FOURTH VULGAR ERROR.

9. It is a vulgar Error, that if I judge more favourably of the Salvation of another, than he does of mine; I am the more charitable of the two. This, I fay, is a vulgar Error. For a charitable Judgment, and a favourable Judgment, are quite different Things.

A favourable Judgment is a Judgment in your Favour, be it right or wrong. A charitable Judgment is that which is grounded on Truth, and which proceeds from the Love of God above all Things. So that a charitable Judgment may be very unfavourable, and a favourable Judgment may be very uncharitable. As will manifestly appear by thefe Inftances.

If fober Men Jay with S. (12) Paul, that Drunkards cannot be fav'd; this Judgment is both charitable and neceffary, tho' not favourable to the fottifh Friends of the Bottle, whom it condemns. But are Drunkards more charitable than fober Men, because they judge more favourably of their Salvation, I mean, that fober Men may be fav'd, tho' Drunkards cannot? Again, if fober Men fhould think that Drunkards are in a State of Salvation: this Opinion, how much foever in their Favour, would be highly uncharitable, by encouraging them in their Wickedness. Another Inftance is this: High-way Men fay, that honeft

(12) Cor. vi. v. 19 Gal. v. 19, 2 L.

Men

Men may be fav'd; and honeft Men fay, that High-way Men cannot. Whether then is an boneft Man, or a High-way Man the more charitable? If the High-way Man is not the more charitable of the two, it is a vulgar Error, that, If I judge more favourably of the Salvation of another, than he does of mine, I am the more charitable of the two.

FIFTH VULGAR ERROR.

10. It is therefore a vulgar and great Error, that, fetting all other Confiderations apart, if Proteftants judge more favourably of the Salvation of Catholicks, than Catholicks do of theirs, Proteftants are the more charitable Side. For is it not a great Error, which would make Drunkards more charitable than fuch as are fober; and High-way Men, or any other Villains, more charitable than thofe who are honeft? Yet this is manifeftly the Cafe. See, how it stands betwixt them and S. Paul. For it is only in his Senfe, that I take the Word Hereticks. We Adulterers, Drunkards, Idolaters, Hereticks, and High-way Men grant, that S. Paul is fav'd: He affirms, (13) that we cannot : Therefore we are more charitable than St. Paul.

Whether any Proteftant Writer or Preacher of Note was ever fo far overfeen, as to flip into this wretched Fallacy, I fhall not trouble my felf

to

(13) Gaļ. v. v. 19, 20, 21.

to examine. But the judicious Rabble thinks it w better than all the Demonftrations in the World. And is entirely convinc'd by this manifeft Sophiftry, by this falfe and foolish Reasoning: which, if it has any Force against Catholicks, has the fame against S. Paul, in the Inftance above mention'd. So far, indeed, they are in the right, that if Catholick Religion is uncharitable, it is not Christ's Religion. But if they think this pro'd fufficiently by an Argument, which may as well be urg'd against S. Paul and his Writings; they are certainly and shamefully in the Wrong.

SIXTH VULGAR ERROR.

11. It is a vulgar Error, that he is uncharitable, whoever fuppofes, that none are fav'd in any other Religion, unless they are excus'd by invincible Ignorance. This, I say, is a very great Error; because it makes all Chriftians, and even the Apostles uncharitable. For does not every Christian, who thinks himself in the right, that is, who thinks his own Religion clearly reveal'd, fuppofe, that none are fav'd in any other, unless they are excus'd by invincible and involuntary Ignorance? For can they err against the plain Word of God, without being ignorant? And if their Ignorance is voluntary and criminal; are they in a State of Salvation? Again, did not S. Paul, and the rest of the Apostles, who believed and taught the whole Christian Religion, suppose that none were fav'd, who did not believe all the Articles or Parts of it, unless they were excus'd by invincible Ignorance?

12. When

12. When our Adverfaries therefore think fit to fupport their Charge of Uncharitableness against Catholicks; two Things are requifite. The first is, that they take Care to avoid thefe vulgar Errors. The fecond is, that they avoid all Degrees of Sophistry and falfe Reasoning. For thefe prove nothing, but only the Weakness of the Caufe in which they are employ'd.

13. If you ask me, Why there are so many Divifions in Christendom, if all Men ought to be of the fame Faith, and in the fame Communion? Perhaps I cannot answer this Question better than by another. Why did not the Doctrine and Miracles of Christ convert all Judæa? Why did not the Doctrine and Miracles of the Apoftles convert the Roman Empire, and all the World to which they preach'd? The Answer is obvious and undeniable. As many as fear'd God, and took their Salvation to Heart, were converted. The reft, who were much more numerous, continued as they were before, tho' the Evidence in Reafon could not be question'd. And will not the fame Rule bold for all the Divifions, which are, or ever were in Chriftendom, or rather in the World? Yet how hard is it to convert either a few, a Turk, an Infidel, or a Diffenter? Because they do not fear God, and take Salvation to Heart. St. Paul preach'd in (14) Athens, that is, in the most learned and inquifitive City in the World. He preach'd in the A

reopagus,

(14) Acts xvii. v. 16, 17.

reopagus, which was one of the most venerable and auguft Affemblies under the Sun. And what was the Iffue, but the Converfion of (15) one Man, of one Woman, and of a few others: If then the Evidence and Eloquence of S. Paul reap'd fo little Fruit ; can we expect a large Harvest? Tho' if the Generality of Mankind feared God (which hitherto they never did, and probably never will) much might be done. For the Doctrine and Motives of Christianity are known in all the chief Parts of the Univerfe. It must not therefore be denied, but Jews, Turks, and Infidels, if they fear'd God, and had a due Care of their Salvation, would foon be Chriftians. And if all Chriftians had a due Fear of God, would they not enter into his Fold, and into the strictest Union imaginable? If fo, the Fear of God is the only Catholick Remedy to heal all the Wounds and Divifions of Christendom. For to imagine, that Light and Evidence is wanting for this great Work, is to lay the Fault of our Divifions on the Divinity, and to make God the Author of that which he condemns.

14. But is not the Catholick Church highly uncharitable, in coining new Articles of Faith, and in obliging all Men to believe them?

To this I anfwer, firft, If her Adverfaries are to be her Judges, and Judges in their own Caufe, She is. But if he is the One, Holy, Catholick, and Apoftolick Church; if he is

the

(15) Ibid. v. 34.