so no Action whatsoever can be justly lyable to Censure that is either founded on that motive or even tends to that design But it is very unreasonable to find fault with him that shall change his Sentiments of Religion and consequently make an open Profession of it provided that he acts directly upon truly Christian Motives according to a real apprehension of the Truth and a serious Conviction of the Conscience The only thing that in this Case is liable to Censure being a base compliance with the thoughts of other Men or a change of the True Religion upon false inducements since neither God nor Man can be secure of his Fidelity whom Interest can bribe to act against his Conscience It is therefore no small Satisfaction unto me and I believe also to the rest of all your Friends that being well acquainted with your former Conversation we believe your sincerity in all that you have done and that no Temporal advantage the too common spur of mean and fickle Spirits could ever incline your thoughts to entertain a Notion but as you were perswaded of and confided in its Truth So that either the want of a due Consideration in respect of your Motives to believe or some great mistake in your Notion of Religion and that as well in respect of the Faith which you deserted as of that which you embrace have ever appeared to me as the reason of your Change that you should quit those Principles wherein you were Bred for such as upon enquiry can never appear unto you either so Rational or so Christian As it is the duty of every Christian therefore to endeavour the satisfaction of his offended Brother and to rectifie those Errors that have seduc'd him from the Faith so I think my self obliged by the special tyes of Friendship to be peculiarly concerned in your Restitution and not only to discover to you the Sophistry of those Arguments that have imposed upon you but also to explain those Truths wherewith you seem unacquainted For if the account be true which I have had of your Desertion your Motives to leave the Church of England and Embrace the Communion of the Church of Rome were these A desire to live more truly in the Communion of the Catholick Church and to become more Orthodox in your Faith and Worship If then I can make it evident that you were mistaken in both these great Proposals and that a contrary event in both is the sure result of this your undertaking It will be reasonable to expect your Repentance for what you have done and a Reconciliation to that Mother whom you have forsaken § 1. How the first of these Proposals could ever influence your Practice is a very hard thing to be imagined or why you should phansie now that you are more in the Communion of the Catholick Church than you were among us before your Change is really a Conceit that I cannot find the ground of Since the common imposition by the Name of Catholick must be too slight to move a Man of Learning When the Name of Roman Catholick is but an usurpt Title that carries little less than a contradiction in the terms I know indeed there is an Error in the Notion of Church-Government that is too prevalent with many Christians and may possibly seduce them from the Truth of their Religion to submit unto those Laws that can't oblige them And that is That the Government of the Catholick Church on Earth is Originally Monarchical and consequently that the Unity thereof consists in the due subjection of all the Members unto the Dominion of one Universal Bishop So that no Man can be a Christian or in the Communion of the Catholick Church but he that will submit unto the Pope's Authority But in Truth it is fully evident from the Scriptures from the Constitution of the Church and from the practice of all Christians in the Primitive Ages that the Government of the Church on Earth is Aristocratical and that the Unity thereof doth eminently consist in the Communion of all its Members So that every Person that makes Profession of the Christian Faith and lives in the Communion of any particular Church or Society of Christians he is certainly in the Communion of the Catholick Church of Christ and according to the sincerity of his Profession he hath an undoubted Right unto all her Promises For first the Scriptures do expresly tell us that Christ Selected not one alone but twelve Apostles and that he gave them all but one Commission jointly as well as made them by it all equal in Authority That he was so far from constituting one as his Vicar upon Earth with an Absolute Dominion over all his Brethren that he forbad such Ambition as disagreeable with his Laws and Ordained Humility to be their way of Government Ye know saith he Mat. XX. 25. that the Princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority upon them But it shall not be so among you but whosoever will be great among you let him be your Minister And whosoever will be chief among you let him be your Servant Intimating clearly that Ecclesiastical Authority is not like the Dominion of the Gentils which was altogether managed in a Despotical way of Government But as he himself was a pattern of Humility and submitted unto Death for the good of his People so their joint Power should consist in serving others without any pretence unto a Temporal Dominion St. Paul therefore most evidently refers the building of the Body of Christ which is certainly the Catholick Church not to any one but unto the Apostles in the plural number Ephes iv 11 12. and although he was himself the last of all that Order being as he saith 1 Cor. xv 8 9. the least of the Apostles as one that was born out of due time Yet he assures the Galatians Galat. ii 7. that in point of Authority in the Church of Christ he was inferior unto no Man in that the Gospel of the Uncircumcision was committed unto him as that of the Circumcision was to Peter And consequently then St. Peter's Principality if he had any was limited to the Jews that were Converted to the Faith and not extended to the Gentils over whom he ne're presided So that in this pretence of a Succession from the Prince of the Apostles the Pope can have no claim to a Jurisdiction in our Countries except he can derive our Pedigree from those of the Circumcision But to manifest more clearly that the Church of Rome is not the whole Tree or Body of Christians no nor so much as the Root thereof St. Paul not only reckons her among the Branches Rom. xi 17. but doth expresly admonish her not to usurp Dominion as if he were suspicious of her future greatness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do not boast against or rather do not insult over the Branches But if thou
boast or insult thus thou bearest not the root but the root thee Ib. v. 18. And lastly to shew the World farther that it was but a particular Church and not the Catholick to whom he wrote that Epistle to the Romans he threatens her v. 22. with being cut off or totally destroyed if she continueth not in the Goodness of God Whereas Christ hath expresly promist to his Universal Church that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Mat. xvi 18. If any Man shall urge against me that the Church to whom our Saviour made this promise must be founded on St. Peter as the Text expresses it and consequently it can be no other but the Church of Rome who claims all her Rights and Priviledges from him I answer 1 st That the whole Church of Christ may be said in some Sense to have been built upon St. Peter in that he was the first of the Apostles that Preacht the Gospel after the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them and it is obvious that by his Sermon so many were Converted to the Faith that a Church was founded thereby at Jerusalem and this being the first Fruits of the Christian Religion the whole Building might properly be represented by it and so that Promise of our Saviour doth not respect the Church of Rome whatsoever her pretences are but the whole Society or Body of Christians 2 dly That St. Augustine in Expounding of that Text tells us that by the Rock Christ meant himself and not St. Peter And also that St. Peter is not to be understood in that place and many other in the Scripture as a single Person but as fully representing the whole Society or Body of Christians to whom the Promises were made and all those Favours given For Christ's Question in that place was evidently proposed to all the Disciples and so the Answer to it appears in the name of all and whatever gift or promise was thus made to one is to be understood as having a respect to all Since it is evident that there is no one particular Benefit or Power granted by our Saviour unto St. Peter but what the rest of the Apostles as the Fathers have observed had an equal Right to and as great a Concern in And if we consult our Ecclesiastical Records we shall find this Commission to be Executed thus and although St. Paul tells us that the care of all the Churches came upon him daily 2 Cor. xi 28. yet both in planting of the Church and in Governing it being planted no one single Person presided over all but they acted all alike as Members of a Society And when they were called away by God to be rewarded for their Labours they left the same Form of Government with the Bishops their Successors who maintained it constantly for several Ages following And whenever any Dispute or Controversie arose among them that was destructive to their Faith or Discipline as it was observed among the Apostles themselves before they took care for to decide it in a Synod or Assembly And we never find that any single Person under the pretence either of being Infallible or of having a Supream Power over all the rest did undertake for to determine what was thus Disputed but the Decree of the whole Church was required to decide it as the regular Act of the whole Society Some of the Bishops being still assembled in a Synod or Council and the rest submitting unto their determinations Thus their Unity was maintained in the matters of greatest moment and by their Literae Formatae or circular Epistles in all the things of smaller consequence and so they preserved themselves entire as one Society or Body of Christians not by any Superiority of one over the rest but by the right hand of fellowship from one to another And each of them was so perswaded of the Unity of the Catholick Church which was thus preserved that whosoever was excluded from the Communion of any one particular Church he was adjudged as cut off from the Communion of the whole And could not be received into another Congregation until he was reconciled unto that Church which he offended So that the Catholick Church of Christ cannot be confined to any Country nor yet limited or restrained to one peculiar Governour but it contains the whole Body or Society of Christians even all that are Baptized into the Covenant of Grace And as every particular Church is at Unity in her self by the submission or agreement of all her Members under one Governour so is the Unity of the Catholick Church maintained by the agreement or correspondence of those Governours whereby they do compose one Catholick Society And therefore it is well observed that there can be no more necessity of an Universal Bishop to establish and maintain this Unity in the Church than there is of an Universal Monarch to keep Peace and Commerce in the World Since agreement among the Bishops is as sufficient to the one as correspondence among Princes is unto the other And as there cannot possibly be more than one Catholick Church because it contains all Christians and consequently all particular Churches whatsoever So no one particular Society of Christians let its extent be never so great or Members numerous can justly lay a claim unto that Title Nor on the other hand can any particular Church cease to be a Member of this Catholick as long as she continues Christian that is as long as she retaineth the Holy Scriptures as the word of God and expounds their meaning by Catholick Tradition And consequently then no Society of Christians can be denied this priviledge or any other Right and Claim which the Catholick Church pretends to until they do renounce the Faith and cease to be Christians and so are no longer Members of the Body of Christ That the Church of Rome therefore is the Catholick Church upon account either of its Authority or comprehension is no more a Truth than that a part is the whole the terms being equally evident and therefore as plain in the conclusion And if the Church of Rome is but a particular Church and so a Member only of the Catholick The Church of England also must have an equal claim unto the same Right and Title while no one can deny that she is Christian And therefore she cannot lose her Property in the Promises of her Saviour till she quits that Christianity whereon they are founded Whence it evidently follows that all the Members of the Church of England are equally qualified for all Priviledges in Religion and all Advantages in respect of the Catholick Church which any Member of the Church of Rome can have a just claim or reason to pretend to § 2. This is a Truth of so much Evidence that all the Antient Christians even in the Church of Rome believed it otherwise their Decree against Re-baptizing Hereticks made by Pope Cornâ—lius and confirmed after by
to the nature of Man or to the justice of God especially if he should punish us for being so deceived I refer to any Man of reason to determine I will not trouble you with the recital of any of those Arguments which demonstrate this Change to be impossible and that the Doctrin doth imply so many contradictions that it is no proper Object for Almighty Power But this I must desire you to observe that if a substantial change were made of the Elements by the words of Consecration then the act of the Apostles was manifestly different from the command of Christ whereon it was founded For nothing can be clearer from the Text than that our Saviour gave the Bread and commanded them to take and eat that is Bread the words of its Consecration being not yet pronounced If then they did eat another substance and not Bread who can truly say that they fulfilled the Commandment of the Lord or Received the Sacrament according to his order § 10. As to the Design in this most Sacred Institution it appears to be the same in relation unto Christians as that of the Passover was unto the Jews That as they did believe in a Messias that was to come and of whom their Sacrifices were but Types and Shadows and so were partakers of the Sacrifice that he was to offer by eating of those Sacrifices that did Typically represent it So we that now believe in a Messias already come should in a parallel manner become Partakers of the same Oblation and by an external act like unto what they did in every Circumstance we should obtain the benefit of that propitiatory Sacrifice and really and truly be made Partakers of it And therefore our Saviour Christ appointed that Bread and Wine should be received by his Disciples in the place and stead of his Body and Blood which were the real Sacrifice that he offered unto God for Man and very improper things to be actually eaten or drank by Christians and therefore he calls the Bread his Body and the Wine his Blood not as being really the things themselves but as Instituted by him to represent them to us So that by a due participation of these Creatures according unto Christ's appointment it is certain that all Christians are partakers of that Sacrifice which he offer'd to God for them and the Bread and Wine being duly Consecrated and Received in the nature of a Sacrament the Body and Blood of Christ is really and truly received by the Faithful in them not that the Elements are changed in themselves or that there is any real alteration of their substance but the act is Spiritual in respect of the Receivers who take them not for Food but as a Mystery in Religion and therefore they do not receive them in their common notion as they are Bread and Wine that is proper Food to nourish or sustain the Body but as they represent the Body and Blood of Christ and are appropriated by Faith to nourish and support the Soul And since then this Sacrament was ordained to become a Sacrifice to Christians as St. Augustinâ— tell us and that those Patriarchs of old who believed in a Messias that was to come were as actual Partakers of that Sacrifice which he hath offered as we can be For they all eat the same spiritual Meat and they all drank the same spiritual Drink 1 Cor. x. 3. Neither is there Salvation in any other Acts iv 12. And yet it was impossible that they should eat the Flesh of Christ and drink his Blood according to the Letter because his Body was not framed yet nor actually born It is therefore rational to conclude that we are still Partakers of the Body and Blood of Christ in the same manner that they were not in a Literal but a Spiritual participation Since the reception of them by Faith only was fully sufficient to the Salvation of the one and therefore is all that is necessary to the Salvation of the other § 11. And this gives us a fair light into the reason or occasion of this Figurative Expression in that the Sacrament of the Eucharist being Instituted by our Saviour in the place of the Jewish Passover which was now to be abolished many of the External Rites were still retained to shew that all those Types are now compleated And therefore as it was usual at the introduction of the Paschal Lamb for the Priest or some other of the Company to tell the People that this is the Lamb that was slain in Egypt when the Lord passed over the houses of our Fathers and slew the Egyptians And again after Supper was ended distributing Bread and Wine to every one in order was wont to tell them This is the Bread of Sorrow which our Fathers eat in Egypt Whereas all Men know that it could not possibly be that very Lamb that was slain nor that very Bread that was eaten in Egypt but another Lamb and other Bread Instituted by God's order in the stead or commemoration of it So our Saviour likewise at the Institution of the Sacrament using the same Phrase upon the like occasion ought to be understood in the same manner of expression And since it was in conformity to their constant way of speaking that when he Instituted Bread and Wine to be Received by Christians in the Commemoration of his own death as that Lamb was of the Passover he said of the Bread This is my Body and of the Wine This is my Blood we are to understand by it no more than if he had told us that they are Elements Sacramentally to be Received in the stead and commemoration of his Body and Blood So that although there is nothing Corporeally upon the Table after the Coâ—â—eâ—ration but the same things that were there before nor eatâ—â— by the Receivers but very Bread with the very same substance that it always had Yet in the notion of a Sacrament and as a Religious Mystery it is not to be received as meer or common Bread by any true or faithful Christian But we verily believe that the Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ is actually and truly partaken of in those Elements and as the Church of England Emphatically expresses it The Body and Blood of Christ are verily and indeed taken and Received by the Faithful in the Lord's-Supper § 12. This you cannot but know to be the Doctrin of the Sacrament as it is received in the Church of England and if you will consult Antiquity you shall find that it hath not only been the general Doctrin of the Universal Church but particularly of the Church of Rome in former Ages For the Antient Fathers generally speak of the Spiritual and Figurative Being of Christ's Body in the Sacrament and do expresly call the same thing at the same time both Bread and the Body of Christ which is impossible to be a truth in the Literal sense and therefore it is necessary to