about V. It cannot in reason be less than one whole Day every Week which will be evident if we consider 1. The Object of our Worship Were we to live the days of Methusalem he might challenge every moment of our time as a just debt and if all be due reason will not allow That so considerable a portion as a Week should pass without a solemn dedication of a Seventh part of it to his service Let us suppose one man to owe unto anothers as much or more than his whole estate is worth the rule of equity will not allow him to offer less than the Seventh part in order to the compounding his debt and the just satisfaction of his Creditor 2. The Nature of Worship In it the Glory of God the eternal happiness of the Soul the temporal felicity of the Community are highly interested The difficulty in the right discharge of it is equal to the importance The Prince of this World makes it his work to hinder it The natural tempers of Men furnish him with a signal advantage to compass his design There is an inbred Love in us to sensible objects which are apt to ingenerate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Athenagoras speaks Leg. 〈◊〉 Christianis p. 30. This is the reason why the Second Commandment which relates to Worship is fortified with so many inducements to obedience One taken from the power of God to punish offenders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Another from his will to exert his power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Third from the execution of his Will upon the off-spring of those which offend visiting the iniquity c. A Fourth from his kindness to the obedient shewing mercy c. Had it not been difficult to confine our selves within the bounds of this Precept the fence which is set about it would not have been so strong If the Worship of God be a matter of such difficulty and of the greatest importance then it requires a very large proportion of our time to be spent in the performance of it and if so was it left to our own disposal we could not in justice allot less than the Seventh part 3. The pattern of the triumphant Church In Heaven a perpetual Sabbath is celebrated The glorified Spirits are constantly imployed in worshipping him who liveth for ever and ever Rev. 4.10 This heavenly example the Church Militant must makes as near an approach unto as the circumstances of this present life will permit she being obliged to endeavour That the will of God may be done on earth as it is in heaven Matt. 6. v. 10. Those who are most exercised with the incumbrances of this world have nothing to plead in their own behalf why they may not come up so nigh to this celestial pattern as to devote One Day of every Week to the concerns of Religion 4. The practice of the Militant Church not only under the Law but before From the beginning of the Creation the Time for Solemn Worship was no less than One whole Day every Week as is evident from the testimony of the Author to the Hebrews altho' the works were finished from the foundation of the world For he spake in a certain place of the Seventh Day on this wise And God did rest the seventh day from all his works Heb. 4.3 4. Here is an evident remembrance of a day of rest not only to God but to Men. For the design of the Apostle is to prove out of the 95. Psal That there remains a rest to the people of God under the Gospel In order to this purpose he shews it is not the rest of the Seventh from the Creation which the Psalmist had his eye upon If the Seventh here mentioned had not been a rest to the people of God but only to God himself there would have been no necessity of such care to distinguish it from that other rest which is concluded still to remain to the people of God 2. That time is expressed when this rest commenced from the foundation of the world The works then finished are represented as the ground upon which the Sabbath was instituted It cannot with reason be imagined That the foundation should be laid at the beginning and the superstruction not built upon it as some think till above Two Thousand years after This Assertion receives a great deal of strength from the early division of Time into Weeks Noah had his eye upon the Hebdomadal Cycle Gen. 8.10 12. A Week is represented as a period familiarly known in Jacob's time Gen. 29.27 God himself did point out this division by his own example distinguishing the Six Days by peculiar Works the Seventh by rest A universal consent prevailed amongst all the Eastern Nations about this particular The testimony of Joannes Philoponus is known 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 7. c. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is agreed amongst all Nations That there are Seven Days which by a constant revolution constitute all time Georgius Syncellus in his Chronology which begins with Adam and ends at Dioclesian asserts That the Patriarchs divided their time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that the division into Months and Years is of later date Josephus against Appion says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. There is no City whether Greek or Barbarian to whom was unknown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the division of Time into Weeks was from the beginning and a week consisted of seven days and one of those were a Sabbath or a day of rest the Sabbath must needs be from the beginning There is no record which makes mention of a week that doth not suppose the Sabbath to be a part of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amongst the Greeks is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Hebrows which Theophilus Antiochenus says E. z. ad Autol. p. 91. All Men had knowledge of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Sacred Oracles sometimes is put for a week the denomination of the whole being taken from the principal part Lev. 23.15 In the book entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is expressed That for many weeks the Seventh Day was celebrated as a day of rest The Chaldee Paraphrast upon the Title of Psalm 92. useth these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Song which the first Man sang on the Sabbath-day and upon the first verse of the Canticles the first Song Adam spake at the time when his sin was pardoned and the day of the Sabbath came and protected him Cain and Abel are said to bring their Sacrifices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the end of days by which we must understand theh period of a year or a month or some other term there being no division of time so early as that into Weeeks and nothing here can be so well understood by the end of Days as the end of a Week which was the Sabbath Indeed it is objected That if the Sabbath was so early as hath been
perswade them that no such thing was done Not only Bellarmine as I have before intimated but likewise Sirmondus acknowledge That Transubstantiation was not exposed to a clear light before the Ninth Century In the following Ages the profound ignorance of the people and the ambition of the Priests gave a great advance to it The Priests being desirous of deference and respect from the people knew no method more expedient to promote their purpose than to adhere to that doctrin which has a direct aspect upon it What could more readily commend them to the first place in the thoughts and opinion of the Vulgar than to perswade them that they were so highly favoured in Heaven as from thence to be invested with a power to turn Bread into the body of Christ This if sincerely believed must inevitably be as efficacious to secure to themselves an eternal veneration as the doing the greatest miracle recorded in the Sacred Oracles After all the commotions about this doctrin and the definition of Innocent the Third in the Fourth Lateran Council the greatest men for learning were at a loss what to six upon Joannes Parisiensis did afterwards publickly maintain That the Bread after Consecration really remains as the humane nature of Christ does after its being advanced to the dignity of the Hypostatical Union At the Council of Trent This business was brought to its perfection yet when the definition was to be made the Dominicans and Franciscans could not agree but fell into warm contests insomuch that at the last the General Congregation did prudently resolve to use as few words as possible and to make an expression so Universal as might be accommodated to the meaning of both parties All this to which much more might be added is sufficient to assure us of the novity of Transubstantiation and to give us some light into the steps which it took before it could arrive at the dignity of being an Article of Faith in the Church of Rome Now if we will give our selves leisure to sum up what has been spoken we shall find too much reason to suspect that the error of the Romanists about the Annihilation of the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament doth not arise from the nature of the Object but a voluntary distemper in the Subject and therefore can contribute little to an excuse from the Charge they lie under of alienating the Divine Honour when they give supreme Worship to the Sacrament And now I have done with the first particular the terminating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the Eucharist 2. Invocation of Saints The Romanists in this do that which is highly injurious to the peculiar Honour of God When they direct Mental Prayer to the Saints the action in its own nature imports an acknowledgment That they understand the Heart which is a priviledge appropriated to the Supreme Being in the Holy Scripture Thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men 2 Chro. 6.30 There is not a tittle in any part of Divine Revelation whereby it appears that God makes known our Hearts to them but on the contrary many clear intimations That he reserves this knowledge entirely to himself When Vocal Prayer is made to them for Grace and Glory it involves a confession of a power residing in them to confer that which is the gift of God alone thro' Jesus Christ If it be said That they are invocated not as Authors but Intercessors for these things they contradict the stile of their Devotion O Maria gratiosa dulcis mitis formosa applica nobis gratiam O Maria gloriosa in deliciis deliciosa praepara nobis gloriam In the Psalter of the Virgin all the Addresses made to God of whatsoever nature are directed to Her It is said That God the Father has done for Her what Assuerus promised to Esther given one moiety of his Kingdom namely That of Mercy to Her reserving the other of Justice to himself But let it be so That one thing is spoken and another meant which is not decent at any time much less in the Worship of God and the Saints are prayed unto as Intercessors yet this action cannot be excused from the blame of usurping the Honour of the second Person in the Sacred Trinity who is appointed to be the only Mediator betwixt God and Man We know of no other in the Scripture and it is not for mortal Man to appoint new Advocates in the Kingdom of Heaven and make them Rivals with the great Master of Requests who is of God's designation An Earthly Prince looks upon it as an insufferable insolence for Subjects to appoint who shall be his great Officers without his Order and Command If it be said That the Saints are invocated not as co-ordinate Intercessors but subordinate to Christ this will not much mend the matter For whether they be the first or last yet it is plain that when one particular Saint is Invocated the same hour and instant in diverse places for things of a different nature a capacity is supposed in that Saint to hear all their Petitions at once and by consequence to have an infinite Understanding A Finite Intellect tho' in the fruition of the greatest advantages either from the Revelation of God or Relation of Angels can understand but one object at a time To have an actual apprehension of more than one at the same moment is a peculiarity belonging to an unlimited and infinite capacity If it be added that the Sense of the Church is That we must have recourse to the Prayers of the Saints departed as we have to them while they are living here this will not amount to any reasonable satisfaction There is not the same reason for praying to Saints in Heaven as there is for our desiring our Brethren here to pray for us 1. They are at a distance These are present If a man residing in England should fall upon his knees and supplicate his friend in the Indies to assist him with his Prayers the very Action in its own nature would import an attribution of an immensity to him which is peculiar to God If he should daily use his picture to excite his devotion and kneeling before it make such religious applications as are usually made to the glorified Saints before their Images every one would look upon him as a person doing that which is highly prejudicial to the Divine Honour There is as much reason to believe that the Saints on Earth may hear our Prayers at a distance as the Saints in Heaven There is not one Syllable in the Bible to assure us to the contrary Abraham is ignorant of us Isa 36. And if Abraham the Father of the Faithful is a stranger to our concerns much more his Children who are in his Bosom God and Angels may reveal our necessities to our friends in any place yet no man looks upon this possibility as a sufficient ground to pray unto them when they are at a distance from us The Prayer
competent Judges of their own ability The generality are very partial in their reflections upon themselves are easily flattered into a belief that the dominion of their Reason is as large as those Monarchs have fancied their Territories who by the strength of imagination have entituled themselves to the regency of the World and expressed displeasure against Cosmographers for not allowing them a bigger space in their Tables This unfitness in men to judg of themselves devolves a necessity upon others to do it for them otherwise the ends of the Ministerial Function will be disappointed by an intrusion of the unskilful and confusion take place of all good order Those who judge must be persons of Learning and experience in the same imployment None can judge but those who are fit and none have such a degree of idoneity as those who are thus qualified The business of a Spiritual Pastor is not only to lead his flock into advantagious places to feed in it but to defend it against the rapine of Wolves not only to exhort but convince gain-sayers Tit. 3.9 Many of those who contend against the Truth making use of their improvements in humane Studies for the accomplishment of their end it is but expedient That they who are designed to enter the Lists with them should have skill at the same weapon This was perceived by Julian an irreconcileable enemy to the Faith of Christ who commanded That the Christians should be deprived of all Books of Learning to compensate which damage Apollina the Elder turned the Books of Moses into Heroick Verse the Younger the Gospel into Dialogues after the method of Plato Of this skill which a Minister ought to be endued with every Christian is not a competent Judge Not only the Law but the Gospel doth pronounce it reasonable That every man should be tried by his Peers The judgment which they give must not be concealed but declared to the Church for her direction That She may know whom to refuse and whom to accept as Ministers And it cannot be better declared than by some important actions as Prayer which has a tendency to invite from Heaven a Benediction upon the Heads and Hearts of those who are found qualified and Imposition of Hands which solemnly points out unto the People whom they are to entertain as their Pastours These actions being exerted by one who is invested with authority change the state of private Men and translate them out of a Civil into an Ecclesiastical capacity A Sence of the necessity of such Persons has been always so great that there is no Age but will furnish us with instances of them Before the Flood we meet with Preachers which were solemnly Commissioned to dispence the mind of Heaven Noah is stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 2.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Person in Commission constituted to proclaim the Will of his Prince Didym in Hom. â—â— 6. p. 183. Shrev The Scholiast upon Homer says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every King has his proper Heraulds This Office doth not open to every one who can perswade himself that he is indued with abilities agreeable to the importance of it but is peculiar only to those who are ordained to it Noah is stiled the Eighth Preacher It is more congruous to refer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He spared not the old World but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the Eighth Noah there being none of the name before but Noah the Eighth Preacher This contributes evidence to the act of Divine Justice in drowning the World which altho' eight eminent Preachers of Righteousness had been employed in order to the promoting a reformation neglected them all and entertained their advice with scorn and derision These Eight are Enos Cainan Mahalaleel Jared Enoch Mathusala Lamech Noah Enos challengeth the first place Of his time it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then Preaching began in the name of the Lord. That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may admit of this interpretation is evident Jonah 3.2 It has a plain affinity with the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is derived and is in the Septuagint expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 41.43 Exod. 32.5 Prov. 8.1 That which our Translation attributes to Men in general the Greek and Latin assigns to Enos only So that we are not destitute of authority if we thus read the Text Then Enos began to Preach in the name of the Lord. Namely concerning the desolation which the prophaneness of Cain's posterity would certainly draw upon the World if not prevented by a sincere and timely Repentance The Second Preacher is Cainan He was so eminent in this Sacred Function that the Kenites who were Scribes and solemnly ordained to expound the Divine Law 1 Chron. 2.55 received their denomination from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Third Mahalaleel The Character of his Office is legible in his name He was set apart to Praise God and proclaim his Righteous Will The Fourth Jared which word imports humility from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 descendere The humble God delights to teach and he that is taught of God is not unfit to communicate instruction to others The Fifth Enoch S. Jude represents him as a Prophet declaring that the Lord was coming to execute judgment upon all v. 14 15. His name is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to dedicate He was devoted solemnly to the Ministery and those words He walked with God argue that he exercised his Sacred Function The Jerusalem Targum expounds them He laboured in Truth before God even as the Elders are said to labour in Word and Doctrin 1 Tim. 5. The Sixth is Methusala He is the Son of a Prophet and in his very Name did foretel the Flood It is compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to import that when he was dead God would send a universal Deluge He died according to this prediction in the beginning of the year in which the Flood was The Seventh was Lamech He gave an undoubted testimony of his being under the power of a Prophetick Spirit by naming his Son Noah and expounding the meaning of it in these words The same shall comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed Gen. 5.29 They plainly presage some signal consolation which would accrue to mankind by him After the Flood until the time of the Law we are not without instances of a like importance The First-born in every Family did execute the Sacerdotal Function We read of Priests before the order of Aaron was instituted and young men sent by Moses to offer burnt offerings which the Chaldee Paraphrase renders the first-born Exod. 19.22 This is the reason why the Apostle in his Epistle to the posterity of Heber in allusion to this Institution saies Ye are come to
others which represent the Lives of the Popes will see That I have done them no injustice By all this it is visible of what elevation Holiness has been at Rome and what little reason there is to make it a motive of Credibility The last is the glory of Miracles By Miracles we must understand Works which are above the power and energy of finite Nature and are plain and evident to the Sence None but God can effect them and when he doth them they are produced openly and all circumstances are so perspicuous that there cannot be any reasonable suspicion of collusion Such were the works of Jesus Christ They are confessed by all to be above the energy of finite Nature whether Angelical or Humane All the Angelical Powers had they conspired together could not by the speaking a word have raised Lazarus from the dead after he had been four days in the grave or in a moment cured Chronical diseases which had been upon the distempered persons some Twelve some Eighteen some Thirty Eight Years These effects were produced in the clearest light The Sun of righteousness did not light a candle to operate by They were done not only before friends who might be byassed with inclinations to use their Microscopes and magnifie every thing beyond its just dimensions but in the presence of the most implacable enemies who were under the strongest propensities to eclipse the glory of them Now we cannot learn That such Miracles as these are done by the Romanists Many which are pretended to are discovered to be meer collusions Those that they still continue to glory in have not much evidence as is necessary to the nature of a Miracle They tell of wonders done by the remains of S. James at Compostella in Spain by the Virgin Mary at Loretto in Italy in her Santa Casa by the Sacred Vial of S. Mary Magdalen in S. Maximine's Church in France But when we come to inquire not only into the Truth of what is pretended to be done but likewise for the evidence which they have That the Vial in the Church of S. Maximine's was Mary Magdalen's and the blood boiling in it upon the Passion-day the blood of our Saviour or That the Santa Casa at Loretto is the Chamber where the Virgin Mary was born and saluted by the Angel or That the Reliques at Compostella are the real remains of S. James Their account is so defective That all Wise Men of their own party are ashamed of it The best Testimonies they have are either dreams or visions and fables devised by Men wholly devoted to the advancement of their own designs There is a Table in the Church at Loretto in no less than Thirteen Languages for the edification of all Nations in which is given an account of the Transportation of the Santa Casa by Angels The whole certainly resolves it self at last into a dream a vision and the talk of two old Men. The best Evidence for the Miracles of Xaverius are some posthumous relations framed after his death He himself in several Letters in which he makes a Narrative of his transactions amongst that People speaks no such matter Franciscus de Victoria says That he could hear of no Miracles which were done in those parts by the Emissaries of Rome Fabulous inventions serve to buoy up the devotion of the common people Their Zeal for such publick Tales is usually of the same elevation with that of Demetrius for his gainful Manufactures If it should be granted That Miracles have been done in the Church of Rome there is no assurance That the design of them is to confirm the Infallibility which that Community pretends unto Miracles in the Gospel are like Fines in the Common Law they have Deeds to lead them and declare their proper use There is no authentick declaration from Heaven concerning this matter We have more reason to think if any such Miracles have been done That God by them did intend the confirmation of the Truth in which Protestants and Papists do agree and not the corrupt Additions about which they differ When a Miscellaneous People planted in Samaria by the King of Assyria did not Worship Jehova according to his own order and God in a miraculous manner sent Lyons amongst them to destroy them it would have been very unreasonable in the Israelites to have asserted That this Miracle was done to confirm the Idolatrous Worship of Dan and Bethel Whereas God had his eye not upon the justification of the corruptions which the Israelites were stained with but so much of the Truth as was retained by them When the Papists have made the utmost of what they can of their pretended Miracles they will find every jot as good amongst those whom they will be very unwilling to grant to be infallible False Christs shew great signs Matt. 24.24 The coming of the man of sin is with all power 2 Thess 2.9 The Beast which cometh out of the earth doth great wonders Rev. Socrat. l. 7.17 13.13 When a Jew who counterfeited Christianity was brought by Paulus a Novatian Bishop to the Font to be baptised the water vanished Tac. l. 4. Vespatian restored strength to a Lame and sight to a Blind man Aust de Civ l. 10 16. One born blind received sight by touching the dead body of Adrian The Images which Aeneas brought from Troy did locally move Lact. l. 2. p. 105. A vestal Virgin took up a Sieve out of Tyber full of Water Accius Naevlus cut a whetstone in two with a Razor These Wonders deserve as much consideration as any which the Romanists pretend to This may be sufficient to evidence That the glory of Miracles can be no motive to induce us to believe That the Church of Rome is infallible in her conduct in the concerns of Religion Before I leave this particular concerning the motives of Credibility I will lay down several on the other side which may justly incline us to think That no such guide was ever intended 1. It is no where revealed by Jesus Christ If he had committed his Universal Church to the guidance of any one visible and infallible Head certainly it would have been expressed in the holy Bible It is a matter of great importance not to be setled in doubtful expressions No Prince who appoints another in his absence to govern his Subjects does it in ambiguous terms but gives him a commission in such clear words That no man can have any just reason to dispute his Authority The Texts usually pretended to countenance such a Guide as is contended for have been already examined and found insufficient There is more in that expression relating to S. Paul That which cometh upon me daily the care of all the Churches than in any thing which is spoken of S. Peter and yet no man pretends to collect from thence That S. Paul was exclusively an Oecumenical Bishop and the final decision of all points in Religion did belong only to
errour is charged in sacred Writ upon the Will as the original of it This doth not render Religion uncertain Fallibility and certainty are not inconsistent There may be an actual certainty where there is no absolute infallibility A Judge is not infallible and yet he may be certain that the sentence which he pronounceth is right A man may be sure of what he sees plainly demonstrated before him altho' he is not out of the power and influence of all deception When a foundation is laid and some build gold silver and precious stone upon it others wood hay stubble it is as easie for one who is not infallible to discern the difference betwixt these superstructures as to distinguish a wall of marble form that which is made of brick If there be no certainty without infallibility Scepticism must be admitted and a stop put to all proceedings of Justice No Man ought to be condemned to suffer a penalty except it be certain that he deserves it and who are there but fallible Men to give evidence and judge of his demerits If the Promises of Scripture have sâ—â—â—â— sence as is contended for how comes it to be known It is a received principle amongst those with whom we are concerned That they cannot be sure of the meaning of the Bible without the interpretation of an infallible Spirit and by consequence we must be sure that the Church is infallible before we can be sure of the Sence of Scripture and if so the promise cannot be alledged as an argument to prove infallibility for then there will be a perfect circle The sence of the promise is justified by the infallibility of the Church and the infallibility of the Church by the sence of the promise From hence it is apparent That the meaning of the promise may be known without the interpretation of an infallible Spirit and if so why not the sence of other places of Scripture If we should enter upon an examination of the particular Texts of Scripture which are pretended to favour the Infallibility which the Romanists contend for they would be found no way answerable to that purpose for which they are produced They are such as these If he neglect to hear the Church c. Lo I am with you to the end of the world He will guide you into all truth He that heareth you heareth me It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and to us The Church which is the pillar and ground of Truth He that will not hearken to the Priest shall die Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church I have prayed that thy faith fail not Feed my Sheep To all which we briefly answer in order 1. When we are commanded To hear the Church This Church may be the Greek or Protestant as well as the Roman and hearing doth not imply the infallibility of it Every Parishioner is commanded to hear the Minister which is set over him and yet no body from thence will infer that he is infallible This Church we are not to believe without making any scrutiny but lie under obligation to try all things and hold fast that which is good The command of the Church doth not free us from sin in our conformity to it The Jews contracted a deep guilt in compassing the death of our blessed Lord tho' they did it in obedience to their Governours Not only Pastors but the Sheep know the voice of their supreme Shepherd and are in a capacity to distinguish it from the voice of a stranger 2. When it is said I will be with you to the end of the world This assures us of the presence of Christ with his Ministers so long as the world endures but not that he will give the same measure of assistance which the Apostles did enjoy That which is sufficient in every Age is ascertained by this promise but not that which is efficacious to such a degree as will secure them from all errour for then every particular Pastour will be as Infallible as every Apostle was 3. When it is asserted That when the Spirit of Truth is come He will guide you into all truth it cannot be proved That this promise is made to any besides the Apostles The context plainly appropriates it to them I have many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now These words have an evident aspect upon the Disciples only If we should grant That not only the Apostles but their Successors are the objects of the promise what is intended to be proved will not follow namely Infallibility The direction of the Spirit may be opposed He gives in all ages a sufficient but not an irresistible guidance Many tho' they are put into a right way by him yet desert it and follow their own erroneous apprehensions 4. Those words He that heareth you heareth me are spoken of the Seventy Disciples not assembled in a Council but as going up and down from place to place to preach the Gospel So that if they be construed in such a fence as to favour Infallibility they will prove more than is desired namely That this priviledge of not erring belongs to every Preacher who has a lawful authority conferred upon him to publish the Gospel 5. Those words It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and to us do not argue That the blessed Spirit will infallibly assist in all future Councils They assert what was done at this present Convention but hold forth no promise of the same degree of assistance in all Ages The reason of this extraordinary aid was peculiar to those times The Apostles then were to lay the foundation to fix an unerring rule both for the converted Jews and Gentiles The rule being once setled the necessity of the continuance of the same degree of assistance did cease The Heavens did forbear to rain down Manna so soon as the Israelites were in possession of a Country furnished with all convenient provision It is no good consequence That because the Sanhedrim in Moses's time was endued with an extraordinary Spirit therefore the same favour must be indulged to all their Successours even to the Council which put the Lord of Life to death 6. In those words The Church of the living God the pillar and ground of Truth The word Church must import That in which Timothy is directed how to demean himself and that undoubtedly was the Church of Ephesus of which he had the Ecclesiastical inspection That Church did hold forth the True Doctrin of the Gospel in its publick Profession even as pillars upon which the Edicts of Princes are fastned expose them to the view of all that pass by The expression alludes to the Temple of Diana much celebrated for its magnificent Pillars upon which the rules of the Religion of that Goddess were inscribed The Apostle intimates That those Columns were the Pillars of falshood but the Church of Christ in the City the Pillar of Truth holding forth the True Doctrin of
Heaven The words do not speak the indefectibility of that Church but the present state only This Pillar began to decay in Domitián's time Rev. 2.5 and is at this day utterly demolished If it be granted That the words under consideration have an aspect upon the Universal Church no advantage will from thence accrue to the plea for Infallibility She is not represented as the ground and pillar of all Truth but of Truth in general which may be limited to that which is fundamental Tho' she cannot fail in this particular for then she will lose her essence and cease to be yet she may in other points very useful to be known If by Truth we understand all Truth the words may set forth the duty of the Church what she ought to do and not the actual performance what she always does When the Disciples are stiled the salt of the earth this doth not argue an invincible quality in them whereby they are secured against the danger of losing their savour but a constant obligation upon them to retain it and season others with it 7. When it is said Dent. 17.12 That man that will not hearken to the Priest shall die no advantage will from thence redound to the Bishop of Rome except he can make it appear That He is Successour to the High Priest under the Law and vested in the same priviledges which he will never be able to do If this was so it would not amount to prove him infallible The high Priest with the whole Sanhedrim was liable to mistake as appears by the Sacrifice appointed for the expiation of their errour Lev 4.13 He that would not hearken was to die not because he was of a different opinion from the Priest but by reason of his Pride and contempt of the Supreme Authority which is plainly intimated in those words That Man which will do presumptuously c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is a common case in all Communities In superbia where there is no such thing pretended to as Infallibility When a cause is under debate and the Law requires the last appeal to be made to the Supreme Authority and the person concerned so to do turns his back upon it arrogantly refuses a submission and by consequence evidently endangers the Peace and Security of the whole Community this is a fault of the first magnitude and justly deserves the most severe animadversion If it could be proved That the Bishop of Rome with a Council called by him has as good Authority over All the Churches of the World as the high Priest with the Sanhedrim had over the National Church of the Jews Tho' from thence it would not follow That he is exempt from errour yet none would doubt to assert That his power is not to be treated with contempt 8. That Text Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it is no more propitious to the Infallibility contended for than those which have been already considered It is not agreed Whether by the Rock is to be understood Peter himself or Jesus Christ who is stiled a Rock or the confession which Peter made The ancient Fathers incline to the two last If they be preferred the Church of Rome can from thence reap no advantage If we should grant That S. Peter is the Rock spoken of it will not argue any Infallibility promised to him but the declaration of a Divine purpose to make him a firm and successful instrument in the propagation of the Gospel as the rest of the Apostles were and many of their Successours Here is nothing peculiar to S. Peter The other Apostles are represented to be as intimately concerned in the foundation of the Church as he Eph. 2.20 Rev. 21.14 The following words the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it rather prove That the Church shall never cease to be than any universal indefectibility It is certain That there shall be a Church upon the Earth teaching all truth of peremptory necessity to Salvation until the coming of our blessed Lord But that it shall be exempt from errour in all matters of Faith is contrary to experience It was once received as a truth That Infants ought to have the Eucharist administred to them and now it as unanimously exploded for a grand mistake 9. The Prayer of Christ That the faith of Peter might not fail argues rather his not finally falling away than a total exemption from errour He was under great misapprehensions after these words had been spoken to him He believed That Christ would continue upon the Earth and in those dayes restore the Kingdom to Israel That the Gentiles were not to be called in and made partakers of the like priviledges with the Jews If it should be granted That the Petition of our Lord did secure an Infallibility to Peter this would be of no advantage to our adversaries in the present controversie It cannot be made to appear That the Bishop of Rome is concerned in all the Prayers which were made for S. Peter There is in them no mention of any Successour If there had it would be difficult to prove That the Pope is the person Some doubt whether S. Peter was ever at Rome The Scripture is silent in this matter The first Asserters were but of a mean reputation Many figments were devised to support the credit of their relation The common fame which by degrees did grow out of these beginnings cannot be accounted a demonstration so long as there are Catalogues of errours which not only the Vulgar but Persons of Learning have been surprised with To erect Infallibility upon such a fluid foundation is as if an attempt should be made to build a Castle in the Air. If S. Peter was at Rome and left the Bishop of that place to succeed him this might be only in his ordinary power and not in his extraordinary qualifications as personal Infallibility a power of doing Miracles There is as much reason for the Pope to challenge to himself the last as the first and yet I cannot understand that he pretends to it The Miracles in the Church of Rome are usually attributed to some persons that cannot easily be spoken with in order to the knowing the truth If this power had been ascribed to the Pope daily experience would have given the Asserters a flat contradiction 10. Those words Feed my sheep c. do not import the conferring upon Peter any priviledge above the rest of the Apostles but only the insuring to him his interest in the general Commission given to them They were commanded to teach all nations It might lie as an objection against him That he was not included in the number of those who were thus commissioned By his denial of Christ he had in appearance forfeited his right to the Apostleship as Judas by betraying him fell really from it To give him and others assurance That he was one