Treatises of 1. The liberty of prophesying, 2. Prayer ex tempore, 3. Episcopacie : together with a sermon preached at Oxon. on the anniversary of the 5 of November / by Ier. Taylor.

SECT. IX.

Of the incompetency of the Church in its diffusive capacity to be judge of Controversies, and the impertinency of that pretence of the Spirit.

ANd now after all these considerations of the severall To∣picks, Tradition, Councels, Popes and ancient Doctors of the Church, I suppose it will not be necessary, to consider the au∣thority of the Church apart. For the Church either speaks by Tradition, or by a representative body in a Councel, by Popes, or by the Fathers: for the Church is not a Chimaera, not a shadow, but a company of men beleeving in Jesus Christ, which men ei∣ther speak by themselves immediately, or by their Rulers, or by their proxies and representatives; now I have considered it in all senses but in its diffusive capacity; in which capacity she cannot be supposed to be a Judge of Controversies, both because in that capacity she cannot teach us, as also because if by a Judge we mean all the Church diffused in all its parts and members, so there can be no controversie, for if all men be of that opinion, then there is no question contested; if they be not all of a mind, how can the whole diffusive Catholike Church be pretended in defiance of any one article, where the diffusive Church being divided, part goes this way, and part another? But if it be said, the greatest part must carry it; Besides that it is impossible for us to know which way the greatest part goes in many questions, it is not alwaies true that the greater part is the best, sometimes the contrary is most cer∣tain, and it is often very probable, but it is alwayes possible. And when paucity of followers was objected to Liberius, he gave this in answer, There was a time when but three Children of the Cap∣tivity resisted the Kings Decree. And Athanasius wrote on pur∣pose against those that did judge of truth by multitudes, and in∣deed it concerned him so to doe, when he alone stood in the gap against the numerous armies of the Arrians.

But if there could in this case be any distinct consideration of the Church, yet to know which is the true Church is so hard to be found out, that the greatest questions of Christendome are jud∣ged before you can get to your Judge, and then there is no need of him. For those questions which are concerning the Judge of questions must be determined before you can submit to his judge∣ment, and if you can your selves determine those great questions which consist much in universalities, then also you may determine the particulars as being of less difficulty. And he that considers how many notes there are given to know the true Church, no less then 15. by Bellarmine, and concerning every one of them almost whether it be a certaine note or no there are very many questi∣ons and uncertainties, and when it is resolved which are the notes, there is more dispute about the application of these notes then of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, will quickly be satisfied that he had better sit still then to goe round about a difficult and troublesome passage, and at last get no further, but returne to the place from whence he first set out. And there is one note amongst the rest, Holiness of Doctrine, that is, so as to have nothing false either in Doctrina fidei or morum, (for so Bellarmine explicates it) which supposes all your Controversies, judged before they can be tryed by the authority of the Church, and when we have found out all true Doctrine (for that is necessary to judge of the Church by, that as Saint Austin's councell is Ecclesiam in verbis Christi investigemus) then we are bound to follow because we judge it true, not because the Church hath said it, and this is to judge of the Church by her Doctrine, not of the Doctrine by the Church. And indeed it is the best and only way; But then how to judge of that Doctrine will be afterwards inquired into. In the meane time, the Church, that is, the Governours of the Churches are to judge for themselves, & for all those who cannot judge for them∣selves. For others, they must know that their Governours judge for them too, so as to keepe them in peace and obedience, though not for the determination of their private perswasions. For the Oeconomy of the Church requires that her authority be received by all her children. Now this authority is divine in its originall, for it derives immediately from Christ, but it is humane in its mi∣nistration. We are to be lead like men not like beasts; A rule is

prescribed for the guides themselves to follow, as we are to fol∣low the guides; and although in matters indeterminable or am∣biguous the presumption lyes on behalfe of the Governours, (for we do nothing for authority if we suffer it not to weigh that part down of an indifferency and a question which she chooses) yet if there be error manifestus, as it often happens, or if the Church-Governours themselves be rent into innumerable sects, as it is this day in Christendome, then we are to be as wise as we can in choosing our guides, and then to follow so long as that reason re∣mains for which we first chose them. And even in that Govern∣ment which was an immediate sanction of God, I mean the Ec∣clesiasticall government of the Synagogue, where God had con∣sign'd the High-Priests authority with a menace of death to them that should disobey, that all the world might know the meaning and extent of such precepts, and that there is a limit beyond which they cannot command, and we ought not to obey: it came once to that pass, that if the Priest had been obeyed in his Conciliary decrees, the whole Nation had been bound to beleeve the con∣demnation of our blessed Saviour to have been just, and at ano∣ther time the Apostles must no more have preached in the name of JEsus. But here was manifest error. And the case is the same to every man that invincibly and therefore innocently beleeves it so. Deo potius quàm hominibus is our rule in such cases. For al∣though every man is bound to follow his guide, unless he beleeves his guide to mislead him; yet when he sees reason against his guide, it is best to follow his reason: for though in this he may fall into error, yet he will escape the sin; he may doe violence to truth, but never to his own conscience; and an honest error is better then an hypocriticall profession of truth, or a violent lu∣xation of the understanding, since if he retains his honesty and simplicity, he cannot erre in a matter of faith or absolute neces∣sity: Gods goodness hath secur'd all honest and carefull persons from that; for other things, he must follow the best guides he can, and he cannot be obliged to follow better then God hath given him.

And there is yet another way pretended of infallible Expositions of Scripture; and that is, by the Spirit. But of this I shall say no more, but that it is impertinent as to this question.

For put case the Spirit is given to some men enabling them to expound infallibly, yet because this is but a private assistance, and cannot be proved to others, this infallible assistance may de∣termine my own assent, but shall not inable me to prescribe to o∣thers, because it were unreasonable I should, unless I could prove to him that I have the Spirit, and so can secure him from being deceived, if he relyes upon me. In this case I may say as S. Paul in the case of praying with the Spirit, He verily giveth thanks well, but the other is not edified. So that let this pretence be as true as it will, it is sufficient that it cannot be of consideration in this question.

The result of all is this; Since it is not reasonable to limit and prescribe to all mens understandings by any externall rule in the interpretation of difficult places of Scripture which is our rule: Since no man nor company of men is secure from error, or can secure us that they are free from malice, interest and design; and since all the wayes by which we usually are taught, as Tradition, Councels, Decretals, &c. are very uncertain in the matter, in their authority, in their being legitimate and naturall, and many of them certainly false, and nothing certain but the divine autho∣rity of Scripture, in which all that is necessary is plain, and much of that that is not necessary is very obscure, intricate and involv'd, either we must set up our rest, onely upon articles of faith, and plain places, and be incurious of other obscurer revelations, (which is a duty for persons of private understandings, and of no publike function) or if we will search further (to which in some measure the guides of others are obliged) it remains we inquire how men may determine themselves, so as to doe their duty to God, and not to diserve the Church, that every such man may doe what he is bound to, in his personall capacity, and as he re∣lates to the publike as a publike minister.

Notes

• Numb. 1.
• Theod. l. 2. c. 16. hist.
• Tom. 2.
• Numb. 2.
• Numb. 3.
• Numb. 4.