you if such a promiss be impossible wee say the Church cannot err in her doctrin which is to be infallible Dare you deny but that the Prophets the Apostles and Euangelists were infallible in what they taught and writ dare you deny but that the Church of God is infallible in fundamental points of Religion and are you therefore guilty of Blasphemy or do you intrench on Gods prerogatiues or giue his Attributs to creatures God is infallible by Nature by his own proper perfection this is his Attribut and this cannot be giuen to any creature to be infallible by the protection of an other who defends him from falling into any errour is not Attribut of God it were a Blasphemy to say that he is infallible in that manner but the Prophets Apostles Euangelists and the Church are thus infallible by Gods special protection and the conduct of his spirit An other argument against our Tenet pag. 30. is the disagreement of our Authors in placing this infallibity some will haue it to be in the Pope alone others in him and a Council of Cardinals others in the Pope and General Council alone This dissention is to Mr Sall a concluding argument that there is no such thing as Church infallibity and thus he furnishes the Deists with a concluding argument that there is no such thing as true Religion in the world for will the Deists say with him the Authors that pretend to true Religion do not agree where it is some say its in the Iewish Church others that it is in the Protestants others in the Catholik Church others in other Congregations and will conclude in Mr Salls Dialect that there is no such thing as true Religion extant because the Pretenders to it do not agree where to find it But the poore Man ignorantly or maliciously mistakes our doctrin all Catholiks do agree in the infallibility of the Pope and General Council ioyntly this is the infallibility wee belieue as an article of Faith It s true that the Catholik Authors do dispute if the Pope alone is infallible some say he is and will haue it to be an article of Faith that he is others say that he is not but with a Council of Cardinals and Diuines others say that neither this is an article of Faith some say that a General Council legally assembled is infallible in their Decrees though not confirmed by the Pope others say not if they be not confirmed by him But all these are but school questions the Church heares them and permits them to dispute and whateuer Bellarmin or any other saies wee are not obliged to belieue it to be an article of faith whylst it is opposed by other Catholick Doctors and the Church does not determin the Controuersy but what you are to obserue is that those Doctors who defend the infalliblity of the Pope alone and those that deny it those that affirm the infallibility of the Council alone and those that contradict it they agree vnanimously in the infallibity of the Pope and Council together because that with out any controuersy the Pope and Council ioyintly represents the vniuersal Church and the vniuersal Church is infallible this is the article of Faith wee belieue And if you tell vs a Pope or a General Council has err'd you will tell vs nothing to the purpose if you do not shew that a Pope and Council together has err'd for that 's the Church hauing by the answer of these two arguments declared what infallibility the Church clayms and where wee belieue this infallibility to be let vs now proue our Tenet First it s a comfort to an vnacquainted Traueller to be guided by one whom he firmly belieues to be acquainted with the way though really your guide were not acquainted with the way if you certainly belieue he is and that he cannot stray though you do not know the way yourself you will follow him with satisfaction and without feare of being byass'd but if you do not know the way and you belieue your guide is not so well acquainted but that he may stray you will still trauell with feare of being byass'd This is the different condition of a Catholik and a Protestant the Catholick trauelling in the way to saluation which is Religion is guided by a Church which he without the least doubt belieues cannot be mistaken whether she can or not since he is absolutly perswaded she cannot he trauells with satisfaction and without feare the Protestant in this way is guided by a Church which he belieues is not so well assured of the way but that she may err ought he not therefore to walk disatisfyed and with continual feare of being mislead You answer that the Protestant is not lead by the Church but by the Scripture which is an infallible guide It s very sure the Scripture is infallible vnderstood in the true sence but you can haue no assurance that you haue the true sence of Scripture consequently you can haue no assurance that you haue an infallible guide this proposition is certain The Scripture ill interpreted does mislead this proposition is also certain you and your Church may err in the interpretation of Scripture comparing one text vvith an other Since therefore your guide in the road of Faith is the Scripture interpreted by you and your Church comparing on text with an other You are guided by a guide that may err and mislead you and as you haue no well grounded assurance that you and your Church do not err in the interpretation of Scripture cōparing one text with an other you can haue no assurance but that you are mislead But the Catholik belieuing his Church to be infallible in the interpretation of Scripture does rest his mind in the full assurance of the truth he professeth And ought not you to embrace that doctrin which giues you that satisfaction and rest of mind rather than the Protestant doctrin of fallibility which leaues you doubtfull if what you belieue be true or not Particularly when in belieuing it you hazard nothing not your saluation for all learned Protestants which wee will proue against Mr Sall do grant saluation in the express beliefe of articles of Popery you reply it s no solid comfort that the Catholik amuses himself with in belieuing his Church that guides him to be infallible if really she be not so for if it proues in effect to be otherwise he will come short of his imaginary comfort and will find that he and his Church is mistaken I answer if wee consider the testimonies of Scripture the strength of reason the consent of ages the multitude of Vniuersityes Fathers and Doctors that defend this doctrin of infallibility it is as lykely to be true as your doctrin of fallibility it s as lykely that you are mistaken in belieuing fallibility as I am in belieuing infallibility you run therefore as great a hazard of being mistaken as I do on the other syde you cannot haue that satisfaction
bryb'd a man to feign himself dead that he might be thought to rayse him to lyfe but the man was found dead in good earnest and the fourberie published by many writers And those Miracles related by Saints and Ecclesiastical Histories had they been Sorceries and enchantments is it possible that the Hereticks against whose Doctrin they were wrought or som one then liuing should not haue discouered it This you cannot deny but that Herod and many Iews who neuer did see our Sauiour work any Miracles nor hear him preach were bound to belieue and obstinat for not belieuing our Sauiors Miracles and Doctrin only vpon this account that they were credibly informed by those who were ey witness of his Miracles and doctrin notwithstanding that the Scribâ— and Pharisees said they were wrought by the Deuil wheras therefore S. Augustin S. Bernard and the Saints of other ages are as credible Witnesses as those Iews were that related the Miracles of Christs and could iudge and know what a miracle was as well as those Iews do inform you that those true miracles were wrought in those ages in confirmation of our Catholik Tenets and that in their presence you are bound to belieue they were true miracles and obstinat in not belieuing them To say as the Centurists and Osiander that these miraculous works were Sorceries and enchantments is a most desperat assertion first it is to make the Saints and Fathers of antiquity who relates them as wrought in their owne presence examined by them and iudged to be true miracles meer fools that were deceiued and knew not to distinguish betwixt a true miracle and a Sorcery Secondly what rule or way hath Osiander and the Centurists got to know those passages to be enchantments and not true miracles which S. Augustin S. Bernard and other Saints had not Thirdly Christ appayed the hungar of a multitude with few loaues which he blessed S. Bernard cured the diseases of a multitude by the loaues which he blest let vs abstract from the Authors of these two actions let the actions be considered by a learned Pagan Philosopher who belieues not in Christ will not he iudge them both to be equally miraculous or both to be but enchantments I conclude what all wyse learned holy men and especially euen the aduersaries also of the Author do iudge after an exact examin of all circumstances to be a true miracle it is willfull obstinacy to deny it be such but the fore named Saints and they of all other ages as will appeare if you read the Ecclesiastical Histories haue iudged miracles to be truly wrought in each age som haue been eywitnesses of miracles other haue examined and enquired what they were and their circumstances and iudged them to be such S. Iohn Damascen and S. Bernards enemyes against whom they preached and writ did not deny them to be such Therefore wee cannot without obstinacy deny them Now that wee are obliged to belieue the doctrin in whose confirmation they wee wrought it s proued by what is said and that if wee be not obliged to belieue Catholecisme its most apparent wee are not obliged to belieue Christianity for by the self same arguments by which you proue against a Pagan the Christian Religion to be true wee also proue the Catholick to be true consequently either the Catholick must be true or the Christian is not by what were the Iews and Gentiles perswaded that Christianity was reuealed by God because it was preached by Holy men of great sanctity of lyfe of great austerity of no attache to the world or wordly things of admirable virtue and who confirmed their doctrin with supernatural signs and Miracles but S. Bernard who preached the Inuocation of Saints Transubstantiation and veneration of Relicks against the Henricians was a great Saint witness VVhitaker de Eccl. pag. 369. I do realy belieue S. Bernard vvas a true Saint Osiander Cent. 12. Saint Bernard Abot of Clareual vvas a very pious man Gomarus in speculo Eccl. pag. 23. One pious man your Church had in many years Bernard a Saint Pasquils return into Engl. pag. 8. he vvas one of the lamps of Gods Church S. Augustin was confessedly a great saint S. Iohn Damascen that writ seueral learned Treatises against the Iconoclasts for the worship of Images S. Malachias S. Thomas Aquinas and S. Francis Xauerius who conuerted so many Kingdoms in the Indies to the Catholick Religion at that very tyme that Luther reuolted from the Church all these and many more great Saints preached the Catholick Religion and confirmed it with many Miracles as wee haue related and the Histories do manifest therefore wee haue as strong motiues to persuade the truth of Catholick Religion as you haue to proue the truth of Christian Religion both therefore must be belieued or neither Can any man iudge it consistent with the goodness of God to permit Transubstantiation and the worship of Saints and Images if they were false doctrin to be proposed to men by great and Holy Saints and confirmed by so many miracles when by the very self same means and motiues of credibility he proposes to vs Christianity wherby men must find themselues equally obliged to belieue both or neither nor will it be an euasion to say that the Miracles wrought in fauor of Christianity were true miracles and those which were wrought for Popery were but enchantments and sorceries for abstracting from Faith which obliges vs to belieue that the miracles wrought by Christ and his Apostles were true miracles our senses and Natural reason cannot but iudge the restitution of Damascens hand the healing of the sick by the loaues blest by S. Bernard to be as true miracles as any that was wrought by the Apostles and therefore they were iudged by all wyse men of those ages to be such and abstracting from Faith as I said what reason can be alleadged for to say the one were true miracles and the others not I conclude with this discourse as Children are obliged in conscience to honor their Parents its Gods commandment so you are obliged in conscience to belieue that Doctrin to be true which is confirmed by true Miracles for as wee formerly discoursed its impossible that God should confirm false Doctrin with true Miracles that being repugnant to his infinit veracity to confirm a lye with the seal and marks of his Commission to teach it but for your obligation of honoring this particular Man and woman who are your Parents it s not requisit you haue euidence and infallible assurance that they are your Parents its sufficient for your obligation that you are morally certain they are yours and this moral assurance which you haue is grounded only vppon the testimony of honest people that informs you of it the lyke you haue that true Miracles haue been wrought in many ages in confirmation of those Tenets of ours which you call erroneous the testimony of great saints as honest men as those who tell you that
be such which are not her errors but of some or many Doctors which you could haue denied and not only remain a Catholick but oblige Catholicks in refuting them But you had a mind to depart and to render your separation more acceptable to our Aduersaries you tooke for pretence those two points which though you know well they were no points of our Religion yet you knew they were very odious to our Aduersaries and them you resolued to please vpon any account was it not therefore that you exclaim against the Church of Rome saying t is but a part of the Church and not the Church Vniuersal pag. 24. as if you did not well know that wee do not pleade for the Bishoprick of Rome and that wee do confess it is but a part of the Church Lastly you alleadge for a cause of your separation the forbidding of the Bible to the common people and the publick Prayers in an vnknowen language in this your first Reformers erred damnably in departing as you do from the true Church for this cause for nothing can iustify separation from the Church but errors and practices inconsistent with saluation which as well our Diuins as yours do confess and it is confessed by any man of common sense that it is not needfull for saluation whateuer you may say of its conueniency to reade the Bible or haue prayers in a knowen language therefore that could be no iust cause of separation to them nor to you But much more criminal are you than they in separating for that cause for you had a sad experience which they had not when they began of the confusion and multitude of sects occasioned by the liberty granted to all people for the reading of Scripture and therefore you were obliged rather to condemn that liberty than to assert it You were forc'd to forsake our Church you say for her errors but S. Augustin tells you lib. cont Parmen c. 11. there is no iust necessity to diuide Vnity and epist 48. It is impossible that any may haue a iust cause to forsake the communion of the Church Our Church therefore which was the only Church extant before and in Luthers dayes and is now the same that then it was had no errors which might be a iustcause or necessity for him or for you to depart from her and deuide Vnity of Religion If her errors wherof you accuse her are fundamental errors inconsistent with saluation then there may be a iust necessity and cause to separat from the Church which S. Augustin absolutly denies if they were but smale inferior and not fundamental errors as generally all sectaries say then there is a iust necessity also to separat from all Congregations and Churches in the world since that in the opinion of all Sectaries there is no Church or Congregation free from some inferior and not fundamental errors the Protestants accuse the Catholicks of many the Presbyterians accuse the Protestants the Anabaptists accuse the Presbyterians and so of all the rest And is it not a pretty iest that you would make vn belieue it 's the desire of security of your saluation which forced you to separat from the Roman Church wherin S. Thomas Aquinas dyed who in the acknowledgement of your own Doctors is a Saint where S. Bernard dyed who in the iudgment of your own Doctors was a Saint saies your whitaker de Eccl. pag. 369. a very pious Man saies your Osiander cent 12. a Saint of the Roman Church saies your Gomarus in speculo Eccl. p. 23. one of the lamps of Gods Church saies your Pasquil in his Return to Eng. pag. 8. could not you secure your saluation in that Church wherin S. Gregory the Great dyed and liued a Pope that Blessed and Holy Father saies your Godwin in his Catal. of Bish. pag. 3. that holy and learned Bishop of Rome saies Mr Bell in his Suruey of Pop. pag. 189. these haue been as your Authors freely confess of the Roman Church and haue been great Saints and I hope you are not so impious as to deny that Xauerius that grat Apostle of the Indies S. Dominik S. Francis and S. Ignatius were Saints nor so impudent as deny that they were of our Church And can wee belieue that you were forced for to secure your saluation to forsake that Church wherin these haue not only be saued but dyed Saints for the Protestant Church wherof there was neuer yet any Saint Let vs suppose that both the Catholick and Protestant Church is a sauing Church yet for to secure his saluation will not any wyse man rather chuse that Church wherin there are so many Saints than a Church which neuer yet afforded any as you would chuse to study in schoole where many learned Doctors are bred rather than in a schoole where neuer any learned man was knowen what wyse man tender of his saluation would not chuse that Church and Religion which generally all persons who know both Religions do chuse to dye in for certainly the election of that last houre when men are most earnest to secure their saluation and setting interest and Pleasures asyde end eauour to prouide for eternity is a great argument of the goodness of a Religion that Church therefore wherin generally all men who know both Religions chuse to dye in ought to be embraced by him who endeauors to secure his saluation This is the Catholick Religion for there haue been many who being born and bred Catholick flincht to the Protestant Religion there haue been many also who being born and bred Protestants were conuerted to the Catholick Religion and thus they knew both Religions and what Man did you euer heare of who becoming from a Protestant to be a Catholick and liued so vntill his dying houre that desired to dye a Protestant or called for a Minister to be reconciled to the Church but to the contrary generally all those who of Catholicks become Protestants and liue so vntill their dying hour then they call for a Priest for to be reconciled to the Catholick Church then they dye or desire to dye Catholicks and wee know by many experiences that the friends of those dying Persons do watch the doores to hinder the access of any Priest is not this a strong proof that it is not deuotion made them become Protestants and that the Catholick Religion is the securest for saluation did you desire to secure your saluation why did not you obserue what Counsel Christ gaue vs for to be saued with aduantage and then you would know which Religion to chuse Consider how much did Christ recommend vnto xs voluntary Powerty if thou vvilt be perfect sayd he Mat. 1921. go and sell vvhat thou hast and giue it to the poor And in the same chap. exhorts vs to forsake Estats Lands houses c. for his sake this has been practis'd by the Primitiue Christians Act. 5. in our Church Kings Princes Noble Men and rich men haue followed this Doctrin I
must haue appointed some suprem Autority to declare vnto vs what sence is that which he will haue vs all belieue to which all dissenting Parties must assent and submit their iudgment for it were vnbecoming the goodness of God to oblige man vnder pain of damnation to belieue one sence and no other of all the different sences the letter of Scripture admits and not to afford som assured means and publick Authority for no priuat authority will suffice to propose vnto vs what sence it that Nor will it be possible to keep vs in Vnity of Faith without this suprem Authority for it s not possible to haue Vnity of Faith if wee do not all hold one and the same senee of Scripture nor it is possible that wee all hold the same sence if there be not a publick Authority for to propose vnto vs what sence is it that wee must hold to whose iudgment wee must be all bound to acquiesce for if it be lawfull for euery man to reiect that Authority and hold that sence of Scripture which he iudges the best it will be lawfull for euery man to liue in a different Religion from that of others and so there will neuer be any Vnity of Faith and Religion Now that the suprem Authority appointed by Christ for to decide our Controuersies and deliuer vnto vs the true sence of Scripture is the Church establisht by Christ it s proued by the texts of Scripture alleadged in the beginning of this Chap. its proued also by the practise of all ages for when in the Apostles dayes there arose a controuersy about the Circumcision of the Gentils som affirmed they ought not only be baptised but also circumcised others denyed the Necessity of Circumcision both Parties alleadged Scripture but neither was appayed and how was the controuersy decided and the true sence of Scripture alleadged by both proposed by the Church conuened in a Council at Ierusalem Act. 15. the one Party was condemned for Hereticks if they did not submit and acquiesce to the Doctrin proposed by the Church About the yeare 324. arose a dispute betwit Arrius that was a member of the Catholick Church and others also Catholicks concerning the Diuinity of Christ each of the disputants alleadged seueral texts of Scripture and pretended his own to be the true sence who decided this Controuersy was it the Scripture alone without a publick authority to propose the sence of it No but the Church gathered in the Nicen Council to whose decisions all Christians were bound to acquiesce and condemned as Hereticks that would not About the yeare 378. arose a dispute between Macedonius and other Catholicks concerning the Diuity of the H. G. which he denied both Parties cited many texts of Scripture but the dispute was not ended vntill the Church gathered in a Council at Constantinople examined that question and texts produced by both Contestants and concluded against Macedonius after which Decision it was not lawfull to doubt of the Diuinity of the H. G. To be brief look into all ages that euer any question arose concerning Religion the final decision was alluayes deuolued to the Church who deliuered the true sence of Scripture quoted by the Disputants and esteemed an Heretick that did not submit This shews that the world did euer yet belieue the suprem authority of deciding controuersies and deliuering the true sense of Scripture was still in the Church But the wery Protestants themiselues who decry the Church and will haue no other Iugde of Controuersies but Scripture do confess that betwixt two Parties prouing their differents Assertions of Religion out of Scripture the Church hath the suprem authority of deciding and deliuering the true sence of Scripture to which both Parties are obliged in conscience to acquiesce read Doctor Porter in his Treatise of Char. Mist pag. 195. and Chilling-worth in his Book of the Protestant Religion a safe vvay of saluation pag. 206. and B. Lawd cited by Doctor Porter they teach that the Decrees of General Council bind all Persons oblige in conscience til euideuce of Scripture or a demonstration maks their error appeare that they are not to be controlled by priuat spirits nor cannot de renuersed but by an equal authority of an other General Council But because Protestants easily contradict one an other and others will say these are but opinions of priuat Doctors and not the Doctrin of the Protestant Church I will proue that what euer their Doctrin be their practice proues that they belieue the supreme authority of deciding Controuersies betwitxt two Parties disputing out of Scripture to be only in the Church the proof Arminius a Minister of Amsterdam and Professor of Diuinity at Leyden broached new Doctrin touching points of Predestination Grace and Liberty quite contrary to the Doctrin of Caluin receiued in the Churchs of Holland By his wit and credit he got many Proselyts that in a short tyme his Doctrin made great progress throughout all the States Gomarus nothing inferior to him in wit and reputation an ancient Professor of Diuinity at Groeningue opposed this nouelty and with all the ancient Ministers stood for the Doctrin of Caluin Printed Pamphlets were publisht Texts of Scripture quoted but neither did yield to the other each drew Abettors to their opinions and the Prouinces were deuided into two factions of Armenians and Gomarists The Churchs of Hollands petitioned to the States General for a National Synod to determin the Controuersy but Armenius strengthned with the protection of Barneuelt A duocat General of the States obtained that in lieu of a Synod the matter should be discussed in a conference of Diuins the States deputed som persons of quality for to heare the Disptutans Arminius presented himself with four Diuines and Gomarus with as many Arminius his fiue articles were scan'd texts of Scripture searched for and carefully examined reasons proposed by both Parties with all ardor nothing omitted that wit or industruy could giue and after a tedious and eager dispute the question remained vndecided the Parties receded each proclaming the victory Armenius dyed soon after but his schollers took vp the cudgle and gain'd so much ground vpon the Gomarists that all the three Prouinces of Holland Vtrecht and Ouerissel embraced their fiue Articles and pretended a petition to the States General for a toleration in the profession of that Doctrin which they offered to defend with the pure word of God adding it did not appertain to a National Synod but to the Diuins of each particular Prouince to take cognisance of the affairs of Religion in that Prouince and therefore they protested against any National Synod The Gomarists on the other syde cryed out for a Synod the controuersy did not only trouble the peace of the Prouinces but made a great Ecco in the neigh bouring Reformed Churchs The King of England by his Embassador Sr Dudley Carleton represented to the States that the only means for to allay those disputes was a National Synod to whom
the true sence of Scripture to satisfy his doubts in Religion and to know what he ought to belieue and wee will find he did not vse the means which Christ appointed for our instruction pag. 17. you tell vs Mr Sall that you discouered the Roman Church to be guilty of idolatry couelty and impiety your wit say you demanded you a reason for what you belieued and if it demanded and euidently coâ—â—cluding reason it ourlasht wheras the Mysteries of Religion are of things not appearing as S. Paul saies surpassing reason you frequently perused the Scripture the Councils Fathers and Histories and all made you doubt of the Truth of our Tenets the consequence therefore is vndenyable that Scripture alone is so far from being cleer and easy in points of Religion that it alone nor with the assistance of Historyes Councils and Fathers is not sufficient euen to so great a wit as you pretend to be in no wayes obstinat vvillfully but desirous to know and embrace the truth is not I say sufficient to assure you what is an errour or not consequently somwhat else is wanting to know what wee ought to belieue Pag. 37. you tell vs that you vvent to the Church of England vvhose Eminent Persons by vvord and vvritting did assert do not you see that besides the Scripture wee want a liuing Church to inform ys what wee out to belieue that the fumme of our Faith is the vvord of God contained in Canonical Scripture and the plain vndubitable consequences out of it But Mr Sall you might haue belyed them all by your own experience who read Scriptuse assisted with your eminent with forsooth and knowleg in sciences assisted by the Fathers Historyes and Councils and yet as you tell vs all made you doubt pag. 18. but could not assure you of the truth or vntruth of our errours consequently somthing else is requisit for to know assuredly what is Truth and what not But Mr Sall before that the Cchurch of England by her Eminent Persons did tell you the Scripture alone and its vndubitable consequences is the intyre summe of Faith did you know that to be be true did you vnderstand it to be true by the Scripture when you frequently read it and by Councils and Fathers if you did to what purpose do you speake vnto vs of the Church of England what need had you to go to her You ought to haue sought and found the resolution of your doubts in the Scripture alone and its vndubitable consequences if you did not then you belieue the Scripture and its indubitable consequences to be the summe of our Faith vpon the testimony of the Church of England and her Eminent Persons which being fallible as you and she confess all your Faith is built on a fallible bottom Moreouer Mr Sall the Church of England informed that the Scripture alone and its indubitable consequences are the whole summe of diuine Faith but did the Church of England tell you who is he that must draw those indubitable consequences Must those consequences be drawen by a publick Authority establisht by Christ or is it sufficient that the consequences seem vndubitable to you or me or any priuat person If the second then all sectaries in the world haue a true rule of Faith which is their own reason that dictats what they belieue to be an vndenyable consequence of Scripture and none can blame them for they regulat their Faith by the rule that Christ has appointed if the first then the Church of England should haue informed you what suprem Authority is that which must draw those consequences and aproue or reproue those which to priuat persons seem to be vndeniably deduced out of Scripture But this which your instructors omitted has been shewen vnto you in this Chapter not only by Scripture and reason but by the practise of your Reformed Churchs represented in the Synod of Dordrecht that when two Contestants draw contradictory consequences out of Scripture each one pretending his own to be vndubitably deduc'd out of the Text the Church wherof the Parties are Members has the suprem Authority to resolue which is the true consequence that the Parties are bound in conscience to submit to her iudgment and to be held for Schismatiks if they do not and wheras your first Reformers drew consequences which seemed to them to follow vndubitably from Scripture and their Aduersaryes iudged the contrary to be vndubitable true your Reformers were bound to submit to the Catholik Church wherof theyr were Members and learne of her which were the true consequences and were Schismatick for not doing so and as their errour descended to you and your liuing Brethren the obligation also of being instructed by the Catholik Church and acquiescing to her iudgment descends vnto you And thus Mr Sall you miserably mistooke the means which Christ appointed for to instruct vs in Religion V. CHAPTER THE CHVRCH ESTABLISHED FOR our instruction is infallible THough I reserue a chapter a part for Mr Salls arguments against this Tenet yet I must heere toucth two of them which shew that he is either ignorant or malicious in mistaking our doctrin by the answer to which I will declare what wee belieue in this particular He impugns our doctrin from the pag. 29. to 35. and from the pag. 39. to 44. pag. 39. he argues that Infallibility is an Attribut proper to Gods essence which can no more be communicated to any Creature than the Deyty itself it s a Blasphemy saies he to attribute to any creature that which is proper to God alone consequenty the Church of Rome is guilty of Blasphemy in teaching the Pope or Council is infallible I cannot belieue but that you are sufficienty sensible of the weakness of this argument which from the very beginning of your pretended Reformation is so common that any Collier will answer it especially that it and all the arguments you bring in your whole discourse are exactly set down in Bellarmin whence you haue borrowed them and most euidently answered and if you had any ingenuity you ought not to trouble your Auditory with such third bare tryfles but tell them also what wee answer and retort it if you could Can you that pretends to the credit of a Professor of Diuinity ignore that a man who is by his own Nature Mortal might by Gods Protection who promises him he shall neuer dye be immortal and why will you deny but that Man who by Nature is subiect to errour may by Gods special protection promising him that he shall neuer err be kept from falling into any errour or mistake This is what wee belieue that the Church which is by Nature as being a congregation of Men fallible may be mistaken and though ignorance or malice teach an vntruth but that God has promised to assist her continually with his spirit for to leade her into all Truth and neuer to permit her to teach or belieue any errour by virtue of wich promiss iudge
haue disputed with the Deuil as Luther did in points of Religion for the Deuil is not so kind but to the grand Heresiarcks thus far he imitats Luther that in the beginning of his Apostacy his chief drift was a separation from the Catholick Church vpon any account whateuer I say vvhateuer for it is euident that the first Reformers had not fixed on any one settled Religion in oposition to the Catholick wheras they were strugling and disputing for many years in seueral meetings had to that purpose to determin what ought to be belieued by all and what articles of Popery ought to be denyed and which not which doth euidence that their first drift was to separat from the Catholick and their second endeauour was to find out some other Religion wee haue the proof of this in the Chronocles of England for their separation from the Church of Rome began by the Schisme of Henry the Eight which was quite different from the Religion his successor and Son Edwrad the 6. endeauoured to establish and this quite an other from that which Queen Elizabeth introduced for she would haue an Ecclesiastical Hierarchy and other points denyed by the former that which the Queen established was fashioned to an other shape by King Iames and his successors Nay to this day the Sectaries who style them selues Reformed Religion do not agree what Tenets must be held in oposition to the Catholicks but are sufficiently Reformed by denying what the Catholick belieues Thus doth Mr Sall proceed for what he has proposed to himself was a separation howeuer it should be from the Church of Rome but you will find in his discourse that he is not yet throughly resolued what Religion to chuse and what to belieue not only because that he has resolued to be of the Church of England which is an indiuiduum vagum ready to change with all gouernments but that in his Declaration he professes to belieue the 39. Articles of the Church of England and pag. 39. he sayes that the summe of his Faith is the written word of God and the plain vndubitable consequences out of it and it is manifest that the 39. Articles are not plain vndubitable consequences out of Gods written word for a plain vndubitable consequence is that which the Premisses being granted is iudged by all wise learned vnderstanding men to follow out of the Premisses and cannot be denyed be any wyse vnderstanding man That in the Roman Catholick Church there are wyse learned men it were a madness to deny it but a far greater madness to say that the Fathers and Doctors of all ages before those 39. Articles were coyned were not wyse and learned men that studied and vnderstood the Bible and to all these the 39. Articles seems contrary to the word of God so far they were from iudging them plain and vndeniable consequences out of it And the Lutherans Presbyterians Anabaptists and Huguenots of France do not allow the 39. Articles of the Church of England and consequently do not iudge them to be plain vndeniable consequences out of Scripture So that you must say that either all are a company of knaues that speake against their consciences or that those 39. Articles are not plain and vndeniable consequences out of Scripture consequently Mr Salls some tymes belieues only Scripture and its plain consequences sometyms more But what proues that he is not yet throughly a Protestant and so wee know not what he is but a Not Catholick is his blasphemous Position that there is not saluation in the Roman Catholick Religion for it is the constant doctrin of the Church of England that the Catholick Religion is a sauing Religion first because this has been euer yet their complaint against vs that wee are vncharitable in denying saluation in their Church and they extol their own charity for granting that in the profession of Popery prouided he has no other sin a man may be saued Secondly because they confess there was a true Church extant the age that Luther began the Reformation and all the precedent ages for its an Article of our Creed the constant Existence of Gods Church I belieue the Catholick Church and that there was no other Church then extant but the Roman Catholick Church they also confess it and must grant it for the essence of the true Church consisting as they say in the due administration of the Sacraments and preaching of the word of God and no other Church being extant in Luthers age and the precedent that administred Sacraments or preached the Ghospell but the Roman Church doubtless it must haue been the true Church for in what Kingdom Prouince Citty Village Church or Chappell in the world was these things or any of them don by Protestants its therefore the constant doctrin of Protestants that Roman Catholick Church was then the true Church and is now a true Church for its the same now that then it was Now that a man may be saued in the true Church of God prouided his lyfe be good it were a blasphemy to deny it consequently its a blasphemy to say that in the Roman Church a man may not be saued and it were to say that all our Ancestors for so many ages all the Fathers Doctors and saints confessed by the Protestants shem selues to be saints were all damned Neither can Mr Sall excuse his Blasphemy and cure the wound with that plaister of Ignorance which he applyes saying that Papists pag. 116. may be excused by ignorance and this smale comfort he will not grant but to the simple sort and not at all to the learned men So that none of our Ancestors were saued for the space of so many hundred years no saints that are confessed by both Parties to be such if they were not fooles and ignorant people of the simple sort wherby all the wyse and learned Fathers and Doctors of the precedent ages and of this age are absolutly damned Nay and Thomas Aquinas which he him self styles a saint and none of the simple sort but a learned Doctor who confessedly was a Papist is also damn'd It s impossible that his Auditors if they were of the Church of England could heare him with patience to cast all their Ancestors to hell a Blasphemy so opposit to the Doctrin of their Church wherein doth the Charity of the Protestant Church consist and they do vaunt that they exceed the Catholicks is it in saying that by ignorance a Papist maybe saued in his Religion prouided his lyfe be good this is no excess of Charity for wee grant also as wee will declare in the ensueing Chap. that Protestants and not only they but Heathens and Iews may be saued in their Religion if they be ignorant and liue well wee are but little beholding to the Protestant charity if they grant no greater capacity of saluation in the Roman Catholick Religion then in Paganism and Iudaism No Sr since you are resolued to be a Protestant let me teach
you their Doctrin it s thus they say wee are guilty of errours that their Tenets of figuratiue Presence No Purgatory c. are vndeniable plain consequences out of Scripture and therefore wee err in denying them and that wee do err blamably and willfully because they are plain vndubitable consequences out of Scripture as you say also Mr Sall and wheras wee haue the scripture and belieue it to be the word of God and haue wits to vnderstand and sufficient instruction wee cannot but be willfully ignorant which ignorance is not sufficient to excuse vs from blame for not belieuing but they say that our denying of them articles though wee be obstinat in our denyal will not damn vs if wee haue no other sin because they are not fundamental Articles of Faith our errours do not shock the essential parts of religion though it were better and more safe to belieue them yet their belief is not absolutly requisit for saluation This is the Doctrin of the Church of England they grant vs saluation not for any ignorance but because wee hold the substance and all essential points of Faith It s therefore that Bramhal Bishop of Armagh called the Articles wherin the Protestant dissent from the Catholick Church Pious opinions and concluded that both Churchs had true Faith it s therefore that Doctor Stillingfleet compares both Churchs the Catholick to a Leaky ship wherin a man may be saued but with great danger and difficulty and the Protestant to a sound ship wherin one may be saued without hazard It s therfore that King I ames in the meeting of the Protestant Clergy at Southampton pronounced this sentence vvee detest in this point the cruelty of the Puritans and iudge them deseruing of fire vvho affirm that in the Popish religion a man may not be saued reade the Doctors of your Church Luther c. 6. and c. 4. in Gen. Osiander in epitom p. 2. pag. 1073. Melancthon in Conf. Aug. art 21. printed at Geneua an 1554. zuinglius in epis dedicat of his Confession of Faith to francis the first king of france Doctor field l. 3. de Eccl. c. 9. Bunnie in tract de pacif sect 18. whitaker q. 5. c. 3. Hooker l. de Pol. Eccl. but it were tedious to name all not any of the Church of England nor of the Lutherans but confess that the Catholick Church is a sauing Church because it has not erred in any fundamental points that wee are of one and the same Faith as to the substance It s true the Rigid Puritans and the Hugonots of france do say that the Catholick Church did err in fundamental points of Faith necessary for saluation and that therefore there is no saluation in her Comnunion and the Hugonots are of this sentiment but since about the yeare 1634. for before they constantly belieued with the Church of England that the Catholick Faith was a sauing Faith witness the answer of the Hugonot Diuins to Henry the fourth of france who asking if a man could be saued in the Roman Religion they answered yea wher vpon he prudently choosed that Religion which in the iudgment of all Parties was a sauing Religion Spondanus ad an 1593. But Mr Sall does not Profess to be a Puritan nor Hugonot and how come he to vtter such an impious expression But I will proue against him and his Associats Puritans and Hugonots that there is saluation in our Religion euen in their own Principles for either the true Church can err in fundamental points destructiue of saluation or not if not then the Roman Church which in the confession of you all was the true Church before and in Luthers age did not err in any point of doctrin repugnant to saluation if it can then your Church though it should be as you pretend the true Church can err also in fundamental points and you consequently cannot know if you be in the way of saluation Secondly you confess that the Lutherans and Protestants are in a true way of saluation but if the errours of the Catholik Church were fundamental and damnable They could not be in a sure way of saluation for it is as damnable an errour to say that a man may be saued in the profession of damnable errours as to profess them for example its as damnable an errour to say that a man may be saued denying Iesus-Christ as it is to deny him vae qui dicitis bonum malum if the Catholicks therefore be in a damnable state for professing those which you call errours the Protestants and Lutherans who vnanimously say they can be saued in the actual profession of those errours must be in a damnable state You must then either absolue both or condemn both besids the Lutherans hold some Points with the Catholicks which you condemn as damnable errors in our Religion for example the Real Presence of Christs Body in the Eucharist yet you belieue the Lutherans may be saued in their Religion therefore you must grant saluation to the Catholicks And now let vs draw Mr Sall by the skirt and mind him of what he sayes pag. 24. The Arch. B. of Cashel his instructor discoursed with him and his modesty pag. 28 added great vveight to his reasons Poore soul how simply you were fooled out of your Religion as appears by this passage His Lordship acknow-ledged the Catholick Church vvas a part of the true Church but not the vvhole and Mr Sall fancyed to perceiue such an admirable charity and real desire of vnion among Christians in this noble acknovv-ledgment of his Grace in granting vs that Honorable Title that he presently yielded all respect and submission to his reasons Open your eyes Poore Man you are charm'd by your instructors modesty and cheated of your Religion by fayre words Honorable title wherin doth the Honor of that Title of Catholick consist if it does not signify a Profession leading to saluation is it because that wee belieue many articles of Christianity though wee deny some then the Title of Arrian and Pelagians is Honorable which Professions belieued diuers Tenets of Christianity Is it because that by ignorance wee may be excused and be saued but you say that only the simple sort can haue that ignorance and besids Iews and Pagans may be saued in their respectiue Professions if they can claym ignorance Thus that Honorable title which sounded so plea sant to your ears is but an empty voyce His Instructor granted the Church of Rome to be a part of the Catholick Church but not the whole and Mr Sall did see such a vein of Charity and zeale to run through these vvords that he was rauish'd was euer Poore soule so deluded why did not you ask what his Lordp meant by Roman Church if he meant the Dioces of Rome that indeed is a part of the Catholick Church but that is not the Church wee speake of that wee say is infallible and wherof vvee are Members for wee are no Members of that Church wherin wee
yong Lad that neuer left his Fathers house neuer heard of Catholick Religion but all to desaduantage has no Catholick to confer with or if any not such as can giue him satisfaction he is through sickness or other impediments vnable to go in search of Priests or learned men he liues in his own Profession well can you be sure that this Lads ignorance was not inuincible for my part I iudge there are som though but few I feare that haue an inuincible ignorance I say but few for the reason I will produce soon But of learned men and men vers'd in the transactions of ages wee may haue moral assurance that their ignorance cannot be inuincible and of them we may say that if God has not giuen them som inward light in the last gasp and an act of contrition which yet to vs is vn knowen but that they dyed in the belief of their Tenets they are damn'd The reason why I say that but few Protestants can haue an inuincible ignorance of our Catholick Doctrin is All men are perswaded that there is a true Church and there is nothing more euident to any man of common sense than that all those Congregations and each of them which wee see among vs of Quakers Presbyterians Anabaptists Protestants Catholiks are not the true Church this I say is apparent to any man of common sense because each of vs condemns not only the external gouernement but the Tenets of the other and though all the rest ioyns to oppose the Catholick yet take them seperatly they are as apposit against one an other as they are against vs. In this confusion there is a very easy way to find out which of all is the true Church for what is more easy for a man that reflects seriously vpon the concerns of Religion which euery man is obliged in conscience to do than to learn by the Chronicles of England and by the seueral Historyes that are written when did these that wee call Reformations begin on what occasion and where in the world was there any such thing as Protestant Church Presbyterian Church c. two hundred and four years agon There is not a child in the Parish hardly but knows that Luther and Caluin began the Reformation which now is called Protestant Presbyterian c. in opposition to Popery which was as they pretended full of errors then Mass was banished Bishops Monks and Priests were exiled and their Lands forfeited the Churches were taken from vs and the Reformation introduced I know the Protestant will reply thath his Religion is Apostolical that it was the very Religion which Christ established and the Apostles preached but this consideration is too heigh for men of common vnderstanding this point cannot be soon cleered therefore I will not now engage in it because I pretend to shew to men of common vnderstanding an easy way to find out if this or that be a true Church whether your Religion was in the Apostles tyme or no you cannot deny but that which you call the Reformation is but of less than two hundred years date The ruins of the Churchs and Abbyes the Church Lands the Crosses placed in the heigh way and seueral other marks yet extant of Popery do testify it was the Catholick Religion that was the Religion of the Land your Chronicles beare witness it was it that florished for so many ages before in it your Ancestors did liue and dye This no man but knows This supposed there is no man of common sense if he reflects on the affairs of his saluation which reflexion wee are all obliged to make but is obliged to doubt of this Reformation or any branch of it be the true Religion you say men of common sense and of good vnderstanding do not doubt of it notwithstanding all what wee haue premissed but I say that they are obliged in conscience to doubt of it if they do not its through a supin and gross negligence of their saluation which is culpable and damnable I say they are bound in conscience to doubt of it first because common sense if not byass'd by som preiudice does dictat to any man that nouelties and innouations in matters of Religion are to be suspected and this pretended Reformation is such that was vn knowen to the world the day that Luther began it and to all the precedent ages for neuer was there any such thing as Protestancy spoken of Secondly because common sense dictats to a man that an ancient Religion which florished and which and noe other was established in all Christiandom ought not to be reuersed by a priuat Man as Luther was without sheuving by Miracles and supernatural signs that he was commissioned by God for so great a work and wheras Luther did shew no such no Protestant dare say that euer he did the truth of his Reformation ought to be doubted of Thirdly that very Catholick Church which he opposed was in former ages often opposed by others and she still remayned victorious and her opposers condemned for Hereticks which to any rational man is a sufficient ground for to doubt that Luther also might be such as the other opposers were And if you say that you ought not to doubt because your Ancestors haue sufficiently examined the causes of that Reformation and found them to be iust and that you receiue the Faith you profess from them and that you rely on their word I answer for one Ancestor of yours who approued the Reformation a hundred of your Ancestors approued the old Catholick Religion without any such Reformation And were there no other cause for any man of common sense for to doubt of the truth of the Reformation than that the very Reformers and their respectiue successors are deuided among themselues some of them approuing in the Catholick Church for good Doctrin what others condemn for an error this very dissention ought to make the Reformation suspected For Caluin and his Disciple which are the Church of England in so much condemns the Real Presence of Christ his Body in the Euchartst Luther and his Disciples do firmly belieue the Real Presence Luther condemns the Catholick Church for belieuing S. Pauls Epistle to the Hebrevvs and some other parts of Scripture to be Canonical Caluin with the Church of England says the Catholicks do well and they also belieue them to be Canonical Seueral other examples wee could bring of Doctrins that some of the Reformers condemn for errors in the Catholick Church and other Reformers say they are no such ought not this to make vs doubt of the truth of this Reformation Now that it is apparent that any man man of common sense who reflects on Religion ought to doubt of this Reformation the way to satisfy his doubt is very easy For if he finds that the Catholick Church does in this age and in Luthers and each of the precedent ages work Miracles in confirmation of her Doctrin and that the Reformation nor any branch