rer of Bishop Lawd confeffeth, it is a vitious Circle to prove Scripture from the Churches Tradition, and the Chur ches Tradition from Scripture (a), (as they generally do, fome few Excentrical fpirits excepted:) nor can he get out of it, but by returning to that Vomit, which his for mer Masters had discharged themselves from, viz. to prove Infallibility by miracles, and the motives of credi bility. But in our cafe it is quite otherwise, for the Spirit works ut inftrumentum, by way of Inftrument, the Scripture,ut argumentum,by way of Argument. It were an abfurd afperfion to call this a Circle, if any man Should fay: I believe the Sun to be bigger then the Earth, because my reafon tels me it is fo, and I believe my reafon faith true,becaufe Mathematical arguments convince me it must needs be fo. That which frees this difcourfe from the Circle, is, that the Mathematicks prove it,ut ar◄ gumentum, Reafon proves it at inftrumentum : and the fame may be faid in the prefent cafe. I fhall farther illuftrate this by a fimilitude or two: It is here, as when a man, through the infirmity of his eye, apprehends a thing to be leffe then it is. There are three wayes, whereby this man may be convinced of his error : 1. By argu "ments taken from the thing it felf. 2. By bringing the object nearer to the eye, (which was at too great a diftance) whereby it appears in its due proportion. 3. By euring the infirmity of the eye. Thus the Phyfitian, that removes the diffemper of the eye, and reftores it to its native ftrength and vigor, may be faid to convince him. Now to apply this. The Spirit of God doth not convince a man of the Divinity of the Scriptures the first way, as a Philofopher, but the laft way, as a Phyfitian; not by an elucidation of the object by arguments, but by the eleva

(2) Laud's Labyrinth, chap. 5.

tion of the faculty, or by anointing the eyes with eyefalve, and curing its infirmity. To which the second may be added, viz. That the Spirit of God brings his word, and the characters of its Divinity impreffed upon it, nea. rer unto us, and writes in the heart according to Gods promise to that purpose, and fo we see the object better, by reafon of its approximation to us. Or as it is with a Philofopher, when he reads a book, written in the defence of fome position, (as fuppofe the doctrine of the circulation of the Bloud,) poffibly his mind may be dif compofed, and his Braines by reafon of fome peccant humor much diftemper'd, and in this cafe he reads the book,but is not at all fatisfied by it: afterwards, Phyfical means are applyed, whereby the brain is restored to its native conftitution, and purged from thofe diftempers, whereby it was clouded: now he returns to the book again, and reads it over anew, and yields himself captive to the opinion. You fee here is no change of the old arguments, nor any addition of new ones, onely the impediments which were in the faculty, or the organ, are removed Juft fo it is in the matter now in controverfie: The Spirit of God doth not prove the Scripture to me by arguments, which I never had before, but by the illumination of my mind, to apprehend the arguments, which I did not apprehend before. It is with men, as it was with Hagar, Gen 21. there was a Well of water, but she faw it not, till God opend'd her eyes, verf. 19. There is a felf-evidencing light in the Scriptures, only the Spirit of God cures that blindness of mind, whereby the Devil hindred the world from difcerning it. Thus the Spirit convinced the Jewes of the Truth of the Gospel by removing the vaile, which was upon their hearts in the reading of Mofes, 2 Cor. 3. 15,16, And fo God convinced his elect among the Heathens, not by discovering any more arguments to them, then he did to the reprobates among

them,

them, for the fame doctrine and arguments were preach ed. to both alike, but by opening their eyes to fee what others law not, Act. 26.18. and by opening their hearts to receive what others would not receive, as Act. 16.14. To conclude, forafmuch as the teftimony of the Spirit is not the Argument for which, but onely the Inftrument by which they believe; and on the contrary, the Teltimony of Scripture is the proper argument for which they believe, it is moft evident, that they work in feveral capacities, and fo we are fully discharged from that Circle, which they cauflefly charge us with, and notwithstanding this objection, the foundation of our Faith ftandeth fure. This is the firft particular.

S13. The other particular concernes the Popish foundation for fome of the Romanifts finding themselves so wofully intangled in the bufineffe of Infallibility, are grown fick of the notion. Crefly, the English Apoftate, in his Exomologefis confeffeth, That Infallibility is an. unfortunate word, combated by Mr Chillingworth with too too great fucceffe, that he could wish the word were forgotten, or at least laid by: these therefore tell us, that if the Infal libility of the Church be denied, yet a Papift hath fufficient ground for his Faith in the Churches authority, in which he is obliged to acquiefce, and whom he must hear in all things: and this way fome others go. This I thought fit to mention, that the world may fee the complexion of a Romifh confcience, and the defperate fhifts which the wretchedneffe of their caufe forceth them to. But because the abfurdity of this new fancy doth fuâ luce conftare, Ifhall difmifs it with two remarks up

on it.

. That it is difclaimed by the Romish Church, (and it were a frivolous thing to concern our felves in refuting all the wild fancies of their particular Doctors.) It is true Creffy faith, No fuch word as Infallibility is to be found in

R

any

any Council: the good man had forgot the definition of the Councel of Bafil, wherein they call it a pernitions er ror, to fay, that a Councel can erre: (the paflage I cited before,) or else he meant to be witty; for it is very true, that non poteft errare is not the fame word with Infallibi lity,though it be the fame thing. Nor do the Papifts onely affert the Infallibility of their Church, but generally ac knowledge, that without this, their Faith would have no folid Foundation,nor their Religion any certainty. I fhall not multiply inftances in fo known a thing you have many inftances in one, in that forementioned paffage of the Councel of Bafil, That if once that pernitious error were admitted, that general Councels may erre, the whole Catholick Faith would totter (a) And Bellarmine in a forequoted paffage confeffeth, That it is a most unreasonable thing to require Chriftians to be finally fubject to the judg ment of that Church which is liable to error(b). And therefor I need not cast away pretious time in confuting those particular fancies of fome private Doctors, which are directly repugnant unto the confeffed opinion of the Pope, and the Decree of a general Councel.

2. This is fo far from mending the matter, that it makes it far worse: for he that faith, I am bound to believe the Church in all things,because she is infallible in all things, fpeaks that which is coherent in it felf, and the confequence is agreeable to reafon; the onely fault lies in the Antecedent. But he that faith, I am bound to believe the Church in all things,though the may errein many things, (and none knows how many,) throws himself and me upon fuch defperate Rocks, as none but a mad-man would run upon. When Bellarmine delivers that defperate dos Arine, That if the Pope should command us to fin, we are

(a) In Refponfione Synodali (b) lib.z.de Concil.c.3.

bound

bound to obey him: and when others have faid, That if the Pope should lead thanfands to Hell, we must not reprove bim: their followers mollifie the har fhneffe of those affertions with this favourable conftruction, That the Propofitions are onely Hypothetical, depending upon fuch conditions, as by reafon of the promise of Infallibility, can never be fulfilled, for(fay they)the Pope cannot command fin, and cannot lead men to Hell: and this, if true were a plaufible evafion.But to tell me, that,if the Pope or Church may erre, yet I am bound to believe and obey them in all things, this is to make that my Duty, which God hath threatned as a terrible Curfe, 2 Thef.2.viz. to believe lies: This is to confront the Apostle, A.5. and to fay, That it is better to obey men then God,when their com mands are contrary, this is to bring me under a neceffity of that Woe, denounced against fuch as call evill good, and good evill,that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Ifa.5.20. This is to fay, That I am bound to follow my blind Leaders, though it be into the Ditch, That I am under an obligation of offending God by making him alyar, and of damning my own Soul; This is to fay, That the Ifraelites were bound to obey Aaron's idolatrous decree, concerning the observation of the Feast of the Calfe: nay more, That the Jewes were bound to obey their Church in putting Chrift to death, though they had at that time known him to be the true Meffias. In a word, fuch and fo many are the prodigious abfurdities which would inevita bly follow from that wild affertion, that Madneffe it felf, unleffe in its highest Paroxyfme, could not equall it: and when the Authors of it come to themselves, or returne to the judgment of their own Church,or when their Church comes over to their opinion,& layes afide their bold pretences to Infallibility, they may expect a farther Anfwer. But fince I wrot this, I find, MrCrefy hath faved me the labour of farther Answer: for in his fecond edition,