A METHOD To Gain Satisfaction IN RELIGION.  
Proposed Occasionally in a Letter to a FRIEND.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Hierocles. 
By J. P. Philologos.  
London, Printed by T. M. for Barber Tooth at the White-Horse by York-House in the Strand, 1673.   

March 12. 1672/ 3.  
SIR,  
NO sooner did sleep this morning peep out of the door of my Senses, but you opened the door of my Chamber, about the time when the ushering beams of the Sun began to gild our Heavens: my vigilant Soul then taking her place to actuate all my faculties, she no sooner darted out a short Ejaculation to her Maker, but what was casually discoursed of last night, was presented to my thoughts: I considered how uncouth and strange that very method of searching after the truths of Religion seemed to you, which to me hath been the Pool Star to direct my trembling mind, and from which no other Arguments (I could yet meet with) could ever entice my Reason to make any variation: which made me again reflect, that God is as much to be admired for the various genius of men, as for their different Physiognomy: that there may be Garments of divers fashions cut out of one piece of Stuff: the same faith may be held upon different Ratiotinations: But since, Sir, by this method I reaped so great satisfaction myself, I could not choose (out of a sense of your zealous enquiery after the same truths, and your seeming Concessions to them) but to offer these, whereby my meaning may be more intelligible, Discourse being often liable to misapprehensions: My Relative Respect due to you hath been a further enforcement to acquaint you, with what hath proved so satisfactory to me, though not so methodically, as (perhaps) I might have done, if I had took more time; or so strongly, as if I had had the conveniency of those helps, I have sometimes had: However, upon the aforesaid Considerations, I present you with the following severals.  
(1) I at first considered with myself, that all Superstructures must needs be sandy and weak, whose foundation is not surely laid: And he that desires to be satisfied in Religion, aught to begin with searching out, and establishing the grounds on which Religion is built.  
(2) There are two things from whence the Existence of Religion is to be concluded, viz. Revelation and Reason; by Reason I understand a natural inbread Principle of Truth wrought upon the Soul by Revelation, the Mind or Will of God coming immediately from himself, or from those who were divinely inspired by him.  
(3.) The Being of a God is to be presupposed to Faith in Revelation: Revelation supposes the being of a God, but cannot prove it: For we can have no security, that the Revelation is true, till we are assured it is from God.  
(4.) The Fundamental Proof of the Being of a God, is Right Reason: the Apostle acknowledgeth the Existence of God to be proved by those inbred Notices which God hath naturally planted in the Souls of all mankind, the Heathen not excepted, Rom. 1.19. what matter the Beauty, Order and usefulness of the Creatures do afford us, for Religious acknowledgement, is naturally rational: And whatsoever Revelation yields us for the same, is as truly rational as that: for when we are once convinced of the Divine Authority of the Revelation, mere Reason will force us to its assent. Why God is to be believed, when he hath Revealed any thing, is not a Task for a Rational Creature, however for any that own Christianity.  
(5.) So that the first and main thing, that my inquisitive Mind sought to be satisfied in, was to assure myself of the Divine Authority of S. Scripture, which was Divine Revelation; what it was, Christ hath taught:  
(6.) Though Scripture be Sufficient for its end, yet Reason must be presupposed to it: As I take Reason (which is nothing else but another part of God's word) to be the foundation of Religion, so I take Tradition (which is the Universal Consent of those Ages immediately succeeding the Apostles, before the Emperors turned Christian) to be hugely serviceable, if not absolutely necessary to inform and rectify my Reason, as being the only means to convince my Reason of the Divine Authority of that Book we call the Bible: and I did not think myself bound to believe what is there declared, till I had Reason to think that God was the Revealer, otherwise it had not been Faith, but vain Credulity.  
(7.) Therefore applying myself to the Test of Tradition, I became thereby convinced and persuaded, that the Books which we call the Bible, were the only-truly-divine Revelation, as they are numbered in the 6th. Article of Religion, set forth by the Church of England, 1562. So that by the care of those that lived at the Fountainhead of Christianity (God by his Providence so disposing and preserving it through all succeeding Ages) I came to know the Word of God: not knowing of any other way left to yield me the like satisfaction.  
(8.) Now being to be fully persuaded of the Divine Authority of the Bible, my next undertaking was to satisfy myself how I should come to understand the Right Sense, or be assured of the true meaning of the Text. That they are the Words of God, my Reason assents; and that which I was next to inquire after, was, how to be assured of their true meaning.  
(9) And first I concluded with myself Negatively, That the Letter alone was not a sufficient means to assure me of the true Sense of the Scripture. Since (not to insist, that if it should be denied in whole or in part (as most of the Books of the new Testament have been by some or other) the Letter could not evidence itself) the experience of so many erring thousands is a lamentable, but a convincing Proof of it. As to instance, let any unprejudiced Person set himself impartially to examine severally and by themselves, the Interpretations and Glosses, the Independents, Presbyterians, Papists, Socinians, etc. do severally give upon the Letter of the Text. And they shall every one fairly seem to give a likely Sense answerable to their several Hyphothses of their Religion; & perhaps, for aught as some (though uninteressed) can collect from the Letter, only one possibly appears as probable as the other: And the Reason why each particular Persuasion so dearly espouses its own Interpretations, seems to be the primary Tincture, which (at first being imbibed for want of a more Rational Foundation) is uncontrollably retained for ever after, containing a prejudice against all other Senses whatsoever: And it cannot be denied, but every one of these are really persuaded of the truth of their own meaning, since they profess to reverence Gods-Word as much as any: read it frequently, study it diligently, quote it constantly, and zealously defend the sense which they conceive of it, so far; that many are even ready to die for it, notwithstanding they all contradict one another, and that in Fundamental Points.  
(10.) Considering with myself the endless Enthusiasms, and Popish Phanattismes which are so furiously imitated by some amongst us, I was on the other side fully convinced, that the light of the Private Spirit alone was no infallible Director in this case neither, since we see by too too sad experience multitudes of those to differ one from another (as before) in essential points of Religion, as in the Trinity and Godhead of Christ, etc. and yet every one affirming, that they are inspired by that unerring Light, which leads them into all truth: and their Interpretations are all of them from the evidence, and Demonstration of the Spirit. Now the cause of all this seemed to me to be nothing else but their furious Rejecting of Reason, with the only means (in this case) to Rectify it, viz. Tradition, and their accepting instead thereof an inward self-conviction (which is nothing else but a sense or persuasion wrought gradually upon them by the strength of their several Educations) to be a sufficient persuasion to assure them of the Divine Authority of S. Scripture, and of its sense too: which is extremely groundless and irrational, and the Mahometans have as much to say for their Alcoran and Religion, as this comes to.  
(11.) Neither the Letter of Jeremias his Prophecy, nor that Portion of the Spirit which Daniel had bestowed upon him was sufficient to make him understand the Number of the years there mentioned, but we find there was something else necessary, Dan. 9.2. So that neither the Letter, nor the Light of the private Spirit alone being able to assure me of the true sense of S. Scriptures, there needs but common Reason to discern that the same Rule (which I had for the Authority or Canon of the Word of God itself, if it be sincerely followed according to Right-Reason) was the only sufficient means to assure me of its true meaning and sense. It appeared to me greatly rational to receive the sense (as well as the Words) of S. Scriptures from those, that were either contemporary with, or immediately succeeded, the Apostles: And in all controversial points, this Rule hath proved to me the only satisfactory refuge I could ever yet meet with: It is the only means to convince my Judgement what Christ and his Apostles taught and practised, what was the Doctrine and Discipline of the Apostolic and Primitive Church.  
(12.) This Rule of Faith (if I may so call the means to know the true sense of S. Scripture) will certainly convey down the true Faith unchanged to all after Ages: By which Touchstone is to be tried, which is the true Church: For a Church is a Congregation of the Faithful, and the Faithful are those which have the true Faith; If the true Faith cannot be had without this Rule, than they only that have this Rule are the true Church.  
(13.) Having found the Rule of Faith, there remained to find out which body of men in the World do follow this Rule: For those and only those (I conceived) could be assured of the true meaning and sense of S. Scripture, could only have the true Faith, could only be the true Church: My Zeal was on fire till I was satisfied that I was a member of that Catholic Church: whereas all the rest of men in the World (since they have but fallible grounds of their Faith) cannot have true Faith, but Opinion only.  
(14.) I had a strong presumption, and indeed a firm assurance, that the Church of England doth hold her Doctrine and Discipline by this infallible Tenure, since She alone owns this Rule, and demonstratively proves, that she doth now stick by it; For I satisfied myself, that her Doctrine and Discipline (which she hath not been ashamed to confess, but to evidence to the open view of the World in her Articles and Canons) is squared according to the Testimony of the Primitive Age, and unmuddied Fountain of Christianity, and therefore I concluded her to be the true Church, and so to be possessed both of the true Letter and sense of S. Scripture. And if any particular Text be ambiguous, and perhaps not cleared by any Primitive writer, She is in a capacity by the word written in her heart, viz. Right Reason, to assign a sense agreeable to the Rule of Faith, being assisted by that infallible Guide which leads into all Truth.  
(15.) Oh! how highly rational did it appear to me to bring the sense of S. Scripture (where it seems dubious) to the Apostolic Primitive sense and Practice rather than to make it fadg to any preconceived Notion whatsoever. By which very consideration, how easily might the fearful stirs about controversial Points be avoided, & how strangely short might the large Debates about the meaning of particular Texts become, and in what peace, quiet and Satisfaction might they end? What if the Letter of S. Scripture in the opinion of some doth seem as much to favour some other Doctrine or Discipline, as that of the Church of England: yet since it doth as fairly speak (if not more manifestly, as is unanswerably proved by Judicious Hooker in his Ecclesiastical Policy) for that, as for any other among the many that are contended for: Methinks upon this very consideration, she might be allowed to stand (if not upon higher) yet upon as even terms, as any of the other: But when I see the Church of England to write so nearly after the Original Copy, to teach and practise the same things, which those first and unmuddied times did; this, this very consideration clearly turns the Scale, and so altars the case, that she (if but permitted to be weighed in the balance of common Reason) would prove too ponderous for any Rival: there was never yet any pretended Church, that ever came in competition with her, but was found too light.  
(16.) By the help of these Considerations, I became clearly sensible, that the eye of the understanding of those, that urge, that nothing ought to be established in the Church of God more than what is positively or interminis commanded in the S. Scriptures, did look through a fallacious Prospective. Besides, the Jewish Church (the Particulars of whose Worship were so exactly particularised in their Revelation, that with far greater reason, they might have pretended such an assertion) did not think itself bound up in such strict limits, as not to have power to recede from the Letter of their Law, and therefore (as occasion offered) did ordain and practise many things which their Law did not enjoin, yet had the open approbation of God himself: As for instance (1) their Building of Tabernacles, (2) their hours of Prayer, (3) their sections of the Law and the Prophets, (4) their keeping the Passover, 14 days by Hezechias, when as the Law enjoined but 7 days, (5) their feast of Purim by Esther, (6) their Feast of Dedication by the Maccabees, (7) their Fast of 4, 5, and 10 months under the Captivity. (8) their use of baptising Proselytes, (9) their Washing of feet before the Passover, imitated by our Saviour, etc. These things considered; I knew not why the Christian Church should be deprived of the like Privilege: Besides, there being many things, for which though there are not indisputably express texts, yet finding them allowed, enjoined, and practised by the Apostles, or their Immediate Successors, I thought myself obliged to receive them, not knowing but they might have, nay rationally concluding that they must have, Divine Authority: Such as, the Change of the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday: the Baptising of Infants: the use of Godfathers and Godmothers, as Stipulatores: Confirmation Public Lythurges (as the Greek Lythurgie composed by St. Paul; the Indian by St. Thomas: the Ethiopian by S. Mark: the Muscovian by St. Andrew, etc.) the Observation Anniversary of Christ's Nativity, and of other Feasts and Fasts, the Hierarchichall Policy of Church Government, and the like.  
(17.) As these Considerations have been helpful to build me up to a firm Settlement in Religion, so I have hopes, that they will have the like influence on all, unless it be either on those of Rome, or on others among ourselves, who being brought up to a certain Sect, and addicted to a particular Party, have so irresistably espoused certain Opinions, that right or wrong they are resolved not to bring them to this Test: And such persons are in a dangerous condition: Strangers to Christianity, Turks and Infidels may sooner be persuaded to give a Bill of Divorce to their whoring after strange Inventions, and be sooner gained to make use of their Reasons (the only Distrimination between men and Bruits) than such as these.  
Lastly, To conclude with the Resolution of a Quere, which (it may be, is here as necessary, as it) is likely to be made to the aforesaid Method, viz: If Reason be the Foundation of Religion, and Tradition be absolutely necessary to rectify it; how shall illiterate persons be satisfied, whose educations, and stations in the World, do incapacitate them to be informed by such means? The Answer is this, there is no man, though never so illiterate, if he will be true to himself, and lay aside all manner of prejudice of imbibed Principles, and Parties, etc. But will easily confess the aforesaid Hypothesis in general to be consentaneous to his Reason; and though he is not in a capacity himself to search Tradition for the truth of things, yet he must acknowledge that the only way left for his satisfaction, is to have recourse to that sort of People in the world (and to only them) that hold that Method▪ And (as I have before hinted) the Church of England are they, and only they, that build upon this Rational foundation. So that, that Faith is to be received from thence, which, being hatched by Gods H. Spirit in men's hearts, brought forth by Reading, cherished by hearing of the Word, sealed by Baptism, and strongly confirmed by their partaking of the Sacraments, will prove the only Saving Faith.  
FINIS.