A Key for Catholics, Treatise 1 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV.
Detect. 5. VVHen you have proceeded on theſe grounds, the Papiſts will tell you, that in their way there is an End of Controverſies, but in yours there is none: For if you will not ſtand to ones Judgement as infallible, you may diſpute as long as you live before you come to an End.
To direct you in diſcuſſing this part of the Deceit alſo: 1. We confeſs that on earth there will be no End of all controverſies among the beſt: nor of the great controverſies which ſalvation lyeth on, between the believers and the unbelievers: that is, there will be ſtill Infidelity and Hereſie in the world, and errour in the godly themſelves. 1. Hath it not been ſo in every age till now? And why ſhould we expect that it ſhould now be otherwiſe? 2. Doth not Paul tell us that here we know but in part, and propheſie in part? and when is it that that which is imperfect will be done away, but when that which is perfect is come? While we know but in part, we ſhall differ in part.
2. Hath your way put an End to controverſies any more then ours? Are you not yet at controverſie with Infidels, Whether Chriſt be the Redeemer: and with Hereticks whether he be true eternall God? Are you not yet as full of controverſies among your ſelves, as any Chriſtians on the face of the earth? I do not believe but in the many Volumes of your Schoolmen, Caſuiſts, and Commentators, I can ſhew more controverſies yet depending, then you can find amongſt any ſort of Chriſtians in the world; yea then you can find among all other Chriſtians in the world ſet together.
3. And is there any thing in your way that better tendeth to the deciding of controverſies then in ours? Nothing at all; but contrarily, you have made more Controverſies then you have ended. For, 1. We have a Certain infallible Rule to decide our controverſies by, even ſuch as you confeſs your ſelves to be infallible; Even the Holy Scriptures: but you have an uncertain Rule, even the Decrees of your Popes and Councils, and the many Volumes of the Fathers, which are at odds among themſelves; your very Rule is ſelf-contradicting, and your Judges are together by the ears (as hath been ſhewed.)
2. Our Faith conſiſteth in thoſe points which are granted by your ſelves, and ſo are beyond Controverſie between us and you. But yours lyeth alſo in a mixture of mens corruptions, which will ever be controverted and condemned.
3. Our Faith conſiſteth in the few ancient Articles by which the Church was alwayes known (as to its eſſentials.) But you confound the Eſſentials with the integrals: and the Number of your neceſſary Articles is ſo great, as muſt needs be matter of more controverſie then ours.
4. We know our Religion, and where to find it: For it is perfect at the firſt, and receiveth no additions or diminutions. One generation cometh, and another goeth, but the word of the Lord endureth for ever. But you never know when you have all, becauſe you know not when your Pope will have done defining: that is an article of faith to you one year that was none the year before nor ever before.
5. We need no Judge to decide any controverſies among us in the points of Abſolute neceſſity to ſalvation: both becauſe the Scripture is ſo plain in thoſe points, as to ſerve for deciſion without a Judge; and becauſe we abhor to make a controverſie of any of them; and where there is no controverſie, there needs no Judge. We are all agreed, through the plainneſs of the Scripture, that there is but one, Eternal, moſt Wiſe, and Good, and Omnipotent God; and that there is one Mediator between God and man, who is himſelf both God and man, that was crucified, dead, buried, went to foreign, roſe again, aſcended, intercedeth for us, and is King and Head of the Church: and will raiſe the dead, and judge the world, ſome to Heaven, and ſome to Hell: Theſe and all the reſt of the Eſſentials of our faith, and many more points that are not eſſentials, are ſo plain in Scripture that we are paſt making them matter of Controverſie. If any man deny an Eſſential point of faith, he is none of us, no more then of you. But you are it ſeems ſo deep in infidelity, that you muſt have a judge to decide your Controverſies in the neceſſary Articles of Faith. For whatever is de fide, you make to be of ſuch equal neceſſity, that you deride our diſtinguiſhing the Fundamentals from the reſt, (as may be ſeen in Knots Infidelity unmaskt againſt Chillingworth) Seriouſly tell us, Do you think Chriſtians need a Judge, or muſt put it to a Judge to decide, whether Chriſt be the Meſſias or not? whether he died and roſe again or not? Whether he will judge the world or not? or any ſuch points. If he be a Judge, he muſt have power to oblige you to ſtand to his Determination on which ſide ſoever he determine. And what if John 22. determine that the ſoul is not immortal, or John 23. that there is no reſurrection or life to come, but a man dieth like a beaſt: would you ſtand to this deciſion?
6. If you ſay that your Judge hath power to oblige you only on one ſide, that is, when he judgeth right (and ſo make no Judge of him, but a Teacher) we have ſuch Judges as well as you, even Teachers to ſhew us the Evidence of truth.
7. If you ſay that you have a Judge to determine of hereſies in order to the Puniſhing of them by the ſword: So have we as well as you, and better then you. For your Pope is a Prieſt that hath nothing to do with the ſword, (at leaſt out of his own Principalities): but our Princes and other Rulers are lawful Magiſtrates, that are appointed to be a terror to evill doers, Rom. 13. 4, 6.
8. If you ſay that you have a Judge to determine of hereſie in Order to Excommunication, ſo have we in every Church: even the Paſtors of the Churches, who are bound to unite and aſſiſt each other in ſuch works. What is to be accounted Hereſie, the Law of God ſufficiently determineth: And what particular perſons are to be Judged hereticks and excommunicated according to that Law, the particular Paſtors that are on the place can better decide then a Pope that is a thouſand, or five thouſand miles off, and cannot hear the witneſſes. And do you not your ſelves decide almoſt all ſuch caſes through the world (that is of your ſubjection) by the preſent Paſtors or Biſhops, and not by the Pope? And why may not we do ſo then as well as you?
9. But if you lay all upon your Popes or Councils Infallibility, I deſire you but to read my third Diſputation in a Book againſt Popery, called the Safe Religion; and then believe that Infallibility if you can. I ſhould think my ſelf a miſerable man, if I were not my ſelf more Infallible then many of your Popes have been. Every Chriſtian (while ſuch) is infallible in his belief of the Chriſtian faith; And the Scripture is an infallible ground of our belief.
10. Is it not a plain Judgement of God upon you, that while you make the Scripture ſo dark and not intelligible, and cry up the Neceſſity of a living Judge, you ſhould not only ſwarm with differences among your ſelves, but ſhould be utterly diſagreed, and at a loſs to know who is this Judge of Controverſies, one ſaying it is the Pope, and another that its the Council; and what the better are you for ſaying, There muſt be a Judge, as long as you cannot tell Who it muſt be? Its not only uncertain among you Whether Pope or Councill be the Infallible Judge, but alſo which is a true Pope, and which is a lawfull General Council? For fourty years at leaſt together, the Church could not know the true Pope, but the more learned and conſcionable men were divided: Nor is it known to this day. Frequently the ſtrongeſt hath carried it, and ſucceſs been his beſt title. Nay General Councils themſelves knew not the right Pope. The Council at Conſtance and Baſil knew not the right Pope. They of Baſil thought Felix the fifth the true Pope, and Eugenius no Pope: But friends and ſtrength confuted a General Council, and proved depoſed Eugenius the Pope. And for Councils themſelves, who knows which to take for currant and of Authority? What Catalogues have you of reprobated Councils, and of doubtfull Councils, and partly approved, partly reprobate, and who knows which and how far; but only that is approved, that pleaſeth the Pope, and that reprobate that diſpleaſed him, and yet perhaps approved by a former Pope: So that you are all in a confuſion and uncertain about your true Popes and General Councils.
And if you knew them, yet what a loſs are you at to know their Decrees and Canons? What a Fardel of falſe Decretall Epiſtles have you thruſt upon the world, as Blondell, Dalleus, Reignolds and others have fully proved. Forſooth decretals that uſe a tranſlation of the Scripture that was formed a long time after the death of the ſuppoſed Authors of thoſe Epiſtles: And Decretals which make mention of perſons and things that were many ſcore or hundred years after the death of the ſaid Authors. Theſe are your new Scriptures, and by theſe our faith muſt be regulated, and our controverſies decided.
And your Canons are abundance of them as uncertain: ſome of your own will have but twenty Canons of the firſt General Council at Nice: ſome will have the new found rabble of additions. Much more uncertainty or certain forgery there is in the Canons called the Apoſtles: and the like we may ſay of abundance more.
And now I appeal to all the impartial Reaſon in the world, whether your voluminous, apocriphal, uncertain faith that needs a living Judge, and cannot find one, or agree upon him, and that leaves your controverſies ſtill undecided, be a liker way to peace and unity, then our ſhort and plain Articles and infallible Scripture faith, that hath leſs matter of contention, and better means to prevent it, even faithful Teachers and Judges in every Church and Commonwealth, which ſhall ſo far determine as may preſerve the peace of thoſe ſocieties, levaing the final full Deciſion of all to the Eternal Judge that is even at the door.
11. Yea and is not Gods hand of Judgement yet more obſervable againſt you, that when your Popes and Councils have paſt their judgement, the ſeveral Sects are unable to underſtand them? witneſs the late ſentence againſt the Janſeniſts, of which the perſons that ſeem to be condemned, ſay, that there is no ſuch thing or words in all Janſenius writings, as the Pope ſaith are in him, and condemneth as his: and the Controverſie is as far from a deciſion, as if the Pope had held his peace. Yea your great Diſputer here in England, Thomas White the Noveliſt, is the ſame for all the Popes determination.
Take another inſtance in the forementioned Caſe, Whether the Pope or Council be ſupream: The Councils of Conſtance and Baſil determined it one way as de fide, and yet that made no end of the Controverſie. The Council of Lateran and Pope Leo determined it the other way; and yet it is a Controverſie after two contrary deciſions: and ſome ſay one way, and ſome the othe: and ſome ſay, It is yet undecided (for fear of angring the French by caſting them off as Hereticks.) Another inſtance. The Council at Baſil Seſſ. 36. (pag. 80. in Binnius) hath fully determined the Controverſie between the Franciſcans and Dominicans about the Virgin Maries immaculate conception: and yet it is undetermined ſtill; and Thomas White preſumes to affirm, that [Certainly there is no Tradition for it, nor any probability that ever the Negative will be defined. Apolog. for Tradit. pag. 64, 65, 66. yea he carryeth it as boldly out, as if never Council had made or medled with it. I will therefore recite the words of the Council, which are theſe [A hard queſtion hath been in divers parts, and before this holy Synod, about the Conception of the glorious Virgin Mary, and the beginning of her Sanctification; ſome ſaying that the Virgin and her ſoul was for ſome time or inſtant of time actually under Original ſin: others on the contrary, ſaying, that from the beginning of her Creation, God loving her, gave her grace by which preſerving and freeing that bleſſed perſon from the Original ſpot—we, having diligently looke into the authorities and reaſons, which for many years paſt have in publike relation on both ſides been alledged before this holy Synod, and having ſeen many other things about it, and weighed them by mature conſideration, do Define and Declare, that the doctrine affirming that the glorious Virgin Mary the Mother of God, by the ſingular preventing and operating grace of God, was never actually under Original ſin, but was ever free from all Original and actual ſin, and was holy and immaculate, is to be approved, held and embraced of all Catholikes as godly and Conſonant to Church-worſhip, Catholike faith, right reaſon, and ſacred Scripture: and that henceforth it ſhall be lawful for no man to preach and teach the contrary] Is not this plain Defining?
Obj. But this was not an approved Council. Anſw. 1. It was owned by Pope Eugenius himſelf. And here once for all I prove that the Council of Baſil was approved by the Pope: for Pope Felix the fift (one of the beſt Popes that ever Rome had this thouſand years) approved it in this point: not only by accepting their election, but in expreſs terms [profeſſing firmly to hold the faith of the Councils of Conſtance and Baſil, and to keep it inviolate to a tittle, and confirm it with his ſoul and blood: promiſing faithfully to labour to defend the Catholick faith, and for the execution and obſervation of the Decrees of the Councils of Conſtance and Baſil, ſwearing to proſecute the celebration of Generall Councils, and confirmation of Elections, according to the Decrees of the Holy Council of Baſil] See Binnius Seſ. 40. page 87. If they ſay that Felix was not a true Pope: I anſwer, then Martin the fifth choſen by the Councill at Conſtance was no true Pope; and then where is your ſucceſſion? Theſe things are plain and cannot be denyed, though unconſcionable ſhifters, that argue according to their Wills, may find words to be guile the ſimple.
2 It ſeems then your Catholick Church repreſentative is nothing if one man like it not.
One more inſtance: How largely hath the Council of Trent dealt about originall ſin: And yet the foreſaid Thomas White ibid. ſaith thus [If the People were taught Original ſin is nothing but a Diſpoſition to evil, or a natural weakneſs, which unleſs prevented brings infallibly ſin and damnation: and that in it ſelf it deſerves neither reproach nor puniſhment, as long as it proceeds not to actual ſin, the heat of vulgar devotion would be cooled, &c.] See here a meer Pelagian iſſue of all the Determinations about Originall ſin, which they ſhould ſwear to believe.