Serra. V II. Of Con f ancy in the Profèffion of the True Religion. 57 True Part of the Catholick Church ; and all the Chriflians throughout the World that agree in this Do&rine, are the One True Catholick Church. 2. The Enquiry about the True Church can have no Iffue, even according to their own way of proceeding, without a due Examination of the particular Do- étrines and Pra&ices of that Church, the Communionwhereof they would per- fwade a Man to embrace. We will admit at prefent this to be the firft Enquiry, Which is the True Church ? Let us now fee in what way they manage this, to gain_Men over to their Church. They tell them that the Churchof Rome is the One True Catholick Church of Chrifl. The truthof this Afï'ertion we will par- ticularly examine afterwards, when we come to confider the next Step of their Method in dealing with their Converts. At prefent I (hall only take notice in the General, what way they take to prove this Affertion ; . namely, That the Church of Rome is the One TrueCatholick Church ; and that is, by the Notes and Marks of the True Church, which they call their Motives of Credibility ; becaufe by thefe they defign to perfwade them, that the Church of Rome is the One True Catholick Church. I ¡hall not now reckon up all the Notes and Marks which they give of the True Church ; but only obferve, that one of their principal Marks of the True Church is this ; That the Faith and Do&rine of it be agreeable to the Do&rine of the Primitiveand Apoftolick Church, (i. e.) to the Doarine de- livered by our Saviour and his Apoffles : And this Bellarmine makes one of the Marks of the True Church. And they muff unavoidably make it fo ; becaufe the True Faith and Do&lrine of Chrift, is that which indeed conftitutes the True Church. But if this be an Effential Mark of the True Church, then no Man can poffibly know the Church of Rome to be the True Church, till he have exa- mined the particular Do&rines and Pra&ïces of it, and the Agreement of them with the Primitive Do&rine and Pra&ice of Chriflianity ; and this neceffar.ily draws on and' engages them in a Difpute of the particular Points and Differences betwixt us ; which is the very thing they would avoid by this Method, and which I have now plainly (hewed they cannot do, becaufe they cannot poffibly prove their Church to be the True Church, without (hewing the Conformity of their Do&rines and Pra&ices, to the Do&rine and Pr¡&ice of the Primitive and Apoftolick Church ; and this will give them work enough, and will, whether , they will or no, draw them out of their Hold and Faftnefs; which is to amufe People with a general Enquiry Which is the True Church ? without defcending to the Examination of their particular Do&rines and Pra&ices. But this they muff of necefliry come to, before they can prove by the Notes and Marks of the True Church, that theirs is the True Church. And this is a Demonfiration, that their Method of Satisfaftion, as it is Unna- tural and Unreafonablé, fo it cannot ferve the Purpofe they aim at by it; which is, to divert Men from the Examination of the particular Points in Difference be- tween the Church of Rome and Us, and to gain them over to them by a Wile and Trick; becaufe'the. very Method they take to prove themfelves to be the True Catholick Church, will enforce them to juftifie all their particular Do&rines and Pra&ices, before they can finifh this Proof. And here we fix our Foot, that the fingle Queftion andPoint, upon which they wouldput the whole Iffue of the Matter, cannot poffibly be brought to any rea- fonable Iffue, without a particular Difeuffion and Examination of the Points in Difference betwixt Their Church and Ours: and when they can make out thefe to be agreeable to the Primitive Do&rine and Pra&ice of the Chriítián Church; we have Reafon to be fatisfied, that the Church of Rome is a Church, in the Communion whereof a Man may be fafe : But -till that be made out, they have done nothing to perfwade any Man that underftands himfelf, that it is fafe, much lefa necefiàry to be of their Communion. But if Particular.Points muff be difculfed and cleared, before a Man canbe fatisfied in the Enquiry after the 'True Church; then they mutt allow their intended Convert to be a Judge likewife ofParticular Points ; and if he be fufficient for that too, before he comes into their Church, I do not fee of what ufe the Itífallibilityof the Church will be to him, when he Is in it. I SERMON
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=