A reply to Mr. J.S. his 3d. appendix containing some animadversions on the book entituled, A rational account of the grounds of Protestant religion. By Ed. Stillingfleet B.D.
         Stillingfleet, Edward, 1635-1699.
      
       
         
           1666
        
      
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             A reply to Mr. J.S. his 3d. appendix containing some animadversions on the book entituled, A rational account of the grounds of Protestant religion. By Ed. Stillingfleet B.D.
             Stillingfleet, Edward, 1635-1699.
          
           [2], 116, [8] p.
           
             printed by R.W. for Henry Mortlock at the sign of the Phœnix in St. Paul's Church-yard near the little North-door,
             London :
             1666.
          
           
             A reply to: Sergeant, John. Sure-footing in Christianity.
             Reproduction of the original in the British Library.
          
        
      
    
     
       
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           Sergeant, John, 1622-1707. -- Sure-footing in Christianity.
           Catholic Church -- Controversial literature -- Early works to 1800.
           Protestantism -- Apologetic works -- Early works to 1800.
        
      
    
     
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           A
           REPLY
           TO
           Mr.
           
             J.
             S.
          
           his
           3
           d.
           APPENDIX
           ,
           Containing
           some
           Animadversions
           ON
           THE
           BOOK
           ENTITULED
           ,
           A
           RATIONAL
           ACCOUNT
           of
           the
           Grounds
           of
           PROTESTANT
           RELIGION
           .
        
         
           By
           
             Ed.
             Stillingfleet
          
           B.
           D.
           
        
         
           London
           ,
           Printed
           by
           
             R.
             W.
          
           for
           
             Henry
             Mortlock
          
           at
           the
           Sign
           of
           the
           Phoenix
           in
           St.
           Pauls
           Church-yard
           near
           the
           little
           North-door
           .
           1666.
           
        
      
    
     
       
         
         
         
           An
           Appendix
           to
           the
           RULE
           of
           FAITH
           .
        
         
           
             
               To
               his
               honoured
               Friend
               Mr.
               
                 John
                 Tillotson
              
               .
            
             
               
                 SIR
                 ,
              
            
             
               AS
               soon
               as
               I
               understood
               your
               intentions
               to
               answer
               
               Mr.
               Serjeant
               ,
               I
               could
               not
               but
               rejoyce
               on
               his
               behalf
               ,
               as
               well
               as
               on
               the
               truths
               and
               your
               own
               .
               For
               I
               have
               that
               real
               kindness
               for
               him
               ,
               that
               I
               heartily
               wish
               him
               that
               reason
               and
               science
               he
               pretends
               to
               ;
               which
               I
               could
               not
               but
               despair
               of
               his
               attaining
               ,
               unless
               he
               were
               undeceived
               in
               that
               monstrous
               opinion
               he
               
               hath
               of
               himself
               and
               his
               undertakings
               .
               And
               I
               knew
               no
               person
               more
               fit
               then
               you
               ,
               to
               let
               him
               understand
               the
               tr̄uth
               and
               himself
               together
               .
               In
               which
               ,
               your
               performances
               have
               been
               so
               clear
               and
               satisfactory
               ,
               that
               I
               hope
               Mr.
               Serjeant
               in
               stead
               of
               another
               letter
               of
               directions
               to
               his
               Answerer
               ,
               will
               write
               you
               one
               of
               thanks
               ,
               for
               the
               reason
               and
               kindness
               you
               have
               shewed
               him
               throughout
               your
               Book
               .
               Unless
               it
               fares
               with
               you
               ,
               as
               it
               hath
               done
               with
               some
               other
               Adversaries
               of
               theirs
               ,
               that
               their
               civility
               hath
               been
               interpreted
               as
               an
               argument
               of
               their
               uncertainty
               ,
               and
               their
               own
               confidence
               cried
               up
               for
               a
               demonstration
               .
               In
               which
               sense
               only
               I
               shall
               grant
               our
               Protestant
               Writer●
               to
               build
               on
               uncertainties
               ,
               and
               Mr.
               White
               and
               Mr.
               Serjeant
               to
               be
               the
               great
               Demonstrators
               of
               this
               age
               .
               If
               their
               own
               reason
               had
               been
               as
               severe
               as
               the
               censures
               at
               Rome
               against
               them
               ,
               they
               had
               saved
               us
               the
               labour
               of
               any
               answer
               ,
               and
               would
               have
               found
               out
               their
               own
               Sophistry
               without
               a
               confutation
               .
               But
               the
               least
               thing
               we
               can
               imagine
               by
               their
               excessive
               confidence
               ,
               is
               ,
               that
               they
               are
               deceived
               themselves
               ;
               and
               therefore
               i●
               is
               a
               part
               of
               charity
               to
               them
               as
               well
               a●
               
               justice
               to
               the
               truth
               ,
               to
               let
               the
               world
               ●e
               ,
               that
               big
               words
               are
               quite
               another
               ●ing
               from
               science
               ,
               and
               a
               strong
               pre●mption
               from
               a
               regular
               demonstra●on
               .
               As
               to
               which
               ,
               no
               more
               need
               to
               ●ve
               been
               said
               ,
               than
               what
               you
               have
               al●ady
               done
               ,
               if
               Mr.
               Serjeant
               had
               not
               ●ought
               it
               an
               accession
               to
               the
               glory
               of
               ●s
               atchievements
               ,
               to
               lead
               two
               Pages
               ●f
               my
               book
               in
               triumph
               after
               him
               .
               I
               ●nfess
               I
               was
               somewhat
               surprised
               to
               see
               person
               who
               would
               be
               noted
               for
               his
               ●lour
               in
               assaulting
               Protestant
               Writers
               ,
               ●eal
               so
               behind
               the
               main
               bulk
               and
               design
               ●f
               my
               Book
               ,
               and
               when
               he
               had
               gotten
               ●o
               single
               pages
               by
               themselves
               ,
               fall
               ●pon
               them
               with
               as
               much
               pomp
               and
               ●tentation
               ,
               as
               if
               he
               had
               attacqu'd
               the
               ●hole
               .
               And
               this
               must
               be
               noised
               abroad
               an
               Answer
               to
               me
               ,
               by
               the
               same
               figure
               ●at
               his
               arguments
               are
               called
               demon●rations
               ,
               which
               is
               by
               an
               Hyperbole
               un●
               for
               any
               ,
               but
               such
               
                 who
                 never
                 flag
                 be●w
                 the
                 sphere
                 of
                 Science
              
               in
               their
               own
               ●dgements
               ,
               though
               they
               seem
               not
               to
               ●ome
               near
               it
               in
               others
               .
               Yet
               since
               ●r
               .
               Serjeant
               is
               not
               only
               pleased
               to
               ●ncern
               himself
               so
               far
               as
               to
               answer
               that
               ●rt
               of
               my
               Book
               relating
               to
               oral
               tradition
               ,
               
               but
               in
               most
               express
               terms
               t●
               challenge
               me
               to
               reply
               to
               him
               ,
               he
               ma●
               
               now
               see
               (
               assoon
               as
               I
               could
               get
               any
               liberty
               from
               greater
               imployments
               )
               ho●
               ready
               I
               am
               to
               give
               him
               all
               reasonabl●
               satisfaction
               .
               And
               in
               the
               first
               place
               return
               him
               thanks
               for
               the
               weapon
               h●
               hath
               made
               choice
               of
               ,
               viz.
               that
               of
               re●son
               ;
               there
               being
               no
               other
               ,
               I
               desire
               t●
               make
               use
               of
               in
               managing
               this
               deba●
               between
               us
               :
               and
               I
               hope
               he
               will
               find
               much
               civility
               towards
               him
               througho●
               this
               discourse
               ,
               as
               he
               exptesses
               towar●
               me
               in
               the
               entrance
               to
               his
               ;
               if
               that
               m●
               be
               accounted
               any
               real
               civility
               which
               intended
               meerly
               out
               of
               design
               wi●
               the
               greater
               advantage
               to
               disparage
               t●
               cause
               I
               have
               undertaken
               ,
               and
               yet
               ●
               no
               reason
               to
               repent
               of
               .
               
                 If
                 in
                 his
                 curs●
                 view
                 of
                 two
                 chapters
                 of
                 my
                 Book
                 he
                 h●
              
               (
               as
               he
               saith
               )
               
                 quite
                 lost
                 me
              
               ,
               he
               had
               no
               ca●
               to
               be
               troubled
               for
               it
               ,
               if
               he
               had
               fou●
               
               far
               more
               excellent
               persons
               ,
               such
               Dr.
               Hammond
               ,
               
                 and
                 the
                 Dissuader
                 ,
                 a●
              
               Dr.
               Pierce
               
                 instead
                 of
                 me
              
               .
               But
               to
               sure
               he
               intends
               not
               this
               in
               honour
               any
               of
               us
               ,
               but
               by
               way
               of
               a
               comm●
               reproach
               to
               us
               all
               ,
               as
               though
               
                 we
                 did
                 talk
                 out
                 of
                 nature
                 or
                 things
                 ,
                 but
                 wo●
                 
                 and
                 imagination
                 .
              
               I
               could
               heartily
               have
               wished
               Mr.
               S.
               would
               have
               
                 cropt
                 so
                 much
                 of
                 the
                 victory
                 due
                 to
                 anothers
                 learning
                 and
                 industry
                 ,
              
               as
               to
               have
               shewed
               me
               one
               proposition
               in
               those
               discourses
               ,
               
                 which
                 a
                 rational
                 understanding
                 that
                 would
                 be
                 true
                 to
                 it self
                 ,
                 could
                 not
                 settle
                 or
                 rely
                 on
              
               ;
               but
               if
               such
               insinuations
               as
               these
               must
               pass
               for
               answers
               ,
               I
               must
               needs
               say
               ,
               I
               judge
               Mr.
               S.
               equally
               happy
               in
               confuting
               our
               grounds
               ,
               and
               in
               demonstrating
               his
               own
               ;
               in
               both
               which
               ,
               his
               greatest
               strength
               lies
               in
               the
               self-evidence
               of
               his
               bare
               affirmations
               .
               But
               it
               seems
               he
               is
               willing
               to
               resign
               the
               glory
               of
               this
               
                 Victory
                 to
                 the
                 judicious
                 author
                 of
                 Labyrinthus
                 Cantuariensis
                 ,
              
               or
               to
               some
               others
               for
               him
               ;
               and
               when
               they
               have
               once
               obtained
               it
               ,
               I
               shall
               not
               envy
               them
               the
               honour
               of
               it
               .
               And
               I
               suppose
               those
               persons
               ,
               whoever
               they
               are
               ,
               may
               be
               able
               by
               this
               time
               ,
               to
               tell
               Mr.
               S.
               it
               is
               an
               easier
               matter
               to
               talk
               of
               Victories
               than
               to
               get
               them
               .
               But
               if
               they
               do
               no
               more
               in
               the
               whole
               ,
               than
               Mr.
               S.
               hath
               done
               for
               his
               share
               ,
               they
               will
               triumph
               nowhere
               ,
               but
               where
               they
               conquer
               ,
               viz.
               in
               their
               own
               fancies
               and
               imaginations
               .
               Therefore
               leaving
               them
               to
               their
               silent
               conquests
               ,
               and
               as
               yet
               ,
               unheard
               
               of
               Victories
               ,
               we
               come
               to
               Mr.
               S.
               who
               so
               liberally
               proclaims
               his
               own
               in
               the
               point
               of
               oral
               Tradition
               .
               Which
               (
               in
               a
               phrase
               scarce
               heard
               of
               in
               our
               language
               before
               )
               
                 is
                 the
                 Post
              
               ,
               he
               tells
               us
               ,
               
                 he
                 hath
                 taken
                 upon
                 him
                 to
                 explicate
                 further
                 and
                 defend
                 .
              
               What
               the
               
                 explicating
                 a
                 Post
              
               means
               ,
               I
               as
               little
               understand
               ,
               as
               I
               do
               the
               force
               of
               his
               demonstrations
               ;
               but
               this
               ,
               and
               many
               other
               such
               uncouth
               forms
               of
               speech
               ,
               up
               and
               down
               in
               his
               Book
               ,
               (
               which
               make
               his
               style
               so
               smooth
               and
               easie
               )
               are
               I
               suppose
               intended
               for
               embellishments
               of
               our
               tongue
               ,
               and
               as
               helps
               to
               sure-speaking
               ,
               as
               his
               whole
               Book
               is
               designed
               for
               sure-footing
               .
            
             
               But
               letting
               him
               enjoy
               the
               pleasure
               
               and
               felicity
               of
               his
               own
               ,
               expressions
               ,
               I
               come
               to
               consider
               the
               matter
               in
               debate
               between
               us
               .
               And
               his
               first
               controversie
               with
               me
               ,
               is
               ,
               
                 for
                 opposing
                 the
                 infallibility
                 of
                 oral
                 tradition
                 ,
                 to
                 doctrinal
                 infallibility
              
               
               
                 in
                 Pope
                 and
                 Councils
              
               .
               A
               controversie
               fitter
               to
               be
               debated
               among
               themselves
               ,
               than
               between
               him
               and
               me
               :
               for
               is
               any
               thing
               more
               notorious
               ,
               than
               that
               Infallibility
               is
               by
               the
               far
               greatest
               part
               of
               Romanists
               attributed
               to
               the
               present
               
               Church
               in
               teaching
               and
               delivering
               matters
               of
               faith
               ,
               not
               by
               vertue
               of
               any
               oral
               tradition
               ,
               but
               the
               immediate
               assistance
               of
               the
               
                 Holy
                 Ghost
              
               :
               and
               that
               this
               is
               made
               by
               them
               the
               only
               ground
               of
               divine
               faith
               ?
               For
               which
               Mr.
               S.
               may
               if
               he
               please
               ,
               consult
               his
               
                 judicious
                 author
                 of
                 Labyrinthus
                 Cantuariensis
              
               ,
               or
               any
               other
               of
               their
               present
               Writers
               ,
               except
               Mr.
               White
               and
               himself
               .
               He
               need
               not
               therefore
               have
               been
               to
               seek
               for
               the
               meaning
               of
               this
               doctrinal
               infallibility
               as
               opposed
               to
               traditionary
               ,
               if
               he
               had
               not
               either
               been
               ignorant
               of
               the
               opinion
               of
               their
               own
               Writers
               ,
               or
               notoriously
               dissembled
               it
               .
               For
               this
               infallibility
               is
               not
               attributed
               to
               the
               Rulers
               of
               the
               Church
               ,
               meerly
               
                 as
                 Doctors
                 or
                 Scholars
              
               ,
               but
               as
               the
               representative
               Church
               whose
               office
               it
               is
               to
               deliver
               all
               matters
               of
               faith
               by
               way
               of
               an
               infallible
               testimony
               to
               every
               age
               ,
               and
               thereby
               to
               afford
               a
               sufficient
               foundation
               for
               divine
               faith
               .
               But
               Mr.
               S.
               attributes
               no
               such
               infallibility
               to
               the
               representative
               Church
               ,
               as
               teaching
               the
               rest
               ,
               but
               derives
               their
               infallibility
               from
               such
               grounds
               as
               are
               common
               to
               all
               parts
               of
               the
               essential
               Church
               .
               Wherein
               he
               apparently
               opposes
               himself
               
               to
               the
               whole
               current
               of
               their
               own
               authors
               ,
               whe
               resolve
               all
               faith
               into
               the
               immediate
               assistance
               of
               the
               Holy
               Ghost
               ,
               without
               which
               they
               assert
               there
               could
               be
               no
               infallibility
               at
               all
               in
               tradition
               or
               any
               thing
               else
               ;
               and
               therefore
               these
               opinions
               are
               as
               opposite
               to
               each
               other
               as
               may
               be
               .
               For
               such
               an
               infallibility
               is
               not
               attributed
               by
               them
               to
               the
               teachers
               of
               the
               Church
               ,
               meerly
               
                 on
                 some
                 signal
                 occasions
              
               ,
               as
               Mr.
               S.
               seems
               to
               suppose
               ,
               when
               they
               are
               to
               explain
               new
               matters
               of
               faith
               ;
               but
               it
               is
               made
               by
               them
               to
               be
               as
               necessary
               as
               believing
               it self
               ,
               because
               thereby
               the
               only
               sure
               foundation
               of
               faith
               is
               laid
               ,
               and
               therefore
               it
               is
               very
               evident
               they
               make
               it
               proper
               to
               the
               Church
               in
               all
               ages
               :
               Or
               else
               in
               some
               age
               of
               the
               Church
               men
               were
               destitute
               of
               sufficient
               grounds
               of
               faith
               .
               For
               they
               by
               no
               means
               think
               it
               a
               sufficient
               foundation
               for
               faith
               ,
               that
               one
               age
               of
               the
               Church
               could
               not
               conspire
               to
               deceive
               another
               ;
               for
               this
               they
               will
               tell
               him
               at
               most
               is
               but
               a
               humane
               faith
               ;
               but
               that
               Christ
               by
               his
               promise
               hath
               assured
               the
               Church
               that
               there
               shall
               never
               be
               wanting
               in
               it
               the
               infallible
               assistance
               of
               his
               Holy
               Spirit
               ,
               whereby
               they
               shall
               infallibly
               
               teach
               &
               deliver
               all
               matters
               of
               faith
               .
               And
               if
               this
               be
               not
               their
               opinion
               ,
               let
               them
               speak
               to
               the
               contrary
               ,
               which
               if
               they
               do
               ,
               I
               am
               sure
               they
               must
               retract
               their
               most
               elaborate
               discourses
               about
               the
               resolution
               of
               faith
               written
               by
               the
               greatest
               Artists
               among
               them
               .
               Let
               Mr.
               S.
               then
               judge
               
                 who
                 it
                 is
                 that
                 stumbles
                 at
                 the
                 Threshold
                 :
              
               but
               of
               this
               difference
               among
               them
               more
               afterwards
               .
               By
               this
               it
               appears
               it
               was
               not
               on
               any
               mistake
               that
               I
               remained
               unsatisfied
               in
               the
               Question
               I
               asked
               ,
               
                 Whether
                 am
                 I
                 bound
                 to
                 believe
                 what
                 the
                 present
                 Church
                 delivers
                 to
                 be
                 Infallible
                 ?
              
               to
               which
               Mr.
               S.
               answers
               ,
               
                 I
                 understand
                 him
                 not
              
               .
               My
               reply
               shall
               be
               only
               that
               of
               a
               great
               Lawyers
               in
               a
               like
               case
               ,
               
                 I
                 cannot
                 help
                 that
              
               .
               I
               am
               sure
               my
               words
               are
               intelligible
               enough
               ;
               for
               I
               take
               infallible
               there
               as
               he
               takes
               it
               himself
               ,
               for
               
                 infallibly
                 true
              
               ;
               although
               I
               deny
               not
               the
               word
               to
               be
               improperly
               used
               in
               reference
               to
               things
               ;
               and
               that
               for
               the
               reason
               given
               by
               him
               ,
               
                 because
                 fallibility
                 and
                 infallibility
                 belong
                 to
                 the
                 knowing
                 power
                 ,
                 or
                 the
                 persons
                 that
              
               
               
                 have
                 it
                 ,
                 and
                 not
                 to
                 the
                 object
                 .
              
               But
               we
               are
               often
               put
               to
               the
               use
               of
               that
               word
               in
               a
               sense
               we
               acknowledge
               improper
               ,
               
               meerly
               in
               complyance
               with
               our
               Adversaries
               ,
               who
               otherwise
               are
               apt
               to
               charge
               us
               with
               having
               only
               uncertainties
               and
               probabilities
               for
               our
               faith
               ,
               if
               we
               do
               not
               use
               the
               term
               infallible
               as
               applyed
               to
               the
               truth
               of
               the
               thing
               .
               I
               am
               content
               therefore
               wherever
               ,
               in
               what
               I
               have
               writ
               ,
               he
               meets
               that
               term
               so
               applyed
               ,
               that
               he
               take
               it
               only
               in
               his
               own
               sense
               ,
               for
               that
               which
               is
               
                 certainly
                 true
              
               ;
               for
               I
               mean
               no
               more
               by
               it
               .
               And
               in
               this
               sense
               Mr.
               S.
               answers
               affirmatively
               ;
               and
               gives
               this
               account
               of
               it
               ,
               
                 not
                 only
                 because
                 the
                 present
                 Church
                 cannot
                 be
                 deceived
                 in
                 what
                 the
                 Church
                 of
                 the
                 former
                 Age
                 believed
                 ,
                 but
                 because
                 the
                 Church
                 in
                 no
                 age
                 could
                 conspire
                 against
                 her
                 knowledge
                 to
                 deceive
                 that
                 age
                 immediately
                 following
                 in
                 matter
                 of
                 fact
                 evident
                 in
                 a
                 manner
                 to
                 the
                 whole
                 world
                 .
              
               The
               Question
               then
               is
               ,
               whether
               this
               be
               a
               sufficient
               account
               for
               me
               to
               believe
               that
               to
               be
               certainly
               true
               ,
               or
               to
               be
               the
               doctrine
               of
               Christ
               and
               his
               Apostles
               ,
               which
               the
               present
               Church
               delivers
               ?
               and
               consequently
               whether
               the
               resolution
               of
               faith
               be
               barely
               into
               oral
               tradition
               ?
            
             
               Thus
               we
               see
               the
               clear
               state
               of
               the
               
               Question
               between
               us
               .
               I
               come
               therefore
               
               to
               the
               vindication
               of
               those
               things
               which
               I
               had
               objected
               against
               this
               way
               of
               resolving
               faith
               into
               oral
               tradition
               .
               Three
               things
               I
               especially
               insisted
               on
               .
               1.
               
               That
               it
               is
               inconsistent
               with
               the
               pretensions
               of
               the
               present
               Roman
               Church
               .
               2.
               
               That
               it
               hath
               not
               been
               the
               way
               owned
               in
               all
               ages
               of
               the
               Christian
               Church
               .
               3.
               
               That
               it
               is
               repugnant
               to
               common
               sense
               and
               experience
               ,
               and
               that
               the
               Church
               of
               Rome
               hath
               apparently
               altered
               from
               what
               was
               the
               belief
               of
               former
               ages
               .
               If
               these
               three
               be
               made
               good
               ,
               there
               will
               be
               no
               cause
               to
               glory
               in
               this
               last
               invention
               to
               support
               the
               sinking
               fabrick
               of
               that
               Church
               .
               These
               three
               then
               I
               undertake
               to
               defend
               against
               what
               Mr.
               Serjeant
               hath
               objected
               against
               them
               .
            
             
               1.
               
               That
               it
               is
               contrary
               to
               the
               pretensions
               of
               the
               present
               Roman
               Church
               .
               And
               if
               it
               be
               so
               ,
               there
               can
               be
               no
               reason
               for
               those
               who
               are
               of
               it
               ,
               to
               rely
               upon
               it
               .
               For
               if
               so
               be
               that
               Church
               pretends
               that
               the
               obligation
               to
               faith
               arises
               from
               a
               quite
               different
               ground
               from
               this
               ;
               how
               can
               they
               who
               believe
               that
               Church
               infallible
               ,
               venture
               their
               faith
               upon
               any
               other
               principle
               than
               what
               is
               publikly
               owned
               
               by
               her
               ?
               And
               whosoever
               thinks
               himself
               bound
               to
               believe
               by
               virtue
               of
               an
               infallible
               assistance
               of
               the
               present
               Church
               ,
               doth
               thereby
               shew
               that
               his
               obligation
               doth
               not
               depend
               upon
               what
               was
               delivered
               by
               the
               former
               ages
               of
               the
               Church
               .
               As
               those
               who
               believed
               the
               Apostles
               were
               infallible
               in
               their
               doctrine
               ,
               could
               not
               resolve
               their
               faith
               into
               the
               infallibility
               of
               oral
               tradition
               ,
               but
               into
               that
               immediate
               assistance
               by
               which
               the
               Apostles
               spake
               ;
               and
               where
               there
               is
               a
               belief
               of
               a
               like
               assistance
               ,
               the
               foundation
               of
               faith
               cannot
               lie
               in
               the
               indefectibility
               of
               tradition
               ,
               but
               in
               that
               infallible
               Spirit
               which
               they
               suppose
               the
               Church
               to
               be
               assisted
               by
               .
               For
               supposing
               this
               oral
               tradition
               should
               fail
               ,
               and
               that
               men
               might
               believe
               that
               it
               had
               actually
               failed
               ,
               yet
               if
               the
               former
               supposition
               were
               true
               ,
               there
               was
               sufficient
               ground
               for
               faith
               remaining
               still
               .
               And
               what
               assurance
               can
               any
               one
               have
               that
               the
               present
               Church
               delivers
               nothing
               for
               matter
               of
               faith
               but
               what
               hath
               been
               derived
               in
               every
               age
               from
               Christ
               and
               his
               Apostles
               ,
               if
               such
               an
               infallible
               spirit
               be
               supposed
               in
               the
               present
               Church
               which
               was
               in
               the
               Apostles
               themselves
               ?
               
               For
               on
               the
               same
               reason
               that
               those
               who
               heard
               the
               Apostles
               were
               not
               bound
               to
               trouble
               themselves
               with
               the
               tradition
               of
               the
               former
               age
               ;
               no
               more
               ought
               they
               who
               believe
               the
               present
               Roman
               Church
               to
               have
               the
               same
               infallible
               assistance
               .
               They
               need
               not
               then
               enquire
               whether
               this
               age
               knew
               the
               meaning
               of
               the
               former
               ,
               or
               whether
               one
               age
               could
               conspire
               to
               deceive
               another
               ,
               or
               whether
               notwithstanding
               both
               these
               ,
               errours
               might
               not
               come
               into
               the
               Church
               ;
               it
               is
               sufficient
               for
               them
               that
               the
               definitions
               of
               the
               present
               Church
               are
               infallible
               in
               all
               matters
               of
               faith
               .
               Therefore
               my
               demand
               was
               built
               on
               very
               good
               reason
               ;
               
                 How
                 can
                 you
                 assure
                 me
                 the
                 present
                 Church
                 obliges
                 me
                 to
                 believe
                 nothing
                 but
                 only
                 what
                 ,
                 and
                 so
                 far
                 as
                 it
                 received
                 from
                 the
                 former
                 Church
                 ?
              
               And
               Mr.
               S's
               answer
               is
               far
               from
               being
               satisfactory
               ,
               
                 That
                 this
                 appears
                 by
                 her
                 manifect
                 practice
                 ,
                 never
                 refusing
                 communion
                 to
                 any
                 man
                 ,
                 that
                 could
                 approve
                 himself
                 to
                 believe
                 all
                 the
                 former
                 Age
                 did
                 .
              
               For
               this
               may
               be
               resolved
               into
               a
               principle
               far
               different
               from
               this
               ,
               which
               is
               the
               belief
               of
               the
               infallibility
               of
               the
               present
               Church
               .
               For
               supposing
               that
               ,
               
               they
               are
               not
               bound
               to
               enquire
               themselves
               into
               the
               reasons
               why
               the
               tradition
               could
               not
               faile
               in
               any
               age
               ;
               it
               is
               sufficient
               for
               them
               to
               believe
               the
               Church
               infallible
               ;
               and
               if
               it
               be
               so
               ,
               in
               proposing
               matters
               of
               faith
               ,
               it
               must
               be
               so
               in
               declaring
               what
               the
               belief
               of
               the
               former
               age
               was
               .
               But
               my
               demands
               go
               on
               ,
               
                 What
                 evidence
                 can
                 you
                 bring
                 to
                 convince
                 me
                 both
                 that
                 the
                 Church
                 alwayes
                 observed
                 this
                 rule
                 ,
                 and
                 could
                 never
                 be
                 deceived
                 in
                 it
                 ?
              
               Which
               question
               is
               built
               on
               these
               two
               Principles
               which
               the
               infallibility
               of
               oral
               tradition
               stands
               on
               .
               1.
               
               That
               the
               Church
               must
               alwayes
               go
               upon
               this
               ground
               .
               2.
               
               That
               if
               it
               did
               so
               ,
               it
               is
               impossible
               she
               should
               be
               deceived
               .
               Both
               which
               are
               so
               far
               from
               that
               self-evidence
               which
               Mr.
               Serjeant
               still
               pretends
               to
               in
               this
               way
               ,
               that
               the
               Jesuits
               principles
               seem
               much
               more
               rational
               and
               consistent
               ,
               than
               these
               do
               .
               For
               granting
               them
               but
               that
               one
               Postulatum
               ,
               that
               there
               must
               be
               an
               inherent
               infallibility
               in
               the
               testimony
               of
               the
               present
               Church
               to
               afford
               sufficient
               foundation
               for
               divine
               faith
               ,
               all
               the
               rest
               of
               their
               doctrine
               follows
               naturally
               from
               it
               .
               Whereas
               this
               new
               way
               of
               resolving
               faith
               is
               built
               
               on
               such
               suppositions
               ,
               which
               no
               man
               well
               in
               his
               wits
               will
               be
               ready
               to
               grant
               .
               For
               unless
               it
               be
               self-evident
               that
               the
               Church
               did
               alwayes
               proceed
               on
               this
               ground
               ,
               it
               cannot
               be
               self-evident
               that
               oral
               tradition
               is
               infallible
               ;
               because
               the
               self-evidence
               of
               this
               principle
               depends
               on
               this
               ,
               that
               in
               all
               ages
               of
               the
               Church
               ,
               the
               only
               rule
               and
               measure
               of
               faith
               was
               ,
               what
               was
               delivered
               by
               oral
               tradition
               from
               the
               age
               foregoing
               .
               Now
               if
               it
               be
               possible
               that
               matters
               of
               faith
               might
               be
               conveyed
               in
               wayes
               quite
               different
               from
               this
               ,
               what
               self-evidence
               can
               there
               be
               that
               the
               Church
               must
               alwayes
               proceed
               upon
               this
               ?
               Mr.
               S.
               then
               ,
               must
               demonstrate
               it
               impossible
               for
               matters
               of
               faith
               to
               be
               conveyed
               to
               posterity
               in
               any
               other
               way
               than
               oral
               tradition
               ;
               and
               not
               only
               that
               the
               thing
               is
               impossible
               ,
               but
               that
               the
               Church
               in
               all
               ages
               judged
               it
               to
               be
               so
               ;
               or
               else
               he
               can
               never
               make
               it
               at
               all
               evident
               that
               the
               Church
               alwayes
               made
               this
               her
               rule
               of
               faith
               .
               But
               if
               either
               there
               may
               be
               a
               certain
               conveyance
               of
               the
               doctrine
               of
               faith
               another
               way
               ,
               viz.
               by
               writing
               ,
               or
               that
               the
               Church
               might
               judge
               that
               way
               more
               certain
               ,
               whether
               it
               were
               so
               or
               not
               ,
               either
               
               way
               it
               will
               appear
               far
               enough
               from
               self-evidence
               that
               she
               alwayes
               judged
               of
               doctrines
               of
               faith
               ,
               meerly
               by
               the
               tradition
               of
               the
               preceding
               age
               .
               If
               another
               way
               be
               granted
               possible
               ,
               there
               must
               be
               clear
               demonstration
               ,
               that
               the
               Church
               notwithstanding
               this
               ,
               did
               never
               make
               use
               of
               it
               ;
               for
               if
               it
               did
               make
               use
               of
               another
               way
               of
               resolving
               faith
               in
               any
               age
               of
               the
               Church
               ,
               then
               in
               that
               age
               of
               the
               Church
               oral
               tradition
               was
               not
               looked
               on
               as
               the
               ground
               of
               faith
               ;
               and
               if
               so
               ,
               notwithstanding
               what
               ever
               Mr.
               S.
               can
               demonstrate
               to
               the
               contrary
               ,
               that
               age
               might
               have
               believed
               otherwise
               that
               the
               immediately
               preceding
               did
               .
               For
               let
               us
               but
               suppose
               tha●
               all
               necessary
               doctrines
               of
               faith
               ,
               were
               betimes
               recorded
               in
               the
               Church
               in
               books
               universally
               received
               by
               the
               Christians
               of
               the
               first
               ages
               ;
               is
               it
               no●
               possible
               that
               age
               which
               first
               embrace●
               these
               books
               ,
               might
               deliver
               them
               to
               posterity
               as
               the
               rule
               of
               their
               faith
               and
               so
               down
               from
               one
               age
               to
               another
               and
               doth
               it
               not
               hence
               follow
               that
               the
               rule
               of
               saith
               is
               quite
               different
               from
               ●
               meer
               oral
               tradition
               ?
               Let
               Mr.
               S.
               the●
               either
               shew
               it
               impossible
               that
               the
               doctrines
               
               of
               faith
               should
               be
               written
               ;
               or
               that
               being
               written
               ,
               they
               should
               be
               universally
               received
               ;
               or
               that
               being
               universally
               received
               in
               one
               age
               ,
               they
               ●hould
               not
               be
               delivered
               to
               the
               next
               ;
               ●r
               being
               delivered
               to
               the
               next
               ,
               those
               ●ooks
               should
               not
               be
               looked
               on
               as
               con●aining
               the
               rule
               of
               faith
               in
               them
               ;
               or
               ●hough
               they
               were
               so
               ,
               yet
               that
               still
               oral
               ●adition
               was
               wholly
               relyed
               on
               as
               the
               ●ule
               of
               faith
               ;
               &
               then
               I
               shall
               freely
               grant
               ●●at
               Mr.
               S.
               hath
               attempted
               something
               ●●wards
               the
               proof
               of
               this
               new
               hypothe●
               .
               But
               as
               things
               now
               stand
               it
               is
               so
               far
               ●om
               being
               self-evident
               that
               the
               Church
               ●ath
               alwayes
               gone
               upon
               this
               princi●e
               ,
               that
               we
               find
               it
               looked
               on
               as
               a
               great
               ●ovelty
               among
               them
               in
               their
               own
               ●hurch
               ;
               and
               it
               would
               be
               a
               rare
               thing
               ●r
               a
               new
               invention
               to
               have
               been
               the
               ●nse
               of
               the
               Church
               in
               all
               ages
               ;
               which
               it
               hath
               not
               been
               ,
               the
               strength
               of
               it
               is
               ●ereby
               taken
               away
               .
            
             
               But
               let
               us
               suppose
               that
               the
               Church
               ●d
               proceed
               upon
               this
               principle
               ,
               that
               
               
                 ●thing
                 was
                 to
                 be
                 embraced
                 ,
                 but
                 what
                 〈◊〉
                 derived
                 by
                 tradition
                 from
                 the
                 A●tles
              
               ;
               how
               doth
               it
               thence
               follow
               that
               
               nothing
               could
               be
               admitted
               into
               th●
               Church
               but
               what
               was
               really
               so
               derive●
               from
               them
               ?
               Do
               we
               not
               see
               in
               th●
               world
               at
               this
               day
               ,
               that
               among
               tho●
               who
               own
               this
               principle
               ,
               contradicto●
               propositions
               are
               believed
               ;
               and
               bo●
               sides
               tell
               us
               it
               is
               on
               this
               account
               ,
               b●
               cause
               their
               doctrine
               was
               delivered
               ●
               the
               Apostles
               ?
               doth
               not
               the
               
                 Greek
                 Chur●
              
               profess
               to
               believe
               on
               the
               account
               tradition
               from
               the
               Apostles
               as
               well
               the
               Latin
               ?
               If
               that
               tradition
               failed
               the
               
                 Greek
                 Church
              
               which
               was
               preserv●
               in
               the
               Latin
               ,
               either
               Mr.
               S.
               must
               i●stance
               on
               his
               own
               principles
               in
               th●
               Age
               which
               conspired
               to
               deceive
               t●
               next
               ,
               or
               he
               must
               acknowledge
               t●
               while
               men
               own
               tradition
               they
               may
               deceived
               in
               what
               the
               foregoing
               ●
               taught
               them
               ;
               and
               consequently
               th●
               things
               may
               be
               admitted
               as
               doctri●
               coming
               from
               the
               Apostles
               which
               W●
               not
               so
               ,
               and
               some
               which
               did
               may
               lost
               ,
               and
               yet
               the
               pretence
               of
               tradit●
               remain
               still
               .
               What
               self-evidence
               t●
               can
               there
               be
               in
               this
               principle
               ,
               w●
               two
               parts
               of
               the
               Church
               may
               b●
               own
               it
               ,
               and
               yet
               believe
               contradicti●
               on
               the
               account
               of
               it
               ?
               It
               is
               then
               wo●
               
               our
               enquiring
               what
               self-evidence
               this
               is
               which
               Mr.
               S.
               speaks
               so
               much
               of
               ,
               which
               is
               neither
               more
               nor
               less
               ,
               
                 but
                 that
                 men
                 in
                 all
                 ages
                 had
                 eyes
                 ,
                 ears
                 ,
                 and
                 other
              
               
               
                 ●enses
                 ,
                 also
                 common
                 reason
                 ,
                 and
                 as
                 much
                 memory
                 as
                 to
                 remember
                 their
                 own
                 names
                 and
                 frequently
                 inculcated
                 actions
                 .
              
               Which
               ●s
               so
               very
               re●sonable
               a
               postulatum
               ,
               that
               suppose
               none
               who
               enjoy
               any
               of
               these
               will
               deny
               it
               .
               Let
               us
               therefore
               see
               how
               ●he
               proceeds
               upon
               it
               .
               
                 If
                 you
                 disprove
                 ●his
                 ,
                 I
                 doubt
                 we
                 have
                 lost
                 mankind
                 ,
                 the
                 ●bject
                 we
                 speak
                 of
                 ;
                 and
                 till
                 you
                 disprove
                 ●t
                 ,
                 neither
                 I
                 ,
                 nor
                 any
                 man
                 in
                 his
                 wits
                 can
                 doubt
                 that
                 this
                 rule
                 depending
                 on
                 testify●ng
                 ,
                 that
                 is
                 sense
                 on
                 experience
                 ,
                 can
                 possibly
                 ●ermit
                 men
                 to
                 be
                 deceivable
                 .
              
               Big
               words
               in●eed
               :
               but
               such
               as
               evidence
               that
               all
               men
               who
               are
               in
               their
               wits
               do
               not
               constantly
               〈◊〉
               them
               .
               For
               I
               pray
               Sir
               ,
               what
               doth
               Mr.
               S.
               think
               of
               the
               
                 Greek
                 Church
              
               ?
               ●ad
               not
               those
               in
               it
               eyes
               ,
               ears
               and
               other
               ●●ses
               ,
               as
               well
               as
               in
               the
               Latin
               ?
               Do
               not
               they
               pretond
               and
               appeal
               to
               what
               they
               ●eceived
               from
               their
               Fore-fathers
               as
               well
               ●s
               the
               Latins
               ?
               It
               seems
               then
               a
               decepti●
               is
               possible
               in
               the
               case
               of
               testifying
               ,
               〈◊〉
               therefore
               this
               doth
               more
               
                 than
                 per●●●
                 men
                 to
                 be
                 decievable
              
               ;
               for
               here
               hath
               
               been
               an
               actual
               deception
               on
               one
               side
               or
               other
               .
               But
               we
               need
               not
               fear
               
                 losing
                 mankind
                 in
                 this
              
               ;
               for
               the
               possibility
               o●
               errour
               supposeth
               mankind
               to
               continue
               still
               ;
               and
               if
               we
               take
               away
               that
               ,
               we
               m●●
               sooner
               lose
               it
               than
               by
               the
               contrary
               .
               But
               what
               repugnancy
               can
               we
               imagine
               to
               humane
               nature
               ,
               that
               me●
               supposing
               doctrines
               of
               faith
               to
               come
               down
               from
               Christ
               or
               his
               Apostles
               ,
               should
               yet
               mistake
               in
               judging
               what
               those
               doctrines
               are
               ?
               Had
               not
               men
               eyes
               and
               ears
               ,
               and
               common
               sense
               in
               Christ
               and
               the
               Apostles
               times
               ?
               and
               yet
               we
               see
               eve●
               then
               the
               doctrine
               of
               Christ
               was
               mistaken
               ;
               and
               is
               it
               such
               a
               wonder
               it
               should
               be
               in
               succeeding
               ages
               ?
               Did
               not
               the
               Nazarenes
               mistake
               in
               point
               of
               circumcision
               ,
               the
               Corinthians
               as
               to
               the
               resurrection
               ,
               and
               yet
               the
               mean
               time
               agree
               i●
               this
               ,
               that
               Christs
               doctrine
               was
               the
               rule
               of
               faith
               ,
               or
               that
               they
               ought
               to
               believe
               nothing
               but
               what
               came
               from
               him
               ?
               Di●
               not
               the
               disciples
               themselves
               err
               ,
               eve●
               while
               they
               were
               with
               Christ
               ,
               
                 and
                 certainly
                 had
                 eyes
                 and
                 ears
                 ,
                 an●
                 〈◊〉
                 sense
                 as
                 other
                 men
                 have
                 ,
              
               concern●●●me
               great
               articles
               of
               Christian
               faith
               ,
               
                 Christs
                 passion
                 ,
                 resurrection
              
               ,
               and
               the
               
                 nat●
                 .
                 
                 of
                 his
                 Kingdom
                 ?
              
               If
               then
               such
               who
               had
               the
               greatest
               opportunities
               imaginable
               ,
               and
               the
               highest
               apprehensions
               of
               Christ
               ,
               might
               so
               easily
               mistake
               in
               points
               of
               such
               moment
               ,
               what
               ground
               have
               we
               to
               believe
               that
               succeeding
               ages
               should
               not
               be
               lyable
               to
               such
               misapprehensions
               ?
               And
               it
               was
               not
               meerly
               the
               want
               of
               clear
               divine
               revelation
               which
               was
               the
               cause
               of
               their
               mistakes
               ;
               for
               these
               things
               were
               plain
               enough
               to
               persons
               not
               possessed
               with
               prejudices
               ;
               but
               those
               were
               so
               strong
               as
               to
               make
               them
               apprehend
               things
               quite
               another
               way
               than
               they
               ought
               to
               do
               .
               So
               it
               was
               then
               ,
               and
               so
               it
               was
               in
               succeeding
               ages
               ;
               for
               ●et
               Parents
               teach
               what
               they
               pleased
               for
               matters
               of
               faith
               ,
               yet
               prejudice
               and
               ●yableness
               to
               mistake
               in
               Children
               might
               easily
               make
               them
               misapprehend
               either
               the
               nature
               or
               weight
               of
               the
               doctrines
               delivered
               to
               them
               .
               So
               that
               setting
               aside
               a
               certain
               way
               of
               recording
               the
               matters
               of
               faith
               in
               the
               Books
               of
               Scripture
               ,
               and
               these
               preserved
               entire
               in
               every
               age
               ,
               it
               is
               an
               easie
               matter
               to
               conceive
               how
               in
               a
               short
               time
               
                 Christian
                 Religion
              
               would
               have
               been
               corrupted
               as
               much
               as
               ever
               any
               was
               in
               the
               world
               .
               
               For
               when
               we
               consider
               how
               much
               notwithstanding
               Scripture
               ,
               the
               pride
               ,
               passion
               ,
               and
               interests
               of
               men
               have
               endeavoured
               to
               deface
               
                 Christian
                 Religion
              
               in
               the
               world
               ,
               what
               would
               not
               these
               have
               done
               if
               there
               had
               been
               no
               such
               certain
               rule
               to
               judge
               of
               it
               by
               ?
               Mr.
               S.
               imagin●
               himself
               
                 in
                 repub
                 .
                 Platonis
              
               ;
               but
               it
               appear●
               he
               is
               still
               
                 in
                 faece
                 Romuli
              
               ;
               he
               fancies
               there
               never
               were
               ,
               nor
               could
               be
               any
               differences
               among
               Christians
               ;
               and
               that
               all
               Christians
               made
               it
               their
               whole
               business
               to
               teach
               their
               posterity
               matters
               o●
               faith
               ,
               and
               that
               they
               minded
               nothing
               in
               the
               world
               but
               the
               imprinting
               tha●
               on
               their
               minds
               that
               they
               might
               have
               i●
               ready
               for
               their
               Children
               ;
               and
               that
               al●
               Parents
               had
               equal
               skill
               and
               sidelit●
               in
               delivering
               matters
               of
               Religion
               t●
               their
               posterity
               .
               Whereas
               in
               truth
               w●
               find
               in
               the
               early
               ages
               of
               the
               
                 Christia●
                 Church
              
               several
               differences
               about
               matters
               of
               faith
               ,
               and
               these
               differences
               continued
               to
               posterity
               ,
               but
               all
               parties
               stil●
               pleading
               that
               their
               doctrine
               came
               fro●
               the
               Apostles
               ;
               &
               it
               fell
               out
               unhappily
               for
               Mr.
               S.
               that
               those
               were
               commonly
               most
               grossly
               deceived
               who
               pretended
               the
               most
               to
               oral
               tradition
               from
               the
               Apostles
               ;
               
               still
               we
               find
               the
               grand
               debate
               was
               What
               came
               from
               the
               Apostles
               ,
               and
               what
               not
               ?
               whereas
               had
               tradition
               been
               so
               infallible
               a
               way
               of
               conveying
               ,
               how
               could
               this
               ever
               have
               come
               into
               debate
               among
               them
               ?
               What
               ,
               did
               not
               they
               know
               what
               their
               Parents
               taught
               them
               ?
               it
               seems
               they
               did
               not
               ,
               or
               their
               Parents
               were
               no
               more
               agreed
               than
               themselves
               ;
               for
               their
               differences
               could
               never
               be
               ended
               this
               way
               .
               Afterwards
               came
               in
               for
               many
               ages
               such
               a
               succession
               of
               ignorance
               and
               barbarism
               ,
               that
               
                 Christian
                 Religion
              
               was
               little
               minded
               either
               by
               Parents
               or
               Children
               as
               it
               ought
               to
               have
               been
               ;
               instead
               of
               that
               ,
               some
               fopperies
               and
               superstitions
               were
               hugely
               in
               request
               ,
               and
               the
               men
               who
               fomented
               these
               things
               were
               cryed
               up
               as
               great
               Saints
               and
               workers
               of
               Miracles
               .
               So
               that
               the
               miracles
               of
               S.
               Francis
               and
               S.
               Dominick
               were
               as
               much
               if
               not
               more
               carefully
               conveyed
               from
               Parents
               to
               Children
               in
               that
               age
               than
               those
               of
               Christ
               and
               his
               Apostles
               ;
               and
               on
               this
               account
               posterity
               must
               be
               equally
               bound
               to
               believe
               them
               ,
               and
               have
               their
               persons
               in
               equal
               veneration
               .
               If
               men
               at
               last
               were
               grown
               wiser
               ,
               it
               was
               because
               they
               did
               not
               believe
               
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               principles
               ,
               that
               they
               ought
               to
               receive
               what
               was
               delivered
               by
               their
               Parents
               ;
               but
               they
               began
               to
               search
               and
               enquire
               into
               the
               writings
               of
               former
               ages
               ,
               and
               to
               examine
               the
               opinions
               and
               practices
               of
               the
               present
               with
               those
               of
               the
               primitive
               Church
               ,
               and
               by
               this
               means
               there
               came
               a
               restauration
               of
               Learning
               and
               Religion
               together
               .
            
             
               But
               though
               matters
               of
               fact
               be
               plain
               and
               evident
               in
               this
               case
               ,
               yet
               M.
               S.
               will
               
               prove
               it
               impossible
               there
               should
               any
               errours
               come
               into
               the
               
                 Christian
                 Church
              
               ;
               and
               his
               main
               argument
               is
               this
               ,
               
                 because
                 no
                 age
                 of
                 the
                 Church
                 could
                 conspire
                 against
                 her
                 knowledge
                 to
                 deceive
                 that
                 age
                 immediately
                 following
                 in
                 matter
                 of
                 fact
                 evident
                 in
                 a
                 manner
                 to
                 the
                 whole
                 world
                 .
              
               But
               before
               I
               come
               more
               particularly
               to
               shew
               the
               weakness
               of
               this
               argument
               ,
               by
               manifesting
               how
               errours
               might
               come
               into
               the
               Church
               without
               such
               a
               conspiracy
               as
               this
               is
               ,
               I
               shall
               propound
               some
               Queries
               to
               him
               .
               1.
               
               What
               age
               of
               the
               Church
               he
               will
               instance
               in
               wherein
               all
               persons
               who
               were
               not
               cast
               out
               of
               the
               Church
               ,
               had
               the
               same
               apprehensions
               
               concerning
               all
               points
               of
               faith
               ?
               
                 i.
                 e.
              
               that
               none
               among
               them
               did
               believe
               more
               things
               delivered
               by
               Christ
               or
               the
               Apostles
               than
               others
               did
               .
               I
               am
               sure
               he
               can
               neither
               instance
               in
               the
               age
               of
               the
               Apostles
               themselves
               ,
               nor
               in
               those
               immediately
               succeeding
               them
               ;
               unless
               Mr.
               S.
               the
               better
               to
               defend
               his
               hypothesis
               will
               question
               all
               written
               records
               because
               they
               consist
               of
               
                 dead
                 letters
              
               ,
               and
               
                 unsenc't
                 characters
              
               ,
               and
               
                 wordish
                 testimonies
              
               .
               Never
               considering
               that
               while
               he
               utters
               this
               ,
               he
               writes
               himself
               ;
               unless
               he
               imagins
               there
               is
               more
               of
               
                 life
                 ,
                 sense
              
               and
               certainty
               in
               his
               books
               ,
               than
               in
               the
               Scriptures
               or
               any
               other
               writing
               whatsoever
               .
               2.
               
               Where
               there
               were
               different
               apprehensions
               in
               one
               age
               of
               the
               Church
               ,
               whether
               there
               must
               not
               be
               different
               traditions
               in
               the
               next
               ?
               for
               as
               he
               looks
               on
               all
               Parents
               as
               bound
               to
               teach
               their
               Children
               ,
               so
               on
               Children
               as
               bound
               to
               believe
               what
               their
               Parents
               teach
               them
               .
               On
               which
               supposition
               different
               traditions
               in
               the
               succeeding
               age
               must
               needs
               follow
               different
               apprehensions
               in
               the
               precedent
               .
               3.
               
               Whether
               persons
               agreeing
               in
               the
               substance
               of
               doctrines
               may
               not
               differ
               in
               their
               
               apprehensions
               of
               the
               necessity
               of
               them
               ?
               As
               for
               instance
               ,
               all
               may
               agree
               in
               the
               article
               of
               Christs
               descent
               into
               hell
               ,
               but
               yet
               may
               differ
               in
               the
               explication
               of
               it
               ,
               and
               in
               the
               apprehension
               of
               the
               necessity
               of
               it
               in
               order
               to
               salvation
               .
               So
               that
               we
               must
               not
               only
               in
               tradition
               about
               matters
               of
               faith
               enquire
               what
               was
               delivered
               ,
               but
               under
               what
               notion
               it
               was
               delivered
               ;
               whether
               as
               an
               allowable
               opinion
               ,
               or
               a
               necessary
               point
               of
               faith
               ;
               But
               if
               several
               persons
               ,
               nay
               multitudes
               in
               the
               Church
               may
               have
               different
               notions
               as
               to
               the
               necessity
               of
               the
               same
               points
               ,
               by
               what
               means
               shall
               we
               discern
               what
               was
               delivered
               as
               an
               opinion
               in
               the
               Church
               ,
               and
               what
               as
               an
               article
               of
               faith
               ?
               But
               Mr.
               S.
               throughout
               his
               discourse
               takes
               it
               for
               granted
               that
               there
               is
               the
               same
               necessity
               of
               believing
               and
               delivering
               all
               things
               which
               concern
               the
               Christian
               doctrine
               ;
               and
               still
               supposes
               the
               same
               
                 sacredness
                 ,
                 concern
                 ,
                 necessity
              
               ,
               in
               delivering
               all
               the
               points
               in
               controversie
               between
               the
               Romanists
               and
               Us
               ,
               as
               there
               was
               in
               those
               main
               articles
               of
               faith
               ,
               which
               they
               and
               we
               are
               agreed
               in
               .
               Which
               is
               so
               extravagant
               a
               
               supposition
               that
               it
               is
               hard
               to
               conceive
               it
               should
               ever
               enter
               into
               the
               head
               of
               a
               person
               pretending
               to
               reason
               ;
               but
               as
               extravagant
               as
               it
               is
               ,
               it
               is
               that
               without
               which
               his
               whole
               fabrick
               falls
               to
               the
               ground
               .
               For
               suppose
               we
               should
               grant
               him
               that
               the
               infinite
               errors
               which
               depend
               on
               the
               belief
               of
               the
               
                 Christian
                 doctrine
              
               should
               be
               of
               so
               prevalent
               nature
               with
               the
               world
               ,
               that
               it
               is
               impossible
               to
               conceive
               any
               one
               age
               should
               neglect
               the
               knowing
               them
               ,
               or
               conspire
               to
               deceive
               the
               next
               age
               about
               them
               ;
               yet
               what
               is
               all
               this
               to
               the
               matters
               in
               difference
               between
               us
               ?
               Will
               Mr.
               S.
               prove
               the
               same
               
                 sacredness
                 ,
                 necessity
                 ,
                 concern
                 ,
                 and
                 miraculously
                 attestedness
              
               (
               as
               he
               phrases
               it
               )
               in
               the
               
                 Invocation
                 of
                 Saints
                 ,
                 Purgatory
                 ,
                 Transubstantiation
                 ,
                 Supremacy
                 ,
              
               &c.
               as
               in
               the
               believing
               the
               death
               and
               resurrection
               of
               the
               Son
               of
               God
               :
               if
               he
               doth
               not
               prove
               this
               ,
               he
               doth
               nothing
               ;
               for
               his
               arguments
               may
               hold
               for
               doctrines
               judged
               universally
               necessary
               ,
               but
               for
               no
               other
               .
               Therefore
               Mr.
               S.
               hath
               a
               new
               task
               which
               he
               thought
               not
               of
               ;
               which
               is
               ,
               to
               manifest
               that
               these
               could
               not
               be
               looked
               on
               as
               opinions
               ,
               but
               were
               embraced
               
               as
               
                 necessary
                 articles
              
               of
               faith
               ,
               For
               unless
               he
               proves
               them
               such
               ,
               he
               can
               neither
               prove
               any
               obligation
               in
               Parents
               to
               teach
               them
               their
               Children
               ,
               nor
               in
               Children
               to
               believe
               what
               their
               Parents
               taught
               ,
               but
               only
               to
               hold
               them
               in
               the
               same
               degree
               which
               they
               did
               themselves
               .
               When
               Mr.
               S.
               will
               undertake
               to
               prove
               that
               the
               whole
               Church
               from
               the
               time
               of
               Christ
               did
               agree
               in
               the
               points
               in
               difference
               between
               us
               ,
               as
               necessary
               articles
               of
               faith
               ,
               I
               may
               more
               easily
               believe
               that
               no
               age
               could
               be
               ignorant
               of
               them
               ,
               or
               offer
               to
               deceive
               the
               next
               about
               them
               .
               But
               when
               Mr.
               S.
               reflects
               on
               his
               frequent
               concession
               that
               there
               are
               
                 private
                 opinions
              
               in
               the
               Church
               ,
               distinct
               from
               
                 matters
                 of
                 faith
              
               ,
               he
               must
               remember
               before
               he
               can
               bring
               home
               his
               grounds
               to
               the
               case
               between
               their
               Church
               and
               ours
               ,
               that
               he
               must
               prove
               none
               of
               the
               things
               in
               debate
               ,
               were
               ever
               entertained
               as
               
                 private
                 opinions
              
               ,
               and
               that
               it
               is
               impossible
               for
               that
               which
               was
               a
               
                 private
                 opinion
              
               in
               one
               age
               ,
               to
               become
               a
               
                 matter
                 of
                 faith
              
               in
               the
               next
               .
            
             
               But
               because
               this
               distinction
               of
               his
               
               
               ruines
               his
               whole
               demonstration
               ,
               I
               shall
               ●irst
               propound
               it
               in
               his
               own
               terms
               ,
               and
               ●hen
               shew
               how
               from
               thence
               it
               follows
               ,
               ●hat
               errors
               may
               come
               into
               the
               Church
               ,
               and
               be
               entertained
               as
               matters
               of
               faith
               .
               His
               words
               are
               ,
               
                 it
                 being
                 evident
                 ,
                 that
                 we
                 have
                 but
                 two
                 wayes
                 of
                 ordinary
                 know●edge
                 ,
              
               
               
                 by
                 acts
                 of
                 our
                 soul
                 ,
                 or
                 operations
                 ●n
                 our
                 body
                 ;
                 that
                 is
                 by
                 reason
                 and
                 expe●ience
                 ;
                 the
                 former
                 of
                 which
                 belongs
                 to
                 ●peculators
                 or
                 Doctors
                 ,
                 the
                 second
                 to
                 De●iverers
                 of
                 what
                 was
                 received
                 ,
                 or
                 Testi●iers
                 .
              
               And
               this
               distinction
               he
               frequent●y
               admits
               ,
               not
               only
               in
               the
               present
               age
               of
               the
               Church
               ,
               but
               in
               any
               ;
               for
               the
               same
               reason
               will
               hold
               in
               all
               .
               From
               ●ence
               I
               propose
               several
               Queries
               further
               to
               Mr.
               S.
               1.
               
               If
               every
               one
               in
               the
               Church●ooked
               ●ooked
               on
               himself
               as
               bound
               to
               believe
               ●ust
               as
               the
               precedent
               age
               did
               ,
               whence
               came
               any
               to
               have
               
                 particular
                 opinions
              
               of
               their
               own
               ?
               For
               either
               the
               Church●ad
               ●ad
               delivered
               her
               sense
               in
               that
               case
               or
               not
               ;
               if
               not
               ,
               then
               tradition
               is
               no
               certain
               conveyer
               of
               the
               doctrine
               of
               Christ
               ;
               ●f
               she
               had
               ,
               then
               those
               who
               vented
               private
               speculations
               were
               hereticks
               in
               so
               doing
               ;
               because
               they
               opposed
               that
               doctrine
               which
               the
               Church
               received
               from
               
               Christ
               and
               his
               Apostles
               .
               If
               Mr.
               S.
               replie●
               
                 that
                 private
                 speculations
                 are
                 in
                 such
                 case●
                 where
                 there
                 is
                 no
                 matter
                 of
                 faith
                 at
                 all
              
               he
               can
               never
               be
               able
               to
               help
               himsel●
               by
               that
               distinction
               in
               the
               case
               of
               hi●
               own
               Church
               ;
               for
               I
               demand
               ,
               whether
               i●
               it
               a
               matter
               of
               faith
               ,
               that
               men
               ought
               to
               believe
               oral
               tradition
               infallible
               ?
               i●
               not
               ,
               how
               can
               men
               ground
               their
               faith
               upon
               it
               ?
               If
               it
               be
               ,
               then
               either
               some
               are
               meer
               speculators
               in
               matters
               of
               faith
               ;
               or
               all
               who
               believe
               on
               the
               account
               o●
               the
               
                 Popes
                 infallibility
              
               are
               hereticks
               for
               so
               doing
               .
               2.
               
               If
               there
               were
               speculators
               in
               former
               ages
               as
               well
               as
               this
               ,
               whether
               did
               those
               men
               believe
               their
               own
               speculations
               or
               no
               ?
               if
               not
               ,
               then
               the
               Father●
               were
               great
               Impostors
               who
               vented
               those
               speculations
               in
               the
               Church
               which
               they
               did
               not
               believe
               themselves
               ;
               And
               it
               i●
               plain
               Mr.
               S.
               speaks
               of
               such
               opinions
               which
               the
               asserters
               of
               ,
               do
               firmly
               believe
               to
               be
               true
               :
               and
               if
               they
               did
               ,
               then
               they
               look
               on
               themselves
               as
               bound
               to
               believe
               something
               which
               was
               not
               founded
               on
               the
               tradition
               of
               the
               Church
               ;
               and
               consequently
               did
               not
               own
               
                 oral
                 tradition
              
               ,
               as
               the
               
                 rule
                 of
                 faith
              
               .
               So
               that
               as
               many
               speculators
               as
               we
               find
               in
               the
               Church
               ,
               
               so
               many
               testifiers
               we
               have
               against
               the
               in●libility
               of
               
                 oral
                 tradition
              
               .
               3.
               
               Whether
               those
               persons
               who
               did
               themselves
               believe
               those
               opinions
               to
               be
               true
               ,
               did
               not
               think
               themselves
               obliged
               to
               tell
               others
               they
               ought
               to
               believe
               them
               ;
               and
               consequently
               to
               deliver
               these
               as
               matters
               of
               faith
               to
               their
               children
               ?
               Let
               Mr.
               S.
               shew
               me
               any
               inconsequence
               in
               this
               ;
               but
               that
               it
               unavoidably
               follows
               upon
               his
               principles
               that
               they
               were
               bound
               to
               teach
               their
               Children
               what
               themselves
               received
               as
               the
               doctrine
               of
               Christ
               ,
               and
               that
               the
               obligation
               is
               in
               all
               respects
               equal
               as
               if
               they
               had
               believed
               these
               things
               on
               the
               account
               of
               
                 oral
                 tradition
              
               .
               4
               If
               Children
               be
               obliged
               to
               believe
               what
               their
               Parents
               teach
               them
               for
               matters
               of
               faith
               ,
               then
               upon
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               own
               concessions
               is
               not
               posterity
               bound
               to
               believe
               something
               which
               originally
               came
               not
               from
               Christ
               or
               his
               Apostles
               ?
               For
               it
               appears
               in
               this
               case
               ,
               that
               the
               first
               rise
               was
               from
               a
               private
               opinion
               of
               some
               Doctors
               of
               the
               Church
               ;
               but
               they
               believing
               these
               opinions
               themselves
               ,
               think
               themselves
               obliged
               to
               propagate
               them
               to
               others
               ;
               and
               by
               reason
               of
               their
               learning
               and
               authority
               ,
               these
               opinions
               may
               by
               degrees
               gain
               a
               general
               acceptance
               
               in
               the
               ruling
               part
               of
               the
               Chur●●
               ;
               and
               all
               who
               believe
               them
               true
               ,
               t●●●●
               they
               ought
               to
               teach
               them
               their
               ●●●●dren
               ;
               and
               Children
               they
               are
               to
               believe
               what
               their
               Parents
               teach
               them
               .
               Thus
               from
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               
                 own
                 principles
              
               ,
               things
               that
               never
               were
               delivered
               by
               Christ
               or
               his
               Apostles
               ,
               may
               come
               to
               be
               received
               as
               matters
               of
               faith
               in
               the
               present
               Church
               .
               Thus
               the
               intelligent
               Reader
               needs
               no
               bodies
               help
               but
               Mr.
               S.
               to
               let
               him
               understand
               how
               
                 Invocation
                 of
                 Saints
                 ,
                 Purgatory
                 ,
                 Transubstantiation
                 ,
                 &c.
              
               though
               never
               delivered
               either
               by
               Christ
               or
               his
               Apostles
               ,
               may
               yet
               now
               be
               looked
               on
               as
               articles
               of
               saith
               ,
               and
               yet
               no
               age
               of
               the
               Church
               conspire
               to
               deceive
               another
               .
               Either
               then
               Mr.
               S.
               must
               say
               ,
               there
               never
               were
               any
               
                 private
                 opinators
              
               or
               speculators
               in
               the
               Church
               as
               distinct
               from
               testifiers
               ,
               and
               then
               he
               unavoidably
               contradicts
               himself
               ;
               or
               he
               must
               deny
               that
               posterity
               is
               bound
               to
               believe
               what
               their
               fore-fathers
               delivered
               them
               as
               matters
               of
               faith
               ;
               which
               destroyes
               the
               force
               of
               his
               whole
               demonstration
               .
               Perhaps
               he
               will
               answer
               ,
               
                 that
                 Children
                 are
                 not
                 bound
                 to
                 believe
                 what
                 barely
                 their
                 Parents
                 ,
                 or
                 a●other
                 
                 number
                 of
                 persons
                 might
                 deliver
                 matters
                 of
                 faith
                 ,
                 but
                 what
                 the
                 whole
                 ●hurch
                 of
                 every
                 age
                 delivers
                 .
              
               This
               ,
               ●ough
               the
               only
               thing
               to
               be
               said
               in
               ●e
               case
               ,
               yet
               is
               most
               unreasonable
               ;
               be●●use
               it
               runs
               men
               upon
               inextricable
               dif●culties
               in
               the
               way
               of
               their
               resolving
               ●ith
               .
               For
               suppose
               any
               Children
               ●ught
               by
               their
               Parents
               what
               they
               are
               ●
               believe
               ;
               Mr.
               S.
               must
               say
               ,
               they
               are
               ●ot
               bound
               to
               believe
               them
               presently
               ,
               ●ut
               to
               enquire
               whether
               they
               agree
               ●ith
               the
               whole
               Church
               of
               that
               Age●rst
               ●rst
               ,
               before
               they
               can
               be
               obliged
               to
               as●nt
               .
               Which
               being
               an
               impossible
               task
               ●ther
               for
               Children
               ,
               or
               men
               of
               age
               ●
               find
               out
               in
               the
               way
               of
               oral
               tradi●on
               ;
               this
               way
               of
               resolving
               faith
               ,
               ●oth
               but
               offer
               a
               fairer
               pretence
               for
               ●fidelity
               .
               For
               we
               see
               how
               impossi●le
               it
               is
               for
               Mr.
               S.
               to
               make
               it
               appear
               ,
               ●hat
               their
               Church
               is
               agreed
               about
               the
               ●ule
               of
               faith
               ;
               for
               by
               his
               own
               confession
               ,
               ●he
               far
               greater
               number
               as
               speculators●ppose
               ●ppose
               the
               way
               asserted
               by
               him
               :
               how
               ●uch
               more
               difficult
               then
               must
               it
               needs
               ●e
               to
               find
               out
               what
               the
               sense
               of
               the
               whole
               
                 essential
                 Church
              
               is
               in
               all
               matters
               which
               Parents
               may
               teach
               their
               Children
               
               for
               doctrines
               of
               faith
               ?
               So
               that
               if
               Chrildren
               are
               not
               bound
               to
               believe
               what
               their
               Parents
               teach
               them
               ,
               till
               they
               know
               they
               teach
               nothing
               but
               what
               the
               whole
               Church
               teaches
               ,
               it
               is
               the
               most
               compendious
               way
               to
               teach
               them
               they
               are
               not
               bound
               to
               believe
               at
               all
               .
               But
               if
               this
               distinction
               be
               admitted
               ,
               as
               Mr.
               S.
               makes
               much
               use
               of
               it
               ,
               then
               it
               appears
               how
               errors
               may
               come
               into
               the
               Church
               at
               sirst
               under
               the
               notion
               of
               speculations
               ,
               and
               by
               degrees
               to
               be
               delivered
               as
               points
               of
               faith
               ,
               by
               which
               means
               those
               things
               may
               be
               received
               in
               the
               Church
               ,
               for
               such
               ,
               which
               were
               never
               delivered
               by
               Christ
               or
               his
               Apostles
               ,
               and
               yet
               no
               age
               conspire
               to
               deceive
               the
               next
               ,
               which
               was
               the
               thing
               to
               be
               shewed
               .
            
             
               This
               is
               one
               way
               of
               shewing
               how
               errors
               may
               come
               into
               the
               Church
               ,
               
               without
               one
               ages
               conspiring
               to
               deceive
               the
               next
               ;
               but
               besides
               this
               ,
               there
               are
               several
               others
               I
               might
               insist
               upon
               ;
               but
               I
               shall
               mention
               only
               two
               more
               ▪
               1.
               
               Misinterpreting
               the
               sence
               of
               Scripure
               .
               2.
               
               Supposing
               it
               in
               the
               power
               o●
               some
               part
               of
               the
               Church
               to
               oblige
               the
               
               whole
               in
               matters
               of
               faith
               .
               For
               the
               first
               we
               are
               to
               consider
               that
               no
               imaginable
               account
               can
               be
               given
               either
               of
               the
               writing
               or
               universal
               reception
               of
               the
               books
               of
               the
               
                 New
                 Testament
              
               ,
               if
               they
               were
               not
               designed
               for
               the
               preservation
               of
               the
               doctrine
               of
               Christ.
               And
               ●lthough
               it
               should
               be
               granted
               possible
               ●or
               the
               main
               and
               fundamental
               articles
               of
               Christian
               faith
               (
               such
               as
               the
               
                 Apostles
                 Creed
              
               gives
               a
               summary
               account
               of
               )
               ●o
               have
               been
               preserved
               by
               the
               help
               of
               ●radition
               ;
               yet
               ,
               unless
               we
               be
               extream●y
               ungrateful
               ,
               we
               cannot
               but
               acknowledge
               that
               God
               hath
               infinitely
               ●etter
               provided
               for
               us
               ,
               in
               not
               leaving
               ●he
               grounds
               of
               our
               Religion
               to
               the
               ●eer
               breath
               of
               the
               people
               ,
               or
               the
               care
               ●f
               mothers
               instructing
               their
               Children
               ,
               ●ut
               hath
               given
               us
               the
               certain
               records
               ●fall
               the
               doctrines
               and
               motives
               of
               faith
               ●reserved
               inviolably
               from
               the
               first
               ages
               ●f
               the
               Church
               .
               And
               when
               the
               Church●w
               ●w
               with
               what
               care
               God
               had
               provided
               ●r
               the
               means
               of
               faith
               ,
               tradition●as
               ●as
               little
               minded
               ;
               thence
               the
               memory
               ●f
               those
               other
               things
               not
               recorded
               in
               ●cripture
               is
               wholly
               lost
               ;
               all
               the
               care
               ●as
               imployed
               in
               searching
               ,
               preserving
               
               and
               delivering
               these
               
                 sacred
                 books
              
               t●
               posterity
               .
               To
               these
               the
               primitiv●
               Church
               still
               appeals
               ;
               these
               they
               plea●
               for
               against
               all
               adversaries
               ,
               defendin●
               their
               authority
               ,
               explaining
               their
               sense
               vindicating
               them
               from
               all
               corruption●
               Tradition
               they
               rely
               not
               on
               any
               fu●ther
               then
               as
               a
               Testimony
               of
               the
               trut●
               of
               these
               records
               ,
               or
               to
               clear
               the
               sen●
               of
               them
               from
               the
               perverse
               interpr●
               tation
               of
               those
               Hereticks
               who
               preten●
               ed
               another
               kind
               of
               tradition
               th●
               what
               was
               in
               Scripture
               .
               And
               when
               the●
               were
               silenced
               ,
               all
               the
               disputes
               th●
               arose
               in
               the
               Church
               concerning
               matte●
               of
               faith
               ,
               was
               about
               the
               sense
               of
               the
               books
               ;
               as
               is
               evident
               by
               the
               procee●ings
               in
               the
               case
               of
               Arius
               and
               Pelagi●
               Wherein
               Tradition
               was
               only
               used
               a
               means
               to
               clear
               the
               sense
               of
               the
               S●ptures
               ,
               but
               not
               at
               all
               as
               that
               which
               t●
               faith
               of
               all
               was
               to
               be
               resolved
               int●
               But
               when
               any
               thing
               was
               pleaded
               fr●
               tradition
               for
               which
               there
               was
               ground
               in
               Scripture
               ,
               it
               was
               reject
               with
               the
               same
               ease
               it
               was
               offered
               ;
               a●
               such
               persons
               were
               plainly
               told
               ,
               t●
               was
               not
               the
               Churches
               way
               ;
               if
               they
               b●
               plain
               Scripture
               with
               the
               concurr●
               
               sense
               of
               Antiquity
               ,
               they
               might
               produce
               ●t
               and
               rely
               upon
               it
               .
               So
               that
               the
               whole
               ●se
               of
               Tradition
               in
               the
               primitive
               Church
               (
               besides
               attesting
               the
               books
               )
               was
               ,
               to
               shew
               the
               unreasonableness
               of
               ●mposing
               senses
               on
               Scripture
               ,
               against
               the
               universal
               sense
               of
               the
               Church
               from
               the
               Apostles
               times
               .
               But
               as
               long
               as
               men
               were
               men
               ,
               it
               was
               not
               avoidable
               ,
               but
               they
               must
               fall
               into
               different
               apprehensions
               of
               the
               meaning
               of
               the
               Scripture
               ,
               according
               to
               their
               different
               judgements
               ,
               prejudices
               ,
               learning
               and
               education
               .
               And
               since
               they
               had
               all
               this
               apprehension
               that
               the
               Scripture
               contained
               all
               doctrines
               of
               faith
               ,
               thence
               as
               men
               judged
               of
               the
               sense
               of
               it
               ,
               they
               differed
               in
               their
               apprehension
               ,
               concerning
               matters
               of
               faith
               .
               And
               thence
               errors
               and
               mistakes
               might
               easily
               come
               into
               the
               Church
               without
               one
               age
               conspiring
               to
               deceive
               the
               next
               .
               Nay
               if
               it
               be
               possible
               for
               men
               to
               rely
               on
               tradition
               without
               Scripture
               ,
               this
               may
               easily
               be
               done
               ;
               for
               by
               that
               means
               they
               make
               a
               new
               rule
               of
               faith
               not
               known
               to
               the
               primitive
               Church
               ,
               and
               consequently
               that
               very
               assertion
               is
               an
               error
               in
               which
               the
               former
               age
               did
               not
               conspire
               
               to
               deceive
               the
               next
               .
               And
               if
               these
               things
               be
               possible
               ,
               M.
               S's
               .
               demonstration
               fails
               him
               ;
               for
               hereby
               a
               reasonable
               account
               is
               given
               how
               errors
               may
               come
               into
               a
               Church
               without
               one
               age
               conspiring
               to
               deceive
               another
               .
               Again
               ,
               let
               me
               enquire
               of
               Mr.
               S.
               whether
               men
               may
               not
               believe
               it
               in
               the
               power
               of
               the
               ruling
               part
               of
               the
               Church
               to
               oblige
               the
               whole
               to
               an
               assent
               to
               the
               definitions
               of
               it
               ?
               To
               speak
               plainer
               ,
               is
               it
               not
               possible
               for
               men
               to
               believe
               the
               Pope
               and
               
                 Council
                 infallible
              
               in
               their
               decrees
               ?
               And
               I
               hope
               the
               Jesuits
               (
               as
               little
               as
               Mr.
               S.
               loves
               them
               ,
               or
               they
               him
               )
               may
               be
               a
               sufficient
               evidence
               of
               more
               than
               the
               bare
               possibility
               of
               this
               .
               If
               they
               may
               believe
               this
               ,
               doth
               it
               not
               necessarily
               follow
               that
               they
               are
               bound
               to
               believe
               whatever
               they
               declare
               to
               be
               matter
               of
               faith
               ?
               supposing
               then
               that
               
                 Transubstantiation
                 ,
                 Supremacy
                 ,
                 Invocation
              
               of
               Saints
               ,
               were
               but
               
                 private
                 opinions
              
               before
               ,
               but
               are
               now
               defined
               by
               Pope
               and
               Council
               ,
               these
               men
               cannot
               but
               look
               on
               themselves
               as
               much
               obliged
               to
               believe
               them
               ,
               as
               if
               they
               had
               been
               delivered
               as
               matters
               of
               faith
               ,
               in
               every
               age
               since
               the
               Apostles
               times
               .
               Is
               it
               now
               repugnant
               to
               common
               sense
               ,
               
               that
               this
               opinion
               should
               be
               believed
               or
               entertained
               in
               the
               Church
               ?
               if
               not
               ,
               why
               may
               not
               this
               opinion
               be
               generally
               received
               ?
               if
               it
               be
               so
               ,
               doth
               it
               not
               unavoidably
               follow
               that
               the
               faith
               of
               men
               must
               alter
               according
               to
               the
               Churches
               definitions
               ?
               And
               thus
               
                 private
                 opinions
              
               may
               be
               believed
               as
               
                 articles
                 of
                 faith
              
               ,
               and
               
                 corrupt
                 practices
              
               be
               established
               as
               
                 laudable
                 pieces
                 of
                 devotion
              
               ,
               and
               yet
               no
               one
               age
               of
               the
               Church
               conspire
               to
               deceive
               another
               .
               Thus
               I
               hope
               Mr.
               S.
               may
               see
               how
               far
               it
               is
               from
               being
               a
               
                 self-evident
                 principle
                 ,
                 that
                 no
                 error
                 can
                 come
                 into
                 the
              
               Church
               ,
               
                 unless
                 one
                 age
                 conspire
                 to
                 deceive
                 the
                 next
                 in
                 a
                 matter
                 of
                 fact
                 evident
                 in
                 a
                 manner
                 to
                 the
                 whole
                 world
                 .
              
               Which
               is
               so
               wild
               an
               apprehension
               ,
               that
               I
               believe
               the
               Jesuits
               cannot
               entertain
               themselves
               without
               smiles
               to
               see
               their
               
                 domestick
                 adversaries
              
               expose
               themselves
               to
               contempt
               with
               so
               much
               confidence
               .
            
             
               Thus
               I
               come
               to
               the
               reason
               I
               gave
               
               why
               there
               is
               no
               reason
               to
               believe
               that
               this
               is
               the
               present
               sense
               of
               the
               
                 Roman
                 Church
              
               .
               My
               words
               are
               ,
               
                 For
                 I
                 see
                 the
                 Roman
                 Church
                 asserts
                 ,
                 that
                 things
                 may
                 
                 be
              
               de
               fide
               
                 in
                 one
                 age
                 ,
                 which
                 were
                 not
                 in
                 another
                 ;
                 at
                 least
                 Popes
                 and
                 Councils
                 challenge
                 this
                 ;
                 and
                 this
                 is
                 the
                 common
                 doctrine
                 maintained
                 there
                 ,
                 and
                 others
                 are
                 looked
                 on
                 as
                 no
                 members
                 of
                 their
                 C●urch
                 ,
                 who
                 assert
                 the
                 contrary
                 ;
                 but
                 as
                 p●rsons
                 at
                 least
                 meritoriously
                 if
                 not
                 actually
                 excommunicate
                 .
                 Where
                 then
                 shall
                 I
                 satisfie
                 my self
                 what
                 the
                 sense
                 of
                 your
                 Church
                 is
                 as
                 to
                 this
                 particular
                 ?
                 Must
                 I
                 believe
                 a
                 very
                 few
                 persons
                 whom
                 the
                 rest
                 disown
                 as
                 heretical
                 and
                 soditious
                 ?
                 or
                 ought
                 I
                 not
                 rather
                 to
                 take
                 the
                 judgement
                 of
                 the
                 greatest
                 and
                 most
                 approved
                 persons
                 of
                 that
                 Church
                 ?
                 And
                 these
                 disown
                 any
                 such
                 doctrine
                 ,
                 but
                 assert
                 that
                 the
                 Church
                 may
                 determine
                 things
              
               de
               fide
               
                 which
                 were
                 not
                 before
              
               .
               In
               answer
               to
               this
               ,
               Mr.
               
                 S.
                 begs
                 leave
                 to
                 distinguish
                 the
                 words
              
               de
               fide
               
                 which
                 may
                 either
                 mean
              
               
               
                 Christian
                 faith
                 or
                 points
                 of
                 faith
                 taught
                 by
                 Christ
                 ;
                 and
                 then
                 he
                 grants
                 't
                 is
                 non-sense
                 to
                 say
                 they
                 can
                 be
                 in
                 one
                 age
                 ,
                 and
                 not
                 in
                 another
                 .
                 Or
              
               de
               fide
               
                 may
                 mean
                 obligatory
                 to
                 be
                 believed
                 .
                 In
                 this
                 latter
                 sense
                 none
                 I
                 think
              
               (
               saith
               he
               )
               
                 denies
                 things
                 may
                 be
              
               de
               fide
               
                 in
                 one
                 age
                 and
                 not
                 in
                 another
                 ;
                 in
                 the
                 former
                 sense
                 none
                 holds
                 it
                 .
              
               Upon
               which
               very
               triumphantly
               
               he
               concludes
               ,
               
                 Whatrs
                 now
                 become
                 of
                 your
                 difficulty
                 ?
                 I
                 believe
                 you
                 are
                 in
                 some
                 wonderment
                 ,
                 and
                 think
                 I
                 elude
                 it
                 rather
                 then
                 answer
                 it
                 ;
                 I
                 shall
                 endeavour
                 to
                 unperplex
                 you
                 .
              
               I
               must
               confess
               it
               a
               fault
               of
               humane
               nature
               to
               admire
               things
               which
               men
               understand
               not
               ;
               on
               which
               account
               I
               cannot
               free
               my self
               from
               some
               temptation
               to
               that
               he
               calls
               wonderment
               ;
               but
               I
               am
               presently
               cured
               of
               it
               when
               I
               endeavour
               to
               reduce
               his
               distinction
               to
               reason
               .
               For
               instead
               of
               explaining
               his
               terms
               he
               should
               have
               shewed
               how
               any
               thing
               can
               be
               obligatory
               to
               be
               believed
               in
               any
               age
               of
               the
               Church
               ,
               which
               was
               no
               point
               of
               faith
               taught
               by
               Christ
               ,
               which
               notwithstanding
               his
               endeavour
               to
               
                 unperplex
                 me
              
               ,
               is
               a
               thing
               as
               yet
               I
               apprehend
               not
               :
               Because
               I
               understand
               no
               obligation
               to
               faith
               to
               arise
               from
               any
               thing
               but
               
                 divine
                 revelation
              
               :
               and
               I
               do
               not
               yet
               believe
               any
               thing
               in
               
                 Christian
                 doctrine
              
               to
               be
               divinely
               revealed
               ,
               but
               what
               was
               delivered
               by
               Christ
               or
               his
               Apostles
               .
               And
               my
               wonderment
               must
               needs
               be
               the
               greater
               ,
               because
               I
               suppose
               this
               inconsistent
               with
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               principles
               .
               For
               oral
               tradition
               doth
               necessarily
               imply
               
               that
               all
               points
               of
               faith
               were
               first
               taught
               by
               Christ
               ,
               and
               conveyed
               by
               tradition
               to
               us
               ;
               but
               if
               a
               thing
               may
               be
               
                 de
                 side
              
               in
               this
               latter
               sense
               which
               was
               not
               before
               ,
               what
               becomes
               of
               resolving
               faith
               wholly
               into
               
                 oral
                 tradition
              
               ?
               For
               faitb
               is
               resolved
               into
               that
               from
               whence
               the
               obligation
               to
               believe
               comes
               ;
               but
               here
               Mr.
               S.
               confesses
               that
               the
               obligation
               to
               believe
               doth
               arise
               from
               something
               quite
               different
               from
               
                 oral
                 tradition
              
               ;
               and
               therefore
               faith
               must
               be
               resolved
               into
               it
               .
               Besides
               ,
               all
               the
               sense
               I
               can
               find
               in
               that
               distinction
               ,
               is
               ,
               that
               men
               are
               bound
               to
               believe
               something
               in
               one
               age
               ,
               which
               they
               were
               not
               in
               another
               ;
               and
               if
               so
               ,
               I
               shall
               desire
               Mr.
               S.
               to
               
                 unperplex
                 me
              
               in
               this
               ,
               how
               every
               age
               is
               bound
               to
               believe
               just
               as
               the
               precedent
               did
               ,
               and
               yet
               one
               age
               be
               bound
               to
               believe
               more
               then
               the
               precedent
               .
               But
               however
               ,
               I
               am
               much
               obliged
               to
               him
               for
               his
               endeavour
               to
               
                 unperplex
                 me
              
               as
               he
               speaks
               :
               for
               really
               I
               look
               on
               no
               civilities
               to
               be
               greater
               than
               those
               which
               are
               designed
               for
               clearing
               our
               understandings
               :
               so
               great
               an
               adorer
               am
               I
               of
               true
               reason
               and
               an
               intelligible
               Religion
               .
               And
               therefore
               I
               perfectly
               agree
               
               with
               him
               in
               his
               saying
               ,
               
                 that
                 Christianity
              
               
               
                 aims
                 not
                 to
                 make
                 us
                 beasts
                 ,
                 but
                 more
                 perfectly
                 men
                 :
                 and
                 the
                 perfection
                 of
                 our
                 manhood
                 consists
                 in
                 the
                 use
                 of
                 our
                 reasons
                 .
              
               From
               whence
               he
               inferrs
               ,
               that
               it
               is
               reasonable
               ,
               consequences
               should
               be
               drawn
               from
               principles
               of
               faith
               ,
               which
               ,
               he
               saith
               ,
               
                 are
                 of
                 two
                 sorts
                 ;
                 first
                 such
                 as
                 need
                 no
                 more
                 but
                 common
                 sense
                 to
                 deduce
                 them
                 ;
                 the
                 others
                 are
                 such
                 as
                 need
                 the
                 maxims
                 of
                 some
                 science
                 got
                 by
                 speculation
                 to
                 infer
                 them
                 ;
                 and
                 these
                 are
                 Theological
                 conclusions
                 :
                 the
                 former
                 sort
                 ,
              
               he
               tells
               us
               ,
               
                 the
                 church
                 is
                 necessitated
                 to
                 make
                 use
                 of
                 upon
                 occasion
                 ,
              
               i.
               e.
               
                 when
                 any
                 heretick
                 questions
                 those
                 ,
                 and
              
               eadem
               opera
               ,
               
                 the
                 whole
                 point
                 of
                 faith
                 it self
                 ,
                 of
                 which
                 they
                 were
                 a
                 part
                 ;
                 as
                 in
                 the
                 case
                 of
                 the
                 Monothelites
                 ,
                 about
                 Christs
                 baving
                 two
                 wills
                 .
              
               But
               all
               this
               while
               ,
               I
               am
               far
               enough
               from
               being
               unperplexed
               :
               nay
               by
               this
               discourse
               I
               see
               every
               one
               who
               offers
               to
               unperplex
               another
               is
               not
               very
               clear
               himself
               .
               For
               since
               he
               makes
               no
               
                 Theological
                 conclusions
              
               to
               be
               
                 de
                 side
              
               ,
               but
               only
               such
               
                 consequences
                 as
                 common
                 sence
                 drawes
              
               ,
               I
               would
               willingly
               understand
               how
               
                 common
                 sence
              
               receives
               a
               new
               obligation
               to
               faith
               .
               For
               to
               my
               
               apprehension
               the
               deducing
               of
               consequences
               from
               principles
               by
               
                 common
                 sense
              
               ,
               is
               not
               an
               act
               of
               believing
               ,
               but
               of
               knowledge
               consequent
               upon
               a
               principle
               of
               faith
               .
               And
               the
               meaning
               is
               no
               more
               then
               this
               ,
               that
               men
               when
               they
               say
               they
               believe
               things
               ,
               should
               not
               contradict
               themselves
               ,
               as
               certainly
               they
               would
               do
               ,
               if
               they
               deny
               those
               consequences
               which
               
                 common
                 sense
              
               draws
               from
               them
               .
               As
               in
               the
               case
               of
               the
               Monothelites
               ,
               for
               men
               to
               assert
               that
               Christ
               had
               
                 two
                 natures
              
               ,
               and
               yet
               not
               
                 two
                 wills
              
               ,
               when
               the
               will
               is
               nothing
               else
               but
               the
               inclination
               of
               the
               nature
               to
               that
               good
               which
               belongs
               to
               it
               .
               So
               that
               there
               can
               be
               no
               distinct
               obligation
               to
               believe
               such
               consequences
               as
               are
               drawn
               by
               common
               sense
               ;
               but
               every
               one
               that
               believes
               the
               principles
               from
               whence
               they
               are
               drawn
               ,
               is
               thereby
               bound
               to
               believe
               all
               the
               consequences
               which
               immediately
               follow
               from
               them
               .
               Indeed
               the
               Church
               ,
               when
               people
               will
               be
               so
               unreasonable
               to
               deny
               such
               things
               ,
               may
               explain
               her
               sense
               of
               the
               article
               of
               faith
               in
               those
               terms
               which
               may
               best
               prevent
               dispute
               ;
               but
               this
               is
               only
               to
               discriminate
               the
               persons
               who
               truly
               believe
               this
               article
               from
               
               such
               as
               do
               not
               .
               Not
               that
               any
               new
               obligation
               to
               faith
               results
               from
               this
               act
               of
               the
               Church
               :
               but
               the
               better
               to
               prevent
               cavils
               ,
               she
               explains
               her
               sense
               of
               the
               article
               it self
               in
               more
               explicite
               terms
               .
               Which
               as
               he
               saith
               ,
               
                 is
                 only
                 to
                 put
                 the
                 faith
                 out
                 of
                 danger
                 of
                 being
              
               
               equivocated
               .
               Which
               is
               quite
               another
               thing
               from
               causing
               a
               new
               obligation
               to
               believe
               .
               As
               suppose
               the
               Church
               to
               prevent
               the
               growth
               of
               the
               
                 Socinian
                 doctrine
              
               ,
               should
               ,
               require
               from
               men
               the
               declaring
               their
               belief
               of
               the
               
                 eternal
                 existence
              
               of
               the
               Son
               of
               God
               ;
               Would
               this
               be
               to
               bind
               men
               to
               believe
               some
               thing
               which
               they
               were
               not
               bound
               to
               before
               ?
               no
               ,
               but
               only
               to
               express
               their
               assent
               to
               the
               Deity
               of
               Christ
               in
               the
               simplest
               terms
               ;
               because
               otherwise
               they
               might
               call
               him
               God
               by
               office
               ,
               and
               not
               by
               nature
               .
               Now
               how
               can
               any
               one
               conceive
               that
               any
               should
               be
               first
               obliged
               to
               believe
               that
               Christ
               is
               God
               ;
               and
               yet
               receive
               a
               new
               obligation
               afterwards
               to
               believe
               his
               
                 eternal
                 existence
              
               ?
               Thus
               it
               is
               in
               all
               
                 immediate
                 consequences
              
               drawn
               by
               
                 common
                 sense
              
               ;
               in
               all
               which
               the
               primary
               obligation
               to
               believe
               the
               thing
               it self
               ,
               extends
               to
               the
               belief
               of
               
               it
               in
               the
               most
               clear
               and
               least
               controverted
               terms
               ,
               which
               are
               not
               intended
               to
               impose
               on
               mens
               faith
               ,
               but
               to
               promote
               the
               Churches
               peace
               .
               For
               neither
               i●
               there
               a
               new
               object
               of
               faith
               ;
               for
               how
               can
               that
               be
               which
               common
               sense
               draws
               from
               what
               is
               believed
               already
               ▪
               neither
               is
               there
               any
               
                 infallible
                 proponent
              
               ,
               unless
               
                 common
                 sense
              
               hath
               usurped
               the
               Popes
               prerogative
               .
               But
               Mr.
               S.
               offers
               at
               a
               reason
               for
               this
               ,
               which
               is
               
                 that
                 none
                 can
                 have
                 an
                 obligation
                 to
                 believe
                 what
                 they
                 have
                 not
                 an
                 obligation
                 to
                 think
                 of
                 ;
                 and
                 in
                 some
                 age
                 the
                 Gen●rality
                 of
                 the
                 faithful
                 have
                 no
                 occasion
                 ,
                 nor
                 consequently
                 obligation
                 to
                 mind
                 ,
                 reflect
                 ,
                 or
                 think
                 on
                 those
                 propositions
                 involved
                 in
                 the
                 main
                 stock
                 of
                 faith
                 .
                 From
                 whence
                 ,
              
               he
               saith
               ,
               
                 it
                 follows
                 ,
                 that
                 a
                 thing
                 may
                 be
              
               de
               fide
               
                 or
                 obligatory
                 to
                 be
                 believed
                 in
                 one
                 age
                 ,
                 and
                 not
                 in
                 another
                 .
              
               But
               let
               Mr.
               s.
               shew
               how
               a
               man
               can
               be
               obliged
               to
               believe
               any
               thing
               as
               an
               article
               of
               faith
               ,
               who
               is
               not
               bound
               to
               thin●
               of
               all
               the
               immediate
               consequences
               o●
               it
               ?
               Because
               faith
               is
               an
               act
               of
               a
               reasonable
               nature
               ,
               which
               ought
               to
               enquire
               into
               the
               reasons
               and
               consequences
               of
               things
               which
               it
               doth
               believe
               .
               Bu●
               
               Mr.
               s.
               mistake
               lies
               here
               ,
               in
               not
               distinguishing
               the
               obligation
               to
               believe
               ,
               from
               the
               obligation
               to
               an
               explicite
               declaration
               of
               that
               assent
               .
               The
               former
               comes
               only
               from
               God
               ,
               and
               no
               new
               obligation
               can
               arise
               from
               any
               act
               of
               the
               Church
               ;
               but
               the
               latter
               being
               a
               thing
               tending
               to
               the
               Churches
               peace
               ,
               may
               be
               required
               by
               it
               on
               some
               occasions
               ;
               
                 i.
                 e.
              
               when
               the
               doctrine
               is
               assaulted
               by
               hereticks
               as
               in
               the
               time
               of
               the
               
                 four
                 first
                 General
                 Councils
              
               :
               but
               still
               a
               man
               is
               not
               at
               all
               the
               more
               obliged
               to
               assent
               ,
               but
               to
               express
               his
               assent
               in
               order
               to
               the
               Churches
               satisfaction
               .
            
             
               But
               Mr.
               S.
               supposes
               me
               to
               enquire
               ,
               
               
                 how
                 the
                 Church
                 can
                 have
                 power
                 to
                 oblige
                 the
                 Generality
                 to
                 belief
                 of
                 such
                 a
                 point
                 .
              
               To
               which
               his
               answer
               is
               ,
               
                 she
                 obliges
                 them
                 to
                 believe
                 the
                 main
                 point
                 of
                 faith
                 ,
                 by
                 vertue
                 of
                 traditions
                 being
                 a
                 self-evident
                 rule
                 ,
                 and
                 these
                 implyed
                 points
                 by
                 vertue
                 of
                 their
                 being
                 self-evidently
                 connected
                 with
                 those
                 main
                 and
                 perpetually
                 used
                 points
                 ,
                 so
                 that
                 the
                 vulgar
                 can
                 be
                 rationally
                 and
                 connaturally
                 made
                 capable
                 of
                 this
                 their
                 obligation
                 .
              
               But
               we
               are
               not
               now
               enquiring
               what
               the
               obligation
               to
               believe
               the
               main
               points
               of
               
               faith
               is
               ,
               nor
               whether
               traditiou
               be
               a
               
                 self-evident
                 rule
              
               ;
               but
               how
               there
               should
               be
               
                 a
                 new
                 obligation
                 to
                 believe
                 something
                 self-evidently
                 connected
                 with
                 the
                 former
                 points
                 ,
              
               is
               beyond
               my
               capacity
               to
               understand
               .
               And
               they
               must
               be
               
                 vulgar
                 understandings
              
               indeed
               ,
               that
               can
               
                 rationally
                 and
                 connaturally
              
               be
               made
               capable
               of
               such
               an
               obligation
               .
               For
               if
               it
               be
               self-evidently
               connected
               with
               the
               main
               points
               ,
               no
               one
               can
               believe
               the
               one
               ,
               without
               believing
               the
               other
               :
               for
               nothing
               is
               self-evident
               but
               what
               a
               man
               assents
               to
               at
               the
               first
               apprehension
               of
               it
               ;
               and
               if
               he
               doth
               so
               ,
               how
               comes
               there
               a
               new
               obligation
               to
               believe
               it
               ?
               Is
               it
               possible
               to
               believe
               that
               any
               thing
               consists
               of
               parts
               ,
               and
               not
               believe
               that
               
                 the
                 whole
                 is
                 greater
                 than
                 any
                 of
                 those
                 parts
                 ▪
              
               for
               this
               is
               a
               thing
               
                 self-evidently
                 connected
              
               with
               the
               nature
               of
               the
               whole
               .
               But
               these
               are
               
                 self-evident
                 riddles
              
               ,
               a●
               the
               former
               were
               
                 unintelligible
                 demonstrations
              
               .
               And
               yet
               though
               these
               b●
               rare
               Theories
               ,
               the
               application
               of
               them
               to
               the
               case
               of
               the
               
                 Roman
                 Church
              
               exceeds
               all
               the
               rest
               .
               Whence
               ,
               saith
               he
               ,
               
                 the
                 Government
                 of
                 our
                 Church
                 is
                 still
                 justified
                 to
                 be
                 sweet
                 ,
                 and
                 according
                 to
                 right
                 nature
                 ,
                 and
                 yet
                 forcible
                 and
                 efficacious
              
               
               Although
               I
               admire
               many
               things
               in
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               Book
               ,
               yet
               I
               cannot
               say
               I
               do
               any
               thing
               more
               than
               this
               passage
               ,
               that
               
                 because
                 men
                 are
                 obliged
                 to
                 believe
                 no
                 implyed
                 points
                 ,
                 but
                 such
                 as
                 are
                 self-evidently
                 connected
                 with
                 the
                 main
                 ones
                 ,
              
               therefore
               
                 the
                 Government
                 of
                 the
                 Roman
                 Church
                 is
                 sweet
                 and
                 according
                 to
                 right
                 nature
                 ,
              
               &c.
               
               Alas
               then
               ,
               how
               much
               have
               we
               been
               mistaken
               all
               this
               while
               ,
               that
               have
               charged
               her
               with
               imposing
               hard
               and
               unsufferable
               conditions
               of
               communion
               with
               her
               !
               no
               ,
               she
               is
               so
               gentle
               and
               sweet
               that
               she
               requires
               nothing
               
                 but
                 the
                 main
                 points
                 on
                 the
                 account
                 of
                 a
                 self-evident
                 rule
                 ,
                 and
                 implyed
                 points
                 by
                 reason
                 of
                 self-evident
                 connexion
                 with
                 the
                 former
                 .
              
               I
               see
               Mr.
               S.
               (
               if
               he
               will
               make
               good
               his
               word
               )
               is
               the
               only
               person
               who
               ●s
               ever
               like
               to
               reconcile
               me
               with
               the
               Church
               of
               Rome
               :
               For
               I
               assure
               you
               ,
               I
               ●ever
               desire
               any
               better
               terms
               of
               communion
               with
               a
               Church
               ,
               than
               to
               have
               no
               ●ain
               points
               of
               faith
               required
               from
               me
               ●o
               assent
               to
               ,
               but
               what
               are
               built
               on
               a
               
                 self-evident
                 rule
              
               ,
               nor
               any
               implyed
               points
               ●ut
               such
               as
               are
               
                 self-evidently
                 connected
              
               with
               the
               former
               .
               And
               no
               work
               can
               ●e
               more
               easie
               ,
               than
               to
               convince
               me
               upon
               
               these
               grounds
               ;
               for
               all
               endeavours
               of
               proof
               are
               taken
               away
               by
               the
               things
               being
               said
               to
               be
               self-evident
               .
               For
               the
               very
               offer
               of
               proof
               that
               they
               are
               so
               ,
               self-evidently
               proves
               they
               are
               not
               so
               :
               For
               what
               ever
               is
               proved
               by
               something
               beside
               it self
               ,
               can
               never
               be
               said
               without
               a
               contradiction
               to
               be
               self-evident
               .
               But
               not
               to
               tye
               up
               Mr.
               S.
               from
               his
               excellent
               faculty
               of
               proving
               ,
               if
               Mr.
               S.
               will
               prove
               to
               me
               that
               any
               of
               the
               points
               in
               difference
               between
               us
               ,
               as
               
                 Transubstantiation
                 ,
                 Purgatory
                 ,
                 Supremacy
              
               of
               the
               
                 Roman
                 Church
                 ,
                 &c.
              
               have
               any
               
                 self-evident
                 connexion
              
               with
               any
               main
               poin●
               of
               faith
               in
               the
               
                 Apostles
                 Creed
              
               ,
               I
               solemnly
               promise
               him
               to
               retract
               all
               I
               have
               writ
               against
               that
               Church
               ;
               so
               far
               shall
               bee
               from
               needing
               a
               new
               obligation
               to
               believe
               them
               .
               But
               if
               these
               be
               so
               remot●
               from
               self-evidence
               ,
               that
               they
               are
               plainly
               repugnant
               to
               sense
               and
               reason
               (
               witne●
               that
               self-evident
               doctrine
               of
               Transubstantiation
               )
               what
               then
               must
               we
               thin●
               of
               Mr.
               S.
               ?
               Surely
               the
               least
               is
               ,
               that
               sin●
               his
               being
               a
               
                 Roman
                 Catholick
              
               ,
               his
               min●
               is
               strangely
               inlightned
               ,
               so
               far
               that
               tho●
               things
               are
               self-evident
               to
               him
               ,
               whi●
               are
               contradictions
               to
               the
               rest
               of
               t●
               
               world
               .
               But
               withal
               Mr.
               S.
               acquaints
               us
               with
               another
               mysterie
               ;
               which
               is
               ,
               
                 how
                 these
                 points
                 descended
                 by
                 a
                 kind
                 of
                 tradition
                 ,
              
               and
               yet
               confesses
               ,
               
                 they
                 were
                 never
                 thought
                 of
                 or
                 reflected
                 on
                 ,
                 by
                 the
                 Generality
                 ,
                 till
                 the
                 Church
                 took
                 occasion
                 to
                 explain
                 them
                 .
              
               Such
               a
               
                 silent
                 tradition
              
               doth
               very
               sutably
               follow
               the
               former
               
                 self-evident
                 connexion
              
               .
               For
               he
               that
               can
               believe
               Transubstantiation
               to
               be
               self-evident
               ,
               no
               wonder
               if
               he
               believes
               that
               to
               have
               been
               delivered
               by
               a
               
                 constant
                 Tradition
              
               ,
               which
               was
               never
               heard
               of
               from
               the
               
                 Apostles
                 times
              
               to
               these
               .
            
             
               Now
               Mr.
               S.
               is
               pleased
               to
               return
               to
               me
               ,
               
               and
               draws
               up
               a
               fresh
               charge
               against
               me
               ,
               which
               is
               ,
               
                 that
                 I
                 act
                 like
                 a
                 Politician
                 ,
                 and
                 would
                 conquer
                 them
                 by
                 first
                 dividing
                 them
                 ,
                 and
                 making
                 odius
                 comparisons
                 between
                 two
                 parties
                 of
                 Divines
                 .
                 But
                 to
                 shew
                 us
                 how
                 little
                 they
                 differ
                 ,
                 he
                 distinguishes
                 them
                 ,
                 as
                 faithful
                 ,
                 and
                 as
                 private
                 discoursers
                 ;
                 in
                 the
                 former
                 not●on
                 ,
              
               he
               saith
               ,
               
                 they
                 all
                 hold
                 the
                 same
                 divinely
                 constituted
                 Church-Government
                 ,
                 and
                 the
                 same
                 self-evident
                 rule
                 of
                 faith
                 ;
                 but
                 as
                 private
                 discoursers
                 he
                 acknowledges
                 they
                 differ
                 in
                 the
                 explication
                 of
                 
                 their
                 belief
                 .
              
               I
               meddle
               not
               here
               ●●th
               the
               Government
               of
               their
               Church
               ,
               (
               which
               I
               have
               elswhere
               proved
               to
               be
               far
               enough
               from
               being
               
                 divinely
                 constituted
              
               )
               but
               with
               the
               rule
               of
               faith
               ;
               and
               the
               question
               is
               ,
               whether
               the
               infallibility
               of
               
                 or
                 altradition
              
               ,
               be
               that
               
                 self-evident
                 rule
              
               which
               that
               Church
               proceeds
               on
               ;
               Yes
               ,
               saith
               Mr.
               
                 S.
                 they
                 are
                 all
                 as
                 faithful
                 agreed
                 in
                 it
                 ,
                 but
                 as
                 discoursers
                 they
                 differ
              
               about
               it
               .
               Which
               in
               short
               is
               ,
               that
               all
               in
               the
               Church
               of
               Rome
               ,
               who
               are
               not
               of
               his
               opinion
               ,
               know
               not
               what
               they
               say
               ;
               and
               that
               they
               oppose
               that
               which
               they
               do
               really
               believe
               .
               Which
               in
               plain
               English
               is
               ,
               that
               they
               are
               egregious
               dissemblers
               and
               prevaricators
               in
               Religion
               ;
               that
               they
               do
               intolerably
               flatter
               the
               Pope
               and
               
                 present
                 Church
              
               with
               loud
               declamations
               for
               their
               infallibility
               ,
               but
               they
               do
               really
               believe
               no
               such
               thing
               ,
               but
               resolve
               all
               into
               oral
               tradition
               .
               But
               is
               not
               this
               an
               excellent
               agreement
               among
               them
               ,
               when
               Mr.
               White
               and
               his
               party
               not
               only
               disown
               the
               common
               doctrine
               of
               the
               infallibility
               of
               Pope
               and
               Councils
               ,
               but
               dispute
               against
               it
               as
               pernicious
               and
               destructive
               to
               
                 Christian
                 faith
              
               ?
               on
               the
               other
               side
               the
               
               far
               greater
               part
               of
               Romanists
               say
               ,
               there
               can
               be
               no
               certainty
               of
               faith
               ,
               unless
               there
               be
               an
               infallible
               divine
               testimony
               in
               the
               
                 present
                 Church
              
               ,
               and
               this
               lodged
               in
               Pope
               and
               Councils
               ;
               that
               those
               who
               endeavour
               to
               overthrow
               this
               ,
               are
               
                 dangerous
                 ,
                 seditious
                 ,
                 heretical
              
               persons
               .
               Accordingly
               ,
               their
               Books
               are
               censured
               at
               Rome
               ,
               their
               opinions
               disputed
               against
               ,
               and
               their
               persons
               condemned
               .
               And
               yet
               all
               this
               while
               ,
               we
               must
               believe
               that
               these
               stick
               together
               like
               two
               smooth
               Marbles
               
                 as
                 faithful
              
               ,
               though
               they
               are
               knocked
               one
               against
               another
               
                 as
                 discoursers
              
               ;
               and
               that
               they
               perfectly
               agree
               in
               the
               same
               
                 self-evident
                 rule
              
               of
               faith
               ,
               when
               all
               their
               quarrels
               and
               contentions
               are
               about
               it
               :
               and
               those
               managed
               with
               so
               great
               heat
               ,
               that
               heresie
               is
               charged
               of
               one
               side
               ,
               and
               Arch-heresie
               and
               
                 undermining
                 Religion
              
               on
               the
               other
               .
               Doth
               he
               think
               we
               never
               heard
               of
               Mr.
               
                 Whites
                 Sonus
                 Succinae
              
               ,
               nor
               of
               that
               Chapter
               in
               it
               ,
               where
               he
               saith
               ,
               
                 that
                 the
                 doctrine
                 of
                 Pope
                 and
                 Councils
              
               
               
                 infallibility
                 tends
                 to
                 overthrow
                 the
                 certainty
                 of
                 Christian
                 faith
                 ;
                 and
                 that
                 the
                 propagating
                 such
                 a
                 doctrine
                 is
                 a
                 greater
                 crime
                 then
                 burning
                 Temples
                 ,
                 ravishing
                 the
                 sacred
                 Virgins
                 on
                 the
                 Altars
                 ,
                 trampling
                 
                 on
                 the
                 body
                 of
                 Christ
                 ,
                 or
                 the
                 sending
                 the
                 Turk
                 or
                 Antichrist
                 into
                 Christian
                 Countreys
                 ?
              
               Or
               doth
               he
               think
               we
               can
               believe
               that
               the
               Pope
               and
               Cardinals
               ,
               the
               Jesuites
               and
               all
               the
               Papists
               of
               forreign
               Countreys
               do
               
                 as
                 faithful
              
               agree
               with
               Mr.
               White
               in
               this
               ?
               It
               seems
               not
               so
               by
               the
               proceedings
               in
               the
               Court
               of
               Rome
               against
               him
               ,
               in
               which
               as
               appears
               by
               the
               censure
               of
               the
               Inquisition
               against
               him
               ,
               dated
               17.
               
               November
               1661.
               his
               doctrine
               is
               condemned
               not
               only
               as
               
                 false
                 ,
                 seditious
              
               and
               scandalous
               ,
               but
               as
               heretical
               and
               erroneous
               in
               faith
               .
               And
               if
               it
               were
               not
               for
               this
               very
               doctrine
               he
               was
               there
               censured
               ,
               why
               doth
               Mr.
               White
               set
               himself
               purposely
               to
               defend
               it
               in
               his
               
                 Tabulae
                 suffragiales
              
               ?
               If
               these
               then
               do
               agree
               
                 as
                 faithful
              
               ,
               who
               cannot
               but
               envy
               the
               excellent
               harmony
               of
               the
               
                 Roman
                 Church
              
               ,
               in
               which
               men
               condemn
               each
               other
               for
               hereticks
               ,
               and
               yet
               all
               believe
               the
               same
               things
               still
               ?
               Well
               Sir
               ,
               I
               am
               in
               hopes
               upon
               the
               same
               grounds
               Mr.
               S.
               will
               yield
               us
               the
               same
               charity
               too
               ,
               and
               tell
               us
               that
               we
               agree
               with
               him
               
                 as
                 faithful
              
               ,
               only
               we
               differ
               a
               little
               from
               him
               as
               discoursers
               ;
               for
               I
               assure
               you
               ,
               there
               is
               as
               great
               reason
               :
               the
               only
               difference
               is
               ,
               we
               give
               them
               not
               
               
                 such
                 ill
                 words
              
               as
               they
               do
               each
               other
               .
               For
               let
               Mr.
               S.
               shew
               us
               wherein
               we
               differ
               more
               from
               him
               about
               the
               Rule
               of
               Faith
               ,
               than
               they
               do
               among
               themselves
               :
               For
               Mr
               ,
               White
               when
               he
               hath
               said
               ,
               
                 that
                 all
                 kind
                 of
                 heresie
                 doth
                 arise
                 from
                 hence
                 that
                 men
                 make
                 the
                 holy
                 Scripture
                 ,
                 or
                 a
                 private
                 spirit
                 ,
                 the
                 rule
                 of
                 faith
              
               ;
               he
               presently
               
               adds
               ,
               
                 it
                 is
                 all
                 one
                 ,
                 if
                 one
                 make
                 councils
                 or
                 Pope
                 any
                 other
                 way
                 than
                 as
                 witnesses
                 to
                 be
                 the
                 authors
                 of
                 faith
                 .
                 For
                 ,
                 saith
              
               he
               ,
               
                 this
                 is
                 to
                 subject
                 the
                 whole
                 Church
                 to
                 that
                 slavery
                 ,
                 to
                 receive
                 any
                 errour
                 for
                 an
                 article
                 of
                 faith
                 ,
                 which
                 they
                 shall
                 define
                 ,
                 or
                 propose
              
               modo
               illegitimo
               ,
               i.
               e.
               
                 any
                 other
                 way
                 then
                 as
                 witnesses
                 of
                 tradition
                 .
              
               Either
               then
               we
               differ
               from
               Mr.
               S.
               only
               
                 as
                 discoursers
              
               ,
               or
               he
               and
               his
               Brethren
               differ
               from
               each
               other
               more
               then
               as
               such
               .
               And
               so
               any
               one
               would
               think
               who
               reads
               the
               oppositions
               and
               arguments
               against
               each
               other
               on
               this
               subject
               ,
               particularly
               Mr.
               
                 Whites
                 Tabulae
                 suffragiales
              
               .
               But
               let
               Mr.
               White
               say
               what
               he
               will
               ,
               Mr.
               S.
               tells
               me
               ,
               
                 I
                 am
                 not
                 aware
                 how
                 little
                 they
                 differ
                 even
                 as
                 Divines
                 .
              
               The
               more
               shame
               for
               them
               to
               have
               such
               furious
               
               heats
               and
               oppositions
               where
               there
               is
               
               so
               little
               difference
               .
               But
               as
               little
               as
               they
               differ
               ,
               Mr.
               White
               thinks
               it
               safer
               to
               talk
               of
               their
               unity
               in
               England
               ,
               than
               to
               try
               whether
               they
               be
               of
               his
               mind
               at
               Rome
               ,
               by
               going
               thither
               to
               clear
               himself
               ;
               for
               he
               justly
               fears
               he
               should
               find
               them
               differ
               from
               him
               some
               other
               way
               the●
               
                 as
                 bare
                 discoursers
              
               .
               Yet
               let
               us
               hea●
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               reason
               ;
               for
               ,
               saith
               he
               ,
               
                 thoug●
                 some
                 speculators
                 attribute
                 to
                 the
                 Churc●
                 a
                 power
                 of
                 defining
                 things
                 not
                 held
                 before
                 ,
                 yet
                 few
                 will
                 say
                 she
                 hath
                 new
                 revelations
                 or
                 new
                 articles
                 of
                 faith
                 .
              
               Bu●
               we
               know
               the
               temper
               of
               these
               men
               better
               then
               to
               rely
               on
               what
               they
               barel●
               say
               .
               For
               they
               say
               what
               they
               think
               〈◊〉
               most
               for
               their
               purpose
               ;
               and
               on●
               of
               Mr.
               Whites
               adversaries
               ,
               (
               if
               himsel●
               may
               be
               credited
               )
               plainly
               told
               him
               ,
               i●
               
                 the
                 doctrine
                 of
                 the
                 Popes
                 infallibility
                 wer●
              
               
               
                 not
                 true
                 ,
                 yet
                 it
                 ought
                 to
                 be
                 defended
                 b●cause
                 it
                 was
                 for
                 the
                 interest
                 of
                 the
                 Churc●
                 of
              
               Rome
               :
               for
               which
               he
               is
               sufficientl●
               rebuked
               by
               him
               .
               It
               is
               one
               thing
               the●
               what
               they
               say
               ,
               and
               another
               what
               necessarily
               follows
               from
               the
               doctrin●
               which
               they
               assert
               .
               But
               for
               plain
               dealing
               commend
               me
               to
               the
               Canonists
               ,
               who
               say
               expresly
               ,
               the
               Church
               (
               by
               whic●
               
               they
               mean
               the
               Pope
               )
               may
               make
               
                 new
                 articles
              
               of
               faith
               :
               and
               this
               is
               the
               sense
               of
               the
               rest
               ,
               though
               they
               are
               loth
               to
               speak
               out
               .
               Else
               Mr.
               White
               was
               much
               too
               blame
               in
               spending
               so
               much
               time
               in
               proving
               the
               contrary
               .
               But
               what
               man
               of
               common
               sense
               can
               imagine
               that
               these
               men
               can
               mean
               otherwise
               ,
               who
               assert
               such
               an
               infallibility
               in
               Pope
               and
               Councils
               ,
               as
               to
               oblige
               men
               under
               pain
               of
               eternal
               damnation
               to
               believe
               those
               things
               which
               they
               were
               not
               obliged
               to
               ,
               before
               such
               a
               definition
               ?
               And
               what
               can
               this
               be
               else
               but
               to
               make
               new
               articles
               of
               faith
               ?
               For
               an
               article
               of
               faith
               supposes
               a
               necessary
               obligation
               to
               believe
               it
               :
               now
               if
               some
               doctrine
               may
               become
               thus
               obligatory
               by
               virtue
               of
               the
               Churches
               definition
               which
               was
               not
               so
               before
               ,
               that
               becomes
               thereby
               an
               article
               of
               faith
               which
               it
               was
               not
               before
               .
               But
               these
               subtle
               men
               have
               not
               yet
               learnt
               to
               distinguish
               a
               
                 new
                 doctrine
              
               from
               a
               
                 new
                 article
                 of
                 faith
              
               :
               they
               do
               not
               indeed
               pretend
               that
               their
               doctrine
               is
               new
               ,
               because
               they
               deny
               any
               such
               thing
               as
               new
               revelation
               in
               the
               Church
               ;
               but
               yet
               they
               must
               needs
               say
               ,
               if
               they
               understand
               themselves
               ,
               that
               old
               implicit
               
               doctrines
               ,
               may
               become
               new
               a●ticles
               of
               faith
               by
               virtue
               of
               the
               Churcher
               definition
               .
               So
               little
               are
               they
               relieved
               by
               that
               silly
               distinction
               
                 of
                 explicit
                 and
                 implicit
                 delivery
              
               of
               them
               ,
               which
               Mr.
               S.
               for
               a
               great
               novelty
               acquaints
               us
               with
               .
               For
               what
               is
               only
               
                 implicitly
                 delivered
              
               ,
               〈◊〉
               no
               article
               of
               faith
               at
               all
               :
               for
               that
               can
               be
               no
               article
               of
               faith
               ,
               which
               men
               are
               not
               bound
               to
               believe
               ;
               now
               there
               are
               none
               will
               say
               that
               men
               are
               bound
               to
               believe
               under
               pain
               of
               damnation
               i●
               they
               do
               not
               the
               things
               which
               are
               only
               implicitly
               delivered
               ;
               but
               this
               they
               say
               with
               great
               confidence
               of
               all
               things
               defined
               by
               the
               Church
               .
               And
               let
               now
               any
               intelligent
               person
               judge
               ;
               whether
               those
               who
               assert
               such
               things
               ,
               do
               not
               differ
               wide
               enough
               from
               those
               who
               resolve
               all
               into
               
                 oral
                 tràdition
              
               ,
               and
               make
               the
               obligation
               to
               faith
               wholly
               dependent
               upon
               the
               constant
               tradition
               of
               any
               doctrine
               from
               age
               to
               age
               ever
               since
               the
               Apostles
               times
               .
            
             
               But
               Mr.
               S.
               is
               yet
               further
               displeased
               with
               me
               for
               saying
               ,
               
                 that
                 Pope
                 and
                 Councils
              
               
               
                 challenge
                 a
                 power
                 to
                 make
                 things
              
               de
               fide
               
                 in
                 one
                 age
                 ,
                 which
                 were
                 not
                 in
                 
                 another
                 .
              
               For
               1.
               he
               says
               
                 I
                 speak
                 it
                 in
                 common
                 ,
                 and
                 prove
                 it
                 not
                 .
              
               2.
               
               He
               adds
               ,
               
                 That
                 take
                 them
                 right
                 ,
                 this
                 is
                 both
                 perfectly
                 innocent
                 ,
                 and
                 unavoidably
                 necessary
                 to
                 a
                 Church
                 .
              
               And
               is
               it
               not
               strange
               he
               should
               expect
               any
               particular
               proofs
               of
               so
               innocent
               and
               necessary
               a
               thing
               to
               the
               being
               of
               a
               Church
               ?
               But
               he
               will
               tell
               me
               it
               is
               in
               his
               own
               sense
               of
               
                 de
                 fide
              
               ,
               which
               I
               have
               already
               shewn
               to
               signifie
               nothing
               to
               his
               purpose
               .
               Let
               him
               therefore
               speak
               out
               whether
               he
               doth
               believe
               any
               such
               thing
               as
               inherent
               infallibility
               in
               the
               definitions
               of
               Pope
               and
               Councils
               ?
               if
               not
               ,
               I
               am
               sure
               at
               Rome
               they
               will
               never
               believe
               that
               Mr.
               S.
               agrees
               with
               them
               
                 as
                 faithful
              
               ;
               if
               he
               doth
               ,
               whether
               doth
               not
               such
               an
               infallible
               definition
               bind
               men
               by
               virtue
               of
               it
               to
               the
               belief
               of
               what
               is
               then
               defined
               ?
               if
               it
               doth
               ,
               then
               things
               may
               become
               as
               much
               
                 de
                 fide
              
               by
               it
               ,
               as
               if
               they
               were
               delivered
               by
               Christ
               or
               his
               Apostles
               .
               For
               thereby
               is
               supposed
               an
               equal
               obligation
               to
               faith
               ,
               because
               there
               is
               a
               proposition
               equally
               infallible
               .
               But
               will
               he
               say
               ,
               the
               Pope
               doth
               not
               challenge
               this
               ?
               Why
               then
               is
               the
               contrary
               doctrine
               censured
               and
               condemned
               at
               
               Rome
               ?
               Why
               is
               the
               other
               so
               eagerly
               contended
               for
               ,
               by
               the
               most
               zealous
               sons
               of
               that
               Church
               ,
               and
               that
               not
               as
               a
               school-opinion
               ,
               but
               as
               the
               only
               certain
               foundation
               of
               faith
               ?
               Mr.
               S.
               is
               yet
               pleased
               to
               inform
               me
               further
               ,
               
                 that
                 nothing
                 will
                 avail
                 me
                 but
                 this
                 ,
                 if
                 a
                 Pope
                 and
                 Council
                 should
                 define
                 a
                 new
                 thing
                 ,
                 and
                 declare
                 they
                 ground
                 themselves
                 on
                 new
                 lights
                 ,
                 as
                 did
                 their
                 first
                 reformers
                 in
              
               England
               :
               
                 but
                 I
                 shall
                 find
              
               ,
               he
               saith
               ,
               
                 no
                 such
                 fopperies
                 in
                 faith-definitions
                 made
                 by
                 the
                 Catholick
                 Church
                 .
              
               Is
               this
               the
               man
               who
               made
               choice
               of
               reason
               for
               his
               weapon
               ?
               could
               there
               be
               a
               greater
               calumny
               cast
               on
               our
               Church
               ,
               than
               to
               say
               
                 her
                 reformers
                 grounded
                 themselves
                 on
                 new
                 lights
                 :
              
               when
               our
               great
               charge
               against
               the
               Church
               of
               Rome
               is
               for
               introducing
               Novelties
               ,
               and
               receding
               from
               pure
               and
               primitive
               antiquity
               .
               Whether
               the
               charge
               be
               true
               or
               no
               ,
               yet
               sure
               it
               follows
               they
               did
               not
               declare
               
                 they
                 ground
                 themselves
                 on
                 new
                 lights
                 ,
              
               but
               expresly
               the
               contrary
               .
               Well
               ,
               
                 but
                 Pope
                 and
                 Councils
                 neither
                 define
                 new
                 things
                 ,
                 nor
                 ground
                 themselves
                 on
                 them
                 :
              
               but
               what
               means
               the
               man
               of
               reason
               ?
               that
               they
               make
               no
               new
               definitions
               :
               surely
               
               ot
               ;
               for
               then
               what
               did
               they
               meet
               for
               ?
               ●d
               what
               mean
               their
               decrees
               ?
               but
               he
               ●tends
               ,
               that
               they
               deliver
               no
               new
               do●rine
               :
               but
               how
               must
               that
               be
               tryed
               ?
               ●r
               hath
               Mr.
               S.
               gained
               the
               opinion
               of
               ●fallibility
               both
               from
               Pope
               and
               Coun●ls
               ,
               that
               we
               must
               believe
               his
               bare
               ●ord
               ?
               but
               we
               not
               only
               say
               but
               prove
               ●hat
               even
               their
               last
               Council
               hath
               defi●ed
               many
               things
               ,
               which
               never
               were
               ●elivered
               by
               Christ
               or
               his
               Apostles
               .
               And
               it
               is
               to
               no
               purpose
               whether
               they
               ●y
               
                 they
                 ground
                 themselves
                 on
                 new
                 lights
                 ,
              
               ●r
               pretend
               to
               an
               
                 infallible
                 assistance
              
               ;
               ●or
               it
               comes
               all
               to
               the
               same
               at
               last
               .
               For
               ●f
               the
               assistance
               be
               infallible
               ,
               what
               mat●er
               is
               it
               whether
               the
               doctrine
               hath
               been
               ●evealed
               or
               no
               ?
               for
               on
               this
               suppositi●n
               it
               is
               impossible
               that
               Pope
               and
               Council●hould
               ●hould
               miscarry
               .
               Therefore
               if
               any
               Church
               be
               guilty
               of
               fopperies
               in
               faith-definitions
               ,
               it
               must
               be
               that
               which
               you
               miscall
               
                 the
                 Catholick
              
               ,
               but
               is
               more
               truly
               known
               by
               the
               name
               of
               the
               
                 Roman
                 Church
              
               .
               There
               is
               yet
               one
               piece
               of
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               sagacity
               to
               be
               taken
               notice
               of
               as
               to
               this
               particular
               ,
               which
               is
               ,
               
                 that
                 I
                 am
                 at
                 an
                 end
                 of
                 my
                 argument
                 ,
                 because
                 I
              
               
               
                 say
                 the
                 opinion
                 of
                 the
                 Pope
                 and
                 Councils
                 
                 infallibility
                 is
                 the
                 common
                 doctrine
                 maintained
                 :
                 in
                 which
                 I
                 confound
                 the
                 Church
                 with
                 the
                 schools
                 ,
                 or
                 some
                 private
                 opinaters
                 ,
                 and
                 then
                 carp
                 at
                 those
                 mens
                 tenets
                 .
              
               And
               this
               is
               the
               force
               of
               all
               that
               Paragraph
               .
               He
               tells
               me
               ,
               
                 I
                 wa●
                 not
                 wit
                 to
                 know
                 that
                 no
                 sober
                 Catholic●
                 holds
                 humane
                 deductions
                 the
                 rule
                 of
                 their
                 faith
                 ,
                 schoolmen
                 definers
                 of
                 it
                 ,
                 no●
                 the
                 schools
                 the
                 Tribunal
                 whence
                 to
                 propose
                 it
                 authoritatively
                 and
                 obligingly
                 to
                 the
                 generality
                 of
                 the
                 faithful
                 .
              
               Neither
               doth
               Mr.
               S.
               want
               the
               wit
               to
               know
               that
               our
               present
               enquiry
               is
               concerning
               the
               sense
               of
               their
               present
               Church
               about
               the
               rule
               of
               faith
               .
               Since
               the●
               Mr.
               S.
               must
               confess
               it
               necessary
               to
               faith
               to
               know
               what
               the
               certain
               rule
               of
               it
               is
               ;
               let
               me
               enquire
               further
               ,
               whether
               any
               particular
               person
               can
               know
               certainly
               what
               it
               is
               ,
               unless
               he
               know●
               what
               the
               Church
               owns
               for
               her
               rule
               of
               faith
               ;
               and
               whether
               that
               may
               be
               owned
               as
               the
               Churches
               judgement
               ,
               which
               is
               stiffly
               opposed
               by
               the
               most
               interessed
               persons
               in
               the
               
                 Roman
                 Church
              
               ,
               and
               the
               most
               zealous
               contenders
               for
               it
               .
               ?
               Especially
               when
               the
               Pope
               who
               is
               said
               to
               be
               Head
               of
               the
               Church
               ,
               condemns
               the
               doctrine
               
               asserted
               ,
               and
               that
               only
               by
               a
               small
               number
               of
               such
               who
               are
               as
               much
               opposed
               by
               themselves
               ,
               as
               by
               any
               of
               us
               .
               Is
               it
               then
               possible
               to
               know
               the
               Churches
               judgement
               or
               not
               ?
               if
               not
               ,
               t
               is
               to
               no
               purpose
               to
               search
               for
               a
               rule
               of
               faith
               :
               if
               it
               be
               ,
               which
               way
               can
               we
               come
               to
               know
               it
               ,
               either
               by
               most
               voices
               or
               the
               sense
               of
               the
               Governours
               of
               the
               Church
               ;
               either
               of
               the
               wayes
               ,
               I
               dare
               put
               it
               to
               a
               fair
               tryall
               whether
               
                 oral
                 tradition
              
               ,
               or
               the
               infallibility
               of
               Pope
               and
               Councils
               be
               the
               doctrine
               most
               owned
               in
               the
               Church
               of
               Rome
               ?
               But
               Mr.
               S.
               still
               tells
               us
               ,
               
                 these
                 are
                 only
                 private
                 opinators
                 and
                 schoolmen
                 who
                 assert
                 the
                 contrary
                 doctrine
                 to
                 his
                 .
              
               But
               will
               not
               they
               much
               more
               say
               on
               the
               other
               side
               ,
               that
               this
               way
               of
               
                 oral
                 tradition
              
               is
               a
               novel
               fancy
               of
               some
               few
               half-Catholicks
               in
               England
               ,
               and
               tends
               to
               subvert
               the
               
                 Roman
                 Church
              
               .
               But
               is
               the
               present
               Pope
               with
               Mr.
               
                 S.
                 a
                 private
                 opinator
              
               ,
               or
               was
               the
               last
               a
               
                 meer
                 schoolman
              
               ?
               I
               am
               sure
               what
               ever
               Mr.
               S.
               thinks
               of
               him
               he
               thought
               not
               so
               of
               himself
               ,
               when
               he
               said
               ,
               
                 he
                 was
                 no
                 Divine
              
               in
               the
               controversie
               of
               Jansenius
               .
               Doth
               the
               Court
               of
               Rome
               signifie
               no
               more
               with
               Mr.
               S.
               then
               
               a
               company
               of
               
                 scholastick
                 Pedants
              
               ,
               that
               know
               not
               what
               the
               sense
               of
               the
               Church
               is
               ,
               concerning
               the
               rule
               of
               faith
               ?
               I
               meddle
               not
               with
               the
               Schools
               but
               with
               the
               authority
               of
               the
               
                 present
                 Church
              
               ,
               and
               him
               whom
               Mr.
               S.
               owns
               for
               the
               head
               of
               it
               :
               and
               is
               it
               consistent
               with
               his
               headship
               to
               condemn
               that
               doctrine
               which
               contains
               in
               it
               the
               only
               certain
               rule
               of
               faith
               ?
               Mr.
               S.
               may
               then
               see
               they
               were
               no
               such
               impertinent
               Topicks
               which
               I
               insisted
               on
               ,
               and
               as
               stout
               as
               Mr.
               S.
               seems
               to
               be
               ,
               I
               am
               apt
               to
               believe
               he
               would
               not
               look
               on
               the
               censure
               of
               the
               Inquisition
               as
               an
               impertinent
               Topick
               .
            
             
               But
               at
               last
               Mr.
               S.
               offers
               at
               something
               
               whereby
               he
               would
               satisfie
               me
               of
               the
               sense
               of
               the
               Church
               ,
               as
               to
               this
               particular
               ,
               and
               therefore
               asks
               ,
               
                 whether
                 I
                 never
                 heard
                 of
                 such
                 a
                 thing
                 as
                 the
                 Council
                 of
              
               Trent
               ?
               I
               must
               ingenuously
               
               confess
               I
               have
               ;
               and
               seen
               more
               a
               great
               deal
               of
               it
               ,
               then
               I
               am
               satisfied
               with
               .
               But
               what
               of
               that
               ?
               there
               ,
               he
               tells
               me
               ,
               
                 I
                 may
                 find
                 a
                 clear
                 solution
                 of
                 my
                 doubt
                 by
                 the
                 constant
                 procedure
                 of
                 that
                 most
                 grave
                 Synod
                 in
                 its
                 definitions
                 .
              
               That
               
               is
               I
               hope
               to
               find
               that
               oral
               Tradition
               was
               acknowledged
               there
               as
               the
               only
               self-evident
               rule
               of
               faith
               :
               if
               I
               do
               this
               .
               I
               confess
               my self
               satisfied
               in
               this
               enquiry
               .
               But
               how
               much
               to
               the
               contrary
               is
               there
               very
               obvious
               in
               the
               proceedings
               of
               it
               ?
               For
               in
               the
               4.
               
               Session
               the
               Decree
               is
               ,
               
                 That
                 Scripture
                 and
                 tradition
                 should
                 be
                 embraced
                 with
                 equal
                 piety
                 and
                 reverence
                 ;
                 and
                 the
                 reason
                 is
                 ,
                 because
                 the
                 doctrine
                 of
                 faith
                 is
                 contained
                 ,
                 partly
                 in
                 Scripture
                 ,
                 partly
                 in
                 tradition
              
               ;
               but
               what
               arts
               must
               Mr.
               S.
               use
               to
               inferr
               from
               hence
               ,
               that
               
                 oral
                 tradition
              
               in
               contradistinction
               to
               Scripture
               was
               looked
               on
               as
               the
               only
               rule
               of
               faith
               ?
               I
               cannot
               but
               say
               that
               the
               ruling
               men
               of
               that
               Council
               were
               men
               wise
               enough
               in
               their
               Generation
               ;
               and
               they
               were
               too
               wise
               wholly
               to
               exclude
               Scripture
               ;
               but
               because
               they
               knew
               that
               of
               it self
               could
               not
               serve
               their
               purposes
               ,
               they
               therefore
               help
               it
               out
               with
               tradition
               ,
               and
               make
               both
               together
               the
               
                 compleat
                 rule
                 of
                 faith
              
               .
               Where
               I
               pray
               in
               all
               the
               proceedings
               of
               that
               Council
               doth
               Mr.
               S.
               find
               them
               desine
               any
               thing
               on
               the
               account
               of
               
                 oral
                 tradition
              
               ?
               instead
               of
               which
               we
               find
               continual
               bandyings
               
               about
               the
               sense
               of
               Scripture
               and
               Fathers
               ,
               which
               might
               have
               been
               all
               spared
               if
               they
               had
               been
               so
               wise
               as
               to
               consider
               they
               could
               not
               but
               know
               the
               sense
               of
               the
               
                 present
                 Church
              
               ,
               nor
               that
               of
               the
               precedent
               ,
               and
               so
               up
               to
               the
               time
               of
               Christ.
               But
               they
               were
               either
               so
               ignorant
               as
               not
               to
               light
               on
               this
               happy
               invention
               ,
               or
               so
               wise
               and
               knowing
               as
               to
               despise
               it
               .
               It
               is
               true
               they
               would
               not
               have
               their
               doctrines
               looked
               on
               as
               Novelties
               ,
               therefore
               they
               speak
               much
               of
               tradition
               and
               the
               
                 ancient
                 faith
              
               ;
               but
               that
               was
               not
               by
               what
               their
               Parents
               taught
               them
               ,
               but
               what
               the
               Fathers
               of
               the
               Church
               delivered
               in
               their
               writings
               ;
               for
               by
               these
               they
               judged
               of
               traditions
               ,
               and
               not
               the
               oral
               way
               .
               And
               therefore
               I
               see
               little
               reason
               to
               believe
               ,
               that
               this
               was
               either
               the
               sense
               of
               the
               Council
               of
               Trent
               ,
               or
               is
               the
               sense
               of
               any
               number
               of
               
                 Roman
                 Catholicks
              
               ,
               much
               less
               
                 of
                 the
                 whole
                 Church
                 none
                 excepted
              
               as
               Mr.
               S.
               in
               his
               
               confident
               way
               expresses
               it
               .
               
                 And
                 if
                 he
                 will
              
               ,
               as
               he
               saith
               ,
               
                 disavow
                 the
                 maintaining
                 any
                 point
                 ,
                 or
                 affecting
                 any
                 way
                 which
                 is
                 not
                 assented
                 to
                 by
                 all
                 ,
              
               I
               hope
               to
               see
               Mr.
               S.
               retract
               this
               opinion
               ,
               and
               either
               fall
               in
               with
               the
               Court
               of
               Rome
               ,
               
               or
               return
               as
               reason
               leads
               him
               into
               the
               bosom
               of
               the
               Church
               of
               England
               .
               But
               there
               seems
               to
               be
               somewhat
               more
               in
               what
               follows
               ,
               viz.
               
                 that
                 though
                 schoolmen
                 question
                 the
                 personal
                 infallibility
                 of
                 the
                 Pope
                 ,
                 or
                 of
                 the
                 Roman
                 Clergy
                 ,
                 nay
                 of
                 a
                 General
                 Council
                 ,
                 yet
                 all
                 affirm
                 the
                 infallibility
                 of
                 tradition
                 ,
                 or
                 the
                 living
                 voice
                 of
                 the
                 Church
                 essential
                 ;
                 and
                 this
                 ,
              
               he
               faith
               ,
               
                 is
                 held
                 by
                 all
                 ,
                 held
                 firmly
                 ,
              
               and
               
                 that
                 it
                 is
                 absolutely
                 infallible
              
               .
               To
               this
               therefore
               I
               answer
               ;
               either
               Mr.
               S.
               means
               that
               none
               do
               affirm
               that
               the
               
                 universal
                 tradition
              
               of
               the
               
                 Church
                 essential
              
               can
               erre
               ;
               or
               that
               the
               Church
               of
               Rome
               being
               the
               
                 Church
                 essential
              
               cannot
               erre
               in
               her
               tradition
               :
               But
               which
               way
               soever
               he
               takes
               it
               ,
               I
               shall
               easily
               shew
               how
               far
               it
               is
               from
               proving
               that
               he
               designs
               it
               for
               .
               For
               if
               he
               take
               it
               in
               the
               first
               sense
               ,
               viz.
               that
               all
               the
               faithful
               in
               
                 all
                 ages
              
               could
               not
               concur
               in
               an
               error
               ,
               then
               he
               may
               as
               well
               prove
               Protestants
               of
               his
               mind
               as
               Papists
               ,
               for
               this
               is
               the
               foundation
               on
               which
               we
               believe
               the
               particular
               books
               of
               Scripture
               .
               If
               this
               therefore
               proves
               any
               thing
               ,
               it
               proves
               more
               then
               he
               intends
               ,
               viz.
               that
               while
               we
               thus
               oppose
               each
               other
               ,
               we
               do
               perfectly
               
               agree
               together
               ;
               and
               truly
               so
               we
               do
               ,
               as
               much
               as
               they
               do
               among
               themselves
               .
               But
               if
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               meaning
               be
               ,
               
                 that
                 all
                 of
                 their
                 Religion
                 own
                 the
                 Roman
                 Church
                 to
                 be
                 the
                 Church
                 essential
                 ,
                 and
                 on
                 that
                 account
                 ,
                 that
                 it
                 cannot
                 erre
              
               (
               setting
               aside
               the
               absurdity
               of
               the
               opinion
               it self
               )
               I
               say
               from
               hence
               it
               doth
               not
               follow
               ,
               that
               they
               make
               
                 or●l
                 tradition
              
               the
               rule
               of
               faith
               ,
               because
               it
               is
               most
               evident
               that
               the
               ground
               why
               they
               say
               thei●
               Church
               cannot
               erre
               ,
               is
               not
               on
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               principles
               ,
               but
               on
               the
               supposition
               of
               an
               
                 infallible
                 assistance
              
               which
               preserves
               that
               Church
               from
               error
               .
               So
               that
               this
               fall●
               far
               short
               of
               proving
               that
               they
               are
               all
               agreed
               in
               this
               rule
               of
               faith
               ;
               which
               is
               a
               thing
               so
               far
               from
               probability
               ,
               that
               he
               might
               by
               the
               same
               argument
               prove
               that
               Scripture
               is
               owned
               by
               them
               all
               to
               be
               the
               rule
               of
               faith
               .
               For
               I
               hope
               
                 it
                 is
                 held
                 by
                 all
              
               ,
               and
               
                 held
                 firmly
              
               that
               the
               living
               voice
               of
               God
               in
               Scripture
               as
               delivered
               to
               us
               is
               infallible
               ;
               and
               if
               so
               then
               there
               is
               as
               much
               ground
               for
               this
               as
               the
               other
               .
               But
               if
               we
               enquire
               what
               it
               is
               men
               make
               a
               rule
               of
               faith
               ,
               we
               must
               know
               not
               only
               that
               they
               believe
               
                 tradition
                 infallible
              
               ,
               but
               on
               what
               account
               they
               
               do
               .
               so
               .
               For
               if
               tradition
               be
               believed
               infallible
               barely
               on
               the
               account
               of
               a
               promise
               of
               infallibility
               to
               the
               
                 present
                 Church
              
               ,
               then
               the
               resolution
               of
               saith
               is
               not
               into
               the
               tradition
               ,
               but
               into
               that
               
                 infallible
                 assistance
              
               ;
               and
               consequently
               the
               rule
               of
               faith
               is
               not
               ,
               what
               bare
               tradition
               delivers
               ,
               but
               what
               that
               Church
               which
               cannot
               erre
               in
               judging
               tradition
               doth
               propose
               to
               us
               .
               It
               is
               not
               therefore
               their
               being
               agreed
               in
               
                 General
                 that
                 tradition
                 is
                 infallible
              
               doth
               make
               them
               agree
               in
               the
               same
               rule
               of
               faith
               ;
               but
               they
               must
               agree
               in
               the
               ground
               of
               that
               infallibility
               ,
               viz.
               that
               it
               depends
               on
               this
               ,
               
                 that
                 no
                 age
                 could
                 conspire
                 to
                 deceive
                 the
                 next
                 .
              
               But
               all
               persons
               who
               understand
               any
               thing
               of
               the
               
                 Roman
                 Church
              
               ,
               know
               very
               well
               that
               the
               general
               reason
               why
               tradition
               is
               believed
               infallible
               is
               ,
               because
               they
               first
               believe
               the
               Church
               to
               be
               infallible
               ;
               whereas
               Mr.
               S.
               goes
               the
               contrary
               way
               ,
               and
               makes
               the
               infallibility
               of
               the
               Church
               ,
               to
               depend
               on
               the
               infallibility
               of
               Tradition
               .
               And
               therefore
               for
               all
               that
               I
               can
               see
               we
               must
               still
               oppose
               
                 private
                 opinators
              
               in
               this
               controversie
               ;
               the
               Church
               of
               Rome
               ,
               not
               having
               declared
               her self
               at
               all
               
               on
               Mr.
               S's
               behalf
               ,
               but
               the
               contrary
               :
               and
               the
               generality
               believing
               on
               the
               account
               of
               the
               present
               Churches
               infallibility
               .
               And
               it
               is
               strange
               Mr.
               S.
               should
               find
               no
               difference
               between
               mens
               resolving
               faith
               into
               common
               sense
               ,
               and
               into
               the
               immediate
               assistance
               of
               the
               
                 Holy
                 Ghost
              
               .
               If
               this
               then
               
                 be
                 the
                 first
                 principle
                 of
                 controversie
                 ,
              
               as
               Mr.
               S.
               
               pretends
               ,
               we
               see
               how
               unlikely
               they
               are
               to
               agree
               about
               other
               matters
               ,
               who
               are
               so
               much
               divided
               about
               the
               principle
               of
               resolving
               them
               .
               And
               if
               this
               be
               the
               ground
               of
               faith
               ,
               then
               most
               Romanists
               build
               on
               a
               wrong
               Foundation
               .
               But
               if
               the
               
                 infallibility
                 of
                 oral
                 tradition
              
               ,
               be
               the
               foundation
               on
               which
               
                 that
                 formidable
                 structure
                 is
                 erecting
              
               ,
               which
               he
               speaks
               of
               ;
               woe
               then
               to
               the
               
                 Court
                 of
                 Rome
              
               ,
               for
               that
               is
               known
               to
               build
               on
               quite
               a
               different
               foundation
               .
               And
               
                 if
                 this
              
               ,
               as
               he
               saith
               ,
               
                 rises
                 apace
                 ,
                 and
                 has
                 advanced
                 many
                 stories
                 in
                 a
                 small
                 time
                 ,
              
               it
               only
               lets
               us
               know
               how
               fast
               their
               divisions
               grow
               ,
               and
               that
               they
               are
               building
               so
               fast
               one
               against
               another
               ,
               that
               their
               Church
               will
               not
               stand
               between
               them
               .
               By
               this
               discourse
               ,
               Mr.
               S.
               pretends
               
                 to
                 answer
                 all
                 those
                 If
                 's
                 which
                 follow
              
               ;
               
               which
               are
               these
               ,
               
                 In
                 case
                 the
                 Church
                 may
                 determine
                 things
              
               de
               fide
               
                 which
                 were
                 not
                 before
                 ,
                 whether
                 the
                 present
                 Church
                 doth
                 then
                 believe
                 as
                 the
                 precedent
                 did
                 or
                 no
                 ?
                 if
                 it
                 did
                 ,
                 how
                 comes
                 any
                 thing
                 to
                 be
              
               de
               fide
               
                 which
                 was
                 not
                 before
                 ?
                 if
                 it
                 did
                 not
                 ,
                 what
                 assurance
                 can
                 I
                 have
                 that
                 every
                 age
                 of
                 the
                 Church
                 believes
                 just
                 as
                 the
                 precedent
                 did
                 and
                 no
                 otherwise
                 ?
                 When
                 I
                 see
                 they
                 profess
                 the
                 contrary
                 .
                 And
                 if
                 a
                 thing
                 may
                 be
              
               de
               fide
               
                 in
                 one
                 age
                 which
                 was
                 not
                 in
                 a
                 foregoing
                 ,
                 then
                 a
                 Church
                 may
                 deliver
                 that
                 as
                 a
                 matter
                 of
                 faith
                 at
                 one
                 time
                 ,
                 which
                 was
                 never
                 accounted
                 so
                 before
                 :
                 by
                 which
                 means
                 the
                 present
                 Church
                 may
                 oblige
                 me
                 to
                 believe
                 that
                 as
                 a
                 matter
                 of
                 faith
                 ,
                 which
                 never
                 was
                 so
                 in
                 Christs
                 or
                 the
                 Apostles
                 times
                 ,
                 and
                 so
                 the
                 infallibility
                 on
                 the
                 account
                 of
                 tradition
                 is
                 destroyed
                 .
              
               To
               all
               which
               Mr.
               S.
               gives
               a
               very
               easie
               answer
               :
               viz.
               
                 that
                 they
                 do
                 not
                 hold
                 any
                 disparate
                 or
                 unimplyed
                 points
                 of
                 faith
                 ;
                 but
                 such
                 as
                 are
                 involved
                 and
                 implyed
                 in
                 the
                 main
                 point
                 .
              
               This
               is
               more
               easily
               said
               then
               understood
               :
               For
               if
               these
               be
               implyed
               in
               the
               former
               ,
               how
               can
               there
               come
               a
               new
               obligation
               to
               believe
               them
               ?
               For
               to
               take
               his
               own
               Instance
               ,
               
               will
               any
               man
               in
               his
               senses
               say
               ,
               
                 that
                 he
                 that
                 believes
                 ,
                 homo
                 est
                 animal
                 rationale
                 ,
              
               doth
               not
               believe
               
                 homo
                 est
                 animal
              
               ?
               and
               this
               he
               makes
               choice
               of
               as
               an
               example
               
                 how
                 one
                 point
                 of
                 faith
                 may
                 be
                 involved
                 in
                 another
                 so
                 as
                 to
                 receive
                 a
                 distinct
                 obligation
                 to
                 believe
                 it
                 .
              
               I
               grant
               that
               
                 homo
                 est
                 animal
              
               is
               involved
               in
               the
               other
               ,
               but
               he
               that
               shall
               say
               ,
               that
               after
               he
               hath
               assented
               to
               that
               proposition
               ,
               
                 homo
                 est
                 animal
                 rationale
              
               ,
               he
               may
               be
               capable
               of
               a
               new
               obligation
               to
               believe
               the
               former
               which
               is
               involved
               in
               this
               ,
               it
               may
               be
               justly
               questioned
               whether
               such
               a
               one
               as
               to
               himself
               can
               truly
               say
               ,
               
                 homo
                 est
                 animal
                 rationale
              
               or
               no.
               But
               after
               such
               rare
               subtilties
               ,
               he
               doth
               very
               well
               to
               tell
               me
               ,
               
                 that
                 I
                 ought
                 to
                 consider
                 what
                 Logick
                 tells
                 us
                 ,
                 that
                 the
                 conclusion
                 is
                 in
                 the
                 premises
                 ,
                 which
                 reflection
              
               (
               in
               his
               courtlike
               expression
               )
               he
               saith
               
                 will
                 much
                 unblunder
              
               
               
                 my
                 thoughts
              
               .
               But
               let
               the
               conclusion
               be
               as
               long
               as
               it
               will
               in
               the
               premises
               ,
               will
               any
               man
               in
               his
               wits
               say
               ,
               that
               he
               that
               believes
               the
               truth
               of
               the
               premises
               is
               not
               thereby
               bound
               to
               believe
               the
               conclusion
               ?
               and
               the
               more
               the
               one
               is
               involved
               in
               the
               other
               ,
               the
               less
               is
               it
               
               possible
               to
               make
               the
               obligation
               to
               believe
               them
               distinct
               .
               And
               it
               is
               hard
               for
               me
               to
               believe
               ,
               that
               this
               is
               a
               way
               
                 to
                 unblunder
                 my
                 thoughts
              
               ,
               when
               I
               see
               what
               horrible
               confusion
               such
               expressions
               argue
               in
               his
               own
               .
               Let
               the
               Church
               then
               clear
               her
               thoughts
               never
               so
               much
               ,
               yet
               all
               this
               cannot
               amount
               to
               a
               distinct
               obligation
               to
               believe
               those
               things
               which
               were
               involved
               before
               ,
               but
               to
               a
               more
               explicit
               declaring
               them
               for
               the
               Churches
               peace
               and
               satisfaction
               .
               The
               only
               conclusion
               then
               involved
               in
               these
               premises
               is
               ,
               that
               if
               some
               things
               may
               be
               
                 de
                 fide
              
               in
               one
               age
               which
               were
               not
               in
               another
               ,
               then
               the
               present
               age
               may
               believe
               otherwise
               then
               the
               precedent
               did
               .
               And
               if
               this
               doctrine
               be
               held
               in
               the
               Church
               of
               Rome
               ,
               nothing
               can
               be
               more
               evident
               ,
               then
               that
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               
                 first
                 principle
                 of
                 controversie
              
               ,
               is
               far
               from
               being
               the
               doctrine
               of
               the
               
                 Roman
                 Church
              
               :
               which
               was
               the
               thing
               to
               be
               proved
               .
            
             
               My
               second
               chief
               argument
               against
               
               this
               way
               of
               
                 oral
                 tradition
              
               was
               ,
               
                 that
                 it
                 had
                 not
                 been
                 owned
                 in
                 all
                 ages
                 of
                 the
                 Christian
                 Church
              
               ;
               to
               manifest
               which
               ,
               I
               enquired
               into
               the
               reason
               of
               the
               obligation
               
               in
               any
               age
               of
               the
               Church
               to
               believe
               and
               practise
               just
               as
               the
               precedent
               did
               .
               Mr.
               S.
               rejoyces
               in
               that
               confession
               of
               mine
               ,
               
                 that
                 the
                 only
                 thing
                 to
                 be
              
               
               
                 proved
                 in
                 this
                 case
                 is
                 ,
                 that
                 every
                 age
                 of
                 the
                 Church
                 and
                 all
                 persons
                 in
                 it
                 looked
                 on
                 themselves
                 as
                 obliged
                 not
                 to
                 vary
                 in
                 any
                 thing
                 from
                 the
                 doctrine
                 and
                 practise
                 of
                 the
                 precedent
                 age
                 .
              
               And
               I
               there
               offer
               the
               choice
               of
               three
               wayes
               to
               prove
               it
               ,
               
                 reason
                 ,
                 testimony
              
               Or
               tradition
               ;
               he
               tells
               me
               ,
               
                 he
                 accepts
                 the
                 way
                 of
                 reason
              
               ;
               yet
               quarrels
               with
               me
               for
               pressing
               for
               a
               
                 demonstrative
                 medium
              
               to
               prove
               it
               ,
               when
               yet
               Mr.
               S.
               seldome
               speaks
               unde●●he
               rate
               of
               demonstrations
               .
               But
               he
               thereby
               notes
               
                 the
                 unconsonancy
                 of
                 my
                 carriage
              
               ;
               Wherein
               I
               wonder
               ?
               that
               I
               should
               desire
               them
               to
               perform
               their
               promise
               ,
               viz.
               to
               give
               us
               demonstrations
               for
               the
               grounds
               of
               faith
               ?
               But
               he
               saith
               withal
               ,
               
                 he
                 will
                 yield
                 me
                 the
                 honour
                 of
                 professing
                 I
                 have
                 no
                 demonstration
                 but
                 probability
                 for
                 the
                 ground
                 of
                 mine
                 ,
                 and
                 he
                 make●
                 this
                 serious
                 protestation
                 for
                 himself
                 ,
                 tha●
                 he
                 should
                 esteem
                 himself
                 very
                 dishonest
                 ,
                 did
                 he
                 assert
                 and
                 press
                 on
                 others
                 an●
                 argument
                 for
                 the
                 ground
                 of
                 his
                 faith
                 which
                 he
                 judged
                 not
                 evident
                 ,
                 that
                 is
                 demonstrative
                 .
              
               
               What
               is
               it
               these
               men
               mean
               ,
               when
               they
               cry
               up
               their
               own
               way
               for
               demonstrative
               ,
               and
               say
               that
               we
               build
               ●ur
               faith
               meerly
               on
               probabilities
               ?
               Do
               ●hey
               say
               that
               Religion
               is
               capable
               of
               ●rict
               and
               rigorous
               demonstration
               ?
               If
               〈◊〉
               ,
               let
               them
               demonstrate
               the
               Being
               of
               ●od
               and
               Immortality
               of
               the
               soul
               with
               as
               ●uch
               evidence
               ,
               as
               
                 that
                 the
                 three
                 angles
                 ●f
                 a
                 triangle
                 are
                 equal
                 to
                 two
                 right
                 angles
                 .
              
               ●nd
               it
               is
               strange
               if
               they
               think
               
                 particu●r
                 problems
              
               in
               religion
               are
               more
               capa●le
               of
               demonstration
               then
               those
               Theorems●n
               ●n
               which
               they
               are
               built
               .
               But
               by
               all
               he
               enquiry
               I
               can
               make
               ,
               all
               the
               diffe●ence
               between
               us
               is
               ,
               that
               Mr.
               S.
               will
               ●ave
               that
               called
               a
               demonstration
               ,
               which
               ●
               scarce
               a
               probability
               ,
               and
               we
               call
               tha●
               
                 ●fficient
                 reason
              
               ,
               which
               any
               wise
               man
               ●ay
               safely
               rely
               on
               in
               matters
               of
               religi●n
               .
               In
               the
               mean
               time
               how
               much
               do
               ●e
               suffer
               by
               our
               modesty
               ,
               that
               because
               ●e
               speak
               not
               as
               big
               as
               Mr.
               S.
               does
               ,
               we
               ●ust
               be
               censured
               presently
               to
               have
               no●hing
               but
               probabilities
               for
               our
               faith
               ?
               Are
               ●hose
               bare
               probabilities
               which
               leave
               no
               ●uspicion
               of
               doubt
               behind
               them
               ?
               and
               ●uch
               we
               freely
               assert
               the
               grounds
               of
               ●ur
               religion
               to
               do
               ;
               
                 i.
                 e.
              
               I
               assert
               that
               
               we
               have
               the
               highest
               actual
               certainty
               of
               the
               truth
               of
               our
               Religion
               which
               the
               mind
               of
               any
               reasonable
               man
               can
               desire
               ,
               and
               if
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               demonstrations
               can
               do
               any
               more
               then
               this
               ,
               let
               him
               tell
               us
               what
               it
               is
               .
               For
               my
               part
               I
               know
               nothing
               higher
               in
               the
               mind
               of
               man
               then
               a
               
                 certain
                 assent
              
               ,
               and
               if
               I
               did
               not
               think
               there
               was
               the
               greatest
               ground
               in
               Religion
               for
               that
               ,
               I
               abhorr
               dissimulation
               so
               much
               that
               I
               should
               leave
               off
               perswading
               men
               to
               embrace
               it
               .
               And
               if
               any
               men
               have
               made
               us
               shye
               of
               the
               word
               demonstration
               and
               infallibility
               ,
               they
               are
               such
               men
               as
               Mr.
               S.
               have
               done
               it
               ,
               who
               talk
               of
               these
               things
               when
               their
               arguments
               fall
               beneath
               some
               of
               the
               remotest
               probabilities
               we
               insist
               on
               .
               Nay
               if
               there
               be
               any
               force
               in
               his
               demonstration
               as
               to
               matters
               of
               fact
               ,
               it
               hath
               been
               used
               by
               us
               long
               before
               his
               book
               saw
               the
               light
               .
               But
               we
               love
               to
               give
               the
               true
               names
               to
               things
               ,
               and
               not
               to
               lose
               our
               credit
               with
               all
               intelligent
               persons
               ,
               by
               playing
               Mountebanks
               in
               Religion
               ,
               crying
               〈◊〉
               those
               things
               for
               
                 infallible
                 cures
              
               which
               an
               ordinary
               capacity
               may
               discern
               the
               insufficiency
               of
               .
               But
               was
               it
               any
               thin●
               but
               justice
               and
               reason
               in
               me
               to
               expe●●
               
               and
               call
               for
               a
               demonstration
               from
               them
               who
               talk
               of
               nothing
               under
               it
               ?
               And
               therefore
               I
               said
               ,
               
                 that
                 it
                 was
                 impossible
                 to
                 demonstrate
                 this
                 way
                 of
                 oral
                 tradition
                 ,
                 unless
                 it
                 were
                 proved
                 impossible
                 for
                 men
                 not
                 to
                 think
                 themselves
                 obliged
                 to
                 believe
                 and
                 do
                 all
                 just
                 as
                 their
                 predecessors
                 did
                 .
              
               For
               where
               the
               contrary
               is
               not
               only
               possible
               ,
               but
               easily
               supposable
               ,
               ●s
               that
               men
               may
               believe
               those
               things
               as
               new
               articles
               of
               faith
               which
               are
               defined
               by
               Pope
               and
               Council
               ,
               I
               wonder
               how
               Mr.
               S.
               will
               demonstrate
               that
               men
               must
               ●ook
               on
               themselves
               as
               obliged
               to
               be●●eve
               just
               as
               their
               predecessors
               did
               ?
               For
               I
               had
               thought
               demonstrations
               had
               ●ever
               place
               in
               contingent
               propositions
               ;
               but
               it
               seems
               Mr.
               S.
               who
               tells
               me
               ,
               
                 Logick
                 will
                 unblunder
                 my
                 thoughts
              
               ,
               in●ends
               to
               make
               a
               new
               one
               for
               me
               .
               And
               ●
               assure
               you
               so
               he
               had
               need
               ,
               before
               I
               ●hall
               ever
               call
               his
               arguments
               demon●trations
               :
               and
               although
               he
               thinks
               him●elf
               
                 very
                 honest
              
               in
               calling
               them
               so
               ,
               yet
               ●
               should
               think
               him
               much
               wiser
               if
               he
               did
               not
               .
            
             
               But
               before
               I
               come
               to
               the
               particular
               
               debate
               of
               these
               things
               ,
               I
               freely
               tell
               
               him
               ,
               that
               I
               grant
               all
               he
               requests
               ;
               ●
               shall
               
                 take
                 along
                 with
                 me
                 the
                 nature
                 of
                 the
                 matter
                 in
                 hand
                 ,
                 the
                 doctrines
                 an●
              
               
               
                 practises
                 spoken
                 of
                 ,
                 the
                 manner
                 of
                 delivering
                 them
                 ,
                 the
                 necessary
                 circumstance●
                 which
                 give
                 weight
                 to
                 both
              
               ;
               yet
               for
               al●
               these
               ,
               I
               cannot
               look
               on
               his
               way
               as
               demonstrative
               .
               And
               that
               both
               our
               meanings
               may
               be
               better
               understood
               ,
               it
               i●
               very
               necessary
               the
               Reader
               should
               hav●
               a
               true
               account
               of
               the
               state
               of
               the
               Question
               between
               us
               .
               And
               if
               he
               will
               believe
               me
               ,
               I
               never
               intended
               to
               disput●
               with
               him
               or
               any
               one
               else
               ,
               
                 whether
                 me●
                 were
                 bound
                 to
                 wear
                 their
                 clothes
                 ,
                 or
                 buil●
                 houses
                 ,
                 or
                 manage
                 estates
                 just
                 as
                 thei●
              
               
               
                 predecessors
                 did
              
               ,
               but
               whether
               eve●
               age
               is
               obliged
               to
               believe
               and
               practi●
               just
               as
               the
               precedent
               did
               by
               vertue
               o●
               meer
               
                 oral
                 tradition
              
               ;
               for
               about
               that
               i●
               all
               the
               controversie
               between
               us
               .
               I
               d●
               not
               deny
               but
               that
               a
               succeeding
               ag●
               may
               look
               on
               it self
               as
               bound
               to
               believe
               what
               the
               precedent
               did
               ;
               bu●
               whether
               that
               obligation
               doth
               ari●
               purely
               from
               the
               delivery
               of
               that
               doctrine
               by
               the
               precedent
               in
               the
               way
               o●
               of
               tradition
               ,
               is
               the
               thing
               in
               dispute
               between
               us
               .
               For
               in
               case
               the
               ground
               ●
               
               faith
               be
               wholly
               the
               written
               word
               conveyed
               from
               age
               to
               age
               ,
               I
               deny
               not
               but
               an
               obligation
               to
               believe
               descends
               with
               the
               doctrine
               to
               every
               succeeding
               age
               .
               But
               that
               which
               Mr.
               S.
               is
               to
               prove
               is
               ,
               
                 that
                 abstractly
                 from
                 Scripture
                 every
                 age
                 is
                 absolutely
                 bound
                 to
                 believe
                 just
                 as
                 the
                 precedent
                 did
                 ,
              
               without
               any
               enquiry
               whether
               that
               doctrine
               doth
               agree
               with
               Scriptures
               or
               no
               ,
               but
               that
               he
               is
               therefore
               bound
               to
               believe
               all
               which
               is
               proposed
               to
               him
               ,
               because
               it
               was
               the
               doctrine
               of
               the
               immediately
               preceding
               age
               .
               And
               this
               is
               that
               which
               I
               deny
               ,
               and
               desire
               Mr.
               S.
               to
               prove
               For
               which
               he
               first
               gives
               us
               a
               large
               instance
               in
               historical
               matters
               ,
               and
               then
               comes
               to
               the
               matters
               of
               
                 Christian
                 saith
              
               .
               His
               Instance
               is
               ,
               
                 in
                 Alexanders
                 conquest
                 of
              
               Asia
               ,
               
                 as
                 to
                 which
              
               he
               saith
               ,
               
                 that
                 the
                 memory
                 of
                 it
                 is
                 fresh
                 and
                 lively
                 ,
                 though
                 some
                 thousand
              
               
               
                 years
                 since
                 .
                 And
                 that
                 the
                 universal
                 and
                 strong
                 perswasion
                 of
                 this
                 matter
                 of
                 fact
                 was
                 not
                 caused
                 by
                 Books
                 ,
                 as
              
               Curtius
               
                 his
                 History
                 ,
                 but
                 by
                 humane
                 tradition
                 :
                 that
                 the
                 continuance
                 of
                 this
                 perswasion
                 was
                 the
                 notoriety
                 of
                 the
                 fact
                 to
                 the
                 then
                 livers
                 which
                 obliged
                 them
                 to
                 relate
                 it
                 to
                 their
                 posterity
                 ,
                 and
                 that
                 this
                 testifying
                 
                 by
                 the
                 fore-fathers
                 was
                 that
                 which
                 obliged
                 posterity
                 to
                 believe
                 things
                 as
                 true
                 ,
                 because
                 there
                 could
                 be
                 no
                 imaginable
                 motive
                 why
                 the
                 whole
                 world
                 should
                 conspire
                 to
                 deceive
                 them
                 ,
                 or
                 be
                 deceivable
                 in
                 their
                 sensations
                 :
                 on
                 which
                 principle
                 it
                 passed
                 to
                 the
                 next
                 age
                 ,
                 and
                 so
                 came
                 down
                 by
                 way
                 of
                 tradition
                 to
                 our
                 dayes
                 :
                 and
                 the
                 obligation
                 to
                 believe
                 in
                 every
                 age
                 depended
                 upon
                 this
                 that
                 the
                 senses
                 of
                 the
                 first
                 could
                 not
                 be
                 deceived
                 ;
                 and
                 having
                 this
                 security
                 in
                 every
                 age
                 that
                 no
                 one
                 would
                 conspire
                 to
                 deceive
                 the
                 next
                 ;
                 it
                 followes
                 that
                 no
                 age
                 could
                 say
                 a
                 former
                 age
                 testified
                 so
                 ,
                 unless
                 it
                 did
                 so
                 ;
                 therefore
                 ,
              
               saith
               he
               ,
               
                 it
                 follows
                 demonstratively
                 that
                 it
                 was
                 testified
                 ;
                 and
                 so
                 the
                 descendents
                 in
                 every
                 age
                 to
                 the
                 very
                 end
                 of
                 the
                 world
                 have
                 the
                 same
                 obligation
                 to
                 believe
                 their
                 immediate
                 fore-fathers
                 saying
                 it
                 was
                 testified
                 by
                 theirs
                 ,
                 and
                 so
                 to
                 the
                 very
                 first
                 who
                 were
                 witnesses
                 of
                 his
                 actions
                 .
              
               This
               is
               the
               substance
               of
               what
               he
               more
               largely
               discourses
               in
               several
               Paragraphs
               ;
               which
               when
               he
               hath
               done
               ,
               he
               tells
               me
               ,
               
                 he
                 expects
                 what
                 I
                 will
                 reply
                 to
                 this
                 discourse
                 .
              
               Not
               to
               frustrate
               therefore
               his
               
               expectation
               ,
               and
               in
               order
               to
               the
               Readers
               satisfaction
               ,
               we
               are
               to
               consider
               
               that
               in
               the
               present
               case
               there
               are
               two
               distinct
               questions
               to
               be
               resolved
               .
               1.
               
               How
               a
               matter
               of
               fact
               evident
               to
               the
               world
               comes
               to
               be
               conveyed
               to
               posterity
               ?
               2.
               
               By
               what
               means
               a
               compleat
               history
               of
               all
               passages
               relating
               to
               it
               may
               be
               conveyed
               ?
               As
               〈◊〉
               the
               first
               ,
               I
               grant
               that
               a
               fact
               so
               noto●us
               as
               Alexanders
               conquest
               of
               Asia
               might
               have
               been
               preserved
               by
               humane
               tradition
               ,
               and
               conveyed
               in
               a
               certain
               way
               from
               one
               age
               to
               another
               .
               But
               if
               we
               enquire
               into
               that
               which
               is
               alone
               proper
               to
               our
               Question
               ,
               viz.
               by
               what
               means
               we
               may
               judge
               what
               is
               true
               and
               false
               as
               to
               the
               particulars
               of
               that
               conquest
               ,
               then
               I
               deny
               that
               bare
               tradition
               is
               to
               be
               relyed
               on
               in
               this
               case
               .
               For
               the
               certainty
               of
               conveyance
               of
               all
               particulars
               doth
               depend
               not
               upon
               the
               
                 bare
                 veracity
              
               ,
               but
               the
               capacity
               and
               skill
               of
               communicating
               from
               one
               age
               to
               another
               .
               For
               which
               one
               would
               think
               we
               need
               no
               clearer
               evidence
               then
               the
               considerations
               of
               the
               different
               account
               of
               former
               times
               in
               the
               several
               Nations
               of
               the
               world
               .
               For
               who
               can
               imagine
               ,
               but
               the
               
                 barbarous
                 Nations
              
               were
               as
               unwilling
               to
               deceive
               their
               posterity
               as
               any
               other
               ?
               yet
               we
               
               see
               a
               vast
               difference
               in
               the
               histories
               of
               former
               ages
               among
               them
               ,
               and
               more
               civilized
               people
               .
               And
               I
               wish
               Mr.
               S.
               would
               rather
               have
               instanced
               in
               some
               history
               which
               had
               been
               preserved
               meerly
               by
               tradition
               and
               not
               in
               such
               a
               one
               ,
               which
               ,
               if
               any
               other
               ,
               hath
               been
               most
               carefully
               recorded
               and
               propagated
               to
               posterity
               .
               If
               Mr.
               S.
               would
               have
               undertaken
               to
               have
               told
               us
               who
               they
               were
               that
               first
               peopled
               America
               ,
               and
               srom
               what
               place
               they
               came
               by
               the
               tradition
               of
               the
               present
               inhabitants
               ,
               and
               what
               famous
               actions
               had
               been
               done
               there
               in
               former
               ages
               ,
               we
               might
               have
               thought
               indeed
               that
               
                 sole
                 tradition
              
               had
               been
               a
               very
               safe
               way
               to
               convey
               matters
               of
               fact
               from
               one
               age
               to
               another
               .
               But
               since
               all
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               arguments
               will
               hold
               as
               well
               for
               the
               S●ythians
               and
               Americans
               and
               the
               most
               barbarous
               Nations
               ,
               as
               the
               most
               civil
               and
               polite
               ;
               what
               reason
               can
               Mr.
               S.
               give
               why
               there
               is
               not
               among
               them
               as
               certain
               an
               account
               of
               former
               ages
               ,
               as
               among
               the
               Greeks
               and
               Romans
               ?
               Were
               not
               their
               senses
               ,
               who
               saw
               those
               matters
               of
               fact
               ,
               as
               uncapable
               of
               being
               d●ceived
               as
               others
               ?
               was
               not
               every
               a●
               
               among
               them
               as
               un●illing
               to
               deceive
               their
               posterity
               as
               elswhere
               ?
               yet
               notwithstanding
               the
               force
               of
               Mr.
               Ss.
               demonstration
               ,
               we
               see
               for
               want
               of
               letters
               how
               grosly
               ignorant
               they
               are
               of
               what
               was
               done
               before
               them
               .
               And
               if
               this
               principle
               were
               true
               ,
               why
               have
               we
               not
               as
               true
               an
               account
               of
               the
               eldest
               ages
               of
               the
               world
               ,
               as
               of
               any
               other
               ?
               Nay
               ,
               why
               were
               letters
               invented
               ,
               and
               writing
               ever
               used
               ,
               if
               tradition
               had
               been
               found
               so
               infallible
               ?
               But
               it
               is
               one
               thing
               superficially
               to
               discourse
               what
               is
               impossible
               should
               be
               otherwise
               ,
               and
               another
               to
               consider
               what
               really
               hath
               been
               in
               the
               world
               .
               Doth
               not
               the
               constant
               ●xperience
               of
               all
               times
               prove
               that
               where
               any
               history
               hath
               not
               been
               timely
               recorded
               ,
               it
               hath
               been
               soon
               corrupted
               by
               notorious
               ●alsities
               ,
               or
               obscured
               by
               fabulous
               reports
               ?
               As
               we
               see
               among
               our selves
               what
               difference
               there
               is
               in
               point
               of
               certainty
               between
               the
               several
               stories
               of
               K.
               Arthur
               and
               William
               the
               Conqueror
               ;
               what
               will
               Mr.
               S.
               say
               ,
               that
               these
               who
               lived
               in
               K.
               Arthurs
               time
               could
               not
               know
               what
               he
               did
               ;
               or
               that
               they
               conspired
               to
               deceive
               their
               posterity
               ?
               But
               if
               tradition
               
               be
               so
               infallible
               ,
               why
               have
               we
               not
               the
               ancient
               story
               of
               Britain
               as
               exact
               as
               the
               modern
               ?
               If
               Mr.
               S.
               will
               impute
               it
               to
               the
               
                 peoples
                 ignorance
                 ,
                 want
                 of
                 letters
                 ,
                 frequ●nt
                 conquests
              
               by
               other
               Nations
               ,
               and
               
                 succeeding
                 barbarism
              
               ,
               he
               may
               easi●y
               find
               how
               many
               wayes
               there
               are
               for
               
                 matters
                 of
                 fact
              
               to
               be
               soon
               lost
               or
               corrupted
               ,
               when
               they
               have
               not
               been
               diligently
               preserved
               by
               authentick
               records
               ;
               and
               that
               without
               one
               age
               conspiring
               to
               deceive
               another
               .
               But
               notwithstanding
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               confidence
               ,
               I
               cannot
               think
               it
               possible
               for
               Mr.
               S.
               to
               believe
               that
               we
               should
               have
               had
               as
               true
               an
               account
               of
               
                 Alexander●
                 conquest
                 of
                 Asia
              
               ,
               if
               
                 Arrian
                 ,
                 Curtius
              
               ,
               o●
               Plutarch
               had
               never
               writ
               his
               story
               ,
               a●
               we
               have
               now
               .
               Yet
               this
               he
               must
               asse●
               by
               vertue
               of
               his
               principles
               .
               And
               he
               that
               can
               believe
               that
               ,
               I
               wonder
               he
               should
               scruple
               believing
               the
               
                 Popes
                 infallibility
              
               ;
               for
               certainly
               no
               principle
               o●
               the
               Jesuites
               is
               more
               wild
               and
               absurd
               then
               this
               is
               .
               Besides
               ,
               I
               admire
               how
               it
               came
               into
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               head
               to
               think
               ,
               no
               error
               could
               come
               into
               history
               
                 unless
                 o●
                 age
                 conspired
                 to
                 deceive
                 another
                 ,
              
               when
               we
               find
               no
               age
               agreed
               in
               the
               present
               
               matters
               of
               fact
               which
               are
               done
               in
               it
               ,
               as
               to
               the
               grounds
               and
               particulars
               of
               them
               .
               To
               give
               Mr.
               S.
               an
               instance
               home
               to
               his
               purpose
               ,
               in
               the
               late
               Council
               of
               Trent
               ;
               we
               see
               already
               what
               different
               representations
               there
               are
               made
               of
               it
               in
               so
               little
               a
               time
               as
               hath
               already
               passed
               since
               the
               sitting
               of
               it
               .
               One
               ,
               though
               he
               had
               all
               the
               advantages
               imaginable
               of
               knowing
               all
               proceedings
               in
               it
               ,
               living
               at
               the
               same
               time
               ,
               conversing
               with
               the
               persons
               present
               at
               it
               ,
               having
               the
               memoires
               and
               records
               of
               the
               Secretaries
               themselves
               ,
               yet
               his
               story
               is
               since
               endeavoured
               to
               be
               blasted
               by
               a
               great
               person
               of
               the
               
                 Roman
                 Church
              
               as
               fictitious
               and
               partial
               .
               We
               see
               then
               it
               is
               at
               least
               supposed
               that
               interest
               and
               prejudice
               may
               have
               a
               great
               hand
               in
               abusing
               the
               world
               in
               matter
               of
               story
               ,
               though
               one-age
               never
               agree
               to
               deceive
               another
               .
               And
               in
               stead
               of
               being
               perswaded
               by
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               demonstrations
               ,
               I
               am
               still
               of
               the
               mind
               ,
               that
               we
               have
               no
               sufsicient
               security
               of
               the
               truth
               of
               any
               story
               ,
               which
               was
               not
               written
               while
               those
               persons
               were
               in
               being
               who
               were
               able
               to
               contradict
               the
               errors
               of
               it
               .
               However
               I
               deny
               not
               but
               some
               notorious
               
               matters
               of
               fact
               ,
               such
               as
               Alexanders
               bare
               conquest
               of
               Asia
               ,
               might
               by
               the
               visible
               effects
               of
               it
               be
               preserved
               both
               in
               Asia
               and
               Greece
               for
               a
               long
               time
               .
               But
               if
               we
               come
               to
               enquire
               particularly
               whether
               this
               or
               that
               was
               done
               by
               him
               in
               his
               conquest
               ,
               which
               is
               alone
               pertinent
               to
               our
               purpose
               ,
               we
               have
               no
               security
               at
               all
               from
               tradition
               ,
               but
               only
               from
               the
               most
               authentick
               records
               of
               that
               story
               .
               And
               by
               this
               ,
               I
               hope
               Mr.
               S.
               will
               have
               cause
               to
               thank
               me
               for
               
                 unblundering
                 his
                 thoughts
              
               (
               his
               own
               civil
               expression
               )
               and
               shewing
               him
               how
               errors
               may
               come
               into
               a
               story
               without
               one
               age
               conspiring
               to
               deceive
               the
               next
               ;
               and
               what
               a
               vast
               difference
               there
               is
               between
               preserving
               a
               bare
               matter
               of
               fact
               ,
               and
               all
               the
               particulars
               relating
               to
               it
               .
               And
               hereby
               he
               may
               easily
               see
               how
               far
               the
               obligation
               extends
               in
               believing
               the
               report
               of
               former
               ages
               .
               For
               there
               can
               be
               no
               obligation
               to
               believe
               any
               further
               then
               there
               is
               evidence
               of
               truth
               in
               the
               matter
               we
               are
               obliged
               to
               .
               If
               then
               there
               be
               not
               only
               a
               possibility
               but
               a
               very
               great
               probability
               of
               mistakes
               and
               errors
               in
               matters
               of
               fact
               ,
               I
               pray
               what
               obligation
               doth
               there
               lye
               upon
               men
               absolutely
               
               to
               believe
               what
               is
               delivered
               by
               the
               preceding
               age
               ?
               But
               to
               put
               an
               issue
               to
               this
               controversie
               ,
               let
               Mr.
               S.
               examine
               himself
               ,
               and
               try
               if
               he
               can
               name
               one
               story
               that
               was
               never
               written
               ,
               which
               was
               ever
               certainly
               popagated
               from
               one
               age
               to
               another
               by
               meer
               oral
               tradition
               ;
               and
               if
               he
               cannot
               ,
               he
               may
               thereby
               see
               how
               little
               real
               force
               his
               argument
               hath
               in
               the
               world
               .
               For
               all
               the
               force
               of
               tradition
               lies
               in
               an
               unquestionable
               conveyance
               of
               those
               books
               ,
               which
               contain
               in
               them
               the
               true
               reports
               of
               the
               actions
               of
               the
               times
               they
               were
               written
               in
               .
               But
               can
               Mr.
               S.
               think
               ,
               that
               if
               the
               
                 Roman
                 history
              
               had
               never
               been
               written
               ,
               it
               had
               been
               possible
               for
               us
               to
               have
               known
               what
               was
               done
               under
               the
               Kings
               and
               Consuls
               as
               now
               we
               do
               ?
               yet
               if
               his
               principle
               holds
               ,
               this
               necessarily
               follows
               ;
               for
               
                 those
                 of
                 that
                 age
                 could
                 not
                 but
                 know
                 them
                 ,
              
               and
               
                 no
                 age
                 since
                 could
                 conspire
                 to
                 deceive
                 the
                 next
                 .
              
               And
               from
               hence
               ,
               the
               most
               useful
               consequence
               of
               all
               is
               that
               Mr.
               S.
               might
               have
               writ
               a
               history
               from
               the
               beginning
               of
               the
               world
               to
               this
               day
               ,
               with
               a
               full
               relation
               of
               all
               particulars
               ,
               if
               there
               had
               never
               been
               any
               book
               written
               in
               the
               world
               before
               .
               
               And
               doth
               not
               Mr.
               S.
               deserve
               immortal
               credit
               for
               so
               rare
               an
               invention
               as
               this
               is
               ,
               and
               all
               built
               on
               nothing
               short
               of
               demonstrations
               :
            
             
               But
               Mr.
               S.
               very
               prudently
               
                 foresees
                 ,
                 what
                 it
                 is
                 I
                 must
                 be
                 forced
                 to
                 recurre
                 to
                 ,
              
               
               
               viz.
               
                 that
                 being
                 baffled
                 with
                 his
                 former
                 demonstration
                 ,
                 I
                 have
                 no
                 other
                 shift
                 to
                 betake
                 my self
                 to
                 ,
                 but
                 to
                 say
                 the
                 case
                 is
                 different
                 between
                 histories
                 and
                 points
                 of
                 faith
                 .
              
               And
               therefore
               to
               bring
               his
               business
               home
               ,
               he
               applyes
               it
               at
               large
               to
               the
               delivery
               of
               the
               
                 Christian
                 faith
              
               ,
               which
               that
               he
               might
               do
               in
               more
               ample
               sort
               ,
               he
               very
               finely
               descants
               on
               the
               old
               
                 Verse
                 ,
                 Quis
                 ,
                 quid
                 ,
                 ubi
                 ,
              
               &c.
               containing
               the
               circumstances
               of
               human
               actions
               ,
               and
               from
               every
               one
               of
               them
               derives
               arguments
               for
               the
               infallibility
               of
               
                 oral
                 tradition
              
               :
               which
               briefly
               and
               in
               plain
               English
               may
               be
               summed
               up
               thus
               ;
               
                 Since
                 the
                 author
                 of
                 this
                 doctrine
                 was
                 the
                 son
                 of
                 God
                 ,
                 the
                 doctrine
                 it self
                 so
                 excellent
                 ,
                 and
                 delivered
                 in
                 so
                 publick
                 a
                 manner
                 ,
                 in
                 the
                 most
                 convincing
                 way
                 by
                 miracles
                 and
                 good
                 living
                 ,
                 and
                 for
                 so
                 good
                 an
                 end
                 as
                 to
                 save
                 mens
                 souls
                 ,
                 and
                 that
                 by
                 writing
                 it
                 in
                 mens
                 hearts
                 and
                 testified
                 
                 to
                 others
                 ;
                 and
                 all
                 this
                 at
                 a
                 time
                 when
                 men
                 might
                 judge
                 of
                 the
                 miracles
                 and
                 motives
                 for
                 believing
                 it
                 ;
                 therefore
                 since
                 in
                 all
                 these
                 respects
                 it
                 was
                 imcomparably
                 beyond
                 the
                 story
                 of
              
               Alexanders
               
                 conquests
                 ,
                 it
                 follows
                 that
                 in
                 a
                 manner
                 infinitely
                 greater
                 must
                 the
                 obligation
                 be
                 to
                 believe
                 Christs
                 doctrine
                 ,
                 than
              
               Alexanders
               or
               William
               
                 the
                 Conquerours
                 victories
                 ,
                 or
                 any
                 history
                 of
                 the
                 like
                 nature
                 whatsoever
                 .
              
               All
               which
               I
               freely
               grant
               ,
               but
               cannot
               yet
               see
               how
               from
               thence
               it
               follows
               that
               
                 oral
                 tradition
                 is
                 the
                 only
                 rule
                 of
                 faith
                 ,
              
               or
               the
               means
               whereby
               we
               are
               to
               judge
               what
               is
               the
               doctrine
               of
               Christ
               ,
               and
               what
               not
               .
               Those
               arguments
               I
               confess
               prove
               that
               the
               Christians
               of
               the
               first
               age
               were
               highly
               concerned
               to
               enquire
               into
               the
               truth
               of
               these
               things
               ,
               and
               that
               they
               had
               the
               greatest
               reason
               imaginable
               to
               believe
               them
               ;
               and
               that
               it
               is
               not
               possible
               to
               conceive
               that
               they
               should
               not
               endeavour
               to
               propagate
               so
               excellent
               a
               doctrine
               and
               of
               so
               high
               concernment
               to
               the
               world
               .
               But
               the
               question
               is
               ,
               whether
               abstractly
               from
               the
               books
               written
               in
               the
               first
               age
               of
               the
               
                 Christian
                 Church
              
               ,
               there
               is
               so
               much
               infallibility
               in
               the
               
                 oral
                 tradition
              
               of
               every
               
               age
               ,
               that
               nothing
               could
               be
               embraced
               for
               Christs
               doctrine
               which
               was
               not
               and
               consequently
               whether
               every
               age
               were
               bound
               to
               believe
               absolutely
               what
               was
               delivered
               it
               by
               the
               precedent
               for
               the
               doctrine
               of
               Christ
               ?
               Mr.
               S.
               therefore
               puts
               himself
               to
               a
               needless
               task
               of
               proving
               that
               every
               age
               was
               bound
               to
               believe
               the
               
                 doctrine
                 of
                 Christ
              
               ,
               which
               I
               never
               questioned
               ;
               but
               the
               dispute
               is
               ,
               whether
               every
               age
               be
               bound
               on
               the
               account
               of
               
                 oral
                 tradition
              
               to
               believe
               what
               is
               delivered
               by
               the
               precedent
               for
               
                 Christs
                 doctrine
              
               .
               But
               it
               is
               to
               be
               observed
               all
               along
               how
               carefully
               Mr.
               S.
               avoids
               mentioning
               the
               
                 written
                 books
              
               of
               the
               
                 New
                 Testament
              
               ;
               because
               he
               knew
               all
               his
               game
               about
               oral
               tradition
               would
               be
               quite
               spoiled
               by
               a
               true
               stating
               the
               matter
               of
               fact
               in
               the
               first
               ages
               of
               the
               
                 Christian
                 Church
              
               .
               I
               hope
               he
               will
               not
               be
               angry
               with
               me
               ,
               for
               asking
               him
               that
               question
               about
               the
               Scripture
               ,
               which
               he
               asks
               me
               about
               the
               Council
               of
               
                 Trent
                 ;
                 did
                 he
                 never
                 hear
                 of
                 such
                 a
                 thing
                 as
                 the
                 Scripture
                 ?
                 or
                 is
                 it
                 so
                 hard
                 to
                 find
                 it
                 ?
              
               But
               if
               he
               hath
               heard
               of
               it
               ,
               I
               intreat
               him
               to
               resolve
               me
               these
               Questions
               .
               1.
               
               Whether
               he
               doth
               not
               believe
               that
               
               the
               books
               of
               the
               
                 New
                 Testament
              
               were
               written
               at
               such
               a
               time
               ,
               when
               the
               mat●ers
               of
               fact
               therein
               recorded
               ,
               were
               ca●able
               of
               being
               throughly
               examined
               ?
               which
               he
               cannot
               deny
               upon
               his
               own
               ●rinciple
               ;
               for
               tradition
               being
               then
               in●allible
               as
               to
               the
               doctrine
               of
               Christ
               ,
               the
               writers
               of
               these
               books
               cannot
               be
               con●eived
               to
               deliver
               it
               amiss
               ,
               unless
               they
               ●esolved
               to
               contradict
               the
               present
               tradition
               of
               the
               Church
               ,
               which
               if
               they
               had
               done
               ,
               those
               books
               could
               never
               have
               found
               any
               reception
               among
               Christians
               .
               If
               tradition
               then
               convey
               the
               doctrine
               of
               Christ
               infallibly
               ,
               these
               books
               must
               convey
               it
               infallibly
               ,
               because
               they
               contain
               in
               them
               the
               infallible
               tradition
               of
               the
               first
               age
               of
               the
               
                 Christian
                 Church
              
               :
               and
               were
               written
               at
               that
               time
               when
               many
               persons
               living
               had
               been
               able
               to
               disprove
               any
               thing
               contained
               therein
               repugnant
               to
               truth
               .
               And
               that
               these
               books
               were
               written
               by
               those
               persons
               whose
               names
               they
               bear
               ,
               I
               appeal
               to
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               own
               rule
               ,
               Tradition
               ;
               for
               if
               that
               be
               infallible
               in
               any
               thing
               ,
               it
               must
               be
               in
               this
               ;
               and
               if
               one
               age
               could
               conspire
               to
               deceive
               another
               in
               a
               matter
               of
               such
               concernment
               ,
               
               what
               security
               can
               be
               had
               ,
               that
               it
               may
               not
               do
               so
               in
               all
               other
               things
               ?
               2.
               
               Whether
               he
               believes
               that
               those
               whose
               intention
               was
               to
               write
               an
               account
               of
               the
               life
               ,
               actions
               and
               doctrine
               of
               Christ
               ,
               did
               leave
               any
               thing
               out
               of
               their
               books
               which
               did
               relate
               to
               them
               as
               of
               concernment
               for
               us
               to
               believe
               ?
               For
               upon
               Mr.
               S's
               principles
               ,
               any
               one
               may
               easily
               know
               what
               the
               tradition
               of
               the
               Church
               is
               ;
               and
               especially
               such
               certainly
               who
               were
               either
               present
               themselves
               at
               the
               matters
               of
               fact
               ,
               or
               heard
               them
               from
               those
               who
               were
               ;
               and
               what
               satisfaction
               can
               any
               one
               desire
               greater
               then
               this
               ?
               But
               the
               question
               is
               ,
               whether
               this
               testimony
               were
               not
               more
               safely
               deposited
               in
               the
               Church
               to
               be
               conveyed
               by
               word
               of
               mouth
               ,
               then
               it
               could
               be
               by
               being
               committed
               to
               writing
               by
               such
               who
               were
               eye
               and
               ear-witnesses
               o●
               the
               actions
               and
               doctrine
               of
               Christ
               ?
               Upon
               which
               I
               advance
               some
               further
               Queries
               .
               3.
               
               If
               oral
               Tradition
               were
               the
               more
               certain
               way
               ,
               why
               was
               anything
               written
               at
               all
               ?
               it
               may
               be
               Mr.
               S.
               will
               tell
               us
               ,
               
                 for
                 moral
                 instructions
                 ,
                 and
                 to
                 give
                 precepts
                 of
                 good
                 life
              
               ;
               bu●
               then
               why
               may
               not
               these
               be
               as
               infallib●
               
               conv●yed
               by
               tradition
               as
               doctrines
               of
               faith
               ?
               And
               why
               then
               were
               any
               matters
               of
               fact
               and
               points
               of
               faith
               inserted
               in
               the
               books
               of
               the
               
                 New
                 Testament
              
               ?
               by
               which
               it
               certainly
               appears
               that
               the
               intention
               of
               writing
               them
               was
               to
               preserve
               them
               to
               posterity
               .
               Let
               Mr.
               S.
               tell
               me
               whether
               it
               was
               consistent
               with
               the
               wisdom
               of
               men
               ,
               much
               less
               with
               the
               wisdom
               of
               an
               
                 Infinite
                 Being
              
               to
               imploy
               men
               to
               do
               that
               ,
               which
               might
               be
               far
               better
               done
               another
               way
               ,
               and
               when
               it
               is
               done
               can
               give
               no
               satisfaction
               to
               the
               minds
               of
               men
               ?
               4.
               
               Whether
               those
               things
               which
               are
               capable
               of
               being
               understood
               when
               they
               are
               spoken
               ,
               cease
               to
               be
               so
               when
               they
               are
               written
               ?
               For
               Mr.
               S.
               seems
               to
               understand
               those
               terms
               of
               a
               
                 living
                 voice
              
               ,
               and
               
                 dead
                 letters
              
               in
               a
               very
               strict
               and
               rigorous
               manner
               ;
               as
               though
               the
               sense
               were
               only
               quick
               when
               spoken
               ,
               and
               became
               buried
               in
               
                 dead
                 letters
              
               .
               But
               Mr.
               S.
               seems
               with
               the
               sagacious
               Indian
               to
               admire
               how
               it
               is
               possible
               for
               
                 dead
                 letters
              
               and
               
                 unsenc'd
                 characters
              
               to
               express
               mens
               meanings
               as
               well
               as
               words
               .
               It
               cannot
               enter
               into
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               apprehension
               how
               24.
               letters
               by
               their
               various
               disposition
               can
               express
               
               matters
               of
               faith
               ?
               And
               yet
               to
               increa●
               the
               wonder
               ,
               he
               writes
               about
               matte●
               of
               faith
               ,
               while
               he
               is
               proving
               that
               matters
               of
               faith
               cannot
               be
               conveyed
               b●
               writing
               .
               So
               that
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               own
               writing
               is
               the
               best
               demonstration
               against
               himself
               ;
               and
               he
               confutes
               his
               own
               Sophistr●
               with
               his
               fingers
               ,
               as
               Diogenes
               did
               Zeno●
               by
               his
               motion
               .
               For
               doth
               Mr.
               S.
               hop●
               to
               perswade
               men
               that
               tradition
               is
               ●
               rule
               of
               faith
               by
               his
               book
               or
               not
               ?
               i●
               not
               ,
               to
               what
               purpose
               doth
               he
               write
               ●
               if
               he
               doth
               ,
               then
               it
               is
               to
               be
               hoped
               so●
               matters
               of
               faith
               may
               be
               intelligibly
               conveyed
               by
               writing
               ;
               Especially
               if
               Mr.
               S.
               doth
               it
               ;
               but
               by
               no
               means
               we
               are
               t●
               believe
               that
               ever
               the
               Spirit
               of
               God
               ca●
               do
               it
               .
               For
               whatever
               is
               written
               by
               me●
               assisted
               by
               that
               ,
               is
               according
               to
               him
               bu●
               a
               heap
               of
               
                 dead
                 letters
              
               ,
               and
               
                 insignifican●
                 characters
              
               ;
               when
               Mr.
               S.
               the
               mean
               while
               is
               full
               of
               sense
               and
               de●onstration
               .
               Happy
               man
               that
               can
               thus
               out-do
               in●nite
               wisdom
               ,
               and
               write
               far
               beyond
               either
               Prophets
               or
               Apostles
               !
               But
               if
               he
               will
               condescend
               so
               far
               as
               to
               allow
               that
               to
               inspired
               persons
               which
               he
               confidently
               believes
               of
               himself
               ,
               viz.
               that
               he
               can
               write
               a
               book
               full
               of
               sense
               ,
               and
               that
               
               any
               ordinary
               capacity
               may
               apprehend
               the
               design
               of
               it
               ,
               our
               controversie
               is
               at
               an
               end
               .
               For
               then
               matters
               of
               faith
               may
               be
               intelligibly
               and
               certainly
               conveyed
               to
               posterity
               by
               the
               books
               of
               Scripture
               ;
               and
               if
               so
               ,
               there
               will
               be
               no
               need
               of
               any
               recourse
               to
               
                 oral
                 Tradition
              
               .
               5.
               
               If
               the
               books
               of
               s●ripture
               did
               not
               certainly
               and
               intelligibly
               convey
               all
               matters
               of
               faith
               ,
               what
               made
               them
               be
               received
               with
               so
               much
               veneration
               in
               the
               first
               ages
               of
               the
               
                 Christian
                 Church
              
               ?
               which
               were
               best
               able
               to
               judge
               of
               the
               truth
               of
               the
               matters
               contained
               ●n
               them
               ,
               and
               the
               usefulness
               of
               the
               books
               themselves
               .
               And
               therein
               we
               still
               find
               that
               appeals
               were
               made
               to
               them
               ,
               that
               they
               thought
               themselves
               concerned
               to
               vindicate
               them
               against
               all
               objections
               of
               Heathens
               and
               others
               ;
               and
               the
               resolution
               of
               faith
               was
               made
               into
               them
               ,
               and
               not
               tradition
               ,
               as
               I
               have
               already
               manifested
               ,
               and
               must
               not
               repeat
               .
               6.
               
               Whether
               it
               be
               in
               the
               least
               
               credible
               ,
               since
               the
               books
               of
               Scripture
               were
               supposed
               to
               contain
               the
               doctrines
               of
               faith
               ,
               that
               every
               age
               of
               the
               Church
               should
               look
               on
               it self
               as
               obliged
               absolutely
               to
               believe
               the
               doctrine
               of
               the
               precedent
               by
               vertue
               of
               an
               oral
               tradition
               ?
               For
               since
               they
               resolved
               
               their
               faith
               into
               the
               written
               books
               ,
               how
               is
               it
               possible
               they
               should
               believe
               on
               the
               account
               of
               an
               oral
               tradition
               ?
               Although
               then
               the
               Apostles
               did
               deliver
               the
               doctrine
               of
               Christ
               to
               all
               their
               disciples
               ;
               yet
               since
               the
               records
               of
               it
               were
               embraced
               in
               the
               Church
               ,
               men
               judged
               of
               the
               truth
               or
               falsehood
               of
               doctrines
               ,
               by
               the
               conveniency
               or
               repugnancy
               of
               them
               to
               what
               was
               contained
               in
               those
               books
               .
               By
               which
               we
               understand
               that
               the
               obligation
               to
               believe
               what
               was
               taught
               by
               the
               precedent
               age
               ,
               did
               not
               arise
               from
               the
               oral
               tradition
               of
               it
               ,
               but
               by
               the
               satisfaction
               of
               the
               present
               age
               ,
               that
               the
               doctrine
               delivered
               by
               it
               was
               the
               same
               with
               that
               contained
               in
               S●ripture
               .
            
             
               It
               is
               time
               now
               to
               return
               to
               Mr.
               S.
               
               who
               proceeds
               still
               to
               manifest
               
                 this
                 obligation
                 in
                 posterity
                 to
                 believe
                 what
                 was
                 delivered
                 as
                 matter
                 of
                 faith
                 ,
                 by
                 the
                 precedent
                 age
                 of
                 the
                 Church
              
               ;
               but
               the
               force
               of
               all
               is
               the
               same
               still
               ;
               viz.
               
                 that
                 otherwise
                 one
                 age
                 must
                 conspire
                 to
                 deceive
                 the
                 next
                 .
              
               But
               the
               inconsequence
               of
               that
               ,
               I
               have
               fully
               shewed
               already
               ,
               unless
               he
               demonstrates
               it
               impossible
               for
               errors
               to
               
               come
               in
               any
               other
               way
               :
               For
               if
               we
               reduce
               the
               substance
               of
               what
               he
               saith
               to
               a
               Syllogistical
               form
               ,
               it
               comes
               to
               this
               ;
               Where
               there
               is
               no
               possibility
               of
               error
               ,
               there
               is
               an
               absolute
               obligation
               to
               faith
               ;
               but
               there
               is
               no
               possibility
               of
               error
               in
               the
               tradition
               of
               any
               age
               of
               the
               
                 Church
                 .
                 Ergo
              
               in
               every
               age
               there
               is
               an
               absolute
               obligation
               to
               believe
               the
               tradition
               of
               the
               present
               Church
               .
               The
               minor
               he
               thus
               proves
               .
               If
               no
               age
               of
               the
               Church
               can
               be
               ignorant
               of
               what
               the
               precedent
               taught
               ,
               or
               conspire
               to
               deceive
               the
               next
               ,
               then
               there
               is
               no
               possibility
               of
               error
               coming
               into
               the
               tradition
               of
               the
               Church
               in
               any
               age
               ;
               but
               the
               antecedent
               is
               true
               ,
               and
               therefore
               the
               consequent
               .
               Now
               who
               sees
               not
               that
               the
               force
               of
               all
               this
               ,
               lyes
               not
               in
               proving
               the
               
                 minor
                 proposition
              
               ,
               or
               that
               no
               age
               could
               conspire
               to
               deceive
               another
               ?
               but
               the
               consequence
               ,
               viz.
               that
               no
               error
               can
               come
               into
               a
               Church
               ,
               but
               by
               a
               general
               mistake
               in
               one
               whole
               age
               ,
               or
               the
               general
               imposture
               of
               it
               ,
               which
               we
               utterly
               deny
               :
               and
               have
               shewed
               him
               already
               the
               falsness
               of
               it
               from
               his
               own
               concessions
               .
               And
               I
               might
               more
               largely
               shew
               it
               from
               those
               doctrin●s
               
               or
               opinions
               which
               they
               themselves
               acknowledge
               to
               have
               come
               into
               their
               Church
               without
               any
               such
               general
               mistake
               or
               imposture
               ,
               as
               the
               doctrines
               of
               
                 Papal
                 Insallibility
              
               ,
               and
               the
               common
               belief
               of
               Purgatory
               .
               The
               very
               same
               way
               that
               Mr.
               White
               and
               Mr.
               S.
               will
               shew
               us
               how
               these
               came
               in
               ,
               we
               will
               shew
               him
               how
               many
               others
               came
               in
               as
               erroneous
               and
               scandalous
               as
               those
               are
               .
               For
               whether
               they
               account
               these
               matters
               of
               faith
               or
               no
               ,
               it
               is
               certain
               many
               among
               them
               do
               ,
               and
               that
               the
               far
               greatest
               number
               ,
               who
               assert
               and
               believe
               them
               to
               be
               the
               doctrine
               of
               their
               Church
               too
               .
               If
               therefore
               these
               might
               come
               in
               without
               one
               age
               mistaking
               or
               deceiving
               the
               next
               ,
               why
               might
               not
               all
               those
               come
               in
               the
               same
               way
               which
               we
               ●harge
               upon
               them
               as
               the
               errors
               of
               their
               Church
               ?
               And
               in
               the
               same
               manner
               that
               corrupt
               doctrines
               come
               in
               ,
               may
               corrupt
               practises
               too
               ,
               since
               these
               ,
               as
               he
               saith
               ,
               
                 spring
                 srom
                 the
                 other
              
               .
               He
               might
               therefore
               have
               saved
               himself
               the
               trouble
               of
               finding
               
                 out
                 how
                 an
                 acute
                 Wit
                 ,
                 or
                 great
                 Scholar
                 would
                 discover
                 the
              
               
               
                 weakness
                 of
                 this
                 way
              
               .
               For
               without
               pretending
               to
               be
               either
               of
               these
               ,
               I
               have
               
               found
               out
               another
               way
               of
               attaquing
               it
               ,
               then
               Mr.
               S.
               looked
               for
               :
               viz.
               from
               his
               own
               principles
               and
               concessions
               ;
               shewing
               how
               errors
               might
               come
               into
               a
               Church
               ,
               without
               a
               total
               deception
               or
               conspiracy
               in
               any
               one
               age
               .
               Which
               if
               it
               be
               true
               ,
               he
               cannot
               bind
               me
               to
               believe
               what
               ever
               he
               tells
               me
               the
               present
               Church
               delivers
               ,
               unless
               he
               can
               prove
               that
               this
               never
               came
               into
               the
               Church
               as
               a
               speculation
               or
               private
               opinion
               ,
               and
               from
               thence
               by
               degrees
               hath
               come
               to
               be
               accounted
               a
               point
               of
               faith
               .
               Therefore
               his
               way
               of
               proof
               is
               now
               quite
               altered
               ,
               and
               he
               cannot
               say
               we
               are
               bound
               to
               believe
               whatever
               the
               present
               Church
               delivers
               ;
               for
               that
               which
               he
               calls
               the
               present
               Church
               ,
               may
               have
               admitted
               speculations
               and
               private
               opinions
               into
               doctrines
               of
               faith
               ;
               but
               he
               must
               first
               prove
               such
               doctrines
               delivered
               by
               Christ
               or
               his
               Apostles
               ,
               and
               that
               from
               his
               time
               down
               to
               our
               age
               they
               have
               been
               received
               by
               the
               whole
               Church
               for
               matters
               of
               faith
               ;
               and
               when
               he
               hath
               done
               this
               ,
               as
               to
               any
               of
               the
               points
               in
               controversie
               between
               us
               ,
               I
               will
               promise
               him
               to
               be
               his
               Proselyte
               .
               But
               he
               ought
               still
               to
               remember
               that
               he
               
               is
               not
               to
               prove
               it
               impossible
               for
               one
               whole
               age
               to
               conspire
               to
               deceive
               the
               next
               ;
               but
               that
               supposing
               that
               ,
               it
               is
               impossible
               for
               any
               errors
               to
               come
               into
               the
               tradition
               of
               the
               Church
               .
               Let
               us
               now
               see
               what
               Mr.
               S.
               objects
               against
               those
               words
               I
               then
               used
               ,
               against
               the
               demonstrating
               this
               way
               ;
               
                 It
                 is
                 hard
                 to
                 conceive
                 what
                 reason
                 should
                 inforce
                 it
                 but
                 such
                 as
                 proves
                 the
                 impossibility
                 of
                 the
                 contrary
                 ;
                 and
                 they
                 have
                 understandings
                 of
                 another
                 mould
                 from
                 others
                 who
                 can
                 conceive
                 it
                 impossible
                 men
                 should
                 not
                 think
                 themselves
                 obliged
                 to
                 believe
                 and
                 do
                 all
                 just
                 as
                 their
                 predecessors
                 .
              
               And
               whatever
               Mr.
               S.
               sayes
               to
               the
               contrary
               ,
               
               I
               cannot
               yet
               see
               ,
               but
               that
               therein
               I
               argued
               
                 from
                 the
                 very
                 nature
                 and
                 constitution
                 of
                 the
                 thing
                 .
              
               For
               that
               which
               ●
               looked
               for
               ,
               was
               a
               demonstration
               ,
               which
               I
               supposed
               could
               not
               be
               unless
               the
               impossibility
               of
               the
               contrary
               were
               demonstrated
               .
               But
               if
               it
               be
               possible
               ,
               for
               men
               ,
               Christians
               ,
               nay
               Romanists
               to
               believe
               on
               other
               accounts
               then
               the
               tradition
               of
               the
               precedent
               age
               ,
               I
               pray
               what
               demonstration
               can
               there
               be
               ,
               that
               men
               must
               think
               themselves
               obliged
               to
               believe
               and
               do
               all
               just
               as
               their
               predecessors
               
               did
               ?
               Surely
               if
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               fancy
               had
               not
               been
               very
               extravagant
               ,
               he
               could
               never
               have
               thought
               here
               of
               
                 mens
                 being
                 obliged
                 to
                 cut
                 their
                 Beards
                 ,
                 or
                 wear
                 such
                 Garters
                 and
                 Hat-bands
                 as
                 their
                 fore-fathers
                 did
                 .
              
               For
               do
               I
               not
               mention
               
                 believing
                 first
                 and
                 then
                 doing
              
               ?
               by
               which
               it
               were
               easie
               to
               apprehend
               ,
               that
               I
               meant
               matters
               of
               faith
               ,
               and
               such
               practises
               as
               flow
               from
               them
               .
               Neither
               was
               there
               any
               such
               
                 crafty
                 and
                 sophistical
                 dealing
              
               as
               he
               charges
               me
               with
               ;
               for
               
               I
               am
               content
               his
               doctrine
               be
               taken
               in
               his
               own
               terms
               ;
               and
               I
               have
               now
               given
               a
               larger
               and
               fuller
               account
               why
               I
               am
               far
               from
               being
               convinced
               by
               the
               way
               he
               hath
               used
               for
               resolving
               faith
               .
               Passing
               by
               therefore
               his
               challenge
               ,
               which
               I
               accept
               of
               ,
               as
               long
               as
               he
               holds
               to
               the
               weapon
               of
               reason
               and
               civility
               ,
               I
               come
               to
               consider
               his
               last
               enquiry
               ,
               
                 why
                 I
                 should
                 come
                 to
                 doubt
                 of
                 such
                 an
                 obligation
              
               
               
                 in
                 posterity
                 to
                 believe
                 their
                 ancestors
                 in
                 matters
                 of
                 faith
              
               ;
               and
               he
               judiciously
               resolves
               it
               into
               
                 a
                 strange
                 distortion
                 of
                 human
                 nature
                 ,
              
               but
               such
               as
               it
               seems
               ,
               is
               the
               proper
               effect
               of
               the
               
                 Protestants
                 temper
              
               ,
               
               
                 which
                 is
              
               ,
               saith
               he
               ,
               
                 to
                 chuse
                 every
                 one
                 his
                 faith
                 ,
                 by
                 his
                 private
                 judgement
                 or
                 wit
                 
                 working
                 upon
                 disputable
                 words
                 .
              
               Which
               as
               far
               as
               we
               own
               it
               ,
               is
               ,
               not
               to
               believe
               what
               we
               see
               no
               ground
               for
               ;
               and
               if
               this
               be
               such
               a
               
                 distortion
                 of
                 humane
                 nature
              
               ,
               I
               envy
               not
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               uprightness
               and
               perfection
               .
               If
               he
               means
               that
               we
               build
               our
               faith
               on
               our
               private
               judgements
               in
               opposition
               to
               Scripture
               or
               the
               
                 Universal
                 Tradition
              
               of
               the
               Church
               in
               all
               ages
               ,
               let
               him
               prove
               it
               evidently
               in
               one
               particular
               ,
               and
               I
               engage
               for
               my self
               and
               all
               true
               Protestants
               ,
               we
               will
               renounce
               the
               belief
               of
               it
               .
               If
               he
               hath
               any
               thing
               further
               to
               object
               against
               the
               Grounds
               of
               our
               Religion
               ,
               he
               knows
               where
               to
               attaque
               me
               ;
               let
               him
               undertake
               the
               whole
               ;
               or
               else
               acknowledge
               it
               a
               most
               unreasonable
               thing
               thus
               to
               charge
               falsities
               upon
               us
               ,
               and
               then
               say
               we
               have
               nothing
               else
               to
               say
               for
               our selves
               .
               We
               pretend
               not
               to
               chuse
               our
               faith
               ,
               but
               heartily
               embrace
               whatever
               appears
               to
               have
               been
               delivered
               by
               Christ
               or
               his
               Apostles
               ;
               but
               we
               know
               the
               Church
               of
               Rome
               too
               well
               to
               believe
               all
               which
               she
               would
               impose
               upon
               us
               ,
               and
               are
               loth
               to
               have
               her
               chuse
               our
               Religion
               for
               us
               ,
               since
               we
               know
               she
               hath
               chosen
               so
               ill
               for
               her self
               .
               But
               if
               Mr.
               S.
               
               will
               not
               believe
               me
               in
               saying
               thus
               ,
               what
               reason
               have
               I
               to
               believe
               him
               in
               saying
               otherwise
               ?
               such
               general
               charges
               then
               signifie
               nothing
               ,
               but
               every
               one
               must
               judge
               according
               to
               the
               reason
               on
               both
               sides
               .
            
             
               I
               now
               come
               to
               the
               last
               part
               of
               my
               
               task
               ;
               which
               is
               to
               shew
               ,
               
                 that
                 this
                 way
                 is
                 repugnant
                 to
                 common
                 sense
                 and
                 experience
                 ,
                 and
                 that
                 the
                 Church
                 of
              
               Rome
               
                 hath
                 apparently
                 altered
                 from
                 what
                 was
                 the
                 belief
                 of
                 former
                 ages
                 .
              
               To
               which
               purpose
               my
               words
               are
               :
               
                 It
                 is
                 to
                 no
                 purpose
                 to
                 prove
                 the
                 impossibility
                 of
                 motion
                 when
                 I
                 see
                 men
                 move
                 ;
                 no
                 more
                 is
                 it
                 to
                 prove
                 that
                 no
                 age
                 of
                 the
                 Church
                 could
                 vary
                 from
                 the
                 preceding
                 ,
                 when
                 we
                 can
                 evidently
                 prove
                 that
                 they
                 have
                 done
                 it
                 .
                 And
                 therefore
                 this
                 argument
                 is
                 intended
                 only
                 to
                 catch
                 easie
                 minds
                 that
                 care
                 not
                 for
                 a
                 search
                 into
                 the
                 history
                 of
                 the
                 several
                 ages
                 of
                 the
                 Church
                 ,
                 but
                 had
                 rather
                 sit
                 down
                 with
                 a
                 superficial
                 subtilty
                 ,
                 then
                 spend
                 time
                 in
                 further
                 enquiries
                 .
              
               But
               
                 two
                 things
              
               Mr.
               S.
               tells
               me
               ,
               
                 are
                 required
                 ere
                 I
                 can
                 see
                 that
                 their
                 faith
                 varies
              
               
               
                 from
                 the
                 former
                 .
                 First
                 to
                 see
                 what
                 their
                 Church
                 holds
                 now
                 ,
                 and
                 then
                 to
                 see
                 
                 what
                 the
                 former
                 Church
                 held
                 before
                 ;
                 and
                 he
                 kindly
                 tells
                 me
                 ,
                 if
                 he
                 sees
                 any
                 thing
                 ,
                 I
                 see
                 neither
                 well
                 .
              
               It
               seems
               I
               want
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               spectacles
               of
               oral
               tradition
               to
               see
               with
               ;
               but
               as
               yet
               I
               have
               no
               cause
               to
               complain
               of
               the
               want
               of
               them
               ,
               but
               ●
               see
               much
               better
               without
               them
               ,
               the●
               with
               them
               .
               He
               tells
               me
               ,
               
                 I
                 cannot
                 see
                 what
                 their
                 present
                 Church
                 holds
                 ,
                 an●
                 therefore
                 I
                 cannot
                 assure
                 any
                 what
                 w●
                 held
                 before
                 ;
                 because
                 if
                 I
                 renounce
                 tradition
                 I
                 take
                 away
                 all
                 means
                 of
                 knowing
                 .
                 The
                 reason
                 why
                 I
                 cannot
                 candidly
                 see
              
               (
               as
               he
               phrases
               it
               )
               
                 what
                 their
                 Church
                 holds
                 now
                 ,
                 is
                 ,
                 because
                 I
                 cannot
                 distinguish
                 between
                 faith
                 and
                 its
                 explication
                 ,
                 some
                 Schoolmen
                 and
                 the
                 Church
                 .
              
               By
               which
               it
               seems
               it
               is
               impossible
               for
               me
               to
               know
               what
               their
               Church
               holds
               concerning
               
                 Invocation
                 of
                 Saints
                 ,
                 Worship
                 of
                 Images
                 ,
                 Communion
                 in
                 one
                 kind
              
               ;
               for
               those
               are
               the
               points
               I
               there
               mention
               ,
               wherein
               it
               is
               evident
               that
               the
               Church
               of
               Rome
               hath
               receded
               from
               the
               doctrine
               and
               practise
               of
               the
               Primitive
               Church
               .
               Or
               are
               these
               only
               the
               opinions
               and
               practises
               of
               some
               Schoolmen
               among
               them
               ,
               and
               not
               the
               doctrine
               and
               practise
               of
               their
               Church
               ?
               But
               that
               we
               
               might
               come
               to
               some
               fuller
               state
               of
               these
               controversies
               ,
               I
               wish
               M.
               S.
               would
               settle
               some
               sure
               way
               whereby
               we
               might
               know
               distinctly
               what
               are
               the
               doctrines
               and
               practises
               of
               their
               Church
               .
               If
               the
               Council
               of
               Trent
               and
               Roman-Catechism
               ,
               be
               said
               to
               be
               the
               rule
               of
               doctrine
               ,
               I
               desire
               no
               other
               ;
               so
               that
               those
               may
               be
               interpreted
               by
               practises
               universally
               allowed
               among
               them
               .
               As
               when
               that
               Council
               only
               defined
               that
               
                 due
                 honour
                 be
                 given
                 to
                 Saints
                 ,
              
               the
               general
               practise
               of
               that
               Church
               may
               tell
               us
               what
               they
               mean
               by
               that
               
                 due
                 honour
              
               ;
               and
               if
               that
               be
               not
               fair
               ,
               I
               know
               not
               what
               is
               .
               But
               I
               see
               all
               the
               shift
               Mr.
               S.
               hath
               ,
               is
               ,
               when
               he
               is
               pinched
               ,
               .
               to
               say
               
                 those
                 are
                 the
                 opinions
                 of
                 Schoolmen
                 and
                 private
                 speculators
                 ,
                 and
                 not
                 the
                 doctrine
                 of
                 their
                 Church
                 .
              
               And
               if
               such
               shifts
               as
               these
               are
               ,
               must
               serve
               the
               turn
               ,
               I
               should
               wonder
               if
               ever
               he
               be
               to
               seek
               for
               an
               answer
               .
               But
               the
               shortest
               answer
               of
               all
               would
               be
               that
               none
               but
               those
               of
               their
               Church
               can
               know
               what
               she
               holds
               ;
               and
               therefore
               it
               is
               to
               no
               purpose
               for
               Protestants
               to
               write
               against
               her
               :
               or
               it
               may
               be
               ,
               that
               none
               but
               Mr.
               S.
               and
               one
               or
               two
               more
               can
               tell
               ;
               for
               many
               among
               them
               say
               ,
               
               those
               are
               the
               doctrines
               of
               their
               Church
               which
               they
               deny
               to
               be
               .
               So
               that
               except
               Mr.
               White
               and
               Mr.
               S.
               and
               some
               very
               few
               demonstrators
               more
               ,
               all
               the
               rest
               are
               
                 Schoolmen
                 ,
                 private
                 opinators
              
               ,
               and
               not
               to
               be
               relyed
               on
               .
               
                 But
                 I
                 cannot
                 see
                 what
                 their
                 Church
                 held
                 formerly
                 neither
                 .
              
               
               No
               wonder
               at
               all
               of
               that
               ;
               for
               if
               I
               cannot
               see
               an
               object
               so
               near
               me
               as
               the
               present
               Church
               ,
               how
               can
               it
               be
               expected
               I
               should
               see
               one
               so
               much
               further
               off
               as
               the
               doctrine
               of
               former
               ages
               ?
               And
               his
               reason
               is
               so
               strong
               as
               may
               well
               perswade
               me
               out
               of
               one
               at
               least
               of
               my
               five
               senses
               .
               For
               ,
               saith
               he
               ,
               
                 if
                 I
                 question
                 tradition
                 ,
                 I
                 question
                 whether
                 there
                 be
                 any
                 doctrine
                 delivered
                 ,
                 and
                 so
                 any
                 Fathers
                 .
              
               And
               is
               not
               this
               argued
               like
               a
               Demonstrator
               ?
               First
               he
               supposes
               there
               never
               was
               any
               way
               used
               in
               the
               world
               but
               oral
               tradition
               ,
               and
               then
               strongly
               infers
               ,
               if
               I
               deny
               that
               ,
               I
               can
               know
               nothing
               .
               But
               I
               can
               yet
               hardly
               perswade
               my self
               that
               the
               Fathers
               only
               sate
               in
               Chimney
               corners
               teaching
               their
               Children
               by
               word
               of
               mouth
               ,
               and
               charging
               them
               to
               be
               sure
               to
               do
               so
               to
               theirs
               ;
               but
               as
               they
               loved
               preserving
               the
               doctrine
               of
               faith
               ,
               they
               should
               have
               a
               great
               
               care
               never
               to
               write
               down
               a
               word
               of
               it
               .
               But
               why
               I
               wonder
               ,
               should
               Mr.
               S.
               think
               that
               if
               I
               do
               not
               allow
               of
               ●ral
               tradition
               ,
               I
               must
               needs
               question
               whether
               there
               were
               any
               Fathers
               ?
               I
               had
               thought
               I
               might
               have
               known
               there
               had
               ●een
               Fathers
               by
               their
               Children
               ;
               I
               mean
               ●he
               Books
               they
               left
               behind
               them
               .
               But
               if
               ●ll
               Mr.
               S.
               pleads
               for
               be
               only
               this
               ,
               that
               ●o
               books
               can
               be
               certainly
               conveyed
               ●ithout
               tradition
               ,
               he
               disputes
               with●ut
               an
               adversary
               ;
               but
               as
               I
               never
               op●ose
               this
               ,
               so
               I
               am
               sure
               it
               doth
               him
               lite
               service
               .
               It
               is
               then
               from
               the
               books
               ●f
               the
               Fathers
               that
               I
               find
               what
               the
               sense
               ●f
               the
               Church
               of
               their
               age
               was
               ,
               and
               ●om
               thence
               I
               have
               shewed
               how
               vastly
               ●ifferent
               the
               opinions
               and
               practises
               of
               ●e
               
                 Roman
                 Church
              
               are
               from
               those
               of
               ●e
               Primitive
               .
               Although
               then
               I
               may
               ●ot
               think
               my self
               obliged
               to
               believe
               ●ll
               that
               the
               present
               Church
               delivers
               for
               ●atter
               of
               faith
               ;
               yet
               I
               hope
               I
               may
               find
               ●hat
               the
               opinions
               and
               practise
               of
               the
               ●ormer
               Church
               were
               by
               the
               records
               ●hat
               are
               left
               of
               it
               ;
               And
               the
               reason
               ●hy
               I
               cannot
               think
               any
               one
               obliged
               ●o
               believe
               what
               every
               age
               of
               the
               ●hurch
               delivers
               ,
               is
               ,
               because
               I
               think
               no
               
               man
               obliged
               to
               believe
               contradictions
               ;
               and
               I
               see
               the
               opinions
               and
               practises
               of
               several
               ages
               apparently
               contrary
               to
               each
               other
               .
            
             
               Well
               ,
               but
               I
               call
               this
               way
               a
               superficial
               
               subtilty
               :
               and
               so
               I
               think
               it
               still
               ;
               so
               little
               have
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               demonstrations
               wrought
               upon
               me
               .
               But
               ,
               saith
               he
               ,
               is
               
                 that
                 which
                 is
                 wholly
                 built
                 on
                 the
                 nature
                 of
                 things
                 superficial
                 ?
              
               No
               ;
               but
               that
               which
               pretends
               to
               be
               so
               built
               ,
               may
               .
               And
               of
               that
               nature
               I
               have
               shewed
               thi●
               way
               to
               be
               ,
               and
               not
               the
               former
               .
               Bu●
               that
               I
               may
               not
               think
               him
               Superficia●
               as
               well
               as
               his
               way
               ,
               he
               puts
               a
               profound
               Question
               to
               me
               ,
               
                 What
                 do
                 I
                 think
                 Controversie
                 is
                 ?
              
               and
               that
               he
               may
               the
               better
               let
               me
               know
               what
               it
               is
               ,
               he
               answers
               himself
               .
               
                 I
                 deal
                 plainly
                 with
                 you
              
               ,
               saith
               he
               ;
               
                 you
                 may
                 take
                 it
                 to
                 be
                 an
                 a●
                 of
                 talking
                 ,
                 and
                 I
                 think
                 you
                 do
                 so
                 ,
                 though
                 you
                 will
                 not
                 profess
                 it
                 ;
                 but
                 I
                 take
                 it
                 to
                 be
                 a
                 noble
                 science
                 .
              
               But
               to
               let
               him
               see
               that
               I
               will
               deal
               as
               plainly
               with
               him
               ,
               as
               he
               doth
               with
               me
               ,
               I
               will
               profess
               it
               ,
               that
               I
               not
               only
               think
               Controversie
               as
               usually
               managed
               ,
               but
               some
               mens
               way
               of
               demonstrating
               (
               Mr.
               S.
               may
               easily
               know
               
               whom
               I
               mean
               )
               to
               be
               a
               meer
               
                 art
                 of
                 ●alking
              
               ,
               and
               nothing
               else
               .
               But
               
                 he
                 takes
                 ●t
                 to
                 be
                 a
                 noble
                 science
                 :
              
               yes
               doubtless
               ,
               ●f
               Mr.
               S.
               manage
               it
               ,
               and
               he
               be
               the
               ●udge
               of
               it
               himself
               .
               His
               meaning
               I
               ●uppose
               is
               ,
               by
               his
               following
               words
               ,
               
               
                 ●hat
                 be
                 goes
                 upon
                 certain
                 principles
                 ,
                 and
                 ●e
                 do
                 not
                 .
              
               We
               have
               already
               seen
               how
               ●ertain
               his
               principles
               have
               been
               ,
               and
               I
               ●hould
               be
               somewhat
               ashamed
               of
               my
               ●eligion
               if
               I
               had
               no
               better
               .
               But
               what
               ●ur
               rule
               of
               faith
               is
               ,
               hath
               been
               so
               amply
               ●iscoursed
               already
               by
               you
               ,
               and
               that
               in
               ●r
               .
               
                 S's
                 .
                 clearing
                 method
              
               ,
               that
               nothing
               ●
               left
               for
               me
               to
               do
               ,
               but
               to
               touch
               at
               ●hat
               remains
               ,
               and
               concludes
               this
               an●er
               .
               I
               had
               the
               better
               to
               illustrate
               ●he
               weakness
               of
               that
               argument
               from
               
                 ●ral
                 tradition
              
               ,
               brought
               an
               instance
               in
               ●hat
               case
               parallel
               ,
               viz.
               that
               if
               one
               ages
               ●elivering
               to
               another
               would
               prove
               that
               ●e
               faith
               of
               Christ
               was
               in
               every
               age
               ●nalterable
               ,
               because
               no
               age
               did
               testifie
               ●ny
               such
               alteration
               to
               be
               in
               it
               ;
               by
               ●he
               same
               argument
               the
               world
               might
               be
               ●roved
               eternal
               ,
               because
               no
               age
               did
               ●ver
               testifie
               to
               another
               ,
               that
               the
               world
               ●as
               ever
               otherwise
               then
               it
               is
               .
               So
               that
               ●f
               oral
               tradition
               were
               only
               to
               be
               relied
               
               on
               ,
               there
               could
               be
               no
               evidence
               given
               of
               the
               worlds
               being
               ever
               otherwise
               then
               it
               is
               ,
               and
               consequently
               the
               world
               must
               be
               believed
               to
               have
               been
               alwayes
               what
               we
               see
               it
               is
               .
               This
               a●
               far
               as
               I
               can
               apprehend
               ,
               is
               a
               clear
               and
               distinct
               ratiocination
               ,
               and
               purposely
               designed
               to
               prove
               that
               we
               must
               admit
               o●
               other
               rules
               to
               judge
               of
               alterations
               i●
               the
               Church
               by
               besides
               oral
               tradition
               ▪
               But
               Mr.
               S.
               (
               in
               his
               own
               expression
               )
               
                 strangely
                 roving
                 from
                 the
                 mark
              
               I
               aime●
               at
               ,
               professes
               
                 there
                 is
                 not
                 a
                 tittle
                 in
                 i●
              
               
               
                 parallel
                 to
                 his
              
               medium
               ,
               
                 nay
                 that
                 he
                 never
                 saw
                 in
                 his
                 life
                 more
                 absurdities
                 couche●
                 in
                 fewer
                 words
                 .
              
               But
               I
               must
               take
               al●
               patiently
               from
               a
               man
               
                 who
                 still
                 perche●
                 on
                 the
                 specifical
                 nature
                 of
                 things
                 and
                 never
                 flags
                 below
                 the
                 sphere
                 of
                 science
                 .
              
               Yet
               by
               his
               good
               leave
               ,
               he
               either
               apprehends
               not
               ,
               or
               wilfully
               mistakes
               my
               meaning
               :
               for
               my
               argument
               doth
               no●
               proceed
               upon
               the
               belief
               of
               the
               world●
               eternity
               ,
               which
               in
               his
               answer
               he
               run●
               wholly
               upon
               as
               far
               as
               
                 eighthly
                 and
                 lastly
              
               
               but
               upon
               the
               evidence
               of
               oral
               tradition
               as
               to
               no
               discernable
               alteration
               in
               an●
               age
               of
               it
               .
               For
               the
               Question
               between
               us●
               is
               ,
               whether
               in
               matters
               of
               alteration
               i●
               
               the
               fa●
               or
               practice
               of
               the
               Church
               we
               are
               bound
               to
               rely
               only
               on
               the
               testimony
               of
               oral
               tradition
               ;
               so
               that
               if
               no
               age
               can
               be
               instanced
               in
               wherein
               any
               alteration
               was
               made
               ,
               and
               this
               delivered
               by
               that
               age
               ,
               then
               we
               are
               bound
               to
               believe
               there
               hath
               been
               no
               alteraration
               since
               Christ
               and
               the
               Apostles
               times
               :
               now
               I
               say
               ,
               if
               this
               ●old
               good
               ,
               I
               will
               prove
               the
               world
               eternal
               by
               the
               same
               argument
               ;
               taking
               this
               for
               our
               principle
               ,
               that
               we
               are
               bound
               to
               rely
               only
               on
               oral
               tradition
               in
               the
               case
               ,
               originally
               derived
               from
               the
               matter
               of
               fact
               seen
               by
               those
               of
               the
               first
               age
               ;
               for
               that
               which
               never
               was
               otherwise
               then
               it
               is
               ,
               is
               eternal
               ;
               but
               we
               cannot
               know
               by
               oral
               tradition
               that
               the
               world
               ever
               was
               otherwise
               then
               it
               is
               :
               for
               no
               age
               of
               the
               world
               can
               be
               instanced
               in
               ,
               wherein
               we
               have
               any
               testimony
               of
               any
               alteration
               that
               was
               in
               it
               ▪
               Either
               then
               we
               must
               believe
               that
               the
               world
               ever
               was
               what
               it
               is
               ,
               
                 i.
                 e.
              
               Eternal
               ;
               or
               else
               we
               must
               say
               ,
               that
               we
               are
               not
               to
               rely
               barely
               on
               oral
               tradition
               in
               this
               case
               ,
               but
               we
               must
               judge
               whether
               the
               world
               were
               made
               or
               no
               ,
               by
               other
               mediums
               of
               Scripture
               and
               reason
               .
               And
               
               this
               was
               all
               which
               I
               aimed
               at
               ,
               viz.
               to
               shew
               that
               where
               there
               is
               no
               evidence
               from
               oral
               tradition
               ,
               yet
               if
               there
               be
               Scripture
               and
               reason
               ,
               there
               is
               sufficient
               ground
               for
               our
               faith
               to
               stand
               upon
               .
               And
               so
               I
               apply
               it
               to
               the
               present
               case
               ;
               though
               we
               could
               not
               prove
               barely
               from
               the
               tradition
               of
               any
               one
               age
               that
               there
               had
               been
               any
               alteration
               in
               the
               faith
               or
               practice
               of
               the
               Church
               ;
               yet
               if
               I
               can
               prove
               that
               there
               hath
               been
               such
               from
               Scripture
               and
               reason
               ,
               this
               is
               sufficient
               for
               me
               to
               believe
               it
               .
               And
               now
               I
               dare
               appeal
               to
               the
               indifferent
               Reader
               ,
               ●ether
               thi●
               be
               so
               
                 full
                 of
                 absurdities
              
               ,
               or
               it
               b●
               such
               a
               
                 rambling
                 Chimerical
                 argumen●
              
               (
               as
               he
               calls
               it
               )
               
                 no
                 two
                 pieces
                 ●
                 which
                 hang
                 together
                 with
                 themselves
                 〈◊〉
              
               
               
                 any
                 thing
                 else
              
               .
               Which
               being
               expressions
               of
               as
               great
               modesty
               as
               science
               ▪
               I
               am
               content
               Mr.
               S.
               should
               bear
               away
               the
               honour
               of
               them
               and
               his
               demo●strations
               together
               .
            
             
               The
               last
               thing
               he
               quarrels
               wit●
               me
               for
               ,
               is
               ,
               that
               I
               say
               ,
               
                 if
                 we
                 can
                 ●v
                 dently
              
               
               
                 prove
                 that
                 there
                 have
                 been
                 al●
                 rations
                 in
                 the
                 Church
                 ,
                 then
                 it
                 is
                 to
                 ●
                 
                 purpose
                 to
                 prove
                 that
                 impossible
                 which
                 we
                 see
                 actually
                 done
                 .
                 And
                 this
                 appears
                 not
                 only
                 because
                 the
                 Scripture
                 supposes
                 a
                 degeneracy
                 in
                 the
                 Christian
                 Church
                 ,
                 which
                 could
                 never
                 be
                 ,
                 if
                 every
                 age
                 of
                 the
                 Church
                 did
                 insa●libly
                 believe
                 and
                 practise
                 as
                 the
                 precedent
                 up
                 to
                 Christs
                 time
                 did
                 :
                 but
                 because
                 we
                 can
                 produce
                 clear
                 evidence
                 that
                 some
                 things
                 are
                 delivered
                 by
                 the
                 present
                 Church
                 which
                 must
                 be
                 brought
                 in
                 by
                 some
                 age
                 since
                 the
                 time
                 of
                 Christ.
                 For
                 which
                 I
                 refer
                 the
                 Reader
                 to
                 what
                 I
                 had
                 said
                 about
                 communion
                 in
                 one
                 kind
                 ,
                 Invocation
                 of
                 Saints
                 ,
                 and
                 worship
                 of
                 Images
                 :
                 In
                 all
                 which
                 ,
              
               I
               say
               ,
               
                 I
                 had
                 proved
                 evidently
                 that
                 they
                 were
                 not
                 in
                 use
                 in
                 some
                 ages
                 of
                 the
                 Christian
                 Church
                 ;
                 and
                 it
                 is
                 as
                 evident
                 that
                 these
                 are
                 delivered
                 by
                 the
                 present
                 Church
                 ,
                 and
                 therefore
                 this
                 principle
                 must
                 needs
                 be
                 false
                 .
              
               In
               answer
               to
               this
               ,
               Mr.
               S.
               wishes
               ,
               
                 I
                 would
                 tell
                 him
                 first
                 what
                 evidence
                 means
                 ,
                 whether
                 a
                 strong
                 fancy
                 or
                 a
                 demonstration
                 ?
              
               I
               mean
               that
               which
               is
               enough
               to
               perswade
               a
               wise
               man
               who
               judges
               according
               to
               the
               clearest
               reason
               ,
               which
               I
               am
               sure
               is
               more
               then
               ever
               his
               demonstrations
               will
               do
               .
               But
               it
               is
               a
               pleasant
               spectacle
               
               to
               see
               how
               Mr.
               S.
               layes
               about
               him
               at
               my
               saying
               that
               the
               Scripture
               supposes
               a
               degeneracy
               in
               the
               Christian
               Church
               .
               
                 Incomparably
                 argued
              
               !
               saith
               he
               ;
               
                 why
                 ,
                 see
                 we
                 not
                 the
                 place
                 ?
                 does
                 it
                 evidently
                 speak
                 of
                 faith
                 or
                 manners
                 ,
                 the
                 Universal
                 Church
                 or
                 particular
                 persons
                 ?
                 but
                 be
                 it
                 in
                 faith
                 ,
                 be
                 it
                 universal
                 ,
                 does
                 it
                 suppose
                 this
                 degeneracy
                 already
                 past
                 ,
                 which
                 is
                 only
                 proper
                 to
                 your
                 purpose
                 ,
                 or
                 yet
                 to
                 come
                 ?
                 That
                 is
                 ,
                 does
                 it
                 say
                 there
                 must
                 be
                 a
                 total
                 Apostacy
                 in
                 faith
                 before
                 the
                 year
              
               1664.
               ?
               
                 Alas
                 he
                 had
                 forgot
                 this
              
               .
               Most
               incomparably
               answered
               !
               For
               if
               the
               degeneracy
               be
               in
               1665.
               or
               any
               years
               a●ter
               ,
               what
               becomes
               of
               M.
               S's
               .
               d●monstration
               then
               ,
               that
               no
               errors
               could
               come
               into
               the
               Church
               ?
               but
               it
               seems
               his
               demonstration
               holds
               but
               till
               1664.
               and
               I
               easily
               believe
               an
               other
               year
               will
               never
               believe
               the
               truth
               of
               it
               .
               But
               if
               such
               a
               thing
               as
               a
               degeneracy
               be
               possible
               ,
               how
               then
               stands
               the
               infallibility
               of
               tradition
               ?
               when
               there
               can
               be
               no
               degeneracy
               without
               falling
               from
               the
               doctrine
               and
               practices
               of
               Christ
               and
               his
               Apostles
               .
               But
               that
               such
               a
               degeneracy
               hath
               already
               been
               in
               that
               which
               calls
               it self
               the
               
                 Catholick
                 Church
              
               ,
               
               and
               that
               both
               in
               faith
               and
               manners
               ,
               I
               shall
               referr
               Mr.
               S.
               to
               the
               learned
               Author
               of
               the
               late
               
                 Idea
                 of
                 Antichristianism
              
               ,
               and
               
                 Synopsis
                 Prophetica
              
               ,
               where
               he
               may
               find
               enough
               to
               perswade
               him
               that
               his
               demonstration
               was
               far
               from
               holding
               so
               long
               as
               1664.
               
               And
               now
               I
               leave
               the
               Reader
               to
               judge
               whether
               the
               foregoing
               evidences
               against
               the
               infallibility
               of
               
                 oral
                 tradition
              
               ,
               or
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               demonstrations
               have
               the
               greater
               force
               of
               reason
               in
               them
               .
               And
               if
               he
               will
               not
               stoop
               so
               far
               from
               the
               height
               of
               his
               perch
               as
               to
               take
               notice
               of
               what
               I
               have
               elsewhere
               said
               ,
               I
               am
               resolved
               to
               let
               him
               see
               I
               am
               not
               at
               all
               concerned
               about
               it
               :
               I
               begin
               to
               understand
               him
               so
               well
               by
               this
               Appendix
               ,
               that
               I
               can
               give
               my self
               a
               reasonable
               account
               why
               he
               thought
               it
               not
               sit
               to
               meddle
               with
               any
               other
               part
               of
               my
               book
               .
               But
               if
               Mr.
               S.
               be
               resolved
               not
               to
               answer
               any
               of
               the
               testimonies
               I
               there
               produce
               ,
               unless
               I
               
               
                 single
                 them
                 out
                 and
                 print
                 them
                 at
                 the
                 end
                 of
                 this
                 Answer
                 ,
              
               (
               i.
               e.
               remove
               them
               from
               that
               evidence
               which
               attends
               them
               in
               the
               series
               of
               the
               discourse
               )
               I
               can
               only
               say
               ,
               he
               is
               the
               most
               imperious
               answerer
               I
               have
               met
               with
               ,
               who
               is
               resolved
               
               never
               to
               deal
               with
               an
               adversary
               ,
               but
               on
               his
               own
               unreasonable
               terms
               .
               Thus
               ,
               heartily
               wishing
               Mr.
               S's
               .
               Science
               as
               great
               as
               his
               opinion
               of
               it
               ,
               and
               a
               good
               effect
               of
               our
               endeavours
               to
               promote
               the
               one
               ,
               by
               removing
               the
               other
               ,
               I
               am
            
             
               
                 Sir
                 ,
              
               
                 Your
                 affectionate
                 friend
                 and
                 servant
                 ,
                 Edward
                 Stillingfleet
                 .
              
               
                 London
                 .
                 
                   June
                   28.
                   
                
              
            
          
        
         
           FINIS
           .
        
      
    
     
       
         
         
           Postscript
           .
        
         
           
             SIR
             ,
          
        
         
           SInce
           the
           dispatch
           of
           the
           former
           Papers
           ,
           I
           have
           met
           with
           another
           Treatise
           ,
           wherein
           I
           find
           my self
           concerned
           ,
           written
           by
           the
           author
           of
           
             Fiat
             Lux
          
           ,
           the
           Title
           whereof
           is
           Diaphanta
           :
           I
           am
           afraid
           the
           Title
           affrights
           you
           ;
           for
           I
           assure
           you
           it
           is
           the
           most
           formidable
           thing
           in
           his
           whole
           Book
           .
           But
           the
           man
           is
           a
           very
           modest
           man
           and
           hugely
           different
           from
           Mr.
           S's
           .
           humor
           ;
           for
           he
           is
           so
           far
           from
           offering
           to
           demonstrate
           
           the
           grounds
           of
           faith
           ;
           that
           all
           he
           pretends
           to
           in
           the
           title
           of
           his
           book
           ,
           i●
           
             to
             excuse
             Catholick
             Religion
             against
             the
             opposition
             of
             several
             Adversaries
             .
          
           What
           fault
           I
           pray
           hath
           the
           
             Catholick
             Religion
          
           committed
           ,
           that
           it
           must
           now
           come
           to
           be
           excused
           inst●ad
           of
           being
           defended
           ?
           But
           when
           I
           look
           into
           that
           part
           which
           concerns
           my self
           ,
           I
           presently
           understand
           the
           meaning
           of
           it
           ,
           which
           is
           not
           
             to
             excuse
             Catholick
             Religion
          
           ,
           but
           themselves
           ,
           for
           not
           being
           able
           to
           defend
           it
           .
           For
           he
           very
           ingenuously
           tells
           us
           ,
           
             that
             faith
             is
             firm
             and
             constant
             ,
          
           
           
             though
             all
             his
             talk
             for
             it
             be
             miserably
             weak
             :
             i.
             e.
          
           he
           is
           sure
           they
           have
           an
           excellent
           Religion
           ,
           though
           he
           knows
           not
           what
           to
           say
           for
           it
           ;
           and
           their
           faith
           is
           a
           very
           good
           faith
           ,
           but
           it
           hath
           not
           yet
           had
           the
           good
           fortune
           to
           be
           understood
           by
           them
           .
           For
           he
           acknowledges
           ,
           that
           
             as
             often
             as
             they
             dispute
          
           ,
           
           
             they
             are
             beyond
             the
             business
          
           ,
           (
           so
           may
           any
           one
           believe
           ,
           who
           reads
           their
           late
           books
           ,
           )
           which
           is
           in
           effect
           to
           say
           ,
           there
           is
           no
           way
           left
           of
           disputing
           any
           longer
           with
           adversaries
           about
           their
           faith
           ;
           only
           they
           must
           believe
           it
           stoutly
           themselves
           ;
           
           but
           it
           is
           to
           no
           purpose
           to
           offer
           to
           defend
           it
           .
           Nay
           ,
           it
           doth
           their
           faith
           a
           great
           deal
           of
           mischief
           ;
           for
           ,
           saith
           he
           ,
           
             in
             reading
             controversies
             we
             see
             not
             so
             much
             the
             nature
             of
             the
             faith
             ,
             as
             the
             wit
             of
             him
             who
             opposes
             or
             defends
             it
             .
          
           From
           whence
           we
           may
           easily
           gather
           what
           unspeakable
           mischief
           they
           do
           their
           cause
           by
           writing
           for
           it
           .
           By
           which
           expressions
           we
           may
           guess
           ,
           at
           what
           a
           low
           ebbe
           the
           defence
           of
           their
           faith
           is
           among
           them
           :
           for
           the
           way
           now
           taken
           to
           defend
           it
           ,
           is
           by
           disowning
           the
           defenders
           of
           it
           ,
           and
           by
           saying
           ,
           that
           they
           only
           vent
           their
           own
           opinions
           ;
           and
           though
           we
           confute
           them
           never
           so
           much
           ,
           yet
           their
           faith
           holds
           good
           still
           .
           Was
           ever
           a
           good
           cause
           driven
           to
           such
           miserable
           shifts
           as
           these
           are
           ,
           especially
           among
           those
           who
           pretend
           to
           wit
           and
           learning
           ?
           One
           ,
           he
           saith
           ,
           
             T.
             C.
          
           vents
           a
           private
           opinion
           of
           his
           own
           ,
           and
           it
           is
           not
           a
           pin
           matter
           whether
           it
           stand
           or
           fall
           ;
           another
           ,
           he
           saith
           ,
           the
           same
           of
           
             I.
             S.
          
           a
           third
           of
           
             J.
             V.
             C.
          
           and
           yet
           for
           all
           this
           ,
           their
           religion
           is
           very
           firm
           and
           sure
           ,
           and
           they
           all
           at
           perfect
           agreement
           
           about
           it
           .
           Is
           this
           the
           
             victory
             over
             me
          
           Mr.
           S.
           mentions
           to
           be
           so
           easie
           a
           thing
           ?
           I
           see
           that
           by
           the
           same
           figure
           Mr.
           S.
           calls
           his
           way
           of
           arguing
           demonstration
           ,
           running
           out
           of
           the
           field
           shall
           be
           accounted
           conquering
           .
           For
           I
           never
           saw
           any
           person
           do
           it
           more
           openly
           then
           this
           author
           does
           .
           For
           he
           plainly
           confesses
           ,
           
             that
             his
             Catholick
             Gentleman
             went
             quite
             besides
             his
             business
             ,
             that
             he
             built
             upon
             indefensible
             principles
             ,
             that
             his
             theological
             ratiocination
             was
             indeed
             pretty
             ,
             but
             too
             weak
             to
             hold
             .
          
           And
           are
           not
           we
           hugely
           too
           blame
           ,
           if
           we
           do
           not
           cry
           up
           such
           mighty
           Conquerors
           as
           these
           are
           ?
           Truly
           Sir
           ,
           I
           expect
           the
           very
           same
           answer
           should
           be
           returned
           to
           your
           book
           ;
           that
           Mr.
           S's
           .
           argument
           ,
           
             is
             a
             pretty
             theological
             ratiocination
             ;
             and
             that
             your
             answer
             is
             not
             unwitty
             :
             but
             though
             that
             way
             will
             not
             hold
             ,
             another
             will.
          
           Thus
           when
           they
           are
           beaten
           off
           Infallibility
           ,
           they
           run
           to
           Tradition
           :
           and
           when
           they
           are
           again
           beaten
           off
           Tradition
           ,
           then
           back
           again
           to
           Infallibility
           .
           So
           that
           the
           short
           of
           all
           their
           answers
           is
           ,
           though
           such
           a
           one
           cannot
           defend
           our
           faith
           ,
           yet
           I
           
           can
           ;
           though
           I
           cannot
           ,
           yet
           the
           fai●●s
           firm
           and
           constant
           still
           .
           I
           wonder
           what
           their
           Superiors
           think
           of
           this
           ●ay
           of
           proceeding
           among
           them
           ;
           we
           ●hould
           imagine
           if
           they
           be
           so
           weak
           ●s
           they
           say
           themselves
           ,
           they
           had
           much
           ●etter
           keep
           them
           from
           appearing
           ●broad
           and
           exposing
           their
           cause
           so
           ●idiculously
           to
           contempt
           .
           But
           it
           may
           ●e
           ,
           they
           think
           their
           faith
           is
           the
           bet●er
           as
           well
           as
           their
           devotion
           ,
           for
           their
           ●gnorance
           :
           and
           that
           it
           would
           be
           a
           ●ighty
           disparagement
           to
           their
           cause
           ,
           ●or
           such
           silly
           people
           to
           be
           able
           to
           de●end
           it
           .
           It
           is
           enough
           for
           them
           to
           ●dmire
           it
           themselves
           ,
           and
           to
           say
           as
           ●heir
           common
           people
           use
           to
           do
           ,
           though
           ●hey
           cannot
           defend
           it
           ,
           yet
           there
           are
           ●ome
           that
           can
           .
           And
           although
           it
           ●ay
           be
           no
           particular
           person
           can
           do
           ●
           ,
           yet
           their
           cause
           is
           able
           to
           defend
           ●
           self
           .
           But
           for
           all
           that
           I
           can
           see
           ,
           by
           ●ck
           kind
           of
           answers
           ,
           the
           intention
           of
           ●hem
           ,
           is
           ,
           to
           intreat
           us
           ,
           not
           to
           tri●mph
           over
           the
           weakness
           of
           their
           pre●nt
           Writers
           ,
           but
           to
           wait
           till
           the
           ●ause
           it self
           thinks
           fit
           to
           write
           .
           And
           
           when
           it
           doth
           so
           ,
           they
           may
           expect
           further
           answer
           ;
           but
           it
           were
           a
           grea●
           piece
           of
           cruelty
           for
           us
           to
           hasten
           the●
           ruine
           ,
           who
           fall
           so
           fast
           before
           us
           b●
           each
           others
           Pens
           .
        
         
           FINIS
           .
        
      
       
         
           ERRATA
           .
        
         
           Page
           16.
           l.
           16.
           for
           that
           ,
           r.
           than
           :
           p.
           2●
           l.
           8.
           for
           errors
           ,
           r.
           concerns
           .
        
      
       
         
         
           Books
           Printed
           for
           ,
           and
           Sold
           by
           
             Henry
             Mortlock
          
           at
           the
           Sign
           of
           the
           Phoenix
           in
           St.
           Pauls
           Church-yard
           near
           the
           little
           North
           door
           .
        
         
           A
           Rational
           Account
           of
           the
           ●rounds
           of
           Protestant
           Religion
           ;
           being
           a
           Vindication
           of
           the
           Lord-Achbishop
           of
           Canterburyes
           Relation
           of
           a
           Conference
           ,
           &c.
           from
           the
           pretended
           Answer
           by
           
             T.
             C.
          
           wherein
           the
           true
           Grounds
           of
           Faith
           are
           cleared
           ,
           and
           the
           false
           discovered
           ;
           the
           Church
           of
           England
           justified
           from
           the
           imputation
           of
           Schism
           ;
           and
           the
           most
           Important
           particular
           Controversies
           between
           us
           and
           those
           of
           the
           Church
           of
           Rome
           thoughly
           
           Examined
           :
           by
           
             Edward
             Stillingflee●
          
           B.
           D.
           
        
         
           
             Origines
             Sacrae
          
           ;
           or
           a
           Rational
           Account
           of
           the
           Grounds
           of
           Christian
           Faith
           ,
           as
           to
           the
           Truth
           and
           Divine
           Authority
           of
           the
           Scriptures
           ,
           and
           the
           matters
           therein
           contained
           :
           by
           the
           sam
           Author
           :
           The
           third
           Edition
           Correcte●
           and
           Amended
           .
        
         
           Irenicum
           :
           A
           Weapon-Salve
           for
           the
           Churches
           Wounds
           :
           by
           the
           same
           Author
           .
        
         
           Shecinah
           :
           A
           Demonstration
           of
           the
           Divine
           Presence
           in
           Places
           of
           Religious
           Worship
           :
           by
           
             J.
             Stillingfleet
          
           Rector
           of
           Beckingham
           in
           Lincolnshire
           .
        
         
           The
           Moral
           Philosophy
           of
           the
           
             Stoicks
             Bain
          
           upon
           the
           Ephesians
           .
        
         
           Knowledge
           and
           Practice
           :
           or
           a
           plain
           Discourse
           of
           the
           chief
           things
           necessary
           to
           be
           known
           ,
           believed
           and
           practised
           in
           order
           to
           salvation
           :
           by
           
             Sa●
             Cradock
          
           B.
           D.
           The
           second
           Edition
           Corrected
           and
           Enlarged
           ,
           &c.
           
        
         
           The
           Believers
           Duty
           towards
           the
           Spirit
           ;
           the
           Sprits
           Office
           towards
           Believers
           by
           
             H.
             H.
          
           B.
           D.
           
        
         
      
       
         Notes, typically marginal, from the original text
         
           Notes for div A61594-e150
           
             §.
             1.
             
          
           
             p.
             236.
             
          
           
             p.
             202.
             
          
           
             §.
             2.
             
          
           
             p.
             203.
             
          
           
             P.
             204.
             
          
           
             §
             3.
             
          
           
             §.
             4.
             
          
           
             P.
             205.
             
          
           
             §.
             1.
             5.
             
          
           
             §.
             6.
             
          
           
             p.
             203.
             
          
           
             §.
             7.
             
          
           
             §.
             8.
             
          
           
             p.
             05.
             
          
           
             p.
             206.
             
          
           
             P.
             207.
             
          
           
             §.
             9.
             p.
             208.
             
          
           
             §.
             10.
             
          
           
             
               De
               fide
               &
               Th●ol
               .
               tract
               .
            
             2
             ,
             sect
             .
             22.
             p.
             158.
             
          
           
             Ibid.
             
          
           
             P.
             209.
             
          
           
             
               Tabul
               .
               suffrag
               .
               p.
            
             318.
             
          
           
             §.
             11.
             
          
           
             p.
             210.
             
          
           
             §.
             12.
             
          
           
             p.
             211.
             
          
           
             p.
             212.
             
          
           
             p.
             213.
             
          
           
             p.
             214.
             
          
           
             §.
             13.
             
          
           
             p.
             216.
             
          
           
             §.
             14.
             
          
           
             p.
             236.
             
          
           
             p.
             217.
             
          
           
             p.
             218.
             
          
           
             p.
             223.
             
          
           
             §.
             15.
             
          
           
             p.
             224.
             
          
           
             Part.
             1.
             chap.
             ●
             .
          
           
             §.
             16.
             
             ●
             .
             229.
             &c.
             
          
           
             p.
             231.
             
          
           
             p.
             234.
             
          
           
             p.
             235.
             
          
           
             p.
             236.
             
          
           
             P.
             237.
             
          
           
             §.
             17.
             
          
           
             p.
             238.
             
          
           
             p.
             239.
             
          
           
             §.
             18.
             
          
           
             p
             ;
             240.
             
          
           
             p.
             241.
             
          
           
             p.
             242.
             
          
           
             p.
             243.
             
          
           
             §.
             19.
             
          
           
             p.
             244.
             
          
        
         
           Notes for div A61594-e14160
           
             p.
             210.
             
          
           
             p.
             2●9
             .