Page 31
Sect. 3.
The pretence of weake consciences against lawful authority in just commands, mis-represented. Fallibility of all but God, and Saints and Angels. S. W. his arguments for infallibility an∣swered. The infallibility of the Apostles stated. Of the Church to the end of the world. Of the meanes to know the books of Scripture. Of matters of fact of our certain knowledg.
THe third Section is by my Disarmer strangely misspent, De∣clamation poured out on the aire, like Xerxes his stripes on the Sea, a perfect Romance-combate with a Windmill of his own ere∣cting, toward which I never contributed the least stone or timber, 'Tis upon a fancie, or fiction, that I favour the pretence of such a weake conscience, as makes a man thinke he ought not to commu∣nicate with the CHƲRCH, and this even though the truth be on the Churches side.] How much I favour such a weak conscience, which apprehends that unlawfull, which is duty, and so thinks to be excused from performing it, is visible to any that shall but view the place, to which this Section is confronted, where first I af∣firm of him, that he is in severall respects criminous, and par∣ticularly in this, that he communicates not with those, the condition of whose communion containes nothing really erroneous or sinfull. 2. I adde, that such an one is in the worst and most unhappy kind of straight, remains in error and schisme on the one side (is this in favour of such weake consciences, or an affirming (as S. W. sug∣gests) that he may do it lawfully? or is it interpretable to have any kindness to a bare pretence of it, which comes short even of that?) and if to avoid that, he communicate, in this case he ad∣vances to lying and hypocrisie; and in plain termes, that which way soever he turne, till he really convert from his erroneous con∣science, and weake mis-perswasion, he is sure to sin. What could be more plain, or free from my Disarmers calumny? from pleading for seditious offēders ears (of wch the wit of the Romish factor hath made a speciall service in his Bill of fare) or what Apology can S.W. ever make to God or his own conscience, for so manifest a per∣version,