poterit esse questio vel suspicio generari Bishop Usher In those Propositions which without all controversie are universally received in the whole Christian World i. e. Articles of the Creed so much Truth is contained as being joyned with an holy obedience may be sufficient to bring a man unto Everlasting Salvation and that as many as walk according to this Rule peace shall be upon them Upon which saith Doctor Chillingworth this is a great and as good a Truth and as necessary for these miserable Times as can be uttered Hookers Eccles Polit. p. 266. We have received from the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ that brief confession of Faith which hath been always a badge of the Church a mark whereby to discern Christian men from Infidels and Jews Dr. Hammond of Schism p. 58. Calls the Creed the Apostolick badge or mark A tessera or token of the Apostles having planted the Faith in any Church the known summary of that beleif which had been received from the Apostles p. 211. It cannot be affirmed of all the Articles of the Creed that they are thus absolutely necessary i. e. that no man can be imagined to Reform his Life so as to be acceptable to God but he to whom every one of those Articles has been intelligibly revealed for as to many plain yet pious Christians it s not certain that can be affirmed Bishop Tailor Coll of disc p. 536. The Religion of Jesus Christ is the Form of sound Doctrine set down in Scripture separated as to the Question of necessary or not necessary by the symbol of the Apostles Item p. 407. Now if more were necessary than the Articles of the Creed I demand why was it made the characteristick note of a Christian from an Heretick Jew or an Infidel or to what purpose was it composed or if this were intended as sufficient did the Apostles or those Churches which they founded know any thing else to be necessary Bishop Sparrows Rationale upon the Common Prayer p. 50. In the time of the stay at Jerusalem they agreed upon this Creed as a Rule of Faith according to the Analogy of which they and all others should teach and as a word of distinction by which they should know Friend from Foes for as the Gileadits by the word Shibboleth Judges 12. 6. c. So the Apostles and the Church should know who were right believers who false by this word of Faith for all that walked according to this Rule and Professed this Faith she acknowledged for hers and gave them her peace but all others that went contrary to this Rule and Word she accounted enemies Tertull. de praescriptione and lead by false Spirits as 1 John 4.6 Item a Christian evidences to the Church his sound beleif by expresly repeating the Creed and every particular thereof which is and always hath been accounted the mark and character whereby to distinguish a true beleiver from an Heretick or Infidel Judge Hales discourse of Religion p. 4. The Credenda or things to be known or beleived are but few and intelligible briefly delivered in that summary of Christian Religion usually called the Apostles Creed and in brief the Baptismal Covenant as it is contained in the Liturgy and Explanation thereof in the Church Catechism i. e. by the Covenant Mercies and Covenant-duties together with the precepts of the Decalogue contain in effect the summary or brief Epitome of our Christian duty Cars peaceable Moder p. 43. The Creed is a short Abridgment and Epitome of the Apostles Doctrine which they received from Christ our Saviour and delivered to us in the New Testament the Rule of our Faith Touch-stone of Truth the pith and substance of our Christian Religion the very badge and cognizance of a Christian whereby he is not only known from Pagans but also distinguished from Hereticks Bishop Pearson The Creed without controversie is a brief comprehension of the objects of our Christian Faith and is generally taken to contain all things necessary to be beleived in praef to his Exposition on the Apostles Creed Glanvell's Catholick Charity p. 30. The Fundamentals of belief are few and plain for certainly the Divine goodness would not lay our Eternal interest in difficulties and multitudes things hard to be understood and retain'd Item Agreement of Reason and Religion pag. 5. In the Creed are all the Fundamentals of Religion and though our Church require our Assent Ministers he means to more propositions yet those are only Articles of Communion not Doctrines absolutely necessary to Salvation And if we go beyond the Creed for Essentials of Faith who can tell where we shall stop Doctor Tillotson I doubt not but that the belief of the Ancient Creed provided we entertain nothing that is destructive of it together with a good Life will certainly save a Man True state of the Primitive Church Part First That which we commonly call the Apostles Creed if it were not composed by them yet certainly by Primitive and Apostolick men and proposed as the sum of Christian Faith the sum total necessary to Salvation It cannot be supposed that they left out any thing which they thought necessary to Salvation they might as well have omitted half or all Dr. Steward 's Englands Case pag. 20. In our Reformation we still adhering unto the Three Creeds which are the Faith of the Church Catholick Mr. Hancock 's Sermon on Luk. 19.42 pag. 26. To the Honour of the Church of England let it be said whatsoever is imposed on us as necessary to the Salvation of all men is contained in the Apostles Creed This is the Faith of the first and best times of Christianity the Faith into which we are Baptized and the Belief of this Creed hath a direct influence on our Christian practice which is the great business of Religion Bishop Sanderson in his nine Cases of Conscience pag 8. Whosoever well considers may rest satisfied in his judgment and conscience that the Faith professed and taught in the Church of England is a plain and safe way to lead a Christian Believer to Eternal Salvation if he withal lead his life and conversation answerable thereunto Dr. Barrow 's Discourse of the Vnity of the Church annexed to his Treatise against the Popes Supremacy In regard to this Union of Faith among Christians the Body of Christians adhering to it was called the Catholick Church from which all those were esteemed Ipso facto to be cut off and separated who in any point deserted that Faith pag. 9. Conformists not forward in Censuring any as guilty of Heretical and Damnable Errors HOmily of Contention First Part. May help with other Citations to explain the Hereticalness of an Error He that is faulty let him rather amend than defend that which he hath spoken a miss least he fall by contention from a foolish Error into an obstinate Heresie Bishop Jewel's Def. of Apol. pag. 46. For just proof of Heresie three things necessarily be required 1. That it be an
the Hand or of the Tongue A Learned Man now amongst us who hath given the World a clear Demonstration of the Excellency of Humane Understanding tells us that the only way to put an end to all Religious Disputes is to hold fast the Form of sound Words deliver'd to us by inspired Writers and express our Creeds in the Language of the Holy Ghost forasmuch as all Christians properly speaking differ but in one thing and that is the true meaning of the Holy Penman All Parties agree in the Text but differ in the Comment And it s our duty like the Noble Bereans not only to search the Scriptures but to try the Spirits of the Expositors that we may not be imposed on by Bigots who call their Glosses Rules of Faith when Aristotle must interpret St. Paul we have Humane Consequences and Conclusions instead of Divine Revelations and by the Help of Phylosophers the Poor Fishermen must speak Metaphysically perhaps if we had never found any other Creeds than what were made by Christ and his Apostles it had been better with Christendom It s great Presumption for any to undertake the wording of Creeds for others and then to represent that Faith as insufficient which is not deliver'd in their Terms and Phrase and to deny those Persons to be Members of Christ who conscientiously refuse to subscribe to any other Draught then their great Lord hath given them Our Heavenly Father hath left us his Last Will and Testament very Plain and Intelligible in all that 's necessary to be known but some of his Foolish Children pretending to explain it have perplext it and thereby some of the Legatees are like to be cheated and some must be sent to a General Council some to a Convocation and some to an Assembly to know the meaning of it when Himself hath told us If we sincerely seek and worship him we shall know the Doctrines whether they be of God When we consider the smallness of the Writings of the Evangelists the shortness of Christs Sermons the fewness of the Epistles writ by the Apostles and the many large Volumes of Commentators and Criticks since we may say the Text is swallowed upâ—â— in the Comment and Truth lies hid rather then revealed Men darken the Divine Councils by Words without Knowledge it 's not enough for some men to know there is a God and that he is one and Holy Just and Good the Observer of their Actions and Rewarder of their Deeds but they must be distinctly informed of his Nature his Purposes and Decrees and of the suitableness of them all to the Line of their Understandings and yet they know not themselves it will not satisfie them that Christ is the Son of God and that he died for the Sins of Men but they must know the secret of the Relation and after what Manner he is the Son of God Whether he be the Cause or Effect of Gods Love What was the Price he paid Whether he were offered to all or some and what the Spirit is Whether it proceed from the Father or the Son Whether it be a Person how it exists and Rail at their Brethren if they don't use the same Words Conformists Acknowledge that there are Good and Worthy Men among the Dissenters from the Church of England BIshop Jewel in Answer to Mr. Harding The thing is indifferent and may be yielded to saith the one Sect The other that they be the Popes rags and may not be worn Saith Jewel the Godly Learned men at whose persons you so rudely scoffe that refuse to go in your Apparel or otherwise to shew themselves like you have age sufficient and can answer for themselves Notwithstanding thus much I may say in their behalf neither do they commend any manner of Apparel as holy nor condemn any manner of Apparel as unholy That is your proper and peculiar Error Mr. Harding to make so deep account of outward shews They may justly say the same Apparel on your parts hath been fouly abused c. Defence of the Apology part 3. chap. 5. Divis 1. p. 325. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or King James the first Instructions to his Son I do equally Love and Honour the Learned and Grave Men of either of these opinions i. e. for or against Ceremonials which for mine own part I ever held indifferent Again I exhort my Son to be beneficial to the good men of the Ministry praising God that there is a sufficient number of good men of them in this Kingdom i. e. of Scotland and yet are they all known to be against the form of the English Church The Speech of the Bishop of St. Davids Dr. Rudde in the Convocation May 23. 1604 I put a great difference between them that are Schismatical or open disturbers of the state Ecclesiastical established and them that are scrupulous only of some Ceremonies and other circumstances being otherwise Learned Studious Grave and Honest Men and whose labours have been both painful in the Church and profitable to their several Congregations Concerning those Preachers last mentioned I suppose that if upon urging them to the use of Ceremonies and Attire prescribed they should stand out stifly and choose rather to forgo their Livings and exercise of their Ministry and tho I do not justifie their doings therein yet surely there service would be missed at such a time as need shall require them and us to give the right hand of Fellowship one to another and to go Arm in Arm against the common Adversary that so there might be Vis unita fortior c. Also remember that when the Benjamites though for their desert in maintaining of a bad cause were all destroyed saving six hundred and the Men of Israel sware in their fury that none of them would give his daughter to the Benjamites to Wife yet when their hot blood was over they lamented and said there is one Tribe cut off from Israel this day and they used all their wits to the utmost of their Policy to restore that Tribe again In like sort if these our Brethren aforesaid should be deprived of their places for the matters premised I think we should find cause to bend our wits to the uttermost extent of our skill to provide some Cure of Souls for them where they may exercise their Talents verily I know not where to find so many able Preachers within this Realm unprovided for to succeed them Hookers Eccles Pol. Pref. Otherwise i. e. set aside their Errours and Misconceits speaking of the Dissenters right well affected and most Religiously enclined minds Again heartily beseeching you by the meekness of Jesus Christ whom I trust ye love that as ye tender the peace and quietness of the Church If your own Souls hearts and consciences be as I doubt not but they are things most dear and pretious unto you be not blemished with partialities Bishop Halls Apology against the Brownist p. 137 and 138. Sect. 56. Edit 1610 Those men which
Catech. on Blessed Peace-makers There must be no affixing Holiness to Opinions or thinking them the best men that are most of our perswasion Salvation for such as are Faithful in the Common Duties of Christianity BIshop Andrew 's Sermons Ed. 3. Such a way shall there always be do all the Controversie Writers what they can a fair way agreed upon on all sides questioned by none in which whoso orders his steps aright may see the Salvation of our God Page 105. Bishop Saunderson in Serm. 9. Ad aulam Sect. 21. It may be a greater comfort to every well meaning Soul that the simple belief of those certain Truths wherein all parties are in a manner agreed may be and ordinarily is sufficient for the Salvation of all those who are sincerely careful according to that measure of Light and means which God hath vouchsafed them to actuate their Faith with Piety Charity and good Works Bishop Tailors Collection of Discourse Polem and Moral p. 403. He takes it for granted that one Heaven shall hold men of several Opinions and the Unity of the Faith is not destroyed by that which men call different Religions Item p. 595. Speaking of the Papists they keep the Foundation they build upon God in Jesus Christ they profess the Apostles Creed they retain Faith and Repentance as the supporters of all their hope of Heaven and believe many more Truths than can be proved to be of simple and original necessity to Salvation and therefore all the wisest personages of the adverse party allow to them possibility of Salvation whilst their Errors are not Faults of their Wills but weaknesses and deceptions of their Understandings Item p. 713. Now thus much also your men allow to us those who Live well and Die in a true though but general Repentance of their Sins and Errors even amongst us your best and wisest men pronounce to be in a saveable Condition spoken of the Papists Charity to us Bishop of Salisbury 's Remarks on the Methods for Converting Protestants p. 104. A Church may be a true Church which is a Society of Men among whom are the certain means of Salvation and yet be corrupted with many Errors and thus as long as the Church of Rome acknowledges the Expiation and Satisfaction made by the Death of Christ and applies it to all that truly believe and amend their Lives so long she is a true Church so that those in that Communion who adhere truly to that which is the great Fundamental of the Christian Religion may be saved Mr. Chillingsworth 's Religion of Protestants a safe way to Salvation In his Answer to the Preface of Charity maintained pag. 14. How of dis-agreeing Protestants both parties may hope for Salvation If they use their best endeavours to believe the Scripture in the true Sense and to live according to it as I hope many of all sides do it is impossible but they should believe aright and if they perform the condition of sincere Obedience why should they not expect that God will perform his promise and give them Salvation Mr. Hooker 's Discourse of Justification pag. 56. As many as hold the Foundation and as it were with a slender Thread although they frame many base and unsuitable things upon it things that cannot abide the Trial of the Fire yet they shall pass the Fiery Trial and be saved Collection of Sermons of Mr. Samuel Ward of Ipswich pag. 18. With God I dare be bold to say there is neither Calvinist nor Lutheran Protestant nor Puritan Conformitan or Inconformitan but Faith and Love in Christ is all in all Bishop Reynold 's Brotherly Agreement pag. 15. Where one and the same straight Road is kept a small difference of Paths doth not hinder Travellers from coming to the same Inn at Night Spoken with reference to the different Sects of Christians who may yet in their several ways meet at the same Heaven Glanvel 's Catholick Charity pag. 35 36. It s very true indeed that the way to Heaven is but one and to walk in that is the one thing necessary but then that is not this or that particular Path but the way of an Holy Life which may be practised under very different Forms of Apprehension and Belief The paths may be many in this Royal Road he that goes in the plainest and nearest is in the best condition for pleasure and safety but another that goes about or in a Rugged or uneven path may come to the same Journeys end though with more difficulty and danger Judge Hales Discourse of Religion pag. 33. He that fears the Lord of Heaven and Earth walks humbly before him thankfully lays hold on the Message of Redemption by Christ Jesus strives to express his Thankfulness by the sincerity of his Obedience if he falls in any measure is restless till he hath made his peace by true Repentance c. Such a man whether he be an Episcopal or Presbyterian or Independant or Anabaptist he hath the Life of Religion in him and that Life acts in him and will conform his Soul to the Image of his Saviour and walk along with him to Eternity The Quakers take away their affected singularities the men are as other men Some indeed very sober honest just and plain-hearted-men and sound in most if not all the important Doctrines and Practices of Christianity pag. 17. Bishop Wilkins Sermons pag. 63. If a man be truly Conscientious and sincere in those most substantial Duties of Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost it is not his mistake or failing in any other lesser things that shall make him uncapable of the Kingdom of God Again in the same Sermon we are not to think the worse of others for their differences so as to despise them or censure such persons as to their Estates and Conditions as if they were not sincerely Religious nor in favour with God for though they should be Erroneous and mistaken in their judgment in such things yet if their Conversations be more just and righteous than ours if more humble and peaceable they are thereupon to be accounted better than we are both more acceptable of God and approved of men Doctor Sherlock in Religious Assemblies pag. 96. Others are scandalized at the great variety of Religions but if wise seeing there is so much dispute which is the true Religion they would use the greater diligence and honesty to find it out and hope that God would pardon those mistakes which are meerly the Errors of their Understandings when they offer unto him a pious and devout Soul that an honest man who is not byassed by Interest and does not chuse a false Religion upon a Design will be accepted for his Sincerity and Devotion Dr. Patrick 's Parable of the Pilgrim describing the Safe guide to the Heavenly Jerusalem pag. 14. He hath Faith enough to save himself and Charity enough to believe that others may be saved that are not in all points just of his belief Doctor
Everlasting Happiness That an Agreement of all Christians in any one Sect or Perswasion is never to be Expected BIshop Jewel 's Answer to Mr. Harding 's Preface It were above all things to be desired of God that his Heavenly Truth may pass forth without these contrarieties and Quarrels of judgments and many Godly Wise Men are much offended to see it otherwise but thus it hath been ever from the beginning Sir Francis Bacon in his Advertisements of the Controversies of the Church of England pag. 183. of his works It is excellently alluded by that Father that noted that Christs Garment was without Seams and yet the Churches Garment was of divers colours and sets down as a Rule In veste varietas sit scissura non sit King James the First 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epistle to the Reader That the variety of Mens Minds is such that tot Capita tot Sensus yea and that even the very Faces that God hath by Nature brought forth in the World do every one of them in some of their particular Lineaments differ from any other Bishop Andrew 's Serm. pag. 519. Contentions there were when St. Paul and his fellow Apostles lived in the Churches under them of their times in the very prime of the Primitive Church then were there contentions this I note that we may not think it strange if there be contentions in our times they shall be no strangers with us in ours they were not with them in theirs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of the difference in point of Church Government Sect. 21. Nor is it any point of Wisdom or Charity where Christians differ as many do in some points there to widen the differences Item Upon the many Jealousies and Scandals rais'd upon the King 'T is strange that so Wise Men as they would be esteemed should not conceive that difference of perswasion in Matters of Religion may easily fall out c. Mr. Hooker of Justification pag. 68. Ye are not now to learn that as of it self it is not hurtful so neither should it be to any scandalous and offensive in doubtful cases to hear the different Judgments of men be it that Cephas hath one interpretation and Apollos another that Paul is of this mind that Barnabas of that if this offend you the fault is yours Carry peaceable Minds and you may have comfort in this variety Dr. Edward Bulkley In his Apology for the Church of England Article 5. pag. 104. Edit 1608. in Answer to Wright 's Articles You vainly and falsely exaggerate Controversies and irreconcilable Jarrs as you tearm them among us in essential points of Faith I confess there hath been in our Church some Controversie concerning External Ceremonies and Form of Covernment as there hath been heretofore between good men as between Peter and Paul between Paul and Barnabas between Anicetus Bishop of Rome and Polycarpus between Chrysostom and Epiphanius and many others who all were godly men agreeing in unity of Faith and knowledge of the Son of God Mr. Hieron 's Sermons in Bargain of Salt Now among our selves betwixt us and other Churches there are some differences in Opinion as it cannot be holpen so long as we carry with us our natural imperfections Mr. Chillingworth chap. 1. Sect. 13. Because the contrary belief may be in such points in which Scripture may with great probability be alledged on both sides a sure note of a point not necessary that men of honest and upright hearts true lovers of God and of Truth such as desire above all things to know Gods will and to do it without any fault at all some go one way some another and some suspend their judgments Bishop Bramhals Just Vindication of the Church We see that all the famous and principal Churches of the World the Grecian Roman Protestant Armenian Abyssine have their peculiar differences one with another and each of them among themselves Item p. 19. Though I am far from beleiving when Logomachies are taken away their real dissentions are not half so numerous or their errours half so foul as they are pointed out by their Adversaries yet to hold Communion with them in all things is neither lawful nor possible Bishop Tailors Coll. of discourses in Epist Dedic before Liberty of Proph. No part of this discourse teacheth or encourageth variety of Sects and contradictions but supposeth and finds them already in being and therefore since there are and ever were and ever will be variety of opinions because there is variety of human understandings and uncertainty in things Few men consider since men have such variety of principles such several constitutions educations tempers and distempers hopes interests and weaknesses degrees of light and degrees of understanding impossible all should be of one mind Item p. 401. This variety of opinions in several persons an Argument only of diversities of operations while the Spirit is the same Bishops Reynolds Brotherly Reconciler In that the Apostle saith if in any thing ye be otherwise minded we may from hence learn that in the best ages of the Church there have been and therefore we cannot but expect that there ever will be variety and difference of Judgment among the members thereof first while we know but in part Secondly While there is difficulty in the disquisition of Truth Thirdly Weakness of judgment in men to make that enquiry c. p. 17. Item p. 19. Till all the members of the Church have attained unto their full Stature there cannot be expected such an universal consent of Judgments and harmony of Doctrines even amongst good men themselves as shall not admit of some variety and dissonancy Bishop Saundersons Serm. 8. Ad Aulam Sect. 25. Mens understandings are not all of one size and temper even they that have the largest and clearest understanding yet know but in part and are therefore subject to errours and misapprehensions therefore it cannot be hoped there should be such a consonancy and uniformity of Judgment no not among wise and Godly men but that in many things yea and things sometime of great importance they may and will dissent one from another unto the Worlds end Bishop Wilkins Serm. 13. p. 407 408 'T is a thing most reasonable and fitting in it self speaking of Moderation because of the fallibility of human judgment and that not only from the impotency of our faculties and the prejudices we are liable to from the account of interests but likely from the difficulty and obscurity of things the most Learned and inquisitive men many times differing in their judgments all which put together shew how exceeding difficult and next to impossible it is that men should ever agree in the same apprehensions of things Glanvell's Catholick Charity p. 34. The Learned and the prudent Churches and Councels Confessors and Fathers the former and the latter ages the vertuous and the devout the credulous and the inquisitive they have all differed in the lesser matters of belief and every man differs from