by which it is to be tried as by a Rule So that if men would speak properly and distinctly as certainly they ought to do in Controversies especially of this grand importance by this question what is the Rule of Faith can onely be meant what or where are the points articles or Propositions that are fundamentall in the faith of the Church For as to points not fundamentall they depend upon those that are and therefore do not come primarily into the question I would not trouble you with so much Metaphysicks but that they are of so necessary use to clear the foundation of our Faith from that rubbish and confusion which the sophistry and petulancy of our Adversaries have thrown upon it who in this point make it their business to confound the Notion of a Rule and a Iudge and then all those arguments that prove the necessity of an infallible Rule are easily brought to prove an infallible Iudge a Viva regula fidei which some of them make such a noise and a clamor with as if a person and a proposition were the same thing This gives also an easie answer to those of them that tell us The Apostles went not with books in their hands to preach and deliver Christs doctrine but with words in their Mouths that the Scripture is a dead letter and much other civil language of the like nature as they are pleased to give it It is not you see either the letter of Scripture or the sound of the Apostles preaching which is the Rule of our Faith but the great Doctrines which they preach't which were afterwards written and is the same Rule of faith I trow whether conveyed to us by writing or without it as Irenaus tells us of some Christians that had no written word at all 2. The Rule of Faith is the word of God who is our Creator and supream Lawgiver and the Author and object of that immortall happiness to which true faith leads us The word of God is indeed a glorious Title and therefore no wonder that so many have laid claim to it It would I confess look something like an adventure to range at large through the history of all times and places in quest of that which was but once delivered And yet did the time give us leave to be exact it would be necessary to examine the claims of at least the most vogued and considerable pretenders There was never yet any Lawgiver in the world that did not bear the People in hand that his Laws were dictated anâ— given at least ratified and auth orised by the Deity But of all these there is none except them whose history is in the Bible that have not been known and laught at for fables by the most able and greatest maintainers of them Those in the Bible are chiefly two which make up the two volumes of it respectively The one a Revelation made to the Iews by Moses the other to all Mankind by Christ Iesus The first of these appears to any understanding Reader to be wholly relative and propheticall consisting of Prophesies and other Praesignifications of a great Lawgiver and Prince that was not to appear till the world had attended his coming 4000 years The second volume contains the historicall relation of the life and gesta of that great Prince and the travels of his Ministers And therefore our Faith was not nor could be delivered sooner because the chief contents and matter of it are the conception birth speeches actions and sufferings of this Great One. And so S. Iudes phrase of once delivered is to be understood of that one age whvn this Divine Person the Son of God was incarnate suffered death rose again from death and did actually perform and transact all those passages and events which are the object matter of our Faith and Creed and also when this and all the rest was preached and attested by them that had seen these things done and had Especiall Commission from him to propose them as matters of Faith to all the world And therefore our Rule of Faith is contained in the Narrative of Our Saviours pilgrimage and his Apostles preaching that is in the four Gospels in the Epistles and Acts of the Apostles which were all extant in St Iudes time in writing and this writing taken for an undoubted Rule of Faith by the Church and therefore alone called Canonicall and so continued till the many and monstrous changes made in the Faith by the Church of Rome made it necessary for them to look out for another Rule Wherein how well they have acquitted themselves shall be seen by and by In the mean while her single testimony ought not to overballance so great a cloud of Witnesses as have deposed even life it self for the Scripture and against her own Iudgement for much above 1000 years Especially if it be added what arguments the present Church of Rome affords to prove that the Rule of Faith is contained in the Holy Scripture I. In the Iudgement of the Church of Rome it contains all necessary points of Faith and therefore contains the Rule of Faith Look over their Divinity-writers of all Sorts Especially of Controversies and bodyes of Divinity The decrees and Catechisme of the Councill of Trent You will find them as well as we labouring to prove their main points out of this written Word Yea the very infallibility of the Pope and such other doctrines as they set up against the Scripture And this they do in the first place as may be seen in Bellarmine and other their best writers as fetching their prime foundation from thence Nor have they been so bold as to say that they make use of Scripture onely ad hominem and not that they believe it For however they may deal with us in Controversie it is to be hoped they are more faithfull to the Souls of their own People So that would they be true to their own Consciences and the Consciences of their flocks they must return to the Rule of Faith contained in Scripture and confess with the said Bellarmine that Sacra Scriptura is Regula credendi certissima tutissima The most certain and safe Rule of believing That so all Christendom might once again if possible have one Faith II. The Rule of Faith in the Church of Rome is contained in the Holy Scriptures or else they have none Yes may some say The Church of Rome in full Council teaches us that her Faith is contained in libris scriptis sine scripto traditionibus in the written word and in unwritten traditions But then they must mean either that some of their Articles of Faith are contained in the written word and othersome in unwritten traditions onely or that all their Articles are proved partly from the written word and partly from unwritten traditions Not the first for they endeavour to prove all out of Scripture as was shewed even now Not the second for Divine warrant from the
written word if they have it is surely a sufficient Basis for any or all the Articles of their Faith and tradition or the voice of the Church being but an humane testimony cannot cause a Divine infallible Faith Yes The testimony of the Church say they is divine and infallible But here they lie cross one to another For by the voice of the Church some of them mean a traditional delivery of the Faith from age to age without writing as the Roman Catholick writers of England especially Others mean the voice or sentence of the present Pope or Church as the great Pontiff and Court of Rome with the Iesuits and other their close Adherents And these are as profest adversaries to one another as they are to us Those laying the stress upon the indefectibility of Oral and Practical tradition These upon an infallible assistance given to the present Pope or Church And so far hath the opposition between them proceeded that our Countreymen have been about twelve years since condemn'd at Rome of Heresie by a solemn censure of the Inquisition for their stiff maintaining tradition in opposition to the present Infallibility And on the other side they of Rome have been condemn'd by them in England for their illimited Pretences to Infallibility And which is worst of all both have forsaken the Faith of their Trent-Fathers For they profess to receive the written word and unwritten traditions pari Pietatis affectu Reverentiâ with equal devotion and submission But our assertors of Tradition are for it alone in opposition to the Scripture and the pretenders to a present Infallibility think themselves able to overrule both Scripture and Tradition Whereby you may see that since they have quitted the old foundation they have not been able to fix any that all their members can agree in And withall may be seen how necessary an implicite Faith is for those that will be of the Romish Communion since did they use but half an eye they must needs discover instead of A Guide in Controversies an endless Maze wherein it is no wonder that many even of the greatest Wits lose all Religion and take up in Atheism But we have many and greater arguments for this point more and more convincing then for any one point either in Reason or Religion except it be for the Existence of a God It will be impossible to speak to all and it will be too great an ingratitude to the goodness of God to omit all I shall therefore mention two or three of them I. This book alone contains a Doctrine and institution without error and which therefore by vertue of that qualification can alone be an infallible Rule of our Faith It is strange to consider that for so long a time as it hath been in the world so much read and canvass'd and written upon more then any other book whatsoever nay I might say but that it would look like a solaecism more then all other books put together so many Commentaries Annotations Paraphrases Versions Animadversions Scholia critica Anticritica Collationes Lucubrationes Diatriba Exercitationes Myrothecia Antitheses and a hundred more sorts of disquisitions and discussions of the truth of it Yet not the least error or misprision of error hath been found in it An abundant proof that there is none in it that it is the dictate of an infallible understanding which could not be put forth into the world for any other end then to be a standing and infallible Rule to Mankind who is of their naturall condition confessedly overrun with Error II. The Scripture contains the onely doctrine that ever could prevail upon Mankind in that way which the Rule of Faith onely doth and can prevail And that is by the strength and power of the light and truth that shines in it and by the assistance of that Almighty arm which never vouchsafed to give the Testimony of a Miracle to any thing but to Truths of the greatest Consequence Did it not think you seem strange to those that lived in the times when it was first published and did observe a doctrine so unlikely to take either with the weakness and humour of Mankind in Generall or with the pomp and powers of the world in Particular as the worship of a poor beggerly Iew which was our Saviours condition while he lived and a crucified and derided Malefactor which were the terms whereon he suffered That this weak and creeping pretender unarm'd and unattended by any but poor and ignorant men that in worldly respects were indeed as they confess'd of themselves the very refuse of Mankind like Master like Apostles That it should notwithstanding in less then fifty years obtain so great and universall an Interest in all parts of the world as to shake and in few years after to overthrow all Religions that had had so long undisturbed and unquestioned possession Maugre that multitude of Priests and Daemons by which they were maintained and all that might and opposition which the supream Powers of the world the malice and cunning of the devil yea the very bent and inclination of all Mankind could set against it And this without any humane helps but onely the bare preaching and proposall of it Which from the mouths of such ragged and forlorn Commissioners as were employed must and did much prejudice the promotion of it Especially considering what absolute obedience it required of bringing down even every imagination and what hard terms is propos'd of mortification taking up the Cross and forsaking all that was before counted dear in this world and which is hardest of all requiring self condemnation and that in instances of greater and more pungent concernment then the world had before been acquainted with What could any sober man in those days Iudge from these things and many more of the like Nature but that it was a Doctrine given by the Supream Lord and Lawgiver of the World to be an absolute Rule both of Faith and practice to all the World III. The Scripture contains that doctrine which alone of all doctrines that ever were publish't doth entirely agree with the Soul of Man and with the principles of reason within him And which consequently can alone be an infallible help to his understanding and propose a Rule of Faith to him It teaches us the same lessons that we learn from the light of Nature that there is a God that he made the World and governs it that he punishes the Evil and rewards the Good It instructs us in the knowledge and belief of these and many more such doctrines more clearly and convincingly then all the Philosophy in the World so fully and undeniably as force the Soul to have what arguments and discourses she drawes from her own bottom and to betake her self to this word as the onely safe and impregnable rock and hold of Truth It informs and extricates our Souls from those errors and perplexities concerning our own nature and condition which
reason makes us sensible of but can neither remedy nor clearly discover In all the infinitely various and entangled Cases wherein men are concerned it never so much as once crosses their reason or understanding but always helps it forward It is the onely Doctrine that ever taught mankind to abstract from the world to disengage Religion from worldly designs and temptations without which it is impossible that our understanding should attain the full liberty of Iudging or the true measures of believing It calls up the mind to those sublime and heavenly contemplations to that divine and inflaming ardour as force reason to stand at a distance and acknowledge that her most refined and studied wits her most severe Stoicks and Recluses had not so much as the husks of that fruit which this Tree of knowledge and life affords That the strength of all her productions were they never so genuine cannot enrich her votaries with so true and solid learning with so pure and charming a holiness with so firm and delicious a happiness as the meanest of the students of this Book are enabled to attain It propounds mysteries of so high and glorious a nature with so much Naifvetie so much clear native perspicuity and so much commanding and dreadfull Majesty as cannot be communicated any whence but from that infinite and eternall Wisdom who is alone able as to discover and reveal so to comprehend fully the Mysteries contained in the Scripture Mysteries so much above our weak reason so attractive of it and so healing to it as may from their own nature and merit claim and exercise the Energy and Authority of a Rule of Faith IV. Lastly Scripture contains the onely doctrine that ever could obtain to give law to all the world and the first that ever pretended to so large a Iurisdiction But the Rule of Faith as it is absolute admits of no appeal so the extent of it is illimited and universall over all Persons to whom it is made known of what nation age quality or pretence soever And that both in respect of the contents of it which are of a like importance to all to receive and believe as of that power by which it stands which is a like Soverain over all Now call to mind what was done in the world for the first 4000 years at the end whereof this Doctrine was revealed and you will find as many Lawgivers and Masters of Religion almost as Countries Nor have there been since any pretenders to an Universall Monarchy in Religion besides his Infallible Holiness of Rome and the Seraphick Author of the Alcoran But S. Iude tells us this Faith was delivered when he wrote his Epistle and therefore both these are cut out by a far elder claim And the Ancients made use of this very Topick viz. The universall extent of the Gospel to prove that main point of Faith on which the rest depends namely the Divinity of Christ the Author of it No Book ever came neer that high pitch of historicall credit that this hath had ever since it was publish't And he that brings but that belief with him to the reading of it cannot upon reading but believe it is Divine and look for a Rule of Faith in it In a word it hath the two Essentiall properties required in a Rule Certainty in it self and Evidence to us both which appear a Posteriori from the constant Consent of all Churches in one abstract of things fundamentall to Salvation taken out of it And we have as much proof that it is to be such as we can possibly have suppose it were so And now surely it may seem a strange presumption in flesh and blood to attempt to put down this Oracle from that praeeminence and power over the Faith of Christendom wherein the Almighty did at first place it and wherein it hath by undoubted possession prescribed for so many ages since An attempt that could not have entred into the hearts of men if extream and overgrown corruption both in Faith and manners had not first thrown out all fear of him who hath threatned utter excision to all them that dare add to or detract from his word To him we must leave them who will stand by his own word and bring to light the hidden things of dishonesty and consider what returns of duty become us and they are especially three I. The first is that which is to appear in us in the first place upon the receipt of any mercy or blessing whatsoever and that is thankfulness and gratitude that we offer up a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving and that for this it be a dayly sacrifice because this word is of more necessary and frequent use to us then our dayly bread II. A chearfull and absolute resignation of our Faith and Understanding to it III. A zealous and unwearied endeavour to keep and maintain this Faith whole and untainted in all trialls and oppositions The third we are now to speak to expressed by S. Iude in these two words Contend earnestly which Iointly imploy these two things 1. The use of all means necessary to attain so noble an end 2. Zeal and perseverance in the use of them I. The means most likely to preserve our Faith are I conceive these that follow 1. The Preservation of the letter of Scripture intire and uncorrupt and a diligent study of the literall meaning of it For we do not by the Scripture understand the bare characters abstracted from the sense as a bold SerIeant of the Church of Rome is pleased to say of us but by what Authority appears not Possibly it may be some remnant of his weak Faith before his defection which by his defection seems to have gone no farther then the bare characters never to have been well grounded in the true sense and meaning of it We mean by Scripture the literall sense of it especially in the points fundamentall to Salvation which are the very points of Faith not as he saith of which this Rule of Faith is to ascertain us but of which it consists which make it up as the parts make the whole These we say are contained in the first and most obvious sense of the words of Scripture God being graciously pleased to lay them open to all capacities and so making it a common Salvation as S. Iude here calls it As common reason will teach us that any Writer that would be understood will endeavour to deliver the main parts and substance of his discourse most plainly and expresly And therefore it is no wonder that the mysticall exposition of plain Scripture prov'd so mischievous to the Faith of the Ancient Church But so long as we have the letter of Scripture whole and understand the literall meaning of it so long we have our Rule of Faith safe I shall not need to tell you how both the one and other are best done by a study of the Originals of both Testaments by comparing the severall
ancient Copies Versions and Paraphrases especially the Septuagint and the Chaldee Paraphrast by observing the various readings and applications of places as we find them scatter'd in the writings of the Fathers and many other ways wherein you are better experienced then my self 2. To preserve the Faith it is necessary to distinguish in the Scripture points fundamentall from those which are not so This was proposed by the wise and learned King Iames as the best expedient for ending the Controversies of Christendom For as no book or doctrine so especially not the doctrine of the Scripture can be well understood much less maintain'd without an Analysis separation and digestion of the parts of it It being a Collection of the writings of so many Pen-men and those written upon severall occasions no one regularly delivering the whole Faith Now by Fundamentall points we do not mean necessary for all to know and believe to Salvation for to some more to some fewer are necessary according to their severall abilities and opportunities But we mean points principall and most essentiall in respect of the whole System of the doctrine of Salvation such as are necessary to make up the Unity of the Faith and so constitute a Church A perfect Catalogue of these we have in the Apostles Creed so called as the Fathers generally tell us because made by the Apostles before their dispersion to be a Rule in their preaching And therefore we need not go so far for a Rule of Faith or look upon it as so strange a thing and so difficult to find having it in our dayly prayers For this Creed is I conceive proposed in the Church of England to her Sons and Daughters as a Rule of Faith and was therefore in the beginning of the Reformation injoyned to be taught the People in English together with the Pater Noster and Ten Commandments the Breviats of our petenda and agenda respectively as that is of our Credenda And hath been therefore commanded ever since to be repeated twice a day that we might not if possible be to seek in so necessary a thing as the Rule of Faith This Creed the Ancients appeal to as to their Rule of Faith and thought their Faith sufficiently secured so long as this was stuck to Especially as it is opened in some parts by the Catholique Creeds of Nice Constantinople Ephesus Chalcedon and Athanasius This way they took to defend the Faith and with good reason for the defence of the Articles of our Creed involves the defence of all the Catholique Doctrine As in all sciences the principles Iustifie those Conclusions that are truly made from them 3. For the defence of the Faith it is necessary to study the old Ecclesiasticall Writers Fathers Councels Historians or whatsoever other they be For a great part of the points of our Faith being matters of fact such as our Saviours Birth Death Resurrection c. And our knowledge of the rest that are not matters of fact depending upon those that are they must in reason be best learned from the study of those books where they are best delivered historically whereof Scripture is the first and most Authentick record And next to it are the Christian writers of the eldest times For what is not recorded in Scripture cannot now be expected any where but in their writings Tradition whatever some men would make of it having so early and so grosly fail'd in the business of Easter admitting infants to the Eucharist and some other things Besides the many and great conflicts that they had with the Hereticks who oppugned the chief points of Faith give us a sight of all that can be objected against them and of enough though not all that is to be said in defence of them We do not say they are to be read with an implicite Faith as the Scripture is The infallible Inspiration of the Holy Ghost being withdrawn when the first Planters of the Gospel had finished their course and left the Word written Yet it seems the Holy Spirit did not take away all his extraordinary light at once having guided them to profess defend and deliver to us a more pure and unmingled Faith and this embraced with a more fervent and divine Love then the following ages could boast of How carefully the Church of England hath followed the ancient Fathers in this matter of Faith how much she relies on their Iudgement herein appears from the constant allegations of her ablest defenders since the Reformation and from her own act in Convocation 1571 where she forbids her publick Preachers to propose any thing to the People as matter of Faith but that which Catholici Patres veteres Episcopi ex S. Scripturae Doctrinâ collegerint which the Ancient Pastors and Catholick Doctors of the Church have drawn out of the Holy Scripture And it were no great boldness to challenge all her adversaries to show where she hath once swerved from this Rule or own'd any one point of Faith which she hath not proved after Scripture from a full consent of the Ancient Church To these must be added the study of the Schoolmen and of the chief writers of all Christian Churches that are or have been Since what is confess'd that there always hath been and now is one Catholick Church therefore one because professing this same Rule of Faith is to be demonstrated from the records of the severall Churches in the volumes of their Writers 4. The fourth means is the often teaching and explaining these chief articles and other approved and authorised forms of sound words to those that are most apt to learn and use best to remember what they learn And they are the younger sort to whom these points are made most intelligible by the familiar way of Catechising This is doubtless next to the inward operation of Gods grace the best and most effectual preaching and planting the Faith in any Soul To these it is commonly delivered in the most plain and free manner without any false glosses or sophistry which may hide or adulterate the light of it And in these tender and untainted minds it finds the least enmity and opposition obtains an easie quiet and secure possession and growing up with them becomes a rock and shelter against the winds of strange doctrines Whereas on the other hand even the reading of the written Word of God and much more the hearing of it paraphras'd upon in popular discourses and sermons is of far less use often of dangerous consequence to those that not onely want their first principles but it may be are leavened with false ones And therefore it is necessary that this be done as was said with approved and authorised forms of words For as the wisdom of the Church is best able to prescribe what is generally necessary for all her members to know and believe for their souls health So the interest that both Church and State have in the right principling of Youth