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A61439
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A profession of faith comprizing the ancient forms of the Catholick Church with other articles relating to the terms of communion with the present church of Rome / by E.S., an English Catholick.
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E. S., English Catholick.; Stephens, Edward, d. 1706.
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1700
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Wing S5436; ESTC R13750
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20,568
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such as provoke as great Judgments tho' longer before they come to the height so ought the like Means of Humiliation Self-Condemnation giving Glory to God and Amendment be used by them to prevent greater Severities of his Judgments If the true State and Dignity of that Church amongst all the Churches according to the Ordinance of God was better considered on all sides it would soon make all more sensible of their Duties and of their Transgressions of it for which they have much to answer For as that Church is the Principal in the Kingdom of Christ upon Earth and hath always been so esteemed so ought all true and considerate Christians to have a special concern for so eminent a part of the Body of Christ and to pray for and seek the Peace and Prosperity of this our Hierusalem even to the last after the great Example of our Saviour And on the other side they who hold so eminent a place in the Kingdom of Christ ought not like Men of the World to think too highly of themselves for the Dignity of the Place but like true Christians be humbled in themselves through a due sense of the Importance of the Duty and a proportionable Concern for the faithful Discharge of it according to the special Caution of one of their Founders to themselves Rom. 11.18 20 21 22. and the necessary Admonition of the other 1 Pet. 5.2 3 4. as he himself had been admonished by his Master Jo. 21.15 16 17. and according to the most excellent Instructions Directions Admonitions and Example of that great and most excellent Master of all to all who treated all with all the Mildness Gentleness Condescention and Tenderness that could be instructing and speaking unto them as they were able to hear it Mark 4.33 and forbearing many things till his Disciples could bear them Jo. 16.12 and forbad the forbidding of such as of good Will promoted his Service and were not against them tho' not yet in their Company Mar. 9.38 39 40. and of such as brought but little Children unto him Mar. 10.14 and was amongst his own not as a Lord but as one that serveth Luk. 22.24 27. But all ought to consider well the Nature of this Kingdom and what is the true Interest of it that it is a Spiritual Kingdom not imaginary but real and most powerful and to know whence and how that Power is to be attained and how to be retained and used and to consider well and understand not only the general Rules and Instructions given at first by our Lord but the special Notices of his Pleasure signified in the several Acts of his Providential Discipline and what all this doth require of them in their respective Stations and wisely apply themselves to the Performance of it This would soon detect and rectifie all that is amiss But it is not for me nor for this place to proceed farther in discourse of these things Some are offended or think it strange that I should offer to communicate with the Church of France where such terrible Persecutions are executed against Protestants I confess I pity them as Sufferers and more as Sufferers for Conscience tho' perhaps mistaken Conscience in many things but I do not think ever the better of them for being Protestants Nor do I know that the Church of France is concerned in it but believe it proceeds from Reasons of State and very good reason I am well satisfied there is that the King should desire and use all just and reasonable means that his Subjects may all agree in the same Religion The Disturbances in that Kingdom heretofore by bringing in Foreigners and the Indignities that have been done by some of the principal of their Ministers with the Approbation and Applause of too many others to the Primitive Christians and the Catholick Church and in them to Christianity it self are things which I think deserve a sharp Penance But I wish on each side it was well considered what is necessary to make their own Cause good in the sight of God and Man for I am sure then there would soon be an end of their Differences The People ought to consider that divers points heretofore as confidently asserted by their Leaders as any have since been detected by learned Men amongst themselves to have been much mistaken and that may reasonably make them less to presume upon any of the rest and because Obedience to Civil Magistrates in omnibâ—â— licitis honestis is a certain Duty they ought to go as far in Obedience as they can without any Exception but such as they can assure themselves will be allowed by Almighty God and if it may be by all moderate and judicious Christians Such a Tender as this I should hope might move the King's Clemency to consider of his Terms of Conformity that there may be nothing in them but what is truly Catholick as to Matters of Religion and such as he can assuredly expect the Approbation of God and his Blessing in his Proceedings upon them and to remove all Scandals out of the way which I think as Glorious a Work as any thing he can undertake For those unhappy Divisions are undoubtedly a Judgment of God and Scandals a special Cause of it Of how great Concern it is to this Nation that these matters of Religion be taken into better Consideration I have lately already in the Preface to my Discourse Of Prayers for the Dead said as much as I thought necessary and therefore forbear to say any more of it here A Profession of Faith Comprizing the Ancient Forms of the Catholick Church With other Articles relating to The Terms of Communion With the present CHURCH OF ROME By E. S. an English Catholick I Believe in One GOD the Father Almighty Creatour of Heaven and Earth and of all things Visible and Invisible And in One LORD Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God begotten of his Father before all Worlds God of God Light of Light very God of very God begotten not made consubstantial with the Father by whom all things were made who for us Men and for our Salvation descended from Heaven and was conceived and incarnate by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary and made Man and also suffered for us under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried descended into * Tho we have no word of an adequate signification with this yet must this here signifie more than Dead for that 's a tautology not fit for a Summary Hades and the third day rose again from the Dead according to the Scriptures and having forty days frequently conversed with his Apostles speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God the Church and given them Commands special secret Instructions ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right Hand of God the Father Almighty and from thence shall come again with Glory to judge both the Living and the Dead Whose Kingdom shall have no End And in the Holy Ghost
to be questioned disputed and so made doubtful and actually rejected in many Places and partly by such other Abuses Corruptions Miscarriages and Scandals as overspreading all moved great Complaints and Discontents and earnest Defires and Prayers for an Orderly Reformation and at last produced when nothing else could prevail by the special Providence of Almighty God one of the greatest Schisms all things considered that in the Western Church hath ever been known and lastly by requiring such Terms of Communion as are not necessary for the Service of our Lord but much to the Disservice of his Interest by hindring the Re-union of many well-disposed People and contrary to his Example Directions Will 25. That the Constitution of the Church of God and the Powers and Authorities settled in it are not to be altered or subject to Alteration by such Ways and Means as civil Constitutions Powers and Authorities usually are as by Forfeiture or voluntary Agreement so as to effect any Diminution of the Power or Authority of its Successor And therefore the present Bishop of Rome notwithstanding any Miscarriages of any of his Predecessours hath as much Power and Authority in the Catholick Church as any since St. Peter who had an Authority Superior to all Bishops in that Seat ever had unless there be any thing Personal against himself and in him the Power and Authority of that Seat ought to be acknowledged asserted and maintained by all Christians as the Power and Authority of Christ and for his Service and Interest that to reject that is impious Schismatical and Heretical but yet the Personal Miscarriages of those that are or shall be in that Seat may be judged censured and corrected by the Churches of the same Division or Patriarcate either in one general Council or in several National and Provincial Synods agreeing generally upon a mutual Communication of Votes in the same Sentence But this is a Matter which as it is of great Consequence so ought to be managed with great Circumspection and much Application by all to God for his Divine Conduct 26. That the Authority even of National and Provincial Councils duly assembled and proceeding regularly ought to be respected and treated with Reverence by all Christians and if their Acts be received with a general Approbation of many other such they become of equal Authority with a General Council of all those Churches But Acts of Councils call'd general if not regularly and unanimously passed in Council or not generally received and approved afterward but disapproved either by express Declaration by contrary Practice or notorious different Sentiments of the greatest or a very considerable part of the Catholick Church are of little Obligation yet ought not to be reproachfully or rudely opposed but rather decently buried in Silence or by a more authentick Determination 27. That every Provincial Synod under one Metropolitan is a compleat Representation or Model of the whole Catholick Church which consists and is compacted of many such Sacred Corporations and hath a compleat Authority of it self to order all matters of Religion Against this Noble and Compleat Authority of the Churches of Christ have many things been very injuriously and scandalously done both by Secular Powers and by Popes and Patriarchs The Sins of both and of such as have too easily yeilded to them are very great and will undoubt edly be severely punished hereafter as of Rebels and Traitors against the Supream Majesty if not prevented here and to correct and reform what is amiss within their own Territories according to the common Rules of the Catholick Church subject notwithstanding to the Judgment Censure and Correction of more general Councils in case they act any thing contrary to those Rules But in Matters whether of Belief or Practice not deâ—â—rmined by Catholick Evidence of Apostolical Authority and which are therefore left at Liberty it may be dangerous to impose any thing but if any thing be thought necessary or expedient of that Nature it ought rather to be gently recommended than Majesterially imposed least Authority be unadvisedly exposed and Catholick Unity and Charity indangered 28. That in all Differences in the Church all Parties ought to be very careful for the Preservation of Vnity and Charity as Matters of the greatâ—st Importance in the Kingdom of Christ the very Difference being a fair Warning and Admonition for Godly Jealousie and special Caution and Circumspection to all Parties for the Peace of the Church the Satisfaction of the differing Party and the Security of the Justice and Righteousness of their own Cause lest it either be ill or if good at first in it self it become ill through ill Management and therefore to proceed peaceably patiently and amicably * 2 Cor. 10.8 13.10 Superiors with Gentleness and Condescention as having their Authority for Edification not for Destruction and therefore not Lording it over their Subjects and Inferiors with Humility Modesty Respect and Submission that they resist not the Ordinance of God each as far as Duty and sincere Conscience will allow with hearty Desire and sincere Endeavour for Accommodation and Grief and Sorrow if it cannot be obtained and without any abatement of Charity notwithstanding but with Pity for the Faults of others 29. That tho' there was much need of a Reformation when the Work so called was begun yet was not that Work as it was managed any Work of God as ordered by Him but only as permitted by Him for a Judgment upon the Church which would not reform and executed by the Instigation of adverse Powers as may be observed in 1. the Qualities of the Persons who were the principal Leaders and Actors in it and 2. the Means used to effect it all merely Humane nothing truly Spiritual and Divine I intend not in this the Scriptures in themselves but the Use which was made of them I do no Demonstration of Spirit and Power in 3. the Manner with much Arrogance Insolence Malice Hatred Violence Injustice Oppression Sacrilege and Profanation of Sacred things Factions Tumults and hot Contentions among themselves all plain Indications of what Spirit they were and 4. in the Matter or Work effected * Hence the true Cause of the Contempt of the Clergy Ye have departed c. Therefore I also have made you Contemptible c. Mal. 2.7 8 9. destructive of the Government of the Worship of the Discipline and of the Doctrine of the Catholick Church of Christ all accommodated to recommend the Preachers to gratifie the natural Disposition of the People to raise Prejudice and Odium against the Church and to draw away Disciples after them but secretly tending to the Dissolution and Destruction of the Kingdom of Christ upon Earth with divers special Gratifications of those adverse Powers and lastly in 5. the Fruits and †is very remarkable That many of the most Learned amongst us both Conformists and Non-conformists are gone off from divers Doctrines of the first Reformers and confess the Papists