nobler coin and to continue to be enjoy'd to all eternity when beside the liberal harvest of satisfactions for any the most trivial losse or suffering submitted to upon Christ's command or advise the hundred fold more in this life we are secured to reap in another world everlasting unperishable felicities and when to the empty nauseous afflicting pleasures of sin for some one shortest moment attended immediately with a farre more durable shame and then followed with an immortal endlesse gnawing death that is all jawes but no stomach shall remain by way of arrear a sharp yet sullen payment to all eternity when every play or jest of sin shall engage us in that perpetual earnest and after the transitory joy is forgotten or loathed the irreversible sentence of endlesse woe is expected instantly and infallibly to come out and with it an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the store-houses of ease or mercy sealed up all drops to cool or oceans to quench our misery Then certainly upon this perswasion duly rooted not in the brain but heart an ordinary orator may suffice to superstruct an admission of the precepts of Christ and induce in a rational creature a willingnesse to be happy here by a patient bearing of a gentle desireable yoke that so he may be blessed eternally § 29. And so we have taken a cursorie view of the several Articles of the most antient and shortest Creed and therein exemplified the propriety of our definition of Fundamentals and having the Apostles judgment in their preachings to confirm us in the truth that the laying of so large a foundation was deemed necessary to their designe of planting the same fruits in all soils piety probity and purity in a nation of hypocritical Jewes and a world of Idolatrous polluted Gentiles we have already shewed how unnecessary it is to enquire whether any single sinner of either of those provinces might not possibly be reduced to Christian life without some one of these explicitely and actually considered and so have no temptation to inlarge this Chapter by any such consideration CHAP. IX Of the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds together and severally of the Nicene § 1. HAving view'd the Apostles Creed and of it premised this one thing that it was a complete Catalogue of all that they being directed by the holy Ghost in their ministerie thought fit to lay the foundation of Christian obedience in every Church and consequently that there was no more in their opinion necessary in order to this end of working reformation in the world It will from this datum demonstratively follow either that there is in the two other Creeds the Nicene and Athanasian nothing materially different from that which the Apostles Creed had contained nothing really superadded to it or else that that superaddition was not in the Apostles estimation necessary to this end and consequently that if at the forming of them it were by the following Church thought necessary to be thus made or still continues to be so this must arise from some fresh emergent one or more which had been observable in the Church after the Apostles time § 2. And which of these two is the truth it will not be uneasie to define For though the omission of some words which had been retained in the Apostles Creed doe not signifie much for it is certain that they were while retained in that and are still now they are left out in following Creeds eternally and unquestionably true in the sense wherein the Apostles and their successors understood them nor indeed any more then that they were virtually contained in other words still continued as the descent to hades under that of his suffering and burial and not rising till the third day and the Communication of Saints under the Catholick Church with the Epithet of Apostolick added to it or else that they were not necessary to be repeated because already familiarly known and confessed and not question'd by those hereticks against whom the variations were designed as in the Athanasian Creed the Articles of the holy Ghost so largely set down in four branches in the Nicene Creed and the three Articles attending that of the holy Ghost in the Apostles Creed are all omitted yet those words which in the later Creeds were superadded to the former were apparently designed by the Compilers for some special use either by way of addition or interpretation to fense the Catholick orthodox Faith from the corruptions and depravations or else from the doubtings and contradictions of hereticks § 3. Thus in the Nicene Creed the two additions in the first Article the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one prefixed to God and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of all things visible and invisible were upon prudent deliberation and considering interposed the first of them on occasion of the Arians in one respect and both of them in another respect by reason of the Gnostick and Valentinian and such like following hereticks whose heathen and Poetical Theologie taken from Hesiod and Orpheus and Philistion had rendred them necessary For that those hereticks beginning with their Simon and Helena had introduced a plurality of Gods and so made the Profession of the Vnitie part of the symbolum that should discriminate the Orthodox from them and affirmed that their Aeones or Angels were begotten by Helena Simon 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first cogitation and that the world was created by them and that the God of the Jewes was but one of those Angels and a great deal of the like appears by Irenaeus l. 1. c. 22. And these two intersertions were clear explications of the Apostles old form God the Father Ruler of all Maker of heaven and earth which sufficiently contained an acknowledgment of the Vnitie for how else could he be monarch or Ruler of all and also asserted him the Creator of all the Angels who were certainly comprehended under the heaven and earth the phrase of Scripture to denote the world but yet was capable of more light by these more explicite words visible and invisible to exclude the contradictions of hereticks § 4. And though the Creed in the ancient Apostolick form were sufficient for any man to believe professe yet when the Church hath thought meet to erect that additional bulwark against hereticks the rejecting or denying the truth of those their additions may justly be deemed an interpretative siding with those antient or a desire to introduce some new heresies And though good life might have been founded without those additions if on such occasions they had never been made yet the pride or singularity or heretical designe of opposing or questioning them now they are framed being themselves unreconcileable with Christian charity and humility are destructive of the fabrick directly and interpretatively of the very foundation and is therefore justly deemed criminous and lyable to Censures in the Church of God § 5. So likewise the Oneness of our Lord Jesus Christ as before
superstructing good life on this is saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being carried to perfection and again in yet plainer words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Faith is the beginning and the foundation and that without which nothing shall or will be firmly built still making the Faith or belief of the Articles the foundation in respect of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the excellent Christian life which was by the Apostles and Christ designed to be built on it CHAP. II. The Division of the discourse into four parts What are Fundamental in General § 1. THe notion of the word being now explained that which is yet behinde will be regularly reducible to these four heads First What those things are in General and then in particular to which this notion of Fundamentals belongeth and withall what propriety all and each of these have toward the supporting this superstructure the planting a Church of Christian livers 2dly What are the particular branches of this superstructure 3dly What Doctrines there are infused among Christians which are most apt to obstruct or intercept the superstructing of Christian life where the foundation is laid 4dly What things are necessary to the erecting of this superstructure on this foundation already laid whether in a particular Christian or especially in a Church or society of such § 2. The General way of defining what these fundamentals are must in reason be taken from the practise of the Apostles as the interpreter of God's appointment and judgment in this matter For it being certain that the Apostles which had a commission from Christ to preach and admit disciples over all the world to bring impenitent Jewes and Idolatrous Gentiles to the obedience of Christ were by him also directed in their way counselled in the choice of the fittest means of performing so great a work the argument will be infallibly conclusive on both sides positively and negatively that whatever the Apostles joyntly agreed on at their entrance on their several Provinces to be the subject of their first Sermons in all their travails that was by them and consequently by God himself deemed fundamental in our present sense and whatever was not by them thought thus necessary must not by us be obtruded on or forced into that Catalogue § 3. For the clearing of this it is first evident that there was in the A-Apostles times such a foundation laid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every Church as in that of Corinth 1 Cor. 3.11 styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 6.20 a good depositum or trust which Timothie had received from the Apostles for the direction of his ministerie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude 3. the faith once or at once delivered to the saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.13 a form or breviate or summarie of wholsome words or sound doctrine which he had heard from S. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one faith Eph. 4.5 in proportion to which followeth there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one baptisme wherein there was made profession of that Faith and to which none of years and knowledge was ever admitted who had not been sufficiently instructed by the Catechist in every part of this foundation which to that end the Catechist received from the Bishop with his short exposition of it see S. Ambrose Ep 35. l. 5. and being so instructed made open Confession of it and moreover by vow obliged himself there to superstruct all Christian practise upon it § 4. Secondly that this was approved of by them in common upon consultation and so seemed good to the holy Ghost and to them in order to their end the bringing of Jewes and Gentiles to repentance and accordingly was left behinde them delivered down to the Bishops of all Churches of their plantation not only as a rule of faith but as a symbolum or badge of the Apostles having planted Christianity among them All which is clearly testified by Tertullian Irenaeus and other the first writers See Irenaeus l 1. c. 11. 19. l. 3. c. 4. Tertullian de virgin veland in the beginning de Praescription throughout § 5. Thirdly that all that was necessary in order to that end the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the discipling all nations was comprehended in this form or summary it being certain that what God did not deem necessary was not necessary and that nothing which was so deem'd by God was omitted or left behinde by them whose office and care it was to declare the whole will of God and to lead others as themselves had been led into all necessary truth § 6. Fourthly that what we thus affirm of the necessity of these things to the superstructing of Christian practise must not so be understood that the hearing and believing of each of them be thought absolutely necessary in every single Jew or heathen that he may repent and convert and live a Christian life or without which he cannot but necessary to the discharge of the Apostolical office which was to reap whole fields to bring in whole cities and nations to Christ § 7. They that were to plant a Church were to deal with men of several and distant affections and tempers and interests an heterogeneous body made up of a multitude of various inclinations and of different habits of sin and degrees of radication of those habits and to each of these some proper application was to be made by those that came on Christ's errand to cure their souls as Hippocrates advises his Physitian to have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mollifying preparations for all turns and to carry them about with him and so a whole Dispensatorie was little enough to meet with and suffice to all their wants or at least some Catholicon of a transcendent virtue proportionable to the obstinacy of any the most desperate maladie But this confusion of diseases and rapsodie of difficulties was not to be supposed in each single sinner and consequently there was not the same necessity of the whole tale of Fundamentals for the converting or reducing of him § 8. There is no doubt but there were reformed Jewes before Christ's time whom the pedagogie and rudiments and imperfect documents of the Law with those influences and assistances of God which were then afforded brought home unto God and among them some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteous and some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercifull men which had arrived to the abundance of goodness as they style it And of this kinde were the Esseni who though they be not ordinarily conceived to have been Christians yet are described by Philo under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so very like Christians that there is no reason to doubt but that Christian piety might be infused into some without the explicite knowledge of all and every of those articles which yet in general speaking or as it was to be planted through the
prevent and assist us nor reasonably attempt to doe without this hope § 4. Farther yet the Resurrection of Christ hath the power of a pattern to us and is so made use of and typified in baptisme as an engagement and obligation to us to transcribe that divine copie into our hearts and to rise to newness of life And accordingly that seems to be the importance of the phrase Rom. 10.9 believing in the heart that God raised Christ from the dead there being no more necessary to the superstructing all piety on that one foundation but to sink down the belief of that one Article from the brain to the heart to reduce it effectually to practise CHAP. VI. Other Articles of Belief in Christ § 1. BEside these two a whole calogue and climax of Articles we have set down 1 Tim. 3.16 made manifest in or by the flesh justified by the Spirit seen of Angels preached among the Gentiles believed on in the world received up with glory And these altogether seem to be that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truth v 15. as elsewhere Faith of which the Church was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pillar and establishment to sustain and keep it as a pillar firmly set up on the basis sustains and upholds the fabrick laid upon it from sinking or falling For so this truth deposited in the Church or with the Governours thereof such as Timothy there was to be conserved and upheld by that means And it is farther observable in that place that it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mysterie of Piety and that a great one signifying the price and value of these articles principally to consist in this that they tend mightily to the begetting of piety in our hearts and so are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the articles of our initiation or of our religion into which we are initiated by baptisme as the foundation on which all our Christian practise which alone deserves the name of piety and is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impiety is superstructed and built afterward § 2. This will be more visible by surveying the severals 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God manifest by the stesh God was so intent upon this work of revealing and declaring his will to men in order to bringing home sinners to repentance so very desirous that men should reform and live and not sin and perish eternally that to inforce this on us at the greatest possible advantage he was pleased himself to assume and manifest his will in or by our Flesh and so not only God from heaven but God visible on earth to preach reformation among us and if this be not able to make impression on us it is not imaginable that all the preaching of men or Angels that any inferior method should be of force to doe it From whence it was that all the Devil's countermines in the first ages were designed purposely against this one Article the Deity or Godhead of Christ incarnate making all that he did and suffered here an appearance no reality in opposition to which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so oft repeated by Ignatius the reality and verity of Christ's eating and suffering and rising c. and every branch of such heresie took off as farre as it was believed from the necessity of Christian life not only by implying him to be an Impostor if he were not truly what he oft affirmed himself and was by the Apostles affirmed to be the Messias i. e. the eternal son of God and God blessed forever but by evacuating that great obligation and engagement to reform our lives taken from the authority and Godhead of him that had sought and sollicited it so earnestly and came down from heaven and assumed our flesh upon that one errand or embassie to reveal himself more convincingly among us § 3. Had it been only a Prophet though never so great and extraordinarily furnished with signes and wonders he had been but a servant of God and there were many experiences and precedents among their forefathers of the resisting of such but the personal descent of God himself and his assumption of our flesh to his divinity more familiarly to insinuate his pleasure to us to admonish and invite and denounce judgments and even to weep over those that would yet be obstinate was an enforcement beyond all the methods of wisdome that were ever made use of in the world § 4. For God I say himself to doe all this and to descend so low to so mean an estate and to a much meaner usage a shameful contumelious death to work this work most effectually upon men was a wonderful act of grace wisdome a secret a mysterie indeed beyond all former waies infinitely considerable towards this of turning from every evil § 5. And upon this score the doctrine of the antient and modern Arians and Photinians which so industriously lessens the divinity of Christ in pretense of zeal to God the Father to whom they will not permit him to be equal must consequently take off extremely from this Mysterie of Piety this foundation of a good life laid in the eternal God's coming down to preach it to us And as it is a direct contradiction to those places wherein Christ is called God Act. 20.28 Tit. 2.13 wherein he and his Father are affirmed to be one Joh. 10.30 1 Joh. 5.7 wherein the known title of the God of Israel never named in their services but it was answered by all with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God blessed forever is by the Apostles attributed to Christ Rom. 9.5 as also Heb. 13.21 1 Pet. 4.11 5.11 2 Pet. 3.18 Rev. 1.6 and which as Proclus saith convinceth all the heresies concerning Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and walls up the newly invented waies of injury and contumely against him So it is a great diminution and abatement of the force of that fundamental argument whereon God thought fit that the renovation of the world should be superstructed and how much soever the contrary hereticks the modern Socinians have pretended to the maintenance of Piety 't is certain they have by this taken out one principal stone from the foundation of it the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here God made manifest by the flesh which could not be affirmed of Christ if he were not first God before he was thus made manifest by the means of his incarnation § 5. The next stone in this foundation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God's having been justified by the Spirit i. e. the several waies of conviction which were used in the world by the Spirit of God to give authority to all that was revealed by Christ as the will and commands of God Such was 1. the visible descent of the Spirit of God upon him at his baptisme Mat. 3. which as preparative to his entring on the exercise of his prophetick office Mat. 5. c. was the divine
the earth and of the Nations brought their glory to the Lamb Rev. 21.24 26. and to the same purpose Rev. 17.14 19.6 and as among the Jewes so all the world over those that received not the commands of Christ and his doctrines of purity and perseverance were signally destroyed and they that did were preserved as a peculiar people unto him to live and continue in his obedience § 13. And this great successe on both sides among Jewes and Gentiles over all the world part of it historically true at the compiling of these articles and part of it prophetically true then and fulfilled afterward the subduing them either by the word of his mouth the preaching of the Gospel or by the word of his power the destructions which he sent among them was a most effectual argument a soveraign method to give authority to this faith which was thus prevailing and becomes the greatest instance of reproach to all libertine professors that they should not purifie their hearts by the faith when the most impure Idolaters were wrought on to doe so and a sad certain aboad to all such after the example of obstinate Infidels and impure Gnosticks of both present and future destructions § 14. The sixt and last stone in this foundation is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his being received up in or with or into glory Christ's ascension or assumption to heaven being an irrefragable argument of conviction to the world that he died an innocent person Joh. 16.10 and consequently that what he taught was the will of God and 2 truth of heaven to which he was assumed after his testification of it To which when these two circumstances are superadded first that his assumption being in the sight of many was also solemnized by the presence of Angels and a voice from heaven Act. 1.9 10 11. and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in or with glory after a glorious manner and secondly that it was attended with the exercise of divine power both in the Church by the hands of the Apostles and their successors whom Christ had authorized to succeed him on the earth and in the world by executing visible judgments on his crucifiers c. and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into glory or regal power this will be an article of great energie for the planting of Christian faith and purity in the world CHAP. VII The Faith in Baptisme § 1. WHat hath thus been set down as so many branches of fundamental belief and so of the mysterie of Godliness the ground of initiating or entring men into Christian life is more summarily compriz'd in the form of baptism the ceremony of this initiation instituted by Christ wherein all that were to be baptized were if of age first instructed in the doctrine and then received In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Which are the abbreviature of the larger Catalogue of doctrinals formerly taught and explained by the Catechist and those on which they that administred baptisme are commanded to superstruct all the duties of Christian life Mat. 28.20 teaching them to observe all things which I have commanded you the authority of all and each the persons of the Trinity being purposely engaged on this one great interest and the gathering disciples and receiving of Proselytes over the world being design'd to this one grand end of introducing the practise of Christian virtues among men who doe therefore in baptisme sacramentally and federally i. e. under oath and solemnest vow as they believe any thing of these fundamental doctrines of God the Father Son and holy Ghost undertake the performance thereof and if they fail therein are the most faithlesse perjured persons in the world And certainly this method is in the designe as probable how improsperous soever the wickedness of men hath rendred the successe of it as any could have been invented to this end CHAP. VIII Of the Creeds in general and first of the Apostles Creed § 1. THE method now leads from the more compendious to the larger and fuller view of this foundation as it is set down in the Creeds of the Church and first in that which is called symbolum Apostolicum the Apostolick badge or mark a tessera or token of the Apostles having planted the Faith in any Church the known summarie of that belief which had been received from the Apostles § 2. For although in their Epistles which were all written to them which were Christians already there is not to be expected any complete Catalogue of those articles which they had every where taught because they were supposed by them to be sufficiently known and might briefly be referred to as such without any perfect enumeration yet in any city or region where the Apostles came to plant the faith it is the affirmation of the first writers of the Church as frequently appears in Tertullian Irenaeus c. and there is no reason of doubt of the truth of it that all those articles which were thought fit to be laid as the foundation of Christian life were by them distinctly delivered And this being a matter of fact of which as of the Canon of scripture or of this or that book in it only the records and stories of the first times are competent judges that Creed which is delivered down to us by the Antient Churches thus planted I mean those of the first three hundred years and by them entituled to the name the Apostles and expounded in the homilies of the Fathers some extant others mentioned by Ruffinus illustres tractatores which had gone before him in that work is in all reason to be deemed the summe of that Foundation Of this if any farther evidence be necessary it will be thus easily made up § 3. The time of forming the Nicene Creed and the occasion of it by way of opposition to those heresies which had then broken into the Church is known to every man Now before this was formed it is certain that all the Churches of the world both Eastern and Western had a form of confession of Faith which they had received from their immediate ancestors and they from the Apostles themselves § 4. And of this there is no place of doubting but that it was the very same which we now call the Apostles Creed not only because there was never any other assigned by any or affirmed to have had that general reception but because the testimonies of the Antients are expresly for this Ruffinus and Vigilius cont Eutychen testifie clearly for the Western Church and Ruffinus again and Cyrill of Jerusalem for the Eastern § 5. And Marcellus Bishop of Ancyra in the Great Councel of Nice a famous supporter of the true Faith and a great sufferer for it against the Arians at his taking his leave of Pope Julius leaves behinde him the Confession of his faith which saith he he had received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his predecessors in
of the Father referring to the several hypostases in the one eternal indivisible divine nature and the eternity of the Sons generation and his coeternity and consubstantiality with the Father when he came down from heaven and was incarnate c. for us men peculiarly not for Angels and for our salvation and lastly the perpetuity of his kingdome added in the close all these are assertions equivalent to those which had been before comprised in the antient more simple uncompounded article but were usefull to be thus enlarged and explicated when the Arians opposed the Apostolick tradition and by corrupting detorted the words of scripture to their sense § 6. This is elswhere more largely shewed in the note on 1 Joh. 5.7 And all that will opportunely here be added is onely this that they which according to the Apostles depositum or doctrine in every Church believed the descent and incarnation of the eternal God on purpose to rescue mankinde from all impurities to reveal the whole divine will for the regulating mens lives to attest it by his death and evidence it by his resurrection c. and at last to come to judge the world according to this determinate rule had all those branches of Christian faith which were required to qualifie mankinde to submit to Christ's reformation And 't is the wilfull opposing these more explicite articles the resisting them when they are competently proposed from the definition of the Church and not the not-believing them thus explicitly when either they are not revealed or not with that conviction against which he cannot blamelesly and without pertinacy of his will hold out that will bring danger of ruine on any § 7. That which is added of the holy Ghost the Lord and giver of life who proceedeth from the Father and the Son supposing with the Western Church that the Filióque was found in the first copies and acts of that Councel who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified who spake by the Prophets is in like manner an enlargement and explication of the more brief Apostolick form and the substance thereof was comprised formerly in that uncompounded style fitter then for the belief and memory of all but was afterward prudently enlarged for the repelling and preventing the poyson of heretical invaders the Montanists and Macedonians c. § 8. And so likewise that addition of the one Baptisme prefixt to the Remission of sins was on purpose design'd against the Novatians whose pretensions were considered and condemned in the Councel of Nice The practises of the Churches in receiving those that had fallen into gross sins after baptisme had been somewhat different in some parts milder as in the Church of Rome in others more rigid The Church of Rome had given some liberty for the great offenders murtherers adulterers and such as had fallen to Idol-worship in time of persecution viz that after many years penance they might be restored to the Communion and peace of the Church without any new baptisme such as was used in admitting heathens only by imposition of hands or absolution extending the virtue of baptisme formerly received to the washing away of these sins committed after baptism in case of sincere repentance and forsaking of them This the Novatians disliked and thereupon brake off and made a schisme in the Church And the Councel of Nice taking cognizance of the matter judged against Novatus and his followers that there was place for a second repentance and not only for that first before Baptisme as appears by the Canons of that Councel And this was it that was referred to in this more enlarged passage of their Creed and the use of it thought very considerable for the reducing of lapst Christians as the Apostolical article of remission of sins indefinitely had been for the attracting heathens And this and all the former additions being thus setled by the Vniversal Church were and still are in all reason without disputing to be received and embraced by the present Church and every meek member thereof with that Reverence that is due to Apostolick truths that thankfulness which is our meet tribute to those sacred champions for their seasonable and provident propugning of our faith with such timely and necessary application to practise that the holy Ghost speaking to us now under the times of the New Testament by the Governours of the Christian Churches Christ's mediate successors in the Prophetick Pastoral Episcopal office as he had formerly spoken by the Prophets of the Old Testament sent immediately by him may finde a cheerful audience and receive all uniform submission from us § 9. And this is all that is here necessary to be said of this second Creed CHAP. X. Of the Athanasian Creed § 1. OF the Athanasian Creed as it is usually called two things will be briefly considerable 1. The doctrine of it 2. The curses and damnation denounced against those who doe not entirely maintain it without the corruptions and mixtures of the hereticks § 2. The Doctrine is well-nigh all of it the asserting the Vnity of the Divine nature and the Trinity of hypostases whether subsistences as the Greek Church called it or as the Latine personae persons in it and that in opposition to several novel propositions which had by hereticks been introduced in the Church and so as the vices of men suggest lawes occasioned such explications and enlargements And of these again much more then of the Nicene superadditions it may be reasonably affirmed that being the explications of a Father of the Church and not of a whole Vniversal Councel or of the Church representative they were neither necessary to be explicitly acknowledged before they were convincingly revealed nor simply and absolutely imposeable on any particular man any farther then he was a member of some Church which had actually received Athanasius's explication as it is apparent the Western Churches did or then it appeared concordant with the more authentick Vniversal Confessions as every doctrinal proposition of it will be found to doe § 3. As for the Censures annext 1. in the beginning that except a man keep the Catholick faith of which this is set down not as the entire form but an explication or interpretation of some parts of it whole and undefiled he shall doubtless perish everlastingly 2dly in the middle he that will be saved must thus think and it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly in the incarnation c. and 3dly in the end this is the Catholick Faith which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved I suppose they must be interpreted by their opposition to those heresies that had invaded the Church which were acts of carnality in them that broached and maintained them against the Apostolick Doctrine and contradictory to that foundation which had been resolved on as necessary to bring the world to the obedience of Christ and were therefore to be anathematized after
such as we cannot but wonder when we read them as in the case of the Israelites coming out of Aegypt in the wilderness that they should not prevail upon them when yet they did not prevail And what can be more contrary to rational motives then predetermination For as if they had not that perswasive efficacie in them as to be able to move a rational man they could not be denominated rational so if they were backed with a violence if they were proposed to us in the name and power of an omnipotent immutable decree they could never be said motives or perswasives And so still God's gracious dealings with men being the aids and auxiliaries necessary to us in the pursuit of piety and the one doctrine and perswasion of God's predetermination of all events having superseded and cassated all those waies we have no bottome left on which to found the least beginning or thought of piety as long as we continue possessed with that perswasion § 17. 4thly This doctrine if it were true must necessarily take away all judgement to come all reward and punishment which are certainly apportioned to the voluntary actions and choises of men and therefore belong not to any but rational creatures and can no more be awarded to those actions which are predetermined by God then to the ascending of the flame or descending of the stone which by nature the providence of God are thus predetermined and act by decree and not by choise And when all judgment to come is once vanished all reward to engage obedience and all terror to restrain disobedience is once removed and so in effect the three last Articles of the Creed rejected also what hope is there that the remaining Articles should be sufficient to doe it § 18. To these Christian Theological considerations it will not be amisse to adde what care the Writers of Politicks have had to warn us of the noxiousness of this doctrine to all civil governments which Christian religion rightly understood is so very farre from disturbing that beyond all other Aphorisms Political beyond the sagest provisions of the Profoundest Lawgivers it is would men but live according to the rules of it incomparably qualified to perpetuate publick weal and peace § 19. But for the doctrine of those who so mistake Christian religion as to think it is only a chain of fatal decrees to deny all liberty of man's choise toward good or evil and to affix all events to God's predetermination This say they is utterly irreconcileable with the nature of civil government with the foundation thereof laid in Laws or with the punishments and rewards which are thought necessary to the continuance thereof and Campanella chooseth to instance in Republicâ praesertim liberâ in a Republick or free state § 20. For when the people which think their liberty of which they are very tender and jealous to be retrench'd or impaired by the restraint of Laws can farther answer their Rulers though but in the heart without proceeding to farther boldness that they cannot observe their Laws being led by irresistible decrees to the transgressing of them the consequence is easie to foresee the despising and contemning of Laws and hating and detesting of those who are obliged to punish them when they have offended which two are soon inflamed beyond the rate of popular discontents into actual seditions and tumults as soon as opportunity shall favour or opinion of their own strength incourage them to it § 21. That the Turkish Empire hath not yet found the noxious effects of this poyson so commonly received among them will I suppose be objected against the truth of this But 't is visible to what Antidotes this must be imputed 1. to their ignorance and unimprovableness in matters of knowledge and rational discourse being generally kept rude and without all literature which is the grindstone to sharpen the coulters to whet their natural faculties and to inable them to discourse and deduce natural consequences 2dly To the the manner observed in Governing them by force and not by obligation on conscience by violence and not by laws Which way of managerie being somewhat proportionable to the opinion of fatal decrees and agreeing with it in this that it doth really leave nothing to men's choises is withall as a contrary poyson a hot thrown after a cold very proper to abate the energie of it forcing them as fatally to abstain as they can deem themselves forced or impelled to commit any such enormitie § 22. However 't is manifest that the force they are under is a real force and that of their fate but an imaginarie conceived one the one but in their brains the other on their shoulders and it is not strange if the irony chains are experimented to have more solidity and so more efficacie in them then the contemplative § 23. Sed si Italos say the Politick writers But if this doctrine should ever get among the Italians whose wits are more acute and sure the Italians have not inclosed that excellencie from all the rest of Europe it would presently put all into confusion they would soon discern the consequences and utmost improvements of the opinion and never stick to cast all on God as the author of all and having resolved with him in Homer of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that all is chargeable on the superiour cause Jupiter and Fate inferre regularly with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the blamelesness of the inferiour agent and so there being no place left for sin or law immediately believe and follow their own wishes turn Libertines throw off all yoke of men as well as God In intuition whereof I suppose it was that Plato would not permit in his Common-wealth any that should affirm God to be the author of all the evils that were committed And Proclus upon the Timaeus sets them down as a third degree of Atheists who attribute to God the impressing on men's mindes a necessity of doing whatsoever they doe § 24. 'T is true where there is any remainder of natural piety he that believes the doctrine of absolute decrees may be thereby restrained from actually making the conclusions inferring such impious horrid consequences be they never so obvious and regular of making God the author of sin and the like But we know those natural dictates are by unnatural sins effaced in many and when that one restraint is removed the conclusion will be as easily believed as the premises and where neither boldness nor skill are wanting to deduce it that Conclusion will again turn Principle and induce all vitious enormous living which Laws were designed to restrain but will no longer doe it when themselves are look'd on as impertinent invaders of liberty despised first and then hated § 25. One farther consideration hath been added to this former that this doctrine being imbibed by Governours is very apt to instill into them principles of tyrannie if it be but by imitating and transcribing from God
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that that people are composed to the greatest sobriety among whom the citizens stand in more fear of dispraise then of law supposing that state to be best qualified where virtue and every part of good living which laws are wont to prescribe hath acquired so great a credit and reputation among all that without fear of punishment from laws or Magistrates the very dread of shame and disgrace shall be able to contain all men within the bounds of exact living and awe them from admitting any thing which is foul or sinful To which purpose also is that of Hippodamus the Pythagorean that there be three causes of virtue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shame is the last of them of which saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. good customes are able to infuse a dread into all men that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well cultivated and make them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have a reverence or pudicitious chaste fear of doing any thing which is ill And according to this prudential notion of these wise men of the world is this piece of Christian discipline instituted by our Saviour to deprive vice of its greatest temptation the praise of men to exalt and set up virtue the onely creditable thing and brand sin as infamous And if this of shame superadded to the former of losse and both being met together as the sinners portion here perfectly prefiguring the two saddest ingredients in hell deprivation of the blissful vision and confusion of face cannot prove efficacious and successful to the mortifying of unprofitable vice the Church doth then give over the patient as desperate pretends not to any farther methods of working on such obdurate sinners § 34. Nor indeed is it reasonable it should when beside the Foundation consisting of so many stones each of them elect and pretious chosen by the wisdome of heaven for this admirable work of reforming the most obdurate Jew or heathen this series and succession of so many powerful methods being farther prescribed by God and administred by the Church have found so discouraging a reception that nothing but the violence of storming or battery the course which God is forced to take for the destroying but cannot without changing the course of nature for the converting of sinners can hope or pretend to prove successful on them § 35. What hath been said of the wise disposition of God in preparing instituting this series of necessaries for the effecting this great work the reformation of mens lives the latter annext to the former each to adde weight and authority and to vindicate the contempts of the former might more largely be insisted on yet on a farther designe to give us a just value of that sacred office which Christ fixed in the Church in his Apostles and the Bishops their successors and honoured it and them in this especially that he hath put these weapons into their hands intrusted to and invested in them the Power of dispensing all these and by that means rendred them necessary to the planting and supporting a Church of vital Christians to the maintaining of pious practise in any community of Professors But this would soon swell this discourse beyond the limits designed to it § 36. All that is behinde will be by way of Comment on that part of the Church of England's charity which hath constantly called to God that he will inspire continually the Vniversal Church with the Spirit of truth unity and concord and grant that all they that doe confesse his holy name may agree in the truth of his holy word and live in unity and godly love A Prayer O Most gracious Lord God the Creator of all things but of men and all mankinde a tender compassionate father in Jesus Christ thou that hast enlarged thy designes and purposes of grace and mercy as the bowels and blood-shedding of thy Son with an earnest desire that every weak or sinfull man should partake of that abysse that infinite treasure of thy bounty Thou that hast bequeathed to us that Legacie and example of a sacred inviolate Peace a large diffusive charity We meekly beseech thee to overshadow with thy heavenly grace the souls of all men over all the world O Lord thou lover of souls to bring home to the acknowledgment and embraces of thy Son all that are yet strangers to that profession and in whatsoever any of us who have already received that mercy from thee may be any way useful or instrumental to that so glorious end to direct and incline our hearts toward it to work in us all an holy zeal to thy name and tender bowels to all those whose eternity is concerned in it O give us a true serious full comprehension and value of that one great interest of others as well as our selves shew us the meanest of us some way to contribute toward it if it be but our daily affectionate prayers for the enlarging of thy kingdome and the care of approving all our actions so as may most effectually attract all to this profession And for all those that have already that glorious name of thy Son called upon them blessed Lord that they may at length according to the many engagements of their profession depart from iniquity that that holy city that new Jerusalem may at length according to thy promise descend from heaven prepared as a bride adorned for the husband Christ that that tabernacle of God with men may be illustriously visible among us that we may be a peculiar people and thou our God inhabiting in power among us that we which have so long professed thee and been instructed by thee may no longer content our selves with that form of knowledge which so often engenders strife contentions animosities separating and condemning one another and that most unchristian detestable guilt of blood but endevour and earnestly contend for the uniform effectual practise of all the precepts of thy Son the fruits and power of all Godliness that all the Princes and people of Christendome the Pastors and sheep of thy fold may at length in some degree walk worthy of that light and that warmth that knowledge and those graces that the sun of righteousness with healing in his wings hath so long poured out upon us Lord purge powerfully work out of all hearts that profaneness and Atheisticalness those sacrilegious thirsts and enormous violations of all that is holy those unpeaceable rebellious mutinous and withall tyrannizing cruell spirits those prides and haughtinesses judging and condemning defaming and despising of others those unlimited ambitions and covetings joyned with the invasion and violation of others rights those most reproachful excesses and abominable impurities which to the shame of our unreformed obdurate hearts doe still remain unmortified unsubdued among us but above all those infamous hypocrisies of suborning religion to be the engine of advancing our secular designes or the disguise to conceal the foulest intentions