PART I. [Judg. xii. 6.] more in the Creed than a mere Shibboleth, to distinguish an Ephraimite from a Gileadite. It is "fundamentum firmum et unicumf❞—not only a "firm" but an only foundation." He asketh me, whether "ever Protestant did hold, there is nothing of Faith but the twelve articles in that Creed"?" I do not know how I come to be obliged to answer him to so many impertinent questions; but for once I will not refuse him. Protestants do know as well as himself, that there are many things of Faith, which are necessary to be believed by [2 Tim. iv. some men at some times; as that St. Paul had a cloak: but 13.] there is no article or point absolutely necessary to salvation to be believed, which is not comprehended within the twelve articles of the Creed. [Of ad ditions to And here he serveth us up again his twice sodden coleworts, that "the Procession of the Holy Ghost, the Baptism of infants, the Sacraments, the Scriptures," are not comprehended in the twelve articlesh. I have but newly answered the very same objection, and here meander-like with a sudden turning he brings it in again; but I will not wrong the reader so much, as to follow him in his battologies. Only, if he think the Creed was imperfect until the word "Filioque" was added, he is much mistaken. But, saith he, "by the same logic we may accuse the the Creed.] Church at the time of the Nicene Council" for "pressing the word 'Consubstantial.'" Pardon us, good sir; there is no analogy between the Consubstantiality of the Son with the Father, and your upstart doctrines of Indulgences and Image-worship. Indeed the word Consubstantial' was not in the Creed before the Nicene Council, but the thing was, and was deduced from the Creed. When the Apostles delivered the Creed to the Church, they did it by oral tradition (and this is that famous Tradition, much mentioned in the Fathers, which you do altogether misapply to the justifying of your new patches); and when they delivered the Creed, they delivered likewise the sense of the Creed, by the same tradition; and it was the most proper work in the world for those first œcume f[Concil. Trident., ibid.] [Schism Dispatched, sect. 1. p. 491.] h [Ibid., and p. 487.] i [Ibid.] IV. nical Councils, to search out and determine by tradition the DISCOURSE right sense of the articles wherein they were delivered by the Apostles. But for us now, after fifteen or sixteen hundred years, to inquire not only into new senses of the old articles, altogether unknown to the ancients, but to find out new articles, which have no relation to the old articles, and all this by tradition,-is ridiculous. For whatsoever tradition we have, we have from former ages successively; and therefore if they had no tradition for such an article, or such a sense, we can have none. But such are all the twelve new articles added to the Creed by Pius the Fourth; not only new senses of old articles, which had been too much, but new articles newly coined, which have no relation to the old articles at all. Some things are "de Symbolo"-" contained in the Creed," some things are "contra Symbolum"-" against the Creed," and some things "præter Symbolum"-" besides the Creed'." First, for those things which are "contained in the Creed," either in the letter or in the sense, or may be deduced by good consequence from the Creed, as the Deity of Christ, His two Natures, the Procession of the Holy Ghost,—the addition of these is properly no addition, but only an explication; yet such an explication none under a general Council can impose upon the Church. Secondly, such things as are contrary to the Creed," are not only unlawful to be added to the Creed, but they are heretical in themselves. Thirdly, for those things which are neither of the Creed, nor contained in the Creed, either explicitly [or implicitly], nor can be de348 duced by good consequence from the Creed, and yet they are not contrary to the Creed, but opinions or inferior truths which may be believed or disbelieved without any great danger of heresy (of this nature are those twelve points or articles which Pius the Fourth added to the Creed),-to make these part of the Creed, and to oblige all Christians to believe them under pain of damnation, as Pius the Fourth doth,"without which there is no salvation,"-is to change the Symbolical Apostolical Faith, and to add to the "legacy of Christ and His Apostles." Faith doth consist in indivisi [See the Answ. to La Millet. (vol. i. pp. 25, 26.), Disc. i. Pt. i.] PART bili,' and the essential parts of it cannot be contracted or I. Our Articles no points of Faith. enlarged. This is that which we charge the Romanists withal, and which I see not how they will be able to shake off:-not the explication of the old articles of Faith, nor the prescribing of inferior truths as inferior truths to those who are under their jurisdiction, nor the obliging of their subjects not to oppose their determinations for peace and tranquillity's sake; but the adding of new articles or essentials to the Creed, with the same obligation that the old Apostolical articles had, to be believed under pain of damnation. Either all these twelve new articles which were added to the Creed by Pius the Fourth, were implicitly or virtually comprehended in the twelve old articles of the Apostles, and may be deduced from them by necessary consequence (the contrary whereof is evident to all men); or it is apparent, that Pius the Fourth hath corrupted the Creed, and changed the Apostolical Faith. He might even as well let our Thirty-nine Articles alone for old acquaintance' sake (Dissuenda non dissecanda est amicitiak'), as to bring them upon the stage and have nothing to say against them'. Some of them are the very same that are contained in the Creed; some others of them are practical truths, which come not within the proper list of points or articles to be believed; lastly, some of them are pious opinions or inferior truths, which are proposed by the Church of England to all her sons, as not to be opposed; not as essentials of Faith necessary to be believed by all Christians 'necessitate medii,' under pain of damnation. If he could charge us with this as we do them, he said something. The Nicene, Constantinopolitan, Ephesian, Chalcedonian, and Athanasian Creeds, are but explications of the Creed of the Apostles, and are still called the Apostles' Creed. He will not for shame say, that Pius the Fourth's Creed is only an explication of the Apostles' Creed; which hath twelve new distinct articles, added at the foot of the twelve old articles of the Apostles. I do not say that "there can be no new heresy," but what k [See Cic., De Offic., i. 12.] 1 [Schism Dispatched, sect. 1. p. 491.] IV. is "against some point found in the Creedm." I know, that Discourse as there are some errors heretical in their own nature, so there are other errors which become heretical merely by the obstinacy of them who hold them. Yet, if I had said so, I had said no more than some Fathers say, and sundry of their own authors ;—“ Neque ulla unquam extitit hæresis quæ non hoc Symbolo damnari potuerit"-"There was never any heresy which might not be condemned by this Creed"." And so he may see clearly if he will, that it was no "incomparable strain of weakness," nor "self-contradicting absurdity," nor "nonsense " (as he is pleased to vapour), to charge them with changing "the legacy of Christ and His Apostles," by the addition of new essentials of Faith. I will conclude this point with the excellent judgment of Vincentius Lirinensis; "Peradventure some man will say, shall there be no growth of the religion of Christ in the Church? Yes, very much; . . but so that it be a growth of Faith, not a change: . . let it increase; .. but only in the same kind,—the same articles, the same sense, the same sentences: let the religion of souls imitate the manner of bodies," &c. "the members of infants are little, young men's great, yet they are the same; children have as many joints as men," &c. "but if any thing be added to or taken from the number of the members, the body must of necessity perish, or become monstrous, or be enfeebled; so it is meet that Christian religion do follow these laws of proficiency," &c. P fieth the But now he brings a rapping accusation against me, Who falsicharging me with "four falsifications in one sentence;" and Council of then concludes triumphantly, "Go thy ways, brave Bishop; Ephesus, if the next Synod of Protestants do not canonise thee for an interpreter of Councils, they are false to their best interests." Who so bold as blind Bayard? Here is a great deal more cry than wool. But let us examine these great "falsifica349 tions." My words were these.-"The question is only, who have changed that doctrine or this discipline, we or they; we by substraction, or they by addition: the case is clear; the PART I. [The Ephesine canon explained.] Apostles contracted this doctrine into a summary, that is, the Creed; the primitive Fathers expounded it where it did stand in need of clearer explication:"-then follow the words which he excepteth against,-"the general Council of Ephesus did forbid all men to exact any more of a Christian at his Baptismal profession"." It is strange indeed to find "four falsifications" in two short lines; but to find "four falsifications" where there is not one syllable cited, is altogether impossible. I relate as of myself, what the Council of Ephesus did; I cite no authority at all, neither in the text nor in the margin, nor put one word into a different character. His pen is so accustomed to overreach beyond all aim, that he cannot help it; a Scotchman would take the liberty to tell him that he is very good company. The truth is, I did forbear to cite it, because I had cited it formerly in my answer to Monsieur Milletiére, where he might have found it if he had pleased;-"That it should be lawful for no man to publish or compose another Faith" (or Creed) "than that which was defined by the Nicene Council;" and "that whosoever should dare to compose or offer any such to any persons willing to be converted from Paganism, Judaism, or heresy, if they should be Bishops or clerks should be deposed, if laymen anathematised "." If he can find any "falsification" in this, let him not spare it; but to find "four falsifications," where not one word was cited, was impossible. In a word, to deal plainly with him, his four pretended falsifications are a silly, senseless, ridiculous cavil. To clear this, it is necessary to consider, that this word 'Faith' in Holy Scripture, Councils, and Fathers, is taken ordinarily for the object of Faith, or for the sum of things to be believed, that is, the Creed; and so it is taken in this very place of the Council of Ephesus, and cannot be taken otherwise; for it is undeniable, that that Faith which was defined, published, and composed by the Nicene Fathers, |