a Figure of his Body Which last words were in the Canon of the Mass till it was altered in favour to this new Opinion v. Gratian Decr. de Consecr Dist. 2. c. 55. b Rabanus in his Canonical Epistle published by Baluz with his Regino p. 517. hath these words Some of late not holding aright of the Sacrament have said that the Body of Christ which was born of the Virgin Mary c. is the same which is received at the Altar Against which Error we have written to Egilus Abbas But that Book is lost and in this as Baluz shews those last words were rased out of the Manuscript c Bertramus or Ratrannus Corbeiensis in his Book written against it by order of Carolus Calvus and transcribed in great part into our Saxon Homily Which Book is mentioned as his by the nameless writer in defence of Paschasius and by Sigebert de Script Eccl. c. 96. Iohannes Scotus Professor at Oxford in King Alfrid's time in his Book against it that was burnt 200 years after when this Innovation had prevailed But none of these Books were censured in that Age when they were written d Anno 1059. The Pope and his Roman Council put these words into the mouth of Berengar that not the Sacrament but the very body of Christ is broken and ground by the Teeth of the Faithful Which the Glosse there saith was a greater Heresie then Berengar's unless their words be taken in a sound sense that is otherwise than they signifie Decr. de Consecr dist 2. c. 42. Ego Berengarius a About the year 1150 the Master of the Sentences l. 4. dist 11. saith Whether the change be Formal or Substantial or of some other kind I am not able to define Only I know it is not Formal But Anno 1215. Pope Innocet defined it to be of no other kind but Substantial Conc. Lateran IV. c. 1. b Of secret sins no Confession is necessary but to God only Chrysost. Edit Savil. Tom. I. p. 708. 11. IV. p. 589. 40. V. p. 258. 6. p. 262. 44. c Gratian. Decret de Poenit. Dist. 1. c. 89. Quibus Autoritatibus having brought Arguments for and against it thus Concludes Which side is in the right I leave the Reader to judge for on both sides there are wise and Religious men The Master of the Sentences lib. 4. dist 17. Though himself was for Confession yet saith Learned men differ about it for so the Doctors seem to vary and deliver things near contrary to one another about it So that yet it was disputable in those times d Conc. Lateran IV. Can. 21. e Gloss. in Decr. de poenit Dist 1. c. 37. Allii è contr saith Here follow Allegations to prove that one of Age is not forgiven sin without Confession Which is false a Conc. Trident. Sess. 14. Can. 6 7 8. After which in the Roman Edition of the Canon Law there were notes put upon those places above-mentioned Where Gratian doubted whether Confession were necessary they say It is most certain and to be held for most certain that Confession is necessary And where Semeca had said It is false they say Nay it is most true b The Second Commandment which forbids bowing down defore any Image or Likeness though it does not appear in the Roman Decalogue was held by the Fathers to be a Law of Perpetual Obligation So Irenaeus adv Heres l. II. c. 6. l. IV. c. 31. Clemens Alex. Admon ad Gentes Edit Leyd 1616. p. 31. 12. Strom. V. Ib. p. 408. 22. Tertull. de Idololatria c. 4. p. 105. D. Idem adv Marcion l. II. c. 22. p. 470. A. B. Idem in Scorpiac c. 2. p. 617. C. D. Cyprian de Exhort Mart. p. 283. Idem in Testim ad Quirinum l. III. c. 59. p. 345. Augustin Epist. 119. c. 11. Tom. II. col 569. A. c The English and French and Germans of that Age called it Pseudosynodum the Mock-Synod of Nice or rather of Constantinople because it began and ended in that City Concil Edit Labb Tom. VII p. 37. D. 592. B. Hincmar Opusc. 33. c. 20. Edit Sirmondi Tom. II. p. 457. Ado Vienn aet VI. Edit Paris 1512. fol. 181. Annal. Fuld V. opera Alcuini in fine d Of which there is nothing left but what is repeated out of it in the second Nicen Council Act. 6. Edit Labb Tom. VII col 392. E. e Ib. col 1057. E. a Baron Anno 843. num 16. saith Till that year the Nicen Council had not prevailed in the Eastern Church b Witness the Book of Charles the Great and that of the Synod of Paris under Ludovicus Pius and that of Agobard Bishop of Lions against the Worship of Images as it was then in the Roman Church c For their Carved Images of Saints Goar in Eucholog p. 28. saith The Greeks abhor Carved Images as Idols of which they do not stick to sing in Davids words They have mouths and speak not And for picturing God the second Nicen Council condemns it by approving the Epistle of St. German which calleth the Image of God an Idol Concil Edit Labb Tom. VII col 301. E. and 304. A. d Lud. Vives in his notes on Aug. de Civitate Dei l. VIII c. 27. Tom. V. col 494. B. saith In many Catholics I do not see what difference there is between their opinion of the Saints and the Heathens opinion of their Gods Polydor. Virg. de Invent. l. VI. c. 13. saith Men are come to that pitch of madness that this part of Piety differeth little from Impiety For very many trust more in their Images then in Christ or the Saints to whom they are dedicated The like complaints have many other of their Writers Bellarmin de cultu Imag. II. 22. Edit Venet. Tom. 1599 II. col 836. E. saith That they who hold that some Images are to be worshipped with Latria are forced to use most subtle distinctions which they themselves scarce understand much less the ignorant People And yet this which he so censures is the constant judgment of Divines and seems to be the meaning of the Council of Trent saith Azorius Institut Moral l. 9. c. 6. a Some held that all go immediately after Death to Heaven or Hell Others that none go to either but that all are kept in secret Receptacles till the general Resurrection Some that the Martyrs go to Heaven and the Damned Souls to Hell but all the rest are kept there in expectation and suspense till the Day of Iudgment Some held that there shall be a first Resurrection of the Righteous of whom some shall rise sooner some later in the thousand years of Christs Reign upon Earth And that the delay of that Resurrection shall be the Punishment of their Sins Others held that their sins shall be purged away by that fire that shall burn the World at the last Day And that they shall burn a longer or less while and with more or less
for that Prayer above-mentioned in Canon Missae Commem pro defunctis they first left out those words All thy Servants and All thy Hand-maids and Prayed thus Lord remember Them who have gone before us as it standeth in Ed. Pamelii p. 182. But the word Them extending to Saints as well as others they altered it again Remember Lord thy Servants and Hand-maids N. and N. who are gone before us But still the end of that Prayer remains as it was Grant All that rest in Christ a place of refreshing and of light and peace we humbly beseech thee They that Made this Prayer did not believe that the Saints were already in Heaven and therefore they knew not the Foundation of these Prayers to Saints that are now used in the Roman Church a p. 24 29 30. b 2 Tim. i. 18. St. Paul prays for Onesiphorus the Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that Day that is at the day of Judgment He might well be living when St. Paul made that Prayer c Conc. Trent Sess. 25. That the Souls which are kept there in Purgatory are profited by the Prayers of the Faithful Bellarm. de Purg. lib. 2. c. 38. It is certain that the Prayers of the Church do not profit the Blessed nor the Damned but only them that live in Purgatory Azor. Instit. Moral Tom. I. lib. 8. c. 20. Neque vero saith the Greeks pray for the dead but Certainly neither for the Blessed nor for the Damned which were plainly Absurd and Impious The truth is the Greeks prayed for the Blessed even for the Virgin Mary and the Apostles And so did the Antient Roman Church in those Offices which the present Roman Church hath both corrupted and misapplyed d In the Mass for the dead there is not the name of Purgatory nor it doth not appear that the Church thought of any such thing The Hymn is wholely of the day of Judgment The Prayers are for deliverance at that Day and if they are for any thing else it is nothing but what is asked for All the Faithful as much as for any person The Lessons and Sequences are all concerning the Resurrection There is not among them One Text of those Many that are brought for the proof of Purgatory except only 2. Mac. xii 43. Which according to the Roman Doctrine should be rather for 〈◊〉 than for Purgatory But indeed it relates to neither but as the Office intends it to the Resurrection a They are agreeable enough to several of those opinions concerning the state of Souls which are mentioned before p. 29. Note a. b See p. 55 56. c Miss pro defunct Oâ—â—ertorium Lord Iesus deliver the souls of All Faithful 〈◊〉 from the Pains of Hell that they may not fall into darkness But that the standard-bearer St. Michael may carry them into eternal light Ibid. The Prayer in the Obits We pray thee for the soul of thy Servant N. that thou wouldest not deliver it into the hands â—f the Enemy noâ— fâ—rget it for ever but command it to be received by thy Holy Angels and be led to the land of the Living That he may come to rejoyce in the Society of thy Saints So Miss Sarum That he may not suffer Eternal pains but pâ—ssess Eternal joys So the Old Roman But the New has changed Eternal into Infernal as being more for the sense of the present Church d Ib. Tractus Absolve O Lord the Souls of all the Faithful deceaâ—t from every bâ—nd of their sins and by the 〈◊〉 if thy Grace let them obtain to escape the Iudgment of Vengeance and to enjoy the blessedness of Eternal Light Ib. Post-communion among the diverse Prayers O Lord the soul of this thy servant from every bond of his sins that in the glory of the Resurrection he being Raised again may have refreshment among thy Saints and 〈◊〉 ones a Câ—â—nc Trâ—nt Sess. 25. dâ—cr Of Purgatâ—ry Let the Bishops take care that the suffrages of the living Faithful vâ—â— the Sacrifices of Misses and Prayers c. which have been usually made for the Faithful deceased be made according to the Ordinance of the Church a See p. 20. Note d. b For their Saints whom they make sharers with Christ in their Prayers and pray to God to be heard for their Merits and Intercession not a few of the Persons themselves are meer Fictions as St. Christopher St. Parnel St. Catherine St. Winâ—frid St. Vrsula and her eleven thousand companions Most of the others are of doubtful Authority and Some for ought they can know and as they have reason to fear are Damned Souls as Pope Steven Pope Marcelâ—â—nus Pope Felix II St. Thomas Becket St. Deminie But of the true Saints not a few of their stories are Fables as those of the Immuculate Conception Presentation and Assumption of the Virgin Mary of the Apparition of St. Michael May S. Of the Martyrdoms of some Apostles Of almost all the Antient Popes Of St. Denis and his fellows c. Add the Tales of St. Peters chains August 1. Of the Dedication of the Laterâ—n and the Vatican Churches Novemb. 9. and 18. c Conc. Trent Sess. 22. cap. 8. It hath seemed to the Fathers not to be expedient that every where Mass should be said in the Vulgar Tongue There is an Order indeed that oftentimes between the Masses some body should expound Somthing to the people of what is read to them in the Mass. Suppose some part of the Gospel or the like But that will not make them able to join with him that reads it And Bellarmin saith in those Mysteries there are Many things which Ought to be secret meaning I suppose that the People Ought not to understand them Bellar. de Verbo Dei I. II. c. 15. Septimâ— a Gun-powder Treason Edit 1679. p. 1â—9 Fâ—r from the year Eliz. 1. unto 11. all Papists came to our Church and Service without Scruple But when 〈◊〉 the Bull of Pope Pius Quintus was come and published wherein the Queen was accursed and deposed and her Subjects discharged of their Obedience and Oath yea Cursed if they did obey her Then did they all fâ—râ—â—with refrain the Church then would they have no more society with us in Prayer a 3â— Art Art 6. b See p. 10. Note â— c. c lb. Art 6. And this is proved in Bishop Cousins Book of the Canon of the Scripture d Art 8. e Office of Baptism Wilt thou be Baptized in this Faith I will f This alone was enough to make one a Catholic in the times of the Christian Emperors Cod. Theodos. lib. XVI Edicta de Fide Catholicà a Canon Anno 1571. of Preâ—â—â—ers We are obliged under pain of Excommunication to teach nothing but what is agreeable to the Old and New Testament and what the Catholic Fathers and Antient Bishâ—ps have gathered out of that very Doctrin Statut. 1. Eliz. 1. We judg all those things to be Heresie which were declared so by the four General Councils therein following the Judgment of the Antient Church See Aelfrics Saxon Canon 33. There were four Councils for defence of the Faith against Haereties There were many 〈◊〉 since that time but these four were the most firm b Art S. c See the Commination d 1 Cor. i. 11 12. and v. 2 c. and see Clemens Epistle to the Corinthians e Art 23. and Offices of Ordination a Proved by Mason in his Book de Minist Angl. b Rom. xiii 6. c Mason Ibid. and Bramhal of Succession d Art 25. e Art 24. f 1 Cor. xiv 16. a Art 20. b 1 Cor. xiv 40. c Art 34. and Preâ—aâ—es before the Liturgy d Cypâ—â—â— Epist. â—2 p. 151. 〈…〉 Carthag de 〈◊〉 Bapt. P. 353. e Anno 1603. Can. 3â— the Church of England declares that she was so far from being willing to depart from the Churches of Italy France Spain Germany c. in all things that she knew they held and Observed that she disserted from those Churches in thâ—se Articles Only in which they first fell away â—â—th from their own former Integrity and also from the Apostolical Churches from which they had their Original a Matth. xxiv 23. Mar. xiii 21. b John vi 68. c 2 Tim. i. 13. d Jude verse 3. a 2 Tim. iii. 16 17. b Verse 15. c Heb. xiii 17. d Heb. x. 25. e Rom. vi 5. a 1 Cor. xi 26. b 2 Pet. iii. 18. a Heb. xii 14. a Heb. vi 9.
A SERMON Preached before the KING AT WHITE-HALL The 24 th of Novemb. 1678. BY WILLIAM LLOYD D. D. Dean of Bangor And Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty Published by His Majesties Command LONDON Printed by M. C. for Henry Brome at the Gun at the West-End of St. Pauls 1678. A SERMON ON ACTS ii 42. And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrin and Fellowship and in Breaking of Bread and in Prayer THey of whom this is said were that Multitude of People whom the Apostles first converted to the Christian Faith All together in one word they are called the Church in the last verse of this Chapter Which being observed it will soon appear what we are to learn from these words They teach us First What the Church of Christ was in the Apostles days Secondly What Church is now a true Member or Branch of it Thirdly That having such a Church it is our duty to continue in it Accordingly in my discourse on these words I shall endeavour to shew you First a description of that Original Church by all it's Tokens and Characters which are described in my Text to have been First the Apostles Doctrin Secondly their Fellowship Thirdly their Sacraments Breaking of Bread Fourthly their Worship of God and Prayers Secondâ—y I shall consider what Church in our days hath those Characters of the Original Church I shall shew they are very confused in that Church which will own them in no other They are through Gods blessing in great Purity and Perfection in our Church Lastly I shall shew that it is the Duty of every Christian to continue stedfastly first in the Church that hath these Characters and secondly in these things that are the Characters of the Church and thirdly to live sutably to them in his whole Conversation First beâ—â—re I speak of the Characters of a true Church I ought to shew in few words what it is that is to be known by them The Church Ecclesia among Christians in the largest use of the word is the whole Multitude of Believers joyned together in one Body or Society under one Head Iesus Christ. In the Nicene Creed it is called the Catholic Apostolic Church Apostolic because it was planted at first by the Apostles and still retains the Characters of their Original Church Catholic that is Universal for that is the plainer English word because it is made up of all those Particular Churches of which every one hath these Characters in my Text and is therefore a true part of the Catholic or Universal For the word Catholic as fond of it as they are now in the Roman Church If any Christian of Rome for some ages after Christ had heard any one say I am a Catholic he would not have been able to have guest what Religion he had meant But when the Greeks had used the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their language First to distinguish the Christian Church as extending to all Nations from the Jewish which was confined to one Nation in particular Afterwards to distinguish the Common Christianity which was in all parts of the World from that of a Sect which sprang up in some particular Country After this the word Catholic was taken up by them of the Roman Church And in process of time they came to distinguish themselves by it from the Greeks and from those of the other Eastern Churches that first used it It could not but seem very strange to the Greeks to see them of the Roman Church whose Communion extended no farther at that time than only to the West part of Europe that they should call the Roman Church the Catholic or Universal in Opposition to the Greeks and to all other Christians that then possest not only all the rest of this Europe but all that was Christian in Afric and Asia besides But this is not strange to any one that considers how natural it is for men of any Sect to make a great Business about Words As they are apt to bestow the worst words they can find upon their Adversaries so with the same Partiality they are ready to appropriate the good ones to themselves Thus the Jews will have none but themselves to be the children of Abraham The Turks will have none but themselves to be called Musulmans Believers The Arrian Heretics in their Day would allow none but themselves to be Catholics If they of the Roman Communion will be the only Catholics now who can help it But we shall not allow it them till they can prove all other Christians to be Schismatics and us in particular Which will be tried in the issue of this Discourse The mean while to give the word its Original use the Catholic Church as I have shewn signifies the Universal And by the Universal Church we mean that which from this Head in my Text came to disperse it self into all parts of the inhabited World The Original of this Church Universal was that Church which the Apostles planted first at Ierusalem Therein following the Command of our Saviour who bade them Go preach to all Nations beginning at Ierusalem The Body of this Universal Church consists of all those whether National or Less that are called Particular Churches Which were either derived from that Original Church in that age such as were those seven Churches of Asia and the rest which are mentioned in Scripture or that have been deriâ—ed from thâ—m by any after Conversion in whatsoever Country or Age. These Particular Churches are many as the parts of the Body are many And as all those parts together are one Body so all these Particular Churches make up one Universal One I say in both respects both as being derived from one source that Original Church at Ierusalem And also One as being united together in those Common Characters by which that Original Church is described in this Text. Those Characters are four which I come now to consider particularly The Apostles Doctrin and Fellowship and Sacraments and Prayers The first is the Apostles Doctrin the Doctrin of Faith and not the Inward Belief but the Outward Profession of it The Inward Belief is required to make us true Christians but the Outward Profession makes us Members of a true Church And as it can be no true Church that has not a Public Profession of the Apostles Doctrin so it can be no sound Church that embraces any other for the Doctrin of Faith then what was received from the Apostles Now their Doctrin at this time referred to in my Text was no other than what they preached as the Faith of Iesus Christ. But considering how long ago it was that they preached how many ages have past since and especially what ages they have been many ages together of Darkness and gross Ignorance as they cannot but know that are any thing acquainted with History I say after so many extreme ignorant Ages it is impossible we should have known what was preached by the
Apostles unless it had been also delivered in writing and unless those writings had been brought down to our Hands And blessed be God! there was such a Delivery in the Books of the New Testament In which Books the Apostles bearing witness as they do to the Scriptures of the Old Testament that they were Written by Divine Inspiration and that they are able to make us wise to Salvation through Faith in Iesus Christ and delivering the Faith in Iesus Christ as they do in their own writings to the end that all men may believe on him to Eternal life Therefore in these Books of the Old and New Testament together we have a Standard of the Apostles Doctrine and we have not the like for any other than what is written in these Books Here is all that we can surely call the Doctrine of the Apostles unless we know more than the Fathers of the Primitive Church They through whose hands this Doctrine must pass before it could come into ours knew nothing but what they had in the Scriptures This was constantly their Standard and Rule of all things in the words of St. Chrysostom Who says again All things that are necessary are plain and manifest in the Scriptures So St. Austin says All things that belong to Faith or Life are to be found in plain places of Scripture St. Basil saith Believe those things that are written inquire not into things that are not written St. Ierom Non credimus quia non legimus we believe no more than we â—ead In like manner say many other of the Fathers And though they did sometimes quote the Apostles Traditions for Ritual things yet in matters of Faith if they prove any thing from Tradition it is either the Written Tradition of Scripture of if Unwritten 't is no other than the Creed as it were easie to shew in many Instances And withal they believed there was nothing in the Creed but what they could prove from the Scriptures and they did prove it from the Scriptures upon occasion in every Particular So that in their Judgment it is not only a sufficient but the only Measure of the Doctrin of the Apostles And by this we may judg as to matter of Doctrin who are and who are not Members of the Apostolical Church The next Character is this that they continued in the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Fellowship a word that has diverse senses in Scripture In this place it seems to be the same as Society They were in the Apostles Society or Communion Now to continue in their Society considering what they were men deputed by Christ for the Government of his Church it could be no other than to continue as Members of that Body which Christ put under their Government But how can any be so now they being dead so many Ages since and their Government so long since expired with them No their Government is not expired though they are For it was to continue till the end of the World So that according to the common saying among the Jews Whosoever one sends being as himself So our Saviour having sent the Apostles saith Whosoever receives you receives me In like manner whosoever were sent by the Apostles were as themselves And whosoever continued in their Fellowship were in the Fellowship of the Apostles Now their Government is declared to have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Bishopric And in this Office they were equal among themselves as our Saviour describes them sitting on twelve Thrones and judging the twelve Tribes of Israel It is observable that this was after his Promise to St. Peter Mat. xvi 16 c. Which Promise I consider by the way because 't is so much pressed by the Romanists to prove a Power which Christ had given St. Peter over the rest of the Apostles If Christ had truly given it we must then have considered whether St. Peter left any Successors in that Power And if so why not St. Iohn the Apostle by Survivance why not the Bishop of the undoubted mother-Mother-Church at Ierusalem Why not the Bishop of some other City where the Scripture has assured us that St. Peter Preacht rather than of Rome where if he did preach we have not a word of it in Scripture These and sundry more such Questions would have risen upon that Hypothesis of such a Power given to S. Peter But it is out of Question that the Apostles never so understood those words of Christ. They knew of no Power that was promised to St. Peter more than to themselves in that Text. For after this they were at strife among themselves who should be chief After this they disputed it again and again and Christ chid them every time but never told them I have promised it to Peter Nay it appears that Christ did not intend it by his open Declarations to the contrary That it should not be among them as in Secular Kingdoms and Monarchies It appears more plainly in the fulfilling of his Promise For he both ordained the rest with S. Peter without any Difference And when they all together had received the Holy Ghost in this Chapter St. Peter stood up with the eleven ver 14. And upon him and them Christ built his Church even all these who continued not only in his but in the Fellowship of all the Apostles Now if all the Apostles were equal in their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Government then it is certain that their Successors must be so in like manner Though one must have Precedence before other for Order's sake as St. Peter had usually among the Apostles when they were together And though one may be above others in the same National Church as all Primats are by Human Laws Yet none by the Law of God hath Authority over others I say none among their Successors any more than among the Apostles themselves So St. Cyprian declares oftentimes in his Writings Not to mention the like as I might from many other of the Fathers Now the Bishops in after times in their several Churches were undoubtedly held to be the Successors of the Apostles We have as great a consent among the Antients for this as we have for the Observation of the Lord's Day And it is evident from the Primitive Writers that they lookt upon Communion with their Bishops as Communion with the very Apostles They held it the Duty of every Christian to obey them in Spiritual things They held it the Duty of every Bishop to govern and feed his own Flock To attend to that only and not to usurp upon his Brethren But all as occasion served to do all good Offices one for another and to join their endeavours for the common Concernments of the Church And for them so to govern the Church and for the People to live under their Government in Spiritual things This was to
known in all Countrys where the Scripture was written And they writ it for every one to read as it appears in plain words in their writings And the Ancient Fathers required all men to read it all the Laity even the meanest of the Laity they Condemned the neglect of it they commended them that read it day and night There is nothing more frequent in the writings of the Ancient Fathers Yet now it is found out that the Laity may hurt themselves with reading it How so It will make them Hereitics One would little expect it that had read what the Fathers say of this matter But now it is Heresie to disbelieve the Roman Church And no doubt to read the Scripture will bring men to this But whose fault is it Surely theirs that instead of reforming their Church have rather chosen to silence the Scriptures Which being done in favour of their Doctrines it appears that they themselves I mean the governours of their Church have been sensible that some at least of their Doctrines are not the Doctrines of the Apostles In the next place for the Apostles Fellowship which I have interpreted to be Union under lawful Pastors and Governors They can by no means allow this Character to our Church or to any that submits not to their Universal Pastor Which title they appropriate to the Bishop of Rome and him they swear in their forementioned profession of Faith to be the Vicar of Christ and the successor of St. Peter the Apostle And to shew how far they dare go against evidence they swear also that his Roman Church is not only Mistress but also the Mother of all Churches Not to say in how many things he that will be Supream Pastor invades the just rights of other Pastors who are all in the judgment of Primitive times the Successors of the Apostles of Christ Or how little he hath to shew for his claim to a succession in that Power from St. Peter either in Scripture Story or in the writings of the Primitive Church I shall only desire you to consider these beginnings of Christianity in my Text. When the whole Church was comprehended in three or four thousand believers and they were all together with the Apostles at this time in Ierusalem It is certain that then there was no Bishop nor no Christian at Rome So that then for the Bishop or Church of Rome to be any thing which they swear they are in those Articles of their Faith was surely no part of the Apostles Doctrine Nor did the Fellowship of the Apostles consist in subjection to St. Peter Though he was the first in Order yet that he had Authority over the rest there is no ground to assert There is much evidence against it as I have shewn from sundry places of Scripture Nor granting this to St. Peter which they can never prove can they bring down a title from him to the Roman Bishop He hath a better pretence to succeed the Roman Emperors in Monarchy than he hath to succeed any of the Apostles And indeed that was the design as they know that are skild in the writers of antient times Rome seemed a place designd for Empire and when the Emperors faild then the Bishops set up in their stead What the Emperors could not hold by Arms the Bishops would fetch in by Religion And so they obtrude upon all Christians in truth a Secular Monarchy instead of that which my Text calls the Fellowship of the Apostles Thirdly for the two Sacraments of the Apostles they tell us of seven which were instituted by our Lord Iesus Christ. In this Chapter we read of Baptism p. 41. and we read of breaking of Bread in my Text. Here are two but where are the other five They were not thought of at that time for ought that appears to us in Scripture Nay it doth not appear in a thousand years after It was eleven hundred years after when Peter Lombard wrote his Book of the Sentences before which they cannot find the least mention of that number of Sacraments But to speak of no more than that mentioned in my Text. Where is the breaking of bread As they receive it in the Roman Church there is neither breaking nor bread in their Sacrament Where is the Communion of Christs Body and Blood Their daily Worship is the Mass. But their Mass is no Communion The Priest only Consecrates and eats while all the people stand by and adore Was there ever such a thing heard of in the Primitive times In those times none were suffered to be present but only such as received And if any were present they were punishable if they did not receive What could they have thought of such a Sacrament as is now the daily Worship of the Roman Church Sure enough in the Apostles Church as oft as they met to Worship God they All did eat of that one bread 1 Cor. x. 17. And they All were made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. xii 13. And whereas of this last our Saviour having said to his Disciples who were then Lay-men Drink ye all of it St. Mark takes particular notice that they all drank of it which practice we see was followed in the Apostolic Church The Roman Church will let her Laity drink none of it None of the Cup of blessing which we bless But the Cup of Unblessed Wine the Ablution as they call it A trick which they brought up in those corrupt ignorant times I know not why if not on purpose to deceive the people that they may not miss the Wine though they have none of the Blessing So far they are removed from the Original Church in her Sacraments Lastly for the Worship of God here called the Apostles Prayers There are many things in the Roman Church whereof some were forbidden by the Apostles and others cannot consist with their Doctrine The chief part of her Worship is the Sacrifice of the Mass and that is declared in the Creed before-mentioned to be a true proper propitiatory Sacrifice for the living and the dead This horrible affront of Christs Sacrifice and abuse of his Sacrament together was brought in upon the back of that Doctrine of the Corporeal Presence When according to that Doctrine the Priest hath made Christ Next he is to kill him or do somthing as bad for they pretend to sacrifice him to God How this is done the Divines of that Church are not yet agreed It were well if at least they could tell Why they do it For they had need for such a Sacrifice to have a clear Institution from God But they cannot pretend to that There is nothing clearly for it in all the Texts that they bring out of Scripture This they were told aloud at the Council of Trent and others since have acknowledged it They
their Church is not concerned that they should understand it But St. Paul was as we read 1 Cor. xiv 14. If I pray saith he in an Unknown tongue my Spirit prays but my Understanding is unfruitful But I will pray with the Spirit and I will pray with the Understanding also Again verse 16. How shall he that stands in the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks seeing he Understands not what thou sayest Again verse 9. In the Church I had rather speak five words with my Understanding that by my voice I might teach others also than ten thousand words in an Unknown tongue These are plain Texts of Scripture which the Roman Church evidently transgressing does wisely no doubt to keep the Scriptures from the Reading or Understanding of her people For otherwise it could be no great comfort to them to find how directly she goes against as well the Precepts as the Practice of the Apostles I shave shewn that she doth it not only in One or a few Instances But in Many and those of the greatest note In all the Notes that the Apostles have given us of a true Christian Church Having given this account of her that calls her self the Catholic Church Having shewn how far she is removed from this Church in my Text I shall not pass any judgment upon her as she peremptorily doth upon others damning all that are not of her Communion Better leave that to God and they will find so at the last day Only being as she is I think we have all reason to beware of her to thank God that we are at this distance from her to bless her for her curses that have caused that distance to Pray for her and her Children that they may be purged from their Errors And till then to Watch and Pray for our selves and to put it at least in our Private Litany it shall alway be in mine from Popery good Lord deliver us Let us next consider our own Church and when I say our own I know you all understand me that I speak of the Church of England in the first place and proportionably of all other Reformed Churches And this I say If any Church which holds the same Doctrine which retains the same Government which partakes the same Sacraments and the same Worship of God as they did in the Apostles times be a true Apostolical Church We are bound to bless God who hath placed us where we are who hath made us Members of such a Church which hath all those Characters so entire and so visible in it First for Doctrine we profess to believe the Holy Scriptures which I have shewn have been antiently thought to contain the whole Doctrine of the Apostles We acknowledg for Canonical Scriptures neither less nor more than all those Books whose Authority is undoubted in the Church We profess the same Faith and no more than all Christians have professed in all Ages namely that which is briefly comprized in the Apostles Creed explained in the Creeds called the Nicen and that of Athanasius and proved in every Article or Point by the Holy Scriptures taken in that sense which is both most evident in the words and which hath been approved by the consent of the Universal Church Secondly for the Government of our Church as to the Constitution of it it is according to the Scripture rules and Primitive patterns And for the Exercise of it It goes as far as the looseness of the Age will bear If this hath weakened the Discipline of our Church we know the same looseness hath the same effect elsewhere even in those Churches of the Roman Communion And it had no less in the Church of Corinth in the Apostles times For the persons that are emploied in the Ministery They are such as are lawfully called to it they are Consecrated and Ordained for that purpose and that according to the Scripture and Canons of the Universal Church They are such as wholly attend on this very thing in the Apostles words And for our Church of England I may add without prejudice to any other we can derive the Succession of our Bishops from the Apostles as high as most Churches can even of them in the Roman Communion Thirdly for our Sacraments we use the same and no other than those which Christ expresly left to his Church I mean which he both Instituted and Commanded us to use Which can be said of no other than only Baptism and the Lords Supper Lastly For our Public Worship we have cause to bless God that has given us such a Liturgy in which according to all the measures we have of the Apostles we can see nothing but what as to the Substance is Theirs And our most malicious Enemies can tell us of no other ill they see in it but only this that the Words of it are Ours The Ministration of this Worship and of these Sacraments is in a Language understood by all those that are concerned in them They can all say Amen to their Prayers It is performed with such Rites as are not against the word of God but are agreeable to it being only for order and decency And we use them not as necessary in themselves but in obedience to the Authority which every Church hath over its own Members We do according to Saint Cyprians rule condemn or judg no other Church We separate from none any otherwise than by purging our selves from those things which we believe to be Corruptions and Errors to which end several of those Articles were framed to be subscribed by our own Clergy without imposing them on any other In all these respects our Church holds a Communion or hath done nothing to break it with any other National Church no not with those of the Roman Communion and is not only what they deny a true Member but what they are not a Sound member of that one Holy Catholic Church which was from the beginning and which will be to the end of the world The last thing is having proved we have a true Church to persuade you First to continue in it stedfastly And Secondly in the Belief and Practice of those things by which it appears to be a true Church And Lastly to profit by them and so to adorn our Holy Religion with a Holy and good Conversation First to persuade you to continue stedfastly in this Church it is enough if you are convinced that you cannot mend your selves by any Change Who would not desire to continue where he is well Who would not stick to that which is the best he can chuse Who would needlesly run the danger of any loss Especially of losing himself which is the greatest loss that is possible and yet That we have reason to expect from the just indignation of God if we shall reject the great
Thess. Hom. 3. Ib. Tom. IV. p. 234 19. c Aug. de Doctr. Christianâ l. 2. c. 9. Edit Basil. 1541. Tom. III. Col. 25. D. In iis enim c. d Basil. M. Hom. 29. Edit Paris 1618. Tom. I. p. 623. C. e Hieron adv Helvid Edit Basil. 1524. Tom. II. p. 13. B. a Iren. adv Haer. l. 1. c. 2. 3. alii passim b Cyprian Testim ad Quirinum lib. 1. 2. proving all things of Faith and Life from the Scripture Constantin M. apud Theodorit Hist. Eccl. l. 1. c. 7. Edit Vales. p. 25. D. Offers the Scriptures for deciding all Controversies touching the Faith So Athanasius and others prove every disputed Article And when the Heretics produced Tradition on their side the Fathers always held them to the Scriptures a Mat. xxviii 2c b Mat. x. 40. c Act. i. 20. d Mat. xix 28. Luke xxii 30. a Matth. xviii â— xx 24. b Mat. Luk. xxii 24 c Mat. xx 26. xxiii 8 9 10. Luke xxii 26. d Joh. xx 21 22 23. a Usually but not always for at Jerusalem St. James being Bishop there had the Precedence Act. xv â—al ii 9. b Cyprian de Unit. Eccl. c. 3. Edit Paris 1649. p. 208. The other Apostles were also that which Peter was they had an equall share both of Honor and of Power Epist. 51. p. 80. Every Bishop orders his own affairs and is to give account to God Epist. 54. p. 95. Every one has his own Flock to govern of which he is to give account to God Conc. Carth. de Bapt. Haeret. p. 353. No Bishop can be judged by another or can judg another But we all wait for the Iudgment of Christ who is the only One that has Power both to put us into the Office and to judg of our Discharge of it Tertullian de Praescript c. 36. Edit Paris 1641. p. 245. Run over the Apostolic Churches in which are yet the very Chairs of the Apostles Ye have Corinth Ye have Ephesus Ye have Philippi Ye have Rome Cyprian Epist. 26. p. 42. Christ said to Peter Thou art Peter and I will give thee the Keys c. From thence by course of times and successions is derived the Ordination of Bishops in the Church Epist. 74. p. 163. The Bishops have succeeded the Apostles being ordained in their stead a Iren. contra Haereses l. III. c. 3. We can reckon up them who by the Apostles were made Bishops in the several Churches b Epist. 68. p. 136. The Church is a People united to their own Bishop and a Flock adhering to their own Pastor Ibid. Polycarpus by the Apostles made Bishop of the Church of Smyrna c Epist. 66. p. 128. To Steven Bishop of Rome Therefore my dear Brother there is a numerous body of Bishops united together by the bond of Concord and Vnity that if any one of our College should attempt to make a Sect and to tear and spoil the Flock of Christ the rest may come in to help and as good and compassionate Shepherds may gather the Lord's sheep into the flock a Matt. xxviii 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make Disciples so Acts xiv 21. But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Disciples is as much to say as Christians Acts. xi 26. b Matt. xxviii 20. c Matt. xxvi 26. Mar. xiv 22. Lu. xxii 19. 1 Cor. xi 24. d Matt. xxvi 28. Mar. xiv 24. Luke xxii 20. 1 Cor. xi 25. a 1 Cor. x. 16. b 1 Cor. x. 16 17. xi 26 27 28. c Matt. xxvi 29. Mar. xiv 25. d Matt. xxvi 27. e Mark xiv 23. a Luke xxiv 53. a Plin. lib. â— Epist. 97. b Justin M. Apol. II. Edit Paris 1636. p. 97 c. c Plin. ib. d Justin ibid. p. 98. D. e P. 97. C. f P. 64. D. g P. 97. C. and for all others every where that we may learn the truth c. h p. 63. D. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 64. D. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i P. 97. D. 98. D a Bellarmin de Conciliis Ecclesiâ lib. 4. a In the form of Profession Prescribed by Pius IV. according Decree of the Council of Trent Sess. XXIV Decret de Reform cap. 1. 12. b Concil Edit Labb Tom. XIV Col. 946. B. c Of Transubstantiation this is confest by Did in Can. Missae Lect. 40. beginning that Whether the Bread be turned into Christs Body or remains with his Body it is not found exprest in the Scriptures Bellarmin de Eucharist III. 23. Tertiò addit mentions others of their Church that had said the like and he grants it not improbable that it could not he proved out of Scripture till the Scripture was declared by a General Council meaning as he there shews that of Lateran above twelve hundred years after Christ. Of Auricular Confession Gloss. in Decr. de Poenit. dist 5. beginning Semeca saith it was instituted by some Tradition of the Vniversal Church rather than by the Authority of the New or Old Testament Panormitan super Quinto de Poenit. Remis c. Omnis utriusque saith I am much pleased with that opinion of Semeca For there is not any plain Authority which shews that God or Christ instituted plainly that Confession should be made to a Priest Biel in Sent. IV. 17. G. saith It was delivered by word and deed without any Scripture For Image Worship Bellarmin de Eccl. Triumph II. 12. can find only two Texts of the New Testament Mat. 5. 33. Swear neither by Heaven for it is Gods Throne nor by Earth for it is his Footstool and 2 Tim. iii. 15. From a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures Of Purgatory Baconthorp in sent 1. 4. dist 49. q. 1. saith Others think it cannot be proved by the Authority of Scripture Petrus à Soto saith It cannot be plainly proved from testimonies of Scripture Chemnit Exam. Conc. Trid. Sess. 25. beginning Perion saith he knows no place of Scripture to prove it Bulenger saith It is hard to bring any express and clear Text for it Chamier Panstr Tom. III. l. 26. c. 2. §. 3. For Indulgences St. Antonin Summ. Moral part 1. Tit. 10. c. 3. beginning Of Indulgences we have nothing expresly from Scripture nor from the sayings of the Antients but of the late Doctors Cajetan opusc Tom. I. tract 15. c. 1. Of the Rise of them no Authority of Scripture or Antient Doctors Greek or Latin have brought this to our knowledg only within these three hundred years it hath been written c. Bishop Fisher Assert Luther Confutatio Art 18. p. 135. grants there is neither Precept nor Counsel for it in Scripture a As that What we receive in the Sacrament is Bread in it's own nature and essence and that it nourisheth our Body c. That wicked men receive no other but Bread though to the Faithful it is truly Christ's Body and therefore it is called his Body That it is a Sacrament a Sign an Image and
pain according to the Degrees of their sins All the Fathers were of some or other of these Opinions which are all inconsistent with the Roman Doctrine of Purgatory b Aúg. de Fide Operibus c. 15. Tom. IV. p. 69. E. saith Some think men that die in sin may be purged with Fire and then be saved holding the Foundation For so they understand that Text. 1 Cor. iii. 13. They shall be saved as by Fire So Enchirid. ad Laurent c. 67â— Tom. III. p. 175. C. Ibid. de Fide Operibus p. 71. B. He saith that this is one of those places which St. Peter saith are hard to be understood which men ought not to wrest to their own Destruction Ibid. c. 16. p. 73. B. He saith for his own part he understandeth that Text to be meant of the Fire of Tribulation in this life So Enchir. ad Laur. Ib. c. 68. But for the Doctrine he saith that some such thing may be is not Incredible and whether it be so it may be enquired and it may be found or it may not So Enchir. ad Laur. c. 69. p. 176. D. All these Texts he repeats again in his answer to the first of the eight Questions of Dulâ—itius De Civitate Dei l. XXI c. 26. Tom. V. p. 1315. B. He again delivereth the same meaning of that Text. And as to the Doctrin he saith I do not find fault with it for Perhaps it is true Ibid. p. 1316. B. I suppose St. Austin would not have said this of the Doctrine of Christs Incarnation c Pope Gregory I. in his Dialogues where among many idle tales he hath some that are palpably false andd such as bewray both his Ingorance and Credulity together For Example that of St. Paulins being a Slave in Afric till the Death of the King of the Vandals who could be no other than Genseric that out-lived St. Paulin five and forty years And yet Gregory saith I heard this from our Elders and this I do as firmly believe as if I had seen it with my own Eyes lib. 1. Praef. c. 1. d Bishop Fisher against Luthers Assert Art 18. p. 132. saith it was a good while unknown and then it was believed by some pedetentim by little and little and so at last it came to be generally received by the Church e Platina who then lived in the life of Eugenius IV. Edit Colon. 1593. p. 310. saith After many meetings and much contention about it the Greeks at last being overcome with reasons did believe there was a place of Purgatory But he adds that not long after they returned to what they held before And in the life of Nicolas V. p. 323 324. he saith that he would fain have reduced them to the Catholic Faith but he could not Bishop Fisher ubi supra saith There is none or very seldom mention of it among the Ancients and it is not believed by the Greeks to this day Alphonsus de Castro adv Haeres l. 8. Tit. Indulg hath the same words and l. 12. Tit. Purgatorium saith That this is one of the most known Errors of the Greeks and Armenians Bzov. contin Baron Anno 1514. n. 19. saith The Muscovites and Russians believe no Purgatory Most of these believe a middle State as those Ancients did but that will not stand with this Doctrin a For the Age of it scarce any go higher than the Stations of Pope Gregory I. Who lived about the year Six hundred And to fetch it from those Times they have no antienter Author than Thomas Aquinas for neither Gratian nor Peter Lombard have so much as one word of this matter So Cardinal Cajetan Opusc. Tom. I. tract 15. c. 1. saith This only has been written within these three hundred years as concerning the Antient Fathers that Pope Gregory instituted the Indulgences of Stations as Aquinas hath it So likewise Bishop Fisher and Alphonsus a Castro both ubi Supra Cardinal Bellarmin de Indulg l. 3. offers some kind of proof from Elder Times in such a manner as if he would not oblige us to believe it But for the Instance of Pope Gregory I. he saith we are Impudent if we deny it But with Bellarmins leave a French Oratoire Morinus de Poenit. l. 10. â— 20. does deny it and convicts this and all his other Proofs of Indulgences before Gregory VII to be nothing but Forgery and Imposture It seems probable indeed that Gregory VII commonly known by his former name Hildebrand was the first that granted any Indulgences and that was above a thousand years after Christ. Cardinal Tolet. casuum l. VII c. 21. 1. saith that Paschal II. was the first that granted Indulgences for the Dead That must be about the year eleven hundred And Ibid. lib. VI. c. 24. 3. he saith that the first that granted Plenary Indulgences was Pope Boniface VIII who lived about the year thirteen hundred So antient is this new Catholic Faith b The Ground of this Faith according to Bellarmin de Indulg l. 2 3. is made up of a number of School Opinions put together about which Opinions as he there saith the School-men have differed among themselves But all his comfort is that they that did not hold his way were ready to acquiess in the Iudgment of the Church if she held otherwise He might as well have said that the Church when they lived was so far from having declared her Judgment of this Doctrine that she had not yet declared her sense of those Opinions which were to be the Ground of it in after-times c The design of Hildeâ—ands Indulgences was to engage men to fight in his quarrel and to do other Services to the Papacy Greg. VII Epist. II. 54. and VI. 10 15. and VII 13. and VIII 6. The design of Pope Boniface in his farther Improvement of this Invention was to get Mony Chron. Citiz. Anno 1289. He was greedy of Mony and to gather it he sent his Legates into divers parts of the world to trade with Indulgences And with these he raised very great sums enough to have maintained a Holy War But what became of it we shall know at Doomsday a Transubstantiation for the Honour of the Clergy Confession for their Power and Authority Image Worship to bring in Oblations to the Church Purgatory for the Profit of Masses to the Lower Clergy Indulgences for the Profit of the Superior Plenary Indulgences for the Popes own Coffers a For Transubstantiation the first that wrote was Paschas Rathertus about the year 820. And he tells us of sundry Persons that had seen instead of the Host one a Lamb another a Child another flesh and blood Paschas de corp sang Dom. c. 14. And after the year 1200 when it was defined to be of Faith Caesarius of Heisterbach wrote a whole Volume of Miracles that were wrought in that Age to confirm the Truth of it more in number than are Recorded in Scripture to confirm the whole Divine Revelation