First Principle in Controversy being so supremely important I have attempted it Putting this Dilemma to the Protestant Either Controversy or the skill which enables us to conclude certainly what 's Faith is a Science or not if not why do we meddle with it since without Science or Knowledge all is meer beating the ayr and empty ignorant talking If it be common seuse tells us it must be grounded on some first and self-evident Principle Let 's to work then and settle this Principle that so we may have something to agree in and proceed upon that is be able to discourse together I have endeavoured to show the First Principle we Catholicks proceed on establisht on rational Grounds and self-evident Let the Protestant either agree with us in it or settle some other able to render his Citations certain without which they ought alledge nothing Nor is it enough for them to catch at single words or little parcels of my Discourse as their way is but it being connected they must overthrow the main of it nor that but they must lay some First Principle of their own else they ought affirm nothing nor speak for why should any one say what he knows not or how can he know without Principles Especially the Protestant is oblig'd to do this who cannot stand on Possession but on his Reasons why he mov'd what he found settled This Principle then they are ty'd by all honest Considerations to produce and till they do so I must frankly declare what reason tells ever intelligent man that those many flashy books of late against Catholicks by whomsoever written deserve not a word in Answer FIRST DISCOURSE Showing from the nature of Rule and Faith what Properties belong to the Rule of Faith 1. As common Reason gives it evident that no satisfaction at all can be had in any point whatever without knowing first the Meaning of those Words which express the Thing under debate since without this the discoursers must talk of they know not what so the Art of Logick assures us that the Meaning of those Words exactly known a ready way is open'd to a clear decision of the most perplexing difficulties For seeing the Meaning of a Word includes in it self the Nature of the Thing as signified by that Word in regard it could not mean That Thing unless it also meant it of such a Nature which constitutes that Thing so t is plain that the Meaning of the Word once known perfectly the Nature of the Thing as signify'd by that word must be known likewise Wherefore since the Nature of the Thing bears along with it all those Considerations and Attributes which intrinsecally belong to such a Nature and excludes all those which are incompetent to the same Nature it acquaints us with what can be both said and deny'd of the Thing as far as exprest by that word The perfect knowledge then of the Meaning of the Words affords us the certain solution of all questions whether Affirmative or Negative and is the most compendious way to settle all Controversies Let us therefore apply this method to our present purpose and examin well what is meant by those Words which express the thing we are discussing namely THE RULE OF FAITH and we may with good grounds expect a solid clear and brief satisfaction both of what is not that Rule and what is It. 2. To begin then with what is most evident Seeing a Rule signifies a thing which is able to regulate or guide him who uses it it must consequently have in it all those Qualities by which it is able to do that it 's proper Effect otherwise 't is no Rule that is 't is not apt or able to do what a Rule should do 3. It must then in the first place be Evident as to its Existence unto the Sense if it be to guide it or to the Vnderstanding if it be an Intellectual Rule For how should either of these be guided by what they neither see nor know 4. Whence follows that it must be Evident to all those who are to be regulated by it that there is such a Thing otherwise it can be to them no Rule since being unknown it reaches not or affects not those persons who are to be ruled by it that is reaches not those things upon which it is to do its Effect and so cannot rule them or be a Rule to them 5. Moreover to those who can raise doubts or can have doubts raisd in them that is in a manner all Mankind even the Rudest Vulgar it must be knowable that the Intellectual Rule they are to be regulated by has in it self a virtue to rule or guid their understandings right That is they must be capable to know that it deserves to be reli'd on as a Rule Wherefore this must either be evident by its own light or at least easily evidenceable by other knowledges or skills presupposed in those users of Reason who are to be guided by that Rule Otherwise 't is against Sense and Reason to yield over ones understanding to be guided by that which he can never come to understand that it has in it any ability or power to guide him 6. And because nothing can be evident to be what in reality it is not it follows that this Thing pretending to be a Rule must also be certain in it's self or establisht on secure Grounds For otherwise 't is not possible that can in true sence be call'd a Rule which one may follow and yet go wrong or be missed The Directive Power then which it has must not be wavering Wherefore also the causes which conserve it so constantly able to perform that Effect must be established too to that degree as to keep it fitting to do the effect proper to its Nature which is to be certain in its self 7. Thus much is evidently gathered out of the common Notion or Nature of a Rule That is out of the genuin and proper meaning of that single word We are next to consider the meaning of the word FAITH By which we intend not to give rigorous School-definitions of either this or the former word but only to reflect on and make use of some Attributes Predicates or Properties which in the sence of such who intelligently use those words are apprehended to be involved in or truly appertaining to their signification This caution given to avoid mistake or cavil let 's enquire of what kind of Nature that thing is which is meant by this word FAITH and then reflect what further qualifications it requires in it's Rule that is in the Certain Means which is to guide us to that Knowledge called Faith 8. FAITH then in the common sence of Mankind is the same with Believing and Divine Faith in the sence of the generality of Christians from whom as being the intelligent users of that word the true sence of it is taken the Believing God in reveal'd Truths which necessarily imports some kind of Knowledge of
with such a person were not he mad that is a renouncor of Reason or Man's Nature who should not believe them You see then these Witnesses have power to propose such an Object as can oblige to Belief You see the Dissenters are Irrational that their act of dissenting springs from some Passion or Vice and Vice is punishable and so is the Effects of that Dissent if it be in such a matter as is highly pernicious to Mankind's best concerns Now our Church makes account she is able to propose an Authority incomparably more ample than the Attestation now spoken of for the true Descent of her Faith and judges such a proposal founded on the eye-sight of all those Witnesses to be able to oblige to interiour Assent in such a degree as to render them most highly wilful vicious and irrational who should disbelieve it hence the crime intrenching upon the order to mankind's Salvation the highest concern imaginable both to edify those dissenters by correcting their vice and the circumstant Faithful by breeding a conceit in them through the punishment of the others of the sacredness of Faith and its Rule and the hainousness of Pride of understanding the ready way to all Heresies they may nay ought punish their Interiour Dissent Not out of an height of Authority without motives as Mr. Whitby conceits but because that Authority is her self such a motive to Belief that onely irrational vicious and wilfully-blind persons can recede from it by disbelief And hence our Churches procedure is rational natural sweet and charitable tending to amend an enormity of Will not bred from a rationally but passionate dissatisfy'd Understanding Nay Mr. Whitby's discourse justifies Our Churches procedure who seems to allow his Church a power to require a positive Assent when the case comes to be such that the denier of it must needs be held wilfull and our Church neither sayes nor acts otherwise 15. By this Discourse I would not have Mr Whitby imagin that I am about proving our Churches Infallibility in this place but onely showing that holding She can evidence her Authority She goes rationally to work and consonantly to her self in requiring Assent to her Proposals whereas Theirs confessing her self fallible even in interpreting Scripture upon which all both her Faith and Authority as a Church depends were self-condemn'd irrational and tyrannical if She should go about to require any such Interiour Assent Now though he in big words denies this to be her carriage asking when did they meaning Bishops Convocations or Parliaments challenge any power over our minds and Consciences and alledges the consent of their Divines for it yet I wonder what he thinks of the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy made by a Protestant Parliament is there no obligation there to hold any thing Yes as strong as Oath can tye it And which is worse 't is more Irrational to go about to bind Our Assents who are not of their Church than to bind their own Subjects This in practice is perform'd towards all but so imprincipled a procedure that their Church waves it when it comes to a rational scanning in a Dispute and Controversy acknowledging so their want of Grounds to make it good Which shows that the Authority of their Church sprang from the Parliament or Secular State in regard She professes her self very heartily content with external Obedience let the Interiour Assent goes where it will most unlike the Church settled by the Wisdome of the Eternal Father and constituted the Pillar and Ground of Truth who provided in the first place for the Churches Power to hold us to the same Tenets which are the Principles of our Actions knowing that unless the Root of Faith be sound the Actions its branches must needs be rotten and unconscientious and that no Congregation could long hold together nor indeed longer than the plain force of the Secular Sword aw'd them unless by power to evidence its Authority it had power to oblige men's Understandings connaturally to an Unity in the same Faith which done all else would follow And hence we may see confessedly in the Protestant Principles the reason of their present and past distractions and divine of the future for men's Fancies being naturally various and no power in her to keep them in an Union they must needs ramble into multitudes of dissenting Sects which to strive to unite into one were to force both Nature and Conscience too Nature in striving to unite their Understandings in Faith without offering them Evidence of Authority Conscience in binding them to Act as Protestants do whereas they are ready to stake their Salvation upon it that their best reasons working upon the very Rule of Faith Protestants recommend obliges them to the contrary and that to force them to act with Them is to force them to sin So that the Protestants at once profess they will not or cannot oblige their Vnderstandings and yet at the same time contend by force to oblige their Wills without nay against their Understandings 16. In a word let Protestants write talk quote words as long as they will Plainest Common Sence tells them and every man who considers it that unless they settle some undisputable Method of arriving at Christ's Sence or Faith that is some self-evident and so all-obliging Rule of Faith the Protestant Church can never hope for Power to reduce their Dissenters nor to hold together or govern efficaciously their own Subjects that is they can never hope for Unity within themselves nor lastly Union with them that have it and charitably endeavour they may have it too THIRD APPENDIX Animadversions On Some Passages in Mr. Stillingfleet 1. THe loud Fame of Mr. Stillingfleet's Book preventing its Publication and withall the report of his good parts coming from diverse Judicious Persons bred in me a great Impatience to see something of his other Writings that so I might have more solid Ground to build my Expectation on than common rumour or commendation of acquaintances A Protestant Friend show'd me a little Treatise of his concerning Excommunication I perus'd the beginning of it and immediately told him Mr. Stillingfleet was a very ingenious person and writ the best I ever yet saw any Protestant For he settled first his notion or the true nature of the Thing and thence attempted by intrinsecal mediums to draw immediate Consequences which show'd that his head lay right for Science But withal I assur'd my Friend 't was impossible he could write against us and take that method the nature of his Cause not enduring so severe a Test. His Book coming forth and bearing in its Title a Rational Account of the Grounds of Protestant Religion my Expectation was more erected and till my self could get leasure to peruse it I told diverse both Catholicks and Protestants that they might expect from Mr. Stillingfleet's Wit the most that could be said either for the later or against the former But coming to over-look cursorily his Infallibility of Tradition
vulgar reason easily telling them that there can be but one Truth that is that all the other Professors to follow Scripture do notwithstanding believe and speak false Now these honest Scholars of plain down right Nature that of her lowest form too being unable to judge which truly follow the Scripture's Letter and onely capable to know they all profess it with Words and Actions expressing the greatest seriousness in the world are to think that all equally mean to follow it to their power Whence their common reason will tell them though they cannot express it in our terms or defend it that meerly for want of Light that is Evidence in the Directive Power of that Rule they all but one party and perhaps that too as well as the rest go most miserably astray This third Property then of the Rule of Faith namely to justify the undoubting vulgar is wanting to Scriptures Letter 3. There follows the fourth Property of the Rule of Faith which is that it must be able of its own nature to satisfy the most Sceptical dissenters and rational doubters that the Doctrin it holds forth came from Christ. To make a true conceit of what may be judg'd sufficient for this End let us reflect on the nature and temper of such Dissenters and Doubters and we shall quickly discover that they are men given to stir their thoughts by much reflexion and to call them to a strict account ere they yield them over to Assent Wherefore if we suppose them true to their own thoughts and not to betray the Light of their Reason to some Passion in which case their Faith it self were in them a Vice we cannot imagin that any thing under Demonstration can bind and restrain those active and volatil Souls from fluttering still in Objections and hovering in doubts when their Eternal Good is concern'd Especially when an Authority is about scanning upon whose word they are bound after they have approv'd it to believe unconcievable and unheard of things above the reach of human Reason Apprehension Let now any man go about to demonstrate to those great wits these points That the Scripture's Letter was writ by men divinely inspir'd That there is never a real one however there may be many seeming Contradictions in it and this to be shown out of the very Letter it self That just this Catalogue or number of Books is enough for the Rule of Faith and no one Necessary that was lost none be abated or if so how many That the Originals out of which the Translations were made were entire and uncorrupted That the first Translations were skilfully rightly made and afterwards deriv'd down sincere notwithstanding the errableness of thousands of Transcribers Printers Correcters c. and the malice of antient Hereticks and Jews who had it in their hands And lastly That this and this onely is the true sence of it to which is requisite great skill in Languages to understand the meaning of words in Grammar to know what meaning they should generally beat according to its Rules as thus construed or put together Criticism to know what a word doe most commonly or may possibly signify by rules 〈◊〉 nicer Etymologies or acception of Authours ancient or modern by dialects of several Countries c. History to make known the true scope of the Authour the best Interpreter of his meaning Logick to draw consequenceâ— aright and so find out the thread of the discourse to avoid equivocation in words by discovering which are to be taken properly which Metaphorically And to apply this right fome skill in the things themselves that is in Nature and Metaphysicks especially that which treats of the nature of Spirits as the Soul Angels God and his Attributes but especially in Divinity both Speculative and Moral which by the way supposes Faith and comes after it and so cannot be presuppos'd to the Rule of Faith which precedes it Let any man I say go about to demonstrate all these difficult Points ro those acute men and will they not smile at his endeavors since most of them that concern the truth of the Letter are such that we want Principles to go about to evidence them and the rest so obscure that a searching and sincere wit would still find something to reply to rationally or at least maintain his ground of Suspence with a Might it not be otherwise And were some one or two of these points demonstrable yet who sees not it is a task of so long study that a great part of a man's life would be spent in a weaâ—isome and hopeless endeavour to come to Faith by this tedious method which would both dis-invite to a pursuit and even a diligent man may in likelihood die ere he could rationally embrace any Faith at all Faith then being intended for a man to lead his life by 't is necessary it's Rule and the means to come to it should be easily victorious by reason of it's Certainty and Evidence over the shock of Doubts or the assaults of Intellectual Fears In which the Scripture's Letter being defective 't is plain that 't is far from the Nature of a Rule of Faith 4. The same discourse holds to prove that the Scripture's Letter is not convictive of the most obstinate and acute Adversaries which is the fifth Property of the Rule of Faith Yet to apprehend this more lively let us imagin it apply'd to practice and that some Text of Scripture were quoted to convince a Deist in some point He asks how you are certain that Book is God's word You alledge the Excellencies of it which indeed are such that eyes already enlighten'd by true Faith may discern something in it above nature and cry Digitus Dâ—i est hîc though not his dim sight He answers that many parts of it are indeed very excellently good but that the Devil can transform himself into an Angel of Light On the other side he requites your Excellencies with many strange Absurdities and Heresies even by your own confession in the open Letter as it lies and most unworthy God as that he has hands feet and passions like ours according to which he is variable He finds you direct Text against acknowledg'd Science in divers particulars and reckons up a multitude of Contradictions to his Judgment You answer that those places are understood according to human apprehension and are indeed incompetent to God but that there are mystical and spiritual meanings couch't in those sacred Oracles which with the help of History would reconcile those seeming Contradictions He cries you quite abandon your pretended Rule that since you confess Heresies are in the open Letter taken as it lies you must have some Knowledge in your Head concerning God which makes you decline the sence of the words as they lie and run to gloss them and demands whence you came by those tenets which oblige you to correct the plain Letter challenging your thoughts and carriage as witnesses that that
blotted worn out c. Which though it seems a remote and impertinent Exception yet to one who considers the wise Dispositions of Divine Providence it will deserve a deep Consideration For seeing the Salvation of Mankind is the End of God's making Nature the means to it should be more settled strong and unalterable than any other piece of Nature whatever Putting then Scripture's Letter to be this Rule and that all its Significativeness of God's Sence that is all its virtue of a Rule is lost if the material Characters its Basis be destroy'd or alter'd who sees not a very disorderly proceeding in laying so weak means in such immediateness to so main an end and concludes not thence that Faith's Rule ought in right reason have a better Basis than such perishable and alterable Elements 3. Reflecting next on those material Characters in complexion with the Causes actually laid in the world to preserve them entire we shall find that either those Causes are Material and then themselves are also liable to continual alterations and innumerable Contingencies or Spiritual that is men's Minds Now these being the noblest pieces in Nature and freed in part from Physical mutability by their Immateriality we may with good reason hope for a greater degree of constancy from them than from any other and indeed for a perfect unalterableness from their Nature and this being to conceive Truth an Inerrableness if due circumstances be observ'd that is if due proposals be made to beget Certain Knowledge and due care us'd to attend to such Proposals Otherwise their very Createdness and Finitness entitle them to defectibility besides their obnoxiousness to mutation and perpetual alteration through the alloy of their material Compart I call it due proposal when it must necessarily affect the Sense and so beget natural Knowledge or when unequivocal terms are so immediately and orderly laid that the Conclusion must as necessarily be seen in the Premises as that the same thing cannot both be and not-be at once by a mind inur'd to reflexion and speculation and I call that due care which preserves the Soul in such temper as permits the objects impression to be heeded and the Mind to be affected by it 4. This premised we may reflect that the Rule of Faith as was provd Disc. 1. § 4 5 10 11. must be obvious to men of ordinary Sence and not onely to Speculators as also that Objects of the Senses may be of two sorts Of the the first are things in Nature or else simple vulgar actions and plain matters of Fact which if oft repeated and familiariz'd are unmistakable and consequently the perceiver inerrable in such a matter Of the second are such actions as are compounded and made up of an innumerable multitude of several particularities to be observed every of which may be mistaken apart each being a distinct little action in its single self Such as is the transcribing a whole book consisting of such myriads of words single Letters and Tittles or Stops and the several actions of writing over each of these so short and cursory that it prevents diligence and exceeds human care to keep awake and apply distinct attentions to every of these distinct actions And yet to do our Opposers right I doubt not but each of these failings may possibly be provided against by oft-repeated Corrections of many sedulous and sober examiners set apart for that business and that the truth of the Letter of an whole Book might to a very great degree if not altogether be ascertain'd to us were the Examiners of each Copy known to be very numerous prudent and honest and each of them testifying his single examination of it word by word For then the difficulty consisting in the multiplicity and the variety is provided against by the multitude of the preserving Causes and their multifariousness made convictive to us by their well-testify'd consent 5. To apply this discourse to the matter in hand If we were Certain there had been anciently a multitude of Examiners of the Scripture's Letter in each Copy taken from the first Original or the next Copies from these and so forwards with the exact care we have defin'd the single Examinations of each and the amendment of the Copy according to their Examinations convincingly testify'd and that by Excommunication or heavy Ecclesiastical Prohibitions and Mulcts it had been provided for from the beginning that none should presume to take a Copy of it and that Copy be permitted to be read or seen till it were thus examined much might have been said for the Certainty of the Scripture's Letter upon these men's Principles But if no such Orders or Exactness was ever heard of especially of the New Testament upon the Truth of whose Letter they build Christian Faith If the multitudes of Letters Commaes blottings or illegibleness of the Originals like-appearance of Letters and even whole Words in in the Book like-sounding in the ear or fancy of the Transcriber possibility of misplacing omitting inserting c. did administer very fruitful occasions to human overâ—ight If the more Copies were taken the more the errours were like to grow and the farther from correcting If Experience testifies no such exact diligence has been formerly us'd by the diverse Readings of several Copies now extant and thousands of Corrections which have lately been made of the Vulgar Edition the most universally currant perhaps of any other what can we say but that for any thing these Principles afford Scriptures Letter may be uncertain in every tittle not withstanding the diligence which has de facto been used to preserve it uncorrupted in the way of those who hold it the onely Rule of Faith In their way I say who will not have the Sence of Christ's Doctrine writ in Christians hearts the Rule for the Correcters of the Letter to guide themselves by but the meer Letter of a formeâ— and God knows controvertible Copy out of which the Transcription and by which onely the Examination is made What Certainty accrues to Scripture's Letter by the means of Tradition or the living voice of the present Church in each Age is the Subject of another enquiry 6. Now as for the Certainty of the Scripture's Significativeness which is the other Branch nothing is more evident than that this is quite lost to all in the Uncertainty of the Letter and 〈◊〉 evident that 't is unattainable by the vulgar that is the better half of mankind since they are unfurnisht of those Arts and Skills as Languages Grammar Logick History Metaphysicks Divinity c. requisit to establish and render certain the sence they conceive the Letter ought to bear without which they can never make such an Interpretation of it but an acute Scholler skill'd in those means will be able to blunder theirs and make a seeming clearer one of his own In a word if we see eminent Wits of the Protestants and the Socinians making use of the self-same and as they conceive the best
multitudes of Knowers if no possible consideration can awaken in our reason a doubt that they conspire to deceive us Now in the way of Tradition all deliverers or immediate Forefathers are Knowers as appears in those who immediately heard the Apostles all the Knowledge requisit being of what they were taught and practic 't accordingly all their lives of which 't is impossible the rudest person should be ignorant who ever had any Effect of such a Teaching wrought upon him Nor can any unless their brains rove wildly or be unsettled even to the degree of madness suspect deceit where such multitudes unanimously agree in a matter of fact look seriously when they speak act themselves and practice accordingly and show in the whole course of their carriage that they hope to be sav'd themselves and to save others whom they thus instruct by relying on this Truth that their Forefathers thus taught them which amounts to this that Nature or common Reason at unawares steals into them a solid apprehension that Tradition is of a certain kind of Nature and so that while Fathers thus taught Children it was ever such that is that Tradition is a certain Rule of conveying down Faith which is all we study to evince at present I may add that Nature telling them by their own experiences that Parents generally would be apt to teach their Children what themselves had been taught and believ'd to be good and true needfull to their eternal Salvation their natural thoughts would lead them by a downright procedure to judge that Tradition was ever in some considerable Body of Deliverers who stuck to it and own'd it and that those had true Faith or truly that doctrin which Christ and the first Planters of Christianity taught But of this point more hereafter 10. If it be objected that this multitude of plain honest-meaning Souls are as much justify'd for believing Scripture I answer that if you mean their Faith conceiv'd to be found in Scripture or a determinate Sence of Scripture's Letter it cannot with any show of reason be pretended that they are as much justifiable for believing any setting aside Tradition's help for without this it totally depends on the inward Judgments Fancies or Skills of men which they are unqualify'd to judge of not on open verdict of Senses to wield the Certainty or Uncertainty of which lies clearly within the reach of their common reason And as for Scripture's Letter they cannot possibly be justify'd in reason for believing even the Substantial Truth of it without Tradition's assisting hand and preserving care And the reason is the same because the common course of human Experience tells them that Judgments or Opinions often disagree but their plain Sensations especially if frequently repeated never Whence a Jury of the plainest High-shoes would upon the Evidence of the sight of six Witnesses without more ado condemn a Malefactor but not upon the Judgments of a thousand men if a Testimony grounded on Sense were not brought Now take away Tradition and all ground from Certain Sence fails us either for the meaning or even Letter of Scripture and all is left to men's Judgments built on latent Skills or Fancy or at least on Sense liable to great and numerous mistakes as hath been shown Disc. 4. § 3. Again seeing every one apprehends the most vulgar have reason enough to believe there was such a one as K. Iames and Q. Elizabeth of which they are no otherwise ascertain'd but by Tradition why are not they as much or more justify'd for believing points of Faith received down by the same tenour whereas if you go about to pump their common Reason about the Authority of the Statute-Book or the Truth of its Letter you shall find them blunder and at a â—oss being pos'd beyond their sphere of 〈◊〉 Nature by a question entrenching upon skill to which they can never answer with a steady assuredness inwardly and if they do so outwardly 't is manifest that some Passion and not their Reason breeds that irrational Profession The third Condition then of the Rule of Faith which was to be apt to settle and justify unreflecting and undoubting vulgar is manifestly found agreeing to Tradition 11. I put next the 6th Condition because the proof of it evidently proves the fourth fifth and seventh For what is built on immovable Grounds or Certain in its self has in it wherewith to settle and satisfy the most piercing Witâ— convince the most obstinate Adversaries and to ascertain us absolutely To prove that Tradition has Certain and Infallible Grounds it may suffiâ—â— to note that Disc. 1. § 13 14 15. it being evidently proved Faith must be Infallible to us anâ— no less evident that it cannot be such without having Infallibly-câ—â—tain Grounds since nothinâ— can be firmer to us than the ground it stands on now the Rule of Faith is its Ground It follow evidently that This must likewise be Infallibâ—â— certain There being then onely two Ground or Rules of Faith owned namely Deliver of it down by Writing and by Words anâ— Practice which we call Oral and Practical Tradition 't is left unavoydably out of the imposibility that Scripture should be Infallible as Rule that Tradition must be such 12. Though this Conclusion supposing thâ— Truth of the Propositions I assume as alreadâ— prov'd be sufficiently consequent to those Adversaries against whom I contest at present thâ— Certainty of Tradition in regard they do 〈◊〉 stick to grant that either Scripture or Tradition must be the Rule of Faith Yet I foresee more will be expected from a pretender to demonstrate its Certainty and that he should frame his Discourse from intrinsecal Mediums Reflecting then on the nature of Tradition as before explicated we shall observe that it hath for its Basis the best Nature in the Universe that is Man's the Flower and End of all the rest and this not according to his Moral part defectible by reason of Original Corruption nor yet his Intellectuals darkly groping in the pursuit of Science by reflected thoughts or Speculation amidst the misty vapours exhal'd by his Passion predominant over his rational Will but according to those faculties in him perfectly and necessarily subject to the operations and stroaks of Nature that is his Eyes Ears handling and the direct Impressions of Knowledge as naturally and necessarily issuing from the affecting those Senses as it is to feel heâ—â— cold Pain Pleasure or any other material Quality Again those Impressions upon the Sense are not made once but frequently and in most many times every day Moreover to make these more express and apt to be taken notice of their lives are to be fram'd by the Precepts they hear and conformable Examples they see so that Faith I mean the substance of it or that solid plain Knowledge as far as 't is apt to cause downright Christian 〈◊〉 comes clad in such plain matters of Fact that the most stupid man living cannot possibly be ignorant of it
first Revolters a small handfull compar'd to all Christianity besides and onely occasionally not constantly happening that the Descendents of these Revolters were taught by them to believe Them in the right in interpreting Scripture and not their own Judgments that is follow'd the way of Tradition however misplac't To which if we compare the numerous contingencies both in man's Nature and other circumstances hindring Propagation every day happening we shall find much reason to prefer the multitudes of the other before this But if we add to this Consideration the daily decay of innumerable particulars upon whom the Continuation of Mankind depends by natural or accidental deaths and reflect on the innumerable new Subjects and even whole Nations into which Tradition hath and does daily propagate it self and those uninfected by new Heresies for whole Ages that is without any one Deserter of Tradition among them and none of those beholding to Progenitors for their Faith but to Externs who converted them whereas Propagating their Kind can onely be by those of the same race We shall find that the Causes laid to propagate preserve a Body of Traditionary Christians look far more steadily and less needing a recourse to any particular Providence than those which we can discover laid for the keeping on Foot a Body of Men. Whence if any as the common fashion is bring against the perpetuation of Tradition such wildroving Arguments as would equally strike at the Certainty of perpetuating Mankind or continuing any Species in Nature the readiest answer is to show they do so and then to tell them we intend not Tradition should last longer than the onely Species capable of Faith will that is longer than Mankind is to stand who onely can have it or need it EIGHTH DISCOURSE Endeavouring to demonstrate à Posteriori the Vninterruptedness of Tradition hitherto 1. HAving seen and weigh'd the strength of those Causes which preserve and continue Tradition on Foot and thence endeavour'd to demonstrate its Indefectibleness as the proper and necessary Effects of those Causes we will now begin our Discourse at the other end and try if we can conclude the same from some Proper Effect that is from such an Effect as could onely have sprung from the actual Indeficiency of Tradition as its Cause That so we may show the Certainty of Faith's Conveyance to us doâ—bly guarded and on all sides Evident 2 Though indeed this seems a needless endeavour against the Protestant who yeilds that those points of Faith in which we agree came dowâ— by this way of Tradition Whence he is to be prest to answer candidly these Queres Wâ— not the Trinity Incarnation and other points 〈◊〉 which we agree held in all Ages since Christ by Gods Church He must yeild it no Protestaâ—â— ever denying it besides that we both agree to call that God's Church which held those maiâ— points of Faith Next he is to be askt whether seeing those points were held ever of Faith Fathers did not actually teach Children so or the former Age the later Common reason will teach him they did which devolves into this that a Protestant must confess those points came down by Tradition and that Tradition hath not faild to bring them down to us Ask him next by what virtue Tradition perform'd this and whether the same virtue were not powerful to bring down others as well as these had any such been And when he assignes this virtue I cannot suspect him negative in so plain a point Ask him farther Is there not a necessary Connexion and Relation between such a constant Cause and its formal Effect So that if its formal Effect be Those Points received as delivered ever the Proper Cause must be an ever-delivery whence we can argue from such an Effect to its Cause for any particular Point and consequenly for any Point that is in Controversie between Them and Us in case it be a Point we held ever deliver'd And if so as manifest Reason evinces it our now-held Faith was taught by Christ and his Apostles and our dispute is at an end But because I rather suspect the Protestant seeing his Cause and Interest too deep engag'd and himself streightned by such strict Connexion of Terms will fly of and deny Tradition to be a necessary Cause notwithstanding its constant tenour of having wrought this its Effect millions of times or from step to step during so many Ages and will not care to alledge that all this is pure Chance and contingency I shall pursue the Designe and Method I at first intended 3. The Effect then we will pitch upon and avow to be the proper one of such a Cause is The present perswasion of Traditionary-Christians or Catholicks that their Faith hath descended from Christ and his Apostles uninterruptedly which we find most firmly rooted in their hearts And the Existence of this Perswasion we affirm to be Impossible without the Existence of Traditions ever-Indeficiency to beget it 4. To prove this I lay this first Principle That Age which holds her Faith deliver'd thus from the Apostles neither can it self have chang'd any thing in it nor know or doubt that any Age since the Apostles had chang'd or innovated any thing therein This Proposition needs no proof to evidence it but onely an Explication For since no man can hold contrary to his Knowledge or doubt of what he holds nor change or innovate in the case propos'd without knowing he did so 't is a manifest Impossibility an whole Age should fall into an Absurdity so inconsistent with the Nature of one single man 5. The second Principle shall be this No Age could innovate any thing and withal deliver that very thing to Posterity as receivâ—d from Christ by continual succession For since Man is a rational Creature he must have some reason or motive good or bad which he proposes to himself as an Eud to be atchiev'd by his action and whatever his remote end is his immediate End in telling Posterity a late invented thing was held immediately before is to make them believe it Wherefore since a seen Impossibility cannot be a motive to one not frantick and that 't is evidently Impossible they should make Posterity believe a thing so universally known to be false as this must needs be because were it possible the whole Age should conspire to tell such a lye the whole I say otherwise the Refusers would easily discover the cheat yet 't is manifestly Impossible all at age to know the truth should conspire from so many several and so far distant places in the precise time to deceive the new Off-spring every moneth ripening to a capacity of such knowledges or blot out all the Monuments which would evidently undeceive their abused Posterity 'T is then as impossible this Principle should falter as that the foregoing Age should conspire to act without a motive or that the succeeding Age should believe what they know to be otherwise that is should hold both sides
form of words This is the Faith of Blessed Peter this is the Faith of the Fathers this is the Faith of the Orthodox From which Testimonies note we 17. First That the Council in every Session not one excepted where Points of Faith are handled constantly professes to follow TRADITION Secondly It layes claim perpetually to Vninterruptedness of this Tradition as appears by the words ever alwayes from the Apostles times from the beginning from the Apostles have come down by hands to us The Church hath alwayes understood held openly profest taught hath ever kept and will ever keep perpetually commended by our Fathers hath learned by Tradition received down by hand hath ever observed and such like Plainly showing that this Persuasion of our Faith's descent uninterruptedly is deeply and unanimously rooted in the heart of the whole Catholick Church Which strengthens our Doctrin Disc. 8. § 2. and 3. 3ly It makes the Suggestion of the Holy Ghost or Sanctity in the hearts of the Faithful efficacious to perpetuate the delivery of received Doctrin See Sess. 6. Decreto de Iustificatione Sess. 13. de SS Euchar. Sacramento and many other places The very point I went about to explicate in my 9. Discourse 4ly 'T is observable that though it mentions the Holy Scriptures also with Tradition yet this is both very rarely and when it does so It onely expresses that Faith is contain'd in them but when it brings Places of Scripture to ground Definitions upon It perpetually professes to Interpret them by Tradition Which is most Evident both by its decreeing this in common Sess. 4. That none dare to interpret Holy Scriptures against the Sence which our Holy Mother the Church hath held and does hold meaning that Sence in the Hearts of the Faithful is the Rule to interpret Scripture by see Corol. 30. As also by several Instances Sess. 5. § 4. Sess. 14. Can. 3. Sess. 22. cap. 1. and to omit others in that most remarkable plaâ—e Sess. 14. In which after the Text of S. Iamesâ—lledg'd â—lledg'd for Extream Unction the Council subjoins In which words as the Church hath learn'd by Apostolical Tradition received down by hands be teaches c. Where Tradition is most evidently made the Rule which instructs and guides the Church in interpreting Scripture And 't is observable that the Council no where grounds any definition on Scripture but at the same time she grounds her Interpretation of Scripture on Tradition which devolves into this that the Council makes Tradition her onely Rule to know Certainly Christ's Sence or Points of Faith that is in proper speaking the onely Rule of Faith 18. But why then is the Holy Scripture made use of at all by the Council and that so solemnly nay and which is to be noted constantly put before Tradition To satisfy fully this difficulty 't is not the proper season at present yet being a good point and worth clearing I will not totally neglect it We may observe then that when we read any Book writ by an Authour we much esteem but yet such a Book as requires studying Aristotle's for Example or some other such whom we hold Scientifical we sometimes hope well as it were when we apply our own Industry to find out his meaning and have a kind of respect for what we conceive to be his Sence yet his Authority takes not full hold of our Understanding by reason the way we take is not evidently convictive that this is his Certain Sence But if the Point he writes on be first clear'd to us through a Scientifical discourse by word of mouth made by some Interpreter vers'd in his Doctrin and perfectly acquainted with his meaning we have as it were new Eyes given us to look deeply and thoroughly into his Sence and by this Security of arriving at it his Authority in case we highly esteem'd it has now its full force upon us to strengthen our Assent according to the degree of power it had upon our Understanding Now what a well-skill'd and insighted Interpreter or scientifical Explicater of the point is to such an Author the same is Tradition to Scripture For This bringing down Certainly Christ's Sence in every Point of Faith It easily and securely guides us to the true meaning of Scripture in those passages which concern such a point whereas the wordish way of Grammar and Criticism being evident by Principles to be ambiguous and by Experience to lead men into different Sences it can never satisfy us thoroughly that the Sence we arrive at by this method is infallibly the true one or Christs and so never engages certainly the Authority of GOD'S WORD And hence it is that Scripture thus interpreted is of sleight force and at best good onely for Ecclesiastical Rhetorick or Sermons where the concern is not much if the Preacher misses in this particular passage so the Substance of the Point he preaches on or his Text be truly Christ's doctrin nor is Scripture thus interpreted even a competent proof in the Science of School-Divinity as being Uncertain and so unapt to beget Science whence Intelligent Divines quoting and building on Scripture are to be suppos'd to judge the Sence they build on to be the Churches and so they are presum'd to go to work as Faithful or parts of Ecclesia docens or else they lay true Science first which is ever agreeable to Faith and so when any Text concerns a demonstrated point they know by Science what the true Sence of that Point must be Much less is Scripture wordishly interpreted apt to build Faith on the unwaveringness of which kind of Assent must be grounded and secure in the Principles which beget it and not meerly actually such as it were by accident whereas Interpretations thus made Faith's Principles in this case are liable to possible if not probable mistake This will be clearer by a parallel made by a learned Authour worth inserting because it strengthens our Discourse by a new Consideration Let a Critick and a skill'd Carpenter read Vitruvius his Book of Architecture the Critick has but a dim dry and uncertain conceit of what he reads as to the truth of the thing but the Carpenter or Architect by reason of some Principles and Practice he has already of those matters understands him more thoroughly and makes lively and firm conceits of the truth and excellency of what he writes Such is the Practical way of knowing Christs Sence or Tradition to the interpreting Scripture usâ—d by the Catholick Church in comparison of the Critical Method affected by others In a word Tradition gives us Christs Sence that is the Life of the Letter ascertaind to our hands which therefore must needs move the Letter its Body naturally The other way takes the dead Letter and endeavours to move it Artificially to counterfeit that Life which it truly wants 19. To apply this Discourse to our matter in hand Tradition securing to us the Scripture's Letter truly significative of Christ's Sence and also the
which relie on Sensitive Knowledge and those are of Certain Authority if the sincerity of the Testator be unquestionable and the conveyance of his sincerelymeant Knowledge to us be Evident not otherwise 2 ly Note secondly that for the reason given Citations from Adversaries and Opinators signifie nothing also those whose words presumed to express the Witnessers sence are Ambiguous or otherwise-interpretable or else their very Letter Uncertain as all are if the way of Tradition be held fallible Thus much in common of Citations as in themselves Considering them next as made use of by D. Pierce we finde he relies on them as on his Principles to conclude against us or as he good man unfortunately calls it Demonstrate Hence 3 ly They must not be Negative for such can conclude nothing 4 ly They must not be false or evidently signifying another thing than they are produc't for nor impertinent for then they are in both cases quite besides the purpose 5 ly They must be express and home to the point for Principles must need nothing but themselves besides the Application to infer the Conclusion pretended to spring from them 9 ly They must be void of ambiguity For Principles must be either self-evident or at least made evident ere they can deserve to be produc't or admitted as such Lastly Principles are Sence not Sounds or Characters and so their Sence ought to be Indisputable 7. The first Note evacuates at once all his Citations from Authours that concern any point between us For he brings no Certainty of any knowledge exprest to be built on Sense that is no Citation against us which in proper speech deserves to be call'd a Testimony The second Note particularly invalidates those of the eighth and ninth sorth The third those of the fifth sort The fourth those of the first and seventh The fifth those of the five first sorts and also those of the seventh The sixth those of the second third and particularly the eighth The last Note enervates the tenth and indeed almost all the rest It being evident that our learned Controvertists give other Sences to those Citations than what Protestants assigne them and maintain still those sences to be better than theirs 8. In a word seeing all Testimonial Authority supposes Knowledge in the Authour and all Knowledge is either from Sense call'd Experience or else from evident connexion of Terms or Reason and that this later knowledge is apt to make a Master that is one fit to convince and teach another rationally by Intrinsecal Mediums or to cause Science in him and so is unfit for Testifying And the former kind of Knowledge onely is fit to be an Extrinsecal Medium or apt to beget Belief of the Witnesses word in regard any person unacquainted otherwise with the Truth of the Point knows by ordinary Experience and common reason that mens Understandings may err but their Sences rightly circumstanc't cannot it follows that no Citation in proper speech deserves the name nor has the force or virtue of a Testimony but those which are built on Sence or Experience This weigh'd reflecting on the main I find not one â—â—â—ress Testimony against any point of our â—aith engaging Sense that is not one which merits the name of a Testimony or to be esteem'd a part of Tradition That of S. Austin for communicating Infants has the true nature of a Testimony in it and deserv'd a more elaborate Answer had its Sence been unquestionable and the Words cited from the Father himself but the Sence of it being Disputable his Expositors explicating S. Austin by himself in another place noâ— to mean oral Manducation but virtualâ—â—â—ly â—â—â—ly which is done by Baptism and withall cited as a private Authours Sence concerning S. Austin it falls under the 6th and 8th Head of faulty or inconclusive Citations and so is already answer'd 9. This is the upshot of that famous Sermon And now I would gladly know what in the Judgment of an intelligent person who examins things by Grounds Dr. Pierce hath perform'd in this so highly extoll'd piece of his more than his dear Brother and fellow-champion against the Pope Mr. HENRY WHISTLER Onely he hath clad his little Nothings in some kind of mock-Rhetorick which like Fig-leaves cover after a pitiful manner the Nakedness of his empty Discourse Yet were even his Rhetorick examin'd by the substantial Rules of that Art I doubt it would come of as ill as his Proofs For 't is obvious to observe that the beginning of his Sermon is a-la-mode a School-boy's Theme and that his Style is far from even or spun on one thread Instead of the Thunder Lightning of strong and sententious Sence astonishing and moving the Auditors reason by the advantageous smartness and Majesty of the Expression he gives us a peal of Ordinance charg'd with ayr a volly of thunder-thumping bombast able to make a solid man's Reason nauseate and this most inartificially plac't at the very entrance of his Sermon § 2. Or else loud Pulpit-beating invectives and railings He makes huge account of little quirking Observations out of Human Authours which have no imaginable force or purpose but to make an ostentation of the uncouthness of his reading the Gallantry of his third paragraph For ingenious surprizes of Reason erecting and taking the Understanding we have wordish Quibbles Quirks and Paranomasias and those most evidently contrary to Art studiously and industriously affected His conâ—ident sayings without Proof make up half his Sermon and his Ironies and Sarcasms are the sauce to make all this windy meat go down 10. I will close with noting his excellent Faculty in quoting Scripture To do which when the place is worth looking as being brought to justify some passage we are about is grave and to some purpose but when no occasion or need invites upon the naming any two or three words which hap to be in Scripture to be still quoting and tricking the Margent with Book Chapter and Verse and relating Stars or little Letters is a very empty piece of Pageantrie and most sillily Pedantical Now our Dr. cannot talk of Faith but he must add though most unsutably to his Reformers in England to whom 't is most notorious no body deliver'd it which was once deliver'd to the Saints and Iude 3. shall ascertain it He cannot name the words which was from the beginning but the margent shall direct you to Mat. 19. 8. The two words Spending and being Spent oblige him to let you know where to find them 2 Cor. 12. 15. At the very naming Help and All sufficient two good honest words which might have been spoke whether Scripture had been or not he cannot for his heart hold but alledges you for it 1. Cor. 1. 27. And will needs though indeed very needlesly to us prove himself a weak Instrument by a plain Text 2 Cor. 10. 4. The obvious and common words condemn'd out of their mouths must have a Star of the First magnitude to light you
to a lesser one in the margent and that to Luke 19. 22. And David's cutting of Goliah's Head with his own Sword a story known undoubtedly by all that were like to read his Sermon shall be secured from being thought a piece of a Romance or Knight-errantry by a punctual Citation in the open margent 1 Sam. 17. 51. And to omit diverse of the like pleasant strain lest any Unbeliever should be so impious as to doubt that his THEOPNEVST AHOLIAB was an Embroiderer you shall see it as plain as the nose on a man's face in an express Text Exod. 35. 30. 34. 11. But why insist I thus on so poor a foolery in a Book I design'd for solid or what advantage can I gain to my cause by so sleight an Animadversion I'answer â—Tis my temper when I see an odd action done without reason to trace it to its Original and to search after its proper Cause And upon consideration I finde none so proper for this Effect as a certain kinde of humour of quoting in D. Pierce and others of his Brethren so strongly possessing them and even naturaliz'd into them that so they be quoting they matter not much whether it be to purpose or not This I have shown in the whole bead-roll of his Citations the usefullest part as he sayes of his whole performance and that not one of those which he call Evidences is conclusive that is worth a straw or to purpose But because every one will not be capable to see it in those Citations he brings for Proofs I let them see it in those his late quotations of Scriptures In which he so pittifully betraies his silly and vain humour of quoting to no imaginable end but to satisfy his customary habit or Fancy and as in his Citations so in these imagins the Application of them to his Cause in stead of showing it that I conceive no Universitie-wit but will see in this carriage of his that Dr. Pierce's head is not too Scientiâ—ical nor himself a fit man to to demonstrate against the Papists SECOND APPENDIX Animadversions On Some Passages in Mr. Whitby 1. I Beg pardon of my Reader for my late Merriment and Children's play with aiery bubbles and Feathers Both D. Pierce's manner of writing and his Carriage towards Catholicks merited this kind of return I hope the passages in Mr. Whitby I have design'd to answer will give me occasion to speak more solidly And that they may do so I will pick out those which aim at some point of Concernment I have a particular respect for the person and am sorry his growing hopefulness receiv'd a foil by his Book against Mr. S. C. and this though a threefold disadvantage the badness of his Cause the Patronage of Dr. Pierce's malice and his impar congressus with so learned an Antagonist 2. My Designe leads me to take notice especially of that passage p. 93. Sect. 4. where he begins a discourse about the Soveraignty of Reason and explicates rather than proves it ought to be so what is his Rule and Guide to Faith Which because it look't plausibly yet was prudently neglected by Mr. S C. who hearing of more Eminent Antagonists writing against him judg'd it wisest to reserve himself to answer the Protestanrs second and best Thoughts in Them in case they were found to deserve it and because on the other side the Challenge was made to all the Romanists in the World and many passages in it light cross to the Grounds I had laid I took leave to consider and examin it my way In a great part of it especially at the beginning the discourse is rightly made but in other places he confounds Guide with Rule Power with Motive and by straining a word in Mr. S. C. beyond its necessary signification imposes on us a false Tenet which he mainly builds upon So that I am forc't to begin my answer by putting down our true one which gives Faith and Reason both their due This done his Superstructutes on that Supposition will fall of themselves 3. Our Tenet then is that Faith is the same with Belief that Belief relies on Authority and Divine Faith or Belief on the Divine Authority as its Motive and on the Churche's as on the Applier of the other to my Understanding At next I hold that no Authority deserves Assent further than true Reason gives it to deserve and hence the Divine Authority being Essential Truth deserves in true Reason if possible Infinitely intense Assent or adhesion to its sayings from me and the Churches Authority being found by my Reason to be Certain it applies with Certainty that is closely the Divine Authority to my Understanding and so obliges it absolutely to believe the Truths God has told and to submit whatever reasons I may have against the Object reveal'd to this all-overpowering Authority of Essential Truth This being the First Cause of all those things whence my particular Reasons are taken Nay farther hence it is that I adhere more heartily and firmly to a point of Faith than to any Conclusion of any Science whatever because a more efficacious Cause equally closely apply'd is apt to produce a greater Effect and no Cause is or can be in 〈◊〉 reason comparable to that of the Divine Verâ—city in the point of causing Assent which is closely apply'd by me to the Churches assurance Hence my Faith is ever most Rational because â—is 〈◊〉 rational to believe a point for which the Divine Veracity is engag'd and highly rational to believe the Church assuring me that it is engagâ—d for such and such points Nor yet is the Divine Authority or the Church as Mr. Whitby p. 96. very mistakingly argues beholden to the judgment of my private reason for my belief of her Infallibility but on the contrary my private reason is beholden to them for that Judgment seeing I therefore come to have that Judgment because Those as Objects wrought upon my Apprehension and imprinted a conceit of them there as they were in themselves and so oblig'd my Reason to conclude and my Judgment to hold them such as they were This Rational Assent establishes my Faith against the assaulds of any doubts from Human Reasons resting assur'd thâ—â— the same God who told me this is the Maker of all things else and hath writ all Created Truths in the Things he hath made whence no created â—ruth can thwart my Faith unless He can contradict himself which is impossible Hence if I have true Science I am certain to find no part of it opposit to my Faith but on the contrary conformable to It as being a Child of the same Parent Essential Truth If I have not true Science I ought not to think so nothing therefore but mine own overweening can make me miscarry 4. Reason having thus playâ—d her part in bringing me to Faith deserts me not yet while I act in it nor I her my Acts of Belief are still rational because it was rational to believe at first
and my Grounds why I then believ'd rest still unchang'd nay are unchangeable But yet Reason acts much differently now then â—ormerly Before I came at Faith she acted about her own Objects Motives or Maxims by which she scand the Authorities we spoke of But in Acts of Faith she hath nothing to do with the Objects of those Acts or Points of Faith She is like a dimsighted man who us'd his Reason to find a trusty Friend to lead him in the twi-light and then reli'd on his guidance rationally without using his own Reason at all about the Way it self To make this clearer we may distinguish two sences in the word Reason one as 't is taken for that natural Faculty which constitutes Man which Faculty never deserts or ought to desert us in any action that is Manly or virtuous The other as 't is taken for that Power wrought upon by motives under its own ken in the same sence we call it human Reason by which is not meant the natural Power unactuated or abstractedly for then the word human were a Taâ—tology but Reason as conversant with such objects or inform'd by such knowledges as are commonly found within the sphere of our natural condition as Men such as are those which beget Science And this leaves us when we have once found the Authority now spoken of the Objects of Faith formally speaking being out of her reach nor is she thus understood the motive of our Assent to the verity of the Point of Faith but AVTHORITY onely Wherefore into Authority onely Faith as such is resolvd finally though if you go about to resolve the Rationalness of assenting to the Authority it self it will light into those Evident Reasons which your naturall power of reason as yet uninform'd by Faith but by motives or maxims within its own sphere was capable to wield 5. Reason therefore taken for my natural Power is my Eye or interiour sight as inform'd by common Principles or Maxims antecedent to Faith my Guid to bring me to believe Authority and those motives or Maxims are the Rules to my Reason by attending to which she hath virtue or skill to set her own thoughts right that is to guid me in my way to Faith but when I have once come to beleeve Authority that is come to Faith not Reason but Authority is my Guid for I follow Authority and not my Reason in judging what is Faith what not and though the Light of that naturall power never deserts me yet Reason as rul'd by her own natural maxims is useless to me as a Guid or those Maxims as a Rule for I apply neither of these to the mysteries of Faith to scan their verity or falsity by but purely rely upon Authority and beleeve them Authority then is my Guid and in the Infallibility of that Authority consists the power or virtue it has to guide me right that is to regulate or rule me as one of the Faithfull or as one who must have such Certain Grounds of my Assent as I may securely build my Salvation on This Authority then as it is Inâ—allible is also my Rule in my beleeving or the Rule of my Faith This of my Rule of Faith in Common against Adversaries of Faith in common But with Protestants who grant Christ to be God and consequently his words or doctrine true the onely Rule and Guid we need is to lead us into the Knowledge of what he said and assure it to us We affirm then that the Catholick Church is the Guid we follow and her Infallibility consisting in Tradition our Rule of Faith Hence all Catholicks profess her doctrin uninterruptedly succeeding from the Apostles time and so to continue to the end of the World hence with one voice they lay claim to Christs gracious Assistance to her in defending her from over-growing Errors against Faith or Heresies hence all profess to hear and follow her and pledge undoubtingly even the security of their salvation by relying on the Certainty of her Living Voice for their Tenets and on her Disciplin for the Practice of their Faith And though some Schoolmen make Scripture a partial Rule of Faith yet they can mean onely materially not formally that is that some part of Faith is signifi'd by Scripture's Letter not that Scripture's Letter alone is sufficient securely to signify it to private understandings so as to beget that most strong firm Assent found in Divine Faith as is evident by this that all hold no Scripture is of private Interpretation all hold the living voice of the Church and her constant Practice are the best Interpreters of Scripture Now Faith being Tenets and Sence that must be 〈◊〉 the Rule of Faith which ascertains us of Christs Sence not the materiall Characters which that Certain Interpreter we call the Church works upon and by her Practicall Tradition interprets 6. 'T is high time now to look back upon Dr. Pierce and his party how justly they deal with us and how mistakingly they discourse when they come to the Grounds of their Faith 7. First by the tenour of his discourse he would seem to obtrude upon us a Tenet which none but perfect mad-men could hold namely that we profess we have no reason why we believe the Church which devolves to this that we must profess we have as much reason to believe an old wife's dream as our Faith since there can be no less reason than none at all And hence he will needs assure the Reader that therefore the Enthusiastick Sectaries are in part Romish Proselytes c. And indeed upon so gross a calumny layd down for his principle and a sober Truth what might he not conclude with equal reason he might have inferr'd that all Bedlam were Catholicks and that to turn mad were to turn a Romanist But his carriage to put this upon Mr. S. C. is strangely unjust since he knows and hints it that he writ a Book upon his declaring himself Catholick entitled Motives of his Conversion does he think the word Motives does not signify Reasons or that to write an whole Book of Reasons why he adhea'd to the Catholick Church signifies that he renounc't all reason why he believ'd her 8. Next as for his own tenet he layes this for his Ground that Reason alone is Iudge in all cases I will propose him one case and 't is the Existence of a Trinity To work now with your Reason about this object and see how you evince it I doubt your best reasons will crack ere you make all ends meet But you mean you must have Reason to believe it I conceive speaking properly you should rather say you must have Reason to believe the Authority and Authority to believe It for Belief is as properly relative to Authority as Science is to an Act of true Reason or Evidence Whence 't is as incongruous to say I must have Reason to believe such a Point as to say I know such a point Scientifically by Authority
visible and evident Not by three or four Victories imputable perhaps to Chance at least in which nothing Divine discovered it self engaged Cur Why was this doctrin of Christs taught and practic 't not to satisfy the vain humour of impotent Ambition but to deliver mankind from the Devils slavery and-hell fire its reward and to bring him to everlasting Salvation Quomodo By what manner By writing it in the fleshy Tables of the hearts of the First Christians and afterwards continuing it by the way of Testifying the most connatural way to oblige the Generality to Beleef of matters of Fact that Nature knows Quando When In the First Christians when they were now at Age to judge of the miracles and multitudes of Motives spoken of which aw'd overpower'd and subdu'd their Understandings to a firm Beleef and an high Reverence to the doctrin thus attested to be Gods In the after-Christians when they were yet scarce able to speak much less to judge and taught by nature to believe their Parents Hence a lively and reverential conceit was bred in their Hearts by others serious teaching and their own practising of the Sacredness and consequently Unalterableness of that doctrin ere they came to that Ripeness as to use their own Judgment Nay that doctrin was so deeply naturaliz'd into them by Christian Life ere they came to maturity of Understanding that it became Unnatural and exceedingly violent for them to act and beleeve contrary to what Fathers had taught Whereas the story of Alexander was not proper to be told Children till they were at Age and fit for some kind of Schollership and then it was so little practical that nothing was to be acted about it but talking of it again so that it lookt like a meer piece of Speculation and totally unconcerning them I add that this delivery by attestation or teaching went on linking the former Age to the later by propagating it into new Subjects not all at one time but from year to year moneth to moneth and even less according as the Understandings and even Bodies of Children budded into a Capacity of knowing saying or doing something which belong'd to Christianity which still-continu'd Interweaving the former Age with the later after a wonderful manner strengthens the sway of Tradition and secures it both against Mistake and Deceit neither of them having any possible place where the whole business is carry'd on by such immediate Steps 20. I will not repeat over again 〈◊〉 â—â—conceivable Advantages but leave it to Mâ—o Stillingfleet's reflexion and so proceed 〈…〉 discourse thus If the conceited Sacredness Concern Necessity Unalterableness miraculously-attestedness also if the Visibleness Practicalness with extent to every particular connaturalness c. found in the notion and nature of Christs doctrin or manifestly connected with it render'd it incomparably recommendable in every respect above the Story of Alexander's Conquests and that plainest nature or Common Sense and daily Experience teaches us that by how much more a thing is recommendable or deserving to be beleev'd and practic 't by so much more 't is obligatory to be believ'd and practic 't and that we find in unconcerning Stories a continu'd Obligation layd in Nature for the Children to believe Parents else such stories could never have descended with an hearty perswasion of their Truth hitherto it follows that incomparably and in a manner infinitely greater must the Obligation be to believe Christ's Doctrin than Alexander's or William the Conquerors Victories or any History of the like nature whatever 21. I have been much longer in such a point than the matter requir'd it needed no more but to manifest that Common Sense tells us Nature obliges every man to believe those he takes to be honest much more children Fathers or the next Age those of the former still more if what they tell them be no Speculation depending on Fancy or private Judgment but matter of Fact depending onely on Sense that is if they tell it them as Witnesses But most of all if they see we conspire in the same For then the Obligation is so necessary that I cannot conceive that from the beginning of the world there was ever found one single person so unreasonable as not to yeild to it Whence also we can show every first Beginner of an Heresie is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or self-condemn'd that is conscious to himself that out of Pride or some Passion he goes against Evidence of Authority Now in Tradition all is carry'd on this manner So that if the Explainers of Tradition have not made provision for this point 't is because they thought there could not be found a Considerer so unreasonable as to question it Yet because Mr Stillingfleet puts the whole stress of his Objection against Tradition in this I shall to give him further satisfaction consider it practically 22. Let us conceive then that the Apostles Disciples and Apostolical men taught the first Age Christ's Doctrin qualifi'd in the manner before declar'd and recommended it as such that is as Sacred Unalterable the way to Bliss Taught by Christ c. by Miracles and other Supernatural means 't is plain They had Obligation to believe Christ taught it Well they receiving it as such that is as Christ's and so Unalterable were bound to recommend it for such to the next Age. Nor does Mr. Stillingfleet question this But were their Children oblig'd to believe them While they were young t is plain they could do no other neither out of Reason nor Passion But what were they oblig'd to when they were grown up to ripeness of Judgement 'T is plain that were that Doctrin deliver'd as an Invention of then Forefathers or some Collection of their Reason that it was Christ's it was obvious for them to make this Discourse We have natural Wit as well as our Parents had and perhaps as good Circumstances to apply that wit and why then should not we cast about and consider whether that be indeed Christ's Doctrin and taught by the Apostles which they would persuade us is so But in case it were deliver'd as ascertain'd by their Senses to have been taught by the Apostles what imaginable reason can they have of doubt Can they think all their Fathers and Neighbours a pack of impudent Knaves that conspire to abuse their posterity purposely to damn them or that they could be mistaken in a Doctrin they were so highly concern'd to learn right and had led their lives by ever since they were Christian The third Age succeeds whose Immediate Ancestours the Second Age told them they had been taught and brought up thus by the First Nor have they more reason to doubt the Second Ages Attestation of the First Ages Doctrin and Life it being an unmistakable matter of Fact than the Second had the First 's that is they were oblig'd to believe it And since each foregoing Ages Attestation is a plain matter of Fact it follows that each succeeding Age has still equal obligation to
superâ—atural Things Again it being evident and held by those Christians that none can come to Heaven without knowing there is such a thing or some very great Good reserv'd for the next life nor yet without loving it for none is thought to go to Heaven whether he will or no which Love besides the Knowledge that Heaven is cannot be had without knowing likewise that 't is a Good incomparably greater than any in this life nor can these Knowledges be had by Mankind but by Believing hence Belief of Supernatural things or Faith is conceived necessary for the salvation of Mankind Nor is this found only in the Judgements the learneder Faithful make concerning it by their Discourse but in the very Meaning of the word Faith as it imports Knowledge of superâ—atural things It being then granted by all and in it self most rational that some at least of the vulgar are to be saved that is are to have Faith or Knowledge of God it follows that the Rule of Faith or certain means to arrive at Faith must be appliable to them 9. Moreover since the ruder or unskilfuller people are the lesse capable they are of Science and none doubts but some amongst even the rudest may come to be saved since we experience they have oftentimes well-meaning virtuous and devout hearts the Rule or Means to come to Faith must also be appliable to these that is must be such as even the rudest may be capable to know there is such a thing 10. The Rule of Faith therefore must be Knowable as to it 's Existence by natural impressions upon mens Senses affecting their Souls according to the common light of understanding For seeing the rudest are very shallow Reflecters and Discoursers and suppos'd to be utterly unacquainted with any kind of Skill got by Speculation or Study the Knowledge of the Rule of Faith's Existence must not need any skill or Science acquir'd by Study intervening between the natural power of their Understanding and Itâ— otherwise it could not be Knowable by them 〈◊〉 be to them a Rule by parag 4th 11. Again seeing those who are very rude are yet capable of being put into Doubts concerning their Faith either by Sophistry or faiâ— Language and at length deserting it and 't is most unreasonable there should be no means lest by God sufficient to settle them nor can any Means be sufficient if the Rule of Faith which is the best if not only Means to come to the Knowledge of Faith be dissatisfactory or impossible to be shown worthy to be rely'd on it follows that the Rule of Faith must be of such a nature as iâ— either by its own light evidently secure and worthy to be held a Rule and this even to the rudest who can doubt or else easily evidenceable to them to be such by intelligent persons who art vers'd in such reflexions and this out of Principles they are capable of as was prov'd paragâ— the 5th that is requiring onely common and obvious Reason not scientifical speculation to instill them Otherwise those rude persons would be left unfurnish't of due Means to be stedâ—ast in their Faith 12. Also since the Notion of the word Faith bears that 't is a perfection of the Soul or a Virtue and so no act of it irrational but on the contrary all its Acts rational and the submission of onr Understandings exercisd in it rationabile obsequium 't is evinc't that the Satisfactorines of its Rule ought not onely to be evident or easily evidenceable to the rudest Doubters as we now prov'd but also it ought to be so qualify'd that the Faithful who yet have no doubts should do rationally even while they simply or unreflectingly adhere to it and that it should supply to their common and uncultivated Reason by a natural way what it wants of reflexion I mean so that the common light of Reason may tell them upon solid and true Principles taught them by the ordinary course of things in the World this is to be held or followed thongh they dive not into the Grounds or particular Reasons of their tenets or actions nor can give account of them 13. And since our Saviour intended those out of the Church should embrace Faith and those who are to be converted are Heterodox that is hold contradictorily to the Church in what they dissent from her so that if they change they must now hold is indead of is not or is not instead of is there being no middle to hold to in those points in which they differ from her and no change ought to be in reason or in a rational Nature of which Nature those Heterodox are without true reason to change and the change in our case is to be made not to a meer Suspension which is believing nothing nor to a middle between is and is not but to a contrary or rather contradictory Assent and no Assent can beâ— without sufficient Cause of Assent nor is any sufficient in reason to put that Effect or cause Assentâ— in a thing antecedent to Faith as is the Ruleâ— of Faith but Evidence for while 't is but probable that is while the Understanding must aâ— yet say I know not it is so it cannot say I know iâ— is so which is no more but to say understandingly or to assent that it is so now the Cause of our actuall assenting to the Churches Faith is the Rule of Faith It follows out of the notion of Rational included in the word Faith as apply'd to convettible persons that the Rule of Faith must be beyond all Peradventures how high and presumed soever they be that is absolutely Evident to us and consequently CERTAIN 14. Moreover there being many Eminent Wits in the Chutch vers'd in true Logick enured to Sciences and true Logick and the course of Science necessarily telling them that nothing can in perfect reason be held by one who penetrates difficulties but either Self-evident Principles or Conclusions necessarily deduced by intrinsecal mediums from those Principles nor can they be necessarily deduced without immediate connexion or Identification of the Terms with the Medium which infers the Identity between themselves in the Conclusion and that what is not seen to be thus connected is unknown and so for any thing appears may be false and to see a thing may be false must needs breed some Fear of being so or Doubt if we be concerned in the Truth or Falsitie of that thing and none can rationally assent or fix their judgment where there is left some Doubt or wavering of Judgment and the Judgement or Assent of Faith must be rotional It follows that the Rule of Faith which is the immediate Producer and Cause of the Assent of Faith ought to be of that Nature that it must not onely be plain to the ruder sort but also contain in it self Seeds of perfect evidence to satisfy those learned Persons who shall more narrowly examin it Otherwise the best and wisest portion and