The BIBLE, I say, the BIBLE only, is the Religion of Protestants!
William Chillingworth, M.A.[1838]
"56. It remains now, that I should shew that many Reasons of moment may be alleged for the Justification of Protestants, which are dissembled by you [Roman Catholics], and not put into the balance. Know then, Sir, that when I say the Religion of Protestants is in Prudence to be preferr'd before yours; as, on the one Side, I do not understand by your Religion, the Doctrine of Bellarmin, or Baronius, or any other private Man amongst you; nor the Doctrine of the Sorbon, or of the Jesuits, or of the Dominicans, or of any other particular Company among you, but that wherein you all agree, or profess to agree, the Doctrine of the Council of Trent; so accordingly on the other Side, by the Religion of Protestants, I do not understand the Doctrine of Luther, or Calvin, or Melancthon; nor the Confession of Augusta, or Geneva, nor the Catechism of Heidelberg, nor the Articles of the Church of England, no nor the Harmony of Protestant Confessions; but that wherein they all agree, and which they all subscribe with greater Harmony, as a perfect Rule of their Faith and Actions, that is, the BIBLE. The BIBLE, I say, the BIBLE only, is the Religion of Protestants! Whatsoever else they believe besides it, and the plain, irrefragable, indubitable Consequences of it, well may they hold it as a Matter of Opinion: But as matter of Faith and Religion, neither can they with coherence to their own Grounds believe it themselves, nor require the Belief of it of others, without most high and most schismatical presumption. I for my Part, after a long and (as I verily believe and hope) impartial search of the true way to Eternal happiness, do profess plainly that I cannot find any Rest for the sole of my Foot, but upon this Rock only. I see plainly and with mine own Eyes, that there are Popes against Popes, Councils against Councils, some Fathers against others, the same Fathers against themselves, a Consent of Fathers of one Age against a Consent of Fathers of another Age, the Church of one Age against the Church of another Age. Traditive Interpretations of Scripture are pretended, but there are few or none to be found: No Tradition but only of Scripture, can derive itself from the Fountain, but may be plainly prov'd, either [271/2] to have been brought in, in such an Age after Christ, or that in such an Age it was not in. In a word there is no sufficient certainty but of Scripture only, for any considering Man to build upon. This therefore, and this only I have Reason to believe: This I will profess, according to this I will live, and for this, if there be Occasion, I will, not only willingly, but even gladly lose my Life, though I should be sorry that Christians should take it from me. Propose me any Thing out of this Book, and require whether I believe it or no, and seem it never so incomprehensible to human Reason, I will subscribe it with Hand and Heart, as knowing no Demonstration can be stronger than this, God hath said so, therefore it is true. In other Things I will take no Man's Liberty of Judgement from him; neither shall any Man take mine from me. I will think no Man the worse Man, nor the worse Christian; I will love no Man the less for differing in Opinion from me. And what Measure I mete to others, I expect from them again. I am fully assured that God does not, and therefore that Men ought not to require any more of any Man than this, to believe the Scripture to be God's Word, to endeavour to find the true Sense of it, and to live according to it."
The Religion of Protestants A Safe Way to Salvation [1638]
William Chillingworth, M.A.
Works, (9th Edition, 1727), p271,272.
[1602-1644] A Convert to Rome who studied at Douai in 1630, returning to Oxford in 1631 and whose studies caused him to abjure Romanism in 1634 publishing his The Religion of Protestants A Safe Way to Salvation in 1638.