A30189:566
An answer to two treatises of Mr. John Can, the leader of the English…An answer to two treatises of Mr. Iohn Can, the leader of the English…
An answer to two treatises of Mr. John Can, the leader of the English Brownists in Amsterdam the former called, A necessity of separation from the Church of England, proved by the Nonconformists principles : the other, A stay against straying : wherein in opposition to M. John Robinson, he undertakes to prove the unlawfulness of hearing the ministers of the Church of England ... / by the late learned, laborious and faithful servant of Jesus Christ, John Ball.An answer to two treatises of Mr. Iohn Can, the leader of the English Brownists in Amsterdam the former called, A necessitie of separation from the Church of England, proved by the Nonconformists principles : the other, A stay against straying : wherein in opposition to M. Iohn Robinson, he undertakes to prove the unlawfulnesse of hearing the ministers of the Church of England ... / by the late learned, laborious and faithfull servant of Jesus Christ, John Ball.
London: printed by R.B., 1642
Chapter 4 › Section 2 › ANSWER.Chapter 4 › Section 2 › ANSVVER.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The profession at first required of all that were received to Baptism, was that they believed in the Father, Son, and holy Ghost. The Creed is honoured of the Ancients with glorious titles, as the rule of faith, the Sum of faith, the body of faith, the persuasion of faith. But by the Creed, they understand the Rule of truth, and law of faith, and institution of Christ, which was then given, when he was about to ascend into heaven, and commanded his Disciples, saying, Go and teach all Nations, Baptising them into the name of the Father, Son, and holy Ghost. Regulam fidei per Baptismum accipimus. Iren. lib. 1. cap. 2. Per ipsam Baptismi traditionem habemus confessionem; Basil. despir. fanct. cap. 10. Regula quidem ⟨p. 59⟩fidei, una omnino est, sola immobilis, & irreformabilis, 1credendi sc, in unicum Deum omnipotentem, mundi conditores, & filium ejus Jesum, &c. Tertul. de veland. virgin. The expositions of the Creed, which are found in the ancient Fathers, Martial, Ignatius, Justine, Jreneus, Tertullian, Origen, de rect. fid. dialog. princ. Novatian, lib. de Trin. 3. and others of that age, go not beyond the Trinity, within which bounds the Nicene Creed is terminated, as it is set down in History. Arius and Euzonius conclude their confession of faith thus; 2Sicut Dominus noster cùm Discipules suos ad praedicandum mitteret, &c. This faith we received from the Gospel, the Lord himself saying to his Disciples, Go teach all Nations, &c. 3Erasmus showeth how the Creed was increased by the addition of divers Articles, against the heresies that did arise, and though for substance it was the very same every where, yet in some places, it received more enlargement then in others. The western Churches, herein applied themselves to the capacities of the meaner so•t, more than the Eastern did, using in their Baptism, that shorter form of confession commonly called the Apostles Creed, which in more ancient times, was briefer also than now it is; as we may easily perceive by comparing the symbol recited by Marcellus Anciranus (in the profession of the faith, 4