3. That the Church of England might lawfully proceed to a Reformation without the help of a General Council, or calling in the aid of the Protestant Churches.

But here you say it is objected, that if a Reformation were so necessary as we seem to make it, and that the Pope was never like to yield unto it, as the case then stood; it ought to have been done by a General Council, according to the usage of the Primi∣tive times. I know indeed that General Councils (such as are commonly so called) are of excellent use, and that the name thereof is sacred and of high esteem. But yet I prize them not so highly as Pope Gregory did, who ranked the four first General Councils with the four Evangelists: Nor am I of opinion that they are so necessary to a Reformation either in point of Faith or corruption of manners, but that the business of the Church may be done without them. Nay, might I be so bold as to lay my naked thoughts before you (as I think I may) you would there find it to be some part of my Belief that there never was, and never can be such a thing as a General Council truly and properly so called; that is to say, such a General Council, to which all the Bishops of the Church (admitting none but such to the power of voting) have been Page  31or can be called together by themselves or their Proxies. These which are commonly so called, as those of Nice, Constantinople, Ephesus, Chalcedon, were only of the Prelates of the Roman Empire. Christian Churches existing at that time in Ethiopia and the Kingdom of Persia (which made up no small part of the Church of Christ) were nei∣ther present at them, nor invited to them. And yet not all the Prelates neither of the Roman Empire, nor some from every Province of it did attend that service: those Councils only being the Assemblies of some Eastern Bishops, such as could most conve∣niently be drawn together; few of the Western Churches (none at all in some) having or list or leisure for so long a journey: For in the so much celebrated Council of Nice, there were but nine Bishops sent from France, but two from Africk, one alone from Spain, none from the Diocess of Britain; and out of Italy, which lay nearest to it, none but two Priests appeared at all, and those as Legats from the Pope, not Authorised to represent the Italian Churches; so that of 318. Bishops which were there Assem∣bled, there were but twelve in all, (besides the Legats of the Pope) for the Western Churches; too great a disproportion to entitle it to the name of General. And yet this was more General than the rest that followed; there being no Bishops of the West at all in the second and third, but the Popes themselves; and in the fourth none but the Legats of the Pope to supply his place. So that these Councils were called General, not that they were so in themselves, but that there was a greater concourse to them from the neighbouring Provinces, than was or had been to some others on the like occa∣sions. Which if it be enough to constitute a General Council, I see no reason but the Council of Antioch might be called so too, summoned in the case of Paulus Samosetanus, the Patriarch at that time of that famous City. For the condemning of whose Heresie there convened not the Bishops of that Province only, but the Patriarch of Hierusalem, the Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, Bozra in Arabia, Tarsus in Cilicia, Caesarea in Cappa∣docia, of Iconium in Lycaonia, of Neo-Caesarea in Pontus, besides many others from all places, of the same rank and quality, but of lesser same: Not to say any thing of Dionysius, Patriarch of Alexandria, invited but not present in regard of sickness, which defect he recompenced by his Letters of advice and intercourse; or of Dionysius Pope of Rome, so hampered by the Puritan or Novatian faction, that he could not come. So that if the present of two of the four Patriarchs, and the inviting of the others, with the Bishops of so many distant Nations as were there assembled, suffice to make a Ge∣neral Council; the Council of Antioch might as well have the name of General, as al∣most any of the rest which are so entituled.

But laying by these thoughts as too strong of the Paradox, and looking on a Gene∣ral Council in the common notion, for an Assembly of the Prelates of the East and West, to which the four Patriarchs are invited, and from which no Bishop is excluded that comes commissionated and instructed to attend the service: I cannot think them of such consequence to the Church of God, but that it may proceed without them to a Reformation. For certainly that saying of S. Augustine in his 4th. Book against the two Epistles of the Pelagians, cap. 12. is exceeding true. Paucas fuisse haereses ad quas superandas necessarium fuerit Concilium plenarium occidentis & orientis, that very few He∣resies have been crushed in such General Councils. And so far we may say with the Learned Cardinal, that for seven Heresies suppressed in seven General Councils (though by his leave the seventh did not so much suppress as advance an Heresie) an hundred have been quashed in National and Provincial Synods; whether confirmed or not con∣firmed by the Popes Authority, we regard not here. Some instances hereof in the Synods of Aquileia, Carthage, Gaugra, Milevis, we have seen before, and might add ma∣ny others now, did we think it necessary. The Church had been in ill condition, if it had been otherwise, especially under the power of Heathen Emperors, when such a confluence of the Prelates from all parts of the world would have been construed a Con∣spiracy against the State, and drawn destruction on the Church and the Persons both. Or granting that they might assemble without any such danger, yet being great bodies, moving slowly, and not without long time, and many difficulties and disputes, to be rightly constituted: The Church would suffer more under such delay by the spreading of Heresie, than receive benefit by their care to suppress the same. Had the same course been taken at Alexandria for suppressing Arius, as was before at Antioch for condemning Paulus, we never had heard news of the Council of Nice; the calling and assembling whereof took up so long time, that Arianism was diffused over all the world before the Fathers met together; and could not be suppressed (though it were condemned) in many Ages following after. The plague of Heresie, and leprosie of Page  32sin would quickly over-run the whole face of the Church, if capable of no other cure than a General Council. The case of Arius, and the universal spreading of his Heresie compared with the quick rooting out of so many others, makes this clear enough.

To go a little further yet, we will suppose a General Council to be the best and safest Physick that the Church can take, on all occasions of Epidemical distemper; but then we must suppose it at such times and in such cases only, when it may conveniently be had. For where it is not to be had, or not had conveniently, it will either prove to be no Physick, or not worth the taking. But so it was, that at the time of the Refor∣mation, a General Council could not conveniently be Assembled, and more than so, it was impossible that any such Council should Assemble; I mean a General Council rightly called and constituted, according to the Rules laid down by our Controversors. For first they say it must be called by such as have power to do it. 2. That it must be intimated to all Christian Churches, that so no Church nor people may plead igno∣rance of it. 3. The Pope and the four chief Patriarchs must be present at it, either in person or by Proxie. And lastly, that no Bishop is to be excluded, if he be known to be a Bishop and not excommunicated. According to which Rules, it was impossible I say, that any General Council should be assembled at the time of the Reformation of the Church of England. It was not then as when the greatest part of the Christian world was under the command of the Roman Emperors; whose Edict for a General Council might speedily be posted over all the Provinces. The Messengers who should now be sent on such an errand unto the Countreys of the Turk, the Persian, the Tarta∣rian, and the great Mogul (in which are many Christian Churches, and more perhaps than in all the rest of the world besides) would find but sorry entertainment. Nor was it then, as when the four chief Patriarchs, together with their Metropolitans and Suffragan Bishops, were under the protection of the Christian Emperors, and might without danger to themselves, or unto their Churches, obey the intimation and at∣tend the service; those Patriarchs with their Metropolitans and Suffragans, both then and now languishing under the tyranny and power of the Turk, to whom so general a confluence of Christian Bishops must needs give matter of suspicion of just fears and jealousies, and therefore not to be permitted (as far as he can possibly hinder it) on good Reason of State. For who knows better than themselves how long and dange∣rous a War was raised against their Predecessors by the Western Christians for recovery of the Holy Land, on a resolution taken up at the Council of Clermont; and that making War against the Turks is still esteemed a cause sufficient for a General Council. And then besides it would be known by whom this General Council was to be assem∣bled: If by the Pope, as generally the Papists say, he and his Court were looked on as the greatest grievance of the Christian Church; and 'twas not probable that he would call a Council against himself, unless he might have leave to pack it, to govern it by his own Legats, fill it with Titular Bishops of his own creating, and send the Holy-Ghost to them in a Cloakbag, as he did to Trent. If joyntly by all Christian Princes (which is the common Tenet of the Protestant Schools) what hopes could any man conceive (as the time then were) that they should lay aside their particular interesses, to center all together upon one design? Or if they had agreed about it, what power had they to call the Prelates of the East to attend the business, or to protect them for so doing at their going home? So that I look upon the hopes of a General Council, I mean a General Council rightly called and constituted, as an empty Dream. The most that was to be expected was but a meeting of some Bishops of the West of Europe, and those but of one party only; such as were Excommunicated (and that might be as many as the Pope should please) being to be excluded by the Cardinals Rule. Which how it may be called an Oecumenical or General Council, unless it be a Topical-Oecume∣nical, a Particular-general (as great an absurdity in Grammar, as a Roman Catholick) I can hardly see.

Which being so, and so no question but it was, either the Church must continue without Reformation, or else it must be lawful for National particular Churches to reform themselves. In such a case the Church may be reformed per partes, part after part, Province after Province, as is said by Gerson. But I do not mean to trouble you with this Dispute. For that particular Churches may reform themselves by National or Provincial Councils, when the Church general will not do it, or that it cannot be effected by a General Council, hath been so fully proved by my Lord of Canterbury in his learned and elaborate discourse against Fisher the Jesuite, that nothing can be Page  33added unto so great diligence. But if it be objected, as you say it is, that National Councils have a power of Promulgation only, not of Determination also: I answer first, that this runs cross to all the current of Antiquity, in which not only National but Provincial Councils did usually determine in the points of Faith, and these too of the greatest moment, as did that of Antioch; which if it were somewhat more than a National, was notwithstanding never reckoned for a General Council. I answer se∣condly as before, that for one Heresie suppressed in a General Council, there hath been ten at least suppressed in National and Provincial Synods; which could not be in case they had no power of Determination. And thirdly, That the Articles or Confession of the Church of England are only Declaratory of such Catholick Doctrines as were received of old in the Church of Christ, not Introductory of new ones of their own devising; as might be evidenced in particular, were this place fit for it. But what needs any proof at all, when we have Confession? For the Arch-Bishop of Spalato (a man as well studied in the Fathers, as the best amongst them) ingenuously acknow∣ledged at the High Commission that the Articles of this Church were profitable, none of them Heretical; and that he would defend the honour of the Church of England against all the World. And this he said at the very time of his departure, when his soul was gone before to Rome, and nothing but his Carkass left behind in England. The like a∣vowed by Davenport, or Franciscus à Sancta Clara (call him which you will) who makes the Articles of this Church rightly understood according to the literal meaning, and not perverted to the ends of particular Factions, to be capable of a Catholick and Orthodox sense, which is as much as could be looked for from the mouth of an Ad∣versary. So much as cost one of them his life (though perhaps it will be said that he died in prison) and the burning of his body after his death; though he endevoured to save both by a Retractation. So that in this case too we have omnia bene, nothing amiss in the proceedings of this Church, with reference to the Pope or a General Council.

But you will say, that though we could not stay the calling of a General Council, which would have justified our proceedings in the eyes of our Adversaries; it had been requisite even in the way of civil Prudence to have taken the advice of the Sister-Churches, especially of those which were engaged at the same time in the same designs, which would have added reputation to us in the eyes of our Friends, As for the taking counsel of the Sister-Churches, it hath been touched upon already, and there∣fore we shall say no more as to that particular; unless the Sister-Churches of these latter times had been like the Believers in the infancy of the Christian Faith, when they were all of one heart and one soul, as the Scripture hath it, Act. 4. their counsels had been dilatory, if not destructive. 'Tis true indeed, united Counsels are the stronger and of greater weight, and not to be neglected where they may be had; but where they are not to be had, we must act without them. And if we look into the time of our Reformation, we shall find those that were engaged in the same design, divided into obstinate parties; and holding the names of Luther and Zuinglius in an higher estimate than either the truth of the Opinion in which they differed, or the common happiness of the Church so disturbed between them. The breach not lessened, but made wider by the rise of Calvin, succeeding not long after in the fame of Zuinglius: Besides, that living under the command of several Princes, and those Princes driving on to their several ends; it had been very difficult, if not impossible to draw them unto such an Harmony of affections, and consent in judgment, as so great a business did require. So that the Church of England was necessitated in that conjuncture of affairs to proceed as it did, and to act that single by it self, which could not be effected by the common Counsels, and joynt concurrence of the others. 'Tis true, Melancthon was once coming over in King Henries days, but staid his journey on the death of Queen Anne Bullen; and that he was after sEnt for by King Edward IV. (Regis Literis in An∣gliam vocor) as he affirms in an Epistle unto Camerarius, Anno 1553. But he was staid at that time also on some other occasion, though had he come at that time, he had come too late to have had any hand in the Reformation, the Articles of the Church being passed, the Liturgy reviewed and settled in the year before. And 'tis as true that Calvin offered his assistance to Arch-Bishop Cranmer, for the reforming of this Church; Si quis mei usus esset, as his own words are, if his assistance were thought needful to advance the work. But Cranmer knew the man, and refused the offer; and he did very wisely in it. For seeing it impossible to unite all parties, it had been an imprudent thing to have closed with any. I grant indeed that Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr (men of Page  34great learning and esteem, but of different judgments) were brought over hither, a∣bout the beginning of the Reign of K. Edward VI. the one of them being placed in Oxford, the other in Cambridge; but they were rather entertained as private Doctors to moderate in the Chairs of those Universities, than any ways made use of in the Re∣formation. For as the first Liturgy which was the main key unto the work, was fra∣med and settled before either of them were come over; so Bucer died, before the com∣piling of the Book of Articles, which was the accomplishment thereof: Nor do I find that Peter Martyr was made use of otherwise in this weighty business, than to make that good by disputation, which by the Clergy in their Synods or Convocations was agreed upon. By means whereof the Church proceeding without reference to the dif∣ferent interesses of the neighbouring Churches, kept a conformity in all such points of Government and publique order with the Church of Rome, in which that Church had not forsaken the clear Tract of the primitive Times; retaining not only the Epi∣scopal Government, with all the concomitants and adjuncts of it, which had been ut∣terly abolished in Zuinglian Churches, and much impaired in power and jurisdiction by the Lutherans also; and keeping up a Liturgy or set form of worship, according to the rites and usages of the primitive times, which those of the Calvinian Congregations would not hearken to. God certainly had so disposed it in his Heavenly wisdom, that so this Church without respect unto the names and Dictates of particular Doctors, might found its Reformation on the Prophets and Apostles only, according to the Ex∣plications and Traditions of the ancient Fathers: And being so founded in it self, without respect to any of the differing parties, might in succeeding Ages sit as Judge between them, as being more inclinable by her constitution to mediate a peace amongst them, than to espouse the quarrel of either side. And though Spalato in the Book of his Retractations, which he calls Consilium redeundi, objects against us: That besides the publick Articles and confession authorised by the Churches, we had embraced some Lutheran and Calvinian Fancies (multa Lutheri & Calvini dogmata, so his own words run) yet this was but the error of particular men, not to be charged upon the Church as maintaining either. The Church is constant to her safe and her first con∣clusions, though many private men take liberty to imbrace new Doctrines.