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A27442 The Church of England evidently proved the holy catholick church by Peter Berault ... Berault, Peter. 1682 (1682) Wing B1948A; ESTC R22975 53,217 264

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the Glory of God Is the Custom of wearing the Surplice of singing and playing upon Organs forbidden in any Chapter of the holy Scripture If they were pray inform me where it is What evil consequence follows therefrom Instead of this doth it not serve to distinguish Lay-man from Clerk and to cause a greater respect to be given to the things belonging to the Worship of God and to put him that wears it in mind that when he cometh to Church to administer divine Service he ought to be pure in his heart which is signified unto him by the whiteness of his Surplice which is the Symbole of Purity And doth not Musick and Organs used especially in Cathedral Churches serve to raise up our minds to inflame our hearts with the love of God to lift them up towards Heaven and to cause them to desire to be for ever in that holy and blessed Company wherein with an Harmony that infinitely surpasses our Musick here upon Earth they sing Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his Glory And is it not conformable to several Texts of the holy Scripture wherein it is said Sing aloud unto God our strength make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Take a Psalm and bring hither the Timbrel the pleasant Harp with the Psaltery blow up the Trumpet Therefore it is clear and certain that the Ceremonies of the Church of England are lawful they being not contrary to the holy Scripture but conducing to the Glory of God and Edification of our Souls Now because these words Not to think of men above that which is written and these In vain they do worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men are not to be understood concerning Ceremonies but concerning points of Faith and finding several Ceremonies used among the first Christians even in Christs and his Apostles time whereof some were specified as I have made it appear already and some not specified whereof no particular mention is made in the holy Scripture as it may be inferred from these words of St. Paul Let all things be done decently and in order it follows that the Church of England is the holy Catholick Church since she believes and practises nothing but what is agreeable to the Christian Doctrine It is then without good Reason that a great many separate themselves from that Church it being the holy Catholick For those who knowing her to be such separate themselves from her are Schismaticks and out of hope of Salvation First I say that they are Schismaticks because they have not sufficient Reason to warrant their Separation For as saith Irenaeus Schismata operantur qui sunt immanes non habentes Dei dilectionem fuamque utilitatem potius considerantes quàm unitatem Ecclesiae propter Modicas quaslibet causas magnum gloriosum corpus Christi dividant quantum in ipsis est interficiunt pacem loquentes bellum operantes verè liquantes culicem Camelum transglutientes Those are Schismaticks who are cruel having not the love of God before their eyes but rather embracing their own In̄terest than the Vnity of the Church and for small and light causes divide the great and glorious Body of Christ and murder it as much as is in their power speaking Peace and making War straining at a Gnat and swallowing a Camel Ceremonies are no points of Faith therefore he that separates himself because of Ceremonies separates himself for small and light Causes and therefore he is a Schismatick and if he only be Schismatick who separates himself from the Church for small and light Causes as saith Irenaeus and is granted by Divines then on the other hand he is no Schismatick who separates himself for great and weighty Causes as for Idolatry and other Articles of Faith which they will have us to believe under pain of eternal Damnation and which are not found in the holy Scripture or are directly contrary to it Therefore we separating our selves from those of the Roman Church for great and weighty Causes it is manifest we are not Schismaticks and as no man should separate himself from a Church for small and light Reasons so he is bound to separate himself when he finds evidently that that Church believes and practises Articles of Faith which are not in the holy Scripture or are directly contrary to it which is enjoyned unto us by St. Paul and Isaiah saying Come out frone among them and be ye separate For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness And what Communion hath light with darkness And what Concord hath Christ with Belial Or what part hath he that believes with an Infidel And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols This is the only lawful Cause of Separation and for this Cause we separate our selves from those of the Roman Church or rather they separte themselves from us for Schism is not to be Imputed unto us because we believe and practise nothing in the Church but what is agreeable to the holy Scripture Wherefore it may be justly imputed to them because they do not only believe and practise but also will have us to believe and practise several Articles of Faith which are neither distinctly contained in the holy Scripture nor can be deduced from it by clear and necessary Consequences They then that separate themselves from the Church of England because of Ceremonies do separate themselves for small and light Causes and consequently are Schismaticks Secondly I say they are out of hope of Salvation for as man is composed of a body and spirit and as his body liveth by his spirit whilst it is united to the body So if we will live by the Spirit of Christ we must be united to Christ's Body but the Mystical Body of Christ is the Church therefore they that are separated from the Mystical Body of Christ cannot be vivified by the spirit of Christ and consequently cannot be saved for those only are saved that are vivified by the spirit of Christ Which is very well represented by the Deluge and Ark of Noah for as all perished temporally by the Deluge that were not in the Ark so all shall perish eternally who are out of the Catholick Church And as no body could escape drowning being out of the Ark so neither shall any escape Damnation out of the Church And as none of the first born of Aegypt lived but such as were within these Habitations whose Door posts were sprinkled with blood by the appointment of God for their preservation And as none of the Inhabitants of Jericho could escape the Fire and Sword but such as were within the House of Rahab for whose Protection a Covenant was made So none shall ever escape the eternal wrath of God which is not a Member of the holy Catholick Church For as There is no other name under Heaven given among men whereby we can be saved but the Name of Jesus So
THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND Evidently proved the HOLY CATHOLICK CHURCH By Peter Berault the Author of the Church of Rome prov'd Heretick If he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen man and a Publican Mat. 18. 17. He shall not have God for his Father who will not have the Church for his Mother Aug. de symb ad Cathec lib. 4. c. 10. LONDON Printed by T. Hodgkin for the Author 1682 TO His HIGHNESS Prince RVPERT Count Palatine of the Rhyne Duke of Bavaria and Cumberland Earl of Holderness Constable of the Royal Castle of Windsor Knight of the Noble Order of the Garter One of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council c. May It please your Highness THe two small Books which I did presume to present unto your Highness were so kindly accepted that having no otherway in any measure to acknowledge this favour but the Dedication of this I thought I could do no less than to dedicate it unto so good so wise meek and generous a Person as your self being not only a true and sincere Protestant nor only a living Member but also an unmoveable Pillar of the holy Catholick Church and though Jesus Christ said that the Gates of Hell should not prevail against it yet the Devil having a root of Evil and enmity in himself night and day seeks its destruction To effect which he subtilly Proteus-like appears in different forms assaulting it several ways either by raising against it those of the Church of Rome insinuating that we being separated from them are excluded all hopes of Salvation and that they are bound with fire and sword to seek our utter ruine and destruction or insinuating to other Dissenters from the Church of England that to live up to the strict Rule and Principles of the Christian Religion they are obliged to separate themselves from it This Maxime is received in Philosophy Sublatâ causâ tollitur effectus the Cause being removed the Effect ceaseth therefore when I have made appear that those Insinuations of Satan are deceitful and that the belief and practice of the Church of England is conformable to the holy Scripture I hope I shall be able to bruise the head of that old Serpent and to procure the Church's peace especially having for my Patron so vertuous a Prince so great a lover of Peace so good a Member and so strong a Pillar of the holy Catholick Church I do not here intend any Panegyrick knowing your Highness takes much greater pleasure in doing good than in hearing the repeated Ecchoes of your Princely Merits looking on your Noble Virtues as a fitter Subject for the Records of Honour in which your Highness will be praised to all succeeding Ages There your brave and warlike Actions Wisdom Prudence Goodness piercing and solid Understanding in all Sciences and Affairs discreet Conduct and diligent Cares for the maintenance of the true Protestant Religion and Catholick Faith against all Superstitions Errors Idolatries and cruel Persecutions of the Church of Rome will be much better described than I could here have done with my Pen. There every one may read that at 13 years of Age your Highness march'd to the Siege of Rhynberg At the Age of 18 Commanded a Regiment of Horse in the German Wars in 1642 came into England fought and defeated Colonel Sands near Worcester routed the Rebels Horse at Edge-hill took Cirencester raised the Siege of Newark recovered Litchfield and Bristol fought the great Battle at Marston-moor and in 1666 being joyned Admiral with the Duke of Albemarle attackt the whole Dutch Fleet in such a bold resolute but prudent and discreet way that you soon put the Enemy to the flight And though we live in an Age wherein every one seems to be free to speak what he will and not to spare even those whom they have no reason to speak against yet nothing can be said but in your Praise and Commendation I conclude this Epistle humbly begging of your Highness to accept of this small Treatise I could have enlarged it had I not known that Princes who are commonly incumbred with several important Affairs have no time to read great Volumes When your spare-hours will allow to make a perusal of this which though little yet contains much I hope your Highness will receive some satisfaction and see that my whole intention is to wish the Peace of this Nation the Glory of God Almighty the good of his holy Catholick Church the Salvation of the Souls of men and the reducing of the wandring sheep whether Popish or other Dissenters into Uniformity which is heartily desired by Your Highnesses Most humble most obedient and affectionate Servant Peter Berault TO THE READER Unprejudiced Reader AS it is not enough to depart from evil but we are obliged to do good Even so it is not enough to have prov'd the Roman Church Heretick but also to make appear that the Church of England is the holy Catholick Church But if in reading what I have written thou sayest I have not done well because thou dost not understand it blame my Discourse not my Faith It may be another might speak more clearly upon this Subject nevertheless no man did ever speak so that in all things he could be understood by all Persons alike Therefore let him who is not pleased herewith see whether he understands others better when they speak or write concerning the same things And if he doth let him shut my Book yea let him throw it into the fire and employ his time in reading those that he understands better However let him not think I was bound to be silent because I have not written so clearly as those which he understands for all that is written doth not fall into the hands of every man and it may be also that those which read what I have written may not find any Books wherein such Questions are handled more clearly Wherefore it is good to have several Books of a different style though not of a different Faith concerning the same Questions because the same thing is oftentimes by some conceived one way by others another But if he that complains he doth not understand these things could not comprehend them when others have disputed about them with subtilty let him desire God that he would be pleased to enlighten his Spirit and cease to blame me and to say it had been better for me to be silent But should the Reader object I very well understand what is written but what is written is not true let him prove his Opinion and let him confute mine which if he doth with charity and truth and makes it appear unto me I shall confess my self very much obliged unto him and think my Endeavours in composing this small Treatise sufficiently rewarded I know Opinions concerning Religion being many in this Nation I cannot be without a great many Foes but if they consider that I have no other intention than to manifest the Truth and procure
who is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World came out of the darkness of the Sepulchre on which day our Redemption appeared more especially and evidently and that on the first day of the week there appeared unto the Apostles cloven Tongues like as of fire and sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other Tongues and that on this day likewise Christ revealed to St. John the excellent and admirable Mysteries described in his Revelations and that the Apostles did chuse that day for their publick exercises of Piety and Charity for the administration of Sacraments and manifestation of the Gospel as it appears in the Acts and in the first to the Corinthians I say all this being true the Church thought they might and ought to imitate the Apostles and instead of the seventh ordain the first day of the week to be kept holy Object It is written in the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians Not to think of men above that which is written and in the 15th Chapter of St. Matthew In vain they do worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men But the Church of England thinks of men above that which is written and teaches for Doctrines the Commandments of men as it appears in the Common-prayer Books which are appointed to be read in all their Churches wherein they enjoyn The sign of the Cross and God-Fathers and God-mothers in Baptism it appears also in the Surplice Musick and Organs practised especially in Cathedral Churches Therefore she is not the holy Catholick Church because to be so she ought to believe and practise the whole Christian Faith without adding to or diminishing from it Answ The words of St. Paul and Matthew are to be understood of the Doctrine or points of Faith that is to say it is not lawful to any man in whatever Dignity or Power he is to establish any Article of Faith besides what is established in the holy Scripture Therefore St. Paul foreseeing that men would attribute to themselves a Priviledge belonging to God only I mean that they should establish Articles of Faith not found in the holy Scripture as oftentimes the Church of Rome doth curseth them and will have them to be Anathema Secondly I say when the Church of England commands and uses Common-Prayers she doth not think of men above that which is written nor teaches for Doctrines the Commandments of men because in several places of the holy Scripture we have a Command to pray yea to pray by a form For when you pray saith Christ himself pray after this manner Our Father which art in Heaven c. and seeing that Jesus Christ not only commands his Disciples to pray but also to pray after a Form which Example they ought to follow in all other Prayers 't is a sign that Common-Prayers which are made according to that form which by our Saviour is set as a Pattern I mean which conduce to the Glory of God and Salvation of Souls and wherein nothing is found contrary to the holy Scripture are not only lawful but ought to be used in Churches and preferred before extempore Prayers I say that they ought to be preferred before extempore Prayers First Because in this sort of Prayers we may let slip as it happens too often a bad Doctrine or some points contrary to Faith and either by inconsideration or ignorance we may ask that which is contrary to the Will of God and hurtful to our Salvation and what good effect can a man hope from such Prayers wherein are found so many Imperfections But none of these faults are found in Common-Prayers we are certain they are Orthodox and that therein we ask nothing hurtful unto us nor contrary to the Will of God they being composed by them who represent the Church I mean by a considerable number of learned and godly men who before they commanded them to be used in publick did seriously consider whether they were wholly conformable to the Word of God Secondly Because in the Prayer made extempore as Dr. Beveridge did very well observe in his admirable Sermon of the Excellency of the Common-Prayer We must first listen to what the Minister will say next then we are to consider whether what he saith be agreeable to sound Doctrine and whether it be proper and lawful for me to joyn with him in the Petitions he puts up to God Almighty And if we think it is so then we are to do it but before we can well do that he is got to another thing by which means it is very difficult if not morally impossible to joyn with him in every thing so regularly as we ought to do But by a set form of Prayer all this trouble is prevented for having the Form continually in our mind being thorowly acquainted with it fully approving of every thing in it we have nothing else to do whilst the words are sounding in our ears but to move our hearts and our affections suitably to them to raise up our desires of those good things which are prayed for to fix our minds wholly upon God whilst we are praising of him and so to employ quicken and lift up our whole Souls in performing our Devotions to him Thirdly I confess that there are unlawful Ceremonies They being either grosly Idolatrous or else directly conducing to Idolatry as some are found in the Church of Rome as to bow before Images pray and offer Incense unto them But I must also confess that there are some lawful they either conducing to have more respect towards God Almighty or serving to incite our cold hearts and inflame them with the love of God and heavenly things The Ceremonies which are practised in the Church of England are lawful because they are good and have no other end than the edification of Souls and to cause in us more and more respect and love towards holy and Celestial things and are not contrary to the holy Scripture That there be lawful Ceremonies it can't be denied unless we will condemn the holy Scripture and the Practice of the Apostles and of Jesus Christ who ordained and kept them Which is manife sted by these words Now I praise you brethren that ye remember me in all things and keep the Ordinances as I delivered them to you and verse 34. The rest will I set in order when I come When ye come together saith the same Apostle speaking concerning meeting in Churches Let all things be done to edifying And verse 40. Let all things be done decently and in order And what means all this but that there were Ceremonies used among the first Christians in the Apostles time proposed by them whereof no particular mention is made in the holy Scripture And to make it plain and remove all doubt mark the following Ceremonies Is not the Ceremony of the holy Kiss
they are to be reproved and admonished and after the second Admonition rejected not cast into Prison or spoiled of their Goods and the like if men be in an Error the Bishops and Ministers ought rather to convince them by the truth and stop their mouths by sound Doctrine than to stir the King and his Council to make Laws to imprison them and take their Estates from them c. as it is now practised in France against the poor Protestants But to make them suffer meerly for Religions sake I think it is not lawful it being contrary to the Law of Nature and Christ's Doctrine as it is proved by these words of the most worthy and learned Dr. Tillotson in his most excellent Sermon preached before the honourable House of Commons and printed by their Order Jesus Christ saith he going to worship at Hierusalem because the Samaritans who were of another Religion would not receive him in his Journey two of his Disciples James and John presently take fire and out of a well-meaning Zeal for their Master and of the true God and of of Hierusalem the true place of worship they are immediately for dispatching out of the way these Enemies of God and Christ and the true Religion And to this end they desire our Saviour to give them Power to call for fire from Heaven to consume them as Elias had done in a like ease But Jesus Christ seeing them in this heat notwithstanding all the Reasons they pretended for their passion and for all they sheltered themselves under the great example of Elias doth very calmly but severely reprove this temper of theirs saying Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of for the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Ye own your selves to be my Disciples but do you consider what spirit now acts and governs you Not that surely which my Doctrine designs to mould and fashion you into which is not a furious and persecuting and destructive spirit but mild and gentle and saving tender of the lives and interest of men even of those who are our greatest Enemies You ought to consider that you are not now under the rough and sowr dispensation of the Law but the calm and peaceable institution of the Gospel to which the spirit of Elias though he was a very good man in his time would be altogether insuitable God permitted it then under the imperfect way of Religion but now under the Gospel it would be intolerable No difference of Religion no pretence of Zeal for God and Christ can warrant and justifie this passionate and fierce this vindictive and exterminating spirit This persecuting killing and destroying one another about Religion is contrary to Christs Doctrine for He is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them He came not to kill and destroy but for the healing of the Nations for the Salvation and Redemption of mankind not only from the wrath to come but from a great part of the evils and miseries of this life This spirit of persecution which our Saviour here reproves in his Disciples is directly opposite to the main and fundamental Precepts of the Gospel which command us to love one another and to love all men even our very Enemies and are so far from permitting us to persecute those who hate us that they forbid us to hate those who persecute us They require us to be merciful as our Father which is in Heaven is merciful to be kind and tender-hearted forbearing one another if any man have a quarrel against any even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us and to put on as the Elect of God bowels of mercy meekness and long suffering and to follow peace with all men and to shew all meekness to all men To all which Precepts nothing can be more opposite than inhumane Cruelties and Persecutions Christs great business was to be beneficial to others to seek and to save that which was lost He went about doing good to the Bodies and to the Souls of men He could if he had pleased by his miraculous Power have confounded his Enemies and have thundred out death and destruction against all Hereticks and Schismaticks but intending that his Religion should be propagated in humane ways and that men should be drawn to the Profession of it by the bonds of Love and by the gentle and peaceable methods of Reason and Perswasion he gave no Example of a furious Zeal and religious Rage against those who despised his Doctrine When he went about making Proselytes he offered violence to no man only said If any man will be my Disciple if any man will come after me And when his Disciples were leaving him he doth not as the Church of Rome set up an Inquisition to torture and punish them for their defection from the Faith only says Will ye also go away And in Imitation of this blessed Pattern the Christian Church continued to speak and act for several Ages And this was the Language of the holy Fathers Lex nova non se vindicat ultore gladio The Christian Law doth not avenge it self by the Sword This was then the Style of Councils Nemini ad credendum vim inferre To offer Violence to no man to compel him to Faith and Gregory saith Nova in audita praedicatio quae verberibus exigit fidem And indeed if Hereticks and Schismaticks from the holy Catholick Church were to be persecuted the Samaritans who were both Hereticks and Schismaticks and had affronted our Saviour himself in his own Person the honour of God and of that Religion which he had set up in the World ought certainly to be punished so that if ever it were warrantable to put on this fierce and furious Zeal here was a case that seemed to require it but even in these Circumstances Jesus Christ thinks fit to rebuke and discountenance this spirit Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of And he gives such a Reason as ought in all differences of Religion how wide soever they be to deter men from this temper For saith he The Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them that is this spirit is utterly inconsistent with the great design of Christian Religion and the end of Christs coming into the World What then hath the Church of Rome or any other whatsoever to plead for her Persecution to men for the cause of Religion which James and John might not much better have pleaded for themselves in their Case against the Samaritans Does she practise these severities out of a Zeal for truth and for the honour of God and Christ and the true Religion Upon these very accounts it was that James and John would have called for fire from Heaven to have destroyed the Samaritans Is the Church of Rome or any other whatsoever perswaded that those whom she persecutes are Hereticks and Schismaticks and that no Punishment can