9. Your calumnies against Protestants in generall , are set down in these words , Chap. 2. § . 2. The very doctrine of Protestants if it be followed closely , and with coherence to it self , must of necessity induce Socinianism . This I say confidently , and evidently prove , by instancing in one error which may well be tearmed the Capital , and mother-Heresie , from which all other must follow at ease ; I mean , their heresie in affirming , That the perpetual visible Church of Christ , descended by a never interrupted succession from our Saviour , to this day , is not infallible in all that it proposeth to be believed , as revealed truths . For if the infallibility of such a publique Authority be once impeached ; what remains , but that every man is given over to his own wit , and discourse ? And talk not here of Holy Scripture . For if the true Church may erre , in defining what Scriptures be Canonicall ; or in delivering the sense and meaning thereof ; we are still devolved , either upon the private spirit , ( a foolery now exploded out of England , which finally leaving every man to his own conceits , ends in Socinianism ) ; or else upon natural wit , and judgement , for examining and determining , What Scriptures contain true or false doctrine , and in that respect , ought to be received , or rejected . And indeed , take away the authority of God's Church , no man can be assured , that any one Book , or parcel of Scripture , was written by divine inspiration : or that all the contents , are infallibly true ; which are the direct errors of Socinians . If it were but for this reason alone , no man , who regards the eternal salvation of his soul , would live or dye in Protestancy , from which so vast absurdities as these of the Socinians must inevitably follow . And it ought to be an unspeakable comfort to all us Catholiques , while we consider , that none can deny the infallible authority of our Church , but joyntly he must be left to his own wit and wayes ; and must abandon all infused faith , and true Religion , if he do but understand himself aright . In all which discourse , the only true word you speak is , This I say confidently . As for proving evidently , that I believe you reserved for some other opportunity : for the present , I am sure you have been very sparing of it .

10. You say , indeed confidently enough , that The deny all of the Churches infallibility is the Mother-Heresie , from which all other must follow at ease : Which is so far from being a necessary truth , as you make it , that it is indeed a manifest falshood . Neither is it possible for the wit of man , by any good , or so much as probable consequence , from the denyal of the Churches Infallibility to deduce any one of the ancient Heresies , or any one error of the Socinians , which are the Heresies here entreated of . For who would not laugh at him that should argue thus ; Neither the Church of Rome , nor any other Church is infallible , Ergo , The doctrine of Arrius , Pelagius , Eutyches , Nestorius , Photinus , Manichaeus , was true Doctrine ? On the other side , it may be truly said and justified by very good and effectual reason , that he that affirms , with you , the Pope's infallibility , puts himself into his hands and power , to be led by him at his ease and pleasure into all Heresie , and even to Hell it self ; and cannot with reason say ( so long as he is constant to his grounds ) Domine , cur ita facis ? but must believe white to be black , and black to be white ; vertue to be vice , and vice to be vertue ; nay ( which is a horrible but a most certain truth ) Christ to be Antichrist , and Antichrist to be Christ , if it be possible for the Pope to say so : Which , I say , and will maintain , howsoever you daub and disguise it , is indeed to make men Apostate from Christ to his pretended Vicar , but real Enemy . For that name and no better ( if we may speak truth without offence ) I presume He deserves , who under pretence of interpreting the Law of Christ , ( which Authority without any word of express warrant he hath taken upon himself , ) doth in many parts evacuate and dissolve it : So dethroning Christ from his dominion over mens consciences , and instead of Christ , setting up Himself ; Inasmuch as he that requires that his interpretations of any Law should be obeyed as true and genuine , seem they to mens understandings never so dissonant and discordant from it , ( as the Bishop of Rome does , ) requires indeed that his interpretations should . be the Lawes ; and he that is firmly prepared in minde to believe and receive all such interpretations without judging of them , and though to his private judgement they seem unreasonable , is indeed congruously disposed to hold Adultery a venial sin , and Fornication no sin , whensoever the Pope and his Adherents shall so declare . And whatsoever he may plead , yet either wittingly or ignorantly , he makes the Law and the Law-maker both stales , and obeyes only the Interpreter . As if I should pretend that I should submit to the Lawes of the King of England , but should indeed resolve to obey them in that sense which the King of France should put upon them , whatsoever it were ; I presume every understanding man would say , that I did indeed obey the King of France , and not the King of England . If I should pretend to believe the Bible , but that I would understand it according to the sense which the chief Mufty should put upon it , Who would not say that I were a Christian in pretense only , but indeed a Mahumetan ?

11. Nor will it be to purpose for you to pretend that the Precepts of Christ are so plain that it cannot be feared , that any Pope should ever go about to dissolve them , and pretend to be a Christian : For , not to say that you now pretend the contrary , ( to wit , ) that the law of Christ is obscure even in things necessary to be believed and done , and by saying so , have made a fair way for any fowl interpretation of any part of it : certainly that which the Church of Rome hath already done in this kind , is an evident argument , that ( if she once had this power unquestioned , and made expedite and ready for use , by being contracted to the Pope ) she may do what she pleaseth with it . Who that had lived in the Primitive Church , would not have thought it as utterly improbable , that ever they should have brought in the worship of Images , and picturing of God as now it is , that they should legitimate Fornication ? Why may we not think , they may in time take away the whole Communion from the Laity , as well as they have taken away half of it ? Why may we not think that any Text and any Sense may not be accorded , as well as the whole 14. Ch. of the Ep. of S. Paul to the Corinth . is reconciled to the Latine-Service ? How is it possible any thing should be plainer forbidden , than the worship of Angels , in the Ep. to the Colossians ? than the teaching for Doctrines mens commands in the Gospel of S. Mark ? And therefore seeing we see these things done , which hardly any man would have believed , that had not seen them , Why should we not fear that this unlimited power may not be used hereafter with as little moderation ? Seeing devices have been invented how men may worship Images without Idolatry , and kill innocent men under pretence of Heresie without murder ; Who knows that some tricks may not be hereafter devised , by which , Lying with other mens wives shall be no Adultery , taking away other mens goods no theft ? I conclude therefore , That if Solomon himself were here , and were to determine the difference , Which is more likely to be mother of all Heresie , The denial of the Churches or the affirming of the Popes Infallibility , that he would certainly say , This is the mother , give her the childe .

12. You say again confidently , That if this Infallibility be once impeached , every man is given over to his own wit and discourse : which , if you mean discourse , not guiding it self by Scripture , but only by principles of nature , or perhaps by prejudices and popular errors , and drawing consequences , not by Rule , but Chance , is by no means true ; if you mean by Discourse , right Reason , grounded on Divine Revelation and common Notions , written by God in the hearts of all men ; and deducing , according to the never failing rules of Logick , consequent deductions from them : If this be it which you mean by discourse , it is very meet , and reasonable , and necessary that men , as in all their actions , so especially in that of greatest importance , the choice of their way to happiness , should be left unto it : and he that follows this in all his opinions and actions , and does not only seem to do so , follows alwayes God ; whereas he that followeth a Company of men , may oft-times follow a company of beasts . And in saying this , I say no more than S. John to all Christians in these words , Dearly beloved , believe not every spirit ; but try the spirits , whether they be of God , or no : and the rule he gives them to make this tryal by , is , to consider , Whether they confess Jesus to be Christ ; that is , the Guid of their Faith , and Lord of their Action ; not , whether they acknowledge the Pope to be his Vicar : I say no more than S. Paul , in exhorting all Christians , To try all things , and hold fast that which is good : then S. Peter in commanding all Christians , To be ready to give a reason of the hope that is in them : then our Saviour himself , in forewarning all his Followers , that if they blindly followed blinde guides , both leaders and followers should fall into the ditch : and again , in saying even to the people , Yea , and why of your selves judge yee not what is right ? And though by passion , or precipitation , or prejudice , by want of reason or not using what they have , men may be , and are oftentimes , led in error and mischief ; yet , that they cannot be misguided by Discourse , truly so called , such as I have described , you your self have given them security . For , what is Discourse , but drawing conclusions out of premises by good consequence ? Now , the Principles which we have setled , to wit , the Scriptures , are on all sides agreed to be infallibly true . And you have told us in the fourth Chap. of this Pamphlet , That from truth no man can , by good consequence , infer falshood ; Therefore , by Discourse , no man can possibly be led to Error : but if he err in his Conclusions , he must of necessity , either err in his Principles , ( which here cannot have place ) or commit some error in his Discourse ; that is , indeed , not Discourse , but seem to do so .