I.

which the Bishop of Chalcedon (a man that cannot be sus- DISCOURSE pected of partiality on our side) hath affirmed and published in two of his books to the world in print m, that "Protestantibus credentibus, &c."- persons living in the communion of 47 the Protestant Church, if they endeavour to learn the truth, and are not able to attain unto it, but hold it implicitly in the preparation of their minds, and are ready to receive it when God shall be pleased to reveal it' (which all good Protestants and all good Christians are), they neither want Church, nor Faith, nor salvation.' Mark these words well. "They have neither Church, nor Faith," say you ;--if they be thus qualified (as they all are), they 'neither want Church, nor Faith, nor Salvation,' saith he.

gence as

Heaven as

upon earth.

Lastly, Sir, to let us see, that your intelligence is as good His intelliin Heaven as it is upon earth, and that you know both who good in are there, and what they do, you tell us, that the crown and conquest, which his late Majesty gained by his sufferings, [p. 14.] was procured by the intercession of his grandmother Queen Mary. We should be the apter to believe this, if you were able to make it appear, that all the Saints in Heaven do know all the particular necessities of all their posterity upon earth. St. Austin makes the matter much more doubtful than you,that's the least of his assertion,-or rather to be plainly false; "Fatendum est nescire quidem mortuos quid hic agaturn." But with presumptions you did begin your Dedication, and with presumptions you end it. In the mean time, till you can No Faith make that appear, we observe, that neither Queen Mary's constancy in the Roman Catholic Faith, nor Henry the against Fourth's change to the Roman Catholic Faith, could save attempts. them from a bloody end. Then by what warrant do you impute King Charles his sufferings to his error in religion? Be your own judge.

sufficient

armour

bloody

much fall

'Heu quantá de spe decidimus'-'alas! from what hopes The Author are we fallen! Pardon our error, that we have mistaken en [in the you so long. You have heretofore pretended yourself to be a of his

latter end

I. charity in

re-union of

dom.

[Numb.

xiv. 28,30.]

PART moderate person, and one that seriously endeavoured the reuniting of Christendom by a fair accommodation. The widest seeking the wounds are closed up in time, and strange plants by inoculaChristen- tion are incorporated together and made one; and is there no way to close up the wounds of the Church, and to unite the disagreeing members of the same mystical Body? Why were Caleb amd Joshua only admitted into the land of promise, whilst the carcases of the rest perished in the wilderness, but only because they had been peacemakers in a time of schism? Well fare our learned and ingenuous countryman S. Clara", who is altogether as perspicacious as yourself, but much more charitable. You tell us to our grief, that 'there is no accommodation to be expected; that Cardinal Richelieu was too good a Christian, and too good a Catholic, to have any such thought; that the one religion is true, the other false, and that there is no society between light and darkness. This is plain dealing, to tell us what we must trust to. No peace is to be expected from you, unless we will come unto you upon our knees with the words of the Prodigal [Luke xv. Child in our mouths,-'Father forgive us, we have sinned 21.] against Heaven, and against thee.' Is not this rare courtesy? If we will submit to your will in all things, you will have no longer difference with us. So we might come to shake a worse Church by the hand, than that which we were separated from.

The way to a general

dation.

If

you could be contented to wave your last four hundred accommo- years' determinations; or, if you liked them for yourselves, yet not to obtrude them upon other Churches; if you could rest satisfied with your old Patriarchal power, and your 'principium unitatis,' or primacy of order', much good might be expected from free Councils, and conferences from moderate persons; and we might yet live in hope to see an union, if not in all opinions, yet in charity and all necessary points of saving truth, between all Christians; to see the Eastern and Western Churches join hand in hand, and sing "Ecce quàm bonum et quàm jucundum est habitare fratres

P["Ego.. omnino judico, multos" (e Protestantibus in Anglia) "ab omni culpa prorsus immunes, &c. &c. ... ipsos posse salvari; ct pie spero sic actu multos salvos." S. Clara, "Deus, Na

tura, Gratia &c." Probl. xv. p. 121. Lugd. 1635.]

4 p. 204. [Discourse upon Transubstantiation in the "Vict. de la Vér."] [See note m, p. 32.]

r

in unum"-" Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for DISCOURSE

I.

brethren to dwell together in unity." But whilst you impose [Ps. upon us daily new articles of Faith, and urge rigidly what exxxiii. 1.] have unadvisedly determined; we dare not sacrifice truth

you

to peace, nor be separated from the Gospel, to be joined to the Roman Church. Yet, in the point of our separation, and in all things which concern either doctrine or discipline, we profess all due obedience and submission to the judgment and definitions of the truly Catholic Church; lamenting with all our hearts the present condition of Christendom, which renders an Ecumenical Council, if not impossible (men's judgments may be had, where their persons cannot), yet very difficult; wishing one, as general as might be ; and (until God 43 send such an opportunity) endeavouring to conform ourselves in all things, both in credendis et agendis, to whatsoever is uniform in the belief or practice, in the doctrine or discipline, of the Universal Church; and, lastly, holding an actual communion with all the divided parts of the Christian world in most things, et in voto-according to our desires-in all things.

THE LIBERTIES AND PRIVILEGES OF NATIONAL CHURCHES,

THE RIGHTS OF SOVEREIGN MAGISTRATES,

THE TYRANNY, EXTORTION, AND SCHISM OF THE ROMAN COUrt, WITH THE Grievances, COMPLAINTS, AND OPFOSITION,

OF ALL PRINCES AND STATES OF THE ROMAN COMMUNION, OF OLD AND AT THIS VERY DAY, ARE MANIFESTED TO

THE VIEW OF THE WORLD.

BY THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD

JOHN BRAMHALL,

DOCTOR IN DIVINITY, AND LORD BISHOP OF DERRY.