Series 5 > Religious Controversy in Scotland 1625-1639

WEDDERBURN,‘PROBLEM OF CATHOLICITY’
53
so much the rather as they have no warrant of their uncharitable opinion from
the doctrine or discipHne of the Church of England. 4. Having thus answered, I
demand whether it were not as dangerous or more dangerous for our soules’
health to communicate with the Church of Rome in those thinges which our
consciences condemne, then it is to communicate with men schismatically af¬
fected in those thinges which the conscience of every Christian doth approve,
that is, in the ordinances of God. Ita mihi sentire liceat, sicut qui in Catholica charitate
[64r] non habent non pertinent ad Catholicam, ita qui necessitate constringente inter
multos schismaticos vivunt (non tamen extra Catholicam), si charitatem habent et retinent,
ad Catholiquam pertinent.14
It were not amisse for him to consider the particulars here expressed, who in
his conscience cannot approve sundry of the grosse errors and abuses of the
Church of Rome, and yet is ready openly to approve them by leaving the com¬
munion of the Church of England and goeing to them, where, being a new
convert, he must be a zelote too, and not so much as [to] have any internal!
communion with any the most moderate Christian in the world, but with such
alone as are professedly, explicitely, and absolutely of the Romane obedience.
For wtum et praeparatio cordis, to doe it remotis obicibus,15 will not satisfie them,
though it doth in the case of baptisme, which I hope is no lesse necessarie to
salvation then obedience to the sea of Rome.
Were it not then the more charitable course, and the more safe for his soule’s
health, in this present evill world (wherein Satan, transforming himselfe into an
Angell of light, doth on both sides sow dissention and hatred: whereby it hath
come to passe, that notwithstanding, the much and but too vulgar tmderstand-
mg and unholy knowledg of divine thinges, yet as our Saviour foretold of these
times, quia abundavit iniquitas refrixit charitas,'6 especially in this mutual hatred
and condemning one the other for some differences of religion, both holding
the same precious foundation and makeing one visible Catholique church) to
| stay where he is, and what is here deficient or amisse, to pray for, and (according
to his place and power) to endeavoure the amendement thereof, keeping true
brotherly love and communion with all Christendome, then by resigning him¬
self up to them totally, to leave the communion of all Christians beside, wherein
there is greater sinne then some think of, not only in that they shrink up Chris¬
tian charitie and communion within narrower bounds then they have warrant
14 ‘Thus it would seem to me reasonable to think that just as those who do not have Catholic
charity do not belong to the Catholic church, likewise those who by binding necessity must live
among many schismatics (not, however, outside the Catholic church), if they have and maintain
charity, belong to the Catholic church.’
15 ‘for a wish and a preparation ofheart, [and] the obstacles having been removed’.
( 16 ‘wherefore iniquity abounded and charity grew cold’; an allusion to Matthew 24:12.