the Fundamentall Points can scarce or not at all to be brought to a set number First of al that which hinders is this that according to the diverse conceits of diverse men the formes of Propositions are altered and one Divine breaks that into two which another makes up into one Proposition Hence of necessity must arise an uncertainty of their number Which wee see to have happened in the very Articles of the Creed Aquâ—n 2. 2. quaest 1. aâ—an coâ—p which Divines commonly count to be twelve and yet some reckon them up fourteen What shall I say that as yet Divines are not well agreed amongst themselves of the very distinction of a Fundamentall point Some restraine this name to those Doctrines alone which with an expresse Faith are to be beleeved of all Christians to the obtaining of Salvation and eternal life by Christ and this I professe to bee mine opinion Yet are there some most learned and famous Divines which terme all Propositions Fundamental Doctrines which they themselves by good and strong Consequence inferre out of the former Fundamentals although few or none bee found in their neighbouring Churches who plainely perceive the Truth of these Consequences Many things deterre me from being of this opinion but this most especially that this would bee a necessary and everlasting cause of an unnecessary and everlasting Rent betwixt the Churches of Christ Lastly there never were nor will bee wanting some who will require that it may bee reckoned amongst the Fundamentals whatsoever themselves unlearnedly and erroneously dreame that they have digged and drawn out of the Word of God And these for the most part are those hatefull and troublesome Brawlers who presently give out the Alarum that the Foundations of Religion are pluckt up from the very roots if any dare shake their imaginary Fundamentals Whilst the very nature and definition of a Fundamentall Doctrine flotes in this manner it is no more impossible to count the waves of the Sea than it is percisely to define the set and certaine number of Fundamentall Doctrines ebbing and flowing according to mens severall opinions But least I might seeme wholly to wave and decline the marking out of Fundamentall Doctrines I will shew plainely what was the opinion both of Ancient and Moderne Divines in this matter by publique producing of their testimonies As touching things to be beleeved all Foundations of the Christian Faith are comprised in the Apostles Creed neither shall he who from his heart professeth that he affordeth beliefe to all and every thing therein contained be deficient in any thing so farre as concernes things to be beleeved to the partaking of Salvation in Christ and retaining of Communion with the brethren of Christ Now let us see how honourably the ancient Fathers did both thinke and speake of this Creed Irenaeus saith That the Church dispersed thorow the whole World received this Faith from the Apostles Lib. 1. cap. 2 3. and carefully kept it so that by consent in this Faith they as it were dwell all in one house and have one heart And hee sheweth that this Faith doth suffice for the Vnity of all Churches together amongst themselves as the Dutch Spanish French Easterne Egyptian Lybian in a word all Christian Churches Irreformabâ—â—em lib. de Virgin velan Tertullian calleth this Creed the one Rule of Faith sole immoveable and which need not or may not be altered or reformed Hilary tyred with the contentions of the Arians takes breath with this speech Ad Conslat August It is most safe for us to retaine the first and sole Evangelicall Faith Confessed and Vnderstood in our Baptism Augustine cals this Creed the comprehension and Perfection of our Faith Tom. 10. de temp Serm. 2. Domâ— in Ramis palmar pag. 849. Serm. 131. adding with all that it is plaine short and full so that the plainenesse doth provide and take order to helpe the homelinesse of simple Auditours The shortnesse easeth the memory and the fulnesse compriseth all Doctrine In another place he cals it the certain rule of Faith by which Beleevers may hold the Catholique Truth and by which they may convince all hereticall wickednesse Russinus saith Exposit in the Creed that this Creed may also be called the Triall or Touchstone if we meet a man we doubt of do but examine him by this Creed and he will presently discover himselfe whether he be a foe or a Friend Lastly Serm of the Creed Maximus Taurinensis writes that the Apostles did deliver the mystery of Faith to the Church of God that because there was to be diversity of Beleevers under the one name of Christ the privy signet of the Creed should distinguish the Faithfull from the Vnbeleevers Come we now to see what was the Schoolmens Judgement of this Creed Alexander of Hales brings this reason why the Creed was composed Parte 3. quaeâ— 69. mâ—mb 2. That it might be the Instruction of the Faithfull in one Vnderstanding and Confession of the Truth and Devotion of Religion in which the nature of Man is to obtaine blessednes Somewhat after To instruct in the Faith was the cause of making the Apostles Creed for to this purpose was it composed that the Faithfull might be taught in one Faith to beleeve all things necessary to Salvation Aquinas determines that as touching these first believables 2.2 quaest 2. art 5. in corp whith are the Articles of the Faith every one is bound explicitely to beleeve them but as concerning other believables he is bound only implicitely to beleeve them and in the Preparation of his mind that is having his Heart in readinesse to imbrace them when it shall appeare to him that they are contained in the Doctrin of the Faith Bonaventure saith Sent. l. 3. dist 25 qu. 1. in conclu respâ—ad 2. When it is demanded whether the Doctrin of the Faith be sufficiently contained in the Apostles Creed we may answer that if we speak of the Doctrin of Faith in respect to those things which therein are most principall and proper they are sufficiently contained in the Creed Neither is there any thing to be beleeved which may not be reduced to the Articles contained in the Creed as the principles and stable foundations I passe other Schoolemen because it is their generall judgement that the plaine and unfolded beliefe of the Apostles Creed is enough for Common Christians for the attaining of Salvation though a greater measure of Knowledge bee required from men of greater Learning Whence the Master of the Sentences after hee had concluded Sent. lib 3. dist 25. That in the time of Grace all things ought to be beleeved which are contained in the Creeds afterwards hee addeth that it is one thing to know only what a Man ought to beleeve to obtaine eternall lift and another to know how the same may be maintained and defended against wicked men opposing it which Knowledge many Faithfull men cannot skill of and yet they
Church conceive the Roman may be hindered and broken off and yet by no default of ours as often as it shall demand and require that we should approve or exercise any Idolatrous Acts in the publike service of God or should command or compell us to acknowledge or receive any doctrines repugnant to Scriptures or Godly mens consciences Yet in the meane time that Church which is counted no whit sound or Orthodox is to be esteemed a visible Church of Christ and to be ranked amongst the particular Christian Churches Yea as much as lies in us wee are to afford to the same all offices of brotherly Charity although our Actuall and outward Communion with the same be neither suffered of them nor may be retained of us because of the false doctrine and superstitious worships prevailing in the same Now out of those things which we before have disputed concerning the difference of Fundamentall points from those which are not Fundamentall we will endeavour to shew that those things are not Fundamentall about which hitherto there hath been such strife with so great heate of mens minds betwixt Protestants Those points onely are to be owned for Fundamentall Reas 1 which being overthrown or not at all beleeved no congregation of men can worship God so as to obtaine from him Pardon Grace and Glory But no point controverted is of this nature Therefore not Fundamentall None will call our Major Proposition into question because it is cleere that those who start asunder from the very foundations of saving Faith are not capable of those benefits which are promised to the Faithfull alone As touching the Minor If any dare affirme that no hope of pardon Grace or Glory doth shine to them who are otherwise minded than the rest in these controverted Doctrines him I conceive to sin more against charity than any of the Protestant Churches sin against verity Yea I dare adde this if any converse or persisteth in this errour alone he more shakes the foundation of the Protestant Truth than those whom he rashly chargeth to have violated the foundation for other errours whatsoever in controversall Divinity Those Points Reas 2 whereabout Protestants contend were neither Preached to the whole world by the Apostles as all those things were which were absolutely necessary to be known and believed to the salvation of Christians neither were they for such recommended by the succeeding Churches universally to Christian People whatsoever therefore divers Churches diversly determined concerning the Truth of these opinion yet ought they all to agree in this That they ought not to be reckoned with the fundamental articles of the Christian Faith If any man can cast and contrive any head of controverted divinity betwixt Protestant Churches into a short and no whit doubted of Proposition and truly affirme thereof This Proposition was maintained by the Apostles was received of the Vniversall Church amongst the Articles of Catholike and saving Faith I yeeld up the bucklers and grant the cause I will call it a Fundamentall Doctrine and I will pronounce those Churches which reject it to have fallen off from the Foundation and I will adjudge them unworthy of Brotherly communion with other Churches But if no Protestant can doe this none ought to call that a fundamentall Doctrine which himselfe defends or to challenge the Divines of other Churches being of another opinion of overthrowing the Foundation much lesse for this cause to deny the Rites of brotherly communion to whole Churches The affirming of Fundamentall Doctrines is so cleerly set down in the holy Scriptures Reas 3 that none of the unlearned much lesse of the learned can fall into the contrary damned opinions except they bee very negligent in learning the Catholike Faith or such as will not learne the Faith it selfe which is manifest in the Scriptures which is truly observed of Augustine De Agone Christi 6.28 But it is plaine to all that in these Doctrines whereabout Protestant Churches dissent that at the least on the one side numberlesse Christians are deceived and they men godly pious and most desirous of the Truth yea many Divines of the first ranke being versed and exercised in reading and meditating of the Scriptures through the whole course of their life Neither let any here object against me that the modern Anti-Trinitarians daily doe search the Scriptures and yet neverthelesse persist in the obstinate deniall of a Fundamentall Article for they are not only negligent in learning the Catholike Faith and drawing it out of holy Scriptures but also they are wilfully contemptuous in opposing the Catholike Faith and furiously bold in recalling the manifest Doctrine of the Scripture to the account of their doating and giddy Reasons subject to an erroneous Vertigo therefore to them agrees that of the Apostle 2 Thes 2.11 For this cause God shall send them strong delusion c. But none can passe the same sentence upon those Christians which adhere either to the Saxon or Helvetian Churches None therefore ought to set downe that those Doctrines are Fundamentall or necessato be known to Salvation in which it is probable that now this side now that side is deceived but impossible that both should be in the right as often as they contradict one another It is no Fundamentall point which Reas 4 cannot otherwise bee extracted or deduced out of the Scriptures than by the hard and long pathes of controversies alwayes untraceable to simple Christians sometimes scarce sometimes not at all evident even to the learned themselves Such are all those things which are in controversie betwixt Protestant Churches whose connexion with the Foundations of the Catholike Faith the Disputants on both sides say they see plainly necessary but the Adversaries on both sides cry it down that they see no connexion at all but plaine people ignorant of the art of Logick oftentimes give a blinde assent to their Doctors being themselves in the meane time altogether uncertaine of the strength of such consequences Things that in this manner are by their Doctors extracted and propounded to Christians may sometimes be true but can never be fundamētall that is absolutely necessary for every Christian to be known and beleeved for the obtaining of eternall life For even as they may enjoy the light and benefit of the Sun who cannot perceive the Mathematicall demonstrations of the bignesse and motions thereof so those may enjoy the light and benefit of fundamentall Doctrines to Salvation who cannot behold the Theologicall inferences and deductions drawn out of them Therefore they are not Fundamentalls but things rightly deduced in some mens Judgements from the Fundamentalls which are so much urged to be beleeved from the Divines which strive amongst themselves It is not the part of wise Divines Reas 5 so to swell and increase the number of Fundamentall points that all Christians as well learned as unlearned should be wholly uncertaine and ignorant what and of what kinde those be which are adjudged properly to belong to the
the bitter and hostile ones pacified and laid a sleep But what is to be bemoand those Divines which are too much drawn away with Selfe-love are by the breath of popular applause and desire of vaine-glory driven farther than they themselves at first intended or thought it ever possible For men troubled with this evill will trouble all things humane and Divine rather than they will confesse themselves deceived or weary of the fight or overcome by their Adversaries Yea except they may conquer and carry the adverse party captive before their Triumphant Chariot they are determined continually to clash the Protestant Churches together with deadly discords I am not ignorant that all pretend the desire of truth and Gods Glory but that too many continue these contentions for the love of vaine-glory would I might deny it and at the same time speak truth Surely 't is scarce to be beleeved that those who must needs know what dammage States Churches and Mens soules bought with Christs pretious bloud receive from these dissentions betwixt Protestants can in the midst of these contentions have their eyes only fastned on the glory of God Wherefore let the hot disputants on either side examine their owne Consciences whether they perpetuate these Controversies and Discords of the Churches that God may lose no honour or rather that there be not wanting an apt and lasting matter to their own vaine-glory Other occasions and causes of these dissentions we have no leasure to recite but of one wee must more largely dilate which hath made these Controversies as it were hereditary and will make them everlasting except God pitying the Protestant Churches put new minds into the Pastors thereof For this opinion hath possessed the minds of many pious and learned Divines that the matters controverted betwixt Protestants are of such moment that such as are found erroneous therein are thereby convicted to shake yea to overturne the very Foundations of the Catholique Faith and mans Salvation Hence whilst both partyes are fully perswaded that the truth stands on their side they must also perswade themselves that their Adversaries lay at and loosen the Foundations of the Christian Faith Ionah 4.9 What therefore Jonah once said unto God that he did well to be angry even unto death for his Gourd which was cut down these men use to say that they do well to contend to death with their Protestant enemies for overthrowing as they conceive the foundations of mans Salvation No wonder then if pious men seasoned with this Opinion detest such men so farre as to entertaine no peace or brotherly Communion with them Seeing therefore this is justly counted the principall cause of this long dissention let us a while withdraw the eyes of our mind from received opinions and with peaceable affections enquire concerning the Foundation and what is Fundamentall CHAP. II. Of the signification of these words Foundation and Fundamentall which often offer themselves in this discourse HE that will not erre in the knowledge of things themselves must begin from the expounding of words In Cratylo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For rightly Plato Whosoever knowes the Names will also know the Things Foundation therefore is a metaphoricall terme borowed from builders and signifies the whole ground-work of the building placed in the bottom which upholds the structure and which being taken away the edifice tumbles downe and is shattered into pieces Forasmuch therefore as the Church is called the City of God Psal 122. 47. the House of the Lord it must have some Foundation on which whilst it leanes and relyes it remaineth safe and sound from which if it giveth off and starteth aside it presently perisheth and is brought to nothing It is plaine therefore that whilst we speake of the Church founded by God that hath the name and nature of a Foundation by which all the parts therof are supported and from which they borrow both their strength and safety And as in some great Aedifice the severall parts have not all the same strength beauty yea some somtimes may seem somewhat more inclined to fall which as yet stand and stick to the foundation So in this far stretched building which we call the House and Church of God there is great difference of particular Churches For some are fairer and firmer than the rest because better and neerer joyned to the Foundation others somewhat ruinous and shaken because not so well fastened to the foundation yet all which are not as yet plucked off from the foundation are sustained by the strength and benefit thereof and are continued to the firmer and fairer parts of the building Hence it is plaine when we speak of the Churches what a kind of thing that is which challengeth to it self the name of a Foundation Let us see now retaining still the former Metaphor what manner of things they be which we use to call Fundamentall for this is the word that hath made so much work for our Divines and hindered them in the advancing of the whole businesse of the pacification But first of all here we must observe that a materiall Edifice built of Wood and Stone is founded nothing like unto a Spirituall Building whose structure consists of Living Trees and Stones that is of Men enjoying the use of their Reason and Will For in this Quick and Lively Building nothing either hath due conjoyning with or receiveth any strength from the Foundation except it be coupled thereunto by the Act of the Reason and Knowledge and by the Act of the wil cleave fast to it obey it Those things therfore are truly counted and called Fundamentall which being known Christians may have a saving conjunction with their Foundation which they cannot have if the same things be not known or not beleeved In like manner if we consider the Will those ought to be called practicall Fundamentals by the observation and doing whereof we may remaine joyned to our Foundation but may not if we dispise or neglect them And let the Knowledge of Christians be never so imperfect yet if they know and beleeve these Fundamentals they shall not be parted from the Foundation for the defects of their Understanding Let the righteousnes of Christians be never so imperfect yet if they do these practicall Fundamentals they shall not be separated from the Foundation for the defects of their good will It being therefore a matter of such moment with God himself to be joynted and joyned to our Foundation that to all such life and eternal Salvation is promised let us be very wary how rashly we cut off either particular Churches or private Men from this Conjunction and by the same verdict cast them from all hope of life and happinesse But because besides these Metaphoricall words of Foundation and Fundamentall sometimes other termes are used having the same force and intimating also the same dependancy of the Church on another of them also briefly What therefore is called the Foundation of the