AN INQVISITION OF THE TRVE CHVRCH AND THOSE THAT REVOLT FROM IT BEING A SERMON pronounced at the second Session of the PARLIAMENT By CHRISTOPHER LO Archbishop of ARMAGH and Primate of all IRELAND â—â—â—N 21.10 Cast out this bond-woman and her sonne for the sonne of the bond-woman shall not be heyre with my sonne Isaac DVBLIN Printed by the Societie of Stationers Anno M. D.C.XXII TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE ARTHVR LORD CHICHESTER Baron of BELFAST Lord high Treasurer of IRELAND I Have dedicated this Sermon to your Lordship who heard it pronounced in our late Parliament here when you represented the State and Person of a great King It was then expedient as I thought for the duety of my place and instruction of the hearers in that Honourable presence out of holy Scriptures and writings of ancient Fathers to expresse such markes or demonstrations as might distinguish and make the Spouse of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ to be knowne from a step-dame The true mother nourisheth her children healthfully with bread of life and sincere milke of the Word the other setteth before them quelques choses of humane inventions and unsavory plants vvhich our heavenly Father never planted My endevours therein aymed at no other end but to leave Noahs fatherly blessing behinde me that is often in my mouth and never from my heart God perswade Iaphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem that living together like friends and countrey-men vvee might in some measure have our militant Church on earth resemble the triumphant congregation or citie of Angels and Saints in heaven Amongst whom nothing is more peculiar and proper then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that happy agreement and consent vvhich admitteth no strife no difference Such holy concord vvould grow here with us for all aspire to be joyned to that blessed Society if we were reduced into one Fold It may be that some small debates come from our own brethren comburgesses moving unnecessary and unprofitable questions in Ceremonies things indifferent and Christian liberty and therin I think we may say with Debora The divisions of Reuben are great thoughts of heart Those will undoubted-cease as they abate daily vvhen vve conteyne our selves under the rod and staffe of our shepheard Iesus Christ Let him possesse us wholly and ceremonies can give no impediment as they be used in this Church Wee put no merit no matter of salvation no worship of God in them but use them to nourish peace and charitie to keepe order and decencie in the Church not for exercises of pietie And most of them were used in the Church long before Poperie did beare sway The abuses mixed vvith them by the Romanists vvee affect not vve defend not vve allow not they have no portion no right no memoriall in Ierusalem Things that have beene abused neede not to bee cleane abolished vvere that proposition made generall it overthroweth Churches and many things else as vvell as the Rites and Ceremonies of our Liturgy Our vvorthy ancestors saith Saint Augustine tooke the Temples dedicated to Idolls and converted them to holy Oratories or houses of prayer vvhere CRIST IESVS is vvorshipped sincerely and his Gospel is purely taught They tooke the revenues vvhich were devoted to the gods of the Gentiles to Theaters to Vestals and turned them to the entertaynement of Ministers though they served not Antichrist before but Belzebub the chiefe of the Divels And Saint Augustine findeth no solecisme or incongruitie in it Hoc de illis fit quod de ipsis hominibus cum ex sacrilegis impijs in veram religionem immutantur The grave and learned Father avoweth that there is not any other thing done in matters of this kind but that vvhich happeneth unto men themselves vvhen they are turned from sacrilege and impietie unto Christian Religion The sacred Vessells of the Temple had beene fouly abused in Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar and Balthasser yet vvhen Cyrus had given commandement for the restoring of them againe Zorobabel made no scruple to imploy them in their former holy uses It vvas Saint Augustine his practise and is vvorthy to bee observed Wee correct those things vvhich Schismatiques or Heretiques have corrupted vvhen they come unto us from them but doe acknowledge and allow that vvhich they held as they received it lest suffering our selves to be carried away in offence vvith mens faults beyond the rules of Iustice vve should doe some vvrong to the things themselves For vvee see the Apostle Saint Paul even in an Altar of the Gentiles vvhere Idols vvere vvorshipped to confirme the name of GOD rather then to disavow it I vvill adde no more to the conclusion of this point but the lesson vvhich Saint Ambrose gave unto Saint Augustine and vvas by him ever after esteemed as an Oracle There cannot be a better discipline nor more beseeming a grave and discreet Christian then to doe that vvhich hee seeth observed in the Church vvheresoever hee commeth For that is ever to be held indifferent and to be performed for their sakes amongst vvhom vvee live vvhich is neyther against faith nor good manners The nature and use of these indifferent things is fully described by Saint Bernard Certaine things are simply good in themselves and men can challenge no obedience that vvay for they must be done because they are injoyned by GOD. Other things are altogether evill and follow the same rule Betweene these things that be good or evill in themselves there bee other vvhich bee indifferent and may bee good or evill as they bee used In this last sort the Christian Magistrate doth exercise his power or else hee hath no power left him and vvhen hee hath interposed his authoritie then doe they in a manner change their nature concerning the use of them for they are not then left free to bee omitted but are necessary to bee observed In his fas non est nostrum sensum sententiae praescribere magistrorum In his omnino praelatorum nec jussio nec prohibitio contemnenda In these indifferent things everie one may not follow his particular fantasie that vvould bring in confusion anarchy and infinite tyranny but all must comply vvith the Magistrate vvith the Church with the governors of it The spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets This limitation in the use of things indifferent brings no diminution to the freedome and libertie of a Christian that hath place or seate in the mind and as Luther teacheth gravely it resteth in the points that are betweene God and mee for example If I beleeve and am perswaded in minde and conscience that the Crosse in Baptisme the Ring in matrimonie Kneeling at the Lords Supper c. worke nothing with God and are not used in the Church to any such purpose I enjoy the full benefite of my Christian libertie in the very use of these and the like Ceremonies But if I goe about to draw my libertie into a freedome of actions too and to the things
vvhich are betweene my brother and mee thinking to doe vvhat I list in them because they are indifferent of themselves or in their owne nature vvithout reverence to the Magistrates orders and respect of the Churches decrees I doe certainely bring my libertie out of her true bounds and turne it to a licentious disturbance of the Church the Magistrate and every Christian brother vvhich is vvise unto sobrietie Diligent care is to be taken that wee give not offence to our weake brethren in the use of these indifferent things And that will be discharged two wayes first if we consider who they be that pretend offence in this kinde Sure they are not weake ones who are onely to be respected but such as esteeme themselves stronger in faith then the residue To these no just offence is given but they take offence unjustly not of weakenesse but of curiositie and overprizing their owne inventions Another and the second meanes to acquite and cleare the Church from these offences consisteth in the faithfull labor of the Pastors Let them bee vigilant to teach their people the nature and true use of ceremonies and things indifferent assoone as any scandall ariseth for so they should doe and the offence will wither in the bud before it grow to strength or maturitie to disquiet the Church But when they which should extinguish offences bestow their thoughts and indevors to nourish them impressions of doubts or scruples will be wrought in soft or tender minds easily and it is not possible to remove them againe without much difficultie and trouble That can never bee welcome to the Church neither is now seasonable or suting with my yeares and infirmities howbeit prepared I am with the rest of my brethren to endure and devoure all paines or travayle that may breed peace concord and unanimitie amongst us And I have the greater hope to prevayle eyther by perswasive reasons which please me best or by discipline if the other be refused for the noble assistance that your Lordsh doth give me alwayes in the affayres of the Church Continue those honourable respects for they will make your memory sweet and gratefull to posteritie as they have obliged the Clergie now present to acknowledge your goodnesse and my selfe most of all to remaine Your Lordsh humble and affectionate servant ARMAGH AN INQVISITION OF THE TRVE Church and those that revolt from it 1. Iohn 2.19 They went out from us but they were not of us For if they had beene of us they would have continued with us But this commeth to passe that it might appeare that they be not all of us IN the former Verse the Apostle maketh mention both of one and manie Antichrists For as Hilary writeth everie one is Antichrist that doth not acknowledge Christ in the same manner that the Apostles preached him So it commeth to passe that there be manie Antichrists according to Christ his prediction There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets to deceive if it were possible the verie Elect. Old father Simeons prophesie when hee tooke our blessed Saviour into his armes sorted to the same conclusion Immediatly before the good man did sing his Swan-like song of Nunc dimittis he pronounced freely that which succeeding times have verified That the childe Iesus should bee set as a signe to bee spoken against not by one but by many Hee was in the world and the world knew him not he came unto his owne and his owne received him not But amongst those manie contraries that Christ should have the holy Ghost in the Scripture pointeth at one capital Antichrist who would exceed all the rest All are dangerous adversaries carefully to be avoided to that end wee are admonished of them And indeed who are more to be avoided of Christians then they who oppose thēselves against Christ our Lord Yet none of them are to be eschued with so much care or diligence as those which cover their oppositions against Christ with titles of pietie of holinesse under the name and pretence of Christ as if they were his Vicars or Vicegerents did all for him Professed hostilitie and open contradiction could never have advanced the kingdome of Antichrist for who are so wretched or Giant-like desperate to enterprise war with God The divell himselfe being the Prince of darkenesse when he would draw most awry and seduce is transformed into an Angell of light even so doth Antichrist pretending the name of Christ the keyes of Peter his seate his succession the alluring name of the Church seduce great troupes of unheedefull soules that he could never gaine with open profession of impietie Such is the efficacie of his deceiveablenesse such is the mysterie of his iniquitie under these habits or sheepes clothing hee disguiseth his Wolvish ravin Let us not then be miscarried with outward shewes or titles but examine and weigh everie thing by the ballances of the Sanctuarie For our better information in this caveat the Apostle by the passage of my Text doth brand this Antichristian troupe with a legible marke whereby you may surely know them They went out from us they revolt they fall away they forsake and slide away from the Church and the doctrine thereof they depart from the fellowship and communion of Saints Behold a visible marke a true cognizance to discerne the Antichristian sort And needfull it is that wee should have such prints or characters to discover them in regard of the great perrill danger which they bring to themselves and others that are swayed by them Quisquis ab Ecclesia segregatus jungitur adulterae à promissis Ecclesiae separatur nec pertinet ad Christi praemia qui reliquerit Ecclesiam Christi Alienus est prophanus est hostis est habere jam non potest Deum patrem qui Ecclesiam non habet matrem It is the sentence of S. Cyprian and verie orthodoxe Each one that is severed from the true Church joined to the false as to an adulteresse is certainely cut off from the promises made to the Church neither can hee be interessed in Christ his promises which forsaketh Christ his Church Hee is a stranger hee is prophane hee is an enemie he cannot now have God to his father which will not reverence and obey the Church as his mother The use of this doctrine is to admonish us to gather our selves into the societie fellowship of the Church How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts What happinesse is it to be joyned in companie and consort with the Patriarches Abraham Isaac and Iacob with the Prophets with the Apostles with the Martyrs with the holy Angels of God and with Christ himselfe Take heed therefore beloved brethren and beware that you bereave not your selves of the comforts dispensed unto you out of the Church beware that you cut not your selves off from this heavenly communion or companie through singularitie or headinesse of courage Plucke not up the Tares in prejudice or
detriment to the Wheate but suffer both to grow together untill the Harvest and let him separate which hath the Fanne in his hand to purge the floore I know it will here be objected that the Antichristian sort may be well discovered by their apostasie and relinquishing the Church when the Church it selfe is not controverted but where the Church is ambiguous that men make question where the true Church is whether it be with those that professe the Gospell of Iesus Christ sincerely or amongst such as have addicted themselves to the Bishop of Rome there the notice of apostasie is not perspicuous it is not easily to bee taken For as Waspes make themselves combes like to Bees so hereticks have their Conventicles their Synagogues which they adorne with the stile title of Churches And this painting hath ever made a debate Inter nos Donatistas quaestio est ubi sit Ecclesia Quid ergo facturi sumus In verbis nostris eam quaesituri an in verbis capitis sui Domini nostri Iesu Christi puto quòd in illius verbis potius eam quaerere debemus qui veritas est optimè novit corpus suum novit enim Dominus qui sunt sui When doubts are moved where the Church should be there are but two manner of enquests or trials to finde it either by the markes which we have devised our selves or by evidences which Christ Iesus the lively head of the Church hath prescribed for the manifestation of it And this latter inquisition by the judgement of Saint Augustine is the surer and fairer proofe for CHRIST is truth and knoweth his owne bodie best Doeth not the Lord knowe who bee his Yes certainely Hee calleth his owne sheepe by name Ioh. 10. On the other side sadde experience teacheth us that live in this age how miserably they are mistaken that goe about to point out the Church not by anie certaine demonstrations out of the holy Scripture but by deceiveable fantasies of men Wherein they commend Antiquitie first for a speciall marke of the Church and consider not that it may bee counterfeited or pretended without anie truth of right and just antiquitie Did not the Gibeonites pleade it in that manner for their ragges their over-worne shooes and moulded bread So they did if they circumvented a wise and vigilant Governour with such colourable pleas how much easier is it to beguile ignorant and simple people or to put them into errour by maskes and pretences of feined antiquitie And though wee have not anie cause to avoide or shunne the triall of true antiquitie which commeth from the Ancient of dayes nor our adversaries to presume of it the unpartiall and due consideration of the thing it selfe will certainely evict that Antiquitie cannot bee anie firme or individuall companion of the Church and so no good marke For then the Church must have beene ancient in the verie infancie or beginning thereof which is a thing impossible Antiquitie is commendable not in it selfe or when it is alone but as it is joyned with veritie Therefore I conclude this article with the same exhortation that the Prophet Ieremy used to the men of his time Stand upon the wayes and consider which is the olde way and the good way and walke in it that you may finde rest to your soules Let us passe on further to the consideration of other markes and you shall see it cannot stand good to make the Church alwaies visible or conspicuous That would take away an article of our Faith and Creed VVhen wee beleeve there is a Church we doe affirme plainely that it is not visible or ocularly to be discerned for Faith is an apprehension of things that cannot be seene So beleeving there is a Church as is by all professed we acknowledge therein that the same is not visible Why should anie speake of multitudes to be a marke of the Church seeing Christ himselfe calleth it a little flocke Quid gaudendum ad multitudines This marke of multitudes had beene a weake and impertineÌ„t allegation when all the world was drowned but eight persons saved in the Arke and that was then the whole number of the Church Or when the five cities were destroyed with fire and Lot onely escaped with his two daughters or in Elias time when hee coÌ„plained he was left alone The Church is not ever in one state but like the Moone sometimes encreasing sometimes diminishing sometimes at the full sometimes in the waine and therefore the multitude or paucity of people in the Church being but accidents and not essentially inherent in the Church are made markes of the Church unproperly Thus they are deceived and deceive others that seeke and set forth a Church in their owne words Nolo humanis documentis sed divinis oraculis sanctam Ecclesiam demonstrari I will not have any demonstration of the Church made unto me saith S. Augustine out of mens instructions but from the oracles of God Seeke then for the Church in the words of Christ and the demonstration thereof will be infallible Our blessed Saviour sendeth his Disciples into all the world that is the extent of the Church he chargeth them to preach the Gospell unto every creature to baptize them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost and to teach them to observe all that he hath commanded These be the things which the Sonne of God would have practised in his house and by them you may easily finde out the Church of God The sincere doctrine of the Gospell the true and right administration of the Sacraments and that forme of discipline which may bring obedience to his commandements who can make that a Church where these things be wanting who can deny it to bee a Church where they be exercised My sheepe saith our Saviour heare my voyce Therefore the Word of God must be read it must be preached it must sound amongst them else how is it possible that they should heare it Ecce Scripturae communes ecce ubi novimus Christum ecce ubi novimus Ecclesiam The Scriptures which are propounded to all men saith S. Augustine are the usuall markes to know Christ and his Church by So Christ saith himselfe If yee abide in mee and my words abide in you yee are verily my Disciples But alas how can his wordes abide in those which heare not of them that are forbidden to heare or know them Non est pax sed bellum nec Ecclesiae jungitur qui ab evangelio separatur There can be no peace but warre with such people neyther can they be joyned to the Church that sever themselves â—â—om the Gospel Or put case they have the Gospell yet if it bee not expounded truely unto them if it bee not taught purely and sincerely what advantageth it them As all gold was not holy but that only which belonged to the Sanctuary so every sense that is without the compasse of Holy Writ glistering without
when it is not appropriated or fixed to any certaine place as the Iewes did dreame of Ierusalem long agoe and the Papists doe now dote of Rome but reacheth unto all parts and places of the world secondly it is called Catholike in respect of persons comprehended in it because no sort of people are excluded or refused For now the wall of partition is pulled downe and wee are all one in Christ Iesus thirdly it is called Catholike in respect of time that whensoever it had beginning yet it continueth for ever eyther militant here upon earth or triumphant in heaven So the whole family or house of God is divided Fourthly and lastly the Church is called Catholike in respect of doctrine therein professed for it imbraceth maintayneth not parts or portions but the whole body of Prophetical and Apostolical doctrine The Church of Rome is not Catholique in any of these respects and therefore we pleade Not guilty of apostasie in leaving it Let our adversaries meditate rather how to cleere the Church of Rome of apostasie for it is fallen away from them of whom it received the Gospell Faith Religion and the name of a Church Let them refuse their Synagogues forsake their broken cisternes that will hold no water returne to that true ancient faith for which they were once renowned through the world and wee shall runne together againe in an holy union with them If they will not I call heaven and earth to record against them this day that they themselves are fallen from the Gospell from truth from word from Sacraments from ReligioÌ„ from Christ from the Apostles church of Christ all which wee uphold with great endevour For they have broken the bands wherwith they were coupled to the Apostles they have relinquished that coÌ„munion which formerly they held with the Church These bands be of two sorts outward and inward The outward bands may bee cut in sunder as the profession of true doctrine and the right administration of the Sacraments Both which bands are broken by our adversaries as wee have shewed some proofe of before And they shall never be able to throw any just aspersion upon us in that kind the Lord of heaven and earth be praised for it Amongst the inward couplings Election is first for all that belong truely to the Church are bound together in heaven in the bundle of life with their God The other is the band of Christ his holy Spirit which worketh the same faith and love in the members that is in Christ our head These inward bands cannot be dissolved or cut in sunder for neyther can God his eternall election be avoyded neyther can the faith of those that are elected faile totally or finally The visible Church hath in it selfe two different sorts of people the one make an outward bare profession onely the other by inward election are firmely joyned unto Christ The first are in the visible Church alone but not of the Church invisible They participate in the outward Sacraments of Christ but not with the inward blessings of Christ and so they may fall away they may be in the Church but not of the Church They which are inwardly coupled to Christ by his election and holy Spirit cannot fall away from Christ his church So our Text teacheth us their constancie and perseverance If they had beene of us they would have continued with us The outward joynts and participation may be dissolved for all they are not the Israel of God which are of Israel No many of theÌ„ are Israelites they were amongst the multitude that was called they were not of the small number that was elected Mali in Area nobiscum esse possunt in horreo non possunt Hypocrites and false Gospellers may bee in the Church with us they cannot be of the church they are like Summer fruit they hold not out they continue not On the other side they that bee of us they continue with us After they be matriculated have their names registred in the holy Rolls of the Church they doe not revolt but are established All that the Father giveth me shall come to mee and him that commeth unto mee I cast not away The counsell of the Lord endureth for ever Vnde saith Saint Augustine nisi de nobis quos antea praescivit praedestinavit Quis tollit praedestinationem Dei ante mundi constitutionem vidit nos fecit nos emendavit nos misit ad nos redâ—mit nos hoc ejus consilium manet in aeternum haec ejus cogitatio manet in secula seculorum How doth the Lords counsel endure for ever but in us whom he hath seene and predestinated Who can take away God his predestination before the foundation of the world he did foresee us he made us he reformed us he sent unto us he redeemed us this counsell of the Lord abideth for ever this thought of the Almightie remayneth thoroughout all ages Behold the ground and certainty of their faith marke how they which are inwardly coupled to Christ his Church cannot fall away from the one or the other for Christ sayes None can take them out of his hands Another reason is expressed in the same place My Father which gave them to mee is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my Fathers hands These reasons were not good if they might fall away from Christ which are inwardly coupled to him for then Christ and his Father must bee weaker then hee that did take them out of their hands and that is a blasphemie worthy to be detested If faith could fayle the elect might perish for without faith it is impossible to please God But our Saviour Christ doth testifie that it is not possible that the elect should perish therefore their faith cannot fayle If their faith could fayle the elect should be regenerate often but the elect are borne of incorruptible seed and as the seed is so must the generation also be incorruptible To that purpose S. Iohn writeth Hee that is borne of God sinneth not neither can hee because the seed of God abideth in him How should faith be variable that hath God his promise I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not goe from me If God will not have his to fall away how should they fayle If he will put his feare into their hearts that they should not fayle how can they lose that feare No no. Besides that they have a further preservative namely the efficacie of Christ his prayers Keepe them in thy truth Ioh. 17 Againe I have prayed for thee that thy faith doe not faile Luc. 22. The mountaines shall remove and the hills shall fall downe but my mercy shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace fall away saith the Lord Esay 54. You have not chosen me but I have chosen you and ordeyned you that you goe and bring forth fruit and that your fruit remaine If Christ