be too great for such Offenders So James and John were perswaded of the Samaritans and upon much better grounds For they had some Excuse in their Case which the Church of Rome hath not and that was ignorance And this Apologie JesusChrist makes for them saying Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of But in the Church of Rome or in any other Christian Church whatsoever whatever the Case of particular Persons may be as to the whole Church and the governing part of it this ignorance is wilful and affected and therefore inexcusable For the Christian Religion which they profess to embrace doth as plainly teach the contrary as it doth any other matter whatsoever And it is not more evident in the New Testament thatChrist dyed for sinners than that Christians should not persecute and destroy one another for the mis-belief of any Article of revealed Religion much less for the dis-belief of such Articles as are invented by men or are imposed as only Ceremonies Those whom we call Hereticks and Schismaticks saith Salvian do not think they are so They are Hereticks and Schismaticks in our Opinion but in their own they are not For they think they are Catholicks in as much as they call us Hereticks therefore what they are to us we are to them Haeretici sunt sed non scientes apud nos sunt haeretici apud se non sunt nam in tantum se Catholicos esse judicant ut nos ipsos titulo haereticae pravitatis infament Quod ergo illi nobis sunt hoc nos illis Therefore as we would not have them to persecute us for our Religion so we ought not to persecute them for theirs As ye would that all men should do unto you so do you unto them FINIS 1 Cor. 3. 11. Ephes 2. 19 20 21. 2 Tim. 1. 9. Eph. 5 25 26 27. 2 Tim. 2. 1. Mat. 13. 24 30. Fulgent ad Petr. c 43. 1 Tim. 4. Mat. 28. 29. 1 Joh. 5. 7. Joh. 15. 21. Aug. lib. 15. de trin Tho. Aquinas q. 32. ar 1. in conclus Joh. 10. 13 1 John 5. 20. Ro. 9. 5. Heb. 1. 3. Phil. 2. 6. Rev. 1. 8. Col. 2. 3. Col. 2. 9. Col. 1. 16 ' 17. Heb. 1. 3. Joh. 5. 21. Joh. 5. 23. Rev. 4. 10. 11. 1 Cor. 8. 4. Deu. 4. 35. Joh. 17. 3. 1 Cor. 8. 16. 1 Tim. 2 5. Gal. 1. 1. Act. 3. 26. Mat. 24. 36. Joh. 17. 13. 1 Cor. 8. 6. Joh. 10. 17 Luk. 24. 17. Joh. 21. 17 Col. 2. 3. Isa 11. Joh. 21. 17 Luk. 2. 52. Aug. lib. 1. de Trin. Joh. 16. 12 Joh. 6. 62. Joh. 16. 27 Joh. 1. 5. Joh. 8. 59. Heb. 1. 11 12. 13. phil 2. 6 7. 1 Joh. 5. 20. Rom. 9. 5. Col. 2. 9. Paul Joh. 5. 22 23. Joh. 1. 9. Joh. 1. 3. Joh. 16. 15. v. 17. 10. Joh. 16. 7. 15. 25. 1 Cor. 2. 10. Joh. 16. 13 Joh. 16. 13. Act. 13. 2. Eph. 4. 3. Rom. 8. 26. 1 Cor. 2. 10. 1 Cor. 13. 4 5. Rom. 8. 27. Joh. 15. 26. Joh. 16. 7. Joh. 16. 13 Act. 5. 4. Act. 15. 29. 1 Cor. 8. 13 Exod. 20. Cor. 6. 9. 1 Cor. 10. 25. 1 Tim. 4. Rom. 14. 14. Act. 15. 29 Col. 2. Mat. 28. 19 Act. 2. 38. 1 Pet. 3. 21. Gen. 17. 7. Act. 2. 39. Mat. 29. 18 Mat. 19. 13 Joh. 3. 5. Rom. 5. Act. 16. 13 1 Cor. 1. 16 1 Cor. 10. 2 Mat. 5. 33 34. Jam 5 12. Heb. 6. 16. 2 Sam. 21. 7. Rom. 1. 9. to J. 2. 5. Exod. 20. 8 9 10. Isa 6. 9. and Mat. 13. 14. Gen. 2. 23. 1 Cor. 4. 6. Mat. 28. 1. Luk. 27. Joh. 2. 1. 1 Cor. 16. 1 Act. 20. 7. Act. 16. 13 14 15. Mat. 24. 20 Col. 2. 16 17. 1 Cor. 10. 25. Col. 2. 17. Ezek. 20. 12. Col. 2. 16 17. Mark 2. 27 28. 1 Cor. 9. 22. Mat. 18. 17 Col. 2. 14. Mark 14. 21. Joh. 1. Act. 2. Act. 20. 1 Cor. 16. 1 Cor. 4. 6. Mat. 15. 9. Mat. 6. 9. Dr. Beveridge 1 Cor. 11. 2 1 Cor. 14. 26. 1 Cor. Mat. 19. 13 Mar. 10. 14 Joh. 13. 5. v. 14 15. Jam. 5. 14. Isa 6. 3. Psal 81. Irenaeus lib. 4 c 62. 2 Cor 6. 17 Isa 52. 11. Act. 4. 12. Epist 152. ad Hom. 11. in Eph. Lact. lib. 4. de vera sap relig c. 30. Aug. de symb ad cathec l. 4. c. 10. Conc. Cart can 1. 〈◊〉 de remiss peccat l. 1. c. 22. Idem de side ad petr Diac. c. 39. Mat. 18. 17 Fulg. de remiss peccat lib. 1. c. 22 Lactant. de vera sap rel lib. 4. c. 30. Mat. 19. 16. Joh. 6. 53. Joh. 3. 5. Mat. 16. 16 1 Cor. 2. 8. Act. 9. v. 8. 3. v. 7. 38. Serm. 14. de Sanctis Act. 5. 29. Rom. 13. 2 Aug. de symb ad Cathec lib. 4. c. 10. Tit. 3. 10 11. Luke Greg. ad Episc constantinop Salv.
the Glory of God Is the Custom of wearing the Surplice of singing and playing upon Organs forbidden in any Chapter of the holy Scripture If they were pray inform me where it is What evil consequence follows therefrom Instead of this doth it not serve to distinguish Lay-man from Clerk and to cause a greater respect to be given to the things belonging to the Worship of God and to put him that wears it in mind that when he cometh to Church to administer divine Service he ought to be pure in his heart which is signified unto him by the whiteness of his Surplice which is the Symbole of Purity And doth not Musick and Organs used especially in Cathedral Churches serve to raise up our minds to inflame our hearts with the love of God to lift them up towards Heaven and to cause them to desire to be for ever in that holy and blessed Company wherein with an Harmony that infinitely surpasses our Musick here upon Earth they sing Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his Glory And is it not conformable to several Texts of the holy Scripture wherein it is said Sing aloud unto God our strength make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Take a Psalm and bring hither the Timbrel the pleasant Harp with the Psaltery blow up the Trumpet Therefore it is clear and certain that the Ceremonies of the Church of England are lawful they being not contrary to the holy Scripture but conducing to the Glory of God and Edification of our Souls Now because these words Not to think of men above that which is written and these In vain they do worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men are not to be understood concerning Ceremonies but concerning points of Faith and finding several Ceremonies used among the first Christians even in Christs and his Apostles time whereof some were specified as I have made it appear already and some not specified whereof no particular mention is made in the holy Scripture as it may be inferred from these words of St. Paul Let all things be done decently and in order it follows that the Church of England is the holy Catholick Church since she believes and practises nothing but what is agreeable to the Christian Doctrine It is then without good Reason that a great many separate themselves from that Church it being the holy Catholick For those who knowing her to be such separate themselves from her are Schismaticks and out of hope of Salvation First I say that they are Schismaticks because they have not sufficient Reason to warrant their Separation For as saith Irenaeus Schismata operantur qui sunt immanes non habentes Dei dilectionem fuamque utilitatem potius considerantes quà m unitatem Ecclesiae propter Modicas quaslibet causas magnum gloriosum corpus Christi dividant quantum in ipsis est interficiunt pacem loquentes bellum operantes verè liquantes culicem Camelum transglutientes Those are Schismaticks who are cruel having not the love of God before their eyes but rather embracing their own In̄terest than the Vnity of the Church and for small and light causes divide the great and glorious Body of Christ and murder it as much as is in their power speaking Peace and making War straining at a Gnat and swallowing a Camel Ceremonies are no points of Faith therefore he that separates himself because of Ceremonies separates himself for small and light Causes and therefore he is a Schismatick and if he only be Schismatick who separates himself from the Church for small and light Causes as saith Irenaeus and is granted by Divines then on the other hand he is no Schismatick who separates himself for great and weighty Causes as for Idolatry and other Articles of Faith which they will have us to believe under pain of eternal Damnation and which are not found in the holy Scripture or are directly contrary to it Therefore we separating our selves from those of the Roman Church for great and weighty Causes it is manifest we are not Schismaticks and as no man should separate himself from a Church for small and light Reasons so he is bound to separate himself when he finds evidently that that Church believes and practises Articles of Faith which are not in the holy Scripture or are directly contrary to it which is enjoyned unto us by St. Paul and Isaiah saying Come out frone among them and be ye separate For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness And what Communion hath light with darkness And what Concord hath Christ with Belial Or what part hath he that believes with an Infidel And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols This is the only lawful Cause of Separation and for this Cause we separate our selves from those of the Roman Church or rather they separte themselves from us for Schism is not to be Imputed unto us because we believe and practise nothing in the Church but what is agreeable to the holy Scripture Wherefore it may be justly imputed to them because they do not only believe and practise but also will have us to believe and practise several Articles of Faith which are neither distinctly contained in the holy Scripture nor can be deduced from it by clear and necessary Consequences They then that separate themselves from the Church of England because of Ceremonies do separate themselves for small and light Causes and consequently are Schismaticks Secondly I say they are out of hope of Salvation for as man is composed of a body and spirit and as his body liveth by his spirit whilst it is united to the body So if we will live by the Spirit of Christ we must be united to Christ's Body but the Mystical Body of Christ is the Church therefore they that are separated from the Mystical Body of Christ cannot be vivified by the spirit of Christ and consequently cannot be saved for those only are saved that are vivified by the spirit of Christ Which is very well represented by the Deluge and Ark of Noah for as all perished temporally by the Deluge that were not in the Ark so all shall perish eternally who are out of the Catholick Church And as no body could escape drowning being out of the Ark so neither shall any escape Damnation out of the Church And as none of the first born of Aegypt lived but such as were within these Habitations whose Door posts were sprinkled with blood by the appointment of God for their preservation And as none of the Inhabitants of Jericho could escape the Fire and Sword but such as were within the House of Rahab for whose Protection a Covenant was made So none shall ever escape the eternal wrath of God which is not a Member of the holy Catholick Church For as There is no other name under Heaven given among men whereby we can be saved but the Name of Jesus So
THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND Evidently proved the HOLY CATHOLICK CHURCH By Peter Berault the Author of the Church of Rome prov'd Heretick If he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen man and a Publican Mat. 18. 17. He shall not have God for his Father who will not have the Church for his Mother Aug. de symb ad Cathec lib. 4. c. 10. LONDON Printed by T. Hodgkin for the Author 1682 TO His HIGHNESS Prince RVPERT Count Palatine of the Rhyne Duke of Bavaria and Cumberland Earl of Holderness Constable of the Royal Castle of Windsor Knight of the Noble Order of the Garter One of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council c. May It please your Highness THe two small Books which I did presume to present unto your Highness were so kindly accepted that having no otherway in any measure to acknowledge this favour but the Dedication of this I thought I could do no less than to dedicate it unto so good so wise meek and generous a Person as your self being not only a true and sincere Protestant nor only a living Member but also an unmoveable Pillar of the holy Catholick Church and though Jesus Christ said that the Gates of Hell should not prevail against it yet the Devil having a root of Evil and enmity in himself night and day seeks its destruction To effect which he subtilly Proteus-like appears in different forms assaulting it several ways either by raising against it those of the Church of Rome insinuating that we being separated from them are excluded all hopes of Salvation and that they are bound with fire and sword to seek our utter ruine and destruction or insinuating to other Dissenters from the Church of England that to live up to the strict Rule and Principles of the Christian Religion they are obliged to separate themselves from it This Maxime is received in Philosophy Sublatâ causâ tollitur effectus the Cause being removed the Effect ceaseth therefore when I have made appear that those Insinuations of Satan are deceitful and that the belief and practice of the Church of England is conformable to the holy Scripture I hope I shall be able to bruise the head of that old Serpent and to procure the Church's peace especially having for my Patron so vertuous a Prince so great a lover of Peace so good a Member and so strong a Pillar of the holy Catholick Church I do not here intend any Panegyrick knowing your Highness takes much greater pleasure in doing good than in hearing the repeated Ecchoes of your Princely Merits looking on your Noble Virtues as a fitter Subject for the Records of Honour in which your Highness will be praised to all succeeding Ages There your brave and warlike Actions Wisdom Prudence Goodness piercing and solid Understanding in all Sciences and Affairs discreet Conduct and diligent Cares for the maintenance of the true Protestant Religion and Catholick Faith against all Superstitions Errors Idolatries and cruel Persecutions of the Church of Rome will be much better described than I could here have done with my Pen. There every one may read that at 13 years of Age your Highness march'd to the Siege of Rhynberg At the Age of 18 Commanded a Regiment of Horse in the German Wars in 1642 came into England fought and defeated Colonel Sands near Worcester routed the Rebels Horse at Edge-hill took Cirencester raised the Siege of Newark recovered Litchfield and Bristol fought the great Battle at Marston-moor and in 1666 being joyned Admiral with the Duke of Albemarle attackt the whole Dutch Fleet in such a bold resolute but prudent and discreet way that you soon put the Enemy to the flight And though we live in an Age wherein every one seems to be free to speak what he will and not to spare even those whom they have no reason to speak against yet nothing can be said but in your Praise and Commendation I conclude this Epistle humbly begging of your Highness to accept of this small Treatise I could have enlarged it had I not known that Princes who are commonly incumbred with several important Affairs have no time to read great Volumes When your spare-hours will allow to make a perusal of this which though little yet contains much I hope your Highness will receive some satisfaction and see that my whole intention is to wish the Peace of this Nation the Glory of God Almighty the good of his holy Catholick Church the Salvation of the Souls of men and the reducing of the wandring sheep whether Popish or other Dissenters into Uniformity which is heartily desired by Your Highnesses Most humble most obedient and affectionate Servant Peter Berault TO THE READER Unprejudiced Reader AS it is not enough to depart from evil but we are obliged to do good Even so it is not enough to have prov'd the Roman Church Heretick but also to make appear that the Church of England is the holy Catholick Church But if in reading what I have written thou sayest I have not done well because thou dost not understand it blame my Discourse not my Faith It may be another might speak more clearly upon this Subject nevertheless no man did ever speak so that in all things he could be understood by all Persons alike Therefore let him who is not pleased herewith see whether he understands others better when they speak or write concerning the same things And if he doth let him shut my Book yea let him throw it into the fire and employ his time in reading those that he understands better However let him not think I was bound to be silent because I have not written so clearly as those which he understands for all that is written doth not fall into the hands of every man and it may be also that those which read what I have written may not find any Books wherein such Questions are handled more clearly Wherefore it is good to have several Books of a different style though not of a different Faith concerning the same Questions because the same thing is oftentimes by some conceived one way by others another But if he that complains he doth not understand these things could not comprehend them when others have disputed about them with subtilty let him desire God that he would be pleased to enlighten his Spirit and cease to blame me and to say it had been better for me to be silent But should the Reader object I very well understand what is written but what is written is not true let him prove his Opinion and let him confute mine which if he doth with charity and truth and makes it appear unto me I shall confess my self very much obliged unto him and think my Endeavours in composing this small Treatise sufficiently rewarded I know Opinions concerning Religion being many in this Nation I cannot be without a great many Foes but if they consider that I have no other intention than to manifest the Truth and procure
Peace among our selves love towards one another and union to the holy Catholick Church out of which whosoever is is a Schismatick and excluded all hopes of Salvation as I will make appear hereafter then they will cease to hate and begin to love me But oftentimes it happens quite contrary to our good intention as when Jesus Christ manifested unto the Jews the Vices which they were given to his intention was that they should hate their sins and not the Physician who was willing to heal them But it hapned on the contrary they were ungrateful saith Augustine for being grown mad they assaulted the Physician who came to cure them I may say the same thing concerning those who are unwilling to hear Christian Doctrines their Interest is to know them since it concerns their eternal Salvation and therefore they ought to receive those who are so charitable as to instruct them with a greater kindness than a King doth the dearest of his Courtiers But too often we see the contrary They look upon those Physicians of their Souls as upon their greatest Enemies nevertheless since there are some who are glad to hear the truth and receive it in meekness to those especially I direct this Discourse my design is to convince them and so to draw them out of the Error in which they have walked many years wherein I hope with God's assistance to have good success because I shall say nothing but grounded upon sound Reason and the Authority of the holy Scripture and Fathers which I shall quote faithfully to the end that these Authorities may be as many Bucklers to defend me from all the stroaks which some would offend me with that I may not be wounded before I see them run through and overthrown Naked Truth and the publishers of it are commonly hated in this World And though it be written in Esdras that Truth is stronger than Wine than Women than Kings yet we daily see by experience that for all its strength it is oftentimes cruelly assaulted and miserably subdued upon Earth Every one knows what Persecutions Jesus Christ suffered because he would make it appear unto all men his Apostles Disciples and Martyrs were not only hated but after his Example endured several Torments even death it self because they would defend and make it manifest If I have written any thing not agreeable to the Word of God or sound Reason I shall be very glad and thankful in being informed of it therefore I submit this small Treatise to the censure of the Church and to the judgment of all learned and godly men whose delight is to draw Truth from the holy Scripture Farewel ADVERTISEMENT IF any Gentleman or Gentlewoman hath a mind to learn French or Latin the Author of this Treatise will wait upon them he liveth in Thames-street over against Baynard's Castle THE Church of England Prov'd the Holy Catholick Church THe Roman Church appropriates this glorious Title to her self only thunders Anathema's against all other Churches whatever calls them Hereticks and Schismaticks declares unless they unite themselves with her they are without any hope of Salvation uses a thousand subtilties to draw them to her Communion deceives and frightens the simple and ignorant making them believe that out of her there is no Salvation offers great rewards to the learned persecutes them that will not be either corrupted with fat Preferments or deceived and frightned with several Fables wherewith they are entertain'd deprives them of their Estates and Employments c. and forces them to forsake their Country as the poor Protestants of France are now necessitated to either causing them to be burnt alive or inflicting several other cruel torments upon them as it is at this time the Custom in Italy and Spain I confess that the Roman Church was not always cruel I grant that in the Apostle's time and first Ages I mean when they observed the holy Scripture both in its Practice and Doctrine they could justly boast of this glorious Title Holy Cacholick But since they were corrupted and have diminished from and added unto the holy Scripture several points of Faith which they impose upon us under pain of Damnation and since they are fallen into Heresie they have lost this fair and glorious Title These words Holy Catholick cannot be justly attributed unto them it is the Church of England which now most 〈◊〉 and gloriously possesses these honourable Qualities But as women that have lost their honour are grown debauch'd when they quarrel with them that are honest and vertuous are used to call them Whores first lest that villainous and odious name should be cast upon themselves so the Church of Rome having lost the fair qualities of Holy Catholick and being fallen into Heresie is wont to call the Church of England Heretical lest she should justly reflect upon her that which she falsly accuses her with I will not go abovt here to prove that the Church of Rome is Heretick I have done it already per argumentum adhominem that is by their own Principles in a small Treatise so intituled Those who have the Book and have read it over are fully convinced of it and those that have it not if they desire to have it may be satisfied as soon as they are pleased to acquaint me with their laudable intention Wherefore I shall here make it evident that the Church of England is the holy Catholick Church which being proved there being but one holy Catholick Church it will appear that the Church of Rome hath lost this glorious and noble Title But before I make it appear it will be necessary rightly to understand the words Church Holy Catholick The word Church is usually taken either for the place where people are gathered together to pray and worship God or else for a Congregation of humane Persons professing the Christian Faith whereof Jesus Christ is the foundation For other Foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ and though the Apostles and the Prophets be also termed the Foundation yet Jesus Christ himself is the chief corner Stone in whom all the Building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy Temple in the Lord. We accept the word Church in this latter sence wherefore by the Church we understand a Body or Collection of humane Persons professing the same Faith in Christ gathered together in several places of the World for the Worship of the same God The Church thus described may be called Holy in several respects and for several Reasons First In reference to the Vocation by which all the members thereof are called and separated from the rest of the World to God which Separation in the Language of the Scriptures is a Sanctification and so the calling being holy for God called us with an holy calling the Body which is thus separated and congregated may well be termed Holy Secondly In relation to the Offices appointed and the Powers exercised in the Church
adjured upon Oath St. Paul oftentimes called God to witness for the Confirmation of what he saith seeing David and several others have used it in the Old Testament and God himself who cannot give us a bad Example used it for the Confirmation of his Promises it is a clear and evident sign that it is lawful and that we are to explain these words of St. Matthew I say unto you swear not at all as also these others of St. James above all things my Brethren swear not they ought to be interpreted not generally but in a limited sence as only forbidding swearing in common Conversation and in our ordinary Commerce and Affairs as it appears by the words immediately following viz. Let your Communication be yea yea and nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil From whence it follows though Swearing or Oaths ought to be avoided in our Conversations because they are then so many sins yet there is a time and there are occasions as when the matter is doubtful and of concern and no Evidence can be had to clear and decide it when they are not only lawful but also very necessary And therefore when at certain times and upon certain occasions the Church of England commands to sware or take an Oath and believes it lawful she doth neitherbelieve nor practise any thing forbidden in the holy Scripture Object It is written in the 20th Chapter of Exod. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy Son nor thy Daughter thy man-Servant nor thy maid-Servant nor thy Cattel nor thy Stranger that is within thy Gates for in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it The Church of England doth not keep this divine Commandment but observes the first day of the week instead of the seventh therefore she is not the holy Catholick Church Before I give an Answer to this Objection I will give leave to my Adversary to say all that he can to establish his Opinion When I read saith he these words in the 20th Chapter of Exodus or when I see them written in great Letters in our Churches or hear them pronounced aloud at the Communion Table the first day of the week which we call Sunday I think that the words of Isaiah Hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not may be well here adapted And may not this be justly attributed unto us since the Jews excepted with a small number of Christians scattered in the North we neither practise what we read nor what we hear And that this may appear clearly it is necessary to consider without any prejudice that the aforesaid words contain a day determined by God which we are bound to keep holy and whereon we ought to rest But it is the seventh day which God kept holy and whereon he rested therefore it is that and no other which we ought to keep holy and whereon we are bound to rest That it is the day upon which God rested which we are bound to keep holy appears evidently by these words In it thou shalt not do any work For what mean these words but thou shalt not do any work in the day whereon God rested This is the most natural Explication that a man can give to them But God foreseeing he should be forgot by his Creatures gives us warning saying Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day And that that day is the seventh which we call Saturday appears again evidently First by these words But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God Secondly by the next In six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day Thirdly because we read in Genesis God rested on the seventh day from all his works which he had made and God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it Therefore it is that day which is to be kept holy for it is an Axiome received in Divinity viz. that men neither can nor ought to change what was established and determined by God as for Example Water in Baptism and Bread and Wine in the Lord's Supper cannot be changed by men because they have been established and determined by Jesus Christ who is received as God among Christians Is it not written Cursed is he that addeth any thing to the Law or diminisheth from it doth not St. Paul forbid not to think of men above that which is written and doth not Christ himself say in St. Matthew In vain they do worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men That the seventh day is our Saturday is again manifested First because since Moses the Jews who did always and do still keep the seventh day do keep our Saturday for their Sabbath Secondly Because as Sabbath among the Hebrews is the seventh day Sabbato among the Italians Sabbado among the Spaniards Samedy among the French so is Saturday among the English men Thirdly Because the Evangelists saying in our Translation that Jesus Christ was risen the first day of the week which according to the Language of the Scriptures is the next day after the Sabbath it follows evidently our Saturday preceding the first day of the week and the Sabbath being the seventh day that the seventh day is our Sabbath But it is in vain to bring such Proofs unto them who acknowledg to have changed the Saturday or seventh to the first day of the week Therefore since our Saturday is the seventh day of the week and God rested on it blessed sanctified it and commanded us to keep it holy is it not just in Obedience to God to keep it so Some will answer saith my Adversary that that change was made First That we might have no Communication with the Jews Secondly Because Jesus Christ arose upon the first day of the week Thirdly Because we read that the Apostles met on that day To the first Objection my Adversary replyeth that we ought to have Communication with the Jews in all things which are good Otherwise the Jews believing in one God we should not believe so and they believing in the Old Testament it should not be the Object of our Faith To the Second he saith that a Question may be made whether he rose on the first day of the week none of the Evangelists in the Original saying in express words the first day of the week but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But though this be true is it a sufficient Reason to change the day which God himself hath prescribed unto us blessed sanctified and commanded We may remember the day of his Resurrection and keep it holy but we ought not because he rose
there is no other Church wherein we can be saved but the holy Catholick Which is confirmed by the Fathers Whosoever saith Chrysostome divides the unity of the Church the mystical Body of our Lord he shall not incur a less punishment than those have done who pierced mangled and tore his Body Sola Catholica Ecclesia est quae verum cultum retinet Hic est Eons veritatis hoc est domicilium fidei quo si quis non intraverit vel à quo si quis exierit à spe vitae ac salutis aeternae alienus est He shall not have God for his Father saith Austin That would not have the Church for his Mother So the fourth Council of Carthage declares that out of the Catholick Church there is no Salvation And Fulgentius speaks thus Sicut in Hiericho quisquis extra illam domum fuit nullum potuit adipisci vitae subsidium sic extra Ecclesiam Catholicam nullus accipiet indulgentiam peccatorum Extra hanc Ecclesiam nec Christianum nomen aliquem juvat nec baptismus salvat nec mundum Deo sacrificium offertur nec peccatorum remissi accipitur nec aeternae vitae foelicitas invenitur As in Hierieho whosoever was out of that House could not obtain the benefit of Life so out of the Catholick Church none shall receive the pardon of sins Out of this Church neither the Title of Christian secures any one neither doth Baptism confer Salvation neither doth any man offer a Sacrifice agreeable unto God nor receives the Remission of his sins nor finds the happiness of Eternal Life And in another place he saith Firmissimè tene nullatenus dubites quemlibet Haereticum sive Schismaticum in nomine Patris filii Spiritus sancti baptizatum st Ecclesiae Catholicae nonfuerit aggregatus quantasque eleemosinas fecerit etsi pro Christi nomine etiam sanguinem fuderit nullatenus posse salvari Omni enim homini qui Ecclesiae Catholicae non tenet unitatem neque baptismus neque Eleemosina quaelibet copiosa neque mors pro nomine Christi suscepta proficere poterit ad salutem quandiu in eo Haeretica vel Schismatica pravitas perseverat quae ducit ad mortem Hold this most firmly and doubt not of it in any wise that every Heretick and Schismatick whatsoever baptized in the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost if he be not reunited to the Catholick Church let him bestow never so many Alms yea though he should shed his blood for the Name of Christ he cannot obtain Salvation For neither Baptism nor Alms how great soever nor death suffered for the Name of Christ shall profit unto Salvation to any man that holds not the Vnity of the Catholick Church If he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen man and a Publican Therefore since those who separate themselves from the holy Catholick Church are Schismaticks and out of hope of Salvation as I have made it appear evidently the Church of England being the holy Catholick let now the Reader draw the Conclusion I know what I said just now concerning those who are out of the Catholick Church will be granted to be true but the Reader will object again the Question is to know which is the holy Catholick Church for if we will believe some Fathers it seems that the most part yea none of those that you blame in this Treatise are out of it For Fulgentius in the place aforementioned saith that There is one only Church which is this wherein the Trinity is believed one God of one Nature and Substance wherein nothing is attributed to the Son more than to the Holy Ghost wherein one and the same honour and worship is rendred to the Trinity who is true God This is the only true Church which believing and publishing one Essence in Trinity dares not esteem one Person above th' other Vna est Ecclesia in qua Trinitas unus Deus unius naturae atque substantiae creditur in qua nec Filio nec Spiritui sancto contumelia minorationis ingeritur in qua unus atque idem Cultus honor unus uni Trinitati quae Deus verus est exhibetur Haec est una vera Ecclesia quae sic credit praedicat unam Trinitatis Essentiam ut in tribus unam quamlibet non audeat praeferre alteri personam Athanasius is of that Opinion Whosoever saith he will be saved before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholick Faith and the Catholick Faith is this that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity And Lactantius saith Sola Catholica Ecclesia est quae verum cultum retinet This is the only Catholick Church which keeps the true Worship And three or four times after he speaks thus Quia singuli quique Coetus Haereticorum se potissimum Christianos suam esse Ecclesiam Catholicam putant sciendum est illam esse veram in qua est Confessio poenitentia quae peccata vulnera quibus subjecta est imbecillitas carnis salubriter curat That is Because every Congregation of Hereticks think to be especially Christians and their Church the Catholick they must know that that Church is the true wherein is Confession and Repentance that cures the sins and wounds which the weakness of the Flesh is subject to Therefore according to Fulgentius and Athanasius the Arians only are out of the Catholick Church and according to Lactantius we are not able to determine any Person out of it Every one pretending to keep the true Worship and granting Confession and Repentance to be necessary Christ himself in his answer to the young man who asked him What good thing shall I do that I may have Eternal Life Did not bid him to believe in the Trinity nor in the Consubstantiality of the Son with the Father nor in the Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son nor in the Incarnation of the Son of God nor in his Resurrection nor did tell him that he was to be baptized or to keep the Sabbath c. but If thou wilt enter into Life keep the Commandments and the young man having asked him which were they Jesus specified them unto him saying Thou shalt do no Murther thou shalt not commit Adultery thou shalt not Steal thou shalt not bear false Witness honour thy Father and thy Mother and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self If then according to Christs words he that keeps these Commandments here described is saved we must conceive him to be in the Catholick Church or what some Father 's said that out of the Catholick Church there is no Salvation is false And as in what Sect soever every one pretends to keep the true Worship and by God's Assistance to perform his Commandments even so every one pretends to be saved and consequently to be in the holy Catholick
Church I answer That they are deceived for when the Fathers said that the Catholick Church did confist in such and such a thing as for Example in the belief of the Trinity they did not intend to exclude the belief of the other points of Faith nor the practise of the Commandments enjoyned us in the holy Scripture And Jesus Christ who saith to the young man that if he will enter into Life he must keep the Commandments here mentioned pronounces Wo unto the Authors of Heresies as unto all Scribes Pharisees and Hypocrites will have us to eat his Body and to drink his Blood Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no Life in you bids us to be baptized Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Besides practice he desires belief He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Wherefore it is not enough to say I thought I was a Member of the Catholick Church because I thought it did consist in believing and practising such and such things only our ignorance is not sufficient to excuse us before God we are bound to inquire after Truth and the true Worship of God A wilful and affected ignorance is a double Crime and we must not believe because we think we do well and are Members of the Catholick Church that this is sufficient to excuse us this is a mistake otherwise the Jews should not have been guilty when they crucified Jesus Christ because they did it ignorantly and thought they acted according to their Law For had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory We could not say that Paul was guilty when breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord he went unto the High-Priest desiring Letters from him to Damascus to the Synagogues that if he found any Christians whether they were men or women he might bring them bound to Hierusalem Nor when he made havock of the Church entring into every House and haling men and women committing them to Prison Nor when he was consenting unto the death of Stephen and kept the Cloaths of the Witnesses who stoned him though Austin speaks thus of him Vt enim esset in omnium lapidantium manibus ipse omnium vestimenta servabat magis saeviens omnes adjuvando quà m suis manibus lapidando For he thought he did well transported by a Zeal which he had for his Law Neither could we now blame the Papists when they act so horrid and cruel Tragedies against those that they call Hereticks for as I suppose they think they do a Sacrifice well-pleasing unto God If any ignorance can excuse a man it is that which is called Invincible as that of young Children and mad People Therefore when we live in a Kingdom wherein Religion there practised is not contrary to the holy Scripture we are bound to conform unto it I know that We had rather obey God than men but it is when their Commandments are contrary to the Commandments of God otherwise we are obliged to obey the Princes and Magistrates which we are subject to put them in mind to obey Principalities and Powers to obey Magistrates Tit. 3. 1. Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves Heb. 13. 17. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of men for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King as Supreme or unto Governors as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well 1 Pet. 2. 13. Let every Soul be subject unto the higher Powers for there is no Power but of God The Powers that be are ordained of God whosoever therefore resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation Rom. 13. 1 2. Wherefore the holy Powers enjoyning usto conform to the Church of England which as I have made it appear teaches or practises nothing contrary to the holy Scripture we are obliged to obey them Neither do I see how those that are convinced of what I have here written and still refuse to obey can excuse themselves from being Schismaticks and from being out of hope of Salvation He shall not have God for his Father who will not have the Church for his Mother Whosoever resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation O Ecclesia Romana aut quaecumque sis alia quid insultas quid exsufflas quid etiam ad tempus multa usurpas adversus Ecclesiam Anglicanam Licet haec doleat non te magna metuit sponsa Christi sancta Catholica Ecclesia cum enim respexerit ille sponsus ejicieris tu ut ancilla cum filiis tuis quoniam non erunt haeredes filii ancillae cum filiis liberae O Church of Rome or whatsoever other Church thou art Why dost thou boast Why art thou puffed up Why also dost thou usurp upon the Church of England Though she be sorrowful yet the great spouse of Christ the holy Catholick Church doth not fear thee for when the Bridegroom looks upon her then thou shalt be cast out as the Bond-woman with thy Children because the Children of the Bond-woman shall not be heirs with the Sons of the Free woman Although I have made appear that the Church of England is the holy Catholick Church and that all those who knowing her to be such and still refuse to conform are Schismaticks out of hope of Salvation and shall not be heirs with the Sons of the free-woman but cast out as the bond-woman with her Children yet I am not of that Opinion that they ought to be persecuted this Doctrine of Persecution being contrary to the Law of Nature and to the Doctrine of our Saviour Jesus Christ As ye would that all men should do unto you so do you unto them We would not be persecuted for our Religion therefore we must not persecute others But the Reader will object we have a Law and by our Law they ought to be persecuted I Answer if that were a sufficient Reason to warrant Persecution we could not blame the Jews when they killed the Prophets and stoned them and crucified Jesus Christ who is Heir and Lord over all and God blessed for ever For they said We have a Law and by our Law he ought to die And we could not blame Queen Mary who by a Law in her days caused so many to suffer Martyrdome nor now the Papists who formerly and at this very time in France Spain and Italy establish Cruelty and Oppression by Law If any men be Plotters or contrive any evil against the King or Government or breed Sedition and Disturbance in the Kingdom they must suffer according to the Law but if they be found without Plots or evil Contrivances but erring only concerning Religion
they are to be reproved and admonished and after the second Admonition rejected not cast into Prison or spoiled of their Goods and the like if men be in an Error the Bishops and Ministers ought rather to convince them by the truth and stop their mouths by sound Doctrine than to stir the King and his Council to make Laws to imprison them and take their Estates from them c. as it is now practised in France against the poor Protestants But to make them suffer meerly for Religions sake I think it is not lawful it being contrary to the Law of Nature and Christ's Doctrine as it is proved by these words of the most worthy and learned Dr. Tillotson in his most excellent Sermon preached before the honourable House of Commons and printed by their Order Jesus Christ saith he going to worship at Hierusalem because the Samaritans who were of another Religion would not receive him in his Journey two of his Disciples James and John presently take fire and out of a well-meaning Zeal for their Master and of the true God and of of Hierusalem the true place of worship they are immediately for dispatching out of the way these Enemies of God and Christ and the true Religion And to this end they desire our Saviour to give them Power to call for fire from Heaven to consume them as Elias had done in a like ease But Jesus Christ seeing them in this heat notwithstanding all the Reasons they pretended for their passion and for all they sheltered themselves under the great example of Elias doth very calmly but severely reprove this temper of theirs saying Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of for the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Ye own your selves to be my Disciples but do you consider what spirit now acts and governs you Not that surely which my Doctrine designs to mould and fashion you into which is not a furious and persecuting and destructive spirit but mild and gentle and saving tender of the lives and interest of men even of those who are our greatest Enemies You ought to consider that you are not now under the rough and sowr dispensation of the Law but the calm and peaceable institution of the Gospel to which the spirit of Elias though he was a very good man in his time would be altogether insuitable God permitted it then under the imperfect way of Religion but now under the Gospel it would be intolerable No difference of Religion no pretence of Zeal for God and Christ can warrant and justifie this passionate and fierce this vindictive and exterminating spirit This persecuting killing and destroying one another about Religion is contrary to Christs Doctrine for He is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them He came not to kill and destroy but for the healing of the Nations for the Salvation and Redemption of mankind not only from the wrath to come but from a great part of the evils and miseries of this life This spirit of persecution which our Saviour here reproves in his Disciples is directly opposite to the main and fundamental Precepts of the Gospel which command us to love one another and to love all men even our very Enemies and are so far from permitting us to persecute those who hate us that they forbid us to hate those who persecute us They require us to be merciful as our Father which is in Heaven is merciful to be kind and tender-hearted forbearing one another if any man have a quarrel against any even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us and to put on as the Elect of God bowels of mercy meekness and long suffering and to follow peace with all men and to shew all meekness to all men To all which Precepts nothing can be more opposite than inhumane Cruelties and Persecutions Christs great business was to be beneficial to others to seek and to save that which was lost He went about doing good to the Bodies and to the Souls of men He could if he had pleased by his miraculous Power have confounded his Enemies and have thundred out death and destruction against all Hereticks and Schismaticks but intending that his Religion should be propagated in humane ways and that men should be drawn to the Profession of it by the bonds of Love and by the gentle and peaceable methods of Reason and Perswasion he gave no Example of a furious Zeal and religious Rage against those who despised his Doctrine When he went about making Proselytes he offered violence to no man only said If any man will be my Disciple if any man will come after me And when his Disciples were leaving him he doth not as the Church of Rome set up an Inquisition to torture and punish them for their defection from the Faith only says Will ye also go away And in Imitation of this blessed Pattern the Christian Church continued to speak and act for several Ages And this was the Language of the holy Fathers Lex nova non se vindicat ultore gladio The Christian Law doth not avenge it self by the Sword This was then the Style of Councils Nemini ad credendum vim inferre To offer Violence to no man to compel him to Faith and Gregory saith Nova in audita praedicatio quae verberibus exigit fidem And indeed if Hereticks and Schismaticks from the holy Catholick Church were to be persecuted the Samaritans who were both Hereticks and Schismaticks and had affronted our Saviour himself in his own Person the honour of God and of that Religion which he had set up in the World ought certainly to be punished so that if ever it were warrantable to put on this fierce and furious Zeal here was a case that seemed to require it but even in these Circumstances Jesus Christ thinks fit to rebuke and discountenance this spirit Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of And he gives such a Reason as ought in all differences of Religion how wide soever they be to deter men from this temper For saith he The Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them that is this spirit is utterly inconsistent with the great design of Christian Religion and the end of Christs coming into the World What then hath the Church of Rome or any other whatsoever to plead for her Persecution to men for the cause of Religion which James and John might not much better have pleaded for themselves in their Case against the Samaritans Does she practise these severities out of a Zeal for truth and for the honour of God and Christ and the true Religion Upon these very accounts it was that James and John would have called for fire from Heaven to have destroyed the Samaritans Is the Church of Rome or any other whatsoever perswaded that those whom she persecutes are Hereticks and Schismaticks and that no Punishment can