tion of the Church it is impoffible to believe out of Scripturi alane, that God is one, and that there are three perfons. Who is it that dare charge thefe Jefuites with Equivocation? I think they speak as plainly as their greatest enemies can defire. Here you fee the meaning of that distinction quoad fe &quoad nos, viz. They acknowledge the Scrip ture in it felf to be true and Canonicall, and it is a Truch in it felf, that Chrift is God; but fo far as concernés me, I am not bound to believe either one or the other; but for the Churches Testimony, which is the very thing I am now proving and hereby granted, That the Scripture in it felf is no foundation of my Faith. And this is the more weighty, because you fee it was not an unadvised flip of one mans Pen, but here you have it deliberately afferted and defended by a Triumvirate of Popish Authors, each of whose works,where that paffage was,is fet forth with the approbation of feverall Romish Doctors of principall note.

§. 5. But peradventure, Que non profunt fingula juncta juvant. Although, neither the Popes Authority, nor the Scriptures Teftimony alone will, yet both together may conftitute a folid and fufficient foundation of faith; and the Popes Authority being afferted in, and demonftrated by the Scriptures, is a lure footing for my faith; To which, though it might fuffice to object the circle (which is here moft palpable and evident) yet I fhall at prefent forbear that anfwer, and referre it to another place, and fhall here confider, whether the Scriptures affert the Popes infallible Authority, as it is pretended. And first in generall, whereas feverall Texts of Scripture are pleaded by the Romanists, in favour of the Popes Supremacy and infallibility, as Feed my sheep-Thou art Peter, I have prayed for thee-and the like: I demande whe ther these words or Texts of Scripture, in, and for themfelves, without the interpretation and teftification of the Romish Church, do bind me to believe the Popes SuPremacy,

!

premacy, and Infallibility, or not; If they deny the validity of thefe Texts, without the Churches Teftinio ny and Authority (as needs they must according to their Principles) then it followes, that there is nothing in Scripture, confidered in it self, that bindes me to believe the Popes Supremacy, and confequently do not fin, when I do not believe & own their Arguments drawn from these Texts, and that the Scripture in it felf is no fufficient foundation for a Papifts Faith. If they affirme it, then let all the Papifts in the world give me a reason why thefe Texts The word was God, Joh. 1. He thought it no - robbery to be equall with God, Phil. 2. This is the true God1 Joh. 5. Should not in themselves, and without the -Churches Authority as folidly prove the Divinity of Chrift, as the other mentioned Texts are affirmed to prove the Supremacy and Infallibility of the Pope.

5.6. If they perfift ftill to say, that the alleadged Texts are in themfelves a folid foundation for my faith, although fuch an affertion is contrary to their univerfall profeffion and overturnes the whole fabrick of Popery; yet because I know thefe Proteus's will turne themselves into all shapes, and endeavour to flip all knots, and be cause 1 obferve all their writings are stuffed with several Texts of Scripture, as if they would make their deluded Profelites believe they made them the foundation of their Faith: I fhall therefore make fome brief remarks upon the chiefe of their Scripture allegations, in pursu➡ ance of the Propofition under confideration, and fhew that the Faith of a Papift hath no foundation at all in the facred Scripture, in the great and fundamentall point of the Popes Infallibility: Only that you may understand -the diffidence, which fome of their own great Rabbies have in their Scripture Arguments, I fhall minde you of a remarkable faying of an eminent Doctor, Pighiu,who per. fwading his Catholicks in their Difputations, rather to

argue

argue from Tradition then Scriptures, he breaks out into thefe memorable expreffions; (a) Of which Doctrine if we had been mindful, that Hereticks are not to be convinced our of Scriptures, our affaires had been in a better posture; but whileft for oftentation of wit and learning men disputed wth Luther from Scripture, this Fire, which, alas, we now fee,was kindled. As if he had faid: You may as foon fetch water out of a ftone, as prove the Romish caufe from the Scripture. Oh the power of Truth! Oh the. Deiperateneffe of the Popish cause. His councel indeed was good, but they could not follow it; for having once been fumbling about fome Scriptures, though they faw well enough how impertinent they were to their purpose, yet having once begun, they were obliged to proceed, and make good their attempts (for of all things in the world, they hate retreating and recanting) leaft they fhould put an Argument into our hands, against the infallibility of the Church from her actual mistakes and errours in the expofition of Scriptures.

§. 7. The principal places of Scripture upon which the Popes fupreme Authority and infallibility is founded,

are as follow.

The firft is Matth.16.18. Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my Church, and the Gates of Hell fhall not prevaile against it: Ergo the Pope is fupreme Head and infallible: I fhall forbear actum agere, and therefore fhall omit feveral Answers already given, and onely point at fome few of thofe many allegations, by which the ridiculoufneffe of this collection may appeare, and

(a) Cujus doctrine, fi memores fuiffemus,hæreticos non effe informar. dos feu convincendos ex Scripturis, meliore fanè loco effent res nofire, fed, dum oftentandi ingeaii & eruditionis gratiâ, cum Luthero in cer tamen defcenditur Scripturarum, excitatum eft hoc, quod, prob dolor! videmus incendium.cap.4.Hierarchia

the

the defperateneffe of that caufe that can find no better fupports.

1. This promife concernes onely the invifible Church ofelect perfons, which appears thus, because he speaks of that Church against which the gates of Hell do not prevaile, but the gates of Hell do prevaile against all reprobates) and therefore the meaneft fincere Elect Chriftian in the World, hath a jufter claime to infallibility from this place, then many Fopes of Rome had, whom their own Authors confeffe to have been Reprobates.)

2. This promife fecures the Church as well from damnable fins as damnable errours. I prove it; The Church is here fecured against the prevalency of the Gates of Hell: But the gates of Hell may prevaile as furely, and doe prevaile as frequently by damnable fins, as by errors. Ergo, If therefore notwithstanding this Text, Popes have fallen into damnable Sins, they may confequently fall into damnable Herefies.

3. The Infallibility here promised, extends onely to damnable Herefies, and fuch as lead to, and leave a man under the gates of Hell, and therefore if it were intended of the Pope and Church of Rome, Chrift promifeth no more infallibility to him, then he hereby promifeth, and generally giveth to all perfevering Chriftians.

4. This promile is fpoken of, and made to the whole Church, and therefore belongs to all the parts and members of it alike. So that, if it prove the Infallibility of the Romish Bishop and Church, it proves also the fame of the Bishops and Churches of Corinth, Ephefu, Philippi, &c. which may further appeare, thus; That if we fhould grant the Papifts their abfurd fuppofition, that this rock was not Peter's confeffion, but his perfon, yet fince the Bifhops of Corinth, and Ephefus, and indeed all the Bifhops in the World, according to this fuppofition were built upon Peters perfon, as well as the Bishop of Rome,

1

and

and the Infallibility fuppofed is here promised equally to all that are built upon the Rock, it must either prove all of them infallible, or leave the Pope fallible.

5. Whatsoever Authority or Infallibility is here promifed to Peter is in other places promised and given to the rest of the Apostles, and therefore what is collected from this place, for St Peters Succeffors, may be with equall truth and evidence pleaded from other places, for the Succeffors of the reft of the Apoftles. The fame Keyes which are here promifed to Peter are actually gi• ven to all the Apostles, Math, 18.18. and fch.20. 22,23. And if Infallibility be here promifed to Peter, as much is promised to all the Apoftles, John 16. 13. He will guide you into all Trath. And ifSt Peter be here called a Rock, fo are the other Apoftles called Pillars, Gal. 2, 9. and Foundations, Eph. 2. Apoc. 21.24. And that 16th of Mathem fpeaks not one fyllable more of tranfmitting St Peters Authority to his Succeffors, then thofe other places do to their Succeffors: And therefore it unavoydably followes, either that all their Succeffors are infallible, or that St Peters Succeffor is fallible, at least for any thing that appeares from this Text (whether the Popes Infallibility hath other foundations we shall examine in their order.)

8. It may be faid, That although this place may not feem to be cogent to one that confiders it in it felfe, yet if you take it according to the expofition of the Fathers, it proves what it is alledged for:

But 1. The Fathers generally did understand this Rock to be not Peters Perfon, but his confeffion, or Chrift as confeffed by him, and this you shall find proved to have been the mind of St Cyrill,Hilary,Hierom, Ambrofe, Bafil, Augustine, yea, and the whole Courcell of Chalcedon in that incomparably learned and Irretragable Discourse of Moulins, called The Novelty of Popery,Lib.2.cap.4.

2. That