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A41816 The separation of the Church of Rome from the Church of England founded upon a selfish and unchristian interest. By a presbyter in the Diocess of Canterbury. Febr. 28. 1689/90. Imprimatur, Z. Isham, R.P.D. Henrico Episc. Lond à sacris. Grascome, Samuel, 1641-1708? 1691 (1691) Wing G1578A; ESTC R218847 114,589 226

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1000 yeares after Christs time And all this is very true as shall appear Anon. XXI To Revenge this Wrong as he thinks done to Beda he falls foul upon the Magdeburgenses for making Jeoffery of Monmoutb to live about 700 years after Christ Jeoffery's Testimony indeed Gauled him sorely and therefore it was to be shuffled off by any means Whether he hath done the Magdeburgenses Right in that thing I neither know nor care For their Errour as to the time of Jeoffery's Life doth nothing invalidate his Testimony But if it were good before their mistake it is so still so that this is only Cavilling Besides though Jeoffery of Monmouth lived in the time of King Stephen which is above 500 yeares since and so is no Yesterdays Author yet the Work it self is much older For he was not the Author but Translator of that History which was written Originally in the Brittish Language and Accounted an Old Book before he was born as Lambard and others have proved and therefore the Testimony is more Considerable and deserves a better Answer after all the Magdeburgenses Account may Refer to the Matter of the Testimony and Time when the thing was Transacted not to Jeoffery's Life and then it will be too Modest and too favourable To less purpose is his time spent in proving Jeoffery to be no Cardinal I should be prone to believe him if I had no other Reason but his Relating a Truth so prejudicial to the Interest of the Court of Rome But if he was not a Cardinal he might be as honest a Man 'T is certain he was a Bishop and as such was a much better Man especially if the Pope would suffer them to be what Christ and his Apostles made them and not Appropriate all that Authority to the Roman See to a Share of which every Bishop hath as good Right and Title as himself XXII At length after a deal of Shuffling Lying and Rayling he comes to the Matter of Jeoffery's Testimony And that he Answers easily and so may any Man who takes no Care to speak Truth but only what may serve his Turn He says There is not a Word in it of not Acknowledging the Pope ●s Supremacy I know not how there should for such a Supremacy as is now Claimed was not then Lick'd into form He might have Remembred that the Transactions there mentioned relate to the time of Gregory the Great then whom no Man wrote more fiercely against the Supremacy Or which is in effect the same thing the setting up an Universal Bishop Or if he had bethought himself of what he elsewhere tells us That the Brstons would not Communicate with Augustines Converts then Dogs he might have made it a strong Argument for their professing Obedience and Subjection to the See of Rome In fine he will have their Answer Amount to no more but this That only they would not Acknowledge Augustines Superiority over them seeing he was sent only to the English And that the Authority of their own Arch bishop was not taken away by his coming for any thing they knew but remained as before 3 Conver cap. 2. sect 14. What pity is it that Augustine did not better inform them it seems they would have been a very obedient People had they known the Pope's Orders and been told the Truth of the Matter But it is an unlucky thing that when a Man with Working his Wits has devised an Answer that would do the Business he should not have the Privilege to make it pass for Truth unless it be so in it self Now all this is spoken by a Figure called Fiction which the rude Vvlgar call Lying For the Britons no more regarded the Pope then they did Augustine I have already set down the Answer of Dinothus Abbot of Bangor to which Jeoffery's words Relate and he who will be at the pains to read it will see That it is as expressly and directly Levelled against the Pope's Authority or Supremacy if it must be so called as could be well f●amed They impugne Augustines Authority by denying the Pope and own no Superiour but the Bishop of Caerleon who was to oversee under God over them or according to the Brittish had the only Eye over them under God And this they Confirm by their unanimous Practice despising all Orders from Rome and obstinately refusing all Communion with Augustine and his Successors Yet this and more F. Parsons Chymistry can melt into Obedience and an Acknowledgement of the Pope's Supremacy At this Rate who can doubt of Miracles in the Church of Rome XXIII In the next place he is highly Offended with the Magdeburgenses sor speaking so irreverently of Pope Innocent the First and his Testimony That all the West Churches were Founded by St. Peter on his Disciples and Successors And it is no wonder if Pope Innocent spoke out for himself and it may go a great way where they have not to do with such Hereticks as expect Proofs If this be true why has F. Parsons discovered some such First Founders of the Brittish Churches as were none of Peters Disciples or Successors His Forgetfulness sometimes doth his Holy Father as much injury as the Magdeburgians malice neither doth it carry any force of Truth b●cause by rheir own Confession there was a time when Easter was not so exactly observed as now it is whether there was a Stated Church at Rome then or not and that the Conversion of the Britons was at that time I see not any better Account can be Given To Help out this he tells us of Two more Popes Honorius and John the fourth who wrote to the Irish to reduce them from this ●rrour But Honorius will do him small service because in that Account which Beda gives of his Letter Ecc. Hist lib. 2. cap. 19. it is clearly implied that the whole Nation was involved in it and so we have a Pope on our Side to set against him that follows His Pope John was scarce Pope then at Best he was but Elect And the Letter seems to come as I may say from the Chapter in the Vacancy of the See and of those many who joyn in Writing it Hilarius the Arch-Presbyter not John is first mentioned but for once let John have the Credit of it and he then will tell us That this Heresie i. e. concerning Easter was but lately sprung up amongst them and only some few infected with it But now how John and Honorius will Agree about this I cannot tell For once I will be so kind to F. Parsons as to try if I can make them Friends The Brittish and Irish Usage was in this Western part of the World a great Singularity in those days Now if John had a Mind to draw them off from it who can blame him from speaking favourably and representing the Matter as inoffensively as could be The Way to Win Men is not to provoke them and we sometimes seem not to believe that a Man is so bad as we
Skill enough to Condemn others but not to know themselves and they can tell you what they are not but not what they are Now a purely Negative Religion at best is next to no Religion if it be any at all Now though this be not the fault of those Authors who are bound to follow their Adversaries Step● but of those Men who will only Busie themselves in such Authors yet wh●n my Method and Matter was wholly at my own Choice and in my own power I could not think my self excuseable if I should proceed only in a destructive way And therefore in reference to the Parts which are to follow I did propound to my self to state the Case between us in each particular to set down positively what we do Hold or can Allow And then to Enquire into the Reasons of the Controversie both pretended and real for that Method I take to be best which leaves Men not at a Loss for Right whilest it fortifies them against the Wrong When in the late great Ferment of the Nation Controversial Pieces flew so thick about this First Part was then ready for the Press but for a very Justifiable Reason then laid Aside Whether ever I shall be able to Finish the other Two Parts which must Consist of Particulars relating to the Doctrine and Government of the Church God only knows For in Order thereunto I must have Expended more Money then my mean Fortune will well bear to purchase some Books which I have not by Me But now by reason that I cannot Walk the same pace which so many Men do I fear I shall be Necessitated in a short time to Sell those ●ew Books I have to Buy my Children Bread And in such a Condition a Man can have little Stomack and less Opportunity or Leisure to Write Controversies However I think this may be sufficient amongst all sober Men to Vindicate Me from the Slanders of some Black Mouth'd Persons who Give a Reputation to the Roman Religion by Representing all us Papists or which we find by Experience is worse as Reputed Papists or Popishly affected who will not run into the same Excess of Riot with themselves I pray God give them more Grace and Sobriety then to proceed in such Courses and Me more Patience under such unjust Reproaches But my Comfort is this that my Share is inconsiderable in respect os my Great Master's or his true Follower St Paul who underwent the full Trial of all those things whereby he Teacheth us to Approve our Selves Ministers of God amongst which I think I have some peculiar Interest in these i. e. To have done it by honour and dishonour by evil report and good report as a deceiver and yet true 2 Cor. 6. 8. I never thought that Controversies were to be written for Controversies sake but rather what in us lay to put an End to them And I should not think my self unfortunate under all the Calumnies and Sufferings in the World if I could be in the least Instrumental to Advance the Sincerity of Religion and Promote the Peace of Gods Church But if I may not be Capable of Endeavouring it to any purpose I will never cease to pray for it And therein I doubt not to have the Concurrence of all good Men whatsoever otherwise may be their Perswasions And thus Protesting my Integrity before God and freely leaving my self to the Censure of all Men. I am Yours in all Christian Offices S. G. THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. Of Obligations to Unity among Christians 1. REasons of the Enquirie 2. Obligations from the Nature of the Christian Religion 3. From Christians Considered as a Body with Remarks thereon 4. An Objection Answered 5. From the Honour of the Christian Religion 6. From express Precepts of the Gospel 7. From the Rewards of Preserving and Punishments of the Breach of Vnity 8 From the Encouragements Helps and Succours to Attain it CHAP. II. Wherein this Unity Consists 1. Mistakes concerning Vnity and the Reason thereof 2. A Caveat against the Plea of extraordinary Cases 3. The first Step towards or the Foundation of this Vnity 4. That our Vnity must be suitable to our state what that is and that it must be in the visible Church 5. An Inference thence 6. In Respect of our State-Vnion with the invisible Catholick Church by Vnion with the visible Catholick Church and Vnion with the visible Catholick Church by Vnion with some true Part of it i. e. a particular Church 7. That Admission into all Societies is by some known Ceremony or sormal Way of Proceedings this in the Christian Society is Baptism Reflections on the Anabaptists 8. That Admission into a S●ciety implies Submission to the Rules of the Society and an Obligation to the Duties thereof and to whom these have Regard in the Christian Society 9. Duties of particular Christians towards each other 10. Tbat Duties of particular Christians must be Practised in Conjunction with Duties Relating to Worship and Communion 11. Communion though of necessity it be in particular Churches yet thereby it is in and with the Catholick Church 12. Communion in Worship supposeth a Necessity of Communion with lawful Pastors which is further Proved by several Arguments and Instances 13. That the Pastors ought also to maintain Communion with each other and the Nature thereof or by what means it is maintained briesly Examined 14. An Objection Answered and what is the Duty of particular Persons in such Case declared CHAP. III. Of the Nature of Schism 1. What hath inclined Men to maintain ill Principles and particularly Schism 2. The General Notion of Schism 3. 4. 5. Several Separations which are not Schism 6 The distinguishing Note of Schism and an Inference thence 7. 8. 9. Several Ways whence Schism Ariseth 10. What Schism is sinful with a Definition thereof 11. The Authors Acknowledgment and the Assertion in Relation to the Controversie which he undertakes to prove and his Request CHAP. IV. Of the Liberties and Priviledges of the Britannick Churches and of the Actual Separation 1. Two General Objections against our whole Cause and a General Exception against both 2. The first Objection Consists of two Branches whereof the first at present put off the latter Proposed to be Examined 3. The Title of Patriarch at this time set up as a Sham Device 4. Granting a Patriarchate to the Pope it is denied to Extend to the Britannick Churches 5. How Patriarchates came in and that they possessed no● all Places 6. 7. The Bisbop of Rome not possessed of any such Jurisdiction in these Isles but after Patriarchates were set up 8. Britain a Church before Rome and Reasons of the different Observation of Easter both in them and other Churches 9. The Reasons of the Britons mistake as to Easter such as ought not to have made a Breach and that they were not Quartodecimani 10. Augustines Mission and Helps for the Work That the Kentish Saxons were before Prepared for Embracing the Gospel how He and the
as much as any For their own Authors and particularly our Sworn Enemy Father Parsons say that St. Peter Preached the Gospel in Britany so that here we are equal unless it make any thing for their Advantage that he was so well used here as to Go off safely hence But after his Return was Martyred there And so Rome may Value her self for that which our Blessed Saviour upbraids Jerusalem for Killing the Prophets and Stoning those that were sent unto Her Matt. 23. 37. XLI This Matter will fall hereafter under a more particular Consideration And therefore to Return to Doctrine it may be Considered either as Positive or Negative It is true that all Doctrine Resolves it self into positive Truth That we Maintain any thing in the Negative is Accidental and Ariseth from the Difference and Quarrels amongst Men for when Parties cannot Agree if One Affirm the Other of course denies In this Case the Matter in Controversie being either Falshood or Wrong if any Man Assert that which is contrary either to Truth or Justice we are forced to go somthing the further about in defending them by first denying and rejecting what is either false or unjust but then this will terminate in something positive which is the Foundation and Summary of all As for Example if in Opposition to the Practices or Affirmations of Others I deny That Divine Worship can be Given either to Angels or Saints The Reason and Ground of that Denial must be this or the like positive Assertion That Divine Worship is Gods Propriety and to Him only to be directed And therefore that we Maintain some things in the Negative is not our but their fault in Asserting that which is either false or unlawful And whether they do so or not must be Tried by Particulars which I shall come to hereafter XLII As to positive Doctrines perhaps the Difference is not very great the Quarrel lies more in what we do not hold then in what we do It is not to be denied that we have much Truth but not enough as they think And we are afraid of more lest it should make us have less for many Matters which they would thrust upon us for Truth are far remote from it And should we receive them it were the way to corrupt the Truth we have There was a time when some of their Priests set themselves to Reconcile and without Allowance and Encouragement they durst not have Attempted such a thing the very Articles of our Religion to a Catholick Sense as they call it though many of them were purposely framed in opposition to several of their Opinions and Practices The Author of Church-Government Part 5. page 206. hath di●covered a Sense wherein that great Grievance of the Roinanists The Oath of Supremacy may be lawfully taken and that to no other Sense then what he fetcheth from the 37th of our Articles of Religion And why then all that Labyrinth of Discourse which follows after upon it and serves to no other purpose but to Confound Himself and his Reader For can it be imagined that we our selves should take it in a sense contrary to our Articles of Religion From our Book of Common Prayer might be Extracted a wholesom Body of Divinity And it shews to the World both what our Worship is and how our Worship and Doctrine Agree And if this may be Allowed of methinks we should not be Hereticks Now what Vincentius Parapalia the Pope's Legat proposed to Queen Elizabeth I am apt to think was known to few For on the one Hand the Honour of the Pope was concerned if he suffered an open R●pulse On the Other the Queen rhough she Admitted not his Proposals was unwilling to irritate his Person he being then very Kind and Civil to Her contrary to the Petitions and Endeavors of many powerful Adversaries But that some such Considerable Matters were proposed that he was Jealous the Queen would think they would never be performed or at least not long kept we have some Reason to Guess from the Conclusion of his Letter which is one of the Kindest that ever any Pope wrote to one He Accounted a Heretick For thus He Courts Her Sed hâc de re pluribus verbis idem Vincentius tecum aget nostrum tibi Paternum animum decla●abit quem ut benignè excipias diligentérque audias eandémque ut ejus Orationi Fidem habeas quam haberes Nobis ipsis S●r●nitatem tuam rogamus Annal. Eliz. part 1. p. 48 Mr. Cambden Confesseth That he could not upon his own Knowledge say what these Proposals were and he believes they would never trust them in Writing but as secret as they were kept it seems they took Air for he subjoyns this following Account Fama obtinet P●ntificem Fidem dedisse sententiam contra matris ●uptias tanquam injustam rescissurum Liturgiam Anglicam suâ Anthoritate confirmaturum usum Sacramenti sub utrâque Specie Anglis permissurum dummodo illa Romanae Ecclesiae se aggregaret Romanaeque Cathedrae Primatum agnosceret imò haec curantibus aliquo a●● eorum miliia fuisse promlssa id ibid. I cannot imagine with what Hopes Pius the 4th fed Himself Or whether he were better Natured then usually Popes are But though after this the Queen would not suffer his Nun●io the Abbot of Martinego to come on English Shore yet he continued the same Mildness towards Her which being insuccessful Pius the 5th instigated by the King of Spain and being angry enough Himself tryes a severer Course and Thunders out his Excommunication against Her But that succeeded worse then the other For it not only altogether Alienated the Queens Mind but Compleated the Breach and made a total Separation in Communion which had not been till that time And it is probable this might make some succeeding Popes milder for Bishop Babington though he Refer it to a Pope after both the former yet whence-soever he had it he saith plainly That the Pope Offered to Allow the Book i. e of Common-Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments c. to Queen Elizabeth of Eternal Memory if she would have taken it of Him as so Allowed of Him or N●mb 7 But what need of that For as for the Use of the Sacrament in both Kinds It is Christs own Institution And as for ou● Prayers being in the Vulgar or known Tongue it is according to St. Pauls Direction And if thes● two be not Authority enough without the Pope's Licence then have we not the Liberty so much as to serve God even according to his own Appointment and Institution but how and when the Pope pleaseth And so if the Devil at any time should be big enough in Him it will be in his power and at his pleasure whether God shall be openly Worshipped in the World or not As for the Matter of the Book it is such that except some few which all Men of any sober Communion never esteemed otherwise then as Mad Men Persons