Brief Account of One Suggestion of the Romanist, Chapter 2 · Section 1
SECT. I.
S. W's diversion. His grounds generally reflected on, and therein the state of our Controversie. Demonstration promised. His pretension. Ours. The necessary credenda, or whole Faith stated from Athanasius, from the grand design of the Gospel, consent of all the Apostles. The Ephesine Canon, Testimony of Cyrill, Gregory, the Councel of Florence, Jeremias, Socolovius, the Councel of Trent. The second Nicene Councel, of the six foregoing. Bellarmine and the Bishop of Triers Catechisme. The pretended self-evidence of S. W's Grounds.
1. THE Scene is now altered, and S. W. from an Advocate of Contumely, having a while retired, comes out in a more venerable shape or dresse, as an Invincible Propugner of his Infallible Church, and speedy Dispatcher of Schisme, and of all Protestants under that title. But before he thinks fit to enter the lists, to set close to the one proper task, of frustrating all my attempts of Reply to his former Answers in Schisme disarm'd, he is resolved (as*In the first VI. Chap. of Answer to the L. Falkland of Infallib. In the first encounter of the Apol. for Trad. in Schism Disarm'd. Par. II. Sect. 10. and 11. elswhere the manner is, and, it seems, it is the most usefull course in their esteem, else it would not be so constantly resorted to) to begin with a Diversion of some length, erecting a fabrcik of his own, therein to intrench, and fortifie himself, but more distinctly designed to praepossesse his Readers with some Grounds (summed up in possession, and Tradition of the present Roman Church) which when they have taken up, on trust, from him, and so imbibed no less that the very quintessence and Elixir of all Rushworths Dialogues, he doubts not but they will be fit to give up their names with him, in perfect resignation to the dictates of the Apologist, and then I confesse I am not likely to finde any eminent favour from them.
2. Should I now refuse or omit to take notice of this counter-work, he would easily be tempted to believe himself, and perhaps to perswade some others, that 'twere another invincible piece, and withall, out of this Trojane horse once admitted, finde no difficulty at every turn to draw out Instruments for his advantage both of defense and battery, which they that had entertain'd his grounds, would not know how to resist: On the other side, if I should be thus led out of the way, or but stop, to make this halt at the entrance, and treat with him abou… these his grounds, it must, I see, be a businesse of some length (such is the ploughing up of foundations) which yet with the Readers leave, I shall not avert or decline, hoping, that that same advantages which he projected to himself from some mens embracing of his grounds, receiving his tinctures, may be really acquired to others, by discerning the faintnesse and fadingnesse of his best colours, the feeblenesse and unconcludency of the mediums, whereby he hath recommended them.
3. In order whereunto, if in imitation of him, I should set out with another as large a digression, draw out also my parallel lines, and pitch my camp over against his, and to his strong hold of Possession and Tradition (meaning by the latter, that which is retrograde, from this present age, by way of ascent, to the foregoing, and so back to the Apostles, which for distinction sake, I shall know, by the style of Tradition Reverst) oppose ours of Scripture, and Tradition in the vulgar notion, progressive, and descending from the Apostles to their successors, and from them to us; though I doubt not, the parties thus intrenched would be so opposite, and withall so neer, as to denounce wrath, and warre, articulately and audibly, the one to the other, yet it will be impossible (by the nature, and the known demonstration of parallel lines) that they should ever meet, to trye out the controversie, by entring the lists, and combating the one with the other; I shall therefore no farther transcribe S. W's method of laying foundations, than to point out the clear and brief state of both our pretensions, which lyes thus.
4. On the one side, S. W. puts in his claim, fetcht from a pretended possessi…n, and the Tradition of the present Roman Church…rom father to sonne, upon which he undertakes to conclude, 1. The right of the Papacy to supreme universal Monarchy, 2. The Infallibility and Apostolicaln…sse of every Article of the modern Roman Faith, and both these with that irrefragable evidence of conviction, that belongs to grounds: So that if in this his whole Scheme there shall appear to be any one line, which neither carries this evidence with it in its own terms (as he most commonly pretends) nor receives it immediately from S. W's assistance, the whole fabrick must necessarily fail, a demonstration (lesse than which he pretends not) being made up of nothing, that is either untrue, or only probable, but all uniform, and like it self, evident, convincing, and demonstrative, Mr. White having with great truth assured us of probable arguments, that there is*Apol. p. 117. nothing more certain than that they have no truth, i. e. no truth of an argument, no force of concluding in them; and grounds, in the vulgar notion of grounds, being equivalent with principles, of which there can be no dispute, or doubt of the truth of them.
5. This then being the state of S. W's pretensions on one side, his Protestant Adversary on the other side, not only pretends, but (for his security) is by consent of parties acknowledged to have all the same grounds of assurance for all the parts, and for the intire body of his Faith (i. e. for all that he believes to be necessary to be believed for his souls health) which S. W. pretends to for his, viz Possession and Tradition, yea and both in S. W's notion of them, 1. Present acknowledged (which is more than pretended, but not acknowledged) Possession, and 2. Tradition Oral, and that of the present Church, and of all the Churches of the Roman Communion, and that as received from our immediate ancestors, as received from theirs, and so up to the Apostles, and not only thus much (which is all that S. W's pretensions really amount to) but much more than this.
6. First the like acknowledged (and not only pretended, or by questionable deduction inferred) Possession through all ages of the C…urch: This is apparent, and cannot be denyed of the Crede, and that evidently is the intire body of our Faith.
7. Secondly, Tradition Oral, truely and unquestionably universal, both for time and place, of the East, as well as West, of the Greek, as well as the Latine Church, and that of all ages, including the Apostles, not any one, or more, but all the Apostles, and their immediate successors in the Churches of their plantations. That I adde [all, and not only one or more, Apostles] is in compliance with S. W's good friend Mr. White, who having defined Tradition by delivery of Christs Doctrine, and express'd his notion of that phrase, for*Apol. p. 7. that which was generally preached by the Apostles, doth after pronounce of a Tradition affirmed by St. Augustine (yea and Pope Innocentius) to be Apostolical (communicating of Infants) that it was so indeed, we, saith he, are of his mind, but with this qualification, it was a Tradition begun by some Apostles, not all, in some Countreys not all, in some circumstances not all, and on this one account concludes, that as it was no superstition to use it, so it was no sacrilege to leave it off, which reasoning if it have any force in it (as with S. W. I shall presume it must) it will then conclude, first that no Tradition is sufficiently testified to be (not only free from superstition, but withall) obligingly Apostolical, and so as it may not without sacrilege be left off, but what is testified to come from more than some, even from all the Apostles, and therefore 2. that nothing but the Crede is thus obliging, even by S. W's own rule, that of the Oral Tradition from Father to Sonne, as delivered generally, and not only from one, or some, but from all the Apostles.
8. Thirdly, the written word of God, which Vincentius the great acknowledged assertor of Catholike Tradition against Heresie, affirms to be the*Duplici modo munire fidem, primò scilicet divinae legis authoritate—contr. Haeres. c. 1. prime, if not†Quascunque antiquiores vel Schismatum vel haereseon profanitates nullo modo nos oportet convinoere, nisi aut solâ, si opus est, Scripturarum authoritate— Ibid c 39. only way of propugning the Faith, as that which was by the Apostles (for the confirming at least of their faith, to whom they wrote, and for the instructing of others) delivered to the Churches, and which is by*De Verbo Dei, l. 1. c. 2. Bellarmine himself acknowledged to be the most certain and most safe rule of believing, and by Roffensis, †Cont. Luther. Art. 37. de Purg.(even when it was least his interest, in his dispute of Purgatory) Conclave quoddam omnium veritatum quae Christianis scitu necessariae sunt a certain repository of all verities which are necessary to be known by Christians.
9. Fourthly, the writings (which are somewhat more steady and*foreign, Pallad. Laus. Hist. p. 966. B. creditable, than the bare Oral Traditions) of Apostolical men, Fathers and general Councels, which not only assure us by way of†Litera sunt una custodia fidelis memoriae rerum gestarum, Liv. l. 1. unquestionable testification, that all these Articles of Faith, which we receive, were by Christ, and not one but all his Apostles, orally delivered, but also teach us, 1. That they were delivered as their depositum, carefully to be kept, and believed, i e. as the Faith of the Christian Church, and foundation of special efficacy for the planting of Christian life in the world: and (not only so, but) 2. as the whole Faith, or doctrine thus designed, intire, and wanting nothing, vera & unica Christiana fides, the true and only Christian Faith, say the Greeks in their censure of the Germans, Ch. 2. and to which (consequently) no new Article might lawfully, or reasonably be added, Regula fidei una, sola, immobilis, & irreformabilis, the one sole, unmoveable, unreformable rule of Faith, saith*De Veland. Virg. c. 1. Tertullian of the Crede, the repository of these; which two last particulars being the things principally considerable, on which as I expect, so I desire the Reader would lay the greatest weight, and of which when (formerly, in the†Ch. VIII. §. 5. Tract of Schisme) I made my profession, the Catholike Gentleman told me, that truely he knew not what a Catholike professed more, intimating his wish, that I would speak it aloud, and S. W. Schis. Disarm'd, p. 233. resolved, that I was become a plain Papist, I shall therefore be as pliable as they can wish, and with some advantage repeat the grounds here, on which I have*Reply, p. 136. elsewhere establish'd them, and so speak out as distinctly, and aloud, as is possible.
10. First, that in St. Athanasius his judgement, those heads, (wherein we professe the Faith to be compleared) are foreign sufficient in themselves (without any additions) foreign, for the averting of all impiety (and so of all heresie, if heresie be any sort of impiety) and for the establishing of piety (that again by the force of indefinites, and by the lawes of opposition, must be of all piety) in the Church.
11. And if Athanasius in this said true, or if we have a farre greater testimony of it, than the affirmation of any one or more Fathers of the Church, even the one grand ruling design of the whole Gospel, the one end and aim of all divine revelations, and institutions, as of the very death of Christ, to purchase to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works, to advance our obedience to his precepts, and in order to this one end, the unerring because divinely directed judgement of the Apostles themselves, who being by Christ sent out as his great Commissioners, particularly intrusted, and instructed for this purpose, to call home sinners to repentance, and convert a world of Jewish and Heathen unbelievers to the Christian faith and obedience, did questionlesse know what was generally usefull or necessary to this design, and cannot be supposed to have been deficient in necessaries, and yet by joynt consent, all and every of them contented themselves with those few heads, which are summed up in their symbol; If, I say, this be thus far unquestionable, the consequence must needs be so also, that either the Christian Doctors have now somewhat else in their design, than that one great end of their preaching proposed by Christ, the Reformation of Lives, that they have indeed (as Spectators are tempted to believe) converted their power and office, designed for ends purely divine, into an engine of state (the greatest pollution, violation, and sacrilege imaginable) or else have received revelation of some new expedients toward that end, above what the Apostles thought such, in order to that same design, (the latter of which can as little be pretended, as the former will be owned by any sober man) or else it may be irrefragably concluded against them, that they ought to avoid all new definitions, and still allow the Apostles Crede to contain a compleat Catalogue of Fundamentals; all other Doctrines, how true or probable soever, being praejudged from being Articles of the Christian Faith, or tesserae of Communion; the Peace and charity and unity of all Christians, which eminently depends on this, being much more prizeable, than the uniform profession of any, or all those other doctrines, which have either none, or but an accidental, or questionable influence on good life (the one end of Christs coming into the world) and the imposing of which unnecessarily, is experimented to be the occasion, if not the cause of the many breaches in Christendome, of the lessening of that reputation, and inward esteem which was wont to attend the institutions, and Ministers of Christ, of the scandalous neglect of the one great necessary, and so the most direct contribution of strengths and aids to the subtilest and most vigilant and implacable enemy of our souls; For if by this, or any other arts of diversion (such certainly are passionate, and eternal disputes about things not necessary) he can either wholly wear out, or but abate the edge of our zeal to that, which is indispensably our duty, and is of such weight and fruit, and obligation to all, as to exact and deserve our utmost diligence, the united vigour of all our whole heart, and soul, and minde, and strength, and then convert those weapons to the disquieting at least, if not wounding and destroying one another, which are all little enough for the guarding our selves from his enterprises, 'tis easie to divine, if we did not already daily discern, the inlarging of Satans, and the too scandalous decay of Christs Kingdome (that not in word, but in power) in the hearts and lives of the farre greatest number of Christians.
12. Secondly, that when this Faith foreign delivered once, or at once, was by the Councel of Nice, and Constantinople, not inlarged in any new article, but only somewhat explained, on occasion of heretical disturbers of this depositum, the great and general Council of*Can. 7. foreign— Ephesus, which came after that of Nice 106. years, solemnly decreed, and enacted, what was in it self thus highly reasonable, and what (if we may believe the†Stanisl. Socol. Ann. in Cens. Or. c. 1. Romanists citation out of an Epistle of Liberius the Pope to St. Athanasius) the Nicene Councel it self had before determin'd in the same words, though we finde it not in the Acts of that Councel, that it should not be lawfull for any man to produce, or write, or compose any other Faith, beside that which was defined by those Nicene Fathers, and that they that should dare to compose or offer any such to any, that would from Gentilisme, Judaisme, or whatsoever heresie, convert to the acknowledgement of the t…uoh, if they were Bishops (such sure is the Pope) should be deposed, if Lay-men (such for ought I know is S W.) anathematized.
13. This is abundantly confirmed to us by Cyrill of Jerusalem *Edit. Morell. p. 115. 117.(who flourished between the sitting of the Nicene and Constantinopolitan Councel, and accordingly the Crede which in the Barocian Manuscript is set down foreign. E. concludes at foreign, in the Holy Ghost, as at Nice it did) who commands his Catechumenus to receive and keep the Faith, and not only so, but foreign the Barocian Copy leaves out foreign) foreign, that only Faith which hath been delivered thee by the Church, that which is fensed or fortified from all the Scripture, adding that by way of provision for unlearned and slothfull persons, that could not, or were not at leisure to read the Scriptures, foreign, the whole Doctrine of the Faith was comprehended in a few lines, which they were therefore foreign, to ingrave in their heart, their memory (so the Barocian Copy reads it intelligibly, foreign) this they were, saith he, to have for their foreign, viaticum all the time of their lives, foreign, and never to take any other beside this, no not if he himself should change his minde, and contradict what he now sayd, applying that of St. Paul that if an Angel from heaven shall foreign, preach to them any Gospel beside what they have now received, let him be anathema, and again, that the Articles of Faith were not composed, as it pleased men, foreign, but the chiefest being collected out of all the Scripture compleated the Doctrine of Faith, and this Faith in few words, foreign, involved as in its bosome all the knowledge of piety in the old and new Testament. And then requiring them to look, and hold fast the Traditions, which they then received and write them as on †foreign.the plate of their hearts, the Barocian Copy immediately addes (to assure us what Traditions these were) foreign— We believe in one God, and so on to the end of the Nicene Crede, and this as the depositum and Tradition, which must be kept foreign, unspotted unto the day of Jesus Christ.
14. To which in respect to the Romanist, I adde the express ground, whereupon Pope Gregory the first, exalted the four first General Councels so high, as to*Sicut sancti Evangelii quatuor l bios, sic quatuor Concilia suscipere & venerari me fateor, Nicenum scilicet— l. 1. Regest. Ep. 24. professe of them, that he received and reverenced them as the …he four Books of the Holy Gospel, †Quia in his velut in quadrato lapide sancta fidei structura consurgit, & cujuslibet vitae & actionis norma consistit. Ibid.because saith he, on these, as on a square stone, the structure of the Holy Faith riseth, and the rule of every life and action consists.
15. Thirdly, that when the authority of that Ephesine Canon was by the Greeks press'd to the Latines, in the Councel of Florence, with this weight set on it, that*foreign. Conc. Tom. VII. p. 642. no man will charge the Faith (there spoken of) with imperfection, unlesse he be mad, all the answer the Latines there give, is no more but this, that the Canon forbad not†foreign, p. 644. B. another exposition agreeable to the truth in that Crede, confessing it did forbid foreign, a difference and contrariety, and so difference, as well as contrariety, and even for the bare explication, they esteemed not that lawfull for any to attempt, but the Fathers convened in Oecumenical Councels. And this they there cited from*2a 2ae qu. 1. art. 10. Aquinas, adding their sense of his words, that they belonged to, and held of†foreign, p. 641. D. any Crede whatsoever, which was common to the whole Church. And again, they there avouch it from the Epistle of Pope Caelestine to Nestorius, that*foreign, p. 644. D. the faith delivered by the Apostles requires neither addition nor diminution
16. So when the Eastern Church in their Censure written to the Germans, set down the†Cens. Or. c. 1. Constantinopolitan Crede, as that treasure of the true uncorrupted Faith, sacredly sealed by the Holy Gh…st, that nothing should be taken from it, nothing aliene, or adulterine added to it, as that divine, most holy, perfect, and universal Tessera of the Christian people diffused over all t…e world, the common Confession of all the Holy Fathers, the most certain boundary of the whole Christian Faith— the*Stan. Socol. ad Greg. XIII. Pontif. Romanist publisher, though, considering the Western interest in the point of Filioque, he think himself obliged to shew that this Ephesine Canon excluded not such interpretations as that (†P. 17. adding that it was made by the Roman Synod assembled by Damasus at the very time of the Constantinopolitane Councels sitting, and of that Popes confirming that Councel) yet he doubts not but it hath force against all that shall*P. 22. aliam fidem conscribere, write any other faith, instancing in our latter unhappy age, and not only in some followers of the antient Hereticks, but in the Lutheranes and Calvinists, who, saith he, do not blush to compose another Faith: when yet he knows they teach nothing repugnant to the Nicene; which therefore infers his confession, that all additions (not only contrarieties) to the Nicene rule of Faith, are contrary to the Ephesine Canon. Nay the Councel of Trent it self hath not denyed to give us its suffrage; for†Sess. 3. being willing so far to transcribe the antient copies, as to begin with the Crede, they give it the title of Scutum fidei in quo possunt omnia tela nequissimi ignea extinguere; the shield of faith by which they may extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one. Ibid.And again, that the more sacred Councels were wont to set this up in the beginning of their Actions, Scutum contra omnes Haereses, a shield against all Heresies, quo solo aliquando & infideles ad fidem traxerunt, Haereticos expugnarunt, & fideles confirmarunt, by which alone heretofore as they drew the Infidels to the Faith, and confirmed the faithful, so they overcame the Hereticks (which sure they could not, if those doctrines might passe for Heretical which were no way contrary to this Faith) and in brief,Ibid. that it is fundamentum firmum ac unicum, the only, as well as firm foundation, against which the gates of hell shall never prevail, an argument that either Heresies are no parts of the interpretation of the Gates of hell, in Christs promise, or that there are none such, but which are contrary to the doctrine of the Crede, against which (and which only) the promise is that they shall not prevail.
17. Fourthly, that in the seventh Councel, the second of Nice, which hath full authority with a Romanist, speaking of the six Councels forgoing, we have these words,*Act. VI. Conc. Tom. V. p. 732 A. foreign. They have confirmed and establisht all that from the first times have been delivered in the Catholick Church, written and unwritten, (and yet I suppose it will easily appear to any that will look, that no one of those additionals, which are taken in by the Romanist, and denyed by us; was so much as named, or any way confirmed in those six Counsels.)
18. To all which may be annext the plain words of Cardinal Bellarmines Catechisme, that*Ample Decla…. of Chr. Doct. ch. 2. in believing and professing these two mysteries (1. the Trinity and Ʋnity. 2. the Incarnation)†P. 12. we manifest our selves distinct from all the false Sects of Gentiles, Turkes, Jews and Hereticks (and so from all the false Sects of Hereticks, as well as the other three) under these four names (as soon*P. 14. after he declares) comprising all the enemies of the holy Church. Which renders it lesse necessary to have added in the last place, that the Catechism collected out of the Works of C…sterus, Petrus a Soto, &c. and published by the command of the Bishop of Triers, hath these words,†Neque ulla unquam extitit Haeresis, quae non hoc Symbolo damnari potuerit. Resp. ad 2. qu. There was never any Heresie which might not be condemned by the Apostles Crede. Which resolutions so express of so considerable Romanists, would give us some ground of hopes, if we saw them not too largely and daily confuted, that we should not be Hereticks for this, which is the first, and signal part of our pretension, not admitting into our Creed any more then the Apostles, Fathers, and first Councels have taught de fide, and recommended to the Church as such; which therefore by these precedents we desire may be judged of, in the first place.
19. Secondly then, the Protestant which thus pretends, doth also solemnly oblige himself to stand to, and acknowledge the infallible truth of all, whatsoever shall be regularly deduced, and avouched from any, or all of these grounds of necessary belief.
20. Thirdly, having gone thus far, he demandeth it, a… part of Christs depositum to him (as to all) and every Christians debt of peace and charity to every Christian, that he may not be anathematized and exterminated, adjudged to the fagot, and to hell, for his not farther believing, what is not thu… avouched to him, and which consequently he hath no solid unerrable ground, on which to believe it, and for whic… the Romanist doth not pretend to offer him any but those, which in the very first proposal of the question he knows are no… acknowledged (with what reason, he now sees) but renounce… by him.
21. Fourthly, he professeth his incapacity of apprehending, how, or that he should be obliged to affirm any thing as de fide, which on either of these grounds, common to him with all Christians (Scripture and Apostolical Tradition) he can finde no cause to believe.
22. And lastly, having been instructed and assured by Christ and his Apostles, that the condition of Evangelical obedience is not only an easie yoke, but a reasonable service, and that no man shall be required to do, what he cannot do, or believe what he hath no sufficient motive to believe, he hopes his mistake, if there should lurk any, will be pardonable, if having repentance for all his sins known and unknown, of wilfulness and weakness, he only refuse to profess, what he doth not believe, and cannot force, or incline his beliefe to the accepting of all the Roman Additionals, without some other and better grounds and motives, than that of their pretended possession, and infallability of their Church, the former of which he believes to be a pretension without force and reality, and the latter he more disbelieves, and upon greater strength of evidence, than any of their particular doctrines, which yet he hath no least colour of motive to assent to, but what is fetcht from those least credible (which is far from infallible) grounds.
23. This then is the sum of that which comes to be debated betwixt S. W. and me at this time, Whether it be tole…ably reasonable on his part, what is by him, and whether sufficient to affix on us the guilt and condemnation of Schism, what is by us thus pretended. And herein I desire not to forestal or incline the Readers sentence, or to lay ambush for his favour by any circuit of words, or aide of Rhetorical exaggerations, but to leave him disingaged to passe it for himself, according as the demonstrative grounds, which S. W. promises him, and which alone by consent of parties deserve to be attended to, shall in the issue appear to be such, both in themselves, and in counterpoise with that, which we thus barely offer to him, as the true state of our pretension, without boasting either of the severity, or rigorousness of our demonstrations.
24. Having thus prepared the field, set down the termes on which this debate is to be managed betwixt us, let us set forth to a view of those weighty grounds and deductions emergent thence, P. 36.which S. W. thought fit (as he saith) to set down in most manifest and evident termes, from the bare position and explication of which (it seems they need nothing else, but as principles, will be granted, as soon as by explication they are rendred intelligible) he doubts not to gain so far upon the rational Reader (he then that will not thus be gained on, must, by his award, be content to lie down with the herd of irrationals) that he shall confess he sees the question truly stated (that I hope he doth, by what hath been already said) and not only so, but (he addes) according to plain reason (this the Author of Rushworths Dialogues calls the judgement of common sense) resolved also: which again assures us of S. W's opinion, and undertaking, that his Grounds are to every the plainest, if rational, man, evident, as principles, in themselves, and the undoubted parents of the deductions he hath brought from them. So*P. 96. elsewhere he saith of Grounds, that the nature of them is to intrench near on the first principles, and that their termes for the most part are unquestionably true; And that you may not conclude lesse from those fainter words [neer, and for the most part] heare the layer of grounds himself, † Mr. White, speaking of a Romanist, Dailles Arts Discov. p. 191.He (but with a [perhaps] which sure was not meant to signifie, and so destroy the whole period) would have offered you choise either of faith or knowledge; produced in order to this as perfect demonstration…, as Aristotle is adored for, and towards that ingaged you in the most evident director… of humane life, and clearly evidenc'd by the principles of common sense, that if you refuse the authority of the Roman Church, you renounce all the certainties on which you build every serious action of your life, and in a word constreined you to deny or affirm somewhat that your self in another case will confesse a meer madnesse to deny or affirme.
25. This then I desire may be taken notice of, concerning his Grounds in general, the irrefragable evidence which they undertake to bring with them: The Reader shall judge of their performance, by the more particular view of them.