* G.

Words, and unable to refift the Gentleman's powerful Logick, he asks Quarter, and begs Leave to believe as the Church believes. To which his triumphant adversary answers in the following Manner,

§. 31.

Of implicit Faith.

An you believe what the Church believes without knowing what she believes? This " is Believing Nothing. It is implicit indeed! At this Rate you need but one Article of your Creed, to believe the Holy Catholick Church. And all the Reft » may go off implicitly, tho you should know Nothing of any other of the Articles. And what a Man knows nothing of, he can give no Reason for. But » St Peter bids us be ready always to give an Answer to » every Man that askeih us a Reason of the Hope (OI Faith) that is in us. Which fuppofes our Under» ftanding it ourfelves, and not an implicit Faith » in others of we know not what. So that if you make Tranfubftantiation an Article of your Faith, » you are obliged to understand it aright. pag. 154. L. Sr, I think I do understand it aright; For ! know that the Tranfubftantiation, which the Church believes, is a Change of the Bread and Wine into the Body and Blood of Chrift made by the Words of Conecration. And this is as much as I need to know or underftand for my Belief of it: And neither you, not the wifeft Man upon Earth knows any more in Proportion of the dark Mysteries of the blessed Trinity, the Incarnation, the Propagation of Original Sin, and fuch other Articles of Faith, which we both equally believe and profefs. Yet I blefs God I shall always be

189 ready to give an Answer to every Man, that asketh me, a Reafon of my Faith, or Belief of these Mysteries: And the Answer I am ready to give is, because God has reveal'd them; and the Church, which is the Ground and Pillar of Truth, teaches them. And whoever is not fatisfied with this Anfwer, muft bid Adieu to Christianity.

You fay, this is Believing with implicit Faith. And I fay, there is not a Chriftian in the World, let him be as wife and learned as he will, but is bound to believe innumerable Things with implicit Faith. I prefume, Sr, you have not the Vanity to pretend to know, much lefs to understand the whole Bible. Yet I have the Charity to think you believe both all the Facts and doctrinal Truths whether intelligible or unintelligible contain'd in it. Nay you must either do it, or renounce all reveal'd Religion. And what is this but Believing with implicit Faith? But fuppofe any one should have the Vanity to think he knows and understands the whole Bible, yet it is certain there are Thousands amongst Chriftians, who do not; and are not these bound to believe what they neither know, nor understand of it with an implicie Faith? When St Peter faid to our Saviour, John 6. .68. Thou haft the Words of eternal Life: had he not an implicit Faith of all the Mysteries of Chriftian Religion? And is this a Thing to be ridiculed?

You fay, at this Rate we need but one Article of our Creed, viz. to believe the boly Catholick Church. But I deny your Confequence. Because there are several Articles, all are bound to believe with an explicit· Faith. As, the Being of a God, the Divinity of Chrift, c. and therefore early Care is taken to teach Children their Creed, and explain to them all the Articles it contains. But let us hear, what you have still more to lay against Transubstantiation,

§. 32.

No Danger of Idolatry from the Adoration of Chrift in the Eucharist.

"G. Bi

Ut there is fomething yet more terrible be. hind. For, if there be no Tranfubftantia» tion, then you worship Bread and Wine with Latria, » by which you mean the fupreme Worship due to God " alone. pag. 155.

L. How Scrupulous are Men fometimes even against their Confcience! But pray Sr, would you be fo very much frighten'd, if an Arian should argue thus against the Divinity of Chrift? But there is fame thing yet more terrible behind: for if Chrift be not God, you are all Idolaters. Sr, we have no different Claffes of reveal'd Truths as to their Certainty, all being equally grounded upon God's Veracity: and we are as certain of the Revelation of Chrift's real Prefence in the Eucharift, as of the Divinity of his Perfon.

» G. But, My Lord, tho Tranfubftantiation were » granted, and fully understood, yet it is impoffi»ble for any Man to know whether he worships plain "Bread and Wine, or the Body and Blood of Chrift. » Because in the Rubrick of the Maß, de defectibus » circa Miffam, there are several Cafes put, wherein "the Confecration is void, and there is no Sacrament » made, and then there is nothing there but plain » Bread and Wine. One of thefe Cafes is, if there be a » greater Mixture of any other Grain than of Wheat

in the Wafer. Another is, if the Wine be made of » four Grapes or Grapes not ripe; fi vinum fit ex » uvis acerbis vel non maturis; which is pretty hard » to know for the People, who never taft it, or the Worshippers who fee or taft neither but only a

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Pixis, or a Cup they look not into and in both « these Cases befides others it is faid, non conficitur « Sacramentum, there is no Sacrament made. And so a it is faid, if the Intention of the Priest be Wan- « ting, which is impoffible to know. Upon which « Head they put a pleasant Cafe; As fuppofe a Prieft « intends to confecrate ten Wafers (for Example) « and after Confecration there be found eleven or e more, then none of them are confecrated, because a the Intention going only to ten, it cannot be known, « which thefe ten are. But if there be Nine or fewer, « they are all confecrated, because the Intention e going to ten, it includes all within that Number. "« Besides you take it wholly upon Truft, whether « there be any Confecration at all, because your « Priests do not confecrate before the People, when « they adminifter the Sacrament, but at fet Times « they confecrate Numbers of Wafers together, which « they referve for Occafions, and for daily Worship. « Again it is faid in fome Cafes, dubium eft an con- « ficiatur Sacramentum. That it is doubtful whether the Sacrament be made or not. And what shall we « do in this Cafe? Is it a Doubt whether we worship «< God or a Creature? Or is it indifferent to which we « give Latria? pag. 155. 156. «

L. Sr, many of your Obfervations are wholly frivolous; but the Sum of all is this, viz. that an unconfecrated Hoft may poffibly be mistaken for a confeerated one; which is easily granted. And you conclude from it, that they, who adore Chrift fuppofing him by Mistake prefent under that Hoft, are guilty of Idolatry, which I deny. For how is it poffible a Perfon intending Nothing elfe but to adore Christ, should commit Idolatry whether he will or no? Idolarry is a moft grievous Sin, and every Sin is an Act of the Will freely confenting to it. Because, tho a

S: 32 Man may fometimes commit a Sin even against his Inclination out of Compliance, or for Lucre, 'tis a meer Chimera to fin against one's Will. And how then can he commit the Sin of Idolatry, when his Heart and Will are wholly intent upon Adoring Chrift, whom he fuppofes to be really prefent?

We read John. 12. V. 21. that feveral Gentiles came with a Defire to fee Chrift. Now let us fuppofe, that for want of a Guide to direct them, they had proftrated themselves at the Feet of fome other, would any reasonable Man have condemn'd them as guilty of Idolatry? Or fuppofe St Mary Magdalene, as she took Chrift to be the Gardiner, Joh. 2. v. 15. Had with as much Innocence afterwards taken the Gar diner for Chrift, would this have made her an Ido. later? I prefume your exceffive zeal would have pafs'd Sentence of Condemnation upon her. But I can never imagine, that a true and ardent Love of Jefus-Chrift can be the Sin of Idolatry.

But let us hear, how an eminent Protestant Wri ter answers this frivolous Objection. I mean Dr Taylor who in his Liberty of Prophecying, Sect. 2. Numb. 26. writes thus. Idolatry (fays he) is forfaking the true God, and giving Divine Worship to a Creature, or to an Idol, that is, to an imaginary God. Now it is evident, that the Object of their [i.e. the Papists] Ado ration in the bleffed Sacrament, is the only true and eter nal God, Hypoftatically join'd with his Humanity; which Humanity they believe actually prefent under the Veil of the facramental Signs. And, if they thought him not prefent, they are fo far from Worshipping the Bread in this Cafe, that themselves profeß ir Idolatry to do so. Which is a DEMONSTRATION, that their Soul has nothing in it but what is a great Enemy to Idolatry: and nothing burns in Hell, but proper Will. Thus Doctor Taylor; who writes like a fair Adversary, and a Man of Senfe.

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