on choice whereas S. Clara himself sufficiently insinuates that they were forced to it se defâ—ndendo and took it up at a forced put for speaking of the former rules of discerning a generall Councell he confesseth That their businesse is very intricate and liable to many troublesome objections against the lawfulnesse of their Councels but here is a short way to obviate those difficulties by arguing from the reception of the Church for if the Church receive it for a generall Councell we need not trouble our selves about little matters since this reception is sufficient evidence 2. Here is an excellent Antidote against the saucy decrees of severall Councels repugnant to the Popes Supreme Authority If the sixth Councell of Carthage be pleaded that there should be no appeales to Rome from beyond the Seas if that of the Councell of Chalcedon be urged wherein they give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same honours and priviledges to the Bishop of Constantinople as to the Bishop of Rome If the later Councels of Constance and Basil be alledged wherein the Popes subjection to Councels is positively determined Now here is an Answer ready to this and to all that former Councels said and to all that any Councell shall ever say to the Worlds end viz. The Canons of these Councels were not received by the whole Church but opposed and rejected by the Church and Bishop of Rome a great and eminent part of it Thus I think they have brought off their master the Pope with honour and as he was Infallible so now they have made him invulnerable Scripture cannot hurt him for he hath the key of Interpretation Fathers cannot reach him for they are his Children saith Bellarmine As it is no newes for the Pope to be well stored with Children And now Councels cannot touch him for he will hinder their universall reception And if the Romish Doctors be beaten out of this conceit it is but studying some new device which is easily done by men that want no wit and have no conscience for it is resolved to hold the Conclusion though the poore premises may be put to hard shifts Well then to allow them their supposition and all the benefits of it they must remember the rule of the Lawyers Qui sentit commodum debet sentire onus Benefit and inconvenience must goe together And this is the inconvenience and mischiefe which they are still forced into notwithstanding all their tricks and stratagems even to eat their own words and to pull down with one hand that Infallibility which they build up with another For how can the Councell or the Pope either be said to have that infallible guidance which is pretended in the making of their decrees if the Churches non-reception may prove their Fallibility But here is the wonder-working power of the Church of Rome do not think strange when you read that passage in the Councell of Lateran delivered in an Oration before the Pope and Councell That the Pope-hath a power above all power in heaven or earth For he can do that which the Schoolmen unanimously put out of the reach of every power in Heaven or Earth viz. factum infectum reddere recall things that are past and by this Argument prove that that Councell which was Infallible while it sat after its dissolution is become Fallible But to returne This is to precipitate themselves into those absurdities which they charge upon us This is to make the Church judge of her Judges This is to take away all the security of their Faith if we may believe their own famous Councell of Basil whose words are these Nor let any man presume to say that a generall Councell may erre for if once this pernicious errour were admitted the whole Catholick Faith would stagger and we should have nothing certaine in the Church for by the same reason that one may erre the rest may erre also Besides hereby they run into a new Circle as if all their former Circles were not sufficient If you aske what it is which makes the Faith of the Romish Church and people sure and Infallible It is the Infallibility of the Pope and Councell If you aske againe what it is which makes the decrees of Pope and Councell Infallible It is the Churches reception of them and yet all this if granted will not relieve them for that the decrees of their Popes and Councels have no such reception of the universall Church appeares sufficiently from the publick dissent of so many famous and flourishing Churches in the World I meane the Greek and Protestant Churches which do not therefore cease to be members of the Catholick Church because the Papists disowne them no more then the Popish Churches become true members by their pretending to that Title § 25. 3. There is another assertion of the Papists That Councels are not Infallible unlesse they be rightly constituted and ordered for this I shall deale with them as the Apostles did with their Kinsmen the Cretians I shall implead them with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nay not one but many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their opinion Councels say they may erre if they do not proceed Conciliariter i.e. in a regular manner saith S. Clara his words are these The most Learned Corduba in Quaestionario lib. 4. qu. 1. quoting Roffensis in his Prologue against Luther and Horantius in his places lib. 2. cap. 17. saith that God hath promised his assistance to a Councell whâ—n they do what in them lies If they be Bishops and Learned and prudent men selected out of the whole Church if they proceed without Carnall affections and with a love to the Truth then and not otherwise it is gathered lawfully and in Christ name Thus Bellarmine pressed with the Authority of the Councell of Chalcedon against the Popes Supremacy saith A lawfull Councell may erre in those things wherein it acts not lawfully And Petrus à Soto a man of great account amongst them tels us this is the sence of their assertion That Councels cannot erre They understand it saith he of Councels lawfully congregated and acting without fraud and deceit And Pope Leo speaking of the causes of the errours of the Councell of Ephesus assignes this because they did not proceed with a pure conscience and right judgment So Malderus in his Treatise against the Synod of Dort saith In vaine do Synods assemble and men go to them when they do not remove all sinister affection and onely seek that which is Christs and he addes Then indeed they are gathered together in Christs name then Christ is in the midst of them The summe is this Infallible assistance is not a gift dispensed promiscuously to Pope or Bishops howsoever they demeane themselves but only upon their good behaviour being the priviledge of those alone who act with diligence fidelity sincere love to the Truth and good conscience that is to say to such persons as few Popes and
and allow the Church no infallibility independent upon Tradition 2. Seeing they grant the Church may erre if she receed from Tradition I can never be sure she doth not erre unlesse I be sure she keep to Tradition And therefore I must examine that and judge of it and so private men are made judges of controversies which they so much dread 3. Hereby the Authority of the Pope and generall Councels of Bishops is rendred unnecessary I prove it thus If these be necessary onely as witnesses to Tradition then their Authority is not necessary For it is not Authority but knowledge and fidelity which renders a witnesse competent A lay hearer of S t Paul may be as competent a witnesse of the Doctrine he heard S t Paul Preach as a Bishop supposing a parity in their knowledg fidelity and converse with the Apostle and another Bishop may be as competent a witnesse as the Bishop of Rome and consequently as Infallible and any congregation of discreet and pious Christians who heard S t Peter Preach are as infallible witnesses as the Church of Rome and if there were a generall assembly of lay men of equall knowledge and experience they are as infallible witnesses what the Faith of the next precedent age was and what the Faith of the present Church is as a Councell of Bishops Nay to speak truth they are more credible witnesses because lesse byassed by interest affection or prejudice These rocks the first branch throwes them upon 2. If they flie from his and make the Churches infallibility the foundation of Traditions as the most Papists do then they must demonstrate that Infallibility from Scripture Fathers or Councels which we have seen they cannot do So that if either of their positions be true their cause is lost But 2. If either of them be false they are gone too For if tradition be not Infallible in it selfe without the Churches Authority as the one side saith then the Papists have no certaine rule for the Church to steere iâ—s course by for the Scriptures they do not own as such and if the Church be not infallible but by vertue of this Tradition as the other side saith then they confesse the insufficiency of all their proofes from Scripture and from the Authority of Fathers and Councels and their Authority is no more then that of any faithfull or credible Historian and instead of a Divine the Papists have nothing but an Historicall faith I shall conclude this first Answer with one syllogisme from the words and assertions of M r White Tradition is overthrown if another principle of Faith be added to it But the most and Learnedest Doctours of the Romish Church do adde another principle to it viz. the Churches Authority and infallibility as I shewed from their own words Ergo either Tradition and all this new devise or the Authority of the Romish Church is overthrown 4. Answ. 2. This new conceit directly thwarts the designe of God in the Writing of the Scripture and indeed the common sence and experience of all mankind for hereby a verball Tradition is made a more sure way of conveyance to posterity then a Writing It hath been the Wisdome of God in formeâ— ages to take care that those things might be Written which he would have kept in remembrance Exod. 17. 14. Write this for a memoriall in a Book So little did God trust this now supposed infallible way of orall Tradition that he would not venture the Decalogue upon it though the words were but few and the importance of them so considerable both in truth and in the apprehensions of the Jewes that if M r Whites Argument have any strength in it it was impossible posterity should ever mistake it but write it with his own finger once and againe after the breaking of the first Tables And although whilest the Church was confined to a few families and divine revelations were frequently renewed a verball Tradition was sufficient yet when the Church came to be multiplyed and especially when it comes to be dispersed into all Nations and Revelations cease then Writing proves of absolute necessity How farre the first and wisest Christians were from M r Whites opinion appeares from hence that not daring to leane upon the broken reed of Orall Tradition they did earnely desire the Apostles to commit their Doctrines to Writing Eusibius reports that S t Peters hearers were not content with this way of Tradition from Peters mouth but for want of M r VVhites presence there to convince them of their folly They earnestly begged it of Marke that he would leave them that Doctrine in VVriting which they had received by word of mouth And Hierome tels us That S t John the Evangelist was almost forced to write by all the Bishops of Asia who it seems were raw novices that did not understand their Catechisme nor the first principle in it viz. The sufficiency and infallibility of orall Tradition And S t Luke gives it us under his hand not fearing either M r VVhites anger or his Argument that he wrote his Gospell ad majorem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Christians might have the greater certainty Luk 1 3,4 When Iob desires the perpetuall continuance of his words he wisheth O that my words were now VVritten Oh that they were Printed in a Book Job 19.23 And David in the same case would not rely upon Tradition but takes this course for assurance This shall be written for the generation to come Psal. 102.18 But because M r VVhite undoubtedly is a better Philosopher and Divine then either Luke or Iob or David were and therefore good reason they should all vaile to his more penetrating wit and deeper judgment he shall do well to remember that God himselfe was of the same judgment Go write it before them in a Table and note it in a Book that it may be for the time to come for ever Isa. 30.8 And to this agrees the common experience of mankind Vox audita perit litera scripta manet verball Traditions quickly vanish onely writings are durable Hence those famous Lawes of Lycurgus institutes of the Druides Philosophy of Pythagoras are upon the matter wholly lost and onely some few fragments reserved because not committed to writing but this will be put out of doubt by reflecting upon the History of mankind wereby the aierinesse of this phantasme will be discovered and the great difference between Tradition and writing in point of certainty demonstrated Adam and Noah the two successive heads of mankind did doubtlesse deliver the true Doctrine to their posterity with the same important circumstances which M r VVhite supposeth in the Doctrine of the Gospell as a Doctrine of everlasting consequence and they so received it and for a season transmitted it to their Children But alas how soon was all obliterated and in this sense all mankind some very few excepted did agree to murther themselves and they actually did that which M r VVhite saith
byassed or the contradiction being speedily suppressed which is very possible and hath been usuallâ— it could not probably fall out otherwise but that their opinion should be transmitted to their Successors for the Faith of their Age. Rome was not built in a day neither in a civil nor in a Spirituall notion And de facto that corruptions did creep into the Church of Rome by degrees hath been so fully demonstrated that I need onely point the Reader to those Authors who have done this worke especially to Momeys mystery of Iniquity and the excellent defence of it in French by Rivet against the cavils of Coffetean 2. I answer particularly and in opposition to the first branch I lay down this position That the following Age or the Major part of those called Christians might easily mistake the minde of the foregoing Age of which many rationall accounts may be given 1. There was no certaine way whereby for example the particular Christians of the third Age might Infallibly know the Doctrines which were delivered by the whole Church of the second Age. Remember the question is not how probably they might believe but how infallibly they might know it for nothing will serve the Romanists turne short of Infallibility It is true the Christians of Antioch might know what their Fathers delivered to them there and they of Ephesus what was there delivered but no Christian could without miracles infallibly know what were the Doctrines delivered to the Christians in those innumerable places where the Gospell had got sooting Hence then I offer this Argument Either this is sufficient for the Infallibility of Tradition that the Christians in severall Cities and places did understand what their Ancestours taught in such places and would not deceive their posterity in it or it is not sufficient but it is necessary that Traditions should be compared and the Truth discovered in a generall Councell If they say the former then they assert the Infallibility not onely of the Church or Bishop of Rome or of a generall Councell or of the Catholick Church but of every particular City And to say Truth Either this plea of Tradition is fallacious and absurd or every particular Church is Infallible For to use their own words if the Christians suppose of Ephesus could be deceived then either they did not understand the Doctrine of their Ancestors there delivered or they did willingly deceive their posterity but neither of these were possible Ergo The Church of Ephesus was Infallible If they will eat their own words as they will do any thing sooner then retract their errors and returne to the Truth and say the Church of Ephesus might misunderstand their Ancestors or deceive their Posterity then so might the Church of Antioch and that of Alexandria and so the rest and what then becomes of Infallibility If they say the latter viz. That there is a necessity of a generall Councell to compare Traditions and declare the Truth then they are desired to remember that as yet there had been no generall Councell and consequently no Infallibility and therefore in that Age there might be a misunderstanding yea many mistakes What else will they say Will they say that a Christian might Infallibly know the Truth by travelling to all places and companies of Christians and hearing it from their own mouths This though it might give satisfaction to such a Christian yet it could not satisfy others who had no such evidence Or will they say the Christians knew it by Testimonies received from every Church and particular recitals of their Traditions Why such Testimonials are not so much as pretended to have been required or given and if they had been given yet that could satisfy none but those few eyewitnesses of them It remaines therefore that there was no way whereby the Christians of the third Age might be assured of the genuine Traditions of the second which was the thing to be proved And the solidity and satisfactorinesse of this one Answer if there were no more appeares plainly from hence that the great Architects of this devise make it essentiall to such a Tradition that it come from all the Apostles so Mr White informes us since all Catholicks when they speak of Tradition deliberately exactly define it to be a Doctrine universally taught by the Apostle\`s we may safely conclude where two Apostles teach differently nâ—ither is Tradition Apology for Tradition Encounter 6 elsewhere his reply to our instance of the Tradition of communicating Infants is this That it was a Tradition begun by some Apostles not all in some countries not all Encounter 2. Hence then I thus argue The following Christians could have no assurance what Doctrine was taught by all the Apostles without a generall Councell of all the Churches severally taught by the severall Apostles but such generall Councell there was none in the third Age Therefore the third Age could not Infallibly understand the Apostolicall Traditions delivered in the second which was the thing to be proved § 14. 2. There are many instances which may be given of mens misunderstanding the Doctrines of the preceding age We have one instance among our selves concerning the judgment of the Church of England of the next preceding â—ge in the Quinquarticular points The favourers of Arminius his Doctrines tell us that she maintained their Doctrines Their Adversaries tell us she held the contrary and there are Books written and Arguments urged on both sides he that doubts of this let him look into M r â—rin on the one side and D r Hâ—ylin on the other And why might it not be thus in former ages And seeing there are great mistakes daily committed and fresh disputes managed about the opinions of those Authors who have left us their mind as plainly as words can make it in books which are alwaies present to our perusal how can it be sense for a man to say that one may infallibly know their mind by a transient hearing of them what tedious controversies are there about the judgment of S. Augustine and others of the Fathers in sundry points of great moment wherein they have as fully explained themselves as any Preacher can do or useth to do Suppose now the Fathers preach the same things and words which they have left us in writings as diverse of their works were no other then their Sermons can any man without nonsence say that the diligent Reader may be mistaken and the attentive Hearer is infallible We all know the five Propositions of Iansenius condemned lately at Româ— The Jansenists deny that to be the sense of Iansenius his words which the Pope and the Jesuits affix to them both parties are agreed in his words which seldome happens in Orall Traditions and consequently makes the argument stronger yet they differ in the sense which one side saith is Heretical the other aver it is innocent Why might not in like manner several parties though it be supposed they perfectly remembred the words
and the Papists have these arrowes out of their quiver and to say truth it is but reasonable that they that have borrowed so much of their Religion and Worship from the Pagans should also borrow their Arguments for you know the accessary followes the principâ—ll the onely wonder is how those Arguments which were weak and absurd in the Pagans and so judged and rejected by the Antient Fathers are become strong in the Papists But I know a reason for that too The Pope pretends to a Divinity upon Earth and consequently he can make weake things strong and as the Authority of the Romish Church is Infallible so their Arguments are without all doubt irresistible VVho knowes not that the Arrian Heresy overspread the World That the mistery of iniquity which began to work in St Pauls dayes was not to be finished and destroyed untill Christs second comming 2 Thes. 2. That there was a time when the whole World wonder'd after the beast And for the latter branch who knowes not that the Christian Church was a true Church when it wanted those Characters or at least diverse of them when it was in its infancy and therefore could not have Duration when confined to a narrow roome Act. 1. and therefore had no amplitude and consequently these are no necessary marks nor certain discoveries of the true Church as the Popish Doctors make their simple Proselytes believe So succession of Pastors signifies nothing unlesse you presuppose the truth of the Church whereof they are Pastors which forceth their own Authors to confesse that without true doctrine there is no true succession and that a local succession alone without a profession of sound doctrine is no certain note so Stapleton And Bellarmine ingenuously acknowledgeth that this argument of Succession is brought by them chiefly to prove that there is no Church where there is no succession from whence it doth not follow saith he necessarily that the Church is there where succession is So if this argument should possibly disprove our Church yet it doth not prove theirs § 10. So for Unity it is a shoe will fit every foot and hath been urged by Pagans whose great argument against Christianity was taken from the divisions of Christians and the unity of Pagans in their Religion and the Fathers answered the Pagans as we do the Papists that as the Church of God is one so the Devil 's Babylon is one as S. Austin expresseth it and that Unity without Verity is not to be regarded It was no argument of the verity and infallibility of the Jewish Church that they were united against Christ nor was it an evidence that the Church of Corinth Galatia and others mentioned in the New Testament were not the true Churches of Christ because they were peste'rd with fearful divisions and worse opinions then those which are owned by any Divines of the Protestant confession But if this test were allowed if things be weighed they would have little benefit by it I know there is nothing more familiar with the Romanists then to possesse silly seduced creatures with an opinion of their unity and our divisions I wish the latter were not more evident then the former God open the eyes and humble and forgive those who by causing divisions and offences among us have laid this stumbling block in their way It is no wonder they that cannot examine things are deceived with words But if any discreet person look within the vaile and compare their condition and ours he will find Clodius accus at moechos and that they do as if a man infected with a leprosy should reproach one who was troubled with the itch or as if a man whose hand was cut off should quarrel with another for having a scratch on his finger As for our Churches I know it is usual for the Papists to charge us with the frantick opinions of Quakers the desperate heresies of Socinus and the like but they would take it ill if we should charge their Religion with all the Blasphemous atheistical heretical opinions of some that have liveed amongst them Their own consciences tell them that these though they are among us yet they are not of us He that would judge righteous judgment must take his aestimate from the publick confessions of the Protestant Churches whose Harmony is published and proved to all the world and such of our learned Doctors as adhere to it and there he shall find the diversities of opinion amongst us are onely in some lesser points happily about government or other circumstantiall things but it is most certain and undeniable that all of them do hold the head agree in all the fundamental points of ReligioÌ„ But on the other side what if there be cloven Tongues in Protestant Churches Is Rome a City at unity within it self How come we then to hear the noise of axes and hammers among the builders of their Temple 300 differences have been collected out of Bellarmine's words and works and several of them of greater importance then any of our divisions It is true they have a pretty knack when we tell them of their divisions they say they are not in things de fide I see Duo cùm faciunt idem non est idem It is a woful division among us between Remonstrants and Contra-remonstrants but the same difference among them between Jesuits and Dominicans that is of no moment Oh ye foolish Papists how long will you be bewitched by such silly impostures how long will you love simplicity So for that great division among them about the very foundation of their faith which is ten times more weighty then all the Protestant differences put together the Pope's Infallibility they tell you it is not de fide although indeed it be their fundamentum fundamentorum and their whole Religion hangs upon it at least in the judgment of all the Jesuits and the far greatest number of the learned Doctors and eminent writers of the Church of Rome of this age It is confessed by themselves that they are divided in this great point so Bellarmine tells you The second opinion is that the Pope as Pope may teach heresy this opinion saith he is defended by Nilus some Parisians as Gerson and Almaine and Alphonsus de Castro and Adrian the sixth a Pope in his question of Confirmation So we have the infallibility of the Pope to assure us that the Pope hath not Infallibility And this opinion saith he is not properly heretical for we see the Church doth still tolerate it yet it is erroneous and very near heresy I will tell you how near it is when the Jesuits have throughly leaven'd the world with that opinion and perfectly destroyed the liberties of the Gallican Churches and the Pope can do it without raising a commotion in his own kingdome then you shall find this Embryo perfected and it is become a compleat heresie In like manner saith Dr. Holden speaking of the Pope's Infallibility We
13 but because St. Peters successor or the Church injoyns you to believe it but it is no Fundamental that Christ is God if the Church doth not oblige you to believe it Did I say it was not a Fundamental I do them wrong in not speaking the whole truth for so far are they from owning it for a Fundamental Article that they will not allow it to be an article or object of our Faith without such confirmation and injunction from the Church as I shewed in the beginning of the foregoing Discourse But this is so grosse a cheat and such a groundless imposture wholly destitute of all appearance of proof that it is a vanity to spend time in the confuting of it If any Papist think otherwise let him give us solid proofs That the Pope or Councel have such dominion over our Faith That Fundamentals are all at their mercy though meâ— thinks the very mention of such a conceit is abundant confutation nor can any thing be more absurd then to say That it is no Fundamental to believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them them thaâ— diligently seek him unlesse the Churches Authority command us to believe it and that it is a Fundamental to believe that which so many of the Antients did not believe viz. the falsehood of the Millenary opinion or of the admission of departed Saints to the Beatifical Vision before the day of Judgement because these are determined by the Church And there is nothing which more essentially overthrowes the Popish conceit of Fundamentals then the consideration of the Pillar upon which they build it which is the Churches Infallible authority as the Answerer of Bishop Land Discourseth whose great argument is this whosoever refuseth to believe any thing sufficiently propounded to him for a truth revealed from God commits a damnable sin but whosoever refuseth to believe any point sufficiently prâ—pounded to him or defined by the Church as matter of faith refuseth to believe a thing sufficiently prâ—pounded to him for a truth revealed from God this is proved from hence because general Councels cannot erre Where to say nothing of the Major you see this man proves and the Church of Rome hath no better proofs incertum per incertius their notion of Fundamentals from their opinion of Councels infallibility and the infallibility of Councels having been abundantly evinced to be but a Chimaerical Imagination I must needs conclude That the foundation being fallen the superstructure needs no strength of argument to pull it down if any desire to see this wild conceit baffâ—ed he may find it done in that excellent discourse of Mr. Stingfleets part 1 chap. 2 3 4. For the 6. particular the doctrine of the Trinity it is true that is a real Fundamental but to say that is not clearly proved from the Scripture and for one that pretends he was a Protestant to say thus I confesse it is one of those many arguments which gives us too much occasion to ascribe the Captains change to any thing rather then to the convictions of his conscience or the evidence of his cause Behold the harmony between Socinianisme and Popery Rather then not assert the Churches authority these men will renounce the great principles of Christianity and put this great advantage into the Socinians hands to confesse that they cannot be confuted by Scripture But the learned Papists are of another mind in their lucid intervals and some of them as Simglecius have sufficiently overthrown the Socinian Heresy from Scripture evidence however I am sure Protestants have abundantly evinced it Let any man read but those excellent discourses of Placaeus about the Praeexistence of Christ before his birth of the Virgin and his Divinity and he will be of another mind But this shews the Captain was prepared to receive any thing that could so easily believe a proposition which he could not but know from his own experience to be horribly false unlesse he were shamefully ignorant 7 For the remaining points they split upon the same Rocks with the former for there is none of them but is sufficiently evident from Scripture as hath been fully proved by those who have treated of those matters but I must forbear digressions And besides in the sense he intends he will find it an hard matter to prove their necessity to salvation if he think otherwise let him try his strength And this may satisfy the third argument concerning the Scriptures darkness in things said to be necessary to salvation A fourth argument urged against the Scriptures supremacy is that we have not the Originals but onely Copies and Translations and these made by fallible men and therefore it cannot be a certain rule to our Faith This hath been answered in the former Discourse it will suffice therefore briefly to suggest some â—ew things 1 This argument if solid and weighty will prove that no Copies nor Translations can be a Rule to us that onely the Original Decalogue which was written by Gods own finger was a Rule to the Jews and consequently that Transcript of it which by Gods appointment the Prince had and was obliged to read was no rule to him which how false it is will appear from Deut. 17 18 19. When he sitteth upon the Throne he shall write him a Copy of this Law in a Book out of that which is before the Priests the Levites and he shall read therein that he may learn to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to do them By which the Reader will quickly discern what weight is in this part of the Discours That a Copy cannot be a certain rule for the Princes rule is but a Copy and the Transcription of that not limited to an infallible hand When Moses of old time was read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day Act. 15.21 it is to be presumed each of them had not the Original of God's writing yet was it never rejected from being a rule upon that account What rare work would this Notion make in a Kingdom if throughly prosecuted Belike the Captaine doth not hold his Statute book a rule to him because it is not the Original And observe the horrible partiality of these men The Decrees of the Pope or Councel suppose of Trent are a Rule and a certain one too to our English Papists though they have nothing of them but a Copy and a Translation but the Scripture cannot be a Rule because it is onely a Copy and Translation The law of God or of the Church is a rule to the hearers when it is delivered onely by a Popish Priest and he confessedly fallible by word of mouth and it ceaseth to be a rule when it is delivered by writing by a fallible hand yet surely the one is but a copy as well as the other though made by diverse instruments 2. The copies and Translations of Scripture are a sure and certain rule because they do sufficiently evidence themselves to be the word
given c. And a little after he would have yielded to a general Councel if the truth of that question had in his time been evidenced and declared and confirmed by a general Councel And he gives the reason of his yielding Because that holy Soul would have yielded even to one man declaring and demonstrating the truth much more to a general Councel In all which it is plain that it was not any presumed Infallibility of the Councel but the clearness of the truth and the strength of their arguments which would have satisfied Cyprian in St. Austin's judgment 3. This may be irrefragably proved from hence that St. Austin makes this the peculiar property of the holy Scripture by which it is distinguished from and advanced above all the opinions decrees or writings of all Bishops in or out of Councels that we may not doubt of any thing contained in it The words are express and brought in with a Quis nesciat Who knowes not that the holy Scripture is so preferred before all the letters of after-after-Bishops that we may not so much as doubt or debate concerning any thing contained in them whether it be true or no. But the letters of the Bishops may be reproved by Councels if they swerve from the truth and Provincial Councels must yeild to General Councels and former general Councels are oft corrected by the latter where there is a gradation from Bishops to Provincial and thence to General Councels but all of them are in this respect postposed to the Scripture that we may lawfully doubt of any thing contained in their Decrees and where they swerve from the truth reject it And nothing more evinceth the strength of this argument then the silliness of our Adversaries evasions He speaks of questions of Fact and Ceremony not of Faith saith Bellarmine and Stapleton whereas the question there disputed was whether persons Baptized by Hereticks should be rebaptized which the Fathers formerly made and the Papists now make a question of Faith But by emendantur saith Stapleton he means perfectiùs explicantur If you ask in what Dictionary or Author the word emendantur is so taken you must understand that it follows à majori ad minus that if our Romish Masters may coyn new Articles of Faith which diverse Papists professe they may much more may they devise new significations of words But I would know of these Doctors what they would think or at least what discreet and sober men would think of that Author that should say Libri Mofis à Prophetis emendantur or Scripta Prophetarum ab Apostolis emendantur and yet if Stapletons Lexicon may be used it were an harmlesse expression But if these men will give St. Austin leave to be the interpreter of his own words he hath sufficiently open'd his mind by making emendare and reprehendere parallel expressions and by speaking of such an Emendation as follows after or is conjoyned with a doubting of the truth of what was delivered by the Councel This may serve for the third Proposition § 12. And here I might give my self a supersedeas having shewed the imbecillity of their principal Proofs from the Fathers but ex abundantis I shall adde the fourth Proposition which is this That it doth appear the Antients did believe the fallibility of Councels The former proposition shewed that they could not prove their Assertion and this I hope will disprove it But because what hath been already said may serve for that end also I shall be the briefer in this and shall only mention three arguments to prove it 1. They who make Scripture-proof necessary to command the belief of doctrines or matters of Religion do not hold the Infallibility of Councels But so did the Fathers Ergo. The Major is evident from hence because one infallible Authority is sufficient and the addition of another though it may tend ad melius esse yet it cannot be necessary ad esse for then the former were not sufficient And the Papists who believe the Infallibility of Popes or Councels do professe eo nomine that Scripture-proof is not necessary and that the Churches authority without Scripture evidence is sufficient When Whitaker urged the necessity of Scripture-proof to shew the Church for proof of the Scriptures prerogative above the Church Stapleton roundly answers That such proof is not necessary to a Christian man and a Believer For the Minor That the Fathers did judge Scripture proof necessary hath been already shew'd and will hereafter be made good and to prevent tedious repetitions I shall now forbear it 2 They who allow the people liberty of examination of all that any men since the Apostles say do not believe the Infallibility of Councels but so do the Fathers The major is evident from the confession and practice of our Adversaries who believing the Infallibility of the Pope or Councels do injoyn the reception of their Decrees and Injunctions without examination A Christian ought to receive the Churches doctrine without examination saith Bellarmine The Minor hath been proved from the expresse words of the Fathers 3. They that derogate Faith from all men without exception beside the Apostles do not hold the Infallibility of Councels But so do the Fathers Ergo. The Major needs no proof for the Councels are made up of men and such too as are confessed to be each of them fallible Nor do they pretend to any Enthusiasme or immediate revelation The Minor also hath been fully proved to which I shall adde one out of Austin◠If it be confirmed by authority of Scripture we are to believe it without all doubting but for other witnesses or their testimonies a man may believe or not believe as he apprehends what they say hath weight or not It is true S. Clara sayes that St. Austin doth only prefer Scripture before particular authors which how false it is sufficiently appears from the other testimony of Austins which I have even now discussed wherein you plainly saw in Occam's and St. Clara's own judgment St. Austin positively took away all difference between Councels and private Doctors in this particular and equally denied all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to both of them Thus I hope I have sufficiently proved what I undertook concerning the supposed Tradition and the testimony of the Fathers in reference to the Infallibility of Councels This is the first Branch The Infallibility of Councels is not made known to us by Tradition the next Proposition must shew That it is not revealed in Scripture § 13. This therefore is the Second branch That the Infallibility of Councels hath no foundation in Scripture◠1. I might justly insist upon what hath been already mentioned concerning the doctrine of the Romanists about the insignificancy and insufficiency by the Scripture to ground my faith without the Churches authority And surely they that professe they are not bound to believe the Divinity of Christ were it not for the
Apostles only but of their successors because he saith the comforter shall abide with you for ever ch 14.16 i. e. with them and their successors for ever But Christ doth not lead the Bishops severally considered into all truth therefore he leads them into truth when they are gathered together and seeing there is no greater chair in the Church by which God teacheth us then the Pope when a Councel is added to him if his chair should erre how this promise is true he will teach you all truth I see not This may be too Bernardus non videt omnia and why should Robertus do it Ans. 1. These words if extended beyond the Apostles do not imply any infallibility or if they do a man may with as great colour deduce the infallibility nay the omnisciency of all Believers from 1 Joh. 2.20 Ye have an unction from the holy one and ye know all things and v. 27. The same anointing teacheth you all things All truth in the text is only meant of all truths necessary to salvation nothing being more familiar in Scripture-use then for general expressions as all men every creature c. to be understood with tacit limitations nor are all whom God leads into truth infallibly led into it unless they will make all sincere Christians infallible for all such are led by the Spirit into truth but not all in the same manner and degree as the Apostles were So the Popish argument proceeds à genere ad speciem affirmativé They are led into truth Ergo they are infallibly led 2. There is nothing in that text Joh. 16. to shew the extent of that promise to the Apostles successors which Bellarmine sufficiently discovers by deserting this place and fetching in another to his aid Joh 14. so his argument is cunningly patched up of two places That God would lead them into all truth he proves from Joh. 16. That God will do this for ever he would fain prove from Joh. 14. whereas this place doth not say that God would lead the Apostles into all truth for ever but only that the spirit should abide with them for ever and that as a comforter which is quite another thing if not let me see that Papist that will give it under his hand that every one with whom the Spirit abides as a comforter is infallible And yet if I should wink at this fraudulent dealing of Bellarmines and admit the phrase for ever into the principal Text this would not infer a necessity of stretching this promise beyond the Apostles partly because in Scripture use that phrase doth frequently denote the term of life as Exod. 21.6 The servant is to be with his master for ever and 1 Kings 12.7 they will be thy servants for ever and principally because in strictest propriety of speech the spirit of God did and doth for ever abide in the persons of the Apostles As God betroths every one of his people to him for ever Hos. 2.19 and is their portion for ever Psal. 73.26 and the water that Christ gives to his people which he himself expounds of the Spirit Joh. 7.38 39. is in them for ever Joh. 4.14 3. If this promise of leading into all truth be understood of the Apostles and their Successors in the same manner that is so as to make them both infallible then as the Apostles severally considered were infallible and not onely when combined in Councels so also are their Successors each of them Infallible which all Papists deny It is a strange way of arguing which Bellarmine useth The Apostles severally considered were Infallible by vertue of this promise And their Successors are comprehended in this promise And their Successors are not infallible in their single Capacities as the Apostles were Ergo they are infallible when they are gathered together This is that I told you before and here you see it exemplified though Fallibility be in the premises yet you shall be sure to meet with Infallibility in the Conclusion 4. If this promise of the Spirit did containe Infallibility and did extend beyond the Apostles yet certainly it is a most unreasonable thing not onely to communicate but appropriate this promise of the Spirit to such as have not the Spirit such are all ungodly men Iude vers 19 sensuall not having the Spirit Yea in that very place which the Papists urge for the perpetuall residence of Gods Spirit in Popes and Bishops Ioh. 14. There is a positive exclusion of all ungodly men from any share therein vers 17. The Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him A Character ascribed by God himselfe to all wicked men 1 Io. 3.6 Whosoever sinneth be he Christian Minister or Pope hath not seen him neither known him Soin this Argument they runne upon a double absurdity 1. That they deny the promised guidance of the Spirit unto those Elect Holy and humble Christians who are the onely persons that in Scripture account have the Spirit and are led by the Spirit and walke after the Spirit 2. That they challenge the Infallible guidance of the Spirit to those that have not so much as the generall conduct of the Spirit which is common to all true Christians 5. That you may see the desperatenesse of the Popish cause you may observe that Bellarmine himselfe elsewhere denies the Conclusion which in this place he strives to obtrude upon us For here he inferres the Infallibility of Councels but elswhere he laies down this position That a generall Councell may erre and is not Infallible except the Pope confirme them that is to say The Councell in it self is Fallible the Pope onely is Infallible of which more by and by And thus according to Bellarmines opinion the Bishops neither severally nor concunctly are infallible but in truth The Pope onely is infallible And so Bellarmine hath not onely shuffled the Pope into the Text but indeed jusled out all others and destroyed that infallibility of Councels which he pretended to assert as became the Popes faithfull servant to do And so this is Bellarmines Argument from these words God hath promised Infallibility to lead all the Apostles and all their Successors into all truth Therefore none of the Apostles Successors are Infallible save S t Peters onely § 17. A fourth place for the Infallibility of Councels is Acts 15.28 For it seemed good unto the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burden then these necessary things whence they thus argue This Councell had the Infallible direction of the Holy-Ghost and consequently all other Councels have it Answ. 1. If the Conclusion be universally true which if it be not it will do the Church of Rome no service then the Arrian Councels were infallible But if they say that onely the Orthodox Councels are Infallible that alters the question and the Church of Rome must first prove her Orthodoxy and then her Infallibility and to speak truth she may prove the