The orthodox faith and vvay to the Church explaned and iustified in answer to a popish treatise, entituled, White died blacke; wherein T.W. p. in his triple accusation of D. White for impostures, vntruths, and absurd illations, is proued a trifler: and the present controuersies betweene vs and the Romanists are more fully deliuered and cleared. By Francis White Bachelour in Diuinitie, and elder brother of Doctor Iohn White.

An obseruation, concerning the obiect of faith.

The Schoolemen diuide the obiect of faith, into obie∣ctum quod; that is, into the materiall obiect, and into the formallc 1.1.

The materiall, are the articles and things beleeued* 1.2, as that God is one essence and three in persons; that Christ rose againe the third day, &c.

The formall obiect, is the foundation & last and maine principle whereupon faith relyethd 1.3, or that whereinto the assent, which faith yeeldeth vnto the matter belee∣ued, is resolued.

Example, when I beleeue the resurrection, &c. this ar∣ticle is a part of the materiall obiect of faith. But the cause and maine reason, wherefore I giue assent to this and all other articles, is the authority of diuine Reuelation: and this is called the formall obiect of faith.

Many former Papists speaking more plainely then the Iesuites do; Haue made the formall obiect and last resolution of faith to be the authoritie of the Church: Durand, Scotus, Gabriel, Almain, Michael Medina,e 1.4 &c.

The moderne Papists in substance hold the same, yet to colour the absurditie of the former Tenet, they say; that God reuealing diuine truth, is the formall obiect, &c.

But for as much as God worketh mediately, and reuealeth no truth vnto vs but by externall meanes; and diuine authoritie in it selfe is hidden and vnknowne: therefore the thing whereinto our faith is resolued, must be some thing externally knowne which we may reade or heare. And our aduersaries must either yeeld vs an ex∣ternal

foundation and formal obiect of faith; or else leade vs to secret reuelation, which in termes they pretend so much to defie.

But reiecting the Scriptures, whatsoeuer they glose in words, they neither can nor doe name vs any, other in∣deed, but their Roman Pope and Churchf 1.5.

The Protestants beleeue, that the canonicall Scripture is the foundation and the principall externall cause and for∣mall obiect of Christian beliefe.

And the veritie of this our doctrine is proued by these reasons.

1. The formall obiect of faith must be something, which is purely and simply diuine, admixt with no error, yea subiect to no error: the indubitate word and reuelati∣on of Christ. But such is the holy Scripture onely; for the Roman Church & Pope are subiect to errorg 1.6, Rom. 11.20. neither haue they any truth immediatly, or by di∣uine inspiration, but by second meanes.

2. Whatsoeuer credite the Church hath, it receiueth the same from the scriptures, as is acknowledged by some of our principall Aduersariesh 1.7, and confirmed by the A∣postle, who saith; We are built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostlesi 1.8, Ephe. 2.20. Chrysostomek 1.9 saith; We know the Church onely by the Scriptures. And Augu∣stinel 1.10: In the Scriptures we learne Christ, in the Scriptures we learne the Church. And in another placem 1.11; Let them demonstrate the Church by nothing but by the Canonicall bookes of the diuine Scriptures: Andn 1.12; The Church is our

mother, and her breasts are the two Testaments of diuine Scripture.

3. The present faith of Christians, is of the same kind with the faith of the Prophets and Apostles. Ephe. 2.20. But the faith of these holy men was founded vpon im∣mediate diuine reuelation, and not vpon the authoritie of the Church.

And yet when we yeeld this preheminence to sacred Scripture, making the same the sole formall obiect of faith: We doe not depriue the Church of that prerogatiue and office which Christ hath giuen it, to be an adiuuant and admi∣nistring cause in producing faith. Rom. 10.17. (as this Ad∣uersarie ouer-reacheth.) But the Papists and we differ in these two points.

1. We maintaine, that the office of leading men to faith, belongeth to euery true Church as well as to the Romane.

2. We affirme, that no Church bringeth people to faith by it owne doctrine or Tradition, but by the doc∣trine of the holy Scripture. Neither is any Church in the world of right to be beleeued in matters which are meer∣ly of faith or diuine verity, further, then it maintaineth the doctrine taught by it, by warrant of sacred Writ, and teacheth and commandeth things consentaneous to the Scriptureso 1.13.

Notes

• c 1.1

  D. Bannes. 2. 2. q. 1. ar. 1. Greg. Val. to. 3. d. 1. q. 1. p 1.
• * 1.2

  Gabr. 3. d. 24. q. vnic. not. 2. Obiectum fidei est veritas cre∣dita, &c.
• d 1.3

  Greg. Val. ib. Ratio formalis obiecti fidei, est id, quo, vel per quod, fides ali∣cui assentitur, & quo nititur tan∣quam funda∣mento. In quam assen∣sus vltimo re∣soluitur.
• e 1.4

  Azor. instit. mor. p. 2. l. 5. c. 24 who citeth these Doctors.
• f 1.5

  Stapl. Rel. c. 4. q. 1. ar. 1. con∣clus. 2. pag 415. Testimonium ecclesiae Cath. (Rom.) esse obiectum fidei Christianae ex∣ternum, sapien∣ter scripsit Wal∣densis doct fid. l. 2. c. 21.
• g 1.6

  Gers. de po∣test. eccles. lect. 11. Summus Pontifex est pec¦cabilis & po∣test potestatem in destructio∣nem conuerte∣re: similiter collegium quod ei datum est, &c. non est in gratia confirmatum. Lira super Math 16. Multi prin∣cipes & summi pontifices, & alij inferiores, inuenti sunt a∣postatasse.
• h 1.7

  Azor. inst mor. 2. l. 5. c. 24 Ecclesiae fidem non habemus, nisi quia ex Scripturis docemur, eccle∣siae esse credendum.
• i 1.8

  Greg. Val. 3. d. 1. q. 1. p. 1. Super aedificati super fundamentum Proph. & Ap. id est, vt commentarius Ambrosij interpretatur, super vet. & nou. Testam ab Apostolis con∣scriptum.
• k 1.9

  Chrys. imperf. Math. hom. 49.
• l 1.10

  Aug. tom. 2. ep 116.
• m 1.11

  De vnit. eccles. c. 16.
• n 1.12

  Expos. ep. Ioh. tr. 3.
• o 1.13

  Aug. l. 3. cont. Petil. Don. c. 6.