Inquiry into Grounds for the Infallibility of the Pope and Church of Rome, Preface
The Preface.
THere are none who allow themſelves any liberty of Enquiry, ſo little skilled in the Controverſies and Diſputes between the Papiſts and Us, but muſt needs perceive, that when they are driven out of all the Subterfuges and little Policies (which they call Diſtinctions) by which they labour to defend their Errours, then their laſt reſort is, to the Infallibility of their Church; which as they handle it, is a foreign, a Plaiſter large and broad enough, though not to cure, yet to palliate and hide their noiſome and diſeaſed Doctrines. And therefore unleſs we can take from them this Refuge alſo, it will be to as little purpoſe to combate their other Tenets, how falſe and erroneous ſoever, as it was for Hercules in the Fable, to wreſtle with Anteus; who as often as be was thrown down upon his Mother the Earth, roſe up again with new and redoubled vigour: So till we are able by plain force of Argument, to convince the Papiſts of their folly, in believing that foreign, their Mother, the Churches Infallibility, no induſtry can be ſo quick in cutting off and destroying their Errours, as that pregnant and fruitfull womb will be, in conceiving and bringing them forth again. As they tell us, that young Vipers when they are aſſaulted, run into their Mothers mouth, and from thence ſeek ſhelter in the poiſonous womb that bare them; ſo all thoſe Prodigies, rather than Opinions of Tranſubſtantiation, Supererogation, Image-Adoration, and the like, when they are purſued home, and preſſed beyond the ſtrength and ſupport of their own proper Principles; then to defend themſelves, they take Sanctuary in Infallibility, and under the protection of that, they lye, though not concealed from the eye, yet ſafe from the edge of their oppoſers. For to inſtance in the vaſt uſe of it, what if all the ſenſes we have, and the Apoſtle too, do aſſure us that the Bread in the Lords Supper, even after Conſecration, remains true and reall Bread ſtill, yet if that Church, whoſe judgement is ſuppoſed to be Infallible, tells us there is no ſuch matter, but that under that Form, whatever we think, there is contained our Lord Chriſt both in his Divine and Humane Nature, we must then in ſpite of all contradiction, either believe her, or elſe vindicate our ſelves from ſo unreaſonable and ſo abſurd an opinion, by diſproving her Infallibility.
Leaving therefore other parts of the Romiſh Religion, which are either bold additions to the Word of God, or elſe ſo groſs falſifications of it, that they deſerve not a particular confutation, I have here endeavoured to ſet upon that Man of ſin, where his ſtrength lyes, ſince by our Saviours example, to break the Serpents head, is not only the most ready way to diſpatch him, but the moſt ſafe way too to prevent any infection by his venome.
In proſecution of this Deſign, that I might not out of too much eagerneſs and heat miſtake my Adverſary, I took this Method.
1. I laboured fully to inform my ſelf of the Church of Romes Doctrine, eſpecially in thoſe points, wherein we as Proteſtants do differ from them. And this I did, not by ſtudying the Collections of others, or by adhering to ſome one Author of their Party, whoſe Writings they are not bound univerſally to own, but by diligent peruſing the Canons of their moſt magnified Councels, particularly that of Trent, which I read only in ſuch Editions, as are approved and atteſted by themſelves.
2. Since the Popes Infallibility, how tamely ſoever our Modern Papiſts ſwallow it, was anciently a great Diſpute amongſt them, and in the Schools among their learned men is not yet decided: ſome attributing it to the Pope (which ſeems to have been the judgement of the Junto at Trent) others preferring a Councell, of which opinion were the two Councels of Baſil and Conſtance, as appears in their Decrees yet extant. Hereupon I carefully peruſed Cardinall Bellarmine upon this Subject, who is the Popes Principall, and moſt avowed, I will adde, and most learned Champion. And becauſe I think he hath ſpoke fully the ſenſe of the Court of Rome, and left nothing unſaid which might juſtifie his Cauſe, I made it my buſineſs in the following Treatiſe to anſwer his Arguments.
3. Though they inferre it from different Principles, yet ſince both Papiſts and Proteſtants do agree in this Concluſion, that the Scripture is the undoubted Word of God, I have from that Armory fetched all my weapons, by which I fight against this Monſter of Infallibility: for ſince Bellarmines beſt plea for it is from ſome few Texts, by him miſerably wreſted and miſtaken, I thought it my duty to take this ſword of the Spirit out of that Gollans hand, and not only ſonite off his head with it, but likewiſe uſe it my ſelf thronghout my whole Diſcourſe. For though the Papiſts are ſo bold as to deny the Scriptures to be a Sufficient Rule, yet for ſo much as there is of them, they dare not deny them to be Infallible: and therefore
Laſtly, Whatever Teſtimonies I might have alleadged, either in behalf of the Scriptures Sufficiency and Divine Autherity, or againſt the perpetuall Infallibility of any man, or number of men whatever, (of which kind of Citations I have collected many, and obſerved more in the ancient Writers, eſpecially before Conſtantines time) yet I purpoſely omitted them, becauſe 1. In Queſtions, wherein the Right of any thing is controverted, to call in Witneſſes is altogether impertinent. 2. No Authority of man ought to prevail, unleſs it hath the Authority of God, and the conſent of mankind, i.e. Scripture or Right Reaſon to back it. 3. Many Writers of our own, as Mounſieur Daillee, Chillingworth, the Lord Falkland, the Lord Digby, now Earl of Briſtow, &c. have already ſhewed the vanity and uſeleſneſs of ſuch Allegations: and becauſe it is poſſible that the example of the laſt Honourable Perſon I named, may be urged againſt me, ſince his preſent practice doth contradict his former principles; I will only adde this, that ſince his Book is not yet anſwered by himſelf, I hope he thinks it unanſwerable, and will not long continue in communion with that Church, whoſe Foundations he hath ſo well overthrown. 4. This way of writing by Quotations, makes every Controverſie uncertain, dilatory, and endleſs: for as the poſſeſſed perſon ſaid to the Exorciſts, Jeſus I know, and Paul I know, but who are ye? ſo may the common Reader ſay of Authorities and Fathers, Scripture I know, and Reaſon I know, but who are ye? for any farther than they ſpeak according to the Dictates of the two former, theſe latter must not be heard, much leſs believed or followed.
That this little Treatiſe, thus curtailed of all Authorities, and deplumed of thoſe Sentences from Fathers (with which others do not think they ſtuff, but rather adorn their Writings) is like to be little read, and leſs eſteemed by the men of a contrary perſwaſion, I eaſily foreſee; but yet the Queſtion is ſo very uſefull, that I could not omit to handle it. For
1. If it ſhall appear, that the Church and Pope of Rome are not Infallible, then I hope all thoſe who have unwarily embraced their Errours, upon the account of their unerring Authority, will be induced to ſhake off their lazineſs, and addreſs themſelves ſtrictly to enquire into the Grounds of what they Believe; and according to the advice of the Apoſtle Paul (who was undoubtedly Infallible in that direction) Prove all things, and then hold faſt that which is good. The greateſt Truth, while it is untried, may for ought we know be an Errour; and all that while if we entertain it, we fall upon our Religion onelyonly by chance; and ſerve God, as the Samaritans did, for which our Saviour blames them, we know not why.
2. If the Pope and Church of Rome be not Infallible in their Judgment about Religious matters, then it follows, that they ought not to impoſe upon the Judgment of others; there being nothing more unreaſonable then this, that they ſhould Lord it over the Faith, or, Conſciencious Perſwaſion of other men, who are not certain but they may Erre and be deceived themſelves.
This laſt Conſideration, how far it may be improved, to moderate the great Fierceneſſe and Rigor of too many among our ſelves (who in things of ſo poore, ſo triviall, ſo needleſſe and ſo unmanly a nature, will have their will to be a Law) I mention only, it being too ſad a Theme to inſiſt long upon. But if Religion, which is in it ſelfe the firmeſt lye; if the Law of Chriſt, which is a Law of Love; cannot make us agree and live together as Brethren, yet let feare of the common Enemy, prevent our ſeparation. When Abraham and Lot fell out about their Paſtures (and I wiſh much of our Church-quarells now were not of the ſame nature) the ſpirit of God remarks upon it, the Canaanits and the Perizzites were then in the Land. Hereby intimating, that it was a moſt unſeaſonable time for them to diſagree and to divide from each other in, when they were ſurrounded in the midſt of Enemies. This paſſage perfectly agrees with our Caſe, and on the very ſame motive beſpeakes a mutuall Reconcilement; for certainly the Canaanites are in the Land, the Philiſtines are, if not upon, yet Among us, who watch our Halting, and hate Conformiſts and Non-conformiſts (if theſe muſt be once more the Unhappy Termes to diſtinguiſh us) both alike; the one they hate for going ſo farre from, the other, for not comming neerer to them. If God in juſt Judgment upon our unchriſtian Animoſities, ſhould make us a Prey to thoſe Incircumciſed Philiſtines, Polyphemus courteſie to Uliſſes, of devouring him laſt, would be the greateſt favour that he can expect, whoever he be that is now most eager in denying his weake, but yet Chriſtian Brother, that Liberty which he thinks Chriſt hath purchaſed; and none but Antichriſt will ſeeke utterly to bereave us of. Should we ever fall into the Papiſts hands again I cannot expect they ſhould uſe us more mildly, then their predeceſſours did Samſon, i.e. put out our eyes, and make us grind in their Mills, Or as they afterwards ſerved the Iſraelites, take away our Weapows of Warre; our Scripture, and the best, if not the onelyonly Interpreter of it, Enligtned Reaſon; and ſo leave us Naked and Defenceleſſe, to the Aſſaules of Ignorance firſt, and if that will not prevaile, to the Fury of a Mercileſse Inquiſition. Which laſt, will be found the ſtrongeſt and moſt forcible Engine, rather then Argument, by which they defend their Infallibillity.
But how ill an opinion ſoever I have both of the Papiſts Religion, and of the unchriſtian wayes they take to propagate it, yet farre be it from me to wiſh, that amongſt us they may ſuffer the ſame hard meaſure, which I know by their principles, they are alwayes ready to inflict. For ſo much doe I deſire their Converſion (which can never be ſincere unleſſe it be voluntary and unconſtrained) and ſo little feare their Power of ſeducing (ſince their greateſt ſtrength lies in the Ignorance of their followers, rather then in the cunning of their Guides) that I heartily wiſh all Penall Lawes againſt them were utterly taken away: For I never yet ſaw any Argument that could clearly evince, why any ſort of men, who would profeſſe a peaceable ſubjection unto the Civill Government, might not in all their Civill Rights, be protected by it.
I must confeſs there are two things, which do much difference the caſe of the Papists, from that of any other Religious Sect this day in the World, and which renders the toleration of them very unſafe, if not unwarrantable. One is, their depending upon, and owning of a forreign Power, and that ſuch a Power too, which according to the Opinion of their Teachers, can when he pleaſeth diſpenſe with them for, and releaſe them from their moſt ſacred Engagements, ſo that a State can have no ſecurity, but that whenever they have opportunity, they will endeavour a Change; Lib. 5. de Pontif. Rom. c. 7. Quod ſi Chriſtiani non depoſuerunt Neronem & ſimiles, id fuit quia deerant vires temporales, nam alioqui jure id poter ant facere, &c.and their preſent peaceableneſs may justly be attributed meerly to their want of ſtrength: which Bellarmine is not aſhamed to ſay, was the ſole cauſe why the Primitive Chriſtians were coment to ſuffer without Reſiſtance: from which Poſition what can follow, but that it concerns the wiſdome and policy of every State, to keep thoſe under, whom as to tempor all Subjection, it cannot confide in. But could our Papiſts in England give ſufficient evidence of their hearty diſowning ſuch an irreligious Tenet, yet there is another thing practiſed by them, which makes it highly queſtionable whether a Kingdome profeſſing Chriſtianity ought to tolerate them in, and that is their Worſhip of Images, which is a ſinne ſo contrary to the expreſs letter of the divine Law, and ſo repugnant to the common ſenſe and reaſon of all ſober men, that God puniſhed it ſeverely even in the Heathen Caldeans, Jer. 50.38.as well as in his own people the Jews. But bating theſe two indefenſible Crimes, rather than Errours, their other opinions of Merit, Purgatory, Tranſubſtantiation, &c. may for ought I ſee be charitably born with, ſince in themſelves they create no prejudice to the publick Peace, which even Chriſtian Magiſtrates, ſo far as they are Magiſtrates, ought principally, if not ſolely, to provide for.
If any think that ſuch Indulgence, like warm Aire, will ripen theſe monſtrous Births too faſt, and prove the ready way to encreaſe Popery, they are utterly ignorant either how that Religion firſt began, or by what Arts it is still upheld. For till the world was aſleepe in ſenſuality, and blinded with Ignorance, the Enemy could not ſow theſe Tares; and had they not afterwards maintained by force, what they gained by fraud, thoſe Tares could never have proſpered into ſo large an Harveſt. In oppoſition, therefore to that conſpiracy of Ignorance and Malice, which goes to compound the Roman Religion I ſhall not ſcruple to ſay, that if his Majeſty (whom God, I doubt not, hath deſigned for ſome ſuch great and generous worke, as now I mention) be pleaſed ſtill to continue to countenance the free Preaching and Reading of the Scripture, and to diſalow the impoſing of any thing, which either is contrary to or beſides it; It will then be as impoſſible for Popery to prevail, as for duſt to reſiſt the Wind, or for Airy Clouds to Eclipſe the Sun. The Errors of Popery, for want of Divine Warrant, have in them ſuch a Fundamentall and Inherent weakneſſe, that unleſſe they are upheld by a Coercive power, they will ſinke and fall of themſelves; as thinne and emty vapours, if they have but roome enough in the Aire, will diſperſe themſelves, without the help of any wind to ſcatter them. To endeavour therefore the weakning of Popery, by any thing which looks like Perſecution, doth indeed give it ſtrength and Reputation, as if it had reaſon on its ſide and therefore ſtood in need of force to ſuppreſſe it. And beſides it onelyonly fills the Church with Hypocrites inſteed of Converts; who by mingling with, and masking themſelves under the Name of Proteſtants, doe what they can ſecretly to diſpirit and undermine our Religion, the power of which they never felt, ſince they were onelyonly frighted to the Embracing of it.
But perhaps I need not plead ſo zealouſly for the not perſecuting of Popery, when too many of our unwary Gentry begin already to be taken with the outward Pompe of it; and ſome that yet profeſse themſelves to be of our Church, and thoſe of good Note too, are not afraid to plead for ſomething more then its Toleration. Mr Thorndike. Juſt Weights and Meaſures.Since by telling us in Print, that the Pope is not Anti-chriſt; that Papiſts are not Idolaters; nay by affirming, that All are Schiſmatickes, who upon that ſcore do refuſe Communion with them. They not onelyonly blemiſh the Virtue and Piety of our firſt Reformers) who all built upon that Foundation, but likewiſe ſhow how willing they are upon any Termes how wretched and unworthy ſoever, to returne into Egypt, and bring us to our Bricke and Bondage again. If this be not the intent of ſome I cannot imagine what meanes the crying up of that great Diana of the Papiſts, the Churches Authority, and making that the ſole Interpreter of Scripture. The Preaching up of Lent, Dr Gunning upon Mat. 9. the Lent Faſt. —Eliz. 5. Mr Thorndike. ut ſuprà.and other Politicall Fiſh-dayes, as Religious Faſts, and of Apoſtolicall Inſtitution, quite contrary both to expreſſe Scripture and an Act of Parliament. The inſinuating that we may Lawfully pray for the Dead, and likwiſe expect ſome benefit by their Prayers, which in time may eaſily be improved to our Praying unto them. Theſe with ſome other Opinions of the like nature, ſo farre degenerating from our Primitive Proteſtancy, doe ſhow that if the Age is willing to be deceived, there are not wanting Learned men, who are willing enough to deceive them.
The deſigne therefore of this ſmall Treatiſe, is not only to depoſe the Pope from his uſurped Title of Infallibility, but to keep all perſons elſe, whether Churches, or Church Rulers, from taking the Chaire and ſucceeding into his room. For ſince our Lord Chriſt hath given every Believer, Reaſon to judge with, and a Rule to judge by: ſince over and above he hath promiſed his ſpirit to all that ask it, which ſerves to aſſiſt the one, and to explain the other; he hath thereby appointed every man, in matters of Faith and Godlineſſe, to be a Judge for himſelf, though not of another. And he who uſeth thoſe meanes which our Saviour hath left, and ſeekes to him in them, may Infallibly be aſſured, that though in ſome things he may Erre, as a man, yet he ſhall never finally miſcarry. Whereas he that leanes upon a Church, of what denomination ſoever, cannot be ſure that he ſhall not be deceived: ſince any number of men, are as fallible in their Judgement as one (eſpecially when they are all ſworne, as in the Papacy, to uphold the Authority, and to defend the dictates of one) This conſideration alone will I hope prevaile with all Impartiall and diſintereſſed perſons to take the ſafeſt ſide, and with David, to chuſe to fall into the hands of God, whoſe word duely ſearched into never deceived any, rather then to fall into the hands of men, who being Blind themſelves, do firſt take care to Blind their Followers and then lead them into a Ditch.
Edward Bagſhaw. Drury-Lane, Aprill 16. 1662.