Scriptures and Religion must all stand at the courtesie and suffrage of the Roman Conclaue 2 They teach that much of the object or matter of faith is not contained in Scripture any way that the Church hath an unlimited power to supply the defects of Scripture and that she may propound any doctrines as necessary to salvation which haue no other ground but her owne authority which is equall to that of Scripture There are many things saith y Mel. Canus Loc. lib. 3. c. 3. fund 3. Canus belonging to the faith of Christians which are neither manifestly nor obscurely contained in the sacred Scriptures And Doctor a Princip Doctrin li. 12 c. 5. initio Stapleton Very many things necessary to salvation and necessarily to be beleeved are not comprehended in the Scriptures but are commended to us onely by the authority of the Church And againe b Id. Relect. Contr. 4. qu. 1. art 3. ad arg 12. Etiamsi nullo ScripturaruÌ„ aut evidenti aut probabili testimonio confirmetur The Church may propound define matters of faith without any evident nay without any probable testimony of Scripture Do not these words of Stapleton imply that the Church of Rome propounds many things to the beliefe of Christians without any probability from Scripture With what ingenuity then or conscience do they pretend Scripture in each Controversie against us since by their owne confession many of their assertions are meere unwritten Traditions leaning onely on the authoritie of their Church On the contrary for the fullnesse and sufficiency of Scripture in all necessary points we have the full consent of Antiquity and of many learned Writers of their owne even of Bellarmine himselfe whose plaine words to this purpose have been already noted And the same Cardinall though herein as not seldome contradicting both himselfe and his fellowes c Bellar. lib. 3. de verb. D. interpret cap. 10. ad arg 15. Sciendum est propositionem fidei concludita li Syllogismo Quicquid Deus revelavit in Scripturis est verum hoc Deus revelavit in Scripturis ergò hoc est verum Ex propositionibus hujus Syllogismi prima certa est apud omnes secunda apud Catholicos est etiam firmissimas nititur enim testimonio Ecclesiae Concilii vel Pontificis grants that a proposition is not de fide unlesse it be concluded in this Syllogisme whatsoever Gâ—â— hath revealed in Scripture is true but thâ— or that God hath revealed in Scripture ergâ— it is true If matters of faith must be revealed in Scripture as this reason supposes then the proposall of the Church cannot make any unwritten veritie to become matter of faith Yet to salve the soveraigne power of His Church he makes all the strength and truth of the minor in this Syllogisme to depend on the testimony of the Church and by consequence the truth of the conclusion which ever resembles the weake Premisse So as if this be true there is no truth in the Scriptures or in our Religion without the attestation of the Church 3. They teach that the Church is infallibly assisted in her proposalls and doctrines so as she cannot erre And this dreame hath made Rome sencelesse of her errours and careles to seek any remedie nay utterly incapable of remedie For to mindes really possessed with this fond persuasion and prejudice the most convincing reasons the most plaine Scriptures the most pregnant authorities of Fathers which proue the Church of Rome may erre or hath erred are all lost and made ineffectuall and seeme not strong arguments of the truth but strong temptations against it And this imagination of their Churches infallibility is to them at once both a sufficient reason of what is most unreasonable and a sufficient answer for what is most unanswerable That the Church is infallible we do not absolutely deny wee only deny the Church to be absolutely infallible Some of the most able Writers of the Roman partie do so fairly limit this priviledge that in their sence we do without difficulty admit it Their limitation is double regarding 1. the subject of this infallibility 2. the object of it First for the subject they plant this infallibility only in the Church Universall or the Catholique body of Christ on earth comprehending all his members not in any particular Church or any representation of the Church in CouÌ„cels Generall or particular much lesse in any one member of the Church no not in him who pretends to be the Head So d Walden lib. 2. Doct. fid art 2. cap. 19. §. 1. Ecclesia Universalis fideÌ„ habet indefectibilem non quidem in Generali Synodo congregata quam aliquoties errâsse percepimus Sylv. Sum. verb. Ecclesia cap. 1. §. 4. Ecclesia quae non potest errare dicitur noÌ„ Papa sed congregatio fideliuÌ„ Et vide gloss in cap. 24. qu. 1. call A recta Waldensis Sylvester and others 2. For the object or extent of this infallibility they grant it reaches not to all points or questions in Religion that may arise but only to such Articles as belong to the substance of faith such as are matters essentiall fundamentall simply necessary for the Church to know belleue To omit e Maldon in Iohan. 14. 26. Dubium est an illud docebit omnia referendum sit ad illud quaecunque dixi vobis quasi non aliud docturum Spiritum sanctum dicat quà m quod ipse anteà docuiffer Non repugnabo si quis ita velit interpretari Charron vetité 3. chap. 5. §. lc second poinct L infallibilité de l'Eglise ne s'entend que des choses qui concernent la substance de la foy laquelle ne reçoit point de contrarieté divet sité changement pource nulle correction reformation ou amendement estant vne tousiours immuable non reformable dit Tertullien de virg Veland Et ibid. saepe others Dr f Staplet Princip Doctrin lib. 8. controv 4. cap. 15. Stapleton is full and punctuall to this purpose He distinguishes controversies of Religion into two sorts Some saith he are about those doctrines of faith which necessarily pertaine to the publique faith of the Church Others about such matters as doe not necessarily belong to the faith but may be variously held and disputed without hurt or prejudice to faith To the first sort he restrains the infallibility of the Church But in the second he yeelds that the Church may sometimes erre either in her discourses or in her conclusions that without any violation of Christs promise made to the Church for infallibilitie And of this assertion He giues diverse good reasons The first and chiefest taken from the end for which infallibility was given to the Church It was given saith He for the common salvation of the faithfull and not for the satisfaction of unprofitable curiosities or for the search of unnecessary subtleties For as nature so God is neither defectiue in necessaries nor lavish in
Mystag Miss Muzarab in Bibl. P P. Colon Tom. 15. p. 787. Diâ—nys Eccl. Hier cap. 7. Church in her Liturgies remembred all those that slept in hope of the Resurrection of everlasting life and particularly the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors Bishops Fathers such as led a solitary life and all Saints beseeching God to giue vnto them rest and to bring them at the Resurrection to the place where the light of his countenance should shine vpon them for evermore Signifying by this Memorial their faith as t Vbi supra St Epiphanius hath it that the departed are aliue and subsisting with the Lord and their hope of them as of those that bee from home in another country and that at length they shall attaine the state which is more perfect Some particular Doctors had in these matters particular opinions which must be severed from the generall sentiment and customes of the Church which to this day are conserved in the Greeke u Vide Marci Ephesii Episc Epist encyclicam Churches notwithstanding the pretended Vnion in this and other points at the late Councell of Florence This ancient observation of the Church we condemne not Wee say prayers are to be made for all that are departed in the true faith of Christ that is first Thanksgiuing that they are deliuered from the body of death and miseries of this sinfull world Secondly Requests of Gods mercy that they may haue their perfect consummation in body and soule in the kingdome of God at the last iudgement The Roman writers vtterly condemne the former doctrine and practise of Antiquity z Azor. Instit moral tom 1. c. 20. lib. 8. See of this matter the learned Primate of Armagh in his defence against the Iespite One of them feares not to censure it as absurd and impious By this the Mistaker may feele his errour and see that it is not the Protestants but his owne Doctors that agree with the old Heretique Aerius The vnity of the Church is nothing hindred by diversity of opinions in doubtfull matters It is a great vanity to hope or expect that all learned men in this life should absolutely consent in all the pieces and particles of divine truth The light whereby wee see in this state of mortality is very feeble and very different in regard of the good spirits illumination the capacities of men and their diligences in study prayer and other meanes of knowledge So long as the a Iud. 3. faith once deliuered to the Saints is earnestly contended for and kept entire that is the b Tit. 1. 4. common faith of Christians containing all Catholique and necessary verities so long as men c Phil. 3. 15. 16. walke according to this rule charitably though in other things they be otherwise minded the Church is but one her vnity no way violated For this vnity consists in the vnity of faith not of opinions and in an vnion of mens hearts and affections by true Charity which will easily compound or tolerate all vnnecessary differences Factious and fiery Spirits kindle and fly asunder on small occasions but among wise men each discord in Religion dissolues not the vnity of faith or Charity Points of Religion are well distinguished by d Aqu. 22. q. 2. art 56 q. 29. art 3. ad 2. Thomas and e Staplet dupl lib. 1. c. 12. n. 3. Rel. c. 1. qu. 3. art 6. notab 1. 2. Licet vtile est de rebus difficilibus in Ecclesia aliter atque aliter disputare nec hoc vnitatem violat sed veritatem illustrat Stapleton Some say they are primitiue Articles of the substance of Religion essentiall in the obiect of faith dissention in these is pernicious and destroyes vnity Others are secondary probable accidentall or obscure points wherein the oppositions and disputations of learned men proceeding modestly are tolerable and sometime profitable for finding out the truth Vnity in these matters is very contingent and variable in the Church now greater now lesser never absolute in all particles of truth And therefore those ancient Worthies the Fathers of the Church as they were most zealous to defend even with their blood to the least iot or title the rule of faith as they called it or the Creed of Christians or as the Scripture calls it the f 2. Tim. 1 13. forme of wholesome words the g Heb. 6. 1. 5. 12. Principles of the oracles of God or of the doctrine of Christ so againe they were most charitable to allow in other things beside or without the faith a great latitude and liberty As in a musicall consort a discord now and then so it bee in the descant and depart no tfrom the ground sweetens the harmony So the variety of opinions or of h Firmilianus ap Cypr. epist 7 5. num 5. August ep 86 Socrat. Hist lib. 5. cap. 21. rites in partes of the Church doth rather commend then prejudice the vnity of the whole Indeed in the multitude of opinions there is but one truth but among sundry truths there is but one necessary to salvation that wherein the holy Scriptures as the Apostle saith are able to make vs wise by 2 Tim. 3. 15. the faith in Christ Iesus The keeper of this truth and of the Scriptures in which it is treasured is the Church not of one City but the Catholique Church that is the fellowship of Saints dispersed through the whole World And it is not in deepe or difficult questions but in this necessary faith or truth wherein the Fathers alleadged by the Mistaker justly require an exact and perfect vnity among Catholique Christians To be ignorant of this faith or to erre in it though vnwarily is dangerous but to corrupt or contradict any part of it though but in a word or syllable of moment is damnable The difference betweene the Arrians and the Catholiques was but in one letter the least in the Alphabet yet never was the Church troubled with a more pernicious heresy And many times the addition or alteration of one word or two in the confession of faith had reconciled the Eunomians Photinians Sabellians Macedonians c. with the Catholiques But in this case for the Catholiques to yeeld in a word or syllable had beene to yeeld their cause and to betray the truth Therefore worthily and truly said k Basil 〈◊〉 apud Theodoret Hist l. 4. c. 17. S. Basil to the officer of Valens the Arrian Emperour not a syllable of divine doctrine must be betrayed For though Faith be sound in other respects yet one word saith l Naz. Tract de fide S. Greg. Nazianzen as truly like a drop of poison may taint and corrupt it and as m Hier. Apol 3. adv Ruff. cap. 7. S. Hierome for such a word contrary to this faith are Heretiques justly cast out of the Church But though faith be kept entire yet if Charity be wanting the vnity of the Church is
confessed by the most and best learned of the c Th. 1. p. q. 1. art 8. ad 2. Innititur fides nostra revelationi Prophetis Apostolis factae Can. loc Theol. lib. 2. c. 8. Nec si nobis aditum praebet Ecclesia protinus ibi acquiescendum est sed ultrà oportet progredi solidâ Dei veritate niti Staplet princs doctr lib. 8. cap. 20. Apostolorum prophetarum immediatè revelata sides in solum revelatorem Deum ultimò resolvebatur eum solum pro formali objecto habuit in eum solum tanquam supremam atque ultimam credendi causam desinebat sistebat Ergò reliquae totius Ecdesiae fides idem formale objectum habet Becanus Sum. 3. p. cap. 8. quaest 8. Conclus 3. Assensus fidei formaliter resolvitur in primam veritatem revelantem Atque hîc sistitur Aegid de Coninck de Actib supernat disp 9. dub 5. concl 4. Id in quod nostra fides tanquam objectum formale ultimò resolvitur five objectum formale propter quod credimus non solùm articulos fidei esse veros sed etiam eos esse à Deo revelatos est testimonium primae veritatis Roman Doctors And that this revelation for all necessarie points is f Basil M. de judicio Det five proaem in Ethic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas Orat. contr Gentes initio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrill Hierosol Catech 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret. Dial. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hilar. lib. 2. ad Constant August laudat Imp. fidem tantùm secundùm ea quae scripta sunt desiderantem Vinc. Lirin cap. 2. perfectus Scripturarum canon ad omnia satis supérque sufficit Et iterum Commonit 2. cap. 1. Th. 2. 2. qu. 1. A. 10. ad 1. In doctrina Christi Apostolorum veritas fidei est sufficienter explicata Idem disp de fide art 10. ad 11. Successoribus Apostolorum non credimus nisi in quantum nobis annuntiant ea quae illi in Scripturis reliquerunt Durand Praefat. in Sent. S. Scriptura mensuram fidei exprimit Scot. in Prol. Sent. qu. 3. Theologia nostra non est nisi de his quae continentur in Scriptura de his quae possunt elici ex ipsis Gers de examin doctr p. 2. con 1. nihil audendum diecre de divinis nisi quae nobis à Scriptura Sacra tradita sunt sufficiently and g Basil Regul brevior cap. 267. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aug. de doctr Chr. lib. 2. cap. 9. In his quae apertè posita sunt in Scriptura inveniuntur illa omnia quae continent fidem mor ésque vivendi Bellar. lib. 4. de verb. non Script cap. 11. §. His notatis Dico illa omnia scripta esse ab Apostolis quae sunt omnibus necessaria Et Iterum §. vltimò Loquitur Augustinus loco praedicto de illis dogmatibus quae sunt necessaria omnibus simpliciter clearely made in the Scriptures either in expresse termes or by manifest deduction is the constant Doctrine of Antiquity even till the latter times If the whole object of faith be thus contained in Scripture then surely no new doctrines or revelations without or beside Scripture may be admitted neither is the proposition of any Church or any person in matters of faith to be beleeved further then it may be maintained or warranted by Scripture Our faith then is safe enough which builds on this firme ground and relyes on this solid h Iren. lib. 3. cap. 1. Scriptura fundamentum est columna fidei nostrae Eph. 2. 20. foundation Now for the Church she that is the mother of all Christians hath two dugs saith i Aug. in Ep. Johan tract 3 init Est mater Ecclesia ubera ejus duo Testamenta Scripturarum divinarum S. Austine which are the Old and New Testament out of these she feeds and giues milke to all her children That Church or any particular which delivers onely what she hath received and propounds not her owne traditions in stead of Gods Commandements we are ready in all things to heare and reverently to submit our selues to Gods truth delivered by it We doe not depriue the Church of that prerogatiue office which Christ hath given it k Rom. 10. 17. Faith comes by hearing the word of God and the ministery of the Church is necessary in ordinary course for the begetting of faith But the force and validitie of that ministery is different according as the Church may be taken either for the Prime Church or for the Present The Prime Church I call that which included Christ and his Apostles who had immediate revelation from heaven The voyce testimony of this Church is simply divine and infallible and the word of God from them is of like validity written or delivered The testimony of the present Church though it be not the last resolution of our faith yet it is the first externall motiue to it It is the l Hooker lib. 2. §. 7. key or m Gretser Defens de verb. lib. 4. c. 4. col 1581. prima janua See the learned Answ to Fishers Relat. of his 3. Confer pag. 24. doore which lets men in to the knowledge of divine mysteries It workes very powerfully and probably as the highest humane testimony 1. Upon infidels to winne them unto a reverent opinion of that faith and those Scriptures which they see so many wise learned and devout men in the Church constantly to esteeme as the very truth and word of God 2. Upon Novices weaklings and doubters in the faith to instruct and confirme them till they may acquaint themselues with and understand the Scriptures which the Church delivers as the word of God 3. Upon all within the Church to prepare induce and perswade the minde as an outward means to imbrace the faith to read and beleeue the Scriptures But the faith of a Christian findes not in all this any sure ground whereon finally to rest or settle it selfe till it arise to greater assurance then the present Church alone can giue Humane authority consent and proofe may produce an humane or acquired faith and infallibly in some sort assure the minde of the truth of that which is so witnessed but the assent of divine faith is absolutely divine which requires an object and motiue so infallibly true as that it neither hath nor n Cui non potest subesse falsum can possibly admit of any mixture of errour or falshood And infallible in this sence is onely that testimony which is absolutely divine Now our Adversaries yeeld that the testimony of the present Church is not absolutely divine It is not simply but in a manner divine saith o Staplet Relect contr 4. qu. 3. A. 1. Vox Ecclesiae est suo modo divina one not meerly divine nor meerly humane but as it were in the middle saith p Becan 3. p. Summ. cap. 8. qu. 8. §. 8. nec
purè divina nec purè humana sed quasi media another In truth and to speake properly an humane testimony saith a q Aegid de Conick disp 9. dub 5 Conc. 2. Quantumvis Ecclesia dirigatur infallibili Sp. S. assistentiâ atque ita ejus testimoniū nitatur suo modo authoritate divinâ atque ab ea firmitatem accipiat tamen non est verè propriè testimonium sive verbum revelatio Dei sed propriè est testimonium humanum Ergò illud nequit esse objectum formale fidei Theologieae consequenter haec nequit in illud tanquam in suum objectum ultimò resolvi third who thereupon well inferres that therefore the voyce of the Church cannot be the formall object of divine faith or that where-into it is lastly resolved The Church then is onely the first inducer to beleeue and the watchman that holdeth out the light in open view and presenteth the shining beams thereof to all that haue eyes to discerne it but the principall motiue and last object of beliefe is the divine authority of Scripture it selfe And that Scripture is of divine authority the beleever sees by that glorious beame of divine light which shines in r Bellarmin de verbo Dei li. 1. c. 2. Certissimas divinas esse Scripturas quae Propheticis Apostolicis literis continentur nec humana inventa sed divina oracula continere testis est ipsa Scriptura O. rig de Princip l. 4. c. 1. Quòd ipsae divinae Scripturae sint divinitùs inspiratae ex ipsis divinis Scriptuis is ostendemus Salv. Massil l. 3. de Gubern mox a◠initio Alia omnia id est humana dicta argumentis ac testibus egent Dei autem sermo ipse sibi testis est quia necesse est quicquió incorrupta veritas loquitur incorruptum sit testimonium veritatis Scripture by many internall arguments found in the letter it selfe though found by the helpe and direction of the Church without and of grace within Herein the Church leades but the Scripture resolues The Ministery of the Church as a Candlestick presents and holds out the light but this supposed there is in the Scripture it selfe * 2 Pet. 1. 19. light sufficient which though blinde * 1 Cor. 2. 14 sensuall mindes see not yet the eye of reason cleared by grace and assisted by the many motiues which the Church useth for enforcing of her instructions may discover to be divine descended from the father fountaine of light To this light the Church addes nothing at all but onely points at it directs us to it disposes and prepares us for it introduces it as the dawning of the morning doth the cleare Sunshine So farre as any Church walks in this light and carries it with her we may safely follow her if she bring a divine word for her warrant she must be beleeved But if her propositions or doctrines be meerely voluntary her owne and not according to that word there Es 8. 20. is no light in them neither can her authority make such doctrines proper objects of divine faith An Object how sensible soever it be in it selfe yet it doth not actually moue the Sense unlesse it be conveyed applyed to it by some Meane So here God hath appointed an ordinary outward meanes to present and propound divine verities to our faith and this ordinary means wee grant is the Church to which wee willingly attribute these two excellent uses in that imployment 1. of a witnesse testifying the authority and sence of the Scriptures unto us 2. of Gods instrument by whose ministery in preaching and expounding the Scriptures the Holy Ghost begets a divine faith in us But in that assent which wee yeeld unto the mysteries propounded and delivered by the Church though the Church be one cause to wit inductiue or preparatiue s Gretser Append. 2. ad lib. 3. Bellar. de verb. D. Col. 1514. principaliter Scripturis fidem habemus propter divinā revelationem at ob Ecclesiae authoritatem non aliter quā ut ob conditionem sine qua non Et infra Sacris litetis assensum prae bemus primariò ob divinam revelationem secundariò ob Ecclesiae testimonium without which men ordinarily do not beleeue yet it is not the principall or finall upon which wee lastly depend The chiefe principle or ground on which faith rests and for which it firmly assents unto those truths which the Church propounds is divine revelation made in the Scripture Nothing lesse then this nothing but this can erect or qualifie an act of t Becan Sum. tract de fide ca. 1. q. 2. §. 9. Assensus qui nititur authoritate Ecclesiae non est assensus fidei Theologicae sen divinae sed alterius inferioris ordinis super naturall faith which must be absolutely undoubted and certaine and without this faith is but opinion or persuasion or at the most an acquired humane beliefe This power in the Church to instruct her children in the faith according to Scripture which is her ground and rule from which she may not depart we willingly admit But we cannot yeeld that the present Church hath an absolute or unlimited authority to propound what she pleases or an infallible assistance in all her propositions which is our Mistakers meaning and the new doctrine of some of his Masters Who teach 1. that the authority of the Church is absolute not depending on Scripture but on which the Scripture it selfe and so our whole faith depends The words of u Bellar. de effect Sacram. lib. 2. cap. 25. §. tertium testimonium Bellarmine are remarkable If saith he we take away the authority of the present Church of Rome and of the Trent Councell the decrees of all other ancient Councels the whole Christian faith may be questioned as doubtfull For the strength of all doctrines and of all Councels depends upon the authority of the present Church And elsewhere againe to the same purpose lest the former words might seeme to haue fallen from his pen unawares w Bellar. de Eccl. mil. lib. 3. cap. 10. §. Adhaec necesse est The Scriptures Traditions and all doctrines whatsoever depend on the testimony of the Church he means that of Rome without which all are wholly uncertaine Here 's a plaine principle of Atheisme For if this be true all the faith we haue of God of our Redeemer of the Scripture of any thing in Religion is all but an ungrounded and uncertaine opinion unlesse the Church confirme it And as the Idols of old Rome could not be consecrated or deified but by consent of the Senate who tooke upon thē 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. x Chrys in 2. ad Cor. hom 26 in Moral Et Tertul. Apolog cap. 5. Nisi homini Deus placuerit Deus non erit Chrysostome merily speakes to make gods by most voyces So here it seemes our true God and
the best learned Romanists and by Antiquity The Mistakers exceptions to the contrary answered As also his expections against the confession of the Church of England The conclusion IN humane Sciences the great Philosopher hath taught us a Analyt Poster lib. 1. c. 2. to distinguish betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 principles and conclusions The first principles are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maximes so cleare by their owne light that they can not be proved nor denyed or doubted of by any man that understands the Termes wherein they are propounded In the bosome as it were of these principles lurke innumerable conclusions which must be deduced and drawne out by the helpe of Discourse some of them issuing out immediately and evidently others obscurely and by a long circuit of consequences and are either certaine or onely probable according as they approach nearer to the principle or are further off removed In like manner that there be diverse degrees of truthes and errors in Religion which necessarily must be distinguished is a thing acknowledged by all learned men even in the Church of Rome expect our Mistaker will have himselfe excepted b 2. 2. qu. 2. art 5. in Corp. Dicendum quòd fidei objectum perse est id per quod homo beatus efficitur Per accidens aut secundariò se habent ad objectum fidei omnia quae in sacra Scriptura continentur sicut quòd Abraham habuit Aquinas having divided the object of faith into that which is so by it selfe that which is by accident and secundarily defines the First to be that whereby a man is made blessed and saved the Latter that which is revealed whatsoever it be as that Abraham had two sonnes and David was the sonne of Iesse c. c Dialog part 1. lib. 2. cap. 2. Occham sets downe three differences of verities to be beleeved Some touching God and Christ whereon principally depends our Salvation Non direct è sed indirect è quodammodo ad salutem humani generis pertinere noscuntur as the doctrines of the Trinity Incarnation c. Some whereon our salvation depends not so principally or directly as the Histories of Scripture Of the third sort such as are not revealed but either agree with that which is revealed or follow manifestly of it Melchior d Canus Locor lib. 12. cap. 11. init Quaedam sunt Catholicae veritates quae ita ad fidem pertinent ut his sublatis fides quoque ipsa tollatur Quas nos usu frequenti non solum Catholicas sed fidei veritates appellavimus Aliae veritates sunt etiam ipsae Catholicae universales nempe quas universa Ecclesia tenet quibus licet eversis fides quatitur sed non evertitur tamen Atque in hujusmodi veritatum contrariis erroribus dixi fidem obscurari non extingui infirmari non perite Has ego nunquam sidei veritates censui vocandas quamvis doctrinae Christianae veritates sint Canus iterum lib. 12. cap. 3. ad fin Praeter articulos fidei omnia quae in sacris literis assumuntur tametsi non sunt fidei nec Theologiae praecipua capita sed his ex accidenti conjuncta quasi principia secundaria accipit tamen ea Theologus non aliter ac Philosophus principia per se nota sine medio aut ratione Haec enim quasi naturalis arque insira est in animis fidelium notio ut quicquid ab Apostolis scriptum traditúmque est verum esse sentiant Vide Staplet Espenc alios suprácitatos Canus to the same purpose There be some Catholique verities which doe so pertaine to faith that these being taken away the faith it selfe must be taken away also And these by common use we call not onely Catholique but Verities of Faith also There are other verities which be Catholique also and universal namely such as the whole Church holdeth which yet being over throwne the faith is shaken indeed but not overturned And in the errours which are contrary to such truths as these the faith is obscured not extinguished weakened not perished These may be called verities of Christian doctrine but not of faith Briefly it is the common and constant doctrine of e Mag. 3. d. 25. Aquin. 2. 2. qu. 2. art 5. ibi DD. Schoolemen and f Tolet. Navarr Sayr Filiucius Reginaldus caeteri Casuists that have written of the nature of heresie and the measure of Catholique faith that there is a certain measure and quantity of faith without which none can be saved but every thing revealed belongs not to this measure It is enough to beleeve some things by a Virtuall faith or by a Generall as it were a Negatiue faith whereby they are not denyed or contradicted and in some things men may be ignorant or erre in them without danger of their salvation All this evidently confirmes that most necessary and most usefull distinction betweene fundamentall and not fundamentall doctrines which our Mistaker here with so great noyse and so little reason cryes downe By Fundamentall doctrines we meane such Catholique verities as principally and essentially pertaine to the faith such as properly constitute a Church and are necessary in ordinary course to be distinctly beleeved by every Christian that will be saved Other points of truth are called not-fundamentall because they are not of such absolute necessity and doe not primarily belong to the Vnity of faith or to the Essence of a Church or to the Salvation of a Christian Such as for their subtilty and profoundnesse are disputable in themselves and happily by plaine Scripture indeterminable Such finally as may admit an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a non liquet both ignorance if it be not affected and errour if it proceed not from negligence or wilfullnes without perill It is true whatsoever is revealed in Scripture or propounded by the Church out of Scripture is in some sence fundamentall in regard of the divine authority of God and his word by which it is recommended that is such as may not be denyed or contradicted without infidelity such as every Christian is bound with humility and reverence to beleeve whensoever the knowledge thereof is offered to him But in regard of the matter and moment of things revealed and of their use to us though all be revealed alike yet not all under the like penalty We are told by Cardinall g De Eccles lib. 3. cap. 14. §. Quinto Multa sunt de fide quae non sunt absolutè necessaria ad salutem Sane credere historias U. T. Bellarmine that many things are de fide to be beleeved which are not absolutely necessary to salvation The knowledge or faith of Christs passion is necessary not so that of his Genealogy Fundamentall therefore properly is that which Christians are obliged to beleeve by an expresse and actuall faith In other points that faith which the Cardinall
decrees of the Church that properly makes the Heretique The Heretiques recounted by S. Augustine Epiphanius and Philastrius in their Catalogues were condemned not so much for their errours which were many ofthem not very materiall as for their contempt of the Church S. Cyprian and the Donatists differed not in the matter of their errour but the obstinacy of the Donatists and their disobedience to the Church made them to be condemned for Heretiques when S. Cyprian was absolved because the Church in his time had not declared her selfe And in the like manner the Novatians were condemned on the same grounds Answer Sect. 4. OF the nature of Heresie The Church may declare convince an Heresie but cannot properly make any Doctrine Hereticall unlesse it be such in the matter of it The words Heresie and Heretique very ambiguous How commonly used by the Ancients Of their Catalogues of Heretiques S. Cyprian though erring in the point of Rebaptization justly absolved from Schisme and Heresie The Donatists guilty of both And the Novatians of Schisme Charity mistaken Chap. 6. AGaine the onely right ground and true infallible motiue of faith by which it is produced and on which it relyes is the revelation of God and the proposition of his Church He therefore who beleeves not every particular Article of Catholique Doctrine which is revealed and propounded by Almighty God and his Church which Church is absolutely infallible in all her proposalls doth not assent to any one even of those which he beleeves by divine faith because he assents not upon the onely true and infallible motiue An assent not grounded on this is no supernaturall divine faith but onely an humane suspicion or opinion or persuasion And such is the faith of Turkes Iewes Moores and all Heretiques particularly of the Protestants Answer Sect. 5. DIvine revelation the principall motiue last object into which faith supernaturall is resolved The testimony and ministery of the Church is of great use for the begetting of faith But the Church hath not an authority unlimited and absolutely infallible in all her doctrines as Some Romanists pretend Others of them reasonably fairly limit the Churches infallibility The Church Vniversall infallible in fundamentall doctrines Not so in points of lesser moment The Mistaker cannot say what he meanes by the Church whereof he sayes so much Of the Church represented in Generall Councells of which VVe speak and thinke more honorably then doe our Adversaries Yet we thinke them not absolutely infallible Of the Pope whom they call the Church virtuall How his Flatterers speake of his authority No Roman Catholique can be assured of his infallibility which is at the most and best but problematicall by their owne principles Charity mistaken Chap. 7. PRotestants object that Roman Catholiques are not at unity among themselves as appeares by many questions wherein their Writers are at variance Answer Catholique Doctors differ onely in matters of Opinion not decided by the Church not in any point of Faith And besides their differences are all fairely carried without any breach of Charity If it be againe objected that learned Catholiques beleeue more then the unlearned Answer This hinders not their Vnitie It suffices the Vulgar to beleeve implicitly what the Church teaches And by vertue of such implicite faith a Cardinall Bellarmine and a Catholique Collier are of the same beleife Answer Sect. 6. DIssentions in the Church of Rome of greater importance then any among the Reformed They differ not onely in Opinion but in matters of their Faith As about the Popes authority and the Popes themselves about their vulgar Latine Bibles Discords among Them uncharitably pursued Some patterns of their mutuall bitternesse and revilings Implicite faith in some points and in some persons admitted VVhat it is which we dislike here in the doctrine of some Romanists Charity mistaken Chap. 8. 9. THe Protestants pretend to be at unitie with the Ancient Church with the Lutherans and even with Roman Catholiques in fundamentall points That distinction so ordinary with them betweene fundamentall points and not fundamentall is vaine without ground No Protestant Writer none of their Vniversities Colledges or Societies of learned men amongst them can or dare define what doctrines are fundamentall or give us in a List or Catalogue of Fundamentalls Some say they are contained in the Creed But those men may be ashamed of that opinion seeing in the Creed there is no mention of the Canon of Scripture or of the number or nature of the Sacraments of justification whether it be by faith alone or by workes or of that doctrine of devills forbidding marriage meats which was the doctrine of the Manichees and not of Roman Catholiques as Protestants perversly affirme and finally since there is such great differences between them and us about the understanding of the Articles of Christs Descent into Hell of the holy Catholique Church and the Communion of Saints Others say the Booke of the 39 Articles of the Church of England declares all the fundamentall points of faith But that also is most absurdly affirmed That Booke declares onely and that in an extreamly confused manner what the Church of England beleeves in most things And in many Controversies betweene them and us it speakes obscurely not touching the maine difficulty of the questions As in the points of the Visibility and infallibility of the Church of Freewill and of the Canon of Scripture Answer Sect. 7. THe distinction between doctrines fundamentall and not fundamentall avowed as most necessary It hath ground in reason and in Scripture The Creed of the Apostles as it is explained in the later Creeds of the Catholique Church esteemed a sufficient Summary or Catalogue of Fundamentals by the best learned Romanists and by Antiquity The Mistakers exceptions to the contrary answered As also his exceptions against the Confession of the Church of England The Conclusion ANSWERE TO Charity mistaken Charity mistaken Chap. 1. 2. ROmane Catholiques judge that Protestancy vnrepented of destroies saluation For this judgement the Protestants charge them with want of Charitie This charge saith the Mistaker is 1. improbable 2. vntrue 1. Improbable For the Catholique Church expresses and diffuses her Charitie for the temporall and spirituall good of men in all imaginable sorts Shee is charitable to their bodies in her Monasteries Hospitals redeeming of Captiues prouiding for Orphanes c. and to their soules by conuerting of heretiques and infidels by teaching the ignorant by directing the scrupulous with bookes of Cases of Conscience c. Charitable to very Protestants their heresies onely are condemned and it is not said that they sinnâ— against the holy Ghost because they may be conuerted to the faith reconciled to the Church anâ— so may be saued Answere Sect. 1. SOme Romane Catholiques judge charitably of the Reformed Iesuiterâ— furious and destructiue in their censures against all that are not of their faction That faction infamous for their cruelties charged with want of Charitie
Catholiques in France beleeue it not where the f Voiez â—e Mercure Iesuite 1. part Vniversitie of Paris in the name of all the others in that kingdome hath not long since challenged aboue 30 Iesuites to haue published execrable doctrines touching the killing of Kings and absoluing subjects from their allegiance tending to the ruine of mankind and confusion of all gouernment and many of their bookes of this argument by publique arrest of the Parliament of Paris haue beene condemned to the fire And for this reason the whole g Hist Interd lib. 3. Senate of Venice not one man of that great Body dissenting did by decree chase these men out of their Dominions into perpetuall banishment because the Iesuites haue beene the Authors and Instruments of all tumults seditions confusions and miseries hapning in these times in all Kingdomes and States of the world And for vs Protestants the innumerable massacres of our Brethren in France the Netherlands and elsewhere the barbarous treasons plotted against our late Soveraignes and this state of England are demonstrations sufficient of their burning Charity towards vs. But all their other cruelties are but milde in comparison of this doctrine which pursues our soules after death into the neathermost pit Yet the Mistaker thinkes this may bee affirmed with Charitie For it is improbable the Catholique Church should want Charity Most true not improbable only but meerely impossible the Catholique Church should bee without Charity Far be it from vs to lay this vnjust and vnworthy charge vpon our deere Mother the Catholique Church Charity is the ligament which connects both that whole mysticall Body vnto Christ her glorious Head and each seuerall member one to another The good spirit of truth and loue ever assists and animates that great Body This Mother of all Christians we honour as her dutifull Children and are well assured of her blessing We accuse not Her for want of Charity shee giues no cause but that proud and curst Dame of Rome who takes vpon her to revell in the House of God to let in and cast out at her pleasure pretending that shee alone is the Mother and Mistris in that House vsurping and confining all the priviledges of the Catholique Church to her selfe alone A pretension void of colour and against the principles of reason which forbids to confound a part with the â—hole Though shee haue many waies â—aid the Harlot and in that regard deâ—erved a bill of divorce from Christ â—he detestation of Christians yet for â—hose Catholique verities which she reâ—aines wee yeeld her a member of the Catholique though one of the most vnsound and corrupt members In this sense the Romanists may bee called Catholiques But that the Roman Church â—nd the Catholique are all one is a very vaine and absurd imagination vnknowne h That the Roman Church was anciently esteemed a Topicall or particular Church distinct from others and in and vnder the Vniversall may appeare by Ignatius in tit epist ad Rom. Eccles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ambros. Epist 83. ad med Post Aegyptorum supputationes Alexandrinae Ecclesiae definitionem Episcopi quoque Romanae Ecclesiae meam adhuc expectant sententiam quid existimem de die Paschae Innoc. ad Victricium Epis Rothomag â—initio Quia Romanae Ecclesiae normam magnoperè postulâsti advertant Ecclesiarum regionis vestrae populi qualis servetur in vrbis Romae Ecclesijs disciplina Caelestinus Episc Rom. Epist ad Ioan. Antioc ap Binn in Concil Ephes Gr. lat par 1. § 20 pag. 143. Asserat se Nestorius fidem tenere quam secundum Apostolicam doctrinam Romana Alexandrina Catholica Vniversalis Ecclesia tenet Nicolaus PP 1. Epist 8. ad Michael August ad fin Imperatores Nero Diocletiaâ—us persequuti sunt Ecclesiam Dei maximè Ecclesiam Romanam Idem Epist 70 ad Hincmarum caeteros Galliae Episcopos Conantur Graeci tam nostram specialiter Romanam quam omnem quae linguâ latinâ vtitur Ecclesiam reprehendere quòd jejunamus in Sabbatis c. Et paulo post Opprobria haec vniversali Ecclesiae in eâ duntaxat parte quae latinâ vti dignoscitur linguâ ingeruntur Innocent 3. lib. 2. Epist 200. ad Ioan. Patriarch Constantinopol Dicitur Vniversalis Ecclesia quae de vniversis constat Ecclesiis quae Graeco vocabulo Catholica nominatur Ecclesia Romana sic non est Vniversalis Ecclesâ—â—â— sed parâ— Vniversalis Ecclesiae to Antiquity still loosly miserably begged by the Mistaker his fellowes without offer of proofe Catholique-Roman is in true interpretation vniversallparticular which are tearmes repugnant that cannot be equalled The latter restraines cuts off from the former and therefore to conclude the Catholique Church within that of Rome is to alter the name and nature of it hee that will be only a Roman must cease to be a Catholique It is not then the Catholique Church that we charge or that charges vs but the Roman And therefore all the discourse of our Mistaker touching the great charities of the Catholique Church to her children is very roving and impertinent winde and words without substance All confesse that she diffuses her selfe in all acts of charity after all imaginable sorts So doe her severall members the particular Churches They of the Reformation and especially this of England as amply and bountifully as any in the World and much more effectually and to better purpose then that of Rome It hath beene publikely avowed by some and cannot bee deni'd by a modest Adversary that hardâ—y any age in former times may compare with this of ours since this Church was happily purged from Popery for publique expressions of charity In so few yeares hardly ever so many Churches or Chappell 's built and beautified for Gods service so many Colledges Schooles Libraries Hospitals erected and endowed for the honour of learning and reliefe of the necessitous And for the other part of charity which is spirituall regarding the worship of God and the conduct of soules to their eternall happinesse never did any Church afford more plentifully the meanes of grace nor more abound with all helpes and advantages of piety then this of ours The word of God is diligently preached amongst vs the Sacraments of Christ reverently administred abuses in both are remoued the two extreames of Religion Superstition and Prophanenesse are avoided The ignorant are instructed the disorderly admonished comforts are applied to the afflicted terrours to the impenitent censures and punishments to the obstinate In our Leiturgy policy ceremonies in the government of our Prelates in the dilâ—gence of inferiour Pastors in the whoâ—â— face of our doctrine and discipline weâ— haue a most neere and faire resemblanâ—â— of reverend Antiquity all tending to thâ— gaining of soules to Christ and to guidâ— them in the way of peace In the Church of Rome appeares buâ— little of this true Charity even toward her owne Children Indeed shee bringâ— forth children vnto
descended aliue into the pit of hell is rashly and vncharitably said God is mercifull and who knowes whether some of them did not repent in the last moment All that this example teacheth is that men ought not to rend themselues from the Church of God or joyne in the despising of gouernment with them that seeke their owne glory and not the glory of God It is a certaine truth that m Matth. 28. 20. all things ought to be obserued which Christ hath commanded and that n Mark 16. whosoeuer beleeueth not in Christ shall be condemned But here is no warrant for the Church of Rome to force vpon the world her owne commandements and Creeds in stead of Christs That in S. Matthew o Matt. 18. 17. If thy Brother offend thee tell the Church is nothing to the point in hand Our Lord speakes of a brother wronging his brother and after priuate admonition refusing to obey the Church which may be vnderstood of an assembly as well Ciuill as Ecclesiasticall Howsoeuer it cannot be meant of the Church Catholique which cannot bee told of priuate injuries but of particular Congregations or as p Chrys hom 61. in Matth. vide etiam Tirinum in locum S. Chrysostome expounds it of their Pastors And if any disorderly or obstinato persons wil not be reformed by their good counsels they are to be esteemed as prophane Publicanes and sinners or to be punished with spirituall censures Yet in these censures any Church may erre through misinformation or ignorance and may sometimes strike the innocent as is confessed by Pope q Decretal lib. 5. tit 39. c. 28. A nobis Innocent the third and r Mag. lib. 4. dist 18. lit F. Lombard Whether in points of discipline or doctrine so long as any Church holds to the rule of truth gouernes her selfe by the word of God shee erres not We are to heare the Church our mother true that is not rashly to oppose her especially if shee be carefull to heare God our Father and Christ her Spouse of whom it was said s Matt. 17. 5. Heare him The Mistaker therefore vainly inferres from this place that the iudgement of the Church in all Controuersies is Soueraigne and Infallible and that absolute obedience is due vnto Her no appeale being allowed no not to Scripture though expounded in a Catholique sense and consonantly to the judgement of the most ancient and famous members of the Church The Text euidently speakes of particular Churches to which I suppose he will not easily yeeld these goodly priuiledges After his wont still when he talkes of the Church he meanes his owne and euer mistakes the Romane for the Catholique The Church Catholique or vniuersall is confessed in some sense to be vnerring as shall appeare hereafter and he is little better then a Pagan that despiseth her judgement For shee followes her guides the Prophets and Apostles and is not very free and forward in her definitions All this is as false of the Romane Church as it is true of the Catholique The Treatise of S. Cyprian of the vnity of the Catholique Church for that title a Epist 51. himselfe giues it is directed against the schisme error of the Nouatians who peeuishly seuered themselues from the Communion of Catholiques because they gaue the peace of the Church to such as repented after their fall in times of persecution There is nothing in that Treatise which the Protestants dislike saue onely the corrupting of S. Cyprians text by some Romish zelote b Cap. 3. secund Pam. these words added to the Text. Primatus Petro datur super Cathedram Petri fundata est Ecclesia super illum vnum aedificat Ecclesiam Christus who hath added and fourred in two or three false glosses of his owne in fauor of S. Peters Primacy Contrary to the faith of written copies and of the elder editions which were before Manutius and Pamelius contrary to the constant doctrine of that holy Martyr in other parts of his workes and even in that very place which is corrupted and contrary to the reading of their owne Gratian c Caus 24. q. 1. can Loquitur Dominus ad Petrum corrected by Pope Gregory 13. And in this vnworthy fashion they haue handled many other records and d Vide Rog Withring Apol. Bell. num 450. monumeÌ„ts of Antiquity adding altering razing them at their pleasure Sixtus Senensis highly commends Pope Pius the fift for the care which he had e Epist dedic ad Pium 5. P. M. Expurgari emaculari curâsti omnia Catholicorum scriptorum ac praecipuè veterum Patrum scripta to extinguish all dangerous bookes and to purge the writings of all Catholique Authors especially of the ancient Fathers from the filth and poyson of heresie At Rome they call it heresie not to speake the language of the Court or to say any thing in behalfe of Protestants A few yeares since when the learned Iesuite Andreas Schottus of Antuerpe published 600 Greeke Epistles of Isidorus Ielusiotes out of the Vatican Library never before printed Beyerlinck the Censor of Bookes there was content to passe them to the presse f In approbatione libri editi Antuerp Graecè 1623. because they contained nothing contrary to the Catholique Roman religion It seemes they had not passed but vpon that condition Though since on better consideration that vnwary clause is left out in the Approbation of the last edition of those Epistles in Greeke and Latine at Francfort This by the way Anno 1629. S. Augustine in his Epistle of the vnitie of the Church largely debates that maine controversie betweene the Catholiques and the Donatists concerning the Church Those Schismatiques pretended that the Catholique Church was perished in all other parts of the world and that it remained only in their factious Conventicles in some corners of Rome and Africa or as they loued to speake in the part of Donatus Against this fancy which is the opinion in effect of our Romane Catholiques at this day the learned Father proues that the Catholique Church may not bee confined to any corners or Countries but that it is vniversally diffused thorough all the world And hee constantly fetches all his proofes from the holy Scriptures often protesting that he will not fight with any other weapons g Aug. de vnit Eccl. cap. 6. Dicitis in nullis terris heredem permanere Christum nisi vbi cohaeredem habere potuerit Donatum Legite nobis hoc de Lege de Pâ—opheus de Psalmis de ipso Evangelio de Apostolicis Literis Legite credimus You say ô Donatists that Christ hath no inheritance but in the part of Donatus as now 't is said of the Popes party Read and proue this to vs out of the law the Prophets or the Psalms out of the Gospell or the Apostles Letters Read it thence and wee will beleeue you h Ibid. cap. 3. Non audiamus
haec dâ—co haec dicis sed audiamus haec dicit Dominus Auferantur illa de medio quae adversus noâ— invicem non ex divinis Canonicis libris sed aliundè recitamus Let vs heare no more Thus I say or Thus thou saist but let vs heare Thus saith the Lord. Away with those arguments on both sides which are not taken out of the Divine and Canonicall Scriptures i Ibid. cap. 2. Inter nos quaestio eist vbi sit Corpus Christi id est vbi sit Ecclesia Quid ergo facturi sumus in verbis nostris eam quaesituri an in verbis Capitis sui Domini nostri Iesu Christi Puto quòd in illius verbis potius eam quaerere debemus qui veritas est optimè novit Corpus suum It is questioned between vs where the body of Christ is that is where his Church is what then must be done shall we seeke it in our owne words or in the words of Christ the head of the Church I trow rather in his word who is Truth and best knowes his one body k Ibid. cap. 4. Ipsum Caput de quo consentimus ostendat nobis corpus suum de quo dissentimus vt per ejus verba jam dissentire desinamus Let this head of which we agree shew vs his Body of which we disagree that our dissentions may by his word be ended l Cap. 19. vid. etiam cap. 7. 18. passim That wee are in the true Church of Christ and that this Church is universally scattered over the earth we proue not by our Doctors or Councells or Miracles but by the divine Scriptures The Scriptures are the only documents and foundations of our cause Hither is his refuge and appeale from all other sentences The Mistaker was ill advised to send vs to this Treatise which both in the generall ayme in the quality of the arguments and proofes is so contrary to his pretensions If the present Roman Church could with S. Austine and all Antiquity submit to this Iudge or rather Rule of controversies both this in hand of the Church and all the rest of our contestations might bee quickly ended Before I leaue this piece of S. Austine I will leaue this passage out of it to the Mistaker to ruminate vpon m Ibid. cap. 4. Whosoever beleeue aright in Christ the Head but yet doe so dissent from his Body the Church that their communion is not with the whole wheresoeuer diffused but with themselues seuerally in some part it is manifest that such are not in the Catholique Church The Protestants communicate with the Catholique Church in what part or place of the world soever They of Rome say the Church is no where to be found but in their faction none can bee saued but Romanists What will follow from hence He hath so much Logick that he cannot mistake The Herefies recounted by Epiphanius Philastrius and S. Austin in their Catalogues were many of them wild wandring conceits of heads crazed in the Principles of vnderstanding rather frenzies and dotages against reason then false opinions in faith tending to breake the vnity of the Church And iustly said S. Austine No Christian Catholique hee might haue said no rationall creature beleeues them It is true divers of those Heretiques as the Arrians Photinians Macedonians Nestorians Eutychians c did disturbe that vnity by maintaining obstinately their errours against the common rule of faith But they were convicted not by their disobedience to the Church as the Mistaker beleeues but principally by the evidence and authority of Scripture and then after that by the attestation of the Catholique Church which is the faithfull keeper of all Scripture and divine verities as appeares clearely in those Councells and Fathers which haue opposed those Heretiques Epiphanius alone of the three aboue named disputes the matter with the Heretiques and profesfes to fetch his arguments from Scripture n Haeresi 65. Pauli Samosateni num 6. edit Petau 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide cund Haer. 76. pag. 989. Haer. 78. pag. 1047. The divine goodnesse saith hee hath fore-warned and fore-armed vs against Heresies by his Truth For God fore-seeing the madnesse impietie and fraud of the Samosatenians Arrians Manichees and the other Heretiques hath secured vs by his divine word against all their subtleties And elsewhere to the same purpose Where by the way the Mistaker must needs obserue as hee saies that the Protestants hold divers ancient heresies and particularly that of denying Prayers for the dead He is very much mistaken in his observation The commemoration of the deceased in the ancient Church which o Ap. Epiphan Haer. 75. Aerius without reason disallowed was a thing much differing from those Prayers for the dead which are now in vse in the Church of Rome Our Roman Catholiques beleeue at least they say so that some soules of the faithfull after their departure hence are detained in a certaine fire bordering vpon Hell till they bee throughly purged and their prayers for them are that they may bee released or eased of those torments On the contrary the generall opinion of the ancient Doctors Greeke and Latine downe almost till these last ages was and is the opinion of the p Graeci in Concil Flor. ante Sess 1. in Quaest de Igne purgat apud Bin. Tom. 4. part 1. pag. 421. edit vlt. Greek Churches at this day that all the spirits of the righteous deceased are in Abrahams bosome or some outer Courts of heauen where though they liue in a blessed condition of peace and ioy and refreshing being secured of glory and the beatificall vision yet they expect the full perfection and consummation of their happinesse till the last day Some of their Testimonies to this purpose are collected by q Spalat de Rep. Eccl. lib. 5. cap. 8. num 98. Sixtus Senens Bibl. S. lib. 6. annot 345. Antonius de Dominis and Sixtus of Siena wherevnto many more might easily be added This opinion seemes directly to overthrowe two new doctrines of Popery Purgatory and invocation of Saints Such Invocation I meane as is intended to the Saints as a worship due vnto them and when they are invocated as Commissioners vnder God to whom he hath delegated the power of conferring sundry benefits deposited in their hands and to bee bestowed at their pleasure which is properly new and Popish Invocation Which r De Beatitud Sanct. lib. 1. cap. 4. 5. Bellarmine well perceiuing passionately labours to overthrowe it and to proue that the Ancients were not of this minde But his proofes are feeble and fall short of the thing in question and being a man of so great reading it may be thought hee spake against his knowledge and conscience Now conformably to this opinion the Ancient s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Liturg. Basil Chrysost vide Clem. Const lib. 8. cap. 12. Chrysost Liturg Gr. Epiphan Her 75. Cyril Hier. Catech. 5.
disturbed her vnion dissolued Schisme is no lesse damnable then Heresy The old n Vide Optat August passim Donatists did not only vniustly separate from the Catholike Church diffused through the World but most vn reasonably arrogantly esteemed their owne faction to be the only Christians hated and censured all of the Catholique Communion as no better then Pagans and appropriated to themselues alone all the benefits of Christ and all the priviledges of his Church And accordingly in effect they renounced the society of all other Christians vanting that life and salvation was no where to be had but in their assemblies And are not the Iesuiters of our times formally guilty of this Donatisme Doe not the Zelotes of Rome thus speake and thinke of themselues and of all other Christians Witnes our Mistaker and his Pamphlet wherein his designe is to shew that Rome compasseth and containeth all Christendome and that Christ hath no servants the Church no members but only those that liue vnder the Popes obedience Briefly the Vnity of the Church Catholique is not hindred by any diversity of opinions or observations in her severall members so long as the substance of faith and the bond of Charity is conserued among them The Mistaker goes on Out of this one true Church no salvation Ch. Mist â— 5. can be had Every terme is ambiguous and therefore the whole proposition true or false as it may be limited Salvation may be had either by the ordinary meanes or extraordinarily The Church notes either the Catholique or Particulars Hee may be in the one who is outed by the others and an interiour Communion may be without the externall A Church may teach many truths and so farre bee true yet by the addition of many errours and abuses become in regard of them a false Church And it may be one in the faith which is not at one either with it selfe or other particulars in opinions Lastly a man may be out of a particular Church either actiuely by a voluntary separation which is iust or vnjust according to the grounds or passiuely by exclusion or ejection being casâ— out by the Church And that may bee done either vniustly by ignorance malice faction c. or justly and this either by suspension for a time from the society of the faithfull or by vtter and finall abdication from the body of Christ This may better appeare in particular instances Infidels are without the Church They haue no distinct knowledge of Christ or explicite faith in him Yet some a Iustin M. in Apol. vtraque Clem. Alex Strom. lib. 5. 6. 7. Chrysost hom 37. in Matth. c. auncient Doctors and many late b Ludov. Vives in Aug. de C. D. l. 18. c. 47. Andrad Orthod Explic lib. 3. ad axiom 6. Genes à Sepulveda lib. 7. Epist 1. ad Petr. 1. ad Petr. Serramum Franc. à victoria Relect 13. Aquinas Lyra Abulensis Bruno Dionysius Carth. Arboreus Durandus c. apud Casal de quadr iustit lib. 1. cap. 12. Cornelius Mus Claudius Seysellus Ambrosius Catharinus Ioan. Viguerius Bened. Pererius Dom. Soto Alph. Salmeron aoud Franc. Collium de Animabus Paganoium lib. 1. cap. 24. vide eum lib. 5. cap. 7. 8. 22. Sotus Canus Vega Thom. Richardus apud Greg. Val. T. 3. disp 1. qu. 2. punct 4. § secunda vero Romane writers are of opinion concerning Pagans before and since Christ that if their life be morally honest by Gods extraordinary mercy and the merit of Christ they may be saued For say they though God in his wisdome hath tied vs to the ordinary meanes he hath not tied himselfe Let the Mistaker here compare â—heir Charity with his They hope well of honest Pagans He rashly damnes the â—est part of Christians Againe a beleeuer may be in no visible Church and yet in a state of saluation For first the ancient Church whilest shee wanted the assistance of the Civill word vsed a very severe discipline to containe her children in obedience and to prevent scandals Lapsed sinners were not restored to her peace nor admitted into the communion of the faithfull but with great difficulty and after the sharpe penance of many yeares But if any were guilty of crimes such as Tertullian calls non delicta sed monstra monstrous impieties as Apostasy Idolatry Fornication Murther and the like c Vide Canones Concilis Eliberitani Arelatensis 1. Albaspin Obser lib. 2. shee vtterly refused to absolue such persons euen at the last houre of their life notwithstanding their repentance Yet for their comfort though they might not haue her mercy she doubted not but that they were capable of d Concil Valent. 1. Canone 3. Gods and vpon their true contrition might by him bee pardoned and saued Secondly the e Concil Nicen. Can. 5. Churches of those happy times so fairely corresponded in their amitie and justice that whosoeuer was excommunicated by one was not receiued or absolued by any other And hence it followeth that f Potest quis esse in Ecclesia animo desiderio quod sufficit illi ad salutem non tamen esse corpore siue externá communicatione quae propriè facit hominem esse de Ecclesiâ visibili que est in terris Bell. lib. 3. de Eccl. milit cap. 6. § Respondeo cap. 3. § Denique externall communion euen with the truest noblest Churches is not of absolute necessity to saluation When one and so all visible Churches denied their peace in that age to some Sinners yet they denied them not Gods pardon Besides that a man may bee g Saepe sinit diuina prouidentia per nimiuÌ„ turbulentas carnalium hominum seditiones expelli de congregatione Christianá etiam bonoâ— viros August de ver relig cap. 6. In foro contentioso exterion multi sunt Excommunicati quoad Deum qui non sunt quoad Ecclesiam è contrà multi Excommunicats quoad Ecclesiam qui non sunt quoad Deum quia Ecclesia non judicat de occultis Cosm Philiarch de offic Sacerd. Tom. 1. lib. 3. c. 4. p. 89. Frequenter fit n qui per Ecclesiam militantem foras emittitur intus habetur in Ecclefiâ triumphante contrà Gloss in Extra Ioan. 22. Tit. 14. cap. 5. solutum in â—â—â—liâ— a true visible member of the holy Catholique Church who is not actually otherwise then in vow a member of any true visible Church appeareth by these instances The poore man in the Gospell adhered the more closely to Christ when he was cast out of the Synagogue which was then the onely true Church the Heathens being excluded and the Christian Church being not yet founded And with whom of his owne ranke could Athanasius communicate in that generall Apostacy of Christendome when that noble Champion stood single in defence of diuine truth h Vidâ— Baron An. 357. Num. 44. all his Brethren the other Patriarches not He of Rome excepted hauing subscribed
and vehement spirit yet before his death being tempered by milde Melancthon that honour of Germany did d Admon Neustad de libro Concord cap. 6. pag. 236. much relent remit of his rigor against Zuinglius and began to approue the good counsells of peace And among the Lutherans all are not of the same intractable disposition As they in Polonia for instance e Vide Corpus Confess ibi Poloniae Consensum where the followers of Luther Calvin haue long liued together in a faire and brotherly concord communion notwithstanding their severall opinions which they still retaine Since then our discords are of no higher degree wee say as f Prudent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § vlt. concordia laesa est Sed defensa fide quin concordia sospes Germanam comitata Fidem sua vulnera ridet Prudentius a Christian Poet of the vnity of his times It hath beene a little violated but is defended by Faith her sister in whose company being safely come off shee laugheth at her wounds as being easily curable Charity mistaken Cap. 6. FVrthermore the Protestants are properly Heretiques at least if not Insidells Heretiques because they reiect and disobey the indgement of the Catholique Church For it is not the matter or quality of the doctrine But the pride of the man who prefers his owne opinioâ—s before the decrees of the Church that properly makes the Horetique The Heretiques recounted by St Austine Epiphanius and Philastrius in their Catalogues were condemned not so much for their errours which were many of them not very materiall as for their contempt of the Church S. Cyprian and the Donatists differed not in the matter of their errour but the obstinary of the Donatists their disobediencs to the Church made them to bee condemned for Heretiques when St Cyprian was absolued because the Church in his time had not declared her selfe And in like manner the Novatians were condemned on the same grounds Answere Sect. 4. OF the nature of Heresy The Church may declare convince an Heresy but cannot make any Doctrine Hereticall properly vnlesse it be such in the matter of it The words Heresy and Heretique very ambiguous How commonly vsed by the Auncients Of their Catalogues of Heretiques St Cyptian though erring in the point of Rebaptization justly absolued from Sohisme and Heresy The Donatists guilty of both And the Novatians of Schisme BVt though wee doe agree in the substance of Religion with all true Christian Catholiques in the world yet all this cannot winne vs the Charitable opinion of our Mistaker For notwithstanding all this he beleeues vs to be not only Heretiques but no better in effect then Infidells And hee giues his reason which he saies strikes at the roote and vnanswerably convinces His custome is to giue vs only words it is well that he offers vs reason which we shall be ever willing to heare and consider of His reason then First wee are Heretiques because in many opinions wee disobey the Church and Heresy properly consists not in the matter or quality of the false doctrine beleeued but in the pride of him that maintaines it in contempt of the Church Our faith then is defectiue because wee beleeue not all that is commaunded by the Church But 2. which is worse we haue no true faith at all no not of those things which we truly beleeue For though we firmely assent to many truths yet we doe not beleeue them vpon the only true and infallible motiue or vpon the right ground which is the revelation of God and the proposition of his Catholique Church The faith which relies not on this ground is not any true faith but only an humane opinion or perswasion Answ If wee did not dissent in some opinions from the present Romane Church wee could not agree with the Church truly Catholique But the Mistaker after his fashion is ever begging what will never bee granted or proved that his Roman Church is all one with the Catholique What Optatus said of the Donatists who arrogated to themselues alone Optat. lib. 3. the name and priviledges of the Church exclusiuely to all others the same say wee of the Popes part Vestra pars quasi Ecclesia est sed Catholica non est Their Church is truly so called in some sort being a corrupt member of the Catholique but the Catholique Church it is not The Catholique Church is carefull to ground all her declarations in matters of faith vpon the divine authority of Gods written word And therefore whosoeuer wilfully opposeth a iudgement so well grounded is iustly esteem'd an Heretique not properly because he disobeyes the Church but because hee yeelds not to Scripture sufficiently ' propounded or cleared vnto him So saith a August de Gen. ad lit lib. 7. cap. 9. Omnes Haeretici Scripturas Catholicas legunt nec ob aliud sunt Haeretioi nisi quòd eas non rectè intelligentes suas falsas opiniones contra earum veritatem pervicaciter asserunt IdeÌ„ habet Epist 222. St Austin and b Hier. in Galat. cap. 5. Haereticus est quicunque aliter Scripturam intelligit quaÌ„ sensus Spiritûs S flagitat licèt de Ecclesiâ non recesserit St Hierome expresly The best c Divinae Scripturae integra firma regula verita tis Dist 37. c. Relatum Bellarm. de verb. Dei lib. 1. c. 2. Sacra Scriptura regula credendi certissima tutissimâ—que est Gers de exam doctrin par 2. consid 1. Oper. part 1. pag. 541. Scriptura nobis tradita est tanquà m regula sufficiens infallibilis pro regimine totius Ecclesiastici corporis vsque in finem cui se non conformans alia doctrina vel abjicienda est vt haereticalis vel vt suspecta impertinens ad religionem prorsus est habenda learned in the Church of Rome confesse that the Scripture was giuen as a sufficient and infallible rule for the government of the whole Church so as any doctrine not conformable therevnto must either bee rejected as hereticall or suspected as impertinent to religion It is confessed also that the Church d Almain in 3. D. 25. q. 1. Resolutio Occham est quòd nec tota Ecclesia nec concilium generale nec summus Pontifex potest facere Articulum quod non fuit Articulus Sed in dubijs propositionibus potest Ecclesia determinare an sint Catholicae Tamen sic determinando non facit quod sint Catholicae quùm prius essent antè Ecclesiae determinationem Sic etiam Turrecremata Adrianus apud Can. lib. 12. cap. 8. Sâ—tus in 1. D. 11. q. 1. in fine In nova Haeresi veritas prius erat de side etsi non ita declarata Bonavent in 1. D. 11. A. r. q. 1. ad fin Haereâ—â—â— multa quae erant implicita fidej nostrae compulerunt explicare hath no power to make any Article of faith or to adde any thing to the doctrine of faith Her
truth Every false opinion is not properly aâ— Heresy or condemned by a definition of the Church 2 The same Author saith of q Haer. 80. Alias ipse commemorat quae mihi appelland ae Haereses non videntur Philastrius that hee ranked many things in his Catalogue of Heresies which in his judgement were not truly so named Therefore either Philastrius set downe many Heresies not defined to bee such by the Church or else S. Austin should be an Heretique who denied them to be Heresies after the Church had defined them Lastly he notes that Philastrius and Epiphanius differ in the number of their Heretiques because they differed in their judgement of Heresy r August ibid. proculdubio in ea quaestione vbi disputatur quid sit Haeresis non idem videbatur ambobus c. that seeming an Heresy to the One which seemed not so to the Other Himselfe differs from them both professing the reason to bee because it is hard to agree vpon the true nature and definition of Heresy He was not then of our Mistakers opinion that the definition of the Church is that which makes an Heresy The like difference may bee observed in the Writers of the Romane Church s Alph. in Praefat. lib. 1. cap. 9. Pater miserè errâsse Bern. de Lucemburgo Hereticorum Catalogum describentem Alphonsus à Castro often taxes the miserable errours as he calls them of Guido Perpinianus Bernardus de Lucemburgo and others in their Catalogues of Heretiques and in their judgement of Heresy wherein he thinkes them many times mistaken And will the Mistaker say that all the Heresies recounted by Alphonsus himselfe Prateolus and the like were errours publiquely condemned by the definition of the Church It is true when the Church hath declared her selfe in any matter of Opinions or of Rites her Declaration obliges all her Children to peace and externall obedience Nor is it fit or lawfull for any private man to oppose his judgement to the publique He may offer his contrary opinion to bee considered of so he doe it with evidence or great probability of Scripture or reason and very modestly still containing himselfe within the dutifull respect which hee owes But if he will factiously advance his owne conceits and despise the Church so farre as to cast off her communion hee may be justly branded and condemned for a Schismatique yea and an Heretique also in some degree and in foro exteriori though his opinion were true and much more if it bee false And this was it that made one great difference betweene Saint Cyprian and the Donatists though they agreed in the erâ—or of Rebaptization For the Donatists had other errours more grosse and dangerous and even amounting to Heresy in the matter of them where of Sr Cyprian was no way guilty as shall appeare St Cyprian was of opinion that all Heretiques returning to the Catholique Church ought to be rebaptized Steven at the same time Bishop of Rome held the direct contrary that no Heretiques should be rebaptized Both of them erred and both said true in some sense The ambiguity of the word Heretique deceived them For the Catholique Church afterwards in the Councell of Nice declaring her selfe in that Controversy distinguished of Heretiques and decreed that t Concil Nic. Can. 8. Cathari Some should not bee rebaptized but receiued with a simple benediction and that u Paulianistae sâ—u Samosateniani ibid. Can. 19. Concil 6. in Trull Can. 95. Others should be But the disposition and carriage of Steven and Cyprian in this businesse was very different and very remarkable Steuen in a violent heat w Eusch Hist lib. 7. cap. 4. excommunicates all the Bishops of Cilicia Cappadocia Galatia c. because they were not of his minde When they sent some Bishops of their Company to him fairely to treate of the matter He x Vide Firmiliani Epist inter Epist Cypriani 75. ad fin forbids them to be receiued into any house or harbor He vses Cyprian with termes of reproach calls him y Ibid. false Christ false Apostle deceitfull Worker With Steuen agreed his Italian Bishops On the other side notwithstanding this Declaration of the Bishop and Church of Rome in this Controuersie S. Cyprian a Bellar. lib. 2. de Concil cap. 5. Constat Cornelium Papam cum nationali Concilio omnium Episcoporum Italiae statuisse non debere Haereticos rebaptizari eandem sententiam posteà approbâsse â—â—am Stephanum Papam jussisse vt Haeretici non rebaptizarentur Et simu constat Cyprianum contrarium sensisse mordicus defendisse id quod etiam ipse fatetur in Epist ad Pompeium vbi arguit Stephanum Paâ—am erroris Et tamen Cyprianus semper est habitus in numero Catholicorum persisted in his opinion and with him 80. Bishops of Africa Synodically assembled at Carthage besides those other of the East For in that age men did not beleeue that the Romane Church was infallible or that it was Heresie to dissent from her judgement or not to submit to her authoritie But the behauiour of Cyprian was full of sweetnesse and modesty He deliuers his owne firme opinion but withall b Cypr. Epist 72. ad Stephan Quâ in re nos vim nemini facimus nec legom damus cùm habeat in Ecclesiae administratione voluntatis suae arbitrium liberum vnusquisque Praepositus Id. Epist 73. ad Iubaianum in fine Haec breuitèr pro nostra mediocritate rescripsimus nemini praescribentes aut praeiudicantes quo minùs quisque Episcoporum quod putet faciat habens arbitrij sui liberam potestatem Nos quantum in nobis est cum Collegis Coepiscopis nostris non contendimus cum quibus diuinam concordiam Dominicam pacem tenemus Et mox Seruatur à nobis patientèr ac firmitèr Charitas animi Collegii honor vinculum fidei concordia Sacerdotij Id. in Praefat. Concil Carthag Superest vt de hâc re Singuli quid sentiamus proferamus Neminem judicantes aut à jure communio nis aliquem si diuersum senserit amouentes Neque enim quisquam nostrûm tyrannico terrore ad obsequendi necessitatem Collegas suos adigit professes that he meant not to prescribe or giue lawes to any that euery Bishop might freely follow his owne judgement that he would not contend with any of his Colleagues about this matter so farre as to breake diuine concord and the peace of our Lord that he was farre from judging or censuring any of his Brethren or cutting off from his communion any that were of a different minde that in such cases none ought to constraine his Collegues by tyrannicall terrour therein glancing at the procedures of Steuen to a necessity of beleeuing or following what he thinkes meet This modestie and Charitie is very often and very deservedly commended by c Aug. de Bapt. cont Donat. lib. 1. cap. 18. lib. 2. cap. 1. 2. 3.
vultis Vides frater Parmeniane sancta germanitatis vincula inter nos vos in totum rumpi non posse loued and pittied and prayed for them Though the peeuish Schismatiques did much abuse this Charitie of good Catholiques towards them For hence they tooke occasion to argue in fauour of their Schisme and Heresie as if their Aduersaries by their owne confession did justifie it and them reasoning thus o Aug. Cont. lit Petil. lib. 2. cap. 108. Petilianus dixit Venite ad Ecclesiam populi aufugite Traditores si perire non vultis Nam vt facilè cognoscatis quòd cùm ipsi sint rei de fide nostrâ optimè judicant Egoillorum infectos baptizo illi meos recipiunt baptizatos Quod omninò non facerent si in Baptismo nostro culpas aliquas agnouissent Videte ergo quod damus quam sit sanctum quòd destruere metuit sacrilegus inimicus Id. contr Crescon Gram. lib. 1. cap. 21. Intentio tua est in parte Donati hominem potius baptizari oportere hanc intentionem hins probare conatus es quòd etiam Nos esse illic Baptismum non negamus Id. ibid. lib. 4. cap. 4. Quaeris a me à quo to baptizari conueniat vtrùm ab eo potius quem ego Baptismum habere confirmo an ab co quem tuus hoc non habere contendit Vide eundem de Bapt. contr Donatist lib. 1. cap. 10. 11. Your selues said they to the Catholiques confesse our Baptisme and Sacraments and Faith for the most part to be good and auaileable We deny yours to be so and say there is no Church no Saluation amongst you Therefore it is safest for all to joyne with vs. Doe not the Romanists at this day in the very same manner abuse the Charity of Protestants And is not this directly that Charme wherewith they worke so powerfully vpon the Spirits of simple people Our answer is the same which S. Austin opposed to the Ancient Donatists in the places cited By the way from that fauourable judgement and opinion which good Catholiques in that age had of the Donatists esteeming them to be their Brethren notwithstanding their Schisme and Heresie these Corollaries may be probably deduced 1. It seemeth that an Hereticall Church where in some Heresy is publiquely maintained by the Guides and Pastors of it is in some kinde the Spouse of Christ and bringeth forth p August â—le Bapt. con Don. l. 1. c. 10. Ecclesia Catholica etiam in communionibus diuersorum ab vnitate separatis per hoc quod suum in cis habet ipsa vtique generat Filios Christo per Baptismum Children to God and Brethren to the Orthodox beleeuers Especially if She baptize her Children in the name of the Trinity as did the Donatists 2. It seemeth that euen in an Hereticall Church Saluation may be had as a child may be borne in a plaguy house and may liue though he hath a running botch on his body In such Churches the very ignorance and simplicity of the Vulgar is a preseruatiue to them against the poyson more hopes of them then of the Learned 3. It seemeth to some q Mr. Hooker lib. 3. §. 1. The Morton of the Church cap. 1. §. 4. cap. 7. §. 10. men of great learning and judgement but herein I had rather leaue the Reader to his judgement then interpose mine owne that all who professe to loue and honour Iesus Christ though it be in much weakenesse and with many errours yet are in the visible Christian Church and by Catholiques to bee reputed Brethren Or to the same purpose wheresoeuer say they a company of men do joyntly and publiquely professe the substance of Christian Religion which is Faith in Iesus Christ the Sonne of God and Sauiour of the world with submission to his doctrine and obedience to his Commandements there is a Church wherein Saluation may bee had notwithstanding any corruption of judgement or practice yea although it be of that nature that it may seeme to fight with the very foundation and so hainous as that in respect thereof the people stained with this corruption are worthy to be abhorred of all men and vnworthy to bee called the Church of God For further illustration and proofe of this opinion these things are said That to beleeue in Iesus Christ the Sonne of God and Sauiour of the world with submission to him is sufficient to constitute a Church wherein Saluation may bee had is warranted as they thinke 1. By Scriptures a 1 Ioh. 4. 15. Whosoeuer shall confesse that Iesus is the Sonne of God dwelleth in him and he in God Againe b ibid. v. 2. Vide in h. loc Tirinum Euery Spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God The like passages are c 1 Ioh. 5. 1. 5. elsewhere S. Peters Faith was the same d Matt. 16. 16 17. with this and the Faith of e Ioh. 11. 27. Martha and of the f Act. 8. 37. Eunuch And the Faith of all these is approued in Scripture 2. Heretiques themselues must bee acknowledged though a maimed part yet a part of the visible Church g Hooker vbi supr Magaltanus idem probat contra Bellar. in Tit. 3. vers 11. Ann. 2. For if an Infidell should pursue to death an Heretique professing Christianitie onely for Christian prosessions sake could we deny vnto him the honour of Martyrdome Yet this honour all men know to be proper vnto the Church Heretiques therefore are not vtterly cut off from the visible Church of Christ If the Fathers doe any where as oftentimes they doe make the true visible Church of Christ and Hereticall Companies opposite they are to be construed as separating Heretiques not altogether from the Companie of Beleeuers but from the fellowship of sound Beleeuers For where profest vnbeleefe is there there can be no visible Church of Christ there may be where sound beleefe wanteth Infidels being cleane without the Church denie directly and vtterly reject the very Principles of Christianity which Heretiques embrace and erre onely by misconstruction Whereupon their opinions although repugnant indeed to the Principles of Christian Faith are notwithstanding held otherwise and maintained as most consonanâ— thereunto To which purpose the words of h Salu. de Gubern l. 5. Eis traditio Magistrorum suorum doctrina inueterata quasi Lex est qui hoc sciunt quod docentur Haeretici ergo sunt sed non scientes Denique apud nos sint Haeretici apud se non sunt Nam in tantùm se Catholicos judicant vt nos ipsos titulo Haereticae appellationis infament Quod ergo illi nobis sunt hoc nos illis Nos eos injuriam diuinae generationi facere certi sumus quod minorem Patre â—lium dicunt Illi nos injuriosos Patri existimant quia aequales 〈◊〉 credamus Veritas apud nos est sed illi apud se esse
praesumunt Hoâ—â—â— Dei apud nos est sed illi hoc arbitrantur honorem diuinitatis esse quod credunt Inofficiosi sunt sed illis hoc est summum Religionis officum Impij sunt sed hoc putant veram esse pretatem Errant ergo sed boâ—â— animo errant non odio sed affectu Dei honorare se Dominum atqâ—â— aâ—are credentes Quanmuis non habeant rectam fidem illi tamen 〈◊〉 perfectam aestimant Dei Charitatem Qualiter pro hoc ipso falsae opnionis errore in die judicij puniendi sunt nullus potest scire nisi Index Saluian an ancient Bishop of Marseilles are very remarkeable concerning some Arrian Heretiques of whom he speakes thus The tradition of their Teachers and the doctrine which they haue learned is to them as it were a Law they beleeue as they haue beene instructed They are Heretiques then but not wittingly Briefly they are Heretiques in our judgement but not in their owne For they esteeme themselues so good Catholiques that they defame vs with the title of Heresie Such therefore as They are to vs such are Wee to them We know assuredly that they are iniurious to the Diuine Generation of the Sonne of God because they say He is inferiour to his Father They contrarily thinke vs iniurious to the Father because we beleeue the Sonne to be equall to Him The truth is on our side but they presume it is on theirs Our opinion truly honours God but they suppose their opinion to be more honourable to Him They are indeed vndutifull to God but this they esteeme a great dutie of Religion They are impious but this they thinke to be true piety They erre then but they erre with a good minde not out of any hatred to God but with affection to him thinking to honour hereby and loue the Lord. Although they haue not the right Faith yet they imagine their opinion to be perfect Charitie towards God How they shall bee punished in the last day of judgement for this error of their false opinion the Iudge alone knowes 3. In the Society of such Professors there is at least there may be true Baptisme administred and rightly for the substance of it And where true Baptisme may be rightly administred there is the Couenant of Saluation in Christ setled and established because the Seale of the Couenant is there allowed And euery Society in which is the Couenant of Grace is a Church of Christ Againe where true Baptisme is there by the Confession of the Romanists euery one by Vertue of that Baptisme if himselfe doe not ponere obieem is made a member of the Church and of Christ an Heyre of heauen And hence it followeth that Children baptized in that Church are regenerated because they doe not ponere obicem And hence againe that that Societie is a Church of Christ and his Spouse which bringeth forth Children vnto God 4. The people of the ten Tribes after their defection notwithstanding their grosse corruptions and Idolatrie yet because they professed by Circumcision and otherwise to honour the true Iehouah they remained still a true Church though a very imperfect and impure Church and were therefore called the i Rom. 9. 25 26. 1 King 16. 2. people of God the beloued of God the Children of the liuing God and God was called the k 1 Kin. 18. 36. c. 20. 28. God of Israel and said to be among them being also euer readie to direct and counsell them by his true l 2 Kin. 5. 8. 1. 16. 1 Kin. 22. 5 7. Prophets and lastly the Kings of Israel are often said to doe euill in the eyes of God that is as it may bee probably expounded in that place whereupon God did as yet looke with the eyes of his mercy as vpon his Church Though in regard of their halting betweene God and Baal they were said to be without m 2 Chron 15. 3. the true God without Priests and Law that is without that pure and comfortable worship of God which his Priests according to his Law ought to haue performed And it seemes by S. Paul that a Christian seruing the true God after a false and deuised manner may be at once both 1 Cor. 5. 11. a Brother and an Idolater And forignorances yea or errours of the vnderstanding though very grosse and perhaps by some thought to be fundamentall it seemes true Faith may be lodged in the same minde together with them The Faith of Rahab in o Heb. 11. 31. commended who surely had no great knowledge of the Messiah to commend her After our Lord had long conuersed with his Disciples and instructed them yet did they not beleeue p Matth. 20. 21. Act. 1. 6. his Kingdome to be spirituall nor q Matth. 16. 22. S. Peter the necessitie of his Passion though immediately before he had made that goodly Confession on which the Church is founded The Christians of Ephesus knew not r Act. 19. 2. whether then were an Holy Ghost or no and many thousand Christian Iewes s Act. 21. 20. did both beleeue the Gospell yet were zealous for the old legall Ceremonies which were by Christ fulfilled and abolished A learned t Synesius apud Phot. Myriobibl cod 26. man anciently was made a Bishop of the Catholique Church though he did professedly doubt of the last Resurrection of our Bodies The Authors of this opinion are oâ— age and abilitie enough to speake for it and themselues The Reader may be pleased to approue or reiect it as he shall finde cause No doubt the errors of Poperie and those other of Vbiquitie Consubstantiation and the like are errours grosse and palpable yet not such as presently and absolutely cut off all that professe and beleeue them from the Catholique Church and all hope of Saluation especially if withall they professe resolutely and heartily to beleeue in Iesus Christ and to obey him according to his word so farre as they can vnderstand it or can be taught it For howsoeuer some skilfull Disputant by Logicall deduction may from those opinions inferre some consequences damnable and destructiue to the Faith yet the erring persons many times doe not see or beleeue that any such consequences follow clearly from their opinions nay they doe happily so farre abhorre them and are so well disposed towards truth that rather then admit any such dangerous consequents they would readily renounce and rectifie their opinions But I finde my selfe digressing I returne and proceed By all this it is manifest that S. Cyprian agreed with the Donatists onely in a part of their errour but not wholly nor in their chiefest errours nor in their faction and obstinacy which made them guiltie of Schisme and Heresie S. Cyprian was a peaceable and modest man dissented from others in his judgement but without any breach of Charity condemned no man much lesse any Church for the contrary Opinion He beleeued his owne Opinion to be true
but beleeued not that it was necessarie and therefore did not proceed rashly and peremptorily to censure others but left them to their libertie and finally he had a teachable and tractable minde willing to alter his Opinion if hee had seene reason and to yeeld to Truth if it had beene cleared vnto him or if hee had liued to heare the judgement of the Nicene Fathers And this good disposition kept him from falling further into such errours as the pride and obstinacy of the Donatists plunged them For contrarily the Donatists whilest they suriously contended for one false Opiniō fell by degrees into many more and worse Such as were these doctrines of theirs That u Aug. Ep. 167. De Bap. tismo dicere solent tunc esse verum Baptismum Christi cum ab homine justo datur vide evnd de vnit Ecclesiae cap. 21. the efficacy of Sacraments depends on the dignity of the Minister that being no true Baptisme which is not giuen by a just man That w Aug. cont Epist Parmen lib. 3. Passim the Church ought not to tolerate evill persons in her communion That communion with such persons pollutes and prophanes the Church and makes it no Church That therefore x Aug. de Haer. ad Quodvultd cap. 69. Donatistae pertinaci dissensione in Haeresin Schisma verterunt tanquam Ecclesia Christi propter crimina Caeciliani seu vera seu quod magis judicibus apparuit falsa de toto terrarum orbe penerit vbi futura promissa est atque in Africa Donati parte remanserit in aliis rerrarum partibus quasi contagione communionis extincta all the Churches of the World were perished because they communicated with Caecilianus Bishop of Carthage whom they accused y Vide Gesta purgationis Faelicis Opt. lib. 1. falsely too to haue beene ordained by such as were Traditors or had giuen vp the Bible to bee burn't in times of persecution Consequently z Aug. de vnit Eccl. cap. 13. perijsse dicunt de caetero mundo Ecclesiam in parte Donati in sola Africâ remansisse ibi mox totus mundus inquiunt apostatavit nos autem in Ecclesia remansimus iterum suam paucitatem commendare conantur in sanctis Ecclesiae multitudinem toto orbe diffusam blasphemare non cessant that the Church remained only with them in the part of Donatus and that themselues were the only Christians Now to omit the rest this last errour was in the matter and nature of it properly Hereticall against that Article of the Creed wherein we professe to beleeue the holy Catholique Church For by limiting the Church only to such as were of their owne communion in Africa Rome or elsewhere excluding all others they denied the Church to be Catholique And when they were pressed with this absurdity by the Catholiques for a shift they divised a new and vaine interpretation of the Word Catholique saying that the Church was called Catholique a Aug. Ep. 48. ad Vincentium Acutum aliquid videris dicere cùm Catholicae nomen non ex totius orbis communione interpretaris sed ex observatione omnium praeceptorum divinorum omnium Sacramentorum Brevic. Collat. cum Donatistis die 3. cap. 2. Donatistae responderunt non Catholicum nomen ex Vniversitate gentium sed ex plenitudine Sacramentorum institutum Et Gaudentius Donatista Coll. 3. cap. 102. Hoc est Catholicum nomen quod Sacramentis plenum est quod perfectum quod immaculatum not because it is spred over the whole World or to import the Vniversality of Nations but because their Church retained all the Sacraments and observed all Gods Commandements and was perfect and unspotted This perverse confining of the Catholique Church was the principall Heresy of the Donatists which the Catholique Writers Optatus St Austin and others did most of all detest and oppose in them And in their disputations of this point they convince their Adversaries not by any authority or definitions of the Church as our Mistaker pretends but by testimonies of Scripture as hath beene obserued before b Aug. Collat Carth 3. cap. 187. Sola divina testimonia ad Ecclesiam demonstrandam sufficient mox Sola divina loquatue authoritas sola Dei Scriptura cui vtrique subdimur in medium proferatur Et ib. cap. 155. volumus optamus negotium Ecclesiae non nisi divinis eloquijs terminare Id. de vnit Eccl. cap. 3. Non audiamus haec dico haec dicis sed audiamus Haec dicit Dominus sunt libri Dominici ibi quaeramus Ecclesiam ibi discutiamus causam nostram Auferantur illa de medio quae adversus nos invicem non ex divinis Canonicis Libris sed aliunde recitamus fic passim and every where summon them to the judgement of Scripture alone St Austin purposely debates this matter with them in his Treatise de unitate Ecclesiae and therein professes almost in each page that he will waue all other reasons or arguments and confute them only by Scriptures And that not by Scriptures c Aug. de vnit Eccl. cap. 5. Illa interim sunt seponenda quae in Scripturis obscurè sunt posita figurarum velaminibus involuta secundum nos secundum illos possunt interpretari anted iam praedico propono vt quaecunque aperta manifesta eligamus mox Prorsus quae alicuius interpretationis indigent seponamus vide c. 24. darke or doubtfull but so d Aug. ib. c. 19. Aliquid proferte quod non contra vos veriùs interpretetur quod interprete omninò non egeat Sicut non eget interprete in semine tuo benedicentur omnes Sicut non eget interprete terra tua orbis terrarum Sicut non eget cap. 20. Nullo interprete indigent Canonicarum Scripturarum testimonia quae commendant Ecclesiam in totius orbis communione Et cap. 25. Ostendant Donatistae aliqua manifesta de Canonicis libris testimonia cap. 4. notissimis apertissimis testimonijs contradicunt cap. 15. Manifestissimis testimonijs asservimus Ecclesiam toto orbe diffusam cleare that they need not to be expounded so full and expresse that they cannot be avoided or eluded Briefly such as the Donatists could not resist without wilfull e Aug. vbi supra cap. 1. De Scripturis sanctisita sunt omnia prolata probata vt ea negare non possit nisi qui illarum Scripturarum inimicum se esse profitetur ib cap. 7. Quis tam surdus tà m demens tà m mente caecus vt his tam evidentibus testimonijs obloquatur Sed ad manifestiora veniamus ib. cap. 11. Istae divinae voces de vniversa Ecclesia ita manifestae sunt vt contra eas nisi Haereticè animosa perversitate caeco furore latrare non possint malice and blindnesse Now the point which hee proues by so many cleare and full Scriptures is this that the
Catholique Church is spread and diffused over the Earth among all Nations and may not be inclosed within any one or other society or communion of men whatsoever Wherein he doth as clearely oppose our Romanists who inclose all Catholiques and Christians within the Popes communion as he did the ancient Donatists It is not then resisting the voice or definitue sentence of the Church which makes an Heretique but an obstinate standing out against evident Scripture sufficiently cleared vnto him And the Scripture may then be said to be sufficiently cleared when it is so opened that a good and teachable minde louing and seeking truth cannot gainsay it For some froward and obstinate persons will not bee convicted by any evidence of truth whatsoever And if the authority of a Councell or of some Church doe interpose in this conviction the obstinacy of Gainsayers is the greater because there is the greater reason to perswade them And if any Church doe vpon such conviction excommunicate or condemne any refractary Gainsayer hee standeth guilty of obstinacy and so of Heresy in foro exteriori and for such is to be reputed by the members of the same Church But it is possible such a sentence may bee erronious either because the opinion condemned is no Heresy or error against the Faith in it selfe considered or because the party so condemned is not sufficiently convinced in his vnderstanding not clouded with prejudice ambition vaineglory or the like passion that it is an errour As these Donatists so the Novatians also were Schismatiques for disobeying the publique determination of the Catholique Church in the same Generall Councell of Nice In the first Ages before that Councell the Church was very rigorous in her Discipline Shee vtterly refused as wee haue before observed to admit vnto her Peace and communion f Vide Canones Concil Eliberini Tertull. de pudic Cypr. Epist ad Antonian passim some kindes of sinnners as Idolaters Apostates Murtherers Adulrers and the like though they had done many yeares penance and though they were in their last extremity thinking fit to leaue them to the mercy of God alone and to make their peace with him by inward repentance Afterwards Shee saw it convenient to bee more mild and mercifull in her censures and accordingly declared her selfe in the Great g Nic. Concil Can. 11. 12. 13. 14. Councell allowing to all sinners the hope and comfort of her absolution when they had made her satisfaction by their humility and penance according to her Canons The h Albaspin Sacr. Observ lib. 2. cap. 21. Novatians stubbornely opposed this publike resolution pretending that the judgement and practise of former Agesought not to be altered that this releasing of severe Discipline would open a gap to vice and licentiousnesse that the Church had no power to reconcile or receiue into her society such enormious Sinners though penitent that if she did she was polluted by their communion And vpon these pretences they breake out into a formall Schisme and separation Before the Nicene Councell many good Catholique Bishops were of the same opinion with the Donatists that the Baptisme of Heretiques was ineffectuall and with the Novatians that the Church ought not to absolue some grievous Sinners These errours therefore if they had gone no farther were not in themselues Hereticall especially in the proper and most heavy or bitter sense of that word neither was it in the Churches intention or in her power to make them such by her Declaration Her intention was to silence all disputes and to settle peace and vnity in her governement to which all wise and peaceable men submitted whatsoever their opinion was And those factious people for their vnreasonable and vncharitable opposition were very justly branded for Schismatiques Now for vs the Mistaker nor his Masters will never proue that wee oppose either any Declaration of the Catholique Church or any fundamentall or other truth of Scripture and therefore he doth vniustly charge vs either with Schisme or Heresy Charity mistaken Chap. 6. AGaine the onely right ground and true infallible motiue of faith by which it is produced and on which it relyes is the revelation of God and the proposition of his Church He therefore who beleeues not every particular Article of Catholique doctrine which is revealed and propounded by Almighty God and his Church which Church is absolutely infallible in all her proposalls doth not assent to any one even of those which he beleeues by true faith because he assents not upon the onely true and infallible motiue An assent not grounded on this is no supernaturall divine faith but an humane persuasion or suspicion or opinion And such is the beleefe or faith of Turkes Iewes Moores and all Heretiques and particularly of the Protestants Answer Sect. 5. DIvine revelation the principall motiue last object into which faith supernaturall is resolved The testimony ministery of the Church is of great use for the begetting of faith But the Church hath not an authority unlimited and absolutely infallible in all her doctrines as some Romanists pretend Others of them reasonably and fairely limit the Churches infallibility The Church Vniversall infallible in fundamentall doctrines Not so in points of lesser moment The Mistaker cannot say what he meanes by the Church where of he sayes so much Of the Church represented in generall Councells of which we speak and thinke more honorably then doe our Adversaries Yet we thinke them not absolutely infallible Of the Pope whom they call the Church virtuall How his flatterers speak of his authoritie No Roman Catholique can be assured of his infallibilitie which is at the most and best but problematicall by their owne principles Answer FAith is said to be divine and supernaturall I in regard of the author or efficient cause of the habit and act of divine infused faith which is the speciall grace of God preparing inabling and assisting the soule to beleive For a 1 Cor. 12. 3. 4. faith is the gift of God alone 2. In regard of the object or things beleeved which are b Phil. 1. 29. c. aboue the reach and comprehension of meere nature or reason 3. In regard of the formall reason or principall ground on which faith chiefly relies into which it is finally resolved which is divine revelation or the authority of God who is the first truth If it faile in any of these it is no divine or supernaturall faith Of the two first respects there is no controversie For the 3d that the formall object or reason of faith the chiefe motiue the first and farthest principle into which it resolues is onely divine revelation is a truth denied by some of the c Scotus Durand Gabriel apud Can. loc lib. 2. cap. 8. Schoole indeed some other d Vide passim apud Eckium Pighium Hosium Turrianum Costerum nequiter contumeliosè dicta in S. Scripturas unwise and unwary writers against Luther but yet
salutis humanae anted non portiuncula aliqua fidei nostrae sed quòd Dominus noster in Ecclesia neminem voluit sexus utriusque ignorare Novatianus de Trin. cap. 1. 9. Symbolum regula est veritatis cap. 29. fidei auctoritas Maximus Taurin Homil. de tradit Symboli Signaculum Symboli inter fideles perfidósque secernit Petr. Chrysol Sermon 59. Est placitum fidei pactum gratiae salutis Symbolum Caelestin Episc Rom. in Epist ad Nestorium citante Ioanne Foroliviensi Episcopo in Concil Florent sess 10. Quis unquam non dignus est anathemate judicatus vel adiiciens vel detrahens fidei in Symbolis contentae Plenè enim ac manifestè tradita nobis ab Apostolis nec augmentum nec imminutionem requirunt Bessarion Nicaenus Concil Flor. sess 8. pag. 464. edit Bin. ult Sacro Symbolo nihil est addendum quia in Ecclesia locum obtinet principii ac fundamenti fidei nostrae Marcus Ephesius ibid. sess 3. pag. 431. Arbitramur nihil omissum esse a Patribus in Symbolo fidei neque omnino positum esse quicquam manoâ—m quod correctione aut additamento indigeat Et haec est potissimâ— schismatis inter Graecos Latinósque causa praecipientibus Patribus aullum aliud Symbolum esse unquam recipiendum nec esse quicquam addendum vel detrahendum quòdilli omnia satis complexi sunt Andraeas Rhodi Archiepi scopus Latinus ibid. sess 7. pag. 451. Ad illud quod aiebat Dominus Ephesius Symbolum esse perfectum perfecto nihil posse addi respondemus perfection sumi dupliciter vel quoad fidem vel quoad explanationem Et quidem quoad fidem Symbolum esse perfectissimum nec indigere additamento quoad explanationem verò non suisse satis propter haereses quae erant emersurae Augustine to young novices You must know that the Creed is the foundation of the Catholique faith and of the Church laid by the hands of the Apostles and Prophets My margine will adde some more to this cloud of Witnesses and fully make good my word that the Fathers here come in with full consent And now our Mistaker hath his Catalogue of fundamentalls recommended to him by such reason and authorities as I presume will satisfie his longing and content him If so then he is satisfied both for the question which be fundamentalls and for the state of our Church that we agree in fundamentalls If this please him not then it will be in his choice whether he will reject the constant opinion of his owne DDrs and the old Fathers or show us some way how they and he dissenting herein from them may be reconciled If he reject them and their opinion we shall be content to be condemned by him together with the Fathers and his owne Brethren If he approve the perfection of the Creed with them he may be pleased to make answer to his owne objections which if he will calmely consider he may happily finde to be but weake and of small moment His Objections are In the Creed there is no mention 1. of the Canon of Scripture 2. or of the number and nature of the Sacraments 3. or of Iustification whether it be by faith or by works 4. That Doctrine of devills 1. Tim. 4. 1. forbidding marriage and meates is not there condemned 5. Lastly the sence of diverse Articles is questioned as that of the Descent into hell and the other of the Catholique Church Therefore the Creed is no perfect rule of faith Answer To the first The Creed is an abstract or abridgement of such necessary doctrines as are delivered in Scripture or collected out of it and therefore needs not expresse the authority of that which it supposes These Articles are principles which are proved by Scripture the Scripture it self a principle which needs no proofe amongst Christians The Creed containes onely the materiall object of faith or the things which must be beleived expressely according to Scripture The Scripture is further the formall object of faith or the motive and ground whereupon faith is founded being as Philosophers say of light in regard of the sight both the objectum quod in respect of the things therein revealed and objectum quo in respect of that divine verity and authority which reveales them Although the Nicene Fathers in their Creed confessing that the holy Ghost spake by the Prophets do thereby sufficiently avow the divine Authority of all Canonicall Scripture To the 2. we say 1. That the Sacraments are to be reckoned rather among the Agenda of the Church then the Credenda they are rather divine rites and ceremonies then doctrines 2. For their numbers the Mistaker who hath so little moderation as to thinke his Seaven fit matter for the Creed shall be answered in the words of a o Examen pacifique Ch. 1. pag. 22. Prenantce mot de Sacrement propremeÌ„t S. Aug. dit de Doctr. Chr. li. 3. ca. 9. qu'il ny en a que deux a sçauoir le Baptesme l'Eucharistie Dauantage c'est vne phrase coÌ„mune parmy nous Catholiques de dire que tous les Sacremens sont coulez du coste de nostre Seigneur Or ne coula de son costé que sang eau Ce que representoit selon l'interpretation de Chrysostome Cyrill autres anciens les deux Sacrements de l'Eglise a sçauoir le Baptesme parl'eau le calice de l'Eucharistie par le sang Et nos Docteurs Catholiques ne font autre responce a ceci si non que ces deux sacremens on t quelque dignité par dessus les autres qui n'est autre chose si non dire qu'ily a deux Sacremens principaux plusieur sinferieurs Ce qui est demesme que les Huguenots disent mais en diuers termes eux disans qu'il ny en a que deux proprement nous qu'il ny en a que deux principalement nous disons aussi qu'il y en a plusieurs inferieurs eux qu'il y en a aussi plusieurs si nous parlons des Sacremens â—â— la signification generale Car Calvin dit que l'ordre est vn Sacrement Melancthon ditle mesme y adjouste la penitence Bref ils dironâ— qu'il y en a sept mais non pas seulement sept de fait il ny a aucun des Anciens Peres qui aye iamais trouue ce nombre de sept moderate Roman Catholique Takeing the word Sacrament properly S. Augustin saith there are but two to wit Baptisme and the Lords Supper And it is a common saying among us Catholiques that all the Sacraments flowed from the side of our Lord. Now there came from his side onely bloud and water which represented according to the interpretation of Chrysostome Cyrill and others of the Ancients the two Sacraments of the Church Baptisme by water and the Chalice in the Eucharist by bloud To which our Catholique Doctors give no other
answer but that these two Sacraments by reason of their dignity are specially so called which is all one to say that there are onely two principall Sacraments and many inferiours which is the very thing which is said by the Huguenots in other termes They say there are but two properly and we say there are but two principally Againe we say there are many inferiour Sacraments and they yeeld it if the name Sacrament be taken in a generall signification For Calvin saith that Order is a Sacrament and Melancthon sayes the same and moreover addes Penance Briefly they grant there are seven but not onely seven and in truth none of the ancient Fathers have ever found this number of seven 3. For the two principall Sacraments p Azor. par 1. l 10. 8. cap. 5. §. Praetereà dices Cur inter Articulos fidei non recenserur venerabile Eucharistiae Sacramentum Baptismi Respondeo cum S. Thomâ 2. 2. q. 1. a. 8. aâ— 6. Richardo 3. d. 25. a. 1. qu. 1 ad 4. eos articulos contineri includi in articulo fidei quo credimus unam sanctam Ecclesiam sanctorum Communionem remissionem peccaâ—orum nam per Sacramenta peccata remittuntur à Deo Azorius propounds his objection Why is not the Sacrament of the Eucharist and of Baptisme reckoned among the Articles of our faith and thus answers it out of Aquinas and others The two Sacraments are implied in the articles where we professe to beleive the holy Catholique Church the communion of Saints and the remission of sinnes The Creed of Nice expresses Baptisme by name I confesse one Baptisme for the remission of sinnes And the Eucharist being a seale of that holy Union which we have with Christ our Head by his Spirit and faith and with the Saints his members by Charity is evidently included in the Communion of Saints To the 3. we grant good works to be necessary in ordinary course to salvation and that a reward is due unto them not for any dignity in them or us but by divine dignation and by Gods free and gracious promise The faith which justifies is ever fruitfull of such good works a living a working faith But no wise man will put any confidence in the goodnesse of any works he will rather wholly cast himselfe on the mercies of God who for Christs sake accepts of our weake obedience pardons our sins Manes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and crownes us with happinesse This is properly the justifying of a sinner and this we beleive when we professe to beleeve the remission of sinnes wherein with the Scripture and all Antiquity we place our Iustification To the 4. The Creed is a rule of positive truths not a rejection of errors but onely by consequent or implication He that beleives aright in the Lord Almighty beleives all his creatures in themselves to be good and all his institutions to be holy and therefore cannot beleive either any meates to be in their nature polluted or marriage in any persons to be profane Many of the old heretiques who beleived so were men marveilously abused by the Father of lies especially the Manichees who had in them much more of the Infidell then of the Christian if they were not rather madmen according to the name of their Founder then Infidels Yet to do them no wrong it seemes by a Aug. de Mcrib Eccl. Manich lib. 2. c. 18. Hic non dubito vos esse clamaturos invidiámque facturos castitatem perfectam vos vehe menter coÌ„mendare atque laudare non tamen nuptias prohibere quaÌ„doquidem Auditores vestri quorum apud vos secundus est gradus ducere atque habere non prohibentur uxores Id. Epist 74. Auditores qui appellantur apud eos carnibus vescuntur agros colunt fi voluerint uxores habent quorum nihil faciunt qui vocantut Electi S. August they did not forbid meates or marriage as absolutely impure or to all onely their choice Elect ones must abstaine the other vulgar their Auditors were left at their liberty The Mistaker desires passionately to free his Church from this Manicheisme and if he can do it we desire not to finde her guilty But if She be not why is single life called Chastity and commended as an eminent degree of sanctimony why is marriage said to be in compatible with b Innocentius Papa dist 82. can Proposuisti Neque eos fas sit ad officia Sacra admitti qui exercent vel cum uxore carnale consortium quia scriptum est Sancti estote quoniam sanctus sum dixit Dominus holinesse or with c Id. ibid. Qui in carne sunt Deo placere non possunt Gods favour nay counted a d Pelagius Papa dist 61. can Catinensis Hominem qui necuxorem habeat nec liberos nec aliquod crimen canonibus inimicumeligi suadeas crime nay a e Bell. de Clericis cap. 19. §. Jam vero Non â—olum conjugium sacerdotum quod sacrilegium est non conjugium sed etiam Sanctorum matrimonium sine pollutione quâdam turpitudine non exercetur sacriledge worse then f Coster Enchirid. cap. de Coelib Sacerdos si forâ—itetur aut domi concubinam alat tamet si gravi sacrilegio se obstringat graviùs tamen peccat si contrahat matrimonium whoredome And for meates why is abstinence from flesh counted a perfect Christian fast yea holy and meritorious and why is he that eates flesh in Lent punished with a more grievous penance then he that commonly blasphemes the name of God or defiles his neighbours bed or abuses himselfe by drunkenesse or others by railing slandering c. To the 5. The Church of England questions not the sence of those Articles Shee takes them in the old Catholique sence and the words are so plaine they beare their meaning before them Men abounding with wit and idlenesse may seeke knotts in a bull rush and cast a mist over the most cleare truths It is by the RomaÌ„ Doctors that they are questioned who can neither agree with us nor with themselves g Contr. 5. q. 5. A. 1. Stapleton affirmes the Scripture is silent that Christ descended into hell and that there is a Catholique and an Apostolique Church h 4. de Christo c. 6. 12. Scripturae passim hoc docent Bellarmine on the contrary is resolute that the Article of the descent is every where in Scripture and i 2. 2. q. 1. A. 9. ad 1. Thomas grants as much for the whole Creed Then for the sence of that Article k Thom. p. 3. q. 52. A. 2. in Corp. Some hold Christ descended really into hell l Durand in 3. d. 22. q. 3. Others virtually onely and by effects And by Hell some understand the lowest pilt or the place of the damned as m 4. de Christo cap. 16. Bellarmine at first others the Limbus Patrum as n
Recogn p. 11. Bellarmine at last following the common opinion of the o In Th. p. 3. qu. 52. Aâ—z Schooles These jarres concerne not the Church of England which takes the words as they are in the Creed and beleives them without further dispute and in the sence of p Aug. Epist 99. Ancients As also She doth in that other Article of the Catholique Church It remaines then notwithstanding all this feeble opposition very probable according to the judgement of Antiquity and even of the Roman D Drs that the Creed is the perfect Summary of those fundamentall truths wherein consists the Unity of Faith and of the Catholique Church the Articles wherof all Christians ordinarily are bound expresly to beleeve and distinctly to know for their salvation I say such explicite faith and actuall knowledge is necessary to Christians ordinarily for I meedle not with the extraordinary dispensation of Gods mercies which is a secret reserved to the Lord himselfe And I say men are bound to it by necessity that is necessitate praecepti but happily not so necessitate medij vel finis For as the q De explicitè necessario credendis vide quae scripserunt Sylv. in Sum. ver Fides Azor. Instit moral par 1. l. 8. c. 6. Tolet. Instruct Sacerd lib 4. c. 2. Greg. de Val. in 2. 2. disp 1. q. 2. punc 3. 4. 5. Bâ—nnes in 2. 2. q. 2. a. 8 Becaâ— in sum pur 3. c. 12. Filiuo de casib tract 2. 2. cap. 1. 2. Putean in 2. 2. q. 2. 〈◊〉 â— 3. dub 4. Aegyd Connick disp 14. dub 9. 10. DD. communiter in 3. d. 25. in 2. 2. q. 1. a. 7. Casiâ—ists and Schoolemen doe well and truly observe in this dispute of necessary and fundamentall truths both Truths Persons must be wisely distinguished That truth may be necessary in one sense which is not so in another and fundamentall in some persons in certaine respects which is not so to some others 1. Every thing fundamentall is not alike neare to the foundation nor of equall primenes in the faith Among the fundamentalls of the Creed some are radicall and primary others like branches issuing or descending from them as a Paris Tract de fide cap. 2. Communiter credendorum quae usualiter Articuli fidei vocantur alia sunt ut radices primitivae fundamenta primaria alia sunt ut rami descendentes Parisiensis or as b Th. 2. 2. q. 1. a. 7. in Corp. Omnes Articuli implicitè coÌ„tinentur in aliquibus primis credibilibus sc ut credatur Deus esse providentiam habere circa hominum salutem Aquinas there are certaine prime principles of faith in the bosome whereof all other Articles lie wrapped or folded up Such is that of S. Paul c Heb. 11. 6. He that comes to God must beleeve that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him but especially that most important and most d Joh. 17. 3. 20. 31. Matth. 16. 16. 17. Act. 4. 12. 8. 37. 16. 31. Rom. 10. 9. 10. 1. Cor. 3. 11. 12. 3. 1. Joh. 2. 22. 4. 2. 15. 5. 1. 5. 2. Pet. 2. 1. fundamentall of all Articles in the Church that Iesus Christ the sonne of God and the sonne of Mary is the onely Saviour of the world These are so absolutely necessary to all Christians for attaining the end of our faith that is the salvation of our soules that a Christian may loose himselfe not onely by a positive erring in them or denying of them but by a pure ignorance or nescience or not knowing of them e Dom. Bannes in 2. 2. q. 2. arr 8. Illa quae sunt necessaria necessitate finis si desint nobis etiam sine culpa nostra non excusabuÌ„t nos ab aeterna morte quamvis non fuerit in potestate nostra illa assequi quemadmoduÌ„ etiam si non sit nisi unicum remedium ut ali quis fugiat mortem corporalem tale reremediuÌ„ ignoretur ab infirmo et medico sine dubio peribit homo ille The Roman DDrs themselves say that Invincible ignorance cannot here excuse from ever lasting death even as if there were one onely remedy whereby a sicke man could be recovered from corporall death suppose the Patient and the Physitian both were ignorant of it the man must perish as well not knowing it as if being brought unto him he had refused it 2. Againe of Persons some are invincibly disabled from faith and knowledge through want of capacity f Pet. de Allinco in quaest vesperiarum Sicut ad legis Christi habitualeÌ„ fideÌ„ omnis viator obligatur sine ulla exceptione fic ab ejus actuali fide nullus excusatur nisi solâ incapacitate Parvulos autem et furiosos caeterisque passionibus mente captos seu aliâ naturali impossibilitate prohibitos incapaces voco et si non simpliciter tameÌ„ secunduÌ„ quid â—â— dum his defectibus laborant as Infants Naturalls and distracted Persons or through want of meanes of instruction which may be saved but God only knows how Others have capacity meanes but in very different degrees and accordingly they differ in that measure of faith and knowledge that is necessarily required in them More knowledge is necessary in g Aegid de Conninck disp 14. dub 10. Hominum sunt tres classes majores medii infimi qui hic distinguendi Similiter Puteanus in 2. 2 q. 2. art 3. d. ult â—lii Bishops and Priests to whom is committed the goverment of the Church and the cure of soules then in vulgar Laickes amongst whom in them of the rudest and meanest sort if there be a studious care of holines and obedience in their life which is ever supposed as most necessary the knowledge of those maine Artiles concerning our Saviours Incarnation Passion Resurrection c. which are purposely to that end celebrated by the Church in her Festivities as many h Almain in 3. d. 26. Minores tenentur explicitè credere Articulis por festivitates solennes celebratis ut Ecclesia celebrat FestuÌ„ de Nativitatc-sic Durand Bonavent Alii in eum loc Sylv. ver Fides §. 6. Azor. lib. 8. ca. 6. §. 2º quaeritur Filiucius de Casib tract 22. c. 1. §. Dices Aliique piurimi Le Card. de Richelieu Instruct du Chrestien Leçon premiere Gen'est pas chose necessaire que celuy qui ignorera quelques vns des Articles de foy ne puisse aucunes fois faire son salut mais il est besoin qu'il ait vne cognoissance de ces Articles suffisante pour le diriger à sa derniere fin Si quelque vn ignoroit la Communion des Saincts la descente de nostre Seigneur aux Limbes que sa passion ait esté soubs Pilate qu'il ait este au Sepulchre le temps auquel il est resuscité sçauoir est le
troisiesme iour le sens de ces mots il est assis à la dextre de son Pere il ne scroit damné pour cela Le simple se peut sauuer auec moindre cognoissance que celuy qui ne peut estre tenu pour tel C'est assez au simple de voir comme nous anons dit vne cognoissance du Symbole suffisante pour la diriger ◠sa derniere fin Au lieu que le Curé le Prelat qui ont charge d'instruite les autres sontobligez desçauoir distinctement tous les Articles du Symbole qui plus est de le pouuoir expliquer au peuple Learned judge may suffice For conclusion of this discourse concerning Fundamentalls I will propound to the consideration and censure of the judicious these thoughts following It seemes fundamentall to the faith and for the salvation of every member of the Church that he acknowledge beleeue all such points of faith as wherof he may be sufficiently convinced that they belong to the doctrine of Jesus Christ For he that being sufficiently convinced doth oppose is obstinate an Heretique and finally such a one as excludes himselfe out of heaven whereinto no wilfull sinner can enter Now that a man may be sufficiently convinced there are three things required 1. Cleare revelation 2. Sufficient proposition 3. Capacity and understanding to apprehend what is reveiled and propounded 1 Revelation from God is required for we are not bound to beleeue any thing as Gods word which God hath not declared to be his word and that in such cleare manner as may convince a reasonable man that it is from God For want of this not onely the Church before Christ but even Christs owne Disciples are excused from being guilty of any damnable errour though they beleeved not the death resurrection or ascension of our Lord as it is plaine they did not Marc. 16. 11. 13. Luk. 24. 11. Ioh. 20. 9. Marc. 9. 10. But now that these things are so clearely reveiled in Scripture he were no Christian that should deny them 2. Sufficient proposition of reveiled truths is required before a man can be convinced For if they be not propounded to me in respect of me it is all one as if they were not reveiled This proposition includeth 2 things 1. that the points be perspicuously laid open in themselves for want of this Apollos beleeved not some points of the faith till he was further informed Acts 18. 25. 2. that the said points be so fully and forcibly laid open as may serve to remove reasonable doubts to the contrary and to satisfie a teachable minde against the principles in which he hath beene bred to the contrary For want of this the Apostles believed not the resurrection when yet they were plainely told of it See Luke 9. 44. 45. and Mar. 9. 10. compared with Marc. 8. 31. 32. Note here 1 This proposition of reveiled truths is not as the Mistaker saith by the infallible determination of Pope or Church but by whatsoever meanes a man may be convinced in conscience of divine revelation If a Preacher doe cleare any point of faith to his Hearers if a private Christian doe make it appeare to his neighbour that any conclusion or point of faith is delivered by divine revelation of Gods word if a man himselfe without any other teacher by reading the Scriptures or hearing them read be convinced of the truth of any such conclusion this is a sufficient proposition to prove him that gain sayeth any such truth to be an Heretique and obstinate opposer of the faith Such a one may be truly said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemned by his owne conscience v. g. He that should read in Scriptures Now is Christ risen from the dead 1. Cor. 15. 20. or The word was made flesh Ioh. 1. and yet should deny Christs Resurrection or Incarnation he were an Heretique without any determination or sentence of the Church And such Heretiques there were many in the Primitiue Church fore any Councell was celebrated and long before any Pope pretended to Infallibility 2 Note A man may be truly thought thus convicted not onely when his Conscience doth expressely beare witnesse to the truth but when virtually it doth so and would expressely doe it if it were not choked or blinded by some unruly and unmortified lust in the will For if a man make himselfe a slave to ambition covetousnesse vaineglory prejudice c. these untamed passions will not onely draw the man to professe what he thinketh not but to thinke what he would dis-avow if in synceritie he sought the truth And in this case the difference is not great betweene him that is wilfully blinde 24. qu. 3. §. 28. Haereticus est and him that knowingly gainsayeth the truth 3 Note A man may be sufficiently convinced either in foro exteriori or in foro interiori In the former he is convinced who by an orderly proceeding of the Church is censured and condemned and such a one ad omnem effectum juris and in the esteeme of the said Church is to be reputed an heretique though perhaps the Censure be erroneous He that is convicted in the later kinde is an Heretique before God though no authority of the Church have detected or proceeded against him And this conviction onely is necessary to prove one an Heretique excluded from Heaven 3. There is required capacity or ability of wit and reason to apprehend that which is cleerly revealed and sufficiently proposed For want of this not onely fooles and mad men are excused but those who are of weaker capacity or lesse knowledge may be excused from beleiving of those things which they cannot apprehend as the Apostles are by Christ Ioh. 16. 12. But where there is no such impediment as hath been said the revealed will or word of God is sufficiently propounded there he that opposeth is cōvinced of error he who is thus convinced is an Heretique and Heresie is a worke of the flesh which excludeth from heaven Gal. 5. 20. 21. And hence it followeth that it is fundamentall to a Christians faith and necessary for his salvation that he beleive all reveiled truths of God whereof he may be convinced that they are from God The cavills of the Mistaker against the Church of England and her Articles in this matter are easily answered When the Church of England had orderly reformed her selfe she was loudly accused by the Romane faction of Heresie and Schisme as it hath been in later ages the cunning custome of Rome to blast and disgrace all them that dared to oppose any of her corrupt opinions or usages Wherefore to cleare her innocency Shee published to the world a Declaration of her judgement in matters of Religion which we call her Confession Wherin her aime was not in any curious method to deliver a Systeme of Divinity but plainly without fraud or artifice to set downe first the positive