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and forbidding the use of these and the like expreffions, without adding others of difficult and dubious meaning on the oppofite fide: Had they confidered that the Contradictory to Error, is always Truth; but that Two Contrary Affertions, may either both be false, or both uncertain: Had they fuppreffed the growing Schifms in Matters of Opinion, not by adding any thing to the Rule of Scripture, but by holding their Adverfaries ftrictly to That Rule; Neither allowing Themfelves nor their Adverfaries to draw any fuch remote and obfcure Confequences, as might by either fide be denied to follow from the Words of Scripture, which the Wildom of God had judged to be alone a fufficiently perfect Rule of Truth to be left to the Church for ever: They had much better confulted the general Intereft of Chriftianity, and in great measure prevented at the very Beginning thofe uncharitable Animofities, and those endless vain pretences of Human Authority in matters of Faith, which, ever fince the decay of primitive Goodness and Charity, have been fo great a Dishonour to the Name of Chriftians. I agreed alfo (faith the learned Eufebius) to the Anathematifm which they annexed [in the Council redéŋla, davwey (1) of Nice ] at the end of their Creed; it being not offenfive to me, because it only forbad the use of unfcriptural Expreffions; the introducing of which [viz. of unfcriptural expreffions, has been the cause

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Ηγησώμεθα, διὰ τὸ ἀπείρο γειν ἀγράφοις χρήσας φα ναῖς, διὸ σχεδὸν ἡ πᾶσα γέγονε συγχυσίς τε καὶ ἀκα ταςασία όκκλησιών. Εκ

feb. apud Socrat. loco fuprà citato.

of almost all the Confufion and Distractions that have

happened in the Churches.

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* And Bafil: If all men,
(faith he,) upon whom
the Name of God and our
Saviour Jefus Chrift is
called, could have been
content with that Simpli-
city of Faith which was
delivered down from the
Apoftles, and not have at-
tempted to make any ad-
ditions to the Truth of the
Gofpel; there would have
been no need of my writing this Treatife.

Ἐι ποὺ ἐβέλοντο πάντες, ἐφ ̓ ἐς τὸ ὄνομα τὸ θεῖ κ owrie nuw 'Inos Xeiss επικέκληται, μηδὲν τῇ εἰλης θείᾳ τῇ ευαγγελίο παρέγε χειρῶν τὴν ἢ βραδόσεις τ Σποςόλων καὶ τῇ ἁπλότητε της πίσεως εξαρκείας· ἐδὲν ἂν ἡμῖν ἔδει λόγων ἐν τῷ παρίνι. Αdverf. Eunom lib. I. in Initio.

And the Emperour Conftantine the Great, in his Speech tothe Council of Nice; It would be a grievous, (faith he,) a very grievous thing, if, after the Enemies [the Heathens] are destroyed,and there are none to oppofeus, fhould fall out among our felves, to the great joy and pleasure of the Adversary; efpecially being to debate about divine matters, and having before us the DoEirine written by the Infpiration of the Holy Spirit : For the Go/pels, and the Writings of the Apoftles and of the antient Prophets, plainly teach us what Notions we ought to entertain concerning the Nature of God: Where

Δεινὸν εἴη καὶ ἄγαν δεινὸν, Η πολεμίων καταλυθένα των καὶ μηδενὸς ἀντιτείνειν πολυτο, ἀλλήλας βάλο λειν, καὶ τοῖς δυσμυέσιν ἡδο νω και γέλωτα προξενεῖν ἄλλως τε καὶ πει θείων δια λεγομλύες πραγμάτων, κ τα παναγία τονομα]Θ τίω διδασκαλίαν ἀνάγραπτον ἔχοντας. Ευαγ[ελικαὶ γδφησε βίβλοι και Σποςολικαί, και παλαιῶν προφητι τα θεσπίσε ματα, σαφῶς ἡμᾶς ἄχρὴ δε το θείο φρονών εκπαιδε σι· τω πολεμοποιὸν ἦν ἀπελάσαντες ἔειν, ἐκ τ θε οπον των λόγων λαβωμ 3 ζητομύων των λύσιν. Apud Theodorit. l.1, c.7.

fore

fore laying afide pernicious contention, let us from the infpired Oracles take a solution of all our Questions. And the fame Argument he urges at large, in his letter to Alexander and Arins, (fet down by Enfebins in his fecond book of the life of Conftantine, chap. 633) wherein he earnestly exhorts them not to disturb the Church, by contending about needlefs and ambiguous words.

And, among Moderns; That Glory of the Reformation, Mr Chillingworth: Let all men (faith he) believe the Scripture, and That only, and indeavour to believe it in the true Senfe, and require no more of others; and they shall find this, not only a better, but the only means to fupprefs Herefy, and reStore Unity. For he that believes the Scripture fincerely, and indeavours to believe it in the true fenfe, cannot poffibly be a Heretick. And if no more than This were required of any man, to make him capable of the Churches Communion; then all men fo qualified, though they were different in opinion, yet notwithStanding any fuch difference, must be of neceffity one in Communion. Preface to the Author of Charity maintained, the last.

And again: Certainly if Proteftants be faulty in This matter, [in the Question about the Extent of human Authority,] it is for doing it too much, and not too little. This prefumptuous impofing of the Senfes of men, upon the words of God; the fpecial fenfes of men, upon the general words of God; and laying them upon mens Confciences together, under the équal penalty of Death and Damnation: This vain Conceit, that we can speak of the Things of God, better than in the Words of God: This Deifying our own Interpretations, and tyrannous inforcing them upon others: This reftraining of the Word of God from that Latitude and Generality, and the Understandings of Men from that Liberty, wherein Chrift and the Apoftles

poftles left them; is and hath been the only fountain of all the Schifms of the Church; and that which makes them continue the common Incendiary of Christendom; and that which tears into pieces, not the coat, but the Bowels and Members of Chrift, [ridente Turcâ, nec dolente Judæo,] to the great Satisfaction of Jews and Infidels. Take away these walls of Separation, and all will quickly be Óne: Take away this Perfecuting, Burning, Curfing, Damning of men, for not fubScribing to the words of men as the words of God: Require of Chriftians, only to believe Chrift, and to call no man Mafter but Him only: Let thofe leave claiming Infallibility, that have no title to it; and let them that in their words difclaim it, difclaim it likewife in their Actions: and it may well be hoped by Gods bleffing, that it may quickly reduce Chriftendom to Truth and Unity. Thefe Thoughts of Peace, I am perfwaded may come from the God of Peace, and to his Bleffing I commend them. Chap. 4th, § 16.

And the excellent Mr Hales. It hath been (faith he) the common Disease of Chriftians from the Begin ning, not to content themselves with that measure of Faith, which God and the Scriptures have exprefly afforded us; but out of a vain Defire to know more than is revealed, they have attempted to difcufs things, of which we can have no Light neither from Reason nor Revelation: Neither have they rested here; but upon pretence of Church- Authority, (which is None,) or of Tradition, (which for the most part is but figment,) they have peremptorily concluded, and confidently impofed upon others, a neceffity of entertaining conclufions of that nature; and, to strengthen themselves, have broken out into Divifions and Factions, oppofing Man to Man, and Synod to Synod, till the peace of the Church vanifhed without all poffibility of recall. Hence arofe thofe antient and many feparations amongst Chri ftians, occafioned by Arianifm, Eutychianifm, Ne

ftorianism, Photinianism, Sabellianism, and many more both antient and in our time: All which indeed are but Names of Schifm, howsoever in the common language of the Fathers they were called Herefies. For Herely is an Act of the Will, not of Reason; and is indeed a Lye, not a Miftake: Elfe how could that known fpeach of Austin go for true, [Errare poffum, Hæreticus effe nolo,] I may err, but I will not be a Heretick? Indeed Manichæifm, Valentinianifm, Marcionifm, Mahometanism, are truly and properly Herefies; For we know that the Authors of them received them not, but minted them themselves; and fo knew That which they taught, to be a Lye: But can any man avouch, that. -others that taught erroneously, did maliciously invent what they taught, and not rather fall upon it by error and mistake? &c. Tract concerning Schifm.

15.

Who with the Father and the Son to- Nicene gether, is worshipped and glorified.

See above in this Chapter, No 1, and 3, and 4,

and 8.

16.

Creed.

the Com

Ye must give most humble and hearty The Exthanks to God the Father, the Son, and hort. at the Holy Ghoft, for the Redemption of munion. the World, &c.

See above in this chapter, N° 1, 3, 4, and 8.

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