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THe most important? Nei∣ther most nor important at all, to all, but onely to those who are either in∣uolued in that Church, or vexed by it. If people may attaine saluation without knowing the qualitie of the Romane Church, then it is not of all Questions and Controuersies most important, to know whether [ C] the Romane Church is the true Church or not.
But many people may bee saued without this knowledge, for all they may attaine saluation which are baptised, and which be∣leeue
and repent, Mark 16, 16. Acts 2, 38. and which haue all [ A] the ordinarie meanes of Saluation, 1. Tim. 2, 4. But without vnderstanding the qualitie of the Romane Church, people may be baptised, beleeue, and repent, and haue all the ordinarie meanes of saluation, as appeareth by the Iewes, Asts 2, 41. and the Eunuch, Acts 8, 37. and Lydia, Acts 16, 14. and many Gentiles Acts 13, 48. and the elect Ladie and her children 2. Iohn v. 1, 2, 4. and the Corinthians, Galatians; Ephesians, and the seuen Chur∣ches of Asia, Apoc. 2, 3. &c.
Occham saieth a 1.1 that after Christs ascension many people were saued before the Roman Church had anie being: and AEneas Siluius b 1.2 affir∣meth, [ B] That the first 300 yeares, before the Nicene Counsell, small re∣gard was had of the Roman Church. Iohannes Maior saieth, c 1.3 It were ouer hard to affirme, that the Indians and other Christans, which liue in remote countries, should be in the state of damnation, because they were ig∣norant, That the Bishop of Rome is head of the Church, if they beleeue other necessarie Articles of Saluation. And Alchasar saieth, d 1.4 Before such time as the publique nuptials betweene the Roman and other Chur∣ches were celebrated, by a common receiued custome, a lesse frequent com∣munion with that Church was sufficient.
Seconly, It is no Article of the Apostles Creed, or of any [ D] other ancient Creed, neither is it delinered in any plaine text or sentence of holy Scripture, That all Christian people must receiue their beleefe from the Roman Church; or that the same intirely shall in all ages continue in the doctrine and faith receiued from the Apostles; yea the contrarie is taught in holie Scripture, Rom. 11, 22. But if the doctrine aforesaid were fundamentall, and of greatest importance, the same must haue beene plainely deliue∣red either in holy Scripture, e 1.5 or in all, or some of the auncient Creedes.
Occham Dial. part. 1. li. 5. ca. 23. Omnis Ecclesia ex∣tra quam potest es∣se salus potest con∣trà fide m errare, extrà Ecclesiā au∣tèm Romanam po∣test esse salus, quē∣admodum post as∣censionem Christi fuit salus ante∣quam Romana Ec∣clesia inchoaretur.
AEneas Siluius Epist. 288. Ante Concilium Nicenum quisque sibi viuebat, & paruus respectus habebatur ad Ecclesiam Romanam.
Maior [ C] 4. d. 24. q. 3. Indi & Christiani in alijs locis seperati si reliqua ad fidem necessaria crederent, nescij quod Romanus pontifex, fit caput Ecclesiae durum est dicere quod sint in statu damnationis.
Alchasar Commentar. in Apoc. ca. 20 ver. 1, 2, 3. Annot. 3. Sect. 9. p. 881. Antequam nuptiae cum Romana Ecclesia per receptam publicae Christia∣nae fidei consuetudinem celebrarentur, &c. minus frequens cum Roma Communio satis fuit. Francisc. Picus. Mitandul. Theorem. 8. Quod si quis fortè obijciat non videri sibi sanctos illos priscos pontificem veneratos 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fuisse vt primas illi in vniuersa Ecclesia palàm publice{que} concesserint, sed nequè ad eum pro ambiguis controuer∣fisquè fidei rebus, sciscitatum semper miserint, imò & in faciem restiterint atque in scribendis Epistolis non secus cos ac alium quemquam Episcoporum honorare visi sunt respondendum censeo priscae illius Ecclesiae, simplicita∣tem fuisse in causa &c. Et addi forraffè poterit temporaria illa bona quae nune Ecclesiastici homines possident occasionem dedisse &c. Illud etiam subdendum quod occupata 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in rebus Ecclesis, non erat otium de Summi Pontificis primatu curiosè perquirere disputareque, &c.
August. d. Doctr. Christ. li. 2. c. 9. In ijs quae aper∣te in Scriptura posita sunt, inueniuntur illa omnia, quae continent fidem moresque viuen di, &c. Idem d. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. [ E] Mer. & Remiss. li. 2. c. 36. Dried. d. Eccles. Dogm. li. 2. c. 3. fol. 60. Gerson. d. vit. Spirit. Lect. 2. Coral. 7. & de Seas. Script. propos. 9. Bellarm. d. verb. Dei li. 4. c. 11.