Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	saviour_n	spirit_n	worship_v	2,314	5	9.2452	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07444	The iudge of heresies one God, one faith, one church, out of which there is no saluation. Excluding all infidells, Mahumetans, Iewes, obstinate papists, and other heretikes of all sorts, and consequently all newters, who conforme themselues onely externally to any religion, from hope of participation of the kingdome of heauen. If they finally persist therein, and returne not to the knowledge and zealous profession of the true faith. By Iohn Merideth, Sub-Deane of Chichester.	Meredith, John, b. 1579 or 80.	1624 (1624)	STC 17830; ESTC S112660	68,232	98

deepest depth of Impiety I thinke it fit I say in this secure silence but great and crying necessity yea most needfull I deeme it to vse the best meanes I am able to saue their Soules who are vpon the brinke of Hell and run with no small alacrity to destruction as if it were vnto Saluation By propounding vnto them the end of their Deuiall Course which is In●uitable Damnation if they continue vnto the end therein and by reducing them into the right way which conducteth vnto eue●lasting life and endlesse saluation that wee being gatherd together into one fold may be safe vnder the tuition of the great Shepheard of our Soules Christ Iesus our Lord and onely Sauiour THE IVDGE OF HERESIES CAP. 1. Sheweth that God requireth truth in Religion which must be squared to the Rule of his Word and therfore Iewes Turkes and Papists whose Religion is false because contrary to the Scriptures cannot bee saued if they persist in their obstinacie and that Papists are but Pseudo Christians THough the most high and mighty God doth not stand in neede of Mans Seruice yet so hath hee ordained that Man should doe him certaine worship and that ad dandam ●onauext Breuiloq Par. 3. Cap. 11 1. viam perueniendi ad Coronam per obedient●am to make a way for man and to op●n him a doore to obtaine a Crowne of Immortality by Obedience with this bond of Pietie are wee obliged vnto God this is the Su●me of the Religion we profes●e To this end God made Man Exceptorium bonitatis Organon Clarificationis eius saith Irenaeus the Treasure-house Iren●●● lib. 4. ad●ers ●arcs Cap. 24. of his goodnesse and instrument of his glory and againe Exceptorium Justi iudicii ●ius the vessell of his wrath fury and indignation if vngratefully he neglect the exhibition of that allegeance hee doth owe vnto God the which hee hath r●uealed vnto man in his word But as Augustine obserueth Duobus modis hic peccatur antequam sapient fiat A man may offend two wayes before Lib. 3. de lib. Arb. hee hath pe●forn ed it if either hee refuse to apply himselfe to the knowledge of his Word or hauing receiued it will not shape himselfe to those Duties it requireth for p●●u●ntion whereof God made Man by nature to aff●ct these two things Wisedome saith Lactantins and Religion L●b 3 d● sa●s ●a pient cap. 11. Idem 〈◊〉 4 de vera Sap cap. 3. inseperable also in Office because In colendo sap●re debemus wee must bee wise in worshipping that is wee must know what and how we worship and In sapiendo colere in our wisedome wee must worship that is fulfill in Act and deed that which wee know Therefore there is Religion in Wisedome and Wisedome in Religion for which cause they cannot bee separated because to bee wise is nought else Nisi Deum Verum Iustis Ibid. piis cultibus honorare but to honour the true God with due and deuout worship for the selse same God hee is who must be vnderstood and that by Wisedome and be honoured and that by Religion ●ut Wisedome must haue the preced●nce Religion must follow Quia prius est Deum sc●re consequens colere wee must know God before wee can worship Ibid. Cap. 4. him Our Sauiour did vpbraid the Samaritanes for worshipping that which they knew not declaring that God will bee worshipped I●b 4. in Spirit and in truth that is purely against Hypocrites and Newters and in truth against Infidels Iewes Mahumetans and Heretickes The last Condition hee annexeth for those who seeme to worship God in minde Non tamen rectam habent scientiam but want true knowledge for wee must worship him in Minde sanam opinionem de ips● habere and haue a sound Theophilact Ibid. opinion of him for such worshippers God requireth Quoniam spiritus est Spiritus Spirituales quoniam veritas est veros as hee is a Spirit spirituall as hee is truth such as must worship him in truth And thus much the Pagan could discerne by the darke glimmering of Nature saying that it is the chiefe matter to bee regarded in Religion toward God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epicte● in Enc●yrid cap. 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to haue right opinions of God Therefore it sussicet● not to Beleeue Simply but Sicut dicit Scriptura as the Scripture teacheth vs for the true faith Theophil Super cap. 7. Job I●id is drawne out of the Scriptures th●refore our Sauiour saith Hee that beleeueth in me as the Scripture saith that is as the Scripture testifie of me for many think they beleeue in him Sed non vt dicit Scriptura but not as the Scripture directeth and so they follow their owne Sects such are all Heretickes for they beare Witnesse of Christ and whatsoeuer is requisite for vs to know concerning God is cont●ined in them therefore Caietan saith the Scriptures are Deus dicens Seipsum God declaring himselfe and his will vnto man In them God hath set downe what manner of worship he requireth of vs what we ought to beli●ue of him for euery one worshippeth God according to that beliefe he hath of God gathe●ed out of the Scriptures and this beliefe is acc●ptable vn o God and Saluation vnto men In which all those are saued who are predestinated vnto Saluation and without which it is not poss●ble for any man to be saued Whosoeuer therefore shall belieue or maintaine any thing of God and his Christ which is cont●adictory to his holy word doth e●re and that da●nably For as the Philosopher saith An Affirmation and Nega●ion are neuer true of the same Subiect Therfore it is impossible that Turkes Iewes Pagans Hereticks and Orthodoxall Ephes 4. Christians shou●d al● speake and belieue truth of God ● hom they professe s●eing they belieue contrary things of him and that directly contrary to the Scriptures also which are the Rules of Faith This is that Faith in which all Beleeuers since the beginning of the world vntill this present day haue beene saued and wherin our future Posterity vn●ill the dissolution of the same shall bee saued Euen that Seed of the Woman Gen. 3. which bruised the head of the Serpent foreseene by the Patriarches for●told by the Prophets decla●ed by the Euangeli●●s pr●ached by the Apostles and their Su●cessors in fu●ction and Office and belieued by all the fa●tl full vntill this day E● cum pr●dicantium diuersa sunt tempora non tamen Max 〈…〉 in Nat●●● du●ersa narratio and though they liued not all at the same time yet they consented in the same matter One Christ was euer b●lieued so th●t the Faith of the fore-named Ancients and Ours is one and th● selfe same Christ was an● is Heri Hodie ipse in S●cula yesterday Hebr. 13. August this day and the same for eu●r Tempora mutata sunt non fides the ●imes are changed the Faith is one and

Hypocrites Epicures Heretickes Pagans Idolatrers Libertines are in a damnable case and containeth an inuectiue against and admonition vnto all Newters who conforme themselues externally onely vnto diuers and contrary Religions as is Poperie and the Orthodoxall faith professed by the Protestants proouing them to bee Traytors to Christ and no better then Atheists who communicate outwardly with the Papists in their Religious Rites and seeme also to be Protestants in heart and affection with Saint Augustine his Censure of the forenamed for a Conclusion THE PREFACE VNTO the READER WEe are fallen vpon those times Christian Reader vnto which our Sauiour Christ had reference saying When the Sonne of man commeth shal he find faith on the earth Luk. ● By which Interrogation hee foretelleth the rarity of Faith paucity of Beleeuers which should be found in those dayes These are those times wherin as the Spirit spake manifestly some should depart from the Faith Tim. 4. For S. Hillaries Speech of the state of Religion in his time may fitly be applied to our age Tot nunc sides existum Lib. v●t ad Constant quot voluntates c. In these dayes there are as many Religions as wils of men as many Doctrines as there be maners insundry people as many causes of blasphemy sprout vp as there be Vices when Religions are so written to be or are so vnderstood and seeing there is one God one Lord one Baptisme so there should be one Faith only we are departed frō that faith which is the only Faith while more faiths are made we are come to this passe that there is no Faith For now too many imitate the Sampsaean Hereticks in their Religion of whom saith the Father they are Epiphan 〈◊〉 ● Tom. ● 〈◊〉 53. neither Christians nor Iewes nor Pagans sed medii simpliciter existentes nihil sunt but being a confused medley compounded of the former are of no Religion There are such among vs though not of vs who haue forged an opinion to deceiue their ow●e Soules viz. That it auaileth not of what Sect or Religion soeuer a man be a Professor So that hee conceipt it to be good and pleasing vnto God so that euery such man shall be say these Nullisidians saued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 own Law or Sect if he obserue it and therfore they wil be neither Reformed Catholicks as are the Protestants neither Pseudo-Catholicks as are the Papists nor Anticatholicks as are all Hereticks but Diacatholicall Monsters as are all Newters consequently are priuatiuely Atheists hauing as much interest in God as they haue in Godlines whom though they professe with their mouth yet in their heart these fooles say there T it 1. Psal 14. is no God The occasion wherof I do ascribe principally vnto the Defect of Gods grace in such persons wherof they are worthily destitute wherewithall they should haue beene enlightened Secondly to their damnable grosse carelesse vnexcusable Ignorance into which they are plunged through Negligence wherby it commeth to passe that though they know God they worship him not as God but become vaine in their thoughts and haue their foolish hearts full of darknesse and not knowing the Truth cleane vnto their owne opinions thinking it sufficient to worship him according to their owne immaginations rather then to vse any requisite Inquisition to find out the truth imagining with the old Pagans That it is Gods desire by diuersity and disparity of opinions Socrat. Lib. 4. Eccles Hist cap. ●● to illustrate his glory that therefore euery Sect might the more reuerence his Maiesty because that no man might readily know him accurately therefore they choose rather to wauer in doubtfull opinion which is alwayes vncertaine then to stand by faith and knowledge which confirmeth vnto Security Which pernicious pestilent and damnable error was first broached by that Sect among the Pagans who were termed Academicks or Septicks who held Gellius lib. 11. N●ct 〈◊〉 Cap. 5. bl●ssednesse to consist in the Inuestigation of the truth though they neuer attained to the Intention thereof but concluded all with doubtfull suspension of their Iudgement The Authors of which Sect are said to Galen lib de ●p● doc●ndigene●● Sta●●● in 〈◊〉 be Fauorinus and Pyrrho two ancient Philosophers from whom those Hereticks in the Primitiue Church drew their opinions that Tertullian might w●ll say Lib. ●duers●● Hermogene●● that the Philosophers were Patriarchae Hereticorum the great Grandsires of Hereticks From their Pappes questionlesse Ap●lles sucked that dangerous Position Non prorsus opus esse rationem Niceph●●us lib. 4. Eccles Hist Cap 28. fidei inquirere sed in sua quemque persuasione perseuerare debere that it was a needl●sse matter to search into the reason of Faith and Religion but that euery one ought to persist in his own conceit perswasion From their Doctrine Rethorius and his Disciples in Aegypt and Alexandria deriued their most Hereticall Thi●as●er Cataogo Hares Heresie Qui omnes laudabat Hereses c. who praised all Heresies and said that euery mans seuerall opinion was good and that none among them all did erre but that they walked all well beleeued aright Hence drew Mahumedes Sergius that plausible tenent to flesh and blood that all Sects as Christians Alc●oran 〈◊〉 2 4 Turkes Iewes and Infidels may be saued in the obseruation of their owne Law though it be neuer so impure and sensuall which opinion is receiued and applauded by the Heard of Swinish Epicures who liue in any Religion or Sect whatsoeuer in these daies who accommodate themselues vnto that Religion which best relisheth their voluptuous pallate Wherefore because of the abundance of Luke-warme Newters who are infected with this execrable error in these dayes and sprout vp as Tares among the Wheate in most part of this and other Churches who by this meanes are destitute of all faith and Religion and in danger of vtter perdition if they be not firmely established in the true faith of Christ I haue thought it a Worke worthy my labour belonging vnto mine Office and Calling in the Church of Christ wherin I am a most vnworthy Minister and the least weakest among my Brethren while other who excell in many singular graces are through their Charitable conceit of men silent in this poynt and neglect it as needlesse altogether vnseasonable for these dayes wherein the bright light of the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ hath dispelled the darksome and gloomy mists of Error Ignorance Heresie and Infidelity out of the hearts of all or most of the Inhabitants of this Land which I wish with longing desire were euen as their Charity presumeth which I do pray with feruent zeale that in short time it may be so effected through Gods grace and the strong operation of the Ministry of his Word which is able to mollifie the most obdurate heart to open the eyes of the blind to raise vp him that is plunged euen into the

Charitatem in Intentione Loue in thy Intention and Veritatem in Electione Truth in the choyce of thy B●ru Religion For if thou doest loue God and yet doest not serue him according to the Truth of his word thou hast the zeale of God but not according to knowledge therefore thou art not excused by doing that which thou doest beleeue ought to be done for thy beleefe being euill yea being no faith indeed but a light rash Credulity maketh thy purposes like that wicked ones prayer to be turned into sinne and the deuill doth deceaue thee by making thee conceipt it to be faith for as Pirats at Sea are wont in the darke time of the night to set vp lights in places full of sandy shelues and hidden Rockes thereby to allure Passengers vnder hope of attaining to an hauen of Safetie to shipwra●ke and destruction Such is this light of false faith kindled by the Spirits of the Ayre not whereby they may saue the poore Sailers on the Sea of this world and the flouds of this wretched life but by which they may sinke them into the bottomlesse pit of hell and damnation In this respect St. Paul saith that Satan transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light Therefore we that wa●t on the floods of this life must not beleeue euery light vnlesse we fall among Heresies which ruinate the soule while we purpose to reach the true Church which is the pillar and ground of Truth So in matters of Faith and case of Religion a man may intend the true worship of God and yet commit Idolatry as you Papists do● in your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or worshipping of the Sacramentall Bread which is meere Idolatry therefore Bonauentura saith ●●p 3. Se●t dist 9. that a man may be deceaued in his worship Nisi fiat secundum directionem regulam fidei If it be not done according to the direction and rule of Faith for one may De facto adore the diuell transformed into an Angell of light intending it vnto God Neither may his ignorance excuse him for he hath a treble helpe assigned him to preuent error First the prediction of the Scripture saying Many shall come in my Name Math. 24. Secondly prayer vnto God for inward illumination Thirdly suspention of his Credulity For we must not beleeue 1 Ioh. 4. euery spirit but try the Spirits which are of God otherwise if he be an Idolater he may be iustly taxed for worshipping hee knoweth Ioh. 4. not what In vaine doe we beleeue to attaine to the end of our Hope if so be we are ignorant of the right way which leadeth thereunto how much greater is our danger if running a Contrarie or By-way we will not be reclaimed but goe forward therein presumptuously notwithstanding admonition and direction of cunning guides whom we despise Which is as much as if a man who is drunke should thinke himselfe to be sober and doe all as a drunken man doth and yet thinkes himselfe to be sober and would be so accounted by other Such are they who being ignorant of the Truth haue a seeming shew or shadow of the same and doe euill as if it were good and runne on to destruction as if it were to saluation yea and binde themselues by their supposed knowledge to persist in their ignorance and error reiecting the meanes of Reformation saying with the wicked We will none of the knowledge of thy wayes Iob. ●1 O bloody deuotion sprouting from that Hel-bred Ate which made the Heathen to sacrifice their sonnes and daughters to the deuill and causeth the like in you that are deuoted vassals to the Pope in respect of your soules and your children also who may truly cry out against you Parentes sensimus p●rricidas wee haue 〈◊〉 found our Parents the murtherers of our Soules for preuention whereof St. Iohn as I haue said would haue vs try the spirits whither they be of God if through negligence to examine and finde out the truth thou art deceiued the fault is in thy selfe for as Chrysostome saith They cannot excuse themselues from condemnation Ho●●il S●p Math. who had meanes to finde the truth if they had a desire to seek after it for if the truth be the saluation and life of them that know it M●gis debet quaeri quam quaerere It ought rather to be sought for by other then that it should seeke after vs. And surely Negligence in learning the Grounds of Christian Faith is the chiefe cause that suffereth Man to fall into error when men are carelesse to seeke after Gods helpe therefore they are worthily depriued thereof is not he worthy to haue his house darke that shutteth vp the doores thereof and the windowes against the bright beames of the Sun●e which would enlighten it Such persons must know that faith is not Naturall but proceedeth ●phes from the Election of Gods goodnesse and is Donum Dei the Gift of God for were it Naturall all men would hold the selfe-same Faith nor should there be so great dissention about it as we see at this day therefore it is to be sought of God and therefore as the Sunne is not to be seene but by his owne light So the Sunne of Righteousnesse whereby the day spring from an high hath visited vs is not to be seene but by the light of God● grace But because many are rebellious against this light therefore they are wilfully blinde Another cause is Auersion of the vnderstanding from those things which are to be beleeued and from those which might induce them to beleeue them and conuersion vnto Error for as hee that hath his eyes turned from those obiects which he should behold and turned vnto other in that Auersion cannot see what hee should Such are those who embrace false opinions and damnable Sects with such contumacy that they will not vouchsafe to thinke or heare of the contrary and stand out with so great an hatred against those who hold the truth that they will not so much as giue care to their Arguments but resist the holy Ghost who speaketh by their mouth of which sort of men Salomon spake truly A foole hath no delight in vnderstanding vnlesse thou doest sooth him in the conceipts of his owne heart as the v●lgar translation Prouerb 18. hath it For as Vigilius saith Mans minde being before poysoned with Lib. 1. contra Eutichen fla●●● sub J●it the error of false opinion is growne obstinate against the entertainment of the truth nor will yeeld to any testimony bee it neuer so Authenticall for it had rather maintaine a false conceite wherewith it is once infected then renounce it though it bee reputed with neuer so good authority Therefore St. Paul holdeth such Incorigible and not to be de●lt withall who after the first and second admonition persist obstmate Tit. 3. and censureth them condemned euen by the verdict of their owne conscience He that seeth an imminent danger and runneth vpon

make your intention sufficient to saluation you must extend it for Hoc est ad Deum tendere semper cum per desideri●m quaerere et per cognitionem Hug de Sa●ct● vict lib. 1. de Archa Noe. inuenire If your intention be directed vnto God you must not cease to seeke him by desire and you must not leaue off vntill you haue ●ound him by knowledge Our Sauio●r tolde the Iewes that the complement of true liberty consisted in abiding in his word which would make them know the truth and that truth should set them free For the Ioh. 8 knowledge of the truth is the knowledge of that by which a thing is truly that which it is And this is the Art and wisdome of God propounded in the word of God it is the beginning of all truth vnto which whatsoeuer is squared is certainly true whatsoeuer declineth from this line is falshood and enthralleth vnto Satan Therefore we must apply our beliefe to this line if we would not be deceaued if we seeke not the truth so earnestly as we ought we are vnex cusable because we did not vse such diligence as God requireth Therefore that Man should not erre God hath giuen him as well the Vnderstanding as the Will so that the Vnderstanding is as much bound vnto God in his opperations as the A●fection but it is neuer lawfull for the Affection to loue the contrary vnto God or to those things which concerne God Therefore in like manner it shall not be lawfull for the Vnderstanding not to beleeue in God or beleeue in any other manner then he requireth Nemo de Christo credat nisi quod de se credi voluit Christus Aug. Serm. de tempore 145. saith Augustine No man may beleeue other matters of Christ then such as he would haue men beleeue of him Thus much knew the Pagan That euery God would be worshipped after his Socr●t apud Aug. lib. ● de c●nsens Eua●gelist Deut. 12. owne will and not after the will of the worshipper and God requireth it ye shall not doe euery one what seemeth good in his owne eyes but that which seemeth good in the eyes of the Lord. Whence it appeareth that the Vnderstanding hath a law giuen vnto it and limits in his operations and that it is limited what to beleeue or what to know or to be ignorant of and that Ignorance in some matters is damuable as Credulity in other and that neither doth excuse from damnation and consequently That a good Intention is not sufficient vnto saluation Dist 37. Cap. Non omnis ex ●●gust vnleast it be rectified by knowledge and therefore is no protection for such who professe a false Religion And take this for a Corallary Non omnis immunis est à pae●● qui Ignorat c. Euery one that is ignorant is not free from punishment for happily that ignorant man may be excused from punishment who could not finde what to learne But they cannot be pardoned who hauing meanes to learne did neglect to employ their diligence to attaine vnto it CHAP. 4. Proueth that an erronious Conscience is no sufficient bond to oblige a man to persist in a false Religion as the Papists teach but such a conscience ought to be deposed reformed or abandoned and altered according to the rule of Gods law and therefore the case of those Papists who are trained vp in blindenesse is miserable and lamentable TThe Third Motiue obligatory to persist in a false Religion vnknowne is the Conscience which may not be contradicted Let vs therefore consider how farre we are bound to follow the informations thereof and Whither an erronious Conscience bindeth vs as the Papists Aquin. Bel●arm lib. ● de gra lib. arb cap. 10. teach The Conscience therefore vrgeth to those things which are either Secundum legem Dei agreeable to Gods law or praeter legem different from the Law or Contralegem contrary to the law of God In the First sort which are agreeable to the law of God Questionlesse the Conscience bindeth Simply and Vniuersally because that with it a man is bound by the law of God and the Conscience which agreeth with this law sheweth it is bound In the Second sort the Conscience doth binde as long as it vrgeth a thing of that kinde to be done so that a man is bound either to depose his Conscience or else to fulfill what it commandeth to be done As for example my Conscience telleth me that I must vse the Ceremonies of the Church in the execution of my Ministeriall function not only because they are inioyned by the Church but because my Conscience enformeth me that they ●ught to be vsed in as much as they are not contrary to Gods word but also edisicatory to the simple knowing also that so the case standeth with man through the prouidence of God that no humane Actions can be rightly and orderly performed without a kinde of Ceremony that is that they be done in their due place time and forme for otherwise they doe binde my Conscience vnto them vnder penalty not only of Schisme but of Heresie also for the Churches authority maketh them Necessary in respect of my obedience in which sense the Schoolemans rule is true Consciencia ●abet virtutem ligand● Bon●vent sup 2. sent ●●st 39. in his quae possunt aliquo modo bene ●ieri The Conscience hath power to binde in those things which may any way bee done well In the Third which are Contrary to Gods law Conscience doth not binde to doe or leaue vndone but it is bound to depose it selfe for in as much as it erreth against Gods lawe it putteth a man out of the estate of Saluation and therefore it must be deposed or abandoned For whither a man doeth what it commandeth or not he sinneth First if hee follow his Conscience in that which is against Gods law he Sinneth But if he doe against his Conscience he sinneth likewise not in respect of the Act but of the manner of it for his Conscience telleth him that he doth against Gods law though indeed it be pleasing vnto God for All that is not of Faith is sinne for though it be good which is done yet let the Actor constantly perswade himselfe that it is euill he sinneth because God respecteth the minde of the Doer more then the deed Neither can you say that such a one is simply perplexed because he had a way to auoyd it By deposing his erronious Conscience which if he doth not he is perplexed by his owne fault and if he be not able to iudge of such things by himselfe because of his ignorance he must consult with the learned and godly So that An erronious Conscience bindeth but not as a right Conscience for it bindeth not to doe that which it informeth contrary to Gods law though it beleeue it doth all according to the law for then it should binde against the law and consequently a man

prouing them to be traitors to Christ and no better then Atheists who communicate outwardly with the Papists in their Religious Rites and seeme also to bee Protestants in heart and affection with St. Augustine his Censure of the forenamed for a conclusion THere is a God and the same is the most Omnipotent Lord of hea●en and earth and all things therein contained and therefore he will be worshiped by man though Atheists deny him He is a Spirit and therefore he requireth true and vnfeigned deuotion though Hipocrites dissemble it Hee is holy and requir●th Sanct●ty in his seruants though Epicures neglect it He is Truth and therefore he will be Worshipped in truth though Hereti●ks depraue it Hee only is God and there is No other God beside him though Pagans doe multiply And therefore he claimeth all worship to be done vnto him alone though Idolaters translate it He is the Law-giuer and hath prescribed what worship he requireth of vs From which he will not haue vs to decline either to the right hand or to the left though Libertines Newters or to giue them their proper denomination Nullisidians doe diuersty vary who thinke God is satisfied with any kinde of worship and that man for this cause is safe in what Religion soeuer he liueth or dyeth and might shape himselfe vnto seuerall Religions though neuer so different if they did not directly deny God The which damnable opinion proceedeth from palpable and grosse ignorance in the true faith and is like vnto that error of the Pagans who by Symachus their Ambassadour required of Valeatinian the Emperour that their Idolatry might bee restored and maintained as well as Christ●anity for that worshiping of many Gods saith he is the best meanes to finde out the true God Thus he speaketh in the Christian Poet Secretum sed grande nequit rationis opertae Prudent lib. 2. contra Symachi●n Qu●ri aliter quam si sparsis via multiplicetur Tramitibus centenos terat orbita calles Qu● situra deum variata indage latentem The great secret of the hidden Mistery of the truth cannot be otherwise sought out then by diuiding the way into diuers pathes and without wheeling about seuerall courses thus is God best sought who lyeth hidden in variety of Mazes For as those Pagans not knowing the only true God did therefore addict themselues to worship many Gods that therby they might attaine to the knowledge of the great secret Mystery of the true Religion as they supposed So Newters being ignorant of the true saith betake themselues to sundry Sects and Religions and thinke that to be the safest meanes to become secure of Saluation But as the prudent Poet saith Longe aliud verum est c. The contrary is true for diuersity of wayes hath diuers creckes and causeth to goe astray more dangerously the plaine way only is without error being without turnings and doubtfull vnknowne by-wayes for as there is but one Maker and Gouernour of this world which is God and but one Truth So there can be but one simple Religion because whatsoeuer is true and good cannot be perfect vnlesse it be singular And in vaine doe Newters hope by their various practise to be saued for Dubius in fide Infidelis est Vacillation argueth Extrade Haeret cap. Dubi●s Symbol Infidelity Whosoeuer doth not beleeue the Catholike faith Fir●iter fideliterque saith Athanasius faithfully and constantly he cannot be saued The state of such persons who through doubt being perplexed in case of Religion and therefore embrace all and consequently are voyd of ●ny faith is most elegantly described by Vinc●ntiu● Lyrineusis as followeth Et rev●r● cum quaequ● Nouita● ebullit statim cernitur frumentorum gravitas Leuita● palearum c. Lib. cont h●r● cap. 25. And in very deed when any Nouelty ariseth the solid weighty corne is presently discerned from the light Chaffe then that is cast from the floore without any great labour which had no weighty substance to keepe it within the floore for some flye away wholly out of hand some are shooke off only and feare to perish and are ashamed to returne being wounded halfe dead and halfe aliue like those who haue dranke such a quantity of poyson which doth neither kill nor will be digested nor cause death nor suffer to liue O miserable condition with how great and furious stormes of cares are they touzed Sometimes they are rapt by an headlong error whither the winde will driue them sometime returning vnto themselues they slide backe againe like contrary waues one while through rash presumption they approue things vncertaine another while through foolish feare they are afraid at those things which are certaine They doubting which way to goe whither to returne what to desire what to shun what to hold what to let goe Hitherto Vincentius Such as these are too many who carry the Title of Christians in most Churches they will not approue the Religion of the Reformed Church nor that of the Papists neither will they reiect them but as a learned and religious Diuine of our Church Mr. White Epla dedica● ad lib. said They being ignorant and vnderstanding nothing but liuing voide of the knowledge and conscience of all Relgion are possible of his minde that Turonensis writeth of who said that it was best of all if both the one and the other were followed neither were it any hurt Si inter Gentilium aras Dei Ecclesiam quis transiens vtraque veneretur if going betweene the Alters of the Pagans and the Church of God a man should giue honour vnto both Whereas the saying of an Antient is most true concluding the contrary in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoder Pr●sbi●er lib. de Incar●●● Do● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For it is not possible that a meane betweene Truth and falsehood should be found or conceipted for the truth is alwaies in the middest and neuer declineth from thence and therefore is firme and euen on all sides and straite and doth not suffer any thing that is diuerse which may make it crooked or thrust it out of its owne state or constancy Such wauexers are no Bel●euers for Faith is Certitudo quaedam H●go de Sarcto Vict lib. 1. de Sa●r●●● art 8. ca● 1. an●m c. A kinde of certainty of the minde of things ab●ent about Opinion and b●neath Knowledg● it is called a Certainty Quia vbi est adbuc d●bitatio sides non est Becaus● where doubting remaineth there is no faith for Faith consisteth in two things Knowledge and Affection or Constancy or stability of beliefe The Substance o● Faith is in the Affection the matter is in Knowledge which knowledge may be wholly without Faith But ●aith cannot bee without some Knowledge because he that heareth any thing and doth not vnderstand doth not alwaies beleeue but he that doth vnderstand nothi●g doth beleeue nothing although he may sometime b●l●eue that which he doth not vnderstand