An answer, to a little book call'd Protestancy to be embrac'd or, A new and infallible method to reduce Romanists from popery to Protestancy

SECT. I. Answer to what is Objected against the R. Catholicks Speculative Divinity.

I Find our School Divinity is tax'd by our Adver∣sary of a double Sacriledge, which is, that it both hinders Devotion and enervats Faith. But this is a false surmise, for how can it be pos∣sible that She, which alone among all our Sciences makes it Her task to propose to us, explain, and confirm the Object of Faith and Devotion. I mean first God, and his Divine Attributs, and next how we should Honour Him, and behave our selves with his Majesty in our Worship to him; should not promote but hinder Faith and Devotion? Is it credible, say I, that this Science with all the en∣deavour and afforded Light should not help, but rather remove us from our end? If some short∣fighted People think She moves more doubts, then

She satisfies with Her Solutions; The fault is in their weak sight, or tainted understanding, not in Divinity. As when in some, the Ill affected Pallate loaths Meats, which otherwaies are most whole∣some.

Many things, altho' most certain to R. Catho∣licks, are discussed in this Science and brought by Reason to a rigid Tryal, by which means doubts, which do, or may arise to the Enemies of our Faith, find a clear Solution. Thus Reason then over∣••ome by the very Arms of Reason does not only captivate Her self to obey Faith, but moreover freely yields and joynes with Her against the Ene∣mies of our Religion.

So against the Iews we demand if it was possi∣ble that God should become Man: Against those who deny the veracity of Scripture, if God can lie. Against those who hold the Decree of Reprobati∣on in God afore any foreseen Demerit either of Adam or his Posterity,

This Question is moved, whether a Soul allto∣gether Innocent may be by an infinite Goodness designed to the Eternal Pains of Hell? Against Athiests this Querie is made whether or no, by the light of Nature one may demonstrate the exi∣stence of a God? Thus different Questions are made concerning the possibility of different things. Be cause the Enemies of our Faith, as they easily pass from the denyal of the possible to the denyal of the actual existance of a thing, so from the conviction of a possibility they are more easily drawn to a∣vow the actual existence of a reveal'd Object. Nei∣ther is this the work, as our Adversary deems, of idle Men, unless he thinks them to do nothing, who make it all their Labour to bring forth in Men a noble Sentiment of God, and free them from all scruple in their way of serving him.