them which breeds a certain awe in them before-hand preparing their minds to more reverence for the future Afterwards growing up they come acquainted with the Creed the ten Commandments the Sacraments some common forms of Prayer and other Practices of Christianity and are directed to order their lives accordingly the Actions or Carriage of the circumstant Church and Elder Faithful guiding the Younger notwithstanding the difficulty of the yet-undigested Metaphor in which dialect Faith is delivered to frame their lives to several sorts of Virtues by the doctrine deliver'd in words as Faith Hope Charity Prayer Adoration c. and the concomitant or subservient Virtues to these and the more intelligent whose Understandings are clear'd by Study and the circumstance of conversing with the learneder sort of Fore-fathers to do out of Knowledge and Reflexion what others do as it were naturally and by meer Belief or guidance of others And this goes on by insensible degrees till at last the Teachers die and leave in their room a new Swarm of the same nature with themselves as to Christian Life that is practising the same external Actions which determin to a certain degree the sence of the Words they have been inur'd to and since the practice of those Actions was instill'd from their Infancy and serious holding consequently the Principles of those Actions that is the same Points of Faith with the former Age. And this goes on not by leaps from an hundred years to an hundred or from twenty to twenty but by half-years to half-years nay moneths to moneths and even less according as the young brood of Eaglets made to see the Sun in his full Glory grow up to a capacity of having their tender eyes acquainted first with the dawning afterwards with the common day-light of Christian Doctrin 5. If any should be so dull as to think this looks like a Speculation onely and not to see plainly that 't is confirm'd by ten thousand Experements every day I desire them to consider how the Primitive Faithful were inur'd to Christianity ere the Books of Scripture were writ or communicated or how themselves though Protestants or Presbyterians were first imbu'd with Christian Principles ere they could read and they shall finde it was meerly by this way of Tradition Nay more I dare affirm that the very Presbyterians much more the Protestants still adhere to their Faith because their Parents Pastors taught them it when they were young and not upon the Evidence of Scripture's Letter to their own private Judgement which is manifest by this that those who are brought up under Mr. Baxter are apt to follow him others Mr. Pierce and all in general hold fixedly to the doctrin of others especially if their Parents be of the same persuasion So hard it is to beat down Nature by Designe or not to follow Tradition in practice though at the same time they write and talk never so vehemently and loud against it Nay 't is easie to remark that those who were brought up Protestants while they follow'd their Teachers and Forefathers in the Traditionary way continu'd firmly such and that none declin'd from that Profession until they began to use their own private Judgments in interpreting Scripture and that then they ran by whole shoals into innumerable other Sects However then they exclaim against Tradition yet 't is evident they owe to It all the Union and Strength they have and to the renouncing It all their Distractions and Weakness 6. What is said hitherto is onely to explain the Nature of Tradition perfectly and to settle a right conceit of it which done many Objections will be render'd unnecessary either to be answerd or mention'd as those that proceed against a kind of Prophetical Afflatus which can have no force against our way building upon perfect Evidence of our best Senses but especially those which take so wrong an aym that they dispute against res traditae or the things deliver'd instead of Tradition it self and thereupon accuse us for holding Human Traditions or things invented by men for Faith Whereas when we speak of the Rule of Faith we mean by the word Tradition onely the Method of publickly delivering and conveying down Tenets held to have come from Christ in the manner before declared This note premised to avoid mistake and keep the Reader 's mind more steady to the matter in hand let us see now whether Tradition have in it the nature of a Rule of Faith which is done by examining whether the fore-named Properties belong to it or no. 7. And first 't is already manifest from what is said that the First Property of the Rule of Faith namely that it must be Evident to all as to its Existence absolutely agrees with Tradition For Tradition being the open conveyance down of Practical Doctrines by our best senses of Discipline that is our Eyes and Ears and this by Sounds daily heard and Actions daily seen and even felt 't is as easily appliable to all sorts or Evident to them as to its Existence as it is to see and hear So that it can be insinuated into or affect not onely the rudest vulgar and little Children but in some degree even very Babes as was shown 8. The second Condition which is that its Ruling Power should be easily Evidenceable to any Enquirer is thus shown to agree to Tradition Let the rudest Doubter come and desire to be certify'd that Tradition is a Rule able if follow'd to convey down Christ's doctrin to our very daies or to the world's end and let these plain Interrogatories be put to him Suppose all Protestants in England were settled in an unanimous Profession of their Faith and that their Children without looking farther should believe and practice as their Fathers had brought them up would it not follow in self-evident terms that those Children while they followed this method would be Protestants too Suppose these now grown men under those Parents should have children too of their own who should behave themselves in the same manner towards their Fathers by believing and practising as they taught them without looking any farther would it not be equally evident they would still be Protestants also Since to believe and practice thus is to be a Protestant and would not this method if followed carry on that doctrin still forwards from Generation to Generation to the very end of the world 'T is then most easily evidenceable to the rudest capacity that this immediate delivery of Tradition as above explicated is a certain way of deriving down Christs Doctrin while the world shall last This Property therefore of the Rule of Faith is found evidently to agree to Tradition 9. The third Condition which is that the Rule of Faith must be apt to justify unreflecting and unredoubting persons that they proceed rationally while they rely on it is found most exactly in Tradition For the common course of human conversation makes it a madness not to believe great
the Knowledge of such things that is to all Mankind who use common Reason This is evident from the former For first Principles are to be Self-evident to all those who are to use them and proceed upon them which in our case is the most ordinary vulgar 26. The Certainty of Tradition being establisht the whole Body of the Faithful by which I mean Catholicks or the Church Essential is by relying on it infallibly certain that it is in possession of Christ's true doctrin For since Tradition is Self-evidently a Certain way if followd Disc. 5. § 8. 13. and both best Nature and best Grace in this world are engaged that it hath been and shall be ever followed Disc. 6. and 9. Again since the Certainty of what Faith was formerly taught must needs descend to us as matter of Fact formerly past that is whose Certainty depends on Authority and Tradition is the first Principle in way of Authority as it engages for matters of Fact formerly past Corol. 24. and Self-evident to the proceeders on it Corol. 25. that is to the Body of Catholicks Lastly since Christian Tradition rightly understood is nothing but the living voice of the Catholick Church Essential as delivering 't is manifestly and manifoldly evident that that Body which relies on It that is the Catholick Church or Corol. 6. 11. the whole Church Essential is infallibly Certain that she is in secure possession of Christs true Doctrin 27. Tradition once establisht General Councils and even Provincial ones nay particular Churches are Infallible by proceeding upon It. For the same reason in regard that proceeding on it they proceed upon a Certain and Self-evident Principle Corol. 24. 25. that is such a one as neither they can mistake nor it mislead them 28. The Roman See with its Head are particularly Infallible by the same means For in regard a more vigorous Cause put at first is apt to produce a greater Effect and the Coresidence Joynt-endeavours Preaching Miracles and lastly Martyrdome of the two Chief Apostles working upon that City which commanded the greatest part of the world were more vigorous Causes to imprint Christs Doctrin at first and recommend it to the next age than was found any where else it follows that the stream of Tradition in its source and first putting into motion was more particularly vigorous here than in any other See Again since uninterrupted publicity of professing Faith makes a greater visibility of Faith which is a manifest advantage to Tradition and no Patriarchal See but the Roman hath continued ever from the Primitive times in a publick Profession of Christs Faith being held under by Barbarians hence the Roman See and inclusively their Pastours and most their chief Pastour have a particular title to Infallibility built on Tradition above any other See or Pastour whatsoever Not to mention and dilate on the particular Assistances to the Clergy of that See and most particular to its Bishop springing out of their divinely constituted office in regard 't is a position unacknowledged by Adversaries against whom I am discoursing 29. Tradition establisht the Church is provided of a certain and Infallible Rule to preserve a Copy of the Scripture's Letter truly significative of Christs sence as far as it is coincident with the main Body of Christian doctrin preacht at first For since â—tis certain the Apostles taught the same Doctrin they writ â—tis manifest the Scriptureâ—s Letter was at first for what of it was intended to signify Points of Faith significative of Faith or Sence writ by miracles preaching and practice in the hearts of the first Faithful Wherefore since the same sence that was preacht at first was preserv'd all along unalterably by Tradition Disc. 6. 8. and the same sence in mens hearts can easily guide them to correct the alteration of the outward Letter so as to preserve it significative of the sence first delivered Therefore Tradition establisht the Church is provided of a certain and Infallible Rule to preserve a Copy of the Scripture's Letter truly significative of Christ's sence as far as Scripture is coincident with the main body of Christian Doctrin preacht at first 30. Tradition establisht the Church is provided of a certain and Infallible Rule to interpret Scripture's Letter by so as to arrive certainly at Christ's Sence as far as that Letter concerns the Body of Christian Doctrin preacht at first or points requisit to Salvation For since Disc. 6. 8. Tradition preserves the first deliver'd sence alive in mens hearts sent down by way of living voice and Christian practice and these were in the beginning evidently a most certain way of knowing the Sence of the Letter â—tis evident that they are still such Wherefore Tradition establisht the Church is provided c. 31. Tradition establish't nothing can be received by the Church as hâ—ld from the first or ever unless held ever For since Disc. 5. § 13. Disc. 6. 8. Corol. 24 25. Tradition is self-evidently a certain method of conveying down matters of Fact as they were found it follows that Tradition establish't points not held ever must be convey'd down such as they were found that is as not held ever and consequently not as held from the first or ever 32. Tradition establish't 't is impossible any Errour against Christâ— s Faith should bee received by the Church that is no Errour contradicting Faith can be received as of Faith For since to be received as of Faith is Disc. 6. 8. to Traditionary Christians the same as to be received as held ever or from Christs time and Corol. 31. no point at all though disparate or indifferent not-held-ever can be received as held-ever 't is evident that much less can an erroneous point contradicting what was held ever be received as held-ever 33. Notwithstanding Tradition Erroneous Opinions and their proper Effects absurd Practices may creep into the Church and spread there for a while For since notwithstanding the Certainty of Tradition the Church is still according to our Saviour a Congregation made up of good and bad and the Bad will do like themselves that is be glad to invent and propagate such Principles as shall make for their own Ends or for Vices that is Erroneous ones Again since it cannot be expected but that multitudes even of good men in the Church should in using their private reasons be liable to Errour in divers particular points or Cases and that the remoteness of Christian Principles or Points of Faith from the Principles of particular Actions or Cases is apt to make the opposition between them not easily nor clearly discoverable at first nay the ambiguity in wording them may make them appear at first sight fairly reconcilable till the Terms be distinguisht and clear'd from equivocation 't is very evident that Tradition's Certainty hinders not but Erroneous Opinions and their proper Effects absurd Practices may creep into the Church and spread there for a while 34.
that is was ever or is Christ's doctrin however they blind their own Consciences with glances of Fancy from private Interpretations of God's word and deaf their own and others ears with empty sounds rebounding witth false Ecchoes from those Sacred Oracles 3. Now though it seem an unreasonable expectation to require that a Rule should not onely be able to rule those who would follow it but also should have power to oblige the generality of those who actually do follow it not to desert it yet such is the Goodness of our Saviour towards his Church to order that the Rule which brings down Faith to us should both out of the Nature of Man in which it is grafted and much more by means of the doctrin it recommends be of so wonderful an Efficacy 4. This point therefore of the actual Indefectiveness of Tradition I shall endeavour to demonstrate both à priori from proper Causes and à posteriori from a now-adayes experienc't Effect 5. To do the former I say for my Grounds First that Christian doctrin was at first unanimously settled by the Apostles in the hearts of the Faithful disperst in great multitudes over several parts of the world Secondly that this doctrin was firmly believed by all those Faithful to be the way to Heaven and the contradicting or deserting it the way to damnation so that the greatest Hopes and Fears imaginable were by engaging the Divine Authority strongly apply'd to the Minds of the First Believers encouraging them to the adhering to that doctrin and deterring them from relinquishing it and indeed infinitly greater than any other whatever springing from any temporal consideration and that this was in all Ages the perswasion of the Faithful Thirdly that Hopes of Goods and Fears of Harms strongly apply'd are the Causes of Actual Will Lastly that the thing was feisible or within their power that is that what they were bred to was Knowable by them This put it follows as certainly that a great number or Body of the first Believers and after-Faithful in each Age that is from Age to Age would continue to hold themselves and teach their Children as themselves had been taught that is would follow and stick to Tradition as it does that a Cause put actually causing produces it's Effect Actually I say For since the Cause is put the Application put and the Patient dispos'd for our Argument puts this to be the Minds of true Believers in regard the first Renouncers of Tradition must have been True Believers or Holders of it ere they renounc't it it follows inevitably that the Cause is put still actually causing 6. I foresee some will object the Indisposition of the Wills of the Believing Parents by reason of original Corruption But supposing I dispute against those Christians who hold that Christ's Doctrin was intended to be an Antidote for that Original malice and to keep Men's Wills already possest with it right notwithstanding the poize of their corrupted Nature and the temptations of their circumstances to say 't is apply'd universally to all several sorts and tempers and preserves none good is to question Christ's Wisdom and to doubt whether it be fit to do the Effect it was meant for Not to mind the Objecter how many thousands of Martyrs and Holy Confessors by the Power of this Doctrin overcame this inbred declivity of their Wills and its disorderly inclinations to the dearest Goods Life or Nature could bestow A great part therefore would be virtuous and so it being easie and obvious as our former Discourse proved would teach their Children what themselves believ'd in their Consciences to be Christ's Doctrine or the doctrine they had been taught and so a Body of Traditionary Christians would still be continu'd to the very End of the World nor could that Rule be totally relinquisht by any Stratagem of the Devil or prevail'd against by the gates of Hell Again though Natâ—re incline men to sin or vicious Appetites yet can it incline them all to this sort of sin that is to teach their Children what they think will damn them Or rather does not Nature most strongly carry them to the contrary Their Original corruption then is no particular inviter to this kind of sin to teach their Children pernicious falshoods and which themselves hold such though themselves be otherwise liable to several sort of particular failings 7. If any object the fickle nature of the Will and imagin that this exempts her from the Laws of Causes I ask them without engaging farther into School-disputes which I industriously avoid whether Good be not the proper Object of the Will and so is to affect it when sufficiently apply'd or propos'd If so then since an Object to affect a Power is to put it in act and the Act of the Power we call the Will is actual Volition or Willing Good propos'd makes the Will to will or desire that Good and consequently the known means to obtain it Now Infinit Goods and Harms sufficiently propos'd are of their own nature incomparably more powerful Causes to carry the Will than Temporal ones Since then when two Causes are counterpos'd the lesser when it comes to execution is no Cause as to the substance of that Effect as a heavy weight which were otherwise a cause of descending is no such Cause when overweighâ—d by an heavier as not making its scale descend at all it follows that there is no Cause to move the Wills of a World of Believers to be willing to do that which they judge would lose themselves and their Posterity Infinit Goods and bring them Infinit Harms such strong and main Hopes and Fears being put in the counter-ballance in case a sufficient Proposal or Application be not wanting 8. The last Attempt then of an Objectour is to fault the Application of Spiritual and Heavenly Goods and to enhance the Proposals of sensible and Temporal Objects But if we reflect with how steady a pursuit and even equal to that of eye-sight or any other Sense we generally work for Ends no otherwise propos'd than by undoubted Authority as when a King prepares for an Expedition against a forrain Country he never saw or a Gentleman for a journey to Rome and such like If we but call to mind how the greatest Testimony in the world engages God's supremely-Infallible Veracity for the truth of the Doctrin it proposes which ascertains us of those Infinit Goods and Harms spoken of the best Application of a motive to a truly rational power which can possibly be imagin'd If we but consider how those spiritual and unseen Goods are made Intelligible to all in a fair measure by most fit and obvious Metaphors Familiar and Sensible by daily practice and as it were Experience of them in Christian Language and Actions by the venerable Sacraments by the spectable Majesty of outward Ceremonies all including our spiritual last End or intimating it by their order to it nay if we but contemplate even Essential Heaven it self
made the Object of our Senses to comply with our weakness by the Word 's being made Flesh and dwelling amongst us his being born his suffering cold hunger persecution banishment and other inconveniencies in his Life his curing our diseased comforting our afflicted raising our dead and other miraculous actions his being bound buffetted scourged crown'd with thorns and lastly crucify'd and all this believed to be for our sakes all of them Objects most sensibly and palpably affecting our Understandings and thence sliding movingly and this by their sensible nature into our very Wills we shall discover that the Infinit Spiritual Good we spoke of is become through the Provident Goodness of our God both as easily appliable as the most visible and concerning civil Actions working on the best Sensations of our Forefathers the best and amplest Authority in the world to make their Sensations ours and the whole course of our Life Actions Sacraments and all other outward shows which could be invented to make such mysteries maniable can possibly render them and that if after all this they can be conceiv'd to want any thing of the Sensibleness 't is abundantly supply'd by that deep Impression which the Sacred Horrour of the Reverence given to them makes and the efficacious wayes to excite and and preserve that Reverence All which wayes and objects thus easily and strongly appliable were frequently and efficaciously apply'd by the education of Parents and by the Discipline and Oeconomy of the Church which brings those speculations to practice was ever and must needs reach the Generality In a word Christianity urg'd to execution gives its Followers a new Life and a new Nature than which a nearer Application cannot be imagin'd No Application therefore is wanting Wherefore the Efficient and the Matter being proper and fitted to one another the Effect must still be or continue that is the delivering down sincerely and carefully Christian Doctrin first received must still continue in some great multitude at least and this to the end of the world SEVENTH DISCOURSE An Objection clear'd and the Beginning and Progress of an HERESY connaturally laid open 1. WHat onely and mainly seems to prejudice our Argument is that there have actually been many Hereticks or Deserters of Tradition To which I answer that 't is not to be expected but some Contingency should have place where an whole Species in a manner is to be wrought upon It sufficeth us that the Causes to preserve Faith indeficiently entire are as efficacious as those which are lay'd for the propagagation of Mankind The Virtue of Faith not being to continue longer than Mankind its onely Subject does And they will easily appear as efficacious as the other if we consider the strength of those Causes before explicated and reflect that they are effectively powerful to make multitudes daily debar themselves of those pleasures which are the Causes of Mankind's Propagation And if we look into History for Experience of what has past in the world since the first planting of Christianity we shall find faâ— more particulars failing in propagating their Kind than their Faith 2. I know the multitudes of Hereticks which have from time to time risen makes this position seem incredible wherefore that we may 〈◊〉 once both open Tradition and make good ouâ— Tenet we will reflect how an Heresy is first bred To inforce then our former Argument we musâ— look on Christ's Church not onely as on a Congregation having in their hearts those most powerful motives already spoken of able of their own nature to carry each single heart possest by them though left at its own liberty but as oâ— the perfectest form of a Commonwealth having within her self Government and Officers appointed by Christ himself and so look't upon by the Faithful to take care all those motives bâ— actually apply'd as much as may be to the subject Layity and that all the Sons of the Church be aw'd by wholsom disciplin to conform their lives according to the Doctrin they profess Yet notwithstanding as in the Civil State maugre the Laws and care of Governours it happens sometimes that some particular Person turns Rebel or Outlaw and associates to himself others so it happens sometimes in the Church that because 't is impossible the perfection of Disciplin should extend it self in so vast a multititude to every particular some one or few persons by neglect of applying Christian motives to their Souls fall into extravagancies of spiritual Pride Ambition Lust or other vices and itching with desire of followers to honour and support them they first lay hold on some accidental miscarriages as foolish opinions or ill lives of some in the Church which they aggravate beyond all reason to justify their Rebellion and 〈◊〉 invent and propose new Tenets to others which partly by their plausibleness partly licentiousness suting with the curious or passionate humour of diverse if Governours be not vigilant and prudent draw them into the same faction with themselves especially if they get the State on their sides secure indemnity and hopes of reward draw the corrupt hearts of many to bandy with their fellow-revolters against the former Church Thus a Body is made inconsiderable in respect of the whole which yet is engag'd by the natural care of self-preservation to make Head against it The Church stands upon the uninterrupted Succession of her Doctrin from Christ grounded on the noon-day manifestation of the most universal and clear Attestation in the world The other's known newness makes it impossible to human nature though most deprau'd to pretend this reception from immediate Forefathers the contrary being so evident to the whole world's eye-sight that this were to tell an openly to no imaginable purpose They must cry therefore the Church has err'd in Faith else they condemn themselves whence they are oblig'd at next to renounce and disgrace Tradition or the living voice of the Church as unfit to be a Rule which left in force would presently quash and strangle all their Attempts After this a new Rule must be sought for either some private Inspiration or some waxen-naturâ—d words not yet senc't not having any certain Interpreter but fit to be plaid upon diversly by quirks of wit that is apt to blunder and confound but to clear little or nothing Their Policy must be to study vapour in wordish learning to be dextrous in Criticisms and all that can conduce to the various acception of words and then to hook Catholicks from their Infallible and Evident way of Tradition to combat with them at their own weapon and in their own way In which if the Catholick be so unwary or good-naturâ—d as to engage and having been inurâ—d to more solid and sober Grounds for his Faith be not perhaps so skilful in beating the air as his bird-witted Opponent presently a Victory is proclaimed with the loudest Trumpet of Fame and vanity being generally their God who place their honour in such aiery sorts of learning
but that Christ promist his Church Infallibility is not thus self-evident but needs other Knowledges to evidence it unless we will make all come by Inspiration Besides if God's Providence laid in second Causes for Tradition's Indeficiency be not Certain in its self abstracting from Christ's promise to his Faithful Tradition can never convey certainly that Promise to us It must then be assur'd to us by Scripture's Letter ascertain'd onely by imagin'd diligence from Copy to Copy not by Tradition that is that Letter could not be certain its self and so fit to ascertain others till Tradition's Certainty be establish't antecedently And were it suppos'd a true Letter this Letter Tradition being as yet suppos'd unknown to be able to convey down certainly Christs sence must be interpreted onely by private skills and so all the Churches Veracity that is all Mankinds Salvation must be built on that private Interpretation Private I say for in that supposition till the Scripture's Letter for that point be Interpreted certainly truly the Churches veracity or power to interpret it truly is not yet known which besides the common Rule that no Scripture is of private Interpretation is particularly and highly faulty in this case that it would make our Fundamental of Fundamentals the Certainty of our Rule of Faith rely on such a private Interpretation Moreover to say Tradition of the Church is Certain because Christ promist it puts it to be believ'd not seen and is the same in Controversy as it is in Nature to say in common such an Effect is wrought because 't is God's will which gives no account of that particular Effect but onely sayes something in common Wherefore since the Certainty of the Rule of Faith it being antecedent to Faith must be seen not believ'd a Controversial Divine ought to make it seen that is ought to demonstrate its Certainty and Indeficiency by intrinsecal mediums or dependence on proper Causes It signisies therefore no more in the Science of Controversy to say Christ promist than in Natural Science to answer to every Question in stead of showing a proper Cause that God wills it which is a good saying for a Christian as is also the other but neither of them a competent Principle either for Philosopher or Controvertist Consent Of AUTHORITY To the substance of the foregoing Discourses 1. THus far Reason Let 's see how 't is seconded by Authority And first by the Scriptures 2. For the Self-evidence of the Way to Faith or which is all one The Rule of Faith see the Prophet Isay c. 35. v. 8. This shall be to you a direct way so that Fools cannot err in it That is evident to the rudest Vulgar or self-evident else Fools might possibly err in it in case it needed any Skill of Discourse and were not obvious to Common Sense 3. Now what this Self-evident Rule is is most expressively declar'd by the same Prophet c. 59. v. 21. speaking of God's favour intended to the Gentiles that is of the Law of Grace This is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit which is in thee and my words which I have put in thy Mouth shall not depart from thy mouth and from the mouth of thy Seed and from the mouth of thy Seed's Seed from henceforth for ever Here we see God's promise to perpetuate Christ's Doctrin and on what manner that is by Oral Tradition or Delivering it from Father to Son by word of Mouth or Teaching not by scanning a Book put in their hands We see it promist also that this Tradition shall be Indefectible or Vninterrupted and Lastly that his Spirit or Sanctity is both in the Church and will continue ever with her which being so she must needs be supernaturally assisted by the Holy Ghost that is incomparably above the power of Nature to this Effect of perpetuating Christ's doctrin by Tradition 4. As pithy and home is that of the Prophet Ieremiah c. 31. I will give my Law in their Bowels and iâ— their Hearts will I write it and still more that of St. Paul contradistinguishing the Law of Grace from Moses his Law by this that the later was writ in Tables of Stone the former in the fleshy Tables of mens Hearts Both as express as can be imagined to send us for our Faith to living Sence in the hearts of the Faithful not to meer dead Letters in a Book that is recommending to us Tradition which is the perfectest and naturalest way imaginable to write them there as hath been shown Note the word Hearts which in the Metaphorical expression is the Principle of Action not of meeâ— Speculative Knowledge as is the word Brain Which intimates the Practical nature of Tradition and that it imprints Christs Law and conveys it down by Christian Carriage and Action not by Speculative scanning the significativeness of Characters in a Book Note also the word Fleshy which signifies that the manner of writing Christ's Law is through the affecting the Soul by her Inferiour part considering her as she is a virtue of understanding that is by Sensations which make strong and plain Impressions in Mankind according to their material part and so force into them Natural Knowledge Whence things thus imprinted are apt to settle themselves solidly and even sink deeply into the most material gross and vulgar understandings Quite contrary to which in all regards is the way of beginning with reading and labouring to understand certainly Letters in a Book which is a kind of Speculation and so belongs to the Superiour part of the Soul as she is understanding being Artificial both in the very Nature of such Characters the skill in Reading and highest skills requisit to Sence them with Certainty 5. After Scripture-verdict succeed next in order those of Councils I will onely mention three in several Ages leaving multitudes of others The first Synod of Lateran We all confirm unanimously and consequently with one heart and mouth the Tenets and sayings of the Holy Fathers adding nothing subtracting nothing of those things which are DELIVERâ—D VS quae TRADITA sunt nobis by them and we believe so as the Fathers have believed we preach so as they have TAVGHT The Council of Sardica in its Encyclical sent to all Catholick Bishops We have received this Doctrin we have been taught so we hold this Catholick Tradition Faith and Confession And the seventh General Council in its second Act. We imbu'd with the precepts of the Fathers have so confest and do confess In the Third we receive and venerate the Apostolical Traditions of the Church And in the seventh Act giving their final determination they declare the Grounds on which they proceed in these words We walking in the King's-high-way Regiam viam incedentes and relying on the Doctrin of our holy and divine Fathers and observing the TRADITION of the Catholick Church define c. where we see General Councils that is the greatest Authority in the Catholick Church relying on the Teaching of
believe the foregoing Especially in a matter carrying along with it such powerful Recommends and this out of its very Nature as that the preserving and holding to it would bring them Infinit Goods and the altering it Infinit Harms Thus it goes on and while it goes on thus that is while this Rule is follow'd 't is self-evident no Heresie could ever be Disc. 5. § 8. Whence by the way if this be the onely difficulty in Tradition that is in case the next Age were oblig'd to believe the former Tradition would still be follow'd and so it would be self-evident no Heretick could be then it needs no proof they have such an Obligation for 't is questionless there is an Obligation for men not to be Hereticks 23. Well but an acute Wit or great Scholar arises who begins to question this way Let 's see if he have a good reason if not he is still oblig'd Can he bring an ampler or Certainer living Authority for the contrary Where shall he have it For all the Christian world is against him if he be the first and so onely denier of this way of Tradition Will he bring Demonstration against the Point How can he against a Truth for our case puts the point truly deliver'd and onely enquires into the obligation of believing Ancestours in such a Delivery and he must not hope a seeming Demonstration can free him from his Obligation of believing Ancestours For whence hapned it that it seem'd so to him when it was not such From Perfection in Science in that particular No surely for then he had not miscarry'd From the Imperfectness of his Science Then he ought the more to have believ'd From Precipitancy Then he ought not have been passionate But perhaps he will build on Dead Testimony or some Book granted to be Sacred In that case I ask how knows he with such a Certainty as to build Faith and his opposition to the whole Church upon it which ought be no less than a Demonstration that he has the right Letter and Sence of that Book Can he Demonstrate the exact conformity of its Letter from Copy to Copy and Translation to Translation and this up to the very Original He may as well measure the back-side of Heaven Will he recur to Traditions help Tradition could onely perform this either by the way of diligent Examiners continu'd along and securely testifi'd which as was said is impossible to show Or by continu'd Sence in Christian Hearts and then 't is plain if their Sence preserv'd the Letter rightly significative he ought to take the Sence of the Letter from them too as the Fathers use to press upon ancient Hereticks 'T is left then that he must pretend he will demonstrate some former Age has err'd How I wonder We have excluded him Scripture the nature of the Points and Authority of living men It may be he will alledge Testimonies of Historians or Fathers But first Fathers taken as such are not meerly great Scholars but Eminent Parts of Ecclesia docens or Witnessers of the Doctrin deliver'd Take away then the Certainty of Delivery or Tradition there 's no Certainty of Doctrin deliver'd nor consequently of Fathers 2 ly An Historians Testimony signifies but his own private saying unless authoriz'd by Sence writ in mens hearts or Tradition 3 ly Are those Testimonies and the like may be said of Scripture-proofs evidently against the present Church or no If not 't is a madness to talk of seeming Testimonies against so vast and evident a one as that of the whole foregoing Church If Evident 't is inconsistent with mans Nature the Christian Church should recommend down for true Fathers and creditable Historians those Authours which so evidently oppose her Doctrin Or if so great an Authority as the Churches delivers them down for fabulous or spurious how can their Authority ever come to be undoubtable or Certain The last refuge then of a passion-misled Reason is asham'd of her want of Principles and loth to show her head to pretend private Inspirations which therefore is the last non ultra of all Heresies and the flower or most refin'd quitessence of all Faith-Reformation But miracles failing these poor Creatures to shew forth the hidden divinity which they pretend possesses them they quickly fade away or if they make any further progress 't is into phrenzy or perfect Madness as we experience in our most miserably-distracted Country which disposition is therefore the Caput mortuum or Terra damnata of Heresie and the last and most natural effect of relinquishing Tradition 24. By this Discourse is seen that 't is impossible the following Age and every person in it unlearned and learned should not be oblig'd to believe the foregoing delivering to them Christs Doctrin as receiv'd from hand to hand by way of Testifying and that this Universal Obligation springs out of the Nature of that Heavenly Doctrin and the Nature of the Way of conveying it downwards 'T is time now to review Mr Stillingfleets words against the possibility of proving this by Reason and see how lank they look They are these neither more nor fewer It is hard to conceive what Reason should inforce it but such as proves the Impossibility of the contrary And they have Vnderstandings of another mould from others who can conceive it impossible men should not think themselves oblig'd to believe and do all just as their Predecessors did Is this Mr Stillingfleet who in the Appendix to his Irenicum § 6. so rationally characters those for more zealous than Iudicious discoursers who argue not out the very Nature and Constitution of a Thing and here in a discourse concerning the Rational way of looking into a point quite overleaps all that concerns either the Nature or necessary circumstances of that Thing and talks so rawly in common that is not one word to that particular purpose Observe the words Oblig'd to believe and do ALL IVST as their Predecessors have done What means the word ALL Does he mean we hold them oblig'd to cut their Beards or wear such Garters and Hatbands as their Fore-fathers did His raw words reach no farther What means the word JUST Does he think Faith being planted in Human that is Rational Nature will not propagate it self into consequent and subordinate Tenets and Practices All the wonder then of the Impossibility of the no-obligation lies in his crafty and sophistical expressing it which includes a fallacy of non-causa pro causa for not any thing convey'd down on any fashion is held by us thus obliging to believe and act accordingly but such a Doctrin and so convey'd as was before declared Had he put our Position thus as indeed he ought it being the true case Children or Immediate Posterity taught by Fathers or immediate Ancestors relying on the way of Sensation that such a Doctrin was taught or deliverd to be taught by God himself as most Sacred Necessary to be believ'd and practicâ—t by all being the way