Churches Monasteries old Hospitals and Colledges with the old forms of government and Statutes which without book are conveyed from hand to hand as in fasting keeping such and such holy daies in memory of certain miracles obtained by invocation of particular Saints Annual obsequies and solemn prayers for the dead benefactors institution of certain Masses to that and such other ends if they can read in running over the Chronicles and Histories of our country where you shall observe a constant memory of all these old truths but not any innovation or change of faith was ever noted by any Historiographer for so many ages together insomuch that our countryman Gulielmus Neubrigensis in his History l. 3. c. 3. witnesseth that neither Puritanisme nor any other heresy could fasten upon England though in alijs mundi partibus tot plluluaverint haereses all other parts of the world had been infected with them A great testimony written by so knowing a man in point especially of our Histories And Wicklef's case confirms all for he got grounds a thousand miles hence as in Bohemia but here was decayed before he was well born or what is more brief that the Church of England retained her primitive communion as well with the Roman as with all other Churches dispersed throughout the world except those which for heresie or schism were noted by the Councels besides our own Histories no Councel no Ecclesiastical History ever imposed the contrary upon our nation yea it appears by all monuments holy and profane that England did positively and clearly communicate with all other or what is all one that England conserved her primitive faith untouched and that was as is shewed before the Catholick faith or the faith of the Catholick Church therefore England till Henry the eighth was a member of the true Church of Christ from which he revolting made her Schismatical All this is witnessed by Ball in his Catalogue and Dr. Humfries Jesuitismes p. 2. and B. Usher in his tract of Succession whereunto an infinity of Protestant writers agree Some will say as of late a Protestant Doctor did that England was not therefore noted in this because there was none to note her besides her own in the West but it appears that invocation of Saints and many other doctrines were brought in as a matter of faith against the ancients that is to say that the Church of Rome did bring in those innovations in the Councel of Trent To this I answer First that the Doctor did not well observe into what a precipice this would cast him for if there were no known professions of Christ but such who were ours it 's evident that then the Roman Communion was the onely Church of God even then when it was in his judgment at the worst or else there was no Church This many of their greatest men have acknowledged as Perkins saith that for many hundred years this Communion had possessed the whole world Napier upon the Revelations that for a thousand years Popery had over-swayed the world to the same tenure many more of them speak All which concludes what I said I answer secondly That the first and purest times of the Church taught the same Truths as almost every one of them is confessed by those of Magdeburge in the fourth Century dedicated to Q. Elizabeth where they give us a list of Justification by works merits Sacramental confession Tradition Invocation of Saints Purgatory Transubstantiation the propitiatory sacrifice of the Mass miracles obtained at the reliques of Saints c. This testimony had from Protestants that is from a body of the most learned Protestants who joyntly had studied and examined ex professo the differences betwixt us were enough alone Daneus in his tract of the Church a very fierce Protestant dividing the whole time since Christ into ages giving to the Apostles the first age specifies that even then virginity was introduced as more worthy then marriage The Sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ and there was reverence used to the very symbols Parum importune a great deal to soon Traditionum indigesta moles whole heaps of Traditions were unwisely brought in ordination of Church ministers with anointing them which was also used in baptism extream unction and the like Bishops Primatus ecclesiae Romanae nescio qua credulitate in coelum sublatus est The Roman seats Supremacy I know not by what easie belief was even then cryed up to the very heavens and so began mysterium iniquitatis the great mystery of iniquity A fair confession and in the next age he is more prodigal but here is enough for any ingenious man if you would also read him upon St. Augustine his tract of heresies how he inverts the judgement of the old Church and will have those doctrines which then were esteemed heresies to be true doctrines and in this he shews how Protestants are constrained to turn the Church upside down which is indeed true Protestancy to make all old and first Christians heretiques with us To whom our country-man Perkins in his Problems agreeth bewayling that Gods Church above thirteen hundred years ago was polluted and overspread with these errors Usher in his latine book of Succession of Protestant Religion which in the frontispiece promiseth a deduction from the Apostles downward in the book it self he doth not once make any reall pretence to it as if he had wholly forgotten what was promised in the title he turns himself to discover where there is the least shadow the imperfections of our forefathers as if he gloried to see their nakedness which Christian Charity and modesty would cover but to shew the existence of any Protestantisme he doth not once touch it till the Albigenses began 1170. years after Christ wherein it is also most evident that he gaineth little to his purpose though after much strugling All this must needs convince what before in gross was declared from consent of Councels and the constant sense of the whole Church I answer thirdly As Christians have in all ages upon the same pretences replied to sectaries that some of these points were more explicitly declared in the councel of Trent against these new hereticks but they were generally preached every where even by the Greeks beleev'd before as all writers even our adversaries confess Nay Luther's own writings free the councel of Trent from this calumny because he accused the Church of all these things before the Councel of Trent was dreamed of it being convocated to repress his innovations or new condemnations of these general received truths otherwise not Luther but those Catholicks which first opposed him had been noted and accused of novelty by the rest of the body of the Church And further no man is ignorant that before the Councel of Trent England by Henry the eighth by B. Fisher by Sir Thomas Moore in his works as also in his Tindal c. Germany by Eckins Daventrius Vervesius Hofmesterus and others yes the universal Church
by infinite writers of that age of this and the other part of the world did rise against these upstarts and laid novelty to their charge Therefore England and other nations remained in their primitive and Apostolical faith until the aforesaid revolt nay these upstarts themselves never came to that impudency to accuse Catholicks of novelties then rising but referred it to former that is latter preceding ages accusing their forefathers of innovation and this hath always been and is the practise of upstarts Therefore Catholicks who imbrace this faith derived from the Apostles themselves and established by continual succession ought not to be too solicitous of the truth of it seeing they hold it by constant succession and no way interupted possession Neither will the breach which the Greeks have made from the Latins any way help them because they in England are as well broken from the Greeks as they are from the Romans which evidently appears in that they can not give their letters of communication to them no more then to us They hold the propitiatory sacrifice of Mass they hold Transubstantiation seven Sacraments prayer for the dead invocation of Saints veneration of images the Supremacy of a Tope though some of them pretend exemption c. As Balsamon for the patriarch of Constantinople which Zonaras though a Greek Schismatick acknowledgeth to be in the B. of Rome as the rest were accustomed to do nay Nilus after he hath much violented authorities for his pretences against the Popes Supremacy in conclusion yeelds up the bucklers and confesseth that they are bound to obey him in all lawful commands I said that the Greek Church acknowledgeth a Supremacy which I therefore said because that some of those who follow rigidly Photius his heresie touching the procession of the holy Ghost pretend that the Latin Church for that lost the Supremacy and ipso jure et facto it was transferred to Constantinople but the Abettours of this last point are almost vanished as by divers councels especially the great Laterane Linos and last Florence general Councels sufficiently appears where it was not once arrogated neither doth Hieremy their patriarch or any of their posterior writers once say it How ever this fundamental rock of scandal of the sea of Rom's Supremacy if removed according to those few Greeks pretences it would not avail you for you deny any Supremacy they grant this and would onely chalenge it for themselves injuriously which pretence is also ceased These are the stones of scandal betwixt you and us which ye force all to abjure So that the main West and East Churches have nothing to do with you ye are no members of their communion some smal conventicles you may finde here and there in the West in some things agreeing with you though no notable part at all of your communion no not in this very nation But the Roman in her communion over all the world communicates intirely without any dissection of faith we therefore have all security in religion but the reason concerning Protestants is clean otherwise for seeing they have separated themselves from the Roman Church commended by the Apostles the mother from whom they sucked their faith in which their forefathers lived and continued and what is proper to hereticks and schismaticks they went out from us as St. Augustiue used the like argument against the Donatists fusely and frequently out of St. John they I say are bound to make inquiry into the cause of their separation and not so lightly beleeve the masters of their error and as it were one part being onely heard to give sense in a matter of so high concernment but they ought diligently to hear the reasons of Catholicks and exactly to weigh all things on which their eternal salvation depends or if they fear any fallacies may be used by us in proof of our Religion let them judiciously read the reasons in Chollingworth which moved him to become Catholick and counterpoise them with those which he puts down for his virtiginous revolt and truly they will be forced to confess that the former are unanswerable and the latter wholy inconsiderable The ground of our hopes of salvation dependeth upon the integrity of our faith and therefore we must look into it for as St. Augustine Cont. Lit. Petil. l. 1. c. 1. It is a dangerous thing to defend the haughty perversness of their forefathers with a more foolish obstinacy neither doth it satisfie as St. Augustine there noteth l. 3. c. 5. if one should say I will follow him because he made me a Christian for none preaching the name of Christ or ministring the Sacrament of Christ is to be followed against the unity of Christ This is often heard from the mouths of many of the wifest amongst them here I wax baptised here I will remain but 't is raw and filly to be born and baptised in this or the other Church except it be in the unity of Christ if from the other we or our forefathers have revolted or been any way seperated we must return from whence we have revoked by schism or heresie That therefore we may proceed in so weighty a matter with more care and solicitude we will shew in the following Chapters in what danger of eternal damnation I speak not of every particular person whom how far invincible ignorance may excuse we leave to Gods secret counsel they have miserably precipitated and cast themselves headlong by separating themselves from the Church of Rome I do not mean here to treate of the infinite subdivisions of schism which are this day risen up within the latitude of Protestantism as in time pasts amongst the Donatists and what sort soever of seperatists have always been among whom they labour sometimes to patch up together but never so much as think to do it with Catholicks but I will consider how piously the Catholick root diligently seeketh the bough that is broken from her if the bough likewise shall labour to close up that breach which is made by it August apud Baron 411. Here therefore with all reason and truth may be averred what Tertullian in his excellent book of praescriptions Chap. 29. religiously incultateth against all sectaries If your state of division is lawful if your souls are secure in this lamentable separation the holy Gospel hath been falsly taught to all the world all Christians have salsly beleeved so many thousand thousands falsly baptized so many acts of faith that is all Sacraments falsly administred so many acts of religion so many miracles adulterously done so many priesthoods so many Sacrifices last of all so many Martyrdoms falsly undergone for the faith of Christ all hath been in vain which in testimony of Christ hath been performed if Christ Church were not the Roman in and with her communion since there was no other acknowledged till ye came CHAP. 2. Catholicks may certainly be saved IT may be convinc'd with irrefragable arguments that Catholicks in the Church of Rome remaining
of all Colledges ours And yet beyond Julian ye debar us of our own Schools The truth is the laws are made against religion and against the propagation of it against the professing of it in frequenting Sacraments onely administred by Priests When a town or castle is besieged convoys stopped all hanged who attempt to bring ammunition viures hath any intercourse with them are not these in this case persecuted for their allegiance if they expose themselves to all these dangers out of duty to their Prince or whatsoever is Supreme Soveraignty This is our case ye hang and quarter all who would bring unto us spiritual ammunition and Sacramental vivers by death ye obstruct all convoys and why all this Is it not to extirpate our religion is it not to force us to render the small holds we have wherewith God almighty hath intrusted us of his holy religion in our Souls There are some who would seem to abolish all persecution from Catholicks in blood and fortunes pretending it to be injustice to persecute for religion and upon this glorious title of Christian liberty and neighbourly tenderness do cover malice beyond all proceedings of Christians even against Jews or of the Turks even against Christians subject to their civil empire and truly what human nature abhors namely to take their children from them and educate them in their own aiery and uncertain wayes The Church of God in her most flourishing times as under Constantine and Theodosius when all Insidels and Jewes were under their power never attempted such a cruelty against the law of nature Nay the Turks never do it except upon faile of their ordinary exactions which truly are nothing to the burthens of Catholicks here If it be unlawful to persecute as they hold in their fortunes for religion its most in consequent to hold it more lawful to persecute in children Lands and goods are appropriated onely jure gentium children jure naturae wherein no power except God himself can dispense To take away goods or land is theft or rapine This must be reduced to Homicide Nature is so little acquainted with it that there is not a proper appellative yet appointed for it Christian Divines out of this principle have judged it unlawful even to baptise Infidels or Jewes children against their parents wills by reason of the high title of the natural law of parents to children hence some have taught that baptism so attempted would not be valid But to let that pass here is a fortiori as Logitians speak concluded That to dispossess parents of their children in all schools of Christ of law of reason is abominable and therefore I cannot beleeve that our laws will admit such acts to be lawful especially since by precedent Sanctions its already felony to take away children upon any pretences There are yet another sort who seem more tender then all the rest and pretend to reduce all to an Henoticon or Unitive namely that we may all in offensively retain our own faith referring the examine of all differences to Gods court to whom alone as the gift of faith so the animadversion or punishment of transgressions in it proportionably and consequently is to belong as they say what real effect will this produce time will discover if they proceed consequently to their principles it must needs take away many unchristian-like animosities which hitherto have been nourished Michael Balbut as Zonaras in his Annals witnesseth promised in the beginning of his Empire that he would not compel any to follow any other opinions of God then what each man would himself but soon after he persecuted Catholicks cruelly permitting all others to do what they listed he was a man indeed full of all wickedness But Josephus l. 2. against Apion saith that it was honorable in the Romans that they would not compel their subjects to violate their ancient lawes and neligion but content themselves with such honors and duties as the giver may with piety and equity give them for they account not of forced honors or duties which come of compulsion A course certainly worth all Princes observing in order to their subjects and the onely way to be secure of their loyalties as the liberty of France in order to Protestants and Holland to Catholicks manifestly shew However it is evident out of these premises that there is a great Schism betwixt us in England Protestants are wont to say that they are not separated from Catholicks or the Catholick Church no not from the Roman but that they do communicate with all the members thereof fearing and worshiping God truly and make one Church with them they onely separate themselves from Papistry which is not say they the Church but an Imposture adhering to the Church or an heap of errors brought into the Church by the tyranny and fraud of the Bishops of Rome That they and Catholicks are not two fields sepatated the one from the other but one whereof one part is covered with nettles and darnel over-sowed by the Pope but the other part is purged by the labour and industry of the Protestants but this if it were true doth not infringe but rather confirm what we have said before for when we see with our eyes Catholicks and Protestants to abhor from mutual communion who in his wits will deny that there is Schism and division betwixt them or who will affirm there is any unity among them requisite to make one Church And that they add that they are separated from Papistry and the errors of the Pope that they are as it were the one part of the field purged and cleansed Catholicks the other part covered with errors Although all this were granted which yet is never to be granted it makes nothing at all to the diminishing but adds much to the augmenting of Schism because according to this Protestants are not onely separated from the communion of Catholicks which is sufficient for Schism but likewise from the doctrin which as I said before maketh heresie So whilest they strive to take away or patch up Schismatical division they bring in heretical confusion which is much more pernitious and more difficultly consistent with Catholicks Therefore it remains for certain that there is a true Schism betwixt Catholicks and Protestants the question will be onely to see which of these made first the breach The other main Achilles which they use that they withdraw themselves from the obedience of the Bishop of Rome without Schism is because he had onely Patriarchall power over them introduced onely by human right and custom is frivolous for to omit that right that he hath from Christ over the whole Church which is Papal I will onely give this touch We indeed are principally accused for adhering to the Popes supremacy as being a novelty But how clearly it was acknowledged in the 4 first councels needs no other proofs then themselves Nay Tertullian St. Cyprian Ireneus the first writers acknowledge it though in some perticulars they were
rather of Luther the whole Catholick Church consisting of divers Kingdoms in which England is comprised did obey divers Princes were governed by divers civil Lawes and Statutes yet they worshiped God but in one faith and in one sacrifice were sanctified with the same Sacraments did acknowledge the same spiritual Rector the Bishop of Rome Then arose Luther Henry the eighth Queen Elizabeth c. Who brake Communion with the whole world to take away the sacrifice of the whole Church and the greater part of the Sacraments and the holy rites to revolt from the Bishop of Rome all the Church besides persevering in the same unity worship and obedience which before it did profess Who therefore doth not see that they have revolted from the Church and erected altar against altar if they have any and have been the sole Authors of the divided unity of the Church I add that Schism is alwayes a dividing of an united body or a separation of a part from the whole preexistent or fore being now the Catholick Church was an united body existent before Luther from which the Protestants might go out and divide themselves but the Protesants seeing they were no where could make no body from whence the Catholicks could recede therefore the Protestants could onely first make the division and blow up the Rebellion The other often heard phantastick refuge wherewith when these are branded with novelty like men in a desperate naufrage they catch at any broken reed namely that they always were of us and amongst us and so continued till they were cast out of us To the first part I answer That till Henry the eighth they were indeed amongst us that is all their progenitors were Catholicks this every man in the testaments and records of each family can witness for the world till then knew no other all publick profession of Religion was that To fly to interiours that is to say that they were in their hearts Protestants were to recur to divination which were more then childish in things of this nature when all exteriour acts contradict any such dreams and yet to this clear non-sense they are put being compelled to assert their Church for above a Thousand yeers to have been invisible as it is understood under the notion of a body separated from the Roman you will see it in Whittaker in his 2. and 3. Controversie p. 479. Field seeing how destructive this Tenent would be in his 10. C. Accounts it foolish to say that a Church should not have always known professors and White in his defence of the way c. 4. p. 790. Saith positively that Religion is false if it cannot shew a continual descent yet p. 520. he is not ashamed to say that their Church hath had indeed always succession but not visible so that being pressed to shew the real svccession he is constrained to recur to this ridiculous divination of mens interiour Protestancie though they professed otherwise Which contradictory shist of their's were enough to destroy their pretended Church Prideaux in his ninth Lesson of the invisibility of the Church after many braggs comes to this poor refuge and beats about like a man desperate to save his case upon a broken reed or distracted sentence in any obsolute or forlorn Author But sa I noted They will say that they divided not the Church neither did they recede from it but were cast out of it by excommunication of the Pope and therefore not they but the Pope was the Author of this division but this helpeth them nothing For to omit that excommunication is a punishment which is inflicted upon such as go out of the Church not so much casting them out of the Church as depriving them of the participation of common benefits thereof to omit this it is notoriously known to all that Henry the eighth Luther and Queen Elizabeth went out of the Church before they were excommunicated as being condemned by their own proper judgments and so they separated themselves and before any excommunication made the Schism in punishment whereof they were excommunicated touching Henry the eighth it is manifest that he was excommunicated for his disobedience and contumacy in grievous crimes and Queen Elizabeth by and by when she had gotten the Crown upon her she seeing the Pope difficult in declaring her lawful title unto it not for her religion for then she had not changed it but for illegitemacy even according to Acts of our Parliaments under her Father broke off all Communion with the Church of God So Camden in Elizabeth The English also compiled a book of Canons wherein they also confess they went out of the Church of Rome therefore it is a frivolous thing that they pretend they went not out but were driven out of the Church They may perchance reply that they were as amongst us so of us before this division and so are yet because it is sufficient to incorporate any body into the true Church of Christ if he beleeveth the Creed of the Apostles as here Protestants do To this I answer First that in some cases this may be enough yes even to beleeve Jesus Christ to be the Son of God is sufficient as in the case of the Eunuch and such like that is an implicite faith may suffice till other necessary truths are sufficiently propounded For the Gospel had and hath a time of growth in every new Christian In these and such like cases it is sufficient not to mis beleeve formerly other truths to constitute a man a member of Chirst's Church I answer Secondly That the same God who trusted his Church with this hath as well entrusted her with all other necessary truths The Holy Ghost hath taught her omnem veritatem all and every necessary truth as our blessed Saviour promised which she pro re nata as heresies pullulate declares to her children that they may be able to avoid the danger of swallowing stones insteed of bread These truths thus by supreme power propounded to the faithful they are obliged to receive by obeying their Prelats who have a charge over their souls according to that of the Apostle obedite praepesitis vestris c. Hence the Nicene Fathers declared as a most fundamental truth Christ Jesus to be Deum de Deo et consubstantialem Patri c. to be God of God consubstantial to the Father c. which is not in the Apostles Creed neither is it there that the Holy Ghost is God nor the Fathers of Nice did declare that great truth because yet heresies touched not that point as St. Basile and St. Gregory Nariane teach yet I beleeve that every true Christian will esteem it necessary to beleeve these truths it is easie to descend to many more particulars which all Christians admit to be necessary though not expressed in the Apostles Creed as concerning the Sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist c. The Church hath therefore always from the beginning to this day beleeved and practised
A TREATISE OF THE SCHISM OF ENGLAND Wherein particularly Mr. HALES and Mr. HOBBS are modestly accosted By PHILIP SCOT Permissu Superiorum AMSTERDAM Printed Anno Dom. 1650 THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY The Author Superviving intended to both the Universities as a Theam to be discussed in their next Scholastick Olimpicks WHen Fabius was asked who was a good Orator he said he would give the same answer which the Stoicks would give if this question were propounded to them concerning Zeno Cleanthes or Chrisippus whom they esteemed great and worthy men but not such as had obtained the height of which human nature is capable The same I confess of you ye have made large progresses in the school of wisdom and many of you have almost reached the topp of human capacity but yet ye have not obtained pure wisdom And truly I fear as the old Platonists confessed of themselves yee will never reach it till your souls final separation when she will to her loss finde where she mist her footing except yee would which were a noble design maugre the injuries of the time and place where ye live life up your eyes and conclude with Epictetus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our aim shall be to seek God with a pure Soul This cannot be done unless without any limitation ye submit to these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to those commanding Oracles as the Ancients call them which God by his holy Spouse propoundeth to our obedience to this end it is first necessary to know which is the only Church whence all wisdom as from a pure source flowes to this the ensuing discourse will inable the Reader Witten by your Servant PHILIP SCOT A TREATISE OF THE Schism of England CHAP. I. The Church of Rome taken in the latitude of her Communion is God's onely Church THis titular Thesis will seem a Paradox by reason of the strong prejudice our Country is infected with against an apparent truth but the succeeding discourse will demonstrate by lineary deduction the most assured certainty of it Paucis opus est ad bonam mentem litteris Sen. ep 106. I shall be brief yet I hope sufficiently large because as St. Cyprian tract 3. de simplicitate Prelatorum Tractatu longò atque argumentis non est opus Probatio est ad fidem facilis compendio veritatis Our holy faith needs no tedious proofs but onely compendious declarations That the Church of Rome did hold and openly profess the true faith of Christ in the Apostles time St. Paul Rom. 1.8 is an abundant witness That also the other Churches through the world did in faith communicate with her is there manifest and that she kept the same faith sure and untouched for the first six hundred years from Christ to Gregory the great not onely the learnedst Protestants for the most part confess but by this even to the blind is apparent that all Councels assembled in those times and especially the first four general ones as is most evident in the Acts or actions as they call them of each Councel agreed in the same profession of faith held very strict communication against all heresies as in the condemnation of Arrius in the Nicen of Macedonius in the first Constantinopolitan of Nestorius in the first Ephesian of Eutiches and Diostorus in the Chalcedon Councels So that thus far we are secured of the integrity of the Church of Rome that is till St. Leo the Pope who was contemporary with the Chalcedon whence is concluded also that all Churches then dispersed through the whole world and their Doctors except such as have been branded with some heresie or other did alwayes communicate in faith with the Church of Rome The forenamed general Councels witnessed the faith of all Churches therefore if the erred it is necessary that all the other Churches erred also and consequently that Christ had no true Church upon earth He who desires to look into these things in a most compendious way let him onely read the Epistles of S. Leo and the Register of St. Gregory and there he shall see most evidently as in a mirrour the connexion and agreeing of things together with the former and succeeding ages I speak to those that know the Law therefore to have given but a hint is sufficient Now Gregory the great who is not noted to have innovated any thing in the faith which he received from his Ancestors especially of St. Leo who as we declared was contemporary to Chalcedon and held by all the world intire in his faith this needs no other proof then the confession of the Greeks who alwayes reverenced him and intitled him a Saint and therefore numbred him among the Fathers as appeareth even by the Schismatick Greeks in the dispute of Purgatory in the Councel of Florence St. Damasene who was contemporary to St. Bede and a little above one hundred years after St. Gregory gives so much credit to his writings that he confesseth all the East and West to adhere to them even in some smaller things which are not generally received amongst us whence it is most evident that he was Universally esteemed a follower of his and their forefathers in faith To bring this evidence more home we will stay in the 4 first general Counsels They did before secure us of the integrity of the Roman Church and they will do as much for St. Gregory for no man is ignorant that he taught all the world to reverence their faith next to the four Evangelists whence is concluded that he was of the same faith with them now St. Gregory sent over the same faith to England then involved with the darkness of infidelity by St. Austin the Monk and other holy and learned men who devoutly received it and constantly and faithfully kept it until the revolt of Henry the eighth But that the Christian faith which we received from St. Gregory by St. Austin may to every body appear to be the same which not onely the westerne but the Easterne Church did profess that is what the whole universal Church did profess besides what I have said before it is demonstrable by the Epistles of St. Gregory directed to the East in which he signifieth that England was converted to the faith of Rome as appears more particularly in his thirtieth Epistle which is to Eulogius the Patriarch of Alexandria and by reciprocal congratulatories received from them for so great a gain of souls c. whence it followeth manifestly that the Greeks and the East were of the same communion of faith with the Church of Rome otherwise there had been no mutual entercourse of congratulatory letters in things of this nature this is clearer then can be controverted Moreover that England never erred from the faith first received or left in any thing that faith is manifest even to children if they cannot read in looking upon the pictures in glass-windows graves in seeing the altars still in some places extant in seeing the very
beleeving and doing what she propounds and prescribes shall attain unto eternal salvation which sufficiently followeth out of what hath been said in the first Chapter if well attended much more also might be produced from Christian discoursing upon principles of holy Scripture and consent of old and modern Doctors But to bring our Doctors here is superfluous labour seeing Protestants with whom I have dealt sincerely acknowledge and ingeniously confess so much and many of them of no small account have delivered in books that the Church of Rome is the Church of God and that the errors in her are not so much as do overthrow the foundation of Salvation and therefore with them many have and may now be saved So Morton Regn. Jer. page 94. the Papists are to be thought of the Church of God because they hold the foundation of the Gospel which is faith in Christ Jesus the Son of God Hooker Eccles Polit. page 140. we willingly acknowledge Papists to be of the family of Christ Covel Apol. ad Archep Cant. we affirm those who are of the Churh of Rome to be part of the Church of Christ and those who live and die in the Church of Rome may notwithstanding be saved and he accuseth the Puritans of ignorance that think the contrary Soame Apol. p. 146. if you think that all Papists that die in the Papistical Church are damned you think absurdly and you dissent from the judgment of learned Protestants D. Burlo in his 3. Sermon ad Clerum saith I dare not deny c. D. Laud late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury in his great volume against the Jesuite doubteth not of ordinary Papists salvations and of late Doctor Taylour in his liberty of Prophecying out of his principles necessarily concludes so much in his twentieth Paragraph and number the 3 d. he speaks thus They keep the foundation c. and therefore all the wisest personages of the adverse party allowed to them possibility of Salvation whilest their errors are not faults of their will but weaknesses and deceptions of the understanding c. The foundation of faith stands secure enough for all these vain and unhandsome superstructures c. Chillingworth hath both the same tenents frequently and as you may gather by his maner of expression he grants them yet very plainly though unwillingly somtimes he saith that they are not damnable othertimes that they are damnable in themselves but not to Catholicks except they stick to them out of affection of error It was well he added this else he had in one stroke broken the whole phantastick fabrick of his verbal not rational volume flashy no way substantial as any sober man will judge The whole result of his work is that every man beleeving Scriptures and feriously labouring to deduce a probable sence out of them is sufficiently provided for in order to his salvation which is to exclude a necessity of communion with any in point of Religion as every man seeth against all Scripture and the Creed This is by the way There are indeed some amongst them as Field Usher and others who seem somtimes to speak more rigidly touching Catholiks Salvation But they observe not how repugnant this is to a generally admitted and cried up principle amongst them which is this namely that they differ not from us in fuundamentals or necessaries By this they labour hard to make their breach from from us not to be damnable being they differ not in points of necessary belief Which if it hath force doth it not inevitably and with more strength conclude a security for us We must therefore conclude that whether they will or no they do all conclude a possibility of salvation for us adhereing to our faith delivered from our forefathers and to omit innumerable others King James shall serve for all for he speaks in the name of all in his speech to the Parliament Novemb. 9. 1605. we rightly saith he confess that many Papists especially our progenitors putting their onely trust in Jesus Christ and his merits may and are frequently saved detesting according to that and judging the cruelty of the Puritans worthy of fire who will grant no salvation to any Papists Yea D. Potter in his book set forth by the command of King Charles pag. 76. 77. confesseth that those things which Protestants think erroneous in the Roman Church are not in themselves damnable to those who beleeve as they profess and that all may be saved with them who bona fide beleeve and profess the Roman Religion as long as they finde no motives sufficient whereby their judgment is convinced that they be in error To conclude all Protestants of any moderation who are not poysoned with the tincture of rigid Calvinisme freely confess that Catholicks in their religion may be faved and do accuse them of want of Charity that they do not think so of them So our adversaries are our judges as appears by their own confession that we may attain unto salvation in the Church of Rome I could give you a longer list but it were superfluous in a confessed doctrine CHAP. 3. Schism is an enormous Crime SChism if we look upon the force of the word it signifieth division if it be in the civil common wealth it is called Sedition if in the Church Schism or the same word may be used for both and be distinguished by Epithites in the one case it is civil Sedition in the other Ecclesiastical Division The Church may be divided two wayes first by revolting from faith which doth not only make Schism but heresie hence it is that they who fall from the faith and doctrin of the Church setting up their contrary opinions as Arrians Macedonians and the like are not onely termed Scismaticks but Hereticks Secondly the Church is divided by revolting from the chief Pastor or general Councels by disobedience or from communion with the other members although faith be conserved intire and this makes pure Schism as it is distinguished from heresie So the Donatists and Meletians at first keeping the faith of the Church but abstaining from communion with the other members in divine worship prayer and other holy rites or when they erected altar against altar then and not before they were properly accounted Schismaticks from whence it is gathered that although Schism continuing is wont to degenerate into heresie because as St. Hierom saith in Tit. 3. There is no Schim which doth not frame to it self some heresie that they may seem to have just cause to revolt from the Church Hence St. Augustine l. 2. contra Cresconium c. 7. Schism is a new revolt Heresie is an inveterate Schism yet speaking in rigour heresie violating the faith of the Church Schism breaking her charity they are both grevious sins seeing they seperate from the Church and consequently from the head which is Christ But now we will onely treat of the greviousness of Schism There are a sort of people who cannot conceive that a Christian Common-wealth
Schism is not properly a seperation for Heresie or Error in point of doctrin or Faith but in point of disobedience which is not a trivial matter as all common-wealths will easily conceive being that nerve upon which all order de pends and therefore the Quarta-decimans being rebellious to the mandatory decree of Nice all Catholicks had reason to decline their communion I know Theodoret in l. 1. c. 13. of his Ecclesiastical History and other learned men with St. Athanasius in his tract of Synods do esteem that the question of Easter was not defined as a point of faith but commanded to be observed as a custome derived from the Apostles and in confirmation of this they observe that the Councel varieth the form of speech in a migitatory way from the accustomary stile in declaring points of faith saying Visum est ut omnes obtemper arent in question of faith they did not write visum est But credit Ecclesia Catholica Thus the Catholick Church beleeved c. And therefore if his undervaluing the cause of this Schism grew from this gross misprison of the state of the controversie he should do well to resume his better diligence in examining it He might with greater appearance have brought that folemn word combat touching person hypostasis betwixt the eastern western Churches which great Athaenasius more clearly opened and closed up again Many contested ignorantly after the manner of those who fight with their eyes shut and beat the air Some held three hypostasis other but one in the diety from whence great contentions arose But as Athanasius relates When we asked out of what reason they speak these things or why all do use three kinde of words They made answer that they beleeved in the Trinity c. Approving therefore this interpretation and excuse we examined those who asserted that there was but one hypostasis c. Who affirmed that they understood Hypostasis that is person to be all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is essence c. To conclude all by the grace of God after this interpretation of the words did approve of the best and exactest rules of faith which the Fathers of Nice had instituted Some indeed for their material errors did deny communion but as yet there was no formal Schism betwixt the Churches but perticular persons perhaps it might have grown to a greater head had not great Athanasius interposed or rather had not Christ Jesus hindred it But among us the altar of division is erected against the altar of union with Christ out of which it is impious to celebrate Christs misteries the difference is not of words but substance not against the letter but the life and sense of the holy Soripture If these things be trifles why do you separate your selves Why do you punish Priests with death who are followers and ministers of our communion Against all meekness and clemency of the ancients To conclude Why have you built a new altar framed the stones of scandal and division At leastwise ye have broken down and demolished all the old ones insomuch that ye abhor the very name of tar as these later times in your dâ—inâ— stick yet fiery contention in pulpits and pamphlets about 12. years past sussiciently testifie to what end is all this if the difference betwixt you and us be nothing else but about a Cock and Bull And that the same Author affirmeth it to be lawful to communicate with the Arians and Eutychians Nestorians Photians Sabessians because it is not certain that these invented their heresies out of malice but it is otherwise concerning the Manichees Valentineans Macedonians and Mahometans because it is manifest to all that they taught these blasphemies against their own judgements I wonder at this assertion from a person of his eminency for abstracting from the intention of the former against whom notwithstanding there was sufficient presumption as among the ancients is clearer then the Sun no less then against the other but to grant I say what is not to be granted what is that to me whether they have vomitted out their heresie to the eternal destruction of souls with a formal or onely interpretive intention to deceive As long as I communicate with them and leave the truth taught from the beginning and delivered by the hands of the Fathers unto posterity We must look here upon the heresie not the minde or intention of the heretick that not this damneth the souls of those that communicate or pertinatiously adhere unto it as St. August often argueth in the the errors of St. Cyprian and the Donatists whom this Author also derideth But to come home to him Who knoweth not but that Luther against his own judgement began this Schism Who knoweth not that Henry the eighth framed it out of a fained and adulterate conscience Who of us doth not know that Queen Elizabeth out of no Religion but politick ends perverted the Schism into Heresie If therefore for this reason Communon with such are not lawfull as he affirmed of the last Apostates neither certainly is it lawful here Neither will it help them what the others are wont to object that England did enjoy a priviledg which they call Cyprium indeed Tomakas Câ—drenas and many were that the Bishop of Cyyprus was declared exempt from the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Antioch The consequencâ— most not be drawn to England in respect of the Sea of Rome except an express priviledge can be sheweth which hither to was never dreamed of yea besides other common titles of obedience the case of the Bulgars may and ought to be drawn unto us to wit for the title of conversion as the decision of the cause is in the law Indeed there is extant a decree in Con. Consta c. 2. That Bishops must not confound and intermingle their Churches but stand to the appointed rules and their certain limits are affigned to the Patriarchs In the first Councel of Ephesus also it is decreed that no Bishop invade the province of another which was not first and from the beginning under his or his ancestors jurisdiction Hence it was that the cause of the Church of Cyprus was heard which the Bishop of Antioch would have subject unto him but it was judged that that yoak should be shaken off upon another title The Country was converted unto Christ by St. Barnabe whose relicks being found there with St. Mathew's Gospel upon his brest written by St. Barnabe this gave occasion to commence a sute of exemption that they might enjoy the priviledge of a Metropolitan which was granted so that afterwards they were onely subject to Constantinople The general Councel it self in the eighth Canon speaks home of it and checks the Bishop of Antioch for having transgressed Ecclesiastical and Apostolical rules in this pretence namely because he did ordain in Cyprus which was alwayes an act of jurisdiction to which he had no just title because these Churches were never put under him
Hobbs acknowledgeth indeed in Pastours a power to execute a spiritual sentence in case the Church that is the city judgeth of the offence and in like manner Priests may absolve if the city judgeth it fit else not St. Athan. in the place cited Quando ab avo condito auditum est Mark M. Hobbs Quando judicium Ecclesiae authoritatem suam ab Imperatore accepit It was never heard from the beginning of the world that the Church hath her power from temporal power In earnest I wish he had taken the sence of Christians along with him in his expounding holy Scriptures he should have read the old Councels in making Ecclesiastical lawes which power Christian Emperors submitted unto as from God Constantine in the Nicen Martian Leo and all others whom the Christian world esteemed not Antichristian as they did Constantius for intrenching St. Nazianzen in his oration concerning moderation in disputations tells us that Praelates have power to make lawes c. in order to the soul St. Damascen in his second oration of Images saith Kings have no power to prescribe lawes unto the Church and proves it out of St. Paul and therefore he shews that in framing the Church of God that is in declaring Christs model of his Church St. Paul never at all mentioneth Kings In fine I finde all Christianity from the infancy to these daies growth to have conveyed to us this sence as delivered from Christ without contradiction Which Topicks I insist upon by reason Mr. Hobbs will not be thought to reject them neither doth he use any other considerable principles though sometimes he glanceth at heavie inconveniences to a civil common-wealth if this be granted But I am not willing to take too much notice of it least any might fear his aim to be to destroy Christian Religion for surely the Romans insisted most upon that as the Roman Histories shew and it is clear in Julian the Apostate All which the very great Turk admits as a truth namely a spiritual power of governing among Praelats most consistent with his supreme rights over Christians and therefore stumbleth not at the spiritual power of the Patriarch of Constantinople which he exerciseth over Christians and corresponds with them in this kinde though not subject to the Turk and therefore Mr. Hobbs needs not fear in Christians what the Turk doubteth not Out of all this it followeth that there may be Schism in defect of obedience in order to the Church without breach of duty to the Prince Sacriledge of Schisms saith St. August l. 1. cont ep Far. c. 4. exceedeth all other crimes and St. Jerom gives the reason because they cut and divide the great and glorious body of Christ and as much as in them lieth kill it and therefore as he who should tear in peices the body or members of a man should be thought to do the greatest injury and damage So he who divideth the Church which is the body of Christ which he so loved that he gave himself for it doth commit a grievious fin against him Therefore we finde in holy scripture no crime more grievously punished or revenged with a more dreadful torment then Schism For when Core Dathan and Abiron by whom what other things is signified saith St. Ambrose l. de 42. mansi mans 15. then those who bring Schism Heresie into the Church had separated themselves by wicked Schism from Moses and Aaron not onely they but their wives and children with all their substance were swallowed up into the earth and descended alive into hell Numb 16. this truly happened to them visibly to be an argument to future ages how enormous the crime of Schism is before God to deter men from plotting or following the same Neither are present Schismaticks punish'd with lesser paines though they appear not to our eyes By the aforesaid example St. Augustine ep 164. writing to Emiritus the Schismatick gathereth how much this crime of Schism is esteemed in the divine judgment Read which I make no doubt you have read you shall finde Dathan and Abiron devoured by opening of the earth the rest who consented to them consumed with fire being in the midst of them Therefore our Lord God brandeth that sin with present punishment as an example to be avoided that whom he patiently spareth such he sheweth to reserve to the last punishment For as the same St. Augustine elsewhere saith whosoever is separated from the Gatholick Church although he thinketh he liveth laudably for this onely fin that he is disjoynted from the unity of Christ he shall not have life but the anger of God remains upon him and after him St. Fulgentius de fide ad Pet. c. 39. Hold certainly doubt not that what Schismatick or Heretick soever is baptised in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost if he be not joyned to the Catholick Church what alms soever he shall do though also he shall spill his blood for Christ can never be saved In fine we need not go further then to blessed St. Paul to learn the horror of Schism who in the 1 Cor. 13. If I should speak with the tongues of men and Angels and not have Charity I am but as brass sounding or a Cymbal gingling and if I have the gift of prophesie and shall know all misteries and all sciences and if I have so great faith as to remove mountains yet if I have not Charity I am nothing If I shall distribute all I have amongst the poor if I deliver my body up to the fire if I have not Charity that is if I shall adhere to Schism all is worth nothing A heavy sentence if deeply considered Alas what will follow out of this St. Pauls doctrin touching all those whom we have known and of others whom yet we do know who have been of untouched lives liberal to the poor of pious inclinations or what you will all is lost according to St. Paul being they were members of this Scismatical body Contrariwise who do not onely in themselves avoid Schism and keep inviolated the Church union but where they perceive any danger of breach each man in his rank and degree indeavouring with all his possible diligence to preserve it they piously and laudably bestow themselves and their endeavours and truly merit much of God and man Of such it may be truly said that the Charity of their neighbour doth urge them and the love of God as St. Augustine saith l. 15. de Trinit doth divide betwixt the children of the eternal kingdom and the children of eternal perdition thinking and worthily that they have not the charity of God who do not love his Church as much as in them do not procure her unity It is all one from what head insolent disobedience springeth from whence floweth Schism or I would say the reason of Schism is not altered in it self for the diverse motive of rebellion for whether from the ambition of Bishops as too often it happneth
of which we have sad examples in Histories or whether from emulation of equals or to conclude for what cause soever of the pride of subjects it ariseth if it maketh separation it is Schism and divorceth the souls of all those that formally knowingly adhere unto it as from the union of the Church so from the love of Christ I am not ignorant what the school men teach in a speculative sense touching the extent and effects of invincible ignorance in order not onely to Schism but Heresie but we abstract now from speculations or from cases which are accidental or onely immaginary and therefore considering Schism as it is understood in the common and practical notion which the word gives in the sence of Christians I have universally concluded that it separateth us from the love of Christ and consequently from heaven CHAP. 4. Catholicks and Protestants divided by Schism VVE said before that Schism was sometime taken for Separation from the Catholick faith sometimes taken for separation from communion onely although faith be kept entire Now whatsoever may be said of Schism of the first kind of which for the present I do not treat we say that Protestants are divided and separated from Catholicks whom they terme Papists at least by Schism of the latter kinde and that appears so manifestly that it needeth no proof for not onely Catholicks and Protestants do so abhor mutual communion in divine worship Sacraments prayer and holy rites that no Protestant will frequent Catholick service especially the holy sacrifice of Mass and every Catholick will avoid whatsoever is esteemed religious among Protestants as the bread of sorrow and esteem all that shall but touch them contaminate and defiled Moreover Catholicks excommunicate Protestants every year and Protestants Catholicks frequently in England yea they exhaust such as in law shall be convicted with pecuniary mulcts and by the publick statutes and lawes of the Land any one who shall convert a a Protestant to the Catholick faith is guilty of death but a Priest who shall celebrate Mass is made guilty of high treason How therefore can one Church grow up together of such different members Or who will deny that here is manifest Schism and division if ever any Schism was or can be made O how far is this from the spirit of old Christians they gloried in that which the ancient called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sweet humane or neighbourly tenderness to delinquents of this kinde Spiritual sins the old Christian Church cured by spiritual Cataplasms at most proportioned to them when they contained not themselves within the compass of spirituallity but made eruptions into sedition and disturbance of the publick peace then their Authors justly lost the benefit of Ecclesiastical mildness and tasted sometimes the imperial severity but without death for many ages If our persecutors would limit their cruelties within this verge it would be less execrable they complain of the severity of Q. Maries daies and yet far exceed what they condemn in her Mr. Hobb's will put a difference in these cases for Chap. 13. n. 5. he tels us that Princes do against conscience who permit their subjects to practice a religion which they judge to be damnable to them This was Q. Maries case as all know but the case is far otherwise with us for it is evident that our Princes have professed with their Doctors that Salvation may be had in our Church and therefore according to Mr. Hobbs they should not disquiet their subjects in using their liberty in their Religion But to let Mr. Hobbs pass and come a little neerer to the business I will say one thing though not taking upon me to discuss or excuse her proceedings in every particular that the state of the question is wholy changed She punished for innovation in religion which even amongst Jewes Turks and the very Romans was reckoned a most enormous crime These punish us because we will not innovate but stick close to the religion of our and their forefathers a crime unheard of amongst all who have had any taste of God but most especially among true Christians Many indeed have for some years cryed out for immunitie in order to tender consciences and yet they themselves who were the heads of those Tenderlings did not endure to have Recusants accounted such who have title to it above all all things considered as being best able to manifest to the world their reluctancie in matter of conformity to all Changeable religions Indeed to be grounded upon true tenderness of conscience that is upon religious fear of offence of God and yet for this they are most strictly treated Is it not an unparalel'd exorbitancy with such high cruelties as quartering hanging and setting up the disserted quarters upon gates and cittadels for fouls to tear and devour of persons most innocent in their lives towards God and mens lawes most quiet in order to the weal publick onely for imbracing or teaching that religion of Christ which our and their forefathers in this nation followed for almost a thousand years a crime most horridly opposite to the first principles of nature Is it not parricide thus to profane the urnes of their forefathers Is it not to the uttermost of their power to exercise the forenamed cruelties upon them their own progenitors in doing them upon those who are guilty of no other crime then what they knowingly professed and endeavoured to transfuse to their posterity Their sanguinary proceedings against these clearly maketh known to the world their hearts venemous and bloudy rancor even against their Parents They commonly say that they do not punish us for religion but for acts of treason or fellony c. but it is not so common as impertinent Thus all persecutors of Christians did palliate their cruelties The Roman Historiographers will tell us it was for sedition that those cruel persecutions were against us the Jewes thus laboured to baptise their false accusations against our blessed Saviour and after against St. Paul Minutius Felix and other antient writers as Eusebius Theodoret c. will tell you of Christians accused of confederate conventicles against all their lawes when they had their religious solemnities Thus Julian to take the glory of Martyrdom from our constant religious progenitors laboured to deceive the vulgar The Roman Emperors made many edicts and some capital against all Christian conventions Julian against Christians children frequenting their Schooles against Bishops residing in their Seas c. For this point of debarring Chistians from their schools he had a specious prenence which he shrewdly urged that is because the Authors who taught in Schools Christians being not yet so commonly masters of Sciences were Ethnicks and therefore we had no title to them but this is far otherwise with you for all your learning is ours examine all your Schools fee the prefection of your studies of Philosophy Theolgie Can on or civil law Phisick are they not all ours Nay are not the founders
perpetual stile of the Church yea the very Councel of England convince in Spelman 'T is true those Churches which were out of the Roman Empire were subject to no Patriarch as much as can be gathered out of the Canon of the Councel of Ephesus except they put themselves under any one or I think rather that by law they ought to be subject to that Patriarch from whom by his Apostolical Missionaries they first received the feith of Christ ob similitudinem casus Bulgarorum Nam secundum Juristas similium similis est ratio As we argue of the Indies and others lately converted Japonians and those of China It is true de facto some Provinces against all Law have revolted from the Patriarch of Rome to the Patriarch of Constantinople after the division of the Empire and others from him to others as Russia to the Bishop of Moscovia but these are done against all lawes and government of the Church The shift which our Country-men fly to saying they were compelled unto it for the too much cruelty of the Pope with the same facility it is rejected for it ought to have been examined by a general Councel and parts on both sides be heard as in the Councel of Trent an excellent occasion was given but ours appeared not because if it be lawfull for subjects to withdraw themselves from the obedience of their superiours as often as they pretend tyranny or what oppression soever so that themselves be actors and judges in their own causes it is to be feared that subjects of Princes or whatsoever soeveraignties by this occasion will lay hold on easie pretences of Rebellion for if the reason be good it is every-where in force and so any province out of apprehension of tyranny c. may justly and lawfully withdraw it self from their Prince or the Soveraign Magistracy Therefore it remains firm that seeing England by the most antient and strong right was subordinate to the Bishop of Rome neither hath that subordination been hitherto abrogated by any lawful and sufficient Councel yea neither the cause heard therefore they ought to remain under obedience of the same sea until a full discussion of the matter otherwise she can be no wayes free from the crime of Schism and rebellion according to that of St Nazianzen ep 1. We desire to know what this great lust of bringing novations about the Church is that every one that will c. For if they who now make the stir had any thing that they might disprove or condemn in us about faith not so truly we not being admonished was it meet to commit such a wickedness For you ought to be willing either to perswade or be perswaded if so be also we are in any place or number that who fear God and for the defence of the faith have undergone great labours and have well deserved of the Church and then if also then we machinate new things but notwithstanding by this reason these petulant and contumelious men might peradventure have some sufficient excuse Behold how this great Saint and Doctor of the Church maketh any recess from the Church impossible and unlawful The pestilent poyson of Schism covered over with an ill plaister may be judged sound by impudent men but truly except it be purged and wiped to the very bottome of the soar with the plaister of Christian peace it will be Schism still and consequently bring death to those that are infected with it Some labour to cloak their Schism and pretence of reformation under the fact of Ezechias Reg. 4.18 The business is this The Jewes had fallen into an inveterate custome of erecting altars and offering incense upon the mountains to the brazen Serpent c. contrary to Gods command The kings his predecessors were often reprehended for their neglect herein and Ezechiah much commended for his zeal and fortitude in breaking this ill custom Hence they argue it lawful for kings to reform abuses in the Church as in England All which is nothing to the purpose For first he did it with consent of the high priest as Josias also did in compleating the work begun by Ezekias as appears c. 23. Secondly there is no doubt but Princes are obliged by their office as being nurses of Gods Church to labour especially with the Prelates of the Church to suppress all emergent insolencies or innovations Thirdly Which is the main point Ezechias did not erect any new altar of division against the mother Church Jerusalem but took away the breach or division which be found made by others In the case of England it is just contrary King Henry the eighth began the rest have increased the Schism and erected new altars of division against Gods ordinances in the old and new law as Jeroboam did Reg. 11.29 which God so severely punished So that I cannot see at all with what modestie this fact of Ezechias or Josias could be alledged to warrant the dissection of our Country from the Church since it plainly inferreth the contrary namely that abuses though never so much authorized by wicked Princes or long customs are to be abolished by succeeding Princes to redintegrate the primary union and conformity with the mother Church which is the case of England A main Objection which they use for their Schism is because as they say we forbid a discussion of our tenents by the light of reason which they esteem to be against reason which should be our guide in all things and especially in matters of religion CHAP. 5. Of what use Reason is in disoussing of Faith PHilosophy and Faith go upon contrary principles and hence peradventure they lay hold of occasion of error the antiquity of opinion in Philosophy if it be any thing it must be fortified with new reasons otherwise in process of time it vanisheth but in Christian faith reason it self that it may be efficatious springeth from antiquity otherwise in that it is new it vanisheth away according to that of St. Augustine against two Epistles of the Pelagiuns c. 6. The antiquity of our doctrine declares the truth of it as the novelty of the other shews it to be Heresie In Philosophy reason raigneth here it serveth and consequently is captivated according to the Apostle It is not quite rejected neither is it admitted out of the bounds of a servant for as Roger Bacon excellently speaketh in his fourth part of his greater work We do not seek reason before faith but after it Here was Chillingworth's error in objecting that Catholicks as well as they recur to reason in faith we do indeed use reason as a servant not as a mistris We put it as Frier Bacon notes after faith not before it but these new pretenders to divinity prefer their reason before faith Turn the cat in the pan and make faith subservient to their reason as Teriullian against Hermogenes They descend from the Church to the School of Aristotle they appeal as to the supremest court to the seat of common
comes that the Socinians call in question if not absolutely deny the diety of the Son and of the Holy Ghost hence with the Pelagians they reduce Christs death to example of our imitation onely not to be the price of our redemption hence generally they profess with Chillingworth and others whom I could name that holy Scriptures are to be understood according to each mans small reach of reason as if nothing were contained in them what is not commensurated to our understanding and therefore needs not any supernatural aide from God which Mr. Hobbs very well confutes Chap. 17. n. 28. Yet he saith it belongs to the City to interpret Scriptures at least in all such things which he will please to call juridical or Philosophical which have far too great latitude in his sense For purely supernatural he speaks more reason then any others of these new ones from whom hath proceeded contempt of Prelates and Doctors because every one of the most inferiour Laytie of these Enthusiasts by their impetuous imaginary instinct and private spirit or what is the same their particular ratiocination though most groundless are supreme and infallible Masters and Doctors to themselves Neither do they beleeve any thing to be Divine which flowes not from the sensless impetuosity of their imaginations without any respect to higher considerations Yes truly those who are esteemed the wiser sort following Socinas stick in the same puddle expounding holy Scriptures and all mysteries of our holy Faith not according to the universal reason of the Church delivered by the hands of the ancients to us as Catholicks do but by their private spirits or by the conduct of their private reason A thing ridiculous to conceive that the profoundness of Christian misteries should not exceed the shallow reach of our reason Which error is the Source of all dissonancies and inconstancies amongst them which even by intrinsecal necessary consequence must needs cause a perpetual flux or issuing out of changes of conclusions of Faith for the effect cannot be more noble then the cause On the other side Catholick tenents must by a great necessity be always constant because they depend not upon our daily changable reasons or ratiocination but upon the unvariable word of God revealed and delivered by the Church The sum of all is that the verity of a Philosophicall conclusion is demonstrated by the verity of human reason the verity of Christian reason is proved by the verity of ancient faith indeed one verity may be diverse but never adverse to another Neither doth Divine contradict human but often surmounteth it and therefore it is comprehended by the sparks of our scanted reason but it is setched from else where Ask thy Father c. This is a safe way in which there is no danger to be dashed upon the rocks of errors according to that of Athanasius in his Epistle to Epicietus teaching how Hereticks Schismaticks are to be treated with There is no better way and indeed it is alone sufficient to answer them Those things not to be orthodoxall which our forefathers have not taught us This is plea enough against all pretences in the judgment of Athanasius let therefore Christians and they that bear the name of Christ be ashamed if leaving the fountain of antiquity from whence all sound doctrin floweth to follow certain small rivolets full of vanity and foolery shadowed under a precious shew of reason which from whence they had their Source and beginning none for certain know We Catholicks therefore adhere to the holy Councels and ancient Fathers in the first place after the holy Scriptures neither dare we accuse them of foolery a Christian minde will hurdly permit them to be rashly and presumptuously defamed But these men and others of the some tribe who make the glimmering of their reasons the rules of Faith and Religion easily reject them It is a wonder rather that they do not with their supercilious spectacles clime up the heavens and there with the Albumazar Aicabatius Massaeius and infinite other Astrologers seek out the verity of all Religions and one while for the conjunction of Saturne with the Sun adhere to Judaismes another while for the conjuction of Mars with Jupiter promote the Chaldaick Sect if with Venus the Mahumetical if with Mercarie the Christian So by some little shew of reason drawn from the heavens they may change their religion as for the most part they are wont to do several times of the year according to the several dominations of the planets or certainly every year according to the annual dominion or if this seems to much aerial they may according to the Successory government of those intelligences which they call Seconds appoint the stations retrogradations and cadences of their divers sects and religions as some not without applause of such lunitick persons have unhappily enough attempted as especially some attribute the innovation of Luthers sect to the new lunary inteligences then 1517. undertaking the worlds government And Ticho Brahe affirms that those sects which indeed are derived from mens brain-sick fancies may be found out in the heavens both in their risings and fallings Of which this present age administreth change enough The truth is Judas the Apostle toucheth these home whatsoever they do not know they blaspheme whatsoever like bruit beasts they know they are corrupted in They are indeed so swoln in their imaginations that breaking they corrupt themselves and others CHAP. 6. A digression against Mr. Hales the supposed Author of the Treatise of Schism And a farther proof of Schism in England Mr. HALES who is said and supposed to be Author of the Treatise of Schism objects that Schirm may be spread over all the parts of the Church and so the whole be infected in which case Schism cannot be imputed to one place more then to another and this may peradventure be affirmed of the sepuration of England from other Churches as it was touching the ancient celebrating of Easter wherein also a how Schism is rison for aching not necessary yea saith he in a matter ridiculous If I should bring the general Councel of Nice condemning and separating from these Quarta-decimans he would deride it he accuseth all the ancients of foolishness in this matter Thus he sporteth and trifleth in mysteries of faith to root out all faith out of the mindes of the faithful I deny first what he averreth that the West and East were at variance that is to say that that Schism did invade the whole Church and cleave her into two parts for the matter of Easter but that some considerable part did raise stirs in the East yea in the West also is manifest amongst historians this cause of division in a late work de consilijs made in latine by a Country man of ours is laid open to the very root But to peruse a little more the grounds of his mistakes in this important point of Schism we must alwayes remember what before we noted that
Gods glory How they do speak it they can declare no more then they are according to Mr. Hobbs and therefore onely things finite which is to confine God against the drift of the Psalms Philosophy and Scriptures teach us to finde God by his creatures as St. Paul 1 Rom. 20. remits us to the creatures Invisibilia à constitutione mundi per ea quae facta sunt intellecta conspiciuntur our understanding of God is from these visible things nay it is the onely natural way we have from the effect to finde the first cause and not from the first cause the effect and all things without his confinement So by pictures we ascend to what is represented not tying our selves to the manner in our worship of God under that representation In the pursuit we relinquish the manner and going forward with our discourse we find and with our devotions follow the Infinity of Gods goodness All representatives are essentially inferior to the Prototypes by many degrees yet safely conduct us to the knowledge of them without abasing their natures to the Images So here and all acts of acknowledgment of God in and by his creatures for we know the effect cannot equalize the first cause especially neither in nature nor in manner of existence and therefore we conclude Gods supreme essence and goodness to transcend all we see in the like manner we easily ascend by the use of pictures neither can we do otherwise if we use our reason so that there is no danger of Gods confinement and therefore no Idolatry I remember that Cassian in his Collations tells us of a poor ignorant Monk who out of error had framed to himself in his narrow imagination a conceipt of Gods being corporal and could very hardly be brought to entertain higher thoughts of Gods spiritual essence being unwillng to relinquish his Phantastically ill framed Image of God We are much beholding to Mr. Hobbs who is so tender of Christians dulness that least by their Images they should conceive God to be finite or corporal with this poor Monk he would remove all picturs though God himself not so careful as Mr. Hobbs hath been pleased to talk and walk with Adam which are acts of a corporal and finite creature and othertimes to make resemblance as if he had appeared in corporal shape as to Moses perchance to Jacob and others nay even the Son of God appearing in our poor nature all which would draw us into errors if God had not by his Prophets Apostles and daily by his Church and even by reason taught us the right use of such passages and to know that those sensible representatives were onely conductives to God himself as we teach Students by emblems to conceive things more remote from their present capacity All which will warrant our use of Images yet without Gods confinement and consequently without Idolatry Neither would this if true any way excuse them from sacrilegious Schism except all were compelled to Idolatry St. Augustine saith there can be no just necessity to cut off unity l. 2. Cont Ep. Parm. c. 2. and as he elsewhere Ep. 166. Our Heavenly Master hath so much admonished us to take heed of this That he would make the common people secure even of evil superiors that not for them the chair of saving doctrin should be destroyed Therefore the chair ought not to be forsaken much less destroyed for the errors of the Presidents O how St. Cyprian doth purge that poison of theirs to the quick Epist l. 3. Ep 2. If there be seen darnel to be in the Church our faith and charity ought not to be hindred thereby that because we see darnel to be in the Church we therefore leave the Church c. The Apostle in the second Epist to Timothy 2. saith In a great house there are not onely vessels of gold and of silver but also of wood and of earth and certain indeed unto honour but certain also unto contumely but it is onely lawful for God who hath a rod of iron to break the earthen vessels c. Let not any one assume to himself what the Father alone hath given to his Son c. It is saith he a proud obstinacy and sacrilegious presumption which wicked fury assumeth to it self Let our Country men think sadly of this It is objected to me that the Church of Rome doth force her Proselites to beleeve falshoods perniciously under Anathema in the Councel of Trent I answer That if we should make an impossible supposition against all the promises of Christ that the Church should in necessary points teach errors yet even in that case every child of the Church must exteriorly carry himself quiet and not make commotions for that were to seek a cure worse then the disease as in the like impossible supposition our Country-man Waldensis l. 2. c. 27. teaches Non perperam insilire debet He must not leap against the Churches face in rebellion Neither is he bound to beleeve an untruth nor yet is one in danger to incur the censure For the Church cannot reach the minde onely God in a just sentence confirming her act reaches home which cannot be in this case for he should confirm an injustice Whence it followeth that no man is or can be compelled to beleeve untruths but onely not to make Schism which by divine law is forbidden And therefore St. Augustines rule is still true There cannot be no necessity of cutting off the Church unity no not in supposition that she should command great errors But you will not object that if the articles commanded by the Church are in themselves true yet if I cannot perceive their truth after all diligence used to that end it were hypocrisie in me and therefore unlawful to adhere to that Church I conceive though falsly teacheth and commandeth false doctrins and extraordinary practises upon those grounds This truly is most seriously objected by some but without all Solidity For surely Christians are obliged by the law of God and reason to depose their own false judgments in obedience to God his Church else this will open a gap to all itching ears of whom we are premonished to introduce each man his fancy and prefer it before the wholesome doctrins of Christ delivered by his Church Neither is it difficult for man though learned to depose his own judgment especially in order to external actions for it is daily done by all sorts of timorate consciences who do mangre their own reason direct themselves by the authority of such whom they know to be more learned then themselves Mr. Hobbbs Chap. 15. and n. 13. saith unusquisque rationem privatam rationi totius civitatis submittere potest Here he labours to lay the grounds of the derivation of power in the Common-wealth to determine what belongs to matters of religion which he faith that the people have transferred to the Magistrate He proves it as he faith evidently I examine it not being pertinent to
King James of famous Memory calls her in his first speech to the Parliament at least wise until a general Councel he convocated where their cause may be heard and decided which indeed is virtually already done to their hands in the case of Germany Wherein the proverb is true that one egg is not more like to another then these in the main point of Schism though differing from themselves and others in points of Doctrin From what is said we may conclude thus Whosoever divide the unity of the Church without cause are in a damnable state seeing out of the third Chapter Schism is an enormous crime but Protestants do divide the unity of the Church out of the 4 and 5 Chapters and that without cause Chap. 6. therefore Protestants are in a damnable state Wherefore as I said in the beginning considering the danger of their souls they are bound to discuss the causes of their revolt to weigh ponder the reasons of the Catholicks that they may free themselves from such a miserable and dreadful state return to the Church their mother and so have God for their Father love and maintain her unity and so be made partakers of her charity An Exhortation of the Author I know that these sensible objects obvolved and ensnared in the delights of the flesh strongly proposed either by actual possession or clear hopes of attaining do so efficatiously move the powers of souls drowned in sordid bodies that poor man by the weak command of his will is hardly drawn from embracing them therefore we must seek help otherwise we must fly unto holy prayer that we be not swallowed up in this gulf of mudd let more noble objects be proposed it is not in our power not to be moved with those things we see let us therefore look with the eyes of Faith upon the objects of eternal felicity promised to those who confess and follow Christ Jesus certainly they will concern us and by Gods mercies through the tryals of patience we shall at the length attain unto them Let not therefore that be applied to us which in times past Seneca ep 116. spake of the adversaries of Stoick Philosophy You promise too high-things you command too hard things we are poor creatures and we cannot deny all things to our selves least we hear also his answer on the Stoicks part Our vices because we love them we defend them and we had rather excuse them then leave them To be unwilling is the cause not to be able is pretended This consideration may easily imprint a serious reflexion in the hearts of Schismaticks To conclude all let us hear the great Zealot of Peace thundring out to the Churches of Ephesus Ephes 4. I therefore prisoner in our Lord beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation in which you are called with all humility and mildness with patience supporting one another in charity careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace One body and one spirit as you are called in one hope of your vocation One Lord one Faith one Baptism One God and Father of all which is over all and by all and in us all Amen FINIS ERRATA PAge 27. Line 11. Read Lions P. 83. l. 17. read dissected P. 87. l. 17. read prefects P. 96. l. 14. read impostume P. 127. l. 10. read add faith P. 136. l. ult dele to P. 138. l. 11. read these P. 144. l. 12. read add not P. 174. l. 7. read Epistles P. 195. l. 15. read radices P. 214. l. 13. read continuance P. 239. l. 18. dele not P. 242. l. 10. read not pertinent