blindness in faith is to pretend a cleer sight of its rules infallibility The Catholik Church acording to St Paul and the Scriptures is a Congregation of men who do not see what they belieue and are led and directed by the holy Ghost in matters of doctrin This Church is euery particular mans immediat Guide because we follow it and hold fast to its testimony and tradition but this Church also hath a Guide the holy Spirit which leads it as Christ sayes into all truth by continualy directing it and assisting in its definitions and decrees Vvhen the four first general Councells defin'd the Diuinity of Christ and of the holy Ghost they did not cleerly see nor demonstrat against heretiks the truth of that doctrin or that God reuealed it For if they had the heretiks could not haue continued heretiks in their iudgments It s therfore fufficient that in the Catholik Church there be Doctors and arguments to demonstrat that all Dissenters or heretiks by not submitting to its doctrin and authority go against reason and the obligation all men haue to embrace that religion which is most likely to be Diuine in regard of greater appearance therin of supernatural signs which Christ sayd his Church should haue than in any other To ground therfore the certainty of Christian Faith or of its rule vpon any euidence which faith itself declares to be fallacious and fallible as it doth declare the euidence of our senses and sensations is in the article of Transubstantiation is to destroy Christianity and therfore Tradition as receiuing its certainty from our sensations can not be a sufficient ground for the certainty of Christian faith Q. I pray resolue your Catholik faith vnto its motiue A. That is don by answering questions Thus. Vvhy do you belieue the mystery of the Trinity or Transubstantiation Because God who can not deceiue nor be deceiued reuealed it How do you know God reuealed it If you speake of cleer knowledge I do not know that God reuealed it But if you will speake properly as a Christian or as a man that vnderstands what we mean by Faith you must not ask how I know but how or why do I belieue that God reuealed it Then I will answer that the testimony or tradition of the Church confirmed with seemingly supernatural signs testifying that God reuealed those mysteries makes it euidently credible he did reueal them But because I know my vnderstanding is so imperfect that I can not pretend to infallibility and my senses are so fallacious that by our sensations we are often mistaken and that faith itself tells us so in the article of Transubstantiation I cant no assent to this article or to the mystery of the Trinity or to any other pretended to be euidently reuealed by virtue of self euident Tradition and infallible sensations with that certainty which Christianity requires vntill I reflect and rely altogether vpon Gods veracity and apply it to the aforesaid testimony and Tradition of the Roman Catholik Church which declares that itself is authorised by God and shews for that authority seemingly supernatural signs to propose as reuealed by him those mysteries and all the other particulars of our Faith Vvhen I compare and apply the Diuine veracity to this testimony of the Church authorised by those signs I assent to all shee proposeth as reuealed by God by this act Notvvithstanding I do not see any cleer euidence or infallible connexion betvven the testimony or signs of the Church and Gods reuealing its doctrin yet because Gods veracity and his auersion from falsood is infinit I do belieue as certainly as I do that God is infinitly inclined to truth that he neuer did nor neuer vvill permit the least falsood to be so authenticaly proposed as his reuelation or vvord as I see euery point of the Roman Catholick doctrin is proposed by the tradition and signs of that Church This general assent is applyed to euery particular article Heer you see that the motiue of our Chatholik Faith is not the Tradition or testimony of the Church but only Gods veracity You see also that the tradition of the Church is the rule of our Faith because it helps and directs vs to reflect and rely more vpon the motiue which is Gods veracity than upon Tradition itself Lastly you see there is no impossibility in assenting by an act of faith with more assurance than there is appearance or euidence of the truth assented vnto because the assurance is not taken from nor grounded vpon the appearance but vpon Gods veracity and his infinit inclination to truth Hence followeth 1. That whosoeuer denyes any one article of Faith whether fundamental or not fundamental belieueth none at all with Diuine or Christian Faith because he slights the motiue therof which is Gods infinit inclination to truth and auersion from falsood to that degree as to be persuaded the Diuinity can permit falsood to be so credibly fatherd vpon itself as the Roman Catholik Church doth its doctrin with so seeming supernatural signs and so constant a Tradition The motiue of Faith being thus once slighted none that so slights it can belieue any thing for its sake or upon its score 2. It followeth That the Tradition and Miracles of the Catholik Church do not make it cleerly euident to us that God reuealed any one article of Christian Faith nay not that fundamental one of the Diuinity of Christ For though Tradition makes it cleerly euident to us there was such a man as Christ and such prodigies as his Miracles and that him self say'd he was God yet that Tradition and those prodigies do not make it cleerly euident to us as it did not to the Iewes that Christ was realy God For if this had bin cleerly euidenc'd to them or us neither Iewes nor Socinians or any other ancient heretiks could haue bin obstinat or heretiks in their iudgments against Christs Diuinity Q. If I do not see an infallible connexion between the assent or rule of Faith and Gods reuelation I must needs see there is no infallible connexion and may say the assent of Faith may be false seing Tradition which is the rule of that assent is fallible On the other side I must sa yt he assent of Faith can not be false So that if Tradition be not so self euident as from it to conclude cleerly the impossibility of Faiths falsood it must be granted that I see Faith is and is not infallible and that Tradition is and is not an infallible Rule A. Though I do not see any infallible connexion between Gods reuelation and the Tradition of the Church or any other rule directing to belieue what he realy â—eueald or which is the same between the assent of Faith and the rule of Faith yet it doth not follow that I must see or say there is no necessary connexion between them For at the same time I do not see that necessary connexion or infallibility I do belieue there is that
A SOVERAIGN REMEDY AGAINST ATHEISM and Heresy FITTED FOR THE VVIT and vvant of the British Nations BY M. THOMAS ANDERTON aliás BARTON PVBLISHED AFTER HIS DEATH and Dedicated to the Lady Frances Hamilton By her humble Chaplin E. G. An. 1672. TO THE MOST ILLVSTRIOVS LADY THE LADY FRANCES HAMILTON MADAM England your natiue soil once so much celebrated throughout all Christendom for an Istand of Saints and Angels is novv censured euen by its ovvn Parliament as a Nursery of Atheism and Heresy and therfore that great Representatiue of the Nation is no less solicitous for a cure than sensible of a disease so dangerous and destructiue not only to the soul but to the body politik of the Commonvvealth And yet either our misfortune or their mistake hath renderd all remedies hitherto ineffectual This Treatise MADAM composed by Mr. Thomas Barton vvhose Vvit must be admired so long as there vvill be any in the vvorld vvas found vvith his Geometry in Holland vvhere he had designed to print both and bestovvd upon me by one that understood not the English language nor the ualue of his Present In my iudgment 't is one of the best Antidotes against the spiritual plagues vvervvith England is infected I publish it under your Lad ps patronage and beg pardon for doing so vvithout your Knovvledge because you are not only a perfect Pattern of that ancient Faith and Virtue vvhich it asserts but a particular Instance and a conuincing Proof that Heresy and Atheism haue not so vvholly changed the nature of old England but that euen novv it produceth Angels I Knovv MADAM these Truths vvill offend your modesty and Humility your greatest care being to conceal your natural and supernatural Gifts and to eclipse to the eyes of men your spiritual exercises and deuotion feigning to be as vvell pleased vvith the vvorld as the vvorld is vvith you But that vvhich hath exalted you aboue the vvorld and I hope vvrit your name in the book of life is your extraordinary Charity You are not in the list of those vvho hope to be saued by charitable indiscretions No MADAM Prudence directs your almes as vvell as your other actiōs Humor hath no share in your distributions Vanity no influence upon your liberality partiality no suffrage in the choice of the poor you relieue You stretch your piety to the support of merit vvheresoeuer it is iniured by Fortune and to the defence of Virtue oppressed by persecution And though you do it vvith so great caution as to disguise supernatural Charity vvith that noble ayr of generosity so natural and peculiar to your self yet your deuout design is discouered and your revvard before God as vvell as the relieued persons obligation to you infinitly multiplied Pardon me MADAM if I trespass upon your Reseruedness and choose rather to incurr your Lad ps displeasure than concurr to preiudice Mankind by depriuing it of so great an encouragement to Virtue as the Knovvledge of your perfections I speak MADAM of those hidden in your soul not of those vvhich shine outvvardly and can not be concealed as your matchless beauty and charming graces These MADAM are but fading and fallacious Ornaments that set out Mortality in a deluding dress vvith gay and liuely colours vvhich a litle tyme vvill deface the sad fate of the greatest beautyes as vvell as of the fairest flovvers I need not inculcat this Truth to your Ladp. t is so deeply printed in your soul that others are odious to you if they but touch upon any of those rare qualities vvhervvith Nature by straining its povver to the utmost hath made you a Miracle of itself and plac't you in the vvorld as a Model not to be imitated much less paralelled but to be admired euen by those most emulous and enuious of your ovvn sex vvhich fancy themselues ought to be adored by ours But that vvhich most surpriseth the vvorld is that so enuied a Miracle of Nature as your Ladp. could neuer yet be censured or obserued of hauing any Kind of inclination to be admired or applauded This is a Miracle of Gods grace and an effect of that natural modesty and eminent honor vvherby you alvvayes haue preserued your unspotted reputation in the tvvo most dangerous Courts of Christendom to both vvhich you are in this particular the best example as in all other things the greatest Ornament This auersion to your ovvn praises is the only reason vvhy I dare not mention the great Antiquity and high Alliance of your illustrious Family the most proper and usual Ingredient in all Dedicatories I should uenture though to say somthing of your acute VVit profound iudgment agreable humor gracefull utterance becomming behauior and discreet conduct but that these are abuious and obserued by all the VVorld and particularly by the greatest Court and best Iudge therof vvhich giues your Lad p this Character That you are an exact English Beauty naturaly adorned vvith all the graces of France and an abridgment of the purest perfections of both Nations But because euen this authentik and undeniable Testimony is not gratefull to your Ladp. and that it is impossible to speak any truth of you vvithout commending and offending you I am forc't to cut off a long Panegyrik of your deserued praises and conclude vvith this one vvhich I hope vvill not be offensiue that you are the only person vvho thinks you are unvvorthy of that litle I haue sayd heer or that can command me to say no more but that I am vvith all reality and respect MADAM Your Lad ps most obedient and most humble seruant E. G. THE PREFACE WIth no less humility than charity I will propose my thoughts concerning the Atheism and Heresy of our Countrey hoping that if my sense differs from that of others I shall not be blamed for offering and submitting my opinion to better iudgments I shall endeauor to ground mine upon Scripture and reason Scripture compares Heresy to that crafty serpent which deceiued our Mother Eue with the curiosity of Knowing the cause and reasons of Gods reuelations persuading her that human vnderstandings ought not be satisfied with any thing less than cleer euidence as if it were beneath men to submit to authority Vvhen our curiosity and pride preuails with us to contemn the testimony and tradition of the Church and to preferr our priuat opinions before the publik doctrin and practise therof and that we are obstinat in that way we becom heretiks and in progress of time Atheists So filth and corruption becoms first a creeping serpent and afterwards a flying Dragon For as this Vermin is engendred by the heat of the sun in marish grounds and dirty sinks so Heresy and Atheism haue their first being from the influence which heate of passion height of pride and sensual pleasures haue vpon vicious souls These wallowing in the mire of sin and sucking up its venom beget the priuat spirit which is a serpent that with hissing whispers infects the brain by asking
the help of the body and if it can act independently of the help of the body it may exist also without help of the same and so the soul is proued to be immortal or not to dye with the body by its acting in the body contrary to the dictamen or appearence of our senses Q. Methinks this argument only proues that the soul may act and by consequence exist independently of the body for som ryme but proueth not that it may exist for euer independently of the body and the immortality of the soul is not euery existen â—ce but an euerlasting existence independent of the boby A. True it is that the immortality of the soul is an euerlasting existence without necessity of the bodyes help or support and as true it is that reason as soon as the soul knowes it self doth direct it to desire and endeauour its own happiness which â—nuolues not only a perpetuity of existence but an euerlasting felicity in the same existence That reasons cleerest act after the soul knowes its own existence is to direct and inspire into the soul a desire and endeauours of its own happiness is manifest not only by that regret and remorse of conscience which men feel when they deuiat from the direction or dictamen of reason but also by the loue which men bear to themselues which loue being confessed to be most euidently rational can not but be directed by the cleerest principle of reason Vvherfore this desire of the souls happiness being directed by the cleerest principle of reason can not be pretended to be a dreame or delusion vnless you will maintain that the cleerest reason is the greatest folly and by consequence destroy the fundamental ground of all human discourse and rational endeauours If therfore the souls desire of euerlasting happiness be grounded vpon so cleer a principle of reason this if it be not folly must haue a real obiect wherunto we are directed and wherwith we may be satisfied without any possibility of mistake and if so 't is as demonstrable that the soul is immortal as it is that the most rational desires and endeauours are not manifest follies and that the fundamental and experimental principles of reason can not be false or fallacious But if any one will be so mad as to grant that the first and fundamental principles of human reason are false and fallacious besides that herin he reflects vpon Gods wisdom goodness and gouernment wherwith such a supposition is not compatible he must grant that there are som other contrary fundamental principles true in opposition wherunto ours are false and fallacious Let him therfore produce them and maintain that it is reasonable in lieu of honoring our parents to hate them in lieu of desiring our happiness to wish our misery c. and if he can not produce any others besides these he can not think it reasonnable we should credit these or feare our selues can be misled so long as we stick close to our own principles of reason and follow that light which shines and euery man sees in certain actions necessarily and naturally assented vnto and therfore common to all mankind CHAP. III. OF THE VVORSHIP OF GOD and the sacrifice due to him Q. Seing you haue proued that there is a God and that the soul is immortal I would willingly know how God ought to be worshipt A. God being the Author of all good Mr Beacoz a learned ProtestaÌ„t in his Tratise intituled the reliâ—ues of Rome edit 1560. f. 344 saith the Mass vvas begotten conceiued and born anone after the Apostles tyme if all be true that Historiographers vvrite Sebastianus Francus an other learned Protestant in his Epistle for abrâ—gating all â—he Canon lavv sayth imâ—â—diatly after the Apostles all things vvere turnd vpside dovvn c. The Lords supper vvas trans formed into a sacrifice Mr Ascham in his Apology for the Lords supper p. 31. doth acknovvledge that no beginning of this change can be chevved The ancieÌ„t rathers call the Mass the visible sacrifice the true sacrifice the dayly sacrifice the sacrifice according to the order of Melchisedech the sacrifice of the body and bloud of Christ the sacrifice of the Altar the sacrifice of the Church and the sacrifice of the nevv Testament See St Ignatius the Apostles Scholar in his Epistle to the Church of Smirna St Irenaeus l. 4. c. 32. of vvhom the Centurists say that he speakes very in comodiously vvhen he sayes that Christ tanght a nevv oblation vvhich the Church receiuing from the Apostles doth offer to God in all the vvorld See Cent. c. 4. col 63. and Cent. 2. cap. 10. col 167. they affirm St Ignatius his vvords to bee dangerous and quasi errorum semina See also Terrul ad scapul cap. 2. Origen in numer hom 23. St Cyprian lib. 2. 3. vers fin St Ambrlib 5. Ep. 33. Missam facere coepit c. St Leo Ep. 81. ad Dioscor St August term 91. de Temp. lib. 9. Confess cap. 12. in Enchird cap. 110. c. Sayes that the Sacrifice of our price vvas offerd for his mother Monica being dead and that it is not to be doubted but that the souls of the dead are relieued vvhen for them is offered the sacrifice of our Mediator c. the only beginning and cause of our existence the end and hopes of our happiness it is fit we exhibit vnto him the greatest honor we can not only euery one in particular by an inward submission of our souls acknowledging his infinit excellencies and our own nothing and imperfections but also by an outward offering or oblation of som visible thing that ought to be consumed or changed therby to own Gods infinit power and Dominion ouer his creatures and consecrated to his Diuine maiesty by a solemn ceremony and publik Minister This way of worship is called a Sacrifice and the publik Minister who offers it is called a Priest It hath bin practised since the beginning of the world as appeareth in the sacrifices of Abel Noe Melchisedech Abraham Isaac Iacob Iob. and others in the law of nature and in the written law of Moyses great part therof is nothing but rules and ceremonies concerning the manner of sacrificing and the habit and method which the Priest ought to obserue in performing that publik ministery Q. Vvhat is the sacrifice of the Christians or of the law of grace A. It is the sacrifice of Christs body and bloud offerd for the liuing and for the dead vnder the species or appearence of bread and wine and is commonly called the Mass Q. Is not the sacrifice of Christs body and bloud as it was offerd vpon the Cross the proper sacrifice of Christians or of the Catholik Church A. It is the most excellent sacrifice that euer was offered nay all other sacrifices in the law of nature of Moyses and of grace did and do deriue their virtue and efficaciousness from the sacrifice of the Cross but because
and plausible an appearance of true miracles to confirm any false doctrin as we see in the Roman Catholik Church Therfore if the miracles of the Roman Catholik Church be not true Gods infinit veracity as also his goodness and prouidence may be questioned This may be explained to the vulgar sort by a similitude Suppose there were in som shire or town of England or Scotland a company of men acting in the Kings name as his priuy or great Councell with all the formes and formalities therof as a Lord Chancellor or Commissioner Tresurer Secretaries members of Parliament Clerks c. and that a considerable part of the Nation obeyed their orders and commands as men authorised by the King who is not ignorant of these publik proceedings and by consequence can not be rationaly thought auerse but rather seem to approue of them especialy if he be able without danger of disturbance to hinder and humble this pretended Councell by declaring them to be but a counterfeit Assembly of Cheats and Rebells and by punishing them accordingly A King I say that might hinder such a counterfeit Parliament or Councell from abusing himself and his subiects by so seeming a legal authority and yet would not can not be thought to haue any truth goodness or iustice because by his conniuance at those impostures which he might haue discouerd without trouble or inconueniencies he doth countenance and confirm that Councell as commissioned by himself This may be easily and aptly applied to the Roman Catholik Church which is inuested with so many miraculous marks of Gods authority and therfore doth act by a warant so seemingly Diuine that Gods bare permission of such a cheat as Protestants suppose the Roman Catholik Church to be would conclude his want of prouidence goodness and veracity and by consequence there can be no excuse or rational hopes of saluation for Protestants or any others that will not submit their iudgment to a Church and doctrin so publikly commissioned and confirmed by Gods great seal Miracles as yet shall more particularly appeare in the ensuing sections SECT I. VVHETHER THE CREDIBLE and constant report there is of true miracles vvrought in the Roman Catholik Church be a sufficient euidence to conuict of damnable obstinacy and heresy such as stight them or vvill not heare of them Q. Is it then vpon this ground of not belieuing the Roman Catholik miracles which are recounted by the ancient Fathers or others Roman Catholiks say that we Protestants are obstinat heretiks and that such of vs as dye not members of your Church are damned Is not this a foolish and vncharitable opinion A. One of the grounds of that censure is the Definition of Heresy which is an error in the understanding and obstinacy in the vvill against any truth or authority that is sufficienly proposed as Diuine Now the great appearance and moral euidence there is of the Roman Catholik Church together with its tradition doth sufficiently propose or declare its doctrine and authority to be Diuine For though it be not demonstratiuely euident that the Roman Catholik miracles are true miracles nor that its tradition and testimony is infallible yet it is moraly euident and by consequence sufficiently euident that its doctrin is Diuine and that God is Author of the same it being confirmed by such Miracles and that by them he doth authorise that Church as Princes do their officers by letters patents under their great seale Miracles being the great seale wherwith Gods Ministery and doctrin is made authentik Q. Vvhat is moral euidence of a miracle A. Moral euidence of a miracle is so credible and so constant a report therof that to deny or doubt of the fact reported argues imprudence in the dissenter and renders his caution of not belieuing both rash and ridiculous because it destroyes at least all historical and human Faith Q. May not a man belieue History and rely vpon human authority though he belieues not the stories of the most authentik Roman Catholik miracles A. No if he discourseth consequently and according to the rules of reason wherof one principal is that the same cause produceth the same effects and the same authority the same assent or belief If therfore the same ancient Fathers or Authors vpon whose testimony or tradition you rely for belieuing a miracle of Christian religion in genral or of the Trinity or Incarnation in particular recount the like miracles of Transubstantiation prayer to Saints or Purgatory you are rash and irrational in contemning that same authority which you credited in as difficult a subiect and as much aboue your comprehension for you ought to belieue both the miracles and mysteries or neither Q. Is moral euidence of true miracles sufficient to conuict of damnable obstinacy and heresy all such as slight that euidence and will not examin the grounds and effects therof A. Yes The reason is 1. because they are a sufficient euidence that the doctrin confirmed by them is Diuine 2. because Christs miracles were only moraly not demonstratiuely euident as miracles for if they had bin demonstratiuely euident as such none of the Iewes could deny them to be Diuine or could think they were wrought by the power of Beelzebub And though it was but moraly euident that Christs miracles were true miracles yet that moral euidence was sufficient to conuict the incredulous Iewes of damnable obstinacy and heresy Q. I desire to Know what it is you call damnable obstinacy A. Damnable obstinacy is a setled resolution of remaining in your own opinion of religion or a neglect of inquiring into the grounds of any other notwithstanding the prudent doubts you haue or would haue had if you had not bin carless of being saued in the way wherin you haue bin educated or made choice of Q. I do agree with you that if one doubts of the truth of his own religion he will be damnd unless he inquires into it or som other untill he doth what he can to be satisfied but I can not be persuaded that a man is bound to doubt of that religion wherin he hath bin bred because he heares of miracles wrought in an other unless his own be so absurd or inconsequent that he must doubt of its truth whether he will or no. A. There are two sorts of doubts 1. is a doubt which occurrs to ourselues by our own observation 2. is a doubt not started by ourselues but by som other more learned in matters of religion and as much to be credited and as litle to be suspected of hauing any design but our saluation in our change of opinion as he whom we most confide in Doubts of our own obseruation are very ordinary being grounded vpon the most obuious occurrences as a publik change of Religion either vpon the score of conscience or interest this last is as suspicious euen to the dullest comprehensions as the other is edifying Not only the change into a thriuing religion but constancy in a persecuted one doth