The Grounds of Protestant Religion, Part 1 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The Occasion of the Conference, and Defence of the Greek Church.
T. Cs. Title examined and retorted. The Labyrinth found in his Book and Doctrine. The occasion of the Conference about the Churches infallibility. The rise of the dispute about the Greek Church, and the consequences from it. The charge of Heresie against the Greek Church examined, and she found, Not-guilty, by the concurrent testimony of Fathers, General Councils, and Popes. Of the Council of Florence and the proceedings there; That Council neither General nor Free. The distinction of Ancient and Modern Greeks disproved. The debate of the Filioque being inserted into the Creed. The time when and the right by which it was done, discussed. The rise of the Schism between the Eastern and Western Churches, mainly occasioned by the Church of Rome.
THat which is the common subtilty of Male-factors, §. 1.to derive, if possible, the imputation of that fault on the persons of their Accusers, which they are most lyable to be charged with themselves, is the great Artifice made use of by you in the Title and Designe of your Book. For there being nothing which your Party is more justly accused for, than involving and perplexing the grounds of Christian Faith under a pretext of Infallibility in your Church, you thought you could not better avoid the odium of it, then by a confident recrimination: And from hence it is that you call his Lordships Book a Labyrinth, and pretend to discover his abstruse turnings, ambiguous windings, and intricate Meanders, as you are pleased to stile them. But those who will take the pains to search your Book for the discoveries made in it, will find themselves little satisfied but only in these, that no cause can be so bad, but interessed persons will plead for it; and no writing so clear and exact, but a perplexed mind will imagine nothing but Meanders in it. And if dark passages and intricate windings, if obscure sense and perplexed consequences, if uncertain wandrings and frequent self-contradictions may make a writing be call'd a Labyrinth, I know no Modern Artist who comes so near the skill of the Cretan Artificer as your self. Neither is this meerly your own fault; but, the nature of the cause whose defence you have espoused, is such, as will not admit of being handled in any other manner. For you might assoon hope to perswade a Traveller that his nearest and safest way was through such a Labyrinth as that of Creet, as convince us that the best and surest Resolution of our Faith is into your Churches Infallibility. And while you give out, that all other grounds of Christian Faith are uncertain, and yet are put to such miserable shifts in defence of your own, instead of establishing the Faith of Christians, you expose Christianity it self to the scorn and contempt of Atheists; who need nothing more to confirm them in their Infidelity, then such a senseless and unreasonable way of proceeding as you make use of, for laying the Foundations of Christian Faith. Your great Principle being, that no Faith can be Divine, but what is Infallible; and none Infallible, but what is built on a Divine and Infallible Testimony; and that this Testimony is only that of the present Catholick Church; and that Church none but yours: and yet after all this you dare not say the Testimony of your Church is Divine, but only in a sort and after a manner. You pretend that our Faith is vain and uncertain, because built only on Moral certainty and Rational evidence; and yet you have no other proof for your Churches Infallibility, but the motives of credibility. You offer to prove the Churches Infallibility independently on Scripture; and yet challenge no other Infallibility but what comes by the promise and assistance of the Holy Ghost, which depends wholly on the Truth of the Scripture. You seek to disparage Scripture on purpose to advance your Churches Authority, and yet bring your greatest evidences of the Churches Authority from it. By which Authority of the Church you often tell us that Christian Religion can only be proved to be Infallibly true, when if but one errour be found in your Church, her Infallible Testimony is gone, and what becomes then of Christian Religion? And all this is managed with a peculiar regard to the Interest of your Church, as the only Catholick Church, which you can never attempt to prove but upon supposition of the Truth of Christianity, the belief of which yet you say depends upon your Churches being the True and Catholick Church. These, and many other such as these, will be found the rare and coherent Principles of your Faith and Doctrine, which I have here only given this taste of, that the Reader may see with what honour to your self and advantage to your Cause, you have bestowed the Title of Labyrinth on his Lordships Book.
But yet you might be pardonable, if rather through the weakness of your Cause than your ill management of it, you had brought us into these amazing Labyrinths; if you had left us any thing whereby we might hope to be safely directed in our passage through them: Whereas you not only endeavour to put men out of the True way, but use your greatest industry to keep them from a possibility of returning into it: by not only suggesting false Principles to them, but decrying the use of those things which should discover their falsity. For although the judgement of sense were that which the Apostles did appeal to (that which we have seen and heard— declare we unto you);1 Joh. 1.1, 3. although that were the greatest and surest evidence to them of the Resurrection of Christ; although Christ himself condemned them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, Mark 16.14.because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen; yet according to your Principles men must have a care of relying on the judgement of sense in matters of Faith, lest perchance they should not believe that great Affront to humane Nature, the Doctrine of Transubstantiation. Neither are men only deprived of the judgement of sense, but of the concurrent use of Scripture and Reason; for these are pretended to be uncertain, fallible, nay, dangerous without the Churches Infallibility: So that the short of your grounds of establishing Faith, is, If we will find our way, we must renounce the judgement of sense and reason, submit our selves and Scripture to an Infallible Guide, and then you tell us we cannot miss of our way; when it is impossible for us to know our Guide, without the use of those things which we are bid to renounce. These things laid together make us admire more at your confidence than invention in making the current title of your Book to be Dr. Lawd's Labyrinth, in which it is hard to say, whether your immodesty or blindness be the greater.
But as though you were the only Heroes for asserting the Christian Cause, and all others but more subtle betrayers of it,§. 2. you begin your Book with a most ingenious comparison of the learned labours of those of your Church to the stately Temple of Solomon; and the artificial but pestiferous works of all Heretical Authors (i. e. all but your selves) to Labyrinths and intricate Dungeons. In which only your discretion is to be commended,P. 1. in placing this at the entrance of your Book; for whosoever looks but further into it, and compares it with that you pretend to answer, will not condemn the choice of your Similitudes, but your forgetfulness in misapplying them. But it matters not what titles you give to the books of our Authors, unless you were better able to confute them: and if no other book of any late Protestant Writer hath been any more discovered to be of this intangling nature, than this of his Lordship (whom you call our grand Author) is by you, you may very justly say of them as you do in the next words, they are very liable to the same Reproach:P. 2. In which we commend your ingenuity, that when you had so lately disparaged our Authors and Writings, you so suddenly wipe off those Aspersions again by giving them the deserved name of Reproaches. When you say his Lordships Book is most artificially composed, we have reason to believe so fair a Testimony from a professed Adversary; but when notwithstanding this you call it a Labyrinth, we can interpret it only as a fair plea for your not being able to answer it. And who can blame you for calling that a Labyrinth in which you have so miserably lost your self? but, in pity to you, and justice to the cause I have undertaken, I shall endeavour with all kindness and fairness to reduce you out of your strange entanglements into the plain and easie paths of Truth; which I doubt not to effect by your own Clew of Scripture and Tradition, by which you may soon discover what a Labyrinth you were in your self, when you had thought to have made directive Marks (as you call them) for others to avoid it.
To omit therefore any further preface,§. 3. I shall wait upon you to particulars; the first of which is, the Occasion of the Conference, P. 2.which (you say) was for the satisfaction of an honourable Lady, who having heard it granted in a former Conference, that there must be a continual visible company ever since Christ teaching unchanged doctrine, in all points necessary to salvation; and finding (it seems) in her own reason that such a company or Church must not be fallible in its teaching, was in quest of a Continual, Visible, Infallible Church, as not thinking it fit for unlearned persons to judge of particular doctrinals, but to depend on the judgement of the true Church. The Question then was not concerning a Continual and Visible Church, which you acknowledge was granted, but concerning such a Church as must be infallible in all she teaches, (and, if she be infallible, according to your doctrine of Fundamentals, whatever she teaches is necessary to salvation) which that Lady thought necessary to be first determined, because, saith Mr. Fisher, It was not for her, or any other unlearned persons, to take upon them to judge of particulars, without depending upon the judgement of the true Church; which seeming to allow of some use of our own judgement, supposing the Churches Authority, you pervert into these words, Not thinking it fit to judge, &c. but to depend, &c. But let them be as they will, unless you gave greater reason for them, it is not material which way they pass. For his Lordship had returned a sufficient Answer to that pretence (which you are content to take no notice of) in saying That it is very fit the people should look to the judgement of the Church before they be too busie with particulars. P. 2. sect. 2.But yet neither Scripture, nor any good Authority denyes them some moderate use of their own understanding and judgement, especially in things familiar and evident, which even ordinary capacities may as easily understand as read. And therefore some particulars a Christian may judge without depending. To which you, having nothing to say, run post to the business of Infallibility: for when it was said, The Lady desired to rely on an Infallible Church, therein, his Lordship says, neither the Jesuite nor the Lady her self spake very advisedly: P. 3. sect. 3. n. 2.For an Infallible Church denotes a particular Church, in that it is set in opposition to some other particular Church that is not infallible. Here now you begin your discoveries: for you tell us, he makes this his first crook in his projected Labyrinth; which is apparent to any man that has eyes, even without the help of a Perspective. As seldome as Perspectives are used to discern the turns of Labyrinths, nothing is so apparent, as that your eyes or your judgement were not very good when you used this expression. For I pray, what crook or turn is there in that, when a Lady demanded an Infallible Church to her guide, to say, that by that question she supposeth some particular Church as distinct from, and opposite to others, to be infallible. No, say you, she sought not any one particular Church infallible, in opposition to another Church not infallible; but some Church, such as might without danger of errour direct her in all doctrinal points of Faith. Rarely well distinguish'd! Not any particular Church, but some particular Church. For if she enquired after some Church, which, without danger of errour, might direct her in all doctrinal points of Faith, doth she not thereby imply, that some other Church might bring her into danger of errour under pretence of directing her in matters of Faith? and if this be some particular fallible Church, the other must be some particular infallible Church? And is it possible to conceive some Church that may erre in directing, and some other that may not erre, without some particular Church being taken in opposition to some other Church? But you would fain perswade us that the force of his Lordships Argument rests wholly upon the importance of the particle a or an, which cannot be applyed but to particulars, which you very learnedly disprove: whereas the main strength of what his Lordship says, depends upon the nature of the question, and the manner of proposing it. For the Lady enquiring after such a Church whose judgement she might relye on as to the matters in dispute in the Christian world, must mean such a Church whose communion must be known as distinct from other Churches which are not infallible; for otherwise she might be deceived still. And if you give a pertinent answer to her question, you must shew her some such Church as an Infallible Guide, which can be no other in this case, but some particular Church considered as distinct from others. For a general answer concerning the Infallibility of the Catholick Church, without shewing how the Infallible judgement of that Church may be known, can by no means reach the case in hand: which doth not meerly respect an Infallibility in the subject, but such an infallibility as may be a sufficient guide in all doctrinal points of Faith. When you say therefore, she meant no other then the Vniversal visible Church of Christ, Page 3you must tell us how the Vniversal visible Church can become such an Infallible guide in the matters in Controversie between those Churches, which yet are members of that Vniversal visible Church. For the notion of the Vniversal Church not being in its nature confined to any one of these parties, but all of them concurring to the making of it up, can no more be an Infallible guide in the matters in difference, then the common notion of Animal can direct us in judging what Beings are sensitive and what rational. Therefore though you would fain deceive the world under a pretence of the Catholick Church, yet nothing can be more evident, then that in the question what Church must be a guide in Doctrinal points of Faith, it must be understood of some Church as distinct from other Churches which ought not to be relyed on as infallible guides. But the subtilty of this is, that when you challenge Infallibility to your Church, we should not apprehend her as a particular Church, but as the true Catholick Church, which is a thing so every way absurd and unreasonable, that you had need use the greatest Artifice's to disguise it, which yet can deceive none but such as are resolved to be deceived by them. For any one who had his eyes in his head might discern without a Perspective, as you speak, that Churches of several and distinct Communions from each other were placed in competition for Infallibility: For Mr. Fisher's next words are. The Question was, Which was that Church? Do you think he means, Which was that Vniversal visible Church? Certainly not: for the nature of the Question supposes several Churches: now I think you do not believe, there are several Vniversal visible Churches. And it immediately follows, A Friend of the Ladies would needs defend that not only the Roman, but the Greek Church was right; to which Mr. Fisher answers, That the Greek Church had erred in matter of doctrine. Can any thing be more plain then that this Question doth relate to Churches considered severally and as under distinct Communions and Denominations. And therefore notwithstanding your pittiful pretences to the contrary, this Question can be no otherwise understood then, as his Lordship said, of some particular Infallible Church, in opposition to some other particular Church which is not Infallible. And if you judge this an affected mistake as you call it, your discerning faculty will be as lyable to Question as your Churches Infallibility.
That you might seem to avoid the better the force of his Lordships following discourse against Bellarmine about the Infallibility of the particular Church of Rome; you first tell us,§. 4. That it is sufficient for a Catholick to believe that there is an Infallibility in the Church, without further obligation to examine whether the particular Church of Rome be infallible or no. Which is an egregious piece of Sophistry. For, put case a man believes the Catholick Church of all Ages Infallible, but not of any one particular Age since the Apostles times; suppose a man believe the Catholick Church of the present Age Infallible, but not of any one particular Communion but as it takes in those common truths wherein they are all agreed; will you say this is sufficient for a Catholick to believe without obligation to examine further? If you will, speak it out, and, I dare say, you shall not have much thanks at Rome when you have done it. But the mysterie is, If a man believes the Roman Church only, to be the Catholick Church, it is no matter whether he enquires whether the Catholick Church be only at Rome or no. It is not the place, but the communion of the Roman Church which is now enquired after in the question of Infallibility; although I cannot see but those places out of the Fathers which are produced to prove the Roman Church Infallible, will hold for the continuance of that Infallibility in that particular place of Rome. For St. Cyprian saith expresly of the Romans, Navigare audent ad Petri Cathedram, & Ecclesiam Principalem, &c. nec cogitare, eos esse Romanos ad quos p…rfidea habere non potest accessum. Cypr. l. 1. c. 3. Scito, Romanam fidem ejusmodi praestigias non recipere. Hierony. Apol. 3. c. Ruff. Roma semper fidem retinet. Greg. Nazianz. carm. de vitâ suâ.that they are such to whom Perfidia (what ever be meant by it) cannot have access. St. Jerome saith, The Roman Faith admits no deceits into it. Gregory Nazianzene, that Rome retains the ancient Faith. Not that I think any of these places do in the least import the Infallibility of the Roman Church (as will be shewed in its proper place) but that, on supposition that Infallibility were implyed in them, they would hold for the Infallibility of the particular Roman Church. And therefore Bellarmin understood what he did when he produced these places to that purpose, especially the Apostolical See remaining at Rome, as he supposeth himself in this part of the Question which he there discusseth. Either therefore you must assert that which his Lordship learnedly proves,Bellarm. de Pontifice Rom. l. 4. c. 4. sect. 1. viz. That no such thing as Infallibility is intended by any of these Citations, or else that it must extend to the particular Roman Church. And when you deny this to be an Article of Faith among Catholicks, that the particular Roman Church (the Apostolical See remaining there) is Infallible, prove at your leasure from any of these Citations that the Church within the Roman Communion is Infallible and not the particular Roman Church. And from what hath been hitherto said, I am so far from suspecting his Lordships candor, as you do, that I much rather suspect your judgement, and that you are not much used to attend to the Consequences of things, or else you would not have deserted Bellarmin in defence of so necessary and pertinent a point as the Infallibility of the particular Church of Rome.
Secondly, You answer to his Lordships Discourse concerning Bellarmin's Authorities,Pag. 4. That you cannot hold your self obliged to take notice of his pretended Solutions, till you find them brought to evacuate the Infallibility of the Catholick or the Roman Church in its full latitude, as Catholicks ever mean it, save when they say the particular Church of Rome. But taking it in as full a Latitude as you please, I doubt not but to make it appear that the Roman Church is the Roman Church still, that is, a particular Church as distinct from the Communion of others, and therefore neither Catholick nor Infallible: which I must refer to the place where you insist upon it, which I shall do without the imitation of your Vanity, in telling your Reader as far as eighthly and lastly what fine exploits you intend to do there. But usually those who brag most of their Valour before-hand shew least in the Combat, and thus it will be found with you. I shall let you therefore enjoy your self in the pleasant thoughts of your noble intendments, till we come to the tryal of them; and so come to the present Controversie concerning the Greek Church.