method 't is capable of and only take notice of those Answers wherein Mr. K's either Judgment or Charity seems to fail him The 1st Quest proposed by D. M. in his Preface is What is meant by the Catholick Church Mr. K's Answer is 'T is the whole body of men professing the Religion of Christ and living under their lawful spiritual Governors p. 4. There is no doubt he intends this for the description of the Catholick Church here on earth as measured by a judgment of charity and comprising all credible professors of the Christian Religion Here are two characters to distinguish the Members of it Professing the Religion of Christ and Living under lawful spiritual Governors Now that which I chiefly dislike in this description is that this latter mark of the Catholick Church Living under lawful spiritual Governors gives us a Notion of it not only very obscure but too narrow Nor does he find any such mark assign'd either in that Text he quotes 4 Eph. 3 4 5. or in that passage he cites out of St. Augustin And 't is the more necessary to insist on this because every Notion of the Catholick Church which is too narrow is so far schismatical for it cuts off those from their relation to the Catholick Church who are members of it and Mr. K. himself does afterwards apply it to that ill purpose That this Notion of the Catholick Church is too narrow on supposition Mr. K. mean no better than he speaks is hence evident because there are many who are true members of the Catholick Church who live under no Pastors or spiritual Governors at all nor indeed have the opportunity to do so What does he think of many Christians that live in some forreign Plantations where they are not furnish'd with them Nay to propose an Instance much more considerable What does Mr. K. think of all the Protestants who are yet in France and because they will not change their Religion are confin'd to Galleys Prisons or Convents Are all these by the banishment of their Ministers excâ—uded from the Catholick Church Has the French King's Edict so malignant an influence as to cut them off from the body of Christ by depriving them of their lawfâ—l Pastors If so Popish Princes have a very formidable power and Protestants may well dread their Edicts upon a Spiritual as well as Temporal account more than all the Thunders of the Vatican But I fear Mr. K. would scarce allow the Reformed Churches in France to be any part of the Catholick Church if they had their Pastors again if we compare this description of it with other passages in his Answer For this description is very obscure and if I conjecture right Mr. K's Notion of lawful spiritual Governors much more narrow What does he mean by Lawful Spiritual Governors Are they to be estimated such by the Law of the Land or by the Laws of the Church or by the Law of Christ Does he mean such spiritual Governors as are establisht in every Nation by the Authority of the Civil Magistrate If so then the Arrian Bishops when establisht by the Emperors of their opinion were the only lawful Pastors and all that part of the people that adher'd to their Orthodox Pastors ceast to be members of the Catholick Church Then the Popish Clergy in France are the only lawful Spiritual Governors and the Protestants there are no part of the Catholick Church because they separate from them And shou'd the Popish Clergy be establisht in these Kingdoms by Law all that shou'd adhere to their Protestant Pastors even those whom Mr. K. now thinks their only lawful ones wou'd cease to be members of the body of Christ So that the supreme Magistrate might make Pastors lawful or unlawful at his pleasure and make those that are this month members of the Catholick Church cease to be so the next But this is a Principle I wou'd hope fitter for Mr. Hobbs than for Mr. K. to defend Is it then the Laws of the Church that must determine who are the lawful Pastors If this be his Notion of them as his following discourse wou'd incline one to think What Church does he mean whose Laws must determine this great debate If the Vniversal Church I know none can make Laws to oblige all the members of it but Christ himself whom Mr. K. grants to be the only Head of it p. 55. And how shou'd we know the sense of the universal Church in this matter when there has been no General Council these many hundred years nay when there never was any such thing at all The largest Councils that Church-History records being summon'd by the Roman Emâ—erors whose Mandates cou'd not reach the extra-Imperial Churches What is this Church then whose Laws or Judgment must determine who are lawful Pastors Is it every National Church If so 't is a difficult matter to know what that is For unless Mr. K wou'd give such a schismatical Notion of it as the Papists give of the Catholick Church it must include all the particular Christians and particular Societies of such within the bounds of that Nation who profess the true Christian Religion in all its essentials for all true Churches do not profess it in equal purity Such a National Church is not of divine Institution and is indeed only a combination of Churches as united under one Civil Sovereign It s true Notion lyes not in any combination purely Ecclesiastical and Intrinsecal but Civil and Extrinsecal As the true National Church of England unless we will confine the name to a Sect or Party denotes all the Churches in England as united under one King that has a civil Supremacy over them But what if in the same Nation there be a division about some disputable Doctrine as betwixt Lutherans and Calvinists in the dominions of several German Princes or about Church-Government and modes of Worship c. as in these Nations What if the several particular Churches according to these differences in their judgment fix under different Pastors Who are the Church whose Laws must decide this debate about lawful Pastors Is it such an Assembly of the Clergy as our Convocation But what if both Parties have such Assemblys Is it that Party of the Clergy which the Civil Magistrate does establish and not the other then the Civil Magistrate may in Germany make both the Lutherans and Calvinists lawful Pastors and here both the Conformists and the Nonconformists nay and unmake them at his pleasure and so make their Churches a part or no part of the Catholick Church Nay if this be true then in France the general Assembly of the Popish Clergy must determine who are lawful Pastors and were the Protestant Ministers there now for the people to adhere to them wou'd not only be unlawful but what is worse such a Sin as would cut them off from the Catholick Church And does Mr. K. really think so What wou'd they cease to be the subjects of Christ
because they prefer those Pastors who teach his Doctrine and administer his Sacraments and discipline according to the Rules of the Gospel before those who grossly corrupt them and impose those corruptions He must have a very odd understanding that can assent to so senseless not to say so wicked an assertion For this were no better than to set up a point of meer human Order in opposition to the interest of Truth and Holiness I might here instance again in the Arrian Bishops who had not only the countenance of the Emperors but got Imperial Councils call'd General as that of Armini and Syrmium on their side and according to this Principle they were the only lawful Pastors and those that separated from them were no part of the Catholick Church I know not how Mr. K. will like these consequences But he cannot avoid them unless he will say That where there are in a Nation two divided parties of Christians fixt under different Pastors those are the only lawful Pastors who are on the side of Truth in the Points controverted betwixt them whether they have the Civil Magistrates countenance or no. And if he say this 't will follow on the other hand that in those Popish Kingdoms where there are any Protestant Ministers they are the only lawful Pastors and the Popish Churches that live not under them no part of the Catholick Church Nay in those parts of Germany where there are Lutherans and Calvinists if the Calvinists be in the right the Lutherans for separating from the Calvinist Ministers forfeit all relation to the Catholick Church And to add no more if the Non-Conformists be in the right in the matters debated betwix them and the Conformists about Church-Government c. they are the only lawful Pastors and the Prelatical Churches no part of the Catholick Church Or lastly Must the Laws of Christ determine who are lawful Pastors then those are the only lawful spiritual Governors in his Church whose Office he has instituted who have all the Qualifications requir'd 1 Tim. 3. ch 1 Tit. Who are ordain'd to their Office by such as he has entrusted the power of Ordination to where such Ordination can be had and who have the consent of that Flock they take the oversight of If these be the laws of Christ as it were easy to prove if that were deny'd then all Diocesan Prelates must be cashier'd from the number of lawful Pastors unless they can prove their Office instituted by Christ and so must all the Parish-Ministers who want the Qualifications mention'd 1 Tim. 3. or who are impos'd on the people without their consent nay too often against it And if Mr. K's Notion of the Catholick Church be true then all the Churches that live under Diocesan Prelates as their spiritual Governors or such unqualifi'd obtruded Parish-Ministers are no part of the Catholick Church So that if he retract not this new description of the Catholick Church 't is like to fall heavy on his own Party and because I would not be so uncharitable to the Church of England as he is to the Churches of Dissenters I advise him the next time he undertakes to define the Catholick Church to leave out this dangerous mark of it At least he ought to apply this mark to the Papists as well as Dissenters whereas among the Latin Questions The 14th is Whether that be a true Church which has not lawful Pastors And Mr. K. thus answers It may be a true Church witness the Church of Rome which has had so many haeretical schismatical simoniacal ones who were not all lawful Pastors But did there therefore cease to be a Chureh at Rome But I perceive this is a true mark when he would vent his spleen against the Presbyterian Churches at home and abroad but a false or uncertain one when it would unchurch the Papists The best of it is if it be a true mark the Papal and Diocesan Churches are most concern'd in the dangerous consequences of it All therefore I shall add on this Head is a brief Answer to Mr. M's Question What that Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church is which we profess to believe in the Creed Answ We need go no farther for the resolution of this Question than the Text quoted by Mr. K. 4 Eph. 3 4 5. Only I must premise that the Catholick Church in its true extent includes the Church Triumphant as well as the Church Militant nay all the Saints that have been are or shall be on earth to the end of the world see Mr. Claud's Reponse au livre de Mon sr l' Evesque de Meaux c. p. 7 8 9 c. But if we speak of the Catholick Church as militant on earth it must be considered either as measured by the judgment of God which discerns the truth of things from all hypocritical disguises or as measur'd by the judgment of humane Charity As measur'd by the judgment of God 't is according to the fore-quoted Text One body or society animated by one holy Spirit having one heavenly hope subjected to one Lord Jesus believing the same revealed Doctrine as to all necessary Articles and devoted by one Baptismal Covenant to one heavenly Father This Body is call'd Invisible or Mystical from that internal Faith and Holiness which are invisible and 't is also Visible by the external profession of that true Faith and Holiness And this is that Church which we profess to believe in the Creed in which alone we can expect to find the true Communion of Saints And to this Church alone all promises of saving Blessings are made in the holy Scriptures * The judgment of several Fathers to this purpose and particularly St Aug see quoted in that forecited discourse of Mr Claud from p 45 to 68 But the Catholick Church as measur'd by the judgment of human Charity comprizes all that make a credible profession of Christian Faith and Holiness For we are incapable to distinguish the true and living members of the Church from those that only appear to be so And therefore the Catholick Church as estimated by our charity is more large and comprehensive than the real Body of Christ For Hypocrites are no true members of his Body tho mixt with them in the same external Society by their external Profession or as St. John distinguishes they are among them but not of them 1 Joh. 2. v. 19. They are but blasted Ears not the true Wheat they are members of the Church Catholick in appearance not in reality The Church Catholick as measur'd by our charitable judgment is I know commonly call'd the Church-Catholickâ— Visible i. e. the Church Catholick as estimated by an external or visible profession But I wou'd choose rather for avoiding confusion to call it the Visible Church Catholick mixt For the Church Catholick in the proper sense as constituted of its living or as the Schools speak its univocal members real Saints is also Visible because its members not only
also the Churches calâ—'d Presbyterian and Independenâ— is united with all other Christians in the participation of the same Sacraments And I doubt not the Presbyt and Indep Churches administer them as agreeably to our Saviours Institution as any other I come therefore to the 4th Quest Whether by the Catholick Church be meant the variety of all Protestants since they want her essential mark Unity Before I consider Mr. K's answer to the Quest I shall offer one that is very obvious and I doubt not more agreeable to the temper of every true Catholick and charitable Christian viz. That all the Reformed Churches whose publick Confessions of Faith are extant are true parts of the Catholick Church tho some of them may be more others less pure and uncorrupted Of Quakers we can make no judgment because we know not what their â—pinions are and 't is well if they do so themselves For Fifth-Monarchy men I know no distinct Churches constituted of them and if they hold no other Notion of a Fifth-Monarchy than the learned Mr. Mede on the Rev. seems inclin'd to believe I hope Mr. K. will not think it inconsistent with salvation If D. M. ask where is the essential mark of the Church Catholick viz. Vnity among the Episcopal Presbyt Indep and Anabapt Churches Answ What Vnity does he mean If an Unity in the essentials of Châ—istian Faith and Holiness let him name me one of these Churches that denys any essential Article of the Christian Religion or one Precept of the moral Law nay or one essential part of Divine Worship as Praise Prayer Preaching or one Sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ For tho the Anabaptists deny the Baptizing of Infants yet they do not deny Baptism it self and however I may judge them mistaken in that point I should think him more dangerously mistaken that should on the account of their Error in so intricate a controversy condemn them as no part of the Catholick Church I will not patronize all the irregularities that may be objected in some of these Churches but my charity does oblige me to add that they are not such as invalidate the credibility of their Christian Profession nor the thousandth part so gross as the corruptions of the Greek and Roman Churches Or does Mr. M. mean by Catholick Unity an Vnity in an humane universal Head of the Church as Pope or Council This is no better than an Vnity in owning a gross Usurper that invades the Prerogatives of our blessed Lord the only Head of his Church that claims an universal power over his Church without any commission from him Or does he mean an Unity in all the Errors Idolatry Superstition and corrupt practices that have by degrees crept into the Church and over-run any considerable part of it I hope he will not make this the mark of the Catholick Church's Vnity no more than he wou'd make mens diseases a mark of their unity in the humane nature This is an Unity to be avoided not courted or desir'd Or does he mean an Vnity in humane unnecessary Canons that shall reduce all Christians to an exact uniformity in the external modes of Religion This is an Unity never to be effected but either by reducing mens judgments to an uniformity about those matters or by forcing them to comply with what their judgments condemn The former is morally impossible considering the different degrees of our knowledge in this imperfect state on earth and one might as wisely attempt to bring all Nations to affect the same civiâ— customs ceremonies or garb The latter is a loâ—ding it over God's heritage and exercising a dominion over the Faith of Christians in the higest degree which the Apostles themselves disclaim and forbid 2 Cor. 1.24 2 Pet. 5.3 An uniformity in humane rites is no unity prescrib'd in the word of God and consequently not necessary to the constitution of the Catholick Church The laws of Christ which alone are obligatory to the Catholick Church have made sufficient provision for its Unity as far as 't is attainable on earth for perfect Unity is the effect of the perfect light and love of Heaven And for any single person or collective body of Pastors to prescribe other terms of Unity to the Catholick Church than Christ has done is not only an usurpation of his legislative power but one of the most effectual methods that Hell has found out to raise Schisms and Divisions in it and thereby to destroy Christian love And he that knows not how fatal an Engine the needless and corrupt impositions of ambitious Prelates and their Councils have been above these 1300 years to deprave and tear the Christian Church under pretence of reducing it to an impossible Uniformity is either a stranger to Church History or has too deep a tincture of that wretched pride and ignorance that has animated imperious Patriarchs and Popes I proceed now to consider Mr. K's Answer to D. M's Quest which I shall transcribe at large Neither are all Protestants Catholick Members of the Church nor they only Those among Protestants that embrace the Catholick Faith and make no separation from their lawful Governors and that live in Vnity of Faith and Charity with their neighbour Churches are catholick members and have that unity which is essential to the catholick church But these are not to be confounded with Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists Fifth-monarchy men Quakers c. since these have separated themselves from their lawful Governors as much as Mr M. himself though their crime be less than his as he is less guilty that makes a rebellion than he who joyns with a Forreigner to enslave his countrey I did not expect a man of Mr. K's abilities cou'd have betraid so much ignorance or uncharitableness or both in answering so easy a Question If the Dissenters be guilty of Schism I am sure 't is nâ—t half so gross and palpable as what this one Paragrâ—ph contains nor so opposite to true christian love Mr. K. who charges D. M for talking of things without clearing them would do well to take his own advice 'T is hard to imagine what he means by Catholick members of the Church Does he mean the same by it as members of the catholick church or no If he do not what signifies his Answer to D. M's Question which was Whether the church catholick contain all the variety of Protestants who want her essential mark viz. Vnity Nay why does he assert those Protestants only whom he here describes to have that Unity which is essential to the Catholick Church For none can be members of the Catholick Church but such as are united with their fellow members in those things which essentially constitute them one Church or Body Catholick members of the Church is no very proper expression 't is like total parts and can have no tolerable sense distinct from that plainer expression Members of the catholick church If Mr. K. make any distinction betwixt these two phrases it must be
founded on the supposition of some vicarious Head of Unity to the Catholick Church which we condemn the Church of Rome for setting up and Mr. K. himself seems to disown p. 55. Nor wou'd that Hypothesis it self justify the distinction because if Christ have made any Vicarious Head or center of Unity to the Catholick Church we cou'd not be united to him as his members without union with that Vicarious Head. So that to be Catholick members of the Church and members of the Catholick Church are the same thing And if Mr K. use that expression in this sense let us consider a little the description he gives of those who are Catholick members of the Church Here are three characters to know them by Their embracing the catholick Faith their making no separation from their lawful Governors their living in charity with their neighbour churches The first is Embracing the Catholick Faith and he shou'd have added Professing catholick holiness of life For this character 't is undeniable and I hope Mr. K. will not exclude any of the forementioned Protestant Churches from being Catholick members of the Church on this score The two latter Mr. K. himself will find too dangerous and too schismatical to own upon second thoughts For from the third viz. living in charity with their neighbour churches I infer 1st That this character does exclude all the Papists from being catholick members of the Church for they are so far from living in charity with their neighbour Churches that their Trent-creed does assert its Articles to be that catholick Faith without which no man can be saved and consequently damns all the Churches in the world besides their own 2. On supposition the Reformed Churches abroad which have not Diocesan Bishops be true Churches this character excludes all those of the Church of England from being catholick memâ—ers of the Church who do with Mr. Dodwell unchurch all those Reformed Churches that want Prelatical Ordination For to unchurch them is not to live in charity with them 3. If the Churches of the Presbyt and Indep here be true Churches as I shall in this Paper evince they are then Mr. K. and all that are of his mind are no catholick members of the Church because they live not in charity with their neighbour Churches And I hope there is not the less charity due to them for being of the same countrey or Nation for Mr. K. makes subjection to lawful Pastors a mark of the members of the catholick Church p. 4. and declares the Presbyt c. destitute of that mark p. 6. And consequently denys them to be members of the catholick church which is the highest breach of charity imaginable And what if the Presbyt shou d treat Mr. K. according to his own principle and declare him no catholick member because he lives not in charity with them They would but use his own weapons against himself But however they have been misrepresented they are not of that schismatical humour as some are who have long made a loud outcry against Schism 4. Nay if this character be true then in all those contentions that have happen'd in the Church where the contending Parties have been so uncharitable as to excommunicate one another ' tho sometimes about meer trifles the one Party or both have ceast to be catholick members of the church And so when Pope Victor excommunicated the Eastern churches for not keeping Easter on the same day with him He and all that joyn'd with him ceast to be catholick members of the church And if to be catholick members of the Church and members of the catholick Church be the same what a vast part of the christian worâ—d has been unchurch'd in every age by the uncharitable censures of proud contentious Prelates I suppose Mr. K. never considered these consequences or else he would never have made living in charity with neighbour Churches a necessary mark of the catholick members of the Church As if the legitimate children of the same Father might not in an angry mood call one another Bastards or the subjects of the same King in a pievish humour nickname their fellow subjects Rebells without any just cause I am sure the Presbyterian Churches both at home and abroad are the least concern'd in this character for they have never unchurcht the Prelatical Churches even when they have met with the most harsh and unreasonable treatment from them But Mr. K. has given us another character to distinguish the Catholick members of the Church by which he imagines will exclude all the Presbyterians Independents c from that number viz. That they are such as make no separation from their lawful Governors All this is founded on his schismatical mark of the catholick Church viz. That its members live under their lawful spiritual Governors Here therefore all those difficulties occur about the meaning of lawful spiritual Governors which were propos'd p 3 4 5 6 7. And which sense soever Mr. K. chooses he will find it does oblige him to unchurch a great part of the Catholick Church i. e. to be a schismatick of the worst sort And if the laws of Christ must determine the debate he will give the Dissenters such an Argument against Prelatical Churches being members of the Catholick as he will never be able to answer And Mr. Baxter's Treatise which proves the unlawfulness of Diocesan Prelacy has according to Mr. K. done what that charitable man never intended unchurcht all our Diocesan Churches and cashierd them from being any part of the Church-Catholick There is no doubt but unjust separation from any lawful spiritual Governors is a sinful practice And particular Churches gather'd by such a sinful separation are not gather'd in a regular way And therefore an unjust violation of due Order is all that Mr. K. can justly pretend to charge the Presbyterians and Independents with and perhaps will find it a more difficult task than he imagines to make good that charge And therefore to clear this matter let me premise Particular Churches are the chief integrating parts of the Church Catholick These Churches consist of one or more Pastors and a Christian Flock associated under his or their oversight for personal communion in Faith Worship and holy living These Churches are obliged by the very dictates of the light of nature and general rules of the holy Scripture to endeavour the preservation of all necessary Unity by the amicable consultations of their associated Pastors The judgment of such associated Pastors should be submitted to by the people under their care when 't is not repugnant to the Word of God and contrary to the interest of Religion But the people do not owe them a blind obedience nor have such Pastors any power but for edification Much less can such Bishops pretend to an higher power whose very Office Christ never instituted whose pretended relation to their Diocess is not founded on the peoples consent to it and if such Bishops should claim