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FOR if we take their own way and me∣thod, to assure our minds that we follow an infallible Guide, there is no note which they give of the true Church, which they say ought to be our Guide; but pleads far more strongly for the Holy Scriptures, that we should rather follow them, and give an un∣doubted credit to them. I shall not run over all those Notes, nor examine the certainty of
them; but only briefly name some of them and show, that if they prove any thing, it is the Authority of the Scriptures above the Church.
First, they say, the very name of the Ca∣tholick Church is venerable, and ought to be regarded. But, as that Name is not proper to them alone, so, if there be any power in Names to make us respect any thing; what more awful than the Name of the Word of God, and the Sacred Scriptures, which were always given to these Books, to which we ad∣vise all Christians to adhere.
The next Note, which is Antiquity, is on the side of the Scriptures also; which more justly claim to be ancienter than all other Books, which pretend to any Divinity; than the Catholick Church can claim to be ancienter than all other Societies, which call themselves by the Name of a Church. Nay, the Doctrine contained therein, must be supposed, as I have shown, to be before the Church; which is made by belief and profession of that Do∣ctrine: and the Old Testament certainly writ∣ten, long before the Church was made Ca∣tholick.
As for unity, in that the Church is not compa∣rable to the Scriptures, whose agreement and consent of parts is admirable. And if we speak of the surest bond of true Catholick Ʋnity, it is as manifest as the Sun, that the Holy Scriptures lay
the foundation of it, and preserve us in it (if we adhere to them) by keeping us close to one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism: but the Church of Rome, which hath usurped the Name of Catholick, makes this blessed Unity impossible. For, there being but two ways to it, either that we all agree in our Opinions about Reli∣gion, or that while we differ it be no hinder∣ance to Communion; they have made the lat∣ter as impossible as the former: because they make it absolutely necessary to communion and salvation, to believe in every thing as they do.
The like might be said of Holiness and effi∣cacy of Doctrine (which depends upon the Churches speaking according to the Scrip∣tures) sanctity of the authors of our Religion (which cannot be known but out of the Scri∣ptures) the glory of Miracles, the light of Prophecy, and all the rest: but I shall only touch upon one more, the Amplitude and U∣niversality of the Church, in which they make their boast. But herein the Scriptures most evidently excel; their Authority being there sacred, where the Church of Rome (whose Notes these are) is not known, or not regar∣ded. For all Christians in the World, of what∣soever Sect they be, believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God: whereas they alone say, that they are the only true Church of God. All Christians besides, who know any
thing of this pretence of theirs, absolutely deny it; and maintain the Divinity and Au∣thority of the Scriptures, against all their Cavils.