duty is only to e Bâ—larm lib. 2. de Concil cap. 12. Concilia quùm definiunt non faciunti liquid esse in fallibilis veritatis sed declarant Gers de err circ praecâ—â— Non occides part oper 1. pag. 406. vlt. edit Papa vel generale Comlium determinando de fide nihil faciunt aliud nisi declarare talia esse fide Canus lib. 2. cap. 7. Ingenuè fatemur non esse nunc novas revâ—â—tiones expectandas five à summo Pontifice five à Concilio five a Ecclesiâ totâ Vide Th. 2. 2. q. 1. A. 10. ad 1. explaine and declare the truth according to Scripture and from thence to draw all her conclusions f Aquin. 2. 2. q. 1. A. â— in corp For the Articles of the faith cannot encrease in substance bâ—â— onely in explication Hence it followes that all necessary or fundamentall truth is contained in Scripture which is the rule according to which the Church is to judge of g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist lib. 1 de Anim. truth and errour Her declaration is only to fetch out that truth which is in the Scripture her exposition of the Text must not be an addition to it It is a faulty and erronious declaration which in stead of declaring giues another See the learned Answere to Fishers Relation of his 3. Confer pag. 9. and a contrary sense Neither is any doctrine necessary or true because the Church declares it such but because it is such in it selfe by warrant of Scripture If the Church walke not by this rule h Mag. 1. D. 11. lit C. Qui pretergreditur fidei regulam non incedit in via sed recedit à viâ Quod volumus Sanctum est Ticonius Donatista apud S. Aug. cont Epist Parmen lib. 2. c. 13. she is out of her way And in this by-way never any Church hath wandred so farre as the Church of Rome which hath defined or declared very many things to be fundamentall Truths or Heresies which are nothing lesse following herein no other rule but her owne fantasy As in Truth so in Heresy the Church may declare what is Heresy shee may convince and censure it but still according to her Rule the Scripture Neither is any doctrine Hereticall because it opposeth the definition of the i Alph. à Castro lib. 1. adv Haeres cap. 8. Ecclesia sâ—â— definitione non facit talem assertionem esse Haeresim cùm eâ—amsi ipsa non definivisset esset Haeresis Sed id efficit Ecclesia vt nobis per suam Censuram pate at illud esse Haeresim ibid. Ideò dicitur veritas aliqua Catholica quia à Deo in Scripturis revelata est è contra Church but because it opposes that Scripture on which the Church grounds her definition The doctrines of Arrius Macedoâ—ius Nestorius Eutyches were in themselues Hereticall even before they were solemnely condemned in the 4 generall Councells But saith the Mistaker the Heresier mentioned by Philastrius Epiphanius and S. Austin in their Catalogues were many of them errours in themselues of no greaâ— moment or importance yet they were alâ— esteemed Heresies because they were helâ— in disobedience to the Church So likewise the errour of rebaptization was for the matter of it the very same in S. Cyprian and in the Donatists yet the Donatists were accounted Heretiques for despising the iudgement of the Catholique Church and S. Cyprian not so because hee conserved himselfe within the amity and communion of the Church Therefore properly and formally he is an Heretique that contradicts the definitions of the Church Answ In all ages almost the imputation of Heresy hath beene too too frequent and familiar among Christians and in this age aboue all wherein Christendome is so miserably broken into numberlesse fragments and pieces It is a thing purely impossible for the learnedst man in the World exactly to recount all the severall Sects and subdivisions of Christians or such as pretend to Christianity And every Sect hath some Zelotes so passionately in loue with their owne Opinions that they condemne all others differing from them to be Hereticall So there liues not a Christian on earth who in the judgement of many others is not an Heretique I speake not this in favour of any Heretique or Heresy justly so called ancient or new But surely as this imputation is a grievous crime where it is true so it is no lesse grievous a calumny if it bee vngrounded And it is good counsell which k Cont. Haeres lib. 3. lib. 1. cap. 7. Qui tà m leviter de Haeresi pronunciant saepè fit vt suâ ipsorum feriantur sagittâ incidantque in eam foveam quam alijs parabant Alphonsus à Castro giues let them consider who pronounce so easily of Heresy how easy it is for themselues to erre Very good advise though Alphensus himselfe makes very little vse of it and forgets it too often As all Truth is not of equall moment or necessity so al errors are not of the same malignity and danger Every Heresy is an error but l Aug. de Haeres in praef Non omnis error Haeresis est quamvis omnis Haeresis errore aliquo c. Jd. alibi Errare postium Haereticus esse nolo Bellar. lib. 3. de Euchar. cap 8. §. Ac primum Haeresis est cuius contraria est veritas fidei à Deo revelata each error is not Heresy What Heresy is properly or what it is that makes an Heretique is a thing either meerely impossible or extreamely difficult to define in the opinion of m Quid faciat Haereticum regulari quadam definitione comprehendi sicut ego existimo aut omnino non potest aut difficilimè potest Id. vbi suprà Sâ— Austine who promised and n In fine libri ad Quodvultdeum intended a treatise purposely of this matter buâ— his death or other thoughts prevented him But it is most evident that those o Bellar. de Script in Philastrio Observandum est multa a Philastrio inter Haereses numerari quae verè Haereses non sunt Dion Pctau Animad in Epiphan initio de Inscript operis Haeresis nomen latissimè ab Epiphanio vsurpatur nec ad Theologorum normam vocabuli istius vsus exigendâ—â— est ancient writers in their Catalogues and elsewhere doe not vse the words Heresy or Heretique in their exact oâ— proper notion but in a very large anâ— generall signification not distinguishing betweene Heresy and errour Whatsoever opinion they conceived to bee contrary to the common or approved opinion of Christians that they called as Heresy because it differed from the received opinion not because it opposed any formall definition of the Church This may appeare by many circumstances 1 St Austin was desired by his Frienâ— Quodvultdeus to set downe all p Praefat. lib. de Haer. ad Quodv Petis exponi omnia omninâ— quibus à veritate dissentiunt opinions of Heretiques differing from
to be of his opinion and vrge them as the Romanists doe vs that by their owne confession there were no danger in his way and therefore in wisedome they were to follow it who would not laugh at his ridiculous folly So if they haue no better ground of their beleefe then their Aduersaries charitable judgement of their errours they will be so farre from conuincing their Aduersaries of lacke of wisedome that themselues cannot escape the imputation of folly By all this it is euident that although we confesse the Church of Rome to be in some sence a true Church and her errours to some men not damnable yet for vs who are conuinced in conscience that she erres in many things a necessity lyes vpon vs euen vnder paine of damnation to forsake her in those errours Which is not so much a forsaking of her as a purging of our selues To cleanse some part of the Church from vile abuses is not to goe out of the Church If a Monastery should reforme it selfe and reduce into practise ancient good discipline when others would not in this case could it with reason bee charged with Schisme from others or with Apostacy from its rule and order Or as in a Society of men vniuersally infected with some disease they that should free themselues from the common disease could not be therefore said to separate from the Society So neither can the Reformed Churches especially ours of England be truly accused for making a Schisme from the Church seeing all they did was to reforme themselues yet with resolution to continue in communion as much as in them lay euen with those parts of the Church that would not doe so Indeed if they of Rome could first make it appeare by any sound proofe either that the Church was pure and needed no Reformation or that it is all one to leaue the communion of the Church and to cease communicating with some Churches in their errours or lastly that it is all one to forsake the Church of Rome and to forsake the obedience to that Church as it is now required then the crime of Schisme might with some colour be laid to our charge But all these are groundlesse assumptions talk'd of very freely and commonly but such as neuer will be proued by any one Argument of validity In summe wee can neuer be joyned with Rome in such corruptions as make her Popish But wee were neuer disjoyned from her in those maine essentiall truthes which giue her the name and effence of a Church Whereof if the Mistaker doubt he may be better informed by some late Roman Catholique writers of milder judgement and temper One of t Examen pacifique de la doctrine des Huguenots à Caen. 1590. France who hath purposely in a large Treatise proued as He beleeues the Hugonots Catholiques of that Kingdome to be all of the same Church and Religion because of the truths agreed vpon by both And another of our owne u Syllabus aliquot Synodorum Colloquiorum Doctorum pro pace Ecclesie Aureliae 1628. Countrey as it is said who hath lately published a large Catalogue of learned Authors both Papists and Protestants who are all of the same minde But he is perswaded it seemes that Protestants among themselues are not of the same Church and Religion For he sayes their differences are many and materiall Luther with his followers Schlusselburgius Grawerus Hunnius and their like doe rigorously curse and condemne the Zuinglians Caluinists And some of their harsh censures to this purpose he transcribes out of Brierly who with a curious and I doubt a malicious diligence hath raked vp their intemperate speeches For answer first the Protestants especially we of the Church of England acknowledge not any factious names of Lutherans Zuinglians or Caluinists with which we are injuriously nick-named by our Aduersaries as of old good Orthodox Christians were called a Phot. cod 280. in Excerptis Eulogi◠ad fin libri Cornelians and b Act. Conciliab Ephes in Epist legat Schismat ad suos in Epheso pag. 287. edit Bin. 1618. Cyrillians by the seditious followers of Nouatus and Nestorius With Pacianus wee professe Christian is our name and Catholique our Surname We esteeme of Luther Zuinglius and Caluin as worthy men but we esteeme them not worthy to bee Lords or Authors of our Faith or to lead our vnderstandings captiue Both themselues were farre from affecting such diuine honour and we farre from bestowing it We remember who said of Christ Heare Him not heare them and therefore though these mens reasons may gaine our assent their Testimony is at the best but probable Wee beleeue not what they say but what they proue Much lesse can we endure being once baptized into the name of Christ to be marked with the name of any man as with a note of our seruitude Gregory c Nyssen contr Apollinar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nyssen makes a sore complaint of his times The great and venerable name of CHRISTIAN saith he is neglected men profanely diuide themselues into humane appellations And hee laments the miserable ambition of many Sectaries who surname themselues from their grand Seducers His Brother d Basil in Ps 48. S. Basil giues instance in the Marcionites and Valentinians c Optar lib. 3. Optatus in the Donatists So might wee in them that call themselues Franciscanes Dominicanes Thomists Scotists Iesuites c. To all these we say with f Epiphan haer 70. in fin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphanius The holy Spouse of Christ beares onely her Husbands name And for vs as the same g Idem haer 42. Epiphanius and h Nazianz. orat 31. in fin Nazianzene speake Though we reuerence S. Peter and S. Paul yet we are neither Petrians nor Paulians but Christians Our reason is that which we read in i Lact. lib. 4. cap. 30. Christiani esse desierunt qui Christi nomine omisso humana externa vocabula induerunt Lactantius They are no Christians who seeke after forraine titles And therefore we disclaime the name of Caluinists we owe no seruice we haue no dependance vpon Caluin or any other man as Doctor or Master of our Faith We owe him and the rest of the first Reformers many thankes for their painfull labours which shall remaine of honourable account in all posterity We cannot blesse God sufficiently for such Instruments of his glory Yet we doe not idolize their Persons or adore their dictates and opinions as if they were diuine Oracles as the Romish zelotes doe with their Pope This were not to shake of our old seruitude but to exchange it and for one infallible Pope to set vp many Thankes be to God among the many Idols which we haue cast off this Idoll of humane authority is one which hath robbed God of much glory That Doctor who hath the command of our conscience hath his chaire in heauen We take vp no opinions vpon the credit of
Scriptures and Religion must all stand at the courtesie and suffrage of the Roman Conclaue 2 They teach that much of the object or matter of faith is not contained in Scripture any way that the Church hath an unlimited power to supply the defects of Scripture and that she may propound any doctrines as necessary to salvation which haue no other ground but her owne authority which is equall to that of Scripture There are many things saith y Mel. Canus Loc. lib. 3. c. 3. fund 3. Canus belonging to the faith of Christians which are neither manifestly nor obscurely contained in the sacred Scriptures And Doctor a Princip Doctrin li. 12 c. 5. initio Stapleton Very many things necessary to salvation and necessarily to be beleeved are not comprehended in the Scriptures but are commended to us onely by the authority of the Church And againe b Id. Relect. Contr. 4. qu. 1. art 3. ad arg 12. Etiamsi nullo ScripturaruÌ„ aut evidenti aut probabili testimonio confirmetur The Church may propound define matters of faith without any evident nay without any probable testimony of Scripture Do not these words of Stapleton imply that the Church of Rome propounds many things to the beliefe of Christians without any probability from Scripture With what ingenuity then or conscience do they pretend Scripture in each Controversie against us since by their owne confession many of their assertions are meere unwritten Traditions leaning onely on the authoritie of their Church On the contrary for the fullnesse and sufficiency of Scripture in all necessary points we have the full consent of Antiquity and of many learned Writers of their owne even of Bellarmine himselfe whose plaine words to this purpose have been already noted And the same Cardinall though herein as not seldome contradicting both himselfe and his fellowes c Bellar. lib. 3. de verb. D. interpret cap. 10. ad arg 15. Sciendum est propositionem fidei concludita li Syllogismo Quicquid Deus revelavit in Scripturis est verum hoc Deus revelavit in Scripturis ergò hoc est verum Ex propositionibus hujus Syllogismi prima certa est apud omnes secunda apud Catholicos est etiam firmissimas nititur enim testimonio Ecclesiae Concilii vel Pontificis grants that a proposition is not de fide unlesse it be concluded in this Syllogisme whatsoever Gâ—â— hath revealed in Scripture is true but thâ— or that God hath revealed in Scripture ergâ— it is true If matters of faith must be revealed in Scripture as this reason supposes then the proposall of the Church cannot make any unwritten veritie to become matter of faith Yet to salve the soveraigne power of His Church he makes all the strength and truth of the minor in this Syllogisme to depend on the testimony of the Church and by consequence the truth of the conclusion which ever resembles the weake Premisse So as if this be true there is no truth in the Scriptures or in our Religion without the attestation of the Church 3. They teach that the Church is infallibly assisted in her proposalls and doctrines so as she cannot erre And this dreame hath made Rome sencelesse of her errours and careles to seek any remedie nay utterly incapable of remedie For to mindes really possessed with this fond persuasion and prejudice the most convincing reasons the most plaine Scriptures the most pregnant authorities of Fathers which proue the Church of Rome may erre or hath erred are all lost and made ineffectuall and seeme not strong arguments of the truth but strong temptations against it And this imagination of their Churches infallibility is to them at once both a sufficient reason of what is most unreasonable and a sufficient answer for what is most unanswerable That the Church is infallible we do not absolutely deny wee only deny the Church to be absolutely infallible Some of the most able Writers of the Roman partie do so fairly limit this priviledge that in their sence we do without difficulty admit it Their limitation is double regarding 1. the subject of this infallibility 2. the object of it First for the subject they plant this infallibility only in the Church Universall or the Catholique body of Christ on earth comprehending all his members not in any particular Church or any representation of the Church in CouÌ„cels Generall or particular much lesse in any one member of the Church no not in him who pretends to be the Head So d Walden lib. 2. Doct. fid art 2. cap. 19. §. 1. Ecclesia Universalis fideÌ„ habet indefectibilem non quidem in Generali Synodo congregata quam aliquoties errâsse percepimus Sylv. Sum. verb. Ecclesia cap. 1. §. 4. Ecclesia quae non potest errare dicitur noÌ„ Papa sed congregatio fideliuÌ„ Et vide gloss in cap. 24. qu. 1. call A recta Waldensis Sylvester and others 2. For the object or extent of this infallibility they grant it reaches not to all points or questions in Religion that may arise but only to such Articles as belong to the substance of faith such as are matters essentiall fundamentall simply necessary for the Church to know belleue To omit e Maldon in Iohan. 14. 26. Dubium est an illud docebit omnia referendum sit ad illud quaecunque dixi vobis quasi non aliud docturum Spiritum sanctum dicat quà m quod ipse anteà docuiffer Non repugnabo si quis ita velit interpretari Charron vetité 3. chap. 5. §. lc second poinct L infallibilité de l'Eglise ne s'entend que des choses qui concernent la substance de la foy laquelle ne reçoit point de contrarieté divet sité changement pource nulle correction reformation ou amendement estant vne tousiours immuable non reformable dit Tertullien de virg Veland Et ibid. saepe others Dr f Staplet Princip Doctrin lib. 8. controv 4. cap. 15. Stapleton is full and punctuall to this purpose He distinguishes controversies of Religion into two sorts Some saith he are about those doctrines of faith which necessarily pertaine to the publique faith of the Church Others about such matters as doe not necessarily belong to the faith but may be variously held and disputed without hurt or prejudice to faith To the first sort he restrains the infallibility of the Church But in the second he yeelds that the Church may sometimes erre either in her discourses or in her conclusions that without any violation of Christs promise made to the Church for infallibilitie And of this assertion He giues diverse good reasons The first and chiefest taken from the end for which infallibility was given to the Church It was given saith He for the common salvation of the faithfull and not for the satisfaction of unprofitable curiosities or for the search of unnecessary subtleties For as nature so God is neither defectiue in necessaries nor lavish in
the Church the promises of Christ assure us But that to necessarie truths she shall adde no unnecessarie opinions for that we have no warrant either from the Scripture or any promise of God And were it otherwise the Doctors above mentioned had betrayed the Churches cause in stead of maintaining it For if in all her doctrines and definitions she be infallible why should they restraine her infallibilitie in defining unto matters necessary They should have profess'd her roundly and plainly infallible in all her determinations For to limit her infallibility in defining onely to things necessary and then to say that all defin'd by her is eo ipso necessarie because defin'd is to delude the world and seemingly to yeild something when nothing is yeilded The Romane cause at this day as it appeares by the vulgar Writers of the Popes quarter and among others by our Mistaker wholly depends on this pretended absolute infallibility All Controversies in the issue are reduced to this and decided by it And with great reason if there were any reason in it or for it For if Rome cannot erre or be deceived then without doubt all they erre and are deceived who dissent from her And therefore me thinkes learned men of that partie might do very well to ease themselves and the world of much trouble and paines in the scanning of other questions if with all their strength and witt they can but settle on the Pope or his adherents such an infallibility by any one convicting argument this will instantly and evidently conclude all our other differences No wise man will any way contradict them who cannot any way erre But surely this doctrine that the Church is infallible in all her definitions is so far from being certaine and divine that it is at the best but doubtfull and problematicall and that even by and from their owne principles The Roman Drs deliver us these Maximes concerning the Churches authority 1. r Staplet lib. 9. Princip doctr passim contr Whitak That the truth of Scripture it selfe and of all contained in it relyes in respect of us upon the testimony of the Church so as nothing is credible to us but by the Churches attestation 2. s Valent. Tom. 3. disp 1. qu. 1. pun 1. §. 6. col 29. That the proposition of the Church is so necessary to the act of divine faith that nothing can be beleeved without it 3. That t Bellarm. lib. 4. de Pont. R. cap. 14. §. Respondeo Inprimis untill a doctrine be declared or defined by the Church so long it may be either doubted of or denyed without danger These propositions are their owne Hence wee assume But this doctrine that the Church is infallible in all her decrees and definitions was never yet declared decreed or defined by the Church no not by any Councell or by any Pope And hence we inferre Therefore it is a doctrine which may be doubted of or denyed without danger a doctrine which no man can beleeue by divine faith a doctrine whatsoever it be in it selfe to Christians not credible If any man will deny the assumption he will oblige himselfe to disproue it by a contrary instance Let it be shewed where and when and in what termes the Church hath published any such declaration And suppose which will not be granted that such a declaration had beene made it may be demanded with reason upon what warrant the Church can assume to her selfe a power so divine and boundlesse as to authorize all her decrees in so high a forme that they must be accounted divine and infallible If the promise of God in Scripture be pleaded for this power we haue already shewed how the learned among themselues haue voyded this plea and so restrained those promises that they are by much too narrow to support so wide a priviledge If it bee said that this authority of the Church is a principle admitted by all Christians without any doubt or proofe this is a saying voluntary and and groundlesse For 1. they will confesse every principle in Religion to be founded either in nature or in Scripture or in tradition or in Church definition and in none of these will they find any footing for this 2. All Christians in the world confesse the authority of Scripture to be a principle indemonstrable yet are we by them perpetually urged to proue that authority and that by Scripture 3. Dr u Princ. Doctrin l. ◠c. 21. Stapleton thinkes it not onely fitting but necessary in respect of us that the Church should give testimony to her self especially thē in this point of so great importance consequence cōcerning her infallible authority wherein all Religiō is so much concerned 4. Lastly it is a great errour and vanitie to beleeue that this absolute infallibility of the Church is beleeved by all Christians especially in the sence of our Adversaries who ever by the Church intend that unsound piece which they call the Roman Catholique The Protestants and Greekes expresly accuse this Church and haue convicted her too as they thinke of many grosse and dangerous errors The w See Mr. Brierwoods Enquiries Armenians Syrians Indians Iacobites Maronites Abassines with other innumerable assemblies of Christians haue many doctrines and customes directly repugnant to those of Rome which were an unreasonable presumption and absurditie if they esteemed the Church of Rome so wholly infallible Nay within the Roman Church it selfe many Authors of great learning and judgement by name x Horum omnium testimonia legere est apud Rob. Baronium de objecto fidei Tract 5. cap. 19. Occam Cameracensis Waldensis Panormitanus Antoninus Archbishop of Florence Cardinal Cusan Nicholas Clemangis haue declared their opinion that any particular Churches and particularly the Roman any Councels though Generall any Popes may erre even to heresie and I doubt not but the best learned Romanists at this day are of the same opinion Before wee proceed it will not be from our purpose to note one thing more in passing The Church of Rome pretends that it is an office belonging onely to Her to deliver the entire rule of faith to all Christian people And she pretends further that this divine and infalliable rule is made up of three integrall parts to wit Scriptures Traditions and Church definitions If this be true she doth but loosely discharge her office very ill satisfie the obligation which she hath unto the Christian world For 1. Why hath she not yet defined that her definitions are of divine authority The late Fathers of Trent haue canonized unwritten traditions and equall'd them to Scriptures but why did they omit to canonize the decrees of all Popes Councells Why did they not adde to Traditions their Church definitions and command them both and them all to be received with no lesse devotion then the holy Scriptures 2. The same Fathers have given us an exact catalogue of all the bookes of Scripture but why did they not give
us the like list of divine and infallible Traditions Is it because they are numberles and cannot be recounted Or because it may be a thing full of danger to confine them to any certaine number least some be omitted Or because they are not yet agreed which are divine Traditions Or is it as Dr. y Defens author Eccles l. 1 cap. 2. §. 5. Stapleton excuses his Church on the like occasion because that Church hath not yet throughly weighed all her Traditions either for want of opportunity or by reason of other thoughts distractions which have not permitted her seriously to consider of this busines But there cannot be a busines of greater moment in Religion or more worthy of the Churches care then to deliver the rule of truth clearely and precisely by which all doctrines in the Church are to be squared and examined And therefore the Church of Rome herein so carelesse cannot be excused from supine negligence Now to returne from this short digression So far as truth and reason will permitt we have yeelded an infallibility to the Church That is infallibility in the Essentialls of faith to the Church Vniversall And this confession satisfies the best of our Adversaries who demand no more But when our Mistaker talkes so often of the infallibility and supreme judgment of the Church He meanes somwhat els by the Church Though surely he knowes not well what he meanes or at least will not be forward to let us know his meaning whether he meanes the Church representative which is a Generall Councell or the Church virtuall which is the Pope in whether of the two he plants this infallibility as in the Proper Subject it will perplex him to say and whatsoever he say he shall touch a sore and find strong opposition within his owne partie First for Generall Councells we give them all the respect which is due unto them and much more then do the most of our Adversaries We say that such Generall Councells as are lawfully called and proceed orderly are great and awfull representations of the Church Catholique that they are the highest externall Tribunall which the Church hath on earth that their authority is immediately derived and delegated from Christ that no Christian is exempted from their censures or jurisdiction that their decrees bind all persons to externall obedience may not be questioned but upon evident reason nor reversed but by an equall authority that if they be carefull and diligent in the use of all good meanes for finding out the truth it is very probable the good Spirit will so direct them that they shall not erre at least not fundamentally But they are not absolutely freed from all error Such a Councell is but an assembly of men and those sometimes not of the most able and sufficient The Church Universall may have many more able members out of the Councell then she hath in it For though that represeÌ„ting body have all the legall power or binding strength of the whole yet it hath not all the naturall power or wisedome which is in the whole The Catholique Church cannot possibly communicate her strength or power in that kind to any Councell Yet suppose the best of men to be in that meeting even they are but men when all is done neither all of them equall in the endowments of nature or grace nor any of them perfect being every one subject to all the infirmities and passions which attend our nature Their meeting then cannot make them infallible in all things though the act that is hammered out by so many heads must needs in reason be perfecter then that which is the issue of one mans sufficiencie But happily they are infallibly assisted No doubt the holy infallible Spirit assists at all such holy meetings but how Math. 18. 20. far or in what manner is all the doubt The good Spirit ever assists the endeavours of the devout and diligent so far as is necessarie and is ready to guide them that are desirous to be guided by him But his guidance is not a violent rapture or a wild Enthusiasme but in searches of truth He ever directs us to the infallible rule of truth the Scripture And it is possible that a Generall Councell may misapply or misunderstand or neglect that rule weakly or wilfully and so erre notwithstanding the Spirits assistance A lawfull Councell may in some things proceed not lawfullie and so erre saith a Bellar. lib. 2. de Concil cap. 7. §. Respondeo Concilium Bellarmine nay saith he b Id. ibid. c. 8. § Alii dicunt it may chance to be most manifestly convicted of an intolerable error His meaning is they may be deceived where they follow not the instructions of the Pope as c Id. ibid. c. 11. in titulo elswhere he expresses himselfe We say and with more reason no Councell is further priviledged then it follows the instructions of Jesus Christ and of his Scriptures whose warrant all unerring Councells have had for their decrees and all Councells must have that will not erre Besides d Bellar. de Concil l. 2. c. 12. § Dicuntur igitur CoÌ„cilia per ratiocinationem deducunt conclusiones iterum ibidem §. AlteruÌ„ discrimen Patres in Concilâ—is debent rem ipsam quaerere id est conclusiones investigate disputando legendo cogitando the Fathers in a Councell are discursive in their deliberations they use the weights and moments of reason for the drawing out of conclusions from their principles Wherein e Staplet Relect Cont. 4. qu. 2. notab 2. Ecclesia in singulis mediis non habet infallibilem Sp. S. directionem sed potest in illis adhibendis probabili interdum non semper necessariâ collectione uti it is confessed they may mistake by ignorance or negligence being not herein infallibly directed and making collections sometime but probable Now falâ—ible principles can never produce an infallible conclusion Yet f Relect. contr 4. qu. 2. Notab 4. Stapleton here hath a new pretâ—y device that the Church though she be fallible and discursive in the Meanes is yet propheticall and depends upon immediate revelation and so infallible in delivering the conclusion Which is a fancy â—epugnant to reason and and to it selfe for to inferre a conclusion by argument or discourse and yet to expect the same conclusion from immediate revelation his is to argue and not to argue to inâ—er it yet not by inference A conclusiâ—n follows the disposition of the Means and results from them A proposition immediatly inspired without discourse may be a divine prophecy or an oracle but it is not a conclusion And what use can there be of diligence or discourse in Councells if all their conclusions come by divine inspiration Propheticke infallibility is a meere g 1. Cor. 12. 10. gift of God which cannot be acquired or increased by studie neither can a Prophet be discursive in that which he delivers from God as an infallible truth
the best learned Romanists and by Antiquity The Mistakers exceptions to the contrary answered As also his expections against the confession of the Church of England The conclusion IN humane Sciences the great Philosopher hath taught us a Analyt Poster lib. 1. c. 2. to distinguish betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 principles and conclusions The first principles are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maximes so cleare by their owne light that they can not be proved nor denyed or doubted of by any man that understands the Termes wherein they are propounded In the bosome as it were of these principles lurke innumerable conclusions which must be deduced and drawne out by the helpe of Discourse some of them issuing out immediately and evidently others obscurely and by a long circuit of consequences and are either certaine or onely probable according as they approach nearer to the principle or are further off removed In like manner that there be diverse degrees of truthes and errors in Religion which necessarily must be distinguished is a thing acknowledged by all learned men even in the Church of Rome expect our Mistaker will have himselfe excepted b 2. 2. qu. 2. art 5. in Corp. Dicendum quòd fidei objectum perse est id per quod homo beatus efficitur Per accidens aut secundariò se habent ad objectum fidei omnia quae in sacra Scriptura continentur sicut quòd Abraham habuit Aquinas having divided the object of faith into that which is so by it selfe that which is by accident and secundarily defines the First to be that whereby a man is made blessed and saved the Latter that which is revealed whatsoever it be as that Abraham had two sonnes and David was the sonne of Iesse c. c Dialog part 1. lib. 2. cap. 2. Occham sets downe three differences of verities to be beleeved Some touching God and Christ whereon principally depends our Salvation Non direct è sed indirect è quodammodo ad salutem humani generis pertinere noscuntur as the doctrines of the Trinity Incarnation c. Some whereon our salvation depends not so principally or directly as the Histories of Scripture Of the third sort such as are not revealed but either agree with that which is revealed or follow manifestly of it Melchior d Canus Locor lib. 12. cap. 11. init Quaedam sunt Catholicae veritates quae ita ad fidem pertinent ut his sublatis fides quoque ipsa tollatur Quas nos usu frequenti non solum Catholicas sed fidei veritates appellavimus Aliae veritates sunt etiam ipsae Catholicae universales nempe quas universa Ecclesia tenet quibus licet eversis fides quatitur sed non evertitur tamen Atque in hujusmodi veritatum contrariis erroribus dixi fidem obscurari non extingui infirmari non perite Has ego nunquam sidei veritates censui vocandas quamvis doctrinae Christianae veritates sint Canus iterum lib. 12. cap. 3. ad fin Praeter articulos fidei omnia quae in sacris literis assumuntur tametsi non sunt fidei nec Theologiae praecipua capita sed his ex accidenti conjuncta quasi principia secundaria accipit tamen ea Theologus non aliter ac Philosophus principia per se nota sine medio aut ratione Haec enim quasi naturalis arque insira est in animis fidelium notio ut quicquid ab Apostolis scriptum traditúmque est verum esse sentiant Vide Staplet Espenc alios suprácitatos Canus to the same purpose There be some Catholique verities which doe so pertaine to faith that these being taken away the faith it selfe must be taken away also And these by common use we call not onely Catholique but Verities of Faith also There are other verities which be Catholique also and universal namely such as the whole Church holdeth which yet being over throwne the faith is shaken indeed but not overturned And in the errours which are contrary to such truths as these the faith is obscured not extinguished weakened not perished These may be called verities of Christian doctrine but not of faith Briefly it is the common and constant doctrine of e Mag. 3. d. 25. Aquin. 2. 2. qu. 2. art 5. ibi DD. Schoolemen and f Tolet. Navarr Sayr Filiucius Reginaldus caeteri Casuists that have written of the nature of heresie and the measure of Catholique faith that there is a certain measure and quantity of faith without which none can be saved but every thing revealed belongs not to this measure It is enough to beleeve some things by a Virtuall faith or by a Generall as it were a Negatiue faith whereby they are not denyed or contradicted and in some things men may be ignorant or erre in them without danger of their salvation All this evidently confirmes that most necessary and most usefull distinction betweene fundamentall and not fundamentall doctrines which our Mistaker here with so great noyse and so little reason cryes downe By Fundamentall doctrines we meane such Catholique verities as principally and essentially pertaine to the faith such as properly constitute a Church and are necessary in ordinary course to be distinctly beleeved by every Christian that will be saved Other points of truth are called not-fundamentall because they are not of such absolute necessity and doe not primarily belong to the Vnity of faith or to the Essence of a Church or to the Salvation of a Christian Such as for their subtilty and profoundnesse are disputable in themselves and happily by plaine Scripture indeterminable Such finally as may admit an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a non liquet both ignorance if it be not affected and errour if it proceed not from negligence or wilfullnes without perill It is true whatsoever is revealed in Scripture or propounded by the Church out of Scripture is in some sence fundamentall in regard of the divine authority of God and his word by which it is recommended that is such as may not be denyed or contradicted without infidelity such as every Christian is bound with humility and reverence to beleeve whensoever the knowledge thereof is offered to him But in regard of the matter and moment of things revealed and of their use to us though all be revealed alike yet not all under the like penalty We are told by Cardinall g De Eccles lib. 3. cap. 14. §. Quinto Multa sunt de fide quae non sunt absolutè necessaria ad salutem Sane credere historias U. T. Bellarmine that many things are de fide to be beleeved which are not absolutely necessary to salvation The knowledge or faith of Christs passion is necessary not so that of his Genealogy Fundamentall therefore properly is that which Christians are obliged to beleeve by an expresse and actuall faith In other points that faith which the Cardinall
h Replique liur 1. chap. 10. Perron calls the faith of adherence or non-repugnance may suffice to wit an humble preparation of minde to beleeve all or any thing revealed in Scripture when it is sufficiently cleared By which virtuall faith an erring person may beleeve the truth contrary to his owne error inasmuch as he yeelds his assent implicitely to that Scripture which containes the truth and overthrowes his errour though yet he understand it not This maine distinction of doctrines whereof we speak hath expresse ground in the Scriptures of the N. Testament Therein the Church of Christ is often called i 1. Tim. 3. 15. 1. Pet. 2. 5. Heb. 3. 5. 6. the Spirituall house of God The foundation of this house is either reall personall or dogmaticall and doctrinall The Reall foundation is k 1. Cor. 3. 11. Eph. 2. 20. Christ the Dogmaticall are l Matt. 16. 16. 18. Heb. 6. 1. those grand and capitall doctrines which make up our faith in Christ that is that m Tit. 1. 4. common faith which is n 2 Pet. 1. 1. alike precious in all beeing one and the same in the highest Apostle and the meanest beleever which the Apostle o Heb. 5. 12. elsewhere calls the first principles of the oracles of God and the p 2. Tim. â— 13. forme of sound words These hold the place of the common foundation in which all Christians must be grounded The materialls laid upon this foundation whether they be sound or unsound are named by S. Paul q 1. Cor. 3. 12. super structions which are conclusions either in truth or in appearance deducible from those principles Concerning all which superstructures the generall rule is that the more neere they are to the foundation of so much greater importance be the truthes and so much more perilous be the errors as againe the further they are removed off the lesse necessary doth the knowledge of such verities prove to be and the swarving from the truth lesse dangerous It is cleere then that some points are fundamentall others not so But here all Protestants are defied by the Mistaker not onely particulars but in corps their Colledges Universities all or any of them dared to give him in a list or Catalogue of fundamentall points So high a Challenge in a subject of this nature might better have beseemed his betters some Cardinall rather then a * See Char. Mist pag. 1. Cavallier It seems the man thinks excellently of his owne learning and judgement and that conceit fills him with this courage But his strength is not answerable They that have tried it say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The prudent Vlysses in r Iliad ss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et ad Ther 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer gave good counsell to some busie persons that were forward to meddle in matters beyond their Spheere the Mistaker stands in neede of it and may do well to follow it By fundamentall points of faith for of them alone the Mistaker expresly speakes in this discourse we understand as hath been noted not the necessarie duties of Charity which are comprehended in the Decalogue nor the necessarie acts of hope contained in the Lords prayer there beeing the same object both of our prayers and of our hope though both these vertues of Charity and Hope are fundamentally necessary to the salvation of Christians but we meane those Prime and Capitall doctrines of our Religion which make up the holy Catholique and Apostolique faith once for all delivered to the Saints which faith is the same which Jude 3. the Church received from the Apostles the Apostles from Christ Christ from God as Tertullian speakes that faith which essentially constitutes a true Church and a true Christian These fundamentalls are all contained in the rule of faith which rule being cleerely but diffusedly set downe in the Scriptures hath been afterwards summed up and contracted into the Apostles Creed either by the Apostles themselves or by the Church of their times from them This Creed taken in a Catholique sence that is as it was further opened and explaned in some parts by occasion of emergent Heresies in the other Catholique Creeds of Nice Constantinople Ephesus Chalcedon and Athanasius is said generally by the Schoolemen and Fathers to comprehend a perfect Catalogue of fundamentall truths and to imply a full rejection of fundamentall heresies and hath beene received by Orthodox Christians of all ages and places as an absolute summary of the Christian faith For proof wherof we will first argue ad hominem and teach the Mistaker how to esteeme of his Creed out of his own Masters whom he will not distrust or gainsay Begin with the a Concil Trident Sess 3. Symbolum Apostolorum est principium illud in quo omnes qui fidem Christi profitentur necessariò conveniunt ac fundamentum Ecclesiae firmum ac unicum Councell of Trent The Apostles Creed is that principle wherein all that professe the faith of Christ do necessarily agree that being the firme and onely foundation of the Church The b Catec Trident pag. 13. ac 14. Apostoli hanc Christianae fidei ac spei formulam composuerunt veritatis summa ac fundamentum primò ac necessariò omnibus credendum Catechisme of Trent to the same pupose The Apostles composed this profession of Christian faith and hope as a summary and foundation of that truth which is necessarily to be beleived of all c Azor. par 1. lib. 8. cap. 5. Symbolum Apostoâ—orum est brevis fidei complexio ac summa omniuÌ„ credendorum veluti nota quaedam signum quo Christiani homines ab impiis infidelibus qui vel nullam vel non rectam Christi fidem profitentur discernendi ac internoscendi sunt Huic Symbolo addâ—ta sunt alia duo Nicaenum Athanasianum ad uberiorem explicationem fidei Azorius This Creed briefly comprehends the faith and all things to be beleived is as it were a signe or cognisance whereby Christian men are differenced from the ungodly and misbeleivers who have either no faith at all or hold not the right faith To this the other Creeds of Nice and Athanasius were added onely for further explanation d Jacob. Gordon Hunt Controv 2. cap. 10. num 10. Regula fidei continetur expressè in Symbolo Apostolorum in quo continentur omnia prima fundamenta fidei Neque enim adeò obliviosi fuerunt Apostoli post acceptum Spiritum S. ut in Symbolo fidei quod omnibus credendum tradiderunt praetermittereÌ„t primum praecipuum fidei fundamentum Huntley a Scottish Iesuite The rule of faith is expressely contained in the Apostles Creed wherein are contained all the prime foundations of faith For the Apostles were not so forgetfull as to omit any fundamentall point in that Creed which they delivered to be beleived by all Christians e Greg. de Val. in 2. 2. disp 1.
12. pag. 480. ex edit Binn ann 1618. Colon Gr. Lat. Olim quilibet Arcl â—episcopus Patriarcha literas quae Synodicae appellantur inter se dabant nihil aliud continentes quà m rectfidei suique sensus confessionem quod in Orientalibus Ecclesiis hodiéque fit usque ad hoc tempus Patriarch immediately after his assumption to a place of so great trust and authority in the Church should render an account of his faith by his Synodicall or Circular letters called otherwise p Optat. Milevit lib. 2. Siricius hodiè Episcopus Rom. noster est Socius cum quo nobis totus orbis commetcio Formatarum in una communionis societate concordat literae formatae and q Aug. Epist 162. Communicatorias literas jam olim propter suam perversitatem ab unitate Catholica quae toto orbe diffusa est non accipiunt Donatistae Et saepe de illis in ea Epistola communicatoria directed to his Peeres and Companions in that dignity that by the sight of his profession his faith might be judged whether he were a sound Catholique or tainted with heresie and so whether he were fit or unworthy to be admitted into their Communion If in those Letters he did professe entirely to adhere to the Catholique Creeds his profession person was accepted as sound Orthodox The Circular Epistles yet extant of r Extant Concil 6. Gener Act. 11. Sophronius Patriarch of Hierusalem of s Conc. 7. sive Syn. 2. Nic. Act. 3. Tarasius Patriarch of Constantinople of t Apud Baron ad ann 556. num 33. Pelagius Patriarch of Rome of u Extat inter Epistolas Photii MSS. Graecè in Bibl. Bodleiana Photius of Constantinople and many others testifie this So truly said S. Austin w Aug. Epist 57. Regula fidei pusillis magnisque communis that the Creed is a rule of faith common to great and small The meanest Catechumen must beleeve so much and the greatest Patriarch can beleeve no more In those old and golden times those Articles were thought abundantly sufficient and it was thought a great sacriledge to adde any thing to them or diminish them No Catholique in the world was then required to beleeve the Popes Supermacie or his Indulgences or Purgatory or Transubstantiation or any doctrine now debated betweene us and Rome No such matter These things were brought in long after the beginning the Church of Christ was long without them and was well without them and happy had she been whether we regard truth or peace if she had still so continued Nor can it be reasonably said that all or any of these things though not expressed in the Creed are yet contained eminently in the beliefe of the Catholique Church For to omit that these are no traditions or doctrines of the Catholique Church but onely the partiall and particular fancies of the Romane unlesse happily the opinion of Transsubstantiation may be excepted wherein the later * Vide Nicetae Thesau Orthod Gr. Ms in Bib. Bodleiana Euthym. in panoplia tit 21. Hierem. Patr. CP in Resp 1. ad Lutheranos cap. 10. Resp 2. cap. 4. § 3. Nichol. Episc Methon Samonam Arch. Gaz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inter Liturgica Graecè edita Parisiis 1560. Greeks seeme to agree with the Romanists 1. what reason can be imagined why amongst many things of equall necessity to be believed the Apostles should so punctually and distinctly set downe some and be altogether silent in others As well nay better they might have given us no Article but that and sent us to the Church for all the rest For in setting downe others besides that and not all they make us beleive we have all when we have not all 2. I suppose no learned Romanist will say that in the beleife of the coÌ„munion of Saints all the new doctrines of the Romane Church are virtually contained Yet the learned y Replique ch 1. Card. du Perron thinks it probable that the Article of the Catholique Church and the Communion of Saints is all one this latter clause being onely an explication of the other 3. Many of the Ancient Doctors have left us their expositions on the Creed Ruffinus S. Augustin Cyrill of Hierusalem Chrysologus Maxim Taurinensis others Where they speake of the Catholique Church all say we must beleive the unity universality perpetuity sanctity of the Church none at all say any thing of any soveraigne infallible power in the Church to prescribe or define what she pleases 4. Lastly Azorius the Iesuite gives a faire meaning to this Article of the Catholique Church and such as little favours the conceit of our Mistaker z Azor. paâ— 1. lib. 8 cap. 6. §. Sed mibi probabilius Substantia articuli quo credimus unam Sanctam Catholicam Ecclesiam est neminem posse salvum esse extrà congregationem hominum qui Christi fidem religionem profitentur susceptam posse salutem obtineri intrà hanc ipsam congregationem hominum piorum fidelium I beleive the holy Catholique Church that is saith he I beleive that none can be saved out of the Congregation of those men who professe the faith and religion of Christ and that within that company of holy and faithfull people salvation may be obtained Now to the reasons alleaged for the full and formall sufficiency of this rule of faith to which nothing essentiall can be added or may be detracted we may adjoine the full consent of the Ancient Doctors Greeke and Latin who come in with one voice each one almost contributing his suffrage to testifie for this perfection of the Creed that in their dayes it was so acknowledged a Iren. lib. 1. cap. 2. 3. Ecclesia per universum orbem seminata ab Apostolis corum discipulis accepit eam fidem quae est in Deum omnipotentem Hanc fidem diligenter custodit Ecclesia in Celtis in Oriente Aegypto Cùm enim una eadem fides sit neque is qui multùm potest de ea dicere superfluit neque is qui parùm imminuit Irenaeus having repeated the most important Articles of it saith It is the faith which the Church throughout the world hath received from the Apostles being every where one and the same admitting neither addition nor diminution Therfore it is called by b Tertul. de vel virg cap. 1. Regula fidei una omninò est sola immobilis irreformabilis Hâc lege fidei manente caetera admittunt novitatem correctionis Tertullian one onely immoveable and unreformable rule which remaining safe other matters of discipline may be altered or corrected as occasion requires And the same Author againe c Id. de Praescript cap. 13. 14. Haec regula null as habet apud nos quaestiones nisi quas herefes inferunt quae haereticos faciunt manente form âejus in suo ordine quantumlibet quaeras tractes Fides in
Recogn p. 11. Bellarmine at last following the common opinion of the o In Th. p. 3. qu. 52. Aâ—z Schooles These jarres concerne not the Church of England which takes the words as they are in the Creed and beleives them without further dispute and in the sence of p Aug. Epist 99. Ancients As also She doth in that other Article of the Catholique Church It remaines then notwithstanding all this feeble opposition very probable according to the judgement of Antiquity and even of the Roman D Drs that the Creed is the perfect Summary of those fundamentall truths wherein consists the Unity of Faith and of the Catholique Church the Articles wherof all Christians ordinarily are bound expresly to beleeve and distinctly to know for their salvation I say such explicite faith and actuall knowledge is necessary to Christians ordinarily for I meedle not with the extraordinary dispensation of Gods mercies which is a secret reserved to the Lord himselfe And I say men are bound to it by necessity that is necessitate praecepti but happily not so necessitate medij vel finis For as the q De explicitè necessario credendis vide quae scripserunt Sylv. in Sum. ver Fides Azor. Instit moral par 1. l. 8. c. 6. Tolet. Instruct Sacerd lib 4. c. 2. Greg. de Val. in 2. 2. disp 1. q. 2. punc 3. 4. 5. Bâ—nnes in 2. 2. q. 2. a. 8 Becaâ— in sum pur 3. c. 12. Filiuo de casib tract 2. 2. cap. 1. 2. Putean in 2. 2. q. 2. 〈◊〉 â— 3. dub 4. Aegyd Connick disp 14. dub 9. 10. DD. communiter in 3. d. 25. in 2. 2. q. 1. a. 7. Casiâ—ists and Schoolemen doe well and truly observe in this dispute of necessary and fundamentall truths both Truths Persons must be wisely distinguished That truth may be necessary in one sense which is not so in another and fundamentall in some persons in certaine respects which is not so to some others 1. Every thing fundamentall is not alike neare to the foundation nor of equall primenes in the faith Among the fundamentalls of the Creed some are radicall and primary others like branches issuing or descending from them as a Paris Tract de fide cap. 2. Communiter credendorum quae usualiter Articuli fidei vocantur alia sunt ut radices primitivae fundamenta primaria alia sunt ut rami descendentes Parisiensis or as b Th. 2. 2. q. 1. a. 7. in Corp. Omnes Articuli implicitè coÌ„tinentur in aliquibus primis credibilibus sc ut credatur Deus esse providentiam habere circa hominum salutem Aquinas there are certaine prime principles of faith in the bosome whereof all other Articles lie wrapped or folded up Such is that of S. Paul c Heb. 11. 6. He that comes to God must beleeve that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him but especially that most important and most d Joh. 17. 3. 20. 31. Matth. 16. 16. 17. Act. 4. 12. 8. 37. 16. 31. Rom. 10. 9. 10. 1. Cor. 3. 11. 12. 3. 1. Joh. 2. 22. 4. 2. 15. 5. 1. 5. 2. Pet. 2. 1. fundamentall of all Articles in the Church that Iesus Christ the sonne of God and the sonne of Mary is the onely Saviour of the world These are so absolutely necessary to all Christians for attaining the end of our faith that is the salvation of our soules that a Christian may loose himselfe not onely by a positive erring in them or denying of them but by a pure ignorance or nescience or not knowing of them e Dom. Bannes in 2. 2. q. 2. arr 8. Illa quae sunt necessaria necessitate finis si desint nobis etiam sine culpa nostra non excusabuÌ„t nos ab aeterna morte quamvis non fuerit in potestate nostra illa assequi quemadmoduÌ„ etiam si non sit nisi unicum remedium ut ali quis fugiat mortem corporalem tale reremediuÌ„ ignoretur ab infirmo et medico sine dubio peribit homo ille The Roman DDrs themselves say that Invincible ignorance cannot here excuse from ever lasting death even as if there were one onely remedy whereby a sicke man could be recovered from corporall death suppose the Patient and the Physitian both were ignorant of it the man must perish as well not knowing it as if being brought unto him he had refused it 2. Againe of Persons some are invincibly disabled from faith and knowledge through want of capacity f Pet. de Allinco in quaest vesperiarum Sicut ad legis Christi habitualeÌ„ fideÌ„ omnis viator obligatur sine ulla exceptione fic ab ejus actuali fide nullus excusatur nisi solâ incapacitate Parvulos autem et furiosos caeterisque passionibus mente captos seu aliâ naturali impossibilitate prohibitos incapaces voco et si non simpliciter tameÌ„ secunduÌ„ quid â—â— dum his defectibus laborant as Infants Naturalls and distracted Persons or through want of meanes of instruction which may be saved but God only knows how Others have capacity meanes but in very different degrees and accordingly they differ in that measure of faith and knowledge that is necessarily required in them More knowledge is necessary in g Aegid de Conninck disp 14. dub 10. Hominum sunt tres classes majores medii infimi qui hic distinguendi Similiter Puteanus in 2. 2 q. 2. art 3. d. ult â—lii Bishops and Priests to whom is committed the goverment of the Church and the cure of soules then in vulgar Laickes amongst whom in them of the rudest and meanest sort if there be a studious care of holines and obedience in their life which is ever supposed as most necessary the knowledge of those maine Artiles concerning our Saviours Incarnation Passion Resurrection c. which are purposely to that end celebrated by the Church in her Festivities as many h Almain in 3. d. 26. Minores tenentur explicitè credere Articulis por festivitates solennes celebratis ut Ecclesia celebrat FestuÌ„ de Nativitatc-sic Durand Bonavent Alii in eum loc Sylv. ver Fides §. 6. Azor. lib. 8. ca. 6. §. 2º quaeritur Filiucius de Casib tract 22. c. 1. §. Dices Aliique piurimi Le Card. de Richelieu Instruct du Chrestien Leçon premiere Gen'est pas chose necessaire que celuy qui ignorera quelques vns des Articles de foy ne puisse aucunes fois faire son salut mais il est besoin qu'il ait vne cognoissance de ces Articles suffisante pour le diriger à sa derniere fin Si quelque vn ignoroit la Communion des Saincts la descente de nostre Seigneur aux Limbes que sa passion ait esté soubs Pilate qu'il ait este au Sepulchre le temps auquel il est resuscité sçauoir est le
Mystag Miss Muzarab in Bibl. P P. Colon Tom. 15. p. 787. Diâ—nys Eccl. Hier cap. 7. Church in her Liturgies remembred all those that slept in hope of the Resurrection of everlasting life and particularly the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors Bishops Fathers such as led a solitary life and all Saints beseeching God to giue vnto them rest and to bring them at the Resurrection to the place where the light of his countenance should shine vpon them for evermore Signifying by this Memorial their faith as t Vbi supra St Epiphanius hath it that the departed are aliue and subsisting with the Lord and their hope of them as of those that bee from home in another country and that at length they shall attaine the state which is more perfect Some particular Doctors had in these matters particular opinions which must be severed from the generall sentiment and customes of the Church which to this day are conserved in the Greeke u Vide Marci Ephesii Episc Epist encyclicam Churches notwithstanding the pretended Vnion in this and other points at the late Councell of Florence This ancient observation of the Church we condemne not Wee say prayers are to be made for all that are departed in the true faith of Christ that is first Thanksgiuing that they are deliuered from the body of death and miseries of this sinfull world Secondly Requests of Gods mercy that they may haue their perfect consummation in body and soule in the kingdome of God at the last iudgement The Roman writers vtterly condemne the former doctrine and practise of Antiquity z Azor. Instit moral tom 1. c. 20. lib. 8. See of this matter the learned Primate of Armagh in his defence against the Iespite One of them feares not to censure it as absurd and impious By this the Mistaker may feele his errour and see that it is not the Protestants but his owne Doctors that agree with the old Heretique Aerius The vnity of the Church is nothing hindred by diversity of opinions in doubtfull matters It is a great vanity to hope or expect that all learned men in this life should absolutely consent in all the pieces and particles of divine truth The light whereby wee see in this state of mortality is very feeble and very different in regard of the good spirits illumination the capacities of men and their diligences in study prayer and other meanes of knowledge So long as the a Iud. 3. faith once deliuered to the Saints is earnestly contended for and kept entire that is the b Tit. 1. 4. common faith of Christians containing all Catholique and necessary verities so long as men c Phil. 3. 15. 16. walke according to this rule charitably though in other things they be otherwise minded the Church is but one her vnity no way violated For this vnity consists in the vnity of faith not of opinions and in an vnion of mens hearts and affections by true Charity which will easily compound or tolerate all vnnecessary differences Factious and fiery Spirits kindle and fly asunder on small occasions but among wise men each discord in Religion dissolues not the vnity of faith or Charity Points of Religion are well distinguished by d Aqu. 22. q. 2. art 56 q. 29. art 3. ad 2. Thomas and e Staplet dupl lib. 1. c. 12. n. 3. Rel. c. 1. qu. 3. art 6. notab 1. 2. Licet vtile est de rebus difficilibus in Ecclesia aliter atque aliter disputare nec hoc vnitatem violat sed veritatem illustrat Stapleton Some say they are primitiue Articles of the substance of Religion essentiall in the obiect of faith dissention in these is pernicious and destroyes vnity Others are secondary probable accidentall or obscure points wherein the oppositions and disputations of learned men proceeding modestly are tolerable and sometime profitable for finding out the truth Vnity in these matters is very contingent and variable in the Church now greater now lesser never absolute in all particles of truth And therefore those ancient Worthies the Fathers of the Church as they were most zealous to defend even with their blood to the least iot or title the rule of faith as they called it or the Creed of Christians or as the Scripture calls it the f 2. Tim. 1 13. forme of wholesome words the g Heb. 6. 1. 5. 12. Principles of the oracles of God or of the doctrine of Christ so againe they were most charitable to allow in other things beside or without the faith a great latitude and liberty As in a musicall consort a discord now and then so it bee in the descant and depart no tfrom the ground sweetens the harmony So the variety of opinions or of h Firmilianus ap Cypr. epist 7 5. num 5. August ep 86 Socrat. Hist lib. 5. cap. 21. rites in partes of the Church doth rather commend then prejudice the vnity of the whole Indeed in the multitude of opinions there is but one truth but among sundry truths there is but one necessary to salvation that wherein the holy Scriptures as the Apostle saith are able to make vs wise by 2 Tim. 3. 15. the faith in Christ Iesus The keeper of this truth and of the Scriptures in which it is treasured is the Church not of one City but the Catholique Church that is the fellowship of Saints dispersed through the whole World And it is not in deepe or difficult questions but in this necessary faith or truth wherein the Fathers alleadged by the Mistaker justly require an exact and perfect vnity among Catholique Christians To be ignorant of this faith or to erre in it though vnwarily is dangerous but to corrupt or contradict any part of it though but in a word or syllable of moment is damnable The difference betweene the Arrians and the Catholiques was but in one letter the least in the Alphabet yet never was the Church troubled with a more pernicious heresy And many times the addition or alteration of one word or two in the confession of faith had reconciled the Eunomians Photinians Sabellians Macedonians c. with the Catholiques But in this case for the Catholiques to yeeld in a word or syllable had beene to yeeld their cause and to betray the truth Therefore worthily and truly said k Basil 〈◊〉 apud Theodoret Hist l. 4. c. 17. S. Basil to the officer of Valens the Arrian Emperour not a syllable of divine doctrine must be betrayed For though Faith be sound in other respects yet one word saith l Naz. Tract de fide S. Greg. Nazianzen as truly like a drop of poison may taint and corrupt it and as m Hier. Apol 3. adv Ruff. cap. 7. S. Hierome for such a word contrary to this faith are Heretiques justly cast out of the Church But though faith be kept entire yet if Charity be wanting the vnity of the Church is