Answer to a Popish Pamphlet Called the Touchstone of the Reformed Gospel, Part 2 · Subpart 9
9 THat the Church was not ever to remaine Catholick or univerſall. And that the Church of Rome is not ſuch a Church
THe firſt part of which Aſſertion wee diſclaime as a moſt unjuſt aſperſion, as the harmony of confeſſions ſhoweth, and ours in particulare, 1581. art. 17. And as to the laſt, That the Church of Rome is not univerſall we juſtlie affirme, ſeing it is a plaine repugnancie in the adject (as we ſay) to be particulare or Roman, & to be Catholick or univerſall. as their owne Caſſander contradiſtinguiſheth betweene theſe two in his conſultation. art. 22.
As for the places which he adduceth out of the pſal. 2. 8. and Coloſ. 1. 3. 4. they no wiſe make for him, or againſt us, but onlie ſpeaketh of the Churchs inlargemēt under the Goſpell, the firſt by the converſion of the Gentiles to the faith, and the ſecond, of the Coloſſians in particular.
Next hee bringeth, Rom. 1. 8▪ where the Apoſtle thanketh the Lord for them, That their faith was ſpoken of through the whole World. For anſwere whereunto, 1. This no more proveth the Church of Rome to bee univerſall, than the like words of Paull 1. Theſſ▪ 1. 8▪ proveth the Church of Theſſalonica to be the univerſall Church For as Rom. 1. 8. it is ſaid That their faith was spoken of through the whol world: ſo is it ſaid 1. Theſſ. 1. 8. That from them ſounded out the word of the Lord, as alſo in everie place their faith to God ward was spread abroad. And that this is the onlie thing which theſe words import, their late Eſtiꝰ on Rom. 1. ſhoweth.
As for teſtimonies of Fathers, and 1. to that of Cyprian, who writting to Cornelius ſayeth Whilſt with you there is one mind, and one …oyce, the whole Church is confeſſed to be Romā, I anſwere 1. That Cyprians words are perverted, which are theſe, dum ap… vos, unus animus & una vox eſt, Eccleſia omnis Romana confeſſa est, that is, Whilſt with you there is one minde, and one voyce, the whole Romā Church hath confeſſed, Cyprian thus commending the Church of Rome, for an unanimous confeſſion of faith before heathen perſecutors: as others had done, which indeed proveth the ſoundnes of the Roman Church in Cyprians time, as a mē ber of the catholik church, but not that ſhee only then was the Catholick Church. 2. Giving that theſe were the words of Cyprian as they are alleadged, they would import onlie, that whil the Romā Church keeped the unitie of the true faith, that all other orthodox and ſiſter Churches of theſe times would acknowledge themſelves to bee of her communion, and this we may ſee confeſſed by Stapleton (relect. con. 1. q. 5.) who giveth this to be the reaſon why by the ancients, the Roman and Catholick Church wer held for one thing, becauſe her communion (ſayeth he) with the whole Catholick Church was then most evident and certaine, whence it followeth, that ſhee her ſelf then was not the whole Catholick Church. 3. where it is ſaid to Pope Cornelius, Whilst with you there is one minde, & one voice, that is, as long as you kepe the trueth and profeſſion thereof, this ſpeech being conditionall and limited, it importeth that ſhee might loſe the ſame, (as ſhee hath done) Therefore not only was ſhee forewarned, Rom. 11. 20. Not to be high minded but feare, but alſo Cyprian ad Pompeium, accuſeth Pope Steven who ſucceeded Cornelius, that he maintayned the cauſe of Hereticks againſt the Church of God, the Pope then and Roman Church under him, in Cyprians eſtimation maintayning Hereticks againſt the Church, could not thē be accounted by him to be the Catholick Church, nor yet to be infallible.
The ſecond teſtimonie of Augustins, where he ſayeth, That they who diſſent from the bodie of Chriſt, which is the Church, they are not in the Catholick Church, proveth nowiſe that the Romā Church is this onlie Catholick Church. But rather (as the words of that teſtimonie beareth) The whole body of Chriſtendom.
And as for Jeroms words, That it is all one to ſay, the Roman faith and the Catholick faith, I hauehave alreadie anſwered, that this was becauſe of her communion with the Catholick Church, when Rome was orthodox, and (as Iſai. 1. 21) The faithfull City was not become an Har▪ lot.