Serm. XXXIV. againji dangerous .IViiflakes in Religion. 245 muff either be known from Scripture, or fome other Divine Revelation, and then the fame Difficulty returns ; befides that one of the molt Rifential Marks of the true Church mutt be the Profe on of the True Faith ; and then it muft firft be known which is the True Faith, before we can know which is the TrueChurch ; and yet they fay, That no Man can learn the True Faith, but from the True Church ; and this runs them unavoidably into another Circle as fhameful as the o- ther. So that which way foever they go to prove an Infallible Church, they are Phut up in a plain Circle, and muff either prove the.Scriptures by the Church and the Church by the Scriptures ; or the True Church by the True Faith, and the True Faith by the True Church. Secondly, This Provifion and Security which I have mentioned, is more Hu- mane, better Accommodated and Suited to the Nature ofMang becaufe it doth not fuppofe and need a ftanding and perpetual Miracle as the other way of an In- fallibleChurch doth. All Infpiration is Supernatural and Miraculous, and this In- fallible Affiftancewhich the Church ofRome claims to her felf, muft either be fuch as the Apoftles had, whichwas by immediate Infpiration, or fomething egtial to it, and alike Supernatural : But Goddoes not work Miracles without need, or con- tinue them when there is nooccafion for them. When God delivered the Law to the People of Ifrael, it was accompanied with Miracles, and the Prophets which he fent to them from time to time, had an immediate Infpiration ; but -their Supreme yudicature, or their GeneralCouncil, which theycall the Sanhedrim, was not In- fallibly of fted in the Expounding of the Law, when Doubts and Difficulties arofc about it ; no, nor' in judging of True and Falfe Prophets; but theydetermined this, and all other Emergent Caufes, by the ftanding Revelation and Rule of their Writ- ten Law ; and that they were not Infallibly Affifted, is evident from the great Er- rors they fell into, in making void the Commandments of God by their Traditi- ons, and in their Reje&ing and Crucifying the true Megas, and the Son ofGod. In like manner the Apoffles and firft Teachers of the Chriftian Religion, were immediately infpired, and Miraçuloufly Affifted in the Publifhiñg of the Chriffian Dolrine, and for the fpeedy and more effellual Propagating and Planting of it in the World, in defpite of theviolent Prejudices that were against it, and the fierce oppofition that was made to it. But when this was done, this Miraculous andEx- traordinary Affiftance ceafed, and God left the Chriffián Religion to be, preferved and continued by more Humane and Ordinary ways, the Do&rines of it, being committed to Writing for a ftandingRule ofFaith and Pralice in all Ages, and an Order ofMen appointed to tnflru& People in thofe Do&rines, with a Promife to fecure both Teachers and People, that fincerely defire to know, and do the Will of God, from all Fatal Errors and Miftakes about Things neceffary to their Eternal Salvation ; and this is a Provifion more likely to be madeby God, and better fuit- ed to the Nature óf Man, than the perpetual and needlefs Miracle of an Infpired, orany otherwife Infallible Church. Thirdly, This way is likewife mole agreeable to the Nature of Religion, and the Virtue of Faith. The Defign of an Infallible Church is to fecureall that conti- nue in the Communion of it, against all poflibility of Error in Matters of Faith. The Queftion now is not, Whether an Infallible Church would do this ? but whe- ther that Church which arrogates Infallibility to it felf, does not pretend to do this? And if they could do it, it would not be agreeable to the Nature of Reli- gion, and the Virtue of Faith. For Faith, which is the Principle of all Re- ligious A&ions, would be no Virtue, if it were neceffary. A true and right Be- lief can be noVirtue, where a Man is Infallibly fecured againff Error: There is the fame Reafon of Virtuous and Criminal A&ions ; and as there can be no Crime or Fault in doing what a Man cannot help; fo neither can there be any Virtue. All Virtuous A&ions are Matter of Praife and Commendation, and therefore it can be no Virtue in any Man ; becaufe it deferves no Commendation, to believe and own that the Sun chines at Noon -day, when he fees it does fo. No more would it be a Virtue in anyMan, and deferve Praife, toBelieve aright, who is in a Church wherein he is Infallibly fecured against all Error in Matters of Faith. Make any thing neceffary, and impoffible to be otherwife, and the doingof it ceafes to be a Virtue,.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=