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
duty is only to e Bâ—larm lib. 2. de Concil cap. 12. Concilia quùm definiunt non faciunti liquid esse in fallibilis veritatis sed declarant Gers de err circ praecâ—â— Non occides part oper 1. pag. 406. vlt. edit Papa vel generale Comlium determinando de fide nihil faciunt aliud nisi declarare talia esse fide Canus lib. 2. cap. 7. Ingenuè fatemur non esse nunc novas revâ—â—tiones expectandas five à summo Pontifice five à Concilio five a Ecclesiâ totâ Vide Th. 2. 2. q. 1. A. 10. ad 1. explaine and declare the truth according to Scripture and from thence to draw all her conclusions f Aquin. 2. 2. q. 1. A. â— in corp For the Articles of the faith cannot encrease in substance bâ—â— onely in explication Hence it followes that all necessary or fundamentall truth is contained in Scripture which is the rule according to which the Church is to judge of g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist lib. 1 de Anim. truth and errour Her declaration is only to fetch out that truth which is in the Scripture her exposition of the Text must not be an addition to it It is a faulty and erronious declaration which in stead of declaring giues another See the learned Answere to Fishers Relation of his 3. Confer pag. 9. and a contrary sense Neither is any doctrine necessary or true because the Church declares it such but because it is such in it selfe by warrant of Scripture If the Church walke not by this rule h Mag. 1. D. 11. lit C. Qui pretergreditur fidei regulam non incedit in via sed recedit à viâ Quod volumus Sanctum est Ticonius Donatista apud S. Aug. cont Epist Parmen lib. 2. c. 13. she is out of her way And in this by-way never any Church hath wandred so farre as the Church of Rome which hath defined or declared very many things to be fundamentall Truths or Heresies which are nothing lesse following herein no other rule but her owne fantasy As in Truth so in Heresy the Church may declare what is Heresy shee may convince and censure it but still according to her Rule the Scripture Neither is any doctrine Hereticall because it opposeth the definition of the i Alph. à Castro lib. 1. adv Haeres cap. 8. Ecclesia sâ—â— definitione non facit talem assertionem esse Haeresim cùm eâ—amsi ipsa non definivisset esset Haeresis Sed id efficit Ecclesia vt nobis per suam Censuram pate at illud esse Haeresim ibid. Ideò dicitur veritas aliqua Catholica quia à Deo in Scripturis revelata est è contra Church but because it opposes that Scripture on which the Church grounds her definition The doctrines of Arrius Macedoâ—ius Nestorius Eutyches were in themselues Hereticall even before they were solemnely condemned in the 4 generall Councells But saith the Mistaker the Heresier mentioned by Philastrius Epiphanius and S. Austin in their Catalogues were many of them errours in themselues of no greaâ— moment or importance yet they were alâ— esteemed Heresies because they were helâ— in disobedience to the Church So likewise the errour of rebaptization was for the matter of it the very same in S. Cyprian and in the Donatists yet the Donatists were accounted Heretiques for despising the iudgement of the Catholique Church and S. Cyprian not so because hee conserved himselfe within the amity and communion of the Church Therefore properly and formally he is an Heretique that contradicts the definitions of the Church Answ In all ages almost the imputation of Heresy hath beene too too frequent and familiar among Christians and in this age aboue all wherein Christendome is so miserably broken into numberlesse fragments and pieces It is a thing purely impossible for the learnedst man in the World exactly to recount all the severall Sects and subdivisions of Christians or such as pretend to Christianity And every Sect hath some Zelotes so passionately in loue with their owne Opinions that they condemne all others differing from them to be Hereticall So there liues not a Christian on earth who in the judgement of many others is not an Heretique I speake not this in favour of any Heretique or Heresy justly so called ancient or new But surely as this imputation is a grievous crime where it is true so it is no lesse grievous a calumny if it bee vngrounded And it is good counsell which k Cont. Haeres lib. 3. lib. 1. cap. 7. Qui tà m leviter de Haeresi pronunciant saepè fit vt suâ ipsorum feriantur sagittâ incidantque in eam foveam quam alijs parabant Alphonsus à Castro giues let them consider who pronounce so easily of Heresy how easy it is for themselues to erre Very good advise though Alphensus himselfe makes very little vse of it and forgets it too often As all Truth is not of equall moment or necessity so al errors are not of the same malignity and danger Every Heresy is an error but l Aug. de Haeres in praef Non omnis error Haeresis est quamvis omnis Haeresis errore aliquo c. Jd. alibi Errare postium Haereticus esse nolo Bellar. lib. 3. de Euchar. cap 8. §. Ac primum Haeresis est cuius contraria est veritas fidei à Deo revelata each error is not Heresy What Heresy is properly or what it is that makes an Heretique is a thing either meerely impossible or extreamely difficult to define in the opinion of m Quid faciat Haereticum regulari quadam definitione comprehendi sicut ego existimo aut omnino non potest aut difficilimè potest Id. vbi suprà Sâ— Austine who promised and n In fine libri ad Quodvultdeum intended a treatise purposely of this matter buâ— his death or other thoughts prevented him But it is most evident that those o Bellar. de Script in Philastrio Observandum est multa a Philastrio inter Haereses numerari quae verè Haereses non sunt Dion Pctau Animad in Epiphan initio de Inscript operis Haeresis nomen latissimè ab Epiphanio vsurpatur nec ad Theologorum normam vocabuli istius vsus exigendâ—â— est ancient writers in their Catalogues and elsewhere doe not vse the words Heresy or Heretique in their exact oâ— proper notion but in a very large anâ— generall signification not distinguishing betweene Heresy and errour Whatsoever opinion they conceived to bee contrary to the common or approved opinion of Christians that they called as Heresy because it differed from the received opinion not because it opposed any formall definition of the Church This may appeare by many circumstances 1 St Austin was desired by his Frienâ— Quodvultdeus to set downe all p Praefat. lib. de Haer. ad Quodv Petis exponi omnia omninâ— quibus à veritate dissentiunt opinions of Heretiques differing from
Catholique Church is spread and diffused over the Earth among all Nations and may not be inclosed within any one or other society or communion of men whatsoever Wherein he doth as clearely oppose our Romanists who inclose all Catholiques and Christians within the Popes communion as he did the ancient Donatists It is not then resisting the voice or definitue sentence of the Church which makes an Heretique but an obstinate standing out against evident Scripture sufficiently cleared vnto him And the Scripture may then be said to be sufficiently cleared when it is so opened that a good and teachable minde louing and seeking truth cannot gainsay it For some froward and obstinate persons will not bee convicted by any evidence of truth whatsoever And if the authority of a Councell or of some Church doe interpose in this conviction the obstinacy of Gainsayers is the greater because there is the greater reason to perswade them And if any Church doe vpon such conviction excommunicate or condemne any refractary Gainsayer hee standeth guilty of obstinacy and so of Heresy in foro exteriori and for such is to be reputed by the members of the same Church But it is possible such a sentence may bee erronious either because the opinion condemned is no Heresy or error against the Faith in it selfe considered or because the party so condemned is not sufficiently convinced in his vnderstanding not clouded with prejudice ambition vaineglory or the like passion that it is an errour As these Donatists so the Novatians also were Schismatiques for disobeying the publique determination of the Catholique Church in the same Generall Councell of Nice In the first Ages before that Councell the Church was very rigorous in her Discipline Shee vtterly refused as wee haue before observed to admit vnto her Peace and communion f Vide Canones Concil Eliberini Tertull. de pudic Cypr. Epist ad Antonian passim some kindes of sinnners as Idolaters Apostates Murtherers Adulrers and the like though they had done many yeares penance and though they were in their last extremity thinking fit to leaue them to the mercy of God alone and to make their peace with him by inward repentance Afterwards Shee saw it convenient to bee more mild and mercifull in her censures and accordingly declared her selfe in the Great g Nic. Concil Can. 11. 12. 13. 14. Councell allowing to all sinners the hope and comfort of her absolution when they had made her satisfaction by their humility and penance according to her Canons The h Albaspin Sacr. Observ lib. 2. cap. 21. Novatians stubbornely opposed this publike resolution pretending that the judgement and practise of former Agesought not to be altered that this releasing of severe Discipline would open a gap to vice and licentiousnesse that the Church had no power to reconcile or receiue into her society such enormious Sinners though penitent that if she did she was polluted by their communion And vpon these pretences they breake out into a formall Schisme and separation Before the Nicene Councell many good Catholique Bishops were of the same opinion with the Donatists that the Baptisme of Heretiques was ineffectuall and with the Novatians that the Church ought not to absolue some grievous Sinners These errours therefore if they had gone no farther were not in themselues Hereticall especially in the proper and most heavy or bitter sense of that word neither was it in the Churches intention or in her power to make them such by her Declaration Her intention was to silence all disputes and to settle peace and vnity in her governement to which all wise and peaceable men submitted whatsoever their opinion was And those factious people for their vnreasonable and vncharitable opposition were very justly branded for Schismatiques Now for vs the Mistaker nor his Masters will never proue that wee oppose either any Declaration of the Catholique Church or any fundamentall or other truth of Scripture and therefore he doth vniustly charge vs either with Schisme or Heresy 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 beleeues 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 beleeues by true faith because he assents not upon the onely true and infallible motiue An assent not grounded on this is no supernaturall divine faith but an humane persuasion or suspicion or opinion And such is the beleefe or faith of Turkes Iewes Moores and all Heretiques and particularly of the Protestants Answer Sect. 5. DIvine revelation the principall motiue last object into which faith supernaturall is resolved The testimony 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 and fairely 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 where of he sayes so much Of the Church represented in generall Councells of which we 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 speak of his authoritie No Roman Catholique can be assured of his infallibilitie which is at the most and best but problematicall by their owne principles Answer FAith is said to be divine and supernaturall I in regard of the author or efficient cause of the habit and act of divine infused faith which is the speciall grace of God preparing inabling and assisting the soule to beleive For a 1 Cor. 12. 3. 4. faith is the gift of God alone 2. In regard of the object or things beleeved which are b Phil. 1. 29. c. aboue the reach and comprehension of meere nature or reason 3. In regard of the formall reason or principall ground on which faith chiefly relies into which it is finally resolved which is divine revelation or the authority of God who is the first truth If it faile in any of these it is no divine or supernaturall faith Of the two first respects there is no controversie For the 3d that the formall object or reason of faith the chiefe motiue the first and farthest principle into which it resolues is onely divine revelation is a truth denied by some of the c Scotus Durand Gabriel apud Can. loc lib. 2. cap. 8. Schoole indeed some other d Vide passim apud Eckium Pighium Hosium Turrianum Costerum nequiter contumeliosè dicta in S. Scripturas unwise and unwary writers against Luther but yet
Scriptures and Religion must all stand at the courtesie and suffrage of the Roman Conclaue 2 They teach that much of the object or matter of faith is not contained in Scripture any way that the Church hath an unlimited power to supply the defects of Scripture and that she may propound any doctrines as necessary to salvation which haue no other ground but her owne authority which is equall to that of Scripture There are many things saith y Mel. Canus Loc. lib. 3. c. 3. fund 3. Canus belonging to the faith of Christians which are neither manifestly nor obscurely contained in the sacred Scriptures And Doctor a Princip Doctrin li. 12 c. 5. initio Stapleton Very many things necessary to salvation and necessarily to be beleeved are not comprehended in the Scriptures but are commended to us onely by the authority of the Church And againe b Id. Relect. Contr. 4. qu. 1. art 3. ad arg 12. Etiamsi nullo ScripturaruÌ„ aut evidenti aut probabili testimonio confirmetur The Church may propound define matters of faith without any evident nay without any probable testimony of Scripture Do not these words of Stapleton imply that the Church of Rome propounds many things to the beliefe of Christians without any probability from Scripture With what ingenuity then or conscience do they pretend Scripture in each Controversie against us since by their owne confession many of their assertions are meere unwritten Traditions leaning onely on the authoritie of their Church On the contrary for the fullnesse and sufficiency of Scripture in all necessary points we have the full consent of Antiquity and of many learned Writers of their owne even of Bellarmine himselfe whose plaine words to this purpose have been already noted And the same Cardinall though herein as not seldome contradicting both himselfe and his fellowes c Bellar. lib. 3. de verb. D. interpret cap. 10. ad arg 15. Sciendum est propositionem fidei concludita li Syllogismo Quicquid Deus revelavit in Scripturis est verum hoc Deus revelavit in Scripturis ergò hoc est verum Ex propositionibus hujus Syllogismi prima certa est apud omnes secunda apud Catholicos est etiam firmissimas nititur enim testimonio Ecclesiae Concilii vel Pontificis grants that a proposition is not de fide unlesse it be concluded in this Syllogisme whatsoever Gâ—â— hath revealed in Scripture is true but thâ— or that God hath revealed in Scripture ergâ— it is true If matters of faith must be revealed in Scripture as this reason supposes then the proposall of the Church cannot make any unwritten veritie to become matter of faith Yet to salve the soveraigne power of His Church he makes all the strength and truth of the minor in this Syllogisme to depend on the testimony of the Church and by consequence the truth of the conclusion which ever resembles the weake Premisse So as if this be true there is no truth in the Scriptures or in our Religion without the attestation of the Church 3. They teach that the Church is infallibly assisted in her proposalls and doctrines so as she cannot erre And this dreame hath made Rome sencelesse of her errours and careles to seek any remedie nay utterly incapable of remedie For to mindes really possessed with this fond persuasion and prejudice the most convincing reasons the most plaine Scriptures the most pregnant authorities of Fathers which proue the Church of Rome may erre or hath erred are all lost and made ineffectuall and seeme not strong arguments of the truth but strong temptations against it And this imagination of their Churches infallibility is to them at once both a sufficient reason of what is most unreasonable and a sufficient answer for what is most unanswerable That the Church is infallible we do not absolutely deny wee only deny the Church to be absolutely infallible Some of the most able Writers of the Roman partie do so fairly limit this priviledge that in their sence we do without difficulty admit it Their limitation is double regarding 1. the subject of this infallibility 2. the object of it First for the subject they plant this infallibility only in the Church Universall or the Catholique body of Christ on earth comprehending all his members not in any particular Church or any representation of the Church in CouÌ„cels Generall or particular much lesse in any one member of the Church no not in him who pretends to be the Head So d Walden lib. 2. Doct. fid art 2. cap. 19. §. 1. Ecclesia Universalis fideÌ„ habet indefectibilem non quidem in Generali Synodo congregata quam aliquoties errâsse percepimus Sylv. Sum. verb. Ecclesia cap. 1. §. 4. Ecclesia quae non potest errare dicitur noÌ„ Papa sed congregatio fideliuÌ„ Et vide gloss in cap. 24. qu. 1. call A recta Waldensis Sylvester and others 2. For the object or extent of this infallibility they grant it reaches not to all points or questions in Religion that may arise but only to such Articles as belong to the substance of faith such as are matters essentiall fundamentall simply necessary for the Church to know belleue To omit e Maldon in Iohan. 14. 26. Dubium est an illud docebit omnia referendum sit ad illud quaecunque dixi vobis quasi non aliud docturum Spiritum sanctum dicat quà m quod ipse anteà docuiffer Non repugnabo si quis ita velit interpretari Charron vetité 3. chap. 5. §. lc second poinct L infallibilité de l'Eglise ne s'entend que des choses qui concernent la substance de la foy laquelle ne reçoit point de contrarieté divet sité changement pource nulle correction reformation ou amendement estant vne tousiours immuable non reformable dit Tertullien de virg Veland Et ibid. saepe others Dr f Staplet Princip Doctrin lib. 8. controv 4. cap. 15. Stapleton is full and punctuall to this purpose He distinguishes controversies of Religion into two sorts Some saith he are about those doctrines of faith which necessarily pertaine to the publique faith of the Church Others about such matters as doe not necessarily belong to the faith but may be variously held and disputed without hurt or prejudice to faith To the first sort he restrains the infallibility of the Church But in the second he yeelds that the Church may sometimes erre either in her discourses or in her conclusions that without any violation of Christs promise made to the Church for infallibilitie And of this assertion He giues diverse good reasons The first and chiefest taken from the end for which infallibility was given to the Church It was given saith He for the common salvation of the faithfull and not for the satisfaction of unprofitable curiosities or for the search of unnecessary subtleties For as nature so God is neither defectiue in necessaries nor lavish in
superfluities A second reason He addes taken from the office of the Church after the Apostles which is not to make new Articles of faith but onely to consigne and deliver those which she hath received Thus Dr Stapleton Briefly their meaning is ours is the same that the whole Militant Church that is all the members of it cannot possibly erre either in the whole faith or any necessary article of it For such an errour must needs dis-unite all the members from Christ the Head and so dissolue the Body and leaue him no Church which is impossible Christ ever hath had and ever shall haue a true Church on earth now a true Church is all one with a Church not erring in the foundation By these reasonable restrictions of this infallibility they giue us a faire and certaine interpretation of all those promises which our Lord hath made unto his Church for his assistance Such promises are intended not to any particular Persons or Churches but onely to the Church Catholique and they are to be extended not to every parcell or particularity of truth but onely to points of faith or fundamentall Thus we are to understand those passages g Joh. 16. 13. John 14. 16. See the judicious Author of the Answ to Fishers Relation of his 3. Confer p. 49. The spirit shall lead you into all truth and shall abide with you for ever Though that promise was directly and primarily made to the Apostles who had the Spirits guidance in a more high and absolute manner then any since them yet it was made to them for the be hoofe of the Church and is verified i◠the Church Universall But all truth 〈◊〉 not simply all but all of some kinde T◠be led into all truths is to know and beleeve them And who is so simple as to be ignorant that there are many millions of truthes in Nature History Divinitie whereof the Church is simply ignorant How many truthes lie unrevealed in the infinite treasurie of Gods wisdome where with the * Deut. 29. 29. 1 Cor. 13. 12. Church is not acquainted How many obscure texts of Scripture which she understands not How many Schoole questions which she hath not and happily cannot determine And for matters of fact it is apparant and h Bellar. l. 2. de Conc. cap 8. §. Respondeo Quidam granted that the Church may erre So then the truth it selfe enforceth us to understand by all truthes not simply all not all which God can possibly reveale but all appertaining to the substance of faith all truth absolutely necessary to salvation That other promise of Christs being with his i Mat. 28 20. unto the end of the world is properly meant as some k Auth. de vocat Gent. lib. 2. cap. 2. Ecce ego vobiscum i. e. nolite de vestra infirmitate trepidare sed de mea potestate confidere qui vos usque ad consummationem saeculi in omni hoc opere non derelinquam praestiturus ut nullâ sevientium crudelitate superemini In mea enim potestate praedicabitis per me fiet ut inter contradicentes interfurentes Abrahae filii de lapidibus suscitentur Ancients truly giue the sence of his comfortable aide and assistance supporting the weakenes of his Apostles and their Successors in their ministery or in their preaching of Christ But it may well be also applyed as it is by l Leo Serm. 10. de Nativ cap. 5. Idem Salvator noster est super coelorum altitudines victor mortis ascendens usque ad consummationem soeculi univer sam Ecclesiam nō relinquens others to the Church Universall which is ever in such manner assisted by the good Spirit that it never totally failes or falls off from Christ For it is so firmely m Math. 16. 18. founded on the Rock that is on Christ n 1 Cor. 3. 11. the onely foundation that the gates of hell whether by temptation or persecution shall not prevaile against it Not prevaile so far as to sever it from the foundation or cleerly to undermine or o Bernard Serm. 79. in Cant. Non deficit genus Christianum nec fides de terra nec charitas de Eccles -que fundata est super petram Petra a. est Christus Bellarmin de Eccles lib. 3. cap. 13. Quòd Ecclesia non possit deficere ostenditur primùm ex Scripturis Math. 16. Super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam overthrow it The Church may erre and dangerously too but every errour destroyes not the Church The whole Church cannot so erre as to be destroyed For then our Lords promise here of her stable edification should be of no value Lastly that prayer of our Saviour for S. Peter p Luke 22. 32. that his faith might not faile in the native sence of the place regarded onely S. Peters person for whom our Lord prayed and obtained perseverance in the grace of God against the strong temptation which was to winnow him above the rest Yet is it very well referred by q Aqu. 2. 2. q. 2. A. 6. ad 3. Ecclesiae Universalis sides non potest deficere Domino dicente Luc. 22. Ego pro te rogavi Petre ut non deficiat fides tua Aquinas to the whole Church which is never so far forsaken by Christ that it should utterly forsake and fall off from him But the faith of the Church cannot be totally corrupted in the Essentialls of it or abolished yet may it be foulely infected with many vile and unworthy additions though not with direct repugnancies In these promises then there is no foundation to support that very vaine and vaste pretension of the Church of Rome who challenges to her selfe an absolute and universall infallibility in all her proposalls For neither do these promises principally respect the Church of Rome and more then the Church of Corinth Ephesus or the like any further or longer then such parts do cleaue and consent to the whole bodie and Spouse of Christ nor hath the Church Universall the like assurance from Christ that she shall not erre in unnecessary additions as she hath for her not erring in taking away from the faith what is fundamentall and necessarie It s comfort enough for the Church that the Lord in mercy will secure her from all capitall dangers and conserve her on earth against all enemies but she may not hope to triumph over all sinne and error till she be in heaven Hay and stubble and such unprofitable stuffe laid on the roofe destroyes not the house whilst the maine pillars are standing on the foundation The Giant in Gath 2. Sam. 21. 20. was a true man though much deformed with superfluous fingers and toes but if one loose any vitall part he is a man no longer There is not so much danger in adding superfluities as in detracting what is essentiall and necessarie That the Church shall never be rob'd of any truth necessarie to the being of
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
Recogn p. 11. Bellarmine at last following the common opinion of the o In Th. p. 3. qu. 52. Aâ—z Schooles These jarres concerne not the Church of England which takes the words as they are in the Creed and beleives them without further dispute and in the sence of p Aug. Epist 99. Ancients As also She doth in that other Article of the Catholique Church It remaines then notwithstanding all this feeble opposition very probable according to the judgement of Antiquity and even of the Roman D Drs that the Creed is the perfect Summary of those fundamentall truths wherein consists the Unity of Faith and of the Catholique Church the Articles wherof all Christians ordinarily are bound expresly to beleeve and distinctly to know for their salvation I say such explicite faith and actuall knowledge is necessary to Christians ordinarily for I meedle not with the extraordinary dispensation of Gods mercies which is a secret reserved to the Lord himselfe And I say men are bound to it by necessity that is necessitate praecepti but happily not so necessitate medij vel finis For as the q De explicitè necessario credendis vide quae scripserunt Sylv. in Sum. ver Fides Azor. Instit moral par 1. l. 8. c. 6. Tolet. Instruct Sacerd lib 4. c. 2. Greg. de Val. in 2. 2. disp 1. q. 2. punc 3. 4. 5. Bâ—nnes in 2. 2. q. 2. a. 8 Becaâ— in sum pur 3. c. 12. Filiuo de casib tract 2. 2. cap. 1. 2. Putean in 2. 2. q. 2. 〈◊〉 â— 3. dub 4. Aegyd Connick disp 14. dub 9. 10. DD. communiter in 3. d. 25. in 2. 2. q. 1. a. 7. Casiâ—ists and Schoolemen doe well and truly observe in this dispute of necessary and fundamentall truths both Truths Persons must be wisely distinguished That truth may be necessary in one sense which is not so in another and fundamentall in some persons in certaine respects which is not so to some others 1. Every thing fundamentall is not alike neare to the foundation nor of equall primenes in the faith Among the fundamentalls of the Creed some are radicall and primary others like branches issuing or descending from them as a Paris Tract de fide cap. 2. Communiter credendorum quae usualiter Articuli fidei vocantur alia sunt ut radices primitivae fundamenta primaria alia sunt ut rami descendentes Parisiensis or as b Th. 2. 2. q. 1. a. 7. in Corp. Omnes Articuli implicitè coÌ„tinentur in aliquibus primis credibilibus sc ut credatur Deus esse providentiam habere circa hominum salutem Aquinas there are certaine prime principles of faith in the bosome whereof all other Articles lie wrapped or folded up Such is that of S. Paul c Heb. 11. 6. He that comes to God must beleeve that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him but especially that most important and most d Joh. 17. 3. 20. 31. Matth. 16. 16. 17. Act. 4. 12. 8. 37. 16. 31. Rom. 10. 9. 10. 1. Cor. 3. 11. 12. 3. 1. Joh. 2. 22. 4. 2. 15. 5. 1. 5. 2. Pet. 2. 1. fundamentall of all Articles in the Church that Iesus Christ the sonne of God and the sonne of Mary is the onely Saviour of the world These are so absolutely necessary to all Christians for attaining the end of our faith that is the salvation of our soules that a Christian may loose himselfe not onely by a positive erring in them or denying of them but by a pure ignorance or nescience or not knowing of them e Dom. Bannes in 2. 2. q. 2. arr 8. Illa quae sunt necessaria necessitate finis si desint nobis etiam sine culpa nostra non excusabuÌ„t nos ab aeterna morte quamvis non fuerit in potestate nostra illa assequi quemadmoduÌ„ etiam si non sit nisi unicum remedium ut ali quis fugiat mortem corporalem tale reremediuÌ„ ignoretur ab infirmo et medico sine dubio peribit homo ille The Roman DDrs themselves say that Invincible ignorance cannot here excuse from ever lasting death even as if there were one onely remedy whereby a sicke man could be recovered from corporall death suppose the Patient and the Physitian both were ignorant of it the man must perish as well not knowing it as if being brought unto him he had refused it 2. Againe of Persons some are invincibly disabled from faith and knowledge through want of capacity f Pet. de Allinco in quaest vesperiarum Sicut ad legis Christi habitualeÌ„ fideÌ„ omnis viator obligatur sine ulla exceptione fic ab ejus actuali fide nullus excusatur nisi solâ incapacitate Parvulos autem et furiosos caeterisque passionibus mente captos seu aliâ naturali impossibilitate prohibitos incapaces voco et si non simpliciter tameÌ„ secunduÌ„ quid â—â— dum his defectibus laborant as Infants Naturalls and distracted Persons or through want of meanes of instruction which may be saved but God only knows how Others have capacity meanes but in very different degrees and accordingly they differ in that measure of faith and knowledge that is necessarily required in them More knowledge is necessary in g Aegid de Conninck disp 14. dub 10. Hominum sunt tres classes majores medii infimi qui hic distinguendi Similiter Puteanus in 2. 2 q. 2. art 3. d. ult â—lii Bishops and Priests to whom is committed the goverment of the Church and the cure of soules then in vulgar Laickes amongst whom in them of the rudest and meanest sort if there be a studious care of holines and obedience in their life which is ever supposed as most necessary the knowledge of those maine Artiles concerning our Saviours Incarnation Passion Resurrection c. which are purposely to that end celebrated by the Church in her Festivities as many h Almain in 3. d. 26. Minores tenentur explicitè credere Articulis por festivitates solennes celebratis ut Ecclesia celebrat FestuÌ„ de Nativitatc-sic Durand Bonavent Alii in eum loc Sylv. ver Fides §. 6. Azor. lib. 8. ca. 6. §. 2º quaeritur Filiucius de Casib tract 22. c. 1. §. Dices Aliique piurimi Le Card. de Richelieu Instruct du Chrestien Leçon premiere Gen'est pas chose necessaire que celuy qui ignorera quelques vns des Articles de foy ne puisse aucunes fois faire son salut mais il est besoin qu'il ait vne cognoissance de ces Articles suffisante pour le diriger à sa derniere fin Si quelque vn ignoroit la Communion des Saincts la descente de nostre Seigneur aux Limbes que sa passion ait esté soubs Pilate qu'il ait este au Sepulchre le temps auquel il est resuscité sçauoir est le
but a man before distempered after sound and healthy In the prime grounds or principles of Christian Religion wee haue not forsaken the Church of Rome wee leaue her onely in her intolerable errors and abuses Shee hath mingled with Gods Bread her owne sowre leauen and with good milke some drammes of poison We haue cast out onely this poison and leauen and feed Gods people with the true bread of life and the sincere milk of his word Where the late Popes wander in by-paths we leaue them that wee may more safely walke with the old good Bishops of Rome in the old and good way And in the issue that which distinguishes a true Papist from a true Protestant is no more but this the former will needs be a Romane the latter only a Catholique The difference at this day betweene the Reformed part of the Westerne Church and the Romane consists in certaine points which they of Rome hold for important and necessary articles of the Christian faith which the Protestants cannot beleeue or receiue for such Whereas contrarily the things which the Protestants beleeue on their part and wherein they b Voiez Vray vsage des Peres par Iean Daillé Ch. 1. iudge the life and substance of Religion to be comprized are most if not all of them so evidently and indisputably true that their Adversaries themselues doe avow and receiue them as well as they For they are verities cleerely founded vpon Scripture expressely acknowledged by all Ancient Councells and Doctors of the Catholique Church summarily deliuered in their Symboles or Creeds vnanimously receaued by the most part of Christians that haue ever beene in the world Such are the verities which make vp the faith of Protestants and which are c Semper vbique ab omnibus credita Lirin properly Catholique hauing carried the consent of all ages and Parts of the Church vniversall And if all other Christians could be content to keepe within these generall bounds d Erasm Epist ded ad Arch. Warhamum Praefat. 2. Tomo Epift. S. Hieron speaking of the Apostles Creed faith Nunquam suit sincer or castiorque Christiana fides quà m cùm vnoillo eoque breuissiino Symbolo contentus esset Orbis Vide eundem in Praefat. ad Hilar. in Paracles ad Lector ante Edit N. T. an 1519. Bafil the wofull Schismes and ruptures of Christendome worthy to be lamented with teares of bloud might the more easily bee healed and all the Disciples of the Prince of peace blessedly vnited in an holy linke of Faith and Charity of Loue and Communion The piety and wisdome of Antiquity did thinke fittest to walke in this latitude and cleerely rested satisfied with the simplicity of such a Catholique confession But no bounds of reason could ever limit the vnbounded extravagancies and excesses of the Court of Rome That body of faith which the Ancients thought complete enough to them seemes defectiue Therefore they haue adjoyned to that old Body many new Articles And to those twelue which the Apostles in their Creed esteemed a sufficient summary of wholsome doctrine they haue added many more in their new Romane Creed Such are for instance their Apocryphall Scriptures and vnwritten dogmaticall Traditions their Transubstantiation and dry Communion their Purgatory Invocation of Saints Worship of Images Latine Service traffique of Indulgences and shortly all the other new Doctrines and Decrees canonized in their late Synod of Trent These and the like very vaine imaginations our Mistaker calls the prime and maine points of Christian Religion Let him but change Christian Religion as his faction hath done into the Romane faith and he saies true hee is not mistaken Vpon these and the like new Articles is all the contestation betweene the Romanists and Protestants while they are obtruded on the one side as vndoubted verities and on the other side reiected as humane inventions cunningly devised to advance ambition and avarice without any solid ground or countenance of Scripture Reason or Antiquitie The most necessary and fundamentall truths which constitute a Church are on both sides vnquestioned and for that reason e Iunius lib. de Eccl. cap. 17. Falluntur qui Ecclesiam negant quia Papatus in eâ est D. Rain Thes 5. negat tantùm esse Catholicam vel sanum ejus membrum See the iudgment of many other of our writers in the Advertisement annexed to the Old Religion by the Reverend Bishop of Exeter The very Anabaptists grant it Fr. Johnson in his Christian plea pag. 123. learned Protestants yeeld them the name and substance of a Christian Church though extreamely f August de Donatistis Nonideo se putent sanos quia dicimus eos habere aliquid sanum De Bapt. contra Donat. lib. 1. cap. 8. defiled with horrible errors and corruptions And if they had fairely propounded their new opinions to bee discussed by the learned with reservation of liberty in iudgement conscience to themselues and others they had erred much more tolerably and much lesse disturbed the peace of the Church But they are farre from this modesty and moderation With vnsufferable tyranny the prevailing faction amongst them presses them vpon all Christians as matters of faith not only of opinion not as disputable problemes but as necessary truths hauing both canonized them in their Councell of Trent with a curse against all gaine-sayers and put them in their Creed by Pope Pius the fourth who hath obliged the whole Clergy of Rome to affirme that Creed by their subscription and solemne oath obliging also all Christians to beleeue it vnder paine of damnation In the latter ages before the Reformation though the Court of Rome by cunning and violence had subdued many noble parts of Christendome vnder her yoake yet the servitude of the Church and her misery was somewhat more supportable because these base and pernicious adjections were not yet the publique decisions or tenets of any Church but only the private conceits of the domineering faction Yet still the best learned and g Notissimae sunt querelae Bernardi Occhami Marsilis Clemangis Alvari Gersonis c. de corrupto Ecclesiae statu vide Espenc in Tit. 1. Digress â— conscientious of Europe called as loud as they could or durst for a Reformation Rome heard their complaints and h Adrian 6. PP Instruct pro Franc Cheregato in Fascic ror exper pag. 173. Sciâ—nus in hac sanctá sede aliquot jam annis multa abominanda fuisse abusus in spiritualibus excessus in mandatis omnia denique in perversum mutata Nec miâ—um si aegritudo à capite in membra à summis Pontificibus in alios iuferiores Praelatos descenderit Omnes nos id est Praelati Ecclesiastici declinavimus vnusquisque in vias suns nec fuit iam diu qui faceret-bonum non fuit vsque ad vnum Subiecimus colla summae dignitati ad deformatam eius sponsam Ecclesiam Catholicam reformandam c. Staplet Relect. Contr. 1. q. 5.
Hallier and Aurelius in two severall Volumes By them the Author of the Sponge is accused of q Idem Aurelius in libri sui titulo Hallier in Admon ad Lect. p 8. 9. 16. 24. lying ignorance and heresie of prophane scurrilitie of blasphemy and impiety of furious filthy and devillish rayling of unsufferable arrogance c. It were easy to note * The like may be seene in Bzovius and Cavellus their Abbetters about Scotus and Thomas See also Harwartus Chanceler of Bavaria his booke against Bzovius in defence of Lewis of Bavaria against the base lying slanders aspersions cast upon that Emp. by Bzovius more such examples of this Roman Charity if it were worth the while to looke after them The Protestants may well comfort themselves when they suffer under these sharpe tongues which so cruelly lash one another Now further that the Unity of Faith is not impeached nor any discord in Religion induced betweene learned men the ignorant vulgar people although they differ much in the measure of their knowledge and in the manner of their assent to divine verities it will be easily yeelded to the Mistaker And I do not thinke any learned Protestant will denie the great use of that distinction which hath ground in reason and nature betweene explicite and implicite faith for which he contends if it be rightly interpreted and all faith of what kind soever directed upon the proper Object which is holy Scripture and not the Church The best advised of his owne Catholique r Bannes in 2. 2. q. 2. art 8. §. Ultima sententia Tolet. Instruct Sacerd. lib. 4. c. 2. n. 9. ibi Victorellus annot ult Aquin. 2. 2. q. 2. Art 5. in Corp. Divines yeeld that there are some points necessary to be knowne of all sorts necessitate medii in which points implicite faith doth not suffice but expresse particular knowledge is to be joyned to the assent of faith in all them that will be saved This granted we will yeeld that in other s espencaeus in 2. Tim. c. 3. dig 17. p. 119. edit Paris 1564. Alia certè credibilia implicitè in animi praeparatione credant populares quatenus parati sunt credere quicquid Scriptura continet explicitè credituri quum quid eis constiterit in fidei doctrina tradi contineri in secundariis inquam credendis sive in iis quae fidei objecta per accidens vocantur In subtilibus item considerationibus In istis fides simplicium velata atque implicita valeat sufficiátque In iis autem quae fidei per se sunt objecta per quae nimirum homines justi beatÃque fiunt quales sunt superbenedictae Trinitatis incarnation isque Dominicae articuli definitâ opus est adultis explicitâ fide nec sufficeret decantata hodie per Catholicos carbonarii fides matters of great difficulty and not of such absolute necessity a generall infolded or virtuall beleife may suffice to some persons who either want capacity or meanes of better instruction so as they diligently and conscionaby endevour to encrease their knowledge not affecting ignorance and withall carry an humble preparation of mind to beleive distinctly and particularly any truth when it is cleered unto them out of the word of God In this case that of S. Augustin t Contra Epist Fundam cap. 4. is most true not the vivacity or quicknesse of understanding but the simplicity of beleiving doth make the common sort of people most safe In some sence the faith of the best learned Clerkes in the world may truly be said to be an implicite faith For though the assent of faith be more certaine if it be possible then that of sence or science or demonstration because it rests on divine Authority which cannot possibly deceive yet is it also an assent inevident and obscure both in regard of the object which are things u Heb. 11. 1. that do not appeare and in respect of the subject the eye of faith in this state of mortality being dimme and apprehending heavenly things as through w 1. Cor. 13. 12. a glasse darkly Our faith is not yet x 2. Cor. 5. 7. 1. Pet. 1. 8. sight or vision till we be in our heavenly Country And therefore though any faithfull man may apprehend the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the revelation of God in Scripture that the Mysteries of our Religion the Trinity the Hypostaticall union and the like are divine and true yet no faithfull man can fully comprehend the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reason or manner how these Mysteries are true Here y Orig. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 1. proaem Sancti Apostoli fidem Christi praedicantes quae cunque necessaria omnibus credentibus crediderunt manifestissimè tradiderunt rationem assertionum relinquentes inquitendam De aliis dixerunt quidem quia sint quomodo autem aut undè sint siluerunt Cyrill Hieros Catech. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret. de provid lib. 10. sub fin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith for beares all curious and bold inquisitions and requires not any distinct knowledge but sits downe involved in an humble and devout ignorance leaving these secrets only to God The things which we dislike in the doctrine of implicite faith as it is delivered by some Roman D Drs are specially two 1. They teach that implicite faith alone and of it selfe may suffice to salvation without any distinct knowledge or explicite faith of any Article in the Creed This is the doctrine of many a Parisiensis Altisiodorensis Summa Rosella fi fides adhibenda fit BanniÌ„ in 2. 2. qu. 2. A. 8. §. Secundâ sententiâ Richardus Mediavill Soto Vega apud Lorin in Act. 10. 2. learned Writers in the Church of Rome if others do them no wrong who hold that it is not necessary to beleive any Article of the faith expressely no not in this time of grace after the cleere publication of the Gospell but that it is enough to beleive all which the Church beleeves So as if a man be demanded whether Christ were borne of a virgine or whether God be one and three in Persons he may answere I cannot tell but I beleive all that the Church beleives and this faith may justifie and save him The modell of this faith is that confession of the Catholique Collier so much memorated and applauded by b Hofius Pighius Staphylus and his Translator Stapleton them as a very good faith and the safest way of beleiveing yea more safe then the meditation and exercise of the Scripture 2. They make this implicite faith to rest it selfe not on the Scripture the onely foundation and rule of faith but on the Church still meaning by the Church not the Church Catholique or any sound member of it but onely the Church of Rome that is the Pope assisted with some few of his Cardinalls and Prelats Wherein the Church of Rome manifestly aimes
qu. 2. punct 4. in fin Articuli fidei in Symbolo contenti sunt veluti prima principia fidei Christianae in quibus continetur summa Euangelicae doctrinae quam omnes tenenrur explicitè credere Ita judicant Sancti Patres quum affirmant ab Apostolis compositum esse illud Symbolum fidei ur omnes haberent brevem summam corum quae sunt credenda sparsim continentur in Scripturis Gregory of Valence The Articles of the Creed are the first principles of Christian doctrine wherein the summe of the Gospell is comprized which all are bound expressely to beleive So say the Ancient Fathers that this Creed was framed by the Apostles to the end that all Christians might have a short abridgement of those things that must be beleeved f Vinc. Filiucius Moral Quaest Tract 22. c. 2. num 34. Nulla brevior accommodatior assignari potest regula in Ecclesia unde scire possunt fideles quaenam credenda sint populo Christiano explicitè eâ quae continetur in Symbolo cujus Articuli sunt prima rudimenta fidei Vincentius Filiucius There cannot be assigned a shorter and fitter rule of faith in the Church by which Christian people may be instructed in matters to be explicitely beleived then that which is contained in the Apostles Creed the Articles whereof are the first rudiments of our faith g Puteanus in 2. 2. Qu. 2. Art 3. Dub. ult Concl. ult Ideo Symbolum hoc fuit ab Apostolis compositum ut Christiani formam aliquam haberent quâ possent se Catholicos profiteri Ita D. Th. art 5. qu. hujus Puteanus late professor at Tholouse This Creed was made by the Apostles purposely that Christians might by this forme of faith professe themselves to be truly Catholiques as Aquinas here saith The great Cardinall of France h Instruction du Chrestien Leçon premiere Le Symbole des Apostres est le sommaire l'abbregé qu' ils ont faict de la foy necessaire au Chrestien Ces saincts personnages ayant receu commandement de Jesus Christ de s' espandre par tout le monde pour y prescher l'Evangile y planterla foy de toutes parts estimerent qu'il estoit du tout necessaire de reduire en abbregé ce que tout Chrestien doit sçavoir à fin que separiez en diverses parties du monde iâ—â— preschassent vne mesme chose ce d'autant plus aisé à retenir qu' elle seroit reduitte à peu Pour cét effect ils appellerent cét abbregé Symbole qui signifie marque signe parce qu' il leur servoit de marque pour distinguer les vrays Chrestiens qui l'embrassoient des infidelles quila rejettoient Richelieu in his Homelies published for the instruction of his Diocesse The Apostles Creed is the abridgement of that faith which is necessary for a Christian For those holy persons being by the commandement of Iesus Christ to disperse themselves over the world and in all parts by preaching the Gospell to plant the faith esteemed it very necessary to reduce into a short summe all that which Christians ought to know and believe to the end that being separated in diverse quarters of the earth they might all jointly preach one and the same faith in a forme short and briefe that it might be the better remembred Therefore they called this abridgemeÌ„t the Symbole that is a marke or signe which might serve to distinguish true Christians which embraced it from Infidels and misbeleevers It were easie to multiply testimonies to this effect out of their late ancient Schoole-Doctors if it were not tedious All agree that the Creed briefly comprehends all fundamentall principles or rudiments of faith that it is a distinctive note or Character severing Orthodox beleevers from Infidels and Heretiques that it is a full perfect and sufficient summary of the Catholique faith And their judgement herein seemes full of reason For how can it be necessary for any Christian to haue more in his Creed then the Apostles had and the Church of their times May the Church of after ages make the narrow way to heaven narrower then our Saviour left it Shall it be a fault to streiten and encomber the Kings high way with publique nuisances and is it lawfull by adding new Articles to the faith to retrench any thing from the latitude of the King of Heavens high way to eternall happinesse The yoke of Christ which he said was easie may it justly be made heavier by the Governours of the Church in after ages The Apostles professe they revealed to the Church the i Act. 20. 27. whole Counsell of God keeping backe nothing needfull for our salvation what tyranny then to impose any new unnecessary matters on the faith of Christians especially as the late Popes have done under that high commanding forme Qui non crediderit damnabitur If this may be done why then did our Saviour reprehend the Pharisees so sharpely for k Mat. 23. 4. binding heavy burdens and laying them upon mens shoulders And why did he teach them that in l Mat. 15. 30. vaine they worshipped God teaching for doctrines mens traditions And why did the Apostles call it a m Act. 15. 10. tempting of God to lay those things upon the neckes of Christians that were not necessary It is true to guard the depositum committed to her charge and to defend it and every part of it from the incursion of heretiques and to maintain the ancient sence of it against their new and adulterate glosses the Church hath authority and hereto shall not faile of assistance But to adde to it is high presumption almost as great as to detract from it All that can be replyed to this discourse is this that the whole faith of those times is not contain'd in the Apostles Creed which is all one as if a man should say This is not the Apostles Creed but a part of it For the Apostles and the Church of their times in giving it this name doe they not plainly tell us that the summe and substance of their Credenda is comprized in it For to call it Creed and to leave out of it any necessary Article of faith what had it been but to deceive the world The Ancient Church appointing her Infants to be instructed for matter of beleefe n De consecrdist 4. can Ante viginti Symbolum Baptizandos Nonliceat onely in the Creed admitting her Catechumens upoÌ„ their professioÌ„ of the Creed to baptisme into the nuÌ„ber of the faithfull exacting of strangers the same profession before they could be received into the CoÌ„munion of Catholiques did she not by all this evidently declare her judgement that the profession of this Creed and these Articles alone was an absolute profession of the Catholique faith Nay whereas the laudable custome of the Catholique Church required that each new o Marcus Ephesius in Concil Florent Sess
salutis humanae anted non portiuncula aliqua fidei nostrae sed quòd Dominus noster in Ecclesia neminem voluit sexus utriusque ignorare Novatianus de Trin. cap. 1. 9. Symbolum regula est veritatis cap. 29. fidei auctoritas Maximus Taurin Homil. de tradit Symboli Signaculum Symboli inter fideles perfidósque secernit Petr. Chrysol Sermon 59. Est placitum fidei pactum gratiae salutis Symbolum Caelestin Episc Rom. in Epist ad Nestorium citante Ioanne Foroliviensi Episcopo in Concil Florent sess 10. Quis unquam non dignus est anathemate judicatus vel adiiciens vel detrahens fidei in Symbolis contentae Plenè enim ac manifestè tradita nobis ab Apostolis nec augmentum nec imminutionem requirunt Bessarion Nicaenus Concil Flor. sess 8. pag. 464. edit Bin. ult Sacro Symbolo nihil est addendum quia in Ecclesia locum obtinet principii ac fundamenti fidei nostrae Marcus Ephesius ibid. sess 3. pag. 431. Arbitramur nihil omissum esse a Patribus in Symbolo fidei neque omnino positum esse quicquam manoâ—m quod correctione aut additamento indigeat Et haec est potissimâ— schismatis inter Graecos Latinósque causa praecipientibus Patribus aullum aliud Symbolum esse unquam recipiendum nec esse quicquam addendum vel detrahendum quòdilli omnia satis complexi sunt Andraeas Rhodi Archiepi scopus Latinus ibid. sess 7. pag. 451. Ad illud quod aiebat Dominus Ephesius Symbolum esse perfectum perfecto nihil posse addi respondemus perfection sumi dupliciter vel quoad fidem vel quoad explanationem Et quidem quoad fidem Symbolum esse perfectissimum nec indigere additamento quoad explanationem verò non suisse satis propter haereses quae erant emersurae Augustine to young novices You must know that the Creed is the foundation of the Catholique faith and of the Church laid by the hands of the Apostles and Prophets My margine will adde some more to this cloud of Witnesses and fully make good my word that the Fathers here come in with full consent And now our Mistaker hath his Catalogue of fundamentalls recommended to him by such reason and authorities as I presume will satisfie his longing and content him If so then he is satisfied both for the question which be fundamentalls and for the state of our Church that we agree in fundamentalls If this please him not then it will be in his choice whether he will reject the constant opinion of his owne DDrs and the old Fathers or show us some way how they and he dissenting herein from them may be reconciled If he reject them and their opinion we shall be content to be condemned by him together with the Fathers and his owne Brethren If he approve the perfection of the Creed with them he may be pleased to make answer to his owne objections which if he will calmely consider he may happily finde to be but weake and of small moment His Objections are In the Creed there is no mention 1. of the Canon of Scripture 2. or of the number and nature of the Sacraments 3. or of Iustification whether it be by faith or by works 4. That Doctrine of devills 1. Tim. 4. 1. forbidding marriage and meates is not there condemned 5. Lastly the sence of diverse Articles is questioned as that of the Descent into hell and the other of the Catholique Church Therefore the Creed is no perfect rule of faith Answer To the first The Creed is an abstract or abridgement of such necessary doctrines as are delivered in Scripture or collected out of it and therefore needs not expresse the authority of that which it supposes These Articles are principles which are proved by Scripture the Scripture it self a principle which needs no proofe amongst Christians The Creed containes onely the materiall object of faith or the things which must be beleived expressely according to Scripture The Scripture is further the formall object of faith or the motive and ground whereupon faith is founded being as Philosophers say of light in regard of the sight both the objectum quod in respect of the things therein revealed and objectum quo in respect of that divine verity and authority which reveales them Although the Nicene Fathers in their Creed confessing that the holy Ghost spake by the Prophets do thereby sufficiently avow the divine Authority of all Canonicall Scripture To the 2. we say 1. That the Sacraments are to be reckoned rather among the Agenda of the Church then the Credenda they are rather divine rites and ceremonies then doctrines 2. For their numbers the Mistaker who hath so little moderation as to thinke his Seaven fit matter for the Creed shall be answered in the words of a o Examen pacifique Ch. 1. pag. 22. Prenantce mot de Sacrement propremeÌ„t S. Aug. dit de Doctr. Chr. li. 3. ca. 9. qu'il ny en a que deux a sçauoir le Baptesme l'Eucharistie Dauantage c'est vne phrase coÌ„mune parmy nous Catholiques de dire que tous les Sacremens sont coulez du coste de nostre Seigneur Or ne coula de son costé que sang eau Ce que representoit selon l'interpretation de Chrysostome Cyrill autres anciens les deux Sacrements de l'Eglise a sçauoir le Baptesme parl'eau le calice de l'Eucharistie par le sang Et nos Docteurs Catholiques ne font autre responce a ceci si non que ces deux sacremens on t quelque dignité par dessus les autres qui n'est autre chose si non dire qu'ily a deux Sacremens principaux plusieur sinferieurs Ce qui est demesme que les Huguenots disent mais en diuers termes eux disans qu'il ny en a que deux proprement nous qu'il ny en a que deux principalement nous disons aussi qu'il y en a plusieurs inferieurs eux qu'il y en a aussi plusieurs si nous parlons des Sacremens â—â— la signification generale Car Calvin dit que l'ordre est vn Sacrement Melancthon ditle mesme y adjouste la penitence Bref ils dironâ— qu'il y en a sept mais non pas seulement sept de fait il ny a aucun des Anciens Peres qui aye iamais trouue ce nombre de sept moderate Roman Catholique Takeing the word Sacrament properly S. Augustin saith there are but two to wit Baptisme and the Lords Supper And it is a common saying among us Catholiques that all the Sacraments flowed from the side of our Lord. Now there came from his side onely bloud and water which represented according to the interpretation of Chrysostome Cyrill and others of the Ancients the two Sacraments of the Church Baptisme by water and the Chalice in the Eucharist by bloud To which our Catholique Doctors give no other
WANT OF CHARITIE Iustly charged ON ALL SVCH ROMAnists as dare without truth or modesty affirme that Protestancie destroyeth Salvation In Answer to a late Popish Pamphlet intituled Charity Mistaken c. By Christopher Potter D. D. Chaplaine to his Maty in Ordinarie and Provost of Queenes Colledge in Oxford OXFORD Printed by the Printers to the University 1633. TO OVR MOST GRATIOVS AND MOST Religious Soveraigne King Charles c. Dread Soveraigne AMongst the many excellent Vertues which have made your Maties Person so deare to God and so precious in the eyes of all your good People the most eminent is your Piety which gloriously shines in the innocency of your Life in the constancy of your Devotions in the justice and mildenesse of Your blessed Government and especially in your tender cares thoughts for the conservation of true Religion and of the Peace of the Church in this crazy quarelling Age. This Piety in your Maty gives me the boldnesse humbly to lay at your Foote this unworthy Piece and the boldnesse also to hope that your Maty will graciously accept it Both because it was undertaken in obedience to your Maties particular Commandement and because in it I plead as well as my Weakenesses will permit for the Faith and Charity of our Church against the Faction of Rome who very falsely pretending to Truth and Vnitie are indeed the true Authors and Continuers of the miserable Schismes of Christendome If here in I have done any acceptable service to God and his Church and to your Maty I have my desire The Father of Mercies crowne Your Maty with all the comforts and Benedictions of Heaven and Earth and continue long the happines of these Your Fortunate Islands in the holinesse and health of their Gratious Soveraigne Your Majesties humble Servant and Chaplaine Ch. Potter Reader THis Answer had beene publique some Moneths agoe if it had not beene delayed partly by sicknesse and the indisposition of my Body and of my Minde also which was ever averse from Contentions in Divinity and now rather desirous to spend in Devotion the few and evill dayes of my life that remaine and partly out of the hope I had to see a second Edition of the Mistakers Work which the strong report of that Part promised or rather threatned But that hope failing and being loath to seeme to faile in my Observance I now commend it such as it is to the blessing of God and to the use and judgement of the Church My Answers without further affectation are true and modest I speake to the Cause not to the Person VVhosoever the Mistaker be he hath my pitty and my prayers He thinkes unworthily of Truth that beleeves it to have need of our Passions My desire is all Personall Defects may be charged on my Selfe none on the Cause I haue not followed the Mistaker in all his wandrings But let Him not take that for a pretext of clamour For if He will be ingenuous He must confesse that I have not omitted without Answer any one thing of moment in all his Discourse Or if He will not Our Readers will confesse it I have onely neglected his repetitions declamatory and injurious speeches and the like impertinencies which being set apart the true Summary of the rest is this that followes Charitie mistaken Chapt. 1. 2. ROman Catholiques judge that Protestancie unrepented of destroyes Salvation For this judgment the Protestants charge them with want of Charity This charge saith the Mistaker is 1. improbable 2. untrue 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 Captives providing for Orphanes c. and to their soules by converting of Heretiques and Infidels by teaching the ignorant by directing the scrupulous with books of Cases of Conscience c. Charitable to very Protestants their heresies are onely condemned and it is not said that they sin against the Holy Ghost because they may be converted to the faith reconciled to the Church and so may be saved Answer Sect. 1. SOme Roman Catholiques judge charitably of the Reformed Iesuiters furious and destructive in their censures against all that are not of their faction That Faction infamous for their cruelties charged with want of Charity not the Catholique Church The Catholique Church and the Romane ignorantly or cunningly confounded The Catholique truly and really charitable and so the English but not so the Romane not to her owne Children especially not to Protestants Of whom the Mistaker and Others speake and thinke no better then of Infidels Though we entirely professe and embrace the Catholique Faith in all the parts of it Charity mistaken Cap. 3. 4. 2. VNtrue The former judgement proceeds not frō want of Charity but from truth Which may appeare by these grounds of truth which follow 1. Almighty God hath founded but one Church and ordained but one Religion wherin he will be served and out of the communion of this one Church there is no salvation This Vnity of the Church is proved by many testimonies of Scripture and by the consent of the Fathers of the East and West And it is likewise proved by the same authorities that out of the Communion of this One Church salvation cannot be obtained Wherefore all Heretiques and Schismatiques being out of this Church Communion must needs eternally perish Answer Sect. 2. OF the Vnity of the Church VVherein it consists How it is violated Each discord in Opinion dissolves not the Vnity of Faith The Communion of the Church in what sence and how farre necessary Charity mistaken Chap. 6. 2. THis Vnity is directly broken betweene Roman Catholiques and Protestants who are not both Professors of this One Religion or members of this One Church For they differ in prime and maine points of Faith in which the Reformers have departed frō the Church Besides the Protestants are not at Vnity among themselves and therefore much lesse with Romane Catholiques Their bitter contentions speeches one against another declare them to be of different Churches and Religions Whence it followes that Roman Catholiques and Protestants are not both saveable in their contrary wayes Anwer Sect. 3. THe true difference betweene the Roman and Reformed Parts of the Church Protestants have rejected nothing but Popery that is corrupt superadditions to the Faith confessed by learned Romanists to be doubtfull and unnecessary novelties Errors and Abuses of Rome reformed by us without Schisme Those errors damnable how and to whom Of the dissentions of Protestants among themselves They differ not in any point fundamentall Charity mistaken Cap. 6. FVrthermore the Protestants are properly Heretiques at least if not Infidells Heretiques because they reject and disobey the judgement of the Catholique Church For it is not the matter or quality of the doctrine but the pride of the man who prefers his owne opinions before the
Mystag Miss Muzarab in Bibl. P P. Colon Tom. 15. p. 787. Diâ—nys Eccl. Hier cap. 7. Church in her Liturgies remembred all those that slept in hope of the Resurrection of everlasting life and particularly the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors Bishops Fathers such as led a solitary life and all Saints beseeching God to giue vnto them rest and to bring them at the Resurrection to the place where the light of his countenance should shine vpon them for evermore Signifying by this Memorial their faith as t Vbi supra St Epiphanius hath it that the departed are aliue and subsisting with the Lord and their hope of them as of those that bee from home in another country and that at length they shall attaine the state which is more perfect Some particular Doctors had in these matters particular opinions which must be severed from the generall sentiment and customes of the Church which to this day are conserved in the Greeke u Vide Marci Ephesii Episc Epist encyclicam Churches notwithstanding the pretended Vnion in this and other points at the late Councell of Florence This ancient observation of the Church we condemne not Wee say prayers are to be made for all that are departed in the true faith of Christ that is first Thanksgiuing that they are deliuered from the body of death and miseries of this sinfull world Secondly Requests of Gods mercy that they may haue their perfect consummation in body and soule in the kingdome of God at the last iudgement The Roman writers vtterly condemne the former doctrine and practise of Antiquity z Azor. Instit moral tom 1. c. 20. lib. 8. See of this matter the learned Primate of Armagh in his defence against the Iespite One of them feares not to censure it as absurd and impious By this the Mistaker may feele his errour and see that it is not the Protestants but his owne Doctors that agree with the old Heretique Aerius The vnity of the Church is nothing hindred by diversity of opinions in doubtfull matters It is a great vanity to hope or expect that all learned men in this life should absolutely consent in all the pieces and particles of divine truth The light whereby wee see in this state of mortality is very feeble and very different in regard of the good spirits illumination the capacities of men and their diligences in study prayer and other meanes of knowledge So long as the a Iud. 3. faith once deliuered to the Saints is earnestly contended for and kept entire that is the b Tit. 1. 4. common faith of Christians containing all Catholique and necessary verities so long as men c Phil. 3. 15. 16. walke according to this rule charitably though in other things they be otherwise minded the Church is but one her vnity no way violated For this vnity consists in the vnity of faith not of opinions and in an vnion of mens hearts and affections by true Charity which will easily compound or tolerate all vnnecessary differences Factious and fiery Spirits kindle and fly asunder on small occasions but among wise men each discord in Religion dissolues not the vnity of faith or Charity Points of Religion are well distinguished by d Aqu. 22. q. 2. art 56 q. 29. art 3. ad 2. Thomas and e Staplet dupl lib. 1. c. 12. n. 3. Rel. c. 1. qu. 3. art 6. notab 1. 2. Licet vtile est de rebus difficilibus in Ecclesia aliter atque aliter disputare nec hoc vnitatem violat sed veritatem illustrat Stapleton Some say they are primitiue Articles of the substance of Religion essentiall in the obiect of faith dissention in these is pernicious and destroyes vnity Others are secondary probable accidentall or obscure points wherein the oppositions and disputations of learned men proceeding modestly are tolerable and sometime profitable for finding out the truth Vnity in these matters is very contingent and variable in the Church now greater now lesser never absolute in all particles of truth And therefore those ancient Worthies the Fathers of the Church as they were most zealous to defend even with their blood to the least iot or title the rule of faith as they called it or the Creed of Christians or as the Scripture calls it the f 2. Tim. 1 13. forme of wholesome words the g Heb. 6. 1. 5. 12. Principles of the oracles of God or of the doctrine of Christ so againe they were most charitable to allow in other things beside or without the faith a great latitude and liberty As in a musicall consort a discord now and then so it bee in the descant and depart no tfrom the ground sweetens the harmony So the variety of opinions or of h Firmilianus ap Cypr. epist 7 5. num 5. August ep 86 Socrat. Hist lib. 5. cap. 21. rites in partes of the Church doth rather commend then prejudice the vnity of the whole Indeed in the multitude of opinions there is but one truth but among sundry truths there is but one necessary to salvation that wherein the holy Scriptures as the Apostle saith are able to make vs wise by 2 Tim. 3. 15. the faith in Christ Iesus The keeper of this truth and of the Scriptures in which it is treasured is the Church not of one City but the Catholique Church that is the fellowship of Saints dispersed through the whole World And it is not in deepe or difficult questions but in this necessary faith or truth wherein the Fathers alleadged by the Mistaker justly require an exact and perfect vnity among Catholique Christians To be ignorant of this faith or to erre in it though vnwarily is dangerous but to corrupt or contradict any part of it though but in a word or syllable of moment is damnable The difference betweene the Arrians and the Catholiques was but in one letter the least in the Alphabet yet never was the Church troubled with a more pernicious heresy And many times the addition or alteration of one word or two in the confession of faith had reconciled the Eunomians Photinians Sabellians Macedonians c. with the Catholiques But in this case for the Catholiques to yeeld in a word or syllable had beene to yeeld their cause and to betray the truth Therefore worthily and truly said k Basil 〈◊〉 apud Theodoret Hist l. 4. c. 17. S. Basil to the officer of Valens the Arrian Emperour not a syllable of divine doctrine must be betrayed For though Faith be sound in other respects yet one word saith l Naz. Tract de fide S. Greg. Nazianzen as truly like a drop of poison may taint and corrupt it and as m Hier. Apol 3. adv Ruff. cap. 7. S. Hierome for such a word contrary to this faith are Heretiques justly cast out of the Church But though faith be kept entire yet if Charity be wanting the vnity of the Church is
Equals the acts and vnion of Charity because they deny what they owe not to her their subiection and seruice this is an vnsufferable and schismaticall arrogance whereof the Church of Rome hath now for many ages beene deepely guilty Many other things are said against vs but surely the most capitall r Valent. in Th. 2. 2. Tom. 3. disp 1. qu. 1. punct 7. in explic quaest § Quibus amnibus Omninò verè Orthodoxè docetur ad Summum Pontificem pertinere explicationem editionem Symboli fidei id est eorum quae à fid elibus credi debent Quae veritas vsque adeo continet summam caput totius Christianae Religionis vt nemo Catholicus esse possit qui illam non amplectatur neque vllus sit Haereticus qui illam non neget Id. ibid. punct 7. §. 40. Postremo idipsum Ab exordio Ecclesiae constat controuersias omnes de religione motas ex D. Petri Cathedrâ fuisse judicatas eosquo tandem solos communi Ecclesiae judicio Haereticos esse habitos qui repugnârint definitioni ejus Cathedrae Heresy Schisme of Greekes Protestants c. is that they refuse to bee commanded and gouerned by him who will needs be perpetuall Dictator at Rome and from thence giue lawes to all the world Communion with the Catholique Church may bee distinguished and measured according to those different degrees of vnion which men may haue with Christ for vpon this vnion that communion is founded Christ may bee considered either as a King or Ruler in regard of the whole visible militant Church or as a Sauiour and Head in regard of his mysticall body or his true spirituall members Among the Kings liege people that liue in outward obedience to his Lawes some carry in secret euill and disloyall affections to him others loue and obey him with th◠heart So it is with our Lord. All tha◠liue within the pale of the Church professe to honour him as their Prince and Gouernour euen though they deny th◠power of godlinesse by hypocrisy o◠dissolution others constantly and vnfainedly serue him in all the duties of holinesse He rules them all as King they are his Subiects but he is a Sauiour onely to these latter who liue and dye in hi◠true faith and feare who are therefore liuing members of his mysticall body to whom he communicates by his Spirit effectuall graces spirituall motion and eternall life This blessed Company is said in Scripture s Col. 2. 19. to hold the head and is called t Heb. 12. 23. the Church of the first born who are written in heauen and u Gal. 4. 20. the Mother of vs all When some of the Ancients speake of the Catholique Church w Clem. Alexandr Strom. lib. 7. pag. 514. edit Heinsianae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iterum in fin libr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origen contr Cels lib. 6. p. 318. Geaec. Haeschel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isidor Pelus lib. 2. Epist 246. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aug. de Bapt. cont Donat. lib. 5. cap. 27. Ecclesiam veram intelligere non audeo nisi in sanctis justis Et sic passim many times they vnderstand it in a strict notion onely for this fellowship of the Saints as it containes all and onely them that haue spirituall vnion and communion with Christ as their Sauiour When Saint Cyprian compares the Church to Noahs Arke the paraleil runnes most fully and properly on the Church in this sence For of the Arke and this Church it is true whosoeuer is without is saued whosoeuer is without perisheth neither of which perhaps is truly said of any visible Church And thus x 1 Pet. 3. 21. S. Peter seemes to apply that similitude and sayes the Arke was a type or representation of the inward Baptisme or the Lauer of regeneration wherein the sprinkling of Christs blood purges the conscience and saues the soule Communion then with this Church is no lesse necessary to Saluation then vnion with Christ nor can he haue God for his Father who hath not this Church for his Mother Which Sentence S. Cyprian the Author y Epist ad Pompeium vses not of the Church of Rome as the Mistaker seemes to beleeue but where he vehemently disputes against it Whosoeuer either wilfully opposes any Catholique veritie maintained by this Church or the Catholique visible Church as doe Heretiques or peruersly diuides himselfe from the Catholique communion as doe Schismatiques the condition of both these is damnable The Scriptures and Fathers cited here by the Mistaker proue this and no more and therefore proue nothing against Protestants who neuer denied it We deny that * What this importeth see the next §. pag. 58. Popery is any part of the Catholique Church or maintaines any one Catholique verity We deny also that Protestants are in any degree dislinked from the Catholique Church or from the Church of Rome it selfe or from any Church or Christian on earth so farre as they communicate with the Catholique The contrary is easily and vsually affirmed but not so easily proved by firme and conuincing Arguments Charity Mistaken Cap 6. 2. THis unity is directly broken betweene Romane Catholiques and Protestants who are not both professors of this one Religion or members of this one Church For they differ in prince and maine points of faith in which the Reformers haue departed from the Church The Protestants are not at unitie among themselues and therefore much lesse with Roman Catholiques Their bitter contentions and speeches one against another declare them to be of different Churches and Religions And hence it followes that R. Catholiques and Protestants are not both saueable in their contrary waies Answer Sect. 3. THe true difference betweene the Romane and Reformed Parts of the church Protestants haue rejected nothing but Poperie that is corrupt superadditions to the faith confessed by learned Romanists to be doubtfull vnnecessary novelties Errors and Abuses of Rome reformed by vs without Schisme Those errors damnable how and to whom Of the dissentions of Protestants among themselues They differ not in any point fundamentall THe a See D. Abbot True ancient Romane Catholique Ch. 2. p. 81. Ch. 3. §. 3. p. 111. p. 113. 114. Protestants never intended to erect a new Church but to purge the old the Reformation did not change the substance of Religion but onely cleansed it from corrupt impure qualities We preach no new faith but the same Catholique faith that ever hath beene preached Whatsoever is good and true in the Roman profession we approue Wee haue abandoned nothing but Popery which is no branch of Religion but the shame and staine of it nor any part of the Church but a contagion or plague in it which dangerously affected the whole body though by Gods great mercy the vitall parts kept out the poison Naaman was still the same man before and after he was cured of his ieprosie
sufficient to salvation and giue direction sufficient to every good Christian both for his knowledge and for his practise teaching him what to beleeue and how to liue so as he may be saued For Knowledge first it is confessed a very small measure of explicite knowledge is of absolute necessity Some a Apud Greg. de Val. Tom. 3. in Aqu. disp 1. qu. 2. punct 4. v. 10. Bergomens Concordant Contrad dub 419 Schoolemen thinke it needfull to beleeue only so much of the Creed concerning Christ as the Church solemnizeth in her Holidaies his Incarnation Passion Resurrection c. Some require an explicite beliefe of the whole Apostles Creed And some which goe highest adde to that the Nicen and Athanasian to make a compleat belieuer The Iesuite b Vbi supr◠Valentia mislikes this last imposition as too rigorous and seemes most to encline to the first most moderate opinion And c De verb. Dei lib. 4. cap. 11. initio Bellarmine is confident that the Apostles never vsed to preach openly to the people other things then the Articles of the Apostles Creed the ten commandements and some of the Sacraments because saith he these are simply necessary and profitable for all men the rest besides such as that a man may bee saved without them Thus for matter of beliefe Now secondly for matter of practise they cannot except against any part of the publique service of God in our Leiturgy They will grant I suppose that God may be worshipped without an image nay that the interior and spirituall worship is most acceptable to him that a Christian may comfortably and with successe call vpon God alone by the only mediation of Christ seeing the d Sancti caeperunt coli in Ecclesià Vniversali non tam lege aliquâ quam consuetudine Bellarm. de SS Beat. lib. 1. cap. 8. §. vlt. worship and invocation of Saints was brought into the Church rather by custome then any precept that inward repentance and confession of sinnes to God is of absolute necessity not so their auricular * Secret confession abstracting from the abuses of it our Church allowes and inioynes in some cases as very convenient for the comfort of afflicted consciences confession and penall workes of satisfaction that it is necessary to bee really vnited to Christ by his spirit and our faith and very comfortable to receiue both parts of the Eucharist but no way necessary to eat the flesh of Christ carnally in the Sacrament or to want the Sacrament of his bloud that those praiers must needs be most fruitfull and effectuall which are done with vnderstanding and in a knowne language that when a man hath constantly endeavoured with all his forces to obey God in all the duties of Piety and Charity yet it is not amisse for him after all this to confesse himselfe Gods vnprofitable servant and his e Bellar. de Iustif lib. 5. c. 7. §. sit 3. Propositio-Tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sold Dei misericordia benignitate reponere safest course not to trust to his owne merits but wholly and solely to cast himselfe on the mercy of God in Iesus Christ So then by the precepts and conduct of our Religion a Christian is fully instructed in all necessary points of faith and manners and directed how to liue religiously how to dy comfortably and all this without any addition of Popery and all this by the confession of Papists Hence it followes that by their owne Confession the doctrines debated are vnnecessary 3. They are also confessed Nouelties Themselues yeeld that for aboue a thousand yeares after Christ a Bellar. de Rom. Pont. lib. 4. cap 2. §. Secunda opinio the Popes judgement was not esteemed infallible nor his authority b Bellarm. de Conc. lib. 2. cap. 13. aboue that of a generall Councell the contrary being decreed in the late Councels of Constance and Basil constantly defended by the ancient Sorbon and at this day by the c Reuision du Concile de Trent liur 4. best learned in the Gailicane Church d Bellar. de Indulg lib. 2. cap. 17. That Eugenius the 3. who began his Papacy 1145. was the first that granted Indulgences e Bellar. de Sanctorum Beat. lib. 1. cap. 8. §. Dices plur Leo the 3. who liued 800. yeares after Christ the first that euer canonized any Saint That not any f Greg. de Valent. in Thom. Tom. 4. disp 6. p 2. §. Tertio prob one ancient writer reckons precisely seuen Sacraments the first g Bellar. de Sacarm lib. 2. cap. 25. Author that mentions that number being Peter Lombard and the first Councell that of Florence That transubstantiation h Scotus apud Bellarm. lib. 3. de Euchar cap. 23. was neither named nor made an Article of faith before the Councell of Laterane That Antiquity euen till these i Lombard Sent. lib. 4. c. 12. Aqu. 3. p. qu 83. art 1. in corp latter times beleeued the sacrifice in the Eucharist to bee no other but the image or commemoration of our Sauiours sacrifice on the Crosse That in k Lindan Panopl lib. 4. cap. 25. Albaspin Obseru lib 1. cap. 4. former ages for 1300. yeares the holy Cup was administred to the Lairy And diuine seruice celebrated l Nic. de Lyra. in 1. ad Cor. cap. 14. Cassand in Liturgicis cap. 28. for many ages in a knowne and vulgar Language vnderstood by the people That m Polyd. Virgil. de Inuent lib. 6. cap. 13. the Fathers generally condemned the worship of Images for feare of Idolatrie and n Azor. Moral lib. 8. cap. 26. part 1. §. Respondeo allowed yea exhorted the People with diligence to read the Scriptures Many more confessions of this kinde might be produced If now the Mistaker will suppose his Romane Church and Religion purged from these and the like confessed excesses and nouelties hee shall finde in that which remaines little difference of importance betweene vs. But by this discourse the Mistaker happily may beleeue his cause to be aduantaged and may reply If Rome want nothing essentiall to Religion or to a Church how then can the Reformers justifie their separation from that Church or free themselues from damnable Schisme For surely to separate from the communion of the Church without just and necessary cause is a Schisme very damnable All this in effect is formerly answered Yet to satisfie our Mistaker if it may be we will here further say somewhat to the point more plainly and distinctly There neither was nor can be any just cause to depart from the Church of Christ no more then from Christ himselfe But to depart from a Particular Church and namely from the Church of Rome in some doctrines and practises there might be just and necessary cause though the Church of Rome wanted nothing necessary to saluation I said signantèr in some doctrines and practises For there is great
and vehement spirit yet before his death being tempered by milde Melancthon that honour of Germany did d Admon Neustad de libro Concord cap. 6. pag. 236. much relent remit of his rigor against Zuinglius and began to approue the good counsells of peace And among the Lutherans all are not of the same intractable disposition As they in Polonia for instance e Vide Corpus Confess ibi Poloniae Consensum where the followers of Luther Calvin haue long liued together in a faire and brotherly concord communion notwithstanding their severall opinions which they still retaine Since then our discords are of no higher degree wee say as f Prudent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § vlt. concordia laesa est Sed defensa fide quin concordia sospes Germanam comitata Fidem sua vulnera ridet Prudentius a Christian Poet of the vnity of his times It hath beene a little violated but is defended by Faith her sister in whose company being safely come off shee laugheth at her wounds as being easily curable Charity mistaken Cap. 6. FVrthermore the Protestants are properly Heretiques at least if not Insidells Heretiques because they reiect and disobey the indgement of the Catholique Church For it is not the matter or quality of the doctrine But the pride of the man who prefers his owne opinioâ—s before the decrees of the Church that properly makes the Horetique The Heretiques recounted by St Austine Epiphanius and Philastrius in their Catalogues were condemned not so much for their errours which were many of them 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 obstinary of the Donatists their disobediencs to the Church made them to bee condemned for Heretiques when St Cyprian was absolued because the Church in his time had not declared her selfe And in like manner the Novatians were condemned on the same grounds Answere Sect. 4. OF the nature of Heresy The Church may declare convince an Heresy but cannot make any Doctrine Hereticall properly vnlesse it be such in the matter of it The words Heresy and Heretique very ambiguous How commonly vsed by the Auncients Of their Catalogues of Heretiques St Cyptian though erring in the point of Rebaptization justly absolued from Sohisme and Heresy The Donatists guilty of both And the Novatians of Schisme BVt though wee doe agree in the substance of Religion with all true Christian Catholiques in the world yet all this cannot winne vs the Charitable opinion of our Mistaker For notwithstanding all this he beleeues vs to be not only Heretiques but no better in effect then Infidells And hee giues his reason which he saies strikes at the roote and vnanswerably convinces His custome is to giue vs only words it is well that he offers vs reason which we shall be ever willing to heare and consider of His reason then First wee are Heretiques because in many opinions wee disobey the Church and Heresy properly consists not in the matter or quality of the false doctrine beleeued but in the pride of him that maintaines it in contempt of the Church Our faith then is defectiue because wee beleeue not all that is commaunded by the Church But 2. which is worse we haue no true faith at all no not of those things which we truly beleeue For though we firmely assent to many truths yet we doe not beleeue them vpon the only true and infallible motiue or vpon the right ground which is the revelation of God and the proposition of his Catholique Church The faith which relies not on this ground is not any true faith but only an humane opinion or perswasion Answ If wee did not dissent in some opinions from the present Romane Church wee could not agree with the Church truly Catholique But the Mistaker after his fashion is ever begging what will never bee granted or proved that his Roman Church is all one with the Catholique What Optatus said of the Donatists who arrogated to themselues alone Optat. lib. 3. the name and priviledges of the Church exclusiuely to all others the same say wee of the Popes part Vestra pars quasi Ecclesia est sed Catholica non est Their Church is truly so called in some sort being a corrupt member of the Catholique but the Catholique Church it is not The Catholique Church is carefull to ground all her declarations in matters of faith vpon the divine authority of Gods written word And therefore whosoeuer wilfully opposeth a iudgement so well grounded is iustly esteem'd an Heretique not properly because he disobeyes the Church but because hee yeelds not to Scripture sufficiently ' propounded or cleared vnto him So saith a August de Gen. ad lit lib. 7. cap. 9. Omnes Haeretici Scripturas Catholicas legunt nec ob aliud sunt Haeretioi nisi quòd eas non rectè intelligentes suas falsas opiniones contra earum veritatem pervicaciter asserunt IdeÌ„ habet Epist 222. St Austin and b Hier. in Galat. cap. 5. Haereticus est quicunque aliter Scripturam intelligit quaÌ„ sensus Spiritûs S flagitat licèt de Ecclesiâ non recesserit St Hierome expresly The best c Divinae Scripturae integra firma regula verita tis Dist 37. c. Relatum Bellarm. de verb. Dei lib. 1. c. 2. Sacra Scriptura regula credendi certissima tutissimâ—que est Gers de exam doctrin par 2. consid 1. Oper. part 1. pag. 541. Scriptura nobis tradita est tanquà m regula sufficiens infallibilis pro regimine totius Ecclesiastici corporis vsque in finem cui se non conformans alia doctrina vel abjicienda est vt haereticalis vel vt suspecta impertinens ad religionem prorsus est habenda learned in the Church of Rome confesse that the Scripture was giuen as a sufficient and infallible rule for the government of the whole Church so as any doctrine not conformable therevnto must either bee rejected as hereticall or suspected as impertinent to religion It is confessed also that the Church d Almain in 3. D. 25. q. 1. Resolutio Occham est quòd nec tota Ecclesia nec concilium generale nec summus Pontifex potest facere Articulum quod non fuit Articulus Sed in dubijs propositionibus potest Ecclesia determinare an sint Catholicae Tamen sic determinando non facit quod sint Catholicae quùm prius essent antè Ecclesiae determinationem Sic etiam Turrecremata Adrianus apud Can. lib. 12. cap. 8. Sâ—tus in 1. D. 11. q. 1. in fine In nova Haeresi veritas prius erat de side etsi non ita declarata Bonavent in 1. D. 11. A. r. q. 1. ad fin Haereâ—â—â— multa quae erant implicita fidej nostrae compulerunt explicare hath no power to make any Article of faith or to adde any thing to the doctrine of faith Her
in Religion Now he pretends there is great Unitie in doctrine among his Roman Catholiques With little reason and with as little ingenuitie For certainly if in this point we be not innocent they are much more guilty The truth is that old complaint of Optatus fits our times better then his a Lib. 5. Omnes contentiosi homines sumus there is but too much quarrelling on all sides which exposes our holy faith to the scorne of Infidells and ill beseemes them that pretend as we doe all to serve and follow the Prince of peace But sure the Romanists are not in case to fasten this reproach on us since it will reflect more strongly on themselues who have many more and more weighty Controversies among their owne Doctors then those of ours For our dissensions I have already said enough if not to justifie yet to excuse them To which I now adde by way of just recrimination that they are both for their number and in their nature of farre lesse importance then the dissensions in his Romane Church But our Mistaker answers in the behalfe of his jarring Doctors two things 1. that they differ onely in some schoole-questions of opinion not in matters of faith 2. that they dissent in iudgement onely without breach of charitie But in both the parts of this answer I shall briefly let him see that he is Mistaken His first plea is a very true and reasonable Apologie for our Reformed Churches but not so for his Romane Our controversies are none of them in the substance of faith but onely in disputable opinions not cleerly defined in Scripture wherein learned and charitable men do each one abound in his ow◠sence still keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace The summe of our faith is the same which we have received from the Apostles We have no◠added any new Articles to the Creed nor do we differ about any of the old ones But they of b Bulla Pii 4. post Concil Trident. Rome have inlarged the Creed of Christians one moity and will needs have the world to beleive many things as points of faith which at the best are but doubtfull opinions among all which there is hardly one wherein themselves do fully agree The c The new title of Cardinalls by the decre of Pope Urban Jun. 10. 1630. See it in the French Merc. Tome 16. pag. 592. most eminent Cardinall Bellarmine in his Controversies against us hath fairly confessed as hath been formerly noted that each opinion almost is controverted amongst themselves A d Contradictiones DD. Rom. Eccl. ex Rob. Bellarmino Autore Joan Pappo Argentorati Ann. 1597. Vide etiam Matthiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sectis controversiis religionis Papisticae Basil 1565. German Doctor hath collected out of Him their contradictions and set them down in his owne words to the number of 237. and withall a Catalogue of such Romane Writers as Bellarmine himselfe hath contradicted and confuted which contains the most part of Writers in his owne Church famous for learning in later ages Ioannes de Radae hath filled two grosse volumes with the contentions of the Thomists and Scotists And the Dominicans and Iesuites have filled libraries with their quarrells in the matter of Grace and Freewill wherein either side pretends the definition of the Trent Councell for their contrarie opinions It seemes that Councell like the Devill in the old Oracles hath deluded them both with ambiguous sentences Or if the definition be cleare one of the Factions doth obstinately contradict it Why doth not his Holinesse all this while interpose and give out his infallible judgment in the questions If he will not he wants charity towards his owne children if he cannot how is he the infallible Iudge Or is it rather his wary wisedome not hastily to decide Controversies wherein witty and learned men on both sides are engaged * As Widdrington and his followers have done See Widdringtons Purgation against the Popes Decree wherein he was condemned for an Heretique and no child of the Church lest in stead of changing their opinions they should fall to challenge not onely the infallibility but which were more dangerous the authority of their Iudge and in stead of reforming their owne judgement despise his The most capitall point of all others in their new Creed is that of the Popes authority and that obedience which he challenges in spirituall and temporall matters yet of all others they are most at discord among themselves about this point The old doubts are not yet resolved whether he be under or above a Generall Councell and whether he may erre in his definitive sentence some advance him with priviledges above the condition of men Others thinke more soberly of his power and are bold to resist him when they see him abuse it In the Trent Councel the Spanish Bishops stood stoutly for the independency of Episcopall authority and strongly maintained residence to be de jure divino being overborne onely with most voices by the Italian faction The Divines of Venice in the late quarrells of pope Paule the 5. against that State neglected the Popes Interdict so that he was fain with shame enough to revoke his Censures e Voiez la Declaration de l' Assemblee Generale du Clergé de France An. 1625. Very lately the Bishops of France have brought the Regulars of that Kingdome under their jurisdiction notwithstanding their exemptions by the Pope And whereas his Flatterers tell him that he hath either directly as f Carerius Bosius c. some say or indirectly as g Bell. c. others to the same purpose a Tempor all Monarchy over all the earth that all Princes are his vassals and may be deposed when he thinkes fitt that he may dispense with subjects for their oath of Allegeance and license them to take armes against their Soveraignes Many good Catholiques detest these damnable doctrines and have h Barclay Withrington The Divines of Venice confuted them as tending to bring ruine and confusion on all states and in France the seditious bookes of Mariana Bellarmine Becanus Suarez Santarellus and such like containing these horrible Maximes of the Society have been cast into the fire by the hand of the publique Hangman But among their discords there is none more memorable or of greater consequence then that of the two Popes Sixtus 5. and Clement 8. about their vulgar See Dr James his Bellum Papale and Cortuptions of the Fathers part 3. Latin Bibles When the Councell of Trent declared that Translation only to be authenticall there were abroad in the World above 60. severall Editions of it each differing from other Which Sixtus taking into consideration with great diligence and advise of many Cardinals he compared the Copies and out of them all published one which he straitly commanded to be received as the onely true Vulgar by a solemne Bull abolishing all others which did not exactly ad verbum and ad
the best learned Romanists and by Antiquity The Mistakers exceptions to the contrary answered As also his expections against the confession of the Church of England The conclusion IN humane Sciences the great Philosopher hath taught us a Analyt Poster lib. 1. c. 2. to distinguish betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 principles and conclusions The first principles are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maximes so cleare by their owne light that they can not be proved nor denyed or doubted of by any man that understands the Termes wherein they are propounded In the bosome as it were of these principles lurke innumerable conclusions which must be deduced and drawne out by the helpe of Discourse some of them issuing out immediately and evidently others obscurely and by a long circuit of consequences and are either certaine or onely probable according as they approach nearer to the principle or are further off removed In like manner that there be diverse degrees of truthes and errors in Religion which necessarily must be distinguished is a thing acknowledged by all learned men even in the Church of Rome expect our Mistaker will have himselfe excepted b 2. 2. qu. 2. art 5. in Corp. Dicendum quòd fidei objectum perse est id per quod homo beatus efficitur Per accidens aut secundariò se habent ad objectum fidei omnia quae in sacra Scriptura continentur sicut quòd Abraham habuit Aquinas having divided the object of faith into that which is so by it selfe that which is by accident and secundarily defines the First to be that whereby a man is made blessed and saved the Latter that which is revealed whatsoever it be as that Abraham had two sonnes and David was the sonne of Iesse c. c Dialog part 1. lib. 2. cap. 2. Occham sets downe three differences of verities to be beleeved Some touching God and Christ whereon principally depends our Salvation Non direct è sed indirect è quodammodo ad salutem humani generis pertinere noscuntur as the doctrines of the Trinity Incarnation c. Some whereon our salvation depends not so principally or directly as the Histories of Scripture Of the third sort such as are not revealed but either agree with that which is revealed or follow manifestly of it Melchior d Canus Locor lib. 12. cap. 11. init Quaedam sunt Catholicae veritates quae ita ad fidem pertinent ut his sublatis fides quoque ipsa tollatur Quas nos usu frequenti non solum Catholicas sed fidei veritates appellavimus Aliae veritates sunt etiam ipsae Catholicae universales nempe quas universa Ecclesia tenet quibus licet eversis fides quatitur sed non evertitur tamen Atque in hujusmodi veritatum contrariis erroribus dixi fidem obscurari non extingui infirmari non perite Has ego nunquam sidei veritates censui vocandas quamvis doctrinae Christianae veritates sint Canus iterum lib. 12. cap. 3. ad fin Praeter articulos fidei omnia quae in sacris literis assumuntur tametsi non sunt fidei nec Theologiae praecipua capita sed his ex accidenti conjuncta quasi principia secundaria accipit tamen ea Theologus non aliter ac Philosophus principia per se nota sine medio aut ratione Haec enim quasi naturalis arque insira est in animis fidelium notio ut quicquid ab Apostolis scriptum traditúmque est verum esse sentiant Vide Staplet Espenc alios suprácitatos Canus to the same purpose There be some Catholique verities which doe so pertaine to faith that these being taken away the faith it selfe must be taken away also And these by common use we call not onely Catholique but Verities of Faith also There are other verities which be Catholique also and universal namely such as the whole Church holdeth which yet being over throwne the faith is shaken indeed but not overturned And in the errours which are contrary to such truths as these the faith is obscured not extinguished weakened not perished These may be called verities of Christian doctrine but not of faith Briefly it is the common and constant doctrine of e Mag. 3. d. 25. Aquin. 2. 2. qu. 2. art 5. ibi DD. Schoolemen and f Tolet. Navarr Sayr Filiucius Reginaldus caeteri Casuists that have written of the nature of heresie and the measure of Catholique faith that there is a certain measure and quantity of faith without which none can be saved but every thing revealed belongs not to this measure It is enough to beleeve some things by a Virtuall faith or by a Generall as it were a Negatiue faith whereby they are not denyed or contradicted and in some things men may be ignorant or erre in them without danger of their salvation All this evidently confirmes that most necessary and most usefull distinction betweene fundamentall and not fundamentall doctrines which our Mistaker here with so great noyse and so little reason cryes downe By Fundamentall doctrines we meane such Catholique verities as principally and essentially pertaine to the faith such as properly constitute a Church and are necessary in ordinary course to be distinctly beleeved by every Christian that will be saved Other points of truth are called not-fundamentall because they are not of such absolute necessity and doe not primarily belong to the Vnity of faith or to the Essence of a Church or to the Salvation of a Christian Such as for their subtilty and profoundnesse are disputable in themselves and happily by plaine Scripture indeterminable Such finally as may admit an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a non liquet both ignorance if it be not affected and errour if it proceed not from negligence or wilfullnes without perill It is true whatsoever is revealed in Scripture or propounded by the Church out of Scripture is in some sence fundamentall in regard of the divine authority of God and his word by which it is recommended that is such as may not be denyed or contradicted without infidelity such as every Christian is bound with humility and reverence to beleeve whensoever the knowledge thereof is offered to him But in regard of the matter and moment of things revealed and of their use to us though all be revealed alike yet not all under the like penalty We are told by Cardinall g De Eccles lib. 3. cap. 14. §. Quinto Multa sunt de fide quae non sunt absolutè necessaria ad salutem Sane credere historias U. T. Bellarmine that many things are de fide to be beleeved which are not absolutely necessary to salvation The knowledge or faith of Christs passion is necessary not so that of his Genealogy Fundamentall therefore properly is that which Christians are obliged to beleeve by an expresse and actuall faith In other points that faith which the Cardinall
h Replique liur 1. chap. 10. Perron calls the faith of adherence or non-repugnance may suffice to wit an humble preparation of minde to beleeve all or any thing revealed in Scripture when it is sufficiently cleared By which virtuall faith an erring person may beleeve the truth contrary to his owne error inasmuch as he yeelds his assent implicitely to that Scripture which containes the truth and overthrowes his errour though yet he understand it not This maine distinction of doctrines whereof we speak hath expresse ground in the Scriptures of the N. Testament Therein the Church of Christ is often called i 1. Tim. 3. 15. 1. Pet. 2. 5. Heb. 3. 5. 6. the Spirituall house of God The foundation of this house is either reall personall or dogmaticall and doctrinall The Reall foundation is k 1. Cor. 3. 11. Eph. 2. 20. Christ the Dogmaticall are l Matt. 16. 16. 18. Heb. 6. 1. those grand and capitall doctrines which make up our faith in Christ that is that m Tit. 1. 4. common faith which is n 2 Pet. 1. 1. alike precious in all beeing one and the same in the highest Apostle and the meanest beleever which the Apostle o Heb. 5. 12. elsewhere calls the first principles of the oracles of God and the p 2. Tim. â— 13. forme of sound words These hold the place of the common foundation in which all Christians must be grounded The materialls laid upon this foundation whether they be sound or unsound are named by S. Paul q 1. Cor. 3. 12. super structions which are conclusions either in truth or in appearance deducible from those principles Concerning all which superstructures the generall rule is that the more neere they are to the foundation of so much greater importance be the truthes and so much more perilous be the errors as againe the further they are removed off the lesse necessary doth the knowledge of such verities prove to be and the swarving from the truth lesse dangerous It is cleere then that some points are fundamentall others not so But here all Protestants are defied by the Mistaker not onely particulars but in corps their Colledges Universities all or any of them dared to give him in a list or Catalogue of fundamentall points So high a Challenge in a subject of this nature might better have beseemed his betters some Cardinall rather then a * See Char. Mist pag. 1. Cavallier It seems the man thinks excellently of his owne learning and judgement and that conceit fills him with this courage But his strength is not answerable They that have tried it say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The prudent Vlysses in r Iliad ss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et ad Ther 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer gave good counsell to some busie persons that were forward to meddle in matters beyond their Spheere the Mistaker stands in neede of it and may do well to follow it By fundamentall points of faith for of them alone the Mistaker expresly speakes in this discourse we understand as hath been noted not the necessarie duties of Charity which are comprehended in the Decalogue nor the necessarie acts of hope contained in the Lords prayer there beeing the same object both of our prayers and of our hope though both these vertues of Charity and Hope are fundamentally necessary to the salvation of Christians but we meane those Prime and Capitall doctrines of our Religion which make up the holy Catholique and Apostolique faith once for all delivered to the Saints which faith is the same which Jude 3. the Church received from the Apostles the Apostles from Christ Christ from God as Tertullian speakes that faith which essentially constitutes a true Church and a true Christian These fundamentalls are all contained in the rule of faith which rule being cleerely but diffusedly set downe in the Scriptures hath been afterwards summed up and contracted into the Apostles Creed either by the Apostles themselves or by the Church of their times from them This Creed taken in a Catholique sence that is as it was further opened and explaned in some parts by occasion of emergent Heresies in the other Catholique Creeds of Nice Constantinople Ephesus Chalcedon and Athanasius is said generally by the Schoolemen and Fathers to comprehend a perfect Catalogue of fundamentall truths and to imply a full rejection of fundamentall heresies and hath beene received by Orthodox Christians of all ages and places as an absolute summary of the Christian faith For proof wherof we will first argue ad hominem and teach the Mistaker how to esteeme of his Creed out of his own Masters whom he will not distrust or gainsay Begin with the a Concil Trident Sess 3. Symbolum Apostolorum est principium illud in quo omnes qui fidem Christi profitentur necessariò conveniunt ac fundamentum Ecclesiae firmum ac unicum Councell of Trent The Apostles Creed is that principle wherein all that professe the faith of Christ do necessarily agree that being the firme and onely foundation of the Church The b Catec Trident pag. 13. ac 14. Apostoli hanc Christianae fidei ac spei formulam composuerunt veritatis summa ac fundamentum primò ac necessariò omnibus credendum Catechisme of Trent to the same pupose The Apostles composed this profession of Christian faith and hope as a summary and foundation of that truth which is necessarily to be beleived of all c Azor. par 1. lib. 8. cap. 5. Symbolum Apostoâ—orum est brevis fidei complexio ac summa omniuÌ„ credendorum veluti nota quaedam signum quo Christiani homines ab impiis infidelibus qui vel nullam vel non rectam Christi fidem profitentur discernendi ac internoscendi sunt Huic Symbolo addâ—ta sunt alia duo Nicaenum Athanasianum ad uberiorem explicationem fidei Azorius This Creed briefly comprehends the faith and all things to be beleived is as it were a signe or cognisance whereby Christian men are differenced from the ungodly and misbeleivers who have either no faith at all or hold not the right faith To this the other Creeds of Nice and Athanasius were added onely for further explanation d Jacob. Gordon Hunt Controv 2. cap. 10. num 10. Regula fidei continetur expressè in Symbolo Apostolorum in quo continentur omnia prima fundamenta fidei Neque enim adeò obliviosi fuerunt Apostoli post acceptum Spiritum S. ut in Symbolo fidei quod omnibus credendum tradiderunt praetermittereÌ„t primum praecipuum fidei fundamentum Huntley a Scottish Iesuite The rule of faith is expressely contained in the Apostles Creed wherein are contained all the prime foundations of faith For the Apostles were not so forgetfull as to omit any fundamentall point in that Creed which they delivered to be beleived by all Christians e Greg. de Val. in 2. 2. disp 1.
12. pag. 480. ex edit Binn ann 1618. Colon Gr. Lat. Olim quilibet Arcl â—episcopus Patriarcha literas quae Synodicae appellantur inter se dabant nihil aliud continentes quà m rectfidei suique sensus confessionem quod in Orientalibus Ecclesiis hodiéque fit usque ad hoc tempus Patriarch immediately after his assumption to a place of so great trust and authority in the Church should render an account of his faith by his Synodicall or Circular letters called otherwise p Optat. Milevit lib. 2. Siricius hodiè Episcopus Rom. noster est Socius cum quo nobis totus orbis commetcio Formatarum in una communionis societate concordat literae formatae and q Aug. Epist 162. Communicatorias literas jam olim propter suam perversitatem ab unitate Catholica quae toto orbe diffusa est non accipiunt Donatistae Et saepe de illis in ea Epistola communicatoria directed to his Peeres and Companions in that dignity that by the sight of his profession his faith might be judged whether he were a sound Catholique or tainted with heresie and so whether he were fit or unworthy to be admitted into their Communion If in those Letters he did professe entirely to adhere to the Catholique Creeds his profession person was accepted as sound Orthodox The Circular Epistles yet extant of r Extant Concil 6. Gener Act. 11. Sophronius Patriarch of Hierusalem of s Conc. 7. sive Syn. 2. Nic. Act. 3. Tarasius Patriarch of Constantinople of t Apud Baron ad ann 556. num 33. Pelagius Patriarch of Rome of u Extat inter Epistolas Photii MSS. Graecè in Bibl. Bodleiana Photius of Constantinople and many others testifie this So truly said S. Austin w Aug. Epist 57. Regula fidei pusillis magnisque communis that the Creed is a rule of faith common to great and small The meanest Catechumen must beleeve so much and the greatest Patriarch can beleeve no more In those old and golden times those Articles were thought abundantly sufficient and it was thought a great sacriledge to adde any thing to them or diminish them No Catholique in the world was then required to beleeve the Popes Supermacie or his Indulgences or Purgatory or Transubstantiation or any doctrine now debated betweene us and Rome No such matter These things were brought in long after the beginning the Church of Christ was long without them and was well without them and happy had she been whether we regard truth or peace if she had still so continued Nor can it be reasonably said that all or any of these things though not expressed in the Creed are yet contained eminently in the beliefe of the Catholique Church For to omit that these are no traditions or doctrines of the Catholique Church but onely the partiall and particular fancies of the Romane unlesse happily the opinion of Transsubstantiation may be excepted wherein the later * Vide Nicetae Thesau Orthod Gr. Ms in Bib. Bodleiana Euthym. in panoplia tit 21. Hierem. Patr. CP in Resp 1. ad Lutheranos cap. 10. Resp 2. cap. 4. § 3. Nichol. Episc Methon Samonam Arch. Gaz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inter Liturgica Graecè edita Parisiis 1560. Greeks seeme to agree with the Romanists 1. what reason can be imagined why amongst many things of equall necessity to be believed the Apostles should so punctually and distinctly set downe some and be altogether silent in others As well nay better they might have given us no Article but that and sent us to the Church for all the rest For in setting downe others besides that and not all they make us beleive we have all when we have not all 2. I suppose no learned Romanist will say that in the beleife of the coÌ„munion of Saints all the new doctrines of the Romane Church are virtually contained Yet the learned y Replique ch 1. Card. du Perron thinks it probable that the Article of the Catholique Church and the Communion of Saints is all one this latter clause being onely an explication of the other 3. Many of the Ancient Doctors have left us their expositions on the Creed Ruffinus S. Augustin Cyrill of Hierusalem Chrysologus Maxim Taurinensis others Where they speake of the Catholique Church all say we must beleive the unity universality perpetuity sanctity of the Church none at all say any thing of any soveraigne infallible power in the Church to prescribe or define what she pleases 4. Lastly Azorius the Iesuite gives a faire meaning to this Article of the Catholique Church and such as little favours the conceit of our Mistaker z Azor. paâ— 1. lib. 8 cap. 6. §. Sed mibi probabilius Substantia articuli quo credimus unam Sanctam Catholicam Ecclesiam est neminem posse salvum esse extrà congregationem hominum qui Christi fidem religionem profitentur susceptam posse salutem obtineri intrà hanc ipsam congregationem hominum piorum fidelium I beleive the holy Catholique Church that is saith he I beleive that none can be saved out of the Congregation of those men who professe the faith and religion of Christ and that within that company of holy and faithfull people salvation may be obtained Now to the reasons alleaged for the full and formall sufficiency of this rule of faith to which nothing essentiall can be added or may be detracted we may adjoine the full consent of the Ancient Doctors Greeke and Latin who come in with one voice each one almost contributing his suffrage to testifie for this perfection of the Creed that in their dayes it was so acknowledged a Iren. lib. 1. cap. 2. 3. Ecclesia per universum orbem seminata ab Apostolis corum discipulis accepit eam fidem quae est in Deum omnipotentem Hanc fidem diligenter custodit Ecclesia in Celtis in Oriente Aegypto Cùm enim una eadem fides sit neque is qui multùm potest de ea dicere superfluit neque is qui parùm imminuit Irenaeus having repeated the most important Articles of it saith It is the faith which the Church throughout the world hath received from the Apostles being every where one and the same admitting neither addition nor diminution Therfore it is called by b Tertul. de vel virg cap. 1. Regula fidei una omninò est sola immobilis irreformabilis Hâc lege fidei manente caetera admittunt novitatem correctionis Tertullian one onely immoveable and unreformable rule which remaining safe other matters of discipline may be altered or corrected as occasion requires And the same Author againe c Id. de Praescript cap. 13. 14. Haec regula null as habet apud nos quaestiones nisi quas herefes inferunt quae haereticos faciunt manente form âejus in suo ordine quantumlibet quaeras tractes Fides in
answer but that these two Sacraments by reason of their dignity are specially so called which is all one to say that there are onely two principall Sacraments and many inferiours which is the very thing which is said by the Huguenots in other termes They say there are but two properly and we say there are but two principally Againe we say there are many inferiour Sacraments and they yeeld it if the name Sacrament be taken in a generall signification For Calvin saith that Order is a Sacrament and Melancthon sayes the same and moreover addes Penance Briefly they grant there are seven but not onely seven and in truth none of the ancient Fathers have ever found this number of seven 3. For the two principall Sacraments p Azor. par 1. l 10. 8. cap. 5. §. Praetereà dices Cur inter Articulos fidei non recenserur venerabile Eucharistiae Sacramentum Baptismi Respondeo cum S. Thomâ 2. 2. q. 1. a. 8. aâ— 6. Richardo 3. d. 25. a. 1. qu. 1 ad 4. eos articulos contineri includi in articulo fidei quo credimus unam sanctam Ecclesiam sanctorum Communionem remissionem peccaâ—orum nam per Sacramenta peccata remittuntur à Deo Azorius propounds his objection Why is not the Sacrament of the Eucharist and of Baptisme reckoned among the Articles of our faith and thus answers it out of Aquinas and others The two Sacraments are implied in the articles where we professe to beleive the holy Catholique Church the communion of Saints and the remission of sinnes The Creed of Nice expresses Baptisme by name I confesse one Baptisme for the remission of sinnes And the Eucharist being a seale of that holy Union which we have with Christ our Head by his Spirit and faith and with the Saints his members by Charity is evidently included in the Communion of Saints To the 3. we grant good works to be necessary in ordinary course to salvation and that a reward is due unto them not for any dignity in them or us but by divine dignation and by Gods free and gracious promise The faith which justifies is ever fruitfull of such good works a living a working faith But no wise man will put any confidence in the goodnesse of any works he will rather wholly cast himselfe on the mercies of God who for Christs sake accepts of our weake obedience pardons our sins Manes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and crownes us with happinesse This is properly the justifying of a sinner and this we beleive when we professe to beleeve the remission of sinnes wherein with the Scripture and all Antiquity we place our Iustification To the 4. The Creed is a rule of positive truths not a rejection of errors but onely by consequent or implication He that beleives aright in the Lord Almighty beleives all his creatures in themselves to be good and all his institutions to be holy and therefore cannot beleive either any meates to be in their nature polluted or marriage in any persons to be profane Many of the old heretiques who beleived so were men marveilously abused by the Father of lies especially the Manichees who had in them much more of the Infidell then of the Christian if they were not rather madmen according to the name of their Founder then Infidels Yet to do them no wrong it seemes by a Aug. de Mcrib Eccl. Manich lib. 2. c. 18. Hic non dubito vos esse clamaturos invidiámque facturos castitatem perfectam vos vehe menter coÌ„mendare atque laudare non tamen nuptias prohibere quaÌ„doquidem Auditores vestri quorum apud vos secundus est gradus ducere atque habere non prohibentur uxores Id. Epist 74. Auditores qui appellantur apud eos carnibus vescuntur agros colunt fi voluerint uxores habent quorum nihil faciunt qui vocantut Electi S. August they did not forbid meates or marriage as absolutely impure or to all onely their choice Elect ones must abstaine the other vulgar their Auditors were left at their liberty The Mistaker desires passionately to free his Church from this Manicheisme and if he can do it we desire not to finde her guilty But if She be not why is single life called Chastity and commended as an eminent degree of sanctimony why is marriage said to be in compatible with b Innocentius Papa dist 82. can Proposuisti Neque eos fas sit ad officia Sacra admitti qui exercent vel cum uxore carnale consortium quia scriptum est Sancti estote quoniam sanctus sum dixit Dominus holinesse or with c Id. ibid. Qui in carne sunt Deo placere non possunt Gods favour nay counted a d Pelagius Papa dist 61. can Catinensis Hominem qui necuxorem habeat nec liberos nec aliquod crimen canonibus inimicumeligi suadeas crime nay a e Bell. de Clericis cap. 19. §. Jam vero Non â—olum conjugium sacerdotum quod sacrilegium est non conjugium sed etiam Sanctorum matrimonium sine pollutione quâdam turpitudine non exercetur sacriledge worse then f Coster Enchirid. cap. de Coelib Sacerdos si forâ—itetur aut domi concubinam alat tamet si gravi sacrilegio se obstringat graviùs tamen peccat si contrahat matrimonium whoredome And for meates why is abstinence from flesh counted a perfect Christian fast yea holy and meritorious and why is he that eates flesh in Lent punished with a more grievous penance then he that commonly blasphemes the name of God or defiles his neighbours bed or abuses himselfe by drunkenesse or others by railing slandering c. To the 5. The Church of England questions not the sence of those Articles Shee takes them in the old Catholique sence and the words are so plaine they beare their meaning before them Men abounding with wit and idlenesse may seeke knotts in a bull rush and cast a mist over the most cleare truths It is by the RomaÌ„ Doctors that they are questioned who can neither agree with us nor with themselves g Contr. 5. q. 5. A. 1. Stapleton affirmes the Scripture is silent that Christ descended into hell and that there is a Catholique and an Apostolique Church h 4. de Christo c. 6. 12. Scripturae passim hoc docent Bellarmine on the contrary is resolute that the Article of the descent is every where in Scripture and i 2. 2. q. 1. A. 9. ad 1. Thomas grants as much for the whole Creed Then for the sence of that Article k Thom. p. 3. q. 52. A. 2. in Corp. Some hold Christ descended really into hell l Durand in 3. d. 22. q. 3. Others virtually onely and by effects And by Hell some understand the lowest pilt or the place of the damned as m 4. de Christo cap. 16. Bellarmine at first others the Limbus Patrum as n