298 A YINDICATIOX OF THE ANIMADVERSIONS ON FIAT LUX.
the pope, we shall be sure all to agree. But this is no more hut, as I have before told you, what every party of men in the world tender us, upon the same or the like condition. It is not a mere agreement we aim at, but an agreement in the truth; not a mere unity, but a unity of faith ;■ — and faith must be built on principles infallible, or it will prove in the close to have been fancy, not faith ; carnal imagi- nation, not Christian belief: otherwise we may agree in Turcism, or Judaism, or Paganism, as well as in Christianity, and to as good pur- pose. Now, what of this kind do you tender unto us? Would you have us to leave the sure word of prophecy, more sure than a voice from heaven ; the light shining in the dark places of this world, which we are commanded to attend unto by God himself; the holy Scrip- ture given by inspiration, which is able to make us wise unto sal- vation; the word that is perfect, sure, right, converting the soul, enlightening the eyes, making wise the simple, — whose observation is attended with great reward, — to give heed, yea, to give up all our spiritual and eternal concernments, to the credit of old, groundless, uncertain stories, inevident presumptions, fables invented for and openly improved unto carnal, secular, and wicked ends ? Is your request reasonable? Would we could prevail with you to cease your importunity in this matter; especially considering the dangerous con- sequence of the admission of these your principles unto Christianity in general. For if it be so that St Peter had such an episcopacy as you talk of, and that a continuance of it in a succession by the bishops of Rome be of that indispensable necessity unto the preservation of Christian religion as is pretended, many men, considering the nature and quality of that succession, — how the means of its continuation have been arbitrarily and occasionally changed, — what place formerly popular suffrage and the imperial aiithority have had in it, — how it came to be devolved on a conclave of cardinals, — what violence and tumults have attended one way, what briberies and filthy respects unto the lusts of unclean persons, the other, — what interruptions the succession itself hath had, by vacancies, schisms, and contests for the place, and uncertainty of the person that had the best right unto the popedom, according to the customs of the days wherein he lived, — and that many of the persons who have had a place in the pretended succession have been plainly men of the world, such as cannot receive the Spirit of Christ, yea, open enemies unto his cross, — would find just cause to suspect that Christianity were utterly failed many ages ago in the world ; which certainly would not much promote the settle- ment in truth and unity of faith that we are inquiring after. And this is the first way that you propose to supply that defect which you charge upon the Scripture, that it is insufficient to reconcile men that are at variance about religion, and settle them in the truth. And if
PRINCIPLES OF PAPISTS ON THE UNITY OF FAITH. 299
you are able, by so many uncertainties and untruths, to bring men unto a certainty and settlement in the truth, you need not despair of compassing any thing that you shall have a mind to attempt.
But you have yet another plea, which you make no less use of than of the former; which must therefore be also (now you have en- gaged us in this work) a little examined. This is the CHURCH, its authority and infallihilitif. The truth is, when you come to make a practical application of this plea unto your own use, you resolve it into and confound it with that foregoing of the pope, in whom solely many of you would have this authority and infallibility of the church to reside. Yet because, in your management of it, you proceed on other principles than those before mentioned, this pretence also shall be apart considered. And here you tell us, —
I. " That the church was before the Scripture, and giveth authority unto it." By the Scriptures you know that we understand the word of God, with this one adjunct, of its being written by his command and appointment. We do not say that it belongs unto the essence of the word of God that it be written : whatever is spoken by God we admit as his word, when we are infallibly assured that by him it was spoken ; and that we should do so before, himself doth not require at our liands, for he would have us use our utmost diligence not to be imposed upon by any in his name. Therefore we grant that the word of God was given out for the rule of men in his worship two thousand years before it was written ; but it was so given forth as that they unto whom it came had infallible assurance that from him it came, and his word it was. And if you, or any man else, can give us such assurance that any thing is or hath been spoken by him besides what we have now written in the Scripture, we shall receive it with the same faith and obedience wherewith we receive the Scripture itself Whereas, therefore, you say " that the church was before the Scrip- ture,"— if you intend no more but that there was a church in the world before the word of God was written, we grant it true, but not at all to your purpose. If you intend that " the church is before the word of God," which at an appointed time was written, it may i:>ossibly be wrested unto your purpose, but is far from being true, seeing the church is a society of men called to the knowledge and worship of God by his word. They become a church by the call of that word which, it seems, you would have not given until they are a church : so effects produce their causes, children beget their parents, light brings forth the sun, and heat the fire; so are the prophets and apostles built upon the foundation of the church, Avhereof the pope is the corner-stone ; so was the Judaical church before the law of its constitvition, and the Christian before the word of promise whereon it was founded, and the word of command by which it was edified.