The Ancient Doctrine of the Church of England, Part 1 · Section 17
Concerning the Proteſtants charitable opinion of the ſalvation of Papiſts; Spectacles, Chap. 17. à page 491. uſ que ad 508.
THE Knights diſcourſe in this Chapter is wholly from his purpoſe, which he pretendeth in the title of his Chapter, which is to anſwer our objections.
The Knights eight inſtances in the Doctrine of Merits, Communion in both kinds, publike uſe of Scripture, Prieſts marriage, Service in a knowne tongue, Worſhip of Images, Adoration of the Sacrament, and Traditions, are all anſwered before, and proved ſome falſe; for the things wherewith he chargeth us are all abſurd, if we conſider the proofes of Scripture which he bringeth.
All testimonies from an enemy proceede not from charity, but from truth, and ſuch are thoſe which Catholikes bring out of learned Proteſtants, to prove that a man dying in the Romiſh Religion, may be ſaved.
Free-will, Prayer for the Dead, Honouring of Relikes, Reall Preſence, Tranſubstantiation, Communion in one kinde, Worſhiping of Images, the Popes Primacy, Auricular Confeſsion, and the like, are all acknowledged, ſome by one Proteſtant, ſome by another, not to be materiall points; ſo as a man may without perill beleeve either way: the ſeverall authors are, Perkins, Cartwright, Whitgift, Fulke, Penrie, Somes, Sparks, Reynolds, Bunnie, and Whitaker.
John Frith, a Foxean Martyr, acknowledgeth, that the matter touching the ſubſtance of the Sacrament bindeth no man of neceſsity to ſalvation or damnation, whether he beleeve it or not.
John Huz held the Maſſe, Tranſubſtantiation, Vowes, Freewill, Merit of workes, and of the haereſies now in controverſie held onelyonly one, to wit, communion in both kindes.
Dr. Barrow acknowlegeth the Church of Rome to be the Church of God, Hooker, a part of the houſe of God, and limbe of the viſible Church of Chriſt; Dr. Somes, that all learned and reformed Churches, confeſſe that in Popery there is a Church, a Miniſtry, and true Chriſt: Field and Morton, that we are to be accounted the Church of God, whoſe words may be ſeene in the Proteſtants Apologie, Tract. 1. Sect. 6.
Whereas the Knight ſaith, that men otherwayes morally good, relying wholly on the merits of Chriſt, that is, living Papiſts, and dying Proteſtants in the principall foundation of our faith, may finde mercy, becauſe they did it ignorantly: where hath the Knight learned this Theologie, that a man may be ſaved in one Religion, yet ſo as he muſt die in another. This is a new conceite never heard of before, that a man may be ſaved in a Religion, but ſo as not to die of it.
To conclude, ſince Proteſtant Doctors make no doubt, but we may be ſaved in our faith: and no Doctour of ours ſaith ſo of your faith, it is out of doubt the ſafer way to embrace ours. The force of which argument, the Knight goeth not about to avoid, otherwiſe then by denying that to be the opinion of learned Poteſtants, which being proved to be ſo manifeſtly, the argument ſtill hath his force, and the more, becauſe he cannot anſwer it.
The Hammer.
IN the former Chapters the Knight brandiſhed his ſword: but in this he holdeth up his Buckler to beare off a blow, wherewith ſome Profeſſors eſpecially of the Female Sex, are ſaid to have beene wounded to death. For thus they whet their ſword, and ſhape it on the Proteſtant anvile: Proteſtants confeſſe, at leaſt, many of them, that there may be ſalvation in the Roman Church; but Papiſts abſolutely deny that there may be any ſalvation in our Churches: Fiſher relation of a 3. conference.therefore it is ſafer to come to theirs, then to ſtay in ours; to be where almoſt all grant ſalvation, then where the greateſt part of the world deny it. Hereunto the Knight truely and ſolidly anſwers.
Firſt, that our Proteſtant Tenents are of that nature, that the Papiſts themſelves cannot pretend with any probability, that there is any danger in them, but rather in the contrary; as he maketh it evident by eight remarkeable inſtances.
Secondly, that our Religion is not to be accounted the worſe, but rather the better for our charitable opinion of our Adverſaries: for true piety is ever joyned with compaſſionate charity.
Thirdly,Rom. 14.4. What have I to doe to judge another mans ſervant, ſeeing he ſtandeth or falleth to his owne maſter. that though we leave the perſons of Papiſts to their and our judge, not pronouncing damnation on them, as they doe on us: yet we proclaime confidently to all the world, that their doctrine is not ſafe.
Fourthly, he diſtinguiſheth alſo the perſons of Papiſts, ſome are invincibly ignorant, who are compelled to reſigne up their own eye-ſight, and to look through ſuch Spectacles as their Prieſts and Paſtors have tempered for them; for theſe poore ſoules if they make as good uſe as they can of the publike and private means afforded them for ſaving knowledge, and hold faſt the Articles of the Apoſtles Creed, without oppoſition to any ground of Chriſtian Religion; and furthermore have a minde and purpoſe to obay God, and keepe his Commandements, according to that meaſure of knowledge and grace which they have received, and live for outward things in the unity of the Church where they dwell, much may be ſaid: other live under Princes and States, who as Gods true Watchmen and Shepherds, deſire they ſhould be better informed, and take care, that they may have meanes to be inſtructed in the true ſaving knowledge of Chriſt; ſuch Papiſts ſhutting their eyes againſt Gods light, and perſiſting in their ignorance, and ſaying in effect, Wee will not the knowledge of thy wayes, Iob 21.14. goe not ſafely out of the world. How the Ieſuit refuteth theſe anſwers, wee ſhall ſee in the examination of his particular exceptions.
To the firſt. That cannot be farre from the Knights purpoſe, which agreeth with the title of his whole Booke, Via tuta, The ſafe Way: this ſafe way hee proves to be the Proteſtants way by divers inſtances, in which the Papiſts affirmation is dangerous, but our Negation cannot but be ſafe. For example, there is apparant danger in maintaining the adoration of Images, and the creatures of Bread and Wine in the Sacrament: becauſe it is expreſſely forbidden under many fearfull curſes; to offer Sacrifice, burne Incenſe, or exhibit any Divine Worſhip to any ſave God onelyonly, Pſalm. 97.7. Confounded be all they that worſhip graven Images, and boaſt themſelves of Idolls: but there can be no danger in not Worſhipping the Creature inſteed of the Creatour, who is bleſſed for ever, Rom. 1.25. They are in danger of a curſe that forbid Marriage, and hold it in ſome perſons to be unlawfull and uncleane; which Saint Paul calleth, The Doctrine of Devils, 1 Tim. 4.1, 3. But there can be no danger in not prohibiting Marriage in any, which is Honorable in all, and the bed undefiled, Heb. 13.4. They are in danger who equall Traditions with Scripture, becauſe it is written, Curſed be hee that addeth or taketh away from the words of the Law, or the Goſpell, Deut. 4.2. Apoc. 22.18. There is danger in confidence in our owne merits; becauſe, Curſed is hee that putteth his truſt in man, or maketh fleſh his arme, Ier. 17.5. but there can be no danger in not relying upon our owne merits; for Bleſſed are they that truſt in Chriſt, and him onelyonly, Pſalm. 2.12. for that the Cardinall himſelfe confeſſeth to be Tutiſsimum. There is danger in taking away the Cup from the Laity, for it is a violation of Chriſts inſtitution; for Jeſus ſaid unto them, Iohn 6.53. Except yee eate the fleſh of the Son of man, and drinke his blood, yee have no life in you: but there can be no danger in not taking away the Cup from the Laity, but reaching it to them; for Whoſoever eateth Chriſts fleſh, and drinketh his blood, hath eternall life, verſ. 54. There is danger in keeping the Scriptures from the Laity; for The people periſh for want of knowledge: Hoſ. 4.6.and God powreth his wrath upon the people that know not his name: Pſal. 79.6.but there can be no danger in permitting them to Search the Scriptures, for in them they have eternall life, Ioh. 5.39. and, Bleſſed are they whoſe delight is in the Law of the Lord, and that exerciſe themſelves in that Law both day and night, Pſal. 1.2. There is danger in praying in an unknowne tongue; for they which doe ſo, Worſhip they know not what; draw neere to God with their lips, but their hearts is farre from him: but there can be no danger in Service in a knowne tongue; for the Apoſtle ſaith, I will pray with the ſpirit, I will pray with underſtanding alſo: I will ſing with the ſpirit, I will ſing with underſtanding alſo, 1 Cor. 14.15. It was a curſe inflicted upon the builders of Babel, that they underſtood not what was ſpoken: and the gift of tongues hath beene ever eſteem'd a ſingular bleſſing conferred upon the Church, whereby the people of all Nations and Countries underſtood the Apoſtles, and their Succeſſors preaching to them, and praying for them.
To the ſecond. I reply, that all his anſwers are refuted in my Animadverſions upon the former Chapters, onelyonly ſome Cavils hee addeth, which I will anſwer in a word.
Flood.
I preſume, his Father had ſome Apprentiſe bound not to marry during his Apprentiſhip: I would then know of him, whether his Father in that caſe did forbid marriage, and teach the Doctrine of Devils.
Anſwer.
It had beene fitter for the Ieſuit to be bound Prentiſe than ſet to ſchoole, hee is ſo dull and ſtupid that hee maketh it all one to forbid a Boy under age to marry during the time of his Apprentiſhip, and that under a legall penalty, without any vow or oath: and to forbid the whole Clergie to marry at all, by tying them to ſingle life by a vow and ſolemne oath, whether they have the gift of continencie, or not.
Flood.
Saint Paul ſaith, the gift of Tongues is a ſigne for Infidels; but Prophecie, that is, Exhortation or Interpretation, is for the Faithfull, or thoſe that believe already: wherein, I would know what any man can find againſt Prayer in the Latine tongue.
Anſwer.
I will eaſily helpe the Ieſuits ignorance herein: Prayer in the Latine tongue, when it is not underſtood, is Prayer in a Strange tongue, which the Apoſtle here implyeth, No way tendeth to edification. Nay farther, he proveth it to be a curſe out of the Prophet Eſay, 28.11.to a people to heare a Language which they underſtand not: and if that people were accurſed, in that they heard a Language which they underſtood not; our people in this regard muſt needs be bleſſed, who heare in the Church the Word of God read, and Divine Service ſaid in a Language which they underſtand.
Flood.
The Catholike Church doth draw in ſeverall Nations to unity of Language, making all to ſpeake one and the ſame Tongue: whereas Heretikes in the ſeverall places, by uſe of other Languages, underſtand not one the other, and therein moſt perfectly reſemble the Babel-builders, as well in their diverſitie of tongues, as in the diverſities of Doctrines.
Anſwer.
The Ieſuit here ignorantly babbleth about Babel, and the builders thereof, upon whom God ſent as a curſe, not ſimply the diverſitie of Languages which Acts 2. was given to the Apoſtles by miracle for a bleſſing: but confuſion of Languages, whereby it came to paſſe, that though they all ſpake one to another, yet none underſtood one the other. This curſe cannot be denied to be fallen upon the Lay-people in Poperie in the time of their benediction; and hereby the Romane Church, as by many things elſe, may be diſcerned to be Spiritually Babylon. Now whereas the Ieſuit ſaith, that they make all Nations to ſpeake one and the ſame tongue, his tongue runneth before his wit: for though the Pope by injoyning Latine Service, make all Nations under the Romane juriſdiction, heare one and the ſame tongue in their Service: yet hee maketh them not to ſpeake it, nor ſo much as underſtand it. Whereas all the Reformed Churches, as they agree in the unity of their Doctrine againſt Romiſh errours and ſuperſtitions; ſo they alſo concurre in this, that they have all their Liturgies in their Mother tongue, that all the children of our Churches may heare their heavenly Father ſpeake unto them in his Word, and they to him in their Prayers in a language underſtood.
Flood.
But for that which hee ſaith, that hee acknowledgeth univerſalitie of Nations and people, not to be a marke of his Church, I cannot but wonder at it; for what is this, but even in plaine termes to confeſſe his Church, not to be the Church of Chriſt? Eſay ſaying, All nations ſhall flow unto it: and the Prophet David deſcribing the kingdome of Chriſt, ſaith, that Hee ſhall beare ſway from Sea to Sea: and Daniel deſcribeth the kingdome of Chriſt, Like a mountaine growing from a little ſtone, and filling the whole Earth: Saint Iohn ſeeth a Multitude which no man could reckon, of all Nations, and Tribes, and People.
Anſwer.
Wee doe not ſay that the Church of England is the Church of Chriſt, that is, the whole, or only Church of Chriſt, but a Church of Chriſt; or to ſpeake more properly, a member of the Catholike Church ſcattered over the face of the the whole earth. The texts alleaged by the Ieſuit, are meant of the Catholike or univerſall Church, not of a particular; for it implieth a kind of contradiction, that a part ſhould be the whole, and all Nations compriſed in one. Secondly, the Knight ſpeaketh not, Page 312. ſimply of multitudes, nations, and tongues, when hee denieth that wee have any ſuch in our Church: but of multitudes, and nations, and tongues that are at the Woman her command in the Apocalypſe: The Citie which raigneth over the Kings of the Earth, Apoc. 17.4, 5, 6, &c.which ſitteth on ſeven mountaines, and is drunke with the blood of Saints and Martyrs: of whom it was foretold, that ſhee ſhould aſcend out of the bottomleſſe pit, and goe into perdition. Theſe can be no markes of our Church, as all the world ſeeth: and if they be, as indeed they are moſt viſible and apparant markes of the Romane Church, let them lay claime to her, and keepe her to themſelves, wee no way grudge or repine at it. But if the queſtion be, where it is ſafer being with the Woman that fled into the wilderneſſe, or this Queene-regent of the world, wee give warning to all that have Care of their ſalvation, to come out of Babylon, that they be not partaker of her plagues.
To the third. It is not true, that all teſtimonies proceeding from an enemie, are from evidence of Truth; for a teſtimonie may proceed from an enemie ſometimes from weakneſſe of judgement, as Tertullian long agoe hath obſerved, concluding, that it is no certaine and undoubted Argument of ſtrength and valour to conquer an Enemie: for many times the victorie is gotten, not becauſe the conquerour was a man of might, and well handled his weapons; Sed quia qui vincebatur infirmis erat viribus: but becauſe hee had the good hap to enter into the liſts with a weake Adverſarie. Yet, let the Ieſuits Obſervation be generall, the Knight will gaine by it; for the greateſt part of his booke conſiſteth of Teſtimonies taken from the mouth of learned Romaniſts: and therefore by this Rule laid downe by the Ieſuit, all muſt be preſumed to proceed from evidence of Truth. For the teſtimonies which hee here alleageth out of Proteſtants againſt us, though they have beene long agoe anſwered, in the Proſtants Apologie, written againſt Brerely his falſly ſo called Catholike Apologie: yet in the due place I ſhall ſhew, that they make nothing for, but rather againſt the Romiſh Church.
To the fourth. The Ieſuit cannot be ignorant, that the miſnamed Catholike Apologie ſet forth by Brerely, was refuted ſeven and twenty yeares agoe by a Catholike Appeale for Proteſtants; there all theſe ſhafts which Brerely taketh out of the Proteſtant Quivers, are either broken, or their heads ſo taken off, that they can doe no hurt to any that hath his Buckler of Faith on, or his eyes in his head. To which Appeale I referre the diſcreete Reader; when the Ieſuit ſhall quote any of theſe Authors for any particular point, he ſhall have a punctuall anſwer.
To the fift. Frith was a worthy and glorious Martyr, whoſe faith may be knowne by his bookes yet extant: wherein he no way approveth of Tranſubſtantiation, but condemneth it expreſſely. Neither doth he ſay that a right beliefe in the Sacrament touching the ſubſtance thereof is no matter of ſalvation: but that it is no matter of ſalvation to beleeve after what manner the ſubſtance of Chriſts body is in the Sacrament, whether by Conſubſtantiation, or Tranſubſtantiation which is moſt true: for as Doctor Andrewes, late Biſhop of Winton acutely obſerved, Chriſt ſaid hoc eſt Corpus meum, non hoc modo eſt, or fit Corpus meum, this is my Body, not the bread is after this manner my body.
To the ſixt. If communion in both kindes be an haereſie, Chriſt, his Apoſtles, and the Primitive Church which adminiſtred and received the Communion in both kinds, as is confeſſed in the Councell at Conſtance, cannot be free from haereſie. And whereas the Ieſuit ſaith, that this Martyr in all other points held with Papiſts, the contrary appeares in his printed bookes, and by the prayer he made at his death, mentioned by Cocleus in the hiſtory of the Huzzites, wherein he prayeth to God, that his ſoule after his death might be where the ſoule of Wickliffe is.
To the ſeventh. To the Ieſuit his allegations out of Barrow, Hooker, Some, Bunnie, and Covell; Dr. Morton now Biſhop of Dureſme anſwereth at large in his Catholike appeale, l. 4. from the firſt Section to the ſixth, where he proveth, that the teſtimonies themſelves, and the reaſons annexed to them doe ſhew, that the above cited Proteſtants yeeld no more ſecurity to the Romiſh Church, then they doe to any other erroneous Church, wherein there is true baptiſme and the the profeſſion of the chiefe principles of faith. Barrow acknowledgeth the Church of Rome to be a Church of God, that is a Church profeſſing Chriſtianity, in which there may be a poſſibility of ſalvation, not an Orthodox or right believing Church, in which there is certainty of ſalvation. Hooker ſaith, that the Church of Rome is a member of the viſible Catholike Church, a member, not the Catholike Church, and no ſound member neither, according to that Theſis of Doctor Reynolds, Romana eccleſia nec eſt Catholica, nec ſanum membrum Catholicae. Dr. Somes ſaith, as likewiſe Iunius, Iunius de Eccleſ. l. ſing. Papatu… eſt in Eccleſia ſeu in papatu eſt Eccleſia, Papatus tamen non eſt Eccleſia.that in Popery there is a Church, that is, under the Popes dominion Chriſt hath his Church, or that Popery is in the Church: yet that Popery is not the Church. Bunnie ſaith, that we are not a ſeverall Church from the Papiſts, that is, not eſſentially defferent from it, no more then a ſicke man differeth from a ſound. Covell ſaith, the Church of Rome is a part of the Church of Chriſt, but a very unſound part. From all which paſſages, this onelyonly may be concluded of the Roman Church, as of other erroneous aſſemblies, that though in regard of their manifold errors, they muſt be eſteemed ſicke and unſound Churches; yet in regard of the being and eſſence of a Church, they muſt be acknowledged viſible Churches of Chriſt. Neither Field nor Morton ſaith, that the Church of Rome is the Church of God, but a Church of God. Fields words are, Romana eccleſia eſt verè eccleſia, non vera eccleſia; is truely a Church, not a true Church: Morton proveth in one whole Section, that the Church of Rome is not properly the Catholike Church, but a particular Church ſubject to error. Sect. 6. Proteſt. appeal, l. 4. But in this point, in what ſenſe the Proteſtants call the Church of Rome a true Church, ſee a late Treatiſe ſet forth by Doctor Hall, the Biſhop of Exton, called the Reconciler; wherein, both he and Biſhop Davenet, and Morton, in their letters affixed thereunto, cleare the matter nothing at all I aſſure you to your advantage.
To the eight. The Knight ſaith not that a man may be ſaved in one Religion, yet ſo as he muſt not die in it: but that a man living in one Religion, to wit, the Popiſh, may be ſaved: ſo that he renounce it before his death, and dye in a better: for not onelyonly the boſome of the Church, but alſo the gates of Heaven are alwayes open to the penitent, as the Prophet Ezekiel teacheth:C. 18.23. neither is this any new conceit of the Knight, but the generall opinion of all Proteſtants, as the Ieſuit may read in the Catholike Appeale, l. 4. c. 1. The Reverend Biſhop now mentioned, underſtanding how that great and honourable perſonage in the laſt Act of her life, renounced all preſumption of her owne inherent righteouſneſſe, and wholly affianced her ſoule to Chriſt in beliefe to be juſtified onelyonly by his ſatisfactory juſtice, did therefore conceive hope of her ſalvation by vertue of that Cordiall preſcribed by the Holy Apoſtle, viz. that where ſinne aboundeth, the grace of God doth ſuperabound, which the Apoſtle hath miniſtred for the comfort of every Chriſtian, who erring by ignorance, ſhall in ſincere repentance for all his knowne ſinnes, depart this mortall life, having the heele or end of his life ſhod with the preparation of the Goſpell of peace, not of the new Romiſh, but of the old Catholike faith, which is the faith of all Proteſtants. C. 15. p. 363.And againe, in his booke intituled, the Grand Imposture, If you demand why Proteſtants have ſo charitable opinion of ſome Romaniſts, you are to underſtand, that it is in regard of that, without which they cannot be ſaved, that they died in the beliefe of this Proteſtant Article of Faith, which is to be juſtified by remiſsion of all their ſinnes, through the ſatisfactory righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, apprehended by faith, and not by the legall juſtice or perfection of inherent righteouſneſſe in themſelves, as your Councell of Trent hath decreed: and this opinion we finde verified in the experience of many Papiſts, who howſoever in their life time they profeſſe and magnifie your doctrine of perfection of works: yet on their death bed as ſoone as the leaſt glimpſe of the majeſty of Chriſts tribunall is revealed unto them, and the booke of their conſcience begins to be unclapſed, and ſo laid open before them that they cannot but reade their ſinnes, which in their lifetime they held as veniall, to be deadly and written in Capitall litters: then they take Sanctuary in the wounds of Chriſt, from whence floweth the Ocean of all expiatory merit and ſatisfaction, by which it is impoſſible but that every faithfull penitent ſhould receive life.
To the ninth. To this argument I ſay, that it is paralyticall and weake in the ſinewes. For how doth this follow? the Donatiſts held as the Papiſts doe, that all men were damned that were not of their ſect; St. Auſtine de unit eccleſ. c. 12. and other Catholike Biſhops thought that ſome of them might be in the ſtate of grace, and that their Baptiſme was good, Ergo, it is a ſafer way to embrace the Donatiſts haereſie then the Catholike Faith: or at leaſt ſend their children to the Donatiſts to be baptized,L. 1. De baptiſ. cont. Donat. c. 3. Eſſe vero apud Donatiſtas baptiſmum, & illi aſſerunt & nos concedimus. becauſe both parties granted that there was true Baptiſme among the Donatiſts, whereas the Donatiſts denied that there was any true Baptiſme among the Catholikes; or this, the Indian Prieſts teach, that it is unlawfull to take bread from the hand of a Chriſtian; the Chriſtians teach that it is lawfull to take bread from an Indian: therefore it is ſafer to take bread from an Indian then from a Chriſtian, or have fellowſhip with an Infidell Indian then with a charitable Chriſtian, becauſe a Chriſtian hath a better opinion of the Infidell, then the Infidell hath of him: as Proteſtants have a more charitable opinion of Papiſts, then Papiſts have of them. When the Ieſuit is ſober let him thinke how to give an anſwer to Biſhop Morton his inſtance, whereby he ſheweth the invalidity of this mad argument of Ieſuits, A mad man thinketh other men to be beaſts, a ſober man confeſſeth that a mad man is a man and no beaſt: is a mad man therefore in the right or in the better caſe then the ſober man, becauſe the ſober man judgeth better of the mad man, then the mad man doth of the ſober?