CONTENTS. ed.-Obj. concerning excommunication, answered.-Exhortation to the members of the church by bishop Beve. ridge,' 67 92 CHAP. VII. Appendix.-How far the church's portver extends in decreeing rites and ceremonies.-The church, as established by law, vindicated.-Extent of the civil power in church affairs. SECOND PART.CHAP. VIII. Of the unity of the catholic church. - All bishops originally of equal authority.-Bishop of Rome possesses no authority by divine right over other bishops. 103 106 CHAP. IX. The supremacy of the bishop of Rome confuted from the scriptures. CHAP. X. The supremacy of the bishop of Rome confuted from the fathers of the first three centuries after Christ.Ignatius.Clemens.Apostolic canons.-Victor and the Asian churches.-Irenæus. Tertullian.Cyprian. -Eusebius.-Rise of the bishop of Rome's usurpation over the rights of other bishops.African churches.Objections from Augustin, Optatus, and Jerom answered. 120 --- CHAP. XI. Brief defence of the reformation of the church of England and Ireland. In ancient writers, the catholic church taken in two senses: the general one, in which it was put for all faithful churches united into one body, under Christ; and the particular, when it was used for a particular church. The Roman church, in ancient times, was considered only as a particular church-Sepa ration from the communion of the bishop of Rome, justified from ancient examples.—Account of the Greek church. Obj. from St. Austin, answered. Our charge of idolatry against the church of Rome, justified.-Objections con. cerning infallibility, answered.-Fallacy used by Romish writers, that the church in communion with Rome, was the catholic church.--Necessity of succession of doctrine, as well as succession of bishops.-Council of Trent not general.-Foreign appeals unknown in ancient times. Our church justifiable in charging sectaries with disobedience to her; notwithstanding she allows them to examine her doctrines by scripture.-True method of reventing schisms.-Infallible judges and general councils cannot prevent schisms. – Romish schisms and dissensions. -Apology for the disputes among the divines of our church. Ambiguity of the Trent decrees.- Uncertainty - 146 of the Romish faith.Church of England offers all sa. tisfaction to mankind that it follows the true sense of scripture. Certainty and safety of the communion of our church, and manifest hazard of salvation in the Romish church-1. As to the positive articles of our faithNovelty of the Trent creed. 2. As to infallibility,Pope's supremacy.-Prayers to saints.Images. Prayers in an unknown tongue. Transubstantiation. Half communion.Purgatory, &c. CONCLUSION.Romanists disguise their religion in protestant countries, and why. Account of the Essay for catholic communion, Protestant Apology, Absurdity of the Romanists proving the infallibility of the church of Rome, until they prove that its doctrine and discipline. are agreeable to scripture and antiquity-Church of Rome receives the interpretation of Scripture, not from the fathers, but from the present Roman, catholic church-Pope's infallibility and temporal dominion, doctrines of the present Roman church-Impractibility of an union betrueen, the church of England and Rome, until the bishop of Rome's authority be abolished. 152 INTRODUCTION. Ir has been speciously contended, that it matters not to what communion we belong, if we are but sincere in our profession. But are those who make the remark, or those who incautiously adopt it, aware of the palpable falsehoods to which this princi ple would carry them? Thus, it matters not whether a man he a mahometan or a christian, an heathen, a jew, an infidel or heretic, if he be sincere in his profession. If sincerity, as such, independent of any par ticular way of worship can recommend man to the favour of God, then there can be no difference as to merit, between a sincere martyr, and a sincere persecutor; and he that burns a christian, if he be but in earnest, hath the same title to God's favour, as he that is burnt for believing in Jesus Christ. St. Paul, we know, before his conversion, persecuted the christians. Now, as he had a good meaning in all he did, to what end was he converted, when his sincerity would have saved him in his former way? After his mind was 'better enlightened, he pronounced himself to have been the greatest of sinners, for what he had thus done in the sincerity of his heart.* In regard of such as are out of Christ's Catholic Church, we trust that God will make a merciful allow * Jones's Essay on the Church, p. 19. Lond. 1800. ance for their errors. The salvation of all the faithful members of the church, as it was established by the apostles, is secured to them by a covenant: they are under promise, and "he is faithful that promised." But it is impossible to speak, with the same assurance of faith, of those who hold no communion with any apostolic church-who as they do not enter into the fellowship of Christ's religion, have no certain title to its glories and rewards. If he, who neglected to hear the church, was by our Saviour's command to be considered as having forfeited the privileges of a christian, and again become as an heathenman and a publican, Matt. 18. 7. --if the apostles were most particular in forbidding, and severe in condemning all schism in the church,-we do not think ourselves secure, except while we are grafted upon some sound branch, and derive our nourishment from the body of the true vine. It is therefore, as Mr. Jones remarks, of infinite consequence, that we should be able to know, with certainty, whether we are in the church, or out of it. If we are out of it, we are in the world. If we had been out of the ark, we should have been drowned. It is true, we may be in the church, and yet be lost; for was not Ham in the ark, who was a reprobate? But if we are out of the church, how can we be saved?* It becomes therefore a leading object of christian duty to enquire where the true church is to be found ; into what communion we may enter as a part of Christ's catholic church, and hope to inherit the promises. Now the first step necessary in this enquiry will be to understand what the true church is. CHAP. I. Of the Nature and Constitution of the Catholic Church. In general, the Catholic Church may be thus defined: It is the one universal society of all christian, people, * This is also the language of the Homilies. Hom. against contention. incorporated by the new covenant in baptism under Jesus Christ its supreme head, and distributed under lawful governors and pastors into particular churches holding communion with each other, in all the essentials of christian faith, and worship, and discipline.* 66 This is agreeable to the definition given by our church in the 19th article, in which "the visible church is described to be "a congregation of faithful men, in which the pure word of God is preached, and the sacraments duly administered, according to Christ's ordinance, in all things that of necessity are requisite to the same." For the sacraments cannot, in the judgment of our church, be duly administered according to Christ's ordinance, but by those ministers, who are lawfully called and sent into the Lord's vine. yard," Art. 23. That these are the true notes or marks by which the catholic church is to be known, is the opinion of our most eminent divines ;‡ "Wherever," says Dr. King, archbishop of Dublin, "we find the faith of Christ, and the persons professing it, living in submission to their regular pastors, there we have found a branch of the catholic church. 'Tis by these marks we must find the catholic church, if we would not mistake the society of schismatics and heretics, nay of heathens for her." The first part of the above-mentioned definition is generally acknowledged, viz. I. that the catholic church is the one universal society of all christian people, incorporated by the new covenant in baptism, under Jesus Christ its su This definition, and the principal part of this first chapter, are abridged from Dr. Scott's Christian Life, and Dean Sherlock's defence of bishop Stillingfleet, 1681. p. 137. + When our articles were made, the words congregation and the church were synonymous. See Brett's divine right of episcopacy, p. 2. Bingham's antiquities of the christian church. "To maintain the purity of the catholic faith, and live under the discipline and government of a cathol. bishop, who himself lived in communion with the catholic church, were the characteristic notes of any man's being in the communion of the church." Book 6.c. 3. & 16. c. 17. Bishop Bramhall's works, p. 143. Dean' Stanley's faith, &c. of a church of England man, chap. 1. 9th. Edit. 1753. Sherlock's discourse on the notes, and vindi cation of do. against Fairfax a Jesuit, in Preservative against popery, Tit. 3. 44. Field of the church. p. 31, 80. Kettlewell's works, 1. 679. |