Run from Rome, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Of the ſtate of the queſtion to be diſputed.
THE Heathen taught by Plato, alwayes held them for bad common-wealths men, who in a ciuill broile, when their countrie was in an vproare, would not labour to informe themſelues whether part had the right, and ioyne with them, but keepe aloofe from both, that they might ſtrike in with the conquerour to their moſt aduantage. And what kinde of Chriſtians ſhall we account thoſe men, that ſeeing all on fire euer ſince they were borne about matter of Religion, hauehave not all their life reſolued what is true, what falſe, but are ſtill to make their choyſe whon they are neerer their buriall then their baptiſme? May we not iuſtly ranke them with thoſe lukewarme Revel. 3. 15. 16.Laodiceans, that were neither hot nor cold, fiſh nor fleſh? And may not they certainely looke for the euent which our Lord Ieſus threatneth, that he will ſpue them out of his mouth? It is high time therefore for all men 1. Reg. 18. 21.to reſolue themſelues, whether they will follow God or Baal, Chriſt or Antichriſt, and not to continue halting betwixt two opinions.
I cannot reaſonably conceiue whence this want of reſolution ſhould proceed, in them that are not deſperately careleſſe, or profainely politicke, but onelyonly from ignorance, of the neceſſity of being ſeparated from the church of Rome. The clouds of this ignorance I deſire and purpoſe to ſcatter by the light of truth, that all men, which will not ſhut their eyes againſt the beames thereof, may ſee both the way wherein they are, and the place it leades them too. Now, to the end I may the bettor vnderſtand my ſelfe, and be vnderſtood by them that ſeeke for reſolution, if they doubt, or confirmation if they be reſolued; I will labour to ſpeak as plaine as the matter will giuegive me leaue to doe, deſiring to hauehave that I deliuer rather iudged of, thèn wondered at. And becauſe we are accuſed by the Church of Rome ſometimes of hereſie, ſometimes of ſchiſme, I will apply my diſputation and diſcourſe to the iuſtifying of our forefathers in ſeparating from the popiſh religion, and our ſelues in continuing that ſeparation.
Wherefore that we may proceed orderly and plainely, I propound the matter to be diſputed in theſe termes.
EueryEvery man is bound vponupon paine of damnation, to refuſe the faith of the Church of Rome.
This propoſition or ſentence hath two things in it to be proued; That 1. The faith of the Church of Rome is to be refuſed. That 2. It is to be refuſed vponupon paine of damnation. Theſe two I will handle ſeuerally. Firſt, by ſhewing the neceſſitie of that refuſall; Secondly, by ſetting out the penaltie if that faith be not refuſed. And that nothing may be wanting, which may helpe the ſimpleſt to conceiue and iudge aright of that which ſhall be ſpoken, (before I come to debate the point) I will declare the meaning of the termes in which I hauehave deliuered it, as ſhortly as I can with plaineneſſe.
By the faith of the Church of Rome, I meane the Doctrine of the ſaid Church deliuered by it in certaine Articles, propoſitions or ſentences, to be beleeued by all men that deſire to be ſaued as matters reuealed by God to that end. This their faith I conſider, as one individuall or ſingular thing. For although it may indeed be devided into many ſeuerall Articles, of which it conſiſts, and is as it were compacted or framed; yet it is conceiued by themſelues as one intire body: becauſe they are all knit together by the ſame bond, namely by being aſſented to, or beleeued vponupon one and the ſame ground or reaſon, which is the ſpirit of that body: and are all to be receiued a like vnderunder paine of the ſame Auathema or curſe, if they be not receiued: and this is eſpecially to be obſerued, as the maine point in this iuquir.
That the faith of the Church of Rome is ſo to be conceiued of, it appeareth manifeſtly by Mr. Fiſher the Ieſuites Mr. Fiſher. Trealiſe of ſaith, vnderunder the name of AD.treatiſe of Faith, vnderunder the name of A. D. wherein the whole fourth chapter is ſpent to ſhew that Faith muſt be intire. Faith (ſaith he) muſt be intire, whole and ſound in all points: and it is not ſufficient to beleeue ſtedfaſtly ſome points, miſ-beleeuing, or not beleeuing obſtinately other ſome, or any one. The reaſon thereof followes a little after, where he ſaith, that Not to beleeue any one point whatſoeuer, which God by reualing it, doth teſtiſie to bo true, and which by his Church he hath commanded vsus to beleeue, muſt needs be damnable; as being a not able iniury to Gods verity, and a great diſobedience to his will. To the ſame purpoſe writes the titular Archbiſhop of Spalato, that All Articles of faith determined by Spalato Conſil. … pag 20.the Church are fundamentall, and that none of them may be denied without hereſie.
By this it comes to paſſe, that whoſoeuer is a true member of the Church of Rome, muſt as ſtedfaſtly and reſolutely beleeue the leaſt point of reliques, and Images deliuered by the Councell of Trent, as the greateſt myſteries of the God-head, the Trinitie, the Redomption of the world by the Lord Ieſus, and that if he denie any of the former, he is no leſſe an hereticke, then if he did refuſe to beleeue any of the latter: yea, though he beleeue all they propound to be beleeued, ſaue ſome one ſmall matter, he is, for want of beleeuing that one, (if he know the Church propounds it to be beleeued) a miſcreant, and miſ-beleeuer; the reaſon of this is, that if the Church may erre in one thing, it may erre in an other, and ſo can be no ſure foundation of faith.
But what is it to refuſe the faith of the Church of Rome? ſurely nothing elſe, but not to acknowledge the doctrine deliuered by the Church of Rome to be true: but to abhoire it as falſe; I ſpeake not of eueryevery particuler point, but of all ioyntly together, according to my former expoſition. For I doe freely and willingly confeſſe, that the Papiſts hold many great miſteries of diuinitie truely and ſoundly, wherein alſo we agree with them; but yet I ſay, we may not at any hand receiue their faith for true, as it is deliuered by them for one intire bodie of diuinitie, reuealed by God, to be acknowledged by all men that will be ſaued. So then to refuſe the faith of the Church of Rome, is not to beleeue that it is true: or to beleeue tht it is falſe; and this I ſay is required of eueryevery man vponupon paine of damnation. The expoſition of the ſecond point, vponupon paine of damnation, I referre to the place where it is to be handled, after I hauehave diſpatched that which is firſt to be debated.