1:?8 lXFALLIBLLIT?r, []?d:)01[ ?. bishop8 and popes, and in the expositions of priests. And certainly Protestants better understand these truths from the Bible and their teachers, than Romaslats do from the decisions o1' popes and their other clergy. . (7.) An infallible judge, ff there were one, is not a certain way to end controversies and preserve unity, unless three other things were also certain, viz., tAat tl?.re tva.v sucA a on?, tvAo ? is, and wlmt eztent of]?is auttw?t. Until we are certain of these three things, the controversy must remain as it is. So there are three controversies. viz., one between Roman Catholics and Protestants, whether there be an infallible judge; and the other two among Romanists themselves, viz., who this judge is, and what is the extent of his authority. And not one of these two has yet been satisfactorily decided. (8.) There is no such absolute need as is pretended for determining all controversies. If men would divest themselves of prejudice as they ought, they would agree well enough about religions concerns of im- portance. And if they will be biased by evil passions, they would not hearken to an infallible judge, if there were one, for they would call his infallibility in question. In doubtful and small matters, charity' and forbearance would make the church as happy and peaceable as ever it was designed to be in the present llfe. And to this agree the words of St. Paul: "Though I have the g/ft of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." Thns, this charity or love is of more value than even all knowledge. If men were governed by it their broils and contentions would cease, for charity covers all sins. And whatsoever knowledge men may have, if their hearts be unrenewed, envy, malice, ill-will, emulation, wrath, strife, 8editions, hereslea, unmercifulness, implacability, &c., will naturally spring up. But, alas ! to a very great degree, the religion of Rome has substituted her infallibility and *kindred doctrines in the place of the pure charity* of the gospel. (9.) Were there not dissensions and divisions in the apostles' t?mes St. Paul says, For there must be hereslea or divisions among you, that they who axe approved may be made manifest among you," 1 Cot .xi, 19. The necessity of heresies is not absolute, or of God's making, as they spring from the wickedness of man. Nor is the reason for their existence c.a?a/, as if the wisdom of God designed they should exist, that they who are approved might be made manifest, but rather eventtaz/; as ff the apostle had said, Whence it will come to pass that they who are approved will be made manifest. The apostle'made no reference to an infallible judge in order to prevent or destroy heresy because he knew nothing of such judges as Rome, in modern times, contends for. 3. It is argued that the Catholic Church, which Romanists confine to those who are in communion with the pope, cannot err in her doc- trines, because they have regularly descended to her, step by step, in an unbroken chain, from the apesties themselves, whose-inspired in- fallibility was universally acknowledged. This is a modification of the well-known argument of employed by Irena?ns and Tertullian in the second century with so much success. But what was & very good argument in their time, is 1
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