fince Chriftians have likewife a written Law, which they regard as a Rule of their Faith, and this Law contains many fublime Mysteries, about which there have been, and will be frequent Difputes to the End of the World, how can these ever be determined, if there be not a living Interpreter vested with full Authority to pronounce a definitive Sentence? 'Tis 'manifeft, that fince the dead Letter cannot fpeak for itself, the Chriftian Law without a living Interpreter can be no Rule of Chriftian Faith.

Suppose there were a Nation, that should give fall Liberry to every one to interpret the Law by his own private Judgment; would it be poffible in that Cafe either to condemn any Criminal, or put an End to any Law-fuit? Nay would not Anarchy and Confufion by the unavoidable Confequence of it? The Matter is beyond all Difpute. And therefore there is not a civiliz'd Nation in the World, but has a fupreme Tribunal eftablish'd, from which there is no Appeal. I only defire you to apply this to the Church of Chrift, and you will foon find the Neceffity of a living Judge of Controverfy. If you have any Questions to ask concerning this Church, I am ready for you.

G. Pray, My Lord, where was the living Judge when Christ was dead? And, if there was none for « three Days, it might be fo for three or four hun- « dred Years, and for Good and all. Because the Ar- « gument fails for the Neceffity of a Judge always « in Being. You will not fay the Church of Chrift can « fail for three Days. The Promifes of God can never « fail, no not for a Moment. pag. 60. 61. «

L. That's very right, Sr; I am glad to hear you fpeak Truth fometimes. God's Promifes to his Church can never fail; no not for a Moment. Nay this is the very Foundation of her perpetual Infalli

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bility, against which the Gates of Hell will never prevail. But what do you infer from thence? You ask me, who was the living Judge, when Chrift was Dead? I answer, there was none for thofe three Days. For Chrift was dead, and the Apoftles had not yet received their Commission.

G. Then, My Lord, it is falfe what you fay, that there must always be a living Judge. And as I told if there was none for three Days, it might be fo for three or four hundred Years, and fo for good and all.

you,

L. Moft ftoutly argued! But let us fee, whether Bishops, Paftors, and the whole Hierarchy be not render'd useless, and a meer unneceffary Lumber by the Force of this killing Argument. God preferved his Church for three Days without Bishops, or Pastors to govern her. Therefore neither Bishops, nor Paftors, nor Hierarchy, nor Government are neceffary for the Church's Prefervation. Whatever Answer you give to this trifling Argument, will fully anfwer yours. For either the Church fell at the Death of Christ, and that will shew the neceffity of a living Judge: Since it could not fubfift without one even for the short Space of three Days. Or it did non fall, and then it is no more an Argument against the Neceffity of a living Judge, than against the Neceffity of Bishops and Paftors for it's Government. But I hope you will upon fecond Thoughts find fome Difference between three Days, and three hundred Years or more. However fince you infift with that Rigour upon the Word always, I must crave Leave to understand it Morally; which fuffices to verify any Affertions of this Nature, unless Men are difpofed to be childishly fcrupulous about the Matter.

"G.

§. 38.

The Church did not fail at the Death of Chrift.

will

you

then own

Band Promiles of God faith in the Church

Days?

L. No, Sr, our Saviour's Promife of Infallibility to his Church neither did, nor could poffibly fail at his Death, as not being then yet in Force; for a Promife cannot be broken before it is in Force; and the Promise we fpeak of, was not to begin to be in Force till after the Coming of the Holy Ghost, the Author of it's Infallibility; as is exprefs'd in the very Words of the Promife. Her Infallibility is therefore dated from that Time forward: So, tho it were true that she fail'd at our Saviour's Death, this failure would be no Argument against her Infallibility after the Coming of the Holy Ghost, but only against her Infallibility before it. But I abfolutely deny, she fail'd even at that Time: prove it if you can.

G. Of the Apostles, one betray'd Chrift: ano. « ther forfwore him; and that was St Peter: All for- « fook him. pag. 61. «

L. This is a fignal Mark of your great Refpect for the Apostles in Treating them all alike as Apoftates. But with your leave, Sr, I shall make a great Difference between Judas and the reft, tho you make none. For as to that Traitor, I yield him up at Difcretion. But as to St Peter (whom I fuppofe you specify by Name for Honour fake) and the other Apoftles, I shall not part with them upon fuch eafy Terms. For their running away was the Effect only of a fudden Fear, and not of any form'd Defign to forfake their Maf

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ter; as is manifeft both in St Peter and St John, who after their Flight gave undeniable Proofs of their Continuing to adhere to him by returning imme. diately to him, and following him again. 'Tis true, St Peter deny'd him; but it was but for a Moment, and barely in Words: which he retracted the Moment after with Tears of the fincereft Repentance: and this shews it was not for Want of Faith but Courage to profefs it, that he deny'd his Mafter. But St John follow'd him not only to his Trial but Execution, stood by his Crofs, and took our Bles. fed Lady to his Mother at his Recommendation: Which was not only Owning our Saviour, but a being own'd by him as a trufty Difciple at the Time, that you are pleafed to treat him as an Apoftate. The reft of the Apoftles likewife retain'd ftill the fame Efteem and Love for their Mafter, nor do's the Scripture accufe them of any Error in Faith.

G. Yes, My Lord, the greatest that could be. For as yet they knew not the Scriptures, that he must 52 rife again from the Dead. Joh. 20. . 9. And if »Chrift be not raised, your Faith is vain. 1. Cor. 15.

.17. And the Reafon given for choofing Mathias in the Room of Judas was that he might be a Wit»neß with the other Apostles of the Refurrection of Chrift. 32 Act. 1. V. 22. pag. 61.

L. As to your first Text, pray, Sr, is there no Difference betwixt an inculpable Ignorance of dark and unintelligible Scriptures, and the Sin of Incredulity after reveal'd Truths have been fufficiently propofed? This you charge the Apoftles with, whereas the other was evidently their Cafe. For tho the Scriptures had foretold the Refurrection of our Saviour , yet thefe Prophecys were fo obfcure that they could not be understood especially by ignorant Men, much lefs oblige them to a diftinct Faith. sill

the Event had explain'd their Meaning. The Truth then of the Matter is, that the Apostles before they had been eye-witneffes of our Saviour's Refurrection neither believed nor disbelieved it. But it was to them as a Thing unthought of, and of which they had no Manner of Ideá; the divine Wisdom having thought fit to conceal thefe Mysteries, till their Accomplishment should make a clear Difcovery of them.

Your Text from St Paul to the Corinthians is no thing to the Purpose. For the Apoftle's Defign in that Place is to establish the future Refurrection, which he proves from the Refurrection of our Saviour; and this he proves from the abfurd Confequences which would follow, if Christ were not raifed for then their Faith of it would be falfe and vain; and then they would be ftill in their Sins which cannot be remitted without true Faith. But fuppofe he had told the Corinthians that their Believing in our Saviour would be vain, unless they believed his Refurrection, this was true at the Time of his Writing that Epiftle, when our Saviour's Refurrection was become a neceffary and principal Article of Faith; but it was not fo at the Death of Chrift, there being no Obligation to believe him rifen before he was. And thus you fee, Sr, how wretchedly you have mifapplied this Text.

Your third Text from the Acts is trifled with in the fame Manner by your applying that to the Time before our Saviour's Refurrection, which relates only to the Time after it, when it was to be preach'd to the whole World.

G. Pray, My Lord, what Faith could they have « in him, whom they had quite given over, and « never expected to fee more? They trusted that it « had been be, who should have redeem'd Israel? Luke «