authority against Heretiques Thereupon I betook my self to the rending of the Ancient-Church History and besides others I perused exactly Tertullians Praescriptions against Haeretiques c. S. Cyprian S. Epiphanius S. Augustines Epistles and treatises against the Donatists Manichaeans c. Vincentius Lyrinensis S. Hieroms Bookes against the Luciferians Iovinian and Vigilantius I had recourse likewise upon occasion to certaine treatises of Saint Basil and S. Athanasius S. Hilary S. Pacian c. And lastly I judged it an effectuall way of atteining to the understanding the opinion of Antiquity concerning the Church to select the speciall Texts of Scripture wherein mention is made of the Church and to examine how the Fathers interpreted those Texts and what inferences they drew from them in their Sermons and Commentaries in which I might be sure they spoke without interest and passion as having no adversary in sight to combat withall and therefore were not likely to streine themselves in their expressions Such Texts of Scripture were these and the like Die Ecclesiae c. Tell the Church and if he will not beare the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican And Tu es Pertus c. Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it And Ecclesiae quae est firmamentum fidei c. The Church which is the ground of Faith and Pillar of truth c. CHAP. XIX What prejudice the Author received by receiving the doctrine of the Roman Churches Authority express'd in School-language Successe of his enquiry into Councels and ancient Fathers 1. THe answering of the Questions and especially the perusing of those bookes was the businesse of a good space of time above twelve moneths or more The excessive paines and diligence employed by mee which otherwise would have brene tedious was much sweetned by the discovery every day of new light And I could not but observe the strange effects of education and prejudice which made me believe my selfe to be saparated in my beliefe from the Catholique Church at a distance unmeasurable when indeed I was even at the doores and I am certaine I had been much sooner a Catholique if I had thought or rather indeed if I had considered for if I had considered it well I might have found sufficient ground to think so that the beliefe of the Churches doctrines nakedly as she proposeth them and in the latitude allowed by her had beene sufficient to have gained that title But I tooke those to be the necessary doctrines of the Catholique Church which were onely the private opinions and expressions of particular Doctors And the simplicity of the Articles of Christian Faith was clowded by Scholasticall Metaphysicall tearms which being abstruse nice and unknown to Antiquity rendred the doctrines themselves obscure and withall new and suspected to me 2. And all this by a very pardonable fault of mine For from whom should I receive the doctrines of the Roman Church when a Controversie is raised but from the learnedst Masters of Controversie And how few among them propose the points to be disputed between them and the Protestants in the language of the Church Besides how few among them are there who in disputing will allow that latitude which the Church apparently does There is scarce any Point of Controversie which is not severally interpreted streitned or enlarged by severall Catholiques of severall Orders and education and most of them in confuting the Protestants seeme very earnest and make it almost their whole designe to impose their particular interpretations and expressions for Catholique doctrines But with very little or no successe For a Protestant will be very ready and may with good reason say Though by being perswaded by you I shall become a Roman Catholique yet I might deny all that you maintaine and yet be a Roman Catholique too for I can produce Authors which you dare not deny to be good Catholiques that will not receive nor subscribe to your expression and stating of this Point Therefore seek to convert them first and then come and dispute with me Dispute like a Catholique for the question is not now whether I shall be a Dominican Jesuite Scotist c. But whethe I ought to be a Catholique or no. The truth is by these meanes disputations are endlesse Catholiques themselves affording answers and objections to Protestants against Catholiques Whereas if particular Controvertists as were indulgent as the Church is would be content to thinke that the termes wherein Shee expressed her minde were the most proper their adversaries would quickly be silenced Controversies abated and by Gods assistance union in a short time happily restored 3. The great haâ—me which I received by judging of the Churches Faith by particular new expressions of it puts me into this fit of liberty in censuring thus far the method of those men by whom I have been so long a time so far from being perswaded that I was rather hindred from my reunion to the Church And on the contrary this happy successe in following the direction of some few Catholique authours who separating particular opinions of Doctors from necessary Catholique Doctrines and urging nothing upon me but without assenting to which I could not be a Catholique makes me judge by mine own experience as well as reason that that which healed me of my errours and Schism would not by Gods blessing want the same effect in others also especially among English Protestants â—nd the rather if following the advice of the most Reverend the Lord Archbishop of Roven Protestants in stead of wearying themselves with perticular debates would resolve this in the first place why they made the Schism at first and continue in it still What dispensation they have from the authority and unity of the Church so unanimously and affectionately reverenced and obeyed by the ancient Fathers 4. I cannot without ingratitude in this place and occasion omit a profession of that great obligation I have with thankfulnesse to almighty God and respect to his happy instrument to acknowledge the efficacious influence that one Treatise in speciall manner had to the furtherance and facilitating of my Conversion written in French by that skilfull and authorized Controvertist Francis Veron Doctor of Divinity and entituled by him Reiglè generale de la foy Catholique In which he delivers the pure Catholique Doctrine in the words of the Councells streined and separated from all particular opinions or authorities not absolutely obliging And this exemplified throughout almost all the considerable points of Controversie bewteen Catholiques and the severall Sects of Protestants Which method of proceeding is approved by several learned Doctors of the Faculty of Pâ—â—is and the generall designe of it by his late Holinesse Gregory the fifth as was signified to the Author by his Nephew Cardinall Ludovisiâ— yea God himself hath approved and recommended the same Method by his numerous blessings on it in the Conversion
latter CHAP. XIII An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's discourse and reasonings premised before his proofes out of Scripture 1. BUt to come at last to Mr. Chillingworth's reasons and quotations out of Scripture to prove that all things necessary to salvation are not onely sufficiently conteined in the bookes of Scripture in generall but even in any one of the Gospells mentioned before cap. 26. And first for the examination of that which he layes as a ground of his enforcing the said quotations viz. That no man ought to be obliged upon paine of Excommunication to believe any thing but what God hath revealed to be necessary to eternall salvation which is the substance of the New Covenant made by God in Christ conteining points of necessary beliefe and precepts of necessary Evangelicall obedience His reasons being Why should any errour or ignorance exclude him from the Churches Communion which will not deprive him of eternall salvatio Why should men be more rigid then God c. 2. In stead of answering to this I acknowledge the foundation to be very substantiall and the Reasons very concluding Onely I must take leave to explaine one phrase in this discourse viz. Things which are of the substance of the New Covenant For if his meaning be that onely those things are necessary to be believed explicitely which are essentiall substantiall parts of the New Covenant and that directly and of their owne nature I must then deny it and so does himselfe elsewhere although in this place that which followes in consequence to this foundation does seeme to require such a sence of the words And to prove the reasonablenesse of my denyall he being now unfortunately dead I desire any Protestant to resolve these questions To believe that our Lord was descended according to the flesh from Abraham or David is it of the substance of the New Covenant directly and of its own Nature We shall both of us answer No. Nor by consequence is it necessary to salvation to know or believe it I aske then further But suppose a man finde that proposition expresly in Scriptures sufficiently proposed to him and acknowledged to be the word of God is it not then necessary to salvation to believe it I will answer againe as both of us should doe Yes without any question the reason being evident because though to believe Christ to be the Son of Abraham be not in it selfe of the essence of the Covenant yet to believe that whatsoever God sayes is true is and by consequence an accessory may by some circumstances be made essentiall and a man may come to be damned for not believing that which without any the least prejudice to him he might never have known or heard of So likewise for any one who believes that the Church is the depositary of divine Revelation and that she is endued with authority from Christ to command things though in themselves not necessary yet such as she thinkes helpfull to piety for such a man I say to refuse to believe the unlawfulnesse of Rebaptization for example acknowledged by the whole Church both in her universall practise and profession that it was a Tradition unwritten which came from the Apostles and confirm'd by the authority of a lawfull Councell or againe to refuse to absteine and fast in Lent Fridayes Quatuor-Temporibus c. the Church commanding him both these refusalls though the former be of a doctrine of it selfe not of the essence of the New Covenant and the later of an action little more then circumstantiall are mortall sinnes and the Church may justly excommunicate and by consequence God will assureedly condemne such as persist obstinately in such refusalls And this for a reason more effectuall then the former because namely obedience to the Chnrch is not onely commanded expresly in Scripture as in the former case but commanded under this very penalty of Excommunication which the former was not for saith our Lord If any one heare not the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican 3. But to proceede Mr. Chillingworth to prove that this New Covenant is entirely conteined not onely in the whole Scripture but also in the foure Gospells yea sufficiently even in any one of the foure he first alledges these reasons Because saith he the Evangelist's having a purpose to write the Gospell of Christ or new Covenant no reason can be imagined that they who have set downe many passages unnecessary should neglect any necessary for what a negligence must this needs be such an one surely as no man in these dayes undertaking the same designe would commit Besides with what truth could they stile their bookes the Gospell of Christ if they were onely a part of it 4. Hereto I answer that if by the Gospell of Christ he had meant the story of the life acts discourses sufferings death Resurrection and Ascension of our Saviour as I mentioned in my preparatory grounds I should willingly grant that the foure Evangelists joyntly have written the Gospell of Christ entirely not omitting any passage thereof necessary or very requisite to be known I say the foure Evangelists joyntly for of each severally I cannot say so For for example S. Marke either because S. Mathew had done it sufficiently before or for what other reason I will not trouble my selfe to divine but S. Marke omitting the Incarnation of our Lord of a pure Virgin his birth and all things that followed till he was thirty yeares old begins his Gospell with S. Iohn Baptists mission to preach now I suppose these Mysteries omitted by S. Marke are at least in a high degree requisite to be known and believed generally yea I will adde necessary since they are expressed in the Apostles Creed as short as it is yet not necessary absolutely and indispensably to every person in what state soever but only to those that live in the Church much more to persons of ability and parts yet more to Teachers and most of all to Congregations and Churches and if so then that which Master Chillingworth would conclude from hence cannot be satisfactory in this controversie among such persons and Sects and at this time as I shewed before So likewise the Evangelist S. John besides almost all the miracles Sermons and parables mentioned by other Evangelists omitt's the Blessed Sacrament and the Story of our Saviours Ascension Now I desire any Protestant to say whether what ever would become of some particular person ignorant of these things by an excuse of an impossibility of instruction a man living as now in sufficient light and much more one obliged to be a teacher of others could be saved with ignorance of these things omitted by S. John I further desire him to say whether a society of men desiring to be joyned and ordered so as to be made a Christian Church if they had onely S. Johns Gospell for their Rule and patterne yea though they had all the foure Evangelists yea all the Evangelicall writings whether
return that shall return which was before Again Mat. 6. Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it And again Joh. 14. The Spirit of truth shall remain with you for ever And again Let both grow together unto the harvest And againe Mat. 18. If any man will not hear the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican Upon which S. Augustine lib. 5. de Bapt. thus descants the which house likewise hath received the keyes and a power of loosing and binding Whosoever shall contemne this house reproving and correcting him let him saith he be unto thee as a Heathen and a Publican And lastly The Church which is the pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 4. CHAP. XXVIII The validity of such Texts c. 1. UPon these and other such Texts of Scripture joyn'd with Tradition and uninterrupted practise the antient Church grounded upon her authority the antient Councells their power of anathematizing all gain-sayers and the antient Fathers all their arguments and discourses against all sorts of Heretiques arguing thus That if the promises of Christ were true that his Church should continue for ever and so continue as that she should alwaies be preserved in all truth so that the gates of hell should never prevail against her then whatsoever Heretiques opposed or Schismatiques separated themselves from the present Church either gave Christ the lye or acknowledged themselves to be a Congregation exempted from these promises concluding that no pretence could be sufficient to warrant any man at any time to separate from the Church to which such promises have been made Hence that great Alexander Bishop of Alexandria Theod. Hist. Eccl. l. 1. c. 4. We acknowledge one onely Church Catholique and Apostolique which as she can never be rooted out although the whole world should attempt to fight against her so she surmounts and dissipates all the impious assaults of Heretiques Hence likewise S. Athanasius The Church is invincible although hell it selfe should oppose her Hence lastly Theophilusâ— God at all times affords the same grace unto his Church namely that the body should be preserved entire and that the poysons of hereticall doctrines should have no power over her V. S. Hierom. Ep. 67. 2. Now if these promises of Christ be not both infallible and likewise absolute and unlesse the Church to which such promises belong be not only visible but by the weakest understandings discernable from all other factions and Congregations and lastly unlesse upon the same grounds that all the Fathers took advantage from such promises to condemn all Schismes and Heresies against the Catholique Church of their times all succeeding Catholiques might with as much reason and justice from the same promises conclude as efficatiously against all following Heresies and Schismes whatsoever hath been said by all these Fathers especially the writings of S. Augustine against the Donatists will prove to be the most foolish impertinent jugling discourses that ever were yea that were too mild a censure I should say the most blasphemous and pernicious to Christianity For by ascribing to the present Church respectively such sanctity authority and indefectibility if such titles could not be warranted from Scripture and Tradition all possible means of taking away scandalls and errours among Christians would be utterly lost it would be unlawfull for any men to preach truth and piety or reform vice in a word that fearfull comminatory curse in the Revelation would be converted into an Evangelicall precept Qui nocet noceat adhuc qui in sordibus est sordescat adhuc Let him that doth mischiefe proceed to do more mischiefe still and let hiâ— that is filthy be filthy stil Apoc. 22. I might ad Et qui incredulus est incredulus maneat Let him that is a disbeliever take care that he continue a disbeliever still for whosoever reforms these things are Heretiques and Schismatiques 3. But such promises are too expresse in Scripture the Tradition of them too constant and universall the Fathers too good Christians to leave any suspition in mens minds that they should either lightly imprudently or wickedly make use of arguments to destroy heresies which in future times would be as proper yea far more efficacious to destroy truth Therefore if all antiquity conspired to argue thus Christ has expressely promised and foretold that his Church shall be as a City set upon the top of a hill and that he by his Spirit will be with this his Church to the end of the world in which Church notwithstanding there shall be a mixture of good and bad till the day of Judgement but however the Church it self is without spot or wrinckle Therefore it is a blasphemy in you Manicheans Donatists Pelagians c. to say the Church of Christ was perished or invisible or a harlot till you revived reformed and purified it I say if the Fathers had reason from such promises to argue thus in the second third and fourth Centuries their Successours had as good reason to make the same deductions from the same principles in the fifth and sixth ages and so downward till these very times For as Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever so likewise are his promises and by consequence so likewise is his Church since he ha's engaged his omnipotence to make good such his promises to his Church untill the worlds end 4. If not Let those that forbid such a method of arguing name how long a time and how far those promises are to be extended Let them name the Climactericall year when the effect of them is to cease or what constellation ha's over-ruled the operation of Gods holy Spirit To conclude let them give some reason why the Donatists who though in all points of Christian Doctrine agreed with the Catholique Church yet because for I know not what pretended misdemeanour of one Bishop they separated from his Communion and afterward from all those that communicated with him that is the whole Church are therefore so highly condemned by the Fathers for this their Schisme that they professed the same heaven could not hold them both yea that Martyrdome it selfe could not blot out that crime What priviledge can all those Sects of this age alledge for themselves that the same arguments and judgements of the Fathers should not be applied to them who to their Schisme from charity have added a division from and contradiction to not only the Catholique Church but all manner of Congregations praeexistent in so many points of doctrine and faith of so high importance 5. I confesse I could not imagine what could be opposed to this and therefore I could not but conclude that the antient Fathers Logick was concluding yea that such unanswerable arguments of theirs were powerfull means preordained by Christ for the accomplishing of his good promises to his Church inasmuch as by them the gates of Hell that is as severall Fathers
church as a doctrine Traditionary and moreover it is attested by all antient Records of the Fathers of the church nemine explicite contradicente and it ha's been practised by Councells in all ages not one Catholique renouncing his obedience In so much as to my understanding there is not one Christian doctrine delivered with so full an assurance nor in the sense and meaning whereof it is lesse possible for a man to be mistaken Now by vertue of this speciall truth of the churches authority Universall Tradition which of it self is most credible and certain being believed and attested by the present church becomes most necessary to be believed by us the Church supplying the place not only of a witnesse but of an Embassadour likewise instructed and employed by Christ himself as S. Augustine most effectually maintains so that in believing and obeying her we believe and obey Christ himself according to Christs own expression He that heareth you heareth me and If any one heareth not the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican And therefore they that believe Christian doctrines only because they think they find them in the Scripture and believe the Scripture only because their reason or fancy which they miscall the testimony of Gods Spirit tells them that it is the Word of God though the doctrines themselves believed by them be true yet it is a hazard as to them whether they be so or no or however whether that be the sense of them or no it being all one as if a man by some casualty had found a transcribed copy of some part of an Embassadors Pattent or instructions Whereas Catholiques receive the commands of their heavenly King and Master from his Embassadours own hands which not only will not conceale any thing necessary or requisite from them but likewise will be able upon occasion to cleare all manner of difficulties that may arise about the sense of the said instructions or Patent having received glorious promises of continuall residence among us and of divine assistance to preserve him from any at least dangerous error 8. These things thus supposed Mr. Chillingworth's pretended circles and absurdities in the Resolution of Catholique Faith doe clearly and evidently vanish For a Catholique does not only or chiefly believe the Churches authority because to his privaâ—e understanding and reason the Scripture seems to say so but because he knows that the present Catholique Church teacheth so both by profession and practise and that she teacheth this as a Catholike Tradition believed and practised in all ages then which it is impossible there should be any testimony more assured and infallible so that if a man can be sure of any thing done before his own times as all reasonable men do agree that one may he cannot avoid being most sure of this if his passion or interests do not hinder him from searching into the grounds of it I need not therefore particularly give an answer to Mr. Chillingworth's discourse before produced since it wholly proceeds upon a mistake of his adversaries and other Catholiques grounds and since himself in the close of it seemes to confesse by objecting to himselfe Universall Tradition that if this doctrine of the Churches authority could be made appear to be grounded upon Catholike Tradition it would be as much credible as if the Scripture had expresly testified it since in his opinion the Scripture it selfe and nothing besides enjoyes its authority because it is delivered by Universall Tradition and by consequence would not be lyable to any circles or absurdities So that truly I wonder why seeing Mr. Chillingworth could not be ignorant that Catholiques do generally pretend that this doctrine comes from Tradition besides the proofs of it out of Scripture he should notwithstanding dispute against it as if there were no other ground for it but two or three questionable passages of Scriptâ—re CHAP. XLIII An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's allegations of pretended uncertainties and casualties in the grounds of the faith and salvation of Catholiques 1. THere is in Mr. Chillingworth's book another rank of objections which though they do not directly combat the churches infallibility or authority yet they had great effect upon me because they seemed to infer that the faith and salvation likewise of Catholiques depended upon extreme uncertainties and casualties and by consequence that a Catholique could not give any assurance that his faith was safely grounded For thus he argues c. 2. parag 63. ad 68. The salvation of many millions of Papists as they suppose and teath depends upon their having the Sacrament of Penance duly administred to them This again upon the Ministers being a true Priest which is a thing that depends upon many uncertain and very contingent supposalls As 1. That he was baptized with due matter 2. With due forme 3. With due intention 4. That the Bishop which ordained him Priest ordained him likewise with due form intention c. 5. That that Bishop himselfe was a person fitly qualified to give orders that is was no Simoniake c. 6. That all that Bishops Progenitors were fitly qualified and so till he arrive to the fountain of Priesthood Now he that shall put together and maturely consider all the possible wayes of lapsing and nullifying a Priesthood in the Church of Rome I believe saith he will be very inclinable to believe that in an hundred seeming Priests there is not one true one But suppose this inconvenience assoyled yet still the difficulty will remain whether he will pronounce the absolving words with intent to absolve you for perhaps he may be a secret Jew Moor or Antitrinitarian which if he be then his intention which is necessary to the validity of a Sacrament will be wanting c. 2. Hereto I answer 1 That such kind of pretended uncertainties or nullities in particulars do not prejudice the authority and stability of the church in generall but that if it be true which ha's alwayes been believed in the church viz. That Christ ha's promised to continue till the worlds end a church governed by lawfull Pastors and preserved in all truth he will engage his omnipotency to make good his fidelity and by consequence he will take care to prevent or remedy all obstacles that can be imagined to be otherwise able to evacuate such his promises and I suppose two such Attributes of Christ are a foundation strong enough to build a faith not obnoxious to such a world of casualties as Mr. Chillingworth suspects 2. That Mr. Chillingworth's whole discourse proceeds upon a mistake of the established doctrine of the Catholique Church which ha's not declared all those things to be nullities nor any of them in the sense that he alledges It is true in the Canon law and among Câ—suists there are mentioned many nullities of Orders and other Sacraments as Simony or Heresie or Schisme are said to nullifie the Ordination of a Bishop or Priest But how to nullifie it by taking away the
say that he is inferiour But now what Texts are there to be found so evidently expressing the eternall Divinity of the Son of God as there are for appropriating the Divine Nature to the Father only Viz. these two Texts This is eternall life to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent And To us there is but one God even the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ. 7. The truth is if Tradition and the authority of the Church be not admitted to interpret Scripture the Socinians and other Antitrinitarians cannot by Protestants be condemned as Heretiques upon the pretence of denying expresse Scripture since if reason alone be judge those Texts cannot be called express which may be confronted with others seemingly contradicting or which are capable of a sense it may be lesse probable yet so as that without much racking the words will be able to bear a case which to have hap'ned in this controversie every reasonable man will confesse that shall cast his eyes upon the severall positive Texts alledged by Crellius in his book De uno vere Deo I may add further that if the universall Tradition of the present Church in the time of the Councell of Nice had not prevailed for the stating of that great controversie against the Arians so many objections those Heretiques heaped together not only out of Scripture but likewise out of the writings of such Fathers as preceded that Councell that perhaps they might have endangered the cause as will appear to any one that shall cast his eyes upon a world of passages quoted by Heretiques out of Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian S. Justin Martyr Origen Lactantius c. 8. The Second instance is the Heresie of Rebaptization renewed by the Anabaptists of these times and in conformity to Antiquity condemned by English Protestants it is more evident then the Sun that expresse Scripture alone being the Rule and private reason or Spirit the Judge the Anabaptists cannot upon Protestants grounds be accused either to erre in a point fundamentall or however in a point fundamentall contained expressely in Scripture 9. In the last place that upon Protestants grounds no separation among them can justly be called Schisme in the notion of Antiquity appears yet more evidently For among those â—â— of Sâ—â—â—â— now in England which abhor and renounce the Communion of one another 1. There is not any one of them that ha's the assurance to stile themselves the Catholique Church with exclusion of all others not in actuall Communion with them Now Schisme is only a separation from the externall Communion of the Catholique Church at least if universall antiquity may be allowed to be the judge 2. There is not any one of them which dares apply to themselves in particular those words of Christ Tell the Church and if he will not hear the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican or those Promises of his Upon this Rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it And I will send the Comforter which shall lead you into all truth And Behold I am with you to the end of the world Now there is no Schisme but from such a church to which those elogies and promises belong 3. All the means and remedies left them to deale with those they call Schismatiques or Heretiques are not to excommunicate them in a Generall Councell as the Catholique Church ha's continually upon occasion done for what a ridiculoâ—s affembly must that be to which they should presume to attribute the name of a Generall Councell And how more ridiculously would an Anathema sound being fulminated by a Synod of Charenton or Gappe or Dâ—rt c. But their proper course in such cases is to persecute imprison or perhaps burn one another as Calvin did Servetus and by this means the weaker and sufferer would be the only Heretique and Schismatique But of Schisme more in the following Conclusion CHAP. XLV The third Conclusion The point of Shisme slightly considered by Protestants which notwithstanding ought above all others to be chiefly considered THE 3d. CONCLUSION viz. That there is one only Church of Christ and that all Heretiques who believe not all Christian doctrines taught in her and all Schismatiques who breaking the bond of Charity divide themselves from her visible and externall Communion are separated from Christ himself 1. IN my discourse upon this Conclusion I need not separate Heresie from Schisme since I do not know any Sect in these times precisely Schismaticall that is without any mixture of Heresie as the Donatists were in the beginning who agreed in all doctrines with Catholiques but separated upon a quarrell grounded upon a matter of fact Therefore hereafter when I speak of Schisme and enquire upon what party it is to be charged it is to be supposed that Heresie must accompany it seeing the foundation of all the present separations among Christians is â—heir disagreeing in points of faith and doctrine 2. Now though this divine truth viz. That the true Church of Christ is only one and by consequence that an injustifiable separation from it is in a high degree damnable be acknowledged by all Christians that I know since it is an expresse article of our Creed Credo unam sanctam Catholicam Ecclesiam that is I believe one holy Catholike Church and therefore there may seem to be no necessity to put ones selfe to the trouble of proving it Notwithstanding I will not refuse that trouble to make a collection of quotations both out of Scripture and Fathers to the end both to get a distinct notion of what was antiently understood by this word Schisme and to set forth according to their conceptions the abominablenesse and extreme sinfulnesse of that sin and this the rather because a sad meditation upon such passages enforced me to consider in what a state I had formerly lived and likewise made me wonder that heretofore above all other points I had not bent my thoughts and studies to enquire and determine since it is apparent that there is a Schism in the church upon which party the guilt of so horrible and exterminating a sinne did lye 3. But the truth is my wonder decreased when I considered that hitherto I had not met with any Protestant Writers that have throughly considered this point of Schisme which yet above all others ought to have been most exactly ventilated and examined as S. Augustine lib. 2. cont lit Petil. saith in the case of Schisme against the Donatists The whole question therefore is whether you do not ill you I say to whom the whole world objects the sacriledge of so geeat a Schisme the exact examination of which question whilest you neglect all that you say is superfluous and whereas you live like theeves you boast that you dye as Martyrs And again Ep. 164. ad Emer Don. Wherefore in the prime place this is to be enquired for what reason you made
Allelujah He may answer Amen He may keep the Gospell He may have the Faith and preach it only salvation he cannot have Again l. 3. cont Petil. c. 5. No man preaching the name of Christ and carrying or ministring the Sacrament of Christ is to be followed against the Unity of Christ. Again cont adv Le. Proph. l. 1. 6. 17. If he hear not the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican which is more grievous then if he was strucken through with a sword consumed by flames exposed to wilde beasts Again l. de Past. c. 12. The Divel saith not let them be Donatists and not Arians for whether they be here or there they belong to him that gathers without making a difference Let him adore Idolls saith the Divell he is mine Let him remain in the superstition of the Jewes he is mine Let him quit Unity and passe over to this or that or any Heresie he is mine 4. Witnesse likewise S. Fulgentius de rem pec cap. 22. Out of this Church neither the title of Christian secures any man neither doth Baptisme conferre salvation neither doth any man offer a sacrifice agreeable to God neither doth any man receive Remission of sinnes neither doth any man attain to eternall life for there is one onely Church one onely Dove one onely well-beloved one only Spouse Again de Fid. ad Pet. D. c. 39. Hold this most firmly and doubt not of it in any wise that every Heretique and Schismatique whatsoever baptized in the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost if before the end of his life he be not reunited to the Catholike Church let him bestow never so many almes yea though he should shed his bloud for the name of Christ he cannot obtain salvation Witnesse lastly S. Prosper He who does not communicate with the Universall Church is a Heretique and Antichrist de prom praed Dei p. 4. c. 5. 5. Surely no man can justly blame if a serious consideration of such testimonies of Scripture such a conspiracy of all the Saints almost of the antient Church agreeing to condemne Schisme as the most heinous inexcuseable sin that a Christian was capable of committing not to be redeemed with Faith Sacraments Almes Miracles no nor Martyrdome it selfe awakened me from the Lethargy I was in and from the presumption which I had viz. that since I my selfe had no influence upon the beginnings of the Separation but on the contrary approached as neere in my beliefe to the Catholique Church as Truth in my opinion would permit me and lastly since I judged charitably of the state of Cutholiques that therefore the guilt of Schisme should never be imputed to me Not content therefore to rest upon these imaginations in a matter upon which my eternall happinesse inseparably depended if the expresse words of Scripture and unanimous consent of Antiquity were to be believed I proceeded to examine the present state of Protestant c. Churches in separation from the Romane by the markes which the antient Fathers afforded me to judge by whether of the two parties were guilty and to which of them this so heynous low viz. 1. They all agreed that Schisme was a thing of it self evident whereof the most ignorant understandings might inform themselves For this being the foundation of all their disputes of the Catholike Church that it is a congregation so visible and illustrious that it cannot be hidden from the eys of any man that does not willingly shut them it does necessarily follow that they who are not in visible communion with that visible church are apparently Schismatikes 5. Secondly and by consequence that the mark of Schisme and Heresie was not a separation from the true faith simply but from that faith which is openly professed by the Church For otherwise if they had defined Schisme with respect onely to the true Faith all the evidence of Schisme would be utterly taken away since it would be alwayes ambiguous and disputable which of the parties in a Schisme held the true doctrine of which ignorant people could not be Judges and the learned would never acknowledge themselves guilty Besides the parties evidently in Schisme would be sure either not at all to acknowledge or at least to excuse and extenuate their fault by saying that though they were in some sort divided from the Catholique Church yet this was not so unpardonable since they left the Church only in points not fundamentall for in such they agree with Catholiques and by consequence remain the same church still in substantialls This is at this day the plea of many Protestants as it was anciently of the Pelagians according to that of S. Augustine de Pec. Orig. l. 2. c. 22. Pelagius and Goelestius saith he desirous cunningly to avoid the odious name of Heresie affirme that the question concerning Originall finne may be disputed without endangering Faith But this assertion of theirs he confuted particularly in his fourteenth Sermon De Verbis Apostoli and in generall against both Heretiques and Schismatiques proves that whatsoever in particular their opinions are yet since they professe otherwise then the church does and requires of them to doe they are in a damnable estate because thereby they vertually renounce one fundamentall Article of faith viz. of the authority and unity of the Catholique Church and therefore if they break communion though but for one doctrine and that of it self of no great importance their orthodoxnesse in all other points will not avail them wanting truth and especially renouncing charity and obedience to the Universall Church Hereupon the same Father in Psal. 54. saith of the Donatists We have each of us one Baptisme in this they were with me We celebrated the Feasts of the Martyrs in this they were with me We frequented the solemnity of Easter in this they were with me But they were not in all things with me In Schisme they were not with me In Heresie they were not with me In many things they were with me and in some few things they were not with me But in those few things in which they were not with me those many things do not profit them in which they were with me So again the same Father Ep. 48. Speaking to the same Donatists You are with us in Baptism in the Creed in other Sacraments of the Lord but in the Spirit of unity in the bond of peace and finally in the Catholike Church you are not with us 6. Thirdly that the proper to all eys visible and essentiall mark of Schisme for what cause soever it matters not is a wilfull separation from the externall Communion of the Catholique Church So S. Augustine de unit c. 4. Those who do so dissent from the body of Christ which is the Church that their Communion is not with the whole wheresoever it is spread but are fouud in some party separated it is manifest that they are not in the Catholike Church And
by the Church though there is not any one point of controversie in debate between us and them for which we have not all this authority as being proved ex superabundanti in what I shall say hereafter 9. That therefore which I undertake to make evident to I. P. is That the Church speaking by a general Councel confirmed by the Pope is an infallible Guide and that with greater evidence then he can bring for any contradiction pretended betwixt any decision of such a Councel and the Scripture yea with more evidence then he can produce for the Scripture it self which he owns for his Guide which truly to an impartial hearer is no difficult matter even going upon his own grounds For if I should ask I. P. Why do you acknowledge the Scripture to be an infallible Rule as far as it is a Rule He would answer me Because it is delivered unto us as such by an infallible Catholick Tradition for if he talks of any other proof as a private spirit or natural reason it will be ridiculous He may as well say he can judge and demonstrate it to be such by smelling with his nose If I should further ask him how it appears evident to him that the Scriptures have been delivered by an infaâ—ible Catholick Tradition He could not deny but that many Hereticks have denied many books of Scripture yea that there is not any one book in the Old or New Testament but has been renounced by some Hereticks and their followers yet because some Councels have decided and Fathers witnessed and the Catholick Church in all ages since have received them as such therefore it is evident that they have been delivered by the Church by Catholick Tradition And this is most rational and convincing Upon these grounds therefore I proceed and ask any discreet indifferent man Whether an authority that shall after this manner propose any doctrine This we have received from Christ and his Apostles that such and such a doctrine proposed is a divine infallible truth and we command all Christians whatsoever under the pain of anathema and eternal damnation to beleeve it for such whether I say such an authority does not assume to it self the office of a Guide and of an infallible Guide Certainly he that should speak in this stile and yet have a guilt or be in a possibility of seducing were the most impious abhorred tyrant in the world What an attentat an usurpation upon Gods Scepter and Throne would this be if God had not derived this authority upon the Church represented in a Councel What a cruelty to souls What a blaspheming of the Holy-Ghost Now that this hath been the stile of all General Councels is evident and that Councels speaking in that stile have been submitted to by the Fathers and accepted by the Church with all veneration as the Oracles of God is equally apparent nay I do not know that ever any Heretick before these daies did expresly contradict this in the Thesis though in Hypothesi they have renounced such particular Councels as themselves were Anathematized by Therefore not onely all Councels but every Decision of every Councel to which an Anathema is annexed decides this question and proclaims to all the ends of the world this truth That the Church speaking in General approved Councels is an infallible Guide to all Christians Against this not a passage or word in any Father can be produced but infinite passages for it Hence it is that the Fathers unanimously profess That out of the Church there is no possible salvation because there is no Guide to Heaven but in the Church If therefore it be a proof evident enough to I. P. of an universal infallible tradition of Scripture that one or two not General Councels did with some variety set down the number and names of the books and that generally speaking the Fathers have amongst them given attestation to them some to some books and some to others few to all and that the Church in after ages hath universally accepted them as such How short comes that tradition of this concerning the infallible Guidance of the Church that is vertually decided in all Councels and every decision of all attested by all Fathers not one in one passage contradicting or condemning that stile but unanimously in all ages since Councels were accepted by the Church approved and submitted to how opposite is this truth to the main design of his following discourse which attempts to prove that there is in the Church no infallible Guide at all And how contradictory to that Article of his Church concerning not onely the fallibility but actual erring of Councels And again how conformable is this way of proceeding to the authority given upon Record in Scripture by our blessed Saviour to his Church I say to his Church for the Fathers assembled in Councel speak not thus in their own persons nor as so many learned men but in the person of the whole Church which they represent and do no more but subsume particulars under that General Anathema pronounced by our blessed Saviour when he said If he refuse to here the Church let him be unto thee as a Heathen and a Publican 11. I conjure therefore I. P. and all his and my friends that he and they would produce or at least set before their own eyes those Decisions of Councels which seem to them evidently false because clearly contradictory to Scripture and compare his evidence of a seeming contradiction with this evidence that it is impossible there should be such a contradiction and if they do this with a serious minde and desire to finde the truth that they may embrace it and with hearts lifted up to God to free them from all respects of the world and to enlighten their souls with the love of his truth then perhaps they may see that which as yet it seems is invisible to them it is most certain there is not one express formal text of Scripture contradictory to any Catholick Doctrine this they confess themselves And indeed even abstracting from the promises made by Christ to his Church it is morally impossible that so many wise and vertuous men should with the one hand give the Scripture as Gods word and with the other present Doctrines expresly and directly contradictory to it and none be able to observe the contradiction though their daily study was to meditate upon and interpret the Scripture Now whether any consequence from obscure texts can be more forcible then that which I have named from the stile of General Councels I leave not to their wits but consciences to judge 12. Matters therefore being impartially weighed that triumphing Epiphonema of his in the fourth and fifth Sections vanishes in which himself with admiration exposeth to the admiration of others those great conquering defenders of the doctrine of the late Church of England that with such excellent conduct and valour and such admirable success have combated and defeated this our Darling
of late begin to challenge to the end to excuse their church from the title of Schisme for withdrawing it selfe from the Popes Jurisdiction were just and legal yet they will never be able to justifie themselves for disbelieving what they together with all the other Western churches so many ages agreed to have been true or for denying the title of Oecumenicall Head to the Pope Let it be supposed therefore what some of them alledge that it is in the power of such a King of England as Henry the VIII with the forced consent of his Clergy to erect the English church into a Patriarchate as Justinian the Emperour did Justinianaea Prima Or that England being an Island like Cyprus might have the priviledge to be independent of any Patriarch all that will follow thereon will be only that the Pope as Patriarch of the West shall by this meanes be deprived of some Patriarchall Jurisdictions Investitures Rights of Appeals c. which have antiently been endeavoured to be withdrawn from him by the African Churches c. Yet what is this to his title of S. Peters Successor and Head of the Church Or was Justinianaea or the Isle of Cyprus so independent in matters of point of Faith or publique practise on the Pope or other Patriarchs or however on a Generall Councell as that they could dejure alter any thing established by Universall Authority Could they renverse decisions of Oecumenicall Councells Or did they ever usurp such an authority to themselves as to impute superstition idolatry prophaneness heresies c. to all other churches under a shew of Reformation ruining the whole order of Discipline and Belief confessedly continued in the whole church for above a thousand years Till they can produce examples of an authority of Reformation of such a nature assumed by any Catholique Prince or particular Kingdome the other pretended right of exemption from Jurisdiction will be so far from excusing them that it will make it apparent to the world that it was meerly their Princes lusts ambition and unquenchable thirst after ecclesiasticall revenewes that first put the thought of Reformation into their heads and that upon as just grounds they may expect from others a Reformation of their Reformation which will perhaps prove more durable when those baits shall be utterly taken away which first whetned their wits to contrive that project of a Reformation 11. For my own part therefore seeing these severall conclusions concerning the Catholique Churches indefectibility authority unity and Visibility so unanimously attested confirmed and made use of by all Antiquity with so good successe against all manner of antient Heresies and Schismes And on the contrary perceiving no such method practised by Protestants disputing with one another no mention in any of their writings or arguments from Christs promises to the church but onely presumptuous boastings of greater sagacity and cunning to wrest Scripture to their severall purposes without the least successe of unity with one another yea to the utter despair thereof Having shut mine eyes to all manner of worldly ends and designes yea resolving to follow truth whither soever it would lead me though quite out of sight of countrey friends or estate at length by the mercifull goodnesse of God I found my self in inward safety and repose in the midst of that City set â—pon an hill whose builder and maker is God whose foundations are Emerauds and Saphirs and Jesus Christ himself the chief Corner Stone a City that is at unity within it selfe as being ordered and polished by the Spirit of Unity it selfe a City not enlightened with the Meteors or Comets of a private Spirit or changeable humane reason but with the glory of God and light of the Lamb Lastly a City that for above sixteen hundred years together hath resisted all the tempests that the fury of men or malice of hell could raise against it and if Christs promises may be trusted to and his Omnipotence be râ—lyed upon shall continue so till his second coming To him be glory for ever and ever Amen SECT III. Containing a brief stating of certain particular points of Controversie c. CHAP. I. The Question of the Church being decided decides all other controversies How it is almost impossible that errour should have crept into the publike doctrine of the Church Of what force objections out of Scripture or Fathers are against the Church 1. AFter that Almighty God had changed that which was to me a stone of offence into a rock of foundation making me to find repose of mind in submitting to the authority of his church which by reason of my former misapprehensions I carefully avoided as if the greatest danger that a Christian could be capable of had beene to be a member of Christs mysticall body which is his Church or as if the hearkning to the Church had been the way to make a man worse then a Heathen and a Publican I then found an experimentall knowledge of the truth of that speech of S. Hierome cont Lucifer viz. that the Sun of the Church presently dryes up all rivelets of errors and dispells all the mists of naturall reason as likewise of that of the Prophet Quicredit intelliget i. e. He that believes shall understand For being arrived to the top of that mountaine upon which God had built his church I found clear weather on all hands I found that there remained nothing for me to do afterwards but to hearken to and obey her that both Scripture and Fathers and now mine own reason taught me was only worthy to be obeyed And therefore the truth is here should be an end of my Exomologesis or account of my inward disputes about controversies concerning Religion which quickly ceased after that I left off to be mine own Guide and Teacher 2. Notwithstanding among the particular controversies in debate between the Romane Catholiques and other Sects I will select especially six of the most principall on purpose to shew that if any regard had been had either to the authority or peace of Gods church there would never have been any differences about them and that in the judgement even of moderate Protestants the differences are indeed of so small weight that if there had been amongst them but the least measure of charity or if Schisme had not been esteemed by them a vertue they would never have made such fatall and deadly divisions upon pretences so unconsiderable 3. They indeed lay to the charge of the Catholique church novelties in doctrines and practises and yet Catholiques even out of those few that remain of the most antient Ecclesiasticall Authors shew clear proofes of these doctrines and practises and desire no more of them then that they would speak in the language of the antient church They accuse her of impieties and idolatries and superstitions yet Catholiques shew them that the most holy learned Saints and Martyrs that ever were in Gods church practised and maintained such pretended superstitions c. They