false; and, therefore, that Christianity itself must be either obsolete or fabulous. What other conclusion can follow, if it is not necessary to believe any particular, definite, doctrine; if all that is said to exist of Christian faith and morality, may be disputed, denied, or maintained at pleasure? Christianity can on these principles be nothing but one philosophy amongst the many, or rather one name, under which all imaginable contradictions and falsehoods may find refuge.

But, to meet the objection of our adversaries, as to the existence of such opinions, I would observe, first, that the Romanist Milner himself has fully proved, that Hoadly's tenets were entirely opposed to the religion of the church of England;" and it is plain, that his school were so far from being friendly to this church, that they justified all sects who separated from her, and in return were hailed by them as friends and auxiliaries, threw contempt on her ordinances, accused her of inconsistency and actual impiety, in prescribing the belief of Scriptural and apostolical doctrines, and engaged in a crusade against her Creeds and Articles. Therefore, there is no community of interest or faith between the church of England and indifference, which are as much opposed as light and darkness. Secondly, the church was only prevented by the interference of the civil powers, from extirpating indifference when it first showed itself; and as it has only occasionally arisen since, so it has, on two several occasions, been checked by the arm of authority. Thirdly, the catholic church was obliged to endure the presence of the Arian heresy, during the greater part of the fourth century, during which it struggled to free itself from that infidelity. And it is admitted, by Romanists themselves, that the church is often obliged, by various good motives, to tolerate heretics for a time; but that she does not regard them as her children. Fourthly, the Roman churches themselves. are infected with the very same evil, for we learn from the encyclical letter of Gregory XVI. A.D. 1832, that indifference

b Milner's Letters to a Prebendary, lett. viii. VOL. I.-33

C

prevails among them to a great extent. Fifthly, those who hold the doctrines of indifference, are as few in number, in proportion to the church generally, as the Arians were at the council of Nice; and their doctrine would have perished long ago, but for the support of the civil magistrate. For, through the merciful protection of God, the clergy and people of our churches have no inclination for sceptical principles even under a disguise, but remain deeply rooted and grounded in the simplicity of faith. We may say, with the holy martyr Cyprian : "Nec vos moveat, fratres dilectissimi, si apud quosdam in novissimis temporibus, aut lubrica fides nutat, aut Dei timor irreligiosus vacillat, aut pacifica concordia non perseverat. Prænunciata sunt hæc futura in sæculi fine.... Viderit vel prævaricatorum numerus vel proditorum, qui nunc in ecclesia contra ecclesiam surgere, et fidem pariter ac veritatem labefactare cœperunt. Permanet apud plurimos sincera mens et religio integra, et non nisi Domino et Deo suo anima devota, nec Christianam fidem aliena perfidia deprimit ad ruinam, sed magis excitat et exaltat ad gloriam; secundum quod beatus Apostolus Paulus hortatur et dicit: Quid enim si exciderunt a fide quidam eorum, nunquid infidelitas illorum fidem Dei evacuavit? Absit."d

See the following Chapter.

d Cyprianus, Epist. ad Clerum et Plebes, in Hispania, de Basilide et Mart. p. 167. ed. Pamel.

CHAPTER XI.

ON THE CHURCHES OF THE ROMAN OBEDIENCE.

THERE are four questions for consideration with regard to the churches and societies of the Roman Obedience. First; whether they continued to be churches of Christ up to the Reformation? Secondly: whether they remained churches of Christ after the Reformation? Thirdly: whether they constitute exclusively the catholic church? Fourthly: whether all their societies are free from schism and heresy? Of the churches and societies in communion with Rome, some are of ancient foundation, viz. those of Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Hungary, Austria, Poland. Some are of modern foundation, viz. those of South America, Mexico, part of the West Indies, two or three in India, the Philippine Islands, and China. Others, . of which I shall hereafter speak, have been formed within the jurisdiction of the catholic churches of the East and of Britain.

SECTION I.

WHETHER THE WESTERN CHURCHES CONTINUED TO BE

CHURCHES OF CHRIST TILL THE REFORMATION.

I only speak now and in the two next sections, of the Roman churches which have not been founded within the jurisdiction of other churches, and of these I maintain, that they continued to be churches of Christ up to the period of the Reformation.

Every one admits that the Western churches were, in the earliest ages, churches of Christ. They were in communion with all the apostolical churches of the East, and with the great apostolical church of Rome. They continued in communion with the East, till the eleventh century, and afterwards. In fine, no period can be assigned at which they ceased to be churches of Christ. Scarcely anything can be objected to them during these ages, which would not apply equally to the

Eastern church. Their union with the civil power could not render them apostate, because the whole church would equally have been apostate, and that would be contrary to Christ's promises. For the same reason their connection with the see of Rome could not make them apostate, for the whole catholic church, until the eleventh century, communicated with that see. They possessed every external mark of the Christian church, and were regularly continued from age to age by the ordinations of clergy and the admission of new members by baptism. They maintained the same creeds which the universal church had sanctioned, adhered to the definitions of faith made by the catholic church, continued the use of rites which we believe to descend from the apostles. On what reasonable ground therefore can it be pretended, that the Western churches did not continue always to be churches of Christ? It is confessed that some doctrinal errors, and some superstitious practices, prevailed in them in latter ages; but it has been already observed, that the existence of some faults and imperfections by no means annuls the character of a church;a and, as in the present case, it arose from want of information and discussion, and besides no article of the faith appears to have been denied or corrupted by these churches in general, there seems no reason whatever to dispute their Christianity.

In fact, this has been admitted by all wise and charitable men. The Lutherans repeatedly acknowledged that the Ro

See above, Chapter V. section iii.

b The Confession of Augsburg says of the Lutheran doctrine: "There is nothing in it, which differs from the Scriptures or the catholic church, or the Roman church as far as is known from her writers."-Confess. August. Pars i. art. 22. And elsewhere: "Since the churches among us differ concerning no article of faith (de nullo articulo fidei) from the catholic church, but only omit some abuses, which are novel, and received contrary to the canons, by the fault of the times," &c.-Pars ii. prolog. This Confession of Augsburg was received by the Calvinists about 1557, and at the Colloquy of Poissy in 1561. See also Archbishop Bramhall, Replication to the bishop of Chalcedon.-Works, P. 151.

261 man church even in their time was a Christian church. Luther himself reckons Bernard, Francis, and Bonaventure among the saints, though they lived in the Western church during the middle ages. The Apology of the Confession of Augsburg reckons Bernard and Francis as saints. In the Confession of Augsburg, the character and authority of the catholic, and even the Roman church are acknowledged.f Luther himself, in 1534, seventeen years after he had begun his career, acknowledged, most unequivocally, the Christianity of the churches in obedience to Rome. "That true church of Christ," he says, "the pillar and ground of the truth, is the holy place wherein the abomination stands. And in this church God miraculously and powerfully preserved baptism; moreover, in the public pulpits and Lord's day sermons, he preserved the text of the Gospel in the language of every nation; besides remission of sins and absolution, as well in confession as in public. Again the sacrament of the altar, which at Easter time, and twice or thrice in the year, they offered to Christians, though deprived of one species. Fifth, vocation and ordination to parishes, and the ministry of the word, the keys to bind and loose, and to console in the agony of death. For among many this custom was observed, that those who were in their last agony were shown the image of Christ crucified, and admonished of the death and blood of Christ. Then, by a divine miracle, there remained in the church, the Psalter, the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, the Ten Commandments. Likewise many pious and excellent hymns, as well Latin as German, such as, 'Veni Sancte Spiritus,' and 'Emitte lucis tuæ radium,' &c. These hymns were left to posterity by truly spiritual and

This appears by their continual appeals to a general council, and their protests that they did not separate from the Roman church. See the next chapter, sect. i.

a Lutheri Theses, 1522, Oper. tom. i. p. 377, &c.; De Abrog. Missæ Priv. tom. ii. p. 258, 259; De Votis Mon. ibid. 271. 278.

e

Apolog. Conf. August. De vot. Mon. 21.

f Ut supra.