state of things unsuited to those of old Apostacy from the Vnity of the Church Catholick charged on the Romanists Their claime to be that Church sanguinary false Their plea to this purpose considered The blasphemous mannagement of their plea by some of late The whole dissolved Their inferences on their plea practically prodigious Their Apostacy proved by instances Their grand Argument in this cause proposed Answered Consequences of denying the Roman Church to be a Church of Christ weighed LEt us see now what as to conscience can be charged on us Protestants I meane who are all concerned herein as to the breach of this union The Papists are the persons that undertake to mannage this Charge against us To lay aside the old Plea subesse Romano Pontifici and all those â—eats wherewith they jugled when the whole world saâ—e in darknesse which they doe not now use at the entrance of their charge The summe of what they insist upon firstly is The Catholick Church is intrusted with the interpretation of the Scriptures and declaration of the Truths therein contained which being by it so declared the not receiving of them implicitely or explicitely that is the disbelieving of them as so proposed and declared cuts off any man from being a member of the Church Christ himselfe having said that he that heares not the Church is to be as an Heathen man or Publican which Church they are that is certaine It is all one then what we believe or doe not believe seeing that we believe not all that the Catholick Church proposeth to be believed and what we doe believe we believe not on haâ— account Ans Their insisting on this plea so much as they doe is sufficient to evince their despair of making good by instance our faylure in respect of the way and principles by which the unity of the visible Church may be lost or broken Faile they in this they are gone and if they carrie this plea we are all at their disposall The summe of it is the Catholick Church is intrusted with sole power of delivering what is truth and what is necessary to be believed This Catholick Church is the Church of Rome that is the Pope or what else may in any juncture of time serve their interest But as it is known 1. We deny their Church as it is stiled to be the Catholick Church or as such any part of it as particular Churches are called or esteemed So that of all men in the World they are least concerned in this Assertion Nay I shall goe farther Suppose all the members of the Roman Church to be found in the Faith as to all necessary Truths and no way to prejudice the Advantages and priviledges which accâ—â—e to them by the profession thereof whereby the severall individualls of it would be true members of the Catholick Church yet I should not only deny it to be the Catholick Church but also abideing in its present Order and Constitution being that which by themselves it is supposed to be to be any particular Church of Christ at all as wanting many things necessary to constitute them so and having many things destructive utterly to the very Essence and being of that Order that Christ hath appointed in his Churches The best plea that I know for their Church state is that Antichrist sits in the Temple of God Now although we might justly omit the Examination of this pretence untill those who are concerned in it will professedly owne it as their plea yet as it lyes in our way in the thoughts of some I say to it that I am not so certaine that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to sit in the Temple of God seeing a Learned man long agoe thought it rather to be a setting up against the Temple of God Aug. de Civitate Dei lib. 10. cap. 59. But grant the sence of the expression to be as it 's usually received it imports no more but that the man of sinne shall set up his power against God in the midst of them who by their outward visible profession have right to be called his Temple which intitles him and his Copartners in Apostacy to the name of the Church as much as changing of mony and selling of Cattle were Ordinances of God under the old Temple when by some mens practising of them in it it was made a den of Theeves 2. Though as to the plea of them and their interest with whom we have to do we have nothing requiring our Judgements in the case yet ex abundanti we adde that we deny that by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ the Catholick Church visible is in any sence intrusted with such an interpretation of Scripture as that her declaration of Truth should be the measure of what should be believed or that as such it is intrusted with any power of that nature at all or is inabled to propose a Rule of Faith to be received as so proposed to the most contemptible individuall in the world or that it is possible that any voice of it should be heard or understood but only this I believe the necessary saving Truths contained in the Scripture or that it can be consulted with all or is as such intrusted with any Power Authority or Jurisdiction nor shall we ever consent that the Office and Authority of the Scriptures be actually taken from it on any pretence As to that of our Saviour of telling the Church it is so evidently spoken of a particular Church that may immediately be consulted in case of difference between Brethren and does so no way relate to the businesse in hand that I shall not trouble the Reader with a debate of it But doe we not receive the Scripture it selfe upon the Authority of the Church I say if we did so yet this concernes not Rome which we account no Church at all That we have received the Scripture from the Church of Rome at first that is so much as the Book its selfe is an intollerable figment But it is worse to say that we receive and own their Authority from the Authority of any Church or all the Churches in the World It is the expression of our Learned Whitaker Qui Scripturâ—â—â— non credit esse divinam nisi propter Ecclesiae vocem Christianus non est To deny that the Scripture hath immediate force and efficacy to evince its own Authority is plainly to deny them on that account being brought unto us by the providence of God wherein I comprize all subservient helps of humane Testimony we receive them and on no other But is not the Scripture to be interpreted according to the Tradition of the Catholick Church and are not those interpretations so made to be received I say among all the figments that these latter Ages have invented I shall adde amongst the true stories of Lucian there is not one more remote from Truth then this Assertion That all that any one Text of
Scripture may be interpreted according to the universall Tradition of the Catholick Church and be made appeare so to be any farther then that in Generall the Catholick Church hath not believed any such sence to be in any portion of Scripture which to receive were destructive of Salvation And therefore the Romanists tell us that the present Church that is theirs is the keeper and interpreter of these Traditions or rather that its Power Authority and Infability being the same that it hath been in former Ages what it determines is to be received to be the Tradition of the Catholick Church for the triall whereof whether it be so or no there is no rule but its own determination which if they can perswade us to acquiesce in I shall grant that they have acquired such an absolute dominion over Vs and our Faith that it is fit that we should be Soul and Body at their disposall It being then the work of the Scripture to propose the saving Truths of Christ the beliefe and profession whereof are necessary to make a man a member of the Church so as to make them of indispensable necessity to be received if they can from them convince us that we doe not believe and professe all every one of the Truths or Articles of Faith so necessary as expressed we shall fall down under the Authority of such conviction If not we professe our Consciences to be no more concerned in the Authority of their Church then we judge their Church to be in the priviledges of the Church Catholick But 2. It may be we are chargeable with manifesting some principles of Prophanenesse wherewith the beliefe of the Truth we professe hath an absolute inconsistency For those who are liable and obnoxious to this charge I say let them plead for themselves For let them professe what they will and cry out 10000 times that they are Christians I shall never acknowledge them for others then visible enemies of the Crosse Kingdome and Church of Christ Traytors and Rebells are not de facto Subjects of that King or Ruler in reference to whom they are so Of some who said they were Jewes Christ said they lyed and were not but the Synagogue of Satan Rev. 2 9. Though such as these say they are Christians I will be bold to say they lye they are not but slaves of Sathan Though they live within the Pale as they call it of the Church the Catholick Church being an inclosure as to profession not place yet they are not within it nor of it any more then a Jew or Mahumetan within the same precinct suppose they have been Baptized yet if their belly be their God and their lives dedicated to Satan all the Advantage they have thereby is that they are Apostates and Renegadoes That we have added any thing of our owne making profession of any thing in Religion absolutely destructive to the fundamentalls we professe I know not that we are accused seeing our crime is asserted to consist in detracting not adding Now unlesse we are convinced of failing on one of these three accounts we shall not at all question but that we abide in the unity of the visible Catholick Church It is the common cry of the Romanists that we are Schismaticks Why so because we have separated our selves from the communion of the Catholick Church what this Catholick is and how little they are concerned in it hath been declared How much they have prevailed themselves with ignorant soules by this plea we know Nor was any other successe to be expected in respect of many whom they have wonne over to themselves who being persons ignorant of the righteousnesse of God and the power of the Faith they have professed not having had experience of communion with the Lord Jesus under the conduct of them have been upon every provocation and temptation a ready prey to deceivers Take a little view of their late Proselyts and it will quickly appeare what little cause they have to boast in them With some by the craft and folly of some Relations they are admitted to treat when they are drawing to their dissolution These for the most part having been persons of dissolute and profligate lives never having tasted the power of any Religion whatever they have professed in their weakenesse and disturbed dying thoughts may be apt to receive any impression that with confidence and violence is imposed upon them Besides it is a farre easier proposall to be reconciled to the Church of Rome and so by Purgatorie to get to Heaven then to be told of Regeneration Repentance Faith and the Covenant of Grace things of difficulty to such poor Creatures Others that have been cast down from their hopes and Expectations or out from their enjoyments by the late revolution in these Nations have by their discontent or necessity made themselves an easie prey to their zeale What hath been the residue of thir Proselytes What one who hath ever manifested himselfe to share in the power of our Religion or was not prepared by principles of superstition almost as deep as their own have they prevailed on But I shall not farther insist on these things To returne Our communion with the visible Catholick Church is in the unity of the faith only The breach of this union and therein a relinquishment of the communion of the Church lyes in a relinquishment of or some opposition to some or all of the saving necessary truths of the Gospell Now this is not Schisme but Heresie or Apostacy or it is done by an open profligatenesse of life so that indeed this charge is nothing at all to the purpose in hand though through Grace in a confidence of our own innocency we are willing to debate the guilt of the crime under any name or title whatever Unto what hath been spoken I shall only adde the removeall of some common objections with a recharge on them with whom principally we have as yet had to do come to the last thing proposed The case of some of old who were charged with Schisme for separating from the Catholick Church on an account wholy and cleerly distinct from that of a departure from the faith is an instance of the judgement of antiquity lying in an opposition to the notion of departure from the Church now delivered Doth not Augustine Doe not the rest of his Orthodox contemporaries charge the Donatists with Schisme because they departed from the Catholick Church And doth not the charge rise up with equall efficacy against you as them At least doth it not give you the nature of Schisme in another sence then is by you granted The Reader knows sufficiently if he hath at al taken notice of these things whereto find this cloud scattered without the least annoyance or detriment to the Protestant cause or of any concerned in that name however by lesser differences diversified among themselves I shall not repeate what by others hath been
them the least direction to make their addresse to him that should succeed Peter in his Power and Office for reliefe and redresse Strange that it should be of necessity to Salvation to be subject to him in whom this power of Peter was to be continued that he was to be one in whom the Saints were to be consummated that in Relation to him the Unity of the Catholick Church to be preserved under paine of damnation should consist and yet not a word spoken of him in the whole Word of God But they say Peter had not only an Apostolicall power with the rest of the Apostles but also an ordinary power that was to be continued in the Church But the Scripture being confessedly silent of any such thing let us heare what proof is tendered for the establishment of this uncouth Assertion Herein then thus they proceed It will be confessed that Jesus Christ ordained his Church wisely according to his infinite wisedome which he exercised about his body Now to this wisdome of his for the prevention of innumerable evils it is agreeable that he should appoint some one person with that power of declaring truth and of Jurisdiction to enforce the receiving of it which we plead for For this was in Peter as is proved from the texts of Scripture before mentioned therefore it is continued in them that succeed him And here lyes the great stresse of their cause That to prevent evills and inconveniences it became the wisedome of Jesus Christ to appoint a person with all that Authority power infallibility to continue in his Church to the end of the world And this plea they mannage variously with much Sophistry Rhetorick and Testimonies of Antiquity But suppose all this should be granted yet I am full well assured that they can never bring it home to their concernment by any Argument but only the actuall claime of the Pope wherein he stands singly now in the world which that it is satisfactory to make it good de fide that he is so will not easily be granted The truth is of all the attempts they make against the Lord Jesus Christ this is one of the greatest wherein they will assert that it became his wisedome to doe which by no meanes they can prove that he hath done which is plainly to tell us what in their judgement he ought to have done though he hath not that therefore it is incumbent on them to supply what he hath been defective in Had he taken the care he should of them and their Master that he and they might have ruled and reviled over and in the house of God he would have appointed things as now they are which they affirme to have become his wisedome He was a King that once cryed Si Deo in creatione adfuissem mundum melius ordinassem But every Fryar or Monck can say of Jesus Christ had they been present at his framing the world to come whereof we speake they would have told him what had become his wisedome to do Our Blessed Lord hath left sufficient provision against all future emergencies inconveniences in his word Spirit given promised to his Saints And the one Remedie which these men have found out with the contempt and blaspemy of him and them hath proved worse then all the other evills and diseases for whose prevention he made provision which he hath done also for that remedy of theirs but that some are hardned through the righteous judgement of God and deceitfulnesse of sin The mannagement of this plea by some of late is very considerable say they Quia non de verbis solum Scripturae sed etiaÌ„ de sensu plurima coÌ„troversia est si ecclesiae interpretatio non est certâ—… intelligendi norma ecquis erit istiusmodi Controversiae judex sensuÌ„ enim suuÌ„ pro sua virili quisque defendet quod si in Exploranda verbi Dei intelligentia nullus est certus judex audemus dicere nullam rempublicam fuisse stultius constitutam Sin autem Apostoli tradiderunt Eccclesiis verbum Dei sine intelligentia verbi Dei quomodo praedicarunt Evangelium omni Creaturae quomodo decuerunt omnes Gentes servare quaecunque illis fuerunt a Christo commendata Non est puerorum aut Psittaeorum praedicatio qui sine mente dant accipiuntque sonum Walemburg Con. 4. Num. 26. It is well that at length these men speak out plainly If the Pope be not a visible supreame Judge in over the Church Christ hath in the constitution of his Church dealt more foolishly then ever any did in the constitution of a Commonwealth If he have not an infallible power of determining the sense of the Scriptures the Scripture is but an empty insignificant word like the speech of Parats or Popyniaies Though Christ hath by his Apostles given the Scriptures to make the man of God wise unto Salvation and promised his spirit unto them that believe by whose assistance the Scripture gives out it s own sence to them yet all is folly if the Pope be not Supreame and Infallible The Lord rebuke them who thus boldly blaspheame his word and wisdome But let us proceed This Peter thus invested in power that was to be traduced to others went to Rome and Preached the Gospell there It is most certain nor will themselves deny it that if this be not so and believed their whole fabrick will fall to the ground But can this be necessary for all sorts of Christians and every individuall of men among them to believe when there is not the least insinuation of any such thing in the Scripture certainly though it be only a matter of fact yet being of such huge importance and consequence and such a doctrine of absolute indispensable necessity to be believed as is pretended depending upon it if it were true and true in reference to such an end and purpose as is pleaded it would not have been passed over in silence there where so many things of inconceivable lesse concernment to the Church of God though all in their respective degrees tending to edification are recorded As to what is recorded in story the order and series of things with the discovery afforded us of Peters course place of abode in Scripture doe prevaile with me to think stedfastly that he was never there against the selfe contradicting testimonies of some few who took up vulgar reports then when the mystery of iniquity had so farre â—pâ—rated at least that it was judged meet that the chiefe of the Apostles should have lived in the chiefe City of the World But that we may proceed grant this also that Peter was at Rome which they shall never be able to prove and that he did Preach the Gospell there yet so he did by their own Confession at other places making his residence at Antioch for some years what will this availe towards the setling of the matter under consideration There Christ
appointed him to fixe his Chaire and make that Church the place of his residence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of his meeting Simon Magus at Rome who in all probability was never there for Seme Sangus was not Simon Magus nor Sanctus nor Deus Magnus of the conquest made of him and his Divells of his being instructed of Christ not to goe from Rome but tarry there and suffer some thing may be said from old Legends But of his chaire and fixing of it at Rome of his confinement as it were to that place in direct opposition to the tenour of his Apostolicall commission who first told the story I know not but this I know they will one day be ashamed of their Chaire Thrones and Sees and Jurisdictions wherein they now so please themselves But what is next to this The Bishop of Rome succeeds Peter in all that Power Jurisdiction Infallibility with whatsoever else was fancied before in him as the ordinary Lord of the Church and therefore the Roman Church is the Catholick quod erat demonstrandum Now though this inference will no way follow upon these Principles though they should all be supposed to be true whereof not one is so much as probable and though this last Assertion be vaine and ridiculous nothing at all being pleaded to ground this Succession no Institution of Christ no Act of any Councell of the Church no Will nor Testament of Peter but only it is so fallen out as the world was composed of a casuall concurrence of Atomes yet seeing they will have it so I desire a little farther information in one thing that yet remains and that is this The Charter Patents and Grant of all this power right of succession unto Peter in all the Advantages priviledges and Jurisdiction before mentioned being wholly in their own keeping whereof I never saw letter or title nor ever conversed with any one no not of themselves that did I would be gladly informed whether this grant be made to him absolutely without any manner of condition whatever so that who ever comes to be Pope of Rome and possessed of Peters Chaire theâ—e by what meanes soever he is possessed of it whether he believe the Gospell or no or any of the saving Truths therein contained and so their Church must be the Catholick Church though it follow him in all Abominations or whether it be made on any condition to him especially that of cleaving to the doctrine of Christ revealed in the Gospell If they say the first that it is an absolute grant that is made to him without any condition expressed or necessarily to be understood I am at an issue and have nothing to adde But my desire that the Grant may be produced for whilest we are at this variance it is against all Law and Equity that the parties litigant should be admitted to plead bare Allegations without proofe If the latter though we should grant all the former monstrous suppositions yet we are perfectly secure against all their pretensions knowing nothing more clearly and evidently then that He and they have broken all conditions that can possibly be imagined by corrupting and perverting almost the whole doctrine of the Gospell And whereas it may be supposed that the great condition of such a grant would consist in his diligent attendance to the Scriptures the Word of God herein doth the filth of their Abominations appeare above all other things The guilt that is in that society or combination of men in locking up the Scriptures in an unknown tongue forbidding the people to read it burning some men to death for the studying of it and no more disputing against its power to make good its own Authority charging it with obscurity imperfection insufficiency frighting men from the perusall of it with the danger of being seduced and made Hereticks by so doing setting up their own Traditions in an equality with it if not exalting them above it studying by all meanes to decry it as uselesse and contemptible at least comparatively with themselves will not be purged from them for ever But you will say this is a simple question For the Pope of Rome hath a promise that he shall still be such an one as is fit to be trusted with the power mentioned and not one that shall defend Mahumet to be the Prophet of God sent into the world or the like Abominations at least that be he what he will placed in the chaire he shall not â—â—re nor mistake in what he delivereth for Truth Now seeing themselves as was said are the sole keepers of this promise and grant also which they have not as yet shewed to the world I am necessitated to aske once more whether it be made to him meerly upon condition of mounting into his Chaire or also on this condition that he use the means appointed by God to come to the knowledge of the Truth If they say the former I must needs say that it is so remote from my apprehension that God who will be worshipped in spirit and in truth only should now under the Gospell promise to any persons that be they never so wicked and abominable never so openly and evidently sworne enemies of him and his Anoynted whether they use any means or not by him appointed that they shall alwayes in all things speake the truth which they hate in love which they have not with that Authority which all his Saints must bow unto especially not having intimated any one word of any such promise in the Scripture that I know not whatever I heard of in my life that I cannot as soone believe If they say the latter we close then as we did our former enquiry Upon the credit and strength of these sandy foundations and principles which neither severally nor joyntly will beare the weight of a feather in a long continued course of Apostacy have men conquered all Policy Religion and honesty and built up that stupendious fabrick coupled together with subtle and scarce discernable joynts and ligaments which they call the Catholick Church 1. In despight of policy they have not only enslaved Kings Kingdomes Common-wealths Nations People to be their vassalls and at their disposall but also contrary to all Rules of goverment beyond the thoughts and conjectures of all or any that ever wrote of or instituted a Goverment in the world they have in most Nations of Europe set up a Government Authority and Jurisdiction within anothers Government and Authority setled on other accounts the one independent on the other and have brought these things to some kind of consistency which that it might be accomplished never entered into the heart of any wise man once to imagine nor had ever been by them effected without such advantages as none in the world ever had in such a continuance but themselves Unlesse the Druids of old in some Nations obtained some such thing 2. In despight of Religion it self they have made
pretences they have indeed in such consultations little or no regard to the Truth whereupon having a mutuall diffidence in each other they grow wearie of all endeavours to be carryed on joyntly in this kind the one betaking themselves wholy to keep things in as good state in the world as they can let what will become of Religion the other to labour for successe against their Adversaries let what will become of the world or the peace thereof And this is like to be the state of things untill another Spirit be powred out on the professors of Christianity then that wherewith at present they seeme mostly to be acted The only course then remaining to be fixed on whilst our divisions continue is to enquire wherein the guilt of them doth consist and who is justly charged therewith in especiall what is and who is guilty of the sinne of Schisme And this shall we doe if God permit It may I confesse seem superfluous to adde any thing more on this subject which hath been so fully already handled by others But as I said the present concernement of some fearing God lying beyond what they have undertaken and their endeavours for the most part having tended rather to convince their Adversaries of the insufficiency of their charge and Accusation then rightly and cleerly to state the thing or matter contended about something may be farther added as to the satisfaction of the Consciences of men injustly accused of this Crime which is my aime and which I shall now fall upon CAP. II. The nature of Schisme to be determined from Scripture only This principle by some opposed Necessity of abiding in it Parity of Reason allowed Of the name of Schisme It s constant use in Scripture In things Civill and Religious The whole Doctrine of Schisme in the Epistles to the Corinthians The case of that Church proposed to consideration Schisme entirely in one Church Not in the separation of any from a Church Nor in substraction of obedience from Governours Of the second Schisme in the Church of Corinth Of Clemens Epistle The state of the Church of Corinth in those dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 paracia To whom the Epistle of Clemens was precisely written Corinth not a Metropoliticall Church Allowance of what by parity of Reason may be deduced from what is of Schisme affirmed Things required to make a man guilty of Schisme Arbitrary definitions of Schisme rejected That of Austin considered as that also of Basil The common use and acceptation of it in these days Separation from any Church in its own nature not Schisme Aggravations of the evill of Schisme ungrounded The evill of it from its proper nature and consequences evinced Inferences from the whole of this discourse The Church of Rome if a Church the most Schismaticall Church in the world The Church of Rome no Church of Christ A compleat image of the Empire Finall acquitment of Protestants from Schisme on the Principle evinced Peculiarly of them of the late Reformation in England False notions of Schisme the ground of sinne and disorder THe thing whereof we treate being a disorder in the instituted worship of God and that which is of pure Revelation I suppose it a modest request to desire that we may abide solely to that discovery and description which is made of it in Scripture that that alone shall be esteemed Schisme which is there so called or which hath the entire nature of that which is there so called other things may be other crimes Schisme they are not if in the Scripture they have neither the name nor nature of it attributed to them He that shall consider the irreconcilable differences that are among Christians all the world over about this matter as also what hath passed concerning it in former Ages and shall weigh what prejudices the severall parties at variance are intangled with in reference hereunto will be ready to think that this naked appeale to the only common principle amongst us all is so just necessary reasonable that it will be readily on all hands condescended unto But as this is openly opposed by the Papists as a most destructive way of procedure so I feare that when the tendency of it is discovered it will meet with reluctancy from others But let the Reader know that as I have determined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so to take the measure of it from the Scripture only Consueâ—udo sine veritate est vetustas erroris Cyp. Ep. ad Pomp. and the sole measure of Evangelicall Truth is this word of whom it was said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id verius quod prius id prius quod ab initio id ab initio quod ab Apostolis sayes Tertul It is to me a sufficient answer to that fond question where was your Religion before Luther Where was your Religion in the dayes of Christ and his Apostles My thoughts to this particular are the same with Chrysostomes on the generall account of Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homil. 3. in Acta But yet least this should seem too streight as being at first view exclusive of the learned debates disputes which we have had about this matter I shall after the consideration of the precise Scripture notion of the name and thing wherein the Conscience of a Believer is alone concerned propose and argue also what by a parity of Reason may thence be deduced as to the Ecclesiasticall common use of them and our concernment in the one and the other The word which is Metaphoricall as to the businesse we have in hand is used in the Scripture both in its primitive native sence in reference to things Naturall as also in the tralatitious use of it about things Politick and Spirituall or Morall In its first sence we have the Noune Mat. 9. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 in the cloth it 〈…〉 Verbe Mat. 27. 51. 〈…〉 veile of the Temple 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈…〉 noting an interruption of 〈…〉 externall power in things me 〈…〉 this is the first sence of 〈…〉 or division of parts befoâ—â—â—ontinued by force or violent dissolâ—◠〈◊〉 The use of the world in a Politicall sence is also frequent Joh. 7. 43 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there was a division among the multitude some being of one mind some of another Joh. 9. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there was a division amongst them and cap. 10. 19. likewise So Act. 14. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the multitude of the City was divided and cap. 23. 7. There arose a dissention between the Pharisees and the Sadduces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the multitude was divided some following one some another of their leaders in that dissention the same thing is expressed by a word answering unto it in Latine Scinditur incertum studia in contraria vulgus And in this sence relating to civill things it is often used
in their own continuance they cannot be so yet in their Authority Lawes and Canons they may I must say that besides the very many Reasons I have to call into question the Power of Lawmaking for the whole Society of Christians in the World in all the Generall Councells that have been or possibly can be on the Earth the dispute about the Title of those Assemblies which pretend to this honour which are to be admitted which excluded are so endlesse the Rules of judging them so darke lubricous and uncertaine framed to the interest of contenders on all hands the Lawes of them which de facto have gone under that Title and Name so innumerable burthensome uncertain and frivolus in a great part so grossely contradictory to one another that I cannot suppose that any man upon second thoughts can abide in such an assertion If any shall I must be bold to declare my affection to the doctrine of the Gospell maintained in some of those Assemblies for some hundreds of years and then to desire him to prove that any Generall Councell since the Apostles fell asleep hath been so convened and mannaged as to be enabled to claime that Authority to it selfe which is or would be due to such an Assembly instituted according to the mind of Christ That it hath been of Advantage to the Truth of the Gospell that Godly Learned men Bishops of Churches have convened and witnessed a good Confession in reference to the Doctrine thereof and declared their abhorrencie of the Errors that are contrary thereunto is confessed That any man or men is are or ever were entrusted by Christ with Authority so to convene them as that thereupon and by vertue thereof they should be invested with a new Authority Power and Jurisdiction at such a convention and thence should take upon them to make Laws and Canons that should be Ecclesiastically binding to any Persons or Churches as theirs is not as yet to meattended with any convincing evidence of Truth And seeing at length it must be spoken I shall doe it with submission to the thoughts of good men that are any way acquainted with these things and in sincerity therein commend my Conscience to God that I doe not know any thing that is extant bearing clearer witnesse to the sad degeneracy of Christian Religion in the profession thereof nor more evidently discovering the efficacy of another Spirit than what was powred out by Christ at his Ascension nor containing more hay and stubble that is to be burned and consumed then the stories of the Acts and Laws of the Councells and Synods that have been in the World 2. But to take them as they are as to that alone wherein the first Councells had any evidence of the presence of the Holy Ghost with them namely in the declaring the doctrine of the Gospell it falls in with that which I shall give in for the bond of union unto the Church in the sense pleaded about 3. Such an Assembly arising cumulative out of particular Churches as it is evident that it doth it cannot first and properly belong to the Church Generall as such but it is only a means of communion between those particular Churches as such of whose representatives I mean vertually for formally the persons convening for many years ceased to be so it doth consist 4. There is nothing more ridiculous then to imagine a Generall Councell that should represent the whole Catholick Church or so much as all the particular Churches that are in the World and let him that iâ— otherwise minded that there hath been such an one or that it is possible there should be such a one prove by instance that such there have been since the Apostles times or by Reason that such may be in the present Age or be justly expected in those that are for to succeed and we will as we are able crowne him for his discovery 5. Indeed I know not how any Councell that hath been in the World these 1300 years and somewhat upwards could be said to represent the Church in any sence or any Churches whatever Their convention as is known hath been alwaies by Imperiall or Papall Authority the persons convened such and only they who as was pretended and pleaded had right of suffrage with all necessary Authority in such conventions from the Order Degree and Office which personally they hold in their severall Churches Indeed a Pope or Bishop sent his Legate or Proxie to Represent or rather personate him his Authority But that any of them were sent or delegated by the Church wherein they did preside is not so evident I desire then that some man more skilled in Laws and Common usages then my selfe would informe me on what account such a convention could come to be a Church Representative or the persons of it to be representatives of any Churches Generall grounds of Reason and Equity I am perswaded cannot be pleaded for it The Lords in Parliament in this Nation who being summoned by Regall Authority sate there in their own personall right were never esteemed to represent the body of the people supposing indeed all Church power â—â—n any particular Church of whatever extract or composition to be solely vested in one single person a collection of those persons if instituted would bring together the Authority of the whole But yet this would not make that Assembly to be a Church Representative if you will allow the name of the Church to any but that single person But for men who have but a partiall power Authority in the Church and perhaps separated from it none at all without any delegation from the Churches to convene and in their own Authority to take upon them to represent those Churches is absolute presumption These severall pretensions being excluded let us see wherein the Vnity of this Church namely of the great society of men professing the Gospell and obedience to Christ according to it throughout the World doth consist this is summoned up by the Apostle Eph. 4. 5. one Lord one Faith one Baptisme It is the Vnity of the doctrine of Faith which men professe in subjection to one Lord Jesus Christ being initiated into that profession by Baptisme I say the saving doctrine of the Gospell of Salvation by Jesus Christ and obedience through him to God as professed by them is the bond of that union whereby they are made one body are distinguished from all other societies have one head Christ Jesus which as to profession they hold and whilest they doe so are of this body in one professed hope of their calling Now that this Vnion be preserved it is required that all those grand and necessary Truths of the Gospell without the knowledge whereof no man can be saved by Jesus Christ be so farre believed as to be outwardly and visibly professed in that variety of waies wherein they are or may be called out thereunto There is a proportion
of Faith Rom 12. 6. an Vnity of Faith and of knowledge of the Sonne of God Eph 4. 13. a measure of saving Truths the explicite knowledge whereof in man enjoying the use of Reason within and the means of grace without is of indispensible necessary to Salvation without which it is impossible that any soule in an ordinary way should have communion with God in Christ having not light sufficient for converse with him according to the tenour of the Covenant of Grace These are commonly called Fundamentalls or first Principles which are justly argued by many to be clear perspicuous few lying in an evident tendency to obedience Now look what truths are savingly to be believed to render a man a member of the Church Catholick invisible that is whatever is required in any one unto such a receiving of Jesus Christ as that thereby he may have power given to him to become the Son of God the profession of those Truths is required to enstate a man in the unity of the Church visible 2. That no other internall principle of the mind that hath an utter inconsistency with the reall beliefe of the Truths necessary to be professed be manifested by the Professors Paul tells us of some who though they would be called Christians yet they so walked as that they manifested themselves to be Enemies of the crosse of Christ Phil 3. 18. certainly those who on one account are open and manifest enemies of the Crosse of Christ are not on any members of his Church there is one Lord and one Faith required as well as one Baptisme And a protestation contrary to evidence of fact is in all Law Null Let a man professe 10000 times that he believes all the saving truths of the Gospell and by the course of a wicked and prophane conversation evidence to all that he believes no one of them shall his protestation be admitted shall he be accounted a servant in and of my family who will call me Master and come into my house only to doe me and mine a mischiefe not doing any thing I require of him but openly and professedly the contrary Paul saies of such Tit. 5. 15 16. They professe that they know God yet in works they deny him being abominable disobedient and unto every good work reprobate which though peculiarly spoken of the Jewes yet contains a generall Rule that mens profession of the knowledge of God contradicted by a course of wickednesse is not to be admitted as a thing giving any priviledge whatever 3. That no thing opinion error or false doctrine everting or overthrowing any of the necessary saving Truths professed as above be added in with that profession or deliberately be professed also This principle the Apostle layes downe and proves Gal. 5. 3 4. notwithstanding the profession of the Gospell he tells the Galatians that if they were bewitched to professe also the necessity of Circumcision and keeping of the Law for Justification that Christ or the profession of him would not profit them On this account the Ancients excluded many Hereticks from the name of Christians so Justin of the Marcionites and others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are at length then arrived to this issue the belief profession of all the necessary saving truths of the Gospell without the manifestation of an internall principle of the mind inconsistent with the beliefe of them or adding of other things in profession that are destructive to the truths so professed is the bond of the unity of the visible professing Church of Christ Where this is found in any man or number of men though otherwise accompanied with many failings sinns and errors the unity of the faith is by him or them so farre preserved as that they are thereby rendred members of the visible Church of Christ and are by him so esteemed Let us suppose a man by bare Reading of the Scriptures brought to him by some providence of God as finding the Bible in the high way and evidenâ—ing their Authority by their own light instructed in the knowledge of the Truths of the Gospell who shall thereupon make profession of them amongst them with whoÌ„ he lives although he be thousands of miles distant from any particular Church wherein the Ordinances of Christ are administred nor perhaps knows there is any such Church in the world much lesse hath ever heard of the Pope of Rome which is utterly impossible he should supposing him instructed only by reading of the Scriptures I aske whether this man making open profession of Christ according to the Gospell shall be esteemed a member of the visible Church in the sence insisted on or no That this may not seem to be such a fiction of a case as may involve in it any impossible supposition which being granted will hold a doore open for other absurdities I shall exemplifie it in its most materiall postulata by a story of unquestionable truth Elmacinus who wrote the story of the Saracens being Secretary to one of the Caliphs at Bagdat informes us that in the yeare 309 of their Hegira about the year 921 of our account Muctadinus the Caliph of Bagdat by the Counsell of his wise men commanded one Huseinus the son of Mansor to be crucified for certaine Poems whereof some verses are recited by the Historian and are thus rendred by Erpenius Laus â—i qui manifestavit humilitatem suam celavit inter nos divinitatem suam permeantem donec coepit in creatura sua apparere sub specie edentis bibentis Jamque aspexit cum Creatura ejus sicuti supercilium obliquum respiciat supercilium From which remnant of his worke it is easily to perceive that the crime whereof he was accused and for which he was condemned and crucifyed was the confession of Jesus Christ the Son of God As he went to the crosse he added says the same Author these that follow Compoâ—ur mens nihil plane habet in se iniquitatis bibendum mihi dediâ— simile ejus quod bibit secit hospitem in hospite And so dyed constantly as it appears in the profession of the Lord Jesus Bagdat was a City built not long before by the Saracens wherein it is probable there were not at that time any Christians abiding Adde now to this story what our Saviour speakes Luck 12. 8. I say unto you whosoever shall confesse me before men him shall the Sonne of man confesse before the Angells of God and considering the unlimitednesse of the expression as to any outward consideration and tell me whether this man or any other in the like condition be not to be reckoned as a subject of Christs visible Kingdome a member of this Church in the world Let us now recall to minde what we have in designe granting for our processe sake that Schisme is the breach of any unity instituted and appointed by Christ in what sence soever it is spoken of our inquiry is whether we are
a new Creed invented new wayes of worship given a whole summe and system of their own altogether alien froÌ„ the Word of God without an open disclaiming of that word which in innumerable places beares testimony of its own perfection and fulnesse 3. Contrary to common Honesty the first principles of Reason with violence to the evident dictates of the Law of nature they will in confidence of these principles have the word sentence of a Pope though a beast a witch a Conjurer as by their own confession many of them have been to be impliciteâ—y submitted to in about things which he neither knoweth nor loveth nor careth for being yet such in themselves as immediately and directly concerne the everlasting condition of the soules of men And this is our second returne to their pretence of being the Catholick Church to which I adde 3. That their plea is so far from truth that they are and they only the Catholick Church that indeed they belong not to it because they keep not the Vnity of the faith which is required to constitute any person whatever a member of that Church but faile in all the conditions of it For 1. To proceed by way of instance they doe not professe nor believe a Justification distinct from Sanctification and acceptance thereof the Doctrine whereof is of absoluâ—e indispensable necessity to the preservation of the Vnity of the Faith and so faile in the first condition of professing all necessary Truths I know what they say of Justification what they have determined concerning it in the Councell of Trent what they dispute about it in their books of Controversies But I deny that which they contend for to be a Justification so that they doe not deny only Justification by Faith but positively over and above the infusion of Grace and the acceptance of the obedience thence arising that there is any Justification at all consisting in the free and full absolution of a sinner on the account of Christ 2. They discover principles corrupt and depraved utterly inconsistent with those truths and the receiving of them which in generall by owning the Scriptures they doe professe Herein to passe by the principles of Atheisme wickednesse and profannesse that effectually worke and manifest themselves in the generality of their Priests People that of self â—ighteousnes that is in the best of their Devotionists is utterly inconsistent with the whole Doctrine of the Gospell and all saving Truths concerning the mediation of Jesus Christ therein conteined 3. That in their Doctrine of the Popes supremacy of merits satisfaction the masse the worshipping of Images they adde such things to their profession as enervate the efficacy of all the saving truths they doe professe and so faile in the third condition This hath so abundantly been manifested by others that I shall not need to adde any thing to give the charge of it upon them any farther evidence or demonstration Thus it is unhappily fallen out with these men that what of all men they most pretend unto that of all men they have the least intâ—erest in Aâ—haeneus tells us of one Throsâ—â—aus an Aâ—henian who being phrenetically distempered whatever ships came into the Pyraeum he looked on them and thought them his own and rejoyced as the Master of so great wealth when he was not the owner of so much as a boate such a distemper of pride and folly hath in the like manner ceased on these persons with whom we have to doe that where ever in Scripture they meet with the name Church presently as though they were intended by it they rejoyce in the priviledges of it when their concernment lyes not at all therein To close this whole discourse I shall bring the grand Argument of the Romanists with whom I shall now in this Treatise have little more to doe wherewith they make such a noise in the world to an â—ssue Of the many formes and shapes whereinto by them it is cast this seems to be the most perspicuously expressive of their intention Voluntarily to forsake the communion of the Church of Christ is Schisme and they that doe so are guilty of it You have voluntarily forsaken the communion of the Church of Christ Therefore You are guilty of the sinne of Schisme I have purposely omitted the interposing of the terme Catholick that the reason of the Argument might runne to its length for upon the taking in of that terme we have nothing to doe but only to deny the Minor Proposition seeing the Roman Church be it what it will is not the Church Catholick but as it is without that limitation called the Church of Christ indefinitely it leaves place for a farther and fuller Answer To this by way of inference they adde that Schisme as it is declared by S. Austin and S Thomas of Aquin being so great and damnable a sinne and whereas it is plainâ— that out of the Church which as Peter says is as Noahs Arke 1 Pet. 3. 20 21. there is no salvation it is cleare you will be damned This is the summe of their plea. Now as for the forementioned Argument some of our Divines answer to the Minor Prop. and that both as to the tearmes of voluntary forsaking and that also of the Communion of the Church For the first they say they did not voluntarily forsake the communion of the Church that then was but being necessitated by the command of God to reforme themselves in sundry things they were driven out by bell book and Candle cursed out killed out driven out by all manner of violence Ecclesiasticall and Civill which is a strange way of mens becoming Schismatick 2. That they forsook not the communion of the Church but the Corruptions of it or the communion of it in its corruption not in other things wherein it was Lawfull to continue communion with it To give strength to this Answer they farther adde that though they grant the Church of Rome to have been at the time of the first separation a true Church of Christ yet they deny it to be Catholick Church or only visible Church then in the World the Churches in the East claiming that title by as good a right as shee So they Others principally answer to the Major Prop. and tell you that separation is either causeles or upon just ground and cause that t is a causeles separation only from the Church of Christ that is Schisme that there can be no cause of Schisme for if there be a cause of Schisme materially it ceaseth to be Schisme formally and so to strengthen their answer in Hypothesi they fall upon the Idolatrys Heresies Tyranny and Apostacy of the Church of Rome as just causes of Separation from her nor will their plea be shaken to eternity so that being true and popular understood by the meanest though it contain not the whole Truth I shall not in the least impaire it For them who
out of it like Pauls Mariners out of the ship when the storme grew hazardous It being the duty of all the members of such a Church untainted with the evills and corruptions of it upon many accounts to attempt and labour the remedie of those disorders and rejection of these abuses to the uttermost which was that which Paul advised the Corinthians all and some unto in obedience whereunto they were recovered But yet this I say had the Church of Corinth continued in the condition before prescribed that notorious scandalous sinnes had went unpublished unreproved drunkennesse continued and practised in the Assemblies men abiding by the denyall of the Resurrection so overturning the whole Gospell and the Church refusing to do her duty and exercise her Authority to cast all those disorderly persons upon their obstinacy out of her communion It had been the duty of every Saint of God in that Church to have withdrawn from it to come out from among them and not to have been partaker of their sinnes unlesse they were willing to partake of their plague also which on such an Apostacy would certainly ensue I confesse Austin in his single booke against the Donatists post collationem cap. 20. affirmes that Elijah and Elisha communicated with the Israelites in their worship when they were so corrupted as in their dayes and separated not from their Sacraments as he calls them but only withdrew sometimes for feare of persecution a mistake unworthy so great and wise a person as he was The publick worship of those 10 Tribes in the dayes of those Prophets was Idolatrous erected by Jeroboam confirmed by a Law by Omri and continued by Ahab That the Prophets joyned with them in it is not to be imagined But earnestnesse of desire for the attaining of any end sometimes leaves no roome for the examination of the Medium's offering their service to that purpose Let us now see the sum of the whole matter and what it is that we plead for our discharge as to this crime of Schisme allowing the Terme to passe in its large and usuall acceptation receding for the sake of the Truths farther ventilation from the precise propriety of the word annexed to it in the Scripture The summe is we have broken no bond of Vnity no order instituted or appointed by Jesus Christ have causelessly deserted no station that ever we were in according to his mind which alone can give countenance to an accusation of this Nature That on pure grounds of conscience we have withdrawn or doe withhold our selves from partaking in some wayes engaged into upon meer grounds of Prudence we acknowledge And thus from what hath been said it appeares in what a faire capacity notwithstanding any principle or practice owned by us we are to live peaceably and to exercise all fruits of Love towards those who are otherwise minded There is not the least necessity on us may we be permitted to serve God according to our light for the acquitting our selves from the charge which hath made such a noise in the world to charge other men with their failings great or small in or about the ways and worship of God This only is incumbent on us that we manifest that we have broken no bond no obligation or tye to communion which lay upon us by the will appointment of Jesus Christ our Lord and Master what is prudentially to be done in such a Nation as this in such a time as this as to the worship of God we will treate with men at farther leisure and when we are lawfully called thereto It may be some will yet say because it hath been often said there is difference between reforming of Churches already gathered and raised and raising of Churches out of meer materialls The first may be allowed but the latter tends to all manner of Confusion I have at present not much to say to this objection because as I conceive it concernes not the businesse we have in hand Nor would I have mentioned it at all but that it s insisted on by some on every turne whether suited for the particular cause for which it is produced or no. In briefe then 1. I know no other reformation of any Church or any thing in a Church but the reducing of it to its primitive Institution and the order allotted to it by Jesus Christ If any plead for any other Reformation of Churches they are in my judgement to blame And when any society or Combination of men whatever hitherto it hath been esteemed is not capable of such a Reduction and Renovation I suppose I shall not provoke any wise and sober person if I professes I cannot look on such a society as a Church of Christ and thereupon advise those therein who have a due right to the priviledges purchased for them by Christ as to Gospell Administrations to take some other peaceable course to make themselves partakers of them 2. Were I fully to handle the things pointed to in this Objection I must mannage Principles which in this Discourse I have not been occasioned to draw forth at all or to improve Many things of great weight and importance must come under debate and consideration before a cleare account can be given of the case stated in this Objection as 1. The true nature of an instituted Church under the Gospell as to the matter forme and all other necessary constitutive causes is to be investigated and found out 2. The nature and forme of such a Church is to be exemplifyed from the Scripture and the stories of the first Churches before sensibly infested with the poyson of that Apostacy which ensued 3. The extent of the Apostacy under Antichrist as to the ruining of instituted Churches making them to be Babylon and their worship Fornication is duely and carefully to be examined Hic labor Hoc opus Here lyes our disorder and division hence is our darknesse and pollution of our garments which is not an easy thing to free our selves of though we may arise yet we shall not speedily shake our selves out of the dust 4. By what way and meanes God begat anew and kept alive his Elect in their severall Generations when Antichristian darknesse covered the Earth and thick darknesse the Nations supposing an intercision of instituted Ordinances so farre as to make a nullity in them as to what was of simple and pure Institution what way might be used for the fixing the Tabernacle of God againe with men and the setting up of Church worship according to his minde and will And here the famous case of the united Brethren of Bohemia would come under consideration who concluding the whole Papacy to be purely Antichristian could not allow of the Ordination of their Ministers by any in communion with it and yet being perswaded of a necessity of continuing of that Ordinance in a way of succession sent some to the Greek and Armenian Churches who observing