Disputations Concerning Matters of Religion, Discourse · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. That diſputations on matters of Religion are warrantable by Scripture and reaſon, and not onelyonly lawfull, but ſometimes alſo expedient and profitable.
THough for the undoubted duties of morality, the Apoſtle preſcribeth preſent and prompt obedience, without murmurings or deſputings, and that in all things of that kind, Phil. 2.14. yet for matter of faith and conſcience he requireth no ſuch facility either in affection, or in fact; but giveth leave and leiſure, or rather adviſe to Chriſtians, to bring both the Spirits and ſpeeches of men to triall, 1 Iohn 4.1. 1 Theſ. 5.21. and when he requireth of Chriſtian believers that they be ready alwaies to give an anſwer to every one that asketh a reaſon of the hope that is in them, 1 Pet. 3.15. he meaneth (doubtleſſe) that if any cavil at that anſwer or reaſon, he that giveth it ſhould make anſwer for it to defend it; and if this be required of a Chriſtian, much more of a Miniſter, who ſhould be able by ſound Doctrine both to exhort and convince the gaianſayers, Tit. 9.11. as it is ſaid of Apollos, that he mightily convinced the Iewes, and that publickly, ſhewing by the Scripture that Ieſus was Chriſt: which may ſtop the mouths of ſome adverſaries; as they ſay offMr. Trapp on Tit. 1.11. Frogs, that if a light be hanged over the lake wherein they lie, will leave crocking: though ſome be ſo contumacious againſt the truth, ſo malicious againſt them who prevalently plead for it, that they will rather ſtop their mouthes (by violence) who have overcome them by the power of truth, as they did by Stephen when they ſtoned him, Act. 7. v. 54, 57, 59. then confeſſe themſelves convinced or ſatisfied with the cleareſt evidence produced in the plaineſt cauſe that can be debated: but this is not the fault of diſputation it ſelf, but the perverſneſſe of the diſputant, who will diſputare or diſcedere (for according to that ſenſe we may make the Etymology of the word) though he have not one wiſe word to ſay for the folly and falſity of his opinion; we muſt, as ſaith that ancient Doctor and Confeſſour H…larius, gNon tam evitanda quàm … futanda [Dogmata] non tam refugere debemus quàm refellere, &c. Hilaran Pſal. l. 2. p. 186.not flee from the erroneous doctrines of men, a… afraid to encounter them; but muſt refell and conquer them by diſputations as Picus Mirandula ſaith, It is the hDiſputatio cribrum veritatis. Picus Mirandula. Tom. 2. operum. 3. Epiſt. p. 853.ſieve or ſearce to ſever the fine flower of truth from the courſe branne of errour: which is not more for the honour of truth, then for the benefit of thoſe that do embrace it; for ſo diſtinguiſhed, it is not onelyonly more amiable to the eye, and more pleaſant to the taſte, but more nutritive, as breeding better and puter nouriſhment to the ſoul. And as it is a deed and duty of charity for ſuch as have the charge of ſoules to feed them with the fineſt of the whest, and with the honey out of the rock to ſatisfie them, which is the proviſion that God is willing to bellow upon his obedient people, Pſalm 81. v. laſt: So is it alſo a charitable act and office, not to ſuffer them to be choked with the bran of errour and Hereſie, which many are too forward to obtrude upon ignorant and inconſiderate people; yea hereticall ſeducement is more dangerous then ſo, for the Apoſtle ſaith of ſuch as Hymeneus and Philetus, who were hereticks, that their ſpeech will …at like a Canker, or Gangrene, 2 Tim. 2.17. which is eaſie to catch, and hard to cure: what their Hereſie in patticular was, is not diſcovered in the Scriptures, nor in any ancient Author near the times wherein they lived: of Philetus there is mention but once, that is in the place fore-cited; of Hymeneus twice, viz. both here and 1 Tim. 1. laſt, where he hath another malignant mate named with him, viz. Alexander, whom Saint Paul delivered to Satan, that they might learne not to blaſpheme: by which we learn, it was a blaſphemous Doctrine, and probably it was (asiTheodoret on the 1 Tim. 1. laſt. Theodoret conceiveth) well known to Timothy; and we know that a Canker and Gangrene are very dangerous diſeaſes, and thoſe who are Spirituall Phyſicians, ought in charity to do their beſt to keep their flocks from ſuch infective and deſtructive miſchiefs. And if diſputation be a meanes, as being wiſely ordered it may prove, it may be expedient that way to curb and diſcourage Hereticks from corrupting of them: which may ſerve alſo for an antidote to preſerve their ears from the venome and poyſon of hereticall tongues; who, if they be let alone, without oppoſition will go on to ſubvert whole houſes, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Tit. 1.11. And as for prevention of the ſpreading of Hereſie, ſo for recovery of ſuch as are already enſnared by it, and for reconciliation of ſuch as diſſent in judgement and affection, diſputations may be requiſite and uſe…ull; to which purpoſekPollid. in vita Aug c. 3. Honorius the Emperour compelled the Donatiſts to give meeting to the Catholi…ks, and ſometimes they have proved very advantageous to the truth: Thus it was in the beginning of the reformation of Religion, when the errours of Popery were in their nature more groſſe, more rude in their dreſſe, and their Prieſts nothing ſo politick as ſince they have been; the ProteſtantslSir Edw. Sands Europae ſpeculum. p. 85. loffired disputations in all places the effects whereof, as were touched before whether received or refuſed, drew with them an immediate alteration of Religion: for if they were received, the better cauſe prevailed; if they were not, they who refuſed gave cauſe of ſuſpicion, that their Coine howſoever it were gilded, was indeed but Copper, which could not (as pure gold) endure to be tried by the touch ſtone; and the alteration of Religion then was ſuch asmDiſputatio Bernenſis ſ…une finem habuit apud illos & aliquot vicinos, miſſae, arae & ſtatuae erant abolitae. Surius commentar. ann. 1527. p. 208. Surius complaineth of; Maſſes, Altars and images were aboliſhed.
And as diſputation, if ordered as it ought to be, may produce good effects, ſo the want of that, eſpecially the refuſall of it, when it is importunately called for by the adverſaries, may give them occaſion of inſulting; andnTaciturnitas corumquireſiſtere deberent perverrenti…us fidei veritatē, eſſet errorisconfirmatio. Epiſt. Synod. in Concil. Baſil. Tom. 8. p. 230. col. 2. the ſilence of ſuch as ſhould conteſt with them may be turned to the confirmation of errour, as is obſerved in the Synodall Epiſtles of the Councill of Baſil, which was likely to have been the ill effect of yours and Doctor Grewes refuſall to encounter with M. Knowles and Mr. Kiffin, if you had not been as reſolute to reſiſt them as they were preſumptuous to provoke you to diſpute.
Laſtly, as conferences and debates may effect much ſpirituall good, if managed as they ſhould be, (and I ſtill underſtand them with that limitation) ſo may they be meanes of corporall good alſo; for where no diſputations are allowed of, there the matters of difference are carried with more fraud, force and violence; as we have touched before upon the Spaniſh Inquiſition, and may obſerve further, out of the*Neque in diſputando apud tales pertinaci animoſitate centendentes & annitentes propriae prudentiae, ullus unquam erit finis; &c. Cochleus Hiſt. lib. 1. c. 21. Chap. 2. let. n. Epiſtle of John Gerſon to the Archbiſhop of Prague, wherein he would not have him to put the matters in difference with the Bohemian Proteſtants to diſputation, but adviſeth him to take another courſe, which is to cut down Hereſie by the Temporall Sword; he meanes the Hereticks: for (ſaith he) by disputing with ſuch as with pertinacious animoſity contend, leaning to their own prudence, there will never be an end, &c.
This agreeeth well with that of Eccius, who (as we noted before) wrote one Treatiſe againſt diſputation with Hereticks, another for burning of them; which Bellarmine would have taken not for a perſecution of them, but for an act of favour and benefit to them, as we ſhall have occaſion more particularly to note in the fifth chap. Much more charitable and Chriſtian was thepCan. 66. Synod Lond. ann. 1604. Canon of our Engliſh Biſhops for conference with Recuſants; and had they been as carefull to ordain onelyonly good and able Miniſters as they ſhould have been, we might have found better fruits of their government then we have done. But the effects and iſſues of colloquies, conferences and diſputations, I reſerve for another chapter, viz. the fifth now cited.