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scripture_n	church_n	err_v	infallible_a	2,189	5	9.8254	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B22558	The Popish labyrinth wherein is made manifest, that the Papists are entangled in the fundamental article of their faith, that the church cannot erre / written in Dutch by ... Dr. Simon Episcopius, unto which is added, The life and death of the author ; as also, The life and death of James Arminius, both of them famous defenders of God	Episcopius, Simon, 1583-1643.; Bertius, Petrus, 1565-1629. Oratio in obitum reverendi & clarissimi viri D. Jacobi Arminii. English.; Chardon de Courcelles, Etienne, 1705-1775? Short and compendious history of Simon Episcopius.	1673 (1673)	Wing E3163	56,195	122

that he was never after to be so much as counted for a Pope as appears by the 11. and 12. Session CHAP. V. That none can lawfully decide this Question LO in what an intricate and inextricable Labyrinth the Papist sticks as to the first and chief Foundation of his Religion to wit that even to this day he cannot tell what that Church is that cannot err or which is that Head of the Church that is not subject to errour but he must contradict many and divers Catholick Churches and Doctors Nor can the Mind of Man devise any means whereby to bring Him out of this Maze of Errors into the way For who shall determine and decide this without Errour For either the Pope or a Council shall determine this Question disjunctly or conjunctly that is apart or together Disjunctly it is impossible because neither of them can remove the Controversie For as long as it doth not appear or it is not agreed whether is the true Church which cannot err neither can decide this Question by a Peremptory and infallible Judgment And if either should assume this right to himself it would justly be suspected by the other Party And he would in very deed make himself a Judge in his own Cause For if either deliver his Right unto other he will not only commit an unworthy Deed For to deliver the Right of supream Authority in the Church is a wicked and unlawful Act To whom that Right appertaineth he must of necessity maintain the same but he will also thwart or go against all the Decrees of other Councils wherein either a Council is defined to be above the Pope or the Pope above a Council And supposing this were done yet will it follow from thence that the Church of Rome hath for so great a space of Time either erred in so fundamental a Point or stuck in Uncertainty and Doubt not knowing what to determine concerning this Question It is a Deep without Bottom into which hitherto the Church of Rome hath been plung'd together with all those who think her the only Church wherein alone Salvation may and ought to be had Let any one shew himself that can free himself from thence with shew of Truth and solid Reasons CHAP. VI. That a Papist cannot demonstrate from the Sacred Scripture that the Head of his Church cannot err BUt suppose we indeed that a Papist could tell the Head of his Church which yet as hath been prov'd already he cannot by what Argument I pray will he assure both himself and others that this Head cannot err What way soever he takes to demonstrate this he will see that he falls into another far more intricate Labyrinth For that he may be certain That this Head cannot err it is necessary that either he will believe it simply and without Reason or that he labour to prove it from the Sacred Scripture or from the Fathers or by Reasons If he will believe and perswade himself thereof simply and have others believe the same all Dispute will be forthwith superfluous and void and if another on the contrary will not believe the same they will then be both alike and both continue to stick in the Labyrinth of their own carnal Will However it be his Faith is not a Faith that cannot err and consequently he cannot with Certainty rely thereon If he endeavour to prove it from Scripture he entangles himself much more For first it cannot be known according to his Opinion that the Scripture is the Word of God except the true Church first certifie us thereof If this be true as he believeth it is and according to the Rules of his Church he is bound to believe he cannot take Arguments from the Scripture whereby to maintain that the true Church cannot err Or whereby to prove that his Church is the true Church that knows not how to err Secondly suppose that it be even granted to him to fetch his Reasons from the Scripture he will then find himself much more entangled For presently the Question will be concerning the true meaning of the Scripture And the Question that is raised to wit whether it be contained in the Scripture that the Church cannot err who shall by an infallible Judgement decide it Shall his Church This is no wayes possible because the Question is concerning the meaning of the Scripture to wit whether the Scripture gives to the Church this right or Priviledge of judging authoritatively and infallibly But Thirdly granting also that the Scripture doth give this Power to the true Church which it doth not yet the Question will remain which is that Church which is the true Church and to whom this Priviledge in Scripture is given And in the Power of what Church shall the Power of deciding infallibly this Question be In the Power of the Roman But the Question is moved no less concerning it then others besides it cannot pass Judgment in its own concern more than another Church concerning its If he go about to prove it by Reasons he will rove without the bounds because those Reasons are not Scriptural and we here treat or plead about the Scripture But supposing that Reasons be opposed against Reaons There will now straightway result from thence a new Question Which Reasons are strongest and infallible whereby we may be certain That the Reason taken from Succession doth not belong to this Place we shall demonstrate hereafter That a Papist should emerge from hence is impossible CHAP. VII That He cannot demonstrate this very thing from the Fathers IF he will prove this from the Fathers their Writings he falls into the same and indeed into a more intricate Labyrinth Into the same I say For immediately the Question will be whence doth it appear certainly that this Right or Power doth belong to the Writings of the Fathers that the decision of this and other Controversies in the business of Religion ought to be fetcht from them I say also into a more intricate For first it will be demanded what Fathers and what Writings do they mean If they say these or those it will secondly be asked Why those rather than other and why not all For whoso puts this Difference between the Writings of the Fathers he does by that very Deed of his make the decision And to whom shall it belong to make this Decision Furthermore suppose that there be no Controversie raised concerning some yet thirdly the Question will remain still Whether those writings which be attributed to the Fathers be their Writings whose Names they bear or whether they might not in Tract of Time through negligence through Deceit and Fraud be corrupted and depraved or whether they might not be patcht up with the supposititious Changling or forged Books of other Writers as we see indeed done at this Day by the Writings of Tertullian Justin Hierome Augustine Chrysostome c Who shall judge between the genuine or true and the supposititious or adulterate and false For that

SIMON EPISCOPIUS This Pictur 's Substance was a matchlesse wight In Learning boldnesse and a life Upright THE Popish Labyrinth Wherein is made manifest That the Papists are entangled in the Fundamental Article of their Faith That the Church cannot Erre Written in Dutch by that holy and learned Man Dr. SIMON EPISCOPIUS Vnto which is added The Life and Death of the Author As also The Life and Death of JAMES ARMINIUS Both of them famous Defenders of God's Universal Grace and Sufferers for it Now published in the English Tongue By J. K. The memory of the Just is blessed Prov. 10.7 LONDON Printed for Francis Smith at the Elephant and Castle in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange and at the same sign first Shop without Temple-Bar 1673. Christian and pious Readers IF you have but to any considerable measure conversed with the Writings of our Protestant Writers either of late or formerly against the Papists you will find that they have abundantly proved them to be if not an apostatical and false yet at least an erroneous and Schismatical Church and one that hath little cause so to boast and magnifie her self upon her pretended Priviledges of Truth and Infallibility above others as she doth That many Worthies of the Protestants both of former times and of late have written sufficiently to have convinced the Popish Partie of their gross and palpable Errors and to prove that they are nothing less than what they pretend to viz. Infallible or such as are not nor can be obnoxious to mistake any one that hath read their Writings and is but master of an ordinary measure of Reason Ingenuity and Impartiality will confess That many Worthies of the Protestants both of former and latter Times have sufficiently yea abundantly proved the Church of Rome if not wholly an apostatical and false yet at least a most grosly erroneous and corrupt Church no man of ordinary Ingenuity and Reason will deny To wave what hath been written for their Conviction by those more Ancient one would think that what some excellent Men of late Mr. B. Dr. Tiliotson and Dr. Stillingfleet have written against them would have put to utter silence their Ignorance and Folly And that they would not have had a word to plead for their Infallibility who have been found to err so grosly and palpably concerning the Faith in many the weightiest Doctrines of the Gospel as they have done but that they would have acknowledged the mighty Power of Truth and have said it is worthy to prevail But so little prevalent with them is the Light of Truth though shining never so bright both in the Scriptures and Reason that their Folly though never so much brayed thereby will not depart from them They still hold as fast as stiffly their grosly irrational and anti-scriptural and absurd Doctrines of Image-worship Transubstantiation Indulgencies Angel-worship Saint-worship or Invocation of them Purgatory c. as ever and will do All Arguments drawn from Scripture and Reason yea from common Sense it self are but as Brass with the Leviathan they esteem them all but as rotten Wood. But you will say Whence or how came this Spirit of Infatuation upon them Why the Apostle will tell you 2 Thes 2.10 But you will say This is an hard saying No not at all If men shew themselves so absurd as not to be ruled by any thing whatsoever that God hath appointed for their right-Ordering and Guidance it is evident that they are wicked as well as absurd 2 Thess 3.2 But you will go on to ask How comes this Infatuation to be so inveterate with them and impossible to be removed This our excellent Author in this little Treatise will tell you 1. They take it for an undeniable Maxime than which yet there is nothing more false that the true Church cannot err 2. They assume which is also as hard yea impossible to prove and so as false as the former that they are that true Church which cannot err or is so infallible Whilest they hold these two Positions you were as good dispute with a Post as go about to convince them of Error let them commit Errors if it were possible Seventy times seven more in Number and more gross and absurd in their Nature than they do Well then what shall or can be done for them for their recovery and for preventing others from incurring the like Distemper of Absurdity and Unreasonableness I answer By following the Directions here brieffly given and taken dextrously from them accordingly these two Maximes Now this you will effectually do if you put them to prove or but to shew you 1. What is that Church that cannot err and who is the Head of it This you you will find an impossible Task for them to perform 2. Put them likewise to prove if they could assign him as they cannot that the Head of their Church cannot err either from Scripture Reason or Fathers and you will find them at the same Loss And indeed no better help will they find from Succession and Antiquity than from the former for that proof of their first Maxime 2. As to the second Maxime that falls of it self viz. That they are that true Church that cannot err For if they cannot tell what is that Church that cannot err or who is the Head of it then cannot they say they are that Church For so they would say they know not what But enough of this For your Prevention and mine own reade this most excellent and learned Treatise written in Dutch by the pious and renowned Dr. Simon Episcopius from thence translated into Latin and now rendred into English which with the Blessing of God upon your serious Perusal may tend to your Reducement from any Hankerings after Popish Trumpery and Establishment in the Truth which is after Godliness And the Blessing of God goe along with it Amen The Popish Labyrinth c. CHAP. I. Of two sorts of Men with whom it is in vain to dispute THere is no Labour that is undertaken with greater Wearisomness and les● Profit than a dispute undertaken with those men who either will not be taught better or as it were being willing to learn better and breathing after the best and clearest Truth dispute of no other things but those which after they have been fully disputed leave the Disputants at as great an uncertainty as they were before whether the certain and necessary truth be found or no. The first are willing to remain in Ignorance The second though they would not seem on purpose and deliberately to love their Ignorance yet do they waver to and fro with uncertainty concerning the Truth yea and that oftentimes then too when after many and difficult Labours sustained they shall seem to have obtained the Victory in Dispute To desire to dispute with either of these two sorts of Men is all one as if one should plow the Sea-shore or beat the Air. To desire indeed to deal with those men with Reasons who

there is required a skill in Tongues continual or diligent reading an acute Judgment and an accurate Examination of the Words and Phrasiologie or manner of expression of the Fathers But supposing also that there is no Controversie touching these Things Then Fourthly the Question will be whether all those Things which the Father 's believed and wrote are to be believed and received as true If you deny it I will query in the Fifth Place why one more than another If you say because they are all agreed in that or the one then these Questions will forthwith arise First wherefore should all those Things wherein they are agreed amongst themselves be accounted or held by the Church of Rome for undoubted and certain The Second is what are those things concerning which they are agreed and which are to be embraced To know this you must attentively turn over the Writings of all the Fathers Greek and Latine from Head to Foot for the which some Years space is requisite And Thirdly if any Doubt happen either touching the Sense of their Writings as there is doubt made of the Scripture or of their Phrases and forms of Expression which they at that Time used and now are both used and understood far otherwise what end will there be But passing this seeing the Fathers agree among themselves in this that they would have neither their own nor any Writings of Men except the Books that are Canonical to be lookt upon as free from Error yea seeing they roundly confess that they may err and by Consequence would not that their Writings should be believed not to be lyable to Error but do expresly will that they be tryed by the Word of God desiring that they should be rejected if they agree not therewith What shall be done then What Certainty can there be had from their Writings against Errors Certainly none at all Yea rather if we make Use of them for this end that we may from thence be assured in our belief we use them contrary to the Intention of the Fathers and so against their plain and express Protestation and Prohibition wherein the Fathers are all agreed CHAP. VIII That the same cannot be proved by Reasons IF he at length have a mind to confirm his Thesis by Reasons he falls out of one Labyrinth into another For first what Reasons will sway with him whereon to rely when as in the main Article of his Belief he doth not only not heed Rea●ons but doth not believe so much as his outward Senses Can there be given any more solid Argument for the convincing of any one than that which is drawn from that which we see with our own Eyes which we perceive with our Senses being sound and lastly which we feel and taste These things notwithstanding the true Papist makes small Account of Seeing that neither by Reasons nor by his own Senses he suffers himself to be induced to believe that the Eucharistical Bread in the Lord's Supper is essentially and substantially Bread Yea when he will undoubtedly believe that one and the same Body is in many places together and they far distant each from other remaining individed notwithstanding that it be distant and separate from it self one hundred yea a thousand and if it were possible a thousand thousand Miles that one and the same Body at the same Time should be able to move in this Place and elsewhere not to move That one and the same Body should meet it self and move with contrary Motions at the same moment of Time that is together at once from East to West and from West to East Upward and Downward Foreward and Backward That one and the same Body here should be as hot as Fire and at Rome as cold as Ice That it should be alive here and dead at Venice He that will believe these Things which are diametrically contrary to the Nature of Man and right Reason by what Reason shall he either dare or be able to perswade himself or others of any thing Those who shame not to question so clear a Truth and obstinately to believe the cont●●ry and as I may so say wilfully to draw a Film over their Eyes that they may not see with such I say Reasons are like Counters which stand for so much as they desire they should stand for that use them in Accounts But be it that they make Use of Reasons What Reasons I pray you will they here produce Will they take them from the Scripture But then the same Difficulties will remain as we have already recounted Or shall their Reasons not be taken from Scripture But those by other Reasons may most easily and not without just cause be called into Doubt For if the Church cannot err this must necessarily proceed from the Divine Will and Decree For if God will not have the Church to be beyond or out of all Danger of Errour what Reason will there be given undenyably proving that the Church cannot err Now the will and Decree of God cannot be understood without the Scripture much less can it be drawn from mens Wit and Reasoning From whence it followeth that it is altogether most absurd by Reasons which may be doubted of to prove any thing which ought now long before without all Doubt and Controversie to be believed to depend upon the meer free Will and Decree of God By these Things it is manifest in how intricate and inexplicable a Circle the Papists wander in ●espect of the fundamental Article of their Faith when they will believe nothing but what their Church believeth yet cannot certainly shew what their Church properly is or who is the Head of their Church and although they could shew that as they cannot yet were it impossible for them to prove that the Church much less that their Church cannot err And thus far of the first sort of Papists with whom we have said that Dispute is alwayes held in vain CHAP. IX That the Controversie of Succession is useless and endless THe second sort of them is those who greatly desire always to dispute of those Questions which though they be weighed by the exact ballance of Truth yet do they not assure the Consciences of Men nor convince them of the Truth that is chiefly necessary to be believed These are they who have the Antiquity and Succession both of their Doctrine and Church always in their Mouth concluding for certain that they have born away the Palm and gotten the Victory if they may glory thereof This they sound forth as the Burden of the Catholicks Song And which is worthy of the Highest Admiration the chief Cryers and Boasters hereof are even those who haply not so much as ever throughly viewed the Books and Histories of those Men from whence this Antiquity and continued Succession is to be drawn and maintained or if they have viewed them thorow are yet nevertheless no wayes fit to turn them over without Affection and Prejudice to wit being wont either

lawful if the succeeding Pope had approved of the same But now forsooth it shall be unlawful because the Pope that was made by this Council said not of himself and those like him that he was subject to the Council but on the contrary Lucifer-like maintained that he was above the Council Howbeit it is altogether credible that the Decree of the Council was approved of by Him before he was chosen for Pope Who here sees not a Circle of Absurdities However it be if the Authority of the Council be no more than the Popes it could not depose the Pope and therefore those ungodly Knaves Popes are to be reckoned among the Bishops that lawfully succeed by a continual Succession not interrupted by Reason of their Heresie Atheism Simony Force and Villanies or if there be granted an Interruption there will now forthwith be no Succession at all upon the same Account that Bellarmine denies that the Succession of the Greeks is to be accounted lawful He that seeth not that the Papists are wholly at a loss in all these Things as in an endless Labyrinth of Errours he truly seeing is blind For howsoever the Case stands touching Succession the Question concerning Truth will alwayes remain To what Purpose therefore do they enter into so intricate a Labyrinth and take so great Pains for to prove a Succession One of these must necessarily be concluded either that the Truth is sufficient to constitute a true Church or that it is not If the former be true To what End is Succession by these endless Windings to and fro proved If the latter What doth Truth avail if it do not constitute a true Church It is contrary to the Nature and Propertie of Truth not to constitute a true Church whether those who teach the Truth have it by Tradition from others or no or at least know not the List of their Names from whom they have it delivered to them Gold will be Gold although it have been hid and buried in the Earth a thousand Years But you will say it is requisite that there be some before I know Gold to teach me that that is Gold But say I shall the Church thorowly do this But then there is required some one besides by whom I may be sure that that this Church which doth affirm that this is Gold doth know it most exactly and cannot err therein Who shall that be Here the Papists make a Circle We assert that the Scripture is Truth which the Church of Rome granteth us But yet it is the Prerogative of the Church saith he to tell us that the Scripture is Truth But say I who shall tell me that the Church that affirms this saith true She hath not this Priviledge by Succession unless it clearly appear that she never defected from the Truth This cannot appear unless I know what is Truth If the Church herself assume this she then singeth to us the same Song and so the Church will be both Plantiff and Judge and that in her own proper Cause Here will be no End of contending And that is it which Tertullian meant in that most known Place and commonly in the mouth of all the Papists which they quote in all their Writings with a very perverse wresting of the Sense thereof in his Book of Proscript against Hereticks Chap. 32. Where he thus speaketh But if any Heresies dare insert themselves in the Times of the Apostles that so they may be thought to have been delivered by the Apostles because they were in the Apostles Dayes we may say that is we may in such Case demand of them the Succession of which they boast saying Let them produce the Originals of their Churches turn over the Order of their Bishops so running down by Succession from the Beginning as that first Bishop had some one of the Apostles or Apostolical men who yet continued with the Apostles for his Author and Predecessor c. And a little after Let the Hereticks feign any such Thing which is to be noted as serving our Purpose yet though they shall feign it they shall prevail nothing For their very Doctrine compared with that of the Apostles by its Diversity and Contrariety will aloud declare that it hath neither any Apostle nor Apostolical Man for its Authour For as the Apostles would not have taught Things differing among themselves so also the Apostolical Men would not have published Things contrary to the Apostles except it were those who revolted from the Apostles and taught otherwise According to this Form therefore or Manner note it well shall those Churches appeal which though they can produce none of the Apostles or Apostolick Men as their Authour as being long after and which lastly are daily instituted yet agreeing in the same Faith to wit with the Apostles or Apostolick Men they are not the less deemed Apostolical by Reason of the cousanguinity or nearness of kin of their Doctrine That is according to Tertullians style because they agree with the Apostles in Doctrine These words of Tertullian which the Papists so shamefully abuse and so violently wrest do not obscurely confirm what we have said For Tertullian says three Things First that those Churches which have the Truth agreeable with the Doctrine of the Apostles are no less Apostolical Churches then others although they cannot shew their Succession for that only Cause for that they have the Truth on their side Secondly that those Churches which glory of their Succession and Original derived from the Apostles and cannot demonstrate it are justly to be rejected as those who obtrude upon us that which is false And Thirdly that those Churches which demonstrate their Succession whether lawfully or unlawfully are not to be counted for true Churches unless it appear that their Doctrine is agreeable to the Doctrine of the Apostles What Churches agree therein the same are Apostolical although they be destitute of Succession This is more clear then the Noon-dayes Sun The same affirmeth Augustine in that Place which is also quoted as unfaithfully and contrary to the Meaning of Augustine by the Papists in his Book which he wrote against the fundamental Epistle of Manichee Chap. 4. For when he had said that he clave to the Catholick Church wherein from the See of Peter even to his Time the Succession of Bishops and Priests had been deduced he addes these words which are altogether agreeable with our Judgment With you he speaks of the Manichees where there is none of these to invite and detain me there is onely the noise of the Promise of Truth which indeed were it so manifestly shewed that it could not be questioned were to be preferred before all those Things by Reason whereof I am detained in the Catholick Church What could Augustine have spoken more clear to prove and shew that neither Antiquity nor Succession can avail so as that any one should be able to quit himself of the Labyrinth of Doubts touching the true Church but that the Truth

will not recede so much as a fingers breadth from the Opinion they have undertaken to maintain is all one as by Arguments to perswade him the Sun shines who shuts his eyes against the Light thereof and refuseth to see its Light Indeed for their sakes who continually fasten on such kind of Questions as when they be fully discust do yet nevertheless not convince Consciences of the principal Truth to spend much pains and to weary ones self with continual disputing is nothing else but to draw water with a sieve which if one take up out of the water immediately it appeareth empty and void of that Humour or Moysture which it abundantly drew CHAP. II. Of that kind of Papists who will not be taught better Amongst the most of Christians especially the Papists or by which title they love to be called the Catholicks when any Dispute is had with them we ordinarily meet with these two sorts of Men. The first Sort is twofold Some fear not roundly and with full mouth to affirme that they will not be taught better but that they will tooth and nayl and obstinately stick to their own Opinion Insomuch that though they should see with their eyes that the Wall is white yet nevertheless they would believe their Church so believing and judging that it is black because being forced by necessity they find that they must so speak Whereupon although they find by all their Senses that is see smell taste feel hear that the bread in the Eucharist is nothing but bread yet notwithstanding they ought to be willing to believe that it is not bread but only the accident of Bread which cannot be tasted touch'd or smelt Not considering that themselves do by this means give very many cause to doubt of every thing and so to call in question the chief Foundation of the whole Christian Religion that is the Truth of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead which is built on this Foundation that the Apostles and Disciples of Jesus Christ and amongst these Thomas otherwise not over-credulous perceived Jesus Christ with all their senses saw handled heard and veiwed him near to them judging that that very thing ought to be an irrefragable Argument to themselves and to the whole world for to believe that Christ rose from the dead not in shew and appearance but really in his proper body And they indeed call this very thing mens believing those things which they do not see who yet do quite contrary here whilest they do not believe that very thing which they see touch smell hear and taste He that seeth not that this is a great Efficacy of errour he seeth nothing at all and if Thomas had followed this Rule he might by the same Parity of Right have believed that it was not Christ himself whom he beheld before him into whose side he thrust his Hand and his Finger into the Prints of the Nails CHAP. III Of some Papists that cleave so stifly to their own Opinion that they will not give place to any Reason THere are others who seem not on set purpose to be willing or to dare roundly and openly to profess that they will not be taught better yea who protest to the contrary deeming that too gross and rustick a Saying and yet nevertheless they do not obscurely declare when they see their Forces reduced to Straits that they neither can nor ought to yield to a better Opinion much less receive any Information from those whom their Church counts Hereticks and although they perceive themselves in such sort wrapped in that they can give no reason of their Belief or Opinion neither from the Sacred Scriptures nor Councils nor Fathers and that their own Reasons are so solidly and strongly refuted that they may as it were feel with their hands that their Exceptions to the contrary are of no Weight or Force at all yet they defend or maintain their own so obstinately that they will rather perswade themselves that those Arguments though they seem solid and altogether Achillean are more brittle than Glass and do onely deceive under a shew of Reason which others more skilful than themselves would easily and with no trouble solve or answer and so being blinded with a prejudicate Opinion and also led with a Love and Reverence of their Mother the Church they count them meer Sophisms by this means indeed confessing on the one hand their own weakness and on the other hand shewing their singular Constancy or Obstinacy in the Faith of their Church contrary Arguments notwithstanding which press their minds and force them to doubt of their fore-going Belief yea to believe to the contrary We may easily observe that these two Sorts of Men do not seek the Truth with a pious and honest Mind but that they onely hunt after vain Glory and the Praise of Victory gotten by any means whatsoever deeming they have alwayes sufficient Causes of glorying whilest they dare affirm they are not satisfied That the case so stands daily Experience sheweth Nor is it to be wondred at The first and chiefest Article of the Papists is this That their Church cannot err consequently that of all other Churches that differ from their Church we are to conclude that they err and that as long as they persist in their Errour are liable to eternal destruction damnation With whom this foundation doth not remain wholly fixt and unshaken he cannot be a true Papist but if any hold it tooth and nail he openly professeth that he is not willing to be taught better although he shall be convinced of his Errour or if he make shew of some desire to learn yet doth he with his whole Strength and Might maintain his Opinion although the Truth be proposed to him as clearly and resplendently as the Sun-beams are wont to be when the weather is fair and clear This Foundation being laid it necessarily follows that to dispute with a true Papist is fruitless and endless and that it cannot be hoped that such an one should be taken off from his resolution or by Arguments be reduced into the right Way Furthermore a true Papist as he renders himself unmeet to embrace the Truth and to acknowledge his own Errour so doth he unadvisedly cast himself into a Labyrinth or Maze of inextricable absurdities out of which he is utterly unable to extricate or free himself as it frequently useth to befal them who receive not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved as Paul shews 2 Thes 2.10 And this appears more clear than the Noon-dayes Light when any Dispute is undertaken with them even concerning any Point whatsoever of the Christian Religion nor is it necessary in many words to prove it CHAP. IIII. That the Papists cannot show which is that true Church which cannot err THis chief and fundamental Point which they have alwayes in their mouth and on which they chiefly build That the Church of Rome cannot err is a Labyrinth out

alone onely can and ought to do it CHAP. XI What may be the Cause or Original of the Popish Labyrinth BUt some one will say by this Means the Business indeed is made intricate but there is no way shewed to untie this Gordian Knot But say I the Way to unty this Knot is not so hard if we mind the Fountain and very Original of it For it ariseth hence that Men in this World desire an outward Ease and Peace an easy and delicate Religion the which to obtain they seek for an infallible Judge speaking in the Church who Authoritatively may decide all Controversies and to whose Award and Judgment the Consciences and Tongues of all should be obliged or bound so that it shall not be lawful to contradict it and if any refuse to acquiesce in his Judgment he ought to be subdued by Force under Pain of Death and his highest Displeasure In a word they endeavour of the Church of Christ to make a wordly Policy and for that End forbid the Laicks and common People of the reading the Sacred Scripture lest Confusion arise in the Church and the Clergie that are admitted thereunto they command that they read not the Scripture upon any other Terms or condition but to understand and interpret it according to the Mind and Sense of this Judge or upon an express Proviso added that they will not understand it otherwise although they do understand it otherwise This is the Spring and Original of this Evil as long as this is not withstood the Labyrinth of Errours will remain I grant indeed that at the first Veiw it doth not seem so unreasonable that some Judge should be appointed in the Church because otherwise there can be had no end of Questions and Controversies about Religion But in very Deed and in Truth it is but the Device and Appointment of those men who either endeavour to introduce a Tyranny being desirous of Rule Or study their own Accommodation being indeed Lovers of Ease more then of the Truth Or at least shelter themselves partly under a Desire of the Churches Tranquillity partly under the Pretence of Simplicity Piety and Humility The Matter is clear For if God or the Lord Jesus Christ had thought it necessary or useful that there should be alwayes such a Judge speaking in the Church they would have declared it even expresly and not only that but they would withal clearly and palpably have pointed out who and where that Judge should alwayes be that we might not be deceived And so might have Recourse unto him as unto a Place of Refuge Yea farther Christ would first and chiefly have taken Care of this and the Apostles would have prest it before all the Articles of Faith because all Things ought necessarily there to issue For by such a Judge all things might have been decided and composed But indeed on the Contrary because neither Christ nor his Apostles have done this it cannot but be an humane Device and Project built upon a wordly and outward Tranquillity and Conveniency and favouring of Tyranny and usurped Domination For for any one of his own Head to appoint such a Judge is a piece of over-great boldness and the highest Treason against the divine Majesty that can be again and fit or apt to enslave the whole World under everlasting Errours and Condemnation As to what they say That Christ delivered or gave the Keys to Peter it is too light to build the whole Office of a Judge upon it For seeing this is a Business so hard and so highly concerns the whole World even Christ who came to save the World would have declared that this was the Sense of his Words saying since I grant this Power and Priviledge to Peter I will that all the rest of the Apostles be excluded and furthermore that those who succeed Peter not at Antioch or at Jerusalem but only at Rome should inherit that Right or Priviledge of Supream Judicature and that all Christians should be bound or tyed to this Judge even to the worlds End or Consummation of Ages Thus Christ would have roundly and clearly exprest his Mind and Menning and indeed who in a matter so arduous would have expected other from Christ who is a Lover of Men Although the whole Scripture from Head to Foot had been nothing but a far-setcht Allegory and continued Obscurity it could nothing haue prejudiced us because the Judge of the Sentence thereof would be known this one Thing if it were clear and undoubted all other Articles although seemingly difficult would be most easily understood CHAP. XII That the judging of Truth according to or out of the Word of God belongeth to every private Man BUt Now because we see the Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles have in the holy Scripture clearly and plainly exprest all Things necessary for a Christian to believe hope and do and will that the said Scriptures be with all diligence read over and inquired into by all that are desirous of Salvation and the Way that leads thereunto and that withal with an accurate Examination and Tryal of all things and Spirits whether they be of God under the Pain of eternal Condemnation and there be no one tittle any where in all their Writings extant of any such infallible speaking Judge alwayes to be in the Church much less where he is to be found We cannot but judge that those who desire such a Judge in the Churches are moved thereunto by Considerations far otherwise then Divine and that they render themselves guilty of the greatest sin and crime to wit of Dominion and Tyranny or abitrary Power over the Word of God and the Consciences of Men. That in wordly Concerns there are appointed Judges by whose Judgment and Award we must stand the Case is far different For to their Judgment the Consciences of Men are not bound it is free for every man to believe or judge of their Awards Judgments and Decisions as he please The Award of the Judges is to be commended with our Mouth not to be approved without Hearing Withall oftentimes their Judgments and Awards a long while after are by contrary Judgments and Awards null'd or corrected But when the Business is about Conscience Religion Salvation eternal Life or eternal Condemnation there ought to be no Judge there but God or he to whom God hath expresly and in Terms committed and given this Power that a man may most rightfully say if God hath given this Priviledge to the Church of Rome it is the best yea the only Church and on the contrary if it be evident that God hath not given this Right it is the most abominable pernicious and filthiest Church that can be again upon the Earth But you will say what End will there be then This say I that the Word of God be impune and freely read by all that no mans Conscience be tyed to the Judgment of others that one man love another and by the best Means out