The Judgment of Private Discretion IN Matters of Religion DEFENDED IN A SERMON On 1 Thessal V. 21. Preached at St. Pauls Covent-Garden Feb. XXIII 1686. By RICHARD KIDDER IMPRIMATUR March 19 1686. Guil. Needham LONDON Printed for Brabazon Aylmer at the Three Pigeons against the Royal-Exchange in Cornhill MDCLXXXVII TO THE READER NOthing concerns us so much as the Salvation of our Souls and in order to that the choice of our Religion Here it well becomes us to use great care and strictly to examine things This we doe in matters of less moment when we purchase and when we trade when we are concerned for our Health our Estates and Properties The H. Scriptures frequently put us upon this care and the man who is diligent herein will be able to give the best account of himself hereafter and find the greatest satisfaction here Such a man will have steady Principles and have this comfort that 't is not by mere chance but choice that he is what he is This is the way to be certain that we are in the right which no man can be without understanding We may be confident indeed but can never be certain without knowledge and diligent examination of things The Church of England does not require a blind Obedience She is content Her Doctrines should be examined by the clearest light Simplicity and Truth seek not corners The H. Scriptures are allowed to the people and no means of instruction wanting among us She does not indeed vaunt of what she hath not She pretends not to any absolute Infallibility She is modest and contains Herself within due bounds and with-holds not from Her Children either the liberty or means of examining Her Doctrines But so it is that She suffers very greatly in the mean time Because She claims not Infallibility there are those who would infer that there is no certainty where the other is not But this is a wild and extravagant conclusion for the certaintâ— of a Thing does not depend upon the infallibility of a Person but ariseth from the evidence or clear grounds which evict its truth It does not follow that because I am fallible that I can be certain of nothing or that because I am liable to err I can never be sure I am in the right or that because I am ignorant of some things therefore I know nothing at all And yet we find it frequently pretended that Protestants want certainty and that they build upon an unsure foundation and that because they claim not that infallibility which others pretend to The best way to shew the uncertainty of our Faith would be to prove that we build on false grounds but those men who are most forward to traduce us have no great inclination to consider with due application the merits of our cause Instead of this they would have us rest upon the Authority of their Church as if the way to be more certain than we are were for us to see with other mens eyes and not with our own A man might justly expect from these men who thus declaim against Protestants that when they attempt to shew the uncertainty of their Faith they should at least prove the certainty of their own 'T will be worth our while to see if they have any better grounds for their Faith or safer way to Salvation than we have who examine our Doctrines by the H. Scriptures The best way to know this 〈…〉 Examen du livre qui porte pour â—â—tre â—â—â—ngez â—â—â—â—tunes 〈…〉 will be to compare them one with another They say that the desinition of the Church is our Rule where before we can be certain we must be sure of two things 1. That there is an infallible Church 2. That their Church is that infallible Church We on the other hand make the H. Scriptures our Rule and believe what they teach and here are two things also of which we must be sure 1. That what God says is true 2. That what the Scriptures reveal is from God. This is the true state of the question between us And now let any man consider impartially who builds upon the surest grounds They who build upon the Veracity of God and upon the H. Scriptures which are by all Christians owned to be the declaration of his will or they who build upon a pretence that there is an infallible Church and that their own is it The Principles on which they build are neither so evident in themselves nor yet so generally owned as ours for theirs are not so much as owned by the generality of Christians whereas ours cannot be denied by themselves And 't will appear that our way is as Easie and more Safe than theirs 'T is as easie to know what the Scripture teaches as what their Church does God intended it for the use of the people and surely then he fitted it for their use And we have great reason to believe that God can deliver his mind as plainly as a Council that he did it in all things necessary to the guidance salvation of the people for whom he wrot it This is so very evident that some of the Church of Rome have owned it Pref. part 1. pag 7. Celuy qui ne cherche dans l'Ecriture que son salut l'y trouvera The Authors of the Preface to the Testament printed at Mons declare That he who in the Scripture seeks nothing but his own Salvation shall find it there And presently afterwards speaking of some obscurity in the Scripture they add these words But that which may comfort us in this obscurity is this that according to St. Augustin the H. Scripture does propose to us after an easie and intelligible manner all that is necessary for the conduct of our life That it does explain and clear it self in expressing clearly in some places that which in others it expressed obscurely For the Doctrine of the Church 't is not very easie to know it We find at this day several representations of it from those who are all of the Communion of the Roman Church How shall the simple and unlearned man know what this Doctrine is His Curate may not be rely'd upon nor can he be secure from the judgment of any private Doctor What must he doe How shall he distinguish between the Doctrine of private Doctors and that of the Church Must he read the ancient Canons and Councils and Fathers He 'll find this an harder task than the searching of the Scriptures As our way is as easie so ' t is More safe than theirs There is danger indeed lest our lasts and worldly interests should put a byass upon us and turn us aside from the Truth but this lies on both sides But then on our side the great danger is this lest we mistake the sense of the H. Scripture here 's the great fear But then on the other side they who govern themselves by the authority of the Church are under a double danger
1. Lest they take that Church for infallible which is not 2. Lest they take that for the Doctrine of this Church which indeed is not her Doctrine We are sure that the Scriptures are God's Word and were written for our instruction and that upon our diligent search into them and humble addresses to God we shall find Salvation if we seek nothing more For the infallibility of the Church which is so much talked of it must be made good before I can be obliged to receive it and when 't is I shall readily submit to it But in the mean time I find great difficulties attending upon that Doctrine both as to the Subject of that Infallibility as to the Thing it self and as to the Grounds on which it stands As to the Subject of it I find our Adversaries are not as yet agreed where it is to be placed and therefore I know not where to sind it and then 't is all one as if there were no such thing at all That which I cannot come at will stand me in no stead Let our Adversaries tell us in whom 't is lodged Is it in the Bishop of Rome Or is it in Him and the Conclave Or in Him and a General Council Or is it in a Council without Him If in a Council must that be oecumenical only or does it reside in National and Provincial also As to the Infallibility it self I would be informed how far it reacheth Does it extend to questions of Fact as well as of Law and Right Does it take in not only necessary things but also things that are of less moment Is this Church infallible not only in her Conclusions but in the premisses too from whence those Conclusions are drawn Does this Infallibility require that the question should be examined before the matter be decided or not Is it a natural gift or is it by Grace By immediate Revelation or not Let us suppose it in a General Council yet in this case I would know whether or not this Council will be infallible in their decisions however things are carried Are there no Rules the Council is to go by Must not questions be strictly examined and the suffrages be free and the Council be Canonically indicted Or will the Council be infallible tho' it observe none of these rules and forms Let them tell us what these forms are that are necessary and let them after this make it appear that they have been duly observed or let them say if any form or rule be needfull or not How comes it to pass that the Divines in a General Council have differed from one another How comes it that one Council hath determined against another Why are some of these Councils in part received and in part rejected What sure marks have we to distinguish one from another What assurance can they give that the major part is always the better and have used the greatest care For the Grounds and proofs of this Infallibility I desire to see those that are solid and weighty such as are evident and clear and will render me infallibly certain of the thing This had need be well proved it not being self-evident If I must believe the Church in all other things yet 't is fit this should be strongly proved These proofs must be taken from the H. Scriptures and not from the authority of the Church which lays claim to it And then they must be such proofs as determine it to that very Church and as do evidently prove that such an Infallibility does belong to it as she pretends to Till these things are cleared I know not any better advice I can give the Reader than to continue stedfast in the Communion of our Church as the safest way to Heaven For tho' we ought not to want charity for others yet we are bound in conscience and as we will answer it at the great Day to choose wisely and to be constant to such a choice There are some things controverted between Vs and the Church of Rome wherein we are manifestly of the safer side To worship no Image hath no danger nor is there any hazard in receiving the Sacrament in both kinds 'T were easie to give other instances in which we are on the safer side In the mean time let it be our care to live up to our Principles and we shall not miscarry The best Church is no security to the careless and the profane We shall know the Will of God best when we doe it with great care 'T is not enough that we prove all things we must also hold fast that which is good A SERMON PREACHED At Saint Paul's Covent-Garden Feb. 23. 1686. 1 THESSAL V. 21. Prove all things hold fast that which is good IN these words the Apostle commends to those to whom he writes two things the one in order to the other First That they should prove all things Secondly That they should hold fast that which is good I begin with the first Prove all things And here I think my self obliged before I proceed any farther to consider 1. The Persons to whom the advice is given And 2. The importance of the advice it self Ch. 1. v. 1. 1. The Persons to whom this advice is given viz. to the Church of the Thess alonians Not to the Bishops and Governors of the Church only but to the People also This appears from the words v. 12. We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you It cannot be supposed that St. Paul does here direct himself to the head and not unto the members He does generally address himself to the Church in the most diffusive sense of that word E. G. To all that be in Rome Rom. 1.7 beloved of God called to be Saints 1 Cor. 1.2 And Vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth 2 Cor. 1.1 to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Again Vnto the Church of God which is in Corinth with all the Saints which are in all Achaia Gal. 1.2 Again Vnto the Church of Galatia And Eph. 1.1 To the Saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithfull in Christ Jesus And where the Bishops and other Ministers of the Church are named the body of the faithfull are not forgotten Thus To all the Saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi with the Bishops and Deacons Phil. 1.1 Colos 1.2 Again To the Saints and faithfull brethren in Christ which are at Colosse And 1 Thes 1.1 2 Thes 1.1 Jam. 1.1 To the Church of the Thessalonians And thus also St. James To the twelve Tribes scattered abroad Thus St. Peter 1 Pet. 1.1 To the strangers scattered c. And 2 Pet. 1.1 To them that have obtained like pretious faith with us And St. John as a learned man hath observed
Doctrine which I maintain it may be objected will destroy that reverence which is due from the people to their Pastors and make them their Judges Answ 1 Thess 5.13 He. 13.17 1 Cor. 9.11 2 Tim. 5.17 Gal. 6.6 Matt. 104. 1. There is a great honour due from the People to their Pastors This cannot be denied They are bound to pay it by all instances of regard and kindness He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophet's reward 1 Tim. 5.17 2. This honour hath its bounds and measures It is due for the sake of their Master and their Work and in proportion to their faithfulness and labours Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the word and doctrine But we need not put out our eyes that they may lead us whither they please nor are bound to pay that honour to the Servants and Stewards which is onely due to their Lord and Master 3. That we may give them all due honour though we do not think them infallible This the Apostle supposeth in my Text. For though he had required this esteem from the people towards their Pastors v. 13. yet he commands them to prove all things We are obliged to honour our Judges and Civil Magistrates and may truly doe it though we do not believe every sentence and determination of theirs to be according to exact truth and equity For our Judges in civil matters we are obliged to sit down by their sentence when we do not think it just we are to suffer wrong and not resist It does not hence follow that we must follow our spiritual guides without examining The Civil Magistrate determines onely our outward actions or disposeth of some of our goods and properties which we have power to alienate but he does not prescribe upon our inward sense nor touch upon our Conscience as our spiritual guides do in their commands And though we do not appeal from the Civil Magistrate it cannot hence be inferred that we think him infallible Obj. 3 But this Doctrine some will say will leave us at great uncertainty and our Salvation will be very contingent and hazardous unless we be provided of an Infallible guide without whom we cannot be safe And that God hath made a slender provision for our Souls if we be not thus provided for Answ 1. We are not fit judges of what God ought to doe but ought to thank him for what he hath done We discourse at random and very inconsequently when we undertake to say what is fit for God to doe and then infer he hath done what we judged fit for him to doe At this rate we may as well infer that God hath established a Sovereign Vmpire to decide all civil controversies about meum and tuum For since these things divide the world and are occasions of feuds and wars it may be as fairly said that this is for the interest of the world as an infallible Judge is for that of the Church Shall we then conclude that God hath appointed such an one or else he had been wanting to his Creatures 'T is for the interest of the Church that the Members of it should be free from possibility of sinning as well as of erring and yet we know God hath made no such provision An infallible guide of manners is as necessary as such a guide of controversies and yet we cannot say there is any such And then we have no cause to make such a conclusion 2. That supposing it necessary there should be an Infallible Judge yet this would doe us no good unless we could be infallibly sure of this Infallible Judge And there are two things in this case we must be infallibly certain of viz. 1. That there is some Infallible Judge 2. Who that Judge is Both these are necessary We must be sure of a treasure first and then know where it lies before we can have cause to boast of our wealth 3. That supposing the present Church of Rome were the infallible Church yet the more simple sort of people would not be for all this at any greater certainty For they would have another task upon them viz. to inquire what is the faith and what is the worship of this Church And how will they doe to find that out must they be ruled by what the ignorant and common people doe Perhaps the Church does not allow of all their practices Or shall they be governed by their Parish Priest But that Priest for what they know may err though a Pope or Council cannot Shall they be governed by common consent But there are differing customs and usages in France and Spain and other Countries to which of these shall they adhere Must they be taught by a Pope ex cathedra But how shall they know if this be a true Pope or whether he speak ex cathedra or not Or will you send these people to the Council of Trent Alas 't is a thing well known that the words of that Councils Decrees are sometime general and ambiguous and not fit to direct plain and simple people And yet Pope Pius IV. commanded that without his authority no man should explain them That no man should presume Vllos commentarios glossas annotationes Scholia ullúmve omnino interpretationis genus super ipsius Concilii decretis quocunque modo edere That is By any way to publish any Commentaries Glosses Annotations Scholia or any sort of interpretation whatsoever upon the Decrees of that Council And this under the pain of Excommunication as appears by his Bull for the confirmation of that Council For instance That Council tells us that Images are to be had in Churches and to have due honour given them What this due honour is which they allow how shall the simple man know Whether it be negative or positive honour Whether he give too much or too little Whether he divide it aright between the Image and the Prototype How can he know how to govern himself in this affair Indeed the Council says afterwards that all Superstition must be avoided But what the Superstition is which the Council disallows it does not define And therefore the plain and simple man will be at a loss how to govern himself I shall now make some application of what hath been said 1. This serves for the reproof of those who would deprive the people of that liberty which God hath given them This is to despoil them of the great prerogative of their nature and degrade them into a lower rank of being which is the greatest tyranny imaginable There is nothing so much concerns mankind as Religion and the interest of their immortal Souls We are here put upon trying or proving all things 1 Joh. 4.1 Believe not every spirit says St. John but try the spirits whether they are of God. Christ bids the Jews search the Scriptures Surely then the Scriptures are not to be