Page images
PDF
EPUB

s.st. reft and Eafe. That therefore they must not confider, whether the Church they are of, be the prevailing Church of the Country, where they are born: Whether it be most favourable to their Liberty and Eafe; or finally, whether it be the Church, in which they are moft like to make their Fortune; but whether it has all the true and effential Marks of the Church of Chrift? As, whether it has always had a visible Being fince the Time of the Apofiles? Whether the Doctrine it teaches has been confirm'd by undoubted Miracles? Whether the Faith, it holds, has been preach'd to all Nations? Whether it has had a Succeffion of Bishops and Paftors, and a Mission derived from the Apoftles themselves, &c. For these, Sr, are the true Marks of the Church of Chrift: These point out to us the Guide we are to follow: And thefe we exhort all Men to examine, and inquire into by the clearest Light of that Reason, which God has giverr → them And would to God all Men would examine them with the Serioufnefs and Impartiality, which the Importance of the Matter requires.

'Tis therefore falfe what you fay, that we forbid People to examine the Grounds of their Religion. 'Tis falfe that the general Cry on our Side is to bid them put out the Lamp of their Reason, as if we were afraid of it's Light. On the contrary, as we defy any Man's Reason to find the Marks of the true Church on your Side, fo every Man, that follows the Light of an unbiaffed Reafon, will find them all clearly on our's, and they will ftand the Teft of the ftrictest Examination, as I have fully shew'd. §.36.

G. But, My Lord, tho you allow People to exa mine before they come to you, do you not oblige them to shut their Eyes, when you have once caught them in your Nets?

L. Sr, if the Meaning of your Queftion be, whe-ther

ther we oblige them to difcard their Reason? I anfwer we do not. For we oblige them to nothing, but what Reafon itself obliges them to. But the fame Reason, which bids us examine the Grounds of our Religion, and enquire diligently into the Marks of the true Chuch of Chrift, the fame Reafon, I fay, tells us that we must obey this Church, when we have found it, and pay an entire Submiffion to it's Decifions. So that we follow Reafon in the one as well as the other. Nay we reafon ourselves into an entire Submiffion of our private Reaĵon.

Pray, Sr, when a Man has chosen a Guide for a Journey, do's not his Reason tell him; that he must be directed by him? When a Sickman has chofen an able Phyfician, mult he not follow his Prefcriptions? Or when an ignorant Client has chofen an eminent Lawyer to manage his Caufe, would you have him difpute Points of Law with his Lawyer? Or will he not act more prudently in Submitting to his Directions? Now this is the very Cafe between a Man's private Judgement, and the Church of Chrift. Reafon firft leads him to this Church, with which God has depofited all Truth: and then the fame Reafon tells him, that the reveal'd Mysteries, whereof she is the Depofitary, being above his Understanding, he is bound to fubmit to her in every Thing she teaches. And if this be not Acting rationally I known not what is. But how do you deal with thofe, who are out of your Church in Order to make Converts of them?

G. We have no other Method with them, than « to reafon on still with them, and shew them, that « Reason is on our Side. pag. 97. "

L. The Method is very good, if you can shew it effectually.

G. Vaft Multitudes of them have been con- « verted, even all Chriftian Churches now in the «

Rr

» World, for all of them are of the Gentiles. pag. » 97.98.

L. Sr, all the Chriftian Churches, you speak of, were converted by Papifts: Great Britain amongst the reft. And I should be glad to know, what Heathen Nation has ever been converted by Proteftant Miffio

ners.

» G. As for those, who yet remain unconverted, " or have not had the Gospel fufficiently propofed to them, we must leave them to God, who made them, and will require from no Man more than » he has given them, but will Judge all People righteously. Of this I have spoke before. pag. 98.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

L. Yes, Sr, I remember your new-invented Machine of uncovenanted Mercy, and have deliver'd my Opinion upon it.

[ocr errors]

§. 52.

No Salvation out of the Catholick Church.

Ut I obferve, that fince this Notion of In.

"B fallibility came into the Church

it has

» rooted out all Charity, and her Religion has been chiefly employ'd in Curfing and Damning all the » World but herself. Her Councils are tagg'd with » Anathema's upon every Occafion Occafion, and you hear » little in them who shall be faved, but every Page » is full of who must be damn'd. And the Bulla Ca»ne pins the Basket, and leaves very few to efcape » even of the Roman Catholick Communion itfelf. " pag. 98.

L. Sr, we have had enough of the Bulla Cone already; fo I shall only make fome Remarks upon your Obfervation; which indeed is very curious. For if Infallibility, and Curfing with Anathema's came into

315 the Church together, then I am fure Infallibility is full as ancient as St Paul; who curfed both Men and Angels, and himself alfo, if he or they should prefume to teach any other Doctrine, than what he had preach'd. Gal. 1. . 8. Befides, Sr, the Canons of the 4 first general Councils are tagg'd with Anathema's as well as the Laterán Council, and that of Trent. And fince your Church allows of the four first general Councils, and that, by Confequence, the Church was then in her Purity, your Obfervation is an unanswerable Proof against yourself, that Infallibility was then the Doctrine of the Church. Now, Sr, go on.

[ocr errors]

G. It is a common Argument, with which your « Priests frighten Women and Children, viz. You Pro- « testants fay, that it is poffible for a Papift to be faved but we Papifts fay, it is impossible for a Proteftant to be « faved: Therefore it is fafer being on our Side. But this « has turn'd to their Confufion. For, as there is no- « thing in it but a confident Averring, it shews that « they have no Charity, which is greater even than «< Faith itself. 1. Cor. 13. v. 13. And therefore that ce they can be no Chriftian Church. Their Want of « Charity being by this much plainer than our Want « of Faith. pag. 98. «

L. It feems then, that St Paul, and the ancient Fathers, who pronounced all Hereticks damn'd, were wholly void of Charity, and according to your Confequence were no Members of the Chriftian Church.

How void of Charity was St Cyprian, who wrote in the following Manner? Whosoever, fays he, leaing the Church cleaves to an Adulteres, is cut off from the Promifes of the Church. And again. If it were poffible for any to escape, that was not in the Ark of Noah, it shall likewife be possible for him to escape, who is not in the Church. Cyp. de Unit. Eccl. St Austin was as

8. $2. uncharitable as St Cyprian. For he wrote thus. Being out of the Pale of the Church feparated from it's Unity and bond of Charity, thou wouldst not escape Damnation, the thou shouldft be burnt alive for Confeffing the Name of Christ. Epift. 204. ad Don. And St Fulgentius was no lefs uncharitable than the other two; witness the following Words. For neither Baptifm, "nor liberal Aims, nor Death itself for the Profeffion of Chrift can a vail a Man any Thing in Order to Salvation, if he do's not hold the Unity of the Catholick Church. S. Fulg, ad Petrum Diaconum. C. 39. Laftly the Athanafian Creed is most highly guilty of the Want of Charity, you accufe us of. For it damns all, who believe not every Article it .contains. And yet this Creed is highly approved by your Church.

Now as to the Argument you fpeak fo contemptibly of, I affure you, Sr, it has frighten'd Perfons of better Senfe than thofe you call Women and Children. Nor has it ever turn'd to our Confufion, as you are pleased to tell me. Nay common Senfe alone fuffices to convince any Man that Salvation is more fecure in that Society, in which it is allow'd even by it's Enemies, than in that, in which it is only allow'd by thofe, who are themselves Members of it.

» G. Take Chillingworth's Answer to it C. 7. of his Works. pag. 306. You (fays he to Knot the Jefuit) vainly pretend that all Roman Catholicks, not » one excepted, profeß that Proteftancy unrepented def troys Salvation. From which Generality we must except two at least to my own Knowledge: And thefe are your felf, and Francifcus de Sancta Clara; who affures us 2 that Ignorance and Repentance may excufe a Proteftant from Damnation, tho Dying in his Error. And this is all the Charity, which (by your own Confeffion also) the most favourable Proteftants allow to Papists. p. 98.99.

[ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »