because they can under the ambiguousness of it shelter themselves from truth obedience and salvation 15. Now whereas I. P. in his ninth Paragraph professes that having considered the inconsiderableness of Mr. Cressy's answers and indeed whole discourse he changed his resolution to answer it as judging it not to deserve an answer I have nothing to say but this that truly I neither did nor can commend the Book to him as a writing considerable or that might deserve his labour to consure it but yet if I thought there were no other imperfections to make it inconsiderable besides those that he hath taken notice of in his Preface I fear I should be tempted to think well of it However this I can say confidently that notwithstanding any objections as yet made by him against it he may if he please resume his resolution to answer it without apprehending any guilt but onely the choosing so weak an Adversary But yet insteed of that I would rather advise and beseech him to read such a Fundamental Controversie as this concerning the Churches Infallibility with other eyes and heart then he has done mine that is with a minde dis-interessed and willing to finde the truth by whomsoever proposed It is impossible but that education must needs have given a great Biâ—s one way therefore when he reads any thing upon the truth or falsehood whereof his souls depends he should rather strain himself to give a weight to objections made against any of his settled preconceived opinions then catch at circumstantial advantages to elude them if there be any reasons weakly urged by me he ought to exercise his own wit to press them more efficatiously against himself but above all things he ought to pray to God as God willing I shall not fail to do both for him and all his and my friends that he would increase in his heart a diffidence of his own judgement and an humble pliableness to submit to truth and authority 16. Lastly Where he concludes with his testimony of the invincibleness of my Lord Falkland's Discourses especially the Reply I have no more to say then what I said in the beginning excepting this that for the Reply he to whom is was made is concerned in it and as for the Discouse of Infallibility if the noble Authour were alive I would have presumed to have had his leave to have answered it CHAP. VI. The Fundamental ground of my Lord Falkland's Discourse Examined 1. HAving said thus much to the preface of I. P. if these additional papers had not been hastily called for to the Press I had perhaps finished a begun Discourse in opposition to my most dear lord Falkland's Theses concerning Infallibility to each of which I had determined to have adjoyned an Antithesis But so much leasure not being permitted me I will content my self at present to single out the eleaventh Paragraph according to a former Edition An. D. 1646. and to oppose a brief Answer and by so doing I shall give a vertual satisfaction to the whole Discourse Because in that one Paragraph and in scarce any one besides is clearly contained the state of the main Controversie viz. The ground upon which is demonstrated the necessity of an infallible authority in Gods Church and the onely seeming rational and possible way to avoid and defeat that authority 2. The words of the Paragraph are these The chiefest reason why Catholicks disallow of the Scripture for a Judge is because when differences arise about the interpretation there is no way to end them And that it will not stand with the goodness of God to damn men for not following his will if he had assigned no infallible way how to finde it This is the Allegation of Catholicks in which mention likewise might have been made of the writing of the Fathers and any thing but the testimony of the present Church because reason and experience shews that differences will arise about the interpretation of them likewise and no possible way to end them neither but by a present infallible Authority To this Allegation of Catholicks his lordships answer followes in these words I confess this to be wonderful true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. for I am not such a wretch as to speak otherwise then I think and let them â—â—cuse themselves that think otherwise Yet this will be no argument against him who beleeves that to all who follow their reason in the interpretation of the Scriptures and search for Tradition God will either give his Grace for assistance to finde the Truth or his pardon if they miss it and then this supposed necessity of an infallibly Guide with this supposed damnation for want of it fall together to the ground 3. The fundamental ground upon which Catholicks build the necessity of an infallible Authority is that Article of the Creed Credo unâ—m Sanctam Catholicam Apostolicam Ecclesiam 1. I beleeve one Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church I beleeve the Church to be one one Body consisting of many members subordinately joyned and united under one Head which Unity is especially in regard of one faith professed by all and one Charity chaining all hearts together Now one Church there cannot be without one Faith and one Faith cannot be where differences are impossible to be reconciled and no possible way to reconcile differences but by Authority and no Authority sufficiently efficacious to this end but an infallible one 4. I confess this to be wonderful true says his lordship for I am not such a wretch c. what is it that his lordship confesses That the Church is one Body professing one faith No alas That was no Article in his Creed What then did he so ingenionsly confess That it was necessary that differences and controversies should be decided No nor that neither The thing that he confesseth with an unexampled ingenuity is That if it be necessary that differences should be decided and ended and that errors should be abolished God is obliged by his infinite goodness to make his truth known some infallible way by some infallible Guide So that by his lordships acknowledgment and by the evidence of reason if the Church must have one faith it must have one infallible Guide It is therefore this Unity of the Church that his lordship denies to be necessary yet he would not have denied the necessity of such an Unity if he could have found an infallible Guide without which he knew there could be no unity but missing of that and despising to think of such a blinde and lame Guide as a Church of England or Geneva c. none of which could ever end one controversie He concludes that there is no necessity that controversies should be concluded Nor damnation for not following the will of God since he left no infallible Guide to lead us to the knowledge of it A doctrine so horrid that it is much more derogatory to the honour of Christ then Arianism it self which though it robs him
some cases it is within the power of the Church to invent de novo some word or phrase proper to signifie and express a Traditionary doctrine namely in contradiction to any Haeresie arising and opposing Apostolique Revelations shining in the publique profession and practise of the Church So to condemn the Arians denying the Divinity of our Saviour the Fathers of the Councell of Nice made choice of the terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though new yet answerable to the sense and notion of that mystery which was received by Tradition in the Church a terme directly and specifically opposite to the Arian Position In like manner the Church of late devised a new or rather borrowed of some particular ancient Father the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Transubstantiation as most proper to expresse the notion which in all ages has been received in the Church concerning the Reall Presence of the body of Christ in Blessed Sacrament a terme which like the flaming two-edged waving sword of the Cherub cuts assunder on all sides whatsoever new Heresies do or probably ever shall devise to oppose that Mystery 5. Notwithstanding some certaine Traditions there were which in the Primitive times were kept secret among the principall Ecclesiasticall Governours as certaine sublime Doctrines the ceremonious formes of conferring some Sacraments of making the holy Chrismes Oyle c. which seemes to have been done partly to gaine a reverence to the Clergy as more neerly approaching to the Divine Light But principally not to expose such Mysteries to the scornfull and profane interpretation of the Heathens or to the weak understandings of the ignorant and not yet sufficiently instructed Christians according to the practise of S. Paul himselfe 1 Cor c. 2. who saith Sapientiam loquimur inter perfectos Wee spèake sublime wisedome among those that are perfect Hence those earnest adjurations in the writings of some very ancient Bishops whereby they conjured others of their own rank when they communicated to them certaine sublime mysteries to preserve in a deep secrecy what they so received a memorable instance we have of this caution in the Books of S. Denis Areopagite Hier. Eccl. c 1. Hence those disguisings of other Mysteries in Books which were to passe publiquely abroad Hence those sudden interruptions when they were ready to discover unawares somewhat above the capacity of their hearers Pagans or Catechumens Frequent examples I could alledge out of S. Epiphanius S. Chrysostome S. Augustine end others But Cuiâ— bono in this placed Since Paganisme has been utterly abolished and meanes of instruction more common and promiscuous especially since the invention of Printing whether happy or not it is doubtfull this cautelous reservednesse has beene out of use perhaps with no little prejudice to the Church in so much as nothing is reserved now in the brests of the Church-Governours even the anciently most secret Ceremonies are divuled to all Mens knowledge So that now Tradition is far more loud and visible then ever it was before and no ground for Protestants to pretend to any suspition that under a shew of Tradition the Church has a mind to exercise either Tyranny or cunning to gaine authority to her determinations 6. Now from this generall Traditionary way of conveying Christian Doctrines c. it came to passe that many Fathers being assured of the truth and authenticknesse of such Traditions and willing to assert them out of Scripture also have interpreted many Texts as conteining such Doctrines which either did not at all afford such a sence or at least not necessarily though perhaps the outward sound of the words might put a man in mind of such Doctrines Examples of this are not a few particularly in the points of Purgatory Prayer to Saints c. So that whereas Protestants cry Victory when they can prove or at least make probable that such Fathers have been mistaken in such interpretations as if the doctrines thence deduced were confuted in my opinion it is without any ground since on the contrary the lesse force that such Texts of Scripture have to evince such doctrines the greater and stronger proofe have such Traditions seeing the Fathers prepossessed with a beliefe of them from the publique practise of the Church accounted them so apparent that they thought they saw them even where they were not at all And therefore when the Church commands us not to oppose the interpretations which the greatest part of Fathers unanimously make of Scripture I conceive she does not a waies oblige Catholiques thereby to give the same sense to Texts which the greatest part of Fathers doe but rather not so to interpret any Text as to contradict the Traditionary doctrines believed generally by the Fathers upon this safe ground of Tradition though perhaps not Logically enough deduced from such speciall passages of Scripture so that though perhaps their commentaries there may be questioned the doctrine in the commentaries ought to be embraced CHAP. X. The second preparatory ground viz. Occasion of writing the Gospells c. 1. IT may now be demanded if this way of conveying Christian doctrines be so much clearer and safer than writing books or any other way of transmitting recordes to what purpose were the Evangelicall bookes written and why were the necessary points of faith reduced into such a prescribed form in the Apostles Creed 2. To say something for answer and first concerning the Creed The end why that was compiled seemes to have been to bring into a short and cleare abridgement the principall points of Christian Religion to be repeated at any ones initiation into Christianity by Baptisme being as it were an enlargement of that forme of Baptising prescribed by our Saviour viz. Baptizo te in nomine Patris Filii Spiritus sancti Now in what senseâ— and in respect of what Persons in what State or Order the Creed may be said to contein all points of faith necessary to Salvation shall be shewd hereafter As to our present purpose we may observe 1. That the Creed seemes to be of a middle nature betweene written bookes and Orall Tradition as a prescribed forme of words so it approaches to the former but as committed by all to memory and actually repeated at Baptisme and other publique Devotions so it partakes much of the latter 2. What extreame advantage Tradition has for its preservation beyond any writing seeing the Creed after it was enlarged by partaking thereof has preserved it selfe from any variety or corruption all the Church over to this day It is true indeed that insome Churches viz in Afâ—ica in the first beginning of Christianity there was a small difference their Creed wanting these words Communion of Saints the sense whereof notwithstanding may probably be supposed to have been included in the Article concerning the holy Catholique Church as may be observed in the Creeds extant in the African Fathers Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Optatus and S. Augustin Which difference it is not imaginable should have come by
say that he is inferiour But now what Texts are there to be found so evidently expressing the eternall Divinity of the Son of God as there are for appropriating the Divine Nature to the Father only Viz. these two Texts This is eternall life to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent And To us there is but one God even the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ. 7. The truth is if Tradition and the authority of the Church be not admitted to interpret Scripture the Socinians and other Antitrinitarians cannot by Protestants be condemned as Heretiques upon the pretence of denying expresse Scripture since if reason alone be judge those Texts cannot be called express which may be confronted with others seemingly contradicting or which are capable of a sense it may be lesse probable yet so as that without much racking the words will be able to bear a case which to have hap'ned in this controversie every reasonable man will confesse that shall cast his eyes upon the severall positive Texts alledged by Crellius in his book De uno vere Deo I may add further that if the universall Tradition of the present Church in the time of the Councell of Nice had not prevailed for the stating of that great controversie against the Arians so many objections those Heretiques heaped together not only out of Scripture but likewise out of the writings of such Fathers as preceded that Councell that perhaps they might have endangered the cause as will appear to any one that shall cast his eyes upon a world of passages quoted by Heretiques out of Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian S. Justin Martyr Origen Lactantius c. 8. The Second instance is the Heresie of Rebaptization renewed by the Anabaptists of these times and in conformity to Antiquity condemned by English Protestants it is more evident then the Sun that expresse Scripture alone being the Rule and private reason or Spirit the Judge the Anabaptists cannot upon Protestants grounds be accused either to erre in a point fundamentall or however in a point fundamentall contained expressely in Scripture 9. In the last place that upon Protestants grounds no separation among them can justly be called Schisme in the notion of Antiquity appears yet more evidently For among those â—â— of Sâ—â—â—â— now in England which abhor and renounce the Communion of one another 1. There is not any one of them that ha's the assurance to stile themselves the Catholique Church with exclusion of all others not in actuall Communion with them Now Schisme is only a separation from the externall Communion of the Catholique Church at least if universall antiquity may be allowed to be the judge 2. There is not any one of them which dares apply to themselves in particular those words of Christ Tell the Church and if he will not hear the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican or those Promises of his Upon this Rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it And I will send the Comforter which shall lead you into all truth And Behold I am with you to the end of the world Now there is no Schisme but from such a church to which those elogies and promises belong 3. All the means and remedies left them to deale with those they call Schismatiques or Heretiques are not to excommunicate them in a Generall Councell as the Catholique Church ha's continually upon occasion done for what a ridiculoâ—s affembly must that be to which they should presume to attribute the name of a Generall Councell And how more ridiculously would an Anathema sound being fulminated by a Synod of Charenton or Gappe or Dâ—rt c. But their proper course in such cases is to persecute imprison or perhaps burn one another as Calvin did Servetus and by this means the weaker and sufferer would be the only Heretique and Schismatique But of Schisme more in the following Conclusion CHAP. XLV The third Conclusion The point of Shisme slightly considered by Protestants which notwithstanding ought above all others to be chiefly considered THE 3d. CONCLUSION viz. That there is one only Church of Christ and that all Heretiques who believe not all Christian doctrines taught in her and all Schismatiques who breaking the bond of Charity divide themselves from her visible and externall Communion are separated from Christ himself 1. IN my discourse upon this Conclusion I need not separate Heresie from Schisme since I do not know any Sect in these times precisely Schismaticall that is without any mixture of Heresie as the Donatists were in the beginning who agreed in all doctrines with Catholiques but separated upon a quarrell grounded upon a matter of fact Therefore hereafter when I speak of Schisme and enquire upon what party it is to be charged it is to be supposed that Heresie must accompany it seeing the foundation of all the present separations among Christians is â—heir disagreeing in points of faith and doctrine 2. Now though this divine truth viz. That the true Church of Christ is only one and by consequence that an injustifiable separation from it is in a high degree damnable be acknowledged by all Christians that I know since it is an expresse article of our Creed Credo unam sanctam Catholicam Ecclesiam that is I believe one holy Catholike Church and therefore there may seem to be no necessity to put ones selfe to the trouble of proving it Notwithstanding I will not refuse that trouble to make a collection of quotations both out of Scripture and Fathers to the end both to get a distinct notion of what was antiently understood by this word Schisme and to set forth according to their conceptions the abominablenesse and extreme sinfulnesse of that sin and this the rather because a sad meditation upon such passages enforced me to consider in what a state I had formerly lived and likewise made me wonder that heretofore above all other points I had not bent my thoughts and studies to enquire and determine since it is apparent that there is a Schism in the church upon which party the guilt of so horrible and exterminating a sinne did lye 3. But the truth is my wonder decreased when I considered that hitherto I had not met with any Protestant Writers that have throughly considered this point of Schisme which yet above all others ought to have been most exactly ventilated and examined as S. Augustine lib. 2. cont lit Petil. saith in the case of Schisme against the Donatists The whole question therefore is whether you do not ill you I say to whom the whole world objects the sacriledge of so geeat a Schisme the exact examination of which question whilest you neglect all that you say is superfluous and whereas you live like theeves you boast that you dye as Martyrs And again Ep. 164. ad Emer Don. Wherefore in the prime place this is to be enquired for what reason you made
a Schisme To the same effect said Optatus before him concerning the same Donatists lib. 1. The businesse in hand is concerning separation In Africa as in all other Provinces likewise there was but one church before it was divided by those who ordained Majorinus in the Chair upon which by succession thou art set The matter therefore to be considered is which of the two parties have remained in the root with the whole world which of them went out which of them is set upon a new Chair Episcopall which heretofore was not in being which of them ha's raised an Altar against a former Altar which of them made an Ordination during the life time of him who was before ordanied Lastly which of them is obnoxious to the sentence of S. John the Apostle who foretold that many Antichrists would go out of the Church 4. The almost onely considerable Author among Protestants who seems to have written largely and purposely upon this argument of Schisme was that unfortunate Apostate M. Antonius de Dominis Arch-Bishop of Spalato who as appears by the Index of the heads of his books and Sections allowed an entire book to this subject but by what means it came to passe whether through guilt or what other mystery I know not but in the publication of the three volumes of his works that book which he intended or had written de Schismate appears not there is an hiatus in that place not yet supplied But to proceed to the quotations CHAP. XLVI Quotations out of Scripture and Fathers to shew the sinfulnesse and danger of Schisme 1. THe passages of Scripture which I especially took notice of concerning the sinfulnesse and extreme danger of Schisme were these viz. those words of our Saviour Mat. 18. 7. Woe unto the world because of scandalls for it must needs be that scandalls come notwithstanding woe to that man by whom the scandall cometh Now the Fathers generally by scandalls understand Heresies and Schismes Which interpretation S. Paul seems to justifie joyning together Schismes and scandalls as Synonyma or words of the same importance when he sayes Rom. 16. 17. I beseech you brethren observe those who make Schismes and scandalls contrary to the doctrine which you have been taught and avoid them Forâ— such men serve not our Lord Iesus Christ but their own belly and by kind speeches and benedictions seduce the hearts of the simple Again saith our Saviour Hereby shall men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another Add to this his last legacy Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you As likewise that saying of his which S. Hierome quotes from Tradition Nunquam lâ—ti sitis nisi cùm fratres vestros in charitate videritis that is Be yet never joyfull but when you see your brethren in charity To all which I will subjoyn that passionate exhortation of S. Paul Philip. 2 1. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowells of mercy fulfill ye my joy that ye be like-minded unanimous thinking the same things doing nothing through contention or vain-glory 2. The same affection and zeale did the antient Fathers and Doctors of the church expresse to Catholique Unity with incredible efficacy shewing their detestation against Schismes and Divisions Witnesse S. Irenaeus lib. 4. c. 62. God will judge those which make Schismes in the Church ambitious men who have not the honor of God before their eys but rather embracing their owne interest then the unity of the Church for small and light causes divide the great and glorious body of Christ c. For in the end they cannot make any Reformation so important as the evill of Schisme is pernicious Witnesse S. Dionysius of Alexandrina writing to Novatian A man ought rather to indure all things then to consent to division of the Church of God since Martyrdome to which men expose themselves to the end to hinder the dismembring of the Church are no lesse glorious then those which a man suffers for refusing to sacrifice to Idolls Witnesse S. Cyprian de unit Eccles. Do they think that Christ is amongst them when they are assembled I speak of those which make assemblies out of the Church of Christ No although they were drawnâ— to torments and execution for the confession of the name of Christ yet this pollution is not washed away no not with their bloud this inexplicable and inexcuseable crime of Schisme is not purged away even by death it self That man cannot be a Martyr that is not in the Church And again He shall not have God for his Father that would not have the Church for his Mother Witnesse S. Pacian ad Sympr cp 2. Although that Nova ian hath been put to death for Christ yet he ha's not received a crown And why Because he was separated from the peace of the Church from concord from that Mother of whom whosoever will be a Martyr must be a portion Witnesse S. Optatus lib. 1. Among other Precepts the divine injunction hath likewise forbidden these three Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not go after strange Gods and in capitibus mandatorum in the head of the Commandements Thou shalt not make a Schisme He means I suppose those words in the preface of the Decalogue The Lord thy God is One thou shalt have no other Gods but me Again lib. 2. The unity of the Episcopall Chaire is the prime endowment given to the Church Witnesse S. Chrysostome in Eph. hom 11. There is nothing doth so sharply provoke the wrath of God as the division of the Church insomuch as though we should have performed all other sorts of good things yet we shall incur a punishment no lesse cruell by dividing the unity and fulnesse of the Church then those have done who pierced and divided Christs owne body Witnesse the fourth Councell of Carthage Can 1. out of the Catholique Church there is no salvation 3. Witnesse S. Augustine de Symb. ad Catech l. 4. c. 10. For this cause the conclusion of this Sacrament he means the creed is terminated in the Article concerning the holy Church and the reason is because if any man be found separated from her he shall be excluded from the number of children neither shall he have God for his Father that would not have the Church for his Mother and it will nothing avail him to have rightly believed or to have done never so many good works without this conclusion of the soveraign good Again in Psa. 21. Whosoever ha's charity is assured But as for charity no man transports it out of the Church Againe de Bap. con Don. l. 1. c. 8. Those whom the Donatists heale of the wound of I dolatry and infidelity they themselves wound more dangerously with the wound of Schisme Again sup gest Emar Out of the Catholique Church a Heretique may have all things but salvation He may have the Sacraments He may sing
of Sacriledge is the ordinary and almost necessary attendant of Schisme and Haeresie That great Patriarch of both Calvin would not vouchsafe to impart his skill in these two qualities to them of Geneva till they had by a solemne publique oath obliged themselves indispensibly to embrace whatsoever doctrines he should establish among them and till they had charged a curse upon themselves and their posterity for ever if afterward they did repent themselves of that Perjury and Rebellion against their lawfull Prince and Bishop 2. Concerning England the poore subjects there ever since Schisme and Haeresie found entrance have beene as of course accustomed to be constreined to forsweare themselves by publike Order and in a most solemn fashion whensoever either the lusts or interests of their Princes have moved them to introduce any novelties among them First Henry the eight without giving his subjects leave or space to studie the point of Controversie which yet indeed was then no controversie at all with forced consent of his Parliament constreined them generally to renounce one Article of that Faith namely Obedience to the Visible Universall Pastour of the Catholique Church wherein they and their Ancestors for many ages had been bred a doctrine introduced and generally embraced there ever since the Nation was converted from Heathenisme by their glorious Apostle S. Augustine the Benedictin Monke delegated thither by the more glorious Pope S. Gregory the Great To effect which Perjury the meaner sort of people were forced by Tyranny and the Great-ones allured by partaking in the spoiles of Sacriledge 3. After his death those sacrilegious persons who governed the Kingdome during the reigne and minority of his Son caused the Parliament a second time to impose upon the whole Nation a yet greater Perjury namely entirely to sweare away a great part of that Faith which made them Christians And though they willingly repented their former Perjuries and impieties returning to their ancient Beliefe and Obedience during the short reigne of that Catholique Princess Q. Mary Yet the interests of her sister successour Q Elizabeth prevailed so far as to make them repent their repentance and to sweare over againe all their former Perjuries her cunning Counsellours by all unlawfull wayes of violence and allurements surprising the Parliament corrupting the Cleargy and violencing the consciences of the subjects and so contriving their designs as that they confidently imagined that Schisme and Haeresie were established in England irremoveably being setled by a law as irrevocable as that of the Medes and Persians 4. But in vaine For Schisme and Heresie wanting firme and reall foundations and being built only upon secular interests when those interests come to faile as all worldly things must in time naturally sinke lower and lower into that gulfe which hath no bottome For it is remarkable that Heresie being the ruine of Faith as Schisme is of Charity all changes that are made in them are still to the worse Faith is continually more and more undetermined and Charity more and more cryed downe and made unlawfull A fearfull example of this hath been represented to the world in this late Schisme in England from a former Schisme For heretofore the English Protestants pretended that by their Separation from the Catholique Church there was made a rent only in the semelesse garment of Christ but yet so that the parts hung together still allowing the Catholique Church to be a true Church of Christ but preferring their part of it as better cleansed and washed than the other But now Christs garment is torne by them into I know not how many rags all pluck'd entirely from one another and this with such violence and injusitice as Mahomet himselfe would have abhorred 5. But to returne to Perjury a most usefull and necessary engine in Schisme certainely never any Carthaginian or Barbarian hath given such prodigious Examples as the Presbyterian Calvinists For Persons who make it a foundation of their Sect to acknowledge a private spirit to be the only judge of Scripture and points of Religion renouncing all externall Ecclesiasticall authority as to such a purpose for such men I say to force other men without any new information or instruction to forswear whatsoever the law of God as they believed and most certainly the lawes of the Kingdome then in force obliged them to is an attentat most horrible But by a new oath and that explicitely commanding persons to preserve their loyalty to their Prince and to maintaine the Lawes and Religion of the Kingdome by such an oath I say to oblige the same Persons at the same time to seeke the destruction of their Prince and of the same Lawes and Religion and to spend their fortunes and lives in the defence of a Religion not yet in being but promised to be contrived no man knowes when nor by whom and to sweare that that unknown Religion yet in the forge was true and only conformable to the word of God What name can be found out for such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an execrable renouncing of God as this And yet all this hath been in the face of the sun and this must in England be stiled a Reformation and such an one as might deserve to be purchased with that Sea of blood which hath lately flowed there 5. Surely this one example alone may suffice to advertise all those who have seperated from the unity of Christs Church what are and probably will be the dire effects of Schisme Let them not cast their eyes so much upon those frequent seditions and Rebellions and those rivers of Christian blood which under a pretence of Reformation have been shed in Christendome since Luthers Apostacy But let them rather consider this as a judgement more terrible then all the former namely that for a punishment of Schisme and such crimes as are the naturall fruits of it Almighty God has given up England to this more then Atheisticall wanton petulant contempt and defiance of his heavenly Majesty 7. Therefore such abominations as these Sacriledge and Perjury then which no Heathen could imagine any more abominable and these so great abominations exalted to the utmost degree and circumstance of aggravation having thus universally infected and envenomed all the severall Orders and degrees of men in England could I possibly remaining a Christian or not becoming a profest Aâ—heist escape fearefull apprehensions that the end of such things would be yet more terrible and that such execrable crimes would require a long time for expiation CHAP. V. The sanguinary lawes and cruell execution of them upon Catholique Priests in England 1. THere was one sinne more of which the English Government since the Schisme there was guilty which God seldome leaves unpunished and for which even during the time of my being a Protestant I apprehended some time or other as a sharp visitation which was the enacting and putting in execution those bloudy lawes against poor Catholique Priests against most of whom there was not the
sayd he was very well and frequently acquainted with having eaten more then one measure of salt with him the Devill sleeping with him oftner then his wife Katherine Such mercy and goodnesse and care hath almighty God had over his Church to open the mouth of the beast and by such a miracle to discover the true Author of Schisme 4. Then for Calvin Conrad Schlussâ—iburgâ— in Theolog. Calvin lib. 1. fol 72. and cap. 12. 4. not to take advantage of the Character given him by a learned Protestant which will represent him so steyned even with fleshly lusts also in a degree beyond Luther lusts so horrible and unnaturall that I cannot obtaine from my selfe permission to defile this paper with transcribing his words and not to repeat his forementioned seditious bloody positions befitting rather the Alcoran then writings of Christian Institutions or Commentaries to omit likewise any blasphemous Doctrines by which in immediate consequence he destroyes the Mistery of the Blessed Trinity the Justice and Sanctity of Almighty God making him formally the Author of sinne The only reading of his bookes against his adversaries and particularly against Cassander and Castalio will acquaint any man with what a spirit he was possessed and agitated a spirit that suggested to him words to expresse the utmost extremity of Pride Envie and Malice that a humane soule can be capable of Certainly if that be true as it is blasphemy to question it which the spirit of God tells us That into an uncleane soule the spirit of discipline will not enter and againe That God reveales his mysteries to the humble and meeke it was not without a great care that God had of this part of the world that he suffered those two great Teachers of Schisme to discover in themselves all manner of uncleannesse both of the flesh and of the spirit as if on purpose to the end that the same persons while they were presenting to the world the cup of their poysonous doctrine should likewise at the same time give warning that that could be no other then poyson which proceeded from such hearts full of all uncleanness the gall of bitternisse For mine own part I confesse I had not the courage to follow him who profess'd that he followed the Devill and described himselfe an attendant befitting such a leader Neither could I be mistaken to such a point as to thinke that there was any resemblance between the Spirit of Christ and that of Calvin Though the Devill can sometime transforme himselfe into an Angell of light and by that means circumvent those whose sinnes have deserved that God should give leave to such an efficacy of errour Yet here the Devill used not so much cunning he appeares like himselfe with his naturall uglinesse and horrour and his Ministers weare his livery However I am sure it is impossible that Christ should transforme himselfe into an Angell of darknesse Vitium simulari non potest virtus potest CHAP. XVI The Authors unquietnesse not being able to communicate with Calvinists c. Reflection upon the severall Easterne Churches 1. HAving proceeded thus far in my search of a Church and finding after an unpartiall disquisition that among all the Sects in the Westerne parts of the world seperated from the Roman Church I could not finde any Congregation unto the Communion of which I could without hypocrisy adhere if that Church wherein I had been bred should come to fayle a supposition not only possible but as the case began to be e're this time even very probable I fell into a great perplexity of minde so great that I could not perceive any cure for it no not though God should blesse the King of England so far as to give him an entire victory over his enemies and a power to restore that Church to its former lustre For I now plainly perceived that hitherto my title of being a Christian and a member of Gods Church all my interests and hopes of blessednesse depended upon a Church that never did pretend either to indefectibility infallibility or authority obliging any other then only those that live in her Communionâ— and those not in conscience but only upon penalty of being deprived of certaine priviledgess and preferments belonging to English subjects upon a Church that never pretended to declare or decide Articles of Faith any other then some few negative ones against the Roman Church or to fulminate Auathemas against whosoever submitted not to her decisions as the Ancient Church was wont to doe lastly upon a Church that as God knowes it appeares now manifestly hath no surer foundation than the prosperity of the King and continuance of his civill authority 2. To gaine some ease to my minde I applyed my self to a re-examination of the prejudices I had against the other Reformed Churches None of which I could clearly take away and particularly concerning the want of a lawfull succession of Pastors I assured my selfe it was not possible to be defended or excused nothing that I could invent my selfe or learne from others having any shew of the least probability or deserving to be confuted 3. When this succeeded not I travelled in my minde over the Easterne Countryes for still I was prepossessed that the maine ground of the Roman Religion namely the infallibility of that Church was as demonstratively confutable as any absurdity in Mathematiques and therefore though in the particular points of differences I approached as near unto its belief as Monsieur Grotius or Monsieur de la Millitiere Yet that maine foundation being as I thought ruinous it was to no purpose to trouble my selfe with any debate concerning that Church But as ill successe I had in the East now as before nearer home For of those Churches the Maronites I found were in Communion and beliefe agreeing with the Roman Church The Abissiues were a schismaticall Church divided both from the rest of the Easterne and Westerne Churches now almost twelve hundred yeares since namely upon the anathematizing of the Eutychian Heresie the like may be said of the Nestorians Iacobites and other Haereticall Churches in the Easterne Countryes As for the Graecian Churches they brought almost all the same difficulties that the Roman Church did For almost in all points wherein the English Church differed from the Roman they agreed with it in the Article of the Procession of the Holy Ghost the English agreed with the Roman against them and their assuming equall authority with the Pope was apparently an usurpation CHAP. XVII Necessity of the Authors examining the grounds of the Roman Church Severall advantages acknowledged to be in that Church 1. THus like Noah's Dovo wearying my selfe in flying up and down and finding â—â— rest for the soale of my foot I was at last forced to returne into the Arke seeing what ever became of the English Church I Now found reason enough not to thinke my selfe safe enough in it Yet it was a good while before I got any sight of the Arke
But withall professeth that The three Creeds Nicene Creed Athanasius Creed and that which is commonly called the Apostles Creed ought throughly to be received and believed Moreover that she receiveth the foure first Generall Councells yet not saying that she thinkes her selfe obliged to the one or other for the authority of Tradition or the Councells for if so she would be obliged likewise to accept of and submit to many other Traditions and Councells as likewise many points and practises confirmed in those Councells besides the Mysteries of the Blessed Trinity many of which notwithstanding shee relinquishes if not condemnes Yea on the contrary for those three Creeds she gives this reason for her admitting of them because they may be proved by most certaine warrants of holy Scripture And how little or no authority she allowes to the Church or Generall Councells shall be shewn in the next Conclusion For the present therefore taking those words of accepting the three Creeds and foure Councells rather for a complement of Civility to Antiquity then as importing any reall intention to admit any judge or Rule of Faith but only Scripture and that interpreted by her selfe for her selfe at least Come we to consider how rationall and safe a ground this is That nothing is to be beleeved but only Scripture CHAP. III. English Protestants unwilling to Justifie this Position and Why. Mr. Chillingworths late booke against the Catholique Church and the Character given of it 1. THis Position of Scripture being the only Rule of Faith though it be the main foundation upon which all Heretiques and Schismatiques◠almost that are and ever were doe rely and therefore in all likelyhood since so many millions of people of all Sects and in all ages have been concern'd to study and make it good should in reason be best upheld Yet to my apprehension of all other controversies this is the most weakly grounded and guiltily maintained 2. The experience I have of the particular disposition of English Protestanats properly so called and the happinesse I have enjoyed in the acquaintance and friendship with very many the most considerable persons for Learning Prudence and Piety in that Church gives mee warrant to say this of them that there is no point of Controversy that they are more unwilling to touch upon then this of Scriptures being the onely Rule and no visible Judge to interpret it I meane as to the positive maintaining thereof for as concerning the disputing against the infallibility of the Church there is none more ready to make Objections then they One reason hereof may be because the English Church out of gratitude to the Ancient Church and Fathers which have hitherto maintained their Ecclesiasticall Government against the Calvinists till they came to dispute with fire and sword professeth therfore greater reverence to antiquity and Tradition then any other Sect whatsoever And therefore her children are unwilling to renounce or oppose that great army of Saints Martyrs of the Primitive times who unanimously acknowledge that besides Scriptures they had received from their Ancestors Traditionary Doctrines and Ritts and these so universally spread through all Churches Easterne and Westerne no man being able to name any particular fallible Authour of them that they were as firmely assured that they proceeded from the Apostles as that the books of Scripture proceeded from the same Authours Yea for many of these Traditions greater proofe might be made of their authentique and Divine Originall then of most books of Scripture in as much as they were from the beginning universally apparent in the Practise of the Church visibly shining in their Publique liturgies for example Prayer for the Dead and by consequence Purgatory that is a State of deceased Christians capable of being bettered and eased by the Charity and Devotions of the living Sacrifice of the Masse and Offering it for the Quick and Dead Adoration of Christ really present there Baptisme of Infants Non-rebaptization of Heretiques Observation of Ecclesiasticall Feastes Lent-fasts c. Invocation of Saints Veneration of Reliques Images c. Practise of Crossing themselves Rites in administring Sacraments c. Whereas the bookes of the New Testament especially the Epistles and Apocalypse being written upon emergent occasions and for the present neede of particular Persons and Churches were a great while before they could be generally dispersed and great caution and circumspection used before they would be admitted into the Cannon and being all except some few that have perished received there it was impossible to prevent infinite corruptions in the writing since every one had leave to transcribe thē 3. A second reason why English Protestants I speake knowingly at least of my selfe and not a few others dispence the more easily with themselves for examining the sufficiency of this Rule of Faith is because there being but two ways imaginable of assigning such a Rule that is either expresse Scripture alone or that joyn'd with Ecclesiasticall Tradition which is to be received upon the authority or as the Schooles call it the infallibility of the Church and Protestants being perswaded that they can unanswerably confute this fallibility they take it for granted that the former is the only Rule and therefore surcease from undergoing the paines of diligent enquiry how firmely their foundation is layd and what course to take for the answering of those inextricable inconveniences which follow upon that ground for feare lest if both these foundations should come to shrinke Christianity it selfe would become questionable and a way made for direct Atheisme Hereupon it is that generally their writers have proceeded the destructive way willingly undertaking to contradict the Churches infallibility and it is not without extreame violence that they can be brought to maintaine their owne grounds Which when the earnestnesse of Catholiques extorts from them though they must conclude for only Scripture and No-judge yet either shame or remorse makes them deferre somewhat to the ancient Churches authority as it were excusing themselves that they dare not suffer themselves to be directed by her For if by her as a visible Church then by all Churches succeeding her to these our times 4. In these latter times since that great unfortunate Champion against the Churches infallibility Mr. Chillingworth published his booke in defence of Doctour Potter this guilt of English Protestants ha's beene farre more conspicuous His objections against the Church that is his destructive grounds are avowed and boasted of as unanswerable in a manner by all but his positive grounds that is the making onely Scripture and that to be interpreted by every single mans reason to be the Rule of Faith this is at least waved if not renounced by many But most unjustly since there is no conceivable meanes how to finde out a third intelligible way of grounding beliefe and determining controversies besides divine revelation proposed and interpreted authoritatively by the Church or meere Scripture without any obligatory interpretation as shall be demonstrated hereafter Hence
considered in a desperate estate for want of means or space to inform himselfe further then not only the Scripture or the Creed or one Gospell but perhaps this one verse in a Gospell This is eternall life to know thee the only true God Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent may be instruction sufficient to salvation and so arising proportionably to other circumstances in respect of other single persons more truths and instructions are necessary and more yet to persons enjoying sufficient means to information to Clergy-men to Congregations to well-ordered Churches Besides if the same Conclusion be considered in another sense without altering the expression a sense obvious enough not improper in which among other ancient Fathers S. Aug. explaines it as he was before quoted cap. 38. viz. that the Scripture here as likewise the Creed is to be taken as joyned with the Churches authority to which saith hee we are expresly referr'd in Scripture then it not onely conteines whatsoever is necessary to salvation in some qualifyed degree of necessity and to some certaine persons considered in some certaine circumstances but likewise in the most exalted importance of the word necessary and to all persons considered either as single or in actuall Communion c. Lastly if the same Conclusion be so understood that the words of Scripture may be I doe not say supplyed but even interpreted by the Tradition of the ancient Church and authority of the present so many Catholiques will subscribe to it 3. This conclusion therefore being so variously applicable and by consequence capable of being orthodox or erroneous according to severall applications in the next place I was to reflect upon my present condition to try whether it befitted mee or no. Now for the present I was in quest of a Church that Church wherein I had been bred e're this time being almost ready to expire I lived in an age wherin there was no want of meanes of learning and instruction even to excesse for the overmuch light made many men too too wanton and curious I had been bred after such a manner that I was capable in some reasonable degree not only of information but likewise of an ability to judge what instructour could approve himselfe to be the fittest to be followed and beleived and for that purpose I endeavoured all I could to free my mimd from all prejudices and partiality in these circumstances two parties invited me to their communion and a Communion some where or other I knew was necessary The one sayd You may without inevitable danger perhaps take your choice of eiâ—her but certainly your best and safest way is to come to us for we will propose to your beleife nothing but the acknowledged written word of God and that wee have for this hundred yeares beleived to conteine all things necessary not only for your salvation but any mans else You shall have the satisfaction to bee freed from all visible authority interpreting that Word The Spirit will teach you to interpret it as truly as wee doe for otherwise we shall not suffer you in our Communion The other party on the contrary protested aloud that if I joyned not with them I was utterly lost that they would propose to me nothing but Divine Revelation conteined not onely in bookes written but Traditions unwritten both conveyed by the same hand and with the same authority and therefor if either both to be received that the former inviters were a new faction for worldly interests divided from the whole world and apparently from a Church which had continued ever since Christs time in an un-interrupted succession of instructers and Doctrine of Teachers appointed for Guides not onely by testimonie of all ages but likewise of the same Scriptures upon which their adversaries pretended to ground their Schismeâ— that these Guides had continually preserved the Church in a perfect unity of beliefe whereas the other party within one age that they have appeared have been torne into near an hundred Sects All of them with equally-noâ— Justice pretending to the same Rule and with the same Rule fighting with one another without the least effect of union not one controversy among them having been to this day cleared 4. In these circumstances coming to the examination of this fundamentall ground of Protestantisme That the Scriptures conteine all points of beliefe and practise necessary to salvation I found it necessary without any change made in the words to apply the termes necessary to salvation not to one or more persons ignorant destitute of meanes of knowledge and in some particular unavoydable exigence but to my self considered in the conditions before mentioned yea further to all Christians in generall and to the exigence of Churches well ordered and setled as on all sides they pretended to be And having done thus I found that no Antiquity ever delivered this Conclusion in so large a sense yea on the contrary that generally all Antiquity protested against it I found that no reason could require that writings evidently intended for sepciall uses and confuting three or foure Haeresies should be made use of or however should be accounted sufficiently and expressly convictive against Opinions not named in them and not them thought upon by the Authours as if they had been entire Systemes of Christianity In a word I found that after I had applyed this conclusion to the present use and Hypothesis the arguments and reasons produced by Mr. Chillingworth c. dâ—d not evince or conclude that which would give me in the case I was any satisfaction at all especially considering that if the Protestants had gained the better in this particular concerning a Rule yet I should be far from being at rest in their Churches unlesse they could further demonstrate that the Scripture conteined all these things so expresly and clearely to all eyes naming those particular necessary doctrines in contradistinction to others unnecessary or but profitable or perhaps requisite onely and applying them to the persons respectively to whom they are necessary and all this after such a manner that no honest reasonable man could remaine in doubt or be in danger of quarrelling with others a thing which mine owne eyes confuâ—ed since I apparently saw earnest contentions and separations about points not onely by my selfe but by the whole Christian world for above thirteene hundred years together esteemed necessary And since by my small reading I had found that there was not one Article of the Creed which had not been questioned and contradicted Or unlesse they could demonstrate that there was no particular point at all necessary Or lastly that there was some visible authority to decide unappealeably what was to be acknowledged for the true sense of Scripture and in it what was onely true what usefull what requisite and what necessary But these were conditions such as that the Protestants had not confidence enough to promise the former and they were too proud and confident of themselves to allow the
I believe necessary to be believed and I do not begin to believe so now I was taught so when I lived in England CHAP. XVI The second Conclusion out of the Fathers concerning a Iudge of Controversies The Authours confession of his willingnes that his opinion against the Churches infallibility might appeare to have been groundlesse II. Conclusion The second Conclusion out of the Fathers c. was this viz. That it belongs alone to the Catholique Church which is the onely depositary of Divine Revelations authoritatively and with obligation to propose those revelations to all Christians c. to interpret the Holy Scriptures and to determine all emergent Controversies and this to the end of the world in as much as the Church by vertue of Christs promises and assistance is not onely indefectible but continually preserved in all truth 1. IN this conclusion there are severall parts as 1. That the Catholique Church is the depositary of all Divine Revelations written and unwritten 2. By consequence that it belongs to her to propound them to all persons 3. That she has authority and that such as requires submission from all not only to propound but also to expound these Revelations and finally to determine all emergent controversies And 4. That this authority is sufficiently grounded upon the great promises of our Saviour made unto his Church Now of these severall Propositions the two former not being questioned by me when I was in England I conceived it not suitable to my designe which was a narration especially of mine owne doubts and resolution with as much brevity as possibly I could to fill paper with quotations of Fathers or other proofes to resolve that of which I was resolved before My only scruple was concerning the third and fourth Propositions Or to speake properly it was not a scruple for I was on the contrary fully resolved and to my thinking satisfied that there was not upon earth any visible authority that could so interpret Scriptures or determine Controversies is that all men should be obliged necessarily to embrace her interpretations and determinations And therefore my purpose is to insist principally upon his Architectonirall controversie not neglecting in the meane time to examine likewise the other propositions but briefly and quasi aliud agens 2. It may be believed and since this treatise is intended by mee for an Exomologesis or publique Confession I will not forbeare to confess it that when the progress of my enquiry after a Church led me at last to take into debate even those grounds of which before I had not the least scruple at all namely Whether as the Roman Church professed there were extant in the world visible any such authority I could not free my selfe from so much partiality against my owne understanding as to wish that it could be made appeare unto me that there were to be found any tribunall whose decisions I might believe my selfe obliged to follow without any scruple or â—ergiversation For then I should not onely in a moment be free from all scruples and doubts in particular points proposed by that authority in which they would all be swallowed up but likewise from a world of inconveniencies inevitably attending upon my position viz. That in doubts of Religion we had onely a Rule of it selfe indeed infallible but challenged by all Sects and no Judge to apply that Rule when necessity required every man being left to his own reason at his own perill to take heed that he wrested not that Rule according to his owne interests or prejudices CHAP. XVII The Calvinists c. presumtuous renouncing of the Churches authority even in proposing of Scripture And pretending to an immediate Revelation 1. BUt before I proceed further to shew how and upon what grounds I found satisfaction in this point of the Churches authority after which I could not long remaine unsatisfyed in all other points beside I have somewhat though not much to say concerning the first part of this Conclusion namely of the Churches being depositary of divine Revelation I do not remember that the Church of England hath said any thing of it more then what may be inferred from those words in the 6. Article In the name of the Holy Scripture we do understand those Canonicall bookes of the Old and New Testament of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church By which expression She seemes to make the Churches authority the onely ground that may ordinarily be relyed upon for the discerning which books are Canonicall and which not And this Mr. Chillingworth acknowledges in severall passages of his booke 2. But as for the Calvinist Churches in France whether the Lutherans agree with them or no I had not meanes to informe my selfe I could not without both indignation and shame read how they have declared their mindes touching this Point in their publique Confession of Faith Where after the premising what particular bookes of Scripture they received as Canonicall they adde these words Nous recognoissons c. that is We acknowledge these books to be Canonicall and a most certaine Rule of Faith not so much for the commune agreement and consent of the Church as for the Testimony and inward perswasion of the Holy Spirit which makes us able to discerne them from the other Ecclesiasticall books upon which although they be profitable cannot be grounded an Article of Faith By which expression they do clearly tell the world that their meaning is not to ascribe to the assistance of the Holy Spirit this their beliefe for generally all Christians doe acknowledge a necessity of such an influence upon the soule whereby the understanding is perswaded to captivate it selfe to the beliefe and the will inclined to the love and acceptation of all divine revelations proposed by the Church But that they have a new immediate distinct revelation and testimony of the Holy Ghost inwardly informing them what bookes are Canonicall and what not And this not only more certaine then the testimony of the present Church but likewise contrary thereto inasmuch as thereby they renounce severall books which the Church proposes as divine and Canonicall 3. Was it possible that reasonable men could write such things and ever hope to finde any other men foolish enough to believe them There seems to have been many persons conspiring to the writing or at least the signing of this Confession Had all these this testimony of Gods Spirit revealing to them and so enabling them to judge and discerne which particular writings are Canonicall and which not And does this testimony which certainly if not falsely pretended to is infallible extend to all the particular passages and Texts in these books without which the believing of the books in grosse would be uselesse VVell since they may say what they please without feare of being silenced and so may all their Off-spring For what other way is left to silence him that sayes he has the Spirit but only Exorcismes Yet for
expound Heresies have been so far from prevailing against the Church that they are utterly vanished and the Church built upon that Rock which gave Peter that his new name continues firm and unmoveable and no doubt will do so to the end of the world whatsoever engines of cunning malice or rebellion the Calvinists and other bloudy Sects do raise against it to batter it with greater violence then ever before 6. I am the more confirmed in joyning thus with the Fathers because I perceive that they yea that one single Father of the first magnitude S. Augustine ha's already answered all the most considerable arguments which the Protestants of these times are ready to borrow of their Fathers the Donatists c. to destroy the authority of the Church He ha's already cleared the objection from the example of the Jewish Church reduced to such an almost invisible estate that there were left no more then seven thousand men and those hidden which had not bowed the knee to Baal And from that speech When the â—on of Man comes shall he find faith upon earth and Come out of Babylon my people and from the example of that great Eclipse in the Catholique Church during the interregnum of Arianisme S. Aug. collat post con Don. cap. 20. id l. 81. quaest qu. 61. id dâ— Un. Eccl. S. Hier. con Lucif S. Aug. Ep. 48. CHAP. XXIX The Objection from the overflowing of Arianisme in the Church answered Mr. Chillingworth's objection That Christs promises are conditionall answered 1. THis last objection concerning Arianisme because even the-now-English-Protestants think they have great advantage from it I am not in so much hast to draw towards an end of this conclusion but I can be content to set down S. Augustin's answer to it with a short Appendix It seems the Donatists took the advantage from some hyperbolicall language of S. Hilary concerning the great deluge of Arianisme upon the Church to enervate the promises of Christ concerning the extension and duration of it To this S. Augustine Ep. 48. thus answers That time concerning which Hilary wrote was such that thou hast thought that thou mightst privily assault such a number of divine testimonies as if the Church were perished out of the world c. Hilary therefore either blames only the tares which were in the ten Asian Provinces and not the wheat or he thought fit therefore the more profitably by how much the more vehemently to blame the wheat which by some default was in danger For even the Canonicall Scriptures have this customâ— in reprehensions that the word seems to be addressed to all when it reaches home only to some few 2. For confirmation of this answer of S. Augustine it may be observed 1. That the violent brunt of that Persecution of the Catholiques by the Arrians lasted scarce four years namely from the Councell of Ariminum to the death of the Emperour Constantius 2. That during that time the Western Churches felt little change by that Persecution 3. That those who subscribed the cunningly contrived Creed at Ariminum did not intend to prejudice thereby the faith of the Councell of Nice since the new Creed was capable of a Catholique sense 4. That even in the East very many glorious Catholique Bishops survived the fury of the Arrians 5. That the succession of Catholique Bishops was so far from being interrupted thereby that S. Hierome who lived neer those times professeth that in his daies there was not one Bishop in the Catholique Church that was not a legitimate successor of those glorious Prelates of the Councell of Nice From all which considerations we may rationally collect that our Lord in this example gave a warning to the Rulers of his Church to be vigilant to prevent the like dangerous Heresies for the future but withall to be confident in his promises since he had been so carefull to perform them that when Heresie had all imagineable advantages yet he provided so for his Church by putting an end to those tentations that the succession of lawfull Bishops was not at all interrupted by them 3. Beside these Mr. Chillingworth produceth an engine his friends know from what forge to invalidate as he believed all manner of advantage which Catholiques reap from the promises of Christ concerning a perpetuall succession of his Church by saying that those promises are onely conditionall viz. If Christians would make use of and improve those meanes that Christ had left for the propagation of his Church otherwise not 4. But hereto the answer is very ready For 1. All that is alledged is spoken meerly gratis there being no warrant from any circumstance in those Texts wherein such promises are contained for such an interpretation and therefore when plain Texts are and have been interpreted in a sense absolute by all Catholiques of all times a new unnecessary interpretation will certainly find no entertainment with any unlesse it be such as make antiquity a prejudice to truth 2. M. Chillingworth applies this interpretation to future times onely not to passed or present so that thereby it shakes onely our hope for succeeding times not our faith for the passed or present and therefore it is not availeable in the dispute in hand concerning the Roman Catholique Church which all English Protestants acknowledge to be a true Church of Christ defective in no necessary truths all the fault being her superabundance 5. And for this reason it was that generally he was blamed and I my selfe have often taxed him for serving himself of so scandalous and as we thought so uselesse an interpretation But upon more serious consideration I judged not him unreasonable for it but my selfe and others not quick-sighted enough to perceive the necessity he had though he never discovered himselfe plainly to any man as far as I know to make use of so desperate a glosse For doubtless he saw clearly that if there were such absolute Promises of indefectibility and divine assistance to the Catholique Church none could with any justice challenge them but the Roman Church since she only appropriates them to her present Communion all others laying down their claim The speciall allegations which she may produce to prove her self in a speciall manner interessed in these promises I shall take notice of in the last conclusion Lastly S. Augustine will afford us a satisfactory answer who to the like objection of the Donatists viz. Men would not persevere and therefore Christian Religion hath failed out of all Nations except only the party of Donatus Answers him As if the Holy Ghost was ignorant what would be the future wills of men which yet foreseeing notwithstanding foretold that the Church of Christ should endure for ever De unit Eccl. c. 12. CHAP. XXX The generall ground of the Churches authority viz. Christs promises The severall subjects and acts thereof 1. TO return therefore to the authority of the present Catholique Church by vertue of which she obligeth all men in her communion
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
23. But if we observe the dependance and limitation of that speech the meaning will appear to be that for the outward practises of Moyses his law the Jews were to submit themselves to the established authority yea even when they interpreted that law to the peoples disadvantage as they did in the case of tythes mentioned by our Saviour in consequence of the former speech including herbs ' as Mint Commyn c. among the Species tythable which Moyses his law did not expresse not necessarily imply 3. Such authority the Priests Scribeâ— and Pharisees had to explain the Precepts of his law for outward practise But as for spirituall points of belief Prophecies or internall sanctity it does not appear that they much medled with them not one decision of the Sanedrim can be produced concerning such matters Indeed who should be the interpreter of such doctrines There were among them two principall factions the first of the Nobility that is Priests and those were generally Sadduces as Josephus informs us the other that popular faction of the Pharisees Now I suppose the Sadduces who denied the immortality of the soul the existence of Angells c. were very incompetent Judges in spirituall matters and yet the authority was principally in their hands As for the Pharisees they were the more Orthodox of the two but wanted authority And to shew that neither party pretended that points of such a nature were within their cognizance it is observeable that neither of them extended their power to the condemnation or excommunication of the other for such differences For for such trifles as heaven or hell c. they gave free liberty of conscience to every one to believe what and how much any man thought fit Therefore surely our Saviour never intended to extend the forecited Text to such decisions of the Scribes For then the people had been obliged to have submitted to that decree of theirs viz. that he should be excommunicated that confessed Christ to have been the Messiah Which Decree of theirs though it seems to be about a principall point of Faith yet the ground of making it was not to determine points of that nature but because they believed or at least said that they believed that our Saviours design had been to destroy the law of Moyses and the Temple and all the Rites which Moyses gave to the Jews therefore as externall Magistrates they provided by such a decree against sedition and rebellion CHAP. XXXII Enquiry concerning the extent of the Churches authority How Stapleton states this point 1. AFter the having examined the grounds of the Churches authority which appeared to me both as firm in themselves as the expresse word of God the promises of Christ and the Prophecies of the Old Testament could make any thing firm and likewise as evidently certain to my understanding as the universall acknowledgement of all Christians in the Catholique Church attested by the continuall profession and practise of all ages of Christianity the quotations yea whole volumes of Fathers and the concurrence of all Councells Provinciall Nationall and Oâ—cumenicall could render any thing that was delivered before our times assured to any man In the next place I took into consideration the extent and latitude of this authority how far it did necessarily oblige all Christians to submit to it and what manner of submission is required respectively to the doctrines Rites Reformations c. decided by the Church 2. Now this enquiry I made not with any designe to make choice of any particular opinion among learned Catholiques to adhere to in opposition to any others for being a Catholique I was resolved to be an obedient son of the Church and onely of the Church but to the end that by instructing my self how much more easie some Catholique Doctors of unquestionable integrity had made the bonds whereby the Church restrained all in her Communion contrary to that conceit which I whilst I was a Protestant had entertained when I opposed the Churches authority under the School-notion of infallibility and that notion extended to the utmost importance of the word I might clearly perceive my selfe and if occasion were discover to others especially of my own country that the exceptions and advantages which we have against the Roman Church proceed only from our misunderstanding of her necessary doctrines or at most that all the efficacy they have is only against particular opinions and inferences made by particular Catholique Writers 3. I did not search for the most qualified sense of the Churches authority in the writings of Occham Almain Major no nor of the most learned spirituall Gerson c. partly because some of those Writers are obnoxious to be excepted against and all of them wrote before the new Schismes gave Catholiques the oportunity to study this controversie more exactly I had recourse therefore to writings published since the Councell of Trent and abstaining from relying upon the suspitious moderatenesse of Cassander Padre Paulo Veneti Picherellus c. I fixed upon the judgement of our learned Stapleton a man seldome cited either by Cardinall Bellarmin Peâ—ron c. without a testimony of his profoundnesse perspicuity and integrity and without the least suspition from any Catholique of tergiversation partiality or unsoundnesse 4. This so approved Doctor in those books which he wrote purposely upon this subject being to determine this Question viz. An Ecclesiae vox determinatio sit infallibilis that is Whether the voice and determination of the Church be infallible gives an exact explication of the true state of the controversie in seven observations called by him Notabilia which are in brief as followeth 1. That the Church does not expect to be taught by God immediately by nâ—w revelations or enthusiasmes but makes use of severall means and diligent enquiry as being governed not by Apostles who received immediate revelation but by ordinary Pastors and Teachers 2. That these Pastours in making use of these severall means of decision proceed not as the Apostles did with a peculiar infallible direction of the Holy Spirit but with a prudentiall collection not alwaies necessary 3. That to the Apostles who were the first Masters of Evangelicall Faith and founders of the Church such an infallible certitude of means was necessary not so now to the Church which pretends not to make new Articles of Faith but only to deliver what faithfully she received and in some cases to adde explications 4. That in conclusions notwithstanding though drawn from means and arguments sometimes of reason and humane documents the Church is infallible Propheticall and by the holy Spirit 's assistance in some sense divine 5. That the ground of this difference is because the Church teacheth not Philosophically and by rules of art but by an authority conferred by Almighty God Hence in Councells we see their Decrees and Conclusions but not alwaies their proofs and arguments 6. That this manner of deciding in Councells was necessary first in respect of ignorant
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
Babel since a Judge visible or invisible must needs be had some disagreement there is among among them what invisible judge to pitch upon 4. All that I can collect from the sense of the English Church in this point is that which results from these articles of hers compared together viz. Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary for salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an Article of Faith or be thought requisite necessary to salvation Again The three Creeds c. ought throughly to be received c. For they may be proved by most certain warrants of holy Scripture Again The visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithfull men in which the pure word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duly administred c. As the Church of Hierusalem c. so also the Church of Rome hath erred not only in their living and manner of ceremonies but also in matters of Faith Again The Church hath power to decree rites or ceremonies and authority in controversies of Faith and yet it is not lawful for the church to ordain any thing that is contrary to Gods Word neither may it so expound one place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another wherefore although the church be a witnesse and a keeper of Holy Writ yet as it ought not to decree any thing against the fame so besides the same ought it not to enforce any thing to be believed for necessity of salvation Again Generall Councells may not be gathered together without the commandement and will of Princes And when they be gathered together forasmâ—â—h as they be an assembly of men whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and Word of God they may â—rre and sometimes have erred even in things pertaining unto God wherefore things ordained by them as necessary unto salvation have neither strength nor authority unless it may be declared that they be taken out of Holy Scriptures From which Articles it is apparent that the Church of England though in words she seemes to ascribe some kind of power to the Church and Generall Councells yet in very deed since she makes her selfe at least if not each particular man a judge whether the Catholique Church proceeds according to Scriptures or no the thereby utterly deprives the Church of all manner of authority yea de facto the Supremest authority which is in the Church is actually censured as a Delinquent both in having made decisions beyond and against the Word of God But after these destructive determinations the English Church names no other visible or invisible authority not laying her selfe any claime thereto although in effect she takes upon her to do more then she claimes So that à primo ad ultimum all the judgement that I could make of the English Church was that since worldly interests constrained her to separate from the Catholike Church by the just judgement of God she had only a power given her to destroy the Temple of God but not so much as to lay one stone towards the raising up another in the place of it 5. As for the Calvinist party in England they follow the example of Calvin and most of his followers that I had read as likewise the Lutherans c. all which make the Holy Ghost testifying to every mans conscience the infallible interpreter of Scripture Now concerning this their pretence to such a Judge all I had to say upon it during that very small time that I had the patience to take it into debate was 1. That I could not believe that they believed themselves when they laid claim each man or each Sect to such an infallible Iudge 2. That if they did indeed believe it as I could not hinder them so till I had some good experience I durst not pretend to the like infallibility 3. Since all those Sects pretend to so more-then-miraculous an infallibility and yet not any of them work any other miracles it proves of no effect to end controversies which is the proper office of a Judge especially such a Judge as the Holy Ghost which is the Spirit of unity 4. That if such a pretence was indeed false as it must be in all Sects differing betweene themselves but only one it is in all the rest a most horrible presumptuous lying against the Holy Ghost and most justly punished by him with implacable and eternall divisions both among themselves and from Catholique unity divisions I say impossible to be remedied till all but one Sect agree in the same confession or acknowledge since a Judge is requisite and the invisible one will not serve the turne that therefore they are to have recourse to the onely visible one viz. The present Catholique Church which in Spirits so envonomed against the Church as those Sects are how without a miracle it cannot be expected fearfull experience shewes 5. That since this pretending to the Spirit is effectuall onely so far as by a seeming divine warrant to make them hate one the other but not to oblige one the other to submit to their so eanonized interpretations it is of no use at all in this businesse of finding out a Judge to end controversies among dissenting Christians Lastly That that rule of Tertullian de Praser being unquestionable viz. That whatsoever is new is Religion praejudges it selfe to be false it will undoubtedly follow that this ground of so many Sects is of all others most apparently untrue since no example can be found for it in all Antiquity Here the Tradition from the antient Patriarchs of Merefies failes them for excepting some fanaticall Heretiques as the Montanists c. none ever pretended to the Spirit against the church CHAP. XXXV Mr. Chillingworth's newâ— found Judge of Controversies viz. Private reason His grounds for the asserting such a Judge 1. SInce the publishing of Mr. Chillingworth's book there ha's appeared in England a new Judge of controversies and much defer'd unto there which is every man's private reason interpreting of Scripture From what countrey this new Judge came is very well known and I willingly forbear to discover The truth is if Christ had made no promises to his church if it had not by God's own Spirit been called the Pillar and ground of truth if universall Tradition were a fable if all Councello conspiracies of Tyrants and lastly if unity in the church were unnecessary or unprofitable reason might have much to alledge for it self that it should be raised into this tribunall 2. But before I examine particularly the pretentions of reason to this Office I will set down the State of this controversie as Mr. Chillingworth c. 4. parag 93. ha's very perspicuously and yet very briefly expressed it in these words Believe the Scripture to be the word of God use your true endeavour to find the true sense of it and live according to it and then you may rest securely that you are in
either denyed or affirmed they being of a contrary opinion would break Communion from and deny it to other Churches for Schisme about unnecessary things is by all Christians acknowledged a sin almost unpardonable 2. That rationally to affirm a doctrine to be expressed plainly in Scripture it is not sufficient to say it appeares so to me for so almost every one will be forward to say of all his Opinions which he pretends to be grounded on Scripture But that is to be called plain and expresse which ha's not been controverted by men of reason pretending to piety and impaertiality especially if they be in any considerable number so that it will not be satisfactory to say this appears plainly to me and I am sure I am not led by interest or faction as others are for this may be every ones plea against another 3. That where two senses are given of any passage of Scripture the one extremely probable and naturall the other not wholly absurd and whereof the words may possibly be capable in this case one Protestant cannot upon their own grounds condemn or impute heresie to another 3. These positions thus premised in the next place I conceived it very just that before any Sect of Christians did build upon this foundation of the Scriptures containing expressely and evidently all things necessary that they should all conspire to make a Catalogue of points necessary and this with relation to severall states of persons or at least to Communions and Churches I add this limitation because to multiply severall distinct Catalogues for all persons would be of extreme labour and on the other side to make one Catalogue for all men would as Mr. Chillingworth Cap. 3. parag 13. sayes be like the making a coat for the Moon which is continually in the wain or encrease 4. Now to shew the reasonablenesse of this and that Mr. Chillingworths adversary required most justly such a Catalogue from Protestants let but any man consider with himself what satisfaction any man can have from a Protestant Minister when he shall tell him You have the Bible of our Translation in which we affirm all necessary truths to be contained but mixed with a world of unnecessary you are not absolutely bound to study or to be able to read this Bible yet you shall be damned if you be ignorant of those necessary truths dispersed here and there in it to say definitively how many and which are those especiall necessary truths we are not able neither have we authority therefore at your own perill be sure you mistake neither in the number nor sense of those truths we can indeed afford you Articles and Catechismes to which as long as you live with us you must be forced to subscribe but we have no authority for there is none visible upon earth to propose our collections or determinations as obliging in conscience c. In what a miserable case would that Protestant be that should give himself leave to examine upon how meer a quicksand all his pretentions to eternity are built 5. And whereas Mr. Chillingworth would seem to conceive himself secure in the midst of these uncertainties because as he thinks Catholiques also are encumbred with the like I found that conceit of his altogether groundlesse for the promises of Christ remaining firm and appropriated to the Catholique Church it will follow 1. That in the Catholique Church shall be taught to the worlds end all necessary and profitable truths to all sorts of persons so that every man respectively receiving and believeing what the church appoints to be proposed to him cannot fail of being instructed with things necessary c. 2. The same Church being endued with authority to determine the true sense of divine truths a Catholique submitting to the Church cannot be in danger through mistakes or errours so that he who hearkens to the Church ha's his catalogue of fundamentalls made to his hand the Church like the wise Steward in the Gospell out of that store of provisions given her by Christ proportioning to every man his dimensum panis quotidiani his own befitting allowance 6. And here by the way will appear 1. The vanity of that ordinary calumny which Protestants impute to the Catholique Church as if she taught that it were sufficient to ignorant men only implicitly to believe what the Church believes without an explicite belief of any thing for there is none so ignorant but is obliged to know and assent to what the Church teacheth him by his Pastour suitable to his estate and education And secondly an usuall mistake among Protestants who think that all the credenda in Catholique Religion are comprised in the definitions of Councells for before ever any Generall Councell sate the Church was furnished with her full measure of divine truths necessary to be believed which were by her publiquely professed and proposed which have been occasionally declared and distinctly expounded in her Councells But to return to Mr. Chillingworth 7. He by his sharp understanding and long meditation coming to perceive those inconveniences and considering that no Protestant or other Church could upon their generally acknowledged grounds authoritatively define either the number or sense of Articles of Faith so as to oblige any man even within her Communion in conscience to assent and submission For for example if an Englishman would not subscribe to the sense of any Article of the Church of England all the penalty would be he should not partake of the priviledges and preferments of that Church but he might go over into Denmark or Holland whose sense in such an Article he liked better and still be acknowledged even by the English Church to be orthodox enough He therefore was forced to introduce two Novelties among English Protestants which find great approbation the first is to alter the old manner and notion of subscription to the English Articles for whereas before the Protestants there by their subscription testified their belief of all the 39. Articles in the sense imported in the words yea whereas there was a Canon which denounced Excommunication ipso facto to all that should say that any of them were not true Mr. Chillingworth thus expresseth his mind in subscribing I am perswaded that the constant doctrine of the Church of England is so pure and Orthodox that whosoever believes it and lives according to it undoubtedly he shall be saved and that there is no error in it which may necessitate or warrant any man to distrub the peace or renounce the Communion of it This in my opinion saith he is all intended by subscription 8. His second novelty is that whereas the Protestants alwaies professed that the publiqua Confessions of their Churches Faith was indeed their own faith that is such expressions plain and indubitable as are in holy Scripture concerning such points or at least irrefragable consequences from Scripture and therfore were to them as Scripture because their sence of Scripture and whereas they respectively
whether that authority which is indeed supreme be not unappealable from and necessarily to be submitted to by all particular subordinate persons To say such persons have no authority to be Guides is to contradict expresse Scripture And to say that there can be a subordination of authority without one that is supreme Or that that which is indeed supreme may by particulars persons or churches be opposed or so much as appealed from is to contradict not onely what is assumed but evident reason and all order 3. Where it is said That no Church is fit to be a Guide in Fundamentalls but only a Church of one denomination as Greek Roman Abyssine c. For otherwise no man can possibly know which is the true Church but only by a pre-examination of the doctrines and that were not to be guided by the Church to the true doctrine but by the true doctrine to the Church I answer That a Catholique Church there is as we profess in the Creed and that this Catholique Church is visible and easily to be designed plainly distinquishable from new Sects and innovating congregations and that this body representatively united is the supreme authority on earth and that every particular Church or member of this Catholique Church as such is a sufficient guide to those that live in her Communion As concerning his phrase a Church of one denomination I grant that God ha's not apparently obliged himself to confine his Promises to any particular Dioecose Province or Nation no not perhaps even to Rome it self Only this may certainly be affirmed that the Catholique Church shall by vertue of Christs promises continue to the worlds end a visible Church teaching all substantiall doctrines of Christianity guided by a lawfull succession of Pastors under one visible Head which visible Head ha's hitherto for above sixteen Centuries been the Bishop of Rome and that is a fair presumption that it will be so to Christs second coming for I know nothing but a generall earthquake there and swallowing up of that place that is likely to hinder such a succession since it ha's already abidden all variety of oppositions and tempests when the whole power of the Roman and infernall Empire sought to extinguish it and when all sorts of Heretiques and Schismatiques sought to undermine it But I shall speak more of this when I come to the last conclusion concerning the perpetuall visibility of the Church 4. In the fourth place to his first proofe that no Church of one denomination can be an infallible guide in fundamentalls because if so then she should be infallible in non-fundamentalls also I answer that even by Mr. Chillingworth's own confession it does not follow that if Christ hath promised to preserve his church from all errour in fundamentalls that therefore by vertue of that promise she should be exempted from all errour whatsoever and the reason given by Mr. Chillingworth is worth the marking The Church sayes he may erre and yet the gates of hell not prevaile against her for seeing you Catholiques do and must grant that a particular Church may hold some errour and yet be still a true member of the Church Why may not the universall Church bold the same errour and yet remain the universall Church unlesse every the least errour be one of the gates of hell 5. And indeed many Catholique Writers there are who upon the same grounds with Mr. Chillingworth extend the promise of the holy Spirits assistance to the church not to all inconsiderable circumstantiall doctrines but substantiall and traditionary only And for a further proof we may add that there are some Fathers of great antiquity and authority who hold whether justly and truly or no I debate not but they hold that there are reall differences between the four Evangelists in some circumstances of no considerable moment related by them and by consequence there must of necessity in their opinion be an errour such as it is in some one of them at lâ—ast The which inconsiderable differences whether reall or imaginary there being an exact demonstrable agreement amongst them all in points of Doctrine do rather in S. Chrysostomes judgement in Mat. Hom. 1 establish then invalidate or any way prejudice the divine infallibility of their writings since thereby it is apparent sayes he that they did not compose them by consent and conspiracy for then they would have been scrupulously punctuall in all even the smallest circumstances but in the ingenuous simplicity and sincerity of their hearts In like manner S. Hierome tells us that in his time some learned Catholiques were of opinion that the Apostles and Evangelists in the New Testament quoted some passages of the old Testament and the Septuagint meerly out of their memory not looking into the books themselves and that by that means their memory failing their quotations were not exactly true yet notwithstanding those Fathers were far from questioning the authority or infallibility of any one of the Evangelists as concerning any substantiall doctrine contained in any of their Gospells c. So likewise in the Latin Translation of the Bible there are not only differences of senses from Originalls Hebrew or Greek now extant not only great and uncertain variety of reading in the antient Latin Copies but likewise as the Protestants brag very great diversity between the Impressions published by the Authority of Pope Sixtus Quintus and Clemens Octavus since the Councell of Trent wherein notwithstanding they are mistaken for though Sixtus Quintus had design'd an Impression and prepared a Bull for the authorizing of it yet God took him away before he effected his intent thereby as it were signifying that it was his pleasure to take away from Heretiques all seeming advantages against his Church But though this had been as the Protestants imagine surely a more corrected reimpression does not imply that the Church wanted the true Scripture since none of such differences are of such considerable moment as to cause any uncertainty in points of Doctrine For I conceive it was never heard that any errour was grounded meerly upon a various reading of any Text of Scripture But to proceed certain it is that there were much greater differences between the antient Italica and other Latin Translations of the antient Church and this of S. Hierome as likewise yet greater between the Septuagint and the Hebrew and yet neither do the Apostles refuse to quote some passages out of the Septuagint wherein the Translation is manifestly faulty however in a matter inconsiderable neither will any Catholique affirm that the promise of the holy Spirits assistance did fail the antient Church although it only made use of a Translation of the Scripture very imperfect if compared with S. Hieromes no not though upon such differences of reading it were possible to ground doctrines which might be circumstantially erroneous It is true such doctrines would be of no considerable moment but however they might be erroneous yet without any prejudice to Christs
Allelujah He may answer Amen He may keep the Gospell He may have the Faith and preach it only salvation he cannot have Again l. 3. cont Petil. c. 5. No man preaching the name of Christ and carrying or ministring the Sacrament of Christ is to be followed against the Unity of Christ. Again cont adv Le. Proph. l. 1. 6. 17. If he hear not the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican which is more grievous then if he was strucken through with a sword consumed by flames exposed to wilde beasts Again l. de Past. c. 12. The Divel saith not let them be Donatists and not Arians for whether they be here or there they belong to him that gathers without making a difference Let him adore Idolls saith the Divell he is mine Let him remain in the superstition of the Jewes he is mine Let him quit Unity and passe over to this or that or any Heresie he is mine 4. Witnesse likewise S. Fulgentius de rem pec cap. 22. Out of this Church neither the title of Christian secures any man neither doth Baptisme conferre salvation neither doth any man offer a sacrifice agreeable to God neither doth any man receive Remission of sinnes neither doth any man attain to eternall life for there is one onely Church one onely Dove one onely well-beloved one only Spouse Again de Fid. ad Pet. D. c. 39. Hold this most firmly and doubt not of it in any wise that every Heretique and Schismatique whatsoever baptized in the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost if before the end of his life he be not reunited to the Catholike Church let him bestow never so many almes yea though he should shed his bloud for the name of Christ he cannot obtain salvation Witnesse lastly S. Prosper He who does not communicate with the Universall Church is a Heretique and Antichrist de prom praed Dei p. 4. c. 5. 5. Surely no man can justly blame if a serious consideration of such testimonies of Scripture such a conspiracy of all the Saints almost of the antient Church agreeing to condemne Schisme as the most heinous inexcuseable sin that a Christian was capable of committing not to be redeemed with Faith Sacraments Almes Miracles no nor Martyrdome it selfe awakened me from the Lethargy I was in and from the presumption which I had viz. that since I my selfe had no influence upon the beginnings of the Separation but on the contrary approached as neere in my beliefe to the Catholique Church as Truth in my opinion would permit me and lastly since I judged charitably of the state of Cutholiques that therefore the guilt of Schisme should never be imputed to me Not content therefore to rest upon these imaginations in a matter upon which my eternall happinesse inseparably depended if the expresse words of Scripture and unanimous consent of Antiquity were to be believed I proceeded to examine the present state of Protestant c. Churches in separation from the Romane by the markes which the antient Fathers afforded me to judge by whether of the two parties were guilty and to which of them this so heynous low viz. 1. They all agreed that Schisme was a thing of it self evident whereof the most ignorant understandings might inform themselves For this being the foundation of all their disputes of the Catholike Church that it is a congregation so visible and illustrious that it cannot be hidden from the eys of any man that does not willingly shut them it does necessarily follow that they who are not in visible communion with that visible church are apparently Schismatikes 5. Secondly and by consequence that the mark of Schisme and Heresie was not a separation from the true faith simply but from that faith which is openly professed by the Church For otherwise if they had defined Schisme with respect onely to the true Faith all the evidence of Schisme would be utterly taken away since it would be alwayes ambiguous and disputable which of the parties in a Schisme held the true doctrine of which ignorant people could not be Judges and the learned would never acknowledge themselves guilty Besides the parties evidently in Schisme would be sure either not at all to acknowledge or at least to excuse and extenuate their fault by saying that though they were in some sort divided from the Catholique Church yet this was not so unpardonable since they left the Church only in points not fundamentall for in such they agree with Catholiques and by consequence remain the same church still in substantialls This is at this day the plea of many Protestants as it was anciently of the Pelagians according to that of S. Augustine de Pec. Orig. l. 2. c. 22. Pelagius and Goelestius saith he desirous cunningly to avoid the odious name of Heresie affirme that the question concerning Originall finne may be disputed without endangering Faith But this assertion of theirs he confuted particularly in his fourteenth Sermon De Verbis Apostoli and in generall against both Heretiques and Schismatiques proves that whatsoever in particular their opinions are yet since they professe otherwise then the church does and requires of them to doe they are in a damnable estate because thereby they vertually renounce one fundamentall Article of faith viz. of the authority and unity of the Catholique Church and therefore if they break communion though but for one doctrine and that of it self of no great importance their orthodoxnesse in all other points will not avail them wanting truth and especially renouncing charity and obedience to the Universall Church Hereupon the same Father in Psal. 54. saith of the Donatists We have each of us one Baptisme in this they were with me We celebrated the Feasts of the Martyrs in this they were with me We frequented the solemnity of Easter in this they were with me But they were not in all things with me In Schisme they were not with me In Heresie they were not with me In many things they were with me and in some few things they were not with me But in those few things in which they were not with me those many things do not profit them in which they were with me So again the same Father Ep. 48. Speaking to the same Donatists You are with us in Baptism in the Creed in other Sacraments of the Lord but in the Spirit of unity in the bond of peace and finally in the Catholike Church you are not with us 6. Thirdly that the proper to all eys visible and essentiall mark of Schisme for what cause soever it matters not is a wilfull separation from the externall Communion of the Catholique Church So S. Augustine de unit c. 4. Those who do so dissent from the body of Christ which is the Church that their Communion is not with the whole wheresoever it is spread but are fouud in some party separated it is manifest that they are not in the Catholike Church And
of the most learned Protestant writers by which they vertually confesse that if they had lived in S. Gregories dayes they would as well have separated from him Besides it appeares by S. Gregories Epistles that he as Pope enjoyed a supereminent authority and sollicitously exercised a care over all Christian churches As for his Jurisdiction as Patriarch and the extension thereof that I took not here into consideration since it is not a point pretended to be an Article of Faith 3. From S. Gregories dayes till the separation of the East from the externall jurisdiction rather then the Faith of the Pope and Western churches the whole body of the church under one visible Head remained as it did before enjoying the title of the Catholique church no other pretending thereto 4. Since the Division of the East from the Westerne churches caused as I conceive upon a quarrell about the Popes Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction and not any point of Doctrine the limits of the Catholique church seem to be much streitned Concerning which Schisme if it be indeed a Schisme properly so called I apprehended no necessity to be very curious to inform my self being perswaded during the time of my being a Protestant that as for that one point of belief concerning the Procession of the Holy Ghost wherein the Greek church expresseth her self otherwise then the Roman if in substance and sense there be a reall difference that the Roman church was Orthodox And besides that I know not any point of doctrine wherein the Greek church agrees with Protestants to condemn the Roman church It is true they communicate in both kinds but I could never find that the Greeks made that point any pretext of their division from the Roman neither indeed can they since they also give the Eucharist to the sick onely in one kind acknowledging withall that such communicants receive the whole effect of the Sacrament As for the story of the Schisme it was begun by Photius the Pseudo-Patriarch of Constantinople upon ambition and interest because the Pope would not confirm his illegall intrusion into that Chair which generally ha's been a fatall occasion of almost all Schismes as long since S. Cyprian hath observed Lastly it is manifest that those rights of Jurisdiction also which since that Schisme have been denied by the Greeks to the Pope were not then begun to be demanded but had been possessed by him for severall ages so that there was at least injustice if not error on the Grecians part 7. Fourthly that the Pope as successor of S. Peter Prince of the Apostles ha's a primacy and superiority over all Bishops and Patriarchs yea an authority over the whole Catholique church so that he may truly be called the Head of the Church ha's been delivered by so constant and universal a Tradition that it cannot without extreme impudence be denied Now how far this superiority and authority extends I thought it needlesse curiously to inform my self since as far as I can learn all that the church requires in this point even from ecclesiasticall persons is a subscription to this profession mentioned in the Bull of Pope Pius IV annexed to the Councell of Trent and collected out of the same viz. Romano Pontifici Beati Petri Apostolorum Principis successori ac Jesu Christi Uicario veram obedientiam spondeo ae juro i. e. I do promise and sweare true obedience to the Pope of Rome successor of blessed S. Peter Prince of the Apostles and Vicar of Jesus Christ. 8. Now that thus much is of universall Tradition what greater proof can be desired then may be afforded us in a late book entituled Les Grandeurs dell ' Eglise Romaine where such a world of testimonies out of Councells Occumenicall and Provinciall Popes Fathers both Eastern and Westerne Histories Ecclesiasticall c. are produced to maintain the Co-union of S. Paul with S. Peter in at least some degree of his universall authority which not withstanding are not an hundredth part of that which may be alledged out of antiquity for S. Peters Principality and the Popes as his successor Yea that great Councell of Chalced on acknowledged and received in England even when it endeavoured to deprive the Pope of some part of Jurisdiction yet acknowledged this his superiority and authority as Pope the Bishops there calling him their Head and themselves with all Christians members under that Head Moreover Socrates and Zozomen writers far from being partiall for the Pope yet mention antient immemoriall canons of the church wherein at least a negative voice is given to the Pope in any thing that shall be introduced to oblige the whole church To conclude Monsieur Blondel the most learned French controvertist that ever undertook their common quarrell against the Pope in that large volume which is spent in confuting particular extravagant opinions concerning that subject as touching the infallibility and Monarchicall Omnipotence of the Pope his Lordly and domineering headship and a Monarchicall power usurped by him by which to subdue all the members of Christ c. yet notwithstanding which is very remarkable he confesseth himself that never any Councell or Nation no not that of Florence nor Trent it self ever adventured to define any thing concerning such excessive titles and power as the Popes Partizans do attribute to him But on the contrary that the titles of the Apostle S. Peter ought not to be put in debate since that the Grecians and Protestants also do confesse that it hath beone believed and that it might be indeed that he was the President and Head or Chiefe Chef of the Apostles the foundation of the Church and possessor of the Keys of the Kingdom of heaven Yea moreover That Rome as being a Church consecrated by the residence and Martyrdome of S. Peter whom antiquity hath acknowledged to be the Head Chef of the College Apostolique having been honored with the title of the Seat of the Apostle S. Peter might without difficulty be considered by one of the most renowned Councells viz. that of Chalcedon as Head Chef of the Church Which is in effect to acknowledge that the necessary doctrine of the Roman church concerning the Popes Primacy and Authority is Orthodox 9. Upon which grounds since it appeares to have been an universall Tradition of the church besides expresse words of Scripture that the Catholique Church was to remaine visible to the end of the world that is a church possessed of all substantiall Christian doctrines preserved in all truth governed by lawfull Pastours as one body consisting of ruling and ruled members under one visible head which S. Cyprian makes the foundation of Unity Ecclesiasticall I concluded as I thought rationally that that part of the Christian world which continued in Communion with and obedience to this so acknowledged Supreme Authority might and ought most justly to challenge the title of the Catholique Church 10. Therefore though the priviledge of an independent Patriarchall church which the English Protestants
present age that so the former ages delivered to her What shall we say then when to the evident testimony of the present age for Catholike verities may be added a world of testimonies both of Scripture and antient writers beyond all comparison far more then for her enemies contradictory assertions even those enemies themselves being judges as will appeare undeniably to any man that will consult that one book of Brercley's Apology of Protestants for the Catholique church CHAP. II. Of the Reall Presence and Transubstantiation Of the Adoration of Christ in the Sacrament and of Communion under one Species 1. THe six speciall controversies which I shall briefly consider shall be 1. Concerning the Eucharist and therein of the Reall Presence of Christs body by way of Transubstantiation as likewise Of the Adoration of our Lord present in the Sacrament and communion under one Species 2. Of Invocation of Saints 3. Of Veneration of Images 4. Of Prayer for the Dead and Purgatory 5. Of Indulgences 6. Of the Publike Service in Latin The reason why I make choice of these is both because these are the especiall controversies wherein there is a reall and manifest difference between Catholiques and Protestants who make these points the principall causes of their separation For as concerning the debates about Grace and Free-will Predestination and Justification as likewise the merits of good works though ignorant-popular-preaching Protestants make a great clamour about them yet I was most assured that there was indeed a reall agreement when they came to explaine themselves sensibly about them As for the controversie concerning the Pope I have spoken sufficiently in the 52. chapter at the latter end of the fourth conclusion 2. First therefore concerning the Reall presence of Christs body in the Eucharist and that by way of Transubstantiation In discoursing upon which because my designe is not to write the controversie in generall but only in reference to the doctrine which following the church of England I was taught there it will be sufficient for me to signifie that by that church I was taught that in the blessed Sacrament the body and bloud of our Lord were really present exhibited and received by the Communicants really I say not onely as the objects of Faith or not onely as really exhibiting the effects of Christs suffering but as truly and properly as the Roman church professeth onely I was forbidden to say that there was any reall change made in the bread and Wine which remained after Consecration as they were before In a word I was taught to say what neither I nor any other was able to expresse save onely that the Romish doctrine was false which taught that that presence was made by a presence of Christs body under the Species which only remained of the visible elements 3. Now when I say that I was taught to expresse my belief thus by the church of England my intention is not that that church obligeth every one to believe thus For the truth is so a man will but renounce the two words of Transubstantion and Consubstantiation he may preserving the terme really interpret himself as if really signified only figuratively or as the object of the understanding as we see a world of writers allowed there to have expressed themselves Yea in the 28. and 29. Articles of that Church there are certain clauses which require only a figurative sense to be understood as when it is said The body of Christ is given taken and eaten in the supper only after an heavenly and spirituall manner and the mean whereby the body of Christ is received and eaten in the supper is Faith And again The wicked c. are in no wise partakers of Christ but rather to their condemnation do eat and drink the sign or Sacrament of so great a thing Which clauses being allowed those Articles do admit yea require not only the Calvinistical but even the Zuinglian sense concerning that point Yet notwithstanding this whether the Calvinisticall party there had with their usuall importunity extorted the inserting of those clauses into the Articles I know not yet those that followed the Prelaticall Governing Faction never considered those expressions but without any Calvinisticall hypscrisie professed that they believed the Reall Presence as truly and really and properly as the Catholiques did And so King James commanded Monsieur Casaubon to signifie his sense to Cardinall Perron in the words of Doctor Andrews then Bishop of Ely 4. Now what other reason can be imagined should move the most learned and prudent part of the English Clergy to expresse themselves so neer the Catholique sense but only a conviction that besides the formall words of Scripture the Ecclesiasticall Tradition and generall doctrine of the Fathers enforced such a sense But by what mystery it came to passe that they should dispense with themselves for following Tradition no further but that under a pretence that the Sacrament was a mystery inexplicable they should forsake the same Tradition and Fathers who generally professe that that presence is made by a reall transmutation of the visible elements into the very Body and Blood of Christ this I confesse I could never comprehend 5. Now that such was the Traditionary doctrine of the Catholique church besides the testimony of the present age which will be of infinite weight to any one that duly considers it and to omit a world of quotations out of Councells and Fathers wherein expressions to prove the same are as full yea perhaps more rigid then the Decision of the Councell of Trent it selfe I became convinced from these considerations viz. 1. Because in all the antient Liturgies that ever I saw there are expresse mention of the verity and reality of this change and not any the least intimation of a figurative sense there are expresse prayers that God would by his omnipotent power cause the Bread and Wine to become the Body and Bloud of our Lord and not the least intimation that the way of communicating of these mysteries should be only by Faith or by the operation of the understanding 2. Because in the form of communicating both in the Easterne and Westerne churches which form or Canon S. Chrysostome S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Basile c. attribute to the Apostles themselves as authors there was required from the communicants a confession of their beliefe of the reality of this change or to expresse it in S. Ambrose his language de Sacr. l. 4. c. 3. The Priest viz. presenting to thee that which before consecration was bread saith unto thee This is the body of Christ and thou answerest Amen that is to say it is true That which the tongue confesseth let the heart believe 3. Because generally the Fathers when they speak of this argument have recourse to the omnipotence of the Word of Christ and to wonderfull operations exalted above all humane credibility as the cause of this change thereby leaving no doubt that they understood a
any qualities fit to invite me to joyn with them neither could I induce my self to overlook or pardon a world of defects and deformities which I could not but observe in each of them In these circumstances being obliged by many occasions and businesses to frequent the conversation of the foresaid worthy friend then my neighbour and not being able to conceal the agitation of my thoughts he before-hand knowing that whether the Church of England failed or no I stood in absolute need of a Church for my Soul now perceiving that I was in quest after a treasure in places where it was not to be found he gave me a prospect of the Catholike Church by quite different lighâ—s then I had ever before viewed her For in his discourses as likewise in the forementioned book of â—â—ed upon her in her pure simpâ—â—â—â— had been no kind of multiplicity of pâ—â—â— among her children 〈…〉 as â—â— conspiring in the belief 〈…〉 profession of hâ—â—â—â— Doctrines 〈…〉 those Doctrines 〈…〉 to cut off 〈…〉 produced such Authors 〈…〉 among Catholiques as with the greatest freedom from partiality on imeâ—â—sts did interpret those Doctrines and which imposed no greater burthens nor streitned the paths in which she would have her children to walk more then she intended and declared 7. By this means I found that all the furniture with which I had for so many years provided my self to combat against Catholikes or to defend my self from them was taken out of my hands I perceived that in the depth and center of my spirit I was really though unknown to my self a very Catholike before I was a Catholique For all the necessary declared doctrines of Catholike Religion as they are expressed in the language of the Church I found I had never rejected and as for those points which I could not digest and for vvhich I had been averted from the Church I found that they were particular dogme's either of some popular controvertists or Schoolmen or affixed to certain Orders and as freely renounced from the notion of necessary Catholike Doctrines by other unsuspected Catholikes as they had been by my self 8. Hereupon that inward satisfaction of mind which attended this discovery love of unity and a complacence in the security of an established state of mind made me hasten to professe my self our Lords and his Churches Captive I was quickly weary of that former licentious freedome which I enjoyed to believe what I would so I would not publikely contradict what the Lawes and interests of particular Sâ—â—es and Sects among Protestants thought good to order whereby it came to passe that into whatsoever Church amongst them I should â—â—â—pen to change my residence I was as much obliged if not more supposing that I would enjoy the priviledges of that Congregation to change the outward profession of my Creed as my habits or fashion of life Having an immortall soule I was glad to find an immortall faith to enrich it with a Faith not fashioned according to the humor and garb of Nations Cities and Villages a Faith the very same in variety of States well or ill ordered of Monarchies or Aristocracies or popular governments a Faith upon which neither the passions interests or Tyrannies of Princes Governers nor the various mutations of ages had any influence It was alone unchangeable when nothing besides it was exempted from change 9. Charity to my selfe obliged me to imbrace this Faith and charity to others made me being required not unwilling to communicate oâ— others the treasure I had found and to discover the wayes how I came to find it And this I have done God knowes imperfectly enough in this Treatise yet in some sense perfectly because sincerely In which there is nothing of Doctrine which I acknowledge to be mine but what thou dear Catholique Reader wilt challenge to be thine by as good a right it being the Common Faith of all Catholique Christians Whatsoever there is that seems Doctrinall besides this excepting it may be some expressions not warily enough couthed belongs to particular Catholique Authors mentioned by me not with intention to shew my self a Proselyte of their opinions but only to declare the convenience that I reaped by them in that I found I was not obliged to retard my assent to Catholique Doctrine contained in essentiall Truths since by their means I found a world of particular disputes cut off and though I was not I found that I might without danger have been of their Opinions CHAP. II. Grounds upon which certain passages in this book have been misunderstood by some Catholiques and those mistakings cleared 1. WHen I was employed about the first publishing of this Book the hast of the Printer and my thoughts then busie about a matter of much greater importance to me then the printing or publishing of books viz. about solliciting an admission and unchangeable abode among the French Carthusians made me that I could not allow my self the leasure to examine what I had written nor to qualifie some phrases which I did almost suspect might as it hath proved be obnoxious to misconstruction I forgot likewise to quote the Authors names whose particular interpretations and opinions had been so beneficiall to me though I had no Obligation nor intention to assent to them However this neglect of naming them derived upon my selfe the censures of those that having been taught otherwise judged every thing to be Heterodox and unsound that was not favoured by their particular Masters or that was delivered in such Phrases and expressions as their ears had not been acquainted with Whereas if the Authors had appearedâ— either their authority would have justified what they taught or at least I should not have been accountable for it 2. Had it not been for these â—s the case then stood with me not inexcuseable omissions I had doubtlesse avoided some â—igorous imputations and censures which as I have been informed certain questionlesse well meaning Catholiques have given of this inconsiderable Book 3. God forbid I should condemn the Authors of such censures since I am confident the ground of them was not any passion against me a stranger to them and only known by the happinesse befallen me of being a Catholique but a zeale to the Purity of Catholique truth The Method of the book and the manner of stating controversies in it was indeed somwhat new in England and therefore no wonder if some were startled at it Besides if I had had the Providence or leasure to have softend some expressions and to have made it appear that that latitude in Disputes which in England will not passe so freely yet in France and other Catholique Countryes is very receiveable they would have seen that it was not my fault but my fortune only to displease them 4. In this Review of my Book I have endeavoured to give them all the satisfaction possible I have added the explanation of severall phrases which were before hard of Digestion I have quoted the severall
by the Church though there is not any one point of controversie in debate between us and them for which we have not all this authority as being proved ex superabundanti in what I shall say hereafter 9. That therefore which I undertake to make evident to I. P. is That the Church speaking by a general Councel confirmed by the Pope is an infallible Guide and that with greater evidence then he can bring for any contradiction pretended betwixt any decision of such a Councel and the Scripture yea with more evidence then he can produce for the Scripture it self which he owns for his Guide which truly to an impartial hearer is no difficult matter even going upon his own grounds For if I should ask I. P. Why do you acknowledge the Scripture to be an infallible Rule as far as it is a Rule He would answer me Because it is delivered unto us as such by an infallible Catholick Tradition for if he talks of any other proof as a private spirit or natural reason it will be ridiculous He may as well say he can judge and demonstrate it to be such by smelling with his nose If I should further ask him how it appears evident to him that the Scriptures have been delivered by an infaâ—ible Catholick Tradition He could not deny but that many Hereticks have denied many books of Scripture yea that there is not any one book in the Old or New Testament but has been renounced by some Hereticks and their followers yet because some Councels have decided and Fathers witnessed and the Catholick Church in all ages since have received them as such therefore it is evident that they have been delivered by the Church by Catholick Tradition And this is most rational and convincing Upon these grounds therefore I proceed and ask any discreet indifferent man Whether an authority that shall after this manner propose any doctrine This we have received from Christ and his Apostles that such and such a doctrine proposed is a divine infallible truth and we command all Christians whatsoever under the pain of anathema and eternal damnation to beleeve it for such whether I say such an authority does not assume to it self the office of a Guide and of an infallible Guide Certainly he that should speak in this stile and yet have a guilt or be in a possibility of seducing were the most impious abhorred tyrant in the world What an attentat an usurpation upon Gods Scepter and Throne would this be if God had not derived this authority upon the Church represented in a Councel What a cruelty to souls What a blaspheming of the Holy-Ghost Now that this hath been the stile of all General Councels is evident and that Councels speaking in that stile have been submitted to by the Fathers and accepted by the Church with all veneration as the Oracles of God is equally apparent nay I do not know that ever any Heretick before these daies did expresly contradict this in the Thesis though in Hypothesi they have renounced such particular Councels as themselves were Anathematized by Therefore not onely all Councels but every Decision of every Councel to which an Anathema is annexed decides this question and proclaims to all the ends of the world this truth That the Church speaking in General approved Councels is an infallible Guide to all Christians Against this not a passage or word in any Father can be produced but infinite passages for it Hence it is that the Fathers unanimously profess That out of the Church there is no possible salvation because there is no Guide to Heaven but in the Church If therefore it be a proof evident enough to I. P. of an universal infallible tradition of Scripture that one or two not General Councels did with some variety set down the number and names of the books and that generally speaking the Fathers have amongst them given attestation to them some to some books and some to others few to all and that the Church in after ages hath universally accepted them as such How short comes that tradition of this concerning the infallible Guidance of the Church that is vertually decided in all Councels and every decision of all attested by all Fathers not one in one passage contradicting or condemning that stile but unanimously in all ages since Councels were accepted by the Church approved and submitted to how opposite is this truth to the main design of his following discourse which attempts to prove that there is in the Church no infallible Guide at all And how contradictory to that Article of his Church concerning not onely the fallibility but actual erring of Councels And again how conformable is this way of proceeding to the authority given upon Record in Scripture by our blessed Saviour to his Church I say to his Church for the Fathers assembled in Councel speak not thus in their own persons nor as so many learned men but in the person of the whole Church which they represent and do no more but subsume particulars under that General Anathema pronounced by our blessed Saviour when he said If he refuse to here the Church let him be unto thee as a Heathen and a Publican 11. I conjure therefore I. P. and all his and my friends that he and they would produce or at least set before their own eyes those Decisions of Councels which seem to them evidently false because clearly contradictory to Scripture and compare his evidence of a seeming contradiction with this evidence that it is impossible there should be such a contradiction and if they do this with a serious minde and desire to finde the truth that they may embrace it and with hearts lifted up to God to free them from all respects of the world and to enlighten their souls with the love of his truth then perhaps they may see that which as yet it seems is invisible to them it is most certain there is not one express formal text of Scripture contradictory to any Catholick Doctrine this they confess themselves And indeed even abstracting from the promises made by Christ to his Church it is morally impossible that so many wise and vertuous men should with the one hand give the Scripture as Gods word and with the other present Doctrines expresly and directly contradictory to it and none be able to observe the contradiction though their daily study was to meditate upon and interpret the Scripture Now whether any consequence from obscure texts can be more forcible then that which I have named from the stile of General Councels I leave not to their wits but consciences to judge 12. Matters therefore being impartially weighed that triumphing Epiphonema of his in the fourth and fifth Sections vanishes in which himself with admiration exposeth to the admiration of others those great conquering defenders of the doctrine of the late Church of England that with such excellent conduct and valour and such admirable success have combated and defeated this our Darling
Infallibility he did ill and even enviously to their glory that he did not name those worthies for my part besides the noble Author of the following Discourse whom certainly he means for one and by consequence Mr. Chillingworth I cannot remember that ever I heard any great Elogium in this respect given to any English writer Yet it may be he might have an eye upon the last Arch-bishop of Canterbury and his late enlarged Dialogue which if he did then I conjure I. P. that he would once more peruse the said Arch-bishop's Discourse and single from it whatsoever is impertinent to the main essential controversie that is whatsoever touches particular debates of Catholicks about the Popes infallibility and the exceptions that may be found against certain Councels as likewise about the several qualities and conditions required to an acknowledged obliging Councel all which things are nothing to the purpose And lastly that laying aside all these unnecessary velitations he would apply the Arch-bishops most efficatious arguments to an Oecumenical confirmed Councel especially if he will add the condition too of being actually received by the Church and my life for his he will see reason to acknowledge that all that discourse is of no force at all against the Church yea that the Archbishop himself never intended it should However the Calvinists or fantastical private Spiritists or exalters of humane reason might deal against the universal authority of Gods Church the Prelates of England were too wise to judge that people would be so blinde as to think any obedience could be due out of conscience to a National Church begun and continued upon secular and indeed unlawful intrests if that Church should build its authority upon a profession of renouncing all authority And therfore though they were very earnest in the controversie about Ecclesiasticall Authority when they were to write or proceed juridically against Presbyterians or Separatists yet they loved not to talk of it against the Catholick Church yea it was from the Catholick Church onely that they borrowed their Arguments against their Schismaticks as may in a good measure appear in the printed Reasons of the University of Oxford against the Covenant Negative Oath and Ordinances concerning Discipline and Worship approved by generall consent in a full Convocation June 1. 1647 and it was under the shadow of their pretence to be still a member of the Catholick Church and to have received their Authority and Succession from it that they obliged good easie Protestants to continue their subjects But this is but a guesse that I. P. in this passage reflected upon the late Archbishop or any other English Prelaticall Writer 13. Certain it is he must intend my Lord Falkland as one of the great Defenders of the Doctrine of the Church of England since he speaks this in his Preface to his Discourse of Infallibility and with an evident design thereby to recommend both the Author and his work This being so I. P. will give me leave to use his own words O the strength of Reason rightly managed O the power of Truth clearly declared Yea O the force of a guilty conscience For what else but the irresistable power of truth and evidence of reason and acknowledgement of guilt could move him so publickly to condemn his own Church and to confess its â—surpation impossible to be justified Behold O Protestants how your Church is defended here is a discourse that undertakes to demonstrate and if you will believe your brother I. P. has admirably and unanswerably performed it that upon earth there neither is nor ever was any Guide that could oblige any other to follow his direction and that every mans conscience is to be guided by his own single naturall Reason chusing that Faith which is most agreeable to Nature and holding it onely so long as Nature likes it and then changing it for another In fine a Discourse that gives you leave yea almost invites you to return to the Religion of the old Philosophers those Epoptes and Priests of Nature If there be any force in this your Defenders discourse what becomes of your Articles and Canons your Synods and Convocations your Infallible Acts of Parliament and Proclamations It is evident he might as well yea more reasonably have said That the Councell of Trent is a great defender of the Church of England for that indeed justifies Ecclesiasticall Authority whereas this discourse directly and purposely and universally destroyes it But the meaning or that which should be the meaning of I. P. is this That the Authority of the Church of England is impossible to be maintained for if as the Catholick Church avows there be in the Church by Christ's appointment any Authority Ecclesiasticall obliging in conscience it is certain it is not inherent in the Church of England that began but yesterday and is not now at all and when it began it began by the renouncing of all visible authority Again if as this discourse pretends there be no obliging authority that is no infallible one for surely none can be obliged to an authority that confesses it self questionable then both the Catholick Church and the Church of England are meer names and verbal sounds that signifie nothing This is so evident that it is pitty to insist longer upon the persecuting of good I. P. that here publishes his conviction and confession and must either tear out this Preface before such a discourse or abjure his Church of England if ever it appear again 14. By what hath been said it is apparent that the doctrine of the Infallibility of the Church speaking by a lawful Oecumenical Councel is delivered by as full a Tradition as it is possible for a doctrine to be delivered And therefore Protestants are inexcusable and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 since receiving such special Books of Scripture upon no other grounds but Tradition they yet renounce the Churches authority which is more universally and authoritatively delivered and confirmed The same Truth is unanswerably grounded upon what hath formerly been proved in this Book viz. That it is impossible that that which any one à ge agrees in as Tradition should not be so because that would argue that some former whâ—le Age hath agreed to deceive their posterity Ob. 15. But perhaps I. P. or his friends will say That though what hath been asserted may be effectual to demonstrate the Infallible Authority of the universal Church yet not so to demonstrate that the Roman is that Infallible Catholick Church since the Greeks may put in their plea at least to be a very considerable part That they are not unwilling to submit to the Universal Church though she should condemn them For though the importunate restless malice of som Calvinistical spirits among them hath procured some uncivil and indeed unchristian Clauses to be put into the English Articles derogating from the Authority of General Councels yet the true English Protestant hath alwaies been ready to protest submission to the
be doubtful that he is wrong A Guide that the Scripture never mentioned and the Church never heard of but supposed by being called a Chruch that it never should be hearkned to so that whether Scripture or Tradition or Church or all of them be followed such a Guide ought to be deserted and renounced A Guide that two persons cannot possibly follow together because no two persons that ever followed any other Guide beside Authority did or could think all things to be reasonable that any other thought so And lastly by consequence such a Guide that as long as he continues in the office there cannot possibly be any Church any where And is not this an infallible Eviction that this is an imaginary seducing Guide since it is impossible that that should be a Guide appointed for any Christian which neither Christ nor his Apostles nor any of their followers ever mentioned yea which does formally destroy one of our twelve Articles of the Apostles Creed Credo Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam 12. And yet when all this is said even this is a less unreasonable and less unsafe Guide then any divided particular Church can be For this hood-wink'd Guide inquiring into Scripture and searching after Tradition may possibly stumble upon the way to Unity and Truth that is the true Catholick Church for private Reason professes the exclusion of partiallity and will not refuse to take into consideration whether it self ought not to be renounced and Authority submitted to and if it chance to finde Reason for Authority it will resign its Office and cease to be a Guide any longer or private Reason any longer whereas particular Churches being founded upon the renouncing of Universal Authority in practise and yet usurping that Authority which they renounce doe not onely mis-lead their followers but having seised on them do chain and fasten them in that Dunge on CHAP. VII A concluding Exhortation wherein all are invited to Catholique UNITY 1. FOR a farewell to I. P. and all his Brethren and to all my dear mislead Countrymen of what Religion Sect or Faction soever but principally the Protestants Presbyterians and Independents I beseech them all to suffer a word of Exhortation made by St Paul to the Philippians Phil. 2. Si quae ergo consolatio in Christo si quod solatium c. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of Charity if any society of the spirit if any bâ—â—els of Compassion fulfill the joy of St Paul and all Saints that you be of the same Judgement having the same charity being of one mind thinking the same thing That is Think Catholique Unity a desirable thing and pursue the ways to attain it 2. Now the Sun shines not clearer at Noon then this Truth That there is no possible Unity without Authority nor no Christian Unity without an Infallible Authority all other Authority is meer Faction and Rebellion an Authority that reaches to the outward appearance or that bindes onely the purse If there were any true Spiritual Authority lately in England or now at Geneva c. it would engage the consciences of those that are under it and that not as English men or French but as Christians And by consequence all Christians should be obliged to submit to it a thing that themselves do not so much as pretend to Therefore by all those passionate exhortations of St. Paul I conjure you be no longer averse from Catholick Unity and Catholick Authority for be assured without such Unity and Authority submitted to you will finde no consolation no not in Christ himself no comfort in the charity of the Father nor society with the â—â— Spirit c. 3. Do not according to your mistaken custom account us uncharitable in professing that salvation cannot belong to any that are estranged from our Catholick Communion we could not be Catholicks if we said not so Thereby we approve our selves to be the lawful children of the Ancient Saints Martyrs Confessors c. all which out of their burning charity not pride or malice protested damnation to all out of their Communion For how could they or we be the true Church unless we excluded false Churches St. Augustin was the benignest humblest charitablest soul in his Age yet who thunders so loudly and so terribly against Schismaticks as he And his enemies the Donatists pretending to be the Catholick Church to the end to justifie seemingly their false plea were forced to denounce damnation to all from whom they were divided otherwise they would not have had so much as the shew of Catholicks 4. More particularly addressing my self to my most dear friends the English Protestants of whose communion I once was a seduced Member consider I beseech you that that which at the first composing of this Book I onely suspected might possibly happen is now abundantly effected God has in part visited on you the persecution and injustice you laid upon us Now do you not see that your Church was the meer creature of State-Policy If it had had the power of Religion the decay of your Ecclestical estates or imprisonment of your Bishops would not have destroyed Authority among you The censures of a captive Pope or Excommunication of a Synod meeting in a Grot were as terrible to irregular disobedient Catholicks as if they had thundred from the Capitol or the Emperial Pallace in Constantinople Where are the proofs now of your Spiritual Power Why do not you thunder out your Excommunications against the Subverters of your Religion or against your own daily revolting subjects Alas who would be frighted with such Anathema's Or what subjects have you now after the loss of your temporal Lordships And which way shall those Lordships be regained that you may become a Church again Those that were once content you should enjoy them will not adventure their own estates to recover them for you the Lutherans are too far off and the Calvinists too neer you may comfort your selves with your Liturgy and perhaps your Surplices worne in private Conventicles But as for a succession of Priests or Bishops that is not to be hoped much less a restauration of your Religion which is now quite out of date 5. To what Church will you now apply your selves To the Scotish Kirk or your own Presbyterians the first incendiaries of all these troubles the Idumaeans that cried Exinanite Exinanite usque ad fundamentum in ea Or to their successors of a thousand names and shapes and all of them frighrful What is it that holds you from returning to Catholick Communion What other injuries have we done you except that we have forced you to blush to see how patiently we suffred your injustices oppressions and persecutions But the Truth is you were not so much our Persecutors as that poysonous generation of Calvinists among you they were those who instill'd fury into our Kings and Parliaments and poison into the laws against us Which very lawes are still kept in force against Catholicks
divided themselves from the Communion of the Catholike and other particular churches because they would not joyn with them in the belief of Scripture explained in that sense which their severall Articles import and not because they refused to submit to Scripture which all professe to do And lastly whereas though they acknowledged Sâ—ripture to be the only Rule of Faith yet because it not having being written in form of Institutions or a Catechisme the necessary doctrines of Religion are dispersed uncertainly in the severall books difficulty to be found out of them and withall not so plainly delivered but that there is need of explication and conciliation with other passages of Scripture that seem to contradict for this reason each church compiled abridgements and confessions disposed orderly and methodically by which they signifie to the world how they understand Scripture Mr. Chillingworth on the contrary delivers their mind joyntly for them after a new way which is his second Novelty which I will set down in his own words cap. 6. parag 56. By the Religion of Protestants I do not saith he understand the doctrine of Luther or Calvin or Melanchion nor the confession of Augusta or Geneva 〈◊〉 the Catechism of Heâ—delberg nor the Arâ—â—â—â— the Church of England no nor the harmony of Protestant Confessions but that wherein they all agree and which they all subscribe with a greatâ—â— harmony as a perfect rule of their faith and actions that is the Bible the Bible I say the Bible only is the Religion of Protestants Whatsoever else they believe besides it and the plain irrefragable indubitable consequences of it well may they hold it as matter of Opinion but as a matter of Faith and Religion neither can they with coherence to their own grounds believe it themselves nor require the belief of it of others without most high and most Schismaticall presumption Thus far Mr. Chillingwrrth Now how far other Protestants out of England will approve of this new shift which he ha's found out for them and which I am sure he ha's published without any commission from them I know not But if they also justifie him in this all I can say is that they will make their party much the stronger by it and will likewise have reason to pretend to almost primitive antiquity for if all be of their body who whatsoever their particular tenents be build their faith upon only Scripture interpreted by each mans reason then not only all Heretiques of these times but likewise almost all Heretiques since the Apostles times will be united in the same corporation 9. But once more to return to Mr. Chillingworth's ' Position viz. That all necessary truths are contained in Scripture so expressely that no man can rationally doubt of the sense of them and by consequence there is no need of an authorised visible interpreter All that I shall say in answer hereto shall be the making a few requests to our English Protestants especially As 1. To consider this and the former speeches of Mr. Chillingworth not as an extraordinary invention of his excellent wit but that which extreme necessity forced him to for though before him few Protestant Writers have so freely discovered the arcana schismatis as being unwilling to tell their followers that they had no authority to oblige them to their opinions Yet Mr. Chillingworth deals more ingenuously discovering that this is indeed a foundation most necessary to be laid by all those who deny all visible Ecclesiasticall authority in expounding Scripture and judging definitively of controversies in Religion for otherwise they may say God ha's given us the Scripture to be our only rule this Rule is ambiguous and difficult even in necessary things there is no judge to interpret it mens understandings are weak and their wills strong they are easily led away with prejudices education and worldly interests so that it is a great chance if they light upon the true sense of those difficult yet most necessary mysteries considering besides that they are very contrary to flesh and blood and carnall reason This were to deal with mankind worse then the AEgyptian Taskmasters did with the Israelites to demand brick and give them no straw Since therefore no Protestant would willingly lay such an imputation upon the Father of mercies it will follow that he must of meer force acknowledge with Mr. Chillingworth that all truths necessary to salvation are contained in Scripture so expresly that no rationall man can doubt of the sense of them 10. My second request to English Protestants is that they would take into consideration how after that a Catholique would be so liberall as to allow them this ground they would be able and by what rules to distinguish points unnecessary from necessary for though it were true that all necessary points are plain yet all plain points are not necessary 3. That for a more particular tryall they would resolve with themselves whether the Mysteries of the eternall Godhead and Incarnation of our Saviour be not necessary to be believed if so as the English Articles import then they may do well to take a survey of all the Texts of Scripture which Volkelius and Crellius heap together to combat these mysteries and afterward conclude whether only Scripture being the Rule and only private reason the Judge these mysteries be so plainly and expresly contained in Scripture that no reasonable man can doubt of the sense of them and that there needs no interpreter to reconcile them 4. I would likewise desire them to consider the places of Scripture which Catholiques make use of to build the authority of the Church and the Reall Presence I name these because they are the principall grounds of their separation Now when they have considered the Texts for the former point let them take notice that they cannot produce one express Text of Scripture against the authority of the Church and for the other point whether the Texts which Catholiques produce for the Reall Presence do not in the literall grammaticall sense say all that Catholiques believe and whether all that Protestants labour to prove be not that though Hoc est corpus meum as the words lye be against them yet the sense hidden and figurative which they desire to force upon these words is against Catholiques And having considered these two instances let them upon Mr. Chillingworths present grounds judge how they can satisfie their own reason and conscience without expresse Scripture for themselves and against at least expresse words of Scripture for Catholikes to make a separation from the whole world 11. In the last place I desire them to speak freely whether if this be true that to be expressely unambiguously set down in Scripture be a condition necessary to all necessary points of Faith there be indeed any points of faith necessary since there is scarce any one article of the Creed which ha's not been and is not at this day questioned by many men yea by
whole churches in which are and have been found persons of great learning subtilty and as far as the eys of men could judge piety and vertue as S. Augustine witnesseth of Pelagius and S. Vincentius Lirinensis of other Heretiques Now if they say they will not believe such testimonies of their adversaries probity then the controversies between Sects will become not disputations but calumniations and impleadments 12. To Mr. Chillingworth's fifth ground viz. That it cannot consist with the goodness of God to oblige any man as of necessity to believe explicitly or to interpret clearly those places of Scripture which are obscure and ambiguous I acknowledge all this and from their own grounds desire Protestants to consider whether any knowledge or distinct belief can justly be required to be yeelded to any speciall points of Christiantty since there are scarce any that have not been controverted CHAP. XXXVIII An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's sixth ground Of the use of Reason in Faith 1. TO the sixth ground viz. That since no proof can be made out of Scripture nor out of universall Tradition that there is any visible Judge of the sense of Scripture and since a mans reason is the only faculty and principle capable of judging therefore Reason is the only judge of the sense of Scripture but this only for each mans own self c. I answer 1. That his supposition of no visible Judge is so far from being true that the contrary ha's all the proofs imagineable and in the highest degree of assurance imagineable if Tradition universall for time and place plain Texts of Scripture interpreted by all Fathers that have written upon them the continuall practise of the Church in Councells c. can give a certain proof as I have shewed before 2. For private reason being a judge I will shew the impossibility for it to attain the ends for which Christ appointed a government in his Church viz. unity of minds and wills among Christians together with the unavoidable absurdities attending such a Judge and this after I have considered briefly the rest of his grounds 3. In this place I will take into consideration the generall foundation of this his foundation viz. That no other judge as to a mans own self besides his own reason can be imagined chap. 2. 11. 2. This foundation Mr. Chillingworth esteems so firm that upon all occasion he objects it to his adversary and places his chiefe confidence in it both as a sword to wound his enemy and a buckler to defend himself for thus and in this order he argues 1. Whatsoever I do in matter of Religion I do it by mine own particular reason and resolve it finally into mine own reason And this is not only my method but the same is done likewise by all sorts of men even those that deny private reason to be judge deny this by their reason and because their reason tells them that it is more reasonable to rely upon authority then upon their private judgement or reason c. 2. The difference between a Papist and a Protestant is not that the one judges and the other does not judge but that the one judges his guide to be infallible the other his way to be manifest 3. To speak properly saith he The Scripture is not a judge of controversies but a rule only and the only rule for Christians to judge them by every man is to judge for himself by the judgment of discretion and to chuse either his Religion first and then his Church as we say Or as you his Church first and then his Religion but by the consent of both sides every man is to judge and chuse This appeared to me to be the substance of Mr. Chillingworth's discourses severally dispersed in his book upon this argument 3. I confesse this way of arguing of Mr. Chillingworth had a long time great effect with me and after considering it more attentively I found that of necessity there must be some Sophisme in it because it makes all parties most contradictory to one another yet to resolve their beliefs into the same point which notwithstanding they utterly deny it was long before to mine own satisfaction I could discover the secret and now after all I find not the least difficulty how to expresse my self distinctly and intelligibly in my answer to it notwithstanding I will endeavour to do it as perspicuously as I can 4. For preparation therefore hereto I will first shew what faith or belief is and the severall kinds and manners of it together with the order how it is begotten in the soul c. Now I only speak of a rationall and well grounded faith not such an one as with which many ignorant or interessed persons assent that is rather with their wills and passions then their reason or understanding 1. Beliefe therefore in generall is an assent of the understanding to any thing related to us and this for the authority of the relator So S. Augustin de util cred c. 2. That we believe any thing we owe it to authority that we understand any thing to reason 2. Belief is immediate or mediate immediate when the prime relatour reveals it immediately to the believer mediate when by the intervention of others 3. Beliefe certain or probable is either when we have a certainty or probability of the prime relators authority or fidelity or else though we be assured of the prime authors fidelity when we have a certainty or probability of the authority fidelity and information of the subordinate relator 4. Belief supernaturall is when the prime relator is supernaturall and also when the object is supernaturall I might add and which is begotten in the soul by a supernaturall vertue but that is not debated here 5. The order an manner whereby an assured firm supernaturall faith is begotten in the soul is first in immediate divine revelations the prime relator reveals any thing to the believers understanding by the intervention of his outward or inward senses in mediate divine revelations when this is done by means of some persons indued with authority and ability so that before firm faith in the thing revealed there must necessarily precede a certain knowledge that such a thing ha's been revealed 6. Discourse of reason may and ordinarily does precede belief but belief it self is not discourse but a simple assent of the understanding 7. In beliefe we are to distinguish between the causes and the motives of it and when men speak of the last resolution of faith they intend to consider the last motive or authority into which it is resolved not the primary efficient cause of it Therefore though faith be an act of reason yet it is not said to be resolved into reason though produced by it but into authority 8. It is a meer tantology to say the act of faith is terminated in reason because reason judges that it is reasonable to believe God For that seems all one as if a man should say
Universal Church But they are not satisfied that they ow that submission to the Roman and if not to the Roman they know not to what Church Sol. 16. To say somthing for the clearing this difficulty I shall desire them to consider 1. That whilst the Eastern and Western Churches were joyned in one External communion it is apparent that that Body was the Catholick Church to which the Promises of Christ were made and to which Protestants themselves would not have refused submission 2. That a breach hapning between these Churches is not mortal to the whole Body but onely to that Member that did unlawfully separate 3. By consequence that both the Title and real Authority of the Catholick Church remains in the innocent Part that is either in the Roman or Eastern Church 4. That whethersoever of these two be the Catholick Church English Protestants are Schismaticks since they are divided from both and the pretended grounds of their Divisions are Doctrines received by them both 5. That in case English Protestants would now take into debate to whether of these two parties they should re-adjoyn themselves by that means to become Catholicks again they must be forced to quit both a greater number of their Topical Doctrines and more fundamental ones to fit themselves to an union with the Eastern then with the Roman Church 6. That if they will needs out of Passion prefer the Eastern their Passion will be evident since that whensoever either remorse of conscience or the approaches of death made them see their unsafe condition thousands of them have fled to the Roman Church for shelter but never any to the Grecian or any other but the Roman 7. That as long as they are out of the Roman Church they are in a headless trunck divided from the successor of St. Pèter whom St. Cyprian St. Hierome Optatus c. acknowledged to be the foundation of Unity Order c. Ob. 17. Now if among Protestants any out of a perverse condescendence shal grant that the grounds alledged for the separation of the Eastern Western Churches are not in themselves of such main importance as to hinder them from being really one Catholick Church And therefore that before the present controversies can be decided a general Assembly of them all must be expected Sol. 18. to this they must give me leave to say 1. That they make the Promises of Christ to be casual temporary and obnoxious to critical daies and seasons if they think that the changes of Kingdoms or that the humors of an earthly Tyrant can either evacuate or suspend the force of those promises by which our Lord hath obliged himself to provide that the Gates of Hell that is heresies shall not prevail against his Church The effect of which promise in the opinion of such Objectors must be delayed till the Grand Signior will allow the Grecian Bishops to meet with the Western to consult of and procure the peace and union of Christendom 2. In case they should be permitted to meet Protestants may without the spirit of prophesie foretel their own most solemn condemnation For since both the Eastern and Western Churches do already agree in most doctrines renounced by Protestants viz. Transubstantiation Adoration of the blessed Sacrament Prayer for the Dead and by consequence a Purgatory in which souls are capable of refreshment by such Prayers Veneration of Images Relicks c. Invocation of Saints Indulgences Merit of good works c. In which Doctrines they do agree as acknowledging them to be Traditionary It is impossible they should ever be perswaded to revoke any of them being met in an Assembly unless they will renounce all order and manner of proceeding in former General Councels which is not according to the Method of Protestants Viz. Endlessly to dispute every controverted Point by Texts of Scripture but to judge of the Truth of Points and the sense of Scripture by Traditien In such Assemblies therefore Bishops will ask one another Have your Fathers delivered to you that Bread after consecration becomes the Body of Christ That this body in the Sacrament is to be adored That we ought to pray for Souls departed in the Faith of Christ c. If so Servetur quod traditum est Now it being apparent that at the present all agree that such Doctrines both in the East and West have been delivered by Tradition and that their meeting together in a Councel will not help to make a contrary Tradition possible It will follow that whether divided or united whether alone or in Assembly they are and ever will be at least so far united as to joyn in the condemnation of Protestants CHAP. V. An Answer to the Remainder of the Preface 1. THe rest of the Preface of I. P. touches my self onely and pretends to shew what success the writings of those great Defenders of the Church of England have had against me in particular forcing me to confess That Infallibility is an unfortunate word That Mr. Chillingworth hath combated it with too great success so that I would wish the word were forgotten or at least laid by c. Now since the Church is not at all concern'd in this but my self onely who am charged with writing an incongruous impertinent Book a Book that deserves no answer but answers it self since it maintains that which its Adversary did not combat c. Truly were it not for I. P. and his friends sake more then mine own I would not answer for my self But since I perceive that the word Infallibility is as unfortunate a word to them as it was to me I will endeavour to take order that it shall be so no more 2. First therfore I say with Mr. Veron that the word Infallibility has been found out by the Schools that love to find out as short waies to express their notions as possibly can be And the world finds very great convenience by it Therefore with reference to the Church Schoolmen and from them Controvertists desirous to express the great veracity of the Church considered as a Judge or witness of Divine Truths deposed by God with her and withal the utmost obligation that all Christians have to beleeve truths so determined and witnessed by her found out this single word Infallibility to express both these by But yet the Church her self hath not as yet assumed or borrowed this word in any of her Decisions from the Schools and therefore being none of the Churches word we are not oblig'd to make her to speak it and the truth is though it comprehends al that they intend by it yet it is no adaequate measure of those conceptions because Infallibility may comprehend a great deal more for truth and our obligation to beleeve it is yet in a higher degree in Scripture then in the Decisions of the Church as Bellarmine acknowledges For the Scripture in all points both of Doctrine and Story and all circumstances is infallibly true not so the Decisions of the