The Disarmers Dexterities Examined, Chapter 3 · Section 3
Sect. 3.
The pretence of weake consciences against lawful authority in just commands, mis-represented. Fallibility of all but God, and Saints and Angels. S. W. his arguments for infallibility answered. The infallibility of the Apostles stated. Of the Church to the end of the world. Of the meanes to know the books of Scripture. Of matters of fact of our certain knowledg.
THe third Section is by my Disarmer strangely misspent, Declamation poured out on the aire, like Xerxes his stripes on the Sea, a perfect Romance-combate with a Windmill of his own erecting, toward which I never contributed the least stone or timber, 'Tis upon a fancie, or fiction, that I favour the pretence of such a weake conscience, as makes a man thinke he ought not to communicate with the CHƲRCH, and this even though the truth be on the Churches side.] How much I favour such a weak conscience, which apprehends that unlawfull, which is duty, and so thinks to be excused from performing it, is visible to any that shall but view the place, to which this Section is confronted,Of schism c. 2. §. 8. where first I affirm of him, that he is in severall respects criminous, and particularly in this, that he communicates not with those, the condition of whose communion containes nothing really erroneous or sinfull. 2. I adde, that such an one is in the worst and most unhappy kind of straight, remains in error and schisme on the one side (is this in favour of such weake consciences, or an affirming (as S. W. suggests) that he may do it lawfully? or is it interpretable to have any kindness to a bare pretence of it, which comes short even of that?) and if to avoid that, he communicate, in this case he advances to lying and hypocrisie; and in plain termes, that which way soever he turne, till he really convert from his erroneous conscience, and weake mis-perswasion, he is sure to sin. What could be more plain, or free from my Disarmers calumny? from pleading for seditious offēders ears (of wch the wit of the Romish factor hath made a speciall service in his Bill of fare) or what Apology can S.W. ever make to God or his own conscience, for so manifest a perversion, and slan…er of the most innocent expressions.
Having given the reader a few such foreign of this Disputer, I shall get, as soon as I may, out of this close converse with him.
In the latter part of this Sect: I am chid for not apprehending any but Saints and Angels in heaven, and God himselfe to be infallible and impeccable: and as this last word is styled a disgracefull addition of a forged calumnie on the Romanists, and noted as a custome of ours, whensoever we speak of their tenets, so for the former part, he pretends to shew the great absurdity of it, 1. by mentioning the Apostles as those that were infallibly assisted, and so 2. the succeeding Church, and 3. that there is some meanes to be infallibly certain that such and such books were Gods word and genuine Scripture: and lastly, that the Dr himself will acknowledg it impossible that all the Protestants in England should be fallible, or mistake in witnessing whether twenty years ago there were Protestant Bishops or no.
To these objections I answer briefly, 1. by recounting the occasion of those words of mine, to which his animadversion belongs. It is a saying of Mr Knots, that we may forsake the Churches communion, in case she be fallible, or subject to error, which seemed to me very strange, because then 'tis not only lawfull to forsake the Communion of every erroneous Church, but of all that are fallible, though they be not in error, and such I conceived all humane societies to be, and consequently that there would be no possibility for any on earth to be guilty of the sin of schisme: Now as this is plain in it selfe, so it is very far from ingaging me in the question concerning the Infallibility of the Church (on that subject I had spoken at large elsewhere) any farther, than to take notice how strange an argument this was to conclude it by.
2dly, By assuring him, that I was far from calumniating, or affixing any disgraceful word on the Romanist in that place. I conceived humane nature to be in it selfe equally liable to sin and error, and so no more infallible than impeccable; and again, that no society of men on earth hath now the priviledge of immunity from either, and if any had the former of impossibility to be deceived, yet unless it also had the latter, and so could not teach contrary to their belief, it were still the same to all effects: He that knows the truth himselfe, and yet may be so wicked as to teach contrary to his knowledge (and he that can act contrary to his knowledge, and so sin, may do so) may lead others into the most ruinous errors, without erring himselfe: and therefore I said, that none but Saints and Angels, and God in heaven had the priviledg of impeccable and infallible, never conceiving that any man would hence conclude me to think, that the Romanists pretended to both of them, whose actions so openly, and acknowledgly disclaim the one, and I think the other also. The utmost was, that I thought it as possible that the Pope might erre, as sin, having no more promise from Christ of his security from one, than the other, and so might any other single man in the world, and in proportion any multitude, or assembly might (the major and so prevalent part of them) consent in an error as well as in a vice; and as this was far from calumniating any, so is it to my apprehension, as evident a truth, in reference to any society of men now in the world, as could have been mentioned by me, but this is no place to inlarge on it, farther than the remaining objections exact from me.
To them therefore I proceed, and to the mention of the Apostles, I reply, 1. That sure they are comprehended in the number of Saints in heaven, for thre undoubtedly they are, 2dly. That supposing S. W. to speak of them, when they were here on earth, as his following words interpret him; I answer, that it is most true, that they were assisted by Christ, so as they did not, and could not erre in the discharge of their office, in penning the sacred writ, and preaching the Gospel. In this work they were, according to Christs promise, led by the Spirit into all truth; But that this promise had an unlimited extent, or consequently that they were in all sorts of things made infallible, appeareth not; nay the differences that were between them, in lesser things, prejudgeth that.
I shall lay down this a little more distinctly. Of the Apostles 'tis evident, that as they were men here on earth, they were fallible, and oft deceived, even after they were employed by Christ; Of ignorances and slowness, and hardness of heart, and littleness of faith, they are by their Master frequently affirmed to be guilty. And so all the infallibility that ever they had above other men, proceeded from Christs special promise of assistance, made unto them; some degree of this assistance was promised them, in order to some particulars, at their going out to preach, Mat. 10.19. and after more largely, at his departure from them, Mat. 28.20. Now that promise, Mat. 10.19. was evidently confined within such limits, as left them subject to the many great errors, which after they proved guilty of, so far as (to omit many other of an inferiour degree) to doubt whether he were the Redeemer, or no, Lu. 24.21. one to apostatize finally and betray him, another not to believe him risen for some time, and all as to be scandalized and forsake him at his apprehension, so to disbelieve the relation of his resurrection, Lu. 24.11. and to take the appearance of him, ver. 37. for a phasme.
From such grand fallibilities; and failings as these, I suppose them perfe…ly secured by that second promise, & the descent of the Holy Ghost, & to be from thence-forth infallibly assisted to their whole office, but yet to be lyable still to some frailties and ignorances in other things, whereunto the promised assistance extended not in that degree, as should make them thus wholly infallible; which appears, as I said, by the lesser differences, which are recorded between the Apostles themselves, in their Ministry.
Now to bring this home to the particular in hand, It is not only a speaking truth, a not being actually in error, which will inferre such an infallibility, as there I speak of, and conceive not to be met with on earth (for my words are expresly, to forsake all that are fallible, tho…gh they be not actually in error) but it must be a security founded in some promise of God, that they shall not be lyable to any error, and though naturally they are so, that yet they shall undoubtedly be preserved from falling into it, and that not only from this, or that sort of errors, but indefinitely from all (for so Mr Knots words are [infallible and not subject to error.] And neither of these being proved to be comprehended in the promise made to the Apostles, it is evident, that this first instance or example of the Apostles could not pertinently be opposed to my affirmation.
2ly. For the ensuing, or succeeding Church till the end of the world] 'tis certain that that degree of assistance which was afforded the Apostles, was not either promised, or afforded to that. By the succeeding Church, the Governors must necessarily be meant, speaking as he doth of that promise of remaining with them always to the end of the world. For the foreign you] there, being primarily the Apostles themselves, and secondarily the successors of the Apostles, 'tis evident and acknowledged generally by the Fathers, that the Bishops in every Church, were those, the Apostles successors: And therefore this promise in the secondary sense belonging unto them, 1. It belongs no otherwise to the Church, then as that signifies the Governors of the Church. 2. It belongs to the Governors of the Church of Ephesus, Laodicea, &c. and to all other Bishops, as well as the Bishop of Rome. And belonging to all these indifferently, it is yet evident, and confest on all hands, that all these Governors have not been infallible. Many of them have notoriously fallen into error, and even in the time of Scripture, witness the Epistle to the Churches, Rev. 2.3. and so sure the same priviledge, that the Apostles personally had, was not thus communicated to the succeeding Church, i. e. to their Successors, the Governors of that;
Nor indeed was it needfull it should; All things which were deemed needful for the ensuing plantations, were agreed on by the Apostles, and deposited in each Church, as their Rule of Faith; and if they would adhere to that, there was no need of any super-added infallibility to other things, because these, already provided, were sufficient; but if they would not adhere to that, this were an evidence of their fallibility: As for the promise here mentioned, that Christ would remain with the succeeding Church, that, and the prediction that the gates of hell should not prevail against it, are assurances, that he will so support the Church by his presential providence, that it shall never totally be destroyed, or demolished: But not that any particular branch of this Church, be it never so favour'd by him, shall be thus secured from the utmost either error, or ruine, in case it shall not walke worthy of the mercies bestowed on them (the seven Churches in the Revelation are competent instances of that) nor that even the universall Church over all the world, in what capacity soever, diffused, or collective, shall never fall into the least error, Christs personal presence among his Apostles on earth having not thus secured them.
3dly. For the infallible meanes of knowing this or that booke of Scripture] it is sufficient, that I answer, that if this were yielded, yet would it not prove any society of men on earth to be infallible. He that is in many things fallible, and more than so, actually erroneous, may yet infallibly know or believe some one, or more other things, either by his own senses, or by the testimony of others, founded in their several sensations, which being faithfully conveyed to us by undeniable Tradition, supply the place of an foreign, are as unquestionably certain, as what we have seen our selves. I know infallibly I now write, and that the book which I now answer, was written before me, and S. W. cannot question the truth of these affirmations, yet sure 'tis his interest to be so just, as to thinke me very fallible, and actually to erre in many other things, else he would have no excuse for having written a volume against me. And the same I affirm of all other matters of fact, testified by my own senses, or by universal unquestionable Tradition, for that is founded in the repeated sensations of so many other men, which being communicated and sufficiently testified to me, I have no more reason to doubt of, then of my own sensations. And of this sort is the Tradition of the universal Primitive Church concerning the Apostles delivering some doctrines, and writing some books, the testifications of those which saw the miracles, which the Apostles wrought (and whereby God set his seale to the truth of their preachings and writings) that this or that booke was written by them, and so by those which were inspired by God. In this testimonie the Church is not considered as a society of believers indowed with any inerrable priviledg, there being nothing in this question contested from the authority of their judgement, be it errable or inerrable, but as a number of witnesses (heathen and Jewish first, and then converted by this doctrine thus miraculously confirmed) joyntly testifying of a thing done and seene by them, and wherein it cannot be imagined, that they should agree to deceive and betray, and so destroy their posterity, by confirming a falshood to them. And so this being the meanes whereby I am assured that such or such books are genuine Scripture, it follows not from hence, that either I that thus assuredly believe this, on these testifications, or even they that have truly testified this one thing, are in all other things, wherein they do not thus affirme upon their own or others certain knowledg, of an infallible authority.
To the last I say, that it is a strange shortness of discourse, that puts together an impossibility of actual mistaking in witnessing a matter of fact of mens certain knowledge, and an impossibility of being fallible; for, as 'tis one thing not to be mistaken, another to be infallible so 'tis not one act of infallible judging, that makes that person infallible, but a foundation of security for all the acts of ones life, and so this is a most impertinent instance to prove general infallibility. For though I no way doubt of the truth of that which all Protestants in England affirme in a matter of fact twenty years ago, wherein many of them lived, and saw what they affirme, yet I have no assurance that both in that, and in every other affirmation of theirs (of which there is no other evidence) 'tis impossible for them to be fallible. That they do, or probably can mistake actually in a thing of that nature visible before their eyes, I believe not; Yet is that no proof that they are any way infallible, either in observing, and coming to the knowledg of all matters of fact, without all possible mixture of error, (humane weakness or inadvertence may here interpose sometimes) or in conveighing and testifying to others exactly, what they did observe; humane frailties and passions also may at other times intermixe, and even when neither hath really interposed, either might have interposed, and so still they are not infallible, for that contains more than speaking exactly true, an impossibility to do otherwise, which was the priviledge that I still believe to belong to no barely humane society.
Thus have I, ex abundanti, given him answer to all his offers of reason for Infallibility. And if the rest of those evidences tendred by the excellent Apologie be of this kind of frame (as me thinks S. W. should not be so unskilful or unkind, as to choose out the weaker) I shall not be in danger of that amazement that S. W. tels me of. Some creatures are pictured on the flag that hangs out, far more terrible, than they appear, when you have been at the cost of the neerer view of them. And that is all I have to say to his third Section.