pretence or under what distinction soever these pompatick foolish proud perverse wicked profane words these names of singularity elation vanity blasphemy to borrow the Epithets with which Pope Gregory I. doth brand the Titles of Vniversal Bishop and Oecumenical Patriarch no less modest in sound and far more innocent in meaning than those now ascribed to the Pope are therefore to be rejected not onely because they are injurious to all other Pastours and to the People of God's heritage but because they do encroach upon our onely Lord to whom they do onely belong much more to usurp the things which they do naturally signifie is a horrible invasion upon our Lord's Prerogative Thus hath that great Pope taught us to argue in words expressly condemning some and consequently all of them together with the things which they signifie What saith he writing to the Bishop of Constantinople who had admitted the title of Vniversal Bishop or Patriarch wilt thou say to Christ the Head of the Vniversal Church in the trial of the last judgment who by the appellation of VNIVERSAL dost endeavour to subject all his Members to thee whom I pray dost thou mean to imitate in so perverse a word but him who despising the Legions of Angels constituted in fellowship with him did endeavour to break forth unto the top of Singularity that he might both be subject to none and alone be over all who also said I will ascend into heaven and will exalt my throne above the stars for what are thy brethren all the Bishops of the Vniversal Church but the stars of heaven to whom while by this haughty word thou desirest to prefer thy self and to trample on their name in comparison to thee what dost thou say but I will climb into heaven And again in another Epistle to the Bishops of Alexandria and Antioch he taxeth the same Patriarch for assuming to boast so that he attempteth to ascribe all things to himself and studieth by the elation of pompous speech to subject to himself all the members of Christ which do cohere to One Sole Head namely to Christ. Again I confidently say that whoever doth call himself Universal Bishop or desireth to be so called doth in his elation forerun Antichrist because he pridingly doth set himself before all others If these argumentations be sound or signifie any thing what is the pretence of Vniversal Sovereignty and Pastourship but a piece of Luciferian arrogance who can imagine that even this Pope could approve could assume could exercise it if he did was he not monstrously senseless and above measure impudent to use such discourses which so plainly without altering a word might be retorted upon him which are built upon suppositions that it is unlawfull and wicked to assume Superiority over the Church over all Bishops over all Christians the which indeed seeing never Pope was of greater repute or did write in any case more solemnly and seriously have given to the pretences of his Successours so deadly a wound that no balm of Sophistical interpretation can be able to heal it We see that according to St. Gregory M. our Lord Christ is the one onely Head of the Church to whom for company let us adjoin St. Basil M. that we may have both Greek and Latin for it who saith that according to Saint Paul we are the body of Christ and members one of another because it is manifest that the one and sole truly head which is Christ doth hold and connect each one to another unto concord To decline these allegations of Scripture they have forged distinctions of several kinds of Churches and several sorts of Heads the which evasions I shall not particularly discourse seeing it may suffice to observe in general that no such distinctions have any place or any ground in Scripture nor can well consist with it which simply doth represent the Church as one Kingdom a Kingdom of Heaven a Kingdom not of this world all the Subjects whereof have their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in heaven or are considered as members of a City there so that it is vain to seek for a Sovereign thereof in this world the which also doth to the Catholick Church sojourning on earth usually impart the name and attributes properly appertaining to the Church most universal comprehensive of all Christians in heaven and upon earth because that is a visible representative of this and we by joining in offices of piety with that do communicate with this whence that which is said of one concerning the Unity of its King its Head its Pastour its Priest is to be understood of the other especially considering that our Lord according to his promise is ever present with the Church here governing it by the efficacy of his Spirit and Grace so that no other corporeal or visible Head of this Spiritual Body is needfull It was to be sure a visible Headship which St. Gregory did so eagerly impugn and exclaim against for he could not apprehend the Bishop of Constantinople so wild as to affect a Jurisdiction over the Church mystical or invisible 2. Indeed upon this very account the Romish pretence doth not well accord with Holy Scripture because it transformeth the Church into another kind of Body than it was constituted by God according to the representation of it in Scripture for there it is represented as a spiritual and heavenly Society compacted by the bands of one faith one hope one Spirit of Charity but this pretence turneth it into a worldly frame united by the same bands of interest and design managed in the same manner by terrour and allurement supported by the same props of force of policy of wealth of reputation and splendour as all other secular Corporations are You may call it what you please but it is evident that in truth the Papal Monarchy is a temporal Dominion driving on worldly ends by worldly means such as our Lord did never mean to institute so that the Subjects thereof may with far more reason than the People of Constantinople had when their Bishop Nestorius did stop some of their Priests from contradicting him say We have a King a Bishop we have not so that upon every Pope we may charge that whereof Anthimus was accused in the Synod of Constantinople under Menas that he did account the greatness and dignity of the Priesthood to be not a spiritual charge of souls but as a kind of politick rule This was that which seeming to be affected by the Bishop of Antioch in encroachment upon the Church of Cyprus the Fathers of the Ephesine Synod did endeavour to nipp enacting a Canon against all such invasions lest under pretext of holy discipline the pride of worldly authority should creep in and what pride of that kind could they mean beyond that which now the Popes do claim and exercise Now do I say after that the Papal Empire hath swollen to such a
Discipline should never insist upon the duty of Obedience to the Pope or charge those Schismaticks with their rebellion against him or alledge his Authority against them If we consider that the Pope was Bishop of the Imperial City the Metropolis of the World that he thence was most eminent in rank did abound in wealth did live in great splendour and reputation had many dependences and great opportunities to gratify and relieve many of the Clergy that of the Fathers whose Volumes we have all well affected towards him divers were personally obliged to him for his support in their distress as Athanasius Chrysostome Theodoret or as to their Patrons and Benefactours as St. Hierome divers could not but highly respect him as Patron of the cause wherein they were engaged as Basil Gregory Nazianzene Hilary Gregory Nyssene Ambrose Austin some were his partizans in a common quarrel as Cyril divers of them lived in places and times wherein he had got much sway as all the Western Bishops that he had then improved his Authority much beyond the old limits that all the Bishops of the Western or Latine Churches had a peculiar dependence on him especially after that by advantage of his Station by favour of the Court by colour of the Sardican Canons by voluntary deferences and submissions by several tricks he had wound himself to meddle in most of their chief Affairs that hence divers Bishops were tempted to admire to court to flatter him that divers aspiring Popes were apt to encourage the commenders of their Authority which they themselves were apt to magnifie and inculcate considering I say such things it is a wonder that in so many voluminous discourses so little should be said favouring this pretence so nothing that proveth it so much that crosseth it so much indeed as I hope to shew that quite overthroweth it If it be asked how we can prove this I answer that beside who carefully peruseth those old Books will easily see it we are beholden to our Adversaries for proving it to us when they least intended us such a favour for that no clear and cogent passages for proof of this pretence can be thence fetched is sufficiently evident from the very allegations which after their most diligent raking in old Books they produce the which are so few and fall so very short of their purpose that without much stretching they signifie nothing 28. It is monstrous that in the Code of the Catholick Church consisting of the decrees of so many Synods concerning Ecclesiastical order and discipline there should not be one Canon directly declaring his Authority nor any mention made of him except thrice accidentally once upon occasion of declaring the Authority of the Alexandrine Bishop the other upon occasion of assigning to the Bishop of Constantinople the second place of honour and equal privileges with him If it be objected that these discourses are negative and therefore of small force I answer that therefore they are most proper to assert such a negative proposition for how can we otherwise better shew a thing not to be than by shewing it to have no footstep there where it is supposed to stand how can we more clearly argue a matter of right to want proof than by declaring it not to be extant in the Laws grounding such right not taught by the Masters who profess to instruct in such things not testifyed in records concerning the exercise of it such arguments indeed in such cases are not merely negative but rather privative proving things not to be because not affirmed there where in reason they ought to be affirmed standing therefore upon positive Suppositions that Holy Scripture that general tradition are not imperfect and lame toward their design that ancient Writers were competently intelligent faithfull diligent that all of them could not conspire in perpetual silence about things of which they had often fair occasion and great reason to speak In fine such considerations however they may be deluded by Sophistical Wits will yet bear great sway and often will amount near to the force of demonstration with men of honest prudence However we shall proceed to other discourses more direct and positive against the Popish Doctrine II. Secondly we shall shew that this pretence upon several accounts is contrary to the Doctrine of Holy Scripture 1. This pretence doth thwart the Holy Scripture by assigning to another the prerogatives and peculiar Titles appropriated therein to our Lord. The Scripture asserteth him to be our onely Sovereign Lord and King To us saith it there is one Lord and One King shall be King over them who shall reign over the house of David for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end who is the onely Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the One Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy The Scripture speaketh of one Arch-Pastour and great Shepherd of the Sheep exclusively to any other for I will said God in the Prophet set up one Shepherd over them and he shall feed the Sheep and There saith our Lord himself shall be one Fold and one Shepherd who that shall be he expresseth adding I am the good Shepherd the good Shepherd giveth his life for the Sheep by Pope Boniface his good leave who maketh Saint Peter or himself this Shepherd The Scripture telleth us that we have one High-Priest of our Profession answerable to that one in the Jewish Church his Type The Scripture informeth us that there is but one Supreme Doctour Guide Father of Christians prohibiting us to acknowledge any other for such Ye are all Brethren and call ye not any one Father upon Earth for one is your Father even he that is in Heaven Neither be ye called Masters for one is your Master even Christ. Good Pope Gregory not the seventh of that name did take this for a good argument for What therefore dearest Brother said he to John of Constantinople wilt thou say in that terrible trial of the Judge who is coming who dost affect to be called not onely Father but General Father in the World The Scripture representeth the Church as a building whereof Christ himself is the chief Corner-stone as a Family whereof he being the Pater-familias as all others are fellow-servants as one Body having one Head whom God hath given to be Head over all things to the Church which is his Body He is the One Spouse of the Church which title one would think he might leave peculiar to our Lord there being no Vice-husbands yet hath he been bold even to claim that as may be seen in the Constit. of Pope Greg. X. in one of their General Synods It seemeth therefore a Sacrilegious arrogance derrogating from our Lord's Honour for any man to assume or admit those Titles of Sovereign of the Church Head of the Church our Lord Arch-Pastour Highest-Priest Chief Doctour Master Father Judge of Christians upon what
for his actions to any other Judge but God That this notion of liberty did continue a good time after in the Church we may see by that Canon of the Antiochene Synod ordaining that every Bishop have power of his own Bishoprick govern it according to the best of his care and discretion and provide for all the Country belonging to his City so as to ordain Priests and Deacons and dispose things aright The Monks of Constantinople in the Synod of Chalcedon said thus We are sons of the Church and have one Father after God our Archbishop they forgot their Sovereign Father the Pope The like notion may seem to have been then in England when the Church of Canterbury was called the common mother of all under the disposition of its Spouse Jesus Christ. VI. The Ancients did hold all Bishops as to their Office originally according to Divine Institution or abstracting from humane Sanctions framed to preserve Order and Peace to be equal for that all are Successours of the Apostles all derive their Commission and Power in the same tenour from God all of them are Ambassadours Stewards Vicars of Christ entrusted with the same Divine Ministeries of instructing dispensing the Sacraments ruling and exercising Discipline to which Functions and Privileges the least Bishop hath right and to greater the biggest cannot pretend One Bishop might exceed another in Splendour in Wealth in Reputation in extent of Jurisdiction as one King may surpass another in amplitude of Territory but as all Kings so all Bishops are equal in Office and essentials of Power derived from God Hence they applied to them that in the Psalm Instead of thy Fathers shall be thy Children whom thou mayst make Princes in all the earth This was St. Hierome's Doctrine in those famous words Whereever a Bishop be whether at Rome or at Eugubium at Constantinople or at Rhegium at Alexandria or at Thenis he is of the same worth and of the same Priesthood the force of wealth and lowness of poverty doth not render a Bishop more high or more low for that all of them are Successours of the Apostles to evade which plain assertion they have forged distinctions whereof St. Hierome surely did never think he speaking simply concerning Bishops as they stood by Divine Institution not according to humane Models which gave some advantages over other That this notion did continue long in the Church we may see by the Elogies of Bishops in later Synods for instance that in the Synod of Compeigne It is convenient all Christians should know what kind of Office the Bishops is who 't is plain are the Vicars of Christ and keep the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven And that of the Synod of Melun And though all of us unworthy yet are the Vicars of Christ and Successours of his Apostles In contemplation of which verity St. Gregory Nazianzene observing the declension from it introduced in his times by the ambition of some Prelates did vent that famous exclamation O that there were not at all any presidency or any preference in place and tyrannical enjoyment of prerogatives which earnest wish he surely did not mean to level against the Ordinance of God but against that which lately began to be intruded by men And what would the good man have wished if he had been aware of those pretences about which we discourse which then did onely begin to bud and peep up in the World 1. Common practice is a good Interpreter of common sentiments in any case and it therefore sheweth that in the primitive Church the Pope was not deemed to have a right of Universal Sovereignty for if such a thing had been instituted by God or established by the Apostles the Pope certainly with evident clearness would have appeared to have possessed it and would have sometimes I might say frequently yea continually have exercised it in the first Ages which that he did not at all we shall make I hope very manifest by reflecting on the chief passages occurring then whereof indeed there is scarce any one which duly weighed doth not serve to overthrow the Roman pretence but that matter I reserve to another place and shall propound other considerations declaring the sense of the Fathers onely I shall add that indeed 2. The state of the most primitive Church did not well admit such an universal Sovereignty For that did consist of small bodies incoherently situated and scattered about in very distant places and consequently unfit to be modelled into one political Society or to be governed by one Head Especially considering their condition under Persecution and Poverty What convenient resort for Direction or Justice could a few distressed Christians in Egypt Ethiopia Parthia India Mesopotamia Syria Armenia Cappadocia and other Parts have to Rome what trouble what burthen had it been to seek Instruction Succour Decision of Cases thence Had they been obliged or required to doe so what offences what clamours would it have raised seeing that afterward when Christendom was connected and compacted together when the state of Christians was flourishing and prosperous when passages were open and the best of opportunities of correspondence were afforded yet the setting out of these pretences did cause great oppositions and stirs seeing the exercise of this Authority when it had obtained most vigour did produce so many grievances so many complaints so many courses to check and curb it in Countries feeling the inconveniences and mischiefs springing from it The want of the like in the first Ages is a good Argument that the cause of them had not yet sprung up Christendom could not have been so still if there had been then so meddlesome a body in it as the Pope now is The Roman Clergy in their Epistle to St. Cyprian told him that because of the difficulty of things and times they could not constitute a Bishop who might moderate things immediately belonging to them in their own precincts how much more in that state of things would a Bishop there be sit to moderate things over all the World when as Rigaltius truly noteth the Church being then oppressed with various vexations the communication of Provinces between themselves was difficult and unfrequent Wherefore Bellarmine himself doth confess that in those times before the Nicene Synod the authority of the Pope was not a little hindred so that because of continual persecutions he could not freely exercise it The Church therefore could so long subsist without the use of such Authority by the vigilance of Governours over their Flocks and the friendly correspondence of neighbour Churches And if he would let it alone it might do so still That could be no Divine Institution which had no vigour in the first and best times but an Innovation raised by Ambition VII The Ancients when occasion did require did maintain their equality of Office and Authority particularly in respect to the Roman Bishops not onely interpretatively by practice but directly and
of Rome as obnoxious to imputation of novelty but if it be not consonant to the Scriptures let them confute it or if it be not consentaneous to the Fathers who have preceded or if it be not apt to confute the irreligious c. It was not his judicial authority which they did insist upon to maintain his Epistle but the orthodoxie and intrinsick usefulness of it to confute errours upon which account they did embrace and confirm it by their suffrage XIII If the Pope were a Sovereign of the Church as they make him it were at least expedient that he should be infallible for why otherwise should he undertake confidently to pronounce in all cases to define high and difficult Points to impose his Dictates and require assent from all If he be fallible it is very probable that often he doth obtrude errours upon us for matters of Faith and Practice Wherefore the true fast friends of Papal interest do assert him to be infallible when he dictateth as Pope and setting himself into his Chair doth thence mean to instruct the whole Church And the Pope therefore himself who countenanceth them may be presumed to be of that mind Pighius said bouncingly The judgment of the Apostolick See with a Council of domestick Priests is far more certain than the judgment of an universal Council of the whole earth without the Pope This is the Syllogism we propose The Supreme Judge must be infallible The Pope is not infallible Therefore The Major the Jesuits Canonists and Courtiers are obliged to prove it being their Assertion and they do prove it very wisely and strongly The Minor is asserted by the French Doctours and they do with clear evidence maintain it The Conclusion we leave them to infer who are concerned It is in effect Pope Gregory's Argumentation No Bishop can be Universal Bishop or Universal Pastour and Judge of the Church because no Bishop can be Infallible for that the lapse of such a Pastour would throw down the Church into ruine by errour and impiety Therefore the Vniversal Church which God forbid falls when he falls who is call'd Vniversal The state and order of our Lord's family will decay when that which is required in the body is not to be found in the head But that he is not infallible much Experience and History do abundantly shew The Ancients knew no such pretender to infallibility otherwise they would have left disputing and run to his Oracular Dictates for information They would have onely asserted this point against Hereticks We should have had Testimonies of it innumerable It had been the most famous point of all I will not mention Pope Stephanus universally approving the Baptism of Hereticks against the Decrees of the Synod of Nice and other Synods Nor Pope Liberius complying with Arianism Nor Pope Innocent I. and his followers at least till Pope Gelasius first asserting the Communion of Infants for needfull Nor Pope Vigilius dodging with the Fifth Synod Nor Pope Honorius condemned by so many Councils and Popes for Monothelitism But surely Pope Leo and Pope Gelasius were strangely deceived when they condemned Partaking in one kind Pope Gregory was foully out when he condemned the worship of Images and when he so declaimeth against the title of Vniversal Bishop and when he avowed himself a Subject to the Emperour Mauritius and when he denied the Books of Maccabees to be Canonical and when he asserted the perfection of Holy Scripture Pope Leo II. was mistaken when he did charge his infallible Predecessour Honorius of Monothelitism Pope Nicholas was a little deceived when he determined the attrition of Christ's Body Pope Vrban II. was out when he allowed it lawfull for good Catholicks to commit murther on Persons excommunicate Pope Innocent IV. erred when he called Kings The Pope's Slaves Surely those Popes did err who confirmed the Synods of Constance and Basil not excepting the determinations in favour of General Councils being Superiour to Popes All those Popes have devilishly erred who have pretended to dispose of Kingdoms to depose Princes to absolve Subjects of their Oaths Pope Adrian II. did not take the Pope to be infallible when he said he might not be judged excepting the case of Heresie and thereby excuseth the Orientals for anathematizing Honorius he being accused of Heresie There is one Heresie of which if all Histories do not lie grievously divers Popes have been guilty a Heresie defined by divers Popes the Heresie of Simony How many such Hereticks have sate in that Chair of which how many Popes are proclaimed guilty with a loud voice in History The hand says St. Bernard does all the Papal business shew me a man in all this greatest City who would admit thee to be Pope without the mediation of a bribe Yea how few for some Ages have been guiltless of this Heresie I may be answered they were no Popes because their Election was null but then the Church hath often and long been without a Head Then numberless Acts have been void and Creations of Cardinals have been null and consequently there hath not probably been any true Pope for a long time In the judgment of so many great Divines which did constitute the Synod of Basil many Popes near all surely have been Hereticks who have followed or countenanced the opinion that Popes are superiour to General Councils the which there is flatly declared Heresie Pope Eugenius by name was there declared a pertinacious Heretick deviating from the faith It often happeneth that the Pope is not skilled in Divinity as Pope Innocent X. was wont to profess concerning himself to wave discourse about Theological points he therefore cannot pronounce in use of ordinary means but onely by miracle as Balaam's Ass. So Pope Innocent X. said that the Vicar of Jesus Christ was not obliged to examine all things by dispute for that the truth of his decrees depended onely on divine Inspiration what is this but downright Quakerism Enthusiasm Imposture Pope Clemens V. did not take himself to be infallible when in his great Synod of Vienna the question whether beside remission of sin also vertue were conferred to Infants he resolved thus very honestly The second opinion which says that informing grace and vertues are in baptism conferred both upon infants and adult persons we think fit with the consent of the holy council to be chosen as being more probable and more consonant and agreeable to the Divinity of the modern Doctours Which of the two Popes were in the right Pope Nicholas IV. who decided that our Lord was so poor that he had right to nothing or Pope John XXII who declared this to be a Heresie charging our Lord with injustice XIV A Sovereign is in Dignity and Authority Superiour to any number of Subjects however conjoined or congregated as a Head is above all the Members however compacted He is not Supreme who is any-wise subject
According to which notions St. Cyprian saith that there is a Church where there is a People united to a Priest and a Flock adhering to their Shepherd and so Ignatius saith that without the Orders of the Clergy a Church is not called 3. A larger Collection of divers particular Societies combined together in order under direction and influence of a common Government or of Persons acting in the Publick behalf is termed a Church as the Church of Antioch of Corinth of Jerusalem c. each of which at first probably might consist of divers Congregations having dependencies of less Towns annexed to them all being united under the care of the Bishop and Presbytery of those places but however soon after the Apostles times it is certain that such Collections were and were named Churches 4. The Society of those who at present or in course of time profess the Faith and Gospel of Christ and undertake the Evangelical Covenant in distinction to all other Religions particularly to that of the Jews which is called the Synagogue 5. The whole body of God's people that is ever hath been or ever shall be from the beginning of the world to the consummation thereof who having formally or virtually believed in Christ and sincerely obeyed God's Laws shall finally by the meritorious Performances and Sufferings of Christ be saved is called the Church Of these Acceptions the two latter do onely come under present consideration it being plain that Saint Paul doth not speak of any one particular or present Society but of all at all times who have relation to the same Lord Faith Hope Sacraments c. Wherefore to determine the case between these two we must observe that to the latter of these that is to the Catholick Society of true Believers and faithfull Servants of Christ diffused through all ages dispersed through all Countries where part doth sojourn on Earth part doth reside in Heaven part is not yet extant but all whereof is described in the register of Divine Pre-ordination and shall be recollected at the Resurrection of the Just that I say to this Church especially all the glorious Titles and excellent Privileges attributed to the Church in Holy Scripture do agree This is the body of Christ whereof he is the Head and Saviour This is the Spouse and Wife of Christ whereof he is the Bridegroom and Husband This is the House of God whereof our Lord is the Master which is built upon a rock so that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it This is the City of God the new the holy the heavenly Jerusalem the Mother of us all This is the Sion which the Lord hath chosen which he hath desired for his habitation where he hath resolved to place his rest and residence for ever This is the mountain of the Lord seated above all mountains unto which all Nations shall flow This is the elect generation royal Priesthood holy nation peculiar people This is the general Assembly and Church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven This is the Church which God hath purchased with his own bloud and for which Christ hath delivered himself that he might sanctifie it and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle nor any such thing but that it might be holy and unblemished To this Church as those high Elogies most properly do appertain so that Unity which is often attributed to the Church doth peculiarly belong thereto This is that One body into which we are all baptized by one Spirit which is knit together and compacted of parts affording mutual aid and supply to its nourishment and encrease the members whereof do hold a mutual sympathy and complacence which is joined to one Head deriving sense and motion from it which is enlivened and moved by one Spirit This is that one spiritual House reared upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord. This is that One family of God whereof Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence good Christians are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is that one City or Corporation endued with an ample Charter and noble Privileges in regard to which Saint Paul saith we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellow Citizens of the Saints and that our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our civil state and capacity is in Heaven or that we are Citizens thereof That one Holy nation and peculiar People the spiritual Israel subject to the same Government and Law that which is called the Kingdom of Heaven enioying the same Franchises and Privileges following the same Customs and Fashions using the same Conversation and Language whereof Jesus Christ is the Lord and King This is the one Flock under one Shepherd This is the Society of those for whom Christ did pray that they might be all one It is true that divers of these Characters are expressed to relate to the Church after Christ but they may be allowed to extend to all the faithfull Servants of God before who in effect were Christians being saved upon the same account and therefore did belong to the same Body To this Church in a more special and eminent manner all those Titles and particularly that of Vnity are ascribed but the same also in some order and measure do belong and are attributed to the Universal Church sojourning upon Earth For because this visible Church doth enfold the other as one Mass doth contain the good Ore and base Alloy as one Floor the Corn and the Chaff as one Field the Wheat and the Tares as one Net the choice Fish and the refuse as one Fold the Sheep and the Goats as one Tree the living and the dry Branches Because this Society is designed to be in reality what the other is in appearance the same with the other Because therefore presumptively every member of this doth pass for a member of the other the time of distinction and separation not being yet come Because this in its Profession of Truth in its Sacrifices of Devotion in its Practice of Service and Duty to God doth communicate with that Therefore commonly the Titles and Attributes of the one are imparted to the other All saith Saint Paul are not Israel who are of Israel nor is he a Jew that is one outwardly yet in regard to the conjunction of the rest with the faithfull Israelites because of external Consent in the same Profession and conspiring in the same Services all the Congregation of Israel is styled a holy Nation and peculiar People So likewise do the Apostles speak to all Members of the Church as to elect and holy Persons unto whom all the Privileges of Christianity
or prejudice to Charity The Faith of Christians did at first consist in few Points those which were professed in Baptism whereof we have divers Summaries in the Ancients by analogy whereto all other Propositions were expounded and according to agreement whereto sound Doctrines were distinguished from false so that he was accounted orthodox who did not violate them So he that holds that immovable Rule of truth which he received at his Baptism will know the words and sayings and parables which are taken out of the Scriptures c. II. It is evident that all Christians are united by the bands of mutual Charity and Good-will They are all bound to wish one another well to have a complacence in the good and a compassion of the evils incident to each other to discharge all offices of kindness succour consolation to each other This is the command of Christ to all This is my commandment saith he That ye love one another This is the common badge by which his Disciples are discerned and distinguished Hereby saith he shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye love one another They must have the same love They must love as brethren be compassionate pitifull courteous each to other They must bear one anothers burthens and especially as they have opportunity doe good to the houshold of faith If one member suffer all the members must suffer with it and if one member be honoured all the members must rejoice The multitude of them who be-believe must be like that in the Acts of one heart and of one soul. They must walk in love and doe all things in love Whoever therefore doth highly offend against Charity maligning or mischieving his brethren doth thereby separate himself from Christ's body and cease to be a Christian. They that are enemies to brotherly charity whether they are openly out of the Church or seem to be within they are Pseudo-christians and Anti-christs When they seem to be within the Church they are separated from that invisible conjunction of Charity Whence Saint John They went out from us but were not of us He saith not that by their going out they were made aliens but because they were aliens therefore he declareth that they went out Wherefore the most notorious violations of Charity being the causing of dissentions and factions in the Church the causeless separation from any Church the unjust condemnation of Churches Whoever was guilty of any such unchristian behaviour was rejected by the Fathers and held to be no Christian. Such were the Novatians the Donatists the Meletians the Luciferians and other Schismaticks For what can be more acceptable and pleasant than to see those who are severed and scattered into so many places yet knit and joined together in the bond and union of charity as harmonious members of the body of Christ. In old time when the Church of God flourished being rooted in the same faith united in love there being as it were one conspiracy or league of different members in one body For the communion of the Spirit is wont to knit and unite mens minds which conjunction we believe to be between us and your charitable affection They therefore who by the bond of Charity are incorporated into the building setled upon the rock But the members of Christ are joined together by the charity of union and by the same cleave close to their head which is Christ. III. All Christians are united by spiritual cognation and alliance as being all regenerated by the same incorruptible seed being alike born not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God whence as the sons of God and brethren of Christ they become brethren one to another so that it is a peculiar title or appellation of Christians the brethren signifying all Christian people and a brother being the same with a Christian professour IV. The whole Christian Church is one by its incorporation into the mystical body of Christ or as Fellow-subjects of that spiritual heavenly Kingdom whereof Christ is the sovereign Head and Governour whence they are governed by the same Laws are obliged by the same Institutions and Sanctions they partake of the same Privileges and are entitled to the same Promises and encouraged by the same Rewards being called in one hope of their calling So they make up one spiritual Corporation or Republick whereof Christ is the Sovereign Lord. Though the place disjoin them yet the Lord joins them together being their common Lord c. Hence an habit of Disobedience doth sever a man from this Body for not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven or continue therein Every such person who denieth God in works is a Rebel an Outlaw renouncing his Allegiance forfeiting his Title to God's protection and favour He is not a sheep of Christ because he doth not hear his voice He is separated from the Body by not holding the Head 'T is a lie to call one's self a Christian and not to doe the works of Christ. He that does not the work of a Christian name seems not to be a Christian. When in stead of the works themselves he begins to oppose even the most apparent truth whereby he is reproved then he is cut off from the Body or the Church Hence St. Austin often denieth wicked persons to be in the Church or to appertain unto its Unity For when there is one and the same Lord that dwelleth in us he every where joins and couples those that are his with the bond of Vnity V. All Christians are linked together in peaceable concord and confederacy so that they are bound to live in good correspondence to communicate in works of Piety and Devotion to defend and promote the common interest of their Profession Upon the entrance of the Gospel by our Lord's Incarnation it was by a celestial Herald proclaimed Peace on earth and good-will among men It was our Lord's office to preach Peace It was a principal end and effect of his Death to reconcile all men and to destroy enmity He specially charged his Disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to maintain Peace one with another It was his Will at parting with them Peace I leave with you The Apostles frequently do enjoin to pursue Peace with all them who call upon the Lord with a pure heart to follow the things which make for Peace and edification mutual to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace It was in the Prophecies concerning the Evangelical state declared that under it The Wolfe should dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard should lie down with the Kid and the sucking Child should play on the hole of the Aspe that is that men of all tempers and conditions by virtue of this Institution should
despectis Angelorum Legionibus secum socialiter constitutis ad culmen conatus est singularitatis erumpere ut nulli subesse solus omnibus praeesse videretur qui etiam dixit In coelum conscendam super astra coeli exaltabo solium meum quid enim fratres tui omnes Vniversalis Ecclesiae Episcopi nisi astra coeli sunt quibus dum cupis temetipsum vocabulo elationis praeponere eorúmque nomen tui comparatione calcare Greg. Ep. 4.38 Jactantiam sumpsit ità ut universa sibi tentet adscribere omnia quae soli uni capiti cohaerent vidâ—licet Christo per elationem pompatici sermonis ejusdem Christi sibi studeat membra subjugare Greg. M. Ep. 4.36 The same words we have in the Epistle of P. Pelagius predecessour of St. Gregory to the Bishops of Constantinople P. Pelagii Ep. 8. Ego autem fidenter dico quia quisquis se Vâ—â—versalem Sacerdotem vocat vel vocari desiderat in elatione sua Antichristum praecurrit quia superbiendo se caeteris praeponit Greg. I. lib. 6. Ep. 30. Nec dispari superbiâ ad errorem ducitur quia sicut perversus ille Deus videri vult super omnes homines ità quisquis est qui solus Sacerdos appellari appetit super caeteros Sacerdotes se extollit ad Mauric Aug. Vide P. Pelag. Ep. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bas. M. de Jud. div Tom. 2. p. 261. Totus Christus Caput Corpus est Caput unigenitus Dei Filius corpus ejus Ecclesiae Sponsus Sponsa duo in carne una Quicunque de ipso Capite ab Scripturis Sanctis dissentiunt etiamsi in omnibus locis inveniantur in quibus Ecclesia designata est non sunt in Ecclesia c. Aug. de Vnit. Eccl. cap. 4. Vid. contra Petil. 3.42 Whole Christ is the Head and the Body the Head the onely-begotten Son of God and his Body the Church the Bridegroom and the Spouse two in one flesh Whoever disagree about the Head it self from the Holy Scriptures though they are found in all places in which the Church is design'd they are not in the Church c. It was unhappily expressed by Bellarmine Ecclesia secluso etiam Christo unum Caput habere debet De Pont. R. 1.9 §. Ac nè forté The Church even Christ himself being set aside ought to have one Head Joh. 18.36 Phil. 3.20 Heb. 12.22 Act. 20.28 Matt. 16.18 1 Cor. 12.28.15.9 Gal. 1.13 Matt. 28.20 Christus arbitriâ— nutu ac praesentiâ suâ praepositos ipsos Ecclesiam cum praepositis gubernâ—â— Cypr. Ep. 69. Christ by his own arbitrement and power and presence governs both the Bishops themselves and the Church with the Bishops Joh. 18.36 Eph. 4.4 5. 2 Cor. 10.4 Caput nostrum quod Christus est ad hoc sua esse membra nos voluit ut per compagem charitatis fidei unum nos in se corpus efficeret Greg. M. Ep. 7.111 Our Head which is Christ would therefore have us to be his members that by the conjuction of charity and faith he might make us to be one body * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conc. Eph. part cap. 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Conc. sub Men. Act. 1. pag. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Con. Eph. 1. Can. 8. * This was that which about the same time the Fathers of the African Synod do request P. Celestine to forbear nec permittere ut sumosum mundi fastum Christi Ecclesiae inducere videamur Conc. Afr. ad P. Celest. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socr. 7.11 Vbicunque fuerit Episcopus sive Romae sive Eugubii sive Constantinopoli sive Rhegii sive Alexandriae sive Thanis ejusdem meriti ejusdem Sacerdotii potentia divitiarum paupertatis humilitas vel sublimiorem vel inferiorem Episcopum non facit caeterùm omnes Apostolorum Successores sunt Hier. Ep. 85. ad Evagr. Si auctoritas quaeritur orbis major est urbe Vbicunque c. Illud appetunt unde omnibus digniores videantur Gr. Ep. 4.34 Quia superbiendo se caeteris praeponit Ep. 6.38 Super caeteros Sacerdotes se extollit Ib. Cupis Episcoporum nomen tui comparatione calcare Ep. 4.38 Cuncta ejus membra tibimet conaris supponere Ib. Invigiletur ergò ut omnibus co-Episcopis nostris fratribus innotescat P. Corn. apud Cyp. Ep. 48. Hic non tam optamus praeponi aliis sicut praedicas quà m cum fidelibus cunctis sanctum Deo placitum habere consortium P. Gelas. I. Ep. 9. ad Euphem Ep. CP Here we do not so much desire to be advanced above others as together with all the faithfull to make up a consort holy and well-pleasing to God Vobis subtrahitur quod alteri plus quam ratio exigit praebetur Greg. 7.30 p. 451. What is yielded to another more than reason requires is taken from you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syn. Eph. I. Can. 8. A thing that entrencheth upon the freedom of all others Apoc. 2. 3. 1 Tim. 3.15 Matt. 18.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 5.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. v. 4.5 Apoc. 2.20 1 Cor. 14.40 1 Thess. 5.14 Rom. 14.19 1 Cor. 6.1 Act. 20.28 Heb. 13.17 1 Pet. 5.2 1 Tim. 3.15 Tit. 1.7 1 Cor. 12.28 Eph. 4.11 Apoc. 2 c. Eph. 4.12 Heb. 13.17 Dei Apostolicae sedis gratiâ Vid. post Superbum nimis est immoderatum ultra fines proprios tendere antiquitate calcatâ alienum jus velle praeripere atque ut unius crescat dignitas tot Metropolitanorum impugnare primatus c. P. Leo I. Ep. 55. 'T is too proud and unreasonable a thing for one to stretch himself beyond his bounds and maugre all antiquity to snatch away other mens right and that the dignity of one may be enhanced to oppose the primacies of so many Metropolitans Sanctae Ecclesiae universali injuriam facit Greg. I. Ep. 4.32 It does wrong to the Holy Catholick Church Plebis Majestas Cypr. Ep. 55. ad Corn. P. p. 117. Gal. 5.1 Gal. 5.1 Coloss. 2.16 18. P. Leo I. Ep. 28. 2 Cor. 1.24 1 Cor. 10 1â—.7.12 25 40. Gal. 1.8 Nunc vero quoniam Canonicum non est quod recitas ea libertate ad quam nos vocavit Dominus ejus viri cujus laudem consequi non valeo cujus multis literis Scripta mea non comparo cujus ingenium diligo cujus ore dilector cujus charitatem miror cujus martyrium veneror hoc quod aliter sapuit non accipio Aug. contr Cresc 2.32 Rom. 13.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Const. Apost 8.46 Dandi quidem jus habet summus Sacerdos qui est Episcopus Tert. de Bapt. c. 17. Licèt enim Presbyteri faciant tamen exordium Ministerii est à summo Sacerdote Ambr. de Sacr. 3.1 Suscepisti gubernacula summi Sacerdotii Id. Ep. 5. Apices Principes omnium Sacerdotes Opt. 1. Ecclesiae