Historical Defense of the Reformation, Part 1 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
General Conſiderations upon this Controverſy. The Diviſion of this Treatiſe.
IT is not difficult to underſtand, why thoſe who were poſſeſt of the Government of the Weſtern Church in the days of our Fathers, and thoſe who have ſince ſucceeded them in the Church of Rome, have thought themſelves ſo much concerned to oppoſe the Reformation. It would oblige them, to ſtrip themſelves of that Soveraign and and abſolute Authority which they had Uſurped, and by which they had diſpoſed the Conſciences of men to their wills: And it would force them to give an Account of that Publick management which they held in their hands, and no perſon is ignorant that, that is a thing of all others in the World moſt intolerable to thoſe perſons who have made a Secular Empire of the Government of the Church. As thoſe Intereſts have made them lay hold of all they could to defend themſelves, ſo they have raiſed a new Controverſy, touching the Right that our Fathers had to reform themſelves. They demand of us who our Reformers were? from whence they came? and what Call they had for ſo Great a Work? They accuſe them to have been Rebels and Schiſmaticks, who lifted themſelves up againſt the Authority of their Mother the Church, and broke the ſacred bond of the Chriſtian Communion. They have defamed their perſons as much as ever they could, and have laid to their charge the moſt wicked manners, to the end they might render them odious. In fine, they have put forward, all that they could believe capable, of retaining the people in a blind ſubmiſſion, and hindring them from entring upon any Examination of the Matters of Religion.
But, bleſſed be God, that notwithſtanding all the endeavours they have hither to made on a ſubject that has exhauſted all the ſubtilties of the Schools, the Juſtice of our Cauſe, which is the ſame with that of our Fathers, has not receiv'd the leaſt prejudice; and we can even aſſure our ſelves, that there has been nothing ſaid, the weakneſs and impertinency of which, may not eaſily be diſplay'd, to the bare light of common ſence.
For, either thoſe things which our Fathers rejected, and which we reject with them, are in deed Errors, Superſtitions, and Inventions of men, as we believe them to be, or they are not. If they are not, we will be the firſt that ſhall Condemn the Reformation, and when they ſhall let us ſee that on the contrary they are the Truths, and right worſhip that belong to the Chriſtian Religion, we ſhall be very ready to receive them. But if in deed they are Errors and Corruptions, as we are perſwaded they are, with what Reaſon can any man demand by what right we rejected them, ſince it is all one as to demand what right we have to be good men, and to take care of our own Salvation? We may ſee then from thence, that all thoſe Evaſions, are nothing elſe but vain wranglings, and that we ought always to examine thoſe Tenets that are Controverted, for the Juſtice or Injuſtice of the Reformation intirely depends on their Truth or Falſhood. If we have right at the Foundation, they ought not to raiſe a contention about the Form; for to be willing, to believe in God according to the purity of his word, and to be ready to ſerve him ſincerely, are the things to which we are all obliged, and which cannot be condemned, in whomſoever they are found, as on the contrary ſide, to harden one's ſelf in Errors, to practiſe a falſe Worſhip, and to expoſe one's ſelf to the danger of Damnation under pretence of obſerving ſome Formalities, is ſuch a guidance of one's courſe, as can never be Juſtified.
It will here be to no purpoſe, that they ſay, that in this Controverſy concerning the Juſtice of the Reformation, they do not ſuppoſe that we have any reaſon in the Foundation of it; but that on the contrary, they have a mind to let us ſee that we have no right at all in the Foundation, ſince we have none at all in the Form; and that they would only ſay, that thoſe things, which we call Errors, and a falſe Worſhip, are not ſo indeed as we imagine them to be; ſince they are the Inſtitutions of a Church that can't Err, and to whoſe Authority we ought abſolutely to ſubmit our ſelves. This is, in my judgment, the courſe that not long ſince an Author has took, in a Book Intitled, Juſt Prejudices againſt the Calviniſts. For he pretends to conclude that our Religion is faulty in the very Foundation, becauſe there are Errors in the manner of our Reformation, and that thoſe things which we reject as Errors, are the Truths that we ought to believe, becauſe we ought to acquieſce in the Authority of the Church of Rome.
But that can never hinder us from coming to a diſcuſſion of the Foundation it ſelf, ſeparated from all Forms, and from all prejudices: for when theſe Gentlemen have reaſoned againſt us after this manner, You are faulty in the very Foundation, becauſe you have not had right in the Form; we oppoſe to that, this other Reaſoning, whoſe conſequence is not leſs Valid, as to the ſubject about which it is concerned, We have not done wrong in the manner, becauſe we have right in the Foundation. And when they tell us, That which you call our Errors, Tranſubſtantiation, Adoration of the Hoſt, Purgatory, &c. they are not Errors, ſince we cannot Err, we Anſwer them, You can Err, becauſe the Tranſubſtantiation; the Adoration of the Hoſt, the Pargatory, &c. that you teach, are Errors. And when they reply, You ought to believe that which we teach you, becauſe you ought to acquieſce and reſt in our Authority; we rejoyn again, We ought not to acquieſce in your Authority, becauſe you teach us thoſe things which we ought not to believe.
In theſe two ways of Reaſoning, it is certain that ours is the more equal, the more juſt, and more natural. For it is by far the more juſt and natural, that the Judgment of thoſe Formalities ſhould depend on the higheſt Intereſt that can be in the World, which is that of the glory of God, and ourown Salvation; then on the contrary, to make the glory of God, and our own Salvation, to depend upon ſome Formalities. It is far more reaſonable to judge of the Infallibility that the Church of Rome pretends to by the things that ſhe teaches, then to judge of the chings that ſhe Teaches by a pretence of her Infallibility.
But although theſe two ways were equally Natural, and equally Reaſonable, they can not deny, that that which at firſt drew nearer to the Examen of the Foundation were not more ſure, and that all good men who ought to neglect nothing conducing to their Salvation, were not bound to enter into it, in Order to the avoiding of Errors. They Propoſe on one ſide for a Principle, the Authority of the Church of Rome, againſt which there are a thouſand things to be ſaid; on the other ſide we Propoſe, the Authority of God himſelf ſpeaking in thoſe Scriptures, which all Chriſtians receive, and which the very Enemies of Chriſtianity reſpect; who will dare to deny that in this Oppoſition, it were not more ſure to ſide with that part, which rules all by the Authority of God? You may deceive your ſelves, ſay they, in taking that for the word of God, which is not ſo. And are not you, anſwer we, more liable to deceive your ſelves, in taking that for the Church of God, which is not ſo, and in taking thoſe for Infallible, who are no ways ſo? There is far greater Reaſon to hope that God will then aſſiſt you with the illumination of his Spirit, when with humility you ſearch out the ſence of the Scriptures, which you are ſo often commanded to do, then when you ſearch them through humane prejudices, to ſubmit your Conſciences to a certain Orde of Men, whom God has never told you that they ought to be the Maſters of your Faith.
After all, if they will make uſe of the Authority of the Church of Rome, and the pretended faults of our Reformation, as an Argument ſufficient to let us ſee that thoſe things which we call Errors are not really ſo, they can demand nothing more of us, then to ſet down this proof in its order with the reſt, and maturely to conſider it in its turn, before we determine our ſelves. But to pretend that that ought to hinder us from conſidering alſo the proofs on the contrary ſide, by which we may ſee that thoſe things that we call Errors are really ſo, this were an injuſt pretence and bordering on [the greateſt] raſhneſs. For the Authority of the Church of Rome, and the pretended faults of the Reformation, whatſoever they be, are not Principles ſo demonſtrative and ſo evident among Chriſtians, that after them, they ought to hear nothing more. We ought then to yield to this proof, its place in our diſcuſſion, but without any prejudice as to thoſe that may be drawn for or againſt the very Tenets that are conteſted, which ought to be firſt examined, as the more natural and moſt deciſive. That being ſo, I hold, that that which they have ſet before us will be to no purpoſe at all. For if from the Examination that we ſhall make of thoſe matters in themſelves, it reſults, that thoſe things are not Errors which we have rejected as ſuch, but Chriſtian Truths, we have no further need either of the Authority of the Church of Rome, or of the prejudices againſt the Reformation, The Reformation is ſufficiently overthrown. And if on the contrary, it reſults, that thoſe are Errors, all the Authority of the Church of Rome, and all the prejudices in the World, ſhall not be able to perſwade men of good underſtandings that they are Truths, and by conſequence that the Reformation is not juſt, for it is always juſt to extirpate Errors.
It ſeems to me, to appear already, that that debate which they have raiſed againſt us about the Juſtice of our Reformation, and our ſeparation from the Church of Rome, is rather a field wherein they would buſy themſelves in ſubtilties and declamations, to amuſe the People, then a juſt Controverſy whence one might juſtly expect any profit. Yet, as thoſe ſubtilties and declamations, how vain and falſe ſoever they are, fail not of finding applauſe in the World, and always making ſome impreſſions on the minds of men, we acknowledge the too great effect that they have produced, which is that the greateſt part of thoſe of the Church of Rome look upon us as Schiſmaticks, and think that we have diſturbed the peace of the Family of God, and violated the right of that Religious Society which had united us with them. The Idea which they form of our Religion appears not half ſo odious to them. After what manner they have diſguiſed us, the moſt equitable among them diſcern, and fail not ſometimes freely to confeſs the ſame, that we have all Doctrines that are neceſſary to mens Salvation, that our Worſhip, as plain as it is, has nothing which does not tend to nouriſh in their hearts a true Piety and a ſolid Vertue, and that as to the Form of our Government it has nothing ſo remote, either from prudence, or from equity or from the Charity that Jeſus Chriſt has recommended to us. But it is a far different Idea which they Form within themſelves of our Separation, for it becomes inſupportable to them, when they compare it with the Specious name of a Church, that ought to command the Veneration of all Holy men. So that this is moſt ordinarily the matter of their reproaches, which they the more exaggerate as a thing about which they imagine we have not the leaſt ſhew wherewith to defend our ſelves; I dare affirm that as to the far greater part, that is the chiefeſt and almoſt the only matter, that makes them appear ſo much Exaſperated againſt us.
It is neceſſary then that we juſtify our ſelves, and that we clear to their minds that honour which we have, not only to live among them in the ſame civil Society, but alſo to depend on their lawful Authority in reſpect of thoſe humane affairs wherein we are engaged. Our own Innocence commands it of us; not to ſay that the inheritance which we have received from our Fathers is of a value ſufficiently great, to merit a defence, after what manner ſoever they attack it. We ought then to indeavour to let them ſee, that that which they are made to believe concerning us, is nothing but a falſe imputation, that we have an infinitly greater reſpect for the Church, then any of thoſe who oppoſe themſelves to hinder its Reformation; that their Maxims tend to the Ruin of the Church, where ours tend only to preſerve it; that our Separation from Rome is nothing elſe but an effect of that Love and Jealouſy that we have for the Church, and that it will be moſt unjuſt if they ſhall hate us upon an account, that ought on the contrary to draw from them all their eſteem and Love toward us.
It is then about this, that we intreat that they would calmly hear us, and judge us without paſſion, and without intereſt, in the fear of that God, whom we all acknowledge for our Soveraign Judge. Thoſe who always act againſt us with a pride that hurries them away, and who have reſolved to condemn us, and to the uttermoſt of their power to deſtroy us what ever we ſay, will not poſſibly take our requeſt to be juſt, and in that Caſe we ſhall content our ſelves as to them, with the Teſtimony of our Conſciences, which perſwades us not only that God will not condemn us for having been Reformed, but alſo that he certainly will, if we do not in that follow the ſence of our hearts. But there are yet enough perſons in the Church of Rome of too much equity to follow the Examples of ſuch a ſort of People; theſe equitable perſons are thoſe of whom we demand that hearing, and that ſame equity, and moderation, of which they make ſuch profeſſion, and which the importance of the ſubject treated on, challenges them to yield us. We ſhall tell them nothing which ſhall not be founded, either on matters of fact known to all, or upon the inviolable principles of Religion, or upon the light of Common ſence.
To ſet down this matter in ſome order, I propoſe to my ſelf to make evident theſe four Propoſitions.
1. That our Fathers, had both right and obligation to examine the State of Religion, and the Latin Church, ſuch as it was in their days.
2. That the Reformation which they made was juſt and lawful.
3. That in Reforming themſelves they had right, and were bound to ſeparate themſelves from the Church of Rome.
4. That in Reforming and Separating themſelves they had right, and obligation to maintain among themſelves a Chriſtian Society by publick Aſſemblies, and the exerciſe of the Miniſtry. I do not pretend that in Treating of theſe four Propoſitions I have exhauſted all my ſubject, but yet I hope that there will be few Queſtions that have ſome Relation to it, which I do not ſufficiently touch upon, and few Objections which I do not▪ anſwer. I will particularly anſwer to all thoſe that are contained in that Book of Prejudices, as the order of the matters that I Treat of, ſhall preſent them to me; none of which will begin to oppoſe themſelves till the ſeventh Chapter, becauſe that Author having paſſed by in ſilence a great many things that belong to the Foundation of this Controverſy, it will be neceſſary to touch upon them before we go any farther.