to salvation so that to vary from it or hold or practise the contrary is the way to eternal misery are all oblig'd to believe and act as their Forefathers did and not introduce Contrary Doctrins and practices to those they had receiv'd Had it been I say thus propos'd there had been no such cause of wonderment But all these that is indeed all of weight in the point is quite left out Such poor shifts even the best Wits must be driven to when they would maintain a false Cause 25. One word to M. Stillingfleet He hath challeng'd us to make out this Obligation to Belief as the onely Thing we are to prove in the Traditionary way he hath offer'd us the choice of our Weapon either Reason particular Testimony or Vniversal Tradition I have accepted his offer chosen my weapon and given here the first blow I hope he will not now run the Field but return an Answer to my Discourse in the way of Reason which I have chosen by his Offer I am sorry for his sake my reflexions here are not more elaborate being sent to the Press in loose quarters of sheets as soon as writ more time not being allow'd me nor I hope needful to answer such mistakes Onely I request him when he replies to take along with him the nature of the subjecta materia the Doctrins and Practises we speak of the Nature of the Manner of delivering it and the necessary Circumstances which give weight to both as I have declar'd above and I promise him God assisting me a very serious Reply 26. Ere I quite leave this matter I desire to take the Reader along with me in my quest for a Reason or proper Cause why so judicious a person as Mr. Stillingfleet could come to doubt of such an Obligation in posterity to beleeve their Ancestours in a matter of fact or a matter deliver'd to have been not deem'd or thought but done or which is equivalent being it's necessary effect seen or known by Sense For I make account there is not a man in the world or ever was such is the Goodness of rational Nature given us by God who in his natural thoughts could ever raise such a doubt or think he could possibly frame his thoughts to a disbelief of the contrary no more than any man in England whom Speculative Scepticism has not besotted and unmann'd can doubt of William the Conquerors Harry the Eighths or Mahomets Existence much less judge the contrary And it appears at first sight to be a strange distorsion or rather destruction of human Nature which can so alter it Now looking into Things I find it to be a proper and natural Effect of the Protestant's temper and indeed of all who have left the Church For their humour being to chuse every one his Faith by his private Judgment or Wit working upon disputable words They wonder and judge it very unreasonable their Posterity thus imbu'd should be oblig'd to beleeve and act as Ancestours do and so should I too For while they can never deliver it to their Children as received ever by the way of Infallible Sense or Witnessing but must say the former Church de facto err'd and consequently that themselves might do so too so that they can only deliver it as depending or built on their own fallible Opinion in interpreting Scripture all which is imply'd in their making Scriptur's Letter the Rule of Faith and allowing no Living Interpreter able to give infallibly the Sence of it 't is natural their posterity should 〈◊〉 hold themselves oblig'd to beleeve Immediate Ancestors but use their own Judgments and chuse their own Faith when they come at Age as well as They did and Experience tells us they have done so in England till they have chosen fairly And this horrid Unreasonableness is the venomous source the First defective Principle or indeed the very nature of all Heresie imported also in the very word which signifies Choice or chusing one's Religion mention'd by Clemens Alexandrinus cited above p. 135. and counterpos'd by him to Tradition as also by S. Athanasius cited p. 133. 134. where 't is most excellently describ'd and homely apply'd to the Protestants and such others as the Reader may see I am a bad Transcriber 27. I have done my main task and so shall only touch at his next paragraph It begins thus It is to no purpose to prove the Impossibility of motion when I see men move no more it is to prove no Age of the Church could vary from the foregoing when we can evidently prove they have done it You argue well But two things are requir'd ere you can see our Faith varies from the former First To see what our Church holds now and then to see what the former Church held before and if I see any thing you see neither well For while you cannot distinguish between Faith and its Explication some School-men and Church I have no hopes you should see candidly what our Church holds now and if you cannot at present see what our Church holds now how and by what method will you assure us you see what She held formerly The thing to be prov'd is a plain matter of Fact and you have renounc't all living Attestation the common and secure way to bring it down and consequently Fathers too For Fathers speaking of them as such being Evident Witnessers Transmitters or Propagates of the Faith received to Immediate Posterity if you question Delivery or Tradition which you do while you doubt Obligation in Posterity to believe Ancestours you question whether there be any Doctrin deliver'd and so any Fathers and I wonder how you can imagin any man oblig'd to believe Fathers Historians or any that writ or testify'd things long ago and yet think the next age not oblig'd to believe the former in a matter of Fact done in their own dayes How far short then are your Evidences of the former Churches Doctrin like to prove of being parallell to our seeing a man move with our corporeal Eyes But you may say any thing or rather indeed forc't by your bad Cause you must do so 28. You call this Way of ours a Superficial Subtilty I beseech you consider what you say Is that which is wholly builds on the Nature of the Things as you see ours does Superficial or Yours which is meerly an aiery Descant upon dead Words What do you think Controversy is I deal plainly with you you may take it to be an Art of Talking and I think you do so though you will not profess it but I take it to be a noble Science I hold its Object to be rationem reddere fidei or to maintain question'd Faith which is chiefly done by showing the Authority on which Faith depends quoad nos Certain Hence all other Authority depending on Tradition's I hold Knowledge of its Certainty the First Principle in Controversy And this being quoad nos necessarily antecedent to Authority it can onely be
the Knowledge of such things that is to all Mankind who use common Reason This is evident from the former For first Principles are to be Self-evident to all those who are to use them and proceed upon them which in our case is the most ordinary vulgar 26. The Certainty of Tradition being establisht the whole Body of the Faithful by which I mean Catholicks or the Church Essential is by relying on it infallibly certain that it is in possession of Christ's true doctrin For since Tradition is Self-evidently a Certain way if followd Disc. 5. § 8. 13. and both best Nature and best Grace in this world are engaged that it hath been and shall be ever followed Disc. 6. and 9. Again since the Certainty of what Faith was formerly taught must needs descend to us as matter of Fact formerly past that is whose Certainty depends on Authority and Tradition is the first Principle in way of Authority as it engages for matters of Fact formerly past Corol. 24. and Self-evident to the proceeders on it Corol. 25. that is to the Body of Catholicks Lastly since Christian Tradition rightly understood is nothing but the living voice of the Catholick Church Essential as delivering 't is manifestly and manifoldly evident that that Body which relies on It that is the Catholick Church or Corol. 6. 11. the whole Church Essential is infallibly Certain that she is in secure possession of Christs true Doctrin 27. Tradition once establisht General Councils and even Provincial ones nay particular Churches are Infallible by proceeding upon It. For the same reason in regard that proceeding on it they proceed upon a Certain and Self-evident Principle Corol. 24. 25. that is such a one as neither they can mistake nor it mislead them 28. The Roman See with its Head are particularly Infallible by the same means For in regard a more vigorous Cause put at first is apt to produce a greater Effect and the Coresidence Joynt-endeavours Preaching Miracles and lastly Martyrdome of the two Chief Apostles working upon that City which commanded the greatest part of the world were more vigorous Causes to imprint Christs Doctrin at first and recommend it to the next age than was found any where else it follows that the stream of Tradition in its source and first putting into motion was more particularly vigorous here than in any other See Again since uninterrupted publicity of professing Faith makes a greater visibility of Faith which is a manifest advantage to Tradition and no Patriarchal See but the Roman hath continued ever from the Primitive times in a publick Profession of Christs Faith being held under by Barbarians hence the Roman See and inclusively their Pastours and most their chief Pastour have a particular title to Infallibility built on Tradition above any other See or Pastour whatsoever Not to mention and dilate on the particular Assistances to the Clergy of that See and most particular to its Bishop springing out of their divinely constituted office in regard 't is a position unacknowledged by Adversaries against whom I am discoursing 29. Tradition establisht the Church is provided of a certain and Infallible Rule to preserve a Copy of the Scripture's Letter truly significative of Christs sence as far as it is coincident with the main Body of Christian doctrin preacht at first For since â—tis certain the Apostles taught the same Doctrin they writ â—tis manifest the Scriptureâ—s Letter was at first for what of it was intended to signify Points of Faith significative of Faith or Sence writ by miracles preaching and practice in the hearts of the first Faithful Wherefore since the same sence that was preacht at first was preserv'd all along unalterably by Tradition Disc. 6. 8. and the same sence in mens hearts can easily guide them to correct the alteration of the outward Letter so as to preserve it significative of the sence first delivered Therefore Tradition establisht the Church is provided of a certain and Infallible Rule to preserve a Copy of the Scripture's Letter truly significative of Christ's sence as far as Scripture is coincident with the main body of Christian Doctrin preacht at first 30. Tradition establisht the Church is provided of a certain and Infallible Rule to interpret Scripture's Letter by so as to arrive certainly at Christ's Sence as far as that Letter concerns the Body of Christian Doctrin preacht at first or points requisit to Salvation For since Disc. 6. 8. Tradition preserves the first deliver'd sence alive in mens hearts sent down by way of living voice and Christian practice and these were in the beginning evidently a most certain way of knowing the Sence of the Letter â—tis evident that they are still such Wherefore Tradition establisht the Church is provided c. 31. Tradition establish't nothing can be received by the Church as hâ—ld from the first or ever unless held ever For since Disc. 5. § 13. Disc. 6. 8. Corol. 24 25. Tradition is self-evidently a certain method of conveying down matters of Fact as they were found it follows that Tradition establish't points not held ever must be convey'd down such as they were found that is as not held ever and consequently not as held from the first or ever 32. Tradition establish't 't is impossible any Errour against Christâ— s Faith should bee received by the Church that is no Errour contradicting Faith can be received as of Faith For since to be received as of Faith is Disc. 6. 8. to Traditionary Christians the same as to be received as held ever or from Christs time and Corol. 31. no point at all though disparate or indifferent not-held-ever can be received as held-ever 't is evident that much less can an erroneous point contradicting what was held ever be received as held-ever 33. Notwithstanding Tradition Erroneous Opinions and their proper Effects absurd Practices may creep into the Church and spread there for a while For since notwithstanding the Certainty of Tradition the Church is still according to our Saviour a Congregation made up of good and bad and the Bad will do like themselves that is be glad to invent and propagate such Principles as shall make for their own Ends or for Vices that is Erroneous ones Again since it cannot be expected but that multitudes even of good men in the Church should in using their private reasons be liable to Errour in divers particular points or Cases and that the remoteness of Christian Principles or Points of Faith from the Principles of particular Actions or Cases is apt to make the opposition between them not easily nor clearly discoverable at first nay the ambiguity in wording them may make them appear at first sight fairly reconcilable till the Terms be distinguisht and clear'd from equivocation 't is very evident that Tradition's Certainty hinders not but Erroneous Opinions and their proper Effects absurd Practices may creep into the Church and spread there for a while 34.
of Gods Nature as if I mistake not Iacob Bemen does and then secundum hanc partum of illam will do the work and gives a true sence to both sides of the contradiction You should do any thing which could by any means make it seem possible rather than question a plain Divine Revelation Nay perhaps you do not think you can demonstrate the contrary to the solution I have helpt you out with at least that your Demonstration is but a seeming one and then I challenge your candour to own your sayings and demand why you are not bound to use this shift and a thousand others rather than violate your avow'd Rule of Faith and deny and hold against the clear Letter of Scripture If you alledge you have perfect Science of the contrary by Metaphysicks then though I expect not this from you your Science rules your Rule of Faith glossing or rather violently wresting the plain Letter and so is so absolutely your Rule of Faith that it controls and even baffles the other though clearly revealing Or if to be in express terms in Scripture be not to be clearly revealed I would fain know what those words clearly revealed in Scripture signifie 12. Perhaps you I say that notwithstanding your new Rule Reason must be your GVID still even in Faith though not your Rule But I ask if your Reason must guide you sometimes so as to deny the clear Letter of Scripture since a Guid in any thing must be regulated by some Knowledges in that Affair by what Principles or Knowledges Reason is to regulate it self while it guides you in that particular now in question By Principles of Faith How can that be in your Grounds antecedently to the known Sence of the Scripture By Principles of Human Science Then those Principles of Human Science give you the certain Sence of the Written Word when it self is insufficient and therefore are still truly your Rule of Faith and so you are forc't to fly back for refuge to the old Rule Human Reason which you seemingly renounc't when you had found your new Rule of the Scripture 'T is Evident then that some Maxims of your Reason are your Rule and not Scripture's Letter And this is what we reprehend in the Socinian and you too that chusing a wrong Rule of Faith so to avoid the Church you both gloss it as seems best to your Reason regulating her self by her own and those fallible Maxims They by certain acute and ingenious Sophistries proper to themselves you by the more school-boy way of Grammar and Dictionary Learning and so both of you make your Rule the thing Ruled Nor think to retort any part of this Discourse upon our Rule of Faith For this being the living voice of the Church delivers us a Determinate Sence of the Points we are to profess whereas Yours needs skils and helps of studious Reason to tell you what it would say Ours is alive and in the Breast and Actions of the Faithful yours is dead characters waxen-natur'd and pliable to the Dedalean fancies of the ingenious molders of new Opinions and so alone can satisfie no man as you handle it 13. No wonder now if having no certainer a Ground or Rule of Faith for her self your Church is shamefast of obliging others to believe her Man's nature could scarce own or permit so irrational a tyrannie Yet whether she does or does not we must not know from your words which run so backwards and forwards that none can tell which is the true face of the Ianus First p. 99. you seem to deny it stoutly from the carriage of your Convocations and Bishops and from your own Tenets Yet afterwards you seem to grant they do require a positive assent somtimes and justifie them as not doing it upon pretence of any Infallibility but because the thing determin'd is so Evident in Scripture that all denying it must be wilful A rare Discourse and worthy a deep consideration Pray who must be Judge it is so Evident in Scripture as to render the Dissenters guilty of flat Wilfulness The Bishops or your Church Nothing less In the beginning of this Discourse p. 93. you plainly deny'd them to be Judges of Faith Now in your sence to be clearly reveal'd or evident in Scripture and to be of Faith is all one so that they must not be Judges of what is evident in Scripture lest by necessary consequence they become Judges of Faith and yet without having power to judge what is evident in Scripture they must have power to require assent to Points as evident in Scripture nay and punish the dissenters too For 't is a madness for Governours to require any thing of their Subjects without having Rewards and Punishments in their hands to make what they require to be duely observâ—d Nay p. 93. you absolutely refus'd to admit them as Guides of your Faith A moderate word and less than to be a Iudge Which signifies they may have power to require our Assents in matters in which they have no power to guide us that is they may have power to require us to go wrong for any thing we or they know An excellent honour for the Church of England that her Champions profess in Print her Supreme Pastors have no power at all to guide their Flock in their Faith or to it when they are out of it Again I would ask whether the Trinity be not Evident in Scripture and the Socinians wilful for denying it Why are they then so kindly dealt with Or what could be reply'd to a Socinian answering when his Assent to the Trinity were required that he humbly submitted to Scripture that he us'd all the means he could but discover'd it not so evident there and thereupon complain'd that you obtruded upon his equally-learned party your own conceit or opinion for Scripture-Evidences What therefore you alledge here as in your Churches behalf that she requires not a positive assent upon pretence of any Infallibility more condemns Her seeing t is most absurd and irrational that one should require any man to assent to any point or proposition whatever as evident in Scripture without Infallible Certainty at least imagin'd and pretended that it is thus evident there for should it happen to be otherwise how ridiculous were his Authority how damnable and diabolical his Tyrannie to oblige men to the hazard of falshoods in matters of Faith that is in matters belonging to his eternal Salvation and in the mean time profess himself Ignorant whether they be false or no. 14. Now our Church goes another way which ere I declare I would let your party see that Interiour Assent may be required by Governours lawfully and rationally which your Principles can never make sence of Suppose a thousand witnesses from several places each of them held alwayes men of good consciences should swear in open Court that they had seen such and such actions done by such a man or that they had seen spoken or converst
SURE-FOOTING In Christianity Or Rational Discourses On The Rule of FAITH With Short Animadversions on Dr Pierce's Sermon Also on some passages in Mr Whitby and M Stillingfleet which concern That RULE Ecce nos ex Patribus ad Patres per manus traditam fuisse hanc sententiam demonstravimus Athanasius By I. S. LONDON Printed in the Year 1665. To the QUEEN Madam THough the Faith I write for be far more firmly establish't then Heaven and Earth themselves as the Worlds great Master has by his own word assur'd us and so needs no Support but its own Invincible Strength Yet I am told by my reason that nothing so clears and recommends Religion to the Generality as the vertuous Life and eminent Devotion of Them that profess it But where shall I seek those happiest Effects and noblest Arguments of Truth If I consider them in their abstracted Idea's they are Invisible as Angels too subtle and delicate for vulgar eyes Where then may I hope to meet those excellent Forms vested with Bodies if I consult the common Judgment I expect to be sent to some Hermit's Cell or the private Oratory of some holy Votaress where I may find them indeed embody'd but withal half-bury'd Incomparable Lights but shut up in a kind of dark Lanthorn where they burn safely I confess but shine to few while Those I seek must be high and conspicuous to send forth their Beams and Influences over all the VVorld and in that regard Courts are the properest Firmament for such Illustrious Stars and Courts are easily seen but where 's the Star In this perplexity Madam it pleas'd the Goodness of Heaven to relieve me for as the mention of Courts brought immediately into my memory the happiness our Nation is blest with by Your Majesty's Residence among us so the Contemplation of Your Exemplar Life fill'd my soul with joy to have found at last those sublime and heroick Virtues whose perfect Conformity to the Rules of Catholick Religion is alone capable to convince the Certainty of its Truth Such an unwearied Constancy in Devotion such a degree of Fervor in that Constancy cannot possibly proceed from a luke-warm Probability in Faith such frequent Retirements to intimate Conversations with Heaven such Mortifications and contempt of Court-Entertainments and which is yet harder such Innocence and Purity amidst the necessary Admittances of them as they all conspire to speak Your Soul Angelical so they clearly prove the vigorous Activity of the Faith that breeds them far beyond the drowsy Indifferency of a probable Opinion Thus Madam while Schollars but discourse YOV live Demonstrations Permit me then to use not Your bare Name but Your Vertues as a Patronage to my Endeavours since the Motive of this my Dedicatory meant These for its Substance and Your Temporal Supremeness onely for a Circumstance Others Complement while they dedicate I Argue all the while nor intend I this for a farther Display of Your Excellent Vertues which already are sufficiently manifest to all the VVorld but to breed a more serious reflexion on Them in the minds of those against whom I write and other well-meaning but mis-led persons This advantage Your Majesty and the Practical Provers of Catholick Faith have above us Speculaters that Your whole Life is a Continual Argument for It while we are bound to expect Seasons and wait Opportunities Nor should I at this time have offer'd to appear had not the Multitude of Books lately Printed against Catholick Religion made it my plain and necessary Duty with all my little power to defend It VVhat I have endeavour'd I most humbly lay at Your Majesties feet and remain MADAM Your Majesties most dutiful Subject and most obedient Servant I. S. PREFACE To the Intelligent READER 1. He is little acquainted with the paths which lead to Science who knows not that the settling the First Principle in any Affair is of mainest Import towards Satisfaction in that particular because if such a Principle be not first settled the whole Discourse as relying on that Principle for its Certainty must needs waver and stagger Reflecting on this plainest Truth and withal on the manner how very many I wish I might not say most Controversies are manag'd that is by debating much about diverse Conclusions but very little about the first Principle in Controversie I cannot wonder if Disputes come slowly to an End when few of them were ever rightly begun Another mischief and even despair of entire Satisfaction springs from hence that seeing all Dispute Supposes an Agreement between the Disputers in some acknowledg'd Principle I much fear while things are carry'd on this fashion this Requisit is wanting to the Catholick and Protestant Controvertists For neither doth the Protestant from his heart hold witness the Books of their most extold Champions and even the 39. Articles to the contrary the Testimonies of Fathers and Councils Certain and Convictive nor even Scripture alwayes as to its Letter and the Sence they give it for they pretend Infallible Certainty of none of these much less does the Catholick agree that private Interpretations of Scripture or Citations from Fathers not speaking as Witnesses of the Churches Belief are of sufficient Authority to settle the True or overthrow a False or pretended Faith Yet notwithstanding all this each Antagonist permits the other to frame his Discourses upon these Grounds as if he held the Method were good and allowable which not being heartily granted by either what satisfaction can we expect but endless and fruitless contests for want of Agreement in some acknowledg'd Principle while this Method is follow'd Nay more were it suppos'd that both sides had agreed not to reject in their Disputes such a Principle yet still however one side might happen to foil the other so far as to make him contradict himself yet never so as to convince his Tenet of falshood unless the process were grounded upon some First that is Self-evident Principle by virtue of whose undoubtable Certainty the Discourse built on it might gain an establishment Whence also the result of this way of Discourse can be onely the Credit or Discredit of the Authours and touches not at all the Thing Which without some Evident Principle to establish or overthrow it hovers in its pure neutral condition of being as to Assent or Dissent just a bare saying and no more 2. The reason why the First Principle of Controversie is not more lookt into and clear'd appears to me evidently this that our modern Dissenters from the Church and her Faith seeing which is common to Them with all other maintainers of Errours that to begin with First or self-Evident Principles is the direct road to Science and therefore absolutely destructive of their Interest avoid as much as in them lies the laying any such Principles and instead of this apply their whole endeavours to aiery Descants upon Words by such means and Arts as are never likely to give them any determinate Sence by which craft the way
of Science being to proceed from one piece of Sence to another they carry the war out of the bounds of Science where solid ground is to be found to fix ones fool upon so to overthrow or be overthrown and transfer it to a kind of Spatium Imaginarium of Fancy and unsignifying Sounds the proper sphere for Chimerical Discoursers to buz confusedly and make a noise in Where the Catholick must either let them alone and then they cry Victory or follow them thither and so hazard to prejudice his own cause by seeming to allow their method of discoursing Whereas indeed the Catholick is forc't by their Importunity exciting his Charity towards the unskilfull to show how weakly they discourse in their own shallow way 3. How little faulty the Catholick is in this will be quickly manifest if we consider that â—tis against his Principles and Involuntary in him to take this Method for he builds not upon those aiery Skirmishes for his Faith nor consequently esteems he it conquerable by such attempts he received his Faith from the present Church witnessing it's delivery from the former Age to this anchorage he sticks he stands on immemorial Possession nor doubts he that Christ ' s Doctrin is his true and proper inheritance while brought down by the testimony of so many Christian Nations As long as this foundation stands firm quirks hurt not him Shake this that is show the Church Essential is Mistress of falshood and he must doubt all his Faith but yet cannot hold the Protestants for he must hold nothing No Book can secure him when that Principle which onely can secure to us Books written long ago is insecure it self Now on the contrary the Protestant builds his Faith by thus hammering it out of unsenc't Characters and is quite overthrown would his will give his reason leave to follow his principles if another more dexterously fit the words to a sence inconsistent with his And his hopes of standing are not built as are the Catholicks on the self evidence of ony Thing or Principle but indeed on the Inevidence or Ambiguity of Words and his Way to manage them which is to let no Living Authority sence thew and so they will more easily change their shape as the ingenious contrivances of Fancy molds them and then if the discourse seem but a little plausible Education and Interest make the Vnderstanding content with very easiy satisfaction 4. I am far from blaming the Catholicks prudence for engaging on this manner I rather admire their Charity towards their weaker Brethren that at the expence of so much patience and pains such excellent Wits will condescend to so laborious a talk less sutable both to their own Genius as Catholick and to the nature of their Cause How easily might they rest secure upon Immovable Possession and demand Evidence and Demonstration from the Protestant who denies his right to Christs Doctrin How easily might he show their reasons inconclusive which method was observ'd by a late Learned Writer Mr. J. S. against that Pulpit-vapour of Dr. Pierce especially by discovering the unsatisfactoriness of the Method they take How most easily that they have never a Principle or self evident Ground to begin with That till they settle such a First Principle all their Discourse is frivolous That their rejecting the Churches Living Voice or Tradition brings all into doubt both Sayings of Fathers and Texts of Scripture And hence not to allow them the favour of disputing ad hominem from Scripture or Fathers by granting them any thing Certain but putting them to prove all For since they are to object and bring Evident Reason for changing it lies on them to make their reasons Evident nor has any Disputant right to have any thing allow'd him Certain who renounces that Principle which if renounctâ— all is Vncertain And lastly that he who denies the First Principle in any Science deserves not â—ay cannot in reason abstracted from circumstances be discourst with at all in that Science nor They in Controversy This will force them to lay some First or self-evident Principle which cannot fail to produce these two Advantages One to the World that it shall get into a method of concluding something with evidence The other to Catholick Religion For â—twill be found Impossible their Reason strain'd to its utmost can invent any other in this matter but that of Tradition 5. This will clearly shorten our debates and save the laborious transcribing and Printing Volumes of Testimonies by bringing Conrroversy to the way of Reason for the Certainty of First Authority must needs be manifested by pure Reason But who am I that I should attempt such a change in the method of Controversy or think my self a fit proposer or presser of it Far be it from me Yet if I mistake not Nature her self whom I second in this design is about doing that work For I hear Catholick Writers complain of the Protestant and justly too that he puts him to answer what hâ—â— been an hundred times said before and I am inform'd an Eminent Protestant now writing in behalf of Dr Pierce makes the same counter-complaint of the Catholick and the Dissuader begins his book with the same resentment Besides I am sure the Best Wits of our Nation are weary of this Method seeing t is no more but reciprocating a Saw or transcribing and re-printing what has been done before onely in another Frame or if any new production be made generally t is nothing but some note collected from some Historical book unobserved by others which what satisfactory Evidence t is like to bring with it is easy to be ghest 6. Now all this happens through not first settling and agreeing in some First Principle Not onely for the reasons given in the beginning of this Preface but also because as will be shown hereafter without thiâ— the validity of any Testimony from Father or Council cannot be weigh'd understood or prest with force upon the Adversary For if These be but parts of the Living Voice of the Church Essentiall of their time that is of Christian Tradition it will follow that till the force of Tradition be evidenc't Theirs will not be clearly known Again Tradition once evidenc't wil give principles to distinguish those Citations by and to secure as far as is needful and interpret Scriptures Letter Whence clear Victory will accrue to Truth and full Satisfaction to her ingenuous Seekers Not that I at all doubt but that many things in Catholick Writers of the Testimonial strain carry 4 strong force of Conviction with them but I see thâ—â—â— while the solid Testimonies are not distinguisht and solely insisted on but run mixt with others of less force by such a mixture they weaken their own I see also that they want their effect upon the Protestant by reason he is not first prest to admit that Evident Principle on which their strength is built and which once settled they are irresistable 7. The settling then the
one of the most difficult tasks in the World The Scriptures Letter then is not the Rule of Faith by § 3 4 5 10 11. of our former Discourse as wanting Self-evidence of its Existence Easie Evidenceableness of its Ruling Virtue and Power to establish and satisfie at least unlearned Doubters 4. Secondly were it known that there are some Books left written by men divinely inspired yet it is unknown how many those Books ought to be and which of the many controverted ones may securely be put in that Catalogue which not Which 't is most palpable that either few or at least the rude vulgar and common sort of Mankind especially those who are not yet Faithful but looking to come to Faith which is done by knowing the Rule of Faith can never be assured of either by Self-evidence of the things themselves or by other skills they are already possest of The Scripture's Letter then is from this Head concluded defective in the forementioned Properties necessarily belonging to the Rule of Faith 5. Thirdly Were the Catalogue of the true Books known yet how is it self-evident or easily evidenceable to the capacities above named if to any that the very Original or a perfectly true Copy of these Books was preserved indeficiently entire out of which our Translations were made Can the ruder sort either know this or be assured of the skill of others by which they know it The former being manifestly impossible the later equally such since they have no knowledges in their heads enabling them to judge unerringly of the competency of others skill in such a particular Wherefore Scriptures Letter faulters still in the primary most necessary and essential conditions of a Rule of Faith 6. Fourthly Were it evident that the right Original or true Copy of it is preserved indefective yet very few that is onely those who are perfect in those ancient Languages can arrive to the understanding so much The rest which are in a manner all Mankind must come to the knowledge of it by Translations and ere they can think it is fit to be a Rule they must know it is rightly translated For which because they have no skill in those Languages themselves they must rely on the Translators skill Concerning whose sufficiency of understanding to be able to translate unerringly right and honesty of Will or true intention to do it themselves at least the rudest vulgar are not qualified enough to jndge assuredly that they are worthy to be securely relied on So that we are still at a loss in this pretended Rule of Faith for our first and fundamental conditions 7. Fifthly Let us pass by all these defects and grant it most truly translated to a tittle and indeed to a tittle it should be else an errour may slip in instead of a Point of Faith for any thing the bare Letter can assure us yet the innumerable Copiers before Printing and since Printers and Correcters of the Press are still ro be relyed on and they onely can have evidence of the right Letter of Scripture who stood at their elbows attentively watching they should not erre in making it perfectly like a former Copy And even then why might they not mistrust their own eyes and aptness to oversee Or were it granted these men err'd not nor themselves in overlooking them yet the same difficulty occurrs concerning the former Printer's care if the former Copy were printed or the Scriveners if Manuscript which scapes the view of our now-livers except we will examin them again from Impression to Impression or from Copy to Copy by others more ancient and still let us run as high as we will the same difficulty pursues us To which if we add that the Printers Correcters or Transcribers might hap to be Knaves and either be Hereticks themselves or brib'd by Hereticks whose manner it being ever to make the Letter of the Scripture their weapon they could wish no greater advantage than to have it fram'd commodious to their hand and so would questionless endeavour it and History assures us they did So that we are still at the same or a greater loss in our pretended Rule of Faith 8. Lastly were all this multitude of Exceptions pardonâ—d still we are as far to seek unless those who are to be rul'd and guided by the Scriptures Letter to Faith were Certain of the true sence of it which is found out by right Interpretation Now the numerous Commentators upon it and infinite disputes about the sence of it even in most concerning points as in that of Christ's Divinity beat it out so plain to us that this is not the task of the vulgar who yet are capable of salvation and so of Faith and so of the Rule of Faith that 't is perfect phrenzy to deny it 9 It may be alledg'd that some of these defects may be provided against by skill in History But 't is quickly reply'd that then none can be secure of their Rule of Faith nor consequently have Faith unless skill'd in Histories or knowing â—hose men to be so and withall unbyast whom â—hey converse with nay without knowing that those men knew certainly the Historians whom they rely'd on had secure Grounds and not bare hearsay for what they writ and that they were not contradicted by others either extant or peâ—ish't now how few of the unlearned vulgar â—ay even of the middle sort of prudent men which make up the generality of the world I may say of very good Scholars can judge of these points And if they cannot how then is their Faith rational or virtuous and not rather an hair-brain'd opinionative rashness to build their Assent Faith and Salvation upon Principles they can make no Judgement of 10. If necessity make some willing to reply what their Judgments naturally flowing from their Principles would not that God assists his Church and therefore his Providence will take care the contingencies their Rule of Faith the Scripture's Letter is subject to shall be avoided 't is ask't how they are certain in their way of such an Assistance but by the Letter of the Scripture They must first then prove that Certain ere they mention the Church or God's Assistance to her since this Assistance is in their Grounds founded upon the Truth and Certainty of that Letter Besides a Church is a Congregation of the Faithful that is of such as have Faith which not being possible to be had without Certain means to come unto it or the Rule of Faith it follows that the first thing that must be clear'd is the Certainty of the Rule of Faith antecedently to the Notions of Faith Faithful or Church 11. If Testimonies out of Councils or Fathers be alledg'd by them sufficient Interpreters of Scripture t is reply'd that if those be needful to make a Certain Interpretation of Scripture or which is all one the Letter of Scripture certainly significative of Godâ—s sence then First none can be capable of the Rule of Faith nor consequently
of Faith but those who are read in Councils and Fathers nor yet unless those Authorities be held Infallible in such an office which none but Catholiks will say for if they can erre in such a performance how shall we be certain they do not erre in each particular Interpretation without some other Guide to establish them and secure us which Guide must be infallible in such an affair else the same question and doubt returns concerning It And if there be some other infallible Guide whose constant direction secures them from erring in every particular Interpretation and ascertains us of the same let them name It not Fathers and Councils to interpret Scripture by But the third and most Fundamental fault is that a Father as the word is commonly usâ—d and now taken by us signifies not a Doctor or learned Deducer of Consequences by human learning nor a Commentator upon Scripture nor a Preacher or Homilymaker for so every Doctor Commentator and Preacher would be a Father but an Eminent and Knowing Witnesser to Posterity of the sence and Faith of the Church which he received The notion then of CHURCH is presupposd to the knowledge of what is meant by the word Father or to the notion of a Father Again a Council signifies a Representative of the Church whence 't is Relative to what it represents and so its meaning cannot be known unless that others to which it relates be first understood nor can it be a true and right Council unless what it represents be a true Church Both Council therefore and Father presuppose the notion of Church Church presupposes the notion of Faithful Faithful the notion of Faith Faith of the Rule of Faith 'T is most evident then that in the way of generating Faith the knowledge of the Rule of Faith is antecedent to the knowledge of all these and so none of these cau help one who discourses orderly and rationally to the Knowledge of the Rule of Faith unless accidentally as it may happen a Father may be a Doctor or great Schollar and so by a rational discours opening the meanings of the words or which is all one the notion or nature of the Things give us insight to know what it is which has the properties of such a Rule In vain therefore do they strive to piece out the sufficiency of Scripture's Letter to be the Rule of Faith by those helps since the being of that Rule is presuppos'd entire in it self before their existence and indeed is that which gives them all the Being they have 12. Some may reply that Fundamentals are clear in Scripture But first a certain Catalogue of Fundamentals was never given and agreed to by sufficient Authority and yet without this all goes to wrack since the neglecting or not-knowing which be Fundamental hazards to ruine all For the discourse grows ticklish when we talk of Fundamentals this very word importing that any one left out or mistaken overthrows the whole End of Faith to those which miscarry in it Secondly is it a Fundamental that Christ is God If so I ask whether this be clearer in Scripture than that God has hands feet nostrils and passions like ours Seeing then the appearing clearness of the Scripture's letter in this later point is certain to lead vulgar heads into exceeding great Errours and that Heresies are as seemingly clear in the outward face of it as Fundamental Truths how mistaken a Principle do they relie upon for the main hinge of their salvation who say that Fundamentals are so clear in Scripture's Letter to every capacity THIRD DISCOURSE That the Three next Properties of the Rule of Faith are utterly Incompetent to Scripture 1. THus much to show that the Letter of Scripture wants the two first and most Fundamental Conditions of a Rule of Faith being neither Evident as to it 's Existence to all nor Evidenceable as to its Ruling Power to unlearned Enquirers Let us proceed to the third Property namely its Aptness to settle and justify those unlearned persons who rely undoubtingly upon it such as are the meaner sort of the Vulgar who take things by course as they fall in a natural kind of way without reflecting upon them and their reasons 2. Since then no Man or rational Creature can be justifiable either for Assent or Practice but by proceeding upon some Principles and such as to his best judgment he takes to be true ones and those Principles can be but of two sorts viz. either inbred in him by the ordinary Light of Nature call'd Common Sence or got by some reflexion and that the persons we speak of are such as proceed undoubtingly that is without occasion to reflect 't is left that what can justify them must be Principles of Common Sence Seeing then 't is both against all Principles of Common Sence to judge that themselves have any self-assurance of the Scripture's Letter knowing themselves utterly ignorant when 't was writ by whom how brought down c. and equally senceless to believe a multitude which sayes it may possibly erre in what it tells them it follows that they are left unjustifyâ—d nay condemn'd by Common Sence in absolutely believing such a Rule That is condemn'd by the best judgments they are Masters and capable of This I say follows in case this multitude be truly dealt with and that the Teachers give them a sincere account of their own Tenet Nay should these men say they cannot erre in such a matter by reason of their great Schollership as skill in History Languages reading of Fathers Councils and such like yet even then they could not afford them credit to such a degree as to build their hopes of salvation on their word in regard those learned mens Profession is not of plain Sensations by their Eyes and Ears which the vulgars experience capacitates them to judge of but of such high skills as unlearned men know not what to make of and even understand not what the very words which express them mean The best then they can do is to hope that perhaps those men may have some such strange skill in the same manner as they trust to other Tradesmen and Artistâ—s they have heard well of or seen some of their work or rather not near so much seeing their Senses give them a far better knowledge of these Handycraftsmen's skill by the Effects and their fitness for the use intended than their uncultivated Reason can give them of the goodness of Christian Doctrin and its proportion to Bliss But the main is when they shall hear and see many several Professions all pretending to Scripture yet all differ damn and condemn one another perhaps persecute one another and fight about Religion and themselves unable to judge which is most to be trusted what can common Sense dictate to them but an inextricable blunder and onely clear to them thus much that that can never be the way which many follow and yet many must needs be misled Their most
blotted worn out c. Which though it seems a remote and impertinent Exception yet to one who considers the wise Dispositions of Divine Providence it will deserve a deep Consideration For seeing the Salvation of Mankind is the End of God's making Nature the means to it should be more settled strong and unalterable than any other piece of Nature whatever Putting then Scripture's Letter to be this Rule and that all its Significativeness of God's Sence that is all its virtue of a Rule is lost if the material Characters its Basis be destroy'd or alter'd who sees not a very disorderly proceeding in laying so weak means in such immediateness to so main an end and concludes not thence that Faith's Rule ought in right reason have a better Basis than such perishable and alterable Elements 3. Reflecting next on those material Characters in complexion with the Causes actually laid in the world to preserve them entire we shall find that either those Causes are Material and then themselves are also liable to continual alterations and innumerable Contingencies or Spiritual that is men's Minds Now these being the noblest pieces in Nature and freed in part from Physical mutability by their Immateriality we may with good reason hope for a greater degree of constancy from them than from any other and indeed for a perfect unalterableness from their Nature and this being to conceive Truth an Inerrableness if due circumstances be observ'd that is if due proposals be made to beget Certain Knowledge and due care us'd to attend to such Proposals Otherwise their very Createdness and Finitness entitle them to defectibility besides their obnoxiousness to mutation and perpetual alteration through the alloy of their material Compart I call it due proposal when it must necessarily affect the Sense and so beget natural Knowledge or when unequivocal terms are so immediately and orderly laid that the Conclusion must as necessarily be seen in the Premises as that the same thing cannot both be and not-be at once by a mind inur'd to reflexion and speculation and I call that due care which preserves the Soul in such temper as permits the objects impression to be heeded and the Mind to be affected by it 4. This premised we may reflect that the Rule of Faith as was provd Disc. 1. § 4 5 10 11. must be obvious to men of ordinary Sence and not onely to Speculators as also that Objects of the Senses may be of two sorts Of the the first are things in Nature or else simple vulgar actions and plain matters of Fact which if oft repeated and familiariz'd are unmistakable and consequently the perceiver inerrable in such a matter Of the second are such actions as are compounded and made up of an innumerable multitude of several particularities to be observed every of which may be mistaken apart each being a distinct little action in its single self Such as is the transcribing a whole book consisting of such myriads of words single Letters and Tittles or Stops and the several actions of writing over each of these so short and cursory that it prevents diligence and exceeds human care to keep awake and apply distinct attentions to every of these distinct actions And yet to do our Opposers right I doubt not but each of these failings may possibly be provided against by oft-repeated Corrections of many sedulous and sober examiners set apart for that business and that the truth of the Letter of an whole Book might to a very great degree if not altogether be ascertain'd to us were the Examiners of each Copy known to be very numerous prudent and honest and each of them testifying his single examination of it word by word For then the difficulty consisting in the multiplicity and the variety is provided against by the multitude of the preserving Causes and their multifariousness made convictive to us by their well-testify'd consent 5. To apply this discourse to the matter in hand If we were Certain there had been anciently a multitude of Examiners of the Scripture's Letter in each Copy taken from the first Original or the next Copies from these and so forwards with the exact care we have defin'd the single Examinations of each and the amendment of the Copy according to their Examinations convincingly testify'd and that by Excommunication or heavy Ecclesiastical Prohibitions and Mulcts it had been provided for from the beginning that none should presume to take a Copy of it and that Copy be permitted to be read or seen till it were thus examined much might have been said for the Certainty of the Scripture's Letter upon these men's Principles But if no such Orders or Exactness was ever heard of especially of the New Testament upon the Truth of whose Letter they build Christian Faith If the multitudes of Letters Commaes blottings or illegibleness of the Originals like-appearance of Letters and even whole Words in in the Book like-sounding in the ear or fancy of the Transcriber possibility of misplacing omitting inserting c. did administer very fruitful occasions to human overâ—ight If the more Copies were taken the more the errours were like to grow and the farther from correcting If Experience testifies no such exact diligence has been formerly us'd by the diverse Readings of several Copies now extant and thousands of Corrections which have lately been made of the Vulgar Edition the most universally currant perhaps of any other what can we say but that for any thing these Principles afford Scriptures Letter may be uncertain in every tittle not withstanding the diligence which has de facto been used to preserve it uncorrupted in the way of those who hold it the onely Rule of Faith In their way I say who will not have the Sence of Christ's Doctrine writ in Christians hearts the Rule for the Correcters of the Letter to guide themselves by but the meer Letter of a formeâ— and God knows controvertible Copy out of which the Transcription and by which onely the Examination is made What Certainty accrues to Scripture's Letter by the means of Tradition or the living voice of the present Church in each Age is the Subject of another enquiry 6. Now as for the Certainty of the Scripture's Significativeness which is the other Branch nothing is more evident than that this is quite lost to all in the Uncertainty of the Letter and 〈◊〉 evident that 't is unattainable by the vulgar that is the better half of mankind since they are unfurnisht of those Arts and Skills as Languages Grammar Logick History Metaphysicks Divinity c. requisit to establish and render certain the sence they conceive the Letter ought to bear without which they can never make such an Interpretation of it but an acute Scholler skill'd in those means will be able to blunder theirs and make a seeming clearer one of his own In a word if we see eminent Wits of the Protestants and the Socinians making use of the self-same and as they conceive the best
multitudes of Knowers if no possible consideration can awaken in our reason a doubt that they conspire to deceive us Now in the way of Tradition all deliverers or immediate Forefathers are Knowers as appears in those who immediately heard the Apostles all the Knowledge requisit being of what they were taught and practic 't accordingly all their lives of which 't is impossible the rudest person should be ignorant who ever had any Effect of such a Teaching wrought upon him Nor can any unless their brains rove wildly or be unsettled even to the degree of madness suspect deceit where such multitudes unanimously agree in a matter of fact look seriously when they speak act themselves and practice accordingly and show in the whole course of their carriage that they hope to be sav'd themselves and to save others whom they thus instruct by relying on this Truth that their Forefathers thus taught them which amounts to this that Nature or common Reason at unawares steals into them a solid apprehension that Tradition is of a certain kind of Nature and so that while Fathers thus taught Children it was ever such that is that Tradition is a certain Rule of conveying down Faith which is all we study to evince at present I may add that Nature telling them by their own experiences that Parents generally would be apt to teach their Children what themselves had been taught and believ'd to be good and true needfull to their eternal Salvation their natural thoughts would lead them by a downright procedure to judge that Tradition was ever in some considerable Body of Deliverers who stuck to it and own'd it and that those had true Faith or truly that doctrin which Christ and the first Planters of Christianity taught But of this point more hereafter 10. If it be objected that this multitude of plain honest-meaning Souls are as much justify'd for believing Scripture I answer that if you mean their Faith conceiv'd to be found in Scripture or a determinate Sence of Scripture's Letter it cannot with any show of reason be pretended that they are as much justifiable for believing any setting aside Tradition's help for without this it totally depends on the inward Judgments Fancies or Skills of men which they are unqualify'd to judge of not on open verdict of Senses to wield the Certainty or Uncertainty of which lies clearly within the reach of their common reason And as for Scripture's Letter they cannot possibly be justify'd in reason for believing even the Substantial Truth of it without Tradition's assisting hand and preserving care And the reason is the same because the common course of human Experience tells them that Judgments or Opinions often disagree but their plain Sensations especially if frequently repeated never Whence a Jury of the plainest High-shoes would upon the Evidence of the sight of six Witnesses without more ado condemn a Malefactor but not upon the Judgments of a thousand men if a Testimony grounded on Sense were not brought Now take away Tradition and all ground from Certain Sence fails us either for the meaning or even Letter of Scripture and all is left to men's Judgments built on latent Skills or Fancy or at least on Sense liable to great and numerous mistakes as hath been shown Disc. 4. § 3. Again seeing every one apprehends the most vulgar have reason enough to believe there was such a one as K. Iames and Q. Elizabeth of which they are no otherwise ascertain'd but by Tradition why are not they as much or more justify'd for believing points of Faith received down by the same tenour whereas if you go about to pump their common Reason about the Authority of the Statute-Book or the Truth of its Letter you shall find them blunder and at a â—oss being pos'd beyond their sphere of 〈◊〉 Nature by a question entrenching upon skill to which they can never answer with a steady assuredness inwardly and if they do so outwardly 't is manifest that some Passion and not their Reason breeds that irrational Profession The third Condition then of the Rule of Faith which was to be apt to settle and justify unreflecting and undoubting vulgar is manifestly found agreeing to Tradition 11. I put next the 6th Condition because the proof of it evidently proves the fourth fifth and seventh For what is built on immovable Grounds or Certain in its self has in it wherewith to settle and satisfy the most piercing Witâ— convince the most obstinate Adversaries and to ascertain us absolutely To prove that Tradition has Certain and Infallible Grounds it may suffiâ—â— to note that Disc. 1. § 13 14 15. it being evidently proved Faith must be Infallible to us anâ— no less evident that it cannot be such without having Infallibly-câ—â—tain Grounds since nothinâ— can be firmer to us than the ground it stands on now the Rule of Faith is its Ground It follow evidently that This must likewise be Infallibâ—â— certain There being then onely two Ground or Rules of Faith owned namely Deliver of it down by Writing and by Words anâ— Practice which we call Oral and Practical Tradition 't is left unavoydably out of the imposibility that Scripture should be Infallible as Rule that Tradition must be such 12. Though this Conclusion supposing thâ— Truth of the Propositions I assume as alreadâ— prov'd be sufficiently consequent to those Adversaries against whom I contest at present thâ— Certainty of Tradition in regard they do 〈◊〉 stick to grant that either Scripture or Tradition must be the Rule of Faith Yet I foresee more will be expected from a pretender to demonstrate its Certainty and that he should frame his Discourse from intrinsecal Mediums Reflecting then on the nature of Tradition as before explicated we shall observe that it hath for its Basis the best Nature in the Universe that is Man's the Flower and End of all the rest and this not according to his Moral part defectible by reason of Original Corruption nor yet his Intellectuals darkly groping in the pursuit of Science by reflected thoughts or Speculation amidst the misty vapours exhal'd by his Passion predominant over his rational Will but according to those faculties in him perfectly and necessarily subject to the operations and stroaks of Nature that is his Eyes Ears handling and the direct Impressions of Knowledge as naturally and necessarily issuing from the affecting those Senses as it is to feel heâ—â— cold Pain Pleasure or any other material Quality Again those Impressions upon the Sense are not made once but frequently and in most many times every day Moreover to make these more express and apt to be taken notice of their lives are to be fram'd by the Precepts they hear and conformable Examples they see so that Faith I mean the substance of it or that solid plain Knowledge as far as 't is apt to cause downright Christian 〈◊〉 comes clad in such plain matters of Fact that the most stupid man living cannot possibly be ignorant of it
blaz'd up and down to the commendation of themselves and perversion of others But a company which makes such a bustle cannot long want a Name Wherefore the Traditionary Christian having ever enjoyd the Appellation of Catholick and it being impossible their Adversaries should by any design or craft after the common Language of Mankind hopeless to attain the name of Catholick they are forced to content themselves though unwilling with some other new one which Nature working upon their own comportment determines to be either from their Authour as Lutherans Zuingliaus or their new Tenet as Tritheits Sacramentarians or some combination amongst themselves as Protestants or lastly some particular carriage as Quakers Dippers c. 3. These first Adherents to the upstart Novellist being clung into a Body after a while young understandings ripening to a capacity of Faith things are presently alterd The pretended Rule of Scripture's Letter's self-sufficiency is immediately thrown by as useless any farther Design hath got its end already and the natural way of of Tradition begins to take place again and recover its self nay the Reformers themselves are forc't to crave help of it to keep their company together Children are taught that they are to believe their Pastours and Fathers and though they are permitted to read the Scripture when they come at age yet they are told they are to guide themselves by the sence their Pastours and Fathers give it which is that they ought to guide themselves by the Faith of their Parents and Teachers in interpreting Scripture the very way Catholicks ever took in that particular And if any company of men though now mature to judge presume to follow their own Judgement in interpreting it and differ from those first Reformers these if they get the power in their hands will presently fall to oblige them by force to act that is if they would have them do it conscientiously which else were to force them to sin to hold as they do and persecute or punish them if they do not whereas they guide themselves to their best capacity by the Scripture's Letter which is the very Rule of Faith their Persecutors taught them and made use of themselves when they broke from the Church Which evidently shows that a new Rule is introduc't and that it is not indeed the Letter of God's word which is now thought fit to guide the Readers of it to Faith but those men's Interpretations of it So that the breaking from Tradition and consequently the Church casts them most inevitably upon these self-contradictions First to reform npon pretence of the Scripture's Letter being the Rule of Faith yet afterwards in practice to desert that Rule in their carriage towards others Secondly to disallow to others those Grounds themselves proceed upon Thirdly to pretend first the Scripture's Letter clear of it self without needing the Church to interpret it so to avoid condemnation from the former Church yet afterwards to judge the Followers of it to their best power to go wrong that is to confess it obscure and to need their new Churches Interpretation 4ly To persecute others for taking that way which they held at least pretended meritorious in themselves 5ly To oblige others to relinquish the sole guidance of the Scriptures Letter and to rule themselves by their Tradition and yet at the same time when they write and dispute against Catholicks to impugn Tradition or the doctrin of Forefathers as unfitting to sence it and abet onely the self-sufficiency of Scriptures Letter And lastly to impute that carriage to our Church as a fault which themselves practice upon their own Subjects And which is most material our Church punishes none but such as desert the Rule she recommends whereas they punish those under them for following too close that Rule which themselves recommended and applauded as the whole and sole Bafis of their Reformation 4. Now what can follow hence but that their Ecclesiastical Subjects whom Common Sence cannot but make exceeding sensible of such their unreasonable carriage in persecuting them purely for following God's word or the Scripture's Letter to their best power which themselves had taught them might securely nay ought in conscience be follow'd let the Consent of Forefathers and the present Church made up of meeâ— men say what they would what follow 's I say but that exasperated beyond patience by this procedure which they will be apt to conceive to be a most senceless and self-condemning tyranny over their Consciences they will unless Governours be vigilant strive to wreak their malice against their Persecutors and if they be numerous and powerful endeavour to involve whole Nations in war and blood which God of his mercy avert from our distracted Country Of so main consequence it is both for Church and State that men's Minds be right set in the Fundamental Grounds of Christianity and that the Principle they build Religion on be Evident that is apt to unite their Understaâ—dings and by it their Affections not uncertain and vertible which must needs lead if pursu'd by an earnest zeal to nothing but diversities in Opinions about Faith thence to dissensions and Feuds in the Will which upon any great pressure will be apt to break forth into actions of highest enmity and by the irreconcileableness of such Interests neither side being able to yeeld to the other in what each of rhem holds Sacred Religious and Conscientious endless and fiercest bickerings are apt to succeed even to utter desolation as frequent Histories too lamentably record Not that I intend the Justification of those revolting Sects who having no certain Grounds of Controversy are both self-condemn'd by the common Light of Reason for disobeying a Certain and Known Legal Authority which God's Law and plain Reason commands them to submit to to maintain an Uncertainty that is for any thing they know an Error and were it a known Truth they held would be no less condemn'd by the Law of God and common Reason nay out the nature of Religion it self for making Rebellion and an unimpower'd Sword the Defence of Truth which stands firm on a surer Basis. I onely mind prudent Considerers on the by how much it conduces to State-Unity and Peace that the Principle of conveying Faith to us be built on Sensible Evidence acknowledgable by all Mankind when rightly understood and not left to giddy Interpretations of Private Fancies which are apt to run so eccentrically to one another that we can never expect they shall have any common point where to fix and unite men's Minds and Afflections 5. The usefulness of this Parergon serves to elucidate as it were ptactically and experimentally the Certainty of Tradition The particular use we make of it in this present Discourse whence we digrest into it is to conclude as well as we can of things at a common view which yet is no less certain that the number of the actual Deserters of the natural way of Tradition have been but few to wit the
it COROLLARIES From The former Discourses 1. NOne can pretend to have Faith by the ordinary course of God's Providence but the holders to Tradition 'T is prov'd by our Conclusion formerly deduc't Disc. 5. § 15. that Tradition is the Rule of Faith that is the Ordinary Way to arrive at Faith 2. None can with right pretend to be a Church but the Followers of Tradition For since Corol. 1. none can have Faith by the ordinary course of God's Providence but the holders to Tradition and a Church must be a Congregation of persons truly Faithful or who have true Faith coming to them by ordinary means as we daily experience 't is manifest that none but the Followers of Tradition can pretend to be a true Church 3. None can be of the Church or any Church but Followers of Tradition For seeing a Church is a Congregation of persons who have true Faith coming to them by ordinary means and Disc. 5. § 15. Tradition is this means it follows that none are of the Church or any Church but they who have true Faith by this means that is who follow the means of Tradition Those who renounce Tradition or Immediate Delivery are ipso facto cut off from the Root of Faith and cease to be truly called Faithful For seeing that is to us or in the way of reasoning the Root of any Knowledge whence that Knowledge springs and Faith is no Knowledge in us Disc. 1. 15. and Corol. 1. but by relying on the Rule of Faith or Tradition as on its Principle 't is manifest that they who renounce Tradition want the Root of Faith nor consequently are Faithful nor of the Church but are Dead branches or Opiners onely 5. That company of men who follow such Ancestours as formerly renounc't Tradition or Immediate Delivery are no less cut off from the Root of Faith For since Corol. 4. those Ancestours renouncing Tradition formerly were by so doing cut off from the Root of Faith their Followers for how many Generations soever they continue must be so likewise as wanting and not daring even to pretend to that Faithâ—causing Principle of Tradition or uninterrupted Delivery which their Forefathers had renounc't 6. They who follow such Ancestors as formerly had manifestly renounc't Tradition how numerous soever can never claim to be a part of Christian Tradition or deliverers of Faith First because Corol. 5. they are cut off from Tradition and so can be no part of it Next because Christian Tradition is Indeficient or Uninterrupted Disc. 6 8 and 9. and so none can lay claim to it who cannot lay claim to Uninterruptedness which those we speak of cannot The saying then of Vincentius Lirinensis Id teneamus quod ubique quod semper quod ab omnibus creditum est and that we must follow Vniuersality Antiquity and Consent can onely be meant within the verge of those who adhere to Tradition or follow the Doctrin formerly deliver'd not of those who have broke from it otherwise all Hereticks in the world especially the Primitive ones might claim to be part of the Church 7. They who pretend themselves Reformers in Faith do ipso facto manifest themselves cut off from the Root of Faith and the Church For since Points of Faith are Truths and so have no Degrees in them but are Indivisible Reformation in Faith cannot mean mending Faith but putting it anew But this presupposes Tradition Interrupted wherefore Reformers in Faith must renounce Uninterruptedness of Delivery that is they must renounce Tradition Disc. 6. 8 9. and consequently they are cut off from the Root of Faith Coroll 4. 8. That Body of men who adhere to Tradition can evidence clearly and plainly who are truly Faithful who not For since Coroll 4. 5. to those men 't is all one to renounce Immediate or Uninterrupted Delivery or follow those who renounc't it as to be cut off from the Root of Faith and all one to be Faithful and to rely on that Principle Again seeing 't is evident by clear matter of Fact who rely and proceed upon it who not That Body of men who adhere to Tradition can evidence clearly and plainly who are truly Faithful who not and if Church-Government be instituted by our Saviour and so a Point of Faith and so descended to us by the Rule of Faith who are of the Church who not 9. None else can give any certain account who are to be held truly Faithful and of the Church who not For since without Tradition both Letter and Sence of Scripture is Uncertain Disc. 4. and subject to dispute as we also daily experience it follows that all the deniers of Tradition are uncertain who have the right Letter or Sence of Scripture that is whom they are to esteem Faithful or sit to be of the Church whom not Again Tradition being the onely certain Rule of Faith if one Revolter from it may be admitted all may so they prosess Christianity in outward talk which they will easily do Wherefore since the Denier of Tradition deems some one Revolter from it to be of the Church that is himself he may nay ought judge so of all the rest provided they talk a few fine pious words of God and Christ which what Hereticks but did 10. None can rationally punish the Revolters from their Faith but that Body which adheres to radition For since setting aside Tradition both Letter and Sence of Scripture is Uncertain Disc. 4. the Guilt of those Revolters is also Uncertain seeing then none can even pretend to correct a fault much less punish it upon uncertain Grounds none can rationally go about to punish their Revolters from Faith unless it be that body which adheres to Tradition and They can For in regard Tradition's Certainty is evident to the rudest by common sence Disc. 5. § 8. and likewise 't is as evident to Governours who revolt from it as it is to know when one dis-acknowledges and rises against a settled civil Authority and the Laws of the Land 'T is most manifest that the Revolter hath both Passion or Guilt enough to be held punishable and the Christian Magistrate evidence enough of his Fact to go about to punish it To avoid mistake I declare that in this Corollary I onely discourse what may or may not be done upon a Church-account what may be fit to be done upon a State-account I am neither able to judge nor do I meddle with it 11. No Company of men hang together like a Body of a Christian Common-wealth or CHURCH but that which adheres to Tradition For since 't is manifest that every external Commonwealth or Body of men hath some Outward Marks proper to it by which the members of it have their coherence or consistency and that those are certain tokens to distinguish it from any other and as manifest that all the marks proper to a Church as such depend upon the Rule of Faith Disc. 1. § 15. and their Certainty on its and lastly that
none of the pretended Rules of Faith all of them building on Scripture's Letter are Certain Disc. 2. 3 4. without Tradition it follows that no other company have any Principle of Distinction from others that is either of Constitution or self-preservation under the notion of Church but that which adheres to Tradition All the loud out-cry then made commonly against that Body which adheres to Tradition callâ—d Roman-Catholick for accounting it self onely the Vniversal Church and excluding all others is but empty noise and her claim rational and well-grounded till it be shown by evident Discourse that the other Pretenders have some other more Evident and Certain Rule to know who are of the Church who not than this of Tradition now produc't and explicated upon which she proceeds and by which she consists 12. There is no arguing against Tradition out of Scripture For since as we have prov'd Disc. 4. there can be no absolute Certainty of Scripture's Letter without Tradition this must first be suppos'd Certain ere the Scripture's Letter can be rationally held such and consequently ought in reason to be held Vncertain while Tradition is thought â—it to be argu'd against that is while it's Certainty is doubted of Wherefore since none can argue solidly upon uncertain Grounds none ought to argue against Tradition out of the Letter of Scripture 13. None can in reason oppose the Authority of the Church or any Church against Tradition First because in reality Tradition rightly understood is the same thing materially with the living Voicâ— and Practice of the whole Church Essential consisting of Pastors and Layity which is so ample that it includes all imaginable Authority which can be conceiv'd to be in a Church Secondly because in the way of generating Faith Tradition formally taken is antecedent to Disc. 2. § 11. and so in the way of Discourse working by formal and abstracted notions its notion must be presuppos'd and its Certainty establish't before the notion and Certainty of Faith consequently of Faithful and consequently of Church which must necessarily be a congregation of Faithful Whence they would argue very preposterously who should go about to oppose Church against Tradition this being the same as to think to establish the House by overthrowing the Foundation 14. None can in reason oppose the Authority of Fathers or Councils against Tradition This is evident by the former Corol. 13. in regard neither of these have any Authority but as Representatives of the Church or Eminent Members of the Church Nor can any determin certainly what is a Father or Council Disc. 2. § 11. till the notion of Church that is of Faithful that is of Faith that is of Rule of Faith that is of Tradition be certainly establish't 15. No Disacknowledgers of Tradition are in Due of reason but in Courtesy onely to be allow'd to argue out of Scripture's Letter Father or Council For since wanting Tradition they have Certainty of none of those as was prov'd Disc. 2. § 11. 't is manifest that disacknowledging Tradition while they alledge and talk of these they alledge and talk of things themselves do not know to be Certain Wherefore 't is too great a Condescendence and courtesy in Catholiks to let them run forwards descanting with wordish Discourses on those Testimonies after their raw manner since they might justly take their advantage against them and show they have no right to make use of Principles which their own Grounds can never make good to them as was Tertullian's smart and solid way de Praescr Haeret. c. 15 16 17 18 19 20 21. denying them the use of Scripture who deny'd the Church which would save many an aiery confus'd discourse about words unapt to evidence any thing satisfactorily Nor can the right of an Opponent to argue ad hominem licence them to claim this favour from our Controvertists in regard we never held that Scriptures Letter hammer'd upon by Criticisms and such pretty knacks of human Learning was the Ground of our Faith nor the way to establish it but onely as interpreted by the Language and Practice of the Church nor consequently can we hold it capable to be prejudic't by such endeavours of private Wits Though then we should allow them a Copy of the Letter and consequently so far a liberty to argue ad hominem against us yet we never allow'd their method of arguing from it as efficacious either to build or evert Faiâ—h but our learned Controvertists ever held direct contrary Whence in case they clamour that in not following their wild method we desert Scripture to avoid which calumny with the vulgar I conceive one reason our Controvertists generally were so civil to them as to cope with them in their fleight way the unreasonableness of the Calumny is to be made appear which is quicklier done not their unreasonable expectation to be satisfy'd 16. No Authority from any History or Testimonial Writing is valid against the force of Tradition For since Falshood is as easy to be writ or printed as Truth 't is evident those Books can give no Testimony to themselves that what they express is certainly true and if we say they are abetted by the Testimony of other Books the same question recurrs concerning them in what Age soever they were writ It remains then that 't is onely the Acceptation of Men or Sence writ in their Hearts and so convey'd down from Father to Son that these Books are true Histories and not Fables which gives them any Authority But this has plainly the nature of Tradition They have therefore no Authority but by force of Tradition Therefore they can have no possible force against Tradition since if Tradition or the conveying down from hand to hand sence writ thus universally in men's hearts can deceive us no such Books can have any Authority at all Wherefore not the Books but the Sence writ in men's hearts of the Goodness and skill of the Authours of those Books upon which qualifications the Truth of each passage contain'd in those Books is built is to be alledg'd against Christian Tradition since 't is that Sence which authorizes those Books and gives Credibility to those passages and so is stronger than any dead Testimony from the Books themselves Which devolves into this that onely some great Tradition or living Testimony for things past can in point of Authority be pretended an equal match to Christian Tradition or competent to be alledgâ—d against it 17. No Tradition is alledg'd or alledgeable in reason against Christian Tradition That none is alledgâ—d is Evident from matter of Fact For the Adversaries of Catholick Tradition never pretend the Consent or constant Sence of great multitudes deriv'd from age to age by living voice that at such a time former Tradition was relinquish't new Faith introduc't or the old Faith chang'd or abolisht but onely odd ends or scraps of Histories or other dead Testimonies according as they light on some passage which seems favourable to them or may
which onely themselves know and are conscious of and on the other side nothing appears why such a kind of Impression is impossible nay 't is granted possible 't is clear none can argue against that inward Light 's existence out of the nature of that inward perswasion Fanaticks have in regard 't is latent and unknown It follows then that the way to conclude against it is to show out of evident Principles the contrary to these Inspiration to be Truth None therefore as plain matter of Fact testifies taking the way of arguing from Principles absolutely evident or demonstrating but Catholiks or the followers of Tradition and they effecting this by virtue of Tradition Disc. 5 6 8. it follows that they and onely they are able to confute Fanaticks and conclude their inward Light delusive Again since a Fanatick builds on conceited experience of Divine Inspiration there is no hopes to convince his Judgment without producing Demonstration for the contrary a task onely performable in the way of Tradition Which is enforc't and strengthen'd by this Consideration that the Basis of Tradidition is natural Knowledge directly imprinted by his Senses in which Knowledges he is undeceivable and these Sensations or Knowledges are daily repeated not on one private temper but on innumerable millions conspiring in the same that is Tradition is built on almost Infinit daily and most manifest Experiences whereas the conceited Effect of Inspiration or his strong persuasion that God speaks thus inwardly is found with consent of tenets in a few onely and liable to deceit by depending upon Fancy not Sense as appears in diseased or mad persons and the Fanaticks contradicting one another though both proceeding on the same Principle Without Tradition's help then 't is very hard if not impossible to confute Fanaticks as Experience also testifies by Protestants being forc't to recurr to Tradidion in disputes with them though very easy with it or by means of it 22. There is no arguing against Tradition without questioning the Constancy of every species in Nature that is the Certainty of whole Nature For seeing Man's Nature is as necessarily fit to receive the direct Impressions of Objects on his Soul that is Natural Knowledges and as necessarily determin'd to work for a motive or reason good or bad as Fire is to heat or water to wet and this absolutely and alwayes abstracting from disease incapacitating him to use his senses or his Fancy and both these spring out of the very Substance of his Nature as Rational or of such a species which Original Corruption hinders not it follows that he is as fit for those Operations and consequently will as frequently perform them as Fire burn water wet fruit-trees bear fruit or any other species in Nature do its ptoper Effect that is generally and onely rarely and contingently fail unless the Authour of Nature order the whole course of it worse for Man than for other things which were blasphemy to say and contrary to Experience since we find a course of Supernaturals on foot and that they comfort and strengthen man's true nature as hath been formerly declared Less liable then is the human Species to contingency in those its natural operations than any other kind is Wherefore seeing Traditions Certainty is grounded upon direct natural Knowledges and its Indefectiveness on Mankind's Incapableness to act without some motive to argue against It were to question These that is the constancy of the best and best-supported Species in Nature and a fortiori the Constancy of the rest Note here that all the Arguments brought by witty Reasoners against Tradition are fetcht from the Contingency of some one or some few Particulars whence by a wild kind of roving way they would conclude the defectibleness of the Generality or of the entire Species But because it looks too palpably inconsequent in Logicall form to say a few can err ergo all therefore they use to bring it in with a why not So that all the arguers against Tradition from natural reason oppose directly any Constancy in the Species or Generality and so are destroyers of natural Certainty and of their own Arguments to boot 23. There is no possibility of arguing at all against Tradition rightly understood or the living voice of the Catholick Church with any show of reason For since 't is evident that Scripture's Copy or Letter is in the whole and every tittle Uncertain Disc. 2 and 4. without Tradition as also that the writings of Fathers Councils History and of any written or dead Testimony whatever Corol. 14 and 16. are utterly unauthoriz'd otherwise than by means of Tradition and that no living Testimony or Tradition is alledgable against the Tradition we speak of or Catholick Tradition Corol. 13. and 17. Nor any pretended Instance of Traditionâ—s failing has force but by its being faithfully convey'd down by Tradition and depending on Tradition for its Certainty Corol. 19. and all Arguments from Natural Reason are so weak that they destroy all Certainty in that matter while levell'd against Tradition Corol. 18. 22. It follows that no Argument from any Authority publickly appearing in the world nor yet from intrinsecal mediums fetcht from second Causes in Nature can bear any show against Tradition Nor yet from private Effects pretended from the first Cause call'd Inspiration or Light of the Private Spirit Corol. 21. For besides what has been concluded for this point however this pretenâ—e may make the first Syllâ—â—gism yet when it comes to be prov'd that is made appear outwardly that the first Cause inspir'd thus or thus no extraordinary Effects proper to that Cause as miracles being producible their arguing or Proof is at an end however their Inward Adhesion stands There being then no other Argument imaginable but what is fetcht from Authority living or dead or else from Effects or Experience testifiable by those Authorities or from proper Effects or Causes in the ordinary course of natural things or from extraordinary private and unseen pretended Effects of the first Cause and none of these bearing any show against Tradition 'T is evident There is no possibility of arguing against Tradition rightly understood or the living voice of the Catholick Church with any show of Reason 24. Tradition is the First Principle in the way of Authority as it engages for matter of Fact long ago past For seeing that is the first Principle in any Knowledge into which all Knowledges in that kind are resolv'd to establish their Certainty and all ptetended Authorities for any matter of Fact long ago past Corol. 16. and consequently all Knowledges caus'd by the means of them are resolv'd finally into Tradition and depend on it for their Certainty it follows that Tradition is the very first Principle in the way of Authority as it undertakes for the truth of matters of Fact long ago past 25. Tradition in the matter of Tradition that is in matter of Fact before our time is Self-evident to all those who can need
but that Christ promist his Church Infallibility is not thus self-evident but needs other Knowledges to evidence it unless we will make all come by Inspiration Besides if God's Providence laid in second Causes for Tradition's Indeficiency be not Certain in its self abstracting from Christ's promise to his Faithful Tradition can never convey certainly that Promise to us It must then be assur'd to us by Scripture's Letter ascertain'd onely by imagin'd diligence from Copy to Copy not by Tradition that is that Letter could not be certain its self and so fit to ascertain others till Tradition's Certainty be establish't antecedently And were it suppos'd a true Letter this Letter Tradition being as yet suppos'd unknown to be able to convey down certainly Christs sence must be interpreted onely by private skills and so all the Churches Veracity that is all Mankinds Salvation must be built on that private Interpretation Private I say for in that supposition till the Scripture's Letter for that point be Interpreted certainly truly the Churches veracity or power to interpret it truly is not yet known which besides the common Rule that no Scripture is of private Interpretation is particularly and highly faulty in this case that it would make our Fundamental of Fundamentals the Certainty of our Rule of Faith rely on such a private Interpretation Moreover to say Tradition of the Church is Certain because Christ promist it puts it to be believ'd not seen and is the same in Controversy as it is in Nature to say in common such an Effect is wrought because 't is God's will which gives no account of that particular Effect but onely sayes something in common Wherefore since the Certainty of the Rule of Faith it being antecedent to Faith must be seen not believ'd a Controversial Divine ought to make it seen that is ought to demonstrate its Certainty and Indeficiency by intrinsecal mediums or dependence on proper Causes It signisies therefore no more in the Science of Controversy to say Christ promist than in Natural Science to answer to every Question in stead of showing a proper Cause that God wills it which is a good saying for a Christian as is also the other but neither of them a competent Principle either for Philosopher or Controvertist Consent Of AUTHORITY To the substance of the foregoing Discourses 1. THus far Reason Let 's see how 't is seconded by Authority And first by the Scriptures 2. For the Self-evidence of the Way to Faith or which is all one The Rule of Faith see the Prophet Isay c. 35. v. 8. This shall be to you a direct way so that Fools cannot err in it That is evident to the rudest Vulgar or self-evident else Fools might possibly err in it in case it needed any Skill of Discourse and were not obvious to Common Sense 3. Now what this Self-evident Rule is is most expressively declar'd by the same Prophet c. 59. v. 21. speaking of God's favour intended to the Gentiles that is of the Law of Grace This is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit which is in thee and my words which I have put in thy Mouth shall not depart from thy mouth and from the mouth of thy Seed and from the mouth of thy Seed's Seed from henceforth for ever Here we see God's promise to perpetuate Christ's Doctrin and on what manner that is by Oral Tradition or Delivering it from Father to Son by word of Mouth or Teaching not by scanning a Book put in their hands We see it promist also that this Tradition shall be Indefectible or Vninterrupted and Lastly that his Spirit or Sanctity is both in the Church and will continue ever with her which being so she must needs be supernaturally assisted by the Holy Ghost that is incomparably above the power of Nature to this Effect of perpetuating Christ's doctrin by Tradition 4. As pithy and home is that of the Prophet Ieremiah c. 31. I will give my Law in their Bowels and iâ— their Hearts will I write it and still more that of St. Paul contradistinguishing the Law of Grace from Moses his Law by this that the later was writ in Tables of Stone the former in the fleshy Tables of mens Hearts Both as express as can be imagined to send us for our Faith to living Sence in the hearts of the Faithful not to meer dead Letters in a Book that is recommending to us Tradition which is the perfectest and naturalest way imaginable to write them there as hath been shown Note the word Hearts which in the Metaphorical expression is the Principle of Action not of meeâ— Speculative Knowledge as is the word Brain Which intimates the Practical nature of Tradition and that it imprints Christs Law and conveys it down by Christian Carriage and Action not by Speculative scanning the significativeness of Characters in a Book Note also the word Fleshy which signifies that the manner of writing Christ's Law is through the affecting the Soul by her Inferiour part considering her as she is a virtue of understanding that is by Sensations which make strong and plain Impressions in Mankind according to their material part and so force into them Natural Knowledge Whence things thus imprinted are apt to settle themselves solidly and even sink deeply into the most material gross and vulgar understandings Quite contrary to which in all regards is the way of beginning with reading and labouring to understand certainly Letters in a Book which is a kind of Speculation and so belongs to the Superiour part of the Soul as she is understanding being Artificial both in the very Nature of such Characters the skill in Reading and highest skills requisit to Sence them with Certainty 5. After Scripture-verdict succeed next in order those of Councils I will onely mention three in several Ages leaving multitudes of others The first Synod of Lateran We all confirm unanimously and consequently with one heart and mouth the Tenets and sayings of the Holy Fathers adding nothing subtracting nothing of those things which are DELIVERâ—D VS quae TRADITA sunt nobis by them and we believe so as the Fathers have believed we preach so as they have TAVGHT The Council of Sardica in its Encyclical sent to all Catholick Bishops We have received this Doctrin we have been taught so we hold this Catholick Tradition Faith and Confession And the seventh General Council in its second Act. We imbu'd with the precepts of the Fathers have so confest and do confess In the Third we receive and venerate the Apostolical Traditions of the Church And in the seventh Act giving their final determination they declare the Grounds on which they proceed in these words We walking in the King's-high-way Regiam viam incedentes and relying on the Doctrin of our holy and divine Fathers and observing the TRADITION of the Catholick Church define c. where we see General Councils that is the greatest Authority in the Catholick Church relying on the Teaching of
Fathers or foregoing Church and on the Churches Tradition as on their Rule and the High-way to Faith whence they repute Catholick Tradition and Faith the same thing We see also the Amplitude of this Rule recommending to us all Faith so that nothing ought be added to it And how empty a pretence the Fathers in this Council judg'd it to disallow this Rule under pretext of being opposit to Scripture is seen by these words in their First Session They who contemn the Teachings of the Holy Fathers and TRADITION of the Catholick Church and bring for their excuse and inculcate the words of Arius Nestorius Eutyches and Dioscorus saying Vnless we were sufficiently instructed out of the Old and New Testament we would follow the Doctrins of the Fathers of the six holy Synods and the Traditions of the Catholick Church Let him be accursed So that they held private Instruction from Scripture insufficient to build Faith on or which is all one to be a Rule of Faith Also that it was ever the common pretence of the most execrable Hereticks of old to decline Tradition and pretend to sufficient Light from Scripture's Letter and lastly that since the Sence of Scripture in points of Faith is not attainable sufficiently or with Certainty by the bare Letter of Scripture and with Certainty by Tradition and that Tradition brings us down determinate Sence Tradition is to sence Scripture's Letter and so that Letter no Rule but by virtue of Tradition seeing Faith being Sence and Points of Faith determinate Sences Faith's Rule must bring us to such determinate Sences 6. After antient Councils let us give a glance at Fathers and see what they say to this Point Celestin Saint and Pope to the Fathers of the Ephesin Council Agendum igitur nunc c. Now therefore we must act with a common endeavour to preserve things believed and retain'd to this very time by SVCCESSION FROM THE APOSTLES Ireneus cap. 4. Quid autem c. But what if the Apostles had not left us the Scriptures ought we not to follow the Order of â—radition which they had deliver'd to those to whom they committed the Churches To which Ordination assent many Natiens of those Barbarians who believe in Christ having Salvation writ by the Spirit in their hearts without characters and Ink and diligently keeping the Ancient TRADITION In the former we have it told a General Council what their proper task is namely to keep or hold fast what was believ'd and kept and how by Succession from the Apostles or from hand to hand In the second that the Apostles when they gave Bishops their Charge ordained or made it their Duty to observe Tradition that this Way of Tradition was sufficient to receive Faith upon that is sufficient to be a Rule of Faith without Scripture and that de facto it did perform that office to many Nations without Scripture Lastly he calls this delivery from Father to Son the writing it in their hearts by the Spirit that is the work of the Holy Ghost or Supernatural however it connaturally descended and seems to counterpose this to writing by characters or Ink as if this were not so immediately at least the Holy Ghosts work In regard as plain reason tells us the Sence of those Letters or Faith must either be had by those Inward Characters writ in the Readers hearts by God's Spirit and so It not the Ink writes it there or else by human or Natural Skills which are not attributable to our Sanctifier the Holy Ghost 7. The same Father lib. 1. cap. 3. For though there be diverse Tongues in the world yet the virtue of Tradition is one and the same The preaching of the Church is true and firm in which one and the same way of Salvation is shown over the whole world Here we have but one Rule of Faith or way to Faith this the preaching or living voice of the Church which is not onely said to be true but also firm that is the Certainty of its Truth is built on solid Grounds or founded in the nature of things order'd by God's special Providence to that end To show which hath been the aim of my present endeavours 8. Origen is more express 1. Periarchôn Servetur verò c. Let the Churches preaching deliver'd from the Apostles by order of Succession and remaining in the Church to this present be preserv'd That onely Truth is to be believ'd which differs in nothing from the Churches Tradition And 29. in Matth. We ought not to believe otherwise than as the Churches of God have deliver'd us by Succession Where he directly makes Tradition the Rule to judge what 's sound what not that is the Rule of Faith 9. Tertullian lib. de carne Christi If thou beest but a Christian believe what is traditum deliver'd And speaking to an Heretick By renouncing what thou hast believ'd thou provest that before thou didst renounce it what thou believedst was otherwise It was then deliver'd otherwise Moreover what was Deliver'd that was True as deliver'd by those to whom it belong'd to deliver Wherefore renouncing what was Deliver'd thou hast renounc't what 's True So that in this Father's Judgment a Christian and Follower of Tradition are the same and that to renounce what comes by Tradition is to renounce Truth which amounts to this that Tradition is the Test of Christianity and Rule of Faith Also he intimates that it belongs to some to deliver to some not and if to any to whom but those who lay claim and adhere to Tradition or Delivery and are in possession of it not to those who are known to have broken from Tradition and impugn its Certainty 10. Athanasius in lib. de Synodis They have declar'd themselves to be Vnbelievers by Seeking what they have not All therefore that are Seekers of Faith are Vnbelievers They onely to whom Faith comes down from their Ancestors that is from Christ by Fathers do not seek and therefore they onely have Faith If thou comest to Faith by Seeking thou wast before an Vnbeliever And in his Discourse against Paulus Samosatenus de Incarnatione He that searches after those things which are beyond his strength stands upon a precipice but he that sticks to Tradition stands out of danger Wherefore we persuade you which also we persuade our selves that you retain the Faith Deliver'd Traditam Fidem and avoid prophane words of Novelty I wish the Protestants would seriously weigh the import of these Sayings of this Father and consider what it was which sustain'd him who was a Pillar of Faith in his dayes and then applying it see whether it fits to Catholicks or Them They would plainly discern that which they prize themselves most for that is for taking their Faith out of Judgment by finding and seeking it in the Scriptures is alone enough to show them not to be truly Faithful That God has promised a perfectly secure way to give them true Faith that is by
it self To omit here that he makes it the very temper of a Christian mind not to question Tradition he maintains Continuance of Time to be so far from weakening the Certainty of Traditionary points that it contributes to strengthen them more And the reason is because the Churches Doctrin spreads by Time and so the sway of Tradition's descent is ampler besides that every new Degree of Continuance establishes its Title to Possession and makes it hainouser to revolt from it And Effects show our discourse true for there were more variety of Heresies that is Renouncers of Tradition in the first 400 years after the Apostles than we read of in any 400 years since Nor that we may use a familiar Instance in Human Tradition does I conceive any man living more doubt now of Mahomets or Iulius Caesar's existence than within an 100 years after they liv'd 15. A few Notes well weigh'd will strengthen the force of these Allegations which even at first sight seem to look very favourably on our Cause I mind my Reader then First That almost every Citation alledg'd is of Councils or Fathers speaking directly against Hereticks that is in such Circumstances as put them to declare what fixt them Catholicks and what made the other Hereticks Secondly That though some Fathers and Councils speak highly of Scripture as that it contains all Faith c. 'T is first to be markt whether they speak of Scripture Senc't or as yet to be Sencâ—t and if the later by whom or whether any Fathers say that Scripture wrought upon by private Interpretation and Human Wit is apt to ascertain Faith or be the Rule of Faith which is the true point between the Renouncers of Tradition and us Thirdly They shall observe it frequent in Fathers to force Hereticks to accept the Sence of Scripture from those who gave them the Letter of Scripture and very frequent to Sence that Letter even when dark by Tradition but never to bend Tradition to the outward show the Scripture's Letter seems to bear as interpreted by human Skills or to say Universal Tradition is insufficient or uncertain unless the Scripture's Letter thus interpreted came to clear or assist it Lastly 't is impossible they should hold Scripture thus interpretable the Rule of Faith it being notorious that most Hereticks against whom they writ held it theirs And so had they held Scripture thus interpreted the Rule of Faith they could not have held them Hereticks since they adher'd stiffly to that Rule or Root of Faith however they might err in many particular Tenets Not to repeat how all the Properties of the Rule of Faith are urterly incompetent to Scripture's Letter This done all the Testimonies for Scripture against Tradition lose their edge That is if my discourse also hold the test it will appear by way of Fact as it did before by Argument that there is neither Reason nor Authority against Tradition So that I have no more to do but to show that our Church at present grounds her faith on Tradition as formerly which done it follows all the Substance of my foregoing Discourses is but an Explication of our Churches Sence 16. To know our Churches Sence in this point we will not fetch our Testimony from private Authours as is the Protestants mode when they would affix any thing upon her but we will attend to what her own living voice pronounc't in her late famous Representative the Council of Trent Where in every Session definitive of Faith It professes to follow TRADITION either in most express or equivalent Terms As Session 4th The Holy Synod clearly seeing that this Truth and Disciplin Christ's Doctrin is contain'd in the written Books and Traditions without writing which received by the Apostles from Christ's own mouth or from the very Apostles the Holy Ghost dictating as it were deliver'd by hands per manus Traditae have come down to us c. And Again Also the TRADITIONS both belonging to Faith and Manners as dictated orally by Christ or the Holy Ghost and conserved by CONTINVAL SVCSESSION in the Catholick Church c. Session 5. The Holy Council following the Iudgment aud Consent of the Church Ibid. § 4. As the Catholick Church where ever diffus'd hath alwayes understood it For by reason of this RVLE OF FAITH according to the TRADITION of the Apostles c. Session 6. It professes to follow that Doctrin which Christ taught the Apostles deliver'd and the Catholick Church the Holy Ghost suggesting perpetually or interruptedly retain'd Session 7. The Holy Synod adhering to the Holy Scripture the Traditions of the Apostles and the Consent of Councils and Fathers Session 13. The sound and sincere doctrin which the Catholick Church hath ever kept and will ever keep to the end of the World And again For so ALL OVR ANCESTOVRS that ever were in the tru Church of Christ most openly have profest And yet again cap. 3. This Faith was ever in the Church So cap. 4. It was ever held in God's Church More such like Expressions are found in the same Session But to proceed Session 14. chap. 1. The Consent of ALL the Fathers EVER understood c. Chap. 5. The Church of God NEVER taught nor held c. Chap. 5. The Vniversal Church EVER understood that c. Chap. 7. It was ever held in God's Church Chap. 8. It was PERPETVALLY COMMENDED by our Fathers to Christian people No Catholick EVER held c. And in the same Session concerning Extream Unction alledging S. Iames his Text it adds By which words AS THE CHVRCH HATH LEARNED BY TRADITION RECEIV'D DOWN BY HANDS he teacheth c. And Can. 3. As the Catholick Church EVER understood from the beginning c. Can. 6. Which the Catholick Church ever observ'd from the beginning and doth observe c. Session 21. chap. 1. The Council professes to follow the Iudgment and CVSTOME of the Church Chap. 2. It declares that this power has PERPETVALLY been in the Church Session 22. That the antient Faith and doctrin may be retain'd in the Church Ibid. cap. 1. As the Catholick Church EVER understood and taught Chap. 1. According to Apostolical TRADITION Session 23 Holy Writings show it and the TRADITION of the Catholick Church ever taught it Chap. 2. They are known to have been in use from the very Beginning of the Church Session 24. The Holy Fathers Councils and the VNIVERSAL TRADITION of the Church have ALWAYES taught And speaking of some Errors It pronounces them different from the Catholick Church and from the CVSTOME approved SINCE THE APOSTLES TIME Session 25. The Catholick Church instructed by the Holy Ghost teaches out of Sacred Writings and the ANTIENT TRADITION of the Church c. According to the use of the Catholick and Apostolick Church TRADITAM deliver'd from the first or Primitive times of Christian Religion c. More Expressions of the like strain are found in this Session And to close up all in their Acclamation they use this
form of words This is the Faith of Blessed Peter this is the Faith of the Fathers this is the Faith of the Orthodox From which Testimonies note we 17. First That the Council in every Session not one excepted where Points of Faith are handled constantly professes to follow TRADITION Secondly It layes claim perpetually to Vninterruptedness of this Tradition as appears by the words ever alwayes from the Apostles times from the beginning from the Apostles have come down by hands to us The Church hath alwayes understood held openly profest taught hath ever kept and will ever keep perpetually commended by our Fathers hath learned by Tradition received down by hand hath ever observed and such like Plainly showing that this Persuasion of our Faith's descent uninterruptedly is deeply and unanimously rooted in the heart of the whole Catholick Church Which strengthens our Doctrin Disc. 8. § 2. and 3. 3ly It makes the Suggestion of the Holy Ghost or Sanctity in the hearts of the Faithful efficacious to perpetuate the delivery of received Doctrin See Sess. 6. Decreto de Iustificatione Sess. 13. de SS Euchar. Sacramento and many other places The very point I went about to explicate in my 9. Discourse 4ly 'T is observable that though it mentions the Holy Scriptures also with Tradition yet this is both very rarely and when it does so It onely expresses that Faith is contain'd in them but when it brings Places of Scripture to ground Definitions upon It perpetually professes to Interpret them by Tradition Which is most Evident both by its decreeing this in common Sess. 4. That none dare to interpret Holy Scriptures against the Sence which our Holy Mother the Church hath held and does hold meaning that Sence in the Hearts of the Faithful is the Rule to interpret Scripture by see Corol. 30. As also by several Instances Sess. 5. § 4. Sess. 14. Can. 3. Sess. 22. cap. 1. and to omit others in that most remarkable plaâ—e Sess. 14. In which after the Text of S. Iamesâ—lledg'd â—lledg'd for Extream Unction the Council subjoins In which words as the Church hath learn'd by Apostolical Tradition received down by hands be teaches c. Where Tradition is most evidently made the Rule which instructs and guides the Church in interpreting Scripture And 't is observable that the Council no where grounds any definition on Scripture but at the same time she grounds her Interpretation of Scripture on Tradition which devolves into this that the Council makes Tradition her onely Rule to know Certainly Christ's Sence or Points of Faith that is in proper speaking the onely Rule of Faith 18. But why then is the Holy Scripture made use of at all by the Council and that so solemnly nay and which is to be noted constantly put before Tradition To satisfy fully this difficulty 't is not the proper season at present yet being a good point and worth clearing I will not totally neglect it We may observe then that when we read any Book writ by an Authour we much esteem but yet such a Book as requires studying Aristotle's for Example or some other such whom we hold Scientifical we sometimes hope well as it were when we apply our own Industry to find out his meaning and have a kind of respect for what we conceive to be his Sence yet his Authority takes not full hold of our Understanding by reason the way we take is not evidently convictive that this is his Certain Sence But if the Point he writes on be first clear'd to us through a Scientifical discourse by word of mouth made by some Interpreter vers'd in his Doctrin and perfectly acquainted with his meaning we have as it were new Eyes given us to look deeply and thoroughly into his Sence and by this Security of arriving at it his Authority in case we highly esteem'd it has now its full force upon us to strengthen our Assent according to the degree of power it had upon our Understanding Now what a well-skill'd and insighted Interpreter or scientifical Explicater of the point is to such an Author the same is Tradition to Scripture For This bringing down Certainly Christ's Sence in every Point of Faith It easily and securely guides us to the true meaning of Scripture in those passages which concern such a point whereas the wordish way of Grammar and Criticism being evident by Principles to be ambiguous and by Experience to lead men into different Sences it can never satisfy us thoroughly that the Sence we arrive at by this method is infallibly the true one or Christs and so never engages certainly the Authority of GOD'S WORD And hence it is that Scripture thus interpreted is of sleight force and at best good onely for Ecclesiastical Rhetorick or Sermons where the concern is not much if the Preacher misses in this particular passage so the Substance of the Point he preaches on or his Text be truly Christ's doctrin nor is Scripture thus interpreted even a competent proof in the Science of School-Divinity as being Uncertain and so unapt to beget Science whence Intelligent Divines quoting and building on Scripture are to be suppos'd to judge the Sence they build on to be the Churches and so they are presum'd to go to work as Faithful or parts of Ecclesia docens or else they lay true Science first which is ever agreeable to Faith and so when any Text concerns a demonstrated point they know by Science what the true Sence of that Point must be Much less is Scripture wordishly interpreted apt to build Faith on the unwaveringness of which kind of Assent must be grounded and secure in the Principles which beget it and not meerly actually such as it were by accident whereas Interpretations thus made Faith's Principles in this case are liable to possible if not probable mistake This will be clearer by a parallel made by a learned Authour worth inserting because it strengthens our Discourse by a new Consideration Let a Critick and a skill'd Carpenter read Vitruvius his Book of Architecture the Critick has but a dim dry and uncertain conceit of what he reads as to the truth of the thing but the Carpenter or Architect by reason of some Principles and Practice he has already of those matters understands him more thoroughly and makes lively and firm conceits of the truth and excellency of what he writes Such is the Practical way of knowing Christs Sence or Tradition to the interpreting Scripture usâ—d by the Catholick Church in comparison of the Critical Method affected by others In a word Tradition gives us Christs Sence that is the Life of the Letter ascertaind to our hands which therefore must needs move the Letter its Body naturally The other way takes the dead Letter and endeavours to move it Artificially to counterfeit that Life which it truly wants 19. To apply this Discourse to our matter in hand Tradition securing to us the Scripture's Letter truly significative of Christ's Sence and also the
true Sence of that Letter in Points of Faith deliver'd See Coroll 29. 30 it follows that Scripture alledged by the Church relying on Tradition for its Rule engages certainly and fully the very Authority of the Divinely inspir'd Writer himself and gives that Testimony the whole Effect upon our understanding which that Sacred Writers Authority deserves to have given it No wonder then the Council proceeding upon Traditionary Interpretation as it constantly declares it self to do honours Scripture-Testimony so as to put it before Tradition or the delivery of Christs Doctrin from hand to hand Scripture thus alledg'd and securd having the same force as if the Apostle or Evangelist himself should sit in the Council and by way of living voice declar'd his own Sence in the matter to whom thus present what deference the Council would have given is obvious to be imagin'd Hence also the Protestant may see what high esteem our Church gives to Gods Word truly so calld that is having Gods Sence certainly-known to be such in it and that 't is onely the outward Letter as us'd to hammer a Faith out of by wordish skills that is indeed their Method of interpreting it which by reason of its Uncertainty falls short of engaging the Sacred Authority of Gods Word we fleight and scorn And most justly since 't is the having no better way to work on Scripture which has brought Scripture it self thus usâ—d to scorn and contempt as appears in the carriage of our Bedlam of new Sects in England I expect here some mighty man of talk but very weak Speculator should object that this is an excellent way to bring all into our Churches hands But till he can prove that both Letter Sence of Scripture are knowable with such a Certainty as to build on them that most firm Assent call'd Faith by any other way than this of Tradition I can neither hinder my Inferences nor will he ever be able to confute my discourse 20. Thus much to show evidently that the Substance of the Doctrin we have given in our former Discourses is the very Sence of our Church at present and that her present Sence in this matter is agreeable to the Judgment of Antient Fathers and Councils I have no more to do now but to show that at the very time of the Breach here in England the Catholick was found adhering fast to this Rule of Tradition renounc't by the Protestant This is evident by the Protestants own confession For as oft as you hear them alledge that England was formerly overgrown with Popery that the new Light of the Gâ—spel hath of late discovered it self that they reformâ—d in Faith that the former Church errd and such like expressions which naturally must burst out from them so oft you hear them acknowledge themselves Deserters of Tradition and Innovators Which Expressions of theirs by the way easily manifest to the most vulgar understanding who â—tis that hath renounct Tradition whence it being also easily evidenceable to the rudest capacity that Tradition is a most certain way of bringing down Faith Disc. 5. § 8. the most vulgar Soul is capable of knowing which Profession it is to follow For the two former points being known they are Certain by motives within their own Ken that Protestants have renounct the Certain way to bring down Faith but that we renounct Tradition of old is unacknowledged by us disputable and onely knowable by skills they are not Masters of Common Sense then teaching them they must guide themselves by reasons they are capable of and not by reasons of which they know nothing and that God requires no more at their hands than they can do Gods goodness has provided for those weak people out of the very Confessions of Traditionâ—s deserters Certain means to judge whether they ought to be Catholicks or Protestants But to return whence we diverted 21. It is not onely the Protestants own Confession but the open Profession of the Catholick Clergy in the very nick of the Breach manifests our claim and constant adherence to Tradition Whose Declaration found in the Synodal Book 1559. begins thus Because by relation of publick Fame it hath lately come to our knowledge that many Tenets of Christian Religion hitherto received and approvâ—d by the Publick and 〈◊〉 Consent of Christian Nations and BROVGHT DOWN BY HANDS even from the Apostles to Vs are callâ—d into doubt Therefore c. Where we find them stick firmly to Tradition And insisting on this Principle they proceed to make a Profession of their Faith which they exhibit to the Bishops to be given to the Lord Keeper but the State by power over-bearing the Votes of the Reverend Convocation and persecuting them for their constancy the Breach ensuâ—d The Catholick cleaving fast to his Old Rule Tradition the Protestants chusing a new one of Scripture privately interpreted whose vanity a little reason makes them see but experience perfectly find and relinquishing the Antient Rule so demonstrably self-evident secure and solid By which means they became cut off from the onely Certain way to know Christs Sence that is from the Root of Faith and consequently from the Body of the Church The Guilt of which Fact neither Human Authority Multitude Prosperity Continuance nor yet all their Voluminous wordish Excuses will ever be able to Efface ANIMADVERSIONS On Dr. Pierce's Sermon Also on Mr. Whitby and Mr. Stillingfleet where they touch the Way lay'd in the foregoing Discourses In Three Appendixes Psalm 63. Sagittae parvulorum factae sunt Plagae eorum Anno Dom. 1665. TRANSITION To The following APPENDIXES I Have finisht my Discourse how dexterously must be determin'd by the Iudgment of my Readers and Confutation from mâ—â—e Adversaries But I account those onely my proper Iudges competent Adversaries who lay their Principles ere they discourse and weigh the efficaciousness of their Testimonies in the Scales of Reason ere they alledge them If I find a man laying no Principles of his own but supposing them and making account all men must admit them out of respect to him or his party and yet bend all his endeavours to cavil at Principles laid by others to ascertain and establish the Groundwork of Christianity If I find one ignorant of or resolv'd against the onely-Certain method and Rule of Discourse which is that No Position deserves Assent unless the Connexion of its Terms be Evident which must either be when they are Evidently connected of themselves of which nature ought to be all First Principles or made evidently-connected by the interposition of some other which we call Evident-by-consequence or Deduction Lastly if I find a man wedded to Parrat-talk of Ayr and Sounds that he thinks it a rare thing to load margents with Citations without first distinguishing them and considering what strength each ought to have according to rational Principles I decline such an empty Soul for my Iudge and sleight him as mine Adversary And lest any should impute this carriage to me
her Certainty is the First Principle in the Science of Controversy 6. This tenour of my Discourse briefly reflected on I beg of my intelligent Reader to regard it once more in the bulk and he will see that I begin with Self-evident Principles That my Principles are antecedent to Authorities and so are competent means to judge Authorities by that I studiously avoid wordish ambiguity which Rhetorical Discoursers ly open to holding rigorously to the notion or meaning of the words that I lay but the meaning of two familiar words Rule and Faith for the basis of all my Discourse that I endeavour to pursue my Principles by very obvious and immediate connexions that all the way I attend heedfully to and build upon the Natures of the Things which in short devolves to this that it may be hop't at least by my method that there needs nothing but Time and Industry to frame and make up in rigorous demonstrative form that sence which I have here deliver'd in a way more sutable to the temper of the World and ease of my Readers who may see Evidence in my Discourse without being oblig'd to bend their brains to study my Book with that severity as they would do an Euclid 7. When this is done let my Reader reflect on all the Discourses concerning Faith made by any Protestant and see how far they are short from I will not say any such performance but even an Attempt of Evidence First Principles they lay none and consequently Evidence of Deduction cannot be expected from them for wanting First Principles 't is nonsence and folly to talk of deducing Again For want of such Principles they want Certainty of any Text of Scripture to justify it against an Atheist or Deist They want Self-evident Principles to guide them in interpreting their Vncertain Letter and so confute other Sects which differ from their Church and the method they take to do it is evidently quite of another nature than Scientifical They have nothing upon account of Living Teachers which ascertain Sence so that you must to find your Faith not build upon the sence of two or a few familiar words but of an whole large Book that is on millions of words and those too not onely unsenc't but also very abstruse and mysterious They suppose all which is antecedent to Faith that is all Principles which are to induce Faith and so make no Provision for the Grounds of Christianity against Heathens and Atheists The Natures of Things they are so far from proceeding upon that they not so much as mind or think of them nor I doubt fancy or value that method when set before their eyes Principles to weigh each Testimony by they lay none and so quote at randome Certainty they seek not nor care for for they quote the Fathers and Scripture as by themselves interpreted and yet neither hold the Testimony of Fathers Infallible nor yet themselves in interpreting Scripture yet plainest reason tells us that unless the Fathers or themselves were Infallible hic nunc in this saying or interpretation they were hic nunc Fallible that is all built on that Testimony or Interpretation is contingent and Vncertain yet of such Citations no better authoriz'd clâ—d perhaps in some fine words the Books of their best Champions are made up So that they are convinc't not to study Things but Words that is not to be Scholars or Knowers but Empty Talkers and so the effect of their endeavours can never be satisfaction to an intelligent soul but onely tickling the Ear or pleasing the Fancy 9. As I have shown this Vngrounded proceeding of the Protestants by Principles so I intend to do the same by Instances but ere I go about this undertaking I think fit to meet with an Objection obvious to many Readers 'T is this that 'T is strange all Catholicks do not take this way it being so conclusive as well as I. 10. I answer that all Truths being connected 't is evident each Truth even for being such is maintainable several wayes especially Supreme â—nd very concerning ones Amongst which wayes some are sutable to some capacities others to others Wherefore Catholick Controvertists esteeming themselves Debtors both Sapientibus or to those who judg of things per altissimas causas and Insipientibus or those who do not so nor fly higher than a prudential pitch and the later of these being the Generality hereupon the Charity and Prudence of those learned Opposers of Dr. Pierce and very many others have thought fit to address to These by answering his Testimonies particularly leaving me the way of Reason and Principles though in danger to receive much disadvantage by my imperfect delivery and securer under the managery of their abler heads and pens I declare therefore that I intend no confutation of any of those Authours nor to share in the victory of those excellent Champions of Truth It being perhaps needless to the Generality however very satisfactory to examining Wits to confute that in Common which is already confuted by Retail I write more against their Way than their Books Yet if any will be so charitable as to judge my short hints to bear the force of a solid Confutation because they radically and fundamentally overthrow all their Arguments and very Method of arguing if it be Truth 's advantage I shall give God thanks for it and be glad of it But the main is it imports not in maintaining Truth what others do or do not but if it be shown that Catholick Principles I mean the living voice of the Catholick Church or Tradition our Rule of Faith can bear such a rigorous test of Reason and appear more lustrous and bright by so severe a trial and on the contrary that the Principles of the Revolters from her are so little solid so volatil and meerly made up of Fancy that they evaporate into ayr and even shrink into nothing when set in the mid-daâ— beams of Truth the Rules of Evidence I desire no higher an honour to the Catholick Church nor deeper discredit to her Adversaries FIRST APPENDIX Animadversions on the Groundlesness of Dr Pierce's Sermon 1. LOoking about for Instances of Protestants Books most proper to be confuted by my former Doctrin my thoughts pitcht naturally on Mr Whitby's where he goes about to settle rationally his Rule of Faith and on Mr Stillingfleet's where he opposes the way of Reason and the Certainty of Tradition But it seem'd convenient to take to task also some Adversary who insisted on Testimonies and bring him to Grounds because in the way of Reason which brings Testimonies to Grounds to confute one is in a manner to confute all Dr Hamond seem'd proper but his Book is now out of vogue if it were ever in it for I never heard past two or three persons speak of it and I am sure the best Protestant Wits of our Nation never valued him as a smart and efficacious Writer Besides the Notes I have lately given upon the
and my Grounds why I then believ'd rest still unchang'd nay are unchangeable But yet Reason acts much differently now then â—ormerly Before I came at Faith she acted about her own Objects Motives or Maxims by which she scand the Authorities we spoke of But in Acts of Faith she hath nothing to do with the Objects of those Acts or Points of Faith She is like a dimsighted man who us'd his Reason to find a trusty Friend to lead him in the twi-light and then reli'd on his guidance rationally without using his own Reason at all about the Way it self To make this clearer we may distinguish two sences in the word Reason one as 't is taken for that natural Faculty which constitutes Man which Faculty never deserts or ought to desert us in any action that is Manly or virtuous The other as 't is taken for that Power wrought upon by motives under its own ken in the same sence we call it human Reason by which is not meant the natural Power unactuated or abstractedly for then the word human were a Taâ—tology but Reason as conversant with such objects or inform'd by such knowledges as are commonly found within the sphere of our natural condition as Men such as are those which beget Science And this leaves us when we have once found the Authority now spoken of the Objects of Faith formally speaking being out of her reach nor is she thus understood the motive of our Assent to the verity of the Point of Faith but AVTHORITY onely Wherefore into Authority onely Faith as such is resolvd finally though if you go about to resolve the Rationalness of assenting to the Authority it self it will light into those Evident Reasons which your naturall power of reason as yet uninform'd by Faith but by motives or maxims within its own sphere was capable to wield 5. Reason therefore taken for my natural Power is my Eye or interiour sight as inform'd by common Principles or Maxims antecedent to Faith my Guid to bring me to believe Authority and those motives or Maxims are the Rules to my Reason by attending to which she hath virtue or skill to set her own thoughts right that is to guid me in my way to Faith but when I have once come to beleeve Authority that is come to Faith not Reason but Authority is my Guid for I follow Authority and not my Reason in judging what is Faith what not and though the Light of that naturall power never deserts me yet Reason as rul'd by her own natural maxims is useless to me as a Guid or those Maxims as a Rule for I apply neither of these to the mysteries of Faith to scan their verity or falsity by but purely rely upon Authority and beleeve them Authority then is my Guid and in the Infallibility of that Authority consists the power or virtue it has to guide me right that is to regulate or rule me as one of the Faithfull or as one who must have such Certain Grounds of my Assent as I may securely build my Salvation on This Authority then as it is Inâ—allible is also my Rule in my beleeving or the Rule of my Faith This of my Rule of Faith in Common against Adversaries of Faith in common But with Protestants who grant Christ to be God and consequently his words or doctrine true the onely Rule and Guid we need is to lead us into the Knowledge of what he said and assure it to us We affirm then that the Catholick Church is the Guid we follow and her Infallibility consisting in Tradition our Rule of Faith Hence all Catholicks profess her doctrin uninterruptedly succeeding from the Apostles time and so to continue to the end of the World hence with one voice they lay claim to Christs gracious Assistance to her in defending her from over-growing Errors against Faith or Heresies hence all profess to hear and follow her and pledge undoubtingly even the security of their salvation by relying on the Certainty of her Living Voice for their Tenets and on her Disciplin for the Practice of their Faith And though some Schoolmen make Scripture a partial Rule of Faith yet they can mean onely materially not formally that is that some part of Faith is signifi'd by Scripture's Letter not that Scripture's Letter alone is sufficient securely to signify it to private understandings so as to beget that most strong firm Assent found in Divine Faith as is evident by this that all hold no Scripture is of private Interpretation all hold the living voice of the Church and her constant Practice are the best Interpreters of Scripture Now Faith being Tenets and Sence that must be 〈◊〉 the Rule of Faith which ascertains us of Christs Sence not the materiall Characters which that Certain Interpreter we call the Church works upon and by her Practicall Tradition interprets 6. 'T is high time now to look back upon Dr. Pierce and his party how justly they deal with us and how mistakingly they discourse when they come to the Grounds of their Faith 7. First by the tenour of his discourse he would seem to obtrude upon us a Tenet which none but perfect mad-men could hold namely that we profess we have no reason why we believe the Church which devolves to this that we must profess we have as much reason to believe an old wife's dream as our Faith since there can be no less reason than none at all And hence he will needs assure the Reader that therefore the Enthusiastick Sectaries are in part Romish Proselytes c. And indeed upon so gross a calumny layd down for his principle and a sober Truth what might he not conclude with equal reason he might have inferr'd that all Bedlam were Catholicks and that to turn mad were to turn a Romanist But his carriage to put this upon Mr. S. C. is strangely unjust since he knows and hints it that he writ a Book upon his declaring himself Catholick entitled Motives of his Conversion does he think the word Motives does not signify Reasons or that to write an whole Book of Reasons why he adhea'd to the Catholick Church signifies that he renounc't all reason why he believ'd her 8. Next as for his own tenet he layes this for his Ground that Reason alone is Iudge in all cases I will propose him one case and 't is the Existence of a Trinity To work now with your Reason about this object and see how you evince it I doubt your best reasons will crack ere you make all ends meet But you mean you must have Reason to believe it I conceive speaking properly you should rather say you must have Reason to believe the Authority and Authority to believe It for Belief is as properly relative to Authority as Science is to an Act of true Reason or Evidence Whence 't is as incongruous to say I must have Reason to believe such a Point as to say I know such a point Scientifically by Authority
Again for God's love who ever deny'd they ought to have reason to believe the Churches Authority Is any thing more frequent in our Controvertists and Divines treating of the Ground of Faith than large Discourses concerning Motives of Credibility 9. Thirdly he saies that disputing with Romanists whether Scripture be the sole Rule he means t is so limitedly that is between Christians who have already acknowledged Scripture a Rule of Faith By which I see Mr Whitby guides him self by sounds though he must need know if he knows any thing of Catholick Tenâ—â—â— our sence is quite different I beseech you Sir deal fairly with us Is not that speaking formally and properly the Rule of Faith which gives us Christs sence and does not that give us the Sence of Scripture which regulates us in the Interpretation of it Did ever Catholick then hold that Scripture interpreted on any fashion much less on your fashion by private Judgments or reasons regulated by Grammatical skill Criticisms and such like verbal knowledges is a Rule of Faith nay do not we constantly abhor this way as the Source of Heresy Take us right then we hold not Scripture's Letter alone a Rule but Scripture interpreted by the Church that is indeed the Church formally speaking and so you see you mistake our Principle Yet upon our joint-agreement in this your Discourse against us proceeds Retrive it then you see your Errour Again you tell us Scripture is your new Rule but forget quite in your discourse to tell us that your Reason assures you Scripture is to be the onely Rule or why it should be so since besides what I have demonstrated to the Contrary in my former Discourses 't is evident Christian Religion had descended many steps ere the Scripture's parts were much scatter'd much less the Whole collected and no less clear that that can never be a Rule or Way to Faith which many follow yet their thoughts straggle into many several Judgments not in indifferent points but in that of the Trinity amongst the rest as your self profess of the Socinian that he rejects not the Trinity in the first place because it seems a contradiction but because 't is not clearly discover'd in Scripture by which you see he adheres firm to your Rule and so ought to be acknowledg'd one of your Church since though he hap to differ in some points yet he holds fast the Rule common to both which is the substantiallest Principle of a Church as such being the Ground of all Faith And indeed your Kindness to him here and your tender care not to displease him shows you have a true brotherly affection for him Though I fear he he will con you small thanks for making his Principle run thus That which is not clearly revealâ—d in Scripture and is coniradictory ti reason is not to be believ'd which seems to imply that were it clear in Scripture yet contradictory to Reason then he would notwithstanding belive it An over-strain of Piety no Socinian was ever guilty of and I can assure you no learned Catholick Divine I ever heard of ever made such an Act of Faith But 't is another case if it onely seems contradictory and is not judg'd by him to be evidently such for then there is room left in his mind for the contrary Assent of Faith to settle there 10. You say you prescribe not the doctrin imputed to the Socinians because it makes Reason the Iudge of Faith but the Rule of Faith Pray take pains to consider what you say He that judges must have some Principles in his head by which he is regulated in making such a Judgment those Principles then must be his Rule in that Action and if that Judgment be an adhesion to a point of Faith those Principles are his RULE OF FAITH Examin now well your own thoughts whether your Principles by which you find out certainly by interpreting Scripture this is God's sence or a point of Faith be not Maxims of your human Reason I am sure in disputes against us you prove and defend your Faith by such skills as Languages History and other Knowledges got by Human Learning and consequently hold It your selves upon the tenour of those skills which therefore are your Rule of Faith and not upon the bare Letter You I know will deny it But I beg your second thoughts to reflect that a Rule to such an Effect is the immediate Knowledge to the Power as conversant about that Effect and that if another intervene it regulates the former which thereupon becomes the thing ruled not the Rule Do then these skills clear the Letter of Scripture that is make known Gods Sence to you If so since their Immediate effect is to clear it 't is impossible to deny but they are at least part of the Revelation for revealing is clearing and God's Sence was not clearly revealed but by those means that is by human maxims and so they are at least the more formal part of your Rule of Faith Again I ask might you not have mistaken the true Sence without those Human Maxims If so then They and not Scripture's Letter were your Rule If not then onely common Sence is requisit to understand clearly what 's reveal'd in Scripture and then either your Brother Socinian or you want Common Sence which I think you 'l scarce say 11. But will you see you still hold Reason your Rule notwithstanding you cry up the Written word Find you not there expresly that God has hands feet nostrils and passions like ours and this in clear terms Why is it not then a point of Faith You will not answer sure it is against Maxims of Reason you renounc't them formerly p. 94. when you had found out your new Rule and onely allow'd your Reason power to judge if a point were sufficientlie reveal'd that it is most rational to 〈◊〉 it self though it seem to contradict or thwâ—â—â— Reason Now this is sufficiently reveal'd being plainly writ in your Rule of Faith and the direct Letter of Scripture why will you not then captivate your Reason and believe it I see you do but complement with God's incomprehensible Knowledge in speaking so highly of it and so humbly of your own shallow Intellâ—ct Will you deny a point of Faith so plainly reveald for your own capricho or conceit Perhaps you 'l say 't is not clearly reveal'd because the contrary is plain in Scripture too I ask is it as plain if not it cannot overthrow the title of This to be a point of Faith If as plain why should you not believe both Be valiant Sir and believe a contradiction it being clearly reveal'd Perhaps it seems but such and then your own profession p. 94. obliges you to admit it You that can acknowledge an Infinit extension of space when you say all the world besides does so too sure you thought all the World was in your Fancy may also hold Materia ab aeterno and that it is onely a part
with such a person were not he mad that is a renouncor of Reason or Man's Nature who should not believe them You see then these Witnesses have power to propose such an Object as can oblige to Belief You see the Dissenters are Irrational that their act of dissenting springs from some Passion or Vice and Vice is punishable and so is the Effects of that Dissent if it be in such a matter as is highly pernicious to Mankind's best concerns Now our Church makes account she is able to propose an Authority incomparably more ample than the Attestation now spoken of for the true Descent of her Faith and judges such a proposal founded on the eye-sight of all those Witnesses to be able to oblige to interiour Assent in such a degree as to render them most highly wilful vicious and irrational who should disbelieve it hence the crime intrenching upon the order to mankind's Salvation the highest concern imaginable both to edify those dissenters by correcting their vice and the circumstant Faithful by breeding a conceit in them through the punishment of the others of the sacredness of Faith and its Rule and the hainousness of Pride of understanding the ready way to all Heresies they may nay ought punish their Interiour Dissent Not out of an height of Authority without motives as Mr. Whitby conceits but because that Authority is her self such a motive to Belief that onely irrational vicious and wilfully-blind persons can recede from it by disbelief And hence our Churches procedure is rational natural sweet and charitable tending to amend an enormity of Will not bred from a rationally but passionate dissatisfy'd Understanding Nay Mr. Whitby's discourse justifies Our Churches procedure who seems to allow his Church a power to require a positive Assent when the case comes to be such that the denier of it must needs be held wilfull and our Church neither sayes nor acts otherwise 15. By this Discourse I would not have Mr Whitby imagin that I am about proving our Churches Infallibility in this place but onely showing that holding She can evidence her Authority She goes rationally to work and consonantly to her self in requiring Assent to her Proposals whereas Theirs confessing her self fallible even in interpreting Scripture upon which all both her Faith and Authority as a Church depends were self-condemn'd irrational and tyrannical if She should go about to require any such Interiour Assent Now though he in big words denies this to be her carriage asking when did they meaning Bishops Convocations or Parliaments challenge any power over our minds and Consciences and alledges the consent of their Divines for it yet I wonder what he thinks of the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy made by a Protestant Parliament is there no obligation there to hold any thing Yes as strong as Oath can tye it And which is worse 't is more Irrational to go about to bind Our Assents who are not of their Church than to bind their own Subjects This in practice is perform'd towards all but so imprincipled a procedure that their Church waves it when it comes to a rational scanning in a Dispute and Controversy acknowledging so their want of Grounds to make it good Which shows that the Authority of their Church sprang from the Parliament or Secular State in regard She professes her self very heartily content with external Obedience let the Interiour Assent goes where it will most unlike the Church settled by the Wisdome of the Eternal Father and constituted the Pillar and Ground of Truth who provided in the first place for the Churches Power to hold us to the same Tenets which are the Principles of our Actions knowing that unless the Root of Faith be sound the Actions its branches must needs be rotten and unconscientious and that no Congregation could long hold together nor indeed longer than the plain force of the Secular Sword aw'd them unless by power to evidence its Authority it had power to oblige men's Understandings connaturally to an Unity in the same Faith which done all else would follow And hence we may see confessedly in the Protestant Principles the reason of their present and past distractions and divine of the future for men's Fancies being naturally various and no power in her to keep them in an Union they must needs ramble into multitudes of dissenting Sects which to strive to unite into one were to force both Nature and Conscience too Nature in striving to unite their Understandings in Faith without offering them Evidence of Authority Conscience in binding them to Act as Protestants do whereas they are ready to stake their Salvation upon it that their best reasons working upon the very Rule of Faith Protestants recommend obliges them to the contrary and that to force them to act with Them is to force them to sin So that the Protestants at once profess they will not or cannot oblige their Vnderstandings and yet at the same time contend by force to oblige their Wills without nay against their Understandings 16. In a word let Protestants write talk quote words as long as they will Plainest Common Sence tells them and every man who considers it that unless they settle some undisputable Method of arriving at Christ's Sence or Faith that is some self-evident and so all-obliging Rule of Faith the Protestant Church can never hope for Power to reduce their Dissenters nor to hold together or govern efficaciously their own Subjects that is they can never hope for Unity within themselves nor lastly Union with them that have it and charitably endeavour they may have it too THIRD APPENDIX Animadversions On Some Passages in Mr. Stillingfleet 1. THe loud Fame of Mr. Stillingfleet's Book preventing its Publication and withall the report of his good parts coming from diverse Judicious Persons bred in me a great Impatience to see something of his other Writings that so I might have more solid Ground to build my Expectation on than common rumour or commendation of acquaintances A Protestant Friend show'd me a little Treatise of his concerning Excommunication I perus'd the beginning of it and immediately told him Mr. Stillingfleet was a very ingenious person and writ the best I ever yet saw any Protestant For he settled first his notion or the true nature of the Thing and thence attempted by intrinsecal mediums to draw immediate Consequences which show'd that his head lay right for Science But withal I assur'd my Friend 't was impossible he could write against us and take that method the nature of his Cause not enduring so severe a Test. His Book coming forth and bearing in its Title a Rational Account of the Grounds of Protestant Religion my Expectation was more erected and till my self could get leasure to peruse it I told diverse both Catholicks and Protestants that they might expect from Mr. Stillingfleet's Wit the most that could be said either for the later or against the former But coming to over-look cursorily his Infallibility of Tradition