A41330:80
The questions between the conformist and nonconformist, truly stated, and briefly discussed Dr. Falkner,…
The questions between the conformist and nonconformist, truly stated, and briefly discussed Dr. Falkner, The friendly debate &c., examined and answered : together with a discourse about separation, and some animadversions upon Dr. Stillingfleet's book entitled, The unreasonableness of separation : observations upon Dr. Templars sermon preached at a visitation in Cambridge : a brief vindication of Mr. Stephen Marshal.The questions between the conformist and nonconformist, truly stated, and briefly discussed Dr. Falkner, The friendly debate &c., examined and answered : together with a discourse about separation, and some animadversions upon Dr. Stillingfleet's book entituled, The unreasonableness of separation : observations upon Dr. Templers sermon preached at a visitation in Cambridge : a brief vindication of Mr. Stephen Marshal.
London: printed for Tho. Cockerill, 1681
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
I thought among the Confessions of Faith, these 39 Articles were looked upon as the Confession of the Faith of the Church of England; but I find it otherwise now; for Dr. Stillingfleet in his defence of Bishop Laud, p. 54. being pinched by the Jesuit, (who in this point is not answered) tells us, The Church of England makes no Articles of Faith, but such as have the Testimony of the whole Christian world in all Ages, acknowledged to be such by Rome it self. And in other things she requires subscription to them, not as Articles of Faith, but inferior truths, which she expects a submission to in order to her peace and tranquility.
I thought among the Confessions of Faith, these 39 Articles were looked upon as the Confession of the Faith of the Church of England; but I find it otherwise now; for Dr. Stillingfleet in his defence of Bishop Laud, p. 54. being pinched by the Jesuit, (who in this point is not answered) tells us, The Church of England makes no Articles of Faith, but such as have the Testimony of the whole Christian world in all Ages, acknowledged to be such by Rome it self. And in other things she requires subscription to them, not as Articles of Faith, but inferiour truths, which she expects a submission to in order to her peace and tranquility.
Afterwards p 82, & 104. He distinguisheth between the internal assent of the mind, and the external act; the Church doth not require the first, but the latter.
To confirm his saying, he quotes Archbishop Bramhall, often expressing the sense of the Church of England, as to her 39 Articles, thus: Neither doth the Church of England define any of these questions as necessary to be believed, either necessitate medii, vel praecepti, which is much less; but only bindeth her Sons for peace sake not to oppose them. And in another place more fully, We do not suffer any man to reject the 39 Articles of the Church of England at his pleasure, neither do we look on them as essentials of saving Faith, or Legacies of Christ and his Apostles; but in a mean as pious opinions, fitted for the preservation of unity; neither do we oblige any man to believe them, but only not to contradict them. Thus the Archbishop. And this is not his opinion alone, but generally of the Grandees of this Church, as an intelligent and sober Conformist tells me.