Christianity maintained. Or a discouery of sundry doctrines tending to the ouerthrovve of Christian religion: contayned in the answere to a booke entituled, mercy and truth, or, charity maintayned by Catholiques.

The ninth Doctrine. Layes grounds to be constant in no Religion.

CHAP. X.

I. I Said in the beginning, that as we could not know the way, vnlesse we first be told whi∣ther we goe; so it could litle auayle vs to be put in a way, if by following it we might be misled. But suppose the end of our iourney be knowne, and the right way found, what better shall we be, if with∣all we be continually harkning to some suggestions, which neuer let vs rest, till we haue abandoned that path, by following other crosse-wayes, as we chance to fall vpon them. This is the case of the man with whome we haue to deale. I will not build vpon his deeds, I meane his changes first from Protestant, to Catholique, then from Catholique to Protestant, & then about againe to Catholique, till at last he be come to that passe, that it is hard to say, What he is, neyther Precisian, nor Subscriber to the 39. Articles, nor confessed Socinian, nor right Christian according to the grounds which he hath layd. If you will be∣lieue himselfe, for matters of Religion, he is constant in nothing, but in following that way to heauen which

for the present seemes to him the most probable. He fol∣lowes that which at the present seemes most probable: A poore comfort in matters of Fayth, wherin errour is of so great consequence. And yet this cold comfort is vpon the point of being lost; for the probability is li∣mited to the present.

2. Would any man thinke that in matters of this nature, and after so much profession that he is now satisfied, he should(i) professe himselfe, still to haue a Trauellers indifferency, most willing to be led by reason to any way, or from it? And accordingly to tell vs,(k) That had there been represented to his vnderstan∣ding such Reasons for our Doctrine, as would haue made our Religion more credible then the contrary, certainly he should haue despised the shame of one more alteration, & with both armes, and all his hart most readily haue imbraced it. Such was the preparation which he brought to the reading of that Booke, comming with such a mind to the reading of it, as S. Austin before he was a setled Catholique, brought to his conference with Faustus the Manichee. Did S. Austin af∣ter he was a setled Catholicke come with the like dis∣position to conference with any Heretique or mis be∣lieuer? To what purpose then doth this man bring S. Austin here, but to shew the difference betwixt the Fayth of one that is a Catholicke, and of one that is not; the difference I say in point of adhesion to his Fayth, the Catholicke belieuing so assuredly that he may say with the Apostle, If we, or an Angell from heauen euan∣gelize(l) to you besides that which we haue euangelized to you, be he Anathema. Others not being able euer to be certaine of what they belieue because they build vpon grounds which by their owne confession are not

certaine and infallible.

3. In which respect also it may be iustly wondred with what sense this man taking vpon him to be a guide to others, and to leade them a sofe way to hea∣uen, professeth himselfe not to be setled in his way, and stil to haue not only a(m) Trauellers, but an Ig∣norant Trauellers Indifferency, willing to be led to any way, or from it, because he knowes not whether he be right or wrong; otherwise if he know himselfe to be right, certainly it were not his part to be so willing to be led to any way, or from it: which giues me hope, that no man of iudgment, and timorous conscience, will aduenture the eternall saluation of his soule, v∣pon the writings or Doctrine of one, who is so vn∣setled, & whom he either knowes not where to find, or how long to keep in any one opinion or profes∣sion; to whom the words of S. Bernard(n) concerning Petrus Abailardus (who taught that Fayth was but opi∣nion) may be applyed: Homo sibi dissimilis est, totus am∣biguus. He is a man who disagrees euen from himselfe, who∣lely composed of doubtings. I leaue out his middle words, intus Herodes, foris Ioannes.

4. One thing certainly people would be very glad to know, that whereas he maintaines, that his Altera∣tions were the most satisfactory actions to himselfe(o) that euer he did, and the greatest victories that euer he obtained ouer himselfe: Men, I say, would be glad to know vpon what new and great Motiues, these most satisfactory actions, & greatest victoryes were ouer throwne againe, and frequent changes grounded. For his first being Catholicke, we haue Motiues in writing vnder his owne hand, and now in print. But what new reasons

mooued him to forsake vs, this would people willin∣gly know. If he had no better reasons, then be the ans∣wers to his owne Motiues, I scarcely belieue, that any iudicious Protestant will allow the alteration to haue been good, diuers of them being against Protestants themselues, and some repugnant to all Christianity, as may be well seene by the effects, which they haue wrought in him, to wit, so much vnsetlednesse in be∣liefe and Religion, that he knowes not to this day, what he would be at. But we may well suppose that as he willingly leaues all men to their liberty, prouided that they improue it not to a Tyranny ouer others; so he re∣serues the like liberty to himselfe, and is in fine re∣solued to belieue whatsoeuer for the present doth seeme most probable to him: and so liuing in perpetuall Indif∣ferency, be an example to others to be constant in no profession, which is as good as to be of no Religion.

Notes

• (i)

  Pref. n. 2.
• (k)

  Pref. n. 1.
• (l)

  Gal. 1.••.
• (m)

  Prof. n. 2.
• (n)

  Ep. 193.
• (o)

  Pag. 303.