is this There is no medium between Men's judging for themselves and giving up their Judgments to others We grant it but what then His Inference is this If the first be their Duty the Press ought not to be restrained But why not His Reason is again the same because it debars Men from seeing those Allegations by which they are to inform their Judgments That 's his Argument to which I answer thus We must distinguish betwixt Man and Man betwixt such as can judge for themselves and such as cannot where the Scripture is express the Words plain and the Sense easie every Man who hath a competent use of Reason and can read his Bible may judge for himself But when several Interpretations are given of any Texts when Doubts are raised when Arguments are produced to defend both Parts of a Contradiction there is a vast number of Men who are no more able to judge which is true and which is false than a blind Man is to distinguish betwixt a good Colour and a bad one 'T is the great unhappiness of such Persons that in matters of Controversy they cannot rely upon their own weak Reason but must either suspend their Judgments or else give it up to the Conduct of some other Person and who is so fit to be trusted with it as their own Ministers provided they be as every Minister should be Men of Piety and Parts able to satisfie Doubts remove Scruples and convince Gainsayers But if Men give up their Reason to the Clergy this Author who vilifieth our Clergy as much as possible he can gives our People an intimation that by so doing they make us the Lords of their Faith But how doth that follow suppose two Persons are engaged in a doubtful Controversie about an Estate claimed by both these Persons being of themselves unable to determine the Case appeal to the King's Judges but do they thereby make those Judges the Lords of that Estate which is contended for surely no the Judge doth no more than according to Evidence and Law declare to which Person that Estate doth justly belong So it is in our present Case several Parties of Men lay Claim to Truth as theirs and produce Evidences for it Now a Man unable to satisfie himself which side Truth is to be found consults his Minister who by Evidence of Scripture which in this case is the only Law assures his Neighbour the Truth lieth here or there And indeed that the Minister is the most proper Judge in Controversies relating to Religion we cannot doubt if we dare believe the Prophet who saith The Priest's lips should preserve knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts This Text doth not constitute us nor do we pretend to be Lords of our People's Faith but as the Apostle speaks Helpers to the Truth We do not require any weak Believer's assent to any one Article of Faith whereunto God requires it not though the Church of Rome doth so And how unjustly then without Modesty or Truth doth this Man stigmatize us as Lords of our People's Faith But beside those weak Christians who in controverted Points cannot judge for themselves there are some other of clearer Heads and more improved Understandings that can and for their sakes this Author saith that the Press ought not to be restrained and his Reason is this Because the Restraint of the Press debars them from seeing those Allegations by which they are to confirm their Judgments This Argument in effect hath already been offered once and again and hath as often been replied to but for the greater satisfaction of my Reader I shall again consider and enlarge my Answer to it and this it is Not knowing and intelligent Christian who is well able to judge for himself can want any new Allegations from the Press to confirm his Judgments in any disputed Points of Faith or Worship because we have already sufficient Rules to judge by For 1. We have the Scripture preached in our publick Churches and if we please we may read and consider them in our private Families and Closets And here I do again affirm that all matters of revealed Religion must be examined proved and determined by the written Word of God This is the only sure balance to weigh and touch stone to try all Matters of Faith and Worship To this our Lord sent his hearers Search the Scriptures and again How readest thou And which is remarkable the ignorance of Scripture did he make the only occasion and ground of Error in Points of Faith so he told the Sadducees Ye err but why not knowing the Scriptures by which our Lord himself proved that great Doctrine of the Resurrection which they denied And when our Lord would prove himself to be a greater Person than David he did it by that Text The Lord said unto my Lord c. This course took our blessed Saviour and so did his Apostles too and so must we we must take the Scripture for our Guide in Matters of Religion for that is the only and infallible Rule and unalterable Standard to measure all the Doctrines and Practices which such or such a Church doth teach recommend or require from us But if it shall be again demanded who must be the Judg whether amongst different Interpretations of Holy Writ this or that be the true one whether in controverted Points such or such a Text do certainly warrant such or such a Doctrine as is grounded thereon I answer again 2. We have the united Judgment and Decrees of several Councils those I mean that were convened in the first and purest times before the Superstitions and Idolatries of Rome had crept in by degrees thro' carelesness vice and ignorance and over-spread the Church The grand Controversie now on foot amongst us concerns the Divinity of Christ the Personality and Deity of the Holy Ghost that Christ in the most strict and proper Sense of that Notion is truly God that the Holy Ghost is a Person and a Divine Person we affirm but our Socinians who are the spawn of old Arius make bold to deny To justifie our Doctrine we cite such and such Texts and to establish their Opinions as well as they can they do the same thing as for the Scripture which we produce to prove the Doctrine of the Trinity because humane Reason cannot comprehend it they do either question the Authority of such Texts or else they wrest them to such an intolerable Sense as every sober Man's Reason may justly abhor Now the Question is Who must judge betwixt us and them Who must determine whether the Scripture be on their side or ours I answer That Heterodox Opinion now much contended for which we call Socinian did appear under some other Names very early in the Christian Church In the first Age the Godhead of Christ was denied by the Jews and particularly by Ebion in the Third Century by
World And if so How could the trial of Religions depend upon the Press in those early days when as yet it had no being And because the true Christian Faith is the same in all the Ages of the Church since the Apostles days we must measure our own Religion by the same Rules by which the Primitive Saints measured theirs and what were they Not the voluminous Writings of Men which the Press hath now brought forth but the sacred Oracles of God This is the Course to which the Prophet directs us To the law and to the Testimony This Course did the Bereans take when to examine the Doctrines even of the Apostles themselves They searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so and for their doing so they are highly commended And indeed the Scripture is the lapis Lydius the Touchstone the Canon the only Authentick Rule of Manners Faith and religious Worship a Rule so plain and easie in all necessary points that in order to the trial of our Religion we have no absolute need of any Book but Gods though other good Books do well towards the better understanding of some passages in this 'T is the great Privilege of our Church that we have this Rule of Scripture in such great Quantities that every Man who can and will may at an easie rate have it in his custody and thereby examine his Religion when he pleaseth Nor can we justly blame the restraint of the Press so long as it is permitted to Print our Bibles and prohibited to publish no Man's Book but such only as are contrary to Gods Indeed were the Press in England restrained as it is in Popish Kingdoms from printing the Bible in our Vulgar Tongue this Authors Argument would have had much strength in it but since it is otherwise since we have the Scriptures those Tests and Standards of our Religion preached in our Publick Churches and easily to be had and read as oft as we please in our private Families this Author's Argument against the Restraint of the Press is invalid and unconcluding for it doth not prove that for which he pleads it But to proceed SECT IV. II. THE Second Allegation which this Author urgeth as a grand inconvenience against the Restraint of the Press is this Such a Restraint saith he deprives Men of the most proper and best means to discover truth To which I answer thus There is a very close Connexion betwixt this Argument and the former a Connexion as between an Antecedent and a Consequent or between the Premises and the Conclusion In the former Argument he mentions the examination of Religions and in this as the end and consequence of that the discovery of Truth for to what purpose should any Religion be impartially examined were it not to discover whether it be true or false And for this reason the same answer which I have given to the former Argument might serve well enough for this for since the restraint of the Press doth not as I have there proved prevent the due Examination of Religion it cannot prevent the discovery of Truth But that so it doth our Author is very positive yea and he tells us by what means it doth so namely By hindering Men from seeing and examining the different Opinions and the Arguments alledged for them But let this Author tell us how this can be true can a Restraint of the Press for time to come hinder any Man from seeing and examining the different Opinions of Men and their Arguments for them Are there not already great numbers of printed Books exposed to common Sale wherein the different Opinions of Men about matters of Religion are throughly discussed May not every Man that will and can sufficiently inform himself by Books already extant what Arguments have been pleaded by all Sects of Christians in the defence of their respective Professions And since the Press hath already brought forth such a numerous issue of this kind methinks every future birth of the same sort would be but a Superfetation I am persuaded that should all the Presses in the Christian world be absolutely forbidden to print any more New Books of Controversy and Polemick Divinity it would be no injury to the Catholick Church nor to any one Member of it for nihil dici potest quod non dictum est priùs Prints indeed may be new but Arguments either for old Truths or against old Errors can hardly be so But when all is done Religious Truths cannot be discovered by Humane Arguments any further than those Arguments are grounded upon the infallible word of God 'T is a Rule in Mathematicks Rectum est index sui Obliqui He that would discover the Rectitude or Obliquity of a Line must bring it to and compare it with such a Rule as is already found to be exactly streight So in our present Case he who would discover the truth or falshood of any Opinion in matters of Religion must apply them to and judg them by that infallible Rule which St. James very deservedly Styles The word of Truth And this Rule in all Points necessary to Salvation is so plain and easie that every Man who hath not lost the use of common Reason may thereby judg for himself There are indeed in the word of God as the Apostle saith Some things hard to be understood but in what Texts do these difficulties lie St. Austin answers Non quoad ea quae sunt necessaria saluti c. The Scriptures are not difficult in any of those Points which are necessary to Man's Salvation So thought St. Chrysostom who thus demands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what Man is there to whom all the necessary Truths of the Gospel are not clear and manifest He saith elsewhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Husbandman the Servant the Widow the Boy Persons of very mean Capacities may easily understand what the Scriptures teach about such Points as are Fundamental That this was the Doctrine of the Primitive Church before St. Chrysostom's time is evident from that Testimony of Irenaeus Universae Scripturae Propheticae Evangelicae in aperto sine ambiguitate similiter ab omnibus audiri possunt The whole Scripture the Prophets the Evangelists in such Points as most concern us are so plain express and open that all sorts of Men may equally apprehend them Now if a Man may discover the truth of all those Doctrines which are necessary to Salvation by Scripture Rules if his Faith be grounded on them and his Practice be suitable to them what hazard would that Man run should he never see the different Opinions of Men about them nor weigh their Arguments against them Suppose a Man being well informed by the express word of God do stedfastly believe the Resurrection of the dead what were this Man the worse should he never see nor examine the reasonings of Pagans and Sadducees against this great Article of our Creed Suppose a Man be
A Modest Plea For the Due REGULATION OF THE PRESS In Answer to several REASON◠lately Printed against it Humbly submitted to the Judgment of Authority Quae est pejor mors animae quà m libertas erroris August in Epist 166. By FRANCIS GREGORY D. D. and Rector of Hambleden in the County of Bucks LONDON Printed for R. Sare at Greys-Inn-Gate in Holborn M DC XC VIII A MODEST PLEA For the Due REGULATION OF THE PRESS c. SECT I. Good Reader IT is not long since I accidentally met with a Printed Paper Entitled A Letter to a Member of Parliament shewing that a Restraint on the Press is inconsistent with the Protestant Religion and dangerous to the Liberties of the Nation This Title at the first view did startle and make me wonder for I could not imagine how the Contents of this Letter could possibly justifie such an Inscription But whether this Letter were really sent or only pretended and by whom I cannot tell for the Writer of it thought it an act of Prudence to conceal his Name as well as his Opinion But if he be not one of the worst sort of Hereticks I mean a Socinian it is his great misfortune and no small fault that he hath given his Reader just cause to think him so For 1. This Author treats our Common People with extraordinary Civilities he pleads for the full liberty of every Man's Conscience and tells us that every Man hath as much right to Communicate his Thoughts to his Neighbour as to think them himself he tells us that every Man is to judg for himself even in the controverted Points of Religion as well as the ablest Divines of our Church Nor can we wonder that a Socinian should thus flatter the Vulgar for they who design to instil their Opinions into the Heads of Men are concerned in Policy by fair words and courtship first to insinuate themselves into their Hearts 2. This Author treats the Church of England with incivility and scurrilous Language he loads its Governours with several Calumnies which are no way deserved he calleth them Imposers upon the Consciences of Men Tyrants Lords of the Peoples Faith but 't is not my business to wipe off his unjust Reproaches but to answer his groundless Arguments But however 't is not strange that a Socinian should thus bespatter the Clergy of our Church to render us odious to the People because they know that our Divines are the most able Men to defend those great Articles of our Creed which they oppose and to confute those detestable Doctrines which they promote but will never be able to maintain so long as the Church of England shall continue as well stored with learned Men as now it is But in the mean time they make it their business to disparage and vilifie our Divines in hopes that our People disesteeming our Persons may shew the less regard to what we plead in defence of Truth 3. This Author sheweth himself yet more manifestly to be a Socinian because according to the known Practice of that sort of Men he highly magnifies Humane Reason exalting it far above its proper Sphere advancing it to that sublime and sacred Office which as now it is it can never discharge For in that Preliminary Discourse which he premiseth as an Introduction to the main Body and Substance of his Letter he tells us that God hath given Man His Reason which is his only light not only to discover that there is a Religion but to distinguish the True from the many false Ones He tell us again p. 15. That God hath given Men no other Guide but their Reason to bring them to happiness and yet again p 17. he saith That the Peoples common Notions are the Tests and Standards of all Truths Now my own Reason such as it is tells me that all these Assertions are as false as bold and daring for what greater Encomiums could have been given to Humane Reason were we still in the state of Innocence though in that state the Reason of Man might shine like the Sun in its full glory not a Cloud interposing yet by and since the fall of Adam the Common Reason of Mankind is become like the Moon lying under though not a Total yet a very great Eclipse Solomon the wisest of Men hath left our Reason no better Title than this the Candle of the Lord. 'T is not stiled a blazing Torch but a Candle which is but a diminutive light and so much the less because 't is full of Snuff 't is clouded with mists and fogs of ignorance and in nothing more than in matters of Religion True it is that this little light of Nature being well attended to is enough to discover to us some Truths which are a sufficient ground for natural Religion the Reason of Man exercising it self in contemplating the Works of Creation and Providence is enough to convince him that there is a God and that this God ought to be worshipped but there are some other Truths absolutely necessary to Salvation which the most improved Reason of Man without some other help could never have discovered In all Cases the Reason of Man is lumen sine quo non a light without which we can discern no Truth at all but yet 't is not a light by which we can discern every Truth which doth concern us Our Lord hath truly said The light of the Body is the Eye and yet this Eye be it never so clear and strong without the help of some other Light beside it's own can see very little or nothing so here the light of the Soul is its Reason and yet this Reason without some other assistances in matters of Religion can discern but very little There were amongst the Heathens many sober vertuous and industrious Moralists Men of raised Intellectuals Men of excellent Parts both Natural and Acquired and yet as to the Matters of Religion they shewed themselves mere Sots and Dunces they became as St. Paul saith vain in their imaginations They exceedingly doted in their Notions concerning the Nature Will and Worship of God there are several religious and necessary Truths whereunto their own Reason though much improved was not only a perfect Stranger but a professed Adversary the Doctrine of the Creation stands opposed by that known Maxim which their Reason entertained as an undoubted Truth ex nihilo nihil fit out of nothing nothing is or can be made And as for the great Doctrine of the Resurrection Men of Reason look'd upon it as Celsus speaks in Origen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a thing impossible and abominable and according to these Notions they took St. Paul who preached this glorious but difficult Doctrine to be no better than a vain babler But whence might this gross Ignorance of theirs arise How came it to pass that Men so acute and lucky in searching and finding out many secret Mysteries both of Art and Nature should be so dull and
But to whom ought the Care of this be committed Doubtless to Men of Integrity Learning and Judgment to Men who are able at first view to distinguish Vice from Vertue and Truth from Error and with such Men is the Church of England stored Men of such Parts and Piety that we cannot without breach of Charity so much as once suspect that they would to gratifie any Party stifle any Book which might tend to the advantage of the Christian Church or the common benefit of Mankind Notwithstanding this our Author thought fit to tell his Friend the Parliament-Man that of all other Persons the Clergy-men of our Church are the most unfit to be trusted with the Regulation of the Press and for that he gives this Reason namely because they would allow no Books to be published save only such as tend to establish their own Opinions that is in plain English they would permit no Books to be printed which tend to subvert the fundamental Articles of the Christian Faith and for that Who can justly blame them That the Articles of the Church of England are Sound and Orthodox hath been proved over and over by such Scripture Arguments as Priests and Jesuits Arians and Socinians or any other Heretick never yet could nor ever can overthrow and if any Books which contradict them be offered to the Press 't is fit they should be stifled in the Birth and if they chance to be brought forth by stealth 't is fit they should immediately be cast into the Flames that being the quickest way to cleanse them from that Dross that is in them But however to prevent as much as may be the further increase of dangerous Books which by good Words fair Speeches and seeming Arguments may do much Mischief amongst the illiterate Vulgar 't is very necessary that all Writings offered to the Press about Matters of Religion should carefully be examined by Conscientious and Judicious Divines and that no general Liberty should be allowed to Men of all Sects to write and to Printers to publish whatever they please There are amongst us in this unhappy Age Hereticks of several denominations of whom St. Paul saith Their mouths must be stopped and for that he gives a very just Reason when he tells us They subvert whole houses teaching things which they ought not Now if there ought to be a Muzzle clapped upon the Hereticks mouth there is far greater Reason that there should be a restraint upon his Pen and Press For 't is impossible that any Heretick should do so much Mischief with his Tongue as he may by his Writings words only spoke and heard are transient but words written and printed are permanent an heretical Tongue can do no harm but by a personal Conference but an heretical Pen may do much Mischief to Men at a distance the wrong that may be done by heretical Discourse alone can reach but the present Age but heretical Books may injure and poyson the Souls of Men in after Ages And since there are too many such Books published amongst us it is the great Concern and should be the great Care of our Governours to see that there be no more lest if their Number increase without controul they may by degrees considering the ignorance instability and credulity of Men subvert the Faith of the Son of God and endanger the Souls of Men. But SECT III. 2. THIS Author argueth for an unlimited Liberty of the Press not only for its own great Usefulness but from the Consideration of several grand Inconveniences which as he saith would follow should the Press chance to be restrained and the first which he names is this First The restraint of the Press tends to make Men blindly submit to the Religion they chance to be educated in and to take it up without any trial To this I answer thus This Argument may hold in Popish Kingdoms where the People for want of means cannot and for fear of their Inquisitors dare not examine the Principles and Practices of the Roman Religion But the same Argument pleaded in and against the Church of England is of no Force for it proceeds upon a false Ground and hath a Fallacy in it for here is non causa pro causa the restraint of the Press is here assigned as the Cause or at least the great Occasion that Men take up their Religion upon Trust though indeed it be not so The matter of this Charge is true and as it cannot be denied so it is much to be lamented that great Numbers of Men even amongst us do indeed take up their Religion barely on Trust Protestants they are but why are they such only because it was the Religion of their Parents that wherein they were trained up from their Childhood 't is the Religion established by our Laws generally professed in our Nation and preached in our Churches These I fear are the only Motives upon which the far greatest Part of Men do by a blind and implicite Faith take up their Religion There is a vast multitude of Men who are constrained thus to take up their Religion upon trust by an invincible Necessity Men who were never blest with a liberal Education never taught to read Men so dull and stupid that they cannot apprehend much less remember the Strength of an Argument and surely Persons under such ill Circumstances are in no Capacity to judge for themselves but must rely upon the Judgment of their Teachers and upon their Credit and Authority take up some Religion or other or else they can take up none at all and this is the great unhappiness of many Thousands I fear even in the Church of England But besides these there is another sort of Men bred up in the Principles of Learning Men of compleat Knowledge and good Ability to judge betwixt Vice and Vertue Truth and Falshood and how frequently how earnestly do we exhort such Men from our Pulpits to prove all things to try the Spirits but alas 't is much to be feared that we lose our Labour that Men will not spare any time nor take any pains to examin their Religion but rather take it up at a venture just as they find it Now if a Man takes up his Religion upon trust when he need not do so he runs himself both into sin and danger a sin it certainly is because a breach of those fore named Commands and a great danger it is because instead of a Juno he may embrace a Cloud instead of a true Religon he may close with a false one But where lieth the Fault Upon whom or what must this sin be charged Sure I am that in this case a restraint upon the Press is innocent and cannot be justly blamed For were not Men obliged to examin the Matters of their Religion long before the Art of Printing was invented And was not the neglect of this Duty a sin in former Ages when there was not so much as one Press in all the
Men to peep into Heretical Books cannot be lawful because they do thereby run themselves into a very dangerous Temptation Our Lord hath left us this Caution Beware of false Prophets it seems they are dangerous Men so we are told again and again They creep into houses and there find success for They lead Captive silly women and again They overthrow the faith of some nay They subvert whole houses it seems that Heresie is a contagious Disease apt to over-run whole Families And doubtless this Poyson may be conveyed in a peice of Paper as successfully as any other way this infection may be received as well by the Eye from a Book as by the Ear from a Tongue for when unlearned Men meet with Socinian Arguments drawn either from Humane Reason or abused Scripture since they themselves cannot confute them they are apt to yield up their own Reason and give up those Truths for lost which they are not able to defend And I think that it will be no breach of Charity if I tell my Reader that I am verily persuaded that the great Reason why this Author pleads so many Arguments though no good ones for the unlimited liberty of the Press is this namely that our Socinians may without controul publish their Books full of subtile but fallacious Arguments to Surprize and Captivate the Judgments of illiterate and undiscerning Men. We know that in the late Reign an Universal Liberty of Conscience was pleaded for and granted by a Declaration upon a design to bring in Popery so now an universal Liberty of the Press is contended for by those Men whose design it is to introduce Socinianism the very worst of Heresies for it totally subverts the very Foundation of our Christian Faith and Hope Indeed to my best observation this Author hath not in his whole Letter so much as once named Socinian nor drop'd one plain word in favour of it but yet Latet anguis in herba This was very prudently done to prevent Suspicion but if he be not a Man of that sort why doth he tell us that if the Press must be Regulated it must be done by some Lay-man for which he can have no substantial Reason save only this namely because from a Clergy-man no Socinian Book can ever expect an Imprimatur But this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only by the way In short the substance of my Answer to this Allegation is this 'T is not lawful for Men of weak Understandings to mind subtile Arguments contained in Heretical Books lest thereby they might be ensnared and for that Reason the Press should not be permitted to publish any such Books unless security could be given that they should never come into Vulgar hands SECT XII 8. THIS Authors Eighth Allegation against the Restraint of the Press is this The Press ought not to be Restrained because the Reformation is wholly owing to it I answer There is no liberty denied to any English Press to publish any Book which tends to help the Devotions to reform the Lives or confirm the Judgments of Men in the true Faith of Christ but as for the Established Religion of our Church in matters of Faith and Worship it is so well refined already from the dregs of Popery and Superstition that we do not need another Luther nor the help of any Press to reform and make it better He that would reform our Religion in any of its substantial Parts must reform the Scriptures too for our Church teacheth no other Doctrines in the great Points of Faith and Worship than Christ and his Apostles taught the World if we may believe those Sacred Writings which they have left us But since I have already under another Head given a sufficient answer to this Allegation I need not here say any more about it SECT XIII 9. THE Ninth Allegation which this Author urgeth against the Restraint of the Press is this Our Divines condemn the Popish Clergy for not suffering their Laity to read Protestant Authors We do so and very justly too but what then The Inference which he intends must be this Our Protestant Clergy must be Condemned for not suffering our Laity to Read Socinian Books and for watching the Press to prevent it To this I answer thus this Inference is a Non Sequitur it is wild and extravagant for there is a great difference in the Case the prohibition of Books may be an Act either to be blamed or commended according as the Books prohibited are either really good or really bad to forbid Men the use of such Books as tend to the benefit of Mankind the advantage of True Religion and the Salvation of Souls is an Act Impious and Tyrannical And this is the known Practice of the Roman Church which forbids Lay-men to Read the Bible and the Writings of such Protestant Authors as teach nothing but what the Scriptures teach and for this do we very justly Condemn them But on the other Hand to forbid injudicious Men the use of such Books as tend to promote Errors and Heresies to distract their Readers Judgment and rather to shake their Faith than to confirm it is an Act laudable Charitable and necessary for the Age we live in for those Predictions of Christ and his Apostles false Prophets shall arise and again false Teachers shall be among you are fulfilled in these times for there are amongst us Romish Priests and Jesuits yea and some far more dangerous than they I mean our Socinians who cannot corrupt so many Souls by their Personal Conferences as they may by their Books And is it not high time to watch the Press lest any thing steal from thence which may Poyson the Heads of unwary Men Or must the Press be permitted freely to spread that destructive Heresie which hath been long since Condemned by the Catholick Church and its Representatives met in General Councils But here this Author to justifie his own Opinion Cites a learned Divine of our own Church and borrows this Passage from him They that have a good Cause will not fright Men from considering what their Adversaries say against them nor forbid them to Read their Books but rather encourage them so to do that they may see the difference between Truth and Error Reason and Sophistry with their own Eyes c. That we may see how little service this Passage doth our Author let us view it again They who have a good Cause but who are they We cannot doubt but this good Man meant the Church of England of which he himself was a very worthy Minister but what saith he of this Church of Ours It will not fright Men from considering c. but what Men This eminent Divine was the Lecturer of Gray's Inn where his Auditory did chiefly consist of such Persons as had been blest with a learned Education and might Charitably be presumed to be well skilled in the Law of God as well as in the Law of Man Now that this
judicious Divine of ours did mean that the Church of England would rather encourage than forbid Persons so qualified to read and Examine the Books of our Adversaries as well as our own to me seems evident from that reason which he subjoyns as the only end of an impartial Examination namely this That they may see the difference between Truth and Error Reason and Sophistry with their own Eyes This Expression doth plainly import the Persons fit to Read Books of Controversie in matters of Religion are only such as have Eyes of their own i. e. clear Heads enlightned Understandings able to discern Truth from Falshood And verily could the Books of our Socinians be confined within the Libraries of learned and judicious Men whether of the Clergy or of the Laity could they be surely kept from purblind Eyes and weak Judgments that unlimited liberty of the Press which this Author doth so earnestly contend for were the more allowable But since this can never be since Heretical Books are and ever will be exposed to common Sale though the Church of Rome doth ill in restraining their Laity from the use of good Books yet the Church of England would do very well in restraining the Press from putting ill ones into the Hands of unskilful Men where they would be more dangerous than edge-Tools in the Hand of a Child who knoweth not how to use them And so much in answer to this Objection SECT XIV 10. THIS Author begins his Tenth Allegation thus I cannot see how they that are for tying Men to that Interpretation of Scripture which a Licenser shall approve and therefore put it in his power to hinder all others from being published can with any Justice condemn the Popish Clergy for not Licensing the Bible it self for the Laity to Read I answer Here are two Suppositions both which are either impertinent to us or false in themselves if the Church of England be not the Persons here charged the Charge is impertinent but if they be it is false For 1. The Church of England doth tie none of her Members to that Interpretation of Scripture which such or such a Licenser of hers shall approve 'T is well known that we have many Interpretations of the Scripture which never were under the Inspection of any English Licenser the Expositions of the Fathers Schoolmen and many other Divines are brought us from beyond the Seas and the free choice and use of them is allowed us by our Church And if such Books chance to be Reprinted here in England the care of the Edition is committed not to the Licenser of Books to judg of their matters but to the Composer and Corrector of the Press to see to their Forms Character and exact truth of Printing Now if this be so as indeed it is if we are allowed to consult various Interpreters of our Bibles if we may take our Choice of such or such Expositors and use what Editions we please why should this undeserved imputation be cast upon the Church of England as if she tied all her Sons to such Interpretations of the Holy Scripture as her own Licensers shall Authorise 2. The Church of England doth not give her Licensers a Despotick Arbitrary and Absolute Power to reject every Book every Interpretation of Scripture which doth not please them 'T is certain that our Licensers do not act by any immediate and independent Power of their own but as Delegates and Substitutes by an Authority derived from their Superiors and if any of them shall either allow any Book which tends to mischief or suppress any Book which tends to common good they do abuse their Power exceed their Commission and must answer for it But is the miscarriage of some few Licensers an Argument that they should all be laid aside Some Kings have proved cruel Tyrants Some Judges have been corrupted and must we therefore have neither King nor Judg Sure I am that in this Age of ours we do sufficiently need a discreet and able Judg of Books and the Test and Censure of such a Judg no Man need fear more than our Socinian Writers for they being no great Friends to the Scripture are very odd Interpreters of it not through Ignorance but design I will not say through Rancor and Malice but I will say through Partiality and Prejudice For because the beginning of St. John's Gospel and several Expressions in St. Paul's Epistles being rightly understood and in the sense of the Catholick Church do totally overthrow their dangerous Hypothesis they fix upon those Texts such Interpretations as are childish absurd and even ridiculous such as none of the Fathers Schoolmen or Criticks so far as I can find did even think of And what an ill Cause do these Men manage who endeavour with handfuls of dirt to stop the Mouths of those Witnesses who being permitted to speak their own sense do so loudly proclaim their united Testimonies against them And methinks this one Consideration were there no more is enough to justifie our Church in appointing some fit Persons to be the Judges of Books and the Interpretations of Scripture offered to the Press and the rather because if any Licenser should out of any by respect or for any sinister end Stifle any Papers which deserve to see the light the injured Authors may appeal from the Licenser to the Vice-Chancellors in either of our Universities or to the Lord Bishop of London or to his Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury so that the fate of Books doth not ultimately depend upon the pleasure or sole Judgment of a Licenser Now Those two forenamed Suppositions upon which this Author bottoms this Tenth Allegation proving false the Superstructure which he builds upon them falls to the Ground and there I leave it SECT XV. 11. THE next Allegation against the Restraint of the Press this Author thrusts into the Mouths of other Men and makes them say what perhaps he himself doth not think namely this 'T is no small presumption that the Clergy themselves are Conscious of the falseness of their Religion How the Clergy what the whole Clergy Are ten thousand of us at once presumed to be Hypocrites Juglers and gross Dissemblers with God and Man We who teach Men that a false Religion leads towards Hell do we know our own to be false and yet embrace it still The Martyrs of England in Queen Mary's days died for the same Religion which we now profess and were they also Conscious that this Religion is false and yet in the defence of it shed their blood Certainly this Presumption is not small but very strange 't is a great breach as well of Charity as of Truth for if the Scriptures be true and who dares suspect them We are abundantly convinced that our Religion cannot be false and why then should any Man presume that we have indeed other thoughts concerning it The Reason here given is this Because the Clergy dare not suffer their Religion to undergo a
to obey one Command as well as another One Command is this prove all things another immediately follows hold fast that which is good Now if one Man obey the first of these Commands only and another obey them both they do not equally do what God requires nor consequently are they equally in the way to Heaven And this is the Case of two Persons who after an equal Examination hold two different Religions the one a True and the other a False one the Obedience of the one is only secundùm quid he obeyeth but this single Command prove all things but the other obeyeth this and that too hold fast that which is good which a False Religion can never be And if so How can two such Persons be in an equal Capacity of Salvation except a wrong way do as directly lead to Heaven as the right one There is another Assertion in the same Paragraph which I cannot pass over without some Reflections upon it and 't is this The perverse holding of Religion i. e. taking it up on trust whether it be true or false is Heresie This definition of Heresie is to me a new one and repugnant to many old ones which I have met with It is true the different Opinions of the old Philosophers whether True or False are indifferently stiled by Epiphanius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Heresies of the Philosophers But in Matters of Religion this word Heresie is very seldom if ever used in any Sense but a bad one the Evangelist mentions the Sect in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Heresie of the Pharisees and the Sadducees an Expression which doth no way commend them Nor did the Jews intend the credit of the Christian Religion when they called it this Sect or as it is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Heresie And as for the Pagans many of them had as bad an Opinion of it and stiled it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Atheistical Heresie so Eusebius Sure it is the word is now generally used in an ill Sense and doth necessarily imply nothing else but an unsoundness and tenacity of Opinion about Matters of Religion accordingly the old Canon Law of the Greek Church defines an Heretick thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that is not right in his Judgment The Council of Carthage describes them thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hereticks are they who have wrong apprehensions about the Christian Faith Tertullian defines Heresie thus quodcunque adversùs veritatem sapit whatsoever makes against not the Laws of God but his Truth accordingly an Heretick in the Language of Hesychius is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that chuseth some Opinion besides or against the Truth These Definitions of Ancient Divines inform us what their Thoughts were concerning Heresie namely that it was nothing else but an Opinion held against some Truth But this late Author is of another mind for he tells us That the taking up a Religion on trust though the true one is Heresie and according as Men are more or less partial in examining they are more or less heretical But if this be so then must the Nature and Essence of Truth depend on the bare act of Examination which cannot be because Truth will remain Truth whether it be examined or not the strictest Examination doth not constitute Truth but only makes it evident Indeed he who takes up a true Religion barely upon trust may be to blame but his Fault is not Heresie but Negligence and Disobedience 't is not as Heresie is an Errour in point of Judgment but a Sin in point of Practice 't is not the Violation of a Doctrine but the Transgression of a Command So that whatever Title we may give such a Man we cannot justly brand him with the Name of Heretick But yet our Author from these foregoing Premises infers this as an Epiphonema or granted Conclusion so that 't is not what a Man professeth but how that justifieth or condemns him before God No. Is the what excluded And is the how all Suppose a Man profess the Religion of Mahomet with the greatest Devotion that can be would not the what condemn him or would the how excuse him Suppose a Jew with the highest Reverence should have offered up a Swine instead of a Lamb would not the what the matter of his Sacrifice notwithstanding its exactest manner have rendred it abominable The Truth is God considers both the what and the how the substance of his Worship and its circumstances too and if so Why doth this Man tell us 't is not the what but the how And now being wearied with pursuing this Author through so many impertinent Allegations against the Restraint of the Press I shall take my leave of him when I have propounded two Arguments against that unlimited Liberty of the Press for which he is so zealous an Advocate and and that I fear upon an ill Design and my first Argument is this 1. Since this unlimited Liberty of the Press would certainly be as this Author himself doth not deny an in-let to Schisms Heresies and a great variety of Opinions and Practices in Matters of Religion the allowance of it can never consist with that Command of God contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints This Text supposeth that the true Faith or which is all one the true Religion is but one and that for that one we are to Contend and that Earnestly too Now to allow an unlimited Liberty to the Press which will open a wide Gap to introduce false Religions is so far from a contending for the one true Faith that it is indeed a contending against it and therefore such an allowance is a direct breach of this Command 2. Since this unlimited Liberty of the Press would certainly prove an in-let to Schisms Heresies and false Religions the allowance of it would be contradictory to the Judgment and Practice of the universal Church in all Ages It is true the Church of Christ in all Ages had not the use of a Press but if the late Art of Printing without any due Restraint should prove a means to introduce an inundation of Heresies the allowance of such a Liberty and those numerous Errours with which it would be attended would be diametrically opposite to the Judgment and Practice of the Catholick Church from one Generation to another Now the Question which relates to the Case in hand is this How did the Primitive Saints deal with those Men who differed in Opinion from the received Doctrine of the Catholick Church They followed St. Paul's Rule 2 Tim. 2. 25. In meekness instruct those that oppose themselves they did so they used all gentle and rational means to reduce them but when this would not do What course took they then Did they indulge them Did they give them an universal Liberty of Conscience Surely no and to prove this three Things shall be shewed First That an unlimited Toleration