Ordination 6. The Canonicall Books of the Old Testament and some other And yet for all these they grew up together comfortably and continued in the same body Seldome or never any that offer'd to make a breach or to censure other Churches for these or the like different observations and expressions but two or three Bishops of Rome Such were the humility and charity of those glorious Saints In those purer dayes (l) Neminem judicantes aut a jure communionis aliquem si diversum sensevit amoventes Cypr. in concil Carthag one Bishop was not so forward to censure or excommunicate another Bishop for being of a diverse persuasion No no saith St. Cyprian (m) Ib. Neque quisquam nostrum Episcopum se esse Episcoporum constituit aut tyrannico terrore ad obsequendi necessitatem collegas suos adegit No man in those dayes took upon him to be Bishop of Bishops or to enforce any by tyrannicall terror to subscribe his dictates Then was it lawfull for every one to speak his minde freely when reason not power weight and not number bore the sway 41. But you object that (n) n. 8. I say Sect. 19. that since the Reformation we have not communicated with the Church of Rome Very right I doe so But withall I tell you that this is no fault of ours since ye will not suffer us to communicate with you unlesse we communicate with your errors Is not this to deal with us as the Jews did with the poor man that was born blinde (o) St. Jo. 9.34 while he was blinde the Pharisees communicated with him but when he had gained sight they cast him out they excommunicated him But (p) Ib. v. 35. our blessed Saviour took pity on him and received him into his communion Thus while we were blinde and saw not your errors we were your dear friends but when we discerned them and complained of them hell was good enough for us Yet we doubt not but (q) 1. St. Jo. 1.3 we have communion with Christ since we hold communion with the Apostles by their successors not onely in function but in faith and charity For we receive the two Testaments with the three Creeds in the same sense with the Primitive Church We pray for the whole Church for all Jews Turks Infidels and Hereticks yea for our enemies persecutors and slanderers We anathematize not Churches but errors nor any persons but such as are or ought to be members of this Church and Kingdome we presse not beyond our line If this be the right way to heaven surely we are in the right and ye in the wrong 42. Well (r) n. 9. the Church of Rome and England being thus separated both in faith and communion and so not one and the Church of Rome and those in communion with her by your saying not being the Catholick Church For the separation we must thank you for our faith we blesse Christ What that is the Book of Common-prayer manifests in plain terms and I have shewed that the Pope and his Conclave have incurred Canonicall censures by imposing a new Creed upon us and others That we communicate not with you the fault is yours and Catholicks we shall be able to prove our selves when ye will not be found Orthodoxe But such is that typhus Romanus the infinite pride of Rome that none shal be Catholicks none in communion of the Church nor in the way to heaven that will not stoop to their lure that will not erre with Pius Quartus and the Councel of Trent As if the Romanes were the onely at least had been the first Christians and that St. Peter's keyes were tyed to the Popes girdle to let in and to keep out whom he listed Whereas we know (s) St. Jo. 20.22 23. the keyes were given to all the Apostles alike to St. John for Ephesus as much as to St. Peter for Rome Yea (t) Hieron St. Peter himself provided for Antioch before Rome for he was first Bishop of Antioch The same keyes to all the Apostles for all Nations alike that so all might be admitted by the same keyes into the same (u) 1. Tim. 3.15 house of God which is the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of truth And in this house by Gods grace we shall continue while (x) Col. 2.19 we hold the head and from thence receive nourishment by those joynts and bands which Christ hath ordained And * For the judgment of the whole controversie we refer unto the most holy Scriptures and the Catholick Church of Christ The Protest of Bish Scory c. Book of Mart. p. 2120 were your party contented to be ruled by antiquity we might be one as the house is one 43. That the Church of Rome and those in communion with her are not as you would fain have it the Catholick Church is fully manifested in my former answer § 2 c. 12 22 23 29. And yet there was the Catholick Church at all times since it was first constituted (y) Aug. de Gen. ad lit imperfect c. 1. Mater enim Ecclesia Catholica dicitur ex eo quia universaliter perfecta est in nullo claudicat per totum orbem diffusa est the Mother Church is hence called Catholick because she is universally perfect and halts in nothing and is diffused through the whole world She is not Catholick or sound because she communicates with Rome but Rome is Catholick if she communicate with her and so is every Church We shall therefore communicate with this our Mother that so we may continue Catholick We are sure the Mother halts not though some of the Daughters may That Rome hath halted downright in the prime Articles is too notorious as hath been shewed § 18 27 32 c. and then I am sure she was not Catholick (z) Vincent Lirin c. 14. Nemini enim licet praeter id quod Ecclesia Catholica usquequaque evangelizat accipere for it is not lawfull for her or any other to receive or broach any other doctrine then that which the Catholick Church preaches every where much lesse to enforce it as necessary to salvation Where then ye leave the Church Catholick it is our duty to leave you (a) Estnè aliquis tantae audaciae qui praeter id quod apud Ecclesiam adnunciatum est adnunciet vel tantae levitatis qui praeter id quod ab Ecclesiâ accipit accipiat Ib. This Church he speaks of is not the Romane but the Catholick Church As it is audaciousnesse in you to induce or impose any new Article so were it levity in us to embrace it 44. What we have we have received from our good Mother the Catholick Church and though by you yet not from you Christs legacies they are not yours If ye deliver us these legacies in base or counterfeit coin we shall not accept of it Gold ye received from the Testator and not
presumption thou hast cut off thy self from the body of Christ which is his Church In those days he had no such power How he since came by it is laid open to your and every bodies eyes by Archbishop Lawd § 25. n. 12. 27. But why for the last 1100 years Is it because ye dare not trust to the former ages Wherein we finde (n) Lira in S. Mat. 16. Zepherinus to be a Montanist Marcellinus an Idolater Liberius an Arian and Vigilius an Eutychian All Bishops of Rome but no Catholicks Needs therefore in their times must the Catholick Church be distinct from the Church of Rome Or is it because for tryall of the truth of Religion I appealed to the 500. years next after our Saviour I professe I did and doe so because it is common in these dayes even with those that conscientiously pretend to truth (o) Tanta est quorundam errandi libido ut contenti non sint traditâ semel acceptâ antiquitus credendi regulâ sâ—d nova ac nova in diem quaerant semperque aliquid gestiant religioni addere mutare detrahere Vinc. Lirin c. 26. not to be content with the rule of faith which was once delivered to the Saints and received from them by the Primitive Church and so transmitted to posterity But we have an itching after new inventions and our glory it is either to adde or alter or pare off something from Religion These courses I abhorre with a perfect hatred and am taught to doe so by Tertullian and Vincent Lirinensis Yea some of your owne Bishops have resolved that (p) Ib. c. 9. Religion admits of no other course but this ut omnia qua fide a Patribus suscepta forent eadem fide filiis consignarentur that all things be preserved for the children with the same faith wherewith they were received from the primitive Fathers And (q) Nosque Religionem non quâ vellemus ducere sed potius quâ illa duceret sequi oportere Ib. we must not lead Religion whither we please but rather we must follow whither that leads This was the resolution of Stephen Bishop of Rome an holy and prudent man as Vincentius termes him (r) Ib. c. 43. Xistus likewise and Celestinus are of the same minde they will endure no innovations no additions to Antiquity Oh that Rome had always kept close to this rule then should we have had no such ruptures in the Church as we now complain of and bewaile 28. And reason good we have to appeal to Antiquity which is not partiall towards you or us but indifferent to both (s) Ib. c. 8. She never held it meet to maintain the faction or conspiracy of any one Province but (t) Apud ipsam Ecclesiae vetustatem non partis alicujus sed universitatis ab iis suscepta est defensio Ib. she stood up in defence of the whole Church and not for any part thereof And he can be no good Christian that does otherwise St. Cyprian is altogether for this course (u) Cypr. Pomp. if any thing be amisse he sends us to the spring head to finde out the fault The like counsell is given by Ireneus (x) Iren. l. 5. c. 4. If difference arise about any small question nonne oporteret in antiquissimus recurrere Ecclesias in quibus Apostoli conversati sunt ab iis de praesenti quaestione sumere quod certum quod liquidum est ought we not to have recourse to the most ancient Churches not to that in being wherein the Apostles themselves conversed and from those to take that which is certain and clear about the present question Observe from thence we shall have that which is certain Why then shall we content our selves with uncertainties That therefore the third Generall Councell might deal clearly and upon sure grounds with Nestorius (y) Vincent Ligrin c. 42. it took this very course holding it to be Catholicissimum foelicissimum atque optimum factu most Catholick most happy and meetest to be done to take into consideration the sentences of those holy Fathers that were before them Those they took to be their Masters their Counsellors Witnesses and Judges Their doctrine they held close to their counsel they followed to their testimony they gave credit to their judgment they submitted and answerably thereto passed sentence upon the difference then in agitation Blame not us then if we appeal to the Fathers and (z) Vt rite atque solenniter ex eorum consensu atque docreto antiqui dogmatis Religio confirmaretur prophanae novitatis blasphemia condemnaretur Ib. by their unanimous writings judge of Religion that so we may keep to the old Rules and avoyd the blasphemies of profane novelty This was the proper the onely way then known and is now readily to discern without prejudice presumption or partiality whether ye or we be in the right what is Orthodox and what not At this tribunall let us stand or fall 29. All this will hardly prevail with you For say you if this cannot be shewn it will necessarily follow those were the Catholick Church or else the Catholick Church was not alway visible Sir if you can distinguish between man in specie and Socrâ—â—â—s you may quickly distinguish between the Catholick Church and Church of Rome For as man is substantially predicated of many differing in number so is the Church Though St. Peter be a man yet is he not the onely man Judas is a man as much as he they both communicate in the same essence in the same definition the one is as much a reasonable creature as the other And it will not excuse the Church of Rome from being erronious because it is called a Church and hath the same definition with other Churches Good and bad Orthodox and Erronious come not into the definition The onely definition or description of the Catholick Church that I find in Scripture is this (a) 1 Tim. 3.15 The Church is the pillar and ground of truth From whence I argue thus That Church which hath erred is not the pillar and ground of truth But the Church of Rome hath erred Ergo The Church of Rome is not the pillar and ground of truth The Major is undenyable the Minor I prove thus That Church which hath professed Montanisme Arianisme Eutychianisme hath erred But the Church of Rome hath professed all these Ergo The Church of Rome hath erred The Major is clear and the Minor is sufficiently proved § 18.27 It follows therefore necessarily that the Church of Rome neither was nor is the Catholick Church And yet the Catholick Church was then visible when the Church of Rome fell from the Catholick faith and ceased to be a Church (b) Euseb hist l. 5. c. 15. Montanus and his Enthusiasmes were censured and condemned by the Bishops of Asia in divers Synods In those dayes when Arianisme prevailed at Rome the Catholick Church was visible (c) Theodoret
according to your charge I did say that the Romane Church had grievously erred and in one fundamentall at least yet as then so now I am have been and ever shall be loath to deny her to be a true Church since without the Church no salvation If you will make her no Church or a false Church and put your selves out of all hope I can pity you but not help it Indeed the pride of that See is such she will be all or nothing either the Catholick or no Church It is not therefore to her content to yeild her to be a Church since that implyes no more then that she is a member of the whole Alas the Universall she cannot be (z) Sicut universa terra ex multis terris unviversa Ecclesia ex multis constat Ecclesiis Aug. de Civ Dei l. 13. c. 13. that consists of many Churches as the whole earth consists of many lands and countreys and yet but one Earth and one Church Neither of them is couped up or confined within the largest Continent For my part I professe with St. Austin that (a) Aug. contr Crescon Gram. l 3. c. 35. I am in that Church cujus membra sunt omnes illae Ecclesiae quas ex laboribus Apostolorum natas atque firmatas simul in literis canonicis novimus the members whereof are all those Churches which in Scripture we know to have been planted and confirmed by the Apostles industry And (b) Earum communionem quantum me adjuvat Dominus sive in Aphricâ sive ubicunque non deseram Ib. their communion with Gods assistance I shall never forsake whether in England or elsewhere unlesse these forsake the truth I shall never leave the Vniversall to side with any particular Church And I would advise your Masters to take heed lest while with the Dogge in the Fable they catch at too much they lose all 15. (c) Cyprian de unit Eccles The Church according to St. Cyprian is like a Tree whose boughs are many but the body one firmly rooted Ab arbore frange ramum fructus germinare non poterit break the best arme from this body it will bear no fruit for heaven the branch it self will wither and rot and come to nothing Hath that Church you speak of been heretofore a glorious and happy Church Glory not too much in that (d) Ro. 11.18 boast not over the rest of the branches that have been lesse successefull thou bearest not the root but the root thee thou art but graffed in as the rest were and (e) Ib. v. 17. with them thou partakest of the root and fatnesse of the olive tree Remember also though there be many branches yet there is but one originall one root that yeelds sap and life and fruit to every bough great or small Suppose thou be the top-bough yet rend not suffer not thy selfe to be rent from this body Take heed of this lest thou become fewell for that dreadfull fire 16. That the Church of Rome hath grievously and dangerously erred I need no witnesses but your own family Stapleton justifies that (f) Stapleton Relect. cont 1. q. 5. A. 3. there is scarce any sin that can be thought by man Heresie onely excepted with which that See hath not been foully stained especially from the 800 years after Christ. But (g) Stella in luc 22.31 Stella and (h) Almain l. 3. D. 24. q. 1. Almain grant freely that some of the Bishops of Rome did fall into heresie and so ceased to be heads of the Church And though some of that Churches errors at this day be dangerous to salvation yet (i) Archbishop Lawd §. 20. n. 23. that judicious Bishop I then spake of would not venture to set down what errors in doctrine may give just cause of separation in this body or the parts of it one from another Neither shall I by Gods grace be over-bold in this point 17. The points fundamentall are contained in the Creed which is as the Councell of Trent speaks (k) Concil Trid. Sess 3. Et fundamentum firmum unicum not the firm alone but the onely foundation And Bellarmine resolves that (l) Bellar. de Verb. Dei non Scrip. l. 4. c. 11. All things simply necessary for all mens salvation are expressed in the Creed and Deealogue If yee have erred in any of these and grown obstinate in this error yee are become an Hereticall Church in battering the foundation And yet we must take notice that (m) Archbish Lawd § 11. n 1. every thing fundamentall is not of a like neernesse to the foundation nor of equall primenesse in the faith For there are (n) The. 2 a. 2 ◠q. 1. Art 7. c. quaedam prima credibilia certain prime principles of faith in the bosome whereof all other Articles lie wrapped and folded up What ever Church denies or disbeleives any of these ceaseth to be not onely Orthodox but Catholick and so no member of the true Church since (o) 1. S. Jo. 4.3 every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God but is that spirit of Antichrist Now if yee have at any time denied (p) Ib. c. 5.20 this Jesus Christ to be the true God and eternall life ye were at that time no Church but an Antichristian Synagogue But this did Marcellinus and Liberius and John 22. all Bishops of Rome In those times therefore yee were no Church but an Antichristian Synagogue (q) Cypr. Pomp. Haeresis enim Christi Sponsa non est since Heresie is not the Spouse of Christ 18. If you doubt of the Minor Stella makes that good for he testifies that (r) Stella in luc 22.31 Marcellinus sacrificed to Idols that Liberius assented to the Arians that is he denyed our Saviour to be of one and the same substance with the Father and that John 22. affirmed that God the Son is greater then the Father and the Holy Ghost These batter and undermine the foundation which what ever Congregation does it apostatizeth and is no Church While then Rome did and beleeved thus neither she nor any of those that communicated with her in these or any of these heresies (s) Nulla societas fidei perfidiae potest esse Qui cum Christo non est adversarius Christi est Cypr. l. 1. ep 3. were so much as a Church much lesse the Catholick Church Especially since all these are contrary to the Creed and Catholick faith (t) Athan. Cre. which faith except every one doe keep whole and undefiled without doubt he shall perish everlastingly This Creed our Church appeals to whether Catholick or not Catholick this is the faith she desires to be saved by He that faithfully beleives this Creed is a Catholick but he that beleives it not is no Catholick neither can he be saved I am one of Athanasius his Catholicks and with Gods blessing I shall live and