207 Stock. For I cannot think you are difpofed to fas vour me. But pray take Notice, Sr, that in the odious Subject, we are now upon, you have been the Aggreffor. You cannot therefore take it ill, if I make Reprisals, when Occafion shall ferve. It seems your Confcience is very fqueamish as to fome unauthentick Translations of ours. You cry out, Alas! What has the People gaind? The least Gnat choaks you. But, as to your own Proteftant Translation put forth, approved, and maintain'd by the whole Au thority of your Church, you can swallow Camels without the leaft Alas, or pious Groan to lament the Danger the People is in of being poifon'd by it; as I shall shew hereafter, when we come to the Subject of Communion in one Kind, and the fingle Life of Priests. In the mean Time I refer you for full Sa tisfaction to the Church of Christ shew'd, &c. 1. Part. Sh. 6. §. 7. Where you will find Reafon enough to employ your zeal more ufefully in taking Care that your own People be not here feduced by falfe Tranflations, than in Shewing fo much Concern for your Proteftant Brethren or new Converts a broad.

G. But the People are feduced by them. The « People believe as they are taught. There is fmall « Security to them in the abftrufe Questions con- « cerning Infallibility; how far it extends, and in the « Difputes between Popes and Councils about it. These « are Questions, of which I fuppofe your Lordship « will eafily grant the common People are no Judges. They know nothing of the Matter, How should « hey, when the Learned are divided among them- «< felves concerning them? pag. 59. «

L. Sr, the People understand nothing of the abtrufe Queftions concerning the Blessed Trinity, yet I hope they can believe it, when they are told they

$.36 muft, without Understanding it. And fo they can believe the Church's Infallibility without Underftanding the Questions about it:

» G. However this Infallibility, if it could be found » and fix'd, would be of little Ufe to the Generality » of the People, unless their Curates, and their Fa »thers and Mothers, who inftruct them, were like» wife all of them infallible. For, as I faid, they be»lieve as they are taught, and examine no farther. » pag. 59.

L. Sr, if they be taught by, and follow an infal lible Guide, I am fure they will not err. And as long as Men, tho fallible themselves, can, and do but faithfully deliver the Doctrine of an infallible Church, I am likewife very fure, that even the most ignorant People, who suffer themselves to be inftructed by them, are in no Danger of being feduced. So that I am surprised at what you fay, viz. that this Infallibility, tho it could be found and fix'd (as I shall shew hereafter it can ) would be of little Ufe to the Gentrality of the People, unleß their Curates, and Fathers and Mothers, who inftruct them, were likewife Infallible. This, I fay, furprises me, because it follows from it, that the Scriptures themselves, tho Infallible in what they teach, are of little or no Use to us, because they, who read them are not Infallible.

§. 36.

Whether Infallibility excludes Examination.

» G. Mmine. But yours are forbid to examine.

Y Lord, we fuffer our People to exa

» For that implies a Doubt: and they are not to doubt » of the Religion they are taught, but to receive without any. Doubt what has been told them by

"

the

the Curate, their Fathers, Mothers, and Nurses, « and what is current in the Country where they live. This is all the Infallibility, of which they are capable. And this is the Way of all the Earth. « It is thus that the Generality of Mankind, whe- & ther Heathens, Jews, Mahometans, or Chriftians re. « ceive their Religion. And without Examining into « what we have been taught no Man would change & his Religion. None could ever have become a « Chriftian, efpecially a few, who had the Authority of his Church against Chrift, to which Church he al- « ledges Promifes of Perpetuity, and Infallibility. pag. «

59.60. «

L. Sr, we shall never make an End, if I am bound to repeat my Anfwers as often as you repeat your Objections. And therefore, as to what you fay concerning the Generality of Mankind choofing their Religion by Education, I refer you to what I have already faid to it (§. 28.) And, as to what you add concerning the Jews alledging their Promises of Perpetuity and Infallibility against the Authority of Chrift,' I have fully answer'd it. (§. 32.) All then I have now to do is to confider, firft, what Truth there is in your Saying, that we forbid the People to examine the Grounds of their Religion? And 2dly, whether all fuch Examination implies a Doubt ?

As to the first, I affure you, Sr, there is nothing we defire more, than that every one, who is come to Maturity of Judgment, should examine ferioufly the Grounds of his Religion: because we are fure there is nothing will contribute more to strengthen them in the Faith they profefs. What was it that kept St Austin teddy in his Faith against all the crafty Reafonings, and Allurements of the Manichees? Let us hear his own Words.

Not to speak of that Wisdom (fays he) which you de

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not believe is in the Catholick Church, there are many other Things, which most justly keep me in her Communion. 1. The Agreement of People and Nations holds me. 2. Authority begun with Miracles, nourish'd with Hope, encreafed by Charity, confirm'd by Antiquity holds me. 3. A fucceffion of Bishaps defcending from the See of St Peter, to whom Chrift after his Refurrection committed his Flock to the prefent Epifcopacy holds me. Lastly, the very Name of Catholick holds me of which this Church alone bas, not without Reafon fo kept the Poffeffion, that, the all Hereticks defire to be call'd Catholicks, yet if a Stranger asks them, where Catholicks meet, none of the Hereticks dares point out his own House, or his own Church, &c. Contra Epift. fund. C. 4.

These were the Motives, that kept St Austin stedfaft and immoveable in the Faith he had embraced. And these Motives are fo plain and intelligible, that every Man's private Reafon is capable of Making a true Judgment of them. Therefore the more they are examined, provided it be done without Preju dice or Paffion, the more firmly they will fix thofe, who confider them, in the Security they have in that Religion, which is founded upon them. And has not every Roman Catholick the very fame Motives, that St Austin had to keep him ftedfast in his Faith? Truly, Sr, 'tis no fmall Comfort to us, that when we are queftion'd about our Religion, we can anfwer for ourfelves Word for Word what St Austin faid to the Manichees, which no Member of any reform'd Church can do without Talking Nonsense.

Pray tell me, Sr, in what Nation under Heaven beyond the British Dominions has the Religion of the Church of England as diftinguish'd from Popery, and the other reform'd Churches, ever been received? That Nation is not yet difcover'd. You cannot therefore pretend to what St Austin calls the Agreement of People

and Nations: Much lefs to the Antiquity, St Austin fpeaks of. Since your Church or Religion is not yet 200 Years old.

2. What Evidence of Miracles can you shew that may be a rational Inducement to any Man to believe that the Reformation is of God, and has his Seal to it? On the Contrary you ridicule all Miracles, because you are confcious to yourself, that you have none to lay Claim to. Whereas our Religion was never planted in any Idolatrous Nation, but had undoubted Miracles to vouch for the Truth of it. 3. How can the Name of Catholick belong to you, fince you have no Univerfality either of Time or Place, as I have obferved already, and shall shew more fully hereafter. §. 54.) 1

4. How can your Bishops and Parfons derive their Succeffion from the Apoftles? Can you fatisfy me in this one Thing? viz. by whom your first Protestant Bishops were fent, or who gave them their Commiffion to preach, and adminifter the Sacraments? Was it the Secular Power? That's Nonfenfe. For no Man can give that Power to another, which he has not himfelf. Were they the Catholick Bishops their imme diate Predeceffors? That's wholly incredibile. For what King was ever fo Mad as to grant Commiffions to levy Forces against himself? And it would have been the fame extravagant Madness in Catholick Bishops to have commiffion'd their immediate Succeffors to preach Proteftant Doctrine, and cut the Throat of their own Church. Add to this, that in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth the ancient Cathalick Bishops difownd your pretended Bishops and Parfons as a fpurious Race; and were violently deprived, and condemn'd to Prifon or Banishment for refufing to comply. Nothing therefore can be more ridiculous than to pretend to have a Million from our Church: And Dd z