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A01010
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A secure and prudent choice of beliefe. Written by a student in diuinity
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Floyd, John, 1572-1649.
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1639
(1639)
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STC 11115; ESTC S114863
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16,290
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54
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which we â—â—ceiue not perfectly from the bare letteâ— but by the helpe of prudent rule which to reiect is dangerous especialâ— on their part that deny Articles probâ—â—bly deliuered 54. In Conclusion of this Chapter will answere one obiection by man esteemed a secure Quietus est They say God obligeth not men to impossiblâ— ties since then at least the vulgar sort oâ— people cannot discerne those differeâ—ces wherein learned men do disagreeâ—ech one may securely rest in that religion he is taught belieuing the Creeâ— c. This Discourse supposeth holy Scripture the only rule of beliefe about thâ— true sense whereof since it is euidenâ— learned men do not agree and no priuate man can be Iudge betweene thesâ— differences it is manifest that who relyeth only vpon Scripture cannot be secure that his disbeliefe is true or that he refuse not to belieue what he is commanded to belieue vnder paine of damnation To say that euery one may securely belieue according as he vnderstands is but a desperate shift and concludeth an impossibility of any heresie The obiection then conuinceth the necessity of a Church as a liuing rule for God obligeth vs not to impossibilities but it is impossible for any to discerne the monstrous differences of priuate mens interpretations of God's word Therefore he obligeth not to the beliefe of his word vpon these priuate interpretations But he obligeth vs to belieue therfore by some other way then by Scripture alone he maketh it possible this can be no other but the Church The Conclusion 55. THus I haue sufficiently shewed the security of belieuers exemplifyed in a few Articles most in question contayning no harme nor opposite to any knowne Law of God as the better part of the Christian world euer hath witnessed but at least most probably conformable to Christs expresse word I see not what part of this can be doubted Consequently to this I haue also shewed in what manifest danger Disbelieuers are first by reiecting and contemning the authority of an ancient Church the only knowne Church when Luther began this denying beliefe confessed to haue been the true Church and as yet not conuicted of corruption in fayth nor as much as charged by any greater authority then it selfe Let them take heed that be not spoken of them He that despiseth you despiseth me Who will not heare the Church let him be reputed as a Heathen and Publican Secondly by choosing the disbelieuing part out of seeming reasons exposing themselues to needles dangers of that sentence Who will not belieue c. For if the contrary beliefe must be supposed probable as vndoubtedly it must then the disbeliefe may with probability be a deniall of Christ's word consequently may be it deserueth damnation this is euident to reason and no iudicious man can deny it If any feare that as disbeliefe of what Christ deliuered maketh him a lyer so also beliefe of what he deliuered not let them but obserue the disparity betweene Belieuers Disbelieuers those deny what Christ deliuered as manifestly as he deliuered other truths But Belieuers vpon the same grounds that moue them to beliefe of other articles suppose the points controuerted deliuered by Christ which if they were not deliuered they are only guilty of mistake not of making Christ a lyer Who then seeth not how much it concerneth a Christian not rashly to deny what anciently is deliuered by the Church On true beliefe God's fauour dependeth on this our eternall welfare We expect but one death one irreuocable iudgment one Eternity of happynes or misery This is promised to Disbeliefe that to true Belieuers Shall a Christian aduenture vpon seeming probabilities and leaue security Beliefe is secure voyd of harme to Disbelieuers it is said Who will not belieue shall be damned Let then all Disbelieuers examine their Disbeliefe and harken to the admonition of S. Augustin cap. 1. de Baptis Grauiter peccat qui in rebus ad salutem animae pertinentibus certis incerta praeponit Heauy is his sinne who in matters concerning the safety of his soule preferreth vncertaine meanes before certaine THE CONTENTS of this Discourse THe Preface pag. 3. What choice ought a man to make concerning the Reall Presence of Christs body and bloud in the Sacrament of the last Supper pag. 11. What of the Masse pag. 15. What of Confession and Absolution commonly called the Sacrament of Pennance pag. 16. What of the Church and one Head therof pag. 18. What concerning the recommending our selues to the intercession of Saintes pag. 22 What choice may be securely made concerning the making and worshipping the Image of Christ his Saintes pag. 25. Whether is Holy Scripture the only Rule of our fayth pag. 35. Grant to Disbelieuers probability of Reason yet their danger is certaine pag. 40. The Conclusion pag. 48. FINIS THE CONVICTION OF NOVELTIE AND DEfense of antiquitie OR DEMONSTRATIVE ARGVMENTS of the falsitie of the newe Religion of England And trueth of the Catholike Roman faith DELIVERED IN TWELVE PRINCIPAL Sylogismes and directed to the more scholasticall wits of the Realme of great Britanie especially to the ingenious students of the two most renowned vniuersities of Oxford Cambrige AVTHOR R. B. Roman Catholike and one of the English Clergie and Mission GRATIAS AGO DEO MEO PER IESVM CHRIstum pro omnibus vobis quia fides vestra annuntiatur in vniuerso mundo Rom. 1.6 QVISQVIS ES ASSERTOR NOVORVM Dogmatum queso te vt parcas Romanis auribus parcas fidei quae ab Apostolico ore laudata est S. Hier. ep ad Pamachium Oceanum CATVAPOLI Apud viduam MARCI WYONIS Anno M.DC.XXXII
state of his saluation 7. By these grounds cleere inough in themselues euery Christian may easily discerne what Religion is secure in practise to wit that which remoueth him furthest from danger of that sentence Who will not belieue shal be damned According to this Touchstone for the better instruction of the common sort I will examin the chiefe points now in question that by these examples the rest may be easily examined What Choice ought a man to make concerning the Real Presence of Christs body and bloud in the Sacrament of the last Supper 8. TO iustify the beliefe thereof we haue first the words of Christ Ioan. 6. where he amply promiseth his body and bloud My flesh is truly meate and my blood c. he that eateth my flesh c. he that will not belieue this but vnderstand it in a different sense from his predecessors persuaded by those obscure words the spirit giueth life the flesh profiteth nothing exposeth him to danger of disbeliefe with the Iewes and blasphemy since Vers 56. it is said he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him And S Paul to the Col. c. 1. You which were in times past strangers and enemies c. hath he now reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to make you holy how then can those words the flesh profiteth nothing without danger be vnderstood of the flesh of Christ as profiting nothing is it not profit to vs that Christ should dwell in vs and we in him that we are reconciled in the body of his flesh 9. Secondly the words of Christ performing This is my body take and eate do this c. which words if we wrest to a figuratiue sense we must bring cleere Scripture for it else our interpretation is dangerous denying such a cleere mystery vpon human motiues Thirdly we haue the testimony of S. Paul 1. Cor. 11. If these places be obscure we haue besides the Consent of Nations the common voyce of the whole Christian world for a thousand fiue hundred yeares without Contradiction Finally in the beliefe and practise thereof there is no impiety but prayse and honour of Christ who vpon sufficient grounds is supposed present vnder the formes of bread and wine he is receiued with reuerence the soule being first prepared with harty sorrow for sinnes past accompanied with loue thankfulnes and liuely remembrance of his sacred Passion c. For deniall of this beliefe we haue but small authority not one cleere testimony of Scripture that interpreteth those words of Christ as figuratiuely spoken all other arguments can be but probable 10. Now I aske any indifferent mans iudgment what he would do in case a perfect figure of Christ should visibly appeare commonly acknowledged and worshipped by all with sincere intention If furthermore it were deliuered commonly that to suspect the apparition as an illusion of Sathan were a wrong to Christ will he aduenture to spit at it will he not rather forbeare that and iudge it secure to belieue and worship with others since therein he findeth no hurt but inuincible motiues to do so Cleere then it is what we ought to resolue in this point since for the beliefe we haue inuincible motiues in the practise there is no danger of any impiety as certainly there is in the denial if we grant but probability in the beliefe 11. Only it may be obiected that if Christ be not vnder those formes of bread and wine there is danger of Idolatry But this is a manifest mistake for Belieuers adore not bread nor wine nor any Creature but Christ whom vpon good grounds they suppose present sacramentally Know therefore that Adoration consisteth of outward reuerence ioyned with interiour as of body and soule the outward is indifferent to God and Creatures the interiour ioyned with it makes the difference Exteriour reuerence applied by our intention to a temporall Lord is but a Ciuil worship the same applied by our intention to a Saint as a Creature of God highly in his fauour is a higher degree of honour yet within the limits of inferiour worship It is likewise applied by our intention to God our Creatour and Sauiour thus it is perfect adoration and due only to God He then that belieueth Christ is conteyned sacramentally vnder the formes of bread and wine may securely adore since his adoration proceeding from his beliefe transferreth the outward act from all Creatures directeth it to God himselfe euen in case in his immediate beliefe he should be mistaken there remayneth then no dāger in the beliefe but great danger in the deniall He that will not belieue c. What of the Masse 12. MAsse is a compleate performance of that commaund Do this in remembrance of me Luc. 22. Wherin by the Priest prayers are said for the whole Church the holy Scripture is read all the parts and ceremonies therof represent the life passion of Christ who by meanes of those words pronounced in his name Hoc est Corpus meum is dayly offered in sacrifice to the honour of God profit of his Church Whence it cometh to passe that fayth gratitude and loue towards our Redeemer is daily renewed and the knowne prophecy of Malach. c. 1. fulfilled From the rising of the Sun vnto the going downe of the same my Name is great among the Gentiles and in euery place a pure oblation is sacrificed and offered to my name according to the most ancient and common Translation Thus innumerable Belieuers constantly hold and practise vpon sufficient grounds without the least shew of impiety why then may I not securely belieue I see not nor how the denial can be free from danger since vpon Disbelieuers only Damnation is denounced What of Confession Absolution commonly called the Sacrament of Pennance 13. HEre a Christian after due examination of his Conscience with harty sorrow and purpose of amendment which acts are necessarily required confesseth his sinnes expecteth absolution by the ministery of the Priest What danger can there be in this beliefe and practise The Iewes charged Christ of blasphemy saying Who can forgiue sinnes but God Against Christ they sinned because they belieued him to be man only which errour he chastised by miracle Matth. 9. giuing them withall to vnderstand that men also by power receiued from him should forgiue sinnes for in that they conceiued he taught that man had power to forgiue sinnes he checked them not but rather confirmed it And that you may know sayth Christ that the Sonne of Man hath authority in earth to forgiue sinnes c. And the multitude glorifyed God who had giuen such authority to men Moreouer Christ to his Apostles Io. c. 22. sayth Receiue yee the holy Ghost whose sinns yee remit they are remitted vnto them and whose sinnes yee retaine they are retayned Likewise Matth. 18. Whatsoeuer yee shall bind on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer yee shall loose on earth shall be loosed