for every man to believe to the end he may be saved viz. That he acknowledg the one only true God and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ his Son being made man and that he believe that God hath raised him from the dead and that by his name he shal obtain salvation and that he place not his righteousness in the works of the Law But that he be verily perswaded that there is no other name under heaven whereby we can be saved Now let us make enquiry what other thing there is that being inferred from these may be in like manner necessary to be known And forasmuch as the Scriptures teach that every man is liable to the severe judgment of God as being by reason of the fall of Adam born in sin and of such a natural constitution that he continually offends God and consequently guilty of eternal punishment and since they further teach that this world at length coming to an end all persons shal be raised at the last day the just unto eternal happiness the unjust and wicked unto eternal torments No man can understand what it is to be saved neither consequently what it is he should believe unless he have some tollerable knowledg both of his own condition of the Law of God and of Gods purpose to judg the quick and the dead For the Apostle declares that from the Law springs the knowledg of Sin and he should not have known Sin but by the Law But it follows not from what we have laid down that such a degree of knowledg either of the Law of God or of mans natural condition is necessary as that if any man shal err in the interpretation of some Commandment of God or in judging of the nature of man and the abilities thereof he cannot be saved Thus much only follows that a man ought to believe that he is liable to eternal condemnation and to trust he is freed therefrom by Christ and by his benefits ordained unto eternal blessedness Again seeing Paul says that they have no title to Christ who place their righteousness in the Law in the Law I say of God What shal we say of them who place their righteousness in the Laws mandates and inventions of men They may doubtless much rather be said to have fallen from the righteousness and benefits of Christ Semblably since the Scriptures teach that by the name of Christ alone we must hope for salvation it follows that he that shal hope for salvation by the name of the blessed Virgin or Peter or Paul or any Saint whatsoever hath no share in Christ Likewise it being a thing necessarily to be believed to salvation that Christ was raised from the dead and it cannot be understood that any is raised to life that was not first dead it follows that it ought of necessity to be believed that he dyed In a word forasmuch as our Lord hath commanded that all be taught the Gospel and baptized in the name of the Father Son and holy Spirit whose work this Faith is inasmuch as he opens our hearts and reveals unto us this goodness of God towards us both this command ought to be known and that it is the holy Spirit by whom we believe and by whom God dwels in us and whom we ought by incessant prayers to begg of God that he would bestow him upon us I confess ingeniously I cannot find any other points that I can from Scripture demonstrate and prove to be of necessary knowledg to the attainment of salvation If any man can shew any more there is nothing that I would sooner wish then to understand what ever other points there are over and above what we have laid down and to heare those Texts by whose authority we are obliged to acknowledg them for matters that ought of necessity to be known Now for us to reckon up particularly all such points as we judg not necessary to be known to the end a man may be saved there is no necessity neither were it convenient and it would be an endless work A right line is the measure both of right and crooked Only to the end that it may be the better understood when any points comes into question how it may be manifest to be either of necessity to be known or not of necessity we wil examine and couple of Doctrines to the end that as we shal try these all other may be tryed Sabellius as Vigilius Martyr Bishop of Trent relates did so acknowledg the Father Son and holy Spirit as that he would not have it to be understood that the Father was one person the Son another But he said that he who was the Father filled the womb of the Virgin and in that man whom he assumed is termed the Son when as not two persons but one Father is understood by both termes And he that thus understands the matter worships but one God Some man may therefore enquire whether or no this point be of such concernment as that it is necessary for him that would be saved not to err therein that is to say whether Sabellius holding such an Error could be saved or whether he ought absolutely to be reckoned for an Heretick as hitherto he hath bin ever accounted We have already proved that it is necessary that men should believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God But to believe that he is the Son of God is no to pronounce these words nor yet in thought to give unto Christ the title of Son of God but rather by a sincere faith to attribute unto him that which these words signifie Now the word Son signifies not any such thing I say the notion of that word is not such as that any person may be understood to be his own Son neither can the term Father be so understood as that any one should be his own Father but he is called a Son who hath for Father not himself but some other person and he a Father who hath for Son not himself but some other Forasmuch then as Sabellius did confound the Father and the Son and denied that they were two distinct persons it is very plain that he did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God which it was altogether necessary for him to believe By which example we are taught that concerning such points as are propounded unto us by God as necessary to be believed we ought diligently to examine what the words signifie least retaining only a certain vain shadow of words we come to deny the things themselves by those words intimated let us labour to understand the words that we may sincerely embrace the things themselves Having examined this Tenet let us consider another point which as these times go is perhaps no less worthy of our knowledg There hath been a long and very Tragical controversie about the interpretation of those words Take this is my Body Let us consider therefore whether this be a matter of such consequence that therefore
greatest of sinners especially by so cruel and bloody a death Oh had we but the least suspition concerning any man that he should hereafter be a King yea the best of Kings suppose his present condition to be never so mean and obscure how far would we be from contemning such a man And what I pray you is the dignity and soveraignty of a King compared with that dgnity and lustre which is laid up for Gods elect And shal we account that man unworthy of our humanity and good wil who for ought we know is born to this glory Again it wil be very effectual to move thee to a gentle opinion concerning such a man if entring into thine own heart thou shalt take a diligent and strict survey of all thy actions of thy whole life and cogitations and examine them by the Law of God And if so be thou shalt find thy self tainted in the presence of God with many and great sins and yet dost comfort thy self that he wil not deal severely with thee nor punish thee according to thy deserts but rather carry himself towards thee as a tender God and Father why mayst thou not hope that he shal be partaker of the like gentleness And since in regard of this hope of thine thou lookest upon thy self as one no ways to be despised what reason is there thou shouldest not judg the same of another Further with such meditations as these we must ioyn frequent and fervent prayers to God that he would soften our heart and would plant therein with his own hand a true and living charity which wil direct us unto such apt and convenient ways of dealing with our brother that it wil be a miracle if we do not shortly reclaim him And whereas no man can understand the things of God but by the spirit of God before we begin any dispute let us wrastle with God by prayer taking to our assistance some other godly persons that he by his spirit would be present with the person erring and open his heart and eyes that he may acknowledg the truth yea and we ought to exhort him to make the like prayer to God in his own behalf As for demonstrations they wil be then available to manifest the truth when God is their Author as it is writen I wil instruct you with such a tongue and such wisdom that no body shal be able to resist you And again as the rain and snow descend from heaven and return not thither again but do moisten and soften the earth making it to bud and bring forth and yeeld bread to sustain the life of man so my word that proceeds out of my mouth shal not return to me fruitless but shal accomplish all my will shal prosper towards those to whom I shal send it Here then we see that prayers are again necessary unto the Lord that he would not only open the heart of the person erring but also suggest unto us such words as maybe most fitting to demonstrate the truth And if it shal not seem absurd to allow some place for such arts which though they be termed humane yet if a man shal no other ways use them then as knowing that while he plants and waters it must be God that can give the encrease and putting all his confidence in him no man can deny but they are the gifts of God I shal further add that those demonstrations have power to perswade which taking their rise from things evidently known and from such places of Scripture as are most clear and uncapable of different interpretations in a due order and with a perpetual connexion no medium being overpast or misplaced do arrive unto the point in controversie or else which shal begin at the Tenet to be disproved and some other point out of all question inferring by degrees until such time as the party erring shal be brought to some great absurdity which when by no means it can be maintained it is impossible but the party dealt with shal confess that somewhat untrue hath bin laid down especially if this shal be done with words and expressions noways obscure doubtful or intricate but plain clear and familiar Howbeit to say the truth few there are that can thus do and the reason is because there are very few that had not far rather be writers and speakers then Meditators Now it is not enough if the argument which thou shalt bring shalt seem unto thee to the purpose but it ought to be accommodated to the wit and judgment of him that is to be perswaded therewith As for example if thou haply shalt so prize the Authority of Origen as to think thou oughtest to credit what ever he says and shalt alleadg some place of his writings wherein he seems to take thy part this may seem to thee to make much on thy side but if he with whom thou hast to deal shal give little or no credit to Origen this Testimony wil stand thee in no stead and as little shalt thou prevail if having to deal with a Turk or some other enemy to Christianity thou shalt make use of Testimonies of Scripture Thus likewise it will come to pass if dealing with reasons thou shalt take such things for grant which howbeit to thee they seem out of question yet thy Adversary is not perswaded of their truth For thou oughtest to assume such things as are true not only in thine own but in his account also As if thou shalt say we must not confess our sins to a Priest because God hath not commanded it and there stop for he which doth not as yet know or at least for the present remembers not that we ought to observe nothing but what God himself shal command wil not a whit be moved with that reason There is a like but more obscure passage in Tullies book called Laelius the words are these Scipio denied that any speech could be more contrary to friendship then his that said a man ought so to love as remembring that he may hate where he loves neither could he perswade himself that as it is believed Bias should utter any such thing who was accounted one of the seven wise men but that it came from some base ambitious spirit from a man that would reduce all things to his own power For how is it possible any man should be his friend to whom he conceives he may become an enemy Yea he must of necessity desire and wish that his friend may frequently offend that he may give him the more occasions to reprehend him Again he must of necessity be vexed greived and moved to envy by the wel-doing and profit of his friends So far Loelius Now a man wil wonder how these absurdities should follow from the speech of Bias whereas haply had the Argumentation bin compleat all occasion of mervail would have bin taken away And that thou mayst understand what the way of prevailing in this case is what reasons wil move thine
or if thou art a Gentleman from thy Gentility to Arrogate unto thy self any wisdom or knowledg Of what kin is wisdom to any of these things The whole world wil tel thee that unless thou hast Wit unless thou hast had Teachers unless thou hast undergone long and diligent pains those things cannot avail thee And for reputation what is it but the Testimony of the Multitude A goodly witness of thy sufficiency which sometimes it self is little less then stark mad But if thou wilt give eare to him that only cannot deceive nor be deceived thou wilt find neither wit nor study nor teachers to be any thing but that all rests in the Spirit of God alone So that if he only shal afford thee plentiful assistance though thou shalt have no help besides thou canst not but be exactly wise if he alone shal be wanting thou canst not chuse but be an Arrant fool however furnished with abundance of all other assistance Why then should these empty names blow thee up Verily inasmuch as nature without any external assistance flatters every man more then enough and makes him think himself very wise we must take heed least that by a foolish relying upon such things our natural infirmity be encreased And whereas if we consider the other faults of mans nature we shal find them all to be deep-rooted and hard to be I wil not say rooted up but even in part lopped off and diminished I am yet of opinion that if Arrogance be compared with the rest they wil appear to be very loose and removeable in comparison for if thou shalt be inflamed with anger if thou conceive hatred if thou steal if thou kil thou canst not but know that thou committest these crimes so that if thou shalt often commit such acts thou canst not but know that thy mind is inclined to hatred theft bloodshed and mayst try the mastery with thy self and by little and little endeavour to attain to better dispositions and manners but in case thou shalt be possessed with too great a conceit of thine own wisdom it wil be as hard for thee to be perswaded that thou doest so err For if in any point thou shalt err it wil be as hard a thing while thou errest to make thee understand that thou dost err as to make thee live and not to live at one and the same instant for to err and to acknowledg thine Error were the same as to err and not to err It may come to pass indeed that after thou hast remained for a time in thine Error thou mayst repent and acknowledg the same But God knows how few Errors come to be acknowledged by those that err And concerning those few Errors which we acknowledg that self-love which is bred in our bone is never wanting of an excuse so that every man wil lay the fault any where rather then in his own judgment whence it comes to pass that he cannot discern how he Arrogates unto himself more then is meet and forasmuch as the disease is hidden the medicine is not so much as sought after And truly in this case I cannot see what other way any good is to be done but by that course we formerly mentioned which because it ought to be deeply imprinted in our minds it must not seem irksome to make repetition thereof in this place And that was this Since we see that all the affairs of mans life are ful of dissentions in things divine and profane publique and private in peace and war at home and abroad and yet there is but one Truth in all things of necessity very many must err And forasmuch as for the most part those that are judged to excel others in wisdom are at difference among themselves it must be concluded that many also of those that are accounted wise do err And inasmuch as one man errs in one thing another in another and therefore those things in which every man errs must needs be many and because none so excels in wisdom but he may be subject to humane frailty when he least suspects himself Reason thus with thy self all other men err and that frequently and it cannot betide a very wise man of exact judgment to err often there is not therefore a man who hath attained to so great wisdom but that he comes far short of the top and yet there is no man but atâ—ributes very much unto himself and in so doing is exceedingly mistaken in his opinion What therefore wilt thou judg of thy self Wilt thou not thus think I am a man too that therefore which is so proper to man must of necessity be in mee too though I observe it not that so thou mayst labour to weaken the force of thine Arrogance But there is in man a kind of I know not what spirit an egregious flatterer and very crafty which in the midst of such meditations as these mutters I know not what in his heart which he doth in such a manner as that his speech is more moving affecting and intoxicating then discernable Yet if thou canst reach his meaning thou shalt find he speaks to this effect true indeed it is there is no man but is deceived in attributing too much unto himself howbeit this Arrogance is far from thee thy case is far different who art led by a special instinct which wil not suffer thee to mistake in judging And so great is the force of this inchantment that though thou shalt strive long and earnestly with thy self yet shalt thou hardly be able to lay down any little portion of this vain perswasion But of this thou oughtest to be certainly perswaded that by how much the less thou suspectest thy selt of Arrogance by so much the more Arrogant thou art for whilst thou thinkest wel of thy self the wise King Solomon reckons thee amongst the number of fools A fool says he is pleased with his own reasonings but a wise man seeks Councel So that the top of humane wisdom seems to be for a man to suspect his own wisdom and to know that he stands in need of the Counsel of another Which Text verily ought continually to be opposed against that most wicked spirit that he may not estrange thy mind from modesty And that thou mayst the better understand that modesty is altogether necessary in disputes I wil add one thing which at the first view may seem very absurd though nothing in the world is more certainly true whosoever thou art thou canst not maintain a Controversie with any man about any point but that look by how much thou thinkest thy self wiser then hee by so much on the other side will he think himself to be wiser then thou The reason is at hand for if thou consider the point in Controversy did but he think that thou couldest judg better then himself he would assent unto thee and there would remain no difference But inasmuch as he dissents from thee he must needs conceive himself to judg
but from God So Martha after that our Lord had told her that he was the Resurrection and the Life and that if any man beleeved in him though he were dead yet he should live and all that should live and beleeve in him should never dye She made answer I beleeve that thou art the Messias the Son of God who wer 't to come into the world And to the Thief who begged of Lord that he would remember him when he came into his Kingdom he gave this answer Luke 23. This I promise thee that thou shalt be with me this day in Paradise And the Eunuch after he had confessed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God Acts 8. he was baptized Likewise when four men carrying the pulsied man and endeavoring to bring him to be cured were not able to come near for the press but let him down in his bed through the roof into the midst before Jesus Jesus knowing their so great faith said unto the man Son thy sins are forgiven thee By which place we may conjecture what was the faith of that palsied person For he beleeved in all probability that that same man whose name was Jesus came from God and was in favor with God and therefore he hoped that by his means he might recover his health But that he knew all those things which the Church hath for a long time accounted as articles of Faith necessary to be beleeved to Salvation how likely a matter it is I leave it to every man to judg There are likewise many other texts to the very same purpose For to that same unclean woman that washed our Lords feet with her tears it was said Thy Faith hath saved thee The same was spoken to that other woman having the flux of blood who hoped If she might touch the hem of his garment she should be healed The same was done to that one of the ten cleansed lepers who returned thanks to God And Iohn says Hereby ye shal know the Spirit of God whatever spirit shal confess that Iesus Christ is come and that he is made man that Spirit is of God and again Whosoever shal confess that Iesus is the Son of God God abides in him and he in God Also Paul denies That any can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Spirit And forasmuch as Abraham is called the Father of Beleevers and we are taught chiefly by his example that Righteousness consists in Faith Truly it wil be labor wel bestowed to consider what that was which when he beleeved it was counted unto him for righteousness He was promised that he should be the Father of many Nations he was promised that happiness should betide to all the Nations of the world by his seed Finally he had the Land of Canaan promised to him and very great prosperity But of those points of Religion which it is judged every body is bound to know upon pain of damnation we read not a word Yea and the mystery of Salvation it self by his seed is very closely and obscurely promised And truly these are the only points which I find in the Scriptures recorded as necessary to be beleeved for the attainment of Salvation Let us now consider who they be unto whom in Scripture Salvation is denyed in respect of unbelief Unto the Apostles it was said in general terms Go ye through the whole earth publishing the Gospel to all persons he that shal beleeve and be baptized shal be saved but he that shal not beleeve shal be condemned Which words as is manifest by what we formerly said are not so to be understood as if he had said He that shal not rightly understand whatever you shal teach but shal in some point mis-interpret your words shal be condemned but by the word Gospel we must understand that same blessed message of redemption by the name of Christ He that shal beleeve that by the name of Christ he shal be saved he shal be saved he that shal not so beleeve shal be condemned In the same manner are those words of Paul to be expounded Gal 1. If any shal teach you different from what you have learned let him be accursed as if he should have said If any shal teach you that you must obtain salvation by any other way then by faith in the name of Christ let him be accursed Howbeit whosoever shal teach any thing otherwise then the Apostles taught although it be none of the principal heads of Religion yet is he so far forth to be accursed in as much as all false doctrine comes from none but the Devil the father of lyes But it is not presently to be concluded that such a person is quite out of the way of Salvation for our Lord rebuking Peter himself because he dehorted him from suffering death calls him Satan Iohn 6. More particularly our Lord says Vnless you shal both eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of man ye shal not obtain life Which imports as much as if he had said Unless ye shal beleeve that I am the Son of God and that I am sent from God my Father and that you shal obtain Salvation by my Name you shal not obtain life And again Vnless ye shal beleeve that I am he ye shal dye in your sins 2 Iohn 2. 1 Iohn 4. And John says Who is a lyar but he that denies Jesus to be the Son And hereby shal you know the Spirit of Goâ— whatever spirit confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God But whatever spirit shal deny that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh Gal. 5. the same is not of God Paul adds If you be circumcised Christ shal profit you nothing And a little after Ye have no part in Christ who lace your righteousness in the Law ye are fallen from Grace And Peter there is no other name among men under heaven Acts 4. by which we can be saved By which testimonies of Scripture we are taught that such places as witness that he which beleeves that Jesus Christ is the Son of God shal be saved are not so to be understood as that if a man shal so beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Son of God as he beleeves that Iulius Caesar was the first who brought the Roman Commonwealth into bondage and made himself Emperor of Rome or any other matter wherein himself is not concerned that he shal be saved but that he truly beleeves that Jesus is the Son of God who beleeves it as a thing that concerns himself that is to say who beleeves that he whom we call Jesus is the Son of God his Jesus and his Christ that is his Savior and his King in whom alone he places all the hope of his Salvation Unless we shal admit of this interpretation neither Pauls nor Peters words will hang together These very few points are all that we can find expressed in Scripture as being necessary
of our Lord and the direction of his Spirit there were no reason but that all the determinations of Councels should be accounted firm and authentick But forasmuch as these are the secrets of mens mindes and hearts God onely can know them And inasmuch as these conditions which are annexed to our Lords promise are hidden the conscience in this case hath nothing certain to rest upon Make it appear to me that a company either of Bishops or any other men are met together in the name of Christ I shall willingly stand to their determinations but how wilt thou make it appear that they are so met Because themselves profess so much as if a company of ungodly dissemblers would not say as much concerning themselves Doubtless it is no ways likely that God hath imposed such a law upon us as one time or another whether we do obey it or not obey it will render us guilty But such a law were imposed upon us in case we were bound to obey a Councel and in the mean time either the Councel may erre or in case it do erre our obedience shall not finde excuse before God But that Councels may erre we doubt not yea verily nothing is more sure then that Councels have often erred And if we shall give obedience to the impious determination of a Councel sure we are that no Text of Scripture will excuse us yea rather we are strictly admonished not to give credit so much as to an Angel from Heaven if he would teach us any thing besides what hath been delivered by the Apostles For the holy Scriptures are set before us out of which we are to know the will of God Which that we may understand we are taught to pray to God for wisdom and the holy Ghost that we should rest in the determinations of Councels there is not a word that I know in Scripture to warrant us Now if so be our obedience to Councels in case they determine any thing amiss shall not be excused neither have we any assurance that Councels never erre Neither may it be said that God hath subjected us unto such a law whereunto one time or another we can neither obey nor not obey without sin It follows that none ought to be compelled to stand to the determinations of Councels Now since it is all one to say that a Councel hath authority to judg of controversies of Religion or to say that every man ought to obey whatever a Councel shall decree and since we have shewed that there is no Law binding men to give such obedience it follows That a Councel hath no such authority to judg in matters of Religion It may further be demanded what we say concerning him who is called to the office of a Teacher whether he ought wholly to obey a Councel so as to teach nothing different from the Councels determinations It were an absurd thing doubtless for a man to be bound to teach that unto others which he himself cannot safely believe or shall he be more excused if he follow the impious determination of a Councel in his teaching then if he himself for his own particular embrace and believe the same Yea verily much less for Paul will have him to be accursed who shall teach any thing beside what the Apostles have taught or is he rather then the man that onely believes the Councel but teaches not entangled in this gin or trap That whether he obey or obey not he must offend or shall he rather keep himself silent Wo is me says Paul if I shall not teach the Gospel and Peter says We ought rather to obey God then men It is manifest therefore That a Councel hath not authority so to judg of controversies as that men should be bound to obey their decrees Inasmuch therefore as Councels are to be called indeed but not to this end of necessity there must be some other end why they are to be called If so be therefore Councels shall meet that the controversies which trouble the Church being propounded and every one having free liberty to speak those to whom the Lord shall please to reveal any thing to the clearing of matters propounded may speak and declare their judgment and the rest afterwards judg not so as to vote and the greater part to make a Law to necessitate every man to assent for so the greater part would commonly be too hard for the better but that every one might weigh what is said to the end That if he shall finde it proved by sufficient testimonies of Scripture he may both embrace it himself and endevor to perswade others to embrace the same not by urging the authority of the Councel but by those Texts of Scripture which he heard alleadged in the Councel Doubtless if those that meet together should make this their aym although amongst two or three hundred hypocrites there should not be above three or four persons truly pious who heartily seek the glory of God and put their confidence in the promises which our Lord hath made praying to him that he would reveal the truth unto them they as few as they be should not meet in vain doubtless that so great number of hypocrites should not cause our Lords promises to become vain and of no force What should be revealed to one that would all that were docible imbrace and so Satan should in vain hope to get the victory by the number and multitude of persons unskilful and of his masked and disguised subjects or by the outward dignity of mens persons There would not then be such a stir to purchase voices and to make up the number sufficient to carry the matter but the care would be rather how every man might finde such ground of Truth as upon which he might safely rely Verily we should often see that even by the meanest and most contemptible of the company God would dispel great mists of errors But so long as most account shall be made of number and the glistering of outward dignity so long as the consent of the major part shall stand for a law nothing is more sure then that Satan shall ordinarily get the victory and bear away the bel in such Councels Which way then wilt thou say may a man be excluded the communion of the godly because of some ungodly tenet which he shall hold Shall the authority of any particular Church be greater then the authority of the whole or universal Church so as that the particular may condemn both the tenet and the man and general or Catholike Church may not I answer A particular Church condemning any man unless their condemnation be just they do indeed separate that man from themselves so far forth as that they do not acknowledg him to be one of them but they separate him not from Christ Neither do they pronounce him faulty before God because he would not credit them to believe as they did How justly they reject him let them look to it But