as it hath been said many times heretofore Which we may illustrate with one or two Examples As the first Chapter of John which the Primitive Church whose Writings and Doctrines are descended and conveyed to us whereof no doubt but it hath together with the Books of the Scripture received also from the Apostles themselves the true meaning thereof at least in the principal necessary points of which this si one hath Unanimously and Undoubtedly interpreted of the Son of God who was in the beginning of all things as the Substantial Word with the Father If the Modern Socinians interpret it of the beginning of the Gospel and the humane nature of Christ to the end that they may deny the Article of Christs Godhead we rightly reject such Interpretation not onely as not necessary but as false and heretical not that it is onely contrary to our Interpretation but that it is so manifestly repugnant to the words of Saint John that the Primitive Church hath with one consent taught the contrary Insomuch also that none of the Ancient Arrians or Photinians to our and all Modern Socinians knowledge ever thus understood or expounded it But Socinus was the first man as he himself must confesse that spun this Interpretation out of his own head wherein at first his own brethren have partly contradicted him Yet since that time hath he together with his followers preferred it as if it were the undeniable Word of God it self and a most necessary Interpretation before the words of Saint John and the Uniform meaning of the Primitive Church Which may not be done without great presumption nor if it be obstinately urged without damnable Heresie principally in such a deep important and necessary Article of Faith as it is accounted not onely by us but the true Primitive Church and the word of God it self On the other side if they in such profound and incomprehensible Mysterie did adhere positively and closely without mutilation and contention to the words of the Scripture nor added thereunto their own Interpretations and Inferences of their reasoning beyond and against the Articles of Faith we should then have no cause to judge them so sharply though they would not receive or use all our expositions or humane expressions Likewise when Socinus and his followers do wrest and pervert so many manifest places of the Scripture which speak of Christs death that he died for the propitiation satisfaction and remission of our sins to this sense as if he had not appeased Gods wrath against us or which is as much made satisfaction to appease Gods wrath or purchased propitiation and forgivenesse but that he died meerly to this end that he might by his doctrine and example convert us from our sins to God and to pacifie our hearts towards him And account their own Interpretations as worthy and necessary as Gods Word it self So that they grievously slight and revile the Doctrine concerning the reconcilation of Gods wrath against us and the satisfaction for our sins which neverthelesse is so manifestly and evidently taught by so many testimonies of the Scripture that the Universal Christian Church hath professed it with one accord at all times and ever therefore held Jesus Christ for its onely High-Priest Mediatour and Saviour Insomuch that even the greatest Papists though they supply by way of concomitancy the merits of Christ by the Intercession and merits of other Saints and their own merits and satisfaction the daily Sacrifice of Masse Indulgences Purgatory and such like things yet have not denied the propitiation by Christs merits and satisfaction nor any other Sectary as far as we know nor Pelagius himself hath directly opposed it except onely Socinus and perhaps before him Adailerdus Whereas Socinus himself cannot but acknowledge that the Mediatour of the Old Testament Moses hath in some manner appeased by his intercession as Aaron and some other high-Priests by their Sacrifices Gods wrath against his people of Israel and yet will deny such power and vertue of the propitiation for our sins to the most-perfect Obedience Sacrifice and Intercession of our Mediatour and high-Priest Jesus Christ Who seeth not then that they intend arrogantly to prefer their own singular Interpretations before the manifest Word of God and the unanimous consent of the Universal Christian Church and thereby as much as lies in their power shake and subvert the very foundation of our chief consolation in Jesus Christ The Second Objection against the aforesaid Doctrine In the Second place may be objected against the aforesaid ground of Saving Truth and Unitie that neverthelesse the Primitive Christian Church hath condemned many Sects not onely for not receiving the plain words of the Scripture but also for refusing the Interpretations and words of the Church For example The ancient Arrians in the Councell of Nicen and others Chap. 8. for not receiving the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Consubstantial alledging that such a word was not to be found in the Scripture But we Answer to this That they were not condemned even for this bare word but rather because of their peculiar Arrian phrase and expressions and expositions concerning the created Divinitie of Christ Against whom the Orthodoxall and true-beleeving Church did very earnestly insist upon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which though not in the letter yet it is found in the Scripture more plainly and evidently and more conformably to the unanimous understanding and meaning which the Churches in the first three hundred yeers professed concerning the eternall God-head of Christ not that it was directly necessary unto Salvation but conducible to the confutation of the ambiguous terms and opinions of the Arrians Otherwise there hath been in those times true-beleeving Bishops who though they had rejected the Arrian Heresie concerning the created Divinitie of Christ and yet doubted of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it was not to be found literally in the Scripture were therefore not condemned but tolerated as weak in Faith This very same we may say of all other ancient Sectaries Macedonius Nestorius Eutiches Pelagius which were at all times condemned for their singular new fangled Interpretations out of the word of God according to the unanimous meaning and doctrine of the Churches in the first three or four hundred yeers CHAP. VIII That in the Reformed Churches no new Doctrin as necessary to Salvation is taught IN the third place it will be objected The Third Objection against the aformentioned Doctrine That we our selves defend many doctrines as necessary unto salvation which yet neither in the Scripture were so plainly expressed nor unanimously taught in the Primitive Church I will give but a touch in some few but principall Instances That we deny the free will in man the merits of good works and the Sacrifice of the Masse Which points were with one consent asserted of all ancient Fathers almost That we teach the Justification ex Solâ fide onely by Faith That we hold the
all Christians to know and at all times especially in the Primitive Church of the Apostles have been unanimously received taught and believed by all true Christians as the aforementioned Fundamental doctrine of salvation with all that is evidently and undoubtedly depending from it so that no man can reject it without he rejecteth also the Fundamental doctrine it self But some are but Theological Doctrines which are not necessary for all Christians but onely for some to know to whom God hath imparted before others a fuller measure of knowledge and more excellent gifts and charge from whom also he will require more then of others according to the rule of Christ To whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required Luk. 12.48 So that it is sufficient for one to know and to believe onely implicitely in the principal General Articles that what another doth know and believe explicitely in many Special Points which are comprehended therein For the one that he should believe and do that which in it self and directly is necessary unto salvation for the other that which he knoweth to be consequently necessary or to be inseparably annexed thereunto Yea for one it is necessary to believe many Truths whereof he hath good ground and knowledge out of the Word of God which neverthelesse for another who wanteth such knowledge are either not so necessary or not so profitable to believe without ground yet are necessary not to deny or contradict them obstinately out of carnal affections because he cannot but have lesse ground to deny them and rather ought to search the Truth diligently in the fear and worship of God and to be ready to receive and acknowledge it with thankfulnesse when it is demonstrated unto him out of the Word of God Otherwise the Obstinate denying which is incompatible and inconsistent with true faith and love to Christ and his Word and proceedeth meerly from carnal affections whereby the understanding in the knowledge of the Truth is darkened and eclipsed would prove damnable unto him not onely by reason of the errour it self but rather because of his Obstinacie Thirdly and principally we must discern what is necessary or not necessary in regard of the revealed Word 3. In regard of the revealed Word of God being the rule and means whereby we may know what we ought to believe and to do Which Word though properly there is nor ought to be but onely one yet is delivered to the Believers in a Twofold manner by Preaching and Writing From whence we must distinctly consider Whether and how far the written Word of God and whether and how far the preached and ministerial Word or the traditions and doctrines of the Church and their teachers ought to be the rule of our Faith and life But since this is the Point that principally is controverted and debated betwixt the Romane Catholikes and the Evangelical Protestants we intend at this present to lay down the ground-work of that which is undoubtedly agreed on by both Parties As first of all That the Books of the Prophets and Apostles of the Old and New Testament which we on all sides acknowledge and receive for Canonical are the undoubted Word of God and the perfect and infallible rule of our Faith and life and that consequently every thing that is taught in them so clearly and manifestly that every understanding Christian certainly and undoubtedly may know and conceive it must be necessary for all unto salvation so that though they do not know explicitè and particularly all things yet are ready to believe and receive undoubtedly all things assoon at they do apprehend them The Sum of the Articles we must believe unto salvation is briefly collected in the Apostolical Creed into which all Christians are baptized and received as fellow-members of the Christian Church What we must Morally do is exhibited in the Commandments of the First and Second Table concerning the love and duty towards God and our neighbour But what we must Ceremonially and Sacramentally perform is contained in the words of the Institution of the holy Baptism and the blessed Communion or Supper of the Lord being the Two Sacraments of the New Testament ordained by Jesus Christ himself as it is generally and undoubtedly agreed on And lastly what we ought to desire and ask of God is included in the Lords Prayer In which Five Fundamental Points of Christian Religion viz. in tribus Symbolis doctrinalibus credendorum faciendorum petendorum what we ought to believe to do and to ask and in duobus Symbolis Sacramentalibus regenerationis nutritionis spiritualis how we ought to be regenerated and as Children of God in Christ spiritually nourished unto a new and eternal life doth consist the whole Catechism which we for our part think generally necessary for all Christians yet all is to be understood in that sense which is most clearly taught and expressed in the Scripture yea also whatsoever so evidently and necessarily doth depend from the said Fundamental Points that every Understanding Christian though he is not able to conceive the Divine Mysteries by his natural reason may yet certainly and undoubtedly apprehend the doctrine or meaning of the Scripture or the necessary consequence of it Therefore although any Controversie should be raised and moved about these Fundamental Articles which in the Primitive Church had not been sufficiently declared or unanimously taught yet they could not be generally necessary unto salvation for all Christians but onely their unanimous and undoubted meaning Moreover besides that what directly in it self is necessary there are yet many other points of doctrine partly Theological partly Historical and partly Philosophical yea in general whatsoever is clearly taught in the holy Scripture though its consequence and dependence from these Fundamental Articles is not of such necessitie and therefore not directly necessary unto Salvation yet it is necessary for us to believe it because it is thus certainly and clearly revealed in the Word of God For Example That our Lord Jesus Christ suffered under the Emperour Tiberius and under the Governour Pontius Pilate as it is expressed in the Apostles Creed or that the mother of the Lord was called Mary or that our Lord rose from the dead the Third and not the Fourth day c. These are such circumstances in the historie of the Birth and Death of Christ which though directly they are not necessary for us to believe and know unto salvation yet they are necessary for us to believe because they are as clearly and expresly set down in the Word of God as the Articles themselves so that no man that knoweth them may deny or make a scruple of them unlesse he would also deny together the whole Word of God Likewise that in the last times the great Antichrist shall come That at Christs coming to judge the world not all men shall die but the rest be changed which though it is not absolutely necessary unto salvation to know yet it is
and conversion from sin and without new obedience to Christ Commandments Which all is so plainly and expresly taught in the undoubted Word of God especially in the Five aforementioned principal Points that every Christian may sufficiently understand them unto his salvation and hath been unanimously professed in the Primitive Apostolike Church But whatsoever is not so clearly and expresly taught in the Word of God as a necessary Article of Faith Love and Obedience towards Christ nor hath been understood and taught out of the same in the Primitive Church That very same though it dependeth from it by a necessary consequence and therefore may be true doctrine and agreeable to Scripture yet it cannot be necessary for them who do not understand it as yet and retain onely the Fundamental doctrine it self the saving faith and love towards Christ at least so long till God enlighteneth and bringeth their understanding to a fuller knowledge of the Truth which they in the fear of God ought daily to search into Whereby we do conclude further that We ought also not to judge one another according to the aforesaid rule of the Apostle in these doctrines Especially when the other may produce Motives and reasons to the contrary and such which are taken not from natural reason but from the Word of God and therefore bindeth not onely his understanding but also his conscience that he cannot receive such doctrines for fear of sinning against God and his Word but must at least doubt of them For in such a case we must say Whosoever doubteth if he eateth if he receiveth them is damned by his own conscience And rather according to the Apostle's exhortation in such controversies of doctrines We must receive him that is weak in faith but not to doubtful disputations Who art thou that judgest another mans servant To his own master he standeth or falleth Let us therefore not judge one another any more but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling-block or offence of conscience in his brothers way CHAP. IV. That the Romane Catholike Church hath no ground to Judge and condemn the Protestant Reformed Evangelical Churches as Heretical HAving laid this ground we may easily and as much as is necessary for every ones conscience unto salvation deliver our Judgement and Opinion concerning the Modern differences and dissentions in matters of Religion which among the Christians that make on all sides profession of the written Word of God contained in the Old and New Testament are fomented and aggravated meerly out of an Unseasonable and Uncharitable judging and condemning with such vehemency and bitternesse yea with such great effusion of blood and lamentable devastation of Countreys that never the like was heard of any other Religion in the world At this present I will make but a short Application to the Three principal divided and dissenting Churches Differences betwixt the Romane Catholikes Lutheran and Reformed Churches which are dispersed in the Occidental Christian World thorowout whole Provinces and Kingdoms As first the said Romane Catholikes or Papists so called who besides the holy Scriptures are grounded upon the traditions of the Church and especially upon the Councel of Trent and generally are altogether subjected and depend on the Pope of Rome as being their Supreme Head and Judge in matters of Religion and Conscience as the Churches in Italy Spain and the greater part in France Germany and Poland Then the Protestant Evangelical Lutherans as they themselves will be called who besides the holy Scripture professe Confessionem Agustanam Saxonicam formulam Concordiae as their Symbolical and Universal Books of doctrine not that they ground principally their Faith and Religion upon them but that they hold the doctrine and opinions of them conformable to Scripture and necessary unto Salvation as in Germany especially in high and lowe Saxony some Churches in Swaben Francony Westphaly Hessen c. and without Germany the Churches in Denmark Sweden and Prussia although there is some difference perceived betwixt them because some have not received hitherto as yet the said formulam Saxonicam and some of them have collected their own peculiar Corpora doctrinae Confessions and Books of Doctrine Thirdly those Evangelical Christian Protestants who because they will not be bound and tied to any man's whether it be Luther's Calvin's Zuinglius or any other's Doctrine or Books and therefore not be named by any man's name but have purged and reformed their Doctrine and Religion from the abuses of Popery onely according to the written Word of God are commonly called Reformed by some Papists they are called Biblists or Scripture-men of which name they need not to be ashamed because they are grounded on and refer themselves wholly to the holy Bible as the Churches in England Scotland Helvetia the United Provinces of the Low-Countreys all the reformed Churches in France with some particular Churches in Germany Poland Hungary c. Which though they have collected and framed also their peculiar Confessions yet not with the intent to binde other Christians consciences even to their word but onely to testifie their Unanimous consent and Uniformitie first and principally in the necessary fundamental Points of salvation out of the manifest Word of God then secondarily in the confutation and rejecting of the erroneous By-doctrines especially those of the Popish Churches which have no ground in the Word of God but are è diametro opposite to it by a necessary consequence And withal to decline and refute all sorts of calumnies and slanders of their Adversaries Wherefore also they by a special Confession of theirs do not reject the Confession of others especially that of Augspourg though there be some difference in words remaining much lesse do presume to condemn other Eastern and Western Churches because of some different opinions or Ceremonies if onely they do agree with them in the fundamental points of doctrine and for the rest withhold themselves from condemning others And even for these very same reasons have I hitherto addicted my self to the Confession of these Reformed Churches and am resolved with Gods assistance to persevere in it even unto death not onely because I acknowledge in the controverted Points the doctrine of these Churches I say Their own doctrine which they themselves Vnanimously professe to be consonant and agreeable to Scripture but especially because besides the Indubitable Universal Fundamental Doctrines and necessary Articles of faith which they with one consent receive they do not maintain or impose upon others any other doctrine as necessary unto salvation which in it self and by Gods command is not but impart and permit to every one the due libertie of Conscience and also do neither deny pervert or mutilate any part or articles of the true Gospel of Christ nor introduce any other By-Gospel or By-articles or judge or condemn others for it Whereas other Churches principally the Papists and partly the Lutherans if they do not quite deny any necessary point of true
mistake should they judge us presumptuously in our misconstruction of their pretended understanding neither should they bewray any malice and obstinacie in their contradictions But also that they together with us should adhere to the words and meaning of the holy Scripture as far as they are clear and plain to all And diligently enquire further in the fear and worship of God into the true understanding of whatsoever they do not comprehend yet or doubt of And in the mean time walk by the same rule as far as we have already on both sides attained minding the same thing and giving no offence till God reveal unto them and us even what is remaining Phil. 3.15 16. And this doubtlesse is the safest and onely way What are the best and safest means to settle and maintain a true Unitie amongst all true Christians whereby the true unitie of Spirit may be maintained amongst all pious and religious Christians For all those that now adays have the name of Christians on earth do agree therein to this very hour that they acknowledge and receive the Canonical Books of the Prophets and Apostles whereof those of the Old Testament were originally written in Hebrew those of the New Testament in Greek for the Word of God and oblige themselves with one consent to submit their Faith and Consciences unto it So that those that practise it not onely with words but also with true and sincere hearts may without any difficulty in all things agree that are plainly and expresly taught therein nay they are already united therein by the holy Ghost and those that agree in one minde have all whatsoever is necessary to believe and to do unto salvation and are true fellow-members of the Onely Apostolike Catholike Church if together with this Universal Christian Faith they do but tolerate and receive one another as weak Brethren in Faith and other things Chap. 5. that are not so manifest in the Scripture wherein they may thorowly and generally agree Besides this we know no other means on earth that either God hath given and ordained for us or may be invented by mans wit whereby a true Universal Unity may be setled and maintained The pretended Supremacy and Infallibility of the Pope is no fit means for Unity but rather the principal cause of all the Divisions in the Christian Church For as much as concerneth the Supreme Jurisdiction and Infallibility of the Pope which the Jesuites cry up for the onely means of the Catholike Uniformitie That same is rather the principal cause and impediment whereby the Unitie amongst all Christians both in the Eastern and Western Churches is cut off and made impossible in mens eyes Seeing that it is absolutely impossible and inexcusable withal that all Churches and all men of the world should subject and submit in every thing their consciences who acknowledge no other Lord and Master but Jesus Christ to One man Solely who hath no charge and warrant for the same from God Which though they urge and presse as the most necessary point to Salvation and Unitie yet could not obtain it of some Romane Catholikes themselves who extol the General Councels above the Pope Neither the general Councels are sufficient means for Unity in these last times Nor are Concilia Vniversalia in these last times the true means for Unitie For it hath been a meer Impossibilitie in these last thousand yeers since the Ancient Romane Empires destruction and division in the East and West and shall be impossible till the end of the world to indict and gather any true Universal Councel composed of all Christian Churches of the whole world And grant that they could be called yet they could not establish any other Unitie then by reiteration and renovation of that which with one accord hath been taught in the Primitive Universal Christian Church out of the evident and undoubted Word of God For the whole Christian Church on earth though its meeting at once in one place were possible could not presume to take upon it self such power to astrain and oblige its posterity to any other Doctrine and Religion further then they are bound by their Predecessors or rather by God himself through our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles If any man though an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that ye have received let him be accursed Gal. 1.8 9. Nor the Confessions formulae of any particular Church And so shall neither the Protestants or any other particular Churches in any place of the world and much lesse other dispersed Sects to and fro be able to establish a tolerable Ecclesiastical Peace and Unitie either by their vehement disceptations and disputes or exhortations to Peace or by Colloquia and conferences or by National and Provincial Synods or per Synodales formulas or any other means as long as they insist and adhere to their own particular Interpretations Consequences and manner of expressions and will of necessity judge others thereby Seeing chiefly it is not to be expected nor desired nor approved that all Christians of the whole world should submit and agree unto any particular Church or to the Interpretations of their Teachers which are not manifest and evident to all by warrants from the Scripture But far more will thereby the Divisions and Separations about the Interpretations and Inferences in making necessary Articles of Faith thereof by endlesse altercations and disputes as woefull experience doth sufficiently testifie increase and grow dangerous even to their final ruine and destruction For Chap. 7. if you bite and devoure one another take heede that yee be not consumed one of another Gal. 5. v. 15. And how many thousand Christians yea whole Churches are in the East South and West which know nothing or can know any thing either of the Decrees of the Popes or of the Councell of Trent nor of the Confession of Augspourge or of other confessions of the Protestant Churches in Europe much lesse of the Formula Concordiae Saxonicae how is it then possible that we should undergoe to settle by such meanes and writs a true Unity in the Universall Church of Christ or to bind and oblige other Churches thereunto Now notwithstanding wee conceive also no hope to obtaine a totall and universall reconcilement of the modern unhappy differences and divisions in matters of Religion Even by an Vniversall consent and agreement upon the holy Scripture as far as it is plain and evident to all sides Amongst those that are inclined and given to contradictions and contentions because God himself by his just judgement sendeth Divisions Heresies and Sects partly for punishment partly for triall 1 Cor. 11. v. 19. Yet I make no doubt In what manner how far the manifest word of God is the onely meanes of Vnitie but all Pious and religious hearts which love Truth and Peace whereof yet a great number is to be found every where and even in the middest