J.H. Heidegger's Corpus of Christian Theology: Fundamental Articles, Part 2

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52.  Fundamental articles are defined.

Now, that is a Fundamental Article, which declares a cause or condition necessary for salvation, and without the belief of which Fundamental truth is not able to stand.  Thus in the words of Christ, John 3:16, God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life; it is a Fundamental Truth, that Christ is the Savior of the World.  But, since, not the sound of words, but sense, makes a Christian, by the Christian are to be believed as Fundamental Articles whatever those words suppose, of themselves pour forth, and from those things follow, in such a way that without these those are not able to be believed honestly, sincerely, and unto salvation.  Of which sort are, that the Son has a Father; that He has been begotten from eternity; that He was ordained from eternity, and in time sent into the world, as the Redeemer of men, by the love of the Father; that man is a sinner, and liable to whatever death; that the Law requires righteousness unto life, and, when violated, condemns; that Christ fulfilled that righteousness by dying, and by keeping the law perfectly; that He is the θεάνθρωπος/ Theanthropos/God-man; that His righteousness is imparted to believers; that the unbelieving are condemned; that the Son has the Spirit, who by Him is able to be given as our Regenerator and Sanctifier; that He rose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven; that the soul is immortal, and the body is going to be raised; etc.

53.  And also fundamental errors.

But thence it is also evident, what a fundamental Error is, namely, an opinion that, tenaciously believed and received, overthrows fundamental truth, or, which, having been believed, destroys the foundation of the faith.  For not just any ignorance of whatever matter is fundamental error.  For we know in part, 1 Corinthians 13:9; neither is anyone able to glory, that he κατειληφέναι/ apprehends, just as he has been apprehended by Jesus Christ, Philippians 3:12, 13.  If any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones (precious and conspicuous doctrines of the faith), wood, hay, stubble (erroneous, mean, vain doctrines, παραδιατριβὰς, perverse disputings,[1] καινοφωνίας, novelties of speech, κενοφωνίας, vain babblings;[2] yet not shaking the foundation itself); every man’s work shall be made manifest, for it shall be revealed by fire, etc.  If any man’s work shall be burned, ζημιωθήσεται, he shall suffer loss:  but he (who built with wood, etc., upon the foundation) himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire, 1 Corinthians 3:12-15.

54.  A threefold caution concerning errors not fundamental.

But we think that three things here are to be studiously observed and religiously avoided.  First, that all errors are to be religiously avoided, because even the slightest are inconsistent with first truth, and blemish an otherwise beautiful face with a birthmark; both because they are to be purged by a certain fire, and the erring must suffer loss:  and because the words of a man’s mouth, that is, erroneous words, are‎מַ֣יִם עֲ֭מֻקִּים , as deep waters, Proverbs 18:4, and the depths are such fountains of errors, that, with one absurdity granted, the rest follow, and a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump, 1 Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:9!  Second, that there is a great distance between ignorance and error, when on account of his stupidity, rudeness, scrupulosity, etc., of nature one is not able easily to be convinced:  and between an abrupt refusal:  between a false opinion of a thing, as likely or useful, at least not harmful; and as necessarily to be embraced and believed, indeed, to be posited as a foundation or fundamental truth.  Concerning these diverse things there is diversity of judgment.  Third, one that is free from a fundamental theoretical error, is able to fall into a practical error, if he, being devoid of charity, should condemn and kill those that God does not want condemned and killed; and at least retain the foundation of faith and charity entire.

Simon Episcopius

55.  A Refutation of the Socinians, the Methodists, and others.

Pretense is here made, both by the Socinians, Remonstrants, and others, who, by contracting the necessary articles, make wider the narrow gate of Heaven,[3] and build a way for the worst of men to the stars, since they contend that the necessary articles are exceedingly few, nor perhaps other than what are able to be referred to obedience to the commandments of Christ; by this crafty pretext, altogether denying principal articles of faith concerning the Trinity, and the knowledge of Christ and His πολυτίμου/precious merit, and boasting, without the saving knowledge of Christ, of a hypocritical obedience to His commandments:  and by the Papists, acknowledging no other necessary and fundamental articles than the decrees and definitions of their Papal Church, as if things revealed retain or lose their nature with respect to their truth or necessity, according to the fancy of the multitude of certain men, and their current and passing opinions; and among them especially the Methodists, who are raising waves in a Ladle, and from our men, as measuring communion and schism by the belief and confession of the fundamental articles, importunately demand the number of the same articles, as if either without Scripture here preceding, which sums up fundamental truth now in fewer propositions, now in more propositions, now συλλήβδην/collectively, now καταμέρος/ individually, it fell to us to furnish something more or different; or as if God bound our faith to numbers; or according to the nearly infinite number of errors, which Satan has sown since the fall of man, and thereafter is able to sow, there were not also an almost infinite number of truths opposed to them; or it were consistent with God’s altogether free will, mercy, wisdom, and righteousness, that men might slap shackles even on the free will of God; or they bind that most slender thread, whereby the soul wandering in sin is yet able to be connected with its God; or they search the depths of the riches of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God,[4] or probe and define the means and the manner, whereby those two poles, the mercy and the justice in saving or damning mankind, are tempered, blended, and conjoined together, by numbering those truths that pertain to the mystery of faith, as if also, which they do pretend, the norm of knowing Ecclesiastical communion and schism would then fail, if the necessary truths were not able to be numbered, although both ingenuous confession of fundamental truth and definite criteria of fundamental articles more than fulfill the role of such a norm:  and, finally, by some among the Augustinians, who either perversely handle the whole doctrine concerning fundamental articles, or malignantly apply it; even imputing consequences without judgment, conscience, equity, and charity, and then attaching them to our men, from which consequences they shrink in horror; and so disputing against us without end or measure, because they hate us with inveterate passion; but not hating us, because they dispute or pronounce against us things true and proven.

[1] 1 Timothy 6:5:  “Perverse disputings (παραδιατριβαὶ, in the Textus Receptus) of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness:  from such withdraw thyself.”  Παραδιατριβή is composed of παρά, beside or contrary to, and διατριβή, occupation, pastime, or even discussion.

[2] 1 Timothy 6:20:  “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings (κενοφωνίας; καινοφωνίας, novelties of speech, in a few manuscripts), and oppositions of science falsely so called…”  2 Timothy 2:16:  “But shun profane and vain babblings (κενοφωνίας):  for they will increase unto more ungodliness.”  Κενοφωνία is composed of κενός, empty or vain, and φωνή, sound or speech; καινοφωνία, of καινός/new and φωνή.

[3] See Matthew 7:13.

[4] See Romans 11:33.