additions, which the Nazarens and others made upon the Authority of Tradition. From whence it appears, that when Tradition is fet up, it undermines the Truth of the written Word of God. I know our Adverfaries will reply, that tho' 'tis poffible for Men to deceive and be deceiv'd, and confequently to propagate miftakes; yet on the other fide it is alfo poffible for them to convey the truth: and that Providence will not fuffer Errors to prevail fo far as to corrupt the Truth of the Gofpel. But I defire them to confider, that matters of Faith, and things neceffary to Salvation, ought not to depend upon bare poffibilities. 'Tis poffible, I confefs, that Tradition may be kept pure; but 'tis a thousand times more probable that 'twill be corrupted. But, I pray, how is it poffible for those who live at a confiderable distance of time, to know whether it has been corrupted or no? The Experience of all Ages forces us to fufpect it: nay, 'tis hardly poffible to produce an instance of any Tradition, in which we are not able, even in these latter days, to difcover alterations and additions, and to fhew manifeft footsteps of the corruption of it. 'Tis in vain to fay, that Providence ftands engag'd for the prefervation of it; fince experience contradicts and overthrows this Pretence. Nor ought we to depend upon Providence, without either a reafon or a promise to ground our expectations upon. In a word, no Man can fafely rely upon any one Tradition, unless he has reasonable grounds to think, that it has not been deprav'd; and 'tis impoffible for him to arrive at any tolerable fatiffaction in this matter, unless he can be in fome measure affur'd, 1. what every one of those Perfons were, B 2 were, thro' whofe hands it has pass'd. 2. that not one of them was deceiv'd himself. 3. that not one of them has deceiv'd his Succeffors. But I am fully perfuaded that thofe who contend for the authority of Tradition, will never be able to make out either all, or any one of thefe particulars. I cannot without fome difficulty restrain my felf from making further enlargements upon this Point. Tradition has been the Parent of so much mifchief, that it deferves to be fully expos'd. But I must not urge the tenth part of what may be faid against it; especially fince any single instance or argument has force enough to weaken its pretended authority. And I hope, what I have very briefly difcours'd, or rather hinted at, has made it plain that we cannot depend upon it; because it is utterly uncertain, and liable to great corruptions. CHA P. III. That we have no remedy against the Uncertainty and Corruptions of Tradition. UT then, to carry this matter a little higher, II. That we have no remedy against the Uncertainty and Corruptions of Tradition. 'Tis pretended by our Adverfaries, that tho' Tradition is utterly uncertain, and liable to great Corruptions, yet we cannot be deceiv'd by Tradition, if we admit none but what the Church has pronounc'd authentic. But I anfwer, that the Church is not able to affure us, that fome Traditions are genuine genuine and pure; fo that we must for ever remain liable to deceits and impoftures. Because if the Church be able to affure us, that fome Traditions are genuine and pure; fhe must be able to do it, either by ordinary Means, or by an extraordinary affiftance from Almighty God. Now I prefume our Adverfaries will not venture to fay, that the Church can affure us, that fome Traditions are genuine and pure, by the ufe of ordinary means; because ordinary means have ever been granted to all Mankind, and yet I have made it plainly appear from the experience of all Mankind, that Tradition is utterly uncertain, and liable to great Corruptions. If therefore on the other hand, the Church pretend to affure us, that fome Traditions are genuine and pure, by an extraordinary affiftance from Almighty God; fhe wou'd do well to prove, that fhe has fuch an affiftance. Now this must be prov'd, either by the Teftimony of Miracles, or by a Promise granted to the Church in the holy Scriptures. If it be prov'd by Miracles; those Miracles ought to be true, and well attefted and publickly known: but I am perfuaded, our Adverfaries will not infift upon that fort of arguments; and therefore it must be prov'd from fome Promife of Scripture. Now 'tis not pretended by our Adverfaries, that God has made any particular Promise to affift the Church in the distinction of Traditions: but they fay, that God has promis'd in general that his Church fhall be infallible in her determinations ; and from thence they conclude, that the can infallibly determin what Traditions are genuine and pure. I fhall therefore examin thofe places upon which the Doctrin of Infallibility is groun B 3 ded, ded, and fhew that there is no promise of the Churches Infallibility contain'd in the Scriptures, This I fhall do in the following Chapter. No CHA P. IV. That the Church is not Infallible. TOW our Adverfaries endeavor to prove the Infallibility of the Church from diverse Texts; and 1. They produce Deut. 17. 8, &c. If there arife a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between bloud and bloud, between plea and plea, and between ftroak and ftroak, being matters of controverfy within thy gates; then thou shalt arife, and get thee up into the place which the Lord thy God fhall chufe and thou shalt come unto the Priests the Levites, and unto the Fudge that shall be in those days, and inquire, and they shall shew thee the fentence of judgment. And thou shalt do according to the Sentence, which they of that place (which the Lord shall chuse) Shall shew thee and thou shalt obferve to do according to all that they inform thee. According to the fentence of the Law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do; thou shalt not decline from the fentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand or to the left. And the Man that will do prefumptuously, and will not hearken unto the Priest, that Standeth to minister there before the Lord, or unto the Judge, even that Man fhall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Ifrael. Con Concerning this Paffage I fhall obferve Four things. 1. That the matters to be determin'd are matters of justice and right between Man and Man; fo that Religious matters are not mention'd. And for the farther confirmation of this, it is to be noted, that the Ifraelites were perpetually obliged by this Precept, to abide by the determination of the Perfons here mention'd; fo that our Savior Chrift was obliged, (as a Man) to do the fame: and yet I believe our Adverfaries will not fay, that our Savior, who was without doubt ready to fubmit to their Authority in matters of right, did ever think them infallible in Religious matters; especially when they condemn'd him as an Impoftor. 2. I obferve that the People are commanded to abide by the Sentence of the Judge, as well as of the Priest; fo that the one has as much infallibility as the other. 3. That the Ifraelites are not commanded to believe the Sentence infallible, but only to fubmit to it, as the proper way to decide Controverfies. 4. That the Sentence was to be given according to the prefcription of the Law; fo that the Perfon who gives Sentence, is not for that reason to be thought infallible, any more than one of our Judges in an ordinary Court of Juftice. These things therefore being premis'd, I answer, 1. That this paffage do's not prove that the Jewish Church was infallible in matters of Faith. 2. That if it do's fuppofe the Jewish Church to have been infallible in matters of Faith, it must fuppofe the Jewish Civil Magiftrates to have been infallible alfo; which our Adversaries will not grant. 3. If it be good arguing from this cafe of the Jews to that of the Chriftians, then, upon fuppofition that the Jewish Church and Civil Magiftrates were in B 4 fallible, |