Next, Concerning the necessity of an explicite, or sufficiency of an implicite, Faith.
*1. It is freely acknowledged by Catholicks, that to some Articles of the Christian Faith, an explicite or express Faith, wherein the Article in its terms is particularly known, and professed, is necessary to all Christians, that have the use of reason; of what condition or calling soever. But to how many Articles such Faith is necessary, it is not easy punctually to determine.
2. Catholicks teach that all Christians are obliged, by what means soever afforded them, to acquire an explicite Faith, of all other Articles of Faith, or Precepts of good Life, which are any way either necessary, or profitable to their Salvation, so far as their capacities, or callings do permit, or also require them.
3. That all Christians ought in general, or implicitely, to believe; that whatever God hath revealed, or the Church in her Definitions, or Expositions of the Divine Revelations, delivereth as matter of Faith, and to be believed, is to be be∣lieved; and ought also to be ready explicitely to hold and profess whatever is at any time sufficiently proposed to them to be such. And other implicite Faith, than the foremen∣tioned, is not allowed; nor other explicite Faith, than the forementioned required.
[Therefore that Proposition [Haec est vera Catholica fides, extra quam nemo Salvus esse potest] as applied to the larger Creeds, that of Athanasius; or yet further, to all the Decrees of all lawful Oecumenical Councils, as in the Bull of Pius the Fourth, ought either to be understood not distributively; as if any Decree of any such Council unknown, and so not be∣lieved, or assented to, excludeth from Salvation: For, how few among Christians do know, or yield actual assent to all the Decrees of some one Council? And how can the Doctors of that Church require such Belief to all the Decrees, suppose, of the Council of Trent, a many of whom require it not to all the Articles of the Apostles Creed? But collectively, thus; Page 83That all that Fides extra quam nemo Salvus, is contained therein: and that extra eam totaliter sumptam, or si tota desit, nemo Salvus esse potest. As elsewhere, in the same Council of Trent, the Nicene Creed is called. Fundamentum firmum, & unicum contra quod portae inferi nunquam praevalebunt. Conc. Trid. Sess. 3. or to be understood distributively; but hypotheti∣cally, thus, That when any one knows any such Article to have been defined by the Church (wherein a non-culpable ig∣norance of the Church's Definitions always excuseth) he after this, in non-believing, or in dissenting from such Article, doth by this his Pertinacy, and Disobedience to the Church, as by other greater sins, persisted in, and unrepented of, incur the loss of Salvation.]
