We readily agree that the doctrines of the catholic church, properly so called, are holy: but what has this to do with the doctrines of the Church of Rome, which have varied so much from the purity of the apostolical and primitive church? The following list of errors, sins, and paradoxes, shows that purity of doctrines and moral precepts is much contaminated; and the lives of the clergy and laity of the Church of Rome will furnish very slight grounds for the holiness which the Scriptures approve, teach, and enforce. 2. We have already exposed many errors of the Church of Rome, from which it has appeared, that she has much corrupted the faith of the ancient catholic church of Christ. Almost every article of the apostles' creed is vitiated by the additions or perversions of the papal church. The first article, I believe in God, is vitiated when the Church of Rome says, that "faith is to be placed in the saints ;"* when she says, that "the mystery of the Trinity cannot be proved but by human traditions;" when she paints the Trinity in the form of an old man, having three faces. The mediatorship of Christ is infringed upon by the Church of Rome when she makes mediators of the saints; and when she joins the merits of human works to the merits of Christ. The prophetic office of Christ is invaded when traditions and papal decrees are added to the canonical Scriptures. The sacrifice of the mass is injurious to the priesthood of Christ. It were easy to show that almost every doctrine of the gospel of Christ has either been corrupted by the glosses and additions of the Church of Rome; or they have been rendered void by their traditions. 3. The moral principles taught by the Church of Rome favour the commission of sin. Against the first commandment, secret atheism, idolatry, apostacy from the faith, and heresies reign in the Church of Rome to an alarming extent. The second commandment is violated by their use of images. The third is violated by the abuses of the divine name in various exercises and adjurations; by perjuries, by precept and example; by transferring the honour due to the divine name to creatures. The fourth is violated by a profanation of the sabbath, the multitude of holy days, and other observances by which the day of rest and worship is in a good degree abrogated. The fifth commandment is encroached by the contempt of parents, by children chosen to celibacy and the various monastic orders, either without, or contrary to the consent of their parents. Contempt of the magistrate, by exempting clergy from their jurisdiction, or claiming religious privileges to the prejudice of the civil authorities. Sedition against the magistrate, by depriving kings of their kingdoms, and absolving subjects, &c.f The sixth commandment is violated by the persecutions of the Church of Rome, by the warlike character of their church, and their want of observing the principles and spirit of peace. The seventh commandment is transgressed by the encouragement * Concil. Trid., sess. 25, de Invocatione. + See Gerhard, de Ecclesia, sec. 251, p. 424. which the popes give to houses of prostitution. The concubinage of the clergy is known to all, and cannot be denied by any, with any modesty. Marriage contracts are often violated and dissolved, without Scripture authority. The eighth commandment is violated by their encouragement of frauds and thefts.† The ninth commandment is broken, 1. By public and notorious falsehoods, such as the grant of Constantine and the legends of saints. 2. The introduction of spurious writings in the place of the genuine. 3. The corruption of genuine writings. 4. By slandering those whom they call heretics, as Luther and others. The sin of concupiscence, which violates the tenth commandment, is considered a venial offence. 4. The state of morals in the Church of Rome proves that sanctity belongs to her in a very limited degree. Many popes were men of the most abandoned lives. Some were magicians; some were noted for sedition, war, and slaughter; for profligacy of manners, for avarice and simony. And this is the account of their own historians, and not the misrepresentations of Protestants. The cardinals were also noted for pride, luxury, avarice, and other crimes. The morals of the bishops, priests, and other clergy were equally depraved.] The monks receded not only from the rule of Christ's word, but also from the rules of their fraternities, as Roman Catholic authors testify.¶ The Jesuits' morality may be seen from their own Catechism by a Romanist; from the celebrated Provincial Letters.** The morals of the people correspond to those of the clergy. This is not marvellous, seeing they are deprived of the Scriptures, are not instructed in the principles of the word of God, and are the dupes of ignorance and superstition.†† The Church of Rome, we must conclude, is notably deficient in holiness, whether in her doctrines, moral rules, or the actions of her members, whether clergy or laity. Indeed, she teaches in form, and practices accordingly, as we have shown, that the commission of notorious and scandalous mortal sins cannot deprive the clergy of one particle of their authority or render their ministrations less effectual or valid; and though her private members may be deformed by every sort of vice, they are still good Catholics-they are still of the faithful-and cannot lose their membership, though they may live and die in the practice and love of every sin. Such then is their sanctity. Whether it is such as purifies the heart, and reforms the life, any person can judge. VII. The title CATHOLIC as a note of the true church. 1. The word catholic, if we regard its Greek etymology, signifies, universal or general. And it is taken in a good or bad sense, according to the subject to which it is applied. We read of catholicons, or catholic * See several Roman Catholic authors, quoted by Gerhard, de Ecclesia, who confess this, sec. 251, p. 425. See several quotations on this in Gerhard, de Eccl. p. 426. See Gerhard, de Eccles., sec. 263, p. 438. **See also Gerhard, sec. 267. Idem, sec, 265, p. 440. Idem, sec. 226, p. 442 ++ Idem, sec. 268, p. 444. remedies, for such as are good, against all or the greater number of diseases. So we read of catholic, or epidemic diseases, such as run through whole countries. The sense of the word, as attributed to the church, is double. 1. Either it signifies universal or œcumenical; and so it is taken in the creed, and is opposed to the synagogue of the Jews, which was confined to a certain time, to certain persons and places; whereas the catholic church of Christ is illimitable, admitting into it believers of all sorts, in all places, and at all times. The Christian church consists of " every kindred, tongue, and people," Rev. v, 9. The catholic church is the universal church spread over the world: and the catholic faith is the universal faith; that form of doctrines which the apostles delivered* to the whole church. Hence the church is called catholic. 2. The word means, orthodox, in all important points, because it preserves the true faith, which we learn from the New Testament, and at this distance of time we can learn it with certainty nowhere else. Every church or society of Christians that preserves this catholic or universal faith, accompanied with true charity, and its fruits, or obedience to God, is a part of the catholic or universal church. And because the parts are of the same nature with the whole, it has been usual to call each single church, thus qualified, a catholic church. And in this sense, churches that differ widely in several opinions and customs, may, nevertheless, be truly catholic churches. The word catholic, as applied to the church, is used by the fathers, for the most part, in reference to the orthodoxy of the church. Cyril adviseth, "When thou comest into any city, inquire where is the Church Catholic. For that is the proper name of the holy church, which is the mother of us all: and she is so termed because she catholicly and perfectly teaches all doctrines which men are bound to know." And Pacianus says, "Christian is my name, and Catholic my surname by the one I am known from infidels; by the other from heretics and schismatics." St. Augustine saith, Although every heresy would seem to be, and affecteth to be called the catholic church, yet, when heretics are asked by pagans, Where is the place where Catholics meet? none of them dares point out to his own house or church."§ And again: "The very title of the Catholic Church holdeth me, which name among so many heresies, she alone holdeth." Theodosius, the emperor, made a decree, that that church alone should be called catholic which equally worshipped and glorified the three persons in the blessed Trinity.|| 2. The name catholic is first found in the apostles' creed, as follows: "I believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic church." Some, however, doubt, whether the appellation catholic was adopted by the apostles and inserted by them in the creed, even allowing that the creed was composed by them, which is very doubtful at best. The doubt increases when we learn that the word catholic is not found in Scripture applied to the church. Besides, Irenæus¶ and Turtullian,** when reciting the creed, make no use of the word catholic. § Liber contra Fundan., c. 4. Epist. ad Sympron. Sozomen. H. E., 7, 4. It is, however, allowed, that the word used in the sense of universality may be employed to mean the same which Scripture expresses with other words; for the gospel was to be preached in the whole world, to every creature, &c. In this import of the word, then, the sense of Scripture will justify its use, as applied to all Christians of orthodox character. In progress of time, when heresies commenced to show themselves in the church, the word catholic began to be used for consent in doctrine; that is, in that confession of faith which the apostles preached by word of mouth, but which afterward, by the will of God, was left by them in the Holy Scriptures. And when heretics, on account of the multitude of their followers, appropriated the name of catholic to their congregations, the word catholic was explained by the word apostolic. Thus, in the Nicene Creed, in the year 325, the article of the creed concerning the church was expounded by these words: I believe one holy, catholic, and apostolic church; that it might be understood that that was the true church which was built, in every part of the globe, on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and which sincerely and faithfully held the doctrines taught by the apostles. In the Council of Ephesus, in 434, the words catholic and apostolic are joined together, and the one is explained by the other; for thus the fathers of the council speak: "This is the catholic and apostolic faith, which all the orthodox bishops of the east and west approve of." They also add, "The holy and apostolic church anathematize those who determine otherwise."* In the last sentence the appellation catholic is omitted, and therefore explained by the word apostolic. The following reasons will show that the appellation catholic does not apply properly to the Church of Rome, in the sense in which she affects to use it: 3. From the name alone no firm argument can be deduced why the Church of Rome is the true orthodox church of Christ. This is easily learned from Scripture. The Jews called themselves "the sons of God," and "the seed of Abraham," (John viii, 33,) yet they were not properly the spiritual seed of Abraham, nor the true sons of God. False teachers called themselves prophets and ministers of Christ; yet they were still false prophets and false Christs. Matt. vii, 15; xxiv, 24. False apostles called themselves ministers of righteousness, and transformed themselves into the apostles of Christ, when they did not possess the true characters of ministers or apostles. 2 Cor. i, 4, 12. Of the church of Smyrna it is said, "I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan," Rev. ii, 9. Of the church in Sardis it is declared, "I know thy works, that thou hast a name, that thou livest and art dead," Rev. iii, 1. The apostle says there are many who are called gods, but that there was only one true God. 1 Cor. viii, 5. Simon Magus was called the great power of God, (Acts viii, 10,) and Diana was called a great goddess, (Acts ix, 27;) yet the one was a great impostor, and the other was a detestable idol. From the sayings of the fathers we have many proofs that they considered the name of Christian as the smallest part of his true character. Hæc est catholica et apostolica fides, quam probant omnes tam orientis quam occidentis episcopi orthodoxi... Item. Qui contrarium statuunt, eos anathematizat sancta et apostolica ecclesia. Justin Martyr says, "The addition of a name decides nothing to be good or bad, apart from those deeds which are connected with the name. Augustine says, "How you glory that you are a Christian? You have the name, but you have not the character. The name should follow the act. If any one should call thee a pagan, show by your deeds that you are a Christian: for if you do not show by your acts that you are a Christian, though all may call thee a Christian, what will it profit thee unless the thing itself is connected with the name."t He farther says, "How many are called physicians who cannot heal? How many are called vigilant who sleep during the night." Between the name and the thing there is no certain connection. Names are not always given by an unbiased judgment. Things sometimes retain those names by which they were formerly called, although that very thing on account of which they have received the name is perished. Thus the Jews, on account of their connection with Abraham, called themselves the seed of Abraham; though they were then destitute of the very thing that would authorize them to assume that name. In the primitive church certain heretics called themselves apostolic, angelic, cathari, Encratites, Gnostics, &c., which appellations possess an equal or greater splendour than the name Catholic.§ 4. The Church of Rome cannot, without absurdity or impiety, be called the Catholic Church; because she is no more the universal church than the Roman jurisdiction is the whole world. However, she, who is one of the most corrupted parts of the catholic church, both in faith and love, hath presumed to call herself the whole Catholic Church, the universal church, which she no more is than one diseased limb, though perhaps the larger for being diseased, is the whole body of a man. By attempting to exclude others they take the most direct way to exclude themselves, unless God may impute their uncharitable way of thinking or acting to excusable ignorance or mistake. The Roman Church is at best but a great branch, and such a one as we can prove is much withered; and St. Paul teacheth, that “it may be cut off: if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he spare not thee. Behold, therefore, the goodness and severity of God; on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness; otherwise thou shalt be cut off," Rom. xi, 21, 22. 5. The Church of Rome cannot be termed catholic in the sense of orthodox: for although other heretics were so termed, though they held some one error or other against the catholic or orthodox faith, the Church of Rome containeth many errors, and those most grievous and pernicious. If any Protestant, therefore, term the Church of Rome catholic, it is only by way of irony or sarcasm; like that of the Lacedemonians, whereby they styled Álexander a god, Quia vult Alexander esse deus, sit deus, Because Alexander is resolved to be a god, let him be * Ονόματος προςωνυμία ετε αγαθον εύτε κακον κρίνεται ανευ των υποπιπτέσων τῷ ovoμari прažεwv.-Just. Mart., apol. ii. + Quomodo gloriaris te esse Christianum? Nomen habes, et factum non habes. Si autem nomen secutum fuerit opus. Dicat te quispiam paganum, tu factis ostende te Christianum. Nam si factis non ostendis te Christianum omnes te Christianum vocent quid tibi prodest nomen ubi res non invenitur.-August., Tract. 5, in Epist. Juhan. + Quam multi vocantur medici, qui curare non norunt? Quam multi vocantur vigi. les, qui totâ nocte dormiunt?--August., Tract. 4, in Johan. Heretics applied the name to themselves. Of this see many proofs by quotations from the fathers, in Gerhard, de Eccles., sec. 154, page 324. |