from this pestiferous generation who deuise still how to holde you in the bondage of their superstition and consider what account they make of you vpon whom they vent such stuffe altogether presuming vpon your simplicitie hoping that you will take all without discussing whatsoeuer they deliuer Men of common reason will neuer put confidence in such men as are conuinced once for liars If this bee true which they haue so confidently written and by which they haue so notoriously abused you in slaundering of the Ordination of our worthie and reuerend Bishops then might you haue cause to be offended with our Church But if this vpon triall bee found a manifest and absurd lye then what cause haue you to trust them in any thing whose whole studie is to abuse your simplicitie and credulitie who hauing forsaken the trueth labour to drawe after them so many as they can into the societie of their Apostasie respecting neither trueth nor conscience so they deceiue by any meanes And thus praying to him that keepeth the Keyes of Dauid and openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth that hee of his infinite mercie will open your eyes to see your hearts to vnderstand his word and trueth and therein your owne Saluation I rest Yours in the seruice of your Faith GEORGE CARLETON SHORT DIRECTIONS TO KNOVV the true CHVRCH THE Church is either the Catholike Church or particular Churches The Catholike Church is defined in the Scripture The body of Eph. 1. 23. Iesus Christ and the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all The Apostle describing this Church sayth By one Spirit we are baptized 1. Cor. 12 13. into one body And againe You are the body of Christ and Vers 17. members in particular And againe Christ is the head of the Eph. 5. 25. Church and hee is the Sauiour of the body He is before all things Col. 1. 18. and by him all things consist and hee is the head of the body the Church So that in the Scriptures of the New Testament we finde no definition of the Church but either in these wordes That it is the body of Christ or in words that signifie the same thing We finde no other Head of the Church but Christ himselfe Particular Churches are visible Assemblies who professe the true Faith and holde the ordinances of Christ and are gouerned by diuers visible heads or gouernours as Saint Gregory the Pope sayth Peter Lib. 4. Epist 38. ind 13. the Apostle of Christ which was the first member of the Church Paul Andrew Iohn what other are these but heads of particular Assemblies Singularium plebium capita so sayth Gregory And againe The Saints before the law the Saints vnder the Law and the Saints vnder grace all these making vp the body of Christ or members of the Church So Gregory vnderstood the Church that Saint Peter was a member onely but not a head of the vniuersall or Catholicke Church But of a particular Church sayth S. Gregory Peter was a head Yet no otherwise then as S. Iohn was the head of another particular Church S. Paul of another S. Andrew of another And so other heads or gouernours of other particular Churches because no Apostle could guide all particulars or the whole This was the ancient doctrine and knowledge of the Church These particular Churches though in respect of the places wherein they were gathered they be many and in that respect called in the plurall number Churches in Scripture Rom. 16. 4. and 1. Cor. 7. 17. and 2. Cor. 8. 18. and Apoc. 11. 4. and in many other places yet in respect of the faith which they professe they are but one for the Church is but one not two not many And euery particular Church that would prooue it selfe a true Church of Christ must proue that by the vnitie which it holdeth with the Catholicke Church which is but one For euery particular Church holding vnitie with the Catholike Church by reason of that vnitie is one with it And euery particular assembly that holdeth not this vnitie with the Catholicke Church is no true Church of Christ but an assembly of Heretickes But now the question betweene the Papists and the reformed Churches will bee whether of them two do hold this Vnitie with the Catholicke Church For if we proue the reformed Churches keep this Vnitie wee prooue them assuredly to be the true Churches and if wee prooue that the Papists haue broken off this vnitie with the Catholike Church then are they prooued to be no true Church but an assembly of heretickes that haue forsaken the Church To prooue this wee must declare what this Vnitie is and wherein it consisteth which thing being declared will euidently declare where the true Church is The Vnitie of the Church is fourefolde For though others may make moe parts yet all may be comprised in these foure For the Church is one first by the Vnitie of the Body secondly by the Vnitie of the Head thirdly by the Vnitie of the Spirit fourthly by the Vnitie of Faith All these are necessarily required to prooue a Church to holde Vnitie with the Catholicke Church And albeit where one of them is found they are all found yet because the Scriptures and Fathers speake distinctly of them wee will distinctly declare them The vnitie of the Body is an vnitie whereby all the members of the Church are knit together with the Head in one body For as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of 1. Cor. 12. that one body being many make but one body euen so is Christ sayth the Apostle This may be called mysticall Christ or the mysticall body of Christ that is his Church For this is the true Church the proper Church the Scripture doeth not acknowledge any other Catholike Church sauing this which is the body of Christ In which body all beleeuers are knit to Christ as the members of one body with the head And in this body euery member receiueth Eph. 4. 16 grace from the Head and the whole body according to the measure of euery member receiueth increase of the body to the edifying of it selfe in loue Thus is euery member of the body that is euery member of the Church ioyned vnto Christ by faith and loue And herein standeth the vnitie of this Body From this Vnitie the Papists are fallen away for they teach that the members of their Church as they call it neede not to haue any inward grace but it sufficeth if they make onely an externall profession of faith and haue the cōmunion of the Sacraments which by very sense is perceiued So saith Card. Bellarmine Lib. 3. de Ecclesi◠cap. 2. lib. 3. cap. 2. de Ecclesia It followeth that the Popish Church hath not vnitie with the Catholike Church which is the body of Christ For there is but one Church that is the body of Christ and the members of this Church are
by grace knit to Christ their head as we haue prooued out of the Apostle Therfore that Church whose members are not knit to Christ by grace to the edifying of themselues in loue is no true Church of Christ It will not aduantage them to say that they haue among them some good men who they doubt not are members of Christ though their Church hath communion also with such as haue no inward grace and vertue For the Church of Christ hath no cōmunion with wicked men who liue without inward grace because the communion which the Church hath is called in our Creede Acommunion of Saints The Saints are men sanctified by the Spirit of God washed by the blood of Christ from their sins These Saints haue communiō both with Christ their Head by faith and with and among themselues by loue and charitie This communion is not betweene good and euill between Saints and wicked men but only among the Saints who are cleansed from all sinne by the blood of Christ for so S. Iohn teacheth speaking of this communion of Saints If wee walke in 1. Ioh. 1. 7 the light as he is in the light wee haue communion one with another and the blood of Iesus Christ his sonne cleanseth vs from all sinne Then this communion is among them that are cleansed by the blood of Christ from all sinne But the members of the Church of Rome which by their owne confession haue no inward grace are not cleansed from all their sinne by his blood And therfore such men cannot say that they haue this communion or any part thereof For vnto such S. Iohn saith in the words immediatly going before If we say that wee haue communion 1 Ioh. 1. 6 with him and walke in darkenesse we lie and do not the truth Now if these be found to be lyars by the testimonie of S. Iohn who say they haue communion with Christ when they walke in darknesse when they haue no inward vertue for such must needs walke in darkenesse who haue no inward light direction then out of doubt the Popish Church as now it standeth can haue no communion with Christ and consequently can be no true Church of Christ The reason is plaine from these principles which are their confession on the one side and the expresse testimonie of Scriptures on the other side The second Vnitie of the Church is the vnitie of the head Christ is the head of his Church And the Church of Christ is knowen by this vnitie for that is the true Church that hath alwayes kept this Head Iesus Christ But the Romish Church hath changed this head seeing they haue the Pope the head of the vniuersall Church Their common answere is That the Pope is Christ his Vicar and the ministeriall head But this answere is but a cloake to couer ignorance For the Church is but one and herein wee haue the confession of the Papists For Cardinall Bellarmine sayth the Libr. 3. cap. 2. de Eccles Church is onely one and not two and of this one Church he maketh the Pope to be the head as being Christs Vicar Now to bolt out the truth we reason thus The Church is one this one onely Church is Christ his bodie Christ his Spouse therefore if the Pope bee Christ his Vicar and the ministeriall head he must by this delegacie gouerne the same Church vnder Christ which is his body his Spouse For if Christ gouerne one Church and the Pope another then the Pope cannot be Christ his Vicar because hee gouerneth not the same vnder Christ for hee must bee Vicar to him whose Church hee doeth gouerne But the Pope doeth not gouerne the same Church vnder Christ but another Assembly For Christ is the head of his owne body of his owne members that is of Saints of true beleeuers of such as receiue inward grace vertue from the head and by that grace grow vp to the edification of themselues in loue as the Apostle teacheth But the Pope by the common confession of Papistes is head of such a Church whose mēbers haue no inward grace or vertue in them but onely the externall profession of the Romish faith acknowledging that the Pope is their head and gouernour For without this acknowledgment that the Pope is the head of the Church and Christ his Vicar on earth no profession of faith can make a man a member of that Church whatsoeuer faith he professe he is not receiued as a member in that Church vnlesse hee professe this faith of the Papall authoritie And if he professe this though there be in him no inward grace no vertue yet he is taken to be a true member of that Church By this it appeareth that the Pope doeth not gouerne the same Church vnder Christ whereof Christ is the head For Christ is not the head of wicked profane liuers that are without inward grace without vertue the deuill is their head Saint Austin sayth Lib. 3. cap. 37. de doctrina Christiana truely Diabolus est caput impiorum qui sunt eius quodammodo corpus ituri cumillo in supplicio aeterni ignis sicut Christus est caput Ecclesiae quae est corpus eius futurum cum illo in regno gloria sempiterna that is The deuil is the head of wicked men who are after a sort his body and shall goe with him into his kingdom and euerlasting fire euen as Christ is the head of the Church which is his body and shall be with him in his kingdom and euerlasting glory Whereupon it followeth that if the Pope bee the ministeriall head of a Church that Church consisting of wicked men that liue without inward grace or vertue as themselues confesse and the deuill being the head of all such as S. Augustine proueth It followeth I say that the Pope is by this found to be the Vicar of the deuill and the ministeriall head of the deuill ruling an assembly whereof the deuil is the head and not Christ This conclusion though it seeme to derogate much from the assumed title of his Holinesse yet considering the former premisses no man of learning and vnderstanding can iustly denie Then the Church of Rome is fallen away from this communion with the Head Christ Iesus because it is certaine that they who haue no inward grace and vertue haue no cōmunion with this head The third vnitie of the Church is the vnitie of the Spirit The whole Church is gouerned and directed by the same Spirit And therefore the Apostle speaking of the giftes which God giueth for the edificatiō of the Church sayth All these worketh that 1. Cor. 12. 11. one and the selfe-same Spirit And of the members of the Church that are gouerned by the selfesame Spirit he sayth a litle after the former words For by one Spirit we are all baptized 1. Cor. 12. 13. into one body In which words it is euident that to be a member of the Church the Apostle doeth not
rule of faith which prooued that our fathers liuing and dying in Popery before the Councill of Trent had the meanes to be saued which meanes are now taken away by these that are now in the Church of Rome because they haue altered the rule of faith which conteineth the meanes to saluation Now where they come with their declamations and tell vs of the diuisions that we haue among our selues some Lutherans some Zwinglians c. and that we can haue no Church because we haue not vnitie in the faith and these diuisions shew the breach of vnitie I answere that there may be some disagreement in some points of Religion and the sides disagreeing may â—oth holde the true Church so long as these disagreements be not in matters fundamentall and that they who so disagree notwithstanding â—ll their disagreement holde one and the same rule of faith We say that betweene Lutheâ—ans and Zwinglians as these â—all them the same rule of â—aith is helde and acknowledged without alteration And therfore both these sides may belong to one and the same Church because they holde one and the fame rule of faith with the Catholike Church with the Fathers and with the Church of Rome before the Trent Councill But if they can proue that there are some sects which doe not fully and entirely holde this rule of faith then will wee disclaime coÌ„munion with them as wee doe with Anabaptists with Zwinkfeldians with Papists for the same causeâ— And therefore when our aduersaries speake or write oâ— the Church they must leauâ— boyes play in making idle declamations let them speakâ— plainely and soundly to these points and declare the vnitiâ— of the Church and open thâ— rule of faith wherein the truâ— Church hath alwayes had â—nitie and will alwayes holdâ— to the end of the world The should make conscience of their writings not to deceiue the simple with idle discourses of by-points They discourse of antiquitie vniuersalitie and consent wordes in shew making for them as they suppose in truth against them They tell vs that the Religion which now is professed in Rome is that Religion which conuerted ENGLAND first to the true Faith They tell vs that wee can haue no true Church because we haue so many diuisions among vs and many such like discourses as these and very proper declamations which when wee reade we haue reason to suspect that they who write thus either are men of no learning and vnderstanding or else write things against their owne consciences to holde simple soules still in errour whom they haue once bewitched with these silly sleights and shewes They presume of ignorant soules and seeke to maintaine ignorance in the people for without grosse and in a maner wilfull ignorance none can bee deceiued in these things That which I haue spoken of the Catholicke Church is agreeable to that Article of our Faith I beleeue the holy Catholicke Church the communion of Saints Which words doe prooue that the Church of Rome as now it stands cannot bee the Catholique Church nor haue communion with it The Papists in deliuering the notes or markes of the Church make long discourses of other markes and are afraid to speake of these true markes conteined in our Creede First the Church is holy When these men speake of the holinesse of the Church they tell vs of a holines which is in the Sacraments which thing wee denie not but wee deny that the Sacraments make men holy without faith They tell vs also of the holy Martyrs that haue beene in the Church before that the Church is made holy by them This indeede prooueth the holinesse of them that haue liued and died in the faith and for the faith but this wil not make the Church after them to be holy The present Church is holy not by the holinesse of them that haue liued before but by the holinesse of them that liue in it The Church is holy because it consists of Saints of members who are holy these members are holy both by imputed sanctification from Christ the head who for their sakes did sanctifie himselfe as hee saith For their sakes I sanctifie Ioh. 17. 19 my selfe that they also might be sanctified through the trueth and also by inherent holinesse for the Apostle teacheth that the whole Church and euery member thereof receiueth increase of the body from the head So that men may not so grossely flatter themselues as the Papists doe thinking that they may be the Church and yet liue without holinesse They who haue no part in holinesse haue no part in the Church for the Church is holy Saint Iohn saith Euery man that hath 1. Ioh. 3. 3 this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure And againe If wee say that wee haue 1. Ioh. 1. 6 fellowship with him and walke in darkenesse we lie and doe not the trueth And therefore the Church of Rome seeking a title of holinesse without holinesse of life so falling away from true holinesse is assuredly fallen away also from being a Church It is called CATHOLIKE because it hath beene spread in all places and hath beene and shall be at all times In which respect it is distinguished froÌ„ the Church of the Iewes which was but in one nation and for a certaine time The Church of Rome was alwayes helde by the Ancients to differ froÌ„ the Catholicke Church though it was euer helde to be a part of the Catholike Church but that it differed from the Catholike as a particular from the vniuersall the ancient writers neuer made doubt S. Hierome writing of one that confounded the orders of the Church preferring a Deacon before a Priest which confusion was practised then in the Church of Rome prooueth that this was but a particular disorder suffred in the Church of Rome against the order of the Catholike Church spread ouer the world And therefore he declareth that though in respect of particular assemblies there was one Church of Rome another of France another of Britaine c. yet all agree in one Church and the authoritie of the Catholicke Church is greater then the authoritie of any part though it be Rome it selfe And therefore he sayth Si authoritas quaeritur orbis maior est vrbe meaning the authoritie of the Catholicke Church spred ouer the world is greater then the authoritie of the Church of Rome being as then it was reputed but the Church of one Citie Wherby he prooueth plainely that the Church of Rome was not the Catholike Church Saint Augustine writing to the same purpose obserueth that in his time one Vrbicus a Romane beganne to spread newe doctrines concerning fasting namely that fasting did wash away errors and sinnes that in fasting there was merit that men were compelled to sinne who tooke a breakefast that the kingdome of heauen was not in meat and drinke but in fasting and such like nouelties which Saint Austin August Epist 86. refuteth and sayth that this Vrbicus did