» And now, My Lord, which of these four Sorts » of Infallibility will you take? There are three to » one against you, choose which you will. And all » these are of the Church of Rome. And what Difference is there betwixt having no Guide, or one » you cannot find? pag. 93. 94. 95.

L. St, he that cannot find him, must be wilfully blind. But fince you are fo generous as to give me my Choice, I need not deliberate long upon the Matter. For the whole Body of Catholick Divines has already made it for me, and 'tis with them I place the Infallibility both in the diffufive Body of the Church, and it's Reprefentative a general Council truly fo call'd; that is, approved, and received as fuch.

And now, Sr, I challenge you to make good what you tell me, viz. that there are three to one against me, chcofe which I will. Nay I only demand of you to produce one fingle Party of Catholick Divines against me. They, who place the Infallibility in the Pope, will not furely be against me: for no Man in his Senfes will allow the Pope to be infallible by himself, and deny him to be fo, when he delivers his Judgment at the Head of a general Council, or with the whole diffufive Body of the Church. I am also fecure of having those on my Side, who (according to your ad Scheme) place the Infallibility in a Council without the Pope. Unless you fuppofe them to be fo void of Reafon as to maintain, that a Council, which is infallible without the Pope, becomes fallible, when he agrees with it, and approves it's Decrees.

Where then is the Party of Catholick, Divines, which you pretend to draw up against me, to be fought for? Truly, Sr, you must be at the Trouble of travelling to terra incognita, or the World in the Moon to find fuch a Party. For I am fure it is not to be found in any Part of the known World. And

Nay

Nay

308 have you not then a great Deal of Reafon to triumph over me as you do, as if I were entirely at a Lofs to know where to find my infallible Guide? are you not bound to retract what you told me a while ago Cafe stated pag. 63.] viz, that there is the greater Difference and Confufion among any Sort of Men upon any Subject whatsoever, than there is among the Divines of the Church of Rome concerning her Rule of Faith, and infallible Judge of Controversy. And every one of the different Opinions about it is in flat Contradic tion to all the others; so that if any one of them be true all the rest must be falfe? Pray, good Sr, how can that be? Suppose I lodge the Infallibility in the Pope, do's that take it away from the Church? Or fuppofe I lodge it in a Council, do's that take it away from the Pope? Again, is it impoffible for the Church Collective to be infallible, because the Church diffufive is fo Bus this, you fay, is a wild Mark, and we must tras vel and learn. You may learn if you pleafe, Sr; but you need not travel very far to inform yourself of any doctrinal Point taught by this infallible Guide. As for Inftance; is there any Need of your going to Paris, Rome, or Toledo to know for certain whe ther the Doctrine of Tranfubftantiation be taught in thofe Churches? You may as well tell me I must travel to Conftantinople to know whether Mahomet be Worshipped by the Turks. Now let us examine your Objections againft the Infallibility of General Councils.

First you fay, that in fome Councils call'd general the Pope and Council have difagreed. Popes have been a❤ gainst Popes, and Councils against Councils. This is true in Relation to the Councils of Pifa and Conftance: both which were oppofed by Benedict XIII. and Gregory XII, two doubtful Popes before, and deposed in the Council of Pifa. Thefe Popes had alfo their Conven"

5:501 tions against one another, which they call'd Councils. But did they difagree either among themfelves, or with the Councils of Pifa and Conftance about Matters of Faith? No, Sr. The whole Difference was about a Matter of Fact, viz. the Validity of their Election. And what is that to the Purpose?

2dly, you fay, that in fome Councils call'd General, the Pope, or his Legates withdrew from the Council: And for this you quote the Councils of Conftance and Bafil, and conclude from it that then they were no longer lawful Councils. As to the Pope's withdrawing from the Council of Conftance, the Fact is unquestionable. For John XXIII. withdrew privately from Conftance, intending thereby to fruftrate the principal Defign of that Council, which was to extinguish the Sch fin by obliging him to resign the Pontificate, as he had promifed to do at his Election, in Cafe it should be demanded of him for the Good. of the Church. His Election therefore was only conditional; and his Efcape to elude this End being a Breach of the Condition, upon which he had been chofen, he Juftly forfeited his Title: but the Council loft nothing of it's Authority any more than if the Pope had died. In Effect, being Soon after taken, and imprifon'd by the Emperor Sigifmond, he was folemnly depofed.

But the Cafe of the Council of Bafil is very different. For there the Pope did not abandon the Council, but by his Authority removed it to another Place, and was follow'd by the greatest Part of the Bishops and Clergy. But a few Bishops, and many of the inferiour Clergy feparated themselves from the Pope and Council, continued to meet at Bafil, and ftiled themselves the general Council of that Place: but was never regarded as the true Council of Bafil. 3dly, you tell me, that the Requifits necessary to conftitute

305 conftitute a Lawful Council, and confequently infallible, are impoffible to be known with any Certainty. To which I anfwer, that the Requifits to conftitute a Lawful Council are as eafy to be known by learned Canonifts, as the Requifits to a Lawful Parliament are. known by able Lawyers.

constitute

You have usher'd in your last Objection with a Jong Flourish upon the feveral Paffions and Defects of human Nature, whereby Men are apt to be biafs'd in their Judgment, and you conclude from it, that we cannot be certain of the Infallibility of any Council, unleß we are infallibly sure, that none of these Paffions had a Mixture in it.

I answer, that if this will defeat the Infallibility of Councils, it will likewife defeat the Infallibility of Scriptures: because they were certainly writ by Men fubject to the common Paffions and Defects of human Nature. For, according to your Way of Arguing, how can we be infallibly fure, that St Luke, for example, who wrote the Life of St Paul, was not (way'd by Affection, and that he is wholly impartial in his Relation? How can we tell that the Authors of the canonical Epiftles ufed all the Care and Diligence poffible in their Search after Truth? This is your Argument; and if it be good against the Infallibility of Councils you have furnish'd the Deifts with full as good a one against Scriptures.

But, Sr, you do not reflect, that as a blindman following a fure Guide can no more mifs his Way, than the Guide himself, fo fallible Men directed by an unerring Hand walk as fecurely in the Paths of Truth, as if they were infallible themselves. Now when Chrift chofe Bishops and Paftors to be the Rulers of his Church, he knew them to be fallible Men, and fubject to Paffions: And for that very Reafon he promised them an infallible Guide, who should govern

+

s.st. and direct them, overule all the Infirmities of human Nature, or even make them become Subfervient to his own defigns. Our Dependence therefore is not on the perfonal Merits of any Affembly whatfoever; but we depend entirely upon God's Promifes; which can no more be defeated or obstructed by hu man Passions, than the eternal designs of his infinite Wifdom by the conftant Vices and Follies of Mankind.

ADVERTISEMENT.

The Gentleman in his Cafe ftated having Harangued from Page 89. to Page 95. without any interruption from his peaceable Antagonist; his Lordship at length breaks Silence only to proclaim the Victory of his Adverfary, and owns frankly, that he knows not where to find his Guide. Which having done, he laments the Condition of Mankind in being deftitute of an infallible Guide to conduct him to Heaven. Whereupon the Gentleman expoftulates with him in the following Manner.

§. 51.

Of taking up Religion by Education, and how Reason is to be confulted in the Choice of it.

» G.

2

Ou may as well find Fault with the Crea

Ytion. Shall the Clay Jay to the Potter, why

haft thou made me thus? Who was the Guide to the Angels that fell? Who was Guide to Adam? Who » was, or who is Guide to all the Earth? To the » Heathens, to Mahometans, to Jews? These last stick » to their Church as an infallible Guide, and therefore » are most obftinate, and the most inveterate Enemies » to Christianity. P. 95.