to these also this Infallible Guide is necessary to supply the effect of such studies N. 4 As for the 2d means viz. The Ancients urging the general Exposition and sense of Scriptures testified in the Apostolical Churches to be conformed to Catholicks affirm that this viz. the Apostolick Churches their unanimously delivering such a doctrine or sense of Scripture as received first from the Apostles was always held to be infallible and not liable to errour and all Chri tians held oblâ—ged to believe or embrace such a doctrine or sense of Scripture so generally consented in and the dissenters and opposers thereof always held by the same united and consenting Apostolical Churches for Hereticks in the Faith To which Traditive Doctrine I add here or any necâ—ssary and evident Deduction made by them from such a tradiâ—ive doctrine In both which the Tradition or the Deduction the Câ—urch was con tantly believed to be so preserved by God's providence over it and his Holy Spirit abiding with it as not to err in any necessaries And the unanimous consent of these Churches concerning any doctrine to be Apostolical however their minds were made known whether by Communicatory Letters or Provinciâ—l Synods for it could not be in these times of persecution by a Council General had then the self same authority as afterwards the Decrees and Definitions of Councils And thus is the Dr in urging the 2d means of knowing the true sense of Scripture fallen upon the Infallibility herein of the Church And this was the Infallible Guide in the first times whose Tradition and Ordination for matters of our faith Irenaeus saith ‖ l. 3. c. 4. Chriâ—tians muâ—t have followed and believed had the Apostles lest us no Scriptures and consequently Dissenters had been held no less Hereticks Siquibus saith he speaking of the present Churches de aliquâ modicâ quaestione how much more in greater disceptatio esset nonne oporteret in an iquissinas i.e. by succession recurrere ecclesias in quibus Apostoli conversati sunt ab eis de praesente quaestione suâ—ere quâ—d certum re liquidum est what was the certain and cleare tâ—uth to which he was to adhere Quid autem si neque Apostoli quidem Scripturas reliquissent nobis nonne oportebat ordinem sequi traditionis quam tradiderunt iis quibus committebant Ecclesias cui ordinationi assentiunt multae gentes Barbarorum corum qui in Christum creâ—unt sine charactere vel atramento scriptam habentes per spiritum in cordibus suis salutem veterem traditionem diligenter custodientes c. N. 5 Neither was this general Consent of Churches then consulted or repaired-to only concerning their conserving of the Written Rule of Faith the Canon of Scripture or the Creed that they received from the Apostles the perpetual conservation of which in the Church the Fathers urged against some grosser kind of Hereticks denying the same Creed and some part at least of this Canon but also was consulted and repaired-to concerning the sense wherein the Scriptures and this Creed were understood by these Churches so often as disputes in those times were raised about it by other Hereticks more refined and who admitted the Scriptures and the Creed but varied concerning the sense of them in several points Against both which Hereticks the Fathers urged the prescription of the present testimony of these Churches to those who would consult them concerning the Tradition descending to them from the times of the Apostles And Tertullian frequently complains as of some Hereticks not reâ—eiving the Scriptures so of others misinterpreting them ‖ De praescript adv haeres c. 17. c. Ista Haeresis non recipit quasdam Scripturas siquas recipit adjectio ibus detractionibus ad dispositionem instituti sui intervertit si recipit non recipit integras si aliquatenùs integras praestâ—t nihilâ—minùs â—iversas expositiones commentata convertit Tantum veritati obstrepit adulter sensus quantum corruptor stilus And afterward Dicunt a nobis potius adulteria Scripturarum expositionum mendâ—cia inferri And ubi apparu rit esse veritatem disciplinae fidei Coristianae illic erit veritas Scripturarum omnium traditionum Christianarum Where I note his urging the Church's consenting Exposition of Scriptures as well as reception of Scriptures as prescribing against Hereticks Ib l. 11. It will not I hope be denied that the Primitive Christian Church had a cercain way of understanding the sense of doubtful places as far as it was necessary to be understood and that they wanted nâ— means which Christ had appointed for the ending of controversies This is willingly granted and it is contended that this inerrability in Necessaries accompanied the Clergy and preserved the Church in the unity of a true faith in all even the Primitive times being annexed to the whole Body or much major part of this Clergy not only when met in a General Council but out of it also whenever and however they manifested a concurrence in their judgment and agreement in their doctrine whether it were by several Provincial Councils assembled or perhaps only by some one convened in the place more infested with some new and dangerous errour and ratified by the Apostolick See and other coordinate Churches or not opposed and censured but taciâ—ly admitted by them Or by their Communicatory and Synodical Letters Or whether in their publick Liturgies and Offices Or in a general Consent in their publick Writings and explications of Christian Doctrine In none of which as to the Doctrine Necessary the whole Body of the Clergy or that which in any dissent is to be accepted for the whole did ever erre Of which times before Constantine and the first General Council of Nice thus Mr Thorndike in his Epilogue l. 1. c. 8. The daily intercourse intelligence and correspondence between Churches without those Assemblies of Representatives we call Councils was a thing so visibly practised by the Catholick Church from the beginning that thereupon I conceive it may be called a standing Council in regard of the continual settling of troubles arising in some part and tending to question the peace of the whole by the consent of other Churches concerned which settlement was had and obtained by means of this mutual intelligence and correspondence The holding of Councils being a way of far greater dispatch but the express consent of Churches obtained upon the place being a more certain foundation of peace And afterward he affirms That the succession of Pastors alledged by Irenaeus and Tertullian to convince the Hereticks of their time by S. Augustine and Optatus to convince the Donatists to be Schismaticks proceeded wholly upon supposition of daily intercourse and correspondence between Churches as of force to conclude particular Churches by consent of the whole And this agreement in all times hath kept the Faith of the Church steady and uniform Ib. l. 4 If no such thing was then heard of as an
infallible Judge it is a plain demonstration they thought there was none appointed Such thing was then heard of viz. the consenting Testimony however had of the present Apostolical Churches concerning former Traditive Doctrines or necessary Deductions from them was accepted and submitted-to by all save Hereticks as infallible And after the Church's liberty obtained of assembling General Councils that of Nice was in those times repaired to as an Infallible Judge by the whole Body of Christianity for deciding that great Controversy concerning our Lord's Divinity and the Decision thereof afterward accepted by the whole Church Catholick as Infallible Annotations on §. 13. Of the way used in the Primitive Church for finding the sense of Scripture PAg. 201. l. 5. What course now doth Irenaeus take to clear the sense of Scripture in these controverted places Doth he tell them that God hath appointed infallible Guides in his Church to whom appeal was to be made in all such cases Nothing like it through his whole Book Though the Dr here only urgeth a Negative Argument which often fails and though as to Hereticks utterly denying Church-Infallibility the Fathers had their liberty to chuse rather to convince them upon some other Principles by both sides agreed on Yet Irenaus we find against these Hereticks frequently pleaded this Church-Infallibility as not reasonably rejectible by them viz. Urged the consenting Testimony of the present Apostolical Churches as no way fallible in relating and delivering to posterity the former Apostolical Tradition For which see his l. 1. c. 3. Hanc praedicationem hanc fidem Ecclesia velut dixi adepta quanquam per totum mundum dispersa diligenter conservat quasi unam domum inhabitans similiter his credit velut unan animan idem cor habens consonè haec praedicat docet ac tradit velut uno ore praedita Nam linguae in mundo dissimiles sunt verùm virtus Traditionis una eadem est Praedicatio veritatis ubique lucet illuminat omnes homines ad cognitionem veritatis venire volentes And see the four first Chapters of lib. 3. where he hath much to this purpose There he saith in the Preface Resistens eis pro solâ vivifica fide quam ab Apostolis Ecclesia percepit distribuâ—t filiâ—s suis Ecclesia i.e. Patres ecclesiae that instruct the others And Ibid. c. 2. he saith Ad eam Traditionem quae est ab Apostolis quae per successiones Presbyterorum in Eccleseis cust ditur provocamus eos i.e. Haereticos And afterward accuseth them Neque Scripturis neque Traditioni of the sense the Church gives to the Scriptures consentire eos c. 3. Traditionem itaque saith he Apostolorum in toto mundo manifestatam in Ecclesiâ i.e. in the unanimous consent of the present Church adest perspicere omnibus qui vera velint audire And then appealing to the preeminent authority of the Roman Church he thus goes on Maximae antiquissimae omnibus cognitae a gloriosissimis Apostolis Petro Paulo Romae fundatae constitutae Ecclesiae eam quam habet ab Apostolis traditionem annunciatam hominibus fidem per successiones Episcoporum pervenientem usque ad nos indicantes confundimis omnes cos qui quoquo modo vel per sui placentiam malam vel vanam gloriam vel per coecitatem malam sententiam praeterquam oportet colligunt Ad hanc enim Ecclesiam propter poteâ—tiorem principalitatem because a Petro Paulo fundata hence frequent Appeals from thither all parts necesse est omnibus convenire ecclesiam bee est eos qui sunt undique fideles in quâ senper ab his qui sunt undique conservata est ea quae est ab Apostolis Traditio somwhat like that of S. Cyprian Ep. 55. Post ista adhue saith he speaking of two Schismaticks navigare andent ad Petri Cathedram atque ad Ecclesiam principalem unde unitas Sacerdotalis exorta est a Schismaticis profanis literas ferre nec cogitare cos esse Romanos quorum fides Apostolo praedicante laudata est ad quos perfidia habere non potest accessum And c. 4. Tantae igitur ostensiones cùm sint haec non oportet adhuc quaerere apud alios veritatem quam facile est ab Ecclesiâ sumere And see what was quoted before Note on p. 197. l. 7. Quid enim si quibus de aliquâ modicâ quaestione disceptatio esset c. In which places suppose a fallibility of the consenting-Testimony of the present Church-Governours when consulting concerning the Traditive faith that hath descended to them and all this Father saith falls to the ground Pag. 204. l. 13. And surely then he did not imagine that God had appointed an infallible Judge on purpose to prevent the being of Heresies by giving an infallible sense of Scripture Yes such an infallible Judge hence the more necessary to cure and remedy the Heresies which Tertullian saith the Scriptures were so framed as not to prevent Neither hath God in providing such a Judge constrained also all mens free wills to believe his Infallibility and acquiesce in his judgment And so the Oportet esse Haereses may be verified still Pag. 207. l. 4. The sense they the Hereticks gave of Scripture was contrary to the Doctrine of faith c. Which he Irenaeus calls the unmoveable rule of faith received in B. pt sm and which the Church dispersed over the earth did equally receive in all places with a wonderful consent If the Dr here would restrain the Father's urging the Testimony of the Apostolical Churches against Hereticks only to the Tradition of the Canon of Scriptures or the Rule of Faith the Creed Prosessed in their Baptisme we must know that they urged not the concurrent Testimony of the present Churches only for those against some gross Hereticks that denied the Text and Letter of them but also against others more subtile perverting such a sense of them as these consenting Churches pretend d was Apostolical See Jrenaeus l. 3. c. 2. Cùm ex Scripturis arguuntur in accusationem convertuntur ipsarum Scripturarum where amongst other their accusations he alledgeth this quia variè sint dictae ambiguous in their sense quia non possit ex his inventri veritas ab his qui nesciant traditionem Cùm autem ad eam iterùm traditionem i.e. concerning the right sense of these Scriptures quae est ab Apostolis quae per successiones presbyterorum in Ecclestis custoditur provocamus eos qui adversantur traditioni i e. Ecclesiae dicent se c. Evenit itaque neque Scripturis jam neque tradiâ—â—oni consentire eos And the words c. 4. cited before Quid enim 〈…〉 si quibus de aliquâ modicâ quaestione c. shew he holds such concurrent Testimony valid concerning any such Tradition though there had been no Scriptures and indeed there seems no reason why these Churches should be more credited in
such persons who all firmly believe that doctrine infallible which Christ delivered but yet judge themselves all fallible and dare not usurp that roiall prerogative of heaven in prescribing infallibly in matters questioned but leave all men to judge according to the Pandects of the Divine Laws because each member of this Society is bound to take care of his soul and of all things that tend thereto A very true and just representative saith he of that society of men which our Blessed Saviour instituted as a Church in the world Now there the Clergy also as well as Laity seem left to their liberty so that to reconcile him to himself perhaps the consent here required of the Clergy is only conditional this consent not medling with their faith wherein they are left to their Christian liberty to hold what they think best but only in order to such an employment that if they do not testify their Tenents in Religion to be such as sute with the Synod's Decrees they must not be admitted to bear such an Office For his following words are Not to the end that all those Propositions to which a consent is required of the Clergy should be believed as Artlcles of Faith But because no Reformation can be effected if persons may be allowed to preach and officiate in the Church in a way contrary to the Design of such a Reformation Thus He. But then in the same way why may not this Church exact assent of all persons whatever i.e. a conditional one if they desire to live in her reformed communion yet not forcing their conscience therein but leaving them the liberty to stay out of it And since the designe or effects of the Reformation may be hindred also by learned Laicks their spreading abroad such errours why not in order to this such assent required of them as he saith is required in Order to this of the Clergy N. 3 2ly Such Church not being the Supreme Ecclesiastical Judge granted by our Author fallible this Authority given to it I mean of requiring assent of all its Clergy to all its doctrines or Articles of Religion seems very unjust servs equally as for the reformation of a former errour so for the corruption of a former truth For thus supposing this Church Arian or Socinian as it may be here all its Clergy receiving Holy Orders for the teaching of Gods word are engaged to believe and preach a most impious Heresy or to be dis-clergied than which what can be a greater tyranny Neither is there any remedy left in such a Church for rectifying such corruption or errour since none are admitted into the Clergy who do not assent to such errour and are removed out of it so soon as they recant it And this is it the Presbyterian Ministers have so much complained of that they might not be admitted to subscribe the 39. Articles with such a clause added so far forth as the same Articles are agreeable to Gods word And indeed the forbidding a ttuth in this Church to be taught to the Laity is in effect the forbidding it to be assented-to also by them N. 4 3ly What authority he allows in this kind to one Primatical Church he must to another and therefore as he professeth such an Authority rightly exercised in the Church of England as to requiring assent from all the Clergy to her 39. A ticles so must he that the same authority is so in the Church of Rome And thus Pope Pius's Creed so far as its requiring assent from all the Roman Clergy by which this Clergy may only preach those errours as he accounts them and cannot declare the contrary Truths is justified by himself and the Roman Church maintained herein to exercise a lawful power N 5 4. But 4ly If the Church of England hath such a lawful authority in the reformation of errours over its subjects the same have superiour Councils suppose a General or a Patriarchal in the West over it and all other Primaticael Churches viz. of requiring assent from all the Clergy whether Archbishops Bishops or inferiours to all their Decrees and not to teach any thing contrary to them and that if not for imposing them as Articles of Faith yet for the reason given by the Dr. viz. because no Reformation can be effected by these Councils if persons may be allowed to preach and officiate in these Churches in a way contrary to the designe of such a Reformation made by the Council And then supposing here under that pretended reformation of an error by such Council or Synod a corruption of a Truth and that of moment a thing this Author allows possible How can there be a reforming afterward of such a Corruption unless done by Laicks Or may the Council lawfully require an assent to such corruption from all its subjects that are admitted into sacred Orders and those that are so admitted afterward when they discerne truth as lawfully renounce and reverse such their former assent These seem to be the consequences of the Dr's stating such an authority in his Church consequences contrary to what he alloweth and these arguings seem of force especially against one that both accuseth the Roman Church because fallible for requiring assent to her Decrees and refuseth assent to the Decrees of Superiour Councils because these fallible N. 6 But notwithstanding this I am far from affirming 1. That the Church Catholick in her Supreme Councils whether fallible or infallible may not require assent of her subjects to her Definitions and Decrees as she thinks fit in matters that are not capable of a strict Demonstration against her judgment as I suppose Divine matters are not neither do I know any wiser or securer course though abstracting from the Church's Infallibility that any Christian can take as to attaining all necessary divine truth than by his firm adhering to her judgment in all things that is set over him by God himself to guide him in the way of salvation of which much hath been said elsewhere And 2ly far also from affirming that the Church of England or any other National or Provincial Synod may not require Assent not only from her Clergy but all her subjects to her Doctrines of Religion or matters of Faith and that upon Anathema to all Dissenters but then it must be for such doctrines wherein such Church or Synod doth not oppose but agree with the whole Body of the present Catholick Church and so also with that of former times according to the judgment of these times made by this present Church Taking here this whole Body I speak of as contradistinct to Heretical and Schismatical Churches or Societies and taking the consent of this whole in such an universality as is necessary for concluding the whole according to the proceedings we have seen in the first General Councils Now in these matters wherein a Provincial Council agrees with the whole as it demands assent to them from its subjects so is it infallible in
§ 51. * From the Promises in Scripture § 52. Where That Dr St. holds the Roman Church hitherto never to have erred in Necessaries § 53. * From the Testimony of S. Austin in his proceedings against the Donatists § 54. And of the Greek Church § 56. * From Archbishop Lawd's and sometimes Dr St's holding the Catholick Church not only in its Being but as to its Teaching and Determinations Infallible § 57. Dr St's Replies considered * Concerning the Practice of Councils § 64. c. * Concerning the Certainty of the Christian Faith without Infallible Church-Governours § 63. * Concerning S. Austin § 71. * That the Argument from the Evidence of our Senses urged by Dr St. and others disproves not the Infallibility of the Roman-Catholick Church CHAP. V. No Supressing of Sects and Heresies without admitting an Ecclesiastical Judge THat all Sects for their Tenents equally appeal to the Clearness of the Scripture § 81. That the leaving all men for knowing Necessaries to the clearness of Scripture therein without requiring their submission to the Judgment of the Church can afford no effectual remedy of Heresies and Schismes § 83. That the Constitutions of the Church of England seem contrary to this and to require Submission of Judgment § 84. Dr St's Replies contending that his Principles no way justify Sects considered § 86. viz * That there is a great difference between the Church of England's separation from Rome and that of the Sects from Her § 87. * That no Infallibility is challenged by her in respect of her Subjects as is by Rome § 89. * That her Doctrines are not made necessary to salvation nor any excluded from it meerly because not being in her Communion § 90. Nor any immediate authâ—rity challenged by her of obliging the Consciâ—nces of Men. § 91. Where That though none of these things could be charged on her by the Sects that have left her as they are by Her on the Church of Rome left by Her yet still by her example as also by these Tenents of hers the Sects though agreeing with her in these may think themselves at liberty to depart from her for other things wherein to them she seems faulty or defective as She for this cause did depart from her Superiours His Replies contending that his Principles afford a just and sufficient Means of remedying Sects considered § 93. Where That the Recommending of Humility Obedience and a due Submission to our Spiritual Pastors and the not usurping of their Office c understood exclusively to submission of private mens judgment to them and to restraint of Liberty of Opinion or of contradiction as to any of the Church's Definitions and Doctrines in matters of Faith are no sufficient means of suppressing Heresies and Sects Yet That if Protestants would only admit this latter of not contradicting there could have been or can be no Reformations at any time against any such Doctrines of the former Church § 94. And That the Church's Authority of making Rules and Canons of Reforming any abuses in Practice or errours in Doctrine of inflicting Censures upon Offenders of Receiving into and Excluding out of the Church such persons which according to the laws of a Christian Society are to be taken in or shut out c. if not extending to Excluding Dissenters from her Doctrines and Definitions in matters of Faith is still deficient as to the same purpose § 100. c. Concerning the Consent said to be required from all her Clergy by the Church of England to her Articles of Religion § 104. Mr Chillingworths Proposal in this matter for procuring a general Vnity in Communion and Peace in the Church considered § 96. The vanity and uneffectiveness of it as to the End aimed at § 97. A Table of the Principall CONTENTS of the ANNOTATIONS THat Tradition qualified with the other Motives is a sufficiently certain Evidence Of the Infallibility of the Church as Divinely assisted Or Of the Canon of Scripture Or Of any other Divine Revelations testified by it to be such p. 85 94 97. That either Infallibility of the Church or of Scriptures may be the first thing believed from Tradition And either of these proved from the other as either is first known p. 123 133 169. The expression of a Moral Infallibility vindicated p. 94. And that as Moral Infallibility is applied to Tradition so not to Church-Infallibility as Divinely assisted Ib. That an Assent built only on a morally-infallible Evidence never comes to be more than morally infallible Or that an Assent never riseth higher than the Evidence p. 96. The several ways How in a Divine Faith an Infallible Assent is said to be yielded to Divine Revelation p. 87. On what account Church-Infallibility necessary notwithstanding the Certainty and self-evidence of Tradition And that Christians without this Church-Infallibility are no way certain or secure as to several necessary points of their Faith because not so clearly delivered or manifested as to all persons by Tradition p. 89 93 97 98 125. That all Necessary Points of Faith are not clear in Scripture to all capacities without the assistance of their Guides p. 98. 170. The Text 2 Pet. 3.16 considered p. 173. The Testimony * of S. Austin De Doctrina Christiana l. 2. c. 9. p. 195. And * of S. Chrysostome in 2 Thess Hom. 3. concerning Clearness of Scripture considered p. 233. That several other Means of understanding Scripture void not the Directions and Decisions herein of Church-Guides where either the other means cannot be used by Secular Persons of manual emploiments or used leave the sense of Scripture still ambiguous to meaner Capacities And that the more certain such other means are the more they assure us of the Church-Guides their not erring herein p. 179. That the Canons of Councils do clearlier decide some necessary points controverted than the Text of Scripture and so effect a greater union of Doctrine in a Society submitting to them than is among those submitting only to Scripture p. 133. That Positive Laws besides the Law of Nature were from the Beginning in Gods Church and the Church-Guides then as to necessaries infallible p. 91 124. That under Moses's Law the people were enjoined Submission of Judgment to the Decisions of an Ecclesiastical Judge p. 113. That from Private Men's when using a right endeavour the Argument holds to the Church-Guides if using the like their not erring or being deceived in Necessaries but is not extended so far as that therefore they are infallible in another sense also viz so as that they cannot deceive others in mis-teaching them in Necessaries p. 136. That the Exercise of private men's judgments in all things is allowed but its erring or the non-submittance of it to another where due not therefore excused And that the charging Christians to beware of false Prophets seducers false Guides c. still fixeth them more closely to the true p. 138. That Persons consulting their Guides concerning the Sense of the Rule
cannot judge of their Judgment whether right by the Rule concerning the sense whereof they consulted them i.e. they cannot learn the sense of the Rule from their Guides and then know the truth of their sentence from the Rule p. 140. How or by what Marks the true Church is to be discerned from Sects from which Church first known the Enquirer may learn the true Faith p. 106. 152. 155. 209. And that In any difference or contrariety of Church-Governours the Superiour Authority is to be obeyed That Christians both prudently may and in Duty ought to subject their Judgment in Divine matters to Church-Authority though supposed fallible whereever they are not certain of the contrary to its Decisions p. 99 223. That all other Magistrates and Superiours are deficient and come short as to one branch of Authority belonging to the Church viz. the Deciding of what is Truth and errour Lawful and Vnlawful in Divine Matters for which Infallibility is necessary to them when not so to the others p. 222. That Church-Infallibility is clearly enough evidenced to Christians both from the Scriptures and from Tradition p. 109. And that Catholicks place this Infallibility in a lawful General Council p. 96 Where Concerning the Decrees of General Councils their being put in the Creeds And an Vniversal Assent required to them under Anathema p. 127. Concerning the Anathemas passed by inferiour and fallible Councils p. 127 129. Some Quotations out of Dr Field and the Text Gal. 1.8 considered p. 130 131. That Dr Field clearly maintains some Visible Church or other consisting of Prelates and Subjects and giving Laws to be infallible as to Necessaries in all Ages which Church the unlearned at least are advised by him to search out and so to follow her Directions and rest in her Judgment p. 103. The Deficiencies in his Tenent p. 105. That Miracles are not necessary in all Ages to attest the Church's Infallibility p. 116. That true Miracles for many good ends advancing the Glory of God and the Catholick Faith have been continued in the Catholick Church but not so elsewhere ever since the Apostles times p. Ibid. How Miracles signify the Infallibility of those by whom God worketh them p. 118. The Latter Times of the Church doing Miracles in all the same kinds as the Former and both as our Lord and his Apostles did p. 119. Several Controversies in Religion necessary to be decided and those respecting Manners as well as Faith p. 175. c. By what Authority General Councils assemble and decide Controversies p. 174. In what manner General Councils and the Church-Guides are an Infallible standing Judge of Controversies p. 132 238. Lawful General Councils of any Age since the Apostles times of equal Authority and Obligation p. 151 160 205. That we want a Judge for the necessary Decision of many Controversies As for instance Whether Latter Times have altered what Christ or his Apostles delivered or Have imposed things contrary to the plain Commands of Scripture Or Latter lawful General Councils contradicted former or What former Councils are to be accounted General Legal and Obligatory Whether what is pretended to be the concordant sense of Antiquity or to be contrary to it really is so Whether some things repugnant to Gods Word are not commanded by our Superiours as things Indifferent c. I say that the Christian World is destitute of a Judge to end such differences unless the Present Church be It and is in such Contests to be appealed and stood to p. 140. 141. That the present unanimous Agreement of the Apostolical Churches and especially the consent of the Prime Apostolick See joined with them was by the Ancients esteemed and urged as Infallible and to which all owed Submission of Judgment p. 180 181. Held so by those Ancient Writers cited by Dr St. By S. Jrenaeus p. 182. By Tertullian p. 185. By Clemens Alexandrinus p. 188. By S. Athanasius p. 190. 203. By S. Austin p. 194 206 By Vincentius Lerinensis p. 197. The place * in S. Gregory Nazianzen Ep. 55. concerning Councils considered p. 194. * In S. Austin Contra Maximin l. 3. c. 14. p. 194. De Vnitate Eccl. c. 19. p. 212. De Baptismo l. 2. c. 3. p. 213. Arguments used by the Fathers against Hereticks both from infallible Church-Tradition and from the Scriptures and that those from the latter notwithstanding the evidence of the former are necessary against persons not submitting to the other p. 190 191. The Places out of Petavius and S. Hierome concerning the Tradition of the Doctrine of the Trinity before the Council of Nice considered p. 201. c. Vnanimous Consent of the Fathers Primitive Times Catholick-Church in her Councils in order to Our Obedience how to be understood 159 200. And Vincentius Lerinensis his Rule Quod ubique quod semper c. Ibid not necessarily comprehending all particular Persons or Churches Vniversality understood of the Catholick Church distinct from Heretical never as to Necssaries dissenting from Antiquity p. 199. How the believing of the Determinations of General Councils is necessary to salvation p. 164. That Heretical and Schismatical Churches are no Members of the Catholick p. 154. That a Church committing and teaching Idolatry is no true Member of the Catholick Church p. 80. c. The Nicene Council to be obeyed suppose the Arian Councils more numerous as to the Bishops present in them because the Nicene more universally accepted and the Arian how numerous soever formerly declared Hereticks p. 146. 193. Of Pope Liberius and Honorius accused of Heresy p. 146. 149. That no Certainty from Sense or Reason can rationally be pleaded for any Doctrine against a General Council or Major part of Christianity having all the same means of Certainty from Reason and Sense and they maintaining the contrary Doctrine certain p. 143 145. Where Concerning Veneration of Images Communicating in One Kind p. 144. That our Senses are not to be credited where is the certainty of a Divine Revelation contrary Nor doth the Disbelieving them in such things prejudice the Certainty of their Evidence as to all other matters where no Divine Revelation opposeth p. 142. c. No Reformation lawful against the Definitions of a Superiour Church-Authority p. 236. In a Controversy Whether a National Church hath departed from the truly Catholick Church of former Ages who is to be the Judge p. 237. That National Churches and Councils are subject to Patriarchal and Generall p. 152. 226. That any particular Church may require Assent from all her Subjects to her Doctrines of Religion so far as such Church accords therein with the Church Catholick Because in these she infallible if the Catholick be so p. 222. Whether a fallible Church may require assent to her doctrines or to some of them at least as to matter of Faith where she as fallible confesseth she may err in such matters Or she not requiring such submission to them as to matters of faith Whether her Subjects are not left
to their liberty to believe in such matters what seems to them truest p. 228 230. Whether a Church fallible can justly require of all her Clergy the assenting to and maintaining of all her Articles of Religion And then How Errours can be rectified in such a Church where all the Clergy stand obliged to teach nothing contrary to the publick doctrines thereof And 2ly Whether if this be justly done by the Church of England it be not so by the Roman and by Councils as to the Clergy subject to them p. 228. Whether the Church of England doth not require Assent from all her Subjects to her Articles of Religion Or leaves all men at least saving the Clergy to their liberty of opinion p. 82. 227. Whether a Superiour Authority was not opposed by the Church of England in the Reformation p. 235. 238. How she Principles of some later English Divines are said to justify Sects p. 157. That private Men's relying on their own judgment in the Sense of Scripture believed clear to any sober Reader in all Necessaries against that of their Ecclesiastical Governours occasions a multiplication of Sects p. 221. 241. That the only effectual means in the Catholick Church for preserving her Communion from Heresies and Sects is requiring Submission of Judgment from her Subjects to her Definitions in matters of Faith and removing Dissenters from her Communion p. 241. Justified by the Apostolical Practice p. 242. And in any particular Church is its Adhering to and Vnion in Faith with the Catholick Of the Inquisition used in some parts of the Roman Church not used in others p. 242. Errata PAg. 29. line 26. reade assert p. 39. l. 6. after us so adde where also we are to believe our senses that it tells us so p. 53. l. 23. r. to Scripture p. 59. l. 10. r. did from p. 73. l. 4 r. to beare p. 87. l. 6 r. faith is Ib. l. 5 r. nor without p. 96. l. 20. r. n. 3. p. 105. l. 8. r. sorry p. 163. l. 8 r. praxi p. 164. l. 24. r. Patron p. 183. l. 6 r. thither from p. 207. l. 6 Salvator p. 258. l. 12. r. till that Contents p. 3. l. 13. r. parts of CHURCH-GUIDES Necessary for Directing Christians in Necessary Faith CHAP. I. Câ—ncerning Points necessary and a right understanding of the Scriptures in them AFter N.O. In his Considerations hath conceded to Dr. Stilling fleet 1. That the Holy Scriptures do contain all points of faith that are necessary to be of all persons believed for attaining Salvation § 1 2. And again See Consid p. 22. That in several necessaries the Scriptures also are so clear that a very mean understanding in his reading them needs no further Instructer therin Yet He there denies such an universal clearness of them in all necessary matters of faith as that they may be understood by all persons who sincerely endeavour to know the meaning of them in all such things as are necessary for their salvation And whereas the Dr. saith ‖ Princip 13 That it is repugnant to the nature of the design the wisdom goodness of God to give an infallible assurance to persons in writing his will for the benefit of mankind if those writings may not be understood by all persons sincerely endeavouring to know the meaning of them in all such things as are necessary for their salvation N. O. there answers Consid p. 13 that this may as well consist with the Design and the Wisdom and Goodness of God if in those things wherin these Divine Writings are clear only to some persons more versed in the Scriptures and in the Church's Traditional Sense of them and more assisted from above according to their Mission and Employment he hath commissioned and appointed these persons continued in a perpetual Succession to guide and instruct the rest of Christians many of whom are of a mean Capacity and no learning and hath appointed these others also to learn of them the true sense of those places or points of Gods written Will wherin to these it happens to be obscure As also it would had he left no Writings at all but only Teachers to deliver his will perpetually to his Church Either way I say sutes well with Gods Wisdom Goodness the writing his Will in all parts of it so clear as none sincerely perusing this writing can have in any necessaries to his salvation any doubt For this Will if supposed so written would render any further Ecclesiasticall Guide I say not as to many other parts of the Pastorall Office but yet as to the expounding of such Scriptures to such a person useless 2 Or the leaving a Standing Ministry to explicate this his Written Will the course taken also in giving the Law of Moses in any necessary matters wherin the sense of it is to some disputable and ambiguous Which of these two God hath done is the Question N. O. denies the former as the Dr. asserts it and for his disallowing it gives many Reasons and Evidences dispersed here and there in the Considerationâ—â—â— as the Doctors Principles ministred occasion which I shall endeavour here to recollect in some better Order and shall consider where I find any his Replyes Reducing the Considerations as relating to those Principles forementioned to these chief Heads or Chapters 1. Concerning Points Necessary and a right understanding of the Scriptures in them 2. Concerning a Necessity of Church-Guides for instruction of the people in points Necessary 3. Touching Obedience and submission of Judgment due from the Church's subjects to the Definitions of these spirituall Governors in Divine matters and this more in those matters which are more necessary 4. Concerning the Infallibility of these Governors herein 5. And the Impossibility of suppressing Sects Heresies and Schisms without admitting such an Ecclesiastical Judge § 2 1. First then N.O. observes here that in the Dr's mentioning Necessaries for Salvation Necessaries cannot rationally be taken so strictly as to include only those doctrines delivered in Scripture wherin all persons that bear the name of Christians do agree for this would be to say that whatever is any way controverted is not necessary which would conclude all controversies heretofore defined in General Councils to be of non-necessaries even those definitions of theirs put into the common Creeds and so it would become not necessary if any thing now generally consented-to shall happen to be disputed hereafter But that by the same reason as we do not bound necessaries with the Apostles Creed so neither can we with the latter common Creeds I mean in such a sense as some of the Articles of those Creeds are accounted necessary For some Heresies may arise in latter times as pernicious as the ancient were and as the four first Councils lawfully thereupon enlarged the former Creeds so may other Councils in latter ages enlarge those of these first Councils to preserve the Church's subjects from any such new corruption of such
be both an act of prudence and of duty to submit our judgment to our Superiours in whatever they shall define and especially in matters of Necessary Faith § 42 Again p. 144. That the exercise of this Faculty was not to cease as soon as men had embraced the Christian Doctrine Granted as the former and yet our submission of this our Judgment to what doctrines our Superiours shall define be both our duty and a most rational act of this our Judgment and any perswasion of our judgment not rightly used to the contrary no way excuse our non-submission from guilt I say as the exercise of this faculty doth not cease so it must be rightly used which it never is when used it at any time dissents from the doctrine of our Lord or his Apostles or of lawful General Councils whereto is required its assent § 43 Again he saith p. 146. That the Authority of Guides in the Church i.e. for their determining truths in necessaries is not absolute and unlimited but confined within certain bounds and afterward he saith confined to a Rule which if they transgress they are no longer to be followed Be it so when they transgress against their Rule if this be certainly and demonstratively known by any such person is not to follow them this is confessed already by N. O. But Consid p. 73 who is appointed Judge of these Supreme Judges when they transgress against this Rule or when their Subjects have Demonstration for this Their Subjects who are from them to learn the sense of the Rule where difficult and disputed and who are bidden to follow their faith The right exercise of our judgment will not judge so but will judge that if Demonstration were on his side these Supreme Judges having all the same Evidences would have discovered it sooner than he or at least have discovered it when related to them by him and also the Protestants Definition of it concludes it none if these Judges do not discern it such Who then since he is not excused from sin and disobedience by using his judgment if he judge amiss will not think it the safest way still to continue his submission The Socinian in judging the Council of Nice in their Definition of Consubstantiality to have transgressed the Rule they are confined to and so not to be followed is not hereby released at all from his obedience to this Council or secured in his discession from it That authority is none that is only to be obeyed where the Subjects are to approve first of its sentence § 44 Again p. 148. he saith He allows a very great authority to the Guides of the Catholick Church in the best times of Christianity and looks upon the concurrent sense of Antiquity as an excellent means to understand the mind of Scripture in places otherwise doubtful and obscure First for the limitation of places doubtful and obscure This seems to render such Authority useless as to Necessaries in which this Author will have the Scriptures clear and perspicuous Next a right judgment cannot but account all those places so in the sense whereof either the ancient or present major part of Christianity are of a contrary judgment from himself Lastly the looking on such a concurrent sense as an excellent means c. is short and will not serve the turn for the unity of faith it must be looking on it as a Rule requiring our obedience when such sense is declared by their Councils § 45 He proceeds p. 149. That in matters imposed to be believed or practised which are repugnant to plain commands of Scripture or the evidence of sense or the grounds of Christian Religion we assent that no authority of the present Guides of a Church is to overrule our faith or practice But the same thing is here replied as before § 43. in answer to that in his p. 146. concerning the Guides transgressing the Rule § 46 P. 151. He goes on That no absolute submission can be due to those Guides of a Church who have opposed and contradicted each other and condemned one another for errour and heresy True not to both but to one part It is and N. O. hath told him that it is to the Superiour Or in the Supreme Court where a party dissents to the major part joined with the President Lawful Supreme Councils contradicting one another in matters of necessary faith are not by this Author nor cannot be produced § 47 P. 172. He saith That in the present divided state of the Christian Church a man that would satisfy his own mind must make use of his judgment in the choice of his Church and those Guides he is to submit to True now and in all former times wherein also have been Divisions and Anti-Communions in the Clergy and Guides against Guides that we are to make use of our judgment in the choice of a Church But our Judgment there must be used rightly and being so tells us both that we are to obey those who are found by this judgment to be our lawful Spiritual Superiours and which in such divisions be so And whenever in this our judgment is not used rightly but mistakes we are never a whit the more by this so used released from our Obedience Generally in these Answers here is the exercise of our Judgment or liberty to Judge pleaded against absolute Obedience or Submission of it as if the proving of the one annulled the other when as himself urgeth a ‖ p. 144. liberty of Judging may be used also concerning the Apostles Authority and their Doctrines and yet this liberty well consistent with an obligation of absolute Obedience to such their Doctrins Authority as infallible So then is it well consistent also with that to the Supreme Guides of the Church in their defining necessaries if they be in these infallible or if fallible yet with an obligation still of submission of Judgement to them where any are not demonstratively certain of the contrary Which demonstrative certainty of convincing all those to whom proposed no Protestants have in matters debated with Catholicks § 48 Again for qualifications of Obedience p. 178. he brings That we are not to submit to all those who challenge the authority of Guides over us though pretending to never so much power and infallibility And p. 179 not to submit to those who are lawful Guides in all things they may require Both which are most true and yet well consistent with this that we are to submit to our lawful Guides in all their Determinations in matters of necessary faith if they Supreme and Infallible herein and if they fallible in all things of which we are not demonstratively certain to the contrary Thus you see the Dr's Responsory Propositions are admitted and N. O's Obedience no whit lesse established CHAP. IV. Concerning Church-Infallibility as to Necessaries § 49 4ly AGainst such Principle and for submission of private mens judgements to that of the Church N.O.
peace lasts not long where is once a diversity of Opinion or Faith there is no means left here upon such a ground for reducing any to the sentiments of the rest though in those points which are of the greatest moment For when two contradicting parties after both repairing to the Scriptures and supposing a due endeavour used to understand them do contend Scripture clear for themselves the clearness of such Scripture how great soever it be on one side how falsly soever pretended or imagined on the other cannot be made an instrument of conviction to the other here then can be no suppression of any side nor abscission of them from the Catholick Communion how pernicious soever their doctrine be unless things be prosecuted further than Scripture to their hearing the Church that is asserting and submitting to its judgment or else being esteemed and treated as Heathens Matt. 18.17 Now the Church here referred to by our Lord in case of differences is not so proper an Arbitrator and Judge of any contentions as of those that happen in the matter of the Christian Faith in which matter also we see S. Paul Timothy and Titus used their Ecclesiastical Authority and Judicature and therefore they seem to do much wrong to this Text who would limit it especially if not only to trespasses in Manners 3ly N.O. adds also that the great licentiousness of opinions that follows upon such a Principle seems very contrary also to the former pretences and practice of the Church of England for which he urgeth §. 84. n. 1. Consid p. 77. * the Title of the 39. Articles which are said to be Agreed upon for the avoiding of diversities of opinions and the establishing of Consent touching true Religion Preface p. 6. Consid p. 77. And * 5. Canon Synod 1602. Whosoever shall affirm these Articles agreed on for establishing Consent in true Religion such as he may not with a good conscience subscribe i.e. assent unto let him be excommunicated and not restored but after repentance and revocation of such his wicked not gainsaying or contradiction but Errour and * Can. 36. Where the Clergy are obliged To allow and acknowledg all the Articles agreeable to God's Word i.e. to assent to them and the * Statute 13. Eliz. c. 12. Where such as enter into the Ministry are required to declare their assent and subscribe to the 39. Articles of Religion this being there added also which only concern the confession of the true Christian faith and doctrine of the Sacraments Entitled Articles whereupon it was agreed c and shall have from the Bishop a testimonial of such assent and subscription c. Of which matter the Reader if he pleaseth may see much more in the 3d Disc concerning the Guide in Controversy ch 7. N.O. also contends Ibid. against the Dr's 26th Principle §. 84. n. 2. That the Church of England's rejecting in her Articles several points believed in the Church of Rome as contrary to Scripture as she doth Purgatory Adoration of Images Invocation of Saints Article of the Church of England 22 Works of Supererogation Art 14. Sacrifice of the Mass Art 31. Transubstantiation Art 28. is as plainly making the Negatives of these Articles of her Faith as the Roman Church doth the Positives and using the same severity herself which she complains of in others Because the declaring any Positive proposition to be contrary to Scripture makes the Negative thereof to be a thing revealed in Scripture and therefore this to be believed by all who hold it is so Thus though if I profess not to believe Transubstantiation because neither contained in Scripture nor deducible thence I do not hereby make the denial or Negative thereof an Article of my Faith Yet if I profess not to believe it because contrary to Scripture I do Now in all these things this Church seems to have an aim at the preservation of an Vnity of Faith and opinion amongst her subjects and a removing from her Communion of such as shall not assent to her Doctrines and acquiesce in her Ceremonies And I know not whether by some later different Comments on the sense of these her Canons and Laws but so it is that since Chillingworths â—imes who seems the first that made this Principle more current and authentick in this Church Sects have much more multiplyed in this Nation than formerly And By this way N.O. saith ‖ Consid Pref. p. 7. our later English Divines seem to have brought the Authority of their Church into a great disreputation and waning condition and to have excused yea justified all Sects which have or shall separate from her i.e. as to the liberty they take of such a sâ—pa ation For indeed what fault can it be to forsake when they imagine the contrary to be truth the doctrine of a Church whose teaching none is bound to believe or obey out of conscience § 85 4 But N.O. yet further observes that though the Church of England should or also doth require assent and submission of judgment from her Subjects to her Decrees and Articles of Religion for hindring Sects and divisions from her yet that she cannot ju ify to her subjects any such proceedings nor justly restrain them â—rom doing toward her that which she indulged her self in the Refâ—rmation toward her Superiours So that if in some cases viz. in what not indeed were but seemed to her manifest and intolerable errours she might depart from and publickly oppose the doctrine of Church-Councils superiour to her National one so might others again break off and reform from her on the like to-them-seeming good grounds and causes Such submission of assent being by no particular Church divided from the more Universal Pref. p. 5. with the least pretence of reason to be challenged from her subjects when she herself and particularly the Church of England refused the same to all the Superiour Church-Authority that was extant when she departed as surely there was and is always an Authority Superiour to a Primate as to Persons or as for Councils to a National one Now to consider the Dr's Replies to these things § 86 To N. O's pressing here that he seems in his Principles to discede from the intentions of the Church of England which in several passages ‖ See b fore §. 84. requires an Assent from her Subjects to the verity of her Articles of Religion and conformity to her Ceremonies which implyes Assent I do not remember he hath said any thing Yet a Point that if it were but for the Presbyterians sake who boggle much at such a submission needs some cleaâ—ing Nor hath he said any thing in Answer to the Church of England's being shewed ‖ §. 84. n. 2. to make the Negatives Articles of her faith whilst she condemns the tyranny of the Roman Church in making the Positives so § 87 Next to N. O's words That by their way the late English Divines have excused yea
justified all the Sects which have or shall separate from their Church Prefa p. 7. which N.O. speaks not of their justifying these Sects universally in whatever they hold or do or what being practised in the Church of England they take offence at but only of justifying the liberty they take in disceding in their Opinions as they see fit from the Doctrines and Principles of this Church so limited by N.O. both in the precedent and following words whilst these Late men also tell them that they may safely follow their own judgment at least as to all necessaries for their salvation wherein they cannot erre if using a sincere endeavour to understand the Holy Scripture which is in all such points clear In answer to this this Author from p. 180. c. to p. 186. undertakes to shew That there is a different case of the separation of Dissenters from the Church of England and of Her separation from the Church of Rome shewing several Reasons or Motives of the Church of Englands departing from the Roman Church which the sects being of the same opinion in them have not of departing from her But this thing is willingly granted him before-hand that differences herein he may shew many that no way concern N. O's discourse who chargeth him and others only with this that from their teaching that none do owe a submission of judgment to that of their Ecclesiastical Superiors every one may rightly collect that he may follow his own Or that if You may depart from your Superiours Persons or Councils upon a just cause of which cause you say it is all reason that you not your Superiours judge then so may They from you upon any cause also they think just Or that if there be no decisive Judge for differences between you and your Superiours to whose sentence you can be obliged so neither is there for differences between them and you and that as you appeal from your Ecclesiastical Superiours to Evidence of Scripture so seeming to you in your cause so may they from you in their's For I suppose here the Dr will both acknowledge 1 Some Councils to be superiour to a National one and some Ecclesiastical Persons to a Primate And 2 that these Ecclesiastical Superiours fallible when proceeding against Evidence of Scriptures may be therein relinquished And This is the thing wherein N.O. affirms you to countenance and warrant the proceedings of all these Sects § 88 1. Frist then to shew these Differences he saith p. 181. Here lies a very considerable difference that we appeal and are ready to stand to the judgment of the Primitive Church for interpreting the letter of Scripture in any difference between us and the Church of Rome but those who separate from our Church will allow nothing to be lawful but what hath an express command in Scripture To which I say That this difference supposed or granted here of which see more in the Annotations ‖ On p. 181. notwithstanding he will be found still to justify the Sectarists in their departure from the present Church of England as she did the present Church that was before Luther which as the Dr maintains she might do upon a just cause that is appearing so to Her from the evidence of the Scripture so say the Sectarists they may and do from her upon a just cause but I need not say the same Cause And as he holdeth that this Church owed no submission of judgment to the definitions of that Church's former Councils being fallible so neither say the Sects do they to the National Synods of this But if the judgment of such matters be removed from these latter to the Primitive times to Antiquity This as taken ad libitum in a several latitude is a Precedent all Parties pretend to and is a Judge the sense of whose sentence all parties may cispute as they do that of Scripture without matters coming hereby to any strict Decision Neither will the Presbyterians I believe abandon this Hold to the Dr and his Irenicum perhaps will help them to maintain it And for some such reason it may be that he here in comparing the Church of England and the Sects declines the direct Antithesis of their deserting or renouncing contrary to Her Owning or adhering to these Primitive Times As the ingenuous Reader may observe § 89 2ly P. 182. He saith The Guides of our Church never challenged any infallibility to themselves which those of the Church of Rome do He should have said Which the Catholick Church in her lawful General Councils doth Now from this may well be gathered that the Dissenters from the Church of England depart in their judgment from a pretended not infallible but fallible Church And I ask What advantage hence for confuting what is said by N. O Doth not this fallibility of the Church of England in her Doctrines confessed secure any to depart from them and her as they shall think fit without being justly for this called to an account by her And are not all Sects hereby justified in following the perswasion of their own judgment against hers as she also following hers against her Superiours because fallible He saith also there That the Church of England declares in her Articles that all the proof of things to be believed is to be taken from Holy Scripture She may declare so yet the Sectarists not therefore admit that all that Holy Scriptures are alledged-for by the Church of England is to be believed since these differ in the sense of several places of Scripture from this Church and so as to these may depart from her Judgment § 90 3ly He saith P. 183. That the Church of Rome makes the belief of her doctrines necessary to salvation But nothing of this nature can be objected against the Church of England by dissenters that excludes none from a possibility of salvation meerly because not in her Communion To this I say as I did to the last The lesson cessary the Church of England makes the belief of her Doctrines the more liberty still the Sects will think they have of dissenting from them But changing here the Dr's Roman of which N. O. said nothing into the Catholick Church headed by her General Councils she freely tells those who dare depart from her that there is no Salvation to those out of her Communion and that their Conscience mis-perswaded doth oblige indeed but not therefore excuse them And this causeth those who are careful of their salvation and believe her in this to secure themselves in her Communion § 91 4ly P. 184. He saith The Guides of the Roman Church pretend to an immediate authority of obliging the consciences of men i. e as I understand him affirm that their Subjects are obliged in conscience to yield an assent and submission of judgment to their definitions and decrees which is true changing Roman into Catholick But saith he ours challenge no more than Teaching men to do what Christ
Church both which fall short of requiring an assent to the truth of these Articles or of this doctrine Or with Bishop Bramhal and himself Ration Account p. 55. a Consent for peace sake not to oppose them for so Dr Stillingfleet quotes the Bishop there saying ‖ Reply to Chalcedon p. 264. We do not oblige any man to believe but only not to contradict them And so the Qualification the Dr adds in the words following here seems to explain this Clergy Consent Not saith he to the end that all those propositions should be believed as Articles of Faith but that none might preach or officiate in a way contrary to the designe of the Reformation i.e. as I understand him preach against any of the reformed doctrines Not that all thâ—se propositions saith he should be believed as Articles of Faith Very perplex'd this For I ask Are not some of these Articles at least then required by the Church of England to be believed as Articles of Faith Otherwise the English Clergy as to the whole Body of Christian Faith is left to their liberty to disbelieve any part thereof And if some be required to be so believed yet so long as no distinction at all is made any of the Clergy may leave out of his Faith which Articles he pleaseth For example one inclined to Socinianisme leave out that of God the Son's Consubstantiality with God the Father But next supposing the belief of some Articles expresly and distinctly required of this Clergy yet then what if this Church as being fallible should be mistaken in some of them But now considering the Clergy's consent not required for belief but on the latter account viz. that none of them should teach the people contrary to the Church's Reformation Yet here again since this Church may possibly be faulty in something it reforms is this just to stop the mouths of all Gods Ministry in this Church that none of them may speak against it If it be why is not the same thing as lawful to the Church of Rome as that of England And then if her Clergy also had been obliged to observe this Luther and other Reformers being part of this Clergy how could there lawfully have been a Reformation and why is the modern practice of the Roman Church in this matter declaimed-against by Protestants as the highest Tyranny as also that of the Church of England is by the Presbyterians These perplexities seem to attend the Dr's qualification But as hath been said before whatever consent may be exacted of the Clergy there is still left to Heresies and Sects the liberty of this Church's Communion though not of its Ministery for any Barr that the Dr hath put in here to hinder it And so I leave these things here briefly represented to the further Consideration of the Dr and his Protestant Reader THE SECOND PART Annotations on Dr Stillingfleet's Answer to N. O's Considerations of his Principles HAving in the former Discourse reviewed the Considerations and made some Necessary Reflections on the Drs to me seeming-unsatisfactory Answers as to several principal matters urged therein against his Principles I see not why I might not take the same liberty as himself hath used toward N. O to let pass the rest of his Discourse unreplied-to especially where it digresseth to many other by-matters and neither vindicates his Principles nor refutes the Considerations But lest that in his Book which is litle pertinent to the answering of N. O's Discourse yet be said to be much to the defence of the Protestant Cause and such things in it to have most weight whatever I shall have omitted I have drawn up some Annotations upon his whole Book following him whither his matter leads me Though these Animadversions many times be very compendious as supposing an intelligent Reader and endeavouring to avoid tediousness in Recapitulations self-justifications complaints on the Adversary and the like with which in multiplied Replies after a Controversy formerly agitated to and fro the Reader as one much more unconcerned in the Writer's reputation than themselves are useth to be much afflicted confounded and tired out for which cause Writings of this nature are soon laid aside and therefore I may be excused if I bestow the less pains where I see it likely to be cast away For the matters in him which I think fit to speak to in Epitomizing or summoning up in brief what he saith the Reader or perhaps himself would complain I wronged his sense to transcribe every thing at length I have not the leisure nor had I this a purse well to beat the charge of the Impression So mentioning some words only and noting the page I leave the Reader rather to peruse it in his own Discourse uncontracted and undivided from the rest and with all the vigour that the Context and other circumstantials may afford it well knowing that who desires rightly to understand a Controversy must inform himself what the Disputants say not in one another's but their own writings and also chieflly intending these Remarks for such who have and value his Book and where I speak to any passage that which may seem satisfactory I desire the judicious Reader to apply it himself to the consequents or to the like matter recurring in other places without my further trouble herein Meanwhile I offer my Prayers for him to our Good Lord that he would illuminate and direct him through the many great Controversies which are now agitated in Christendome concerning the sense of the Holy Scriptures in the safest way to his salvation whether this be from the Church's Fallibility in Necessaries every Christian's liberty to judge and discern Truth for himself or from the Church's In fallibility in Necessaries every Christian's duty to obey and learn the Truth where disputed from Her the main Contest between us I likewise humbly beseech his Heavenly Majesty to protect his Truth the maintainers of it whoever they be and if in any thing here I have offended though unwillingly against it to discover at least to the pious Reader my errours that wherein deceived my self I may not also deceive others The Figure enclosed in the following Discourse between Parentheses thus is to be numbred from the bottom of the page Annotations on Dr Stillingfleets first Section Dr St's Answ to Consid p. 75. l. 13. I pass by therefore all those unhandsome Reflections c. Numb 1 THe unhandsome restections if any such there be in N. O's Preface it is a commendable charity in the Dr to pass by and not exaggerate But two things in the same Preface that seem very considerable I wonder he passeth by also speaks not to The one contained in these words p. 1. That he accuseth the whole Catholick Church of God both Western and Eastern for the same practices as to several of his Idolatries are in both for so many ages before Luthers time of Idolatry and this Idolatry as gross as that of the Heathens
both as to this Crime at the same distance from Salvation or the Divine Mercy Unless the Roman be at a greater from having so much more light Thus then is the Roman Idolatry in that Discourse frequently represented by Him N. 6 Now after all this would not one wonder at the greatness of this man's Charity in maintaining in his Answer to Mr. J. W. such a Church as in all these Idolatries equals the heathens yet to retain still all the essentials of a true Church and such Opinions and Practices without any retractation of their errour or reforming their fault to hazard only and not destroy men's Salvation And must not this his Charity be enlarged further to the Heathens also that they in worshiping and sacrificing to their false Gods and Heroes and the Manicheans in worshiping the Sun offended nothing in this matter against any essential of Gods true Religion nor by such a worship forfeited their salvation Whilst they also as well as the Church of Rome in general make profession of this fundamental point in Religion viz. that the Honour which is due only to God is not to be given to a meer Creature and that if given to any Creature it is Idolatry N. 7 But now to examine these things a little more closely 1. First Whereas he saith p. 22. If those of the Roman Church can prove that all sorts of Idolatry do necessarily destroy the essentials of a Church the consequence is we must have less charity for them than we had before and such a concession from us that they do not doth not shew their guilt to be less but only our charity to be greater It may be observed that N. O. here charged him not of making the Church of Rome only but the whole Catholick Church both the Western and Eastern as is shewed in the 3d Discourse touching the Guide in Controversy ch 8. guilty of such an Idolatry which if so and this Idolatry he imputes should be affirmed by him a fundamental errour or mis-practice then he must by his rendring the Church Catholick guilty thereof unchurch It also for many ages and so deny an Article of our Creed From whence it appears that he how farr soever inclined by charity yet is also upon necessity forced in his fastening such an Idolatry on the Roman Church as extends also to the Catholick forced I say in defence of his Creed to maintain such species of Idolatry not to unchurch a Body or diminish any of the Essentials of a Church nor to destroy but only to hazard salvation lest he should destroy salvation in the Catholick Church and also unchurch It for several Ages Now as the Archbishop p. 141. All Divines Ancient and Modern Romanists and Reformers agree in this that the whole Militant Church of Christ i.e. in any age and that as to the Religion professed in it cannot fall away into a General Apostasy And so this if proved against him by Catholicks that such Idolatry doth unchurch any Society that teaches and practises it must constrain him to free the Roman Church of such a charge and so to confess his own arguments whatever brought to such a purpose to be faulty and unconclusive And indeed the favour here the Church of Rome notwithstanding such heavy charges as these upon her receives from Protestants of being affirmed still a true Church seems to be on this account because else they should miss a Catholick Church for divers ages before Luther and derive the succession of their Clergy from a Body already unchurched Thus we see what obligation the Church of Rome hath to his Charity in maintaining some sorts of Idolatry to consist with a true Church Where indeed it appears both the Catholick's interest to prove the Idolatry imputed to it not consistent with the being of a true Church whereby they free the Roman Church from any such Idolatry and the Dr's interest to shew such Idolatry no fundamental errour or miscarriage so to retain still the Roman Church a true Church viz. That so also the Catholick of some ages and the present also that is beside the Protestant Churches may be so N. 8 2. Next to examine the Reasons he brings for justifying such his Assertion In that Answer to J. W. p. 30. he saith That the very being of a Church doth suppose the necessity of what is required to be believed in order to salvation i.e. that all things necessary to salvation are believed in it which is granted 2ly saith That whatever Church ownes those things which are antecedently necessary to the being of a Church cannot so long cease to be a true Church Which also is granted But what are these things that are necessary to the being of a Church For explaining this p. 31. he saith That these Articles are such as have the testimony of the whole Christian world of all ages and so of the Roman Church Again Ibid. That nothing ought to be owned as necessary to salvation by Christian Societies but such things which by all those Societies are acknowledged antecedently necessary to the being of the Catholick Church Where if the belief of nothing is to be accounted necessary to salvation or to the being of the Church Catholick but what hath the testimony and approbation of the whole Christian world of all ages or what by all Christian Societies is acknowledged necessary to such a being it seems to me to follow that all Christian Societies must be true Churches or true members of the Catholick and so * that none are or can be Heretical since all Heretical Churches are non-Catholick See Archbishop Lawd p. 141. and * that no such point can be essential to such Being wherein any Christian Society hath dissented from the rest and so though this dissent be in some Heresy yet neither will this render any such Church not to be Catholick still which it remains to be by vertue of those points that have also its consenting with all the rest for it seems those points only wherein it consents with the rest constitute the Church Catholick and so the Arian Nestorian Pelagian are true Churches and parts of the Catholick N. 9 But this being passed by the Question will still be What in particular those points are that are essentials to the being of a true Church and Why the contrary to what the Church of Rome teacheth and practiseth in the matter of Idolatry as we see our Author hath described it before is not one of them To this purpose therefore he saith p. 32. That the ancient Creeds of the Catholick Church are the best measure of those things which were believed to be necessary to salvation or to the being of a true Church and p. 28. he saith The main fundamental points of doctrine are contained in the Apostles Creed and p. 33. When we enquire into the essentials of a Church we think it not necessary to go any farther than the doctrinal points of faith the reason is because
Therefore he will have in every age a Ministery that in necessaries doth not err Such that l. 4. c. 2. where he grants to Bellarmine expounding himself to mean Ni mine Ecclesiae non unum aut alterum hom inom Christianum sed multitudinem congregatam in quâ sunt Praelati Subditi he grants to Bellarmin I say That the visible Church i.e. such a one as the Cardinal speaks of consisting of Prelates Subjects never falleth into any Heresy so that saith he he is much to be blamed for idâ—â— and needless busying himself improving that which we most willingly grant Again l. 1. c. 10. Bellarmin laboureth in vain in proving that there is and always hath been a visible Church and that not consisting of some few scattered Christians without order of Ministry or use of Sacraments add what follows in Bellarmin sed in quâ sunt Praelati subditi for all this we do most willingly yield unto Expresly excepting there against the opinion of those Protestants that hold Though all other falling from the faith the truth of God should remain only in some few of the laity yet the promise of Christ concerning the perpetuity of his Church might still be verified See also l. 2. c. 2. where he speaks thus This entire profession of the truth revealed in Christ though it distinguish right believers from Hereticks yet it is not proper to the happy number and blessed company of Catholick Christians because Schismaticks may and sometimes do hold an entire profession of the truth of God revealed in Christ It remaineth therefore that we seek out those things that are so peculiarly found in the companies of right believing and Catholick Christians that they may serve as Notes of difference to distinguish them from all boâ—â— Pagans Jews Hereticks and Schismaticks The last of which Notes he saith there is this An union or connexion of men in this profession and use of these Sacraments under lawful Pastors and Guides appointed authorized and sanctified to direct and lead them in the happy ways of eternal salvation Again l. 4. c. 4. he describes this Church That alway retaineth a saving profession of heavenly truth such that by strength of Reasons force of perswasions timeliness of admonitions comforts of Sacraments and other means of saving grace it strengtheneth and stayeth the weakness of all them that depend upon it Language not suting to a Church but such as hath in it Pastors and people and there contends That it doth not only preserve the truth as a hidden treasure but by publick profession publisheth it unto the world and stayeth the weakness of others by the knowledge of it in which respect it is fitly compared to a Pillar and not as Bellarmine accuseth his Church unto an Ark or Chest And so â—lâ—o Ibid. c. 5. in the words here quoted by the Dr Thus then we think saith he that particular men and Churches may err damnably because notwithstanding this othâ—rs i.e. particular men and Churches may worship God aright but that the whole Church at one time cannot so err i.e. all particular Churches that are in that time for besides these particulars there is no whole for that then the Church should cease utterly for a time and Christ should sometimes be without a Church i.e. such as consists of an united Body of Clergy or Ministers and People as he had said before After which he begins thus his 6th Chapter Thus having spoken of the Church's assured possession of the Knowledge of truth in the next place we are to speak of her Office of Teaching and Witnessing the same The Church therefore which he understands to possess this truth is such also as teacheth and witnesseth it Thus Dr Field justifying some such Church always to be not erring in Necessaries but not always the same or the most eminent Or those that possesse the greatest places of Office and Dignity in it and I am sorry Dr St's mistaken glosses upon him have occasioned to me and the Reader this trouble Meanwhile since from this alledged here the mistaking of Dr Fields sense appears not on N. O's but the Dr's side this his own errour might have been attended with less exulting and triumph and exclaiming O the mischief of Common-place-books which makes men write what they find c. But yet here the Intelligent Reader may discern two great flaws in this opinion of Dr Field The one that though there is such a Blessed Society of Clergy in every age that doth not err yet private men cannot be secure that this society for a year or a month longer shall continue such since though some one or other always doth not yet any particular Church may err from Necessary faith whilst some other retains it The other that for knowing what particular Clergy doth not err in necessaries for he saith ‖ l. 1. c. 10. that those who passesse great places of office and dignity in the Church of God may depart from the soundness of Christian faith the private person muâ—â— first know its doctrines to be true which is one of the essential Notes he gives to distinguish iâ— by from all other Churches in he place before-cited l. 2. c. 2. from which true Doctrine in Necessaries retained to day it may also vary to morrow But then how shall they foreknow its Doctrines to be true who as he saith in his Preface have not leisure or capacity to examine Controversies and therefore who are advised there for these doctrines to rest in its judgment for these doctrines meant of points Necessary For those only are the points in which such a Blessed Society certainly errs not Ibid. l. 15. And is it now imaginable after all this that Dr Field should make any particular Church infallible The precedents shew Dr Field to make some Visible Church or other in whatever age not to err in necessaries Otherwise he saith Christ would sometimes be without a Church But Dr Field is urged by N.O. only as advising very differently from our Author that so few having time or lâ—isure or strength of understanding to examine Controversies in Religion of such consequence they should diligently search out watch amongst all the Societies of the world is that blessed Company of Holy Oâ—â—â— that Houshold of Faith that Spouse of Christ and Church of the living God which is the Pillar and ground of Truth that so he may embrace her Communion follow her Directions and rest in her Judgment contrary to the Dr's 13th and 15th Principle That Gods will in Necessaries is so clearly set down in Scripture as none endeavouring to understand the meaning of them can mistake in these And N.O. contends also though such society should not be infallible that yet it is the wisest course for a private man to follow Dr Fields advice and rather to acquiesce in their judgement as more skilled c than in his own As in a suit of Law we follow the directions and rest in the
Church Catholick always in one Faith and one Body And by these unfailing Guides the Church hath ever understood the Supreme Governours and Pastors of the Church assembled in a lawful General Council or otherwise unanimously agreeing Of which Councils the first was that convened Act. 15. about stating the Controversy concerning Mosaical Ceremonies when S. Austin saith ‖ Contra Cresconinm l. 1. c. 3. Inter Apostolos de Circumcisione quaestio sicut postea de Baptismo inter Episcopos non parvâ difficultate nutabat And these Fathers of the Church also so assembled as acknowledging and owning the same their Infallibility in Necessaries from the same Divine Promises have accordingly from time to time determined and stated Controversies even in the highest and most necessary points concerning the B. Trinity and concerning the Humanity of our Lord and some of these Decisions that were thought more necessary to be of all men more explicitly known they have inserted into the common Creed and have enjoined to all the members of Christ the belief of them as matters of Faith and as themselves declaring the true and genuine Sense of the Scriptures therein Witness the points inserted by these Councils in the Athanasian Creed and that with an Haec est fides Catholica quam nisi quisque fideliter firmiterque crediderit salvus esse non poterit Nay added this also in the Creed concerning themselves and the faithful joined with them that he Catholick Church continues always Apostolica preserâ—ing the Apostles Rules Traditions and Doctrines and Vna indivisa in se divisa ab omnibus aliis viz. such Churches or Congregations as are Heretical or Schismatical As also before in the Apostles Creed it is stiled Sancta i.e. so farr as not to teach any Doctrine in Faith or Manners destructive to Sâ—lvation and therefore among others not to teach Idolatry And accordingly the doctrine of these Fathers and Councils the Church hath generally alledged as certain and infallible against Hereticks N. 2 This Use and Practice of the Church from the beginning is apparent and notoriously known And therefore this apparent also that both the Church Diffusive and these her Councils have thus understood our Lords Promises the thing we here speak of as securing for ever the Infallibility as to Necessaries of these Highest Ecclesiastical Courts and any obscurity in the letter of any of these Scriptures were there any in this matter this Tradition hath cleared to us as to the Sense of them And this Practice of Councils and the Church-Diffusive N. O. hath pressed to any who demand it as a most incontrollable Evidence both of the constant Tradition of such Church-Infallibility as evident as that of the Canon of Scriptures is or more than it for some parts of the Canon since by these Councils also hath this Canon been settled and of the true sense of our Lords Promises in the Scriptures or at least of some of them that are urged for this matter N. 3 Which Promises of our Lord Protestants also extend to the Church after the Apostles times thus far that in general the Church Diffusive shall never fail or err in Necessaries in any age Nay that some Body of Clergy or other shall never fail to teach all necessary truths in this Church in any age as we have seen but now in Dr Field ‖ See Note on p. 107. l. 9 And yet further that General Councils universally accepted have been and always shall be infallible in their Determinations concerning matters of Necessary Faith 1 Of which thus the Archbishop †p. 346. A General Council de post facto after it is ended and admitted by the whole Church is then infallible 2 And then for an universal acceptation I suppose none can be justly demanded greater or larger than that of the four first Councils was And thus Dr St. †Rat. Account p. 537. urged by N. O. That both the truth of Gods promises surely that is in the Scriptures the goodness of God to his people and his peculiar care of his Church seem highly concerned that such a Council should not be guilty of any notorious errour as an errour in any Necessary must be N. 4 Lastly The Scriptures shewing these Promises since the Dr so earnestly calls for them which are usually produced by Catholick Writers and which are the Church's old Armor as the Dr calls it †See p. 127. for this point Armor very venerable indeed for its Antiquity but well preserved from the rust he complains of by the Church's so frequent use of it against such as the Dr. are these and several others Matt. 28.19 20. Jo. 14.16 26. 16.15 c. compared with Act. 15.28 1. Jo. 5.20.27 1. Cor. 12.7 8. Mat. 18.20 compared with 17 18. Mat. 16.18 19. Lu. 23.31 1. Tim. 3.15 2. Tim. 2.19 Eph. 4.11 13. 2. Pet. 3.16 To which Texts may be added all those enjoining Vnity of Opinion as 1. Cor. 1.10 Phil. 1.27 2.2 3. 3.16 Rom. 12.16 17.17 1. Cor. 14.32 33. Which Vnity of Opinion I ask how it can be had unless there be in the Church some Persons whose Judgment Doctrine Faith Spirit all the rest are to follow and conform to Which Scriptures forementioned you may see also briefly vindicated from suâ—â— glosses as Protestants and particularly Dr St. in his Rat. Account †p. 256. c. do put upon them in the 1. Disc concerning the Guide in Controversies § 78. c. But whatever may be urged touching the sense of these Scriptures pro or con by particular Authors yet both the foresaid practice of General Councils built upon such a traditive sense of those Texts as Catholicks contend for and the Church's general approving and acceptation of such practice and submission to it is a sufficient prescription of Tradition to warranâ— and secure such a sense against all contradiction Therefore N. O. p. 57. tells the Dr that Catholicks are not necessitated in arguing against Protestants who grant the Scriptures to be Gods word to use any other Testimony than that of these Scriptures for a sufficiently clear proof of Church-infallibility For that he may safely call this a clear proof even according to the Dr's common reason of Mankind which by the most of the Christian world is taken to be so notwithstanding that a Party engaged by their Reformation in an apparent contrary interest do contradict it And indeed if we look after the fact it self and the fulfilling of such a sense of them as applied to S. Peters Successor and to the Roman other Churches united to it the Dr I think grants that these Churches or their Prelats assembled in their most General Councils from the Apostles days to the present de facto never have erred in points Necessary to the Being of a Church Of which see what is said in the former Discourse § 53. and the places cited out of him in Note on p. 75. l. 5. N. 8. And he seems
to believe it just But in matters of Religion such a Judge is required whom we should be obliged to believe to have judged right So that in civil controversies every honest understanding man is fit to be a Judge but in Religion none but he that is infallible at least in all necessary matters Thus he Ib. l. 9 Which absolute obedience we are ready to yield when we see the like absolute command for Ecclesiastical Judges of controversies of Religion as there was among the Jews for their Supreme Judges in matters of law What thinks he of our Lords Dic Ecclesiae and Si Ecclesiam non audierit sit tibi sicut Ethnicus c in the sense wherein Church-Tradition hath understood this Text as applied to the highest Courts of the Church and to their cutting off by a spiritual death the disobedient whether contradicters or dissenters Is there more injustice and tyranny in this than inflicting a corporal death on the dissenters or contradicters under Moses his law This Discourse of the Dr as also what he hath said of the same matter Rat. Account p. 239. I had occasion to examine in the former Discourse § 22. c to which I referr the Reader for what is here omitted Pag. 117. l. 7. Such a pretence implying an infallible assistance of the Spirit of God there were but two ways of proving it either 1. By such Miracles as the Apostles wrought to attest their Infallibility or 2. By those Scriptures from whence this Infallibility is derived What thinks he of a third way of proving it viz. By Tradition But then If the Church-Guides give this evidence of their being infallibly assisted by the Holy Ghost in necessaries namely the clear Testimony of the Scriptures I ask is not this sufficient for the world to credit them to be so without their doing Miracles Doth not this Author of the two ways to prove it named just before allow either of them sufficient Now see this latter proved before in Note on p. 113. l. 17. and so I hope we may peaceably take leave of Miracles Pag. 118. l. 2. When I speak of infallibility in fundamentals I there declare that I mean no more by it than that there shall be always a number of true Christians in the world Now whence learns he this that true Christians shall never faile I suppose whence other Protestants do viz. from the Promise of our Lord in Scripture that the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against his Church See Archbishop Lawd p. 140. That the whole Church saith he cannot err in doctrines absolutely fundamental seems to me to be clear by the promise of Christ Mat. 16. That the gates of hell c. And it is as clear that the Arch-bishop meant it not only of a number of true Christians as our Author doth here but of true Pastors also and Doctors of the Church If this Promise then be enough for believing of this the non-failing of Christians that shall believe all necessary truth without Miracles will it not supposing such a promise made to them be as sufficient for believing the other the indefectibility of the Church-Guides as to teaching all necessary faith without their doing Miracles Ib. l. 16. But in case any persons challenge an infallibility to themselves antecedently to the belief of Scriptures c such persons are equally bound to prove their infallibility by Miracles as the Apostles were What if they challenge this Infallibility like wise from the Scriptures as most certainly they do This latter challenge of theirs surely will supersede Miracles But let us suppose no such challenge What thinks he if they produce the evidence of Tradition for their Infallibility antecedently to Scripture as also they do Is not this we here suppose there is such a Tradition which is proved before ‖ Note on p. 113. l. 14. a sufficiently clear and self-evident proof of it If not of their Infallibility how then is the same Tradition without Miracles a sufficient proof to Protestants of the Canon or Infallibility of Scriptures Suppose the same promises made no Scriptures written would not the Catholick Church have been what it is and must it then have perpetually-shewn Miracles or no Infallibility as to Necessaries have been believed in it Ib. l. 7 The Sum of which is c. In the Dr's suming of N. O's Answers still somthing is lost as here the Reason is omitted why no such need of Miracles to be done by the Church-Governours delivering only from age to age that Doctrine which by the first Teachers was sufficiently confirmed by Miracles viz. this the Evidence of Tradition which received from the Apostles and from their Ancestors they unanimously convey unto Posterity Yet such Miracles were necessary then to more persons than those Apostles who made the very first Sermons concerning the Gospel because the bare Tradition of a few at the first was not so evidently credible as that which by many Sermons made and Miracles done in many places afterward became Vniversal Pag. 119. l. 12. The necessity of Miracles was to give a sufficient motive to believe to all those to whom the Gospel was proposed Must all then in the Apostles times who received the faith see their Miracles Or if their Miracles only related to them by a creditable Tradition would serve the turn why not the same Miracles related now Pag. 120. l. 1. Those persons ought to confirm that authority by Miracles as the Apostles did And again l. 20. See Note on p. 118. l. 11. N. 1 Ibid. l. 11. Yet he is very loth to let go the Miracles of their Church done in latter times as well as formerly N.O. ‖ See Consid p. 29. is loth to let go the Miracles of their Church i.e. of the Catholick Church East or West for both have been noted for Miracles In latter times i.e. from the Apostles daies to the present there being the same evidences in all ages of the facts I say not of all the facts that are related but of many of them which is sufficient and the same Reasons where and when the World is already Christian in all times for the doing of them N.O. loth to let them go not as to this his affirming a Necessity of them now in the Church for the believing of its Infallibility or any other part of the Christian Doctrine or also for the Conversion of the yet Infidel and Heathen Nations after such a plenitude of Tradition appearing in the greatest part of the world already subdued by the Gospel Of which non-necessity N.O. saith ‖ Princ. Consid p. 29. That Miracles having been wrought by the Apostles in confirmation of that Doctrine which their Successors deliver from them are not now alike necessary to or reasonably demanded of these their Successors N. 2 But he is very loth notwithstanding this to part with true Miracles still wrought in the Church since the Apostles times and these too of the very
That for the universality of Time it must be centiously understood not so as to signify it a prejudice to any doctrine if in some one or more ages it had not been universally received for then there could be no heretick as any time in the would So must it be observed also for Universality of Place and of Consenters in that these also must be cautiously understood not so as to signify it a prâ—judice to any doctrine if in some one or more places or by some persons or also Churches dissenting it hath not been universally received for else there could be so also no Hereticks at any time in the world This of the just qualifying of Vincentius his Rule N. 2 But here on the other side will our Author submit to that which is but reasonably proposed submit his judgment to the Doctrine and Practice of the truly Catholick Church in present being since that of former ages after the Apostles is no more infallible than the present or that of any one age than of another and since as to not failing in Necessaries the promises of our Lord are made to all Ages alike and General Councils in all ages have equal power one as another of making Definitions in matters of faith and inserting them also in the Creeds if they see fit And again in any differences that may be in this present Catholick Church will he allow a much major part hereof to give the law to and conclude the whole so as it did in the first four General Councils and as it is used in all Courts consisting of many and which thing unless allowed no Heresy or Schisme in the Catholick Church can be suppressed by Its Judgment because all Heresy or Schisme hath a party and the chief and most dangerous Hereticks have been Bishops Primates and also Patriarchs so that the Dr's plea cannot exempt the Church of England from this trial by his calling it a Patriarchal Church ‖ p. 179. Or since it also is controverted what hath been the Common Doctrine of former ages or of the Fathers will he for the decision of this submit to the judgment herein of the much major part of the present Church Catholick or of Christianity or of his Canonical Superiours i.e. submit to the most common reason of the Church that reades the Fathers Writings If he will do this as in all reason he should then as to many of these points in difference between Protestants and the Church of Rome and particularly in these the so much now decried Transubstantiation and the necessary consequent of it Adoration and those other points exclaimed against Veneration of Images and Relicks Invocation of Saints as also in this point what was the judgment of Antiquity in these whose doctrine this major part of the Church declares themselves in these things to follow I say in all these and many others He will be cast even by the confession of Protestants who also acknowledge their discession at the Reformation to have been made a toto mundo and as well from the Greek as Latin Church Or to be short will he submit to the judgment of a lawful General Council if it hath determined any of these differences or of what Councils do appear to have had the acceptation both of the East and West excepting Protestants But such Concessions often used by him in general signify nothing and his true Plea seems contrary to it viz. his 13th Principle which is Clearness of Scripture to all persons in all Necessaries which if granted what needs herein the guidance of and submission to the Clergy either of the past or present age Ib. l. 5 Let the things in dispute be proved c. And who to judge of this proof your selves Or Superiour Councils rather Ib. l. 2 But those who separate from the Church of England make c. This is nothing to that particular wherein N. O. said the Dr justified Sects mentioned before in Note on p. 180. l. 9. Pag. 181. l. 12. We defend the Government of the Church by Bishops to be the most ancient and Apostolical Government and that no persons can have sufficient reason to cast that off which hath been so universally received in all Ages since the Apostles times if there have been disputes among us about the nature of the differences between the two Orders and the necessity of it in order to the Being of a Church such there have been in the Church of Rome too Here if by defending the Government of the Church by Bishops to be the most Ancient and Apostolical Government he means exclusively to a Government in other places by a Presbytery without Bishops its being as ancient and Apostolical as it Whenas contrary to this in his Irenicum he saith ‖ par 2. c. 6. That in all probability the Apostles did not observe any one fixed course of settling Church-Government but settled it according to the several circumstances of time places and persons And p. 344. That the Apostles did not establish Episcopacy from any unalterable Law of Christ or from any such indispensable reasons as will equally hold in all times places and persons and there ‖ c. 2. p. 395. 396. quotes that incomparable man as he stiles him Mr Hales in his Tract of Schism saying That Bishops by Christs institution I add or Apostolical Constitution for this also would oblige have no Superiority over men further than of Reverence And making all difference between Church-officers to arise from consent of Parties and to the same purpose cites Arch-bishop Cranmer ‖ p. 391. where perhaps he might have done well to have followed the discretion of the former times in not thus publishing and exposing the nakednes of this Father of the English Reformation From all which it follows that the Government by Bishops as understood contradistinct to not the same with that of Presbyters is no Constitution Apostolical and that if it arise only from consent of Parties by consent of Parties also it may be removed Again in what he saith next That no persons can have sufficient reason to cast that off which hath been so universally received in all Ages since the Apostles times if he means No Magistrate Ecclesiastical or Civil hath any lawful power to cast off or change the Church-Government by Bishops whereas he saith the contrary to this in his Irenicum and from Bishop Downham Mason and some others their allowing a Presbyterial Government only in case of necessity viz. where Bishops cannot be had argues thus ‖ part 2. c. 8. Conclusion It remains saith he that the determining of the form of Gorernment is a matter of liberty in the Church and what is so may be determined i.e. either way by lawful authority and what is so determined by that anthority doth bind men to obedience Thus he A matter of liberty in the Church What where Bishops may be had where is no case of necessity This follows
them if the whole be so It follows Pag. 270. l. 3. Not to the end that all those propositions should be believed as articles of faith Not that all but doth the Church of England then require that some of her propositions in the 39. Articles should be believed and assented to by them as Articles of her Faith His saying not all seems to imply as much and see Art 8. which saith the three Creeds ought thorowly to be received and believed This and believed being added by Queen Elizabeths Divines to the former Article as it was penned in King Edwards dayes And several of the other Articles are required to be assented to as things contained in Scripture and so as infallible and these things such as the Church of Rome's errour in them is called erring in matter of faith See Art 19. and since the principal reformation of errours that belongs to Church-authority is of those that are contrary to the doctrine of faith the preservation of which faith is chiefly entrusted to the Church's care surely it would seem a piece of strange subtilty to ty her Clergy to assent to that which is matter of faith in which faith also the Roman Church hath erred and yet not to oblige them to assent to it as a matter of faith If then she doth require Assent to some of her Articles at least as of faith upon what ground may a fallible Authority do this and why may not other Churches do this as inculpably as that of England Or if she doth not require an assent to any of her Articles as of faith of which Bishop Bramhall ‖ Reply to Chalcedon p. 350. speaks thus diminutively We do use to subscribe to them the 39. Articles indeed not as Articles of faith but as Theological Verities for the preservation of unity among our selves then the Clergy of England as to faith receiving the words of the Creeds are as for all other things permitted to believe what or how little they please Ib. l. 17. We cannot help the weakness of those mens understanding who cannot apprehend that any such thing as authority should be left in a Church if we deny Infallibility other diseases may be cured but natural incapacity cannot Non prudentes apud vosmetipsos Rom. 12.16 See Note on p. 263. l. 10 and on p. â—60 l. 15. Ib. l. 4 As that it were the foundation of all the Heresies and Sects in the world See before Note on p. 263. l. 2. and on p. 271. l. 2 n. 2. Ib. l. 3 This Principle he saith makes all Ecclesiastical Authority useless All Ecclesiastical Authority N. O. saith not this frequently imposed upon him by the Dr See before p. 262. 267. thereby to shape a thing like an answer to him in shewing the Church's Authority usefull or necessary as to several other things And the words following here that are truly cited out of N. O. do limit this uselesness of Ecclesiastical Authority to the Office of Teaching and that in matter necessary according to Dr St's limitation in his Principle of the Scriptures being as to these necessaries clear the words are clear to all persons have a limitation also in N. O. which he is pleased to leave out and conceal from his Reader viz. this I mean exclusively to their repairing to these Pastors for the learning of the meaning of such Scriptures N. 1 Ses Fanaticism fanatically imputed p. 99. Pag. 271. l. 2. For since that Train of my Principles hath been laid nothing like the old Church of England hath been seen Mr. S. C. professeth himself to think more honourably of the Church of England than to follow or maintain these Principles of the Dr and that the regard Its Governours have both to the King 's and Kingdome 's safety and their own Character will not permit them to yield to an Anarchy first in the Church and presently after in the Kingdome He saith not that since the Dr's laying his train c. nothing like the old Church of England hath been seen but that upon his ground if received and practised in this Church all would be reduced into meer Fanaticisme for saith he § 91. To make every Christian soberly enquiring into Scripture to be his own Teacher in all necessary points of faith and it is no matter what becomes of unnecessary points and to be a competent Judge of the true sense of Scripture in them all this without any regard to all External Authority infallible or fallible either for an infallible one being unnecessary what necessity can there be of a fallible authority which none is or can be bound to believe can be nothing but Fanaticisme in the heigth of its Notion Thus he N. 2 And indeed 1st For matter of fact it is manifest that several Sects of late have much more multiplied in the Church of England than in former times 2ly Manifest also that since Chillingworth's taking this way of answering Church-Authority when much pressed on him these Principles have been more in vogue and more openly maintained viz. 1 That For points necessary and for others no matter if controversy still remains Scriptures are clear to all capacities using a due diligence therein without any expressing or explaining of themselves in this manner that they mean using a due diligence to be instructed by their Spiritual Pastor in the right sense thereof which limitation should it be added would seem to make more for Church-Infallibility than against it Again 2 That every Christian is bound to reject whatever is offered to be imposed upon his faith which hath no foundation in Scripture or is contrary thereto as Dr St. in his 29th Principle i.e. if we make any sense of it which he such persons do think hath no foundation in Scripture c. for if he means here which the Church judgeth to have no foundation in or to be contrary to Scripture so say Catholicks but when will the Church judge thus and impose the contrary Again That in the Church all men are left to judge according to the Pandects of the Divine Laws because each member of this Society is bound to take care of his soule and of all things that tend thereto ‖ Rat. Account p. 133. That men are to try the Doctrines of their Guides for that many false ones are gone out into the world c. See before the Texts urged to this purpose by the Dr p. 144. c. Manifest I say that more of late such propositions and Principles as these have been much divulged and propagated But whether such Principles or some other things have actually caused such a licentiousness in opinions as hath been of late I cannot determine only this I may affirm and do appeale to the candid Reader 's judgment therein that such Principles do much invite and encourage such a Self-guidance in Spiritual matters and diffidence in and independence on our Lord's Clergy whilst Chillingworth freely acknowledgeth ‖ c. 2. §.
the just authority of Bishops To this nothing to N. O's Considerations I say Let him perform his duty to Superiour Councils and to the Pope so far as he is obliged by the Church-Canons and concerning any Controversy of other usurped Authority let him acquiesce as a regular Son of the Church in the Council's Decisions those as well of any of its latter Councils so lawful as of the former and all is well Ib. l. 14. N. O's words Which more Comprehensive Body in any dissent and division of the Clergy according to the Church Canons ought to be obeyed It follows in N. O. and which hath hitherto in her supremest and most generally accepted Councils in all ages from the beginning required such submission under penalty of Anathema Which words expressing more plainly what N. O. means by the more comprehensive or universal Body of the Church's Hierarchy the Dr omits here And it seems was willing to mistake his meaning by what he saith below p. 283. That by the more universal Church N. O. fairly understands no more but the Church of Rome Ib. l. 8 I answer that the Church of England in reforming herself did not oppose any just authority then extant in the world Yes The Church of England then reformed and changed several matters of Doctrine against the Definitions of many former Superiour Councils which were accepted and unanimously obeyed by the whole Body of the other Churches viz. by all those that were free from the Mahometan yoke and among those by the Church of England also till Luthers appearance to which Definition and unanimous consent of these Churches in them she stood obliged as a part to the judgment of the Whole But many of which Doctrines also reformed by her were and are still to this day believed and practised by the Eastern Churches also under the Mahometan servitude which he who is curious to inform himself may see sufficiently cleared in the 3d Discourse Concerning the Guide in Controversies ch 8. This then the departing in their doctrine of the two Metropolitan Churches of England from the greater Body of these many Co-Metropolitan Churches all accepting and submittingto the Decisions and Determinations of many former superiour Councils even all those from the 2d Nicene called the 7th General Council to that of Trent to which Councils the Church of England was and still is obliged as well as the rest and did also submit till the times of Luther is the Discession from the more Comprehensive and universal Authority and from the Holy Catholick Apostolick Church if any then extant which Catholicks charge upon them And perhaps it is the consciousness of the truth of this discession that makes this Author in several places before maintain ‖ p. 242. That the Church he means Catholick in any one or more ages since the Apostles times may be deceived and †p. 241. that Vniversality in any one age of the Church being taken without the consent of Antiquity is no sufficient Rule to interpret Scripture by and that when he speaks of standing to the judgment of the Church he declines that of the present Catholick Church unless joined with the judgment of the Catholick Church of all ages past till that of the Apostles to the constant doctrine of all which first proved to him he is content to yield See for this what he saith by and by ‖ p. 282. But the Church thought otherwise of them What Church I pray The Primitive and Apostolical that we have always appealed to and offered to be tried by The truly Catholick Church of all ages that we utterly deny to have agreed in any one thing against the Church of England And before p. 244. Let saith he the Popes Supremacy c be proved by as universal consent of Antiquity as the Articles of the Creed are and then let them charge us with Heresy if we reject them And p. 259. Let the same evidences be produced for the consent of the Vniversul Church from the Apostolicat times in the matters in dispute between our Church and that of Rome and that controversy of Infallibility may be laid aside Where still a proof not of the decision of the Catholick Church in some latter age but of the Consent of the Vniversal Church from the Apostolical times is demanded for his yielding a submission to it Nor will the Judgment of the present Church be current with him for deciding what was the Consent of the former the judgment of this he reserves to himself Pag. 281. l. 1. The dispute was then concerning the Pope's Supremacy over our Church The reforming Articles of the Church of England not only opposed this but many other Definitions of the former Church But neither could they justly reject this Supremacy so far as it was by the Canons of former superiour Councils established That only could be ejected that was unjustly usurped Ib. l. 11. Which is sufficiently known to have been the beginning of the breach between the two Churches The breach of the Church of England in the Reformation was not only from the Communion of the Roman concerning the Popes supremacy but of the Gallican Spanish and all the other Occidental or Oriental Churches in matters wherein they were united in the Resolutions and Decrees of several former Councils Where or at what point the Breach began matters not so much as where it ended Or the full charge that the whole breach contains Ib. l. 15. What should hinder our Church from proceeding in the best way it could for the Reformation of it self The Canons and Definitions of former Superiour Councils should hinder the Church from reforming any thing contrary to them as this Church did It follows Ib. l. 17. For the Pope's Supremacy being cast out as an usurpation our Church was thereby declared to be a free Church The Pope's Supremacy established by the Canons of the Church in Superiour Councils cast off by whom It can by none lawfully unless by Church-Councils of equal authority to those that allowed it The Church of England was thereby declared to be free Free what from the authority of superiour Councils and the Bishop of the Prime Apostolick See presiding in them By whom so freed 1 By Itself or by the Governours of this particular Church i.e. by one member declaring against the whole or 2 by the Secular Magistrate abrogating Church-Canons and Constitutions and Decisions made in Ecclesiastical and spiritual affairs Neither valid Ib. l. 6 Authority to publish Rules and Articles But not contrary to the Rules and Articles of Superiour Councils Pag. 282. l. 3. His unjust power was cast off and that first by Bishops who in other things adhered to the Roman Church Their adhering in other things justifyes not the Catholick Bishops for their breach in this This Author well knows the first casting off the Pope's power began not at the Bishops and he hath heard I suppose of their great Reluctance and Cromwel's negociations with
Author or Protestants would generally stand to it that private men should follow such an evident consent of the Universal Church on this account viz the unreasonableness of the believing that so many so wise so disinteressed persons should be deceived But I am afraid the Dr if put to follow constantly such a consent will relieve himself here with a clause that lies dormant and which his Reader perhaps takes litle notice of viz. in such a case as this i.e. a case doubtful and difficult Yet one would think if we have reason to follow these wise men's judgment in things that are difficult and that have little evidence and light in Scripture as Rebaptization was much more have we reason to follow it in such things still as are more clear in Scripture since this is more incredible that so many so wise so disinteressed persons should be deceived in them Or that That is there clear to us which is not so to them but the contrary And so I take leave of the Dr's Answer to return again to the progress of N. O's Discourse CHAP. V. Concerning Sects and Heresies not suppressible without an Ecclesiastical Judge § 81 V. FIfthly N.O. much presseth against such Principle 1st that the remitting thus all manner of persons for the understanding of all points necessary to salvation Scripture as asserted clear therein only they using a due endeavour without requiring any submission of their judgment or of assent in such matters to the Definitions of the Church as pretended in these not infallible is a Plea no more justifying the Reformation and the dissent from superiors of the Church of England Consid p. 97 than that of any other Sect whatever even of those which the same Church of England most abhorrs For that all these Sects also for the Doctrines and Extravagancies they maintain and Discessions they make do equally appeal to the Clearness of the Infallible Scriptures in them sufficiently intelligible unto their sincere endeavours and decline as fallible all other Ecclesiastical Authority § 82 So Volkelius †Volkel de verâ Relig. l. 5. c. 7. pleads for the Socinians as the Dr for the Church of England Quae de fide in Christum statuenda sunt ex Sacris Literis patere And again Deus qui religionem Christianam usque ad mundi finem vigere voluit curavis etiam tale aliquid perpetuo extare unde ea quatenus omninò ad salutem est necessarium cognâ—sci indubitatè possit At nihil tale extare praeter Sacras Lateras Crell de uno Deo Patre in Praesat To the same purpose Crellius another Socinian saith Haec Sententia by which Christ's Divinity is denied plurimis ac clarissimis Sacrarum Literarum testimoniis nititur It is needless to cite more From whence is manifest That such Principles as here appear only in the defence of the Religion established in the Church of England make the same Apology also for all those other Protestant parties and for the most blasphemous Sects disclaimed by it Consid p. 98 The Dr in the mean while omitting that by which the former learned Defenders of his Church usually have justified it against them namely the Church of England's adhering to the Traditional Exposition and sense of Scripture received from the Primitive Church This I say he omitts perhaps because it may be thought to relish a little of Church-Infallibility § 83 2ly Neither doth such Principle leave any just and sufficient means in such Church as maintains it of suppressing any Sect Schism or Heresy Consid p. 98. By Sects here I do not mean any Parties that are of different opinions in matters not determined or stated on any side by the Church or those Ecclesiastical Superiors to whom they owe Obedience but such as dissent from and refuse conformity to her established Doctrines and Injunctions And by suppressing them I mean preserving the Church perpetually in its integrity and unity of faith by excluding all such if otherwise uncorrigible from her Communion and purging herself from such a leaven and contagion For which effect our Lord hath left a perpetual Authority to his Church in her General Councils equally taking upon her in all ages to judge what is Heresy or Schisme and who Sectaries and requiring a strict assent to her Definitions in matters of faith and removing such as do not so submit out of her Society by Excommunication according to our Lord's Si Ecclesiam non audicrit sit tibi sicat Ethnicus Tit. 3.10 and S. Paul's Haereticum hominem post unam fecundam correptionem devita 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Vtinam abscindantur qui vos conturbant Gal. 5.12 By which she preserves herself Vnam Sanctam Catholicam one Body and not only of one language by the silence and non-contradiction of any of her members but by assent also of one mind and one faith and without any rent or schisme all the Parts of this Body as hath been said before § 26. being placed in an exact subordination by which it is well known in any division and dissent of these Governours to whom Obedience is due By Obedience of Affâ—nt I say preserved of one mind for though a General Non Contradiction to any of the Church's professed doctrines may possibly procure the Church's peace and prevent the spreading and contagion of such Heresies and Sects where such an Obedience is strictly observed Yet 1st So long as no submission of Judgment is required Heresy is neither at all prevented in or ejected out of the Church if any of her Members be stained therwith but only silenced 2ly Where there is a dissent in Judgment it is almost impossible that none also shall appear in discourse or writings for out of the abundance of the heart the month will be speaking 3ly If the obedience of a Non-contradiction sufficiently secures the Church's Peace Yet Protestants upon their ground of Church-fallibility in Necessaries cannot Universally allow or admit such an obedience because so there could never have been any Reformation of such Church her Errours though never so grosse and fundamental where no lawful gainsaying or contradicting them either by Laicks or especially by the Clergy The Church then by requiring such submission of Judgment and removing dissenters preserves her subjects for ever not only of one Language but of one Mind in the common faith But according to this Principle of the Dr's which leaves all persons upon the securing them if using a just diligence they cannot err in necessaries to their own judgment as to their assent to or dissent from what the Church determines which Assent is maintained by him not to be justly required as to matters of Faith by any Judges save the infallible here can be no just excluding any dissenters from such Church's communion and so all Sects and opinions equally remain if they please in it Or in their separating one from another as an Vnion of Charity and
of the Christian Faith And here in what hath been urged out of him but now doth not he grant the just requiring of an internal assent to inferr Infallibility Or will he justify it lawful for a Council that grants it self fallible in such its decrees notwithstanding to do all these things And then may not the Council of Trent rightly do so And lastly why doth the Church of England as themselves say forbear such things I say I see not clearly what here the Dr would have N. 4 2ly Coming to that which he presseth concerning the practice of Provincial Councils anathematizing Dissenters and yet these Councils granted by Catholicks not Infallible which Concession of Catholicks and particularly of Bellarmine de Concil l. 2. c. 10. is produced as ruining this weak argument of N.O. that would prove from Anathematizing Dissenters Infallibility First here N.O. consulting Bellarmin he is found De Concil l. 2. c. 3. where he maintains the Infallibility of General Councils to urge together with N.O. this very Argument for it See his words recited in the former Discourse § 65. Next for the objection concerning Provincial Councils N.O. had considered and answered it thus ‖ Consid p. 40. We finde indeed subordinate Councils also stating somtimes matters of faith censuring hereticks and requiring assent to their decrees but still with relation to the same Infallibility residing in the general Body of Church-Governours and to their concurrence therein They not passing such Acts without consulting the Tradition and Judgment of other Churches and especially of the Apostolick See and a general Acceptation rendring such their Decisions anthentick and valid so as those of General Councils are And Bellarmin's answer ‖ l. 2. c. 16. is shewed to be in substance much-what the same Dr St. replies to this †p. 125. l. 6. That the Anathemas of Provincial Councils did not relate to the acceptation of their Decrees either by the Pope or the whole Church as N.O. supposes but did preceed upon their own assurance of the truth of what they decreed otherwise their anathemas would have been only conditional and not absolute and peremptory as we see they were Thus He. To which I Answer that though such Anathemas of Provincial Councils do relate to the general approbation of their Decrees yet their Anathemas are rightly made not conditional but absolute either because such a sufficient concurrence with them of the Catholick Church is known to them before the composing their Decree as it may be when yet the confirmation of their Act is only received after it Or because such post-confirmation and acceptation after the penning of the Decree yet precedes the promulgation and just force or obligation of it It being penned absolute upon such a consent presupposed as we see the Affrican Anathemas were and as it is the ordinary custome in all laws the establishment wherof depends on many successively yet in their first stile to run absolutely because such ratification is presupposed to their having the due force of Laws And so in General Councils the Anathemas are penned absolute though these Councils and their Decrees have not their full strength till the Confirmation thereof by the See Apostolick and also such an admittance and acceptation of them by the Church-Catholick diffusive as is thought necessary Neither is the transaction of these Moral things to be exacted according to the Rules in Mathematicks Pag. 129. l. 10. But did proceed upon their own assurance of the truth of what they decreed Here Doth our Author allow fallible Councils upon a perswasion they have of the truth of what they decree to anathe matize dissenters and pronounce them hereticks Then why may not the Council of Trent do so Or if he means by their assurance that Provincial Councils are certain without relation to any consent of the whole that they do not err in such Decrees where they pronounce Anathema so he seems to give to these Provincial Councils also an Infallibility more than which Catholicks do not desire to be allowed to General viz. the certainty that these Fathers met in a General Council have whether by the evidence of Scripture or of Tradition or of a necessary Consequence from something Traditive or at least of our Lords promised Assistance that they do not err in those things they decree though in many other things they be sallible Ib. l. 14. He goes on thus But I need give no other answer to this argument than in the words of Dr Field whom N.O. appealed to ‖ Fieid of the Church l. 4. c. 4. but in another matter not this before viz. That Councils denounce anathema not because they think every one that disobey the decree of the Council to be accursed but because they are perswadâ—â— in particular that this is the eternal truth of God which they proâ—se therefore they accurse them that obstinately shall resist as S. Paul willeth every Christian man to anathematize an Angel coming from heaven if he shall teach them any other doctrine than he hath already learned yet is not every particular Christian free from possibility of erring If the argument then were good from anathematizing dissenters and calling them hereticks every particular person must by it be proved infallible who are bound to anathematize even Angel from heaven in case of delivering any other doctrine from the Gospel N. 1 Where it is said first that these General Councils do not denounce anathema to dissenters because they think every one that disobeys the decree of the Council i.e. by dissenting to be or to incurr their Anathema I answer to this that then they must hold their Anathema universally pronounced to be as to such persons unjust Which I suppose the General Councils did not It is said again that because these General Councils are perswaded in particular that this is the eternal truth of God that they propose therefore they anathematize them that obstinately shall resist But 1st N.O. presseth not these General Councils their anathematizing them that shall obstinatly resist that which they propose but them that shall dissent from it and he presseth their putting it also into the Creed and under anathema requiring from all the belief of it and that as a matter of faith 2. I contend that no Council that only is perswaded but not certain that that which it proposeth suppose the Consubstantiality or Divinity of our Lord is the eternal truth of God can justly insert such point in the Creed or anathematize Dissenters But it is agreed that the four first Councils did justly these things and therefore they were not only perswaded but certain that those were truths and that in them they were infallible and then much more did hold themselves so since one may think himself to be and yet not be infallible N. 2 To that which follows out of S. Paul It is answered that S. Paul or a Galatian must be certain of his not erring in that for the meer
different from his his fault seems hereby much extenuated as that of some Catholick Bishops doing the like after the Council of Ariminum was by S. Jerome See his Dialog adversus Luciferianos But however Liberius might miscarry no prudent Catholicks could then deliberate Whether they were to follow the judgment of him a single Pope rather than of a preceding Pope and a lawful General Council I mean that of Nice N. 2 Meanwhile by the following discourse in this Author here for twenty pages together we see notwithstanding what he had said before p. 148. That Protestants profess a great reverence c. to General Councils and reject the ancient heresies condemned in them And that the controversy between us is not about the authority of the Guides of the Church but whether the Guides of the Apostolical and Primitive times ought not to have greater authority over us than those of the present Church in things wherein these contradict them we see I say what way his Interest chiefly carries him in raking into the same Antiquity he so commends with great diligence even in the times of the first four or five General Councils to expose any Contradictions he can find in these times so to the common view as to reduce men drawn off from obedience to their Guides to the use and direction of their own Judgments perusing the Scriptures as the Socinians do for what tenent they shall rather hold in our Lords Consubstantiality with the Father after the Decision of Nice and. in the Two Natures and One Person of our Lord after the Definitions of Ephesus and Chalcedon telling us that neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was settled by the one nor the Two Natures and One Person by the other so but that the Guides of the Church after these Councils contradicted one another And meanwhile What advice saith he speaking of the times after the Council of Nice †p. 152. would N.O. give to a private man if he must not exercise his own judgment and compare both the doctrines by the Rule of Scriptures And ‖ p. 153. What remedy saith he can be supposed in such a case but that every person must search and examine the several doctrines according to his best ability and judge what is best for him to believe and practise Thus he after the setling of such doctrines by these General Councils Which if he speaks of persons suspending their judgments only during such time till there is a sufficient evidence of the supremacy and Legality of such a Council is not denied him But if he speaks of all times after the legal authority of such a Council is cleared as that of Nice immediatly was which only makes to his purpose all then are to yield submission of judgment to its decrees See Note on page 144. l. 9. and 11. And this eager agitating and pressing the differences and contradictions in Antiquity disclosing their infirmities and oppositions whilst Catholicks endeavour to unite and to reconcile them doth it not argue a party that is much pinched if I say not the Decrees and sanctions of the present but of the Ancient Church-Authority be maintained N. 3 An exact Review hereof our Authors Stories wherein he knows several Roman Writers much differ from him freeing both Liberius and Honorius from Heresy and wherein it is very difficult for any from his or my relations without examining many other Authors to discern the truth sutes not well with these short Notes and would be in discussing so many particularities very tedious to the Reader and lastly seems a needless task For 1 for the Infallibility of Popes the great Common place of Protestants and which he brings here into the dispute as one would think but that more may be expected from his Ingenuity that so in the great dust he raiseth about it he might run away from the direct matter of the Considerations it is a thing wholy declined by N. O nor is there a word of it in all his Considerations nor is he necessitated by any Position of his to defend it and I think Bellarmine in the discussion of it grants that if no Pope ever yet hath been a Pope possibly may be an Heretick N. 4 2 Next for the Question When Councils and Popes oppose and contradict one another which of these Guides Christians are to obey It is answered That submission of judgment is only required to such Decrees when these two are first united and agreed and I think our Author will not be offended at it if till such time Christians as to those points that are in debate between these two are lest to their liberty if Protestants will submit to the Decisions of such former Councils wherein there hath been no such opposition more is not required And in any contradiction that may happen between a General Council already confirmed by the See Apostolick and any succeeding Pope if any such difference should be the former Decree of a Pope joined with a General Council will doubtless prescribe to any contrary one of a Pope single Lastly If the Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon were not generally submitted to and so as to some Party were ineffectual for the suppression of the heresies they condemned yet ought they to have been so admitted and obeyed by all after that their Decrees have received a sufficient validity from their being accepted by a much major part of the Church and confirmed by the Bishop of Rome and I hope our Author will not deny this lest Christians totter still in some of the Articles of the Athanasian Crâ—ied This said here I hope may save me some labour in respect of that which follows trusting the ingenuous Reader with the application P. 156. l. 6 I now desire to know what a person in that time should do who was bound to yield an internal assent to the Guides of the Church He is obliged to follow the judgment of the Church-Guides in such a Council after a sufficient Acceptation of it by the Church Catholick diffusive and confirmation of the See Apostolick As this Fifth Council had after some time by Vigilius and his Successors and by the Sixth Council Act. 17. and 18. and in after times both by the Greek and Latin Church in the Council of Florence Sess 5. at Ferrara And till such Confirmation or Acceptation appeared a private man might suspend his judgment or hold what to him might seem most probable concerning the Tria-Capitula their agreeing or disagreeing with the Doctrine and faith of the Council of Calcedon to the Definition of which both the differing Parties willingly consented whilst one endeavoured that the errour of such particular persons here concerned might no way prejudice the doctrine of that Council the other that the persons whom after some former errours this Council had approved might not be afterward condemned Pag. 163. l. 12. And after these to anathematize Honorius as agreeing in all things with Sergius and confirming his
these words The Body of Christ cannot be present at one time in many and diverse places c. and because it was taken up into heaven c. a faithful man ought not to believe the Reall and Bodily presence as they term it of Christs Body and Blood in the Sacrament of the Lords supper But not long after in the beginning of Qu. Elizabeths Reign was thought fit by her Divines reviewing this 2d Book to be ejected thence again as being prejudicial to the foresaid Reall Presence and so also was the foresaid clause cast out of the 28th Article of which Reall Presence Queen Elizabeth was a great Patronesse And such a Presence being confessed by Queen Elizabeth and her Clergy I hope this Author here will not make to be denied by S. Austin Pag 239. l. 8. Whatever consequences are charged upon me for making that a fundamentâ—l Principle must reflect as much upon S. Austin as me See the contrary Note on p. 236. l. 1. Pag. 240. l. 4. Who Vincentius Lerinensis seems to attribute more to the Guides of the Church than S. Austâ—n doth yet far enough short of Infallibility Now we must follow our Author to Vincentius Lerinensis As for this Father first he held in all ages the existence and being of a Catholick Church distinct from others if any Heretical how numerous soever they might be in which Catholick Church was preserved entire the Catholick Doctrine especially in all Necessaries and if so therefore a Church in whatever age always consentient with Antiquity So that Vniversalitas as to the consent of the Catholicks of any age and Antiquitas can never be severed 2ly He held the Decrees of the Councils of this Catholick Church in whatever times convened to be true and never to swerve from the Apostolical doctrine i.e. to be infallible and that all were to receive and obey them and all dissenters from them to be Hereticks To this purpose he saith c. 33. on that text 2. Jo. 10. Si quis venit ad vos hanc doctrinam non affert nolite recipere cuns in domum nec Ave ei dixeritis Quam doctrinam saith he nisi Catholicam universalem unam eandemque per singulas aetatum successiones incorruptâ veritatis traditione manentem usque in saecula sine fine mansuram And c. 24. Prophanas vocum novitates devita quas recipere atque sectari nunquam Catholicorum semper verò Haereticorum fuit And c. 32. he describes the Catholick Church thus i.e. the Ecclesiastical Governours and Prelates thereof Christi verò Ecclesia sedula cauta depositorum apud se dogmatum custos nihil in iis unquam permutat nihil minuit nihil addit Hoc unum studet ut quae jam expressa enucleata consâ—lidet firmet siqua jam confirmata definita custodiat Denique quid unquam aliud Concilisrum decretis enisa est nisi ut quid antea simpliciter credebatur hoc idem postea diligentiùs crederetur quod prius a majoribus solâ traditione susceperat hoc deinde posteris etiam per Scripturae chirographum consignaret He saith c. 35. that the Hereticks ancient modern urged the testimony of Scripture Propè nullam omitti paginam quae non novi aut veteris Testamenti sententiis fucata colorata sit And c. 2. Multum necesse esse propter tantos tam varii erroris anfractus ut Propheticae Apostolicae interpretationis linea secundum Ecclesiastici Catholici sensus normam dirigatur Where I ask did the Father think this fallible And c. 41. he saith Duo quaedam vehementer studioseque observanda Primùm si quid esset antiquitùs ab omnibus Ecclesiae Catholicae sacerdotibus Vniversalis Concilii auctoritate decretum Deinde siqua nova exurgeret quaestio ubi id minimè reperiretur recurrendum ad Sanctorum Patrum sententias Et quicquid uno sensu atque consensu tenuisse invenirentur id Ecclesiae verum Catholicum absque ullo scrupulo judicaretur c. 40. Descanting on 1. Cor. 12.28 He saith of the Church-Governours Hos ergo in Ecclesiâ Dei divinitùs per tempora loca dispensatos quisquis in sensu Catholici dogmatis unum aliquid in Christo sentientes contempserit non hominem contemnit sed Dâ—um a quorum veridicâ unitate nequid discrepet impensiùs obtestatur idem Apostolus dâ—cens Obscâ—ro autem vos fratres ut idipsum dicatis omnes non sint in vobis schismata sitis autem perfecti in eodem sensu in eadem sentenâ—iâ i.e. of these Church-Guides unum aliquid in Christs sentientium Quod si quis ab eorum sententiae communione desciverit audict illud ejusdem Apostoli Non est Deus dissensionis sed Pacis And c. 4â— after he had made an instance in the 3d General Council but a little before this writing this Commonitorium its settling the faith in the points then controverted he joines to it in the last place the Authority of the See Apostolical Nequid saith he deesse tantae plenitudini videretur ad postremum adjecimus geminam Apostolicae Sedis auctoritatem unam scilicet Sancti Papae Xysti qui nunc Romanam Ecclesiam venerandus illustrat alteram praedecessoris sui beatae memoriae Papae Caelestini quam hic quoque interponere necessariam judicavimus Let the Reader by this judge now whether Lerinensis hath said nothing for Church-Infallibility Pag. 241. l. 3. Vniversality in any one age of the Church being taken without the consent of Antiquity is no sufficient rule to interpret Scripture by It is true Vniversality departing from or contrary to Antiquity is no sufficient Rule to interpret Scripture by But Vincentius as I have shewed holas the Vniversality of the Catholick Church in any age never to do so especially in any Necessaries And if Arians in any time out-numbred Catholicks which they never did taking in both East and West yet still the whole Body of them was extra-Catholick being formerly condemned of Heresy by a General Council ‖ cap. 6. Tunc quisquis verus Christi amator cultor extitit antiquam fidem novellae perfidiae praeferendo nulla contagie istius pestis maculâ—tus est Here then was in all Arian times a Catholick Body suppose lesser consentient with Antiquity and safely to be relied on in its Decrees But here whenever this comes in question Whether the present Vniversality dissents from Antiquity whose judgment should be sooner taken than its own rather than that of those few who oppose it for both are Parties and if its owne when can we think it will witness its departure from the former Faith Ib. l. 15. In some cases the universal consent of the present Church is to be relied upon c. as in that of the Dona its Vniversal consent of present Churches in any age so this be limited to Churches Catholick contradistinct to Hereticks or those condemned by former Councils can never falsify former
I find p. 267. mentioned An authority of inflicting censures upon offenders or of receiving into and excluding out of the Communion of the Church And That a Christian Society cannot be preserved in its purity and peace without it But looking further whether this Authority was extended to excluding from her Communion persons dissenting in their opinions from the received doctrines of such Church in matters of Faith which only serves the turn for curing Heresies and Sects of this I sind nothing but only this Power couched in these general terms To receive into and exclude out of the Church such-persons which according to the Law of a Christian Society are fit to be taken in or shut out § 101 I find him 2ly p. 268 allowing an Authority in the Church Of making Rules and Canons about matters of order and decency in the Church Not meerly in the necessary circumstances of time and place and such things the contrary to which inply a natural indecency but in continuing establishing those ancient Rites of the Christian Church which were practised in the early times of Christianity and are in themselves of an indifferent nature But when these Sects deny those things to be of an indifferent nature which this Church declares such as he knows the Sects in England ordinarily do may the Church here lawfully require their assent acknowledgment that they are of an indifferent nature and so their practice of them upon penalty if non-conforming of ejecting them out of her Communion Nothing less than which can purge her communion of such Sects and preserve her in purity Vniformity and peace I do not find him adventuring thus far as to tell us whether the Church may require assent or submission of judgment which must necessarily precede that of practice from those perswaded that the matter by the Church declared indifferent is not so and may upon the disobedient inflict her censures when perhaps she as fallible not they is mistaken in it and it seems contrary to his Principles But here he seems to tread suspensopede and manage the Church's Authority somwhat timorously as we may see by those words of his that follow that in such matters required by a lawful authority there is an advantage on the side of authority I understand him that authority hath the advantage for challenging obedience against a conscience scrupulous or doubting but what for a conscience not doubting but fully perswaded otherwise As men may be free from doubting in a thing whereof they are not certain which authority ought to overrule the practice of such who are the members of that Church over-rule the Practice but what saith he of such Authority its over-ruling the Judgment Which standing contrary it is certain none may practise though that which is right against their judgment This wary Conclusion in the 2d Proposition concerning Church Authority is somwhat like to those general words in the first A power of excluding out of the Church such persons as are fit to be shut out according to the laws of a Christian Society I suppose he means such laws as are or else ought to be in a Christian Society Of which ought to be who must judge § 102 Again he affirms p. 261. an Authority in the Church of proposing matters of faith and directing men in Religion directing several ways by particular instruction of doubtful persons to whom the help of their Guides he saith is the most ready and useful by a publick way of instructing viz. in Sermons by the representative Clergy meeting together to reform any abuses in practice or errours in doctrine and when a more General consent cannot be obtained to publish and declare what those errours are and to do as much as in them lies to reform them viz. by requiring a consent to such propositions as are agreed upon for that end of thâ—se who are to enjoy the publick offices of teaching and instructing others Not to the end that all those propositions should be believed as Articles of Faith but because no Reformation can be effected if persons may be allowed to preach and officiate in the Church in a way contrary to the designe of such a Reformation Here then we have an Authority allowed to propose matters of faith which proposal any Heresy or Sect can well comply with to instruct doubtful persons but in points necessary wherein Scriptures are clear according to him no such doubâ— needs to be in which doubting the help of their Guides is said to be the most ready and useful but for some reason or other this Author declines to say Necessary an Authority of Synods to declare what errours there are in doctrine or abuses in practice and in general he saith to do as much as in them lies to reform them by requiring a consent of its Clergy to such propositions as the Synod agrees upon § But meanwhile here occurrs nothing that such as said hold the errours in dâ—ctrine against which this Church declareth may not yet peaâ—â—ably enjoy her Communion He saith these â—ynods as much as in them lies may reform such errours but he saith 〈◊〉 this lies in their power to require any one to assent to the contrary truths upon penalty of being expelled from this Church's communion By which means only this Church can be purged and cured of the mixture of Sects and Heresies and be preserved in its purity and peace and consent of judgment in matters of Religion which the Title prefixed saith is the design of the Church of England's 39. Articles I say Whereas the Church hath no way for her preservation in unity of saith and worship but that of our Lord's and his Apostle's post unam aut alteram correptionem to shut such out of her Communion the Read er may observe here is no word of this I do not say of shutting any at all out of the Church's Communion this he allows in his first Proposition but not shutting any out on this account viz. their dissent and non-conformity to the Church's Articles of Faith and Religion § 104 For as for consent said to be required from the Clergy to such propositions as such Synods shall agree upon supposing here he means by this Consent a profession of the belief of the truth of them 1. This consent is required of the Clergy only hypothetically if they desire to officiate in the Ministry not absolutely that they may enjoy her Communion Nor will this remedy any Sect or Heresy as to such who for this cause decline the Ministry 2ly By the Church's requiring their consent he seems not to mean an assent to the truth of such Articles but either with Mr Chillingworth ‖ Pref. § 39. a consent to them or to the doctrine of this Church that who believes and lives according to them undoubtedly shall be saved and that there is no errour in them which may necessitate or warrant any man to disturb the peace or renounce the communion of this
of Supremacy which Supremacy is therein given to the Civil Magistrate without any exception of these the Church's fundamental Rights unless the Dr with Bishop Bramhal holds the sense of this Oath to maintain only an external coactive power in such spiritual matters belonging to the Civil Magistrate which I suppose no Catholick will deny to him Or unless he will say that the Oath excludes a forreign Church-Supremacy distinct from that of the State but not so a domestick one as to some fundamental Church-Rights But then how can the Ecclesiastical Supremacy of a General Council though forreign be excluded where the Supremacy of an inferiour and subordinate Church-authority is admitted 2 Or 2ly means he that the Church hath such fundamental Rights given her by our Lord but so that she may not actually exercise them in these things whenever the Civil Power if Christian doth oppose and prohibite them But then what if such Civil Power should happen to be as possibly it may Heretical Here may the Church in such a State neither declare still such Truths nor inflict any Censures I mean of Excommunication on such as are reall Delinquents And to use the Dr's words ‖ Irenicum p. 422. Can we imagine our Blessed Saviour should institute a Society and leave it destitute of means to uphold it self unless it be sustained by the Civil Power Whenas saith he before the Church flourished in its greatest purity not only when not upheld but when most violently opposed by the Civil Power Ib. l. ult Of which Rights this is one of the chief to receive into and exclude out of the Church such persons which according to the laws of a Christian Society are fit to be taken in or shut out Then I hope that this Society may also keep Assemblies as a fundamental Right though these prohibited by the Commonwealth and that the highest Courts thereof may exercise the foresaid Jurisdiction over its members into whatever Commonwealth though opposing this Church these members be incorporated Pag. 268. l. 12. And in establishing those ancient Rites of the Christian Church which are in themselves of an indifferent nature But what if this Authority being fallible judge somthing indifferent that is not May any be forced to obedience and the practice thereof which he calls below over-ruling the practice and consequently first to assenting to the lawfulness of a thing wherein this Authority is fallible And if such Authority execute its Censures on such persons disobeying it is not this Tyranny Or if not why is that of the Roman Church so Ib. l. 5 The Church hath an authority of proposing matters of faith and directing men in Religion But so may any one more learned than others propose and direct them But what thinks he of the Church s defining or imposing any such matter of faith to be believed Surely either the Church hath by Right such an Authority or the first four General Councils usurped it And doth not such an Authority if justifiable inferr an Infallibility But then this directing and proposing is as to Necessaries needless where all is clear and plainly proposed in Scripture for every ones capacity without repairing to this Authority But if he means so plain in Scripture that men following these their Guides cannot mistake in it the plainness lies not in the Text but in their Exposition Pag. 269. l. 15. Authority to declare what the mind and will of God is contained in Scripture c. And are the people to receive what they declare as such Or have they authority to declare what they think the mind of God is and their Auditors to judge whether it be contained in Scripture every one for themselves But this latter must multiply Sects and the former includes Infallibility in Necessaries Ib. l. 6 Especially having all the ancient rights of a Patriarchal Church I suppose He here by the word Patriarchal claims no other rights or priviledges for the Church of England than those of a Primatical Church such as those of the Churches of France Spain or Affrick and that the Primate of Canterbury is no higher elevated by him than the Primate of Carthage or Toledo and that notwithstanding any such Primateship the Church of England and the Prelates thereof are subject as also those of Spain France or Africk to any Reformation of errours made by Superiour Councils whether Patriarchal of the West or General of the whole Church Catholick both which Councils also are acknowledged Superiour to National or Provincial by learned Protestants Ib. l. ult To do as much as in them lyes to reform them viz. by requiring a consent to such Propositions as are agreed upon for that end of those who are to enjoy the publick offices of teaching and instructing others N. 1 Here he allows a just authority in Anglican National Synods to agree upon declare and publish any propositions for reforming or correcting of errours in the Doctrine of Religion i.e. as I understand him only or chiefly in matters of faith though he doth not name it the care of the preservation of which faith in their several precincts is committed to the Bishops of the Church To publish and declare he saith what those errours are and to reform them it is said also in the 20th Article of the Church of England that the Church hath authority in Controversies of faith but not so as to ordain any thing contrary to God's written Word i.e. as I imagine hath authority in deciding of such Controversies For what authority else can be shewed in matters of Controversy since teaching must follow the deciding what is to be taught and the Article requiring that they do not ordain or decree any thing contrary to Gods written word or enforce the same to be believed for necessity of salvation seems to imply they may decree what they think is his Word This Author also saith such Synod may require consent to which I suppose is the same as assent or belief of the truth of such propositions as such Synod hath agreed on from those who are to enjoy the publick offices of teaching and iustructing others i.e. from all the Clergy Now to this I have these things to reply N. 2 1st In this his stating of the Church's Authority to do as much as in them lyes to reform errours in Religion or Faith here is no restraint of any who live in its Communion save only of the Clergy from erring their former errours No consent to its Decrees required of the rest but that they may be Arian Socinian Nestorian and what not yet enjoy her Communion may be partly compounded of Orthodox partly Hereticks as to the Laicks in whom all opinions are tolerated This I say follows according to his stating this Authority here for the Canons of this Church seem contrary and to require assent from all and according to what this Dr hath said also elsewhere Ration Account p. 133. where he describes the Church a Society of