350 Years fince, there were an Hundred that Could not even read or write, for one that could? How is it poffible then for those ignorant People, many whereof can neither read nor write, and others who can, have neither Leafure nor Time, from the daily Occupations by which they get their Bread, to try, examin, and search into their Doctrine, that they may thereby find, whether they are guided by the Spirit of God, or whether they are under a Spirit of Delufion? The ignorant R. Catholick People are, indeed, capable of giving this Reason of the Hope that is in them, viz. That their Paftors and Forefathers, from Father to Son, from the Time that Christianity was planted amongst them, by the Preaching and Miracles of the firft Miffioners that were fent from Rome hither, taught them the fame Faith, which they now profefs, that the new Religions fet up in Oppofition to it, are not of much more than 200 Years ftanding; that these fame Religions were introduced not by ignorant, but by Men of Learning, Craft, and immoral Lives, who made a Rupture and Schifm from the Religion which they (the Catholicks) now profefs; That they are taught to believe in God, to believe in Jefus Chrift, his Nativity, his Death, Paffion, Refurrection and Afcenfion; to believe in the Holy Ghoft, to believe the Catholick Church, and in Confequence of believing this Catholick Church, to hold and practice the Faith and Morals, which the fame Church doth teach them: But if this be not fufficient for their Salvation, what will become of the Generality of Chriftians? Did Chrift Jefus fhed his precious Blood only for a

few

few learned Men, and abandon the reft of Man kind, who are not capable of trying, examining, and searching into Texts of Scripture, and comparing them one with another, or diving into profound Myfteries of Faith? God forbid! His infinite Goodness has as much Regard for the Soul of the meaneft Clown, as for that of the fubtileft Philofopher. He provided for their Salvation after the Manner the moft fimple, the most natural, and the most adapted to the weaknefs of their Capacities. He commanded his Apoftles to go and teach all Nations, to baptize them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft, and to teach them to obferve all things whatsoever he had told unto them, on Pain of Damnation: He that believeth and is baptized fhall be faved, but he that believeth not ball be damned. Mat. Ult. Mar. Ult. Now, for as much as there are many profound Myfteries among all thofe Things whatJoever, which even the Learned (much less the ignorant) are not capable to penetrate, the Apofles guided by the Holy Ghoft, deliver'd them a Symbol of Faith-or Creed, which every Man, even of the meaneft Capacity that has common Senfe, is capable of getting by Heart and retaining; and which among other Articles, has: this: I believe the holy Catholick Church. By the Belief of which, he is fecure from any Error in Faith, having the Warrant of the Apofiles of Jefus Chrift, for believing whatsoever the Catholick Church fhall teach him, even the moft fublime Mysteries of Faith: So that he may filence the moft fubtle Philofopher, who fhou'd attempt to fhake him in bis Faith, or fhould tell him, he ought not to believe the Mystery

of

of the Trinity, nor Tranfubftantiation, nor the Mafs, nor Purgatory: For the ignorant Man may tell him, that the Catholick Church bids him believe these things; that the Creed of the Apoftles, which he has got by heart and retains, bids him believe the Catholick Church but does not bid him believe the Philofopher.

Thus, I humbly conceive, My Lord, the ignorant People, are exempted from any further Tryal, Examination, or fearch, than what is confiftent with the common Senfe and Reason of Mankind; and may reft fecure of their Salvati. on, provided that after Baptifm they hold and. practice the Articles of the Creed, and believe all: other things whatfoever which thall be legally. propos'd unto them by the Catholick Church, to be held as of Faith.

As to what your Grace adds in the fame. Paragraph: "It is not enough for a Man to fay (as I have heard fome of you): Ian "guided by my fpiritual Paftor; I believe as the " Church believes, and if I am in Error the "Church muft anfwer for it; The Church is: “ my Hoftage, and fecurity with God." &c. I muft beg leave to differ in Opinion with your Grace For I humbly conceive, that bating the Rudeness of the Expreffion (the Church muft anfwer for it) not only an ignorant Man, but even the wifeft, and the most learned, could not give a better Anfwer, or fpeak more to the Purpose, than by faying, he believes as the Church believes, meaning ftill the true Church which is but one: For if Arius, Macedonius, Neftorius, Eutyches, and other learned Men had believ'd what the Church believes and profeffes, and had acquiefced in her Determinations, we

fhould

fhould not have heard of the many Devaftations and Bloodfhed Hiftory informs us, nor of the lofs of fo many Millions of Souls which their Herefy and Errors have deftroy'd. If they had had the Humility to fubmit their private Judgment to the Authority of the Church, which is guided by the Holy Ghost, and with whom Chrift promifs'd to continue to the End of the World; and if others, who in all fucceeding Ages to this Time, have left the Church, had done the fame; we fhould have all liv'd in the Unity of Faith, believing and practicing all the fame Things without Hatred, Schifm or Divifion. Nor is this humble Deference to Authority against Reafon, but, on the contrary, moft rational, fince it is most agreeable to Reafon to believe, that what the Church, who has the divine Affiftance, defines and determins to be the true Senfe of the Word of God, muft rather be fo, than what any private Man tho' never fo learned fhould Judge and determin to the contrary. And that this was the Judgment of all the wife, and holy Doctors of the Church from the beginning, we may learn from that Golden Rule of St. Auftin: Non Scientia Subtilitas, fed Fidei Simplicitas facit Chriftianum. And this other Maxim of the fame Father, which he fo often inculcated against the Manichees: Non crederem Evangelio, nifi me commoveret Ecclefia Authoritas. "I would not believe the Gof "pel, if the Authority of the Church had not "moved me to it.

CHAP

СНАР. 1.

Of the Baptifm of Infants and Perfons of Age,

&c.

You

Our Grace's third and fourth Paragraphs, being only a Recital of the proper Queftions put to the Sureties or God-fathers and Godmothers of Infants, or to Perfons who are of Age when they are Baptized; as namely, whether they believe in God the Father Almighty, and the rest of the Articles of the Creed of the Apoftles; as alfo whether they renounce Satan, all his Works, and all his Pomps; with fome fhort Exhortations to a holy and virtuous Life: To all which Queftions the Infants by their Sureties, and the Perfons of Age by themselves anfwer in the Affirmative; I fhall proceed to the fifth Paragraph where your Grace is pleas'd to fay: "In the Order for adminiftring Bap"tifm as well to Infants, as to Perfons who are "of Age, as it is fet down in the Roman Ritu"al, there are divers things which are liable "to very juft Exception; of which I here take "no Notice: My only Defign at present being "(as I have faid) to fhew what that Faith and "Religion is, into which all Members of the "Roman Communion are baptized. But as I

pass along, I cannot but obferve, that when "the Prieft makes the Sign of the Crofs upon "the Forehead and Breaft of fuch a Convert "as I am now fpeaking of; amongst other

Things which he fays to him, to exhort him to a holy Life, he bids him abhor Idols, and

" reject