of Sacriledge is the ordinary and almost necessary attendant of Schisme and Haeresie That great Patriarch of both Calvin would not vouchsafe to impart his skill in these two qualities to them of Geneva till they had by a solemne publique oath obliged themselves indispensibly to embrace whatsoever doctrines he should establish among them and till they had charged a curse upon themselves and their posterity for ever if afterward they did repent themselves of that Perjury and Rebellion against their lawfull Prince and Bishop 2. Concerning England the poore subjects there ever since Schisme and Haeresie found entrance have beene as of course accustomed to be constreined to forsweare themselves by publike Order and in a most solemn fashion whensoever either the lusts or interests of their Princes have moved them to introduce any novelties among them First Henry the eight without giving his subjects leave or space to studie the point of Controversie which yet indeed was then no controversie at all with forced consent of his Parliament constreined them generally to renounce one Article of that Faith namely Obedience to the Visible Universall Pastour of the Catholique Church wherein they and their Ancestors for many ages had been bred a doctrine introduced and generally embraced there ever since the Nation was converted from Heathenisme by their glorious Apostle S. Augustine the Benedictin Monke delegated thither by the more glorious Pope S. Gregory the Great To effect which Perjury the meaner sort of people were forced by Tyranny and the Great-ones allured by partaking in the spoiles of Sacriledge 3. After his death those sacrilegious persons who governed the Kingdome during the reigne and minority of his Son caused the Parliament a second time to impose upon the whole Nation a yet greater Perjury namely entirely to sweare away a great part of that Faith which made them Christians And though they willingly repented their former Perjuries and impieties returning to their ancient Beliefe and Obedience during the short reigne of that Catholique Princess Q. Mary Yet the interests of her sister successour Q Elizabeth prevailed so far as to make them repent their repentance and to sweare over againe all their former Perjuries her cunning Counsellours by all unlawfull wayes of violence and allurements surprising the Parliament corrupting the Cleargy and violencing the consciences of the subjects and so contriving their designs as that they confidently imagined that Schisme and Haeresie were established in England irremoveably being setled by a law as irrevocable as that of the Medes and Persians 4. But in vaine For Schisme and Heresie wanting firme and reall foundations and being built only upon secular interests when those interests come to faile as all worldly things must in time naturally sinke lower and lower into that gulfe which hath no bottome For it is remarkable that Heresie being the ruine of Faith as Schisme is of Charity all changes that are made in them are still to the worse Faith is continually more and more undetermined and Charity more and more cryed downe and made unlawfull A fearfull example of this hath been represented to the world in this late Schisme in England from a former Schisme For heretofore the English Protestants pretended that by their Separation from the Catholique Church there was made a rent only in the semelesse garment of Christ but yet so that the parts hung together still allowing the Catholique Church to be a true Church of Christ but preferring their part of it as better cleansed and washed than the other But now Christs garment is torne by them into I know not how many rags all pluck'd entirely from one another and this with such violence and injusitice as Mahomet himselfe would have abhorred 5. But to returne to Perjury a most usefull and necessary engine in Schisme certainely never any Carthaginian or Barbarian hath given such prodigious Examples as the Presbyterian Calvinists For Persons who make it a foundation of their Sect to acknowledge a private spirit to be the only judge of Scripture and points of Religion renouncing all externall Ecclesiasticall authority as to such a purpose for such men I say to force other men without any new information or instruction to forswear whatsoever the law of God as they believed and most certainly the lawes of the Kingdome then in force obliged them to is an attentat most horrible But by a new oath and that explicitely commanding persons to preserve their loyalty to their Prince and to maintaine the Lawes and Religion of the Kingdome by such an oath I say to oblige the same Persons at the same time to seeke the destruction of their Prince and of the same Lawes and Religion and to spend their fortunes and lives in the defence of a Religion not yet in being but promised to be contrived no man knowes when nor by whom and to sweare that that unknown Religion yet in the forge was true and only conformable to the word of God What name can be found out for such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an execrable renouncing of God as this And yet all this hath been in the face of the sun and this must in England be stiled a Reformation and such an one as might deserve to be purchased with that Sea of blood which hath lately flowed there 5. Surely this one example alone may suffice to advertise all those who have seperated from the unity of Christs Church what are and probably will be the dire effects of Schisme Let them not cast their eyes so much upon those frequent seditions and Rebellions and those rivers of Christian blood which under a pretence of Reformation have been shed in Christendome since Luthers Apostacy But let them rather consider this as a judgement more terrible then all the former namely that for a punishment of Schisme and such crimes as are the naturall fruits of it Almighty God has given up England to this more then Atheisticall wanton petulant contempt and defiance of his heavenly Majesty 7. Therefore such abominations as these Sacriledge and Perjury then which no Heathen could imagine any more abominable and these so great abominations exalted to the utmost degree and circumstance of aggravation having thus universally infected and envenomed all the severall Orders and degrees of men in England could I possibly remaining a Christian or not becoming a profest Aâ—heist escape fearefull apprehensions that the end of such things would be yet more terrible and that such execrable crimes would require a long time for expiation CHAP. V. The sanguinary lawes and cruell execution of them upon Catholique Priests in England 1. THere was one sinne more of which the English Government since the Schisme there was guilty which God seldome leaves unpunished and for which even during the time of my being a Protestant I apprehended some time or other as a sharp visitation which was the enacting and putting in execution those bloudy lawes against poor Catholique Priests against most of whom there was not the
by passengers of withdrawing mine cares from being wounded with fresh relations of new bloodshed and massacres 2. I confesse that war was to me an object not only of horrour but even astonishment as having never read or heard of any other that could enter into any comparison with it 3. Now that which astonished me in the present Commotions was 1. To consider that fatall concatenation of a world of dispositions and circumstances praeceding this war so strange that no humane prudence could have foreseen or suspected them if any of which had not happened there had been no possibility of any prosperous successe to the Anti-Royallists 2. To observe an event incredibly successefull to designes the most unreasonable and seemingly ridiculous that ever were For for example who could imagine that an inconsiderable number of peevish ignorant Presbyterians should ever come to be able to constreine a whole kingdome to forsweare the Religion in which they had been bred and to subvert their own Church upon a groundlesse suspition that the King had a designe to change his Religion who yet was almost the only person that remained constant in it so as to hazard not only the ruine of his estate but the losse of his life also For the time was when if he would have given up Episcopacy he might have obteined in all other respects very tollerable conditions Whereas severall of the wisest and learnedst of his Cleargy have been content to buy their security with a voluntrry degrading of themselves from their offices and titles yea it may truly be said that though many of them have suffered in extremity yet it was not properly with an eye to their Religion but rather their fidelity and loyalty to their Prince or upon quarrells against Episcopall Tyranny to perswade a Nation to accept of Presbyterian Tyranny infinitely more unreasonable and intollerable And which is beyond beliefe that they should be perswaded to imbarke themselves in a warre wherein so many myriads of Soules have perished when the only differences by the confession of the chiefe incendiaries the Calvinist-Ministers and their partisans in France were only trifling inconsiderable ceremonies and circumstances Blessed God what a strange furious spirit is this which has from Calvin descended upon his followers that moves them to such horrible resolutions and extremities even for matters in their owne opinion of no considerable moment and to the end to enforce their novelties and fancies upon the consciences of others against all justice and reason For what is more unreasonable then that Sects whose essentiall grounds are Scripture alone with a renouncing of all visible authority to interpret it should yet assume to themselves an authority to enforce their opinions upon the consciences of others 4. Was it possible to consider these things without astonishment Is not the hand of God as manifest to the eyes of mens understandings in this businesse as the hand from heaven was to Baltassar when by the help of Daniel he read the finall doom of his own and his kingdomes ruine in those words MANE THE CEL PHARES I must needs confesse that though at my leaving of the kingdome the affaires between the King and Anti-royallists stood almost in aequilibrio there being no considerable advantage on either party notwithstanding I could not free my selfe from grievous apprehensions that Gods Providence had not been so busie and vigilant in contriving such a concurrence of ominous and prodigious events to the end to suffer all things quickly to conclude in peace and tranquility CHAP. II. Sacriledge and Perjury acknowledged even by Heathens to be principall causes of publique calamities 1. FRom a view of our present miseries in England and a sad presumption of yet worse to succeed I turned my thoughts to a modest consideration and probable divination of what might be supposed to be the causes of so so daine and dismall a change there that is what peculiar nationall sins have lately reigned in that kingdome and awakned the just severity of God to make it such a spectacle of desolation and Proverbe of misery above any other nation 2. Even the Heathens themselves take notice of two especiall sinnes so immediately and directly contumelious to the Divine Majesty and therefore in themselves so heynous that they never escaped any long time an exemplary vengeance and the punishment ordinarily inwrapped even the posterity of the delinquents Yea though they had been committed only by a private person and that only inwardly and in designe yet the Divine Iustice did commonly extend the punishment to a whole nation such sins the Graecians therefore called A' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is piacular extermnating crimes among which the principall were esteemed Sacriledge and Perjury so that whatsoever calamities seised any time upon any Nation if it could be found out that either of these two heynous crimes had been committed though but by a few particular persons they presently absolved their Gods from any imputation of rigour and much more of injustice 3. Of this argument Plutarch speakes excellently in his booke de ser â Numinis vindictâ And particularly of Sacriledge there is extant in Elian vaâ— Hist. lib. 3 cap. 43. an ancient memorable Delphian Oracle to this effect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is Divine vengeance delayeth not to pursue those that are guilty of this crime of Sacriledge neither can they deprecate or avoyd it no not though they were the off-spring of Jove himselfe but it hovers continually over the heads of the guilty and their Children also and one calamity on their family overtakes another An example whereof we find mentioned by Strabo and Gelâ—ius in that so known History of the Gold of Tholouse Strab. Geogr. lib. 4. A. Gell. lib. 3. cap. 9. 4. Then concerning Perjury there is a remarkable example in Herodotus of Glaucus Epicydides who could not escape punishment for having only deliberated and in his thoughts designed the forswearing a thing committed to his trust where likewise this Pythian Oracle is mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is To a perjurd person there is an ofspring given obscure without name maimed in hands and lame in feet and this judgement seises upon him suddenly and irrcsistably never quitting him till it have brought to desolation all his flocke and family CHAP. III. England prodigiously guilty of Sacriledge since the Schisme Visible judgements have continually pursued this crime there 1. NOw how dreadfully and universally the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland have beene guilty of these two scandalous and even to Heathens abominable crimes Sacriledge and Perjury since the time that the schisme from Catholique Unity began is notoriously apparent to all the world and with a secret remorse bewayled even by the English Protestants themselves No man therefore can jnstly blame me as a discoverer and publisher of the faults of my
least pretence of any charge of sedition or Treason But for this only crime of being of that heavenly Vocation to which the Spirit of God had called and the sacred authority of the Church had exalted them And for a conscionable discharge of that calling they were arraigned condemned drag'd to the place of execution there ignominiously hang'd among thieves and murderers and their half-living bodies most inhumanely quartered and exposed to the sun and weather 2. This crime was the more inexcuseable because committed by Englishmen who though violent enough in their passion when it is provoked yet are apt in a short time to relent and by English Protestants a Sect pretending above ordinary to moderation and clemency But the truth is the Calvinisticall Spirit ha's been working in that state and government ever since the beginning of Q. Elizabeths reign for the Calvinists were the Councellors that first suggested those cruelties which their descendents have since eagerly pursued and acted by the hands of others till their so long projected designs succeeding they might have the pleasure to glut themselves with Christian bloud even to vomiting as they have of late done 3. Now that this is no false character of that Calvinisticall Spirit besides many wofull experiences in other countreyes our great Presbyterian contrivers and managers of the late war have given severall testimonies irrefragable who whensoever they were pressed with want of treasure knowing the complexion and temper of their own faction in London how delightfull a spectacle of bloud would be had no readier ways to extort supplies of money from them then by feasting and regaling them with the cruell execution of a Catholique Priest or shedding the bloud of their own Archbishop or of some other considerable Royaltist I beseech almighty God that when the time shall come that he will make inquisition for bloud he would sever the innocent from the guilty and not impute to the whole Nation the cruelty of that one bloudy Faction there CHAP. VI. The Authors sadnesse for the sins and miseries of his countrey What remedies and lenitives he found for this sorrow 1. A Sad meditation on such arguments as these was the exercise of my thoughts at my departure out of England and a good while after during my first abode in France And though God be thankedâ— I could not accuse my self of having contributed any thing directly or otherwise then all other sinners before Almighty God doe to the present desolations of my poore beloved countrey and there ought to have contented my selfe with an entire resignation of the whole matter into the hands of a most mercifull however infinitely provoked God praying for the peace of that Ierusalem without unnecessary afflicting mine own soule Yet I willingly deceived my selfe into a kind of pleasure of greiving with this false beliefe that in such circumstances to do any thing but grieve were to renounce not onely humanity but likewise that duty which the Law of Christ obliged me to performe in the behalfe of his Church 2. But time and better instruction from spirituall Persons especially Catholiques whose councels in matters of practises in such cases I thought it not unlawfull to hearken to did at length reduce my minde into a more calme temper toward the tranquility I was much advanc'd by an obstinate resolution not only not to be inquisitive after newes good or bad but to avoyd those conversations where I might be in danger of such a mortification and withall by employing my time and thoughts in that charge which I had undertaken and in mine own private studies CHAP. VII A Scruple suggested to my minde viz. To the Communion of what Church I should adhere upon supposition that the Church of England should faile 1. NOt long after this there was I know not how suggested to my understanding a thought which I could not at pleasure silence and which interrupted much my extreame eagernesse of reading it was this A supposition being made that it should please Almighty God to put a period to the Church and Ecclesiasticall government in England to what Churches Communion I should then adjoyne my selfe 2. It was not any reason I had to dispayre of the Kings condition that occasioned such an inquiry for at this time he was in a state to dispute upon even termes the victory with his enemies nor any jealousie of the truth of the English Religion But knowing that the English Church considered as distinct not only from the Roman but from all other Sects in separation likewise from it was not nor ever pretended to be either indefectible or infallible Nay more considering that the Ecclesiasticall government in England depended absolutely upon the firmnesse or weaknesse of the Kings authority there by whose absolute power only and according to whose interests it was framed at first And perceiving but too well that for many yeares there had been a powerfull malicious contriving faction of Calvinists equally enemies to Monarchy and Episcopall Government as they have given proofe to the full and which had intruded themselves and were generally incorporated both into the inferiour Cleargy Universities chiefe Bourgeosies and places of Judicature whose designe received from their forefathers it had been to omit no occasion to ruine both the civill and Ecclesiasticall State whereto the whole Kingdome of Scotland would be sure to give their brotherly assistance Lastly being assured that the maine thing and to me the most considerable advantage which the English Church had above all others pretending to a Reformation namely a succession and authority of Bishops and other Ecclesiasticall Orders received from the Roman Church was never confidently and generally taught in England to be of divine right and by consequence tooke no firme rooting in the consciences of English subjects Upon which ground I easily foresaw that though perhaps many would adventure far to support the Reall authority yet if ever the title of Episcopall Jurisdiction should be separated from the Rights of the King there would but very few appeare that would hazard their fortunes or lives for that which though they preferred infinitely before the Presbyterian Tyranny yet they had never been taught that it was an essentiall condition of a Church Yea on the contrary they had seen both King and Cleargy and generally the whole Kingdome looke upon the Calvinist and Lutheran Churches as brethren of the same Religion in substantialls sending Bishops and other Ecclesiastiques to sit with them in their Synods maintaining their quarrells commending their principall Authors harbouring releeving and preferring their exiles In a word upon the title of Brotherhood assisting them with treasure and forces in their Rebellions 3. Upon such grounds as these considering the unsure foundation of the English Church I thought it not unreasonable to spend some thoughts upon that enquiry viz. To what Churches Communion I should adjoyne my selfe upon supposition that the English Church should come to sayle I thought my self the rather obliged to pursue
that it had no power of wounding as soone as it gets strength it fayles not to dart it out to the destruction of never so many thousands that oppose it I shall for proofe onely desire that men would cast their eyes upon the condition of England since the late Calvinisticall faction there got a fatall opportunity to discharge freely that poyson which for a long time it was forced to keepe closed up in it's entrals where after the best enquiry I could make I could not finde or heare of during the time of these late bloody commotions so much as one single person of the Presbyterian-Calvinist party but did actively oppose his King Nor one single Minister of that party but was a Trumpet io incite to war And all this not to free themselves from any danger they were in for their consciences for before the warre broke out his Majesty had offered them sufficient security but to destroy the present government of that Church and to set up their owne in place of it And as for their Brethren in France to this day it has beene in vaine attempted to perswade them to signifie the least dislike of these their practises the most infamous and scandalous to Christianity that ever were 6. If all these considerations together doe not more then sufficiently prove that without partaking of the scandall I could not adjoyne my self to the communion of these Sects let all the world judge Especially I being before yet remaining absolutely perswaded that it is utterly unlawfull upon praetence of defending Religion or avoyding persecution to oppose actively that peaceably settled Government under which I live Much more to seeke the alteration or ruine of that Government upon designe of introducing that Religion which I thinke to be true And truly I cannot but acknowledge it a great blessing of God that though I had the misfortune to be bred in Schisme yet it was in such a Church the forme whereof having been moulded by authority if not according to the interests of the Civill Governours in which continuing it was besides the obligation of my conscience mine own secular interests also to be loyall to the King with whom that Religion did before stand and is now in great danger to fall for by this meanes I had no tentation at all to study waies to elude those expresse commands of Christ by S. Paul Rom. 13. to be obedient not only for wrath but even conscience sake to my worldly Governour and of Christ himselfe immediately Mat. 5. to seeke for blessednesse by suffering for the righteousnesse of the Gospels sake not by opposing with active violence the Governours that sought the ruine of it much lesse under present here of by persecuting and destroying others Divine Providence seeming on purpose to order the publication of these truly Christian doctrines under the reigne of Tiberius Caligula and Nero then which the sunne never saw more abominable Tyrants and enemies to Religion to the end that in future ages no pretence should serve to dispense from Obedience And this doctrine of Obedience truly Christian which I learned in England being now by Gods goodnesse a Catholique I do and by the grace of God will to my death retaine and the rather because I shall now embrace it meerly for the authority of Christ and in imitation of his Apostles and ancient Christians afterward whose heroicall subjection to persecuting Emperours even then when it was in their power to revenge themselves among other writers Tertullian most divinely expresseth in his Apology and elsewhere and that most victorious Thebaean Legion gave an illustrious example Whereas in England that the interest of state had a great influence even upon this doctrine of obedience appears in this that when Q. Elizabeth conceived it convenient for her worldly designs to take on her the Protection of the low-Countreyes against the King of Spaine She employed D. Bilsou Bishop of Winchester one of her learnedst Cleargymen to write his booke of Christian subjection in which to justifie the revolt of Holland he gave strange liberty in many cases especially concerning Religion for subjects to cast off their Obedience But that book which serv'd Q Eliz. worldly designs by the just judgement of God hath contributed much to the ruine of her successour K Charles For there is not any booke that the Presbyterians have made more dangerous use of against their present Prince then that which his Predecessour commanded to be written justifie her against the K. of Spaine CHAP. XIII Protestants recriminating Catholiques for Rebellion answered 1. I know well that the Lutherans but especially the Calvinists triumph much that they can finde so few Catholiques that have been as wicked in this nature as their best and most authentique teachers most unjustly imputing to Catholique Religion the most abhored desperate acts of a few Traytors and the seditious bookes of a few Authors Whereas not onely all Catholiques in generall doe abhor those Acts renounce and condemne those Writings but the whole body of the French Iesuits in Paris to whom especially the Calvinists declare war in this point being in the yeare 1625. met in a full Assembly have publiquely and unanimously disavowed condemned and detested such seditious positions and writings universally agreeing to condemne that scandall wherein I never yet saw them imitated by any one Calvinist Particularly for English Catholiques their innocence and clearnesse in this point of Obedience was to me sufficiently apparent even before I left that Kingdome besides other proofes testifyed in a Petition offered to the Parliament immediately before the late Commotions as in the name of all of that Religion in England In which the profession of their loyalty was according to the tenour following The Catholiques of England do acknowledge professe K. Charls now reigning to be their true and lawfull King supreame Lord and rightfull sovereigne of this Realme and of all other his Majesties dominions And therefore they acknowledge themselves to be obliged under paine of sin to obey his Majesty in all civill and temperall affaires as much as any other of his Majesties subjects and as the lawes and Rules of Government in this Kingdome doe require at their hands And that notwithstanding any power or pretention of the Pope or See of Rome or any Sentence or detraction of what kind or quality soever given or to be given by the Pope his predecessors or successors or by any authority spirituall or temporall proceeding or derived from him or his See against their layd King and Countrey they will still acknowledge and perform to the utmost of their abilities their faithfull loyalty and true allegeance to their said King and Countrey And they doe openly disclaime and renounce all forreine Power be it either Papall or Princely Spirituall or temporall in as much as it may seem able or shall pretend to free discharge or absolve them from this obligation or shall any way give them leave or licence to raise tumults
beare armes or offer any violence to his Majesties Royall Person to the High Court of Parliament to the State or Government Being all of them ready not only to discover and make known to his Majesty and to the high Court of Parliament all the treasons conspiracies made against him or it which shall come to their hearing but also to lose their lives in the defence of their King Countrey to resist with their best endevours all conspiracies attempts made against their said King or Countrey be they framed or sent under what pretence or patronized by what forreigne authority soever And further they profess that al absolute Princes supream Governours of what Religion soever they be are Gods Lieutenants upon earth and that Obedience is due unto them according to the lawes of each Commonwealth respectively in civill and temporall affaires and therefore they doe here protest against all doctrine and authority to the contrary And they doe hold it impious and against the word of God to maintaine that any private Subject may kill and murther the Annointed of God his Prince though of a different beliefe and Religion from his And they abhor and detest the practice thereof as damnable and wicked And lastly they offer themselves most willingly to accept and embrace the late Protestation of union made by the High Court of Parliament excepting only the clause of Religion Professing that they cannot without sin infringe or violate any contract or break their words and promises made or given to any man though of a different faith and beliefe from the Church of Rome All which they doe freely and sincerely acknowledge and protest as in the presence of God without any equivocation or mentall reservation whatsoever 3. Now I desire to know what security beyond this any State can expect from any Christian or indeed any man What jealousie can reasonably be given by persons thus clearly and ingenuously professing their consciences and protesting their obedience yet notwithstanding the English Catholiques are ready to give a security even beyond thisâ— the Catholique Bishop pro tempore formerly residing in England having as I have been credibly informed offered his owne person and life as a pledge of the loyalty of all his Cleargy c. under his obedience in so much as if any of them shall be found guilty of disloyalty the Bishop will be obliged to produce such a delinquent to condingne punishment or pay the defect of it with the forfeiture of his owne life These things considered I should not deny even during the time that I was a Protestant but that it was with great impudence and injustice that Catholique Relegion was accused by those two Sects of disloyalty a crime universally and only adhering th themselves and abhorr'd by all sorts of persons all Orders and degrees among Catholiques CHAP. XIV A fourth scandall among Calvinists c. viz. their aversion from unity 1. A Fourth great discouragement which I had to joyne in Communion with the Lutheran or Calvinist Churches was their manifest renouncing of Christian Charity and the peace of Gods Church their unwillingnesse to abate the least point of doctrine even to a very phrase or to alter any thing in discipline though to gaine thereby the greatest good which is unity and reconciliation in a word the Spirit of Donatisme a Spirit of Separation out of the love of Separation it selfe 2. Whether it was a naturall inclination in me to hate all quarrells unlesse most extreamely necessary and unavoidable or my education in the English Church which of all other Sects doth most professe moderation I have alwaies dearly esteemed those writers whether Catholique or Protestant which have endeavoured to lessen the number of differences between Christians to give the most moderate qualified sences to differing opinions and to attempt all probable waies of reconciliation as Hofmeisterus Wicelius Franciscus à Sancta Clarâ c. among Catholiques And Bishop Andrewes Montague Grotius Monsicur de la Millitiere Acontus c. among Protestants I was moreover in mine owne understanding convinc'd that in very many points the differences between Catholiques and Protestants was onely in words while in the meaning both parties agreed as concerning Freewill Predestination Iustification Merit of Good workes sinnes Mortall and Veniall c. Nay further that some negative points of doctrine were maintained even by the Church of England contrary to their owne grounds that is contrary to the Universall consent of Primitive antiquity as denying Sacrifice and Prayer for the dead and by consequence Purgatory sacrifice of the Altar Monachisme Difference betweene Evangelicall Councels and Precepts vowes c. 3. Hereupon it was that mine owne reason assisted by my love to Christian unity perswading me that for worldly respects or out of feare of consequences ungratefull even the Church of England had divided it selfe from the Catholique to a further distance then justice truth and charity would permit I could not answer it to mine owne reason and conscience if instead of approaching to the Catholique Church I should run quite out of sight from it by communicating with those Churches whose generall designe and study it is to make the wound of division incurable and the breach every day wider and wider among whom it is a crime to talke of Reunion in a word who call it zeale to professe division from the Catholique Church even in those very points wherein their consciences cannot but tell them that they doe really agree with it 4. Manifest testimonies of this more then Donatisticall Spirit have been given by Calvin in his most barbarous censure of that too too moderate condescending booke of Cassander D E OFFICIO PII VIRI and by the Calvinist-Churches in France in their comportments towards Mâ—ssicurs Grotius and de la Millitiere upon occasion of those treatises by them published tending to union Yea so in love have they shewed themselves with Schisme quatenus Schisme so zealous to renounce that precious legacy of Peace which our Saviour at his last farewell to the world left to his Church that they multiply division upon division even among themselves making Frusta de frusto of the seamelesse garment of Christ denying Communion to one another even for points in their own opinion of no considerable importance The Lutherans will not communicate with the Calvinists nor the Remonstrants with the Contra-remonstrants nor the Separatists with the English Protestants And whatsoever union the French-Calvinist Churches boast of they owe it entirely to the civill Power there for if that would allow them the liberty they would fall into as many devisions as any of their brethren 5. If sometimes an extraordinary fit of seeming charity have come upon them the Circumstances demonstrate that it was not love of unity or conscience that begat that good mood but meerly temperall hopes or feares I remember S. Augustin Ep. 50. ad Bonifas Speaking of those professed Masters of Schisms the Donatists gives
teach mankind to love and glorifie God so hated by them to encourage them in the learning and practise of vertue and holynesse and in a word to induce them to hate renounce and destroy the Kingdome of Beelzebub the Prince of Divells 2. That such a Religion which most assuredly ha's been attested by such miracles is most true 3. That by consequence since this Religion expressely sayes so it is most necessarily to be embraced being proposed by such a witnesse and proponent as God in that Religion ha's declared to have received commission from him and authority for that purpose And this Proponent is as after the spending of many thoughts and much time before I could free my selfe from many prejudices and misinformations caused by education c. by the goodnesse and mercy of God I came at last evidently to perceive to be the present Catholike Church CHAP. XXVII Proofes â—ut of Scriptâ—ure c. for the Churches auâ—hority 1. THe speciall grounds from whence to mine own full satisfaction J collected this assuâ—ance That the Church alone was that divinely authorised proponent from whom I was to receive divine Revelations and these in the sense that she received and proposeth them as likewise the method and manner according to which as distinctly as I could I first gave an account to mine own understanding and now to others were as follows 2. It having been before declared and conformably testified by all kinds of antient Ecclesiasticall writers 1. That the doctrines and formes of practise of Christian Religion were by the Apostles with great care and assiduous inculeations firmly setled in all Churches by them founded and established To which form other Churches by their successors converted generally conformed themselves as Tertullian de Prescrip saith The Apostles founded Churches in every City from which Churches other Churches afterward did borrow the Faith delivered and the seeds of doctrine 2. That Religion was thus setled chiefly and indeed only by Tradition the books of Scripture having been written only occasionally and though they comprehend in generall the principall points of Christianity yet it is very briefly obscurely with seeming contradictions and dispersedly whereupon it is that they do often refer us to the profession and practise of the church Hence in evidence of reason it will follow that he that would inform himself of Christian Religion must have recourse thither where it â—a's been dâ—posited and that not simply in words but withall the sense of those words and the very life of them in practise and this depositary is by all acknowledged more or less to be the Catholike church For even those who make it a part of their Religion to oppose the authority of the Catholike church yet acknowledge that they have received the Scripture that is all the Religion which they have from her and her authority 3. Hence it will follow that that man that should either look for Christian religion where it is not or expect to find it entire where there was no intention to include it in its whole latitude or hope to â—ssure himself of the clear sense of it where it is set down often obscurely almost every where obnoxious to variety of interpretations would certainly not follow the conduct of his reason 4. Notwithstanding if the imputation of unreasonableness were the only effect of such an indiscreet way of information there is no proud man and pride or impatience to submit to authority is the root of all heresie and Schism but would easily perswade himself to despise such an imputation yea he would take a pleasure in opposing himself and his own reason single not only to one but many ages of men that should it more reasonable to relye upon authority for that which cannot be believed but upon the only motive of authority There is therefore another effect far more considerable then point of reputation which is the utmost danger of eternall perdition in renouncing one main doctrinall foundation of Christian Faith which is the authority of the one holy Catholique Church of Christ which authority consists not only in delivering books of Scripture or Traditionary doctrines but in obliging all men to unity both in fâ—ith and love which is impossible to be had except all men be obliged to the sense and interpretation which she proposeth as received from her by the same authority from which she received the books or doctrines themselves 5. A doctrine this is the most expresse in Scriptures the most constantly asserted by Fathers the only businesse of all Councells the most freely without any contradiction embraced by all Christians before these times excepting only those whom even the Sectaries of these times will call Heretiques or Schismatikes and in these times by all that enjoy the name of Catholikes In a word a doctrine this is beyond all other traditionary doctrines propagated from the Apostles to these times with the fullest universall consent of all Catholikes in all places and of all times of any one point in Christian Religion or any one book of Scripture 6. Among proofs out of Scripture we will begin with the Old Testament concerning which S. Augustine in Psal. 3. ch 2. professeth that the Prophets foretold more often more plainly of the Catholike Church then of Christ himself and the reason he sayes was because many Heretiques would arise that would perhaps spare the person of Christ but none could be a heretike without withdrawing himselfe from the authority and unity of the Church Now the particular Texts which especially S. Augustine makes use of to assert the churches Authority are these In the last days the mountain of the Lord shall be on the top of all mountains and all hills shall flow unto her And she shall judge every tongue that resists her in judgement And Kings shall walk in the light of the Church and people in the splendour of her East Again That every Kingdome and Nation which doth not serve her shall perish Isa. c. 2. 54. and 60. That of the Kingly Prophet David Glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God That of the Canticles Thou art faire and there is no spot in thee And that of the Prophet Ezechiel Thou shalt no more be called forsaken Psa. 86. Cant. 4. Ezech. 37. 7. Proofs out of the New Testament are Behold I am with you alwayes unto the end of the world Mat. 8. upon which S. Augustine in Psa. 70. 10. thus infers The Church shall be here unto the end of the world For if it shall not be here unto the end of the world to whom was it that our Lord said Behold I am with you alwayes unto the end of the world And what was the reason that it was necessary that there should be such speeches in the Scripture Because there would in times to come arise enemies of the Christian Faith which would say Christians will continue for a certain space after that they will vanish and Idollâ— shall
Infallibility he did ill and even enviously to their glory that he did not name those worthies for my part besides the noble Author of the following Discourse whom certainly he means for one and by consequence Mr. Chillingworth I cannot remember that ever I heard any great Elogium in this respect given to any English writer Yet it may be he might have an eye upon the last Arch-bishop of Canterbury and his late enlarged Dialogue which if he did then I conjure I. P. that he would once more peruse the said Arch-bishop's Discourse and single from it whatsoever is impertinent to the main essential controversie that is whatsoever touches particular debates of Catholicks about the Popes infallibility and the exceptions that may be found against certain Councels as likewise about the several qualities and conditions required to an acknowledged obliging Councel all which things are nothing to the purpose And lastly that laying aside all these unnecessary velitations he would apply the Arch-bishops most efficatious arguments to an Oecumenical confirmed Councel especially if he will add the condition too of being actually received by the Church and my life for his he will see reason to acknowledge that all that discourse is of no force at all against the Church yea that the Archbishop himself never intended it should However the Calvinists or fantastical private Spiritists or exalters of humane reason might deal against the universal authority of Gods Church the Prelates of England were too wise to judge that people would be so blinde as to think any obedience could be due out of conscience to a National Church begun and continued upon secular and indeed unlawful intrests if that Church should build its authority upon a profession of renouncing all authority And therfore though they were very earnest in the controversie about Ecclesiasticall Authority when they were to write or proceed juridically against Presbyterians or Separatists yet they loved not to talk of it against the Catholick Church yea it was from the Catholick Church onely that they borrowed their Arguments against their Schismaticks as may in a good measure appear in the printed Reasons of the University of Oxford against the Covenant Negative Oath and Ordinances concerning Discipline and Worship approved by generall consent in a full Convocation June 1. 1647 and it was under the shadow of their pretence to be still a member of the Catholick Church and to have received their Authority and Succession from it that they obliged good easie Protestants to continue their subjects But this is but a guesse that I. P. in this passage reflected upon the late Archbishop or any other English Prelaticall Writer 13. Certain it is he must intend my Lord Falkland as one of the great Defenders of the Doctrine of the Church of England since he speaks this in his Preface to his Discourse of Infallibility and with an evident design thereby to recommend both the Author and his work This being so I. P. will give me leave to use his own words O the strength of Reason rightly managed O the power of Truth clearly declared Yea O the force of a guilty conscience For what else but the irresistable power of truth and evidence of reason and acknowledgement of guilt could move him so publickly to condemn his own Church and to confess its â—surpation impossible to be justified Behold O Protestants how your Church is defended here is a discourse that undertakes to demonstrate and if you will believe your brother I. P. has admirably and unanswerably performed it that upon earth there neither is nor ever was any Guide that could oblige any other to follow his direction and that every mans conscience is to be guided by his own single naturall Reason chusing that Faith which is most agreeable to Nature and holding it onely so long as Nature likes it and then changing it for another In fine a Discourse that gives you leave yea almost invites you to return to the Religion of the old Philosophers those Epoptes and Priests of Nature If there be any force in this your Defenders discourse what becomes of your Articles and Canons your Synods and Convocations your Infallible Acts of Parliament and Proclamations It is evident he might as well yea more reasonably have said That the Councell of Trent is a great defender of the Church of England for that indeed justifies Ecclesiasticall Authority whereas this discourse directly and purposely and universally destroyes it But the meaning or that which should be the meaning of I. P. is this That the Authority of the Church of England is impossible to be maintained for if as the Catholick Church avows there be in the Church by Christ's appointment any Authority Ecclesiasticall obliging in conscience it is certain it is not inherent in the Church of England that began but yesterday and is not now at all and when it began it began by the renouncing of all visible authority Again if as this discourse pretends there be no obliging authority that is no infallible one for surely none can be obliged to an authority that confesses it self questionable then both the Catholick Church and the Church of England are meer names and verbal sounds that signifie nothing This is so evident that it is pitty to insist longer upon the persecuting of good I. P. that here publishes his conviction and confession and must either tear out this Preface before such a discourse or abjure his Church of England if ever it appear again 14. By what hath been said it is apparent that the doctrine of the Infallibility of the Church speaking by a lawful Oecumenical Councel is delivered by as full a Tradition as it is possible for a doctrine to be delivered And therefore Protestants are inexcusable and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 since receiving such special Books of Scripture upon no other grounds but Tradition they yet renounce the Churches authority which is more universally and authoritatively delivered and confirmed The same Truth is unanswerably grounded upon what hath formerly been proved in this Book viz. That it is impossible that that which any one à ge agrees in as Tradition should not be so because that would argue that some former whâ—le Age hath agreed to deceive their posterity Ob. 15. But perhaps I. P. or his friends will say That though what hath been asserted may be effectual to demonstrate the Infallible Authority of the universal Church yet not so to demonstrate that the Roman is that Infallible Catholick Church since the Greeks may put in their plea at least to be a very considerable part That they are not unwilling to submit to the Universal Church though she should condemn them For though the importunate restless malice of som Calvinistical spirits among them hath procured some uncivil and indeed unchristian Clauses to be put into the English Articles derogating from the Authority of General Councels yet the true English Protestant hath alwaies been ready to protest submission to the