tions, into her Bofom: If lastly, in all other Oppofite Churches there be found inward Diffentions, and Contrariety; Change of Opinions; Uncertainty of Refolutions, with Robbing of Churches, Rebelling against Governours, and Confufion of Order: whereas, in this Church, the Unity undivided, the Refolutions unalterable; the most Heavenly Order, reaching from the Height of all Power to the Lowest of all Subjection; all, with admirable Harmony, and un-defective Correfpondence, bending the fame Way, to the Effecting of the fame Work, do Promife no other, but Continual Increase and Victory: let no Man doubt to Submit himself, to this glorious Spoufe of God, &c. And, what Folly were it, to Receive the Scriptures upon her Authority (before Luther's Time) and not to receive the Interpretation of them, upon her Authority alfo, and Credit? And,hard were the Cafe of the Vulgar People, whofe Wants and Difficulties in this Life, will not permit, whofe Capacity will not fuffice, to found the deep and hidden Mysteries of Divinity, and to fearch out the Truth of Intricate Controverfies: if there were not Others, whofe Authority they might rely on. Bleffed are they who Believe, and have not feen, St. John. 20. ver. 9. Whofe Religious Humility and Obedience doth Exceed perhaps, in Honour and Acceptation before God, the Subtil and Profound Knowledge of many others. Thus has Sir Edwyn defcribed the Church, as an Illuftrious Society.

S.6.

§. VI.

Scripture it felf, is taken upon the Authori ty of the Church, as an Illuftrious Society.

I.

•TH

HIS is a Remarkable Inftance of the Authority, which the Catholick Church hath as an Illuftrious, and Creditable Affembly. For, 1. What Certain Evidence can I have befides, that either Solomon's Song (in which there are fo few visible Marks of a Prophetical Inspiration) is a Part of the Holy Scripture: or St. James's E pistle, which Luther rejected: or that of St. Jude, which (befides that it was formerly doubted of) might feem fufpected, upon the account of fome Apocryphal Books,Cited in it? Or,if Mr. L.will take the First, upon the Authority of the Jews, is not that ftill Human? And, must we not be content to take the other Two, at least, upon the Authority either of the Catholick Church, or of fome other Inferiour to it? What better Evidence could the First Reformers have? They liv'd above a Thousand years too late to fee the Hand, by which St. Jude's Epiftle was writ. And, tho' they had been Old enough to have seen the Hand; they could not have feen the Inspiration, by which it was directed.

2. It is no less manifeft, that all thofe receive the whole Bible, upon the Authority of others, who (as Chriftians commonly do) firmly Believe it to be the Word of God, before the Reading has made them fenfible, in any manner, of the Spirit of God in it. And, fince in all the Doctrine of the Catholick Church, there is nothing more Incredible, than that thofe Books P 4

are

St. Au

are the Word of God, in which we are told, that, One and the fame God is Three Perfons: that One and the fame Perfon is God and Man; and that the Lord of Glory was Crucified, to Obtain the Forgiveness of our Sins: This being to the Jews a Stumbling-Block, and to the Greeks Foolishness, 1 Cor. 1. ver. 23. If we can not know upon any better Evidence than Hers, that thefe Books are Infpired; can we not Believe her, if She tells us what of it felf is highly Agreeable to the Goodness of God, and no lefs Beneficial to all the Faithful, that, in her Paftors, She is, by the Mercy and Promife of Chrift, an Infallible Guide in Controverfies of Religion?

3. The Internal Teftimonies of the Scripture, as Dr. Cofin calls them, pag. 4. the Height, and Majesty of the Things deliver'd in it; the Analogy of its Parts; the Force and Efficacy it has to Convince our Minds, &c. were the fame in the IV. and V. Century. And the Divifions of Chriftians were then fo Numerous, that it was thought by St. Auguftin no Easy matter to reckon them. up. Yet writing against the Manichees, he Solemnly own'd, that his only Inducement to receive the Scripture, was the Authority of the Catholick Church. His Words deferve a Particular Attention.

FOR my Part, (1) fays he, I would not Beguftin's lieve the Gospel, unless the Authority of the CathoJudgment

(1) Lib. contra Epift. Fundamenti. cap. 4. 5. Ego verò Evangelio non Crederem, nifi me Catholicæ Ecclefiæ commoveret Auctoritas. Quibus ergo obtemperavi dicentibus, Credite Evangelio: cur eis non obtemperem dicentibus, Noli Credere Manichæo? Elige, quid velis. Si dixeris, Crede Catholicis: Ipfi me monent, ut nullam fidem accommodem vobis. Quapropter non poffum, illis

lick

lick Church [as an Illuftrious Society] Induced me to it. Why then should I not fubmit to Catholicks, when they tell me, Do not believe Manichæus fince I fubmitted to them, when they faid, Believe the Gospel? Chufe, whether you please. If you say, Believe the Catholicks: they Advife me, not to give any Credit to you. Therefore, if I believe them, I must not believe you. If you Forbid me to believe the Catholicks; You take an ill Courfe, to bring me over to your Perfwafion, by the Gofpel; because I Believ'd the Gofpel it self, upon the Recommendation of Catholicks So that, if you will give me Reasons, fet the Gospel afide. If you stick to the Gospel, I must stick to them, by whofe Command I believ'd the Gofpel: and, as they alfo Command me, I must not believe you. Now, if you find in the Gospel, any thing undeniably Evident, for Manichæus's being an Apoftle; you will then make me Question, the Authority of Catholicks; who bid me, not to Believe you. Which Authority being Question'd, I shall not even be able to Believe the Gospel. Thus St. Auguftin.

4. His Argument is the fame with that of Sir Edwyn, What Folly were it to receive the Scriptures, upon the Authority of the Catholick Church,

Credens, nifi tibi non credere. Si dixeris, noli Catholicis credere: non rectè facies, per Evangelium me cogere ad Manichæi fidem, quia ipfi Evangelio Catholicis prædicantibus credidi. Quocirca, fi mihi rationem redditurus es, dimitte Evangelium. Si ad Evangelium te tenes: ego ad eos me teneam, quibus præcipientibus Evangelio crcdidi, & his jubentibus, tibi omnino non credam. Quod fi fortè in Evangelio aliquid apertiffimum de Manichæi Apoftolatu invenire poteris; infirmabis mihi Catholicorum Auctoritatem, qui jubent, ut tibi non credam. Quâ infirmatâ, jam nec Evangelio cre. dere potero.

as,

1

2

as, according to St. Auguftin's Idea, the First Proteftants were forced to do: and not to receive the Interpretation of them, upon her Authority alfo, and Credit? Whereby it appears, that, to reject the Authority of the Catholick Church, in any Controverfy of Religion, is (in the Judgment of St. Auguftin) to overthrow Chriftianity. If fo, I would gladly know, whether, if the Catholick Church fhould tell us, She is an Infallible Guide in all fuch Controverfies, we must believe Her, or not?

5. BEFORE we leave St. Auguftin, I must defire the Reader to Obferve, that he fpeaks not of the Catholick Church in the Apostles time, but only in his own. For, 1. Manicheus was not heard of till after the middle of the Third Century. 2. He fpeaks of the Church, by which he himself was Converted; that is, of the Catholick Church of the Fourth Century only.

6. But that which proves, with greatest Evidence, our receiving the Scriptures, upon the Authority of the Church (at least as an Illuftrious Society) is, that feveral Books of Canonical and Un-doubted Scripture, have yet been Doubted of in former Times, by Great and Learned Men in diverfe Parts of the Catholick Church, even by whole Councils, and for fome Ages. Dr. Cofin, in his Canon of Scripture (which Mr. L. in his Private Judgment, p. 207, 208, recommends as an Elaborate Piece, that carries Demonftration along with it, proceeding wholly upon Fait,and giving vouchers in Abundance: and he has placed it here among his Un-answerables) §. +7• P. 32. gives us, under Eufebius's Name, this Marginal Note, Narrant veteres Joannem Afiafti

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