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…

If you could accuse us of negligence, as if we might see your Miracles if we would but travail for it, or of unbelief, as if we denied that which we have evidence of, we might bear the blame: but there's no such thing. I profess as weak as I am, I would go many a hundred miles to see such Miracles as you boast of, if I had sufficient ground of expectation that I might not lose my labour. And I would read over any Volumes that I were able to find sufficient Testimony of them. But where is this testimony? Knot refers us to Brierly, and others to such like reciters of their Fables. And when all is done, there are three sorts of Miracles that they ⟨p. 226⟩speak of. 1. The Miracles of the Apostles and first Churches mention in Scripture, and these are against Popery; so that we may well say that the doctrine which contradicteth Popery is confirmed by Miracles in that the Scripture is so confirmed. 2. The Miracles of the following Churches till six hundred. These were comparatively few, and less certain, and fabulous mixtures in many of the reports of them. But whatever they were, they were no confirmation of the Popes Infallibility, or universal Episcopacy or Jurisdiction, which neither the Instruments of those Miracles, nor any man else on earth, as far as can be proved did then believe. And whereas there were some Ceremonious fopperies that were then used, which the Papists do yet use, and would persuade us that these Miracles were confirmations of them, we deny it, and profess the nullity of their pretended proofs. They say, [If they be not infallible in all things, how can we believe them in any thing?] I answ. Because that 1. Their Miracles are expressed Attestations to some thing, that is, to Christianity, but not to all things that they may think! Nor could they ever work a Miracle to confirm such private opinions. 2. And the substance of Christianity which their Miracles do attest, were more unquestionable before attested by Scripture and former Miracles; whereas the errors which they introduced are contradicted by Scripture and the Miracles that attested it.

If you could accuse us of negligence, as if we might see your Miracles if we would but travail for it, or of unbelief, as if we denyed that which we have evidence of, we might bear the blame: but there's no such thing. I profess as weak as I am, I would go many a hundred miles to see such Miracles as you boast of, if I had sufficient ground of expectation that I might not lose my labor. And I would read over any Volumes that I were able to find suciffient Testimony of them. But where is this testimony? Knot refers us to Brierly, and others to such like reciters of their Fables. And when all is done, there are three sorts of Miracles that they