The safe religion, or, Three disputations for the reformed catholic religion against popery proving…The safe religion, or, Three disputations for the reformed catholike religion against popery proving…

Though they are thus all in pieces among themselves even about these their fundamentals, yet is it the custom of their deceitful Writers, to make the simple people believe that they are all agreed, and to tell them that they have the [Consent of the Universal Church, and of all the Christian world, and they have Universal Tradition] &c. that by the noise of these big words, they may do that which they cannot do by argument. Thus Doctor Vane their late proselyte, and divers others do in their writings overlooking all their own disagreements, and passing on as confidently in their boasts of the [Universal Consent] as if they were either such Novices as understand not their own Religion, or such hardened seducers, as are not willing that others should understand it.

Though they are thus all in pieces among themselves even about these their fundamentals, yet is it the custome of their deceitful Writers, to make the simple people believe that they are all agreed, and to tell them that they have the [Consent of the Universal Church, and of all the Christian world, and they have Universal Tradition] &c. that by the noise of these big words, they may do that which they cannot do by argument. Thus Doctor Vane their late proselite, and divers others do in their writings overlooking all their own disagreements, and passing on as confidently in their boasts of the [Universal Consent] as if they were either such Novices as understand not their own Religion, or such hardened seducers, as are not willing that others should understand it.

Here are in this our Question contained three of the greatest controversies between us and the Papists. 1. Whether it belong to the Pope or Roman Church, ⟨p. 195⟩to be the Judge of Faith and Scriptures to all the world? 2. Whether the Pope or his Clergy be in•llible in judging of matters of Faith? 3. Whether our Faith must be resolved into this infallible judgement of theirs? Our intent in this present Dispute is to deal most with the second, yet so as it is connected with the other two; and therefore shall take them in on the by, but say less to them distinctly; and the rather because there is so much said already by our Divines, as all the Papists on earth will never be able solidly to answer: To let pass all those beyond Sea that have effectually confounded them, we have Britons enough to hold them perpetual work: as Jewell, Reignolds, Whitaker, White, Field, Usher, Camero, Baronius, Davenant, Chillingworth (to whom they have lately lost their cause, by showing in a vain and frivolous Reply, how little they have to say against him) with many more, who will either remain unanswered, or the answers will be worse to the adversaries cause, then silence it self; which we have sufficient ground already to foretell.