The Popes and great part of their Church for 600 years have held they might; and have practised accordingly, as most nations in their turns have felt. But what tradition hath taught, and general Councils have decreed on this point, is so various and contradictory, that it would take a inan's life almost to inquire into it. So that some Popish writers speak of the affirmative of this question as an Article of Faith; and some as a most impious error. One or the other must be impious, undoubtedly. Which then are the Heretics? and what is their infallibility good for, that either cannot, or will not, decide questions of such importance to human society as this? But to proceed: some of that Communion allow not even Councils to be infallible, and account no doctrine fundamental, unless the whole body of the Roman Church hath received it as such. And how shall the ignorant know with certainty when they have all received it, and in what sense they have received it? But why the whole body of the Roman Church? What claim hath she of being always in the right more than the Churches of Greece, of Asia, or of Æthiopia, who differ from her, as well as we, in many things, and allow her no such privilege? Nor, which is more, did St. Paul know of any she had in the least: but in his Epistle to the Church of Rome, bids her not to be high-minded, but fear: for if God spared not the Jews, take heed, lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore, the goodness and severity of God: On them-severity; but towards thee, goodness: if thou continue in his goodness, otherwise thou also shall be cut off. Strange treatment, sure, of an infallible Church! Some persons therefore have held infallibility to reside not in the Church of Rome particularly, but in the whole body of Christians considered as one, which indeed is the only true Catholic or Universal Church. But the whole body of Christians, in the nature of things, can never meet: and, were it as easy, as it is difficult, to collect their several opinions, what one point should we find them all in all ages agree in as necessary, besides those general doctrines of Christianity, that are on every hand allowed to be clearly contained in Scripture? Which way soever then we seek for a rule of faith, to Scripture-doctrine we must return and therefore the best way is, never to depart from it. But here some of the Romanists (for they differ about it) will say we wrong them. They admit Scripture for the rule of faith. But do they admit it for the only one? This they dare not say. Or, if they did, will they allow us, when we have this rule, to know what it means? No, we must never understand the least part of it, though ever so plain, in any different sense from what the Church is pleased to appoint. What then is this but mocking mankind, and giving with one hand, what they immediately take away with the other? But we, they say, are in a pitiable condition, that, having only the dead letter of Scripture to go by, and no living guide or judge to direct us in the interpretation of it, as they have; controversies are always among us, and can never be decided. To this we answer, that controversies are what they themselves, even with persecution to help them, can neither prevent or end any more than we. And in matters of property indeed, some decision, right or wrong, must be made. Society could not subsist without it: but what need of an infallible decision in matters of faith? Why is it not sufficient that every man determine for himself as well as he can in this world; and that God, the only infallible judge, will determine with equity concerning us all in the next? But the generality of people, they say, are incapable of judging for themselves. Yet the New Testament supposes them both capable of it, and bound to it; and accordingly requires them not only to try the spirits, the pretences to infallibility, whether they be of God*, but to prove all things, and hold fast that which is good. But were this otherwise: if they are incapable of judging, why do you persuade them to change their judgment? Let them alone in the way they are in. But if they have judgment enough to determine whether the Catholic Church be infallible, whether the Church of Rome be the Catholic Church, whether this infallibility be in Pope or Council, which Decrees of either are genuine, and what is the true meaning of those Decrees; all which things they must determine before the infallibility of the Church can be any guide to them: if I say every plain man hath ability enough for such points as these, why hath he not ability enough in other cases, to understand common sense and plain Scripture: to judge whether transubstantiation, for instance, be not contrary to the one, and image worship to the other? The Romanists themselves own, that men must use their eyes to find this guide: why then must they afterwards put them out to follow him? Especially considering that the only rule, which above ninety-nine parts in a hundred of their communion have to follow, is not the doctrine of Councils and Popes even were they infallible: (for of these it is infinitely harder to know any thing than of Scripture,) but merely what a few priests, and private writers tell them; and so at last, all the 1 John iv. 1. + 1 Thess. v. 21. pretence to being directed by infallibility, ends in being led blindfold by men, confessedly as fallible as themselves. But all Christians are commanded, they say, to obey them that have the rule over them in the Lord*. And it is true, the teaching of the ministers of the Gospel ought to be attended upon: their doctrine followed in all clear cases, and their judgment respected even in doubtful ones. But still we are no more bound to follow our spiritual guides into opinions plainly false, or practices plainly sinful, than to follow a common guide down a precipice, or into the sea, let our knowledge of the way be ever so little, or the other's pretences to infallible skill in it ever so great. The rule therefore for the unlearned and ignorant in religion is this. Let each man improve his own judgment and increase his own knowledge as much as he can: and be fully assured that God will expect no more. In matters, for which he must rely on authority, let him rely on the authority of that Church which God's Providence hath placed him under, rather than another which he hath nothing to do with; and trust those, who by encouraging free inquiry, appear to love truth, rather than such as, by requiring all their doctrines to be implicitly obeyed, seem conscious that they will not bear to be fairly tried. But never let him prefer any authority before that which is the highest of all authority, the written word of God. This therefore let us all carefully study, and not doubt but that whatever things in it are necessary to be believed, are easy to be understood. This let us firmly rely on, and trust to its truth, when it declares itself able to make us wise unto salvation, perfect, and tho Heb. xiii. 17. |