Col. 1.19 whether he be not also that first created being in and by whom all other things were created and are governed and preserved This Postellus in his booke De nativitate Mediatoris doth firmly hold And although it be plaine by Athanasius Epist 1. contra Arianos that Arius held one Word in the Father as we speak of the Trinity and another Word created which he held to be Christ and in his Thaleia mentioned Epist 2. contra Arianos affirmes to the same purpose a Wisdome increated and a Wisedome created and although Arius affirmed as Postellus That Christ was a creature but not as one of the creatures made but not as one of other things that were made c. and therefore concluded that he held the same faith with the Church and detracted nothing from the glory of Christ when hee called him the first and chiefe creature Epiph. haeres 69. yet Postellus whether he were indeed ignorant of it or whether he dissembled his knowledge makes no mention thereof lest the name Arius might discredit the position although the difference betweene Arius and Postellus be as much as from the East to the West For though Arius held the increased Wisdome or Word to be in the Trinity yet he could not yeeld to this that that Wisdome tooke flesh and became that Saviour to whom we confesse And this was the businesse betweene him and the right meaning Fathers But Postellus held that the created Wisdome that first borne of every creature which in the fulnesse of time tooke flesh of the Virgin Mary and in that flesh made satisfaction for the sinnes of the world waâ— hee in whom all the fulnesse of the Godhead did dwell Now by the rule of our faith both the extremities are yeelded unto that Christ is God blessed above all and that he is man as hath beene proved But this is now to be examined whether it be necessary to the beeing of our Mediatour that hee be that first creature of God created before all times and ages of the world by whom all other things were afterwards made in thâ—iâ— due times and are governed as Postellus affirmed The Authorities which Postellus brings are either forraine or else out of the holy Scripture you shall first see them of the first kind with their exceptions then his reasons with their answers and lastly those enforcements which are by him and may beside bee brought from the Word of truth 1. First he saith he is urged to the declaration of this truth by the Spirit of Christ pag. 1 3 7 c. but I say these enthusiasmes and revelations are a common claime not onely to them that speake the truth from God as the holy Prophets say Thus saith the Lord but also to them that vent their owne fantasies and heresies in stead of the truth The second auâ—hority is that of the Abisine Church which commonly they call of Presbyter Iohn out of whose Creed he cites for his purpose thus much Pag. 24. 25. We beleeve in the name of the holy Trinity the Father the Son and the holy Ghost who is one Lord three names one Deity three Faces one Similitude the conjunction of the three persons is equall in their God head one Kingdome one Throne one Iudge one Love one Word one Spirit But there is a Word of the Father a Word of the Sonne and a Word of the Holy Ghost and the Son is the same Word And the Word was with God and with the Holy Ghost and with himselfe without any defect or division the Sonne of the Father the Sonne of himselfe and the beginning of himselfe Where in the first Article you see that Church acknowledges the Trinitie of Persons in the unitie of the Deity according to that faith which wee beleeve The second Article But there is a Word of the Father c. is altogether a declaration of this created Word or Sonne of God by whom all the holy Scriptures were given and inspired as Postel speakes But concerning that Church though Postel to make the authority thereof without exception say it was never troubled with any heresie yet it is not unlikely to have nursed that arch-heretick Arius whom all writers account to be a Lybian Besides it is manifest that they are all Monothelites and so farre forth Iacobites or Eutychians that they condemne the fourth generall Councell of Chalcedon for determining two natures to be in Christ Moreover what their learning is like to be you may judge by this that their inferiour Church Ministers and Monkes must live by their labor having no other maintenance not being suffered to crave almes see Mt Brerewoods Enquiry Chap. 23. 21. a state of the Ministery whereto our sacrilegious patrons and detainers of those livings rightly called Impropriations because they belong most improperly to them that unjustly withhold them from the Church would bring our Church unto But see whereto this want of maintenance hath brought that Church which in the time of the Nicene Councell was of so great regard that their Patriarch had the seventh place in all generall Councels yet now as I have read have they of late yeares beene compelled to send to Rome to beg a religion and teachers from them And this is the Authority of that Church But you will say their Creed is ancient and of authority I say though it be as ancient as Arius yet what wit or judgement was in thâ—s to put such a point into their Creed which they themselves by Postels owne confession doe not understand If it were necessary to beleeve it other Churches would not have omitted it if not necessary why was it brought into their Creed But the ancient Paraphrasts Anchelus and Ionathan are without exception and where the Text is And the Lord spake unto Moses they explaine it thus And the Lord spake unto Moses by his word which all the old Interpreters and especially Rambam understand to be spoken of the created Word of God that Word of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost or the Divinitie which is appliable to the created beeings Pag. 24. The Cabalists also concurie with this interpretation and therefore call him the inferiour VVisdome the Throne of Glory the house of the Sanctuary the heaven of heavens united to eternity the superiour habitation in which God dwels for ever as his body is the inferiour habitation after he was incarnate the great Steward of the house of God who according to the eternall decree brings forth every thing in dâ—e time And these as I remember are all â—he authorities which Postellus cites exâ—ept you will add this that whereas he writes to the Councell of Trent they of the Councell being called for other purposes did not at all passe any censure of the booke or this position which is the maine point therein You may add to these authorities many other and fiâ—st out of Iesus the Sonne of Sirach Chap. 1. vers 4 5. Wisdome hath beene
unto God But no such condemnation of the one by the other can be but by comparison of their workes Therefore the workes of the Infidels must come into iudgement That which they bring for proofe that the Heathen shall not be judged in His sight hath no sure ground as that in Psalm 1. The wicked shall not rise againe in the judgement as the greeks translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lo Yakyma 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which had beene better 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kom here signifies not onely to arise but to stand firme and sure as they that are risen and stand upright So the meaning is They shall not stand or be established that is not justified in the judgement So they bring that in the third of Iohn verse 18. He that beleeveth not is condemned already but that is not spoken of the Gentiles that never heard of Christ but of such Infidells as were in the Church of the Iewes that knew Christ to have suffered and beleeved not in Him as it is manifest by the 14 and 15. verses And these having the conscience of their sin and refusing the meanes of satisfaction to the justice of God must be condemned in themselues Neither doe they say any thing to the contrary who object that a long time must be needfull to the examination of the wicked mens deeds words and purposes For the booke of every mans conscience shall be opened and they shall at once be made to see the whole story of their sinfull life Neither shall words be needfull where the deeds are manifest But what time soever is taken thereto as there is a time for every thing it will neither seeme long to the blessed nor long enough to them that are damned And thus I thinke it is plaine that the workes of the Gentiles shall come into judgement 4. Moreover seeing the Gentiles though they have not the Law written yet are a law unto themselues And seeing God the just rewarder of all men renders to every man whether Iew or Gentile according to his deeds to them that by continuance in well-doing seeke glory and immortality eternall life What brazen fac't hypocrite art thou who contrary to the commandement of God Himselfe Mat. 7.1 2. and Rom. 14.4 dost presume to judge yea and that being so threatned that with what judgement ye judge ye shall be judged If God be no accepter of persons but that in every nation he that feares God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of Him for the prayers of Cornelius Act. 10. and his almes came up for a memoriall before God before he heard the Gospel preached by Peter why shall we presume to judge them that are without the judgement of whom belongs onely unto God 1. Corinthians 15.13 How shall any one bee able to moove the sure foundation of God or bee so bold as to breake His seale The Lord knoweth who are His I say not of the heathens Pythagoras Heraclitus or the rest as Iustin Martyr Apol. ad Antonin said of Socrates that he walked with God as Abraham and Elias yet he had this hope that after death it should be better to them that had lived well then to the wicked Plat. in Phaed. And certaine it is that he died by the sentence of the unjust Athenians for this Because he taught that there was one onely true God which I doubt these busie censurers would hardly doe But this I say That seeing Christ is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but for the sinnes of the whole world 1 Iohn 2.2 Let no man enquire how this satisfaction of Christ is made effectuall unto them seeing He is found of them that sought Him not Esay 65.1 Neither let the Christian that one sheepe of an hundred which the good Shepherd hath sought and brought home be so uncharitable as to give those ninety and nine left alone in the wildernesse of this world as a prâ—y devoted to the roaring lyon But shall we not follow our Guides and what is more usuall with them then Esau the reprobate Saul the reprobate So Ishmael Pharaoh and who they please beside Yea and Solomon that glorious Type of Christ in the Church restored is somewhat doubted of It is well that he was a Prophet and so by the word of Christ in the Kingdome of Heaven Luke 13.28 for the rest you may understand the teachers according to their true meaning Concerning Ishmael and his mother Hagar the allegory is expounded by Saint Paul Gal. 3.22 c. that he signified the Church of the Iewes and their seruitude under the Ceremoniall Law and lastly their rejection But yet he himselfe held the worship of God as his father taught him as it is manifest in Gen. 18.19 and 28.6 7 8 9. And though Pharaoh were a figure of the persecuters of the Church that were to come though Saul were cast out from the kingdome because the eternall kingdome was to be set up in Iuda Genes 49.8 11. though Esau was a type of the present apostasie yet doth it not thereupon follow that they were damned And although Esau the profane prized not his birth-right the gift of God as hee ought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His glorious gift ought not to be set light by nay though it be said of him Mal. 1.3 Esau have I hated yet ought we not from thence to judge that this was to eternall damnation of him and his for ever but because the promised seed was to come of Iacob not of Esau because not onely worldly preferments as that the posterity of Iacob should rule over the Edomites but that the giving of the Law also and the succession of the Church was to be continued in the posterity of Iacob till Christ came therefore in comparison of Iacob Esau after a sort that is for such degrees of preeminence might seeme to be hated yet held he and his the true Religion for both Iobab or Iob and his three friends Eliphaz Bildad and Zophar are all accounted Edomites See Lam. 4.21 and the addition to the booke of Iob in the Greeke translation Object But they are held accursed that say that every man shall be saved by that law or sect which he professeth seeing the Scriptures affirme that there is no name given under heaven by which men may be saved but onely the Name of Iesus Christ Article Eccles 8. Answer And most justly are they to be held accursed For it was shewed even now that there is no Law which brought not with it the knowledge of sinne and therefore enforceth the necessity of a Mediator which wee according to the Scripture have manifested in Chap. 24. to be our Lord Iesus Christ apprehended by a true faith which is wrought in us inwardly by the Spirit of God and outwardly by His Word read and preached And beside this in the visible Church there is no meanes of salvation But because the Gentiles have
onely the Spirit of God therefore in the interpretation of doubtfull places of Scripture the Spirit of God whereby it was written must give also the true understanding or interpretation thereof and this Spirit and the meaning thereof is most easily found in the holy Scripture Therefore the surest and best interpretation of Scripture is by Scripture it selfe 4. The Scribes and Pharises were to be heard sitting in the Chaire of Moses that is teaching the Law according to the true meaning of Moses Therefore the interpreters of the New-Testament also are to be heard speaking the voice of Christ. But His sheepe will not heare a stranger for they know not the voice of strangers Iohn 10. Therefore the interpretation of the Scripture is chiefely by the Scriptures And by the Scriptures onely every question of faith and doctrine to bee decided not by the Church or any humane voice except they speake according to the word of the Scripture 1. For seeing the Holy-Ghost is the chiefe judge in all controversies on whose infallible sentence wee may safely relye and that the Scriptures are His immediate word therefore from thence are wee to expect His immediate answere whereas the Church speakes not from God immediately but as a meane conueighs unto us the voice of the Scripture 2. Beside this the Church may erre the Scripture cannot erre 3. The Scriptures shine by their owne light the Church by the light and Doctrine of the Scriptures 4. The Scriptures are alwayes at hand to be resorted unto the Church never all assembled nor a Councill scarce once in an age and they that vaunt most of the name for the most part have least of the true Church And therefore the Prophets send us to the Law and to the Testimonies and our Lord to search the Scriptures See 2. Peter 1.19 Object 2. By this meanes making it lawfull for every one to reade and interpret the Scriptures you set open a doore to all manner of heresies to enter into the Church and make every private spirit a judge and an interpreter of the sence of Scripture Answer Though every one may and ought to read the Scripture for comfort and instruction yet the interpretation of the harder places belongs especially to the Pastours and Doctors appointed by the Church thereto and if any private man doe interpret according to the former rules yet cannot that interpretation be said to proceed from a private spirit although the man be private For the holy Spirit is the common author of all light and understanding And the meanes whereby He useth to teach is the holy Word the common light of all the faithfull And this may seeme sufficient to have spoken of the Author and use of the holy Scriptures and what they are then of their sufficiency purity easinesse and interpretation And blessed is that man that meditates in them day and night that he may finde by them the full assurance of his hopes and live in obedience and thankefullnesse to the Author and finisher of his faith ARTICLE IX ⧠I beleeve in the holy Catholike-Church CHAP. XXXV A Certaine Iew famed for his riches was once asked by a great lord of the Turkes how it came to passe that the Turkes the Christians and the Iewes did so peremptorily hold every one their owne faith that they could not be withdrawne therefrom The Iew suspecting his wealth to be aimed at answered as their manner is by a witty parable A rich man quoth he had three sonnes that obserued him with great respect because of his wealth he to hold them all in their obedience oftentimes profest among them that he should be the heire of all his estate to whom at his death he should bequeath a ring which he used to weare But in secret he caused Mammurius the Goldsmith to make for him two other rings so like it as Numaes ancylia were not one more like another At his death he called each of his sonnes apart and gave to every one of them one of these rings and withall the possession of all his goods so every one holds his claime quoth he and it is not yet knowne how the controversie will be ended This is the present state of the Church not onely among these three sects named but likewise among all the sects of Christianity yea of all religions whatsoever For there is none among the Pagans but he hath this hope that his soule shall be happy if he serue his god as he ought And having determined those questions which concerne God and our Mediator it followes that in this second part of the Creed we consider those benefits and priviledges which belong unto the Church by that which our Saviour hath done and suffered for it But that we mistake not we shall best be guided by the holy Scripture both for the use of the word and for the knowledge of the thing The word Ecclesia as it signifies in the originall the house of religious exercises or a tumultuous assembly as in Act. 19.32 or a combination of wicked men as in Psalm 26.5 hath no use here but more properly it signifieth an assembly or multitude of people professing the true worship of God such as were the Churches of Corinth Ephesus and others planted by the Apostles and Apostolicall men in a City or Kingdome as we thinke that Ioseph of Arimathea planted the faith in this Island and so established a Church here Every faithfull family is likewise a Church Romans 16.5 and the Church representative as the Synedrion among the Iewes is also so stiled in Matth. 18.17 But because among all these Churches there may be hypocrites unholy and carnally minded men which we cannot count within our Creed and beleeve that they are the holy Church therefore the Church may be taken not onely for the visible but also they whose Mediator our Lord Christ is unto eternall life as he saith Iohn 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given mee From whence it will easily appeare what this holy Catholike or universall Church is which here we doe beleeve to wit that number of holy men which God out of all nations of the world hath predestinated unto eternall life If we cleare the sence of the words and answere such doubts as arise thereabout we shall afterward easily approove the Article And first concerning the title of holinesse given to the Church Object 1. It may be objected that seeing it is said Psal 14. that among all the Children of men there is none that doeth good no not one how can any Church among men bee called Holy Answere Not by any inbred holinesse in themselues but because the righteousnesse of Christ their Saviour is imputed unto them for their justification before God as it is said 1. Iohn 1.7 The blood of Iesus Christ clenseth us from all sinne then because the Spirit of sanctification dwells in them and makes them zealous of good workes that they
a holy Catholike Church For it is impossible either that the promises of God should faile of their performance or that saith and other vertues should be without their reward For so the Spirit of grace which wrought these vertues in man should worke in vaine But this is impossible 5. This holy Catholike Church is declared in sundry places of the holy Scripture and in special according to all the causes thereof in the Epistle to the Ephes 4. chap. 1. from vers 2. to 15. And although Saint Paul in that place write to a particular Church yet is the Catholike Church no other than such as is there described no more then the Brittish or Spanish Seas are different from the great Ocean either in substance or qualities For there is but one body and one Spirit one Lord one faith one hope one baptisme one God and Father of all Ephe. 4.4 5 6. And as there is but one God so is there but one Mediator betweene God and man the Man Iesus Christ 1. Tim. 2.5 6. And this one Mediator is that one onely mysticall head of His mysticall body For there is no name given under heaven whereby wee must be saved but onely the name of Iesus Christ Act. 4.12 And as there is but one head so is there one onely body as it is said Cant. 6.9 My Dove my undefiled is but one and Iohn 10.16 There shall be one fold and one shepherd by which texts of the Holy Writ it is manifest that there is one holy Catholike hurch as wee doe beleeve § 3. And by this which hath beene said it may easily appeare what those differences are betweene this Catholike Church and other particular congregations whether in private houses or in Cities Countreys Kingdomes or Peoples which in Cant. 6. cited even now are signified by the Queenes Concubines and the innumerable Virgins which consent to the same points of faith and doctrine 1. The first and most common is this that in the Visible Churches Hypocrites and Atheists are found among the chosen and these are the tares among the wheate the bad fish among the good Matth. 13.48 But in this holy Catholike Church no vile or prophane person can bee as it is said Rev. 21.8 and 22.15 That without the holy Citie shall be doggs the fearfull and abominable the unbeleeving murderers whoremongers sorcerers idolaters and every one that loveth and maketh the lie 2. A second difference is in this that every particular Church is visible so that every member thereof may be fully informed of all things whatsoever is taught therein for trueth either concerning doctrine or discipline but the Catholike Church in the sence we here take it neither is nor ever was nor can bee visible but to the eye of faith alone as here we confesse in our Creed for faith is the proofe or argument of things not seene Hebr. 11.1 If then the Catholike Church be a thing to be seene then is it not to be beleeved if it be to be beleeved then must it needs be invisible 2. Beside this the universall or Catholike Church as Saint Paul describes it Ephes 13.15 is of the Saints in heaven as well as of them that are in earth yea and of them that are not yet borne as of either of these And although all the members of this Church during the time of their pilgrimage upon earth be visible or in a visible Church yet while they are here on earth we doe not beleeve them to be of that Catholike Church with that assurance of knowledge which a saving faith requires such a faith I meane as is due to an Article of our Creed but onely with that hope or credulity which Christian charity and their holy conuersation doth bind us to have of them 3. For as God only knoweth the heart so He only knoweth who are His and if He only know then cannot we and though we see them in a true particular Church yet doe we not thereby know that they are true members of the Catholike Church Object 1. If the true Church be not alwayes visible why doth our Lord send us to the Church Mat. 18.17 Answer That commandement of Christ shewes what is to bee done in particular visible Churches not in the invisible Catholike Church and this is to be obserued in such texts as are like to this which the Papists bring to proove the perpetuall visibility of the Catholike Church For if they could make that good they would hope thereby to proove the Church of Rome to be the Catholike Church But if the first were given the second would not follow For was there no Catholike Church before Romulus murthered his brother or where was the Catholike Church when Rome was yet the mother of all the abominations and filthinesse of the earth First in their worship of devills and after when their lives were answerable to their Religion as you reade in Saint Paul Rom. 1. and in their owne prophets Iuvenal Arbiter c. and againe since they have forsaken their faith once praised Rom. 1.8 and borne the former reward of their idolatry And if that Church be the Catholike Church out of which none can bee saved as they say what shall become of all those Christians in the whole world which detest the Church of Rome and all their idolatries and false doctrines as the Greekes and all that follow them the Nestorians Iacobites Ethiopians the reformed Churches in the West c. which for the number may seeme to be at the least five to one to the Papists notwithstanding their false pretended universality To the former differences betweene the Catholike Church and particular congregations you may adde a third that any particular Church may erre wholly both in manners and doctrine as I shewed in the Chap. before § 7. N. 2. but the Catholike Church cannot erre 4. Any particular Church may faile or cease to be but of the kingdome of Chriâ—t there shall be no end Therefore the Catholike Church cannot faile from whence it followeth 5. That the Catholike Church is of the greatest antiquity as having the beginning thereof in Adam and Eve for I enquire onely of the Church of the redeemed not of the Angels but particular Churches had their bâ—ginning afterward some at one time some at another as that of the Iewes in Abraham and his family that of the Ethiopians in the Eunuch c. 6. Concerning the succession of the Catholike Church there is none such â—s they account of Kings or Bishops in this or that See but becaâ—se Christs kingdome cannot faile therefore there is this succâ—ss â— That before these Saints that now live shall die others shall be borne that are the true members of the Church and thus is there still but one Catholike Church which unity containes all and every member thereof in one mysticall body whereof our Lord Christ is the Head Notes a I Withheld thee from sinning against Mee Against this and many such texts of