cording to their principles, we cannot know, either which are the true books of fcripture, or what is the true fenfe of fcripture, but from the authority and infallible declaration of that church. And if so, then the infallibility of the church must be firft known, and proved, before we can either know the scriptures, or the fense of them; and yet till we know the fcriptures, and the sense of them, nothing can be proved by them. Now to pretend to prove the infallibility of their church by fcripture, and at the same time to declare, that which are the true books of scripture, and what is the true fenfe of them, can only be proved by the infallible authority of their church, is a plain and fhameful circle, out of which there is no way to efcape; and confequently that God hath appointed an infallible church is impoffible, according to their principles, ever to be proved from fcripture; and the thing is capable of no other proof. For that God will infallibly affist any fociety of men, is not to be known but by divine revelation. So that unless they can prove it by fome other revelation than that of fcripture, (which they do not pretend to), the thing is not to be proved at all. Yes, they fay, by the notes and marks of the true church; but what thofe marks are, muft either be known from fcripture, or fome other divine revelation, and then the fame difficulty returns; befides that one of the most essential marks of the true church must be the profeffion of the true faith; and then it must first be known which is the true faith, before we can know which is the true church; and yet they say, that no man can learn the true faith, but from the true church; and this runs them unavoidably into another circle as fhameful as the other. So that which way foever they go to prove an infallible church, they are fhut up in a plain circle, and muft either prove the fcriptures by the church, and the church by the fcriptures, or the true church by the true faith, and the true faith by the true church.

Secondly, This provision and fecurity which I have mentioned, is more human, better accommodated and fuited to the nature of man; because it doth

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not fuppofe and need a ftanding and perpetual miracle, as the other way of an infallible church doth. All infpiration is fupernatural and miraculous, and this infallible affiftance which the church of Rome claims to herself, muft either be fuch as the Apostles had, which was by immediate inspiration, or something equal to it, and alike fupernatural: but God does not work miracles without need, or continue them when there is no occafion for them. When God delivered the law to the people of Ifrael, it was accompanied with miracles, and the prophets which he fent to them from time to time, had an immediate infpiration; but their fupreme judicature, or their general council, which they call the Sanhedrim, was not infallibly affifted in the expounding of the law, when doubts and difficulties arofe about it; no, nor in judging of true and falfe prophets; but they determined this and all other emergent cafes by the ftanding revelation and rule of their written law; and that they were not infallibly affifted, is evident, from the great errors they fell into, in making void the commandments of God by their traditions, and in their rejecting and crucifying the true Meffias and the Son of God.

In like manner the Apoftles and firft teachers of the Chriftian religion were immediately infpired, and miraculously affifted in the publishing of the Chriftian doctrine, and for the fpeedy and more effectual propagating and planting of it in the world, in defpite of the violent prejudices that were against it, and the fierce oppofition that was made to it. But when this was done, this miraculous and extraordinary affistance ceafed, and God left the Chriftian religion to be preferved and continued by more human and ordinary ways; the doctrines of it being committed to writing for a ftanding rule of faith and practice in all ages, and an order of men appointed to inftruct people in those doctrines, with a promise to fecure both teachers and people, that fincerely defire to know and do the will of God, from all fatal errors and mistakes about things neceffary to their eternal falvation and this is a provifion more like

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ly to be made by God, and better fuited to the nature of man, than the perpetual and needlefs miracle of an infpired, or any otherwife infallible church.

Thirdly, This way is likewife more agreeable to the nature of religion, and the virtue of faith. The defign of an infallible church is to fecure all that continue in the communion of it, against all poffibility of error in matters of faith. The queftion now is not, whether an infallible church would do this? but whether that church which arrogates infallibility to itfelf does not pretend to do this? And if they could do it, it would not be agreeable to the nature of religion, and the virtue of faith. For faith, which is the prin ciple of all religious actions, would be no virtue, if it were neceffary. A true and right belief can be no virtue, where a man is infallibly fecured against error. There is the fame reafon of virtuous and criminal actions; and as there can be no crime or fault in doing what a man cannot help, fo neither can there be any virtue. All virtuous actions are matter of praise and commendation; and therefore it can be no virtue in any man, because it deferves no commendation, to believe and own that the fun fhines at noonday, when he fees it do fo. No more would it be a virtue in any man, and deferve praife, to believe aright, who is in a church wherein he is infallibly se• cured against all errors in matters of faith. Make any thing neceffary, and impoffible to be otherwife, and the doing of it ceafes to be a virtue. God hath fo

framed religion, and the evidence of truth, and the means of coming to the knowledge of it, as to be a fufficient fecurity to men of honeft minds and teachable tempers, against all fatal and final miftakes concerning things neceffary to falvation; but not fo, that every man that is of fuch a church, fhould be infallibly fecured against all errors in matters of faith; and this on purpose to try the virtue and difpofition of men, whether they will be at the pains to fearch for truth, and when it is proposed to them with fufficient evidence, though not by an infallible hand, they will receive it in the love of it, that they may be faved. VOL. V.

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Fourthly,

Fourthly, This is as much fecurity againft errors in matters of faith, as God hath provided against fin and vice in matters of practice; and fince a right belief is only in order to a good life, a man would be hard put to it, to give a wife reason why God should take greater care for the infallible fecurity of mens faith, than of their obedience. The reafon pretended why God fhould make fuch infallible provifion for a right faith is, for the better fecurity of mens eternal falvation and happiness. Now the virtues of a good life have a more direct and immediate influence upon that, than the most orthodox belief. The end of the commandment (i. e. of the declaration of the gospel) is charity. In the Chriftian religion, that which mainly avails to our juftification and falvation is, a faith that worketh by charity, and the keeping of the commandments of God. He that heareth thefe fayings of mine, and doth them, (faith our bleffed Lord), I will liken him to a wife man, that built his houfe upon a rock; and again, not every one that faith unto me, Lord, Lord, (i. e. makes profeffion of faith in me), fhall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven; and again, if ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. And the Apostle St Peter exhorts Christians, to add to their faith, knowledge, and virtue, and godliness, and brotherly kindness, and charity; that fo an abundant entrance may be miniftred to them, into the everlafting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. So that the virtues of a good life have the greatest influence upon our falvation, and the main ftrefs of Christianity is to be laid there. And therefore whatever reafon can be affigned, why God fhould provide for the infallible fecurity of our faith, is much ftronger, why an equal provifion fhould be made to fecure holiness, and obedience of life; becaufe without this, faith cannot infallibly attain its end, which is, the falvation of our fouls. But this, it is granted, God hath not done, and experience thews it; and therefore it is unreafonable to fuppofe that he hath done the other. It is fufficient, that in both kinds

he

he hath done that which is fufficient to make us ca pable of happiness, if we be not wanting to ourfelves; the rest he hath left to the fincerity of our endeavours, expecting that we on our part should work out our falvation with fear and trembling, and give all diligence to make our calling and election fure. And if God hath made fuch provifion by the gofpel for all that enjoy the light and advantage of it, that none can miscarry without their own fault, then both his goodness and wisdom are fufficiently acquitted, without an infallible guide and judge in matters of faith ; and that irreverent way of arguing in the Canon law might well have been fpared, that of neceflity there must be an infallible judge of controverfies in religion; aliter Dominus non videretur fuiffe difcretus; otherwife God would not feem to have ordered matters difcreetly.

But what infallible fecurity foever they have in the church of Rome, as to matters of faith, they are certainly the worst provided of wholesome and fafe directions for the confciences and lives of men, of any church in the world. No religion that I know of in the world ever had fuch lewd and fcandalous cafuifts. Witnefs the moral divinity of the Jefuits, which hath been fo expofed to the world, not only by thofe of our religion, but by their own writers alfo.. Nor is this mischief only confined to that order; their ca fuifts in general, and even the more ancient of them, who writ before the order of Jefuits appeared in the world, have given fuch a liberty and loofe to great immorality in feveral kinds, as is infinitely to the reproach of the best and pureft religion in the world. Infomuch that Sir Thomas More himself, who was a great zealot for that religion, could not forbear to make a loud complaint of it, and to pafs this fevere cenfure upon the generality of their cafuifts : "That "their great business seemed to be, not to keep men "from fin, but to teach them quàm propè ad pecca"tum liceat accedere fine peccato; how near to fin "they might lawfully come without finning." In the mean time, the confciences of men are like to be well directed, when inftead of giving men plain rules

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