Of Fundamentals, Treatise · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. The Diviſion of the diſcourſe into four parts, What are Fundamental in General.
§. 1. THe notion of the word being now explained, that which is yet behinde will be regularly reducible to theſe four heads, Firſt, Four branches of diſcourſe propoſed.What thoſe things are in General, and then in particular, to which this notion of Fundamentals belongeth, and withall, what propriety all and each of theſe have toward the ſupporting this ſuperſtructure, the planting a Church of Chriſtian livers. 2dly, What are the particular branches of this ſuperſtructure. 3dly, What Doctrines there are infuſed among Chriſtians, which are moſt apt to obſtruct or intercept the ſuperſtructing of Chriſtian life, where the foundation is laid. 4dly, What things are neceſſary to the erecting of this ſuperſtructure on this foundation already laid, whether in a particular Chriſtian, or eſpecially in a Church, or ſociety of ſuch.
§. 2.The General way of defining Fundamentals, The General way of defining what theſe fundamentals are, muſt in reaſon be taken from the practiſe of the Apoſtles, as the interpreter of God's appointment, and judgment in this matter.by what the Apoſtles taught every where. For it being certain that the Apoſtles, which had a commiſſion from Chriſt to preach, and admit diſciples over all the world, to bring impenitent Jewes, and Idolatrous Gentiles to the obedience of Chriſt, were by him alſo directed in their way, counſelled in the choice of the fitteſt means of performing ſo great a work, the argument will be infallibly concluſive on both ſides, poſitively, and negatively, that whatever the Apoſtles joyntly agreed on, at their entrance on their ſeveral Provinces, to be the ſubject of their firſt Sermons in all their travails, that was by them (and conſequently by God himſelf) deemed fundamental, in our preſent ſenſe, and whatever was not by them thought thus neceſſary, muſt not by us be obtruded on, or forced into that Catalogue.
The foundation laid, 1 Cor. 3.11.§. 3. For the clearing of this, it is firſt evident that there was in the A-Apoſtles times ſuch a foundation laid (foreign) in every Church, as in that of Corinth, 1 Cor. 3.11. ſtyled foreign, 1 Tim. 6.20.1 Tim. 6.20. a good depoſitum or truſt, which Timothie had received from the Apoſtles, for the direction of his miniſterie, foreign, Jude 3.Jude 3. the faith once, or at once delivered to the ſaints, foreign, 2 Tim. 1.13. a form, or breviate, 2 Tim. 1.13.or ſummarie of wholſome words, or ſound doctrine, which he had heard from S. Paul, foreign, one faith, Eph. 4.5▪ Eph. 4.5.in proportion to which followeth there foreign one baptiſme, wherein there was made profeſſion of that Faith, and to which none (of years and knowledge) was ever admitted, who had not been ſufficiently inſtructed by the Catechiſt in every part of this foundation, (which to that end the Catechiſt received from the Biſhop with his ſhort expoſition of it, ſee S. Ambroſe, Ep: 35. l. 5.) and being ſo inſtructed made open Confeſſion of it, and moreover, by vow obliged himſelf there, to ſuperſtruct all Chriſtian practiſe upon it.
§. 4. Secondly, Approved in common by the Apoſtles.that this was approved of by them in common upon conſultation, (and ſo ſeemed good to the holy Ghoſt and to them, in order to their end, the bringing of Jewes and Gentiles to repentance) and accordingly was left behinde them, delivered down to the Biſhops of all Churches of their plantation, not only as a rule of faith, but as a ſymbolum, or badge of the Apoſtles having planted Chriſtianity among them. All which is clearly teſtified by Tertullian, Irenaeus, and other the firſt writers; See Irenaeus l 1. c. 11. & 19. l. 3. c. 4. Tertullian de virgin: veland: in the beginning, & de Praeſcription: throughout.
§. 5. Thirdly, that all that was neceſſary in order to that end (the foreign the diſcipling all nations) was comprehended in this form or ſummary, Comprehenſive of all neceſſaries —it being certain that what God did not deem neceſſary, to the planting of a Church;was not neceſſary, and that nothing which was ſo deem'd by God, was omitted or left behinde by them, whoſe office and care it was to declare the whole will of God, and to lead others, as themſelves had been led, into all neceſſary truth.
§. 6. Fourthly, that what we thus affirm of the neceſſity of theſe things to the ſuperſtructing of Chriſtian practiſe, muſt not ſo be underſtood, that the hearing, and believing of each of them be thought abſolutely neceſſary in every ſingle Jew or heathen, that he may repent, and convert, not to the converſion of every particular perſon.and live a Chriſtian life, or without which he cannot, but neceſſary to the diſcharge of the Apoſtolical office, which was to reap whole fields, to bring in whole cities, and nations to Chriſt.
§. 7. They that were to plant a Church, were to deal with men of ſeveral and diſtant affections, and tempers and intereſts, an heterogeneous body made up of a multitude of various inclinations, and of different habits of ſin, and degrees of radication of thoſe habits, and to each of theſe ſome proper application was to be made by thoſe that came on Chriſt's errand to cure their ſouls (as Hippocrates adviſes his Phyſitian to have foreign, mollifying preparations for all turns, and to carry them about with him) and ſo a whole Diſpenſatorie was little enough to meet with, and ſuffice to all their wants, or at leaſt ſome Catholicon of a tranſcendent virtue, proportionable to the obſtinacy of any the moſt deſperate maladie: But this confuſion of diſeaſes and rapſodie of difficulties was not to be ſuppoſed in each ſingle ſinner, and conſequently there was not the ſame neceſſity of the whole tale of Fundamentals, for the converting or reducing of him.
§. 8. There is no doubt but there were reformed Jewes before Chriſt's time,Some Jews reduced to good life without this foundation. whom the pedagogie and rudiments, and imperfect documents of the Law, with thoſe influences, and aſſiſtances of God, which were then afforded, brought home unto God, and among them ſome foreign righteous, and ſome foreign mercifull men, which had arrived to the abundance of goodneſs, as they ſtyle it, And of this kinde were the Eſſeni, who though they be not ordinarily conceived to have been Chriſtians, yet are deſcribed by Philo, under the name of foreign ſo very like Chriſtians, that there is no reaſon to doubt, but that Chriſtian piety might be infuſed into ſome, without the explicite knowledge of all and every of thoſe articles, which yet, in general ſpeaking, or as it was to be planted through the world, are rightly deemed, and reſolved to be Fundamental.
§. 9. Thus 'tis affirmed by Photius, and Evagrius, (and hath as much authority,Syneſius a Biſhop before he believed the Reſurrection▪ as their names can give it) that Syneſius had embraced the whole Chriſtian Law, ſo farre as to be advanced to the dignity of a Biſhop, without any clear acknowledging, or believing one main part of our Foundation, that of the Reſurrection of the body, and his own 105t Epiſtle (wherein he ſo induſtriouſly declines the Biſhoprick) hath theſe words, foreign, The reſurrection which you preach and publiſh, I account ſacred, and that which cannot be uttered; and I want much of conſenting to the perſwaſions of the multitude in this matter. And though the Biſhops, that thus advanced him, were queſtioned, ſaith Photius, for the fact, yet that is no prejudice to (what we now obſerve from this example, viz) the poſſibility of the thing. Of which alſo thoſe Biſhops anſwer is a farther teſtimony, viz: that they ſaw ſuch excellent graces in him, that they could not imagine, that God would long deferre to crown them with the addition of this eminent branch of Chriſtian faith, the clear belief and acknowledgment of the reſurrection; And as that fell out according to their expectation, ſo it is thereby evident, that that branch of belief was in him ſupervenient to Chriſtian practiſe, and not all Chriſtian practiſe built on that.
§. 10. Nay ſuppoſing that he that hath not been inſtructed ſufficiently in all, and each branch of the Foundation, were yet with fewer helps brought to the ſincere undertaking of the whole Chriſtian obedience, as if a Catechumenus before every one of theſe articles were explained unto him, ſhould yet reſolve (upon reading the Sermon on the Mount) to live a life of the greateſt Chriſtian perfection, this perſon were not in any reaſon to ſuffer any diminution, to be deemed the worſe, but rather the better for that, (as they, that having not the Law doe yet by nature the things of the Law, are farre from being diſparaged by the Apoſtle, nay foreign, ſaith Theophylact, are lookt on as admirable perſons, foreign, that they wanted not the Law, and yet fulfilled the Law;) The danger being certainly very great to them, that by force of all the divine articles of our Faith are not reduced to Chriſtian purity, and not to them, who on a weaker foundation doe yet ſtand firmly rooted, and grounded in the love of Chriſt.
§. 11. And this is agreeable to what was premiſed of the nature of a foundation in a material building, that though a tabernacle or moveable building may, yet a Temple or ſtable edifice cannot be ſuppoſed to be built and ſtand firm without an entire foundation, and conſequently that this ſummarie of wholſome words is neceſſary to the Architects, in order to their ſuperſtructing a Pile, their planting a Church of Jewes and Gentiles, though not abſolutely ſo, for the reducing of each ſingle perſon.