is absolutely infallible so also the creditt giueÌ„ to this worde which is our faith must needes be also most certaine and infallible Fides saieth S. Basille est eorum quae dicta sunt assentiens approbatio sine vlla haesitatione cum animi persuasione de eorum veritate quae Dei munere praedicata sunt Faith is a consenting approbation of those thinges which are saide an vndoubted perswasion of minde of the trueth of those thinges which are preached by the guift of God Fides saieth S. Chrysostome dici non potest nisi circa â—a quae non videntur amplius quam circa ea quae videtur certitudinem quis habeat It can not be called faith vnles one be more certaine of those things which are not seen then of those thinges which are seene The reason whereof the same S. Chrysostome declareth in an other place saying Superet sensum rationem nostram sermo ipsius Dei nam verbis eius fraudari non possumus sensus vero noster deceptu facillimus est Let Gods worde saieth he surmount our sense and reason for wee can not be deceiued by his wordes but our sense is most easely deceiued Sith therefore our faith is grounded on the word of God reuealed to vs by Iesus Christ our Lord speaking by the mouth of the Church as he saieth himselfe Qui vos audit me audit he that heareth you heareth me we ought to receaue the word of faith preached by the true Church not as the worde of maÌ„ but as it is truely the worde of God and consequently we must account it a thing most certaine and absolutely infallible CHAP. IIII. That this one infallible faith necessary to saluation must also bee entire THis one infallible faith without which we can not please God must also be entire whole souÌ„d in al points it is not sufficient to beleeue stedfastly some points misbeleeuing or not beleeued obstinately other some or any one The reasoÌ„ of this is because euery point of doctrin yea euery word that almighty God hath reuealed and by his Church propounded vnâ—o vs to be belieued must vnder paine of damnation be belieued as we may gather out of S. Marke where when our Sauiour had giuen chardge to his Disciples to preache the gospell to euery creature the which chardge he also gaue in S. Mathew sayinge docete omnes gentes c. docentes eos seruare omnia quâ—cumque mandaui vobis teach all nations c. teachinge theÌ„ to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you he pronounceth indefinitely Qui non crediderit condemnabitur he that shall not beleeue shall be coÌ„demned not excepting or distinguishing any one pointe of doctrine as needles to be belieued or which a man might at his pleasure misbelieue or doubt of without danger and this not without reason for not to belieue any one pointe whatsoeuer which God by reuealing it doth restifie to bee true and which by his Church he hath commanded vs to belieue must needes be damnable as being a notable iniurie to Gods veritie a great disobedieÌ„ce to his will But all pointes of faith are thus testified by God commaunded to be belieued otherwise they be not pointes of faith but of opinion or some other kinde of knowledge Therefore all pointes of faith must vnder paine of damnation be belieued beleiued I say either expresly and actually as learned men may doe or implicite and virtually as vnlearned Catholikes commonly doe who beleeuing expresly those articles which euery one is bound particulerly to know doe not in the rest obstinately doubt or hold some errour against the Church but haue a minde prepared to submitte themselues in all thinges to the authority of the Church which they are sure is taught directed by the spirit of God and doe in general hold for vndoubted truth whatsoeuer the Catholike or vniuersall Church doth beleeue Secondly that man which beleeuing some points should deny others cannot while he doth thus haue one the same faith which other Christians haue Sith hee doth not as Erenaeus requireth to thâ— vnity of faith belieue the points of faith in a like but in a different manner from other Christians That iâ— to say Neither doth hee beleeue all the pointes which they doe neither doth hee beleeue those points wherin he doth agree with them for the same reason that they doe that is to say He doth not beleeue those pointâ— which hee seemeth to beleeue precisely for that God hath reuealed them and by his Church propounded them for if heâ— did sith this reason is coÌ„mon to al point of faith he should assoone beleeue all 〈◊〉 any one He hath not therfore I say one and the same faith which other Christians haue who notwithstaÌ„ding haue the true faith And sith as S. Leo said nisi 〈◊〉 est fides non est If it bee not one faith it iâ— no faith at all It followeth that he thaâ— beleeueth not entirely al points of faith hath no faith at all and consequentlie sith one that hath no faith can no way be saued It is euident that he that beleeuing some articles doth obstinately deny others cannot be saued Thirdly to beleeue some pointes oâ— faith and to deny others or any one is heresie as to deny all is absolute Infidelitie But it is sure euen out of Scripture that Heretiques shall not bee saued no more then Infidels For as it is saide Qui non credit iam iudicatus est he that beleeueth not is already iudged so the Apostle Saint Paule reckoneth heresies among the works of the flesh of all which hee doth pronounce Qui talia agunt regnum Dei non consequentur Those which doe such like thinges shall not attaine the kingdome of God Fourthly I may confirme the same with the testimony of the auncient Fathers First of S. Athanasius in his creede which is commonly knowne and approued of all Quicunque saith he vult salvus esse ante omnia opus est vt teneat Catholicam fidem quam nisi quisque integram inuiolatamque Seruauerit absque dubio in aeternum peribit VVhosoeuer will bee saued before all things it is needfull that he hold the Catholike faith which vnlesse euery one doe keepe entire and vnuiolate without doubt hee shall perish euerlastingly Qui sunt in Sacris Litteris eruditi saith S. Basill ne â—nam quidem sillabam diuinorum dogmatuÌ„ prodi sinunt sed pro istius defensione si opus est nullâ—â— non mortis genus libenter amplectuntur Those that are well instructed in holy Writte doe not suffer one sillable of diuine doctrine to be betrayed or yeelded vp but for the defence thereof if neede bee doe willingly embrace any kinde of death Nihil periculosius saith Nazianzen his haereticis esse potest qui cum integrè per omnia decurrant vno tamen verbo quasi venem guttâ— veram illam ac simplicem fidem
how caÌ„ he be infallibly sure that in those places which doe seeme to fauour that sect which he followeth it doth not erre vnlesse he will admit an vnfallible auctority in the Church to assure vs that such or such a translation doth not erre in any point of which auctority I shall speake more hereafter Secondly they faile in the second conditioÌ„ or property which the rule of faith should haue For the Scriptures theÌ„selues alone in what language soeuer bee obscure and hard to be vnderstood at least to vnlearned men who caÌ„not read them and therefore the Scriptures alone cannot bee vnto vnlearned men a sufficient rule to instruct them in al points of faith as is plaine For locke vp an vnlettered man and an English Bible for a time in a studdy and he will come forth I warrant you as ignorant in matters of faith as he went in if wee adde no other meanes to instruct him but the bare written Word which he cannot reade And yet vnlearned men may bee saued and saued they cannot be without an entire and vnfallible faith and this they cannot haue vnlesse there be some certaine rule and vnfallible meanes prouided by almightie God meet for the capacity to teach them this faith and Scripture alone as is now proued is not a rule meete for the capacity of vnlearned men or apte to instruct them sufficiently in all points of faith But what speake I only of vnlearned meÌ„ sith also learned men cannot by onely reading the scriptures be vnfallibly sure that they rightly vnderstand them For while they vnderstand one way perhaps they ought to vnderstand another way that which they vnderstand plainly and litterally ought perhaps to be vnderstood figuratiuely and mystically and contrary that which they vnderstand figuratiuely ought perhaps to bee vnderstood properly And seeing that it is most certaine that all do not expound right sith the exposition of one is contrary to the exposition of another as right is neuer contrary to right how should one be vnfallibly sure that hee onely expoundeth right hauing nothing to assure him but the seeming of his owne sense reason which is as vncertaine and fallible as the iudgments and persuasions of other men who seeme to theÌ„selues to haue attained as well as he the right interpretation or sense Moreouer there be many things required to the perfect vnderstanding of Scripture which are found but in verie few and those also in whom those giftes are are not vnfallibly sure that they are so guided by those giftes but that both they and others may prudently doubte least sometimes in their priuate expositions as men they erre And consequently their priuate expositions cannot bee that rule of faith which wee seeke for which must on the one side bee determinately and plainely vnderstood and on the other side it must bee vnfallible certaine and such as cannot erre Thirdly they faile in the third condition For the Scriptures are not so vniuersal as the rule of faith had need to be For this rule ought to be so vniuersall that it may be able absolutely to resolue determine all doubtes questions of faith which either haue bin or may hereafter bee in controuersie for otherwise there were not sufficient meanes prouided by which schisme and heresies might bee aâ—oided vnity of faith so necessary to saluatioÌ„ might be conserued among Christian men But the Scriptures bee not thus vniuersall For there bee diuers questions or doubtes moued now a daies and those also touching very substantiall matters which are not expressely set downe nor determined by onely expresse Scripture For where haue we any expresse Scripture to proue that all those and onely those bookes which Catholikes or Protestants holde for Scripture or indeede Gods word and true Scripture this wee shall not finde expressely set downe in a part of Scripture This point therefore whereupon dependeth the certainety of euery point proued out of Scripture caÌ„not be made certaine to our knowledge or beliefe vnlesse we admitte some other infallible rule or auctority whereupon wee may ground an vnfallible beliefe which infallible rule if we admitte to assure vs that there is at all any Scripture and that those bookes and no other bee Canonicall Scripture why should wee not admitte the same to assure vs vnfalliblie which is the true sense and meaning of the same Scripture Hereupon S. Austen saith very well Cur non apud eos diligentissime requiram quid Christus praeceperit quorum auctoritate commotus Christum aliquid praecepisse iam credidi Tu ne mihi melius expositurus es quid ille dixerit c. Why should I not most diligently aske or learne of those hee meaneth of the Catholike Church what Christ hath commanded by whose auctority I was moued to beleeue that Christ coÌ„manded any thing at all what Wilt thou expound vnto me better what he hath saide that is to say the meaning of his words Quae saith hee ista tanta deâ—entâ—a est illis crede Christo esse credendum â— nobis disce quid ille dixâ—rit multo facilius â—ibi persuaderem Christo non esse credendum quam de illo quidquam nisi ab ijs per quos ei credidissem discendum What a madnes is this in thee to say beleeue them to witte the Catholikes that we must beleeue Christ and the Scriptures to bee his word yet learne of vs what Christ said that is to say what is the meaning of his word I should saith S. Austen much more easily perswade my self that I ought not to beleeue Christ at all then that I must learne any thing coÌ„cerning him of any except of those of whom I haue already learned to beleeue in him Thus I haue proued that those english translations wherupon Protestants commonly build their faith cannot be a sufficient rule of true Christian faith First because they are not infallibly free from errour Secondly for that all men cannot reade them neither can any by only reading bee sure to attaine the right sense without which to haue the wordes of Scripture is to haue them as Austen saith ad specieâ— non ad salutem for a shew but not to saluation Lastly for that all pointes of doctrine which appertaine to true Christian faith are not expresly set downe in Scripture as beside my proofe S. Austen S. Basiâ—l and Epiphanius doe affirme Some of which reasoÌ„s haue also force to proue that Scripture alone in what language soeuer is not a fitte meanes to instruct sufficiently all sorts of men in al matters of faith Wherefore I may absolutely coÌ„clude that Scripture alone cannot be that 〈◊〉 of faith which we seeke for Some obiect against this coÌ„clusion that place of S. Paul Omnis Scriptura diuinitus â—â—â—spirata vtilis est ad doceÌ„dum c. vt perfectus 〈◊〉 homo c. But this place proueth nothing against that which I haue said For it saith not that Scripture alone is sufficient to instruct
to do according to the doctrine of the Prelates of the Catholike Church yea although it should happen that their liues were not laudable but bad For although our Sauiour in this place doth only in expresse wordes make mention of the chaire of Moses in which the Priests of the old Law did sit yet he is to be vnderstood to speake also of the chaire of S. Peter his owne Vicegerent in which the Priestes of the new Law doe succeed And this à fâ—rtiori because we haue greater reason to thinke that our Sauiour inteÌ„ded in his doctrine to giue rules to the Priests and people of his new Law which was presently to begin and to continue till the worldes end then only to giue documents to those of the old Law considering he knew that it should so shortly cease Wherefore the ancient fathers do vnderstand that place to bee meant of the Priestes of the new Law and namely S. Augustine who saith thus In illum ordinem Episcoporum qui ducitur ab ipso petro ad Anastasium qui nunc in eadem Cathedra sedet etiamsi quisquam traditor per illatempora subrepsâ—sset nihil praeiudicaret Ecclesie innocentibus Christianis quibus prouidens Dominus ait de praepositis malis quae dicunt facite quae faciunt facere nolite Into that order of Bishoppes which is deriued from S. Peter himself vnto Anastasius who now sitteth vpoÌ„ the same chair although some traytor had crept in in those times he should nothing hurt the Church and the innocent Christians for whome our Lord prouiding saith of euill Prelates what they say do what they do do not The threates we may gather First out of S. Luke when our Sauiour faith Qui vos spernit me spernit Hee that despiseth you despiseth me Signifying that look what sinne it were not to heare but to despise our Sauiour Christ himselfe that wee should account it the same to despise not to giue eare and credit to the Catholike Church Insinuating therby that the like punishment is to be expected for the saide contempte Secondly in S. Mathew the same our Sauiour expressely saith Si Ecclesiam non audierit sit tibi sicut Ethnicus publicanus If he wil not heare the Church let him be to thee like an Ethnicke and a Publican Finally in S. Marke after hee had giuen charge coÌ„mission to preach the Gospell to euery creature hee pronounceth this threate to those that will not beleeue saying Qui non crediderit condemnabitur hee that will not beleeue shall be condemned Thus you see our Sauiour Christ hath promised to his Church the continuall presence of himselfe and of his holy Spirit to teach that coÌ„pany all truth Wherof followeth that it is infallibly taught al truth Moreouer hee hath giuen charge and commission to that Church to teach vs and hath warranted and commanded vs in all pointes to heare and do according to the saying of this Church which proueth that it appertaineth to this Church to instruct vs in all pointes of faith and that we ought to learne of it in all matters of religion what is the fallible truth consequently that the doctrine of this Church is the rule of faith Worthily therefore doth S. Paule call this Church columnam firmamentum veritatis The pillar and ground of truth Worthily also saith S Austen Scripturarum à nobis tenetur veritas cum id facimus quod vniuersae placet Ecclesiae quam earundem scripturarum commendat authoritas vt quoniam scriptura sancta fallere non potest quisquis falli â—etuit huius obscuritate questionis ecclesiam de illa consulat quam sine vlla ambiguitate scriptura sancta demonstrat The truth of the Scriptures is holden of vs when wee doe that which pleaseth the vniuersall or whole Church the which is commended by the authority of the Scriptures themselues that because the holy Scripture cannot deceiue whosoeuer feareth to bee deceiued with the obscurity of this question let him require the iudgement of the church which without any ambiguity the holy Scripture doth demonstrate by which wordes hee sheweth plainely that the sentence of the Church is of infallible and vndoubted truth that the way not to bee deceiued in an obscure question is to aske and follow the iudgement of the Church Wherefore worthily also do we all say Credo Ecclesiam CatholicaÌ„ I beleeue the Catholike Church worthily also may I conclude that neither Scripture alone nor naturall witte and learning nor priuate spirit nor any other thing but onely the teaching of the true Church of Christ is that ordinarie meanes which Almighty God hath prouided whereby all men may learne that one infallible entire faith which I proued to be necessary to saluation CHAP. XI That the Church whose doctrine must bee to vs the rule of faith must alwaies continue without interruption from Christ his time till the worldes end COnsidering what had bene proued in the former Chapter about the infallible authorite of the doctrine of the true Church I hope no Christian will denie but that so longe as this Church doth continew we haue of it a sure pillar and a firme foundation whereupon we may safely build our beleefe For either a maÌ„ must denie that euer our Sauior did make any such promise gaue such charge and commission left any such warrant sett forth such a commaundement or thundred out any such threates as before is rehearsed which were to denie the scriptures which scriptures are generally receiued by all Christians no otherwise theÌ„ as they are the vndoubted worde of God or els he must wrest the interpretation thereof both from that which the wordes of themselues naturally yeeld also from the common sense and vnderstanding either of al or the most learned and almost of the vnlearned also of the whole Christian world or els he shal be forced to confesse that which not I but S. Paule hath saied ecclesia est columna firmamentum veritatis the Church is the pillar and ground of trueth Onely it may perchaunce seeme to some of those that doe at this day oppose themselues against the authoritie of the Church that this was true for S. Paules time and perhaps for some 3.4.5 or 6. hundred yeares after but not to be presumed vpon in latter times and namely when Luther began his reformation as they tearme it or now a dayes Against these men I set downe this assertion The true Church of Christ which the forenamed testimonies of Scripture do commend was and is to continew without interruption till the worldes end This I proue First out of the very wordes of those promises which I cited out of S. Mathew S. Iohn For how can Christ our Sauiour or his holy Spirit be with his Church in such sort as there is promised to witt till the worldes end and for euer and especially as is saied in S. Matthew omnibus diebus
any reason The which briefe compendious resolutioÌ„ of faith whosoeuer will as euery one may securely and as in the discourse following shall bee declared must necessarily embrace beside the ease he shall also reape this commoditie that cutting of all occasions of needlesse and fruitelesse doubtes questions and disputes concerning matters of faith wherein vnsettled mindes spend their time and spirit hee shall haue good leisure and better likinge then ordinarily such vnquiet mindes can haue to emploie his endeuoures more fruitfully otherwaies to witte in building vpon the firme foundation of stedfast faith the gould pretious stones of Gods loue and other vertues in practise whereof consisteth that good life which maketh a man become the liuing temple of almightie God the which temple Gods spirit will not only visitte with holy inspirations blessings oftentimes in this life but he will also inhabite and dwell continually in it both by grace here and by glory in the other most happy and euerlasting life A TREATISE OF FAITH CHAP. I. That true faith is absolutely necessarie to saluation WHosoeuer hath a true desire to please God an earnest care to saue his owne soule the which should bee the chiefest desire and care of euery Christian man must first resolue and settle himselfe in a sound beliefe of matters of faith holding it for a most assured ground That there is a faith which whosoeuer wanteth cannot possibly please God nor consequently be saued sith none are saued that do not please God This ground is set downe by S. Paul himselfe who saith Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo without faith it is vnpossible to please God The same is confirmed by S. Augustine who saith Constat neminem ad veram posse peruenire beatitudinem nisi Dâ—o placeat Deo neminem placere posse nisi per fidem Fides namque est bonorum omnium fundamentum Fides est humanae salutis initium Sine hac nemo ad siliorum Dei consortium peruenire potest quia sine ipsa nec in hoc seculo quisquam iustificationis consequitur gratiam nec in futuro vitam possidebit aeternam It is certaine that none can come to true happines vnlesse he please God and that none can please God but by faith For faith is the foundation of all good things Faith is the beginning of mans saluation Without this none can come to the fellowship of the children of God because without this neither doth any in this world obtaine the grace of iustification neither shall he in the next possesse eternall life Thus faith S. Austen And the same might bee confirmed out of other Scriptures and Fathers but that the matter is cleare enough onely this I will adde that when the Scriptures do require faith as a thing absolutely necessary to saluatioÌ„ the common tradition of councells and Fathers do interpret not only that there is a positiue precept of faith for if it were but a positiue precept ignorance might excuse in some case but that at least some kinde of faith is necessaria necessitate medij that is to say is ordained as a necessary meanes without which no man can attaine saluation in any case and that in this matter Si quis ignorat ignorabitur If any man by ignorance doe not know he shall not be knowne as S. Paule speaketh CHAP. II. That this faith necessary to saluation is but one THis faith which I haue shewed to be so absolutely necessary to saluation is but One only This is plainly proued out of S. Paule who saith Vnus Dominus vna fides vnum baptisma signifying that like as there is but one Lord one Baptisme so there is but One faith The same is confirmed with the auctoritie of the ancient Fathers Nisi vna est saith S. Leo. Fides non est dicente apostolo vnus Dominus vna fides vnum baptisma Vnlesse it be one it is not faith sith the Apostle saith one Lord one faith one Baptisme Omni studio saith S. Hierome Laborandum est primùm occurrere in fidei vnitatem We must labour with all diligence first to meete in the vnity of faith Hanc fidem saith Irenaeus ecclesia in vniuersum mundum disseminata diligenter custodit quasi vnam domum inhabitans similiter credit ijs quasi vnam animam habens vnum cor consonanter haec praedicat docet tradit quasi vnum possidens os Nâ— quamuis in mundo dissimiles sint loquelae tames virtus traditionis vna eadem est This faith the Church spreade ouer the vvhole world doth diligently keep as dwelling in one house and doth belieue in one like manner those things to witt which are proposed for pointes of faith as hauing one soule and one heart and doth preach and teach and deliuer by tradition those things after one vniforme manner as possessing one mouth For although there be diuers and different languages in the world yet the vertue of tradition is One and the same Thus saith this Father By whose words we may vnderstand not onely that there is but one faith but also how it is saide to bee one which might seeme not to be one considering there are so many points or articles which we beleeue by our faith and so many seuerall men who haue in them this faith yet One saith this Father it is because the whole Church doth beleeue those pointes in one like manner That is to say because the beliefe of one man is in all pointes like and nothing different from the beliefe of another or because euery faithful maÌ„ beleeueth euery point or article for one and the like cause or formall reason to witt because God hath reuealed it and deliuered it to vs by his Catholike Church to be beleeued For which reason euery one should beleeue whatsoeuer hee belieueth as a point of Christian faith CHAP. III. That this one faith necessary to saluation is infallible THIS one faith without which we cannot be saued must be infallible most certaine This is cleare because faith is that credite or inward assent of minde which we giue to that which God who is the prime or first veritie which neither can deceiue nor be deceiued hath reuealed vnto vs by meanes of the preachinge or teachinge of the true church as we may gather out of S. Paule when he saieth Quomodo credent ei quem non audierunt quomodo andient sine praedicante quomodo praedicabunt nisimittantur c. ergo fides ex auditu auditus autem per verbum Christi The sense of which wordes is that sith we can not beleeue vnles we heare nor heare vnles some lawfully sent do preach vnto vs faith is bredde in vs by hearing and yeelding assent or credite to the worde of Christ made knowen vnto vs by the preachinge of the true Church which onely is lawfully sent of God wherefore like as the worde of Christ being God
a man to perfection but that it is profitable for this purpose as it is indeed the rather because it commendeth vnto vs the auctority of the Church which as I shall afterwards proue is sufficient Now it is certaine that to bee profitable and to bee of it selfe alone sufficient bee farre different things Stones Timber be profitable to the building of an house yet they alone without a worke-man to square them set them in order bee not sufficient for this purpose CHAP. VIII That no naturall witte or learning can be the rule of faith THE Second Conclusion is that no one mans naturall witte learning neither any company of men neuer so learned only as they are learned men not infallibly assisted by the holy Spirit of God can either by interpreting Scripture or otherwise be this rule of faith This I proue Because all this wit and learning be it neuer so exquisite or rare is humane naturall and fallible and therefore it cannot be a sufficient foundation whereupoÌ„ to build a diuine supernatural and infallible faith This reason I coÌ„firme Because whatsoeuer a man neuer so witty and learned propoundeth to others to bee beleeued vpon the only credit of his word wit oâ— humane study and learning it can haue no more certainety then is this his word wit and learning But these being all naturall and humane are subiect to errour and deceipt For Omnis homo mendax then is no man but he may both deceiue and be deceiued and may if hee haue no other helpe but of nature industry both be deceiued in thinking that to be Gods word which is not or that to be the true meaning and sense of Gods word which is not may also deceiue others whilest being to confident of his wit learning hee presumeth to teach others these his erronious opinions Therfore the beliefe which shall be builte vppon such a mans word and teaching is or may bee a false beliefe and alwaies is vncertaine and fallible and therefore can neuer bee a true diuine and Christian faith which alwaies is most certaine and infallible And this which I haue said of the wit and learning of one particuler man may also bee applied to proue against the witâ— and learning of any company of men hauing no assistance but their owne naturall giftes â—nd industrie of studie or reading This same reason I coÌ„firme yet againe more strongly For the rule of faith must be able to propose to vs vnfallibly not onely the letters seeming sense but the true sense of Gods word the sense inâ—ended by the holy Spirit of God the authour of this word otherwise it cannot be a sufficient meanes to breede in vs an infallible Christian faith and beliefe which is only grounded vppon the true seÌ„se inteÌ„ded by almighty God the prime or first verity the speaker of this word But no maÌ„ nor no coÌ„pany of men can by their naturall witte and learning tell vnfallibly what especially in all points of faith is the true intended sense of Gods word For as S. Paul saith Quis câ—gnouit sensâ—m domini who hath knowen to wit by nature arte or learning the sense of our Lord. Quae Dei sum saith the same S. Paul nemo cognouit nisi spiritus Dei those thinges which are of God no man hath knowen but the spirit of God And therefore that knowledge which himselfe had of diuine matters came not from any naturall witt of man but as hee plainely affirmeth from the spirit of God nobis reuelauit Deus per spiritum suum God hath reuealed vnto vs saith he by his spirit Therefore wee may well conclude That no one man nor 〈◊〉 company of men without the assistance of Godâ— spirit can either by interpreting Scripture or otherwise be the rule of faith Hence I inferre that those who for matters of faith relie wholy either vpon their owne priuate opinioÌ„ or iudgment of the sense and meaning of Scripture oâ— vpon the learning and iudgement of others who are but men not infallibly assisted by the holy Ghost nor by him vnfallibly preserued from errour as many or rather all Protestants do those I say cannot haue diuine and Christian faith but only fallible opinioÌ„ humane faith CHAP. IX That a priuate spirit cannot bee the rule of faith THE Third Conclusion is that no priuate man who perswadeth himselfe to be singulerly instructed by the Spirit can be this rule of faith especially so far forth as hee beleeueth or teacheth contrary to the receiued doctrine of the Catholique Church This I proue First because S Paule saith Si quis vobis â—â—â—ngelizauerit praeter id quod accepistis Anathemasit Pronouncing generally that whosoeuer teacheth or preacheth contrary to the receiued doctrine of the Catholike Church should be held Anathematized or accursed Secondly the rule of faith must be infallible plainely knowne to all sortes of men and vniuersall that is to say such as may sufficiently instruct all men in all pointes of faith without danger of error As hath beene proued before But this priuate spirit is not such For first that man himselfe cannot be vnfallibly sure that he in particuler is taught by the holy Spirit For neither is there any promâ—se in Scripture to assure infallibly that hee in particuler is thus taught neither is there any other sufficient reason to perswade the same For suppose hee haue such extraordinary motions feelings or Illustrations which he thinketh cannot come of himselfe but from some Spirit yet hee cannot in reason straight waies conclude that he is thus moued taught by the Spirite of God For sure it is that euery spirit is not the Spirit of God As there is the Spirit of truth so there is a spirit of errour As there is an Angell of light so there is a prince of darkenesse Yea sometimes Ipsa Sathanas transfigurat se in Angelum lucis Sathan himselfe doth transfigure himselfe into an Angell of light Wherfore he had neede very carefully to put in practise the aduise of Saint Iohn who saith Nolite credere omni spiritui sed probate spiritus si ex Deo sint Doe not beleeue euery spirit but proue or try them whether they be of God or noe Neither doth it seeme sufficient that a priuate maÌ„ try them onely by his owne iudgement or by those motions feelinges or illuminations which in his priuate conceipte are confirmable to Scripture because al his trial is very vncertaine and subiect to errour by reason that our owne iudgement especially in our owne matters is very easily deceaued and that Sathan can so cunningly couer himselfe vnder the shape of a good Angell so colour his wicked designements with pretense of good and so guild his darke grosse errours with the glistering light of the words and seeming sense of Scripture that hardly or not at all he shal be perceiued Wherefore the safest way were to try these spiritts by
without exception or respect of persons he beareth to al maÌ„kind hath ordained some marks or notes by which all sortes and consequently euen simple men may sufficieÌ„tly discerne which company among many which challenge to themselues the title of the true Church is indeede the true Church For sith hee would haue euery one to heare and learne thinges necessary to saluation only of the true Church we must needes thinke his wisedome and goodnes to haue marked this his Church with such manifest signes properties that all men may easily know it and discerne it from others whome he knew would take vpoÌ„ them though falsly the title and profession of the true Church This seemeth to haue beene expressely foretold by the Prophete Isaias when he saieth Scietur in gentibus semen eorum germen eorum in medio populorum Omnes qui viderint â—os cognoscent illos quia isti sunt semen cui benedixit Dominus Their seed shall be knowen in the nations their ofspring in the middest of people all that shall see them shall know them because these are that seed which our Lord hath blessed Which is as much as if he should say that the Church shall haue such manifest markes that it shal be easy for euery one to know them to be the true Church Some of these markes are set downe by S. Austen who calleth them bandes or chaines which doe hold a faithfull man in the Catholique Church although for the slownes of his wit or for some other cause he doth not euidently see the truth of the doctrine in it selfe Of these markes diuers authours haue written at large I for breuitie sake haue chosen out onely these foure Vna Sancta Catholica Apostolica One Holy Catholique Apostolique because I hope these will be sufficient and because I finde these eâ—pecially set forth in Scriptures commeÌ„â—ed by Councels and generally admitâ—ed of all sortes both Catholiques and Protestantes as now I am to declare First for the generall admittance of these properties of the true Church I need no other proofe but that both Catholiques and Protestantes allow of the Nicene Constantinopolitane Creed whereâ—n we profes to beleeue the true Church â—he which Church is there described with these onely foure properties which before I named as though by those onely euery man might sufficiently know that Church which in euery pointe they are bound to beleeue Now if besides this proofe out of the generally receiued Councels some precise man would haue â—eproue these properties to agree to the true Church out of the Scripture it selfe this also I may easily doe The true Church is signified to be One by those wordes of the Canticle Vna est 〈◊〉 mea if we will beleeue the exposition of S. Cyprian and S. Austen Also we may gather the same out of those wordes of our Sauiour in which he calleth his Church vnum ouile one sheepfold Also by those places of S. Paul where he tearmeth the Church vnum corpus one body Moreouer Christ our Sauiour praying for his Church did specially intreate without doubt obtained vt omnes vnum sint that all the membres therof should be one thing to wit that at the least they should al professe one and the same faith all partake of one and the same baptisme and other Sacramentes all liue vnder one and the same Lord in due subordination subiection to that vniforme and orderly gouernement of lawfull pastours ordained appointed in the Church by him The true Church of Christ therefore is one Contrary the conuenticles of Heretiques are destitute of this marke of vnitie according as Tertullian affirmeth saying Denique penitus inspectae Haereses omnes in multis deprehenduntur cum auctoribus suis dissentientes Finally all Heresies if they be well looked into are found to differ in many thinges from their first founders And the reason of this disagreemeÌ„t amoÌ„g Heretiques the same Tertullian assigneth very well in the same place saying Variant inter se Haeretici dum vnusquisque pro suâ— arbitrio modulatur quod accepit quemadmodum 〈◊〉 pro arbitrio composuit ille qui tradidit Heretiques do differ in pointes of doctrine â—mong themselues while as euery one taâ—eth vpon him to fashion the faith which he receiued according to his owne liking 〈◊〉 fancie like as he that first deliuered it â—nto them did inuent it according to his owne will and pleasure The true Church is also proued to bee â—â—ly by that of S. Paule Templum Dei sanctum est quod estis vos The temple of God is holy which temple you are By which place notwithstanding S. Paule did not â—eane to signifie that euery one of this companie was holy For a litle after in the same Epistle hee saith to the same coÌ„panie Omnino auditur inter vos fornicatio â—â—lis fornicatio qualis nec inter gentes There is plainely heard fornication among you and such fornication as the like is not among the heathen He doth not therfore I say meane that euery one of the Church is holy but that the whole company is to be tearmed holy because the profession thereof doth of it selfe wholy tend to holines the doctrine being such as withdraweth from all vice and instructeth and moueth men to vertue the Sacraments also do not only signifie but in the vertue which they haue from Christ his Passion they also worke in vs as instrumentall causes true inward sanctitie Wherfore although euery one that is in the Church be not holy yet no doubt alwaies some are the which their holines it pleaseth almighty God to testifie and make knowne sometime by miracle and ordinarily he vseth to make it apparant enough by the light of their vertuous actions which at all times in many members of the true Church doe so shine before men that by it men are moued to glorify God and sometimes to imitate in their owne life that which in others they admire And whatsoeuer member of the Church faileth from this holines of life it is euident that the faulte is only in himselfe who liueth not according to the prescript of his profession nor vseth in due sort those meanes which it hath of the holy Sacraments which as I said before are effectual instruments of sanctification Contrariwise no sect of Heretiques is truely holy neither was there euer any person that did inuent or obstinately adhere vnto any sect of heresie which â—ad in him true saÌ„ctity And no merueile Because the very profession and doctrine it selfe of euery heresie is opposite to the very rootes of true sanctity the which rootes be true Christian faith and humilitie For how can he be truely holy and iust who being possessed with the spirit of heresy must needs be depriued of true faith without which the iust man cannot liue according to that saying of S. Paule Iustus ex fide viuit Or how can he be holy that doth
dominicam infiâ—iunt Nothing can bee more perillous then these heretiques who when they runne vprightly through all the rest yet with one word as with a droppe of poyson doe infect that true and sincere faith of our Lord. CHAP. V. That there must be some meanes prouided by Almighty God by which all sorts of men may learne this faith which is so necessary to saluation AS this one infallible entire faith is necessary to saluatioÌ„ to al sorts of men as well vnlearned as learned so we must say that almighty God Qui vult omnes homines saluos fieri ad agnitionem veritatis venire who would haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of truth hath for proofe that this of his part is a true will prouided some rule or meanes wherby euery man learnâ—d and vnlearned may sufficiently in all points questions or doubts of faith be infallibly instructed what is to bee holden for the true faith and that the only cause why any man misseth of the true faith is either because hee doth not seeke out and find this rule meanes or hauing found it he will not vse it in all pointes submitting his owne sense self-opinion and proper Iudgement obediently yeeld assent vnto it as the nature of diuine faith and the duety of euery Christian bindeth him to do This is proued Because if Almighty God hath a true will of his part to leade all men to this happy end of eternall saluation as it may bee plainely proued that he hath out of Scripture and Fathers hee must needes prouide them sufficient meanes by which it may at least bee possible for them to attaine that end For wee neuer say that God hath a will to do any thing vnlesse he do either absolutely worke the thing or at least prouide meanes sufficient by which it is possible to be done But vnlesse there bee such a rule or meanes prouided by which euery one learned vnlearned may attaine to this one infallible entire faith of which I haue spoken before there are not sufficieÌ„t meanes prouided by which it is possible for all men to come to saluation sith as I proued without that faith it is vnpossible for any one to come to saluation Therefore wee must needes say that Almighty God hath prouided this rule or meanes by which euery man eueÌ„ the most vnlearned may sufficiently bee instructed in matters of faith To this purpose saith S. Austen Si Dei prouidentia praesidet rebus humanis non est desperandum ab eodem ipso Deo auctoritatem aliquaÌ„ constitutam esse qua velut certo gradu nitentes attollamur in Deum If Gods prouidence saith he rule and gouerne humane matters as he proueth that he doth we may not despaire but that there is a certaine auctority appointed by the same God vpon which staying our selues as vppon a sure step wee may be lifted vp to God Saint Austen therfore doth acknowledge some auctority to be needful as a meanes whereby wee may bee lifted vp to God The which lifting vp to God is first begunne by true faith and because this auctority is so needfull a meanes he would not haue vs doubte but that God whose prouidence stretcheth it selfe to all humane matters hath not failed to prouide this meanes for vs it being a principall matter and so principall as vpon which according to the ordinary course depeÌ„deth the summe of our saluation We are not therefore I say to doubt but that almighty God hath prouided a meanes whereby Animalis homo qui non percipit â—a quae sunt spiritus Dei a sensuall man who hath no vnderstanding of the diuine misteries of faith may come to know them by a firme and infallible beliefe Onely the question is what manner of thing this meanes must be and where euery man must seeke and finde it that hauing found it he may as S. Austen speaketh stay himselfe vpon it as vpon a sure steppe thereby to bee lifted vp to a true faith and by faith to God The which question being of so great consequence that it being well determined a maÌ„ need neuer make more question in matters of faith I will God willing in the chapters following endeuor to resolue it as clearly as I can And this I purpose to do first by setting downe what conditions or properties this rule of faith must haue afterwards by prouing particulerly that neither Scripture alone nor any natural witte or humane learning nor priuate spirit can be this rule of faith And finally that this rule which all men may safely and must necessarily follow can be no other but the teaching of the Catholique Church CHAP. VI. What conditions or properties must be found in the rule of faith THis rule which almighty God hath prouided as a sufficient meanes to direct meÌ„ to the knowledge of true faith necessary to saluation must haue three conditions or properties First it must be certaine infallible for otherwise it cannot be a sufficient fouÌ„dation whereupon to build faith which as is proued before is absolutely infallible Secondly it must bee such as may bee certainely and plainely knowne of all sortes of men For if to any sorte it could not be knowen or not certainly known it could not be to them a rule or meanes wherby they might direct themselues to the certaine knowledge of the true faith Thirdly it must bee vniuersall that it may not only make vs know certainely what is the true faith in some one two or moe pointes but absolutely in all pointes of faith For otherwise it were not a sufficient meanes whereby we may attaine to an entire faith which integrity of faith is necessary to saluation in such wise as hath beene declared and proued before CHAP. VII That Scripture alone cannot bee this rule of faith OVT of these former grounds foure conclusions The first coÌ„clusion is that Scripture alone especially as it is by Protestants translated into the English tongue cannot bee this rule of faith This I proue First for that these translations faile in the first condition that is to say they are not infallible as the rule of faith must be for neither were the Scriptures written in this language immediately by the holy Ghost neither were the translators assisted by the same holy Ghost infallibly Infallibly I say that is in such sort as it were vnpossible that they should erre in any point Sith therefore the translators as being but men may erre To say nothing of that which by Gregory Martin is proued and by the often changes of new and variable translations is shewed that some haue erred how can a man and especially an vnlearned man who hath not sufficient meanes learning nor leisure to compare the translations with the prime authentical originall how can I say such a man be infallibly sure that this particuler traÌ„slation which he hath doth not erre if in some places it erre