Therefore she ought not to have trusted to the Promise of God.
Because the old World was deluded by Evil Spirits:
Therefore ought neither Noah, nor Abraham, nor Moses, to have trusted the Spirit of the Lord.
Because a lying Spirit spake through the Four Hundred Prophets, that persuaded Ahab to go up and fight at Ramoth Gilead:
Therefore the Testimony of the true Spirit in Micaiah was uncertain, and dangerous to be followed.
Because there were seducing Spirits crept into the Church of old:
Therefore it was not good, or it is uncertain, to follow the Anointing, which taught all Things, and is Truth, and is no Lie.
Who dare say, that this is a necessary Consequence? Moreover, not only the Faith of the Saints, and Church of God of old, is hereby rendered uncertain, but also the Faith of all Sorts of Christians now is liable to the like Hazard, even of those who seek a Foundation for their Faith elsewhere than from the Spirit. For I shall prove by an inevitable Argument, ab Incommodo, i. e. from the Inconveniency of it, that if the Spirit be not to be followed upon that Account, and that Men may not depend upon it, as their Guide, because some, while pretending thereunto, commit great Evils; that then, neither Tradition, nor the Scriptures, nor Reason, which the Papists, Protestants and Socinians, do respectively make the Rule of their Faith, are any Whit more certain. 1. Instances of Tradition.The Romanists reckon it an Error to celebrate Easter any other Ways than that Church doth. This can only be decided by Tradition. And yet the Greek Church, which equally layeth Claim to Tradition with herself, doth it otherwise. [43]Yea, so little effectual is Tradition to decide the Case, that Polycarpus, the Disciple of John, and Anicetus, the Bishop of Rome, who immediately succeeded them, according to whole Example both Sides concluded the Question ought to be decided, could not agree. Here of Necessity one of them must Err, and that following Tradition. Would the Papists now judge we dealt fairly by them, if we should thence aver, that Tradition is not to be regarded? Besides, in a Matter of far greater Importance, the same Difficulty will occur, to wit, in the Primacy of the Bishop of Rome; for many do affirm, and that by Tradition, That in the first Six Hundred Years the Roman Prelates never assumed the Title of Universal Shepherd, nor were acknowledged as such. And as that which altogether overturneth this Presidency, there are that alledge, and that from Tradition also, That Peter never saw Rome; and that therefore the Bishop of Rome cannot be his Successor. Would ye Romanists think this sound Reasoning, to say as you do?
[43] Euseb. Hist. Eccles. Lib. 5. c. 26.
Many have been deceived, and erred grievously, in trusting to Tradition: