Apostles only but of their successors because he saith the comforter shall abide with you for ever ch 14.16 i. e. with them and their successors for ever But Christ doth not lead the Bishops severally considered into all truth therefore he leads them into truth when they are gathered together and seeing there is no greater chair in the Church by which God teacheth us then the Pope when a Councel is added to him if his chair should erre how this promise is true he will teach you all truth I see not This may be too Bernardus non videt omnia and why should Robertus do it Ans. 1. These words if extended beyond the Apostles do not imply any infallibility or if they do a man may with as great colour deduce the infallibility nay the omnisciency of all Believers from 1 Joh. 2.20 Ye have an unction from the holy one and ye know all things and v. 27. The same anointing teacheth you all things All truth in the text is only meant of all truths necessary to salvation nothing being more familiar in Scripture-use then for general expressions as all men every creature c. to be understood with tacit limitations nor are all whom God leads into truth infallibly led into it unless they will make all sincere Christians infallible for all such are led by the Spirit into truth but not all in the same manner and degree as the Apostles were So the Popish argument proceeds à genere ad speciem affirmativé They are led into truth Ergo they are infallibly led 2. There is nothing in that text Joh. 16. to shew the extent of that promise to the Apostles successors which Bellarmine sufficiently discovers by deserting this place and fetching in another to his aid Joh 14. so his argument is cunningly patched up of two places That God would lead them into all truth he proves from Joh. 16. That God will do this for ever he would fain prove from Joh. 14. whereas this place doth not say that God would lead the Apostles into all truth for ever but only that the spirit should abide with them for ever and that as a comforter which is quite another thing if not let me see that Papist that will give it under his hand that every one with whom the Spirit abides as a comforter is infallible And yet if I should wink at this fraudulent dealing of Bellarmines and admit the phrase for ever into the principal Text this would not infer a necessity of stretching this promise beyond the Apostles partly because in Scripture use that phrase doth frequently denote the term of life as Exod. 21.6 The servant is to be with his master for ever and 1 Kings 12.7 they will be thy servants for ever and principally because in strictest propriety of speech the spirit of God did and doth for ever abide in the persons of the Apostles As God betroths every one of his people to him for ever Hos. 2.19 and is their portion for ever Psal. 73.26 and the water that Christ gives to his people which he himself expounds of the Spirit Joh. 7.38 39. is in them for ever Joh. 4.14 3. If this promise of leading into all truth be understood of the Apostles and their Successors in the same manner that is so as to make them both infallible then as the Apostles severally considered were infallible and not onely when combined in Councels so also are their Successors each of them Infallible which all Papists deny It is a strange way of arguing which Bellarmine useth The Apostles severally considered were Infallible by vertue of this promise And their Successors are comprehended in this promise And their Successors are not infallible in their single Capacities as the Apostles were Ergo they are infallible when they are gathered together This is that I told you before and here you see it exemplified though Fallibility be in the premises yet you shall be sure to meet with Infallibility in the Conclusion 4. If this promise of the Spirit did containe Infallibility and did extend beyond the Apostles yet certainly it is a most unreasonable thing not onely to communicate but appropriate this promise of the Spirit to such as have not the Spirit such are all ungodly men Iude vers 19 sensuall not having the Spirit Yea in that very place which the Papists urge for the perpetuall residence of Gods Spirit in Popes and Bishops Ioh. 14. There is a positive exclusion of all ungodly men from any share therein vers 17. The Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him A Character ascribed by God himselfe to all wicked men 1 Io. 3.6 Whosoever sinneth be he Christian Minister or Pope hath not seen him neither known him Soin this Argument they runne upon a double absurdity 1. That they deny the promised guidance of the Spirit unto those Elect Holy and humble Christians who are the onely persons that in Scripture account have the Spirit and are led by the Spirit and walke after the Spirit 2. That they challenge the Infallible guidance of the Spirit to those that have not so much as the generall conduct of the Spirit which is common to all true Christians 5. That you may see the desperatenesse of the Popish cause you may observe that Bellarmine himselfe elsewhere denies the Conclusion which in this place he strives to obtrude upon us For here he inferres the Infallibility of Councels but elswhere he laies down this position That a generall Councell may erre and is not Infallible except the Pope confirme them that is to say The Councell in it self is Fallible the Pope onely is Infallible of which more by and by And thus according to Bellarmines opinion the Bishops neither severally nor concunctly are infallible but in truth The Pope onely is infallible And so Bellarmine hath not onely shuffled the Pope into the Text but indeed jusled out all others and destroyed that infallibility of Councels which he pretended to assert as became the Popes faithfull servant to do And so this is Bellarmines Argument from these words God hath promised Infallibility to lead all the Apostles and all their Successors into all truth Therefore none of the Apostles Successors are Infallible save S t Peters onely § 17. A fourth place for the Infallibility of Councels is Acts 15.28 For it seemed good unto the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burden then these necessary things whence they thus argue This Councell had the Infallible direction of the Holy-Ghost and consequently all other Councels have it Answ. 1. If the Conclusion be universally true which if it be not it will do the Church of Rome no service then the Arrian Councels were infallible But if they say that onely the Orthodox Councels are Infallible that alters the question and the Church of Rome must first prove her Orthodoxy and then her Infallibility and to speak truth she may prove the
and the Papists have these arrowes out of their quiver and to say truth it is but reasonable that they that have borrowed so much of their Religion and Worship from the Pagans should also borrow their Arguments for you know the accessary followes the principâ—ll the onely wonder is how those Arguments which were weak and absurd in the Pagans and so judged and rejected by the Antient Fathers are become strong in the Papists But I know a reason for that too The Pope pretends to a Divinity upon Earth and consequently he can make weake things strong and as the Authority of the Romish Church is Infallible so their Arguments are without all doubt irresistible VVho knowes not that the Arrian Heresy overspread the World That the mistery of iniquity which began to work in St Pauls dayes was not to be finished and destroyed untill Christs second comming 2 Thes. 2. That there was a time when the whole World wonder'd after the beast And for the latter branch who knowes not that the Christian Church was a true Church when it wanted those Characters or at least diverse of them when it was in its infancy and therefore could not have Duration when confined to a narrow roome Act. 1. and therefore had no amplitude and consequently these are no necessary marks nor certain discoveries of the true Church as the Popish Doctors make their simple Proselytes believe So succession of Pastors signifies nothing unlesse you presuppose the truth of the Church whereof they are Pastors which forceth their own Authors to confesse that without true doctrine there is no true succession and that a local succession alone without a profession of sound doctrine is no certain note so Stapleton And Bellarmine ingenuously acknowledgeth that this argument of Succession is brought by them chiefly to prove that there is no Church where there is no succession from whence it doth not follow saith he necessarily that the Church is there where succession is So if this argument should possibly disprove our Church yet it doth not prove theirs § 10. So for Unity it is a shoe will fit every foot and hath been urged by Pagans whose great argument against Christianity was taken from the divisions of Christians and the unity of Pagans in their Religion and the Fathers answered the Pagans as we do the Papists that as the Church of God is one so the Devil 's Babylon is one as S. Austin expresseth it and that Unity without Verity is not to be regarded It was no argument of the verity and infallibility of the Jewish Church that they were united against Christ nor was it an evidence that the Church of Corinth Galatia and others mentioned in the New Testament were not the true Churches of Christ because they were peste'rd with fearful divisions and worse opinions then those which are owned by any Divines of the Protestant confession But if this test were allowed if things be weighed they would have little benefit by it I know there is nothing more familiar with the Romanists then to possesse silly seduced creatures with an opinion of their unity and our divisions I wish the latter were not more evident then the former God open the eyes and humble and forgive those who by causing divisions and offences among us have laid this stumbling block in their way It is no wonder they that cannot examine things are deceived with words But if any discreet person look within the vaile and compare their condition and ours he will find Clodius accus at moechos and that they do as if a man infected with a leprosy should reproach one who was troubled with the itch or as if a man whose hand was cut off should quarrel with another for having a scratch on his finger As for our Churches I know it is usual for the Papists to charge us with the frantick opinions of Quakers the desperate heresies of Socinus and the like but they would take it ill if we should charge their Religion with all the Blasphemous atheistical heretical opinions of some that have liveed amongst them Their own consciences tell them that these though they are among us yet they are not of us He that would judge righteous judgment must take his aestimate from the publick confessions of the Protestant Churches whose Harmony is published and proved to all the world and such of our learned Doctors as adhere to it and there he shall find the diversities of opinion amongst us are onely in some lesser points happily about government or other circumstantiall things but it is most certain and undeniable that all of them do hold the head agree in all the fundamental points of ReligioÌ„ But on the other side what if there be cloven Tongues in Protestant Churches Is Rome a City at unity within it self How come we then to hear the noise of axes and hammers among the builders of their Temple 300 differences have been collected out of Bellarmine's words and works and several of them of greater importance then any of our divisions It is true they have a pretty knack when we tell them of their divisions they say they are not in things de fide I see Duo cùm faciunt idem non est idem It is a woful division among us between Remonstrants and Contra-remonstrants but the same difference among them between Jesuits and Dominicans that is of no moment Oh ye foolish Papists how long will you be bewitched by such silly impostures how long will you love simplicity So for that great division among them about the very foundation of their faith which is ten times more weighty then all the Protestant differences put together the Pope's Infallibility they tell you it is not de fide although indeed it be their fundamentum fundamentorum and their whole Religion hangs upon it at least in the judgment of all the Jesuits and the far greatest number of the learned Doctors and eminent writers of the Church of Rome of this age It is confessed by themselves that they are divided in this great point so Bellarmine tells you The second opinion is that the Pope as Pope may teach heresy this opinion saith he is defended by Nilus some Parisians as Gerson and Almaine and Alphonsus de Castro and Adrian the sixth a Pope in his question of Confirmation So we have the infallibility of the Pope to assure us that the Pope hath not Infallibility And this opinion saith he is not properly heretical for we see the Church doth still tolerate it yet it is erroneous and very near heresy I will tell you how near it is when the Jesuits have throughly leaven'd the world with that opinion and perfectly destroyed the liberties of the Gallican Churches and the Pope can do it without raising a commotion in his own kingdome then you shall find this Embryo perfected and it is become a compleat heresie In like manner saith Dr. Holden speaking of the Pope's Infallibility We
though far short in number and commonly lesse notorious for observation and lesse bebeneficial for use God permits to be done and justly may having forewarn'd the world of such impostures and forestall'd the minds of men with such clear irradiations of his truth and such illustrious glory of miracles that in comparison of them the following wonders were no more then the glimmering light of a Gloworm to the splendor of the Sun in his Meridian Of which we have eminent Instances in the wonders of Iannes and Iambres after Pharaoh had hardned his heart against the word of God and his glorious works and afterward in the wonders of Apollonius Tyanaeus when men had wickedly rejected the offers of grace by Jesus Christ and resisted the glorious light of his most excellent doctrine and inimitable works To make this more clear I shall shew it under the hands of the greatest champions of the Romish Church Estius writes thus The Fathers and Historians do every where witnesse so that here you have a multitude of testimonies in one that true miracles may be done without the Church by false Prophets Hereticks and Schismaticks and he quotes among other witnesses Hilary and Austin and Gregory the great a Pope and therefore infallible in this assertion and a little after he doth so positively assert our doctrine and so strongly batter down the pillar of the Papacy that if you did not know the Author you would judg him to be an absolute Protestant in that point for after he had said that wonderful works may be done by hereticks and Devils in confirmation of false doctrine he addes but against this decâ—it Christ hath forewarned his faithful ones saying Do not go forth do not believe It is to be noted that he doth not say Examine diligently whether they be true miracles for the principal confirmation of the faithful ought to be the doctrine of the Church of old confirmed by Christ and his Apostles by undoubted miracles And Maldonate though as seldome guilty of ingenuity as most I have read is forced to confesse that Hierom. Chrysost. Euthymius and Theophylact do prove by many examples that true miracles may be done by unbelievers and saith he Christ admonisbeth us that we do not believe false Prophets even when they work true miracles So little reason had the Author of Lawd's Labyrinth to call it a strang Paradox that true miracles may be marks of a false doctrine and to say that all Divines confess that true miracles are not feasible but by an extraordinary power of God and that God thereby seales to the truth of a doctrine chap. 9 sect 5. and then to run away as if he had throughly done his work when you see his bold assertion confuted by more learned persons of his own party Then again the said Maldonate puts a question Whether no argument can be drawn from miracles to prove the truth of a doctrine and answers It follows not that no argument can be drawn from them but no certain argument that is the argument from miracles is next door to none it is probable but not undeniable it is conjectural but not certain And yet these new Doctors dare lay the foundation of all viz. the Churches infallibility upon meer conjectures and probabilities One would think the Jesuit had borrowed this as he hath done hundreds of his best passages out of Calvin and unadvisedly transcribed it into his commentary And Andradius the great defender of the Tridentine faith is leaven'd with the same heresy for he saith S. Augustine contendeth that sure and certain tokens of the Church are to be fetched out of the sacred Scriptures because they are free from all suspition of falsehood but miracles may be done by the help of the Devil And Gregory de Valentiâ tels us plainly that miracles of themselves do not beget infallible certainty of the truth of a doctrine and Church but on the contrary the true and lawful Church gives us assurance of the truth of miracles as S. Austin shews To conclude this answer I shall onely adde Bellarmine's words Before the approbation of the Church it is not evident nor certain by a certainty of faith concerning any miracle that it is a true miracle And therefore the Churches infallibility cannot be proved by miracles because it must be presupposed before these miracles can give us any certainty § 21. Ans. 5. If all the former difficulties were removed it profits them not for when a man comes to look into the pieces of their argument from miracles he shall find such horrible mistakes and woful impostures that indeed it makes their cause the worse and gives prudent men occasion to discern that these are the Badges of the Antichristian faction that they are the very signes and lying wonders foretold 2 Thes. 2. I shall briefly look upon some of the parts of the argument 1 They alledge for themselves the miracles of Christ and his Apostles and the first Fathers which being done in confirmation of a doctrine as repugnant to theirs as Heaven is to Hell are so far from proving their Infallibility that they demonstrate their falshood and heresy 2. They plead all those miracles as testimonies to the present doctrine of the Romish Church which were done by such as though they lived in the communion of the Church of Rome yet did complain of their corruptions and condemn diverse of their present doctrines as appears in Bernard particularly in the great doctrine of Merit 3. They alledge such miracles as were done by Papists in order to the conversion of Heathens to Christianity which if really done by the cooperation of the divine power do prove no more but this That God thereby bare witnesse to the common cause of Christianity for confirmation whereof such miracles were done â— and not to their particular opinions wherein they stand divided from other Christians 4. They alledge such miracles as for the generality of them their own Authors such of them as have not sacrificed to Impudence acknowledg to be fictitious and ridiculous What should I tell you of that known censure of Melchior Canus concerning the Legends of the Saints which are the great treasuries of Popish miracles and received by the poor besotted Papists with the same veneration as the four Gospels That the lives of the Saints were written with lesse integrity and faithfulnesse then the lives of the Heathen Emperors were written by Heathen authors A dear sentence it cost him the loss of a Cardinals Cap. Agâ—eeable to this was that of Vives that the Legends were written by a man of a Brasen forehead and a Leaden wit I shall forbear further particulars for it were endlesse to enumerate all the complaints amongst their own Authors in whom there were any relicks of candor and conscience of the fictions in this kind and the many notable instances of those impious frauds discovered upon the reformation of Religion which before that
same imperfections and corruptions that the Scriptures because writings are said to be subject to and consequently there is no rule neither for Papists nor Protestants but every one may do that which seems right in his own eyes 4. He pretends it is necessary to Salvation to understand which is the true sense of Scriptures when it is to be taken literally when mystically and this saith he cannot be understood from sole Scripture Ans. Here also both Propositions are remarkably false 1. It is not necessary to Salvation to a Christian to understand the true sense of every Scripture if it were what shall become of those Legions of poor deluded Papists into whose devotion ignorance is so considerable an ingredient who neither understand the seâ—se nor are permitted to read the words of the Scripture 2. The â—ense of Scripture in fundamental points is clear and intelligible and that from Scripture which is its own best Interpreteâ— And if we consult the best Expositors either Popish or Protestant we shall find they never so well unfold Scâ—pture riddles if I may so speak as when they plow with the Scriptures Heifer Every puny knows the collation of parallel or seemingly repugnant places and the observation of the scope and cohaerence and the like are the best Keyes to find out the true sense of the Scripture and sufficient to discover it unlesse the readers ignorance or negligence pride or prejudice stand in his way I will take an instance from the Captain himself of those Scriptures which confute the Arrians Joh. 10.30 I and my father are one but saith the Captain the Arrian will say this is meant of Onenesse in affection as Joh. 17.21 And here my Captain is gravelled and halfe made an Arrian and because he could not answer the Arrian he concludes again no body else can But wiser men would have told him That this Arrian glosse is confuted out of the Scriptures both out of the present chapter the Captain and Arrian being more blind then the Jewes who understood Christs meaning better viz. That he made himself God v. 33. and from other places of Scriptures where Christ is expresly called God Joh. 1.1 the true God 1 Joh. 5.20 and thought it no robbery to be equal with God Phil. 2.6 And indeed the Councel of Nice as I shewed in the foregoing discourse did confute the Arrian Heresy out of the Scriptures they saw no need of going further 5 He alledgeth the number of fundamental points which saith he the Scripture determines not Ans. This is most false The Scripture doth sufficiently determine fundamental points I must not here run into another controversy concerning the number of fundamentals This may suffice at present That the Scripture doth not presse all Truths with equal vehemency that there are some points wherein the Scripture doth though not approve of yet dispence with differing opinions in Christians such as those were concerning dayes and meats and ceremonies in Religion and there are other points which it urgeth upon us with highest penalties such as that in Joh. 8.24 If ye believe not that I am he ye shall dye in your sins To me this is a rule That to which God promiseth or annexeth salvation is surely sufficient for salvation I care not one straw for all the Romane Thunder-claps of Damnation where I have one promise from God for my salvation I am assured by God that to fear God and keep his commandements is the whole duty of man Eccles. 12.13 That he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him Act. 10.35 That this is life eternal to know thee to be the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 17.3 and consequently if I know him and believe in him his person and office and work I may humbly put in my claime for eternal life and have not so much reason to fear their cursing of me knowing that the curse causelesse shall not come as they have to fear the curse of God and an addition to their plagues for adding to God's word Rev. 22.18 In a word the fundamentals or substantials of Religion do apparently lie in two things the Law and the Gospel the Scripture tels me that love is the fulfilling of the law Rom. 13.10 that he that loveth Christ shall be loved of his father Ioh. 14.21 that hereby we know that we are passed from death to life because we love the brethren 1 Joh 3.14 It tels me also That faith in Christ is the fulfilling of the Gospel ye believe in God believe also in me Joh. 14.1 and these things are written that ye might believe that Iesus is the Christ the son of God and that believing ye might have life in his name Joh. 20.31 Christ hath â—â—sured us it seems he should have asked his Vicars leave for it He that believeth on me hath everlasting life Ioh. 3.36 For my part I am not afraid to venture my salvation upon this promise and for Popish comminations and curses I shall only say with the Psalmist Let them curse but bless thou Psal. 109.28 By these things we see the Scripture sufficiently informes us of fundamentals To which I might adde the common sense of Gods Church and the learned Ministers in all ages it having been acknowledged by the most eminent Doctors both antient and modern both Popish and Protestant as may be seen at large in Dr. Pottèrs want of charity charged upon Romanists and Mr. Chillingworths Defence of it That the Creed commonly called the Apostles Creed doth contein in it a compleat body of the fundamentals of salvation for the Credenda and all the Articles of the Creed are sufficiently evidenced from the Scriptures as I could with great facility demonstrate but I study brevity But you must know the Church of Rome hath another notion of Fundamentals a rare notion I tell you for you shall not find the like either in Scripture or any antient Author They make the Churches definition the rule of Fundamentals That is a Fundamental Truth and de fide which the Church determines and decrees though never so inconsiderable and that is no Fundamental nor de fide which the Church hath not determined though it be never so material Thus to fast in Lent on Fridaies if the Church command it is now become a Fundamental and if any man obstinately refuse it God will assuredly condemne such a person saith an English Apostate Cressy sect 2. ch 13. n. 2. though he there confesseth it is but an action little more then circumstantial yet on the other side it is no Fundamental to hold That all men except Christ are conceived in sin because the Church forsooth hath not determined the Question of the Blessed Virgin Thus with the Romanists it is a fundamental doctrine to believe that Paul left his Cloak at Troas namely if the Church injoyn you to believe it for there is the knack it is not Fundamental because St. Paul asserts it 2 Tim. 4
of God and the fearfull Apostacy of these men that rather then recant their errours will in effect renounce Christianity and justifie the murderers of Christ I prove it thus If the Jewes in that Act did nothing but what by vertue of this place they were obliged to do then they did not sin But the Jewes did nothing in the murdering of Christ but what by vertue of this place If the Popish sence bee true they were obliged to do Ergo The Major they do and must grant for it cannot be a sin to obey Gods command The Minor I prove if this law did require absolute obedience to their Priests and was in force at that time then the Jewes did nothing but what they were obliged to do But this law did require such obedience say the Papists and it was in force at that time say I Ergo The consequence no man will deny but he that doth not understand it The Minor I prove it in its two branches 1. This law bound the Jewes to absolute obedience to their Priests This is known to be their opinion But because I have no great confidence in the ingenuity of these men I will prove it out of 2 or 3 of their most eminent authors Becanus hath these words the whole people in matters of religion were commanded to follow that which the High-Priest enjoyned them What more plain Thus Melchior Canus one of great Authority with them Moses doth not command that they should believe the Priests if they judged according to law but rather that they should take that for law which the Priest taught them Bellarm disputes against the assertion of Brentius That the people were to stand to the Iudgment of the High-Priest's only upon condition they judged according to law and argues that they were absolutely bound to follow it And that you may see it is a resolved case Gretser defends Bel in it and tell 's us plainly the people were bound to stand to the High-Priests judgment whatsoever their sentence was I think an Adversary will not require more for the proofe of the first branch of the Minor The second branch of the Minor is that this law was then in force which I prove thus If Christ had not at that time destroyed or abolished this Law it was in force But Christ had not at that time destroyed or abolished it The Ceremoniall Law which was to expire yet in the judgment of all intelligent Divines Antient and Modern Popish and Protestant did not expire till the death of Christ and consequently while Christ lived this Law was in force which being considered quite invalidates the last and most plausible evasion of the Papists to this instance as Becanus delivers it Synagoga fere expiravit The Synagogue was almost expired He should have said the precept Deut. 17. was altogether expired and instead of it here is the Synagogue was almost expired And what then it was not yet expired nor dead A man that is almost dead is yet alive and while the Law lives it hath its force over us as the Apostle argues Rom 7.1 Else it is a pretty device of Becanus and will do fine feats for by the same Argument I will prove that the Jewes were not then bound to observe their Passeover quia Synagoga fere expiravit And if that Law which enjoyned the observation of the passeover was in full force to the Jewes notwithstanding the nearnesse of its expiration then the same must be acknowledged of this Law which required absolute obedience to the High-Priests sentence and consequently the Jewes were then bound by it and therefore Horresco referens did not sin in it And because the conclusion is divilish and detestable to all that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity therefore the principles from which it flowes are rotten and that Popish cause which cannot stand without such prodigious blasphemies ought to be abhorred by all that pretend to Christianity And therefore the Popish glosse upon the place is false and their Argument from it is wicked and the true sence is this they were bound to hearken to the Priests if they delivered sentence according to the Law and not if they did grosly contradict it And the rejection of this exposition and the assertion of the peoples implicit faith hath forced severall of them who passe for sober men amongst our Adversaries into such expressions as these That this action of the Priests in condemning of Christ was indeed contrary to Christ but their sentence was most true and most profitable yea that it was a Divine Oracle So Canus That at that time the Priests had the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth So Petrus a Soto That the Arts of that Councell were wicked but the sentence whereby they condemned Christ was just and true So Harding Really Protestants must be tender in pressing their Arguments too farre for the Papists like wild Horses when they are chased will venture over hedg and ditch We have already made them turne Jewes I am afraid next remove we shall dispute them into Paganisme if they be not there already § 13. And thus I have dispatched the Romanists pretensions from Scripture for the Popes Supreme and infallible Authority If infallibility have any foundation in Scripture it is in these places And how far they are from giving any countenance or support to their opinion I leave to that reader to judge who hath either sence or conscience or any care of his Salvation But I must not do them wrong I confesse there is one Argument behind and that is taken from S t Peters prerogatives And Bellarmine reckons up no lesse then twenty eight Prerogatives which all undoubtedly belong to the Pope yes that I confesse strikes all dead and therefore I must crave the Readers pardon and Bellarmines mercy if I once do as the Papists do ordinarily passe over in silence what I cannot Answer for who can resist these Evidences Peters name is changed Ergo the Popes nature is changed from fallible to infallible Peter is oft mentioned in the first place therefore ought to have the first seat and is the chiefe Bishop Peter walks with Christ upon the Water and therefore the Pope must raigne with him upon earth and Divisum imperium cum Iove Papa tenet Peter payes Tribute and therefore the Pope should have a power of levying Tribute to reinburse him Christ teacheth in Peters Ship and therefore to quit scores the Pope should rule in Christs Church Christ bids Peter let down his Net therefore the Pope must catch the Fish of Supremacy Christ washeth Peters feet therefore all men must kisse the Popes Toe These and diverse other such prerogatives Bel hath collected together and vehemently argues from them for the Popes Supremacy but for these I must desire some time to give in my Answer I hope I have said enough to prove the second Proposition viz. That the Scripture in it selfe is not a
had understood those controversies and spent that time in the reading of the solid Books of excellent Protestant Authors and grounding himselfe in the Principles of Religion which he spent in talking and teaching others and scribling of idle Pamphlets and railing at Learned and Godly Ministers these objections which through his ignorance and unacquaintednesse with those points seemed new to him would have been discovered to him as they are to others to be but coleworts not twice but twenty times sod and Arguments long since exploded 3. To this let me adde the wonder is the greater and the designe more credible to consider that his conversion should be wrought by such Authors as Fiat Lux and Knots Answer to Chillingworth The former nothing but an heap of words and an empty sound which if stript of all its gauderies and rhetoricall flashes apt to take none but children in understanding and all the weight of reasons were pickt out and brought together it might without such Art as was shewed about Homer be put into a Nut-shell unlesse happily that was the Argument that convinced him that the Author tels us us I say who are English-men and remember the Marian Persecution and the Irish Massacre and the bloodinesse of the French Leaguers and the barbarities of High and Low Germany and the late Ferities of Piemont that the Pope is a very honest Gentleman that never did any harme And for Knots infidelity unmasked that man that shall take that Book for a solid confutation of M r Chillingworth must have lost both reason and conscience for the losse of one of them will hardly serve turne by which you may see the Captaine was prepared for a change and like soft-Wax ready to receive the impression And this is all I shall say concerning the quality of the person and the manner of his change I shall now come to the Dogmaticall part The first and principall thing will be to consider the force of that Discourse which did the work which though it be a very silly one yet is commensurate to many mens capacities and meeting with an ignorant proud or loose Protestant sometimes is the meane of their perversion The Popish Gentleman asked me saith my Author whether I was so certainly and infallibly assured of the Truth of the Christian Religion that it was not possible for me or for those who taught me Christianity to be mistaken therein and he gave me this reason for his question that otherwise as to me Christianity could be no more then probably true and we could not condemne the Iew or Turke or Pagan since they were as well perswaded of their severall wayes as we could be of ours upon a fallible certainty and for ought we knew not having any infallible certainty for our Christianity some of them might be in the right and wee in the wrong way for it is possible you may be mistaken pag 5 6. This is that that did the deed and this is the shield of Hercules or rather the sword of Goliah by which they sometimes do execution upon an ungrounded or ungodly Protestant which therefore it will be worth while a little to insist upon 1. Let it be observed what rare Champions the Papists are for the Christian cause and what a singular course they take for the Conversion of Jewes and Turks and Pagans For more clearnesse I shall represent it in a Syllogisticall forme If the Church of Rome i.e. the Pope and a Councell be not infallible a Jew or Turke or Pagan are as well perswaded of their severall waies as we of ours these are the Authors words But the Church of Rome whether you mean the Pope or Councel or both is not infallible This I hope hath been made evident enough from the foregoing discourse Ergo a Jew or Turk or Pagan are as well perswaded of their several wayes as we of ours a glorious Conclusion and most true of Italian Christians Turks and Pagans are as well perswaded of their wayes as they are of Christianity Nor is it without cause that so many Authors some of them Popish complain so much of the swarms of Atheists in the Church of Rome for certainly this is as compendious a way to Atheisme as can lightly be imagined to hang the verity of Christianity and the Pope's or Councels Infallibility upon the same pin and consequently those learned Papists who doubtless many of them laugh in their sleeves to see so credulous and simple a world to believe the latter can easily shake off the sence of the former 2 Let us examine a little the strength of this pretty Proposition That if we be not infallibly assured of the truth of Christianity Jewes and Turks and Pagans are as well perswaded of their wayes as we of ours What a mad assertion is this that nothing is credible but what is infallibly certain and that there is no difference between probabilities and improbabilities and yet such Whirlpools and quick sands must they needs sink into that give up themselves to the conduct of Popish guides and principles I am not infallibly certain that there is such a place as Iamaica for it is possible all Geographers may mistake and all Travellers may lye unlesse his Holinesse should chance to make a voyage to see therefore by this doughty argument I am as certain that there is a Sea-passage to China by the North. I am not infallibly sure that the Sun is bigger then a Bushel for Epicurus thought it no bigger as Cicero informes us Therefore it seems I am as certain that there is a World in the Moon or in every Star as some Philosophers held I am not infallibly certain of the existence and atchievements of Alexander the Great by this argument it will follow that I am no lesse sure of the history and adventures of St. George of England What if I be not infallibly sure of the truth of the Christian Religion may there not be such clear probabilities and cogent evidence that none but a mad man can deny it What if in a frosty morning I should find 2 or 3 verses written upon a glasse window will any man in his right wits doubt that some man or other writ them and yet it is not impossible because it implies no contradiction that the Frost which oft times carves out various and curious figures should some time or other have a lucky hit and fall into a vein of Poetry Or what if I see a Calf in a field will any sober man question whether it came from a Cow because I am not infallibly certain it did not drop out of the Clouds as once one did In like manner if I be not simply infallible taking the word in a strict and proper notion of the Truth of Christian Religion yet certainly it may suffice against any Turk or Jew or Pagan or Papist either who in this argument as in many other things are confederate with them whose Reason makes him a person fit for
Discourse that there are so great and many and pregnant evidences that no man can deny without forfeiture of his reason discretion and modesty and all the principles of humanity 3 If this argument be cogent and besides the certitudo objecti the infallibility of the thing there be required a certitudo subjecti the infallibility of the Person to be satisfied which here is contended for then not onely the Pope and Councel but every particular Christian must have this gift of Infallibility an ampliation of the priviledge which his great Ghostly Father will never allow for mark it that is the thing which the Catholick Gentleman urged and where with my Captain was gravelled He asked me saith he whether I was sure and certain and whether I was so certainly and infallibly assured of the truth of Christian Religion or else said he as to me Christianity was but probably true else it is possible you may be mistaken and at this rate do they use to talke to such as they desire to Proselyte By all which it appears that the infallibility must be particular in every individual person that would be satisfied himself or would convince another of the Truth of Christianity I am not ignorant of a shuffling artifice which this Catholick used in confounding two things together necessary to be distinguished as no wonder to meet with confusion of language in the builders of Babel whilst he too cunning for twenty of these Novices states the businesse thus He asked me saith my Author whether I was so certain that it was not possible for me or for those who taught me Christianity to be mistaken in this p. 5. Here lies the mystery of Iniquity and here was the blind cast before the eyes of this unequal combatant which he had neither wit enough to understand himself nor humility enough to learn from others But I shall endeavour to bring this Fox out of his hole by this Argument Either a subjective certainty or infallibility of belief of the Truth of Christianity is necessary for particular Christians or it is not if it be not necessary then in vain do Papists urge this argument and boast so much of it as unanswerable whereas now they give it up and confess probable evidence sufficient for particular Christians and Infallibility necessary onely for the Pope or Councel and so the poor Captain hath lost his Infallibility and had best think of his old military word As you were for here the cord is cut asunder by which he was drawn over to Rome for now the Protestant stands upon even ground at least with the Papist For suppose for once contradictions were reconciled and the Popish opinion of the Churches infallible authority were true in it self certitudine objecti so also is the Protestants opinion concerning the Infallible authority of the Scripture true in it self and certitudine objecti as the most desperate Papists do grant Stapleton and Bellarmine and all The Scripture say they is Divine and true and certain in it self but not quo ad nos therefore hitherto there is no difference now to proceed If it be a sufficient foundation for a Romanist that he hath such probable evidence of this doctrine of the Churches Infallibility why should it not be as sufficient a foundation for a Protestant that he hath such nay infinitely more probable evidence of the doctrine of the Scriptures Infallibility since the evidence of the latter is granted by the Papists themselves and the evidence of the former not onely denyed and disputed down by the Protestants but also questioned by their own Authors as I have shewed at large This question I challenge the whole club of Jesuites which happily contributed to this Epistle solidly to answer But now on the other side if they will retire to the other part of the Dilemma and say That a subjective Infallibility is necessary for particular Christians then every Papist in England not onely hath a Pope in his belly but hath got his Crown also upon his head and communicates with him in that great Prerogative of Infallibility and truly I must do them justice without doubt every Papist in England is as infallible as the Pope himself 4. But if nothing will satisfie but Infallibility let us a little enquire into it what it is and where it lies what infallible and irresistible demonstrations the Romanists have for this grand principle for which a man must put out the eye of his reason and forsake the conduct of the Scripture and depose the holy Spirit from his Royalty Certainly it is madnesse in the highest to put us off with conjectures and suppositions and imagined probabilities in so important an affaire upon which all the rest depends and to which all must strike saile so then the question will be this whether this pretence of Infallibility be not a gratis dictum a crude and bold assertion or rather whether it be evidenced with such strength and clearnesse as to compell the assent of all reasonable persons And here I shall do the Captain and the Popish cause this right as to consider it in its most advantageous notion If there be any Infallibility most certain it is that it is in the Pope and general Councel together which is the most plausible and received opinion of the Church of Rome And here it is that our English Apostate Mr. Cressy in the last Edition of his Book centers and here also the Captain casts anchor The Prelates of the Church saith he though as men they are fallible yet when assembled in a general Councel with their supreme Pastor they are still made infallible by the assistance of the same holy Ghost who was as well promised to them as to the Apostles Now for this notion I might refer the Captaine and the Reader to what I have said and proved in the foregoing â—reatise which when he or any of his Fathers shall solidly answer it will be time enough then to consider it But because this is the sole foundation upon which the Papists build all the rest and Mr. Cressy adjures all Protestants that omitting or deferring all particular disputes with Catholicks they would examine this point Sect. 2. Chap. 19. and because I am resolved by God's help to search and try where the strength of this Sampson lies if there be any in it I shall a little farther consider it and if I find his arguments proportionable to his confidence and that he is as solid in proving it as he is daring in asserting it surely he will do the Christian world an inexpressible favour and infinitely oblige all Protestants and he will find us far from the madnesse of fighting against God and our own soules But since all is not Gold that glisters and our Savour hath commanded us to try the Spirits and to prove all things and not to believe men saying Lo here is Christ or Lo there is Christ they must not take it amisse if after such evident
guidance that is not convinced of it himself and our Papists most impudently assert the Pope's Infallibility who modestly acknowledged his own ignorance and insufficiency These things I hope may abundantly suffice for the demolishing of the grounds of their Faith I must now speak something to the establishing of ours The rather because the Captain requires it in his Answerer not to proceed in the way of Negatives not to rest in pulling down but to assert what we would establish And Mr. Cressy takes notice of Mr. Chillingworth and his book That he was better in pulling down buildings then raising new ones and that he hath managed his Sword much more dexterously then his Buckler and that Protestants do neither own and defend the positive grounds which Chillingworth laid nor provide themselves of any safer Defence Exomolog sect 2. chap. 3. num 4. To which it might suffice in general to reply that if once the grounds of their Faith be demolished and their great pretensions of supreme and infallible Authority subverted if it be proved that neither the Pope nor Councels nor Church of Rome be infallible theu the Protestant Churches at least stand upon even ground with the Church of Rome and whatsoever they can reasonably pretend for the stablishing of their Faith will tend to the securing of ours and if Protestants have no solid and sufficient foundation for their Beliefe neither have the Papists any better and then one of these 2 things will follow Either that Scripture Reason and the concurring testimony of former Ages and Churches and Fathers are a firme Basis for a Christians Faith independently upon the churches authority and infallibility and this is a certain Truth though utterly destructive to the church of Rome or else which I tremble to speak and yet these desperate persons are not afraid to assert that the Christian Faith hath no solid ground to rest upon I mean without the Churches infallible Authority which is now supposed to be discarded and disproved Now here it must be confessed that some Protestants expresse themselves too unwarily in the point whereby they give the Adversary some seeming advantage and occasion to represent our Doctrine to their ignorant and deluded Proselytes as diversified into three or four severall and contrary opinions about the judge and rule of Faith which some are said to ascribe to the Scriptures oâ—â—ers to the Spirit of God within them others to reason and others to universalâ— Tradition whereas indeed all these are really agreed and these are not so many severall judges or rules but all in their places and orders do happily correspond to the constitution of the Protestant ground of Faith which I shall make thus appeare by the help of a threefold distinction 1. VVe must distinguish between the judge and rule of Faith which the Papists cunningly and some others inconsiderately confound for instance If I should assert the Church to be the Judge or Reason to be the judge yet the Scripture is the rule to which the Judge is tyed and from which if it swerve so far forth its sentence is null 2. VVe must distinguish between Judge and Judge and here we must take notice of a triple Judge according to the triple Court forum coeli forum Ecclesiae forum conscientiae the Court of Heaven the Court of the Church and the Court of Conâ—cience Accordingly there are three Judges 1. The Supreme and truly Infallible Judge of all controversies and that is God and Christ who appropriates it to himselfe tâ— be the alone Law-giver Iam. 4.12 And this is so proper to God that the blessed Apostles durst not ascribe it to themselves however their successors are grown more hardy not for that we have dominion over your Faith 2 Cor. â— 24 This judge is Lord over all both in the Church and in the conscience which are all subordinate to him 2. There is an externall and politicall Judge placed by God in the Church and these are the Governors whom Christ hath placed in and over the Church and these are subordinate to the Supreme Judge who if they really contradict His soveraigne Sentence and higher Authority and require things evidently contrary to the will of their and our master must give their subjects leave to argue with the Apostle Peter and I tell you it was an unhappy accident that S t Peter should furnish the Protestants with such an Argument as would puzzle all his Successors to Answer Whether it be right in the sight of God to harken unto you more then unto God judge ye Acts 4.19 3. There is an internall and secret Judge placed by God in every particular person and that you may call Reason or Conscience for as God hath made every man a reasonable Creature and capable to judge of his own actions so he hath not given that faculty no more then the rest to be for ever suspended and wrapâ— in a Napkin but to be duly exercised nor would he have men like bruit beasts that have no understanding but every where calls upon them to Judge I speak to wise men judge ye what I say 1 Cor. 10 15. And the service God requires of every man must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reasonable service Rom. 12 1. And every man must be ready and able to give a reason of the hope that is in him 1 Pet. 3.15 3. We must distinguish between an instrument and an argument And here lies the Golden mean by which a man may avoid those contrary Heresies both equidistant from the Truth I mean the Socinian on the one hand and the Papist on the other whereof the former would make reason a soveraigne unâ—versall judge to which even Scripture it selfe must vaile And some go so high that I remember one of them faith If the Scripture should say in expresse termes That Christ is the most High God I should not believe it because utterly repugnant to reason but seek some other sence of those words And the latter the Romanists would quite put reason out of office and in terminis submit to a blind or implicit obedience without any examination whereas the truth lies between both Reason or Conscience is not an Argument I meane in matters of Faith purely such that is I do not therefore believe such a Doctrine of Faith to be true because my reason or conscience in it selfe and by vertue of rationall and extrascripturall Arguments tels me it is true for this were to make my reason the rule and standard of Truth but my reason or conscience believes such a thing to be true because it reads or hears such Arguments and evidences from the Scripture as are the undoubted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Truth And thus reason is the instrument by which I apprehend the Argument which compels my beliefe So againe the Spirit of God as in this controversy it is taken for the gifts or graces of a believing Soule or its ordinary suggestions in my mind are not the
rule of Faith which must be so true and cleare and evident that there can be no rationall possibility of contradiction or diversity of opinion and for a man to venture his Soule upon This is the summe of that Discourse excepting what he saith of the obscurity of the Scriptures which I have considered before For Answer 1. Since M r Cressy requires it in a rule of Faith that it be so true and cleare and so evident that there can be no rationall possibility of contradiction or diversity of opinion let him or rather any other disinteressed or unprejudiced person seriously consider what hath been discoursed in the former Treatise and Answer it to his own conscience as he will give his account to God another day whether the Popish rule of Faith be so true and cleare and evident c. as is pretended to be necessary or rather whether it be not so dark and doubtfull that it is not onely rejected by Protestants upon solid and cogent grounds but also disputed and denied by diverse of their own great Doctors The question under favour is not this whether our rule be so cleare as to admit of no possibility of contradiction for who can dream of this that ever heard or read of the Academicks whose great principle was to contradict every thing and be confident of nothing but whether the Popish rule or ours be better whether is more true clear and evident And this one would think should not be very difficult to determine And whether the Protestant rule be so evident that it may satisfy the Conscience and Reason and prudence of any modest humble and diligent enquirer though it may not silence the clamours of every bold caviller since there have been and probably yet are in the VVorld men so absurdly scepticall that they have cavilled against the certainty of this Proposition that two and three make five 2. The occasionality and particularity of those Writings is no impediment to their being a rule though this is a notion the Popish Writers oft mention and vehemently urge upon the simpler sort of men It neither hinders their being a rule nor their being a perfect rule 1. Not the former the Papists themselves being Judges for they acknowledge it to be regula partialis a part of the rule I tell you Christ is exceedingly beholden to them that will acknowledge thus much and allow him any share in the rule of his Church The Councell of Trent in its Decree concerning the Canonicall Scriptures notwithstanding this objection ascribes this to the Scriptures no lesse then to Traditions That both of them together are the Canon or rule of Faith and manners and to both they allow equall Piety and reverence as I said before Will any man say the law concerning Inheritances delivered Num. 27. was no Law or rule to the Israelites because it was delivered upon the extraordinary occasion of Zelophehads daughters Petition Or that the Law against the Priests drinking of Wine when he was to go into the Tabernacle Levit. 10.9 was no rule to the Priests because delivered peradventure upon the occasion of some intemperance of Nadab and Abihu 2. Nor doth this at all hinder the Scriptures being a perfect rule partly because this Objection concernes onely one part of the New-Testament viz. the Apostolicall Epistles But for the Gospels which of themselves are a sufficient rule though the addition of the other is an abundant consolation and a rich mercy Mr Cressy confesseth they were Written upon no speciall occasion but for the common benefit of all succeeding Christians as an History of his Life and Deâ—th and a summe of the principall points of his Doctrine They are the Authors words and we need no more to justify the Scriptures sufficiency and partly because the occasions however casuall to men yet were foreseen and foreordained by God to be such as would recurre in all following Ages and partly because the Apostle extends his thoughts and instructions beyond the present occasion upon which or particular person or persons to which he Writes even to following Ages and consequently intended them for rules and directions not onely to them but to others yea to all succeeding Christians What else meanes St Paul in charging Timothy to keep the command there mentioned untill the appearing of Christ 1 Tim. 6.14 which St Paul knew was at a great distance 2 Thâ—s 2.1 if he did not include his Successors The Books of the Old Testament at least diverse of them were written upon speciall occasion and yet St Paul hath given it under his hand That whatsoever things were Written afore time were Written for our learning Rom. 15.4 and that all those Scriptures are profitable to us for Doctrine reproâ—fe c. 2 Tim. 3.16 An irrefragable Argument that what was Written upon a speciall occasion may be a standing rule And the constant universall practise of all the Ancient Fathers and Counsels confirming Truths or Duties and reproving sins or errors in after Ages from the Testimonies of the Apostolicall Epistles doth unquestionably evince that they judged them however directed to particular persons or Churches yet indeed designed for a rule of the Church in all following Generations That particular occasions have given the rise to such generall rules and lawes as have been of perpetuall force and use no man that knowes any thing can be ignorant And that really this was the case and that the Principles Doctrines and Instructions which are laid down by the Apostles in their Epistolary Writings how particular soever the occasion might be that drew them sorth are in their own nature and quality indifferently calculated for and equally fit to be a guide to other persons or Churches needs no proofe but the reading of them and a reflection upon the daily practise of all Preachers as well Popish as Protestant which from time to time deduce such documents from them as are singularly usefull in whatsoever age or place they live in And this may serve M r Cressy's turne for I meet with nothing else considerable to this point in his Book In the next place I shall consider what Mr Rushworth saith who in the opinion of the Romanists is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his famed Dialogues His Arguments against the Scriptures being Judge of Controversies are two The first is that which hath been allready handled from the errors and corruptions which must needs be in our Bible by Copists and Translators And here he set his wit upon the rack to devise whatever could be said to blast the credit and the Authority of the Scripture Here he tels us of the many hazards doubts and mistakes from multitude of Copies depravations of Hereticks the Jewes at Tiberias and Greeks elsewhere mistakes of the negligent or ignorant Transcriber multiplicity of Translations equivocation of words which are used in several senses according to the variety of times places and persons the ceasing of these Tongues in which Scripture was Written and
attain that end and be unconvincing nay more Scripture is not profitable for doctrine if it onely beget conjectures and opinions and doth not give solid and satisfying evidence of its doctrines and if it do evidently assert or prove a Truth it must by consequence as evidently convince and consute the contrary error For example if any Scripture positively assert that Christ is the true God and equal with the Father as de facto it doth doth not the same Scripture sufficiently convince even in foro contentioso the Socinian Hereticks who make Christ but a Creature and inferior to the Father Neither let him tell me of their cavils against such places for so Anaxagoras did cavill against those that said Snow was white and gave a reason for it saith Tully because the water of which it had its rise was black yet no man I think will deny that there is convincing evidence even in foro contentioso of its whitenesse 3. The Scripture was convincing formerly and therefore it is so still for I do not know that it hath lost any of its vertue Christ proved himself to be the Messias out of the Scriptures in sundry places and I think Mr. White will not deny that all Christ's arguments were convincing So Christ proves his Lordship and Divinity out of the Scriptures and I think convincingly for his Adversaries were not able to answer him a word out of the Psalmes Read Mat. 22.42 c. When Peter and Paul disputed against the Jewes out of the Scripture and proved as they did out of the scriptures that Jesus whom they crucified was Lord and Christ I would know whether their scripture-proofs were solid and convincing or no if they deny it they make the Apostles deceivers and wresters of the scriptures if they affirm then scripture is convincing Once more we read Act. 18.28 of Apollos that he mightily convinced the Jewes shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. I am ashamed to mention more arguments in so clear a cause and yet we must believe these men against our senses and reason and conscience that the scriptures are not able to convince men in foro contentioso and Mr. VVhite who sometimes writes as if he believed an everlasting state dares hazard it upon such false and frivolous suppositions Excep 4. This word All Scripture must signify either every Scripture as the Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ought to be rendred and then all Scripture save one Book is uselesse or all the Scriptures that ever were and then we have them not or all that were then written and then all since written are superfluous or all that we now have Epist. pag. 29.30 Ans. The Text speaks not of every scripture but of all the scriptures that then were As for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two things are evident enough 1. That it may be taken collectively and the use of the word will warrant it I see the Captain is grown a Graecian therefore I shall desire him to look onely into two places which his masters the Rhemists intepret collectivè not distributivè Mat. 8.32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole herd not every herd and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole city v. 34. 2. That it must be so taken here our Adversaries being judges for else this confessed inconvenience will follow That any one verse of the Scripture is profitable and sufficient to all these purposes nor doth it at all follow that all the rest are superfluous because not precisely necessary The Pentateuch alone was a sufficient law for the Jewes yet none will say the Books of the Prophets concerning the explication or application of that Law were superfluous Excep 5. He sayes not the Scriptures are sufficient but onely profitable Cressy Ans. 1. He saith they are profitable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for every good work and what is so is undoubtedly sufficient 2. He saith they are profitable so far as to make one wise to salvation and I think that is sufficient 3. He saith they are profitable to the producing of all things necessary to salvation which are acknowledged to be onely two Faith and Life and they are profitable to both of them 1 for doctrine i. the demonstration of the Truth 2. for conviction or reproof i.e. the consutation of errors 3. for correction i.e. the reproof of sins 4. for instruction in righteousnesse or the discovery of Duties And what is thus every way profitable cannot with any colour be charged with insufficiency Excep 6. It is a clear case the Apostle speaks of the benefit of Scripture when explicated and applyed by a Preacher Ans. 1. By this argument all these high and various elogiums which are here so emphatically given to all the Scripture do as truly belong to any one verse of Scripture By this those two words Dic Ecclesiae Tell the Church are able to make one wise to salvation and furnished to every good work c. for so they are or may be through God's blessing if explicated and applied by an able preacher So those words Abraham beg at Isa ac are able to all these mentioned purposes viz. if explicated and applyed So you see the Church of Rome is grown superlatively orthodox for they who ere while would not allow all the Scripture to be sufficient are now so abundantly satisfied in the point that they allow any one verse in the Bible not excluding Tobit went and his dog followed him to be sufficient This I hope may suffice for the vindication of this Text wherein I have been the larger because it is most plain and impregnable to our purpose and sufficient of it self to decide the whole controversy I shall not concern my selfe or trouble the Reader with the vindication of other Texts to the same purpose which are many and considerable and with great facility defensible against all the Romish assaults because to him that submits to the authority and self-evidencing light of this Text that labour is superfluous and to him whose Conscience will suffer his wit to quarrel against such forcible and clear expressions and arguments as this Teâ—t affords it is frustraneous And therefore upon the evidence that hath been delivered I shall take the boldnesse to conclude That not the Church but the Scripture is the sufficient Rule and Infallible Guide by which we are to be regulated in all things pertaining to Faith or Godlinesse FINIS Doctor Jesuita Ad quem peâ—â—inet de libris Canonicis Determinare Catholicus Papista Ad â—cclâ—siam sine cuâ—us authoritate non plus fidci aâ—hiberem Maâ—thaeo quam Tito Livio par 1 â—â— 12. (b) Poâ—uit illud pio sensu dici Nam revera nisi nos ecclesiae doceret authoritas hanc scripturam esse Canonicam perexiguum apud nos pondus haberet de Authoritate Scripturae contra Brentium Lib. 3. Fol. 271. (c) Scriptura nullam babet authoritatem nullum pondus nullam vim erga nos nostram fidem nisi