de Trin. I beseech thee preserve this undefiled Religion of my Faith and grant me this voyce of my Conscience to the last breath that what I professed in the Symbol of my Regeneration being baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost I may always obtain viz. I may adore thee our Father and thy Son together with thee and do honour to thy Holy Spirit who is of thee by thine only begotten For he is a sufficient witness to Faith who said Father all mine are thine and thine are mine my Lord Jesus Christ who remains in thee and from thee and with thee always God who is blessed for ever and ever Which I the rather mention because it serves to illustrate the prudence and charity of S. Austin and the rest of the Christian Bishops of those days who though they looked upon the Donatists as Hereticks in denying the Church to be Catholique by confining it to themselves yet distinguished them from such Hereticks as erred in the prime and most Fundamental truths of our Religion about the Divinity and the Incarnation of our Christ and such like That is they made a difference even in the Articles of Faith and lookt upon some as more Fundamental than others being of more importance and of greater weight and moment and therefore judged more mildly of them than they did of such as denyed the Holy Trinity or held any Doctrines which impeached the glory of the Father or of the Son or of the Holy Ghost And therefore they still called these Donatists Brethren they pitied them as Men seduced by their Guides and professed sincere love and affection to them whether they accepted it or no. Though such was the peevishness of that Sect that they abused this charity of good Catholique Christians towards them just as they of the Church of Rome do our charity now For from thence they took occasion to argue that they were in the right even by the Concessions of their Adversaries which justified both them and their heretical Schism For you said they (m) August L. 2. contra lit Petiliavi cap. ult can find no faults in our baptism nor consequently in our Faith into which we baptize for if you could you would baptize those over again who come from us to you as we baptize those again who come from you to us Which is as much as to say you allow there is a Church and Salvation among us but we allow no Church no Salvation among you therefore it is safest for all to joyn with us not with you Which is the very Charm whereby they of the Church of Rome endeavour now to work upon the spirits of simple people among us though no wiser than this argument of a company of mad men would be if they had so much cunningremaining as to say to us we deny you to be Men but you allow us to be Men therefore we are fit for all Mens society not you who are but a herd of Beasts And what S. Austin answers to the Donatists is a full answer to the present Romanists which is this in short (n) L. 1. de Baptisino contraâ— Donatistas C. X. for it is besides my business to do more than mention these things when we speak favourably of you it is for the sake of What you have of ours not for what you have of your own let that which you have of ours be set aside and we approve of nothing at all among you But I will not further enlarge upon this nor say much of the next which is very plain V. They therefore who condemn those as Hereticks who Excommunicate them and pronounce Anathema's against them that believe the whole Catholique Faith are the great disturbers of the Christian World and the true cause of the Divisions and breaches that are in the Body of Christ And who they are that do thus is visible to every eye the Church of Rome having thought fit not to rest satisfied with the simplicity of those often mentioned Catholique fundamental Truths which are without Controversie and unquestionable but as if that Faith which the old Christians thought compleat they take to be defective have adjoyned as many more nâ—w Articles to the old body and that under the pain of damnation if we do not believe them I have told you what they are and if you look them over again you will find that upon those have all the Contests risen between us and them The necessary fundamental Truths which constitute the Church which was built upon no other for many Ages are on both sides unquestioned but because we question or rather deny those which they would impose which we are certain are no part of the Christian Doctrine they call us Hereticks That is because we will not yield Obedience to their usurpt authority because we cannot believe their new inventions to be Catholique and fundamental Doctrines Here is the true reason of all the miserable ruptures that are in this part of the World nay this is the just grievance and complaint of all Christians who know any thing of these matters but themselves alone VI. And their guilt is herein the greater because the best learned among themselves have confessed these Additions to the Creed to be doubtful opinions unnecessary and superfluous Doctrines Novelties unknown to the ancient Church Concerning every one of which three things our Authors have given the clearest evidence 1. The first of them the doubtfulness of those Doctrines appears in this that there is not only variety but contrariety of judgment about them in their own Church which argues plainly great perplexity and uncertainty Of which there needs no other proof as Doctor Potter (o) Answer to Charity mistaken p. 69. observes but the famous Books of Bellarmine who in the entrance upon every Question there stated gives an account of the Contentions and Contradictions of those who have-written upon it among themselves And at this day they are not better agreed in the Explication of several Points in difference between us See the late Answer to the Bishop of Meaux's Exposition of Faith. particularly about the Worship given to Images and the Invocation of Saints which some of their greatest Doctors mollifie and sweeten as they do other points into downright Heresie as such Explications are accounted by others 2. The very same may be clearly shewn out of their own Authors and hath been demonstrated by our Divines concerning the Second thing that those Doctrines are not necessary but superfluous For the Roman Catechism (p) Praefat. Sâ—ct 12. it self having observed that their Ancestors had most wisely distributed all that belongs to saving Doctrine into these four heads for the help of the Peoples understanding and memory the Apostles Creed the Sacraments the Decalogue and the Lord's Prayer immediately confess concerning the first that all things which are to be held by the Discipline of the Christian Faith whether
take part with us in our flesh and blood is to make himself liable to sufferings and death In these few words therefore are contained many principles of Christian truths viz. that Jesus Christ was really God not God the Father whose being is here supposed but God the Son and that he was incarnate and really made Man of the Substance of his Mother being perfect God and perfect Man and as really suffered for us in the flesh as S. Peter speaks 1 IV. 1. Which were the Doctrines that were first assaulted by the Devil and his Agents in the beginning of our Religion such as Simon Magus and the rest of that Tribe but proved to be undoubtedly true by the mighty power of his Spirit II. Which is the second part of this Mystery justified in or by the Spirit Which sufficiently convinced all gain-sayers that he was no less than the Son of God though in the likeness of sinful flesh and that by a Sacrifice for sin he condemned sin in the flesh VIII Rom. 3. For as he was conceived in his Mothers Womb by the Holy Ghost I. Luke 35. So at his Baptism he was anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power X. Act. 38. there being then a visible descent of the Spirit of God in a Glorious manner upon him together with a voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased III. Matt. 17. And as it then lighted on him so it abode and remained on him I. Joh. 32 33. as appeared by the power of such Miracles as neither Men nor Devils could work but only the Spirit of God. Which was so evidently true that to ascribe them to the Devil was the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost XII Matt. 28.31 32. III. Mark 29 30. by whose power not only Devils were cast out but even the Dead were raised whereby he was manifested to be the resurrection and the life XI Joh. 25. By the same Spirit he himself also was raised from the Dead and declared again the Son of God with power I. Rom. 4. And having all power in Heaven and Earth given him he sent the Holy Ghost upon his Apostles on the day of Pentecost as a further Justification of him XV. Joh. 26. V. Act. 32. Nay more than this by the laying on of their hands poured it out upon others who believed on his Name II. Act. 38. VIII 17. Which was the unction from the Holy One whereby they knew all things as St. John calls it 1. II. 20. i. e. were assured of all the Christian Truth revealed unto them For all these were illustrious witnesses unto Christ and justified this grand truth that he was God manifested in the flesh for such ends and purposes as he pretended against all opposers who accused it of falsity And who is there that doth not see several other principles of God's holy Truth contained in this particularly that the Holy Ghost is God the third person in the Holy Trinity being the Spirit of God which knows the things of God as the Spirit of Man doth what is in him 1 Cor. II. 11. and led or guided the Apostles into all Truth XVI Joh. 13. and dwells in the whole body of the Church as his Temple 1 Cor. VI. 19. which no created Spirit can do and gave such a Divine testimony to our Saviour that to speak against it was unpardonable blasphemy That other great article of our Faith also is included in this which S. Paul declares in these terms Though he was crucified through weakness yet he liveth by the power of God 2 Corinth XIII 4. III. This was a thing notorious to the Angels themselves which is the third particular in this Mystery Was seen of Angels both at his birth III. Luke 9 10 13. and in several passages of his life IV. Matt. 11. XVII 5. I. Joh. 51. and at his death XXII Luke 43. and at and after his Resurrection XXVIII Matt. 2. XX. Joh. 20. and also at his Ascension I. Act. 10 11. when they testified to the Apostles that this same Jesus who was taken up from them into Heaven shall so come in like manner as they had seen him go into Heaven Where when he came they all Worshipped him I. Hebr. 6. and admired at the wonderful Wisdom of God which was made known to them by the Church 1 Pet. I. 12. especially this Mystery of Christ as the Scripture calls it which is the fourth particular in this Catalogue of Christian Truths IV. That this Doctrine thus confirmed and attested was preached unto the Gentiles who were assured that they should be made fellow-heirs with the Jews and partakers of God's Promise in Christ by the Gospel as S. Paul speaks III. Ephes 6. Vnto whom this grace was given to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all Men know what is the fellowship of the Mystery which from the beginning of the World was hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ An astonishing Grace this was declaring the infinite love and kindness of God that they who thought not of it who had no promises to make them expect it who were strangers to God and the Covenant of Promise were on a sudden surprized with the revelation of God's good will to them in Christ and by belief of it were made fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God. That is the Church was made truly Catholique all the World being taken into fellowship with the Apostles whose fellowship was with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. I. 3. V. And another great wonder was that notwithstanding all the opposition which was made by the Potentates by the Philosophers and Disputers of the World by the Devil also and his Angels who though they also saw 〈◊〉 and could not but confess him yet set themselves against him with their whole power and notwithstanding all the strong prejudices that were in Peoples minds against it this whole Mystery of Godliness was entertained and received with great joy every where Which is the fifth particular seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World. So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed as S. Luke speaks Act. XIX 20. The reason was because Christ the Head of the Church being raised from the dead was exalted at God's right Hand far above all Principality and Power and every name that is named either in this World or in the other so that neither Men nor Devils could hinder the propagation of the Gospel by the working of that mighty Power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the Dead and set him at his own right hand in the Heavenly places VI. For that is the last part of this Mystery of Godliness he was received up into or in Glory that is in a glorious manner received up into Heaven And being gone into the Heavens as S. Peter writes 1 III. ult is on the
right hand of God angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him So subject that from henceforth he expects till all his enemies be made his footstool X. Hebr. 13. and having vanquished Death which is the last Enemy and raised Men out of their Graves he will judge them according to their Works For he was received up into Glory to be the Judge of quick and dead These are the Principal Points of that Truth which ought to be supported and maintained in the Christian Church being the substantial and necessary Articles of our Faith without the belief of which we cannot be Christians For the fuller Explication of which I shall make Six observations the first of which the Apostle himself here suggests and the rest will fairly follow from thence 1. First the Apostle notes them to be such Truths as were without Controversie about which there was no dispute among serious Christians 2. And therefore these are the truly Catholique Doctrines and these alone 3. The fundamental Truths upon which our Religion and the Church it self is built 4. And therefore he that holds close to these cannot be a Heretick 5. But they that call Men so because they believe not other things which they have made necessary have rent the Christian Church and are guilty of that sin of which they falsly accuse others 6. Which guilt is the greater because the best and most learned Men among them have confessed those Doctrines which they have superadded to the Ancient Truth to be doubtful superfluous and unknown to the first Ages of the Church that is not truly Catholique Doctrines I. The first of these ought to be well weighed that the Truth which is to be supported and maintained in the Church is so evident and so abundantly attested that it is confessed by all Christians Thus that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without controversie or confessedly signifies as we may learn from the use of it among the Ancient Greeks one of which Diodorus Sinopensis speaks of their Supreme God just as the Apostle doth of the Mystery of Godliness (a) Apud Athenaeum Lib. VI. cap. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jupiter the Friendly is without controversie or by common consent agreed to be the greatest of the Gods. In like manner the Apostle is to be understood when he saith the same of these great and venerable Doctrines of Godliness Which are such as are confessed by all by a common agreement and doubted of by none For they are no other than those which are contained in the Apostles Creed about which there is no question among Christians but they all consent unto it being baptized into the belief of those Truths in which the whole Church hath agreed every where in all times down from the Apostles days to this present Age. For the Church saith Irenaeus (b) L. I. Contra Haeres c. 2. though dispersed throughout the World to the ends of the Earth received from the Apostles and their Disciples the Faith which is in one God the Father Almighty who made the Heaven and the Earth and Sea and all that is in them and in one Christ Jesus the Son of God who was Incarnate for our Salvation and in the Holy Ghost who preached by the Prophets the dispensations and approaches of God and the Birth of the Virgin and the Suffering the Resurrection from the Dead and the Bodily Ascension of our Dear Lord Christ Jesus into the Heavens and his coming from thence in the Glory of the Father to gather together all things and to raise all humane flesh that according to the good pleasure of the Father invisible every knee of things in Heaven or Earth or under the Earth may bow to Christ Jesus our Lord and God and Saviour and King and every Tongue may confess him and he may do Righteous Judgment upon all and send the Spirits of wickedness and the Angels that transgressed and apostatized together with ungodly unjust lawless and blasphemous Men into eternal fire but to the just and the holy and such as observe his Commandments and persevere in his Love either always or by Repentance graciously bestow life give immortality and put them in possession of eternal Glory This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he calls it a little Body of Truth the Rule of Faith as Tertullian often speaks instituted by Christ which nullas habet apud nos quaestiones (c) L. de praescript cap. XIV is not doubted of nor hath any questions about it among Christians but such as Heresies have brought in and which make Men Hereticks And therefore this is the Truth of which the Church ought to be the Pillar and Ground to the end of the World but not presume as I shall show anon to bind all Christians upon pain of perishing everlastingly to believe what is not contained in this Rule of belief For it alone is sufficient as appears by this that into it all the Articles or Parts as a learned Man of the Roman Church speaks (d) Rigaltius Ib. of which a Christian consists are digested as it were into one Body II. From whence it follows that these are the true Catholique and the only Catholique Doctrines Catholique they are because spread every where and the only Catholique because none besides these till very lately were received as part of the Christian Truth which must necessarily be believed if we hope to be saved Hear how Irenaeus (e) L. I. cap. 3. proclaims this immediately after the foregoing words which (f) Haeres XXXI n. 30 31. Epiphanius thought so considerable that he hath transcribed both these Chapters into his Book against Heresies The Church as we have said having received this Preaching or Doctrine and this Faith preserves it most carefully as if it inhabited but one House though it be dispersed through the whole World. And with unanimous consent Preaches and Teaches and Delivers these things as having but one Mouth For though there be different Languages in the World yet the force of that which is delivered is one and the same So that neither the Churches situated in Germany believe otherwise or have any other Tradition nor those in Spain nor those in France nor those in the East nor those in Egypt nor those in Libya nor those in the midst of the World but as the Sun that Creature of God is one and the same in the whole World so the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Preaching or Doctrine of the Truth shines every where and inlightens all Men who are willing to come to the knowledge of the Truth And neither he among the Governors of the Church who is most powerful in Speech teaches different things from these for no Man is above his Master nor he that is weak in Speech diminishes the Tradition For there being one and the same Faith neither he that is able to speak a great deal concerning it doth inlarge or exceed nor
he that can say but a little doth take away or make it less Which is such a plain declaration that the Creed contains the whole Apostolical Tradition or Faith for they are the same in his Language and the only Catholique Doctrine that if we were at this day to contrive words on purpose for the asserting this Truth we could not invent any more full or express than these Which show us that this Faith is sufficient not only for the ignorant the Catechumens and beginners in Religion but for the most improved in Christian knowledge for those that instructed and ruled the Church who had no Authority to preach or impose any other belief This is a thing that runs through his whole Book for he repeats it again in fewer words in the latter end of the next Chapter that the true Church hath but that one and the same Faith before mentioned throughout the whole World. Which in the 19th Chapter he calls the Rule of Truth by which all error was discovered for holding this rule though they speak very various and many things we easily evince that they have deviated from the Truth And again in the third Book (g) L. III. Chap. 3. he hath recourse to the same Rule of Truth unto which whosoever will hearken may see what is the tradition of the Apostles manifested in the whole World in every Church Where he saith they were able to tell what Bishops were settled by the Apostles and their Successors untill his time who neither taught nor thought of any thing like to the dotages of the Hereticks of those days And because it would have been too long to reckon up all the Churches he instances in the Church of Rome to which all had occasion to go upon some business or other because it was the Imperial City by whose Bishop he saith that Tradition and that Preaching or Doctrine of Truth which was from the Apostles in the Church is come to us and is a most full proof that one and the same life giving faith which was from the Apostles in the Church is conferred to this time and delivered in Truth The very same which Polycarp wrote to the Philippians mark these words which they of the present Roman Church are wont to conceal that they may make the World believe Irenaeus thought the Tradition of the Apostles that is the Christian Faith was to be sought only in their Church and which was in the Church of Ephesus founded by Paul and having John continuing in it till the time of Trajan which Church is a true witness of the Tradition of the Apostles And that there may be no mistake about this Tradition L. III. Cap. 4. he repeats it again in the next Chapter and informs us in very remarkable words it was nothing else but the Doctrine contained in the Creed Since these things are so plain we ought not to seek further among others for truth which we may easily find in the Church For the Apostles left most fully in it as in a rich Repository all things that belong to truth So that every one who will may take from thence the Water of Life c. out of the Holy Scriptures he means as appears by what follows And suppose the Apostles had not left us the Scriptures shall we not follow the Order of the Tradition or Rule of Faith which they delivered to those unto whom they committed the Churches To which Ordination many barbarous Nations who believe on Christ assent having the Doctrine of Salvation without Paper and Ink written by the Spirit in their Heart and diligently preserving the ANCIENT TRADITION believing in one God the maker of Heaven and Earth and of all things which are therein by Christ Jesus the Son of God Who out of his most eminent love to his Creature vouchsafed to be born of the Virgin uniting Man to God by himself and suffering under Pontius Pilate and rising again and being illustriously received in glory shall come again the Saviour of those that are saved and the Judge of those that are judged Sending into eternal fire the misshapers of Truth and the contemners of his Father and of his coming Those that have believed this Faith without Letters we in our Language call barbarous but as to their opinion and custom and conversation they please God because of their Faith by which they are most wise living in all Righteousness Chastity and Wisdom Vnto whom if any one should speak in their Language those things which Hereticks have invented they would presently stop their ears and run away not induring to hear the blasphemy Thus by that OLD TRADITION of the Apostles viz. the Creed they do not so much as admit into their thoughts the portentous talk of those Hereticks in his days These things I have thought fit to set down the more largely because they are an evident demonstration what the OLD TRADITION of the Apostles is which is nothing else but that summary of Christian Truth contained in the Creed unto which they would suffer no other Tradition to be added but contented themselves with this as fully sufficient and by this judged of all other things that pretended to come from the Apostles and were every where so well instructed in this that in those Churches which as yet had not received the Apostolical Writings the Holy Scriptures of the N. T. they had this Doctrine as the contents of those Scriptures and were thought most wise being wise enough to salvation in this faith alone without any other But because this is such a very important Truth I shall take a little more pains to set down the sense of the Church in all Ages concerning it that the Reader may be satisfied there is no other Truth but this alone which is absolutely necessary to his Salvation Which they sometime comprehend in fewer words but never add any one article beyond those in the Creed If we had the Letters of Ignatius intire and sincere we should be able to tell what he took for Truth immediately after the Apostles were dead And thus much is evident from them as they now are that they or he who contrived the Epistle to the Philippians under his name for it is not thought to be his took this to be the Doctrine of that Second Age when after the mention of the Doctrine of the Trinity and that the Son of God was truly made Man truly born and truly crucified dead and rose again not seemingly not in appearance only but in Truth they make him conclude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that believes these things as they are and were really done is a blessed Man. Which is an undoubted testimony they took this Creed to be sufficient to salvation which Ignatius in an unquestioned Epistle of his to the Church of Smyrna calls the unmoveable Faith wherein he blessed God they were perfected or knit together mentioning no other Articles but those before named Polycarp also in the same
Age wrote an Epistle to the Philippians wherein they that had a mind and took care of their salvation L. III. Cap. 3.4 Euseb Hist L. IV. c. 14. might learn the character of his Faith and the Doctrine of Truth which was the very same as Irenaeus relates in the forenamed Chapter with that set down by him which he calls that one and only Truth which he received from the Apostles and delivered to the Church And what they taught in Asia and Irenaeus in France that Tertullian in the latter end of the same Age taught in Africk that there is but one only immoveable irreformable Rule of Faith (h) L. de Velandis Virg. C. 1. that is there is no other form of believing but this as de la Cerda honestly interprets the word irreformabilis in one God Almighty the Creator of the World and in his Son Jesus Christ born of the Virgin Mary crucified under Pontius Pilate raised the third day from the dead received up into Heaven and sitting now at the right hand of the Father and shall come to judge the quick and the dead by the resurrection also of the Flesh This he calls in that place the Law of Faith which he sets down in more words in another Book where he Prefaces to it by this remarkable proposition as he calls it (i) L. de praescription c. 9. that there is one and the same certain Doctrine instituted by Christ which all people ought to believe and consequently to seek that when they have found it they may believe Now the inquisition of one certain appointment cannot be infinite which is an incouragement to seek till one find and believe when he hath found because there remains saith he Nothing more but to preserve and keep what thou hast believed For thou believest this also that there is nothing else to be believed And therefore no further inquiry to be made when thou hast found and believed that which was appointed by him who did not command thee to enquire after any thing but what he appointed Upon which principle having a little further enlarged he proceeds to lay down the (k) Ib. Chap. XIII Rule of Faith that one certain appointment which if one believe there is nothing else to be believed whereby we believe there is one God alone and no other but the Creator of the World who made all things of nothing by his Word emitted before all things That Word called his Son seen variously in the name of GOD by the Patriarchs heard in the Prophets and at last brought down by the Spirit and power of God the Father into the Virgin Mary made flesh in her Womb and born of her became Jesus Christ and thereupon preached the new Law and the new promise of the Kingdom of Heaven wrought miracles was crucified rose the third day was taken up into Heaven sitteth at the right hand of the Father sent the vicarious power of the Holy Spirit who works in believers shall come in glory to take holy persons to the enjoyment of eternal Life and the celestial promises and to condemn the prophane to everlasting fire both parties being raised up again with the restoring of the flesh This is the Rule about which he there saith there are no questions the Rule in which Faith intirely consists that Faith which will save a Man unto which curiosity ought to yeild for to know nothing against the Rule is to know all things And beyond this Rule he there expresly argues (l) Ib. Cap. X. XIV Vbi enim erit finis quaerendi Vbi statio creaendi c. there is nothing to be believed for if we still be to seek for Faith where shall we rest Where shall we make an end of seeking Where shall we make a stand and stay our believing Or where shall a full st p be put to finding And that this was the constant Doctrine of those times and places it appears from hence that as Irenaeus often repeats this Rule and this alone so doth he a third time insist upon this even after he became a Montanist as the only Rule that had run down to their times from the beginning of the Gospel which he had always professed and now much more being more fully as he fancied instructed by the Paraclete the leader into all Truth Who durst not it seems though he pretended to Revelations adventure to alter this Rule which Tertullian recites again (m) Adv. Praxeam Cap. 2. in the same terms without any inlargements as he had done in his former Books And thereby satisfies us that he did not casually make this the Rule of Faith but that it was his constant sense which though he do not express in the very same words and syllables it only shows they had no other sense but this in their minds And as Vigilius (n) L. IV. adv Entychiâ—nos speaks about this very matter nec praejudicant verba ubi sensus incolumis permanet the words do not make a wrong opinion where the sense remains safe and sound Which may be applied to all the forms of belief which were in the Church of Rome of Aquileia and in the Churches of the East before the great Council of Nice none of which differ in sense though in some words they do nor have one Article of Faith more than the Creed now contains which Tertullian (o) Apolog. Cap. 47. once more calls the Rule of Truth which comes transmitted from Christ by his companions or Apostles and in another place most significantly that ONE EDICT of GOD which hangs up as the Edicts of the Emperor did in a Table to be read by all (p) De Resurrect Carnis Cap. 18. Nor was there any other Faith in the next Age to this in the third Century as we may be satisfied from Origen who in his Preface to his Books 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thinking it necessary first to lay down a certain line and manifest rule by which to inquire concerning other things and having distinguished between things necessary to be believed and those which are not necessary he gives the summ of those things which were manifestly delivered by the Apostolical Preaching and it is nothing else but the present Creed about which he saith there is one sense of the whole Church And in his first Book against Celsus who said the Christian Religion was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a clancular Doctrine which they hid and concealed he avows that the Christian Doctrine was as well known in the World as the Opinions of Philosophers For who doth not know that we believe Jesus was born of a Virgin was crucified rose again from the Dead will come to Judgment and punish Sinners and reward the Righteous according to their Deeds Nay the Mystery of the future Resurrection is divulged though laught at by unbelievers These were the great things which were commonly taught and all obliged to believe as for others which were not
Cyprus Crete Pamphylia Lycia Isauria Egypt Lybia Pontus Capadocia and their next Neighbours with all the Churches of the East a few excepted who were Arians whose minds they knew and whose Writings they had to produce And then having set down the Nicene Creed they conclude In this Faith it is necessary for all to remain as Divine and Apostolical and not to change it For which he gives this reason in another account of it to Epictetus (a) Tom. I. pag. 582. Bishop of Corinth because it is sufficient for the overthrow of all ungodliness and for the establishment of a pious Faith in Christ Which is a plain declaration that this Faith is not defective and that in the Creed commonly ascribed to him there was no intention to add any new Article of Faith but only to explain the old For a whole Synod viz. that at Sardis forbad he tells us in another place (b) Epist ad Antioch p. 576. any other Faith to be written but this with which all should rest contented 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. because there was nothing wanting in it but it was full of godliness and that there ought no new Faith to be set forth lest this should seem to be imperfect and occasion should be given to them that had a mind to be often writing and defining concerning Faith. I omit that Confession of Faith which S. Basil makes in his Book of the true Faith (c) Tom. II. pag. 354. and two others in Epiphanius of both which he saith that the Faith of the Holy Church (d) In Anchor and that they were delivered by the Apostles Which is a further confirmation that though they added many more words to the Apostles Creed yet they added no new Article of Faith but only expounded more largely the meaning of some part of it upon the occasion of some Heresies which troubled the Church in those times When it was so far from their thoughts to add any new thing to the first Creed that among the numerous Creeds we find in Athanasius (e) Epist de Sâ—â—â—dâ—s Arim. Selâ—â—ciae in Eusebius and others there is not one of them that makes any such attempt Nor did the Second General Council of Constantinople design any more but only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to strengthen and confirm the Nicene Faith as Socrates * L. V. cap. 8. speaks Which Constantinopolitan Creed or one very like Cyril of Hierusalem expounded in his Church and saith it was the only Faith delivered by the Church and fortified by all the Scripture (g) Cateches V. p. 44. For since all are not able to read the Scriptures and some by their want of understanding others by their business are hindred in acquiring that knowledge therefore lest Mens Souls should be lost by ignorance we have comprehended in a few sentences 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole Doctrine of Faith. Which he carnestly presses them to have written not in Paper but in their Heart and to carry it about with them as their Viaticum in the whole course of their life and besides this to receive no other No saith he if I should change my mind and teach the contrary do not believe me no nor an Angel from Heaven as the Apostle speaks if he should Preach any other Gospel but that you have received For these Articles of Faith were not as it seems composed by Men but the principal things being gathered together out of the SCRIPTVRE they fill up one Doctrine of Faith. But it is more than time to proceed to the Fifth Age in which we find them so stedfast in this perswasion that the ancient Creed contained all things necessary to be believed that the Fathers assembled in the Third General Council (h) Can. VII at Ephesus expresly decreed that it should not be lawful for any Man to produce or write or compose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any other Faith besides that defined by the Nicene Fathers And that if any durst be so bold as either to compose or offer any other Faith to those that would be converted from Heathenism or Judaism or whatsoever Heresie if they were Bishops or Clergy-men they should be deposed if Lay-men they should be anathematized By which we may learn what would have become of the Pope himself if he had attempted then what his Successors in these latter times have done For so sacredly did they keep to this that S. Cyril of Alexandria (i) Tim. V. pars 2. p. 103. tells Joh. Antiochenus they could not indure that the Faith defined at Nice or the Symbol of Faith there made should by any means be shaken nor do we suffer our selves or others to change one word of what is there or to go besides it so much as in one syllable remembring him that said remove not the ancient Land-marks which thy Fathers have set thee for it was not they that spake but the Spirit it self of God and the Father Which he confirms by the fore-mentioned Letter of Athanasius to Epictetus which some he saith had set forth adulterated and depraved and therefore he transmits it to him sincere and uncorrupted out of ancient Copies And he had the greater reason to say they could not alter one word of it because the Council of Ephesus it self though it decreed against Nestorius that the blessed Virgin was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mother of God yet they would not add that word to the ancient Creed but thought it sufficient to determine the point against him This Cyril further declares in an Epistle to Acacius (k) Ib. p. 112. where he confutes those who accused him of receiving a new Creed in these words None ever required of us a new Exposition of Faith nor do we admit of any from others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. for the divinely-inspired Scripture sufficeth us and the vigilance of the Ancient Fathers and the Symbol of Faith which is exactly conformed to all right opinions And it is well known that the next General Council at Chalcedon renewed this Canon of the Council of Ephesus Decreeing in the very same words with very little alteration that no Man should produce or write any other Faith nor think or teach otherways under the penalties before-mentioned only with this difference that to Lay-men are added Monks against whom the Synod decreed an Anathema if they presumed to teach any other Faith. In the Sixth Age the same was again repeated in the Fifth General Council at Constantinople under the Emperor Justinian they solemnly professing in their Third Session that they embraced all the Four foregoing General Councils which is renewed in their Eighth Session and all their Decrees confirm'd with a particular defence of the last Council at Chalcedon concluding with the same solemn Decree that none should dare to teach or write any thing contrary to those constitutions but if he were a Bishop or Clergy-man he should be deposed if a Monk
discourses in that very Book against Manichaeus (q) Cap. XIV contra Epist quam vocant Fundamenti his Letter from whence the fore-named saying I had not believed the Gospel unless the Churches Authority had moved me to it is wont at every turn to be objected to us by those of the Romish perswasion Thou dost nothing but praise what thou believest and deride what I believe Now since I can be even with thee and do the very same praise what I believe and deride what thou believest what is to be done but that we leave and relinquish those who invite us to know things certain and afterwards require us to believe things uncertain let those of the Roman Church mark this and that we follow them who invite us first to believe that which we cannot yet see into that being made stronger in the Faith it self we may come to understand what we believe NOT MEN NOW BUT GOD HIMSELF INWARDLY ESTABLISHING AND ILLUMINATING OUR MIND It is impossible to read this passage and not see that this Father thought our Faith is not ultimately resolved into the Testimony of the Church but by that being invited to believe the Holy Scriptures we are established upon the serious reading of them in the Christian Faith and Knowledge of the Truth by God himself Upon whose Word in the Holy Scripture and not upon Men we bottom our Faith. Upon the Testimony and Authority of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and the Testimony of divine Men inspired by them who by Miracles and Signs and mighty Deeds and a prophetical Spirit proved themselves to be sent of God and have left his Mind and Will upon Record in the Scriptures of Truth Which the Church indeed in all parts of the World hath kept and preserved and faithfully transmitted down to us and now propounds to our Faith but it is not merely what the Church saith that makes us believe but what God himself saith in the Holy Scriptures concerning his Son Jesus Christ and what Jesus Christ saith concerning his rising from the Dead and sending the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles Which being fulfilled evidently proved him to be the Son of God the Saviour of the World and them to be his Apostles and Ministers who declared to Men the true way of Salvation So the Church directs and guides us to the Scriptures of Truth but they resolve and assure our Faith being the very Word of God. The authority of God's Church is the first motive which leads us to esteem the Scriptures but being led thither we find in the matter of them that which gives us full satisfaction by bestowing our pains in reading or hearing and considering the Mysteries contained therein The Church holds out this light to us but it is by this light that we see what is the mind and will of God. To this the Church points us and bids us attend to it for this it disposes and prepares us it leads us by the hand to this as the only sure foundation of our Faith because herein we find God himself speaking to us and moreover by the Ministery of the Church we are assisted in understanding the sence of the Holy Scriptures but they contain in themselves that Divine Authority and Truth whereby we come to a certain Faith. The Church tells us such and such things are true and we find them to be so by examining the Scriptures Which the Beraeans searched daily whether those things were so which the Apostles preached and therefore many of them believed not merely because the Apostles told them they ought so to do but because they found what they said in the Holy Scriptures XVII Act. 11 12. And so far as any Church speaks according to the truth contained therein it is to be believed and followed But if it bring no Divine word for its warrant if it propound other Doctrines which are not there it hath no authority to make such Doctrines the matter of our Faith much less to set up its own authority above the Scriptures as they do who say The Scriptures receive their authority from the Church Which is the Doctrine of no less Men than Baronius and Bellarmine to name no more The former of (r) Ad Annum 53 〈◊〉 X XI which argues that because we receive these Holy Books to be writings of the Apostles and Evangelists and not forged under their Names upon the testimony of the Church therefore all the writings of the New Testament received their authority from the Churches tradition which is fundamentum Scripturarum as he ventures to say the foundation of the Scriptures The other (s) L. 2. de Sacrament C. 25. Tertium is no less positive that if we take away the authority of the present Church and the present Council we call in doubt the whole Christian Faith. For the firmness of all ancient Councils and of all Doctrines depends upon the authority of the present Church This is very presumptuous talk for by the Church they mean themselves and then by the testimony of the Church that is their own testimony they mean such a Divine witness as assures us by its own authority without any other proof Which are the great points of difference between us in this matter For we assert first that the office of leading Men to the Holy Scriptures and so to Faith belongs to every Church as much as to them and secondly that no Church can bring People to Faith by its own testimony and authority but by the Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures nor is any Church whatsoever to be heard in matters of Divine Truth further than it can prove its Doctrines by the authority of God's Word and teaches things agreeable thereunto II. Which leads to the Second thing briefly to shew what power and authority the Church cannot pretend unto in matters of Faith. 1. And first it appears by what hath been said that it hath not a Soveraign Absolute Prophetical authority independent upon the Rule of the Holy Scriptures so that we must take whatsoever it saith for true without consulting them This is the ambitious pretence of the great Doctors of the Roman Church who give the Church meaning thereby the present Roman Church an authority over all things not depending on the Scriptures but upon which the Scriptures themselves depend So that without the authority of this Church all truth is doubtful Which is a manifest principle of Infidelity making all Religion stand to the courtesie of a company of Men who in such matters are the least to be trusted of all other Christians that we are acquainted withall 2. The Church hath no authority to propound any Doctrine as necessary to Salvation which is not delivered in the Holy Scriptures but depends solely on the authority of its own Tradition This is another of their ambitious attempts who having arrogated to themselves alone the whole power of the Church make that power so unlimited that it can supply the