have some Rule of Faith and Foundation of their Belief agreeable to Natural Reason namely the consent of their Ancestors or the Scripture interpreted according to the Sence and Religion of their Ancestors But most of the Hereticks of our Times regard not much their Ancestors and Apostles from whom they first received this New Gospel but looking upon them as Men subject to Errour though they also pretended to the Spirit as well as these forsake them and rely totally upon their own judgment or testimony of their own private Spirit or which is all one the Holy Scripture according to the sence of their own judgment or private Spirit which is an evident sign that Satan so effectually operates in them and infatuates their Minds that not only every one frames to himself New Heresies and Opinions but makes his own judgment the foundation of his Faith and Rule of Belief for every one thinks he is taught of God even Women and Children and therefore secure from all Errour What greater facination and Delusion can there be than this Hence it is that they have no certain and established Principles they decree no Body of Doctrine and Religion but ramble in uncertainties as the private Spirit shall drive them Nor can there be any dispute with them about any of their Principles because they stick to none and by reason of their ignorance they know not the Doctrine of their Ancestors But of this Spirit of Giddiness we have said more in our Consultation Consid 9. and Reason 11. Hereby it is manifestly concluded that the whole Foundation of Faith which the Sectaries of our time rely on is deceitful and therefore their Belief which depends on it is unprofitable to Salvation Eighth Reason If every one may be saved in his own Faith that confesses Christ why is there so great a dissension amongst Religions Why do they all condemn one another of Heresie and Thunder Anathema's against each other Why do the Lutherans refuse to acknowledge the Calvinists for their Brethren and publickly in their Sermons and Books avouch them to be impious and blasphemous Why in the like manuer do the Chief of the Calvinists among whom Theodorus Beza is the Father of all after Calvin so treat the Lutherans Why do the Anabaptists call themselves the only faithful Christians and esteem all others as Infidels whereby is apparent that this new fancy of being saved in any Religion is not only against the Catholick Doctrine but also against all the Sects that have any zeal for Religion or Piety and is only too proper for Atheists Ninth Reason That one may be saved it sufficeth not to keep two or three of the Commandments but of necessity he must observe all according to that of our Lord If thou would'st enter into Life keep the Commandments Mat. 8.9 For Example If any one should be an Adulterer or Thief although he should keep the other Commandments yet he cannot be saved without Repentance as the Scriptures every where teach So likewise it sufficeth not to Salvation to believe three or four Articles of Faith but of necessity we must believe all Articles which God hath revealed and propounded to our Faith by his Church For the true Faith is no less necessary to Salvation than Obedience to Gods Commandments nor ought Faith to be less perfect and intire than Obedience and Observation of the whole Decalogue As therefore our Obedience ought to extend it self to all the Commandments so Faith ought to extend it self to all things revealed according to St. James Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one is guilty of all for he that said thou shalt not commit Adultery said also thou shalt not kill Now if thou do not commit Adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a Transgressor of the Law Jam. 2.10 As if he should say he is made guilty of all and shall be punished as a Transgressor or Violator of the whole Law for despising the Law-maker who is the Author of the whole Law Therefore in like manner he that shall deny one Article of Faith although he believes all the rest is become guilty of the breach of his whole Faith and Religion because he contemns God the Supream Truth who revealed no less this than the others He contemns also the Catholic Church 1 Tim. 3.5 which is the Spouse of Christ and the Pillar and Ground of Truth and which proposes to our Belief as well this Article as the rest Note And this is the reason why he is no less an Heretic that obstinately denyeth one Article of Faith than he that denyes an hundred because in regard of this one which he denyes he despiseth God the first Verity which revealed it and he despiseth the Authority of the Church which propounds it he makes the Church also subject to Errors and a Lye whereby he makes all the rest uncertain and destroys all Divine Faith Note For if you take away the Foundation of Divine Faith all Faith must necessarily fall to ruin and decay and only Opinion or human Belief liable to Error remain Tenthly and Lastly This Opinion is very dangerous in the practice for it makes a man not care what Religion he is of what he believes or disbelieves Therefore he seeks not after the Truth and as easily and securely receives Falsehood as Truth And yet not only Catholics but even the more noted Sects such as are more eminent for Learning and Wisdom hold for a certain and undoubted Truth that without the true Faith and Religion none can be saved but will perish everlastingly Therefore the followers of this Opinion are condemned by all wise Men and they promise to themselves Salvation upon no Authority no Testimony of Scripture nor the support of Reason relying meerly upon the vain and foolish Imagination of their own Brains Let them hear therefore out of St. Fulgentius what Antiquity has ever held and what the Church hath taught in all Ages For so he writes as a general Rule of Faith Hold this for a most certain and infallible Truth Lib. de fide ad Pet. 6. Diac. c. 38. That not only all Heathens but likewise all Jews Heretics and Schismatics which end this present Life out of the Catholic Church shall go into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Again Most firmly believe and doubt not in the least chap. 39. That every Heretic or Schismatic baptised in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost if he be not reconciled to the Catholic Church whatever Alms he gives and let him live never so vertuously and devoutly though be should lay down his Life and shed his Blood for Christs sake yet he cannot be saved For every one that sticks not to the Vnity of the Catholic Church neither Baptism nor Plentiful Alms nor Martyrdom for Christ will profit to Salvation so long as any Heretical or Schismatical perverseness remains in him which leads to Death This was always the belief of the Holy Catholic Church and the undoubted Doctrin of all the Fathers which if all who are out of the Catholic Church would seriously and sadly consider and lay to heart they would clearly see what a dangerous State they live in and being sensible of their danger with Holy Resolutions hasten to the Ark of Salvation to preserve themselves from Eternal Ruin Which that they may do Do thou O Christ The True Light of the World Enlighten their Minds Amen FINIS
with greater Reason be said of the true Faith and Religion which is the Foundation of Charity and all other Christian Vertues Thirdly It follows that it is a gross and stupid Errour of some of the Vulgar who esteem it sufficient to Salvation if you only believe in Christ and that he dyed for your Sins altho' as to many other Points of Faith pertaining to the Sacraments and Sacrifice of the Church c. you believe nothing For after this rate almost all sort of Hereticks should be saved For all of them believe in Christ otherwise they were not Hereticks but Apostates and believe some few excepted that he dyed for our Sins Then also the Montanists and Novatians Donatists Sabellians Arrians Macedonians Eutychians Monotholites and the like Pests of the Church shall be saved Why then hath the Church in all Ages so vehemently oppos'd her self against Heresies Why does St. Paul the Apostle command us to avoid the Man that is an Heretick after the 1st or 2d Admonition T it 2. Why does he bid us beware of their Speech which eateth as a Canker 2 Tim. 2. In vain all these things are said and done if Hereticks may be saved I am sure this Fancy is against the Consent of all Ages Let us suppose says St. Augustine a Man to be chast Lib. 4. contr Donat. c. 8. continent not covetous nor idolatrous but bountiful and compassionate to the Poor an Enemy to none not contentious patient quiet envying none sober frugal but yet a Heretick such a one without all doubt meerly because he is an Heretick shall never enjoy the Kingdom of God For as St. James witnesseth he that hath offended in one Commandment is made guilty of all James 2. and Ioseth all Justice though he keeps the rest because he contemns the Law-maker himself who made the whole Law So he that obstinately denies one Point of Faith although he believe the rest is guilty of dis-believing all and loses his whole Faith and Religion because he despiseth the Author of it For it is one and the same first and supreme Verity which hath revealed all Points of Faith and proposed them to our Belief by the Church his Spouse the Pillar and Ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3. He therefore that shall obstinately reject one Article of Faith and will not acquiesce in the Testimony of the Church is thereby judged to dis-esteem the Authority of God the supreme Verity of whom the Church is the Publisher Interpreter and Organ Neither matters it that there are some principal Points of Faith which he thinks he believes because he does not believe them with Divine Faith which relies only upon Divine Authority that is infallible otherwise he would believe the rest proposed to him in the same manner but he believes them with a kind of Humane Faith that is to say because by his private Judgment he is induced to believe them taking upon himself the Authority of judging and discerning what things are to be believed and what denied and rejected Therefore the chief reason or motive of his Belief is private Judgment and for that Cause all his Faith is humane and unprofitable It is therefore most certain that as true Justice extends it felf to the performance of all the Commandments so the true Faith which is requisite to Salvation extends it self to a belief of all those things which God hath revealed so that we must believe them all either expresly or be ready to believe them if they be propounded to us the right way Hereby is manifest what great Care is to be taken that we chuse and profess the true Faith and Religion since it is the Foundation of our Salvation and that without it we shall certainly be damn'd Whereupon I have undertaken to propound some Considerations obvious and manifest to all rational People whereby they may take a right course in their Choice of the true Religion The first Consideration drawn from the tending to Perfection which Christian Religion excites us to THat Religion is to be preferred which conduces most to Purity and Holiness of Life which draws our Minds from all affection to earthly Things and raises them to the love of heavenly For this is the chief end of Religion to alienate the Minds of Men from Things temporal here below and to elevate them towards the thinking loving and pursuing of such as are celestial and eternal Only the Catholick Religion teaches perfection of Life Now such is only the Catholick Religion For this persuades to abstain from the Pleasures of the Flesh and Snares of this Life This alone teaches to contemn Riches and Honours and to renounce them when possessed for Christ's sake This exhorts to Fastings Hair-cloth and other Afflictions of the Body whereby the Flesh is brought under Subjection and subdued to the Spirit Hence are there such great numbers of Men and Women in the Catholick Church who contemning Riches Honours and Pleasures which they either enjoyed or might have enjoyed have bid adieu to the World and mortifying their Flesh have wholly devoted themselves to the Service of God and Contemplation of Divine Things Amongst these are many Noble Men and their Sons and Daughters many of the rich Gentry and their Children many great Wits many famous for their Eloquence and knowledge in all kind of Literature which is an evident sign of the Divine Spirit and true Religion For that Religion cannot chuse but be Heavenly which withdraws Man's Nature fixed on Earthly Things and raises it up to Heavenly which expels the Love of that which is Temporal and instils an affection to that which is Everlasting and in a word which can work such wonderful Changes in Men. The Tree is known by its Fruits Other Religions especially the Lutheran Calvinist and Fanatick For of these only I intend to treat in this Discourse do no such thing For they are so far from teaching Mortification of the Flesh Other Religions take away the study of Perfection and of all good Works Contempt of Earthly Things and cutting off carnal Pleasures that they call Fasting the Tradition of Men whereby God is worshipped in vain abstinence from Flesh with them is Superstition Monastick Vows they say are impious vain and not at all to be observ'd that Chastity is impossible that all Men are bound to marry and lye with a Woman which Luther affirms to be as necessary as Meat Drink L. de Vit. conjug and Sleep By which Doctrine it is come to pass that none of those who are of these New Religions do either mortifie their Flesh by Fasting or abide continent or abstain from Conjugal and Carnal Pleasures or abandon their Riches and imbrace Poverty for the Love of Christ but all of them are for a sensual easie and Worldly Life agreeable to the Inclination of the Flesh and corrupt Nature None of them have so much as a Notion of what it is to lead an Angelical Life upon Earth as many of the
in the last Century Therefore neither in respect of time nor in respect of place can these religions be called Catholick I add farther that the Roman Catholick religion is one and the same every where but these new religions are divers differing one from another even in Fundamental Points of Doctrine while one accuses and condemns the other of Heresie How then can they be counted Catholicks For we must take notice that this Name Christian given at first to all Believers and to the whole Church was specially used to distinguish them from from the Jews and Heathens who believed not at all in Christ as the same now severeth and maketh known all Christian People from Turks and others that either deny Christ or know him not But when Hereticks began to rise from among the Christians who professed Christ's Name and owned some Articles of Faith as true Believers do while they denied others and brought in new Doctrines of their own the name of Christian was too common to distinguish and sever these Hereticks from the true faithful People and thereupon the Apostles by the Holy Ghost imposed this name Catholick upon such Believers as in all points were obedient to the Church's Doctrine When Heresies were risen says S. Pacianus and endeavoured by divers Names to tear the Dove of God meaning the Church and rent her in pieces Epist ad Sympho the Apostolical People acquired their Sirname whereby the uncorrupted might be distinguished c. and so those that before were called Christians are now sirnam'd also Catholicks Christian is my Name saith he Catholick my Sirname Hence this word Catholick is the proper note whereby the Holy Apostles in their Creed taught us to discern the true Church from any false Heretical Congregation what soever .. The very Name of Catholick says S. August keeps me in the Bosome of the Church And again We must hold the Communion of that Church which is named Catholick not only by her own Cont. Epist fundam c. 4. De vera Relig. c. 7. but also by her Enemies For whether they will or no the Hereticks and Schismaticks themselves when they speak not with their own Companions but with Strangers call no other Church Catholick but this for they could not be understood unless they did distinguish it by this name whereby it is known and called over all the World The Seventh Consideration from Succession THat Religion is to be judged the true Religion whose Pastors are all descended from the Apostles and are the Apostle's Successors or who derive their Authority and Ordination from them For by this reason it is evident that that Religion and that Church which holds that Religion is Apostolical but such is the Catholick religion therefore that is the true religion Now that all Ministers of the Catholick religion descend from the Apostles whether you regard the Power of Order or Jurisdiction is manifest for all her inferior Ministers especially Sub-deacons Deacons and Priests are ordained by Bishops the Bishops receive their Order from other Bishops and these again from others and so upwards to the Apostles who receiv'd this Power immediately from Christ as Christ from his Father As my Father sent me says he I send you and so must you send others and so I am with you and them to the end of the World As therefore all Men according to the Life of Nature by a long tract of Generations descend from Adam so all the Ministers of the Catholick Church according to Super-natural Power by a long race of Ordination and Consecration descend from Christ our Lord who is the Second Adam There is no Minister therefore in the Church of God but can derive his Power of Consecration to offer Sacrifice absolve from Sins and to administer other Sacraments whereby Christians are sanctified from Christ the Chief Fountain and Author Whence it follows that all his Works which he does by this Power are attributed to Christ as the Supreme Author who instituted this Power and invisibly presides and assists therein Man being only his Instrument whereby he does all this as St. Augustine and other Fathers excellently observe and teach In like manner all power of Jurisdiction of Ministers to rule and govern Christians to preach the Word of God to them Tract 5. in Joan. Chrysos hom 80. ad pop Ambros l. 4. de Sacram. c. 4 5. and officiate in their Pastoral Duty descends from Christ and may clearly be reduced to him for the Curates or Parish Priests have their Jurisdiction from the Bishops and Bishops from the Chief Bishop the Pope the Pope seeing he is Blessed Peter's Successor in the same Chair and Authority of governing the Vniversal or Catholick Church must needs be invested with the same Jurisdiction which was immediately conferred upon St. Peter and in him to all his Lawful Successors And also only those who have not an ordinary but a delegated Authority in the Church must have it from Parochial Pastors or Bishops or the Pope So that there is no Minister in the Catholick Church no Preacher of God's Word or Catechizer who cannot shew plainly his Mission and demonstrate the same to be derived from Christ And indeed if they could not do so they were in no wise to be heard but suspected and esteemed as Wolves in Sheeps-cloathing since they enter not into the Sheep-fold by the door but creep in privately another way Joh. 10. This Argument alwas the Ancient Fathers chiefly made use of Irenae l. 3. c. 1. Tertul. de prescrip to convince all Hereticks for by it the Continuation of our Religion from several Ages up to the time of the Apostles is clearly shew'd The Succession of Priests from the See of St. Peter the Apostle to whom our Lord commended the care of feeding his Sheep to this present Bishop August Epist 165. Optatus l. 2. cont Parm. Hier. cont Lucif keeps me in the Church says St. Augustine and the like says St. Hierome in his Dialogues But now none of the Ministers of the New Religions can shew this And indeed the power of Order whereby the Sacraments are administred and the People sanctified they cannot derive from Christ and his Apostles because they have taken it quite away Nor is there any amongst them that have received the Episcopal or Sacerdotal Order unless it be some Apostares from the Catholick Religion whose Orders then are of no more use and service and yet the Church of Christ has had always these degrees and been govern'd by them Likewise they never had any power of Jurisdiction to preach the word of God as true Pastors or to administer Baptism and rule the People in Spirituals and Divine Worship For I ask of whom had Luther and Calvin this power Of whom was either of them sent to preach their New Gospel and Reform the People For they were not sent by the Ordinary Pastors of the Church as 't is sufficiently manifest They came therefore of their own
Church ought to Preach but those that are sent by Lawful Authority according to the Apostle How shall they Preach unless they be sent Otherwise a great confusion would spring in the Church For every one then would take upon him the Office of Preaching and governing the Church and sow what Errors he pleased For if in a Temporal Republick or Humane Government no Man can intrude himself and assume the Magistracy to govern the People in Earthly Affairs pertaining only to this Life but ought to have Commission from the Prince how much less in the Church in the Spiritual Kingdom of Christ can any one arrogate to himself the Office of a Pastor to govern the People in things belonging to their Eternal Salvation but ought to have Authority from the Supreme Head of the Church For a confusion of Government in the Church is much more to be avoided than in a Republick since this tends to a destruction of Souls whereas the other is but the loss of our Fortunes or Bodies Again He that entreth not by the door into the Sheepfold but climbeth up some other way the same is a Thief and a Robber saith our Lord Joh. 10. But he that without any Lawful Mission and Authority assumes the Office of a Pastor in the Church does not enter in at the door but climbeth up some other way as the Fathers every where expound it and as 't is plain enough of it self For what is it else to enter by the door than to enter by a Lawful way by legitimate Authority For a door is the ordinary way appointed whereby to enter into the Sheepfold and signifies this Lawful Authority whereby Ministers ought to be admitted into the Sheepfold of Christ to govern and feed Christ's Flock Moreover our Lord says by St. John He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own Glory but he that seeketh his Glory that sent him the same is true and no injustice is in him Joh. 7.18 By which Words he signifies we must not believe those who come of themselves and are not lawfully sent because they seek their own glory and profit to which end all their Doctrine is directed Lastly The Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrews judges this Mission to be so necessary that he requires it in Christ our Lord No Man taketh this Honour to himself but he that is called of God as Aaron So Christ also did not glorifie himself that he might be made a High Priest but he that said to him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Hence it is that our Lord so often inculcated to the Jews his Mission namely that he did not come of himself but was sent by his Father and confirms the same many ways Hereby it is clear that Luther Calvin and the like new Doctors are not to be heard nor their Doctrine believed but avoided and detested because 't is apparent they came of themselves without any Lawful Authority It is evident that they have usurped to themselves this Function and Duty of Pastors and a Right to Reform the Church It is manifest they entred not by the door and by a legal way but climb'd up another way into the Sheepfold and therefore according to the Sentence of our Lord they are to be taken for Thieves and Robbers Perhaps they will say they were sent immediately from Christ Christ sent them not as of old God sent the Prophets in an extraordinary manner to Reform the People and as Christ sent his Apostles to convert the World and as St. Paul after our Lord's Ascention was not sent by Men nor received the Gospel from Men but immediately from our Lord Jesus Christ But First 't is not enough to say this and boldly to affirm it but they must prove it and evince it to be true lest the People and other ordinary Pastors lawfully renounce them as Impostors As the Prophets of old and the Apostles did not only say that God sent them but abundantly prov'd and demonstrated the same by many Miracles Secondly All Arch Hereticks and false Prophet in all Ages have said the like namely that they were sent of God and received their Authority from him Therefore all are to be imbraced or none For why should I believe for example sake that God sent Calvin rather than Luther Munster Arrius or any other Arch Heretick since he cannot shew greater Proofs or Reasons of his Mission than the others Thirdly If God sent Calvin then he did not send Luther and so the contrary because if two Prophecy contradictions and condemn one another in their Doctrine of resie they destroy the Religion of each other Wherefore if God sent both of them he should be against himself deny and overthrow himself destroying by one what he built up by the other Amongst the Prophets which God sent there was always an exact agreement of Doctrine Fourthly If God sent Luther or Calvin to reform the Church I ask at what time and in what place did God confer on them this Ministry What Words did he say to them either outwardly or inwardly How did he declare to them the points of Reformation what order and method did he prescribe them How or in what Form did he appear to them Whither exteriourly in a visible manner as he did to St. Paul or interiourly by an imaginary Vision in some ecstasie as to the Prophets and to S. John the Evangelist in his Revelations For all these things God is wont to do when he sends any One extraordinarily and the Prophets themselves presently when they began to Preach declared all this that the People might understand by whom they were sent or what charge was given them as it appears by the Prophet Isai Chap. 1. c. Ezek. 1. c. Dan. 2. and 9. c. In fine all the Prophets were used to Evidence this in the first place as you may see in their Prophecies In like manner it is known at what time and by what Words our Lord sent his Apostles and what he enjoyn'd them c. But these new Prophets were so inconsiderate that they never thought of this to be reputed immediately sent from God for there is no mention hereof made by them which is a most certain sign that they are compelled of necessity to tell a most grievous untruth by saying God sent them For who can doubt if they had the least colour of Divine Mission they would not have inserted it in their Writings and presently manifested the same to the whole World expressing the time place manner and precept of our Lord together with other circumstances Fifthly If God sent them he did not only send them as Reformers of Manners as the Prophets were sent but as Reformers of all Doctrine and Religion and therefore an exact narration and description of their Mission was chiefly necessary and a nomination of the points which God would have reformed and in his Name and Words propounded to the Church as the Prophets
well against these and other Authors and Defenders of the New Religions of this Age but I meddle with them against my Will He that would know more let him read the Life of Beza written by Bolsecus the Flowers of Julius Bergerus and the Commentaries of Surius and others Who now that seriously considers these things can be induced to believe that God should make such Men the Reformers of his Church that were so infamous ambitious proud passionate envious of such scurrilous language and vicious lives in the judgment of the World Who ever observed such manners in the Apostles or Prophets The Apostles indeed were most of them mean and of low condition but none infamous for any Vice except Judas who was expelled and although they were illiterate and simple yet suddenly they became admirable for Wisdom sanctity of Life and splendour of Miracles They were wonderful for their humility meekness contempt of the World possessions and pleasures of this Life wonderful for Charity towards their Neighbour circumspection and modesty in their Words The like manners we behold in all those which God made his Instruments for the Conversion of Nations or to reform the lives of Christians for example in St. Augustine the Apostle of England in St. Boniface of Germany in St. Adelbert St. Otho St. Willebrord St. Eligius and others of other Nations in St. Benedict St. Bernard St. Romuald St. Dominick St. Francis c. by whose good Example and Holy Doctrine many were excited to a contempt of earthly things and love of heavenly If now for the Conversion of manners in some People God made use of such Men whose lives bred admiration in the World and yet were not sent immediately by God but received their Mission in an ordinary way from the Chief Bishop the Pope What kind of Men I pray ought they to have been who were immediately sent by God and that to reform the chief Principles of Religion yea to repair the whole Church and Kingdom of Christ fallen to ruine although all the sanctity and excellency all the Vertues and Spiritual Gifts which were in St. Jahn Baptist and all the Apostles compacted together in one had been infused into them yet all this had scarce been enough to gain them a sufficient Authority for so great an enterprize And shall we be so stupid and foolish as to believe that the Divine Wisdom in a matter so weighty and prodigious would make use of Men not only destitute of Piety but also infamous unchast ambitious revengeful and slanderous What was this else but to give a just occasion to all that had but the least spark of prudence not to admit them but to count them Impostors For if being infamous they cannot be admitted to any Dignity or Office Ecclesiastical or Secular nor be Witnesses to accuse or plead Cap. infamibus l. 6. l. qui accusar l. 1. de postulan how can they be allowed for the Reformers of Religion Repairers of the Church Judges of Bishops Popes and General Councils c. The Sixth Season from their Errors and inconstancy of Doctrine THe sixth Reason Because the Authors of these Religions have manifest Errors and are very unconstant in their Doctrine which is a clear sign they had not the infallible direction of the Holy Ghost and therefore were not immediately sent from God nor to be credited For as many as ever God sent to instruct the People were by him so guided and directed that in their Preaching and Writings they could not be deceived Hence it is that no Error in the least could ever be found in the Doctrine of the Prophets and the Apostles which our Lord also insinuates saying ' One jot or one title shall not pass from ' the Law till all be fulfilled Matth. 5.18 The same more at large teaches St. Augustine in his Epistle to St. Hierome where he saith If in any part of Holy Scripture there were found but one lye it would totally destroy the Authority of that Writer For he that is deceived in one thing may be likewise deceived in another and therefore we cannot firmly and surely depend on him The same Luther himself teaches in many places whose words are these If I should be false and so grosly foolish as to be once cateh'd in a lye presently all my Doctrine Honour and Credit would fall to the ground and be utterly ruin'd Every one would count me a most wicked and infamous Rascal and that justly And in another place he says He that once tells a lye for certain God never sent him and is to be suspected and doubted in all he says the which he inculcates in several other places of his Works Yea our Lord himself in the Holy Seriptures hath given us this sign and mark that if we can discern a Prophet to utter any thing false we may know for certain that God never sent him Upon this sure and firm foundation I frame this argument Whosoever errs but in one thing in his Doctrine that Person is not sent from God but Calvin and Luther in their Doctrine erred in many things therefore 't is certain that God never sent them The Major has been already suciffiently proved as our Adversaries themselves confess The Minor I shall prove And to omit those things which they falsly impose upon Catholicks and which they falsly affirm in our Doctrine to be new and unknown to the ancient Fathers and to pass by also their Historical and Chronological Errors I shall instance only two of great moment common to them both The First says That Man has no Free-will but all things happen by an inevitable or unavoidable necessity The other That God is as well the Author and Forcer of our Evil Works as of our Good Works That these are most gross and pernicious Errors it is manifest because they destroy all Government all Exhortations all Laws and Precepts and all Judgments and Tribunals For all these things are in vain if there is no Free will all punishment for Offences would likewise be unjust for that which is not ftee and voluntary and which God forces us to do deserves no punishment Lastly they take away Hell and all penalty of the Life to come Moreover they introduce a Liberty to commit all manner of Sins as above in the Second Consideration it is declared These two Tenets have occcasioned many to turn from Calvinism Flores Cal. pag. 69. to be Turks or Atheists For it is better to have no God at all than to esteem him the Author and Enforcer of all Sin Now their inconstancy of Doctrine even in the greatest and weightiest matters is incredible From the Creation of the World there has not been a Writer so forgetful of himself nor so contrary to himself and Subverter of his own Doctrine as Luther for he no less contradicts himself than he does the Holy Fathers and Councils and that almost in every Article of Faith as Coclaeus amongst other Authors shews at large
ean a false Faith avail to Salvation Then 't is all one Whether you believe the Creed in such a manner or in no manner Then every one may be saved though he does not believe many Articles of Faith The same I may say of the Scriptures for if it be sufficient to believe the Scriptures according to every one's interpretation since his sence may be oftentimes erroneous 't will be also enough though you do not believe them at all For a false Faith can be no more necessary to Salvation than no Faith whereby a Man believes nothing absolutely But if you say that we must believe the Symbol or Creed in its true sence then you condemn the Sectaries of these times none of which believe all the Articles of the Creed in the same sence with Catholicks and all of them differ in the explication of the Creed amongst themselves Therefore since there is but only One Truth all the Religions of these Times must necessarily swerve from the Truth except One only and therefore are insufficient to Salvation That they differ much in the sence or meaning The differences of Sectaries in understanding the Creed of the Creed is manifest For that Article And in Jesus Christ his only Son is explicated one way by the Arrians and many Calvinists namely that the Son is less than the Father and by the Catholicks and Lutherans another way for they hold him equal and of the same Substance with the Father The Article concerning Christ's descent into Hell the Calvinists interpret one way saying Christ sustained the Torments of the Damned doubted of his Salvation and was afraid he should have been utterly swallowed up by Eternal Death The Catholicks and Lutherans interpret it another way and will admit of no such exposition saying it is Calvin's Blasphemy The Article of Christ's Ascension into Heaven c. the Lutherans and Vbiquitarians expound one way holding Christ's Body to be every where as his Divinity is otherwise the Calvinists and Catholicks who doubt not but that such Expositions do overthrow in a manner all the Creed as Christ's Incarnation Nativity Passion Death Assension into Heaven and his Coming to Judgment The Article of Judging the Quick and Dead Catholicks expound one way saying that Christ shall so Judge as to reward our Good Works in Heaven and punish our Bad Works in Hell otherwise the Calvinists and Lutherans who deny all reward to Good Works and averr that an account will be only had of our special Faith at the Day of Judgment The Article concerning the Holy Ghost Catholicks and Lutherans understand one way the Arrians and many Calvinists another way The Article of the Church Lutherans and Calvinists understand of the invisible Congregation of the Predestinate Catholicks of the visible Congregation of Catholicks in which many are Predestinated and many Reprobate The Article of the Communion of Saints the Luthcrans and Calvinists so extenuate that they take away almost all Communion which is taught by Catholicks The Article of Remission of Sins they explicate of no imputation not acknowledging any Internal Renovation by inherent Justice and Grace infused as Catholicks judge Sins to be remitted Hereby is manifest how great a difference there is in the understanding of the Creed Therefore since there is but one Truth this we have shewed in our Consultation to be amongst Catholicks all Sects must of necessity hold a false Faith and false exposition of the Creed If therefore a true belief of the Creed is requisite it cannot be that every one may be saved in his own Faith If a false Faith sufficeth how can a false Faith be profitable to Salvation Sixth Reason The Holy Scripture is of no less Authority than the Apostles Creed nor is it a less injury to God to deny any thing expresly declared in the Scriptures than to reject any Article of the Apostles Creed therefore there is no reason why our Faith should be tyed to the Creed and in other things we should be left to our Liberty seeing we are as much obliged to believe all things in Scripture as in the Apostles Creed For although we are not bound to know all things distinctly contained in the Scriptures yet we ought to believe in general insomuch that we cannot without the sin of Heresie reject any part thereof as false and doubtful With what colour therefore or what probable shew of reason can it be said it matters not how you believe in other things so be it you believe in Christ and the Apostles Creed Why are we bound to believe the Creed rather than the whole Scripture since it is not of greater Authority than the Scriptures This is a fancy certainly too vain and rude void of any foundation Seventh Reason In all our Faith we must not only regard what we believe Our whole Faith depends on the foundation or motive of our belief but likewise and that chiefest of all upon what foundation we believe or what is the sole motive of our belief For upon this the whole Nature and Property of our Faith depends For as the motive of our belief is which we call the Foundation of our Faith such is the Faith it self If that be certain and cannot be deceitful our Faith also is certain and infallible If it be deceitful our Faith also will be uncertain and liable to Errour For Example The Turk believes that there is one God Creator of all things Why Because the Alcoran so teaches which he believes to be written by the Spirit of God His Faith although this which he believes be true depends on a false and fallacious foundation by force of which he is bound to believe many false and blasphemous things as that there are not Three Persons in the Godhead Father Son and Holy Ghost that Christ is not God and that he is less than Mahomet that Circumcision is to be observed and the like Therefore this Faith by virtue of this foundation is fallible and erroneous 'T is the same case with all Hereticks The Faith of all Sects depends on a false foundation This being laid down I thus argue That Faith which depends on a fallacious foundation although it believes some things which are true yet cannot be said to be sufficient to Salvation but the Faith of all Sectaries of this time depends on a fallacious or wrong foundation therefore it cannot be sufficient to Salvation The Proposition is manifest of it self For how can that which is false and lying be the Basis or Foundation of Eternal Salvation how can the true Religion whereby we please God be founded on a false belief Certainly this is as far from all reason as if you should say that Truth depends on a Lye Wisdom upon Errour and Vertue upon Vice It remains then to prove the Assumption or other proposition viz. That all Sectaries rely on a fallacious foundation A threefold foundation I shew thus They believe their Opinions either for the authority of