518 The Authority of yefus Chrift. Vol. I. Here is a general. Promife of Affiflance to the Pallors and Governors of the Church, in all Ages to the End of theWorld ; but that this Affiftance !hall al- ways be to the degreeof Infallibility; (as it was to the Apoftles) can neither beponcluded from the Letter ofthis Promife, nor from theReafon ofit ; much lets can it be from hence concluded, that the Affiftance here promifed, if it were to the degree of Ínfallibility, is to be limited and confined to the fupream Pallor and Governor of the Roman Church. That the Afiiftance here promifed !hall alwaysbe to the degree of Infallibi- lity, can by no means be concluded'from -the Letter of this Promife. Indeed there is no Pretence or Colour for it ; he muft have a very peculiar Sagacity, that can find out in thefe words, I am with you always, a promife of infallible Affiftance. Is not the promife which God made to JoJhua, and which the Apo- file to the Hebrews applies to all Chriftians, and toall Good Men in all Ages, f will never leave thee nap forfake thee, thevery fame in fence with this, Iwill be with you always? and yet furely, no Man did ever imagine, that by virtue of this Promife, every Chriftian, and every good Man is infallible. But'neither can it be inferr'd fromthe Reafon of this Promife, that this Afiï_ fiance fhail always be to the degree of Infallibility., It was fo indeed to the Apoftles ; the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghoft, which were bellowed up- on them for the more fpeedy and effectual planting and propagating of the Gofpel'in the World, were a divine Teftimony and Confirmation to the Do ¿trine which they delivered ; and having this divine Teftimony given tothem, we are certain that they were fecured from Error in the deliveryof that Do-. ârine. So that the Apoftles had no other Infallibility, but what depended up= on, and was evidenced by the miraculousGifts wherewith they were endowed ; and therefore without the like Gifts, none can withReafon pretend to the like Infallibility. ForInfallibility lignifies an extraordinary Affiftance of God's Spi. rit, whereby thofe who are thus affifted are fecured from Error. This-every confident Man may, if he pleafeth, pretend to ; but no Man is to be believed to have it, but he who can give fuch Evidenceof it, as is fit to fatisfierea£on able Men, that hehath it. Now the only fufficient Evidence offuch an extra- ordinary Divine Affiftance is the Power of Miracles. This indeed is the great- external Teftimony of a Teacher come from God, if he do fuch Works as none can do, except Godbe with him; and this Evidence the Prophets of old, and our Saviour, and his Apoftles, always gave of their Infallibility. And if the Pope and general Councils, can give the Teftimony of fuch Miracles for their Infal- libility, as Mafes and our Saviour, and his Apoftles did work, we are ready to acknowledge it. Such a Teftimony as this would give the World a thoufand times more Satisfa Lion concerning their Infallibility, than all the fubtil Argu- ments of Bellarmine, and all their Writers. But if they cannot; they may dif- pute about it to the end of the World ; and every Man that bath but the fame confidence may pretend to it, with as much refon as they do. But to proceed in myArgument, here is a plain Reafon why this extraordina- ryAfliflance fhould be granted to the Apoflles at firft ; and another Reafonas plain, why it fhould not be continued afterwards. It was reafonabie, and in fome degree neceffary,. that the Apoftles fhould be thus affifted at the firft pub- lication of theGape!, namely togive fatisfaétion to the World, that theywere faithful and true Witneffes of the Doétrine and Miracles of Gil-rift. But fince' this Doétrine and thefe Miracles are recorded to Pofterity, by thofe very Perlons that were thus affifted, here is as plain a Reafon; why after the Gofpel was planted and eflablifh'd in theWorld, this Infallibihtyfhould ceafe. So long as we have an Infallible Foundation of Faith, namely, the Divine Revelation confinned in Writing, and tranfrnitted down to us by Teftimonyof undoubted Credit, whatneed is there now of a fixt and ftanding Infallibility in theChurch? But having handled this Argument more at large elfewhere, I fhall infift no further upon it here. I have M
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=