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A26061 A defence of The plain-man's reply to the Catholick missionaries being a further examination of the pretended infallibility of the Church of Rome / by the author of The plain-man's reply to the Catholick missionaries. Assheton, William, 1641-1711. 1688 (1688) Wing A4029; ESTC R9811 15,098 50

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Catholic Church As to the nature of the Christian Church the Trent-Catechism out of St. Augustine doth thus instruct us Ecclesia est Populus fidelis per universum orbem dispersus Cat. Rom. P. 1. c. 10. Sect. 2. The Christian Church is The Company of Believers A Society of men professing the Faith of Christ dispersed and scatter'd over all the world And this Church is stiled Catholick in these Two respects 1. With respect to the Persons who make this Profession Who are not now confined to one Nation or limited to one People as the Jewish Church was But in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him Hence St. Augustine Ep. 170. tells us The Church is called CATHOLIC because it is spread throughout the whole World. 2. With respect to the Faith which is professed And so Catholic is the same with sound and Orthod●x In which sense Particular Churches and the Bishops of those Churches in antient Writings are often stiled Catholic in opposition to Hereticks and Schismaticks Now in whether of these Two respects will this Missioner pretend that the Church of Rome is the Catholic Church 1. Will he affirm that she is Catholic with respect to the Persons who make this Profession Then she is the whole Church Then there is no other Church but the Roman taking in those other Churches which submit to her Authority In short Then the Roman-Catholics alone do make Profession of Christianity and there are no other Christians in the World but Papists If this be his meaning for his conviction let me then desire him to resolve me When any Member of the Church of England is reconciled as they phrase it to the Church of Rome Was that Person before his Reconciliation a Member of the Church of Christ or was he not Was he a Christian or was he not If not Why then do they not admit him into the Church by Baptism But if this Missioner is forced to grant That such a Convert was a Christian and a Member of the Church of Christ even before he was a Roman-Catholic Then there are other Christians besides Papists and there are other Churches besides the Roman Then the Church of Rome is not the Whole Church and consequently in this first sense of the wo●d is not the Catholic Church But 2. Will this Missioner pretend That the Church of Rome is the Catholic Church in the other notion of the word i. e. Sound and Orthodox If this be his Project 't is then expected that he prepare us an Answer to that larg Bill of Indictment which the Reformed Writers have prefer'd against her And when he shall have given us Satisfaction as to all those Errors and Corruptions with which she is charged As for instance The Sacrifice of the Mass Transubstantiation Half-Communion Prayers in an unknown Tongue Worship of Images Invocation of Saints Purgatory and Prayers for the Dead c. Then and not till then we may grant That the Church of Rome is Catholic in this Second sense of the word And that she is a Sound and Orthodox Church And so I leave him to his Defence which he may prepare at his leasure and proceed to consider his Second Supposition viz 2. That the Bishop of Rome is the Supream Pastor of the Church of Christ This is the Fundamental Article of the Romish Faith. And yet there is not one word of it in the Apostles Creed which is the Sum of the Christian Faith. No nor yet in the Holy Scriptures out of which that Creed was taken That de facto this Supremacy was not granted to the Bishops of Rome in the first and purest Ages of the Church but that their Encroachments were still opposed is most evidently shewed by the Learnd Dr. Cave in A Dissertation concerning the Government of the Ancient Church That the Britannick Churches were ever exempted from all forreign Jurisdiction for the first Six Hundred Years and so ought to continue if this Missioner will be so modest as to hearken to Instruction the renowned Arch-Bishop Bramhal hath undeniably proved And therefore if prosperous Usurpation may be called in Question I would ask Quo jure This Supremacy of the Pope whence was it from Heaven or of Men Who gave him this Authority to Rule and Govern the whole Church of Christ ch Their usual pretence for such exorbitant Power is known to be this viz. That our Blessed Saviour before his Ascension did constitute St. Peter his Vicar Deputy and Vicegerent and as such gave him a Monarchical Supremacy and Jurisdiction over the rest of the Apostles and the whole Church The which Supremacy was not Personal and Temporary to cease with his Person as the Apostleship did but was to be transfer'd to his Successor The which Successor say they is the Bishop of Rome This is their Plea. In confirmation of which these following Propositions must be established 1. That St. Peter had a Primacy over the Apostles 2. That this Primacy did include a Supremacy of Power and Dominion or Jurisdiction over the Apostles 3. That St. Peters Primacy with its Rights and Prerogatives was not Personal but derivable to his Successors 4. That St. Peter was Bishop of Rome and continued till his Death in possession of that Office. 5. That the Bishops of Rome as Successors of St. Peter according to Gods institution and by original Right derived thence should have an Universal Supremacy and Jurisdiction over the Christian Church 6. That in fact the Roman Bishops continually from St. Peters time have enjoyed and excercised this Sovereign Power 7. That this Power is indefectible and unalterable These are the Pillars of the Romish Cause And therefore if this Missioner will be shewing his skill let him practise upon these Points But when he attempts it he shall find to his cost that the Learned Dr. Barrow hath examined them before him In his excellent Treatise of the Pope's Supremacy To which I refer him So much for that I am next to examined his Third Supposition viz. 3. That the Catholic Church spread over the face of the whole world is in Communion with the Bishop of Rome To determine this matter we must consider the nature of Church-Communion Of which briefly thus Church-Communion to speak properly doth chiefly respect the Universal Church For to be in Communion with the Church it is to be a member of the Church Catholick in plain terms it is to be a Christian as we were made by Baptism the Seal of the New Covenant Into which Covenant being thus admitted we are united to the whole Church And by virtue of this union as Church-Members have a common Right to all Church-Priviledges and Blessings and a common obligation to all Church-Offices and Duties The which Communion or Communication in Religious Duties though it be limited and restrained in the use and exercise of it to particular Churches and Congregations for all Christians in the world cannot meet together yet all such
Acts of Worship as Prayers Sacraments Hearing the word c. are performed by us as Members of the Catholic Church And therefore we are obliged to Communicate in these Duties not only with our own National Church but also if our occasions do call us abroad with any other Church in the world Provided that we may do it upon Catholic Terms and Conditions These things premised we are now prepared to Determine How far the Catholic Church spread over the face of the whole world is in Communion with the Bishop of Rome Which will easily be decided by observing That there is a Twofold Communion 1. Of Co-ordination or Friendship 2. Subordination or Subjection As to the former we may safely affirm All the Churches in the world are thus far in Communion with the Bishop of Rome That they may own him for a Christian Bishop as acknowledging the Church of Rome to be a true Church though indeed a very corrupt Church And if they do not Communicate further with him it is his own fault But this it it seems will not satisfie this Missioner Who most vainly fancy 's that there is no Communion without Subjection And that no Church can be in Communion with the Church of Rome without submitting to her Authority When therefore it is affirmed That the Catholic Church is thus Subject to the Bishop of Rome If this Missioner pleads That de facto all other Churches are actually thus Subject we then deny it for the greater part of Christendom doth protest against the Errors and oppose the Usurpations of the Bishop of Rome But if he contends that de jure they ought so to be and that this Subjection is their Duty then let him prove it What I have now said is sufficient to convince this Missioner of his mistaken Notion of the Church of Rome Which if he thinks fit to Defend he must then prove 1. That the Church of Rome is the Catholic Church i.e. He must convince us Either 1. That she is the whole Church and that there is no other Church besides her or else 2. That she is the only true and Orthodox Church 2. That the Bishop of Rome is the Supream Pastor of the Church of Christ Which when he hath proved I shall then grant him 3. That the Catholic Church spread over the face of the whole world is in Communion with i. e. is Subject to the Bishop of Rome And here should I now hold my Pen and proceed no further in my Reflections I have given this Missioner work enough But if he will be so modest as to confess his mistake I 'le help him to a better Definition of the Church of Rome and less liable to exception By the Roman Church we do not understand the particular Diocess of Rome but we understand that vastly extended Community of Christians which hold Communion with the Church of Rome submitting themselves to the Bishop of Rome as to their Head so that whatsoever he Decrees with a General Council they embrace as the Definition of the true Church which they hold Infallible Question of Questions Sect. 17. p. 373. Had this Missioner been so prudent as to have consulted this Author whom he was pleased to recommend for the Plain-mans Satisfaction we might then make short work on 't and without further diversion might have proceeded to the Second Inquiry viz. 2. What is meant by Infallible Which he thus explains By the word Infallibility we do not mean only Indefectibility and Duration but an unerring Direction in necessary points of Faith. So that when we say the Church of Rome is infallible we mean that Almighty God hath given an Authoritative Power to the Church of Rome to declare in case of Differences which is the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints Jude 3. So that in case of Differences about the sense of Scripture or any divinely revealed Truths the Church of Rome is to decide the Difference and end the Controversie And to perform this we say she is assisted by the Spirit of Almighty God who as he hath ordained her for our Direction so he secures her from erring whilst she Directs Which assistance we call Infallibility Missioners Answer p. 10. This he endeavours to confirm by inquiring Thirdly 3. From whence had she the Church of Rome this Authority of unerring Guidance p. 11. To which he gives us this Answer You must not think that the Church of Rome has this power from her self for we know that all men may fail All Communities and Assemblies are subject to error and mistakes where then is the Infallibility of Oral Tradition But she has it from God himself who is faitful and true to his Promises Ibid. But 4. How doth it appear that the Church of Rome is thus Infallible and that God hath made her these Promises of unerring Guidance Ibid. This he tells us is evident from the plain Testimonies of Holy Scripture both Old and New Testament Ibid. Thus far I do readily Subscribe That if the Church of Rome is Infallible She must have this Priviledg from God himself And if there is such a Promise of unerring Guidance it must be found in the Holy Scriptures Let it therefore appear from those Sacred Writings that God hath promised such an unerring Guidance to the Church of Rome and I shall then Dispute no further but submit to her Direction Now to prove this Infallibility this Missioner hath cited Twenty Places of Scripture which the Question of Questions tells him are in the Bible But how little they are to his purpose I do thus endeavour to convince him by examining them in their order His First Text is that noted Place Deut. 17. 8. c. From whence the Argument is this The Jewish Church was Infallible Therefore The Church of Rome is Infallible To which I thus Answer Both Propositions Antecedent and Consequent are false And First it doth not appear from this Place of Scripture nor indeed from any other That the Jewish Church was Infallible From what Circumstance in this Text will the Missioner infer such a Conclusion Was it 1. Because in that Church there was a Supream Court of Judicature from whence there was no Appeal Or 2. Because the Priests the Levites and the Judg were to give Sentence Or 3. Was it because the contemner of this Sentence was to be put to Death Now if these Passages do prove Infallibility there was 〈◊〉 Infallibility in the State as well as in the Church in the Judg the Civil Magistrate no less then the Priest and ●n every Inferior Priest as well as the High Priest But I need not insist on these Suggestions since there is no arguing against matter of Fact. If therefore it doth appear in any instance That the Jewish Church or the Roman hath actually erred 't is too late to pretend that she is Infallible To convince him that she hath erred I Demand of this Missioner The Sentence of the Sanhedrim whereby