f Apell pro Dom. Banne per Ariviere Doct. Paris Lugd. An. 1630. Vide etiam Andr. Rivet sum Controv Tract 4. quaest 6. Sorbonist who hath published by way of parallel the exact argiement of Dominicus Bannes and Others with Calvin in this matter quoting and comparing their very words For the Canon of Scripture it is true our Church admits of no other Bookes in the Old Testament as divine and Canonicall but onely those which Rom. 3. 2. were commended by God himselfe to his owne people the Church of the Jewes Wherein we have the consent of the most ancient g Clem. Rom. Const lib. 2. ca. 57. Melito Sard. ap Euseb Hist lib. 4. cap. 27. Grae. Origen ap Eund lib. 6. cap. 25 Sec. Graec. Athanas. in Synopsi Nazianz. in Carm. Cyrill Hieros Catech. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphan de Mensu Ponderibus num 4. edit Paris Concil Laodic Can. ult Ruffin in Expos Symb. Hieron in Praefat. ad lib. Regum ad libros Salom. in Prol. Galeato Damasc de fid Orth. lib. 4. cap. 18. Glossa in dist 16. Canones Lyra. Prolog primo Rich. à S. victore Exceptionum lib. 2. c. 9. Caietan in com hist v. Test fine Vide Canum l. 2. c. 10. c. Christian Churches Writers for the most part who expressely exclude the Apocryphall and by name the h Hicr Praefat in lib. Salom Iudith Tobiae Machabaeorum libros legit quidem Ecclesia sed cos inter Canonicas Scripturas non recipit August lib. 2. Contr. Epist Gaudent cap. 23. Scriptura Machabae orum recepta est ab Ecclesia non inutiliter si sobriè legatur audiatur Greg M. moral li. 19. cap 17. Macch. vocat Libros non Canonicos Machabees whereof the Mistaker makes so great esteema The Bookes of the New Testament are fitly severed by Eusebius into three rankes 1. Some were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose authority or Authors were never debated 2. Others were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doubted of not by the Church so much as by Some in the Church rather for their Authors then their authority as the Epistles to the Hebrewes of S. James the latter of S. Peter c. 3. Others were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rejected by consent of all as the Pastor of Hermes the pretended Gospells of S. Thomas S. Bartholomew and the like The doubts of the Second ranke are now long since cleared and all Euseb Hist lib. 3. cap. 3. those Scriptures generally received by all Christians in their Westerne parts at least and particularly by the Lutherans at least by the best learned among them who admit the Epistle of S. Iames and the rest as Canonicall which the Mistaker may learne for it seemes He knowes it not from their owne Writers and by name from their learned Dr k Exeges Plen. Locor Loc. 1. de Scrip. S. §. 279. 280. 281. Gerhard The Mistaker ends his Discourse as He began it with Rhetorique and Passion But this weapon wounds not being commonly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reasoning of them that want better reasons I shall conclude with a part of my daily prayers humbly beseeching the Father of mercies who is the lover of soules and hath said that he delights in mercy and sworne that he takes no pleasure in the death of them that die being not willing that any should perish but willing that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of his truth that he would be pleased to looke with the eyes of his compassion upon all those miserable Nations that sit in ignorance and infidelitie in darkenesse and in the shadow of death calling them out of darkenesse into his marveilous light out of the power of Sainto the Kingdome of his deare Sonne that it would also please Him to take away out of his Church all dissention and discord all Heresies and Schismes all abuses and false doctrines all idolatrie superstition and tyranny and to unite all Christians in one holy bond of truth and peace faith and charity that so with one minde and one mouth we may all joyne in his service and for ever glorify the holy name of the most glorious and holy Trinity Amen Amen FINIS
decrees of the Church that properly makes the Heretique The Heretiques recounted by S. Augustine Epiphanius and Philastrius in their Catalogues were condemned not so much for their errours which were many ofthem not very materiall as for their contempt of the Church S. Cyprian and the Donatists differed not in the matter of their errour but the obstinacy of the Donatists and their disobedience to the Church made them to be condemned for Heretiques when S. Cyprian was absolved because the Church in his time had not declared her selfe And in the like manner the Novatians were condemned on the same grounds Answer Sect. 4. OF the nature of Heresie The Church may declare convince an Heresie but cannot properly make any Doctrine Hereticall unlesse it be such in the matter of it The words Heresie and Heretique very ambiguous How commonly used by the Ancients Of their Catalogues of Heretiques S. Cyprian though erring in the point of Rebaptization justly absolved from Schisme and Heresie The Donatists guilty of both And the Novatians of Schisme Charity mistaken Chap. 6. AGaine the onely right ground and true infallible motiue of faith by which it is produced and on which it relyes is the revelation of God and the proposition of his Church He therefore who beleeves not every particular Article of Catholique Doctrine which is revealed and propounded by Almighty God and his Church which Church is absolutely infallible in all her proposalls doth not assent to any one even of those which he beleeves by divine faith because he assents not upon the onely true and infallible motiue An assent not grounded on this is no supernaturall divine faith but onely an humane suspicion or opinion or persuasion And such is the faith of Turkes Iewes Moores and all Heretiques particularly of the Protestants Answer Sect. 5. DIvine revelation the principall motiue last object into which faith supernaturall is resolved The testimony and ministery of the Church is of great use for the begetting of faith But the Church hath not an authority unlimited and absolutely infallible in all her doctrines as Some Romanists pretend Others of them reasonably fairly limit the Churches infallibility The Church Vniversall infallible in fundamentall doctrines Not so in points of lesser moment The Mistaker cannot say what he meanes by the Church whereof he sayes so much Of the Church represented in Generall Councells of which VVe speak and thinke more honorably then doe our Adversaries Yet we thinke them not absolutely infallible Of the Pope whom they call the Church virtuall How his Flatterers speake of his authority No Roman Catholique can be assured of his infallibility which is at the most and best but problematicall by their owne principles Charity mistaken Chap. 7. PRotestants object that Roman Catholiques are not at unity among themselves as appeares by many questions wherein their Writers are at variance Answer Catholique Doctors differ onely in matters of Opinion not decided by the Church not in any point of Faith And besides their differences are all fairely carried without any breach of Charity If it be againe objected that learned Catholiques beleeue more then the unlearned Answer This hinders not their Vnitie It suffices the Vulgar to beleeve implicitly what the Church teaches And by vertue of such implicite faith a Cardinall Bellarmine and a Catholique Collier are of the same beleife Answer Sect. 6. DIssentions in the Church of Rome of greater importance then any among the Reformed They differ not onely in Opinion but in matters of their Faith As about the Popes authority and the Popes themselves about their vulgar Latine Bibles Discords among Them uncharitably pursued Some patterns of their mutuall bitternesse and revilings Implicite faith in some points and in some persons admitted VVhat it is which we dislike here in the doctrine of some Romanists Charity mistaken Chap. 8. 9. THe Protestants pretend to be at unitie with the Ancient Church with the Lutherans and even with Roman Catholiques in fundamentall points That distinction so ordinary with them betweene fundamentall points and not fundamentall is vaine without ground No Protestant Writer none of their Vniversities Colledges or Societies of learned men amongst them can or dare define what doctrines are fundamentall or give us in a List or Catalogue of Fundamentalls Some say they are contained in the Creed But those men may be ashamed of that opinion seeing in the Creed there is no mention of the Canon of Scripture or of the number or nature of the Sacraments of justification whether it be by faith alone or by workes or of that doctrine of devills forbidding marriage meats which was the doctrine of the Manichees and not of Roman Catholiques as Protestants perversly affirme and finally since there is such great differences between them and us about the understanding of the Articles of Christs Descent into Hell of the holy Catholique Church and the Communion of Saints Others say the Booke of the 39 Articles of the Church of England declares all the fundamentall points of faith But that also is most absurdly affirmed That Booke declares onely and that in an extreamly confused manner what the Church of England beleeves in most things And in many Controversies betweene them and us it speakes obscurely not touching the maine difficulty of the questions As in the points of the Visibility and infallibility of the Church of Freewill and of the Canon of Scripture Answer Sect. 7. THe distinction between doctrines fundamentall and not fundamentall avowed as most necessary It hath ground in reason and in Scripture The Creed of the Apostles as it is explained in the later Creeds of the Catholique Church esteemed a sufficient Summary or Catalogue of Fundamentals by the best learned Romanists and by Antiquity The Mistakers exceptions to the contrary answered As also his exceptions against the Confession of the Church of England The Conclusion ANSWERE TO Charity mistaken Charity mistaken Chap. 1. 2. ROmane Catholiques judge that Protestancy vnrepented of destroies saluation For this judgement the Protestants charge them with want of Charitie This charge saith the Mistaker is 1. improbable 2. vntrue 1. Improbable For the Catholique Church expresses and diffuses her Charitie for the temporall and spirituall good of men in all imaginable sorts Shee is charitable to their bodies in her Monasteries Hospitals redeeming of Captiues prouiding for Orphanes c. and to their soules by conuerting of heretiques and infidels by teaching the ignorant by directing the scrupulous with bookes of Cases of Conscience c. Charitable to very Protestants their heresies onely are condemned and it is not said that they sinnâ— against the holy Ghost because they may be conuerted to the faith reconciled to the Church anâ— so may be saued Answere Sect. 1. SOme Romane Catholiques judge charitably of the Reformed Iesuiterâ— furious and destructiue in their censures against all that are not of their faction That faction infamous for their cruelties charged with want of Charitie
God by her baptisme but then poisons them in theiâ— breeding When they aske for bread she giues them a stone and serpents in stead oâ— fishes To the word of God shee addeâ— and equalls her owne traditions shee reads vnto them that word but in an vnknowne tongue teaches them to pray but in latine which they vnderstand not directs them to call vpon God but withall vpon Saints and Angells to worship God but also dumbe blockes and Images She sends them to Legends and pictures for much of their instruction and for direction of their conscience to such Casuists as their i Aurel. Sorbonicus in vindicijs contra Loemelij Spong nuper editis pag. 516. 517. Omnium maximèintolerandi suntilli Theologiae moralis Institutionum moralium moralium Praeceptorum compilatores penè omnes Iesuitae inter quos Th. S. edidit densum opus de Matrimonio opus non gloriandum sed pudendum tam immani curiositate tam invisa in rebus spurissimis infandis monstrosis diaboâ—icis perscrutandis sagacitate horrendum vt mirum sit pudoris alicujus hominem ea sine rubore scripsisse quae quivis mode stioris ingenij vix sine rubore legat Portenta ista sunt non Scriptaâ— animorum insidiae non mentium subsidia incentiva libidinum schola flagitiorum non honestae disciplinae non scientiae Christianae instrumenta insoelix scientia quae omnes perdere paucos juvare nata est Quae circâ— sordes sterquilinia volvenda revolvenda volutatur owne men say to haue dishonoured Christian Religion with their abominable lessons She feeds them with a dry communion and bids them obey Iesus Christ the Pope if they will be saued Shee hath also her Bishops Priests Masses Monkes Monasteries c. but such as haue nothing almost common with those of the Primitiue times saue only their names In briefe with all possible artifices shee labours to keepe her poore Laity hoodwink't in ignorance for blind men are more tractable and obedient vnto their leaders She tells them it is Creed enough for them to beleeue only in the Catholique Church that is to resigne vp to her selfe their vnderstanding But if any of them be farther curious to know more especially if they will be prying into that dangerous booke the Bible shee sends them into the Inquisition to be there better catechized Thus she deales with her owne But for all vs that are in her opinion Heretiques if her power were answerable to the malignity of her desires no remedy wee should all passe through the Inquisition into Hell Here is the image of the Romane charity so much magnified by the Mistaker Though we deny not Romanists may be really charitable in some kinde But doth not that Charity such as it is both begin and end at home Contrary to the nature of true Charity which beginneth at home and then enlargeth it selfe to others even to enimies The Mistaker talkes highly of their redeeming of Captiues endowing of Hospitalls But in conscience what thinkes hee would not a needy Iew be sooner relieved in any Roman Hospitall as they are in the City of Rome then a poore Protestant And a captiue Turke as soone ransomed as a Calvinist Nay we are so little beholding to them for any charitable affection towards vs that the civility of faire language is thought too good for vs. Our writers are denyed the honour of their k Ind. Hispanicus Bern. de Sandoual edit Genev. p. 167 à Conrado Gesnero adde Auctore damnato ib. per Iacobum Frisium adde Auctorem damnatum p. 168. vnum integerrimum simistri judicij dele virum integerrimum ib. doctissimus Simlerus doctissimè exposuit dele doctissimus doctissime ib. doctissimi diligentissimique viri dele doctissimi diligentissimique ib. clarissimus medicus dele olarissimus learning or morall parts and if any modest man among them doe but l Poss Bibl. select pag. 130. de Bodino vniversa hâc tractatione haeresin sapit quod Lutherum Calvinum Melancthonem caeterosque honorificè nominet fairely mention any of our names he is said to savour of heresy Briefly their people are taught by their principall m Staplet Orat. de Haeresi Magiâ ad fin sicut cum Magis ac Maleficis commerci a habere pacem inire matrimonia facere omnia Christianus abhorret non secùs cum Haereticis eadem commercia repudianda sunt Sicut Magos publicá authoritate arcemus civitate pellimus poenis atroeibus afficimus eodem studio ac vigore in Haereticos vti oportet Sicut Magici libri apud Christianos nusquà m tolerantur ferro flammâ excinduntur idem de Haereticis statuendum est Doctors to esteeme vs no better then Doggs Infidells Magitians that haue professedly to doe with the Divell to abhorre all commerce truce and treaties with vs to burne our Bookes and pursue our persons with fire sword and farre and wide to chase vs out of their coasts Thus are we hated reviled persecuted cursed euen into eternall fire by the Roman Charity If this be Charity there is no such thing as malice in the world The mercies of the wicked are cruell Prov. 12. 10. But it seemes the Mistaker thinkes it favour and Charity enough to vs to grant that though our Protestancy bee a damnable sinne yet it is not the sinne against the Holy Ghost For that sinne excludes repentance but Protestants may repent and be converted and reconciled to the Roman Church and so may bee saued And therefore we are not vtterly conclamati past all hope of life or recouery This yet is more favour then wee could expect from that Pope n Caus 25. qu. I. can Violatores who makes every wilfull offender against the Canons a blasphemer against the Holy Ghost And yet the Mistaker herein is no more favourable to vs then hee is to Iewes or Mahumetans I presume hee thinkes no Infidells to sinne against the Holy Ghost vpon their repentance and conversion hee will grant they may bee faued Iust so he thinkes and speakes of vs. We haue a great obligation to him for his charity Well if we will be saued wee must renounce our errours be converted to the faith reconciled to the Roman Church Our faith is the same which the Apostles or the Apostolique Church deliuered in their Creed the same which the Catholique Church in the Creed of Athanasius calls the Catholique faith into this faith wee haue beene baptized in this wee liue and hope to dye To renounce this faith were to abiure our Christendome I hope the Mistaker would not wish vs converted from our Creed Though some of his Ghostly Fathers seeme very meanly to esteeme it As appeares by that o Censura Symboli Apostolici ad instar Censurae Pari siensis Censure which lately they published vpon it or rather against it wherein they say many Articles of it seeme to be ambiguous dangerous false scandalous hereticall c. They
the Church the promises of Christ assure us But that to necessarie truths she shall adde no unnecessarie opinions for that we have no warrant either from the Scripture or any promise of God And were it otherwise the Doctors above mentioned had betrayed the Churches cause in stead of maintaining it For if in all her doctrines and definitions she be infallible why should they restraine her infallibilitie in defining unto matters necessary They should have profess'd her roundly and plainly infallible in all her determinations For to limit her infallibility in defining onely to things necessary and then to say that all defin'd by her is eo ipso necessarie because defin'd is to delude the world and seemingly to yeild something when nothing is yeilded The Romane cause at this day as it appeares by the vulgar Writers of the Popes quarter and among others by our Mistaker wholly depends on this pretended absolute infallibility All Controversies in the issue are reduced to this and decided by it And with great reason if there were any reason in it or for it For if Rome cannot erre or be deceived then without doubt all they erre and are deceived who dissent from her And therefore me thinkes learned men of that partie might do very well to ease themselves and the world of much trouble and paines in the scanning of other questions if with all their strength and witt they can but settle on the Pope or his adherents such an infallibility by any one convicting argument this will instantly and evidently conclude all our other differences No wise man will any way contradict them who cannot any way erre But surely this doctrine that the Church is infallible in all her definitions is so far from being certaine and divine that it is at the best but doubtfull and problematicall and that even by and from their owne principles The Roman Drs deliver us these Maximes concerning the Churches authority 1. r Staplet lib. 9. Princip doctr passim contr Whitak That the truth of Scripture it selfe and of all contained in it relyes in respect of us upon the testimony of the Church so as nothing is credible to us but by the Churches attestation 2. s Valent. Tom. 3. disp 1. qu. 1. pun 1. §. 6. col 29. That the proposition of the Church is so necessary to the act of divine faith that nothing can be beleeved without it 3. That t Bellarm. lib. 4. de Pont. R. cap. 14. §. Respondeo Inprimis untill a doctrine be declared or defined by the Church so long it may be either doubted of or denyed without danger These propositions are their owne Hence wee assume But this doctrine that the Church is infallible in all her decrees and definitions was never yet declared decreed or defined by the Church no not by any Councell or by any Pope And hence we inferre Therefore it is a doctrine which may be doubted of or denyed without danger a doctrine which no man can beleeue by divine faith a doctrine whatsoever it be in it selfe to Christians not credible If any man will deny the assumption he will oblige himselfe to disproue it by a contrary instance Let it be shewed where and when and in what termes the Church hath published any such declaration And suppose which will not be granted that such a declaration had beene made it may be demanded with reason upon what warrant the Church can assume to her selfe a power so divine and boundlesse as to authorize all her decrees in so high a forme that they must be accounted divine and infallible If the promise of God in Scripture be pleaded for this power we haue already shewed how the learned among themselues haue voyded this plea and so restrained those promises that they are by much too narrow to support so wide a priviledge If it bee said that this authority of the Church is a principle admitted by all Christians without any doubt or proofe this is a saying voluntary and and groundlesse For 1. they will confesse every principle in Religion to be founded either in nature or in Scripture or in tradition or in Church definition and in none of these will they find any footing for this 2. All Christians in the world confesse the authority of Scripture to be a principle indemonstrable yet are we by them perpetually urged to proue that authority and that by Scripture 3. Dr u Princ. Doctrin l. ◠c. 21. Stapleton thinkes it not onely fitting but necessary in respect of us that the Church should give testimony to her self especially thē in this point of so great importance consequence cōcerning her infallible authority wherein all Religiō is so much concerned 4. Lastly it is a great errour and vanitie to beleeue that this absolute infallibility of the Church is beleeved by all Christians especially in the sence of our Adversaries who ever by the Church intend that unsound piece which they call the Roman Catholique The Protestants and Greekes expresly accuse this Church and haue convicted her too as they thinke of many grosse and dangerous errors The w See Mr. Brierwoods Enquiries Armenians Syrians Indians Iacobites Maronites Abassines with other innumerable assemblies of Christians haue many doctrines and customes directly repugnant to those of Rome which were an unreasonable presumption and absurditie if they esteemed the Church of Rome so wholly infallible Nay within the Roman Church it selfe many Authors of great learning and judgement by name x Horum omnium testimonia legere est apud Rob. Baronium de objecto fidei Tract 5. cap. 19. Occam Cameracensis Waldensis Panormitanus Antoninus Archbishop of Florence Cardinal Cusan Nicholas Clemangis haue declared their opinion that any particular Churches and particularly the Roman any Councels though Generall any Popes may erre even to heresie and I doubt not but the best learned Romanists at this day are of the same opinion Before wee proceed it will not be from our purpose to note one thing more in passing The Church of Rome pretends that it is an office belonging onely to Her to deliver the entire rule of faith to all Christian people And she pretends further that this divine and infalliable rule is made up of three integrall parts to wit Scriptures Traditions and Church definitions If this be true she doth but loosely discharge her office very ill satisfie the obligation which she hath unto the Christian world For 1. Why hath she not yet defined that her definitions are of divine authority The late Fathers of Trent haue canonized unwritten traditions and equall'd them to Scriptures but why did they omit to canonize the decrees of all Popes Councells Why did they not adde to Traditions their Church definitions and command them both and them all to be received with no lesse devotion then the holy Scriptures 2. The same Fathers have given us an exact catalogue of all the bookes of Scripture but why did they not give
to erect her own absolute soveraignty over the consciences and faith of Christian people Whatsoever these Masterly Doctors shall define or prescribe in matters of faith that they say must be received without c Greg. de Valentia Anal. fid lib. 8. cap. 6. §. Quòd verò Sine contradictione ulla obedire iussi homines sunt Sacerctoti judicanti-Quod ipsum persuadere nobis de summo Ecclesiae Pastore nunc jubemur contradiction yea without d Bellarm. de verbi Dei interpret lib. 3. c. 10. §. SeptimuÌ„ arg Christiani tenentur doctrinam Ecclesiae recipere non dubitare an hâ—c ita se habeant Et ib. §. Addo Debet Christianus sine examine recipere doctrinam Eccles Et ib. ad arg 16. Doctor non proponit sententiam suam ut necessariò sequendam sed solùm quatenus ratio suadet at Judex proponit ut sequendam necessariò Patres sunt Doctores Concilia verò Pontifices sunt Judices examination yea though it be e Tannerus in Colloq Ratisbon Sess 9. Si Praepositi Eccles in aliquo dubio definiendo errarent populus Christianus vi talis regiminis errare posset imò deberet false and erroneous This indeed is a sure meanes to keep the Court of Rome in quiet possession of her tyranny and errors if men may be persuaded to resigne unto her their judgement and reason and yeeld her a blind and brutish obedience in all things The colour is that in all doctrines she is assisted with an infallible Spirit and therefore being all divine truths and inspirations they may not be inquired into The ordinarie pretence of Deceivers of f Dictum Apellis apud Euseb Hist Eccleslib 5. cap. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apelles the old heretick in Eusebius of Mahomet the great impostor and of some Others besides the Romanists in this age But as a learned man hath well observed g Ludov. Vives de verit fidei Christ li. 4. pag. 478. contra errores Mahumetis Tutissimum mentiendi genus est nolle rationem eorum quae dicas reddere veritatem dictorum ad Deum referre authorem quem nemo de veritate possit interrogare The safest way of lying is for men to entitle God to their owne dreames and for all reason to say they are heavenly verities which may not be examined It is very meet that the ignorant people should obey h Heb. 13. 17 their overseers in the Lord and submit themselves to the Ministry and direction of the Church in many profound doctrines above their reach But it behoves them to have a distinct comfortable knowledge of the essentiall points of faith and not securely to rest in a babish simplicity but so far as God hath enabled them to i Heb. 6. 1. be led on to profection To which purpose they are commanded to k Joh. 5. 39 search the Scriptures that they may l 2 Pet. 3. 18. grow and m Col. 1. 10. encrease in knowledge that the n Col. 3. 16. word of Christ may dwell richly in them and that they may be able both to beleive o Rom. 10. 10. with the heart and confesse with their mouth and render p 1. Pet. 3. 15. a reason of that hope that is in them The words of q Lactantius lib. 2. cap. 8. Oportet in ea re maximè in qua vitae ratio versatur sibi quemque confidere suóque judicio ac proptiis sensibus niti ad investigandam perpendendam veritatem quà m credentem alienis erroribus decipi tanquaÌ„ ipsum rationis expertem Quare cùm sapere id est veritatem quaerere omnibus sit innatú sanientiamsibi adimunt qui sine ullo judicio inventa majorum probant ab aliis pecudum more ducuntur Lactantius to this purpose are observable In those things which concerne our welfare and life especially that of our soules it is fit for every man to make use of his owne discretion in the search and triall of truth rather then without reason to relie upon the credit of others that may abuse him Every man by nature desires to be wise and to know the truth And therefore they befoole themselues who without judgement follow the judgement of their leaders which is the propertie of sheepe rather then of reasonable men And by that of n Theodoret Graec. Affect Curat Serm. 5. sub fin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret we learne what kind of knowledge the ancient Church required in Christians Every where saith he you may see the points of our faith to be knowen not onely by them who are Masters in the Church and Teachers of the people but even of Coblers Smiths and Weavers and all kind of Artificers and of women also which get their living with their hands yea Maid-servants and Waiting-women Husband-men also do very well know them and Ditchers and Neate-herds and Woodsetters All these may ye find discoursing of the Trinitie and the creation of things and as skilfull in the nature of man as Plato or Aristotle Charity mistaken Chap. 8. 9. THe Protestants pretend to be at unitie with the Ancient Church with the Lutherans and even with Roman Catholiques in fundamentall points That distinction so ordinary with them betweene fundamentall points and not fundamentall is vaine without ground No Protestant Writez none of their Vniversities Colledges or Societies of learned men amongst them can or dare define what doctrines are fundamentall or give us in a List or Catalogue of fundamentalls Some say they are coÌ„tained in the Creed But these men may be â—shamed of that opinioÌ„ seeing in the Creed there is no mention of the Canon of Scripture or of the number or nature of the Sacraments of justification whether it be by faith alone or by workes or of that doctrine of devills forbidding marriage meats which was the doctrine of the Manichees and not of Roman Catholiques as Protestants perversly affirme and finally since there is such great differences betweene them and us about the understanding of the Articles of Christs Descent into Hell of the holy Catholique Church and the Communion of Saints Others say the Booke of the 39 Articles of the Church of England declares all the fundamentall points of faith But that also is most absurdly affirmed That Booke declares onely and that in an extreamly confused manner what the Church of England beleeves in most things And in many Controversies betweene them and us it speakes obscurely not touching the maine difficultie of the questions As in the points of the visibility and infallibility of the Church of Freewill of the Canon of Scripture Answer Sect. 7. THe distinction betweene doctrines fundamentall and not fundamentall avowed as most necessary It hath ground in reason and in Scripture The Creed of the Apostles as it is explained in the latter Creeds of the Catholique Church esteemed a sufficient Summarie or Catalogue of fundamentalls by