The third booke of commentaries vpon the Apostles Creede contayning the blasphemous positions of Iesuites and other later Romanists, concerning the authoritie of their Church: manifestly prouing that whosoeuer yeelds such absolute beleefe vnto it as these men exact, doth beleeue it better then Gods word, his Sonne, his prophets, Euangelists, or Apostles, or rather truly beeleeues no part of their writings or any article in this Creede. Continued by Thomas Iackson B. of Diuinitie and fellow of Corpus Christi College in Oxford.

CHAP. II.

Inferring, the generall conclusion proposed in the title of this Section from Bellarmines Resolution of faith.

1 ASwell to occasion the learned Readers further consideration of their ill-grounded and worse builded faith, as for deducing thence the pro∣posed inconuenience: it wll not bee amisse to propose Bellarmines resolution of a Roman Ca∣tholikes faith. One especiall obiection of our Writers, as hee fra∣meth it is, That faith (if depending on the Churches iudgement) is grounded but vpon the word of man, a weake foundation for such an e∣difi••e; that the Scripture was giuen by the Spirit of God, and must there∣fore bee vnderstood by the same, not by the Churches Spirit. Hereun∣to * 1.1 Bellarmine answereth, The word of the Church. i. of the Coun∣cell,

or the Pope speaking ex Cathedra, is not the bare word of man. He meanes no word obnoxious to errour, but in some sort the word of God: in as much as it is vttered by the asistance and gouernment of the Ho∣ly Ghost. I adde (saith hee) that Heretiques are they, which indeede doe leane vpon a broken reed. For we must know, that a proposition of faith must be concluded in this or the like Syllogisme, Whatsoeuer God hath re∣uealed in Scripture is true, but God hath reuealed thus or that in Scrip∣tures, Ergo this or that is true. The first proposition in this Syllogisme is certaine amongst all; the second likewise amongst Catholickes is ••ost firme, as being supported by the testimonie of the Church, Councell, or Pope: of whose immunitie, from possibilitie of erring we haue expresse promises in the Scriptures, as,a 1.2 It hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and vs:b 1.3 I haue prayed for thee thy faith should not ••aile. But, amongst Heretikes, the second or minor proposition, is 〈…〉〈…〉 onely on coniecture, or iudgement of a priuate Spirit; which vsually seemes, but is not good. Whence, seeing the conclusion must follow the weaker part, it necessarily followes, that all the faith of Heretikes (such in his language are all that will not relie vpon the Church) is but coniecturall and vncertaine.

2 A dreadfull imputation, could it be as substanstially proued, as it is confidently auouched. And the consequence of his reso∣lution (generally helde by all his fellowes) is of no lesse impor∣tance, then this; that no man can be infalliby assured, either of the truth, or true sence of any particular proposition; in the whole Canon of Scriptures receiued by vs and them, vnlesse he haue the Churches authoritie for confirmation of both. For, vnto vs, that onely, which the Church auoucheth is certaine, and vnfallible; that sence of it, which the Church giues, onely sound; if we speake of any particular or determinate truthes.

3 How certaine and vnfallible assent vnto all, or any Scrip∣tures, may bee wrought in mens heartes, without any infallible teacher, alreadie hath beene, and hereafter shall be (God willing) in more particular sort exemplified. In this place, it stood the Ie∣suit vpon, to haue giuen a better solution to the doubt obiected; which he is so farre from vnloosing, that hee rather knits it faster; as shall appeare, if the Reader will first cal to minde; That for the establishing of firme and vndoubted assent to any truth proposed, it skils not how infallible the truth in it selfe or the proposer be, vn∣vnlesse

vnlesse they, whose beleefe or assent is demanded, be as infallibly perswaded of this infallibilitie in the truth, or the proposer. In this respect, our aduersaries pleade their immunitie from errour, as an article necessarie to be infallibly beleeued, for confirmation of Gods Word, alwayes most infallible (as all grant) in it selfe, but not so (as they affirme) to vs, vntill it bee auouched by infallible authoritie.

4 Herein they concurre with vs; both with the truth, That if, we beleeue it onely as probable, that God spake all those wordes, which wee acknowledge to bee most infallible, because his, our beleefe notwithstanding is not infallible, but probable, or conie∣cturall. For as a man may haue bad desires of things essentially good; so may he haue vncertaine perswasions of truthes in them∣selues most certaine. It is not therefore the supposed infallibilitie of the Church or Pope, howsoeuer, but infallibly apprehended and beleeued that must strengthen our faith, which otherwise (as is pretended) would be but coniecturall. And by the former princi∣ple, (acknowledged aswell by them as vs) it necessarily followes, that if we be only probably, not infallibly perswaded, the Pope or Church cannot erre; our assent vnto the minor proposition. i. [vn∣to any determinate part of Gods Word,] is onely probable not infal∣lible. For, by the Iesuites Doctrine, we cannot bee certainly per∣swaded, that God spake this, or that, but by the Churches testi∣monie. The immediate consequence of which two assertions, compared together, is, wee cannot bee more certaine that God hath spoken this or that, then wee are of the Churches infallibili∣tie. If then wee bee onely probably, not infallibly, perswaded, that the Church is infallible: our beleefe of the minor proposition (that is of any determinate truth which men suppose God hath spoken) must bee onely probable, or coniecturall, not infallible. Conse∣quently to these collections, the learned Papists generally holde, that the Churches infallibilitie must be absolutely and infallibly beleeued; (as you heard before out of* 1.4 Canus, Bellarmine, and Valentian) otherwise, as Bellarmine would inferre, our beleefe of the minor in any Syllogisme, wherein a proposition of faith is concluded, can be but coniecturall.

5 The proposed inconuenience wee may deriue from this dif∣ficultie; How the Papists themselues can attaine to the infallible beleefe

of the Churches infallible authoritie? The Church, they thinke, hath a publique spirit; and publique spirits they know are infallible; hence they may perswade themselues the Church is infallible, on∣ly vpon the same termes, they beleeue it hath a publique spirit, if their beleefe of this latter be but coniectural; their assent vnto the former can be no better. Seeing then they must of necessitie grant (for this is the principall marke they aime at) that all must infalli∣bly beleeue the Church hath a publique spirit: the difficultie re∣moues to this point, how this infallible perswasion is, or may bee wrought in them. Either it must be grounded vpon Scriptures, or not: auouched vnto them and wrought in their hearts it must be, either by a publique or priuate spirit. Let vs examine all the parts of this diuision.

6 First if priuate mens infallible perswasion of the Churches publike, or authentike spirit, be not groūded vpon Scriptures ac∣knowledged by vs and them: the Churches authoritie without all controuersie, is much greater then the authoritie of Scrip∣tures; if it, by this assertion, can be any, and the Churches not all in all. For vnto that which men cannot know, whether it bee true or false, they cannot be bound to yeeld absolute or immediate obe∣dience: vnto that authoritie, which they absolutely beleeue as in∣fallible, they are bound to yeeld infallible assent, and absolute obe∣dience directly, in it selfe and for it selfe. But by this supposition men cannot know Scriptures infallibly without the Churches authoritie, and yet they must infallibly beleeue the Churches au∣thoritie without Scriptures; The Scriptures authoritie therefore is either lesse then the Churches, or none at all.

6 But be it supposed that priuate mens infallible beleefe of the Churches publike spirit is groūded vpon Scriptures, acknowled∣ged by vs and vrged by them to this purpose, as vpon these, it see∣meth good to the Holy Ghost & vs; I haue prayed for thee thy faith should not faile: The question whereunto wee demaund an answere, is whether this infallible beleefe of the Churches authoritie, groun∣ded vpon these places, must be wrought in mens heartes by a pri∣uate or publique spirit. If by a priuate spirit onely Bellarmine be∣leeued the Churches publique spirit, or those Scriptures truth, or true meaning, whereon he grounds it: Hee and all other Papists (such as hee was when hee deliuered this Doctrine;) neither Bi∣shops

nor Cardinals, are subiect to the same inconueniences, which he hath condemned vs for, as Heretiques. For all priuate spirits, by his positions, are obnoxious to errour, vnsufficient to plant any infallible perswasion in matters of faith; yet such is this article of the Churches authentique spirit, of which vnlesse men be so perswaded, infallibly perswaded, they cannot bee of the mi∣nor proposition in any Syllogisme; wherein a point of faith is concluded: and vncertaine of the minor, they cannot be certaine of the conclusion, which, as Bellarmine rightly obserues, alwayes followes the weaker part. The infallible conclusion therefore of Bellarmines resolution, is; vnlesse priuate men may haue publique spirits to warrant the truth of Scriptures, and the Churches infal∣libilitie thereon grounded; they cannot truly beleeue any conclu∣sion of faith. It remaines then we inquire; what inconuenience wil follow, if they admit priuate men to be partakers of publike spirits.

7 Diuersitie of such spirits they acknowledge not. If there∣fore priuate mens infallible assent vnto the truth, or true sence of those particular Scriptures whence they seeke to prooue their Churches infallibilitie, must be planted by a publique spirit, plan∣ted it must be by the same spirit; which guides, and guiding makes the Church and Pope authentique and infallible, both in their proposall of Scriptures and declaration of Scriptures sence. See∣ing this spirit is one and the same, if it can make the Church or Pope infallible in all; why may it not make all priuate men (by this supposition partakers of it) alike infallible, at the least in the right vnderstanding of those places, which warrāt the Churches infalli∣bilitie or publique spirit. For our aduersaries, I hope, will easily grant, that the Churches publique and authentique spirit must be most infallibly beleeued, because so expressely taught in those Scriptures cited by Bellarmine to this purpose. If this publike or authentique spirit, can worke such infallible apprehension of those places true meaning in priuate heartes, why not in all others as necessarie for them to know; that is, in all necessarie to saluati∣on? And if thus it doe, why are wee bound to beleeue the Pope, more then the Pope vs, wee being partakers of a publique and in∣fallible spirit aswel as he?

8 Or if they hold it no absurditie to say; wee must beleeue two or three places, [It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and vs: Peter feed

my sheepe;] by a pub••ique and authentique spirit, teaching vs from these to relie vpon the Pope in all other parts of Gods Word, be∣cause (as it must be supposed) we haue but a priuate spirit for their assurance: by this supposition the Popes authoritie, in respect of vs, must haue the same excesse of superioritie vnto Scriptures, that publike spirit hath vnto a priuate; or the Pope (who beleeueth all Scriptures by a publike spirit) hath vnto a priuate man. This pub∣like spirit, wherof they vaūt, is the same which did inspire the scrip∣tures to Moses, the Prophets and Apostles; and must (by this positi∣on) be the Pope or Churches immediate agēt for establishing this inuiolable league of absolute alleagance with mens soules vnto them, but of none so absolute to their Creator and Redeemer; and the rest of whose written lawes, and eternal decrees, must be com∣municated vnto them by a priuate spirit, and subscribed vnto with this condition, If the Pope shall witnesse them to be his lawes, or to haue this or that meaning.

9 Nor can our aduersaries dense the truth of this subsequent collection, If it were possible for the Pope in matters controuersed to teach contrarie to Gods Word: wee were bound to follow him; For they * 1.5 themselues argue thus, If the Pope could erre in matters of faith; faith might perish from the Earth; all Christians bound to erre, because bound to obey him. This prooues that our assent to any Scriptures (besides those which teach the Popes authoritie) can∣not in it selfe be perfect and absolute, but subiect to this condition [if the Pope be infallible.] And euen of those places, which (as they pretend) witnesse him to be such, there yet remaines a farther difficultie. These the Pope beleeues not, because they are confir∣med to him by his predecessor, but directly and immediatly, by his publique spirit: But may priuate men beleeue them so too? No. For these, especially and the* 1.6 Churches infallibilitie con∣tained in them, are (by all our aduesaries consent) propositions

of faith, in respect of vs, need by their doctrine) the proposall or testimonie of the Church, whereon all priuate mens faith must be immediately grounded: beleeuing this we shall from it (at least conioyned with Scripture) beleeue all other parts of Gods Word necessarie to saluation, aswell as the Pope doth these former from the testimonie of his publique spirit. Wherefore his authoritie must be vnto vs altogether as great, as the authoritie of the God∣head is vnto him; which is farre greater vnto him, then it is or can be to any others; for euen that which is acknowledged for Gods Word, both by him and vs, must be lesse authentique vnto vs then the wordes of this mortall man;

10 For though we pardon our aduersaries their former absur∣dities, in seeking to prooue the Churches authoritie by the Scrip∣ture, and the Scriptures by the Churches; though we grant them all they can desire (euen what shall appeare in due place to be most false,) That, whiles they beleeue the Popes particular iniuncti∣ons, or decisions, from a presupposal of his vniuersal transcendent authoritie, they doe not onely beleeue him, or his wordes, but those partes of Gods Word, vpon which they seeme to ground his infallibilitie: yet our former argument holdes still most firme; because that absolute assent, which priuate men must giue vnto these supposed grounds of their Religion, before other portions of Scripture, is not grounded vpon any preheminencie incident to these words as they are Gods, as if they were more his then the rest, in some such peculiar sort, as the Tenne Commaundements are in respect of other Mosaicall Lawes; nor from any internall proprietie flowing from the wordes themselues, as if their secret character did vnto faithfull mindes, bewray them to be more Di∣uine then others; nor from any precedent consequent, or comi∣tant circumstance, probably arguing that sence, the Romish Church giues of them, to be of it selfe more perspicuous or cre∣dible, then the naturall meaning of most other Scriptures, all in∣spired by one and the same spirit, all, for their forme, of equall authoritie and perspicuitie. All the prerogatiue then, which these passages can haue before others, must be from the matter contai∣ned in them; and that, by our aduersaries position, is the Chur∣ches infallibilitie. Wherefore, not because they are Gods word, or were giuen by his Spirit, in more extraordinarie sort then o∣thers;

but because they haue more affinitie with the Roman Lord, in late yeares exalted aboue all that is called God, Father, Sonne, or Holy Ghost: these places aboue cited, must bee more authen∣tikely beleeued, then all the wordes of God besides. As I haue read of pictures, though not more artificiall in themselues, yet helde in greater estimation amongst the Heathen, and freer from contemptuous censure then any other of the same Painters doing, onely because they represented their great God Iupiter.

11 Another difficultie, whereunto we demand an answere is, whether whiles they assent, as they professe, not onely to the in∣fallibilitie taught (as they suppose) in the fore cited places, but also vnto the infallibilite of Scriptures which teach it: they acknowledge two distinct assents, or but one. If but one, let them shew vs how possibly the Church can bee said to confirme the Scriptures: if two, let them assigne the seuerall properties of ei∣ther; whether is more strong; whether must bee to the other as Peter to his brethren; or if neither of them can confirme the o∣ther, let them declare how the one can be imagined as a meane or condition of beleeuing the other.

12 An Heretikes beleefe of the minor proposition in the for∣mer Syllogisme (saith Bellarmine) is but weake: A Romanists be∣leefe of the same most strong. Let this bee the Minor, Peter feed my sheepe, or Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith should not faile: what reason can be imagined, why a Romanists beleefe of these propositions should bee so strong, and ours so weake? The one hath the Churches authoritie to confirme his faith, the other hath not. What is it then to haue the Churches authoritie, onely to know her decrees concerning those portions of Scriptures? If this were all, we know the Romish Churches decrees aswel as the Romanists: but it is nothing to know them, if we doe not acknow∣ledge them. To haue Churches authoritie then is, to beleeue it as infallible: and for this reason is a Romane Catholikes beleefe of any portion of Scripture, more certaine and strong, because hee hath the testimonie of the Church, which he beleeues to be most infallible: and beleeuing it most infallibly he must of necessitie be∣leeue, that to be Scripture, that in euery place, to be the meaning of the Holy Ghost, which this Church commends vnto him for such. Let the most learned of our aduersaries here resolue the

doubt proposed; whether there bee two distinct assents, in the be∣leefe of the forementioned propositions: one vnto the truth of the proposition it selfe, and another vnto the Churches infallibi∣litie. It is euident by Bellarmines opinion, that all the certaintie a Roman Catholique hath aboue a Sectarie is, from the Churches infallibilite. For the proposition it selfe he can beleeue no better then an Heretique may, vnlesse hee better beleeue the Church, i. he beleues the Churches exposition of it, or the Churches infalli∣bilitie concerning it, better then the proposition it selfe in it selfe and for it selfe. And so it is euident that the Churches authoritie is greater, because it must be better beleeued.

13 Suppose then one of our Church, which beleeues these propositions to be the word of God, should turne of Roman Catho∣lique, his former beleefe is by this meanes become more strong and certaine. This granted, the next question is, what should be the obiect of this his strong beleefe; the propositions beleeued: Peter feed my sheepe, I haue prayed for thee: or any other part of Gods written word; or the Churches authoritie; not the propo∣sitions themselues, but onely by accident, in as much as the Church confirmes them to him. For suppose the same man should est∣soones, either altogether reuolt from the Church, or doubt of her authoritie, his beleefe of the former propositions becomes hereby as weake as it was before: which plainely cuinceth, that his beleefe of the Church and this proposition, were two distinct beleefes, and that this strong beleefe was fastened vnto the Chur∣ches authoritie, not vnto the proposition it selfe immediately, but onely by accident, in as much as the Church which he beleeueth so firmely, did teach it; for his beleefe, if fastened vpon the propositi∣on it selfe, after doubt mooued of the Churches authoritie, would haue continued the same, but now (by Bellarmines assertion) as∣soone as hee begins to disclaime his beleefe of the Churches in∣fallibilitie, his former strong beleefe of the supposed proposition begins to faile, and of this failing no other reason, then alreadie is, can be assigned. The reason was, because the true, direct, and proper obiect of his stronge beleefe was the Churches authoritie, on which the beleefe of the proposition did intirely depend, as the conclusion doth vpon the premisses, or rather as euery particular doth on the vniuersall, whereunto it is essentially subordinate.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Respondeo ver∣bum Ecclesiae, id est Concilij vel Pontificis d••cen∣tis ex cathedra non esse ••emnino verbum hominis id est verbum errori obnoxium, sed aliquo modo verbum Dei, id est si prolatum gubernante & assistence spiritu sancto; imo dico, Haereticos esse qui reuera nitantur baculo arundineo. Sciendum est enim, propositionem fidei concludi tali Syllogismo. Quicquid Deus reuelauit in Scripturis, est verum: hoc dens reuelauit in Scripturis, er∣go hoc est verum. Ex propositionibus huius Syllogismi prima certa est apud omnes, secunda apud Cathelicos est etiam firmissima: nititur enim testimonio Ecclesiae, Concilij, vel Pontificis, de quibus habemus in Scripturis apertas pro∣missiones quod errare non possint, Actorum 15. Visum est spiritui sancto & nobis. Et Luc. 22. Regaui pro te vt non deficiat fides tua. At apud Haereticos nititur solis coniecturis, vel iudicio proprij spiritus, qui plerumque videtur bonus, & est malus. Et cum conclusio sequatur deteriorem partem, sit necessariò, vt tota fides Haereticorum sit coniecturalis & incerta. Bellar. de verb. Dei interpret. Lib. 3. Cap. 10. Resp. ad 15. a••g. Bellarmines Ca∣tholicke Syllogisme wherein all conclusions of faith must be gathered.
• a 1.2

  Act. 15. v. 28.
• b 1.3

  Luk. 22. v. 32.
• * 1.4

  Sect. 1. Parag. 1. & Seq. The first diffi∣cultie in their opinion whēce our former cōcl••sion may be deduced.
• * 1.5

  Si volunt Pon∣tificem in rebus alioqui omnino controuersis id est, non satis expressè in Ec∣clesia compertis ac determinatis defi••ire posse vt personam pub••∣cam, errorem re ipsa contra fidem errant ipsi in fide grauissi••è. Pos∣set enim imo te∣neretur tunc Ecclesia vniuer∣sa Pontificem de re controuersa dicentem ac nondum haeresi manifestê notatum pro Pastore suo agnoscere, atque adeo ipsum omnino audire. Ita fie∣rat vt si tunc errare possit, Ecclesia etiam vniuersa possit immo teneretur errare. Valentian Tom. 3. de obiect. fid. Disp. 1. Quaest. 1. Punct. 7. Paragraph. 4••. Bellarmine for the same grounds Collects that the Pope cannot erre in matters of manners.
• * 1.6

  Vide Librum 2. Sect. 4. Cap▪ 5. Paragraph. 14. Nam fides Catholica docet, omnem virtutem esse bonā, omne vitium esse malum, si autem Papa erraret praecipiendo vi tia vel prohibendo virtutes, teneretur Ecclesia credere vitia esse bona, & virtutes malas, nisi vellet contra conscien∣tiam peccare. Tenetur enim in rebus dubijs, Ecclesia acquiescere iudicio summi Pontificis, & facere quod ille prae∣cipit, non facere quod ille prohibet: ac ne sorte contra conscientiam agat, tenetur credere bonum esse quod ille praecipit: malum quod ille prohibet. Bellarmine Lib. 4. de Roman. Pont. Cap. 5.