The Certainty of Christianity Without Popery, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
Of the Quality of this Question.
SIR,
§. 1. YOU may see by this Paper, with the ordinary disputing of this sort of men, that it is not without cause that we have suspected the hand of the Papists in many of the defences of the Infidel cause, and questionings of the foundations of the Christian faith, which this age is troubled with. They have so long plaid the Infidels in jeast, till they have made such a swarm of serious Infidels, as will prove neither the honour nor comfort of such seducers in the end. I know that this Paper it self hath a more modest aspect, but the tendencie of it is the same as of the rest. But I hope God will turn all their endeavours to our advantage, and teach Christians bet-better to consider the foundations of their faith; that they may not only be able to defend it against an Infidel or Papist; but, which is of more universal and frequent necessity, to defend it against the inward suggestions of Satan, the enemy of Christ and us.
§. 2. Therefore I think it most profitable to answer this Question in such a manner as shall tend not only to silence the Caviller, but as may best satisfie such as doubt, and stablish men about the cause it self; and therefore to be larger, than this Imposer desireth, that I may be plain.
§. 3. The fraud which this Quaerist is guilty of is manifold, and manifest to any discerning Reader. 1. In the choice of his subject: For he knoweth (for it's easily known,) that it hath not pleased God to make the mysteries of our faith so evident, as things sensible are; and that the difficulties which are in and about the Christian cause, are such, as give advantage to carnal unbelievers, to find many words to say against it; and that maketh it the hardest work of Preachers, to convince unbelievers: or else the Gospel had been received by more than the sixth part of the world, before this day. Now these juglers would lay all the difficulties which are in the Christian cause as such, upon the Reformers cause alone, as if all this were nothing to them, but the cause of Popery were wholly free from them; or at least, they could answer such questions better than we can do. And so when such a fellow as Hobbs, or Benedictus Spinosa in his Tractatus Theologico-politicus, shall stretch their wits to disgrace the Scripture and the Christian cause, all this shall seem only to fall upon the Protestants; whereas if we could not better defend Christianity than the present principles of Popery enable them to do, we must confess that the Infidel were far hardlier answered than any Sectary that we have to deal with.
§. 4. 2. And his next fraud lieth in casting all the positive defence and proof on us, that he may have nothing to do but assault Religion, and manage the Infidels objections against us. He offereth not to tell you himself, what their uniting certainty of Divine Revelations is, and to make it good, but to put you upon the proving task.
§. 5. 3. And his fraud is evident in the multitude of Questions which he thrusteth together into one; which any man of wit knoweth cannot have one answer; but must have many as the Questions are many. §. 6. 4. And yet he will oblige the Answerer to avoid [tedious discourses] that so if his many questions have not one short answer, he may have the evading pretence, that It is a tedious discourse.
§. 7. 5. And there is evident fraud in his ambiguous terms; As his opposing matter of fact only to matter of right, and so making many heterogeneals to fall under matter of fact; His confused and unexplained use of the terms [Principle, Medium, determinining, Certainty, Vnity in faith, &c.]
§. 8. 6. Lastly, There is much fraud in his many insinuated suppositions; As, 1. That the Truth of this proposition that Whatsoever God saith is true, &c. is a matter of meer right, as distinct from the rest mentioned as matters of fact: 2. That the sense of the words is a matter of fact as the truth of them is not. 3. That Papists agree with us that every Revelation of God is most certainly true. 4. That the Ebionites, Valentinians, &c. who questioned the Scripture books were Christians; 5. That these matters have here a final determination. 6. That this is necessary to Certainty and Unity in the faith. By all which it appeareth that this Question is intended, or used at least, as a Soul-trap, and a Fool-trap.