854 A VINDICATION OF THE ANIMADVERSIONS ON FIAT LUX.
who adds unto it of his own : " E,evera nisi nos authoritas ecclesiae doceret hanc Scripturam esse canonicam, perexiguum apnd nos pon- dus haberet;" — " The truth is, if the authority of the church did not teach us tliat this Scripture is canonical, it would be of very light weight unto us." Such cordial respect do you bear unto it ! And the fore- mentioned Andradius, Defens. Con. Trid. lib. ii., to the same purpose : " Neque enim in ipsis libris, quibus sacra mysteria conscripta sunt, quicquam inest divinitatis quas nos ad credendum quae in illis conti- nentur religione aliqua constringat. Sed ecclesins, quae codices illos sacros esse docet, et jJntiquoiiim patrum fidem et pietatem commen- dat, tanta inest vis et amplitude, ut illis nemo sine gravissima impie- tatis nota possit repugnare;" — " Neither is there in those books, wherein the divine mysteries are written, any thing or any character of divinity or divine original which should, on a religious account, oblige us to believe the things that are contained in them. But yet such is the force and authority of the church, which teacheth those books to be sacred, and commendeth the faith and piety of the an- cient fathers, that no man can oppose them without a grievous mark of impiety." How, by Avhat means, from whom, should we learn the sense of your church, if not from your council of Trent, and such mighty champions of it? Do you think it equitable that we should listen to the suggestions of every obscure friar, and entertain thoughts from them about the sense of your church contrary to the plain asser- tion of your councils and great rabbis? And if this be the respect that, in Catholic countries, is given to the Scripture, I hope you will not find many of your countrymen rivals with them therein. It is all but " Hail " and " Crucify." "We respect the Scriptures, but there is another part of God's word besides them; we respect the Scrip- tures, but traditions contain more of the doctrine of truth; we respect the Scriptures, but think it not meet that Christians be suffered to read them ; we respect the Scripture, but do not think that it hath any character in it of its own divine original for which we should be- lieve it ; we respect the Scripture, but yet we would not believe it were it not commended unto us by our church; we respect the Scripture, but it is dark, obscure, not intelligible but by the interpretation of our church." Pray, sir, keep your respects at home ; they are desj^ised by the Scripture itself, which gives testimony unto its own authority, j)erfection, sufficiency to guide us to God, perspicuity, and certainty, without any respect unto your church or its authority; and we know its testimony to be true. And for our part, we fear that whilst tliese Joab's kisses of respect are upon your lips, jon have a sword in your light hands to let out the vitals of divine truth and religion. Do you think your general expressions of respect, and that unto " admira- tion," are a covering long and broad enough to hide all this contemjDt
FAITH AND CHARITY OF ROMAN CATHOLICS. 355
and reproach that you oontinually pour upon the Scriptures? Deal thus with your ruler, and see whether he will accept your person. Give hira some good words in general, but let your jDarticular ex- pressions of your esteem of him come short of what his state and regal dignity do require, will it be well taken at your hands? Ex- pressions of the same nature with these instanced in might be col- lected of yoiu: chiefest authors sufficient to fill a volume ; and yet I never read nor heard that any of them were ever "stoned " in your Ca- tholic countries, whatever you intimate of the boiling up of your zeal into a rage against those that should go about to diminish it. Indeed, whatever you pretend, this is your faith about -the Scripture; and tlierefore I desire that you would accept of this account why I cannot comply with your Avish, and not si)eak any more of Papists slighting the Scripture, seeing I know they do so in the sense and way by me expressed, and other ways I never said they did so.
From the account of your faith we may proceed to your charity, wherewith you close this discourse. Speaking of your Roman Ca- tholics, you say, " The Scripture is tlieirs, and Jesus Christ is theirs, who will one day plead their cause." What do you mean, sir, by "theirs?" Do you intend it exclusively to all others? so theirs as not to be the right and portion of any other ? It is evident that this is your sense, not only because, unless it be so, the words have neither sense nor emphasis in them ; but also because, suitably unto this sense, you elsewhere declare that the Roman and the catholic church are with you one and the same. This is your charity, fit to accompany and to be the fruit of the faith before discoursed of This is your cathohcism, — the empaling of Christ, Scripture, the church, and con- sequently all acceptable religion, to the Roman j)arty and faction; — downright Donatism, the wretchedest schism that ever rent the church of God ; which makes the wounds of Christendom incurable, and all hope of coalition in love desperate.