41/RINI114 296 Of the coming of the .Moly Ghofi, Vo1.IL they were not at that time capable of receiving, whilft our Saviour was upon, Earth, therefore after his Afcenfion, he would fend his Holy Spirit to inftru& them in thofe things, and to guide them into all thofe Truths, which it Was not then feafonable to acquaint them withal. Now by what Art can any Man infer from hence, that our Saviour would give the infallible affiftance of his Holy Spirit to the Church of Rome, to the end of the World ? 2. Let it an be confider'd, that this Promife was made perfonally to the (Apo- files, and therefore ought nottobe extended beyond them, unlefs it evidently appear, that it ought to be fo extended ; unlefs it evidently appear, either from the tenout of the Promife, or from fome other reafon, that it was the intention of the Pro- mifer, that this Ihould equally extend to others as well as to them. 'Tis true that this Promife was made to the Apoftles, not meetly for their own fakes, but for thebenefit of the Church; for God thereby promifeth, that his Spirit fhould reveal thofe truths to them, that they might declare them to the Church : but it does not from hence follow, that any other Perfons, in fucceeding Ages of the Church, should have the fame immediate affiftance of the Holy Ghoft which the Apoftles had ; becaufe, being once reveal'd to the Church, there was no need of a newRe- velation of thofe truths in every Age. 3. There is nothing in the tenour of this Promife, nor any other Reafon, from whence it may appear, that this Promife ought to be extended any farther, than to the Perfons to whom it was made; becaufe this Promife was made with a pecu- liar refpe& to the Apoftles, and their Employment, and for reafons proper to the firft Efate of the Church ; and not common to all Ages .5 therefore it cannot with teafon be extended to all after-Ages of the Church. Let it be granted then, that this Promife taken together With other Promifesof our Saviour made to the Apoftles, does fignifie an infallibleaffiftance to them, fo as to fecure them fromError, in the deliveryof the Dottrine of Chrift; yet why Ihould any Church afterwards, much lefs the Church of Rome apart from all o- thers, pretend to be Heir general to theApoftles in this infallible affiftance? The Apoftles gave fufficient Evidence of their Infallibility, by the Miracles which they wrought: And let the Pope and general Councils give this Teftimony of their In- fallibility, and we are ready to acknowledge it. There was reafon why this affi- ftance fhould be afforded to the Apoftles in the firft preaching of theGofpel : but after it was planted, and the Do&rine of Chriftianity confìgn'd toWriting, there was no need of fuch an infallibleAffillance afterwards. But they of the Church of Rome tell us, that this infallible affiftance was ne- ceffaryafterwards for the perpetuity of the Church, and for the Government of it, and for the decifion of Controverfies amongft Chriftians. To this I anfwer two things. Fill, If this infallible affiftance be neceffary to thefe ends, then it is alfo neceffa- ry, that it fhould have been declared, what that Church or Society is, whichwas to be fo infallible : elfe how would Men know, whither to have recourfe for the Government of the Church, and the decifion of Controverfies in matters of diffi- culty. As good the Chriftian Church be without Infallibility, as that no Man ' fhould know where it is. And will any Man have the confidence to fay, that God hath any where in Scripture declar'd, that the Church of Rome hath this Infallibility annext to her? Hath the Scripture any where told us, that the Church of Rome is the Catholick Church, that is, that a particular Church is the Church Univerfal? Ifwe fhould fuppofe the Univerfal Church to be infallible in matters of Faith and Pra&ice, is it any where faid in the Bible, that thePope, or a general Council, or both together are infallible? Are weany where there direfed to have recourfe to Rome, and the Bifhop of that City, either with or without a general Council, for the Determina- tion of Controverfies in Religion? And vet if Infallibility be neceffary for the ends mentioned, then certainly 'tis as neceffary, that we fhould have been plainly dire&ed where to find it, that we may make ufe of it upon occafion. What Man living can perfuade hinifelf, that the belief of the Infallibility of the Rom?Íb Church, that is of the Pope, or of the Pope and Council, fhould be fo funda- 4 mental
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