248 Honefly the heft Prefervative VoL 1, In the next Place, I proceeded to remove an'Objetion, to which my Difcourfe upon this Subjeft might feem .liable. Some perhaps might ask, Is every good Man then fecure from all Error and Miftake in Matters of Religion ? This is. a mighty Privilege indeed. But do we not find the contrary in Experience, that an honeft Heart, and a weak Head do often meet together ? For Anfwer to this I laid down feveral Propofitions. By the Laß of which I fhew'd; that God hath made abundant Provifion for our Security from fatal and dangerous Errors in Religion, both by the InfallibleRule of the Holy Scripture, and by fufficient means of Infiruflion°to help us to.under- ftand this Rule, and by his Infallible Promife ofaJffing m, if with honeftMinds, and a due Diligence we apply our felves to the underftanding of this Rule, and the ufe of thefe Means. And this, I told you, was in all Refpefts a better Secu- rity , and more likely to conduft us fafe to Heaven, thanany Infallible Church whatfoever ; and that for live Reafons ; Four of which I have already treated of, and now proceed to the Fifth, and laic, viz. Becaufe this Provifion which I have (hewn. God hath made, is both as good a Security againft fatal Errors and Miftakes in Religion, as an Infallible Church could give, if there were One : And it is likewife as good a way to prevent and put an end to Controverfies in Religion, fo far as it is neceffary they Ihould be prevented, or:have an end put to,them. And thefe are the Two great Reafons why an Infallible Judge is fo importunately demanded, and inffìfted upon. I Ihall fpeak to thefe Two Points, diftinftly, and feverally. Firji, Becaufe this is asgood a Security againft fatal Errors and Miftakes in Re- ligion, as an Infallible Church could give if there were One. For an Infallible Church, if there were fuch an one upon Earth, could not Infallibly fecure parti- cular Chriftians againft Errors in Faith, any other way, than by the Definition and Declaration of tltofe who are Infallible in that Church. And there are but three that pretend to it ; either the Pope, or a Council General, or the Pope and a General Council agreeing in the fame Definitions. Not the Pope by himfelf, nor the General Council without the Pope ; becaufe the Church which pre- tends to Infallibility, is not agreed, that either of thefe alone is Infallible, and therefore their Definitions can be no certain, much lefs Infallible Foundation of Faith ; no, not to that Church which pretends to Infallibility. that if there be an Infallible Oracle in that Church, it muff be the Pope and Council in Conjunftion, or the Definition of a Council confirmed by the Pope.. Now in that Cafe, either the Council was Infallible in its Definitions, before they had the Pope's Confirmation, or not. If the Council was Infallible in its Definitions, before theyhad the Pope's Confirmation ; then the Council alone, and of its felf, was Infallible (which a great part of the Church of Rome deny) and then it needed not the Pope's Confirmation to make it Infallible Or elfe a General Council is not Infallible in its Definitions, before they receive the Pope's Confirmation; and then the Pope's Confirmation cannot make it fo : For that which was not Infallibly Defined by the Council, cannot be made Infallible by the Pope's Confirmation. But there is another Difficulty yet : It is a Maxim generally receiv'd, and that even in the Roman Church, " That the Definitions of a General Council, con- e° firmed by the Pope, are not Obligatory, unlefs they be receiv'd by the Uni- verfal Church. From whence thefe two great Inconveniences will unavoidably follow. L: That no Man is obliged to believe fuch Definitions, 'till he certainlyknow that they are received by the Univerfal Church; which how he Ihould Certainly, much lefs Infallibly know, I cannot underftand ; unlefs he either fpeak with all the Chriftians in the World, or the Reprefentatives ofall ,particular Churches re- turn back and meet 'again in Council, to declare that the Univerfal Church bath received their Definitions; which I think was never yet done. II. It will follow, that the Definitions of a General Council confirmed by the Pope, are not Infallible, 'till they be received by the Univerfal Church. For if they were Infallible without that, they would be Obligatory without it; becaufe an
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