the life and in all the other Articles of the belief being briefly handled thou wilt finde many excellent observations much comprized in few words And to conclude I wish that these precious truths were imprinted in our minds as well as in this book the which God grant Courteous Reader Farewell in the Lord Jesus W. F. The Key of Faith EVen as the river that watered Paradise was divided into four heads so in like manner is the doctrine of the Church to wit The Apostles Creed the Decalogue or ten Commandments the Lords Prayer and the Sacraments First we are to live in the Church by faith Secondly to come unto the rule of life by precepts Thirdly lest we faint we are to take heed by prayer and when notwithstanding all these we are yet weak we are to have recourse to the seals of grace which are the Sacraments First faith is necessary Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 For the sum of faith is contained in the Apostles Creed or Symbol It is called a Symbol because it is a token or mark by which Christian Souldiers are discerned from others or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from contributing as if it were compiled and composed by the Apostles However it is said to be the Apostles because it comprehends the sum of the faith which the Apostles preach'd We are to search the Scriptures and to beleeve those things which are contained in them but above all the special and fundamental places which are simply necessary Lib. 6. confess cap. 6. S. Austin writes they are to be blamed not to be listened to if perhaps there be any such that should say How knowest thou that those books which are ministred to us by men are the minde of the onely true and unerring God for that for it self it is chiefly to be beleeved Notwithstanding there are enough 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evidences which evince and clear it that the Scripture is inspired from God whereof these are the most choice The authority of the writers who were in an extraordinary manner called and sent forth The majesty of the doctrine The amplitude and clearness of the miracles The truth of the prophesies The sanctity of the Bible nothing is here to be found dissonant to piety and truth nothing of contradiction And to add to this the sublimity of the mean style and the sublime humility To conclude the harmonious truth of either Testament that which lieth hid in the Old is manifest in the New But the Symbol or Creed it self which is taken out of the Scriptures containeth in it twelve Articles and is as it were the a A circle in heaven wherein the twelve Signs are zodiack of a Christian But these may be reduced to four parts The first concerning God the Father who hath made all things The second concerning God the Son who hath redeemed mankinde The third concerning the H. Ghost who hath sanctified the faithful The fourth concerning the Church and its priviledges which the Lord hath communicated to it But some one may say Object The works of the Trinity which have a reference to the creatures are undivided common to all the three Persons how cometh it then to pass that creation is attributed to the Father redemption to the Son sanctification to the H. Ghost This cometh to pass Answ not to exclude but to distinguish between the Persons and the order of their acting Omitting these let us come to the Articles themselves The first is I beleeve in God the Father Almighty Creator of heaven and earth It is said I beleeve not we beleeve because every one ought to have a special faith of his own explicit not implicit or taken upon trust We cannot see well with other mens eyes neither is it sufficient to have an opinion in divine matters The disputation of Gregory de Valentia is of no force Lib. 6. Analys fidei cap. 13. in which he thus asserts concerning a man that is not Theologically learned That if he prefer the Romish Church for its outward authority before the Reformed then God shall have nothing to object against this illiterate man in that most dreadful Tribunal for God doth not require of him this that he should come to the knowledge of the truth by searching into the doctrine since that he understands not Theological controversies These things saith he But let him say what he will every one certainly ought to hold the substance and saving sense of the Articles although not all the most difficult circumstances of questions from thence arising But now to beleeve is not onely to know and give assent to those things which are propounded in the Gospel but also to acquiesce and rest satisfied in them It is not all one to beleeve a God and to beleeve God and to beleeve in God In the two first senses sinners and devils do agree the third sense none attain to unless they be such who have faith formed in them in this manner to beleeve is to go into God by good works 3 Sent. Dist 23. saith the Master of the Sentences To beleeve a God is to know there is such a God To beleeve God is to confess that he is true but to beleeve in God requires application that he is my God There is a faith found that is not right There is a faith that is feigned and it is of the hypocrites the Apostle saith that the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 There is a kinde of dead faith and it is that of sinners or of those that are still in their sins Faith without works is dead Jam. 2.26 There is a kinde of weak faith and it is of the luke-warm Receive you him that is weak in the faith Rom. 14.1 There is likewise a little faith and it is of the fearful therefore Christ said O thou of little faith why doubtest thou Matth. 14.31 Hitherto we have treated concerning faith it self now concerning the objects of faith of which God is the principal whom not to know is death and whom to know is life And first it is to be demonstrated that God is This may be proved out of the book of Nature inasmuch as he is the Creator and out of the book of Scripture in that he is Creator Conserver and Redeemer Sum part 1 quaest 12. Art 7 God may be known although not comprehended as Aquinas saith These arguments that are drawn from nature do prove that there is a God which notwithstanding are common to Scripture also to wit the most beautiful order of the creatures as the heavens declare the glory of God Psal 19.1 the understanding of man the knowledges of principles and the knowledge of this principle That God is Rom. 1.19 the tremblings of consciences in sinners the rewards of good men the punishments of the wicked the political order the heroick vertues the invention of arts the prediction of
By right of the Fathers constitution because the Father hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church Eph. 1.22 and hath made him heir of all things Hebr. 1.2 His Dominion therefore extends not onely unto us but unto all creatures Seeing therefore Christ is the Lord of us all we ought to be humble and meek one towards another for we are fellow servants of the Lord. Masters give unto your servants that which is just and equal knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven saith S. Paul Col. 4.1 And seeing that Christ is the Lord let us adhere to him alone otherwise we shall have very many strange lords whom to serve it will be most miserable Most truly said S. Ambrose O how many lords hath he who hath not one he hath so many lords or masters as he hath sins yea holy father he hath so many mistresses as lusts and certainly thou thy self being judge lust is a most furious mistress Let us therefore serve the Lord Jesus onely And if we be noble and generous Christians let us not admit of any other government As Thomas Aquinas observeth of horses that a spirited and wel-mettled one will not admit of any other rider but his own master and is moved onely at his beck Hitherto of the titles of the Mediator he is further to be described according to the degrees both of his exinanition or humiliation and likewise of his exaltation First Christ did empty himself and became very low The word is made flesh Joh. 1.14 The Son of God is made the Son of man that the son of man might become the son of God He is now who was and what he is he was not De Trin. lib. â—0 saith S. Hilary Our Mediator is become God and man that he might conjoyn God and man together again who were separated and disjoyned And if it be said Object that the flesh of Christ could not be united to our flesh because our flesh is sinful Answ We answer It doth not follow for sinfulness is accidental to our flesh not of the substance or essence of it so that Christs flesh may be united to our flesh but not as to the sinfulness of it If it be said that no accession can be made to God we say That is true if meant of perfection but not of union If further any object Object that the humane nature cannot come or be united to God It is true unless that God assume it That it is most ignominious for God to be a creature Answ It is most ignominious for him to be changed into a creature but not to be united with it without the change of his essence But although there be in Christ two natures yet there is onely one Person Although he be God and man yet he is not two but one Christ as S. Athanasius professeth in his Creed The humane nature of Christ doth not constitute a person because it subsists not of or by it self but it is upheld or sustained in and by the Word If it be objected Object that God and man are two persons We answer Answ That it is true if they be not united If it be said that dead and always living are not the same It is true that they are not the same according to the same But Christ was so according to his divers natures If it be enquired How is the Incarnation attributed to the Son We are to know that the Incarnation is the work of the whole Trinity by inchoation and of the Son alone by termination He assumed our nature which the Father formed in him out of the substance of the Virgin by the Holy Ghost This substantial knitting or joyning although produced by all the Persons yet formally it did not knit or conjoyn the humane nature with any In 3. p. D. Thom. but with the Person of the Son as Suarez copiously and other Divines And of the two natures there was an union made hypostatically or personally not physically as the form is united to the matter nor spiritually as the elect among themselves and with God nor by help and assistance as the mariner to the ship nor relatively as a friend to a friend nor mystically as in the Sacrament the two natures were united inconfusedly unchangeably not admitting of any division inseparably Inconfusedly each nature having their properties remaining but the properties of one nature by communication of idioms is attributed in the concrete to the person denominated from either nature as that God hath purchased his Church by his bloud Acts 20.28 The Lord of glory was crucified 1 Cor. 2.8 this is spoken according to his humane nature This speech ought to be taken in the concrete not in the abstract and it follows not that because God is said to suffer therefore the Deity suffered Secondly the natures were united inconvertibly that is without the change of the Divine into the humane or of the humane into the Divine Thirdly individedly without division of natures although not without distinction they are not two but one Christ Fourthly inseparably this union remains for ever At the death of Christ his soul was separated from his body but the Divine nature remained united to both after its own manner the natural union was dissolved and not the personal Thus far concerning the Incarnation in general The parts thereof follow the conception of Christ and his nativity Conceived by the Holy Ghost Not of the essence but by the efficiency of the Holy Ghost This particle of doth not denote the matter as if that Christ was of the Holy Ghost for he was of the fathers according to the flesh Rom. 9.5 God also is immutable and the Word assumed our flesh and is not changed into it but of signifies the efficient cause because by the vertue and power of the Holy Ghost Christ was conceived His conception by the Holy Ghost speaks the miraculous forming of the flesh or body of Christ without the help of man then the sanctifying of it from original sin and the hypostatical union of it with the Word The body of Christ is thought to have been made simul semel together and at once perfect not successively as the bodies of men are in the space of fourty days otherwise Christ should not have been conceived a man but an embryo yea he was inspired with a reasonable soul Wickedly did Apollinaris say that the soul of Christ was his Divinity His soul was heavy and sad which is not competent to the Divinity at his death his soul departed from his body but his Divinity did not recede or depart He was conceived for us behold his love how can we conceive to express it He was conceived of the Holy Ghost behold his wisdom that he might be free from sin let us mourn by reason of our impure conception Let every one say with David Behold in iniquity was I conceived Psal 51.5 His pure
CLAVIS FIDEI OR THE KEY OF FAITH Written in Latine by JOHN ELLIS D. D. and Rector of Whitfield in the County of Oxford AND Propounded by him in Publick Lectures upon the Apostles Creed to the Students of Harts Hall in the University of OXFORD Faithfully translated into English by W. F. for the good and benefit of the ingenuous Reader as an help to build him up in his most holy faith 2 Tim. 1.13 Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus CAMBRIDGE Printed by John Field Printer to the University 1668. To the Right Worshipful The VICE-CHANCELLER And to all other the Reverend Masters and Heads of Colledges in this University of CAMBRIDGE W. F. Wisheth all increase of the true Grace of Christ and the blessed fruition of the Glory of God in Heaven Right Worshipful I Humbly beseech you to pardon my boldness in presenting these rude and unpolished lines to your learned views You whom God hath set on high and like Stars of the greater magnitude which shine forth more bright then others or like as the Celestial Signs moving in their own proper Sphere govern the several parts of mans body so in like manner you Reverend Doctors and Heads of Colledges moving in your Sphere do superintend and govern the whole Body of this Famous University being under your Care and Tuition I had not presumed to present this small Tract to your Worships if that of the Poet had not came into my minde Audaces fortuna juvat whereupon rushing on you unawares and at an adventure I beseech your Worships pardon and that you would be so far pleased as to grace this small Treatise with your favourable acceptance which contains in it certain observations upon the Apostles Creed or as the Author thereof John Ellis a Reverend Doctor of Divinity styled it Clavis Fideâ— the which in a Translation from Oxford to Cambridge hath in a short space learn'd in plain English to speak its mother tongue and I rather implore your patronage and protection of it then any other by reason of the calumnies and aspersions that some may cast upon me the Translator thereof qui nunquam gradum suscepi and although I was no Scholar brought up at the University yet à teneris unguiculis even from my tender years I have ever bin a lover of learning and a Scholars servant there being about thirty and nine years expired since I was first a servant to Mr Thomas Buck at the Art of Printing but having hâ—â— a long vacation from my employment of composing letters in that late and epidemical time of Plague and Pestilence I began to consider with my self how to spend my time to the best advantage and taking this small Book into my hand and here and there perusing it I did at last assay to translate it the which through Gods assistance I have finished and exposed to publick view And now at length hoping of your Worships favourable acceptance and patronage of it your unworthy servant shall ever be paying that which is but his duty to do the debt of gratitude and thankfulness to you though never to the full Si ingratum dixeritis omnia dicitis for as one well spake An ungrateful man is no man but an enemy to God and man but your humble servant hopes that your Worships shall have no cause to say so of him nor yet suspect him to be guilty thereof but he shall ever pray to Almighty God that he would so water your studies with the dew of his heavenly benediction that after this painful life ended he would translate you from hence into the Kingdom of his dear Son The which he prays for who is and shall ever remain Your Worships most humble and obedient servant William Flower To the Courteous Reader I Here propose to thy view this small Treatise the which if thou wilt bestow the pains to read thou wilt finde much matter comprized in few sheets and I doubt not if thou readest it with understanding but that thou mayest finde many things contained in it which may be of no small advantage to build thee up in thy most holy faith For without faith as the Apostle St Paul intimates unto us it is impossible to please God It may be styled a Breviary or certain short observations upon the Apostles Creed or more properly The Key of Faith wherein many mysteries of faith are opened and made evident to thy understanding And as a Cabinet containing in it many jewels of great value if it be kept continually lock'd proves to be of little or no use to the owner in like manner this book if it had remained still in the original had been of as little use to thee but now being translated and accommodated and fitted to thy capacity this Key of Faith doth now open unto thee and as it were unlock those mysteries of faith which were hid from thy understanding I have heard from the Pulpit by one that was well vers'd in History and a learned man that the Proceres or Noblemen of Poland did use to stand up at the reading of the Creed with their swords drawn in their hands ready to defend it in case any should offer to oppose it how much more then should we of the true Catholick faith endeavour vi armis as much as in us lies to vindicate the same for the Creed is commanded by publick Authority to be learn'd of all even by children when they come to years of discretion and whatsoever is commanded in general ought to be every ones particular concernment For as the Nautick Chard or Compass doth direct the Mariner that hath skill in it qui oculum ad astra manum ad clavum habet to steer his course aright to whatsoever place he is bound that he runs not precipitately upon dangerous rocks or shelves in like manner this little book may be some help to direct thee to look up to God by an eye of faith that thou splitst not thy self upon the dangerous rocks of unbelief and ignorance and it may by Gods assistance bring thee into safe harbour even to heaven the haven of happiness whilest others remaining in unbelief making shipwrack of faith and a good conscience become cast-aways Lege ac perlege veruntamen nè dijudica antequam perlegisti Read it over and over but judge not before thou hast throughly perused it and if thou reapest any benefit give God the glory for I acknowledge my self to be but a weak instrument for such a work as this yet as near as I could avoiding circumlocutions or hyperbolical phrases I have expressed the scope and meaning of the Author verbatim There is contained in this small Tract the mystery of the Trinity explained so far forth as is necessary for thee to know and likewise many excellent observations upon the Incarnation of our Saviour with the manner of his crucifixion expressed ad vivum to
future events the end and profit of all things the impossibility of the progress of causes without end It may be proved likewise out of Scripture well-nigh by infinite testimonies by divers apparitions by stupendious miracles by the writings of the Prophets and by the admirable event of things He therefore that denies that there is a God is not void onely of reason but sense also as AviceÌ„na is reported to have said It is manifest therefore that there is a God now let us see what he is God cannot be defined because he is immense he may be described Philosophically and Theologically Philosophically God is a Spirit sufficient of himself and the cause of all good Theologically God is the most perfect being one in essence three in Persons The Theological description differs from the Philosophical first in perfection for it adds something unknown to nature concerning the Trinity and unfolds or explains that which is known to nature Secondly in effect natural knowledge renders men onely inexcusable Rom. 1.20 but supernatural knowledge is saving hence then the true God differs from the gods of the Gentiles in Attributes Persons Works In Attributes because they are not rightly and entirely understood by them that are without the pale of the Church In Persons because the Gentiles are ignorant of the Trinity In Works because the wonderful works of God and especially that of the Redemption are not perceived by them who are out of the Church But now omitting other proprieties which amongst Schoolmen are handled at large I will first shew that God is one the Lord he is God there is none else besides him Deut. 4.35 Furthermore chief Majesty is competent to no more but one None can be the most perfect unless he be but one but God contains in him all possible perfection by reason of the latitude of his essence Yea there can be but one onely Omnipotent And if there should be more Gods they are all imperfect or the rest are superfluous both which to say is absurd Besides that which is Infinite can be but one onely neither can there be but one first cause of all things and to conclude it is most necessary that the onely chief good be but one God therefore is one and the onely one as Saint Bernard saith Object Yet there are many that are called Gods Answ But this is done improperly either by reason of a certain similitude or likeness or according to the opinion of vain man First by a certain similitude as either for eminency of nature and wisdom as Angels or for excellency of office as Magistrates or for exceeding great power as the Devil or for the â—oo too much indulging of it as the belly Secondly out of a false opinion of men Idols are called Gods It appears therefore that God is one now we are to shew that he is three in Persons Tho. Par. 1. q. 32. art 1. â— Sent. dist 3. The Trinity cannot be proved by the light of nature as Thomas teacheth against Scotus Yet Lumbard fetcheth some footsteps of the Trinity from the creatures especially from the three faculties of the soul the understanding memory and will But these do onely produce a confused knowledge not a distinct God is three but not threefold for he is a most simple being of himself and we use the name of Trinity not because the Scripture saith so but because it doth not contradict it and for the thing it self it is in the Scriptures though not the very word that being implied this not expressed and you may interpret Scripture in convenient words especially by reason of the deceit of Hereticks concealing their heresies for the most part under Scripture expressions In many places of Holy Writ it doth evidently appear that there are three Persons Matth. 3.16 The Father proclaims it This is my beloved Son The Son is baptized and the Holy Ghost descendeth in the likeness of a dove 1 Joh. 5.7 There are three that bear witness in heaven The Father is of himself the Son from the Father begotten from eternity The Holy Ghost proceedeth from both The Father is distinguished from the Son but not another essence and so of the rest But in this matter better is a faithful ignorance then a rash knowledge I conclude therefore with Robert Holcot Quaest 10. a most famous Professor in our University of Oxford who as Gabriel Biel relates it Quaest 10. Determ 1. sent dist 13. qu. 11. saith thus modestly Dignè loqui de Personis Vim transcendit rationis Excedit ingenia Quid sit nasci quid processus Me nescire sum professus Thus Englished To speak condignly of the Persons three Transcendeth reason in a high degree It doth exceed all wits What it is to be born what the a Alià s proceeding process I understand it not I do profess Some one perhaps may say Obser that the three Persons are not essence Answ But this is true of a finite essence onely Object Moreover that where there are three and one there are four but in God there are three Persons and one essence Answ yet they are not really distinct Object But it may be objected that their essences are distinct whose operations are distinct Answ We answer that this is to be affirmed onely of persons that have a finite being The first Person then of the Trinity is called the Father The name of the Father is taken sometimes personally by way of distinction from the Son and sometimes essentially in reference to the creatures for the whole Divine essence The first Person is called Father either in respect of Christ or in respect of us Or like as Durandus sheweth he is the Father of all generally the Father of Christ singularly and the Father of the elect especially Credo in Deum I beleeve in God It refers not onely to the Father but also to the Son and Holy Ghost and the Father is called omnipotent not excluding the other Persons God is omnipotent because he can do all things what he pleaseth all things that do not imply a contradiction and which are not repugnant to his nature and because he doth all things without difficulty or by his beck onely because he alone hath power of doing all things and for that he is the Author of all created power If it be said that God cannot die sin Object lye We answer Answ God can do those things which imply power but nothing that argues impotency or weakness for this would not stand with his perfection And if it be said that he cannot do those things which are contradictory We answer that this would be inconsistent with his immutability I pass by niceties This is the most principal thing seeing that God is omnipotent he that feareth God hath not any thing beyond that he need to fear and if God be with us who can be against us It follows in the Creed that God is the Creator of heaven and earth that is of the whole