beliefe of them from the publique practise of the Church accounted them so apparent that they thought they saw them even where they were not at all And therefore when the Church commands us not to oppose the interpretations which the greatest part of Fathers unanimously make of Scripture I conceive she does not a waies oblige Catholiques thereby to give the same sense to Texts which the greatest part of Fathers doe but rather not so to interpret any Text as to contradict the Traditionary doctrines believed generally by the Fathers upon this safe ground of Tradition though perhaps not Logically enough deduced from such speciall passages of Scripture so that though perhaps their commentaries there may be questioned the doctrine in the commentaries ought to be embraced CHAP. X. The second preparatory ground viz. Occasion of writing the Gospells c. 1. IT may now be demanded if this way of conveying Christian doctrines be so much clearer and safer than writing books or any other way of transmitting recordes to what purpose were the Evangelicall bookes written and why were the necessary points of faith reduced into such a prescribed form in the Apostles Creed 2. To say something for answer and first concerning the Creed The end why that was compiled seemes to have been to bring into a short and cleare abridgement the principall points of Christian Religion to be repeated at any ones initiation into Christianity by Baptisme being as it were an enlargement of that forme of Baptising prescribed by our Saviour viz. Baptizo te in nomine Patris Filii Spiritus sancti Now in what senseâ— and in respect of what Persons in what State or Order the Creed may be said to contein all points of faith necessary to Salvation shall be shewd hereafter As to our present purpose we may observe 1. That the Creed seemes to be of a middle nature betweene written bookes and Orall Tradition as a prescribed forme of words so it approaches to the former but as committed by all to memory and actually repeated at Baptisme and other publique Devotions so it partakes much of the latter 2. What extreame advantage Tradition has for its preservation beyond any writing seeing the Creed after it was enlarged by partaking thereof has preserved it selfe from any variety or corruption all the Church over to this day It is true indeed that insome Churches viz in Afâ—ica in the first beginning of Christianity there was a small difference their Creed wanting these words Communion of Saints the sense whereof notwithstanding may probably be supposed to have been included in the Article concerning the holy Catholique Church as may be observed in the Creeds extant in the African Fathers Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Optatus and S. Augustin Which difference it is not imaginable should have come by
XIX Passages out of Fathers concerning the Churches Authority 1. BUt I will no longer defer the testimonies which Antiquity affords to the third Proposition conteined in the second Conclusion forementioned viz. of the Churches authority to intepret Scriptures and define Controversies I confesse I might have contented my selfe considering the superabundance to omit single passages when so many Fathers have written whole books to witnesse it as Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Vercentius Lirinensis c. mentioned before and whereas all Councells in whatsoever they have determined have virtually determined this otherwise their determinations were to be esteemed any thing else but determinations Notwithstanding I will not refuse the trouble of selecting a few passages more expresly declaring what at large most of the bookes wherein they are found endeavour generally to prove whether Logically and rationally or no let the world judge I am sure they proved it so effectually that they have thereby utterly destroyed the Heresies that opposed them Let the first witnesse therefore be S. Irenaeus lib. 3. c. 4. Where the Church is there is the Spirit of God and where the Spirit of God is there is the Church and all grace The same Father againe lib. 4. c. 43. We must obey those Priests that are in the Church those that have succession from the Apostles who together with Episcopall power have according to the good pleasure of the Father received the certain gift of Truth And all the rest who depart from the originall succession wheresoever they be assembled to have suspected either as Haeretiques or Schismatiques or Hypocrites and all these do fall from the truth Againe lib 4. c. 62. The spirituall man shall judge them that be out of the Church Which Church shall be under no mans judgement For to the Church all things are known in which is perfect faith of the Father and of the dispensation of Christ and firme knowledge of the Holy Ghost teacheth al truth Again l. 5. c. 4. What if the Apostles had not left Scriptures ought we not to have followed the Order of Tradition which they delivered to those to whom they committed the Churches To which order many yeild assent who believe in Christ having salvation written in their hearts by the Spirit of God without letters or ink and diligently keeping ancient Tradition It is easy to receive the truth from God's Church seeing the Apostles have most fully deposited in her as in a rich Store-house all thinges belonging to truth For what if there should arise any contention of some small questions ought we not to have recourse to the most ancient Churches and from them to receive what is certaine and cleare concerning the present question 3. Witness Tert. de Preser Therefore we must not appeale to Scriptures neither is the controversy to be settled upon them in the which there will be either no victory at all or very uncertaine c. Againe Order did require that that should be proposed in the first place which ought now to be onely debated viz. Which of the parties is possessed of that faith to which the Scriptures agree from whom and by whom and when and to whom that discipline was delivered by which men are named Christians For wheresoever it shall appeare that the truth of the Christian discipline or Faith is there will also be found the truth of Scriptures and expositions and all Christian Traditions Witnesse Origen Since there be many who thinke they believe the things which are of Christ and some are of different opinion from those who went before them let the doctrine of the Church be kept which is delivered from the Apostles by order of succession and remaines in the Church to this very day That onely is to be believed for truth which in nothing disagrees from the Tradition of the Church And again in our understanding of Scriptures we must not depart from the first Ecclesiasticall Tradition nor believe otherwise then as the Church of God hath by succession delivered to us 4. Witnesse S. Cyprian de unit Eccl. There is one head one Source one Mother by the Issue of her fruitfulnesse copious by her encrease we are born we are nourished with her milk with her Spirit we are quickned The Spouse of Christ cannot be defiled with adultery Shee is pure and chast Shee knoweth one house and with chast bashfulness keepeth the sanctity of one bed This preserveth us in God This advanceth to the Kingdome the Children that shee hath brought forth Whosoever divideth from the Church and cleaveth to the adultresse hee is separated from the promises of the Church He cannot have God to his Father that hath not the Church to his Mother Witnesse Lactantius l. 4. c. ult It is onely the Catholique Church that hath the true worship and service of God this is the wel-spring of truth the dwelling-place of Faith the temple of God into which whosever entreth not and from which whosoever departeth is without all hope of life and eternall salvation Witnesse S. Basile and S. Gregory Naz. who as Ruffinus Hist. Eccl. l. 2. c. 29. relateth took the interpretation of Scripture not of their own sense but from the Tradition of the Fathers Witness S. Cyril of Jerusalem lat 18. The Church is called Catholique because it is spread over the universall world from one end to the other and because it teacheth Catholiquely and entirely all doctrine which are to be known Witnesse S. Ambrose Faith is the foundation of the Church for it was not spoken of the flesh of Peter but of his faith That the gates of Hell should not prevaile His Confession overcame Hell and this Confession excludes many Haeresies for seeing the Church like a good Ship is beat upon by many waves the Foundation of the Church must prevail against all Haeresies L. de incarn dâ—â— 5. Witnesse Dom. in Psalm 37. In the Church the truth resids Whosoever is seperated from it it is necessary that he speak false things Againe Ep. 54. The heighth of all authority all the light of reason for the reparation and reformation of mankinde consists only in the saving name of Christ and in his only Church Again Ep. 56 The supream Emperour of our Faith hath fortified his Church with the cittadell of authority and by meanes of a few persons piously learned hath armed it with copious provisions of unconquerable reason That therefore to him is the most right discipline that especially the weak should retire into this cittadell of Faith to the end that for their defence being placed most securely others should combat with most strong reasons Again de util Cred. c. 16 if the Providence of God doth not precide over humane affairs no care is to be had concerning Religion But if the severall variety of creatures which ought be believed to have flowed from some fountain of most perfect beauty and by certain inward instinct doth exhort both publiquely and privately those
the true way to eternall happinesse These are the directions which he professeth that he would give to any man desirous to save his soule and requiring whose instructions to rely upon for that purpose and this in opposition to a Catholique that would advise such a man to have recourse to the Catholique Church c. 3. Now for a more orderly examining of Mr. Chillingworth's direction for finding out the true sense of Scripture and judging controversies I will yet more distinctly set down his grounds in severall propositions collected out of his book in such a method as may shew the respect and dependence of the one on the other together with the chief reasons which he alledges for the proof of them and afterward I will subjoyn thereto the reasons which moved me to judge such grounds of his insufficient and his reasons unconcluding and in conclusion I will declare how I satisfied mine own reason that all the severall objections which he makes against the Churches authority under the notion of infallibility have not that force that both he and I my self once imagined 4. The abridgement of Mr. Chillingworth's whole discourse I conceived might be reduced to these Propositions following viz 1. That Christian Religion having been planted so many ages since the only ordinary way that we can arrive to the knowledge of it is Tradition and the only assured way universall Tradition of all ages and Churches which is of it selfe credible and admits not of any proof 2. That for himself he could find nothing delivered by such an universall Tradition as of divine authority but only books of Scripture for if he had he would have imbraced it with equal submission since the being written makes not any thing more credible 3. That the Scripture is a most sufficient and the only rule of Faith most sufficient because it self sayes so the only rule because nothing else can be proved to be of universall Tradition 4. That by consequence the Scripture contains in it all things necessary to be believed and practised by all sorts of persons and this so plainly and expressely that no reasonable man can doubt of the sense thereof much â—esse be mistaken for otherwise God would not have provided sufficiently for the salvation of mankind 5. That concerning those passages of Scripture wherein are contained doctrines of Christianity but not so plainly men are not obliged necessarily to understand or believe them since it cannot consist with the goodnesse of God that men should be bound to have an expresse knowledge or belief of that which God himself ha's purposely delivered obscurely 6. That since no proof can be made either out of Scripture or universall Tradition that there is any authoritative visible Judge of the sense of the Scripture and since each mans understanding or reason is the only faculty capable of judging that therefore it only is to judge of the sense of the Scripture as far as concerns each mans particular 7. That fince every mans reason may possibly be deceived especially proceeding upon objects not immediately offered to sense therefore an infallible faith is not required such a probability will serve tqe turn as is sufficient to produce in a man obedience to the precepts of holinesse commanded in the Gospell 8. That since all Christians cannot but agree in necessary doctrines which are expresse they ought not to deny communion to one another for other doctrines not expressely contained in Scripture And that this is the only affectuall means of reducingâ— and preserving unity among Christians 5. These are in brief the grounds of Christian Faith and of the means afforded us to attain to the true sense of as much of it as is necessary and likewise to beget charity and unity among Christians as they lye dispersed up and down in Mr. Chillingworths book and which I have set down faithfully and ingenuously in the most rationall method that I could devise I will now with as convenient dispatch as I can adjoyn likewise in the same order respectively the reasons why I could not content my self with them but was forced to relinquish them to abase mine owne reason and to have recourse to a foundation as I thought more firme and rationall and I am confident farre more safe viz. the Catholique Church CHAP. XXXVI An answer to the three first grounds of Mr. Chillingworth 1. TO the first ground therefore viz. That there is no other way to be assured of a Religion established many ages since but universall Tradition I grant it But whereas it is added A Tradition of all ages If the meaning be that it is required to such an assurance that a man should have precisely from every age a sufficient testimony of this universal Tradition this is uâ—terly impossible any other way then as including the testimony of former ages in that of the present for though there may be preserved a few writings in every age all which may contur in this testimony and so make it indeed very probable yet the testimony of three or four Writers is not equivalent to the testimony of the age Add to this that such a way of proof though it may give good satisfaction to learned persons and is practised more by Catholiques then any other who yet rest upon the present Church for the certainty of Tradition yet it is very laborious and uncertain and whereof very few persons are capable and therfore not to be made a ground for all men to build all Religion upon The testimony therefore of all former ages is alwaies most safely included as to particular men in the testimony of the present age if that be universall for place and grounded upon Tradition as I shewed before and made the proofe of the assurance of it to be because it was impossible it should be false unless some one whole age should conspire to deliver a thing as of Tradition which was not so and not only conspire but should actually deceive their children no man discovering the imposture a thing beyond all imagination of possibility I will therefore add no more here but only the confession of a learned Protestant in his own words viz. When a Doctrine is in any age constantly delivered as a matter of Faith and as received from â—â— ancestors in such sort as the contradictors thereof were in the beginning noted for novelty and if they persisted in contradiction in the end charged with heresie it is impossible but such a doctrine should come by succession from the Apostles 2. To the second where he sayes That he could find nothing as of divine authority delivered by universall Tradition of all ages but only books of Scripture I answer that any one that will search with a willingnesse to find shall doubtlesse have better fortune then Mr. Chillingworth For I desire any one to consider with himself â—â— Whether the Apostles did not in all churches established by them settle the whole doctrine and form of Christian Discipline
uniformly and whether this doctrine and discipline was not carefully preserved in the Primitive churches all the world over if these things be granted as plaine Texts of Scripture for the former and an agreement of most of the Fathers within the time of the four first Generall Councells will testifie for both Then I desire to know whether from the fourth Councell till S. Gregory the Great 's days any substantial part of either ha's perished If any one say it ha's he will find it a labour beyond Hercules his forces to prove it for to this hour I could never see one pressing testimony out of any Ecclesiasticall Writer Then from S. Gregories dayes to these it is visible that not any the least substantiall part of either is lost and this by the confession of severall learned Protestants by the agreement of all Catholique Writers by S. Gregories own writings and which is a proof irrefragable by comparing the Gregorian Liturgy and Missall with those of the present age In the next place let him consider that most of the books of the New Testament were written by the Apostles and Evangelists for the use of particular churches some to particular persons sent by single messengers Besides that severall ages were passed before all the books were communicated and dispersed and accepted as Canonicall by the whole Catholike Church Now after a comparing of these two Traditions together let any man judge whether of them is the more universall either for time or place 3. To the third viz. Of Scriptures being an entire Rule of Faith c. It is already answered cap. 31 32. c. Whereto I shall for the present only add this viz. That Mr. Chillingworth cap. 1. parag 5. 6. 7. takes great advantage from a speech as he sayes of his adversaries namely That the Scripture is a perfect rule forasmuch as a writing can be a rule I am confident his learned adversary never intended to allow him all this in the sense and extent that Mr. Chillingworth presseth it as if all points of Faith were as fully set down in Scripture as they could be in any writing But I have no commission to interpose between them two and therefore all I have to say is that there appeared to me no kind of necessity nor any probability that it was his Antagonists intention that such a large allowance should be made to Protestants for I would fain know since evidence is one necessary condition to make a rule perfect could Mr. Chillingworth believe that the meaning of his learned adversary should be that for example the doctrine of Faith concerning the blessed Trinity is as evidently and intelligibly stated in Scripture as in the first Councell of Nice or all points in controversie now adayes as in the Councell of Trent or that all Texts of Scripture are so unquestionably evident that no interpretations or Commentaries could make them plainer his meaning therefore surely was that Scripture in regard of evidence and with relation to fundamentall Doctrines chiefly intended to be published in it is as evident as can be expected from any one single writing standing alone Not but that one writing explained by a second and those explanations further cleared by a third may be plainer Or though it might have been possible that for example the Doctrine of the Trinity might have been declared so manifestly that Photinianisme or Arianisme might have been prevented notwithstanding no plainnesse of writing can prevent malitious spirits from extracting novelties of some kinds of senses or heresies either those or others as pernicious since as our blessed Lord sayes Necosse est ut veniant scandala that is It is necessary that scandalls must come Mat. 19. 9 And S. Paul Oportet haereses esse that is It is needfull that there should be heresies 1 Cor. 11. 19. both for the tryall of those that love God and discovery of those that hate him For unlesse God should quite change the nature of mankind it is impossible that any one writing should be so plain but that either the curiosity or pride or interests or malice or at least the debility of mens wits may and doubtlesse will find or extract obscurities and difficulties out of it especially such a writing as the Scripture is which being composed by men of severall dispositions and spirits moreover belongs to all mankind of all conditions and dispositions so that if they be let alone every one will be forward yea even take a glory to dig and search into the treasures of it and challenge an equall right to maintain his own and disparage the discoveries of any other every Sect and Sectary will think they see and read therein all their owne distinctive opinions clearly shining and a confutation of all opposite tenents Yea perhaps the blind sensuall Passions worldly interests and proud fancies of vain man will have recourse thither and not want the impudence to seek for nor blush to pretend that they have found a covert and protection for the works of Satan in the divine Word of God In vain therefore doth Mr. Chillingworth triumphantly boast of his inferences to his seeming advantagious to himself since they are all extracted meerly from his own misunderstanding of that most reasonable and prudent saying of his worthy Antagonist 4. Yea this one consideration that the necessary mysteries of Faith are not nor could be so evidently set down in any one place of Scripture but that other places may be found which may afford ground even to an understanding man to raise objections will make any man conclude that either there are no mysteries necessary to be believed or that something besides Scripture must be made use of to clear all difficulties CHAP. XXXVII An answer to M. Chillingworth's fourth and fifth grounds Severall Novelties introduced by him 1. To the fourth where it is said That all things necessary to salvation are contained in Scripture so plainly that no reasonable man desirous to find the true sense can doubt or be mistaken in the sense of them so that for such matters there is no need of any interpreter An assertion this is which is one of the main foundations upon which all manner of Sects that withdraw themselves from the Churches authority do and must relye therefore I thought it necessary to spend more thoughts in examining the firmnesse of it and after all I professe I found it of all others most weak most contrary to reason and every daies experience 2. For demonstrating the justice of this censure of it and that I may expresse my self more clearly I will lay down certain positions to which I conceive all rationall men will assent As first touching the word necessary besides what hath already been spoken of the ambiguousnesse of that word which is relative and variable according to it's application to severall objects and subjects which I will not now repeat I suppose that all men will call that necessary for which being
few learned and truly spirituall men hath armed it with a plenteous magazine of Reason invincible CHAP. XXXIX An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's seventh and eighth grounds 1. TO the seventh ground viz. That a certain infallible Faith is not required since reason which is the only agent is fallible and the grounds not evidently certain such a probability will serve the turn as can produce in a mar obedience c. For answer hereto I desire Protestants to consider 1. Whether at the first planting of Christianity probable grounds of belief had been sufficient if not as most certainly not how come they to be sufficient now If it be replied that we must either be content with probable grounds or none I answer there is no such necessity because for all the substantiall points of Christianity we have universall Tradition and that with all advantages for assurance imaginable insomuch as if all men would call him mad that should deny that there was such a man as King William the Conqueror of England which is yet attested only or principally by a Nationall Tradition there that man would deserve a title worse then the former that could doubt of the universall testimony of the Catholique Church all the world over that such Traditions have come to them from their ancestors c. 2. I desire them to consider what course they will take to convert the now Jewes and Turks or Heathens to Christianity if they shall once tell them that they can give them no better then probable motives of our Religion For they will doubtlesse reply that they will never quit their own Religion in which they and their ancestors have been bred and of the truth of which they likewise have at least in their own opinion a probable Tradition for a new one not assured 3. To consider the example of the antient Jewes For if those very persons who were eye-witnesses of the miraculous delivery of the Law and by consequence were most assured of the divinity of it yet notwithstanding would not quit temporal pleasures and allurements for the future rewards therein promised is it likely that the Christians of these times will upon confessedly only probable grounds and promises and those not to be expected till after death renounce assured and present delights and embrace assured and present miseries mortifications and abnegations 2. To the eighth and last ground viz. That since all Christians agree in necessary doctrines which are expresse they ought not to deny Communion the one to the other for other doctrines contained obscurely in Scripture and that that is the only effectuall means of reducing and preserving unity among Christians I answer that it is apparently contrary to experience what is here said For neither do all Christians agree in all necessary doctrines nor in all which themselves esteem necessary neither will they allow Communion to men differing in points by their own Confession nor esteemed so much as substantiall Yea let England witnesse if our Presbyterian Calvinists do not think many thousand Hecatombs of Christian bloud a fit sacrifice to prepare a tyrannicall introduction of a few circumstantiall novelties Therefore to say men ought and it were well if they would do otherwise and in the mean time destroy all Ecclesiasticall authority to constrain them to what they ought to do is to destroy all Christian Communion indeed all manner of policy and society For upon the same grounds we may as reasonably contend for an universall Anarchy since all men ought by the law of reason and nature to live in justice temperance and peace and therefore let lawes be annulled and Judges deposed But God whose imprudence is wiser then the wisdome of men seeing our figmentum our naturall perversenesse hath appointed Civill Governours to overawe Delinquents with the whip and with the sword and Ecclesiasticall Magistrates likewise into whose hands he ha's likewise put a spirituall scourge and sword too to correct or cut off putrified or mortified members the whole foundation of which Policy and order would be undermined by such an allowance given to all sorts of Christians to become judges and interpreters for themselves in matters of Religion upon a groundless and never-yet-accomplished hope that they will all agree to use this power with meeknesse and charity 3. Besides let all the world judge of the extreme partiality of English Protestants they say that no man ought to refuse Communion for differences in points in themselves not necessary or fundamentall and they acknowledge that Catholiques agree with them in all points fundamentall and yet they not only refuse to communicate with them but call their Communion damnable and Idololatricall Yea moreover seek to justifie the execution of the most bloudy lawes against Catholike Priests performing their duties that ever any Christian Nation heard of 4. Mr. Chillingworth indeed maintains this their partiality of refusing Communion with Catholiques upon this ground because no man can be allowed by the Councell of Trent to enteâ— into Catholique Communion that believes not all doctrines of faith therein defined to be of universall Tradition many of which they disbelieving ought not or if they would cannot be received into Communion Hereto I answer 1. That the Bull of Pius the fourth requires subscription to the Councell only from Priests c. 2. Can any antient Church be named that ha's not alwaies done the same 3. Do not the Lutherans Calvinists yea the Church of England both before and since the writing of his book the same 4. Does not the omission of requiring an uniform profession of Faith evidently destroy all Ecclesiasticall authority and leave every one in a liberty hitherto unheard of in Gods Church of thinking and believing and judging and saying and doing what he himself pleases 5. The unappealable authority of a Generall Councell being once destroyed would not Babel it self and the seventy languages of it as some reckon them be order and unity it self in comparison with a Christian Church so confused and mangled wherein not seventy but seventy thousand languages might be allowed For as for this phantasticall Utopian way of Unity here first devised and proposed to the world by Mr. Chillingworth let even the most ignorant of his judges give sentence whether as long as men have passions and as long as there is pride in their hearts and tentations in the world it be not utterly impossible to be compassed and if upon an impossible supposition it were effected whether such a kind of unity would deserve the name of unity and not rather of an universall stupidity and Lethargie CHAP. XL. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's objection concerning difference among Catholiques about the Judge of Controversies 1. HAving thus far considered Mr. Chillingworth's generall grounds concerning a Judge of Controversies dispersed in severall places through his book I will proceed to take a view of his principal objections against the Catholike doctrine concerning the authority of the Church which objections are of severall
by the Church though there is not any one point of controversie in debate between us and them for which we have not all this authority as being proved ex superabundanti in what I shall say hereafter 9. That therefore which I undertake to make evident to I. P. is That the Church speaking by a general Councel confirmed by the Pope is an infallible Guide and that with greater evidence then he can bring for any contradiction pretended betwixt any decision of such a Councel and the Scripture yea with more evidence then he can produce for the Scripture it self which he owns for his Guide which truly to an impartial hearer is no difficult matter even going upon his own grounds For if I should ask I. P. Why do you acknowledge the Scripture to be an infallible Rule as far as it is a Rule He would answer me Because it is delivered unto us as such by an infallible Catholick Tradition for if he talks of any other proof as a private spirit or natural reason it will be ridiculous He may as well say he can judge and demonstrate it to be such by smelling with his nose If I should further ask him how it appears evident to him that the Scriptures have been delivered by an infaâ—ible Catholick Tradition He could not deny but that many Hereticks have denied many books of Scripture yea that there is not any one book in the Old or New Testament but has been renounced by some Hereticks and their followers yet because some Councels have decided and Fathers witnessed and the Catholick Church in all ages since have received them as such therefore it is evident that they have been delivered by the Church by Catholick Tradition And this is most rational and convincing Upon these grounds therefore I proceed and ask any discreet indifferent man Whether an authority that shall after this manner propose any doctrine This we have received from Christ and his Apostles that such and such a doctrine proposed is a divine infallible truth and we command all Christians whatsoever under the pain of anathema and eternal damnation to beleeve it for such whether I say such an authority does not assume to it self the office of a Guide and of an infallible Guide Certainly he that should speak in this stile and yet have a guilt or be in a possibility of seducing were the most impious abhorred tyrant in the world What an attentat an usurpation upon Gods Scepter and Throne would this be if God had not derived this authority upon the Church represented in a Councel What a cruelty to souls What a blaspheming of the Holy-Ghost Now that this hath been the stile of all General Councels is evident and that Councels speaking in that stile have been submitted to by the Fathers and accepted by the Church with all veneration as the Oracles of God is equally apparent nay I do not know that ever any Heretick before these daies did expresly contradict this in the Thesis though in Hypothesi they have renounced such particular Councels as themselves were Anathematized by Therefore not onely all Councels but every Decision of every Councel to which an Anathema is annexed decides this question and proclaims to all the ends of the world this truth That the Church speaking in General approved Councels is an infallible Guide to all Christians Against this not a passage or word in any Father can be produced but infinite passages for it Hence it is that the Fathers unanimously profess That out of the Church there is no possible salvation because there is no Guide to Heaven but in the Church If therefore it be a proof evident enough to I. P. of an universal infallible tradition of Scripture that one or two not General Councels did with some variety set down the number and names of the books and that generally speaking the Fathers have amongst them given attestation to them some to some books and some to others few to all and that the Church in after ages hath universally accepted them as such How short comes that tradition of this concerning the infallible Guidance of the Church that is vertually decided in all Councels and every decision of all attested by all Fathers not one in one passage contradicting or condemning that stile but unanimously in all ages since Councels were accepted by the Church approved and submitted to how opposite is this truth to the main design of his following discourse which attempts to prove that there is in the Church no infallible Guide at all And how contradictory to that Article of his Church concerning not onely the fallibility but actual erring of Councels And again how conformable is this way of proceeding to the authority given upon Record in Scripture by our blessed Saviour to his Church I say to his Church for the Fathers assembled in Councel speak not thus in their own persons nor as so many learned men but in the person of the whole Church which they represent and do no more but subsume particulars under that General Anathema pronounced by our blessed Saviour when he said If he refuse to here the Church let him be unto thee as a Heathen and a Publican 11. I conjure therefore I. P. and all his and my friends that he and they would produce or at least set before their own eyes those Decisions of Councels which seem to them evidently false because clearly contradictory to Scripture and compare his evidence of a seeming contradiction with this evidence that it is impossible there should be such a contradiction and if they do this with a serious minde and desire to finde the truth that they may embrace it and with hearts lifted up to God to free them from all respects of the world and to enlighten their souls with the love of his truth then perhaps they may see that which as yet it seems is invisible to them it is most certain there is not one express formal text of Scripture contradictory to any Catholick Doctrine this they confess themselves And indeed even abstracting from the promises made by Christ to his Church it is morally impossible that so many wise and vertuous men should with the one hand give the Scripture as Gods word and with the other present Doctrines expresly and directly contradictory to it and none be able to observe the contradiction though their daily study was to meditate upon and interpret the Scripture Now whether any consequence from obscure texts can be more forcible then that which I have named from the stile of General Councels I leave not to their wits but consciences to judge 12. Matters therefore being impartially weighed that triumphing Epiphonema of his in the fourth and fifth Sections vanishes in which himself with admiration exposeth to the admiration of others those great conquering defenders of the doctrine of the late Church of England that with such excellent conduct and valour and such admirable success have combated and defeated this our Darling
the Church to be the interpreter of Scripture or that acknowledged lawful General Councels are not obliging under the penalty of manifest Schism that is damnation And again on the otherside what one Protestant is there who will not protest against the Infallibility of the Church and yet this Infallibility in the meaning of the Church neither dose nor must comprehend more then is imported by the other expressions Is it not apparent therefore Since no such word as Infallibility is to be found in any Councel and since the Church did never enlarge her authority â—â— so vast a wideness as Protestants will needs hither to collect from the word Infallibility but rather that she does deliver the victory into our hands when we urge her Decisions that any Catholick that had any charity in disputing with Protestants would either wholly abstain from the word it self or since it is become so common and with all so convenient for no other single word can be imagined so proper would in using of it confine it to its necessary acception in the present matter and so prevent Protestants that they should not if they would make use of it to their most disadvantagious advantage And this latter expedient I have in this review made use of keeping the word Infallibility in it self good and innocent yet withal using caution that it should not be mistaken 8. What is now become of your exclamations my good unknown friend I. P. how impertinent are they and how harshly and inharmoniously do they sound O the strength of reason rightly managed by the Great Defendors of the English Church O the power of truth clearly declared That it should force an eminent member of the Church of Rome alas eminent in nothing but in miserable imperfections to retract so necessary so fundamental a doctrine to desert all their Schools and contradict all their controvertists For is it not apparent even from the first impression of my Book that it was so far from being true that the strength of reason rightly managed by you or the power of truth clearly declared by you compelled me to use such expressions that on the contrary it was your manifest unreasonableness and your wilful mistake of Truth that forced me out of compassion and charity to you not to retract any doctrine of the Church nor to desert any community in it but to temper what the Church and the Schooles and Controvertists likewise say to your too much depraved palats 9 Having been so large hitherto I may the better dispence with my self to be brief in what follows Therefore whereas in the sixth Paragraph I. P. says That it is not the name or word Infallibility that is deserted by Mr. Cressy but the whole importance and sum of it since he does not except against the word but to receive it in the sense of Cardinal Bellarmine that is Infallibilis est qui nullo casu errare potest c. To this I must needs say that truly I. P. is mistaken for it is onely the word Infallibility that is in controversie and that protestants I do now except Mr. Chillingworth c. who are far from being truly English Protestants do make meer nominal controversie of this great fundamental one for no argument that ever I saw is so much as intended by them to disprove this truth That it belongs to the Church to be the interpreter of Scripture and not to any private spirit or natural reason or this That the Decisions of the Catholick Church in lawful approved General Councels are not obliging under pain of Anathema incurring of schism and by consequence damnation and it is this I say principally this that the Church understands by the notion of Infallibility Therefore it is in your own sense onely and not Bellarmines that you will understand those words of his Infallibilis est qui nullo casu erraâ—e potest for Bellarmine himself as I have shewed in my book acknowledges a General Councel to be infallible yet not Infallible as the Scripture that is Quod in nullo casu errare potest for the Scripture is Infallible not onely in Essential Doctrines but even in all circumstantial historical passages phrases and and words whereas Councels are onely Infallible in the substance of their Decisions the which Decisions as Salmanticensis saith are likewise to be extended no further then the latitude of the Heresies which they intend to condemn but as for other passages in Decrees or decisions as the grounds principles and reasons from which a Councel deduces its conclusive Decisions c. In those it may be deceived and much more in orders and reformations which depend upon prudence or information It is therefore a very great apparent mistake when you say that Mr. Cressy retracts either the word Infallibility it self which he often makes use of or or much less the full importance and sense of that word unless you will mean that he will not use it in your full importance and sense for that he acknowledges he will not he is too charitable to you to justifie or encourage you in your mistakes As for Mr. Chillingworth my lord Falkland and if there be any other that proceed upon their grounds whom you ought to have called not the Great Defenders but the great Destroyers of the Church of England though they do indeed mistake the word Infallibility extending it to too comprehensive a sense yet that does not hinder them in their way for by making every ones personal reason to be judge and interpreters of Scripture they do thereby destroy all obliging authority whether fallible or infallible 10. In the seventh Paragraph the Author I. P. very rationally that is very consequently to his most irrational mistaking me First imputes unreasonableness to me in making any answer to the arguments made against that which he confesses himself cannot be maintained Hereto I answer That 1. Since it was Mr. Chillingworth's book and not any Prelatical Protestants argument against the Catholick Churches authority that perplexed and entangled me And 2. since I knew that Mr. Chillingworth beleeved his arguments unanswerable not onely by his Adversary and such as proceeded upon his Adversarie's special grounds but by any Catholick upon what grounds soever and that the onely grounds upon which Catholick authority could be destroyed were not such as my Lord of Canterbury c. proceeded on viz. To set up a little authority and seemingly to contradict an universal one but onely such as Mr. Chillingworth used viz. To disoblige every Christian from all authority whatsoever as obliging the conscience to the beleeving of any thing and making private reason the judge where was this unreasonableness of mine when I attempted to shew the world how I came to be undeceived and upon what grounds I ceased to think what before not I onely but very many Protestants besides my self thought namely that Mr. Chillingworths book did wholly destroy not only his mistaken Infallibility but the true real
Church in which the simple conclusion decided is onely accounted infallibly true not so the principles upon which it depends or reasons by which it is proved and much less are orders made by Councels which depend upon information yet notwithstanding we cannot finde a more energetical word to express the unquestionable and unappealable authority of the Church then Infallibility We may proceed further and say that Divine truths revealed internally after a supernatural manner to the Prophets Apostles c. and by intellectual images are yet more infallible then the same truths revealed by words becaus words being but the Images of Images are further removed from that prime Exemplar of truth which is God and besides are in themselves unavoidably ambiguous and so do not convey truth so infallibly as Internal illustrations yet what can we say more of these then that they are Infallible Lastly there is no Image so perfect but in as much as it is an Image it comes short of the Exemplar which is truth it self that is God and by consequence differs from it yet the supremest title that we can give to God himself in this regard is Infallibility But to instance more familiar examples of the several degrees of Infallibility I am infallibly assured that I cannot repeat all the words I have spoken this last year and yet I am more infallibly assured that I cannot say over again all I have spoken in my whole life I am infallibly assured that if I threw a thousand dice they will not be all sixes and yet I am more infallibly assured that the same cast upon so many dice cannot be a thousand times successively repeated Of all these impossibilities I have several degrees of assurance and every degree in a certain sense infallible but in a severe acception of that word the very highest is not rigorously infallible because none of the cases alledged are absolutely impossible if we speak of the highest degree of impossibility for such imply a flat contradiction as that a part should be equal to its whole or any thing be and not be at once a kinde of certainty that is appliable even to very few Demonstrations we are not so sure that the light of the Moon is borrowed from the Sun or her Eclips by the interposition of the Earth yet these are reckoned amongst demonstrations in Astronomy and no man in his wits ever doubted of either Methinks if God have furnisht his divine and supernatural truth with evidence equal to this that the Sun will shine to morrow or that there will be a spring and harvest next year we are infinitely obliged to bless his providence and justly condemned if we refuse to beleeve the least of such truths as shewing less affection to save our souls then the dull Plowmen to sow their corn who certainly have far less evidence for their harvest then Catholicks for their faith they insist not peevishly upon every caprichious objection nor exact an infallible security of a plentiful reaping next Summer but notwithstanding all difficulties and contingencies proceed chearfully in their painful husbandry and here I shall beg leave to ask the Reader this serious question supposing not granting that the greatest assurance the Church can give abstracting from the promises of Christ be of no higher infallibility then the lowest degree we have mentioned would you venture your soul that a thousand dice being thrown out of a box would come forth all sixes Do you not see by this argument that it is a thousand to one the Catholick is in the right and consequently a thousand to one the Protestant is in the wrong and this will necessarily follow for in Religion we cannot stand by and look on but we must absolutely engage on one side and therefore it is a desperate shift of such Protestants as think that because they see not a clear demonstration of the Churches Infallibility in the severest importance of that word they may therefore safely continue in their schism unless they be hardy enough to venture their souls in a way where it is at least a thousand to one they lose them So that though humane wit should by captious objections seem to trouble the clearness of the Infallibility of the Catholick Church which is in it self really impossible to be endangered yet are the motives of adherence to that Communion so highly credible even in a rational natural consideration that it were an absolute madness to prefer any other separated Church or Congregation which cannot pretend to the least credibility to support it 3. These things being thus premis'd since there are so many degrees of truth or veracity and Infallibility and yet the same word Infallibility applied to them all it may be very reasonable that great Caution should be used in the application of it that is that it should be expressed in what sense and degree the word is taken before it be urged or disputed upon So that if it be advanced to a more sublime degree then the matter requires no wonder if there be misunderstanding between Disputants and not only a prolonging of Disputations but also an impossibility of ending them Now whether it is the fault of Catholick Controvertists for want of explication and clearing of the sense of this word Infallibility that hath given an advantage to Protestants I examine not but sure I am Protestants have taken advantage from the ambiguousness of this word Infallibility to embroile the controversie of the Churches authority and to spin it out endlessly insomuch as there is not one Author of them I ever met with that treating of this controversy disputes to the point or so much as aimes to combat against the Churches Authority but against an image of Infallibility created onely by their own fancies 4. For proof of this to omit the ordinary Polemical writings of Protestants who wast paper and time onely in combating particular unnecessary points controverted by Catholicks themselves I shall desire any ingenuous Protestant to examine the proceedings of Mr. Chillingworth and even my noble Lord too in this little Treatise and he wil acknowledge what I say to be true yet certainly no English writers ever professed to come closer to the point then they 5. First for Mr. Chillingworth what a brand â— shing and flourishing doth he keep with his pen and what a great proportion of his book is spent in Discourses by which he would pâ—etend to enervate the Churches Infallibility which do not so much as approach towards it For suppose a Pope were Simoniacally elected or a Bishop unlawfully consecrated or a Priest not baptized or that any of these had a perverse intention in administring the Sacraments would the Church for all this fail in being an Infallible Guide or would all Christians be turned out of their way to salvation Did not or might not he easily have been informed that excepting in Infants even Baptism it self and much less any other Sacrament unlawfully and invalidly administred