descended aliue into the pit of hell is rashly and vncharitably said God is mercifull and who knowes whether some of them did not repent in the last moment All that this example teacheth is that men ought not to rend themselues from the Church of God or joyne in the despising of gouernment with them that seeke their owne glory and not the glory of God It is a certaine truth that m Matth. 28. 20. all things ought to be obserued which Christ hath commanded and that n Mark 16. whosoeuer beleeueth not in Christ shall be condemned But here is no warrant for the Church of Rome to force vpon the world her owne commandements and Creeds in stead of Christs That in S. Matthew o Matt. 18. 17. If thy Brother offend thee tell the Church is nothing to the point in hand Our Lord speakes of a brother wronging his brother and after priuate admonition refusing to obey the Church which may be vnderstood of an assembly as well Ciuill as Ecclesiasticall Howsoeuer it cannot be meant of the Church Catholique which cannot bee told of priuate injuries but of particular Congregations or as p Chrys hom 61. in Matth. vide etiam Tirinum in locum S. Chrysostome expounds it of their Pastors And if any disorderly or obstinato persons wil not be reformed by their good counsels they are to be esteemed as prophane Publicanes and sinners or to be punished with spirituall censures Yet in these censures any Church may erre through misinformation or ignorance and may sometimes strike the innocent as is confessed by Pope q Decretal lib. 5. tit 39. c. 28. A nobis Innocent the third and r Mag. lib. 4. dist 18. lit F. Lombard Whether in points of discipline or doctrine so long as any Church holds to the rule of truth gouernes her selfe by the word of God shee erres not We are to heare the Church our mother true that is not rashly to oppose her especially if shee be carefull to heare God our Father and Christ her Spouse of whom it was said s Matt. 17. 5. Heare him The Mistaker therefore vainly inferres from this place that the iudgement of the Church in all Controuersies is Soueraigne and Infallible and that absolute obedience is due vnto Her no appeale being allowed no not to Scripture though expounded in a Catholique sense and consonantly to the judgement of the most ancient and famous members of the Church The Text euidently speakes of particular Churches to which I suppose he will not easily yeeld these goodly priuiledges After his wont still when he talkes of the Church he meanes his owne and euer mistakes the Romane for the Catholique The Church Catholique or vniuersall is confessed in some sense to be vnerring as shall appeare hereafter and he is little better then a Pagan that despiseth her judgement For shee followes her guides the Prophets and Apostles and is not very free and forward in her definitions All this is as false of the Romane Church as it is true of the Catholique The Treatise of S. Cyprian of the vnity of the Catholique Church for that title a Epist 51. himselfe giues it is directed against the schisme error of the Nouatians who peeuishly seuered themselues from the Communion of Catholiques because they gaue the peace of the Church to such as repented after their fall in times of persecution There is nothing in that Treatise which the Protestants dislike saue onely the corrupting of S. Cyprians text by some Romish zelote b Cap. 3. secund Pam. these words added to the Text. Primatus Petro datur super Cathedram Petri fundata est Ecclesia super illum vnum aedificat Ecclesiam Christus who hath added and fourred in two or three false glosses of his owne in fauor of S. Peters Primacy Contrary to the faith of written copies and of the elder editions which were before Manutius and Pamelius contrary to the constant doctrine of that holy Martyr in other parts of his workes and even in that very place which is corrupted and contrary to the reading of their owne Gratian c Caus 24. q. 1. can Loquitur Dominus ad Petrum corrected by Pope Gregory 13. And in this vnworthy fashion they haue handled many other records and d Vide Rog Withring Apol. Bell. num 450. monumeÌ„ts of Antiquity adding altering razing them at their pleasure Sixtus Senensis highly commends Pope Pius the fift for the care which he had e Epist dedic ad Pium 5. P. M. Expurgari emaculari curâsti omnia Catholicorum scriptorum ac praecipuè veterum Patrum scripta to extinguish all dangerous bookes and to purge the writings of all Catholique Authors especially of the ancient Fathers from the filth and poyson of heresie At Rome they call it heresie not to speake the language of the Court or to say any thing in behalfe of Protestants A few yeares since when the learned Iesuite Andreas Schottus of Antuerpe published 600 Greeke Epistles of Isidorus Ielusiotes out of the Vatican Library never before printed Beyerlinck the Censor of Bookes there was content to passe them to the presse f In approbatione libri editi Antuerp Graecè 1623. because they contained nothing contrary to the Catholique Roman religion It seemes they had not passed but vpon that condition Though since on better consideration that vnwary clause is left out in the Approbation of the last edition of those Epistles in Greeke and Latine at Francfort This by the way Anno 1629. S. Augustine in his Epistle of the vnitie of the Church largely debates that maine controversie betweene the Catholiques and the Donatists concerning the Church Those Schismatiques pretended that the Catholique Church was perished in all other parts of the world and that it remained only in their factious Conventicles in some corners of Rome and Africa or as they loued to speake in the part of Donatus Against this fancy which is the opinion in effect of our Romane Catholiques at this day the learned Father proues that the Catholique Church may not bee confined to any corners or Countries but that it is vniversally diffused thorough all the world And hee constantly fetches all his proofes from the holy Scriptures often protesting that he will not fight with any other weapons g Aug. de vnit Eccl. cap. 6. Dicitis in nullis terris heredem permanere Christum nisi vbi cohaeredem habere potuerit Donatum Legite nobis hoc de Lege de Pâ—opheus de Psalmis de ipso Evangelio de Apostolicis Literis Legite credimus You say ô Donatists that Christ hath no inheritance but in the part of Donatus as now 't is said of the Popes party Read and proue this to vs out of the law the Prophets or the Psalms out of the Gospell or the Apostles Letters Read it thence and wee will beleeue you h Ibid. cap. 3. Non audiamus
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
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
but a man before distempered after sound and healthy In the prime grounds or principles of Christian Religion wee haue not forsaken the Church of Rome wee leaue her onely in her intolerable errors and abuses Shee hath mingled with Gods Bread her owne sowre leauen and with good milke some drammes of poison We haue cast out onely this poison and leauen and feed Gods people with the true bread of life and the sincere milk of his word Where the late Popes wander in by-paths we leaue them that wee may more safely walke with the old good Bishops of Rome in the old and good way And in the issue that which distinguishes a true Papist from a true Protestant is no more but this the former will needs be a Romane the latter only a Catholique The difference at this day betweene the Reformed part of the Westerne Church and the Romane consists in certaine points which they of Rome hold for important and necessary articles of the Christian faith which the Protestants cannot beleeue or receiue for such Whereas contrarily the things which the Protestants beleeue on their part and wherein they b Voiez Vray vsage des Peres par Iean Daillé Ch. 1. iudge the life and substance of Religion to be comprized are most if not all of them so evidently and indisputably true that their Adversaries themselues doe avow and receiue them as well as they For they are verities cleerely founded vpon Scripture expressely acknowledged by all Ancient Councells and Doctors of the Catholique Church summarily deliuered in their Symboles or Creeds vnanimously receaued by the most part of Christians that haue ever beene in the world Such are the verities which make vp the faith of Protestants and which are c Semper vbique ab omnibus credita Lirin properly Catholique hauing carried the consent of all ages and Parts of the Church vniversall And if all other Christians could be content to keepe within these generall bounds d Erasm Epist ded ad Arch. Warhamum Praefat. 2. Tomo Epift. S. Hieron speaking of the Apostles Creed faith Nunquam suit sincer or castiorque Christiana fides quà m cùm vnoillo eoque breuissiino Symbolo contentus esset Orbis Vide eundem in Praefat. ad Hilar. in Paracles ad Lector ante Edit N. T. an 1519. Bafil the wofull Schismes and ruptures of Christendome worthy to be lamented with teares of bloud might the more easily bee healed and all the Disciples of the Prince of peace blessedly vnited in an holy linke of Faith and Charity of Loue and Communion The piety and wisdome of Antiquity did thinke fittest to walke in this latitude and cleerely rested satisfied with the simplicity of such a Catholique confession But no bounds of reason could ever limit the vnbounded extravagancies and excesses of the Court of Rome That body of faith which the Ancients thought complete enough to them seemes defectiue Therefore they haue adjoyned to that old Body many new Articles And to those twelue which the Apostles in their Creed esteemed a sufficient summary of wholsome doctrine they haue added many more in their new Romane Creed Such are for instance their Apocryphall Scriptures and vnwritten dogmaticall Traditions their Transubstantiation and dry Communion their Purgatory Invocation of Saints Worship of Images Latine Service traffique of Indulgences and shortly all the other new Doctrines and Decrees canonized in their late Synod of Trent These and the like very vaine imaginations our Mistaker calls the prime and maine points of Christian Religion Let him but change Christian Religion as his faction hath done into the Romane faith and he saies true hee is not mistaken Vpon these and the like new Articles is all the contestation betweene the Romanists and Protestants while they are obtruded on the one side as vndoubted verities and on the other side reiected as humane inventions cunningly devised to advance ambition and avarice without any solid ground or countenance of Scripture Reason or Antiquitie The most necessary and fundamentall truths which constitute a Church are on both sides vnquestioned and for that reason e Iunius lib. de Eccl. cap. 17. Falluntur qui Ecclesiam negant quia Papatus in eâ est D. Rain Thes 5. negat tantùm esse Catholicam vel sanum ejus membrum See the iudgment of many other of our writers in the Advertisement annexed to the Old Religion by the Reverend Bishop of Exeter The very Anabaptists grant it Fr. Johnson in his Christian plea pag. 123. learned Protestants yeeld them the name and substance of a Christian Church though extreamely f August de Donatistis Nonideo se putent sanos quia dicimus eos habere aliquid sanum De Bapt. contra Donat. lib. 1. cap. 8. defiled with horrible errors and corruptions And if they had fairely propounded their new opinions to bee discussed by the learned with reservation of liberty in iudgement conscience to themselues and others they had erred much more tolerably and much lesse disturbed the peace of the Church But they are farre from this modesty and moderation With vnsufferable tyranny the prevailing faction amongst them presses them vpon all Christians as matters of faith not only of opinion not as disputable problemes but as necessary truths hauing both canonized them in their Councell of Trent with a curse against all gaine-sayers and put them in their Creed by Pope Pius the fourth who hath obliged the whole Clergy of Rome to affirme that Creed by their subscription and solemne oath obliging also all Christians to beleeue it vnder paine of damnation In the latter ages before the Reformation though the Court of Rome by cunning and violence had subdued many noble parts of Christendome vnder her yoake yet the servitude of the Church and her misery was somewhat more supportable because these base and pernicious adjections were not yet the publique decisions or tenets of any Church but only the private conceits of the domineering faction Yet still the best learned and g Notissimae sunt querelae Bernardi Occhami Marsilis Clemangis Alvari Gersonis c. de corrupto Ecclesiae statu vide Espenc in Tit. 1. Digress â— conscientious of Europe called as loud as they could or durst for a Reformation Rome heard their complaints and h Adrian 6. PP Instruct pro Franc Cheregato in Fascic ror exper pag. 173. Sciâ—nus in hac sanctá sede aliquot jam annis multa abominanda fuisse abusus in spiritualibus excessus in mandatis omnia denique in perversum mutata Nec miâ—um si aegritudo à capite in membra à summis Pontificibus in alios iuferiores Praelatos descenderit Omnes nos id est Praelati Ecclesiastici declinavimus vnusquisque in vias suns nec fuit iam diu qui faceret-bonum non fuit vsque ad vnum Subiecimus colla summae dignitati ad deformatam eius sponsam Ecclesiam Catholicam reformandam c. Staplet Relect. Contr. 1. q. 5.
and vehement spirit yet before his death being tempered by milde Melancthon that honour of Germany did d Admon Neustad de libro Concord cap. 6. pag. 236. much relent remit of his rigor against Zuinglius and began to approue the good counsells of peace And among the Lutherans all are not of the same intractable disposition As they in Polonia for instance e Vide Corpus Confess ibi Poloniae Consensum where the followers of Luther Calvin haue long liued together in a faire and brotherly concord communion notwithstanding their severall opinions which they still retaine Since then our discords are of no higher degree wee say as f Prudent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § vlt. concordia laesa est Sed defensa fide quin concordia sospes Germanam comitata Fidem sua vulnera ridet Prudentius a Christian Poet of the vnity of his times It hath beene a little violated but is defended by Faith her sister in whose company being safely come off shee laugheth at her wounds as being easily curable Charity mistaken Cap. 6. FVrthermore the Protestants are properly Heretiques at least if not Insidells Heretiques because they reiect and disobey the indgement of the Catholique Church For it is not the matter or quality of the doctrine But the pride of the man who prefers his owne opinioâ—s before the decrees of the Church that properly makes the Horetique The Heretiques recounted by St Austine Epiphanius and Philastrius in their Catalogues were condemned not so much for their errours which were many of them not very materiall as for their contempt of the Church S. Cyprian and the Donatists differed not in the matter of their errour but the obstinary of the Donatists their disobediencs to the Church made them to bee condemned for Heretiques when St Cyprian was absolued because the Church in his time had not declared her selfe And in like manner the Novatians were condemned on the same grounds Answere Sect. 4. OF the nature of Heresy The Church may declare convince an Heresy but cannot make any Doctrine Hereticall properly vnlesse it be such in the matter of it The words Heresy and Heretique very ambiguous How commonly vsed by the Auncients Of their Catalogues of Heretiques St Cyptian though erring in the point of Rebaptization justly absolued from Sohisme and Heresy The Donatists guilty of both And the Novatians of Schisme BVt though wee doe agree in the substance of Religion with all true Christian Catholiques in the world yet all this cannot winne vs the Charitable opinion of our Mistaker For notwithstanding all this he beleeues vs to be not only Heretiques but no better in effect then Infidells And hee giues his reason which he saies strikes at the roote and vnanswerably convinces His custome is to giue vs only words it is well that he offers vs reason which we shall be ever willing to heare and consider of His reason then First wee are Heretiques because in many opinions wee disobey the Church and Heresy properly consists not in the matter or quality of the false doctrine beleeued but in the pride of him that maintaines it in contempt of the Church Our faith then is defectiue because wee beleeue not all that is commaunded by the Church But 2. which is worse we haue no true faith at all no not of those things which we truly beleeue For though we firmely assent to many truths yet we doe not beleeue them vpon the only true and infallible motiue or vpon the right ground which is the revelation of God and the proposition of his Catholique Church The faith which relies not on this ground is not any true faith but only an humane opinion or perswasion Answ If wee did not dissent in some opinions from the present Romane Church wee could not agree with the Church truly Catholique But the Mistaker after his fashion is ever begging what will never bee granted or proved that his Roman Church is all one with the Catholique What Optatus said of the Donatists who arrogated to themselues alone Optat. lib. 3. the name and priviledges of the Church exclusiuely to all others the same say wee of the Popes part Vestra pars quasi Ecclesia est sed Catholica non est Their Church is truly so called in some sort being a corrupt member of the Catholique but the Catholique Church it is not The Catholique Church is carefull to ground all her declarations in matters of faith vpon the divine authority of Gods written word And therefore whosoeuer wilfully opposeth a iudgement so well grounded is iustly esteem'd an Heretique not properly because he disobeyes the Church but because hee yeelds not to Scripture sufficiently ' propounded or cleared vnto him So saith a August de Gen. ad lit lib. 7. cap. 9. Omnes Haeretici Scripturas Catholicas legunt nec ob aliud sunt Haeretioi nisi quòd eas non rectè intelligentes suas falsas opiniones contra earum veritatem pervicaciter asserunt IdeÌ„ habet Epist 222. St Austin and b Hier. in Galat. cap. 5. Haereticus est quicunque aliter Scripturam intelligit quaÌ„ sensus Spiritûs S flagitat licèt de Ecclesiâ non recesserit St Hierome expresly The best c Divinae Scripturae integra firma regula verita tis Dist 37. c. Relatum Bellarm. de verb. Dei lib. 1. c. 2. Sacra Scriptura regula credendi certissima tutissimâ—que est Gers de exam doctrin par 2. consid 1. Oper. part 1. pag. 541. Scriptura nobis tradita est tanquà m regula sufficiens infallibilis pro regimine totius Ecclesiastici corporis vsque in finem cui se non conformans alia doctrina vel abjicienda est vt haereticalis vel vt suspecta impertinens ad religionem prorsus est habenda learned in the Church of Rome confesse that the Scripture was giuen as a sufficient and infallible rule for the government of the whole Church so as any doctrine not conformable therevnto must either bee rejected as hereticall or suspected as impertinent to religion It is confessed also that the Church d Almain in 3. D. 25. q. 1. Resolutio Occham est quòd nec tota Ecclesia nec concilium generale nec summus Pontifex potest facere Articulum quod non fuit Articulus Sed in dubijs propositionibus potest Ecclesia determinare an sint Catholicae Tamen sic determinando non facit quod sint Catholicae quùm prius essent antè Ecclesiae determinationem Sic etiam Turrecremata Adrianus apud Can. lib. 12. cap. 8. Sâ—tus in 1. D. 11. q. 1. in fine In nova Haeresi veritas prius erat de side etsi non ita declarata Bonavent in 1. D. 11. A. r. q. 1. ad fin Haereâ—â—â— multa quae erant implicita fidej nostrae compulerunt explicare hath no power to make any Article of faith or to adde any thing to the doctrine of faith Her
Catholique Church is spread and diffused over the Earth among all Nations and may not be inclosed within any one or other society or communion of men whatsoever Wherein he doth as clearely oppose our Romanists who inclose all Catholiques and Christians within the Popes communion as he did the ancient Donatists It is not then resisting the voice or definitue sentence of the Church which makes an Heretique but an obstinate standing out against evident Scripture sufficiently cleared vnto him And the Scripture may then be said to be sufficiently cleared when it is so opened that a good and teachable minde louing and seeking truth cannot gainsay it For some froward and obstinate persons will not bee convicted by any evidence of truth whatsoever And if the authority of a Councell or of some Church doe interpose in this conviction the obstinacy of Gainsayers is the greater because there is the greater reason to perswade them And if any Church doe vpon such conviction excommunicate or condemne any refractary Gainsayer hee standeth guilty of obstinacy and so of Heresy in foro exteriori and for such is to be reputed by the members of the same Church But it is possible such a sentence may bee erronious either because the opinion condemned is no Heresy or error against the Faith in it selfe considered or because the party so condemned is not sufficiently convinced in his vnderstanding not clouded with prejudice ambition vaineglory or the like passion that it is an errour As these Donatists so the Novatians also were Schismatiques for disobeying the publique determination of the Catholique Church in the same Generall Councell of Nice In the first Ages before that Councell the Church was very rigorous in her Discipline Shee vtterly refused as wee haue before observed to admit vnto her Peace and communion f Vide Canones Concil Eliberini Tertull. de pudic Cypr. Epist ad Antonian passim some kindes of sinnners as Idolaters Apostates Murtherers Adulrers and the like though they had done many yeares penance and though they were in their last extremity thinking fit to leaue them to the mercy of God alone and to make their peace with him by inward repentance Afterwards Shee saw it convenient to bee more mild and mercifull in her censures and accordingly declared her selfe in the Great g Nic. Concil Can. 11. 12. 13. 14. Councell allowing to all sinners the hope and comfort of her absolution when they had made her satisfaction by their humility and penance according to her Canons The h Albaspin Sacr. Observ lib. 2. cap. 21. Novatians stubbornely opposed this publike resolution pretending that the judgement and practise of former Agesought not to be altered that this releasing of severe Discipline would open a gap to vice and licentiousnesse that the Church had no power to reconcile or receiue into her society such enormious Sinners though penitent that if she did she was polluted by their communion And vpon these pretences they breake out into a formall Schisme and separation Before the Nicene Councell many good Catholique Bishops were of the same opinion with the Donatists that the Baptisme of Heretiques was ineffectuall and with the Novatians that the Church ought not to absolue some grievous Sinners These errours therefore if they had gone no farther were not in themselues Hereticall especially in the proper and most heavy or bitter sense of that word neither was it in the Churches intention or in her power to make them such by her Declaration Her intention was to silence all disputes and to settle peace and vnity in her governement to which all wise and peaceable men submitted whatsoever their opinion was And those factious people for their vnreasonable and vncharitable opposition were very justly branded for Schismatiques Now for vs the Mistaker nor his Masters will never proue that wee oppose either any Declaration of the Catholique Church or any fundamentall or other truth of Scripture and therefore he doth vniustly charge vs either with Schisme or Heresy Charity mistaken Chap. 6. AGaine the onely right ground and true infallible motiue of faith by which it is produced and on which it relyes is the revelation of God and the proposition of his Church He therefore who beleeues not every particular Article of Catholique doctrine which is revealed and propounded by Almighty God and his Church which Church is absolutely infallible in all her proposalls doth not assent to any one even of those which he beleeues by true faith because he assents not upon the onely true and infallible motiue An assent not grounded on this is no supernaturall divine faith but an humane persuasion or suspicion or opinion And such is the beleefe or faith of Turkes Iewes Moores and all Heretiques and particularly of the Protestants Answer Sect. 5. DIvine revelation the principall motiue last object into which faith supernaturall is resolved The testimony ministery of the Church is of great use for the begetting of faith But the Church hath not an authority unlimited and absolutely infallible in all her doctrines as some Romanists pretend Others of them reasonably and fairely limit the Churches infallibility The Church Vniversall infallible in fundamentall doctrines Not so in points of lesser moment The Mistaker cannot say what he meanes by the Church where of he sayes so much Of the Church represented in generall Councells of which we speak and thinke more honorably then doe our Adversaries Yet we thinke them not absolutely infallible Of the Pope whom they call the Church virtuall How his flatterers speak of his authoritie No Roman Catholique can be assured of his infallibilitie which is at the most and best but problematicall by their owne principles Answer FAith is said to be divine and supernaturall I in regard of the author or efficient cause of the habit and act of divine infused faith which is the speciall grace of God preparing inabling and assisting the soule to beleive For a 1 Cor. 12. 3. 4. faith is the gift of God alone 2. In regard of the object or things beleeved which are b Phil. 1. 29. c. aboue the reach and comprehension of meere nature or reason 3. In regard of the formall reason or principall ground on which faith chiefly relies into which it is finally resolved which is divine revelation or the authority of God who is the first truth If it faile in any of these it is no divine or supernaturall faith Of the two first respects there is no controversie For the 3d that the formall object or reason of faith the chiefe motiue the first and farthest principle into which it resolues is onely divine revelation is a truth denied by some of the c Scotus Durand Gabriel apud Can. loc lib. 2. cap. 8. Schoole indeed some other d Vide passim apud Eckium Pighium Hosium Turrianum Costerum nequiter contumeliosè dicta in S. Scripturas unwise and unwary writers against Luther but yet
superfluities A second reason He addes taken from the office of the Church after the Apostles which is not to make new Articles of faith but onely to consigne and deliver those which she hath received Thus Dr Stapleton Briefly their meaning is ours is the same that the whole Militant Church that is all the members of it cannot possibly erre either in the whole faith or any necessary article of it For such an errour must needs dis-unite all the members from Christ the Head and so dissolue the Body and leaue him no Church which is impossible Christ ever hath had and ever shall haue a true Church on earth now a true Church is all one with a Church not erring in the foundation By these reasonable restrictions of this infallibility they giue us a faire and certaine interpretation of all those promises which our Lord hath made unto his Church for his assistance Such promises are intended not to any particular Persons or Churches but onely to the Church Catholique and they are to be extended not to every parcell or particularity of truth but onely to points of faith or fundamentall Thus we are to understand those passages g Joh. 16. 13. John 14. 16. See the judicious Author of the Answ to Fishers Relation of his 3. Confer p. 49. The spirit shall lead you into all truth and shall abide with you for ever Though that promise was directly and primarily made to the Apostles who had the Spirits guidance in a more high and absolute manner then any since them yet it was made to them for the be hoofe of the Church and is verified i◠the Church Universall But all truth 〈◊〉 not simply all but all of some kinde T◠be led into all truths is to know and beleeve them And who is so simple as to be ignorant that there are many millions of truthes in Nature History Divinitie whereof the Church is simply ignorant How many truthes lie unrevealed in the infinite treasurie of Gods wisdome where with the * Deut. 29. 29. 1 Cor. 13. 12. Church is not acquainted How many obscure texts of Scripture which she understands not How many Schoole questions which she hath not and happily cannot determine And for matters of fact it is apparant and h Bellar. l. 2. de Conc. cap 8. §. Respondeo Quidam granted that the Church may erre So then the truth it selfe enforceth us to understand by all truthes not simply all not all which God can possibly reveale but all appertaining to the substance of faith all truth absolutely necessary to salvation That other promise of Christs being with his i Mat. 28 20. unto the end of the world is properly meant as some k Auth. de vocat Gent. lib. 2. cap. 2. Ecce ego vobiscum i. e. nolite de vestra infirmitate trepidare sed de mea potestate confidere qui vos usque ad consummationem saeculi in omni hoc opere non derelinquam praestiturus ut nullâ sevientium crudelitate superemini In mea enim potestate praedicabitis per me fiet ut inter contradicentes interfurentes Abrahae filii de lapidibus suscitentur Ancients truly giue the sence of his comfortable aide and assistance supporting the weakenes of his Apostles and their Successors in their ministery or in their preaching of Christ But it may well be also applyed as it is by l Leo Serm. 10. de Nativ cap. 5. Idem Salvator noster est super coelorum altitudines victor mortis ascendens usque ad consummationem soeculi univer sam Ecclesiam nō relinquens others to the Church Universall which is ever in such manner assisted by the good Spirit that it never totally failes or falls off from Christ For it is so firmely m Math. 16. 18. founded on the Rock that is on Christ n 1 Cor. 3. 11. the onely foundation that the gates of hell whether by temptation or persecution shall not prevaile against it Not prevaile so far as to sever it from the foundation or cleerly to undermine or o Bernard Serm. 79. in Cant. Non deficit genus Christianum nec fides de terra nec charitas de Eccles -que fundata est super petram Petra a. est Christus Bellarmin de Eccles lib. 3. cap. 13. Quòd Ecclesia non possit deficere ostenditur primùm ex Scripturis Math. 16. Super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam overthrow it The Church may erre and dangerously too but every errour destroyes not the Church The whole Church cannot so erre as to be destroyed For then our Lords promise here of her stable edification should be of no value Lastly that prayer of our Saviour for S. Peter p Luke 22. 32. that his faith might not faile in the native sence of the place regarded onely S. Peters person for whom our Lord prayed and obtained perseverance in the grace of God against the strong temptation which was to winnow him above the rest Yet is it very well referred by q Aqu. 2. 2. q. 2. A. 6. ad 3. Ecclesiae Universalis sides non potest deficere Domino dicente Luc. 22. Ego pro te rogavi Petre ut non deficiat fides tua Aquinas to the whole Church which is never so far forsaken by Christ that it should utterly forsake and fall off from him But the faith of the Church cannot be totally corrupted in the Essentialls of it or abolished yet may it be foulely infected with many vile and unworthy additions though not with direct repugnancies In these promises then there is no foundation to support that very vaine and vaste pretension of the Church of Rome who challenges to her selfe an absolute and universall infallibility in all her proposalls For neither do these promises principally respect the Church of Rome and more then the Church of Corinth Ephesus or the like any further or longer then such parts do cleaue and consent to the whole bodie and Spouse of Christ nor hath the Church Universall the like assurance from Christ that she shall not erre in unnecessary additions as she hath for her not erring in taking away from the faith what is fundamentall and necessarie It s comfort enough for the Church that the Lord in mercy will secure her from all capitall dangers and conserve her on earth against all enemies but she may not hope to triumph over all sinne and error till she be in heaven Hay and stubble and such unprofitable stuffe laid on the roofe destroyes not the house whilst the maine pillars are standing on the foundation The Giant in Gath 2. Sam. 21. 20. was a true man though much deformed with superfluous fingers and toes but if one loose any vitall part he is a man no longer There is not so much danger in adding superfluities as in detracting what is essentiall and necessarie That the Church shall never be rob'd of any truth necessarie to the being of
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
troisiesme iour le sens de ces mots il est assis à la dextre de son Pere il ne scroit damné pour cela Le simple se peut sauuer auec moindre cognoissance que celuy qui ne peut estre tenu pour tel C'est assez au simple de voir comme nous anons dit vne cognoissance du Symbole suffisante pour la diriger ◠sa derniere fin Au lieu que le Curé le Prelat qui ont charge d'instruite les autres sontobligez desçauoir distinctement tous les Articles du Symbole qui plus est de le pouuoir expliquer au peuple Learned judge may suffice For conclusion of this discourse concerning Fundamentalls I will propound to the consideration and censure of the judicious these thoughts following It seemes fundamentall to the faith and for the salvation of every member of the Church that he acknowledge beleeue all such points of faith as wherof he may be sufficiently convinced that they belong to the doctrine of Jesus Christ For he that being sufficiently convinced doth oppose is obstinate an Heretique and finally such a one as excludes himselfe out of heaven whereinto no wilfull sinner can enter Now that a man may be sufficiently convinced there are three things required 1. Cleare revelation 2. Sufficient proposition 3. Capacity and understanding to apprehend what is reveiled and propounded 1 Revelation from God is required for we are not bound to beleeue any thing as Gods word which God hath not declared to be his word and that in such cleare manner as may convince a reasonable man that it is from God For want of this not onely the Church before Christ but even Christs owne Disciples are excused from being guilty of any damnable errour though they beleeved not the death resurrection or ascension of our Lord as it is plaine they did not Marc. 16. 11. 13. Luk. 24. 11. Ioh. 20. 9. Marc. 9. 10. But now that these things are so clearely reveiled in Scripture he were no Christian that should deny them 2. Sufficient proposition of reveiled truths is required before a man can be convinced For if they be not propounded to me in respect of me it is all one as if they were not reveiled This proposition includeth 2 things 1. that the points be perspicuously laid open in themselves for want of this Apollos beleeved not some points of the faith till he was further informed Acts 18. 25. 2. that the said points be so fully and forcibly laid open as may serve to remove reasonable doubts to the contrary and to satisfie a teachable minde against the principles in which he hath beene bred to the contrary For want of this the Apostles believed not the resurrection when yet they were plainely told of it See Luke 9. 44. 45. and Mar. 9. 10. compared with Marc. 8. 31. 32. Note here 1 This proposition of reveiled truths is not as the Mistaker saith by the infallible determination of Pope or Church but by whatsoever meanes a man may be convinced in conscience of divine revelation If a Preacher doe cleare any point of faith to his Hearers if a private Christian doe make it appeare to his neighbour that any conclusion or point of faith is delivered by divine revelation of Gods word if a man himselfe without any other teacher by reading the Scriptures or hearing them read be convinced of the truth of any such conclusion this is a sufficient proposition to prove him that gain sayeth any such truth to be an Heretique and obstinate opposer of the faith Such a one may be truly said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemned by his owne conscience v. g. He that should read in Scriptures Now is Christ risen from the dead 1. Cor. 15. 20. or The word was made flesh Ioh. 1. and yet should deny Christs Resurrection or Incarnation he were an Heretique without any determination or sentence of the Church And such Heretiques there were many in the Primitiue Church fore any Councell was celebrated and long before any Pope pretended to Infallibility 2 Note A man may be truly thought thus convicted not onely when his Conscience doth expressely beare witnesse to the truth but when virtually it doth so and would expressely doe it if it were not choked or blinded by some unruly and unmortified lust in the will For if a man make himselfe a slave to ambition covetousnesse vaineglory prejudice c. these untamed passions will not onely draw the man to professe what he thinketh not but to thinke what he would dis-avow if in synceritie he sought the truth And in this case the difference is not great betweene him that is wilfully blinde 24. qu. 3. §. 28. Haereticus est and him that knowingly gainsayeth the truth 3 Note A man may be sufficiently convinced either in foro exteriori or in foro interiori In the former he is convinced who by an orderly proceeding of the Church is censured and condemned and such a one ad omnem effectum juris and in the esteeme of the said Church is to be reputed an heretique though perhaps the Censure be erroneous He that is convicted in the later kinde is an Heretique before God though no authority of the Church have detected or proceeded against him And this conviction onely is necessary to prove one an Heretique excluded from Heaven 3. There is required capacity or ability of wit and reason to apprehend that which is cleerly revealed and sufficiently proposed For want of this not onely fooles and mad men are excused but those who are of weaker capacity or lesse knowledge may be excused from beleiving of those things which they cannot apprehend as the Apostles are by Christ Ioh. 16. 12. But where there is no such impediment as hath been said the revealed will or word of God is sufficiently propounded there he that opposeth is cōvinced of error he who is thus convinced is an Heretique and Heresie is a worke of the flesh which excludeth from heaven Gal. 5. 20. 21. And hence it followeth that it is fundamentall to a Christians faith and necessary for his salvation that he beleive all reveiled truths of God whereof he may be convinced that they are from God The cavills of the Mistaker against the Church of England and her Articles in this matter are easily answered When the Church of England had orderly reformed her selfe she was loudly accused by the Romane faction of Heresie and Schisme as it hath been in later ages the cunning custome of Rome to blast and disgrace all them that dared to oppose any of her corrupt opinions or usages Wherefore to cleare her innocency Shee published to the world a Declaration of her judgement in matters of Religion which we call her Confession Wherin her aime was not in any curious method to deliver a Systeme of Divinity but plainly without fraud or artifice to set downe first the positive
WANT OF CHARITIE Iustly charged ON ALL SVCH ROMAnists as dare without truth or modesty affirme that Protestancie destroyeth Salvation In Answer to a late Popish Pamphlet intituled Charity Mistaken c. By Christopher Potter D. D. Chaplaine to his Maty in Ordinarie and Provost of Queenes Colledge in Oxford OXFORD Printed by the Printers to the University 1633. TO OVR MOST GRATIOVS AND MOST Religious Soveraigne King Charles c. Dread Soveraigne AMongst the many excellent Vertues which have made your Maties Person so deare to God and so precious in the eyes of all your good People the most eminent is your Piety which gloriously shines in the innocency of your Life in the constancy of your Devotions in the justice and mildenesse of Your blessed Government and especially in your tender cares thoughts for the conservation of true Religion and of the Peace of the Church in this crazy quarelling Age. This Piety in your Maty gives me the boldnesse humbly to lay at your Foote this unworthy Piece and the boldnesse also to hope that your Maty will graciously accept it Both because it was undertaken in obedience to your Maties particular Commandement and because in it I plead as well as my Weakenesses will permit for the Faith and Charity of our Church against the Faction of Rome who very falsely pretending to Truth and Vnitie are indeed the true Authors and Continuers of the miserable Schismes of Christendome If here in I have done any acceptable service to God and his Church and to your Maty I have my desire The Father of Mercies crowne Your Maty with all the comforts and Benedictions of Heaven and Earth and continue long the happines of these Your Fortunate Islands in the holinesse and health of their Gratious Soveraigne Your Majesties humble Servant and Chaplaine Ch. Potter Reader THis Answer had beene publique some Moneths agoe if it had not beene delayed partly by sicknesse and the indisposition of my Body and of my Minde also which was ever averse from Contentions in Divinity and now rather desirous to spend in Devotion the few and evill dayes of my life that remaine and partly out of the hope I had to see a second Edition of the Mistakers Work which the strong report of that Part promised or rather threatned But that hope failing and being loath to seeme to faile in my Observance I now commend it such as it is to the blessing of God and to the use and judgement of the Church My Answers without further affectation are true and modest I speake to the Cause not to the Person VVhosoever the Mistaker be he hath my pitty and my prayers He thinkes unworthily of Truth that beleeves it to have need of our Passions My desire is all Personall Defects may be charged on my Selfe none on the Cause I haue not followed the Mistaker in all his wandrings But let Him not take that for a pretext of clamour For if He will be ingenuous He must confesse that I have not omitted without Answer any one thing of moment in all his Discourse Or if He will not Our Readers will confesse it I have onely neglected his repetitions declamatory and injurious speeches and the like impertinencies which being set apart the true Summary of the rest is this that followes Charitie mistaken Chapt. 1. 2. ROman Catholiques judge that Protestancie unrepented of destroyes Salvation For this judgment the Protestants charge them with want of Charity This charge saith the Mistaker is 1. improbable 2. untrue 1. Improbable For the Catholique Church expresses and diffuses her Charitie for the temporall and spirituall good of men in all imaginable sorts Shee is charitable to their bodies in her Monasteries Hospitals redeeming of Captives providing for Orphanes c. and to their soules by converting of Heretiques and Infidels by teaching the ignorant by directing the scrupulous with books of Cases of Conscience c. Charitable to very Protestants their heresies are onely condemned and it is not said that they sin against the Holy Ghost because they may be converted to the faith reconciled to the Church and so may be saved Answer Sect. 1. SOme Roman Catholiques judge charitably of the Reformed Iesuiters furious and destructive in their censures against all that are not of their faction That Faction infamous for their cruelties charged with want of Charity not the Catholique Church The Catholique Church and the Romane ignorantly or cunningly confounded The Catholique truly and really charitable and so the English but not so the Romane not to her owne Children especially not to Protestants Of whom the Mistaker and Others speake and thinke no better then of Infidels Though we entirely professe and embrace the Catholique Faith in all the parts of it Charity mistaken Cap. 3. 4. 2. VNtrue The former judgement proceeds not frō want of Charity but from truth Which may appeare by these grounds of truth which follow 1. Almighty God hath founded but one Church and ordained but one Religion wherin he will be served and out of the communion of this one Church there is no salvation This Vnity of the Church is proved by many testimonies of Scripture and by the consent of the Fathers of the East and West And it is likewise proved by the same authorities that out of the Communion of this One Church salvation cannot be obtained Wherefore all Heretiques and Schismatiques being out of this Church Communion must needs eternally perish Answer Sect. 2. OF the Vnity of the Church VVherein it consists How it is violated Each discord in Opinion dissolves not the Vnity of Faith The Communion of the Church in what sence and how farre necessary Charity mistaken Chap. 6. 2. THis Vnity is directly broken betweene Roman Catholiques and Protestants who are not both Professors of this One Religion or members of this One Church For they differ in prime and maine points of Faith in which the Reformers have departed frō the Church Besides the Protestants are not at Vnity among themselves and therefore much lesse with Romane Catholiques Their bitter contentions speeches one against another declare them to be of different Churches and Religions Whence it followes that Roman Catholiques and Protestants are not both saveable in their contrary wayes Anwer Sect. 3. THe true difference betweene the Roman and Reformed Parts of the Church Protestants have rejected nothing but Popery that is corrupt superadditions to the Faith confessed by learned Romanists to be doubtfull and unnecessary novelties Errors and Abuses of Rome reformed by us without Schisme Those errors damnable how and to whom Of the dissentions of Protestants among themselves They differ not in any point fundamentall Charity mistaken Cap. 6. FVrthermore the Protestants are properly Heretiques at least if not Infidells Heretiques because they reject and disobey the judgement of the Catholique Church For it is not the matter or quality of the doctrine but the pride of the man who prefers his owne opinions before the
Catholiques in France beleeue it not where the f Voiez â—e Mercure Iesuite 1. part Vniversitie of Paris in the name of all the others in that kingdome hath not long since challenged aboue 30 Iesuites to haue published execrable doctrines touching the killing of Kings and absoluing subjects from their allegiance tending to the ruine of mankind and confusion of all gouernment and many of their bookes of this argument by publique arrest of the Parliament of Paris haue beene condemned to the fire And for this reason the whole g Hist Interd lib. 3. Senate of Venice not one man of that great Body dissenting did by decree chase these men out of their Dominions into perpetuall banishment because the Iesuites haue beene the Authors and Instruments of all tumults seditions confusions and miseries hapning in these times in all Kingdomes and States of the world And for vs Protestants the innumerable massacres of our Brethren in France the Netherlands and elsewhere the barbarous treasons plotted against our late Soveraignes and this state of England are demonstrations sufficient of their burning Charity towards vs. But all their other cruelties are but milde in comparison of this doctrine which pursues our soules after death into the neathermost pit Yet the Mistaker thinkes this may bee affirmed with Charitie For it is improbable the Catholique Church should want Charity Most true not improbable only but meerely impossible the Catholique Church should bee without Charity Far be it from vs to lay this vnjust and vnworthy charge vpon our deere Mother the Catholique Church Charity is the ligament which connects both that whole mysticall Body vnto Christ her glorious Head and each seuerall member one to another The good spirit of truth and loue ever assists and animates that great Body This Mother of all Christians we honour as her dutifull Children and are well assured of her blessing We accuse not Her for want of Charity shee giues no cause but that proud and curst Dame of Rome who takes vpon her to revell in the House of God to let in and cast out at her pleasure pretending that shee alone is the Mother and Mistris in that House vsurping and confining all the priviledges of the Catholique Church to her selfe alone A pretension void of colour and against the principles of reason which forbids to confound a part with the â—hole Though shee haue many waies â—aid the Harlot and in that regard deâ—erved a bill of divorce from Christ â—he detestation of Christians yet for â—hose Catholique verities which she reâ—aines wee yeeld her a member of the Catholique though one of the most vnsound and corrupt members In this sense the Romanists may bee called Catholiques But that the Roman Church â—nd the Catholique are all one is a very vaine and absurd imagination vnknowne h That the Roman Church was anciently esteemed a Topicall or particular Church distinct from others and in and vnder the Vniversall may appeare by Ignatius in tit epist ad Rom. Eccles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ambros. Epist 83. ad med Post Aegyptorum supputationes Alexandrinae Ecclesiae definitionem Episcopi quoque Romanae Ecclesiae meam adhuc expectant sententiam quid existimem de die Paschae Innoc. ad Victricium Epis Rothomag â—initio Quia Romanae Ecclesiae normam magnoperè postulâsti advertant Ecclesiarum regionis vestrae populi qualis servetur in vrbis Romae Ecclesijs disciplina Caelestinus Episc Rom. Epist ad Ioan. Antioc ap Binn in Concil Ephes Gr. lat par 1. § 20 pag. 143. Asserat se Nestorius fidem tenere quam secundum Apostolicam doctrinam Romana Alexandrina Catholica Vniversalis Ecclesia tenet Nicolaus PP 1. Epist 8. ad Michael August ad fin Imperatores Nero Diocletiaâ—us persequuti sunt Ecclesiam Dei maximè Ecclesiam Romanam Idem Epist 70 ad Hincmarum caeteros Galliae Episcopos Conantur Graeci tam nostram specialiter Romanam quam omnem quae linguâ latinâ vtitur Ecclesiam reprehendere quòd jejunamus in Sabbatis c. Et paulo post Opprobria haec vniversali Ecclesiae in eâ duntaxat parte quae latinâ vti dignoscitur linguâ ingeruntur Innocent 3. lib. 2. Epist 200. ad Ioan. Patriarch Constantinopol Dicitur Vniversalis Ecclesia quae de vniversis constat Ecclesiis quae Graeco vocabulo Catholica nominatur Ecclesia Romana sic non est Vniversalis Ecclesâ—â—â— sed parâ— Vniversalis Ecclesiae to Antiquity still loosly miserably begged by the Mistaker his fellowes without offer of proofe Catholique-Roman is in true interpretation vniversallparticular which are tearmes repugnant that cannot be equalled The latter restraines cuts off from the former and therefore to conclude the Catholique Church within that of Rome is to alter the name and nature of it hee that will be only a Roman must cease to be a Catholique It is not then the Catholique Church that we charge or that charges vs but the Roman And therefore all the discourse of our Mistaker touching the great charities of the Catholique Church to her children is very roving and impertinent winde and words without substance All confesse that she diffuses her selfe in all acts of charity after all imaginable sorts So doe her severall members the particular Churches They of the Reformation and especially this of England as amply and bountifully as any in the World and much more effectually and to better purpose then that of Rome It hath beene publikely avowed by some and cannot bee deni'd by a modest Adversary that hardâ—y any age in former times may compare with this of ours since this Church was happily purged from Popery for publique expressions of charity In so few yeares hardly ever so many Churches or Chappell 's built and beautified for Gods service so many Colledges Schooles Libraries Hospitals erected and endowed for the honour of learning and reliefe of the necessitous And for the other part of charity which is spirituall regarding the worship of God and the conduct of soules to their eternall happinesse never did any Church afford more plentifully the meanes of grace nor more abound with all helpes and advantages of piety then this of ours The word of God is diligently preached amongst vs the Sacraments of Christ reverently administred abuses in both are remoued the two extreames of Religion Superstition and Prophanenesse are avoided The ignorant are instructed the disorderly admonished comforts are applied to the afflicted terrours to the impenitent censures and punishments to the obstinate In our Leiturgy policy ceremonies in the government of our Prelates in the dilâ—gence of inferiour Pastors in the whoâ—â— face of our doctrine and discipline weâ— haue a most neere and faire resemblanâ—â— of reverend Antiquity all tending to thâ— gaining of soules to Christ and to guidâ— them in the way of peace In the Church of Rome appeares buâ— little of this true Charity even toward her owne Children Indeed shee bringâ— forth children vnto
say it is in jeast to shew the Sorbonists the iniquity of their censures As if Iesuiticall Libells and Pamphlets were to bee parallel'd with the Apostles Creed or this as justly censurablea as the other God in justice may giue ouer these men to Atheisme in earnest who dare so prophanely dally with the Capitall Principles of our faith By the profession of this faith and by the bond of loue wee are linked in communion with the Catholike Church and all her true members in the world and doubt not of Gods mercy in Christ if to our holy faith we adde an holy conversation For the Church of Rome in those Catholique truths which shee maintaines we are not at oddes with her nor need any reconciling for that masse of errours and abuses in iudgement and practise which is proper to her and wherein she differs from vs wee iudge a reconciliation impossible and to vs who are convicted in conscience of her corruptions damnable Hitherto the Mistaker hath declamed for the Charity of his party Hee will now declare the truth of his assertion that no Protestant can be saved Vpon examination wee shall finde as little truth in the substance of his discourse as there is in the designe of it little judgement or conscience or modesty Charity mistaken Cap. 3. 4. 5. 2 VNtrue The former iudgement proceeds not from lacke of Charity but from truth Which may appeare by these grounds of truth which follow 1 Almighty God hath founded but one Church and ordained but one religion wherein he will be served and out of the communion of this one Church there is no salvation This vnity of the Church is proued by many testimonies of Scripture and by the consent of the Fathers of the East and West And it is likewise proued by the same authorities that out of the communion of this one Church salvation cannot bee obtained wherefore all Heretiques Schismatiques being out of this Church and Communion must needs eternally perish Answere Sect. 2. OF the Vnity of the Church Wherein it consists How it is violated Each discord in opinion dissolues not the vnity of Faith The communion of the Church in what sense and how farre necessary TO the first ground No Protestant denyes the Catholique Church to bee one They all deny the present Romane to be that one Catholique If the Mistaker could proue this his paines were to some purpose But his labour is lost in prouing the vnity of the Catholique Church where of there is no doubt or Countrouersie Wherefore we might passe ouer this impertinent discourse but that some things are here and there intermingled which merit our consideration That place of a Deut. 17. 8 9. Deut. 17. alleaged by the Mistaker makes little for the vnity of the Church and much lesse for the Popes pretence of soueraigne power All Controuersies ciuill or ceremoniall are there referred not to the high Priest alone as the Mistaker thinkes but to the great Tribunall called the Sanhedrim mixt of Priests and Iudges in which all harder causes Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill should be determined without further appeale And therefore in respect of the two kindes of causes there were ordained two sorts of men to heare them Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill the Ciuill meant by the Iudge and the Ecclesiasticall by the Priest And though sometimes amongst the Iewes both the offices did meet in one person as in Eli yet this was very rare and extraordinary Ordinarily they were distinct and in the place which we haue in hand many learned b Oleaster Lyra. Cajeta apud Bonfrer in loc Sigon de Rep. Heb. libr. 6. cap. 7. The Dowists in their Marginall note on 2 Chron. 19. vers 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Romanists affirme that by the Iudge is meant the ciuill Magistrate who is directly distinguished and seuered from the Priest both in the c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 originall Hebrew and in the d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuagint And by the Priest not the high Priest alone but as may appeare by this e Deut. 17. 9. Text and another f Deut. 2. 1. 5. parallell to it the Priests the sonnes of Leui. It is true amongst those Priests there was one Chiefe in this matter of highest judgement in doubtfull causes So also was there one principall among the Iudges in g 2 Chron. 19. 11. matters of the King that is in ciuill causes And therefore if the Mistaker imagine that Christians must haue one soueraigne Bishop ouer all because the Iewes had one chiefe Priest it may bee inferred by as good consequence that Christians must haue one Soueraigne Prince ouer all because the Iewes had one chiefe Iudge And as all harder causes of religion must be referred to the Pope so all ciuill matters must be referred to the Emperour And as amongst the Iewes the Priest and Iudge were resident in the place which the Lord had chosen so the Pope and the Emperour must both abide in Rome These Inferences are all of equall validitie that is of no validitie at all The Mistaker will here haue it further well considered that the whole people was to submit to the determination of the high Priest or of the Iudge as the Vers 12. Text hath it vpon no lesse then the paine of death True and there was reason for it For 1. the sentences of them that are in authority and iudge soueraignely without appeale should bee obeyed or submitted vnto though they be vniust A lawfull power though vnlawfully abused must be obeyed A man fined or censured in the Star-chamber high Commission or other Courts of Iustice may not pretend for his contempt the error or misinformation of the Iudges But though Inferiours be alwaies bound to obey the sentences of their Gouernours yet they are not bound to beleeue them alwayes to be just Those Priests and Iudges had a rule to gouerne their judgements by they were to giue sentence h Vers 11. Eze. 44. 24. according to the Lawe If they erred frō this rule as sometimes i Es 28. 7. Ier. 2. 26. 27 Ezek. 22. 26. Mal. 2. 7 8. Act. 23. 3. Vide Tirin in loc Deut. 17. they did the errour might bee obserued though the authority might not be disobeyed 2. The high Priest in cases of moment had a certaine Priuiledge from errour if he cōsulted the k Exod. 28. 30. Numb 27. 21. diuine oracle by the judgement of Vrim or by the brest-plate of judgement wherein were Vrim and Thummim whereby he had an absolutely infallible direction If any such promise frō God to assist the Pope could be produced his decisions might then justly passe for oracles without examination till then his words with vs weigh so much as his reasons no more The sinne of l Numb 16. Korah Dathan and Abiram was a rebellion yea treason against Moses the civill Magistrate as well as a schisme from Aaron the Priest That they with all their company
haec dâ—co haec dicis sed audiamus haec dicit Dominus Auferantur illa de medio quae adversus noâ— invicem non ex divinis Canonicis libris sed aliundè recitamus Let vs heare no more Thus I say or Thus thou saist but let vs heare Thus saith the Lord. Away with those arguments on both sides which are not taken out of the Divine and Canonicall Scriptures i Ibid. cap. 2. Inter nos quaestio eist vbi sit Corpus Christi id est vbi sit Ecclesia Quid ergo facturi sumus in verbis nostris eam quaesituri an in verbis Capitis sui Domini nostri Iesu Christi Puto quòd in illius verbis potius eam quaerere debemus qui veritas est optimè novit Corpus suum It is questioned between vs where the body of Christ is that is where his Church is what then must be done shall we seeke it in our owne words or in the words of Christ the head of the Church I trow rather in his word who is Truth and best knowes his one body k Ibid. cap. 4. Ipsum Caput de quo consentimus ostendat nobis corpus suum de quo dissentimus vt per ejus verba jam dissentire desinamus Let this head of which we agree shew vs his Body of which we disagree that our dissentions may by his word be ended l Cap. 19. vid. etiam cap. 7. 18. passim That wee are in the true Church of Christ and that this Church is universally scattered over the earth we proue not by our Doctors or Councells or Miracles but by the divine Scriptures The Scriptures are the only documents and foundations of our cause Hither is his refuge and appeale from all other sentences The Mistaker was ill advised to send vs to this Treatise which both in the generall ayme in the quality of the arguments and proofes is so contrary to his pretensions If the present Roman Church could with S. Austine and all Antiquity submit to this Iudge or rather Rule of controversies both this in hand of the Church and all the rest of our contestations might bee quickly ended Before I leaue this piece of S. Austine I will leaue this passage out of it to the Mistaker to ruminate vpon m Ibid. cap. 4. Whosoever beleeue aright in Christ the Head but yet doe so dissent from his Body the Church that their communion is not with the whole wheresoeuer diffused but with themselues seuerally in some part it is manifest that such are not in the Catholique Church The Protestants communicate with the Catholique Church in what part or place of the world soever They of Rome say the Church is no where to be found but in their faction none can bee saued but Romanists What will follow from hence He hath so much Logick that he cannot mistake The Herefies recounted by Epiphanius Philastrius and S. Austin in their Catalogues were many of them wild wandring conceits of heads crazed in the Principles of vnderstanding rather frenzies and dotages against reason then false opinions in faith tending to breake the vnity of the Church And iustly said S. Austine No Christian Catholique hee might haue said no rationall creature beleeues them It is true divers of those Heretiques as the Arrians Photinians Macedonians Nestorians Eutychians c did disturbe that vnity by maintaining obstinately their errours against the common rule of faith But they were convicted not by their disobedience to the Church as the Mistaker beleeues but principally by the evidence and authority of Scripture and then after that by the attestation of the Catholique Church which is the faithfull keeper of all Scripture and divine verities as appeares clearely in those Councells and Fathers which haue opposed those Heretiques Epiphanius alone of the three aboue named disputes the matter with the Heretiques and profesfes to fetch his arguments from Scripture n Haeresi 65. Pauli Samosateni num 6. edit Petau 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide cund Haer. 76. pag. 989. Haer. 78. pag. 1047. The divine goodnesse saith hee hath fore-warned and fore-armed vs against Heresies by his Truth For God fore-seeing the madnesse impietie and fraud of the Samosatenians Arrians Manichees and the other Heretiques hath secured vs by his divine word against all their subtleties And elsewhere to the same purpose Where by the way the Mistaker must needs obserue as hee saies that the Protestants hold divers ancient heresies and particularly that of denying Prayers for the dead He is very much mistaken in his observation The commemoration of the deceased in the ancient Church which o Ap. Epiphan Haer. 75. Aerius without reason disallowed was a thing much differing from those Prayers for the dead which are now in vse in the Church of Rome Our Roman Catholiques beleeue at least they say so that some soules of the faithfull after their departure hence are detained in a certaine fire bordering vpon Hell till they bee throughly purged and their prayers for them are that they may bee released or eased of those torments On the contrary the generall opinion of the ancient Doctors Greeke and Latine downe almost till these last ages was and is the opinion of the p Graeci in Concil Flor. ante Sess 1. in Quaest de Igne purgat apud Bin. Tom. 4. part 1. pag. 421. edit vlt. Greek Churches at this day that all the spirits of the righteous deceased are in Abrahams bosome or some outer Courts of heauen where though they liue in a blessed condition of peace and ioy and refreshing being secured of glory and the beatificall vision yet they expect the full perfection and consummation of their happinesse till the last day Some of their Testimonies to this purpose are collected by q Spalat de Rep. Eccl. lib. 5. cap. 8. num 98. Sixtus Senens Bibl. S. lib. 6. annot 345. Antonius de Dominis and Sixtus of Siena wherevnto many more might easily be added This opinion seemes directly to overthrowe two new doctrines of Popery Purgatory and invocation of Saints Such Invocation I meane as is intended to the Saints as a worship due vnto them and when they are invocated as Commissioners vnder God to whom he hath delegated the power of conferring sundry benefits deposited in their hands and to bee bestowed at their pleasure which is properly new and Popish Invocation Which r De Beatitud Sanct. lib. 1. cap. 4. 5. Bellarmine well perceiuing passionately labours to overthrowe it and to proue that the Ancients were not of this minde But his proofes are feeble and fall short of the thing in question and being a man of so great reading it may be thought hee spake against his knowledge and conscience Now conformably to this opinion the Ancient s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Liturg. Basil Chrysost vide Clem. Const lib. 8. cap. 12. Chrysost Liturg Gr. Epiphan Her 75. Cyril Hier. Catech. 5.
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
disturbed her vnion dissolued Schisme is no lesse damnable then Heresy The old n Vide Optat August passim Donatists did not only vniustly separate from the Catholike Church diffused through the World but most vn reasonably arrogantly esteemed their owne faction to be the only Christians hated and censured all of the Catholique Communion as no better then Pagans and appropriated to themselues alone all the benefits of Christ and all the priviledges of his Church And accordingly in effect they renounced the society of all other Christians vanting that life and salvation was no where to be had but in their assemblies And are not the Iesuiters of our times formally guilty of this Donatisme Doe not the Zelotes of Rome thus speake and thinke of themselues and of all other Christians Witnes our Mistaker and his Pamphlet wherein his designe is to shew that Rome compasseth and containeth all Christendome and that Christ hath no servants the Church no members but only those that liue vnder the Popes obedience Briefly the Vnity of the Church Catholique is not hindred by any diversity of opinions or observations in her severall members so long as the substance of faith and the bond of Charity is conserued among them The Mistaker goes on Out of this one true Church no salvation Ch. Mist â— 5. can be had Every terme is ambiguous and therefore the whole proposition true or false as it may be limited Salvation may be had either by the ordinary meanes or extraordinarily The Church notes either the Catholique or Particulars Hee may be in the one who is outed by the others and an interiour Communion may be without the externall A Church may teach many truths and so farre bee true yet by the addition of many errours and abuses become in regard of them a false Church And it may be one in the faith which is not at one either with it selfe or other particulars in opinions Lastly a man may be out of a particular Church either actiuely by a voluntary separation which is iust or vnjust according to the grounds or passiuely by exclusion or ejection being casâ— out by the Church And that may bee done either vniustly by ignorance malice faction c. or justly and this either by suspension for a time from the society of the faithfull or by vtter and finall abdication from the body of Christ This may better appeare in particular instances Infidels are without the Church They haue no distinct knowledge of Christ or explicite faith in him Yet some a Iustin M. in Apol. vtraque Clem. Alex Strom. lib. 5. 6. 7. Chrysost hom 37. in Matth. c. auncient Doctors and many late b Ludov. Vives in Aug. de C. D. l. 18. c. 47. Andrad Orthod Explic lib. 3. ad axiom 6. Genes à Sepulveda lib. 7. Epist 1. ad Petr. 1. ad Petr. Serramum Franc. à victoria Relect 13. Aquinas Lyra Abulensis Bruno Dionysius Carth. Arboreus Durandus c. apud Casal de quadr iustit lib. 1. cap. 12. Cornelius Mus Claudius Seysellus Ambrosius Catharinus Ioan. Viguerius Bened. Pererius Dom. Soto Alph. Salmeron aoud Franc. Collium de Animabus Paganoium lib. 1. cap. 24. vide eum lib. 5. cap. 7. 8. 22. Sotus Canus Vega Thom. Richardus apud Greg. Val. T. 3. disp 1. qu. 2. punct 4. § secunda vero Romane writers are of opinion concerning Pagans before and since Christ that if their life be morally honest by Gods extraordinary mercy and the merit of Christ they may be saued For say they though God in his wisdome hath tied vs to the ordinary meanes he hath not tied himselfe Let the Mistaker here compare â—heir Charity with his They hope well of honest Pagans He rashly damnes the â—est part of Christians Againe a beleeuer may be in no visible Church and yet in a state of saluation For first the ancient Church whilest shee wanted the assistance of the Civill word vsed a very severe discipline to containe her children in obedience and to prevent scandals Lapsed sinners were not restored to her peace nor admitted into the communion of the faithfull but with great difficulty and after the sharpe penance of many yeares But if any were guilty of crimes such as Tertullian calls non delicta sed monstra monstrous impieties as Apostasy Idolatry Fornication Murther and the like c Vide Canones Concilis Eliberitani Arelatensis 1. Albaspin Obser lib. 2. shee vtterly refused to absolue such persons euen at the last houre of their life notwithstanding their repentance Yet for their comfort though they might not haue her mercy she doubted not but that they were capable of d Concil Valent. 1. Canone 3. Gods and vpon their true contrition might by him bee pardoned and saued Secondly the e Concil Nicen. Can. 5. Churches of those happy times so fairely corresponded in their amitie and justice that whosoeuer was excommunicated by one was not receiued or absolued by any other And hence it followeth that f Potest quis esse in Ecclesia animo desiderio quod sufficit illi ad salutem non tamen esse corpore siue externá communicatione quae propriè facit hominem esse de Ecclesiâ visibili que est in terris Bell. lib. 3. de Eccl. milit cap. 6. § Respondeo cap. 3. § Denique externall communion euen with the truest noblest Churches is not of absolute necessity to saluation When one and so all visible Churches denied their peace in that age to some Sinners yet they denied them not Gods pardon Besides that a man may bee g Saepe sinit diuina prouidentia per nimiuÌ„ turbulentas carnalium hominum seditiones expelli de congregatione Christianá etiam bonoâ— viros August de ver relig cap. 6. In foro contentioso exterion multi sunt Excommunicati quoad Deum qui non sunt quoad Ecclesiam è contrà multi Excommunicats quoad Ecclesiam qui non sunt quoad Deum quia Ecclesia non judicat de occultis Cosm Philiarch de offic Sacerd. Tom. 1. lib. 3. c. 4. p. 89. Frequenter fit n qui per Ecclesiam militantem foras emittitur intus habetur in Ecclefiâ triumphante contrà Gloss in Extra Ioan. 22. Tit. 14. cap. 5. solutum in â—â—â—liâ— a true visible member of the holy Catholique Church who is not actually otherwise then in vow a member of any true visible Church appeareth by these instances The poore man in the Gospell adhered the more closely to Christ when he was cast out of the Synagogue which was then the onely true Church the Heathens being excluded and the Christian Church being not yet founded And with whom of his owne ranke could Athanasius communicate in that generall Apostacy of Christendome when that noble Champion stood single in defence of diuine truth h Vidâ— Baron An. 357. Num. 44. all his Brethren the other Patriarches not He of Rome excepted hauing subscribed
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
any of our Teachers whom we censure as well as follow and freely dissent from their judgement or approue it when we haue weighed it with reason Wee loue and honour them as our Friends yet so that we honour Truth and loue it aboue all Arist Eth. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Friendship Wherefore the jarres and diuisions betweene the Lutherans and Caluinists doe little concerne the Church of England which followeth none but Christ Yet to speake somewhat in fauour of them and of the truth k See D. Field of the Ch. l. 3. cap. 42. the Append. pag. 819. seqq vlt. edit their dissensions are neither many nor so materiall as to shake or touch the foundation easily reconcileable if men of any moderation had them in handling The bitter speeches of Luther none can excuse and much lesse the virulent Pamphlets and Proscriptions of some of his Disciples who in a preposterous imitation of his zeale are little lesse then furious But the consequence of opinions must not bee measured by the passions or outrages of opinionate men Two Brothers in their choler may renounce each other and disclaime their amitie yet that heat cannot dissolue their inward and essentiall relation There are some doubts and questions saith l August de pecc Orig. contr Pelag. Caelest cap. 23. Sunt quaestiones in quibus saluâ fide quâ Christiani sumus c. Vide eum contr Iulian. Pelag. lib. 1. cap. 2. Enchirid. cap. 59. S. Austine wherein without any damage to that Faith whereby we are Christians a man may be ignorant or suspend his opinion or coniecture amisse through humane frailty In such what wonder if learned men varie in their judgements especially seeing the best of men are here below but men at the best obnoxious to numberlesse passions and infirmities and as the same m Aug. de Ciu. D. lib. 15. cap. 5. Proficientes nondumque Perfecti inter se pugnare possent S. Austine sayes Not perfect but proficient If Charity might still moderate in disputations of this nature if truth were ever aimed at more then victory if men contended for their opinions in a faire and manly fashion that is as n Orat. 3. de Pace p. 220. edit Paris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Gregory Nazianzen advises with reasons without revilings then might they bee an exercise of great vse and fruit for the discovery of truth But this temper of wisdome and charity is rarely to bee found it hath beene the miserable calamity of the Church in all ages that the pride and confidence of Some either too to learned in their owne opinion or too to ignorant in other mens hath caused these debates to degenerate into vnworthy scandalous contentions The contentions of Catholiques in the ancient Church vpon very trifling occasions were so very bitter and intemperate that they were with scorne obiected by o Cels apud Orig. lib. 3. Euseb de vit Const lib. 2. cap. 60. Chrysost in 1. ad Gal. Pagans and derided in their open Theaters much p Cypr. Epist 8. Basil Ascet lib. de Iudic. Dei Nazianz Orat. 1. 14. Pelus l. 4. ep 55. Vide Baron an 400. n. 51. lamented by men of modesty though excused q Pelus ib. Themist apud Socr. l. 4. c. 27. by some as well as they could Many times the ground of a violent quarrell was not reall but imaginary vpon a meere mistake of one anothers meaning Chrysostome and Epiphanius agreed against the errours of Origen but so passionately contended about the condemnation of his writings r Sozom. Lib. 8. c. 15. Phot. cod 96. that they proceeded to mutuall imprecations one against the other and God heard the rash desires of them both the former dying out of his Bishopricke and the other out of his Country In like manner Cyrill of Alexandria anathematized Theodoret as favouring the Nestorian Heresy yet quickly after s Concil Caleed act ◠in the Councell of Cbalcedon vpon examination of the cause Theodoret was absolued and declared Orthodox t Nazianz. orat 21. in laud. Athan. Hieron epist ad Damas. numero 57. Tom. 3. The Churches of the East and West on a vaine suspition charged each other with Heresy and had beene schismatically divided if Athanasius had not cleared the seeming difficulty The Orientalls professing to beleeue three Hypostases in the glorious Trinity would not admit three Persons and were therefore thought to be Arrians On the contrary the Westerne beleeuing three Persons could not bee induced to confesse three Hypostases therevpō were taken to be Sabellians Here was a great jealousy grounded vpon a great errour which Athanasius easily discovered and restored againe their good amity intelligence shewing that they differed not in judgement all meaning the same thing and that Hypostasis on the one side was the very same in effect with Person on the other This last example much resembles the divisions of the Lutherans and Calvinists as they are called who especially the moderate of either side differ rather informes and phrases of speech u See D. Field Append. to the 5. book pag 819. 869. then in substance of doctrine The first and maine Controversy betweene them is that about Consubstantiation which after occasioned that other of Vbiquity I omit the questions of Predestination being no lesse debated in the Romane Schooles then in the Reformed In both these Controversies the maine truth on both sides is out of Controversy that Christ is really and truly exhibited to each faithfull communicant and that in his whole Person he is every where The doubt is only in the manner how he is in the Symboles and how in heaven earth Which being no part of faith but a curious nicity inscrutable to the witt of man wee should all here beleeue where wee cannot vnderstand and not fall a quarrelling about that which wee cannot conceiue a Just M. in Expos Fid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How or why are sawey questions in divine mysteries Their other differences in ceremony or discipline are diversities without discord b Vide Tertul de Virg. vel cap. 1. Firmil apud Cypr. epist 75. August Epist 86. Socrat hist lib. 5. cap. 21. c. All wise men in the world haue ever thought that in such things each severall Church is left to her own judgment and liberty so as shee keepe her selfe to the generall Apostolique rules of Order and Edification and to the generall judgement and practise of the Church vniversall Though the body of Religion in diverse Churches Countries be cloathed in diuerse suits and fashions yet for substance it may bee one in all In all these Contestations as it commonly falls out blessed be God! they that are for truth haue ever beene for Charity and mutuall toleration as appeares by their c Vide Iunij Parei scripta Irenica published writings all tending to pacification Luther himselfe though of a rough
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
confessed by the most and best learned of the c Th. 1. p. q. 1. art 8. ad 2. Innititur fides nostra revelationi Prophetis Apostolis factae Can. loc Theol. lib. 2. c. 8. Nec si nobis aditum praebet Ecclesia protinus ibi acquiescendum est sed ultrà oportet progredi solidâ Dei veritate niti Staplet princs doctr lib. 8. cap. 20. Apostolorum prophetarum immediatè revelata sides in solum revelatorem Deum ultimò resolvebatur eum solum pro formali objecto habuit in eum solum tanquam supremam atque ultimam credendi causam desinebat sistebat Ergò reliquae totius Ecdesiae fides idem formale objectum habet Becanus Sum. 3. p. cap. 8. quaest 8. Conclus 3. Assensus fidei formaliter resolvitur in primam veritatem revelantem Atque hîc sistitur Aegid de Coninck de Actib supernat disp 9. dub 5. concl 4. Id in quod nostra fides tanquam objectum formale ultimò resolvitur five objectum formale propter quod credimus non solùm articulos fidei esse veros sed etiam eos esse à Deo revelatos est testimonium primae veritatis Roman Doctors And that this revelation for all necessarie points is f Basil M. de judicio Det five proaem in Ethic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas Orat. contr Gentes initio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrill Hierosol Catech 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret. Dial. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hilar. lib. 2. ad Constant August laudat Imp. fidem tantùm secundùm ea quae scripta sunt desiderantem Vinc. Lirin cap. 2. perfectus Scripturarum canon ad omnia satis supérque sufficit Et iterum Commonit 2. cap. 1. Th. 2. 2. qu. 1. A. 10. ad 1. In doctrina Christi Apostolorum veritas fidei est sufficienter explicata Idem disp de fide art 10. ad 11. Successoribus Apostolorum non credimus nisi in quantum nobis annuntiant ea quae illi in Scripturis reliquerunt Durand Praefat. in Sent. S. Scriptura mensuram fidei exprimit Scot. in Prol. Sent. qu. 3. Theologia nostra non est nisi de his quae continentur in Scriptura de his quae possunt elici ex ipsis Gers de examin doctr p. 2. con 1. nihil audendum diecre de divinis nisi quae nobis à Scriptura Sacra tradita sunt sufficiently and g Basil Regul brevior cap. 267. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aug. de doctr Chr. lib. 2. cap. 9. In his quae apertè posita sunt in Scriptura inveniuntur illa omnia quae continent fidem mor ésque vivendi Bellar. lib. 4. de verb. non Script cap. 11. §. His notatis Dico illa omnia scripta esse ab Apostolis quae sunt omnibus necessaria Et Iterum §. vltimò Loquitur Augustinus loco praedicto de illis dogmatibus quae sunt necessaria omnibus simpliciter clearely made in the Scriptures either in expresse termes or by manifest deduction is the constant Doctrine of Antiquity even till the latter times If the whole object of faith be thus contained in Scripture then surely no new doctrines or revelations without or beside Scripture may be admitted neither is the proposition of any Church or any person in matters of faith to be beleeved further then it may be maintained or warranted by Scripture Our faith then is safe enough which builds on this firme ground and relyes on this solid h Iren. lib. 3. cap. 1. Scriptura fundamentum est columna fidei nostrae Eph. 2. 20. foundation Now for the Church she that is the mother of all Christians hath two dugs saith i Aug. in Ep. Johan tract 3 init Est mater Ecclesia ubera ejus duo Testamenta Scripturarum divinarum S. Austine which are the Old and New Testament out of these she feeds and giues milke to all her children That Church or any particular which delivers onely what she hath received and propounds not her owne traditions in stead of Gods Commandements we are ready in all things to heare and reverently to submit our selues to Gods truth delivered by it We doe not depriue the Church of that prerogatiue office which Christ hath given it k Rom. 10. 17. Faith comes by hearing the word of God and the ministery of the Church is necessary in ordinary course for the begetting of faith But the force and validitie of that ministery is different according as the Church may be taken either for the Prime Church or for the Present The Prime Church I call that which included Christ and his Apostles who had immediate revelation from heaven The voyce testimony of this Church is simply divine and infallible and the word of God from them is of like validity written or delivered The testimony of the present Church though it be not the last resolution of our faith yet it is the first externall motiue to it It is the l Hooker lib. 2. §. 7. key or m Gretser Defens de verb. lib. 4. c. 4. col 1581. prima janua See the learned Answ to Fishers Relat. of his 3. Confer pag. 24. doore which lets men in to the knowledge of divine mysteries It workes very powerfully and probably as the highest humane testimony 1. Upon infidels to winne them unto a reverent opinion of that faith and those Scriptures which they see so many wise learned and devout men in the Church constantly to esteeme as the very truth and word of God 2. Upon Novices weaklings and doubters in the faith to instruct and confirme them till they may acquaint themselues with and understand the Scriptures which the Church delivers as the word of God 3. Upon all within the Church to prepare induce and perswade the minde as an outward means to imbrace the faith to read and beleeue the Scriptures But the faith of a Christian findes not in all this any sure ground whereon finally to rest or settle it selfe till it arise to greater assurance then the present Church alone can giue Humane authority consent and proofe may produce an humane or acquired faith and infallibly in some sort assure the minde of the truth of that which is so witnessed but the assent of divine faith is absolutely divine which requires an object and motiue so infallibly true as that it neither hath nor n Cui non potest subesse falsum can possibly admit of any mixture of errour or falshood And infallible in this sence is onely that testimony which is absolutely divine Now our Adversaries yeeld that the testimony of the present Church is not absolutely divine It is not simply but in a manner divine saith o Staplet Relect contr 4. qu. 3. A. 1. Vox Ecclesiae est suo modo divina one not meerly divine nor meerly humane but as it were in the middle saith p Becan 3. p. Summ. cap. 8. qu. 8. §. 8. nec
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
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
answer but that these two Sacraments by reason of their dignity are specially so called which is all one to say that there are onely two principall Sacraments and many inferiours which is the very thing which is said by the Huguenots in other termes They say there are but two properly and we say there are but two principally Againe we say there are many inferiour Sacraments and they yeeld it if the name Sacrament be taken in a generall signification For Calvin saith that Order is a Sacrament and Melancthon sayes the same and moreover addes Penance Briefly they grant there are seven but not onely seven and in truth none of the ancient Fathers have ever found this number of seven 3. For the two principall Sacraments p Azor. par 1. l 10. 8. cap. 5. §. Praetereà dices Cur inter Articulos fidei non recenserur venerabile Eucharistiae Sacramentum Baptismi Respondeo cum S. Thomâ 2. 2. q. 1. a. 8. aâ— 6. Richardo 3. d. 25. a. 1. qu. 1 ad 4. eos articulos contineri includi in articulo fidei quo credimus unam sanctam Ecclesiam sanctorum Communionem remissionem peccaâ—orum nam per Sacramenta peccata remittuntur à Deo Azorius propounds his objection Why is not the Sacrament of the Eucharist and of Baptisme reckoned among the Articles of our faith and thus answers it out of Aquinas and others The two Sacraments are implied in the articles where we professe to beleive the holy Catholique Church the communion of Saints and the remission of sinnes The Creed of Nice expresses Baptisme by name I confesse one Baptisme for the remission of sinnes And the Eucharist being a seale of that holy Union which we have with Christ our Head by his Spirit and faith and with the Saints his members by Charity is evidently included in the Communion of Saints To the 3. we grant good works to be necessary in ordinary course to salvation and that a reward is due unto them not for any dignity in them or us but by divine dignation and by Gods free and gracious promise The faith which justifies is ever fruitfull of such good works a living a working faith But no wise man will put any confidence in the goodnesse of any works he will rather wholly cast himselfe on the mercies of God who for Christs sake accepts of our weake obedience pardons our sins Manes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and crownes us with happinesse This is properly the justifying of a sinner and this we beleive when we professe to beleeve the remission of sinnes wherein with the Scripture and all Antiquity we place our Iustification To the 4. The Creed is a rule of positive truths not a rejection of errors but onely by consequent or implication He that beleives aright in the Lord Almighty beleives all his creatures in themselves to be good and all his institutions to be holy and therefore cannot beleive either any meates to be in their nature polluted or marriage in any persons to be profane Many of the old heretiques who beleived so were men marveilously abused by the Father of lies especially the Manichees who had in them much more of the Infidell then of the Christian if they were not rather madmen according to the name of their Founder then Infidels Yet to do them no wrong it seemes by a Aug. de Mcrib Eccl. Manich lib. 2. c. 18. Hic non dubito vos esse clamaturos invidiámque facturos castitatem perfectam vos vehe menter coÌ„mendare atque laudare non tamen nuptias prohibere quaÌ„doquidem Auditores vestri quorum apud vos secundus est gradus ducere atque habere non prohibentur uxores Id. Epist 74. Auditores qui appellantur apud eos carnibus vescuntur agros colunt fi voluerint uxores habent quorum nihil faciunt qui vocantut Electi S. August they did not forbid meates or marriage as absolutely impure or to all onely their choice Elect ones must abstaine the other vulgar their Auditors were left at their liberty The Mistaker desires passionately to free his Church from this Manicheisme and if he can do it we desire not to finde her guilty But if She be not why is single life called Chastity and commended as an eminent degree of sanctimony why is marriage said to be in compatible with b Innocentius Papa dist 82. can Proposuisti Neque eos fas sit ad officia Sacra admitti qui exercent vel cum uxore carnale consortium quia scriptum est Sancti estote quoniam sanctus sum dixit Dominus holinesse or with c Id. ibid. Qui in carne sunt Deo placere non possunt Gods favour nay counted a d Pelagius Papa dist 61. can Catinensis Hominem qui necuxorem habeat nec liberos nec aliquod crimen canonibus inimicumeligi suadeas crime nay a e Bell. de Clericis cap. 19. §. Jam vero Non â—olum conjugium sacerdotum quod sacrilegium est non conjugium sed etiam Sanctorum matrimonium sine pollutione quâdam turpitudine non exercetur sacriledge worse then f Coster Enchirid. cap. de Coelib Sacerdos si forâ—itetur aut domi concubinam alat tamet si gravi sacrilegio se obstringat graviùs tamen peccat si contrahat matrimonium whoredome And for meates why is abstinence from flesh counted a perfect Christian fast yea holy and meritorious and why is he that eates flesh in Lent punished with a more grievous penance then he that commonly blasphemes the name of God or defiles his neighbours bed or abuses himselfe by drunkenesse or others by railing slandering c. To the 5. The Church of England questions not the sence of those Articles Shee takes them in the old Catholique sence and the words are so plaine they beare their meaning before them Men abounding with wit and idlenesse may seeke knotts in a bull rush and cast a mist over the most cleare truths It is by the RomaÌ„ Doctors that they are questioned who can neither agree with us nor with themselves g Contr. 5. q. 5. A. 1. Stapleton affirmes the Scripture is silent that Christ descended into hell and that there is a Catholique and an Apostolique Church h 4. de Christo c. 6. 12. Scripturae passim hoc docent Bellarmine on the contrary is resolute that the Article of the descent is every where in Scripture and i 2. 2. q. 1. A. 9. ad 1. Thomas grants as much for the whole Creed Then for the sence of that Article k Thom. p. 3. q. 52. A. 2. in Corp. Some hold Christ descended really into hell l Durand in 3. d. 22. q. 3. Others virtually onely and by effects And by Hell some understand the lowest pilt or the place of the damned as m 4. de Christo cap. 16. Bellarmine at first others the Limbus Patrum as n
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
f Apell pro Dom. Banne per Ariviere Doct. Paris Lugd. An. 1630. Vide etiam Andr. Rivet sum Controv Tract 4. quaest 6. Sorbonist who hath published by way of parallel the exact argiement of Dominicus Bannes and Others with Calvin in this matter quoting and comparing their very words For the Canon of Scripture it is true our Church admits of no other Bookes in the Old Testament as divine and Canonicall but onely those which Rom. 3. 2. were commended by God himselfe to his owne people the Church of the Jewes Wherein we have the consent of the most ancient g Clem. Rom. Const lib. 2. ca. 57. Melito Sard. ap Euseb Hist lib. 4. cap. 27. Grae. Origen ap Eund lib. 6. cap. 25 Sec. Graec. Athanas. in Synopsi Nazianz. in Carm. Cyrill Hieros Catech. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphan de Mensu Ponderibus num 4. edit Paris Concil Laodic Can. ult Ruffin in Expos Symb. Hieron in Praefat. ad lib. Regum ad libros Salom. in Prol. Galeato Damasc de fid Orth. lib. 4. cap. 18. Glossa in dist 16. Canones Lyra. Prolog primo Rich. à S. victore Exceptionum lib. 2. c. 9. Caietan in com hist v. Test fine Vide Canum l. 2. c. 10. c. Christian Churches Writers for the most part who expressely exclude the Apocryphall and by name the h Hicr Praefat in lib. Salom Iudith Tobiae Machabaeorum libros legit quidem Ecclesia sed cos inter Canonicas Scripturas non recipit August lib. 2. Contr. Epist Gaudent cap. 23. Scriptura Machabae orum recepta est ab Ecclesia non inutiliter si sobriè legatur audiatur Greg M. moral li. 19. cap 17. Macch. vocat Libros non Canonicos Machabees whereof the Mistaker makes so great esteema The Bookes of the New Testament are fitly severed by Eusebius into three rankes 1. Some were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose authority or Authors were never debated 2. Others were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doubted of not by the Church so much as by Some in the Church rather for their Authors then their authority as the Epistles to the Hebrewes of S. James the latter of S. Peter c. 3. Others were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rejected by consent of all as the Pastor of Hermes the pretended Gospells of S. Thomas S. Bartholomew and the like The doubts of the Second ranke are now long since cleared and all Euseb Hist lib. 3. cap. 3. those Scriptures generally received by all Christians in their Westerne parts at least and particularly by the Lutherans at least by the best learned among them who admit the Epistle of S. Iames and the rest as Canonicall which the Mistaker may learne for it seemes He knowes it not from their owne Writers and by name from their learned Dr k Exeges Plen. Locor Loc. 1. de Scrip. S. §. 279. 280. 281. Gerhard The Mistaker ends his Discourse as He began it with Rhetorique and Passion But this weapon wounds not being commonly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reasoning of them that want better reasons I shall conclude with a part of my daily prayers humbly beseeching the Father of mercies who is the lover of soules and hath said that he delights in mercy and sworne that he takes no pleasure in the death of them that die being not willing that any should perish but willing that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of his truth that he would be pleased to looke with the eyes of his compassion upon all those miserable Nations that sit in ignorance and infidelitie in darkenesse and in the shadow of death calling them out of darkenesse into his marveilous light out of the power of Sainto the Kingdome of his deare Sonne that it would also please Him to take away out of his Church all dissention and discord all Heresies and Schismes all abuses and false doctrines all idolatrie superstition and tyranny and to unite all Christians in one holy bond of truth and peace faith and charity that so with one minde and one mouth we may all joyne in his service and for ever glorify the holy name of the most glorious and holy Trinity Amen Amen FINIS