A LETTER TO A FRIEND Concerning his CHANGING HIS RELIGION IMPRMATUR June 23. 1692. R. BARKER LONDON Printed for R. Clavell at the Peacock in St. Paul's-Church yard 1692. The CONTENTS SHewing the reasonableness of any Man 's changing his Religion upon proper Motives and of what nature they are and wherein the scandal of such a change is truly given An enquiry is then made into the reasons of this Gentleman's Proceedings and those are observed to be chiefly two viz. That he might become more truly in the Communion of the Catholick Church and that he might be more Pure and Orthodox in his Faith and Worship § 1. The first of these Proposals iâ— examined and the Church of Rome is shewn not to 〈◊〉 the Catholick Church upon account either of its Authority or Comprehension The first is proved in that the Catholick Church was not establish'd by our Saviour under a Monarchical but an Aristocratical Government and this is shewn farther from the election and practice of the twelve Apostles That the Church of Rome is but a particular Church is also shewn from Scripture An Objection relating to St. Peter is answered The practice of the Apostles and the Bishops their Successours shews that their Government was in Society Several reasons are urged farther to prove that the Church of Rome cannot be the Catholick Church and that the Church of England as a particular Church hath equal right and as good a claim as she to all those Promises which are made unto the Church by our Blessed Saviour in the Gospel § 2. This is further shewn to have been the opinions even of the Church of Rome in former Ages and proved from her Decrees and Practice in the Sacrament of Baptism A Comparison is also made between the Church of Rome and that of the Donatists on this pretence and St. Augustine's Argument against the one applyed in terminis unto the other § 3. A Comparison is also made between the Church of Rome and Church of England as to terms of Communion and thereby it is shewn that according to his notion of Catholick he that lives in the Communion of the Church of England lives more in the Communion of the Catholick Church than any Member of the Church of Rome § 4. A further Comparison is made between the Churches as to the Universality of their Doctrin and thereby it is shewn that the Catholick Faith is much more truly profest in the Church of England than in the Church of Rome § 5. It is also shewn that in point of Doctrin the Church of England is more antient than the Church of Rome so that the old Religion appears evidently to be still profest there and that no new Doctrin was brought in but rather abolisht by the Reformation § 6. The second Motive is enquired into and examined and a brief Comparison in this point is made between the Churches shewing how the one is â—ounded on the Scriptures and is consonant to the Law of God and the Principles of Reason while the other hath no ground but a loose Tradition and Contradicts them both in her Doctrin and Religious Practice § 7. The Question is more particularly stated in that Doctrin and Practice that relates unto the Sacrament With a brief Observation of the unreasonableness of the one and the danger of the other as they now stand in the Church of Rome § 8. The Doctrin of the Church of Rome in this Point is laid down and two observations are made upon it First That our Saviour's words at the Institution of the Sacrament are not to be understood in a literal sense as she asserteth Secondly That if they were yet neither can her Doctrin be inferred from them nor her Practice be justified by them § 9. The first of these is proved 1st From the nature of the thing in that it contradicts our Senses which are shewn to be proper Judges in this Case as well as any other The imposition also of the Schoolmen is detected in treating on this subject in improper terms and farther it is also shewn that in this sense they cannot agree with the concomitant expressions as well before as after the Institution § 10. The same thing is proved 2dly From the design of the Institution which is shewn and explained and then compared with the Passover and other Sacrifices among the Jews and so both the Practice and the Benefits thereof are illustrated by shewing what they did and what they expected § 11. It is proved also 3dly From the occasion of that expression which is shewn to be a parallel Phrase constantly in use among the Jews at the Celebration of the Passover and so by the evident meaning of their words the sense of our Saviour is fully explained § 12. The Doctrin of the Church of England in this Point is shewn to agree with that of the Fathers and the ancient Doctrin of the Church of Rome her self This is shewn to be still evident in the Roman Missal although it hath been alter'd since the days of St. Ambrose to make it more conformable to the present Doctrin § 13. The former Observation is proved 4thly From our Saviour's own Declaration John vi Where he tells his Disciples that he is spiritually to be understood and therefore as is further observed not only St. Paul but even the aforesaid Missal calleth the Sacrament Bread after its Consecration § 14. Another Comparison is made between the Doctrin of the Church of Rome and that of the Church of England as to the consequences of them and thereby shewn that in the Church of Rome Men hazard their Salvation on the truth of an Opinion that may be false and more than probably is so for none not the least advantage if it should be true § 15. The other Observation also is propounded and therein it is shewn that our Saviour's words in the literal sense can only respect his Body and that too as it was dead and offer'd up to God in Sacrifice And several Reasons are offered thence to shew that this is not a proper Object for Divine Worship and therefore observed that the Council of Trent to justifie their Practice do strein the words abundantly beyond all that they can bear without any Reason or Authority for it § 16. Another danger is observed even in going to Mass as it is in the general Practice of the Church of Rome in that many are always present whenever the Sacrament is Administred who are not in a fit state to be Partakers of it and this is shewn from Scripture as well as the Practice of the Primitive Christians § 17. Some other Particulars of the like nature are proposed and briefly toucht to shew the further evidence of the Proposition discust And so the Conclusion is made with an Exhortation to return A LETTER TO A Friend c. SIR AS every Man's Salvation is his Principal Concern and ought to be the chief end of all his Undertakings
boast or insult thus thou bearest not the root but the root thee Ib. v. 18. And lastly to shew the World farther that it was but a particular Church and not the Catholick to whom he wrote that Epistle to the Romans he threatens her v. 22. with being cut off or totally destroyed if she continueth not in the Goodness of God Whereas Christ hath expresly promist to his Universal Church that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Mat. xvi 18. If any Man shall urge against me that the Church to whom our Saviour made this promise must be founded on St. Peter as the Text expresses it and consequently it can be no other but the Church of Rome who claims all her Rights and Priviledges from him I answer 1 st That the whole Church of Christ may be said in some Sense to have been built upon St. Peter in that he was the first of the Apostles that Preacht the Gospel after the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them and it is obvious that by his Sermon so many were Converted to the Faith that a Church was founded thereby at Jerusalem and this being the first Fruits of the Christian Religion the whole Building might properly be represented by it and so that Promise of our Saviour doth not respect the Church of Rome whatsoever her pretences are but the whole Society or Body of Christians 2 dly That St. Augustine in Expounding of that Text tells us that by the Rock Christ meant himself and not St. Peter And also that St. Peter is not to be understood in that place and many other in the Scripture as a single Person but as fully representing the whole Society or Body of Christians to whom the Promises were made and all those Favours given For Christ's Question in that place was evidently proposed to all the Disciples and so the Answer to it appears in the name of all and whatever gift or promise was thus made to one is to be understood as having a respect to all Since it is evident that there is no one particular Benefit or Power granted by our Saviour unto St. Peter but what the rest of the Apostles as the Fathers have observed had an equal Right to and as great a Concern in And if we consult our Ecclesiastical Records we shall find this Commission to be Executed thus and although St. Paul tells us that the care of all the Churches came upon him daily 2 Cor. xi 28. yet both in planting of the Church and in Governing it being planted no one single Person presided over all but they acted all alike as Members of a Society And when they were called away by God to be rewarded for their Labours they left the same Form of Government with the Bishops their Successors who maintained it constantly for several Ages following And whenever any Dispute or Controversie arose among them that was destructive to their Faith or Discipline as it was observed among the Apostles themselves before they took care for to decide it in a Synod or Assembly And we never find that any single Person under the pretence either of being Infallible or of having a Supream Power over all the rest did undertake for to determine what was thus Disputed but the Decree of the whole Church was required to decide it as the regular Act of the whole Society Some of the Bishops being still assembled in a Synod or Council and the rest submitting unto their determinations Thus their Unity was maintained in the matters of greatest moment and by their Literae Formatae or circular Epistles in all the things of smaller consequence and so they preserved themselves entire as one Society or Body of Christians not by any Superiority of one over the rest but by the right hand of fellowship from one to another And each of them was so perswaded of the Unity of the Catholick Church which was thus preserved that whosoever was excluded from the Communion of any one particular Church he was adjudged as cut off from the Communion of the whole And could not be received into another Congregation until he was reconciled unto that Church which he offended So that the Catholick Church of Christ cannot be confined to any Country nor yet limited or restrained to one peculiar Governour but it contains the whole Body or Society of Christians even all that are Baptized into the Covenant of Grace And as every particular Church is at Unity in her self by the submission or agreement of all her Members under one Governour so is the Unity of the Catholick Church maintained by the agreement or correspondence of those Governours whereby they do compose one Catholick Society And therefore it is well observed that there can be no more necessity of an Universal Bishop to establish and maintain this Unity in the Church than there is of an Universal Monarch to keep Peace and Commerce in the World Since agreement among the Bishops is as sufficient to the one as correspondence among Princes is unto the other And as there cannot possibly be more than one Catholick Church because it contains all Christians and consequently all particular Churches whatsoever So no one particular Society of Christians let its extent be never so great or Members numerous can justly lay a claim unto that Title Nor on the other hand can any particular Church cease to be a Member of this Catholick as long as she continues Christian that is as long as she retaineth the Holy Scriptures as the word of God and expounds their meaning by Catholick Tradition And consequently then no Society of Christians can be denied this priviledge or any other Right and Claim which the Catholick Church pretends to until they do renounce the Faith and cease to be Christians and so are no longer Members of the Body of Christ That the Church of Rome therefore is the Catholick Church upon account either of its Authority or comprehension is no more a Truth than that a part is the whole the terms being equally evident and therefore as plain in the conclusion And if the Church of Rome is but a particular Church and so a Member only of the Catholick The Church of England also must have an equal claim unto the same Right and Title while no one can deny that she is Christian And therefore she cannot lose her Property in the Promises of her Saviour till she quits that Christianity whereon they are founded Whence it evidently follows that all the Members of the Church of England are equally qualified for all Priviledges in Religion and all Advantages in respect of the Catholick Church which any Member of the Church of Rome can have a just claim or reason to pretend to § 2. This is a Truth of so much Evidence that all the Antient Christians even in the Church of Rome believed it otherwise their Decree against Re-baptizing Hereticks made by Pope Cornâ—lius and confirmed after by Pope Stephen must contradict the Principles of the Christian Religion and deny Salvation unto Penitent Believers For if no Man can be a Christian but he that is in the Communion of
the Catholick Church and Baptism is not Sacramental nor Beneficial to Salvation where the Person is excluded from the Society of Cristians Such Baptism then must be necessary to Salvation as doth make a Man a Christian and a Member of that Society If any Person therefore that is Baptized by one whom you call Heretick and with whose Church you will not Communicate be notwithstanding this so much a Christian as that he is to be Baptized no more but if he shall change his Religion and become a Convert to the Church of Rome they will receive him into their Communion but never permit him to be Baptized again I say then this is a fair Concession from themselves that they Believe that he was a Christian and consequently a Member of the Body of Christ before he was actually of their Communion For the Scripture tells us that every Branch although it is unfruitful yet it abideth in the Vine until it is cut off viz. by an Apostacie from the Faith nor can any new Branch be grafted in but by that Sacrament of Baptism which Christ ordained for it And therefore it is evident that those Antient Fathers did not believe that all Men were Apostates who differed from them in Opinion as to Religion but acknowledged that they were still Christians though Erroneous and therefore would not repeat their Baptism which was compleat before but received them Charitably by the Imposition of Hands Which is a sufficient Evidence that the Catholick Church of Christ is more extensive than the Church of Rome and that a Christian may be a Member of the one although he is not actually in the Communion of the other And therefore it is observable even at this day that in the Administration of Baptism in the Church of Rome no Man is obliged by his Baptismal Vow to believe their own Articles or Constitutions but only to Profess the Christian Faith as it is in common with all other Christians and which is not sufficient in a state of Maturity to qualifie any Person to be of their Communion And consequently then those Articles are not necessary in order to be a Christian although the proper Standard of the Church of Rome But a Man may be a Member of the Catholick Church that is not precisely one of her Communion There is a Famous Act Recorded of the Donatists in Africa that is exactly parallel with our present case They being scarce a National or particular Church but rather a broken part or fraction of one yet positively decreed themselves to be the Catholick Church of Christ and in a Synod of their own party formally Excommunicated all other Christians that would not submit unto their determinations But certainly no Rational Man will say that that Decree so made was True and Authentick or that all the Christian Church was obliged to submit unto it and to be concluded by it because it was boldly delivered as a Truth and confidently asserted with over-great assurance by a company of Men that called themselves a Council But rather on the contary such an Act is to be derided and the Censure laught at as contrary to Reason and all Humane Constitutions which leave all Persons in their perfect Liberty until by themselves it is submitted And therefore St. Augustine's Argument against them is as fully unanswerable in respect of us who make the same Plea against the Church of Rome For if you confess that I am a Christian although I am no Papist you declare then that the Christian Faith is openly profest without the Communion of the Church of Rome And whosoever will endeavour to reduce the Catholick Church to such a narrow compass must be Guilty of the Schism that is occasioned by it in excluding so many Christians from the Communion of Saints § 3. But that the Church of Rome might render it self more a particular Church and less the Catholick if possible than any other is she hath of late years streightned her own extent extreamly by setting such new limits and restraints on her Communion as former Ages never heard of nor the Catholick Church ever prescribed or exacted Thus Purgatory was far from being an Article of Faith and necessary to Salvation in the days of St. Augustine Or the Worshiping of Images from being a Duty in Religion before the second Council of Nice So that without believing things that are incredible viz. Transubstantiation the Infallibility of the Pope c. And doing things that are unpracticable viz. Worshiping the Host and the Virgin Mary c. no Man can be admitted now into her Communion but a Man that is a real and most faithful Christian that believeth in and conformeth himself to the Holy Scriptures and also doth expound them in hard places according to the Faith and Practice of the Primitive Christians Yet notwithstanding all this he is excluded by her as being an Inâ—idel and as far as in her lyeth is deprived of the common Benefits and the Priviledges of a Christian Whereas the Church which you Deserted is evidently in this Case conformable to the Catholick in that any faithful Christian of any other particular Communion if he doth believe the Scriptures and understand them in the Sense of the Universal Church as it is delivered by the four General Councils which you must also own to be the Catholick Faith if your Opinion differs not from that of Athanasius If this Man I say doth make it his business to live up unto those Rules he is freely admitted into her Communion and may publickly enjoy all the common Rights and Benefits of a Christian without any other Injunction or Imposition on his Conscience For none of her Articles are propounded with Anathema's nor is there so much as a bar from her Communion inflicted on those Persons that do not Subscribe them but as their Title shews us they were composed for Peace for the avoiding of diversity of Opinions and for the Establishing of consent touching True Religion For the never did believe that any Society on Earth as the Church of Rome asserts it of her self had power either to alter or to add unto the Faith or to contradict the Institution of our Saviour and the practice of the Primitive Christians with a bold tamen or non obstante to them or ever to impose now Articles of Faith upon the People as absolutely necessary unto their Salvation which the Primitive Christians for some hundreds of years were never known to have thought or heard of So that according to your own Notion if to be Catholick is to be of no Party nor Faction in Religious Matters but a Christian in full latitude and in respect of the Church in general since every Member of the Universal Church must adjoin