personal Action and this Action is attributed to the Spirit of God as it appears by these words of St. Paul Because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God But to make Intercession is an Act which cannot be attributed to God the Father for it would follow that the Father should make Intercession to himself which is absurd because he that maketh Intercession is supposed to be distinct from him to whom he maketh Intercession Moreover To come unto men as being sent unto them is a personal Action but the Comforter or the Holy Ghost did come being sent as it is seen by these words of St. John When the Comforter is come whom I will send you from the Father and if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you ergo the Holy Ghost cannot be ascribed in this place to God the Father since God the Father sendeth but is never sent And to speak and hear are personal Actions and both together attributed to the Holy Ghost in such a manner as they cannot be attributed to God the Father as it appears by those words of John When the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that he shall speak Now to speak and not of himself cannot be attributed to God the Father since he doth all things of himself And to speak what he heareth cannot be also attributed to God the Father who can receive no Instruction from another Seeing then the Holy Ghost speaketh and not of himself and speaketh what he heareth it followeth evidently that he is not God the Father neither a divine Quality which cannot be said properly to speak and hear but that he is a Person distinct from the Father Now that the Holy Ghost as a Person really distinct from the Father is truly and properly God appears by these words of St. Peter for when Peter said Ananias Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost He repeateth the same Question in reference to the same Offence Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart Thou hast not lied unto men but unto God He means there the true God as it appears by these words Thou hast not lied unto men but unto God For when he saith Thou hast not lied unto men but unto God it is as if he should say thou hast not lied unto Creatures since men are Creatures but thou hast lied unto him who is no Creature and consequently unto him who is true God And if the Holy Ghost could be taken sometimes for a Creature this Proposition of St. Peter To lie to the Holy Ghost is to lie unto God would not always be true therefore St. Peter speaking without distinction and without a limited sence 't is to prove that this word Holy Ghost is never taken in the holy Scripture but for the true God Moreover to whom the divine Attributes do belong as certainly as they belong unto God the Father he is truly and properly God because these are divine Attributes which are properties of the Divine Nature and none can be indued with to whom the Nature of God doth not belong But the divine Attributes as Omniscience the Sanctification of Souls and the like do belong as certainly unto the Holy Ghost as they do unto God the Father therefore it followeth that the Holy Ghost is truly and properly God and consequently that he proceedeth from the Father and the Son as it is declared in the Symbole of Nice Obj. The Church of England doth neither believe nor practice all that is contained in these words viz. Abstain from meats offered to Idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication therefore she is not the holy Catholick Church since the holy Catholick Church is that that believes and practises the whole Christian Doctrine as I have made it appear already Answ This Commandment was in the time of the Primitive Church but was abolished by the Apostles Because the Jews would not eat things strangled nor Blood the Apostles enjoyned that the Gentiles embracing the Christian Religion ought in Charity to Conform herein to the Jews and not give Offence where the thing was it self indifferent Wherefore St. Paul saith If meat make my brother to offend I will eat no flesh while the World standeth lest I make my brother to offend But now this Commandment is past and abolish'd by the Apostles and therefore it is not true that the Church of England doth believe and practise any thing contrary to the holy Scripture For the-better understanding of this Truth we must know that in these words enjoyned to the Gentiles embracing the Christian Religion to wit Abstain from pollution of Idols and from Fornication and from things strangled and from blood there is something bad in it self and something bad by Accident something bad for a time only something belonging to the Moral Law and something belonging to the Ceremonial The thing bad in it self for ever and belonging to the Moral Law is to abstain from Idolatry and from Fornication and the thing bad by accident for a time only and belonging to the Ceremonial Law is to abstain from things strangled and from Blood Now it is certain that to abstain from Idolatry and Fornication is a part of the Moral Law seeing it is written Thou shalt have no other Gods but me and thou shalt not commit Adultery It is also true that these things are bad of themselves and for ever because they were forbidden in time past are now unlawful and shall be for time to come which appears by these words of St. Paul to the Corinthians Neither Fornicators nor Adulterers shall inherit the Kingdom of God 'T is likewise certain that to Abstain from things strangled and from Blood belongs to the Ceremonial Law it is also without doubt that it was abolished as it is seen in these words of St. Paul Whatsoever is sold in the Shambles that eat asking no question for Conscience sake for the Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof if any of them that believe not bid you to a Feast and ye be disposed to go whatsoever is set before you eat asking no question for Conscience sake And by these to Timothy where it is said that Every Creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving and forbidding to abstain from meats is a doctrine of Devils And by these to the Romans I know and am perswaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of it self but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean to him it is unclean And that ye may not say that these words of St. Paul were written before those of the Council held at Hierusalem or of the 15th of the Acts the
Peace among our selves love towards one another and union to the holy Catholick Church out of which whosoever is is a Schismatick and excluded all hopes of Salvation as I will make appear hereafter then they will cease to hate and begin to love me But oftentimes it happens quite contrary to our good intention as when Jesus Christ manifested unto the Jews the Vices which they were given to his intention was that they should hate their sins and not the Physician who was willing to heal them But it hapned on the contrary they were ungrateful saith Augustine for being grown mad they assaulted the Physician who came to cure them I may say the same thing concerning those who are unwilling to hear Christian Doctrines their Interest is to know them since it concerns their eternal Salvation and therefore they ought to receive those who are so charitable as to instruct them with a greater kindness than a King doth the dearest of his Courtiers But too often we see the contrary They look upon those Physicians of their Souls as upon their greatest Enemies nevertheless since there are some who are glad to hear the truth and receive it in meekness to those especially I direct this Discourse my design is to convince them and so to draw them out of the Error in which they have walked many years wherein I hope with God's assistance to have good success because I shall say nothing but grounded upon sound Reason and the Authority of the holy Scripture and Fathers which I shall quote faithfully to the end that these Authorities may be as many Bucklers to defend me from all the stroaks which some would offend me with that I may not be wounded before I see them run through and overthrown Naked Truth and the publishers of it are commonly hated in this World And though it be written in Esdras that Truth is stronger than Wine than Women than Kings yet we daily see by experience that for all its strength it is oftentimes cruelly assaulted and miserably subdued upon Earth Every one knows what Persecutions Jesus Christ suffered because he would make it appear unto all men his Apostles Disciples and Martyrs were not only hated but after his Example endured several Torments even death it self because they would defend and make it manifest If I have written any thing not agreeable to the Word of God or sound Reason I shall be very glad and thankful in being informed of it therefore I submit this small Treatise to the censure of the Church and to the judgment of all learned and godly men whose delight is to draw Truth from the holy Scripture Farewel ADVERTISEMENT IF any Gentleman or Gentlewoman hath a mind to learn French or Latin the Author of this Treatise will wait upon them he liveth in Thames-street over against Baynard's Castle THE Church of England Prov'd the Holy Catholick Church THe Roman Church appropriates this glorious Title to her self only thunders Anathema's against all other Churches whatever calls them Hereticks and Schismaticks declares unless they unite themselves with her they are without any hope of Salvation uses a thousand subtilties to draw them to her Communion deceives and frightens the simple and ignorant making them believe that out of her there is no Salvation offers great rewards to the learned persecutes them that will not be either corrupted with fat Preferments or deceived and frightned with several Fables wherewith they are entertain'd deprives them of their Estates and Employments c. and forces them to forsake their Country as the poor Protestants of France are now necessitated to either causing them to be burnt alive or inflicting several other cruel torments upon them as it is at this time the Custom in Italy and Spain I confess that the Roman Church was not always cruel I grant that in the Apostle's time and first Ages I mean when they observed the holy Scripture both in its Practice and Doctrine they could justly boast of this glorious Title Holy Cacholick But since they were corrupted and have diminished from and added unto the holy Scripture several points of Faith which they impose upon us under pain of Damnation and since they are fallen into Heresie they have lost this fair and glorious Title These words Holy Catholick cannot be justly attributed unto them it is the Church of England which now most 〈◊〉 and gloriously possesses these honourable Qualities But as women that have lost their honour are grown debauch'd when they quarrel with them that are honest and vertuous are used to call them Whores first lest that villainous and odious name should be cast upon themselves so the Church of Rome having lost the fair qualities of Holy Catholick and being fallen into Heresie is wont to call the Church of England Heretical lest she should justly reflect upon her that which she falsly accuses her with I will not go abovt here to prove that the Church of Rome is Heretick I have done it already per argumentum adhominem that is by their own Principles in a small Treatise so intituled Those who have the Book and have read it over are fully convinced of it and those that have it not if they desire to have it may be satisfied as soon as they are pleased to acquaint me with their laudable intention Wherefore I shall here make it evident that the Church of England is the holy Catholick Church which being proved there being but one holy Catholick Church it will appear that the Church of Rome hath lost this glorious and noble Title But before I make it appear it will be necessary rightly to understand the words Church Holy Catholick The word Church is usually taken either for the place where people are gathered together to pray and worship God or else for a Congregation of humane Persons professing the Christian Faith whereof Jesus Christ is the foundation For other Foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ and though the Apostles and the Prophets be also termed the Foundation yet Jesus Christ himself is the chief corner Stone in whom all the Building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy Temple in the Lord. We accept the word Church in this latter sence wherefore by the Church we understand a Body or Collection of humane Persons professing the same Faith in Christ gathered together in several places of the World for the Worship of the same God The Church thus described may be called Holy in several respects and for several Reasons First In reference to the Vocation by which all the members thereof are called and separated from the rest of the World to God which Separation in the Language of the Scriptures is a Sanctification and so the calling being holy for God called us with an holy calling the Body which is thus separated and congregated may well be termed Holy Secondly In relation to the Offices appointed and the Powers exercised in the Church
the Glory of God Is the Custom of wearing the Surplice of singing and playing upon Organs forbidden in any Chapter of the holy Scripture If they were pray inform me where it is What evil consequence follows therefrom Instead of this doth it not serve to distinguish Lay-man from Clerk and to cause a greater respect to be given to the things belonging to the Worship of God and to put him that wears it in mind that when he cometh to Church to administer divine Service he ought to be pure in his heart which is signified unto him by the whiteness of his Surplice which is the Symbole of Purity And doth not Musick and Organs used especially in Cathedral Churches serve to raise up our minds to inflame our hearts with the love of God to lift them up towards Heaven and to cause them to desire to be for ever in that holy and blessed Company wherein with an Harmony that infinitely surpasses our Musick here upon Earth they sing Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his Glory And is it not conformable to several Texts of the holy Scripture wherein it is said Sing aloud unto God our strength make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Take a Psalm and bring hither the Timbrel the pleasant Harp with the Psaltery blow up the Trumpet Therefore it is clear and certain that the Ceremonies of the Church of England are lawful they being not contrary to the holy Scripture but conducing to the Glory of God and Edification of our Souls Now because these words Not to think of men above that which is written and these In vain they do worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men are not to be understood concerning Ceremonies but concerning points of Faith and finding several Ceremonies used among the first Christians even in Christs and his Apostles time whereof some were specified as I have made it appear already and some not specified whereof no particular mention is made in the holy Scripture as it may be inferred from these words of St. Paul Let all things be done decently and in order it follows that the Church of England is the holy Catholick Church since she believes and practises nothing but what is agreeable to the Christian Doctrine It is then without good Reason that a great many separate themselves from that Church it being the holy Catholick For those who knowing her to be such separate themselves from her are Schismaticks and out of hope of Salvation First I say that they are Schismaticks because they have not sufficient Reason to warrant their Separation For as saith Irenaeus Schismata operantur qui sunt immanes non habentes Dei dilectionem fuamque utilitatem potius considerantes quà m unitatem Ecclesiae propter Modicas quaslibet causas magnum gloriosum corpus Christi dividant quantum in ipsis est interficiunt pacem loquentes bellum operantes verè liquantes culicem Camelum transglutientes Those are Schismaticks who are cruel having not the love of God before their eyes but rather embracing their own In̄terest than the Vnity of the Church and for small and light causes divide the great and glorious Body of Christ and murder it as much as is in their power speaking Peace and making War straining at a Gnat and swallowing a Camel Ceremonies are no points of Faith therefore he that separates himself because of Ceremonies separates himself for small and light Causes and therefore he is a Schismatick and if he only be Schismatick who separates himself from the Church for small and light Causes as saith Irenaeus and is granted by Divines then on the other hand he is no Schismatick who separates himself for great and weighty Causes as for Idolatry and other Articles of Faith which they will have us to believe under pain of eternal Damnation and which are not found in the holy Scripture or are directly contrary to it Therefore we separating our selves from those of the Roman Church for great and weighty Causes it is manifest we are not Schismaticks and as no man should separate himself from a Church for small and light Reasons so he is bound to separate himself when he finds evidently that that Church believes and practises Articles of Faith which are not in the holy Scripture or are directly contrary to it which is enjoyned unto us by St. Paul and Isaiah saying Come out frone among them and be ye separate For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness And what Communion hath light with darkness And what Concord hath Christ with Belial Or what part hath he that believes with an Infidel And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols This is the only lawful Cause of Separation and for this Cause we separate our selves from those of the Roman Church or rather they separte themselves from us for Schism is not to be Imputed unto us because we believe and practise nothing in the Church but what is agreeable to the holy Scripture Wherefore it may be justly imputed to them because they do not only believe and practise but also will have us to believe and practise several Articles of Faith which are neither distinctly contained in the holy Scripture nor can be deduced from it by clear and necessary Consequences They then that separate themselves from the Church of England because of Ceremonies do separate themselves for small and light Causes and consequently are Schismaticks Secondly I say they are out of hope of Salvation for as man is composed of a body and spirit and as his body liveth by his spirit whilst it is united to the body So if we will live by the Spirit of Christ we must be united to Christ's Body but the Mystical Body of Christ is the Church therefore they that are separated from the Mystical Body of Christ cannot be vivified by the spirit of Christ and consequently cannot be saved for those only are saved that are vivified by the spirit of Christ Which is very well represented by the Deluge and Ark of Noah for as all perished temporally by the Deluge that were not in the Ark so all shall perish eternally who are out of the Catholick Church And as no body could escape drowning being out of the Ark so neither shall any escape Damnation out of the Church And as none of the first born of Aegypt lived but such as were within these Habitations whose Door posts were sprinkled with blood by the appointment of God for their preservation And as none of the Inhabitants of Jericho could escape the Fire and Sword but such as were within the House of Rahab for whose Protection a Covenant was made So none shall ever escape the eternal wrath of God which is not a Member of the holy Catholick Church For as There is no other name under Heaven given among men whereby we can be saved but the Name of Jesus So