Second Vindication of the Protestant Grounds of Faith, Chapter 1

Second Vindication of the Protestant Grounds of Faith · Chapter 1

p. 295CHAP. I. An Answer to the Guide in Controversies about Infallibility, and the Resolution of Faith.

§. 1. THere are two great Pleas for The state of the Controversie about Infallibility, and the Resolution of Faith.the necessity of Infallibility in the Roman Church, one to make an end of Controversies, the other to lay a sufficient Foundation for divine Faith. Having therefore fully examined the former Plea in the foregoing discourse, I shall now proceed to the latter; with a particular respect to those Adversaries, who have undertaken the Defence of the Cause of the Church of Rome against me in this Controversie. And because all this dispute refers to the Principles of Faith, I shall undertake to shew,

p. 2961. That the Principles laid down by them are false and fallacious.

2. That the Protestant Principles defended by me are sound and true.

1. For the better examination of their Principles, I shall give a brief account of the Rise and State of this Controversie about the Grounds of Faith. The Arch-Bishops Adversary in Conference with him, asked how he knew the Scripture to be the Word of God, hoping thereby to drive him to the necessity of owning the Infallible Testimony of the present Roman Church: but he failed so much of his end, that the Arch-Bishop fully proved, that such a Testimony could not be the Foundation of that Faith, whereby we believe the Scriptures, to be the Word of God; and that there are sufficient Grounds for Faith without it. One of the great arguments whereby he disproved that way of Resolving Faith was, that it was impossible to avoid a vitious circle in proving the Churches infallibility by Scripture, and the Scripture by the Infallible Testimony of the Church. This difficulty, which hath puzled the greatest Wits of the Roman Church, his Answerer thought to avoid by saying, that the Churches Infallibility was not primarily proved by the Scripture, but by the Motives of Credibility which belong to the p. 297Church in the same manner that Moses and the Prophets, Christ and his Apostles were proved to be Infallible. Which bold assertion obliged me in a large discourse to shew these three things. 1. That this way of resolving Faith was manifestly unreasonable. 2. That supposing it true he could not avoid the circle by it. 3. That it was false and built on no other ground but a daring confidence.

1. The first I proved. 1. Because an Assent is hereby required beyond all proportion or degree of evidence; the Assent required being Infallible and the evidence only probable and prudential Motives. 2. Because hereby they must run into all the Absurdities they would seek to avoid, it being impossible to give a better account of Faith by the Infallibility of the Roman Church, than we can do without it; both sides acknowledging that those Motives of Credibility do hold for the Scriptures, which are by us denied to belong to their Church; and if faith as to the Scriptures be uncertain if it rely on them, much more must it be so as to the Churches Infallibility: If divine Faith as to the Scriptures can rest upon motives of Credibility, there can be no necessity of the Churches Infallibility to a divine faith; if it cannot, how come those motives to be a sufficient p. 298ground for such a Faith as to the Church? For the Churches Infallibility being the reason as to them of believing the things contained in the Scripture, it ought to be believed with a faith equally divine with that whereby we are to believe the Scriptures which are the instrument of conveyin… the matters of Faith to us. Besides, th… leaves every mans reason to be judge in th… choice of his Religion; because every ma… must satisfie himself as to the credibility o… those motives. And after all, this way o… Resolving Faith by the Churches Infallibility, doth unsettle the very Foundations o… Faith laid by Christ and his Apostles, wh… all supposed a rational certainty of the motives of Faith to be a sufficient Foundatio… for it; but the pretence of Infallibility do… overthrow the evidence of sense and reason and put the whole tryal of the Truth of Christianity upon the pitiful proofs which the… bring for the Church of Romes Infallibility. And when they have brought men to it they cannot assure them what that Church is which they attribute this Infallibility to who in that Church are the proper subjects of it; what kind of Infallibility it is; no… when the Church doth define Infallibly: so many things are to be believed without reason, both as the persons who are to define, p. 299and the manner of their definitions.

2. Supposing this way true, the Circle still remains: which I proved by three things. …. From the nature of the faith they enquire for a resolution of, which is not humane but Divine Faith. For the Question was not, whether by another kind of Assent they could not escape the circle; but whether they could …o it in the resolution of Divine Faith or not? Either then the Churches Infallibility is not to be believed with a Divine Faith, or there may be a Divine Faith without an Infallible Testimony, or this Divine Faith of the Churches Infallibility, must be built on the Scripture, and so the Circle returns. 2. From the persons whose faith is to be resolved; the way of resolving faith being a different thing from proving a matter of Faith to an Adversary; granting then that to those who deny the Churches Infallibility, but allow the Scriptures, they may prove the one by the other yet this signifies nothing to the Resolution of their own Faith, which is the thing enquired after: and yet even in proving to …d…ersaries the Churches Infallibility from Scipture… they cannot avoid the Circle, when the Question returns about the sense of those places; for then they must run to the Church; because the Church which is Infallible hath delivered this to be the sense of them. p. 3003. From the nature of that Infallibility which they attribute to the Church, which being not by immediate divine Revelation, but by a Supernatural Assistance promised in Scripture it is impossible to prove this Infallibility, but by first proving the truth of tha… Scripture wherein these promises are contained, and so the Circle still returns; for the believe the Scriptures Infallible because o… the Churches Testimony, and they belie… the Church Infallible because of the Promises of her Assistance recorded in Scripture.

3. It is false that there are the same motive of credibility as to the Churches Infallibility which there were for the Infallibility of Mos… and the Prophets, Christ and his Apostles which T. C. therefore very wisely declined t… prove, and only said it was sufficient to she… how he had escaped the Circle.

§. 2. This is a brief account of that pan The Principles of the Guide in Controversies. Guide in Contro. disc. 3. Ch 10. Sect. 123.of the Resolution of Faith which hath bee… since assaulted by two several Adversarie… but in different ways. The first of them i… the Guide in Controversies; who ingenuousl… confesseth the Question about the Resolutio… of Faith upon their Principles to be intricat…; so any one might easily guess by the intricacy and obscurity of his answer to it. I shall endeav…ur to bring it to as much clearness a… p. 301possibly I can; that I may the better represent the force and consequences of it. The substance of what he saith, may be reduced to these propositions.

1. That the Church may be considered two ways. 1. As a Society already manifested Sect. 126.by Divine Revelation (whether written or unwritten) to be infallibly assisted by the Holy Ghost. 2. As a Society of men whose Testimony is to be received upon prudential motives.

2. That the Church being considered in the former of the two acceptions; the infallible Sect. 127.authority and testimony thereof is not only an introductive into, but one of the articles of divine faith; and that so many as believe the Churches Infallibility in this sense, may safely resolve their divine faith of other articles of their belief into its delivering them as such.

3. That whatever this Infallible Authority of the Church be, it is not necessary that Ibid.every one for attaining a divine and saving faith, be infallibly certain of this Infallible Authority; or as he elsewhere expresseth it; that it is not necessary for divine faith, that Sect. 135.it should always have an external rationallyinfallible ground, or motive thereto (whether Church-authority or any other) on his part that so believes: or that he have some p. 302extrinsecal motive or proponent of which he is infallibly certain that it is infallible.

4. There are two sorts of faith to be resolved divine and humane, or infused and acquisite; the one is always built upon divine Sect. 143. 153. 148.Revelation, the other needs no more than prudential motives, or such as are sufficiently credible or morally infallible; on which an acquired or humane faith securely rests.

5. That there must be particular ultimate divine Revelation, (which may not be to all Sect. 144, 145.the same but to some one, to some another, viz. either Scripture, or Churches Testimony, or Apostolical Tradition or Miracles) beyond which he can resolve his divine faith no further, for proving or consirming which revelation, he can produce no other divine revelution, but there must end; unless a process be made in infinitum, or a running round.

6. Divine Faith as to such altimate particular divine Revelation, cannot be grounded meerly on Gods veracity, but that God hath Sect. 145.said this particular thing which we believe (namely that the testimony of the Church, or Apostles, or Scriptures is true) which must either be grounded (that it may be the Foundation of a divine faith) on some other divine Revelation and so in infinitum, or else I must rest there with an immediate assent to it.

p. 3037. The internal efficient of all Divine faith is the power or Grace of the Holy Ghost illuminating the understanding, that Sect.the prime verity cannot lye in whatever thing it reveals; and also that the particular articles of our faith are its Revelations; and perswading and operating in the Will such a firm adherence unto these articles, as many times far exceeds that of any humane science or demonstrations.

8. The ultimate resolution of a Christians divine faith, as to the extrinsecal prime motive, ground, reason or principle thereof, S…c…that equals in certainty the faith built upon it, can be no other than that particular divine Revelation which is first made known to him, or from which in building his faith …e proceeds to the rest; as to the internal efficient, it is into the Grace of the Holy Spirit.

9. The motives of credibility, or the rational evidence of the truth of Christianity do serve indeed antecedently for an introductive to, or (after it introduced) for a S…ct. 148.confirmative of this divine faith, i. e. to make it credible or acceptable to humane reason (my own or others) that this faith is true and no way liable to error; that I am assured in it by the holy and no seducing Spirit; but not to constitute it in the notion of faith divine; p. 304because the faith so stiled is supposed to rest always on an higher ground. viz. Revelation Divine.

10. That the infallibility of the Church grounded on Divine Revelation and believed by a divine faith is a main ground and pillar of a Catholicks faith for any other articles Sect. 153.thereof, that are established by the sam… Churches Definitions, where the Scriptures, or Tradition Apostolick are to him doubtful. Of which ground and assurance of such points (believed by Catholicks from the Churches infallible Authority) the Protestant… faith is destitute.

§. 3. These are the Principles upon which Those Principles considered.this Guide in Controversies undertakes to clear this intricate Question, and to free their resolution of faith from the danger of a circle; I have but two small things to object against this way. 1. That it gives up the cause in dispute. 2. That notwithstanding it doth not avoid the main difficulties.

1. That it gives up the cause in Dispute… which was whether the Infallible Testimony of the Church be the necessary Foundation of Divine Faith? for upon occasion of the supposed necessity of this Infallibility, the Question was first started; this Infallibility being asserted to be necessary by T. C. and was p. 305the thing I chiefly opposed in the discourse of the Resolution of Faith. Now this the Guide in Controversies freely yields to me, and consequently the main Foundation of Faith asserted by my Adversary is destroyed: as plainly appears by the third Proposition, wherein he affirms that an external infallible proponent is not necessary to divine Faith. But this he doth not barely affirm, but, he saith, it is copiously proved by many learned Catholicks: and to this purpose he cites Cardinal Lugo speaking of Divine Lugo de …irtute Fidei disp. 1. Sect. 12. P. 247.Faith, who saith, that the infallibility of the Church cannot be the first Ground of Divine Faith; because this Infallible Authority of the church by Assistance of the Holy Ghost is it self an article of Divine Faith. And experience tells us that all Children or adult persons first coming to the Faith, do not apprebend much less infallibly believe, this Infallible Authority in the Church before any other article of Faith. And in the Law of Nature and under the Law of Moses, the Churches proposition was not necessary in order to faith; but the instruction of Parents was sufficient in one, and the doctrine of Moses and the Prophets in the other, before their Prophecies were received by the Church. He cites Estius likewise speaking of this Divine Es…i. in 3. sent. 23. d. Sect. 13.Isa 1and Salvifical faith, that it is not material p. 306to faith what medium God makes use of to bestow this gift of Faith upon men: many having believed that knew nothing of the Churches infallibility. He cites Layman Paul. Layman. Th…olog. moral. 2. l. lr. 1. c. 5.asserting that it often comes to pass, that other articles of our faith are explicitly believed before that of the Churches Infallibility; and withal this Infallibility of the Church, depends upon the promise of the spirit; therefore men must first believe that there is a spirit of God and consequently the holy Trinity. Farther saith he, it is plain that the primitive Christians did believe with divine Faith, not for the Authority of the Church, which either was not founded yet (when St. Peter believed Christ to be the Son of the living God) or had not defined any doctrines of Faith. Again he denies the Churches Authority to be the formal principle or motive of Faith; and that for this very good reason, because this infallible Authority of the Church is one of the things to be believed. Nay he cites Fa. Knot himself in his reply to Chillingworth affirming Christians may have a true Knots answer to Chillingworth p. 358.Infallible Divine Faith, of which faith they have only a fallible proponent, nor are infallibly certain thereof, i. e. as to the proponent. I now appeal to the indifferent reader whether the main thing contended for by me, viz. that the infallible Testimony of the p. 307Church is not necessary in order to Faith, be not here fully granted to me?

2. But yet the account of Faith here given is very far from clearing the chief difficulties of it, as will appear by these two things. 1. That this resolution of Divine Faith is very unsatisfactory in it self. … 2. That it is liable to the absurdities which he seeks to avoid by it.

1. That the resolution of Divine Faith laid down by him is very unsatisfactory in it self: the principles of which are these. 1. That Divine Faith must rest upon Divine Revelation. 2. This Divine Revelation upon which faith is built is that which is first made known to the person, and from which he proceeds to other matters of faith. 3. This Divine Revelation is not one and the same to all, but to some the Authority of the Scriptures, to some the Authority of the Church, to some Apostolical Tradition. 4. Divine Faith must rest upon this Revelation with an immediate assent to it, without enquiring further, for if there be any further process there must be so in infinitum or a circle. 5. That the Holy Ghost doth illuminate the understanding of him that believes, both as to the veracity of God and the truth of his Revelation, and causes such a firm adherence of faith, as many times far exceeds that of any p. 308humane Science or demonstrations. But in this way I can neither be satisfied, 1. What that particular divine Revelation is, which this divine Faith doth rest upon? Not 2. How this Faith can equally rest in several persons upon several ways? Nor 3. How it can rest with an immediate assent upon any way? Nor 4. Wherein this way differs from resolving Faith into the Testimony of the Spirit?

§. 4. I cannot understand what that particular Of particular divine Revelation as the ground of Faith.divine Revelation is into which as into it… prime extrinsecal motive, Faith is here resolved? The thing enquired after is the reason of believing the truth of what God hath publickly revealed to mankind, as we say he hath done the Doctrines of Christianity the ultimate resolution of divine Faith as to this I am told is that particular divine Revelation, which is first made known to a man: i… this particular divine Revelation the sam… with Gods publick and general Revelation o… distinct from it? If it be the same it can offer no reason for my Faith, unless the same thing may be proved by it self; if it be different, then God makes use of particular divine Revelations to men different from his publick, into which they are to resolve their Faith. Suppose then the Question be thus put, why p. 309do you believe that Christ shall come to judge the quick and the dead? The general Answer is, because God that cannot lie hath revealed it; but then the Question returns on what ground do you believe this Revelation to have been from God with such a divine Faith as must rest upon divine Revelation? For such you assert to be necessary. To this the Guide in Controversies Answers, that the ultimate resolution of a Christians divine Faith is into that particular divine Revelation first made known to him. What particular divine Revelation I beseech him is that, on which I ground the divine Faith of this Proposition, that the Doctrine of Scripture is Gods Revelation? For of that we enquire. It cannot be understood of the rational evidence of the truth of the divine Revelation; for that is asserted by him not to be a sufficient foundation for divine Faith, which must rest upon nothing short of divine Revelation: I would gladly be informed and directed by this Guide in Controversies, since I must believe Gods Revelation with a divine Faith, and this divine Faith must rest upon a divine Revelation; what that particular divine Revelation is on which I am to believe with divine Faith, the truth of Gods publick and general Revelation? I have endeavoured to find out what his meaning herein is, but I p. 310confess I cannot: sometimes he seems to den… any resolution at all of this divine faith into an… further principles, and quotes Layman with approbation, who saith, that the formal reason of believing what God saith is his veracity; but that God hath revealed such thing it. 133.to us, cannot be any further resolved or pr… ved by divine Faith. In the next Section he saith, That divine Faith doth not resolve into an extrinsecal, even morally infallibl… Sect. 134motive thereof either as the formal cause, o… always as the applicative introductive o… condition of this divine Faith. From whence it follows, that this divine Faith may be where there is neither infallible nor prudential motive; i. e. it may be, where no account at all can be given of it; for all motives must be of one sort or other; and yet this divine Faith doth rest upon a particular divine Revelation, of which since no account can be given, it is unreasonable to expect it. But I will try yet further by an Instance of his own. The Question put by him is, why he believes the things contained in the Gospel of St. Matthew, to be divinely revealed; he Answers, That he resolves his Faith of the truth of those contents not into the Churches saying they are true, although he believe all that true the Church saith, but into divine Revelation; because God by his Evangelist p. 311delivereth them for truth: Again he saith, When he believes that all contained in St. Matthew's Gospel is true, because the Church tells him i… i… so, and then believes that the Church …elleth him true, because God hath revealed …n some part of his Word, that the Church in this shall not erre; here his Faith he saith, is ultimately resolved again, not into the Churches Authority, but the divine Revela…ion concerning the Church. This looks like something at first hearing, if one do not press …oo far in the examination of it; but being …hroughly searched into, how profound soever it may seem, it is scarce tolerable sense upon his own principles. For it is agreed now on all hands that in the Question of the resolution of Faith, the enquiry is not why we believe what God reveals; but why we believe this to be a divine Revelation; and the Question is now put particularly concerning the doctrine contained in St. Matthews Gospel: his principles are, That this must be believed by divine Faith, and that this Faith must rest upon divine Revelation; I now enquire upon what particular divine Revelation he doth build this act of divine Faith, that St. Matthew's Gospel contains the Word of God? He Answers, first, Though he believes it to be true because the Church saith it is so, yet his Faith is not resolved into the Churches p. 312Testimony, but into divine Revelation … What divine Revelation doth he mean? that which is in Question? viz. That St. Matthew's Gospel is divine Revelation: if so the… he doth not believe it because the Church saith it; but if he doth believe it because of the Churches Testimony, then it cannot be o… the account of Gods delivering it for truth by the Evangelist. For doth he believe it because the Evangelist saith so or not? If h… doth, then he doth not believe it, because the Church saith it, if he doth not believe it because the Evangelist saith it, then he must believe it because the Church saith it, and so his Faith must be resolved into the Churches Testimony, which if it be a divine Faith▪ must according to his own principles suppose that the Churches Testimony is a divine Revelation, and the formal object of divine Faith. The same absurdity lies in the other Answer, He believe…, he saith, that all contained in St. Matthew's Gospel is true because the Church telleth him so; and then believes that the Church tells him true, because God hath revealed in some part of his Word, that the Church in this shall not erre. And yet his Faith is not resolved into the Churches Authority but the divine Revelation concerning the Church. This Answer must be understood either of St. Matthew's Gospel being p. 113proved by some other part of Scripture, and then I grant the circle is avoided; but that doth not answer the present difficulty, which is concerning the ground of believing not some one part of divine Revelation, but the whole: Or else it must be understood of St. Matthew's Gospel being proved by some part of it self. And then he resolves his Faith thus. He believes what St. Matthew's Gospel saith concerning the Church, because he believes St. Matthew's Gospel to be true; and believes St. Matthew's Gospel to be true with a divine Faith, because the Church tells him so. Can any thing now be more plain than that, he must resolve his Faith into that Authority upon which he believed St. Matthew's Gospel to be true, which himself confesseth to be that of the Church? Only if a man can be so foolish to believe first the truth of St. Matthew's Gospel, because the Church saith it, and at the same time believe the Church to say true, because St. Matthew's Gospel saith so, that mans Faith is to be resolved into nothing but the dancing of Fairies, which have put him into such a circle that he can never find the way out of. But if he mean any thing else I know not what to impute such an absurd way of proceeding to; unless it be to a through intoxication of School Divinity, which confounds all true notions and distinct p. 314conceptions of things, and makes men have such swimming brains, that all things turn round with them.

§. 5. 2. But supposing I could understand The resolution ofdivine Faith must agree to all?what this particular divine Revelation meant, into which this divine Faith must be resolved, why may not one particular way serve all mankind for it? Must there be several and all equal foundations of divine Faith? I can easily satisfie my self of the reason of asserting it… but not of the reason of the thing in this way of resolving Faith. The true reason of asse…ting it was the plain evidence that many persons had a true divine Faith, without knowing any thing of the Churches Infallibility: this made some men in the Church of Rome confess that it was not always necessary; but least on the other side they should seem hereby to forego the Palladium of that Church, they do withall say, that sometimes Faith may begin there: and so run into the very same absurdities that the others do. For if one man can resolve his Faith well so, why not a hundred, why not a thousand, why not all Christians? If all cannot do it without running into a circle, neither can one; for the process of Faith is alike in all. Not that the same means are used to all persons; for it is evident that men believe upon different grounds; but p. 315what is absurd if a thousand do it, is equally absurd if but one do it. Although the Guide …n Controversies doth not suppose it necessary …or men to resolve their Faith into the Churches Infallibility; yet he doth suppose …hat some men may do it. Well then, we will put the case that any one person doth re…olve his Faith concerning Gods Revelation …nto the Churches Infallibility as the ground of his divine Faith; I desire to be informed by this worthy Guide, whether he doth not run into the same absurdities, which all would do if they proceeded that way? i. e. whether it be any more possible for one to free himself from a circle than for all? Is not the reason assigned by Canus and Layman, and Lugo this viz. because the Churches Infallibility i… one of the things to be believed as revealed by God, and therefore cannot be the ground of Faith to any? And will not this reason exclude any one person from doing it, that resolves his Faith as he ought to do? So that if this hold in any one, being drawn from the reason of the thing and not from the circumstances of persons, it must equally hold against all persons, and consequently no one person can reasonably establish his Faith as to Gods Revelation upon the Churches Infallibility.

p. 316§. 6. 3. I am far from understanding this way Of immediate Asnt.of immediate asse…t to the divine Revelation▪ I grant the reason against proceeding furthe… to be very good, for the Guide could see n… passage that way, but over rocks and precipices: and therefore finds out a shorter cut by asserting an immediate assent to the Divin… Revelation. But to what divine Revelation doth he mean? The Authority of Soripture Churches Infallibility, Apostolical Tradition, or any of these? It is all one to me, which it is, for it is equally unreasonable, to allo… any of them. For I look upon Faith a… an act of the mind, which must always have a reason moving it to assent. Even in self evident Propositions where the assent is most immediate, yet there is the greatest and clearest reason for it, viz. the evidence of the thing, which makes the understanding never hesitate or doubt, but yield a firm assent upon the first apprehension, and proportionable to the reason and evidence of the thing, or of the motive enclining to assent, so is the readiness and firmness of it. But to assert an assent in Faith so immediate, of which no motive or reason can be assigned proportionable to it, is a thing repugnant to the nature of our reasonable faculties, and it is to make one of the noblest acts of our understandings a meer blind and bruitish assent. All that p. 317we enquire for, is a sufficient reason to move our minds to believe in the act of divine Faith; which is seen in all the acts of humane Faith. For no man can reasonably believe what another saith, or that he hath said so, but he is able to give an account of both of them. And it would be very strange that in the most weighty matters of Faith, on which mens eternal happiness and misery depend, they should be obliged to assent in such an immediate manner that they can have no good account to give of their divine Faith. Yes, …aith the Guide, an account may be given …o make this assent appear prudent by the mo…ives of credibility: But that is not the thing we enquire for; but a sufficient foundation for divine Faith: and as to this he asserts, …hat our Faith doth immediately rest upon divine Revelation without proceeding to another Revelation for the ground of it. But now then can this divine Faith have a divine Revelation for its ground? It may have it for its material object, which comes not under our consideration; but only the formal object on motive of that Faith as to this Revelation. We will suppose the Churches Infallibility to be the matter believed, I demand a reason why this is to be believed? The Answer is, because God hath revealed it in his Word; there the Q…estion returns what reason p. 318have you to believe that to be the Word of God? Here the Guide cries out, stand there; if you proceed a step further you are lost. For if you say upon another Revelation, then that upon another, and so without end. But say I, you tell me I must believe this to be Gods Word with a divine Faith; and this divine Faith must rest upon a divine Revelation as its formal cause; assign me that, or you overthrow the nature of divine Faith; what divine Revelation is there for this Faith to rest upon? None say you, but here it must stop; if so, then it is certain by your own principles this either can be no divine Faith, or else divine Faith doth not always need a divine Revelation. So that this way of the resolution of Faith overthrows it self; and needs no other opposition but of one part to another.

§. 7. 4. It may be all this may be cleared by Of the assistance of the Holy Ghost.the Assistance of the Holy Ghost supplying the want of another Revelation, by its illuminating and confirming the mind. So the Tragoedians of old call'd down the Gods upon the Stage, when they could extricate themselves by no other means. Not that I do in the least doubt the efficiency of the divine Spirit in the act and exercise of Faith; or that God by secret and unexpressible ways may strengthen p. 319and increase Grace in the hearts of men, which thereby become better assured of the …hings they believe. But the Question now …s whether our Faith, as to the motive and …eason of it can, or ought to be resolved into …he illumination of the Holy Ghost? And in …ruth after all his turnings and windings the Guide sits down at last in the grossest way of resolving divine faith into the Testimony of the Holy Ghost. For he saith that doth …lluminate the understanding that the prime verity cannot lie in whatever thing it reveals, and also that the particular articles of our faith are its revelations. Was ever any …hing more fully said to this purpose by the highest Calvinists or Enthusiasts? Have the …isputants of the Church of Rome hither…o charged them with a circle in this …esolution of faith, equal with theirs between the Church and Scripture; and hath the very Guide in Controversies found no way to escape one whirlpool, but by falling into another? But since I see no reason to believe this Guide in Controversies to be infallible, any more than the Pope himself, I hope I may have leave to ask him some few Questions. Doth he in earnest believe that our assurance of Gods veracity and the truth of his revelations do flow from the immediate illumination of the Spirit of God? p. 320I would fain know then, 1. Why he trouble… himself about any other resolution of faith▪ For by this way he resolves faith in all the parts of it. If you ask the first Question… why you believe that to be true which God reveals? The Answer is ready, the Holy Ghost illuminates my mind in the belief of this▪ If you again ask, why you believe these particular articles to be Gods revelations; the answer is already given, the same Holy Ghost illuminates my mind in that too. What need Church-Infallibility, Apostolical Tradition, motives of credibility, or any other way; the work is compleatly and effectually done without the assistance of any of them▪ 2. Is not this to tell unbelievers that we can give them no satisfaction as to the grounds of our divine faith? It is true, he grants something may be said for a dull kind of humane and acquisite faith, which others are capable of understanding; but for divine faith that depends upon such secret and private illuminations, which no person can at all judge of, but he that hath them; nor he very well, unless another revelation assures him, that these are the illuminations of Gods Spirit and not the deceptions of his own. Especially since it is a principle in the Roman Church that no man can attain any absolute certainty of Grace without a particular p. 321Revelation from God. See then what a wilderness this Guide hath led us into! We …re to believe that what God hath revealed …s true, and that he hath revealed these things, …rom the illumination of the Holy Ghost: …ut we cannot certainly know that we have …uch an illumination without another reve…ation to discover that; and so we must run …n without end or turn back again the same way we went, to believe illumination by …evelation and revelation by illumination. 3. How he can possibly give himself any good account of his faith in this manner? For since the fundamental principle of faith …s the veracity of God, and the belief of Gods veracity is here attributed to the illumination of the Holy Ghost; we may see how excellent a Guide this is, that thus stumbles in a plain way, or must of necessity go forward and backward. For I desire him to satisfie me according to this resolution of faith, in this Question; why he doth believe whatsoever God saith is true? his Answer is, because the Holy Ghost by his inward illumination assured me so; But then I ask again, why he is assured of the truth of what the Holy Ghost enlightens him? his Answer must be if he speaks at all to the purpose, because the Holy Ghost is God and cannot speak any thing but truth. So that the veracity p. 322of God is proved by the Spirits Illumination, and the Spirits Illumination by Go… veracity. But there is yet another principl… which faith stands upon, which is, that Go… hath revealed the things we believe; he… again I ask why he believes these articles a… Gods revelations, his answer is, the Hol… Ghost by enlightening my mind hath assured me of it. But then I ask how he is su… with a divine faith, which in this case is necessary that there is a Holy Ghost and tha… this is the illumination of the Holy Ghost… Here he must return again to divine Revelation, wherein the promise of the Holy Ghos… is made. Judge now, Reader, whether thi… be not an admirable Guide in Controversies and whether he hath not given a very satisfactory account of the Resolution of Faith?

§. 8. Besides that this way is thus unsatisfactory The absurdities of these principles.in it self, I have this further charge against it, that other ways are liable only to the single absurdities of their own particula… opinions; but this blind Guide hoping to clea… himself of one great absurdity, hath not only run into it the very way he seeks to escape it, but into many more besides. If there be any thing absurd in the Calvinists Resolution of Faith he hath taken in that; if there be any thing absurd in resolving faith by the p. 323Infallibility of the Church he is liable to …hat too; because though he doth not think …t necessary he allows it to be good; and last of all that which he looks upon as the advantage of their faith above ours plungeth him unavoidably in as bad a circle as may …e. And that is, That the Infallibility of the Church being once believed by a divine Faith from the Revelation of it in Scripture it is a ground of faith to him in all controversies that arise concerning the sense of Scripture; I am not now to examine the falseness of the pretence, (which hath been done already and may be more afterwards) that which at present I am to shew, is, that it is impossible for him in his resolution of Faith concerning the sense of Scripture to avoid the circle. Let us see how he attempts it, Suppose I be asked, saith he, concerning some article of Sect. 151.faith defined by the Church, though the same article doth not appear to me clearly delivered in the Scriptures, why with a divine faith I believe it to be divine Revelation? I answer, because the Church which is revealed by the Scriptures to be perpetually assisted by the Holy Ghost, and to be infallible for ever in matters delivered by her, hath delivered it to me as such. If again why with a divine faith I believe these Scriptures in general or such a sense of those texts in particular, which are p. 324pretended to reveal the Churches infallibility to be divine Revelation? I answer as before, because Apostolical Tradition hath delivered them to be so: which Apostolical Tradition related or conveyed to me by the Churc… I believe with a divine faith by the interna… operation of the Holy Spirit, without havi… at all any further Divine Revelation, fro… which I should believe this Revelation to b… divine. This is the utmost progress of divine faith with him. I know not how muc… faith there may be in this way, I am su… there is not the least shadow of reason. Fo… if a stop be made at last by the internal op… ration of the Holy Spirit, what need so muc… ado to come thither? Might not the sam… answer have served as well to the first an… second Question as to the third? When yo… were asked why with a divine faith you b… lieve such a sense of Scripture to be divin… Revelation? Might not you have hindred a… further proceeding by saying, I believe i… with a divine faith by the internal operatio… of the Holy Spirit, without having at all an… further divine Revelation. But if you though it necessary to assign another divine Revelation for the foundation of that faith, by th… Churches Infallibility, why will not the sam… reason hold for the last act? which must hav… as good a Foundation as the other, or els… p. 325how comes it to be a divine faith as well as …he other? But the subtilty of all this is, …ou have it seems by your office of Guide …he opening of the Gate, and you hold it …pen so long as to let through all your Friends, …or Infallibility and Tradition must by any means be let through, and when these are …assed, down falls the Gate in so rude a man…er as is enough to cripple any other that endeavours to get passage. Can any man pos…ibly assign a reason, why the operation of the Spirit should not have as great force, before the Churches Infallibility be let in? But this it is to be a Guide in Controversies, …o direct Infallibility, Tradition and the Ho…y Ghost to know their distance and to keep …heir due places; and it is a great favour …hat the Holy Spirit is allowed to bring up the rear and to make all sure, but by no means to offer to go before Infallibility or Tradition. For these are capable of doing better service afterwards than the Holy Ghost is ever like to do them; the greatest use of it being to make good a Pass, that nothing follow to disturb the march of Infallibility and Tradition. But if I may be so bold once more to presume to ask this wonderful Guide; when the dispute is about the sense of Scripture, why he doth believe such a particular sense which doth not appear clearly p. 326to him in Scriptures to be the infallibl… sense of it, or to be divine Revelation? Hi… answer is, because the Church which is revealed in Scriptures to be infallible hath delive… ed this to him as the sense of it. Very well this is an Answer I understand, though I se… no reason for it. But I proceed, why d… you believe this Infallibility to be the sens… of those places which speak of the Church since to me they are far from appearing t… be clearly delivered in those Scriptures Remember you believe this with divin… faith, and this divine faith must have d… vine Revelation; the Question then is u… on what divine Revelation do you believ… the Infallibility of the Church to be pr… mised in Scripture? He Answers, upon Ap… stolical Tradition. Is this Apostolical Tradition the same with the Scriptures or different from it? If the same what greate clearness can there be in this than in th… Scriptures? If different, what divine Revelation is your faith of the Infallibility o… that built upon? He ingenuously consesse… none at all, for then there must be a process in infinitum or a circle. And yet hi… principle is that divine revelation is nece… sary to divine faith; but there can be non… here by his own consession, without process in insinitum or a circle; which i… p. 327to acknowledge the absurdity of his own way as far as a man can desire. Well, but how comes this Apostolical Tradition to be known to him? By the Church he saith; but may the Church be deceived in delivering Apostolical Traditions? No, he saith, she is infallible: but do you believe her infallible with divine faith? Yes, he saith that must be done: then at last there must be a divine Revelation again for this Infallibility, and so the circle returns. No, he saith, at last, he believes the Churches Testimony infallible only with a humane and acquisite faith upon prudential motives; but he believes the Apostolical Tradition related by the Church with a divine faith. Was there ever such a perplexed Guide in Controversies? The Infallibility of the Church is sometimes to be believed with a divine faith and sometimes not; and yet when it is not to be believed with a divine faith it is the Foundation of the divine faith of Apostolical Tradition; for he assigns no other ground or reason for it besides the Infallible Testimony of the Church. But this infallibility he saith may be known two ways by promises of Scripture, or prudential motives; not to dispute now the possibility of proving the Churches Infallibility by prudential motives; (which I shall do at large afterwards) the thing I now enquire after is, since p. 328the Apostolical Tradition must be believed by divine faith, and the belief of it comes by the Churches Infallibility; whether any other Infallibility can secure such a faith besides the Infallibility by Promise; for the Infallibility asserted being a security from error by divine Assistance, and that assistance only supposed to be promised in Scripture, there can be no other Infallibility here understood but that; which Infallibility by his own assertion must be believed by divine faith, which divine Faith must rest upon divine Revelation; and so he believes the sense of Scripture because of the Churches Infallibility, and the Churches Infallibility by Apostolical Tradition, and Apostolical Tradition by the Churches Infallibility, and the Churches Infallibility by the sense of Scripture. See now what an admirable Guide in Controversies we have met with! and with what skill and dexterity he hath escaped the circle. And so I take my leave of this GUIDE, finding nothing in him further material about Infallibility, which I have not answered in the foregoing Discourse. The Considerato… urging so much the very same things, and frequently in the same words, that I now think he either was the same person, or made very bold with him.