Of Fundamentals, Treatise · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. Of the Doctrines that hinder the ſuperſtructing of good life on the Chriſtian belief, firſt among the Romaniſts, a Catalogue of them, eſpecially that of the Infallibility of the Church, 2. Among others, 1. that of the Solifidian.
§. 1. I Come now to conſider what Doctrines there are, infuſed (diſcernibly) among Chriſtians, which are moſt apt to fruſtrate the forementioned method, to obſtruct, or intercept the cordial ſuperſtructing of Chriſtian life, or Renovation, where the Foundation is duly laid. For ſuppoſing the Articles of our Chriſtian Faith to be completely taught, and undoubtedly believed, and ſo the foundation to be purely laid according to the Apoſtles platform; And ſuppoſing farther that the ſeveral forementioned branches of the ſuperſtructure be ſo farre taught and believed alſo, as that they are not doubted to be the virtues preſcribed, and preached to men by Chriſt, It is yet poſſible, that after all this, ſome other Doctrines may inconveniently interpoſe, and intercept the uſes and aimes, to which God hath deſigned the Faith, and at once obſtruct the ſuperſtructing of all Chriſtian life upon it.
§. 2.Doctrines among the Romaniſts. Of this ſort the Catalogue is (or ſoon may be) farre larger, then will be fitly inſerted in this place. For upon this occaſion we might be engaged to enter on the examinati- of the Romiſh doctrines, 1. of Penances, 2. of Indulgences, 3. of the Treaſury of the Church, made up (beſide the blood of Chriſt) of the ſupererogating merits of ſome, and applied to the benefit, and pardon of others, 4. of the Improvableneſs of Attrition into Contrition, by the Prieſts ayde, without the ſinners change of life, 5. of Purgatory, 6. of Diſpenſableneſs of Oathes, 7. of Arts of Equivocation, 8. of Ceſſation of Allegiance in ſubjects to an heretical Prince, and ſome others the like; but eſpecially of the Infallibility, The doctrine of Infallibility.and inerrableneſs, which is aſſumed, and incloſed by the Romiſh Church, without any inerrable ground to build it on, and being taken for an unqueſtinable Principle, is (by the ſecurity it brings along with it) apt to betray men to the fouleſt whether ſins, or errors, whenſoever this pretended Infallible guide ſhall propoſe them; And ſeeing it is juſt with God to permit thoſe, which thinke they ſtand ſo ſurely, to fall moſt dangerouſly, and becauſe what ſome witty, and ſubtile men of this, and former ages have been experimented to fall into, may in the future poſſibly become the Romaniſts caſe, and becauſe the Aſſuming of Infallibility is by way of interpretation the preſuming, and affirming every thing to be infallibly true, and good, which they ſhall ever believe, or teach de fide, or pronounce to be duty (and there is nothing ſo †Subditos illi (Papae) ſimpliciter obligari ad credendum, adeò irrationabile & blaſphemiae plenum eſt, ut etiam quacunque haereſi peſtilentius inveniatur, that ſubjects ſhould be abſolutely and ſimply bound to believe the Pope, is ſo irrational and full of blaſphemy, that it is found more peſtilent then any hereſie whatſoever. Weſſelus Groningenſ: de dignit: & poteſt: Eccl: c. 1. (written about 200 years ſince.) Valdè periclitaretur vita juſti ſi penderet ex vitâ Papae. Weſſelus Groningenſ: de dignit: & poteſt: Eccl: c. 1. the life of a juſt man would be in very great hazard, if it depended on the life of the Pope. Summorum Pontificum plerique peſtilenter erraverunt &c. Moſt of the Popes have erred peſtilently. Weſſelus Groningenſ: de dign: & poteſt: Eccl: c. 1. foreign; What amulet hath the Pope to preſerve him from denying God in his words, who ſo oft doth it in works? Nilus de prim: p. 57.falſe, or ſacrilegious, but it is poſſible they may thus teach, or pronounce of it) for theſe reaſons, I ſay, it will be impoſſible to free this Doctrine of theirs, which hath ſo vaſt, and comprehenſive an influence on the opinions and actions of all who have eſpouſed it, from the guilt, of which now we ſpeak, that of hindring the ſuperſtructing of Chriſtian life, and the ſeveral branches thereof, on the Foundation.
§. 3.Of the Pope. And if (as the Jeſuites define) this Infallibility of the Church be ſuppoſed to be ſeated in the perſons, or chair, or ſucceſſion of Popes, 'tis preſently obvious and clear, that as Almain, and Ocham have not thought it irreverent to averre that any ſuch perſon is deviabilis, haereticabilis, Apoſtatabilis, damnabilis, liable to errour, hereſie, Apoſtaſie, damnation it ſelf, So they that believe him an infallible guide, muſt in conſequence to their opinion, if they purſue it, follow him to all theſe dangers; And when Pope Steven hath been by S. Cyprian accuſed of hereſie, Pope Liberius by S. Athanaſius, Pope Honorius by all Chriſtians, when the chairs of thoſe Biſhops, which have not ſecured their perſons from notorious impiety of liliving, that fouler guilt then hereſie, (foreign, a ſpecies of Atheiſme, as †de Primatu p. 57.Nilus truly ſaith on this occaſion) can with no more pretence, or colour of proof ſecure them from defining of errors, or tolerating of ſins, and when the writers of their lives, Onufrius, and Platina, who have told us, how much more then poſſible the former is, (relating the inceſts, witchcrafts, cruelties of Alexander the ſixt, the Idolatrous ſacrifices of Marcellinus, Coeleſtins applications to the devil in purſuit of the Papacy, and his diſclaiming his part in heaven, ſo he might obtain that earthy dignity) have given us reaſon to foreſee the poſſibility alſo, and all the ill conſequences, and aboads of the latter, It cannot be temerarious or unreaſonable to affirm, that what hath been, may be, and in like manner, that the doctrines of any antient heretick may, in ſome new ſhape, be imbibed by a Cardinal, and being ſo, may not forſake him when he is made Pope, but beget a deſire very conſequent to his belief, an appetite of propagating his perſwaſions, and ſo that Practiſes may be allowed, and Articles taught by the Pope, moſt contrary to the deſign of this foundation, and the Church that hath impoſed on her ſons the belief of her Infallibility, draw all that underſtand it in this ſenſe (for I ſee another is now affixt to it by ſome Romaniſts) and pay this ready obedience to it, into the ſame ſnare of hereſie, or Impiety, or both.
§. 4.The ill effects of it. For of this we have too frequent experience, how hard it is to diſpoſſeſſe a Romaniſt of any doctrine, or practiſe of that preſent Church, for which he hath no grounds either in Antiquity, or Scripture, or Rational deductions from either (but the contrary to all theſe) as long as he hath that one hold, or fortreſſe, his perſwaſion of the Infallibility of that Church, which teacheth, or preſcribeth it. And indeed it were as unreaſonable for us to accuſe, or wonder at this conſtancy in particular ſuperſtructed errors, be they never ſo many, whilſt the foreign, this firſt great comprehenſive falſity is maintained, as to diſclaim the concluſion, when the premiſes, that duly induce it, are embraced. And then that other errors, and guilts of the higheſt nature neither are, nor ſhall be entertained by thoſe, that are thus qualified for them, muſt ſure be a felicity (to which this doctrine hath no way intitled them) and that for which they can have no ſecurity for one hour, but by renouncing that principle (which equally obligeth to the belief of truths, and falſhoods) embracing of commendable, and vitious practiſes, worſhipping of Chriſt in Heaven, and under the ſpecies of bread, the ſon, and of the mother of God, when they are once received, and propoſed to them by that Church.
§. 5. But in ſtead of any fuller view of theſe, I ſhall mention ſome few of thoſe, which our cloſer, and later experience hath made moſt familiar to us, and given us reaſon to look on with a quickneſs of ſenſe, and dread, but thoſe ſuch, as being not entred into the Confeſſions of any national Church, are not properly chargeable either on Papiſts, or Proteſtants, but on particular dogmatizers on both parties, From whom the doctrines being infuſible into all, it will be more neceſſary to forewarn all of the danger of them.
§. 6. Such is firſt the perſwaſion of the Solifidians, The perſwaſion of the Solifidian.that all religion conſiſts in believing aright, that the being of Orthodox (as that is oppoſed to erroneous) opinions, is all that is on our part required, to render our condition ſafe, and our perſons acceptable in the ſight of God.
§. 7. This is a perſwaſion frequently obſervable in thoſe that are forward to ſeparate from all, who differ in matters of Doctrine from them, who place ſanctity in their opinions (as generally hereticks doe) and make the diſſents of other men, the characters of animal, carnal Goſpellers: And the influence of this on the matter in hand [the ſuperſtructing Chriſtian life upon our Faith] is moſt evident, For if we ſhould give that perſwaſion of theirs the greateſt advantage, and ſuppoſe the doctrines, in the belief of which they place ſo much efficacie, to be theſe very fundamental Doctrines, which this Diſcourſe hath defined and ſpecified, yet in caſe the believing of thoſe aright be conceived the one and onelyonly neceſſary to ſalvation, it is evident that the ſuperſtructing of good life (the thing to which thoſe doctrines relate, and in reſpect of which they are ſtyled Fundamental) is ipſo facto become unneceſſary.
§. 8. For when it ſhall be once reſolved that Orthodox opinions are able to ſecure men of God's favour, and (that being aſſumed as a principle) the ſearch of them, being a work of the brain, ſhall generally be diſcernible (as Ariſtotle obſerves of the ſtudy of the Mathematicks) to have nothing repugnant to paſſions in it, and when thoſe articles of belief are conveyed to us with ſuch evidence that we have no temptation to doubt of the truth of them, what argument is there remaining to any rational man, which can move him ſo ſuperfluouſly, and unneceſſarily to ſet upon that more laborious, and ungrateful task of mortifying luſts, of ſubduing of paſſions, of combating and overcoming the world, of offering violence to his importunate, vigorous, carnal appetites? If he that is to be baptized, might be admitted to that ſtate of juſtified Chriſtians, (and therein to a right of inheriting the kingdome of heaven) by a profeſſion of the Articles of his Creed, and an undoubted perſwaſion and belief of the truth of them, what an impertinent tyrannie were it to increaſe his burthen, to refuſe and delay his admiſſion, till he ſhould undertake the whole vow, of forſaking the Devil and all his works, of keeping God's holy will and commandements, and walking in the ſame all the daies of his life? What uſe even of Prayer, of the Sacraments, of Charity, of Faith it ſelf, in any other notion but that, wherein he conſiders it and thinks himſelf aſſuredly poſſeſſed of it?
§. 9. The iſſue is clear, the Solifidian looks upon his Faith or Articles of his belief, as the intire ſtructure, not as the Rudiments or Foundation, as the utmoſt accompliſhment and end, and not only as the firſt elements of his task; and ſo this Perſwaſion of his moſt unhappily, but moſt regularly, obſtructs and intercepts the building any more upon it, which, if he conceived himſelf no farther advanced, then the laying a few ſtones, a bare Foundation, he would rationally think himſelf engaged and obliged to proſecute to a farre greater perfection.
§. 10. Hitherto we have conſidered this perſwaſion of the Solifidian at the beſt and faireſt advantage, and ſuppoſed the Opinions, on which he ſo relies, to be the true, Chriſtian, Apoſtolical, and Fundamental Opinions; But if we ſhould proceed farther and conſider how many other opinions there are abroad in the world, which being neither Fundamental, nor Apoſtolical, nor arrived ſo farre as to any fair probability of truth, doe yet pretend to be the only ſanctified neceſſary doctrines, and ſuch, as every man that believes them is a pure Chriſtian profeſſor, and whoſoever queſtions or examines the truth of them, is to be look'd on as a carnal Goſpeller (whoſe arguments, though never ſo unanſwerable, are to be reſiſted, as ſo many temptations) and many of theſe in their own nature (over and above this Phariſaical opinion of the ſanctitie of them) very apt to intermit our watch, to ſlacken our diligence, to give a Superſedeas to induſtrie, it would be moſt evident that the Solifidian's perſwaſions doe moſt directly and immediately reſiſt God's principal deſign in revealing his truths, obſtruct the ſuperſtructure of Chriſtian life on this Foundation.
§. 11. But I ſhall not inlarge on the mention of theſe, any farther then they are likely to fall under ſome other head of this inſuing diſcourſe. Mean while it is worth remembring, what Epiphanius obſerves of the Primitive times, that wickedneſs was the only hereſie, that foreign and foreign, impious and pious living divided the whole Chriſtian world into Erroneous and Orthodox, by which we are advertiſed, how farre we are from performing the engagements of our Chriſtianity, if we inſiſt ſo paſſionately, or ſo intently on the truth of our beliefs, as not to proceed to as vigorous a purſuit of all juſt, ſober, and godly living, to a ſtrict uniform Regulation of our practiſe, according to the obligations of our moſt holy Faith.