Romanism Discussed, Treatise · Article 1 · Section 3
SECT. III.
The Tenet of the falſity of all Churches not owning the Pope, is ſhewed to be moſt abſurd.
ARticle 1. ſaith H. T. Our Tenet is, That the Church now in communion with the See of Rome is the onelyonly true Church of God.
Anſw. By the S…e of Rome, he means the Roman Biſhop, or Pope, and the Communion he means, is in the ſame Tenets which they hold according to the Trent Canons, and Pius the fourth his Bull with ſubjection to the Biſhop of Rome's juriſdiction over the whole Church of Chriſt. In which ſenſe the Tenet is ſo palpably falſe, and ſo extremely uncharitable, that it is a marvel that any that hath the underſtanding of a man ſhould imbrace it, or the charity of a Chriſtian ſhould brook it. For,
1. If the Church now in communion with the See of Rome, be the onelyonly true Church of God, then that Church onelyonly hath eternal life, for onelyonly the true Church of God hath eternal life. Extra Eccleſiam non eſt ſalus, is their own determination, Concil. Lateran. 4. Can. 2. and elſewhere. But that Church which is not in communion with the See of Rome, hath eternal life; Ergo, it is the true Church of God. The Minor is proved thus, That Church which believes in Jeſus Chriſt hath eternal life: But other Churches beſides thoſe now in communion with the See of Rome, believe in Jeſus Chriſt; Ergo. The Major is plain from John 3. 16, 18, 36. & 17. 3. & 20. 31. 1 John 5. 11, 12. Mark 16. 16. in which it is expreſly ſaid, that he that believeth on Chriſt (without any mention of Peter or the Pope) hath eternal life. The Minor is proved by their profeſſion, and other evidences of their reality in believing; which if any deny to prove true faith in them, he may as well deny there are any believers in Chriſt in the world.
2. If there be no true Churches but ſuch as are in communion with the See of Rome, then there is ſome other name beſides the Name of Jeſus Chriſt given among men, by which we muſt be ſaved, and there is ſalvation in ſome other beſides him, for men have ſalvation in that name by which they are the true church of God; and if we be the true church of God by communion with the Pope, we have ſalvation by the Pope. But this is moſt falſe and Antichriſtian, to aſcribe ſalvation to any other name beſides the Name of Jeſus Chriſt, as being expreſly contradictory to Peter's own words, Act. 4. 12. There is no ſalvation in any other, neither is there any name under heaven given to men by which we muſt be ſaved, but the Name of Jeſus Chriſt; not Peter, or the Biſhop of Rome.
3. If no churches be true churches of God, but ſuch as are in communion with the See of Rome, then Chriſt died for no other churches but them. For Chriſt died for his church, Epheſ. 5. 25. it is not ſaid, he gave himſelf for them who are not his church. But ſure it is very uncharitable to ſay, that Chriſt died for no other than thoſe that own the Pope, and contrary to the Scripture, that God ſo loved the world, that he gave his onelyonly begotten Son, that whoſoever believeth on him ſhould not periſh, but have everlaſting life, Joh. 3. 16. therefore it is falſe and uncharitable, to exclude all but Romaniſts out of the church of God.
4. If none be the true church of God, but ſuch as are in communion with the See of Rome, then none are members of Chriſt, in Chriſt, the ſons of God, but ſuch as are in communion with the See of Rome; for the true church of God onelyonly are members of Chriſt, in Chriſt, the children of God, Epheſ. 23. But it is falſe, that none are members of Chriſt, in Chriſt, or children of God, but ſuch as are in communion with the See of Rome; for the Apoſtle tels the Galatians, Gal. 3. 26, 27. that they were all the ſons of God by …aith in Chriſt Jeſus, that as many as were baptized into Chriſt, had put on Chriſt, v. 28 that they were all one in Chriſt Jeſus, without any requiring of communion with the See of Rome.
5. If none are the true church of God but ſuch as are in communion with the See of Rome, then Chriſt is preſent with none by his Spirit and protection; but ſuch as are in that communion. For ſuch as are not the true Church of God, Chriſt is not preſent with them by his Spirit and protection, Rom. 8. 9. Ye are not in the fleſh, but in the ſpirit, if the ſpirit of God dwell in you. If any man have not the ſpirit of Chriſt, the ſame is none of his, ver. 14 As many as are led by the ſpirit of God, they are the ſons of God, 1 Cor. 6. 19. Know ye not that your body is the temple of the holy Ghoſt, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own, 2 Cor. 6. 16. For ye are the temple of the living God, as God hath ſaid, that I will dwell in them, and walk amidſt them, and I will be their God, and they ſhall be my people. Revel. 2. 1. Chriſt walketh in the midſt of the ſeven golden candleſticks. But Chriſt is preſent by his Spirit and protection with other Churches and perſons, than ſuch as are in communion with the See of Rome, even all that believe in Chriſt, and are the ſons of God, as is apparent in that they call Jeſus the Lord, which none can do, but by the holy Ghoſt, 1 Cor. 12. 3. they cry Abba Father, and thereby ſhew they have the ſpirit of adoption, Gal. 4 6. Can any have the face to ſay, that the millions of chriſtian Greeks, and others in perſecution, who ſervently invocated God in the Name of Chriſt, have not the ſpirit of Chriſt, nor are his, becauſe they are not in communion with the Roman See? yea, is there not more evidence of Chriſts Spirit among them, than is in the Roman church, in which there is ſo much uncleanneſs▪ and ſo little of holineſs, that even H. T. to prove its holineſs, is fain to have recourſe to ſome ſuppoſed Saints many hundreds of years ſince, by reaſon of the late ſcarcity.
6. If none are the true church of God, but ſuch as are in communion with the See of Rome, then none are the houſe of God but they, ſith the houſe of God is the church of God, 1 Tim. 3. 15. But that is falſe; for perſons not in communion with the See of Rome may be built on Chriſt a ſpiritual houſe, 1 Pet. 2. 5. Otherwiſe, beſides the foundation which is laid, to wit, Jeſus Chriſt, it were neceſſary there ſhould be another foundation, on which they ſhould be built, to wit, Peter and his Succeſſors. But Paul ſaith, 1 Cor. 3, 11. No man can lay any other foundation to build upon a ſpiritual houſe to God, but that which is laid, Jeſus Chriſt; and Peter himſelf, 1 Pet. 2. 4. tels us, Chriſt is the living ſtone, on which they are built; and ver. 6. alledgeth the Scripture, ſaying, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner ſtone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him ſhall not be aſhamed; therefore all that believe in Chriſt, though they be not in communion with the See of Rome, are a ſpiritual houſe, and a true church of God; which is confirmed by the words of the Apoſtle, Eph. 2. 19, 20, 21. where he ſaith of the Epheſians, that they were of the houſhold of God, and were built on the foundation of the Apoſtles and Prophets, Jeſus Chriſt himſelf being the chief corner ſtone, in whom all the building fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. In whom ye alſo are builded together for an habitation of God through the ſpirit. And Epheſ. 4. 4. There is one body, and one ſpirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling. 5 One Lord, one faith, one Baptiſm. 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 1 Cor. 12. 12. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: ſo alſo is Chriſt. 13 For by one ſpirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Greeks, whether we be bond or free: and have been all made to drink into one ſpirit. V. 27. Now ye are the body of Chriſt, and members in particular. From whence may be gathered, that communion with Chriſt by his Spirit, Faith, and Baptiſm, without any communion with the See of Rome, is ſufficient to prove perſons to be the houſe of God, and the body of Chriſt, and conſequently the true church of God. For that which was ſufficient to make the Epheſians and Corinthians the houſe of God, and body of Chriſt, is ſufficient now to make Engliſh or other people a church of God, there being no more required thereto now, than was then; and the Apoſtle ſaith, Galat. 3. 28, 29. For ye are all one in Chriſt Jeſus; If ye be Christs, then are ye Abra…ams ſeed, and heirs according to the promiſe, Col. 3. 11. Where there is neither Gre…k nor Jew, circumciſion nor uncircumciſion, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Chriſt is all, and in all. But then there was no more required to the being of the true church, or houſe of God, or body, but communion with Chriſt by his Spirit, Faith, and Baptiſm, without communion with the See of Rome, as the Texts alledged ſhew; therefore this communion with Chriſt is ſufficient to make us Engliſh a true church of God, without communion with the See of Rome.
7. If the firſt Apoſtolical churches were true churches afore either Peter was at Rome, or any church there gathered, then it is not neceſſary to the being of the true church of God now, that perſons be in communion with the See of Rome; for there is no more required to the being of the true church of God now, than was then, and it could not then be required to be in communion with the See of Rome, when there was no Biſhop nor church there. But there were Apoſtolical true churches of God at Jeruſalem, Samaria, and elſewhere, afore either Peter was at Rome, or any church there gathered (as the Hiſtory of the new Teſtament ſhews;) therefore it is not neceſſary to the being of the true church of God, to be in communion with the See of Rome.
8. If there be none true churches but ſuch as are in communion with the See of Rome, then the churches in India and elſewhere ſo remote from Rome, that they never heard of the Biſhop or See of Rome, nor were required communion with it, ſhould be excluded from the church of Chriſt, though they hold the true faith, becauſe they do not that which being of meer poſitive inſtitution, they are unavoidably ignorant of, and conſequently ſhould be damned. But this is too abſurd, ſith it imputes to God tyranny, in requiring that which cannot be done, and cruelty in damning for not doing it; Ergo.
9. If to be in communion with the See of Rome, be neceſſary to the being of the true church, then were the Apoſtles and Fathers, who in their Writings and Creeds never required this of the believers to conſtitute them a true church of God, very unfaithfull or defective in their Tradition, ſith they did not require or teach this as neceſſary to the being of a true church of God; as may be ſeen in their Writings and creeds. But this is falſe, as being contrary to their proteſtations of their integrity, in not ſhunning to declare the whole counſel of God, Acts 20. 26, 27. and elſewhere; Ergo.
10. If there were many Saints and Martyrs, acknowledged even by the Romaniſts to be ſuch, who did not hold communion with the Biſhop of Rome, ſo as to own him to be ſupreme viſible head of the whole church, but did oppoſe him, and lived and died in that oppoſition, and yet were in the church of God, then they who hold not communion with the See of Rome may be the true church of God. But the antecedent is true in Cyprian, Auguſtine, and many more oppoſing the Biſhop of Rome about rebaptization, appeals from Africa, keeping Eaſter, therefore either they muſt be unſainted, or elſe it muſt be yielded, that perſons who are not now in communion with the See of Rome, may be true churches of God. I need not inſiſt any longer in proving the falſity of a tenet ſo palpably abſurd, and demonſtrated to be ſo by Biſhop Mortan in his Grand Impoſture of the Roman Church, and by others elſewhere, Let's view H. T. his proof.