[Proposal of terms of James, of excellent memory, acknowledgeth the pope to be § 6. And, therefore, not departing from the opinion which Apol. for Oath of Allegiance, Pref. to All Christian Monarchs; p. 46. Engl. edit. 1609: quoted above in Epilogue, Bk. III. Of the Laws of the Ch., c. xx. § 16. note m.-See Bramhall as above quoted, c. v. sect. 4. p. 175: Bp. Montague, Orig. Eccl., Pars Posterior, p. 158: and Bilson, as in next note. This is the substance of Bilson's arguments on the subject.-"As for his patriarchship: .. by God's law he hath none; in this realm for sixe hundred yeares after Christ he had none; for the last sixe hundred, as looking to greater matters, he would have none; above or against the sword which God hath ordained, he can have none; by the subversion of the faith, and oppression of his brethren, in reason, right, and equity, he should have none." Bishop Thomas Bilson, True Difference betweene Christian Subjection and Unchristian Rebellion, &c., against the Pope's Censures and the Jesuits' Sophismes, uttered in their Apologie and Defence of English Catholikes, Pt. ii. p. 321, 2nd edit. Lond. 1586: where (as likewise in Pt. i. p. 60) he admits the pope to be "patriarch of the west," but "not by Christ but by consent of bishops."-See also Bramhall's Just Vindic. of Ch. of Engl., c. iv.; Works, Pt. i. Disc. ii. vol. i. p. 152. See authority for this in Dupin's Hist. Donatistarum, prefixed to his edition of Optatus, p. xi. : and in Optatus himself, De Schismate Donat., lib. vi. cc. 1, 6. pp. 91, 97; &c. &c.: and S. Augustin, as quoted below in § 17, note g; and Epist. cviii. Ad Macrobiuin, § 14; Op. tom. ii. p. 312. E; and Sermo ad Cæsar. Pleb., § 2; ibid. tom. ix. p. 618. C. &c. &c. parties reconcilereason merely ment and for the I have declared concerning the terms upon which all ought to reconcile themselves, until I shall have shewed me why I should do it: I shall now go no further provisional than the matters that are actually questioned among us; not time.] extending my discourse to points, that may perhaps more justly become questionable, than some of those which have come into dispute: professing in the beginning, that I believe they may and ought to be settled by a law of the kingdom, obliging all parties beside recusants; but that the matter of that law ought to be limited by the consent and authority of the Church, respective to this kingdom; and withal, that I think it ought to be held, and shall for mine own part hold it, an act merely ambulatory and provisional for the time. For though there is no hope of reconcilement with the Church of Rome, as things are; yet is there infinite reason for all sides to abate of their particular pretensions, for the recovering of so incomparable a benefit as the unity of the whole; if ever it shall please God to make the parties appear disposed to it. § 7. Now the errors which we are to shut out, if we will [Hobbists recover the unity of a visible Church (that is, of God's whole and Independents Church), are two, in my judgment. First, though some agree in things have been disputed in other parts, from whence the a visible denying Church, same consequence may be inferred, yet England is the place, although grounds: and ours the times, which first openly and downright have upon opmaintained, that there is no such thing as a Church, 227 nature of one visible communion founded by Godi. is maintained by several parties among us, upon "The whole body of men throughout the world, professing the faith of the Gospel and obedience unto God by Christ according unto it, not destroying their own profession by any errors everting the foundation, or unholiness of conversation, are, and may be called, the visible Catholique Church of Christ: although as such it is not intrusted with the administration of any ordinances, or have" (sic)" any offices to rule or govern in, or over, the whole body." Declaration of Faith and Order owned and practised by the Congregational Churches in England; agreed upon &c. at the Savoy, Oct. 12. 1658; c. xxvi. p. 18.-" Members of the mili in the posite But it which is several tant visible Church," when duly com- we deny an universal visible Church." Platform of Church Discipline &c., agreed upon in New England in 1649, c. ii. in Mather's Eccles. Hist. of New Engl., Bk. v. p. 24.-For the authority (or rather want of authority) of a particular Church over its members according to the Independents, see above in Serv. of God at Rel. Ass., c. iv. § 13. note f; and Rt. of Ch. in Chr. St., c. iv. § 8, c. v. § 86, sq. the first error amongst us.] [Both agree in may be heir grounds. For some do not or will not understand, that there can be any ecclesiastical power founded by that act of God which foundeth Christianity, where there is secular power, founded also by those acts of God, whereby He authorizeth and enforceth all just sovereignties. Though all times, all parts, all nations of Christendom since Constantine, profess to maintain the Church in that power, in which they found it acknowledged by Christians, when he first undertook to maintain that Christianity which he professed; all this must be taken, either for mere hypocrisy, or Others there are, that do not think themselves obliged to the unity of God's Church, upon far different principles. There are of our Enthusiasts, such as are themselves every one a Church to themselves, and by themselves; as being "above ordinances," and the communion of the Church provided only for proficients'. But all Independent Congregations make the same profession, and are manifestly grounded upon the same. For how can they imagine themselves members of one visible Church, who profess that they cannot be obliged to hold communion with any congregation but their ownm? mere nonsense. § 8. And yet, with favour, the same consequence ensuing supposing, upon so different pretences, there must be some supposition that a man common to both, upon which both do ground themselves. to Christ's And it is easily visible what that is. Both opinions must without suppose, that a man may be heir to Christ's kingdom, and belonging endowed with God's Spirit, without being, or before he be, a Church.] member of God's Church. And the Independents indeed do kingdom to His manifestly profess, that, knowing themselves and others to be God's children and endowed with His Spirit, they are in a capacity to join in ecclesiastical communion with those whom they know to be such". So they become members of a k Selden, Hobbes, Du Moulin, &c. See Epilogue, Bk. I. Of the Pr. of Chr. Tr., c. ii. § 9, 10; c. xi. § 9, sq., and 35, sq.: Bk. III. Of the Laws of the Ch., c. xxxiii. § 10, sq. 1 See Rt. of Ch. in Chr. St., c. ii. § 24: and Epilogue, Bk. I. Of the Pr. of Chr. Tr., c. ii. § 8. See Rt. of Ch. in Chr. St., cc. iv. § 8, v. § 86; &c. and above in note i. ""The members of these (particu lar) Churches are saints by calling, visibly manifesting and evidencing (in and by their profession and walking) their obedience unto that call of Christ, who being further known to each other by their confession of the faith wrought in them by the power of God, declared by themselves or otherwise manifested, do willingly consent to walk together, according to the appointment of Christ, giving up themselves to the Lord, and Church, being God's children before, without considering how they shall be members of the whole Church. The others are satisfied, that by being members of a state, which professeth Christianity, they are also members of that " one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church," which by our Creed we profess to believe: a ground which holdeth accidentally, so long as that state constituteth a visible member of the 228 whole or the Catholic Church; but not imaginable to serve the turn, when states differ in point of Christianity, and may every day appeal to force, whether is the true Church and whether the false. bist doc Church is Christian overthrown § 9. For is it not manifest, that the professions of the [The HobLutherans, the Calvinists, the Greeks, the Abyssines, are trine, protected by sovereign powers, as well as the profession that the of the Church of Rome, or the Church of England? Is it absorbed not manifest, that the powers, that profess them, maintain into the them respectively to be God's truth? Why then do we dis- state,— pute any longer, which is the true religion and which is the by the false; if it be enough for Christians to resolve all the doubt facts.] they can have concerning religion into the command of their sovereigns, only professing Christianity? Is it not manifest, that sovereigns do use to punish their subjects, that conform not to their laws concerning religion, but follow that religion which is in force under other sovereignties? Is it possible to imagine, that subjects can be obliged by one and the same will of God to follow contrary religions under several sovereigns? Or that sovereigns can be enabled by one law of God to punish their subjects for serving God according to contrary professions? True it is, subjects that suffer in a good cause shall be gainers thereby; gaining heaven by their losses of this world. But what shall become of the sovereigns that persecute them, being in a good cause? Or how shall not some of them be persecuted in a good cause, who are persecuted in contrary causes? position of § 10. I know not whether this peremptory difficulty was [Horrible the cause but I am sure recourse hath been had to a more Hobbes desperate answer;-that every subject is bound to profess that a man the religion of his sovereign, yea, though it enjoin him to Christ and to one another by the will of God, in professed subjection to the ordinances of the Gospel." Savoy Declaration of THORNDIKE⚫ D Faith &c. of Oct. 1658, Of the Insti- may deny yet (so denying Him) be saved as a Christian.] renounce Christ with his mouth, remaining bound all the while to believe in Him with his heart; and that by this belief he shall be saved as a Christiano. Neither is this position tenable but upon this answer, nor doth this answer import any less than the utter renouncing of Christianity. I know, that in the records of the ancient Church, those, who only professed to believe Christianity (who were called catechumeni or scholars to the Church), are sometimes called by the name of Christians. But I know withal, that they were never counted in the state of salvation, till they had taken upon them the profession of Christianity by being admitted 229 to the sacrament of baptisms. I know also, that this baptism, though it was not counted void when it was ministered in due form, yet it was never counted effectual to salvation but when a man is baptized into the true faith, and that in the unity of God's Church'. For though the names of heretics and schismatics have been made only bug-bears to fright children with, in this time of our troubles; yet, so long as Christianity continues, those, that separate themselves from the Church upon pretences concerning the substance of faith, shall be properly counted' heretics; but if the cause concern not the substance of Christianity, schismatics. And therefore, Christianity consisting not only in believing or pur[Rom. x. posing with the heart, but also in professing with the mouth 10.] (first sincerely, then the true faith, and lastly by being baptized), he, that professeth himself free to renounce his Christianity as far as the mouth, hath effectively renounced it; because he hath effectively drawn back that promise, upon condition whereof he was baptized, of professing Christianity to the death. [Disagree § 11. And truly, if every Christian state be the Church of ments be- God within the territories thereof, then cannot all Churches tween Sce Hobbes, as quoted in the Epilogue, Bk. I. Of the Pr. of Chr. Tr., c. ii. § 10. note 1: and see the Epilogue itself, ibid. and c. xix. § 18, 19. P So the Councils of Elvira (A.D. 305), can. xxxix. (ap. Labb., Conc., tom. i. p. 975. A); and of Constantinople (A.D. 381), can. vii. (ibid., tom. ii. p. 951. C). See Bingham, I. iii. 3. "Quod signum crucis in fronte habent catechumeni, jam de domo magna sunt: sed fiant ex servis filii." S. Aug., Tract. xi. in Joh. Evang. c. lii. § 4; Op. tom. iii. P. ii. p. 376. G: and see the whole tract; and Bingham as just quoted. See also Epilogue, Bk. II. Of the Cov. of Gr., c. vi. § 4. See Epilogue, Bk. I. Of the Pr. of Chr. Tr., c. x. § 14-20; Bk. III. Of the Laws of the Ch., c. x. § 31. See ibid., Bk. I. Of the Pr. of Chr. Tr., c. xxv. § 8. notes i, k. "called" ed. 1660. |