The Rule of Faith, Part 3 · Section 3
SECT. III.
§. 1. IF the grounds of it were true,The First answer to this Demonstration. they would conclude too much, and prove that to be impossible which common experience evinceth and himself must grant to have been. For if these two Principles be true, That the greatest hopes and fears are strongly applied to the minds of all Christians; and that those hopes and fears strongly applied are the cause of actual will to adhere constantly to Christ's Doctrine: then from hence it follows that none th… entertain this Doctrine can ever fall from it; because falling from it is inconsistent with an actual will of adhering constantly to it. For supposing (as he doth) certain and constant causes of actual will to adhere to this Doctrine, those who entertain it must actually will to adhere to it, because a cause put actually causing produceth its effect, which is constant adherence to it. And if this were true these two things would be impossible. First, That any Christian should turn Apostate or Heretick. Secondly, That any Christian should live wickedly. Both which not only frequent and undoubted experience doth evince, but himself must grant, de facto to have been.
§. 2. First, It would be impossible that any Christian should turn Apostate or Heretick. Heresie according to him is nothing else but the renouncing of Tradition. Now he tells us *P. 60., That the first Renouncers of Tradition must have been true Believers or holders of it, ere they renounced it; and I suppose there is the same reason for Apostates. But if all Christians or true Believers (as he calls them) have these Arguments of hope and fear strongly applied; and hope and fear strongly applied be the causes of actual will to adhere to this Doctrine; 'tis necessary all Christians should adhere to it, and impossible there should be either Apostates or Hereticks. For if these causes be put in all the faithful actually causing (as the Grounds of his Demonstration suppose) and indefectibleness be the proper and necessary effect of these causes, as he also saith *P. 75., then it is impossible, that where these causes are put, there should be any defection. For a proper and necessary effect cannot but be where the causes of such an effect are put; especially if they be put actually causing; and consequently 'tis impossible that any single Christian should ever either totally apostatize or fall into Heresie, that is, renounce Tradition.
§. 3. And that this is a genuine consequence from these Principles (though he will not acknowledg it here, because he saw it would ruine his Demonstration) is liberally acknowledged by him in other parts of his Discourse. For he tells us *P. 54., That it exceeds all the power of nature (abstracting from the causes of madness and violent disease) to blot the knowledges of this Doctrine out of the soul of one single Believer. And *P. 78.that since no man can hold contrary to his knowledg, nor doubt of what he holds, nor change and innovate without knowing he doth so, it is a manifest impossibility a whole Age should fall into an absurdity so inconsistent with the nature of one single man. And *P. 89., That it is perhaps impossible for one single man to attempt to deceive posterity by renouncing Tradition. Which passages laid together amount to thus much, That it is impossible that Tradition should fail in any one single person. And though in the passage last cited he speak faintly, and with a perhaps, as if he apprehended some danger in speaking too peremptorily, yet any one would easily see the last to be as impossible as any of the rest. And he himself elsewhere, being in the full Career of his Bombast Rhetorick, delivers it roundly without fear or wit *P. 54., Sooner may the sinews of entire nature by overstraining crack, and she lose all her activity and motion, that is, her self, than one single part of that innumerable multitude which integrate that vast testification which we call Tradition can possibly be violated.
§. 4. But it may be we deal too hardly with him and press his Demonstration too far, because he tells us he only intends by it to prove that the generality of Christians will always adhere to Tradition. But if he intended to prove no more but this, he should then have brought a Demonstration that would have concluded no more; but this concludes of all as well as of the generality of Christians: A clear evidence that it is no Demonstration, because it concludes that which is evidently false, That there can be no Apostates or Hereticks. Besides, supposing his Demonstration to conclude only that the generality of Christians would always adhere to Tradition, this is as plainly confuted by experience, if there be any credit to be given to History. St. Hierom tells us *Chron. ad Annum Christ. 352., That Liberius Bishop of Rome (for all his particular Title to Infallibility built upon Tradition, as Mr. S. speaks, Coroll. 28.) turned Arian. And that *Ad An. 363.Arianism was establish't by the Synod of Ariminum, which was a Council more general than that of Trent. And that *Ad An. 364.almost all the Churches in the whole World under the names of Peace and of the Emperour, were polluted by Communion with the Arians. Again, That *Advers. Lucifer.under the Emperour Constantius (Eusebius and Hippatius being Consuls) Infidelity was subscribed under the names of Vnity and Faith. And *Ibid.that the whole World groaned and wondered to see it self turned Arian. And he *Ibid.uses this as an argument to the Luciferians, to receive into the Church those who had been defiled with the Heresie of Arius, because the number of those who had kept themselves Orthodox, was so exceeding small: For (says he) the Synod of Nice which consisted of above Three hundred Bishops, received Eight Arian Bishops whom they might have cast out without any great loss to the Church; I wonder then how some, and those the followers of the Nicene Faith can think that three Confessors (viz. Athanasius, Hilarius, Eusebius) ought not to do that in case of necessity for the good and safety of the whole World, which so many and such excellent Persons did voluntarily. It seems Arianism had prevailed very far, when St. Hierom could not name above three eminent Persons in the Church who had preserved themselves untainted with it. Again *In Epist. ad Galat. l. 3., Arius in Alexandria was at first but one spark, but because it was not presently extinguish't it broke out into a flame which devoured the whole World. Gregory Nazianzen *Orat. 20. & 21.likewise tells us to the same purpose, That the Arian Heresie seized upon the greatest part of the Church. And, to shew that he knew nothing of Mr. S's Demonstration of the indefectibility of the generality of Christians, he asks *Orat. 25., Where are those that define the Church by multitude, and despise the little Flock, &c? And this Heresie was of a long continuance, for from its first rise which happened in the 20th year of Constantine, it continued (as Joh. Abbas *Chron. ad Annum octavum Maurit.hath calculated it) 266 years. And the Pelagian Heresie (if we may believe Bradwardine, one of the great Champions of the Church against it) did in a manner prevail as much as Arianism, as the said Author complains in his Preface to his Book *Caus. Dei., That almost the whole World was run after Pelagius into Error. Will Mr. S. now say, that in the height of these Heresies the generality of Christians did firmly adhere to Tradition? If he say they did, let him answer the express Testimonies produced to the contrary: But if they did not, then his Demonstration also fails as to the generality of Christians. And if the greater part of Christians may fall off from Tradition, what Demonstration can make it impossible for the lesser to do so? Who will say it is in Reason impossible that a Thousand persons should relinquish Tradition, though Nine hundred of them have already done it, and though the remainder be no otherwise secured from doing so than those were who have actually relinquish't it? Now is not this a clear evidence that this which he calls a Demonstration a Priori, is no such thing? Because every Demonstration a Priori, must be from causes which are necessary, whereas his Demonstration is from voluntary causes. So that unless he can prove that voluntary causes are necessary, he shall never demonstrate that it is impossible for the generality of any company of men to err who have every one of them free-will, and are every one of them liable to passion and m… stake.
§. 5. From all this it appears, that his whole Discourse about the Original and Progress of Heresie, and the multitudes of Hereticks in several Ages, is as clear a confutation of his own Demonstration as can be desired. The only thing that he offers in that Discourse, to prevent this Objection which he foresaw it liable to, is this, It is not (says he *P. 65.) to be expected but that some contingencies should have place, where an whole Species in a manner is to be wrought upon; it sufficeth that the causes to preserve Faith indeficiently entire are as efficacious as those which are laid for the preservation of Mankind, the vertue of Faith not being to continue longer than Mankind its only subject does; and they will easily appear as efficacious as the other, if we consider the strength of those causes before explicated, and reflect that they are effectively powerful to make multitudes daily debar themselves of those pleasures which are the causes of Mankinds propagation; and if we look into History for experience of what hath passed in the World since the propagating of Christianity, we shall find more particulars failing in propagating their kind, than their Faith. To which I answer,
First, That it may reasonably be expected there should be no contingencies in any particulars, where causes of actual will are supposed to be put in all: Because (as he says truly) a cause put actually causing cannot but produce its effect. Suppose then constant causes laid in all Mankind of an actual will to speak Truth to the best of their knowledg, were it not reasonable to expect that there would be no such contingency to the Worlds end as that any man should tell a lye? Nay, it were madness for any man to think any such contingency should be, supposing causes actually causing men always to speak Truth.
Secondly, It is far from Truth that the causes to preserve Faith indeficiently entire, are as efficacious as those which are laid for the propagation of Mankind. And whereas he would prove the strength of these causes which are laid to preserve Faith, because they are effectively powerful to make multitudes daily debar themselves of those pleasur…s which are the causes of Mankinds propagation; I hope no body that hath read the innumerable complaints which occur in their own Historians, and others of the best and most credible of their own Writers, of more than one Age, concerning the general viciousness and debauchery of their Priests and Monks, will he overforward to believe that all those who debar themselves of lawful Marriage, do abstain from those unlawful pleasures.
§. 6. But nothing can be more impudent than what he adds, That if we look into Histories for experience of what hath past in the World since the first planting of Christianity, we shall find far more particulars failing in propagating their kind, than their Faith, Do any Histories confirm it to have been the experience of the World, that the far greatest part of the World did in any Age give over propagating their kind? But Histories do confirm that the far greatest part of the Christian World did fall off to Arianism and Pelagianism; and consequently, as he supposeth, did desert and renounce Tradition. Did ever whole Nations and vast Territories of the World either wholly, or for the far greatest part of them, take upan humour against propagating Mankind? And yet both History, and the experience of the present Age assures us, that a great part of Asia and of Africk (where the most flourishing Churches in the World once were) are fallen off from Christianity, and become either Mahometans or Heathens. In Africk almost all those vast Regions, which Christianity had gained from Heathenism, Mahometanism hath regained from Christianity. All the North-part of Afrique lying along the Mediterranean (where Christianity flourish't once as much as ever it did at Rome) is at this time utterly void of Christians, excepting a few Towns in the hands of the European Princes. And not to mention all particular places, the large Region of Nubia, which had (as is thought) from the Apostles time professed the Christian Faith, hath within these 150 years for want of Ministers (as Alvarez *Hist. Aethiop.tells us) quitted Christianity, and is partly revolted to Heathenism, partly fallen off to Mahometanism. So that it seems, that notwithstanding the Arguments of hope and fear, the very Teachers of Tradition may fail in a largely extended Church. As for Asia, in the Easterly parts of it, there is not now one Christian to four of what there were 500 years ago; and in the more Southerly parts of it (where Christianity had taken deepest root) the Christians are far inferiour in number to the Idolaters and Mahometans, and do daily decrease. What thinks Mr. S. of all this? Have those Christian Nations which are turn'd Mahometans and Pagans failed in their Faith or not? If they have, I expect from him clear Instances of more that have failed in propagating their kind.
§. 7. But, besides those who have totally Apostatized from Christianity, hath not the whole Greek Church with the Jacobites and Nestorians, and all those other Sects which agree with and depend upon these, and which taken together are manifoldly greater than the Roman Church; I say, have not all these renounced Tradition for several Ages? And here in Europe, hath not a great part of Poland, Hungary, both Germany's, France, and Switzerland? Have not the Kingdoms of great Brittain, Denmark, Sweden, and a considerable part of Ireland, in Mr. S's opinion deserted Tradition? If I should once see a whole Nation fail, because no body would marry and contribute to the propagation of Mankind; and should find this sullen humour to prevail in several Nations, and to overspread vast Parts of the World, I should. then in good earnest think it possible for Mankind to fail; unless I could shew it impossible for other Nations to do that which I see some to have done, who were every whit as unlikely to have done it. So that whatever cause he assigns of Heresie *P. 67., as Pride, Ambition, Lust, or any other vice or interest, if these can take place in whole Nations, and make them renounce Tradition, then where's the efficacy of the causes to preserve Faith indeficiently entire in any? For the Demonstration holds as strongly for all Christians as for any.
§. 8. Secondly, From these grounds it would follow that no Christian can live wickedly; because the end of Faith being a good life, the arguments of hope and fear must in all Reason be as powerful and efficacious causes of a good life, as of a true belief. And that his Demonstration proves the one as much as the other, will be evident from his own reasoning; for he *P. 62.argues in this manner, Good is the proper object of the will, good propos'd makes the will to desire that good, and consequently the known means to obtain it: Now infinite goods and harms sufficiently proposed are of their own nature incomparably more powerful causes to carry the will than temporal ones. Since then, when two causes are counterpoised, the lesser when it comes to execution is no cause as to the substance of that effect, it follows that there is no cause to move the wills of a World of Believers to be willing to do that which they judge would lose themselves and their Posterity infinite goods, and bring them infinite harms, &c. in case a sufficient Proposal or Application be not wanting, which he tells us *P. 6….is not wanting, because Christianity urged to execution, gives its followers a new life and a new nature, than which a nearer Application cannot be imagined. Doth not this Argument extend to the lives of Christians, as well as their Belief? So that he may as well infer from these grounds, that it is impossible that those who profess Christianity should live contrary to it, as that they should fail to deliver down the Doctrine of Christ; because whatever can be an inducement and temptation to any man, to contradict this Doctrine by his practice, may equally prevail upon him to falsifie it. For why should men make any more scruple of damning themselves and their Posterity by teaching them false Doctrines, than by living wicked Lives? which are equally pernicious with Heretical Doctrines, not only upon account of the bad influence which such examples of Fathers and Teachers are like to have upon their Scholars, but likewise as they are one of the strongest arguments in the World to perswade them, that their Teachers do not themselves believe that Religion which they teach; for if they did, they would live according to it. Why should any man think, that those arguments of hope and fear which will not prevail upon the generality of Christians to make them live holy Lives, should be so necessarily efficacious to make them so much concerned for the preserving of a right Belief? Nay, we have great reason to believe that such persons will endeavour as much as may be, to bend and accommodate their Belief to their Lives. And this is the true source of those Innovations in Faith for which we challenge the Church of Rome; which any man may easily discern, who will but consider how all their new Doctrines are fitted to a secular Interest, and the gratifying of that inordinate appetite after riches and dominion which reigns in the Court of Rome, and in the upper part of the Clergy of that Church.