of a Contradiction in a clear matter of Fact which is utterly inconsistent with a judging or congnoscitive nature 6. These Principles lay'd we we will advance to the proof of our main Conclusion on this manner that since neither any Age by our first Principle could hold a new introduc't point for not-new but immediately deliver'd nor yet any foregoing Age by our second make it be receiv'd as not-new by Posterity it follows that in no Age could any doctrin changing the immediate Faith of Fore-fathers or new at that time come in or be received under the notion of immediately deliver'd or not-new at that time Wherefore since nothing can descend or come down under the notion of not-new or deliver'd uninterruptedly unless it first come in or be receiv'd under the notion of not-new or deliver'd uninterruptedly nor be held by us as descended under such a notion unless it did actually descend to us under such a notion by the second it follows manifestly that if we now hold it descended as such it did descend as such and consequently was received by the deliverers as such and the same reason holding equally in each Age from Christ came down consequently from Christ and his Apostles No power then or wit of man could make our Faith now held to be so descended but its having been actually so descended that is onely the Existence of Tradition's Indeficiency could have effected this present persuasion of Traditionary Christians or Catholicks that their Faith descended uninterruptedly from the Apostles It being then manifest by Experience that this Effect or present Persuasion is for all Catholiks hold the Church never fail'd in Faith 't is demonstratively Evident that its proper and onely Cause has been put that is that Christian Tradition has ever been held to by a Body of Men consisting of the Predecessors to those whom we find actually thus perswaded NINTH DISCOURSE Opening the incomparable strength of the Churches Human Authority and the Infinit advantages accrue to It by the Supernatual Assistances of the Holy Ghost 1. BUt all this is Nature may some say and by this Method an Heathen may by his natural wit become a good Christian. By which word Nature if the Objecter means Reason wrought upon by motives laid by God's special goodness to bring Souls to Bliss I wonder what else is Supernaturality but this which he miscalls Nature and why Reason rectify'd by such Lights and Proposals as the force of Nature could not have aym'd at much less effected ought not to be said to be affected supernaturally however those very motives be connatural to our Souls It being evident that we use even the natural power of our Reason in discoursing of things above our reason and on the other side to expect no constant way or common path of motives laid for the Salvation of Mankind but extraordinary inspirations for each particular man unravell's the Order of God's best Providence and is the very notion of Fanatickness But to meddle with this point is out of my road otherwise than to take my rise hence to show how far Christian Tradition is strengthenâ—d above the greatest meerly-human Testimony whatever And that the Church owes this strength to those Motives supervening to meer Nature which we rightly call Assistances of the Holy Ghost in regard they are built on Perfections of Will in the Faithful or on Virtues the Effects properly attributed to that Divine Person 2. Ere we come to explain what advantage the Church as thus divinely assisted has over her self as meerly wrought upon by human motives we will compare first her human Authority with some other vast Body of Testifiers which may most seem to stand in competition with her And an eminent and acute opposer of Tradition has already pointed us out a choice one namely that of the Mahometans for Mahomet's Existence which we doubt not to have the power to convey down the Truth thereof with Infallible Certainty to the end of the world if follow'd not do we think the most Sceptical Protestant doubts but it has had the force to make it self be follow'd hitherto however at unawares their calm Reason grants that to a Body of Turks which their Passion makes them question and even deny to a Church of Christians Yet I averr that the human force of Tradition in the Church for the descent of the main Body of Christs doctrin far exceeds that of the Turks for Mahomet's Existence 3. To shew this in brief I note in the first place and chiefly that howsoever a report may spread universally from a small beginning in the quality of a rumour yet the force of its Credibility if it be a matter of Fact is founded on the Quantity and Quality of those who first saw or perceiv'd it Putting then the Quality of the Testifiers in both cases to be equal so to bring our Controversy to a smaller compass and comparing onely the Quantity or Number of the original Testifiers on both sides what proportion is there between that handful of men about Mecha and some few other places where Mahomet conquer'd and planted his doctrin and those vast multitudes whom all the Apostles Disciples and Apostolical men converted by most powerful miracles in so many distant Nations in the World If we lay them together we shall find that few saw or felt that is were witnesses of Mahomets Existence so much as once in comparison of those who were every day imbu'd with and practicâ—t Christian Doctrine A new Consideration springs hence that 't is a thousand times easier for that single company of Arabians and Syrians to conspire to a ly and so deliver down to us a false Mahomet than it is for such a multitude of people in so remote Countries as first suck't in Christianity to conspire in the very thought of having such a Conspiracy And lastly it was as easie by oft repeated Sensatioâ—s to know Christian Doctrin at first to that degree as to govern their actions by it which is all that is requisit for the generality it giving the Principles to the daily practice of their new Life as they were Christians as it was for these other witnesses to be certain of Mahomet's Existence and much easier in regard the greater part by far of those whom we allow Witnesses of Mahomets Existence perhaps scarce knew him by sight not conversing him daily or very often as each of the Primitive Christians did with those points of Faith they guided their lives by 4. The human Authority then of the Church being such as exceeds she Evidence of other Testimonies which yet are such that amongst all the most extravagant Opiniastres none was ever found so frantick as to doubt them and should any do so all sober Mankind would esteem them stark mad which could not be done in reason unless they renounc't perfect evidence that is unless those Testimonies were perfectly Evident This I say being so some may think it superfluous and a quirk of an
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
blotted worn out c. Which though it seems a remote and impertinent Exception yet to one who considers the wise Dispositions of Divine Providence it will deserve a deep Consideration For seeing the Salvation of Mankind is the End of God's making Nature the means to it should be more settled strong and unalterable than any other piece of Nature whatever Putting then Scripture's Letter to be this Rule and that all its Significativeness of God's Sence that is all its virtue of a Rule is lost if the material Characters its Basis be destroy'd or alter'd who sees not a very disorderly proceeding in laying so weak means in such immediateness to so main an end and concludes not thence that Faith's Rule ought in right reason have a better Basis than such perishable and alterable Elements 3. Reflecting next on those material Characters in complexion with the Causes actually laid in the world to preserve them entire we shall find that either those Causes are Material and then themselves are also liable to continual alterations and innumerable Contingencies or Spiritual that is men's Minds Now these being the noblest pieces in Nature and freed in part from Physical mutability by their Immateriality we may with good reason hope for a greater degree of constancy from them than from any other and indeed for a perfect unalterableness from their Nature and this being to conceive Truth an Inerrableness if due circumstances be observ'd that is if due proposals be made to beget Certain Knowledge and due care us'd to attend to such Proposals Otherwise their very Createdness and Finitness entitle them to defectibility besides their obnoxiousness to mutation and perpetual alteration through the alloy of their material Compart I call it due proposal when it must necessarily affect the Sense and so beget natural Knowledge or when unequivocal terms are so immediately and orderly laid that the Conclusion must as necessarily be seen in the Premises as that the same thing cannot both be and not-be at once by a mind inur'd to reflexion and speculation and I call that due care which preserves the Soul in such temper as permits the objects impression to be heeded and the Mind to be affected by it 4. This premised we may reflect that the Rule of Faith as was provd Disc. 1. § 4 5 10 11. must be obvious to men of ordinary Sence and not onely to Speculators as also that Objects of the Senses may be of two sorts Of the the first are things in Nature or else simple vulgar actions and plain matters of Fact which if oft repeated and familiariz'd are unmistakable and consequently the perceiver inerrable in such a matter Of the second are such actions as are compounded and made up of an innumerable multitude of several particularities to be observed every of which may be mistaken apart each being a distinct little action in its single self Such as is the transcribing a whole book consisting of such myriads of words single Letters and Tittles or Stops and the several actions of writing over each of these so short and cursory that it prevents diligence and exceeds human care to keep awake and apply distinct attentions to every of these distinct actions And yet to do our Opposers right I doubt not but each of these failings may possibly be provided against by oft-repeated Corrections of many sedulous and sober examiners set apart for that business and that the truth of the Letter of an whole Book might to a very great degree if not altogether be ascertain'd to us were the Examiners of each Copy known to be very numerous prudent and honest and each of them testifying his single examination of it word by word For then the difficulty consisting in the multiplicity and the variety is provided against by the multitude of the preserving Causes and their multifariousness made convictive to us by their well-testify'd consent 5. To apply this discourse to the matter in hand If we were Certain there had been anciently a multitude of Examiners of the Scripture's Letter in each Copy taken from the first Original or the next Copies from these and so forwards with the exact care we have defin'd the single Examinations of each and the amendment of the Copy according to their Examinations convincingly testify'd and that by Excommunication or heavy Ecclesiastical Prohibitions and Mulcts it had been provided for from the beginning that none should presume to take a Copy of it and that Copy be permitted to be read or seen till it were thus examined much might have been said for the Certainty of the Scripture's Letter upon these men's Principles But if no such Orders or Exactness was ever heard of especially of the New Testament upon the Truth of whose Letter they build Christian Faith If the multitudes of Letters Commaes blottings or illegibleness of the Originals like-appearance of Letters and even whole Words in in the Book like-sounding in the ear or fancy of the Transcriber possibility of misplacing omitting inserting c. did administer very fruitful occasions to human overâ—ight If the more Copies were taken the more the errours were like to grow and the farther from correcting If Experience testifies no such exact diligence has been formerly us'd by the diverse Readings of several Copies now extant and thousands of Corrections which have lately been made of the Vulgar Edition the most universally currant perhaps of any other what can we say but that for any thing these Principles afford Scriptures Letter may be uncertain in every tittle not withstanding the diligence which has de facto been used to preserve it uncorrupted in the way of those who hold it the onely Rule of Faith In their way I say who will not have the Sence of Christ's Doctrine writ in Christians hearts the Rule for the Correcters of the Letter to guide themselves by but the meer Letter of a formeâ— and God knows controvertible Copy out of which the Transcription and by which onely the Examination is made What Certainty accrues to Scripture's Letter by the means of Tradition or the living voice of the present Church in each Age is the Subject of another enquiry 6. Now as for the Certainty of the Scripture's Significativeness which is the other Branch nothing is more evident than that this is quite lost to all in the Uncertainty of the Letter and 〈◊〉 evident that 't is unattainable by the vulgar that is the better half of mankind since they are unfurnisht of those Arts and Skills as Languages Grammar Logick History Metaphysicks Divinity c. requisit to establish and render certain the sence they conceive the Letter ought to bear without which they can never make such an Interpretation of it but an acute Scholler skill'd in those means will be able to blunder theirs and make a seeming clearer one of his own In a word if we see eminent Wits of the Protestants and the Socinians making use of the self-same and as they conceive the best
for fastidiousness I offer my Reason for it For to cavil at Principles and yet go about to lay none himself is the method of a Sceptick and from him indeed I must suffer it if I cannot forcâ— him to hold his tongue But that one who pretends himself a Christian that is an Holder of Christ's Law that is if he goes consequently a Relier upon some First or Self-evident Principle for holding that Christ said thus or thus should be permitted to impugn Principles brought to ascertain fundamentally that point and yet himself lay none to do that Effect as is the Custome of the Impugners of Tradition is to let him behave himself like a Renouncer of Christianity and to fight against any assuredness of Christianity that is to contradict himself and all his own positions as he is Christian which permission is unreasonable according to Maxims of Common Sence and illegal by the Rules of true Logick Again if the clear light of Vnderstanding gives it manifest that nothing can be seen intellectually but what is either Evident by its own Light or by Deduction in the manner declared t is as Evident that to frame Discourses in another method than this or at least loose Discourses that have no Connexion involu'd in them enabling them to bear the Test of this Method can be onely to talk Vncertainties that is of we know not what Which is unworthy a Man much more a Scholler And lastly Since it is evident by Reason that every sleight Authority is not comparable to that of God's Church 't is Evident likewise that Reason is to weigh what is due to Authorities and that No Authority deserves any Assent further than Reason gives it to deserve Now this being so to alledge Authorities undistinguishingly whereas there is such diversity of degrees in them that perhaps there are no two to be found perfectly alike in merit is such a wild proceeding hand over head such a careless saying any thing to no imaginable purpose but purely to talk that no sober Discourser can think it fit to spend time in combating such an aiery Adversary 2. I make it my request to my intelligent Reader for I write to none but such that he would reflect back on the Method I have taken in my short Discouse and he will see that however my Performance speeds I pursue the Way of Evidence and aim at least at perfect Science of the point in hand He will see I take my rise at the meaning of the words Rule and Faith this known I establish my first Principles in this present matter to be these a Rule is a Rule Faith is Faith hence I proceed to discover diverse Attributes necessarily connext with what is meant by those two words and if to avoid witty cavil I decline the pretence of rigorous Definitions of either word without pressing the Essentialness of any of those Attributes to the Natures of Rule and Faith I hope I shall merit both pardon and thanks from those who look for satisfaction For as long as those Attributes must necessarily accompany the Rule of Faith I do my work without engaging into nicer disquisitions Those Attributes being shown necessarily connected with the notion of Rule of Faith I apply'd them to my matter in hand by means of these two Propositions bearing a necessity of Truth in their very Terms That is not the Rule of Faith to which Attributes necessarily belonging to the Rule of Faith belong not and That is the Rule of Faith to which Properties belonging onely to such a Rule do belong Hence I reject Scripture's Letter from being that Rule and assert Tradition to be it And this was enough perhaps for me to do if I onely minded opposition to those who adhere to Scripture's Letter for their Rule in contradistinction and opposition to Traditions being such 3. But intending to avail my self and my Cause by the strength of Truth and Reason not the Weakness and Passion of others I went forwards having first shown it clearly Self-evident that Tradition was a most Certain Rule if follow'd endeavouring to demonstrate the Indefectiveness of Tradition or that it was ever follow'd and this I attempted by those means I took the allow'd Definition of Man the Subject of the Effect I was to show which was to be a Rational Creature I found the proper Agent or Efficient to work upon him as such to be Motives or Reasons and from the impossibility of any such Motives to make him prevaricate from openly-deliver'd Faith nay the necessity of seeing he must destroy his Credit without any possibility of compassing his End I endeavour'd to conclude that Faith thus descended was never prevaricated from Then taking the way of demonstrating the same a posteâ—iori I took an Effect I conceiv'd Impossible to be introduc't into a Knowing Nature without the Existence of Tradition's ever-Indeficiency to ingraft it there or rather to imbue Souls with it naturally and as it were ex traduce 4. Seeing by this time that my Discourse by stooping from my First Principles while I applyâ—d them to my business seem'd immerst in matter and by the blunder of many more and more particular Terms than were in the meer Principle forciâ—ly taken in began to look with a contingent Face though indeed I still perch't upon the specifical natures of Things and so never flaggd below the Sphere of Science therefore to comfort the Readers understanding apt to grow turbid by my approach towards Practice I consider'd Tradition practically and open'd the nature of it by reflecting connaturally how the Revolt from it which we call Heresy comes to be originiz'd For the same reason I compar'd the Human force of Christian Tradition with another vast Tradition meerly human then touching at some Divine Assistances show'd how the Author of Nature had establish't the best piece of it Man's Nature by particular means exceeding her own native strength to this Effect of preserving the descent of Christ's doctrin unalterable and uninterrupted that is I show'd Tradition most Certain and most Indefective and far beyond the establishment of any other piece of Natural Science whatsoever 5. Lastly observing that my Discourse by process as the custom is in all Discourses however evident if not bound to Syllogistical form began to look dishevel'd I added diverse Corollaries In some of which I made many several ends of it meet in a closer frame in others I advanc't forwards to show that the Churches Vnity power to oblige and govern her Subjects as Faithful and her Infallibility in the whole and several parts of her was founded in Tradition nay that by means of Tradition She enjoyes a wonderful Sacredness of Authority being not onely unexpugnable but also unimpugnable without destroying all kinds of Certainty that is without highest nonsence in the Opposer And hence I seat TRADITION on her Throne demonstrating her they the First and consequently self-evident Principle in affairs of this Nature and therefore that the Knowledge of
vulgar reason easily telling them that there can be but one Truth that is that all the other Professors to follow Scripture do notwithstanding believe and speak false Now these honest Scholars of plain down right Nature that of her lowest form too being unable to judge which truly follow the Scripture's Letter and onely capable to know they all profess it with Words and Actions expressing the greatest seriousness in the world are to think that all equally mean to follow it to their power Whence their common reason will tell them though they cannot express it in our terms or defend it that meerly for want of Light that is Evidence in the Directive Power of that Rule they all but one party and perhaps that too as well as the rest go most miserably astray This third Property then of the Rule of Faith namely to justify the undoubting vulgar is wanting to Scriptures Letter 3. There follows the fourth Property of the Rule of Faith which is that it must be able of its own nature to satisfy the most Sceptical dissenters and rational doubters that the Doctrin it holds forth came from Christ. To make a true conceit of what may be judg'd sufficient for this End let us reflect on the nature and temper of such Dissenters and Doubters and we shall quickly discover that they are men given to stir their thoughts by much reflexion and to call them to a strict account ere they yield them over to Assent Wherefore if we suppose them true to their own thoughts and not to betray the Light of their Reason to some Passion in which case their Faith it self were in them a Vice we cannot imagin that any thing under Demonstration can bind and restrain those active and volatil Souls from fluttering still in Objections and hovering in doubts when their Eternal Good is concern'd Especially when an Authority is about scanning upon whose word they are bound after they have approv'd it to believe unconcievable and unheard of things above the reach of human Reason Apprehension Let now any man go about to demonstrate to those great wits these points That the Scripture's Letter was writ by men divinely inspir'd That there is never a real one however there may be many seeming Contradictions in it and this to be shown out of the very Letter it self That just this Catalogue or number of Books is enough for the Rule of Faith and no one Necessary that was lost none be abated or if so how many That the Originals out of which the Translations were made were entire and uncorrupted That the first Translations were skilfully rightly made and afterwards deriv'd down sincere notwithstanding the errableness of thousands of Transcribers Printers Correcters c. and the malice of antient Hereticks and Jews who had it in their hands And lastly That this and this onely is the true sence of it to which is requisite great skill in Languages to understand the meaning of words in Grammar to know what meaning they should generally beat according to its Rules as thus construed or put together Criticism to know what a word doe most commonly or may possibly signify by rules 〈◊〉 nicer Etymologies or acception of Authours ancient or modern by dialects of several Countries c. History to make known the true scope of the Authour the best Interpreter of his meaning Logick to draw consequenceâ— aright and so find out the thread of the discourse to avoid equivocation in words by discovering which are to be taken properly which Metaphorically And to apply this right fome skill in the things themselves that is in Nature and Metaphysicks especially that which treats of the nature of Spirits as the Soul Angels God and his Attributes but especially in Divinity both Speculative and Moral which by the way supposes Faith and comes after it and so cannot be presuppos'd to the Rule of Faith which precedes it Let any man I say go about to demonstrate all these difficult Points ro those acute men and will they not smile at his endeavors since most of them that concern the truth of the Letter are such that we want Principles to go about to evidence them and the rest so obscure that a searching and sincere wit would still find something to reply to rationally or at least maintain his ground of Suspence with a Might it not be otherwise And were some one or two of these points demonstrable yet who sees not it is a task of so long study that a great part of a man's life would be spent in a weaâ—isome and hopeless endeavour to come to Faith by this tedious method which would both dis-invite to a pursuit and even a diligent man may in likelihood die ere he could rationally embrace any Faith at all Faith then being intended for a man to lead his life by 't is necessary it's Rule and the means to come to it should be easily victorious by reason of it's Certainty and Evidence over the shock of Doubts or the assaults of Intellectual Fears In which the Scripture's Letter being defective 't is plain that 't is far from the Nature of a Rule of Faith 4. The same discourse holds to prove that the Scripture's Letter is not convictive of the most obstinate and acute Adversaries which is the fifth Property of the Rule of Faith Yet to apprehend this more lively let us imagin it apply'd to practice and that some Text of Scripture were quoted to convince a Deist in some point He asks how you are certain that Book is God's word You alledge the Excellencies of it which indeed are such that eyes already enlighten'd by true Faith may discern something in it above nature and cry Digitus Dâ—i est hîc though not his dim sight He answers that many parts of it are indeed very excellently good but that the Devil can transform himself into an Angel of Light On the other side he requites your Excellencies with many strange Absurdities and Heresies even by your own confession in the open Letter as it lies and most unworthy God as that he has hands feet and passions like ours according to which he is variable He finds you direct Text against acknowledg'd Science in divers particulars and reckons up a multitude of Contradictions to his Judgment You answer that those places are understood according to human apprehension and are indeed incompetent to God but that there are mystical and spiritual meanings couch't in those sacred Oracles which with the help of History would reconcile those seeming Contradictions He cries you quite abandon your pretended Rule that since you confess Heresies are in the open Letter taken as it lies you must have some Knowledge in your Head concerning God which makes you decline the sence of the words as they lie and run to gloss them and demands whence you came by those tenets which oblige you to correct the plain Letter challenging your thoughts and carriage as witnesses that that
the Multitudes of virtuous persons would â—elp to encrease both Virtue and Glory too in â—heir fellowes and relations It follows that â—ad those Fathers in any Age consented to misâ—â—ad their Posterity from what themselves conâ—eit to be true they should do the most Extream â—arm imaginable to others without any the â—east Good to themselves which is perhaps imâ—ossible in one single man more in a few but â—nfinitly in a multitude especially of good men Moreover Christ's Law being the Law of Châ—rity which includes Love of our Neighbouâ— 't is directly opposit to the Principles of Christiâ—nity to do them an injury of so high a nature 〈◊〉 to debar them Heaven and send them to Helâ— and all this gratis 11. Again the greater the Recommends any Truth is the greater is the obligation not bely our selves and it Let us weigh then 〈◊〉 Recommends which Christian doctrin receive from Forefathers had either as to its serious 〈◊〉 port that it be faithfully transmitted to otherâ— or the Universality conceited wisdom gooâ—ness c. of the Recommenders and then 〈◊〉 lance it with the Recommendation of any natâ—ral or civil Truth whatsoever and we shall 〈◊〉 it levitate like an inconsiderable feather or 〈◊〉 in comparison of the vast poize and weigâ— sway with which the other descended 12. Nothing is by Nature more deeply 〈◊〉 more universally rooted in the hearts of mankiâ—â— than a dear and tender love of their off-sprinâ— and a careful provision for their passing their 〈◊〉 well that is free from miseries with a comâ—tency of such Goods as are held fitting for thâ— Nature But how much more care must Chaâ—â—ty oblige Parents to have of their Children 〈◊〉 to use the means they conceive proper to briâ— them Everlasting and Infinit Bliss in Heaveâ— and to avoid them Intolerable and Endless Misâ—ries in Hell Especially since the performing â—evaricating from that Duty is of equal concern 〈◊〉 Themselves How strange an advantage â—peradds Christianity in this particular to the â—earest natural love of our selves or of our nearâ—â—t Relations who are next our selves 13. Consider we next the Natural care of not â—â—sing one's Credit and we shall find in comâ—on that the good Opinion of others we call â—redit or Repute is look't upon as a most necessaâ—â— means to make men fit for human Society or â—ommerce and without which none can expect 〈◊〉 thrive in his Vocation or live with comfort â—eflecting next on the degrees of Discredit we â—nd that he who tells a lye for his own adâ—antage though without any harm to others with â—uch ado escapes some disrepute but if his â—yes be pernicious he is held an arrant villain â—f to nearest Friends and Relations still greater â—f the mischiefs he does by his salse words or â—ealings be exceeding great ones he is yet more â—bominable and proportionally still as the harms â—e induces grow If the motives he had to keep â—im good were very strong and efficacious he â—s still more enormous and as the strength of â—hose preservative motives encrease so is his Maâ—ice still enhanc't But if he go about all this wickedness boldly and confidently without caâ—ing who knows it especially if he back his most notorious and most pernicious Lye with deepest Oaths and Perjuries by things most Sacred he is now conceiv'd to be arriv'd at such a pitch of wickedness that he is no longer to be held a Man but a Divel Incarnate But how incomparably more wicked and consequently disgraceful must that man be who believing Christ's doctrin to be thus received and the means to salvation should teach his Children otherwise The believed mischiefs he does his nearest relations no less than the loss of Heaven and the sad Gain of Hell-fire for all Eternity the motives he had not to do it as to his own concerns full as Infinit his lye most Notorious to all about him and even the whole World And if he be a Pastor who besides other Sacraments implying most obliging vows not to renounce his Faith is consecrated by a particular one to preach Christ's doctrin truly and to preserve his Flock sound in Faith to his power then to prevaricate from this Duty renders him a sacrilegious abuser of the most holy state of life and most inviolable tye this world as Sanctify'd by our Saviour has in it What inconcievable villany then and consequently discredit must that man seeingly undergo who shall misteach his own Fancies for doctrins deliver'd and how impossible is it a World of Forefathers should all conspire to make so desperate and absolute a forfeit of their reputation and honesty 'T is not possible to be summ'd up or even ghest at being beyond all proportion The Advantage then with which Christian Doctrin in the mind of each and the Holy Ghost in the hearts of most of the Faithful rivet and confirm this natural care of Credit to the preserving Tradition inviolable is incomparable and in a manner Infinit 14. It would require a large volum to unfold particularly how each virtue contributes to show the inerrable Indeficiency of Tradition and how the Principles of almost each Science are concern'd in demonstrating its Certainty Arithmetick lends her Numbring and Multiplying Faculty to scan the vast number of Testifiers Geometry her Proportions to show a kind of Infinit Strength of Certitude in Christian Tradition above those Attestations which breed Certainty in Human affairs Logick her skill to frame and make us see the Connexions it has with the Principles of our Understanding Nature her Laws of Motion and Action Morality her first Principle that nothing is done gratis by a Cognoscitive Nature and that the Body of Traditionary Doctrin is most conformable to Practical Reason Historical Prudence clears the Impossibility of an undiscernible revolt from points to descended held so Sacred Politicks show this to be the best way imaginable to convey down such a Law as it concerns every man to be skilful in Metaphysicks engage the Essences of Things and the very notion of Being which fixes every Truth so establishing the scientifical Knowledges which spring from each particular nature by their first Causes or Reasons exempt from change or motion Divinity demonstrates it most worthy God and most conducive to bring Mankind to Bliss Lastly Controversy evidences the total Uncertainty of any thing concerning Faith if this can be uncertain and makes use of all the rest to establish the Certainty of this first Principle and which settled secures Scripture as far as is requisit and all things else that can mainly concern Salvation To pursue these and many other Testimonies of Tradition's Infallibleness is not my task at present I shall content my self with concluding that as we have prov'd it self-evident that Tradition if ever held to is an inerrable Rule so our four last Discourses have shown its ever-Indeficiency or rather Indefectibleness scientifically Evident and as strong as Nature and Grace strain'd as we may say to their utmost can make
which onely themselves know and are conscious of and on the other side nothing appears why such a kind of Impression is impossible nay 't is granted possible 't is clear none can argue against that inward Light 's existence out of the nature of that inward perswasion Fanaticks have in regard 't is latent and unknown It follows then that the way to conclude against it is to show out of evident Principles the contrary to these Inspiration to be Truth None therefore as plain matter of Fact testifies taking the way of arguing from Principles absolutely evident or demonstrating but Catholiks or the followers of Tradition and they effecting this by virtue of Tradition Disc. 5 6 8. it follows that they and onely they are able to confute Fanaticks and conclude their inward Light delusive Again since a Fanatick builds on conceited experience of Divine Inspiration there is no hopes to convince his Judgment without producing Demonstration for the contrary a task onely performable in the way of Tradition Which is enforc't and strengthen'd by this Consideration that the Basis of Tradidition is natural Knowledge directly imprinted by his Senses in which Knowledges he is undeceivable and these Sensations or Knowledges are daily repeated not on one private temper but on innumerable millions conspiring in the same that is Tradition is built on almost Infinit daily and most manifest Experiences whereas the conceited Effect of Inspiration or his strong persuasion that God speaks thus inwardly is found with consent of tenets in a few onely and liable to deceit by depending upon Fancy not Sense as appears in diseased or mad persons and the Fanaticks contradicting one another though both proceeding on the same Principle Without Tradition's help then 't is very hard if not impossible to confute Fanaticks as Experience also testifies by Protestants being forc't to recurr to Tradidion in disputes with them though very easy with it or by means of it 22. There is no arguing against Tradition without questioning the Constancy of every species in Nature that is the Certainty of whole Nature For seeing Man's Nature is as necessarily fit to receive the direct Impressions of Objects on his Soul that is Natural Knowledges and as necessarily determin'd to work for a motive or reason good or bad as Fire is to heat or water to wet and this absolutely and alwayes abstracting from disease incapacitating him to use his senses or his Fancy and both these spring out of the very Substance of his Nature as Rational or of such a species which Original Corruption hinders not it follows that he is as fit for those Operations and consequently will as frequently perform them as Fire burn water wet fruit-trees bear fruit or any other species in Nature do its ptoper Effect that is generally and onely rarely and contingently fail unless the Authour of Nature order the whole course of it worse for Man than for other things which were blasphemy to say and contrary to Experience since we find a course of Supernaturals on foot and that they comfort and strengthen man's true nature as hath been formerly declared Less liable then is the human Species to contingency in those its natural operations than any other kind is Wherefore seeing Traditions Certainty is grounded upon direct natural Knowledges and its Indefectiveness on Mankind's Incapableness to act without some motive to argue against It were to question These that is the constancy of the best and best-supported Species in Nature and a fortiori the Constancy of the rest Note here that all the Arguments brought by witty Reasoners against Tradition are fetcht from the Contingency of some one or some few Particulars whence by a wild kind of roving way they would conclude the defectibleness of the Generality or of the entire Species But because it looks too palpably inconsequent in Logicall form to say a few can err ergo all therefore they use to bring it in with a why not So that all the arguers against Tradition from natural reason oppose directly any Constancy in the Species or Generality and so are destroyers of natural Certainty and of their own Arguments to boot 23. There is no possibility of arguing at all against Tradition rightly understood or the living voice of the Catholick Church with any show of reason For since 't is evident that Scripture's Copy or Letter is in the whole and every tittle Uncertain Disc. 2 and 4. without Tradition as also that the writings of Fathers Councils History and of any written or dead Testimony whatever Corol. 14 and 16. are utterly unauthoriz'd otherwise than by means of Tradition and that no living Testimony or Tradition is alledgable against the Tradition we speak of or Catholick Tradition Corol. 13. and 17. Nor any pretended Instance of Traditionâ—s failing has force but by its being faithfully convey'd down by Tradition and depending on Tradition for its Certainty Corol. 19. and all Arguments from Natural Reason are so weak that they destroy all Certainty in that matter while levell'd against Tradition Corol. 18. 22. It follows that no Argument from any Authority publickly appearing in the world nor yet from intrinsecal mediums fetcht from second Causes in Nature can bear any show against Tradition Nor yet from private Effects pretended from the first Cause call'd Inspiration or Light of the Private Spirit Corol. 21. For besides what has been concluded for this point however this pretenâ—e may make the first Syllâ—â—gism yet when it comes to be prov'd that is made appear outwardly that the first Cause inspir'd thus or thus no extraordinary Effects proper to that Cause as miracles being producible their arguing or Proof is at an end however their Inward Adhesion stands There being then no other Argument imaginable but what is fetcht from Authority living or dead or else from Effects or Experience testifiable by those Authorities or from proper Effects or Causes in the ordinary course of natural things or from extraordinary private and unseen pretended Effects of the first Cause and none of these bearing any show against Tradition 'T is evident There is no possibility of arguing against Tradition rightly understood or the living voice of the Catholick Church with any show of Reason 24. Tradition is the First Principle in the way of Authority as it engages for matter of Fact long ago past For seeing that is the first Principle in any Knowledge into which all Knowledges in that kind are resolv'd to establish their Certainty and all ptetended Authorities for any matter of Fact long ago past Corol. 16. and consequently all Knowledges caus'd by the means of them are resolv'd finally into Tradition and depend on it for their Certainty it follows that Tradition is the very first Principle in the way of Authority as it undertakes for the truth of matters of Fact long ago past 25. Tradition in the matter of Tradition that is in matter of Fact before our time is Self-evident to all those who can need
the Knowledge of such things that is to all Mankind who use common Reason This is evident from the former For first Principles are to be Self-evident to all those who are to use them and proceed upon them which in our case is the most ordinary vulgar 26. The Certainty of Tradition being establisht the whole Body of the Faithful by which I mean Catholicks or the Church Essential is by relying on it infallibly certain that it is in possession of Christ's true doctrin For since Tradition is Self-evidently a Certain way if followd Disc. 5. § 8. 13. and both best Nature and best Grace in this world are engaged that it hath been and shall be ever followed Disc. 6. and 9. Again since the Certainty of what Faith was formerly taught must needs descend to us as matter of Fact formerly past that is whose Certainty depends on Authority and Tradition is the first Principle in way of Authority as it engages for matters of Fact formerly past Corol. 24. and Self-evident to the proceeders on it Corol. 25. that is to the Body of Catholicks Lastly since Christian Tradition rightly understood is nothing but the living voice of the Catholick Church Essential as delivering 't is manifestly and manifoldly evident that that Body which relies on It that is the Catholick Church or Corol. 6. 11. the whole Church Essential is infallibly Certain that she is in secure possession of Christs true Doctrin 27. Tradition once establisht General Councils and even Provincial ones nay particular Churches are Infallible by proceeding upon It. For the same reason in regard that proceeding on it they proceed upon a Certain and Self-evident Principle Corol. 24. 25. that is such a one as neither they can mistake nor it mislead them 28. The Roman See with its Head are particularly Infallible by the same means For in regard a more vigorous Cause put at first is apt to produce a greater Effect and the Coresidence Joynt-endeavours Preaching Miracles and lastly Martyrdome of the two Chief Apostles working upon that City which commanded the greatest part of the world were more vigorous Causes to imprint Christs Doctrin at first and recommend it to the next age than was found any where else it follows that the stream of Tradition in its source and first putting into motion was more particularly vigorous here than in any other See Again since uninterrupted publicity of professing Faith makes a greater visibility of Faith which is a manifest advantage to Tradition and no Patriarchal See but the Roman hath continued ever from the Primitive times in a publick Profession of Christs Faith being held under by Barbarians hence the Roman See and inclusively their Pastours and most their chief Pastour have a particular title to Infallibility built on Tradition above any other See or Pastour whatsoever Not to mention and dilate on the particular Assistances to the Clergy of that See and most particular to its Bishop springing out of their divinely constituted office in regard 't is a position unacknowledged by Adversaries against whom I am discoursing 29. Tradition establisht the Church is provided of a certain and Infallible Rule to preserve a Copy of the Scripture's Letter truly significative of Christs sence as far as it is coincident with the main Body of Christian doctrin preacht at first For since â—tis certain the Apostles taught the same Doctrin they writ â—tis manifest the Scriptureâ—s Letter was at first for what of it was intended to signify Points of Faith significative of Faith or Sence writ by miracles preaching and practice in the hearts of the first Faithful Wherefore since the same sence that was preacht at first was preserv'd all along unalterably by Tradition Disc. 6. 8. and the same sence in mens hearts can easily guide them to correct the alteration of the outward Letter so as to preserve it significative of the sence first delivered Therefore Tradition establisht the Church is provided of a certain and Infallible Rule to preserve a Copy of the Scripture's Letter truly significative of Christ's sence as far as Scripture is coincident with the main body of Christian Doctrin preacht at first 30. Tradition establisht the Church is provided of a certain and Infallible Rule to interpret Scripture's Letter by so as to arrive certainly at Christ's Sence as far as that Letter concerns the Body of Christian Doctrin preacht at first or points requisit to Salvation For since Disc. 6. 8. Tradition preserves the first deliver'd sence alive in mens hearts sent down by way of living voice and Christian practice and these were in the beginning evidently a most certain way of knowing the Sence of the Letter â—tis evident that they are still such Wherefore Tradition establisht the Church is provided c. 31. Tradition establish't nothing can be received by the Church as hâ—ld from the first or ever unless held ever For since Disc. 5. § 13. Disc. 6. 8. Corol. 24 25. Tradition is self-evidently a certain method of conveying down matters of Fact as they were found it follows that Tradition establish't points not held ever must be convey'd down such as they were found that is as not held ever and consequently not as held from the first or ever 32. Tradition establish't 't is impossible any Errour against Christâ— s Faith should bee received by the Church that is no Errour contradicting Faith can be received as of Faith For since to be received as of Faith is Disc. 6. 8. to Traditionary Christians the same as to be received as held ever or from Christs time and Corol. 31. no point at all though disparate or indifferent not-held-ever can be received as held-ever 't is evident that much less can an erroneous point contradicting what was held ever be received as held-ever 33. Notwithstanding Tradition Erroneous Opinions and their proper Effects absurd Practices may creep into the Church and spread there for a while For since notwithstanding the Certainty of Tradition the Church is still according to our Saviour a Congregation made up of good and bad and the Bad will do like themselves that is be glad to invent and propagate such Principles as shall make for their own Ends or for Vices that is Erroneous ones Again since it cannot be expected but that multitudes even of good men in the Church should in using their private reasons be liable to Errour in divers particular points or Cases and that the remoteness of Christian Principles or Points of Faith from the Principles of particular Actions or Cases is apt to make the opposition between them not easily nor clearly discoverable at first nay the ambiguity in wording them may make them appear at first sight fairly reconcilable till the Terms be distinguisht and clear'd from equivocation 't is very evident that Tradition's Certainty hinders not but Erroneous Opinions and their proper Effects absurd Practices may creep into the Church and spread there for a while 34.
Erroneous Opinions can never gain any solid footing in the Church For since Disc. 5. § 15. Corol. 11. the Church is a Body of men relying on Tradition or the Authority of attesting Forefathers not on the Authority of Opinators these Opinions can never have any firmness in her by means of Authority and on the other side being Erroneous they can never gain any depth of adhesion by being demonstrably true nor Errour being necessarily opposit to Truth can they even maintain their quiet posture by being evidently not opposit to Faith It follows that neither upon the score of Reason nor Authority can they sink deep into the minds of the Faithful at least the intelligent party of them or gain any solid footing in the Church but are subject to be contradicted or have their verity disputed by the searching and unsatisfy'd wits of Opposers 35. The Prudence requisit in Church-Government is one Cause why Erroneous Opinions are not immediately but after some long time perhaps to be declared against by the Authority of the whole Church For since a Church is a most vast and sacred Common-wealth and so of the greatest gravity and Authority imaginable she is not in prudence to engage it trivially in sleight occasions nor rashly when the point is unevident Wherefore seeing an Erroneous Opinion while held but by few is of sleight concern and so onely fit to be taken notice of by inferiour Officers when universally held is of great Authority amongst the multitude she is in Prudence to suspend till its Opposition to Faith be clear'd by the Science of Divinity and this satisfactorily to a great part of the Opinatours lest either she should in stead of tares pluck up wheat or use her Authority more to destruction than edification by a too hasty decision 36. No Erroneous Opinion in Divinity if Vniversal and Practical can be very long permitted in the Church For since Corol. 31. a meer Opinion can never gain the Authority of a Traditionary point 't is manifest it can never subsist when it is shown to clash with any of the said Points Wherefore since it is liable to discussion and men are naturally of different Judgments and Interests and the variety and Nature of worldly Interest is such that if any thing makes for the Interest of some 't is for that very reason against the Interest of another it will excite them to discussion and sifting its Conformity or Disconformity to Christian Principles which is the way to clear the Terms and make it appear But especially seeing absurd or irrational Practices are the proper Effects of Erroneous Principles and that our natural Corruption inclines men to follow such Practices till they be checkt by regard to something held Sacred that is by being shown opposit to Faith it follows that till this opposition be shown they will infallibly grow on still more and more till they come to such an height of absurdity that they need now no skill to discover them Experience teaching us that the most palpable and evident method to try the Truth of any Speculation is to put it into matter and bring it into Practice Those irrational Practices therefore must needs after some time discover themselves opposit to Christian behaviour and consequently confess the Principle which begot them opposit to Christian Faith which done it presently loses its credit and is quasht by the incomparably more powerful force and all over-bearing Authority of Tradition 37. Erroneous Opinions and the irrational Practices issuing from them though suppos'd Vniversal and of long continuance can never corrupt substantially the Iudgments or Wills of the Faithful For since Corol. 31. nothing not held ever or not coming from Christ can possibly be accepted as held ever or coming from Christ 't is evident no Erroneous Opinion can come to gain the sacredness and repute of a Traditionary point nor their proper practices the Esteem of Christian Practice Wherefore Traditionary Points being the Principles which absolutely possess the Judgmenrs and govern the lives of the Faithful as Christians it follows that no Opinion can ever be held by them but in a conciev'd subordination to Traditionary points or points of Faith nor practicâ—t by them but with a conceivd subordination and conformity to those Practices which spring from undoubtedly-known Christian Tenets or Traditionary points Seeing then what is not held and practicâ—t but as conceivd subordinate to other Tenets and Practices must needs be less held than those others nay not held at all otherwise than conditionally or upon supposal of such a subordination â—tis clearly consequent that Traditions Certainty is so powerful an Antidote that bad Opinions and Practices can never corrupt substantially and absolutely the Judgments or wills of the Faithfull 38. No Erroneous Opinion or its proper Practice is imputable to the Church properly and formally taken For since the Church formally as such proceeds on Christian Tradition no such Opinion nor consequently Practice is imputable to the Church properly and formally taken but onely to some men in the Church materially consider'd as left to the contingent force of their private Discourses that is indeed to the Schools not the Church 39. 'T is exceedingly weak and senceless to think to impugn the Church by objecting to her such Opinions and Practices For since they concern her not nor are imputable to her as Church or to her Members as Faithful the wise Objection can onely signify thus much that the Church has men in her who are fallible in their private Discourses or School-disputes that is she has men in her who are men A heavy imputation 40. The Knowledge of Tradition's Certainty is the first Knowledge or Principle in Controversial Divinity that is without which nothing is known or knowable in that Science For since Controversy or the Science which establishes the Certainty of Faith depends on these two Propositions Whatever God said is true and God said this the former of which is out of Controversy as we now handle it with our modern Dissenters and onely the later is the subject of our debate Seeing also as hath been largely and manifoldly evident nothing can ascertain us of this but Tradition nor It unless its Certainty be known it follows that the Knowledge of Tradition's Certainty is the first Knowledge or Principle in Controversial Divinity 41. Christ's promise to his Church however comfortable to the Faithful can bear no part in the notion of the Rule of Faith nor be the first Principle of a Controversial Divine For since Christ's promise to his Church is held as a point of Faith that is receiv'd upon the Rule of Faith that is subsequent to that Rule 't is manifest that it can be no part of that Rule nor first Principle in Controversy Again the Rule of Faith Disc. 1. § 4 and 9. must be so evident as to its Existence that no other Knowledge must intervene between the natural power of Understanding and It and this in the meanest vulgar
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
true Sence of that Letter in Points of Faith deliver'd See Coroll 29. 30 it follows that Scripture alledged by the Church relying on Tradition for its Rule engages certainly and fully the very Authority of the Divinely inspir'd Writer himself and gives that Testimony the whole Effect upon our understanding which that Sacred Writers Authority deserves to have given it No wonder then the Council proceeding upon Traditionary Interpretation as it constantly declares it self to do honours Scripture-Testimony so as to put it before Tradition or the delivery of Christs Doctrin from hand to hand Scripture thus alledg'd and securd having the same force as if the Apostle or Evangelist himself should sit in the Council and by way of living voice declar'd his own Sence in the matter to whom thus present what deference the Council would have given is obvious to be imagin'd Hence also the Protestant may see what high esteem our Church gives to Gods Word truly so calld that is having Gods Sence certainly-known to be such in it and that 't is onely the outward Letter as us'd to hammer a Faith out of by wordish skills that is indeed their Method of interpreting it which by reason of its Uncertainty falls short of engaging the Sacred Authority of Gods Word we fleight and scorn And most justly since 't is the having no better way to work on Scripture which has brought Scripture it self thus usâ—d to scorn and contempt as appears in the carriage of our Bedlam of new Sects in England I expect here some mighty man of talk but very weak Speculator should object that this is an excellent way to bring all into our Churches hands But till he can prove that both Letter Sence of Scripture are knowable with such a Certainty as to build on them that most firm Assent call'd Faith by any other way than this of Tradition I can neither hinder my Inferences nor will he ever be able to confute my discourse 20. Thus much to show evidently that the Substance of the Doctrin we have given in our former Discourses is the very Sence of our Church at present and that her present Sence in this matter is agreeable to the Judgment of Antient Fathers and Councils I have no more to do now but to show that at the very time of the Breach here in England the Catholick was found adhering fast to this Rule of Tradition renounc't by the Protestant This is evident by the Protestants own confession For as oft as you hear them alledge that England was formerly overgrown with Popery that the new Light of the Gâ—spel hath of late discovered it self that they reformâ—d in Faith that the former Church errd and such like expressions which naturally must burst out from them so oft you hear them acknowledge themselves Deserters of Tradition and Innovators Which Expressions of theirs by the way easily manifest to the most vulgar understanding who â—tis that hath renounct Tradition whence it being also easily evidenceable to the rudest capacity that Tradition is a most certain way of bringing down Faith Disc. 5. § 8. the most vulgar Soul is capable of knowing which Profession it is to follow For the two former points being known they are Certain by motives within their own Ken that Protestants have renounct the Certain way to bring down Faith but that we renounct Tradition of old is unacknowledged by us disputable and onely knowable by skills they are not Masters of Common Sense then teaching them they must guide themselves by reasons they are capable of and not by reasons of which they know nothing and that God requires no more at their hands than they can do Gods goodness has provided for those weak people out of the very Confessions of Traditionâ—s deserters Certain means to judge whether they ought to be Catholicks or Protestants But to return whence we diverted 21. It is not onely the Protestants own Confession but the open Profession of the Catholick Clergy in the very nick of the Breach manifests our claim and constant adherence to Tradition Whose Declaration found in the Synodal Book 1559. begins thus Because by relation of publick Fame it hath lately come to our knowledge that many Tenets of Christian Religion hitherto received and approvâ—d by the Publick and 〈◊〉 Consent of Christian Nations and BROVGHT DOWN BY HANDS even from the Apostles to Vs are callâ—d into doubt Therefore c. Where we find them stick firmly to Tradition And insisting on this Principle they proceed to make a Profession of their Faith which they exhibit to the Bishops to be given to the Lord Keeper but the State by power over-bearing the Votes of the Reverend Convocation and persecuting them for their constancy the Breach ensuâ—d The Catholick cleaving fast to his Old Rule Tradition the Protestants chusing a new one of Scripture privately interpreted whose vanity a little reason makes them see but experience perfectly find and relinquishing the Antient Rule so demonstrably self-evident secure and solid By which means they became cut off from the onely Certain way to know Christs Sence that is from the Root of Faith and consequently from the Body of the Church The Guilt of which Fact neither Human Authority Multitude Prosperity Continuance nor yet all their Voluminous wordish Excuses will ever be able to Efface ANIMADVERSIONS On Dr. Pierce's Sermon Also on Mr. Whitby and Mr. Stillingfleet where they touch the Way lay'd in the foregoing Discourses In Three Appendixes Psalm 63. Sagittae parvulorum factae sunt Plagae eorum Anno Dom. 1665. TRANSITION To The following APPENDIXES I Have finisht my Discourse how dexterously must be determin'd by the Iudgment of my Readers and Confutation from mâ—â—e Adversaries But I account those onely my proper Iudges competent Adversaries who lay their Principles ere they discourse and weigh the efficaciousness of their Testimonies in the Scales of Reason ere they alledge them If I find a man laying no Principles of his own but supposing them and making account all men must admit them out of respect to him or his party and yet bend all his endeavours to cavil at Principles laid by others to ascertain and establish the Groundwork of Christianity If I find one ignorant of or resolv'd against the onely-Certain method and Rule of Discourse which is that No Position deserves Assent unless the Connexion of its Terms be Evident which must either be when they are Evidently connected of themselves of which nature ought to be all First Principles or made evidently-connected by the interposition of some other which we call Evident-by-consequence or Deduction Lastly if I find a man wedded to Parrat-talk of Ayr and Sounds that he thinks it a rare thing to load margents with Citations without first distinguishing them and considering what strength each ought to have according to rational Principles I decline such an empty Soul for my Iudge and sleight him as mine Adversary And lest any should impute this carriage to me
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