of the Roman Church there is no Salvation and that no Church which is not a Member of the Roman Church is a Member of the True Church For all these Points are delivered as Articles of Faith by the Roman Church as both we and our Adversaries do confess That it is not only a True Religion but also a sound Religion For what more can be required for the soundness thereof than that it should not teach any corruption whatsoever as we have proved it does not That it is entirely a true Religion containing all Things necessary to be believed and all Things necessary to be done in order to Salvation either necessitate medii or necessitate praecepti For this also it delivers as an Article of Faith Yea half a Religion is not a true Religion as half a man viz. the Body alone of a man is not a true man That it is not only True whatsoever the Roman Church delivers as an Article of Faith and as revealed by God but also 't is true That it is an Article of Faith and revealed by God as for example not only the Mystery of the Trinity is true but also 't is true that it is revealed For it is an Article of Faith that those Books wherein the Mystery of the Trinity is contained and declared to be so are the True Word and Revelation of God So that one would be an Heretick not only if he should deny the Mystery of the Trinity but also if he should deny it to be revealed and as one cannot be a true and loyal Subject who counterfeits the Kings Hand and Seal so that Religion cannot be true which Counterfeits Gods Word delivering in order to authorize any Thing whatsoever Things as revealed by him which he never revealed Finally that whatsoever the Roman Catholick Religion or Church teaches as an Article of Faith is not only true but infallibly true For among other Points that it delivers as Articles of Faith and consequently are true one is its own Infallibility in matters of Faith as all do grant It is therefore true that the Roman Religion is Infallible in such matters and if so then it must necessarily follow that whatsoever it declares as a matter of Faith is infallibly true For it is impossible that the Sentence of an Infallible Judge should be false Besides since we have shewn that the Roman Catholick Church is free from all Fundamental errors it is inferred 1. That it does not err against any Fundamental Point whatsoever either mediately or immediately For an error does not cease to be Fundamental because it is only mediately and by consequence opposite to a Fundamental Point For to be mediately opposite to a point is to be opposite to that point and another point also whereon the Truth of the former depends A Disease or Wound does not cease to be mortal because it infers only mediately the death of a man destroying immediately only the Dispositions necessary for the conservation of his life which being once destroyed there follows the separation between the Body and the Soul wherein the Death of man formally consists 2. That it cannot be said That the Roman Catholick Religion does not err against any Fundamental point precisely because it holds all the Fundamental points of the True Religion For a Religion may contradict it self and err against that very point which it holds Certainly a Religion which should deny Christ to be God would err Fundamentally and consequently would be no true Religion though it should contradicting it self hold at the same time that Christ is God and all other positive points of the True Religion To the truth therefore of a Religion it is requisite not only that it holds all Fundamental points of the true Religion but also that it does not deny any of them neither mediately nor immediately observing what is related of St. John Baptist Joan. 1.30 Confessus est non negavit He confest and did not deny 3. That it cannot be affirmed That a Religion is true and consequently that it does not err against any Fundamental point because some who profess it are excused by Invincible Ignorance For invincible ignorance though it excuses him who has it from erring maliciously yet it does not excuse him from erring nor the Religion which should contain such an error from being erroneous and heretical too if the point against which it errs be an Article of Faith Sure a man that should say That Christ is not God would err Fundamentally whether he said it out of ignorance or malice and a Religion that should teach such an error would be an Heretical Religion and err against a Fundamental point viz. the Divinity of Christ 4. That a Religion which teaches God to be the Author of any Thing that is really an error must needs err against a Fundamental point though it teaches such a Thing as a Truth For to err is to teach a Thing as a Truth which really is an error The Arrians doubtless erred against a Fundamental point by teaching that Christ was not God which was really an error though they thought it to be a Truth Wherefore the Roman Catholick Religion cannot be free from all Fundamental errors unless whatsoever it teaches as an Article of Faith be really true and not only judged by the Church to be so According to the same Method we convince at once the Truth of all our Articles of Faith For we have shewed that whatsoever the Roman Church teaches as an Article of Faith is true otherwise it would not be a true Church and that there is no Article of Faith which is not delivered as such by the Roman Church otherwise it would not be entirely true Whence we avoid the tedious way of Treating Controversies for which the whole life of man is scarce sufficient viz. of proving each point of Controversie by it self and out of its own proper reasons though I do not hinder but that we may prove some particular points this way also yet we have insinuated above in the sixth Point how we may apply this general way to decide any particular question concerning matters of Faith wherein the party with whom we deal desires satisfaction Again the same Method will teach us how we may with ease discover all Heresies whatsoever For it is easie to know what Doctrines are delivered by the Roman Catholick Church which we have proved to be not only a true but the true Church as Articles of Faith either out of the Canons of General Councils admitted by that Church or out of the Authentick Catechisms or Professions of Faith used among Catholicks or finally out of the unanimous consent of Catholick Doctors and if there be a Debate among Catholick Writers whether such a Doctrine be delivered by the Roman Catholick Church as an Article of Faith we oblige no Body to look upon it as an Article of Faith of that Church nay the contest between Catholicks and no Catholicks is not whether
such Doctrines be Articles of the Catholick Faith or not but whether they be errors or truths Now if one knows what Doctrines are delivered by the Catholick Church as Articles of Faith he may easily know what Propositions are immediately opposite to such Doctrines As for example if one knows that Purgatory is delivered as an Article of Faith by the Catholick Church he cannot but see that No-Purgatory or the denial of Purgatory is immediately opposite to such an Article And if one knows what Propositions are immediately opposite to such Doctrines as the Catholick Church delivers as Articles of Faith he knows also what Propositions are Formal Heresies For all Formal Here sies whatsoever are immediately opposite to some Doctrine taught by the True Church i. e. the Catholick as an Article of Faith Moreover if one knows what other Propositions do necessarily infer any Formal Hetesie he knows also what Propositions are virtual Heresies For a'l virtual Heresie must necessarily infer a Formal Heresie And because the Roman Catholick Church is not only now the True Church but will be till the worlds end for among other things which she delivers as Articles of Faith one is her own perpetuity by help of this Method we are taught not only what Heresies now are or have been but also what Heresies shall be hereafter if it happens that any new Heresies be broached For all Heresies whatsoever must necessarily be contrary to some Doctrine delivered by the Catholick Church as an Article of Faith Yet further by the means of this Method we may solve all Objections against the Truth of the Roman Catholick Church or any Doctrine delivered by it as an Article of Faith shewing in general That whatsoever is or can be objected against us in this kind either from Reason or Authority is false or Incouclusive For if the Roman Catholick Church be a True Church and if whatsoever she teaches as an Article of Faith be True as we have evinced it follows evidently that what ever is or can be objected against our Church or any Article thereof must necessarily be either False or Inconclusive For it is a manifest principle of Logick That there can be no True Solid and Real Proof against a Truth or of a Falsity True it is that this Method doth not instruct us how we are to answer in particular every Objection against the Truth of the Roman Church and of the Doctrines which she delivers as Articles of Faith But this is not necessary to the end we may remain fully satisfied concerning the Falsity or Inconclusiveness of whatsoever is objected against her or her Articles All men are firmly perswaded that there is Local Motion and that we move from one place to another as reason and experience do evidently demonstrate and consequently according to the Principle just now insinuated they are cervain that whatsoever is objected against Local Motion although it seem never so hard is either False or Inclusive Yet very few can shew directly even with probability and perhaps no Body with evidence how and why each Objection in particular against Local Motion is either False or Inconclusive And generally speaking one may be certain as several obvious instances do evince that such a Thing is so without knowing or being able to assign either the particular manner how it is so or the direct and proper reason why it is so and consequently one may be fully satisfied that such an objection is either False or Inconclusive though he be not able to give the proper and direct reason why it is so And although I must needs confess that there are several other ways to demonstrate the Truth of the Roman Catholick Religion as there may be many reasons and all of them very good to prove the same Truth yet it is easie to force our Adversary to come to this Method For all Methods whatsoever to prove the true Religion or any other verity are grounded either upon Reason or Authority If our Adversary will be tried by Reason the way we have taken in this Method in order to find out the true Religion is built upon Reason For Reason shews us that there is something better than another and that if there be something better than another there is a God and that if there be a God there is a True Religion and thus Reason guides us downwards through the forementioned Points till it has proved That the Roman Catholick Religion delivers nothing as an Article of Faith which is not true and that then we are to believe her in whatsoever she teaches as such But if our Adversary will be tried by Authority either of Scriptures or General Councils or ancient Fathers or Modern Writers This Trial if it be well managed must depend upon the knowledge of the True Church and True Religion For certainly no Body in matters of Religion is bound to be tried by the Scriptures Councils or Doctors of a False Religion We cannot in prudence require of a Christian to stand in Debates of Religion to the Decisions of the Alchoran the Scripture of the Turks or to the Decrees of their Councils and Doctors Wherefore when men appeal to Scriptures Councils or Doctors for the determination of Religious Debates doubtless their intention is to appeal to such Scriptures and Councils and such alone and to all such as are admitted by the True Church and to such Doctors only as are Members of the True Religion And how can we know what Scriptures or what Councils are admitted by the True Church or what Doctors are Members of the True Religion unless we know which is the True Church and which is the True Religion For what Saint Augustin said of the Church in order to the Scripture Ego vero Evangelio non crederem nisi me Ecclesiae Catholicae commoveret authoritas Aug. lib. Epist cont Manich. cap. 5. may be extended to Councils and Doctors For the present True Church decides not only what ancient Councils and Doctors have been Orthodox but also what modern Councils and Doctors are so We force therefore our Adversary to the investigation of the True Religion and then we may set upon him according to the Method above-mentioned Moreover when one appeals to Scriptures Councils or Fathers sure he appeals to them as rightly understood For who will be tried by Scriptures Councils or Fathers understood in a wrong sense Now if there arise a contest as commonly there does between us and our Adversaries concerning the right meaning of the places alledged out of Scripture the same is of places alledged out of Councils or Fathers certainly the Judge to decide this Debate must appertain to the True Religion For who will make his application to an Atheist to decide matters of Religion or what Christian will go to a Turk or a Jew to determine matters belonging to Christianity In like manner when one appeals to the private Spirit in matters of Religion sure he will not appeal to the private
A RATIONAL Compendious way TO CONVINCE Without any DISPUTE All Persons whatsoever Dissenting from the TRVE RELIGION By J. K. PSAL. IV. 7. Signatum est super nos lumen vultus tui Domine Printed in the Year 1674. THE PREFACE THE variety of Sects which daily swarm here in England has forced me upon this way of ending Controversies in Religion No body can confute in particular the proper Tenets of each Sect unless he be first well informed what they are and our Sects are so numerous and so various that to be well informed of the particular Tenets of each one of them a mans life is not sufficient Yea even Those who do profess to be all os the same Religion are many times so different one from another that we can scarce find Two among them who do perfectly agree in the Articles of their Faith Several Religions retain only the name of what they were when first broached and should one be perfectly acquainted with the proper Tenets of the Sects which are now in Vogue within a short time he would be to seek when other new Heresies come into fashion Besides it is one thing to convince a man that he is in a wrong way which we may do by refuting the particular Errors of the Religion he professes and another thing to shew him which is the True way which cannot be done but by demonstrating unto him the True Religion Wherefore I have endeavoured without taking notice of the particular Errors of each Sect to find out a Method whereby to evidence to all persons whatsoever the True Religion For this being once evidenced unto them whoever strayes from it may clearly see not only that he is in the wrong but also how he may put himself in the right-Certain it is that if there be a True Religion in the world as we shall evince there is it may be found out by all such as are concerned therein and consequently by all persons whatsoever For they are all concern'd in finding out the True Religion since they are all bound to save their Souls Nor can they save their Souls unless they please God nor please God unless they embrace the True Religion which is only able to teach them what they are to do to please God Sine Fide impossibile est placere Deo Heb. 11.6 Nor finally embrace the True Religion unless they can find out and be convinced which it is And if all persons whatsoever may find out which the True Religion is there must needs be some way whereby they may find it out and this way also must be such that it may be found out For what matters it that there be a way to find out such a thing if no Body can find out which that way is My endeavour therefore was to find out This way of Convincing all persons whatsoever concerning the True Religion Now Natural Reason and Experience teaches us that it is not possible to convince any one by discourse but out of what the person with whom we deal does admit For all conviction by discourse must be grounded upon premises and nothing can be convinced or concluded out of premises unless they be granted If every Thing is to be proved we shall never finish the proof of any Thing The art therefore of convincing a person consists in discovering such premises granted by him whence is inferred what we pretend to convince him of And if the premises be not only granted by our Adversary but also True in themselves they may be effectual both to convince our Adversary and evince the Truth too But if they be not True in themselves yet granted to be so they may convince him but can never evince the Truth And such Arguments are commenly stiled Argumenta ad hominem Since therefore my design was not only to convince the persons but to evince the Truth also and to convince all persons whatsoever concerning the True Religion I further resolved to seek out Principles True in themselves pertinent to prove the intent and such as no person whatsoever could deny or question But where shall we meet with such Principles especially since we live in an Age wherein a good wit and a bold wit are accounted Synonima's and those are held to be most ingenious who can deny most If we apply our selves to the several Writers of each respective Sect thinking to convince the professors of such Sects by the Testimonies of their own Doctors we shall find that some Fancy one Author some another though they all profess themselves to be of the same Religion Neither will they stand to all the Author whom they Fancy asserts but to what they please only and in what sense too they please to interpret it Yea though they promise many times at the Beginning to stick to what such a Doctor to whom they are devoted does affirm in reference to such a Debate yet when they are press'd they flie off and say That they will not pin their Faith upon the sleeve of Luther Calvin or any other particular Doctor of the Protestant Church If we make our address to the ancient Fathers of the Church endeavouring to evidence by their Testimonies the Truth of ours and the Falshood of our Adversaries Religion this Topick is obnoxious to the same flaws as the former For our Adversaries admit among the ancient Fathers only whom they fancy and of him only what they fancy and this only in what sense they fancy and though to amuse the people they often vapour that the Fathers for the first 600 years after Christ did stand for them yet when they are pinched with clear Testimonies produced out of them destructive to their particular Sentiments they plainly confess that even the chiefest of the ancient Fathers were infected with Non-fundamental Errors and such Errors only they ascribe to Bellarmin and other Writers of the Roman Church and with several Superstitions of Popery or they come to slight them all saying with some German Lutherans that one Kemnitius is worth a thousand Austins or with their grand Patriarch Luther that they do not value a Thousand Cyprians a Thousand Austins nay nor the whole Universal Church worth a straw The same may be said of Tradition For they admit the Tradition only of such men and in such matters as they think fit or when they are urged they slight it If we appeal to the General Councils of the Church shewing that by their Canons our Tenets are established and the Errors of our Adversaries condemned of eighteen General Councils they admit only four Nay they do not afford any absolute assent to the Definitions of any General Council whatsoever but only a conditional viz. as far only as they guided by their own private Spirit do judge that what the Council defines is agreeable to Scripture And sure they will not deny such an assent even to what the Council of Trent has defined If we betake our Selves to Scripture producing thence many
and of what we are to do in order to salvation and the Judge in Controversies of of Religion Yea we might ask our Adversaries why they might not find out all Mysteries of Faith without the help of Scripture as they find out Scripture without the previous knowledge thereof And because our Adversaries will have Scripture to be the Sole Judge of all Religious Controversies let them reflect that as without all question there would be a great Confusion in a Kingdom wherein every one must decide all pleas relating unto him by the written Law understood according to his private reason without being bound to submit to the Sentence of any living Judge constituted by the Supreme Governour So doubtless there cannot but be a horrid confusion in a Church where every one is permitted to decide all Debates in Religion by Scripture or the Written Law of God understood according to his private Reason without being bound to submit to the Decision of any living Judge Yea the very Constitution and practice of the Church of England and of other Protestant Churches does evidently prove That Scripture is not the Judge of Controversies nor so clear that any one who reads it or hears it read may without the help of any Expositor or living Judge manifestly understand whatsoever is necessary to be believ'd or done by him in order to Salvation and that whatsoever any one by reading of Scripture or hearing it read does not clearly understand it is no matter whether he understands it or not For it is a common practice amongst the Members of the Church of England who are perswaded that their Church is a True Church in difficulties that arise about the true meaning of Scriptures to make their address and to think they ought to do so to the Doctors of their Church to receive from them the solution of such Difficulties Now if every one by himself clearly understands in Scripture whatsoever is necessary unto him for his salvation and whatsoever he does not by himself clearly understand in Scripture 't is no matter whether he ever understands it or not what need has he to make his address to the Doctors of his Church to be instructed by them concerning the meaning of Scriptures For he needs not their instruction for what he understands clearly by himself as is manifest nor for what he does not clearly understand by himself For according to their Doctrine he needs not understand such Things at all The same may be applied to their writing so many Volumes to prove out of Scripture several chief Mysteries of our Faith For what need is there of such Writings if Scripture be clear to every one in all Things necessary to Salvation The Church also of England and other Protestant Churches do Constitute Ministers and Doctors to Preach unto the People and to teach them such Things as are necessary unto them for to save their Souls and vast Revenues are allowed them upon this account Now if Scripture does teach all Things necessary to Salvation so clearly that any one without the assistance of a Teacher may manifestly understand them and what he does not manifestly understand without the assistance of a Teacher 't is no matter whether he understands it or not why should they Constitute Preachers and Teachers or why should they assign such vast Revenues for an employment which whether he who has it does ever exercise or not 't is no matter The Practice therefore and Constitution of the English Church and of other Protestant Churches does evidently evince That Scripture is not so clear that any one without the help of an Expositor may with ease understand whatever is necessary in order to Salvation and that what he does not understand so he never needs to understand it at all And if Scripture cannot decide clearly by it self all Debates concerning matters necessary to Salvation certainly the chief and ultimate Decision of such Debates belongs to the Church from whom we may expect a new Declaration and Definition if occasion requires to make clear those Things which before were doubtful Whereas we can never expect any new Scripture to that purpose Besides it is certain that God never intended to write such a Scripture as No Body should depend of another for the right intelligence thereof otherwise he would have penned it in all vulgar Languages or in a Language that all should understand which certainly he did not As therefore they must depend upon the Skill and Fidelity of the Translator in order to have the True Scripture why may they not depend also upon the honesty and learning of an Expositor in order to attain the right Sense thereof Wherefore unless Protestants will condemn the common Practice and even the very Constitution of their own Churches and render insignificant the main and almost only employment of their Pastours they cannot believe Scripture to be so clear even in necessary Points as they seem to make it especially since they are not ignorant that Scripture it self does plainly tell them 2 Pet. 3.16 that many hard and obscure Things are contained in Scriptures wherein the very Salvation of men is deeply concerned And since Protestants make their address as daily experience does teach us to their Church and to the Doctors thereof in Points controverted 't is an evident sign that they are perswaded that the voice of the Church is clearer in such points than Scripture For no Body can in prudence seek out the right and clear intelligence of a Thing that is obscure by what is as much or more obscure And since moreover Natural reason does teach us that we ought to begin with what is clear to arrive to the right Intelligence of what is obscure I conclude that the natural order of Things does require that we should seek out the True Scripture and True Sense thereof by the Church rather than the True Church by the Scripture From what has been set down in the progress of this Discourse 't is manifest that our Adversaries cannot with any shew of probability object against us a vicious Circle wherewith they pretend to puzzle many Catholick Writers as if they did prove the Scripture by the Church and the Church by the Scripture For though we shew the Truth of Scripture and all other Articles of the Roman Faith by the Truth of the Roman Church yet we shew the Truth of the Roman Church not by the Scripture but by its miraculous propagation and its miraculous propagation by the common consent of our Adversaries by constant Tradition and by Natural Reason For our Adversaries grant and constant Tradition shews That the Roman Catholick Religion is a hard Religion and yet that it has been propagated in the manner abovesaid and then Natural Reason does teach us That such a propagation of such a Religion could not be effected without the particular and miraculous assistance of God Some perhaps will desire to know what connexion we admit between the Motives and
Inducements which we have to perswade our selves that the Roman Catholick Religion is True and between the Truth thereof or what Certainty we have of the Existency of such Motives and Inducements and whether this Connexion and Certainty be Moral or Metaphysical To avoid Scholastick Nicities I answer supposing that such as propose this Question do profess themselves Christians that the Connexion between the Inducements we have to be Catholicks and the Truth of Catholick Religion and the Certainty we have concerning the Existency of such Inducements is the same as the connexion between the Inducements we have to be Christians and the Truth of Christian Religion and the certainty concerning the existency of such Inducements So that we have the same kind of Certainty concerning the Truth of the Roman Catholick Church and the particular Tenets thereof as concerning the Truth of Christian Religion and the general Tenets of Christianity and the same question may be proposed to any professour of Christianity yea to the professours of any revealed Religion So that the difficulty is not proper unto us but common to all such as allow any revealed Religion and consequently they are all equally bound to solve it I answer again that the fore-mentioned Connexion and Certainty is at least Moral I do not say that it is not Metaphysical and such as to deny or question it would be a madness in the same manner as it is morally certain that there have been in the world such men as Julius Caesar William the Conquerour and Henry the Eighth and that they did such and such Actions as are constantly reported by the writers of their Lives and commonly believed without any hesitation and whoever should call in question any of These Things would be look'd upon as a Mad man Wherefore as it would be a madness to say perhaps there has never been in the world such a man as William the Conquerour perhaps he never was in England perhaps he did not subdue England by his Arms So in like manner it would be a folly to affirm perhaps there have never been in the world such men as Christ and his Apostles perhaps they never preached Christianity perhaps they never Converted Nations from Paganism to Christianism perhaps they never did any of Those Miracuous Actions which are commonly recorded of them and constantly believed by Christians The same may be applied to several Preachers of Catholick Religion So doubtless it would be a madness to question whether there has ever been such a man as Saint Francis Xaverius or whether he ever preached Catholick Religion or ever converted any people to it or whether he ever did any of Those stupendious actions which are commonly related of him and credited by Catholicks For we have at least as much evidence or the same kind of evidence for these latter actions of Christ his Apostles and other Apostolical men as for those former actions of William the Conquerour Henry the Eighth or Julius Caesar Neither were the Miracles of Christ his Apostles and other Apostolical men less palpable to such as were standers by and from whom they were handed down to us nor so hard to God the principal Agent of them nor more rare in themselves than the famous Exploits of William the Conquerour and others and consequently they are not less credible Now whoever comes to deny or question Things morally certain which to deny or question is a madness he will come also to deny or question Things Metaphysically certain For what is there that a Mad man will not deny or question So that if one will not be Mad nor Obstiante Moral Certainty will be enough to convince him But if one is resolved to be Mad or Obstinate neither Physical nor Metaphysical certainty will suffice And so we see that as some have denied or questioned Things Morally Certain so others have denied or questioned Things Physically or Metaphysically certain For there is no Madness without a Patron Nulla fotuitas absque patrono Besides our Adversaries sure will never confess That it is Morally certain that whatever the Roman Catholick Religion delivers as an Article of Faith is True or that the Mysteries of Transubstantiation Purgatory and the like are as certainly true as that there has been such a man as Henry the Eighth Wherefore it will be enough if we can bring Sectaries to grant that all the Mysteries of our Faith are morally certain Yea if in this Syllogism so frequent in Disputes concerning the Resolution of Faith viz. Whatsoever God has revealed is True and cannot in any case possible be otherwise But God has revealed the Mysteries of the Incarnation the Transubstantiation the Real Presence and the other Articles of our Faith Ergo the Mysteries of the Incarnation and the other Articles of our Faith are True and cannot in any case possible be otherwise If I say the Minor of the fore-mentioned Syllogism be granted or shewn to be at least morally certain it will be a madness to deny or question not only the Truth of the Articles of our Faith but also their incapacity to be false in any case imaginable And what more than this can rationally be required to evidence the Truth of our Faith and Religion And to close up the whole Discourse I am confident that nothing material can be objected against This Method which has not been answered though perhaps more compendiously than some would desire Whatever else may occur contrary unto it any moderate wit will be able to solve FINIS Imprimatur G. Jane R. P. D. HEN. Episc Lond. Ã Sac. Dom. March 20. 1676. 7.