fill the Rule is certain to those who use it aright. Fol. 41. For although the Scripture be an infallible Rule, yet unless every Man that makes use of it be infallible, he may mistake in the application of it. I defire the Gentleman to take this into Confideration, and if he think it not fufficient, to try his skill upon Dr. Stillingfleet.

Prefervative, &c. Fol. 83.) Were all Proteftants of mind, would their Confent and Agreement prove the certainty of the Proteftant Faith? The Answerer faith, Not at all, yet that it is a most ridiculous Inference of Dr. Sherlock, that this is the fame Rule, and their Difagreement proves their Uncertainty; all Union is no Argument of the Spirit of God; for People may combine to do ill; yet St. Paul affures us Difunion and Defertion is a certain Mark of the absence of the Spirit of God: You should have added, in fome, not in all the difagreeing Parties: For fuppofe, Sir, the Queftion be put among a Company of Men to go rob fuch a House, or kill fuch a Man; fome of them confent to it, but there are others which will not; I defire to know, whether it be a mark of the abfence of the Spirit of God in those which do not agree to do that Wickedness? And fo you fee what the Doctor's most ridiculous Inference comes to, and how he hath made void all Faith.

But now for Dr. Sherlock's Pofition, which makes void all Scripture-proof, as it lies in the Answer, page the 7th. If a Mystery appear against Senfe and Reason, we must have a Scripture-proof as cannot poffibly fignifie any thing elfe, or else it will not answer that Evidence which we have against it, Senfe and Reafon proving it naturally impoffible. A Text, he faith, which cannot poffibly have another Senfe, doth not leave it in any ones Liberty, who owns Scripture, to

bc.

be an Heretick; therefore the Church produced no fuch Text against the Arians or Neftorians; whence it evidently follows, that according to Dr. Sherlock, the Arians and Neftorians were bound not to believe the Trinity, and the Incarnation of Chrift. A Happy Minifterial Guide! And well led those who follow him! And now, Reader, I must defire you again to look into the Doctor's Book, and read what he faith, and there I find that 'tis but reasonable that the Evidence for it (i. e. Tranfubftantiation) fhould at least be equal to the Evidence against it, fol. 70. And therefore we must demand a self-evident Proof for this, because it is felf-evident that Tranfubftantiation contradicts Senfe and Reafon, fol 71. And fo he faith, fol. 72. That we must demand fuch a Scripture-proof of Tranfubftantiation, as cannot possibly fignifie any thing else, [without contradicting Senfe and Reafon, as that doth or else it will not answer the Evidence which we have against Tranfubftantiation; for Senfe and Reafon pronounce TranSubftantiation to be naturally impoffible; and therefore, unless it be as impoffible to put any other Senfe upon Scripture, than what fignifies Tranfubftantiation, as it is to reconcile Tranfubftantiation to Senfe and Reafcn, there is not fuch good Evidence for Tranfubftantiation as against it. With what Conscience now can any Man cavil at this, and say, that it makes void all Scripture-proof? As for the Trinity and Incarnation, which the Arians and Neftorians difputed, they are Mysteries indeed, and might feem to be above Senfe and Reason, but they they are not contrary to it; and it was not neceffary to produce Scripture, which could not poffibly fignifie any thing elfe, that is to fay, which could not poffibly have any other Senfe put upon them, without contradicting Senfe and Reafon; for they could not prove that those which were difputed did either. But now for Tranfubftantiation, that that

doth,

doth both, is plain; wherefore 'tis but reasonable to defire a Scripture-proof that cannot fignifie any thing elfe but Tranfubftantiation, without contradicting Senfe and Reason, else, as the Doctor faith, there is not so good Evidence for it as against it; fo that for ought our Author can fay, Dr. Sherlock is a good Minifterial Guide, and those may be happy which follow his Guidance when those who feek to pervert Souls, and bring them into a By-way of Darkness and Error, may be lamenting abus d Mercy, and that they made no better use of that Talent which God had lent them.

Next comes the Doctor's Pofition, making void all use of Holy Fathers and General Councils, which to prove, the Answerer repeats by halves what the Doctor said, and then concludes, That fome of thofe Requifits not being poffibly to be known, no ufe is to be made of any. What Dr. Sherlock faid is this: That 'twas ridiculous for that man that had been taught his Religion out of the Scripture, and which he might find there if he pleas'd, to change it for Quotations out of the Fathers and Councils which he did not understand, because fome honeft Prieft, (a fort of Men who never deceive any one) had told him that fuch a Father, who liv'd, it may be, they know not where nor when, and wrote they know not what, has spoke in favour of TranSubftantiation, or Purgatory, or fome other Popish Doctrine. And then he comes to tell us what Questions we ought to ask, when we are urged with the Authority of Fathers, as, How we shall know that fuch Books were written by that Father whofe Name it bears? Whether it be uncorrupted? How we shall know the true meaning of those Words which they cite from them, which the Words themfelves many times will not difcover without the Context, and the like, which requifites that Man who will build any thing

any thing upon their Authority, must know, or else he may be miferably mistaken; yet this is not to deny any ufe of Fathers and Councils; for Learned Men may difpute about them as they please; and I question not, if our Religion were to be try'd by the Fathers, but that we should undoubtedly carry it against the Church of Rome, notwithstanding all her Pretences to Antiquity; and yet we do not build our Faith thereon, but keep to that Rule which they had to walk by, which is the Word of God, contained in the Canonical Books of the Old and New Teftament.

And now I am arriv'd to the last Point, which our candid Answerer undertook, viz. to fhew that Dr. Sherlock made void all Moral Honesty, and that he tells us lies in his last Chapter, where to infinute, that a Catholick thinks the Bleffed Virgin more powerful in Heaven than Chrift, he tells us, that he fays ten Ave Maries for one Pater Nofter. Well! for the matter of Fact, that the Catholick doth fay Ten Prayers to the Virgin for one to Christ, the Answerer can't deny: Ay, but he doth not think her more powerful than Chrift. Suppose that; yet fure he must think her more merciful, and readier to hear his Prayers than Chrift, or elfe why is he fo partial to pray Ten for one? which I doubt will prove much of a confequence with the former And yet if the Doctor had not only done what he here perfwades us he doth, but directly faid it, I know not how he would have excufed fome of his own Party : And you know, Sirs, what the Author of the Remarks upon the Reflections of the Author of Popery Misrepresented and Reprefented hath undertaken, viz. this among many other things,to fhew,when you shall defire it, that there are fome of your own Writers, who believe the Blef

fed

fed Virgin to have as much Power in Heaven as her Son, and that maintains the praying to her to command him, and begging from her pardon of Sins, and the affurance of Salvation. To conclude, the Anfwerer tells us, that to be thorough-Sherlock, and thorough- Proteftant - Minifter, he concludes with the most difingenuous Mifreprefentation, and the most falfe Calumny imaginable, as a fuppofed and owned Truth, to wit, That Catholicks worship the visible Species in the Eucharift: A most impudent Slander, he faith, no Catholick being guilty of it, no more than the Apostles of worshiping and adoring the Cloaths of Chrift, when they ador'd him upon Earth. Prefervative, fol. 89. He (Papift Represented) believes it unlawful to commit Idolatry, and most damnable to worship any Breaden God, which, faith Dr. Sherlock, is spoke like a Proteftant, but yet he pays Divine Adoration to the Sacrament, which is done like a Papift. Here you fee is no mention made of Species, but the word is Sacrament; and that they do pay Divine Adoration to that, they can't deny ; but then they tell us, That Chrift is there, yea, that that Body which was born of the Virgin Mary, and that hung upon the Cross, Flesh, Blond, Bones and all is whole in every Point and Crum of the Confecrated Wafer; and that there remains nothing of the confecrated Elements; and that'tis this their Adoration is paid to. But furely now they had need to have good Grounds that this is fo; this had need to be wonderfully clear in Scripture; and yet when they come to prove it thereby, they bring thofe Words, This is my Body, and conclude there is Foundation enough for all this, and much more, as if there were no Figurative Expreffions in Scripture; and as if there were a neceffity to take Scripture in a Senfe which contradicts Senfe and Reason, when another Senfe more natural and easie may be had.

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