Light in the way to Paradise with other occasionals / by Dvdley the 2d late Ld. North.

CHAP. II. Of Fundamentals Positive and Negative.

BY that which hath been delivered in the first Chapter, may appear, that the way to Salvation is not involved in much difficulty, and thence it must follow, that the Fundamen∣tals of Religion are neither many, nor ab∣struse, I mean not Fundamentals in the strict∣est sense, for so Christ is the only Fundamen∣tal, proved 1 Cor. 3.11. For other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Je∣sus Christ; but in a sense less restrained, yet Fundamentals without which there can be no Salvation. These are either Credenda, matters of faith, or Agenda, matters of action, the for∣mer kind comprizeth all necessary points of belief, whereof it is hard to limit the number, and the latter only obedience to God, in lieu of which he is pleased to accept a resolution to obey, a thing so necessary, as a man can no more be saved without it, than a person in actual Rebellion is capable of his Princes par∣don till he consent to submit himself. The points of Faith according to our supposition, are neither many, nor hard to be found. Yet I dare not affirm (as some have attempted to prove) that they can be attained by strength of reason, for if it were so, then were it a

very rational conclusion, that divine Revela∣tion is unnecessary, and certainly none of God's works are so. I confess that the prime fundamental of Faith, which is the being of a God, and not only so, but the being of one God in opposition to the Polytheists, is perfect∣ly deducible from reason, but this cannot be sufficient for us Christians, who are possessed of the divine Oracles to direct us. True it is, that my charity will not permit me to con∣clude under Eternal damnation those Heathen Philosophers and others, who in their reason having found out that there is a God, have applied themselves to doe Justice, love Mercy, and walk humbly with the Deity. I cannot deny but most of them were Idolaters, yet certainly the learnedest of them (as the Plato∣nists) held that there was but one Eternal being, or Omnipotent; and as for other inferiour Dei∣ties, they worshipped them only as Represen∣tatives of the divine Attributes, which may be made appear by particulars, Pallas and Apollo representing the divine Wisedom, Ve∣nus the Beauty, Diana the Purity, Bacchus and Ceres the Bounty, Mars the Power, &c. And how they doing so should be more cul∣pable, than such persons as adore the Images of Saints departed, who are known to have been mere creatures, it is not easie to imagine; and yet the more moderate of our Divines do not conclude those Image-worshippers to be absolutely lost. But I would not be understood

by this my tenderness to condemn, as if I submitted not to the full decisions (even in that particular) of the Church either Ancient, or Modern. It is time to leave this digression, and to return to our Credenda, touching which, unless we confine our selves (as our Church of England doth) to some few Creeds of great antiquity, which are otherwise generally re∣ceived, I know not whither we may be car∣ried. For Churches prevalent for the time being, will never fail to impose such things to be believed as tend to the supportation of their authority and received tenets, as ap∣pears fully by the power lately assumed, and exercised by the Church of Rome, which pre∣tends as much, as any other can doe, to a warrant in Scripture for their Innovations. Thus much of fundamentals of Faith. Some extend the word Fundamental so far, as they make a peremptory Negation of any thing de∣livered in Scripture, or by other unquestion∣able authority for Truth, to be destructive, and this they call a Negative Fundamental. They illustrate this by part of the Apostles Creed, wherein it is said, that Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate, That he suffered is a po∣sitive Fundamental, but that he suffered under Pontius Pilate, is no necessary point of Faith; yet if any will peremptorily deny the truth of this, it becomes damnable to him; and upon that ground the Learned Doctor Hammond pro∣nounceth a negation of the Athanasian Creed

to be destructive. I concieve this too large for the word Fundamental, yet take it thus, and it is not difficult for any man to forbear such denial of that which he knoweth not. The Fundamental circa Agenda, viz. a reso∣lution of full obedience to God, is a tree that will produce the good fruit of a holy life, which is necessary in the way of Salvation. In this I would not be misconceived, as if I thought there were any meritorious cause of Salvation, but our Saviour and his satisfaction; for we and ours are always imperfect, and have no acceptation but in him; yet since the Scrip∣ture saith, that without holiness none shall see God, and that Christ shall salute the just, say∣ing, Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and ye gave me meat, &c. Mat. 25.34. it can be no derogation to term our good life a secondary cause.