XIX Passages out of Fathers concerning the Churches Authority 1. BUt I will no longer defer the testimonies which Antiquity affords to the third Proposition conteined in the second Conclusion forementioned viz. of the Churches authority to intepret Scriptures and define Controversies I confesse I might have contented my selfe considering the superabundance to omit single passages when so many Fathers have written whole books to witnesse it as Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Vercentius Lirinensis c. mentioned before and whereas all Councells in whatsoever they have determined have virtually determined this otherwise their determinations were to be esteemed any thing else but determinations Notwithstanding I will not refuse the trouble of selecting a few passages more expresly declaring what at large most of the bookes wherein they are found endeavour generally to prove whether Logically and rationally or no let the world judge I am sure they proved it so effectually that they have thereby utterly destroyed the Heresies that opposed them Let the first witnesse therefore be S. Irenaeus lib. 3. c. 4. Where the Church is there is the Spirit of God and where the Spirit of God is there is the Church and all grace The same Father againe lib. 4. c. 43. We must obey those Priests that are in the Church those that have succession from the Apostles who together with Episcopall power have according to the good pleasure of the Father received the certain gift of Truth And all the rest who depart from the originall succession wheresoever they be assembled to have suspected either as Haeretiques or Schismatiques or Hypocrites and all these do fall from the truth Againe lib 4. c. 62. The spirituall man shall judge them that be out of the Church Which Church shall be under no mans judgement For to the Church all things are known in which is perfect faith of the Father and of the dispensation of Christ and firme knowledge of the Holy Ghost teacheth al truth Again l. 5. c. 4. What if the Apostles had not left Scriptures ought we not to have followed the Order of Tradition which they delivered to those to whom they committed the Churches To which order many yeild assent who believe in Christ having salvation written in their hearts by the Spirit of God without letters or ink and diligently keeping ancient Tradition It is easy to receive the truth from God's Church seeing the Apostles have most fully deposited in her as in a rich Store-house all thinges belonging to truth For what if there should arise any contention of some small questions ought we not to have recourse to the most ancient Churches and from them to receive what is certaine and cleare concerning the present question 3. Witness Tert. de Preser Therefore we must not appeale to Scriptures neither is the controversy to be settled upon them in the which there will be either no victory at all or very uncertaine c. Againe Order did require that that should be proposed in the first place which ought now to be onely debated viz. Which of the parties is possessed of that faith to which the Scriptures agree from whom and by whom and when and to whom that discipline was delivered by which men are named Christians For wheresoever it shall appeare that the truth of the Christian discipline or Faith is there will also be found the truth of Scriptures and expositions and all Christian Traditions Witnesse Origen Since there be many who thinke they believe the things which are of Christ and some are of different opinion from those who went before them let the doctrine of the Church be kept which is delivered from the Apostles by order of succession and remaines in the Church to this very day That onely is to be believed for truth which in nothing disagrees from the Tradition of the Church And again in our understanding of Scriptures we must not depart from the first Ecclesiasticall Tradition nor believe otherwise then as the Church of God hath by succession delivered to us 4. Witnesse S. Cyprian de unit Eccl. There is one head one Source one Mother by the Issue of her fruitfulnesse copious by her encrease we are born we are nourished with her milk with her Spirit we are quickned The Spouse of Christ cannot be defiled with adultery Shee is pure and chast Shee knoweth one house and with chast bashfulness keepeth the sanctity of one bed This preserveth us in God This advanceth to the Kingdome the Children that shee hath brought forth Whosoever divideth from the Church and cleaveth to the adultresse hee is separated from the promises of the Church He cannot have God to his Father that hath not the Church to his Mother Witnesse Lactantius l. 4. c. ult It is onely the Catholique Church that hath the true worship and service of God this is the wel-spring of truth the dwelling-place of Faith the temple of God into which whosever entreth not and from which whosoever departeth is without all hope of life and eternall salvation Witnesse S. Basile and S. Gregory Naz. who as Ruffinus Hist. Eccl. l. 2. c. 29. relateth took the interpretation of Scripture not of their own sense but from the Tradition of the Fathers Witness S. Cyril of Jerusalem lat 18. The Church is called Catholique because it is spread over the universall world from one end to the other and because it teacheth Catholiquely and entirely all doctrine which are to be known Witnesse S. Ambrose Faith is the foundation of the Church for it was not spoken of the flesh of Peter but of his faith That the gates of Hell should not prevaile His Confession overcame Hell and this Confession excludes many Haeresies for seeing the Church like a good Ship is beat upon by many waves the Foundation of the Church must prevail against all Haeresies L. de incarn dâ—â— 5. Witnesse Dom. in Psalm 37. In the Church the truth resids Whosoever is seperated from it it is necessary that he speak false things Againe Ep. 54. The heighth of all authority all the light of reason for the reparation and reformation of mankinde consists only in the saving name of Christ and in his only Church Again Ep. 56 The supream Emperour of our Faith hath fortified his Church with the cittadell of authority and by meanes of a few persons piously learned hath armed it with copious provisions of unconquerable reason That therefore to him is the most right discipline that especially the weak should retire into this cittadell of Faith to the end that for their defence being placed most securely others should combat with most strong reasons Again de util Cred. c. 16 if the Providence of God doth not precide over humane affairs no care is to be had concerning Religion But if the severall variety of creatures which ought be believed to have flowed from some fountain of most perfect beauty and by certain inward instinct doth exhort both publiquely and privately those
equally very artificiall and very naturall 6. Thus much of the Preface therefore being acknowledged to be unanswerable the designe of all that follows is 1. To shew that the doctrine of the churches Infallibility is of all others most generall and comprehensive and which if it could be demonstrated would immediately decide all other controversies 2. That therefore none can seriously think Protestants so unreasonable but that if they were perswaded of the truth of this they would presently submit and leave all disputing 3. But yet since it seems evident to them that some Decisions of the Church are contradictory to the Scriptures which Catholiques propound as infallibly true Therefore it is necessary that Infallibility ought to be demonstrated at least to a higher degree of evidence then they have of the contradiction of the Churches Decisions to the infallible Rule of Gods Word 4. That no such demonstration hath been made by Catholiques the great Defenders of the Church of England have very excellently and fully demonstrated 5. And this with such successe that the very name of Infallibility begins to be burthensome even to the maintainers of it in so much that one of their latest and ablest Proselytes Hugh Paulin de Cressy as the author stiles him which is a title that the same Serenus Cressy for that is henceforth his name assumed in Religion utterly renounces is most certain the Author can never justifie against such a world of much more able Proselytes hath acknowledged the same word Infallibility to be an unfortunate word and too advantagious to Protestants and therefore fit to be forgotten and laid by Wherupon the Author gives scope to a fit of triumphing at the strength of reason and power of truth that a Catholique is forced or renounce so fundamentall a doctrine which yet notwithstanding is not found in any Councell c. 6. Now lest it should be thought to be only the word Infallibility but not the notion of it intended by Catholiques and understood by Protestants that is deserted by Mr. Cressy the Author sayes that Protestants never impugned it by Nominall Arguments producing a passage out of Bellarmine to justifie the acknowledged sense of that word 7. Hereupon the Author imputes to Mr. Cressy unreasonablenesse in answering Arguments made against that which himself confesses cannot be maintained 8. And yet greater unreasonablenesse in the manner of his answer because deserting Infallibility he answers only for the authority of the Church and so makes this authority answer for that Infallibility From this last he draws three consequent absurdities which shall be set down when their place comes to be answered 9. Hereupon he profesles that having considered the inconsiderablenesse of M. Cressy's whole discourse he changed his resolution to answer it as judging it not to deserve an answer 10. And lastly he concludes the invinciblenesse of my L. Falklands discourse of Infallibility 7. This is the mind and whole importance of the Preface which whether rationall or no shall be examined but it is confess'd to be orderly enough and therefore shall be endeavoured to be answered according to its order and the Paragraphs and divisions made by me not himself CHAP. IV. An Answer to the four first Paragraphs of the Preface 1. THat which the Author of the Preface sayes in his first Paragraph viz. That the Doctrine of the churhes Infallibility is of all other most generall and comprehensive and which if it could be demonstrated would immediately decide all other controversies is so conformable to evident reason that it cannot be denied And that which reason requires of me to acknowledge in the first Paragraph charity would invite me to grant universally in the second viz. That if Protestants were perswaded of the truth of this they would presently submit and leave all disputing Were it not that I. P. himself discourages me I doubt not but both himself and many others if they were absolutely convinced of the churches Infallibility would not wilfully detain the truth in unrighteousness by continuing in an obstinate and then an acknowledged disobedience to the church But they behave themselves in the search of the truth as if they were afraid to find it They come with extreme prejudice and partiality to the examination of the controversie and if they can find but any small advantage against any passage in Catholike writers though the churches doctrine be not at all concerned in it they presently give the cause decided according to their own minds and interests which partiality of theirs seems much more intense and withal heightned with fâ—â— greater Passion since the downfall of their Church then ever it was before for indignation to see the extreme weaknesse of their cause imbitters them much more in their disputes against Catholikes and encreases their obstinacy against the authority of Gods church as if they would be revenged against God for giving such an advantage to his Church Proofs of this given by too many others will appear in the whole contexture of this Preface as I shall demonstrate 2. Thirdly J. P. sayes That since it seems evident to them that some decisions of the Church are contradictory to the Word of God which Catholiques propound as infallibly true Therefore it is necessary that Infallibility ought to be demonstrated at least to a higher degree of evidence then they have of the contradiction of the Churches decision to the infallible Rule of the Scriptures Truly this is not altogether unreasonable therefore to give him satisfaction I will fix a good while upon this point though I shall be forced to say over somewhat said already Therefore according to the grounds of the precedent Book I will endeavor to clear the controversie of Infallibility as it is there handled from the mistakes of J. P. and to effect this more prosperously I will peruse this supposition 3. Let it be supposed that the Church of England did pretend to an Infallibility or if you will to an authority of obliging all Christians under pain of Damnation to submit to her Decisions This being supposed and that I desirous to enquire into the grounds of this pretension should betake my selfe to a meeting of severall learned Protestants and say to them since it is so necessary that all Christians should receive information in Christian Doctrine from you Pray let me know where I shall find it This request would presently raise a murmure amongst them and there is onely one answer in which they would all agree which is this That that only is to be accounted the doctrine of the Church of England which ha's been determined by the authority of the English Bishops ratified by the secular head of the Church the King yet with the advice of the Parliament and embraced by all the children and Subjects of the English Church But when they would descend more particularly to signifie the speciall repositories of this Doctrine there would be great variety of answers For the most moderate of them would
Universal Church But they are not satisfied that they ow that submission to the Roman and if not to the Roman they know not to what Church Sol. 16. To say somthing for the clearing this difficulty I shall desire them to consider 1. That whilst the Eastern and Western Churches were joyned in one External communion it is apparent that that Body was the Catholick Church to which the Promises of Christ were made and to which Protestants themselves would not have refused submission 2. That a breach hapning between these Churches is not mortal to the whole Body but onely to that Member that did unlawfully separate 3. By consequence that both the Title and real Authority of the Catholick Church remains in the innocent Part that is either in the Roman or Eastern Church 4. That whethersoever of these two be the Catholick Church English Protestants are Schismaticks since they are divided from both and the pretended grounds of their Divisions are Doctrines received by them both 5. That in case English Protestants would now take into debate to whether of these two parties they should re-adjoyn themselves by that means to become Catholicks again they must be forced to quit both a greater number of their Topical Doctrines and more fundamental ones to fit themselves to an union with the Eastern then with the Roman Church 6. That if they will needs out of Passion prefer the Eastern their Passion will be evident since that whensoever either remorse of conscience or the approaches of death made them see their unsafe condition thousands of them have fled to the Roman Church for shelter but never any to the Grecian or any other but the Roman 7. That as long as they are out of the Roman Church they are in a headless trunck divided from the successor of St. Pèter whom St. Cyprian St. Hierome Optatus c. acknowledged to be the foundation of Unity Order c. Ob. 17. Now if among Protestants any out of a perverse condescendence shal grant that the grounds alledged for the separation of the Eastern Western Churches are not in themselves of such main importance as to hinder them from being really one Catholick Church And therefore that before the present controversies can be decided a general Assembly of them all must be expected Sol. 18. to this they must give me leave to say 1. That they make the Promises of Christ to be casual temporary and obnoxious to critical daies and seasons if they think that the changes of Kingdoms or that the humors of an earthly Tyrant can either evacuate or suspend the force of those promises by which our Lord hath obliged himself to provide that the Gates of Hell that is heresies shall not prevail against his Church The effect of which promise in the opinion of such Objectors must be delayed till the Grand Signior will allow the Grecian Bishops to meet with the Western to consult of and procure the peace and union of Christendom 2. In case they should be permitted to meet Protestants may without the spirit of prophesie foretel their own most solemn condemnation For since both the Eastern and Western Churches do already agree in most doctrines renounced by Protestants viz. Transubstantiation Adoration of the blessed Sacrament Prayer for the Dead and by consequence a Purgatory in which souls are capable of refreshment by such Prayers Veneration of Images Relicks c. Invocation of Saints Indulgences Merit of good works c. In which Doctrines they do agree as acknowledging them to be Traditionary It is impossible they should ever be perswaded to revoke any of them being met in an Assembly unless they will renounce all order and manner of proceeding in former General Councels which is not according to the Method of Protestants Viz. Endlessly to dispute every controverted Point by Texts of Scripture but to judge of the Truth of Points and the sense of Scripture by Traditien In such Assemblies therefore Bishops will ask one another Have your Fathers delivered to you that Bread after consecration becomes the Body of Christ That this body in the Sacrament is to be adored That we ought to pray for Souls departed in the Faith of Christ c. If so Servetur quod traditum est Now it being apparent that at the present all agree that such Doctrines both in the East and West have been delivered by Tradition and that their meeting together in a Councel will not help to make a contrary Tradition possible It will follow that whether divided or united whether alone or in Assembly they are and ever will be at least so far united as to joyn in the condemnation of Protestants CHAP. V. An Answer to the Remainder of the Preface 1. THe rest of the Preface of I. P. touches my self onely and pretends to shew what success the writings of those great Defenders of the Church of England have had against me in particular forcing me to confess That Infallibility is an unfortunate word That Mr. Chillingworth hath combated it with too great success so that I would wish the word were forgotten or at least laid by c. Now since the Church is not at all concern'd in this but my self onely who am charged with writing an incongruous impertinent Book a Book that deserves no answer but answers it self since it maintains that which its Adversary did not combat c. Truly were it not for I. P. and his friends sake more then mine own I would not answer for my self But since I perceive that the word Infallibility is as unfortunate a word to them as it was to me I will endeavour to take order that it shall be so no more 2. First therfore I say with Mr. Veron that the word Infallibility has been found out by the Schools that love to find out as short waies to express their notions as possibly can be And the world finds very great convenience by it Therefore with reference to the Church Schoolmen and from them Controvertists desirous to express the great veracity of the Church considered as a Judge or witness of Divine Truths deposed by God with her and withal the utmost obligation that all Christians have to beleeve truths so determined and witnessed by her found out this single word Infallibility to express both these by But yet the Church her self hath not as yet assumed or borrowed this word in any of her Decisions from the Schools and therefore being none of the Churches word we are not oblig'd to make her to speak it and the truth is though it comprehends al that they intend by it yet it is no adaequate measure of those conceptions because Infallibility may comprehend a great deal more for truth and our obligation to beleeve it is yet in a higher degree in Scripture then in the Decisions of the Church as Bellarmine acknowledges For the Scripture in all points both of Doctrine and Story and all circumstances is infallibly true not so the Decisions of the
measure bee attributed to my education in a Church which challenged to it selfe a priviledge beyond all other Sects from a succession of Bishops or to the evidence of reason and authority which convinced mee of the necessity of such a succession However it came I found it was impossible for mee to suffer my selfe to be perswaded that Episcopacy was a Government condemnable or that a legitimate succession of Holy Orders was not necessary to the constitution of a Church Or lastly that the supereminence of Episcopacy above Priesthood the appropriating thereto of the power of Ordination Confirmation and giving suffrages in Councells was an usurpation crep'd into the Church immediatly after the Apostles Times and contrary to their intention Considering that the Primitive Churches were extreamly and punctually scrupulous in maintaining the very phrases of traditionary Doctrines and Formes of customapractises In so much as when the least innovation in either was discovered all men conspired to condemne the innovatours Witness the controversies about Easter Rebaptization of Heretiques c. Was it imaginable thought I that those first Bishops who even by their Officers were more peculiarly Canditati Martyrii should so suddenly degenerate from the Apostolicall Spirit of Humility as universally to conspire to set up that pretended Tyranny over the rest of the Cleargy and the whole Church Or supposing that in the midst of such dire persecutions they had the will and leasure to designe such ambitious projects is it credible that the whole Ordor of Bâ—esbyters would suffer themselves to be excluded from their Priviledges and Officers so very lately bequeathed them by Christ and conferr'd by the Apostles and this universally through the whole World and not one single Presbyter appeare that should protest against such an usurpation Certainly it was much more probable that Luther and Calvin were either deceiveâ—s or deceived then that all Primitive Bishops were Tyrants and all Primitive Preists fooles or rather betrayers of that power and duty left and enjoyn'd them by the Apostles 5. But though I could have digested this what arts or violence could I make use of against mine owne reason and conscience to perswade my selfe to live in a Church in which there were neither Bishops nor Priests but a new Order and Title of Ministers made by a conspiracy of ignorant laymen a Church that took upon her to degrade and annull the Orders of the whole Christian World because they had not been communicated to her a Church which notwithstanding the expresse words of S Paul Epb. 4. who tells us that one of the speciall gifts which oâ—r Saviour upon his Ascension received from his Father to enrich his Church withall was that subordination of severall Orders of the Cleargy which was to continue till the consummation of the Saints or end of the World yet professeth that there is no such subordination and that there were no lawfull Bishops or Pastours in the Church for many hundred yeares before Luther broke his vow of Chastity to make himself fit to propagate them and before Culvin escaped from Noyon to Geneva there to maintaine the gates against the Bishop and to create Ministers under himself and in his Princes place CHAP. XI Consent of Fathers against Calvinists and Lutherans 1. UPon such grounds of Calvinists and Lutherans if they could possibly appeare to be true what impudence and folly must we needs impute to all the ancient Fathers and Doctours of the Church who never fayle in disputing against all sorts of Heretiques or Schismatiques to insist unanimously upon this Quere By what lawfull succession from what Apostolique Seate their first Teacher derived himselfe And professing that it was necessary to insist upon the point of succession as to examine the truth of the Doctrines themselves according to that Speech of S. Chrysostome Hom. 11. in Ephes. Suppose you that it is sufficient to say they are Orthodox and in the meane time Ordination is lost and perished To what purpose is the rest this being not made good For wee ought no lesse to contend for it then for the Faith it self 2. Witnesse hereto S. Ireneus Lib. 4. cap. 45. Where is it then that a Man shall find such Pastours S. Paul teacheth us when hee sayes God hath placed in his Church first of all Apostles secondarily Prophets in the third place Doctors There then where the Gifts of our Lord are placed in the same place must wee seeke for the truth among whom the succession of the Church since the Apostles and the purity of Doctrine is maintained in its integrity Witnesse S. Cyprian in Ep ad Magnum Whereas some alledge that they acknowledge the same God the Father the same Sonne Jesus Christ and the same Holy Ghost this can nothing availe them viz. being a Schisme For Core Dathan and Abiron acknowledged the same God that Aaron the High Priest and Moses did living under the same Law in the same Religion They invoked that one and true God who is to be worshipped and praid to Yet in as much as exceeding the limits of their Ministery they assumed to themselves the licence to sacrifice in opposition to Aaron the High Priest who by the ordination of God had before obtained the lawfull Priesthood they being supernaturally strucken presently received the just punishment of their unlawfull attempts And againe Novatianus is not in the Church neither can be accounted a Bishop who despising the Evangelicall and Apostolicall Tradition succeeding to no person has been ordained by himselfe And againe How can hee be acknowledged to be a true Pastour who the true Pastour beeing alive and by a successive Ordination presiding in the Church without succeeding to any one beginns from himselfe And again Ep. ad Flor. Christ sayes to his Apostles and by them to all Prelates who succeede the Apostles by a substitute ordination Vicariâ Ordinatione He that beareth you heareth me Witnes S. Athanasius de Synod How can they be Bishops if they have received their Ordination from Heretiques even by their own accusation Lastly to omit infinite passages in Tertullian S. Augustin Opâ—atus c Witnesse S. Hierome who speaking of H lary the Deacon authour of one of the Sects of the Luciferians in Dial cont Lucifer saith Together with the man his sect likewise is perished because a Deacon could not ordaine a Clearke to succeede after him Now it is not a Church which hath no Priests 3. Were such arguments as those I would faine know logicall and efficacious in the third and fourth century of Christianity and are they of no force now When was it that they began to lose their vertue Did all the Ancient Martyrs Bishops and Doctours of the Church Champions of Christian Religion confound all the ancient Heresies by demonstrating that the Authours of them had no personall legitimate nor Doctrinall succession And shall wee be made believe that such a succession now is not onely not necessary but that it is rather a prejudice yea that it
authority against Heretiques Thereupon I betook my self to the rending of the Ancient-Church History and besides others I perused exactly Tertullians Praescriptions against Haeretiques c. S. Cyprian S. Epiphanius S. Augustines Epistles and treatises against the Donatists Manichaeans c. Vincentius Lyrinensis S. Hieroms Bookes against the Luciferians Iovinian and Vigilantius I had recourse likewise upon occasion to certaine treatises of Saint Basil and S. Athanasius S. Hilary S. Pacian c. And lastly I judged it an effectuall way of atteining to the understanding the opinion of Antiquity concerning the Church to select the speciall Texts of Scripture wherein mention is made of the Church and to examine how the Fathers interpreted those Texts and what inferences they drew from them in their Sermons and Commentaries in which I might be sure they spoke without interest and passion as having no adversary in sight to combat withall and therefore were not likely to streine themselves in their expressions Such Texts of Scripture were these and the like Die Ecclesiae c. Tell the Church and if he will not beare the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican And Tu es Pertus c. Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it And Ecclesiae quae est firmamentum fidei c. The Church which is the ground of Faith and Pillar of truth c. CHAP. XIX What prejudice the Author received by receiving the doctrine of the Roman Churches Authority express'd in School-language Successe of his enquiry into Councels and ancient Fathers 1. THe answering of the Questions and especially the perusing of those bookes was the businesse of a good space of time above twelve moneths or more The excessive paines and diligence employed by mee which otherwise would have brene tedious was much sweetned by the discovery every day of new light And I could not but observe the strange effects of education and prejudice which made me believe my selfe to be saparated in my beliefe from the Catholique Church at a distance unmeasurable when indeed I was even at the doores and I am certaine I had been much sooner a Catholique if I had thought or rather indeed if I had considered for if I had considered it well I might have found sufficient ground to think so that the beliefe of the Churches doctrines nakedly as she proposeth them and in the latitude allowed by her had beene sufficient to have gained that title But I tooke those to be the necessary doctrines of the Catholique Church which were onely the private opinions and expressions of particular Doctors And the simplicity of the Articles of Christian Faith was clowded by Scholasticall Metaphysicall tearms which being abstruse nice and unknown to Antiquity rendred the doctrines themselves obscure and withall new and suspected to me 2. And all this by a very pardonable fault of mine For from whom should I receive the doctrines of the Roman Church when a Controversie is raised but from the learnedst Masters of Controversie And how few among them propose the points to be disputed between them and the Protestants in the language of the Church Besides how few among them are there who in disputing will allow that latitude which the Church apparently does There is scarce any Point of Controversie which is not severally interpreted streitned or enlarged by severall Catholiques of severall Orders and education and most of them in confuting the Protestants seeme very earnest and make it almost their whole designe to impose their particular interpretations and expressions for Catholique doctrines But with very little or no successe For a Protestant will be very ready and may with good reason say Though by being perswaded by you I shall become a Roman Catholique yet I might deny all that you maintaine and yet be a Roman Catholique too for I can produce Authors which you dare not deny to be good Catholiques that will not receive nor subscribe to your expression and stating of this Point Therefore seek to convert them first and then come and dispute with me Dispute like a Catholique for the question is not now whether I shall be a Dominican Jesuite Scotist c. But whethe I ought to be a Catholique or no. The truth is by these meanes disputations are endlesse Catholiques themselves affording answers and objections to Protestants against Catholiques Whereas if particular Controvertists as were indulgent as the Church is would be content to thinke that the termes wherein Shee expressed her minde were the most proper their adversaries would quickly be silenced Controversies abated and by Gods assistance union in a short time happily restored 3. The great haâ—me which I received by judging of the Churches Faith by particular new expressions of it puts me into this fit of liberty in censuring thus far the method of those men by whom I have been so long a time so far from being perswaded that I was rather hindred from my reunion to the Church And on the contrary this happy successe in following the direction of some few Catholique authours who separating particular opinions of Doctors from necessary Catholique Doctrines and urging nothing upon me but without assenting to which I could not be a Catholique makes me judge by mine own experience as well as reason that that which healed me of my errours and Schism would not by Gods blessing want the same effect in others also especially among English Protestants â—nd the rather if following the advice of the most Reverend the Lord Archbishop of Roven Protestants in stead of wearying themselves with perticular debates would resolve this in the first place why they made the Schism at first and continue in it still What dispensation they have from the authority and unity of the Church so unanimously and affectionately reverenced and obeyed by the ancient Fathers 4. I cannot without ingratitude in this place and occasion omit a profession of that great obligation I have with thankfulnesse to almighty God and respect to his happy instrument to acknowledge the efficacious influence that one Treatise in speciall manner had to the furtherance and facilitating of my Conversion written in French by that skilfull and authorized Controvertist Francis Veron Doctor of Divinity and entituled by him Reiglè generale de la foy Catholique In which he delivers the pure Catholique Doctrine in the words of the Councells streined and separated from all particular opinions or authorities not absolutely obliging And this exemplified throughout almost all the considerable points of Controversie bewteen Catholiques and the severall Sects of Protestants Which method of proceeding is approved by several learned Doctors of the Faculty of Pâ—â—is and the generall designe of it by his late Holinesse Gregory the fifth as was signified to the Author by his Nephew Cardinall Ludovisiâ— yea God himself hath approved and recommended the same Method by his numerous blessings on it in the Conversion
whatsoever thing came from me and observe the Traditions which I have given you Besides in some cases there may be controversies about points which are not grounded upon Orall Tradition but only Scripture 4. A third inconvenience following the Protestants position is this That since undoubtedly there were in the Primitive Church Traditions in great number besides what is expressed in Scripture I could not imagine what was become of them or how it should be possible they should come to be lost having been received generally through the whole Church and most of them shining in the practise of it To salve this inconvenience Protestants either impudently give the lye to all the Fathers and say without the least proofe that there were none at all Or in England there being under-Sects which by Scripture alone could not be confuted as Puritans Anabaptists Sabbatarians c. they are forced to acknowledge some few Traditions of such a nature although thereby they destroy their maine foundation of Only-Scripture For by the Traditionary doctrine of Non-rebaptization they conclude the Anabaptists to be Heretiques that is erring in a necessary point of doctrine Yet themselves renounce doctrines and practises delivered by a far more full Tradition So great effect hath interest in that Church But what will become of S. Basils saying before quoted That the day would faile him if he should undertake to enumerate all the Traditions left by the Apostles in the Church not mentioned in Scripture For all that even the most condescending Protestants will allow for such may be reckoned five times over in a minute of an hower Considering therefore that such Traditions being visibly manifest for the most part in the practise of the Church are far more easily preserved then any writing can be it will necessarily follow that the rest of that great number are extant in the Roman Church as may be proved of most of them before reckoned by testimonies of Ancient Fathers Vid. sup c. 3. 5. A fourth inconvenience to my understanding unavoidable by Protestants and a great proofe of the truth of the Doctrine of the Roman Church is this Though Protestants generally deny that the points of Controversie debated between them and the Roman Church were universally received by the Ancient Church as Invocation of Saints adoration of Christ as present in the blessed Sacrament Prayer for the dead c. Yet they cannot deny but that in many of the Fathers proofes of these doctrines may be found to shew that such was at least their particular opinions Now if generally the Ancient Church had agreed with Protestants both in denying such doctrines and practise received now in the Roman Church and likewise in making only-expresse-Scripture the Rule to judge by it could not be avoided but that some Synods or Fathers would have taken notice of such pretended errours in the writings of other Fathers and likewise would have produced some of those Texts of Scriptures now made use of by Protestants for that purpose a thing they are so far from that on the contrary we find that many of the Fathers infer the same doctrines from the same Texts that Catholiques now do And Protestants though they alledge some passages of Fathers by which they may seem consequently to destroy such doctrines and to contradict their owne formall assertions in other places yet are not able to produce so much as one Text of Scripture interpreted by any Father to confute any one such pretended errour Which is a thing very remarkable and will argue either that no man in the Ancient Church took notice of such pretended dangerous speeches of so many Fathers or that they understood not the plaine Texts of Scripture if Protestants grounds be true or upon Catholiques grounds since it was impossible but they must have taken notice of such opinions and since they certainly did understand plaine Texts of Scripture that therefore not disputing out of Scripture as Protestants doe they were so far from believing such opinions to be errours deserving a Schisme that they all of them agreed in receiving them as Catholique Truths Other inconveniences which without hope or possibility of remedy do arise from making Scripture alone secluding not only Traditions but likewise any visible obliging interpreter to be the only Rule and Judge of Controversies shall be reserved to be examined in the next Conclusion concerning the Authority of the Church in this businesse CHAP. V. Weaknesse of Protestants proofs for only-Scripture Texts of Scripture alleadged by Catholiques vainly eluded by Protestants 1. AS I said before since Protestants and all other Sects doe against their nature and custome so unanimously conspire to forsake the oldâ— and good wayes by travelling wherein even themselves being judges so many glorious Saints Confessors Martyrs Bishops c. were renowned not onely in their owne but all succeeding times dissipated armies of Haeretiques propagated the Kingdome of Christ over the world subdued Idolatry and made it utterly to vanish though supported with the force of the whole Roman world and in fine arrived to a supereminent degree of glory in Paradice And since in stead of this so successefull a way they have chosen to walke every man in a severall path through those narrow crooked and at least very dangerous because new wayes of a proud selfe-assuming presumption in interpreting only-Scripture each man according to his own fancy interest following the example of no antiquity but only ancient Heretiques in all reason they should have taken order to have justified themselves herein after a more then ordinary manner they ought to have contributed all the invention and skill of all the best wits in each Sect to fortifie this common foundation of only Scripture and no visible judge beyond all other points of difference 2. And so no doubt they have to the utmost capacity of the subject But no skill can serve to build a firme secure edifice upon sand and private reason or fancies of inspiration are more weake and sandy then even sand it selfe For proofe hereof let us consider the pretended proofes and reasons which they alleadge to assert this their fundamentall position viz. that the entire Rule of Faith is the written word of God of which there is not extant any visible authoritative interpreter Proofes hereof produced by them are 1. Negative invalidating such Texts of Scripture as are alledged by Catholiques and expounded by Fathers to prove Traditions unwritten and 2. Positive drawne from other Texts expressing the sufficiency and perfection of Scripture 3. Some Texts by Catholiques produced to prove Traditions and those concerning points of Doctrine as well as practise or ceremonies besides what is written in the Evangelicall books are among others these following out of S. Paul 2 Thes. cap. 1. ver 15. Observe the Tradititions which you have received from us whether by word or by Epistle And againe 2 Tim. c. 2. ver 13. Have before thine eyes the patterne of sound words which thou hast heard
that is To be able to give a judgement whether any thing be defined by the Church we must as Cajetan well observes attend unto the errors which the Church proposeth to condemn and not to those things which shee speaks incidently for such things doe not remaine defined neither is it erroneous in Faith to opine against them Now the intention of the Councell of Lateran in that decree was only to exclude the errour of Origen who affirmed That this visible world was not per se directly intended by God but onely occasionally and by accident to be a prison in which the Devills should be punished and hereupon the Councell defined That it was Gods pleasure and will directly and out of his primary intention by his divine Omnipotence to create both the Angelicall and Humane Nature Whereas in that Decree it onely sayes incidently that he created at once from the beginning both these Natures And therefore this last assertion is not by vertue of the said definition become an Article of Faith Hitherto Salmanticencis De Angel p. 364. 4. Hence it will appeare what ill use Mr. Chillingworth makes of the terme infallibility either unwillingly forgetting or willingly concealing the great latitude that is allowed generally and by unsuspected Catholique Authors to the sense and notion of it which latitude I am assured his learned Adversary would have been very willing to have allowed him But it was not for his purpose to accept nor so much as take notice of such allowance it would have spoiled and abated the edge of many of his flourishing and seemingly subtile discourses So that it is apparent that Mr. Chillingworths arguments against the Churches just authority as he pretends which to most English men and I am sure to me once appeared unanswerable If that the word infallibility were but laid by for a while yea if the unquestionably allowable qualifications if its sense were but expressed would I am confident by mine owne experience lose the greatest part of their strength and however appeare not to endanger the Catholique Church at all 5. I doe not speak this being now as I am by Gods grace a Catholique to the end either to shew my selfe foolishly forward to take part with any one Catholique writer or opinion against another for the truth is my resolution was that if my mind disquieted with scruples of Religion should chance to finde rest in the Catholique Church to submit my selfe in all simplicity to her doctrine to avoid as much as might be the interessing my selfe in Disputes and Controversies and the entertaining all unusuall suspected devious and rash opinions and to spend the remainder of my life more to the benefit of my soule then by engaging my selfe in particular factions and partialities either about Doctrines or practices Nor secondly to censure at randome all those that make use of that terme in disputations For I know that before any of our late Schismes that word was used perhaps without any inconvenience by the Schoole men and if it were confined to that place where it was bred there would be still no inconvenience But since by manifest experience the Protestants I speak of England thinke themselves so secure when they have leave to stand or fall by that word and in very deed have so much to say for themselves when they are pressed unnecessarily abruptly and too too rudely with it the sence thereof not being mollified and sweetned by just and allowable qualifications Since likewise it is a word capable of so high a sence that we cannot devise one more full and proper to attribute to God himselfe insomuch as Mr. Chillingworth when he could prove that the Church was not in so high a degree infallible as the Apostles shall I say no not as God himselfe thought he had gained the victory Whereas besides Bellarmine before quoted S. Aug. lib. 2. de Bapt. com Don. cap. 3. expresly allowes to holy Scripture a place and preeminence before the decisions of Councells Lastly since the Church which Catholiques in this controversie doe pretend to maintaine only obliges no man to that word which is not found expresly in any of her received Counsells as Mounsieur Veron professeth yea since shee almost desivers the victory into their hands when they urge only her decisions and when they urge them in the latitude that she allows Can I be blamed if my duty to the Church my affection to mine own countrey and indeed to all that call themselves Christians and the remembrance how if I had not perceived that it might be permitted me in this Controversy concerning the Church to wave that word of infallibility I should perhaps never have had occasion to speak this of it in a writing of this nature Can I I say be blamed if such reasons move me to wish that the Protestants may either never be invited to combat the authority of the Church under that notion Or however that when the terme of Infallibility is used it may not be pressed in a sense more rigorous and comprehensive then the Church her selfe hath expressed 6. Now here by the way I think it fit to the end to prevent any mistake or misconstruction of what hath been sayd touching the words Infallible and Infallibility to expresse my meaning to be this viz. That I am so far from dislikeing the words themselves so generally made use of both by Schoole men and Controvertists that I professe I cannot devile any other single termes by which to expresse the Churches just and necessary Authority For if it be true as infallibly it is I am sure That God hath endowed his Church with an Authority to which all Christisns are obliged to submit their understandings and captivate their wills then it must necessarily follow from the infinite wisdome and goodnesse of God that his divine providence will preserve his church in all truth so as to secure all believers that they cannot be misled by following her nor walk safely when they follow any other direction And by consequence that she can neither deceive them nor be deceived her self all which is clearly imported in the distinct Grammaticall sense of those single termes Infallible and Infallibility Notwithstanding since the same termes may possibly be misconceived because they are capable of comprehending a more extended notion then is here expressed as evidently they do when they are attributed to God and to his immediately inspired word And since Protestants have especially of late entertained and drunk in a notion and conception from these termes far more rigorous and comprehensive then either the church her self or most of the most learned and approved Controvertists do conceive any one to be obliged unto which notion it is as yet very difficult to efface out of their imaginations Upon these grounds it is that both from mine own experience in my self and knowledge that I think I have of the peculiar temper of English Protestants I judged it convenient and even requisite
not only to receive the Scriptures from her as a depositary of them but the true interpretation likewise of them preserved by her together with all other Traditions as much as concerns the substance of Christian Religion This authority seems to be grounded especially upon the promise of indefectibility an indefectibility I mean of the Church considered as one body composed of parts ruling and obeying teachers and persons instructed as S. Paul describes the Church as it is to continue to the perfecting of the Saints Eph. 4. Not as Mr. Chillingworth who would make our Saviours meaning to be no more but that till his second coming his Gospell should not be so utterly rooted out of the world but that somewhere or other there should be some that should professe it 2. By vertue of this promise the Church is assured 1. not to be deprived neither of any necessary truths nor of lawfull Pastors to teach those necessary truths when I say necessary I mean not absolutely necessary to every single person considered in any circumstance exigence or extremity as Mr. Chillingworth and Doctor Potter c. through their whole books understand it whether mistaking their adversaries or no I thought it unnecessary to trouble my self to examine but I am sure without any prejudice to the established doctrine of the Church which remains untouched though all the inferences which they would make from such a notion of the word necessary were allowed them but I mean truths necessary to the constitution of a glorious visible Church which must be furnished with a world of Doctrines and Orders which to all single persons are far from being necessary to be believed or known much lesse to persons wanting abilities or means or time to be instructed 2. She is secured from Schisme or Heresie for remaining to the worlds end one holy Catholique Church as we professe in the Creed how can she be divided from her self either in Faith or Charity For unlesse all Bishops in Councells Oecumenicall and indeed all Christians should conspire to renounce that truth to day which they believed yesterday how can novelty or heresie enter universally into the Church under the notion of Tradition 3. Concerning the subject of this authority the principall subjects are indeed the Governours and Pastours of the Church with whom Christ hath promised that he will be to the end of the world But the adequate subject are all Catholique Christians as well instructers as instructed since Tradition is continued by them both shining in the doctrines taught and received in devotions exercised and in outward practises and ceremonies celebrated by all Christians 4 Now of this authority of the Church there are generally speaking two acts 1. An Obligation lying upon all Christians to acknowledge that doctrine to be true and necessarily to be believed and those practises necessarily to be conformed to which are taught and received by the whole Church and all this upon penalty of being accounted Heretiques that is no members of the Church and therefore by consequence divided from Christ the head of the Church which inspires life into it here and will glorifie it hereafter 2. A coërzion or infliction of spirituall penalties and censures as suspensions deprivations excommunications c. on those that persist stubbornly in opposing those truths and practises And this belongs to the Teachers and Governours of the Church more or lesse according to their severall qualities For every Parish Priest ha's some degree of this coercive power over his stock every Bishop over both Priests and severall congregations within his Diocesse ha's more every Metropolitan a yet larger power A Provinciall Synod above a single Bishop or Metropolitan c. And in conclusion the supreme Ecclesiasticall tribunall is a Synod Occumenicall lawfully called confirmed and some adde universally received by all Catholique Churches that is by their Prelates from which there is no appealing for if there were all authority would be vain enjoying the name but without any effect or use at all as shall be shewed hereafter 5. Concerning the former act of Ecclesiasticall authority viz. an Obligation lying upon all Christians under pain of Heresie to receive the doctrines and practises of the universall Church that it is in the Church antecedently to a generall Councell appears by this namely that there were in the Church very many Heresies taken notice of acknowledged for such by all Catholikes and dissipated before any generall Councell had been called as the Ecclesiasticall history S. Epiphanius will assure us And this is grounded ◠Upon evident reason for what is heresie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but a relinquishing of a former received opinion or practise and the choice of a particular new one an act this is which implies an extreme contempt of the whole mysticall body of Christ and a preferring ones own single judgment or wilfullnesse before whatsoever els is prudent or sacred in the world 2 Upon expresse Scripture for S. Paul commands the Thessalonians and S. John all Christians to abstain from the conversation of and not so much as to bid God speed to all disordinate walkers swerving from the rule established and all introducers of novelties in the Church Yea S. Paul sayes that an Heretique even before the Bishops censure is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemned by himself that is as severall Fathers expound it voluntarily and by himselfe separated from the body of the faithfull so that the solemn excommunication of the Bishop against him may seem to be onely a ratifying of that mans censure against himselfe For I conceive it can hardly be affirmed of all Heretiques in generall that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-condemned that is professing and maintaining errors against their own conscience and knowledge 6. Now this authority residing in the whole body of the Catholique Church I must adde of the present Catholique Church has been in all times preserved so inviolable that besides the fore-cited testimonies of the Fathers this observation will sufficiently justifie it viz. That there was never in any age of the Church as far as I have been able to inform my selfe any one single person esteemed a Catholique that ever either spoke against or in the least degree censured or seemed to render suspitious any doctrine or practise universally believed or received by the Catholique Church during the time that he lived Many Fathers have been very bold and eager against abuses and errours particular some of them perhaps too largely dispersed but never any of them whether private person or Governour learned or unlearned taxed the Church either of errour in doctrine or of superstition prophanenesse or any other enormity in practise Many of them have earnestly called for a free Councell to reform particular disorders and errours in the lives and writings of both Clergy and Laity sometimes not sparing Popes themselves but never to have the Church it self to alter any of her doctrines or to change any of her practises
in it all things necessary to be believed and practised but which and how many such things there are we cannot tell you besides they are dispersed up and down in Gospells Acts Epistles and Revelation so that it will cost you much trouble to collect all that are of the substance of the new Covenant in yours and our opinions but to make short work be sure to believe all in grosse and then you shall be sure to believe all that is necessary and then chuse what Church you will for there can be no danger since all cannot but agree in necessaries only there is some danger in the Catholique Church for she will oblige you to believe other things as well as Scripture for universall Traditions sake and besides she will not permit you to think your own self wiser then the whole world Or if you have the curiosity to live in the purest Church of all then you must study all the obscure unnecessary passages of Scripture likewise for such only can be controverted among reasonable men and examine what every party ha's to say for himself and then descend from your tribunall of judging and associate your self with them that you think the wisest that is those that agree with you in all your opinions if there be any such and there stay till either they or you change opinions But as for Catholiques to such a man that was to chuse both Christianity and a Church they would first tell him that by his reason he might most certainly judge that this Religion was taught by Christ and his Apostles since besides Records the universall agreement of the present age was that they received it from an universall Tradition of former ages which is a testimony beyond all others most irrefragable 2. They would by the same way assure him that this Religion was by the first teachers confirm'd with miracles and his reason upon examination both of those miracles and the sanctity of this Religion in generall would most assuredly conclude that the miracles were divine and by consequence the Religion too and therefore necessary to be embraced since it self said so 3. They would upon the same undeniable grounds of universall Tradition assure him that among others one necessary duty of this Religion was to live in the Communion and under the authority of such a Church as Christ had promised should be Catholique for place and never to fail untill his coming to judgement which Church was one body consisting of a subordination of parts among which by consequence one must needs be supreme and from which to separate was to be divided from Christ himself in this Church therefore he was to fix himself inseparably And here is to be an end of his judging and chusing For 4. being in this Church his Reason had no more to do but to submit it self to the beliefe and practise of the speciall doctrines and precepts which this Church should teach him Liberty indeed he might have to search out interpretations of Scripture yet so as that he must not contradict any traditionary doctrines And he might draw consequences from doctrines so that he would give leave to the church to judge whether such consequences were rationall and fit to be received abstaining from others that would not assent to his consequences And this is the method according to which a Catholike would advise such a man to proceed thus much liberty of judging he would allow to his reason before he did make choice of a church and only so much afterward 8. To these discourses Mr. Chillingworth adds some proofs out of Scripture to justifie Private Reason's pretention to judge of the sense of Scripture as first those words of S. Paul 1 Thes. 1. 5. v. 20 21. Try all things hold fast that which is good But I answer here is no mention either of Scripture or church much lesse of interpreting Scripture against the church the truth is there were extant scarce any books of the New Testament when S. Paul wrote that Epistle But the words before speak of Prophecyings in the church which perhaps S. Paul would have to be tryed whether they were consonant to the doctrine which he had delivered to the church Now who was to be the Judge of Prophets he shews in another place 1 Cor. 14. 32. where he sayes The spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets not to the ignorant people A second proof is Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they be of God or no 1. Joh. 4. 1. To which the former answer will suffice A third Be ye ready to render a reason of the hope that is in you 1 Pet. 3. 15â— I cannot imagine how from this Text this conclusion can be infer'd Ergo it belongs to all Christians to judge of the sense of Scripture even against the authority of the Church A fourth If the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch All the inference that I could possibly draw from this Text would be therefore if men will not believe their teachers but either will rush forward themselves or follow others that neither have authority nor ability to teach they are likely to fall into the Ditch For surely by blind are not meant the lawfull Pastours of the Church which on the contrary are in the Old Testament called Videntes or Seers and by S. Paul eyes when speaking of such persons as Mr. Chillingworth here gives the office of judging to he saith If the ear shall say because I am not the eye I am not of the body is it therefore not of the body If all the body were the eye where were the hearing 1 Cor. 12. 16. Whereby S. Paul shews expressely that the hearers ought not to usurp the teachers office expressely contrary to Mr. Chillingworths Position 9. I will conclude this discourse of Protestants exalting private reason against Catholique authority with those memorable words of S. Augustine Ep. 56. Those saith he who not being in Catholique Unity and Communion yet notwithstanding do boastingly usurp the name of Christians are constrained to contradict the true Believers and have the boldnesse to seduce as it were by reasons the ignorant and unskilfull although that our Lord is come with this preservative to ordain faith unto the people But this they are constrained to do as I said because they perceive well that without this there is nothing more vile and base then they are if their authority be compared with Catholique authority They endeavour therefore as it were to surmount the most firmly setled and most stable authority of the most surely founded Church by the name and promising of Reason for this is as it were an uniform and universall temerity of all Heretiques But the most clement Commander and Generall of our Faith hath strengthened his Church with this bulwark of Authority by the most famous Assemblies of Peoples and Nations and by the proper Sees Episcopall of the Apostles aâ—d by a
in any degree wound nor so much as incommodate his adversary 3. Secondly I answer that whatsoever arguments have been or can be made by Protestants against the manner of Resolution of Catholique Faith do not touch the Church at all since she ha's not intermedled in that Scholasticall nicety of the Resolution of Faith If particular men to exercise their wits and to boast their subtilty do busie themselves in this last inquisitive age about such curiosities undebated and unheard of among the antient Doctors of the church what is that to the church her self or her Traditionary doctrines which were proposed and believed before that new language of the schools was invented 4. But thirdly to demonstrate that Protestants do vainly flatter themselves in supposed advantages against Catholiques about this point of Resolution of Faith I will endeavour as briefly and as perspiouously as I can to set down the state of that controversie which when I have done I believe that without any further trouble it will justifie it self not to be obnoxious to those circles and absurdities which Protestants charge upon it 5. Now for a preparation thereto I will lay down these grounds viz. 1. That that is the thing into which we say Faith is last resolved which is the prime motive or authority for whose sake we believe 2. In all kinds of belief the prime authority which deserves Faith must have two qualities viz. Knowledge and veracity 3. In divine Faith the prime authority is alwaies the prime Verity or God 4. In divine Revelations we are to distinguish the faith or assent which we give to the truth revealed from the knowledge or assent to the Revelation or act of revealing 5. In immediate divine Revelations we believe the truth it self for the authority of the revealer or relator himself which is God and we assent to the revelation having a certain knowledge thereof either by the help of our senses externall and internall or without them immediately by our understanding 6. But if divine revelations be conveyed to us by a second hand that is by the report of others yet then faith is not resolved into the conveying authority but into the prime 7. To make faith by vertue of the prime authority certain or firm I must have assurance of the certitude of this conveying hand that is not only that this conveying hand did receive those revealed truths but the true sense of them likewise and withall was not subject to errour in the propagating of them 6. Having laid these grounds we will make application of them to the present purpose in a few examples The first shall be of a revelation made by God immediately either by expresse language or dreams or visions or the Oracle of Urim c. for all these are of the same nature as much as concerns certainty as when God revealed to the Prophet Isaiah the mystery of the Conception of the Messiah of a pure Virgin In this case the Prophet it is to be supposed was assured by a certain knowledge that this revelation was reall and not imaginary so that he believed the truth revealed with a most firm faith for the authority of God the prime verity whom he knew to be the revealer for if he had not assuredly known this he could not have adhered firmly to the mystery though in it selfe never so true and infallible A second example shall be of an immediate revelation also but yet somewhat of a different nature from the former viz. Of our Saviour teaching the Jewes that he was the Messiah the eternall Sonne of God and confirming this truth by divine Miracles In all outward appearance he seemed to be but a man and therefore what he taught could not be the object of divine Faith neither could his hearers have assurance of his authority unlesse they were assured of the truth of his miracles A third example shall be of the same revealed truth viz. That Christ was the Messiah c. but proposed to persons living in the second or third ages after that time by those who either were themselves eye-witnesses or received it from those that were In this case the persons living in the second or third age if they had not certitude that those that told them this did not lye could not with a faith rationally firm and certaine assent to those truths But certain they might be and most undoubtedly were and the grounds of this certainty were as I have largely shewed before a certain knowledge both that they all heard these and all other substantiall truths of Christianity from their Ancestors as a Tradition Universall whether written or no it matters not and that it was as impossible that all their ancestours all the world over should conspire to seduce them with a lie as that their own eyes and ears should deceive them In all these examples there is the same resolution of Faith for both the immediate witnesses of these revelations and their successors do resolve their faith in these supernaturall truths finally and only into the authority of the prime verity For if any of them should be asked Why do you believe that Christ is the eternall Son of God They would all answer because God ha's so revealed neither could they proceed any further But if they were asked how are you certain that there was such a divine revelation the immediate witnesses would say We saw and heard Christ himself publishing these truths and with a world of stupendious miracles confirming them And their successours would say we receive the same truth by an Universall Tradition not only in it self and of it self credible and in a high degree certain but such an one as ha's more advantages to demonstrate its certainty then any other that ever was Now what ha's been spoken of the second and third ages may upon the same grounds be verified of the fourth fifth and all following to the worlds end And likewise what hath been exemplified in one or two supernaturall truths revealed may be extended to all the substantiall points of Christianity all which as I before demonstrated arrive unto us by the same conveying hand of Universall Tradition by severall wayes as writing publike profession and practise propagated 7. Now among these truths or doctrines coming by Universall Tradition and for that reason believed most assuredly by all Catholique Christians and by consequence most certaine and indubitable one principall one is the authority of the present Church considered not as a relator only but as authorized by Christ to teach this and all other doctrines so as to oblige all men to belief and obedience Which speciall doctrine though it were only testified in Scripture as it is evidently enough were sufficient against those that acknowledge only Scripture for their rule yet we are certain of the truth of this doctrine by the former Rule which can neither fail us neither can we be mistaken in it viz. Because it is universally believed in the present
of Minori declared openly this sense of that Article against certain disputing Schoolmen and during the sitting of the Councell published a book to the same effect no man censuring or condemning him Although indeed his manner of expression was far more unwary and more approaching to the sense of the Lutherans and Calvinists then the forecited Authors Salmeron and Scribonius Marius the further fitnesse of which opinion I leave to the judgement of the Catholique Reader my intention being only to make a Narration of what I was told or did read in others 3. And these are the principall arguments produced by Mr. Chillingworth against the infallibility as he loves to call it of the Church at least such of them as had the greatest effect upon me during my time of Protestancy to hinder me from submitting my selfe to the authority of the Catholique Church or indeed to any authority at all as obliging in conscience which arguments when I came to examine them appeared to me in generall not to touch the established doctrine thereof at all Whether they were of greater force against his particular aduersary it concerned not me neither had I commission or authority to examine 4. It is not my purpose in this Narration to give particular answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all his objections Onely this I professe that I doe neither remember any one through his whole book which formerly had any strong influence upon me nor since my becoming a Catholique after not a perfunctory per-usuall of it have I met with any which to mine own understanding upon the grounds by me formerly laid doe not seeme to me easily answerable And I am confident that if any Protestant shall apply Mr. Chillingworth's discourses to the established doctrine and expressions of the Catholike Church he will acknowledge that notwithstanding any thing said by him this may remain true That the Catholique Church hath authority to propose points of Faith and to interpret Scriptures and that no particular Churches or Christians may or ought to contradict or refuse to submit to her determinations and interpretations Insomuch as if Mr. Chillingworth had been so fortunate as to have undertaken no more then to examine the doctrine of the church he would scarce have made use of and much lesse would he have relyed so confidently upon the strength of any of those arguments which he ha's produced against his adversaries Positions He must have been forced either to acknowledge the truth of the churches doctrine or have put himself to the trouble of inventing other kind of arguments then any I could yet meet with either in his or any other Protestants writings CHAP. XLIV Dangerous consequences of Protestants doctrine against the authority of the Church 1. I Will at length put an end to this tedious but that it is so necessary discourse upon this second conclusion concerning the Judge of Controversies and authoritative interpreter of Scripture by shewing among many some speciall enormous and unavoidable consequences of the doctrine of Protestants concerning this point who refuse yea oppose the consent of the present and antient Catholique Church propounding doctrines of Faith and interpreting Scripture and submit to their own particular reason or private Spirit 2. The first is an impossibility of Unity yea though reason were suffered to proceed simply without mixture of passion and interest as experience and reason it self shews and it hath been already proved 3. The second an evident contradiction to Universall Antiquity which will not afford one example of any Catholique Writer that either hath affirmed that in interpreting Scripture every man is to follow the guidance of his own reason or private Spirit against the authority of the present church or that hath himself refused or taught others to refuse upon any pretence to submit to the determinations of the present Catholique Church 4. The third is that if the universall testimony of the present church either by her publique profession and practise or in her decisions in a Generall Councel do not indispensably oblige all Christians to obedience upon this pretended exception that no expresse mention is made in Scripture of such an unlimited power given to any church of one denomination then it will follow that those churches and Councells which have assumed to themselves this authority to exact subscription to any decisions of any doctrines other then expresse quotations of Scripture to be understood by every one according to his own fancy and that hath accursed all gainsayers are guilty of insupportable uncharitablenesse injustice and tyranny Upon which grounds all Protestants are obliged to anathematize the four first Generall Councells as well as all the rest which follow yea above all other the Councell of Nice since therein were anathematized all those that did not subscribe to an expression of one Article of Faith which notwithstanding those Fathers acknowledged to be so far from being contained expressely in Scripture that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which occasioned so many Tragedies was not so much as of Tradition but only invented by them as proper to oppose the Heresie of the Arians and to expresse the sense of the Traditionary doctrine of Christs eternall Divinity and equality with the Father 5. The fourth is that upon Protestants grounds it is impossible they should rationally call any doctrine Heresie or any separation Schisme without condemning themselves For concerning Heresie if they following the antient Church define Heresie to be a relinquishing or opposing the belief of any doctrine generally professed in the Catholique Church or defined by a lawfull Couucell they will include themselves within the lists of Heretiques since if for severall ages before Luther there were either any Churches Catholique or any authority to make a lawfull assembly they have done apparently the same But defining as they do Heresie to be a contradiction of a Fundamentall Article of the Christian Faith expressely contained in Scripture and not naming but rather explicitly renouncing any visible Judge authorized to determine whether such or such an Article be to be accounted to be expressely contained therein against those who deny it it is impossible to come to an issue between parties contradicting one the other 6. I will give only two instances in two points acknowledged in England the first in that great point controverted between the English Protestants and the Socinians The English Protestants call the Socinians Heretiques because they deny the eternall Divinity of the second Person in the blessed Trinity because this is say they a fundamentall Article of Christian Faith and expressely contained in Scripture But this the Socinians confidently deny yea they professe that the contrary rather is expressely contained in Scripture for say they Neither the word Trinity nor Personality nor Consubstantiality c. are to be found in Scripture neither can any Texts be produced which witnesse in formal words that the Son is equall to the Father in respect of the Godhead yea many Texts expressely
unquietnesse by reason of certaine scruples already entertained concerning Religion For there I saw persons so utterly secluded from the world that they never visited other men and rarely and with unwillingnesse admit-other mens visits yea excepting a few houres weekly renounced the conversation and sight of one another but only in the church where their conversation was only with God Persons so mortified in their looks so immoveable in their postures with countenances so intent upon their present devotions as if they onely lived with their rationall faculties and so far from observing that they were observed by others that truly I believe they knew it not persons as after enquiry I was informed that through the whole course of their lives practise a strict abstinence and for a greater part a rigorous fast persons that every day allow neer eight houres to vocall prayers and laborious singing in the church and almost all the hours besides in their private cells to meditation and contemplation persons that no incommodity of weather hinders from their midnight watches and devotions in the church for severall hours together persons whose inseparable cloathing is hair-cloth and whose other more private mortifications and austerities they do most sollicitously conâ—â—al from the world and account it of all other the most rude mortification if they should come to be discovered persons who are so far from desiring the esteem of the world that they never would publish any miracles done in their solitude nor seek the canonization of any of their Saints no not their Founder S. Brunâ— himself persons who notwithstanding all these austerities expresse in their conversation the greatest repose and contentment and chearfulnesse of mind imagineable the greatest compassion toward others that would seem to compassionate them and protestations that if there were no happinesse to be expected in another world yet that the inward ravishings of soule the spirituall embraces which their coelestiall Bridegroom affords them many times deserve to be purchased with far greater worldly losses and with far greater austerities then any that they have or can suffer Lastly persons whose order ha's continued now without interruption for about six hundred years without the least scandall without the least need of Reformation growing the more perfect according to the declination of the rest of mankind as if God intended it in an especiall manner to be the defence and security the chariots and horses of Israel An order whose encrease of revenews are perceived not by themselves but the poor only who are accordingly more amply and frequently sustained insomuch as that which ha's been the corruption of other orders is the purifier and refiner of this and I may add this observation with respect to England an order that Almighty God did principally chuse by which to condemn Schisme at it's first entrance there viz. by suffering them that is piety and innocence it self to be the first victimes and sacrifices offered to it 4. I must confesse that as I could not consider these things without astonishment and admiration so I could not free my self from some degree of envy and indignation that I could not find any thing in any of our Churches to oppose to such a spectacle I was willing enough to suspect that there might be some mixture of a secret hypocrisie and pride and ostentation even in such renouncings of pride and ostentation But then I confuted my own suspition by this most sure observation that Almighty God did not usually of all other vices suffer hypocrisie even in a single person to be long undiscovered much less in a whole order and for six hundred years together Therefore I began to discourse thus within my self Is it possible if the Roman church be so deeply guilty and so intolerably depraved as I have hitherto believed that Almighty God should suffer such servants of his to lye in those dregs and pollutions exposed to eternall perdition so many years together Ha's their continuall meditation been in the holy Scriptures and yet never one beam of divine light be sent from heaven to irradiate any of their understandings and to convince them that their whole Religion is apparently contradictory to the same Scriptures Is it likely that if the Faith of the Church was of necessity to be changed and the practises to be reformed that God should make choice of such Apostles as a debauched perjured sacrilegious Apostate Monk of Germany or a seditious uncharitable malicious Picard or a furious Gladiatour of Switzerland and in the mean time leave such persons enflamed with his love still lying in their deadly ignorances and impieties never suffering one of that order to be converted yea leaving Heresie more confirmed in them now then ever before that such a pretended new Evangelicall light discovered it self 5. Some time I spent in such meditations which I could neither hinder nor satisfie my self in yet because it seemed dangerous to me to build resolutions upon the manner and method of Gods Providence which is inscrutable therefore I thought it as necessary for me to examine not the outward shewes but the Rules of Holinesse practised in the Romane church as the doctrines therein professed for if the former appeared to be according to the Spirit of Christ they would strongly argue for the truth of the later Having this designe I provided my self of the best Methods of Devotion and Spirituality that I could meet with and upon all occasions I made conversation with such Religious persons as were in opinion eminent for a spirituall life The successe whereof was strange and incredible For whereas I had alwayes been of opinion that that which in the Roman church was called mysticall Theology was if compar'd with the ordinary Practicall Divinity as I took the Morall Philosophy of the Platonists to have been compared with that of other Philosophers viz. the same ordinary doctrines and precepts of vertue but only cloathed in abstruse sublime and Metaphoricall termes rendring the professors thereof not more vertuous then other men but more phantasticall and self conceited But I found that the notion I had of it had no affinity with the thing it self Mysticall Theology being nothing else in generall but certain Rules by the practise whereof a vertuous Christian might attain to a neerer a more familiar and beyond all expression comfortable conversation with God by arriving unto not only a belief but also an experimentall knowledge and perception of his divine presence after an inexpressible manner in the soul wherein he is taught first to purge himself of all pollutions of sin and worldly lusts to possesse himself of all Christian vertues and by such meanes to prepare himself for an union with the heavenly Majesty the generall instrument of all these blessings being a constant exercise of Mentall Prayer that is meditating with the understanding upon heavenly mysteries but especially inward ejaculations aspirations and immediate acts of the will loving praising adoring and perfectly resigning it selfe to the
say confidently it is all to be found comprised sufficiently in the little Catechisme made for Infants others would add the Common-Prayer book others the book of Homilyes others would yet thrust in the book of Ordination others the 39. Articles and Canons others besides would have the four first Generall Councells not to be forgotten and lastly some few of those who are pure Protestants indeed would say the whole Canon Law in as much as concerns doctrine especially and as far as it is not revoked by Acts of Parliament All this with all that went before is the entire Rule of English-Catholique Doctrine And all those for their severall answers would produce English Fathers and Doctors whose books have been received and approved without contradiction in the Church of England 4. To save the blushing of an English Protestant I would not suffer Mr. Chillingworth nor my Lord Falkland to put in their votes for they would have renounced all these and protested that neither the Catechisme nor Common-prayer-Book nor Homilies c. nor all these together contain that doctrine of the Church of England to which all are obliged to submit but only the Bible the Bible and nothing but the Bible and this not interpreted by any Bishop or Synod of Divines but by every good mans reason let him shift as he can An answer which it admitted not only totally destroyes the spirituall Jurisdiction of the English Clergy but all authority whatsoever even of the civill Magistrate in matters of Religion yet to shew the great impartiality of English Protestants towards Catholike Faith because they fancied that by such a position Catholiques might receive some damage they not only admitted this position of M. Chillingworths and saw it approved by their Doctor of the Chair but triumphed in it as the great Master-piece of the wit of this Age whereas if they had but half an eye open they might have seen in it the inevitable ruine of their whole Fabrick So that J. P. did not well consider what poor service he ha's done and what small refreshment he ha's given or rather what a dishonorable Epitaph he ha's fixed upon the monument of his deceased Church by giving his Testimony of applause to this Treatise of my Lo. Falklands as one of the great Defenders of the Doctrine of the English Church which is more ruinous to it then all the spitefull writings and plots of Cartwright Knox Henderson or all the rabble oâ— Geneva joyn'd with them But to return 5. A Supposition being made of the foresaid answer and it being granted that all these answers have been published or without contradiction or censure admitted in the church of England should not that man be very negligent of his souls good that being to examine the truth of its doctrine should trouble himself any further then with the little Catechism of half a sheet of paper as plainly and as simply written as is possible as if the children that are to learne it had composed it since all say it is at least part of the Rule of the English Faith and some without censure of others say it is all what a while must the poore mans soul be held in suspense if he were to stay till he had search'd into the Common-prayer-Book Homilies Canons Acts of Parliament Proclamations of the King Antient Councels Canon-Law c. his soul perhaps might be disposed by death God knows where before he had examined the hundredth part of what was necessary 6. Now to apply this to the present subject it is agreed by all Catholiques that the church is an infallible witness and guide Protestants profess that if this could be made evidently appear they would hold out in no controversie at all for they would never dispute perpetually with them whom onely to hear were to be satisfied this therefore is to be made evident unto Protestants yea more evident then that any particular decisions of the Church do seem to them evidently contradictory to Scripture This is the task of Catholicks especially Catholick Missionaries Now though when it is said The Church is infallible This be commonly understood of all the whole Church in general yet when we say She is an infallible Guide it is most ordinarily understood of the Church speaking by some authorised person or persons representing the whole body 7. About this Representative there is diversity of opinions among Catholicks some say the Pope alone does sufficiently represent the Church as a Guide infallible Others a Generall Councell though without the Pope Others a Generall Councell convoked presided in and confirmed by the Pope And lastly others as learned Fa Bacon acknowledges add further this condition that the decision of such a Councell bee accepted and submitted to by the whole Church All that hold any of these opinions are universally esteemed good Catholiques and I would to God all Protestants had so much humility as to subdue their own private Reason to the largest of them and for Catholiques this I may confidently say That they who without betraying the Truth make the way to the Church easiest and plainest have most charity and Faith enough the others may have more Faith I would they had more Charity too Truly to my understanding there is some inhumanity in urging Protestants to more then Catholiques will be obliged to or to think that to Protestants prepossessed with passion and partiality that can be made evident which is so far from being evident to some Catholiques that they renounce it Since all changes therefore proceed by degrees in the name of God let it not be expected from Protestants that they should with one leap mount to the utmost verge and extent of all Doctrines held by Catholiques That they should at one gulpe swallow both all Catholique Doctrines and all Theologicall Dogmes Be it granted therefore that it is true that the Pope is infallible I will beleeve it as a Theological truth but since neither the Church nor the Pope himself has told us so I cannot if I would beleeve it as a Catholick Doctrine what therefore have I to do to dispute of it to Protestants whom my duty is onely to perswade to the belief of the Churches Doctrine What pitty is it that they must be delayed and as it were kept out of the Church till all objections that they can make and be furnished even from Catholicks themselves to make against this position be answered or all advantages that they can advise against any Bulls or Decretals be cleared to their satisfaction 8. Therefore I being ingaged to make good to I. P. That the Church speaking by a Representative is an infallible Guide would fain choose that Representative which is qualified with all the conditions allowed by any uncensured Catholicks to make it most easie and most acceptable to Protestants which is a general Councel Confirmed c. by the Pope and accepted by the Church But yet I wil abstract from this last clause of being acâ—epted
by the Church though there is not any one point of controversie in debate between us and them for which we have not all this authority as being proved ex superabundanti in what I shall say hereafter 9. That therefore which I undertake to make evident to I. P. is That the Church speaking by a general Councel confirmed by the Pope is an infallible Guide and that with greater evidence then he can bring for any contradiction pretended betwixt any decision of such a Councel and the Scripture yea with more evidence then he can produce for the Scripture it self which he owns for his Guide which truly to an impartial hearer is no difficult matter even going upon his own grounds For if I should ask I. P. Why do you acknowledge the Scripture to be an infallible Rule as far as it is a Rule He would answer me Because it is delivered unto us as such by an infallible Catholick Tradition for if he talks of any other proof as a private spirit or natural reason it will be ridiculous He may as well say he can judge and demonstrate it to be such by smelling with his nose If I should further ask him how it appears evident to him that the Scriptures have been delivered by an infaâ—ible Catholick Tradition He could not deny but that many Hereticks have denied many books of Scripture yea that there is not any one book in the Old or New Testament but has been renounced by some Hereticks and their followers yet because some Councels have decided and Fathers witnessed and the Catholick Church in all ages since have received them as such therefore it is evident that they have been delivered by the Church by Catholick Tradition And this is most rational and convincing Upon these grounds therefore I proceed and ask any discreet indifferent man Whether an authority that shall after this manner propose any doctrine This we have received from Christ and his Apostles that such and such a doctrine proposed is a divine infallible truth and we command all Christians whatsoever under the pain of anathema and eternal damnation to beleeve it for such whether I say such an authority does not assume to it self the office of a Guide and of an infallible Guide Certainly he that should speak in this stile and yet have a guilt or be in a possibility of seducing were the most impious abhorred tyrant in the world What an attentat an usurpation upon Gods Scepter and Throne would this be if God had not derived this authority upon the Church represented in a Councel What a cruelty to souls What a blaspheming of the Holy-Ghost Now that this hath been the stile of all General Councels is evident and that Councels speaking in that stile have been submitted to by the Fathers and accepted by the Church with all veneration as the Oracles of God is equally apparent nay I do not know that ever any Heretick before these daies did expresly contradict this in the Thesis though in Hypothesi they have renounced such particular Councels as themselves were Anathematized by Therefore not onely all Councels but every Decision of every Councel to which an Anathema is annexed decides this question and proclaims to all the ends of the world this truth That the Church speaking in General approved Councels is an infallible Guide to all Christians Against this not a passage or word in any Father can be produced but infinite passages for it Hence it is that the Fathers unanimously profess That out of the Church there is no possible salvation because there is no Guide to Heaven but in the Church If therefore it be a proof evident enough to I. P. of an universal infallible tradition of Scripture that one or two not General Councels did with some variety set down the number and names of the books and that generally speaking the Fathers have amongst them given attestation to them some to some books and some to others few to all and that the Church in after ages hath universally accepted them as such How short comes that tradition of this concerning the infallible Guidance of the Church that is vertually decided in all Councels and every decision of all attested by all Fathers not one in one passage contradicting or condemning that stile but unanimously in all ages since Councels were accepted by the Church approved and submitted to how opposite is this truth to the main design of his following discourse which attempts to prove that there is in the Church no infallible Guide at all And how contradictory to that Article of his Church concerning not onely the fallibility but actual erring of Councels And again how conformable is this way of proceeding to the authority given upon Record in Scripture by our blessed Saviour to his Church I say to his Church for the Fathers assembled in Councel speak not thus in their own persons nor as so many learned men but in the person of the whole Church which they represent and do no more but subsume particulars under that General Anathema pronounced by our blessed Saviour when he said If he refuse to here the Church let him be unto thee as a Heathen and a Publican 11. I conjure therefore I. P. and all his and my friends that he and they would produce or at least set before their own eyes those Decisions of Councels which seem to them evidently false because clearly contradictory to Scripture and compare his evidence of a seeming contradiction with this evidence that it is impossible there should be such a contradiction and if they do this with a serious minde and desire to finde the truth that they may embrace it and with hearts lifted up to God to free them from all respects of the world and to enlighten their souls with the love of his truth then perhaps they may see that which as yet it seems is invisible to them it is most certain there is not one express formal text of Scripture contradictory to any Catholick Doctrine this they confess themselves And indeed even abstracting from the promises made by Christ to his Church it is morally impossible that so many wise and vertuous men should with the one hand give the Scripture as Gods word and with the other present Doctrines expresly and directly contradictory to it and none be able to observe the contradiction though their daily study was to meditate upon and interpret the Scripture Now whether any consequence from obscure texts can be more forcible then that which I have named from the stile of General Councels I leave not to their wits but consciences to judge 12. Matters therefore being impartially weighed that triumphing Epiphonema of his in the fourth and fifth Sections vanishes in which himself with admiration exposeth to the admiration of others those great conquering defenders of the doctrine of the late Church of England that with such excellent conduct and valour and such admirable success have combated and defeated this our Darling
the Church to be the interpreter of Scripture or that acknowledged lawful General Councels are not obliging under the penalty of manifest Schism that is damnation And again on the otherside what one Protestant is there who will not protest against the Infallibility of the Church and yet this Infallibility in the meaning of the Church neither dose nor must comprehend more then is imported by the other expressions Is it not apparent therefore Since no such word as Infallibility is to be found in any Councel and since the Church did never enlarge her authority â—â— so vast a wideness as Protestants will needs hither to collect from the word Infallibility but rather that she does deliver the victory into our hands when we urge her Decisions that any Catholick that had any charity in disputing with Protestants would either wholly abstain from the word it self or since it is become so common and with all so convenient for no other single word can be imagined so proper would in using of it confine it to its necessary acception in the present matter and so prevent Protestants that they should not if they would make use of it to their most disadvantagious advantage And this latter expedient I have in this review made use of keeping the word Infallibility in it self good and innocent yet withal using caution that it should not be mistaken 8. What is now become of your exclamations my good unknown friend I. P. how impertinent are they and how harshly and inharmoniously do they sound O the strength of reason rightly managed by the Great Defendors of the English Church O the power of truth clearly declared That it should force an eminent member of the Church of Rome alas eminent in nothing but in miserable imperfections to retract so necessary so fundamental a doctrine to desert all their Schools and contradict all their controvertists For is it not apparent even from the first impression of my Book that it was so far from being true that the strength of reason rightly managed by you or the power of truth clearly declared by you compelled me to use such expressions that on the contrary it was your manifest unreasonableness and your wilful mistake of Truth that forced me out of compassion and charity to you not to retract any doctrine of the Church nor to desert any community in it but to temper what the Church and the Schooles and Controvertists likewise say to your too much depraved palats 9 Having been so large hitherto I may the better dispence with my self to be brief in what follows Therefore whereas in the sixth Paragraph I. P. says That it is not the name or word Infallibility that is deserted by Mr. Cressy but the whole importance and sum of it since he does not except against the word but to receive it in the sense of Cardinal Bellarmine that is Infallibilis est qui nullo casu errare potest c. To this I must needs say that truly I. P. is mistaken for it is onely the word Infallibility that is in controversie and that protestants I do now except Mr. Chillingworth c. who are far from being truly English Protestants do make meer nominal controversie of this great fundamental one for no argument that ever I saw is so much as intended by them to disprove this truth That it belongs to the Church to be the interpreter of Scripture and not to any private spirit or natural reason or this That the Decisions of the Catholick Church in lawful approved General Councels are not obliging under pain of Anathema incurring of schism and by consequence damnation and it is this I say principally this that the Church understands by the notion of Infallibility Therefore it is in your own sense onely and not Bellarmines that you will understand those words of his Infallibilis est qui nullo casu erraâ—e potest for Bellarmine himself as I have shewed in my book acknowledges a General Councel to be infallible yet not Infallible as the Scripture that is Quod in nullo casu errare potest for the Scripture is Infallible not onely in Essential Doctrines but even in all circumstantial historical passages phrases and and words whereas Councels are onely Infallible in the substance of their Decisions the which Decisions as Salmanticensis saith are likewise to be extended no further then the latitude of the Heresies which they intend to condemn but as for other passages in Decrees or decisions as the grounds principles and reasons from which a Councel deduces its conclusive Decisions c. In those it may be deceived and much more in orders and reformations which depend upon prudence or information It is therefore a very great apparent mistake when you say that Mr. Cressy retracts either the word Infallibility it self which he often makes use of or or much less the full importance and sense of that word unless you will mean that he will not use it in your full importance and sense for that he acknowledges he will not he is too charitable to you to justifie or encourage you in your mistakes As for Mr. Chillingworth my lord Falkland and if there be any other that proceed upon their grounds whom you ought to have called not the Great Defenders but the great Destroyers of the Church of England though they do indeed mistake the word Infallibility extending it to too comprehensive a sense yet that does not hinder them in their way for by making every ones personal reason to be judge and interpreters of Scripture they do thereby destroy all obliging authority whether fallible or infallible 10. In the seventh Paragraph the Author I. P. very rationally that is very consequently to his most irrational mistaking me First imputes unreasonableness to me in making any answer to the arguments made against that which he confesses himself cannot be maintained Hereto I answer That 1. Since it was Mr. Chillingworth's book and not any Prelatical Protestants argument against the Catholick Churches authority that perplexed and entangled me And 2. since I knew that Mr. Chillingworth beleeved his arguments unanswerable not onely by his Adversary and such as proceeded upon his Adversarie's special grounds but by any Catholick upon what grounds soever and that the onely grounds upon which Catholick authority could be destroyed were not such as my Lord of Canterbury c. proceeded on viz. To set up a little authority and seemingly to contradict an universal one but onely such as Mr. Chillingworth used viz. To disoblige every Christian from all authority whatsoever as obliging the conscience to the beleeving of any thing and making private reason the judge where was this unreasonableness of mine when I attempted to shew the world how I came to be undeceived and upon what grounds I ceased to think what before not I onely but very many Protestants besides my self thought namely that Mr. Chillingworths book did wholly destroy not only his mistaken Infallibility but the true real
of a world of wandering perverted souls From his ground it is especially that I in this book both take this fashion and Latitude of stating doctrines of faith recommend it to others when they treat with Protestants And particularly from him did I receive Information that the very expresse terme of Infallibility was not of obligation to be made use of in Disputation concerning the Churches Authority As likewise that the Doctrines of Faith promulgated by the said Authority in the Decrees of generall Councells did admit of many more qualifications and restrictions then popular Controvertists do think good to make use of So that if in this or any other point any expressions found in this book shall seem new or not so relishing to any I must refer them to the said Author and his Approvers who no doubt will ease me of the trouble of making Apologies 5. But leaving this digression I will at last relate the successe I found in reading the Canons of the Church the forementioned books and treatises of the Fathers c. Which was that I thereby gained a distinct knowledge both of the faith of the present Church and what those Ancients believed concerning the Churches Authority and this not by relying upon a few select passages and Texts pick'd out by late Controvertists but by observing the maine designe and intention of those Fathers when the very like Controversies in their times constreined them to consider and unanimously declare what they themselves thought and what they had received from their predecessours concerning the Church Haeresie and Schisme 6. That therefore which I learned from them pertinent to my present purpose I will set downe in foure Conclusions relating to foure principall heads of controversie namely 1. Of the Rule of Faith that is Scripture and Traditions unwritten 2. Of the Judge of Controversies that is the Catholique Church 3. Of the unity of the Church and the danger of Heresy Schisme 4. Of the perpetuall Visibility of the Church To all which Propositions respectively I will adjoyne the doctrine of the present Roman Church conteined especially in the Councell of Trent And likewise the beliefe of Protestants Concluding with an examination whether the Roman or Protestant Churches do best conform themselves to the universal Ancient Traditiō cōcerning the Church her authority c. 7. When all this is done at their perill be it if any imputing to me sinister intentions of which they cannot be judges shall say it was either worldly discontent or ambition and not an evident conviction of truth and resolution to save my soule that moved me finally to declare my selfe rather a follower of that part which to my understanding followes an universall and uninterrupted agreement of such Teachers as both sides agree not only to have approached neerest to the fountaine of truth Christ and his Apostles therefore to have had meanes of informing themselves in Apostolicall Tradition incomparably beyond us But also to have been extreamly cautelous and learned and so not easily obnoxious to be mistaken or deceived And likewise unquestionably pious and vertuous and therefore abhorring any intention of seducing others for temporall respects Rather then three or foure new teachers in whom there is not only a visible want of all these good qualities but on the contrary such as have not been able to forbeare to declare themselves to be worse men more polluted with Lust Gluttony Sacriledge Pride Malice Envie c. then without their own confession their adversaries could with a good conscience have accused or but suspected them And the effect of whose innovations ha's manifestly been nothing but Atheisme profanenesse bloodshed confusion and ruine The second Section Conteining a stating of foure fundamentall points of Controversie in foure Conclusions CHAP. I. The first Conclusion concerning the Rule of Faith Testimonies of Fathers acknowledging Doctrines Traditionary as well as Scripture to be a Rule of Faith 1. ACcording to my promise in the last Chapter of the former Section I will consequently set downe the fundamentall truths of Catholique Religion in foure Conclusions respecting foure generall points of Controversie The sense of which Conclusions I found evidently and uniformly delivered by the ancient Fathers and by the light of the said truths through Gods grace and goodnesse I became entirely undeceived and by their direction I was led as it were by the hand into the Gates of that City which is set on a hill the holy Catholique Church of Christ. Now of those this is the I. CONCLUSION The entire Rule of Faith comprised in the Doctrines delivered by Christ and his Apostles immediately to the Church is conteyned not only in Scripture but likewise in unwritten Traditions 2. FOr the former part of this Conclusion viz. That the Rule of Christian Faith obedience is no other then the Doctrines and Praecepts delivered immediately by Christ and his Apostles to the Church And by consequence that the present Church pretends not to any new Revelations or Power to make any new Articles of Christian Faith or to propose any Doctrines under that title other then such as Shee has received by Catholique Tradition it will be unnecessary paines to prove out of the Fathers since I doe not know any Christians who deserve that title that doubt of it Indeed the Calvinists earnest to find all occasions to heighten their Schisme charge the Catholique Church as if she admitted within this compasse other Doctrines Decrees and Decretalls c. But most unjustly since there is no warrant or ground given them to lay this aspersion upon the Church and all Catholiques generally renounce it 3. But as for that which followes in the Conclusion viz. That this Rule of Faith is not conteined entirely and expresly in Scripture alone but likewise in unwritten Traditions In this lyes the maine difference betweeen the Catholique Church and all other Sects both ancient and moderne They all and alwaies conspiring in this that the Scripture is to be the only Rule and themselves judges and interpreters of the sence of it at least for themselves or if not they no body however not the present Church and on the contrary Catholiques in all ages unanimously joyning in the contradiction of that ground and affirming that all Doctrines of Faith were not indeed no◠ever were intended to be entirely express'd in Scripture And that Scriptures ought not to be interpreted by any private spirit or reason any other way then according to the line of Ecclesiasticall Tradition 4. Concerning the Rule of Faith therefore let us aske our Fathers that were before us how they were instructed in this point and among them the first testimony will be afforded us by S. Ignatius to this effect quoted by Eusebiu◠Hist. Eccl. l. 3. c. 35. Ignatius saith he exhorted the Churches to hold themselves inseparably to the Tradition of the Apostles which Tradition for surenesse sake he thought good to reduce into writing Againe S. Polycarpus saith the
same Author l. 5. c. 19. taught his Disciples many Traditions not written Again S. Dyony Arcop Hier. Eccl. c. 1. at least even by acknowledgment of the most learned Protestants an Author of the second or third age Those prime Captains and heads of our Hierarchy thought it necessary to deliver unto us those sublime and supersubstantiall Mysteries both in written unwritten instructions Again S. Fab. Pope â—â— Martyr Ep. 1. ad Episc. Orientis speaking of holy Chrisme to be renewed every yeare of which no mention is in Scripture addes These things we received from the Holy Apostles and their successors which we require you to observe Againe Tertullian de Cor. Mil. cap. 4. discoursing as he often does of severall rites and practises not mentioned in Scripture concludes in one place thus Of all these and other disciplines of the like nature if thou shalt require a law out of Scripture thou shalt finde none Tradition shall be alledged to thee for the Author Custome the confirmer and Faith the observer Againe S. Irenaeus Cont. Haer. lib. 3. c. 4. What if the Apostles had not left us Scriptures ought we not to have followed the Order of Tradition which they delivered to those to whom they committed the Churches to which ordination give proofe many nations of those Barbarous people who beleeve in Christ having salvation written in their hearts by the Spirit without characters or inke and diligently observing the ancient Tradition Againe the Fathers assembled in that ancient Councell of Gangres Can. 21. We desire that all those things which have been delivered in divine Scriptures and by Tradition of the Apostles should be observed in the Church Againe S. Basil de Spir. Sanc. to cap. 27. 29. of the dogmes and instructions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preserved in the Church some we have by written institutions others we have delivered by the secret Tradition of the Apostles Both which sorts have the same authority for as much as concernes piety and there is no man will contradict this that is never so little experienc'd in the law of the Church The same Father in the same Chapter The day would faile me if I should produce all the Mysteries which the Church observes without writing And a little after I account in an Apostolique thing to persist constantly in observing Traditions not written Againe Eusebius Caesariensis de dem Evang. lib. 1. who having said that Christ did not as Moses leave his Law written in Tables or Paper but in the hearts of his Apostles who likewise following the example and intention of their Master Have consign'd their doctrines some indeed in writing and others they have delivered to be observed by lawes unwritten Againe S. Chrysostome 2 Thes. cap. 2. From hence it appeares that the Apostles have not delivered all things by Epistles but likewise many things without writing now both those and these deserve to be equally believed Againe S. Epiphanius haer 61. We must likewise make use of Tradition for all things cannot be taken out of Scripture And therefore the Holy Apostles have given us some things in writing and others by Tradition Againe S. Augustin de Bap. cont Don. lib. 5. cap. 23. speaking against those that maintained that Haeretiques ought to be rebaptised The Apostles sayth he have prescribed nothing concerning this thing But this custome which was opposite to S. Cyprian ought to be believed to have taken its originall from their Tradition as there are many things which the uniuersall Church observe â—â—h and for that reason are rightly beleeved â—â— have been commanded by the Apostles although they are not found in their writings These quotations seemed sufficient to me to shew the generall Opinion of the Fathers to be consonant to the Conclusion before mentioned CHAP. II. The Roman Church agreeing with Fathers in the same Rule of Faith All Sects of Protestants disagree with the Fathers 1. NOw to the end to confront with Antiquity the present Roman and Protestant Churches that it may appeare which of them are the true legitimate children of those Fathers Wee will begin with the Roman Church whose mind we finde clearly expressed in the Decree of the Councell of Trent Sess. 4. concerning Canonicall Scriptures in these words Sacrosanâ—â—a c. Tridentina Synodus c. Perspiciens hanc veritatem c. that is The most holy c. Synod of Trent c. Clearly perceiving that this truth and discipline namely the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles is contained in bookes written and unwritten Traditions which were received from Christs Mouth or delivered as it were from hand to hand from the Apostles to whom the Holy Ghost dictated it hath arrived even to us Following the Oxthodox examples of the Fathers receives and venerates with an equall affection of duty and reverence all bookes as well of the Old as New Testament since one God is the authour of both as likewise the Traditions themselves whether perteining to Faith or Manners as dictated either by Christs own Mouth or by the Holy Ghost and by a continued succession preserved in the Catholique Church Thus far the Councell of Trent 2. Whether the Roman Church has indeed made good this her profession viz. That in this decree shee followes the Orthodox examples of the Fathers besides so many formall proofes before alledged the confession of many learned Protestants will justifie her As Cartwright Cartw. Witgift Def p. 103. speaking of the forementioned or like quotations out of S. Augustin saith To approve this speech of Augustin is to bring in Popery c. So likewise Whittaker Fulk Kemnitius c. Whit. de Laec. Ser. p. 678. 681. 690 c. Fulkâ— con Purg. p. 362. 397. Kemnit Exam. part 1. p. 87 c. for such like assertions of the Fathers condemne then generally and by name Clemens Alexandrinus Origen Epiphanius Tertullian Augustin Ambrose Hierome Chrysostome Eusebius Baesile Leo Maximus Theophilus Damascene c. 3. In opposition to this decreed Doctrine of the Roman Church and by consequence to the Orthodox examples of the Fathers aâ—â— manner of Sects that have separated from the Church or from one another since Luthers â—â—me agree almost in no other point unanimously except in this That the Scripture conteins in it expresly all things both concerning beliefe and practise which are necessary or but requisite to salvation And by consequence that no man is or ought to be obliged to submit to any Doctrine or precept any further then as it can be proved manifestly to him to be conteined in the written word of God 4. The Church of England Art 6. of English Church in particular makes this one of her peculiar Articles That the Holy Scripture conteineth all things necessary for salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an Article of Faith or to be thought requisite necessary to salvation
some cases it is within the power of the Church to invent de novo some word or phrase proper to signifie and express a Traditionary doctrine namely in contradiction to any Haeresie arising and opposing Apostolique Revelations shining in the publique profession and practise of the Church So to condemn the Arians denying the Divinity of our Saviour the Fathers of the Councell of Nice made choice of the terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though new yet answerable to the sense and notion of that mystery which was received by Tradition in the Church a terme directly and specifically opposite to the Arian Position In like manner the Church of late devised a new or rather borrowed of some particular ancient Father the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Transubstantiation as most proper to expresse the notion which in all ages has been received in the Church concerning the Reall Presence of the body of Christ in Blessed Sacrament a terme which like the flaming two-edged waving sword of the Cherub cuts assunder on all sides whatsoever new Heresies do or probably ever shall devise to oppose that Mystery 5. Notwithstanding some certaine Traditions there were which in the Primitive times were kept secret among the principall Ecclesiasticall Governours as certaine sublime Doctrines the ceremonious formes of conferring some Sacraments of making the holy Chrismes Oyle c. which seemes to have been done partly to gaine a reverence to the Clergy as more neerly approaching to the Divine Light But principally not to expose such Mysteries to the scornfull and profane interpretation of the Heathens or to the weak understandings of the ignorant and not yet sufficiently instructed Christians according to the practise of S. Paul himselfe 1 Cor c. 2. who saith Sapientiam loquimur inter perfectos Wee spèake sublime wisedome among those that are perfect Hence those earnest adjurations in the writings of some very ancient Bishops whereby they conjured others of their own rank when they communicated to them certaine sublime mysteries to preserve in a deep secrecy what they so received a memorable instance we have of this caution in the Books of S. Denis Areopagite Hier. Eccl. c 1. Hence those disguisings of other Mysteries in Books which were to passe publiquely abroad Hence those sudden interruptions when they were ready to discover unawares somewhat above the capacity of their hearers Pagans or Catechumens Frequent examples I could alledge out of S. Epiphanius S. Chrysostome S. Augustine end others But Cuiâ— bono in this placed Since Paganisme has been utterly abolished and meanes of instruction more common and promiscuous especially since the invention of Printing whether happy or not it is doubtfull this cautelous reservednesse has beene out of use perhaps with no little prejudice to the Church in so much as nothing is reserved now in the brests of the Church-Governours even the anciently most secret Ceremonies are divuled to all Mens knowledge So that now Tradition is far more loud and visible then ever it was before and no ground for Protestants to pretend to any suspition that under a shew of Tradition the Church has a mind to exercise either Tyranny or cunning to gaine authority to her determinations 6. Now from this generall Traditionary way of conveying Christian Doctrines c. it came to passe that many Fathers being assured of the truth and authenticknesse of such Traditions and willing to assert them out of Scripture also have interpreted many Texts as conteining such Doctrines which either did not at all afford such a sence or at least not necessarily though perhaps the outward sound of the words might put a man in mind of such Doctrines Examples of this are not a few particularly in the points of Purgatory Prayer to Saints c. So that whereas Protestants cry Victory when they can prove or at least make probable that such Fathers have been mistaken in such interpretations as if the doctrines thence deduced were confuted in my opinion it is without any ground since on the contrary the lesse force that such Texts of Scripture have to evince such doctrines the greater and stronger proofe have such Traditions seeing the Fathers prepossessed with a beliefe of them from the publique practise of the Church accounted them so apparent that they thought they saw them even where they were not at all And therefore when the Church commands us not to oppose the interpretations which the greatest part of Fathers unanimously make of Scripture I conceive she does not a waies oblige Catholiques thereby to give the same sense to Texts which the greatest part of Fathers doe but rather not so to interpret any Text as to contradict the Traditionary doctrines believed generally by the Fathers upon this safe ground of Tradition though perhaps not Logically enough deduced from such speciall passages of Scripture so that though perhaps their commentaries there may be questioned the doctrine in the commentaries ought to be embraced CHAP. X. The second preparatory ground viz. Occasion of writing the Gospells c. 1. IT may now be demanded if this way of conveying Christian doctrines be so much clearer and safer than writing books or any other way of transmitting recordes to what purpose were the Evangelicall bookes written and why were the necessary points of faith reduced into such a prescribed form in the Apostles Creed 2. To say something for answer and first concerning the Creed The end why that was compiled seemes to have been to bring into a short and cleare abridgement the principall points of Christian Religion to be repeated at any ones initiation into Christianity by Baptisme being as it were an enlargement of that forme of Baptising prescribed by our Saviour viz. Baptizo te in nomine Patris Filii Spiritus sancti Now in what senseâ— and in respect of what Persons in what State or Order the Creed may be said to contein all points of faith necessary to Salvation shall be shewd hereafter As to our present purpose we may observe 1. That the Creed seemes to be of a middle nature betweene written bookes and Orall Tradition as a prescribed forme of words so it approaches to the former but as committed by all to memory and actually repeated at Baptisme and other publique Devotions so it partakes much of the latter 2. What extreame advantage Tradition has for its preservation beyond any writing seeing the Creed after it was enlarged by partaking thereof has preserved it selfe from any variety or corruption all the Church over to this day It is true indeed that insome Churches viz in Afâ—ica in the first beginning of Christianity there was a small difference their Creed wanting these words Communion of Saints the sense whereof notwithstanding may probably be supposed to have been included in the Article concerning the holy Catholique Church as may be observed in the Creeds extant in the African Fathers Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Optatus and S. Augustin Which difference it is not imaginable should have come by
to exhort Catholiques treating with them especially in such times as these that the fields are even white unto the Harvest and that very many more may probably be won by a charitable complyance yet still without wrong to necessary Catholique doctrine God forbid else then perhaps by the most convincing arguments of reason That they would condescend so far either to the misunderstandings prejudices or infirmity of Protestants as since the Church her self obliges no man to those very expresse termes for a while either to abstain from them in disputes or using them to do it with a qualifying preface urging and fastning no stricter a sense on them then the Churches own Decision of her authority doth require Certainly the receiving of a soul from Heresie and Schisme is a work so infinitely precious and meritorious before Almighty God that it will deserve that we should employ in it not only all our strength of wit and learning but all our charity likwise so imitating the great example of that great Conductor of souls S. Paul who told the Corinthians Astutus dolo vos cepi that is being crafty I caught you with guile namely by instilling Christian Doctrines into their minds leisurely and seasonably neither out of time enforcing unnecessary truths upon them nor hastily and abruptly urging even necessary but perhaps unwelcome ones till he had prudently prepared a way for them Now if we entreating with well minded but seduced souls would imitating S. Paul only propose to them at the first necessary doctrines and those represented with all the lawfull inviting advantages and most easie constructions we should no doubt make many points from which for the present through misapprehension they have a strong aversion very receiveable and very easily digestable to them And by these meanes having been happy instruments of restoring them to the Church we may at leasure if we have a mind seek to induce them to adhere unto and declare themselves for our particular opinions and distinctive interpretations of common points 7. But to return from this digression I most affectionately entreat the Protestants that they would heedfully cast their eyes upon this decree of the Councell of Trent that they would peruse and turn it as they please and when they have done this let them consider if a Synod of Charenton or Dort or Gap do not even while they renounce all visible obliging authority usurp notwithstanding more then the Catholike Church here challenges Would any of them give leave to any among them to interpret Scriptures against their sense established by them Nay do not they command men to interpret Scriptures against doctrines unanimously consented to by Fathers Lastly would they suffer a French Protestant to interpret Scriptures but even as their brethren Protestants in in England heretofore during their prosperity graced by them with that title do ordinarily interpret them for example about Episcopacy reall Presence c If therefore such fragments of churches do allow themselves so much let Protestants try if they can be unreasonable enough to impute tyranny to the Catholique Church for forbidding any in her communion to invent new senses of Scripture contrary not onely to the doctrine universally embraced through the whole Catholike world but to this doctrine as professed to be the same which all Churches before and all Fathers unanimously consent in CHAP. XXII The method whereby the Author arrived to an entire satisfaction concerning the Churches authority 1. I Will now proceed in my narration how and by what meanes after I had informed my selfe of the Roman Churches established doctrine concerning her authority and after I had been assured by very learned Catholiques that I was not obliged to build upon any other expression of this doctrine but that of the Church it selfe I in ashort time arrived to a full satisfaction of all the difficulties and prejudices that before I was incombred withall 2. The objections and difficulties by education and many yeares study setled in my mind against the Churches infallibility or authority and which were not suddainly cleared after I knew that the Church was more moderate and condescending then I had before believed respected not only the substance of this doctrine but likewise many particulars and circumstances of it as likewise the immediate consequences of it forexample How it could be justifyed with certainty sufficient to support a supernaturall faith that the Church was legally possessed of this authority Where this authority was scated whether in the whole Church or some speciall members of it Upon what grounds it was challenged How far it was extended And after all these what might appeare to me to be the most rationall way for a Catholique to expresse his resolution of faith so confidently by all Protestants charged with circles and absurdities 3. To gaine satisfaction in these points as for the foundation I resolved only to consider what the Church her selfe sayd so for an information more particular since the church had not descended to so punctuall an expression of her mind conceived it my best way to have recourse either to the writings or verball resolutions of such Catholiques of unsuspected Opinions as had expressed themselves the most moderately intelligibly with allowing the greatest latitude and lastly most approaching to the grounds which I thought before to be most reasonable The particular persons whose speeches or writings contributed most to my satisfaction I shall occasionally name or reflect upon in the pursuance of this Narration 4. Now I do not vainly pretend to or so much as trouble my self with wishing that any man Catholique or other should believe that the method according to which I proceeded or the grounds which in mine own reasoning I laid were more rationall then others for my intent is only to make an Exomologesis or account of that particular order and progresse whereby I attained repose of mind in the authority of the Church and great contentment in abasing and captivating my reason It will be sufficient for me if the grounds by me laid and inferences from them deserve not to be condemned by Catholiques to prevent which I may with confidence say that I took very good advice and used very great circumspâ—â—â—ion Let them be accounted as imperfect as any man shall please I am very well contented that others should tell me that they could have furnished me with better This only I have to say that purposing to write mine own story and not directions for others I am resolved to tell it freely and ingenuously without concealing whatsoever defaults or wickednesses may by others be imputed to it CHAP. XXIII Grounds laid to prove a certainty of Tradition Severall degrees of it 1. SOme of the grounds laid by me in preparation to a distinct conception and satisfaction concerning the Churches authority founded upon Tradition and the certainty thereof have been already occasionally though somwhat before their due season mentioned in the former conclusion cap. 8. and 9. The substance
natures for some proceed directly against it others only against some consequences from it I will therefore weigh first his objections grounded upon the different opinions of Catholikes concerning that point 2. His reasons directly proving as he believes that no church of one denomination can be infallible and therefore not the Catholique Church 3. His proofs that Catholiques in their resolution of Faith are entangled in circles and absurdities 4. His arguments to demonstrate that Catholiques can have no assurance either of the authority of the church or the validity of any acts performed by the Pastors thereof c. But before I attempt a discussion of these particulars I may in generall say of all his objections that since they proceed only against the word Infallibility and that word extended to the utmost height and latitude that it can possibly bear Catholiques as such are not at all concerned in them seeing neither is that expression to be found in any received Councell nor did ever the Church enlarge her authority to so vast a widenesse as Mr. Chillingworth either conceived or at least for his particular advantage against his adversary thought good to make show as if he conceived so 2. But come we to consider his arguments against Catholiques grounded upon the different opinions among them in what subject this Infallibility or authority is to be placed The most pressing and pertinent passage in his book concerning this subject is this which follows viz. What shall we say now if you be not agreed touching your pretended means of agreement How can you pretend to unity either actuall or potentiall more then Protestants may Some of you say the Pope alone without a Councell may determine all controversies but others deny it Some that a Generall Councell without a Pope may do so others deny this Some both inconjunction are infallible determiners others againe deny this Lastly some among you hold the acceptation of the decrees of Councells by the universall Church to be the only way to decide controversies which others deny by denying the Church to be infallible And indeed what way of ending controversies can this be when either part may pretend that they are part of the Church and they receive not the decree therefore the whole Church hath not received it Mr. Chil. c. 3. parag 6. 3. Hereto I answer 1. That there is indeed no need at all of an answer since the very objection answers it self for by saying there are variety of opinions among Catholiques acknowledged for such even while they differ it follows that the objector is not obliged to submit to that Judge which any Catholique refuses 2. None of these will deny that decision of the Councell of Trent viz. Ecclesiae est judiâ—are de vero sensu sacrae Scripturae that is It belongs to the Church to judge of the true sense of holy Scripture And Protestants will not be urged to submit to any more rigid or higher expression 3. Yea moreover this indulgence I am confident will be granted them namely That no man will endeavour to oblige them further then to doctrines and practises determined by one or more Councells universall confirmed by the Pope and actually received and accepted by all Catholiques that is as much as to say to believe that there is indeed an obliging authority in the Catholike Church to impose upon her children a belief of all doctrines proposed in her Oecumenicall Councells let this authority be limited and streightned with as many Proviso's and the sense of these doctrines enlarged and qualified with as many mollifying interpretations as any approved Catholike Doctor hath thought good that is indeed as any reasonable man remaining so can desire only upon condition that they do not prejudice nor grate upon the pure simple language wherein the Church expresses her self Christians are at liberty what particular Doctors sense they like to embrace or whether none at all but will content themselves with the naked decisions of the Church as they lye without making inferences or building thereon further conclusions CHAP. XLI His reasons proving no Church of one denomination to be infallible answered 1. IN the second place we will weigh his reasons to prove that no Church of one denomination is infallible and by consequence no Church at all His words are after he had said that he was willing upon courtesie to grant that Christ made a promise absolute of indefectibility to his Church but be interprets it only in this sense viz. That true Religion shall never be so far driven out of the world but that it shall alwaies have some where or other some that believe and professe it in all things necessary to salvation and that such believers shall never erre in fundamentalls for if they did they were not a Church But he denyes utterly that there is any Church fit to be a guide in fundamentalls because no Church is fit to be a Guide but onely a Church of some certaine denomination as the Greek the Roman the Abyssine c. For sayes he otherwise no man can possibly know which is the true Church but by a pre-examination of the doctrine controverted and that were not to be guided by the Church to the true doctrine but by the true doctrine to the Church Now sayes he that there is not any Church of one denomination infallible in fundamnntalls is evident for 1. If it were an infallible guide in fundamentalls she would be infallible in all things which she proposes and requires to be believed 2. That being a point of so mâ—â—n consequence certainly the Scripture would have named that Church 3. Because Catholiques themselves build the assurance of the churches infallibility onely upon motives very credible but not certain Lastly beeause it is evident and even to impudence it selfe undeniable that upon this ground of believing all things taught by the present church as taught by Christ errour was held For example the necessity of giving the Eucharist to Infants and that in S. Augustines time and that by S. Augustine himself and therefore without controversie this is no certain ground for truth which may support falshood as well as truth The same may be said of the doctrine of the Chiliasts which S. Irenaeus and S. Justin Martyr say was a traditionary doctrine from the Apostles times c. 2. To answer this discourse by parcells And first concerning his exposition of Christ's promise of indefectibility to his Church it ha's been answered in more then one place already 2. Where he sayes that there is no Church fit to be a guide in fundamentalls I desire to know whether those whom Christ ha's appointed in his church to be Overseers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Governors Assistants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. be not fit to be accounted guides at least in Fundamentalls Againe whether an agreement of all these Governours meeting in a Generall Councell be not the supremest authority Thirdly
church as a doctrine Traditionary and moreover it is attested by all antient Records of the Fathers of the church nemine explicite contradicente and it ha's been practised by Councells in all ages not one Catholique renouncing his obedience In so much as to my understanding there is not one Christian doctrine delivered with so full an assurance nor in the sense and meaning whereof it is lesse possible for a man to be mistaken Now by vertue of this speciall truth of the churches authority Universall Tradition which of it self is most credible and certain being believed and attested by the present church becomes most necessary to be believed by us the Church supplying the place not only of a witnesse but of an Embassadour likewise instructed and employed by Christ himself as S. Augustine most effectually maintains so that in believing and obeying her we believe and obey Christ himself according to Christs own expression He that heareth you heareth me and If any one heareth not the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican And therefore they that believe Christian doctrines only because they think they find them in the Scripture and believe the Scripture only because their reason or fancy which they miscall the testimony of Gods Spirit tells them that it is the Word of God though the doctrines themselves believed by them be true yet it is a hazard as to them whether they be so or no or however whether that be the sense of them or no it being all one as if a man by some casualty had found a transcribed copy of some part of an Embassadors Pattent or instructions Whereas Catholiques receive the commands of their heavenly King and Master from his Embassadours own hands which not only will not conceale any thing necessary or requisite from them but likewise will be able upon occasion to cleare all manner of difficulties that may arise about the sense of the said instructions or Patent having received glorious promises of continuall residence among us and of divine assistance to preserve him from any at least dangerous error 8. These things thus supposed Mr. Chillingworth's pretended circles and absurdities in the Resolution of Catholique Faith doe clearly and evidently vanish For a Catholique does not only or chiefly believe the Churches authority because to his privaâ—e understanding and reason the Scripture seems to say so but because he knows that the present Catholique Church teacheth so both by profession and practise and that she teacheth this as a Catholike Tradition believed and practised in all ages then which it is impossible there should be any testimony more assured and infallible so that if a man can be sure of any thing done before his own times as all reasonable men do agree that one may he cannot avoid being most sure of this if his passion or interests do not hinder him from searching into the grounds of it I need not therefore particularly give an answer to Mr. Chillingworth's discourse before produced since it wholly proceeds upon a mistake of his adversaries and other Catholiques grounds and since himself in the close of it seemes to confesse by objecting to himselfe Universall Tradition that if this doctrine of the Churches authority could be made appear to be grounded upon Catholike Tradition it would be as much credible as if the Scripture had expresly testified it since in his opinion the Scripture it selfe and nothing besides enjoyes its authority because it is delivered by Universall Tradition and by consequence would not be lyable to any circles or absurdities So that truly I wonder why seeing Mr. Chillingworth could not be ignorant that Catholiques do generally pretend that this doctrine comes from Tradition besides the proofs of it out of Scripture he should notwithstanding dispute against it as if there were no other ground for it but two or three questionable passages of Scriptâ—re CHAP. XLIII An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's allegations of pretended uncertainties and casualties in the grounds of the faith and salvation of Catholiques 1. THere is in Mr. Chillingworth's book another rank of objections which though they do not directly combat the churches infallibility or authority yet they had great effect upon me because they seemed to infer that the faith and salvation likewise of Catholiques depended upon extreme uncertainties and casualties and by consequence that a Catholique could not give any assurance that his faith was safely grounded For thus he argues c. 2. parag 63. ad 68. The salvation of many millions of Papists as they suppose and teath depends upon their having the Sacrament of Penance duly administred to them This again upon the Ministers being a true Priest which is a thing that depends upon many uncertain and very contingent supposalls As 1. That he was baptized with due matter 2. With due forme 3. With due intention 4. That the Bishop which ordained him Priest ordained him likewise with due form intention c. 5. That that Bishop himselfe was a person fitly qualified to give orders that is was no Simoniake c. 6. That all that Bishops Progenitors were fitly qualified and so till he arrive to the fountain of Priesthood Now he that shall put together and maturely consider all the possible wayes of lapsing and nullifying a Priesthood in the Church of Rome I believe saith he will be very inclinable to believe that in an hundred seeming Priests there is not one true one But suppose this inconvenience assoyled yet still the difficulty will remain whether he will pronounce the absolving words with intent to absolve you for perhaps he may be a secret Jew Moor or Antitrinitarian which if he be then his intention which is necessary to the validity of a Sacrament will be wanting c. 2. Hereto I answer 1 That such kind of pretended uncertainties or nullities in particulars do not prejudice the authority and stability of the church in generall but that if it be true which ha's alwayes been believed in the church viz. That Christ ha's promised to continue till the worlds end a church governed by lawfull Pastors and preserved in all truth he will engage his omnipotency to make good his fidelity and by consequence he will take care to prevent or remedy all obstacles that can be imagined to be otherwise able to evacuate such his promises and I suppose two such Attributes of Christ are a foundation strong enough to build a faith not obnoxious to such a world of casualties as Mr. Chillingworth suspects 2. That Mr. Chillingworth's whole discourse proceeds upon a mistake of the established doctrine of the Catholique Church which ha's not declared all those things to be nullities nor any of them in the sense that he alledges It is true in the Canon law and among Câ—suists there are mentioned many nullities of Orders and other Sacraments as Simony or Heresie or Schisme are said to nullifie the Ordination of a Bishop or Priest But how to nullifie it by taking away the
The lusts of the flesh â—he lusts of the eye and the pride of life these were the great Masters that taught them their new Doctrine and made them renounce the old The weariness of an unmarried or of a chast life ambition after great estates and scorn to submit themselves to obedience these taught new lessons to the Arch-Heriticks and these lessons they preach to others and those that are of the world and love such censual conveniences hear them Thus is Heresie begun and continued in the world 10. On the contrary saith he We are of God who have conquered the world and by that means â—rample on these things we have a far more noble ambition For the reward that we pretend to is no less then God himself And all that know God and know how to set a value on him hear and obey us Hence he concludes Hereby know we the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error But it may be replyed That as there are many true Beleevers much immers'd in the lusts of the world so there may be some Hereticks that in appearance at least are in a good measure free from the same lusts 'T is true yet those Hereticks do not hear the Ministers of Christ They receive their writings they study them and dispute out of them but do not hear the true Pastors interpreting them Hereby indeed is known the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error For if they without mission would not pretend to be Apostles nor deliver their own doctrines out of the Apostles writings but have humility to hear the Apostles and their Successors and Faith to beleeve them they would never be obnoxious to this Spirit of Error 11. To conclude my dearly beloved Friends instead of examining those several marks of true and false Churches and Teachers extant in Books of controversies content your selves with this Catholick mark given by the Apostle in his Catholick Epistle to all Christians to the worlds end Would you know where the Spirit of Truth is It is not among them that accept and read and study the Scriptures for then what would be Heresie Do they not in all their wandrings and mazes carry the Bible with them And the Bible it self as they use it leads them to destruction For Lust Ambition Curiosity Covetousness or Pride either blinding them or staining their eyes makes them think they see in Scripture that which foments and encreases those Passions Whereas if having their eyes open to read the Bible they would keep their ears open likewise to hear the Church interpreting it it is not possible they should erre or be at variance about the mysteries of Faith God Almighty of his infinite goodness clear your eyes and open your ears that you may see and hear and live for ever Amen FINIS AD LECTOREM En tibi Candide Lector illas Eximii Doctoris ad Quaesita mea pridem missas Responsiones in priori quidem hujus Libri Impressione promissas sed ex oblivione omissas Quod ad speciales autem Doctrinas pertinet vel hìc vel superiùs in Libro contentas me tanquà m Historici solùm non Dogmatistae partes agentem respicias Et vale Quaesita Generalia QUaeritur primò Utrùm haec Thesis sit in Romana Ecclesia irrepraehensibilis videlicet Nihil est creditu necessarium in Religione Christiana tanquam de fide nisi quod revelatum fuit Ecclesiae per Christum Apostolos ejus Respondetur Quod haec thesis ut jacet est omninò irrepraehensibilis immò nihil est proprie de side cujus actus necessariò iâ—mediatè innititur divinae revelationi â—nisi quod revelatum fuerit á Deo Ecclesiae per Christum Apostolos Ab eorum enim tempore nihil de novo Ecclesiae revelatum agnoscimus Qu. â— Utrùm omnes articuli de Religione in Concilio Tridentino determinati propositi sinâ— veritates divinae tales quae ab Apostolis fuerint Ecclesiae revelatae Resp. Omnes articuli purè doctrinales nec aliam incluâ—entes materiam facti quà m quod divinitùs institutum agnov mus determinati a Concilio Tridentino tales sunt quoad substantiam Qui verò vel disciplinales vel ex toto vel ex parte ad materiam facti non divinitùs instituti spectant canonicam habent certitudinem ac proinde quicunque illorum aliquâ—m pertinacitur condemnaverit tanquam Ethnicus publicanus habendus est Qu. 3. Si non Uâ— v. gâ— articuli de libris canonicis de vulgata translatione de communione sub una speâ—ie de veneratione imaginum utrùm liceat Catholico inquirere probabiliter determinare quinam speciales articuli sint tales veritates revelatae quinam non Resp. Ad quaestionem principalem sepositis hypothesi perenthesi quod omninò licet Ad hypothesim supra responsum est Ad parenthesim autem respondetur Quod esse librum canonicum importat duo 1. Quod vel doctrinam revelatam contineat vel cerre nihil dissonum à veritate divina Catholica 2. Quod liber ipse semper habebatur à multis Ecclesiae Doctoribus divini fuisse alicujus authoris Cui scilicet istius libri doctrina ad Religionem spectans aut immediatè à Spiritu sancto revelata fuerit aut in illa tradenda divinum adfuerit speciale auxilium De prima parte potest Concilium verè oecumenicum certissimè decernere de secundâ cum majori vel minori cerâ—itundine juxta varias reâ—um circumstantias ita tamen ut canonicam semper habebit certitudinem hujusmodi Concilii etiam in hac parte decretum Quod idem dicendum est de vulgatae editionis decreto licèt purè materiam facti designet De communione sub una tantùm specie Concil â— Decretum est negativum videlicet Ecclesiam non teneri nec institutionâ— seu praeâ—epto divino nec quacunque aliâ◠de causa Sácramentum Eâ—charistiae fidelibus omnibus sub utrâque specie administraâ—â— Et hoc certistimum habet Ecclesia ex traditione praxi An verò justis de causis unam tantùm speciem communiter administrari decreverit prudentiae non doctrinae quaestio est De veneratione imaginum quamvis res facti sit hoc tamen ab ipsis Apostolorum temporibus traditum habemus Qu. 4 An non haec sit pobabilis ratio distinguendi inter tales articulos scilicet ponendi istos articulos esse revelationes divinas in quibus Concilium explicitè significat Ecclesiam traditionaliter recipisse talem doctrinam à primis usque Christianismi temporibus Resp. Hanc rationem seu viam distenguendi inter tales articulos probabilem ac sanam esse non verò solam unicam Oportet enim ut articuli qui sint revelationis divinae sint doctrinales qui nunquam ab omnibus Ecclesiae Doctoribus habebantur incerti tunc etiamsi Concilium declararet hujusmodi articulos ad novatoris alicujus obtundendam audaciam absque
shall suffice And now dear Catholique Reader I once more addresse my selfe to thee and to give thee assurance that thou maist freely and without suspition read this Book the Authenticall Approbations annexed to it will secure thee and withall I protest unto thee that in my heart I do find a great aversenesse from admitting any noveltyes in opinion or any suspitious questionable dogmes and to shew my self a true son of the Catholique church I do here with an humble clear confidence pronounce that I do submit not only my self but all my writings and words yea my very thoughts as far as thoughts can be judged by a humane Tribunal to the judgement of the holy Catholique Roman church of his Holinesse the Head of the church and of all whatsoever my Superiours therein declaring that if there be any thing in this or any other of my writings which is contrary to piety good manners holy Scriptures or Ecclesiasticall Traditions or to any verity whatsoever I do heartily renounce and recall it NON FACTUM NON DICTUM NON COGITATUM ESTO CHAP. III. Misinterpretation of my book by Protestants particularly by I. P. the Author of the Preface to my Lord Falklands Discourse of Infallibility An answer to the Preface Pro captu Lectoris â—abent sua fata libelli 1. BOoks have their fates not from the reall qualityes which are in themselves but from the severall dispositions imaginations and present tempers of the Readers the eys of some Readers do see in Books that which is invisible to others yea what is directly contradictory to what others think they see And from the same passages some receive a conviction of preconceived opinions when as others become more hardened in such opinions So certain it is that all manner of effects and events are to be ascribed meerly to the Providence of God who if he leave us to our selves and do not so dispose of second causes after a supernaturall manner that his divine Truths be advantagiously represented to us even the Scripture it self and all the divine infallible mysteries of Faith will appear error and folly and a scandall unto us Light will darken us Truth will seduce us and happinesse it self will be an occasion of our ruine The experience that we see every day of this me thinks should make us even feel and acknowledge that Faith is the pure gift of God and by consequence that those who rely upon the conduct of their own uncertain Reason are almost certain to be mislead by it 2. When I wrote this Book I did expect no other but that it proceeding from a very weak and imperfect judgment should be obnoxious to contempt and censures of both Catholikes and others from whom it could not conceal many imperfections that were in it so that I was not much surprised to hear it severely judged But I had little suspition that Protestants could extract from it arguments to confirm them in their errors yet even this ha's happened And this I confesse pierces me to the heart charity and compassion to souls so in love with their errors that the confutation of them makes them more in love with and better perswaded of them swallows up all the anger and resentment that nature would fain raise in me to see my conceptions so unjustly peâ—verted and urges me for the good of their souls and not for mine own credit to let such Chymicall extractors of errors from truth see that their art ha's failed them 3. I heare there have appeared severall books written by Protestants in which the Authors have taken advantage from some misunderstood passages in my EXOMOLOGESIS Onely one such book is come to my sight or rather only a Preface to my L. Falklands discourse of Infallibility written by a person unknown to me but onely by these two letters J. P. and an extract out of another book which I have not seen By answering of which Preface as far as it touches me I conceive grounds will be laid upon which any other Objections made by Protestants may find and answer if the Objectors will please to make application 4. It will not be needfull to transcribe the whole Preface at large here but I shall set down very faithfully and candidly the substance of it in severall particulars in order and adjoyn unto them as distinct and satisfactory an Answer as I can at the present considering the great disorders of Paris where this is written and my unprovidednesse of Papers and Books And that being done if I be permitted I will take that boldnesse which my most deare Lord the Author of the following Discourse of Infallibility would if he were living I am sure have given me to shew the invalidity of it against Catholike Doctrine 5. As for the Preface of J. P. in which he reflects upon the most deserved praises of that noble Lord excellently represented in the precedent Dedication I acknowledge my self I cannot say his convert for many years before him I was a witnesse of the merits that might challenge them but one that does entirely agree with him in that point And if my most worthily lov'd and honoured Friend M. Triplet the Author of the Dedication will onely give me leave to except out of the severall heads of his praises this one of having as he thinks efficaciously and meritoriously written against the Catholike Church and woe is me for my dearest Lords sake that this must needs be excepted I would willingly subscribe my name under his he knows I have enjoyed an equall happinesse with him to be a witnesse of all those his admirable qualities He knowes that though with lesse deserts yet with perhaps equall good fortune I have had my share in that unparallel'd friendship of his the memory of which is the pleasing est image that the world ha's left in my mind since I made a resolution to quit the world Indeed it is an image too pleasant to be look'd upon considering my present condition and profession were it not that it can never offer it self but accompanied with a most piercing compassion that those stupendious excellencies and abilities were not crownd with Catholike Belief yea which is most miserable were employed against it In one thing I must needs yeeld to M. Triplet which is that I cannot pretend to the ability to erect so beautifull a monument to the memory of that honoured Lord nor with so delicate a touch draw his picture as he ha's done in his Dedication for which expression both of his gratitude and skill I think my self obliged to pay him my most humble thanks And I will take the permission with him to recommend to the imitation of my Lord his now onely Sonne all those admirable qualities of his deceased Father onely beseeching him that he would not and beseeching God that neither he nor any of his friends may account among such qualities the writing of such Discourses against Catholike truth which occasioned the publishing of an Elogy of him
Church in which the simple conclusion decided is onely accounted infallibly true not so the principles upon which it depends or reasons by which it is proved and much less are orders made by Councels which depend upon information yet notwithstanding we cannot finde a more energetical word to express the unquestionable and unappealable authority of the Church then Infallibility We may proceed further and say that Divine truths revealed internally after a supernatural manner to the Prophets Apostles c. and by intellectual images are yet more infallible then the same truths revealed by words becaus words being but the Images of Images are further removed from that prime Exemplar of truth which is God and besides are in themselves unavoidably ambiguous and so do not convey truth so infallibly as Internal illustrations yet what can we say more of these then that they are Infallible Lastly there is no Image so perfect but in as much as it is an Image it comes short of the Exemplar which is truth it self that is God and by consequence differs from it yet the supremest title that we can give to God himself in this regard is Infallibility But to instance more familiar examples of the several degrees of Infallibility I am infallibly assured that I cannot repeat all the words I have spoken this last year and yet I am more infallibly assured that I cannot say over again all I have spoken in my whole life I am infallibly assured that if I threw a thousand dice they will not be all sixes and yet I am more infallibly assured that the same cast upon so many dice cannot be a thousand times successively repeated Of all these impossibilities I have several degrees of assurance and every degree in a certain sense infallible but in a severe acception of that word the very highest is not rigorously infallible because none of the cases alledged are absolutely impossible if we speak of the highest degree of impossibility for such imply a flat contradiction as that a part should be equal to its whole or any thing be and not be at once a kinde of certainty that is appliable even to very few Demonstrations we are not so sure that the light of the Moon is borrowed from the Sun or her Eclips by the interposition of the Earth yet these are reckoned amongst demonstrations in Astronomy and no man in his wits ever doubted of either Methinks if God have furnisht his divine and supernatural truth with evidence equal to this that the Sun will shine to morrow or that there will be a spring and harvest next year we are infinitely obliged to bless his providence and justly condemned if we refuse to beleeve the least of such truths as shewing less affection to save our souls then the dull Plowmen to sow their corn who certainly have far less evidence for their harvest then Catholicks for their faith they insist not peevishly upon every caprichious objection nor exact an infallible security of a plentiful reaping next Summer but notwithstanding all difficulties and contingencies proceed chearfully in their painful husbandry and here I shall beg leave to ask the Reader this serious question supposing not granting that the greatest assurance the Church can give abstracting from the promises of Christ be of no higher infallibility then the lowest degree we have mentioned would you venture your soul that a thousand dice being thrown out of a box would come forth all sixes Do you not see by this argument that it is a thousand to one the Catholick is in the right and consequently a thousand to one the Protestant is in the wrong and this will necessarily follow for in Religion we cannot stand by and look on but we must absolutely engage on one side and therefore it is a desperate shift of such Protestants as think that because they see not a clear demonstration of the Churches Infallibility in the severest importance of that word they may therefore safely continue in their schism unless they be hardy enough to venture their souls in a way where it is at least a thousand to one they lose them So that though humane wit should by captious objections seem to trouble the clearness of the Infallibility of the Catholick Church which is in it self really impossible to be endangered yet are the motives of adherence to that Communion so highly credible even in a rational natural consideration that it were an absolute madness to prefer any other separated Church or Congregation which cannot pretend to the least credibility to support it 3. These things being thus premis'd since there are so many degrees of truth or veracity and Infallibility and yet the same word Infallibility applied to them all it may be very reasonable that great Caution should be used in the application of it that is that it should be expressed in what sense and degree the word is taken before it be urged or disputed upon So that if it be advanced to a more sublime degree then the matter requires no wonder if there be misunderstanding between Disputants and not only a prolonging of Disputations but also an impossibility of ending them Now whether it is the fault of Catholick Controvertists for want of explication and clearing of the sense of this word Infallibility that hath given an advantage to Protestants I examine not but sure I am Protestants have taken advantage from the ambiguousness of this word Infallibility to embroile the controversie of the Churches authority and to spin it out endlessly insomuch as there is not one Author of them I ever met with that treating of this controversy disputes to the point or so much as aimes to combat against the Churches Authority but against an image of Infallibility created onely by their own fancies 4. For proof of this to omit the ordinary Polemical writings of Protestants who wast paper and time onely in combating particular unnecessary points controverted by Catholicks themselves I shall desire any ingenuous Protestant to examine the proceedings of Mr. Chillingworth and even my noble Lord too in this little Treatise and he wil acknowledge what I say to be true yet certainly no English writers ever professed to come closer to the point then they 5. First for Mr. Chillingworth what a brand â— shing and flourishing doth he keep with his pen and what a great proportion of his book is spent in Discourses by which he would pâ—etend to enervate the Churches Infallibility which do not so much as approach towards it For suppose a Pope were Simoniacally elected or a Bishop unlawfully consecrated or a Priest not baptized or that any of these had a perverse intention in administring the Sacraments would the Church for all this fail in being an Infallible Guide or would all Christians be turned out of their way to salvation Did not or might not he easily have been informed that excepting in Infants even Baptism it self and much less any other Sacrament unlawfully and invalidly administred