Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n
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A34967
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An epistle apologetical of S.C. to a person of honour touching his vindication of Dr. Stillingfleet.
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Cressy, Serenus, 1605-1674.
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1674
(1674)
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Wing C6893; ESTC R26649
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61,364
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165
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is to oblige even Ecclesiastical persons to perform their Duties yea even Bishops also to govern Christ â—s flock according to the Orders prescribed them and all their Subjects to live in all Christian Piety and Virtue We sincerely acknowledge all this and that in executing this they are God's Substitutes But we dare not acknowledge them to be the Successors of Christ's Apostles We receive Christian Doctrines and the Orthodox sence of Scripture not from Princes but from such Pastors and Teachers only as God has appointed by a Lineal Succession to continue in his Church to the end of the World for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ that we be not children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of men c. These divinely authorized Teachers and Pastors by the assistance of God's Spirit promised to them do preserve the Church one Body consisting of several distinct Members united in the same Catholick and Apostolick Faith and Charity which Faith is unalterable both as to the Foundation and Superstructure We do not understand your State-Religion We never till now heard of such a Position as this That all Churches in case they preserve entire only the Fundamental Articles of the Creed though the Supreme Power respectively in them took liberty to change any other Doctrines were sufficiently Orthodox And I confess when I had read such a Discourse in your Animadversions touching a State-Religion I then exceedingly wondred at the Approbation 107. But Sir does this concern only Roman Catholicks in England Are they the only persons obnoxious to a suspicion of Disloyalty and to all the most horrible punishments threatned in our Laws against Traytors because they dare not profess the State-Religion You seem to be perfectly acquainted with the State of France and you are well satisfied with the Profession of Fidelity made by the Hugonots But have they any reverence for the State-Religion there Do not they freely justifie their own Religion against it even that Religion the Profession whereof they extorted by shedding the blood of many Myriads of their Kings faithful Subjects Yet notwithstanding all this they are now in your opinion very faithful Subjects too and no man thinks of obliging them to the State Religion Doubtless also you know England better than France How many thousand Dissenters are there from the State Religion besides Roman Catholicks yet the terrible Laws are made only against Roman Catholicks From Roman Catholicks only care is taken of exacting Oaths both of Fidelity and Supremacy as being esteemed the only dangerous Subjects in the Kingdom and this for the Treasonable Actions or scarce one score of persons abhorred by all the rest For the discovery and prevention of such personal Treasons Thanksgivings must solemnly every year be paid to God and Devotion at such times is expressed by renewing malice against innocent persons Whereas a delivery of the whole Kingdom and Church from almost an Vniversal Rebellion designing the extinction of Monarchy and Prelacy both yea and executing the Murder of the lawful Sovereign is not esteemed a motive for a publick Engagement to pay thanks to God or to preserve in mens minds a memory of his wonderful Blessing to the Nation neither it seems is there at all a necessity of requiring from any a Retraction of the Principles of Rebellion or a promise that it shall never be renewed Noble Sir I beseech you not to interpret this to be spoken out of a malignant envy against any or a desire that others should share in our sufferings Perhaps there is a necessity considering the Constitution of the present Age that some party should remain for ever in a state of suffering And this being so it is certainly agreeable to Prudence that those should suffer whose Religion teaches them to suffer and who have been so long enured thereto who most certainly will meekly suffer without resisting and who do sincerely profess that according to their perswasion it is absolutely unlawful to defend their Religion persecuted by Sovereign Magistrates by any other way but suffering Notwithstanding it is probable that these Statesmen may find small cause to boast who have thought fit to continue the last Ages policy when for the gaining of a present advantage or preventing an inconsiderable incommodity it was judged expedient to have always in a readiness this mean of giving contentment to the Vulgar by complying with their clamours Christianâ—s ad Leâ—nes For they might have done well to have some apprehensions least those Lions after they had devoured their destined prey might perhaps next with more security and a fiâ—rcer appetite turn upon their Masters 108. It is now at length time to say something to your Principal Proposal in which I am most nearly concern'd which is your wish that English Catholicks ' would give an evidence and security of and for their Fidelity to His Majesty c. that so they may shew themselves as good Subject's as those of France who by occasion of a seditious Book have you say Sir in a Declaration of the Sorbon concerning the King's Independency thus certified their resolution in the year 1663. Quâ—d Subdâ—ri fidem c. That Subâ—ects do so entirely owe Faith and Obedience to their most Christian King that upon no pretext whatsoever they can be dispenced therefrom For this you commend the French But as for English Catholicks they in your judgment do depend on the Pope so entirely that they have a Religion quite different from that which is professed and established in any other Cathâ—lick Country in Europe 109. Honoured Sir it cannot indeed be denied but that English Catholicks I mean Ecclesiasticks have a peculiar dependance on the See of Rome more than Catholicks generally have in other Countries For without in Authority thence derived they cannot come into England to sacrifice their lives for the Spiritual assistance which Charity requires from them to their Brethren here But Sir it such a dependance be a crime to whom 〈◊〉 to be imputed It is câ—rtain they themselves would much rather live under such Orâ—inary Superiours as govern in all Catholick Countries But this will not be allowed them to their great griâ—f It cannot therefore be help'd but they must either râ—nounce Châ—istian Charity and suffer their poor Country-men to starve for want of Spiritual Nourishment or apply themselves to 〈◊〉 who alone as the case now stands can give them a Mission and Authority to die for Faith and Charity 110. But Sir I cannot conceive how such a special dependance as this should move you to think that we are of a Religion quite different from that of other Catholicks abroad For whatsoever Iurisdiction our Priests do exercise it is the very same which in case there were any Catholick Bishops in England would have been conferred by them No other Commission have they no particular engagement to
For that the Crown of England is free and hath been free from Earthly Subjection at all times being immediately subject to God in all things touching the Regalities of the same and not subject to the Pope Moreover one following additional Clause deserves to be considered in the same Statute viz. To this all the Bishops present and all the Procurators of those who were absent unanimously assented protesting also against the Popes translating some Bishops c. This Act also was confirmed with the Protestation of the Lords and all the Liege Commons That they would stand with the King and His â—rown and His Regalities in the cases aforesaid and in all other Cases attempted against Him His Crown and Regality in all points to live and to die 115. Now after all this though I am obstinately resolved never to take on me to frame a Form of Profession of Loyalty nor without a publick Command to concur with others to the framing one yet since you are pleased Honoured Sir so earnestly to demand one and being also firmly perswaded that it is from a charitable and compassionate intention towards us that you demand it I cannot refuse so far to comply with your curiosiâ—y as to shew you a Form not made in or for England yet such an one as perhaps you will judge very easily applicable to our purpose and ratified by vâ—ry great Authority And this I conceive will be more proper and fit for your view because therein you will see what judgment a whole great Catholick Kingdom has of the Popes pretended Temporal Authority and how little prejudice comes to a Sovereign Monarch's Right by admitting the Spiritual Iurisdiction of the Supreme Pastor But before I set down the said Form give me leave to relate a short Story regarding it 116. You may doubtless remember Noble Sir that not many years since the Catholicks being put in hope that the Poenal Laws against them would probably be Repealed were advised by some worthy Friends to prepare a clear and candid Form of Profession of Fidelity in the framing of which notwithstanding for the causes before mentioned they found great difficulty Whilst Consulâ—ation was had about this master it hapned that in a Convâ—rsation with my Lord Aubigny I told him I believed I could propose a Fâ—rm against which no râ—â—sonable exception could be made on any side and accordingly I brought one to him with which he was very well satisfied I left him in a resolution to present the said Form â—o a Pâ—râ—on of Highest Eminence and Powâ—r in Publick Councils A few days after I â—ound that he had not exâ—cuted that resolutâ—on and truly I remained satiâ—fied that there was a just reason for it For the sâ—id Eminent Person though Hâ— was really desirous that favour should be extendâ—d to Cathâ—licks so far as that the Saâ—guinary Laws against them should be abrogated But in continuance of the ancient Pâ—liâ—y He thought fit that several other Paenal Laws should be only suspended to the end that upon certain occasions they might now and then be executed and this not upon the account of their Reâ—iâ—ion but a suspicion of their want of Fidelity to Hiâ— Majesty Which Fidelity was â—o bâ— supposed inconsistent with the Spiritual Iurisdiction which they acknowledged in the Pope Now in this said Form there were three great faults very prejudicial to such a design 〈◊〉 first no reasonable exception could be made against it as insufficient Again it was confidently believed that the Pope could never be induced to condemn it And thirdly it could not be doubted but that generally Catholicks would readily subscribe to it These things considered it was thought fit that the said Form should not be presented to the foresaid Great Person lest in stead of satisfying it should have incensed Him and rendred Him our Enemy After this Preface I will now subjoin the said Form of Profession of Fidelity 117. A certain scandalous and seditious Book being published Anno Domini 1626. the Faculty of Paris having appointed certain learned Doctors to peruse it they collected out of it these following Propositions 1. That the Pope may punish Kings and Princes with Temporal Punishment That he may depose them and deprive them of their Kingdoms and States for the Crime of Heresie and free their Subjects from their Obedience And that this hath been always the custom of the Church 2. That he may do the same for other sins if it be expedient if Princes are negligent if they be incapable or unprofitable 3. That the Pope hath Power over all things Spiritual and over all things Temporal And that he hath such Power by Divine Right 4. That we ought to believe that a Power hath been given to the Church and to her Sovereign Pastor to punish with Temporal Punishment Princes who sin against Divine and Humane Laws particularly iâ— their Crime be Heresie 5. That the Apostles were indeed de facto subject to Secular Powers but not de jure And as soon as the Pontifical Majesty became established all Princes became subject thereto 6. That those words of Jesus Christ to his Apostles Whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven c. are to be understood not of a Spiritual Power only but also of a Temporal 118. Now the Censure given by the Faculty touching the Doctrine contained in these Propositions is That it is new false erroneous and contrary to the Word of God That it renders the Sovereign Pontifical Dignity odious and opens a way to Schism That it derogates from the Sovereign Authority of Kings which dâ—pends on God alone That it hinders the Conversion of Infidel and Heretical Princes That it troubles the Publick Peace and overthrows Kingdoms States and Republick In a word that it withdraws Subjects from the Obedience which they owe to their Sovâ—râ—igns and inducâ—s them to Factioâ—s Rebellions and Seditions and to attempt on the Lives of their Princes Moreover the like Censure was given by eight other Vniversâ—ties in France 119. Bâ— pleased now Hâ—noured Sir to judge in case a Subscription to this Censure were required from Catholicks and performed by them whether that would not be a testimony of their Fidelity far more full and satisfactory than can be given by taking the Oath of Allegiance The enormous Power which some Canonists and flattering Schoâ—l-men bestow on the Pope is far more distinctly declared and the renouncing of it in its whole Latitude more express and emphatical here is likewise among the Brands given to such detestable Doctrines not forgotten a term equivalent to what I am confident you mean by Heretical which is contrary to the Word of God yet such a Supererogation I doubt would not be accepted And moreover it is more than probable that scarce any Catholick in England would have a scruple to submit his own private judgment in case it were diâ—â—erent to a Decision made by the Flowâ—r of all the Learning of France to which