because the Pope it seems and no body else understands the true meaning of that Council at least is thought fit to declare it And therefore one may justly wonder at the presumption of those who after this Declaration of the Council have taken upon them to Expound the Catholick Faith and to represent that Religion to us as it is defined in that Council because if there be any Controversie about the meaning of its Definitions as there have been a great many even betwixt those who were present at the Council when those Definitions were made none but the Pope himself can certainly tell the meaning of them Now in this Creed of Pope Pius there are added to the Ancient Creed of the Christian Church twelve or thirteen new Articles as concerning Purgatory Transubstantiation the Worship of Images the Invocation of Saints the Communion in one kind and that the Church of Rome is the Mother and Mistress of all Churches and that there is no Salvation to be had out of it and several other Points all which have either no foundation in Scripture or are plainly contrary to it and none of them ever esteemed as Articles of Faith in the Ancient Christian Church for the first five hundred years and yet they are now obtruded upon Christians as of equal necessity to Salvation with the Twelve Articles of the Apostles Creed and this under a pretence of Infallibility which St. Paul tells us would not have justified an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven in making such additions to the Christian Religion and the imposing of any thing as necessary to Salvation which is not so declared by the Gospel of Christ And all that they have to say for this is That We do not pretend to be Infallible but there is a necessity of an Infallible Judge to decide these Controversies and to him they are to be referred Which is just as if in a plain matter of Right a contentious and confiâ—â—nt Man should desire a reference and contrive the matter so as to have it refer'd to himself upon a sleeveless pretence without any proof or evidence that he is the only Person in the World that hath Authority and Infallible Skill to decide all such differences Thus the Church of Rome would deal with us in Things which are as plain as the noon-day as Whether God hath forbidden the Worship of Images in the second Commandment Whether our Saviour did Institute the Sacrament in both kinds Whether the People ought not to read the Scriptures and to have the publick Service of God in a known Tongue These and the like they would have us refer to an Infallible Judge and when we ask who he is they tell us that their Church which hath imposed these things upon Christians and made these additions to the Gospel of Christ is that Infallible Judge But if she were as Infallible as she pretends to be even as an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven St. Paul hath denounced an Anathema against her for preaching another Gospel and making those things necessary to the Salvation of Men which are not contained in the Gospel of Christ The Inference from all this Discourse in short is this That we should contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints and not suffer our selves by the confident pretences of Seducers to be removed from him that hath called us through the grace of Christ unto another Gospel The necessary Doctrines of the Christian Religion and the common Terms of Salvation are so plain that if any Man be ignorant of them it is his own fault and if any go about to impose upon us any thing as of necessity to be believed and practised in order to Salvation which is not declared to be so in the Holy Scriptures which contain the true Doctrine of the Gospel what Authority soever they pretend for it yea tho' they assume to themselves to be Insallible the Apostle hath plainly told us what we are to think of them for he hath put the Case as high as is possible here in the Text when he says Tho' We or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed I will conclude all with that Counsel which the Spirit of God gives to the Churches of Asia Revel 3. 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and Chap. 2. 10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer be thou faithful unto the Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life A SERMON ON JOHN VII 17. If any Man will do his Will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self SINCE there are so many different Opinions and Apprehensions in the World about Matters of Religion and every Sect and Party does with so much confidence pretend that they and they only are in the truth The great difficulty and question is by what means Men may be secured from dangerous Errors and Mistakes in Religion For this end some have thought it necessary that there should be an Infallible Church in the Communion whereof every Man may be secured from the dangers of a wrong Belief But if seems God hath not thought this necessary If he had he would have revealed this very thing more plainly than any particular Point of Faith whatsoever He would have told us expresly and in the plainest terms that he had appointed an Infallible Guide and Judge in Matters of Faith and would likewise have told us as plainly who he was and where we mighâ— find him and have recourse to him upon all occasions because the sincerity of our Faith depending upon him we could not be safe from mistake in particular Points without so plain and clear a Revelation of this Infallible Judge that there could be no mistake about him nor could there be an end of any other Controversies in Religion unless this Infallible Judge both that there is one and who he is were out of Controversie But neither of these are so It is not plain from Scripture that there is an Infallible Judge and Guide in Matters of Faith much less is it plain who he is and therefore we may certainly conclude that God hath not thought it necessary that there should be an Infallible Guide and Judge in Matters of Faith because he hath revealed no such thing to us and that Bishop and that Church who only have arrogated Infallibility to themselves have given the greatest evidence in the World to the contrary and have been detected and stand convinc'd of the greatest Errors And it is in vain for any Man or Company of Men to pretend to Infallibility so long as the evidence that they are deceived is much greater and clearer than any proof they can produce for their Infallibility If then God hath not provided an Infallible Guide and Judge in Matters of Faith there is some other way whereby Men may be
Revelation and Rule of their Written Law and that they were not Infallibly Assisted is evident from the great Errors they fell into in making void the Commandments of God by their Traditions and in their Rejecting and Crucifying the true Messias and the Son of God In like manner the Apostles and first Teachers of the Christian Religion were immediately Inspired and Miraculously Assisted in the Publishing of the Christian Doctrine and for the speedy and more effectual Propagating and Planting of it in the World in despite of the violent Prejudices that were against it and the fierce opposition that was made to it But when this was done this Miraculous and Extraordinary Assistance ceased and God left the Christian Religion to be preserved and continued by more Humane and Ordinary ways the Doctrines of it being committed to Writing for a standing Rule of Faith and Practice in all Ages and an Order of Men appointed to Instruct People in those Doctrines with a Promise to secure both Teachers and People that sincerely desiâ—e to know and do the Will of God from all Fatal Errors and Mistakes about Things necessary to their Eternal Salvation and this is a Provision more likely to be made by God and better suited to the Nature of Man than the perpetual and needless Miracle of an Inspired or any otherwise Infallible Church Thirdly This way is likewise more agreeable to the Nature of Religion and the Virtue of Faith The Design of an Infallible Church is to secure all that continue in the Communion of it against all possibility of Error in Matters of Faith The Question now is not whether an Infallible Church would do this but whether that Church which arrogates Infallibility to it self does not pretend to do this And if they could do it it would not be agreeable to the Nature of Religion and the Virtue of Faith For Faith which is the Principle of all Religious Actions would be no Virtue if it were necessary A true and right Belief can be no Virtue where a Man is Infallibly secured against Error There is the same Reason of Virtuous and Criminal Actions and as there can be no Crime or Fault in doing what a Man cannot help so neither can there be any Virtue All Virtuous Actions are Matter of Praise and Commendation and therefore it can be no Virtue in any Man because it deserves no Commendation to believe and own that the Sun shines at Noon-day when he sees it does so No more would it be a Virtue in any Man and deserve Praise to Believe aright who is in a Church wherein he is Infallibly secured against all Error in Matters of Faith Make any thing necessary and impossible to be otherwise and the doing of it ceases to be a Virtue God hath so framed Religion and the Evidence of Truth and the Means of coming to the Knowledge of it as to be a sufficient Security to Men of honest Minds and teachable Tempers against all Fatal and Final Mistakes concerning Things necessary to Salvation but not so that every Man that is of such a Church should be Infallibly secured against all Errors in Matters of Faith and this on purpose to try the Virtue and Disposition of Men whether they will be at the pains to search for Truth and when it is proposed to them with sufficient Evidence tho' not by an Infallible Hand they will receive it in the love of it that they may be Saved Fourthly This is as much security against Error in Matters of Faith as God hath provided against Sin and Vice in Matters of Practice and since a right Belief is only in order to a good Life a Man would be hard put to it to give a Wise Reason why God should take greater Care for the Infallible Security of Mens Faith than of their Obedience The Reason pretended why God should make such Infallible Provision for a right Faith is for the better security of Mens Eternal Salvation and Happiness Now the Virtues of a good Life have a more Direct and Immediate influence upon that than the most Orthodox Belief The end of the Commandments i. e of the Declaration of the Gospel is Charity In the Christian Religion that which mainly avails to our Justification and Salvation is a Faith that worketh by Charity and the keeping of the Commandments of God He that heareth these Sayings of mine and doth them saith our Blessed Lord I will liken him to a Wise Man that Built his House upon a Rock and again not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord i. e. makes Profession of Faith in me shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven and again if ye know these Things happy are ye if ye do them And the Apostle St. Peter Exhorts Christians to add to their Faith and Knowledge Virtue and Godliness and Brotherly Kindness and Charity that so an abundant entrance may be ministred to them into the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ So that the Virtues of a good Life have the greatest Influence upon our Salvation and the main stress of Christianity is to be laid there And therefore whatever Reason can be assigned why God should provide for the Infallible security of our Faith is much stronger why an equal Provision should be made to secure Holiness and Obedience of Life because without this Faith cannot Infallibly attain its End which is the Salvation of our Souls But this it is granted God hath not done and Experience shews it and therefore it is unreasonable to suppose that he hath done the other It is sufficient that in both kinds he hath done that which is sufficient to make us capable of Happiness if we be not wanting to our selves the rest he hath left to the sincerity of our Endeavours expecting that We on our part should work out our Salvation with fear and trembling and give all Diligence to make our Calling and Election sure And if God hath made such Provision by the Gospel for all that enjoy the Light and Advantage of it that none can miscarry without their own fault then both his Goodness and Wisdom are sufficiently acquitted without an Infallible Guide and Judge in Matters of Faith and that Irreverent way of Arguing in the Canon Law might well have been spared that of necessity there must be an Infallible Judge of Controversies in Religion aliter Dominus non videretur fuisse discretus otherwise God would not seem to have Ordered Matters discreetly But what Infallible Security soever they have in the Church of Rome as to Matters of Faith they are certainly the worst provided of wholsom and safe Directions for the Consciences and Lives of Men of any Church in the World No Religion that I know of in the World ever had such Lewd and Scandalous Casuists Witness the Moral Divinity of the Jesuits which hath been so exposed to the World not only by those
of our Religion but by their own Writers also Nor is this mischief only confined to that Order their Casuists in general and even the more Ancient of them who writ before the Order of Jesuits appeared in the World have given such a Liberty and loose to great Immorality in several kinds as is infinitely to the reproach of the best and purest Religion in the World Insomuch that Sir Tho. Moor himself who was a great Zealot for that Religion could not forbear to make a loud Complaint of it and to pass this severe Censure upon the generality of their Casuists That their great Business seemed to be not to keep Men from Sin but to Teach them quà m propè ad pecâ—atum liceat accedere sine peccato how near to Sin they might lawfully come without Sinning In the mean time the Consciences of Men are like to be well directed when instead of giving Men plain Rules for the Government of their Hearts and Lives and clear Resolutions of the Material Doubts which frequently occur in Humane Life they entangle them in Niceties and endless Scrupulosities teaching them to split Hairs in Divinity and how with great Art and Cunning they may avoid the committing of any Sin and yet come as near to it as is possible This is a thing of a most dangerous Consequence to the Souls of Men and if Men be but once encouraged to pass to the utmost Bounds of what is Lawful the next step will be into that which is Unlawful So that unless Faith without Works will save Men notwithstanding the Infallible Security which they pretend to give Men of a sound and right Belief if it were really as much as they talk of the Salvation of Men would still be in great hazard and uncertainty for want of better and safer Directions for a good Life than are ordinarily to be met with in the Casuistical Writings of that Church especially if we consider that the Scriptures are lock'd up from the People in an unknown Tongue where the surest and plainest Directions for a good Life are most plentifully to be had insomuch that a Man had better want all the Volumes of Casuistical Divinity that ever were written in the World than to be without the Bible by the diligent studying of which Book alone he may sooner learn the way to Heaven than by all the Books in the World without it Fifthly and Lastly This Provision which God hath made is when all is done as good a Security against Fatal Errors and Mistakes in Religion as an Infallible Church could give if there were one and it is as good a way to prevent and put an end to Controversies in Religion so far as it is necessary that they should be prevented and have an end put to them And these are the two great Reasons why an Infallible Judge is so importunately demanded and insisted upon I shall speak to these distinctly and severally but because they will require a longer Discourse than the time will allow I shall not enter upon them at present but refer them to another Opportunity The Third SERMON ON JOHN VII 17. If any Man will do his Will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self WHEN I made entrance into these Wâ—â—ds I proposed from this Text First To shew that an honest and sincere Mind and a hearty Desire and Endeavour to do the Will of God is the greatest Security and best Preservative against dangerous Errors and Mistakes in Matters of Religion In the next place I proceeded to remove an Objection to which my Discourse upon this Subject might seem liable Some perhaps might ask Is every good Man then secure from all Error and Mistaâ—e in Maâ—ters of Religion This is a mighty â—riviledge iâ—deed But do we not find the contrary in experience that an honest Heart and a weak Head do often meet together For Answer to this I laid down several Propositions By the Last of which I shew'd that God hath made abundant Provision for our Security from fatal and dangerous Errors in Religion both by the Infallible Rule of the Holy Scripture and by sufficient means of Instruction to help us to understand this Rule and by his Infallible Promise of assisting us if with honest Minds and a due Diligence we apply our selves to the understanding of this Rule and the use of these Means And this I told you was in all Respects a better Security and more likely to Conduct us safe to Heaven than any Infallible Church whatsoever and that for Five Reasons Four of which I have already treated of and now proceed to the Fifth and last viz. Because this Provision which I have shewn God hath made is both as good a security against Fatal Errors and Mistakes in Religion as an Infallible Church could give if there were One And it is likewise as good a way to prevent and put an end to Controversies in Religion so far as it is necessary they should be prevented or have an end put to them And these are the two great Reasons why an Infallible Judge is so importunately demanded and insisted upon I shall speak to these two Points distinctly and severally First Because this is as good a security against Fatal Errors and Mistakes in Religion as an Infallible Church could give if there were one For an Infallible Church if there were such an one upon Earth could not Infallibly secure particular Christians against Errors in Faith any other way than by the Definition and Declaration of those who are Infallible in that Church And there are but three that pretend to it either the Pope or a Council General or the Pope and a General Council agreeing in the same Definitions Not the Pope by himself nor the General Council without the Pope because the Church which pretends to Infallibility is not agreed that either of these alone is Infallible and therefore their Definitions can be no certain much less Infallible Foundation of Faith no not to that Church which pretends to Infallâ—bility So that if there be an Infallible Oracle in that Church it must be the Pope and Council in Conjunction or the Definition of a Council confirmed by the Pope Now in that Case either the Council was Infallible in its Definitions before they had the Pope's Confirmation or not If the Council was Infallible in its Definitions before they had the Pope's Confirmation then the Council alone and of its self was Infallible which a great part of the Church of Rome deny and then it needed not the Pope's Confirmation to make it Infallible Or else a General Council is not Infallible in its Definitions before they receive the Pope's Confirmation and then the Pope's Confirmation cannot make it so For that which was not Infallibly Defined by the Council cannot be made Infallible by the Pope's Confirmation But there is another Difficulty yet It is a Maxim generally receiv'd and that even in the
Apostle expresly declares that tho' we that is he himself or any of the Apostles or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than what we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed I. That the addition of any thing to the Christian Religion as necessary to be believed or practised in order to Salvation is a perverting the Gospel of Christ and preaching another Gospel This is evident from the Instances here given in this Epistle for the Apostle chargeth the false Apostles with perverting the Gospel of Christ and preaching another Gospel upon no other account but because they added to the Christian Religion and made Circumcision and the keeping of the Law of Moses an essential part of the Christian Religion and imposed upon Christians the practice of these things and the belief of the necessity of them as a Condition of Eternal Salvation That this was the Doctrine of those false Teachers we find expresly Acts 15. 1. And certain men which came down from Judea taught the Brethren and said except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses yâ— cannot be saved and ver 24. in the Letter written by the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem to the Churches abroad there is this account given of it forasmuch as we have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words subverting your Souls saying ye must be circumcised and keep the Law to whom we gave no such Commandment Where you see that this Doctrine is declared to be of pernicious consequence tending to subvert the Souls of Men and likewise to be an addition to the Doctrine of the Gospel which was delivered by the Apostles who here with one consent declare that they had given no such commandment that is had delivered no such Doctrine as this nor put any such yoke upon the necks of Christians but on the con-contrary had declared that the death of Christ having put an end to the Jewish Dispensation there was now no obligation upon Christians to observe the Law of Moses And from the Reason of the thing it is very plain that the addition of any thing to the Christian Religion as necessary to be believed or practised in order to Salvation which the Gospel hath not made so is preaching another Gospel because it makes an essential change in the Terms and Conditions of the Gospel Covenant which declares Salvation unto Men upon such and such Terms and no other Now to add any other Terms to these as of equal necessity with them is to alter the Condition of the Covenant of the Gospel and the Terms of the Christian Religion and consequently to preach another Gospel by declaring other Terms of Salvation than Christ in his Gospel hath declared which is to pervert the Gospel of Christ II. No pretence of Infallibility is sufficient to Authorise and Warrant the addition of any thing to the Christian Doctrine as necessary to be believed or practised in order to Salvation After the delivery of the Gospel by the Son of God and the publication of it to the World by his Apostles who were Commissioned and Inspired by him to that purpose and the confirmation of all by the greatest and most unquestionable Miracles that ever were no person whatever that brought any other Doctrine and declared Salvation to Men upon any other terms than those which are declared in the Gospel was to be credited what pretence soever he should make to a Divine Commission or an Infallible Assistance The Apostle makes a Supposition as high as can be tho' we says he or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be an Anathema If the Apostles themselves who were Divinely Commissioned and Infallibly assisted in the Preaching of the Gospel should afterwards make any addition to it or declare any other Terms of Salvation than those which are declared in the Gospel which they had already published to the World they ought not to be regarded And the Reason is plain because what claim soever any Person may make to Infallibility and what demonstration soever he may give of it we cannot possibly believe him if he contradict himself and deliver Doctrines which do plainly clash with one another For if he spake true at first I cannot believe him declaring the contrary afterwards And if he did not speak true at first I cannot believe him at all because he can give no greater proof of his Divine Commission and Infallible Assistance and Inspiration than he did at first And the Reason is the same if an Angel from Heaven should come and preach a contrary Doctrine to that of the Gospel he were not to be believed neither because he could bring no better Credentials of his Divine Commission and Authority than Those had who publish'd the Gospel and consequently he ought not to be credited in any thing contrary to what they had publish'd before For tho' a Man were never so much disposed to receive a Revelation from God and to submit his Faith to it yet it is not possible for any Man to believe God against God himself that is to believe two Revelations plainly contradictory to one another to be from God and the reason of this is very obvious because every Man doth first and more firmly believe this Proposition or Principle That Contradictions cannot be true than any Revelation whatsoever for if Contradictions may be true then no Revelation from God can signifie any thing because the contrary may be equally true and so truth and falsehood be all one The Apostle indeed only makes a Supposition when he says tho' we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Doctrine unto you but by this Supposition he plainly bars any Man or Company of Men from adding to the Christian Religion any Article of Faith or Point of Practice as of necessity to Salvation which the Gospel hath not made so I say any Man or Company of Men whatever Authority or Infallibility they may lay claim to because they cannot pretend to a clearer Commission and greater Evidence of Infallible Assistance than an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven and yet the Text tells us that would not be a sufficient warrant to preach another Gospel it might indeed bring in question that which they had preached before but could not give Credit and Authority to any thing plainly contrary to it and inconsistent with it III. Christians may judge and discern when another Gospel is preached when new Articles of Faith or Points of Practice not enjoyned by the Gospel are imposed upon Christians This the Apostle supposeth every particular Church and for ought I know every particular Christian that is duly Instructed in the Christian Religion to be a competent Judge of and to be sufficiently able to
and assisted by an Infallible Spirit and had an immediate Commission from Christ to preach the Doctrine of the Gospel did not require from Men absolute submission to their Doctrines and Dictates without examination of what they delivered whether it were agreeable to that Divine Revelation which was contained in the ancient Scriptures This was St. Paul's constant custom and way of teaching among the Jews who had received the Revelation of the Old Testament he did not dictate to them by vertue of his Infallibility but reasoned with them out of the Scriptures and required their belief no further than what he said should upon examination appear agreeable to the Scriptures So we find Acts 17. 2 3. And Paul as his manner was went in unto them speaking of the Jews and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures opening and alledging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Jesus whom I preach unto you is the Christ And Chap. 18. 28. he mightily convinced the Jews and that publickly shewing by the Scriptâ—res that Jesus was the Christ And St. Paul was so far from reproving them for examining his Doctrine by the Scriptures that he commended it as an argument of a Noble and Generous mind in the Bereans that they did not give full assent to his Doctrine 'till upon due search and examination they were satisfied that what he had said was agreeable to the Scriptures Chap. 17. 11 12. Where speaking of the Bereans it is said That these were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so therefore many of them believed that is because upon search they found what he delivered to be agreeable to the Scriptures and it was not a slight but diligent and deliberate search they took time to examine things thoroughly for it is said they searched the Scriptures daily And here in the Text St. Paul puts the case that if he or any other of the Apostles concerning whose Divine Commission and Assistance they were so fully satisfied should deliver any thing to them contrary to the Gospel which they had formerly preached they were to reject it with the greatest abhorrence and detestation and this necessarily supposeth a liberty to examine what was delivered even by those whom they believed to be Infallibly assisted and a capacity to discern and judge whether what they said was agreeable to the Gospel at first delivered to them or not And after this shall any Person or Church what Claim soever they may make to Infallibility assume to themselves an Authority to dictate in matters of Faith and that their Dictates ought to be received with an absolute submission and without liberty to examine whether they be agreeable to the Faith once delivered to the Saints and tho' they add new Articles to the Christian Faith and of which there is not the least foot-step or intimation in any of the Ancient Creeds of the Christian Church and do plainly impose upon Christians the Practice and Belief of several things as necessary to Salvation which the Gospel never declared to be so yet no body shall judge of this but every Man ought without more ado to believe blindfold and to resign up his Understanding and Judgment to the directions of this visible Infallible Judge But surely this is not the reasonable Obedience of Faith but the forc'd submission of Slaves to the Tyranny of their Masters Christians are expresly forbid to call any Man Father or Master upon Earth because we have one Father and Master in Heaven Now to make an absolute submission of our Understandings to any upon Earth so as without examination to receive their Dictates in Matters of Faith is surely if any thing can be so to call such a Person Father and Master because a greater submission than this we cannot pay to our Father who is in Heaven even to God himself I come now to the Sixth and last Observation from the Text That whosoever teacheth any thing as of necessity to Salvation to be believed or practised besides what the Gospel of Christ hath made necessary does fall under the Anathema here in the Text because they that do so do according to the mind of St. Paul pervert the Gospel of Christ and Preach another Gospel For the Reason why he chargeth the false Apostles with Preaching another Gospel and those that were seduced by them as being removed from him that called them by the Grace of Christ unto another Gospel is plainly this that they had changed the Terms of the Christian Religion by adding new Articles to it which were not contained in the Gospel that is by making it necessary to believe it to be so because they taught so Now St. Paul expresly declares this to be Preaching another Gospel because they plainly alter'd the Terms of Salvation declared in the Gospel and made that to be necessary to the Salvation of Men which the Gospel had not made so And whatever Person or Church does the same does inâ—ur the same guilt and falls under the Anathema and Censure here in the Text yea tho' he were an Apostle or an Angel And I am sure no Bishop or Church in the World can pretend either to an equal Authority or Infallibility with an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven Let us then hear what St. Paul declares in this Case and consider seriously with what earnestness and vehemency he declares it tho' we says he or an Angel from Heaven preach any â—her Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him bâ— accursed As we said before so say I now again If any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed St. Paul you see is very earnest in this matter and very peremptory and therefore I cannot but think this Declaration of his to be more considerable and every way more worthy of our regard and dread than all the Anathema's of the Council of Trent which in direct affront and contempt of this Anathema of St. Paul hath presumed to add so many Articles to the Christian Religion upon the counterfeit warrant of Tradition for which there is no ground or warrant from the Scripture or from any Ancient Creed of the Christian Church And for the truth of this I appeal to the Creed of Pope Pius the IV th compiled out of the Definitions of the Council of Trent by which Council the Pope only is Authorised to Interpret the true sense and meaning of the Canons and Decrees of that Council and consequently his interpretations must be of equal force and authority with that of the Council it self So that whatsoever he hath put into â—is new Creed for an Article of Faith ought to be received with the â—ame pious affection and veneration as if the Creed had been compiled by the Council it self
be of a meaner Capacity and be willing to Learn he may by the help of a Teacher be brought to understand them without any great pains and such Teachers God hath appointed in his Church for this very purpose and a Succession of them to continue to the end of the World In a word when we say the Scriptures are plain to all Capacities in all Things necessary we mean that any Man of ordinary Capacity by his own Diligence and Care in Conjunction with the Helps and Advantages which God hath appointed and in the due Use of them may attain to the Knowledge of every Thing necessary to his Salvation and that there is no Book in the World more plain and better fitted to Teach a Man any Art or Science than the Bible is to Direct and Instruct Men in the Way to Heaven and it is every Man's fault if he be ignorant of any Thing necessary for him to believe or do in order to his Eternal Happiness III. Good Men are likewise secured from Fatal Errors in Religion by the Infallible Promise of God if so be that with honest Minds and due Diligence they apply themselves to the understanding of this Rule and make use of the Means of Instruction which God hath provided for that purpose God hath promised to Gaide and Teach the Humble and Meek that is such as are of a Submissive and Teachable Temper desirous and diligent to be Instructed in the Truth Prov. 2. 2 3 4 5. If thou incline thine Ear to Wisdom and apply thine Heart to Understanding yea if thou cryest after Knowledge and liftest up thy Voice for Understanding if thou seekest her as Silver and searchest for her as for hid Treasures then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the Knowledge of God And here in the Text our Saviour assures us that If any Man be desirous to do his Will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether he spake of himself i. e. he shall be able to discern the Doctrines which are from God This is the Provision which God hath made for our security from Fatal Mistakes in Religion and this is in all Respects a better Security and more likely to Guide and Conduct us safely to Heaven than any Infallible Church and that for these Reasons First Because it is much more certain that God hath made this Provision which I have mentioned than that there is an Infallible Church appointed and assisted by him to this Purpose That the Scriptures are an Infallible and Adequate Rule and sufficiently plain in all Things necessary I have already proved and I add further that this was the constant Judgment of the Ancient Church and so declared by the Unanimous Consent of the Fathers of it for many Ages and that all Councils in their Determination of Faith proceeded upon this Rule 'till the Second Councel of Nice I have likewise proved That God hath provided a Succession of Pastors and Teachers in his Church to Instruct us in this Rule and that we have God's Infallible Promise for our security from dangerous Errors and Mistakes if with an honest Mind and due Diligence we apply our selves to understand this Rule and make use of the Means of Instruction which God hath provided for that Purpose But that there is an Infallible Church Appointed and Assisted by God to Declare and Determine Matters of Faith and to be an Infallible Interpreter of Scripture is not certain because there is no clear and express Text of Scripture to that purpose that any Church whatsoever much less that the Church of Rome hath this Power and Priviledge Nay I add further That it is Impossible according to the Principles of the Church of Rome that this should be proved from Scripture because according to their Principles we cannot know either which are the true Books of Scripture or what is the true Sense of Scripture but from the Authority and Infallible Declaration of that Church And if so then the Infallibility of the Church must be first known and proved before we can either know the Scriptures or the sense of them and yet 'till we know the Scriptures and the sense of them nothing can be proved by them Now to pretend to prove the Infallibility of their Church by Scripture and at the same time to declare that which are the true Books of Scripture and what is the true sense of them can only be proved by the Infallible Authority of their Church is a plain and shameful Circle out of which there is no way of escape and consequently that God hath appointed an Infallible Church is Impossible according to their Principles ever to be proved from Scripture and the Thing is capable of no other Proof For that God will Infallibly Assist any Society of Men is not to be known but by Divine Revelation So that unless they can prove it by some other Revelation than that of Scripture which they do not pretend to the Thing is not to be proved at all Yes they say by the Notes and Marks of the True Church but what those Marks are must either be known from Scripture or some other Divine Revelation and then the same Difficulty returns besides that one of the most Essential Marks of the true Church must be the profession of the true Faith and then it must first be known which is the True Faith before we can know which is the True Church and yet they say that no Man can learn the True Faith but from the True Church and this runs them unavoidably into another Circle as shameful as the other So that which way soever they go to prove an Infallible Church they are shut up in a plain Circle and must either prove the Scriptures by the Church and the Church by the Scriptures or the True Church by the True Faith and the True Faith by the True Church Secondly This Provision and Security which I have mentioned is more Humane better Accommodated and Suited to the Nature of Man because it doth not suppose and need a standing and perpetual Miracle as the other way of an Infallible Church doth All Inspiration is Supernatural and Miraculous and this Infallible Assistance which the Church of Rome claims to her self must either be such as the Apostles had which was by immediate Inspiration or something equal to it and alike Supernatural but God does not work Miracles without need or continue them when there is no occasion for them When God delivered the Law to the People of Israel it was accompanied with Miracles and the Prophets which he sent to them from time to time had an immediate Inspiration but their Supream Judicature or their General Council which they call the Sanhedrim was not Infallibly assisted in the Expounding of the Law when Doubts and Difficulties arose about it no nor in judging of True and False Prophets but they determined this and all other Emergent Causes by the standing
Roman Church That the Definitions of a General Council confirmed by the Pope are not Obligatory unless they be receiv'd by the Universal Church From whence these two great Inconveniencies will unavoidably follow Iâ— That no Man is obliged to believe such Definitions 'till he Certainly know that they are received by the Universal Church which how he should Certainly much less Infallibly know I cannot understand unless he either speak with all the Christians in the World or the Representatives of all particular Churches return back and meet again in Council to declare that the Universal Church hath received their Definitions which I think was never yet done II. It will follow that the Definitions of a General Council confirmed by the Pope are not Infallible 'till they be received by the Universal Church For if they were Infallible without that they would be Obligatory without it because an Infallible Definition if we know it to be so lays an Obligation to believe it whether it be receiv'd by the Universal Church or not And if such Definitions are not Infallible 'till they be received by the Universal Church they cannot become Infallible afterwards because if the Definitions were not Infallible before they cannot be received as such by the Universal Church nor by the meer reception of them be made to be Infallible Definitions if they were not so before But if we should pass over all these Difficulties there is a greater yet behind and that is Supposing the Definitions of General Councils confirmed by the Pope to be Infallible particular Christians cannot be secured Infallibly from Error without the Knowledge of those Definitions And there are but two ways imaginable of conveying this Knowledge to them Either by the living voice of their particular Pastors whom they are implicitely to believe in these Matters but particular Pastors are Fallible as they themselves grant and therefore their words can neither be an Infallible Foundation of Faith or an Infallible means of conveying it and it is unreasonable they say for Men that own themselves to be Fallible to require an implicit Belief to be given to them Or else the Knowledge of the Definitions of Councils must be conveyed to particular Christians by Writing and if so then there will only be an Infallible Rule but no living Infallible Judge And if an Infallible Rule will serve the turn we have the Scriptures which we are sure are Infallible and therefore at least as good as any other Rule But they say that the Definitions of Councils give us an Infallible Interpretation of Scripture and therefore are of greater advantage to us But do not the Definitions of Councils sometimes also need Explication that we may know the certain Sense of them without which we cannot know the Doctrines defined Yes certainly they need Explication as much as Scripture if there be any difference about the meaning of them and there have been and still are great Differences among those of their own Church about the meaning of them And if the Explications of General Councils need themselves to be explain'd then there is nothing got by them and we are but where we were before For Differences about the meaning of the Definitions of General Councils make as great Difficulties and Uncertainties in Faith as the Differences about the meaning of Scripture Well but the People have the living voice of their particular Pastors to explain the Definitions of Councils to them But this does not help the Matter neither for these two Reasons First Because particular Pastors have no Authority to explain the Definitions of General Councils The Council of Trent hath by express Decree reserved to the Pope and to him only the Power to explain the Definitions of the Council if any difference arise about the meaning of them So that if there be any difference about the true sense and meaning of any of the Definitions of the Council particular Pastors have no Authority to explain them and where there is no doubt or difference about the meaning of them there is no occasion for the explication of them Secondly But suppose they had Authority to explain them this can be no Infallible Security to the People that they explain them right both because particular Pastors are fallible and likewise because we see in experience that they differ in their Explications witness the Bishop of Condom's Exposition of the Catholick Faith and of the Definitions of the Council of Trent which is in many Material Points very different from that of Bellarmine and many other Famous Doctors of that Church And which is more witness the many differences betwixt Ambroâ—ius Catharinus and Dominicus Asoto about the Definitions of that Council in which they were both present and heard the Debates and themselves bore a great part in them Now if they who were present at the framing of the Definitions of that Council cannot agree about the meaning of them much less can it be expected from those that were absent Secondly This Provision which I have mentioned is likewise as good a way to prevent and put an end to Controversies in Religion so far as it is necessary they should be prevented or have an end put to them as any Infallible Church would be if there were one And this is another Reason why an Infallible Church is so much insisted upon that there may be some way and means for a final decision of Controversies which the Scriptures cannot be because they are only a dead Rule which can end no Controversie without a Living Judge ready at hand to interpret and apply that Rule upon emergent Occasions It is not necessary that all Controversies in Religion should either be prevented or decided This the Church which pretends to be Infallible cannot pretend to have done because there are manifold Controversies even in the Church of Rome her self concerning Matters of Religion which still remain undecided and in their Commentaries upon Scripture many Differences about the sense of several Texts concerning which she hath not thought fit to give an Infallible Interpretation And where their Popes and several of their General Councils have thought fit to meddle with Scripture they have applyed and interpreted Texts more improperly and absurdly than even their private Doctors And which is more in Differences about Points of Faith which are pretended on both sides to be fundamental this Church hath not thought fit to put an end to them by her Infallible Decision after two hundred years brangling about them For instance in that fierce and long Difference about the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin which on both sides is pretended to be an Article of Faith and for which contrary Revelations of their Canonized Saints are so frequently pretended and yet neither Pope nor General Council have thought fit to exert their Infallibility for the decision of this Controversie So that if their Church had this Talent of Infallibility ever committed to them they have with the slothful Servant
SIXTEEN SERMONS Preached on Several Subjects By the Most Reverend Dr. JOHN TILLOTSON Late Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Being The THIRD VOLUME Published from the Originals By Ralph Barker D. D. Chaplain to his Grace LONDON Printed for Ri. Chilwell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard MDCXCVI The most Reverend Dr. IOHN TILLOTSON late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury THE CONTENTS SERMON I. GALAT. I. 8 9. But tho' We or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed Pag. 1. SERMON II III IV. JOHN VII 17. If any Man will do his Willâ— he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self p. 31 55 85. SERMON V VI VII VIII LUKE XII 15. And he said unto them Take heed and beware of Covetousness for a Man's Life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth p. 109 139 165 193. SERMON IX X. MATTH VI. 33. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you p. 223 253. SERMON XI PSAL. CXIX 96. I have seen an end of all Perfection but thy Commandment is exceeding broad p. 285. SERMON XII XIII 2 PETER I. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by thâ—se ye might be partakers of the Divine Nature p. 319 345. SERMON XIV XV. 1 PETER IV. 19. Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of Godâ— commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator p. 367 415. SERMON XVI JOHN IX 4. I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day the night cometh when no Man can work p. 445. A SERMON ON GALAT. I. 8 9. But tho' We or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed BEfore I come to handle the words for our better understanding of them I shall give a brief account of the occasion of them which was this Some false Apostles had made a great disturbance in the Churches planted by the Apostles of Christ by teaching that it was necessary for Christians not only to embrace and entertain the Doctrines and Precepts of the Christian Religion but likewise to be Circumcised and keep the Law of Moses Of this disturbance which was raised in the Christian Church you have the History at large Acts 15. and as in several other Churches so particularly in that of Galatia these false Apostles and Seducers had perverted many as appears by this Epistle in the beginning whereof St. Paul complains that those who were seduced into this Error of the necessity of Circumcision and keeping the Law of Moses had by this new Article of Faith which they had added to the Christian Religion quite altered the frame of it and made the Gospel another thing from that which our Saviour delivered and commanded his Apostles to teach all Nations For he tells us ver 6. of this Chapter that he marvelled that they were so soon removed from him that called them by or through the grace of Christ untâ— another Gospel that is so different from that which they had been instructed in by those who first preached the Gospel unto them For the making of any thing necessary to Salvation which our Saviour in his Gospel had not made so he calls another Gospel I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you by the grace of Christ unto another Gospel which is not another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is no other thing or by which I mean nothing else but that there are some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ as if he had said when I say that ye are removed to another Gospel I do not mean that ye have renounced Christianity and are gone over to another Religion but that ye are seduced by those who have a mind to pervert the Gospel of Christ by adding something to it as a necessary and essential part of it which Christ hath not made so This the Apostle calls a perverting or overthrowing of the Gospel because by thus altering the Terms and Conditions of it they made it quite another thing from what our Saviour delivered it And then at the 8 th and 9 th verses he denounceth a terrible Anathema against those whoever they should be yea tho' it were an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven who by thus perverting the Gospel of Christ that is by making any thing necessary to be believed or practised which our Saviour in his Gospel had not made so should in effect preach another Gospel but tho' we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be Anathema an accursed thing And then to express his confidence and vehemency in this matter and to shew that he did not speak this rashly and in a heat but upon due consideration he repeats it again in the next verse As we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed From the words thus explained by the consideration of the Context and of the main scope and design of this Epistle these following Observations do naturally arise First That the addition of any thing to the Christian Religion as necessary to be believed and practised in order to Salvation is a perverting the Gospel of Christ and preaching another Gospel Secondly That no pretence of Infallibility is sufficient to authorise and warrant the addition of any thing to the Christian Doctrine as necessary to be believed and practised in order to Salvation Thirdly That Christians may judge and discern when such additions are made Fourthly and consequently That since the declaration of the Gospel and the confirmation of it there is no Authority in the Christian Church to impose upon Christians any thing as of necessity to Salvation which the Gospel hath not made so Fifthly That there is no visible Judge how Infallible soever he may pretend to be to whose definitions and declarations in Matters of Faith and Practice necessary to Salvation we are bound to submit without examination whether these things be agreeable to the Gospel of Christ or not Sixthly and Lastly Whosoever teacheth any thing as of necessity to Salvation to be believed or practised besides what the Gospel of Christ hath made necessary does fall under the Anathema here in the Text because in so doing he perverteth the Gospel of Christ and preacheth another Gospel Now the
discern when another Gospel is preached and new Terms and Conditions not declared in the Gospel are added to the Christian Religion for if they be not able to judge of this the Apostle does in vain caution them against the seduction of those who perverted the Doctrine of Christ and endeavoured to remove them from him that had called them by the grace of Christ unto another Gospel It may perhaps be said that there was no need that they should be able to discern and judge of the Doctrines of those false Teachers it was sufficient for them to believe the Apostle concerning the Doctrines of those Seducers when he declared to them the falsehood and pernicious consequence of them But the Apostle speaks to them upon another supposition which does necessarily imply that they were able to discern and judge what Doctrines were agreeable to the Gospel and what not for he puts the Case that if he himself or any of the Apostles or an Angel from Heaven should preach to them another Doctrine contrary to that of the Gospel they ought to reject it with detestation but this doth necessarily suppose them able to judge when such Doctrines were preached and consequently that all things necessary to be believed and practised by all Christians are clearly and plainly declared in the Gospel all the Doctrines whereof are now contained in the Holy Scriptures in which all things necessary to Faith and a good Life are so plainly delivered that any sober and inquisitive Person may learn them from thence and the meanest Capacity by the help and direction of their Guides and Teachers may be Instructed in them And this is not only the Principle of Protestants but the express and constant Doctrine of the Ancient Fathers of the Church whatever the Church of Rome for the maintaining of her usurp'd Authority over the Consciences of Men pretends to the contrary And if this were not so that Men are able to discern and judge which are the Doctrines of the Gospel and what is contrary to them the Doctrine of the Gospel was in vain preached and the Holy Scriptures containing that Doctrine were written to no purpose Some things in Scripture are granted to be obscure and difficult on purpose to exercise the Study and Enquiries of those who have leisure and capacity for it but all things necessary are sufficiently plain otherwise it would be impossible to judge when another Gospel is preached which the Apostle here supposeth the Galatians capable of doing For if the Revelation of the Gospel be not sufficiently plain in all things necessary to be believed and practised then Christians have no Rule whereby to judge what Doctrines are agreeable to the Gospel and what not for an obscure Rule is of no use that is in truth is no Rule to those to whom it is obscure I proceed to the IVth Observation which is plainly consequent from those laid down before namely that since the Declaration of the Gospel and the Confirmation given to it there is no Authority in the Christian Church to impose upon Christians any thing as of necessity to Salvation which the Gospel hath not made so The Commission given by our Lord and Saviour to his Apostles was to preach the Gospel to all Nations or as St. Matthew expresses it to go and teach all Nations to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded them and this is that which we call the Gospel viz. that Doctrine which Christ commanded his Apostles to preach and publish to the World and if the Apostles themselves had exceeded their Commission and added any other points of Faith or Practice to those which our Saviour gave them in charge to teach and publish to the World they had in so doing been guilty of that which St. Paul here in the Text chargeth the false Apostles with viz. of preaching another Gospel And if the Apostles had â—o Authority to add any thing to the Gospel much less can any pretend to it since they have neither so immediate a Commission nor such a miraculous power to give testimony to them that they are Teachers come from God Now this Doctrine of the Gospel which the Apostles preached to the World is that which Christians are so often and so earnestly by the Apostles in all their Epistles Exhorted to continue in and not to suffer themselves to be shaken in mind by every wind of new Doctrine because that which the Apostles had delivered to them was the intire Doctrine of the Gospel which was never to receive any addition or alteration This is that which St. Peter calls the Holy Commandment which was delivered unto them 2 Pet. 2. 21. It had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto them speaking in all probability of those who were seduced by the errors of the Gnosticks from the purity of the Christian Doctrine delivered to them by the Apostles This likewise St. Paul calls the common Faith Titus 1. 4. and St. Jude ver 3. the common Salvation that is the Doctrine which contains the common Terms of our Salvation and the Faith w hich was once delivered to the Saints that is by the Apostles of our Lord who publish'd the Gospel once delivered that is once for all so as never afterwards to admit of any change or alteration This Faith he exhorts Christians earnestly to contend for against those several Sects of Seducers which were crept into the Christian Church and did endeavour by several Arts to pervert the Gospel of Christ and to deprave the Faith delivered by the Apostles So that the Doctrine of the Gospel publish'd by the Apostles is fix'd and unalterable and there can be no Authority in the Church to make any change in it either by taking from it or adding any thing to it as necessary to be believed or practised in order to Salvation V. It follows likewise from the foregoing Observations that there is no visible Judge how much soever â—e may pretend to Infallibility to whose determination and decision in matters of Faith and Practice necessary to Salvation Christians are bound to submit without examination whether those things be agreeable to the Doctrine of the Gospel or not When our Saviour appeared in the World tho' he had Authority enough to exact belief from Men yet because there was a standing Revelation of God made to the Jews he appeals to that Revelation as well as to his own Miracles for the truth of what he said and offered himself and his Doctrine to be tried by the agreeableness of it to the Scriptures of the Old Testament and the Predictions therein concerning him And this was but reasonable it being impossible for any Man to receive two Revelations as from God without liberty to examine whether they be agreeable to and consistent with one another In like manner the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour tho' they were guided
laid it up in a Napkin and according to our Saviour's Rule have long since forfeited it for not making use of it And whereas it is pretended that the Scripture is but a dead Râ—lâ— which can end no Controversies without a Living Judge ready at hand to interpret and apply that Rule upon emergent Occasions the same Objection lies against them unless a General Council which is their Living Judge were always sitting For the Dâ—finitions of their Councils in Writing are liable to the same and greater Objections than the Written Rule of the Scriptures The Summ of all is this In Differences about lesser Matters mutual Charity and Forbearance will secure the Peace of the Church tho' the Differences remain undecided and in greater Matters an Infallible Rule searched into with an honest Mind and due Diligence and with the help of good Instruction is more likely to extinguish and put an end to such Differences than any Infallible Judge if there were one because an humble and honest Mind is more likely to yield to Reason than a perverse and cavilling Temper is to submit to the Sentence of an Infallible Judge unless it were back'd with an Inquisition The Church of Rome supposeth her self Infallible and yet notwithstanding that she finds that some question and deny her Infallibility and then her Sentence signifies nothing And of those who own it many dispute the sense and meaning of her Sentence and whether they deny the Infallibility of her Sentence or dispute the Sense of it in neither of these Cases will it prove effectual to the deciding of any Difference But after all this Provision which we pretend God hath made for honest and sincere Minds Do we not see that Men fall into dangerous and damnable Errors who yet cannot without great Uncharitableness be supposed not to be sincerely desirous to know the Truth and to do the Will of God To this I shall briefly return these Two Things I. That the same Errors are not equally damnable to all The innocent and humanly speaking almost invincible Prejudices of Education in some Persons even against a Fundamental Truth the different Capacities of Men and the different Means of Conviction afforded to them the greater and lesser degrees of Obstinacy and a faulty Will in opposing the Truths proposed to them all these and perhaps several other Considerations besides may make a great difference in the guilt of Mens Errors and the danger of them II. When all is done the Matter must be left to God who only knowâ—th the Hearts of all the Children of Men. We cannot see into the Hearts of Men nor know all their Circumstances and how they may have provoked God to forsake them and give them up to Error and Delusion because they would not receive the truth in the love of it that they might be saved And as on the one hand God will consider all Mens Circumstances and the Disadvantages they were under for coming to the knowledge of the Truth and make allowance to Men for their invincible Errors and forgive them upon a general Repentance So on the other hand he who sees the insincerity of Men and that the Errors of their Understandings did proceâ—d from gross Faults of their Lives will deal with them accordingly But if Men be honest and sincere God who hath said if any Man will do his Will he shall know of the Doctrine will certainly be as good as his word It now remains only to draw some Inferences from this Discourse and they shall be these three First From this Text and what hath been Discoursed upon it we may infer how slender and ill-grounded the pretence of the Church of Rome to Infallibility is whether they place it in the Pope or in a General Council or in both The last is the most general Opinion and yet it is hard to understand how Infallibility can result from the Pope's Confirmation of a General Council when neither the Council was Infallible in framing its Definitions nor the Pope in Confirming them If the Council were Infallible in framing them then they needed no Confirmation If they were not then Infallibility is only in the Pope that confirms them and then it is the Pope only that is Infallible But no Man that reads these words of our Saviour if any Man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine would ever imagine that the Bishop of Rome whoever he shall happen to be were secured from all fatal Errors in Matters of Faith much less that he were Endowed with an Infallible Spirit in Judging what Doctrines are from God and what not For it cannot be denied but that many of their Popes have been notoriously Wicked and Vicious in their Lives Nay Bellarmine himself acknowledgeth that for a Succession of Fifty Popes together there was not one Pious and Virtuous Man that sate in that Chair and some of their Popes have been Condemned and Deposed for Heresie and yet after all this the Pope and the governing part of that Church would bear the World in hand that he is Infallible But if this Saying of our Saviour be true that if any Man will do his will he shall know of his Doctrine whether it be of God then every honest Man that sincerely desires to do the Will of God hath a fairer pretence to Infallibility and a clearer Text for it than is to be found in the whole Bible for the Infallibility of the Bishop of Rome What would the Church of Rome give that theâ—e were but as express a Text in Scripture for the Infallibility of their Popes as this is for the security of every good Man in his Judgment of Doctrines which makes Infallibility needless What an unsufferable Noise and what endless Triumphs would they make upon it if it had been any where said in the Bible That if any Man be Bishop of Rome and sit in St. Peter's Chair he shall know of my Doctrine whether it be of God Had there been but such a Text as this we should never have been troubled with their impertinent citation of Texts and their remote and blind Inferences from Pasce Oves and super hanc Petram Feed my Sheep and upon this Rock will I build my Church to prove the Pope's Infallibility And yet no Man of Sense or Reason ever extended the Text I am speaking to so far as to attempt to prove from it the Infallibility of every good Man but only his security from â—atal Errors and Mistakes in Religion The largest Promises that are made in Scripture of security from Error and Mistake about Divine Things are made to good Men who sincerely desire to do the Will of God And if this be so we must conclude several Popes to have been the furthest from Infallibility of any Men in the World And indeed there is not a more compendious way to perswade Men that the Christian Religion is a Fable than to set up a Lewd and Vicious Man for the Oracle
the Extirpation of Heresie are more immediately concerned Of this Nature are the Doctrines of Equivocation and Mental Reservation and the Lawfulness of such Artificial ways of Lying to avoid the Danger of the Law when they are brought before Heretical Magistrates and this is the common Doctrine of the most learned Casuists of all Orders in the Church of Rome And such likewise are their Doctrines of the Lawâ—ulness of extirpating Hereticks by the most barbarous and bloody Means and of breaking Faith with them tho' given by Emperours and Princes in the most publick and solemn manner both which are the avowed Doctrines of their General Councils and have frequently been put in Practice to the Destruction of many millions of Christians better and more righteous than themâ—elves But we have not so lâ—arned Christ who have heard him and been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus They who are rightly instructed in the Christian Religion are so far from thinking it lawful to do any thing that is evil to bring others under suffering that they do not allow it in any Case whatsoever no not for the Cause of God and Religion and to free themselves from the greatest Sufferings that can be inflicted upon them 3. Provided also that we do trust the Providence of God and do indeed commit our selves to it relying upon his Wisdom and Goodness and entirely submitting and resigning up our selves to his Will and Disposal both as to the Degree and the Duration of our Sufferings believing that he will do that for us which upon the whole matter and in the final issue and result of things will be best for us That Blessing wherewith Moses the Man of God blest the People of Israel before his Death doth belong to good Men in all Ages He loveth his People and all his Saints are in his hand Deut. 33. 3. Innumerable are the Proâ—ises in Scripture concerning the merciful Providence and Goodness of God towards those who trust in him and hope in his Mercy Psal 32. 10. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked But he that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compass him about Psal 33. 18â— 19 20 21 22. Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him Upon them that hope in his mercy To deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine Our soul waiteth for the Lord he is our help and our shiâ—ld For our heart shall rejoyce in him Because we have trusted in his holy name Let thy mercy O Lord be upon us according as we hope in thee Psal 34. 22. The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants And none of them that trust in him shall be desolate Psal 37. 39 40. But thâ— salvation of the Righteous is of the Lorâ— he is their strength in the time of trouble And the Lord shall help them and deliver them He shall deliver them from the wicked and save them because they trust in him Psal 31. 19. O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the Sons of men Psal 55. 22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee He shall never suffer the rightâ—ous to be moved Psal 125. 1. They that trust in thâ— Lord shall be as mount Zion which cannot be removed but aâ—idâ—th for ever Esa 26. 3 4. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusâ—eth in thee Trust ye in the Lord for ever For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength 4. Provided yet further that we pray earnestly to God for his Gracious Help and Assistance for his merciful Comfort and Support under Sufferings that he would be pleased to strengthen our Faith and to encrease and lengthen out our Patience in proportion to the Degree and Duration of our Sufferings All the Promises which God hath made to us are upon this Condition that we earnestly seek and sue to him for the Benefit and Blessing of them Psal 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Ezek. 36. 37. After a great Deliverance and many Blessings promised to them this Condition is at last added Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them And this likewise is the tenor of the Promises of the New Testament Mat. 7. 7. Ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you And in this very Case that I am speaking of God expects that we should apply our selves to him for Spiritual Wisdom and Grace to behave our selves under Sufferings as we ought Jam. 1. 2 3 4. Where speaking of the manifold Temptations that Christians would be exercised withal he directs them to pray to God for Wisdom to demean themselves under Persecutions with Patience and Constancy and Chearfulness My Brethren account it all joy when ye fall into divers Temptations meaning the Temptations and Tryals of Suffering in several kinds Knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh patience But let patience have its perfect work And because this is a very difficult Duty and requires a great deal of Spiritual Skill to demean our selves under Sufferings as we ought therefore he adds in the next words If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him And this earnest application we are to make to God for his grace and seasonable help in time of need not to put him in mind of his Promise but to testifie our dependance upon him and expectation of all good from him And we must likewise use great importunity in our Prayers to God to assist us and stand by us in the day of Trial and the hour of Temptation And therefore our Saviour heaps up several words to denote the great earnestness and importunity which we ought to use in Prayer bidding us to ask and seek and knock And to shew that he lays more than ordinary weight upon this Matter and to encourage our importunity he spake two several Parables to this purpose the first Luke 11. 5. of the Man who by meer importunity prevailed with his Friend to rise at midnight to do him a kindness which our Saviour applies to encourage our importunity in Prayer ver 9. And I say unto you ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you The other is the Parable of the importunate Widow and unjust Judge related by the same Evangelist Luke 18. 1. with this Preface to it and he spake a Parable unto them to this end that Men ought always to pray and not to faint And to speak the truth they seem at first sight two of the oddest of all our Saviour's Parables if the