that none are saved but Metaphysical Speculators that perch upon the specifick Nature of Things and dig into the Intrinsecal Grounds of Truth If this be his Opinion How few can be saved But if Salvation be the End the Means must be suitable to the Capacity of Mankind and I do not think the Intrinsecal Grounds of Truth are so But aftey all he saith that I stifle any further talk of the Certainty of Protestent Faith. How can that be when I own no Protestant Faith but what is contained in Scripture or may be deduced from it according to the Sixth Article of our Church I am not conscious to myself of any Art in the matter which he charges me with and he saith I avoid what cannot be performed What is that To make out that Protestants are absolutely certain that they now hold all the same Doctrine that was taught by Christ and his Apostles If all that Doctrine be contained in Scripture and they hold the Scripture by Grounds of Absolute Certainty then Protestants must be certain that they hold all the same Doctrine that was taught by Christ and his Apostles Afterwards Mr. S. starts something that comes nearer to the business which is that Certainty of Faith and Certainty of Scripture are two things For those who have as much Certainty of Scripture as we may have not only an Vncertain but a Wrong Faith and therefore I am concerned to shew not only that Protestants have Certainty of their Rule but of the Faith which they pretend to have from that Rule That which I am now upon is to settle the true State of the Controversie about the Certainty of Faith. In the Conference my first Answer was that We are absolutely Certain that we now hold all the same Doctrine that was taught by Christ and his Apostles And when the Question was asked By what Certain Rule do we hold it I answer'd By the Divine Revelation contained in the Writings of the New Testament So that the Certainty of Scripture was that which I was obliged to answer to Now comes J. S. and he finds fault with Mr. G's management because he asked Questions about the Certainty of the Rule whereas he ought to have gone another Way to work So that now Mr. G. is given up and a New Controversie is begun upon other Grounds and the Words which I used with Respect to the Rule are applied to particular Doctrines He saith The Certainty of Scripture was not the Point for which the Conference was How comes he to know better than Mr. G. unless he directed the Point and Mr. G. mistook and lost it in the Management But I am now bound to manifest that Protestants have Absolute Certainty not only of the Scripture as the Rule but of the Faith they have from that Rule or else to own that I cannot It seems Mr. G's good Nature betray'd him when he asked Questions about the Rule of Faith and so the main Point was lost Yet methinks it was not meer good Nature in Mr. G. For when we are asked about the Grounds and Certainty of our Faith how is it possible we should answer more pertinently than to assign the Rule of our Faith And we declare it to be the Scripture by which we judge what we are to believe and what not And therefore if any ask us of the Matter of our Faith we must answer It is whatever God hath revealed in the Scripture which is our Rule If they ask us How we come to know these Books to be written by such Persons we say It is by the Vniversal Tradition of the Christian Churches If they ask us Why we believe the Doctrine contained in those Books then our Answer is From the Divine Testimonies which make us certain that it came from God. And thus we answer both to that which is called the Material and Formal Object of Faith and if we are absolutely Certain of these we must be so of our Faith. If we ask a Jew about the Certainty of his Faith he saith he is Certain of it because all his Faith is contained in the Books of Moses and he is well assured they were written by Divine Inspiration If we ask a Mahometan of his Faith his Answer is That his Faith is contained in the Alcoran and by proving that he proves the Certainty of his Faith and if that be disproved the Certainty of it is overthrown Those who resolve their Faith into a Written Rule must go thither when Questions are asked them about the Certainty of their Faith. For if I believe every thing in it and nothing but what is in it there lies my Faith and the Certainty of it depends upon the Certainty of my Rule But I must shew the Certainty of the Faith of Protestants as it is pretended to be taken from the Rule Not certainly when the Question is asked about the entire Object of our Faith or when we are to shew how we hold all the same Doctrine that was taught by Christ and his Apostles for the word All makes it necessary for us to Assign our Rule wherein that All is contained If he ask us of the Certainty of any particular Point of our Faith then we are to make it out that this is contained in our Rule and our Certainty is according to the Evidence we are able to produce for it For the Case is not the same as to particular Points of Faith with that of the General Grounds of the Certainty of Faith. A Jew firmly believes all that is contained in the Books of Moses and with the highest Degree of Certainty but whether the Resurrection can be proved certainly from those Books is a particular Point and he may have Absolute Certainty of all contained in those Books though he may not have it as to such a Particular Point And when we come to Particular Points their Case is not only different from the General Rule of Faith but such Points are very different both among themselves and as to the Certainty of them For 1 There are some Points of Faith which were necessary to be Revealed because they were necessary to be Believed in order to our Salvation by Jesus Christ. For as Mr. S. saith Salvation is the thing of greatest Importance and therefore on Supposition that it is to be by Jesus Christ the Nature of the thing requires that we have a firm and established Faith in him And of these Points of Faith the Church hath given a Summary in the Creeds which were proposed to those who were to be Baptized and not only St. Augustin but Aquinas saith these were taken out of Scripture and the Certainty of them to us doth depend not upon the Authority of the Church proposing them but the Evidence of Scripture for them which is very much confirmed to us by the Concurrent Testimony of the Christian Church in all Ages from the Apostles times i. e. as to the main Articles for that there
say the contrary Tenet is ridiculous as what 's most nay that it is sottishness to hold it and to deprive Mankind of this Priviledge of judging thus is to debar him of the Light and Vse of his Reason when it is most useful for him Is not all this very obliging But where now lies the difference Why truly if his Discretion leads him to the Infallible Rule of Tradition all is well but if not it is no longer Discretion What has he been Judge of all the Controversies between Us already and is he to seek for his Rule still What Discretion had he all that time to judge without a Rule What a Judge of Controversies have we found at last Methinks the Sober Enquirer far exceeds him in point of common Discretion for he never pretended to judge without a Rule much less all the Controversies between Us. But this discreet Judge of all Controversies first determins all the Points and when he hath done this he finds out his Rule Of all the Judges of Controversies that have been yet talked of commend me to this set up by J. S. For how is it possible for him to judge amiss who had no Rule to judge by You see saith he how we allow them the Vse of their Reason and Judgment of Discretion till it brings them to find a certain Authority and when they have once found that the same Judgment of Discretion which shewed them that Authority was Absolutely Certain obliges them to trust it when it tells them what is Christ's Faith without using their private Judgments any longer about the particular Points themselves thus ascertained to them but submitting to it To which I Answer I. The same reason which enabled Men to find out this Infallible Guide or Certain Authority will help them to judge concerning this Authority and the Matters proposed by it For either he hath a Rule to find out this Authority or he hath none if he hath a Rule it must be either Scripture or pure Natural Reason If Scripture that only affords Fallible Certainty he saith over and over and so a Man can never come certainly to this Authority And if the Foundation be uncertain what can the Rule do But Mr. S. doth not pretend Scripture but Reason for his Infallible Rule Then I demand whether Reason doth afford an Infallible Ground of Certainty as to this Certain Authority or not If it doth we are yet but Fallibly Certain if it doth not then what need this Certain Authority for in the Opinion of all Reasonable Men certain Reason is better than certain Authority And he cannot deny the Certainty of Reason who builds the Certainty of Authority upon it II. Suppose the particular Points proposed by this Certain Authority be repugnant to that Certainty of Reason by which I am required to believe it As suppose this Authority tells me I am no longer to rely upon my Reason but barely to submit although the Matter proposed be never so much against it What is to be done in this Case I am to believe this Certain Authority on the Account of Reason and that requires me to believe such things as overthrow the Certainty of Reason How is it possible for me to rely on this Certain Authority on the Certainty of Reason when that Authority tells me there is no Certainty in Reason III. Must I believe Reason to be Certain just so far and no further But who sets the bounds Hath God Almighty done it When and where I may and ought to use my Reason in searching after this Certain Authority and judge all Controversies in order to the finding it out all this is allowed but as soon as ever this Certain Authority is discover'd then Goodnight Reason I have now no more Use for you But who bid you be so ungrateful to that Certain Reason which conducted you so far It is very possible it may be as Useful still why then do you turn Reason off so unkindly after so good Service IV. Are all People capable of this Certain Reason or not It requires it seems a great deal of Logick to prove this Certain Authority or this Infallible Guide by Reason and I am one of those that think it can never be done Suppose then some of us duller People can never comprehend the force of this Reason which is to lead us to an Infallible Guide What is like to become of us Uncapable People Are we all to be damned for Dunces and Blockheads No not so neither This is really some Comfort For then it is to be hoped we may go to Heaven without finding out this Certain Authority and then we may have True Faith without it This is still better and better And then I pray what need have I to find out this Certain Authority at all if I may have True Faith and be Saved without it V. I have greater Certainty by Reason of the Certain Authority of Scripture than you can have of the Certain Authority of Tradition Here is Reason on both sides and Authority on both sides but I say there is no Comparison between either the Reason or the Authority The Reason to believe the Scripture is so incomparably beyond the Reason to believe Oral Tradition And the Authority of Scripture hath so much greater Force on the Consciences of Men that it is very extraordinary among those who own Scripture to be the Word of God to find them compared in Point of Authority For we must deal plainly in this Matter the Scripture we look on as the Rule of our Faith because it is the Word of God. If you do not own it to be so but resolve all into Tradition we know what you are but if you do own the Scripture to be of Divine Revelation how can you pretend to set up any Certain Authority in Comparison with it VI. If this Certain Authority be only to lead us into the Certain Sense of Scripture then it must be either into the Sense of plain Places or of difficult and obscure If of plain Places then it is to kindle a Torch to behold the Sun if of obscure Places then who hath appointed this Certain Authority to Explain them Who is to appoint such a Certain Authority in the Church to Explain his Word but God Himself And we desire to see some plain Places that set up this Authority to Explain those which are obscure and doubtful We think it our Duty to read and search the Scripture and especially the New Testament where we find very great Occasion for this Certain Authority to be mentioned We find Churches newly settled and many Disputes and Controversies started among them and those of great and dangerous Consequence we find the Apostles giving frequent Advice to these Churches with respect to these Differences and with great earnestness giving Caution against Seducers and warning them of the danger of them but not one Word can we find in all their Epistles tending this way or mentioning
of Faith And hath he found out the Churches Authority too without the Churches Help and yet doth he want some necessary Points of Faith Then it follows that after the submitting to the Churches Authority there are still necessary Points of Faith which may be wanting and then an absolute Submission is not all that is required of one that hath found out the Churches Authority But my whole Argument there proceeds upon a Supposition viz. that if one may without the Churches Help find out the Churches Authority in Scripture then why not all necessary Points of Faith So that it goes upon a Parity of Reason and I see no Answer at all given or pretended but only he endeavours to stop my Mouth with a handful of Dirt. Thus I have dispatched this long Argument about the Judgment of Discretion And I shall now sum up my Answer in these particulars I. Every Christian as such is bound to enquire after the true Way to Salvation and hath a Capacity of Judging concerning it II. Every Christian proceeding according to the best Rules of judging hath Reason to receive the Scripture as the Rule of his Faith. III. The Scripture is so plain in all Necessaries and God hath promised such Assistance to them that sincerely seek it that none who do so shall want the knowledge of such things as are necessary to their Salvation IV. When any thing is offer'd as necessary to be believed in order to Salvation every Christian hath a Right and Liberty of Judging whether it can be proved by the Scripture to be so necessary or not V. We do not allow to particular Persons the same Faculty of Judging in doubtful Points of Controversie which we do as to Matters that immediately concern their Salvation VI. No pretence of Infallibility or Authority can take away that Right of Judging which was allowed them by the Apostles whose Authority was Infallible VII This Right of Judging doth not exclude the Churches due Authority as to Matters of Faith and Controversies of Religion as it is declared Art. 20. of our Church but all that we now plead for is not any Authority as to others but a Right of Judging as to themselves in Matters that concern their Salvation VIII The Certainty of Faith as to them depends upon two Things 1. The clearness of Scripture about them which implies the Certainty of Reason 2. The Promise of Divine Assistance which makes their Faith Divine both as to its Principle its Ground and its Effect But I have not yet ended his Objections about our Rule of Faith For VI. He objects That we cannot necessarily resolve our Faith into the Writings of the Apostles only What is the meaning that we cannot necessarily resolve it I think we must Resolve it into a Written Rule till we see another proved Did the Apostles when they went to convert the World go with Books in their Hands or Words in their Mouths Doubtless with Words in their Mouths Or were those Words a jot less Sacred when they came from their Mouths than when they put them in a Book Not one jot Or lastly doth any Command from Christ appear to write the Book of Scripture or any Revelation before hand that it was to be a Rule of Faith to the future Church No such matter and the Accidental Occasions of its writing at first and its Acceptation afterwards bar any such pretences On the other side their grand Commission was not scribite but only praedicate Evangelium I have given an Account so lately of the Reasons and Occasions of writing the Gospels and Epistles of the New Testament that I need only here to give these general Answers I. Whatsoever was done as to the Writing the Books of the New Testament was done by the immediate Direction and Appointment of the Holy Ghost II. The Reason given by the Writers of the Gospels themselves is that Matters of Faith might be delivered with the greatest Certainty III. Those Writings were not intended only for the Benefit of the Church then being but for future Ages and thence the Books of Scripture were so received and esteemed in the Primitive Churches IV. The most Antient Writers of the Christian Church assure us that the Apostles wrote the same Doctrine they taught and for that purpose that they might be a Pillar and Foundation of Faith. V. The most certain way we now have to know what Doctrine the Apostles taught is by their Writings since they taught and wrote the same Doctrine and we are certain we have the Doctrine they wrote but we have no other Way to be certain what Doctrine they taught VII He objects That the Question being put concerning the New Testament's containing all Divine Revelations of Christ and his Apostles I gave no direct Answer but shuffled it off to Matters necessary to Salvation The setting out of this is the Subject of some pages To which I give an easie Answer The Question concerning the New Testament containing all the Divine Revelations of Christ and his Apostles may be taken in two Senses 1. As relating to the entire Object of Faith and so the Answer was most direct and plain to the second Question That the Rule whereby we hold all the same Doctrine that was taught by Christ and his Apostles is by the Divine Revelations contained in the Writings of the New Testament For since we believe all that is there and nothing but what is there that must contain the Entire Object of our Faith. And the word All must relate to that 2. As to all those things which particular Persons are bound to believe as contained therein and so the Question being put about the Vniversal Testimony to assure us i. e. all particular Christians That the New Testament contained all the Divine Revelations of Christ and his Apostles My Answer was direct and apposite to this Sense viz. that the Universal Testimony of the Christian Church as to the Book of Scripture and the Doctrine therein contained is a sufficient Ground to make us certain i. e. all particular Persons of all Matters necessary to our Salvation So that the Substance of my Answer lies in these three things I. That all our Faith is contained in Scripture and thereby we hold all the Doctrine taught by Christ and his Apostles II. That although all particular Persons may not reach to the entire Object of Faith contained in Scripture yet they had thereby a Certainty as to all Matters necessary to their Salvation III. That the Ground of Certainty as to both these was the Universal Testimony of the Christian Church concerning the Books of Scripture and the Doctrine contained therein The Words of my Letter are We are to consider that the Scripture being our sole and entire Rule of Faith all Matters necessary to Salvation must be supposed to be contained therein and therefore the same Testimony which delivers the Scripture to us doth deliver all the necessary Articles as contained therein
esteemed so dispersed so constantly read could be suffer'd to be lost among Christians If it be Objected That they were not all so esteemed at first as appears by the Epistle to the Hebrews and therefore might more easily be lost I Answer That however they were not universally received at first yet they were by those Churches to whom they were written and among them they were not kept up but mightily dispersed so that there was no way to lose them from the first spreading of them abroad unless we can suppose such multitudes of Christians to conspire together to suppress a Book of so great Concernment to themselves As if Persons who claim an Estate by virtue of some Deeds should all agree to imbezel them or any material part of them Here was no pretence for Registers and Abridgments which some make use of to lessen the Authority of the Books of the Old Testament for here we have the very Authentick Writings of the Apostles and their own Epistles in their own style and Expressions And supposing the Churches to whom they were sent to have received them as their Writings and to have communicated them to others as they did I do not see under these Circumstances how a Book containing Divine Revelations could be lost II. He Objects That the Canon of Scripture was not entire but deficient for some hundreds of years till the whole Canon was collected and acknowledged and therefore so long the Church had no Perfect Rule of Faith. I Answer I. I distinguish between a Compleat Rule of Faith and a Compleat Canon of Scripture For if the Books owned and universally received contain in them all Matters of Faith then the Rule of Faith is Compleat although some particular Books may be still in Dispute As for Instance it is certain that in St. Jerom's Time the Church of Rome did not receive as Canonical the Epistle to the Hebrews Had not that Church therefore a Compleat Rule of Faith If God hath so abundantly provided for his Church that there may be a full Revelation of all Points of Faith in the rest then the disputing the Authority of such an Epistle doth not derogate from the Compleatness of the Rule of Faith. For if they have all Points of Faith they must have a Compleat Rule of Faith. II. It is no Prejudice to the true Canon of Scripture that some particular Books of the New Testament were for some time disputed by some particular Churches For if it were done without Ground it doth reflect more on those Churches than on those Books especially when those very Churches afterwards received them And this was the Case of the Church of Rome as to the Epistle to the Hebrews St. Jerom affirms That not only the Greek Churches all received it but that all the Ancient Writers did so and not meerly as an Ecclesiastical but as a Canonical Epistle Therefore this must be a late thing in the Church of Rome and in probability began upon the Novatian Controversie which Epistle was thought too much to favour the Novatian Doctrine and when that Controversie did abate that Epistle recovered its Authority in the Church of Rome But Mr. S. is angry with me for reflecting on the Church of Rome for not receiving the Epistle to the Hebrews in St. Jerom 's Time which he thinks was an Act of Prudence antecedent to the Judgment or Determination of any Church whether Greek or Latin. One may see by this how well versed he is in the Canon of Scripture when St. Jerom declares that not only all the Greek Writers received it but all the Ancient and that as Canonical Was here no antecedent Judgment of the Church in this Matter Doth not the Consent of all Ancient Writers even in St. Jerom's Time make a Judgment of the Church But he adds That what I make a heinous Crime in the Church of Rome was a commendable Caution in it That which I said was That it hence appear'd that the Church of Rome was far from being believed then to have the Authority of making the Canon of Scripture or being Infallible in Faith. And what saith J. S. in Answer to this Not one Syllable but runs it off to another thing But why do I not as well blame the Greek Churches for not receiving the Apocalypse They do not pretend to such Authority and Infallibility in this Matter as the Church of Rome doth I do not deny that there were some Greeks then to blame in rejecting the Apocalypse but Bellarmin saith they were but few and obscure Persons and he produces the Testimonies of Justin Martyr Irenaeus Theophilus Antiochenus Melito Sardensis Dionysius Alexandrinus Clemens Alexandrinus Origen and Athanasius all approving it And the Occasion of disputing it arose from the Millenary Opinion which some thought they could not confute as long as the Apocalypse had such Authority in the Church And such Disputes as these which wore off by degrees are no real Prejudice to the Canon of the New Testament which was at first generally received and although some few Books were contested for a time yet they recover'd their Authority and have ever since been received by the Universal Consent of all Christian Churches III. He Objects against this Universal Consent the Testimonies of Marcion Ebion Valentinus Cerinthus and Epiphanius his other Hereticks who rejected the Canon of the New Testament Could any Man but J. S. make such an Objection as this But he had a mind to bring me in as a Favourer of all Hereticks and as such another Man of Integrity hath done of all Anti-Catholick and Anti-Christian Doctrines But where have I given any Occasion for such spiteful Reflections All that I said was We have the Universal Consent of all Christian Churches for the Canon of the New Testament i. e. Of all since the time that the Epistle to the Hebrews was receiv'd in the Latin and the Apocalypse in the Greek Churches notwithstanding all the Divisions they have since fallen into yet they had no Difference as to the Canon of the New Testament And this I insisted on as the Ground of our Certainty viz. The Unanimous Consent of all the great Bodies of Christians that have continued under different Denominations to this day To this he gives no other Answer but that my Answer to the Fifth Question is co-incident with that to the Fourth I thought J. S. in the Self-evident way would have liked my Answer the better for it But he doth not comprehend the design of it I had said before That we relied on the Universal Testimony of the Christian Church upon that the Question was asked What I meant by the Christian Church My Answer was That it was that which was made up of all Christian Churches i. e. saith J. S. That all the Parts make the Whole and what Incongruity is there When Mr. G. said That the Christian Church may be taken in several Latitudes he desired to know in
Absolutely Certain as that God cannot deceive us that the Scripture is our Rule of Faith but then whether such Points be contained in that Rule and be of Divine Revelation is not Self-evident and therefore these must be deduced by all the best Methods of Reasoning from a written Rule and when Persons have examined the Scripture with all the Care and Diligence which one who would arrive at Certainty thinks himself obliged to then I do affirm that such a Man may attain to a true Certainty and Satisfaction of Mind about it And that true Certainty is attainable without Infallibility I shall prove by an undeniable Instance if an Instance willl be allowed and I hope I shall make it appear as reasonable for me to produce Instances as himself and that is concerning a Point of Faith of the greatest Importance viz. That Jesus Christ was the true Messias foretold by the Prophets The Proof of this depended on the Interpretation of Scripture and there could be no Infallible Interpreter relied upon in this Case As to Christ himself although he really was so yet we suppose the Question to be about him whether he were an Infallible Teacher or not and therefore we must not suppose the thing to be proved As to the Publick Interpretation which Mr. S. makes his Infallible Rule if that were to be relied upon then a Jew was bound not to believe Christ to be the true Messias because the Publick Interpretation was against him and the Traditional Sense of the Prophecies was against him being for a Temporal Prince I now demand of Mr. S. whether the Jews were capable of Certainty in this Point or not If not then the Jews were excused in their Infidelity If they were then true Certainty may be had without an Infallible Guide although the Publick Interpretation and Tradition be against it And if it may be had in so difficult a Case which depended on the Sense of obscure Prophecies much more certainly under the clear Revelation of the Gospel wherein all Necessary Points are laid down with so much clearness that the Fault must be more in Mens Wills than their Vnderstandings if they do not apprehend them 2. The Second false Supposition is That a Rule of Faith must be a Mechanical Rule and not a Rational i. e. It must be like a Carpenters Rule that hath all its Dimensions fixed and ready to be applied to Material things but in matters of Understanding no such Rule is to be expected The Philosophers who disputed so much about Certainty would have laughed at any man who had applied a Material Rule to Intellectual things yet this is Mr. S's great Example I take my Ruler saith he and draw a Line by it does the streightness or crookedness of this Line depend upon my Vnderstanding By no means But is there any such Intellectual Rule as this There have been great Disputes in the World among Men of Wit and Subtilty about the Certainty of Human Knowledg Whether any Infallible Criterion could be found to discern Truth and Falshood But they never imagined any such thing as an Intellectual Ruler to draw Lines by but that there were certain Differences of Truth and Falshood which men might find out but not without Diligence and Application of their Minds to it And notwithstanding the Characters of Truth and Falshood were in themselves Certain yet it was very possible for Men to mistake about them not only for want of Judgment but of Diligence and Impartiality So we say here as to a Rule of Faith we do not suppose it to be a Material Rule i. e. If a Man take the Letter of Scripture and apply it to any Opinions he must presently know whether they be true or false but it is a Rational and Intellectual Rule which is absolutely Certain in it self and whatever agrees to it is True and whatever doth not is false But still there may be mistakes in the Vnderstanding and Applying it and therefore Care and Diligence and Impartiality are required by which some may attain to that Certainty which others miss off As in the Points he mentions of the Presbyterians and Socinians differing about such high Fundamentals as the Trinity and Godhead of Christ. 1. Why Presbyterians and Socinians I beseech him There is a notable Insinuation in this as though we of the Church of England were Socinians in those Points and none but Papists and Presbyterians were Orthodox in them But this is an Insinuation which hath as much Folly as Malice in it since our solemn and express Declarations are to the contrary And he may as well call us Papists as Socinians since our Writings are as plainly against one as the other What our Sense as to these Matters is he may find in the Dialogues of the Doctrine of the Trinity and Transubstantiation compared not long since Published by a Divine of the Church of England But to pass this over 2. Suppose the Difference between us and the Socinians What then Both take the same way of Scriptures Letter Interpretable by private Judgments and yet differ in these Fundamental Points And what follows That the Scripture is no Certain Rule By no means But that the Socinians may err and certainly do in misinterpreting this Rule But how can it be a certain Rule if men that use it may err in using it How can Reason be certain in any thing if Men following Reason may mistake How can Arithmetick be a certain way of computation if Men following the Rules of Arithmetick may mistake in casting up a sum Doth any Man question the Certainty of the Rule for Mens blundering in their Accompts yet this is his way of Reasoning And I will put it just with his Propositions I. Arithmetick prescribes a Certain way by Addition and Substraction for us to find out any Sum. II. Therefore it must be such that they who take it shall arrive by it at the exact Sum. III. But two Men who have made use of the same way differ at least a hundred in casting up the Sum. IV. Therefore Arithmetick doth not prescribe a certain way to attain at a Certain Sum. V. Therefore they who take only that way cannot by it arrive at the Certain Sum. Is not this clear and evident Demonstration But those who consider a little better than Mr. S. hath done will distinguish between the rule and the application of it The Rule of Arithmetick may be nevertheless Certain although those who want Skill or Care and Diligence may mistake in casting up a particular Accompt The same we say here Scripture is a Certain Rule in all Fundamental Points to such as have Capacity and Use due Care and Diligence in finding them But we do not deny but Men through Prejudice Weakness want of Attention Authority of False Teachers Impatience of throughly examining things and not using proper Helps may run into gross Errors such as these about the Trinity and Incarnation but still the Rule is
much that in some Matters of very great Moment the Scripture is a very sufficient Rule and Ground of Certainty as to all Points between Us and Infidels And if it be so as to these Points then why not as well as to other Points consequent upon these If Christ be the Eternal Son of God in opposition to Heathen Deities and we can know him by Scripture to be so then we may as well know him to be the Eternal Son of God in opposition to Arians and Socinians If against the Heathens we can prove from Scripture that the Word was made Flesh Why will not this as well hold against Nestorians and Eutychians And so the Scripture becomes a very sufficient Rule to distinguish Light and Darkness in such Points among Christians too For is it ever the less fit to be a Rule because both Parties own it But they differ about the Sense of it and therefore Controversies can never be ended by it If Church-History deceive us not the greatest Controversies were ended by it before General Councils were heard of and more than have been since Many of those we read of in the First Ages were quite laid asleep as Theodoret observes but since church-Church-Authority interposed in the most Reasonable manner some Differences have been perpetuated as appears by the Nestorian and Eutychian Controversies I do not blame the Authority of Councils proceeding as they then did by the Rule of Scriptures but the Event shewed that the most probable Means are sometimes very ineffectual for ending Controversies And those which Men think will most effectually Suppress Heresies do often give a New Life and Spirit to them So vain are the Imaginations of Men about putting an End to Controversies till they do come to a Certainty about the true Sense of Scripture It is possible to stop Mens Mouths by Force and Power but nothing brings Men to a true Satisfaction but inward Conviction as to the true Sense of Scripture and there can be no rational Certainty as to these Points without it If Controversies be not ended let us not blame the Wisdom of Providence for God doth not always appoint the Means most effectual in our Judgment but such as are most suitable to his own Design And we see Reason enough to blame the Folly and weakness the Prejudice and Partiality the Wilfulness and Obstinacy of Mankind and till Human Nature be brought to a better Temper we may despair of seeing any End of Controversies Men may Dispute and for all that I know will do to the Worlds End about the Method to put an End to Disputes For the Controversies about Certainty and Fatality have been always the Matters of Debate among disputing Men under several Names and Hypotheses and are like so to be to the general Conflagration IV. He saith Scripture is not our distinguishing Rule of Faith but our own particular Judgments about Scripture for that which distinguishes my Rule from that of the most abominable Heresies can only be my own Judgment upon the Letter of Scripture and wriggle which way I will there it will and must end at last I wish Mr. S. had been a little better conversant in the old Disputes about Certainty for it would have saved me the trouble of answering some impertinent Objections such as this before us For they would have been thought mean Logicians who could not put a difference between the Rule of Judgment and the Judgment which a Man made according to the Rule Suppose the Question were about Sense whether that were a certain Rule or not to judge by and Epicurus should affirm it and say he so firmly believed it that he judged the Sun to be no bigger than he seemed to his Senses would not he have been thought ridiculous who should have said this Fancy of Epicurus was his Rule The Rule he went by was in it self certain but he made a wrong Judgment upon it but that was not his Rule So it is here We declare the Scripture to be our only certain and standing Rule whereby we are to judge in Matters of Faith and we understand it as well as we can and form our Judgments by it but doth it hence follow that our Judgment is our Rule We may be deceived in our Judgments but our Rule is Infallible we may differ in our Judgments but our Rule is one and the same And how is it possible for those who differ in Judgment to have the same Rule if our Rule and our Judgments be the same For then their Rules must be as different as their Judgments I know not what Modern Logick Mr. S. learnt but I am sure he learnt not this way of Reasoning from the Antient Philosophers who discoursed about the Criterion after another manner than our great pretender to Logick doth V. He objects That our People do not make Scripture the Rule of their Faith not one in a Million relying upon it and therefore this pretence of mine he saith books like a meer Jest and he cannot perswade himself that I am in earnest while I advance such a Paradox What doth J. S. mean to call one of the Articles of our Church a Jest and a Paradox For the Words of our Sixth Article are Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to Salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any Man that it should be believed as an Article of Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation Doth J. S. now take this for a Paradox among us I assure him I love not to make Jests about Scripture nor matters of Faith and Salvation But wherein doth this Jest lie Why forsooth I make the People to make Scripture their Rule and not one in a Million thinks of relying on it Have they then any other Rule of Faith which they rely upon What is it I pray Is it the Churches Infallibility No. Is it Pius the Fourth's Creed No truly while they are Children they believe Tradition Now I think J. S. hath hit it Tradition is indeed a Rule of Faith for Children who are very apt simply to believe their Fathers and Teachers But suppose they come to years of Discretion what Rule of Faith have they then Have they a Judgment of Discretion then No this is another Jest. For he supposes all our People to be a dull sort of Animals that understand nothing of Scripture or Faith themselves I wonder then that they make no more Converts among them but trust their Parson for all For Boves arabant Asinae pascebantur juxta eos therefore the People have no Judgment of Discretion I hope J. S. knows whose Jest or rather Argument that was Whatever he insinuates as to our People I have Reason to believe far better of them and that all those who mind their Salvation do seriously read and consider the Holy Scriptures as the Rule of their Faith. But if
in Matters of Opinion or in doubtful or obscure Places they make use of the Skill and Assistance of their Teachers wherein are they to blame The Scripture is still their Rule but the help of their Teachers is for the better understanding it And cannot our Logician distinguish between the Rule of Faith and the Helps to understand it Suppose now a Mother or a Nurse should quit honest Tradition as J. S. here calls it and be so ill inclined as to teach Children to spell and to read in the New Testament and by that means they come by degrees to understand the Doctrine which Christ preached and the Miracles which he wrought and from thence to believe in Christ and to obey his Commands I desire to know into what these Persons do Resolve their Faith. Is it indeed into those who taught them to read or into the New Testament as the Ground of their Faith When they have been all along told that the Scripture alone is the Word of God and whatever they are to believe it is because it is contained therein And so by whatever means they come to understand the Scripture it is that alone they take for the Rule and Foundation of their Faith. If a Man were resolved to observe Hippocrates his Rules but finds himself uncapable of understanding him and therefore desires a Physicians Help I would fain know whether he relies upon the Skill of his Interpreter or the Authority of Hippocrates It is possible his Interpreter may in some doubtful and obscure Places have mistaken Hippocrates his Meaning but however the Reason of his keeping to the Rules is not upon the Account of the Interpreter but of Hippocrates But suppose a College of Physicians interpret Hippocrates otherwise is he bound then to believe his own Interpreter against the Sense of the College I answer If a College of Physicians should translate Bread for Cheese or by Phlebotomy should declare was meant cutting of Arteries or of a Mans Throat let them presume to be never so Infallible I would trust any single Interpreter with the help of Lexicons and Common Sense against them all but especially if I can produce Galen and the old Physicians who understood Hippocrates best on my side This is our Case as to the People about disputable Points we do not set up our own Authority against a Church pretending to be Infallible we never require them to trust wholly to our Judgments but we give them our best Assistance and call in the old Interpreters of the Church and we desire them to use their own Reason and Judgment with Divine Assistance for settling their Minds If People be negligent and careless and will not take necessary pains to inform themselves which Mr. S. suggests we are not bound to give an Account of those who do not observe our Directions And I never yet knew the Negligent and Careless brought into a Dispute of Religion for in this Case we must suppose People to act according to the Principles of the Religion they own otherwise their Examples signifie no more against our Doctrine than Debauchery doth against the Rules of Hippocrates But suppose saith Mr. S. that one of my own Flock should tell me that I have erred in interpreting Scripture he desires to know what I would say to him This is a very easie Question and soon answer'd I would endeavour to Convince him as well as I could And is that all And what would J. S. do more Would he tell him he was Infallible I think not but only as honest Tradition makes him so and how far that goes towards it I shall examine afterwards Well but suppose John Biddle against the Minister of his Parish and the whole Church of England to boot understands Scripture to be plainly against a Trinity and Christ's Divinity And it is but fair for me to suppose him maintaining his Heresie against J. S. and let any one judge whether of us be more likely to Convince him He owns the Scripture and confesses if we can prove our Doctrine from thence he will yield but he laughs at Oral Tradition and thinks it a Jest for any one to prove such a Doctrine by it And truly if it were not for the Proofs from Scripture I do much Question whether any Argument from meer Tradition could ever confute such a one as John Biddle But when we offer such Proofs as are acknowledged to be sufficient in themselves we take the only proper way to give him Reasonable Satisfaction Suppose he will not be convinced Who can help that Christ himself met with Wilful and Obstinate Unbelievers And was this any disparagement to his Doctrine God himself hath never promised to cure those who shut their Eyes against the Light. Shall the Believing Church then have the Liberty to interpret Scripture against the Teaching Church Who ever asserted any such thing We only say that the People are to understand the Grounds of their Faith and to judge by the best Helps they can what Doctrine is agreeable to Scripture and to embrace what is so and to reject what is not But among those Helps we take in not barely the personal Assistance of their own Guide but the Evidence he brings as to the Sense of the Teaching Church in the best and purest Ages It is very strange that after this it should presently follow 'T is evident hence that Tradition of our Fathers and Teachers and not Scriptures Letter is indeed our Rule and by it we interpret Scripture If this be so evident then how is it possible we should set up the Ecclesia Credens against the Ecclesia Docens as he charged us just before If Tradition be our Rule and we interpret Scripture by it what fault then are we guilty of if Tradition be such an Infallible Rule But methinks this Hence looks a little Illogically upon the Premises and if this be his Conclusive Evidence he must excuse me as to the making it a Ground of my Faith. But he allows That we set up Scripture as our Rule when we Dispute against them but when that is done we set up our own Authority over the People and do not allow them that Priviledge against us which we take against the Church of Rome This is all the strength of what I can make out of that Paragraph For if all Writing were like his it would be the best Argument for Oral Tradition his Sense is so intricate and his Conclusions so remote from his Premises Just before he said 'T is evident hence that we follow Tradition And presently 'T is as evident we do not follow it and set up our own Authority against it We do interpret Scripture by Tradition and yet immediately we set up Scripture against Tradition We plead for the Peoples Right to a Judgment of Discretion and yet we do not allow them a Judgment of Discretion What invisible links hath Oral Tradition to connect things that seem so far asunder
and Rulers and that which is ruled and regulated by them that we must not expect that he should be tied down to Cardinal Bellarmin's Notions and therefore I must consider what he saith after above Twenty years hard labour about these things He tells me plainly I quite mistake the meaning of the word Rule For saith he it speaks Rectitude No doubt a Right Rule doth But still I mistake his meaning How so There must be a Rectitude in the Rule That is not it What then It must be evident Rectitude i. e. Evident to be Right Not so I hope we shall come at it at last It is such an Evident Rectitude as preserves those who regulate themselves by it from Obliquity or Deviation that is in our Case from Errour And is this the wonderful Mystery There wants but one Word to make it past dispute viz. who effectually regulate themselves by it For Regulating is an ambiguous Word and may be taken either 1. For what a Man takes and professes to be his Rule which he is to act by so a Ciceronian regulates himself by Cicero i. e. he declares his Manner of Speech to be the Rule he orders his Speech by And yet it is very possible that such a Man may use Phrases which are not Cicero's for want of sufficient Skill and Care. 2. For what he doth in Conformity to his Rule And so he doth Regulate himself by Cicero who doth not in the least swerve from his Manner of Speaking But Cicero is the Rule to both these And so the Question here comes to this Whether that can be said to be a true Intellectual Rule which Men through their own default and not through any defect in the Rule may deviate from If a Rule be in it self Certain and be certainly received for a Rule that is surely enough to make it a Rule to a Man but it is not necessary to the being of a Rule that a Man can never deviate from it by his own Fault For there is no Intellectual Rule can be assigned but it is possible for a free Agent to deviate from although he do at the same time profess it to be his Rule Do not all Christians agree the Commands of Christ to be an Infallible Rule of Life And J. S. by his admirable Logick will either prove this not to be a Rule or that it is impossible for Men to Sin. For saith he A Rule speaks Rectitude and that such an evident one as preserves those who regulate themselves by it from Obliquity or Deviation Yes saith he this is very plain those who Regulate themselves by Christ's Rule cannot Sin I grant it those who do effectually Regulate themselves by it but Others may profess this to be their Rule and the most Infallible Rule of Life and yet through their own Fault may deviate from it So here Persons may own the Scripture to be a most Certain Infallible Rule as to Truth and Falshood and they are sure while they effectually regulate themselves by it they can never Err but while they profess to do it they may So that all Mr. S's Subtilty vanishes into nothing by so plain and easie a Distinction Therefore I am still of the mind that a Rule of Faith is that whereby we are to judge what we are bound to believe as to Divine Revelations No saith J. S. I ought to have said It is that by which while we follow it we shall be absolutely secured from erring in Faith. This follows from the Rectitude of the Rule that while Men keep to it they cannot Err but it doth not follow from the Nature of the Rule that Men must necessarily follow it For is it possible for Men to misunderstand a Certain Rule or not i. e. such a Rule which if they truly follow they shall be secured from Erring If not then the Rule must be plain and evident to all Capacities to such a degree that they cannot fail in judging by it If it be possible then although the Rule be in it self Certain and Infallible yet it is possible for Men to Err through such a Mistake and while they think they follow the Rule they may run into Errour And it is strange to me that Mr. S. in all this time hath not discerned the Fallacy that hath misled him If it hath really misled him and not been set up by him on purpose to Confound and Confute Hereticks as he tells the Cardinals at Rome But one of that Number hath fully proved as I have shewed already that the Scripture was intended for a Rule of Faith to the People and then it follows from J. S. himself that while they Regulate themselves by it they can never Err. What Reason then can be given why such a Rule of Faith should be kept from them And the Purse be tied up with so many Mysterious Knots which are utterly inconsistent with the Notion of a Rule of Faith. II. They grant that there is a great difference in the Points contained in Scripture of which some are allowed to be simply necessary to Salvation as those which are required to Baptism and Bellarmin yields That all these Points are certainly contained in Scripture and were the things which the Apostles constantly preached to all People Who cannot be denied to have been capable of Understanding these things when they heard them preached and how could they lose the Capacity of Understanding them when they were written And if they might still Understand them then the Scripture hath no such Mysterious Knots but all Points necessary to Salvation may be understood by the People So that as to these Points of greatest Importance the Scripture must be left as a Legacy to all Christians and not only to the Guides of the Church But J. S. craves leave to Explain himself and it is great pity to deny it him Mistake me not saith he I do not mean Scriptures Letter is not clear in such Passages as concern Morality or the X Commandments nor in Matters of Fact as the Marks or Signs of the Messias foretold by the Prophets Methinks the Mysterious Knots should have been about Prophecies nor in Parables explained by himself and such like but in Dogmatical Points or Tenets which are Spiritual and oftentimes profound Mysteries as a Trinity Christ's Godhead the Real Presence of his Body in the Sacrament and such like and in such as these our Rule is not intelligible enough to keep the Followers of it from Erring I Answer Either the Apostles Preached these Points to all Persons as necessary to their Salvation or they did not If not how come they to be necessary to be believed now If they did then the People were capable of Understanding them when they heard them and therefore may as well understand them when they read them I do not mean the Manner as to the Trinity and Incarnation as to Transubstantiation I know nothing in Scripture about it either as to