Even in matters of faith, says Field, there borne with foul sacrilege: in a word, ours, comis indeed

be & AUTIXOTOS, the Antichrist, is this, that the round some universal local centre of unity, Pope exalteth himself above all that is called distinct from the government of their country; God, i. e., the kings of the earth; that he, in in the place of their invisible Head in heaven; case the king be not a Catholic, absolves suband in addition to that visible centre, which jects from their allegiance to him, that he pretends power over them in spiritual things, and is supplied by each bishop in his own diocese, n temporal in ordine ad spiritualia.'(1) and by the patriarch in the civil province or IV. One very serious evil of a departure kingdom. from these Catholic principles of loyalty to Unity, indeed, an unity excluding diverthe Civil Power is the disposition which it sity, is a tempting dream to a rationalizing fosters to depart likewise from the true Catho- mind; and the vision of a spiritual empire lic constitution of the Church itself. If in resorting to one local centre, bowing down any country the Church feels herself engaged to one visible head, binding together the most in a struggle against the Civil Power, or jeal- distant countries to the footstool of one man, ous of its authority, she will be tempted to and by forms all emanating from him, and so look around for foreign help, and thus will crushing all anarchy and rebellion with the introduce that principle, destructive ulti- rod of a priestly power-this vision is to the mately even of the faith of Christianity, the humble as well as to the ambitious a temptaestablishment of some visible permanent centre of unity, for the whole of Christendom. Permanent, it is said; because no one contests the necessity of having such a centre occasionally, when the Church is gathered together under its true head upon earth, a General Council.

tion scarcely to be resisted. It constitutes with weak minds as with strong, the great chain of Popery. And though, as Barrow has so completely shown, (1) opposed to Scrip ture, to apostolical sanctions, to primitive antiquity, to the analogy of God's dealings, to true reason, to expediency, nay, to the very The Almighty has set the bounds of the essence and object of the Church-though it nations, and divided the earth, not to promote has been found that in thus building all on one wars, but to preserve peace. It is by a bal- plank we hazard all—' ecclesia universa cor. ance of counteracting forces that equilibrium ruit, si unus universus cadit' (2)—and that is maintained; by the independence and by forcing too great an unity we only split separation of witnesses that testimony is the body into fragments,-there are not wantguaranteed; by a chain of many fibres that ing persons in all ages who are led away by durability is secured, while perpetual repara- the seduction. But the Church of England tion is made easy; by the distinctness of the has always stood firm. The independence functions of government that tyranny is pre- of national churches, as linked hand in hand vented; by dividing the honey into cells that with their sovereign-the freedom of national it is saved from corruption. And so it is with life-is the very essence of the English Rethe great body politic of men, in the State formation. as 'God,' says Stillingfleet, 'hath in the Church: unity, indeed, must be pre-intrusted every national church with the care served in both; but unity reconcilable with of her own safety. (3) That 'they are formed a multiplicity of parts, and by that very mul- into a national church, and are for national tiplicity to be preserved, one body with churches, and detest sovereign independent many members.'

communions,' is one of the chief apologies made by Hicks for the French Protestants. (4) And, as he says elsewhere,

Love of our country, therefore, is as much a Christian virtue as love of our parents; National Churches are as much an integral element in the constitution of the Catholic 'It is good to know what kind of Christians Church as provinces and kingdoms are in the James so passionately exhorts to contend earnand Churches they were, whom the brother of great family of man. The Church, from the estly for the faith. They were free episcopal earliest times, by 'a rule' which Thorndike churches; neither churches without bishops, calls as evident as the common Christianity nor churches under bishops who were all subis evident,' (2) has followed the divisions of ject to the authority of one; but churches unthe State, and moulded herself upon its der bishops who were all sharers or colleagues tions; and it is only when enthusiasm, or St. Cyprian said of the African bishops, made of one common Episcopat, and whereof none, as rationalism, or disloyalty, or want of faith, or himself a bishop of bishops, or forced his brethsome ambitious theory has crept in, that minds ren, by tyrannical terror, to a necessity of obehave been tempted to abandon this law of God, and to dream of rallying Christians (1) Of Resisting the Lawful Magistrate, vol. i.,

sec

p. 68.
(2) Due Way, p. 240. Just Weights and Meas.
ures, 2d edit. 1680.

(1) Treatises on the Supremacy and Unity.
(2) Greg., lib. vi. ep. 24.

362.

(3) Vindication of Laud, part ii. ch. iv. vol. iv. p. (4) True Notion of Persecution, Serm. iv. vol. i.

p. 200.

dience. Such an apostolical primitive Episco- | so great churches are all that one prime apostopat has the Church of England long enjoyed, by the blessing of God, and the favour of her princes.'(1)

lical church from whence all others come. And thus they are all prime and apostolical in regard to their unity, as long as there is that communication of peace, title of brotherhood, and common mark of hospitality.'(1)

is

'The Church of Rome,' says Thorndike, 'cannot hinder us of restoring ourselves to the primitive right of the church, by which Communion upon earth, union in heaven, a Christian kingdom duly may maintain the the great prayer of a catholic mind. Whatworship of God.' (2) A remarkable acknow- ever may be hereafter, at present the Church ledgment from one, who laid so much more is one house with many chambers,' (2) stress than other divines upon the pre-emi-one family of many sisters, one continent nence of the Church of Rome in the West,' with many cities,' (3) 'one episcopacy of as, in his view, 'the only reasonable means many bishops.' (4) to preserve so great a body in unity.'

So Bishop Hall makes

'all the particular National Churches, through the whole Christian world, no other than sisters, daughters of the same father, God; of the same mother, the spiritual Jerusalem, which is from above; of which none may usurp a mistress-ship over the rest, or make herself a queen over them,' without being guilty of a high arrogance and presumption against Christ and his dear Spouse the Church.'(3)

If the Reformation had asserted no other principle but this, it would be entitled for this alone to our deepest gratitude; to be regarded as, under God, the saviour of our common Christianity. For Christianity is built. upon the faith; and the faith upon the Bible; and the Bible, whether in its authenticity or interpretation, comes to us on the testimony of the Church; and this testimony is the historical testimony of independent branches, which cannot be merged in one, as Popery has endeavoured to merge them, without absolutely destroying the foundation of truth, and with truth, of all things.

'Our ground,' says Bramhall, for unity of faith is our creed; and for unity of government, the very same form of discipline which was used in the primitive church, and is derived from them to us.'(5)

"The communion of saints,' says Bilson,' and near dependence of the godly each of other, and all of their head, standeth not of external rites, customs, and manners, as you would fashion out a church observing the pope's canons, and deserving his pardons as his devote and zealous children; but in believing the same truth, tast ing of the same grace, resting on the same hope, calling on the same God, rejoicing in the same spirit.'(6)

And that this unity was not preserved but destroyed by Popery is the unanimous agreement of all our greatest English divines :

'I cannot choose but wonder,' says Bramhall, to see you cite St. Cyprian against us in this case, who separated himself from you, as well as we, in the days of a much better bishop than we, and upon much weaker grounds than we, and published his dissent to the world in two African councils. He liked not the swelling Until this principle is heartily recognised, should tyrannically terrify another into obedititle of Bishop of bishops, nor that one bishop there will always be danger from Popery.ence; no more do we. He gave a primacy, or It has been, to say the least, neglected of late; and to this neglect, humanly speaking, will be mainly due whatever mischief may arise within the bosom of the Church at the present day.

"The Church's unity,' says Tertullian, quoted by Stillingfleet, consists in the

principality of order to the chair of St. Peter, as Principium Unitatis; so do we. But he believ ed that every bishop had an equal share of epishe thought fit, in a provincial council for his copal power; so do we. He provided apart, as own safety, and the safety of his flock; so did we. He writ to your great bishop as to his brother and colleague, and dared to reprehend him for receiving but a letter from such as had 'adhering to that doctrine which was first been censured by the African bishops. In St. preached by the Apostles, who, having first de- Cyprian's sense you are the beam that have selivered it in Judæa, and planted churches there, parated yourselves from the body of the sun; went abroad and declared the same to other na- you are the bough that is lopped from the tree; tions, and settled churches in cities, from whence you are the stream which is divided from the other churches have the same doctrine propa-fountain; it is you, principally you, that have gated to them, which are therefore called apos- divided the unity of the church.'(7) tolical churches, as the offspring of those which were founded by them. Therefore so many and

(1) Serm. xiii., vol. ii. p. 215; Serm. iv. vol. i. p. 190.

(2) Just Weights, c. vii. p 48.

(3) Resolutions for Religion, vol. vi. p. 306. So Nicholson, Apology, p. 108.

(1) Works, vol. iv. p. 288.
(2) Irenæus.

(4) Cyprian.

(3) Theodoret.

(5) Schism Guarded, tom. i. Disc. iv. p. 407. (6) True Diff. p. 223.

(7) Answer to De la Militière, p. 38.

And again, speaking of 'that presumptuous, | lar teaching-as truth is intimately mixed and (if a pope's word may pass current) anti- with error in all she professes-and as both christian, term of the Head of the Catholic Church:

Scripture and the language of the Fathers, forged and interpolated as they have been with this object, may be artfully wrested to 'If the pope be the head of the catholic church, confound the distinction-a mind therefore then the catholic church is the pope's body, imbued with true catholic principles, little which would be but a harsh expression to versed in the controversy, and knowing Christian ears; then the catholic church should have no head when there is no pope; two or nothing of popery, may be easily led to three heads when there are two or three popes; pause; and suspect, that the erroneous prinan unsound head when there is an heretical ciples charged against Rome may not really pope; a broken head when the pope is censured be professed by her; or, that they are exor deposed; and no head when the see is aggerated by enemies, and modified in vacant. If the church must have one universal, practice; or, lastly, even that they are truths, visible, ecclesiastical head, a general council which the extravagances of sectarians, and may best pretend to that title.' (1). our own imperfect acquaintance with antiThis is a summary of the general declara-quity, had kept from our sight. And with tions of the divines of England on that the the yearning which now prevails for more prime and leading article of all popery, the visible unity in the Church, the first question pope's supremacy.' (2) For as such, like which will be asked, previous to any exami the Romish controversialists, they always nation of doctrine, will be that which the regarded it:—' Etenim de quâ re agitur, forward-the question of schism. If we are Romish controversialists so ostentatiously put says Bellarmin, 'cum de primatu pontificis agitur? Brevissime dicam, de summâ rei in schism, then the first step must be to place Christianæ. Id enim quæritur, debeatne ourselves within the bosom of the true church, ecclesia diutius consistere, an vero dissolvi as it is called, and to think afterwards of et considere.' (3) And unless this point be reforming her. And whether or not we are strongly guarded, there can be no solid in schism, depends on this one question of security against the seductions of Rome; the papal supremacy, and by this is it to be especially when the too common mode of tried. If controversialists are weak here warring by vague abuse is wisely abandoned, if they have doubts and misgivings, from and minds are led to think of it as still a whatever source arising-and teach others true church, however corrupted-as retaining much that is venerable as the church, to which in former times we were indebted in some degree for our second conversion and as professing, though only professing, those Catholic principles, which have been so sadly neglected by sects calling themselves Protestant. Where this line of thought has been encouraged-particularly if at the same time any slur, or disparagement, or doubt has been thrown upon the Church of Eng

land-it will be in vain to warn ardent and unthinking minds against Rome by suggesting its doctrinal errors. For the error must always be tested by an appeal to authority; and as no private judgment, nor even a sister church, can pronounce authoritatively against another sister-as no general council has condemned, nor under the system of popery could be summoned to condemn it-as Rome has carefully guarded her authoritative statements, so as to secure herself some plausible defence against attacks on her formal system, while she reaps the full benefit of the errors which she privately encourages in her

(1) Answer to De la Militière, p. 26. (2) South, vol. vi. Serm. i.

(3) Præfat. de Rom. Pont.

popu

to entertain them likewise-every advance which they make and encourage in Catholic principles must lead them nearer to Rome; and every effort to hold their followers back when they reach the final barrier, must be powerless. They are teaching them to steer on a lee shore, and place no beacon on the rock to warn of danger.

But not so our old divines, who knew that on the firm repudiation of Rome, as a centre of unity, everything depended:

'In omnibus nostri temporis controversiis,' says Bishop Andrews, 'primas tenent illæ de ecclesia. In his de ecclesià, nihil magis quæritur quam de summo pontifice; in hâc de pontifice, nihil magis quàm de potestate quam vindicat.' (1).

'It will be to little purpose,' says Bishop Romanists from the judgment of ancient fathers, Morton, for Protestants to dispute against because in the end they make their own pope

papam tanquam patrum patrem," that is, the father of fathers, preferring one before all; or to oppose the authority of ancient councils; for they reject the ancient councils, accounting them not legitimate so long as they were not allowed by the pope; or yet to produce any evidence out of Scripture, for when all is said, the supreme

(1) Andrews, Præfat. ad Respons.

judge of the exposition of Scriptures must be the pope.' [1]

And thus, with the same great man, the supremacy is the chief arch, and that we may so say, the highest pinnacle of their Romish temple,' the beginning and head of our controversies,' the pillar and foundation of the Romish church. [2]

6

There can be no peace possible,' says Bishop Hall, unless they will be content to be headless, or we can be content to be the slaves of Rome.' [3]

needs be very acceptable to any who is more a lover of the Catholic church's peace than reconciling the different communions,' and of disputation,' yet it will fall very short of that it will concern all hearty well-wishers industry principally to discredit this one docto catholic peace to lay out their zeal and trine, (the papal supremacy,) which is so extremely pernicious to it.' To omit it indeed -to pass it by as a matter which common minds cannot understand, although there are none so intelligible to the meanest as the right of personal authority-to lead men to The difference between us,' says Clarendon, think it possible that any safe union can be 'depends wholly upon the personal authority of effected with Rome, until she has retired from the pope within the king's dominions.... It her present claims into her simple position was that, and that only, that first made the schism, and still continues it, and is the ground as an ancient bishopric, honoured by the of all the animosity of the English [Roman] church of old with a degree of pre-eminence Catholics against the Church of England. . and precedency which the church might at This is the only argument I wish should be in- any time withdraw-or to familiarise the sisted on between us and our fellow-subjects of minds of the young to thoughts and propothe Roman persuasion. . . . This is the hinge sals of peace in a besieged city, while the upon which all the other controversies depend. ... This is the material argument.' [4] enemy, instead of laying down their arms, are thundering at the walls-this is idle, and worse than idle. It encourages the assailants; it paralyses the defenders; it stirs sedition and defection within our own camp; it cuts away the very ground under our feet; it tempts the young to dreams which never can be realised; it makes them willing to palliate, and even deny the sins and errors which seem A fourth use,' he says, ' of this hypothesis, them away from their own blessed Church to to stand in the way of reconciliation; it leads is for the direction of peace-makers, to let them see what it is that renders our reconciliation im- a foreign centre of their affections and their possible; and which, if it be not first accommo- duties; and it gives scandal to weak brothers, dated, must render all their endeavours in par- who cannot draw the subtle line between a ticular questions unsuccessful; and therefore primacy of order and a primacy of power, against which they ought more earnestly to and who cannot understand why it should be strive by how much they are more zealous for needful to open a mere speculative question catholic peace. The way hitherto attempted has been to endeavour to reconcile our particuas to what the Church might do, if Rome lar differences. This has been either by clear- were other than she is, while she shows not ing their respective churches from all those a symptom of change; unless indeed some things for which they have not expressly de- thought be cherished of accepting her auclared, and of which express professions are not thority as she is. No, let us, indeed, with exacted from persons to be reconciled unto them: Laud, (1) 'ever wish and heartily pray for the

Upon that only point, says Archbishop Usher, the Romanists do hazard their whole cause, acknowledging the standing or falling of their church absolutely to depend thereupon.' [5]

To this one,' says Dodwell, 'are reduced all the disputes between us;' and he adds a warning, which cannot be too strongly urged:

Or where the churches have declared them

selves, thereby allowing the greatest latitude of unity of the whole Church of Christ, and the exposition, and putting the most favourable peace and reconciliation of torn and divided sense on their decrees of which they are capa- Christendom'-reconciliation with the great ble. Thus Grotius has dealt with the Council churches of the East, which now seems openof Trent, and S. Clara with our English Articles.' [6]

And then he proceeds to show, that, although such a way of proceeding must

[1] Protestant Appeal, lib. v. 28, p. 677. [2] Ibid., pp. 272, 665, 670.

ing to us-reconciliation of our own strayed flocks to the bosom of their Mother Church, which our daily increasing labours, under God's blessing, may obtain-such union with other Reformed Churches as may be effected by giving them that great privilege of episcopacy, which they so deeply need; 'such union as may stand with truth, and preserve

[3] No Peace with Rome, c. iii. s. ii. vol. xi. Pall the foundations of religion entire.'

310.

[4] Animadversions by a Person of Honour (Earl

of Clarendon), pp. 10, 13.

[5] Preface to Speech on the Oath of Supremacy. [6] Two Short Discourses, Pref. s. 3, 19, 22.

VOL. LXIX.

36

But let us never wish, (speaking once

[1] History of Troubles, p. 159.