THE Reasoning Apostate Or MODERN LATITUDE-MAN CONSIDER'D As he opposeth the Authority OF THE KING and CHURCH OCCASION'D By several late TREATISES By John Warly B. D. late Fellow of Clare-Hall in Cambridg LONDON Printed for T. Basset at the George in Fleet-street 1677. IMPRIMATUR 7 March 1677. Geo. Hooper R mo D no. D. Gilb. Cant. Arch. Ã Sacris Domesticis THE PREFACE WHen I saw the Church and Religion defended only by Reason I lookt on its condition as Deplorable as a forlorn Hope FOr rational Assertors of Religion who scorn the Auxiliaries of the Church though they appear as stout Souldiers yet they are ill Disciplin'd and as Goliah set up with a natural Fortitude and prodigious Bulk more fit for a Spectacle than a Fight more fit for Inquisitive Speculation than Practical Religion And that which renders Reason thus uncapable of putting an end to Disputes is this because there are some Doctrines in obscure places of Scripture which are like Garrisons on such a Rock which bids Defiance to Reason to Storm it or Art to surprize it Arcana which God alone by the Mediation of the Church will most fully reveal and deliver to Man It is well known that some obscure Texts of Scripture as Christ the Author appear as Incognito till the Church makes the discovery I am not bound to believe that our Saviour gave such Commands to his Apostles as a Philosopher did to his Scholars who wrapt up his knowledg in obscure Methods as a dark Shop to commend the Wares Yet 't is certain that some places of Scripture are so hard to be understood that they deserve to be call'd Oracles for their Obscurity as much as Truth Now who shall make discovery of it but those to whom these Oracles of God are committed and they are the Church I need not trouble the Reader with the Contents of these Papers but shall only say that I have endeavor'd to give Religion as well as Reason its due to rob Man of the one is unnatural Injustice to steal from the other the worst Sacriledg This made me endeavour to assert the Authority of the Church especially in this Age in which it seems to be exposed to contempt and some factious persons looking on it as in a helpless and weak condition not able to defend it self much less to protect or assist others turn the Divine Command into a Scoff and Jeer whilst in Derision they say Go tell the Church Names of some Treatises more Obscurely mentioned in the following Considerations N.F. The natural Fanatick Milton of Civil Power in Ecclesiastical Causes page 24. The Judgment of Non-conformists of the interest of Reason in matters of Religion p. 26. The Advocate of Conscience-Liberty p. 42. The Author of Smyrk p. 43. A Jesuit against one of the Sorbonists p. 74. The Advocate for Conscience-Liberty p. 92. Consideration 1. Of the Defence of the Church of England by some Orthodox-men in a Method or Style which seems to some too familiar biting and severe THough the admirable Defence of the Church of England by some of the Laity which Name may be fastened on Nobles as well as Peasants though a late Author hath undertaken by Chorah's Model to assert each person a Priest as it was objected to Luther by a great French Historian deserved as much Commendation as that ancient practice of drawing the Sword when Christians stood on their guard whilst they made confession of their Faith and that without imputation of Ambition or Vain glory have supported the tottering Ark by their rational discourses and seem as men from Macedonia at St. Paul's Summons to assist the Church yet some of these endeavouring to take off from the estimation of the authority of the Church they seem to me to be as Cassianus says of the secular order of Men in the Roman Church Sacerdoturientes a new kind of Gray Fryers in the reform'd Religion Neither do other men seem less fatal to the Church who are as Mendicants at least in their language endeavouring to win their designs by a cringing Supplication I beseech you my Fathers which they could not obtain by Arguments These men professing a plainess of Speech and Integrity seem as much suspicious as the Gibeonites to make Leagues with clouted Shoos whilst Poverty pleads their cause Neither are those altogether excusable who dispute against their Adversaries in a rational way without pressing the Authority of some ancient Fathers seeing it is possible to shew that the most valuable Arguments which are made use of as a Battery against Atheists are not the meer products of their own inventions but of others whose names are conceal'd by them I know not for what reason except this is it that they thought Authority would prejudice the humoursome Age and that Books would be better esteem'd as Anonymous or a New Cabala to the reformed Religion or because it seems policy in Church as well as Srate Arcana Ecclesiae as much as Imperii to conceal the Authors from whom they had their Intelligence or Imformation This Method makes men start at the citations of ancient Fathers as the Disciples did at Christ's person walking on the Waters supposing them as evil Spirits to seduce them But I pass from this to the other branch of this Consideration which makes me astonished to think how some Orthodox persons have been cavilled with for defending the Church in too severe and bitter Methods and a charge laid on Prelates as if they design'd the defence of the Church as St. Mallos is guarded with snarling Currs and those who assert their Authority esteem'd as Cock Hectors who win Battels more by Carlick than Strength whilst a stinking Breath defeats the Combatant These need not my Vindication they have done it themselves but suppose some Excursions not so commendable let it be consider'd that it is as impossible for a man to modelize his language so when he disputes with an Adversity as shall not offend him as it is for a man who fights a Duel to keep up to all those rules which he prescrib'd to himself before the engagement Polemical Arguments are like a Bolt or Shot which contracts Heat by flying Laws in such cases cannot be observ'd and the Disputant cannot be so accurate in his Language as Hortensius in his Cown as well as Oration such a one deserves to be call'd Smyrk or the Divine in mode to be in a set accurate form without a wrinkle He who disputes with Suarez must make use of his language Metaphysical Notions which are necessarily mix'd in Divine Dispute cannot be so plainly controverted by Scripture Phrase which in some cases cannot confute the Adversary any otherwise than the Idiot did Bellarmine by giving him the Lye To say all Adversaries must be disputed with by their own weapons St. Paul warrants it who draws an Argument from a Poet when he might have cited the sense out of the first Chapter of Genesis But this perhaps may not seem so pertinent to
other that he is of the same Faith with him if he do not express it in the same words and manner of interpretation which the Humane Reasoner according to his account of faith esteems not necessary except he could creep into his Soul to see the thought and the intimate motions of the mind without which he will not conclude any man can be declar'd a Heretick This is an unreasonable and impossible way of discouraging errors in Religion which will take away all power from the Church except it can keep Court in each mans mind and see each motion of it Such private interpretations are like Visions or Apparitions which appear to some persons only when they are alone Now as no man is oblig'd to believe the History of such Apparitions no further than the Authority of the persons obliges them to it I speak not of Holy Visions to the Prophets so no man will think himself bound to believe any private interpretation of a single person any further than he is possest with the authority of the person except he could enter into his phancy and borrow the whole Scene as it was represented to the Visor or Seer which is impossible Therefore it is necessary that there be an open profession of faith by plain and pertinent words which are as Ligaments to knit together persons in outward Communion This minds me of the charge given by Saint Paul to Timothy 2 Tim. 1. v. 13. of taking care of the form of sound words Whilst he gives his character of them that they were sound he omits not the form of words which in some cases may so alter the sense for it seems as necessary to Religion to distinguish the true Religion from the false as the Philosophers form of distinguishing one being from another An Instance in the word so oft repeated in late Pamphlets is a great evidence of it for when by a Holy Father without superstition or Adoration of words which Objection some have made against the name Jesus it self whilst commended to be bow'd at when nam'd which was preserv'd for the alteration of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would destroy the Creed at least change its sense the pulling out of an Iota being as dangerous as removing a Pin from a curious piece of Mechanical Art This consider'd in its consequences will further appear more reasonable for the idle conjecture of the Humane Reasoner thoughdrest in a Theological habit is as much to be suspected as Jesuits Oaths prompting men to think that equivocation in belief as well as oaths is to be tolerated whilst it is concluded that an open profession of the most obscure Texts of Scripture is sufficient making each Man's phancy a Comment on the Text and the rule of Faith The most valuable Objection which comes to my thoughts at present is this That Jesuites equivocate in their Oaths on design but the other if they appear such it is on necessity let charity believe this and suppose them sincere yet let it be consider'd that the Jesuit will plead this that he uses this art in swearing only to evade the force of some Obligations which the Magistrate would bind him to and this he will tell us he doth that he may guard and not violate his conscience and what can the Libertine say more I speak not this to patronize either rather conclude them both worthy of censure who refuseth some Creeds or at least part of them because they descend to particulars to prevent all Equivocation To say all the only difference of the persons practice is this the one useth his art to impose upon Man the other on God himself I cease to start more Objections but rather pass to that which is granted by all who are not Enthusiasts viz. that in all Disputes there must be a third to appeal to When the Heathen is disputed with reason must be pitcht upon as the Umpire and the Jew appeals to the Prophets and the Christian to the Scriptures interpreted by the Catholick Church without which Tertullian's question may be askt Quiestis vos under quando venistis ubi tamdiu latuistis c. Tertull. de Praescrip Con. Haer. Besides to make each man's reason judg of Controversie is to make it both judg and party too which may be retorted on the Church which is a party too in deciding the Controversie Let this be granted yet the reason is not the same of private persons as a party and the whole Church and let the Libertine pitch upon any third Interpreter wherein the Objection will not return and make it the party This so generally obtains in most cases that a man 's own mind is not past possibility of having parties for an interested reason may assert that which true reason will deny and a man may by habit so frame his mind to tell lies and believe them himself But let it be granted that the Church is a party yet not such as to be suspected It is a prodigious kind of distrust to think the whole Catholick Church should pass a partial sentence That Fathers will not design to deceive their Sons in matters of Divinty is so true that some have made use of it to prove the existence of God and shall the ghostly Fathers be esteem'd such Monsters to deceive their Sons in matters of such moment To say all that which a Roman Doctor asserted of their Church so peremptorily may be said of the whole that it ought to give testimony of it self Before I conclude this Consideration I cannot but take notice that some who have extenuated Heresie in its name would also make it impossible that a Heretick should be discover'd because to an obstinate opposing the true Doctrine in which the nature of Heresie consists it is requir'd that the intimate motions of mens minds be seen This is illustrated by an instance from Murder to which I shall only oppose this that he may as well conclude it is impossible to discover Murther Besides that similitude fails in the main part of it for a Heretick hath opportunity of recanting and must be an obstinate Opposer of the Truth three time before he is declar'd so Now the Murtherer is not capable of such respite or pausing and opportunity of stifling his fault or making it rather to be none except he was capable of committing the act three times as well as the Heretick opposing truth which cannot be except a man had three lives Consideration V. Of Creeds and Impositions with some Reflexions on the Apostles and other Creeds and of the extent of Creeds how necessary for deciding Controversies ALthough there is no absolute necesity imply'd in the nature of Religion that there must be Creeds or a symbol of Faith yet it may be safely concluded they are not superfluous It is convenient that we have an Enchiridion and necessary for the well being of the Church though the substance of the Doctrine may be but as an Index to direct to its fuller Explanation
discovers that troop of small Stars from which it borrows its Lustre The case is the same between Scripture and the Church I mean obscure places of it the one gives an ambiguous Twilight prospect the other shews it more distinctly Thus I have endeavoured to commend the Churches Authority as a necessary Supplement to the Apostles Creed or in order to maintain Charity amongst members of particular Churches for I do not design in this Paper to answer all Objections that the former discourse may be lyable to I now pass to the other branch of the Consideration In what sense short professions of Faith so much insisted on by the Reformers and commended to the Parliament can be said to be the full matter of Christian Faith and in what circumstances they must be in to whom they are sufficient And whether such curtilizing Creeds do not again introduce that implicit Faith which this Church complaineth of whilst under Papal impositions For further demonstration of the necessity of the extent of the Apostles Creed by Explanation it seems convenient that I suggest that usual distinction of Fundamentals in respect of their matter and the persons to whom they are offered as objects of Belief To the first 't is enough that I say one Assertion may be a Fundamental though not primarily so which in respect of another is but as a corrollary or branch of it as it is easie to instance in the Apostles Creed To the second it will be sufficient to say that all Doctrines are not pressed on all persons with the same necessity or upon peril of Salvation which will plainly appear from the consideration of the Requisites necessary to make such necessity The first of which is this viz. A conviction of the mind that what is proposed as matter of Faith must be commended to Man by God for there is no humane dictator can command any matter of Belief to Man merely as Humane Thus the Apostles themselves doubted of the Resurrection or at least were not sufficiently convinced of it till matter of fact convinced them of their Masters being God as well as Man Another Requisite is that there must be a sufficient proposal of matters of Faith otherwise it is insignificant to a man for what is Revelation to him to whom it is proposed for matter of Faith is like Objects which are in their own nature visible yet the Eye doth not always actually see them neither can it in some cases till more conveniently situated or impediments removed Thus Apollos ignorance and imperfect Creed excusable till he was more fully instructed of Saint Paul for the Doctrines of which he doubted before although as the Sun they always shin'd yet as the one cannot be seen till above the Horizon though it is obvious to other eyes so the ot her not assented unto till sufficiently explained If this seem not opposite take an Instance more Divine As none could see the City of Samaria though it was naturally as visible to other persons but the Prophet so none discern Divine Truth till Grace makes the discovery The last is a disposition of mens minds fit to receive such Divine impressions thus Mad men and Fooles are not to be expected Converts to Religion who are Aliens and Strangers to their own Reason and in this sense that applauded conclusion of the vanity of holding a Candle and attempt to make one see whom nature designed for darkness and to this head the citations out of St. Chrisostom afterward to be consider'd and others must be reduced leaving such Idiots to the censure of God himself This being promis'd I hope I may more fairly conclude against those conclusions which factious heads have drawn from thence for all that can be inferred from such charitable censures is only the modest censure of the Church whilst it respects God's Judicatute so that those persons who have so formally made address to Authority for tolleration of short Creeds must plead their cause in the same circumstances they thus indulg'd were which is impossible except they can Antidate time and be as the Apostles were then or men now who are uncapable of Divine Mysteries wherefore I may ask those men this Question whether they speak for themselves as of the Clergy or for other persons if for others which I presume they will be ready to own as officious Advocates they bring in the Doctrine of the Author of Humane Reason the Reasoner supposing it to a sufficient assent to Christian Doctrine if Scripture is commented on by a private invention This part of the consideration if I design to be tedious would lead me to examination of the several cavils against Councils as to the quality of persons c. and to answer an Objection of Nazianzen who saith he never saw a happy event of a Council which words concording to all I have met with condemns not Councils but rather is a complaint of the want of free and general Councils as is obvious to any who considers that Author's drift and design But I pass from this and other curious cavils by considering that such niceties in Religion are like questions about the Stars whose Nature and Influence we are sensible of and can probably demonstrate their Natures but not in such a way as can answer questions that a roving brain can start and can shew greater probability that they are such than the extravagant invention can they are not but I shall not continue this Digression rather return to the former case This being granted it must be considered that these persons with their slender stock of Faith are admitted into the Church as men into an Hospital and charity rather than Reason concludes them in a safe state of Salvation Now is it not unreasonable to propose that as a Model or measure of Faith to all which is only indulged to Mad men and Fools or at least men of weak capacities and that on no better ground than that tender one of extensive charity suitable to which are the accounts of the Church given by the Ancients whilst it is thus described 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a certain number of the Elect in which may be babes in Christ foolish as well as wise and compared to the Ark when there was a universal reception of Creatures which were clean If these Zealous Petitioners speak for themselves then that small measure of Faith and narrow capacity will be an argument against them in the opinion of their own party But if it is alleadged that Rahab had but a small measure of Faith and yet Sainted by St. Paul at least in the catalogue of eminent Believers and the Centurion with his slender knowledg of Christ had no less commendation from Christ himself Let it be considered that this is not applicable to Pastors of the Church What a medley and ill favoured being of a Church would that be in which a Rahab or Convert-Harlot 2 Centurion or Souldier should assume a Clerical power The Records