THE METHOD To arrive at SATISFACTION IN RELIGION.   

TO THE TRULY VIRTUOUS the Lady T. E.  
THAT a Discourse of this nature should be addressed to Your Ladyship, if it seems extraordinary, it ought to argue a Judgement more than common in Her who is chiefly entitled to the perusal of it. The Generality of your Sex, through the unlucky disadvantage of their Education, use to relish nothing of a harder digestion, than are the Delicacies of a Romance, or at best, a piece of History: Nay, many of the more knowing Sex who wear the repute of Learned, do hardly, even in this improoving Age, so advance above the Sophister and the Pedant, as to fancy any thing exceeds a pretty Probability tricked up with flowers of Rhetoric and gay Language; And, many of the greatest Wits (if those may be justly called so who profess they know nothing) have so unmanned themselves by Scepticism, that the solidest Principles in matters of this kind seem to them mere Air, and the closest Consequences only worth answering by loose Drollery: As if the Author of Nature (I fear I do these Men too much right in thinking they hold any such) had intended indeed to permit us the exercise of our Manhood in Lines and Numbers, but in things of infinitely higher Concern had ordered us to be 〈…〉 that is, as if Christ had erected a 〈◊〉 to educate and dispose Mankind towards Eternal Happiness; and, 〈…〉 done, would not so much as 〈…〉 know the way to it. Now, 〈…〉 Yourself should be held 〈◊〉 to penetrate and comprehend Discourses which pretend to a severity of Reason, rescuing thus your own Sex, from the imputation of inability for such performances, and condemning the greatest part of ours, is indeed a wonder if we consider the Generality of the world; but none at all if we consider Yourself. Blush not, Madam, You are not singular in this: Many other excellent Heroinae begin to get above their dull circumstances and the vogue of the World, and own the glorious reproach of entertaining their best faculty, Reason, about the most noble and most profitable Subjects. The high value you have for the sacred inviolableness of Catholic Faith, Your earnest desire to render Faith lively and efficacious in yourself, by making out more and more to your thoughts how absolutely certain the Grounds of it are; the Confidence You have in God's Goodness not to deny us a clear, easy, and short way to make manifest this Certainty to ourselves, and others; These good dispositions of Your Will, give Your excellent Understanding such an attentiveness to the Proofs Faith stands under, that I had failed your expectation, and writ in a way much below You, had I taken any other than I have here done; that is, to begin with the bottom-Principles, and derive thence by a continued line of consequences my main Conclusion. Had I produced Scripture-proofs, or Quotations from any Authority of Fathers or Councils to evince the Point in hand, Your piercing wit would have made this smart demand in behalf of my Readers, that since none of those is a First Principle, and so evident to all that heat them alleged, I ought for their satisfaction make out by evident Reason, that my Interpretation of Scripture could not fail to hit upon the right sense, or those Authorities possibly mistake or misled; since no Authority deserves any Assent farther than Reason gives it to deserve: So that still I was forced, if I would appear before You, to take this very Method I have here pursued; that is, to suppose nothing, but prove all things that can possibly be questioned in this affair.  
As for the following Discourse, I only say, that I could heartily wish Learned Writers of what Judgement soever, would think fit to take the same short concluding Method, and go about to settle some other Ground or Rule of Faith; and thence, by showing who adhere to, who reject that Rule, conclude evidently who are truly Faithful, who not. The very attempting this, would perhaps more readily discover on whose side Truth stands, than many Books writ controversially by way of mutual opposition; where an obstinate Adversary may at pleasure still mistake wilfully every passage to make his impugnation the easier. The maintainers of all Errors are, as Experience teaches, very free of opposition, but only they who have certain Truth on their side will think fit to settle.  
It will be wondered at, Madam, that I make no farther discovery of Your Person and Quality; but You have willed the contrary. The Obedience to which Command, obliges me by consequence to conceal my own Name, and only to put instead of It, the Title of my being,  
Madam, Your Ladyship's most Devoted Honourer N. N.   

THE METHOD To arrive at SATISFACTION IN RELIGION.  
1. SInce all Superstructures must needs be weak whose foundation is not, surely laid; He who desires to be satisfied in Religion, aught to begin with searching out, and establishing the Ground on which Religion is built; that is, the First Principle into which the several Points of Faith are resolved, and on which their Certainty, as to us, depends.  
2. To do this, 'tis to be considered, that a Church is a Congregation of Faithful, and Faithful are those who have true Faith; Wherefore, till it be known which is the true Faith, it cannot be known which is the true Church. Again, A Council is a Representative, A Father, an Eminent Member of the Church, and a witness of her Doctrine; Wherefore, till it be known which is the true Church, it cannot be known which is a Council, or who a Father. Lastly, Since we cannot know which is Scripture, but by the testimony of those who recommend it; And of Heretics we can have no security that they have not corrupted it in favour of their false Tenets; Neither can we be secure which is Scripture, till we be satisfied who are the truly Faithful, on whose Testimony we may safely rely in this affair.  
3. Wherefore, he who sincerely aims at Satisfaction in Religion ought first of all to find out and establish some assured Means or Rule by which he may be secured, which is true Faith; For, till this be done, He cannot be secure either of Scripture, Church, Council, or Father; but having once done this, is in a ready way to judge certainly of all; Whereas if he begin with any of the other, orindeed argue from them at all, till the Rule of Faith be first settled, he takes a wrong Method, and breaks the Laws of Discourse, by beginning with what is less certain, and indeed to him as yet uncertain; and in effect, puts the Conclusion before the Premises; unless he argue, Ad Hominem, or against the personal Tenets of his Adversary, which is a good way to Confute, but not to Satisfy.  
4. And, because the Rule of faith must be known before Faith can be known, and Faith before Scripture, Church, Councils and Fathers; it appears, that to the finding out this Rule no assistance of Books will be requisite, for every one who needs faith, is not capable to Read and understand Books: There is left then only Reason to use in this Inquiry; And, since People of all Capacities are to be saved, much sharpness and depth of wit will not be requisite, but plain Natural Reason rightly directed will suffice.  
5. This being so, the Method of seeking satisfaction in Religion, is become strangely both more short and easy. For, here will need no tedious turning over Libraries, nor learning Languages, nor endless comparing voluminous Quotations, nor so much as the skill to read English, all being reduced to the considering one single Point (But such an one as bears all along with it) And this too comprehensible, (as will appear) to a mean understanding. Again, the large debating particular Points in a controversial way is by this means avoided. For, when the Right Rule of faith is certainly known, then as certainly as there is any faith in the world, all that is received on that Rule is certain, and of faith. Not but that 'tis of excellent use too, to cherish and strengthen the faith, especially of Young Believers, by showing each particular Point agreeable to right Reason and Christian Principles, and recorded expressly in, or deduced by consequence from the Divinely-inspired Books.  
6. Lastly. This Method is particularly suitable to the Nature of sincere Inquirers; who if they want the liberty of their own Native Indifferency, and be awed by any Authority whatever before that Authority be made out, cannot but remain unsatisfyed, and inwardly feel they proceed not according to Nature and the conduct of unbyast Reason; Whereas, when the Authority is once made evident, Reason will clearly inform them that it becomes their Nature to assent to it.  
7. But how will it appear that 'tis so easily determinable by common reason, which is the right Rule of Faith? Very evidently. But first we must observe, the Assent called Faith, depends upon two Propositi- [What God hath said is true] and [God hath said this] out of which two necessarily follows the Conclusion, that this or that in particular is true. Of these two we are concerned only in the latter: For to examine Why God is to be believed when he has said any thing which they call the formal Motive of faith, is not a Task for those who own Christianity. But all we have to do is to find out What God hath said, or (which in our case is all one) What Christ has taught; and that, whatever it be which acquaints us with this, we call THE RULE OF FAITH; as that which Regulates our belief concerning Christ's Doctrine, or the Principles of Religion. Now I affirm it may by obvious Reason be discovered which this Rule is; and that by looking into the Nature of it, or considering what kind of thing it ought to be; which is no more than attentively to reflect what is meant by those two ordinary words, RULE and FAITH.  
8. And both of them acquaint us that the Rule of faith must be the means to assure us in fallibly what Christ taught. For, in case a Rule, though we apply it to our power, and swerve not from it, leave us still deceivable in those points in which it should regulate us; we need another Rule to secure us that we be not actually deceived, and so this other and not the former is our Rule. Next, Faith (speaking of Christian Faith) differs from Opinion in this, that opinion may be false, but faith cannot: Wherefore the Rule of faith, both as 't is a rule, and as it grounds faith, doubly involves Infallibility.  
9 Let us apply this to Scripture and Tradition, (for setting aside the Light of the private Spirit grounding Phanaticism, there are no more which claim to be Rules of faith) and see to which of them this Notion fits; that is, which hath truly the Nature of the Rule of faith. And this is performed by examining which of them is of its own Nature, if applied and held to, able to assure us infallibly, that Christ taught thus and thus.  
10. And for the Letter of Scripture, not to insist that if it be denied, as many, if not all the parts of the New Testament have been by some or other, or mention that those who receive the Books, do often and always may doubt of almost any particular Text alleged, whether some fault through Malice, Negligence or weakness be not crept into it; in which Cases the Letter cannot evidence itself, but needs another Rule to establish it. I say, not to insist upon these things, which yet are undeniable, We see by experience Multitudes of Sects differing from one another, and some in most fundamental Points, as the Trinity, and Godhead of Christ, yet all agreeing in the outward Letter. And it is not only uncharitable, but even impossible to imagine that none among so vast Multitudes do intend to follow the Letter to their power, while they all profess to reverence it 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; Wherefore it cannot be suspected but they follow it to their power; and yet 'tis so far from infallibly teaching them the Doctrine of Christ, that, all this notwithstanding, they contradict one another, and that in most fundamental points. The bare Letter then is not the Rule of Faith, as not being of its own Nature able to assure us infallibly, though we follow it to our power, what Christ has taught. I would not be mistaken to have less Veneration than I ought for the Divine Books, whose Excellence and Usefulness as it is beyond man to express, so peradventure amongst men there are not many who conceit this deeper than myself; and I am sure not one amongst those who take the confidence to charge us with such irreverent thoughts: But we are now about another Question. They are the Word of God, and their true Sense is Faith; We are enquiring out the Rule of Faith; whose office 'tis not to satisfy us that we ought to believe what God has said, which none doubts of, but What it is which God has said. And I affirm, That the Letter alone is not a sufficient means to assure us infallibly of this; and the experience of so many erring Thousands, is a lamentable, but convincing proof of it.  
11. On the other side, there needs but common sense to discern, That TRADITION is able, if followed to one's power, to bring infallibly down to after Ages, what Christ and his Apostles taught at first. For, since it means no more but delivery of Faith by daily Teaching and Practice of immediate Forefathers to their respective Children; and it is not possible that men should be ignorant of that to which they were educated, of that which they daily saw, and heard, and did; let this Rule be followed to one's power, that is, let Children resolve still to believe and practise themselves what they were taught by, and practised with their Fathers, and this from Age to Age; and it is impossible but all succeeding Children which follow this Rule, must needs from the Apostles time to the end of the World, be of the same Faith which was taught at first; For, while they do thus, there is no change; and, if there be no change, 'tis the same. Tradition then, thus understood, has in it the Nature of the Rule of Faith, as being able, if held to, to bring down infallibly what Christ and his Apostles taught.  
12 We have found the Rule of Faith, there remains to find which body of men in the World have ever, and still do follow this Rule. For, those, and only those, can be infallibly assured of what Christ taught, that is, can only have true Faith: Whereas all the rest, since they have but fallible grounds, or a Rule for their Faith, which may deceive them, cannot have right Faith, but Opinion only; which may be false, whereas Faith cannot.  
13. And first, 'Tis a strong presumption that those many particular Churches in communion with the Roman, which for that reason are called roman-catholics, do hold their Doctrine by this Infallible Tenure; since they alone own Tradition to be an Infallible Rule, whereas the Deserters of that Church write whole Books to disgrace and vilify it: And, since no man in his wits will go about to weaken a Tenure by which he holds his Estate, 'tis a manifest sign that the Deserters of that Church hold not their Faith by the Tenure of Tradition, but rather acknowledge by their carriage that Tradition stands against them; and that 'tis their Interest to renounce it, lest it should overthrow their Cause; Wherefore, since Tradition [§. 11.] is the only means to derive Christ's Doctrine infallibly down to after ages, they, by renouncing it, renounce the only means of conveying the Doctrine of Faith certainly to us, and are convinced to have no faith, but only opinion. And not only so, but even to oppose and go point-blank against it, since they oppose the onely-sure Method by which it can with certainty come down to us.  
14. Besides, since Tradition (which I always understand as formerly explicated to be the Teaching the Faith of immediate Forefathers by words and practice) hath been proved the only infallible Rule of Faith; those who in the days of K. Henry VIII. and since have deserted it, aught to have had infallible certainty that we receded from it formerly; for, if we did not, but still cleaved to it, it could not choose but preserve the true Faith to us; and if they be not sure we did not, they know not but we have the true faith; and manifestly condemn themselves in deserting a Faith, which for aught they know was the true one; but Infallible Certainty that we had deserted this Rule, they can have none, since they neither hold the Father's Infallible, nor their own Interpretation of Scripture, and therefore avoidable ship wrack themselves upon that desperate Rock; which is aggravated by this Consideration, that they built not their Reformation upon a zealous care of righting Tradition, which we had formerly violated, nor so much as Testimonial Evidence (as shall be shown presently) that we had deserted It, but all their pretence was that we had deserted Scripture; and, because they assign no other certain means to know the sense of the Holy Books but the Words, and those are shown to be no certain means, [§ 10.] 'tis plain the Reformers regarded not at all the right Rule of Faith, but built their Reformation upon a weak Foundation, and incompetent to sustain such a building: Whence, neither had the first Reformers, nor have their Followers, Faith at all, but only Opinion.  
15. On the contrary, since 'tis known and agreed to by all the World, at what time all Deserters of our Church, of what name soever, broke from us; as also who were the Authors and Abetters, and who the Impugners of such New Doctrines; besides, in what places they first begun, and were thence propagated to others; but no such thing is known of us even by our Adversaries, whom it concerns to be most diligent Searchers after it, seeing they are in a hundred minds about the Time when, and the Persons who introduced these pretended New Doctrines of ours, which they say vary from Scripture, as may be seen by their own words in several Books, and amongst others, one called, The Progeny of Protestants, and this for every point in which they pretend we have innovated, 'tis plain that when we charge them with deserting the known Doctrine of the former Church, and the Rule of Faith, we speak open and acknowledged evidence; when they accuse us of the same, their charge is obscure and unknown even to the very Accusers; nay, plainly proved false by the necessity of ●he things being notorious, if it happened, and the constant disagreement of those who allege it, when or how it happened.  
16. I say Notorious; for, since Points of Faith which ground all Christian practice, are the most concerning Truths in the World, it cannot be but the denial of such Truths must needs raise great commotions before the opposite Tenets could be universally spread; and the change of Christian Practice and Manners which depend on those Truths, must be wonderfully manifest and known to every body; wherefore, had we been guilty of such a change, and introduced New Tenets, and propagated them over the Christian world, as is pretended, it must needs be manisestly and universally known that we did so; neither is it possible the change should be so insensible and invisible, that our very Adversaries cannot find it out; especially this alone making their Victory over us so certain and perfect. For seeing we own TRADITION as an In-fallible Rule, We are irrecoverably overthrown, if they make out that we ever deserted It: and, surely, nothing should be more easy than to make out That, than which, if True, nothing can possibly be more Notorious.  
17. Moreover, since it can not be, that Multitudes of men should profess to hold points both infinitely concerning and strangely difficult to believe, and yet own no ground upon which they hold them: if we ever, as 'tis said we have, deserted Tradition, we must, till the time we took it up again, have proceeded upon some other Ground or Rule of Faith: And, because none ever charged us with proceeding upon the Letter of Scripture or Phanaticism, and, besides these there is no other but Tradition, 'tis plain we never deserted, but always stuck to Tradition.  
18. Besides, 'tis impossible that that Body of Men which claim for their Rule of Faith, an uninterrupted Tradition from the Apostles days, should not have held to that Rule of faith from the beginning: For, otherwise they must have taken it up at some time or other, and by doing so, profess to the World, that Nothing is to be held of Faith, but what descended by an uninterrupted delivery from the beginning; and yet at the same time acknowledge that all they then held was not so descended, but received by another Rule, This of Tradition or uninterrupted Delivery being then newly taken up; which is so palpable a Contradiction, that, as Humane Nature could not fall into it: so, if it could, the very pretence would have overthrown itself, and needed no other confutation.  
19 Add to this, that none of those many Sects who from time to time have deserted our Church's Faith and Discipline, and so become her Adversaries, ever yet pretended to assign the time when we took up this Rule of Tradition; and yet a change in that on which we profess to build all the rest, must needs be of all changes the most visible, and most apt to justify the carriage of those Revolters. Wherefore, 'tis demonstrably evident on all sides, that, as this present Body of men, called the Roman-Catholick Church, does now hold to Tradition, so their Predecessors uninterruptedly from the Apostles days did the same; that is, did hold to it ever. And, since 'tis shown before [§. 11.] that this Rule, if held to, will certainly convey down the true Faith unchanged to all after Ages, 'tis likewise demonstrable, that they have the true Faith, and are the truly Faithful, or true Church.  
20. And hence by the way, is clearly seen what is meant by UNIVERSAL TRADITION, and where 'tis to be looked for and found; which puzzles many men otherwise very judicious and sincere; who profess a readiness, nay a duty to follow Universal Tradition, but they are at a loss, how we may certainly know which is It. For, since 'tis evident that to complete the notion of the Universality of Mankind, (for example) it were absurd to think we must take in brutes too, which are of an opposite nature to Mankind, but 'tis sufficient to include all in whom the nature of mankind is found; so, to make up the notion of Universal Tradition, it were equally absurd to think we ought to take in those in whom the nature of Tradition is not found, but its Opposite, that is, Deserters of Tradition or their Followers; but 'tis sufficient to include those in whom Tradition is found as in its Subject, that is, Adherers to Tradition or Traditionary Christians. All, therefore, that have at any time deserted the Teaching and Practice of the immediately foregoing Church, how numerous and of what name soever they be, have no show of Title to be parts of Universal Tradition; and only, they who themselves do, and whose Ancestors did ever adhere to it, how few soever they seem, are the only persons who can with any sense pretend to be those, of whom, as Parts, Universal Tradition consists.  
21. These men, therefore, by applying this their Rule, can certainly know who have true Faith, and which body of men is the true Church; likewise, that a Representative of that Body is a true Council, and that an Eminent Member of it delivering down to the next Age the Doctrine believed in his, whether by expressly avouching it the Church's sense, or confuting Heretics, is a true Father. Lastly, they can have Infallible Certainty both of the Letter and Sense of Scripture, as far as concerns Faith: For, if any fault which shocks their Faith, whether of Translator or Transcriber, creep into any passage, or, if the Text be indeed right, but yet ambiguous, they can rectify the Letter according to the Law of God written in their hearts, and assign it a sense agreeable to the Faith which they find there; between which and that of the Holy Writers, they are sure there can be no disagreement, as being both inspired by the same unerring Light.  
22. chose, those that follow not this Rule, and so are out of this Church, of what denomination soever, First, can have no true Faith themselves: 'Tis possible indeed and usual that some, and not seldom, many, of the Points to which they assent, are True, and the same the truly Faithful assent to, yet their Assent tothem is not Faith; for, Faith (speaking of Christian Faith) is an Assent, which cannot possibly be false; and not only the Points assented to, but the Assent itself must have that distance from Falsehood, (as is proved at large in Faith Vindicated) else 'tis not Faith, but degenerates into a lower Act, and is called Opinion: Now the strength of an Assent rationally made, depends upon the strength of its Grounds, and all Grounds of that Assent called Faith, (I mean such Grounds as tell us what Christ taught) besides Tradition, are proved (§. 10.) weak and none: Without It, therefore, there can be no true faith. Next, For want of that only Infallible Ground they cannot have Certainty which is true faith, who truly faithful, which the true Church, which a true Council, who a true Father, nor lastly, which is either the Letter or Sense of Scripture in Dogmatical passages that concern Faith. And, since they have no Certainty of these things, they have no right nor aught in a Discourse about Faith be admitted to quote any of them; but are Themselves, and the whole Cause concluded in this single Inquiry, Who have a Competent that is, an impossible to be false, or Infallible Rule to arrive at Faith?  
23. The solid Satisfaction, therefore, of those who inquire after true faith, is only to be gained by examining who has, or who has not such a Rule. This METHOD is short and easy, and yet alone goes to the Bottom. All others, till this be had, are superficial, tedious, and, for want of Grounds, Insignificant.  
FINIS.   

ERRATA.  
Ep. Ded. p. 5. l. 5. r. of what other p. 8. l. 18. r. thing, which p. 10. l. ult. r. Infallibility in its notion.