Page:Delineation of Roman Catholicism.djvu/145

 and unity of his church. And because God is wise and good, he  lmve bestowed infallibility on the church, for the purpose of preventing disputes and of promoting unity. Or, as it is expressed in the canon law, Aliter Dominus non videretur fuisse discfetus. "Otherwise our lord had not seemed to be discreet." The following arguments will show that the argument for the necessity of infallibility is insufficient. (1.) This rather supposes what God should have done according to our fays, than what he hath really done. Our Lord commands us to search his word; and Paul asks, "Why of your own selves judge ye not what is right ?" The Church of Rome seems to differ from both, and says, if this liberty were permitted God had not seemed to be wise. Now such notions are ouly fanciful at best, are very suspicious, and are not to be justified by any criterion of truth. Men's fancy may dic- tate many plausible hypotheses concerning what was necessary to be done. Yet to such it may be said, as the apostle said on another oc* caslon, "Who art thou, 0 man, that objecteat against God?*' It is an insecure way of arguing a pt/or/in reference to th'e revealed truths of religion--that God/uzs done what we suppose he must have done. It is much more modest and safe to receive God's truth as he hath plainly revealed it, without bounding the exercise of his glorious attributes by our own preconceived notions. 2?fA much more effectual way of preventing disputes and errors, an promoting unity, would have been to have made every man in- fallible; and yet (od hath not done this. (3.) The Jewish church was not infallible, forshe denied our $aviour by following tradition. How then does it appear that the Christian church must necessarily be infallible ? (4.) We might argue from the wisdom and goodness of God that sin mould not enter into lite torld at all; or with the Universalinns, that at least redemption would finally effect the salvation of all men; but certainly sin is in the world, and the Scripture plainly declares that all men will not be saved. Now if God has not prevented sin or secured the salvation of all, why should we wonder that he wonld not bestow infallibility on his church ? (5.) If an infallible universal judge is necessary for the peace of the church, we must also conclude there is a universal infallible judge in temporal and civil matters, because this is necessary to tile peace of the world. And men are as obstinate ixt matters of a temporal or political nature as in matters of faith. But it is evident there is no such judge, and men may, notwithstanding, live in peace and harmony. Yet an acute reasoner may argue very plausibly, that as GOd is wise and good, so he must have given infallibility to some person or persons, by which he or they might know how to govern the world with uni- versal sway', in order to prevent confusion, controversy, and wrongs. And he could quote his, otfim, eaise God toould not &e dvereet, with as much show of truth as any person could, to prove the necessity of in- fallibility in religious matters. (6.) There is no need of such a judge to assure men in matters of religion, because men may be sufficiently' certain without it. The loctrines and precepts revealed in Scripture, necessary to faith and practice, are suflicienfly clear to all. They are certainly as intelligibly understood in the sacred text as they are in the canon8 and decrees of D,g,t,ze byoo8Ie

�