of late begin to challenge to the end to excuse their church from the title of Schisme for withdrawing it selfe from the Popes Jurisdiction were just and legal yet they will never be able to justifie themselves for disbelieving what they together with all the other Western churches so many ages agreed to have been true or for denying the title of Oecumenicall Head to the Pope Let it be supposed therefore what some of them alledge that it is in the power of such a King of England as Henry the VIII with the forced consent of his Clergy to erect the English church into a Patriarchate as Justinian the Emperour did Justinianaea Prima Or that England being an Island like Cyprus might have the priviledge to be independent of any Patriarch all that will follow thereon will be only that the Pope as Patriarch of the West shall by this meanes be deprived of some Patriarchall Jurisdictions Investitures Rights of Appeals c. which have antiently been endeavoured to be withdrawn from him by the African Churches c. Yet what is this to his title of S. Peters Successor and Head of the Church Or was Justinianaea or the Isle of Cyprus so independent in matters of point of Faith or publique practise on the Pope or other Patriarchs or however on a Generall Councell as that they could dejure alter any thing established by Universall Authority Could they renverse decisions of Oecumenicall Councells Or did they ever usurp such an authority to themselves as to impute superstition idolatry prophaneness heresies c. to all other churches under a shew of Reformation ruining the whole order of Discipline and Belief confessedly continued in the whole church for above a thousand years Till they can produce examples of an authority of Reformation of such a nature assumed by any Catholique Prince or particular Kingdome the other pretended right of exemption from Jurisdiction will be so far from excusing them that it will make it apparent to the world that it was meerly their Princes lusts ambition and unquenchable thirst after ecclesiasticall revenewes that first put the thought of Reformation into their heads and that upon as just grounds they may expect from others a Reformation of their Reformation which will perhaps prove more durable when those baits shall be utterly taken away which first whetned their wits to contrive that project of a Reformation 11. For my own part therefore seeing these severall conclusions concerning the Catholique Churches indefectibility authority unity and Visibility so unanimously attested confirmed and made use of by all Antiquity with so good successe against all manner of antient Heresies and Schismes And on the contrary perceiving no such method practised by Protestants disputing with one another no mention in any of their writings or arguments from Christs promises to the church but onely presumptuous boastings of greater sagacity and cunning to wrest Scripture to their severall purposes without the least successe of unity with one another yea to the utter despair thereof Having shut mine eyes to all manner of worldly ends and designes yea resolving to follow truth whither soever it would lead me though quite out of sight of countrey friends or estate at length by the mercifull goodnesse of God I found my self in inward safety and repose in the midst of that City set â—pon an hill whose builder and maker is God whose foundations are Emerauds and Saphirs and Jesus Christ himself the chief Corner Stone a City that is at unity within it selfe as being ordered and polished by the Spirit of Unity it selfe a City not enlightened with the Meteors or Comets of a private Spirit or changeable humane reason but with the glory of God and light of the Lamb Lastly a City that for above sixteen hundred years together hath resisted all the tempests that the fury of men or malice of hell could raise against it and if Christs promises may be trusted to and his Omnipotence be râ—lyed upon shall continue so till his second coming To him be glory for ever and ever Amen SECT III. Containing a brief stating of certain particular points of Controversie c. CHAP. I. The Question of the Church being decided decides all other controversies How it is almost impossible that errour should have crept into the publike doctrine of the Church Of what force objections out of Scripture or Fathers are against the Church 1. AFter that Almighty God had changed that which was to me a stone of offence into a rock of foundation making me to find repose of mind in submitting to the authority of his church which by reason of my former misapprehensions I carefully avoided as if the greatest danger that a Christian could be capable of had beene to be a member of Christs mysticall body which is his Church or as if the hearkning to the Church had been the way to make a man worse then a Heathen and a Publican I then found an experimentall knowledge of the truth of that speech of S. Hierome cont Lucifer viz. that the Sun of the Church presently dryes up all rivelets of errors and dispells all the mists of naturall reason as likewise of that of the Prophet Quicredit intelliget i. e. He that believes shall understand For being arrived to the top of that mountaine upon which God had built his church I found clear weather on all hands I found that there remained nothing for me to do afterwards but to hearken to and obey her that both Scripture and Fathers and now mine own reason taught me was only worthy to be obeyed And therefore the truth is here should be an end of my Exomologesis or account of my inward disputes about controversies concerning Religion which quickly ceased after that I left off to be mine own Guide and Teacher 2. Notwithstanding among the particular controversies in debate between the Romane Catholiques and other Sects I will select especially six of the most principall on purpose to shew that if any regard had been had either to the authority or peace of Gods church there would never have been any differences about them and that in the judgement even of moderate Protestants the differences are indeed of so small weight that if there had been amongst them but the least measure of charity or if Schisme had not been esteemed by them a vertue they would never have made such fatall and deadly divisions upon pretences so unconsiderable 3. They indeed lay to the charge of the Catholique church novelties in doctrines and practises and yet Catholiques even out of those few that remain of the most antient Ecclesiasticall Authors shew clear proofes of these doctrines and practises and desire no more of them then that they would speak in the language of the antient church They accuse her of impieties and idolatries and superstitions yet Catholiques shew them that the most holy learned Saints and Martyrs that ever were in Gods church practised and maintained such pretended superstitions c. They
persons because they being rude and infirm could never be secure of their belief if it were to depend on medium's and principles which they could not comprehend and secondly in respect of the learned among whom there would be no end of disputing if it were permitted to them to examine whether the Principles upon which Councells build their Conclusions were firm and concluding enough In a word otherwise Religion would not be faith but Science and Philosophy 7. To set down his words at length We must observe that to the Churches infallibility in teaching it is sufficient that she be infallible in the substance of faith in publique doctrine and things necessary to salvation This is manifest because this is the end of the infallibility given viz. For the consummation of the Saints and the edification of the body of Christ that is to the publique salvation of the faithfull Now God and nature as they are not defective in necessaries so neither are they superabundant in superfluities neither is the speciall Providence of God to be deduced to each particular The which Providence as it doth permit many particular defects in the Government of the Universe and this for the beauty of it as S. Augustine de Civ lib. 11. cap. 18. observes so likewise doth it permit many private erroursâ— in the Church and even in the most learned men an ignorance of many things not necessary and this not onely to shew a beauty in opposltion but for the salvation of the Teachers to whom it is expedient to be ignorant of many things that in this regard power may perfected in weaknesse that is may be repressed from pride Thus Stapleton with great solidity and likewise with much becomming warinesse states this Question CHAP. XXXIII Upon what grounds Stapleton may be conceived to have stated this question with more then ordinary latitude 1. TO this determination of Stapleton I will subjoyn the thoughts I had during my â—â—bâ—te with my self about this great and most important controversie together with the grounds upon which I believed that he had been more moderate and condescending in this point then generally other Catholique Controvertists are 2. But first by the way it may be observed that when he speaks of the voice and determination of the Church in the question proposed he means the decree of the Church speaking in a generall Councell representatively in which sayes he the Church is infallible namely with that restriction expressed by him in his last observation viz. in delivering the substance of Faith in publique doctrines and things necessary to salvation Other Catholiques there are which in this matter speak more restrictively then Stapleton hath expressed himself as to name one Panormitan whose words and opinion though for the most part disclaimed by Catholique Writers yet not hitherto consured by any that I know as hereticall they are these Although a generall Councell represent the whole universall Church yet in truth the universall Church is not truly there but only representatively because the universall Church is made up of a Collection of all believers and that is that Church which cannot erre Panormitans meaning to make his words tollerable I conceive is That the decrees of a generall Councell are not absolutely and necessarily to be acknowledged the infallible Doctrines of Faith till they be received by all particular Catholique Churches because till then they cannot properly be called the Faith of the universall Church or of the body of all faithfull Christians to which bodâ— the promise of infallibility is made And this was the doctrine of Thomas Waldensis and some other Schoolmen c. An opinion this is which though not commonly received yet I do not find it deeply censured by any yea the Gallican Churches reckoned this among their chiefest Priviledges and liberties that they were not obliged to the decisions of a Generall Councell till the whole body of the Gallican Clergy had by a speciall agreement consented to them yea which is more till out of the said Decrees they had selected such as they thought good to approve the which they reduced into a Pragmatick Sanction and so proposed them and them only to the several Churches there My Author from whose credit I received this is Thuanas who protesteth in a discourse to K. Henry the IV. related by himself that it could not be found in any Records of that Kingdome that ever any Generall Councell had been any other â—â—y received in France This were a priviledge indeed to the purpose if it could be made good as it is much to be doubted 3. But as for the Opinion of Waldensis it ha's found many abetrours in these latter ages for Fr. Pious Mirandâ—la in his eighth Theoreme de Fid. Ord. â—red saith Those Decrees may justly be â—â—lled tho the Decrees of the universal Church which are either made by the Pope the Head thereof or by a Councell in which the Church is represented in matters necessary to Faith and which are approved by the Church her self In like manner Petrus a Soâ—â— instanâ—ing in the second Councell of Ephesus corrected by that of Chalcedon manifestly implies that Councells even Generall before they be received and approved by the Universall Church may be repealed by a following Councell but a Councell once received can never be altered And therefore sayes he God by his providence over his Church will so order that whatsoever is erronious or defective in one Councell shall be corrected in a following one before it be received in the Church The same Author repeats the same Doctrine again in his observations upon the Confession of Wittenberg cap. de Concil Consequently hereto Cellotius a learned Jesuite professeth That the infallibility promised to the Church is twofold 1. Active by which the Prelats in Councells proposing points of Faith are secured from errour 2. Passive whereby the Universall Body of the Church under all the Prelates in all the severall Provinces respectively is preserved from assenting to or believing an errour Now that in the whole Church whether represented in a Councell or dispersed over the world both these kinds of infallibility are to be found saith he no Catholique can deny He adds In case there hath been any thing decreed by Councells which either hath not been generally admitted or by generall disuse hath ceased that the present Church is not thereto obliged appears clearly by the Decrees of the first Councell of the Apostles in the prohibition of things strangled and bloud In the last place our learned Countreyman Bacon alias Southwell a very ingenuous and acute Jesuite doth plainly enough signifie That it was the opinion not only of S. Augustine but generally of all the Writers of that age that the resolution of Faith had its utmost compleat effect in the reception of the whole Christian world grounding his assertion upon such like passages of S. Augustine as these Those are only Plenary Councells which are gathered out of
the universall Christian world Again The letters of Bishops may be corrected by Nationall Councells and Nationall Councells by Plenary ones and former Plenary Councells may be corrected by others that succeed And again We should not have the boldnesse to affirm any such thing were it not that we are confirm'd by the most unanimous authority of the universall Church Now I suppose their intention is not to refund all authority finally upon the ignorant people but upon the whole Body of the Prelates admitting and attesting what was decreed by a few in Councells by which means the universall Government of the Church sets their seal to the Doctrine of Faith and vertually or by consequence in and with them all Christians universally in their communion and under their charge By this means indeed all possible objections will be taken away and the Decisions of Councells will be the Acts not of ten Bishops representing a hundred and perhaps giving suffrages to Doctrines never questioned or debated by them but of all the Bishops of the Christian world Now it is not necessary according to these Authors grounds that there must be such a Reception of conciliary acts by particular Pâ—â—â—â—â—s â—â—prossely fâ—â—mally and directly it being sufficient â—hat it be done interpretatively that is when such Doctrines are known and permitted to be published â—emine reclamante And till this be done shy they the Councell though in it self it be very legitimate and deserving the â—itle of Oecumonicall yet it does not sufficiently and evidently appear to be so whereas a Provinciall Councell yea a Private Fathers or Doctours opinion so received ha's in it the vertue of a Generall Councell 4. Now this opinion maintained by such considerable learned Catholikes and not apparently contrary to any decision of the Church though I did not intend to subscribe to as undoubtedly true for my resolution alwaies was not to engage my self in any private Sects or topicall opinions and least of all in such as appeared to be exotick and suspitious notwithstanding I was very well contented to perceive that it was at least an allowable opinion For I found it of great convenience to my self to free me from many difficulties For thereby 1. Here is no entrenching on the points of controversie between Catholiques and Protestants since they are all not only decided by the authority of Councells but likewise actually assented to and imbraced by all particular Catholique Churches neither as matters of controversie do now stand is it necessary to require any more from Protestants then what ha's been so both decided and received 2. Hereby all the objections which Protestants make from certain reall or imaginary contradictions which may be found in decrees of Councells about other points not now in controversie are apparently rendred ineffectuall for if that be to be only necessarily accounted an article of Catholique Faith which is actually acknowledged and received by Catholiques and since contradictions cannot be actually assented to it will follow that whatsoever decisions of Councells may seem to oppose such articles are not necessarily to be accounted Catholique Doctrines and by consequence not obligatory 3. That so much objected speech of S. Augustine de Bapt. Dom. l 2. c. 3. viz. The letters of Bishops may be corrected by Nationall Councells and Nationall Councells by Plenary ones and former Plenary Councells may be corrected by others that succeed though it be understood of points of Doctrine as it seems to require such a sense because S. Augustine speaks it upon occasion of rebaptization yet makes nothing against Catholiques who upon the forementioned grounds and authorities need account that only to be Catholique Doctaine which is actually imbraced by Catholiques Yea upon the same grounds the like may be said of that yet more bold speech of Cardinall Cusanus viz. It may be observed by all experience that an Universall Councell may fail Cusan concord l. 2. c. 14. 5. But to proceed to the severall grounds upon which I conceived Stapleton determined this question with a greater latitude and indulgence then most other Writers and yet notwithstanding he hath escaped the censure of any being commended even by those who use much more rigor in it then he has done The first is That no Doctrine can be called an Article of Faith but what was in the beginning revealed and delivered to the Church by Christ and his Apostles 2. That these doctrines have been preserved and continued to these times by Tradition that is not only in books approved and delivered Traditionally but rather in an orall practicall Tradition from one age to another For the Church pretends not to any new immediate revelation though she enjoys an effectuall assistance of Gods holy Spirit 3. That there is a double obligation from decisions of Generall Councells the first an obligation of Christian belief in respect of doctrines delivered by Generall Councells as of universall Tradition the second only of Canonicall obedience to orders and constitutions for practise by which men are not bound to believe that these are inforced as from divine authority but only to submit to them as acts of a lawfull Ecclesiasticall power however not to censure them as unjust much lesse to oppose and contradict them 4. That many I may say most constitutions of Councells in order to practise do yet vertually include some degree of belief as that of Communion under one kind of the use of Images in Churches and upon Altars c. of residence of Bishops of authorised Translations of Scripture c. And that in such cases we are not obliged to believe that Christ or his Apostles gave order that such practises should follow but only that considering Christs continuall care over his Church so clearly promised neither these nor any other orders universally established and practised are destructive to any substantiall doctrine or practise of Christianity and that the authority left by Christ in his church was so large and ample as that when she shall judge it fit considering the various dispositions of succeeding timesâ— she may alter externall practises and formes not essentiall orâ— of the substance of Christian Religion even in the Sacraments themselves as we see acknowledged in some cases by all Christian churches as about the altering of the time and posture of receiving the Eucharist the triple immersion in Baptisme abstaining from things strangled and from bloud c. 5. That doctrines determined by Nationall Councells lay no obligation at all upon any other churches but only those whose Bishops meet together and all the obligation even of those Christians who live within such Provinces is only not to contradict they are not bound to receive such decisions as Articles of Faith the reason being evident because one Nation cannot be a competent judge of Catholique Tradition and there neither is nor can be any Article of Faith but what is delivered that way 6. That the authority of the Pastours of the present Church is not of
likewise impute superstition idolatry and other crimes unto it thereby to justifie such their separation by which means not a Schisme only and that most properly so called is happened but Heresie likewise is to be imputed to one of the parties divided That neither of these titles belongs to the Romane Church and therefore that both of them are justly and necessarily to be charged upon the Church of England and by consequence much more upon all other Sects of Protestants as being much more violent and uncharitable against the Roman Catholique Church may to my understanding be demonstrated most evidently after this manner viz. 2. First with respect to separation from externall communion In a manifest Schisme as this is apparently those who are but a part who are new beginners whose prime authors may be named who have introduced among Christians novelties not heard of in the world even by their own confession for above a thousand years and have actively separated themselves from the externall communion of the whole in which they did formerly remaine those and those onely are Schismatiques and such are Protestants as is evident For 1. The English church is at the best but a particular church which in the beginning of the raigne of King Henry the VIII did live in externall communion with the then whole Catholique Church but afterward in the same Kings dayes divided it self from the same externall communion by renouncing obedience to the Pope whom before they acknowledged the visible Head of the Catholique Church 2. The same English Church in the dayes of his Son King Edward the VI. but especially to his Daughter Q. Elizabeth to the former Schisme added an alteration of severall other points of doctrine confessedly for very many ages universally embraced by all Catholiques and conspicuous in the publique profession and practise of the church and in this double division both from the Faith and externall communion of the Catholique Church ha's the English Nation continued ever since Therefore according to the notion of Schisme which we have from Antiquity and plain expresse reason the English-Protestant-Church is properly Schismaticall and Hereticall 3. On the contrary the Romane Church acknowledged by all Englishmen to have been the Catholique Church and even since the separation allowed by English Protestants themselves to be at least a true member of the Catholique Church ha's continued to this day in the same forme of externall communion that she had before ha's not actually nor actively separated from any church pre-existent much lesse from the whole body ha's changed nothing of doctrine c. therefore if she was the Catholique Church before she is so still however she cannot in any the least shew of reason be called Schismaticall 4. For further proof of this let us consider the first beginners of separation Luther Zuinglius or to apply this discourse to the Church of England Tindall I desire to know whether when Tindall alone of his owne head without any authority either civill or ecclesiasticall yea in open desiance of both began to disperse doctrines unheard of among his countreymen all Catholiques dividing himselfe from the externall communion of the whole world whether I say Tindall thus standing alone as supposed as yet not to have gained Proselites was properly and truly a Schismatique or no If he was I would fain know by what right he or his followers came to lose that name when he had perverted a company suppose a Parish or Diocess or Province yea that whole Kingdome is it become a meritorious thing to gain Proselites to Schisme or Heresie Is one single person when he is out of company a child of hell and being joyned with seven other as wicked or perhaps more wicked then himself does he thereby become a child of God Then certainly all Pharisaicall Sectaries have good reason to do what our Saviour sayes of the Pharisees namely to travell Sea and Land to make Proselites since ill company it seemes may bring them to heaven whereas if they had been alone they could not avoid sinking into helll But if Tindall so standing alone in reall separation from all other Christians was no Schismatique then since by confession on all sides the Catholique Church cannot fail it will follow that Tindall in his own single person was the Catholique Church and the whole body of Christians divided from him were Schismatiques 5. If this way of arguing be not demonstratively concluding both out of the forementioned grounds of the Fathers and evident reason yea even palpable sense it will be impossible to make a Syllâ—gisme or to conclude rationally from any principles whatsoever we must alter Dictionaries and all formes of language and affirm that there is no means left to understand one another though we endeavour to speak never so plainly For if he be not a Separâ—â—tist who doth by his own confession actually separate and he an Innovator who doth actually innovate And if that church which in An. D. 1516. was confessed not to have been Schismaticall because then all things were peaceable no Schisme was yet begun if the same church continuing without any alteration in doctrine or practise till the year following that Luther taught and divided against it and so ever since be to be called Schismaticall because others would stay no longer in it then to change is to be constant and to be constant to change to run away is to stand still and to stand still to run away 6. If Protestants reply that though in respect of the then present state of the church Luther Tindall c. did make alterations in regard of some precedent ages before Luther in which the church had been wholly drowned in errour and superstition they did indeed innovate Yet since they sought to reduce the present distempered church to the form and soundnesse of the antient Apostolicall church they were neither alterers nor innovators but rather took away all alterations and innovations I answer that if Luthers or Tindalls judgement alone deserved to be ballanced with the whole world and if there were any suspition that Christ had forgot his promises or were become unable to perform them there might be some pretence for such a plea otherwise such an excuse doth augment their guilt in as much as they do dishonor Christ calumnâ—ate the one holy Catholique and Apostolique Church charge themselves with the extremity both of infidelity and pride or in the language of S Augustine blasphemy and intolerable madnesse CHAP. XLIX A continuation of proofes that Schisme and Heresie cannot with the least shew of reason be imputed to the Roman Câ—urch but only and wholly to Protestants c. 1. A Further proof as evident as the former viz. that the imputation of compleat Schisme with Heresie annexed is onely to be charged upon Protestants c. and not with the least shew of reason upon the Roman church and that with respect of doctrine innovated is this 2. It is first confessed that all
practise wherein they differed from and apparently came short of the English Church were indeed of so high a nature as to dishearten me from embracing their communion any other way then by allowing them my Charity in not condemning them which I also afforded even to the Roman Church it selfe 2. Now among the differences where in all other Sects pretending to a Reformation were distinguishable from the English as wanting certaine priviledges and commendable qualities which she enjoyed some I found to be commune to all those Sects especially the Lutherans and Calvinists Others to be proper and peculiar to each Concerning these latter I found it to little purpose to spend much time in examining them because the former commune ones did more then sufficiently dishearten me from adjoyning my selfe to their Communion And those were especially these five viz. 1. Their grounding their beliefe both of the bookes of Scripture and the true sence of them not upon the universall Tradition of the Church but their owne private Spirit which as they pretended assured them that the Apostles and Evangelists were the Authors of them and that the sences which they collected from them were the true undoubted sences of them 2. Their apparent want of a lawfull succession of Ecclesiasticall Governours and Teachers joyn'd with an unsufferable presumption in condemning of Tyranny that Government of Bishops which had been apparently setled in the universall Church without contradiction since the Apostles Times 3. Their Doctrines and practises of Sedition and Rebellion 4. Their professed hatred of peace and Reunion with the Catholique Church 5. The prodigious personall qualities of Luther and Calvin which shewed them to be persons extreamly unfit to be relyed upon or acknowledged for Apostles and Reformers 3. Concerning the first commune difference namely The Calvinist's and Lutheran's grounding their beliefe of Christian Doctrines and their sence of them and generally of the bookes of Scripture not upon the authority and Tradition of the Church so much as upon a private Spirit testimony or suggestion pretended to bee infused from the Spirit of God by which they took upon themselves to be assured of the truth of Christianity of their expressions of severall Articles of Faith and of their perswasion that the Apostles and Evangelists were the Authours of those Divine writings what little satisfaction I found in this maine Foundation of their Religion I shall reserve to demonstrate hereafter For the present I desire that to bee mistaken when I call this one of the differences and disadvantages which the Lutherans and Calvinists c. have in comparing them with the English Church For though it bee true that by rationall consequence from the grounds declared of the English Church the former position will evidently follow notwithstanding shee ha's beene more moderate and wary then publiquely to pretend to such a Private Spirit and by consequence has left a latitude and liberty for them in her Communion to renounce it as many of the most learned among them have done CHAP. X. Apparent want yea renouncing of a lawfull succession of Ecclesiasticall Governours and Teachers among Lutherans and Calvinists I. A Second thing wherein the Lutherans and Calvinists agreed to disagree with the Church of England was their want of Bishops and by consequence of a lawfully ordained Clergy This was an inconvenience so much the more hard to be digested by mee and which deserved neither excuse nor commiseration because by reason of their want of Bishops at their first pretended Reformations they came to that shamelesnesse as to seeke to palliate this defect by a desperate condemning of the Order it selfe as a tyranny and usurpation crept into the Church against the expresse Order of Christ and his Apostles And though they especially the French Calvinists might afterward have in some sort remedied this defect by receiving a Cleargy by the Ordination of the English Bishops whereto they have beene earnestly follicited as namely by Bishop Morton notwithstanding they utterly persisted in the utter refusall of suffering this important disadvantage to be cured which perverse Spirit of theirs Arnobius cont Gen. lib. 6. elegantly describes in these words Quod semel fine ratione fecistis ne videamini aliquando nesciisse defenditis that is That thing which yee once unreasonably did to avoid the imputation of having beene ignorant yee still maintaine Yea to that ridiculous impudence have they arrived in Scotland not many yeares since as to admit one to publique Penance in the Church onely for having beene a Protestant Bishop 2. I cannot forbeare to give a taste of Luthers Spirit with reference to this subject lively represented in a Bull by him published to this Tenour Anno Domini M. D. XXIII Nunc attendite vos Episcopi imò larvae Diaboli Doctor Lutherus vult vobis Bullam Reformationem legere quae vobis non bene sonabit Doctoris Lutheri Bulla Reformatio Quicumque opem ferunt c. That is Now bee attentive O yee Bishops or rather disguises of the Devill Doctour Luther will reade to you a Bull which will not sound pleasingly unto you The Bull and Reformation of Doctour Luther Whosoever brings assistance spends Body Life and Honour to the end that Bishopricks may be wasted and the Government of Bishops extinguished such are the beloved children of God and true Christians observing the Commandements of God and resisting the Ordinances of the Devill Or if they be not able to doe thus much let them at least condemne and avoid that Government But on the contrary whosoever maintaine the Government of Bishops and obey them voluntarily such are tho very Ministers of the Devill and resist the Ordinance and Law of God Hitherto is Luthers Bull. And I desire that any reasonable Christian would confesse whether he can chuse but believe that the very same whom Luther himselfe confesseth to have beene his Counsellour and perswader to leave Masse was his Secretary likewise to write this Bull And that a man should not think that this was onely one of Luthers frantick extravagancies the horrible effect will demonstrate the contrary which was a fearfull insurrection and Rebellion of a World of Countrey people combined by Oath to the ruine of severall Ecclesiasticall Princes in Germany who were content in that cause to stand to Luthers judgement Who when he perceived they were unfurnished of armes and unlâ—kâ—ly to prosper in their designe lest their Rebeâ—lion and the effects of it should be imputed to him was content to exhort them to obedience 3. Calvin and Beza c. though more subtile yet were not lesse malicious against Episcopacy as appeares in severall of their Treatises and Epistles Yea Calvin ascended to that height of arrogance as to professe that that Order and Discipline which hee had forged in Geneva and whereof not one single patterne can be given since Christs Time was not onely justifiable but necessarily obliging all Christians to conforme unto 4. Whether it may in some
not only to receive the Scriptures from her as a depositary of them but the true interpretation likewise of them preserved by her together with all other Traditions as much as concerns the substance of Christian Religion This authority seems to be grounded especially upon the promise of indefectibility an indefectibility I mean of the Church considered as one body composed of parts ruling and obeying teachers and persons instructed as S. Paul describes the Church as it is to continue to the perfecting of the Saints Eph. 4. Not as Mr. Chillingworth who would make our Saviours meaning to be no more but that till his second coming his Gospell should not be so utterly rooted out of the world but that somewhere or other there should be some that should professe it 2. By vertue of this promise the Church is assured 1. not to be deprived neither of any necessary truths nor of lawfull Pastors to teach those necessary truths when I say necessary I mean not absolutely necessary to every single person considered in any circumstance exigence or extremity as Mr. Chillingworth and Doctor Potter c. through their whole books understand it whether mistaking their adversaries or no I thought it unnecessary to trouble my self to examine but I am sure without any prejudice to the established doctrine of the Church which remains untouched though all the inferences which they would make from such a notion of the word necessary were allowed them but I mean truths necessary to the constitution of a glorious visible Church which must be furnished with a world of Doctrines and Orders which to all single persons are far from being necessary to be believed or known much lesse to persons wanting abilities or means or time to be instructed 2. She is secured from Schisme or Heresie for remaining to the worlds end one holy Catholique Church as we professe in the Creed how can she be divided from her self either in Faith or Charity For unlesse all Bishops in Councells Oecumenicall and indeed all Christians should conspire to renounce that truth to day which they believed yesterday how can novelty or heresie enter universally into the Church under the notion of Tradition 3. Concerning the subject of this authority the principall subjects are indeed the Governours and Pastours of the Church with whom Christ hath promised that he will be to the end of the world But the adequate subject are all Catholique Christians as well instructers as instructed since Tradition is continued by them both shining in the doctrines taught and received in devotions exercised and in outward practises and ceremonies celebrated by all Christians 4 Now of this authority of the Church there are generally speaking two acts 1. An Obligation lying upon all Christians to acknowledge that doctrine to be true and necessarily to be believed and those practises necessarily to be conformed to which are taught and received by the whole Church and all this upon penalty of being accounted Heretiques that is no members of the Church and therefore by consequence divided from Christ the head of the Church which inspires life into it here and will glorifie it hereafter 2. A coërzion or infliction of spirituall penalties and censures as suspensions deprivations excommunications c. on those that persist stubbornly in opposing those truths and practises And this belongs to the Teachers and Governours of the Church more or lesse according to their severall qualities For every Parish Priest ha's some degree of this coercive power over his stock every Bishop over both Priests and severall congregations within his Diocesse ha's more every Metropolitan a yet larger power A Provinciall Synod above a single Bishop or Metropolitan c. And in conclusion the supreme Ecclesiasticall tribunall is a Synod Occumenicall lawfully called confirmed and some adde universally received by all Catholique Churches that is by their Prelates from which there is no appealing for if there were all authority would be vain enjoying the name but without any effect or use at all as shall be shewed hereafter 5. Concerning the former act of Ecclesiasticall authority viz. an Obligation lying upon all Christians under pain of Heresie to receive the doctrines and practises of the universall Church that it is in the Church antecedently to a generall Councell appears by this namely that there were in the Church very many Heresies taken notice of acknowledged for such by all Catholikes and dissipated before any generall Councell had been called as the Ecclesiasticall history S. Epiphanius will assure us And this is grounded ◠Upon evident reason for what is heresie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but a relinquishing of a former received opinion or practise and the choice of a particular new one an act this is which implies an extreme contempt of the whole mysticall body of Christ and a preferring ones own single judgment or wilfullnesse before whatsoever els is prudent or sacred in the world 2 Upon expresse Scripture for S. Paul commands the Thessalonians and S. John all Christians to abstain from the conversation of and not so much as to bid God speed to all disordinate walkers swerving from the rule established and all introducers of novelties in the Church Yea S. Paul sayes that an Heretique even before the Bishops censure is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemned by himself that is as severall Fathers expound it voluntarily and by himselfe separated from the body of the faithfull so that the solemn excommunication of the Bishop against him may seem to be onely a ratifying of that mans censure against himselfe For I conceive it can hardly be affirmed of all Heretiques in generall that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-condemned that is professing and maintaining errors against their own conscience and knowledge 6. Now this authority residing in the whole body of the Catholique Church I must adde of the present Catholique Church has been in all times preserved so inviolable that besides the fore-cited testimonies of the Fathers this observation will sufficiently justifie it viz. That there was never in any age of the Church as far as I have been able to inform my selfe any one single person esteemed a Catholique that ever either spoke against or in the least degree censured or seemed to render suspitious any doctrine or practise universally believed or received by the Catholique Church during the time that he lived Many Fathers have been very bold and eager against abuses and errours particular some of them perhaps too largely dispersed but never any of them whether private person or Governour learned or unlearned taxed the Church either of errour in doctrine or of superstition prophanenesse or any other enormity in practise Many of them have earnestly called for a free Councell to reform particular disorders and errours in the lives and writings of both Clergy and Laity sometimes not sparing Popes themselves but never to have the Church it self to alter any of her doctrines or to change any of her practises