pillar atio <25?ounu of
TREATISE
xicaB
SHEWING
That the ROMAN CHVRCH
falfly claims to be CHURCH, and
the PILLAR of TRUTH,
mentioned by S. Taul in his Firft Epiftle
to Timothy, Qmp. III. Vcrf. 15;
Which is explained.in Thrjee: Parts.
Imprimatur.
>%> JO. BATTELT.
LONDON,
Printed for EUcharh €&tCt»elI, at the Rofe and Crorn
in S. Paul's Church-Yard. MDCLXXXVIL
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TO THE
READER.
AMONG all the places of Scripture, which they
of the Church of Rome are wont to alledgefor
a proof of their pretended Infallibility, I find
none whereon they more rely, than thai of
S. Paul Timothy i III. 15. That thou
may'ft know how thou oughteft to behave thy felf in the
houfe of God, which is the CHURCH of the living
God, the PILLAR AND GROUND OF THE
TRUTH. Which place, fay the Rhemifts, pincheth the
Hereticks wonderfully, and fo it ever did : and therefore
they oppofe themfelves dire&ly againft the very letter
and confelfed fenfe of the fame.
1 have thought it therefore worth my pains, to {how how
unjujl this accifation is; by opening the plain and evident
meaning, the literal and confeffed fenfe of thofe words:
whereby it will appear that we are far from being Hereticks;
and that they, not we, are pinched^ this place ; and that
there is no ground at all in it for their Jnfallibility ; nor for
their vain flour/(hes, that the very Name of CHURCH
terrifies us, and makes us pale with fear ( as Campian
infolently vapoured (a), ) and that we not Wly fear, but al- {a) Rath III.
together abhor the word CATHOLIQUE, fo as to leave
it clean out of our Bibles, as the fore-named Rhemifts (f) 00; Preface to
mofi fenfe (ly mifreprefent us.
For as I have proved, in the following Book, tbat we,
not they are the true C AT HO LIQV E S, fo there is
A 2 nothing
x
BOOK
7£
3
To the Reader,
nothing further from truth> (I have likewife Jhorvn ) than
that the Apofile herefpeaks, with any particular refpeff, to
the Church of Rome. Which is fo far from fir iking any
terror into us, when it appropriates to it felf the name of
C HV RC H\ that we look upon the pretence to be as ridi¬
culous , as the proof is, they give us of it. Which is the
fole Authority of afalfe S. Ambrofe his Commentaries up-
on this place; who thusgloffes: All the World being God's,
yet the Church only is his Houfe : the Reftor ( or Ru¬
ler) whereof at this time is DAMASUS. Where the
(>) Anm. in Rhemifts (c) defire us to note, How clear a cafe it was
i Tim.111.15. that the Pope of Rome, was not the Governor on¬
ly of one particular See, but of Chrift's whole Houfe,
which is the Univerfal Church, &c. And further im¬
prove this conceit, in thefe words, The Church which is
the Houfe of God, whole Re£tor {faith S. Ambrofe ) in
his time was Damafus, and now Gregory the thirteenth;
and in the Apoftles timeS .Peter, is the Pillar of Truth,
the eftablifhment of Verity : and therefore it cannot
err.
And truly it is worth our noting how clear a Cafe it is,
that they were forely pinched ( to ufe their own word again )
for want of proofs ; when they betook themfelves to fuch as
this. For it is hard to think that Men of their education
( whom we will not defpife, as they do the Hereticks, a little
(f)Mmt. in before (d), as mod ignorant of the Word of God, not
a Tim. 1.7. knowing the very Principles of Divinity ) (hould not
know that S. Ambrofe was not the Author of thofe Com-
mentaries : they being acknowledged by the great eft Men
in their Church to be fpurious Brats of fome other Writer.
(£) Annah Baronius (e) for inflame faith, The Expofirion of Am-
J' *tMi brofe, upon all Paul1 s Epiftles, began to be wanting in
3 • the time of Caffiodorus: but being plainly loft, it is ap¬
parent, the work of another Author, was foifted in its
room* And their other great Cardinal, Bellarmine, con-
Met
m
\
To the Reader.
) ^ feffes ** wuch in fever alplaces ; but in one more fully (f)> de
^ where he ajfoils an Objection of Chemnitius ( who follow
%«J ing the rule of the Civil Law (g), [ the witnefs which
: m\ any Man produces for himfelf, he is bound to leceive^ ^^-
w«rit againft himfelf J quotes this Book, as Bellarmine oft hadtmtur mi-
done, in a Cafe of Marriage ) by this Anfrver, That the Au- contra
ttlviiif thor of thefe Commentaries is not S. Ambrofe, as learned
pft Men know: and more than thatr whofbever was the
Mrt Author, lie was none, ex celebratis patribus, of the famous
Ifki
or eminent Fathers- And indeed there is great reafonfor
{j&h what thefe, and many others of that Church,J ay; as I might
JOVWI fho)v out of the Commentaries thernfelves, which contradict
Wfi Ij the very words of the true S. Ambrofe.
ifirlltri But fuppofe he had been the Author, or thefe the Work
Mil of fome celebrated Writer, it is a clear cafe ( and I deflre it
At): maybe noted) that thefe Rhemift Annotators were not fo
lie in knowing as they would be efleemed, or not fo confcientious
WW as they ought to have been ; when they gather from thefe
ore it(V words that Damafus was Ruler over more than his own See,
even over the Univerfal Church, as S. Peter, they fay,
•difttii was in the Apojlles times, For <SV Ambrofe himfelf faith,
jtfifii. in his Book of the Prieftly Dignity (A), ( which Priefts W Tom. is.
one would think fbould read ) that when Chrift faid, Feed
my Sheep; thole Sheep, and that Flock, not only blef- cap, 2.
Mil fed Peter then received; but both he received them
ifGod,n with us, and with him we all have received them.
jjhJis And it is an unufual thing in Ancient Writers, to
^■Cji fay the fame of other Bifhops , that this Writer doth
uttf °f Damafus, when they mean no more, but that they were
P0 Rulers of that part of the Catholique Church, which was
1 of i committed to their charge.
Thus Arfenius , for inflame, writes to Athanafius^ as
it is if he himfelf hath fet down his Letter, which begins thus7
dm We loving Peace and Unity with the Catholicjue
K'dt Church, over which thou, by the Grace of God doft
'ftp prende
(i) Athm.
Tom. i. Apo-
Log. 2. p. 786.
a* Kp
yj&v S-fcK
(k) KfJ.n-
r©-, CIre.
Or at.XT III.
p. 281.
To the Reader.
prcfide or rule, (/) See. awr* than this, fuch great
Clerks as they fhould not have been ignorant, being alfo
fuch lofty Cenfurers of the Hereticks, that Gregory Na-
zianzene ( called the Divine, whom they read, it is to be
fuppofed, to learn the principles of Divinity) faith,
S. Cyprian was made not only a Paftor, but a Pafior that
had the largefl: dominion: (k) being fet over not the
Church of Carthage only, or Africa, but all the Weft,
and almoft all the Eafi it lelf, and the North and South,
unto whom his fame reached. But if thefe thingsefcaped
their obfervation, or they JludiouJly concealed them, they mujl
have been moft ignorant of the word of God, as they
fay the Hereticks are, if they did not know, that S. Paul
faith the fame of the Elders of Ephefus, that this Wri¬
ter doth of Damafus, XX. that the Holy Ghofl
had made them overfeers, to feed, that is, to rule and
govern, the Church of God, which he hath purcha-
fed with his own Blood. And if they knew this, why
were they not fo honejl as to interpret the later by the for¬
mer ? for there is no difference between S. PaulV words,
and the counterfeit S. AmbroleV. S. Paul faith, the
Elders of Ephefus were appointed to rule the Church of
God {for thais the office of a Shepherd, that feeds the
Flock ) the other faith, Damafus was the ruler of God's
Church. If the Vniverfal Church be thereby meant, and
not his part of it only, why fhould it not be fo expounded
in the words of S. Paul? and then Damafus his title to
this office is crackt; for there were Rulers then fet
over the Church Univerfal by the Holy Ghofl, before he
( or his Church of Rome, perhaps ) was in being. But if
S. Paulh words mujl have a more limited meaning ; then
with what conf :ience do they give their S% Ambrole V words,
an unlimited; and not refrain them, as they mujl do
S. PaulV, to the particular See, committed to his Go¬
vernment ?
And
To the Reader.
And it was not eafie for them to he ignorant that
S. Paul, in thefe words to Timothy, fpeaks of the Church
of Ephefus, and #0/0/Rome, and was fo far from ha¬
ving any thought of S. Peter ( whom thefe Annotators
make the Ruler at that time of this Houfe of God)
that it is evident^ Timothy was theperfonwho pre fide din
it) and was the chief Pillar and Ground of Truth here
fpoken of) as I doubt not I have proved in the infuing
Difcourfe. Wherein I have alfo fhewny that other fuc-
ceeding Bifhops, in other Churches, had the fame title ;
nay, many perfons in the Churchy that were no Bifhops:
who were far from thinking themfelvesy or being thought
by othersy infallible ; as thefe Annotators unagine they
mujl needs bey who are the Pillar and eftabliflhment of
the Truth., Thais an inference from thefe words, for
which they had no more warrant \ than they had to intitle
S. Ambrofe to thofe Commentaries.
The Author of which alfo did fo little dream of the
Infallibility of the Church, when he glojfed upon thefe
words ) that he doth not fo much as make the Churchy
the Ground or eftabliflhment of the Truth: But faith
in plain terms, Firmamentum ( as the Vulgar Latine
tranjlates ) hujus veritatis figna funt & prodigia;
the eftablifhment of this Truth (left in the Church )
are figns and wonders which the Apojlles, that is,
wrought to bring Men to the firm belief of that truth
which they preached. Which doth not rely, therefore,
upon the credit of the Church; but upon the credit of the
ApofileS) and of thofe Divine Worksy whereby God bare
Witnefs to them : which are recorded in the Holy
Scriptures_
From whence alone we ought to derive our knowledge of
the Truth, the Apojllehere fpeaks of - asismoft clearly
refolved by S. Cyril of Hierulalem, in thefe memorable
words. (I) Concerning the Divine and Holy My fteries of (^Atdfchs v'
the ttSajL/1*'
To the Reader.
tlie Faith, we ought not to deliver any thing, though
never fo fmall, without the Divine Scriptures,
neither fhouldft thou believe me barely laying thefe
■things to thee ; unlefs thou received the demonftrati-
on of the things, publifhed, out of the Divine Scri¬
ptures. For this is the lafety, or lecurity of our Faith,
which depends not upon words that we invent, but upon
the demonftration of the Divine Scriptures.
In which we hear our Lord Chnd himfelf {peaking to ns :
who is more to be believed than the Church. For the
Church, as S. Paul fpeaks, is fubjc& unto Chrift { they
(w)Tom VII. ore the words of <S\ Auguftmc (w ) and therefore the
coitrx crtf-'Church ought not to fether felf above'Chrift: fo asto
coniton Gram. t|iat they who are condemned by him may be bap-
i.2. c.2i.tized, ^ut t}iat are condemned by.the Church, may
hot be baptized: when he. always judges truly; butEc-
clefiaftical Judges, being Men, are oft-times deceived.
From them therefore, who are falliblewe appeal to
Him, who is infallible ; and hath delivered his fentence in
the Holy Scriptures : or from a Churc particular,
'peal to the Church Catholique: my, from the New
Church of Rome, to the Old. Jtvnwe are not, as they
would make the World believe, affrighted with the Name
of the -Church; whofe judgment we truly honour, as
will appear in this Treat ife: while they difbonour it, by
confining the Church to dihemfelves ; and then exalting it
above the Scriptures of Truths and making its mere Name
ferve to dazzle the eyes of their own People , and to
M RUm. M-keep them in profound ignorance :teaching them (n) to op-
not. in.XII. pofe theName of ^Catholique Man, and the Catholique
Luke n. Church, as a fufficient anfwer to all that we moft reaf in-
ably objeltagawftthem. Thus in their own conceit, it is a
kind of Gorgon V head, which they fanfie will immediate¬
ly (litpify as, when it is oppofed be God,
w are fffll in-our Wits, and msderfi that
thi<
To the Reader.
this is no better than his old Artifice, who invented this
cheat ( as S. Cyprian (o) /peaks*) of deceiving unwary G^i^dtViU
Souls by the very Title of the Chriftian Name. For uu ^
juft fd they now abufe the Name of Church, and the name
of Catholique ; and by good words, and fine fpeeches,
( as S. Paul writes XVRRom. 18.) deceive the hearts of
the fimple.
Whom I have endeavoured in this fmatl Treat ife, to un¬
deceive, and dire ft in the way of that T RVT H, of which
every Church ought to he the Pillar and Ground. If
any one be not, but inftead of the certain, conftant, uni-
v erf ally received Chrijlian Truth, fet up uncertain, nay
falfe, lately invented, and particular conceits of its own J
it is not to be relied on, but rejected: though it hath been
formerly a Church of never fo great Authority. Such the
Church of Rome once was; but now ceafes fo to be : having
by taking upon her too much, loft that regard, which other-
wife it might have had in the Chrifiian World. It is not
the fame Church it was in the Apoftles times, no nor in the
days of Gregory the Great: as hath been unanfwerably de¬
mon ft rated by Bp. Morton heretofore (p) ; and lately by the 0) Catholique
Author of the Vindication of the Anfwer of feme late^^ L'U
Papers; to which there will never be an ingenuous Reply.
Great and many alterations have been made therein, to the
mamfeft prejudice of the Chriftian Faith: of which that
Church jhould have been, as well as others, a Pillar and
Eftablifhment; but hath not orioufty failed in her duty, by
inventing another Faith, which undermines and endangers
that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints.
■ -Of this I have given fo full and fo clear an account in
thefe Papers, that I fear not to exp&fe them to the examina¬
tion of them that are of a contrary mind: hoping,though they
do not convince them of their errors yet, they will help to
eftablifts the People of our Church, in the prelent Truth.
Which, I doubt not, they will fee to be the truly Catholique,
B Apoftolique
To the Reader.
Apoftolique Faith ; which they ought not to part withal,
but preferve as carefully as they do their life.
And fo they cannot fail to do, if they add to Faith, Ver-
tue. In order to which, I have endeavoured to make this
Treatife as practical as 1 could: that we may not fall into
that grand error, of thinking it enough to hold the Truth,
though we hold it in unrighteoufnefs.
God of his infinite mercy, deliver us all from that dam-
nable delufion, and eftablifli our hearts unblameable in
Holinefs, before God, even our Father, at the coming
of our Lord Jelus Chrift, with all his Saints, i Theff.
III. ig.
■
* V.I . - ■ ■ . I , I . I — . ■ 1 ■ ■
I
P A Ri'T I.
m
Ui i
INTRODUCTION.
T is a pious refleftion which Clemens
drinus makes upon a faying of Plato, that if
4truth could never have been learnt, but
4from God himfelf, or from his dependents', then ^75-
< we, who have the teftimonies of the Divine
4 Oracles, do juftly boaft, that we are taught the truth,
4 by the very Son of God. Which he hath revealed
unto us fo plainly in all things necelfary to our Salva¬
tion, and tranfmitted unto us fo intirely in the Holy
Scriptures; that it cannot but be a great trouble to all
thole who love him and his Religion, to fee fuch
wranglings about it in his Church, as if there were
no more certainty among us, what is truth; than there
was among the Philofophers.
The contention about this is fo flharp and fierce,
that while Men leek after Truth, they are in danger to
lofe the very aim and foope of it, which is Charity
the love of God and of one another. This S.Paul
determines to be the very drift of the Golpel, when
he tells Timothy, the end of the commandment is
11. $.
Nay, they have railed fo many doubts about this
matter, that poor People are many times to leek for
Truth it folf, even in the cleareft light thereof. It be¬
ing fome Mens bufinels, fo to confound their thoughts,-
B 2 that
The 'Pillarand Ground of Truth.
that they know it not when they fee it: but are ftill
in great trouble about it, even when they have it.
And where to feek for it, is now grown a great
queftion alio. It is to be found, no doubt, in the
Church; but about that there are fo many difputes,
that Men are to feek as much as before, if they go to
find it there. In fhort, there are no words more abu-
fed than thefe two ; Truth, and Church and therefore
I hope it will do fbme fervice to Souls, if for their
plain and fafe direction in thefe matters, I refcue thofe
words of S. Paul to Timothy, i III. 15. [ Church of
the living God, the pilar and ground of truth. ] from
thofe falfe glofles that are put upon them, to the great
difhonour of our bleffed Lord, and of his Holy Truth.
And for that end, I fhall diftin&ly treat of thefe
four things:
Firft , What that truth is, of which either the
Church, or Timothy,or both, were the Pillar and Ground.
Secondly, What it is to be a Pillar and Ground of
the Truth.
Thirdly, Who it is, to whom this Office and Ho¬
nour belongs, of being the Pillar and Ground of the
Truth : or what we mean, when, we lay, the Church
isintrufted therewith.
Laftly, How itdifcharges this Office.
I.
What is the Truth?
Here we muft begin; becaufe we muft firft know
what the Truth is, before we can know a Society of
Men to be the Church: which is conftituted and made
by believing and profeffing the Truth.
And this in effeft, is a refblution of that queftion,.
which Pilate askt our Saviour, but would not ftay for
an anfwer, What is Truth ?
Which,
The 'Pillarand Ground of Truth.
re ftilj Which though it be made a great difficulty by thole,
eii. whole intcreft it is to make things intricate and per-
^great plexed; yet, in my opinion, it is very eafie to give la-
y® k tisfattion to it; and we need not go far neither, to leek
%ti, it. For the Apoftle himlelf immediately explains
%gott what he means by Truth in the words following;
"ore ail without Controverfie great is the of godlinefs ;
thereto*: God was manifejled in the Flejb, in the ,
for thai feen of Angels, peached unto the ,believed on
KUethot in the World,received up into Glory.
Chrthj Where we learn/wo things in general, concerning
k ]fr(Ki this matter. Firfi, that the here fpoken of, is.
uhegra that which was formerly a Myflery or Secret, which
li'Troi1' lay hidden for many Ages and Generations, in the.
oftM unknown purpofe of God, butnow is revealed and
manifefted, by the Son of God, and his holy Spirit.,
ftnht to make Men godly.
Which is the other thing we learn from thence, that
GrWi{ the truth, which the A pollle intends, is the Myflery of
Godliuefsy or as he hefpeaks in the VI. Chapter v. 3.
tjlll the Doctrine which is according to And
....r., therefore whatloever doth not tend to better Mens
lives, by making them do their duties faithfully both
towards God, and towards Men (to lome of which
the duties that are owing,are in this very Epiftle called
fbewing Piety or Godlinefs, v, 4. ) we are not to rec¬
kon it among the truths , which were depolited
with Timothy to be preferred and upheld in the
Church: For God did not defign by the dilcovery
• | he made of his Mind and Will, intheGofpel, merely
'A to enlarge our knowledge but to reCtifie our wills
1 and affections, by the right information of our minds,
a. and.by acquainting us with fuch weighty truths, elpe-
' V cially fuch wonderful revelations of his love, as cam
^ not but irrefiftably (way us, if we lay them to heart,
v t unto his Obedience, But, ,
The Tillar gnd Ground of Truth.
But, that we may not be left to guefs at this truth,
—or my fiery of Godlinefs, without any certainty, he
lets down a particular of it: and reduces the whole
myftery of Godlinels, to thele Six heads.
/
I. The principal is this, that the eternal Son of
God, came down from Heaven, and was incarnate by the
Holy Ghoft of the Virgin and was made Man
that he might foffer for us, and make himfelf an
offering for our fins. All this I take to be included in
thele words, God was manifefedinthe flefh. Which
cannot be meant of Goa the Father, for it is ex-
prelsly laid in other places, that it was fefus Chrifl who
came in the flefh, i Joh. IV. 2. and is here declared
to be God, that is, the eternal Son of God , the
Word made flefh, 1 Joh. 14. Which doth not de¬
note merely his being made Man, but likewile his
foffering for us: he taking owe flefh on purpole, for this
very end, that therein he might, by his Death, make
an atonement for Sin. And lb the very phrafe
fleflo and blood fignifies in Scripture (as it doth com¬
monly in the Hebrew W riters ) this weak, frail, mor¬
tal, foffering State, wherein we are at prefent:
into which our bleffed Lord put himlelf, when he
manifefted himlelf in our flefh. So we read ex-
prelsly, W.Hcbr. 14. where to take part with us, in
our flefh and blood, is to make himlelf liable to fuf-
ferings and death. In thele few words therefore, are
contained many principles of Chriftian truths,
that Jefus Chrifl: was really God ( not God the
Father, whole being is here fuppoled, but God the
Son ) and that he was incarnate, and really made
Man, of the Subftance of his Mother : being perfect
God, and perfect Man : and as really fuffered for us
in the flefh, as S. PeterIpeaks, i IV. 1. Which were
the
The Pillar and Ground of Truth.
the Do£trines that were firft affaulted by the Devil,
I' and his Agents in the beginning of our Religion (fuch
as Simon Magus and the reft of that T ribe ) but proved
to be undoubtedly true, by the mighty power of his
,, Spirit.
mil Si A
MMif jj Which is the fecond part of this Myftery,
juftifiedin, or by the Sprit. Which fufficiently con-
! f vinced all gain-layers, that he was no left than the
5j ~ Son of God, though in the likenefs flefh and
Tthat by a Sacrifice for fin, he condemned fin in the
'I flelh. VIII. Rom. 3. For as he was conceived
yiiCbifi in his Mothers Womb, by the Holy Ghoft, I.Luke
feifci; ^ 5. So at his Baptifm he was anointed with the
fodfly Ghofi and with power ( X. Aft. 38.) there being
thill then a vifible delcent of the Spirit of God, in a Glo-
libiitt rious manner upon him, together with a voice from
w,fal! Heaven, laying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am
Mi,® well pleafed, III. Matt. 17. And as it then
ery phi on him, lo it abode, and remained on , I. Joh.
doth j2, 33. as appeared by the power of luch Miracles,
frilly, as neither Men nor Devils could work, but only
t prefe the Spirit of God. Which was lo evidently true, that
f, win to alcribe them to the Devil, was the
ereadf the Holy Ghoft, XII. Matt. 28. 31, 52. III. Mark
pithu, 29, 30. by whole power not only Devils were caft
bletol out, but even the Dead were railed: whereby he was
efore, 1 manifefted to be the refurreffi and the life, XI. Joh.
uths, tt 25. By the lame Spirit he himlelf alio was railed
Godt from the Dead, and declared again the Son of God
Godi with power, I. Rom. 4. And having all power in
all/® Heaven and. Earth given him, he lent the Holy Ghoft
jfpA upon his Apoftles on the day of Pentecoft, as a fur-
dfiii ther Juftification of him, XV. Job. 26. 32.
;M$ Nay, more than this, by the laying on of their hands
tk poured
The Ttllar and Ground of Truth.
poured it out upon others, who believed on his
Name, II. Ml.38. VIII. 17. Which was the
unit ion from the Holy One,whereby they knew
things, as St. John calls it 1. II . 20. i. e. were allu¬
red of all the Chriftian T, revealed unto them.
For all thele, were illuftrious witnsfTes unto Chrift,
and juftified this grand truth that he was
nifejledinthe flejh (for fuchends and purpoles', as he
pretended) agaiuft all oppolers, who acculed it of
falfity.
And who is there that doth not lee leveral other
principles of God's holy Truth, contained in this?
particularly that the Holy Ghejlis God, the third per-
ion in the Holy Trinity, being the Spirit of God:
which knows the things of God ( as the Spirit of Man
doth what is in him, 1 Cor. II. 11.) and led or gui¬
ded the Apoftles into all Truth, XVI. fob. 13. and
dwells in the whole body of the Church, as his
ple, 1 Cor. VI. 19. ( which no created Spirit can do )
and gave fuch a Divine teftimony to our Saviour, that
to {peak againft it, was unpardonable blafphemy.
That other great article of our Faith alio is inclu¬
ded in this, which S. Paul declares in thele terms:
Though he was crucified through weaknefs, yet he
by the power of God, 2 Corinth. XIII. 4.
III. This was a thing notorious to the Angels them-
felves : which is the third particular in this Myftery;
Was feen of Angels : both at his III. Luke 9,
10, 1 and in leveral paflages of his , IV. Matt.
11. XVII. 5.1. Joh. 51. and at his XXII. Luke
43. and at and after his Refu XXVIII. Matt.
2. XX. Joh. 2o.andalfcathis4/«'»/W, L A£t. 10,
11. when they teftilied to the Apoftles that this fame
fefus who wju taken up from them into
The 'Pillar and Ground of Truth.
0IU fo come, in like manner as they had,
1 Wls i ven. Where when he came, they all Worfbipped him,
y lot(j; I. Hebr. 6.and admired at the wonderful Whilom of
Werc.il God, which was made known to them by the Church
uatotlt ( i Pet. I. 12.) elpecially this Myjlery as the
®toQi Scripture calls it, which is the fourth particular in this
Catalogue of Chriftian Truths.
ipOfe,,;
Muftil! IV. That this Doctrine, thus confirmed and attefted,
was preached unto the Gentiles: who were allured, that
they fhould be made fellow-heirs with the Jews, and
partakers of God's Promile in Chrift, by the Golpel,
as S. Paul fpeaks (III. Ephef 6.) this
flit if a grace was given, to preach among the Gentiles the
Spiritof! hie riches of Chrijl; and to make all Men , what is
1 led tj the fellowfhip of the Myjlery, which from the beginning of
■Jdip the World was hid in God, who created all things by Jefus
; as lis J - Chrijl.
firital An aftonifhing Grace this was ; declaring the infinite
iaviosr,! love and kindnefs of God: that they who thought not
Imj. of it, who had no promiles to make them expect it, who
'foisiili were Grangers to God and the Covenant of Promile,
:fe ten were on a fudden furprized with the revelation of God's
hi lit goodwill to them in Chrift; and by belief of it, were
made fellow Citizens with the , and of the Hoitjhold
of God. That is, the Church was made truly Catho~
;elstfc lique\all the World being taken into fellowlhip with
Mf the Apoftles, whofe fellowship was with the , and
£ii) with his Son Jefus Chrijl,i Joh. I. J.
'A '
nil V. And another great wonder was,that notwithftand-
As ing all the oppofition which was made by the Potentates,
I in by the Philolophers, and Dilputers of the World, by the
Jot Devil alio and his Angels ( who though they alio faw
fii him and could not but confels him, yet let themlelves
jt C againft
The TUlar and Ground of Truth.
againft him with their whole power) and notwithftand-
ing all the ftrong prejudices that were in Peoples minds
againft it, this whole Myftery of Godlinels was enter¬
tained and received with great joy every where. W hich
is the fifth particular, leen of Angels, preached unto the
Gentiles, believed on in the World. So mightily grew the
Word of God and prevailed, as S. Luke fpeaks Act. XIX.
20. The realbn was, becaufe Chrift the Head of the
Church, being railed from the dead, was exalted at God's
right Hand, far above all Principality and Power, and
every name that is named, either in this World, or in the
other: lb that neither Men nor Devils, could hinder the
propagation of the Golpel, by the working of that
mighty Power, which he wrought in Chrift when he raifed
him from the Dead, and fet him at his own right hand in
the Heavenly places.
VI, For that is the laft part of this Myftery of God¬
linels, he was received up into, or in Glory: that is, in a
glorious manner received up into Heaven And being
gone into the Heavens (as S. Peter writes, 1 III. ult. )
is on the right hand of God; angels, and authorities and
powers being made fubjecl to him. So fubje£t, that from
henceforth he expects, till all his enemies
ftool, X.Hebr. 13. and having vanquished Death, which
is the laft Enemy, and railed Men out of their Graves,
he will judge them according to their Works. For he
was received up into. Glory, to he the Judge of quick
and dead.
Thefe are the Principal Points of that Truth, which
ought to be fupported and maintained in the Chriftian
Church : being the fubftantial and neceflary Articles
of our Faith, without the belief of which we cannot be
Christians,
For
m
The Tillar and Qfyundof Truth.
For the fuller Explication of which I fhall make
obfervations: the firft of which the Apoftle himlelf here
fuggefts; and the reft will fairly follow from thence.
1. Firft the Apoftle notes them to be fuch Truths as
wer& without Controverfie: about which there wasno di-
Ipute among lerious Chriftians.
2. And therefore thele are the truly Do-
ftrines, and thele alone.
3. The fundamental T ruths, upon which our Religion
and the Church it felf is built.
4. And therefore he that holds dole to thele, cannot
be a Heretick.
5. But they that call Men lo, becaule they believe
not other things, which they have made neceflary, have
rent the Chriftian Church, and are guilty of that fin, of
which they fairly accufe others.
6. Which guilt is the greater, becaule the beft and
moft learned Men among them, have confefled thole
Do£trines, which they have fuperadded to the Ancient
Truth, to be doubtful, fuperfluous, and unknown to the
firft Ages, of the Church: that is, not truly Catholique
Doctrines.
I.
- The firft of thele ought to be well weighed: that
the Truth, which is to be fupported and maintained in
the Church, is lo evident and lo abundantly attefted,
that it is confelfed by all Chriftians. Thus that word
e{WKoysAra!, without controverfe, or confeffedly fignifies,
as we may learn from tire ule of it among the Ancient
Greeks; one of which [ Diodorus Stnopenfis ] fpeaks of
their Supreme God, juft as the Apoftle doth of the My-
fiery of Godlinefs (<?).
C 2 'o zXf
10
The TUlar and Ground of .
. cO o
'O Qi&y yusyrQr vUAhzynpivw.
Jupiter the Friendly is, without cont rover fie, or by com¬
mon confent agreed to be, the greateft of the Gods. In
like manner the Apoftle is to be underftood, when he
faith the fame of thefe great and venerable Doctrines of
Godlinefs : Which are fuch, as are confeflfed by all, by a
common agreement; and doubted of by none. For they
are no other, than thofe which are contained in the Apo¬
ftles Creed > about which there is no queftion among
Chriftians,but they all content unto it, being baptized into
the belief of thofe Truths: in which the whole Church
hath agreed, every where, in all times, down from the
Apoftles days, to this prefent Age.
(b") L.i.con- For the Church, faith Irenaus (£ ), though difperfed
tra H*uf.c.2. throughout the World, to the ends of the Earth, re¬
ceived from the Apoftles and their Difciples the Faith,
which is in one God, the Father Almighty, who made the
Heaven, and the Earth, and Sea, and all that is in them :
and in one Chrifi Jefus, the Son of ' God, who was Incarnate
for our Salvation: and in the Holy Ghojl, who preached ly
the Prophet s the difpenfations, and approaches of God, and
the Birth of the Virgin, and the Suffering, the Re fur recti-
on from the Dead, and the Bodily Afcenfion of our Dear
Lord Chrijl J ejus into the Heavens ; and his comings
from thence in the Glory of the Father, to gather together
all things, and to raife all humane flefh ; that, according to
the good pleafure of the Father invifihle, every knee of
things in Heaven, or Earth, or under the Earth,, may low
to Chrift Jefus, our Lord, and God, and Saviour, and Kjrig,
and every Tongue may confefs him \ and he may do Righte¬
ous Judgment upon all \ and fend the Spirits of wickednefs,
and the Angels that tranfgrejfed and ap oft at i seed, together
with
The Tillar and Grbwid of Truth.
n
with ungodly, unjujl, lawlefs, and blafphemous Men, into
eternal fire.; but to the fiifi, and the holy, and fuch as obferve
his Commandments, andperfevere in bis Love, either al¬
ways or by Repentancej gracioufiy befiow life, give immorta¬
lity, and put them in pojfe/fion of eternal Glory.
This is, f atXa3*04 ( as he calls it ) a little Body
of Truth ; the Rule of Faith, ( as Tertullian often (peaks)
inftituted by Chrift; which nullas habet apud nos quaifii* L ^
ones (*), is not doubted of, nor hath any questions about fcn?t. c*?.
it among Chriftians, but fuch as Here lies have broughtXIV*
in, and which make Men Hereticks.
And therefore this i stheTruth, of which the Church
ought to be the Pillar and Ground to the end of the
World : but not prefume, as I fhall fhow anon, to bind
all Chriftians, upon pain of perifhing everlaftingly, to
believe what is not contained in this Rule of belief. For
it alone is fufficient, as appears by this; that into it, all
the Articles or Parts ( as a learned Man of the Roman
Church fpeaks (£) ) of which a Chrifiian confijls, are di- (d) Rigdtl
gefied, as tt were, into one Body-.
i ■
II.
Ik
From whence it follows that thefe are the true Cat ho-
lique, and the only Catholique Doftrines. Catholique
they are, becaufe Ipread every where: and the only Ca¬
tholique, becaufe none befides thele, till very lately, were
received as part of the Chriftian Truth , which muft
neceffarily be believed, if we hope to be faved.
Hear how Irenes (<?) proclaims this, immediately
after the foregoing words: which (/) Epiphanius thought
(q confiderable, that he hath tranlcribed both thele Chap¬
ters into his Book againft: Herefies.
The Church, as we have faid, having received, this Preach¬
ing ( or Doftrine ) and this Faith, preferves it mofi care-
CO
cfj tertf.
XXXI.
»• 3°>5r»
i 2 77;e (PilUr and Ground of Truth.
fully, // /> inhabited but we Houfe \ though it bePifperfed
through the whole World. And with unanimous confent,
Preaches, andTeaches and Delivers thefe things, as having
but one Mouth, .tor though there be different Languages in
the'Worlds yet the force of that which is delivered is one
and the fame. So that neither the Churches fit u ate aI in
Germany believe otherwife, or have any other Tradition,
nor thoje in Spain, nor thofe in France, nor thofe in the
Eafr, nor thofe in Egypt, nor thofe in Libya, nor thofe in
the midft of the World\ but as the Sun, that Creature of
God, is one and the fame in the whole VP or Id , fo the
to napvyua. drnsdct/, the Preaching, or Doftrine of the Truth
[bines every where') &nd inlightens all Men, who are willing
to come to the knowledge of the Truth. And neither he,
among the Governors of the Church), who is mojl power¬
ful in Speech, teaches different things from thefe (for
no Man is above his Mafer ) nor he that is weak in
Speech diminifhes the Tradition. For there being one
and the fame Faith, neither he that is able to fpeak a
great deal concerning it , d th inlarg^e or exceed : nor
he that can fay but a little, doth take away) or make it
lefs.
Which is fuch a plain declaration that the Creed
contains the whole Apoftolieal Tradition (or Faith,
for they are the fame in his Language) and the on¬
ly Catholique Doftrine; that if we were at this day
to contrive words on purpofe, for the alferting this
Truth, we could not invent any more full or exprefs
than thefe. Which fhow us that this Faith is fufficient
not only for the ignorant, the Catechumens) and begin-
. ners in Religion ; but for the moft improved in Chri-
ftian knowledge; for thofe that inftrufted and ruled the
Church, who had no Authority to preach orimpofeany
other belief.
This
r f The (Pillar and Ground of Truth. 12
M \ . ; *
confem This is a thing that runs through his whole Book :
skvi for he repeats it again, in fewer words, in the latter end
'/{pi, of the next Chapter, that the true Church hath but that
'An or one and the fame Faith ( before mentioned ) throughout
Mtli the whole World. Which in the igth Chapter, he calls
nkk the Rule of Truth, by which all error was difcovered :
ofeini for holding this rule, though they fpeak very various and
rtkfn rnany things, we eafily evince that they have deviated from
Uini the Truth.
I foil And again, in the third Book (gf he hath recourfe to (e) l, tir.
tit-frill ^ie fame Rule of Truth, unto which whofoever will hear- chai>* 3'
in ivilli ken, may fee what is the tradition of the Apoftles, manife-
Mkrk fed in the whole World, in every Church. W here he faith
h(im they were able to tell what Bifhops were fettled by the
l/L Apoftles and their Succeffors, untill his time : who nei-
ther taught nor thought of any thing like to the do-
Lrf tages of the Hereticks of thofe days. And becaufe it
ffU would have been too long to reckon up all the Churches,
Ml. i he inftances in the Church of Rome, (to which all had
occafion to go, upon fbme bufinefs or other, becaufe it
was the Imperial City ) by whofe Bifhop he faith, that
tk£m Tradition, and that Preaching, or Doftrine of Truth, which
/or|| was from the Apoftles in the Church, is come to us ; and is
a mojl full proof \ that one and the fame life giving faith,
which was from the Apojlles in the Church, is conferred to
this time, and delivered in Truth. The very fame, which
^ Polycarp wrote to the Philippians (mark thefe words,
^2 which they of the prefent Roman Church are wont to
conceal, that they may make the World believe Iren&m
q, thought th^Tradition of the Apoftles, that is theChri-
^jf! ftian Faith, was to be fought only in their Church ) and
f T which was in the Church of Ephefus, founded by Paul, and
having John continuing in it, till the time of Trajan:
which Church is a true witnefs of the Tradition of the
i Jf°Pes-
A lid
*4
L III. Cap 4,
The Tillar and Ground of "Truth.
And that there may be no miftake about this Tradi¬
tion he repeats it again in the next Chapter, and in¬
forms us (in very remarkable words) it was nothingelfe
but the Dodtrine contained in thzCreed.
Since thefe things are fo plain, we ought not to feek fur¬
ther, among others, for truth ; which we may eafily find in the
Church : For the Apojlles left mojl fully in it, as in a rich
Repofitory, all things that belong to truth: So that every
one, who will, may take from thence the Water of Life, 8tc.
(out of the Holy Scriptures, he means, as appears by
what follows); And fuppofe the Apojlles had not left us
the Scriptures, fhall we not follow the Order of the Tradi¬
tion, (or Rule of Faith) which they delivered to thofe)
itnto whom they committed the Churches ? To which Ordi¬
nation many barbarous Nations, who believe on Chrijl, af-
fent , having the Dottrine of Salvation, without Taper
and Ink, written by the Spirit in their Hearty and dili¬
gently pref erving the A AJ C LE N T T R A D IT 10 N:
believing in one God, the maker of Heaven and Earth}
and of all things which are therein, by Chrifi Jefus the
Son of God; Who out of his mojl eminent love to his
Creature vouchfafed to be born of the Virgin, uniting Man
to God by himfclf; and fuffering under Pontius Pilate, and
rifing again, and being iHuflrioufly received in glory, fhall come
again, the Saviour ofthofe that are faved, and the Judge
of thofe that are judged : Sending into eternal fire, the mif
[bapers of Truth, and the contemners of his Father, and of
his coming. Thofe that have believed this Faith without Let¬
ters, we, in our Language, call barbarous : but as to their
opinion, and cuflom, and converfation, they pleafe God,
becaufe of their Faith, by which they are mojl wife: living
m all Righteoufnefs, Chajlity, and Wifdom. Unto whom,
if any one fhould fpeak in their Language, thofe things
which Hereticks have invented; they would prefently Jlof
their ears, and run away, not induring to hear the blajphe-
my.
The Miliar and Ground of Truth.
my. Thus by that OLD TRADITION of the
Apoflles ( viz. the Creed ) they do not fo much us admit
into their thoughts, the portentous talk of thofe Here ticks
in his days.
Thefe things I have thought fit to let down, the
more largely, becaufe they are an evident demonftrati-
on, what the OLD TRADITION of the Apoftles
is; which is nothing elfe, but that fummary of Chrifti-
an Truth contained in the Creed : unto which they
would fuffer no other Tradition to be added ; but con¬
tented themfelves with this, as fully fufficient: and by
this judged of all other things, that pretended to come
from the Apoftles : and were every where fo well in-
ftrufted in this, that in thofe Churches which as yet had
not received the Apoftolical Writings (theHoly Scri¬
ptures of the N. T.) they had this Do&rine, as the con¬
tents of thofe Scriptures: and were thought mo(t wife{be¬
ing wife enough to falvation ) in this faith alone, with¬
out any other.
But becaufe this is fuch a very important Truth, I
fhall take a little more pains, to fet down the fenfe of
the Church in all Ages, concerning it: that the Reader
may be fatisfied, there is no other Truth, but this alone,
which is abfolutely neceffary to his Salvation. Which
they fometime comprehend in fewer words; but never
add any one article, beyond thofe in the Creed.
If we had the Letters of Ignatius intire and fincere,
we fhould be able to tell what he took for Truth, im¬
mediately after the Apoftles were dead. And thus much
is evident from them as they now are, that they or he
who contrived the Epiftleto the Philippians under his
name (for it is not thought to be his) took this to be the
Do£b:ine of that Second Age : when after the mention
of the DoQxineof the Trinity, and that the Son of God
w&strulymade Many trulyhorn^ and truly crucified, dead,
I5
16 The Tillar ami Ground of Truth.
and rofe again (not feemingly, not in appearance only,
but in Truth) they make him conclude o mm
Mrtyjft©-. He that believes thefe things, as they are, and
were really done, is a blejfed Man. W hich is an undoubted
teftimony they took this Creed to be fufficient to falvati-
on : which Ignatius in an unqueftioned Epiitle of his
to the Church of Smyrnay calls the immoveable Faith,
wherein he bleifed God, they were perfected, or knit
together ; mentioning no other Articles, but thofe be¬
fore named.
Polycarp alio, in the fame Age , wrote an Epiftle
to the Philippians, wherein they that had a mind and took
L.iir.Cap. care of their falvation, might learn, the character
S'4 0jr fjis paitl) and the Doffrine of: Truth : which was the
*.14. * very fame as Irenaus relates in the forenamed Chapter,
with that fet down by him, whichTie calls that one
and only Truth which he received fram the- Apojlles, and
delivered to the Church
And what they taught in JJia, and Irenes us in France,
that Tertullianr. in the latter end of the fame Age, taught
in A/rick, that there is but one only immoveable, irreform*
L. de Vdandls able Rule of Faith (h) (that is, there is no other form of
Virg.e. 1. believing but this, as de la Cerda honeftly interprets the
word irreformabilis ) in one God, Almighty, the Creator
of the World, and in his Son Jefus Thrift, born of the Fir-
gin Mary, crucified under Pontius Pilate, raifed the third
day from the dead, received up into Heaven, and fitting
now at the right hand of the Father, and ftjall come to
judge the quick- and the dead, by the refur reel ion alfo of
t he Flefh.
This he calls in that place, the Law of Faith: which
he fets down, in more words, in another Book; where he
Prefaces to it by this remarkable propofition as he calls it,
(i) L. It pw- (f) that there is one, and the fame certain Dotlrine inftitu-
pifti9n.c*9- ted by Thrift,, which all people ought to believe and con-
fequently
The fillar and Ground of Truth
*7
fequently to feek, that, when they have found it, they
may believe. Now the inquifition of one certain appoint¬
ment cannot he infinite: which is an incouragement to
feek till one find, and believe when he hathtound y be-
caufe there remains, faith he, 4 Nothing more but to pre-
4 ferve and keep, what thou haft believed. For thou
4 believejl this alfo, that there is nothing elfe to he believed.
4 And therefore no further inquiry to be made, when
4 thou haft found and believed, that which was appoin-
4 ted by him, who did not command thee to enquire af¬
ter any thing, but what he appointed.
Upon which principle having a little further enlarged,
he proceeds to lay down the (k) Rule of Faith (that chap.
one certain appointment, which if one believe, there is no- xm*
thing elfe to be believed ) whereby we believe there is one
God alone, and no other but the Creator of the World,
who made all things of nothings by his Word, emitted be*
fore all things. That Word called his Son, feen varioufly
in the name of G 0 D by the Patriarchs, heard in the Pro¬
phets, and at Iafl brought down by the Spirit and power of
God the Father into the Virgin Mary, made flefh in her
Womb, and horn of her, became Jefus Chrifl: and thereup¬
on preachedthe new Law, and the newpromife of the King¬
dom of Heaven \ wrought miracles, was crucified, rofe the
third day, was taken up into Heaven, fitteth at the right
hand of the Father, fent the vicarious power of the Holy
Spirit, who works in believers : fhall come in glory, to take
holy perfons to the enjoyment of eternal Life, and the ce-
leftial promifes, and to condemn the prophaneto everlafting
fire: both parties being raifed up again, with the reftoring
of the flefh.
This is the Rule, about which fie, there faith, there are
no queflions : the Rule, in which Faith intirely confifls \
that Faith which will fave a Man: unto which curiofity
ought to yeild : for to know nothing againfl the Rule is
D 2 to
/
i S The Tiihr an Ground of Truth.
to know all things. And beyond this Rule, he there expref
xiv?'w'X' ty argues> 00- there is nothing to be believed : for if we
tmm'trit finis ftill be to feek for Faith, where fhall we reft ? Where /ball we
qutemdi ? make an end of feeking ? Where {hall we make a ft and and
Ymdi T&c. flay our believing ? Or where fhall a full ft p be put to finding ?
And that this was the conftant Do£trine of thofe
times and places, it appears from hence, that as Irenaus
often repeats this Rule and this alone, fb doth he a. third
timeinfift upon this, even after he became a Montanift ;
as the only Rule that had rundown to their times from
the beginning of the G of pel: which he had always pro-
feffed, and now much more, being more fully (as he
fancied ) inftrufted by the Paraclete, the leader into all
Truth. W ho durft not (it feems) though he pretended to
Revelations, adventure to alter this Rule : which Ter-
tullian recites again, (\m) in the fame terms, without
cap. 2.' any inlargements, as he had done in his former Books.
And thereby fatisfiesus, that he did not cafually make
this the Rule of Faith, but that it was his conftant fenfe:
which though he do not exprefs in the very fame words
and fyllables, it only fhows they had no other fenfe, but
(n) l. iv. this in their minds. And, as Vigilius (ji) fpeaks about
am Elit)chl' this very matter, nec prajudicant verba, ubi fenfus incoln-
mis permanet, the words do not make a wrong opinion,
where the fenfe remains fafe and found. Which may
be applied to all the forms of belief, which were in the
Church of Rome, of Acjnileia, and in the Churches of
the Eaft, before the great Council of Nice : none of
which differ in fenfe (though in fome words they do )
nor have one Article of Faith more, than the Creed now
(o)Aptog, contains:: which Tertullian (d) once more calls the Rule
of Truth, which comes tranfmittedfrom Chrift, by his compa¬
nions, or A poftles r and in another place, moil fignificant-
v„ ly, that ONE, EDICT of GOD, which hangs up (as the:
Yd cams Edi&s of the Emperor did in a Table.) to be read by all (p\.
, a- Nor
CaP- 47'
Qp) DiRtfitr-
The Tlllar and Ground of Truth. i p*
Nor was there any other Faith in the next Age to
i!! this (in the third Century ) as we may be latisfied from
j , Origen, who in his Preface to his Books 'Ap^c, think-
'{® ing it necelfary firft to lay down a certain line, and
®; fejl rule, by which to inquire concerning other things,
* and having diftinguilhed between things necelfary to
'""i be believed, and thole which are not necelfary ; he gives
1!'K the fumm of thole things, which were manifefily
f uercd by the Jpofolical Preaching :and it is nothing elle,
s/™ but the prelent Creed: about which, he faith,- there is
'P® one fenfe of the rvhole Church.
And in his firft Book againft C elf us who laid the
Chriftian Religion was Kp v'tpiov Jiy/Ma cldncular Doctrine,
^ which they hid and concealed, he avows that the Chri-
h"- ftian Doctrine was as well known in the World, as the
■ Opinions of Philolbphers. For who doth not know that we
believe JeJus was born of a Virgin,
iak from the Dead, will come to Judgment, andSinners
tlfc and reward the Righteous according to their Deeds Nay,
the MyJlery of the future Refurreclion is divulged, though
i to laught at by unbelievers. Thefe were the great things,
^ which were commonly taught, and all obliged to be¬
nt lieve; as for others, which were not common, the Philo-
®i lophers, he tells him, had their abftrule Doftrines as well
®|- as Chriftians. To this purpole we meet with a notable:
palfage in Epiphanius (in the fucceeding Age) which-
Ihows that the fubftance of the Chriftian Faith concer¬
ning our Saviour was commonly known, even by thole
who did not profefs it; and underftood to be this which
Origen mentions. For a Jew coming to glee an emi¬
nent Man of his Nation who was fick, whilpered this,
in his Ear, when they defpaired of his life, * Believe in *
Jefus who was crucified under Pontius Pilate the Governor, *>• 9t
being the Son of GO D, and afterward born of Mary, the
Chrift of GO D, and raifed from the dead, and that He
(ball come to judge the quick and the dead. S. Cy=-
I
1
TO
(o) Epifl. ad
Magnum de
ba.pt. Novate
edit. Rig.
M52.
* So\om?n.
l. in. c. 5.
M t, ir.
Ecelef. Hip.
c. 10.
The Tillar and Ground of Truth.
S.Cyprian (0) alio plainly fhows there was no other
Faith in his Church: when he anfwers thole who faid,
the Novatians, held the fame Law that the Catholick
Church held, and baptized into the fame Creed', belie¬
ving the fame God, the Father, the fame Chrifi the Son,
the fame Holy Ghofl; that this would not avail them
C for Chore and Dathan and Abiram, believed the lame
God with Mofes and Aaron) ; and befides, they did not
believe remifpon of fins, and eternal life, by the holy
Churchfince they had left the Church.
Lucianus alio a famous Presbyter of the Church of
Antioch, and a Martyr for the Faith of Chrifi:, left a
form of believing,-written with his own hand *,if we may
believe the Bifhops affembled at Antioch, who lent it
about in the time of the Arian Controverfie, to prove
they were none of his followers, but held r mw
the Faith which had been let forth from the be¬
ginning : and it is this, as Socrates reports it (q); We
have learnt from the beginning to believe in one God of the
whole World, the maker andpreferver of all things intelli¬
gible and fenfible ; and in one Only begotten Son of God,
fubflfling before all Worlds, and being together with the Fa¬
ther who begot him ', by whom all things were made, whether
vifible or invifible ; who in the lajl days came down, by the
good pleafure of the Father, and took flefh of the Holy Vir¬
gin, and having fulfilled the whole Will of his Father, fuf-
fered and rofe again, and returned to Heaven, and fitteth
at the right Hand of the Father, and fhall come to judge
the quick and dead, and remainetb Kjng nnd God for ever.
And if it be needful to add it, we believe the Re fur region
of the flefh and life everlafling.
I will not trouble the Reader with a larger Creed
of theirs which^there follows, more fully explaining the
Doftrineof the Trinity ; becaufe it belongs to the fol¬
lowing Age, Cent AY.
In
The Miliar and Ground of Truth. 21
In which, it is known the Nicene Fathers me1* to let-
tie the Controverfie about the Son of God: but did not
a make any new Creed, or add one Article to what had
been believed before; but only explained one Article,
thrift tkii fenfe of which the Jrians perverted. No, they
,ot availt| were lb far from inlarging the Chriftian Faith, that
itved thefc when they met together they recited no other Creed,
but that of the A parties : as Laurentius Valla affirms he
fijtjtlft! had read in ibme ancient Books of Ifidore ; who colle£ted
the Canons of old Councils. And accordingly when
tkGii they had drawn up that Creed, which they publifhed,
m ]. they did not think they had made the leaft change in the
, matter of Faith; but declared that, this (r) was the (rjEpiphanius
, Creed delivered by the Holy Jfofiles. Which S. Ambrofe (J) c^strr^l's.
in that Age calls clavern the key, S. Hierom indicium Mmn. EpifL
the mark or fign of Faith : in which after the confefad
(ion of the Trinity, and of the Unity of the Churchy
the whole Myftery of the ChriJtian Religion is conclu¬
ded, in the Refurreclion of the flefh. And which Greg.
JSaz>ianz>en, in his fecond Letter to Cledonius , calls,
* o-iwrotcov o&wva,^ )&v'ov& # a fhort bounda- * 0\At\
/ CUU/o-w// uvvj Kj r&rvy«, •* nyys > , Ct yJUf l> C£/W/W»-
ry and rule of our fenfe or judgment: i. e» of the Faith beglnmng'
A" of Chriftians. '
S. Jujlin efpecially in a great number of places, de¬
clares, that this is the only Faith required to make a
Man a Chriftian* Particularly in his (/) Book he wrote (t}L.deFidi
on purpofe about this matter; which he begins thus,rom!m!K
Since the jujl live by Faith, the greater care muft be taken
im\i tjfat Raith be not corrupted', and then adds, Now theCa-
uy': tholique Faith is made known to the faithful, in the
Ap Creed. Which having explained , he concludes his
Book in thefe words ; which few words are known to
the faithful, that believing they may be fubdued to God;
and being brought under his Yoke may live aright; and
aright , may cleanfe their Heart ; and their
Heart
ft
V
00
The (Pillar and Ground of Truth.
Heart being clean fed, they may underfl and what
lieve.
In like manner before he begins the Explication of the
Genefis («), he lets down what the Catholique
imp'erfeXs. ' Faith is; becaule Hereticks were wont to draw the Scri¬
ptures to their own lenfe, againil the Catholique Faith.
And the Catholique Faith, by which he confiders all
things, is nothing elle but that in the Creed:
beginning with the belief of God the Father Almighty,
and concluding with the belief of eternal Life, and the
fromife of the heavenly
Which is agreeable to the direction he gives to others,
(*)z..lil. c-2- in his Book of Chrijlian Doctrine (jc); that in all ambi¬
guous things, the rule of Faith be conliilted, left any
lenle, that is contrary thereunto, be admitted. Which,
LOT. be ellewhere faith *, is the rule of Faith common to little
and great in the Church.
It is needlels to add any more out of that Father; and
I fhall but briefly mention the Creed of Pope Damafus
f Tom.iv. in the lame Age ( among S. Hieroms Works 1") which
is only a confeflion of the blefled. Trinity, with the reft
of the Articles concerning the Conception, Birth, Death,
Relurre£Hon, Alcenfion, Exaltation, and coming again
of our blefled Saviour, to raile us from the Dead, and
to give to every Man according to his works : conclu¬
ding with thele oblervable words ; Read thefe things, be¬
lieve thefe things, retain thefe things: thy Soul
to this belief, and thou fhalt obtain life and reward from
Chrijl.
But the words of the great Athanafius alone are liiffi-
cient to this purpole: in the Letter which he, and the
(0 Tom. i. Bilhops with him, lent to the Emperor fovinian (z),
Theodora& where they tell him the Faith confefled by the Nicene
i. iv. Eccief. Fathers, is that which was preached tf «*?>•©-, from the
Hijt. c. 3. very beginning : unto which all the Churches every
where
'Doe Pillar and Ground of 2 3
' where content, whether they be in Spain or Britain, or
1 France,or all Italy :with thole in Dalmatia,
' fia,Macedonia, and all Greece, all Africk, Sardinia,
' prus, Crete, Pampbylia, Lycia, If anna, Egypt, Lybia, Pon-
' tus, Capadocia, and their next Neighbours, with all the
' Churches of the Eajl ( a few excepted who were
' ans) whofe minds they knew, and whole Writings
' they had to produce. And then having let down the
' Nicene Creed, they conclude : In this Faith it is necef-
4 fary for all to remain, as Divine and
1 not to change it. For which he gives this realbn, in
another account of it,-to Epicletus (a) Bifhop of Corinth rff'
becatife it is fufficient for the overthrow of all
and for the efiablifoment of a pious Faith in Chrifl.
Which is a plain declaration, that this Faith is not de-
feftive : and that in the Creed, commonly ateribed to
him, there was no intention to add any new Article of
Faith, but only to explain the old. For a whole Synod
( viz. that at Sardis ) forbad, he tells us in another
place (f); any other Faith to be written but this, with
which all fhould reft contented , aw A umAv cwl« "P-"*'
& C. becaufe there rvas nothing wanting in it, but it was full
of godlinefs : and that there ought no new Faith to be
let forth, left this fhould feem to be imperfect, and
on fhould be given, to them that had a mind, to be often
writing and defining concerning Faith.
I omit that Confelfion of Faith which S. Bafil makes,
in his Book of the true Faith(c); aQd two others in (0Tom.n,
Epiphanius ; of both which he laith, that the Faith of the 354-
Holy Church (d), and that they were delivered by the (d)in Anchtr.
Apojlles. Which is a further confirmation, that though
they added many more words to the Apoftles Creed,
yet they added no new Article of Faith: but only ex¬
pounded more largely the meaning of lome part of it,
upon the occafion of lome Herefies, which troubled the
E Church
24 T/?e Titlar and Ground of Truth.
Church in thofe times. When it was fo far from their
thoughts to add any new thing to the firft Creed, that
(e) Epft.de among the numerous Creeds, we find, in Athanafius (e),
S&°sdwd*m% *n Eufebiusy and otfatvs, there is not one of them, that
makes any fuch attempt.
Nor did the Second General Council of Conflantino-
file defign any more ; but only %p*Tvycu to ftrengthen and
* l. v. cap. 8. confirm the Nicene Faith y as Socrates * fpeaks. Which
Conftantinopolitan Creed, or one very like, Cyril of Hie-
rufalem expounded in his Church: and faith it was the
only Faith delivered by the Churchy and fortified by all the
(f Cdtechefx. Scripture (g). 4 For fince all are not able to read the
P- 44- 4 Scriptures, and fome by their want of underftanding,
' others by their bufinefs are hindred in acquiring that
4 knowledge, therefore, left Mens Souls fhould be loft
* by ignorance, we have comprehended, in a few fentences,
4 70 duv $ A&wy the whole Doctrine of Faith. Which
* he earneftly preffes them to have written not in Paper,
4 burin their Heart: and to carry it about with them as
c their Viaticum in the whole courfe of their life: and be-
4 fides this to receive no other. No, faith he, if I fhould
4 change my mind, and teach the contrary, do not be-
' lieve me; no nor an Angel from Heaven, as the Apc-
4 ftle fpeaks, if he fhould Preach any other Gofpel, but
c that you have received. For thefe Articles of Faith
4 were noty as it feems, compofed by Men but the principal
cthings being gathered together out of the SCRIPTURE,
4 they fill up one Doctrine of Faith.
But it is more than time to proceed to the Fifth Age,
in which we find them fb ftedfaft in this perfwafion
(that the ancient Creed contained all things neceffary to
be believed) that the Fathers affembled in the Third
(y.Ci«.vii. General Council ([b) 2XEphefusy exprefly decreed, that
it fhould not be lawful for any Man to produce, or write, or
compoje iri&v Aw, any other Fait h, be fides that defned by
the- N icene Fathers. A nd
k
The Pillar and Ground of Truth. 2 j
And that, if any durfi be fo bold as either to compofe, or
offer any other Faith, to thofe that would be converted, from
Heathenifm, or Judaifm, or whatfoever Here fie \ if they
were Bifljops, or Clergy-men, they fbould be depofed ; if Lay¬
men, they fbould be anathematized. By which we may
learrl what would have become of the Pope himfelf, if
he had attempted then, what his Succeflbrs in thefe lat¬
ter times, have done.
For fo facredly did they keep to this, that S. Cyril of
Alexandria (i) tells Job. Antiochenus, they could not in- (q r»m. v. /
dure that the Faith defined at Nice, or the SymbolPars
of Faith there made, fhould by any means be fhaken :
nor do rve fuffer our felves or others to change one word of
what is there, or to go befides it, fo much as in one fyliable
remembring him that laid, remove not thricncient Land¬
marks, which thy Fathers have fet thee: for it was not
they that fpake, but the Spirit it Jelf of God, and the Fa¬
ther. Which he confirms by the fore-mentioned Letter
of Athanafius to Epicletus : which fome, he faith, had fet
forth adulterated and depraved, and therefore he trans¬
mits it to him Sincere and uncorrupted, out of ancient
Copies. And he had the greater reafon to fay, they
could not alter one word of it; becaufe the Council of
Ephefus it Self, though it decreed againfi: Neforius, that
the bleffed Virgin was ©Wa©-, the Mother of God, yet
they would not add that word to the ancient Creed:
but thought it Sufficient to determine the point againft
him. This Cyril further declares in an Epiftle to Ac a-
cius (k); where he confutes thofe who accufed him of(QA.p.ti2.
receiving a new Creed, in thefe words: None ever re¬
quired of us a new Expoftion of Faith, nor do rve admit of
any from others \ o^h $ iyjv« st'omArO- See. for the
divinely-infpired Scripture fufflceth us, and the vigilance of
the Ancient Fathers, and the Symbol of Faithwhich is
exactly conformed to all right opinions.
E 2 And
—*—
The (pillar and Ground of 'Truth.
And it is well known that the next General Couneil
at Ch alee don renewed this Canon of the Council of
Ephefus: Decreeing in the very lame words, with very
little alteration, that no Man produce or mite any
other Faith, nor think or teach under the pe¬
nalties before-mentioned ; only, with this difference, that
to Lay-men are added Monagainft whom the Synod
decreed an Anathema , if they prefumed to teach any
other Faith.
In the Sixth Age, the fame was again repeated in the
Fifth General Council at under the Em¬
peror JuJiinian :they fblemnly profefling, in their Third
Seflion, that they embraced all the Four foregoing Ge¬
neral Councils; which is renewed in their Eighth Seflion,
and all their Decrees confirm'd, with a particular de¬
fence of the laft Council at C concluding with
the fame fblemn Decree, that none ihould dare to teach
or write any thing contrary to thofe conftitutions, but if
he were a Bifhop or Clergy-man he fhould be depofed;
if a Monk or Laick, anathematized.
JuJlinian himfelf alio ill his Epiftle to the Bifliops at
(l) i» Colli- Conflantinople (/) takes fpecial notice, how the Fathers
tUnei. quint*jn £jie councii aj Ghakedon anathematized thofe who had
delivered, or do deliver any other Creed, but that which
pas expounded by the 318 Holy Fathers, and explained by the
150 Fathers ; that is the Creed, expounded by
the two firli General Councils at Nice and
pie.For we * would have you know (faith he) that thofe
things which were expounded and defined by the four holy
Councils of Nice, Conflantinople, Ephefus and
Chalcedon, concerning ONE AND THE SAME
F A ITH, we keep and defend and follow them, and all
that are confonant to them. And is not
fonant to this, or may be found by any perfon written againft
thofe things, which were defined concerning ONE AND
THE
Syn
*•!«». V.
JLabb. Edit,
g. 42.2,
\
I
The Tillar and Ground of Truth.
THE SAME FAITH in thof four Councils, or in
one of them, that We execrate, as altogether abhorrent from
Chriftian piety. And this Emperor was no mean Di¬
vine (though Baron'm is pleated to flander him as illi¬
terate, and prefumptuous for medling in matters of
Faith) for Pope Agatho himfelf, and the whole fixth
General Council, who approved of s Letter (ni) vr.
put him in the rank of the moft excellent Fathers and Aa- 4-
Eccledaflick Writers. For to prove out of the Fathers,
two Natures in Chrilf, he tells Pogonatus,
that S. Cyril,S. Chryfoftomeand a great many other Bi-
fhops, whom he names, taught this, & &rc.
and above all thefe, that zealous defender of the true and
Apoftolick Faith, Juftinian the Emperor of pious memory,
mo
fe integrity of Faith did as much exalt the Chriftian
Commonwealth, as by the fmcerity thereof, it was
to God,See. which is enough to make the defenders of
the prefent Roman Church, blufh at the infihcerity of
their great Annaiift who makes this Emperor to have
been a perfeft block, not paft his A. B. C.(#) whom At.
of their own Popes, (who lived in the next age to ».22. and many.
him, and is Sainted by them) makes equal (to fay noothefplaces.
more) unto S .Chryfoftome,and thegreateftBifhopsthat
had been in the Church.
I might add the praifes which Pope Gregory the great
gives of him in many places: but I fhall rather obferve
how he in the later end of this Age, concurrs with him,
and with the forenamed Councils, in this opinion; that
no other Faith but this was to be admitted. For giving
an account of his Faith (V) as the manner was, upon („) L%
his advancement to the Papacy, and fpeaking of the four 24.
firft General Councils, in fb high a Style, that he pro-
feffed to receive and reverence them, as the four Books
of the Holy Gofpel; he gives this reafon for it: * becaufe
' on- thefe, as one a fcyuare ft one, the fir it 'hire of the Holy
BQ
ifflBIl
V ?
_.A ,
2 8 77;e ^Pillar and Ground of Truth.
e Faith arifeth, and the rule of every ones life and all ion
* confifls. So that whofever doth not hold this (olid
ground, although he appear a Stone, yet he lies out
i of the building : After which words, he alio profelTes
his veneration of the fifth Council, and approves of all
that they ordained.
This cuftom (in the Roman Church particularly)
of giving an account of their Faith, to their Brethren
when they were newly advanced to the Priefthood, is
(p)Epifi. 2. mentioned by Pope Gelafius Q>) ; and leems to have been
begun, upon occafion of the great faftions which were
railed againft the Council of Chalcedon. Whereupon
Ckilderick King of France, as loon as Pelagius was advan¬
ced to the See of Rome, upon the death of Vigilius
(whole fentence had been condemned as heretical in
the 5th Council ) delired to know if he held the defini¬
tion of the Council of Chalcedon ( which contained the
Niccne, Conftantinopolian, and Ep he fine Faith : ) unto
which he anfwered in a Letter, which is in the body
(q\Desrtt. of the Canon Law (q), that he received the definitions
xxv%°if t'le 4- General Councils concerning the Catholique
c.x.' Faith ; and then having rehearled the Creed, I believe
in one Lord, Father, and Son, and Holy Ghofi, viz. the
Father Almighty, &c. he thus concludes. This therefore
is my Faith, and the hope which is in me by the gift of
the mercy of God: of which S. Peter commands us to be rea¬
dy to anjwer to every one who asks a reafon, Gr an account
of us.
From which it appears fufficiently, that they had no
other account to give of their Faith, in thole days,
than that which we now give in our Church : who be¬
lieve all that they did then, and believe, as they did,
that nothing more is neceflfary to be believed.
But it will be ulefull if I give a brief account alio of
the fence of the following Ages in this matter. And
in
The Tillar and Ground of T'ruth. 29
in the VII. Age Pope Agatho, before mentioned, lent a Sy«
nodical Epiftle (from himfelfand 125 Bifhops aifembled
at Rome) to the 6th General Council, held alio at
Confiantinople, in which there is a confeflion of their
Faith ( which they fay they were taught by the Apofio-
lical and Evangelical Tradition : ) which con flits of no
more Articles than are in the foregoing Creeds. It is in-
{erted into the A£ts of that General Council (r), where- 00 stfAV.
in thofe Creeds were again recited and confirmed, in Stxt* S^H-
the fame words and under the famo penalties* as in the
Councils of Ephefus and Ch alee don : with a fevere pro¬
hibition of fo much as a Kettvo^via a new manner of fpeecb,
or invention of a word, to the fubverfion of what was then
determined.
Which was done more largely, in the Council imme¬
diately following, called ntv&yjn (being a kind of fup-
plement to the former fitting in the fame place ) where
it was decreed, in the very firft Canon, that the Faith
delivered by the Minifiers of the Word9 stoKe!™/ a^a
the divinely chofen Apojlles, who were eye witnefifes to him9
(houldbe preferved aKAiv97vfW\ov without any innovation, im¬
mutably and inviolably. And then they ratify diftinftly
the Decrees of the Nicene Council, and the other five
following General Councils, which they name in order,
with the occafion of them : and conclude with thefe
words. We neither intend to add any thing at all to what was
formerly define d9 nor to take away any thing : nor can we, by
any means do it.
In thefe two Councils Pope Honor ins was condem¬
ned as an Heretick : which I mention only for this rea-
fon ; that the ground of his condemnation was,* becaufe
he had confented to the defiling of thz undefiled Rule
of Apofiolical Tradition, viz. the Creed. They are
the words of Pope Leo the fecond; who receiving the
Afts of the fixth Synod, which were tranfmitted to him,
anathe-
vq ThefilUr Md Ground of
anathematized Flonorius , becaufc he had not adorned
that Afoflolic.il Church , the Doctrine of
cal Tradition.
In the next Age (which was the VIII^ after Chrift)
the fecond Council at which fet up the wor-
fhip of Images, paft the feme condemnation upon
(n Alt. vii. Ihm : and making mention of the fix (/) foregoing
Councils, they confirm and all that had been
vered from the beginning : only they fraudulently add,
to bring in their Image worfhip, whether written or un¬
written. Which made the firft alteration in the Do-
£trine of the Church : all the foregoing Councils, ha¬
ving derived their Faith, wholly from the Scriptures.
As the following Council at did, where as the
worfhipping of Images was condemned ; lo the Holy
Scriptures were highly extolled, in words which figniti¬
ed they thought them their only fafe Directors. The
thirtieth Chapter of the lecond Book of the Capitulate of
Charles the Great, abounds with fuch expreflions as thefe,
the Scripture is a Treafure that wants no good, but is re¬
dundant in all that Good is. And in the beginning of the
Third Book, he and the Fathers there affembled, give
an account of their Faith, in a Creed, which they inti¬
tule, AConfejfion of the which we have
received from the Holy , which we hold and believe
with a pure heart. It is that in S. Works, in-
icribed, Symboli explanatio ad I. which they
thus fubferibe, This is the true integrity of the Catholique
tradition of Faith, which we believe andconfefs with a fin-
cere hearty Stc. 1 his ts the true Faith, this confejjton we
v preferve and hold: which and unde-
flled,he /hall have ever lofting Salvation.
Thus far therefore, they were not got beyond the
firft Creed, of which this is the explanation. Nor was
John Damafcen himfelf advanced any further; but con¬
fined
Tbs ^Pillar and Ground of Truth. \ i
fined his belief to what is contained in the Law and the
Prophets, Apoftles and Evaagelifls, tpanit* tit»y
(j), fee king for nothingbeyond thefe. 4 For fince 00
6 God is good, and envies no body, he concludes that he *
' hath revealed there all that is profitable for us, and con-
c cealed only thole things we are not able to bear. 4nd
' therefore let us love, laith he, thefe things y let us abide
c in them : not removing the Eternal Boundaries, nor going
' beyond the Divine Tradition.
Which they leem to have prelerved, without excee¬
ding the ancient limits, in the beginning of the Ninth
Age. For in a Council at Mentz, (»), care is taken for 00 An. 8r$.
teaching the People the Creed, ( which they call ftgnacu- Can'XLV'
turn fideiy the leal of Faith ) and the Lords Prayer \ for
which end they are required to lend .their Children to
School, or to the Monafferies, or their Parilh Priefts, that
they might rightly learn the Catholique Faith and the
Lords Prayer.
Hitherto therefore the Catholique Faith was contain¬
ed in the common Creed, which had been from the be¬
ginning. But towards the latter end of that Age, the
Council of (jc) Conftantinovle (which the Roman Church 00 An. 26$.
calls the the VIIIth General Council) began to talk of A^'lo'CanJ<
the ReguU Patrum, the Rules of the Fathers (in ftead
of the ancient word ReguU fidei, the Rule of Faith,
which is the Apoftles Creed ) and called them the Se¬
condary Oracles. And therefore profeffed not only to
hold all that the Catholique Church received from the A-
pojlleSy and the General Councils : hut f rom any Father or
great Doctor in the Church. Which was the ready way
to change the Faith of the Church ; and to turn par¬
ticular Mens Opinions, into matter of common belief:
though no new Article was as yet put into the ancient
Creed.
F
The
mtw 3 2 The Tillar and Ground of Truth.
p v The two next Ages are acknowledged to be fobar-
- SB: ^ barons, by the Writers of the Roman Church, that
1 I they are alhamed of them : and in fome Colleftions they
P v have made of the Councils, there is not fo much as one-
mentioned in the Tenth Age.
And in the following, there were fo many frivolous
things debated, and fuch Corruptions crept into the
Chriftian DoQxine, that they run on very tali, to the?
introducing a new Creed into the Church.
Yet this is remarkable, that in the time of Thomas Aqui¬
nas, who flourifhed in the XIIIth Century, the Scripture
ftill continued the only Rule of Faith ; and the Apoilles
Creed, a fufficient fummary of the Faith therein contain-
ed. For in the refolution of this doubt, Why fhould
Articles of Faith be put in the Creed, fince the Scrip¬
ture is the Rule of Faith, to which it is not lawfull to
(/) Sicmdn ^ addy or from it to fubfrabl; his Anwer is(j/), that the Truth
XX. 'Jdpimw. of Faith is difFufely, and after divers manners, and fome-
times., obfourely contained in Scripture : fo that long
ftudy and exercife is required to bnd out the truth of
Faith there, which they that have abundance of bufi-
nefs, have not leifure to ufo. And therefore it was
neceffary that out of the fentences of Holy Scripture,
fomething manifejl and clear fioould he fummarily gathe¬
red, which fbould he propounded unto all to be believed
Which truly is not added to the Holy Scriptute, but rae¬
ther taken out of the Holy Scripture.
And refolving next of all, that, doubt, There is one
Faith ( as the Apoifle faith IV. Ephef ) but many Creeds
(%)ib.adSe- his anfwer is. (jc), that in all the Creeds the. fame truth,
mdm. * /jf Faith is taught. "But it was necejfary the people fhould.
there be infrufled more diligently in the truth of Faith,,
where errors fprtmg up, lejl the Fayth of the fimple Jhould
be corrupted by Her'eticks. And this was the Caufc why,
U was needful to fet forth more Creeds : which differ in
if noy
The JPiltar and Ground of Truth. j j
no other thing hut this ; that thofc things are explained
more fully in one y which are contained implicitly in an¬
other.
To the fame purpofe, many other of that fort of
Writers declare their fenfe, in the following Ages.
.And this alio is worthy of great remark, that no
longer ago, than at the Council of Florence begun 1438
(which the Greeks call the VIIIth General Council)
the Authority of the above-named Ephefwe Canon, about
holding to the Nicene Creed, was prelfed with great
earneftuefs by the Greeks, upon the Latins there af-
fembled. For they faid it was by no means lawful to
add rjfactCltjj, [ml 1 tvy ^7sp^(f), not fo much as
fy liable, nor a phrafe, nor a word: and laid luch a weight p. 162.
upon it, as to affirm, No man will accufe that Faith of
imperfection, unlefs he be mad. * And they likewile *ib. p. 163.
backt it with a paffage in a Letter of Pope Celejline
to Neflorins 'f, where he faith, who is not to be judged^
worthy of an Anathema, that either adds, or takes away ?
x) $ m ttish ti Ism^Kav, v\t ktz y.eicoatv
attvjth. For that Faith which was delivered by the Apoflles,
requires neither addition, nor diminution.
Unto which the Roman Bifhops had nothing to re¬
ply, but that the Canon did not forbid another expo-
fit ion cnjjjLQ&vov t? <fanSdcL, confonant to the Truth in that
Creed : but only >9 cWhSw?* any thing that was p< ^7#
different, or contrary to it. Both thefe they acknowledge
to be prohibited, in thofe words [ No man J,hall bring
in another Faith than that at Nice ] J\^ovo7i btsxTttw- 3
« J>cttptpisaw7 w ctfooTLi'a-y} » urni f Tri&ai y
that is, contrary, or oppoflte, or different, or diverfe, or
ft range from the true Faith. Where it is remarkable, 3.
different, another Faith, is acknowledged to be forbid¬
den, as well as a contrary. Nay, they acknowledge
that none but a General Council could make fo much
A
F 2
as
I
w
3 4 The (pillar and Ground of Truth.
as iii&M zjcSanv another explication of the Articles of that
Creed, though not different from it.
In the Creed of the Apoftles that is, there are lome
things contained implicitely (as Thomas Aquinas you
heard {peaks) and being virtually there, either in the
Letter or the fence, may be drawn from thence by evi¬
dent confequence ( fuch as the Deity of Chrijl, his tm
Natures, the Catholique Church, which was included in
thofe words I believe the holy Church, as this Article
is expreft in the old Roman Creed, and the like) and
yet fuch an explication, thefe Fathers confeffed, could
by no Man, no affembly of Men, lefs than an Oecume¬
nical Council, be lawfully made and impofedupon the
f ib. p. 153. Church. For which they quote Aquinas (whom f they
call 0 2}*®- ecofj&i) that there never was ^ V twp.Com
an explication of the Creed, but in an Oecumenical Council,
and he fpeaks of any Creed whatfoever} which was common
in the Church.
And therefore in conclufion they abfolutely deny that
the Latine Church had added any thing to the Creed.
* For the Nicene, and the Conflantinopolitan Creed are
4 both one : So that the one being read, the other is un«
c derftood : For though they differ in words, they agree
4infenfe and in truth. And the like they affirm of all
4 other Creeds : and thereby anfwer the objection that
4 they had added a word to the Creed, about the pro-
4 ceffion of the Holy Glioft, from the Father, and the
4 Son : which is true, they confeffed, with refpeft to
4 the words, but not with refpeft to the fenfe. Forftill
p. 170. ' the Creed remains %v $ mcmV,« $ J)et<ptpu 701V jniuta * one
4 and the fame \ though it differ in the words. And there-
4 fore it follows it was not properly an addition, but one an A
* the fame things n 7 or the expofition of
* the very fe If fame thing.
\
TIjc 'Pillar and Ground of Truth.
^ '■ All which I have let down thus largely, to fhow that
, thus far therefore, all things continued as they had done
' from the beginning: that is, notwithftanding the new
*"*5 Opinions there were in the Church ; there was no new
" 1 Creed made, no new Article added to the Creed ; no-
*■' thing, but what had been lb at the firft, made necelfary
"h® to Salvation.
Which is the laft thing I oblerve, that till the con-
clufionof the Council of Trent, that is, till a little more
5 than an hundred years ago; there were no other Creeds,,
but thole which we confels and believe in this Church t
which are the Apoftles Creed expounded, not inlarged by
% any new Articles. But then indeed, Pope Pius IV. in
purfuance of the Councils Order, framed another Con-
" felfion of Faith, confifting of no lels than XII. new Ar-
tides, added to the old: never heard of in any Creed,
»« throughout tlie whole Church, till this time. And it
muft be called and efteemed a Faith: and it makes
t that to be a New Church; which fallly calls it lelf the
Itfc Ancient Catkohque Apoftolique Church of Chrift. For
U: it is none of thele, neither Ancient, nor , nor
iff® Apoftolique : but New, Roman, T Church; deri-
M ved I mean from the Roman Bifhops at Trent.
■ml; It will be fit I think to let down this New Creed;
ill that the Reader may compare it, with thole I have
ftp fhown were hitherto the intire Faith of the Catholique
gii Church. It may be found in leveral of our Writers;
isfli but I wifh it were in every bodies hand, and therefore
'or! take the pains to tranlcribe it, for the benefit of thole
*i into whole hands this Book lhall come,
iff
•J
tf
| Pope
The Tillar and Ground of Truth.
y. ;,•• t fV; |
Pope PIVS his Creed.
(
IN. Believe and profefs with a firm Faith) all and every
thing, contained in the Symbol of Faith, which the holy
Roman Church ufes, viz. I believe in one God the Father
Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth, &C. to the end of
that we call the Nicene Creed. After which immediate¬
ly follow the New Articles, in thefe words:
The Apoftolical and Eccleftajlical Traditions, and the rejl
of the 01fervat ions and Conjlitutions of the fame Church)
I mofl frmly admit and embrace.
1 alfo admit ( or receive ) the Holy Scripture according
to that fenfe) which the holy Mother Church ( to whom it
belongs to judge of the true fenfe ) hath held and doth
hold: nor will I ever underfland and interpret it, other-
wife than according to the unanimous confent of the Fa¬
thers.
I profefs alfo that there are truly and properly, Seven
Sacraments of the New Law, inftitutedby JefusChrifi)Onr
Lord; and necejfary to the Salvation of mankind) though
not all of them necejfary to every Man, viz. Baptifmy Con¬
firmation) the Eucharifi, Pennance y Extreme VnHiony Cr-
derS) and Matrimony : and that they confer grace; and that,
of thefe, Baptifmy Confirmation, and Orders cannot be re¬
peated without Sacr Hedge.
I likewife receive and admit) all the received and appro¬
ved Rites of the Catholique Church) in the folemn Admini-
fi rat ion of all the above-faid S acr am ents.
All and every thing, which was -defined and declared about
Original fin, and J unification) by the mofl holy Council of
Trent, I embrace and receive.
I profefs likewife) that in the Mafs is offered to God a
true, proper) and propitiatory Sacrifice for the qmck and
d^ad: and that in the mofl Holy Sacrament of the Kucha-
rift
The Tlllar and Ground of Truth.
rift there is truly, really, and fubftant tally the Body and*
Blood, together with the Soul, and Divinity of our Lord
Jefus Chrift: and that there is a converfion made of the
^ whole fubftance of Bread into his Body, and of the whole
11 fubftance of Wine, into his Blood ; which converfion the Ca-
jj tbolique Church calls TRANSUBSTANTIATION.
^ I confefs alfo, that under either kind ( or fpecies ) only,
" I whole and intire Chrift, and the true Sacrament is received.
1 conftanly hold there is a P urgat ory and that the Souls
there detained, are helpt by the fujfrages of the faithful.
As alfo that the Saints who Reign together with Chrift,are
to be wor[hipped and invocated', and that they offer Prayers
to God for us: and that their Re Ii que s are to be venerated*
I moft firmly afert, that the Images of Chrift, and the
ft Mother of God, the always-Virgin, as alfo of other Saints
11,1 are to be had and retained: and due honour and veneration
'1 to be be (lowed on them. 1
! I affirm alfo, that the -power of Indulgences was left by
Chrift in his Church7 and that their ufe is moft wholefom to
f4' Chrijtian People.
11 ft 1 acknowledge the holy Catholique, and Apoftolique Ro¬
il,; man Church to be the Mother and Miftrefs of all Churches :
fft and I promife and fwear true Obedience, to the Bifhop of
Dub Rome, Succeffor of S. Peter the Prince of Apoftles, and
Vicar of Jefus Chrift.
wb All the reft alfo, delivered, defned and declared by the
facred Canons, and Oecumenical Councils, efpedaily by the
(ft moft holy Synod of Trent, I receive and profefs without
wb doubt : and likewife all things contrary, and whatfoever He¬
re fie s condemned, rejected and anathematized by the Church,
kri I in like manner condemn, rejebt and Anathematize<
(iff This true Catholique Faith, without which no Man can
be faved, which at prefent I freely profefs, and truly hold, I
'o 6 will moft conftantly retain and confefs intire and inviolable
At1 ( by God's help J to my loft breath : and take care, as much
as
I
3 § The Pillar and Ground of Truth.
as lies in me, that it he held, ,and preached by my
■Subjects, or thofe,whofecare belongs tome my Office.
I the aforefaid N. Prom, Vosv and So help me
God, and thefe holy Gofpels.
This Bull ( as they call it) bears date on the Ides of
November, 1564. and concludes in the ufiial manner,
with threats of the indignation of ,and of his bleffed
Apojlles S. Peter and Paul, againft all that lhall infringe
or oppofe it.
And every Reader, I fuppofe, difeerns that this is not
meerly a confellion of Faith, but likewife a lolemn Oath.
And fb the Title of it bears, A Bull concerning a form of
an Oath of profeffion of Faith. Which Oath all Ecclefi-
aftical Perfons, whether , or , as they di-
ltinguifli them, and all Military Orders are bound to
take. ''
And it is aseafie toobferve, that this is perfe&ly New,
both as an Oath, and as a profeffion of Faith. Never was
there any fuch Creed impofed before, or fb much as fra¬
med : much lels tyed upon Men by an For when
thefe Fathers met at Trent, and were to make a profef¬
fion of Faith, by rehearfing the Creed which the Roman
00 stff. in. Church ufes (4), (fb the words are ) they could find none
to profels, but the Nicene Creed; no larger Creed was
in ufe; 110 not there, in the Roman Church: but thefe
very Men who afterward turned New , were
forced to be content with that.
And therefore this new , is moft impudently
pretended to be the true Faith: being in no
fenfe Catholique, neither as to place, nor time. For it
was no where ufed, till they made it, no not there; nor
is now every where believed; and was not at all be¬
lieved, in any Church, for above 1500 Years ; nor now
ufed in that Church it felf, when they admit Members
into
The Pillar and Ground of Truth:
into the Catholique Church, by Baptifm : but they are
put into a ftate of Salvation, by believing, as before, the
old ■ Niccne Creed alone.
Which is a direct contradiction to their new Creed,
which they make necejfary to Salvation but can never
fhow to be contained implicitelyin the old. For it is
as impoflible to draw Water out of a Pumice, as to ex-
tra£t out of the Apoltles Creed, the Do£trine of
fubjlantiation, Worshipping of , Seven ,
the Traditions and other Conjlitu uled in the Roman
Church. Which was never fo much as thought to be
the Mother and Mijlrefs of all Churches; or to have power
to impole new Articles upon the whole Church: elpe-
cially fuch large ones, as take in all the definitions of that
Council of Trent; which they themfelves are not agreed
to this day, how to expound.
Nor had that Synod, if thele Articles could have been
Hi own to be contained in the old Creed, any power to
explain it, and declare them (according to what they
confelfed at the Florentine Council) being far from a Gene¬
ral Council; no, not of thele Wejlern parts of the World.
And clearly fhowed it lelf to be but a fa£tious Party
in the Church, by that very Explication which they
made of this Article, the holy Catholique Church : which
they thus expound, the holy Cath, Apofiolique Roman
Church, the Mother and Mijlrefs of all Churches. For it
is certain the Apoftles could not intend the Roman Church
fhould be comprehended under the Catholique Church,
any more than every other Church, which was then, or
fhould be hereafter; becaule it was not in being: there
was no Roman Church at all, when notwithstanding,
the Church was Catholique.
And hereby Salvation is impioufly confined to the Ro¬
man Church alone, by making the Catholique Church
oLno larger extent than that.
G And
40 The Tillar and Ground of Truth.
And this againft the relolution of their greateft Do¬
lors, who think it no matter of Faith, to be perfwaded
that the Apofiolique See is fixed to Rome. Which Bellar-
f mine (b) proves from hence, becaufe neither Scripture nor
cap.Tradition affirm it. Nay, if Chrift had bidden Peter
to place his See at Rome, he doth not think it would fol¬
low, that he placed it there immoveably. And there¬
fore no Man, according to their own fenfc, is bound to
believe the Apofiolical Church cannot be leparated from
the Roman; which if it fhould happen, and the Apofto-
lick See be removed, fuppole to Paris; the Creed mud
be altered again, and it muft run thus: 1 believe the holy
Catholique and Apofiolique Parifiatt , the
and Miflrefis of all Churches.
In which latter part of the Expofition to this Article,
they force Men to fwear to a downright falfhood. For
if the Roman Church be the Mother of all Churches,
fhe muft be the Mother of her Grand-mother,the Church
of Jemfalem. And it is no truer that flie is the Mifircfis
of all Churches: For all Churches were not taught
the Faith by her; nor do they own her Authority over
them.
But it is time to draw to an end of this matter.
We in this Church of , have always profeffed,
and preferved a true reverence to the IV. firft General
Councils. One, or rather two, of which hathforbidden
under the greateft penalties, any Man to produce, or
compole, or offer, any other Faith, befides that eftabliffied
O) £.1. J-nft- hy the Fathers at Nice-:which Theodoret (c) in innu-
Etcief. c 7. merable places calls the Expofition ofi Faith, and
t'i'v. f." the Faith , the Apoftolical Faith
explained.
And therefore, even for this realbn alone, we cannot
receive the Creed of this Council at , which is
inanifeftly another Faith; added to the Confeffion of the
Nicenc
' . - . ■ > . 1
K ^
The -Pillar and Ground of Truth. 4 \
Nicene Creed: which old Creed, it is madnefs ( as the
Greeks at Florence laid ) to think infufficient. For it is
to think they were all damned for 1500 Years and more,
who knew nothing beyond this, necelfary to be believed:
which no Man in his wits can believe.
For it is contrary to the very Faith it felf ; which
teaches us, as Tertullianfpeaks, to believe this in the fir ft
place, that there is nothing to be believed beyond this. And
we believe lo, with the greateft reafbn, becaufe to ad¬
mit any other Articles of Faith,is to make endlels
in the Church; as to believe contrary Articles, is to fall
into dangerous Herefies. W e know not where to flay,
if we reft not here: for by the fame Authority, that
made thefe, more additions may be made continually,
without end.
There is therefore no fuch Authority in the Church,
that can do this: but that Church which pretends to
it, hath thereby forfeited the Authority, which other-
wife it might have had. As the Church of Rome hath
done: which in the conclufion of that Council, con¬
tradicted what it affected in the beginning. For there,
in its entrance, as I obferved (J), they thinking it ne- (d) seff. in.
ceffary , according to the example of the Fathers, to At _
make, in the very firftplace, a confeflionof their Faith; S)m
and pretending to arm themfelves thereby, as with a
Shield, againft all Herefies, they repeat the Creed, quo
Sancta Romano. Ecclefia utitur; which the holy Roman
Church ufeth, as that Principle in which all that
fiefs the Faith of Chrijl, necefifiarily agree; and, the firm
and 0 NE LT Foundation, againft which the Gates of Hell
(hall not prevail. And they think fit to exprefs it toti-
dem verbis, in fb many words, as it is read in all Churches:
And then they fay , the Nicene Creed, and not one
word more.
Which
The ^Pillar and Ground of Truth.
Which is a plain Confeffion, that this was the Faith
of all Chriftians, and no more, till that time; that it was
the Only firm Foundation; that which was read in
Churches; in which all agree ; the Shield again ft all He-
refies ; the whole Faith then ufed in the Roman ..
And therefore with what Confidence could they make
flich a divifion, and miferable deftrudion, in the Chri-
ftian World, as they have done';. by a vaft number of
new Articles, in which all Chriftians neither do, nor
can agree; and which were not to be found in their
own Creed before ?
No reafbn can be given of this, but the immenfe am¬
bition of that Church, to give Law to all others. Un¬
to which we cannot with a good Confidence fubmit:
efpecially when they impofe fuch a heavy Yoke, as this
belief. Which is the true Makehate between them and
us; the manifeft caufe of that fearful Schifm, which
they, not we, have made, by altering the true Catho-
lique Faith, and Church, and Communion into a Ro¬
man.
This is the true diftindion between them and us.
We ox&Catholiques; they are Romans. We believe the
Gatholiqae Faith of all Chriftians ; they ( as diftinguifht
from us ) believe the Roman Faith, which none believe
but themfelves., We believe that which hath been ever
believed; they believe that which was never believed,
till yefterday, in companion with the Ancient Faith.
Gurs is the belief of the whole Body of Chriftian Peo¬
ple ; theirs the belief of a Sect.
For the Truthl have fhown, which ought to befup-
ported in the Church, in nothing elfe but thole uncon-
troverted myfieries of godlinefs,contained in the Apoftles
Creed : which I have proved to be the only Catholique
Doffrines, embraced by all Churches whatfoever. They
being not the Dodrines of a Sed meerly, but in which
Mys
77; t pillar and Ground of Truth.
j '» j '*
f we, the Roman, the Greek, the ,the Syrian,
l,1j and all other Chriftians are perfectly agreed.
In1 There are particular Men, and feme final! companies
i,. of them, here and there, who underftand fome few of
I' thele DoQrines otherwife than they ought but there
^ is no national Church, of any Country, but entertains
all thele intirely and fincerly, as they have been expound-
j*! ed from the beginning, according to the Creed
i" (which by the way, is the Only Creed the
: have, that Creed called the Ap, being not found
among them (e) ) and thereby are members of ChritFs f
ifti Body, though they do not believe other Do&rines;
:"> which are only boldly called Cathoiique, by the Roman »m- 2°-
^ Church, but are not truly fo ; but only particular Do-
M ftrines of their own Church in which the Cathoiique
lfl Faith and Church is not concerned. As they themlelves
confefs, 'by admitting perlonsinto the Cathoiique Church
(which I noted before) unto remiffion of fins, andeter-
M nal life, without any other belief, but that which we
profels.
A Which makes us think that we might more fafely fwear,
they themlelves believe this to be fiufficient; than they
fi fwear,. as they do, that none can be laved without
m the new Faith, which they have added to the ancient
a# Creed.
thi I have been the larger in this fecond obfervation, be¬
lli caufe it is of great moment for the fetling of our minds
ul in peace, about right belief: and this being letled, I
may looner dilpatch thole that follow.
Self . ' \'f
10 III.
«4
h And the next is, that thele therefore, and thele alone
fhj are the fundamental Truths, upon which our Religion,
M and the very Church it ielf is built.
n, By
The Tillar and Ground of Truth.
By fundamental Truths orDo&rines, we mean fuch
Catholique principles, as are neceffarily to be diftinQdy
believed by every Chriftian : whereby they being built
as it were, upon them, become a Church.
Such truths no doubt there are ; for the Church be¬
ing called here- the Houfe of Gody muft have a Founda¬
tion. Which Foundation is either P erfonal or Doff ri¬
val. The perfonal foundation is Chrifty the chief Cor¬
ner-done, and the Apoftles and Prophets, as Minifters
of his, who laid this foundation. Ephef II. 20. The
Doff rival are thofe grand Truths, taught by them;
which make up our Faith in Chrift. That Common
Faith, as it is called Titus I. 4. that Faith, which is alike
precious, in all 2 Pet. 1. 1. the firft principles of the Oracles
of God, Heb. V. 12. (or as it is literally in the Greek,
the Elements of the beginning of the Oracles of God) the
principles of the Doffrine of Chrijl, or the word of the
beginning of Chrift, Hebr. VI. 1. the form, or draught,
the breviate or fummary ( as it may be tranllated ) of
found words or doffrines, 2 Tim. I. 1 J. the Faith
once, or at once delivered to the Saints, Jude 3. and
particularly committed to the truft ( 1 Tim- VI. 20.)
of thole who were to inftrudl others, in thz common Sal-
vation.
And what can thole truths be, but thole great Do-
ftrines contained in the Creed ; which, it appears from
what I have faid, .the Apoftles left in all the Churches
which they planted ? For we find thefe were in every
Church, as Irenwu allures us ; and thefe altogether one,
as Tertullian fpeaks , and the immovable, unreformahle
Rule of Faith : and therefore may thence conclude,
they were that tk&wtvMm which S. Paul depofited with
•Timothy 1. VI. 20. that good, or that fair, moft ex¬
cellent thing depofited with him, or commended ( as an
ancient Writer tranllates it) to his truft, to be prefer-
7be ^Pillar and Ground of Truth. 45
tta'l vedbyhim: the Creed, as Cyril* of Hierufalem pithily * Catecb.iv,
^4lil; Ipeaks, being d>vctyjt^<th<iiacns avvTopQ' r avoiyKcuw tfby(Mt7wy , p^y; [^'0,
a brief fumm of neceffary Doctrines.
In fome fenle, it is true, there is nothing revealed in
Q|| Holy Scripture, but it may be called fundamental; if we
real refpe£fc only the divine Authority, by which it comes
jlorJ unto us : upon which- account nothing there delivered
lefe may bedenyed, but ought to be believed, with all humi-
a|j lity, when the knowledge of it is offered to us. But if
11,2c, we refpeft the matter and moment of all things con-
lit fc: tained therein, we cannot but fee there is a great diffe-
ftm'j rence ; and that the knowledge of every thing there is
\iTil not equally neceffary, but we may be truly pious though
if i we fhould be ignorant of fome of them. For who can
intld think, for inftance, that it is of the fame necefTity, to
afibe able to give an account of the Genealogy ot ourSa-
j,(m viour (mentioned I. Matth. 111. Luke) and to be-
„ c: lieve that he is the Son of God, made flefh for our Sal-
ill vat ion ?
, | That foundation therefore which was laid in every
; Church (as it wasat Corinth 1 III. 11.) were fuch
y'Po&rines concerning Jefus Chrift, as every Chriftian
' was bound to learn, and aftually believe: in other points
\m . r n~ , . r , ' , | J . n .r |
it funked, ir they had a pious preparation or mind to
learn and believe any thing revealed in the Scriptures,,
when it was fufficiently cleared to them.
Nowthele two things, that there are
tal truths, or firfl principles, and that they are no other
ile {is
ran
than thole contained in the Creed ; ought to be averted.
T and maintained for the honour and glory of God our
' Saviour : which is much concerned herein
m
For it tends
much to the glory of the Almighty lover of Souls, that
9 it fhould be believed he doth not lay equall weight up-
H
on all truths, nor made them alike neceflary to be recei¬
ved, for the obtaining his favour and grace: and that it-
'! fhould.
VI ' J... r..w
^ The Pillar and Ground of Truth.
fhould be certainly known, and be without Conn over-
he and queftion, what thole truths are, which lie ex-
ps£ts fhould be received and heartily embraced, in or¬
der to our Salvation. For otherwile, the moft of Chri-
ftian people muft neceffarily perilh : who either are
not capable of knowing more than thele great things,
or have not the means of knowing more, or not
with any certainty: but muft be content to reft here.
As well they may ; for why was the Creed called by
the name of the Symbol of Faith, but becaufe it was the
mark, or ftgn, which might lerve to diftinguifh true
Chriftians, who embraced it, from , or misbe¬
lievers, who did not receive it, or were defective in it ?
This is the true realbn of the name of which
is as much as tejfera & quo inter fideles &
mMmmhyffid's ficernitur(/)/the token, or badge,
Taur. de Trad, thereby the faithful were known and difiinguimt from the
S0b' perfidious. And therefore it comprehends briefly all the
fundamental points of Faith : elfe it could not be a di-
ftinctive note or charaffer, fufficient to lever right Be¬
lievers from Infidels, Hereticks, and Apoftates.
But fo it was, that they who owned this Creed, were
owned for Chriftians; they who did not confels it, were
rejeded : for by a Man's anfwer to this, who was exa¬
mined, lie was dilcovered (juft as a Soldier is by the
Word) ft hoftis fit, an foetus (as both Ifidore, and Ruffinus
before him fpeaks) whether he were an Enemy, or a fellow
Souldier ofjefus Chrifi. To this Teft alone every one
was brought, by this he was tried, whether
he were a Chriftian of the right Stamp, or a falle adul¬
terate coyn (as the Ancients fpeak ) which is a demon-
ftration that they lookt upon this as a perfed fummary of
the Catholique Faith : fufficient (as you heard
(g) Epifi. adAtbanafius (<g) fpeaks) for the overthrow -of all impiety,
Epiftetiim. aj}y yor fpe ejbab liftmen?of piety in Chrijl. Nay, this
lenle
The 'Tiltar and Ground of Truth.
ft life of the word Symbol, is owned by the Roman Ca¬
techol! it ftlf. Cap. I. Quafl. J.
47
I V.
From whence it neceffarily follows, that no man can
juftly be called an Heretick , who heartily embraces ,
and ftedfaftly holds to this Faith. How fhould he,
when there is no Catholique, no Fundamental Article of
Chriftian Truth ; but he is perfwaded of it, and profeiTes
it? No part of that Creed, which is the Sign, the Mark,
and AW, as you have heard, whereby Chriftians are
approved, and difcerned from misbelievers, as well as
unbelievers, which he doubts of, and doth not ac¬
knowledge.
It is a very lamentable thing, that the imputation of
Herefie fhould be fo frequent and familiar among Chri¬
ftians; upon the account of different Opinions only,
which they are paflionately in love withal, though no
parts of the Catholique Faith. They of the Church of
Rome efpecially arefb foully guilty of this, and fo ftrange-
ly fiery, that they not only account us Hereticks; birt
look upon us as little better than Infidels, nay ftem to
have more kindnefs for Jews, which they tolerate among
them, when they will not fuffer us : who believe all the
Creeds that were known in the Church, for above 1500
years. For they call themfelves Catholiques, in diftin-
ftion from us: whom they will not allow to be mem¬
bers of the Catholique Church ; though we have a clear¬
er title to it than themfelves. For I have fhownthat
we unfeignedly believe whatfoever is truly Catholique,
and rejefb nothing but what is merely Roman.
We embrace t ha t form of Faith,which they themfelves
fay (h') was compoftd by the Apoftlesfor this very end, CO Catecb.
that all might think and[peak the very fame thing \ and that
H there
Id
4S The Tiltar and Ground of Truth.
there might he nofchifms among themy whom they had called
to the unity of Faith : hut they might he perfectly joyned to¬
gether in the fame mind and in the fame judgment.
It is not our faiilt, then, that there is not this unity and
perfect agreement; for we ftedfaftly hold that which
fhouid thus ikik us all together : but it is their fault;
wTio have forfaken this Apoftolical method, by making
another form of Faith, which inftead of uniting hath
broken Chriftians all in pieces. For we cannot agree
to that, becaufe it doth not contain Catholique truths,
which according to Vincentim his rule, have been held
every where, always and by all: but are the Tenents only
of a particular Church *, which hath no power to lay
any other Foundation than that which was long ago laid,
in the truly Catholique Church.
Which Catholique Church we believe better than them-
felves, who appropriate the name of Catholiques to their
own party : and thereby reftrain the Catholique Church,
to thofe of their opinion. This certainly was the He-
refie ol the Donatifis : who efteemed all other Chriftians
(V) optam to be no better than Pagans (J) ; and were reproved ,
by the true Catholiques, juft as we now anfwerforour
Felves, in fuch words astht^Doyou call one a Pagan^aftcr
the profeffion of the Faith ? Can he he a Pagan who hath
believed in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghofi I
For that is a [hort Creed, which comprehends all the
(Jf)L. 2. dz Art icles of the Chriftian Faith, as S. Hilary (k) dit-
Trmtau. courles j who not only calls this forma fidei cert a, the
certain form of Faith: but ( having mentioned thofe
words, Go baptize them in the Name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghofi ) asks this queftion,
what is there, that is not contained in that fame Sa¬
crament , of humane Salvation ? or what is there, that
remains or is oh(cure? All things are full and perfect', as
coming from him that is full and perfect. And thus he con¬
cludes
The Millar and Ground of Truth•
eludes all his Books on that SubjeCt, with this Prayer (/}. CO
I befcech thee, preferve this u tide filed Religion of my Faithy L
and grant me this voyce of my Confidence to the Iafl breath :
that what I pr ofefifed in the Symbol of my Regeneration,
being baptized in the name of the Fat her , and of the Sony
and of the Holy Ghofiy I may always obtain, viz. I may
adore thee our Father, and thy Sony together with thee ;
and do honour to thy Holy Spirit, who is of thee by thbe
only begotten. For he is a fufficient witnefs to Faithy who faidy
Father, all mine are thine, and thine are mineymy Lord J efts
Chrifily who remains in theey and from thee y and with thee al¬
ways God: who is blefifed for ever and ever.
Which I the rather mention becaule it lerves to ilia-
ftrate the prudence and charity of S. Aufiin and the reft
of the Chriftian Bifihops of thole days, who though
they looked upon the Donatifils as Hereticks (in deny¬
ing the Church to be Catholique by confining it to them-
felves) yet diftinguilhed them from fuch Hereticks, as
erred in the prime, and moft Fundamental truths of our
Religion; about the Divinity, and^fhe Incarnation of
our Chrift and luch like. That is, they made a diffe¬
rence even in the Articles of Faith, and lookt upon
lome as more Fundamental than others: being of more
importance, and of greater weight and moment: and
therefore judged more mildly of them, than they did
of luch, as denyedthe Holy Trinity ; or held any Do¬
ctrines which impeached the glory of the Father, or
of the Son, or of the Holy Ghoft. And therefore they
ftill called thefe Donatifilsy Brethren \ they pitied them as
Men leduced by their Guides, and profeifed lincere love
and affeftion to them, whether they accepted it or no.
Though fuch was the peevilhnefs of thatSeft, that they
abuled this charity of good Catholique Chriftians to¬
wards them \ juftas they of the Church of Rome do our
charity now. For from thence they took occafion to
H 2 argue
5 0 The 'Pillar an Ground of
argue that they were in the right, even by the Concef-
fions of their Adverfaries; whicli juftified both them
L?2 coml and their heretical Schifm. For laid they,
lit. petUiani.find no faults in our baptifm nor confec^itcntly in our ,
c if. nit. into which we baptize for if you could, you would bapt ize thofe
over again who come from us to you, as we baptize thofe again
who come fromyou to us.Which is as much as to fay, you
allow there is a Church and Salvation among us, but we
allow no Church, no Salvation among you; therefore it
is fafeft for all to joyn with us, not with you.
Which is the very Charm whereby they of the Church
of Rome endeavour now to work upon the fpirits of fimple
people among us : though no wifer, than this argument of
a company of mad men would be if they had fo much
cunningremaining as to fay to us,we deny you to be Men,
but you allow us to be Men, therefore we are fit for all
Mens fociety, not you, who are but a herd of Beafts. And
what S .Aitfiinanfwers to the Donatijls, is a full anfvver
(it) l. i. de to the prefent Romanifts; which is this in fhort (») (for
Eaptifmo it is befides my bufinefs, to do more than mention thefe
nZ'ijlas ex. tilings ) when we fpeak favourably of'yoit is for the fake
of What you have of ours, not for what you have of your
own : let that which you have of ours be fet , and we
approve of nothing at all among you.
But I will hot further enlarge upon this, nor fay much
of the next: which is very plain.
V.
They therefore, who condemn thofe as Hereticks,.
who Excommunicate them and pronounce Anathema's
againft them, that believe the whole Catholique Faith ;
are the great difturbers of the Chriftian World, and
the true caufe of the Divifions and breaches that are in
the Body of Chrift. And who they are that do thus,
The Tllltr and Ground of Truth.
is vifible to every eye: the Church of Rome having
thought fit not to reft fatisfied, with the fimplicity of
thofe often mentioned Catholiquc fundamental Truths,
which are without Controverfie and unqueftionable;
but, as if that Faith which the old Chriftians thought
compleat, they take to be defective, have adjoyned as
many more n-w Articles, to the old body.- and that
under the pain of damnation, if we do not believe
them.
I have told you what they are, andif you look them
over again, you will find that upon thole have all the
Contefts rifen between us and them. The neceffary
fundamental Truths, which conftitute the Church
( which was built upon no other for many Ages) are
on both fides unqueftioned: but becaufe we queftion,
or rather deny thole which they would impofe, which
we are certain are no part of the Chriftian Doctrine,
they call us Hereticks. That is, becaufe we will not
yield Obedience to their ulurpt authority ; becaufe
we cannot believe their new inventions, to be Catho-
lique, and fundamental Doftrines. Here is the true
reafon of all the miferable ruptures that are in this part
of the World.- nay, this is the juft grievance and com¬
plaint of all Chriftians (who know any tiling of thefe
matters) but themfelvesalone.
VI.
And their guilt is herein the greater, becaufe the beft
learned among themfelves have confelfed thefe Addi¬
tions to the Creed, to be doubtful opinions;
fary and fuperfluous Doctrines; Novelties unknown to
the ancient Church; Concerning every one of which
( three things ) our Authors have given the cleareft:
evidence.
i. The
51
pofition of
Faith.
The Pillarand Ground of
1. The firft of them (the doubtfulnefs of thofe Do«
Chines) appears in this, that there isnot onl
but contrariety of judgment about them, in tneir own
Church: which argues plainly great perplexity and
uncertainty. Of which there needs no other proof
(V) Anfwer ( as Oodor Potter (o) obferves) but the famous Books
to chad" of Bellarmine; who in the entrance upon every Quefti-
miftaken, p. on there hated, gives an account of the Contentions
and Contradictions of thofe, who have written up¬
on it among themfelves. And at this day they are
not better agreed in the Explication of feveral Points
See the late in difference between us: particularly about the Wor-
Anfaer tmheyj^ given to Images, and the Invocation of Saints',
Ex- which feme of their greateft DoCtors, mollifie and
fweeten (as they do other points) into downright
Herefie, as fuch Explications are accounted by o-
thers. •
2. The very feme may be clearly fhewn out of their
own Authors , and hath been demonftrated by our
Divines concerning the Second thing, that thofe Do¬
ctrines are not necejfary, but For the Ro¬
man Catechifm (p) it felf having obferved that their
Anceftors had moll wifely diftributed all that belongs
to feving DoCtrine, into thefe four heads (for the help
of the Peoples underftanding and memory ) the Apo>
files Creed, the Sacraments, the Decalogue and the
Lordls Prayer ; immediately confels, concerning the firft,
that all things rvhich are to be held by the of
the Chrifiian Faith, whether they have to the
knowledge of God, or to the Creation and government of
the World, or to the redemption of Mankind, or belong
to the rewards of the good, and the pmifhments of the
bad, are contained in the Doctrine of the Creed. From
whence this queftion naturally arifes, how come lo
many new Articles to be made neceffary, if all things
belong-
(p) Pre fat.
Sell. 12.
T be 'Pillar and Ground of Truth. 5 5
belonging to the Chriftian Faith be contained in
the Apoftles Creed? I can lee no reafon for it, bat
only to maintain the grandeur of the Roman Church :
for there is no more (imply necejfar for all to be be¬
lieved (as Bellarmine himlelf confeifes (f) ) but the (<?) x. iv. a
Articles of that Creed; and therefore the reft are Dfi> c
fuperfluous, and ought to be dilcarded, as not lo need- *
ful but that Men may be laved without them.
3. And for the Third,that they are mere Novel¬
ties unknown to thole in old time, there are the like
confeflions of ingenuous Men amongft them.
Sylvius afterward Pope PiusII. confeifes, (r) that .
fore the time of the Council of Nice, little regard-
was had to the Roman Church. Which is a plain con-
tradi&ion to Pope Pius the fourth's Article of New
Belief, that fhe is the Mother and Mifirefs of all Churches:
for none can doubt but they underftood their duty in
thofe days, and pra&iled it alio, to their Betters, efpe-
cially to a Parent.
The lame may be laid of the Doctrine of
f ant tat ion, which fome School-men have faid not to he
very ancient: among which are Scotus and Gabriel Biel. (/) d
They are the words of Suarez, (s) unto whom many Tm- 3- DirP-
other teftimonies may be added of the Doctors of that?0,
Church: particularly Alphonfus a Caftro, who laith
the ancient Writers fpake very feldom of
tiation : he Ihould have laid, Not at ail, for Cajfander
honeftly acknowledges itto.be a Novelty. ( ) (t) seealate
The like is acknowledged of the Sacrifice of ^ Treadle of _
Mafs: which neither Thomas- Aquinas nor jfaa
long after him, believed to be proper, or propitiatory; Author of the
but give the lame account that we do, why the cele-^°®j™S™\
bration of tlftV Sacrament is called a Sacrifice of Chrift,
viz. becaule the Images of things are called by the names
of the things which they reprefent, (for whichS. Auftin is
quoted )
- 54 (pillar and Ground of Truth,
quoted ) and becarfe by this Sacrament we are made par-
00 Sump* takers of the benefits of ChrifTs Paffion («)•
^s^Ani i That Purgatory was for a good while to
Rgfpondf11" ' known to the whole Church, is confefted by our Bi-
(i) Rdff. con- (hop Fijher (jc) : who by the Church, means only
the Church; for in the fame place he faith, to this
Art, x\li. day it is not believed by the Greeks. The fame he faith
of Indulgences; which began with Mens fears of Purgatory,
The fame I might obferve of the Seven Sacraments
and the reft of their Articles ; but I will only obferve th»
contradi£tion to which they fwear in the very firft new
Article, wherein they declare that they embrace Apofio-
lied and Ecclefiaftical Traditions : and yet content at the
fame time (by fwearing to all that is decreed in the
Council of Trent ) to adminifter the Holy Communion
but in one kind; which for a thoufand Years and more
(in fome places for 1300 Years ) was adminiftred in
both kinds every where, even in the Roman Church, by
an undoubted Apojlolical Tradition , and Ecclefiafiical
cuftom and prattice : which continues in all other, Churches
to this day.
W hich obfervation evidently convinces them to be
guilty of the moft fearful fin, in curling and damning
thole, who do not receive thefe Novel Dodtrines: though
they faithfully embrace all the Do£t lines of the truly
Catholique Faith; and had rather die than deny any
pait thereof.
But let us be of good comfort; we are fafe enough,
notwithftanding all thefe Anathema s, which they thun¬
der out againft us : For I have proved,' that were thefe
DoSrines true, as they are certainly falfe, which they
prefs upon us ;, yet we ftiouid not bt Hereticks, if we
did not believe them ; and lo not fall, upbKthis account,
under the Sentence of damnation. Becaufe it is only the
denial of the great and fundamental Truthc, that can
make
Use 'Pillarand Ground of Truth. 5 5
make us incur fuch a danger: other Truth's there are of
which we may be ignorant, without danger of perish¬
ing ; provided we ftill hold the Foundation, and
the Faith, as the Apoftle lpeaks, with a life according
to it.
They themlelves therefore knew that thele terrible
Anathema s, are but bugbear words, whicil they ule to
aifright Children withal: For they who can read what
the wifeft and beft of them write, will find that they
confefs, thefe new Articles to be Superfluous; while
they plainly fay the Apoftles Creed contains all things
neceflary to Salvation.
Thus Gregory of Valentia *, 7 Articles of Fait, r • if
contained in the Creed, are as it veere the Principles '
Chrijlian Faith — in which are comprized the of
Evangelical Doctrine, which all are bound explicitely to be¬
lieve. Thus the Fathers judge when they affirm this
Creed was compofed by the Apefllesjhat all might
Summary of thofe things which are to be believed, and are
fcatteredly contained in the Scriptures. Thus alio writes
Filiuciusand a great many more: even the Trent Cate-
chifm it Self, as I have fhown before. So that we have
nothing to do ; but to hold faft that which we have been
taught from the beginning, and to make it the Rule of
our Lives, as well as of our Faith.
- And that now, I muft tell you, for a Conclufion of
this part^of my Dilcourfe, is the Grand Truth of all j
the main point of the Chriftian belief: that the intenti¬
on of all Divine Truths, and of Faith it felf is to make •
us truly godly. They can do us no Service, if they do not
produce this effefit.
Whence it is that in this very Epiftle of S. Paul, he
calls Chriftianity the Dottrine that is according unto -
lincfs, 1 Tim. VI. 3. and a little after, calls it
v. 6. But Godlinefsy that is the Chriftian Religion,
I
5 6 Tlre-TiHar and Ground of
contentment is great gain. And indeed we may well be
contented, with the Chriftian Faith and Hope, and think
our felves happy in fiich glorious expectations hereafter:
nay look upon our felves, as exceeding great gainers,
whatloever we lofe here upon this account, if we lofe
not the hope of immortal life.
In the Epiftle to Titus alio, in the very firft Verfe,
he calls it the truth which is after : which is the
very T ruth, that is the fubjeCt of my Difcourfe; as ap¬
peal's by what follows, when the Apoftle faith it is a
myflerj of godlinefs. Not a cunning device to get Mo-
ny, to advance our worldly Grandeur and Pomp; much
lels a crafty Artifice to excufe us from living well, or to
palliate wickedneft, and fhow us a way, how to be la¬
ved though we live ungodly ( which is the great drift
of too many Doctrines, wherewith the World is trou¬
bled ) but a wonderful contrivance of the Wifdom of
Heaven, effectually to root out all Impiety, to plant all.
manner of Vertue in our Hearts; and to take all kind
of excufe from us, if we do not become truly good.
Whence it is that the Apoftle defcribes Chriftian Wo¬
men, in this Epiftle to Timothy II. 10. by this Cha¬
racter, that they profefs godlinefs. Let them be ,
faith he, as becomes women , with good
works. Not meerly profefting the Truth, or the Faith,
but Godlinefs; which comprehends all Chriftian Ver-
tue : though if he had laid , profefting the Truth,,
it had been of the fame import; beea'ufe that ,
godlinefs.
Hence all the Truths I have mentioned, are called
Fundamental; not only becaufe the Church is built upon •
them, but becaufe they are the Foundation of all Chri¬
ftian praCtice, which ought to be fuperftructed upon
them. And therefore let us neither be ignorant of this;
nor let our knowledge of it be empty and idle, without
effeCt, That is,
The Pillar and Ground of Truth.
Firff, Let us not be lo foolifh as to imagine we fihall
obtain Salvation meerly by being of a right Belief; and
holding the right Faith. Which is not an unneceflaiy
caution; for this ferns to be the very bufinels of a great
many Men in the World, to put Men in hope of life
eternal; if they do but quit that, which they call He-
refie, and embrace the Faith they propound unto them:
though their hearts and lives remain juft as they were
before, without any real amendment. This is certainly
not a Myffery of Godlinefs, but the very of
quity :not the Wilciom of God, but the Witchcraft of
the Flefh, the World, and the Devil, to lead them lecure-
ly into deftru&ion.
But we have not thus learned , as the lame Apo-
ftle (peaks ellewhere, (IV. 20,21.) if fo be we
have heard, and have been taught by as the truth is
in Jefus : that we put off, concerning the former
tion, the old man, which is cor, according to the deceit¬
ful luffs; and that we be renewed in the of our
and put on the new man, which after God is created
righteoufnefs, and holinefs of truth. Mark here what the
Truth is, as it is in Jefus, (that we may not be deceived
by our own, or others luffs ) that is, in the Chriftian Re¬
ligion : it is that which teaches us to abandon all wick-
ednels, and not to think of throwing a covering over
it to hide it, but to put it off: that which renews us in the
very fpirit of our minds; which makes us new Crea¬
tures'; and really reftores the Divine Image in us, in
Rightoulhels and fincere Holinefs.
Thus we have learned Cbrift, thus we are conftantly
taught, in this Church: And therefore,
Secondly, If the Truth hath not this effect upon us, In
vain do we pride our lelves iu the name of Orthodox belie¬
vers. Upon fuch S.John hath paffed this cenfure, 11
we fay we have fellowfhip with him, and walk in darknefs, we
I 2 lye,
5 8 T7;e Pillar and Ground of Truth.
lye, and do not the truth. Where you may oblerve,. by
the way, there is a doing of the truth expected from us,,
and not meerly believing it.
It was expefted from die very Heathen, proportiona¬
ble to what they knew : for they are accuied by S. Paul
upon this fcore, that they held the Truth of God in
oufnefs, L Rom. 18. Some Truth they knew, and it
taught them to do better than they did : and their not
doing lb, was their condemnation. And if natural
Truth, taught them righteoufnefs of , much more
doth this Divine Revelation which God hath made in
Chrift Jefus, inftrudfc us therein: and if they were found
guilty for holding that Truth in unrighteoufiiels, much
more fhall we be found lo for holding, in the like wick-
ediiels, thele fupernatural Truths; which we know on¬
ly by a fpecial Grace of God; which hath revealed
them unto us for this very purpole, to teach us, that de¬
nying ungodlinefs and all worldly we fhould live
right eoujly andgodly in thisworld, 2 Tit. II. 12.
' Which if we do not, mark the conlequence: either
we fhall not hold the Truth;. or if we do, the Truth
will not lave us, but only lerve to condemn us.
Sometimes by living wickedly Men lole the. very
Truth, either in whole, or in part : as the Heathen,
S. Paul there fhows, did, I. Rom. 21, 2.2, 2.3. Read the
words, and you will not wonder if the fame lad fate, at¬
tend Mens Impiety now : which the Truths of the Go- .
fpel lb directly oppole; that if they cannot prevail, with
Men to leave their wickednels, their wickednels will
prevail with them to leave the Truth.
This belief, for inftance, that. Jefus Chrift,, the Eter¬
nal Son of God, who died for us, and role again, will
come to judge us ( which is the lumm of Chriftiahity )
is lb manifeftly againft thole fins which Men commit
againft his Laws, that, if they be perfwaded they fhall
be
The ^Pillar and Ground of Truth.
be judged according to his Golpel, it muft needs make
mis, tjictn very Uneafie in their fins. Which therefore if they
. will not quit, their fins will tempt them to be rid of this
t*"t® belief- which difquiets and difturbs them in the enjoy-
iMe ment of thole-. Lufts, on which they have let their
"»#■ Heart.
M}' Or if it have not this effe£t, to make them wholly
"tell disbelieve, the life and judgment to come, yet it tempts
I Mr them to adulterate the Chriftian Faith ( as too many
win* Chriftians have done ) and todevile caller terms of hap-.
taki pinels than the Gofpel propounds: inventing fuch a Re-
ncinl ligion, as will favour them in their fins, and comply with
k§,h! their inclinations to follow their foul Lufts, and yet not
life it perifh eternally. And it is not hard to fhow, if this
ton were a proper place for it, that abundance of falle noti-
bdi ons, if not all, which Men have about Faith, have fprung
ii,tki from this caule,
htftki But fuppofe Men do ftill hold |he Truth, though in
tH,u unrighteoulhels, what will they get by it? lince it will
steal not lave them, but only lerve to condemn them. For
tit lit this is a part of the Evangelical. Truth, as you read in
j, the place now named (I. Rom. 18.) that the wrath of
I de l God is revealed from heaven againjl and un-
ifitatlt righteoufnefs of men,who hold th
yi And again w.e read in the next Chapter of the righteous
full*! judgment of God, who will render to every man according
cf[|tl to his deeds:to them who hy patient continuance in
jg doing, feek for gloryyand honour, and immortality, eternal
kit life: But untojhem that are contentious, (or will not
yield to evident conyi&ions ) and obey, not the truth, but
■fcfif °~ ey unrighteoufnefs, indignation and wrath, tribulation and
aid d anguifh,upon every foul of man that doth ,&c. v. 6,
ij2if 7> ^ > Stc.
mg Where you lee there is an obedience to the truth, ex-
ifljil pe&ed from us; unto which if we. will not fubmit, but
I obey
77?e [V'tllarand Ground of Truth.
obey unrighteottfnefs; then that very Truth tells us we
muft expe£t nothing, but the inexprefllble dilpleafure of
the Almighty , againft every fuch refraftory oppofer of
the Truth, which he fhould obey. There is no excepti¬
on from this Rule; for (as it there follows, n.)
there is no rcfpect of perfons with God.
Would to God they would ferioufly lay this to heart,
who now leem to be pofleffed with a mighty Zeal' for
Truth, and for a right Faith : that they be not io de¬
ceived by this warm Zeal, as to mils the end of Faith,
the Salvation of their Souls ; which can by no means
be obtained, no not by Faith it felf, without an Holy
Life*
Off! ' ~ )' t- ■
PART
lie 'Pillar and Ground of 'Truth.
h\
PART 1L
ffiWhat it is to he a Pillar and Ground of
IftJ Truth: and to whom this Office belongs.
Aving fliown with fome care what the Truth is
_ of which S. Paul fpeaks ( which was the firfl:
thing I propounded) the two next may be explained to¬
gether with lefi pains: viz. and who is the Pillar
and Ground of thele great Truths, which are necelfary
to be believed by all, that will be laved.
, j f .lai/jmrr r * *ot £UOL' J> ... noi* -v.*
— . ;^:iW ><b :: L ' i
. •* •
. And as for.th cfrftof thele, they of the Church of
Rome would have us by a Pillar, an to under-
n . .ftand that which is the.»very Foundation of our Faith that
rAIupon whole Credit and Authority all Chriftian
and the certainty of our Religion depends. For ta¬
king it for granted that th is this Pillar, and
preiuming alio that; they only are the Church; they
thence infer that we can be fure of no Truth,, but from
—them : and that they give authority and certainty, to the
very Word of God itfelf.-. and likewife, whatloever the
Church, i. e. they declare to be Truth, is therefore to ■ be
received t infbnauch. that.if they make any new Articles
of Faith, we are to give a full afloat >lo them; becaufe
all Truth depends upon the credit of their Church.
This.
61 The Tillar Ground of Truth.
This founds ftrangely in the Ears of thofo that are
not accuftomed to liich Language: and may be thought
perhaps a mifreprefentation of their Do&rine. But Bel-
larmine(to name no more) vouches this to be the Ca-
thoiique fenfe of this place : and from the words
and, Ground of Truth,proves that the Church cannot err,
either in Believing, or in i'caching (7) •' and again, that
c until. tutor. ■whatfoever the Church approves is true, it
ML.lu.dt disapproves isfalfe (so).
Eccief. Miiit. But this only fhows that they are hard put to it, to find
'• proofs for their high pretences. For it will appear, in
the procels of this Difoourfe, fir ft, that it can never be
■proved, the words Pillar and Groundhave refpeft to the
Church, and not rather to Timothy: for which there is
good Authority as well as Reafon. I fhall let the
Authority alone, till its proper place, and only note,
Secondly, That there is good reafon not to refer this to
the Church ; for having called the Church a , it
doth not feem a congruous fpeecb, immediately to call
the fame Church a Pillar: as on the other fide it is very
agreeable, to call Timothy a Pillar, in that Houfe; and
to wilh him to behave himfelf therein, like other great
Perfons, to whom, in other places, he gives the name of
Pillars. But, Thirdly, if it do relate to the Church, it
no more concerns the Church of Rome, than any other
Church : and immediately relates to the Church of
fus, in which Timothy prefided. Which Church of Epht-
(a) emit, fus (a), with other Churches of the Eafi, condemned
Fhmt.stjJ. £jjjs Headfhip of the Bifbop of Rome, upon which they
build a Soveraignty over our Faith. And further, if we
fhould foppofe Fourthly, That the Apoftle refpeffs the
Church Univerlaby and like wife that it is not only bound
in duty to be, but alio actually is, the Pillar and Ground
of Truth; yet, Lafily, it can never be proved that he
fpeaks of any other Truth, but thofe grand Fundamental
Articles
' /V . 1 ulum 1 11,11, J IIMW. ffl
M
The <Pillar and Ground of 7ruth. 6$
Articles of Faith, thofe Catholique Doftrines which
Were once delivered to the Saints, and which, blefi
fed be God, are maintained in every Church to this
day : not of all truth whatlbever; much lefs of an ah-
folute freedom from all manner of error.
For, letting thefe things alone at prefent, I fhall fliew
that this is all that can be meant by the Pillar and Ground
of Truth, if it refer to the Church (as I am content to
admit) not that the Church (as they abfurdly affirm )
is the very foundation of our Faith, upon which it re-
lyes: but that it firmly retains, upholds, and profejfes the
Chriftian Truth, againft all the force, violence and op-
pofition, of Earth and Hell, of Men and Devils, that
indeavour to overthrow it.
That this is the natural import of the phrafe I wiH
manifeft, Firjl, from the propriety of the words \ Se¬
condly, from clear'reafbn and the Holy Scripture.
I. Fir ft from the propriety of the words in the Greek
language. In which stf*©- frequently fignifies, fuch
a Pillar as ftood before their common Halls and Courts
of Judicature: upon which the Decrees and Orders of
the Court, were wont to hang or be fixed. Unto
which TertuUian alludes, when fpeaking of an Article
of the Creed ( in the place above named *) he faith, * L.dutefur-
Unum opinor apud omnes EDICTVM DEI PENDET, red. Gams,
I fuppofe one Editt of God hangs up among ally viz. to Ct l3#
be read by them : having juft askt before, quonam pi-
tulo Spes ifiaprofcripta ejt: by what TITLE this hope
( viz. of the relurre&ion ) is propofed and held forth to
alL And the word ty-dap* ground fignifies not the
foundationy but the Seat where any thing is placed ;
fo as to be fettled and laid up, to remain and abide
there. And, at themoft, can mean no more, than the
flay, or efiablifhment, the feat or fettlement of Truth.-
BeCaiasif
<j. The 1Pillar and Ground of Truth.
EeCa'ianf, Oecumemus renders it, the confirmation of truth ;
or if we will have thefe words allude to a buildings
becaufe the Church is here called the Houfe of the
Hiring God, as elfewhere the Temple of God, ( which is
the lame )they lignifieno more but and up¬
holders , without which the edifice would fall to the
ground. And the mod we can make of them when
they are applied to the Church with relpeft to the
truth,is this; that the Church fuftains and keeps it
from finking, or falling, as a Pillar firmly fetled up¬
on a Bafts, fuftains and upholds the fabrick laid upon
it. This confifts in thefe three things, which I lhall
diftin£Hy, though but briefly, mentionfor the Reader's
clear information in this mattef.
Fir ft, The Church is that Body of Men, which pre-
ferves and keeps, which maintains and holds up the
Chriftian Faith: which God hath committed to its care,,
as he did to the Jews the Divine Oracles, delivered in old
times. And as the Church will anfwer it to God, and
not be guilty of betraying its truft, it muft conftantiy
preferve the truth committed to it; that it be not loft
and do not perifh. This might be divided into two, that.
the Church is the keeper and Confervator of all the Holy
Scriptures, and the Divine Truths contained therein:
and that by faithful keeping them, it upholds and fupports
the Truth, as a Pillar doth the building which refts up¬
on it. But this is fufficiently included in what follows.
Secondly, the Church is not only to preferve the
Truth, but to profels it, and to give atteftation to it.*
that is, to bear witnefs that this is the Truth of God,
and this alone, which he hath revealed for die Salva¬
tion of Mankind.. By which means it doth not only
hold up the Truth, but hold it out to others ; as the
Sacred Edi£t or Decree of God; which all are to take
notice of and obferve. And fb,
Thirdly3
The Tillar find Ground of Truth.
Thirdly,It is by this means to promote and propa¬
gate the Truth, and not Jet it fall to the ground: as
a building doth, when the Pillars, that fupported it,
are removed.
In brief; As Heretical Churches were the Pillars
and Stays of falfhood; they maintained and defended it,
they teftified to it, and indeavourM to continue it, and
leave it to Pofterity: juft lo is the Church of Chrift,
the Pillar and Ground of Truth ; itprofelfes the Chri¬
ft ian Faith, it maintains it as the Truth of God; and
notwithftanding all the perfections, troubles, lolfes,
torments, whereby its Enemies would fhake thecon-
ftancy of thole who maintain the Truth, they teftifie
to it, and declare to future Generations, that , as
S. Peter Ipeaks, is the true grace of wherein we
ftand.
This is the firft confideration, to allure us of the true
meaning of thele words.
II. The Second, is asftrong; for plain realon makes
it evident, that this, not the other, is thelenleof them.
The Church, that is, cannot be the very foundation
upon which the Truth is built, not that which gives it
authority, and makes it to be Truth : for the quite
contrary is declared by Truth it lelf ; that the Truth
is the foundation upon which the Church is built, and
.which makes it to be a Church. So S. Paul inftrucis
this very Church of Ephefuswho were built upon the
foundation of the jlpoftles and ProphetsJefus Chrift
himfelf being the chief corner Stone in whom all the
building fitly framed together, groweth into an holy Tem¬
ple in the Lord : In whom ye alfo are budded toge¬
ther, for an habitation of God through the , II. E-
phef 18,19,20. It was therefore a Church of Chrift,
becaufe it held the Truth, which He and his Apoftles
K 2 taught.
66 7l:e Tillar and Ground of Truth.
taught. And fo a great number of the Ancient Fathers
expound thole words of Chrift to S. Peter Thou art
Peter, and upon this Rock i. e. upon the confeffion of
Faith which thou haft made, upon that Truth thou haft
eonfeft, I will.build my Church. Matth. XVI.
We can own no Society of Men to be a Church of
Chrift , unleft they profefs the true Faith of Chrift.
And therefore the true Faith muft be known before we
can know whether they be a true Church or no", who
call themfelves by that Name; and confequently they
do not give authority to the Truth, but the Truth to
them becaufethe Truth muft be fuppofed, before they
can have any authority.
Obferve the above recited words I befeech you ;
which fay, the Church is built upon the foundation of
the Apoftles and Prophets, &c. upon the Truth re¬
vealed by them in the Gofpel. It is a Church by hold¬
ing and believing this: for if this be not the thing which
makes a company of Men to be a Church of the living
God; tell me, why .the Mahometans are not his Church ?
They are a fociety of Men profefting fbme belief, and
having fome truth and devotion , and being governed
by Laws as well as we. There is no reafbn why they
belong not to the Church of Chrift, but becaufe they
have not the Truth as it is in Chrifl. Therefore the
Church doth not make the Truth ; but the Truth makes
the Church: the Truth doth not rely upon the Church,
becaufe it is before the Church, which relies upon it.
Which was the Doflrrine of the Church it felf in after
Ages-; as it were eafie to fhew, if I intended to write
a great Book. I will content my felf with two Tefti-
monies in ancient times, the one is of S
who thus expounds thefe very words, the Church of the
living God, the Pillar and Ground of Truth. Not like
that Judaieal, Temple : (faith he ) for this is it, which
keeps.
The (pillar and Ground of Truth. 6j
keeps together and contains the Faith and the preaching
(or Doftrine ) $ aA«5«efc isi # e*ojcAWit>' k) sz/'a©- ifyetfofM.
For the Truth is both the Pillar arid the Ground,or foundation
of the Church: The other is S.Aujlin in his third Book upon
the Creed, to the Catechumens (js), which begins thus, Tou CO T°m.IX-
know this (yi$. the Creed) to be the foundation of the Cath-
lique Faith, upon which the edifice of the Church arofe, being
built by the hands of the Apojlles and Prophets. And with
this of Gabriel Biel in latter Ages, (dJCatholiqne truths, (d)L.^.h
without any approbation of the Church, are in the nature oftheff^fft*
thing immutable, and immutably true : and Jo are to be ac-25' ^
counted unchangeably Catholique. Which brings to mind
another remarkable faying of S. Aujlin, who after lie
had produced in his hrft and tecond Books againft Ju¬
lian the Pelagian, the teftimonies of XI. great Doftors,
viz,. Irenms , Cyprian, Reticius, Olympius , Htlarius ,
Ambrofius, Innocentius ( where, by the way, it is obter-
vable he mentions the Bifhop of Rome only as one of
the eminentBifhops, notasHeadof them all) Gregory
Nyffen, Bafil of Cafarea, John Chryfojlom, Hierom, makes
this refleftion upon their confent ( which he lookt upon
as the voyce of the Catholique Church)^/ tamen veritati
aatforitatem non fuo tribuere confenfu, <XC.who noirvith[land¬
ing did not give authority to the Truth by their confent > but
received teflimony and glory by partaking of the Truth.
They endeavour indeed to put by fuch evident con-'
vi&ion as this, by a little diftin&ion; that though in it
felfthQ Church is built upon the Truth, yet in refpetf to
us the Truth is built upon the Church. Which appears
already to be a vain conceit,- unto thofe who confider ;
that the Church cannot be the foundation of Truth to us,-
unlefs we firft know it to be the true Church of Ghrift ;
and indued with this priviledge from God to be the
Ground of Truth) in this tente which I am now con¬
futing. But whenie fhould we know this ? If it be faid,
froim
'V
The Tillctr and Ground of Truths
from the Truth which it profefles ; then the Church is
not the Foundation of the Truth to us, for we mufl
know the Truth, before we can know that to be the true
Church, which calls it feif the Foundation. If we fay
from the Church; then the Church is the Pillar and
'.Ground of it felf; and we believe it to be the true Church,
becaufe it fays it is. Which is fbabfurd and dangerous,
that the Mahometans, as I faid, will be as true a Church
as any elfe: they may boldly put in* for their fhare of
this priviledge : Nay, if confidence, and power can
carry it, ingrofs it wholly to themfelves.
It remains therefore that this is the true fenfe of the I
words which I have given. The Church keeps the
Truth, and keeps it up: It is the Confervator of it,
and preferves it from falling to the ground: it proclaims
.it, and holds it forth to others: it continues the
truth in the World, and fettles it in mens minds : but it
felf is built upon this Truth, not the Truth upon it.
Which derives its authority from God, who fent Jefus
Chrift into the World to teach us his will, and gave him
power to fend his Apoftles, as he had fent him: God War¬
ing them wit nefs,with figns and , and with divers
racles.,and gifts of the Holy Ghofi, according to his own will.
This will be the more plainly laid open, if I fpend a
little time, in fhowing what is here meant by the Church,
which is commonly thought to be the Pillar and Ground
of Truth ; and was the third thing propounded in the
beginning to be explained.
III.
The Church or Houfe of God, fignifies every where
a company of Chriflians united under their Paftors, un¬
to Chrift their Head, by a fincere Faith ; and joyned
one to another by Brotherly love and communion.
Where
The Tillar and Ground of Truth.
Where ever we find fuch a Society of Men and Women,
there is a Church : and all the Societies of this kind ,
throughout the World, make up that which we call the
Catholique, or Vniverfal Church ; the whole body of
Chrift, or Chriftian Church. Of which the Church of
Ephefui here fpoken of was a part: one eminent com¬
pany of Chriltians profeflxng the truly Faith,
and joyned to Timothy as their chief Paftor, for the
worfhip and lervice of Chrift; and for to he the Pillar
and Ground of Truth, as thele words muft be interpreted,,
if they relate unto the Church. ■
They indeed, who are now of the Roman Commu¬
nion, underftand by the Church, only the Paftors of the
Church. And fome of them, this Church
as it maybe called ythat is, the whole alfembly of Chri¬
ftian Bifhops, as many as can meet together, reprelent-
ing all the Churches under their care. But others un-
derftancf only one Bifhop alone, the Pope of Rome; who
is then the Church Virtual, in whom all the power of all
the Bifhops in the World is united. But as there are
no fuch notions of the Word Church in Scripture ; lb,
if they be applied to this place, they will appear very
wild fancies, unto any Man who will Ibberly confider
the Icope of it. For it is very evident, that the Church
is here mentioned as diftin£fc from Timothy, who was the
prime Paftor of it, and who is directed how to behave
himlelf in it. Therefore if this Church was the Pillar of
Truth, the whole multitude of Believers at ,uni¬
ted under him and the reft of their Paftors, muft be lookt
upon as having an intereft in this great priviledge and
honour, as well as duty, to be the Confervators and Sup¬
porters of the Chriftian Faith, which they had received.
For S. Paul, as I laid, is inftructing Timothy how to
demean himlelf, in this Society, which he calls the
Houfe or family of God : that is, among true Believers
in
The Pillar and Ground of Truth.
in Chrift, formed into a Society under the Government
of their Guides: who were to take the greater care,
that every one in the Church was well taught, in*
ftru£ted and ordered, becaufe they were the Pillar a/id
Ground of Truth.
This made S. Paul very felicitous, that Timothy fhould
carry himfelf well, and be a good Pallor in that Church,
of which the Holy Ghoft had made him chief Overfeer.
And not knowing when he might have opportunity to
fee him, and give him perfenal inftru£tion by word of
mouth, he wrote this Letter to him for his direftion;
that he might fully underftand how to difcharge this
Office. And therefore thefe words, it appears by the
verfe foregoing ( v. 14. ) relate partly to what went be¬
fore, and partl^to what follows. Thefe things write I
unto thee, hoping to come unto thee fhortly: but if I tarry
long, that thou mayejl know how thou ought eft to behave thy
felf in the Houfe of God, which is the Church of the li¬
ving God, the Pillar and Ground of Truth. And without
controverfie, great is the my fiery of godlinefs, &c. Which
whole Paragraph is to be underftood as if he had laid, in
more words. 4 Though I hope fihortly to difeourfe with
4 thee face to face, yet not knowing what may hinder and
4 retard my hopes, I have fent the above written inftru-
4 £tions to thee ; not to trouble the Church with vain dif
4 putations, about the rites of the Law, and fiich idle
4 queftions as the Jews are apt to raife : but, to remem-
4 ber (as I have laid in the beginning of this Letter v.4,5.
4 of the fir ft Chapter ) that the end of the Commandment
4 is charity, the love of God and of our neighbour. This
4 therefore teach them \ and inftrufifc them alfo to make
4 prayers, fupplications and intercefjion, with giving of
4 thanks for all Men : for Kjngs, and all that are in an-
4 thority ( Chap. II. 1, 2, j, 4.) teach them all likewife
4 how to pray (v. 8.) and inftru£t the Bifbops and the
4 Deacons
large!
ipslj:
few:
tim
The Tillar and Ground of Truth:
c Deacons and all the reft in their Office and Duty: for it
4 is of great concernment, that they be well informed ;
* becaufe this Church, over which thou art let, is the
4 very Seat of Truth, which is not to be found in any o-
4 ther place, butinfucha company of Believers. Who
c ought to uphold and defend it, when thou art dead
4 and gone ; and therefore had need be well fetled and
4.eftablifhed. in it: elpecially in the great myftery of
4 godlineis, wherein all Chriftians agree, and about
4 which there is no Controverfie. That fo the Church
4 may never let it go, and this Truth may not dye
4 and fall to the Ground, when we are laid in our Graves;
4 but be delivered to thole that come after, as the very
4 Oracles of God.
Who now is there fo blind, as not to be able to foe,
that by the Church is meant, not merely the fupream
Governour of the Church, whichwas Timothy ;but all
that company of Chriftian people, under their foveral
Biflhops and Teachers, who belonged to Ephefus. All
of which S.Paul left Timothy, when he himfolf went
into Macedonia, to take care of, and to charge that
they taught no. other Doctrine ( as you read, i. J. ) a^d
in this Houfe,' or Family he was, when S. Paul wrote
this Epiftle to him ; not in a General Council, for there
was none, in three hundred Year after this time. There¬
fore he doth not fpeak of the Church Reprefentative, as
it is called ; much left of the Church Virtual, as they
term it; that is, the Pope. For then, mark what fence
the words will make ; I have wrote to thee (not know¬
ing when I Chall fee thee ) how to behave thy felf in the
Bijhop of Rome : as if he would have us fancy Timothy
in the Popes Belly ; and himfelf gravely inftruding him,
how to carry himfolf with great circumfpedion and
diferetiotl there,
71
ii
j \\ v
71 The T'tllar and Ground of Truth.
I do not love to ufe fuch words ; but there are no o
ther I can find lo apt to reprefent the grofs abfurdityof
their Do&rines, who take upon them to give infalli¬
ble interpretations of Holy Scripture , from the Uni-
verfal Bifhop, the grand and only Oracle of Chrifteiv
dom, as they would have him efteemed : or from fuch
Councils as they are pleafed to call General, and can
obtain their approbation. You fee what godly ones we
are like to have, if we give up our Faith to them :
how they will pervert the plain words of God, to ferve
their own intereft; and wreft them from their natural
and eafie fence, to another which is fb forced, that there
is no Man fo rude but would readily difcern the abfurd-
nefs of it, if he were permitted to read, and did confider,
the Holy Scripture. For their great Cardinal Be liar mine
alledges thefe very words to prove that General Councils,,
(#) Lib, 2* di confirmed by the Pope, cannot err{e) : nay, that part cnlar
f.ontii. An- Councils, approved by the Pope, have the feme privi?
cuT*£' 2 ^ec*3e ( /) : w'iere lt iS evident to the weakeft pnder-
cap.6. ftanding, that the whole company of Chriftians, that
De»i<yt. were at Ephefus united to their Paftors ( without which
they could not be a Society or Company ) are the Church
here fpoken of: and therefore are the Pillar, and Ground
of Truth, (if this relate to the Church) and not merely
lome particular peribninthat Church much lefea Ge¬
neral Council of all the Biffiopsin the World ; and leaft
of all, one Bifhop; in whom Timothy could not belaid,
in any fenfe, to be ; as he is here, feid to be in that
Church, which is the Pillar and Ground of Truth, viz.
in that Church whereof he was the. chief Governour :
wh ich was the Pillar and Ground of T.ruth m that,part<©f
the World. For this is not an Office appropriated to
any particular Church, but belonging to the Cathalique
Church, and to every fingle Church, as it is a Member
of the Whole.
And
X
*
The Tillar and Ground of Truth.
And here it will be very profitable, I think, to note thefe
fix things,for the full explication of this place of Scripture*
I. The firft of them is that which I now mentioned;
that every particular Church, one as well, and as much
as another, is a Pillar and Ground of Truth \ in that
fenfe which I have declared. This is not a prerogative
which belongs to fbme one Church ; but a priviledge,
appertaining to the Univerfal; and to every particular,
as a part of it. For if the Church at Ephcfusy was a Pib
lar of Truth, as S. Paul here affirms ; then by the fame
reafbn, the Church of Jntiochy the Church of Corinth,
the Church of Rome, and the Church of ferufalemy had
the fame authority. For that which made any one of
them a Church, made the other fb, viz,, the true Faith of
Chrift there profelfed, and union with their Pallors, for
the Divine fervice : and therefore that honour or Office,
which belonged to one of them, muft of necelfity belong
to another; becaufe they were but fb many members of
one and the fame Body. That is, every one of them ,
in their feveral Countries, wherein they were planted,
had the truth of God committed to them ; which they
were to maintain and fupport unto the very death:
and endeavour that every one, who was a Stranger
to the words of eternal life, might by their means know
and believe them.
And accordingly every Church hath contributed unto
this, and no one Church, could ever with any realbn
pretend to be the fble fupporter or defender of the Ghrb
ftian Truth. Of which there is this plain demonftrati-
on, that then the Church is moll of all the Pillar and
Ground, orButtrels, as fbme tranflate it, of Truth, when it
is aifaulted by Herefies ; and not only beats them off,
but beats them down and fuppreffes them. Now all
Herefies were not quafht and confounded by S. Peter
L 2 and
74 Tk' ^dhir and Ground of
and his SuccefTors in the "Church of ; but by other
A parties and Evangelifts, and their SuccefTors in other
Churches. This is demonftrated by a learned Man, of
Eptt^rT1't!ie Roraan Communion *, by XII. famous inftances ,
QuiMa Antonio out of a far greater number. S. John for example, not Peter
VaniUo j. 35. or any of his SuccefTors, ftruck down the
S. Paul the Nazarens and , S. Luke the Ebi-
onites, as he proves out of good Authors, particularly
Hyginus : who relates how the Bifhops of other Sees
( not the Bifhops of Romef quafht the , the
Noetians, and divers other Hereticks: as the Synod of An~
(g) Enfib. tioch did. Paulus S amofatenus and the fir ft Gene-
faf^ fftl Council of Conftantinople(where Bifliop
of Rome, was not prefent, either by himfelf or his Le¬
gates) did Eunomiusand other Hereticks. Which leads
to the fecond thing I would have obferved.
II. That every eminent P aft or in the Church, who
laboured in the word and DoUrine, as S. Paul {peaks in
this Epiftle, V. 17. had thefe very titles anciently beftow-
ed upon him, of the Pillar abecaufc
the Rift/ops were the principal Truftees with whom the
Faith was depofited (as may be obferved in the words
of Irenaus before mentioned, and many other ancient
Writers, and in S.Paul's words to Timothy, when he
bids him to keep the dep he had committed to him,
and commit the fame to other faithful or trufty perfons ,
who fhould be able to teach it to others, 2 Tim. I. 14.
II. 2. ) and becaufe they were principal Inftrumentsin
defending the Truth againft oppofers ; in propagating
the Chriftian Faith to thofe who were ignorant of it
and in prefefving the reft of the Church in the belief
of the Truth, which they had entertained, by their
conftant inftru&ions, and zealous exhortation, to hold
faf what they had received
Nay,
The TilUr and Ground of Truth.
Nay, we (hall rarely, if at all, find any Bifhop of
Rome, called thePillar and Ground of Truth, but feveral
other Bifhops are frequently called by this name. S. Ba-\
fil forinftance (/>), writing of the Bifhop of Neecffarea CO Epift.
newly dead, bewails his lofs very much, becaufe he was LXIL I:0m,llp
liLKhtioi£v Yj)<rp®-y the Ornament of the Churches, <Ak®~ ^ ypai-
wu.tL $ (the very words of the Apoftle here in
this place) the Pillar and Ground of Truth\ $ *
di -msicdty a ftrong and firm eft ah I foment of Faith in
Chrifty Sec. And upon the fame occafion writing to the
Church of Ancyra (i) whole Bifhop was called At ban a- (i) Efifh.
fasy it appears by fbme of the foregoing Epiftles) he LX>i[-
laith, 7rt7fiaMv di>ri$y sir®- rd wrn 7%i *eky-mimet£-y a Man
is falny rvho was indeed a Pillar and Ground of the Church.
A.nd complaining in another Epiftle (i) of the mifera- CD zftfe
ble eftate of their Churches, he fays, among other things, LXA'
li svrot y itycticc){/.d, 77is ctAv^dcis iv Jictcmofcii the Pillars and
Ground of the Truth are differ fed: the Bifhops, he means,
were banifhed from their Flocks. Which he bewails in
another place in the very fame Language, only put¬
ting both the foregoing parts of their Character toge¬
ther, *r \y» K) iJ}>d,ic<>[Acty * Sec. whom I account the Pillars * Epif}.
and Ground, both of the Truth and of the Church: and CCCXLiX'
honour them fo much the morey the further off they are ba¬
nifhed from their Churches, and account that feparation
the gnat eft punifhment.
In the very fame Language S. Gregory Nazianztn
addreffes himfelf to S. Bafel (m) y whom he calls, (>>™onx,
svrov )y tUs Asias 'spttc?^ 7tv<&pcLT®- y.&tx.jcoyoVy beginning.
the Pillar and Ground of the Churchy the prop of Fait by
the habitation of the Spirit. And fb he calls Athanafius,
Wa©- th cnXMoim (n), the Pillar of the Church: and inano- fy)omxxi.
ther place (o)y ™ the prop> or ftay of the (°}orat.
Faith. And writing to Eufebius, Bifhop of (/>),
he thus begins, What [hall 1 call thee, &■<:. xxix.
Shall
7 6 The Til far and Ground of Truth.
Sha.ll I call thee the Pillar and Ground of the Churchy or a
Light in the World, &rc. or the Stay of thy Country, or the
Rule of Faith, or Embaffador of the Truth, or all thefe
together, and more than all thefe ?
But that which is moft worthy to be noted under this
(q)veziu head is, that S.Gregory Nyjfcn (j) expounds this very
MoPs- T°m-r- Text of Timothy, and makes him, not the Church, the
h 22' Pillar and Ground of Truth. For difcourfing concerning the
Minifters of the Divine Myfteries, as Pillars of the Houfe'
of God, he faith, r TtpoStov y^rbv ww, &c. S. Paul wrought
and fafliioned Timothy to be a goodly Pillar, making him
( as he {peaks, with his own voice ) rhrov Um-
the Pillar and Ground of the Church, and of
Truth. As if he took the fenfe of thefe words to be
this, But if I tarry long, that thou, who art the Pillar and
Ground of Truth, maifi know how to behave thy felf in the
Church, &c. And indeed the Apoftles are called sko/,
Pillars in the II. Gal. 9. not only S. Peter, but fames
and John alio. And here we are taught, as he truly ob-
ferves that not only Peter, James and John were Pil¬
lars, not only John the Baprijl was a burning Lamp:
a<ka 7titv75? 0/ Jt% iaLu ffl t but all that by them-
felves fupport the Church, all that by their work are {hiring
lights, are called both Pillars and Lamps.
Which names were afterward applied toChriftianBi-
fhops, by the moft eminent Perfons in the Church ; who
hereby plainly declared, what they underftood by thefe
words of S. Paul: and that they lookt not upon this as
a priviledge peculiar to any one Bifhop, or any one
Church ; but common to all Churches, and efpecially to
the principal Perfons in the Church, who were the
Leaders and Guides of the reft: and fb more peculiarly
intrufted with the prefervation of Divine Truth, and the
chief Pillars and Supporters of the Faith. And thus
Origen ( or whofoever he was that wrote the Homilies
upon
7heTillar and Ground of Truth. yy
i upon the Song of Songs *,) leems to have underffood * ffm.m.
''this place; for having obferved from hence that the f' 5?3~
''if Ehurch is God's Houfc, and applied thele words to the
' 1,1 explication of the lajl Verle of the Chapter of the
, Canticles,where it is laid, the beams of our houfe are Cc
j! J1 dar, he concludes that hereby are meant thole who are
>1 ls,r: validiores, of greateft ftrength in the Church : Et puto
f quod convenienter hi qui epifcopatum bene in
cleft a, &CC. And I think that they difcharge the
tclf Qjjice of a Bijhop in the Church may conveniently be called
" J Beams, by which the whole Building is born up, &:c. viz..
byfupporting and defending the Chriftian Faith, upon
wj1ic[1 the Church is built. And thus the Chfi-
w», oi flians> at this day call not only S. Mark, but their great
WM Doctor S.Cyril by the name of Ecclefu Alexan-
iA drin<e(s),the Pillars of the Church of be-f')
caule Cypril was a mighty affertor and defender of the
taUi Truth, againftthe aitaults of Hereticks. Upon which 12-
'(I®]' account, Rupert us Tuitienjis ft) calls S. Aujtin by the CO t.. vu.
sWf lame name, that S. Paul here calls Timothy, columna &
to wl firmamentum veritatis, the Pillar and Ground, or ftrong
mr l» ftay, of Truth. Which Language is common among
iklji the Jews, who call Abraham,.for inftaijce, the Pillar of
irlttrtfit the World (u), with relpe£t to the true Religion which (
he maintained: which is the very Language of Ignatius,
Chilli concerning the Apolrles , of whom he thus. fpeaks,
tadi|t «/ ilrmto x»V8«' / (y),.the Pillars of the World, the
nil if it Apojlles; mentioning« together with them, mudtipb."
phi Ghrijl, viz. the Church.
jr aij 1 I have been the more copious .in this, becaule it fliows
fpecialf that the ancient Dotfors thought all to be equal-
) tt«i ly. concerned in this Office,.and Honour; it never enter-
peciilf ing into their minds that any one had an interefl in it
■htid more than the red ; much left that one (the Bifliop of
dud ill Rome) had it lolely to himlelf.
TIL. But
UjXS
7
The Tillar and Ground of Truth.
* L.VI. £<r-
cief. Hi ft.
gap. 41.
III. But further I obfervethat the Martyrs, though
not Bifhops, are frequently called by this name* So the
Churches of Vienne and Lyons, in their Letter to the
Churches of Afia and Phrygia, concerning the blefified
Martyrs who had fuffered among them, fay that God
delivered the weaker fort, and oppofed to the fury of the
Enemy , sv'a«< thole who were firm and Jleady Pil¬
lars, able by their Patience to draw all the violent afifa At s of
(x)A?udEu- the Devil upon them fxj. Among whom they mention
^e'°'ihr ^Ecdef. ^anc^ a fLacon, and Mat urns ameer Novice, and At-
gap. dp. 155. talus, born at Pergamus, strov $ iTpalieoya jwrcwS* diet ^9-
sdit. Vahf. (^) : Who had always been the Pillar and Ground
157* ^ or f^ay and ftrength) of Chrijlians in this place : that
is, fettled and fuftained others in the Chriftian belief.
And lb Eufebius {peaks of other Martyrs at Alexandria
in the time of Decius, It ^ at 4« we**, * &c.
firm and hie fifed Pillars of the Lord, who ftrengthned by him,
and having might and power anfwerable to the firength of
their Faith, became admirable witncfifes of his Kjngdom.
For they could not be fhaken with the fear of death and
torment; and fo by their ftedfaftnels confirmed and efta-
blifhed others in the Chriftian Faith ; and were eminent
Xnftruments likewife of converting ftrangers to our Reli¬
gion : who law their pious and meek conftancy under the
greateft fufferings, jovned with the greateft charity,
bowels of mercy and compaflion, towards their bloody
perfecutors. For whom they beg'd pardon and forgive-
nels of God, defiring nothing more than they might come
to that heavenly Kingdom, which they teftified to them;
by parting with life it fejlf for the fake of it.
Neither is this meerly thq Ecclefiafilical Language, but
the Holy Scripture it {eft gives thofe this honourable ti¬
tle ; who conftantly indured tribulation for the Gofpel
fake, though it did not coft them their lives. Thus
pur
The 'Pillar (aid Ground of Truth. 79
our bleffed Lord fpeaks to the Church of Philadelphia,
III, Revel. 12. Him that over comet hy will Imak? a Pillar
in the temple of my God. Which fignifies partly, that
he fhould be an eminent Inftrument of upholding the
Church, and prefer ving many in the profeffion of Chri-
ftianity, by his conftancy and firmnefi in it: and partly*
that he fhould be fb eftablifhed himfelf by the grace and
power of God,that he fhould never fall (according to
that of S .Peter, i V. 10. But the God of all grace ,who
hath called us unto his eternal glory, after that ye have fuf-
fered a while, make you perfect, e(Iablifhy ftrengthen, fet¬
tle you ): and partly, that he fhould be made in the
higheft fenfe, a PILLAR, that is, an Apoftolicd Man,
who fhould be advanced to the moft eminent impfoy-
ment in the Church ; of teaching and inftru£ting, of Go¬
verning and Ruling, as a principal Paftor, in the Tem¬
ple of God. In one word, be an Angel of the Churchy
( as he fpeaks in the beginning of this Letter, v. 7. and
in all the reft) an illuftrious Minifter and Meffenger of
God , to publifh the glad tidings of Salvation to the
World.
Such the Apoftles were: whom Theodoret calls the
Pillars of the Truth, with peculiar refpect to their fuffer-
ings. Beholdy faith he, Peter and John, tgJ- irlpyic rut f orat. de
cvrtCelac, ruW irk &c. the Towersy or Bulwarks
of Godlinefs, the Pillars of Truthy fupporting the Stru- p,fif
Bure of the Church > being fcourged by the Jewsy but
rejoycing and gloryingy ( V. A£t. 41. ) that they were
counted worthy to fuffer fhame, or to be difgracecj, for
his Name. And fetch like were thefe viftorious Souls,
as Arethas * expounds our Saviour's words to this * cotownt. h
Church; For he that conquers, faith he, the adverfe 1TI«Rev-12«
powers, 5-vkQ- Kj iffakvpA r&ftsafy dKnSn'cu, is conflituted
a Pillar and Ground of the Truth ; rejoycing himfelf im¬
mutably ( fb he interprets in the temple of my God J and
M eflablifhing
8 e Tl?e (pillar and Ground of Truth.
ejlablifhing others in goodnefs, that they may not fall from
their Jledfaftnefs.
IV. Any eminent perlbn alio in the Church, though
not a Martyr, is lometime called by this name in Ec-
clefiaftical Writers. For inftance, Jo. Damafcen thus
addreiTes himielfto Jordanes the Archimandrite,»
(b)Epft. ad iu]i) £ ictpdiieo^ct Th( dhnS&cc(y (h) 0 mojl Divine Fd-
em de Trifa- tfjer^ tfoe pmar and Ground, or ftay, of Truth. Nay,
thus zealous perfbns in the Laity, efpecially if they
were of great quality, contributed to the fuppoit
of the Faith, by fupporting thefe Pillars of it. So
S. Bafil, in one of the forenamed Epiftles, having be¬
wailed the banifhment of their Bifhops, whom he calls
the Pillars and Ground of Truth, prays Terentius (a
Count of the Empire ) to preferve himfelf fafe, that
they might have Ibrne to reft upon; God having gra-
cioujly made him -navv vpiv gcti-mela* tpftoju*, (cJ a fHp-
fort and a prop in aH things to us. But they of the
Clergy more particularly, though of the Order below Bi¬
fhops, were lookt upon as having nofmall fhareinthis
(d) Lib. v. in Office. For S. Cyril of Alexandria (d) having menti-
Efaicim, Tom. oned Chrift as the foundation , and believers in him,
2.p.^6S. as prttious Stones built upon him, unto a holy Tem¬
ple; compares their inftru&ors in the Myfteries of
Religion to the mojl pretious Stones ( fuch as thofe mem
tioned, LIV. Ifa. n, 12.) which God ufes, fbme in
laying the foundation, others as buttrefles; fome for
the Gates, others for the Walls, of the holy City, that
is, the Church 1 that all her Children may be taught of
God.
V. Nay, one of the forenamed great Do&ors of the
Church warrants me to add, that every pious member
of the Church, in his place and calling, hath his fhare
in
The TilUr and Ground of Truth 81
in this great truft. For whofbever, faith S. Gregory
Nylfen, (/) is perfe&ed in thefe two great Command-^' ^-XIV'
ments, to love God, and to love his Neighbour, he is^fmmf^^
framed to be sv^Q- ^ iS}ctia^A t»< a Pillar and
Ground of Truth, according to the language of the A-
pofile. By both thefey we may become fuch Pillars, as Pe¬
ter, and James, and John; or if there be any other,
fmce them, that hath been or (ball be worthy of this
name. And he doth, in effe£t, fay the fame in the
place before named; (/) where he obferves the A-(f)Deviu
poftle requires others to be Pillars, as well as himfelf,
when he faith, itycuot i Cor. XV. 58.
be ye fledfajt ( ox (table ) unmoveable , abounding always
in the work of the Lord. For he that is thus firmly
fixed and fetled ( as the word fignifies ) and di¬
ligent in well doing, whatfbever trials he hath to
fhake him, he fupports Religion, he maintains the
credit of it in the World, he doth great fervicetothe
Truth, by fhewing how good, how ufeful, how labo¬
rious, it makes thofe that embrace it.
And I am fure it lies upon every one of us, as an in-
difpenfable duty to hold faft the Truth, and to profefs it,
and pra&ife it; and, notwithftanding any danger or
trouble unto which it may expofe us, to teflifie unto
it, if need be, by conftant, patient, peaceable fuffering
for Chrift s fake. And he that doth thus, is according
to his meafure, though never fo mean a perfon in the
Church, a Pillar and Ground of Truth. And thus The-
odoret expounds thefe words, he calls curhoy>v the a(fem-
bly or congregation of thofe that believe, the Houje of
God and the Church: and thefe, he faith, are the
Pillar and fupportof Truth. For being founded upon the
Rook) they both remain unfbaken, and preach by their
deeds the truth of their Dofitrine. And Theophyla t alto,
h 3 5x1ixw'et £ The Church is a conjlitution,
Si The 'Pillar and Ground of Truth.
or anaffembly of truth : For all things that are done in it,
are true, nothing Jhadcnvy, as under the Law, &c.
VI. I have but one thing further to add ; That
the wore and the better they are, who joynin this woik,
the greater fupport they give to the Truth.
Firfl I fay, the more, the greater number there are
of thofe who maintain the truth, by preaching, wri¬
ting buffering, or well doing, and the greater credit they
have in the World ; the they are, and the
furer doth the truth feem to be in the eyes of thofe
to whom they represent it. Upon which account the
Doctrine of S. Paul and which he had re¬
ceived by revelation as well as other Apoftles, yet be¬
ing communicated to fames and Cephas and John, who
were eminent Pillars,and been approved by them, recei¬
ved the more ftrength by their concurrent teftimony,
II. Ga'. 2, 5,9. And it was ftill more confirmed by the
whole Council of Apoftles and Elders at Jerufalem
( XV. Act. 2.25.) fo that it was received joyfully at
tioch ( V . 31.) and the Churches in other Cities were
ejiablfhed in the Faith, and increafed number daily.
XVI. 4. 5. For which reafbn the teftimony of a-great
affembly of Bilhops, was a greater fupport and ftrength-
ning to the Faith, than the teftimony of fingle perfons.
They were the principal Truftees, as I obferved before,
to whofe fidelity the truth was committed : and when
they met together in a Council to difcharge this truft,
it gave great force to the truth declared by them. Which
they knew fo well, that in ancient times, fuch Councils
were wont to defire the content of other Bilhops, who
were not there, for the greater eftablilhment and confirma-
l- 2- Mft- tion of the Faith, as Theodoret (g) relates of the Council of
Mcctfj.c. 6. Sardica,whole Letter he hath let down to all the Bilhops
in the World : defiring them, mdfdji as.
pretent.
/*" ; , V
The TiHar and Ground of Truth. %
prefent in Spirit with them, to confent t-o' their Sy¬
nod, and by their fubfcription to decree, that concord
might be preferved, among all their fellow Bifhops
•Bi every where. Nay, the great and firft general Coun-
cil of Nice it felf, (h) wrote to the Church of Alex-
andria, and the reft throughout Egypt, Libya,, and Pert- dip. >
tapolis, to give them an account of their decrees. And ?•.
%i Conflantine alio certified all ablent Bifhops, who could*
rcSttfe not come to the Council, of their proceedings:
there might be one Faith ( as his words are j and
of iH charity, and a concording Religion, or Piety, preferved
Ml 4 among them all.
(Wit It was upon the fame fcore that fometime they
i,® lent particularly to the Bifhop of Rome for his con-
i«,il currence ( as the Council of , and others
a,® did in the bufinefs of Pelagius) not becaufe they ima- xcv, !
iiij gined their decrees would be of no force without his
sifyi confent ( that's an ungrounded fancy ) but becaufe he
kjk was an eminent Bifhop in the Church of Chrift; by
kit wliofe concurrent teftimony the Truth would be ftiil
Bo more confirmed, and their Churches would have the
r M greater comfort decommuni part unites gratia,
m from the common participation of one grace: by knowing,
roial that is, that they were of the fame belief.
i£r{i The like may be laid of the Martyrs, who, when
ii they fuffered in great numbers, gave , the more ama-
zing teftimony to the Truth, which terrified the De-
tfill vil himfelf, and ftaggered their very Judges: as S.
fij fpeaks (Je) of the XL Martyrs, who all together, as if CiTom- »•
iCj they had had but one Mouth, cryed out, when they XX
^ were examined, IamaChrifiian. By fuch refblution
;fB. as this our Religion was not only upheld, but mightily
gidf increafed: And the more the number of Chriftians in-
w created, the more was Truth fpread abroad, till it grew
$ to be the prevailing Religion;, and the Kingdoms of
lent.
The Tillar and Ground of Truth.
the World became the Kjngdoms of our , and of hit
Chriji.
2. But it was not mere numbers that did the bufi-
nefs; for their extraordinary Piety and Purity in thole
early days, had the greateft hand in it. Which was
the fecond thing I defired to be noted under this laft
head, that the better the Pallors and the People are,
the greater lervicethey do to the Truth; and the more
prevalent their tellimony is, when it appears by their
lives, that they have no other intereft to lerve, but that
of Truth and Godlinels.
And when all is done, it will be found that the lan-
£ity of thole who alfert God's holy Truth, their pure
and undefiled Religion which keeps them from being
[potted by the World, is that which will be the moft
powerful to move Mens minds, and will make the eafiell
way for its entertainment in Mens Hearts. Nothing
can give a Church fuch authority, and make its telli¬
mony lb credible, as its integrity and lincere Devo¬
tion ; its ftudy of purity in Heart and Life; its de-
figning clearly the good of Souls, and not worldly ad¬
vantages; its univerlal charity and kindnels: which
invites even flrangers to attend unto it, and much more
its own Members.
And therefore I mull note for a conclufion of this
part of my Dilcourle, that when we fpeak of the
Church, i. e. the whole company of believers, and lay
that it is the Pillar and Ground or of Truth,
it is meant principally of thole, whole Faith brings
forth fruit and works by love. Thele are the main
fupporters of the Chriftian Religion; who do not mere¬
ly profels it; but are a£ted and live by their Faith,
in all holy obedience to Chrill. For they are
Stones built upon him the foundation of all; the true
living Body of Chrift, who are animated by his Spirit,
The TtUar and Ctomd of Truth. 8 5
and with whom he hath promifed to make his abode :
i and confequently are the only perfons, who to purpofe
fupport and maintain, and defend the Truth. Which
would in a little time, be fupprelfed or obfcured, de-
jjjlj praved or varied, concealed or mifinterpreted; if the
. wicked only had the condu£t of it. Who are no more
nil to be accounted Pillars of the , i. can no more
pta alone fupport and uphold it, than a Reed, a Straw or a
rotten Stick, can fupport a building. This is the ancient
. l t Do£trine of the Church it felf, as appears by what S. Au-
1 j dinfaies, in his Preface to the Expofition of the XLVIII.
Pfalm (J). Where taking the firmament, which was^)r»».vnr.
made the fecond day, to be an emblem of the Church, he
faith by the Church we ought to underftand pai' XLVI1,
Chrifit in Sanctis, Stc. the Church of Chrijl in his Saints ;
the Church of Chrijl in thofe whofe names are mitten
Heaven, the Church of Chrijl in thofe rvho do not yield to
the temptations of this World. Jpj funt nomine
FIRMAMENTI, for thefe are worthy the name of Firma¬
ment, or ftrength. Therefore the Church of Chrift in
thofe qui frmi funt, who are Jlrong ( concerning whom
^!' the Apojlle fpeaks, we that are Jlrong ought to bear the
1 infirmities of the weak) is called the FIRMAMENT.
'■ For hearken and acknowledge, how this Church is called by
this name in the Apojlohcal writings (and then he quotes
this place to Timothy) which is the Church of the living
God, columna & firmamentum veritatis,.the Pillar and fup¬
port of Truth.
:i5i» By thefe principally the Truth is- maintained : For
ait is moft plainly delivered by the Apoftles themfelves,
ill i that Men- and Women, by their wicked lives, did turn
tie® Apoftates from the Faith. And we find by experience,
)H0ti® as well as their inftrucHons, that nothing doth more
ici'r # quench the Spirit of God, nothing is more contrary to
irelii true Wildom, than filthinefs and impurity,, which we
the" muft:
j
1
«,kti
kdt|
1 tkiif
ffomlis
ictki
ketka
i Nii
Th& T'illcirand Ground of Truth.
mu ft abandon therefore, and not think we can do very
confiderablefervice to the Truth, by the bare profefiioii
of it: but upon the foundation Chrift Jefus, we muft
ferioully indeavour to raife the fuperftruCture of a holy
life, whereby we fhall adorn, recommend, and effectual¬
ly promote our Religion.
It muft not be denyed indeed,that a multitude profeffing
true Faith in Chrift, though their lives be not fo regular
as they ought to be, are not unlerviceable to our Religi¬
on : Nay, in Ibme cafes, by their Headings in the Truth,
give no fmall fupport unto it. Efpecially, when they
likewife continue united together, by partaking conftant-
ly of,the fame Sacraments. Whereby they are joyned
to thole who are truly good, and remain a part of the
Chriftian lociety ; till their lives be lo bad that they are
thrown out of the Church, as not fit to have Commu¬
nion with it. And therefore out of fueh a Church, con¬
fiding of thole that profels the Faith of Chrift intirely,
and worfhip him purely, without any dangerous mix¬
tures, no Man ought to depart; merely becaule every
one therein is not knit to Chrift* by fucli hearty love and
obedience as that Faith ought to produce. For they
that are only in outward Communion with fuch a
Church, are in a good way to lomething more: and
therefore ought not to be rejected, as no Chriftians. For
by external Communion, the inward lively Communi¬
on with God our Saviour, is produced, let forward, and
promoted.: and it is lomething to own Chrift, and ac¬
knowledge him for our Lord and Mafter ; and receive
ccnftant inftructions from his Minifters, whereby we
are convinced of our duty. • Which though it doth not
at prelent rr,ake them good and faithful Servants, yet
they may be fo in time anc! the way to make them &,
is not to leave them to themlelves, by feparating
from them 5 but to admonifh, reprove and exhort them
to
The Pillar and Ground of Truth.
to become living Members of Chrift's Body, that they
may do him greater fervice, by recommending his Re¬
ligion effeftually to the World. As all thole do, who
feparate from the wickednels of the World , though
they continue mixed with the wicked that are in the
Church ; till they can, in an orderly manner and after
regular proceedings, be thrown out of it. Whereas,
on the contrary, they who upon pretence of the wick¬
ed being mixed with the godly, depart from the external
Communion of the Church; have very much difhonoured
Religion, and help to deftroy the Church by endlels re¬
parations.
For when they have lb departed from the Church,
they are not lure they depart from the wicked: though
it be fure they have left the Communion of a great ma¬
ny good Men and Women, who are mingled in com¬
mon , with the bad. And what advantage can fuch
Men propound unto themlelves, or unto true Religion
and godlinels : when they certainly forlake the lociety
of a great many truly good Men, for an imaginary de¬
parture from the wicked ? Becaule after all the care they
can take, they cannot be fure there are no wicked among
them : but they leave a Church, in which it is notori¬
ous there are a great number of holy People, and ere£t
Congregations, for ought they can certainly know, of
fuch as conceit themlelves Religious, merely from this
feparation.
This is not the means therefore of upholding Truth,
and of promoting godlinels. But if we be lerioully
bent on that, the Apoffle hath Ihown us the way
in the next Epiftle, 2 Tim. II. 19. Let every one that
names the name of Chrifi depart from iniquity. Who-
foever doth lo, he is an excellent Servant of Jefus
Chrift, and of his Truth : which was promoted by no¬
thing more, I might lay by nothing lb much, as by the
N eminent
i 88 The Till at Ground of Truth.
eminent Piety and V ertue of the firft Preachers of Chri-
ftianity, and of the generality of thole-who were called
1 by Thrift's name. Some bad people there were among
- them (as we learn by the Church of Corinth ) which
did not unchurch them, nor make them unfit for com¬
munion with them. For in Houfe (as the
Apoftle there fpeaks in the next verle, 2 II. 20, 21.)
there are not only veof Gold and , but alfo
of Wood and of Earth; and fome to ,(ome todif-
honour. But if a Man purge hirnfelf from he
be a vejfel unto honour, and meet for his
ufe, and prepared unto every good work. Thus the Apo¬
ftle writes immediately after thele words, Let every one
that names the name of Chrifi, depart from iniquity.
Whatlbever becomes of others, lie fhall become an
ful Servant of his Mafter Chrift, a or
an inftrument to do him honour, by being fitted to every
good rvork.
There are eminent teftimonies of this, not only in Chri-
ftian but in Pagan Writers alio, that hereby the Truth of
Chrift prevailed and got the upper hand in the World.
*£/>il?.XLix.For Julian * hirnfelf upbraids the Prieftsof his Religi-
(?n' t'ie marvellous piety of the GaliUans (as he calls
557. ' Chriftians) whole lingular Humanity, and Charity even
to Strangers, nay to Pagans, when thole of their own
Religion neglefted them, together with the gravity of
their manners and compoled behaviour (though he call
it feigned) had fuch greateffe£t, that by this means,
as he acknowledges, Chriftianity lo increaled, that its
growth could no way be hindred, but by their outdoing
Chriftians in thele worthy qualities.
And fuch an eminent vertue it rauft be, and that alone,
which can reftore our Religion to its primitive luftre :
Nay, that which will prelerve it from being loft, vyhere
it is planted. For as faft as true piety and vertue de¬
cays,
I
- in fragm, f
fll
The Tillar and Ground of Truth.
cays, lb faft doth the Church go to ruin. And there¬
fore if we have an hearty love to our own Ghiirdi, and
■the laving truth of God, which d§ there -profsifikl- and afi
ferted, we muft ftudy to Uphold it by this means. Not
by leeking for a purer Church ( which is impoffible, as
to Faith and Worfhip, and Manners too, to be found )
but by endeavouring to amend one another, by purity*
ing our felves in the firft place from all filthinels both
of the flefh, and of fpirit; and then by admonishing
others that do not live as they ought, of the error of their
ways, and calling them to Repentance.
Which courle I wifh all they who have leparated from
our Communion, would confider whether they ever
took ? Did they not firfi: forlake us, and then lay, before
they tried, that we have people incorrigibly wicked a-
mong us ? This is not the way (to lay nothing of what
Ibrt of people they have among themlelves) of faving
us all from perifhing : but, as it proceeds commonly from
too much pride, and conceited nels, and from great
want of Charity; lo it produces lamentable edebts.
For under a pretence of making the Church more holy,
it deftroys both holinels and the Church: by breaking
the unity of it, by dilgracing Religion , by turning it
into difputes and vain jangling, by endlels Separations
under the notion of greater and more refined purity ; till
the Church be crumbled into lo many little bits and fra¬
ctions,that little more than the name of a Church remains.
Let us therefore prelerve U ion among our felves
as much as is pofiible, that we may prelerve the
Church and Truth. And then there may be the more
hope of reclaiming the ungodly: who will receive an
admonition or reproof far better from one of their loci-
ety, who calls them brethren; than from one that le-
parates from them as mere Strangers and Foreigners, with
whom they have nothing to do in matters of Religion.
N 2 Would
|
I
I
m
r
The Pillar and Ground of Truth.
Would to God this were more lerioufly pra&ifed a-
mong us y that we would be as forward, charitably to
reprove Men for their wickednefs, as we are even to re¬
proach them,perhaps uncharitably, for their falfe opinions.
It might be a means of their cure, an effeftual remedy for
their amendment, when pioufly and prudently admini-
ftred: and a means of bringing thofe back, who are gone
aftray from us, that there m be no among
but we may be perfectly joyned together in the fame
and in the fame judgment.
■ ■ ■ ['
T\ " , j, < . 5 • \ ;*
• f ' ■ :: \ ■ " HO
PART
The Tillar and Ground of 1
PART III.
Hon? the Church difcharges this of a
Pillar and Ground of Truth.
WHAT the Pfalmijl faith concerning
or the Church of the Jews, which was wont
there to aiTemble, is more fully verified in the Chriftian
Church: Great and glorious things are fp 0
thou city of God, LXXXVII. P/. i. This great City,
S. John law defcending out of Heaven, having the glory
of God, XXL Rev. 10, n. And in the Verfe before,
calls this Church, the bride, the lambs wife. There is a
fpecial prefence, that is, of God in it; and a fpecial love
of the Lord Jefus to it. For it is, the body of Chrifi,
and the fulnef■ of him that fills all things. T 0 this, S.John
faith, they (hall bring the glory and honour of the nations:
againft this, our Saviour promifes, the gates of hell (hall
not prevail. The pure water of life, clear as cryflal runs
therein: here grows the tree of life, ( XXII. Rev. 1,2.)
and it is, as it were, the par adife of God.
Which things fhow what an honour, whatanhappi-
nels it is, to be a Citizen of thisHoly Who-
foever they be, that by a cordial Faith in Ghrrft, and
fincere love to him, joyn themfelves to this Body, are
made Members of Chrift,. Children of God, Compani¬
ons of Angels, and Inheritors of the Kingdom of Hea¬
ven. They are under the. protection of the Almighty;
under
The Millar and Ground of Truth.
under the guidance of his Holy Spirit; under the care
and tender love of that great and glorious Lord, who is
the Prime of all the kings of the and hath all power
in heaven, as well as earth, invefted in him. For the
Church is the houfe and family of God, nay the temple of
the living God, ( 2 Cor. VI. 17.) for he hath (aid, as it
there follows, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and
will he their God, and they jball be my people: I will be a
Father unto you, and ye J,hall be my fons and daughters, faith
the Lord God Almighty.
Theft things are great indeed, and exceeding glorious.
But not content with theft priviledges, which are as
a Royal Diadem, and Crown of Glory, on the Head of
the Church ; there arethoft who would adorn her with
prouder Titles: and let her forth in an adulterous drels,
and aprefumptuous glory; making her, in a manner,
equal to her Head, the Lord Chrilh For they have
Ciatcht one of the incommunicable properties of God,
and fixt it, as a Jewel, on the top of the Churches
Crown : telling us that fhe is an infallible Guide, who
cannot miflead us. That is, though fhe may go aftray,
and play the Harlot, in life and pra&ice, yet fhe cannot
err, nor miftake in her judgment: So that if weliften
to what flie lays, we lhall never wander, but always be
in the right.
For the proof of this, they firft fuppoft themlelves to
be the Church of Chrift, and they alone: and then they
abuft this place of Holy Scripture, to a (Text this Divine
Prerogative to be in his Church; that is, in themlelves.
But I have expoftd the bold folly of theft pretences, by
fhowing, that the Church here fpoken of is the Church
of Ephefus; and that Timothy was the principal Pillar
and Ground of Truth in this C hurch. W hich doth not
lignifie, I have fhown, that either the Church, or Timo¬
thy, were the very Foundation of the Chriftian Faith,
upon
Tie 'Pillar and Ground of Truth.
upon whofe credit the Authority, the Truth, and Cer¬
tainty of all Religion depends: but the Supporters of the
Truth; whoteftified, maintained,upheld,and propaga¬
ted the Faith of Chrift.
For the more full underftanding of which, I fhall
briefly fhow ( before I proceed to the laft thing propoun¬
ded ) jlrft what power it is that we herein afcribe to the
Church; particularly to the Bifhops and Governors
thereof: Secondly, what power it cannot pretend unto,
nor ought to be yielded to any Church, or Perlbn what-
foever.
I. As for the firft of theft, what the power is we al¬
low the Church, when we fay it upholds, maintains and
teftifies to the Truth, it is as much as to enquire of what
Authority the Teftimony of the Church is, how much
it ought to weigh with us, and how far we ought to
yield to it: to the Teftimony, for inftance, of the pre-
lent Church of which we are Members ( for it hath as
much Authority as any other) when it propounds Truth
to us, and prefles it upon our belief. Are we to believe
it, meerly becaufe the Church faith it ?
In anfwer to which we affirm, that the Teftimony of
the Church, is that whereby we are both informed of
the Truth, and induced, as by theory? external motive to
Faith in Chrift. Mr. Hooker calls it the Kjy, as others
do the Door, which lets us into the knowledge of the
great Myftery of Godlinefs, which is preferved in this
Houfe of God.
If we allow it not this, we allow it nothing: nor can
it, or any Perfon in it, be laid to be a Pillar and Ground
of Truth, unlefs it do fomethingto the bringing us ac¬
quainted with the Truth; which it propounds and lets
before us, and teftifies to be that which Chrift hath left
with his Church, to be delivered down to all Generati-
ons>.
4 Tl?e (Pillar and Ground of Truth.
ons. For it conveys the Holy Scriptures to us, and calls
upon us to confider and ftudy them : that therein, by the
help of the Pallors of the Church ( to whom this Of¬
fice, I have fhown, principally belongs ) we may find all
necelfary Truths,in order to our Salvation. WhichTefti-
mony being theTeftimony of Men, that profels Faith-
fulnels,Honefty and a good Confidence, as the great thing
in their Religion, is the higheftof all humane Tellimo-
nies : and cannot but work very llrongly and powerfully
upon Mens minds, when Chriftians are fuch as they
profels to be : and as they are, it ought to work thus far
upon all lorts of Men, even upon thole who are out of
the Church; as to incline them to have a reverend re¬
gard to that Faith and thole Scriptures, and to look into
them and confider them; which they lee fuch multitudes
of People, and fbme of them very wile, as well as devout,
conllantly elleem as the very Truth of God, tranlmitted
to them from his Son, by the Apoftles, who attended on
him from his firft appearing, till he went to Heaven.
This moved S. Aufiin when he was yet in part an In¬
fidel, being a Manichee,to believe the Gofpel, according
to that famous Difeourfe of his, in anfwer to the Epi-
ftle of Manichaus, which contained in a manner the whole
Belief of that party; non nifi
(w) Tom. vi. me Ecclefi* Catholic* aut com moveret ; which
contra Epifio.;s t0 jje thus tranflated, according to the Phrafe of the
tfcap. f"1 Africans, 1 had not believed the unlefs the Autho¬
rity of the Catholique Church had moved me thereunto.
For it is evident (as hath been fhown by our Writers,
0)D. Whiu- fince the beginning of the Reformation * ) he (peaks of
eraser/*' himfelf when a Manicheey as the words immediately fol-
8. lowing declare, Thofe whom I obeyed when they fazd, Be¬
lieve the Gofpel; why fbould I not obey when they fay, Do
not believe Manichaeus ? Which doth not fignifie that the
credit of the Gofpel,, is founded upon the Churches Au¬
thority,
The ^Pillar and Ground of Truth, pj
rity, but that this was the firfi: motive to incline him to
look into the Golpel, and conGder it as a Divine Book,
which would inform him in the way of Salvation. Thus
he explains himfelf in the very foregoing Chapter,where
letting afide the fincere Wifelom taught in the Church,
which they would not believe, he reckons up abundance
of other things, which might ferve to keep him in the
Catholique Church, viz,, the confent of People and Na¬
tions, &c. and then thus concludes: 4 Thele numerous
4 and great,and molt dear tyes of the Chriftian name, may
4 very well hold a Man that believes in the Catholique
4 Church ; although by reafon of the fownefs of his under-
4 fan ding, or the defeats of his life, the truth do not yet
4 (how it felf mofi openly unto him. Whereas among the
4 Manichees there were none of thele things to invite,
4 or to hold him, but a barepromife of Truth wherewith
4 they made a noife : which if they could have fhown
4 fo manifeftly that it could not be doubted, he confeffes
4 it was to be preferred before all thole things, whereby
4 he was held in the Catholique Church.
Which words are an evident proof that he fpeaks of
the Authority of the Church, as only moving and in¬
ducing him to believe the Scriptures, and to joyn him¬
felf to their Society, before the TRUTH was mani-
fefted to him; which he was to find there (in the Scri¬
ptures) and which he preferred before the Authority of
the Church. Which he, elfewhere, tells the Donatifls
was not to be believed upon its own credit; 4 But whe- l. ds umtat
4 ther they hold the Church, let them not fhow but from cab
4 the Canonical Books of the Divine Scriptures: for we
c neither do not fay that we ought to be believed, becaufe
4 we are in Chrifts Church, becaufe that Church which
4 we hold was commended to us by Opt at us, or Jmbrofe,
4 or other innumerable Bifhops of our Communion, or
4 becaufe it is approved by Councils, or becaufe Mira-
O 4 cles
The Tillar and Ground of Truth.
'cles are every where wrought in it: and
' like things, are therefore to be approved, they are
4 done in the Catholique Church : but it is not therefore
4 nifejled to be the Catholique Church, becaufe thefe things
4 are done in it. Our Lord Jefus himlelf, when he role
' from the dead, and offered his Body to be toucht as
' well as leen by his Dilciples, left they fhould think
' there was any Fallacy in it, judged it meet rather to -
4firm them by the tejlimonies of the Law, and the Prophets
4 and Pfalms; fhowing how all things were fulfilled,
* which were predicted. And lo he commanded his
4 Church , faying, that repentance and remijjion of fin
4 fhould be preached in his Name, beginning at Hierufalem.
This he teftified was written in the Law, the Prophets
and Plalms: this we hold commended from his Mouth.
Thefe are the Documents, theft? the Foundations, thefe the
jlrong Grounds of ourCaufe. We read in the Acts of the
Apoltles of lome Believers, that they lbught the Scri¬
ptures daily, whether thole things were lo. What Scri¬
ptures ? but the Canonical Books of the Law and the
Prophets: ' to which are added the ,the -
' cal Epijlles,the Acts of and the Revelation of
4 S. John. Search all thefe, and bring forth fomething
' manifeft, whereby ye may demomftrate the Church, ei-
' ther to have remained only in Africa, or to be to come
' out of Africa, &rc. This is an illuftrious Teftimony,
he thought the Church it felf was to be warranted by.
the Scriptures, which did not therefore receive their Au¬
thority from the Church, but give it all the Authority,
it hath. And after all, it was not the Authority of the
prelent Church barely that moved him when he was a
Manichee; but of the Catholique Church from the be-
Anfwefco'S ginning. Occham * thinks he fpeaks of the Church in the
Fifhtfs fe- Apoftles times alone, which moved him to Believe,
fcmceff 34. "^n<^ others ( as Gabriel Biel) confels he fpeaks of the
Authority
The ^Pillar and Ground of Truth. p7
Authority of the Church, i tempore & Apoftolo-
rum, 8rc. from the time of Chrift and of the Apoftles
down to his days.
Such Authority cannot but weigh very much, even
with thole that do not yet believe, if it be ferioufly pon¬
dered : but much more with thofe, that are already Chri-
ftians. Whether they be Novices and weaklings, who
are as yet doubtful in the Faith, though in the Church:
the Teftimony and Authority of it, ought to confirm and
quiet their minds (as it did S. it appears by
the place before-named ) and keep them dole to the
Chriftian Society, till they may themfeives come better
acquainted with the Truth, and more fully underftand
the Holy Scriptures, which the Church delivers to them,
and puts into their hands, as the Word of God. Or
whether they be more grown Chrifti ( and indeed all
forts of Perfons in the Church) who ought to be fo far
wrought upon even by its Authority, as to be perfwa-
ded thereby to read conftantly, to confider and ponder
ferioufly, and to pracfile thofe plain LefTons faithfully,
which the Holy Scripture teaches them ; till it work ef¬
fectually upon their hearts, and purge them fo through¬
ly from all bad affeCtions, that they may more perfectly
underftand the Truth.
Thus much is indifputable; for God hath appointed
outward means for the conveying Divine Truth, to our
Belief; and this means is ordinarily the Church: to
which we afcribe thefe two great things, in this bufinefs.
(/>) Fir ft, the office of a Witnefs, teftifying the A utho- (,) ,.\nfwer rc
rity of Holy Scripture to us: Secondly, of an Inftrument charity mi-^
in Gods Hand, to lead us into the underftanding of the a
Scriptures, and by its Miniftry, in preaching and ex¬
pounding them, to beget a Divine Faith in us.
But further than this, we cannot, we muft not go. For
the laft refolution of our Faith is not into the Teftimony
O 2 of
VJ
The Pillar and Ground of
of the Church, but into the Teftimonyof God himfelf,
which we find recorded in the Holy Scripture, delivered
by the Church unto us. Thus S. Aujlin moft admirably
(?) xiv. difcourles in that very Book againlt his
'mm mclnt Letter, from whence the fore-named laying, (I had not
BundmtntL believed the Gofpel, utilefsthe Churches Authority had mo¬
ved me to it) is wont,, at every turn, to be objected to us,
by thole of the Romijb perlwafion. Thou dojl nothing,
but praife what thou believe ft, and deride what I believe.
Now fince I can be even with thee, and do the very ,
praife what I believe, and deride what thou believeft what
is to be done ? but that we leave and thofe, who in¬
vite us to know things certain ; and afterwards require us
to believe things uncertain (let thole of the Roman Church
mark this ) and that we follow , who invite us ftrjl to.
believe, that which we cannot yet fee into ; that being made
jlronger in the Faith it /elfwe may come to underjlandwhat
we believe: NOT MEN NO\Y, BUT GOD HIM¬
SELF INWARDLY ESTABLISHING AND IL¬
LUMINATING OUR MIND.
It is impoffible to read this palTage, and not lee that
this Father thought our Faith is not ultimately relolved
into the Teftimonyof the Church: but by that,being
invited to believe the Holy Scriptures, we are eftablifhed
( upon the lerious reading of them ) in the Cfcriftian
Faith, and Knowledge of the Truth, by God himlelf.
Upon whole Word, in the Holy Scripture, and not upon
Men,we bottom our Faith. Upon the Teftimony and
Authority of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft:
and the Teftimony of divine Men, inlpired by them ;
who by, Miracles, and Signs, and mighty Deeds, and a-
prophetical Spirit, proved themlelves to be lent of God)
and have left his Mind and Will upon.Record in the
Scriptures of Truth. Which the Church indeed, in all
parts of the World hath kept and prelerved,and faithfully
tranfmitted
The Tillar and Ground of 'Truth-
tranfmitted down to iSi\ and now propounds to our
Faith: but it is not merely what the Church faith, that
makes us believe; but what God himfelf faith in the
Holy Scriptures, concerning his Son Jefus Chrift; and
what Jefus Chrift faith, concerning his fifing From the
Dead, and fending the Holy Ghoft upon the Apoftles.
Which being fulfilled, evidently proved him to be the
Son of God, the Saviour of the World: and them to
be his Apoftles, and Minifters, who declared to Men
the true way of Salvation.
So the Church directs and guides us to the Scriptures
of Truth; but they relolve and affure our Faith, being
the very Word of God. The authority of God's Church
is the firft motive, which leads us to efteem the Scrh
ptures : but being led thither, we find in the matter of
them that which gives us full fatisfa&ion, by beftowing
our pains in reading, or hearing, and confidering the My-
fteries contained therein. The Church holds out this
light to us ; but it is by this light that we fee what is the
mind' and will of God. To this the Church points
us, and bids us attend to it; for this it difpofes and
prepares us; it leads us by the hand to this as the on¬
ly fure foundation of our Faith; ( becaufe herein we
find God himfelf fpeaking to us ) and moreover by
the Minifteryof the Church we are aflifted in under-
ftanding the fence of the Holy Scriptures : but they
contain in themfelves that Divine Authority and Truth*
whereby we come to a certain Faith. The Church telfo
us fuch and fuch things are true ; and we find them
to be fo, by examining the Scriptures. Which the
Reraans fearched daily -, whether thofe things were fo,
which the Apoftles preached : and therefore many of
them believed ;. not merely becaufe the Apoftles told
them they ought fbtodo, but becaufe they found what
they laid, in the:Holy Scriptures* XYH. n, 12;
Too The 'Pillar and Ground of Truth.
And lo far as any Church fpeaks according to the
truth contained therein, it is to be believed and follow¬
ed. But if it bring no Divine word for its warrant,
if it propound other Doffcrines, which are not there, it
hath no authority to make fuch Doftrines, the matter of
our Faith : much lels, to let up its own authority above
the Scriptures ; as they do who lay, The Scriptures re¬
ceive their authority from the Church Which is the
DoStrine of no lels Men than Baromus and , to
name no more.
(r) Ai Annum The former of (r) which argues, that becaule we
S3 m. x,xi. reGejve thele Holy Books, to be writings of the A-
poftles and Evangelifts, and not forged under their
Names, upon the teftimony of the Church; therefore
all the writings of the New Teftament, received their
authority from the Churches tradition; which is fun¬
dament um Scriftstrarum, as he ventures to lay,, xHns foun-
00 l. z. de d.it ion of the Scriptures. The other (j) is no lels po-
sacnmtnL^ flt[ve, that if we take away the authority of the pre-
' font Church, and the prelent Council, we call in doubt
the whole Chriftian Faith. For the firmnefs of all an¬
cient Councils, and of all Doctrinesy depends upon the au¬
thority of the prefent Church.
This is very prelumptuous talk: for by the Church
they mean themlelves; and then by the teftimony of
the Church (that is their own teftimony) they mean
luch a Divine witnefs, as allures us by its own autho¬
rity, without any other proof. Which are the great
points of difference between ys, in this matter. For
we aflert, firjl, that the office of leading Men to the
Holy Scriptures, and lb to Faith, belongs to every
Church as much as to them : and, , that no
Church can bring People to Faith by its own tefti¬
mony and authority, but by the Dottrine of the Ho¬
ly Scriptures : nor is any Church whatlbever to be
heard
The 'Pillar and Ground of Truth. tox
Reard in matters of Divine Truth, further than it
can prove its Doftrines by the authority of God's Word,
and teaches things agreeable thereunto.
11. Which leads to the Second thing ; briefly to
fhew what power and authority the Church cannot
pretend unto in matters of Faith.
1. And, firjly it appears by what hath been laid,
that it hath not a Soveraign, J, Prophetical au¬
thority, independent upon the Rule of the Holy Scri¬
ptures : lb that we muft take whatlbever it faith for true,
without conlulting them. This is the ambitious pre¬
tence of the great Doctors of the Roman Church, who
give the Church (meaning thereby the prefent Roman
Church ) an authority over all things, not depending on
the Scriptures; but upon which the Scriptures themfelves
depend : So that without the authority of this Church,
all truth is doubtful. Which is amanifeft principle of
Infidelity, making all Religion ftand to the courtefie
of a company of Men, who in fuch matters are the
leaft to be trufted of all other Chriftians that we are ac¬
quainted withall.
2. The Church hath no authority to propound any
Do&rine, as neceflary to Salvation, which is not deli¬
vered in the Holy Scriptures; but depends folelyonthe
authority of its own Tradition. This is another of their
ambitious attempts, who having arrogated to themfelves
alone the whole power of the Church ; make that power
fb unlimited, that it can fupply the defects of the Scri¬
pture ; and make things unwritten to become matters
of Faith. Which is fuch an unbounded Prerogative, that
we may have a new Faith, as often as they pleafe to
pretend a Tradition for it; though they cannot prove it.
For we muft reft in the authority of the prefent Church
which affirms it; and that againft the verv Scripture it
felf,
ioi T he ftillarand Ground of Truth.
Iqlf, which tells us it is able to make a Man of God
fft; and againftthe teftimony of the Univerlal Church,
which, I have fhown, forbids the producing of any other
Faith but that which was evidently delivered by the
Apollles there.
3. We cannot allow the Church an Infallible authori¬
ty, that is, fuch an a Alliance in her DoQxines and pro-
poCils, that fine cannot err in any thing Ihe defines. In
Controverfies indeed arifing about matters of Faith, we
(i)Arth-.xx. own and reverence the authority of the Church (?) ; lo
as not to conteft the publique judgement, but to prefer
it before our own private conceits, in doubtful things.
But as it ought to proceed in its determinations by the
Rule of Gods word ; So we think it pollibleit may mi-
flake in the application of this Rule: and therefore we
do not blindly refign our lelves to its authority, with¬
out all regard to the Holy Scriptures ; unto which the
Church ought to have a refpe£t in all its determinations.
No, that's another proud pretence of the prelent Roman
Church, that they cannot miftake in their definitions:
and therefore we muft fubmit unto them without exa¬
mination. From whence this intollerable milchief hath
infued, that it hath made them both inlenfible of their
errors, and carelels to leek any cure of them, nay utter¬
ly incapable of a remedy, For as one of our own Di-
(upr.pottiri vines excellently Ipeaks («) (whole words thole are)
Anfwer to_ this conceit of their Infallibility is to them both a
■fUkcn,'s.<3.5. cient reafon for that rvhich is mojl nnreafonable; and a fuf-
ficient anfwer to that which is mojl unanfverable. T0 this
they retreat upon all occafions, when they are not able
to maintain their ground : they have no other way to
defend their errors, when they are plainly fet before their
eyes, but to tell us confidently they cannot err. Which
is; a very Arrange boldnels ; for we demon ft rate, in rna-
Xiay inliances, that they have erred j erred moftgrolly:
particularly
The Tillar and Ground of Truth.
particularly in this, that they have added new Articles'
to the old Creed, to be believed under pain of Dam¬
nation ; and added a new Canon of Scripture to the
Old Teftament, againft the cleared: evidence in the Re¬
cords of the Univerlal Church, that the Books they
have newly received, were never acknowledged for Ca¬
nonical Scripture.
If by the Church indeed, they would underftand, the
Church truly Catholique, the whole Body of Chrift in
all times, places and ages ; and if by matters of
they would underftand thole grand Articles which I
have mentioned in the firft part of this Dilcourle; and
if by being infallible, they would underftand not an ab-
lolute impoflibility of erring ( which humane nature is
not capable of) but not adual error: there are none of
us make any queftion, but the Church is Infallible.
That is, the whole Church hath not erred, nor fhall not
err, in the whole Faith, or in any neceffary part there¬
of : for fueh error utould cut Men off from Chrift, the
head; and lb leave him no Church at all; which is impof
fible. It hath been the ve.ry fcope of firft my Dilcourle,
to fhow 'tllat the Church hath always kept the great fun¬
damental truths of our Religion, and not erred in them;
but tranfmitted them down to us, whole and undefi-
led : till the Church of Rome, in the Council of ,
corrupted the Faith, by their errors, which they have
mixed with it.
For to a particular Church, fuch as that of Rome is,
we cannot allow this priviledge of not erring : becaule
we know they have erred, even in fundamental Truths,
and thereby cealed to be Churches. Witnels thole glo¬
rious Churches, to which Chrift hiralelf lent his Letters,
by S.j lohnthe Apoftle.
*
' • • ■ 3 < *" '" 1 ";j; 4 *- '* ° ■ : 4 * y • - i ■;
P Thefe
104 The TiHar and Ground of Truth.
Thele Prerogatives therefore not belonging to any
Church : every one mull be content with thole two Of¬
fices before mentioned ; which are fufficient. Firji, The
Office of a Witnefs teftifying the authority of the Holy
Scriptures, unto its members : Secondly, of Gods instru¬
ment, by whole Miniftry, in opening, expounding, and
urging the Holy Scriptures, the Holy Gholt begets a '
divine Faith in us. And by performing thele Offices,
itfupports, and continues, and propagates the Truth;
and lo may be called the Pillar and Ground thereof.
The meaning of which I fhal'l now dillinctly let be¬
fore the Readers eyes; that I may give a fhort account
of the fourth and laft thing propounded, in the begin¬
ning.
IV.
, H'i 1 J:;01 : i'.fiVf': < OiQkltf* "
How the Church may appropriate to Title.
1. Firft, Every Church, and every perlbn in it, es¬
pecially the Bifhopsand Pallors, are the Pillar and Ground
of Truth, officio, by Duty and jQffice: whereby they are
obliged to keep, maintain and uphold the Truth. This
always was, and always will be incumbent on them ;
which is lufficient to fill up the lenle of fuch attributes
as thele : which do not always note performance of Du¬
ty, but only obligation to it. As when our Saviour laith
to his Dilciples, Te are the fait of the : it doth not
fignifie that they were neceffarily lo ( for he fuppoles
immediately the fait might lofe its favo) but that they
ought to belo ; and if they were not lb, would be good
for nothing, but to be caft out and trodden under
Matth. V.ijjf.
2. But Secondly,The firft Churches of Chrilt, in the
Apollles times, were affu & effeclu, a£tually and effe¬
ctually the Pillar of Truth: that is, they faithfully diP
charg'd
T he Pillar and Ground of Truth. ioj
charg'd this Office, and perform'd their Duty, conftantly
maintaining the Truth as it is in Chrift, in its purity and
Simplicity. For the Apoftles were a part of thole Churches,
whom God led into all Truth: which they taught fin-
cerely and intirely while they lived ; -and do at this day,
inftru&us, in the Holy Scriptures, in the whole Truth,
neceffary to our Salvation.
3. But we cannot lay the lame of all fucceeding
Churches, that they did faithfully perform this office,
though in duty they alio were bound lb to do. No,
lome of them were lo far from being Pillars of the Truth,
that they let it fall to the ground. We have ftrange in¬
stances of it, with which I 111 all not fill thele Papers, in the
Hiftory of the Church : which fhow us that if we take
not heed to our lelves, and die Doctrine that is delivered
to us, we have no fecurity, that we, or any other parti¬
cular Church, lhall continue firm and ftedfaft lupporters
of the Truth. For Pillars themfelves may decay; and,'
if they be not welllookt after, will go to ruin, and fall
to the Earth.
4. Even this very Church of , which was a
Pillar and Ground of Truth, while Timothy prefided in
it, afterward began, before all the Apoftles were dead,
to remit its fir ft love and zeal for the Truth (II. 4.)
and now is utterly fubverted and not to be found.
Which is a demonftration the Apoftle did not in thele
words, intend to teach that the Church cannot err, but
that ( as I laid ) it is in duty bound, by its calling and
Office, to prelerve the Truth pure and intire. For he
himlelf forelaw this Church would be haunted with
grievous Wolves, after his departure ( Acl. XX. 29, 30.)
who no doubt came in Sheeps clothing : as they alfo
among themlelves did, who he foretold would arile
[peaking perverfe things to draw Difciples after them. And
immediately after he had here called the Church or 77-
P 2 ,
jo 6 The Millar and Ground of Truth.
mothythe Pillar of Truth; headmonifhes him (in the
beginning of the next Chapter, IV. 1,2.) that there
would be an apofafie from the , as the Spirit ex-
pre fly declared. For according to what our Saviour pre¬
dicted, there was fcarce any Church, but the Enemy
lowed Tares among the Wheat r which very much
hindred the growth thereof. So we are informed by
f Efrb'f'}u'Hegifippw,'d very ancient Chriftian Hiftorian ; who f (aith
Ec.\t. that as (oon as the (acred Quire of Apoifleswere dead,
and that Generation was gone, who had heard the infpi-
red Wifdom with their own ears, then begun \i ovfawt
•? a Confpiracy or Combination of impious or
atheifiical-error,by the deceit of falfe teachers j who
make a bare-fee't oppofition to the Truth of the
Gofpeh
Andyet for all this, the (peech of "the. Apoftle is pro¬
per enough : For a Church or its Pallor may be the Pillar
of Truth, in regard of their duty, as I have often (aid ,
though they prove negligent in their Office. Juft as the
Priefl among the Jeivs was. called,,, the of the
Ford of Hofs, whole lips that
the people fhould feek the Law at his month ; becaufc
this was the end of his Office, for which he was. ordain¬
ed : though at the feme time, the Prophet complains,
that they were departed out of the way , and many
to fumble at the Law: and had corrupted the Covenant of
Levi, Mai. II-. 7, 8'. The like we read in other places
of the holy Book, that the Prophets were not true to
their truft, but declared the vifions of their own heart,
not the Word of the Lord: and lead the people into
errot and falfhood ; feeding them with lies, infteadof
Truth.
5. Further I muft obferve, that there is no promife
made-to-any particular Church, that it (hall always.be a
Hilar ob Truth-no not to the Church- of Rome, which
now.
The Millar and Ground of Truth. 107
now fdboldly lays claim,and that Iblely, to this priviledge.
But quite contrary there is a terrible threatning to this
very Church, included in that admonition which this
very Apoftle gives them. Which is lufficient to fhow
that Chrift gave no fuch priviledge to this Church, as
that it fhould never err : but direftly contrary, fuppo-
fed it might err, and err even to Apoftafie; when he
bids them take heed left they were cut oft' by unbe¬
lief., as the Jews were, from the fellowfhip of the
Saints. Read XI. Rom, 20, 21, 22. 7hey (fpeaking
of the Jews ) were broken off by unbelief: and thou
( fpeaking to the Roman Chriftians ) ftandeft by faith.
Be not high minded, but fear. (hearken to this, O ye
of the prefent Roman Church ). For if God fpared nod
the. natural branches, take heed left he alfo fpare not thee:
Behold thegoodnefs and feverity of God: on them^ which
feff feverity ; but towards thee, goodnefs, if thou continue
in hisgoodnefs: OTHERWISE. THOV ALSO
SHALT BE CVT Ot.
From whence we may thus argue; if God had gram
ted to the Roman Church, the priviledge of being a
Pillar of Truth, infallibly and immutably, unto all Ge-r
nerations ; all thefe fuppofitions were vain, and thefe ex¬
hortations utterly needlefs and frivolous: .for it would
have been abfblutely impoffible, it fhould be cut off,
and ablblntely neceffary it ftiould continue. And yet
the Apoftle plainly fuppoles otherwife, and took it for
granted it might; fail. For thele two are direftly op-
polite, toT?^7andto fall; to continue, and to be cut off;
to be an Everlafting Biliary and to be broken off* For it
is .proper to a Pillar to ftand and fupport: but to be cut
off, (as.he fuppofes they might be) is to fall to the
Ground, and not to be able to fupport ones felf, much.
lefs others.
NOV/-:
l o 8 Tie Pillar and Ground of
Now that they of that Church have gone far towards
this condition ( according to the Apoftles fuppofition )
byfalfifying the Truth of Chrift, even part of the Apo-
ftolical Faith (and lb have not continued a firm and
ftedfaft Pillar of Truth, but maintained and fupported
dangerous Errors and Herefies ) is apparent from this
alone, if there were no more: that they limit and con¬
fine the Catholique Church to themlelves alone; and
exclude all other Chriftians from it, who will not fiib-
mit to their Bifhop and Decrees. The Impiety of which
is lo great, that it is not eafie to be exprefled: for it is
in Truth, to make the Church not but Parti¬
cular. How new, falle, lacrilegious, Icandalous, Ichifi
matical and heretical, this one Article of the Roman
(x) Bifhop Creed is; one of our own (jc) Bifhops hath demonftrated
Mortm. evidently in a Book on purpole (to which I refer the
Reader ) which he had realbn to call the GRAND
IMPOSTURE.
It would inlarge this Treatile too much beyond my
intention, or elle it would be eafie to fhow, both when
they began to let Truth fall to the Ground, and how they
proceeded to fail in their duty, and to betray their truft;
till they quite altered the ancient Catholique Faith, in
the Council of Trent. Which now they cry up as the
great Pillar of Truth : when it did nothing but lend a
lame fupport to the moft notorious fallhoods; which it
eftablifhed as Doctrines of , when they were before
but erroneous Opinions in that Church. I call it lame, be-
eaule of the numerous flaws that there were, both in the
conftitution •, and in the proceedings of that Council;
which make it of no Authority. For in the very begin-
0)Seff.iv. ning of it (7), they decreed that no Man fhould weft
the Scripture, to a Jenfe contrary to that which the holy
mother-Church ( i. e. themlelves) hath held and holds.
And fo eftablifhed all the Tenents of that Church, be¬
fore
77;e Miliar and Ground of Truth. toy
fore they examined them by the Scripture: and engaged
themlelves to contradid their own Decree, by wrefting
the Scriptures to their own lenle, for the maintenance of
what their Church then held. All the Bifhops like-
wile, there aflembled, were Iworn to fupport the
pacy of the Roman Church,and the Rules of the holy Fa~
thers: whereby they were obliged to maintain the Ufur-
pations of that See upon all the Bifhops in the World;
( whole Authority was thrown down, and thereby
Pillars of the Truth ( as I have Ihewn them to be )
trampled under foot, when Boniface was declared Uni¬
verlal Bilhop ) and upon Kings and Princes, whom Hil-
dehrand trod under foot: yea upon the whole Church;
over which Pope Leo exalted himlelf, when he got it
declared in the Later an Council, that he was above a
General Council, and the Univerlal Church (z) : being stf. xi.
blalphemoufly called, by his flatterers, the of the
Church, the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah. From which
veryPhrafe or Spoufe,no lels Man than Bellarmine (aj (a) l.u. de
himlelf labours to prove the Pope to be above
the Dniverfal Church, and above a General Council: be- '
caufe it is contrary to the Apoftle, and to the order of
Nature, that the Wife fbould be above the Husband.
This is fuflacient to lhow what we ought to think
of the prelent Roman Churchwhich is lo far from be¬
ing Infallible, that it hath erred more than any other
Church.
6. But though there be no promile either to that or
any other particular Church, of being prelerved from
Error, yet the Univerlal Church, in lbme part or other
of it, we are lure will always be a Pillar and Ground
of the whole Truth, neceflary to Salvation: becaule
our Saviour hath promiled the gates of hell fhall not prc-
vail againjl it. That is, the Church fhall be perpetual:;
which it cannot be, unlels it hold the Truth intirely
whereby
110 The (pillar and Ground of Truth.
whereby it is joyned to Chrift its Head. And thus one
(b)Tuvmn. of their own Cardinals (b) underftood the Infallibility
&dtj?Ti? t'ie Church,with which they now make lo much noife,
ff.91.d-i.1u. When we fay, ''The Church cannot err in Faith or
c. 60. ' ners, it mull be thus taken, according to the DoQxine
'of the Fathers; that God doth Church to the
' end of the World, that the true Faith fail out
' ofthe fame. For to the World's end, there fhall be no
' time, wherein fome, though all, fhall not have true Faith
4 working by Love. Unto this expofition we heartily
fubmit: but that the prefent Church of , or indeed
any other particular Church, cannot degenerate, and
depart from the right Faith, we can by no means al¬
low ; but think our felves bound by the moft facred
tyes, tooppofethefe arrogant pretences, that the Church
is Infallible, and that they are the Church. They are no
more the Church, than any other company of Men,
profeffing the Chriftian Faith: nor fb much neither,
for there are truer Believers than they. I have proved
alio that other Churches have erred, and therefore .fb
may they: nay, they have erred, and that fb grofly, as
to be able by no other means to maintain their errors, but
by pretending they cannot err.
And therefore let no Man be fb forgetful of thefc
things as to truft them to be his Guides ; fancying they
cannot miflead him. They have milled thofe that rely
upon them; and have led them into a maze, .or
rinth,in which it is impoflible for them to find their
way, and know what is the Truth. For if we fliould
grant them their -Church cannot err, they are not
agreed, nor ever will, what.they mean by the Church.
Whether the whole body of Chriftian People ( which is
the new Herefie among them, as feme of themfelves call
it) or a deneral Council,( which the learnedft and beft
Men among them maintain ) or the Pope.- who hath *
great
//
The 'Pillar and. Ground of Truth. I! i
great many on his fide; but they cannot agree, about
the manner of his definition ( whether alone, or in a Ge¬
neral Council), nor about the time (whether at any
time, 01* only when he relblves to publifh Doctrines,
as matter of Faith), nor about the matter (.whether all
things, even matters of fart, or only matters of Faith J;
and after all, no body can tell, when there is a true
Pope. So that all their Faith falls to the Ground, and
they cannot be certain of any thing they believe ; be-
caufe they cannot be certain of the very Ground and
Foundation of their Faith: which is their Church.
Thefe things I have only briefly toucht ( which are
more largely handled in other Books ) that the Readers
may be fenfible how happy they are who are freed
from thefe Impoftures. And that our People may know
their duty, in this Church of England, whereof by the
Grace of God they are Members; I fhall conclude
this Treatife with SixConfiderations more: whereby
the whole, I hope, will be made more ufeful.
I. Firjl, I defire every one, to confider, from what
I have feid, that this Church, in which we are, is cer¬
tainly as much a Pillar and Grotind of , as any-
other: nay , more than many other Churches. For
we openly profefs and recite twice a day in our own
Language, that every one may underftand it, the whole
Chriftian Faith, comprifed in the Creed: with
the explication of feme part of this Faith, by the Ni-
cene Fathers, once every week or more: and a more
diftind Explication of the feme Articles, by -
at, once a month. That is, we hold, and aflert, and
maintain, all thofe things which have always been, and
are confefled by all Chriftlans: the , Ancient, Ca-
tholique and Apojlolique Faith', and the Holy Scriptures,
wherein this Faith is- Originally contained. And if
we
112 The Tillar arid Ground of Truth.
we knew any thing elle to be the mind of God, deli¬
vered to us from Chrift and his Apoftles, by the Uni-
' verlal Church, we are prepared to receive it; and, did
it appear, would immediately embrace and propagate
it. But the Vniverfal Church, as I have fhown, hath
declared this to be iufficient, nay full and perfect: and
moreover, forbidden any other Faith to be either com-
poled, or offered, to thole who would become Chri-
ltians. To all which ( that I have faid in the Fir ft
(c) Epift. ad Part ) this memorable laying of Pope Leo (ft) the Great
may be added : The Jbort and perfect Confeffion of the
Catholique Symbol (or Creed) it felf, which is fealed
in as many fentences, as there were Apoftles, (/. e. XII.
Articles ) is fo inftrucfed with Cue left lal munition ( or
defence ) that all the opinions of Heretic lis, with this Sword
alone, may be cut in pieces.
II. And therefore, Secondly, every one of us is bound,
unlefs we will betray our truft, and as we will anfwer
it to our Lord Chrift, the Author of our Faith, to
hold fall this Faith, to preferve it intire, and to defend
it : not fuffering any of it to be loft, or any addition
to be made to it, as if this were not fiifficient to Sal¬
vation. Take faft hold of inftrnotion, ( of thole great
fubftantial, unqueftionable Truths, mentioned in the be¬
ginning ) let them not go , keep them, for they are your
life: as Solomon Ipeaks of Wildom, IV. Prov. 13. They
are the Wildom of God our Saviour; the Rule which
the Apoftles preached equally among all Nations ( as Ve--
(d) Pr.ejat. in nantius Fortunatus ( d ) Ipeaks ) the comprehenfton, and
fgfserm. perfection of our Faith (as S. Auftin (e), or an Ancient Au-
cxv.de thor under his name) theTeft (as Ihavelhown) and
Tmf. Mark, whereby the Faithful are diftinguifht from Un¬
believers and Hereticks. And having this Note of a
Chriftian; you ought neither to leek for, nor to admit
' of
The Tillar and Ground of Truth.
of any other: being indued with this Wifdofh, you
ought to think your folves wife unto Salvation. And
not be in the leaft moved with the bugbear name of
Herjs ticks , or the empty noifo of Damnation, which
they of the Church of Rome thunder out againft you.
For they fignifie nothing but the wrath of tftofo, 'who
would drive you into the belief of that, by frights and
terrors ; into which they cannot draw you by folid
proofs and arguments. Turn away your Ears both
from the one and the other: for as the former is an in-
fignificant found , fo the latter ( all their Arguments)
are but confident Sophiftry. Which hath been, and
is at this day, fo evidently demonstrated by our Wri¬
ters : that they can have no excufe who are deceived by
thep.
III. Ana thus every one is bound to teach his Chil¬
dren diligently; inftru&ing and confirming them in thefo
main Points of Chriftianity: that fo the Truth may
live, when we are gone.
Confider, I befoech you, what a neceflary duty this
is. How rtiould the Truth be prefer'ved and lupported,
but by thofe that believe it ? And how fhould they be¬
lieve it, who do notunderftand it? And how fhould
they underftand it, unlets they be taught and inftru&ed
in it ? And who fo much concerned to inftruft their
Children, as they that brought them into the World?
Their God-fathers and God-mothers indeed are engaged
to foe this done; but their Parents have a further,even
a natural obligation to it. And therefore ought firft of
all diligently to inform themfolves ; and by attending
to all the means of inftru&ion, which they have in
this Church, to increafo in true Chriftian know¬
ledge : that they may be able to teach thofo who are
committed to their care, and prepare them to be cate-
OL2 chifed
"J
Tlx Pillar and Ground of Truth.
chifed and further inftru£led by thofe whom God hath
let over them.
We are not Pillars and fupporters of the Truth, but
the betrayers of it; if we take no care about this.
Which is one great realon why lome have eafily forfa-
ken the true Religion here taught and profeffed, and
condemned this Church (an horrid crime, if you feriouf-
ly weigh the confequents of it) by renouncing Com¬
munion with it, as no part of the Body of Chrift.
Men may be foon perfwaded , by confident talkers,
to part with that, which they do not underhand ; es¬
pecially if they apprehend any danger in keeping it, or
hope to gain by letting it go. Why fhould they haz-
zard the leaft hair of their Head, for they know not
what ? Nay, why fhould they be at all concerned for it,
any more than a Man is for the feed that is Icattered in
the High-way, from which he expe&s no Crop? To
that, you know, our blelfed Lord compared him that
heareth the word of the Kjngdom, and underJlandeth it not
for then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which
was [own in his heart, Matth. XIII. 19.
IV. You mull endeavour therefore to profit by all
fuch inftru&ions as thefe : and to grow in the know¬
ledge of the Holy Scriptures;' where God hath revealed
his whole mind and will to you , and plainly publi-
ihed all thofe Truths, which belong to the great myjle-
ry of godlinefs.You ought, for inftance, to take heed,
how you wantonly and loolely interpret, or apply them,
according to your own fudden or carelefs fancies (that's
a great profanation of the Sacred Books ) and yet you
aiuft not, for fear of this, be perfwaded to throw them!
out of your hands; but rather with the more folemn,
humble and reverend awe of God, upon your Souls,
ponder and weigh what you- read therein : efpeeially
thofe;
The 'Pillar and Ground of uth. B I <jr
thofe things which are plain and evident to every tih-
derftanding, that by the help of them, and of thofe
whom God hath let over you to guide and dire£t
your minds ; you may either inform your under-
ftanding in what appears to have difficulty in it, Ot
latisfie your felves that it is not neceffary you fhould
underftand it.
For they that would drive you from this hold of the
Holy Scriptures, intend to deceive you and would
have you depend 011 that which is far more uncer¬
tain, than the meaning of any place of Scripture can be.
There is no firm ground for us to ftand upon, but on¬
ly this: which all acknowledge is the very word of God,
and delivers that, which hath been ever accounted the
fubftance of Chriftian Doctrines ; in fuch words as
every one may underftand them.
And therefore this is, as I have laid, the very foun¬
dation upon which the Church is built. Which is the
Pillar of Truth, as it defends the Truth out of the Scrip¬
tures, and by the Scriptures, againft all Hereticks and
other oppofers: and as it eftablifhes and fupports it, in
the hearts of Men, by this means, that it may be con¬
tinued to Pofterity. This muft be added, for the ex¬
plication of all that hath been laid ; that the Church,
and every perlbn in it, great or finally are Pillars not by
themfelves, but by the Holy Scriptures. For we know
thole things that belong to our Salvation (as Premising) {£) Adv. Me-
begins his Third Book}by no other periods, than thole ^ £-in-
by whom the Gofpel came to us: which then truly theyu
preached, hut afterwards, by the will of God to
m in the Scriptures, fundamentum &: Columnam fidei
noftras. futurum, to he the FOUNDATION and
PILLAR of our Faith. Uponthefe our Faith refts
and: relys: fo that they who take the Scriptures from
you, take away the Foundation and of that Truth,,
which
n 6 The (pillar and Ground of Truth.
which is or ought to be taught in the Church, and that
alone. They contain the mind and will of our Lord
Chrift : who himfelf being the firffc Foundation, and
(b)H*ref. ckief Pillar of all, Epipbanws (ti) applies thefe .words
lxix. to him. When he faith our Lord is called the door,
Nm. 35. becaufe by him we enter in ; and the way, becaufe by
him we walk ; and the Pillar, becaufe ewris fav ify&loptt
dKvsdcjii (the very, words of S. Paul in this place) the
ground, or fettlement and ftay of Truth. And in like
(i) LMi.de manner S. Cyril (/) of Alexandria, faith the Pillar of a
&°vtitan^ Cl°ud, and tlls PiUar of Fire, each of them reprefen-
' a ' ted Chrift, becaufe firft of all, *5 ty&fayL*.
\siv, he is the Pillar and Ground of Truth; and then be¬
caufe he carnot be fhaken or difturbed, &c. which he
repeats again upon another occafion, lpeaking of the
pillars which fupported the Curtains of the Tabernacle ;
(Oib-Lib. Chrift is to he underftood, faith he, (£) in each Pillar,
73 TT){ iKKhlDOiai 70 THC ifycLiafMl, 8cC. the prop of
the Churchy the Ground of Truth, according to the wordr
(/) l. x. of Paul. And in the next Book (/) fpeaking of the four
pillars which fupported the Vail before the holy place ;
he faith that Vail was a figure of Chrift, who was
lifted upon high by the preaching of the Evangelifts :
and therefore he faith, the four Evangelifts were typifi¬
ed by thofe four pillars : being equal\v eminent and pre-
tious, more valuable than Gold and Silver.
Which fhows that the Ancient Chriftians lookt upon
the Church as the Pillar and Ground of Truth, no other
ways, but as it profeffes, preaches, eftablifhes, and keeps
upe, the Doftrine of Chrifi and of his A poftles, record¬
ed in the Holy Scriptures; unto all which they indiffe¬
rently apply thefe words of S. Paul, which are thought
immediately to fpeak of the Church; which fupports the
Truth delivered in the Holy Scriptures, from Chrift and
from his Apoftles.
Upon
The Tillar and Ground of Truth. i 17
Upon which account the Creed alfb, which is a corn-
prehenfive breviary of the great Scripture Doctrines, is
wont to have the fame attribute given to it. Particu¬
larly by Epiphanies, (m) who calls it, ™ J dwsdctSy {m) n Ex-
the Pillar (as the Greek word fignifies in good Authors) C<L'
or prop of Truth, Sec. our life/ our hope, and the affu-
rance of immortality. And by S. Auftin (n), who tells (*)DeSymbo
the Catechumens in his Expofition of the Creed to them,
that it is fdei Cat ho lie si fundament um, Sec. the Foundati¬
on of the Catholiqtie Faith, upon which the edifice of the
Church arofe, built by the hands of the Apofiles and Pro¬
phets. Which hath made fbme learned Men (0) refer ojjo.cam,
thefe words of S. Paul not to what goes before, but to fft Ca~
the words following: making a full flop at God , and
then beginning a new fentence, in this manner. The
Pillar and Ground of the Truth, and without Controverfie
great is the myftery of godlinefs, 8ec. which reading is
countenanced by a Greek Edition of the New Teftament
at Bafil 1540, where the words are fb pointed ; as if the
fence were this. God incarnate, and the great Truths de¬
pending thereupon) ought to be the very Foundation of the
Doctrine thou pre ache ft. The Doctrines of the Creed,
that is, are the very Foundation and Pillars of the Chrifti-
an Faith : as the.jwjyit is known call, the great princi¬
ples of their Religion, the Foundation of the Foundationr
the Pillar of Wifdom, zsMaimon fpeaks when he treats of
this matter.
Stick clofe therefore to the Holy Scriptures, and to
thefe Articles of the Faith in the Apoftles Creed, which
are the fundamental truths of Chriftianity (it appears
by what I have now laid ) by which the Church maim
tains and defends the Truth, and the Truth upholds the
Church, and we defend both.,
Hold
11$
The 'Pillarand Ground of Truth.
Hold this fait, as the ground of all; and iikewife lay-
up the word of God in your heart, that it may letle
there, and take root, and bring forth fruit unto Holinefs,
that your end may be everlafting Life.
Make the Holy Scriptures your Rule, and truft to
them, according to what the Son of faith of its
ancient Books, Eccluf. XXXIII. j. A of
ing trujls in the Law and the Law is faithful tc him as
an Oracle, or, as the asking of That is, here he
may enquire, and have a certain anfwer which will not
deceive him.
Show your lelves fuch Men of underftanding, as to
enquire no where elle. And if any Church or Perlon
would have you enquire of them only; take that for an
undoubted proof, they are not to be trufted. If they
would not guide >you by the Holy Scriptures, (that is,
by Chrift, the way, as you have leen, who hath flrown
us, no where elle that we know of, what we ought to
believe ) if they would have you follow their unground¬
ed Traditions, whereby they would inlarge your Creed,
beyond the ancient bounds : know that you ought not
to follow them, nor be led by them. For fuch may
foou ceafeto be the pillars and fupporters of the Truth ;
becaule they leave that whereby they Ihould fupport it,
and place themfelves ( whom they call the Church ) in
the fteadof it.
An evident fign they are not what they pretend : for
the Church it lelf ought to be demonftrated by the Scri-
(?) L.dtVni- ptures. So S .Aitflin(f)tells the Donatifs in thole known
tateEccirp, words, which are worthy to be prelerved in remem-
«».XVI. France. Setting afide all fuch things as thefe ( which he
had laid they could Iikewife alledge) let them demon-
flrate their Church if they can, not in the difcourfes and
rumours of the Africans, not in the Councils of their Bi-
(hops, not in the Letters of any difputers whatfoever, not
tn
The ^Pillar and Ground of Truth. t1 <?
in figns and fallacious wonders ( for we are prepared and
rend?ed cautious againft thefe by the word of the Lord) but
in the prefeript of the Law, in the predictions of the Pro¬
phets, in the Songs of the Pfalmsy in the words of the
SHEPHERD himfelfy. (i.e. Chrift) in the preach-
ings and labours of the Evange lifts ; that is in all the Cano¬
nical authorities of the holy Books. Let this be done fo, as
not to gather and relate thofe things, which are obfeurely, or
ambiguoufy, or figuratively fpoken there ; which every one
may interpret, as he pleafes, according to his own fenfe.
For fiuch things cannot be rightly underftood and expoun¬
ded ; unlefs thofe things which are moft clearly fpoken, be
firfi held by a frm Faith.
This is the very fenfe of the Church of England; which
teaches all her members, firft to hold by a firm Faith
thofe things which are clearly revealed in the Holy Scri¬
ptures ; and by them to underftand and expound thofe
things that are more obfeurely delivered: believing no¬
thing to be necelfary which is not read therein, nor may
be proved thereby: nor receiving theDoftrines and De¬
crees of any Church, unlefs it may be declared that they
betaken from thence. For h#c fimt caufe noftrdocument a,
h*c fundament a, h^c firmament a (as he there fpeaks, you
heard before) Thefe are the proofs of our Caufe, thefe
are its foundations, thefe are its fupports. And therefore*
as healfofpeaks in another Chapter t)f the fame Book
(q), which he begins thus. Let us not hear fuch fpeeches(q) cap.m,
as thefe, Thefe things fay I, Thofe things fay eft thou : but Vwtxte Er<<
let us hear, Thefe things faith the LORD, Thefe arc c Cj*£*
certainly Books of the Lord, to wbofe authority we both con-
fent, we both believe, we both obey. There let us feck
the Church, there let us difcufs our Caufe. And let us
not fo much as think of looking after any other Articles
of Faith, hut thofe which were from tjie beginnings
R which
no
(r) Mick
VIII.
( f) Ad Con-
(tantium An-
e4-
The fPillar and Ground of Truth.
which our Church firmly believes, in the three Creedsy
Nice-Creed, Athanafius, and that commonly called the
Apofles (f) becaufe they may he proved by mojl certain
warrants of Holy Scripture. For after the Faith corfefed
and Jworn in Baptijm (as S.Hilary (/) {peaks ) we
oughit not quicquam aliud vel ambigere, vel innovare, ei¬
ther to doubt or innovate any other thing. It is abfurd, that
is, to doubt whether this be fufficient; or to add any
other to it, as if this were not enough. So he interprets
it a little after. Faith is fill inquired after, as if there were
Faith is to be written, as if it were not
no
in the heart: being regenerated by Faith, we are now taught
what to believe, as if that Regeneration were without
Faith. We learn Chrift after Baptifm ; as if there could
be any Baptifm, without the Faith of Chrijl. It is mojt
fafe for us ( as it follows a little after) to retain that firf
and only Ev angelical Faith, confejfed and under food m
Baptifm.
V. And that a good and righteous caufe may have
good defenders and fupporters; let us read the Holy
Scriptures wherein this Faith is contained chiefly for this
end, that we may order our fieps, that is, our Lives and
Converfation, according to the rule of God's word. Let
us always remember,, that our Religion is a my fiery of
godlinefs, as was flhown before ; in which we are not
well inftru&ed, if it do not teach us, to deny ungodlinefs
and worldly lufls, and to live foberly, righteoufly and godly
in the World.- Which is the beft way alio to continue in
the Faith, i-Jyetloi ( as the Apoftle {peaks f
moft agreeable to thefe words, which he writes to Ti¬
mothy) grounded andfet ledyov (table and ftedfaft. Colof. L
23. For they are the good ground, in the Church, who in
an honef and good heart, having heard the ward, keep it,
andI
X
The {Pillar and Ground of Truth.
and bring forth fruit with patience. Luk. V III. 15* As
much as to fay ; if we would ftand faft in the Faith ,
and not fall away ( as our Saviour faith, others would
do in time of trial, v. 13.) we muft, firjly come to hear
and read the word of God, with unprejudiced minds
and upright hearts ; defiring to know the Truth, and
refolved to receive it, though never fo contrary to our
prefent inclinations and interefts.
. This is thehoneft and good heart, lwhiqh (fecondly)
muft keep and prefervein mind and heart, what it hath
.thus received : and not prefently let it flip, or lay it afide,
as a thing never to be thought of more, after we have
heard it. And (laftly) we muft, not only in a
warm fit of zeal begin to put in pra&ice what we
learn, but, bring forth fruit with patience or conti¬
nuance.
This is the way both to draw others into the Church,
and to continue our felves in it, and to make us con-
ftant defenders of the Chriftian Faith : That is, to do
our part in this great Office, of being the 'Pillar and
Ground of Truth. Which is a thing incumbent upon
the whole Church, and confequently upon every t one
of us, who are members of it. And therefore re¬
member, that the Chriftian Religion, for which we
are to be Zealous, is the acknowledgement of the Truth
after godlinefs, as I faid before, Tit A. 1. It is the
Dodlrine of piety \ to the ftudy of which if we feri-
oufly and heartily apply our felves , it will be our
beft fecurity againft all impoftures : and preferve us
from the fiibtil and crafty infinuations of thofe who
corrupt or pervert the Chriftian Do&rine: and finally
be the moft powerful means to make Chriftianity pre¬
vail in the World.
Remember
j it 7bTillar and Ground of Truth.
Remember the advice of S. Paul to this Church of
Epheftts,Ephef, IV. 14. 15. where you may find the true
way to continue firm and ftedfaft, and not to be toffed
about, as Children, with every blaft of Doctrine, cfic.
and that is atoSnvermb £)*■*•>, by or rather fol¬
lowing the Truth in love : or ( according to the Hebrew
Dialett) being fixed and , in the love of God
and of one another. For the Hebrew word Aman ( to
which «*»•><&» anfwers ) fignifies not only to [peak Truth>
but likewife, to be firm and , fixed and -
Jhed:which if we be, we fhall have a fettled, unmove-
able confidence of God's Love and Favour towards us.
For he that heartily loves God and his Neighbour, will
never be flartled, much lefs fhaken, by their bold
nathemas, though all the World fhouId tell him, he fhall
be damned, if he do not believe this or that propofi-
tion which they fay is abfolutely 'neceffary to his Sal¬
vation: becaufe there is fomething within him that gives
them the lye, and allures him there is no truth in them,
who fay that God hates and will reject him, who be¬
lieves all the ancient Faith, which works by Love. God
himfelf teftifies the contrary, by making the Truth ef¬
ficacious in his heart, to purge him from all filthinefs
both of Flefii and Spirit: and by changing him into his
own likenefs, in Holinefs, Love, and Goodnefi. And
the more thoroughly any Man is renewed in the fpirit
of his mind •>. the more perfeftly will he be affured ,
that they pronounce a falfe judgment upon him : and
eonfequently be the more heartily refolved againft that
Religion, which makes men fo liberal in pouring out
Curfes upon all them that do not embrace its novel
©pinions.
Which brings me to the.laft thing I would have con-
fidered, that,
% L We
The Tillctr and Ground of Truth.
123:
VI. We do not perform-our duty, ( I may fafely af¬
firm, nay, confidently aver) we are not the Pillar and
Stay of Truth, as we ought to be ; unlefs every one of
us in our feveral Places and Stations, oppofe, with a be¬
coming Zeal, the. Errors, Innovations, and Incroach-
mentsof the Church of Rome: who are the Men that
are, of ail other, mod guilty of the,, juft-now named,
Uncharitablenefs, or rather Pride and Cruelty. For
they utterly un-Church us; and, as much as in them
lies, cut us off from the Body of Chrift; and bar the
Gates of the Kingdom of Heaven againft us. By this
alone, if there were nothing elfe, we are fare they have
grofly erred, and live in error ; that they deny us to be
a part of Chrift s Churchwho believe and confefs
with Heart and Mouth the whole Catholique Faith;
every thing that is.ouo^y^a^ confefledIy, and by Uni-
verfal content,, the Ancient Chriftian Belief; in which
the Apoftlesand Martyrs died, by which alone Righte¬
ous Souls, for many Ages, went to Heaven; know¬
ing nothing of the Popes Supremacy, of Tranfubflantia-
tiony of the Propitiatory Sacrifice of the Mafs for quick
and dead, and the reft of their'new inventions.
Wc deterve not the name of Chriftians, 110 nor of
Men, if we ftand not up refblutely, againft fuch ufur-
pations and corruptions of the Chriftian Doftrine, and
maintain, that Faith, which we profels and wherein
we ftand, to be the true Grace of God; the Faith once
delivered to the Saints. Which is incumbent, chiefly
upon the Bifhops and Paftorsof the Church, who, I
have Grown, are the Principal Pillars of the Truth, (as
Timothy was in the Church of Ephefus ) and therefore
ought to appear , with all their might , for the fup-
port of God's true Religion here eftablifhedinftru*
I 24 The ('Pillar and Ground of Truth.
fting, teaching, exhorting, all committed to their charge
to be ftedfaft and immoveable in it to the death. And
every honeft hearted Chriftian ought to do the fame,
in his rank and condition, by following thole inftru£ti-
ons, by fortifying himfelf againfl Romijh delufions; by
indeavouring to underhand the Truth, and to detedt
their Errors.
Which are the more earneftly to be oppofed, becaufe
the new Articles of their Creed, are not a Myftery
of Godlinefs ; but tend, many of them, to nurfe Men
up fecurely in their fins: fuch as the Dodtrines of Pur-
gdtory, of Indulgences, of Penances, and ( to name no
more ) of Infallibility: which being prefumed, as an
unquejlionable Principle, is apt to lead Men in the mod
dangerous errors, and the fouleft fins, without any re¬
medy or poflibility of recovery, whenfoever the Infalli¬
ble Guide fhall propound them.
This pernicious Doftrine, I may add, feems alio to be
deeply rooted in all their minds; that an Orthodox Be¬
lief will fave them. For this they make the great bufi-
nefs of Chriftianity, to bring Men, as they think, to
fuch a Faith: as appears by this, that let Men be ne¬
ver fo bad, their labour is not bellowed to make them
quit their Sins, but to bring them to their Belief;
where , for any thing I can fee or hear, they may
quietly enjoy them. Nay, there are a number of lit¬
tle devices, to put them in hope of Heaven, without
reforming their lives; provided they Believe as the
Church Believes.
And in this let the befeech all that read thefe Pa¬
pers, to take a fpecial care , that they do not imitate
them. Let us be watchful, that we do not put a grea¬
ter Cheat upon our felves, than they would do : by
imagining our felves good Chriftians, meerly becaufe
we
The Pillar and Ground of Truth.
we Zealoufiy oppofe the Errors of Popery. That we
ought to do ; but not leave the great Thing, the amend¬
ing of our Lives, undone. For may we not deftroy
and pull down by a wicked life, as much as we build
up by contending for the Faith ? How can others
think that we are fo much concerned, as we feem to
be for Truth ; when we make no ule of it ; but let it
lie dead in our minds? What pitty is it, that their
hearts fhould not love that which is good, whole minds
are inlightned to dilcern that which is true? That
their underftandings being convinced, their wills fhould
not alfo be converted ? It is a lamentable thing, to
profels that we know God, but in our Works de¬
ny him. This makes us look as if we were of a
FaCbion, rather than of the Faithful: who oppofe ou¬
tliers rather as our Enemies, than as ChrifFs; as-thole
that differ from us, rather than as thole that differ from
the Truth.
For if it be the Truth, that we Reverence, why do
we not let it Rule and Govern us ? Why do we not
love to have it nearer to us, than in our Brains ? even
in our Hearts and Affections. For there is no greater
Truth than this, that Vngodlinefs is the rvorjl of Herefies;
a wicked life the moft oppofite, of all other things, to
the Chriftian Faith.
Let us never forget therefore that Adnfonition of the
Apoftle in the Firjl Chapter of this E piffle to Timo¬
thy, V. 19. Hold faith and a good confcience : which
he repeats again, in the Third Chapter to the Deacons,
whom he exhorts, to hold the myftery of faith in a. pure
confcience, v. 9. For if we put; away a good confcience
we may eafily make Shipwrack,zvznof our faith. Which
we have juft caufe to think , is the reafon why lome
have fallen from this truly Apoftolick Church of ours.
Concerning
i
&*£> The foliar and Ground of Truth.
Concerning which, and concerning whom, I may fay,
(i) fftrtfXL. as Epiphanius (t) ( putting this place, I have been
expounding, and fome others together) makes the A-
poftle fpeak to Timothy: It is the Church of the living
God , the pillar and ground of truth: which many for-
faking, are turned y tw&Mpcu, to fables and foolifh
hablings: neither underftanding what they fayy nor whereof
they affirm.
FINIS: