we may understand the scripture as well without the church as with it; but where it doth not speak plainly, the church of Rome hath left us no infallible commentary whereby to understand it; so that where the scripture is plain, she hath not made it plainer; and where it is obscure, she hath left it as obscure as ever: so that after all the noise that is made of infallibility, her doctors are fain to apply themselves to the same methods of understanding scripture, that is, to consult the sense of antiquity, and compare text with text, and the like that we fallible protestants do; and when they have done all, are as liable to be mistaken as we. Nay, they themselves confess, that even general councils themselves may be mistaken in their applications of scripture; that is, that they may misapply them to wrong purposes, which they cannot do without mistaking the sense of them, of which there are a great many notorious instances in the second council of Nice; which to prove it the duty of Christians to worship images, urges God's taking clay, and making man after his own image; and likewise that of Esay, There shall be a sign and testimony to the Lord in the land of Egypt; and also those passages of David, Confession and beauty is before him. Lord, I have loved the beauty of thy house. O Lord, my face hath sought for thee. O Lord, I will seek after thy countenance. O Lord, the light of thy countenance is sealed over us. And from that passage, As we have seen, so have we heard, they argue that there must be images to look on; and because it is said, God is marvellous in his saints, they conclude that the church must be decked with pictures; and from, No man lighteth a candle and putteth it under a

bushel, they wisely infer that images must be set upon the altar: all which are as remote from their sense, as the first verse of the first chapter of Genesis. What greater certainty have they with their infallibility, than we without it? We can know as well the sense of plain texts of scripture, as of plain texts of councils, or creeds, or catechisms; and we can as easily pervert the sense of the one as of the other and as for those that are not plain, even general councils, you see, for all their infallibility, may be mistaken about them as well as we. So that when all comes to all, by forsaking the infallible authority of scripture, to rely upon the infallible authority of that church, we are so far from arriving at a greater certainty of faith, that we are involved in greater uncertainties than ever. But then,

4. And lastly, In relying upon the authority of scripture, we are left to no other uncertainties than just what are necessary to render our faith virtuous and rewardable; whereas by relying upon the authority of the church of Rome, (supposing it were as sure a ground of faith as it is pretended,) our faith would have little or nothing of virtue in it. It is pretended, (though falsely you see,) that that church's authority is so sure a ground of faith, that while a man depends upon it he cannot be mistaken in any necessary article of faith; which in reality amounts to no more than this, That while a man believes as that church believes, which infallibly believes all that is necessary to salvation, he infallibly believes all that is necessary to salvation; and it is equally true, that while a man believes as the scripture teaches, which infallibly teaches all that is necessary to salvation, he infallibly believes all that is necessary to salvation;

that is, both are equally false. For no man can infallibly believe either the church or scripture, because infallibility exceeds the capacity of human nature; no man can so believe either but that he may be mistaken, and if he may be mistaken, it is possible he may not believe all that is necessary to salvation, whether he grounds his faith upon the church or the scripture. But because this church pretends so to secure my faith while I depend upon her authority, as that I cannot be mistaken, for this very reason I cannot depend upon it, because I am sure of this, that God never designed for me any such means of believing, as should render my faith infallible. For to what end should he require me to take so much pains and care to secure my faith from errors, if he hath furnished me with any certain means of being infallible? It would be but applying that means, whatever it is, and my danger would be immediately over; and then I need trouble my head no further, being now so secured, as that I cannot be mistaken : after which it would be very impertinent, methinks, for God to trouble me with those unnecessary injunctions of trying all things, and holding fast to that which is good; of searching the scriptures, and trying the spirits whether they be of God; and taking heed whilst I stand, lest I fall. What need a man be at the expense of all this labour and caution, whose faith is already secured? Seeing therefore God requires these things at our hands, it is a plain case that he never intended us any method how to be infallible in believing; and therefore, since the church of Rome's authority is pretended to be such a method, for that reason it ought to be rejected. It is plain that God intended that our faith should be a grace

and a virtue, and consequently that it should be an act of our wills as well as of our understandings, which supposes the evidence of it to be irresistible; for what virtue is it to believe that the sun shines when it glares full in our eyes? Since therefore our faith must be a free and voluntary assent upon such motives as are sufficient to satisfy an honest mind, but not to compel either an obstinate infidel or selfdeceived hypocrite; God did not think fit so to secure our faith, as to leave it impossible for us to err damnably; and indeed if he had, it would have been no virtue in us to believe savingly; for what virtue is it for a man to do that which it is impossible for him not to do? It is sufficient, that we cannot err damnably in our faith without some damnable fault in our wills; but if we either refuse to inquire into this revelation for what is necessary for us to believe, or will only inquire into it with a mind that is biassed with wicked and sinful prejudices, or will not submit our understandings to it upon the clearest conviction, there is no doubt but we may be ignorant; and we may be deceived in things of the greatest moment, and it is but just and fit that we should: and if, notwithstanding these faults, we could not err, for God's sake what virtue would it be to be orthodox? But if with honest, humble, and teachable minds we will diligently inquire into divine revelation, we shall there find all the necessaries to salvation so clearly and plainly proposed to us, that it will be morally impossible for us either to be ignorant of or deceived about them. So that by relying on scripture, you see, we are exposed to no other uncertainties than just what are necessary to render our faith a virtue; and God doth as much require that our faith should

be virtuous, as that it should be orthodox; that it should be the act of an honest, humble, diligent, and teachable mind, as that it should be extended to all things necessary to salvation. Now our faith may be orthodox without an infallible certainty, but it cannot be virtuous and rewardable with it. To what purpose then do the Romanists talk of an infallible certainty in believing? Is it reasonable to expect more certainty than God ever intended to give? He hath given as much as is necessary for honest minds, and no more; and whether knaves and hypocrites believe right or wrong, is of no great concernment. If therefore our faith be liable to no other uncertainty than just what is necessary to try our honesty, that is much better for us, in respect of the virtue of our faith, than an infallible certainty. Supposing therefore that the church of Rome were as infallible as it pretends, it is certain that the scripture is as infallible as that; but whether we rely upon one or the other, we are fallible still. And could that church render us as infallibly certain as it pretends, it would thereby preserve indeed the orthodoxy of our faith, but then at the same time it would destroy the virtue of it: for to believe right when we cannot believe wrong, is fatal and necessary; but to believe right, when through our own default we may believe wrong, this is virtuous and rewardable.

By what hath been said, therefore, I think it is sufficiently evident, that it is upon the scripture we are to rely, and not upon the church, especially upon the Roman church, for all things necessary to salvation; and therefore, since we are obliged to believe these things, upon pain of eternal damnation, it necessarily follows that they must be plain, and clear,