A Key for Catholics, Treatise 1 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
BEfore I mention the Grounds or Cauſe that you muſt maintain, I muſt premiſe this Advice to the Common People.
1. Wrong not the Truth and your ſelves by an unequal conflict. Enter not raſhly upon Diſputes with thoſe that are Learned and of nimble tongues, if you be ignorant, or of weak capacities your ſelves. Though I ſhall here ſhew you that Scripture, Church, Tradition, Reaſon and Senſe are on your ſide, yet experience tels us how the words of Juglers have made millions of men deny belief to their eyes, their taſte and other ſenſes. An ignorant man is ſoon ſilenced by a ſubtile wit; and many think that when they cannot anſwer, they muſt yield, though they deny both Senſe and Reaſon by it. If any of them ſecretly entice you, deſire them to debate the caſe with ſome able, learned, experienced Miniſter in your hearing. It is the office of your Paſtors to defend you from the wolves: If you once deſpiſe them or ſtraggle from them and the Flocks, and truſt to your own Reaſon that is unfurniſhed and unprepared for ſuch work, you may take that you get by it, if you be undone. You need the help of Paſtors for your ſouls, as well as of Phyſicians for your Bodies, and Lawyers for your Eſtates: or elſe God would never have ſet them over you in his Church. Let them but come on equal terms, and you ſhall ſee what Truth can do. In this way we will not avoid a Conference with any of them. But alas! with ignorant unlearned people, what may not ſuch Deceivers do? that can perſwade ſo many thouſand ſouls to give no Credit to their own eyes, or taſte, or feeling, but to believe a Prieſt, that Bread is not Bread, and Wine is not Wine.
2. Yet I would have the weakeſt to endeavour to underſtand the reaſons of their Profeſſion, and to be able to repell Deceivers: And to that end, I ſhall here give you firſt ſome Directions concerning the cauſe which you muſt defend.
And concerning this, Obſerve theſe things following 1. Underſtand what the Religion is that you muſt hold and maintain: It is the antient Chriſtian Religion. Do not put every Truth among the Eſſentials of your Religion: Our Religion doth not ſtand or fall with every Controverſie that is raiſed about it. That which was the true Religion in the Apoſtles days is ours now: that which all were baptized into the Profeſſion of, and the Churches openly held forth as their Belief. Reformation brings us not a new Religion: but cleanſeth the old from the droſs of Popery, which by innovation they had brought in. A man that cannot confute a Papiſt, may yet be a Chriſtian, and ſo hold faſt the true Religion. It followeth not that our Religion is queſtionable or unſafe, if ſome point in Controverſie between them and us be queſtionable or hard. The Papiſts would fain bring you to believe that our Religion muſt lie upon ſome of theſe Controverſies: but its no ſuch matter Perhaps you will ſay, That then it is not about Religion that we differ from them. I anſwer; yes: it is about the Eſſentials of their Religion, but it is but for the preſerving the Integrity of ours againſt the Conſequences and additions of theirs. They have made them a New Religion (which we call Popery) and joined this to the Old Religion (which we call Chriſtianity.) Now we ſtick to the old Religion alone; and therefore there is more eſſential to their Religion, then is to ours; ſo that our own Religion, even the ancient Chriſtianity, is out of Controverſie between us. The Papiſts do confeſs that the Creed, the Lords Prayer, the ten Commandments are true, yea that all the Scripture is the word of God, and certainly true: ſo that our Religion is granted us as paſt diſpute: And therefore it is only the Papiſts Religion that is in queſtion between us, and not ours. If you will make thoſe lower Truths to be of the Eſſence of your Religion which are not, you will give the Papiſts the advantage which they deſire.
2. If the Papiſts call for a Rule, or Teſt of your Religion, and ask you where they may find it, aſſign them to the Holy Scriptures, and not to any Confeſsions of Churches, further then as they agree with that. We know of no Divine Rules and Laws of Faith and Life, but the holy Scripture (and the hearts of Believers have an imperfect Tranſcript of them.) The Confeſsions of Churches are but part of the Holy Scripture, or Collections out of them, containing the points of greateſt weight: And if in phraſe or order (much more in matter) there be any thing humane, we make it not our Rule, nor are we bound to make it good, no more then the Writings of godly men. A point is not therefore with us an Article of Faith, becauſe our Churches or a Synod put it into a Confeſsion, but becauſe it is in the Word of God. For a Councils determinations do with us differ but gradually from the Judgement of a ſingle man, in this reſpect. And therefore we give them the Scripture only as the full Doctrine of our Faith, and the perfect Law of God; And thoſe points in it, which Life or Death is laid upon, and God hath told us, we cannot be ſaved without, we take as the Eſſentials of our Religion, and the reſt as the Integrals only.
If they ask, Why then we do draw up Confeſſions of Faith? I anſwer, 1. To teach and help the people by gathering to their hands the moſt neceſſary points, and giving them ſometimes an explication of them. 2. To let our Accuſers ſee that we miſunderſtand not the Scriptures. 3. To let Paſtors and other Subjects know what ſence of Scripture the Magiſtrate will own within his Dominions. 4. And to let the Paſtors and the world know what ſence in the principal Points we are agreed in. But ſtill we take not our Confeſſions for our Divine Rule; and therefore if there be any errour in a Confeſſion, there is none in the Rule of our Religion, and conſequently none in the Religion which we all agree in; but only in ſuch a perſons or Churches expoſition of the Rule, which yet among Chriſtians is not in any eſſential Point.
3. Underſtand well what is the Catholick Church, that when the Papiſts ask you what Church you are of, or call to you to prove its antiquity or truth, you may give them a ſound and Catholick anſwer. The Catholick Church is the whole number of true Chriſtians upon earth (for we meddle not now with that part which is in Heaven.) It is not tyed to Proteſtants only, nor to the Greeks only, much leſs to the Romaniſts only, or to any other party whatſoever; but it comprehendeth all the members of Chriſt; and as viſible, it containeth all that profeſs the Chriſtian Religion by a credible profeſſion. If the Chriſtian Religion may be known, then a man may know that he is a Chriſtian, and conſequently a member of the Catholick Church. But if the Chriſtian Religion cannot be known, then no man can know which is the Church, or which is a Chriſtian. All Chriſtians united to Chriſt the Head, are this Catholick Church. If you tye the Church to your own party, and make a wrong deſcription of it, you will enſnare your ſelves, and ſpoil your belief, and your defence of it.
4. Run not into extreams: mix not any unſound principles with your Religion. For if you do, the Papiſts will cull out thoſe, and by diſgracing them, will ſeem to diſgrace your Religion.
5. Uſe not any unſound Arguments to defend the Truth. For if you do, the truth will ſuffer, and ſeem to be overthrown by the weakneſs of your Arguments.
6. Joyn not with thoſe men that caſt out any Ordinance of God, becauſe the Papiſts have abuſed it. Reformation of corrupted Inſtitutions is not by the Abolition of them, but by the Reſtauration of them. There are few things in uſe among the Papiſts themſelves as parts of worſhip, but may lead us up to a good original, or tell us of ſome other real Duty which did degenerate into theſe.
7. Joyn not with thoſe ignorant, unpeaceable, ſelf-conceited, womaniſh, rabious Divines, or private men, that pour out unworthy reproaches at godly men among our ſelves, as if they were Hereticks, or ſuch as the Churches ſhould diſ-own. For theſe are they that pleaſe the Papiſts, and harden them in their Error, and offend the weak. They think they may call us Hereticks or Blaſphemers by authority, when we call one another ſo. Such Railers teach them what to ſay, and play their game more effectually then they could do their own. When they are alluring the ſimple people, how ſoon will they prevail, if they can but prove their charge againſt us from the pens of Proteſtants themſelves?
Having told you on what grounds you muſt make good your cauſe againſt them, I ſhall next give you three or four eaſie Arguments (ſome of them formerly given you) by which even the weakeſt may prove that Popery is but deceit.