and my Grounds why I then believ'd rest still unchang'd nay are unchangeable But yet Reason acts much differently now then â—ormerly Before I came at Faith she acted about her own Objects Motives or Maxims by which she scand the Authorities we spoke of But in Acts of Faith she hath nothing to do with the Objects of those Acts or Points of Faith She is like a dimsighted man who us'd his Reason to find a trusty Friend to lead him in the twi-light and then reli'd on his guidance rationally without using his own Reason at all about the Way it self To make this clearer we may distinguish two sences in the word Reason one as 't is taken for that natural Faculty which constitutes Man which Faculty never deserts or ought to desert us in any action that is Manly or virtuous The other as 't is taken for that Power wrought upon by motives under its own ken in the same sence we call it human Reason by which is not meant the natural Power unactuated or abstractedly for then the word human were a Taâ—tology but Reason as conversant with such objects or inform'd by such knowledges as are commonly found within the sphere of our natural condition as Men such as are those which beget Science And this leaves us when we have once found the Authority now spoken of the Objects of Faith formally speaking being out of her reach nor is she thus understood the motive of our Assent to the verity of the Point of Faith but AVTHORITY onely Wherefore into Authority onely Faith as such is resolvd finally though if you go about to resolve the Rationalness of assenting to the Authority it self it will light into those Evident Reasons which your naturall power of reason as yet uninform'd by Faith but by motives or maxims within its own sphere was capable to wield 5. Reason therefore taken for my natural Power is my Eye or interiour sight as inform'd by common Principles or Maxims antecedent to Faith my Guid to bring me to believe Authority and those motives or Maxims are the Rules to my Reason by attending to which she hath virtue or skill to set her own thoughts right that is to guid me in my way to Faith but when I have once come to beleeve Authority that is come to Faith not Reason but Authority is my Guid for I follow Authority and not my Reason in judging what is Faith what not and though the Light of that naturall power never deserts me yet Reason as rul'd by her own natural maxims is useless to me as a Guid or those Maxims as a Rule for I apply neither of these to the mysteries of Faith to scan their verity or falsity by but purely rely upon Authority and beleeve them Authority then is my Guid and in the Infallibility of that Authority consists the power or virtue it has to guide me right that is to regulate or rule me as one of the Faithfull or as one who must have such Certain Grounds of my Assent as I may securely build my Salvation on This Authority then as it is Inâ—allible is also my Rule in my beleeving or the Rule of my Faith This of my Rule of Faith in Common against Adversaries of Faith in common But with Protestants who grant Christ to be God and consequently his words or doctrine true the onely Rule and Guid we need is to lead us into the Knowledge of what he said and assure it to us We affirm then that the Catholick Church is the Guid we follow and her Infallibility consisting in Tradition our Rule of Faith Hence all Catholicks profess her doctrin uninterruptedly succeeding from the Apostles time and so to continue to the end of the World hence with one voice they lay claim to Christs gracious Assistance to her in defending her from over-growing Errors against Faith or Heresies hence all profess to hear and follow her and pledge undoubtingly even the security of their salvation by relying on the Certainty of her Living Voice for their Tenets and on her Disciplin for the Practice of their Faith And though some Schoolmen make Scripture a partial Rule of Faith yet they can mean onely materially not formally that is that some part of Faith is signifi'd by Scripture's Letter not that Scripture's Letter alone is sufficient securely to signify it to private understandings so as to beget that most strong firm Assent found in Divine Faith as is evident by this that all hold no Scripture is of private Interpretation all hold the living voice of the Church and her constant Practice are the best Interpreters of Scripture Now Faith being Tenets and Sence that must be 〈◊〉 the Rule of Faith which ascertains us of Christs Sence not the materiall Characters which that Certain Interpreter we call the Church works upon and by her Practicall Tradition interprets 6. 'T is high time now to look back upon Dr. Pierce and his party how justly they deal with us and how mistakingly they discourse when they come to the Grounds of their Faith 7. First by the tenour of his discourse he would seem to obtrude upon us a Tenet which none but perfect mad-men could hold namely that we profess we have no reason why we believe the Church which devolves to this that we must profess we have as much reason to believe an old wife's dream as our Faith since there can be no less reason than none at all And hence he will needs assure the Reader that therefore the Enthusiastick Sectaries are in part Romish Proselytes c. And indeed upon so gross a calumny layd down for his principle and a sober Truth what might he not conclude with equal reason he might have inferr'd that all Bedlam were Catholicks and that to turn mad were to turn a Romanist But his carriage to put this upon Mr. S. C. is strangely unjust since he knows and hints it that he writ a Book upon his declaring himself Catholick entitled Motives of his Conversion does he think the word Motives does not signify Reasons or that to write an whole Book of Reasons why he adhea'd to the Catholick Church signifies that he renounc't all reason why he believ'd her 8. Next as for his own tenet he layes this for his Ground that Reason alone is Iudge in all cases I will propose him one case and 't is the Existence of a Trinity To work now with your Reason about this object and see how you evince it I doubt your best reasons will crack ere you make all ends meet But you mean you must have Reason to believe it I conceive speaking properly you should rather say you must have Reason to believe the Authority and Authority to believe It for Belief is as properly relative to Authority as Science is to an Act of true Reason or Evidence Whence 't is as incongruous to say I must have Reason to believe such a Point as to say I know such a point Scientifically by Authority
Part 1. Cap. 6. and The. Protestants Way of resolving Faith Cap. 7. I had quite lost Mr. Stillingfleet and instead of him had found a Dr. Hammond Dr. Pierce or a Dissuader who talk not out of Nature or Things but Words Imagination I plainly discover'd there was not one proposition in those two Discourses which could be a solid Ground for a rational understanding that would be true to it self to settle and rely on and was desirous to show it had it not been uncivil to put my sickle into another man's harvest and crop the victory due to another's Learning and Industry Victory I say For he that defends his Cause no better in effect yields it lost Yet I beg leave of the judicious Authour of Labyrinthus Cantuariensis to maintain one Breach where I find my self more directly assaulted Oral Tradition being the Post I have taken upon me to explicate further defend because I conceive it the solid Ground on which the Church or all Catholicks both Learned and Unlearned rely as Faithful however some School-men abounding in their own Sence ground also their Explication of the Churches Infallibility on somthing besides 2. Mr Stillingfleet then Part 3. Chap. 5. § 4 5. sets himself to oppose Oral Tradition whose Infallibility he opposes to Doctrinal Infallibility in Pope or Councils Where if by Doctrinal Infallibility he means that which they have as Doctors or Schollers he may reflect that no Catholick makes such an Infallibility proper to the Church or Church-Governours as such however it may be somtimes necessary to proceed upon it in some signal occasions Now take away this Infallibility there is none left but the Infallibility of Tradition perform'd by Testifying It being Evident that we have but two wayes of ordinary Knowledge by Acts of our Soul or Operations on our Body that is by Reason and Experience the former of which belongs to Speculaters or Doctors the second to Deliverers of what was receiv'd or to Testifiers Whence M. Stillingfleet may see he stumbles at the very threshold by counterposing Doctrinal Infallibility to Traditionary since that which we call Ecclesia docens professes constantly to ground her self on Tradition witness the Council of Trent in every Session where she defines Faith 3. No wonder then if grounding on this mistake Mr Stillingfleet declares himself unsatisfi'd He asks therefore whether he is bound to believe what the present Church delivers to be Infallible I understand him not Had he instead of the word Infallible put receiv'd as deliver'd ever or Infallibly true I had for Fallibility and Infallibility belong to the Knowing Power or the Persons that have it not to the Object The Object being neither deceiv'd nor not deceiv'd but we Well but suppose he means by it deliver'd ever or which is equivalent certainly true for what came from Christ must be so In that case we answer Affirmatively He asks again on what account is he bound to believe it And he makes our Answer to be Because the present Church cannot be deceiv'd in what the Church of the former Age believ'd nor That in the precedent and so up till Christ. This is indeed part of our Answer The other part is that the Church in no Age could conspire against her Knowledge to deceive that Age immediately following in matter of Fact evident in a manner to the whole World Upon this he falls into two new Demands which take up this whole paragraph 4. The first is how we can assure him the present Church obliges him to believe nothing but onely what and so far as it receiv'd from the former Church I answer by her manifest Practice never refusing Communion to any man that could approve himself to believe all the former Age did I could here distinguish the word Believe but I refer it till I come to speak of de fide He proceeds What Evidence can you bring to convince me both that the Church alwayes observ'd this Rule and could never be deceiv'd in it For the later I hope I need bring no greater Evidence than this that men in all Ages had Eyes Ears and other Senses also common Reason and as much memory as to remember their own names and frequently-inculcated Actions If you disprove this I doubt we have lost mankind the subject we are speaking of And till you disprove it neither I nor any man in his wits can doubt that this Rule depending on Testifying that is Sence or Experience can possibly permit men to be deceivable The former part I shall speak to when I come to show the Obligation not to vary from Faith His Scruple springs hence that he sees the Roman Church asserts things to be de fide in one age which were not in another c. that this is the common Doctrin and the deniers ill-look't on I beg leave to distinguish the words de fide which may either mean Christian Faith or Points of Faith taught by Christ and then you see 't is nonsence to say they can be in one Age and not in another for what Christ has taught he has taught and the preteritness of the Thing has so fixt its Existence to its proper time that 't is not now obnoxious to variation Quod factum est infectum fieri non potest Or de fide may mean obligatory to be believ'd In this later sence none I think denies things may be de fide in one Age and not in another in the former sence none holds it What 's now become of your difficulty I believe you are in some wonderment and think I elude it rather then answer it I shall endeavour to unperplex you 5. Christianity ayms not to make us Beasts but more perfectly Men and the perfection of our Manhood consists in using our Reasons Since then natural Consequences are apt to spring from natural Principles by the operation of Reason and we cannot but think that the Consequences apt to flow from Supernatural Principles or Points of Faith deliver'd down from Christ onely which are de fide in the former Sence are of incomparably greater Excellency than Natural Truths it follows that Christianity or Christian Faith is so far from hindring the Faithful from deducing out of them that both out of their nature as Supream Truths or Principles and out of their high Excellency they invite and prompt most strongly to it Now these Points deduct out of Principles of Faith are of two sorts The former those which need no more but Common Sence or the ordinary natural Light of Reason to discover their arising thence nor any piece of Skill or Science to infer them but are seen by the bare Principle of Faith or rather in it being indeed but a Branch or Part of that Principle The later are those which need besides the Maxims of some Science got by Speculation to infer them An Example of the former sort is that against the Monothelites of Christ's having an Human Will for common Experience tells
SURE-FOOTING In Christianity Or Rational Discourses On The Rule of FAITH With Short Animadversions on Dr Pierce's Sermon Also on some passages in Mr Whitby and M Stillingfleet which concern That RULE Ecce nos ex Patribus ad Patres per manus traditam fuisse hanc sententiam demonstravimus Athanasius By I. S. LONDON Printed in the Year 1665. To the QUEEN Madam THough the Faith I write for be far more firmly establish't then Heaven and Earth themselves as the Worlds great Master has by his own word assur'd us and so needs no Support but its own Invincible Strength Yet I am told by my reason that nothing so clears and recommends Religion to the Generality as the vertuous Life and eminent Devotion of Them that profess it But where shall I seek those happiest Effects and noblest Arguments of Truth If I consider them in their abstracted Idea's they are Invisible as Angels too subtle and delicate for vulgar eyes Where then may I hope to meet those excellent Forms vested with Bodies if I consult the common Judgment I expect to be sent to some Hermit's Cell or the private Oratory of some holy Votaress where I may find them indeed embody'd but withal half-bury'd Incomparable Lights but shut up in a kind of dark Lanthorn where they burn safely I confess but shine to few while Those I seek must be high and conspicuous to send forth their Beams and Influences over all the VVorld and in that regard Courts are the properest Firmament for such Illustrious Stars and Courts are easily seen but where 's the Star In this perplexity Madam it pleas'd the Goodness of Heaven to relieve me for as the mention of Courts brought immediately into my memory the happiness our Nation is blest with by Your Majesty's Residence among us so the Contemplation of Your Exemplar Life fill'd my soul with joy to have found at last those sublime and heroick Virtues whose perfect Conformity to the Rules of Catholick Religion is alone capable to convince the Certainty of its Truth Such an unwearied Constancy in Devotion such a degree of Fervor in that Constancy cannot possibly proceed from a luke-warm Probability in Faith such frequent Retirements to intimate Conversations with Heaven such Mortifications and contempt of Court-Entertainments and which is yet harder such Innocence and Purity amidst the necessary Admittances of them as they all conspire to speak Your Soul Angelical so they clearly prove the vigorous Activity of the Faith that breeds them far beyond the drowsy Indifferency of a probable Opinion Thus Madam while Schollars but discourse YOV live Demonstrations Permit me then to use not Your bare Name but Your Vertues as a Patronage to my Endeavours since the Motive of this my Dedicatory meant These for its Substance and Your Temporal Supremeness onely for a Circumstance Others Complement while they dedicate I Argue all the while nor intend I this for a farther Display of Your Excellent Vertues which already are sufficiently manifest to all the VVorld but to breed a more serious reflexion on Them in the minds of those against whom I write and other well-meaning but mis-led persons This advantage Your Majesty and the Practical Provers of Catholick Faith have above us Speculaters that Your whole Life is a Continual Argument for It while we are bound to expect Seasons and wait Opportunities Nor should I at this time have offer'd to appear had not the Multitude of Books lately Printed against Catholick Religion made it my plain and necessary Duty with all my little power to defend It VVhat I have endeavour'd I most humbly lay at Your Majesties feet and remain MADAM Your Majesties most dutiful Subject and most obedient Servant I. S. PREFACE To the Intelligent READER 1. He is little acquainted with the paths which lead to Science who knows not that the settling the First Principle in any Affair is of mainest Import towards Satisfaction in that particular because if such a Principle be not first settled the whole Discourse as relying on that Principle for its Certainty must needs waver and stagger Reflecting on this plainest Truth and withal on the manner how very many I wish I might not say most Controversies are manag'd that is by debating much about diverse Conclusions but very little about the first Principle in Controversie I cannot wonder if Disputes come slowly to an End when few of them were ever rightly begun Another mischief and even despair of entire Satisfaction springs from hence that seeing all Dispute Supposes an Agreement between the Disputers in some acknowledg'd Principle I much fear while things are carry'd on this fashion this Requisit is wanting to the Catholick and Protestant Controvertists For neither doth the Protestant from his heart hold witness the Books of their most extold Champions and even the 39. Articles to the contrary the Testimonies of Fathers and Councils Certain and Convictive nor even Scripture alwayes as to its Letter and the Sence they give it for they pretend Infallible Certainty of none of these much less does the Catholick agree that private Interpretations of Scripture or Citations from Fathers not speaking as Witnesses of the Churches Belief are of sufficient Authority to settle the True or overthrow a False or pretended Faith Yet notwithstanding all this each Antagonist permits the other to frame his Discourses upon these Grounds as if he held the Method were good and allowable which not being heartily granted by either what satisfaction can we expect but endless and fruitless contests for want of Agreement in some acknowledg'd Principle while this Method is follow'd Nay more were it suppos'd that both sides had agreed not to reject in their Disputes such a Principle yet still however one side might happen to foil the other so far as to make him contradict himself yet never so as to convince his Tenet of falshood unless the process were grounded upon some First that is Self-evident Principle by virtue of whose undoubtable Certainty the Discourse built on it might gain an establishment Whence also the result of this way of Discourse can be onely the Credit or Discredit of the Authours and touches not at all the Thing Which without some Evident Principle to establish or overthrow it hovers in its pure neutral condition of being as to Assent or Dissent just a bare saying and no more 2. The reason why the First Principle of Controversie is not more lookt into and clear'd appears to me evidently this that our modern Dissenters from the Church and her Faith seeing which is common to Them with all other maintainers of Errours that to begin with First or self-Evident Principles is the direct road to Science and therefore absolutely destructive of their Interest avoid as much as in them lies the laying any such Principles and instead of this apply their whole endeavours to aiery Descants upon Words by such means and Arts as are never likely to give them any determinate Sence by which craft the way
as it were the flower of Mankind which guide themselves by perfect reason could hold nothing or have no Faith That is the Church must onely be made up of ignorant and undiscerning persons which would make her little better than a Congregation of Phanaticks 15. Especially the Church having many Adversaries skild in natural Sciences who will not stick to oppose her all they can and conquer her too could they take any just advantage against her and no greater advantage being possible to be gained or more deadly wound to be given her than to prove her Faith uncertain which is done by showing the Ground of it as far as concerns our Knowledge that is the Rule and Means to come to Faith possible to be false For this at once enervates her Government vilifies her Sacraments weakens all the motives to the love of Heaven which she proposes and by consequence quite enfeebles the vigour of Christian Life or rather this made manifest by reason of temptations to the Love of Creatures perpetually and on all sides besieging us endangers to extinguish it utterly and lastly makes Christians the most ridiculous people in the world to believe such high mysteries above their reasons upon uncertain Grounds T is manifest therefore that the only safeguard and all the strength of the Church and Christian Religion is placed in the absolute Certainty of the Rule of Faith T is made therefore and ordained to ascertain Faith that it it has in it what is fit for this end that is it is of its own nature absolutely certain that is absolute Certainty is found in the nature and notion of the Rule of Faith or which is all one is signified or meant by those words thoroughly understood 16. And lastly Faith being a Virtue mainly conducing to Bliss as is seen § 8. and its Influence towards Bliss which we call its Merit consisting in this that it makes us submit our Understanding to the Divine Veracity and by that means adhere unwaveringly to such Truths as raise us to Heaven so that the Divine Authority apply'd is the Principal Cause or Motive of this submission assent or adhesion and every Cause producing its effect better and stronglier by how much the nearer and closer 't is apply'd and all the application of it to us consisting in the Rule of Faith whose office it is to derive down to us those doctrines Christ taught and to assure us that Christ said them and the application of a thing closely to a Judging Power being performed by Certifying it which makes it sink into it become an intimate Act of that Power whereas Uncertainty can only admit it to swim as it were upon the surface of the Soul much after the manner of a bare Proposal or simple apprehension or at best as a Probability not having weight enough of motive to settle deep into its solid substance which is Cognoscitive and so become there a fixt Judgement it follows that the Virtue of Faith and its Merit are incomparably advantaged by the absolute Certainty of the Rule of Faith and very feeble and inefficacious without it This Rule then must be absolutely-Certain of its own nature that is the notion of absolutely-Certain is involv'd in the Rule of Faith 17. Summing up then the full account of our Discourse hitherto it amounts to this that out of the genuine meaning of the word Rule which as used by us denotes an Intellectual Rule much more out of the meaning of the word Faith it is clearly evinced that the Rule of Faith must have these several conditions namely it must be plain and self-evident as to its Existence to all § 3 4 9 10. Evidenceable as to its Ruling Power to enquirers even the rude vulgar § 5. 11. apt to settle justify undoubting persons § 12. to satisfy fully the most Sceptical Dissenters § 13. and rational Doubters § 14. and to convince the most obstinate and acute Adversaries § 15. built upon unmoveable Grounds that is Certain in it self § 6. 15 16. and absolutely ascertainable to us § 5 11 13 14. SECOND DISCOURSE Showing the two first Properties of the Rule of Faith utterly incompetent to Scripture 1. HAving attained so clear a Description of the Rule of Faith and acquaintance with it by particular marks we may with reason conceive good hopes of knowing it when we meet it Especially not having a great croud from which we are to single it out the pretenders to that title being very few and indeed but two are owned namely Tradition and Scripture though if we look narrowly into it the Private Spirit Private Reason Testimonies of Fathers or whatsoever else is held the ascertainer of Scriptures sence ought to have a place among the pretenders to be the Rule of Faith since t is those which are thought to give the reliers on them all the security they have of Gods sence that is of Points of Faith and so are or ought to be to them a Rule of Faith 2. But to speak to them in their own Language who say Scripture is their Rule we must premise this Note that they cannot mean by Scripture the Sence of it that is the things to be known for those they confess are the very Points of Faith of which the Rule of Faith is to ascertain us When they say then that Scripture is the Rule of Faith they can onely mean by the word SCRIPTURE that Book not yet senc't or interpreted but as yet to be senc't that is such and such Characters in a Book with their Aptness to signifie to them assuredly Gods Mind or ascertain them of their Faith For abstracting from the sence or actual signification of those words there is nothing imaginable left but those Characters with their Aptness to signifie it This understood let us apply now the Properties of the Rule of Faith to Scriptures Letter that we may see how they will fit 3. And the first thing that occurrs is its Existence or An est that is whether those Books pretended to be Gods Word bee indeed Scripture that is written by men divinely inspired Of which 't is most manifest the very rudest sort cannot be Certain by Self-evidence nor can it be easily evidenceable to those Doubters that are the ordinary sort of the Vulgar by any skill they are capable of nor even to more curious and speculative Scarchers but by so deep an inspection into the sence of it as shall discover such secrets that Philosophy and Human Industry could never have arrived to Besides all the seeming Contradictions must be solved ere they can out of the bare nature of the Letter conclude the Scripture to be of Gods enditing and so worthy to be a Rule to solve which literally plainly and satisfactorily the memories of so many particulars which made them clearer to those of the Age in which they were written and the matter known must needs be so worn out by tract of time that t is
one of the most difficult tasks in the World The Scriptures Letter then is not the Rule of Faith by § 3 4 5 10 11. of our former Discourse as wanting Self-evidence of its Existence Easie Evidenceableness of its Ruling Virtue and Power to establish and satisfie at least unlearned Doubters 4. Secondly were it known that there are some Books left written by men divinely inspired yet it is unknown how many those Books ought to be and which of the many controverted ones may securely be put in that Catalogue which not Which 't is most palpable that either few or at least the rude vulgar and common sort of Mankind especially those who are not yet Faithful but looking to come to Faith which is done by knowing the Rule of Faith can never be assured of either by Self-evidence of the things themselves or by other skills they are already possest of The Scripture's Letter then is from this Head concluded defective in the forementioned Properties necessarily belonging to the Rule of Faith 5. Thirdly Were the Catalogue of the true Books known yet how is it self-evident or easily evidenceable to the capacities above named if to any that the very Original or a perfectly true Copy of these Books was preserved indeficiently entire out of which our Translations were made Can the ruder sort either know this or be assured of the skill of others by which they know it The former being manifestly impossible the later equally such since they have no knowledges in their heads enabling them to judge unerringly of the competency of others skill in such a particular Wherefore Scriptures Letter faulters still in the primary most necessary and essential conditions of a Rule of Faith 6. Fourthly Were it evident that the right Original or true Copy of it is preserved indefective yet very few that is onely those who are perfect in those ancient Languages can arrive to the understanding so much The rest which are in a manner all Mankind must come to the knowledge of it by Translations and ere they can think it is fit to be a Rule they must know it is rightly translated For which because they have no skill in those Languages themselves they must rely on the Translators skill Concerning whose sufficiency of understanding to be able to translate unerringly right and honesty of Will or true intention to do it themselves at least the rudest vulgar are not qualified enough to jndge assuredly that they are worthy to be securely relied on So that we are still at a loss in this pretended Rule of Faith for our first and fundamental conditions 7. Fifthly Let us pass by all these defects and grant it most truly translated to a tittle and indeed to a tittle it should be else an errour may slip in instead of a Point of Faith for any thing the bare Letter can assure us yet the innumerable Copiers before Printing and since Printers and Correcters of the Press are still ro be relyed on and they onely can have evidence of the right Letter of Scripture who stood at their elbows attentively watching they should not erre in making it perfectly like a former Copy And even then why might they not mistrust their own eyes and aptness to oversee Or were it granted these men err'd not nor themselves in overlooking them yet the same difficulty occurrs concerning the former Printer's care if the former Copy were printed or the Scriveners if Manuscript which scapes the view of our now-livers except we will examin them again from Impression to Impression or from Copy to Copy by others more ancient and still let us run as high as we will the same difficulty pursues us To which if we add that the Printers Correcters or Transcribers might hap to be Knaves and either be Hereticks themselves or brib'd by Hereticks whose manner it being ever to make the Letter of the Scripture their weapon they could wish no greater advantage than to have it fram'd commodious to their hand and so would questionless endeavour it and History assures us they did So that we are still at the same or a greater loss in our pretended Rule of Faith 8. Lastly were all this multitude of Exceptions pardonâ—d still we are as far to seek unless those who are to be rul'd and guided by the Scriptures Letter to Faith were Certain of the true sence of it which is found out by right Interpretation Now the numerous Commentators upon it and infinite disputes about the sence of it even in most concerning points as in that of Christ's Divinity beat it out so plain to us that this is not the task of the vulgar who yet are capable of salvation and so of Faith and so of the Rule of Faith that 't is perfect phrenzy to deny it 9 It may be alledg'd that some of these defects may be provided against by skill in History But 't is quickly reply'd that then none can be secure of their Rule of Faith nor consequently have Faith unless skill'd in Histories or knowing â—hose men to be so and withall unbyast whom â—hey converse with nay without knowing that those men knew certainly the Historians whom they rely'd on had secure Grounds and not bare hearsay for what they writ and that they were not contradicted by others either extant or peâ—ish't now how few of the unlearned vulgar â—ay even of the middle sort of prudent men which make up the generality of the world I may say of very good Scholars can judge of these points And if they cannot how then is their Faith rational or virtuous and not rather an hair-brain'd opinionative rashness to build their Assent Faith and Salvation upon Principles they can make no Judgement of 10. If necessity make some willing to reply what their Judgments naturally flowing from their Principles would not that God assists his Church and therefore his Providence will take care the contingencies their Rule of Faith the Scripture's Letter is subject to shall be avoided 't is ask't how they are certain in their way of such an Assistance but by the Letter of the Scripture They must first then prove that Certain ere they mention the Church or God's Assistance to her since this Assistance is in their Grounds founded upon the Truth and Certainty of that Letter Besides a Church is a Congregation of the Faithful that is of such as have Faith which not being possible to be had without Certain means to come unto it or the Rule of Faith it follows that the first thing that must be clear'd is the Certainty of the Rule of Faith antecedently to the Notions of Faith Faithful or Church 11. If Testimonies out of Councils or Fathers be alledg'd by them sufficient Interpreters of Scripture t is reply'd that if those be needful to make a Certain Interpretation of Scripture or which is all one the Letter of Scripture certainly significative of Godâ—s sence then First none can be capable of the Rule of Faith nor consequently
multitudes of Knowers if no possible consideration can awaken in our reason a doubt that they conspire to deceive us Now in the way of Tradition all deliverers or immediate Forefathers are Knowers as appears in those who immediately heard the Apostles all the Knowledge requisit being of what they were taught and practic 't accordingly all their lives of which 't is impossible the rudest person should be ignorant who ever had any Effect of such a Teaching wrought upon him Nor can any unless their brains rove wildly or be unsettled even to the degree of madness suspect deceit where such multitudes unanimously agree in a matter of fact look seriously when they speak act themselves and practice accordingly and show in the whole course of their carriage that they hope to be sav'd themselves and to save others whom they thus instruct by relying on this Truth that their Forefathers thus taught them which amounts to this that Nature or common Reason at unawares steals into them a solid apprehension that Tradition is of a certain kind of Nature and so that while Fathers thus taught Children it was ever such that is that Tradition is a certain Rule of conveying down Faith which is all we study to evince at present I may add that Nature telling them by their own experiences that Parents generally would be apt to teach their Children what themselves had been taught and believ'd to be good and true needfull to their eternal Salvation their natural thoughts would lead them by a downright procedure to judge that Tradition was ever in some considerable Body of Deliverers who stuck to it and own'd it and that those had true Faith or truly that doctrin which Christ and the first Planters of Christianity taught But of this point more hereafter 10. If it be objected that this multitude of plain honest-meaning Souls are as much justify'd for believing Scripture I answer that if you mean their Faith conceiv'd to be found in Scripture or a determinate Sence of Scripture's Letter it cannot with any show of reason be pretended that they are as much justifiable for believing any setting aside Tradition's help for without this it totally depends on the inward Judgments Fancies or Skills of men which they are unqualify'd to judge of not on open verdict of Senses to wield the Certainty or Uncertainty of which lies clearly within the reach of their common reason And as for Scripture's Letter they cannot possibly be justify'd in reason for believing even the Substantial Truth of it without Tradition's assisting hand and preserving care And the reason is the same because the common course of human Experience tells them that Judgments or Opinions often disagree but their plain Sensations especially if frequently repeated never Whence a Jury of the plainest High-shoes would upon the Evidence of the sight of six Witnesses without more ado condemn a Malefactor but not upon the Judgments of a thousand men if a Testimony grounded on Sense were not brought Now take away Tradition and all ground from Certain Sence fails us either for the meaning or even Letter of Scripture and all is left to men's Judgments built on latent Skills or Fancy or at least on Sense liable to great and numerous mistakes as hath been shown Disc. 4. § 3. Again seeing every one apprehends the most vulgar have reason enough to believe there was such a one as K. Iames and Q. Elizabeth of which they are no otherwise ascertain'd but by Tradition why are not they as much or more justify'd for believing points of Faith received down by the same tenour whereas if you go about to pump their common Reason about the Authority of the Statute-Book or the Truth of its Letter you shall find them blunder and at a â—oss being pos'd beyond their sphere of 〈◊〉 Nature by a question entrenching upon skill to which they can never answer with a steady assuredness inwardly and if they do so outwardly 't is manifest that some Passion and not their Reason breeds that irrational Profession The third Condition then of the Rule of Faith which was to be apt to settle and justify unreflecting and undoubting vulgar is manifestly found agreeing to Tradition 11. I put next the 6th Condition because the proof of it evidently proves the fourth fifth and seventh For what is built on immovable Grounds or Certain in its self has in it wherewith to settle and satisfy the most piercing Witâ— convince the most obstinate Adversaries and to ascertain us absolutely To prove that Tradition has Certain and Infallible Grounds it may suffiâ—â— to note that Disc. 1. § 13 14 15. it being evidently proved Faith must be Infallible to us anâ— no less evident that it cannot be such without having Infallibly-câ—â—tain Grounds since nothinâ— can be firmer to us than the ground it stands on now the Rule of Faith is its Ground It follow evidently that This must likewise be Infallibâ—â— certain There being then onely two Ground or Rules of Faith owned namely Deliver of it down by Writing and by Words anâ— Practice which we call Oral and Practical Tradition 't is left unavoydably out of the imposibility that Scripture should be Infallible as Rule that Tradition must be such 12. Though this Conclusion supposing thâ— Truth of the Propositions I assume as alreadâ— prov'd be sufficiently consequent to those Adversaries against whom I contest at present thâ— Certainty of Tradition in regard they do 〈◊〉 stick to grant that either Scripture or Tradition must be the Rule of Faith Yet I foresee more will be expected from a pretender to demonstrate its Certainty and that he should frame his Discourse from intrinsecal Mediums Reflecting then on the nature of Tradition as before explicated we shall observe that it hath for its Basis the best Nature in the Universe that is Man's the Flower and End of all the rest and this not according to his Moral part defectible by reason of Original Corruption nor yet his Intellectuals darkly groping in the pursuit of Science by reflected thoughts or Speculation amidst the misty vapours exhal'd by his Passion predominant over his rational Will but according to those faculties in him perfectly and necessarily subject to the operations and stroaks of Nature that is his Eyes Ears handling and the direct Impressions of Knowledge as naturally and necessarily issuing from the affecting those Senses as it is to feel heâ—â— cold Pain Pleasure or any other material Quality Again those Impressions upon the Sense are not made once but frequently and in most many times every day Moreover to make these more express and apt to be taken notice of their lives are to be fram'd by the Precepts they hear and conformable Examples they see so that Faith I mean the substance of it or that solid plain Knowledge as far as 't is apt to cause downright Christian 〈◊〉 comes clad in such plain matters of Fact that the most stupid man living cannot possibly be ignorant of it
blaz'd up and down to the commendation of themselves and perversion of others But a company which makes such a bustle cannot long want a Name Wherefore the Traditionary Christian having ever enjoyd the Appellation of Catholick and it being impossible their Adversaries should by any design or craft after the common Language of Mankind hopeless to attain the name of Catholick they are forced to content themselves though unwilling with some other new one which Nature working upon their own comportment determines to be either from their Authour as Lutherans Zuingliaus or their new Tenet as Tritheits Sacramentarians or some combination amongst themselves as Protestants or lastly some particular carriage as Quakers Dippers c. 3. These first Adherents to the upstart Novellist being clung into a Body after a while young understandings ripening to a capacity of Faith things are presently alterd The pretended Rule of Scripture's Letter's self-sufficiency is immediately thrown by as useless any farther Design hath got its end already and the natural way of of Tradition begins to take place again and recover its self nay the Reformers themselves are forc't to crave help of it to keep their company together Children are taught that they are to believe their Pastours and Fathers and though they are permitted to read the Scripture when they come at age yet they are told they are to guide themselves by the sence their Pastours and Fathers give it which is that they ought to guide themselves by the Faith of their Parents and Teachers in interpreting Scripture the very way Catholicks ever took in that particular And if any company of men though now mature to judge presume to follow their own Judgement in interpreting it and differ from those first Reformers these if they get the power in their hands will presently fall to oblige them by force to act that is if they would have them do it conscientiously which else were to force them to sin to hold as they do and persecute or punish them if they do not whereas they guide themselves to their best capacity by the Scripture's Letter which is the very Rule of Faith their Persecutors taught them and made use of themselves when they broke from the Church Which evidently shows that a new Rule is introduc't and that it is not indeed the Letter of God's word which is now thought fit to guide the Readers of it to Faith but those men's Interpretations of it So that the breaking from Tradition and consequently the Church casts them most inevitably upon these self-contradictions First to reform npon pretence of the Scripture's Letter being the Rule of Faith yet afterwards in practice to desert that Rule in their carriage towards others Secondly to disallow to others those Grounds themselves proceed upon Thirdly to pretend first the Scripture's Letter clear of it self without needing the Church to interpret it so to avoid condemnation from the former Church yet afterwards to judge the Followers of it to their best power to go wrong that is to confess it obscure and to need their new Churches Interpretation 4ly To persecute others for taking that way which they held at least pretended meritorious in themselves 5ly To oblige others to relinquish the sole guidance of the Scriptures Letter and to rule themselves by their Tradition and yet at the same time when they write and dispute against Catholicks to impugn Tradition or the doctrin of Forefathers as unfitting to sence it and abet onely the self-sufficiency of Scriptures Letter And lastly to impute that carriage to our Church as a fault which themselves practice upon their own Subjects And which is most material our Church punishes none but such as desert the Rule she recommends whereas they punish those under them for following too close that Rule which themselves recommended and applauded as the whole and sole Bafis of their Reformation 4. Now what can follow hence but that their Ecclesiastical Subjects whom Common Sence cannot but make exceeding sensible of such their unreasonable carriage in persecuting them purely for following God's word or the Scripture's Letter to their best power which themselves had taught them might securely nay ought in conscience be follow'd let the Consent of Forefathers and the present Church made up of meeâ— men say what they would what follow 's I say but that exasperated beyond patience by this procedure which they will be apt to conceive to be a most senceless and self-condemning tyranny over their Consciences they will unless Governours be vigilant strive to wreak their malice against their Persecutors and if they be numerous and powerful endeavour to involve whole Nations in war and blood which God of his mercy avert from our distracted Country Of so main consequence it is both for Church and State that men's Minds be right set in the Fundamental Grounds of Christianity and that the Principle they build Religion on be Evident that is apt to unite their Understaâ—dings and by it their Affections not uncertain and vertible which must needs lead if pursu'd by an earnest zeal to nothing but diversities in Opinions about Faith thence to dissensions and Feuds in the Will which upon any great pressure will be apt to break forth into actions of highest enmity and by the irreconcileableness of such Interests neither side being able to yeeld to the other in what each of rhem holds Sacred Religious and Conscientious endless and fiercest bickerings are apt to succeed even to utter desolation as frequent Histories too lamentably record Not that I intend the Justification of those revolting Sects who having no certain Grounds of Controversy are both self-condemn'd by the common Light of Reason for disobeying a Certain and Known Legal Authority which God's Law and plain Reason commands them to submit to to maintain an Uncertainty that is for any thing they know an Error and were it a known Truth they held would be no less condemn'd by the Law of God and common Reason nay out the nature of Religion it self for making Rebellion and an unimpower'd Sword the Defence of Truth which stands firm on a surer Basis. I onely mind prudent Considerers on the by how much it conduces to State-Unity and Peace that the Principle of conveying Faith to us be built on Sensible Evidence acknowledgable by all Mankind when rightly understood and not left to giddy Interpretations of Private Fancies which are apt to run so eccentrically to one another that we can never expect they shall have any common point where to fix and unite men's Minds and Afflections 5. The usefulness of this Parergon serves to elucidate as it were ptactically and experimentally the Certainty of Tradition The particular use we make of it in this present Discourse whence we digrest into it is to conclude as well as we can of things at a common view which yet is no less certain that the number of the actual Deserters of the natural way of Tradition have been but few to wit the
it COROLLARIES From The former Discourses 1. NOne can pretend to have Faith by the ordinary course of God's Providence but the holders to Tradition 'T is prov'd by our Conclusion formerly deduc't Disc. 5. § 15. that Tradition is the Rule of Faith that is the Ordinary Way to arrive at Faith 2. None can with right pretend to be a Church but the Followers of Tradition For since Corol. 1. none can have Faith by the ordinary course of God's Providence but the holders to Tradition and a Church must be a Congregation of persons truly Faithful or who have true Faith coming to them by ordinary means as we daily experience 't is manifest that none but the Followers of Tradition can pretend to be a true Church 3. None can be of the Church or any Church but Followers of Tradition For seeing a Church is a Congregation of persons who have true Faith coming to them by ordinary means and Disc. 5. § 15. Tradition is this means it follows that none are of the Church or any Church but they who have true Faith by this means that is who follow the means of Tradition Those who renounce Tradition or Immediate Delivery are ipso facto cut off from the Root of Faith and cease to be truly called Faithful For seeing that is to us or in the way of reasoning the Root of any Knowledge whence that Knowledge springs and Faith is no Knowledge in us Disc. 1. 15. and Corol. 1. but by relying on the Rule of Faith or Tradition as on its Principle 't is manifest that they who renounce Tradition want the Root of Faith nor consequently are Faithful nor of the Church but are Dead branches or Opiners onely 5. That company of men who follow such Ancestours as formerly renounc't Tradition or Immediate Delivery are no less cut off from the Root of Faith For since Corol. 4. those Ancestours renouncing Tradition formerly were by so doing cut off from the Root of Faith their Followers for how many Generations soever they continue must be so likewise as wanting and not daring even to pretend to that Faithâ—causing Principle of Tradition or uninterrupted Delivery which their Forefathers had renounc't 6. They who follow such Ancestors as formerly had manifestly renounc't Tradition how numerous soever can never claim to be a part of Christian Tradition or deliverers of Faith First because Corol. 5. they are cut off from Tradition and so can be no part of it Next because Christian Tradition is Indeficient or Uninterrupted Disc. 6 8 and 9. and so none can lay claim to it who cannot lay claim to Uninterruptedness which those we speak of cannot The saying then of Vincentius Lirinensis Id teneamus quod ubique quod semper quod ab omnibus creditum est and that we must follow Vniuersality Antiquity and Consent can onely be meant within the verge of those who adhere to Tradition or follow the Doctrin formerly deliver'd not of those who have broke from it otherwise all Hereticks in the world especially the Primitive ones might claim to be part of the Church 7. They who pretend themselves Reformers in Faith do ipso facto manifest themselves cut off from the Root of Faith and the Church For since Points of Faith are Truths and so have no Degrees in them but are Indivisible Reformation in Faith cannot mean mending Faith but putting it anew But this presupposes Tradition Interrupted wherefore Reformers in Faith must renounce Uninterruptedness of Delivery that is they must renounce Tradition Disc. 6. 8 9. and consequently they are cut off from the Root of Faith Coroll 4. 8. That Body of men who adhere to Tradition can evidence clearly and plainly who are truly Faithful who not For since Coroll 4. 5. to those men 't is all one to renounce Immediate or Uninterrupted Delivery or follow those who renounc't it as to be cut off from the Root of Faith and all one to be Faithful and to rely on that Principle Again seeing 't is evident by clear matter of Fact who rely and proceed upon it who not That Body of men who adhere to Tradition can evidence clearly and plainly who are truly Faithful who not and if Church-Government be instituted by our Saviour and so a Point of Faith and so descended to us by the Rule of Faith who are of the Church who not 9. None else can give any certain account who are to be held truly Faithful and of the Church who not For since without Tradition both Letter and Sence of Scripture is Uncertain Disc. 4. and subject to dispute as we also daily experience it follows that all the deniers of Tradition are uncertain who have the right Letter or Sence of Scripture that is whom they are to esteem Faithful or sit to be of the Church whom not Again Tradition being the onely certain Rule of Faith if one Revolter from it may be admitted all may so they prosess Christianity in outward talk which they will easily do Wherefore since the Denier of Tradition deems some one Revolter from it to be of the Church that is himself he may nay ought judge so of all the rest provided they talk a few fine pious words of God and Christ which what Hereticks but did 10. None can rationally punish the Revolters from their Faith but that Body which adheres to radition For since setting aside Tradition both Letter and Sence of Scripture is Uncertain Disc. 4. the Guilt of those Revolters is also Uncertain seeing then none can even pretend to correct a fault much less punish it upon uncertain Grounds none can rationally go about to punish their Revolters from Faith unless it be that body which adheres to Tradition and They can For in regard Tradition's Certainty is evident to the rudest by common sence Disc. 5. § 8. and likewise 't is as evident to Governours who revolt from it as it is to know when one dis-acknowledges and rises against a settled civil Authority and the Laws of the Land 'T is most manifest that the Revolter hath both Passion or Guilt enough to be held punishable and the Christian Magistrate evidence enough of his Fact to go about to punish it To avoid mistake I declare that in this Corollary I onely discourse what may or may not be done upon a Church-account what may be fit to be done upon a State-account I am neither able to judge nor do I meddle with it 11. No Company of men hang together like a Body of a Christian Common-wealth or CHURCH but that which adheres to Tradition For since 't is manifest that every external Commonwealth or Body of men hath some Outward Marks proper to it by which the members of it have their coherence or consistency and that those are certain tokens to distinguish it from any other and as manifest that all the marks proper to a Church as such depend upon the Rule of Faith Disc. 1. § 15. and their Certainty on its and lastly that
but that Christ promist his Church Infallibility is not thus self-evident but needs other Knowledges to evidence it unless we will make all come by Inspiration Besides if God's Providence laid in second Causes for Tradition's Indeficiency be not Certain in its self abstracting from Christ's promise to his Faithful Tradition can never convey certainly that Promise to us It must then be assur'd to us by Scripture's Letter ascertain'd onely by imagin'd diligence from Copy to Copy not by Tradition that is that Letter could not be certain its self and so fit to ascertain others till Tradition's Certainty be establish't antecedently And were it suppos'd a true Letter this Letter Tradition being as yet suppos'd unknown to be able to convey down certainly Christs sence must be interpreted onely by private skills and so all the Churches Veracity that is all Mankinds Salvation must be built on that private Interpretation Private I say for in that supposition till the Scripture's Letter for that point be Interpreted certainly truly the Churches veracity or power to interpret it truly is not yet known which besides the common Rule that no Scripture is of private Interpretation is particularly and highly faulty in this case that it would make our Fundamental of Fundamentals the Certainty of our Rule of Faith rely on such a private Interpretation Moreover to say Tradition of the Church is Certain because Christ promist it puts it to be believ'd not seen and is the same in Controversy as it is in Nature to say in common such an Effect is wrought because 't is God's will which gives no account of that particular Effect but onely sayes something in common Wherefore since the Certainty of the Rule of Faith it being antecedent to Faith must be seen not believ'd a Controversial Divine ought to make it seen that is ought to demonstrate its Certainty and Indeficiency by intrinsecal mediums or dependence on proper Causes It signisies therefore no more in the Science of Controversy to say Christ promist than in Natural Science to answer to every Question in stead of showing a proper Cause that God wills it which is a good saying for a Christian as is also the other but neither of them a competent Principle either for Philosopher or Controvertist Consent Of AUTHORITY To the substance of the foregoing Discourses 1. THus far Reason Let 's see how 't is seconded by Authority And first by the Scriptures 2. For the Self-evidence of the Way to Faith or which is all one The Rule of Faith see the Prophet Isay c. 35. v. 8. This shall be to you a direct way so that Fools cannot err in it That is evident to the rudest Vulgar or self-evident else Fools might possibly err in it in case it needed any Skill of Discourse and were not obvious to Common Sense 3. Now what this Self-evident Rule is is most expressively declar'd by the same Prophet c. 59. v. 21. speaking of God's favour intended to the Gentiles that is of the Law of Grace This is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit which is in thee and my words which I have put in thy Mouth shall not depart from thy mouth and from the mouth of thy Seed and from the mouth of thy Seed's Seed from henceforth for ever Here we see God's promise to perpetuate Christ's Doctrin and on what manner that is by Oral Tradition or Delivering it from Father to Son by word of Mouth or Teaching not by scanning a Book put in their hands We see it promist also that this Tradition shall be Indefectible or Vninterrupted and Lastly that his Spirit or Sanctity is both in the Church and will continue ever with her which being so she must needs be supernaturally assisted by the Holy Ghost that is incomparably above the power of Nature to this Effect of perpetuating Christ's doctrin by Tradition 4. As pithy and home is that of the Prophet Ieremiah c. 31. I will give my Law in their Bowels and iâ— their Hearts will I write it and still more that of St. Paul contradistinguishing the Law of Grace from Moses his Law by this that the later was writ in Tables of Stone the former in the fleshy Tables of mens Hearts Both as express as can be imagined to send us for our Faith to living Sence in the hearts of the Faithful not to meer dead Letters in a Book that is recommending to us Tradition which is the perfectest and naturalest way imaginable to write them there as hath been shown Note the word Hearts which in the Metaphorical expression is the Principle of Action not of meeâ— Speculative Knowledge as is the word Brain Which intimates the Practical nature of Tradition and that it imprints Christs Law and conveys it down by Christian Carriage and Action not by Speculative scanning the significativeness of Characters in a Book Note also the word Fleshy which signifies that the manner of writing Christ's Law is through the affecting the Soul by her Inferiour part considering her as she is a virtue of understanding that is by Sensations which make strong and plain Impressions in Mankind according to their material part and so force into them Natural Knowledge Whence things thus imprinted are apt to settle themselves solidly and even sink deeply into the most material gross and vulgar understandings Quite contrary to which in all regards is the way of beginning with reading and labouring to understand certainly Letters in a Book which is a kind of Speculation and so belongs to the Superiour part of the Soul as she is understanding being Artificial both in the very Nature of such Characters the skill in Reading and highest skills requisit to Sence them with Certainty 5. After Scripture-verdict succeed next in order those of Councils I will onely mention three in several Ages leaving multitudes of others The first Synod of Lateran We all confirm unanimously and consequently with one heart and mouth the Tenets and sayings of the Holy Fathers adding nothing subtracting nothing of those things which are DELIVERâ—D VS quae TRADITA sunt nobis by them and we believe so as the Fathers have believed we preach so as they have TAVGHT The Council of Sardica in its Encyclical sent to all Catholick Bishops We have received this Doctrin we have been taught so we hold this Catholick Tradition Faith and Confession And the seventh General Council in its second Act. We imbu'd with the precepts of the Fathers have so confest and do confess In the Third we receive and venerate the Apostolical Traditions of the Church And in the seventh Act giving their final determination they declare the Grounds on which they proceed in these words We walking in the King's-high-way Regiam viam incedentes and relying on the Doctrin of our holy and divine Fathers and observing the TRADITION of the Catholick Church define c. where we see General Councils that is the greatest Authority in the Catholick Church relying on the Teaching of
Fathers or foregoing Church and on the Churches Tradition as on their Rule and the High-way to Faith whence they repute Catholick Tradition and Faith the same thing We see also the Amplitude of this Rule recommending to us all Faith so that nothing ought be added to it And how empty a pretence the Fathers in this Council judg'd it to disallow this Rule under pretext of being opposit to Scripture is seen by these words in their First Session They who contemn the Teachings of the Holy Fathers and TRADITION of the Catholick Church and bring for their excuse and inculcate the words of Arius Nestorius Eutyches and Dioscorus saying Vnless we were sufficiently instructed out of the Old and New Testament we would follow the Doctrins of the Fathers of the six holy Synods and the Traditions of the Catholick Church Let him be accursed So that they held private Instruction from Scripture insufficient to build Faith on or which is all one to be a Rule of Faith Also that it was ever the common pretence of the most execrable Hereticks of old to decline Tradition and pretend to sufficient Light from Scripture's Letter and lastly that since the Sence of Scripture in points of Faith is not attainable sufficiently or with Certainty by the bare Letter of Scripture and with Certainty by Tradition and that Tradition brings us down determinate Sence Tradition is to sence Scripture's Letter and so that Letter no Rule but by virtue of Tradition seeing Faith being Sence and Points of Faith determinate Sences Faith's Rule must bring us to such determinate Sences 6. After antient Councils let us give a glance at Fathers and see what they say to this Point Celestin Saint and Pope to the Fathers of the Ephesin Council Agendum igitur nunc c. Now therefore we must act with a common endeavour to preserve things believed and retain'd to this very time by SVCCESSION FROM THE APOSTLES Ireneus cap. 4. Quid autem c. But what if the Apostles had not left us the Scriptures ought we not to follow the Order of â—radition which they had deliver'd to those to whom they committed the Churches To which Ordination assent many Natiens of those Barbarians who believe in Christ having Salvation writ by the Spirit in their hearts without characters and Ink and diligently keeping the Ancient TRADITION In the former we have it told a General Council what their proper task is namely to keep or hold fast what was believ'd and kept and how by Succession from the Apostles or from hand to hand In the second that the Apostles when they gave Bishops their Charge ordained or made it their Duty to observe Tradition that this Way of Tradition was sufficient to receive Faith upon that is sufficient to be a Rule of Faith without Scripture and that de facto it did perform that office to many Nations without Scripture Lastly he calls this delivery from Father to Son the writing it in their hearts by the Spirit that is the work of the Holy Ghost or Supernatural however it connaturally descended and seems to counterpose this to writing by characters or Ink as if this were not so immediately at least the Holy Ghosts work In regard as plain reason tells us the Sence of those Letters or Faith must either be had by those Inward Characters writ in the Readers hearts by God's Spirit and so It not the Ink writes it there or else by human or Natural Skills which are not attributable to our Sanctifier the Holy Ghost 7. The same Father lib. 1. cap. 3. For though there be diverse Tongues in the world yet the virtue of Tradition is one and the same The preaching of the Church is true and firm in which one and the same way of Salvation is shown over the whole world Here we have but one Rule of Faith or way to Faith this the preaching or living voice of the Church which is not onely said to be true but also firm that is the Certainty of its Truth is built on solid Grounds or founded in the nature of things order'd by God's special Providence to that end To show which hath been the aim of my present endeavours 8. Origen is more express 1. Periarchôn Servetur verò c. Let the Churches preaching deliver'd from the Apostles by order of Succession and remaining in the Church to this present be preserv'd That onely Truth is to be believ'd which differs in nothing from the Churches Tradition And 29. in Matth. We ought not to believe otherwise than as the Churches of God have deliver'd us by Succession Where he directly makes Tradition the Rule to judge what 's sound what not that is the Rule of Faith 9. Tertullian lib. de carne Christi If thou beest but a Christian believe what is traditum deliver'd And speaking to an Heretick By renouncing what thou hast believ'd thou provest that before thou didst renounce it what thou believedst was otherwise It was then deliver'd otherwise Moreover what was Deliver'd that was True as deliver'd by those to whom it belong'd to deliver Wherefore renouncing what was Deliver'd thou hast renounc't what 's True So that in this Father's Judgment a Christian and Follower of Tradition are the same and that to renounce what comes by Tradition is to renounce Truth which amounts to this that Tradition is the Test of Christianity and Rule of Faith Also he intimates that it belongs to some to deliver to some not and if to any to whom but those who lay claim and adhere to Tradition or Delivery and are in possession of it not to those who are known to have broken from Tradition and impugn its Certainty 10. Athanasius in lib. de Synodis They have declar'd themselves to be Vnbelievers by Seeking what they have not All therefore that are Seekers of Faith are Vnbelievers They onely to whom Faith comes down from their Ancestors that is from Christ by Fathers do not seek and therefore they onely have Faith If thou comest to Faith by Seeking thou wast before an Vnbeliever And in his Discourse against Paulus Samosatenus de Incarnatione He that searches after those things which are beyond his strength stands upon a precipice but he that sticks to Tradition stands out of danger Wherefore we persuade you which also we persuade our selves that you retain the Faith Deliver'd Traditam Fidem and avoid prophane words of Novelty I wish the Protestants would seriously weigh the import of these Sayings of this Father and consider what it was which sustain'd him who was a Pillar of Faith in his dayes and then applying it see whether it fits to Catholicks or Them They would plainly discern that which they prize themselves most for that is for taking their Faith out of Judgment by finding and seeking it in the Scriptures is alone enough to show them not to be truly Faithful That God has promised a perfectly secure way to give them true Faith that is by
it self To omit here that he makes it the very temper of a Christian mind not to question Tradition he maintains Continuance of Time to be so far from weakening the Certainty of Traditionary points that it contributes to strengthen them more And the reason is because the Churches Doctrin spreads by Time and so the sway of Tradition's descent is ampler besides that every new Degree of Continuance establishes its Title to Possession and makes it hainouser to revolt from it And Effects show our discourse true for there were more variety of Heresies that is Renouncers of Tradition in the first 400 years after the Apostles than we read of in any 400 years since Nor that we may use a familiar Instance in Human Tradition does I conceive any man living more doubt now of Mahomets or Iulius Caesar's existence than within an 100 years after they liv'd 15. A few Notes well weigh'd will strengthen the force of these Allegations which even at first sight seem to look very favourably on our Cause I mind my Reader then First That almost every Citation alledg'd is of Councils or Fathers speaking directly against Hereticks that is in such Circumstances as put them to declare what fixt them Catholicks and what made the other Hereticks Secondly That though some Fathers and Councils speak highly of Scripture as that it contains all Faith c. 'T is first to be markt whether they speak of Scripture Senc't or as yet to be Sencâ—t and if the later by whom or whether any Fathers say that Scripture wrought upon by private Interpretation and Human Wit is apt to ascertain Faith or be the Rule of Faith which is the true point between the Renouncers of Tradition and us Thirdly They shall observe it frequent in Fathers to force Hereticks to accept the Sence of Scripture from those who gave them the Letter of Scripture and very frequent to Sence that Letter even when dark by Tradition but never to bend Tradition to the outward show the Scripture's Letter seems to bear as interpreted by human Skills or to say Universal Tradition is insufficient or uncertain unless the Scripture's Letter thus interpreted came to clear or assist it Lastly 't is impossible they should hold Scripture thus interpretable the Rule of Faith it being notorious that most Hereticks against whom they writ held it theirs And so had they held Scripture thus interpreted the Rule of Faith they could not have held them Hereticks since they adher'd stiffly to that Rule or Root of Faith however they might err in many particular Tenets Not to repeat how all the Properties of the Rule of Faith are urterly incompetent to Scripture's Letter This done all the Testimonies for Scripture against Tradition lose their edge That is if my discourse also hold the test it will appear by way of Fact as it did before by Argument that there is neither Reason nor Authority against Tradition So that I have no more to do but to show that our Church at present grounds her faith on Tradition as formerly which done it follows all the Substance of my foregoing Discourses is but an Explication of our Churches Sence 16. To know our Churches Sence in this point we will not fetch our Testimony from private Authours as is the Protestants mode when they would affix any thing upon her but we will attend to what her own living voice pronounc't in her late famous Representative the Council of Trent Where in every Session definitive of Faith It professes to follow TRADITION either in most express or equivalent Terms As Session 4th The Holy Synod clearly seeing that this Truth and Disciplin Christ's Doctrin is contain'd in the written Books and Traditions without writing which received by the Apostles from Christ's own mouth or from the very Apostles the Holy Ghost dictating as it were deliver'd by hands per manus Traditae have come down to us c. And Again Also the TRADITIONS both belonging to Faith and Manners as dictated orally by Christ or the Holy Ghost and conserved by CONTINVAL SVCSESSION in the Catholick Church c. Session 5. The Holy Council following the Iudgment aud Consent of the Church Ibid. § 4. As the Catholick Church where ever diffus'd hath alwayes understood it For by reason of this RVLE OF FAITH according to the TRADITION of the Apostles c. Session 6. It professes to follow that Doctrin which Christ taught the Apostles deliver'd and the Catholick Church the Holy Ghost suggesting perpetually or interruptedly retain'd Session 7. The Holy Synod adhering to the Holy Scripture the Traditions of the Apostles and the Consent of Councils and Fathers Session 13. The sound and sincere doctrin which the Catholick Church hath ever kept and will ever keep to the end of the World And again For so ALL OVR ANCESTOVRS that ever were in the tru Church of Christ most openly have profest And yet again cap. 3. This Faith was ever in the Church So cap. 4. It was ever held in God's Church More such like Expressions are found in the same Session But to proceed Session 14. chap. 1. The Consent of ALL the Fathers EVER understood c. Chap. 5. The Church of God NEVER taught nor held c. Chap. 5. The Vniversal Church EVER understood that c. Chap. 7. It was ever held in God's Church Chap. 8. It was PERPETVALLY COMMENDED by our Fathers to Christian people No Catholick EVER held c. And in the same Session concerning Extream Unction alledging S. Iames his Text it adds By which words AS THE CHVRCH HATH LEARNED BY TRADITION RECEIV'D DOWN BY HANDS he teacheth c. And Can. 3. As the Catholick Church EVER understood from the beginning c. Can. 6. Which the Catholick Church ever observ'd from the beginning and doth observe c. Session 21. chap. 1. The Council professes to follow the Iudgment and CVSTOME of the Church Chap. 2. It declares that this power has PERPETVALLY been in the Church Session 22. That the antient Faith and doctrin may be retain'd in the Church Ibid. cap. 1. As the Catholick Church EVER understood and taught Chap. 1. According to Apostolical TRADITION Session 23 Holy Writings show it and the TRADITION of the Catholick Church ever taught it Chap. 2. They are known to have been in use from the very Beginning of the Church Session 24. The Holy Fathers Councils and the VNIVERSAL TRADITION of the Church have ALWAYES taught And speaking of some Errors It pronounces them different from the Catholick Church and from the CVSTOME approved SINCE THE APOSTLES TIME Session 25. The Catholick Church instructed by the Holy Ghost teaches out of Sacred Writings and the ANTIENT TRADITION of the Church c. According to the use of the Catholick and Apostolick Church TRADITAM deliver'd from the first or Primitive times of Christian Religion c. More Expressions of the like strain are found in this Session And to close up all in their Acclamation they use this
form of words This is the Faith of Blessed Peter this is the Faith of the Fathers this is the Faith of the Orthodox From which Testimonies note we 17. First That the Council in every Session not one excepted where Points of Faith are handled constantly professes to follow TRADITION Secondly It layes claim perpetually to Vninterruptedness of this Tradition as appears by the words ever alwayes from the Apostles times from the beginning from the Apostles have come down by hands to us The Church hath alwayes understood held openly profest taught hath ever kept and will ever keep perpetually commended by our Fathers hath learned by Tradition received down by hand hath ever observed and such like Plainly showing that this Persuasion of our Faith's descent uninterruptedly is deeply and unanimously rooted in the heart of the whole Catholick Church Which strengthens our Doctrin Disc. 8. § 2. and 3. 3ly It makes the Suggestion of the Holy Ghost or Sanctity in the hearts of the Faithful efficacious to perpetuate the delivery of received Doctrin See Sess. 6. Decreto de Iustificatione Sess. 13. de SS Euchar. Sacramento and many other places The very point I went about to explicate in my 9. Discourse 4ly 'T is observable that though it mentions the Holy Scriptures also with Tradition yet this is both very rarely and when it does so It onely expresses that Faith is contain'd in them but when it brings Places of Scripture to ground Definitions upon It perpetually professes to Interpret them by Tradition Which is most Evident both by its decreeing this in common Sess. 4. That none dare to interpret Holy Scriptures against the Sence which our Holy Mother the Church hath held and does hold meaning that Sence in the Hearts of the Faithful is the Rule to interpret Scripture by see Corol. 30. As also by several Instances Sess. 5. § 4. Sess. 14. Can. 3. Sess. 22. cap. 1. and to omit others in that most remarkable plaâ—e Sess. 14. In which after the Text of S. Iamesâ—lledg'd â—lledg'd for Extream Unction the Council subjoins In which words as the Church hath learn'd by Apostolical Tradition received down by hands be teaches c. Where Tradition is most evidently made the Rule which instructs and guides the Church in interpreting Scripture And 't is observable that the Council no where grounds any definition on Scripture but at the same time she grounds her Interpretation of Scripture on Tradition which devolves into this that the Council makes Tradition her onely Rule to know Certainly Christ's Sence or Points of Faith that is in proper speaking the onely Rule of Faith 18. But why then is the Holy Scripture made use of at all by the Council and that so solemnly nay and which is to be noted constantly put before Tradition To satisfy fully this difficulty 't is not the proper season at present yet being a good point and worth clearing I will not totally neglect it We may observe then that when we read any Book writ by an Authour we much esteem but yet such a Book as requires studying Aristotle's for Example or some other such whom we hold Scientifical we sometimes hope well as it were when we apply our own Industry to find out his meaning and have a kind of respect for what we conceive to be his Sence yet his Authority takes not full hold of our Understanding by reason the way we take is not evidently convictive that this is his Certain Sence But if the Point he writes on be first clear'd to us through a Scientifical discourse by word of mouth made by some Interpreter vers'd in his Doctrin and perfectly acquainted with his meaning we have as it were new Eyes given us to look deeply and thoroughly into his Sence and by this Security of arriving at it his Authority in case we highly esteem'd it has now its full force upon us to strengthen our Assent according to the degree of power it had upon our Understanding Now what a well-skill'd and insighted Interpreter or scientifical Explicater of the point is to such an Author the same is Tradition to Scripture For This bringing down Certainly Christ's Sence in every Point of Faith It easily and securely guides us to the true meaning of Scripture in those passages which concern such a point whereas the wordish way of Grammar and Criticism being evident by Principles to be ambiguous and by Experience to lead men into different Sences it can never satisfy us thoroughly that the Sence we arrive at by this method is infallibly the true one or Christs and so never engages certainly the Authority of GOD'S WORD And hence it is that Scripture thus interpreted is of sleight force and at best good onely for Ecclesiastical Rhetorick or Sermons where the concern is not much if the Preacher misses in this particular passage so the Substance of the Point he preaches on or his Text be truly Christ's doctrin nor is Scripture thus interpreted even a competent proof in the Science of School-Divinity as being Uncertain and so unapt to beget Science whence Intelligent Divines quoting and building on Scripture are to be suppos'd to judge the Sence they build on to be the Churches and so they are presum'd to go to work as Faithful or parts of Ecclesia docens or else they lay true Science first which is ever agreeable to Faith and so when any Text concerns a demonstrated point they know by Science what the true Sence of that Point must be Much less is Scripture wordishly interpreted apt to build Faith on the unwaveringness of which kind of Assent must be grounded and secure in the Principles which beget it and not meerly actually such as it were by accident whereas Interpretations thus made Faith's Principles in this case are liable to possible if not probable mistake This will be clearer by a parallel made by a learned Authour worth inserting because it strengthens our Discourse by a new Consideration Let a Critick and a skill'd Carpenter read Vitruvius his Book of Architecture the Critick has but a dim dry and uncertain conceit of what he reads as to the truth of the thing but the Carpenter or Architect by reason of some Principles and Practice he has already of those matters understands him more thoroughly and makes lively and firm conceits of the truth and excellency of what he writes Such is the Practical way of knowing Christs Sence or Tradition to the interpreting Scripture usâ—d by the Catholick Church in comparison of the Critical Method affected by others In a word Tradition gives us Christs Sence that is the Life of the Letter ascertaind to our hands which therefore must needs move the Letter its Body naturally The other way takes the dead Letter and endeavours to move it Artificially to counterfeit that Life which it truly wants 19. To apply this Discourse to our matter in hand Tradition securing to us the Scripture's Letter truly significative of Christ's Sence and also the
Again for God's love who ever deny'd they ought to have reason to believe the Churches Authority Is any thing more frequent in our Controvertists and Divines treating of the Ground of Faith than large Discourses concerning Motives of Credibility 9. Thirdly he saies that disputing with Romanists whether Scripture be the sole Rule he means t is so limitedly that is between Christians who have already acknowledged Scripture a Rule of Faith By which I see Mr Whitby guides him self by sounds though he must need know if he knows any thing of Catholick Tenâ—â—â— our sence is quite different I beseech you Sir deal fairly with us Is not that speaking formally and properly the Rule of Faith which gives us Christs sence and does not that give us the Sence of Scripture which regulates us in the Interpretation of it Did ever Catholick then hold that Scripture interpreted on any fashion much less on your fashion by private Judgments or reasons regulated by Grammatical skill Criticisms and such like verbal knowledges is a Rule of Faith nay do not we constantly abhor this way as the Source of Heresy Take us right then we hold not Scripture's Letter alone a Rule but Scripture interpreted by the Church that is indeed the Church formally speaking and so you see you mistake our Principle Yet upon our joint-agreement in this your Discourse against us proceeds Retrive it then you see your Errour Again you tell us Scripture is your new Rule but forget quite in your discourse to tell us that your Reason assures you Scripture is to be the onely Rule or why it should be so since besides what I have demonstrated to the Contrary in my former Discourses 't is evident Christian Religion had descended many steps ere the Scripture's parts were much scatter'd much less the Whole collected and no less clear that that can never be a Rule or Way to Faith which many follow yet their thoughts straggle into many several Judgments not in indifferent points but in that of the Trinity amongst the rest as your self profess of the Socinian that he rejects not the Trinity in the first place because it seems a contradiction but because 't is not clearly discover'd in Scripture by which you see he adheres firm to your Rule and so ought to be acknowledg'd one of your Church since though he hap to differ in some points yet he holds fast the Rule common to both which is the substantiallest Principle of a Church as such being the Ground of all Faith And indeed your Kindness to him here and your tender care not to displease him shows you have a true brotherly affection for him Though I fear he he will con you small thanks for making his Principle run thus That which is not clearly revealâ—d in Scripture and is coniradictory ti reason is not to be believ'd which seems to imply that were it clear in Scripture yet contradictory to Reason then he would notwithstanding belive it An over-strain of Piety no Socinian was ever guilty of and I can assure you no learned Catholick Divine I ever heard of ever made such an Act of Faith But 't is another case if it onely seems contradictory and is not judg'd by him to be evidently such for then there is room left in his mind for the contrary Assent of Faith to settle there 10. You say you prescribe not the doctrin imputed to the Socinians because it makes Reason the Iudge of Faith but the Rule of Faith Pray take pains to consider what you say He that judges must have some Principles in his head by which he is regulated in making such a Judgment those Principles then must be his Rule in that Action and if that Judgment be an adhesion to a point of Faith those Principles are his RULE OF FAITH Examin now well your own thoughts whether your Principles by which you find out certainly by interpreting Scripture this is God's sence or a point of Faith be not Maxims of your human Reason I am sure in disputes against us you prove and defend your Faith by such skills as Languages History and other Knowledges got by Human Learning and consequently hold It your selves upon the tenour of those skills which therefore are your Rule of Faith and not upon the bare Letter You I know will deny it But I beg your second thoughts to reflect that a Rule to such an Effect is the immediate Knowledge to the Power as conversant about that Effect and that if another intervene it regulates the former which thereupon becomes the thing ruled not the Rule Do then these skills clear the Letter of Scripture that is make known Gods Sence to you If so since their Immediate effect is to clear it 't is impossible to deny but they are at least part of the Revelation for revealing is clearing and God's Sence was not clearly revealed but by those means that is by human maxims and so they are at least the more formal part of your Rule of Faith Again I ask might you not have mistaken the true Sence without those Human Maxims If so then They and not Scripture's Letter were your Rule If not then onely common Sence is requisit to understand clearly what 's reveal'd in Scripture and then either your Brother Socinian or you want Common Sence which I think you 'l scarce say 11. But will you see you still hold Reason your Rule notwithstanding you cry up the Written word Find you not there expresly that God has hands feet nostrils and passions like ours and this in clear terms Why is it not then a point of Faith You will not answer sure it is against Maxims of Reason you renounc't them formerly p. 94. when you had found out your new Rule and onely allow'd your Reason power to judge if a point were sufficientlie reveal'd that it is most rational to 〈◊〉 it self though it seem to contradict or thwâ—â—â— Reason Now this is sufficiently reveal'd being plainly writ in your Rule of Faith and the direct Letter of Scripture why will you not then captivate your Reason and believe it I see you do but complement with God's incomprehensible Knowledge in speaking so highly of it and so humbly of your own shallow Intellâ—ct Will you deny a point of Faith so plainly reveald for your own capricho or conceit Perhaps you 'l say 't is not clearly reveal'd because the contrary is plain in Scripture too I ask is it as plain if not it cannot overthrow the title of This to be a point of Faith If as plain why should you not believe both Be valiant Sir and believe a contradiction it being clearly reveal'd Perhaps it seems but such and then your own profession p. 94. obliges you to admit it You that can acknowledge an Infinit extension of space when you say all the world besides does so too sure you thought all the World was in your Fancy may also hold Materia ab aeterno and that it is onely a part
with such a person were not he mad that is a renouncor of Reason or Man's Nature who should not believe them You see then these Witnesses have power to propose such an Object as can oblige to Belief You see the Dissenters are Irrational that their act of dissenting springs from some Passion or Vice and Vice is punishable and so is the Effects of that Dissent if it be in such a matter as is highly pernicious to Mankind's best concerns Now our Church makes account she is able to propose an Authority incomparably more ample than the Attestation now spoken of for the true Descent of her Faith and judges such a proposal founded on the eye-sight of all those Witnesses to be able to oblige to interiour Assent in such a degree as to render them most highly wilful vicious and irrational who should disbelieve it hence the crime intrenching upon the order to mankind's Salvation the highest concern imaginable both to edify those dissenters by correcting their vice and the circumstant Faithful by breeding a conceit in them through the punishment of the others of the sacredness of Faith and its Rule and the hainousness of Pride of understanding the ready way to all Heresies they may nay ought punish their Interiour Dissent Not out of an height of Authority without motives as Mr. Whitby conceits but because that Authority is her self such a motive to Belief that onely irrational vicious and wilfully-blind persons can recede from it by disbelief And hence our Churches procedure is rational natural sweet and charitable tending to amend an enormity of Will not bred from a rationally but passionate dissatisfy'd Understanding Nay Mr. Whitby's discourse justifies Our Churches procedure who seems to allow his Church a power to require a positive Assent when the case comes to be such that the denier of it must needs be held wilfull and our Church neither sayes nor acts otherwise 15. By this Discourse I would not have Mr Whitby imagin that I am about proving our Churches Infallibility in this place but onely showing that holding She can evidence her Authority She goes rationally to work and consonantly to her self in requiring Assent to her Proposals whereas Theirs confessing her self fallible even in interpreting Scripture upon which all both her Faith and Authority as a Church depends were self-condemn'd irrational and tyrannical if She should go about to require any such Interiour Assent Now though he in big words denies this to be her carriage asking when did they meaning Bishops Convocations or Parliaments challenge any power over our minds and Consciences and alledges the consent of their Divines for it yet I wonder what he thinks of the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy made by a Protestant Parliament is there no obligation there to hold any thing Yes as strong as Oath can tye it And which is worse 't is more Irrational to go about to bind Our Assents who are not of their Church than to bind their own Subjects This in practice is perform'd towards all but so imprincipled a procedure that their Church waves it when it comes to a rational scanning in a Dispute and Controversy acknowledging so their want of Grounds to make it good Which shows that the Authority of their Church sprang from the Parliament or Secular State in regard She professes her self very heartily content with external Obedience let the Interiour Assent goes where it will most unlike the Church settled by the Wisdome of the Eternal Father and constituted the Pillar and Ground of Truth who provided in the first place for the Churches Power to hold us to the same Tenets which are the Principles of our Actions knowing that unless the Root of Faith be sound the Actions its branches must needs be rotten and unconscientious and that no Congregation could long hold together nor indeed longer than the plain force of the Secular Sword aw'd them unless by power to evidence its Authority it had power to oblige men's Understandings connaturally to an Unity in the same Faith which done all else would follow And hence we may see confessedly in the Protestant Principles the reason of their present and past distractions and divine of the future for men's Fancies being naturally various and no power in her to keep them in an Union they must needs ramble into multitudes of dissenting Sects which to strive to unite into one were to force both Nature and Conscience too Nature in striving to unite their Understandings in Faith without offering them Evidence of Authority Conscience in binding them to Act as Protestants do whereas they are ready to stake their Salvation upon it that their best reasons working upon the very Rule of Faith Protestants recommend obliges them to the contrary and that to force them to act with Them is to force them to sin So that the Protestants at once profess they will not or cannot oblige their Vnderstandings and yet at the same time contend by force to oblige their Wills without nay against their Understandings 16. In a word let Protestants write talk quote words as long as they will Plainest Common Sence tells them and every man who considers it that unless they settle some undisputable Method of arriving at Christ's Sence or Faith that is some self-evident and so all-obliging Rule of Faith the Protestant Church can never hope for Power to reduce their Dissenters nor to hold together or govern efficaciously their own Subjects that is they can never hope for Unity within themselves nor lastly Union with them that have it and charitably endeavour they may have it too THIRD APPENDIX Animadversions On Some Passages in Mr. Stillingfleet 1. THe loud Fame of Mr. Stillingfleet's Book preventing its Publication and withall the report of his good parts coming from diverse Judicious Persons bred in me a great Impatience to see something of his other Writings that so I might have more solid Ground to build my Expectation on than common rumour or commendation of acquaintances A Protestant Friend show'd me a little Treatise of his concerning Excommunication I perus'd the beginning of it and immediately told him Mr. Stillingfleet was a very ingenious person and writ the best I ever yet saw any Protestant For he settled first his notion or the true nature of the Thing and thence attempted by intrinsecal mediums to draw immediate Consequences which show'd that his head lay right for Science But withal I assur'd my Friend 't was impossible he could write against us and take that method the nature of his Cause not enduring so severe a Test. His Book coming forth and bearing in its Title a Rational Account of the Grounds of Protestant Religion my Expectation was more erected and till my self could get leasure to peruse it I told diverse both Catholicks and Protestants that they might expect from Mr. Stillingfleet's Wit the most that could be said either for the later or against the former But coming to over-look cursorily his Infallibility of Tradition
the most vulgar that every Man has a Principle in him impelling him to Act which we agree to call a Will Such likewise are all Propositions of this Nature which the Church uses upon occasion of some emergent Heresie to explain her self and put the point of Faith out of danger of being equivocated Examples of the later sort are Theological Conclusions in which a Natural Truth is one of the Premises joyning with the Supernatural one to infer them To omit this as little to our purpose at present Of the former sort the Church is necessitated to make use upon occasion that is when any Heretick questions Those and eâdem operâ the whole point of Faith it self of which they were a part Upon occasion I say For what concern'd its the Faithful or who ever heard much noise of this Proposition Christ has two Wills thus singled out and exprest apart till the Monothelite granting him but one forc't the Church that she might preserve the main Tenet of Christ's having two Natures or being God and Man to maintain publish and define that other 6. To apply this then since none can have Obligation to believe what they have not obligation to think of and that in some Age the Generality of the Faithful have no Occasion nor consequently Obligation to minde reflect or think on those Propositions involvd in the main stock of Faith and truly parts of it that is indeed It It follows that a Thing may be de fide or obligatory to be believ'd in one Age and not in another Perhaps Mr. Stillingfleet may ask how the Church can have Power to oblige the Generality to Belief of such a point I answer she obliges them to believe the main Point of Faith by virtue of Tradition's being a Self-evident Rule and these Imply'd Points by virtue of their being self-evidently-connected with those main and perpetually-us'd Points so that the vulgar can be rationally and connaturally made capable of this their Obligation Whence the Government of our Church is still justify'd to be sweet and according to right Nature and yet forcible and Efficacious to hold her Subjects in a strict Union Not to mention how these Points also descended by a kind of Tradition for I doubt not but the Apostles had occasion in explaining Faith to speak of These however the no Necessity brought them not so much into play but left them unreflected on by the Generality 7. But to return to Mr. Stillingfleet who acts here like a Politician and would conquer us by first dividing us and making odious Comparisons between two parties of Divines But he may please to reflect how we all hold firmly the same divinely-constituted Church-Government and the same self-evident Rule of Faith to give our understandings the same principles as Christians and so our wills the same Actions And those are firmly rooted in all our hearts to have been recommended to us by the wisdom of the Eternal Father Whence 't is Impossible for all the Wit of Man or even Malice of Hell to disunite us as we are Faithful As private Discoursers our different Natures and Circumstances must needs distinguish us Every one believes the same but coming to explicate this Belief they vary according to the several degrees of perfection in their understanding Powers And yet M. Stillingfleet is not aware how little we differ even as Divines For though some Speculaters attribute to the Church a power of defining things not held before yet few will say she has New Revelations or New Articles of Faith those only some Lawyers who talk ultra crepidam no Divines that I know of and none that Christ was not a perfect Law-giver which are necessary Consequents or rather in a manner Identical to the other And when it comes to the point those men explain themselves that all was deliver'd Faith either Explicitly or Implicitly which I have shown to bear a very good Sence in my Explication of de fide He tells us Popes and Councils challenge a power to make things de fide in one Age which was not in another he speaks onely in common and proves it not Had he brought Instances it might have been better clear'd In the mean time I have shown him how take them right this is both perfectly innocent and unavoidably necessary to a Church What would avail him is if a Pope and Council should define a new Thing and declare they ground themselves on new Lights as did their first Reformers in England But he will finde no such fopperies in Faith-definitions made by the Catholick Church He tells us that this is the common Doctrin maintain'd By which I perceive he is at an end of his Argument against our Church there being no evidenter signe of it than to leave off assaulting Her confound her with the Schools or some private Opinaters and then carp at these mens Tenets Whereas M. Stillingfleet wants not Wit to know that no sober Catholick holds Human deductions the Rule of our Faith Schoolmen Definers of it nor the Schools the Tribunal whence to propose it authoritatively and obligingly to the Generality of the Faithful much less a few Divines which are far from reaching the Authority of the Schools Yet how much of his Book would need no Answer were this Impertinent Topick laid aside But well Let Schools and Church be all one that is let every master of divinity be a Bishop what means he to conclude from the words common Doctrin Does he make account every School-Doctrin must be equally in vogue or that an Opinion's being Common defines it Faith and condemns the other for Heretical Where 's his Reason The direct contrary follows from its being Common and that 't is not Faith which others though not so many may contradict and he is but meanly vers't in our Schools if he sees not very many publikely maintain that there are no new Revelations without dreading Excommunication or being held Heretical and seditious So they grant the Church power as they ought by new Propositions and new but expressive Words yet both the same in sence and so not new in substance to meet with the new blundering Cavils of Innovators 8. Yet all this while M. Stillingfleet cannot see how to satisfie himself of the Sence of our Church as to this particular Nor ever will while he wilfully looks the wrong way that is towards some particular Schoolmen or Divines not towards the Universality of the Faithful or Church What need he counterfeit this puzzle Did he never hear of such a thing as the Council of Trent Or is it so hard to finde it Again does not he know all the Catholick Church allow more a thousand times to It than to all the Schoolmen in the World Yes very well How comes it then that he runs to some Schoolmen and neglects the Church speaking in her Representative Because he may finde there a clear Solution of his doubt by the constant procedure of that most grave