View of Some Exceptions Made by a Romanist, Part 2 · Subpart 1 – Subpart 2
SEPTEMB. 11. 1645.
THis day there came to my hands, A Treatiſe Apologeticall, touching the Infallibility of the Church Catholique, in anſwer to another of the like argument lately publiſhed. And although I have no temptation to ſpend any more time upon it then a ſingle reading hath coſt me; nor to think it ſo dangerous a piece, that I ſhould not venture it abroad with the weakeſt ſonnes of my mother, without an appendant antidote, or defenſative againſt the poiſon of it, eſpecially being not obliged (in any other notion, then that of the reſpect I beare to the honour and memory of that noble Lord) to vindicate his diſcourſe from the exceptions here offer'd; yet being not ſure, that I can excuſe the ſo exceſſive thrift of a few houres (which yet I could very gladly otherwiſe employ, then in drawing one end of a ſaw in a controverſie of this nature) I ſhall give the Author of the exceptions or Apology, (in as few words as is poſſible) the reaſons why I am not moved by them, much leſſe perſwaded that they are ſo extraordinarily lucky, as to give, as is pretended, full anſwer, to all that Maſter Chillingworth's large Book hath ſuperſtructed on this foundation. And this I ſhall doe in ſuch a manner, that it may appeare, that I deſire onelyonly to ſatisfie his reaſon, and not make him payment of his ſcoffes or triumphs, in that ſpirit of meekneſſe, which is proper for the reſtoring of one overtaken in an errour, (hoping in charity that he is ſuch) of an infirme, not a malicious miſtaker. And the firſt thing we have to view, is that which is entituled,
A note upon the title of the Adverſarie's. C. 1.
We against whom this enquirer writes, or rather to whom he propounds his difficulties, with a pretending deſire of procuring a ſatiſfaction, are defenders of the Catholique Churches Infabillity; which Churches chief Paſtour, or Metropolitan, though he be particular Biſhop of Rome, as of ſome one place or other he muſt be, yet nevertheleſſe from that one portion of it is not the whole and univerſall Church aptly to be ſtiled the Church of Rome, as in the Enquirers title it is called, no more then the Church of England can be rightly termed the Church of Canterbury, or the Proteſtants of England the Canterburians, as the Scotch Puritans have called them, onelyonly becauſe the chief Biſhop and Primate of the whole Kingdome hath his ſeat at Canterbury. By the ſelf ſame reaſon then cannot we juſtly be called Romaniſts, as it hath pleaſed ſome Proteſtants to entitle us. The reaſon of this aſſertion, is, That Rome and Canterbury are but ſmall, and onelyonly materiall portions of either Church, and therefore no way ſufficient to give a denomination to the whole. As then the Church of England is wrongfully called the Church of Canterbury, ſo, in like manner is the Church Catholique wrongfully ſtiled the Church of Rome, or as ſuch, controverted to be fallible, or infallible, foraſmuch as this perfection of being infallible is not claimed by her as ſhe is Church of Rome, but as ſhe is the Catholique, and, according to the appointment of Chriſt, governed by S. Peter, and his ſucceſſours. For this cauſe we have altered the title, and ſtated the queſtion in tearmes more proper and formall, enquiring not Whether the Roman Church, but whether the Catholique be infallible, and this ought to be the title.
But before we enter upon the examination of particular difficulties, the Reader may pleaſe to know, that this ſame Enquiry was written by the Author diverſe yeares agoe, in his Catholique Mothers life time, and was by her mediation forthwith anſwered at large, and the anſwer ſent unto the Enquirer fairly bound up; in whoſe hands, though it reſted long, yet had it never any reply made unto it, though it was ſometime threatned it ſhould. At that very time Chillingworths Booke began to be in moulding, and it may be that ſame new labour diverted the Enquirer, and altered his deſigne. Now at length in a time moſt unſeaſonable, by the frivolous officiouſneſſe of I know not whom, theſe old papers are forced to ſee the light, and to leave their anſwer behind them. After ſo meane and creeping a faſhion doe they appeare now unto the world. But although no notice hath been taken of any anſwer made already, or of giving licence for any other to be made hereafter, or, if made to be publiſhed in print, and have the advantage to be diſperſed abroad in many copies; yet are we not by this diſcouraged from compoſing one, for, though for want of the Printers helpe, it ſhall lye concealed, and in much reſtraint, yea and be in danger to periſh, as the other did before it, yet may this ſmall labour fall, at leaſt, into ſome few hands, and remove out of their way ſuch dangerous ſtumbling blockes as have beene caſt into it by this Enquirer, who, by his caſting of doubts, about the method of reſolving faith, hath thereby, amongst all thoſe who are not much verſed therein, endangered the ſtability and ſafety of the whole fabrique, not of Catholique Religion onelyonly, but of Chriſtian in Generall.
As for the Papers themſelves, and their particular contents, they, in a word, are Chillingworths Booke in little, and an Embryo of his large volume growne up after, made bigge and bolſtered out with many new materials borrowed from Baron the Scotch Miniſter, and that impious author Volkelius, the veines of whoſe poiſonous doctrines and diſcourſes, are obſerved to runne branching throughout all Chillingworths worke. Wherefore this ſmall collection containing the ſubſtance of the other larger booke, the confutation of this Enquirers allegations, cannot but in ſubſtance conteine a confutation of all Chillingworths delated errors and ſophiſtications, wherewith ſo many ſoules have beene perverted, or brought into great troubles and perplexities.