Catholic Charity Complaining and Maintaining that Rome is Uncharitable, Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
Containing an answer to the Cavaliers eighth Chapter, wherein he quarrells at the distinction of Fundamentall, and not Fundamentall: and is divided into three Sections.
SECT. I.
First, Sheweth the Protestants separation from Rome to bee reasonable, though it bee true that some in the Church of Rome may bee saved. Secondly, That the Papists are the faulty causes of that separation.
A City generally infected with the plague, and a few persons onelyonly being free, will it bee thought a reasonable question to bee proposed to some that flye from this City, Why doe yee flye, since you know and acknowledge that all are not infected to death, but some live in this City? But if the King of that Citie should banish all that should say that the Plague were in the Citie, yea, would put them to death; were it not yet a farre more unreasonable question to aske those who had given out such a report, Why doe you flye that are banished? and, Why doe you flye that must die if you flye not? Yet such are the questions of this Author in the head of this Chapter, of which, it seemes, that the repetition might serve for a confutation. It is the acknowledgement and complaint of a aCass. Consult. Art. 7. Praecipuam causam hujus calamitatis & distractionis Ecclesiae, illis assignandam qui inani quodam fastu Ecclesiasticae potestatis inflati, rectè & modestè admonentes superbè & fastidiosè contempserunt & repulserunt. Quare nullam Ecclesiae pacem sperandam puto, nisi ab iis initium fiat qui distractionis causam dederunt, &c. Item in libello de Off. pii viri. De correctione admonentes, & ad curationem exhortantes, operam que suam ad id efficiendum offerentes, non modo reji…iunt, & ab Ecclesiae societate depellunt; verum etiam multis in locis crudeliter interficiendo censuerunt: quae res huic miserabili schismati occasionem dedisle videtur.sonne of the Church of Rome, The chiefe cause of the calamitie of the Church is to bee ascribed unto them, who being puff'd up with the vaine pride of Ecclesiasticall power, have proudly and contemptuously despised and driven away those who rightly and modestly admonished them, &c. And againe, Those who speake to them of amendment, that exhort them to bee healed; yea, that offer their helpe to effect it, they not only cast out, and drive from the fellowship of the Church; but also in many places have judged them miserably to be slain: which thing seem; to have given the occasion of this wretched schisme.
See here Rome diseased, and her healers cast out that tell her of her diseases, yea, cruelly slaine. And now, if the Author be not ashamed, let him aske why Protestants fly from Rome; yea, let him aske of Saint Iohn the Divine, why men should go out of Babylon, that they may not be partakers of her sins, nor of her plagues; and of Christ himselfe, if they persecute his members in one City, why should they fly into another; and of the blinde man in the Gospel, why doe you stay out of the Synagogue when you are cast out? Surely, when the Author useth these questions, what will his Readers think, but that hee is very unreasonable to have Protestants stay where they are cast out, or where they must bee spiritually or corporally slain for staying? This unreasonablenesse of his puts me in mind of a Captain, who espying his enemy going up Ludgate hill faster then hee could follow him, having drawn his sword, called out to him, and sware that if he did not stay, he would kill him; but the other beleeved that if he had stayed hee should bee killed, and therefore went away the faster: So this Cavalier, when the Pope drives out Protestants before him with excommunications, pestilence, fire and sword, hee cries after them that they shall bee damned if they stay not, whereas they doubt that they shall be damned and killed if they stay: indeed, this was a great fault of theirs, that they did not stay to be killed, that, by taking their death patiently, the Pope might goe on with selling Indulgences and his other merchandizes quietly. Yet may you heare the Cavalier even cholerick in such unreasonable questioning; With what colour could certain single, base, and filthy men have presumed to depart from the visible Catholick Church of Christ our Lord, and to erect their conventicles as they did, if they had not at least professed that they could not finde salvation there? Where first wee acknowledge the titles to be of the Authors meere bounty, out of a Romish Treasurie of charity mistaken; and because they beare the superscription of Rome, we send them back to Rome, as being theirs and not ours. But secondly, wee deny that they departed from the catholick Church; for, in the second Chapter, we have shewed that Protestants have still communion with the catholick Church; they fled not from health, but from the plague; not from salvation, but damnation; not from the whole, but from the sick: Neither did they fly only, but were cast out and banished; and not only cast out, but in danger of death if they stayed, except they would deny that the plague of Rome was a disease. The remnant that hath salvation there they pity, and love as their living brethren in a deadly Pesthouse, or Israel in Egypt, sweating under the burdens of brick, and under the whips of Egyptian and Romish Taskemasters. And whereas the Cavalier speaks of Conventicles, to his griefe, hee sees that they are not shut up in private Conventicles, but have obtained large Congregations: And being excommunicated from the Romish Synagogue, as the blind man from the Jewish, Iesus hath found aIohn 9.35. The word found seems to import, that Iesus sought him being cast out, and seeking found him. So Ferus out of Ezek. 34.16. I will s…ck that which was lost.them, and vouchsafed his communion to them; and he not onelyonly converseth with them, but teacheth them: he hath taught their Teachers by giving them gifts from on high, and hee hath taught the hearers by writing his Lawes in their hearts; he hath given them the spirit of prayer and praise; and they have prayed heartily against Babylon, her Idolatries, Invasions, Treasons; and being heard, they have given prayses for the ruines of Babylon, and the deliverances of Sion: and having such encouragements from Iesus, can you blame them if they meet in Congregations where Iesus thus meets with them, and is in the midst of them with his grace and blessings? As for this Nation (whom this Authors words, by the language hee writes in, should chiefly concerne) wee have a true Church, and an orderly Reformation, Cassander, a better Romish bEos damnare non possum qui in fundamentis Apostolicae doctrinae persistentes, studio sincerae Religionis cum aliqua correctionis indigere ab eruditis & piis viris admoniti intelligant, in aliqua Ecclesiae parte, praeunte summâ authoritate, accedente cō muni illius Ecclesiae consensu, in doctrinae genere aliqua repurgarunt. Quis enim membro vitio vertat, si reliquo corpore laborante, & sui curam negligente, ipsum sui curam suscipiat? Cassander de Offic. pii viri.Author, being Judge.
And whereas the Cavalier accuseth at once both our straightnesse and our largenesse; That being fallen into straights, wee become so bountifull and large, as to affirme, that the differences betweene us concerne not the fundamentall points; and that Romists may bee saved. I thinke that the Author may misleade his Reader both in our straights and our largenesse; for we are at large where he counts us in straights, and wee are straighter then his words of our largenesse would seeme to import: for few Protestants, that I know, doe say without limitation, That Romists generally may bee saved; yea, our Author himselfe will not suffer them to bee saved, though they hold fundamentals: for, if they hold them by a humane faith, because the Pope, their friend, tels them so, his owne doctrine will not suffer them to bee saved. But indeed, for those that beleeve fundamentals by a supernaturall faith, wee doe say, that they may bee saved by this faith. But of this in the former Chapter wee have spoken more fully; onelyonly let this Authour know, that wee doe it not for any straights (as hee would perswade) but out of largenesse, even largenesse of veritie and charitie; and I may returne the saying of Saint Paul to all true beleevers, even in Sodome and Egypt, Yee are not kept straight in us, but in your selves: 2. Cor. 6.12.13.for a recompence, bee yee therefore enlarged; for wee justly expect a returne of the like acknowledgement of our salvatiom from all true members of Christ, and say, That the denyall of it, according to the Authours words, Layes an heavie charge of uncharitablenesse upon the denyers.
SECT. II.
The Cavalier is angry at the distinction of matters fundamentall or not fundamentall: 1. Because some Popish vanities are thereby excluded. 2. Because the Popes power to make sleight matters fundamentall is denyed.
HEe goes on both to cleare and condemne us in this which followes: This discourse of theirs, and their standing so much upon fundamentall points of faith in the sense which they use, is a meere Chimera; but it is frequented by them through an high kinde of craft: For, though it bee most true, That some doctrines are in themselves of farre more importance then some others, because the knowledge thereof may bee necessary for the performance of some duty which is required at our hands; or else because they may containe the very heads, and first grounds of Christianity more then others doe, and therefore doe exact a more explicite beliefe at the hands of Christians, and consequently may be accounted in some respests more fundamentall, &c. Here, though they seeme to accuse us of an high craft▪ and of a Chimera; yet withall, thus farre hee acknowledgeth our Truth, and cleareth it from being a Chimera, That some doctrines are of farre more importance then some others, containing the very heads and first grounds of Christianitie more then others doe, and therefore doe exact a more explicite beliefe, and consequently may bee accounted, in some respects, more fundamentall. This I desire the Reader to observe, because this confirmeth that which hath beene formerly spoken concerning the agreement between Fundamentals and Explicites, and must serve hereafter for a Confutation of his owne objections against Fundamentals. In the meane time, that which paines him for the present is this, That wee doe not beleeve every Decree or Errour of the Pope, as well as these important grounds of Christianitie: for thus hee presently subjoyneth, There is no doctrine at all concerning Religion, the beliefe whereof is not fundamentall to my salvation, if the catholick Church propound and command mee to beleeve it. So the Cavaliers quarrell against us is this, That wee doe not make the worship of Images, kindred of Gossips, and such popish vanities, fundamentall to our salvation, as the Articles of the Trinity, and Christs Incarnation. A fearfull blasphemy, and which should make his heart hate his hand for writing it: but they well deserve to bee given up to the beliefe of such impious errours, who receive not the love of the truth revealed in the word with du… estimation: For such will easily equall the word of Man to the word of God, and will not suffer the word of God to stand for a sufficient saving verity, nor a sufficient ground of unity, except man give his word for the word of God, and Man add his word to the word of God: For▪ if the Pope give his word for a doctrine contained in Gods word, then his Popish disciples must receive it; and untill that they may without heresie not beleeve it: and if the Pope adde his word to the word of God, Gods word is not a sufficient ground of unity, but the unity made by that word is to be torne in pieces, if withall we do not joyne the word of the Pope in one beliefe with it. Thus is the Pope made Christs Rivall, and takes the faith of the spouse from her husband to himselfe. And so, whereas he would accuse us of an high craft, our craft is no other then that simplicity of S. Paul, by which hee did labour to espouse the Church as a duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page chaste Virgin to one Husband which was Christ:2. Cor. 11.2, 3. But this Romish doctrine is the very craft of the old Serpent and Dragon, which goes about to seduce Eve (the patterne of the Church) from her Husband,Iste seipsum praedicat non sponsum, & idcircò pellendus est de interiori thalamo, quia Adulter est foris. Agab. ad Clericos. and to marry her to the Pope, or rather to make her his Adulteresse. But let him remember, Whoremongers and Adulterers (especially such great ones) God will judge; Yet this would hee approve by that which followes: For there is no errour in faith, which may not bee made damnable by the manner of holding it, when it is done so obstinately as that in defence thereof a man denyes the authority of the Catholick Church. But briefly I answer; First, that the Church cannot make a point of faith of that which is none. Secondly, Stapleton tells us that the Church hath no promise to bee infallibly directed in the decision and resolution of small or light points, and so the Church not having this infallible direction, cannot have authority to make such points fundamentall, nor to command faith to them where she hath no infallible direction in them. Thirdly, the Church in these lesser points not having this authority, hee doth not disobey the authority of the Church who beleeveth not these points which she hath no authority to command as points of faith. Fourthly, if the Church were this foundation, and could make a point fundamentall, yet the Pope, and his confederacy for whom this Author fights, is not the Church. Fifthly, the same Popish Church hath taught and propounded many grosse errours and untruths for points of doctrine, which are so farre from being fundamentall to salvation, that they shake the very foundation, and so are rather fundamentall to damnation. But here I cannot but complaine of this Author in that hee useth craft, which himselfe accuseth; for, while he goes about to lay the Pope (the Chimera of Rome) for a foundation of faith, hee names him not in his whole booke, but still tells us of the catholick Church, let him come forth plainly out of his Covert, and shew us his catholick Church, even the Pope and his adherents, if he be not ashamed of them; and not thus draw disciples to a fancy, and a piece of Poetry, under the reall and reverend name of the catholick Church. But this may serve as a caveat to the Reader, that the Cavalier tells us of the Church, when the Pope is his errand. Another point whereof he seemes to be ashamed is the worship of Images, which he never reckons among the doctrines of difference; but, if it please him, he may now fitly conjoyne them together, and then his discourse may runne thus: If the Pope decree the worship of Images, it may be fundamentall to salvation, if with the deniall of Idolatrie the Popes authority bee denyed: Yet our Author having spoken that which is proved to be fearfully untrue in his sense, (that what the Pope and his conspiracy under the name of the catholick Church doe propound, and command to be beleeved is fundamentall) he is bold to say, This (untruth) is unanswerably proved by the meere catalogues of heresies which have beene made by severall Fathers of the Primitive Church, and especially by S. Austin, in his Treatise ad quod vult Deum: which I have toucht before, and which I earnestly exhort my Reader to peruse at large. This is so farre from being unanswerable, that it hath beene answered; and our Author can never make it good that those points, which hee acknowledgeth to be of little importance in themselves; were there declared to bee fundamentall, for being obstinately maintained against the decision & command of the Pope and his Councell, e…ther private, or publick; so that the Author onelyonly makes up with boldnesse and undertaking, what hee wants in evidence and proofe.
And, as in the following piece hee preferres his Reader to the sixth and fifth Chapters, so I also referre him to the answer of those Chapters; and there, besides other solutions, hee may see that the example of Saint Cyprian makes mightily against the Popes authority, since it plainly appeares that Saint Cyprian did hold the Popes fallibilitie, when he plainly held the contrary to that which the Pope had decided.
And thus, being put besides his premisses, hee is also deprived of his conclusion: The distinction of points of faith into fundamentall and not fundamentall doth stand still in such full truth and power; that the unbeliefe of points not fundamentall doth not presently forfeit salvation, though the same points bee decided by the Pope, and his conspiracy; much lesse doe worship of Images, Prayer in an unknowne tongue, salvation by merits, the Popes supremacy (especially taken for a foundation of faith) though decided and commanded by the Pope, cause damnation by being unbelieved, but rather by being believed.
SECT. III.
The Papists as much bounden to declare their Explicites, as the Protestants their Fundamentalls. This distinction may bee rightly used for the manifestation of our union with the Fathers, to prove the perpetuall visibilitie of the Church, professing the same Fundamentalls with us; but unjustly objected as a ground of our severitie against Papists, who are punished here as Traytors, for overthrowing the foundations of State; not as Hereticks for contradicting the foundations of Faith.
HEe goes on: I should bee glad to know of the Authors of this distinction, what points of their faith which are controverted betweene them and us, or betweene the Lutherans and them, are fundamentall, and which are not fundamentall; Then he sayes, That a fundamentall point being such, that whosoever beleeves it not cannot be saved; there is nothing which more imports a man exactly to learne, then what is fundamentall, and what not, and yet there is absolutely no one thing which hath beene so frequently and so importunately desired, as that they would give in some exact List or Catalogue of all and the onelyonly fundamentall points of faith; and yet there is no one thing wherein wee are so little satisfied, and which upon the matter they doe so absolutely refuse; And yet (as hath beene here expressed) if according to their grounds, a man should faile of beleeving any one fundamentall point of faith, by his not knowing (through their fault) that the point which he beleeved not was fundamentall, hee must bee sure to perish, and that for ever.
First to his question, what are fundamentalls, and what not, hee ought to give an answer himselfe; for hee himselfe hath told us, Page 74. That some doctrines are of farre more importance then others, because they may containe the very heads and first grounds of Christianitie more then others doe, and therefore exact a more Explicite beliefe, and consequently may bee accounted in some respects more fundamentall. It being then acknowledged by him, that there are such doctrines of farre greater importance then others, that exact a more Explicite beliefe, and are more fundamentall; why doth hee not answer himselfe concerning that which himselfe affirmeth, and yet withall questioneth? Let him truly tell us, or himselfe if hee please, which are those doctrines of more importance, that containe the heads of Christianity, and are more fundamentall, and give us a List of them, and wee may tell him or hee may tell himselfe an answer to his question: And then also may he by this List, as by a Touchstone and Rule, finde what differences betweene us and any others are fundamentall and not fundamentall. So that hee being herein ingaged himselfe, either hee hath spoken that whereof hee cannot give an account, or else askes of us an account of that which hee knowes, and wherein hee can answer himselfe. And indeede the aQuantum ergo ad prima credibilia, quae sunt articuli fidei, tenetur homo explicitè credere, sicut & tenetur habere fidem: quantum autē ad alia credibilia, nō tenetur homo explicitè credere, sed solum implicitè, vel in praeparatione animi in quantū est paratus credere quicquid divina Scriptura continet, &c. Aq. 22. q. 2. A. 5. See more hereafter in the diversitie o… Explicites.Authors owne partners or rather leaders, have layd the foundation of these fundamentalls in their Explicites: for their Heads, Articles, and Grounds of Religion to which they require an Explicite beliefe, are such as those which we call fundamentall; yea, not onelyonly wee but the Author himselfe calleth such points more fundamentall, and his owne Priests bThe Priest T.W. as I finde him alledged by B. White in his Orthodoxe Page 134. And the Priest Master Smith askes Mr. Walker whether the Church of England may erre in points fundamentall: and the Councell of Trent, Sess. 3. cals the Creed Fundamentum firmum & unicum.call them positively fundamentall. Besides, the very rules of faith mentioned and rehearsed by cDe praescript. cap. 14. Certè, aut non obstrepant, aut quiescant adversus Regulam. Nihil ultra scire, omnia scire est.Tertullian and dIrenaeus lib. 1. cap. 19. Cum teneamus Regulam veritatis; id est, Quia sit unus Deus omnipotens, &c.Irenaeus, and other Fathers eIn his verè completur Prophetia qua dicitur verbum consummans, & brevians in AEquitate— Istud indicium posuerunt, per quod agnosceretur is qui Christum verè secundum Apostolicas Regulas praedicaret. Ruffin. in Symbolum. Sigillum integrum, id est, Symbolum Catholicum. Optat. lib. 2. adversus Pa. Symbolum est breviter complexa Regula fidei. Et, totius Catholicae legis fides Symboli colligitur brevitate. Aug. de Temp. S. 119.115. Regula fidei pusillis, magnisque communis. Aug de fide, &c. Est autem Symbolum per quod agnoscitur Deus, quod qui que proindè credentes accipiunt ut noverint qualiter contra Diabolum fidei certamina praeparent. In quo quidem pauca sunt verba, sed omnia continentur Sacramenta, &c. Isid. de off. Eccl. lib. 2. c. 22. Patrum consensio non in omnibus legis divinae quaestiunculis, sed solùm, certè, praecipuè, in fidei Regula. Item in iis duntaxat praecipuè quaestionibus quibus totius Catholici dogmatis fundamenta nitantur. Vincent. Livin. cap. 39 & 41., the Symboles and Creeds of Nice▪ other Councels, and of Athanasius, and Lirinensis his precipua Capita, or chiefe Heads (yea, hee hath the word fundamentall) are summes and acknowledgements of such fundamentals. And now how can this Authour either bee so farre uncatechised as not to know such grounds of Religion, or call Protestants the authours of this distinction? and how can hee object any thing against Protestants, or require any thing of them, but object the like against his owne Teachers; yea, against the Fathers of the Church, and require the like of them? Accordingly, how can hee aske an exact List and Catalogue of Fundamentals of Protestants more then of Fathers, yea, of his owne Doctors and Masters? And indeed, let him bring an exact List and Catalogue of all the onelyonly Articles of Faith contained in the Fathers rules of faith, and an exact List of all and the onelyonly Explicites of the Romists; and hee may quickly receive a Catalogue of our Fundamentals. But this Authour is here againe exceedingly out of his way, and that the Title of his Chapter might tell him by the warinesse of it; for his businesse is not to deny a distinction of fundamentals and not fundamentals, in regard of greater or lesser importance of the Articles themselves; but, this being granted, to adjoyne and superedifie; that, though this distinction doe stand, yet even points of lesser importance, and in themselves not fundamentall, may bee made fundamentall by the command and authority of the Pope: So that his quarrelling at this distinction is not onelyonly a quarrell from his errand, but a quarrell against the Fathers, and a quarrell against himselfe, and against his fellow-Romists: and if hee make quarrels against himselfe and his fellowes, why may wee not leave them and him to make up their owne quarrell among themselves?
And accordingly, whereas this Authour makes a fearfull noyse how dearely it concernes men to know which are fundamentals, wee might turne him to get an answer for this out-cry from himselfe and his fellow-Romists, yea, from the Pope himselfe; for Romists say, that the Explicites are such points, that hee who doth not know them cannot bee saved: Then the Authours terrible words doe thus warfare against himselfe (putting Explicites for Fundamentals) That there is nothing in all Christian Religion which imports a man more exactly to learne, then what are these Explicites, without the knowledge whereof none can bee saved: And an exact List and Catalogue should be given of these Explicites, which yet the infallible Pope hath never given to his Papists: So that if a Papist should faile of beleeving an Explicite, by not knowing it to bee an Explicite, hee must be sure to perish, and that for ever.
Yet the Cavalier (in wrath and warre against unity) proceeds further in fighting against his owne confessed and undeniable distinction of Explicites and Fundamentals; and hee so proceeds, that it may easily bee seene that his anger puts out the eye of his judgement, or carryes him beyond the kenne of it: For thus hee saith, Whereas, if either they framed not the distinction of Fundamentals at all, or else would clearly let men know which points alone were fundamentall; then this would follow, That whensoever wee should convince them in any particular Doctrine which is denyed by them, and which yet was beleeved by the ancient Fathers, they would bee obliged to confesse, that either that point was not fundamentall, which would dis-able them from railing at us for beleeving the same; or else that the Fathers were of a different Religion in fundamentall points from them, and that in their owne opinion those very Fathers could not bee saved: which would put them to much prejudice another way. Here leaving to the Authour his owne terme of railing, (wherein I wonder hee should delight, but that I see elsewhere hee takes pleasure in the mentioning of scurrill and blasphemous Invectives) I say, that some errors bee not fundamentall which are found in the Fathers, and now maintained by Romists: yet wee are not disabled by this distinction to reprove Romists for them; for wee doe not say in this distinction, that no errours should bee reproved but those which are fundamentall, for even lesser errours are to bee reprehended; but wee say, that these errours in lesser points doe not breake the unity which by greater and more fundamentall points is made betweene Christ and his members, and betweene the members themselves.
And secondly, wee say, that Romists are much more to bee reproved if they hold any errours of the Fathers now in controversie betweene us; for these controverted errours have beene now by the Scriptures more evidently discovered to bee errours; and it is a thing farre more worthy of blame, if a man should runne into a ditch by day, then if he should stumble into it by night.
But whatsoever exactnesse this Authour may require or imagine in this distinction, this exactnesse being granted, it will never make it to appeare, that wee differ from the unanimous beliefe of the Fathers in the maine points mentioned in their rules of faith, now called Fundamentals. And for his Argument concerning the Lutherans, it doth not endanger us; for, if the Lutherans should bee found by this distinction to differ from us in these fundamentall points which should unite them to Christ, it is no hurt to us to renounce the communion of those who renounce communion with Christ. And on the other side, if by it they bee found to differ from us in points not fundamentall, it would bee no danger nor just disreputation to us to avow those points, wherein wee differ, not to bee fundamentall: but wee will much rather disavow the quarrels which are made where there is no fundamentall difference.
The period which followes, as farre as it is a true Narration of our way of making peace by this distinction with the Fathers and the Lutherans, is a commendation both of the distinction, and our peace-making by it. But, by the way, I deny, That Romists have brought us from denying via facti; That the Fathers taught the doctrine of Praying to the Saints, or for the dead, in the sense and manner of Rome; for the Fathers did not unanimously teach praying to Saints; I am sure Saint aProfecto quod sacer Psalmus pe… sonat verum est, Quoniam pater meus & mater mea dereliquerunt me, Dominus autem assumpsit me; Si ergò dereliquerunt nos patres nostri, quomodo curis nostris & rebus intersunt? si autem parentes non intersunt, qui sunt alli mortuorum qui noverint quid agamus, quidve patiamur? Ib… ergò sunt spiritus defunctorum ubi non vid…n… quaecunque aguntur, aut eveniunt in ista vita hominibus. August de cura pro mortuis cap. 13.Augustine, who was above 400. yeers after Christ, doth deny Saints to know ordinarily the affaires of the living which happen after their decease. And for prayers for the dead in Purgatorie, the Cavalier cannot shew a good patterne for more yeares then the former.
As for the difference in the number of Canonicall Bookes (which it seemes this Author is sorrie that it is not avowed to bee fundamentall) it is not altogether new, but ancient; and wee see it at this day in the Syriack: and it were pitie to cut off from salvation all the Churches and Fathers which ever differed in this number; yea, bMajor difficul…as est circa posteriora Capita ejusdem libri (Esther) ab illis verbis, Cap. 10. Dixitque Mordochaeus, à Deo facta sunt omnia. Haec enim non esse veram Scripturam, neque pertinere ad librum Esther Canonicum, opinati sunt ante Concilium Trident. Lyranus, Dion, Carthusianus, Hugo Camotensis, & Caj…tanus; & post Concilium, Sextus Senensis, Lorca …ract. de locis Cathol. lib. 1. Dis. 3. membr. 3. n. 23. Liber Baruch: Hunc librum à Canone rejiciunt nonnulli ex haereticis; & ex Catholicis Dri…do. Idemque sentit Cal. in fine libri Ester, qui nullos libros admittit praeter eos quos Hieronymus expres…è Canonic…s vocat. Id. n. 27. & similia passim in seq.he must damne many Romists, if hee will make this difference fundamentall: They that beleeve all necessary saving truths, though they bee not fully perswaded that just so many Books were wholly indited by some one of the Apostles or Evangelists, I know now how this Author may damne them, if these saving truths being beleeved doe save them: sure I am, that in their owne Explicites, or points of importance, which wee call fundamentall, and they say must bee knowne and beleeved under paine of damnation, they doe not mention any names, much lesse the number of Canonicall Bookes: So, it seemes, by their owne doctrines, the names and full number of the bookes of Scripture are none of their owne Explicites and Fundamentals; but other points beleeved may serve to save such beleevers: And, if such may bee saved though they know bEtiam quando aliqui dubitabant, libri isti erant Canonici, licet illi probabili ignorantiâ excusantur, negaren…. Id. n. 38.not the set number of Books; why would you have us to breake unitie for a point, the not explicite knowing and beleeving whereof, in your owne doctrine, doth not exclude salvation?
Hee goes on, and objects a second good use that wee make of points fundamentall, which is a proofe of the visibility of our Church. And true it is, That if there have beene still a visible Roman Church, which hath held points fundamental, until the Reformation begun by the Protestants, then is that visibility since that time still continued by us. The former we leave to the Romists to prove for their owne sakes; and the later we can very easily prove for our selves: And whereas hee repeats (but confutes not) that some of ours have said, that there is no necessity that the Church must have been continually visible: I tell him, that if this were an absurd Doctrine (as he terms it) they were led to this absurdity with a great shew of reason. For (not to run out at large into the common place of visibility) when aUniversum Romanum Imperium funditùs concussum & emotum est. Vin…. Liri. cap. 6.Lirinensis saith at the deluge of Arianisme, The whole Romane Empire was fundamentally overthrowne and removed: And we reade elsewhere the bLiberius, Sozom. lib. 4. c. 14. Cum his verò simul projicit à sancta Dei Catholica Ecclesia, similiterque anathematizari praevidimus: Et Honorium, qui fuerat Papa antiquae Romae, …ò quòd invenimus per scripta quae ab eo facta sunt ad Se…gium… quia in omnibus mentē ejus secutus est, & impia dogmata con…irmavi…. Con…. 6. Act. 13.Pope himselfe was turned Hereticke, where was the visibility of the Cavaliers Romish Church it selfe? But I need not to dwell much on the defence of this doctrine, because he only confutes it by the Epithite Absurd; and because that which followes next most concernes the present businesse; though this also is a rehearsall and not a confutation: Some few of them affirme (when they are urged by us to shew that visible Church of theirs) that theirs and ours doe make but one true Church, and so in shewing the visibilitie of ours, they doe withall (as they say) shew their owne to have beene visible. And these men tread in this way, because they well know that no other Church but ours can indeed be shewed to have beene visible through all ages since Christ our Lord. But I must here deny his repetition, if by the word Church he meane the Pope, and those that have made him the foundation of their faith; for these and ours, wee say not to be one Church with us, because they have changed the foundation: But if you meane those that by beleeving fundamentalls have fastned their faith on Christ the true foundation, wee allow That our Church hath beene one with them, and hath been visible in their visibilitie; yet avoyding this, That hee can ever prove that other Churches have not beene as truly and continually visible as Rome; for it will still trouble the Author to shew that the Churches of Greece and Africk, have bin lesse truly visible then Rome, since the Primitive times of their first conversion.
And now this Autho…, being past our use of fundamentalls for visibility, yet walkes on, though beyond his right businesse: but hee that is out of the way in his maine matter of making division to excuse Romish uncharitablenesse, may well walke into by-wayes in his prosecution of it: yet I cannot deny that hee hath two Errands; one to bring forth a jest upon our Fox and his followers, under the names of Fox and Geese: But, if it had pleased this Author duly to follow this Fox in the reading of his Martyrologie, he might have found out the true Fox that followes, and teares, and destroyes those whom our Author by a new Metamorphosis, and Romish transubstantiation hath changed into Birds. His second Errand he thus expresseth; I finde, when they are put to name their particular Professors of former ages, they doe but muster up those severall single false doctrines which have bin held by other heretiks by Retaile, during ten or twelve … since Christ our Lord: many of which doctrines togeth…r themselves doe now professe in grosse; for what other men of former times did they ever or can they ever name, as men of their Religion, but such as beleeved some one or two of those hereticall doctrines which now themselves embrace, and wherein they are contrary to us. But all this, as it is not very pertinently brought in, to excuse Romish uncharitablenesse, so it is not very truly objected; for wee can prove our doctrines (which hee calls heresies) by the Fathers and Scriptures, and the Scriptures he cannot deny have beene beleeved above twelve ages. Besides, Popish Authors doe acknowledge that the Waldenses agree with Protestants in more aSee the History of the Waldenses, lib. 1. cap. 8. when it was said by a Jesuite, that the Waldenses, and the Ministers of Calvin agree in twenty seven Articles, viz. About the Popes Supremacie, Purgatory, Praiers to Saints, worship of Images, marriage of Priests, sufficiencie of Scriptures, &c. which are more then one or two points, Ibid. part. 3. & lib. 1▪ …b. 6. It is very likely their doctrine came from the Apostles, and agreed with them; for Reynerius the Inquisitour saith, Some hold so: And againe, They live justly before men, and beleeve all things well of God, and all the Articles contained in the Creed; onelyonly they hate and blaspheme the Romish Church. Speeds Chronic. Foxe Martyrolog. a… Ann. 1160. The Confessour of L…wes the twelfth, being sent by him to examine some of the Wal…enses, at his returne wishe…h that …e we… so good a Christian as the worst of them. Histor. of the Waldense…, …b. 1. cap. 5.then one or two doctrines; for they are said to bee more then twenty wherein wee agree with them: And though afterward this Cavalier affirmes it, yet hee proves not that for other points these were expresse hereticks in the Protestants opinion; neither doe we hide any fundamentall errours in them which we object against Romists. But if these had not beene in the world, it is most true that the maine point of Popery, which is the Popes tyrannicall headship of the Catholick Church, the very root of Idolatries, errours and divisions, hath in bSee the Mysterie of Iniquity, by Philip Momay L. of Plessis.all ages been denyed since it was first broached. But our Author is still much displeased with fundamentalls, because by them wee have unity with those who have heretofore differed in some doctrines from their Papacy; for saith he, If it were not for this distinction, no man could bee of the same Religion with any other that is not wholly of the same Religion: so farre forth at the least as that he must not obstinately deny any one doctrine thereof, whether it bee important more or lesse, when once, as hath beene said, it is lawfully and sufficiently propounded and commanded to bee beleeved by the true Church; as it is true and certaine when Luther rebelled from the Church of Christ our Lord, nor in any age before his time, there was in the whole world any one Kingdome, or Countrey, or City, or Town, or Family of men, or Pastours, or Flock, yea or any one single person so much as of Luthers own, & much lesse of the now Protestant Religion, which is now forsooth so farre refined beyond his. Here, the Cavaliers true Church being that confederacie whereof the Pope is the head, hee would faine dissolve that solid unity which is made by fundamentals in Christ Jesus the true head, to mak a fictitious unity in the Pope: But if hee should cast off this onelyonly true and substantiall ground of unity, which knits together all the sound Churches that are at this day, or ever have been through all Nations on the face of the earth since our Saviour, to make an unity by agreeing, under paine of damnation, in all points propounded and commanded by the Pope and his Church of Rome, whether important more or lesse, hee shall not onelyonly by this meanes breake the unitie of all the true Churches on earth into pieces, but of Rome it selfe: For (to returne almost his owne words) Since the Pope, who hath rebelled against Christ, and usurped the Headship of the Church, first coined and established a Religion in Trent, neither then, nor in any time before, there was in the whole world any one Kingdome or Country, or City, or Towne, or Family of men, or Pasture, or Flocke, yea or any one single person, who by a supernaturall Faith, which this Authour onelyonly approves, did imbrace the whole body, and every Article of the Trent Religion. Yea even at this day it is not received in divers parts that beare the name of the Church of Rome, much lesse in Greece, Armenia, Syria, Ethiopia, most of which either know not, or acknowledge not this Councell, nor the Popes Supremacie. All these therefore refusing any of these Articles, must be torne in pieces from the body of Christ, and cast into Hell fire. Thus the Scarlet Whore, drunke with the bloud of the Saints, speaks in the right voice of the Harlot, If she may not have the whole childe,1 Kin. 3.26. let it bee cut in pieces: Let the Church be distracted and damned, if the Pope may not be her Lord and her Tyrant. And so whereas Christ was a head that gave himselfe to death, to save his body from damnation; is not hee an Antichrist that throwes the body of Christ into hell and damnation, to make himselfe the head?
But in a third place hee objecteth not an use of ours, but an abuse of his owne: For hee abuseth his Reader in saying to him, That the making of this distinction betweene Fundamentall, and not Fundamentall points of Faith, and the resolving not to declare which is which, doth save them with a great part of the ignorant world from the imputation of rigour in their proceeding with us. For how could they persecute as they doe, without extreme note of cruelty? But neither the making nor hiding of Fundamentalls is the cause of prosecuting Romists in this Kingdome, but the cause of their punishment hath been their owne making of Treasons, miraculously revealed by Gods goodnesse, notwithstanding their hiding, even in the vaults and depths of the earth. And though there were no Fundamentalls of Religion, but only Fundamentalls of State; the Fundamentalls of State are very plain, and cannot well be hidden, which justifie the execution of Rebells and Traitours. But of this some proofe hath been given in the beginning of this Booke, and the Authour will call for more towards the end.
As for that which followes, Yea, or even, how could they dissent without apparent impiety from our beliefe and practice of those Doctrines wherein wee have had, and still have prescription of so many ages, if the contrary thereof should be confessed by themselves not to be Fundamentall? It is so weak, that I wish that some childe, and not the Cavalier, had spoken it to save his reputation: For, will any man say that it is impiety to dissent from others in ancient errours, though these errours be not Fundamentall? Tertullian might have taught our Authour much more wisdome, who, upon the custome of an errour not very Fundamentall, thus saith, bHunc qui receperunt, veritatem consuetudini anteponunt. Tert. de vel. virg. cap. 1. Consuetudo …ine veri…a…e v…tustas erroris est; propter quod relicto errore s…quamur verita…é. Cyp…. …p…st. 74.They that have received the holy Ghost, preferre truth before custome.
SECT. IIII.
Sheweth the differences amongst Popish Divines about their Explicites or Fundamentals; with some reasons of those differences: and directions for discerning fundamentall points from others.
THe Cavalier thus goes on: It is more then probable, that one reason why they are so unwilling to give in any Catalogue of the fundamentall points is, Because they know so well how ridiculous they would make themselves by the infinite variety of their Catalogues. For, if it be so familiar with them to bee of different mindes concerning particular doctrines, how much more would they bee so in this, which is a roote of many branches, or rather a monster of many heads; and so there can bee no doubt, but that some of them would not bee more resolute in restraining the fundamentall points into a narrow compasse, then others would bee in enlarging them into a broader. The Authour here goes about to make the Fathers, yea, himselfe and his owne partners ridiculous; for, if varietie in the Catalogues of Fundamentals, or chiefe heads and grounds of Christianity bee ridiculous; how shall the Fathers escape the merriments of this Authour? Yea, how shall himselfe and his owne partners not bee mocked by himselfe? For it is plaine, that neither Irenaeus nor Tertullian, in sundry patternes of the rule of Faith, doe enumerate Articles just of the same number and breadth. Neither doe the three usuall Creeds hold equall measure by the Authours ell; yea, let the Authour himselfe, who confesseth that there are such Heads and Grounds of Christianity more fundamentall, make a Catalogue of these Heads, and hee can never agree with all his fellowes, who agree not among themselves. And thus, if hee will looke into this glasse, hee may see himselfe laughing at himselfe: And indeed, if the Reader will peruse the Romists where they write of their Explicites, they may see the same variety wherewith the Cavalier here makes himselfe merry; some contracting them into a narrower, some enlarging them into a broader compasse: And to save labour to the Reader, I will here give him a Modell of this variety: bQuaedam in doctrina Christiana tam fidei quam morum esse simpliciter omnibus necessaria ad salutem, qualis est cognitio Articulorum Symboli Apostolici, decem Praeceptorum, & nonnullorum Sacramentotum; cae…era non ita necessaria, ut sine eorum explicita notitia, & fide, & professione, homo salvari non possit. Bell. de verbo Dei. lib. 4. cap. 11.Bellarmine saith, That there are some things in Christian Doctrine, as well of faith as of manners, which are simply necessary to all unto salvation, as the knowledge of the Articles of the Apostles Creed, tenne Commandements, and some Sacraments; other things not being so necessary, that without their explicite knowledge, and faith, and profession, a man may not bee saved.
But cIn Symbolo Apostolorum & Niceno, …liqui praeter illos contin…ntur, quos rudes non debent ex praecepto scire, nec fideles communiter; fed si quis audiat eos in Symbolo contineri, debet credere: nam Communionem Sanctorum non omnes sciunt; imo, etiam inter homine… literatos non paucos invenias qui ignorant quae sit haec Communio Sanctorum; Articulus autem de Ecclesia multis viris doctis videtur difficilis ad docendum, & putant rudes in illo communiter errare.— Caeterum adhuc ego non dubitarem concedere esse non paucos rusticos inter Christianos qui absque culpa ignorant aliqua mysteria ex iis quae necessa…ia sunt. Vasques in 12. Disp. 121. n. 2.Vasques thus differs from Bellarmine in some Articles of the Creede; There are (saith hee) some Articles in the Apostles Creed, and the other of Nice, which the ignorant are not commanded to know, nor commonly the faithfull: for all doe not know the Communion of Saints; yea, you shall finde not a few learned men that know not what the Communion of Saints is; and the Article of the Church seemes hard to teach, and learned men thinke that the ignorant doe commonly erre in it. Yea, hee comes at length to this short measure of faith; I would not doubt to grant that there are not a few Countrey people, that without fault are ignorant of some of those mysteries which are necessary.
Azorius dQuisque fidelium crede…e explici…è debeat omnes Articulos fidei, vel qui juxta numerum Apostolorum duodecim in Symbolo continentur▪ vel qui juxta Th…ol…gorum sententiam q…atuordecim proponuntur.— Quaeritur, An quisque, etiam vulgaris & rudis, credere explici…è debeat aliquid praeter praedictos fidei Articulos. Sunt qui ita affirmant, e… ratione permoti, quòd unusquisque expressim credere debeat, immortalem esse animā hominis; item, esse peccatum originis, &c.—Q… rundam est opinio, unumquemqu… fidelium debere credere quicquid expressè in Symbolo Apostolorum continetur, & ob id minimè sufficere …i singul… credant explicitè qua…uordecim Articulos fidei, prout à Theologis propununtur, quoniam quisque praecepto ac lege compellitur ad credendum expressim descensum Christi Domini ad inferos, unam sanctam Ca…holicam Ecclesiam, Sanctorum communionem, peccatorum remissionem, perpetuam Deiparae Vi…ginitatem, de quibus singulis nihil explicitè quatuordecim fidei Articuli praescribunt. Mihi …amen videtur dicendum, satis …sse ad salutem cuique fidelium credere explicitè quatuordecim Articulos fidel, vel Symbolum Apostolicum. —Quaeritur, An si quis adeò hebeti & obtuso sit ingenio, ut ipsos Articulos secundùm substan…iam capere nequeat, fidei praecepto satisfaciat si aliquos clariores Articulos explicitè credat; reliquis verò quos non as…equitur, credat implicitè, &c. Respondeo satisfacere.— Quar…, si quis Trinitatis Articulum nequeat per…ipere, satis est si credat explicitè alios clariores, nimirum Ch…istum D…i filium, natum ex Vi…gine, passum, cruci affixum, m…tuu…, & sepultum, ex mortuis resu…rexisse, & in c…elos conscendisse. Az…r. Tom. 1. lib. 8. cap. 6.the Jesuite speakes of other differences and varieties, differing also himselfe from others. First, hee saith, That every Beleever ought explicitely to beleeve all the Articles of faith, either as (according to the number of the Apostles) they are accounted twelve, or according to the sentence of Divines, they are reckoned foureteene: But then hee adds, That some affirme, the unlearned must beleeve more then these Articles, because they must beleeve the immortality of the soule, originall sinne, &c. Againe, hee saith, Some hold that both the twelve Articles and the fourteene must bee beleeved; but himselfe thinks that it is sufficient to salvation if a man beleeve explicitely the one or the other. Yea at length hee comes to shew, That if a man bee so dull that hee cannot perceive the Article of the Trinity, it will suffice if hee beleeve explicitely some other plainer Articles; as that Christ the Sonne of God is borne of a Virgin, that hee suffered, was crucified, d…ed, and was buryed, that hee rose againe from the dead, and ascended into heaven.
Canisius, as wee have seene before, saith, That the summe of faith▪ or of all things to bee beleeved, is the Apostles Creed. And whereas aT. Aqu …2. Q. 1. Art. 8. Lorca Expos. Art. Conclusio est; conveniens est & sufficiens distinctio & numeratio Articulorum, qua v…l du…decim, vel quatuordecim potiùs numerari …olent.— For tas…e mens Ecclesiae in hac summa Articulorum non fuit comp…ehend…re omn…s Articulo… qui vel speci…lem d…sicultatem continent, vel ab omnibus f…delibus explicitè credendi sunt. Ib.Thomas Aquinas concludes, that the Articles to bee beleeved (of Christs Divinity and Humanity) are fitly numbred either twelve or foureteene; Lorca, after this acknowledgement, adds, Perchance the Church did not intend in this summe to comprehend all these Articles which containe any speciall difficultie, or ought explicitely to bee beleeved of all the faithfull. And when hee comes to speake of those Explicites, hee confesseth plainely, bOmnes concedunt minoribus necessarium esse credere aliqua explicitè, licet non obligentur ad omnem latitudinem fidei. In assignanda tamen R…gula quâ diffiniatur quae credere teneantur, dissentiunt, & diversas Regulas statuunt. Communis Regula ferè ab omnibus Theologis …radita est, Omnes fideles d…bere credere explici…è Articulos qui solenni ritu celebrantur in Ecclesia, & sufficere sibi …i …os credant. Hanc Regulam tradunt S. Thomas Art. 7. & ali… Schol…stici in 3. distin…i. 25. &c. Hec tamen Regula quibusdam insufficiens apparet tam excessu quam defectu. Sco…us quaest. 1. Art. 2. indicare videtur praeceptum commure fid…i solum constringere, ut credantur …aciliora, quae ipse vo…t …rossa. Qu…dam ex juni…us (Suarez. in 3. Tom. 2. d. 43.) affirmant, sufficere communi pl…bi si credant A…ticulos qui in Symbolo continentur. His ergò Regulis omissis, asserendum est omnibus fidelibus inesse praeceptum, expli…it… …ide credere haec; Primò, Articulos fidei tam secundùm illam numerati…nem quà quatuordecim numerantur, quam …os q… in Symbolo Apostolorum exprimuntur. Tenentur p…terea credere Decalogum, & communiora praecepta quae ad Decal…gum reducentur, doci…nam etiam de septem Sacramentis, & de Oratione, de authoritate …, & Pralatorum Ecclesiae. Haec omma … …ideli … docet …. in Summa verbo, Ignora…tia. … Ignorantia. Lorca in 22. ….That in assigning the Rule by which it may bee defined what the vulgar should beleeve, Divines doe differ, and doe put divers Rules: the most common Rule is, That they should beleeve those Articles which are by Solemnities celebrated in the Church; and that it sufficeth if they beleeve these. But this Rule seemes insufficient to others, both in excesse and defect. Scotus seemes to say, That the common precept of faith doth onelyonly binde to the beliefe of the easie (which hee calleth grosse) points. Some of the later (as Suarez), It …ufficeth the common people if they beleeve the Articles in the Creed. But Lorca himselfe goes beyond all that hitherto have beene mentioned, and saith, These Rules being laid aside, it is to bee affirmed, That it is commanded to all the faithfull explicitely to beleeve, first the Articles of faith, both the foureteene, and the twelve in the Creede; They must also beleeve the Decalogue, and the more common Precepts which are reduced to the Decalogue, the doctrine of the seven Sacraments, of Prayer, of the Popes authoritie, and the Prelates. Behold a great variety in Romish Explicites.
Yet, I confesse, that I find not my selfe so merry hereat as the Cavalier, (at our supposed differences in Fundamentals) but will rather strive to excuse them, and to finde reasons for their varietie: for the reasons seeme to bee serious, as the matter which they goe about is weightie and profitable; even the proposall of those grounds whose knowledge is necessary to salvation. So farre is it from being a monster, as this Authour termes it, that his calling of it by this Title is so much the more monstrous, as it is true that himselfe acknowledgeth that there are such Heads of Christianitie, which himselfe thus calleth monstrous. Behold a Truth of the Authours owne bringing forth, and then mocked by him for a monster: but I will goe on to speake for his Truth, and against his Monster; even against him, to plead for him and his fellowes. True it is, that there may bee a different enumeration of the Articles in the Fathers Rules of faith, in the Creeds, and in the Explicites of later Writers, as well as our Fundamentals; and that for divers reasons.
One may bee this; Because some Catalogues may put in more Articles for more full unfolding and expressing of other Articles; so it is said by the Councell of Chalcedon, that the Additions in the Creeds of Constantinople aE…ag. l. 2 c. 4.concerning the holy Ghost, was onelyonly that the Essence and God-head of the holy Ghost might thereby bee more cleared and expounded: And bPropter nonnullos haereticos addita quaedam videntur, per quae novellae doctrinae sensus videretur excludi. Ruff. in Symbol.Ruffinus speakes to the like effect.
A second reason of this variety might be the cVariatu…, fides augetur, vel diminuitur ratione dispositionis hominis; nam fides potest esse major in uno quàm in alio, non ratione primae veritatis, quae, cum sit unica. & simplicissima, non diversificatur in credentibus, sed est una in omnibus: Tamen ea quae materialiter credenda proponuntur, sunt plura, & sic ex parte credendorum, personarum, & temporum, potest fides accipi major & minor. Reyn. Pant. de Fide, cap. 1.various measure of capacities. Some measures of understanding and faith are small; and it is not to bee denied but that some Articles, which are now necessary to be particularly knowne and beleeved, were then knowne onelyonly and beleeved in grosse, without danger of salvation. And that there is now no toleration of lesse degrees in this kind, for weaknesse of faith, or shallownesse of capacity, I thinke wise men scarce dare to affirme.
A third reason of this variety may be the various affection and intention of the designers of these heads: For one perchance would be sure not to exclude any man from salvation, that hath any true, though never so little interest in it, by the knowledge of never so few fundamentalls; and therefore this man contracteth them. Another hee feares, lest by the lessening of them, thereby to include the salvation of some, others may bee excluded from salvation, by not knowing or not beleeving those points which are lessened, and therefore enlargeth them.
Now these reasons being given, to defend this Authour and his fellowes against himselfe, I will adde essayes of some certainty upon this variety.
A first, That certainly so much must bee knowne and beleeved of God in Christ Jesus, as may unite us to him, and so make us partakers of his death and resurrection unto remission of sinnes and regeneration: And therefore ordinarily his aRom. 4.24, 25. Rom. 10.9. 1 Cor. 15.1, 2, 3, 4. In absoluto nobis ac facili est aeternitas; Jesum suscitatum à mortuis per Deum credere, & ipsum esse Dominum confiteri. Hilar. de Trinit. lib. 10. where he calls it also, Religionis portum. Itaque sine ista Fide, hoc est, sine Fide unius Mediatoris Dei & hominis, hominis Christi Jesu, sine Fide inquam Resurrectionis ejus, quam Deus hominibus definivit; quae ut que sine Incarnatione ejus, ac morte non potest veraciter credi: Sine Fide ergo Incarnationis, & Mortis, & Resurrectionis Christi, neque antiquos justos, ut justi essent▪ potuisse munda…i, & Dei gratiâ justificari verita… Christiana non dubitat. Aug contra Pelag. & Coelest. lib. 2. cap. 24.Incarnation, Death, and Resurrection are certainly to be knowne and beleeved.
Secondly, That so many Heads and Articles as conduce to this union, may be called Fundamentall, because they knit and unite us to Christ the foundation.
Accordingly, more of these points being knowne to one then to another, and the more points working the union in one, and the fewer in the other, the more may be called Fundamentall to the one, and the fewer to the other; so a great house built on a rocke, and by more stones knit unto the rocke then a lesser, may bee said to have more fundamentalls then the lesser; yet both have as true an union with the rocke each as other.
Thirdly, it is good, in teaching, to enlarge the points as much as may be;The most fundamentall is the Incarnation of the Deity. For the foundation it selfe is God with us. For there is no Rocke but God, Psal. 18.31. And all the Church is built on this Rocke unto salvation, Mat. 16.18. Therefore Arians, or any others that build not their faith on the Godhead of the Son, are not built on the Rocke, but on the sands. And the Judge himselfe hath made knowne his judgement on them: They shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on them, John 3.18, 36. So also John 20.31. 1 Tim. 3.16. 2 Corin. 5.18, 19. Colos 2.8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. 2 Cor. 4.3, 4. Wherfore, Ignorantes eum qui ex Virgine est Emanuel, privantur munere ejus, quod est vita aeterna. Iren. l 3. c. 21. so to give a full measure of fundamentals, for the largest measure of knowledge and capacity, that no measure may want his fulnesse: But in censuring to damnation, it is good to contract the measure as much as truth will possibly give way to charity, that the least measure of saving knowledge and faith be not damned.
Fourthly, as the Teacher should enlarge his teaching, so let not the Learner voluntarily shut or contract his learning, knowing, nor beleeving the grounds of Christianity; but goe on as farre as his measure will give him leave, untill hee have found Christ Jesus dwelling in his soule by his Spirit, and by that Spirit witnessing to his soule, that he is a Sonne of God, even an heire annexed with Christ: For then, and onelyonly then shalt thou have a comfortable certainty of the sufficiency of thy fundamentalls, when thou feelest thy selfe an habitation of God by the Spirit. Besides, if God intend to lay in thee the foundations of a palace, do not thou contract them into the foundations of a cottage.