(?!LLP. �1.] (3&THOIaC AND PItOTBITANT RULB8 L?OMPAIMI). ]? points come under its supervision. Innumerable instsnceo o; a similar kind might be given. Their mode of' settling disputes by coercion, prohibition, anathemas, the inquisition, &c., carries with it its own confutation. Now when the Catholic rule needs so many subtle distinctions and such means of support, we have positive proofs, either that it is not the standard given us by Christ, or that it is glaringly comspted or per- verted from its original purity.* 6. Tiurir ru? ?'u?g faith in the decisions and intoprorations offal- Faith supposes knowledge, coavictio?, or evidence, and trust in the truth of God. Their rule requires blind submission to the sayings of fallible men. The collier's faith, alre?y explained, is the perfection of Roman Catholic faith: "I believe whmoever the church teaches." This is taught, too, as a fundamental article of faith in the following word? of Pope Pius's creed: "I admit the Holy Scriptures, according to the sense which the holy mother church (whose right is to judge of the true sense and interpre?ion of the 8acted Scriptures) hath held and doth hold." Thus inquiry is prevented, knowledge is frustrated, and faith is overturned. As a result, infidelity, to a very great extent, has overrun the Church of Rome. But the particular consideration of this i8 referred to another place. 7. TAs Roma? CatAoli, ru? is eo?r vary, or fluctuating, in cosse* ?e of ? an,?l?ated �Aa,'acter. With them, either the pope, or a council, or both united, or the universal church is infallible. If the universal church be the seat of infallibility it is useless, to a great degree, as its decisions are hard to be ascertained. If the pope, then all must go to Rome or llve in certainty. If the pope and council be infallible, then two fallibles will make an infallible. No council has sat for upward of two hundred and 8evesty years, and it is likely another will never sit. Thus an inquirer is transferred from the pope to the council, and from the cons* cil to the pope, in the fruides8 attempt to find out infallibility. And if he is amused by the word church, he mtmt settle down in a collier's f?ith, without having any proper idea of the word church, or of the faith which he professes. He next may be transferred to traditions, and then to fathers, and back again to councii? and popes; and thus he may be amused by mere phantoms all the days of his life. 8. ? ? u?ould r?rs all men to be infallible. Thiz lure been fully shown. 9. Ckrist n?w?r establislu?Z t? Rom? Cathali? r?. If Christ ordained it, then he gave the apocrypha by inspiration, as well as the Bible. He must also have. ordainod all their oral tradi- tions, have given the unanimous consent, as a part of the rule, and appointed by name and title the pope, or council, or church, they know not which, as the only infalli51e judge. 10. A brief annparison of tb Protestant amt Roma? Catl?li? ndss will slun? t?e superion'ty of t& one to t? othn?. .It is proper just to mention here, as was shown before, that/rnva?
- See Breckenrk!p rest Hughes, pp._?,8, 100-118, letters iv, and xiv, where tim
ruder will find several authentic randre. ds on the point of permcutiou quoted ?t iaqe.
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