PRINCIPLES OF PAPISTS ON THE UNITY OF FAITH. 28 I
firm, it is evident unto all how the Scripture is able to settle men unquestionably in the truth, and that for ever, 6Vs^ Uu hi^ai. I shall close this discourse with a passage out of Chrysostom, which fully confirms all that I have asserted ; it is in Homil. 33, in Act. Apost. cap. XV. T/ oZv, saith he, av i'i'jruiMiv <:rphg TOUc"'EXkrivag; "JLpyjra.i "EXXrjV, xai Xsysi on ISouXo^UjUI yivsddai 'Kpiffriavog, dXk\ohx diba rivi irpoe- &Z}iLai. — " What shall we say unto the Gentiles ? A Gentile cometh and saith, ' I would be a Christian, but I know not unto Avhom amongst you I should adhere."' Let us hear the reasons of his hesitation. Saith he, Md^Tj 'Trap' u/^/V toXXt] xai grdgic, ToXiig '^opvCog' ToTov sXu^u^ai hljjij.a ; ri aiprjffo/J>ai', 'ixaGTog X'syn on dXridsuc/j' rhi irnd&Ml /o-'/jcisv oXojg iihojg sv raTg ypa^aTg' — " There are many contentious, seditions, and tumults amongst you : what opinion to choose I know not. Every one says, I am in the truth ; [whom shall I believe ?] I am utterly ignorant of what is in the Scripture about these things." Do you know whose objections these are, and by whom they have been lately managed ? Will you hear what Chrysostom answers? Saith he, nam ys roZro b-irip rtn,uv' tl /Av yap XoyiG/MoTg iX'syo/jjSV 'Xiihs^cii, si/corug idopvQov' eidl raTg ypa(pa7g Xsyofiiv 'iriarsvuv, ccZrai ol dirXufi xai d.Xri&iTg, ivxoXov soi ro 'Apiv6[Mivov' zi ng l%i\vaig 6uiJj(pMVsTj o5rog XpiffTiavog' s'l r/$ iJ^dy^irai, o-jrog "roppoj rou xavovog rouroW — " This makes wholly for us; for if we should say that we believe on probable reasonings, thou mayst justly be troubled ; but seeing we profess that we believe in the Scriptures, which are plain and true, it is easy for thee to judge and determine. He that yields his consent unto them, he is a Christian; and he that contends against them is far from the rule of Christianity." And in the process of his discourse, which is well worth the perusal before you write any more familiar epistles, he requires no more of a man to settle him in the truth, but that he receive the Scripture, and have vouv xal xpiaiv, " a mind and judgment," to use in the consideration of it.
It remaineth now that we consider what it is that you propose unto men to bring them unto a settlement in religion, and all Chris- tians to the unity of faith, with the principles that you proceed upon to that purpose; which, because I would not too far lengthen out this discourse, I shall refer to the next chapter.
CHAPTER VIII.
Principles of Papists, whereon they proceed in bringing men to a settlement in religion and the unity of faith, examined.
Your plea to this purpose is blended with a double pretence of pope and church. Sometimes you tell us of the pope and his suc- cession to St Peter, and sometimes of the church and its authority. Sometimes you speak as if both these were one and the same; and
282 A VINDICATION OF THE ANIMADVERSIONS ON FIAT LUX.
sometimes you seem to distinginsli them. Some of you lay most weight upon the paired succession and infallibility ; and some on the chmxh's jurisdiction and authority. I shall crave leave to take your pleas asunder, and first to consider what force they have in them, as unto the end whereunto they are applied, severally and apart; and then see what, in their joint concuiTence, they can contribute thereunto. And whatever you think of it, I suppose this course of proceeding will please ingenuous persons and lovers of truth, because it enables them to take a distinct view of the things whereon they are to give judgment; whereas in jo\xv handling of them, something you suppose, something you insinuate, something you openly aver, yet so confound them with other heterogeneous discourses, that it can hardly be discerned what gi'ounds you build upon ; — a way of proceeding which, as it argues a secret guilt and fear of bringing forth your prin- ciples to light, so a gross kind of sophistry exploded by all masters of reason whatsoever. They would not have us " fumum ex fulgore, sed ex fumo dare lucem," — " darken things clear and perspicuous in themselves, but to make things dark and confused perspicuous." And the orator tells us that Epicurus's discourse was ambiguous, be- cause his " sententia" was " inhonesta," — " his opinion shameful." And to what purpose should any one contend with you about such general ambiguous expressions, us-vip Iv n^roiha'^ic^X I shall, then, begin with the pope and his infallibility, because you seem to lay most weight thereon, and tell us plainly, p. 379 of your " Fiat," second edition, " That if the pope be not an unerring guide in affairs of religion, all is lost;" and that " a man once rid of his authority may as easily deride and as solidly confute the incarnation as the sprinkling of holy water : " so resolving our faith of the incarnation of Christ into his authority or testimony. Yea, and in the same page, " That if it had not been for the pope, Christ himself had not been taken in the world for any such person as he is believed this day;" and p. 378, to the same purpose, " The first great fundamental of Christian reli- gion, which is the truth and divinity of Christ, had it not been for him, had failed long ago in the world;" with much more to the same purpose. Hence it is evident that, in your judgment, all truth and certainty in religion depends on the pope's authority and infallibility; or, as you express it, " his unerring guidance." This is your prin- ciple, this you propose as the only medium to bring us unto that settlement in religion which you suppose the Scripture is not able io do. What course should we now take? would you have us believe you at the first word, without farther trial or examination? would you have a man to do' so who never before heard of pope or church? We are commanded to " try all things, and to hold fast that which is good;" to try pretending spirits. And the Bereans are commended for examining by the Scripture what Paul himself preached unto