A treatise of faith divided into two parts. The first showing the nature, the…A treatise of faith diuided into two parts. The first shewing the nature, the…

§. 2. Herein the Romanists faith differs from the faith of ancient Christians; for the Saints who lived of old, grounded their faith upon the pure and faithful Word of God,¹ as upon a sure foundation, but the authority of the Pope, whom they call the Church virtual, is the first ground and last resolution of the Romanists faith. Indefinitely or indeterminately, they teach, whatsoever God hath spoken is most true, in that sense wherein he meant it: But if we descend to any determinate speeches, written or unwritten, either acknowledged or supposed for God Word, the present Romish Church doth take upon her absolutely to judge of all, and every part of them. If we speak of that Canon of Scripture which we have, the sense or interpretation of any text, any article of faith concluded out of it, the only cause they do or can believe ⟨p. 130⟩them infallibly, is the Popes infallibility that commends them. The Churches or Popes proposal is not only a condition requisite, but the remonstrative root, the immediate cause and reason of their believing divine revelations. And if it be a reason why they believe them, and sway the mind to embrace the truth, then it is the proper efficient cause of belief. According to their doctrine, the orthodoxall answer to this Interrogation, Why do you believe the doctrine of the Trinity, to be a divine Revelation? is, because the Church proposeth it to me for such. But he that admits this answer for sound and Catholic, and yet den es the Churches proposal to be the true and proper cause of his belief in the former point, hath smothered the light of nature, by admitting too artificial subtlety into his brains. Whatsoever it be, Cause, Condition, Circumstance or effect, that truly satisfieth this demand, Why do you believe this or that? it is a true & proper cause of our belief though not of the thing believed. We must here observe that there is a twofold resolution; One of the things or matters believed or known into the•r first parts or elements; Another of our belief or persuasions concerning them into their first causes or motives. In the one, the most general or remotest cause; In the other, the most immediate or next cause always terminates the resolution. The one imitates, the other inverts the order of composition.

§. 2. Herein the Romanists faith differs from the faith of ancient Christians; for the Saints who liued of olde, grounded their faith vpon the pure and faithfull Word of God,