Imprimatur Hic Libellus cui Titulus A Discourse concerning the Church c. Iuly 28. 1688. Io. Battely A DISCOURSE Concerning the CHURCH In these following PARTICULARS I. Concerning the Visibility of the true Church II. Concerning the Church of Rome III. Concerning Protestant Churches IV. An Answer to this Question Where was your Church before Luther BY The Right Reverend Father in GOD ROBERT SANDERSON Late Lord Bishop of LINCOLN LONDON Printed by T. B. for R. Taylor MDCLXXXVIII THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER THat the following Discourses are Genuine and Authentick and were really writ by that excellent Prelate whose name they bear can never be doubted by the Learned and Iudicious Reader For the Composures of that incomparable Pen are so Close and Logical and his Stile so Masculine and Convincing as not easily to be imitated by any other Hand However to justifie my Integrity herein since posthumous Writings lye under Suspicion I shall give this further Satisfaction That about Twenty Years since I received these Papers from the Hands of that well-known good Man Mr. Io. Pullen of MAGDALEN-HALL his Lordship 's Domestic Chaplain Who upon my Desire did communicate not only these but several other Remains of the same venerable Name Amongst which there is a Fragment of an Answer to Dr. Baylie's Challeng Whether or no it was ever finished I have no certain Conjecture But if it were and could be found the Publishing of it at this Iuncture would be Seasonable and Useful For though that Pamphlet is a Piece of as transparent Sophistry as was ever called Demonstration and though the Weakness and Inconsequence of it hath been sufficiently displayed yet such is the Pleasure of some Men that it hath been Printed and Reprinted with as much Assurance as if not the least notice had been ever taken of it The same Remark is obvious concerning these following Tracts 'T is surprising to observe after these things have been so clearly and fully stated that we should ever and anon be thus pelted with that impertinent Question Where was your Church before Luther Our Venerable Author doth tell them where it was And he doth it with such an Evidence and Strength of Reason as is peculiar to Himself For whereas the Writings of other Men may indeed convince Those of Bishop Sanderson do perfectly Silence A DISCOURSE Concerning the VISIBILITY OF THE True Church THE word CHURCH hath among others these four special Significations Being taken for First The whole Company of Gods Elect actually made Members of Christ by vertue of an inward effectual Calling to Faith and Godliness This we commonly call the Invisible Church or the Church of Gods Elect. Secondly The whole Company of all those throughout the World who by their Doctrine and Worship do outwardly make Profession of the Name of Christ. This we call the Universal Visible Church Or the Catholick Christian Church Thirdly Some particular distinct whether National Provincial or other greater or smaller Part of the Universal As we say the Church of Rome the Church of Corinth the Church of England This we call a Particular Visible Church Fourthly By a Synecdoche the Bishops Pastors and Governours of particular Churches lawfully authorized to represent the whole Church whereof they are Governours as to some special Intents This we call a Church Representative The word TRUTH applyed to any Subject is taken either Absolute or Respective Absolutely a thing is true when it hath veritatem Entis Essentiae with all those Essential things that are requisite to the bare Being and Existence of it Respectively when over and above these Essentials it hath also such Accidental conditions and Qualities as should make it perfect and commendably good A Thing may be true in the first sense and yet not true in the second but false As a Man may be a true Man animal rationale and yet a false Knave A Woman a true Wife nupta viro and yet a false Quean A Speech a true Proposition having Subjectum Praedicatum Copulam and yet a false Lye. A True Church according to the first sense and absolutely is every Church that in her Doctrine and Worship professeth the Faith of Christ whether soundly or corruptly But in the second sense and respectively that only is a true Church whose Doctrine and Worship is pure at least in a good measure from Errors and Superstitions So as other Churches which either maintain Heretical Doctrines or prescribe Idolatrous Worship may be justly called at least wise in comparison with this and in this second sense false Churches and not true A total and utter Defection from the whole Faith of Christ in Doctrine and in Worship destroys the very Being of a Church and maketh it no Church at all But a defection from the purity of Faith doth not take away the Being of a Church It remains still a true Church Absolutely but only maketh it an Impure and Corrupt Church and so far forth a false Church Respectively Corruptions in Doctrine and Worship as they are greater or lesser so they make a Church more or less false comparatively and as they are imposed upon Men with greater or lesser exaction they do more or less justify whether a Separation from or an opposition against such a false Church and in some cases enforce it When betwixt two Churches differing in Doctrine or Worship Question is made Whether of them is the true Church it must be understood not in the first sense and absolutely for so both are true and ergo equally true Churches for vero nihil verius but respectively and comparatively and in the second sense viz. Whether of them maintains the Doctrine together with the Worship taught by Christ and his Apostles in the greater measure of Purity and freer from Error and Superstition VISIBILITY as to our purpose imports such a state of a thing as wherein 't is evident and discernable more or less by sensible Marks so as a Man may infallibly know it thereby and say Here it is Which Visibility hath several Degrees and applyed to the Church may be several ways consider'd First A Thing is visible in the highest Degree where it doth it self ferire oculos as it were and is so eminently and gloriously conspicuous that a Man unless he wilfully shuts his Eyes cannot chuse but see it As the Sun in the Firmament is visible when it shines forth in its greatest Lustre at Noon-Day Secondly In an inferior Degree when 't is discernable even outwardly but not at the first sight or in any glorious Splendor but with due and serious and intent Observation As some Stars in an over-cast Evening to them that with a stedfast Eye look for them Thirdly And in a yet lower Degree when it s not discernable outwardly or at all to any but those only who more nearly partake of it As the light of a Candle in a close private Room is visible to those only that be in the Room In every of which
Degrees Visibility applyed to the Church and the Members thereof may be consider'd in a Fourfold Respect First Of the Men themselves Secondly Of their general Profession of Christianity Thirdly Of their particular different Tenents from other Men or Churches Fourthly Of the truth of their particular Tenents Theses First the Church in the first and most proper Signification viz. the Church of Gods Elect is wholly and altogether Invisible But of this the present Question is not Secondly The Universal Christian Church upon Earth hath never failed from the whole Faith nor ever shall fail to the Worlds end in such sort but that still in some Part or other of it it hath been is and shall be visible more or less and that externally in the first or second Degree of Visibility both in the first and second Respects Thirdly Whence it follows that understanding Truth in the First sense there never hath wanted doth or shall want upon Earth a true and distinct Particular Church in some Place or other externally visible more or less in the Degrees and Respects above specified Fourthly Every Particular visible Church may fail not only from the Purity of Faith but also from the whole Faith it self and so may cease to be a true Christian Church even so much as in the First Sense and may become no Church Fifthly The Universal Christian Church consisting of all Particular visible Churches together and at once may by the prevailing of Heresy and Idolatry be brought to such a general Defection in the outward Face of it though not from the whole Faith yet from the Purity of Faith both in Doctrine and Worship that for a long time together there may not be found upon Earth taking Church in the second Sense any true Particular Church visibly distinct from the rest by their outward Freedom from the common Corruptions so much as in the second much less in the first Degree of Visibility either in the third or fourth Respects And this is that Part of the Church especially under Antichrist Sixthly That even in the Times of the greatest and most general Defection there have been always particular Men and those eminent either for Number Place Learning or Godliness who though living in the midst of Corrupt Churches and in the Communion and visible Profession thereof have yet according to the measure of their Grace and Knowledg and the exigence of Times and Occasions either First Openly resisted the Errors Superstitions and Corruptions of their Times Or secondly Noted the Corruptions as they grew and complained of them and desired Reformation Or thirdly In private dissented from them in the Explication of the most dangerous Doctrines and kept themselves free from the foulest Corruptions though carried with the Stream of the common Apostacy to embrace the rest Whereof we are to presume they repented either Explicitely if God gave them to see their Errors or at least wise Implicitely in the Mass of their ignorant and unknown Sins Seventhly Although such particular Men were not always so locally and generally seperated from the rest as to make a visible distinct particular Church by themselves in the first Degree of Visibility yet in these Men did the Succession of the true Church taking it comparatively and in the second Sense especially consist and the Visibility of it continue in the Time of universal Defection In which Men the true Church continues visible always and perpetually without interruption and that ever in the fourth Respect viz. in regard of the acknowledg'd Truth of their Doctrine in the third Degree of Visibility viz. in an inward Estate and to themselves and sometimes also though perhaps not always visible externally and to their very Enemies more or less in the second Degree of Visibility and in the Three first Respects Concerning the CHURCH of ROME THE Church of Rome or Roman Church is taken in a Threefold Latitude First Respectively to the Place for that Church which is in the City or Territory or Diocess of Rome As we say the Church of Geneva or the Church of Venice And so St. Paul wrote an Epistle to the Church of Rome as he did to the Churches of Corinth Ephesus and other particular Cities Secondly Respectively to the State of the Empire for the whole Latine or Western Churches as they are distinguished from the Greek and Eastern Churches and from the African and Southern Churches Because by reason of the Empire these Churches had a nearer Communion among themselves then with other Churches and acknowledg the Bishop of Rome as primae sedis Episcopum or the Patriarch of the West as other Bishops were of the Greek Asian and African Churches Thirdly Respectively to the Faith for all particular Churches aggregatim that acknowledg Subjection to the present See of Rome and entirely Communicate with that Church in the present Doctrine and Worship of it and namely and especially as to our purpose as 't is comprised in the Council of Trent In which last Sense taking the Church of Rome it may be consider'd either First Materialiter as 't is a Church professing the Faith of Christ as we also do in the common Points of Agreement Secondly Formaliter and in regard of that we call Popery viz. the Point of Difference whether concerning the Doctrine or Worship wherein we charge her to have added to the substance of Faith her own Inventions Thirdly Conjunction pro toto aggregato taking both together As in any unfound Body we may consider the Body by it self the Disease by it self and the Body and the Disease both together as they make a Diseased Body Theses FIrst the Church of Rome which of the Three ways soever taken is not the Universal Christian Church but only a Part thereof or a Particular Church or Churches Secondly The Church of Rome ever since the first Plantation of it hath continued a true Church taking Truth in the first Sense and considering the Church of Rome Materially as it is a Church But so hath the Church of England also and many other Churches Thirdly The Church of Rome hath no special Promise or Privilege above other Particular Churches of Immunity from falling either from the Purity of Faith or the whole Faith it self Fourthly The Church of Rome which way soever taken hath long since failed from the Purity of Faith both in the Doctrine and Worship of it And so consider'd formally in regard of those Points which are properly of Popery is become a False and Corrupt Church and is indeed an Antichristian Synagogue and not a true Christian Church Taking Truth in the second Sense Fifthly The Doctrinal Errors of the Church of Rome do not directly and immediately overthrow the Foundation of Faith as the Heresy of the Arrian Churches did but mediately and by necessary Consequence they do As in the Points of Merits Mass Transubstantiation c. Sixthly The bare Teaching even ex Cathedrâ of the Doctrinal Errors of the Church of Rome in as much as
they do not overthrow the Foundation but ex consequenti and indirectly is not enough of it self alone to enforce or justify an outward Separation from her But the imposing these Errors upon the Consciences of Men to be believed as of necessity is Damnable And doth not only justify a Separation already made but also bindeth sub Mortali all true Christians to such a Separation Seventhly The Worship required and performed in the Church of Rome is in most Things Superstitious and in some lately Idolatrous and such as wherein a good Christian cannot lawfully Communicate with her So as if there were nothing else yet her Idolatry were enough to justify and enforce such a Separation Concerning Protestant CHURCHES BY the Protestant Churches we understand those visible Particular Churches which having by an external Separation freed themselves from the Tyranny and Idolatry of Popery have more or less reformed the Doctrine and Worship from Popish Corruptions and restored them more or less to the Ancient and Primitive Purity Now such Churches may be consider'd either Materially or Formally First Materially When we consider those Churches to whom it happens thus to be Reformed barely and precisely as Local and Particular visible Churches without respect had to their present Reformed or former Corrupt Estate or to the Substance of their Faith. As when we say The Church of England The Church of Denmark The Church of Saxony c. Secondly Formally The Protestant Churches may again be consider'd two ways in respect of a Two-fold Form. First An outward and accidental Form. Secondly An inward and as it were essential Form. The inward Form ever giveth Esse but the outward often giveth Nomen The outward Form is barely the State of Reformation which supposeth another former Estate of Deformity or Corruption out of which respect they have the Name and Title of Protestant and Reformed Churches But the inward Form is the Substance of their Faith thus reformed in their Doctrine and Worship from the Corruptions wherewith Popery had infected it Which Substance of Faith in the Protestant Churches may be consider'd differently in the Positive Points of their Faith and in the Negative The Positive Points or Affirmative Articles of our Christian Faith are they which make us true Christian Churches For in our Positive we teach the ancient Faith of Christ and his Apostles and the Primitive Church And in our Negative we reject the Innovations and Corruptions of latter Times To the QUESTION then Where Our CHVRCH was before Luther I Answer FIrst Taking our Protestant Churches Materially as namely the Church of England it was where it is viz. in England Where by the great Mercy of God it hath continued a visible Christian Church from the first Plantation of it by Apostles or Apostolical Men without Interruption though not always without Error and Corruption unto this Day And herein it need not yield to the very Church of Rome it self or to any other Church under Heaven Secondly Taking the Protestant Church Formally in respect of the Substance of Faith the Professors of it have been in some Degree or other visible as well before Luther as since But yet differently in the Affirmatives and in the Negatives of our Faith. Thirdly Taking the Protestant Church Formally in respect of the outward Form viz. as under the State of Reformation we will freely confess There was no such Reformed or Protestant Church before Luther as now there is For a Church could not be said to be Reformed till it was Deformed No more than a Man can be said to be stript of a Motly Coat before he had it on Fourthly The Protestant Church for Substance of Faith in the Affirmative Doctrine hath continued visibly from Christ and his Apostles without Interruption as well before as since Luther according to the Tenor of our Second and Third Theses In which our Adversaries and we agree witness the Articles of our Church Fifthly The Substance of Faith as concerning the Worship Maintain'd and Practis'd in the Protestant Church of England hath continued Visible in like manner in all Ages as well before as since Luther Witness our Service-Book Wherein our Adversaries themselves are not able to except against any thing contained Only they complain of some Defects But that belongs not to the Affirmatives but to the Negatives of our Faith. Sixthly The Negative Tenets of our Protestant Church wherein she Renounceth the Errors and Idolatries of the Romish for so much as they are Negatives are not capable of a visible Profession in such Sort as Affirmatives are Yet thus far our Church was visible in respect of these Negatives before Luther viz. In the Primitive Times for the first Six Hundred Years especially and some other Ages after also all Orthodoxal Particular Churches were visible Professors of our Faith. In as much as in their Writings where we were Affirmative they were Affirmative also Where we are Negative they are either Negative or Doubtful or Divided or Silent Which very Silence is enough to make them ours as to this Intent For who can expect they should purposely confute those Errors which were many of them not so much as thought on in their Times Seventhly In succeeding Times when Errors and Superstitions began to grow to some Head through the Factions of Princes the Pride of the Clergy and the common Ignorance of the Times As namely about the Year Nine Hundred and thenceforth till the Times of Luther our Protestant Church was not visibly distinct from the corrupt Romish according to the Tenor of our Fifth Thesis but mingled with it Yet it had thus far forth visible Professors That there were in every Age before Luther some whose Names and Opinions have been by God's good Providence preserved in Histories and Records notwithstanding the indirect Endeavors of the Adversaries to root out the Memory of them who complained of the Corruptions and contradicted the Doctrines and Abuses of Popery some in one Point and some in another some in most of all those Points wherein we now dissent and that in such Degrees and Respects of Visibility as we have declared in our Sixth and Seventh Theses FINIS