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A51427
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The presentment of a schismaticke by Thomas, Lord Bishop of Dvrham ; in his sermon preached at the cathedrall church of Saint Pauls the 19 of Iune, 1642.
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Morton, Thomas, 1564-1659.
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1642
(1642)
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Wing M2846; ESTC R22069
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15,026
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30
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felonious or trayterous intention Let us but opening our eyes and we shall easily see their slanderous lying also for behold our Church in her service Booke doth make knowne to all the world that shee doth detest the superstition of the Romish Ceremonies by condemning their superstitious opinions First in making them necessary parts of Gods worship Secondly in ascribing an efficacious sanctitie unto them Thirdly by arrogating a meritorious condignity from them unto themselves Yea and besides she instructeth her Reader that she hath professedly purged her Liturgie of all those Lees and dregges of superstitious opinion of Papists which makes this their slander farre more slanderous Yet notwithstanding they persist in condemning the said Ceremonies as having bin either used or abused in Popery stil bewraying their ignorances for even this our Apostle did make use of the saying of Poets Menander Aratus and Epimenides all Heathens And shall therefore such Divine sentences be called Heathenish I cannot omit the peece of Prayer in our Liturgie which is That God will accept of our bounden duetie not weighing our merits but pardoning our offences the same hath been continually used in the Romish Masse beseeching God that hee would admit of them and their devotions Non tanquam aestimater meriti sed tanquam veniae largitor Not as an esteemer of merit but as a giver of pardon wherein the Romish will they nill they disclaime all conceipt of merit in their publike Liturgie which is a condignity of a work by the exact Law of Gods justice deserving an eternall reward which merit notwithstanding they maintaine in their new Romish Creed and bookes of controversies as an Article of their faith howbeit This sentence was that which brought the great Cardinall Bellarmine upon his knees when after his long and large dispute about justification by perfection of workes hee was inforced at last to cast Anchor absolutely upon the mercies of God as for so hee saith Tutissimum The most safe refuge of mans soule this being granted the same sentence serveth us both for a testification of this our saving truth to our selves as also for a confutation of the Popish error of merits which is a judging out of his owne mouth Wee demand then ought our Church to have used this sentence or not if so then is not this prayer therefore to be called Popish because used in Popery but ought she not Then doe they fondly affirme shee ought not use a forme of prayer which is both wholsome for him that prayeth and usefull to convince the Romish Church of Error in her superstitious opinion of merit But our Saviour hath taught us a more Divine lesson saying Wisdom is justified of her Children to let us understand that truth is truth wheresoever it soundeth even as a Pearle is a Pearle of price although it be taken out of the head of a toade I have insisted on this point because it may justifie our whole Liturgy against the censuring of a rite Popish for that it was used in that popish Church But there next blow is harder condemning such rites because abused by Papistâ— albeit not ignorant that herein wee can justly appeale not onely to the custome of ancient Churches of Christ but even to their owne schismaticall assemblies for the Primitive Fathers at the first dawing of publike peace in the Church began to convert the Temples of Pagans although they had beene the brothell houses of devils into the Houses of God consecreated to his worship And our opposites themselves can sometimes bee contented to use these Churches wherein was professed and practised that Popish Liturgy which they and justly inveighed against as indeed Idolatrous which is the blackest brand that can bee put upon any worshippers and which these opposites cast upon our Church as their last filth and dung This they do because of two kind of kneelings one at the administration of the holy Communion the other of bowing at the hearing of the name of Jesus To the first our answer is that Papists will not approach to our Sacraments Or if any doe yet it is in opinion that our consecration doth not operate their faigned transubstantiation and also the professed Protestants believing that there is therein no corporall presence of Christ cannot adore that as Christ which they know is not Christ and therefore can as impossible bee Idolatrous as the Papists in the worshipping their breaden God cannot possibly but be our reason is that that was an Article of Faith in the Primitive Churches of God whereunto we may justly appeale in a doctrine never to be repealed It is this That it is impossible for any Creature to be in two places at once not excepting the sacred body of Christ which their Catholike doctrine they professed for two causes one to avouch the prerogative of God to whom the existence in diverse places at one time is properly essentiall and this they grounded upon that divine foundation the Scripture of God Psalme 39.6 wherein the Psalmist in professing the Diety of the spirit of God saith Whether shall I goe from thy spirit if I goe up to Heaven thou art there if downe to Hell thou art there also and if to the outermost part of the Sea thither shall thy hand lead me The Argument thus The spirit of God is here and there and yonder therefore it is in diverse places at one time and consequently GOD because by the same essentiall property hee is as well in three Millians of places and indeed every where as hee is in any three or two and this they confirme by two circumstances First that the spirit of God was at one time in diverse Prophets Jeremie in Judea Daniell in Babylon Ezechiel in Chobar this in the Old Testament accordingly in the New the same spirit of God at one and the same time was in the Apostles when they were dispersed in diverse nations in the world for preaching the Gospell of Christ There second reason of this their dispute was to preserve the integrity of the body and humanity of Christ According to that caution of Augustine Cavendum est ut ita divinitatem Christi astruamus ne humanitatem ejus auferamus Wee are so to defend the divine nature of Christ that we destroy not his bodily and humane nature And therefore they distinguish both natures in respect of locall existence arguing thus Although the Deity be in Heaven yet is it then on Earth also and if on Earth then is it in Heaven but the humane Nature of Christ if it be on Earth it is not in Heaven and when in Heaven then is it not on Earth This was the Catholique Faith in those perfects and purest times of Christianity and that this was believed of them as an Article of Faith is as plaine Because they maintained that Truth against the Hereticks of their time who impugned the essential properties of Christs body with one Article of ancient Faith doth strangle more all the virall parts of
all who above all things delighteth in the unanimity of his Children for take away Unitie and all Sympathy is dissolved which is a compassionate assertion one to each other which the Apostles sheweth in his comparison betwixt the Church of God and Mans body wherein the Members doe mutually rejoyce and greene at the joy or griefe of each other in so much as if the Hee le bee prickt the tongue cryes I am hurt and every part of the body if it were a tongue would cry the same I am hurt this is called the sympathy of the members of the body but when Members are dislocated and disjoyned then mutuall affection is deaded and where Sympathy ceaseth fare well all Charity which necessarily seperateth it selfe together with the separation now I beseech you losses of Unitie Sympathy and Charity are not these injuries And commonly all these spring from one roote envie For Ecclesiasticall records tell us that the Originall of Schismes hath been that he who according to the first Character of the contentious person did make ostentation of his owne worthinesse and found not respect from Governours in the Church did thereupon picke quarrels with her in one pretence or other even as Aerius the Head of a faction because he could not obtaine to bee made Bishop was the first that spake against the degree of Episcopacy it selfe But yet there was peradventure some title of worthinesse of learning in such kinde of men in ancient times But what now Our Apostle according to the former comparison of members of the Church and parts of mans naturall body wishing the contentation of every part and to avoyd envie The hand saith he will not say because I am not the eye I am not of the body meaning every part of the body contenteth it selfe with the naturall Order it hath in the body else their would be a dissolution of the whole body But in these times the hand and foot both mutine cause they are not eyes and except our Coblers and Weavers bee allowed for Ministers they will acknowledge no head nor member how these should receive so much tolleration anywhere within this Church I know not except men thought themselves worthy to bee led with blinde guides when as there might be as true Doctrin some time expected from Bedlam whereof some examples might be given if such Doctrines were not fitter for a Stage then a Pulpit But to speak one word of them who arrogat the spirit themselves by their extemporall faculty wch they bragge of and enveighing against Popery notwithstanding make themselves Popish yea very Popes for this is the excellency which the Pope of Room boasteth of that he is the supreame and sole infallible Iudge in matters of Doctrine a priviledge thus expressed by the Iesuite Valentianus Papa sive diligentium adhibuerit sive non adhibuerit tamen infalibiter judicat that is whensoever the Pope determineth any doctrine his judgement is infallible whether he use diligence to try the Truth or not which is flatly the heresie of Enthusiasticks As for the impiety against God it is evident in this that the Churches wherein Schisme is made are called the Churches of God And the God of these Churches is called the God of Peace and so stiled by Saint Paul almost in every Epistle aâ—Romans 15.13 in his blessing to them The God of Peace be with you all 2 Cor. 13.11 He joyneth blessing and admonition together Live in Peace and the God of Love and Peace be with you Phil. 4.7 Hee prayeth That their hearts and mindes may bee possessed with Gods peace 2 Thess. 3.16 His Prayer to the Thessalonians is That God would give them peace {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} alwayes and by all meanes Peace is a Iewell But to what end is this even to know that he that is enemy to the Peace of God is also enemy to the God of peace For 1 Cor. 14.33 For God is not the God {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is of Tumultuousnesse confusednesse but of peace as in all the Churches of the Saints Sacriledge was the last Character wherewith Augustine decyphred this contentious man And Sacriledge being a depriving the Ministers of God of their due God by the Prophet accounteth it a Robery to Himselfe But is it possible that devout men who are so great enemies to Idolatry and assume to bee above all others spirituall should become Sacrilegious The Apostle sheweth this was no newes in his dayes Rom 2.22 Thou that abhorrest Idolls Committest thou Sacriledge Match we now an Idolatrous and a Sacrilegious Man together as the Apostle doth here and the Sacrilegious will thinke that the Idolatrous is farre more execrable then he himselfe can be This Text which I have alleadged will say no for doubtlesse Saint Paul the most excellent disputant that hath bin knowne knew his Logicke in reasoning for when hee condemne the Sacrilegious Iew in comparison of the Idolatrous Gentill it must bee held either as the Schoole speaketh an argument ab aequali that is thou Sacrileger art as ill as the Idolater is or else a minori thou art worst wherefore how ever these contentious men may maske themselves under the visard of Religion and Austerity in abhorring popery superstition or Idolatry yet are they in one respect farre worse than the other in as much as experience of all times hath proved that the Idolater was alwayes a Reverencer of some Diety nor ever was a Superstitious Atheist heard of although contrarily when hath been of any Atheist who was not Sacrilegious that is a rober of Gods right Seeing now that contentiousnesse for separation is every way so pernicious how shall the Seperatist satisfie himselfe shall he think to make a Church of his own which shall be a Church of God let us try this 1 Cor. 12.27 speaking of this Church of God at Corinth he saith You are the body of Christ and Members of your part Wherein we are two have to considerations of the Church of Corinth one as it was a particular Church and compared with that which is called the Catholike and universall Church of Christ And so it is but a Member thereof Secondly as it is compared with its owne Members so is it The body of Christ in it selfe whence it followeth that Members broken from this Church of God in Corinth did therby devide themselves from God Himselfe Cyprian and Augustine had to deale with such contentious persons in their times and either of them proclaimed this saying None can have God for his Father who hath not the Church for his Mother meaning them who were separated from their own Churches The Papists you know arrogate this saying to the Church and Pope of Rome but vainely because Cyprian at this time was at difference with Stephen the then POPE and contemned his excommunication and Augustine was one of them who withstood the Popes usurpation of appeales to Rome It is time to conclude the contentious men being Authors of too many miseries the greatest mischiefe will bee against their own soules because whosoever by contention maketh himselfe an adversary to the Church of the God of Peace doth therein make the God of Peace of the Church an Adversary to himselfe and what must his reward then bee but here sorrow and anguish of soule and in the end endlesse woe As for you Beloved in Christ Iesus bee you exhorted in the words of our Apostle 1 Cor. 1.10 I exhort you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you speake one thing and that there bee no divisions among you bee perfect in one minde and in one judgement All Glory bee to God c. FINIS Verse 18. * Calvin Institut lib. 4. c. 1. §. 16. ex August lib. 3. contra Parm. Illi filii mali qui non odio iniquitatem alienarum sed studâ—o contentionum suarum infirmas plebes jactantia sui nominis irâ—etitas vel totas trabere vel ceâ—te devidere affectant superbia tumidi pervicatia vefani calumniis insidiosi sedâ—tionibus tumulenti quine luce veritatis carere osiendantur umbram rigidae severitatis ostendâ—ntes ad sacrilegiem Schismatis occasionem praecisionis Prov. 24.12 1 Cor. 15. Gal. 5.20 Vse Beza Epist. 8. 44. Math. 6.9 Luke 11 2â— Matth. 11. 1 Cor. 14. Col. 2 Ephes. 4.4 1 Cor. 12.27