[23]Chillingw. p. 307.

[24]2 Pet. 3. 16.

CONFERENCE II.

The Socinians Protestant-Plea, For his not holding any thing contrary to the unanimous sense of the Catholick Church, so far as this can justly oblige.

  1. That an unanimous Consent of the whole Catholick Church in all ages, such as the Protestants require for the proving of a point of faith to be necessary, can never be shewed, concerning this point of Consubstantiality. §. [14].
    And that the consent, to such a doctrine of the major part is no argument sufficient, since the Protestants deny the like consent valid for several other points. §. [14].
  2. That supposing an unanimous consent of the Church Catholick of all ages in this point, yet from hence a Christian hath no security of the truth thereof according to Protestant Principles, if this point, (whether way soever held) be a non-necessary; for that in such, it is said the whole Church may err. §. [15].
  3. That this Article's being in the affirmative, put in the Creed proves it not (as to the affirmative) a Necessary. §. [16].
    1. Because not originally in the Creed, but added by a Council; to which Creed if one Council may add, so may another of equal authority in any age, whatever restraint be made by a former Council.
    2. Because several Articles of the latter Creeds are affirmed by Protestants not necessary to be believed, but upon a previous conviction, that they are divine revelation. §. [16].
  4. Lastly. That though the whole Church delivers for truth in any point, the contrary to that he holds, he is not obliged to resign his judgment to her's, except conditionally, and with this reservation, unless on the other side, there appear evidence to him in God's Word. Now, of the evidence of Scripture in this point on his side, that he hath no doubt. §. [17].

[§. 13.]

NOw to resume the Conference. The Protestant, better thinking on it, will not leave the Socinian thus at rest in this plerophory of his own sense of Scripture, but thus proceeds.

Prot. Scriptures indeed are not so clear and perspicuous to every one[25] as that Art and subtilty may not be used to pervert the Catholick doctrine, and to wrest the plain places of Scripture which deliver it, so far from their proper meaning, that very few ordinary capacities may be able to clear themselves of such mists as are cast before their eyes, even in the great Articles of the Christian faith. Therefore why do not you submit your judgment, and assent to the sense of Scripture, in this point unanimously delivered by the consent of the Catholick Church; which also is believed always unerrable in any necessary point of faith, as this is?

Soc. First, If you can shew me an unanimous consent of the Church Catholick of all ages in this point, and that as held necessary, I will willingly submit to it. But this you can never do according to such a proof thereof, as is required, viz. [26]That all Catholick Writers agree in the belief of it; and none of them oppose it: and agree also in the belief of the necessity of it to all Christians. * That no later Writers and Fathers, in opposition of Hereticks, or heats of contention, judged then the Article so opposed to be more necessary than it was judged before the contention. * That all Writers, that give an account of the faith of Christians, deliver it; And deliver it not as necessary to be believed by such as might be convinced that it is of divine Revelation, but with a necessity of its being explicitely believed by all[27]. Now, no such unanimous consent can be pretended for the forementioned Consubstantiality. For, not to speak of the times next following the Council of Nice, nor yet of several expressions in the Ancients, Justin Martyr, Irenæus, Tertullian, Clemens Alexandrinus, Origen, that seem to favour our opinion[28]: Nor, of those Eastern Bishops, which Arrius, in his Letter to Eusebius Nicomed.[29] (numbers on his side,) Hilarius[30] relates no less than Eighty Bishops before that Council, to have disallowed the reception of the word ὁμούσιος; and in the Council also Seventeen, (some of note) at first to have dissented from the rest.