Immagini della pagina
PDF
ePub

THE

COPIES

O F

Certain Letters, &c.

Salutem in Chrifto Jefu.

CHA P. I.

Of the Preamble. The Titles Catholick, Papift, Traytor, Idolater.

SIR,

I

Do firft return you hearty thanks, for
the truth and conftancy of your Love,
and those best effects of it, your wishing

me as well as to your felf, and rejoycing in my fafe return out of Italy. For indeed further I was not: Though reported to have been both at Conftantinople and Jerufalem,by reafon of the nearness of my name to one Mr. Wil

[merged small][ocr errors]

liam Bidulph, the Minister of our Merchants at Aleppo, who vifited both those places.

many

I thank you also, that your ancient love towards me, hath (to ufe that Word of the Apoftle) now flourished again, in that after fo Years you have found opportunity to accomplish your promife of writing to me: Though not as ye undertook of the ftate of Religion there yet, which I confefs I no lefs defired, the Motives of the forfaking that you had profeffed here. Whereof fince it hath pleafed you, as ye write, now to give me an account, and by me to Mr. Dr. Hall, with fome expectation alfo as it appears of reply from one of us, I will use the Liberty which you give me, and as directly as I can for the matter, and in Chriftian terms for the manner, fhew you mine opinion of them, wherein I shall endeavour to obferve that Precept of the Apoftle; ἀληθεύειν ἐν ἀγάπῃ, whether it be to be interpreted, loving fincerely, or feeking truth lovingly. Neither foothing untruth for the dearnefs of your Perfon, nor breaking charity for diverfity of Opinion. With this entrance, my loving Friend, and if you refuse not that old Catholick name,my dear Brother, I come to your Letter. Wherein, tho' I might well let pafs that part which concerns your quarrel with Mr. Dr. Hall, with atatem babet; yet thus much out of the common prefumption of charity, which thinks not evil, give me leave to fay for him, I am verily perfwaded he never meant to charge you with Apoftafie in fo horrible a sense as you count,

viz.

piz. A total falling from Chriftian Religion, like that of Julian, an obftinate pertinacy in denying the Principles of the Faith necessary to Salvation, or a renouncing your Baptifm. The term Apoftafie, as you know, doth not always found fo heinoufly, A Monk forfaking his Order, or a Clerk his Habit, is in the decretals ftiled an Apoftata. Granatenfis faith not untruly, That every deadly fin is a kind of Apoftafie. The Apoftle S. Paul speaking of Antichrift's time, faith, there must come an Apoftafie before Chrift's fecond coming: And how this fhall be he fhews elsewhere. Men fball give heed to fpirits of Error, and Doctrines of Devils, and fuch as fpeak falfbood in hypocrifie, Whereby it seems that Antichrift himfelf fhall not profeffedly renounce Chrift and his Baptifm. His Kingdom is a mystery of iniquity; a revolt therefore, not from the outward profeffion, but inward fincerity and power of the Gospel. of the Gofpel. This kind of Apoftafie might be that which Mr. Hall was forry to find in you, whom he thought fallen from the truth, though not in the Principles of Chriftian Doctrine, yet in fundry Conclufions which the reformed Churches truly out of them maintain. He remembred our common Education in the fame College, our common Oath againft Popery, our common Calling to the fame facred Function of the Miniftry; he could not imagine upon what reasons you fhould reverfe thefe beginnings. And certainly how weighty and fufficient foever they be, we are not taught by our Catholick

Reli

Religion to revenge our felves, and render reproach for reproach with perfonal terms; much lefs to debafe and avile the excellent Gifts of God, as is Poefie, the honour of David and Solomon, by the Teftimony of the Holy Ghoft himfelf. Thefe courfes are forbidden us when we are railed upon, and calumniated; how much more when as S. Peter fpeaks, We are beaten for our faults; as it falls out in your cafe, if thefe Motives of yours be weak and infuf ficient; which we shall anon confider.

W

You fay, you are become Catholick. Were you not then fo before; The Creed whereinto you were baptized, is it not the Catholick Faith? The conclufion certes of Athanafius's Creed, which is but a Declaration thereof, faith, * Hæc est Fides Catholica. Or is not. he a Catholick that holds the Catholick Faith? That which was once anfwered, touching the present Church of England, to one in a Stationer's Shop in Venice, that would needs know what was the difference betwixt us and the Catholicks. It was told him none: for we accounted our felves good Catholicks. When he unwilling to be put off in his anfwer, for lack of due form in his Queftion, preffed to know what was the difference betwixt us and them there. He was anfwered, This; That we believed the Catholick Faith, contained in the Creed, but did not believe the Thirteenth Article which the Pope had put to it. When he knew not of any fuch Article; the Extravagance of Pope Boniface was brought,

*This is the Catholick Faith.

[ocr errors]

brought, where he defines it to be altogether of neceflity to falvation, to every human creature to be under the Bishop of Rome. This thirteenth Article, of the thirteenth Apoftle, good Mr. Waddefworth, it seems you have learned; and fo are become, as fome now fpeak and write Catholick Roman. That is in true interpretation Univerfal-particular; which because they cannot be equalled; the one reftraining and cutting off from the other, take heed that by ftraitning your Faith to Rome, you have not altered it, and by becoming Roman left off to be Catholick.

Thus, if you fay, our Ancestors were all till of late Tears. Excufe me, Sir, whether you

call our Ancestors the firft Chriftian Inhabitants of this Ifle, or the ancient Chriftians of the Primitive Church; neither those, nor these were Roman Catholicks; Namely, the Fathers of the African Council, and amongst thefe S. Auguftine: And therefore by Pope Boniface his Sentence,be undoubtedly damned, for taking upon them, by the Devil's Instinct (if we believe another * Pope Boniface) to wax proud against the Church of Rome. Such Catholicks, if ye mean the most of Chriftendom be at this Day; beware of putting your felf upon that Iffue. Believe me, either you muft frame a new Cofmography, yea, a new World, or else you are gone if it come to moft Voices in Chriftendom, Touching the names of Papift, Traytor, Idolater. The first is no mif-calling you, as comprizing the very Cha

*Bonifac. 2. Epift. ad Eulalium.

« IndietroContinua »