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scripture_n canonical_a church_n tradition_n 2,634 5 9.1479 5 false
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A67622 The reasoning apostate, or, Modern latitude-man consider'd, as he opposeth the authority of the King and Church occasioned by several late treatises / by John Warly ... Warly, John, d. 1679. 1677 (1677) Wing W877; ESTC R11108 25,929 127

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from what is said is only this All Doctrines if they are not immediately received by the whole Church not rashly to be rejected This also I could infer that seeing it is not certain the Apostles wrote it themselves but in several Ages it had its Ratification at least the compellation of Apostolical from the Church its plain that the authority of the Church which makes it above other Creeds and to be the sum total of all that is to be believed makes it depend on that authority of the Church which gave it its compellation which I hope though borrowed from the authority of the Church which since the Apostles time hath been abused will be no greater a prejudice to discerning minds than the title of the King though first derived from the Pope can minorize the honour due to him This which is said perhaps may be retorted by an instance in Books of canonical Scripture by saying we may as well conclude that the Gospel owes its name of Gospel to the Church and the Law its name of the Law as conclude that the Creed as to its denomination or being Apostolical depends only upon the Church which calls it so This Objection may find an Answer from this consideration that although the Church is Ministerial in both holding out a Light to declare unto us that the Gospel is the Gospel and the Law the Law as much as it doth evidence that the Creed is the Creed yet there is this difference the Books of the Law and Gospel its probable had their compellation or name written by the same Authors that wrote them but the Creed owes its title to the restimony of the Church so far as it is call'd the Apostles Creed By this limitation I hope I have prevented another cavil which might conclude I make the Doctrine of the Creed to depend on the Church when I only speak of the compellation as being borrowed from the Church which compellation is the only hinge on which the present Controversie turns for take away the name the Apostles Creed and it can be no more said to be the sum of all Religion than other Doctrines or Theses generally received by the Church If it is further urged that all Titles of the canonical Books bear not without doubt the Authors names as several Psalms and the Epistle to the Hebrews because it is not certainly known who were their Authors This may be granted yet the case is not the same with the Creed and some parts of the canonical Scripture for the latter it may be safely said that the Church gave no new Titles to those Books but delivered them as they found them waitten or were assured of their Titles by infallible Traditions but the same cannot so certainly be said of the Apostles Creed From all that is said it is easie to observe how some men are ready to own the Authority of the Church when serviceable to their designs and disowns it when it thwarts private Opinions It may be granted that the Apostles Creed is Regula fidei Tutissima as a Rule though but a foot in length may discover the crookedness of the greatest quantity and is useful in thousands of cases so the Creed may measure and discover though not so accurately the many Volumious errors in Religion but not in direct terms but by consequence To illustrate it by Instances Christ sums up all the Commandments in one word Love which modo implicito concludes against all Vice otherwise it could not be an abridgment of the whole Law this must be granted but it is rashness to say that this Command alone is able to check all Vices and conclude against each particular Sin It is also said of Manna a fit Emblem of the Creed always to be kept in the Ark of the Church that eminently contains all savours to gratifie the Tast and Smelling and the Opall and Iris have a lovely commixture of all colours Now as a man who would pass an accurate Judgment of a sweet body would not appeal to Manna which hath it mixt with others but to some particular object of the same kind and he who would pass judgment on Colours Yellow or Blue c. will not compare them with that in the Rainbow but some other Object of the same complexion or tincture the same may be said of the Articles of Faith which are severally comprehended in the Creed yet are not to be an exact measure of their numerous Errors implicitly condemned by it It hath been doubted by some whether the principles of Chymists Salt Sulphur c. are really in the Bodies or whether they were as matter fitly prepared and by Extraction made such I shall not presume to determine any thing in this but only apply it to the present case by saying there are the Semina or Principia in the Creed but particular Articles which confute particular Errors though they have their Foundation from it yet their whole Superstruction cannot be said to be taken from it It is impossible it should be done therefore weakness to attempt it for it argues as much weakness in those men who undertake to assert the Creed the sum of all to be believed and to confute all Errors as some when urged by some of the Roman Church to shew how the Sacraments were contained in the Creed have answered out of Aquinas 2.2 q. 1. a. 8. Eos Articulos continueri includi in Articulo fidei quo Credimus unam sanctam Ecclesiam Sanctorum Communionem Remissionem peccatorum that they are contained in the Articles where we profess a Belief in the Catholick Church Communion of Saints remission of Sins And being urged particularly to shew how Baptism was included there run for Sanctuary to the Athanasian Creed This seems to be a far fetcht and an unnatural deduction for though it may be concluded that the Sacraments are necessarily implyed in the Remission of Sins as he gives his reason Ibidem nam per Sacramenta peccata remittuntur it will conclude the necessity but says nothing of the nature wherefore that great Doctor with all the subtilties of his School-companions could never extract any thing thence of the nature of them so if Transubstantiation could not find any other confutation than from those Articles it would be to little purpose to dispute against it Thus one of our Church who being urged by a Papist how he shewed in the Creed that Doctrine of the Devils forbidding Marriage was exprest in the Creed answers that neither meats nor marrying of any persons could be unlawful because a Christian believes in God in his Creed to be maker of all thinks good so not to be forborn and all his Institutions holy therefore not to be abstained from by any persons This seems to me as vain an Attempt and as far fetcht a way of Arguing as those men use who will undertake to shew there is nothing New but demonstrate all new Philosophy to be taken out of Aristotle I