The Protestants Plea for a Socinian Part 2

_And that the consent, to such a doctrine of the_ major part _is no argument sufficient, since the Protestants deny the like consent valid for several other points._ --. 14.

2. _That supposing an unanimous consent of the Church Catholick of all ages in this point, yet from hence a Christian hath no security of the truth thereof according to Protestant Principles, if this point, (whether way soever held) be a non-necessary; for that in such, it is said the_ whole _Church may err._ --. 15.

3. _That this Article's being in the affirmative, put in the Creed proves it not (as to the affirmative) a Necessary._ --. 16.

1st. _Because not originally in the Creed, but added by a Council; to which Creed if one Council may add, so may another of equal authority in any age, whatever restraint be made by a former Council._

2. _Because several Articles of the latter Creeds are affirmed by Protestants not necessary to be believed, but upon a previous conviction, that they are divine revelation._ --. 16.

4. _Lastly. That though the whole Church delivers for truth in any point, the contrary to that he holds, he is not obliged to resign his judgment to her's, except conditionally, and with this reservation, unless on the other side, there appear evidence to him in G.o.d's Word. Now, of the evidence of Scripture in this point on his side, that he hath no doubt._ --. 17.

--. 13.

2. Now to resume the _Conference_. The _Protestant_, better thinking on it, will not leave the Socinian thus at rest in this plerophory of his own sense of Scripture, but thus proceeds.

_Prot. Scriptures_ indeed are not so clear and perspicuous to every one[25] _as that Art and subtilty may not be used to pervert the Catholick doctrine, and to wrest the plain places of Scripture which deliver it, so far from their proper meaning, that very few ordinary capacities may be able to clear themselves of such mists as are cast before their eyes, even_ in the great Articles of the Christian faith.

Therefore why do not you submit your judgment, and a.s.sent to _the sense of Scripture_, in this point _unanimously delivered by the consent of the Catholick Church_; which also is believed always unerrable in any necessary point of faith, as this is?

_Soc._ First, If you can shew me _an unanimous consent_ of the Church Catholick of all ages in this point, and that as held necessary, I will willingly submit to it. But this you can never do according to such a proof thereof, as is required, _viz._ [26]_That all Catholick Writers agree in the belief of it; and none of them oppose it: and agree also in the belief of the necessity of it to all Christians. *

That no later Writers and Fathers, in opposition of Hereticks, or heats of contention, judged then the Article so opposed to be more necessary than it was judged before the contention. * That all Writers, that give an account of the faith of Christians, deliver it; And deliver it not as necessary to be believed by such as might be convinced that it is of divine Revelation, but with a necessity of its being explicitely believed by all_[27]. Now, no such unanimous consent can be pretended for the forementioned _Consubstantiality_.

For, not to speak of the times next following the Council of _Nice_, nor yet of several expressions in the Ancients, _Justin Martyr_, _Irenaeus_, _Tertullian_, _Clemens Alexandrinus_, _Origen_, that seem to favour our opinion[28]: Nor, of those Eastern Bishops, which _Arrius_, in his Letter to _Eusebius Nicomed._[29] (numbers on his side,) _Hilarius_[30] relates no less than Eighty Bishops before that Council, to have disallowed the reception of the word +h.o.m.ousios+; and in the Council also Seventeen, (some of note) at first to have dissented from the rest.

--. 14.

_Prot._ Not yeilding what you say for truth; but for the present, supposing it; yet the Judgment of so _small_ a _party_ may by no means be adhered to by you, it being inconsiderable in respect of the _whole Body_ of the Catholick Church declaring against you.

_Soc._ If the consent of the much major part is to be taken for the whole, then the Reformed cannot maintain their dissent from the much more numerous body of Christianity, that opposed their opinions, and sense of Scriptures at the beginning of the Reformation, and do still oppose them. But not to stand upon this, I would willingly conform to the unanimous, or most general judgment of the Church Catholick; if I were secure that she could not be mistaken in it. But [31]_The sense of the Church Catholick is no infallible rule of interpreting Scripture in all things which concern the Rule of Faith--[32]Nor may she usurp that royal Prerogative of Heaven, in prescribing infallibly in matters questioned._

_Prot._ You may be secure, that she never erreth in any point _necessary_.

_Soc._ But you tell me, that though she never err in necessaries, yet it follows not, that she is an _unerring Guide or Witness_ therein[33]

or, _that she must unerringly declare what points are necessary and what not_; and I must first learn, whether this point of _Consubstantiality_ is to be numbred among _necessaries_, before I can be a.s.sured, that the sense of the Church Catholick errs not therein.

--. 15.

_Prot._ But [34]_It is a sufficient prescription against any thing which can be alledged out of Scripture, that it ought not to be looked on as the true meaning of Scripture, if it appear contrary to the sense of the Church Catholick from the beginning; and therefore such doctrines may well be judged destructive to the rule of Faith, which have been so unanimously condemned by the Church Catholick._

_Soc._ Why so?

_Prot._ [35]_Because nothing contrary to the necessary Articles of Faith can be so held by the Catholick Church; for its very Being depends on its belief of necessaries to salvation._

_Soc._ This last is most true; but then, if you mean to make your discourse cohere, you must say, it is a sufficient prescription, _&c._ if it appear contrary to the sense of the Catholick Church, _viz. in a point necessary_: for, the reason you give carries, and secures you no further; and then that which you say is no great matter: For, here we are still to seek, whether the point we discourse of is in the affirmative such a _necessary_.

--. 16.

_Prot._ But this is ranked among those points which the Church hath put in her Creeds.

_Soc._ From the beginning this Article was not in the Creed; and though it should be granted that all points necessary are contained in the Creeds, yet all in the Creeds are not thought points necessary: [36]_Necessary so, as to be believed by any before a clear conviction of the divine Revelation thereof_: which conviction I yet want.

--. 17.

_Prot._ But yet, though, first the Catholick Church may err in _non-necessaries_; And 2ly. in what points are _necessary_, what not, her judgment be not infallible, yet you have still great reason to submit your judgment to hers; because, if it happen to be a point necessary, she is from the divine Promise infallible and unerring in it; not so, you. 2. If not necessary, and so both she and you therein liable to error, yet you much the more; and she also in these things is appointed by G.o.d for your Teacher and Guide.

_Soc._ Therefore I use the help and direction of my spiritual Guides; consider their reasons; do not rashly depart from their judgment; but yet [37]_The due submission of my a.s.sent, and belief to them is only to be conditional, with reservation of evidence in G.o.d's Word. For in matter of faith_ (as Dr. _Ferne_ saith) _I cannot submit to any company of men by resignation of my judgment and belief to receive for faith all that they shall define, for such resignation stands excluded by the condition of the authority which is not infallible; and by the condition of the matter, faith, of high concernment to our own souls, and to be accounted for by_ our selves: _who therefore stand bound to make present, and diligent search for that evidence and demonstration from G.o.d's Word, upon which we may finally and securely stay our belief_----And [38]_The Church determining matter of faith_ (saith he) _ought to manifest it out of_ G.o.d's Word: _and we may expect such Churches, proof, before we yield absolute a.s.sent of belief._ And so Dr. _Stillingfleet_ saith[39]----_All men ought to be left to judge according to the Pandects of the divine Laws, because each member of this Society is bound to take care of his Soul, and of all things that tend thereto._ Now I for my part see no solid ground out of the Scripture for _Consubstantiality_, but rather for the contrary; which several of our Writers have made appear to the world. And therefore unless the Church were either infallible in all she determined, or at least in distinguishing those necessaries wherein she cannot err from the rest, it seems no way justifiable, that she puts this her definition into the Creed; she, as I conceive, thus requiring from all an absolute consent thereto; and not only (as some[40] would perswade me) a conditional for some of them, _viz._ whenever I shall be clearly convinced, that such point is of divine Revelation.

[25] _Stillingfl. p._ 58, 59.

[26] _Stillingfl. p._ 72.

[27] See before _Dis._ 3. --. 52.

[28] _See Petavius in Epipha. Haer._ 69.

[29] _Apud Epipha. Haer._ 69.--_Theodor. l._ 1. _c._ 5.

[30] _De Synod._

[31] _Still. p._ 59.

[32] _Stillingfl. p._ 133.

[33] _Stilling. p._ 154, 152.--_Chillingw. p._ 150.--_Dr. Hammond, Defence of the Lord Falkl. p._ 23.

[34] _Stillingfl. p._ 59.

[35] _Stilling. ib._

[36] _Stillingfl. p._ 70, 71.

[37] _Dr. Ferne, Considerations_, _p._ 10.

[38] _The Case between the Churches_, _p._ 40.

[39] _p._ 133.

[40] _Still. p._ 70.

CONFERENCE III.