Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
reason_n	catholic_n	church_n	communion_n	2,927	5	9.4030	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32204	Copies of two papers written by the late King Charles II together with a copy of a paper written by the late Duchess of York : to which is added an answer to the aforesaid papers all printed together.	Charles II, King of England, 1630-1685.; Stillingfleet, Edward, 1635-1699. Answer to some papers lately printed concerning the authority of the Catholick Church.; York, Anne Hyde, Duchess of, 1637-1671.	1686 (1686)	Wing C2946; ESTC R29952	29,168	42

from being Parts of the One Catholick and Apostolick Church And if they be not excluded how can the Roman Church assume to it self that glorious Title So that it seems to me as visible as that the Scripture is in Print that the Roman Church neither is nor can be that One Church which Christ left upon Earth And this Principle being removed which ought to be taken for granted since it can never be proved we must unavoidably enter into the Ocean of Particular Disputes And I know no reason any can have to be so afraid of it since we have so sure a Compass as the Holy Scripture to direct our passage But the reason of avoiding particular Disputes is because the evidence is too clear in them that the Church of Rome hath notoriously deviated from this infal●ible Rule And it is as impossible for a Church which hath erred to be Infallible as for a Church really Infallible to err But if a Church pretend to prove her Infallibility by Texts which are not so clear as those which prove her to have actually erred then we have greater reason to recede from her Errors than to be deceived with such a fallible pretence to Infallibili●y Well! But it is not left to every phantastical mans head to believe as be pleases but to the Church And is it indeed le●t to the Church to believe as it pleases But the meaning I suppose is that those who reject the Authority of the Roman Catholick Church do leave every man to believe according to his own fancy Certainly those of the Church of England cannot be liable to any imputation of this Nature For our Church receives the three Creeds and embraces the four General Councils and professes to hold nothing contrary to any Universal Tradition of the Church from the Apostles times And we have often offered to put the Controversies between Us and the Church of Rome upon that issue And do not those rather believe as they please who believe the Roman Church to be the Catholick Church without any colour from Scriptures Antiquity or Reason Do not those believe as they please who can believe against the most convincing evidence of their own senses Do not those believe as they please who can reconcile the lawfulness of the Worship of Images with Gods forbidding it the Communion in one kind with Christs Institution and the praying in an unknown Tongue with the 14 Ch. of the first Epistle to the Corinthians But all these and many other Absurdities may go down by vertue of the C●urches Authority to whom it is said Christ left the Power upon Earth to govern us in matters of Faith We do not deny that the Church hath Authority of declaring matters of Faith or else it never could have condemn'd the Antient H●re●ies But then we must consider the difference between the Universal Church in a General and free Council declaring the sense of Scripture in Articles of Faith generally received in the Christian Church from the Apostles Times as was done when the Nicene Creed was made and a Faction in the Church assuming to it self the Title of Catholick and proceeding by other rules than the first Councils did and imposing new Opinions and Practices as things necessary to the Communion of the Catholick Church And this is the true Point in difference between us and those of the Roman Church about the Churches Authority in matters of Faith since the Council of Trent For we think we have very great reason to complain when a Party in the Church the most corrupt and obnoxious takes upon it self to define many new Doctrines as necessary Points of Faith which have neither Scripture nor Universal Tradition for them It were a very irrational thing we are told to make Laws for a Countrey and leave it to the Inhabitants to be Interpreters and Iudges of those Laws for then every Man will be his own Iudge and by consequence no such thing as either Right or Wrong But is it not as irrational to allow an Usurper to interpret the Laws to his own advantage against the just Title of the Prince and the true Interest of the People And if it be not Reasonable for any private Person to be his own Iudg why should a publick Invader be so But we hope it will be allowed to the Loyal Inhabitants of a Country so far to interpret the Laws as to be able to understand the Duty they owe to their King and to justifie his Right against all the Pretences of Usurpers And this is as much as we plead for in this case Can we therefore suppose That God Almighty would leave us at those uncertainties as to give us a Rule to go by and leave every Man to be his own Iudge And can we reasonably suppose That God Almighty should give us a Rule not capable of being understood by those to whom it was given in order to the great End of it viz. the saving of their Souls For this was the main end of the Rule to direct us in the way to Heaven and not meerly to determine Controversies The Staff which a Man uses may serve to measure things by but the principal design is to walk with it So it is with the Holy Scripture if Controversies arise It is fit to examine and compare them with this Infallible Rule but when that is done to help us in our way to Heaven is that which it was chi●fly intended for And no M●n can think it of equal consequence to him not to be mistaken and not to be damned In matters of Good and Evil every mans Conscience is his immediate judge and why not in matters of Truth and Falshood Unless we suppose mens ●nvoluntary mistakes to be more dangerous than their w●l●ul sins But after all We do not leave every Man to be his own Iudge any further than it concerns his own Salvation which depends upon his particular Care and Sincerity For to prevent any dangerous Mistakes by the Artifice of Seducers we do allow the Assistance of those Spiritual Guides which God hath appointed in his Church for the better instructing and governing private Persons We embrace the Ancient Creeds as a summary comprehension of the Articles of Faith and think no Man ought to follow his own particular Fancy against Doctrines so universally received in the Christian Church from the Apostles Times I do ask any Ingenuous Man whether it be not the same thing to follow our own Fancy or to interpret Scripture by it If we allowed no Creeds no Fathers no Councils there might have been some colour for such a Question But do we permit Men to interpret Scripture according to their own Fancy who live in a Church which owns the Doctrine of the Primitive Church more frankly and ingenuously than any Church in the World besides without setting up any private Spirit against it or the present Roman Church to be the Interpreter of it And now I hope I may have leave

are so clear about it So far at least we have plain and positive Words of Scripture on our side And for Implications and far-fetch'd Interpretations commend me to the Pope's Bulls especially when they have a mind to prove their Authority from Scripture which they can do from In the beginning to the end of the Apocalypse But that which seems to be aimed at here is This is my Body wherein the words seem to be plain and positive on their side and our sense to be from Implications or far●fetc'h Interpretations To which I Answer That there are Expressions in Scr●p●ure as plain positive as this which none think themselves bound to understand in their literal sense For then we must all believe that God hath Eyes and Ears a Face Hands and Feet as firmly as that the Bread was then turned into Christ's Body when he spake those words And I would know whether the Christian Church rejecting the Doctrine of Those who made God to be like to Man was not chargeable with the same resisting the Truth and denying plain positive Words of Scripture as we are And yet I hope the Christian Church did then believe it self Suppose any should assert That the Rock in the Wilderness was really changed into Christ's Body would not he have the very same Things to say against those who denied it For are not the Words as plain and as positive That Rock was Christ But Sacramental Expressions by the consent of the Christian Church and the very Nature of the Thing are of a different sense from Logical Propositions And if this had been intended in the plain and literal sense St. Paul would never have as plainly and positively called it Bread after Consecration nor the Cup be said to be the New Testament in his Blood The Conclusion is Is there any other Foundation of the Protestant Church but that if the Civil Magistrate pleases he may call such of the Clergy as he thinks fit for his turn at that time and turn the Church either to Presbytery or Independancy or indeed what he pleases This was the way of our pretended Reformation here in England And by the same Rule and Authority it may be altered into as many Shapes and Forms as there are Fancies in Mens Heads This looks like a very unkind Requi●al ●o the Church of England for ●er Zeal in asserting the Magistrate's Power against a Foreign Jur●sdiction to in●er from thence that the Magistrate may change the Religion here which way he pleas●s But althô we attribute the Supream Iurisdiction to the King yet we do not question but there are inviolable Rights of the Church which ought to be p●eserved against the Fancies of s●me and the Usurpations of others We do by no means make our R●l●gion mutable according to the Magistrate's pleasure For the Rule of our Religion is unalterable being the Holy Scripture but the Exercise of it is under the regulation of the Laws of the Land And as we have cause to be thankful to God when Kings are Nursing Fathers to our Church so we shall never cease to pray for their continuing so and that in all things we may behave our selves towards the● as becomes good Christians and Loyal Subjects AN ANSWER TO THE THIRD PAPER THE Third Paper is said to be written by a Great Lady for the satisfaction of her Friends as to the Reasons of Her leaving the Communion of the Church of England and making her self a Member of the Roman Catholick Church If she had written nothing concerning it none could have been a competent Judge of those Reasons or Motives she had for it but her self but since she was pleased to write this Paper to satisfy her Friends and it is thought fit to be publ●shed for general Satisfaction all Readers have a right to judge of the strength of them and those of the Churh of England an Obligation to vindica●e the Honour of it so far as it may be thought to suffer by them I am sensible how nice and t●nder a thing it is to meddle in a Matter wherein the Memory of so Great a Lady is so nearly concern'd and wherein such Circumstances are mentioned which cannot fully be cleared the Parties themselves having been many Years dead But I shall endeavour to keep within due bounds and consider this Paper with respect to the main Design of it and take notice of other Particulars so far as they are subservient to it The way of her Satisfaction must needs appear very extraordinary for towards the Conclusion confesses She was not able nor would she enter into Disputes with any Body Now where the Difference between the two Churches lies wholly in Matters of Dispute how any one cou'd be truly satisfied as to the Grounds of leaving one Church and going to the other without entring int● matters of Dispute with any body is hard to understand If Persons be resolved before-hand what to do and therefore will hear nothing said against it there is no such way as to declare they will enter into no Dispute about it But what Satisfaction is to be had in this manner of proceeding How could one bred up in the Church of England and so well instructed in the Doctrines of it ever satisfy her self in forsaking the Communion of it without enquiring into and comparing the Doctrines and Practices of both Churches It is possible for Persons of Learning who will take the pains of examining things themselves to do that without entring into Disputes with any Body but this was not to be presumed of a Person other Condition For many things must fall in her way which she could neither have the leisure to examine nor the Cap●city to judg of without the Assistance of such who made it their business to search into them Had she no Divines of the Church of England about her to have proposed her Scruples to None able and wi●ling to give her their utmost Assistance in a Matter of such Importance before she took up a Resolution of forsaking our Church This cannot be imagined considering not only her great Quality but that just esteem they had for her whilst she continued so zealous and devout in the Communion of our Church But we have more than this to say One of the Bishops who had nearest Relation to her for many Years and who owns in Print That he bred her up in the Principles of the Church of England was both able and willing to have removed any Doubts and Scrup●es with respect to our Church if she would have been pleased to have communicated them to him And however she endeavoured to conceal her Scruples he tells her in his Letter to her which he since printed for his own vindication That he had heard much Discourse concerning her wavering in Religion and that he had acquainted her Highness with it the Lent before the Date of this Paper and was so much concerned at it that he obtained a Prom●se from

her That if any Writing were put into her Hands by those of the Chu●ch of Rome that she would send it either to him or the then Bishop of Oxford whom he le●t in Attendance upon her After which he saith She was many Days with him at Farnham in all which time she spake not one word to him of any Doubt she had about her Religion And yet this Paper bears Date Aug. 20. that Year wherein she declares her self ch●nged in her Rel●gion So that it is evident she did not make use of the ordinary Means for her own Satisfaction at least a to th●se Bishops who had known her longest But she saith That she spoke severally to two of the best Bishops we have in England who both told her there were many ●hings in the Roman Church which it were much to be wished we had kept As Confession which was no doubt commanded of God that Praying for the Dead was one of the Ancient Things in Christianity that for their parts they did it daily though they would not own it And afterwards pressing one of them very much upon the other Points he told her That if he had been bred a Catholick he would not change his Religion but that being of another Church wherein he was sure were all things necessary to Salvation he thought it very ill to give that Scandal as to leave that Church wherein he received his Baptism Which Discourses she ●aid did but add more to the desire she had to be a Catholick This I confess seems to be to the purpose if there were not some Circumstances and Expressions very much mistaken in the Representation of it But yet suppose the utmost to be allow'd there could be no Argument from hence drawn for leaving the Communion of our Church if this Bishop's Authority or Example did signi●y any thing with her For supposing he did say That if he had been bred in the Communio● of the Church of Rome he would not change his Religion Yet he added That being of another Church wherein were all things necessary to Salvation he thought it very ill to give that Scandal as to leave that Church wherein he had received his Baptism Now why should not the last words have greater force to have kept her in the Communion of our Church than the former to have drawn her from it For why should any Person forsake the Communion of our Church unless it appears necessary to Salvation so to do And yet this yielding Bishop did affirm that all things necessary to Salvation were certainly in our Church and that it was an ill thing to leave it How could this add to her desire of leaving our Church unless there were some other Motive to draw her thither and then such small Inducements would serve to inflame such a Desire But it is evident from her own words afterwards that these Concessions of the B●shop could have no Influence upon her for she declares and calls God to witness that she would never have changed her Religion if she had thought it possible to save her Soul otherwise Now what could the Bishop's words signi●y towards her Turning when he declares just contrary viz. not only that it was possible for her to be saved without turning but that he was sure we had all things necessary to Salvation and that it was a very ill thing to leave our Church There must therefore have been some more secret Reason which encreased her Desire to be a Catholick after these Discourses unless the Advantage were taken from the B●shop's calling the Church of Rome the Catholick Religion If he had been bred a Catholick he would not have chang'd his Religion But if we take these words so strictly he must have contradicted himself for how could he be sure we had all things necessary to Salvotion if we were out of the Catholick Church Was a B●shop of our Church and one of the best Bishops of our Church as she said so weak as to yeild That he was sure all things necessary to Salvation were to be had out of the Communion of the Catholick Church But again there is an inconsistency in his saying ●hat he thought it very ill to leave our Church which no Man of common sense would have s●id if he had believed the Roman Church to be the Catholick exclusive of all others that do not join in Communion with it The utmost then that can be made of all this is That there was a certain Bishop of this Church who held both Churches to be so far Parts of the Catholick Church that there was no necessity of going from one Church to another But if he asserted that he must overthrow the necessity of the Reformation and consequen●ly not believe our Articles and Homilies and so could not be any true Member of the Church of England But the late Bishop of Winchester hath made a shorter Answer to all this For he first doubts Whether there ever were any such Bishops who made such Answers And afterwards he affirms That he believes there never was in Rerum Naturâ such a Discourse as is pretended to have been between this Great Person and two of the most Learned Bishops of England But God be thanked the Cause of our Church doth not depend upon the singular Opinion of one or two Bishops in it wherein they apparently recede from the establish'd Doctrine of it And I am sure those of the Church of Rome take it ill from us to be charged with the Opinion of Particular Divines against the known Sentiments of their Church Therefore supposing the Matter of Fact true it ought not to have moved her to any Inclination to leave the Church of England But after all She protests in the Presence of Almighty God that no Person Man or Woman directly or indirectly ever said any thing to her since she came into England or used the least Endeavour to make her change her Religion and that it is a Blessing she wholly owes to Almighty God So that the Bishops are acquitted from having any hand in it by her own words and as far as we can understand her meaning she thought her self converted by immediate Divine Illumination We had thought the pretence to a private Spirit had not been at this time allowed in the Church of Rome But I observe that many things are allowed to bring Persons to the Church of Rome which they will not permit in those who go from it As the use of Reason in the Choice of a Church the Judgment of Sense and here that which they would severely condemn in others as a Private Spirit or Enthusiasm will pass well enough if it doth but lead one to their Communion Any Motive or Method is good enough which tends to that end and none can be sufficient against it But why may not others set up for the Change as to other Opinions upon the same Grounds as well as this Great Person

better informed But we are sure this could be no Argument for her to have the Communion of out Church because she was told by these Bishops they did it and continued in the Communion of it 4. Lastly As to the Infallibility of the Church If this as applied to the Roman Church could be any where found in Scripture we should then indeed be to blame not to submit to all the Definitions of it But where is this to be ●ound Yes Christ hath promised to be with ●his Church to the end of the World Not with his Church but with his Apostles And if it be restrained to them then the end of the World is no more than always But suppose it be understood of the Successors of the Apostle● were there none but at Rome How comes this Promise to be limited to the Church of Rome and the Bishops of Antio●h and Alexandria and all the other Eastern Churches where the Bishops as certainly succeeded the Apostles as at Rome it self not to enjoy the equal Benefit of this Promise But they who can find the Infallibility of the Church of Rome in Scripture need not d●spair of finding whatever they have a Mind to there But from this Promise she concludes That our saviour would not permi● the Church togive the Laity the Communion in One kind if it were not lawfull so to do Now in my Opinion the Argument is stronger the other way The Church of Rome forbids the doing of that which Christ enjoyned therefore it cannot be Infallible since the Command of Christ is so much plainer than the Promise of Infallibility to the Church of Rome But from all these things laid together I can see no imaginable Reason of any force to conclude that she could not think it possible to sa●e her Soul otherwise than by embracing the Communion of the Church of Rome And the Publick will receive this Advantage by these Papers that there by it appears how very little is to be said by Persons of the greatest Capacity as well as Place either against the church of England or for the Church of Rome FINIS ERRATA Page 3. line 10. for siking read sinking Books Printed for and Sold by Robert Thornton Bookseller at the Sign of the Leather-Bottle in Skinner-Row COpies of Two Papers written by the Late King Charles the Second of Blessed Memory and Published by Command of his present Majesty Together with an Answer to the said Papers An Abridgment of the English Military Discipline Printed by His present Majesties Especial Command for the use of the Forces throughout His Dominions A Papist Misrepresented and Represented or a twofold Character of Popery The one Containing a Sum of the Superstitions Idolatries Cruelties Treacheries and wicked Principles of that Popery which hath disturb'd this Nation above an hundred and fifty Years fill'd it with Fears and Jealousies and deserves the Hatred of all good Christians The other laying open that Popery which the Papists own and profess with the chief Articles of their Faith and some of the Principal ●rounds and Reasons which hold them in that Religion By I. L. one of the Church of Rome To which is added A Book Entituled The Do●rines and Practices of the Church of Rome truly Represented In Answer to the aforesaid Book By a Protestant of the Church of England An Antidote against Popery Shewing how a devout Soul in the midst of the manifold distractions and divisions about Religion and Pretensions and Claims to the Church may against all Scruples rest satisfied and setled in mind and chearfully go on in Gods Service to Salvation By a Reverend Divine of the Church of England Officium Eu●haristicum or a Preparatory Service to a devout and worthy Reception of the Lords Supper to which is added a Meditation for every day in the Week The Fundamentals of the Protestant Religion asserted by Reason as well as Scripture written in French by the Famous Monsieur de Gombaud and Translated into English by Sidney Lodge c. Directions for Preachers with a Letter to enforce the Observation of them In a Letter from His Sacred Majesty to the Arch-B●shops of Canterbury and York The Countess of Mortons dailyy Exercise or a Book of Prayers and Rules how to spend the Time in the Service of Almighty God Augustus Anglicus a Compendiouss view of the Life and Reign of that Immortal and Glorious Monarch King Charless the second A Copy of the several Articles and Form of the Abjuration of the Protestant Religion and Profession of the Romish imposed upon the French Protestants Faithfully Translated into English Absolom and Achitophel the Second Part. The Medall or a Satyr against Sedition by Mr. Dryden An Essay upon Poetry An Apology The Common Prayer Book in Latin A Table of Tythes for the Province of Ulster Two Conferences one betwixt a Papist and a Jew the other betwixt a Protestant and a Jew The Operator for the Teeth Threnodia Angustalis a Funeral Pindarique Poem Sacred to the Happy Memory of King Charles the Second The Choicest New Songs with Musical Notes either for Voice or In●trument fairly engraven on Copper Plates will be constantly Printed and Sold at Two Pence a Song by the said Robert Thornton Sheldon A.B. of Cant. Blandford B. of Worcest Blandford B. of Worcester Preface to his Treatise P. 5. Letter to her Royal Highness from the Bp. of Winton P. 3 4. Blandford Pag. 14. Sheldon A.B. of Canterb. Blanford Bp. of Worcester Blandford B●shop of Worcester Preface p. 2. p. 4.