A Key for Catholics, Treatise 1 · Chapter 40
CHAP. XL.
Detect. 31. ANother of their frauds is, By ranking the Proteſtants among the rabble of Sects and Hereſies that are in the world, and then asking ignorant ſouls, If you will needs be of any ſect, how many are here before you? and what reaſon have you rather to be of the Proteſtants, then of any other?
Anſw. Indeed this queſtion is worth the conſidering by a Papiſt, or any ſectary; but the true Catholick is quite out of the reach of it. The Church of Chriſt is one, and but One. This one Catholick Church containeth all the true Chriſtians in the world. This is the Church that I am a member of, which is far wider then the Roman Church. The Church that I profeſs my ſelf a member of, containeth three parts; 1. The moſt ſound and healthfull part; and that is the Reformed Churches. 2. The moſt unſound in doctrine, though poſſeſt of many Learned men; and that is the Papiſts themſelves; (not as Papiſts ſimply, but as Chriſtians, though infected with Popery.) 3. The middle part, which is ſounder then the Papiſts in doctrine, but leſs learned; and below the Proteſtants in both: and that is all the Greeks and other Eaſtern and Southern Churches that are no ſubjects of the Pope. All theſe, even all true Chriſtians, are members of the Church that I belong to, though ſome of them be more ſound, and ſome be leprous or lamentably polluted. To theſe I may add many particular leſſer ſects, that ſubvert not the foundation, as ſome Anabaptiſts, and divers others. And will you ask me now why I will not be of another ſect, as well as of the Proteſtants? Why, my anſwer is ready: A Sect divided from the body, I abhor: I am of no Sect, It is the Unity, Univerſality and Antiquity of the Church that are its honourable attributes in my eyes. Proteſtants that unchurch all the reſt of the world, and count themſelves the whole Church of Chriſt, do in ſome ſort make themſelves a Sect: But where is there any ſuch? I know none ſuch, nor I hope ever ſhall do: And therefore I may ſay that Proteſtants are no more a ſect, then the Patients in an Hoſpital that are almoſt healed, or then the higher form of Scholars in a ſchool, or then the Merchants or richer ſort of Tradeſmen in a City: And ſuch a Sect God grant that I may be of, even one in the Church that ſhall be of ſoundeſt underſtanding, and of pureſt worſhip, and of the moſt carefull, holy, honeſt life; But ſtill I ſhall acknowledge them of the loweſt form, even them that learn the A. B. C. to be in the ſame School with me: And if they (Papiſts or any others) will diſclaim me, that ſhall not unchurch me, as long as Chriſt diſclaims me not: Nor ſhall it provoke me to diſclaim them any further then I ſee Chriſt leading me the way. So that the Papiſts may ſee that if they will deny the Church that I am of, they muſt deny their own, and all the Chriſtian world.
But how will they anſwer this themſelves? Seriouſly I profeſs, that beſides their other errors, it is one of the greateſt reaſons why I dare not be a Papiſt, becauſe then I know I muſt be a Sectary. What is a Papiſt but as meer a ſectary as any that retaineth a name in the Church? They are a company of men that have ſet up a Humane Uſurping Head or Vice-chriſt over the Catholick Church, owning him themſelves, and unchurching and condemning all the Church that will not own him. The Church that I am of is neer thrice as big as the Papiſts Church is. Theirs is but a piece, and a polluted piece, that would divide it ſelf from all the reſt by condemning them.
And now I would ſeriouſly deſire any Papiſt living to reſolve the queſtion, If he will needs be of a ſect, and forſake the Univerſal Church, why of the Popiſh ſect rather then another? If becauſe it is the greateſt, I anſwer, its leſs then the whole. If becauſe it is the pureſt, it is one of the moſt impure: If for Antiquity, it is founded (as Papal) upon Novelty. If becauſe it is the Richeſt, their money periſh with them that meaſure the Church and truth of Chriſt by the Riches and ſplendor of this world. For my part I cannot help you out of this ſnare.