View of Some Exceptions Made by a Romanist, Part 2 · Subpart 38
To the 30 Section Chap 18.
If it were granted, ſaith the Enquirer, that becauſe it agrees not with the goodneſſe of God to let me want a guide infallible, and that the Church of Rome were that one; yet if that teach any thing contrary to God's goodneſſe, I am not to receive her doctrine, for the ſame cauſe they would have me receive it, it being as good an argument. This guide teaches things contrary to God's goodneſſe, therefore it is not appointed, by God; as to ſay, it is agreeable to God's goodneſſe there ſhould be a guide, therefore there is one. So he.
The Enquirer ſeekes to delude us with a fallacy, by altering his tearmes; for in the firſt place, he ſpeakes of a thing contrary to God's goodneſſe, not abſolutely, but according to his underſtanding. In the ſecond place he ſpeakes of it, not as it is in his underſtanding, but as it is ſimply in it ſelfe, which is a thing quite different from the former; for many things may be in his underſtanding thus or thus, or as he ſaith, contrary to God's goodneſſe, which in themſelves are not ſo, but rather, quite otherwiſe, for indeed it is no good conſequence to argue on this ſort. This in my underſtanding is contrary to God's goodneſſe, therefore it is ſo, becauſe your underſtanding is ſubject to errour, and therefore ſome things may ſeeme to it to be, which are not. Chillingworth who followeth this Author's footſteps, argues after the ſelfe ſame manner, and hath beene anſwered elſewhere by himſelfe. I grant then the conſequence when as he ſaith, this guide teaches ſomewhat contrary to God's goodneſſe, therefore it is not appointed for a guide. But I deny the Antecedent; and afterwards when he proves it, ſaying, it ſeemes ſo to my underſtanding, therefore it is ſo, I deny the conſequence, and admit the Antecedent.
At leaſt, ſaith he, if it ſeeme ſo to my underſtanding, whether in the meane time it be ſo or not, I am not to receive it, becauſe I am to be guided by my owne reaſon and underſtanding. If it ſeeme ſo to your underſtanding after ſuch time as you have weighed all things as rightly as you can, I grant it; But if it ſeeme ſo onelyonly before you have done that, then I deny it, for then it is not to be followed but forſaken, or reformed if it be found erroneous, as in this caſe of yours it is. For in this caſe your underſtanding is to conſult other underſtandings wiſer then your owne, if you can finde any ſuch; and according to that is to determine of the matter, and not to rely wholly upon your owne ſingle underſtanding. But if you doe ſo, you will finde your owne ſingle underſtanding was deceived, and that the guide of which we treate, teacheth nothing that is againſt the goodneſſe of God. For it is to be ſuppoſed her underſtanding is brighter and more capacious then yours, and therefore is to be thought knowes much better what doctrines be agreeable to the goodneſſe of God, then yours can doe what is againſt it; and therefore your owne reaſon and underſtanding teaches you, that the Churches underſtanding is to be preferred, and that yours muſt ſubmit; and againe, that this is the rationall way, and not the other: this the way of underſtanding, and that of errour. And ſo much in anſwer to this fallacy, wherein I perceive, both he and Maſter Chillingworth confide very much.
As for particular doctrines, it is true, as you ſay, you may examine whether they agree with the Principle, that is foundation, yet nevertheleſſe cannot you from thence conclude any thing againſt the doctrines or Infallibility of the Church, but rather for it, and this for the reaſon before ſpecified. Neither doe we, therefore, ſend you to a witneſſe, and bid you not believe it, but rather, to believe it as farre as in right reaſon you are to believe it, and not farther, that is to ſay, you are to truſt to your owne particular diſcourſes, as to particular diſcourſes, and no farther, but to the reſolves of the Church as to the dictamens of a higher underſtanding, by the light of which you are to judge and cenſure of the reſt, and by doing thus, you are ſure you doe wiſely and ſafely, and, in fine, ſo, as although you ſhould chance to erre, you might anſwer the buſineſſe at the latter day, by ſaying, I did in this caſe what I ought to doe, for I followed what my reaſon taught me, and more then this was not required at my hands. But if I follow my owne judgement, and in confidence of that doe adventure to condemne the Church, In that I offend againſt my reaſon and true judgement, and ſhould not be able to make a good apology for my ſelfe, or any way make it good that I followed my reaſon, which faculty is the rule that God hath ſet mee.
For a concluſion of this diſpute, I anſwer in briefe, that putting the Inquirers argument as he ought to have put it, namely, thus as followeth. This guide, to my underſtanding; or, to my ſeeming, teaches things contrary to Gods goodneſſe, therefore it is not appointed by him for a guide, putting I ſay, the argument on this manner, it is nothing ſo good, or ſo concluding an argument, as this other is, videlicet; This guide teaches ſuch and ſuch doctrines, therefore they are not againſt the goodneſſe of God, and therefore againe, my underſtanding was deceived in holding them to be ſo; and therefore laſtly notwithſtanding all this, ſhe may be an infallible guide and appointed by God for ſuch: Note, that we inferre hence ſhe may be, but not that ſhe is, as the Inquirer would impoſe upon us: for, we doe not ſay that the Church is appointed a guide therefore, becauſe it is agreeable with God's goodneſſe to make her ſo, but becauſe we for other reaſons know he hath ſo made her: becauſe we are not now to learne but that many things are agreeable to Gods goodneſſe to be done, which yet are not done, nor peradventure ever will be. Wherefore, when we are to judge what is, or will be, we are to conſider, not what his goodneſſe may admit, but what his will determines ſhall have a being, for of that laſtly depends the exiſtence of things, and not of the other.