6. As to the Acts of General Councils, being Corrupted: It is Certain, they are not Corrupted in any Point, where Faith is Concern'd. Neither does Bellarmin Question this. And Mr. L. is in the right that they are not Corrupted at All. But Bellarmin, fays he, maintains they are to get rid of fome Objections against thefe Councils, he could not Answer otherwife, pag. 23, 24. He might at leaft have faid, against Jome Private Opinions of his own; wherein Faith is, not Concern'd. But, what Sin is it, to Traduce a Papist?

7. MR. L. was under a Miftake, when he faid, pag. 24. that the Church of France receives the Council of Bafil wholly and throughout. For Charles VII. who was then King of France (as well as the Emperor and other Princes) receiv'd not the Decrees of the Council against Pope Euge-. nius, but continued ftill to acknowledge him for Pope, fays Monf. Du Pin, Cent. 15. pag. 48. And, pag. 54. The English gave almoft the fame Answer with the French; that they honour'd the Council, and approv'd its Decrees, except those, which had been made against Eugenius, whom they acknowledg'd for Lawful Pope. Scotland (except fome Lords) declared for Eugenius. And the Prelates of this Kingdom, being affembled in a Provincial Council, Excommunicated" Felix und the Fathers of the Council of Bafil.

§. XII

I.

§. XII,

Other Objections Answer'd.

M EN are Effentially Fallible.

Ant. 1. IF in All Things; how came it to pass, that Such as writ Canonical Books, were never Miftaken in what they wrote? 2. As every one, by Nature, is Infallible in things un-queftionably Evident; altho' he be naturally Fallible in all other Matters; Why cannot the Church, by Grace, be, in Teaching us the Articles of Chriftian Religion, the Pillar and Ground of Truth; altho' She be Fallible in other Controverfies? 3. When we call her Infallible; we only mean, that, according to the Gospel, fhe will not be Mistaken; as, when I fay, that naturally All Men cannot Murther themfelves at once; I mean only, that they never will do it. Which is not the leaft hinderance, to the Liberty of their Wills.

2. IF the Church be (as it certainly is) an Affembly of Men, all fubject to Paffions; how can God make them Infallible in any thing, without Forcing their Free-will?

Anf. 1. The Apoftles were not Exempt from Paffions; but, did they write nothing, which is Infallibly True? Or, was any, either violence or neceffity put upon them in writing it ? 2. God has Infallible Methods, of Compaffing all the Designs of his most Steady, and never Erring Providence, without hurting our Liberty. 3. Were it not a kind of Blafphemy to Imagine, that, without intrenching upon

it,

it, he cannot Preferve, whom he Pleafes, from Erring against Faith? 4. The King's heart, as well as the heart of every one elfe, is in the Hands of the Lord, as the Rivers of water: he Turns it, whitherfoever he will, Prov. 21. ver. 1¿ If God cannot both Infallibly Fore-fee, and Fore-tell Free Actions; Christian Religion muft Fall. And, if he can Fore-tell them, as he did the Fall and Repentance of St. Peter; can we not Believe him if he tells us, that the Gates of Hell shall never Prevail against his Church? Men, how Fallible foever; are not always Mistaken. And he, that knows all things, could not be Ignorant, who fhould not Err; or when; or in what Matter. All this then, he could Abfolutely and Infallibly Fore-tell. It was thus St. Auguftin anfwer'd the Donatifts, when, by the Liberty of our Will, they pretended to fhew, that the Promifes of God to his Church might be Uncertain. As if, (1) fays' he, the Spirit of God did not Fore-fee the Wills of Men. But, because he Fore-faw their Wills, therefore is his Prediction Infallible. No one, methinks, would Reply against this Evidence; if he were not afraid of being Confuted into Hea

ven.

3. IF all Difputes of Religion, can be decided Infallibly by the Church: Why are they not all Ended at once, that hereafter we may never be Troubled with any?

Anf. ONE good Reafon is, because it is Impoffible. Any particular Difpute of Human

Sed

(') Lib. de lait. Ecclefiæ, cap. 9. Quafi verò nefcierit Spiritus Dei, futuras hominum voluntates. ideo fuit de iftis certa prædictio, quia & Deus futuras prævidet voluntates.

Right, can be Regulated and Decided by the Authority of the Nation. But all the Nations in the World cannot make a Law fo Comprehenfive and Clear, that there fhall never be any Law-Suits, or Difputes after it. It is thus in Religion. And this perhaps may be one Caufe, why the Church, in the Disputes of her Children, feldom Interpofes, till they run fo high, as either to Attack her Publick Faith, or to Disturb her Peace. For, if these be fecured, why may we not be as well Content to have our prefent Controverfies, as others in their Stead?

4. NOTHING can be more Uncertain, than Tradition: which is one of the Rules, by which the Church pretends to Decide Controverfy

An 1. As Scripture is, in many places, Obfcure, but never Falfe: So Apoftolical Tradition (or the Doctrine which Chrift deliver'd to the Apoftles, and they to the Church) may, in fome Ages, run with a clearer Stream, than in others; but that, which was once a Reveal'd Truth, can never be otherwife. And, as it belong'd to the Apoftles (if a Difpute, concerning any Obfcure Paffage of Scripture, had difturb'd either the Publick Belief, or the Peace of the Primitive Church) to have Explain'd the Scripture: So, if Apoftolical Tradition happen to be Obfcure (as it was to St. Cyprian and the African Bishops in the third Century, with relation. to Baptifin and other Sacraments conferr'd by Hereticks) it may belong to the Church, both to Examine it, and to Clear it. For in this fhe evidently fucceeds the Apostles, to whom it was faid, St. John 14. ver. 26. The Holy Ghoft, whom the Father will fend in my name, shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remem brance,

brance, whatsoever I have faid unto you. 2. All the General Councils, that ever were in the Church, are fo many Un-deniable Instances of her Authority, in Explaining to her Children the True Senfe of Scripture, and Apoftolical Tra

dition.

CHAP. IV.

The Security of Continuing in the
Ancient Communion.

T

§. I.

Some Proofs of it.

His Security is the natural Confequence, of what has been Difcours'd in the Fore-going Chapters. For, if the Church of Chrift upon Earth be always an Un-erring Guide in Controverfies of Religion: if She be always Visible, and in One Communion only: it is as plain as Demonftration can make it: First, That the Reformation, cannot be Juftified. Secondly, That fuch as are Engaged in it, are not in a Secure way of Salvation. Thirdly, That this Security can only be in the Ancient Communion.

First Proof.

2. BUT waving the Question of Infallibility: second this Security fufficiently appears, by what has Proof. been faid already of the Perpetual Vifibility? and Unity of the Church. For how can those, that are imbarkt in a New-rais'd Communion,

be