justifiable where by Prohibition or Injunction but rather scandalous as if designed to conceal an ill Cause however seems to savour more of Worldly and Humane Wisdom than of the true Christian and Divine to be a great Occasion of Dissentions a great Obstacle of Re-union and Disservice to the Kingdom of Christ 20. That Prayers to Saints departed hath no Apostolick or true Catholick Authority or Warrant according to the approved Rule before-mentioned yet if there be nothing equivalent against it since it hath * Near 1300 Years long since been a received Practice of the whole Catholick Church in all Parts of the World and of many Persons greatly honoured by God with extraordinary Graces Divine Communications and very great Blessings and Success in his Service and since special Honor to the Memories of Martyrs hath the Authority of a true Catholick Practice and of Divine Approbation by Miracles attested by most credible and eminent Persons in the Church such as S. Ambrose S. Augustin S. Basil S. Chrysostom c. it seems great Presumption to censure it as many do But it is very likely that divers and great Abuses may have been and are committed in the Practice which by the Permission of God hath raised such a Storm of Reformation through the Malice of the Devil against it Which Abuses if they be not already ought carefully to be reformed and repressed and especially in the Use of Pictures and Images by reason of the Scandal and Offence by them given both to Jews and Mahometans and to many Christians whereof an Account will undoubtedly be required v. Lu. 17.1 2. 21. That the Use of the Sign of the Cross hath that Authority from the known Practice of the Ancient Christians and that Evidence of Divine Approbation in the Conversion and Victories of Constantine that tho' it is probable that the Abuses of it which have been committed and permitted in the Church may have provoked the Displeasure of God yet the furioâ—s Opposition and Indignation which hath been shewed against it looks very like the Effect of the Malice and Revenge of the Powers of Darkness let loose which had been so affronted terrified and exposed by it instigating a contrary Superstition and abused Zeal in the People Which therefore requires that special Care be taken that Christianity be not exposed and the poor People abused into false Confidences by things which tho' innocent and useful in themselves may notwithstanding be subject to much Abuse 22. That the Discipline of the Church is a Matter of very great Importance for the Maintenance and Preservation of the Honour and Power of Religion so Powerful a Means that if exercised as it ought it would soon make all the World to know who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the greatest Kings and Emperors to submit their Crowns and Scepters to his Empire But the Imprudence and Unfaithfulness of his Ministers in deserting their true and proper Strength and applying to the Arm of Flesh made it necessary for him to withdraw his Glorious Presence and leave them to experiment the Insufficiency and Deceitfulness of the Supports they had chosen till at last finding nothing but an empty Shell they were willing to make the best they could of it Tho' it be very true that the Power of Indulgencies was given and left by Christ to his Church and the Use of them is very beneficial and necessary for his Church and People yet was that Power tho' promised first to St. Peter when actually given given alike to all the Apostles and their Successors in all Parts of the Catholick Church but that which since the Twelfth Age hath been exercised as a Prerogative and is the only thing now commonly understood by * V. Morin de Paenitentia lib. 10. cap. 16 20 21. It is not true Humility but Stupidity Unfaithfulness to God and his Church not to be moved at so great an Indignity to God Abuse of his People Scandal to Religion and Danger of greater Judgment upon themselves by so considerable a part of his Church especially if after all the Practice be still continued Indulgencies is a mere Abuse of the Christian Discipline an Abuse of the Credulity of the People a Scandalous Abuse And to cover such an Abuse under pretence of that Sacred Authority and after such a Judgment as it hath brought upon the Church instead of Confession Humiliation and Amendment and to make the Belief of it one of the Terms of Communion too is another complicated Abuse too gross to be imposed upon any Mortal of competent Understanding and too bold a Presumption to be unconcernedly born by any one of an unprejudiced Christian Spirit or to be Believ'd will escape a more severe Judgment of God if not timely prevented by a requisite Humiliation and such a Restitution of the true Christian Discipline as may in some sort countervail the Mischief of that Abuse 23. That Souls not perfectly purified in this Life do after Death pass through a Sâ—ate of Purgation I do believe as a probable Opinion but that they may receive Benefit by the Prayers and divers Good Works of the Faithful Surviving I do believe upon good Evidence of Apostolical Authority besides other considerable Motives 24. That tho' the Church of Rome be the First or Chief Seat and the Bishop of Rome the Chief Pastor in the whole Catholick Church and by the Ordination of God so constituted by the two Câ—â—ef Apostles as a Matter of great Importance in the Body of the Catholick Church and ought therefore to be so acknowledged by all Christians V. Bar. Anno 912. Genebr l. 4. § 10. To oppose plain Matter of Fact with Promises and Predictions in a strict sense is to give Scandal instead of Conviction And to defend or palliate what is amiss instead of giving Glory to God and Amending and under remarkable Judgments is not consistent with Piety Prudence or Honesty yet I cannot call or think it the Mother of all Churches for that Jerusalem certainly was nor the Mistress neither for I neither think that her Right nor well-pleasing to her Lord that she should assume it but that as it is certain that tho' our Saviour conferred divers Favours and some special Privilege upon St. Peter above the rest and prayed specially for him when Satan desired them to sift them as Wheat that his Faith might not fail yet he did fall foully even in his Master's Presence and again after his Ascension did warp a little and yield to the Tentation for which he was reproved by St. Paul so his Successors in that Church whatever Privileges or Promises they may or can pretend have in like manner fallen as perhaps was Mystically signified in that Fall of their Founder for some time very foully partly by Claiming Vsurping and Exercising more than their due which hath caused much Disturbance in the World and at last what is really their Right or their Due and Duty
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
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 LONDON Printed Anno Dom. 1700. THE PREFACE SINCE our Saviour hath so affectionately expressed and so admirably demonstrated his Love to his Church and hath so effectually recommended and injoined to all his Disciples the Members of it Mutual Charity one to another and his Blessed Apostle hath so earnestly and obligingly both dehorted from all Divisions and Dissentions and exhorted all to Unity and Unanimity And since such terrible Judgment is denounced both against such as cause Scandal and Offences and against such as resist the Ordinance of God in the Powers that be in Church or State It is not to be questioned but this Great Schism which after many Complaints of Pious and Judicious Persons and divers Warnings by the poor Waldenses the Albigenses by Wicliff by John Huss and Hierome of Prague was at last begun by Martin Luther about 180 Years since and is continued with much Unchristian Hatred and Abhorrence of one another to this day in the principal part of his Church is greatly displeasing to our Saviour who hath done and suffered so much for it and very pernicious to his Church and upon both Considerations just matter of Grief and Trouble to all sincere considerate Christians and such as is not only an effectual Motive but a strict Obligation to avoid all Participation in either the Scandals of the one side or other Miscarriages on the other or the Animosities between both and to be ready to contribute what may be toward a good Accommodation upon true Christian and Catholick Terms This is certainly the Duty of all but few are sensible of it The greatest part are so affected to the peculiar Principles of their own Party that they are more concerned for them and their particular Interest than for the Common Interest of Christianity Some in Simplicity in fact supposing if not expressly asserting an Infallibility in their own Party and others no less byassed by temporal Interest and amongst those of most Vnderstanding and Candor rarely any so clear and free from all Secret Partiality but they are apt to vindicate their own Party in matters in difference beyond due regard to so desirable an Accommodation and deceive themselves with Pretences of Obedience Peace and Charity in so doing tho' thereby â—hey make themselves more specially accessory to the continuance of the Schism which is contrary to both Peace and Charity without which their pretended Obedience may be only a sinful Compliance Of all this I have been long sensible and therefore tho' in the Church to which I thought my self first and principally obliged I saw divers things amiss yet I thought them not sufficient to justifie my Separation from it and besides I saw so much every where else amiss that I knew not whither to go for the better I was for Universal Charity to all Men Catholick Communion with all Christians unless where I saw special Cause for the contrary and for Perfect Obedience to all Superiors according to their Authority and consistent with Duties of Prior and Superior Obligation And then while I lived in a Civil State I acted in all things with good Satisfaction But when I was beyond my Expectation suddenly engaged in Holy Orders for a special Service unto which I had been long much affected and devoted and was then led by a secret surprizing Conduct of Divine Providence I soon discovered what I had not sufficiently considered before in the most Solemn and Peculiar part of the Christian Worship of God which I was to perform such a Departure from the Practice of the Holy Catholick Church that I could not perform the Obedience I would to this Particular Church without Disrespect to that and Participation therein with notorious Sectaries and Schismaticks who had shamefully abused and imposed upon this For this Sore I had prepared an effectual Plaster to have healed it without exposing the Shame might it have been applied But when I saw nothing could prevail I thought it time to withdraw and when I could not help others to look to my self and more particularly that I live not in Schism while I seek to avoid it For which purpose I could think of no better Expedient for my Security than according to Ancient Practice to send a Profession of my Faith to such Persons as I thought most proper both at Home and Abroad In the Church of Rome and all the Churches in Communion with it I acknowledge a true Apostolical Authority and so far I do heartily imbrace it and submit to it If they abuse it they must answer for it not I I must pity them deplore the Abuses pray for them and as a dutiful Child do what I can for them without partaking in or incouraging any thing amiss But in those who pretend to be Reformed and particularly here in England I can discover no such Authority neither in the Root nor in the Fruit but they seem to me like Branches separated from the Body deprived of the true Sap and nourished only by the common Air and a peculiar Juice of another kind according to the different Soils they are planted in Yet do I not think fit to remit any thing of my Charity and Good Will to any of them or readiness to serve them Nor do I know how better to express it than by such plain dealing as I have here used It is but the effect of that Fidelity which I owe to God and to his Church and to themselves also Even in that very Respect with which I treat the Authority of Christ in the Church of Rome tho' it may appear to them like Partiality at the first I do intend a Kindness to them in an exemplary Admonition to distinguish between the Authority of Christ committed to Man and the Faults of Men intrusted with it and not to desire the Destruction of the Field of our Lord because the Enemy hath sowed Tares in it And that they may perceive if they observe and consider well what Care I take not to betray any Truth of God which I believe to be such by any false Colours or unfit Compliance For I have not written any thing but what I believe to be true yet if I be mistaken in any thing shall be glad to be better inform'd and tho' I think I cannot better approve my Respect to our Saviour than by much Concern for his Church yet I think I cannot better demonstrate the Sincerity of my Affection to it than by not complying with such things as I fear will provoke farther Displeasure of our Lord against it if the Warnings and Admonitions of more gentle Corrections be not answered as they ought with a due Humiliation giving Glory to God and Amendment For as whole Societies of Men are apt to fall into as great Sins as particular Persons and
the Lord and Giver of Life who proceedeth from the Father and the Son who with the Father and the Son is together Worshipped and Glorified who spake by the Prophets And I believe One Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church the Communion of Saints One Baptism for Remission of Sins and Remission of Sins after Baptism by the Discipline of the Church duly executed the Resurrection of the Dead and Life Everlasting in the World to come Moreover I believe That the Article of the Belief of the Holy Catholick Church was put into the Ancient Creeds and placed immediately after those of the Holy Trinity for special Reasons and as a Matter of the next greatest * Note It is the Kingdom of Christ in this World tho' not of this World a great Favour deign'd to Mankind a great Obligation to Unity Unanimity and Charity for all Schismaticks are Mutiniers and Rebels and all in a State of Schism in a State of Rebellion and the Sin of Schism in the Church is a greater Sin than the Sin of Rebellion in a Civil State tho' both may much vary according to several Circumstances Importance to be believed confessed and observed in Order to the rest 2. That this Holy Catholick Church is a Sacred Society formed into One Body by the Ministery of the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ according to a General Commission and Special Instructions received from Him under the Conduct of his Spirit and Special Providence who promised to be with them alway even to the end of the World that is with them and their Successours regularly Succeeding in their Seats the Churches founded by them and others constituted by their Successours and that the Gates of Hell should never prevail against it 3. That the Form and Government of this Great Body the Holy Catholick Church by Presbyters Bishops Arch-Bishops or Metropolitans Primates and Patriarchs was not any Humane Project or Invention or Casual thing but what was designed by the Wisdom of God as necessary for the Constitution Preservation and Government of it in and as One Intire Body and was so formed by the Apostles and their Successors by the Special Instructions and Directions of our Saviour and under the Conduct of the Spirit and Special Providence of God who had prepared the Roman Empire for a kind of Mould to form it in and wherein it received its compleat Formation by degrees in a very Natural manner 4. That there was some * This is granted by Dr. Barrow upon Conviction of Scripture divers Reasons and Authority of Fathers who generally seem to countenance it Tr. of Supr Lond. 1680. p. 46 48. Special Privilege at least of a Primacy partly given to St. Peter and which he held under our Saviour among the rest of the Apostles in our Saviour's Life-time and partly designed for him afterwards as is very observable in various Instances in the Histories of the Gospel and in divers Speeches and Actions many of them Mystical of our Saviour and was commonly believed by the Ancient Christians And that the like Priviledge as that which he held among the Apostles was by the Design and Order of Almighty God to continue in his Successors in the Church †Note Those glorious Predictions concerning the Church of Christ viz. Conversion of Nations and Subjection of Secular Powers have in no part of the Catholic Church been so eminently and even literally fulfilled as in the particular Church of Rome of Rome among the rest of the Bishops that Place being ordered by the Divine Wisdom as most fit for the Chief Seat in our Saviour's Kingdom the Church which had been occupied by the Enemy as the chief Seat in the Empire who was then to be cast out and Possession to be taken for our Saviour by his two chief Apostles as his Deputies And that such Privilege of the chief Seat hath been acknowledged by the Ancient Christians and in all after-Ages and was never denied or questioned but upon Claim or Usurpation of more than due 5. That this Sacred Society being of Special Divine Institution the Government thereof is much more the Ordinance of God than any Civil Authority in the World whatever and Disobedience thereunto a greater Sin and the Coercive Power of the Church by Excommunication duly exercised a greater Punishment than any the Civil Authority can inflict 6. That tho' both the Sacred and the Civil Power be the Ordinance of God yet the Sacred is the more Excellent in respect of the Author of its Constitution and Specification of it s more immediate relation to Him who is the Supream Being of its End of the Subject being a Sacred Society and of the Amplitude of the Society being Catholick diffused over all the World and in respect of the Extent of its Coercive Power to exclude out of the Kingdom of Christ and from the Privileges thereof And that all civil Authority ought to be Subject and Subservient to it both being very consistent and each having Means proper and sufficient to maintain its own Rights but they both ought to be mutually assistent to the Service of the Supream Lord of all and to each other in order thereunto 7. That if any Civil Authority presume to oppress any part of this Sacred Society by Persecution Usurpation or any Restraint or Impediment of the Free Exercise of the Right or Authority belonging to it or Duty incumbent upon it all such Presumption is Sacrilege and Impiety against God and just Cause for any other civil Authority to ingage for the Relief of it And upon Complaint to the Metropolitan Primate or Patriarch as Occasion may be He with a competent Number of others upon * What Qu. Eliz. did by Advice of her Privy Council in assisting the Scotch French and Dutch against their respective Soveraigns may much more be done by any others upon so Solemn Sacred Consultation and Resolution by open War on behalf of the Oppressed Consultation in Synod or by Letters may proceed to Sentence against the Offender and that justly and solemnly declared and signified to other Metropolitants and Bishops they may either leave it so to the Judgment of Almighty God or admonish other civil Authorities of it as may be judged most proper or necessary according to the Circumstances of the Case 8. That because nothing is more destructive to certain Right than Misuse †Such is that Doctrine which Dr. Barrow saith he contests against p. 30. §. 13 14. But in the next §. he saith there are great store of Divines of the Roman Communion who contract that Power into a narrower compass So that tho' he strains as much as he can the Reader is deceived who thinks he hath confuted or opposeth all Supremacy in the Pope Claim of more than is due or by a wrong Title and false or insufficient Proofs possibly ill Use and ill Defence may have so obscured the Lustre of this Right in the Church that