enioying the faculty of reason may the more easily subscribe to so vndeniable a verity say with the Psalmist heerein Psal 92. Testimonia tua credebilia sunt nimis Well then the first and chiefest reason is taken from the causes of true fayth where for the better conceauing thereof we are to vnderstand that fayth is a supernaturall habite not obtayned by the force of Nature and that who resteth doubtfull or staggering of any one article is charged by the Canon-law with flat infidelity according to that Dubius (b) Iure Canon c. 10. de Haeretic in fide infidelis est Therfore to the beliefe of any one article of fayth two things doe concurre the one is the first reuealing verity as the schoolemen speake which is God himselfe the second is the Church propounding the article to be beleeued Now when we beleeue any point of fayth God who is the first reuealing verity as is sayd reuealeth it to the Church and the Church propoundeth it so reuealed to vs to beleeue and thus we beleeue a point of fayth thorough the authority of God reuealing and the Churche propounding And this is most consonant and agreeing with that most admirable and infallible rule of fayth set downe by the most ancient Vincentius Lyrinensis in the beginning of his Commonitorium deseruing to be stamped in characters of gold I (c) Initio commonitorij haue demanded sayth this Authour very many thinges of many men excelling renowned for learning and sanctity of life how and by what way I might fortify my fayth in tyme of heresyes arysing and I euer receaued this answere of all or in manner of all that whether I or any other desirous to auoyd the snares of Heretikes and to continue sound in the Catholike fayth he must by Gods assistance Fidem munire duplici ratione fense his fayth with a double reason Sacrosancti Canonis authoritate deinde Ecclesiae Catholicae traditione First by authority of Gods word secondly by tradition of the Catholike Church Thus farre Vincentius Thus we see where we beleeue any thing though it be materially true and not through this former authority this is not supernaturall beliefe in vs but only an opinion grounded vpon other reasons inducements Euen as the Turke beleeueth that there is one God Creatour of the world yet this his beleefe is no true fayth but only an opinion of a thing which is true since this his beliefe is grounded only vpon his Alcoran being otherwise a fabulous booke though of the being of one God it speaketh truly 2. Now to apply this to my purpose This first reuealing verity which is God through whose authority wee ought to beleeue euery article of fayth doth with one and the like authority reueale all articles of Christian Religion so as it is as forcibly to be beleeued that there is for example a Purgatory or that we may pray to to Saints suppose these articles to be true as that there is a Trinity or that Christ was incarnated From whēce it ineuitably followeth that who beleeueth in the Trinity and yet doth not beleeue that there is a Purgatory or that we may pray to Saints hath no true and supernaturall beliefe of the Trinity but only beleeueth that there is a Trinity because he is persuaded thereto only by his owne reason or through some other humane authority For if he did beleeue that there is a Trinity or that Christ was incarnate through the authority of God so reuealing this truth so to be beleeued by the same authority he would haue beleeued that there is a Purgatory and that we ought to pray to Saints seeing both the articles of the Trinity and of Purgatory or praying to Saints are equally and indifferently alike propounded by God and by his Church to be beleeued 3. And seeing to the same authority euer the same reuerence affiance and credit is to be giuen thus we may demonstratiuely conclude that what Protestant doth beleeue in the Trinity and yet doth not beleeue that there is Purgatory Praying to Saints Freewill the Reall presence admitting them once to be true or any other points controuerted betweene the Catholikes and the Protestants the same man hath no true fayth of the Trinity of the Incarnation and consequently for want of a true and supernaturall fayth cannot be saued since we reade Qui non (d) Marc 16. credit condemnabitur VVho beleeueth not shal be condemned And from this former ground it it proceedeth that S. Thomas (e) 2. 2. q 5. art 3. and all learned schoolemen teach that who beleiueth not only for Gods authority so reuealing any point whatsoeuer great or small fundamental or not fundamental the same man belieueth not any other article at all with a true and supernaturall faithe And hereto accordeth those words of (f) Lib. de prescr Tertulliā against Valentinus an Heretike Some thinges of the law and Prophets Valentinus approueth some thinge he disaloweth that is he disallowech all whilest he disproueth some Which sentence of Tertullian must of necessity be true since who reiecteth the authority of God in not beleeuing any one article propounded by God to be beleeued the same man begetteth a suspition or doubt of Gods authority for the beleeuing of any other article how fundamentall soeuer 4. Another reason may be taken from a distinction of fayth vsed by the learned which faith is of two sorts the one they call Explicite fayth the other Implicite Explicite fayth is that which all men vnder paine of damnation are bound expressely to beleeue as the Trinity the Incarnation of our Sauiour his passion the Decalogue or ten Commandements c. Implicite fayth is that which comprehendeth all those pointes which a man is not bound expressely and distinctly to beleeue in particuler though he be expressely boūd not to beleeue any thing contrary therto but is to rest in the iudgment of the Church cōcerning all such points and what the Church of Christ houldeth therein implicitly to beleeue This distinction is warranted not only in the iudgment of all Catholike schoole men but also in the iudgement of the most learned (g) D. Baro. l. de fide eius ortu p. 40. Hooker in Eccles politia in praefat p. 28. by Maelanct l. 1. epist epist ad Regem Angliae Protestāts though they forbeare the phrases of Explicite and Implicite fayth and particulerly of D. Field who in these wordes following giueth the reason therof saying For seeing (h) In his Treatise of the Church in his epist dedicatory to the Archbishoppe the Controuersies of Religion in our tyme are growne in number so many and in nature so intricate that few haue tyme and leasure fewer strength of vnderstanding to examine them what remayneth for men desirous of satisfaction in things of such consequēce but diligently to search out which among all the societyes of men in the world is that blessed company of holy ones that househould
of fayth that spouse of Christ Church of the liuing God which is the pillar and ground of truth that so they may imbrace her communion follow her directions and rest in her iudgments Thus Doctor Field 5. Now this distinction being presupposed I thus argue both these kinds of faith are necessary to saluation Explicite faith because it comprehendeth all those fundamental and supreme points of Christian Religiō without the expresse and articulate knowledge of which a man cannot be saued And these be those only which Newtralists in Religion hould necessary to be belieued Implicite faith of other points also is necessary to saluation because otherwyse then beleiuing implicitely inuoluedly what the Church teacheth therin we cannot according to the former Doctours wordes find out that blessed company of holy ones the househould of fayth the spouse of Christ Church of the liuing God And seeing Implicite fayth is necessary to saluation we must graunt that this Implicite fayth hath some obiect the obiect is not the article of the Trinity the Incarnatiō the Decalogue c. since these are the obiects of Explicite fayth as is aboue intimated therfore articles seeming of lesser importance are the obiect of implicite fayth the which as a man is bound implicitly to beleeue in the fayth of the Church so is he bound not to beleeue any thing contrary to the sayd articles Seeing then diuers controuersies betweene the Catholikes and the Protestants are included vnder this implicite faith and that the Church of God houldeth but one way of them it followeth that one side of the cōtrary beleiuers of those points doth erre in their beliefe and consequently through want of this true necessary implicite fayth cannot be saued 6. A third reason may be this It is proper peculier to vertues infused such be Fayth Hope Charity that euery such vertue is wholely extinguished by any one act contrary to the sayd vertue Thus for exāple one mortal sinne taketh away al charity grace according that He (i) Iacob cap. 2. that offendeth in one is made guilty of all One act of despaire destroyeth the whole vertue of Hope then by the same reason one heresy wholely corrupteth extinguisheth all true fayth Therefore seeing Fayth is a Theologicall and infused vertue this fayth is destroyed with one act of heresy whether it be about Purgatory Prayer to Saints Freewil or any other cōtrouersy between the Catholiks the Protestants therfore whoseuer denyeth Purgatory or any of the rest granting their doctrins to be true is depriued of all infused fayth touching any article of Christian Religion whether they concerne the Trinity or the Incarnation or any other fundamentall point which he may seeme to beleeue but without fayth that is without true infused and Theological faith it is impossible to please God as the (k) Heb. 11. Apostle assureth vs. 4. Another reason may be this These Newtralists in Religion doe not agree euen in the general grounds of Christian faith to wit in the Articles of one God of the Trinity of Christ c. with any other Christiās This is proued because as all other Christians do beleeue in these general heads so doth each of them particulerly agree that these generall principles are to be limited bounded to euery ones particuler secte as the Protestant for example beleeueth otherwayes in God the Trinity and Christ then the Catholikes doe as is els where demonstrated But now these our Newtralists doe not limit the foresayde principles to any particuler sect or in any particuler manner therefore it euidently followeth that they haue no true beliefe euen of those generall and fundamentall articles 5. A fift reason shal be this It is most certaine that what generall propension Nature or rather God himselfe by nature as his instrument hath ingrafted in all men the same is in it selfe most true certaine and warrantable As for example Nature hath implanted in ech mans soule a secret remorse of Conscience for sinnes and transgressions committed as also a feare of future punishement to be inflicted for the sayd sinnes perpetrated therefore from hence it may infallibly be cōcluded that sinne it selfe is to be auoyded that after this life there is a retribution of punishment for our offenses done in this world since otherwayes it would follow that God should insert in the soule of man idly vainly and as directed to no end certaine naturall impressions instincts which to affirme were most derogatory to his diuine maiesty and wisedome repugnant to that anciently receaued Axiome God Nature worketh nothing in vaine Now to apply this we find both by history and by experience that diuers zealous and feruent Professours of all Religions whatsoeuer both true and false haue beene most ready to expose their liues in defence of any impugned part or branch of their Religion from which vndaunted resolution of theirs we certainly collect that this their constant determination of defending the least point of their Religiō proceedeth partly from a generall instinct of God impressed in mans soule teaching each man that death it selfe is rather to be suffered then we are to deny any part of fayth and Religion in generall And thus according hereto we find that the Athenians who were Heathens though they did erre touching the particuler obiect herein as worshipping false Gods were most cautelous that no one point should be infringed or violated touching the worshiping of their Gods The like religious seuerity was practised by the Iewes as Iosephus (l) Cont. Apion witnesseth And God himselfe euen in his owne writtē word threatneth that VVho (m) Apo. 22. shall eyther adde or diminish to the booke of the Apocalips written by the Euangelist from him he will take away his part out of the booke of life Now if such dāger be threatned for adding to or taking frō more or lesse thē was set downe by the Euangelist in this one booke how can then both the Catholiks and Protestants haue their names writtē in the booke of life Since it is certaine and granted on all sides that eyther the Catholike addeth more to the fayth of Christ then was by him instituted or the Protestant taketh from the sayd fayth diuers articles which Christ his Apostles did teach But to returne to our former reason From al this we deduce that no points of true Religion are of such cold indifferēcy as that they are not much to be regarded or that they may be maintayned cōtrarywayes by contrary spirits without any danger to mans saluation but that they are of that nature worth dignity as a man is to vndergo all torments yea death it selfe before he yeald or suffer the least relapse in denying any of the sayd verityes 6. The sixt and last reason to proue that the maintayning of false doctrins now questioned betwene the Christians of these tymes are most preiudicial hurtful to the obtaining of our heauēly blisse
stiling her the pillar and foundation of truth And further it should follow that the Church should thus insufferably erre both in generall Councells as also in the priuate authorities and sentences of all the learned Fathers in the firste times 11. And thus for example the Councell of the Apostles should haue erred (k) Act. 15. in decreeing it vnlawfull to eate in those times blood and strangled meates In like sort the first Councell of Nice (l) Euseb l. 6 hist c. 33. should haue erred in condemning the Quartodecimani for heretikes because they would not keepe Easter day according to the custome of the church The councell of Rome vnder Cornelius for condemning the heresie of the Nouatians who reiected the Sacrament of Pennance as also for condemning the errour of Anabaptisme The councell (m) Vt patet in act 2. of Calchedon for condemning the Heresie of Eutiches and for prohibiting the mariages of Monkes and Virgins and the first Councell of Ephesus (n) Socra l. 7. c. 34. for condemning the heresy of Nestorius both which Heretikes beleiued in the most holy Trinity and acknowledged Christ for their Redeemer The fourth councell of Carthage (o) Can. 79. for sententionally decreeing that prayer and sacrifice for the dead was according to the true faith of Chirst and for pronouncing the denyers therof for Heretikes And finally to omitt other Coūcels the councell of Constantinople (p) Zonaras in vita Constantini Nicephorus l. 17. c. 27 should haue erred for condemning the Heresie of Origen who taught that the Diuels in the end should be saued And thus farre of councels condemning points of seeming indifferency for open wicked heresyes 12. But now graunting that the sayd points as they were houlden by the maintainers of thē were not Heresies that the beleiuers of them might be saued then two maine absurdityes doe ineuitably follow The first is the erring of the whole Church of God in condemning them for heresies they being not Heresies but true doctrines as is said The second the inconsiderate carriadge of the church in these matters For to what purpose or end were all these councells consisting of many hundreds of the most graue and Reuerend men of all christendome celebrated with such labour and trauaile out of all countries and infinite chardges if the doctrines for the impugning resisting condemning wherof they were gathered might be indifferently maintayned and defended on all sides without breach of true faith or danger of saluation The erring of the Church is no lesse manifested in the sentences and condemnation giuen by many of the most ancient famous learned Fathers in the primitiue Church not any one orthodoxall Father contradicting them therein against diuers maintayning opinions that seeme in regard or the Trinity the Incarnation c of small importance if so these opinions be not heresies nor the beleiuers of them Heretikes but men in state of saluation 13. And thus according hereto Florinus though he taught God to be the authour of sinne might be saued In like sort the Heretikes who in S. Hieromes dayes denyed the possibility of the Cōmandements the Manichees who denyed Free-will the Eunomians who taught that only faith did iustify The Aerians who denyed prayer and sacrifice for the dead and tooke away all fasting-dayes Vigilantius who taught that Priests might marry that we ought not pray to Saints Iouinian who helde mariadge to be better then virginity The Donatists who taught the inuisibility of the Church And finally to omit many others for breuity sake The Pelagians who denyed the necessity of Baptisme in Children All these men I say might be saued notwithstanding the former doctrines if so euery one might expect saluation in their Religion And yet we finde that the foresaid men were branded for wicked Heretikes their doctrines for damnable Heresies as in the seauenth chapter aboue is showed by S. Irenaeus S. Hierome S. Epiphanius Philastrius S. Augustine Theodoret and others diuers of these holy Fathers wryting Catalogues of Heresies did place the foresaid doctrines and their authours within the said Catalogues and this they did without any reluctation or gainesaying of any other ancient and learned Father of their tymes 14. From which consideration I do gather that if those opinions were not iustly condemned for heresies and their authours for Heretikes then not only the Church did fondly erre in so great a matter but also the aforesayd alleadged Fathers to wit S. Irenaeus S. Hierome Epiphanius S. Augustine with many such others should deseruedly be reputed for Heretikes for their condemning of true doctrines for heresies and the beleeuers of them for heretikes and on the contrary side Florinus the Maniches the Eunomians Vigilantius Iouinian the Donatists Pelagius and many other such should be accounted for their teaching of true doctrins orthodoxall Fathers and authours and might haue iustly complayned of their insupportable wronges and indignityes proceeding from the pennes of the foresayd Fathers an absurdity which I thinke no man enioying the benefit of his fiue senses will allow And yet the admittance of our Newtralists paradox inauoydably draweth on this inference 15. Another absurdity accompanying the former doctrine is that Heretikes should be true members of Christs church This I deduce For seeing by the consent of all learned men none can be saued but such as be members of Christs Church for otherwayes Turks and Iewes dying in that state might be saued and seeing the foresayd registred doctrines and the authours are condemned for heresies and Heretikes both by the authority of Gods Church and according to the true definitiō of heresy aboue set downe for the foresayd Heretikes made choyce of those their heresies and did maintaine them most frowardly against the whole Church of God not submitting their iudgments to it it must of necessity follow that if those men could be saued then Heretikes continuing Heretikes are members of Christ his Church then which what paradox in it selfe can be accounted more absurde or in the iudgment of learned men more incredible Considering with what acerbity of comportement the Apostles all the orthodoxall learned pious Fathers both in their writings otherwise haue in all ages entertained Heretikes as aboue I haue manifested in the sixth Chapter 16. Againe supposing the truth of the doctrine of the Omnifidians as I may tearme thē yet obserue how repugnant it is to all reason otherwise absurd euen in its owne nature I will heere passe ouer diuers reasons alleadged in the precedent chapter and insist a little in some few of them The first It is certaine that that faith which belieueth some articls yet belieueth not others which are no lesse true such is the faith of our Newtralists is no true supernatural fayth seeing it beleeueth nothing thorough the authority of God his Church both which reueale and propound all articles alike indifferently to al men to be beleeued Now what more crosse to
reason then that a bare opinion not relying vpon any supernaturall grounds as hauing neither God for its Reuealer nor the Church for its propounder conceaued only through moral inducements therefore euer standing obnoxious to errour and mistaking should be able to purchase eternall saluation to mans soule 17. Againe how aduerse is it to all true iudgment to auerre that it is no preiudice or hinderance to mans saluation to beleeue those principle of Religion which teach aduance all liberty sensuality in conuersation and manners do depresse and disparadge all chastity fasting voluntary pouerty keeping of the commandements all rigorous and painefull workes and labours of vertue piety and mortification For it is most contradictory in the very tearmes and no lesse repugnāt to Gods sacred word that that doctrine which transferreth (x) Iud◠vers 4. the grace of God into wantonnes should be accounted the (y) Mat. 7. Luc. 13. strict way which leadeth vnto life 18. Furthermore can it be conceaued as sorting to Gods most mercifull proceeding with man that he should cut off the liues of those mē with most feareful sodaine prodigious deaths who first broached the doctrines of Protestancy if the sayd doctrines had eyther bene true in thēselues or at least of that coldnes or indifferency as that they might stand with the soules saluation No God is iust and withall mercifull therefore neuer extraordinarily punisheth but for extraordinary sinnes poore men that these were who compare as it should seeme both in the diuulging of their mendacious and lyinge doctrines as also in their vnexpected and sodaine death with the false Prophets of (z) 3. Regum Achab. 9. But to hasten to an end in the ennumeration of the Absurdities following the foresaid paradox of saluation in euery Religion and to come to that which within its owne lardgnes inuolueth many improbabilities For if Catholikes and Protestants notwithstanding the disparity of their fayth can both attaine to Heauen in vaine then is the doctrine of recusancy taught ioyntly on both sides and in vaine haue so many sortes of Reuerend and learned Preists others of the laity in our owne Country whose blessed soules I beseech to pray to God dayly for the remission of my many sinnes suffred cruell deaths in the late Queenes raigne only because they refused to present themselues to the sermons of the Protestants but they are gone most happely gone since Clauis (a) Tert. de prescr Paradisi sanguis Martyrum In vaine likewyse these later yeares haue diuers lay persons endured contrary to his Maiesties naturall inclination most prone to mercy and commiseration great losses disgraces and imprisonements only for the same cause But who can thinke that learned men should be so prodigall of their liues and blood and English Catholikes so insensible of their temporall states children and posterity as that they would willfully precipitate and cast themselues into those miseries only for not beleeuing and exercising points of indifferency such as may stand with their soules eternall happines In vaine also then haue the learned men on both sides spent out their whole liues in defending each man his owne Religion in their most paineful and voluminous bookes writtings if so they dissented one from another in matters of such supposed small importance Finally in vaine and without iust cause therefore most cruelly haue many forren states in Christendome imposed proscriptions bannishments and other insupportable disgraces to such of their owne subiects as will not imbrace their owne doctrine and Religion though both sides did conspire and agree in the fundamentall points of faith In vaine also both in former times and at this present haue there beene are such Insurrection of subiects against their Princes such bloody implacable warres betweene absolute Princes themselues such deuastation depopulation of whole Countries such mayne battells feilds fought with losse of diuers hundred thousands liues and lastly such incessant vninterrupted beseiging takinge of great Citties and townes with effusion for the most part of much innocent blood of weomen and children and all this originally and principally for matter of Religion I say in vaine most iniuriously haue all these attempts and actions beene vndertaken if the disagreement in Religiō for which they are vndertaken between Catholikes Protestants were of that reconcileable nature as that the professours on both sides notwithstanding their diuersity of faith might ioyntly be saued 20. What can we now reply hereto in behalfe of our Newtralists Shall we say that the most learned men of all Religions the Kings Princes States and all their subiects of all Christendome were and still are actually madd and out of their senses in managing these their deplorable attemptes for Religion and that our all reconciling and peaceable Newtralists who through his pliable sterne of disposition in these spirituall matters is become in kindred as aboue is touched of the halfe blood with the Atheist and who is commonly deprehended to want learning grace and vertue is peculiarly enlightened by God in setting downe what articles of fayth are only necessary to mans saluation and what are to be reputed but as accessary and of smaller importance To such straites we see is the defence of the former doctrine driuen vnto Seeing therefore this doctrine of our Omnifidians or Nullifidians for indeed while they seeme to allow all Religions they take away all Religion is encompassed on all sides with so many notorious absurdityes as are displayed in this Chapter seeing it cannot be true except there be a retrogradation of all matters heere on earth and a turning of the world as they say vpside downe that is except the most learned become most madd and the most ignorant most wise And except truth in doctrine be necessarily to be accompanyed with infinite grosse absurdityes and errour and falsehood fortifyed and countenaunced with store of proofes both diuine humane as if God did purposely lay trappes to ensnare mans iudgment Therefore since such comportement and carriage of things is not sutable and correspondent to Gods prouidence and charity towardes mankind let euery man who thinketh he hath a soule to saue or loose vndoubtedly assure himselfe that there is but one true fayth or religion wherein he may auayleably expect saluation and that this fayth of Christ wherewith the soule is clothed is like to the inconsutible garment of Christ both being incapable of diuision renting or partition 21. Now for the greater illustration of this point by way of similitude and as tending towards the closure of this treatise Imagine that a man pretendeth right and title to certaine lands and taketh aduise of all the learned Lawyers and Counsailours of the whole Realme to whome he showeth all his euidences of which some do cary a title only in grosse and in general others proue a more particuler and more restrayned right to the sayd lands Imagine further that