the touchstone of the true Pastours of the Catholique Church who may say with S. Paul non ignoramus cogitationes Sathanae we are not ignorant of the cogitations of Sathan and who may also say with S. Iohn Nos ex Deo sumus qui nouit Deum audit nos qui non est ex Deo non audit nos In hoc cognoscimus spiritum veritatis spiritum erroris We are of God he that knoweth God heareth vs he that is not of God doth not heare vs. In this wee know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of errour Now if any will not admitte this manner of trying and discerning the spirit of truth from the spirit of errour but will trust their owne iudgement alone in this matter feare they may iustly nay rather they may be sure as Cassian saith that they shal worship in their thoughts the angell of darkenes for the Angell of light to their exceeding great harme And at least howsoeuer their priuate affection and selfe-loue encline them to thinke well of themselues of that spirite which they permitte to teach them those singuler points of new and strange doctrine yet sure it is that this their perswasion of the goodnes of their spirit is not infallible as the rule of faith must be sith diuers now adaies perswade themselues in the same maner to be taught by the holy Spirit yet one of them teaching against another it is not possible that all that thus perswade themselues should bee taught by this spirit sith this Spirit doth neuer teach coÌ„trary to it selfe And therefore some in this their perswasion must needes be deceaued And therfore who hauing no testimony of euideÌ„t miracle or some other vndoubted proof dare arrogantly affirme that he onely is not deceaued especially in such sorte as to condemne all other and to propose himselfe to himselfe others as the only sufficient rule of faith considering that others who presume perswade themselues altogither in like manner are in this their perswasion deceaued But suppose one could assure himselfe that he were taught by Gods Spirite immediately what is the true faith in all pointes in such sort that he could erre in none as it is not the manner of almighty God to teach men immediately by himselfe alone or by an Angell but rather as the Scripture telleth vs fides ex auditu Faith is bredde in vs by hearing and is to bee required ex ore Sacerdotis out of the mouth of the Priest and is to be learned of Pastors and Doctors whom God hath appointed in his Church of purpose to instruct vs and continue vs in the ancieÌ„t faith but suppose I say that one could assuredly perswade himselfe to be immediately taught of God what is the truth in all pointes How should hee without testimony of miracle glue assurance to others that hee is thus taught especiallie when hee teacheth quite contrary to the Catholike Church which by plaine promises and testimonies of Scripture vvee know to be taught of God Perhaps he will alledge that generall promise of Scripture Omnis qui petit accipit assuring them therby that euery one that prayeth for any thing receiueth it and that he hath earnestly prayed for the spirit therefore he must needes haue it But to this argument we may easily answere that this promise of our Sauiour is not so vniuersally to be vnderstood as though euery one that prayeth for a thing shall infallibly obtaine it without any condition at least in the manner of praying required of our part For we reade euen in Scripture petitis non accipitis eo quod male petatis You aske or pray and receiue not the thing requested because you aske amisse By which place wee learne that to obtaine any thing by prayer requireth a condition of praying wel or in such sorte as is fit the which condition doth as learned men obserue include many circumstances for fault of the due obseruance whereof it may and doth often happen that our prayer is not well made nor in such sort as is fit and is consequently frustrate of the efficacy which otherwise by the promise of our Sauiour it should haue had Now these circumstances being many and diuers of them very inward it is not very easie For any man to be absolutely sure that hee hath obserued them in such sort as is fit and therefore he cannot bee absolutely sure that his praier hath taken effect therefore it is no sufficient proofe whereby one may perswade others that hee hath the Spirit of God to say hee hath prayed for it especially coÌ„sidering that we may finde very many most contray in religion one to another who notwithstanding will say that they daily pray for the spirit and I doubt not but many of them in some sort yea earnestly after their manner doe pray for it yet sure it is that all these being thus contrary haue it not How shal we then be assured that this or that man who presuming vpon the assistance of this spiritt which he thinketh he hath obtained by prayer setteth a broache a singular and new inueÌ„ted doctrine how shall we be sure I say that such a maÌ„ hath the spiritt of God indeed Some will perchance saye that we may safely beleeue them because they preach nothing but pure Scripture while as for euery pointe of their doctrine they cite still sentences of Scripture But this answere will not serue First because for in the name of scripture they bring forth their false corrupt translations which do differ in some places euen in wordes from true scripture Secondly supposing that they did alwaies cite the true wordes of scripture yet they may easily applye them to a wronge sense or meaninge to witt to that which they falsely imagine being seduced by their own appetite or by their own former error to be the true sense For as S. Austen saieth Ad Imagines phantasmatum suorum carnalis anima conuertit omniâ— sacramenta verba librorum sanctorum a carnall and sensâ—all minde such as heretiques are not without sith heresie it selfe is accounted by S. Paule a worke of the flesh doth conuert or turne all the misteries and words of holy bookes vnto his owne imaginations phantasies Whereupon it commeth to passe that as the same S. Austen saith Omnes haeretici qui in authoritate Scripturas recipiunt ipsas sibi videntur sectari cumsuos sectentur errores All heretickes that receiue and admitte the authority of the Scriptures seeme to theÌ„selues to follow the only Scriptures wheÌ„ they follow their owne errours And as they may seeme to themselues to follow onely the Scriptures when they follow their owne errours so they may seeme especially to the simple people or to those who being seduced by them wholy build their beliefe vpon theÌ„ to preach nothing but pure Scripture wheÌ„ indeed they preach their owne erronious opinions coloured and painted with words of
is absolutely infallible so also the creditt giueÌ„ to this worde which is our faith must needes be also most certaine and infallible Fides saieth S. Basille est eorum quae dicta sunt assentiens approbatio sine vlla haesitatione cum animi persuasione de eorum veritate quae Dei munere praedicata sunt Faith is a consenting approbation of those thinges which are saide an vndoubted perswasion of minde of the trueth of those thinges which are preached by the guift of God Fides saieth S. Chrysostome dici non potest nisi circa â—a quae non videntur amplius quam circa ea quae videtur certitudinem quis habeat It can not be called faith vnles one be more certaine of those things which are not seen then of those thinges which are seene The reason whereof the same S. Chrysostome declareth in an other place saying Superet sensum rationem nostram sermo ipsius Dei nam verbis eius fraudari non possumus sensus vero noster deceptu facillimus est Let Gods worde saieth he surmount our sense and reason for wee can not be deceiued by his wordes but our sense is most easely deceiued Sith therefore our faith is grounded on the word of God reuealed to vs by Iesus Christ our Lord speaking by the mouth of the Church as he saieth himselfe Qui vos audit me audit he that heareth you heareth me we ought to receaue the word of faith preached by the true Church not as the worde of maÌ„ but as it is truely the worde of God and consequently we must account it a thing most certaine and absolutely infallible CHAP. IIII. That this one infallible faith necessary to saluation must also bee entire THis one infallible faith without which we can not please God must also be entire whole souÌ„d in al points it is not sufficient to beleeue stedfastly some points misbeleeuing or not beleeued obstinately other some or any one The reasoÌ„ of this is because euery point of doctrin yea euery word that almighty God hath reuealed and by his Church propounded vnâ—o vs to be belieued must vnder paine of damnation be belieued as we may gather out of S. Marke where when our Sauiour had giuen chardge to his Disciples to preache the gospell to euery creature the which chardge he also gaue in S. Mathew sayinge docete omnes gentes c. docentes eos seruare omnia quâ—cumque mandaui vobis teach all nations c. teachinge theÌ„ to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you he pronounceth indefinitely Qui non crediderit condemnabitur he that shall not beleeue shall be coÌ„demned not excepting or distinguishing any one pointe of doctrine as needles to be belieued or which a man might at his pleasure misbelieue or doubt of without danger and this not without reason for not to belieue any one pointe whatsoeuer which God by reuealing it doth restifie to bee true and which by his Church he hath commanded vs to belieue must needes be damnable as being a notable iniurie to Gods veritie a great disobedieÌ„ce to his will But all pointes of faith are thus testified by God commaunded to be belieued otherwise they be not pointes of faith but of opinion or some other kinde of knowledge Therefore all pointes of faith must vnder paine of damnation be belieued beleiued I say either expresly and actually as learned men may doe or implicite and virtually as vnlearned Catholikes commonly doe who beleeuing expresly those articles which euery one is bound particulerly to know doe not in the rest obstinately doubt or hold some errour against the Church but haue a minde prepared to submitte themselues in all thinges to the authority of the Church which they are sure is taught directed by the spirit of God and doe in general hold for vndoubted truth whatsoeuer the Catholike or vniuersall Church doth beleeue Secondly that man which beleeuing some points should deny others cannot while he doth thus haue one the same faith which other Christians haue Sith hee doth not as Erenaeus requireth to thâ— vnity of faith belieue the points of faith in a like but in a different manner from other Christians That iâ— to say Neither doth hee beleeue all the pointes which they doe neither doth hee beleeue those points wherin he doth agree with them for the same reason that they doe that is to say He doth not beleeue those pointâ— which hee seemeth to beleeue precisely for that God hath reuealed them and by his Church propounded them for if heâ— did sith this reason is coÌ„mon to al point of faith he should assoone beleeue all 〈◊〉 any one He hath not therfore I say one and the same faith which other Christians haue who notwithstaÌ„ding haue the true faith And sith as S. Leo said nisi 〈◊〉 est fides non est If it bee not one faith it iâ— no faith at all It followeth that he thaâ— beleeueth not entirely al points of faith hath no faith at all and consequentlie sith one that hath no faith can no way be saued It is euident that he that beleeuing some articles doth obstinately deny others cannot be saued Thirdly to beleeue some pointes oâ— faith and to deny others or any one is heresie as to deny all is absolute Infidelitie But it is sure euen out of Scripture that Heretiques shall not bee saued no more then Infidels For as it is saide Qui non credit iam iudicatus est he that beleeueth not is already iudged so the Apostle Saint Paule reckoneth heresies among the works of the flesh of all which hee doth pronounce Qui talia agunt regnum Dei non consequentur Those which doe such like thinges shall not attaine the kingdome of God Fourthly I may confirme the same with the testimony of the auncient Fathers First of S. Athanasius in his creede which is commonly knowne and approued of all Quicunque saith he vult salvus esse ante omnia opus est vt teneat Catholicam fidem quam nisi quisque integram inuiolatamque Seruauerit absque dubio in aeternum peribit VVhosoeuer will bee saued before all things it is needfull that he hold the Catholike faith which vnlesse euery one doe keepe entire and vnuiolate without doubt hee shall perish euerlastingly Qui sunt in Sacris Litteris eruditi saith S. Basill ne â—nam quidem sillabam diuinorum dogmatuÌ„ prodi sinunt sed pro istius defensione si opus est nullâ—â— non mortis genus libenter amplectuntur Those that are well instructed in holy Writte doe not suffer one sillable of diuine doctrine to be betrayed or yeelded vp but for the defence thereof if neede bee doe willingly embrace any kinde of death Nihil periculosius saith Nazianzen his haereticis esse potest qui cum integrè per omnia decurrant vno tamen verbo quasi venem guttâ— veram illam ac simplicem fidem
how caÌ„ he be infallibly sure that in those places which doe seeme to fauour that sect which he followeth it doth not erre vnlesse he will admit an vnfallible auctority in the Church to assure vs that such or such a translation doth not erre in any point of which auctority I shall speake more hereafter Secondly they faile in the second conditioÌ„ or property which the rule of faith should haue For the Scriptures theÌ„selues alone in what language soeuer bee obscure and hard to be vnderstood at least to vnlearned men who caÌ„not read them and therefore the Scriptures alone cannot bee vnto vnlearned men a sufficient rule to instruct them in al points of faith as is plaine For locke vp an vnlettered man and an English Bible for a time in a studdy and he will come forth I warrant you as ignorant in matters of faith as he went in if wee adde no other meanes to instruct him but the bare written Word which he cannot reade And yet vnlearned men may bee saued and saued they cannot be without an entire and vnfallible faith and this they cannot haue vnlesse there be some certaine rule and vnfallible meanes prouided by almightie God meet for the capacity to teach them this faith and Scripture alone as is now proued is not a rule meete for the capacity of vnlearned men or apte to instruct them sufficiently in all points of faith But what speake I only of vnlearned meÌ„ sith also learned men cannot by onely reading the scriptures be vnfallibly sure that they rightly vnderstand them For while they vnderstand one way perhaps they ought to vnderstand another way that which they vnderstand plainly and litterally ought perhaps to be vnderstood figuratiuely and mystically and contrary that which they vnderstand figuratiuely ought perhaps to bee vnderstood properly And seeing that it is most certaine that all do not expound right sith the exposition of one is contrary to the exposition of another as right is neuer contrary to right how should one be vnfallibly sure that hee onely expoundeth right hauing nothing to assure him but the seeming of his owne sense reason which is as vncertaine and fallible as the iudgments and persuasions of other men who seeme to theÌ„selues to haue attained as well as he the right interpretation or sense Moreouer there be many things required to the perfect vnderstanding of Scripture which are found but in verie few and those also in whom those giftes are are not vnfallibly sure that they are so guided by those giftes but that both they and others may prudently doubte least sometimes in their priuate expositions as men they erre And consequently their priuate expositions cannot bee that rule of faith which wee seeke for which must on the one side bee determinately and plainely vnderstood and on the other side it must bee vnfallible certaine and such as cannot erre Thirdly they faile in the third condition For the Scriptures are not so vniuersal as the rule of faith had need to be For this rule ought to be so vniuersall that it may be able absolutely to resolue determine all doubtes questions of faith which either haue bin or may hereafter bee in controuersie for otherwise there were not sufficient meanes prouided by which schisme and heresies might bee aâ—oided vnity of faith so necessary to saluatioÌ„ might be conserued among Christian men But the Scriptures bee not thus vniuersall For there bee diuers questions or doubtes moued now a daies and those also touching very substantiall matters which are not expressely set downe nor determined by onely expresse Scripture For where haue we any expresse Scripture to proue that all those and onely those bookes which Catholikes or Protestants holde for Scripture or indeede Gods word and true Scripture this wee shall not finde expressely set downe in a part of Scripture This point therefore whereupon dependeth the certainety of euery point proued out of Scripture caÌ„not be made certaine to our knowledge or beliefe vnlesse we admitte some other infallible rule or auctority whereupon wee may ground an vnfallible beliefe which infallible rule if we admitte to assure vs that there is at all any Scripture and that those bookes and no other bee Canonicall Scripture why should wee not admitte the same to assure vs vnfalliblie which is the true sense and meaning of the same Scripture Hereupon S. Austen saith very well Cur non apud eos diligentissime requiram quid Christus praeceperit quorum auctoritate commotus Christum aliquid praecepisse iam credidi Tu ne mihi melius expositurus es quid ille dixerit c. Why should I not most diligently aske or learne of those hee meaneth of the Catholike Church what Christ hath commanded by whose auctority I was moued to beleeue that Christ coÌ„manded any thing at all what Wilt thou expound vnto me better what he hath saide that is to say the meaning of his words Quae saith hee ista tanta deâ—entâ—a est illis crede Christo esse credendum â— nobis disce quid ille dixâ—rit multo facilius â—ibi persuaderem Christo non esse credendum quam de illo quidquam nisi ab ijs per quos ei credidissem discendum What a madnes is this in thee to say beleeue them to witte the Catholikes that we must beleeue Christ and the Scriptures to bee his word yet learne of vs what Christ said that is to say what is the meaning of his word I should saith S. Austen much more easily perswade my self that I ought not to beleeue Christ at all then that I must learne any thing coÌ„cerning him of any except of those of whom I haue already learned to beleeue in him Thus I haue proued that those english translations wherupon Protestants commonly build their faith cannot be a sufficient rule of true Christian faith First because they are not infallibly free from errour Secondly for that all men cannot reade them neither can any by only reading bee sure to attaine the right sense without which to haue the wordes of Scripture is to haue them as Austen saith ad specieâ— non ad salutem for a shew but not to saluation Lastly for that all pointes of doctrine which appertaine to true Christian faith are not expresly set downe in Scripture as beside my proofe S. Austen S. Basiâ—l and Epiphanius doe affirme Some of which reasoÌ„s haue also force to proue that Scripture alone in what language soeuer is not a fitte meanes to instruct sufficiently all sorts of men in al matters of faith Wherefore I may absolutely coÌ„clude that Scripture alone cannot be that 〈◊〉 of faith which we seeke for Some obiect against this coÌ„clusion that place of S. Paul Omnis Scriptura diuinitus â—â—â—spirata vtilis est ad doceÌ„dum c. vt perfectus 〈◊〉 homo c. But this place proueth nothing against that which I haue said For it saith not that Scripture alone is sufficient to instruct
any reason The which briefe compendious resolutioÌ„ of faith whosoeuer will as euery one may securely and as in the discourse following shall bee declared must necessarily embrace beside the ease he shall also reape this commoditie that cutting of all occasions of needlesse and fruitelesse doubtes questions and disputes concerning matters of faith wherein vnsettled mindes spend their time and spirit hee shall haue good leisure and better likinge then ordinarily such vnquiet mindes can haue to emploie his endeuoures more fruitfully otherwaies to witte in building vpon the firme foundation of stedfast faith the gould pretious stones of Gods loue and other vertues in practise whereof consisteth that good life which maketh a man become the liuing temple of almightie God the which temple Gods spirit will not only visitte with holy inspirations blessings oftentimes in this life but he will also inhabite and dwell continually in it both by grace here and by glory in the other most happy and euerlasting life A TREATISE OF FAITH CHAP. I. That true faith is absolutely necessarie to saluation WHosoeuer hath a true desire to please God an earnest care to saue his owne soule the which should bee the chiefest desire and care of euery Christian man must first resolue and settle himselfe in a sound beliefe of matters of faith holding it for a most assured ground That there is a faith which whosoeuer wanteth cannot possibly please God nor consequently be saued sith none are saued that do not please God This ground is set downe by S. Paul himselfe who saith Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo without faith it is vnpossible to please God The same is confirmed by S. Augustine who saith Constat neminem ad veram posse peruenire beatitudinem nisi Dâ—o placeat Deo neminem placere posse nisi per fidem Fides namque est bonorum omnium fundamentum Fides est humanae salutis initium Sine hac nemo ad siliorum Dei consortium peruenire potest quia sine ipsa nec in hoc seculo quisquam iustificationis consequitur gratiam nec in futuro vitam possidebit aeternam It is certaine that none can come to true happines vnlesse he please God and that none can please God but by faith For faith is the foundation of all good things Faith is the beginning of mans saluation Without this none can come to the fellowship of the children of God because without this neither doth any in this world obtaine the grace of iustification neither shall he in the next possesse eternall life Thus faith S. Austen And the same might bee confirmed out of other Scriptures and Fathers but that the matter is cleare enough onely this I will adde that when the Scriptures do require faith as a thing absolutely necessary to saluatioÌ„ the common tradition of councells and Fathers do interpret not only that there is a positiue precept of faith for if it were but a positiue precept ignorance might excuse in some case but that at least some kinde of faith is necessaria necessitate medij that is to say is ordained as a necessary meanes without which no man can attaine saluation in any case and that in this matter Si quis ignorat ignorabitur If any man by ignorance doe not know he shall not be knowne as S. Paule speaketh CHAP. II. That this faith necessary to saluation is but one THis faith which I haue shewed to be so absolutely necessary to saluation is but One only This is plainly proued out of S. Paule who saith Vnus Dominus vna fides vnum baptisma signifying that like as there is but one Lord one Baptisme so there is but One faith The same is confirmed with the auctoritie of the ancient Fathers Nisi vna est saith S. Leo. Fides non est dicente apostolo vnus Dominus vna fides vnum baptisma Vnlesse it be one it is not faith sith the Apostle saith one Lord one faith one Baptisme Omni studio saith S. Hierome Laborandum est primùm occurrere in fidei vnitatem We must labour with all diligence first to meete in the vnity of faith Hanc fidem saith Irenaeus ecclesia in vniuersum mundum disseminata diligenter custodit quasi vnam domum inhabitans similiter credit ijs quasi vnam animam habens vnum cor consonanter haec praedicat docet tradit quasi vnum possidens os Nâ— quamuis in mundo dissimiles sint loquelae tames virtus traditionis vna eadem est This faith the Church spreade ouer the vvhole world doth diligently keep as dwelling in one house and doth belieue in one like manner those things to witt which are proposed for pointes of faith as hauing one soule and one heart and doth preach and teach and deliuer by tradition those things after one vniforme manner as possessing one mouth For although there be diuers and different languages in the world yet the vertue of tradition is One and the same Thus saith this Father By whose words we may vnderstand not onely that there is but one faith but also how it is saide to bee one which might seeme not to be one considering there are so many points or articles which we beleeue by our faith and so many seuerall men who haue in them this faith yet One saith this Father it is because the whole Church doth beleeue those pointes in one like manner That is to say because the beliefe of one man is in all pointes like and nothing different from the beliefe of another or because euery faithful maÌ„ beleeueth euery point or article for one and the like cause or formall reason to witt because God hath reuealed it and deliuered it to vs by his Catholike Church to be beleeued For which reason euery one should beleeue whatsoeuer hee belieueth as a point of Christian faith CHAP. III. That this one faith necessary to saluation is infallible THIS one faith without which we cannot be saued must be infallible most certaine This is cleare because faith is that credite or inward assent of minde which we giue to that which God who is the prime or first veritie which neither can deceiue nor be deceiued hath reuealed vnto vs by meanes of the preachinge or teachinge of the true church as we may gather out of S. Paule when he saieth Quomodo credent ei quem non audierunt quomodo andient sine praedicante quomodo praedicabunt nisimittantur c. ergo fides ex auditu auditus autem per verbum Christi The sense of which wordes is that sith we can not beleeue vnles we heare nor heare vnles some lawfully sent do preach vnto vs faith is bredde in vs by hearing and yeelding assent or credite to the worde of Christ made knowen vnto vs by the preachinge of the true Church which onely is lawfully sent of God wherefore like as the worde of Christ being God
a man to perfection but that it is profitable for this purpose as it is indeed the rather because it commendeth vnto vs the auctority of the Church which as I shall afterwards proue is sufficient Now it is certaine that to bee profitable and to bee of it selfe alone sufficient bee farre different things Stones Timber be profitable to the building of an house yet they alone without a worke-man to square them set them in order bee not sufficient for this purpose CHAP. VIII That no naturall witte or learning can be the rule of faith THE Second Conclusion is that no one mans naturall witte learning neither any company of men neuer so learned only as they are learned men not infallibly assisted by the holy Spirit of God can either by interpreting Scripture or otherwise be this rule of faith This I proue Because all this wit and learning be it neuer so exquisite or rare is humane naturall and fallible and therefore it cannot be a sufficient foundation whereupoÌ„ to build a diuine supernatural and infallible faith This reason I coÌ„firme Because whatsoeuer a man neuer so witty and learned propoundeth to others to bee beleeued vpon the only credit of his word wit oâ— humane study and learning it can haue no more certainety then is this his word wit and learning But these being all naturall and humane are subiect to errour and deceipt For Omnis homo mendax then is no man but he may both deceiue and be deceiued and may if hee haue no other helpe but of nature industry both be deceiued in thinking that to be Gods word which is not or that to be the true meaning and sense of Gods word which is not may also deceiue others whilest being to confident of his wit learning hee presumeth to teach others these his erronious opinions Therfore the beliefe which shall be builte vppon such a mans word and teaching is or may bee a false beliefe and alwaies is vncertaine and fallible and therefore can neuer bee a true diuine and Christian faith which alwaies is most certaine and infallible And this which I haue said of the wit and learning of one particuler man may also bee applied to proue against the witâ— and learning of any company of men hauing no assistance but their owne naturall giftes â—nd industrie of studie or reading This same reason I coÌ„firme yet againe more strongly For the rule of faith must be able to propose to vs vnfallibly not onely the letters seeming sense but the true sense of Gods word the sense inâ—ended by the holy Spirit of God the authour of this word otherwise it cannot be a sufficient meanes to breede in vs an infallible Christian faith and beliefe which is only grounded vppon the true seÌ„se inteÌ„ded by almighty God the prime or first verity the speaker of this word But no maÌ„ nor no coÌ„pany of men can by their naturall witte and learning tell vnfallibly what especially in all points of faith is the true intended sense of Gods word For as S. Paul saith Quis câ—gnouit sensâ—m domini who hath knowen to wit by nature arte or learning the sense of our Lord. Quae Dei sum saith the same S. Paul nemo cognouit nisi spiritus Dei those thinges which are of God no man hath knowen but the spirit of God And therefore that knowledge which himselfe had of diuine matters came not from any naturall witt of man but as hee plainely affirmeth from the spirit of God nobis reuelauit Deus per spiritum suum God hath reuealed vnto vs saith he by his spirit Therefore wee may well conclude That no one man nor 〈◊〉 company of men without the assistance of Godâ— spirit can either by interpreting Scripture or otherwise be the rule of faith Hence I inferre that those who for matters of faith relie wholy either vpon their owne priuate opinioÌ„ or iudgment of the sense and meaning of Scripture oâ— vpon the learning and iudgement of others who are but men not infallibly assisted by the holy Ghost nor by him vnfallibly preserued from errour as many or rather all Protestants do those I say cannot haue diuine and Christian faith but only fallible opinioÌ„ humane faith CHAP. IX That a priuate spirit cannot bee the rule of faith THE Third Conclusion is that no priuate man who perswadeth himselfe to be singulerly instructed by the Spirit can be this rule of faith especially so far forth as hee beleeueth or teacheth contrary to the receiued doctrine of the Catholique Church This I proue First because S Paule saith Si quis vobis â—â—â—ngelizauerit praeter id quod accepistis Anathemasit Pronouncing generally that whosoeuer teacheth or preacheth contrary to the receiued doctrine of the Catholike Church should be held Anathematized or accursed Secondly the rule of faith must be infallible plainely knowne to all sortes of men and vniuersall that is to say such as may sufficiently instruct all men in all pointes of faith without danger of error As hath beene proued before But this priuate spirit is not such For first that man himselfe cannot be vnfallibly sure that he in particuler is taught by the holy Spirit For neither is there any promâ—se in Scripture to assure infallibly that hee in particuler is thus taught neither is there any other sufficient reason to perswade the same For suppose hee haue such extraordinary motions feelings or Illustrations which he thinketh cannot come of himselfe but from some Spirit yet hee cannot in reason straight waies conclude that he is thus moued taught by the Spirite of God For sure it is that euery spirit is not the Spirit of God As there is the Spirit of truth so there is a spirit of errour As there is an Angell of light so there is a prince of darkenesse Yea sometimes Ipsa Sathanas transfigurat se in Angelum lucis Sathan himselfe doth transfigure himselfe into an Angell of light Wherfore he had neede very carefully to put in practise the aduise of Saint Iohn who saith Nolite credere omni spiritui sed probate spiritus si ex Deo sint Doe not beleeue euery spirit but proue or try them whether they be of God or noe Neither doth it seeme sufficient that a priuate maÌ„ try them onely by his owne iudgement or by those motions feelinges or illuminations which in his priuate conceipte are confirmable to Scripture because al his trial is very vncertaine and subiect to errour by reason that our owne iudgement especially in our owne matters is very easily deceaued and that Sathan can so cunningly couer himselfe vnder the shape of a good Angell so colour his wicked designements with pretense of good and so guild his darke grosse errours with the glistering light of the words and seeming sense of Scripture that hardly or not at all he shal be perceiued Wherefore the safest way were to try these spiritts by