SECT. 1. Infallibility promised by Christ to his Church, .. 2. The first Part of the Distinction renders the first INTRODUCTION. \ THE shortest way to end disputes about religion is, to reduce them all to this one question, viz., Whether the Church which Christ has established on earth be infallible in deciding matters of faith; for, if it be once fully and clearly proved that Christ has established. such a Church, then all are bound to submit to her; and the decision of this one general point cuts off all particular disputes, which, like skirmishes between small parties, serve only to prolong a war, when it may be ended by one decisive battle. The reason hereof is clear; because, in disputes about particular points, the arguments pro and con are either drawn from principles of natural reason, or from Scripture, or Church authority. If from principles of natural reason, the dispute is wholly philosophical, and will never be brought to any positive determination, because each party will always think his own reasons to be the best; if from Scripture, interpreted by private judgment, the disputants (both being parties) will never come to an agreement about the true sense of it. Lastly, if the arguments are grounded upon authority, that also will not be fully convincing, unless it be proved that it |
