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…

Arg. 4. If the Pope be made the Deciding Judge of Faith and Scripture, then either of the plain points, or only of the controverted difficulties, or of both: But not of the plain points: For 1. That which is evident and not under controversy, needs no Judge: To the ignorant there may be need of an interpreter and teacher, but not of a Judge: 2. Such texts of Scripture do oblige us whether the Pope Judge of them or not: Therefore there is no need of his judgement that they may oblige us. Who dare think that a man is not bound by the word of God, ⟨p. 204⟩to love God above all, to believe the Resurrection of Christ, and of us, to love Christs disciples, &c. unless he know the judgement of the Pope. Do not all Laws of the Land oblige the subject upon the bare legislation and promulgation, before the Judge meddle with them? If they did not first oblige us to duty, there were no place for the Judge to sentence us to punishment for disobedience. It is the Legislator that obligeth to duty by his Law, proclaimed or any way published in his name▪ But judgement interveneth to oblige men to punishment, and bring it to execution, and to help them to that which by the Law is their right. If therefore it be evident in the very nature of Laws and judgement, that we are obliged by Gods Laws to Believe and obey them in the several particulars before any judgement of the Popes; it is then but dotage to talk of a Judicial Decisive power in the Pope to oblige men to Believe those same doctrines, and obey those same precepts of the word. And for the dark and controverted texts. 1. Those are not of that moment, as that mens salvation must lye upon the exposition of them. The points absolutely necessary to salvation are plainly delivered. 2. Obscurity shows the need of a Teacher, but not of a Judge. At least its plain, that when any Teacher shall remove the obscurity, those texts oblige us as well as the plainest. 3. As I said, If the Pope be Judge of all difficult controverted texts, he is an unfaithful Judge that will not expound them to us, and decide so many controversies as yet depend. What good will it be to the Church to have such a Judge of difficult controverted texts of Scripture, as in the consciousness of his ignorance dare not give us his judgement? but hath left them ⟨p. 205⟩undecided these fifteen hundred years?