The safe religion, or, Three disputations for the reformed catholic religion against popery proving…The safe religion, or, Three disputations for the reformed catholike religion against popery proving…

That which is mended always effecteth this, that while every amendment doth displease, every amendment may be condemned by a following amendment; as if now, whatever it be, it were no amendment of an amendment, but began to be a condemnation of it. In this much, O Emperor Constantius, I admire thee as of a blessed and Religious will, desiring a Belief only according to what is written;¹ and indeed justly hastening to those very words of the only begotten God, that the breast capable of impartial solicitude, may also be full of the knowledge of the words of God. He that refuseth this is an Antichrist: and he that counterfeiteth it, is Anathema. But this one thing I entreat of thee, — that the Council ⟨p. 301⟩being present which now quarrels about the Belief, thou wilt vouchsafe to hear me a few words, of the Holy Scriptures, and I may speak with thee of the words of my Lord Jesus Christ, whose banished man, or Priest I am. — O Emperor dost thou seek a Belief! Hear it, not out of new papers, but out of the Books of God.—Remember, that it is not a question of Philosophy, but in the doctrine of the Gospel. I desire not audience so much for my self as for thee, and the Churches of God. For I have my Belief with my self, and need none from without. That which I have received, I hold, and I change not that which is of God. But yet remember that there is no heretic but doth falsely pretend that he speaks that in which he blasphemeth, according to the Scripture. — (Here he names Marcellus, Photinus, Sabellius, Montaneus, Manichaeus, Marcion.) They all speak Scripture without its meaning; they pretend faith without faith. For the Scriptures lie not in reading, but in understanding, nor in prevarication, but in charity. Hear, I pray thee, what is written of Christ, lest under them those things that are not written be preached. Submit thy ears to those things which from (these) Books I shall speak; lift up thy faith to God: Hear that which profiteth to Belief, to Unity, to Eternity. I will speak to thee with the honour of thy Kingdom and thy faith, all things profitable to the peace of East and West: under the public knowledge, under a disagreeing Council, under a famous contention. — I will defend nothing to scandal, nor that is without (or besides) the Gospel.] Here he reciteth a short creed in Scripture words, especially about Christ.

That which is mended alwayes effecteth this, that while every amendment doth displease, every amendment may be condemned by a following amendment; as if now, whatever it be, it were no amendment of an amendment, but began to be a condemnation of it. In this much, O Emperor Constantius, I admire thee as of a blessed and Religious will, desiring a Belief onely according to what is written;