P. You take advantage of the disagreement of our Doctors. You know that some few acknowledge distinct fundamentals;1 and some deny the distinction in your sense: And most of us say, that no man can enumerate the things necessary to all, but that it dependeth upon mens various capacities, educations, and means of knowing. And in sum, that no more is necessary to all to be explicitly believed, but that Gods Revelations are true; and that All are Gods Revelations which the Church proposeth as such.
You may take our judgement much from him that cometh nearest to you, whom I have heard you much praise, as most moderate and judicious, viz. Dr. H. Holden Anal. fid. l. 1. c, 5. Lect. 2. p. 53.
[Divines disputing of the necessity of points to be believed, do commonly tend this way, to denote the Articles of ⟨p. 33⟩things revealed, the explicit and express belief whereof, is (as they opine) altogether necessary to all Christians. The resolution of which question is among them so doubtful and uncertain, as that they are in this (as ☞ they are in all things else) distracted and divided into various Opinions: which they that care for them, may seek: To me they are as Nothing, while the Authors of them profess, that they have nothing of Certainty. Yea, to one that meditateth the matter it self, laying by all preoccupation, it is most clearly manifest, that the Resolution of this question is not only unprofitable, that I say not pernicious, (as it is handled by Divines); but also vain and impossible. It is unprofitable, because no good accrueth by it to souls. ☞ It is pernicious, while Divines for the most part assert, that only One or Two Articles, yea, (as some say) no singular Article at all, is necessary to be believed of all by an explicit faith. For hence (however the truth of the matter be) the colder Christians taking occasion, do little care to obtain that degree of Knowledge in the Mysteries of faith, which they might commodiously and easily attain. It is Impossible, seeing it is Manifest, that no particular Rule or Points to be believed, or Number of Articles can in this Matter be given or assigned, which shall be wholly common and necessary to all Christians:
P. You take advantage of the disagreement of our Doctors. You know that some few acknowledg distinct fundamentals;1 and some deny the distinction in your sense: And most of us say, that no man can enumerate the things necessary to all, but that it dependeth upon mens various capacities, educations, and means of knowing. And in sum, that no more is necessary to all to be explicitly believed, but that Gods Revelations are true; and that All are Gods Revelations which the Church proposeth as such.
You may take our judgement much from him that cometh nearest to you, whom I have heard you much praise, as most moderate and judicious, viz. Dr. H. Holden Anal. fid. l. 1. c, 5. Lect. 2. p. 53.
[Divines disputing of the necessity of points to be believed, do commonly tend this way, to denote the Articles of ⟨p. 33⟩things revealed, the explicite and express belief whereof, is (as they opine) altogether necessary to all Christians. The resolution of which question is among them so doubtful and uncertain, as that they are in this (as ☞ they are in all things else) distracted and divided into various Opinions: which they that care for them, may seek: To me they are as Nothing, while the Authors of them profess, that they have nothing of Certainty. Yea, to one that meditateth the matter it self, laying by all preoccupation, it is most clearly manifest, that the Resolution of this question is not only unprofitable, that I say not pernicious, (as it is handled by Divines); but also vain and impossible. It is unprofitable, because no good accrueth by it to souls. ☞ It is pernicious, while Divines for the most part assert, that only One or Two Articles, yea, (as some say) no singular Article at all, is necessary to be believed of all by an explicite faith. For hence (however the truth of the matter be) the colder Christians taking occasion, do little care to obtain that degree of Knowledge in the Mysteries of faith, which they might commodiously and easily attain. It is Impossible, seeing it is Manifest, that no particular Rule or Points to be believed, or Number of Articles can in this Matter be given or assigned, which shall be wholly common and necessary to all Christians:
- 1Johns. Nov. Rep. p. 19. of the explication of Terms: Know you not, that Divines are divided, what are the points necessary to be believed explicitly necessitate medii: Some, and those the more ancient hold, that the explicit belief of God, of the whole Trinity, of Christ, his Passion, Resurrection, &c. are necessary necessitate medii: Others among the recentiors, that no more than the belief of the Deity, and that he is the rewarder of our works, is absesolutely necessary with that necessary, to be explicitly believed.Johns. Nov. Rep. p. 19. of the explication of Terms: Know you not, that Divines are divided, what are the points necessary to be believed explicitely necessitate medii: Some, and those the more antient hold, that the explicite belief of God, of the whole Trinity, of Christ, his Passion, Resurrection, &c. are necessary necessitate medii: Others among the recentiors, that no more than the belief of the Deity, and that he is the rewarder of our works, is absesolutely necessary with that necessary, to be explicitely believed.
