in the earth and so you think to oblige them by that to hold this conclusion that the Body of Christ is not on the earth for a thing certainly and Divinety revealed they will tell you that it cannot pass for any more then for a humane doctrine since from two propositions from which one is drawn viz. The first is drawn from maxims of reason only and not from Scripture as the second is They triumph in this observation and put it upon all occasions amongst their gravest and most serious conference but I say first that if our particular interest were only concerned in it there were no need to consider it since that which is granted is sufficient for this dispute For it grants us that the propositions which are lawfully drawn from two truths one of which revelation teacheth and sense or reason the other are true at least to the same degree as the truths which we learn by reason and sense and that we may give at least the same kind of Faith to believe them in the same manner as we believe for example that Snow is white the Heavens round or that the whole is bigger then its part Now we demand no more for our designe for we imploy the most part of these discourses mixed with propositions of a different nature only to overthrow their belief and not to establish ours now to destroy a doctrine and render it unworthy of belief 't is enough to shew that t is contrary to some truth and then one ought to hold it for false of what condition or origine soever that truth be which it opposeth whither it be revealed or natural For truth is a simple thing and uniforme alwaies like to it self lies often wound themselves one falsity destroying another but all truth agree perfectly conspire together and t is impossible they should oppose or overthrow one another If it be found then that the Doctrines of our adversary are contrary to some truth be it to that which sense teacheth us to that which we learn in thescholof reason or to that which divine revelation tells us t is enough to justifie that they are by no means veritable far from being as they pretend the articles of the Christian Faith For the Author of Nature Grace Sense Reason and Faith is one and the same God who hath not destroyed in the school of grace what he hath taught in that of nature God forbid but hath polished and perfected in one what he had begun the rough drawn in the other So t is manifest that far from being obliged in this kind of discourse to imploy propositions contained in Scripture only I can use arguments drawn intirely from sense and reason without taking the propositions of which they consist from revelation As for example if I should conclude that the Eucharist is not a humane body because a humane body cannot be held intire in a mans mouth whereas the Eucharist may be held in an infants he would answer impertinently that should alledge that t is not Scripture but sense and reason which learns us these two propositions and therefore the conclusion is not a truth revealed For at this time we have concern about that the question is not about the Master who hath taught these propositions whither it be sense or Faith but about their quality whither they be true or not for if they are both true their conclusion is so of necessity and by consequence your opinion which opposeth its inevitable false it being absolutely impossible that two contradictory propositions should be both true as this the Eucharist is a humane body which is your opinion and this other the Eucharist is not a humane body which is the conclusion of my discourse But I say in the second place that their maxim is false that to infer a conclusion from authority and divine Faith it behoveth that the two propositions be drawn from the revelation of God it is enough that one be revealed and the other evident by the light of nature The Church discourseth thus against the fond imaginations of Apollinaris every man hath a foul indued with understanding Jesus Christ our Lord is a man therefore he hath Soul indued with understanding of the two propositions from whence this conclusion is drawn the second is in the Scriptures the first is not there but we have learned it in the school of reason would you say under this pretext that the conclusion viz. that Jesus Christ hath a soul endued with understanding is not a divine truth but a humane learned from earth and not from heaven but where is the infant that does not see that God revealing to us that his Son is a man doth not reveal by the same means that he hath a body a Soul understanding and in short all the essential parts of the nature signified by this word man Otherwise one must say that in teaching us that Jesus Christ is man it teacheth us nothing but simply strikes the ear with the vain and unprofitable sound of the word for what is it to say that Jesus Christ is man unless he hath a body Soul understanding and the other things of which the nature of the subject consist signified by this word man In the same manner when the Scripture teacheth us that God hath created the earth it teacheth us by the same means that he hath created America and the Austral Countries China and the Isles of the Sound although it be sense and reason and not Scripture which teacheth us that these Countries are part of the Globe of the earth and he would be impertinent to the hight who should say that the Scripture hath not revealed to us that God hath created China or Taproban because it simply tells us that God hath created the earth without telling that these Countries are part of it And so of the rest for God in his Scripture presupposeth every where that those to whom he speaks are men and not beasts that they know if not subtily and Phylosophically that which is not necessary for his design at least grosly and in some measure the nature of those things of which he speaks to them and by consequence that they are capable of applying to every part of a subject what he hath told them in gross so that when he learns us some thing of a whole it is clear that t is as much as if he revealed all and every one of its parts to us perticularly as when he tells us that Jesus Christ is a man t is as much as if he should say he hath a Body formed like ours consisting of quantity occupying a space which is fit to it moving it selfe in time from one place to another in such manner that its parts are not altogether in the same place that he hath a Soul which reasoneth wills loves and in short indued with all the essential faculties of man This is so clear that no Body ever can put it in doubt
even none of these new disputants the best Authors of their own party grant this It is saith the Bishop of Canaries a thing worthy of great and diligent consideration that we ought to hold for a part of the Catholick doctrine not only that which hath been expresly revealed to the Apostles but also that which is concluded by arguments and by evident consequences from two propositions one of which iâ— revealed the other certain by the light of nature a Melch Canus loâ— theolog l. 6 c. 8. Vega saith likewise that nothing hinders these propositions from being ranked amongst those of Faith b Vega 9 de justifie c 39. And Vasques makes the same judgement of it c Vasques in 1 Thâ—m q. 1. disput 12. art 8. c. 2. F. Ambrose Catharin at that time Bishop of Minory and since Arch-Bishop of Conza a most learned and a most celebrated person and one of those who appeared most at the the Council of Trent held this very opinion against Soto in a little book which he hath writ against him to prove that the faithful may be assured of being in the grace of God and produced Scotus for his Author I think also saith he speaking to Soto that what you say is false viz. that when one of the propositions is from Faith and the other from science or experience the conclusion which is drawn from thence is from science and experience and not from Faith according to that rule that the conclusion follows the weakest part Against this strange proposition which one may call truly inopiniable Scotus teacheth as you who are versed in the Scholastiques may have seen that when one takes two propositions one naturally evident and the other from faith the the conclusion which follows from it is of Faith see here the example which he brings as says he if one should say whosoever begets is really different from him whom he hath begotten which is as he holds a natural maxime and if one should add afterwards now the father hath begotten in divinity which is a proposition of faith the conclusion which follows from it viz. therefore the Father begetting in divinity is really distinguished from the Son begotten this conclusion say I is not natural but of Faith whereas if your hypothesis were true it ought to be natural since that according to you the natural propositions is the weakest now the reason of that is that in our judgment the proposition which is of Faith is the most uncertain of them and t is in this that you abuse your selves and abuse others d Ambros bath polit in expurgat ad Soto p. 250 257. 258 edit Lugd. An. 1551. See how Catharin turneth against Soto and the methodists this very maxim of logick which they produce to ground their error upon for the proposition of Faith being in our opinion there the least certain and by consequences the most weak since the conclusion follows the weakest part its evident that according to this rule it ought to be from Faith if any of the propositions from which one hath drawn it be of Faith But besides this subtil and ingenious consideration of Catharin I think for mine own part that this rule of logick that the conclusion follows the weakest part is ill alledged to the purpose by the methodists in this dispute for the Masters of Logick mean only by that that if one of the propositions be particular and the other universal or if one be negative and the other affirmative or if one be of a truth only probable and the other of a necessary the conclusion will not be universal but particular nor affirmitive but negative not necessary but probable we grant it very willingly in this sence and if it ever happens to us in disputing against our adversaries to conclude a proposition universal or affirmative from a particular or from a negative or pretend that from a truth only probable the conclusion should be necessary then we will submit our selves to the lash of their Logick But to stretch this maxim further and let it signifie that if of the two propositions which we use the one hath been revealed from God and the other taught by nature the conclusion ought to be put amongst humane maximes and not amongst the Divine Doctrines 't is a phancy so far from reason that I am assured that none of the Logicians have ever dreamed of it The End of the First part THE Positive and Affirmative ARTICLES OF OUR BELIEF Are proved by Scripture Second Part. CHAP. I. An exposition of the principal and most necessary Articles of our Faith THese thing are sufficient in my judgement to keep our sense and reason from the troublesome and unjust chains with which the new Methodists pretend tyrannically to bind them Let us come now to our design and briefly shew our Faith that we may prove every one of the Articles of which it consists by Scripture whether they be read there or evidently inferred from thence First then We believe that which heaven and earth teacheth us that there is one God eternal infinite incomprehensible soveraignly good wise powerful and just Who hath created the Universe and governs it by his Providence nothing happening in Nature or amongst Men without his Order or Permission We believe that this great God made Man in the beginning of the World according to his own image and likeness and put him into the Garden of Eden there to lead an immortal life and that Man fell from this happy condition by his own fault having disobeyed his Lord and that by this crime he and all his Off-spring remains out of the grace of God Slaves of Sin and Death We believe that God moved by compassion towards his own work hath sent his Son Jesus Christ into the World in the fulness of time who hath done and suffered all things necessary to draw men from perdition and to give them eternal Life that this Son is the same God with the Father of the same power and essence and subsisted from all eternity with him that he made himself man in time and took to himself our nature in the womb of the virgin Mary uniting it personally with his Divinity and after having preached his Grace to the people of the Jews he was at their accusation crucified by Pontius Pilate and being dead upon the Cross and then buried he rose the third day from the dead and after having conversed forty dayes with his Disciples he ascended into Heaven where the Father hath given him all authority and power We believe that he reigns there now in a Soveraign glory governing all the World according to his good pleasure and that one day he shall come to Judge it for the last time We believe that by his death he hath satisfied the justice of the Father in as much as he hath suffered the pains for the Sins of humane kind and that he hath acquired an eternal Salvation and that the
Devil Whoever doth not justice nor loveth his brother is not of God Now whoever beleiveth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God saith S. John in his first Epistle Chapter 5. verse 1. Then who ever believes that Jesus is the Christ gives himself to Holyness and good works 2. Who ever shall have eternal life is sanctified as 't is clear by that which the Apostle saith Heb. 12.14 without holiness no man shall see God Now who ever believes shall have eternal life he who believes in the Son of God shall not perish but have eternal life John 3.16 18. and 5.24 and in other places alledged here above then who ever believeth is sanctified CHAP. VII Of the sanctification of the faithful and of their principle parts Piety Charity Submission Humanity Chastity Justice Truth and others 1. Of the Charity and sanctification of the faithful and first that they ought to love God and serve him with a Soveraign adoration MAt 22.37.38 Deut. 6.5 Luk 10.27 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy Soul and with all thy thought this is the first and great command Matt. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Rom. 12.1 I beseech you then brethren by the mercy of God that you offer your bodies a living sacrificeâ— holy pleasing to God which is your reasonable service 2. That we must love our neighbours with an ardent and sincere affection Mat. 22.39 The second commandment is like the first thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self Mat. 5.43 44 45. You have heard that it hath been said thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thy enemy but I say unto you love your enemies do good to them who hate you and pray for them who calumniate and persecute you that you may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven who makes his Sun to rise upon the good and evil and sendeth rain upon the just and unjust Rem 12.9 Let love be without dissembling c. Be inclined by brotherly Charity to love one another preferring one another in honor 1. John 4.7 8. Well beoved let us love one another For charity is of God and whoever loves is born of God and knoweth God he that loves not knows not God for God is charity 3. That we must honor our Superioues Eph. 6.1 2 3. Children obey your Parents in the Lord for that is just Honour thy Father and thy Mother which is the first commandment with promise that it may be well with thee and that thou mayest live long upon the earth Verse 5. Servants obey them that are your Masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling in simplicity of heart as to Christ Rom. 13.7 8. Render then to all that which is their due to whom tribute is tribute to whom custome is custome to whom fear fear to whome honor honor owe no man any thing but love one another for he who loves his neighbour hath accomplished the Law 4. That we must preserve our selves pure from all murders outrages offences and batred against our neighbours Mat. 5.21 22. You have heard that it hath been said by them of Old time thou shalt not kill and he who shall kill shall be worthy to be punished by judgment but I say unto you whosoever is angry with his brother he shall be worthy to be punished by judgement and he who shall say to his brother Raca shall be worthy to be punished by the Council and who shall say to him fool shall be worthy to be punished with the fire of hell Eph. 4.31 32. Let all bitterness anger indignation clamor and evil speaking be taken from you with all malice Be ye kind one to another cordially pardoning one another as God hath pardoned you by Christ 5. That we must flie all the filthyness and stains of the flesh Mat. 5.27 28. You have heard that it hath been said to them of Old time thou shalt not commit adultery but I say unto you whosoever shall look upon a woman to covet her he hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Eph. 5.3 Col. 3.5 Fornication and all uncleaness or covetousness let it not be once named amongst you as becometh Saints neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting c. 1 Thes 4.3 4 5. 1 Cor. 6.15 16 17 18 19 20 This is the will of God your sanctification that is to say that you abstain from whore dome and that every one of you possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor not being passionate with concupiscence as the Gentiles who know not God 6. That we must keep our selves from Thieving and every one work in his calling Eph. 4.28 Let him who stole steal no more but rather let him work being busied with his hands in that which is good that he may have to give to him who hath need of it 2 Thes 3.10 When we were with you we told you that if any one would not work he should not eat 7. That we must fly lying and calumny and be true in all our Actions and Words Ephesians 4.25 Put away lying and speak truth every one to his neighbour for we are members one of another Col. 3.9 Lye not one to another having put off the Old man with his deeds and having put on the new 8. That we must be subject to and humbly obey the superior powers of the Country where we live Rom. 13.1 2 5. Tit. 3.1 1 Pet. 2.13 14 17. Let every person be subject to the Higher powers for there is no power but of God The powers which are are ordained of God Wherefore he that resisteth the power resisteth the Ordinance of God and those who resist it draw damnation upon themselves c. Therefore we must be subject not onely for fear of anger but also for conscience Matthew 22.21 Render to Caesar the things which are Caesars and to God those which are Gods 9. That in a Word we live Holily and Honestly Romans 12.2 Do not conform your selves to the World but be you transformed by the renewing of your senses to try what is the good will of God well pleasing and perfect Ephesians 4.22 23 24. Put off the Old man according to the foregoing conversation which is corrupt by concupiscences which seduce it and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and be ye cloathed with the new man created according to God in justice and true holiness Phil. 4.8 Finally my brethren what ever things are true Col 3.1 2 3 4 5. what ever things are modest whatever things are Just what ever things are Holy what ever things are Lovely what ever things are of good renown if there be any vertue and any praise of discipline think of these things Titus 2.11 12. The grace of God which bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared teaching us that by renouncing infidelity and Worldly desires we should live in this present