PART I. about two or three months since', who sometimes have two or three heads, sometimes a broken head, sometimes never a head. The Protestants do not attempt to make themselves a distinct body from the rest of the Christian world, much less do they arrogate to themselves alone the name of the true Church, as the Romanists do; but they content themselves to be part of the Catholic Church. That they have any differences among them either in doctrine or discipline, it is the fault of the Court of Rome, which would not give way to an uniform reformation of the Western Church; but that their controversies are neither so many, nor of any such moment, as he imagineth, the Harmony of Confessions, published in print, will demonstrate to all the world. So far is he wide from the truth,—that they have no more unity than a body composed of Turks, Jews, heretics, and Christians'; who have neither the same "Body," nor the same "Spirit," nor the same "hope of their calling," nor the same "Lord," nor the same "Faith," nor the same "Baptism," nor the same "God" to their "Father." But he saith, our Faith consisteth in unknown fundamentals, which is "a mere shift, until we exhibit a list of such points"." We need not; the Apostles have done it to our hands in the Creed; and the Primitive Church hath ordained, that no more should be exacted of any, of Turks or Jews, in point of Faith, when they were converted from Paganism or Jewism to Christianity *. [The sixth ground stated in SECTION THE NINTH. [Of the Eighth Chapter of the Vindication.] In the eighth chapter I proved, that "the Pope and the Court of Rome were most guilty of the schism;" and shall not need to repeat or fortify any thing, that which he op- DISCOURSE poseth being of so little consequence. other (saith III. the Vindi that the Pope and To the first argument, he denieth, that the Church of Rome cation; viz. is but a sister or a mother, and not a mistress, to Churches ;—" It is their saying it, and our denying it" he), "till they have proved what they affirm "." Court of Rome were most guilty of the Church of the mistress To gratify him, I will do it, though it be needless. Let schism.] him consult with St. Bernard, in his fourth book of Con- [The sideration to his "most loving" friend Eugenius the Pope; Rome not so he styles him,—“ Amantissime Eugeni1." If they would of other Churches.] listen to St. Bernard's honest advice, it would tend much to the peace of Christendom. "Si auderem dicere"-" if I durst say it, these are the pastures of devils rather than of sheep"." And, "Exi de Hur Chaldæorum," or, "Go out of this Hur of the Chaldeans" (Rome); . . "it will not repent thee of thy banishment to have changed the city for the world "." But to satisfy his demand. Thus that Father," Consideres ante omnia sanctam Romanam Ecclesiam cui Deo auctore præes Ecclesiarum Matrem esse non Dominam, te verò non Dominum Episcoporum sed unum ex ipsis"-" Above all things consider, that the holy Roman Church, over which thou art placed by God, is a Mother of other Churches, not a Lady or Mistress, and thou thyself art not a Master of other Bishops, but one of them "." Court of eth new Secondly, he denieth, that the Church of Rome "obtrudeth 2. [The any new Creeds d;" whereas I accused not the Church of Rome Rome for it, but the Court of Rome, and for proof produced obtrud the Bull of Pius the Fourth in the point, as it is set down at Creeds.] the end of the Council of Trent; wherein he sets forth a new form of Confession of Faith, containing many new articles, which he enjoineth all the clergy and all religious persons to swear unto; and that they will teach it to all others under 279 their charge, that there may be an uniform confession of Faith among Christians, "extra quam non est salus"-" without which there is no salvatione." If he deny this autho [Down-Derry, p. 327. from Just Vindic., c. viii. vol. i. p. 247.] * S. Bernard., De Consider. [adv. Eugen. Papam,] lib. iv. [ap. Goldast., Monarch. S. Rom. Imp., tom. ii. p. 83.] [Ibid., p. 84.] [Ibid., p. 85.] с [Ibid., p. 88.] d [Down-Derry, p. 327. from Just PART rity, he and I are nearer an union than the Court of Rome and he. I. 3. [The tained in a general Council.] My third argument was,-because they maintain the Pope Pope main- in his rebellion against a general Council'. To this argument his rebel- he answers not a word; so as I am confirmed more and more lion against in my suspicion, that notwithstanding all his specious pretences for the Papacy, he himself is one of those, who prefer the Council before the Pope, and attribute to the Pope only an "exordium unitatis." But he spareth me not upon the by, telling the reader, that I "lay the axe" not "to the root of schism" but "to mine own legs," and bids me "good night," my "wits are in the dark"." If it were so that I should steal a nap, it is neither felony nor treason; "aliquando bonus dormitat Homerush" But what is it that raiseth this great wind of words? Forsooth, because I say, that "the Papacy (qua talis), as it is now maintained by many, with superiority above general Councils," &c. " is the cause, either procreant, or conservant, or both, of all, or the most part of the schisms in Christendom."-"To say 'as it is maintained by many,' doth imply, that it is not" so "maintained by all, and therefore not 'the Papacy qua talis;' for so Catholics have not the least difference among them." He might as well tell us, that wherein they all agree, they have no difference. But do not some Roman Catholics subject the Pope to a general Council, and other [s] subject a general Council to the Pope? Do not the greater part of them, both for number, dignity, and power, who sit at the stern, who hold the "bridle" (that he spoke of even now') in their hands, to govern the Church, subject a general Council to the Pope? And then might not I say well "the Papacy qua talis?" My conclusion was not against the Church of Rome in general, but against the Pope and Court of Rome, -that they were guilty of schism. And now, to let him see that I did not sleep, I will reduce mine argument into form, without a "qua talis." They who subject a general Council, which is the highest tribunal of Christians, to the Pope, are f[Just Vindic., c. viii. vol. i. pp. 8 [Down-Derry, p. 327.] k [Just Vindic., c. viii. vol. i. p. 248.] Down-Derry, p. 327.] 1 [Above, sect. viii. p. 322.] III. guilty of schism; but the Pope and Court of Rome, with all DISCOURSE their maintainers, that is, the much greater part of their writers, do subject a general Council to the Pope; therefore they are guilty of schism. in his of all Apostolical to him Of the same nature is his exception to my fourth charge. 4. [And -They who take away the line of Apostolical succession restriction throughout the world except in the See of Rome, who make all Episcopal jurisdiction to flow from the Pope of Rome and succession to be founded in his laws, to be imparted to other Bishops, self.] as the Popes' vicars and coadjutors assumed by them into part of their charge, are schismatics; but the Pope and Court of Rome, and their maintainers, do thus m. To which his only answer is, that this "is a more gross and false imputation than any of the rest";" because it is not their general tenet. Neither did I urge it against them all in general. tenets the Romanist But because he takes no notice of these tenets, but as [Such private opinions-" If you will dispute against private opi- current nions, cite your authors, and argue against them, not the opinions of Church',"-let him know, that these are the most common writers.] and most current opinions of their writers. Of the former, Bellarmine saith, that "it is almost de Fide"-"a point of Faith P." He saith, that the Council of Florence seemed to have defined it, "though not so expressly;" and that the Council of Lateran "hath defined it most expressly." And the words of that Council seem to import no less, that it is "most manifest that the Bishop of Rome hath authority over all Councils"-" tanquam super omnia Concilia authoritatem habentem." And for the latter opinion, Bellarmine declares it to be "most true"-" quæ sententia est verissimas;" cites great authors for it; and saith, that it "seemeth to have been the opinion of the old schoolmens," that Bishops do derive all their jurisdiction from the Pope, as all "the virtue of the members is derived from the head," or as all "the vir PART I. tue of the branches springs from the root," or as "the water in the stream flows from the fountain," or as "the light of the beams is from the sun." This is high enough. [We hold commu nion with thrice so many as they, but not SECTION THE TENTH. [Of the Ninth and Tenth Chapters of the Vindication.] I answered, that we hold "communion with thrice so many Christians as they do"." He replieth, that "if by Christians I mean those who lay claim to the name of Christ, he neither Christians denies my answer, nor envies me my multitude; for Manichees, Gnostics, Carpocratians, Arians, Nestorians, Eutychians, &c., without number, do all usurp . . the honour of this title;" adding, that he doth "most faithfully protest, he doth not think" I "have any solid reason to refuse communion to the worst of them." with heretics.] Jude 6. O God, how is it possible, that prejudice and partiality, or a habit of alter[c]ation, should make Christians and pastors of Christ's flock to swerve so far, not only from truth and charity, but from all candour and ingenuity! Wherein can he, or all the world, charge the Church of England, or the Church of Greece, or indeed any of the Eastern, Southern, or Northern Christians, with any of these heresies? It is true, some few Eastern Christians (in comparison of those innumerable multitudes) are called Nestorians, and some others by reason of some unusual expressions suspected of Eutychianism; but both most wrongfully. Is this the requital that he makes to so many of these poor Christians for maintaining their religion inviolated so many ages under Mahometan princes? Yet "Michael the Archangel, when he disputed with the Devil about the body of Moses, durst not bring a railing accusation against him; but said, the Lord rebuke thee." The best is, we are either wheat or chaff of the Lord's floor, but their tongues must not winnow us. [Bellarm., ibid.,] c. 24. [ibid. p. 1047. B.] u [There appears to be a clause wanting at the beginning of this section. The objection, to which this is an an swer, is, "that we have separated our- 280 |