Heresies only in the greatest points admitting such meÌ for Heretikes would accordingly haue restrayned his words at least in some one âext or other among so many only to these kind of Heretikes But not to leaue the least âhew of refuge or euasion herein I will produce some passage of holy Scripture in wchâhe mantayners of particuler errours euen ân lesser points then the highest articles of Christianity are censured by Christs Apoâtles to be depriued of eternall Saluation And first we find S. Paul thus to prophesie In the later (h) 1. Tim. cap. 4. times certaine shall depart from the Fayth attending to spirits of errour and doctrine of deuills and forbidding to marry and to abstaine from meates c. Heere the Apostle prophesieth according to the iudgment of (i) Hom. 12. in 1. Tim. S. Chrysostom (k) Vpon this place Ambrose (l) l. contra Iouin cap. 1. Ierom (m) Haer. 25. 40. Augustin of the Heretikes Encratites Marcionistes Ebionites c. who denyed matrimony as a thing altogeather vnlawfull prohibited absolutly and at all times the eating of certaine meates as creatures impure Now these Heretikes belieued in the Trinity the Incarnation c. yet euen for these two former Heresies touching mariage and eating of meates they are sayd bâ the Apostle to depart from the Fayth of Chrisâ and to attend to the doctrine of deuills But sucâ as leaue the Fayth of Christ and attenâ to the doctrine of Diuells are not iâ state of Saluation In my iudgement thâ one authority alone is sufficient to oueâthrow this phantasie of our Newtrallists ãâã since the words are diuine Scripture thâ Heresies reprehended no fundamentalâ points of Religion but of as little or lesseâ consequence then the Controuersies betwixt the Catholikes and the Protestants yet the maintainers of them are accompted to depart from the Fayth of Christ and to attend to the doctrine of deuills A second place shal be that of the former Apostle who writing of certayne Heretikes erring touching the Resurrection of the Body though the article of the Resurrection it selfe they belieued sayth thus (n) 2. Tim. cap. â Their speach spreadeth like a Canker of whome is Hymenaeus and Philetus who haue erred from the truth saying That the Resurrection is allready past and haue subuerted the Fayth of some These men belieued all the mysteries of the Trinity the IncarnatioÌ c. yet for erring only touching the Resurrection of the body they are sayd to erre from the truth to subuert the Fayth of some and that as Canker neuer leaueth the body till ây little and little it wasteth it away so âheir speaches by degrees poyson and kill âhe soules of the hearers From which it âuidently followeth that these Heretikes âontinuing and dying in the foresaid Hereâie could not be saued since that faith which ârreth from the truth which subuerteth the true âaith of Christ in others and which in killing and âestroying resembleth a Canker cannot affoard Saluation to its Professours Another passage which heere I will vrge âs that of S. Iohn who calleth certaine Heâetikes Antichrists saying (o) 1. Ioan. c. 2. Now there are beâome many Antichrists who went out of vs were not of vs for if they had byn of vs they would surely haue remayned with vs. These Heretikes belieued in the Trinity in the Incarnation of Christ that he dyed for the saluation of the whole world only they erred touching the Person Natures of Christ yet they are figuratiuely stiled Antichrists and are said to depart out of the Church of Christ but no saluation is reserued for Antichrists and Apostataes leauing the Church of Christ. And thus much out of Gods holy Writ expressely touching Heresie in generall particuler To these Texts I will adioyne though not immediately and directly raunged vnder the former head a place or two of Scripture in my iudgment most vnanswerable and by necessarie inference euicting the point heere vndertakeÌ The first place is those words of S. Peter where he saith (p) 2. Ep. c. 3. In the Epistles of S. Paul there are certaine things hard to be vnderstood which the vnlearned and vnstable do peruert vnto their owne destruction Now heere I thus argue But these thinges hard to be vnderstood in S. Paul his Epistles did not concerne the doctrine of the Trinity the Incarnation the Passion c. and yet the misvnderstanding of them doth cause as the text saith the destruction that is the damnation of them who misunderstand them Therfore farre lesser points then the deniall of the Trinity the Incarnation the Passion c. doe iustly threaten to the false belieuers of them daÌnation and consequently it followeth that a bare beliefe of those supreme points is not sufficient to Saluation That those difficulties in S. Paules Epistles intimated by S. Peter did not concerne the Trinity the Incarnation the Passion c. I prooue seuerall wayes first because S. Peter maketh no such mention which no doubt he would haue done if the subiect of them had only touched those supreme mysteries and were not to be extended to other inferiour pointes Secondly it is acknowledged by the writings and âommentaries of all the Fathers besides âat the Epistles themselues shew no lesse âat S. Paul is most euident and cleere in ãâã his Epistles touching the Trinity the âcarnation the Passion c. and therfore âere is no reason why the difficulties of âhem should be applyed to those articles such lesse restrayned to them alone Thirdly the Fathers do vnderstand these ââfficulties in S. Paul his Epistles mentioâd by S. Peter chiefly touching IustificaâoÌ as appareth by the testimony euen of S. âgustine (q) l. de fide operibus c. 15. 16. himselfe who particulerly âtanceth in that place 1. Corinth 3. If â man build vpon this foundation gold siluer ãâã which text intreateth of Iustification ând workes and expresly saith that this is he of the difficult passages intended and âant by S. Peter With S. Augustine S. âome may seeme well to agree in these âords (r) Epist ad Algasiam quae 8. Epistola ad Romanos nimijs obscuriâbus inuoluta est The Epistle to the Roââns is inuolued with many obscurities or âake places for it is found that the Epiââle to the Romans most entreateth of Iuâfication and of faith and workes Fourâly and lastly the Protestants themselues ãâã vnderstand the said obscurities of S. Paul ãâã Epistles touching Iustification as appeareth to omit the testimonies of â others herein from the words and Coâment of Doctor Fulke against the Rhâmish Testament vpon the foresaid plaââ of S. Peter And this farre of this text wheâ we find by an ineuitable deduction that false Fayth touching Iustification only caânot stand with Saluation The second text of scripture is containâ in those words of the Apostle where thus sayth (c) c. 11. ad Hebraeos s Credere oportet accedentem ad Dâ quia
against Gods Church shal be damned But here I will stay my selfe wading no further in the disquisition and search of the great dissentions betweene Catholikes and Protestants touching faith and beliefe only I will reflect a litle vpon the premises And heere it is made most euident first that the Catholikes and Protestants do mainly differ in the sense and construction of the Articles of the Creede and consequently seing the sense and not the words do make the Creed that they both do not belieue one and the same Creede but haue to themselues seuerall Creedes from which point is sufficiently discouered the want of Vnity in faith among them both which Vnitie is so necessarily required to mans saluation as in the precedent chapter is demonstrated Secondly that though by supposition they did belieue the Creede and the true sense therof with an vnanimous consent yet it is proued there are diuers other articles not contayned in the Creed which are indifferently belieued as necessary to saluation both by Catholike and Protestant Thirdly seing also there are sundry Controuersies in Religion as is aboue exemplified which immediatly concerne saluation being houlden as necessary meanes therof by Catholikes but disclaymed from and abaÌdoned by the Protestants as mayne errours and false doctrines Therfore from all the former premises I do auerre that it is a manifest errour to make the Creed the sole rule of Fayth and that he who maintaynes that both the Catholikes and Protestants notwithstanding their great disparitie of beliefe and fayth the one side necessarily belieuing maintayning Heresie can be saued or enioy one heauen is wholy depriued of all true iudgement reason and discourse and for want thereof may deseruedly be ranged among them of whome the psalmist speaketh (h) Psal 11. nolite fieri sicut equus mulus quibus non est intellectus THE SAME PROVED FROM the authority and priuiledge of the Church in not erring in her definitions and condemnation of Heresies and first of Councels CHAP. VI. FROM the inuiolable vnitie of faith we will next descend to the priuiledges of Gods true Church Of which priuiledges I will at this time take only one into my consideration that is that the Church of God is endued with a supreme priuiledge and prerogatiue of not erring in her definitions of fayth or condemnatioÌ of heresie This point is warranted by innumerable texts of holy Scripture as where it is sayd (i) Esay 72. Vpon thy wall ô Hierusalem I haue set watchmen all the day and all the night they shall not be silent But God did not set watchmen ouer his Church to teach errour And agayne The (a) 2. Tim. 3. Church of God is the pillar and foundation of the truth what more perspicuous And further whereas ech man âs commaunded to repayre in difficulties matters of small consequeÌces to the Church it is threatned by Christ himselfe that who wil not heare the Church shal be accompted âs an Heathen or Publican according to âhat his commination Si Ecclesiam non auâierit (b) Mat. 18. sit tibi sicut Ethnicus Publicanus where we find no restriction but that in all things we are to heare the Church Agayne Christ himselfe speaketh to his Apostles and in them to the whole Church He (c) Luc. 10. that heareth you heareth me But if the church could erre neither would Christ refer vs to the church especially vnder so great a penalty neither by hearing the church could we be iustly sayd to heare Christ Finally the Church is so gouerned by Christ as its head or spouse and by the holy Ghost as its soule as therefore we find the Apostle thus to write (d) Ephes 1. thereof God hath made him head speaking of Christ ouer all the Church which is his body And agayne (e) Ephes 4. One body and one spirit yet more The (f) Ephes 5. man is the head of the woman as Christ is head of the Church From which texts it followeth that if the church should erre in its definitioÌs or resolutions of fayth and condemnation of Heresy this erring might well be ascribed to Christ and to the holy Ghost and consequently it followeth that the Apostles in making the creed would haue omitted that Article I belieue in the Catholike Church For why should we be bound to belieue the church if the church could erre This truth I meane that the church of Christ cannot erre in her sententionall decrees is so illustrious and euident that Tertullian speaking of certaine Heretikes of his tyme obiecting the erring of the whole church thus figuratiuely or Ironically writeth Age Omnes (g) in l. de praescript c. 28. Ecclesiae errauerunt nullam respexit spiritus Sanctus vti eam in veritatem deduceret ad hoc missus à Christo ad hoc postulatus de Patre vt esset doctor veritatis c. That is Go to Belike all the Churches haue erred and the holy Ghost hath regarded no Church that be might lead it into truth being sent for this purpose by Christ and to the same end begged by Christ of the Father âhat it might be the teacher of truth And S. Augustine Disputare (h) Epist 118. contra id quod Ecclesia vniuersae sentit insolentissimae insaniae est To dispute agaynst any point maintayned by the whole Church is extreme madnes To whose iudgment herein most of the more sober and learned Protestants do indisputably subscribe since diuers of them doe with all feruour earnestnes maintayne that (i) D. Bancrost in his Sermon printed anno 1588. Fox Act. mon. fol. 464. b. art 4. The deuines of Geneua in their propositions and principles disputed c. p. 141. and diuers others the church of Christ cannot erre and that what she defineth for truth is most true or what for Heresy or âalshood is hereticall and to be condemned This Basis or foundatioÌ of the church not ârring being thus firmely layde we are heereupon to conclude that what points of Religion the catholike church of Christ hath condemned for Heresies the same are by vs to be reputed for Heresies since the churches condemnation or approbation is most infallible and the maintayners of the sayd Heresies for Heretikes and consequently that such Heretikes as departing out of the Church of God by their houlding of the sayde Hereticall opinions cannot be saued Now because the iudgment of the Church in matters of fayth is discouered two wayes first by the sentence of generall Councells secondly by the frequent attestations of the sayd chiefe Doctours of the Church in euery age in their particuler wrytings they not being contradicted therin by any other Orthodoxall Fathers or Doctours of the same age I will therefore distributiuely handle both these wayes shewing that both in generall by Councels and also by the particuler iudgement of the learned Fathers many opinions though not touching the Trinity the Incarnation the Passion or the expresse Articles of
Articles of the Creed âât it is extended in it own nature consiâering that according to al Art the definitioÌââd the thing defined ought to be of an eâall latitude or extent to any erroneous ââinion whatsoeuer frowardly defended ãâã a man and impugned by the Church of âod So as it is as perfit an Heresy and âe belieuers therof are as true Heretikes to deny that there is a Purgatory or to deny Freewill praying to Saints the doctrine oâ Indulgences the necessity of Baptisme oâ any other Article affirmed by Catholikes granting the doctrine of Catholiks in thesâ Articles to be true as to deny the Trinity the IncarnatioÌ of Christ his death Passion c. supposing the denyall of these to bâ but Heresies And a man shal be aswell daÌned in Hell for denying these former as foâ these other though the denyall of these lâter do exceed the other in malice since thâ blasphemies of them are in themselues moâ wicked heynous And thus much toâching the definition of Heresy or an Heretikâ which being iustly premised we will conâ now to the mayne Controuersy handleâ in this Treatise THAT EVERY CHRISTIAN CANNOâ be saued in his owne Religion Proued from tâ holy Scripture CHAP. II. NOw then to beginne to fortify anâ warrant this vndoubted truth that euâry Christian cannot be saued in his owne Religioâ I will draw my first kind of Proofe froÌ tâ sacred wordes of holy Scripture And theâ testimonies shal be of three sorts One coÌceâning Heretikes textes which are not-restrâned to any particular Heresies but deliuered of Heresy in generall The second branch of authorities shall touch Heretikes euen for certaine particuler Heresies different from denying the Trinity the Incarnation of our Sauiour his Passion other like principall and fundamentall articles of Christian Religion The third shall containe the necessity and dignity of Fayth without any restriction to the pointes or articles which are to be belieued And first to beginne with the first We read the Apostle thus to speake of an Heretike in generall (a) Epist ad Tit. c. 3. A man that is an Heretike after the first or second admonition auoyd knowing that he that is such is subuerted and sinneth being condemned by his owne iudgment Where we see the Apostle commaundeth vs to auoid an Heretike which he would neuer haue done if the sayd Heretike had bin in state of Saluation The Apostle further adding this reason in that he sinneth and in that such a maÌ as being a pertinacious willfull Heretike is condemned by his owne proper iudgment that is because he aduaunceth his own iudgment aboue the iudgment of Gods Church and because he needeth not that publike coÌdemnation of the Church which vpon other offenders by way of Excommunication is inflicted Of which text of the Apostle Tertullian both pithily and excellently giueth his glosse saying (b) Lib. de praescript c. 6. Quia in quâ damnatur sibi elegit Moreouer the Apostle elsewhere coniureth as it were in the name of Christ thaâ we should auoyd all false belieuers in thesâ words (c) 2. Thess cap. 3. We denounce vnto yow Brethren iâ the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you withdraw your selues from euery Brother walking in ordinatly and not according to the Tradition whicâ they haue receiued of vs. This place concernetâ Fayth and doctrine as the whole Chapteâ sheweth But if those men heere to be eschewed were in state of Saluation theâ ought not then to be eschewed Agayne this text cannot haue refereÌce to those whâ deny the Trinity Incarnation and PassioÌ seeing the denyers of those high Articleâ are not Brethren in Christ and yet the Apostle styleth them Brethren whom he heeâ reprehendeth The Apostle also in anothââ place thus forewarneth (d) Epist. ad Galat. c. 5. The workes of thâ flesh be manifest which are fornication vncleaneâ impurity c. dissentions (*) or Heresies according to the Testament of an 1576. Sects c. They whicâ do these things shal not obtayne the kingdom of Goâ where we see there is expresse mentioâ made of Sects and that the maintainers oâ any Sects in opinion of Fayth much morâ of any Heresy which is euer auerred witâ greater contumacy and frowardnes anâ with neglect to the Churches Authority shall not enter into the kingdome of Heauen From which testimony we may furâher conclude that as one only act of fornication barreth a man from the kingdome of God so also one Heresy excludeth him froÌ the same A fourth place is this (e) Epist. ad Rom. c. 16. I desire you Breâhren to marke them that make dissentions and scandalls contrary to the doctrine which you haue learned and auoyd them for such do not serue Christ our Lord. But if such men be to be auoyded and do not serue Christ then no doubt they continuing in that state cannot be saued Fiftly the Apostle speaketh of certaine men saying of them (f) 1. Tim. 1. Quidam circa fidem maufragauerunt Certaine men haue made shipwracke of their Fayth Where the Apostle vseth the Metaphore of shipwracke therby to expresse more fully that Heretikes once falling out of the shippe of the Church of Christ are cast into the sea of eternall damnation To conclude the EuaÌgelist S. Iohn speaketh of all Heretikes in generall not imbracing the Doctrine of Christ within which all secondary questions of Christian Religion are contayned in this sort If any (g) 2. Ioan. man come to you and bring not the doctrine of Christ receaue him not into your house nor sââ God saue you vnto him But a man is bound â charity to suffer any one which is in staâ of Saluation to come into his house and â salute him or say God saue him Now whâ can be replyed against these former texts â cannot be sayd that they are meant only â such Heretikes as deny the mysteries of tâ Trinity the Incarnation of Christ hâ Passion and such like supreme points â Christian Religion This I say cannot ãâã auerred for these reasons following Fiâ because those who in the Apostles tymâ denyed these principall points of Christiânity could not be truly termed Heretikeâ but rather Iewes or Heathens seeing he ãâã an Heretike truly as is aboue shewed whâ was once a member of Christs Church bâ Fayth ãâã 1 but after ceaseth to be therof by erring in some secondary points touchinâ Christian Fayth Secondly by reason thaâ according to the true definition of Heresââ or Heretikes aboue set downe the formeâ texts haue a necessary reference to all Heresies and Heretikes whatsoeuer whetheâ the subiect of the sayd false opinions be smaââ or great Thirdly because that in the former texts of Scripture there is no restriction of the word Haereticus or Haeresis to the chiefe or highest points of Christian Religion but it is extended to all kind of Hereâikes and Heresies whatsoeuer euen by the Apostle without exceptioÌ who no doubt âf he had vnderstood Heretikes or
est inquirentibus se remunerator sit ãâã that commeth to God must belieue that God iâ and is a rewarder to them that seeke him Hee is imposed a necessity as appeareth by tââ word Oportet to belieue not only that the is a God but that this God giueth rewarâ to such as seeke him to wit eternall lyâ But to belieue that God is a rewarder of goâ men is an article in it selfe wholy distinct ãâã differeÌt from the articles of the Trinity thâ Incarnation the Passion c. and in natuââ independent of these other for a man maâ belieue that God is a rewarder of good meâ with eternall felicity and yet not belieuâ these other supreme Mysteryes as man vertuous men no doubt did in the law oâ nature and in the time of the old Testâment and on the contrary side a man maâ belieue those chiefe articles of Christianity and yet not particulerly belieue that God is a rewarder of such as seeke him And yet we see the beliefe of this later point is necessarily exacted by the Apostle of all those who come to God consequently of all those who shal be saued seeing no man can be saued but such as come to God THE SAME PROVED FROM THE DEfinition Nature and Propriety of Fayth CHAP. III. IN this place we shall first take into our consideration the definition of fayth set downe by S. Paul Secondly the dignity worth of âayth much celebrated by diuers of the Aâostles Thirdly the inseparable propriety âf Fayth which is Vnity for so doth the âcripture delineate and describe Fayth ââom all which it will ineuitably follow âhat that Fayth which saueth man is not âo be restrayned only to the Trinity the âncarnation and other such sublime points âf Christian Religion though in other points it be erroneous but to all points whatsoeuer which the Church of God propoundeth to be belieued And to beginne with the definition of Fayth giuen by the Apostle He thus deâneth Fayth (a) c. 11. ad Hebraeos Fayth is the substance of thiâ to be hoped for the argument of things not appâring The sense wherof is this first thâ Fayth through an infallible certainty caâseth those things to subsist and haue a bâing in the mind of man which are yâ to come but hoped and looked for Sâcondly that fayth causeth the vnderstaâding to giue an assent to those points whiâ it vnderstandeth not acknowledging theâ to be more certaine then any other thinâ whatsoeuer according to those words of ãâã Thomas (b) quaest 4. art 8. Multo magis homo certior est de eo qââ audit à Deo qui falli non potest quà m de eo quâ videt propria ratione quae falli potest Now heeâ I trust no man wil deny but the Apostle dâfined that Fayth of a Christian which sâueth him This being graunted for to denâ it were both impious in the denier moâ iniurious to the Apostle we are to remember the nature of euery true definition sâ downe by the Logitians to wit as is aboue intimated that the thing defined anâ the definition be of one and the same extenâ latitude so as whatsoeuer is compreheÌded vnder the definitioÌ the same is also contayned vnder the thing defined This theâ being presupposed by force of all reason foâ Logike is but an artificiall haÌdmaid to Reason we find that this definition of Fayth âmpriseth in it selfe not only the Doctriâe of the Trinity of the Incarnation c. ând this not articulately but only by way âdeduction but also it containeth all seâândary points of Religion seeing the forâr definition doth predicate or may be ââd of all the sayd secondary and lesse prinâall points of Religion controuerted betâeene Christians at any time Therfore the âng heere defined which is the sauing âayth of a Christian is in like sort to exâând it selfe to all the sayd secondary points â Religion how indifferent soeuer they ââme in mans iudgment This inference is ãâã demonstratiue being taken from the forâer definition of Fayth as that the Apostle ââmselfe presently after the former words ââginning to instance the seueral Obiect of ââyth among diuers other examples setâh downe that to belieue Noahs floud ãâã the deluge of the world by water for âne is an article of Fayth for thus he ââyth By Fayth (c) Hebr. 11. Noah hauing receaued an ansââre concerning those things which as yet were âot seene fearing framed the Arke for the sauing of âis howse But to proceed further If the Articles of he Trinity the Incarnation and the like ãâã the only essentiall points of a true Christian Fayth it is more then wonderfull that the Apostle vndertaking to set down the true definition of an auailable Fayth and exemplifying it in it seuerall Obiects should wholy and silently omit the say articles of the Trinity Incarnation PassioÌ c. he in that Chapter not expresly speaking one word of them And thus much touching the definitioâ of Fayth giuen by the Apostle from whicâ definition we conclude that whosoeuââ seeketh to haue a true Fayth necessary to saâuation must belieue besides the mysteriâ of the Trinity the Incarnation c. diueâ others dogmaticall articles of Christian Râligion And therfore answereably therâ we assure our selues that when our Sauioâ sayd He (d) Marc. 16. that belieueth not shal be condemneâ he did speake of the belieuing of the whoâ corps of Christian Fayth and Doctrine aâ not only of any part therof for so in this lâter maner it would be both false absurâ In like fort where our Blessed Sauiour ãâã the same Chapter sayth to his Apostle Preach the Ghospell to all creatures c. He dâ vnderstand the whole Ghospell which cââtayneth many other points besides the Tâânity Incarnation and Passion c. In this next place we will descend ãâã those passages of holy Scripture which much magnify the efficacy and vertue of ââyth And accordingly heerto we find it ãâã said (e) Marc. vlt. He that belieueth and is baptized ââalbe saued but he that belieueth not shal be conââmned Againe our Sauiour said to the âind men praying to receaue their sight According to your faith be it donne vnto you (f) Mat. 9. ând further (g) Hebr. c. 11. Without fayth it is impossible to âase God And more (h) 1. Ioan. c. 5. Our fayth is the virie which ouercommeth the world Now in ââese and many other such texts for breuity âitted I demaund what fayth is vnderâod or meant If it be answered a true âyre perfect faith belieuing all points Christian Religion proposed by Gods ââurch it is true and that which I heare âe to prooue Yf an vnperfect and munâl faith belieuing some points of Chriâââââ Religion and reiecting others and so ârroneus faith being partly true partly â I say it can neuer deserue these prayses ân by the Euangelists and Apostles neiâââ can it produce such supernaturall efâ aboue specifyed no
Church it being that Arke erected by our second Noë within which who truly belieue and liue vertuously are exempted from that vniuersall deluge of eternall damnation For only in this Church is professed ãâã taught that Fayth to which by long presâiption a continued hand of tyme is peâliarly ascribed the name Catholike (a) Pacian Epist ad Symphron quae est de Nomine Catholico Caâolicum istud nec MarcioneÌ nec Apellem nec Monnum sonat nec Haereticos sumit autores That âyth which was prophesied to be of that âlating and spreading nature as that to it all (b) Esa 2. expouÌded in the English Bibles of the yeare 1566. Of the vniuersality of the Church or fayth of Christ Nations shall follow which shall haue the (c) Psal 2. expouÌded of the Churches vniuersality by the foresayd English Bibles of the yeare 1576. end of the earth for its posession from sea to sea (d) Psal 72. beginning (e) Luc. 4. at Hierusalem among all nations âhat Fayth the Professours whereof shal be (f) Dan. 2. in which is included the vninterrupted continuânce of the Church Kingdome that shall neuer be destroyed but âall stand for euer coÌtrary to the short curânts of all Heresyes of which S. Augustine âus wryteth (g) In psal 57. Many Heresies are already dead âey haue continued their streame as long as they âere able now they are runne out and their ryuers âe dryed vp the memory of then that euer they âere is now scarce extant That fayth the memâers whereof in regard of their euer visible âminency are stiled by the holy Ghost A (h) Esa 2. wherby is proued âhe Churches euer visibility mountayne prepared in the top of mountaynes âalted aboue Hills with reference wherto âo wit in respect of the Churches continuâl visibility the foresayd S. (i) Tom. 9. in Ep. Ioan. tract 2. Augustine âompareth it to a Tabernacle in the Sunne That âayth whose vnion in doctrine both among the professours thereof and with their head is euen celebrated by Gods holy writ sinâ the Church of God is therefore (k) Rom. 12. Cant. 6. Ioan. 10. which places prooue the Churches vnity called oâ Body one spouse and one sheepfould which prâuiledge S. (l) Epist ad Damasum Hierome acknowledgeth bâ his owne submission in these words I dâ consociate or vnite my selfe in Communion with thâ Chayre of Peter I know the Church to be buildeâ vpon that Rocke whosoeuer doth eate the Lamb out of this house is become prophane That fayth for the greater confirmatioâ whereof God hath vouchsafed to disioynâ the setled course of Nature by working dâuers stupendious astonishing (*) See examples hereof in Ierome in vita Hilarionis Athanasius in vita Antonij Theodoret hist l. 5. c. 21. Eusebius histor l. 7. c. 14. Zozomenus hist l. 3. c. 13. August l. de ciuit Dei 22. c. 8. l. 9. Confess c. 7. 8. miracleâ according to those wordes of our Sauiouâ (m) Mat. 10. in which wordes oâ Sauiour maketh miracles a signe of true fayth or of thâ Church Goe preach you cure the sicke rayse the dead cleanse the leapers cast out diuells c. A Prerogatiue so powerfull and efficacious with S Augustine as that he expresly thus confessetâ of himselfe (n) Tom. 6. contra Epist Manichaei cap. 4. Miracles are among those things which most iustly haue houlden me in the Churchâ bosome To conclude omitting diuers other Châracters as I may tearme them or signes oâ the true fayth That fayth which is of thâ force as to extort testimony and warraâ for it selfe euen from it most capitall and designed enemyes answereably to that (o) Deuteron 32. which words include the confession of the Aduersary to be a note of truth Our God is not as their Gods are our enemies are euen witnesses since the Protestants no lesse from their owne (p) This is proued in that Protestants doe not rebaptize Infants or children of Catholike PareÌts afore baptized now these Infants are baptized in the fayth of their Parents as all childreÌ are euen by the doctrine of all Protestants But if this faith of Catholike Parents be sufficient for the Saluation of their Children dying baptized therin then much more is it sufficient for the saluation of the Parents themselues since it is most absurd to say that the Catholike faith of Parents shold be auaylable for their Children or Infants dying baptized therin yet not auaylable for the Parents themselues practice then from their (q) According heerto to omit the lik testimonies of many other Protestants D. Some in his defence against Penry p. 182. thus writeth If you thinke that all the Popish sort which dyed in the Popish Church be damned you thinke absurdly dissent from the iudgment of all learned Protestants With whom D. Couell in his defence of M. Hookers fiue bookes of Ecclesiasticall Policy p. 77. thus conspireth saying VVe affirme that those who liue dye in the Church of Rome may be saued acknowledgment in words doe ascribe to our Roman fayth the hope of Saluation Of which subiect see most amply in the forsayd learned booke of the Protestants Apology Tract 1. Sect. 6. subdiuis 1. 2. 3. as also Tract 2. cap. 2. Sect. 14. To this Fayth then with an indubious assent adhere both liuing dying flye Newtrallisme in doctrine as the bane of all ReligioÌ flye Protestancy as the bane of Christs true Religion and say with (r) Pacian Ep. ad Symphron Pacianus Christianus mihi nomen est Catholicus verò cognomen illud me nuncupat istud me ostendit A Christian is my name a Catholike my Syrname that doth denominate me this doth demonstrate me FINIS
more then darkeâ an produce light since Truth himselfe ãâã taught vs (i) Luc. 6. That we cannot gather figges âornes nor grapes of bushes And hence by premises we are to vnderstand that we ân entyre perfect fayth that by the âh we belieue all supreme articles of the Trinitie Incarnation Passion c. anâ all the articles of the Creed expressely articulately in their true sense and do belieue all other inferiour articles at least implicitely that is that we haue a readie preparation of mind to belieue all other articles which the Church of Christ dotâ propound to be belieued so as that thougâ we do not belieue euery article of Chrâstian Religion with an explicite and expresse faith yet we are bound vnder painâ of damnation nor to belieue any doctrinâ contrary or repugnant to the said articleâ which the Church of Christ doth prâpound to be belieued from which it vnauoydably followeth that once grauntinâ that the Church of Christ propoundeth ãâã be belieued that there is a Purgatory â that we may pray to the Saints he incureth damnation who belieueth that theâ is no Purgatory or that we ought not ãâã pray to Saints Now in this third place we will toucâ that inseparable Attribute of true Chrâstian fayth which is Vnity in fayth ãâã doctrine This marke is so indissolubââ annexed to the true fayth of Christ as thâ we find his Apostles euer readie most ââriously to inculcate the same to their dâciples Thus accordingly the Aposââ exhorteth the Ephesians saying (k) Ephes 4. Be you carefull to keepe the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace And immediately againe (l) Ephes vbi supra There is one Lord one fayth one Baptisme Where we see that Vnity in fayth is expressely set downe As also in another place (m) Ephes loc cit I beseech you that you speake all one thing be you kâit together in one mind and one iudgment And as this was the exhortation of the Apostle To we read that the first belieuers followed âhe same of whom S. Luke thus saith The (n) Act. 4. multitude that belieued were of one hart and âne soule And hence it proceedeth that the Church of Christ which comprehendeth the Professours of this vnanimous faith is âtyled by Gods holy writ (o) Rom. 12. One Bodie one (p) Cant. 6. Spouse (q) Ioan. 10. one flocke of sheepe A truth âo euident as that besides the frequent teâtimonies of the Faâhers (r) Athanasius orat 1. con Ani. Chrysost opere imperfecto in Mat. Hom. 20. Tertullian de praescript Irenaeus l r. c. 5. confirming the âame euer the Protestants subscribe in iudgâent heerto For thus (Å¿) Luther tom 3. Wittenberg in psal 5. fol. 166. Luther himselfe to omit (t) see herâââf the Deuines of Mansfeild against the Sacramentaries And the Deuines of Heidelberg against the Anabaptists others writeth A kingdome deuiâed in it selfe shall not stand neither haue any âeretikes at any tyme bine ouercome by force or âbtility but by mutuall dissention neither doth âhrist fight with them otherwise then with a spiâât of giddines and disagreement Now then this Vnitie of faith is so to be ânderstood as that it is not repugnant therto that one and the same point should at one time not be houlden as necessary to be belieued the which after it hath vndergone a definitiue sententionall decree of Gods Church is necessarily to be belieued As for example it was not necessary in the beginning of Christianity to belieue that the booke of the Machabees the Epistle of S. Iames S. Iude the second Epistle of S. Peter the second and third of S. Iohn to be Canonicall Scripture till they were defined so to be by the third Councell (u) Can. 47. of Carthage at which S. Augustine was present But after this Councell had by the assistance of the holy Ghost defined them to be Canonicall and this after confirmed by the consent of the whole Church then it was and is Heresy to deny them to be Canonicall And the reason of this disparity is because it is Gods good pleasure wisdome not to reueale to his Church all articles of faith in the beginning and at one time but at seuerall times and vpon seuerall occasions as to his diuine Maiesty best seemeth expedient Thus the fayth of a Christian is capable of dilatation and of a more large vnfoulding or exposition but not of any contrariety in beliefe chaunge or alteration Anâ thus to insist in the former example yâ may well stand with Christian faith in the âeginning not to accept the former bookes or Canonicall till the authority of the Church had pronounced them for such But it standeth not with sound faith that one man should positiuely belieue now after the Churches definition therof giuen as an article of fayth that the Machabees and the rest of the bookes aboue specified are not Canonicall Scripture but the prophane writings of man and another man should belieue as an article of Faith that they are Canonicall Scripture since the one of these contrary beleifes must be Hereticall This verity of the Vnity of faith being warranted by the word both of God and man as is aboue said we will take into our consideration the Catholike and Protestant Religions both which ioyntly do professe to belieue in generall in the Trinity in Christs Incarnation his Passion and the Creed of the Apostles and so we shall discerne whether the faith of all these seuerall Professours doth inioy the foresaid marke of vnity in doctrine or noe But seing this Subiect is most ample and large I will therfore sepose this ensuing chapter for the more full and exact discouery of the many and great disagreements betweene the Catholikes and the Protestants in their fayth and Religion THE SAME PROVED FROâ want of vnity in fayth betweene Catholikes anâ Protestants touching the Articles of the Creed CHAP. IIII. VNDERTAKING in this place tâ set downe the multiplicity of opinions betweene Catholikes anâ Protestants though they all iointly belieue in the Trinity the Incarnation oâ Christ his Passion and the like and consequently that this their general beliefe wanteth that true Vnity of fayth which out of thâ holy Scriptures Fathers the Protestants I haue aboue shewed to be most necessary to Saluation I will first examine how the Protestants and Catholikes doe differ touching the beliefe of the Creed made by the Apostles Next I will demonstrate that supposing all Professours of both Religions should agree in the true sense and meaning of the Creed yet there are diuers other dogmaticall points necessarily to be belieued and are at this instant belieued both by Protestants and Catholikes which are not expressed or mentioned in the Creed nor by any immediate inference can be drawne from thence Lastly I wil set down the great difference betweene Catholiks ProtestaÌts in other points of fayth of which the Creed makes no intimation or