AN ACCOUNT OF THE CHURCH CATHOLICK Where it was before the Reformation AND Whether ROME were or bee the CHVRCH CATHOLICK IN ANSWER to II. LETTERS SENT TO Edward Boughen D. D. We write none other things unto you then what yee read or acknowledge 2 COR. 1.13 Evigilate ad salutem amate pacem redite ad unitatem Aug. ep 171. LONDON Printed by E. Cotes for Richard Reyston at the ANGEL in Ivie-lane M.DC.LIII To my Reverend friend Mr. Boughen Doctor in Divinity These humbly present SIR BEcause I see in a conference zeal often turns to choler and because it was desired I would put my mind in writing that I might the more distinctly be understood and thereby the better receive solution I have here beneath set downe what I desire to have shewn viz. the Catholick Church distinct from the Church of Rome and those in communion with her which by your own propositions below is necessary to be shewn to find the Catholick Church If this you doe you may win a soul to your Church If this you cannot doe I hope you will not accuse mee for remaining where I am I have made bold to trouble Mris. M. at her conveniency to present this to you and at your conveniency crave the favour of your Answer and am SIR Your Servant to command T. B. I. You grant the Catholick Church to be alwayes viz. from the Apostles time to this time visible II. You say that the Church of Rome and those in communion with her are not the Catholick Church because they have grievously erred and in one fundamentall at least Then by your saying the Catholick Church must be distinct from the Church of Rome and those in her communion Wherefore I desire to be shewn the Catholick Church distinct from the Church of Rome and those in her communion for the last 1100 years and if it cannot be shewn it will necessarily follow those were the Catholick Church or else the Catholick Church was not alway visible To Mr. T. B SIR 1. BY Letter you desire to have shewed unto you the Catholick Church distinct from the Church of Rome and those in communion with her which was at our meeting manifested as plainly as we can distinguish the whole body from a particular member or a particular member from the whole body The body is one thing the member another the body is totum compositum the whole fabrick the member but a part of it And this is the particular Church of Rome to the whole Catholick (a) Chrysost in 1 Cor. 12. Homil. 30. Every member as St. Chrysostome teacheth hath a proper and a common vertue it hath likewise a peculiar and a common form or shape The hand hath not the shape or strength of the whole man and yet by the meer shape we know it is a mans hand And though we know the Church of Rome by her form that is by her Faith and Government to be a Church yet hath she not the form or virtue of the whole Church be she never so Catholick If she have then must the Catholick borrow her life and being from Rome and not Rome from the Catholick If this particular had the virtue of the whole then Timothy and Titus might not have given Orders or censured Delinquents or redressed what was amisse at Ephesus and Crete but by virtue of a Commission from the Church or Bishop of Rome And yet (b) 1 Tim. 1.3 St. Paul besought Timothy to abide at Ephesus that he might charge some those within his Diocese that they teach no other doctrine then St. Paul had delivered And (c) Tit. 1.5 for this cause left he Titus at Crete that he should redresse what was amisse and ordain Presbyters as hee had appointed him not as the Church of Rome directed him And this was before he had visited that City 2. But if the Church of Rome be the Catholick Church Where was the Catholick Church before she became a Church Was there one or was there none If one then was not that the Romane since there was yet no such Church If none what were (d) Act. 9.31 those Churches throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria This was before the Apostles parted from one another to teach all Nations hitherto we find them in these quarters and no other And yet at that time the Catholick Church was in being unlesse the Apostles Creed deceive us For (e) Ruffin in Symb. n. 10. that was framed at Jerusalem before the Apostles went about their great work And for this end was it made that it might be (f) Hanc credentibus dandam esse regulam statuunt lb. credentibus regula a rule for beleevers whosoever became Christian he was to beleeve the Catholick Church which he could not beleeve if it were not in being 3. Secondly if Rome be the Catholick Church then if she be Orthodox the Catholick Church is Orthodox if she be Hereticall or Schismaticall the whole Church must be Hereticall or Schismaticall as she is So the Church shall take denomination from her with her she shall stand or fall Great reason then we should have an eye to Rome and relie upon her But this Church hath been miserably Schismaticall and Hereticall Schismaticall as is to be seen in Platina and Onuphrius when she had sometimes two sometimes three Bishops together a double a treble-headed a monstrous Church Whereas (g) Concil Nic. can 8. in one City there ought to be but one Bishop That she hath been sufficiently hereticall is confessed by your own men And as long as she was in this state shee was no Church (h) Cypr. Pompeio Haeresis enim Christi sponsa non est Heresie is no Spouse of Christ (i) Si Haeretici sunt Christiani esse non possunt Tertul. de Praescrip c. 37. her members not so much as Christians if we may beleeve Tertull. and St. Cyprian And St. Austin saith (k) Aug. de Deut. loc l. 5. c. 10. Haeretici non pertinent ad Ecclesiam Catholicam Hereticks doe not so much as belong to the Catholick Church So then they that confesse Rome to be Hereticall grant her to be no Church And yet who dares say that the Catholick Church was Schismaticall or Hereticall because Rome was so This were to deny to destroy the Church For if Schismaticall she is no body but shivers If Hereticall in the chief fundamentalls at least Where 's the Church Unlesse as there were (l) 2 Cor. 11.13 false Apostles so yee will have false Churches Such Churches we will have nothing to doe with unlesse it be to pray for them and to advise them to (m) Apoc. 2.5 remember from whence they are fallen to repent and to doe their first works 4. Thirdly if Rome be the Catholick Church if any thing be amisse in any particular the fault is hers and she ought to mend it If any mans hand fester or foot be lame if a remedy be not
according to your charge I did say that the Romane Church had grievously erred and in one fundamentall at least yet as then so now I am have been and ever shall be loath to deny her to be a true Church since without the Church no salvation If you will make her no Church or a false Church and put your selves out of all hope I can pity you but not help it Indeed the pride of that See is such she will be all or nothing either the Catholick or no Church It is not therefore to her content to yeild her to be a Church since that implyes no more then that she is a member of the whole Alas the Universall she cannot be (z) Sicut universa terra ex multis terris unviversa Ecclesia ex multis constat Ecclesiis Aug. de Civ Dei l. 13. c. 13. that consists of many Churches as the whole earth consists of many lands and countreys and yet but one Earth and one Church Neither of them is couped up or confined within the largest Continent For my part I professe with St. Austin that (a) Aug. contr Crescon Gram. l 3. c. 35. I am in that Church cujus membra sunt omnes illae Ecclesiae quas ex laboribus Apostolorum natas atque firmatas simul in literis canonicis novimus the members whereof are all those Churches which in Scripture we know to have been planted and confirmed by the Apostles industry And (b) Earum communionem quantum me adjuvat Dominus sive in Aphricâ sive ubicunque non deseram Ib. their communion with Gods assistance I shall never forsake whether in England or elsewhere unlesse these forsake the truth I shall never leave the Vniversall to side with any particular Church And I would advise your Masters to take heed lest while with the Dogge in the Fable they catch at too much they lose all 15. (c) Cyprian de unit Eccles The Church according to St. Cyprian is like a Tree whose boughs are many but the body one firmly rooted Ab arbore frange ramum fructus germinare non poterit break the best arme from this body it will bear no fruit for heaven the branch it self will wither and rot and come to nothing Hath that Church you speak of been heretofore a glorious and happy Church Glory not too much in that (d) Ro. 11.18 boast not over the rest of the branches that have been lesse successefull thou bearest not the root but the root thee thou art but graffed in as the rest were and (e) Ib. v. 17. with them thou partakest of the root and fatnesse of the olive tree Remember also though there be many branches yet there is but one originall one root that yeelds sap and life and fruit to every bough great or small Suppose thou be the top-bough yet rend not suffer not thy selfe to be rent from this body Take heed of this lest thou become fewell for that dreadfull fire 16. That the Church of Rome hath grievously and dangerously erred I need no witnesses but your own family Stapleton justifies that (f) Stapleton Relect. cont 1. q. 5. A. 3. there is scarce any sin that can be thought by man Heresie onely excepted with which that See hath not been foully stained especially from the 800 years after Christ. But (g) Stella in luc 22.31 Stella and (h) Almain l. 3. D. 24. q. 1. Almain grant freely that some of the Bishops of Rome did fall into heresie and so ceased to be heads of the Church And though some of that Churches errors at this day be dangerous to salvation yet (i) Archbishop Lawd §. 20. n. 23. that judicious Bishop I then spake of would not venture to set down what errors in doctrine may give just cause of separation in this body or the parts of it one from another Neither shall I by Gods grace be over-bold in this point 17. The points fundamentall are contained in the Creed which is as the Councell of Trent speaks (k) Concil Trid. Sess 3. Et fundamentum firmum unicum not the firm alone but the onely foundation And Bellarmine resolves that (l) Bellar. de Verb. Dei non Scrip. l. 4. c. 11. All things simply necessary for all mens salvation are expressed in the Creed and Deealogue If yee have erred in any of these and grown obstinate in this error yee are become an Hereticall Church in battering the foundation And yet we must take notice that (m) Archbish Lawd § 11. n 1. every thing fundamentall is not of a like neernesse to the foundation nor of equall primenesse in the faith For there are (n) The. 2 a. 2 ◠q. 1. Art 7. c. quaedam prima credibilia certain prime principles of faith in the bosome whereof all other Articles lie wrapped and folded up What ever Church denies or disbeleives any of these ceaseth to be not onely Orthodox but Catholick and so no member of the true Church since (o) 1. S. Jo. 4.3 every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God but is that spirit of Antichrist Now if yee have at any time denied (p) Ib. c. 5.20 this Jesus Christ to be the true God and eternall life ye were at that time no Church but an Antichristian Synagogue But this did Marcellinus and Liberius and John 22. all Bishops of Rome In those times therefore yee were no Church but an Antichristian Synagogue (q) Cypr. Pomp. Haeresis enim Christi Sponsa non est since Heresie is not the Spouse of Christ 18. If you doubt of the Minor Stella makes that good for he testifies that (r) Stella in luc 22.31 Marcellinus sacrificed to Idols that Liberius assented to the Arians that is he denyed our Saviour to be of one and the same substance with the Father and that John 22. affirmed that God the Son is greater then the Father and the Holy Ghost These batter and undermine the foundation which what ever Congregation does it apostatizeth and is no Church While then Rome did and beleeved thus neither she nor any of those that communicated with her in these or any of these heresies (s) Nulla societas fidei perfidiae potest esse Qui cum Christo non est adversarius Christi est Cypr. l. 1. ep 3. were so much as a Church much lesse the Catholick Church Especially since all these are contrary to the Creed and Catholick faith (t) Athan. Cre. which faith except every one doe keep whole and undefiled without doubt he shall perish everlastingly This Creed our Church appeals to whether Catholick or not Catholick this is the faith she desires to be saved by He that faithfully beleives this Creed is a Catholick but he that beleives it not is no Catholick neither can he be saved I am one of Athanasius his Catholicks and with Gods blessing I shall live and
die so 19. But I know what you drive at You were pleased to ask where our Church was before the Reformation It was answer'd in the Catholick Next you inquired whether the Catholick were alwayes visible The reply was affirmative both here and in other places But before the Reformation we communicated with Rome and since we have not That 's no fault of ours yee will no suffer us to communicate with you unlesse we communicate with your errors And yet we shall maugre Satan communicate with the Catholick Church while (u) Ro. 15.6 with one mind and one mouth we glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ according to this the Nicene and the Apostles Creed While we pray for the Church Universall and for all Bishops Pastors and Curates thereof While we pray for all Gods people for all that have erred and are deceived even for our enemies persecutors and slanderers While we continue the Apostolick government and while we not onely receive but administer the Sacraments according to Christs holy Ordinance we shall be in the communion of the Catholick Church 20. Truth it is as that judicious Bishop told Mr. Fisher (x) Archbishop Lawd § 21. n. 1. the cause of the Schisme is yours for yee thrust us from you because we called for Truth and redresse of abuses What was then to be done must we swallow untruths and wink at abuses that we may collogue and communicate with you It had not wont to be so every Province had wont to reform it selfe And so she did not transgresse the Faith or Canons of the Church Catholick the reformation was both legall and commendable We did so with our Provinces following therein the ancient Canons of the Church which assure us that (y) Concil Constantinop can 2. every Provinciall Synod is to order all things within the Province And for full satisfaction those Fathers of Constantinople justifie this Canon by the Decrees of the Nicene Councel Indeed sometimes (z) Ib. can 6. it may happen that the businesse will prove to be of such consequence and circumspection that a Provinciall Synod is not fit to determine it What is then to be done That very Canon says (a) Ib. in such a case we must not make our addresse to a Generall Councel but to a greater Synod of the Bishops of that Diocese called together for that purpose But we must observe that in the ancient both Civil and Ecclesiastical acceptation (b) Dixcesis multas sub se habet provincias Balsam in conc Chalced. Can. 9. a Diocese contains in it many Provinces This Councel we ought not to decline by molesting the Emperour or any secular Magistrates with complaints as our late Ministers have done This is not canonicall and the complaint is not to be admitted We are therefore to take notice that (c) Notit Imp. l. 2. c. 48. the three Britains were a Diocese of themselves and had a Praefectus Praetorio for Civil and a Primate for Ecclesiastical affaires (d) Cantuariae prima sedes Archiepiscopi habetur qui est totius Angliae Primas Patriarcha Guil. Malmesbur in Prologo l. 1. de Gest Pontif. Angl. p. 195. The Primate or Patriarch is the Archbishop of Canterbury So then our Reformation is not after any new or lately invented model it is according to the ancient course and canons of the Church and therefore justifiable If we had taken any other course in our Reformation we had done amisse For according to the Councel of Constantinople (e) Concil Constantinop can 6. we had run into an high contempt 1. by slighting all the Bishops of this Diocese 2. by injuring the Canons and 3. by subverting the Ecclesiasticall order and government 21. In submission to these Canons the Church did usually reform both in manners and faith by Diocesan or Provinciall Councels as is to be seen in the Code of the Vniversal Church in the African-Code in Balsamon and Zonaras in the Councels of Spain and in the Councels of England set forth by that pious and worthy Knight Sir Henry Spelman Much in this kind is readily presented to every eye by our learned Archbishop § 24. n. 4. Where you may see this course approved by your own learned men (f) Alb. Mag. in 1. Dist 11. A. 9. Albertus Magnus and that (g) Gerson de Gen. Concil Vnius obedien part 1. p. 222. famous Chancellour of Paris to be not onely lawfull but sometimes necessary Indeed to what purpose is it to justifie that to be (h) Perfecta Synodus illa est cui interest Metropolitanus Episcopus Cod. Eccles univers Can. 95. a full a perfect Synod wherein a Metropolitan is present if it may not upon just occasion amend what is amisse within her own precincts What is it then a perfect Synod for Otherwise Israel must not have reformed without Judah nor Judah without Israel Neither must Laodicea have cast off her wicked courses unlesse the rest of the Churches in Asia would have joyned in the Reformation They that dare say this are wiser then God Almighty For he calls to every one of these in particular to repent and amend with in themselves what is faulty And though Timothy had failed of his duty at Ephesus it had been no excuse for Titus to wink at abuses and disorders in Crete (i) Hos 4.15 Though Israel transgresse yet let not Judah sinne 22. Hitherto my Propositions as you terme them from whence you inferre as a necessary consequence thus Then by your own saying The Inference the Catholick Church must be distinct from the Church of Rome and those in her communion It must be so just as a reasonable creature is distinct from Socrates the species from the individuum or particular person Socrates is a reasonable creature but not all not the onely reasonable creature every individual person is as much man as much a reasonable creature and hath as much of man in him as Socrates This will be the more easily discerned if we look upon St. Paul's comparison (k) 1 Cor. 12. who likens the Church to a body consisting of many members One member is not the body nor the body one member but many The body receives not life from the members but every member from the body The body can live without the hand or foot or eye indeed without all these but none of these can live when sever'd from the body The Catholick Church hath subsisted without the Church of Rome but the Church of Rome cannot subsist without the Catholick The Church did stand without Rome before Rome was a Church And the Church was visible in the time of Marcellinus Liberius and John 22. when Rome was no member thereof (l) Cypr. de unit Eccles Adulterari non potest Sponsa Christi though Rome defile her selfe the Spouse of Christ is not cannot be made an Harlot The tree is sound though the leaves fall and