cum fide recta salvâ ad lavacrum Regenerationis accedant Concerning that Faith which is necessary to Iustification and salvation what was the opinion of the Primitive Church and what it did deliver concerning the same namely what Faith is and what object it hath cannot more cleerely bee understood then by that Creede which was delivered to those that were Catechized before Baptisme that so they might come to the Laver of Regeneration with a right and sound Faith Tom. 3 lib. 1. de Baptis cap. 24. He saith that the repeating of this Creed is the fourth Ceremony of Baptisme of which Ceremony mention is made as he there writeth by Clemens Dionysius Origen Cyprian Cyrill Hillary Hierom Augustine And that the summe and whole object of Faith is therein contained though briefely Saint Augustine doth teach Serm. 115. de tempore besides others that teach the same where saith Bellarm he doth define the Apostles Creede in these words Est inquit Symbolum comprahensio fidei nostrae simplex brevis plena ut simplicitas consulat audientium rusticitati brevitas memoriae plenitudo doctrinae The Creed is plaine briefe and a full comprisall of our Faith that the plainesse may helpe the simplicitie brevitie may helpe the memory and the fulnesse may provide for the learning of the hearers Lib. 1. c. 2. 3. 4. Lib. advers Praxiam Saint Irenaus doth expound the rule of the Christian Faith the same also is done by Tertullian but both of them doe teach that nothing else is to be believed besides the Articles of the Apostles Creed although they haue not the name of the Creede So saith Bellarm lib. 1. de Iust c. 9. Leo the first ep 13. doth charge Eutiches to haue made a dissention contrary to the entirenesse of the Catholique Faith Est siquidem ipsius Catholici Symboli brevis perfecta confessio quae duodecem Apostolorum totidem est signata sententiis For in the Apostles Creed is contained a perfect confession of Faith Thus he is cited by Binius Tom. 1. Conciliorum pag. 946. Baronius Anno 1016. num 1. saith That one Simeon a holy man of Armenia comming to Rome and there being accused of Heresie and demanded what faith hee was of a He made a perfect confession of faith by rehearsing the Apostles Creed c. Respondens Catholicae Apostolicae fidei perfectionem ita confitendo perdocuit qualitèr per universum orbem Apostolorum Symbolum in Nicaena Synodo peroratum clara voce personuit And by and by after Baronius addeth these words Innotuit protinus Papae omnibus qui aderant virum Dei scilicet Simeonem verae fidei esse professorem Lastly the sufficiency of this Creed is acknowledged not onely by those which I have above named but also the Councell of Ephesus concluding doth repeat this Creed adding these words Huic sanctae fidei omnes affentiantur oportet est enim piè sufficienterque ad totius orbis utilitatem exposita Let all men assent to this holy Faith for it is piously and sufficiently expounded to the benefit of the whole world Having thus out of the Fathers Schoolemen Councels and your owne Writers shewed the Antiquitie necessitie trueth perfection sufficiencie and fulnesse of my Faith in which I was baptized and which all wee of the Protestant Churches doe professe how can you say that we are not of the Church or require us to adde other Articles unto these in which wee all have been baptized and in which alone not onely wee but all of your Church and all Churches of the world since the Apostles times have been baptized been made Christians been admitted into the Church This is the Covenant of faith as well in your Church as in ours for there is no other profession of faith in Baptisme amongst you but the Apostles Creed there is no mention there no promise no covenant that wee doe beleeve unwritten Traditions Indulgences Purgatorie Invocation of Saints seven Sacraments worshipping of Images Communion under one kinde Transubstantiation and the Primacie of the Romish Church When a Farmour is told that he hath forfeited his Lease that he hath broken his Covenants he will aske in what point and when it is told him in particular wherein he repaires unto his Lease lookes upon his Covenants and if this which is layd to his charge be not there expressed hee will reply It is not hâ—ere I am not bound unto it it is no Covenant of mine and his Land-lord were unjust to presse him beyond his Covenant Wee have made a Covenant with God in Baptisme we are admitted Tenants in his Church you say wee have forfeyted our Grant broken our Covenants vve are no longer Tenants vve are no more of the Church I aske you why you say because I will not beleeve your new Creed and that the Pope is head of the Church for that is your primarius fidei articulus Bellarm. to Blackwell I reply there is no such thing in my Covenant I was baptized in no such faith I was made a member of Christ I was not made a member of the Pope I will leave that for you vvho make him your head And thus farre of explicite faith of justifying faith necessary to salvation of the primary fundamentall propositions which belong to faith per se non per accidens out of which I will collect some few Arguments Whosoever was baptized into and still doth professe a whole full perfect true sufficient faith is of the Church But the Protestants were baptized into and still doe professe a whole full perfect true sufficient faith Therefore the Protestants are of the Church Every word of the Major and Minor is prooved in this Chapter in that I have proved all these titles to belong to the Apostles Creed A second Argument Whosoever doe professe that Faith by which men are made Christians doe still continue Christians But the Protestants doe professe that faith by which men are made Christians Ergo The Protestants are Christians and consequently of the Church A third Argument To prove that those Doctrines of their new Creed can be no Articles of faith because the Articles of the Apostles Creed being already perfect and compleat can admit of no essentiall addition and all Articles must be essentiall quia per se There can be no essentiall addition to that which is perfect and compleat as the Apostles Creed is But the Articles of Faith are essentiall unto Faith Ergo No new Articles may be added to the Apostles Creed being perfect and compleat CHAP. IV. Of the totall object of faith as it includeth not onely the primary essentiall matters of faith but also the secondary and accidentall matters contained in the revealed truth and that from hence demonstrations may bee drawne to prove the Protestants to be a Church THose things we beleeve by an infused divine faith are of two sorts 1. Some prime proper essentiall as those things contained in the Apostles
1. In India where Pantenus the Christian Phylosopher found Christians and the Gospel of Saint Matthew in Hebrew Lib. 5. c. 9. Anno 180. left unto them by Bartholomew who preached the Word in those parts Irenaeus the learned Bishop of Lions in France died about these times and had heard Polycarpus the Disciple of Saint Iohn as hee himselfe confesseth hee writeth thus The Church dispersed through the universall world into the ends of the earth received from the Apostles Lib. 1. c. 2. and their Disciples that Faith which is in one God the Father Almightie c. as hee there setteth it downe more at large cap. 3. hee saith This Faith the Church dispersed through the world doth constantly keepe as if they dwelt in one house as if they had but one soule one heart one mouth neither doe the Churches in Germany believe otherwise nor the Iberians nor the Celtes nor the Churches of Egypt nor those in the East nor those of Lybia nor those which are placed in the middle of the world Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria about the yeare 234 Euseb l. 7. c. 4. writing to Stephen Bishop of Rome saith Scias nunc frater c. Know now Brother that all the Easterne and those Churches which are more remote are at unitie Where he names the Bishops of Antioch Caesarea and Ierusalem of Tyre of Laodicea all Syria Arabia Mesopotamia Pontus Bythinia Euseb de vita Constantini l. 3. c. 7. The Ministers of God came together to the Councell of Nice out of Syria Cilicia Phaenicia Arabia Pabestina Egypt Thebais Africa Mesopotamia Persia Scythia Pontus Galatia Pamphilia Cappadocia Asia and Phrygia thither came the Thracians Macedonians Achaians Epirots and they whose dwellings were far more remote Much could I cite to the same purpose out of Socrates Theodoret Sozomen and other Ecclesiasticall Historians much out of the Fathers much out of the late Travellers but I will make choise of two or three which shew the multitude of Christians over the world It is too true that about seven hundred yeares after the comming of our Saviour in the flesh Mahomet gained much from the Christians the Turkes more about foure hundred yeares after that and the Tartars I may say almost as much as both the last of these about foure hundred yeares past Saving one mentioned by Mathew Paris subduing the mighty Christian King of Teuduc became Mahometans and their Successors ever since yet so as Christians are found in all their dominions to this day yea and within these foure hundred yeares and lesse Burchardus hath recorded that in the hither halfe of Asia from Tanais Westward to Imaus Eastward and from thence to the South of Asia there were thirty Christians for one Mahometan I will end this with an Historian and Traveller of your owne Andrew Thevet Cosmographer to the French King in his Cosmographie I assure you saith he that I found at Ierusalem in the holy Passion weeke more then foure thousand Christians of severall remote Nations my selfe being sole with an Almaine of the Roman Church And anon after hee saith All those Nations doe acknowledge neither Pope nor Cardinall King nor Emperour of ours And againe None can shew that the Abyssines Armenians Maronits Georgians of Persia Nestorians Iacobites Syrians Iavans which be of the Ilands next the Orientall India Burians Darians Cephalians the men of Quinsay most remote of all the Orientall India of all which Nations I saw in Ierusalem in the holy Passion weeke ever learned from us of the Latine Church their Sacred Mysteries or Liturgie which they affirme themselves to have received from the Apostles Thus far Thevet Yet by your definition all these so many Christians of severall remote nations are damned to Hell for they do not acknowledge the Pope nor did for one thousand five hundred yeares And must all the Christians for one thousand five hundred yeares of so many severall Nations be damned for not acknowledging the Pope The devils in Hell would triumph if this were true The ten persecutions in the Primitive Church and the great inundation of Mahometisme lenarged far and wide by the conquest of Sarazens Turkes and Tartars did never cut so many soules from Christ drive so many out of the Christian Church and consequently damne them to Hell as this definition hath done if it were true I have read in one of your owne Writers Matthew Paris That a Priest deceased Anno 1072. about thirty dayes after appearing to another Priest his former acquaintance bade him give over his function and repent if he would be saved and opening his hand shewed him a writing wherein the Devill and all the societie of Hell did give thankes to the whole Order of the Clergie because that giving themselves wholly to pleasure and neglecting to preach they suffered more soules to come to Hell then had beene seene in any Age before All the service that the Romish Clergie of those times did doe to the Devill in bringing infinite numbers of soules to Hell was nothing to what this Iesuiticall definition and Doctrine doth doe If this definition be true the judiciall proceeding in the later day must be not as our Saviour hath laid downe in the 25. of Saint Matthew Come yee blessed of my Father Ver. 34 35 36. inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was an hungred and yee gave mee meat I was thirsty and ye gave mee drinke I was a stranger and yee tooke mee in naked and yee clothed mee I was sicke and yee visited mee I was in prison and ye came unto mee But thus it must be if this definition be true Come yee blessed who have submitted your selves unto my Vicar generall who have been obedient unto my Bishop of Rome acknowledging him to have authoritie over all Bishops that hee is above Councels above Kings Valenza Tom. 3.1 qu. §. 6. Bellarm. l. 4 de Pont. Rom. c. 4 5. above Emperours Lord of all the world that in him is invested all the authoritie of the universall Church that all the Church without him may erre that he doing the office of a Pastor or intending to teach the Church cannot erre Our Saviour said Not every one that saith unto mee Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven but hee that doth the will of my Father but now the case is altered Every one that saith Lord Lord to the Bishop of Rome and none but hee alone is in the Church out of which there is no salvation Our Saviour said Hee that doth the will of my Father but these say Hee that doth the will of God and the Church shall be saved and by the Church they understand the Pope Must all those remote Nations amongst whom many millions never heard of the Bishop of Rome and those who are oppressed under the Moores Turkes and Tartars for the Faith of Christ must they I say be examined in the last day in
that great Iudgement whether they did obey the Bishop of Rome or no and condemned for not obeying him If they answer Wee acknowledged our sinnes and repented of them wee believed in thy name Iesu wee were baptized in that Faith wee received thy body and blood wee endured many indignities reproaches impositions nay our children are taken from us if there be any more hopefull then other and all because wee are Christians Will Christ answer them Away from mee for you did not acknowledge my Vicar generall my Bishop of Rome to have authoritie over all Churches over all Patriarches yea Kings and Emperors in ordine ad Spiritualia I know you not you are not of the Church Irenaeus l. 3. c. 12. May not the Aethiopians reply Wee have received the Faith first by the relation of our a Act. 8.27 owne Countreymen who were baptized by Phillip afterward by the Evangelist b Socrat. hist l. 1. c. 15. Saint Matthew Wee received it by the preaching of Bartholemew say the c Chrysost Hom. 22. de Apostolis Armenians Wee have received it by the preaching of Andrew say the d Orig. l. 3. in Genesin Scythians We from thy beloved Disciple e Euseb hist l. 3. c. 1. Saint Iohn say the Churches of the lesser f Euseb hist l. 3. c. 1. Asia with us he lived with us he died to us he vouchsafed to speake in his Revelations we received it also from thy Apostle g Paul epist ad Ephes ad Galat. Paul who preached amongst us and wrote divers Epistles unto us From him wee received thy Faith say the Graecians Macedonians h Paul ep ad Roman cap. 15 v. 19 26. Illyrians To us hee hath vouchsafed to write say the Thessalonians Corinthians Philippians i Pet. 1. ep cap. 1. v. 1. Peter preached in our Countries and in our neighbour Countries of Anatolia as in k Euseb hist l. 3. c. c. 1. Pontus Galatia Bythinia Cappadocia Asia it was to strangers scattered amongst us of his owne Nation to the l Chrys Hom. de duodecem Apostolis The Church of Ephesus instructed by Paul and afterwards continued by S. Iohn Iren. lib 3. c. 3. The Gospel of the uncircumcissiō was committed unto me as the Gospel of Circumcission was unto Peter Gal. 2.7 dispersed Iewes and not to us of the Gentiles Wee of the higher a Theodor. de veri Evang. c. 9. Osorius de rebus Emanuelis Socrat. l. 1. c. 15. Asia received it from Phillip wee from Simon Zelotes say the inhabitants of Mesopotamia wee of Parthia Persia Media Brachmania India and other neighbour Nations from Thomas We Indians also received it from Bartholomew who left with us the Gospel of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint Matthew wee saw not Peter wee heard not of the b I assure you that I found at Ierusalem in the holy Passion weeke more then 4000 Christians of severall remote nations hereafter mentioned my selfe being sole amongst them with an Almaine of the Roman Church they doe acknowledge neither Pope nor Cardinall King or Emperor of ours See more p. 42. The Christians of Iava Taprobane Caephala Quinsay and other remote Countries in the Orientall India divers of which as the Aethiopians Indians Armenians Graecians c. were converted in the Apostles times and are from these parts so far distant as that the Latine Church was for many precedent Ages unknowne to sundry of them till the later times Brearley Tract 3. §. 2. Sub. 1. in his booke of the Masse pag. 288. Pope we knew not Rome neither for ought wee know were wee knowne unto thy Latine Church and if it be necessary for all men that will be saved to know and acknowledge the Pope of Rome our Teachers have deceived us the Gospel which wee have received is unperfect the Scriptures are defective which make no mention of the Bishop of Rome nay thy Word hath misled us saying There is no other name under heaven given to men in whom and through whom they attaine health and salvation save only in thy name O Christ Iesu We received not our Religion from Rome wee were not converted by any sent from the Latin Church We received it from thy Apostles say the c Theodor. de curat Grae ca. affect l 9. Tyberines Hyrcanians Caspinians Scythians Massagets Sarmatians the Serae Cimicrians Germans Britaines the Lagi Samni Anasgi utque semel dicatur omne hominum genus all mankind may say we received thy Faith from the Apostles sundry of which were unknowne to the Latine Church Yet my d In the Reply to Doctor White and Doctor Fratley the Author in the second Chapter saith That out of the Roman Church no salvation this is the Title and drift of divers leaves together Adversary here if he sate in the judgement seat would doe as Bellarmine Valenza Binnius and others have done condemne them all to Hell with an Away with you I know you not if you know not the Roman Church if you live not in unitie with that And no marvell he is so peremptory seeing Pope Boniface hath decreed it thus Declaramus dicimus definimus pronunciamus omnino esse de necessitate salutis omni humanae creaturae subesse Romano Pontifici De Major Wee declare say determine pronounce that it is altogether necessary to salvation that every man that will be saved bee obedient to the Bishop of Rome These are the Lawes of Rome this the doctrine of your Schooles this the charitie of your Religion to condemne ten times as many Christians to hell as ever were of your Church for not being obedient to him they never knew they never heard of Arist. Tep l. 6. c. 1. n. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And because we are speaking of Definitions let me request you to remember the lawes of a Definition as first that it must contain all that is defined it must belong to every thing which is comprized under that which is defined 2. It must belong to nothing else but that which is truly and properly stiled by the name of that which is defined as the definition of man must belong to all men to nothing else but man as every man is Animal rationale and nothing but man the reason thereof is this that a definition must shew and expresse distinctly the proper essence of that which is defined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Artic 2. Poster cap. 3. If proper then it can belong to nothing else if essence it must belong to all for nothing can be without his owne being and essence And for the same reason it is inseparable immutable and must perpetually be verified of that to which it once doth belong as a true definition which sheweth the essence or being of a thing A definition doth make us to know what each thing it because nothing can bee separated from his owne being unlesse it cease to bee at all If then Bellarmines definition
docuêre Patres 146. Baron An. 905. n. 4. Herveus Remensis who first converted the Normans to the Faith and held a Synod in which they said That the Rock whereon Christ promised to build his Church was the confession of Peter At this Councell were present also Rothomagensis Archiepiscopus Rodolphus Landunensis Episcopus Trodoardus Hist Rem l. 4. c. 13. Baron An. 930. Erlimus Bellovacensis Episcopus aliique multi Whose names are subscribed This Herveus held many Synods Vnus Hambargensis Archiepiscopus qui convertit Danos Glaber temporis ejus auctor Hist l. 2. c. 11 12. Baron An. 100 n. 4. Tom. 10. Lib. de officiis Missae edito Parisiis Anno 1610. Bellarm. de Script Ab Anno 1000 ad 1100. Lebuinus Episcopus in Gallis qui populum suum ex parte deceptum Catholicae plenius restituit fidei Anno 1000. Baronius n. 3. Petrus Archiepiscopus Ravennas qui Vilgardum Haereticum docentem fidei sacrae contraria damnavit Berno Augiensis Abbas qui testatur post Evangelium in missa recitari Symbolum Constantinopolitanum à Concilio Toletano statutum id omni die Dominico secundum morem Orientalium Ecclesiarum decantari In hoc Authore miror Bellarmini oscitantiam ne quid gravius dicam qui ita scripsit Ex quo libro cap. 2. viz. Baronius de officio Missae discimus hoc primum tempore coepisse in Rom. Ecclesia cani ad Missam Symbolum fidei Cum contrarium doceat Walafridus Strabo lib. de rebus Ecclesiasticis cap. 22. Qui vixit aliquot seculis ante Bernonem obiit enim ut placet Hiltorpio Anno 849. Berno autem Anno 1048. Et ipse ordo Romanus idem doceat apud Hiltorpium col 4. Miror inquam quod non distinxerit ambiguitatem vocis Romanae quae pro Latina Ecclesia saepe usurpatur cum hic intra urbem suburbicanas Ecclesias vel saltem intra Italiae fines claudatur ut apparet ex Bernone Micrologus whose Bookes of Ecclesiasticall Observations Pamelius doth preferre before all others that wrote upon that subject as Amalarius Walafridus doth witnesse Cap. 46. that Creed in Vnum c. viz. The Creed cōmonly reputed the Nicene Creed Iuxta Canones in omni Dominica debet cantari in omnibus c. according to the Canons is to be read upon every Lords day In his 19 chapter hee is very full for communicating in both kinds citing Ordo Romanus and Iulius Papa 36. Gelasius Papa 51. very peremptorie in this kind This Author lived about the yeare 1080 saith Pamelius in his Preface before the worke Ivo Carnotensis Episcopus who speaketh of our Sacraments and of the Apostles Creed professed in Baptisme Serm. de Sacramentis And in his Sermon De Convenientia veteris novi sacrificii he briefly proveth all the chiefe heads of Christian Faith who in the later end of that Sermon speaketh of communicating in both kinds And in his Sermon De coena Domini hee saith Let none of the Faithfull this day absent himselfe Dwell you in Christ that Christ may dwell in you and you be worthy Receivers of his Body and Blood Hee in his Sermon In Cathedra Sancti Petri saith That that Feast was in memoriall of that day wherein Peter at Antioch was made Bishop and Pastor of Gods people And that hee was called Peter because of the confession of his Faith Ab Anno 1100 ad 1200. Sanctus Bernardus Rupertus Tutiensis Algerus who denieth your halfe Communion citing those words of Pascasius under the name of Saint Augustine Nec caro sine sanguine Lib. 2. de corpor sang Christ cap. 8. Bellarm. nec sanguis sine carne ritè communicatur Rich. de Sancto Victore who refuseth your Canon of the Bible Hugo de Sancto Victore who denieth Penance to be a Sacrament Ab Anno 1200 ad 1300. Alexander of Hales who denieth the Sacrament of Confirmation as a Sacrament to be instituted by Christ parte 4. q. 5. membro 2. Hugo Cardinalis Bonaventura Both which denie your Canon of the Bible Hugo in his Prologue before Ecclesiasticus Bonaventura pr. parte q. 89. Art 8. ad 2. Gulielmus Episcopus Parisiensis Ab Anno 1300 ad 1400. Lib. 4. Sent. dist 26. Durandus hee denies Matrimonie to be a Sacrament Nicholaus Lyranus hee holdeth the same Canon of the Bible that wee doe and denieth yours Franciscus Mayron Qui inter alia scripsit de Articulis fidei Simon de Cassia Qui scripsit expositionem Symboli Apostolici Ab Anno 1400 ad 1500. Dionysius Carthusianus who denies your Canon of the Bible Prologo in Ecclesiasticum Gregorius Heymburgensis who wrote against the Popes Supremacie Panormitanus Picus Mirandula Hist Trid. Concilii Sleidanus in Commentariis Thomas Cajetanus who had conference with Luther All these are Latine Authors acknowledged by you of the Roman Church for Orthodox at least two of them in every Age which were sufficient but I can make it good for all out of Bellarmine Baronius Surius Hiltorpius or Synods allowed by your Church Thus therefore I argue Major All orthodox or right believing Christians doe receive and professe the Apostles Creed the Bookes of old and new Testament received for Canonicall by the Fathers of the first 400 yeares together with the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper which the Protestants professe Minor But these Authors aforenamed in my Catalogue from the yeare 800 to the yeare 1500 are all orthodox or right believing Ergo Conclusio All these Authors aforenamed in my Catalogue from the yeare 800 to the yeare 1500 doe receive and professe the Apostles Creed the said Bookes of the old and new Testament the two Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper which the Protestants receive and professe Or thus Major Whosoever receive our whole Faith and all our Sacraments are of our Church and wee of theirs Minor But all these Authors receive our whole Faith and all our Sacraments Ergo Conclusio All these Authors are of our Church and wee of theirs But you having another Faith a new Creed new Articles cannot prove these or any other to have held that your new Faith entirely and I have shewed most of these Authors expresly to denie some one some another Article of your new Creed so that a man may be orthodox and yet denie your Faith your Creed No man can be saved that denieth the true Faith But many are saved who denie the Roman Faith Ergo The Roman Faith is not the true Faith The Major I know you will not denie The Minor you must grant or your Saints and greatest Writers were damned for want of your Faith A second Catalogue viz. of Greeke Authors who being of the Greeke Church did professe our Scriptures Faith Sacraments and Councels but doe reject divers points of the Roman Faith and all the Councels of the Latines since the yeare 800 as appeareth by their profession in the Councell at
Creed 2. Some other secondary accidentall and common to other habits or vertues besides faith to other persons besides the faithfull as morall precepts belong to Charitie properly and are common to Christians and Infidels revealed not onely by the supernaturall light of Gods word but also by the naturall light of reason in man both from God but the one written by God in the day of Creation the other manifested by his Sonne in the day of Redemption Of the former sort are the ten Commandements which were knowne even to the Heathen Dixitque semel nascentibus author He that readeth Plato Lucan Aristotle Tullie Diogenes Laertius the Poets Greeke and Latine the Latine Greeke Aegyptian Chaldean Indian Aethiopian Lawes may there find though not in the same excellent order nor without some mixture of drosse all the Decalogue And so deepe was the impression of this Law in the wisest of those Heathen that no Oracle could prevaile with them to crosse or cancell what the Law of Nature delivered as Principles which alone is properly the Law of Nature Excellent in this kind is that speech of Catoes in Lucan who being advised by Labienus to consult with the Oracle of Iupiter Ammon said unto him What wouldest thou have mee to demand of the Oracle An noceat vis ulla bono Fortunaque perdat Opposita virtute minas laudandaque velle Sit satis nunquam successu crescat honestum Scimus hoc nobis non altius inseret Ammon He that shall reade Phocilides a very ancient Greeke Poet shall there finde a Store-house of excellent morall Precepts as consonant to the writings of Moses and Salomon as if they had been thence drawne Aquinas Bellarm. Valenza alij All Divines of greatest note of your owne side hold that of the Apostle Hebr. 11. v. 1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seene to be a definition of faith and then the proper object of faith must bee non apparentia non visa things not evident to the naturall man to the eye of reason such as these morall Precepts are which I last mentioned Lib. 1. de Iustific c. 4. So that howsoever Bellarmine doe cavill with that distinction of Historicall Faith and justifying Faith yet reason will evince the distinction to be good and needfull for those Histories of Esaus selling his Birth-right of Abrahams two wives of Dathans rebellion of Davids adulterie although they are not essentiall to explicite saving faith yet those Stories and whatsoever is recorded in the Word of God to have been done or spoken wee beleeve to have been done and spoken although the act sometime bee wicked and the speeches false and blasphemous as the murther of Vriah the rayling of Shimei the words of the Serpent to Eve So the beliefe and credit we give is not to those actions or speeches of theirs as if the one were well done and the other truly spoken for this were to justifie the false Prophets rayling Rebels and the Devill himselfe but wee beleeve that Historicall Narration of the Holy Ghost that such vvicked sinnes vvere committed such false blasphemous vvords spoken and shall vvee not call this Faith being a credit wee give unto the Relation because it is by divine inspiration in the Pen-men not in the Actors or first speakers Historicall If it bee faith L b. 1. de Iustific c. 9. either a justifying faith or an historicall faith or some other but no other is named and it is no justifying faith Ergo an historicall faith That it is not a justifying faith I proove against Bellarmine out of his owne vvords The whole object if justifying Faith is contained summarily and briefly in the Apostles Creed But those Stories of sinfull actions lying Prophets blaspheming Devills are not at all in the Apostles Creed Ergo The relations of them are no object no article no part of saving Faith If neither of saving Faith nor any other then of Historicall Faith Againe no division of things contained in Scripture is more frequent amongst Fathers Schoolemen and latter Writers Roman Reformed then that of Faith and life Credenda facienda what we should beleeue how wee should liue and if they be members of one division they cannot bee affirmed one of another As therefore those Morall precepts are rules of actions so they belong to Charitie it s their proper place As it is related they came from God so they are the object of Historicall Faith So that the Articles of the Creed wheresoever found in Scripture are the proper object of iustifying Faith And all things that are registred and declared by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prophets and Evangelists inspired by the Holy Ghost are the object of our Faith Historicall I say the relation not every thing that is related which Historicall Faith I define to be a supernaturall infused assent or credit we give to the relation of things in the Word of God as revealed from him So that I thinke I may say that rightly understood both sides doe agree thus farre 1. That the primary materiall compounded object of Faith as the Schoolemen and Iesuits speake or more plainely that the principall propositions of Faith are in the Apostles Creede 2. The totall object of Faith are omnes revelationes divinae as Valenza or Verbum Dei as Bellarmine or rather the divine Scripture as the Fathers as Aquinas Carbo and the Reformed Churches doe say For Valenza doth aequivocate with his Revelationes Dei and Bellarmine with his Verbum Dei. Who would not be glad to reade in these two great Iesuits That such is the nature of Faith Tom. 3. di 1. q. 1. §. 4. p. 1. that it can assent to no Proposition but as it is revealed by God So Valenza and Faith ought to levell at nothing besides the Word of God for Faith cannot be certaine and infallible unlesse it relye upon his authority who can neither deceiue nor be deceived So Bellarm Who that desireth the peace of Sion would not be glad hereof Lib. 1. de Iustif c. 10. I did much rejoyce when at first I read it but when I saw that Valenza did extend his divine Revelations not onely to Canonical Writers but also to the Pope And Bellarmine to divide Verbum Dei the Word of God into Scriptū non scriptum written Word and unwritten Traditions my joy turned into griefe and searching better into the Questions I found these were poore shifts to hemme in their Pope for when they are prest with arguments or Authorities of Fathers concerning the fulnesse and sufficiency of the Word of God Bellarmine comes in with his distinction of Verbum Dei Scriptum non scriptum saying that the one alone is Regula partialis a piece of a Rule but both together are Regula totalis a whole Rule Tom. 3. d. 1. q. 1. p. 1. §. 4. So Valenza dealeth by revealed verities Vel per Canonicum