Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n
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A37245
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A letter to friend concerning his changing his religion
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Davies, Rowland, 1649-1721.
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1692
(1692)
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Wing D412; ESTC R5643
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30,321
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32
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himself to some particular Society he that is in the Communion of the Church of England must appear to live in the Communion of the Catholick Church more than any Member of the Church of Rome And you were strangely mistaken in your Sentiments of Religion when in this Notion of the Catholick Church you quitted the one Communion and Embrac'd the other § 4. But perhaps you will tell me that the Church of Rome is truly Catholick not so much upon account of its extent or comprehension or even the terms of Communion in her as for her Antiquity and Catholick Doctrin in that she appears the same from the days of the Apostles while the Church of England as it is now establisht seems to take her date from the Reformation of her If these should be your thoughts there are two particulars that deserve to be considered by you 1 st That no Article of Faith is maintained in the Church of England as necessary to Salvation but what is evidently founded on the Holy Scriptures and consequently hath been believed and received as such by every true Christian from the Primitive Ages So that you cannot instance any one particular that we hold as such to which the universal rule of Catholick Doctrin may not be easily and properly applyed viz. Ab omnibus ubique semper fuit creditum It was at all times and in all places and by all Men believed Whereas every particular wherein the Church of Rome doth differ from her is also evidently of a later date and it is easie to instance whenever you require it if not the particular time when it was introduc'd at least a certain Age when it was not so believed And consequently then the Doctrin of the Church of Rome as she is at variance with the Church of England cannot with any Truth be stiled Catholick nor as it is such be the occasion of your Change § 5. The Second particular is that the Reformation of any thing doth not extirpate its former being and new make it nor yet essentially change it from the same thing that it was before but only rectifying what was formerly amiss and removing all things that were repugnant to its Nature it leaves the Being essentially the same but renders it abundantly more pure and illustrious The Church of England therefore cannot be truly said to have lost or changed any of the Fundamentals of the Christian Religion by her Reformation or any wise to cease from being the same Church that it was before since whatsoever was received by the Primitive Christians she still holdeth believeth and openly professeth and whatsoever was not so she never could esteem as part of her Religion And she hath made no change either in her Faith or Practice but by rejecting of such Unchristian Novelties as in the times of Ignorance and oppressing Tyranny were slily introduc'd and forcibly imposed upon her Whereas in the Canons of the Council of Trent which do comprize the Faith and regulate the Communion of the Church of Rome not only many things reputed by the Ancient Fathers as uncertain for instance Purgatory as I shewed before but also some that are evidently false viz. Transubstantiation as will appear hereafter are not only therein determined and as Articles of your Faith made a part of your Religion but also delivered to us with an Anathema to Unbelievers and as the express terms of the Communion If therefore you will say that the Religion or the Being of a Church is to take its beginning from the last system of the Christian Faith or the last change of Discipline that was Establisht in her and will consider farther that the Faith of a Christian is to be measured à credendis not à negatis from the points to be believed not those uncertainties that are deny'd by him You will find it necessary to acknowledge that the Old Religion is maintained in the Church of England and that that of the Church of Rome is of a later date Since the Church of England as I shew'd before stands by the Primitive Rule of Faith and what ever was so determined by the first four General Councils and this without the mixture of any Secular Notions or any thing that is opposite either to Reason or the Scriptures and consequently then she professeth the same Faith and the same Religion which she ever did and is not essentially changed since she was first Establish'd But the Church of Rome hath evidently made many changes and innovations both in Faith and Practice and hath imposed new Articles as necessary to Salvation which were never so reputed before her Injunction And therefore in point of Doctrin as also she cannot be truly called the Catholick Church nor on that account have drawn you to her Communion § 6. As to your second Motive founded upon the Excellence both of Faith and Practice which you supposed in the Church of Rome as that it is more Orthodox than the Church of England Should I Examine at large every particular Disputation into which this Point may lead us to determine it and which is already extant and discust fully upon this Subject it would probably require more time than I can have leisure to expend and withal would seem impertinent to my present design which is your Satisfaction with all brevity and plainess Especially when so much hath been said already by more Learned Persons that it is almost as impossible to add to as to answer their Arguments and I cannot but suppose that you are acquainted with them although you seem not satisfied nor convinced by their Evidence It is certainly sufficient in this case to have recourse but to our foundation that our Faith and Worship both are wholly founded upon the Scriptures have the consent of the Universal Church backt with Reason and an uninterrupted Practice which warrants and maintains whatever we hold as necessary against the force of all manner of Opponents Whereas the Doctrin and Devotion of the Church of Rome is chiefly built upon a loose Tradition or rather indeed the Projects and Inventions of Monastick Votaries such as True Religion cannot countenance nor the Law of God be perswaded to comply with In so much that should a Stranger but inspect our Churches and knowing only that God is a Spirit and that they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth should he examine the grounds and circumstances of Publick Devotion in them he would discover clearly the Nature of our Religion both consonant to Reason and the God we Worship while the other is hid in Ceremonies buried in external I ormalities and makes but a meer shew or pageant of Devotion § 7. But since however there is one particular case of moment in deciding whereof this Question may be resolved also viz. Whither the Church of Rome or Church of England is more Pure and Orthodox both in Faith and Worship It will not be amiss to enquire into it
A LETTER TO A FRIEND Concerning his CHANGING HIS RELIGION IMPRMATUR June 23. 1692. R. BARKER LONDON Printed for R. Clavell at the Peacock in St. Paul's-Church yard 1692. The CONTENTS SHewing the reasonableness of any Man 's changing his Religion upon proper Motives and of what nature they are and wherein the scandal of such a change is truly given An enquiry is then made into the reasons of this Gentleman's Proceedings and those are observed to be chiefly two viz. That he might become more truly in the Communion of the Catholick Church and that he might be more Pure and Orthodox in his Faith and Worship § 1. The first of these Proposals iâ— examined and the Church of Rome is shewn not to 〈◊〉 the Catholick Church upon account either of its Authority or Comprehension The first is proved in that the Catholick Church was not establish'd by our Saviour under a Monarchical but an Aristocratical Government and this is shewn farther from the election and practice of the twelve Apostles That the Church of Rome is but a particular Church is also shewn from Scripture An Objection relating to St. Peter is answered The practice of the Apostles and the Bishops their Successours shews that their Government was in Society Several reasons are urged farther to prove that the Church of Rome cannot be the Catholick Church and that the Church of England as a particular Church hath equal right and as good a claim as she to all those Promises which are made unto the Church by our Blessed Saviour in the Gospel § 2. This is further shewn to have been the opinions even of the Church of Rome in former Ages and proved from her Decrees and Practice in the Sacrament of Baptism A Comparison is also made between the Church of Rome and that of the Donatists on this pretence and St. Augustine's Argument against the one applyed in terminis unto the other § 3. A Comparison is also made between the Church of Rome and Church of England as to terms of Communion and thereby it is shewn that according to his notion of Catholick he that lives in the Communion of the Church of England lives more in the Communion of the Catholick Church than any Member of the Church of Rome § 4. A further Comparison is made between the Churches as to the Universality of their Doctrin and thereby it is shewn that the Catholick Faith is much more truly profest in the Church of England than in the Church of Rome § 5. It is also shewn that in point of Doctrin the Church of England is more antient than the Church of Rome so that the old Religion appears evidently to be still profest there and that no new Doctrin was brought in but rather abolisht by the Reformation § 6. The second Motive is enquired into and examined and a brief Comparison in this point is made between the Churches shewing how the one is â—ounded on the Scriptures and is consonant to the Law of God and the Principles of Reason while the other hath no ground but a loose Tradition and Contradicts them both in her Doctrin and Religious Practice § 7. The Question is more particularly stated in that Doctrin and Practice that relates unto the Sacrament With a brief Observation of the unreasonableness of the one and the danger of the other as they now stand in the Church of Rome § 8. The Doctrin of the Church of Rome in this Point is laid down and two observations are made upon it First That our Saviour's words at the Institution of the Sacrament are not to be understood in a literal sense as she asserteth Secondly That if they were yet neither can her Doctrin be inferred from them nor her Practice be justified by them § 9. The first of these is proved 1st From the nature of the thing in that it contradicts our Senses which are shewn to be proper Judges in this Case as well as any other The imposition also of the Schoolmen is detected in treating on this subject in improper terms and farther it is also shewn that in this sense they cannot agree with the concomitant expressions as well before as after the Institution § 10. The same thing is proved 2dly From the design of the Institution which is shewn and explained and then compared with the Passover and other Sacrifices among the Jews and so both the Practice and the Benefits thereof are illustrated by shewing what they did and what they expected § 11. It is proved also 3dly From the occasion of that expression which is shewn to be a parallel Phrase constantly in use among the Jews at the Celebration of the Passover and so by the evident meaning of their words the sense of our Saviour is fully explained § 12. The Doctrin of the Church of England in this Point is shewn to agree with that of the Fathers and the ancient Doctrin of the Church of Rome her self This is shewn to be still evident in the Roman Missal although it hath been alter'd since the days of St. Ambrose to make it more conformable to the present Doctrin § 13. The former Observation is proved 4thly From our Saviour's own Declaration John vi Where he tells his Disciples that he is spiritually to be understood and therefore as is further observed not only St. Paul but even the aforesaid Missal calleth the Sacrament Bread after its Consecration § 14. Another Comparison is made between the Doctrin of the Church of Rome and that of the Church of England as to the consequences of them and thereby shewn that in the Church of Rome Men hazard their Salvation on the truth of an Opinion that may be false and more than probably is so for none not the least advantage if it should be true § 15. The other Observation also is propounded and therein it is shewn that our Saviour's words in the literal sense can only respect his Body and that too as it was dead and offer'd up to God in Sacrifice And several Reasons are offered thence to shew that this is not a proper Object for Divine Worship and therefore observed that the Council of Trent to justifie their Practice do strein the words abundantly beyond all that they can bear without any Reason or Authority for it § 16. Another danger is observed even in going to Mass as it is in the general Practice of the Church of Rome in that many are always present whenever the Sacrament is Administred who are not in a fit state to be Partakers of it and this is shewn from Scripture as well as the Practice of the Primitive Christians § 17. Some other Particulars of the like nature are proposed and briefly toucht to shew the further evidence of the Proposition discust And so the Conclusion is made with an Exhortation to return A LETTER TO A Friend c. SIR AS every Man's Salvation is his Principal Concern and ought to be the chief end of all his Undertakings