so no Action whatsoever can be justly lyable to Censure that is either founded on that motive or even tends to that design But it is very unreasonable to find fault with him that shall change his Sentiments of Religion and consequently make an open Profession of it provided that he acts directly upon truly Christian Motives according to a real apprehension of the Truth and a serious Conviction of the Conscience The only thing that in this Case is liable to Censure being a base compliance with the thoughts of other Men or a change of the True Religion upon false inducements since neither God nor Man can be secure of his Fidelity whom Interest can bribe to act against his Conscience It is therefore no small Satisfaction unto me and I believe also to the rest of all your Friends that being well acquainted with your former Conversation we believe your sincerity in all that you have done and that no Temporal advantage the too common spur of mean and fickle Spirits could ever incline your thoughts to entertain a Notion but as you were perswaded of and confided in its Truth So that either the want of a due Consideration in respect of your Motives to believe or some great mistake in your Notion of Religion and that as well in respect of the Faith which you deserted as of that which you embrace have ever appeared to me as the reason of your Change that you should quit those Principles wherein you were Bred for such as upon enquiry can never appear unto you either so Rational or so Christian As it is the duty of every Christian therefore to endeavour the satisfaction of his offended Brother and to rectifie those Errors that have seduc'd him from the Faith so I think my self obliged by the special tyes of Friendship to be peculiarly concerned in your Restitution and not only to discover to you the Sophistry of those Arguments that have imposed upon you but also to explain those Truths wherewith you seem unacquainted For if the account be true which I have had of your Desertion your Motives to leave the Church of England and Embrace the Communion of the Church of Rome were these A desire to live more truly in the Communion of the Catholick Church and to become more Orthodox in your Faith and Worship If then I can make it evident that you were mistaken in both these great Proposals and that a contrary event in both is the sure result of this your undertaking It will be reasonable to expect your Repentance for what you have done and a Reconciliation to that Mother whom you have forsaken § 1. How the first of these Proposals could ever influence your Practice is a very hard thing to be imagined or why you should phansie now that you are more in the Communion of the Catholick Church than you were among us before your Change is really a Conceit that I cannot find the ground of Since the common imposition by the Name of Catholick must be too slight to move a Man of Learning When the Name of Roman Catholick is but an usurpt Title that carries little less than a contradiction in the terms I know indeed there is an Error in the Notion of Church-Government that is too prevalent with many Christians and may possibly seduce them from the Truth of their Religion to submit unto those Laws that can't oblige them And that is That the Government of the Catholick Church on Earth is Originally Monarchical and consequently that the Unity thereof consists in the due subjection of all the Members unto the Dominion of one Universal Bishop So that no Man can be a Christian or in the Communion of the Catholick Church but he that will submit unto the Pope's Authority But in Truth it is fully evident from the Scriptures from the Constitution of the Church and from the practice of all Christians in the Primitive Ages that the Government of the Church on Earth is Aristocratical and that the Unity thereof doth eminently consist in the Communion of all its Members So that every Person that makes Profession of the Christian Faith and lives in the Communion of any particular Church or Society of Christians he is certainly in the Communion of the Catholick Church of Christ and according to the sincerity of his Profession he hath an undoubted Right unto all her Promises For first the Scriptures do expresly tell us that Christ Selected not one alone but twelve Apostles and that he gave them all but one Commission jointly as well as made them by it all equal in Authority That he was so far from constituting one as his Vicar upon Earth with an Absolute Dominion over all his Brethren that he forbad such Ambition as disagreeable with his Laws and Ordained Humility to be their way of Government Ye know saith he Mat. XX. 25. that the Princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority upon them But it shall not be so among you but whosoever will be great among you let him be your Minister And whosoever will be chief among you let him be your Servant Intimating clearly that Ecclesiastical Authority is not like the Dominion of the Gentils which was altogether managed in a Despotical way of Government But as he himself was a pattern of Humility and submitted unto Death for the good of his People so their joint Power should consist in serving others without any pretence unto a Temporal Dominion St. Paul therefore most evidently refers the building of the Body of Christ which is certainly the Catholick Church not to any one but unto the Apostles in the plural number Ephes iv 11 12. and although he was himself the last of all that Order being as he saith 1 Cor. xv 8 9. the least of the Apostles as one that was born out of due time Yet he assures the Galatians Galat. ii 7. that in point of Authority in the Church of Christ he was inferior unto no Man in that the Gospel of the Uncircumcision was committed unto him as that of the Circumcision was to Peter And consequently then St. Peter's Principality if he had any was limited to the Jews that were Converted to the Faith and not extended to the Gentils over whom he ne're presided So that in this pretence of a Succession from the Prince of the Apostles the Pope can have no claim to a Jurisdiction in our Countries except he can derive our Pedigree from those of the Circumcision But to manifest more clearly that the Church of Rome is not the whole Tree or Body of Christians no nor so much as the Root thereof St. Paul not only reckons her among the Branches Rom. xi 17. but doth expresly admonish her not to usurp Dominion as if he were suspicious of her future greatness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do not boast against or rather do not insult over the Branches But if thou
himself to some particular Society he that is in the Communion of the Church of England must appear to live in the Communion of the Catholick Church more than any Member of the Church of Rome And you were strangely mistaken in your Sentiments of Religion when in this Notion of the Catholick Church you quitted the one Communion and Embrac'd the other § 4. But perhaps you will tell me that the Church of Rome is truly Catholick not so much upon account of its extent or comprehension or even the terms of Communion in her as for her Antiquity and Catholick Doctrin in that she appears the same from the days of the Apostles while the Church of England as it is now establisht seems to take her date from the Reformation of her If these should be your thoughts there are two particulars that deserve to be considered by you 1 st That no Article of Faith is maintained in the Church of England as necessary to Salvation but what is evidently founded on the Holy Scriptures and consequently hath been believed and received as such by every true Christian from the Primitive Ages So that you cannot instance any one particular that we hold as such to which the universal rule of Catholick Doctrin may not be easily and properly applyed viz. Ab omnibus ubique semper fuit creditum It was at all times and in all places and by all Men believed Whereas every particular wherein the Church of Rome doth differ from her is also evidently of a later date and it is easie to instance whenever you require it if not the particular time when it was introduc'd at least a certain Age when it was not so believed And consequently then the Doctrin of the Church of Rome as she is at variance with the Church of England cannot with any Truth be stiled Catholick nor as it is such be the occasion of your Change § 5. The Second particular is that the Reformation of any thing doth not extirpate its former being and new make it nor yet essentially change it from the same thing that it was before but only rectifying what was formerly amiss and removing all things that were repugnant to its Nature it leaves the Being essentially the same but renders it abundantly more pure and illustrious The Church of England therefore cannot be truly said to have lost or changed any of the Fundamentals of the Christian Religion by her Reformation or any wise to cease from being the same Church that it was before since whatsoever was received by the Primitive Christians she still holdeth believeth and openly professeth and whatsoever was not so she never could esteem as part of her Religion And she hath made no change either in her Faith or Practice but by rejecting of such Unchristian Novelties as in the times of Ignorance and oppressing Tyranny were slily introduc'd and forcibly imposed upon her Whereas in the Canons of the Council of Trent which do comprize the Faith and regulate the Communion of the Church of Rome not only many things reputed by the Ancient Fathers as uncertain for instance Purgatory as I shewed before but also some that are evidently false viz. Transubstantiation as will appear hereafter are not only therein determined and as Articles of your Faith made a part of your Religion but also delivered to us with an Anathema to Unbelievers and as the express terms of the Communion If therefore you will say that the Religion or the Being of a Church is to take its beginning from the last system of the Christian Faith or the last change of Discipline that was Establisht in her and will consider farther that the Faith of a Christian is to be measured à credendis not à negatis from the points to be believed not those uncertainties that are deny'd by him You will find it necessary to acknowledge that the Old Religion is maintained in the Church of England and that that of the Church of Rome is of a later date Since the Church of England as I shew'd before stands by the Primitive Rule of Faith and what ever was so determined by the first four General Councils and this without the mixture of any Secular Notions or any thing that is opposite either to Reason or the Scriptures and consequently then she professeth the same Faith and the same Religion which she ever did and is not essentially changed since she was first Establish'd But the Church of Rome hath evidently made many changes and innovations both in Faith and Practice and hath imposed new Articles as necessary to Salvation which were never so reputed before her Injunction And therefore in point of Doctrin as also she cannot be truly called the Catholick Church nor on that account have drawn you to her Communion § 6. As to your second Motive founded upon the Excellence both of Faith and Practice which you supposed in the Church of Rome as that it is more Orthodox than the Church of England Should I Examine at large every particular Disputation into which this Point may lead us to determine it and which is already extant and discust fully upon this Subject it would probably require more time than I can have leisure to expend and withal would seem impertinent to my present design which is your Satisfaction with all brevity and plainess Especially when so much hath been said already by more Learned Persons that it is almost as impossible to add to as to answer their Arguments and I cannot but suppose that you are acquainted with them although you seem not satisfied nor convinced by their Evidence It is certainly sufficient in this case to have recourse but to our foundation that our Faith and Worship both are wholly founded upon the Scriptures have the consent of the Universal Church backt with Reason and an uninterrupted Practice which warrants and maintains whatever we hold as necessary against the force of all manner of Opponents Whereas the Doctrin and Devotion of the Church of Rome is chiefly built upon a loose Tradition or rather indeed the Projects and Inventions of Monastick Votaries such as True Religion cannot countenance nor the Law of God be perswaded to comply with In so much that should a Stranger but inspect our Churches and knowing only that God is a Spirit and that they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth should he examine the grounds and circumstances of Publick Devotion in them he would discover clearly the Nature of our Religion both consonant to Reason and the God we Worship while the other is hid in Ceremonies buried in external I ormalities and makes but a meer shew or pageant of Devotion § 7. But since however there is one particular case of moment in deciding whereof this Question may be resolved also viz. Whither the Church of Rome or Church of England is more Pure and Orthodox both in Faith and Worship It will not be amiss to enquire into it
Pope Stephen must contradict the Principles of the Christian Religion and deny Salvation unto Penitent Believers For if no Man can be a Christian but he that is in the Communion of the Catholick Church and Baptism is not Sacramental nor Beneficial to Salvation where the Person is excluded from the Society of Cristians Such Baptism then must be necessary to Salvation as doth make a Man a Christian and a Member of that Society If any Person therefore that is Baptized by one whom you call Heretick and with whose Church you will not Communicate be notwithstanding this so much a Christian as that he is to be Baptized no more but if he shall change his Religion and become a Convert to the Church of Rome they will receive him into their Communion but never permit him to be Baptized again I say then this is a fair Concession from themselves that they Believe that he was a Christian and consequently a Member of the Body of Christ before he was actually of their Communion For the Scripture tells us that every Branch although it is unfruitful yet it abideth in the Vine until it is cut off viz. by an Apostacie from the Faith nor can any new Branch be grafted in but by that Sacrament of Baptism which Christ ordained for it And therefore it is evident that those Antient Fathers did not believe that all Men were Apostates who differed from them in Opinion as to Religion but acknowledged that they were still Christians though Erroneous and therefore would not repeat their Baptism which was compleat before but received them Charitably by the Imposition of Hands Which is a sufficient Evidence that the Catholick Church of Christ is more extensive than the Church of Rome and that a Christian may be a Member of the one although he is not actually in the Communion of the other And therefore it is observable even at this day that in the Administration of Baptism in the Church of Rome no Man is obliged by his Baptismal Vow to believe their own Articles or Constitutions but only to Profess the Christian Faith as it is in common with all other Christians and which is not sufficient in a state of Maturity to qualifie any Person to be of their Communion And consequently then those Articles are not necessary in order to be a Christian although the proper Standard of the Church of Rome But a Man may be a Member of the Catholick Church that is not precisely one of her Communion There is a Famous Act Recorded of the Donatists in Africa that is exactly parallel with our present case They being scarce a National or particular Church but rather a broken part or fraction of one yet positively decreed themselves to be the Catholick Church of Christ and in a Synod of their own party formally Excommunicated all other Christians that would not submit unto their determinations But certainly no Rational Man will say that that Decree so made was True and Authentick or that all the Christian Church was obliged to submit unto it and to be concluded by it because it was boldly delivered as a Truth and confidently asserted with over-great assurance by a company of Men that called themselves a Council But rather on the contary such an Act is to be derided and the Censure laught at as contrary to Reason and all Humane Constitutions which leave all Persons in their perfect Liberty until by themselves it is submitted And therefore St. Augustine's Argument against them is as fully unanswerable in respect of us who make the same Plea against the Church of Rome For if you confess that I am a Christian although I am no Papist you declare then that the Christian Faith is openly profest without the Communion of the Church of Rome And whosoever will endeavour to reduce the Catholick Church to such a narrow compass must be Guilty of the Schism that is occasioned by it in excluding so many Christians from the Communion of Saints § 3. But that the Church of Rome might render it self more a particular Church and less the Catholick if possible than any other is she hath of late years streightned her own extent extreamly by setting such new limits and restraints on her Communion as former Ages never heard of nor the Catholick Church ever prescribed or exacted Thus Purgatory was far from being an Article of Faith and necessary to Salvation in the days of St. Augustine Or the Worshiping of Images from being a Duty in Religion before the second Council of Nice So that without believing things that are incredible viz. Transubstantiation the Infallibility of the Pope c. And doing things that are unpracticable viz. Worshiping the Host and the Virgin Mary c. no Man can be admitted now into her Communion but a Man that is a real and most faithful Christian that believeth in and conformeth himself to the Holy Scriptures and also doth expound them in hard places according to the Faith and Practice of the Primitive Christians Yet notwithstanding all this he is excluded by her as being an Inâ—idel and as far as in her lyeth is deprived of the common Benefits and the Priviledges of a Christian Whereas the Church which you Deserted is evidently in this Case conformable to the Catholick in that any faithful Christian of any other particular Communion if he doth believe the Scriptures and understand them in the Sense of the Universal Church as it is delivered by the four General Councils which you must also own to be the Catholick Faith if your Opinion differs not from that of Athanasius If this Man I say doth make it his business to live up unto those Rules he is freely admitted into her Communion and may publickly enjoy all the common Rights and Benefits of a Christian without any other Injunction or Imposition on his Conscience For none of her Articles are propounded with Anathema's nor is there so much as a bar from her Communion inflicted on those Persons that do not Subscribe them but as their Title shews us they were composed for Peace for the avoiding of diversity of Opinions and for the Establishing of consent touching True Religion For the never did believe that any Society on Earth as the Church of Rome asserts it of her self had power either to alter or to add unto the Faith or to contradict the Institution of our Saviour and the practice of the Primitive Christians with a bold tamen or non obstante to them or ever to impose now Articles of Faith upon the People as absolutely necessary unto their Salvation which the Primitive Christians for some hundreds of years were never known to have thought or heard of So that according to your own Notion if to be Catholick is to be of no Party nor Faction in Religious Matters but a Christian in full latitude and in respect of the Church in general since every Member of the Universal Church must adjoin