The practical divinity of the papists discovered to be destructive of Christianity and mens…

The former as they describe it, is an assent to some general including many particulars, with a mind to believe nothing contrary thereunto, the general is this. That what ever the Roman Church (which cannot err) believes, is true, the particulars included, are they know not what, for they are supposed ignorant. Now, this we say, is no Christian faith; and make it apparent, that it is no such thing. For first, it is no belief of any one particular, or article of the Christian faith. It is only a belief of a general, which is no truth at all, much less Christian (that the Church of Rome cannot err, or believe any thing but what is true) when the ignorant person neither knows what this Church is, nor what she believes, nor why he should give her such credit. So that the act is a blind conceit unworthy of a Man, or a Christian; and the object, a general error.

And then as to the particulars which are necessary for Christians to believe, this implicit faith doth not actually believe any of them at ⟨p. 110⟩all; if it did, it would not be what it is, implicit. It apprehends them not, & therefore cannot believe them, for as themselves acknowledge ^(a)That cannot be believed which is not known. To render this clear to us, they thus explain it. When ^(b)a man is asked, whether Christ were born of the Virgin Mary, and whether there be one God, and three persons; and he answers that he knows not, but believes touching these things, as the Church holds, this is to believe implicitly. So that a man may have this faith completely, and yet not believe an article of the Creed, and if this be Christian faith, a man may have it, who believes nothing of Christ. They are believers at this rate, who have a mind to hold, what the Church doth, concerning Christ, or the Creed; though they never know, what that is. They know not what the Church holds; unless the Churches knowing, be their knowledge; and so believe nothing, unless the Church's believing be their faith; and so have no faith to save them, unless it be saving faith, to believe by an Attorney.