A Persuasive to an Ingenuous Trial of Opinions in Religion, Section 2
§ 2.
1. Whether it be dangerous to private men to allow them the uſe of their own judgment in matters of Religion.
Now to leave men wholly to themſelves in this buſineſs, without directing them to uſe the beſt helps they can to find out the truth, is very dangerous indeed; and no wiſe man will contend for this liberty of judgment in behalf of Chriſtian people, or of any ſort of men whatſoever: for this were not ſo much to adviſe them to judge for themſelves, as to conclude for themſelves before they had taken any pains to judge. For I do not ſee how men can be ſaid to judge, who refuſe the means without which they can make no tryal. Now the aſſiſtance of men of greater knowledge and ability than themſelves have, is one very neceſſary means by which private and unlearned perſons are to examine and judge in matters of Religion. And God hath not onelyonly given us ability to find out ſome truths by our ſelves, but alſo to weigh and conſider what others offer to us: And therefore he hath appointed Governours and Guides of Souls, that are to feed the Flock, and to inſtruct Chriſtian people in the way to Heaven. And one part of their work is to enable them to give an anſwer to every one that asketh a reaſon of the hope that is in them, I Pet. 3. 15. which I conceive they cannot do, without informing and helping them to judge for themſelves. So that liberty of examining in order to private judgment, does by no means exclude adviſing with and hearkening to men of greater skill and ability than our ſelves, eſpecially to the publick Guides of Souls, but rather makes it neceſſary ſo to do, this being one means of Gods appointment by which we are to inform our ſelves. And I grant that without very good and clear reaſon, we are not to depart from their Doctrine, but in all doubtful caſes to preſume in favour of it.
But that it ſhould be dangerous to private perſons to weigh and conſider, as well as they can, what their Guides teach them to believe or to do, this is that which I can by no means underſtand, unleſs it were a dangerous thing to follow our Guides like men that have Reaſon, and not like beaſts that have none. It is at any time as ſafe to follow a Guide with our eyes open, as to ſuffer our ſelves to be blindfolded, and then to follow him by a ſtring. God hath referred us to Guides, Heb. 13. 17. but yet he hath truſted us to our ſelves too, and we are to try the ſpirits whether they be of God: otherwiſe we may follow Guides that want Guides themſelves. And if the blind lead the blind, both fall into the ditch.
To ſay that inquiries after truth with the beſt endeavours and means that we have in our power, is the way to be miſtaken, is to reproach our own Reaſon, and God the Author of it; ſince as it ſeems, the more we exerciſe and improve our Reaſon, the more likely we are to be in the wrong, and to deceive and abuſe our ſelves.
At the great day of Accounts, Seducers ſhall anſwer for thoſe whom they have deceived. And therefore the Guides of the Church are ſtrongly obliged that they do not through wilfulneſs or negligence miſlead us. But if they miſlead us in things that touch our eternal ſtate, I do not ſind that all the blame will lie upon them, but rather that we alſo ſhall anſwer for it our ſelves: Otherwiſe why ſhould our Saviour ſay, Why of your ſelves do ye not judge that which is right? Luke 12. 57. and St. John, Believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits, &c. 1 Joh. 4. 1. and St. Paul, Prove all things, hold faſt that which is good, 1 Theſſ. 5. 21. and, Let no man deceive you, 2 Theſſ. 2. 3. Again, if it be dangerous to permit men to judge for themſelves in that ſenſe wherein I contend for it, then theſe are not wholſom but very dangerous Exhortations.
And yet if a Church which pretends to be an Infallible Guide in Religion, could make it out clearly and plainly that ſhe is ſo, I ſhould, without much examination of her particular Doctrines, receive them as the Oracles of God. But then I muſt have ſtronger Arguments to aſſure me that ſhe is infallible, than thoſe which at preſent make me certain that ſhe is actually deceived. For to ſubmit to a pretended infallible Authority, without knowing why I do ſo, is to put it into the power of others, for ought I know, to lead me into the moſt damnable errours, and to call Virtue Vice, and Vice Virtue. Therefore they muſt be very convincing Reaſons upon which I am to believe that of my Guide, which being once admitted, I muſt take his bare word afterward for all things elſe. I think none of the Roman Communion will deny this. And then it will follow, that for my own ſafety I am to uſe my own Reaſon and Judgment as ſeverely as I can, before I admit this fundamental Article of their Faith. And this will amount to what I ſay, that it is ſo far from being dangerous for men to uſe their own Judgment in matters of Religion, that it is very dangerous for them not to do ſo; ſince otherwiſe they are likely to follow men of the greateſt confidence, as they for the moſt part are who have the leaſt reaſon for it.
Beſides, if I am led into errour by the Authority of a Church that does not pretend to Infallibility, I may hope to recover the knowledge of the truth, eſpecially if it be a matter of great conſequence, more than if ſhe pretended and I believed her infallible. For ſuch a Church will not ſo readily deny me the means of examining her Doctrine, and ſo I may be able to diſcover the errour my ſelf: If not, I have this comfort at leaſt, that my Guides being not engaged to contend that they are infallible, are themſelves in the way of detecting their own miſtake, and will more eaſily come off from it. But they that pretend to Infallibility, are ſtak'd down to their Opinions; and though their Cauſe be never ſo bad, they are engaged to ſerve it. And therefore this Pretence is ſo far from diſcharging me of the pains of uſing my own Judgment and Reaſon in matters of Religion, that I make the moſt fooliſh venture in the world, if I do not uſe my Reaſon as ſtrictly as I can in examining that very Pretence before I admit it. And though a Churches claim to Infallibility were in it ſelf never ſo juſt and well-grounded, it is to me but a Pretence, till I underſtand the grounds of it.
Nor can any man blame me, if before I am convinced of the Infallibility of that Church, I take thoſe particular Doctrines into conſideration which are to be believed upon this account, that I may this way alſo judge of the reaſonableneſs of that Pretence: for 'tis not for nothing that men would be thought infallible. If I find the Doctrine they would put off with ſuch authority, to be indeed divine and heavenly, rational and ſcriptural, tending to the reformation and ſalvation of Mankind, this will incline me to yield more eaſily to the antecedent Arguments of the Infallibility of that Church. But if the Doctrine for which ſhe vouches this Authority does, upon the moſt impartial tryal that I can make, appear to be worldly, unſcriptural, or contrary to common ſence; then I am bound to examine the grounds of her Pretence more ſeverely than in the former caſe. And there is no queſtion but ſuch Doctrines may be taught by men pretending to Inſpiration or Infallibility, which will juſtifie a man in rejecting that Pretence out of hand, and troubling himſelf no more about it. If a Phyſician of never ſo great name ſhould tell me that he would infallibly cure my Diſeaſe, and then preſcribe a doſe of Arſenick, I think Reaſon would adviſe rather to queſtion his Infallibility, becauſe he goes thus madly to work, than to take his Poyſon becauſe he promiſes an Infallible Cure.
Now if I am not to do violence to my own underſtanding in things that concern my bodily health, much leſs ſhould I do the ſame in things that regard my everlaſting ſtate. And they are a ſtrange ſort of men, who will allow people the liberty of uſing their Reaſon as well as they can for the ſecurity of their worldly intereſts, but will have them be led in the great affairs of Religion and Eternity, as if they had no reaſon at all. For to judge aright, and to know the truth in matters of Religion, which is our higheſt concernment, was the principal end for which we have Reaſon, and are Creatures of judgment and choice. And they may as well ſay that 'tis dangerous for a man to walk abroad with his eyes open, as that 'tis dangerous for him to take upon himſelf to judge as well as he can whether he be in the right way to Heaven or not.