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those for the Reasons of their Faith, which are not the Reasons why they believed: For let me ask them, Suppose they may have very good Reafons for fome of their Doctrines, do they believe them meerly because they are reasonable? If they fay they do; then they be lieve juft as Proteftants believe; and there is no need of Infallibility, when men believe nothing but what is reasonable; and it is pity that so good a thing as Infallibility fhould ferve onely to fupport an unreasonable Faith.

Let me ask them again, Can they have a fufficient certainty, that thefe Reafons are good, without an infallible Judge? If they can, then the Faith of Protestants, which is grounded upon rational Evidences, may be very certain too, though it be not infallible; if they cannot, then their Reasons are none, fince the very certainty of them is refolved into an infallible Authority; and therefore they are no certain Reasons, that is, not fuch as a man may rely on, when they are feparated from Infallibility; and confequently they ought never to be urged apart from Infallibility, because they themselves do not think them good Reasons, that is, not a fufficient Foundation of Faith alone: and then I know not why they should be urged at all; for Infallibility can stand by it felf, without the fupport of any Reasons.

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I ask them again, would they reject those Doctrines which they think they can prove by fuch evident Rea fons, did they fee thofe Reasons as evidently confuted? If they would not, then it is plain, they do not believe them for the fake of those Reasons; for if they did, they would reject them, when all their Reasons were confuted: They only impofe upon the World with a pretence and flourish of Reafon, and fet up a Man of Straw for Proteftants to fhoot at; but whatever be

comes

comes of their Reasons, they have a fafe Retreat into Infallibility.

If they believed any Doctrine because it is reasonable, if they will be true to themselves, they ought to reject all Doctrines, which are unreasonable, or contrary to Senfe and Reason: He who believes for the fake of Reafon, can never believe against it: for if Reafon makes a thing credible, then what is unreasonable is incredible too; and we may as reasonably dif-believe what is confirmed by Reason, as believe what Reafon contradicts : and therefore it is not very modest to hear men talk of Reafon in any cafe, who can believe fuch an abfurd and unreasonable Doctrine as Transubstantiation.

Now whatever Opinion Protestants have of Reason, Papifts ought not to pretend to it, because their Faith has nothing to do with Reafon; it is a Reproach to an infallible Church and infallible Faith, to need the fupports of Reasons. And the truth is, thofe who will have nothing to do with Reason, Reason commonly has as little to do with them, but owes them a Shame, whenever they pretend to her; and therefore they had as good let her alone.

12. Proteftants may difpute against Popish Doctrines, and to vindicate their own Faith, but they cannt reafonably be disputed into Popery. When Papifts alledge Scripture, Reason, or humane Authority for any Do&trines of their Religion, Proteftants, who allow of the ufe of Reason in Religion, may examine and confute them: when Papifts difpute against Proteftant Do arines, Proteftants are concerned to vindicate their own Faith, or to renounce it; but if a Proteftant understands himself and his own Principles, all the Difputes in the World can never make him a Papift. For to be a Papist, does not fignifie meerly to believe Tranfubftantia

tion,

tion, or the Worship of Saints and Images, and fuch-like Popish Doctrines; but to refolve our Faith into the Infallible Authority of the Church, and to believe whate ver the Church believes, and for no other reason, but because the Church teaches it. This is the peculiar and diftinguishing Character of the Church of Rome, which divides it from all other Churches and Sects of Christians; and therefore our late Popish Writers are certainly in the right, to endeavour to bring the whole Controverfie to this iffue; not to dispute about particular Doctrines, which follow on courfe, when once you believe the Church to be Infallible; but to perfwade men that the Church is Infallible, and that the Church of Rome is that Infallible Church. Now I fay, no understanding Protestant can be difputed into this kind of Popery, and that for two plain Reasons. 1. Because no Arguments or Difputations can give me an infallible certainty of the Infallibility of the Church. 2. Because it is impoffible by Reason to prove, that men must not use their own Reafon and Judgment in matters of Religion.

1. No Arguments can give me an infallible certainty of the Infallibility of the Church. The great Motive to any man to forfake the other Communions of Chriftians, and to go over to the Church of Rome, is to attain an Infallibility in Faith, which is a wonderful good thing, if it were to be had; but though the Church of Rome were Infallible, and I fhould be convinced that there were some reason to think fo, yet unless I can be infalLibly affured of it, my Faith is still as fallible as the Protestant Faith is; and I am no nearer to Infallibility in the Church of Rome, than in the Church of England. For as I obferved before, unless I can have an infallible certainty of the Infallibility of the Church, I can have no Infallibility at all: Though the Church were infalᎠ

lible

ible in all her Decrees, I can never be infallibly certain of the truth of her Decrees, unless I be infallibly certain that she is infallible. It is a known Rule in Logic, that the Conclufion must follow the weaker part, and therefore it is impoffible to infer an infallible Faith from the fallible Belief of the Churches Infallibility.

And yet the best Reasons in the World (which is all that disputing can do, to offer Reasons for our Faith) cannot give us an infallible certainty, because Reason it felf is not an infallible Principle, at leaft the Church of Rome dares not own, that any mans private Reason and Judgment is infallible; for then Proteftants may set up for Infallibility as well as Papifts. No man, by Reafon and Argument, can arrive at a greater Certainty than Proteftants may have, and yet no man can arrive at greater certainty in the way of difputing, than Reason and Argument can give him; and then a Popish Convert, who is reafoned into the belief of Infallibility, though he has changed his Opinion, yet has no more Infallibility now, than he had when he was a Prote ftant. Proteftants, without an Infallible Church, may have all the Certainty that Reason and Argument can give them; and a Convert has no greater Certainty (if he have no more than what Difputing could give him) for his Infallible Church: And how is it poffible then, that a reasonable man can be difputed out of the Church of England into the Church of Rome, upon fuch vain hopes of a more infallible certainty for let him go where he will, if he be lead to Rome it felf by his own fallible Reason and Judgment, (which is the only Guide he has in difputing) he will be the fame fallible Creature that ever he was. But to represent this the more familiarly, let us hear a fhort Conference between a sturdy Proteftant, and a new Convert.

Prot.

Prot. O, my old Friend! I am glad to meet you, for I have longed to know what change you find in your self, fince you are become an Infallible Believer.

Conv. I find, Sir, what I expected, very great ease and fatisfaction of mind, fince I am delivered from all doubtful Disputes in fuch an important concernment as the Salvation of my Soul, and have a firm and fure Rock to truft to, fuch an Infallible Church as cannot err it self, nor mif-guide me.

Prot. This, I confefs, is a very great advantage; and therefore as we have been formerly of the fame Church and Communion, I would be glad to keep you company also in so advantageous a change. Pray therefore tell me, how you came to be fo infallibly perfwaded of the Infallibility of your Church.

Conv. With all my heart; and I fhall be very glad of fuch company and indeed there are fuch powerful Reafons for it, as I am fure must convince fo free and ingenuous a mind, as you always carry about with you. For Christ has promised to build his Church upon St. Peter, and that the Gates of Hell fhall not prevail against it.....

Prot. Hold, good Sir! Reafon! Are you got no farther than Reason yet? Will Reason ever make a man infallible? I have confidered all the Reasons that are used to this purpose, and know what to say to them, if that were our bufinefs; and the truth is, I have a great deal of unanswerable Reason, to stay where I am; and am a little furprized, to think that you, or any man, fhould leave the Church of England for want of Reason, or go to the Church of Rome for it: and therefore pray tell me the Secret, for there must be something else to make Converts, befides Reafon.

Como. Then I perceive you take me for a Knave, who

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