Fides Catholica, or, The doctrine of the Catholick Church in eighteen grand ordinances referring to the Word, sacraments and prayer, in purity, number and nature, catholically maintained, and publickly taught against hereticks of all sorts : with the solutions of many proper and profitable questions sutable to to [sic] the nature of each ordinance treated of / by Wil. Annand ...

Quest. 3. Whether men may come to a sa∣ving knowledge of GOD without the Scrip∣ture.

That there is a natural knowledge of God in the hearts of men, cannot be denied by him that knows his own soul; the Nations ne∣ver so barbarous, acknowledged ever a superiour power, and su∣preme being, unto whom they called for help in their distresse; but a spirituall saving knowledge of the true God is only to be acquired from the Scriptures; but we must distinguish

• 1. Between Infants and the Adult: how God works upon In∣fants in a saving manner to fit them for himself, is a Theam the Scripture is dark in: that Infants may be saved and that some are, is

• easie to be defended, though they are not capable of knowing God by Scripture: the Question is to be understood of the Adult, and such as are grown in years.
• 2. Of the Adult there are two sorts: some that never had the Scriptures, unto whom the knowledge of Christ never came: these we ought not, neither will we judge them, but leave them to rise and fall to their own master and others that have the found of the Gospell unto whom Christ hath been preached, of them only is the Question proposed.
• 3. Those that have the sound of the Gospell, are of two kinds. Some of them God hath bereaved of the use of sence or understan∣ding; one that is born deaf, another that hath not the u••e and ex∣ercise of Reason, we must behold as perpetuall Infants, and leave them to the Judge of Israel that will do justly. And others there are unto whom God hath given the benefit of sence, use, exercise and reason; those then who having their understandings open to receive the Gospel, and opportunities of hearing, can have no knowledg that is saving without the Scriptures. For
  • 1. There was never any other way given by God. The Scrip∣tures since their composing, have been by God given unto men that men might live by them, know him, serve him: in this only is the way to, motives for holynesse and piety; here alone can we read of Heavens glory to stir up zeal, and of eternall life to cause diligence.
  • 2. There was never any other way known to the Church of Gods The Scriptures are written that ye might have life through his name Joh. 30.31. The Church of Ephesus is recommended to this Word by Paul, it being alone able to build them up, and give them an inheritance among them that are sanctified. Acts 20.31. Blessed is he only that keepeth the sayings of the prophesie of this Book, Rev. 22.7.
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  • 3. We are to shun him, nay cur••e him that w••••ld teach us ano∣ther way. For though we or an Angell f••••m Heaven preach any other g••spel unto you (that is, that holds ou•• ••noth••r way to be saved then is in the gospel) then that which we hav•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 unto you, let them be accursed. As we said before, so ••ay •• now again: If a∣ny man preach unto you any other gospell, let him be accursed. Gal. 1.8, 9. An Angel who is incompassing the Throne of God dayly, and whom ••od useth as his Messenger Ordinary, should he as from God reveal another way of salvation, though by his very nature and holynesse, he might allure men to this doctrine, but forewarned, forearmed, he were to be Anathema Maranath••.
  • 4. What need we any further witnesse? we our selves have heard him say To the Law, and to the Testimonies. Isai. 8.20. Thou shalt not go aside from any of the Words that I command thee this day, to the Right hand or to the left. Deut. 28.14.