The firft great and general Council, held at Chap. 3. Nicea an. 325, in the eighth Canon, tells us Queft.1. how the Novatians, who call'd themselves Puritans, are to be [12] receiv’d into the Catbolick and Apoftolical Church. The fecond general Council, held at Conftantinople an. 381, gives us the like Account of the [13] Eunomians, Montanifts, Sabellians, and other Hereticks, on the one hand: and of the (14) Arians,Macedonians, Novatians, Quartodecimans, and Apolinarians, on the other. It informs us also, that the orthodox Church is the Portion of those who are Sav'd. This Idea the two firft general Councils give us of the undivided Faith and Communion of the Univerfal Church, which was never question'd by any Catholick Synod either before, or fince the fourth Century. So that, all things confider'd, it may with out Rafhness be efteem'd as plain, as any Demonstration in Euclid, that the oppofite Syftem is contrary to the Univerfal Judgment and Tradition of the Catholick Church in all Ages. V. And [12] Περὶ τῶν ὀνομαζόντων μὲν ἑαυτῆς καθαρές ποτε Chap. 3. V. And after all, it is contrary to common Queft. 1. Senfe. For the word Catholick in the Creed, as Catholicks have always understood it, is a distinctive Mark of the Church of Chrift upon Earth, in Oppofition to all other feparate Societies of Infidels, Pagans, Jews, Hereticks, and Schifmaticks. That is, it fignifies a Church both Univerfal, and Orthodox. But how can this Idea poffibly agree to feparate Communions? Can Faith be question'd, without Unorthodoxy? Or can there be a Breach of Communion, without Schifm? And what room is there for a Reformation, if either the Catholick or the Greek Church be Orthodox? Both the Catholick and Greek Church owns Seven Sacraments. Both of them honour the Images of Chrift, and of his Saints, as the fe cond Council of Nicea long fince determin'd. Both of them pray, in the fame Manner, to the B. Virgin Mary, and to all the Saints. Both of them adore Chrift, as really prefent, in the B. Sacrament. Both of them believe Tranfubftantiation. Both of them believe the Mafs to be a propitiatory Sacrifice for the living and the dead. Both of them hold, that unwritten Apoftolical Traditions are the word of God, and of equal Authority to the Scripture itself. Both of them hold, that a Reformation of these Points is Departing from the Faith once deliver'd to the Saints. If therefore both, or either of these Churches, be Orthodox; are Proteftants fo too? Or can we fuppofe this, without manifeftly rejecting and contradicting common Senfe? To me it is clear, we cannot. So that the admired Syftem of Dr. Stillingfleet and others is contrary to plain Scripture, to univerfal Tradition, and to commmon Senfe. VI. They VI. They fay, that feparate Communions Chap. 3. may be, and are, Members of the Catholick Queft.I. Church, provided they agree in Fundamentals. But this is a Mistake. For, first, Schifmaticks, (fuch as the Quartodecimans were in the Beginning, when they only quarrell'd about the Time of keeping Easter, if we confider barely the Caufe of their Schifm) agree with the Catholick Church in all Points of Faith, and only diffent from her, and leave her Com munion, upon Disputes, in which the Christian Revelation is not concern'd. Schifmaticks therefore, as fuch, agree with the Catholick Church in all Fundamentals. Yet She never esteem'd them to be any Part of her. And the fecond general Council Can. 7, tells us how the Quartodecimans are to be receiv'd into her Communion. 2dly, The Montanifts in Tertullian's Time, that is, in the 2d. and 3. Century, held second Marriages unlawful, contrary to S. Paul, 1. Cor. vii. v. 39. In the third Century, the Novatians, befides this Error, affirm'd, that the Church ought not or cannot remit all forts of Sin, especially that of denying Chrift in time of Perfecution. In the following Age, the Donatifts pretended, that Baptifm was not given validly out of their Communion; and that the Catholick Church had perifh'd in the rest of the World, by communicating with Cecilian Bishop of Carthage, whom the Donatifts thought to be uncanonically chofen. In the fame Age, the Apolinarians believ'd, that Chrift had not a human Soul, tho' the Gospel affirms it, S. Mat. xxvi. v. 38. Henco Chap. 3. Hence the Montanists in the fecond Century, Queft.1. the Novatians in the third, the Donatifts and Apolinarians in the fourth, diffented not from the Catholick Church in Fundamentals, unlefs all Points of Faith be fuch. Yet She never accounted any of them to be any Part of her. This appears, as to the Novatians, from the Nicene Council, Can. viii : as to the Montanists, and the Apolinarians, from the fecond, general Council Can. vii. and S. Auguftin tells the Donatifts [15] You are with us in Baptifm, in the Creed, and in the other Sacraments of God. But in the Spirit of Unity, and in the Bond of Peace, laftly in the CATHOLICK CHURCH you are not with us: VII. But does not the Guilt of Schism lyė only upon those, who caus'd and made the Breach? It does. But is the Church, which is the Pillar and the support of Truth, with which Chrift has promis'd to continue always even to the end of the World, is the Church of all Nations and the Church of all Ages, is the Holy Catholick Church Guilty of Schifm? Does the Communion of Saints make unjuft Terms of Communion? Is one, boly, Catbolick, and apoftolick Church to be blam'd, if there be any Divisions in Christendom? All Schifmaticks, in feventeen Centuries, all who have call'd themfelves the Reformers of her Faith, and whom She calls Hereticks, have laid the whole Blame upon her. Our Adverfaries accufe her. But in this, [15] Nobifcum eftis in Baptifmo, in Symbolo, in cæteris Dominicis Sacramentis: in Spiritu autem unitatis, & vinculo pacis, in ipfa deniq; Catholica Ecclefia nobifcum non eftis, S. Aug. Epist. xciii. (olim xlviii.) ad Vincentis um. §. 46. p. 249. ! this, as they coppy after the ancient Reformers Chap. 3. of her Faith, we may truly fay, that they have Quest.1. the univerfal Example and Tradition of the Catholick Church in all Ages against them. VIII. Some may perhaps imagine, that there is more Satyr than Truth, in faying, that our Adverfaries act against common Senfe, when they parcel the Catholick Church into feparate and difagreeing Communions; altho' we fuppofe, that (in regard to the Church) CATHOLICK is the fame, as Univerfal and Orthodox. To Satisfy thefe Gentlemen, if poffible, I shall lay down the following Axioms. First, It is against common Sense to suppose, that the Universal Church is Orthodox, unless all her Parts, by Profeffion, be fo too. Secondly, It is against common Sense to suppofe, that an Unorthodox Sect is Part of the Orthodox Church; or that unorthodox and known Diffenters are Members of it. Thirdly, It is against common Sense to fuppofe, in a Christian System, any Sect or Perfons Orthodox, who deny any Point of the Christian Revelation duly propos'd. Fourthly, It is againft common Sense to fuppofe, that the Catholick Church confists of Catholicks, and known Diffenters. Fifthly, It is against common Senfe to fuppose that separate Societies, which State the Terms of Communion differently, which avowedly difagree in matters of Religion, even of religious Worship, and of clear Revelation; and which treat one the other, as Hereticks, or worfe; fhould be all of them Members of the Apoftolical, Holy, and Orthodox Church. I It |
0 Ressenyes Les ressenyes no es verifiquen, però Google comprova si hi ha contingut fals i el suprimeix quan l'identifica. Escriu una ressenya |