Church visible or representatiue did first incroach vpon the royall Attributes of the holy Catholike and Apostolike Church For what causes Christians may separate thewselues or suffer themselues to be separated from any visible Church whereof they were sometimes members 111 15. That our Forefathers separation from the Romish Church was most lawfull and iust both in respect of Prince and State and in respect of euery priuate person which feared God or sought to retaine the holy Catholike and Apostolike Faith 118 SECTION III. The visible Church of England retaines the holy Catholike faith which the Romish Church hath defiled 16. That our Chvrch was in the Romish Church before Luthers time and yet in it neither as a visible Church altogether distinct from it nor as any natiue member of it 139 17. That men may be visible members of the holy Catholike and Apostolike Church and yet no actuall members of any present visible Church 149 18. In what sense it may bee granted that the visible Romish Church at the time of our forefathers separation from it was a true Church and yet withall the Synagogue of Sathan the seate of Antichrist and common sinke of heresies 160 19 Whether our Forefathers in separating themselues or suffering themselues to be separated from the Romish Church did any otherwise then Gods Prophets or our Sauiours Disciples had their case and opportunity beene the same would haue done 170 20. Whether the name Catholike can in good earnest bee pleaded or pretended for an vnseparable marke of the true visible Church 21. That the title of Catholike is proper and essentiall vnto the faith professed by the present visible Church of England but cannot truely be attributed to the Faith or Creede of the moderne visible Romish Church 180 22. Of the adinuentions or new Articles added to the Creede by the Romish Church by which shee hath defiled the Holy Catholike and Apostolike faith Of the difference betwixt the Church of Rome and the Church of England concerning the rule of faith What that ecclesiasticke tradition was which Vincentius Lirâ—nensis so much commendeth to what vse it serued in the ancient Councels 185 23. Of the agreement betweene the Enthusiast or some non-conformitants to the Church of England and the Romish Church concerning the manner how the Spirit of truth as they suppose doth lead men into all truth That the true sense of scripture is as determinable by light of reason and rules of art as the conclusions of any other sciences or faculties are A generall suruey of the depraued or more then hereticall or heathenish infidelity of the moderne Romish Church 195 Errata Page 80 lin penult for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A TREATISE of the Holy Catholique Faith and CHVRCH IN the Exposition of the Apostles Creed a worke vndertaken by me long agoe I did sequester foure points from the body of that intended worke now almost finished The first was the doctrine of the holy blessed Trinitie which I reserued for the last part of my labours to be set downe by way of prayer or Soliloquies as being an argument in my iudgement both then and now more fit for meditation then for controuersie or Scholasticke discourse The second point was the Article of the holy Catholike Church The Third the Communion of Saints The fourth the Forgiuenesse of sinnes Points which I knew not how to handle in that ranke and order as they are propounded vnto vs in the Creede without manifest interruption of my intended method which I indeauoured should be continuate each latter part immediately issuing out of the former Nor could I finde a commodious entrance into the Article of Christs comming to iudge as well the dead as the liuing before I had treated of the resurrection of the dead Nor could I finish what I had to say or what was to bee said concerning the last Iudgement it selfe without some explication of the sentence to be awarded and that is life euerlasting to all true beleeuers and euerlasting death to the disobedient and vnbeleeuers So then the articles of the holy Catholique Church of the Communion of Saints of the forgiuenesse of sinnes haue beene out of choice and intended method left altogether vntouched reserued for peculiar Treatises CHAP. I. That it is easier to oppose than to answer a Romanist in this Argument of the Church The Authors method for meeting with wrangling Sophismes FIrst then of the Holy Catholique Church An Argument fitting for these times being specially insisted vpon and inlarged by Priests and Iesuites to our preiudice they well perceiuing their intricate disputes and sophisticall discourses in this point to bee the only net which Peters pretended successors haue left them for catching silly vncatechized soules or for intangling men of deepe vnderstanding but of deeper discontent or dislike with their present Gouernours or Dispensers of preferment For vnto men either not misled by discontented passion or otherwise not vncapable of sound reason it might easily appear that there is no heresie at this day maintained in Christendome at least so generally which doth either so highly offend God and his Christ or so grieuousty disturb the publike peace of Christs Church or so desperately indaÌ„ger the soul of euery one that subscribes vnto it as this heresie concerning the transcendent Authoritie of the visible Romish Church Howbeit I must confesse it is a great deale easier to discouer their blasphemies refute their heresies to pittie the stupiditie of some or to deride the petulancie or rashnesse of others then to auoide the contrary errors into which some reformed Writers of good note haue fallen some through meere eagernesse of opposition others through weakenesse and want of Arts. And no maruell for there is nothing which sooner or faster leades Artists themselues into errour than identitie of names or words including in them diuersitie of significations or importances The diuers significations of one and the same word may be either equiuocall or analogicall or a medly of both Be the diuersitie of this or that kinde or of what kinde it may bee vntill the difference betwixt them be exactly notified or vnfolded by some commodious distinction or artificiall explication they are apt to bring forth seeds of such endlesse quarrels betwixt controuersie-writers as grounds and tenements not well bounded or suruaide alwaies breede betwixt greedy and wrangling neighbours As in the one case each man is prone to trespasse vpon his neighbours possession so in the other each seuerall signification or importance is alwaies incroaching vpon the attributes or prerogatiues which most properly appertaine to some other more prime and principall Now there is no word or terme vsed either in any scientificall morall or popular discourse which hath so many so much different significations or importances as the word Church hath whether we take it in the Greeke Latine or English For preuenting the inconueniences whereunto the multiplicity and diuersitie of its significations or
the house of God That saying of the holy Spirit Act. 2. v. 47. was more peculiarly verified of those times and of that people then of any other times or people The Lord added to the Church daily such as should bee saued This saying includes thus much That all or most of those that professed themselues members of the then visible Church became liue-members of the holy Catholike Church And no wonder for the temptations or dangers which then hindred the Iewes or Gentiles but especially the Iewes from consociating themselues to the then visible Church were more and greater then such as hinder the members of later visible Churches from entring into the Kingdome of heauen or from resolute profession of that doctrine without which no member of any visible Church this day extant vpon earth can enter or be admitted into that one holy and Catholike Church Vntill Bellarmine Valentia Stapleton and some others did trouble the streame or current of Gods Word as much as we haue here said was cleerely represented to the aduersaries of our Church Witnesse that Enchiridion of Christian Institutions set forth by the prouinciall Councell of Colon vpon this Article of the Creede The Author of which Enchiridion were he one or more hauing diuided the Church into triumphant and militant ingenuously grants that the Church militant taken in its proper and strict sense is inuisible saue onely to God He grants withall that some members of the Church militant ita sunt in domo Dei vt ipsi sint Domus Dei they are so in the Church of God as they themselues are the Churches of God that is as we said before they are homogeneall and liue-members of the one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church or pillars and liuing stones so layed by the hand of God that they can neuer be remoued All hee had to say against Lutherans was verùm ad eum modum non oportet accipere Ecclesia vocabulum c. That when Christ commands vs to heare the Church or when the Fathers dispute about the authority of the Church we are not to take the Church militant so strictly as Luther Caluine and their followers somtimes doe to wit for the liue-members of Christs mysticall body All this may be granted we are not the men which they mistake vs for We neuer denied obedience to the visible Church which consists of good and bad which containes in it as well the reprobate as the elect All the difference betwixt vs is about the bounds or the limits of the obedience which wee owe vnto the visible Church Wee say first the present Romish visible Church doth exact greater and more absolute obedience then either Moses or such as sate in Moses chayre then either Christ or his Apostles did exact of their followers whilest hee liued here on earth Secondly wee say that we doe not owe the same measure of obedience to any visible Church now on earth as the primitiue professors and beleeuers did to our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles CHAP. VIII What is required to the constitution of a visible Church Whence the vnitie or pluralitie of visible Churches ariseth What vnitie may be had or expected betweene visible Churches independent one of another for Iurisdiction The diuers acceptions or degrees of the visible Church 1 TO the constitution of a visible Church there is required first externall profession of one and and the same faith Whether the parties making this profession be many or few it skils not Sometimes the father of the family with his sonnes and men-seruants were professors of the Christian faith taught by the Apostles whilest the mothers and the daughters with others of the same family remained in Paganisme and infidelity et é contra Now though the house so diuided were not the Church of God yet was there a visible Church of God or part of such a Church in that house A visible Church distinct from others in place of habitation onely not by diuersitie of faith or discipline For seuerall families of the faithfull were called Churches as being partes similares Homogeneall parts of some more intire or ample visible Church Secondly to the constitution of an intire visible Church there is required besides vnitie of profession or the vnitie of faith professed or of morall Lawes acknowledged an vnitie of Lawes or ordinances iudiciall or an vnity of discipline of astipulation or obligement vnto a peculiar kind of power or authority before vnusuall in other Societies or Corporations 2 Before the Pastors or gouernors of the Church had any commission or coactiue power deriued frō Princes States or Common weales to make Lawes for the Church or for punishing offenders euery member of the visible Church in what Realme or Kingdome soeuer seated did renounce or abiure all vse of such libertie as euery other member of the same Kingdome or common-weale which was no member of the Church did enioy It was not lawfull for one member of the visible Church to implead another in matter of controuersie or wrong before a forraigne Iudge And although this astipulation was not legall that is not authorised by any humane Law or custome yet did it bind them faster then any legall or ciuill bond Dare any of you saith S. Paul having a matter against another goe to Law before the vniust and not before the Saints Doe ye not know that the Saints shall iudge the world and if the world shall be iudged by you are ye vnworthy to iudge the smallest matters 1 Cor. cap. 6. vers 1 2. But if some member of this visible church had opposed this spirituall authority or reiected this discipline or astipulation what remedie had the Apostles against them In primitiue times euery one that was partaker of the Word of the Sacraments or of spirituall blessings did thereby subiect or oblige himselfe vnto a peculiar kinde of Iudicature or tribunall vnto which no other member of the Common weale or Kingdome which was no participant of the Word or Sacraments was either subiect or obliged And this was the sentence of Excommunication an extraordinarie and peculiar kind of Iudicature which the Apostles exercised by authoritie immediately deriued from Christ not by commission or warrant from Princes or Estates not by the positiue Lawes or ordinances of any Body ciuill or ecclesiasticke I verily as absent in body but present in spirit haue iudged alreadie as though I were present concerning him that hath so done this deed In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ when yee are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Iesus Christ To deliuer such a one vnto Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saued in the day of the Lord Iesus 1 Cor. cap. 5. v. 3 4 5. That this Apostolicall Iudicature did extend onely to the visible church planted by him that it did extend to all and might be exercised vpon euery actuall member of the same Church is apparant from the
the first planting of Churches had and practised Secondly Whether independent Iudicatures ecclesiasticke did or may decrease or multiply in succeeding ages or so decrease for number that there shall be but one left on earth vnto which all ought to bee subiect so farre that there shall or can bee but one true visible Church Concerning the first point Whether there bee any Iudicature Ecclesiasticke altogether the same with that which the Apostles had I am not of opinion with Erastus that great Physition and good Diuine that the exercise of Excommunication was then onely needfull when no visible Church had any legall or ciuill remedie to preserue its vnitie or purge it selfe of grosse offenders Or that the right or power of Excommunication which the Apostles and their immediate successors had did vtterly expire and vanish after once whole Cities or Common weales became Christian and the Churches which before had onely soiourned amongst them were incorporated into them as liue principall members enabled by full authority deriued from the supreame Maiestie or soueraigntie of States or Kingdomes to inflict corporall punishment vpon offenders to enact coerciue or penall Lawes or other meanes necessary for diffusing the doctrine of life throughout the whole body politike without lett or incumbrance of any particular part or member But though I be not thus farre of Erastus his mind that the power of Excommunication did at that time specified by him vtterly expire or determine yet hath experience made it more then probable that after the Churches and Common weales were so mutually interwrapt and lincked together that euery member of the Common weale was inforced to become a member of the Church and to bee so admitted by Church Gouernours the edge of the spirituall sword was much abated the force of former spirituall ordinances became stifeled with the multitude of persons against whom they were directed Whether the defect bee in the power it selfe or in such as haue it but doe not vse it certaine it is that this branch of discipline is not in our dayes so effectuall as sometimes it hath beene either for framing visible Churches vnto the rules prescribed by their great Founders or first Planters or for conforming the members of the visible Church vnto the true Holy and Catholike Church The meere spirituall power with which alone the Apostles and their immediate Successors were indued was of greater efficacie then both the remainder of the like spirituall power in later Bishops and Pastors and all the strength of secular or ciuill power wherewith Princes States or Kingdomes since the mutuall incorporation of Common weales and Churches haue as they were in conscience and de iure divino bound assisted Prelates and Church-gouernors 7 To the second question Whether there be one or more independent tribunals the later Romanists vnanimously answer that there is but one onely Iudicature or supreame tribunall here on earth the Iudge whereof they make the onely head of all the Churches or as they would say of the whole militant Church here on earth Nostra sententia est saith Bellarmine Ecclesiam vnam tantum esse non duas et illam vnam et veram esse coetum bominum eiusdem christianae fidei professione et eorundem sacramentorum communione colligatum sub regimine legitimorum pastorum ac praecipue vnius Christi in terris vicarij Romani Pontificis Ex qua definitione facile colligi potest qui homines ad Ecclesiam pertineant qui vero ad eam non pertineant Tres enim sunt partes huius definitionis Professio verae fidei Sacramentorum communio et subiectio ad legitimum pastorem Romanum Pontificem The Church in our opinion saith Cardinall Bellarmine is one not two and this one true Church is a Company of men linked together by profession of the same christian Faith by communion of the same Sacraments vnder the gouernement of lawfull Pastors and chiefly of the Bishop of Rome Christs sole Vicegerent here on earth Out of this definition hee further addes it may easily bee gathered what men pertaine vnto the Church who pertaine not vnto it For the parts of this definition are three Profession of Faith Sacramentall Communion and subiection to the lawfull Pastor viz. the Bishop of Rome The conclusion which he aymes at is this that whosoeuer either doth not hold the same Faith in all points which the Romish Church doth or doth not communicate with that Church in the vse of Sacraments or doing both these doth not withall acknowledge the Bishop of Rome for his supreame Gouernour ecclesiastike hee no way belongs to the true Church Whosoeuer holds all the three parts of the former definition he is the true sonne of the same Church The militant Church saith the Author of the Antidote is a society or company of men linked and combined together in the same profession of the Christian Faith and vse of Sacraments vnder lawfull Pastors chiefly vnder one Head and Vicar of Christ the Pope of Rome the 3. part of the Antidote cap. 1. p. 17. § 5. 8 The Church triumphant is more beholding to or rather lesse iniured by this Cardinall and his followers then it was by some former Popes or Councels which as the Doctor of famous and blessed memorie long since obserued haue made the Pope head of the Church triumphant Cardinall Bellarmine and his Epitomists in making the Pope such an head of the vniuersall Church militant make him an essentiall head of all Christs actuall liue and indeficient members here on earth And thus to doe is an indignitie to Christ not literally or fully expressable by any tearmes which the tongue or pen of men can inuent It may notwithstanding be thus typically represented or shadowed Suppose a man should put a Gorgon or Saracens head made of straw or clouts taken out of a sinke or some other place not fit to be named vpon the Kings statue or image made by publike authority of pure gold hauing first stricken off or stollen away the true head which the Artificer had framed of matter homogeneall and correspondent for forme or proportion to the rest of the body 9 Contradictorie to Cardinall Bellarmine and the Author of the Antidotes definition wee may for the present conclude and the rules as well of nature and reason as of lawes supernaturall and diuine will ratifie our conclusion viz. First that since the Churches and Common-weales absolutely distinct each from other and independent one of another haue beene thus wedded together as soule and body as man and wife there haue beene as many seuerall visible Churches independent each on other for matter of iurisdiction or subiection to one visible Head as there be seuerall free States or Christian Kingdomes independent one of another Secondly that the subordination of Church to Church is in proportion the same with the subordination of the seuerall states wherein the Churches are planted The best vnion that can be expected betweene visible Chuches
Inhabitant of China or of Terra incognita can be saued is a great deale more safe then to thinke God hath no meanes vnknowne vnto vs by which he may and doth saue some euen in those countries wherin there is no visible Church or Christian Congregation or whose Inhabitants haue no commerce with any Christians Wee see by experience that God teacheth such as are borne deafe and dumb many things by the eye or other external suggestion which such as haue the vse benefit of eares tongue could not learn either by sight or other externall sense Now albeit the Apostles rule faith commeth by bearing be most vndoubtedly true and true likewise that without faith it is impossible to please God yet were it an hard censure hence to conclude that none such as are born deafe and dumbe can be saued The Apostles saying then that faith commeth by hearing must bee limited by its proper subiect that is men to whom God hath giuen the gift of hearing So must the Maxime now in question extra Ecclesiam non est salus out of the Church there is no saluation bee limited or restrained to its proper subiect Howbeit the exact limitation of it might best bee made or taken by such as haue occasion to dispute with the Iewes or Heathens It is onely or especially true in respect of such Iewes Turkes or heathens and their seuerall progenies as haue commerce with Christians The former Maxime with reference to such men is vniuersally true if we take the visible Church vniuersally or indefinitely vnlesse such men associate themselues to some visible Church or other they cannot be saued And in some cases it may be vndoubtedly true in respect of some particular visible Church but so true onely ex accidenti or hypothesi by accident or vpon supposition As if a Iew or Mahumetan by profession and birth should liue in this kingdome hauing no possible meanes of associating himselfe to any other congregation of Christians than such as conforme themselues to the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England it were both safe and orthodoxe to lay the former Law or Gospell as hard vnto him as the Papists doe vnto vs to tell him in plaine and peremptory tearmes that there were no meanes for him to escape the horrors of hell and miseries of the world to come vnlesse hee would become a member of Christs Church planted here amongst vs. Or in case he and other more such as he is were to leaue vs and to reside in some other State or Kingdome we were bound in conscience to apply the like medicine vnto him or them and to tell them there were no hope for them to escape the wrath of God but by becomming the sonnes of God no hope to become the sonnes of God but by becomming the children of some visible Church indued with power and authoritie to baptize them into Christs death and resurrection Of heathens then or infidels or of whosoeuer not as yet professing Christianitie yet hauing commerce with Christians and liuing within the call of the visible Church that of Cyprian is vniuersally true Hee that hath not the Church for his Mother cannot haue God for his Father Albeit by the Church in this saying we meane a visible Church 2 Of such as haue beene actuall members of some visible Church but haue either separated themselues from it or haue beene cast out of it by Ecclesiastike censure or coactiue power neither of the former Maximes extra Ecclesiam non est salus Et qui non habet Ecclesiam Matrem non habet Deum Patrem out of the Church there is no saluation And he that hath not the Church for his Mother hath not God for his Father is vniuersally true if we speake of the Church visible whether particular indefinite or vniuersall Both must be limited by the reasons or occasions which did moue the parties to forsake the Church wherein they were baptized or by the causes for which they were excluded or cast out of it It is here supposed that if the causes why they are excluded from one visible Church bee iust and good and the exclusion it selfe legall and formall the parties thus iustly excluded from one cannot lawfully be admitted into another visible Church 3 Swarez in his treatise to my remembrance de causa formali and in that question An dentur plures formae in vno composito whether there bee more formes than one in one body mentions a Synod which anathematizeth all such as dogmatically doe hold tres animas in vno viuente three soules in one liuing body And had the spirituall sword been put into Lactantius his hands it is very likely he would haue put all such Philosophers Geographers or Astronomers as had held the Antipodes to haue sought out a visible Church in that region At the least if his arme had beene so long as the Iesuits make the Popes hee would haue cut them off from all Communion with any visible Church or congregation of Christians within the Hemisphere wherein he liued And no question but euery visible Church hath such power and authority that it may so it will tyrannically abuse the power which God hath giuen it cut off euery inferiour member de facto But being cut off though from the vniuersall Church visible vpon no greater occasions or iuster causes then these late mentioned they do not thereby cease to be members of the Church which is to vs inuisible that is of the Church which is Holy and Catholike 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no not to be visible members of the Holy Catholike Church taken in a secondary sense that is of the Catholike Church which is visible to vs. Of which and of the ground of this distinction betweene an actuall member of the present visible Church and a visible member of the Holy Catholike Church we shall speake hereafter But to hold tres animas in vno viuente three soules in one liuing bodie is not so great an error in Diuinity or so meritorious of excommunication as either to affirme that there be two persons or to deny that there be two natures in our Sauiour Christ He that should dogmatically hold the affirmatiue or negatiue specified deserueth to bee vtterly cut off from euery visible Church And one and the same stroke of the spirituall sword which cuts him off from being a member of the visible Church doth incontinently cut him off from being a member of the Holy Catholike Church in what sense soeuer taken or to speake more properly hee doth depriue himselfe ipso facto of all communion with Christ or his body the Church by denying the vnity of his person or by confounding his natures And hauing thus apparantly excommunicated himselfe from that holy Church which is only knowne vnto God to vs invisible the visible Church stands bound in dutie of conscience and allegiance to Christ to depriue him of all communion with her or any member of hers either in the
take vpon them to defend the truth This did not Peter this would not any Bishop of Rome haue done within fiue hundred yeeres after Christ SECT 3. That the present visible Church of England retaines the Holy Catholike Faith which the Romish Church hath defiled and by defiling it hath lost that true vnion with the primitiue and Apostolike Church which the visible Church retaineth CHAP. XVI That our Church was in the Romish Church before Luthers time and yet in it neither as a visible Church altogether distinct from it nor as any natiue member of it 1 IT is in the first place obiected that wee had no Church at all before Luthers time Secondly that neither Luther nor Christian Princes which imbraced his doctrine had any authority to erect or found a new Church If we say as we must say and beleeue that we had a true Church before Luther of a Monke became a Reformer it will bee demanded where our Church was and of what persons it did consist To the former part of this importunate demand Where was your Church before Luthers time the Reverend learned Doctor Field pithily answers Our Church was in the same place then wherein now it is His explication will iustifie his meaning against all gainesayers Howbeit I must frame my answer according to my former principles fit it to some captious questions or obiections made by some of our Aduersaries since this Worthy died 2 If our Church before Luthers time were in the same place wherein now it is it will further bee demanded Whether it were a Church distinct from the then Romish Church or a member of it That wee had a visible Church before Luthers time in this Kingdome altogether distinct from the Romish visible Church planted in this Kingdome before Luther was borne or so distinct as respublica Venetorum is à Regno Gallia as the State of Venice is from the kingdome of France seemes very improbable to the Romanists and somewhat hard for vs to proue vnlesse we will deriue our pedigree from the Albigenses the Picardi or the poore men of Lions which to doe I know not how safe it is or how well pleasing it would be to the present visible English Church vnlesse we had better records of their tenets then I haue seene or then the visible Romish Church that de facto condemnes them for heretiks was willing to propagate to posteritie On the other side if our Church before Luthers time was a member of the then Romish Church wee shall bee further questioned what authoritie our King and State had either to dismember their Church or to make a new intire distinct Church of an old dismembred part of their Church In these and like obiections they alwaies suppose two things as vnquestionable which we vtterly deny The first that the whole multitude of Christians throughout these Westerne parts as England France Germany Italy and Spaine c. excepting such as were by their Church disclaymed for heretikes or schismatikes were all members of the then visible Romish Church and that there was such an vnion betwixt all and euery one of this multitude as sufficeth to make all indiuiduals within these States or Kingdomes true members of one visible or of the then visible Romish Church The second They suppose that our vnion with some present visible Church is a natiue degree or part of our vnion with the Holy Catholike Church or that our vnion with some present visible Church is necessary or essentiall not accidentall to our being or not being members of the Holy Catholike Church For our more orderly and safe proceeding wee are in the first place to shake and hereafter by Gods helpe to raze these two rotten foundations wheron all their arguments either for annoying ours or for supporting their Church are grounded 3 Our first Counterfort shall be this All the particular Congregations recounted by reformed Writers which before Luthers time had either separated themselues from the visible Romish Church of their times or had beene disclaimed by it for schismatiques or heretikes being sequestred from this dispute our Church might bee and was in the visible Romish Church as Bellarmine and other professed sonnes of that Church define it and yet bee in it neither so as to make one intire visible Church distinct from it nor as any integrall part or naturall member of it If we take all which the Romish Church doth challenge for her sonnes before Luthers time there was in that multitude rather a Church truely visible than one true visible Church if wee measure the truth of the visible Church according to our former principles and as wee ought to measure it by the conformitie which it hath with the one truely holy and Apostolike Church Our meaning is the whole multitude of Christians in these Westerne parts before Luthers time all those being excluded which the Romish Church representatiue did condemne for heretikes or schismatiques had no such vnitie as truely answers to the vnitie of a body naturall but an vnitie onely answerable to the vnitie of an heap or congest of Heterogeneals Some had the number only others the very character of the Beast The heape or congest which wee suppose as an Embleme of the visible Romish Church taking that Church in that amplitude which they challenge before Luther by Gods appointment attempted reformation shal be an heap or congest of seueral mettals al or most part vnpurified In this one heape or congest a great part of heterogeneals though not all shal be supposed to haue had the vnion of continuation or concretion that is some pieces of vnpurified gold by the negligence or vnskilfulnes of the artificer were made vp or suffered to make vp themselues in some clod or cake with an huge quantitie of copper lead brasse iron or other baser metals all vnpurified from their drosse the other part of the same heape or congest consisting of seuerall or lesser pieces of richer metall all homogeneall in themselues though many vnpurified and wanting the vnion of contiguitie or concretion 4 The parts of a good Mineralist or Refiner in this case were first to dissolue the cake or clod and to seuer the richer metall from the baser Secondly to purifie homogeneals so seuered from their owne drosse Thirdly to make them vp so seuered or purified into plate wedges or Bullion or to put some other accidentall or artificiall forme vpon them All this being done we cannot say there was a true generation of any new body or substance or that the Refiner did make gold where there was none before as some Alchymists professe that they can turne iron or other metals specifically distinct into gold here was only a refining of metall praeexistent and an addition onely of an accidentall forme To parallel the Refiners worke by the reformation wrought by Luther and the Christian Princes that harkened to him First it cannot be denyed but that the visible Romish Church or if you will the faction
the chiefe Priests and Elders in matters of faith and practice as wee are from communicating with the Romish Church or members of the Trent Councell But if this mans meaning be that neither the Prophets nor our Sauiours Disciples before his death did take vpon them to erect a new visible Church altogether distinct from the erring Synagogue the obiection is true but no way preiudiciall to vs. For they liued in that Church or common weale as our forefathers before Luthers time which feared God did in the Romish Church or common weale which had not by publike consent abandoned the Romish Religion that is neither as absolute members of the Synagogue nor yet a visible Church distinct from it but as visible members of that primitiue Church from which the Synagogue had degenerated As for the Prophets and other godly men which liued before our Sauiours death they wanted rather power than willing minds to reforme the corruptions of the visible Church in which they liued And the true reason why that Church continued so corrupt from Iosias his death vntill the destruction of the Temple and grew so wicked againe in the age before our Sauiours time was because during these times there were either naughty Kings or no Kings at all in Israel Had Iehosophat Ezekiah Iosiah or any like vnto them of Dauids line beene Kings of Iudah in Herods stead there is no question but they would haue brought the Scribes and Pharisees to better order or haue deposed them either haue reduced the then visible Church to its primitiue purity or haue erected a new visible Church according to the paterne prescribed by Moses That the Priests and Prophets did so ouerbeare the true Prophets of God Ieremiah Ezekiel c. to the ruine of the City and Kingdome was the fault of Iehoiakim and Zedekiah As at this day againe it is the fault and folly of Christian Kings that the Church of Rome is not either reduced to better conformity with the holy Catholike and Apostolike Church or else demolished as the Iewish Synagogue was But what should moue this man I meane the Author of the blind Guide of Faith to make the former obiection against vs I cannot conceiue vnlesse it were to giue vs and the Christian world to vnderstand That the visible Romish Church his mother could bee very well content to continue till Christs second comming as erroneous and antichristian as the Iewish Synagogue was before his first comming in the flesh vpon condition she may retaine her wonted power and authority to tyrannize ouer vs and other Saints of God as the visible Iewish Church or Synagogue did oft-times ouer the true Prophets and Christs disciples 2 For conclusion of this point In as much as Christian Princes and free States did second Luther in his intended reformation of so much of the visible Romish-Church as was seated in their Soueraignties or Dominions this warrants our separation to haue beene iust and lawfull and free from all suspition of rebellion or schisme whereunto the like attempts in Iury though vndertaken by Gods Prophets had beene obnoxious vnlesse the Princes or chiefe Magistrates had giuen them countenance and authority Howbeit neither Prince nor people ioyntly or seuerally either now haue or at any time had power to make a new church altogether distinct from the Catholike Church militant on earth which hath beene one by continuation of the same faith since the Apostles time But in case any part of the Church militant or visible be infected with heresie or ouerswaid by faction to approue such impious and vngodly practices as are incompatible with the Holy Catholike faith which hath beene professed in pure and vncorrupt times euery free Prince or State haue in this case power and authority sufficient to dislinke themselues from the factious combination of the visible Church or Churches seated in forraigne States or Kingdomes and to vnite themselues into renewed formes of visible Churches distinct from others Yet thus to doe so they doe no more is not to make a new Church neuer heard of before but rather to recollect the scattered members of the Holy Catholike Church in whom the life and substance of the true Church of God consists and to put a new accidentall forme vpon them 3 The case is altogether the same as if an Army consisting of threescore thousand English French and Italians appointed by ioynt consent of these Nations to inuade the Turke should bee misled by the Italian Generall to reuenge his priuate quarrels vpon the Christians If the English vpon discouery of their Generals trecherie should abandon him and adioyne themselues vnto the Hungarians or other Christians oppressed by the Turke they could not iustly be blamed either for defection or reuolt or for leuying an Armie or vndertaking a warre altogether new without any warrant or commission Well might they presume their Prince would approue their proceedings specially if their seruice had successe answerable to the godly intentions of their first Commission 4 As many of our forefathers as did submit themselues vnto the Iurisdiction of the church of Rome and vndertook such seruices as the Pope or Romane Prelacie did appoint them vnto they did thus onely vpon presumption that the Pope did faithfully execute his Commission as the Apostles successor or that he did command in chiefe for Christ But when the contrary was notoriously knowne vnto this people that hee did but counterfeit the visage of the Lambe that he might the more plausibly effect the designes of the Dragon Our Prince and people in abandoning his yoke and breaking off their confederacie with the church of Rome did well And this being done they remaine the same church they were for life and substance but the same Church better purified and purged from rebellious Antichristian humours the same Church so much more homogeneall to the ancient Primitiue catholike Church by how much they remained the freer from seruitude to Romish tyranny whose vsurped authority ouer other Churches is but Antichristianisme or Apostasie from Christ CHAP. XX. Whether the name Catholike can in good earnest be pleaded or pretended for an vnseparable marke of the true visible Church 1 BVt in all these Illustrations it will be excepted that wee take something for granted which the Romish Church will vtterly disclaime This for one That our forefathers at the time of their departure from the Romish Church were true Catholikes or in the interim betweene the abandoning of the Prelacie of Rome and the establishing a Prelacie or forme of Gouernment of their owne more refined were visible members of the holy Catholike Church For so destitute is the Romane Church of all true solid properties of the true Church of God that she is faine to plead the name and title of Catholike to be her proper note or Ensigne which no other Church may more presume to challenge then a Seruingman may presume to weare his Masters coate or cognizance after hee be discharged of his
seated in Kingdomes or Common-weales independent one of another is the vnitie of league or friendship And this may be as strict as it shall please such Common-weales or Churches to make it Thirdly to make the Church seated in one absolute State or Kingdome liue in subiection to another Church seated in another Kingdome or to any member of another Church or Kingdome head or branch is to erect a Babell or seat for Antichrist not to build vp one holy Church to Christ This practice or vsurpation of the Romish Church hath been the reason why the christian world for these many yeeres hath beene more confused and disordered then the Synagogue of Mahomet Nor is there any possibilitie that christian States or Kingdomes should euer be so vnited in faith and loue as that their ioynt prayers should be acceptable vnto God against the Turke or other professed enemie of Christ vntill they haue cast off this heauy yoke of Satanicall slauery But of these points hereafter 10 Lastly since the Church hath beene diffused throughout all and euery part of Kingdomes and Prouinces it is impossible that euery member should personally meete to make lawes and orders And yet all lawes are presumed to bee made by vniuersall consent and in this regard the Churches haue beene inforced to haue as well Churches as Bodies politike representatiue And inasmuch as the practice and custome hath beene to admit none but Cleargie or Church-men as members of the Body Ecclesiastike or Church representatiue the name of the Church hath beene in a manner appropriated to the Cleargie Church-men or Spiritualtie The Church or body Ecclesiastike representatiue that is the Church inabled to make lawes or canons Ecclesiastike of what members soeuer it doth may or ought to consist for their qualification as whether onely of Clarkes or whether it may admit some mixture of the Layetie is either permanently existent or existent onely by vicissitude or turnes The Church representatiue which is existent onely by vicissitude or at certaine times onely may bee comprehended vnder the names of Councels or Synods whether oecumenicall generall or prouinciall or of Conuocations ecclesiastike The Church representatiue permanently existent amongst the Romanists is the Consistorie of the Pope and his Cardinals Albeit in very deede the Iesuites the Canonists and later Papists of their instruction haue contracted the Church representatiue into the Popes brest alone He to vse their own dialect is the vertuall Church that is He eminently comprehends al the authoritie which is formally and ordinarily seated or inhaerent whether in the Church representatiue or in the whole militant and visible Church of God whereof He claimeth to bee the sole visible head He hath the same reference to the whole body of the Church visible besides as Plato his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the life or quintescence of the visible Church or in respect of that Church all in all So Cardinall Paleotus in his booke de sacro consistorio would perswade vs that as God Almighty sometimes gouernes the world by his ordinary power or by the ministerie or coagencie of second causes sometimes by his extraordinarie immediate or absolute power so the Pope sometimes determines controuersies in religion and orders the affaires of the Church by the consent and assistance of Councels or at least of his Consistorie somtimes by himselfe alone and by his sole plenarie and illimited power CHAP. IX That albeit the true Church be alwaies visible yet it is a grosse sophisme hence to inferre that the visible Church is alwaies the true Church or that one visible Church is more priuiledged from erring than another The strange blasphemie by which the Author of the Antidote seekes to support the infallibilitie of the visible Romish Church 1 THe subiect of our next inquirie shall bee so to share the titles or attributes giuen by the Scriptures orthodoxall antiquitie or other good authoritie to the Church indefinitely taken betweene that one Holy Catholike Church which wee beleeue in this Creede and the visible Church or Churches which we see or know so as that God and his Holy Church may haue their full dues and Gods deputies here on earth Caesars or other gouernours of his visible Church may haue no wrong The best and most generall rule for our direction in this search is that which will better appeare from a treatise concerning the exposition of prophesies For as one and the same prophesie touching Christ so one and the same promise made vnto the Church may be often literally verified and in different measure successiuely fulfilled of diuers parties Some promises may be literally verified of the visible Church or Synagogue of the Iewes before our Sauiours Incarnation and of the visible Churches planted by his Apostles and bee in part fulfilled throughout euery age of the liue-members of Christs body to vs inuisible but lastly to bee exactly fulfilled of the Church triumphant or Kingdome of glory 2 Most of the later Romanists arguments are meere Sophismes à dicto secundùm quid ad simpliciter that is they take all those glorious titles or promises made to the Church in its most ample or exquisite signification to be exactly and intirely fulfilled of the visible Church throughout all ages when as they are verified of it in part onely or at some speciall times or by way of type or shadow and vnto which she hath at no time any absolute title but conditionall In this mist of ignorance the Author of the blinde guide of faith in his second chapter doth strangely wander not onely from the truth but from the leuell which hee had taken not much amisse in the first chapter of his treatise and as his custome is when hee hath lost his way like a balling Hound not well entred fals a barking at Doctor Whitaker whose words or meaning how sincerely he quotes or recites I leaue it to the vnpartiall Readers examination In his third chapter hauing proposed this Thesis That the true visible Church is apparantly knowne and famous to the world he labours to proue in the fourth chapter that the true visible and apparantly knowne Church can neuer faile That the visible Church was in the Apostles time and after the true Church of God we neuer denyed nor will we contend with him whether the true Church of God on earth can euer faile no not whether euer it ceaseth to be visible Where then is the difference These two propositions the true Church of God is alwaies visible the visible Church is alwaies the true Church of God differ as much as a Mill-horse and a Horse-mill or as to stand with a man and to withstand a man The whole visible Church in the dayes of the Emperours Constantius and Valens did Arianize as the Romanist cannot deny The best answer that they can giue to this Instance is that these Emperours did not raigne long for Valens died within
desperate a madnesse as for a passenger to leape into the Sea because hee knew the ship wherein he sayled and the company with whom he must necessarily conuerse were deepely infected with a deadly pestilence And thus to doe were a desperate pranke vnlesse the partie aduenturing had very great skill in swimming and were withall within ken of some comfortable shore or harbour All this may seeme to make for our Aduersaries or at least against our forefathers which were sometimes members of the visible Romish Church but did either voluntarily separate themselues from it or suffer themselues to be thrust out of it when as they might haue retained communion with it so they would haue imbraced their doctrine Besides the danger of separation from it both they and we haue felt the seuerest strokes of the spirituall sword of excommunication which the Gouernours of the Romish Church could reach vs. 5 The branches of the maine controversie betwixt that Church and ours are two The first whether the reasons which moued our forefathers to depart from that Church or not to imbrace her doctrines were iust and necessary The second Whether our forefathers being howsoeuer separated from it had commission full power and iust authority from God to vnite themselues into a true visible Church whether they did rightly pursue such warrant or commission as they had and whether they and we haue beene and are a true visible Church The iust and necessary reasons for which men whether few or many may and ought to separate themselues from any visible Church are in generall two The first because they are vrged or constrained to professe or beleeue some points of doctrine or to aduenture vpon some practices which are contrary to the rule of faith or Law of God and are either ex specie or ex gradu cumulo either for their specificall quality or for their burthen or number so hereticall and deadly that they necessarily induce a separation from the holy and Catholike faith without which the Church can neither be holy nor Catholike The second in case they are vtterly depriued of freedome of conscience in professing what they inwardly beleeue or bee bereft of some other meanes either altogether necessarie or most expedient to saluation both which may be had in some other visible Church In this later case that rule of our Apostle giuen vnto seruants is true Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called Art thou called being a seruant Care not for it but if thou mayest be made free vse it rather For hee that is called in the Lord being a seruant is the Lords freeman Likewise also he that is called being free is Christs seruant Ye are bought with a price bee not ye the seruants of men 1 Cor. 7.20 21 22 23. Although we were perswaded that wee could communicate with such a Church without evident danger of damnation yet in as much as we cannot so communicate with it vpon any better termes then legall seruants or bondslaues doe with their Masters we are bound in conscience and religious discretion when lawfull occasions and opportunities are offred to vse our libertie and to seeke our freedome rather then to liue in bondage CHAP. XV. That our Forefathers separation from the Romish Church was most lawfull and iust both in respect of Prince and State and in respect of euery priuate person which feared God or sought to retaine the holy Catholike and Apostolike Faith 1 WHen we debate the lawfulnesse of our Forefathers separation from the Romish Church we meane the then Romish Church as visible Now vnto the constitution of an entire and compleat visible Church there is required First an vnity of faith and doctrine Secondly an vnitie of discipline or coactiue Lawes but especially an vnitie of subordination to one independent Iudicature Vnity in points of faith and doctrine is more essentiall to the Church as it is holy and Catholike that is as it is Orthodoxall Vnity of Lawes or discipline or of independent Iudicature is more essentiall and more necessary to the Church as visible Hence as wee said before there be as many distinct visible Churches as there be independent Iudicatures or supreame Tribunalls Ecclesiasticke Vnto a Catholike Church or vnto a Church visibly Catholike such as the Romanists beleeue their Church to be both kinds of vnity are necessary Whether this vnitie of discipline full power of Iurisdiction or independent Iudicature be seated in one person or more that is whether the forme of ecclesiasticall gouernment be Aristocraticall or Monarchicall is in our Diuinity all one The vnitie or conformitie may be as compleat and perfect the one way as the other But the Romanists the English Priests and Iesuits doe not onely hold this vnity of independent Iudicature to be necessary to the constitution of the visible Catholike Church but that it must of necessity be radically in one person to wit in the Pope on whom as vpon the head and fountaine the vnity of the Holy Catholike visible Church doth depend and for this reason they put his Holinesse in the definition of the Holy Catholike Church as you heard before out of Cardinall Bellarmine and the Author of the Antidote So that the Popes supremacie hath the same place in the whole visible Church as euery summum genus in his proper predicament As nothing can bee truly said to be in the predicament vnlesse it participate the nature or definition of the summum genus so none by this doctrine can be a true member of the holy Church vnlesse he be subordinate to the Pope Or as no man can come to the Father but by the Sonne so none can come vnto the sonne but by this Holy Father the Pope Euery one must be visibly vnited vnto him and to his Lawes before he can be mystically or spiritually vnited vnto Christ Howbeit by putting the Pope in the definition of the Holy Catholike Church with intention thereby to exclude vs from it who denie his authority they intangle and fetter themselues in another point of great consequence betwixt vs them of which aduantage we shall make some better vse hereafter The summe of our present dispute is this As professing of vnitie with the Romish Church in all points of faith which that Church teacheth doth necessarily induce a disunion or separation from the holy Catholike Faith and Church so the acknowledgment of such subordination as is required vnto the head of it in matters of discipline or iurisdiction induceth flat rebellion or high treason against all free States or Kingdomes Christian 2 The reasons which moued our forefathers to forsake the visible Romish church or to suffer themselues to be forsaken by it and withhold vs from returning to iâ— were and are in two respects most necessarie and iust Iust they were and are necessary First on the behalfe of euery priuate man that had or hath a care of conscience and Religion Secondly on behalfe of Prince and
reason in his owne words We must bee vtterly stript of the Image of the earthly man before wee can put on the compleat and glorious Image of the heavenly And as we haue borne the Image of the earthly we shall also beare the Image of the heauenly But when shall that be When this corruptible shall haue put on incorruption and this mortall shall haue put on immortalitie when the saying shall be brought to passe Death is swallowed vp in victory 1 Cor. 15. ver 49 54. 5 The title of Catholike to my best remembrance is not expressed in Scripture but often implyed in termes aequiualent The Church of Christ was first expresly enstyled Catholike by the Apostles theÌ„selues o◠〈◊〉 compoâ—ers of the Apostles Creed especially in opposition 〈…〉 visible Church of the Iewes or rather to this peoples factious conceit of the prerogatiues which God had bestowed vpon their Nation misweening that the whole family or house of God the full amplitude of the Messias his Kingdome should be comprized within the house or family of Abraham or at least that none should haue any title or claime to the Kingdom of God vnlesse he were first admitted to bee a member of that visible society which did meet at Ierusalem as at their Common Hall House or place of Parliament That the Church should bee thus Catholike or vniuersall or that the Gentiles should be fellow heires or ioynt members of the same body with Abrahams seed was a secret not imparted to many before the Revelation of the Gospell For this cause I Paul the prisoner of Iesus Christ for you Gentiles if yee haue heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is giuen me 〈…〉 How that by reuelation he made knowne vnto me the mystery as I wrote afore in few words whereby when ye read yee may 〈…〉 and my knowledge in the mystery of Christ which in other ages was not made knowne vnto the sonnes of men as it is now revealed vnto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the spirit that the Gentiles should be fellow heires of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospell Ephes 3. ver 1 2 3 4 5 6. Saint Peter himselfe had not fully apprehended this mystery vntil the Lord awaked him out of this dream by interpreting the vision which he saw concerning this point Act. 10. ver 15. But seeing the euent answerable to Gods word or to the voice which hee heard in the vision he burst out into this confession ver 34. Of a truth I perceiue that God is no accepter of persons but in euery nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him accepted to bee a liue member of his holy and Catholike Church as Cornelius no question either at this time or afterwards was But the full importance of this terme Catholike is set downe Revelat. 5. vers 8 9. And the foure and twenty Elders sung a new Song saying Thou art worthy to take the booke and to open the seales thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation And hast made vs vnto our God Kings and Priests and we shall raigne on the earth The branches of this title Catholike are specially these three First Gods Church is said to bee Catholike or vniuersall in respect of all places Secondly in respect of all sorts and condiâ—â—â—â—â— of men nationall or personall Thirdly it is said Vniuersall in respect 〈…〉 Some of euery Nation Condition or state are admitted vnto it Some likewise are admitted in euery age or generation of men From the day wherein the Lord did lay the first foundation or corner stone in Sion there haue beene in one place or other daily additions vnto this Church without substraction continuall adgeneration without corruption and a continuall growth or augmentation without any the least diminution or decay of any true liue particle which it had before CHAP. V. Containing the friuolous exceptions of Cardinall Bellarmine and some other Romanists against the former or like description of the true Church or that Church which is principally meant in the Apostles Creede 1 THis notification or circumscription of the true Church by the true and liue-mysticall body of Christ is not lyable to that exception which Bellarmine and his followers haue taken against Caluines inuisible Church as they conceiue it Or in case the same exceptions bee taken against the Church described or notified in the former chapters one answer will suffice for both Their onely exception is this Primum igitur quòd vera Ecclesia sit visilibis probatur primò ex Scripturis omnibus vbicunque inuenitur nomen Ecclesiae Nam semper nomine Ecclesiae visibilis congregatio significatur Nec vnum saltem locum Caluinus proferre potuit nec protulit vbi hoc nomen tribueretur congregationi inuisibili Bellar. de Ecclesia militante lib. 3. cap. 12. That the true Church is visible may first be proued out of all those Scriptures in which the name of the Church is found For by this name a visible Congregation is alwaies signified Caluin neither did nor could produce so much as one place wherein the name Church is bestowed vpon any inuisible Congregation 2 If his meaning be that so much of the true Church and liue-mysticall body of Christ as is now extant on earth though altogether vnuisible to vs be either excluded or not principally meant in those places of Scriptures Creedes or Councels in which the true Church is notified vnto vs by these or the like attributes one holy Catholkie or Apostolique it is grosly and apparently false For all Gods promises to the Church principally belong to the principal members of it who are distinctly and indiuidually knowne to himselfe onely not so to vs. To whom notwithstanding their persons are visible the profession of their faith is likewise visible The sinceritie of their hearts or faith is to vs inuisible and therefore inuisible it is to vs whether they bee liue-members of the holy Catholike Church or no. If his meaning be that many Indiuiduals which are no true liue-members of the mysticall body of Christ be literally comprized vnder the name and title of the Church the allegation though most true is very idle and impertinent For thus the Iew is able to make proofe as direct and full as can bee required by any ingenuous and learned Christian that most of those types and prophesies which we alledge to euince Iesus the sonne of Mary to be the Christ and promised Messias are literally and historically meant and verified either of the sacrifice of the Law or of Gods people of Dauid of Salomon or of some other c. Al this notwithstanding being granted doth no way disproue but rather ratifie our application of the same prophesies or sacred passages vnto Christ of whom they are alwaies in the intention of the holy Spirit principally meant and
9 10 11. ver I wrote vnto you in an Epistle not to companie with Fornicators The Corinthians had extended this precept too farre so farre as it was not possible for them exactly to obserue it And vpon this occasion it seemes they did as it vsually fals out in like cases vtterly neglect to practise it within its proper bounds or limits The Apostle therefore expresseth his meaning not to be that they should not keepe company with the Fornicators of this world or with the covetous or extortioners or with Idolaters for then must ye needs goe out of the world But now I haue written vnto you not to keepe company if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous or an Idolater or a railer or a Drunkard or an extortioner with such a one no not to eate For what haue I to doe to iudge them also that are without doe not yee iudge them that are within But them that are without God iudgeth 3 Thus it is true in blessings or priuiledges ecclesiasticall as well as ciuill Omnis commoditas sua fert incommoda secum Euery commodity or conveniēce is charged with some or other incommodious conditions Such of the Corinthians as were foris extra matriculam Ecclesiae visibilis out of the visible Church in Corinth were not subiect vnto this extraordinarie Iudicature or the inconveniences that did accompanie it Vnto all which euery visible member of the Chuch there planted was subiect But this subiection was like the seruice of God a great part of their perfect freedome and a chastisement not sweet for the present but grieuous yet yeelding the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse to them that were exercised by it All the Corinthians that were foris that is out of the visible Church there planted were more then lyable and more then obnoxious to a more dreadfull iudgement from God which one time or other must ineuitably fall vpon euery one that is not found in Christ or that is not a liue-member of the holy Catholike Church The onely meanes at least the ordinarie meanes then possible to be exempted from this fearefull iudgement was by associating themselues vnto the present visible Church and by submission of their soules to this peculiar Iudicature of Gods Apostles Christs Embassadours For this power as the Apostle elsewhere speakes was not giuen them for destruction but for edification The members of the Church that were thus iudged by them were chastened by the Lord that they should not bee condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11. vers 32. Every Apostle of Christ had the same authoritie which S. Paul here practised namely full authoritie to set downe orders for governing the Chruches planted by them and for excommunicating all such persons as either contemptuously violated their orders or did otherwise scandalously trespasse against the morall Law of God 4 Was it then lawfull for any visible member of the Church planted by Saint Paul at Corinth in case of controuersies which were to be arbitrated according to the tenor of his prescript before rehearsed to appeale from the sentence of Saint Paul or other domesticke arbitrators vnto S. Peter or vnto any forraine Church or See planted or gouerned by him Or contrariwise was it lawfull for the Churches planted by Saint Peter to appeale vnto S. Paul If thus to doe it were not lawfull then questionlesse the Churches visible of Saint Pauls planting were as truely distinct from the Chruches planted or governed by Saint Peter as one free State or Common weale is from another vnto which it is not in iurisdiction or matter of appeale subordinate Now it is not the vnitie or identitie of lawes or customes that makes a Common weale or Kingdome to be one and the same vnlesse the persons which are subiect vnto the same Lawes be likewise subiect to the same Supreame Tribunall For albeit aswell the temporall Lawes as the Ecclesiasticall constitutions of Sweden or Russia were as like to our English Lawes Ecclesiasticall or temporall as one apple is like to another yet could not Russia Sweden and England bee so properly termed one Kingdome and Common weale as England and Scotland are although the Lawes by which those Kingdomes are gouerned be much different 5 In like manner admitting the Lawes discipline of all the Churches planted by Saint Peter by Saint Paul and other Apostles had beene the selfe same yet could they not in this respect bee so truly and properly said one visible Church as the particular Churches planted by Saint Paul especially in one and the same prouince were one Church albeit their Lawes or ordinances had been more different It is probable then that there were as many seuerall distinct visible Churches as there were Apostles or other Ambassadors of Christ immediately indued with this extraordinary iudicature which is immediately deriued from Christ and independent vpon any earthly power or any power whatsoever on earth whether spirituall or temporall Their opinion is very probable who thinke that euery Apostle had his peculiar circuit allotted him by Christ and that they did disperse themselues into twelue seuerall parts of the world According to this tradition of the Ancients a learned Criticke of our times in matters sacred doth point and interpret the 25. v. of the first of the Acts after another manner then any known Interpreter to my remembrance doth And they prayed saying Thou Lord which knowest the hearts of all men shew whether of these two thou hast chosen that he may take the roome of this ministration Apostleship frō which Iudas by transgression fell that he to wit Iudas might goe vnto his owne place Forso this place is ordinarily expounded but the Greek may bear another sense to wit that he that tooke part of the ministration and Apostleship from which Iudas had falne might bee sent that circuit which Iudas had he not falne should haue gone I It is then profession of the same faith participation of the Sacraments and subiection to the same Lawes and Ordinances ecclesiasticke which makes the visible Chruch to be one II It is the diuersitie of independent Iudicature or supreame tribunalls ecclesiasticke which makes pluralitie of visible Churches or distinguisheth one from the other III That which makes euery visible Church to be more or lesse the true Church of God is the greater or lesse efficacie or conformity of its publike doctrine and discipline for enapting or fashioning the visible members of it that they may become liue-members of the Holy Catholike Church or living stones of the new Ierusalem Euery true visible Church is as an inferiour Free-Schoole or Nurserie for trayning vp Scholars that they may be fit to be admitted into the celestiall Academie 6 There be two questions yet remaining of very good vse which if God permit shall bee more particularly discussed hereafter First Whether there be any Iudicature ecclesiasticke for independencie or otherwise altogether the same with that which the Apostles in
State in respect of Christian and religious policie And first of the reasons in behalfe of King and State Their positions which induce rebellion against free States Kingdomes and which were they ioyntly admitted would leaue supereminent or royall Maiestie onely a naked title without any realtie of soueraignty or iurisdiction are two First That the spirituall power is aboue all secular or ciuill power And this assertion were it rightly limited is in it selfe orthodoxall But the more orthodoxall it is in it selfe the more deadly it makes the second position vnto which they seeke to wed it The second position is That this supreame and spirituall power is totally seated in the Clergie as in a body distinct from the body politike Yea the most of them hold the plenitude of this power to bee in the Pope from whom all spirituall power of iurisdiction is deriued to the rest of the Clergie after the same manner as iurisdiction in causes temporall is deriued to inferiour Magistrates from the Monarch or supreame Maiestie in euery Kingdome The Regiment of the Church as they say is Regimen monarchicum a visible Monarchy of which the Pope is the visible Monarch As the spirituall power which the Church of Rome or Pope vsurpeth is intensiuely most absolute independent so is the obiect of it for extension most transcendent and illimited Pope Innocent the third by vertue of this supposed plenary power did challenge to bee supreme Iudge in censuring or punishing mortall sins Intendimus decernere de peccato cuius ad nos pertinet sine dubitatione censura or vt nullus qui sit sanae mentis ignorat quin ad officium nostrum spectet de quocunque peccato mortali corripere quemlibet Christianū cap. nouit de Iudicijs We intend faith he to determine concerning Sinne the censure whereof so vnquestionably appertaines to vs that no man well in his wits can be ignorant that it is a part of our power or office to chastise or correct euery Christian man for any mortall sinne of what kind soeuer But if in this Cathedrall constitution hee did not erre the Christian world might haue as infallible a perpetual rule for guiding Millers hands and Taylors sheeres and for preuenting or punishing all cozenage in Trades or Crafts as it hath for ending controuersies in matters of faith or diuinity 3 It is an idle and friuolous distinction which some Canonists haue framed to solue the truth of this Popes sentence Aliud est de re actione aut contractu iudicare aliud iudicare de peccato It is one thing to determine of the action or cōtract another to determine or iudge of the sin committed For as Father Paul excellently obserues quod inseparabile est distinguunt they put a diuersity without a differēce For if the pope may iudge of euery matter or contract as it is a sin I hope he would prohibit it if it were a sin and compell men to obserue his Edicts or prohibitions And doing thus what remaines to bee done by any temporall power whether supreame or subordinate but onely to looke on or to be as Sheriffes to see his Decrees put in execution or to be his hangman or executioner No Magistrate doth punish but vpon supposall of some fault or sinne committed Lex non est iust is posita saith the Apostle sed iniustis The Law punitiue is not giuen against the iust but against the vniust And if the Pope might be supreame Iudge of euery mortall sinne euery malefactor might haue the benefit of appeale vnto him in all matters criminall He might punish Princes for making vniust Lawes or for not executing such Lawes as they themselues haue made or haue found made vnto their hands by their Predecessors or as hee shall make or appoint them to make 4 Againe all of them agree in this that the Pope hath a supreame independent power to make coactiue Ecclesiasticke Lawes for the welfare of the Church in as much as all temporall power is subordinate to the power spiritual which as his subiects say is originally and plenarie in himselfe hee may by vertue of this supreame spirituall power disanull all such Lawes as any temporall State or Kingdome shall make if these to his Holinesse vnerring spirit shall seeme contrary to the Lawes of God or to the Lawes Ecclesiasticke made by himselfe or by his predecessors Now in case any Temporall Princes or States shall after some monitions refuse to repeale such Lawes as they haue enacted but hee dislikes they stand obnoxious ipso facto to the sentence of excommunication The exercise of this terrible power hath beene within these 400. yeeres frequent in many Kingdomes and famous of late against the Venetians That ancient and renowned State for wisedome and grauity and of all States professing Romish faith alwaies most venerable for deuotion had made such a Law as the Law of Mortmaine here in England for repressing the excesse of Leuies portion which was become like a huge deformed wen in a faire and comely body and being admonished by the Pope to repeale this Law and another edict necessary for the preseruation of peace whereby the vnruly Cleargie within their territories were subiected to the censure of the State because the Venetians would not obey his monitions and betray their ancient liberties the Duke and Senate were excommunicated by his Holinesse I doe not well remember whether that State had made a decree that no prouision should be carried out of their territories to Ancona but put the case they had made such a Law in as much as Ancona is a Citie which belongs to Peters patrimony a segniorie or Lordship of the Church of Rome this Law must be controleable by the Pope because it is preiudiciall to the Church And the temporall Soueraignty of Venice must submit themselues vnto the spirituall Iurisdiction of the Romish Church or feele the stroke of Peters sword 5 The like dreadfull consequences of these dangerous principles about the supremacie or Iurisdiction spirituall did cause diuers Kings of this land before Henry the eight to separate themselues and their people from the visible Romish Church in matters of Iurisdiction though not of doctrine For an English man to haue receiued any title of Iurisdiction from the Pope or any forraigne Prelate subiect vnto him was by the ancient Lawes of this land a praemunire I will onely touch so much of the Romish Churches practice in this State as forraigne Writers haue taken notice of which was enough to giue our Kings iust occasion to make such Lawes of praemunire as the forecited Author produceth Pope Innocent the third presuming vpon his former rule that it belonged vnto him de quocunque peccato mortali corripere quemlibet christianum to censure or punish euery man for any mortall sinne charged Iohn King of England and the French King to keepe the Churches peace vnder paine of his curse And in the processe excommunicates the French King
for taking armes against King Iohn After the same Innocent the third vpon what displeasure I know not excommunicates King Iohn armes the French King with the spirituall sword to make warre authorizing King Iohns owne naturall subiects to rebell against him vntill the poore King was brought so low that he was content to become the Popes Farmer of his owne Kingdome but being once admitted his Tenant and become Farmer to the Church of Rome his priuiledge was greater and his person more sacred than it had beene by being Gods Vicegerent For the Councell of Lateran excommunicated all such as did or should molest or vexe him so long as hee remained the Churches Rent-gatherer This strange ods hath the holinesse of that Church of other things which by Gods Law were counted holy that whatsoeuer doth but touch it nay whatsoeuer hath but vicinitie with it and relation or reference to it straight way becommeth Holy and capable of greater priuiledges then Princes or the Lords anointed are 6 From this superexcellent Holinesse of their Church they now pretend that euery Cleargie or Church man is exempt from all Iurisdiction temporall as if their persons on whom the Pope or his Bishops lay their holy hands become more holy and sacred then royall power it selfe which as the Apostle saith is from God so sacred and holy that no temporall sword may touch them lest their calling should be polluted Some professed reformers of their Schoole Diuinitie since the light of the Gospell brake forth haue not beene afraid or ashamed to plead that this exemption of the Cleargie from secular Iurisdiction is de iure diuino by diuine Law and ratified by that Text Spiritualis homo diiudicat omnia ipse autem à nemine iudicatur Hee that is spirituall iudgeth all things yet he himselfe is iudged of no man But were the allegation true or pertinent either there should be no spirituall men besides the Pope and so the subiect of the proposition should be homo singularis one man onely or if there be more spirituall men they should all of them bee Popes to iudge all others and be iudged of none no not of the Pope of Rome himselfe vnlesse hee be no body For these are conuertible Qui omnes dicit neminem excipit Qui neminem dicit omnes excipit He that saith all excepteth none and hee that saith none excepteth all But howeuer if all Cleargie men may by the Pope be exempted from all Iurisdiction temporall and he may make as many Cleargie men as hee list or list to be made by him and make such Lawes for them as it pleaseth him who sees not how easily he may bereaue Princes of their naturall subiects The case betwixt them is on the Popes side like a game at draughts or Chests wherein the one partie hath gotten the start or aduantage to make as many Kings as he list and the other hauing lost his opportunitie of taking the like aduantage must bee sure to loose the game if the play hold 7 Againe seeing they make the Pope to bee the supreame head in al causes Ecclesiasticke or spirituall and ouer all Ecclesiasticke persons I see no reason but that euery Priest and Iesuite of the English Scottish and Irish Nation should bee indited for mocking his sacred Maiestie as often as they instile him their Soueraigne Lord. For euery one that in good earnest cals the King his Lord is presumed to acknowledge himselfe to be the Kings Subiect Now euery Subiect is a Subiect in respect of Iurisdiction To be the Kings Subiect and not to be subiect to the Kings Iurisdiction implyes a contradiction So that in finall conclusion for English Priests to call the King their Lord and yet to professe and beleeue that their persons belong not properly to his Iurisdiction but to the Popes is all one as if they should say Noah indeed was Iaphets Father and Iaphet did well so to call him but Iaphet was not Noahs sonne nor did he owe him any filiall obedience as certainly he did not if he had beene exempted from Noahs paternall Iurisdiction after the same manner as the Romish Priests are from Iurisdiction temporall But to submit the whole temporall power and lawes made by it to the spirituall power as it resideth in the Pope is to make all Princes and Monarchs more subiect vnto him then inferiour or secular Magistrates are to them not so much as meane Lords in fee but meere Tenants at will Yet is this subiection of all temporall power vnto the Popes spirituall power not the opinion onely of the Romish Cleargie or flattering Canonists euen their Ciuilians are infected with this hereticall and trayterous doctrine Witnesse that otherwise learned and ingenuous Ciuilian Balthazar Ayala sometimes chiefe Iustice of the Spanish Armie vnder the Prince of Parma Lib. 1. de iure et officijs belli cap. 2. sect 27. 8 If wee put both these positions together to wit That the Pope hath power to exempt all Ecclesiasticke persons from Iurisdiction temporall and to subiect all temporall lawes to spirituall lawes of his making we may repeale or antiquate an ancient and vsuall distinction of the sword spirituall and temporall For by these deuices they haue put such a spirituall handle vpon the temporall sword and giuen the Pope so fast hold of it that if hee and Christian Kings should at any time fall at variance his Holinesse so long as this doctrine stands authentique may bee sure to haue the drawing of it and poore Christian Princes to whom the sword by right more ancient then the Popedome is properly belongs must bee contend to defend themselues with the scabbard For these and many like reasons our forefathers departure from the visible Romish Church was most iust and necessarie on the behalfe of Prince and State and in respect of lawfull and Christian policie 9 The reasons on the behalfe of euery priuate man were in two respects againe most necessary First because that Church did and doth vtterly deny euen to her owne children the free vse of means either altogether necessary or most expedient to saluation These she will not giue vnto her own children no nor sel them at any lower rate then the Deuill sets vpon his wares that is they must fall downe and worship her Secondly and principally because the Church did and doth rigidly and peremptorily exact our beliefe and profession of many doctrinall points and vpon such beliefe inioyne many practices of both which some are ex specie for qualitie so hereticall and diabolicall others ex gradu et cumulo for degree or multitude so deadly as they manifestly induce a separation from the Holy Catholike Church or nenessarily argue a contradiction to the Holy Apostolike and primitiue faith So that besides the excessiue price which the Romish Church sets vpon her own childrens necessary food they may not eate it after they haue bought it vnlesse it be mingled with deadly poyson The doctrine of the Popes supremacie
of the Romish Court did beare a great sway throughout most Realmes in Christendome before Luthers time Besides the Body of the Cleargie or Church representatiue many Potentates some through ignorance others for hope of gaine or aduantage against their aduersaries did adhere vnto it This faction or combination doth in proportion answer to the clod or concrescence of Heterogeneals in the emblematicall congest before mentioned For there was no true vnion betwixt them in matters of faith On the other side againe it cannot be denyed but that many in euery Kingdome before Luther did vtterly detest the tyranny of the Court of Rome many as well of their Cleargie as of their Layetie did in heart and affection wish a reformation as well of the Ecclesiasticall Gouernment as of the doctrine professed and practised in their Church The States Princes or priuate men thus affected answer in proportion to the seuerall pieces of homogeneall and richer metall in the former heape or congest All that Luther all that the Christian Princes which followed him did intend or vndertake was first to dissolue the clod or breake the faction of the Romish Church or Court spread through their Kingdomes Secondly to refine and purifie themselues and their adherents from the drosse and soile which they had taken by their adherence vnto or vicinitie with the Romish Church Lastly to vnite themselues thus refined and purified in matters of faith and doctrine into a new forme of gouernment Ecclesiastike independent on the tribunall or Court of Rome 5 So then it is false which our Aduersaries obiect that Luther did take vpon him to make a new Church For this supposeth a plantation of new faith or doctrine neuer planted before in which the life and soule of the true Church consists Whereas they say we had no Church before his time it is true onely secundùm quid Their meaning can be no other but this Wee had no visible Church altogether seuered and distinct from theirs and this againe is true onely in respect of those times wherein the Kings of England or Emperours of Germanie did submit themselues and their Subiects vnto the Iurisdiction of the Court of Rome Albeit this submission being wrought for the most part through violence or deuillish policie doth not argue our fore-Elders to haue been parts or members of the Church of Rome from which they were seuered in heart and affection and seuered in forme of gouernment de iure though not de facto In the times of diuers Kings the Church of England was seuered de iure et de facto from the visible Romish Church So likewise were diuers Churches in Germany But for Chronologie or matter of historie I must referre them to another place The question is much what the same as if they should aske vs Where was King Henry the seuenths Kingdome where were his Subiects where was your Common-weale whilest Richard the third did call Parliaments and sway the Scepter of this Kingdome The Kingdome of Henry the seuenth and of his Successors or the English Common-weale was in the same place then as now it is The deposition of the Tyrant the dissolution of the tyranny and the reducing of English Subiects to their true allegeance did worke no essentiall alteration in the Common-weale or Kingdome but onely a reformation of the gouernment and reducement of it to the fundamentall lawes of this Land No more did the reiection of the Romish Churches vsurped authority in matters spirituall induce any substantiall alteration in the English Church but a reformation or reduction of it vnto the fundamental constitutions of the Primitiue Church But to returne to our former illustration This argument You had no visible Church before Luthers time ergo you had no true Church is no better than this There was no Plate or Bullion in the forementioned heape or congest before the Refiner did his part ergo there was no true gold or siluer For as euery part of gold is gold and euery part of siluer is siluer but euery part of a wedge or plate is not a wedge or plate so euery member of the true Church of God is himself a true Church and Temple of God yet is not euery part or member of the true visible or Catholike Church a true visible or Catholike Church Or as 8. or 10. pieces of gold into which an Angell may be broken though they remain for waight for value for substance the same they were yet can they not be said to be the same Angel because they want the vnity of that artificial form into which they were made so likewise although there were ten thousand in this Kingdome before Luthers time all true members of Gods Holy and Catholike Church yet could they not be properly said one visible Church so long as they wanted that vnitie of discipline or independent gouernment which we haue for the most part since inioyed 6 Now as any kinde of metall made vp into a wedge or other artificiall forme is lesse subiect to putrifaction soile or canker then it was whilest it lay scattered in seuerall fragments or pieces so the vnion of Christian Professors into one visible Church is a good meanes for preseruing euery particular member specially nouices in faith from such errours heresies or other temptations as if they had beene left alone or scattered would indanger their faith And yet againe as the perfection or puritie of gold aboue other metals is best proued in that it doth not so easily take soile or rust though it lye scattered in little pieces amongst other baser metals or other bodies apt to taint or putrifie so the true members of Christs Church or Body are best discerned best approued by liuing vpright in points of faith in the midst of a peruerse or crooked generation or by continuing vndefiled in the bosome of a polluted visible Church out of which they may not they cannot at their pleasure depart but are to exspect the call or summons of Gods speciall prouidence 7 So then whether we had for these sixe hundred yeeres a visible Church distinct from the visible Romish Church or no is not pertinent to the maine point in question for they fasly assume wee iustly deny that men are saued by being actuall or professed members of the visible Church or that our vnion with the present visible Church is a natiue degree or part of our vnion with the Holy Catholike Church whereof Noahs Arke was the type We say the former vnion is auaileable to the latter onely ex accidente in as much as the present visible Church doth by doctrine and discipline draw vs to a conformitie in points of faith and other meanes necessary vnto saluation with the ancient Catholike and Primitiue Church This did not the visible Romish Church for diuers hundred yeeres before Luthers time but on the contrary she did discompose or misfashion them from all true conformitie with the ancient Catholike Church Howbeit euen in the midnight of