THE CONSIDERATIONS WHICH OBLIG'D PETER MANBY DEAN Of LONDON-DERY TO EMBRACE THE Roman Catholic RELIGION Humbly Dedicated to His GRACE the Lord Primate of IRELAND PSALM XLII Judica me Deus discerne causam meam de Gente non sancta Emitte lucem tuam veritatem tuam Ipsa me deduxerunt adduxerunt in Montem Sanctum tuum in Tabernacula tua Dublin Castle the 11th of March 1686 / 7. This following Discourse is Allow'd to be Printed Tho. Sheridan Secr. LONDON Re-printed for NATH THOMPSON at the Entrance into the Old Spring Garden near Charing Cross 1687. TO THE READER VVHen a Protestant rehearses this Article of his Creed I believe one Holy Catholique and Apostolique Church I would fain understand what Church he means Whether the Church of England alone as establish'd by Law or the Church of England in Communion with other Churches If the former then his meaning is I believe one Holy Protestant Church as settled in England by Act of Parliament If the latter I desire to know with what other Church under the Heavens does the Church of England Communicate in Sacraments and Liturgy Whether with Lutherans Calvinists Waldenses or Greek Church If with none of all these why does he pretend to believe One Holy Catholique Church This Church Establish'd by Law being Catholique neither as to Time nor Place because not Visible any where for many Ages before Edward VI. Good Reader if we believe our selves Catholiques let us not fancy to our selves a Church divided from all the rest of the World. And therefore I crave leave to ask St. Paul 's Question What came the Word of God out from you the establish'd Church or came it unto you alone 1 Cor. 14.36 Hath the Divine Goodness left all the World in Darkness except our Island And Vs too for so many Ages until Henry VIII took a fancy to Ann Bolen Is the Catholique Church dwindled away to the Church of England Perhaps you will Answer me that by One Holy Catholique Church you understand all the variety of Protestants as Church of England-men Presbyterians Lutherans Independants Anabaptists Fifth-Monarchy-men Quakers c. But all these wanting that first and Essential Mark of the Catholique Church call'd Unity cannot be That one Holy Society intended by our Creed And moreover this makes Protestancy so wandring and uncertain a thing that I for my part do not well understand it Can you say that Lutherans and the Church of England-men are the same in all Material points the Lutherans holding a Corporal Presence in the Sacrament and the Church of England denying it Or that Calvinists and good Protestants are the same in all necessary matters the former having no Orders of Priests and Bishops consequently no true Sacraments nor Power of Binding and Absolving Sinners Besides the Catholique Church can never fail But as for those Sects of Protestants Who ever saw or heard of them for many Ages before Henry VIII Well but you will insist upon it that God hath his People amongst all sorts of Protestants which Answer I have sometimes heard out of the Mouths of Protestants And it calls to my mind those excellent words of the late King's second Paper viz. The Protestants are not of the Church of England as 't is the true Church from whence there can be no Appeal but because the Discipline of that Church is conformable at that present to their Fancies which as soon as it shall contradict or vary from they are ready to embrace or joyn with the next Congregation of People whose Discipline or Worship agrees with their own Opinion at that time c. And further it brings into my remembrance these words of a certain Person once of my Acquaintance he was a Presbyterian and gave his Son leave to go for New-England to seek his Fortune Why said a Friend of his they are all Independants there and your Son will be in danger of losing his Principles I care not what he be reply'd the other so he be not a Papist In a word dear Reader it concerns thee to understand aright that Article of thy Creed I believe one Holy Catholique and Apostolique Church Because the only way to be at rest in this World and happy in the World to come is to find out that Church upon whose Authority thou mayst relie Noah 's Dove found no rest for the sole of her Foot until she return'd into the Ark. No more wilt Thou but shalt be tossed too and fro upon the unstable Waters of Schism until thou return into the Ark of one Holy Catholique Church I pray recollect what St. Paul admonishes concerning Schism I beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no Schisms among you 1 Cor. 1.15 But that ye glorifie God with one Mind and one Mouth That is that ye serve God not only saying the same things but the same Words especially about your Sacraments and Liturgy For by one Spirit We meaning all Christians are Baptiz'd into one Body Therefore he exhorts them to take heed of such Teachers as have no Mission or Authority for what they say but only good Words and fair Speeches to deceive the hearts of the simple In the following Discourse I hope the Reader shall find it briefly and yet fully made out to him that the first Reformers had no Mission for what they did nor any pretence to justifie their Seperation and breach of Unity but only the Scripture as interpreted by themselves not only without but against the Authority of the present Catholique Church Out of which a man may have all things except Salvation said St. Augustin And further he shall find me pressing for an Answer to such Questions as these viz. What Priesthood or Holy Orders had the first Reformers but what they received from the Hands of Roman Catholick Bishops Whether a Presbyterian Minister having received Orders from a Protestant Bishop can by virtue of such Orders pronounce the Church of England a corrupt Church Whether Cranmer and his Associates could condemn the Church of Rome by pretence of the Mission they received from her Bishops Whether an Act of Parliament in France Spain or Germany be not as good an Authority for Popery there as in England for Protestancy And in case there be no Judge to determine who have the true sense of Scripture Roman Catholicks or Protestants Whether the Catholick sense be not as good as the Protestants Finally I intreat the Protestant Reader to peruse Dr. Heylin 's History of the Reformation a Book that speaks bitterly enough against Popery yet as to matter of Fact so Honestly written that notwithstanding all Dr. Burnet 's industry to diminish its credit it hath opened the Eyes of many good Protestants See Dr. Burnet 's character of it in his Preface to his first Volume where he censures it not for telling untruths in matter of History but rather for speaking too much
Indignation to see so much Stripping and Plundering of God's House under pretence of Resorming it Tu abominaris Idola Sacrilegium facis Rom. 1. 22. FAREWEL May it please your Grace I Humbly beg leave to send Your Grace this short Account of my Reconcilement to the Roman Catholick Church God be praised it was not any consideration of Temporal Interest that inclin'd me to it as all that have known me these several years past can witness But having often reflected on the uncertainty and variety of the Protestant Spirit and perused the Books of Catholicks without prejudice especially the Mass it self I found my self deceiv'd by the Reports which I had entertain'd of Catholick Religion THere are three Points chiefly wherein I could never satisfy my self since I began to Study the Controversy between both Churches One is the Authority or Mission of the first Reformers The second is the want of Confession in the Church of England The Third is the Answer given by Protestants to that Question in His late Majesties Papers Where is that one Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church which we do profess to believe in the two Creeds As to the first I have seen Dr. Bramhall's and Mr. Mason's Vindications of the Church of England but could never find any satisfactory Answer to this Question Who Authoriz'd the first Reformers to Preach their Protestant Doctrine and Administer their Protestant Sacraments Their Priestly or Episcopal Character whether valid or no I meddle not with to prevent Disputes Although I think it no easy matter to find out who Ordain'd the first Protestant Bishops there being none to do it except Roman Catholick Prelates who never use to Consecrate any Protestants This Testimony I lately met with in the Records annexed to Dr. Burnet's second Volume of his History of the Resormation In the Month of March anno 1553. Queen Mary sent this amongst other Articles to the Bishop of London viz. Touching such persons as were heretofore meaning the days of Edward the VI. promoted to any Orders after the new sort and fashion of Orders considering they were not order'd in very deed the Bishop of the Diocess finding otherwise sufficiency and ability in those men may supply that thing which wanted in them before and then according to his discretion admit them to Minister c. This Royal Testimony with the Honest Protestant Reader will not be despisable I shall not insist upon it but only observe at present that Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury and Latimer Bishop of Worcester at the time of their Confecration were profess'd Roman Catholicks in all points except perhaps the Pope's Supremacy But afterwards turning Protestants and pronouncing the Church of Rome Idolatrous I would fain know by whose Authority The truth is they were first Ordain'd Catholick Bishops according to the Roman Pontifical and afterwards made themselves Protestant Bishops But I understand not how a Man can forsake the Church of England and Preach Presbyterian Doctrine by virtue of his Protestant Orders nor how any man can justify his Protestant Doctrine by Authority of his Popish Mission This was Cranmer and Latimer's case who at the time of their Consecration which was in the days of Henry the VIII professed Seven Sacraments whether they believ'd so many is a Question Afterwards anno 1536. retrenched them to Three that is to say Baptism Penance and the Lord's Supper Then to Two anno 1548 By whose Authority or Mission I cannot tell So that Protestancy seem to me to have been born into the World not like Honestly begotte Children whose Parents are known but rather like a By-blow whose Father is doubtful I have known some Pre byrerians when question'd about their Mission pretend they did receive it from the Church of England Prelates But being further interrogated Did that Church Authorize you to Preach against her Sacraments or Liturgy There was no Answer to be had I know it will be said that the Protestant Religion is Authoriz'd by Act of Parliament and so is not Presbytery A Parliamentary Mission then our first Reformers had and no other that I can find But whether the Parliament being a Civil Authority has Power to send Missioners to Preach the Gospel and Administer Sacraments I do not well understand If they have I suppose every Member of Parliament may Preach and Administer Sacraments if he pleases because no man can give that Authority unto others which he hath not himself And if English Parliaments may Preach and Administer Sacraments I doubt not but the French Spanish Scotch and Irish may do the same and then what Unity of Spirit or agreement in Faith Christians are like to have I could never understand To this two Answers are wont to be given which I will not conceal from the Reader One is that Cranmer and his Associates were sent and ordered by the Roman Pontifical to instruct the people according to the Scriptures This is the Answer of Dr. Burnet The Church saith he was over-run with Errours and Corruptions this Cranmer saw and was obliged to undeceive the people Very good But I intreat the Reader to inspect the Records aforesaid published by the Doctor himself and annexed to the first and second Volume of his History where he shall find Cranmer and one or two Bishops more pretending Errours and Corruptions and driving on a Reformation against the Major Vote of the English Bishops He shall find the same Cranmer at the time of his Consecration owning and professing those very Doctrines which afterwards he called Errours and Corruptions so that still I must ask the old Question by whose Authority did he condemn that Church from whom he receiv'd his Mission and Holy Orders I desire to know whether an honest Man can Preach against the Liturgy Sacraments or Constitution of any Church by virtue of any Commission he received from it And whether such Preacher be not liable to the Censures of that Church Did ever any Church Authorize her Priests or Bishops to go and Preach the Gospel according to their own private Sense and Conscience in contradiction to her declared Doctrine and Worship Does the Church of England give any such Power at this day No by no means Read the Form appointed by her for the Ordination of a Priest where the Bishop is to interrogate the Party thus viz. Do you think in your heart that you be truly called according to the Order of this Church of England to the Order and Ministry of Priesthood The Answer is I think so Will you then saith the Protestant Bishop give your diligence always to Minister the Doctrine and Sacraments as this Church and Realm hath received the same according to the Commandments of God The Answer is I will do so by the help of God. So that as no honest Man can turn Presbyterian or Independant Preacher by virture of his Protestant Mission so neither can he Preach Protestant Doctrine by pretence of a Commission he received from the Church of
unto them But another promise that he will do it without the Ministry of his Priests we read not of in the New Testament I pray the Reader to consider whether private Sinners in the Church of England do not offend God at a much cheaper rate then in the Church of Rome since in the Church of Rome they are bound to some Penance But in the Church of England they may Confess to their Ministers and do Penance if they will or if they will not they may let it alone If they cannot satisfie their own Consciences saith the Common-prayer let them come to me or some other Discreet and Learned Minister and open their Grief c. That Christians may receive the Communion of Christ's Body and Blood without a previous Confession and Absolution by a Priest was never heard of in the Catholique Church until the days of Henry the VIII The third difficulty was the Answer given by Protestants to that Question in the late Kings Papers Where is that one Holy Catholique and Apostolique Church which we do profess to believe in the two Creeds Was there any such Society as one Holy Catholick Church extant upon the face of the Earth when Cranmer began his Reformation And what Provinces of the Earth did this Church inhabit This is a plain Question and desires no Answer but of the ubi or place where to find it This Society if it be not an Idea Platonica must appear somewhere And when That is known the next doubt is Did Cranmer believe himself a Member of it and if so I would fain know who gave him Authority to Reform this one Holy Catholique and Apostolique Church To set up Altar against Altar c. If there were no such Church extant upon the face of the Earth as there must be none in case she were lapsed into Idolatry what became of our Saviours Prediction that the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against his Church I am told that Dr. S eet has answer'd these Questions by saying that the Church of Rome are Idolaiers and yet a true Church at the same time Which Answer I confess I do not understand For what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols saith St. Paul and what concord hath Christ with Belial For ye are the Temple of the living God what communion hath light with darkness 2 Cor. 6.16 What Idolaters and yet a true Church 't is as much as to say they are in the way to Heaven and Hell at the same time But such Answers must the given when there are no better I confess I never read this Answer in him I only have it by Hear-say Surely to teach and practise Idolatry destroys the very Being of a Christian Church And it the Church of Rome be no Christian Church there is an end of the Episcopal Succession of the Church of England and consequently of the Church it self To conclude that which oblig'd me most of all to the Church of Rome was the perusal of her Books of Devotion such as Saint Francis Sales Bishop of Geneva his Introduction to a Devout Life Neirembergius of the difference betwixt Temporal and Eternal Lewis Gratensis of the Love of God. Kempis of the following of Christ c. Especially the Mass it self which I read without prejudice and compar'd the Spirit of Piety which I found there with the Spirit of Reformation Instead of Idolatry I found the most Elevated and Judicious Prayers to the Holy Trinity concluding in the Name or our Saviour Jesus Christ besides the daily Sacrifice offered up to Almighty God according to his own appointment Do this in remembrance of me All this I observ'd and then said within my self God forgive the wickedness of those people who quarrel at this and persecute it with so blind and furious an aversion So did the Jews Crucify our Saviour What fault can any ingenious Protestant find with This or any other Prayer of the Mass Suscipe sancte Pater omnipotentes aeterne Deus hanc immaculatam hostiam quam ego indignus famulus tuus offero tibi Deo meo vivo vero c. Accept O Holy Father Almighty and Eternal God this unspotted Sacrifice which I thy unworthy Servant offer unto thee my living and true God for my innumerable sins offences and negligences and for all here present as also for all Faithful Christians both living and dead that it may avail both Me and Them unto everlasting life Amen If this be the Mass who but a perverse ill-natur'd Phanatick can except against it As for the Confiteor said at the beginning of Mass the Reader shall find Protestants objecting nothing against it but what Presbyterians do against that Canticle in the Common-Prayer-Book called Benedicte omnia opera O Ananias Azarias and Misael Praise ye the Lord is aâ— rank Popery with the Presbyterians as any thing in the Mass or Litanies of our Lady For what 's that say they but to invocate dead men who don't hear us Thus they will interpret it in their own Sense and not in the Sense of the Church of England In a word I found the Church of England beholding to the Mass for the best Flowers in her Communion Service And since some Protestants will believe nothing but their Senses let them read it as I have done and believe their own eyes The objection of its being said in the Latin Tongue allows every man to hear it that understands Latin. And as for unlearned Catholicks if the Truth were known they understand as much or more of it than Illiterate Protestants do of the Common-Prayer What does the Protestant Multitude understand of the Predictions of Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel Zechariah read in their Churches by appointment of the Common-Prayer How many Expositions of the Mass are extant in Print by the commandment of the Church So that no man can be ignorant of it that desires to be inform'd How much more Universal and Vulgar is the Latin than the English Tongue Had not the Jewish Church being then the only true Church in the World almost all her Scriptures and publick Service for fourteen Generations that is to say from the Captivity of Babylon unto Christ in the old Hebrew A Language not then understood by the common People Did our Saviour or his Apostles ever reprehend the Jews for this or for not Translating their Scriptures into the vulgar Language If the Service of God must be said in the Maternal Language of every Nation where shall an English-man in France or Spain that understands not the Language go to serve God upon the Lord's Day This would destroy all community of Sacraments and Liturgy between the Members of the Catholick Church which being one Body or Society of men cannot be like the builders of Babel who would not understand one anothers Language Now I beseech you Brethren saith St. Paul by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no
Schisms among you that ye may with one mind and one mouth Gloriâ—y God 1 Cor. 1.10 Rom. 15.6 In fine let the Reader compare that Devotion which Catholicks pay to the Sacrifice of the Mass with that which most Protestants shew to the Common-prayer and then see how much better we are by Reforming the Mass into English As for St. Paul's 14th Chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians I humbly think it not well understood by Protestants If any man be ignorant saith he let him be ignorant Wherefore Brethren covet no Prophecy and forbid not to speak with tongues ver 39. God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace ver 33. Upon the whole matter I desire to be inform'd whether the Protestant Church had any other foundation setting aside an Act of Parliament than every mans own Reason or which is the same thing the Scripture interpreted by every man's Reason There are but two Bases whereupon to settle our selves the Scripture and Fathers expounded by my own Reason or the Scriptures and Fathers expounded by the voice of the present Visible Church This later is Popish and cannot support a Reform'd Fabrick I have sometimes wonder'd at this Assertion of Calvin Instit. lib. 4. cap. 1. so incoherent with his own Principles of Reformation Extra Ecclesiae gremium nulla speranda salus nec remissio peccatorum quia non est alius in vitam ingressus Which I think may be thus render'd into English He that will enter into Life let him mortifie the pride of his own Reason and humbly cast himself at the feet of the Catholick Church If this be the meaning of his words as it must be in case he believed any such thing as one Holy Catholick Church how he will justifie his Reformation at the day of Judgement I cannot imagine In this Paper therefore I presume not to assert my own Reason which I confess to be as weak as any body else can think it but the Authority of the Church against the Aâ—rogance of the first Reformers This difference I understand betwixt the spirit of Catholiques and of Heretiques the former make use of their Reason with Submission the later with Contradiction and Petulancy against the Church and against the express words of Christ He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Cranmer had no Mission from Heaven nor yet from the present Visible Church to authorize his doings but made himself Judge Witness and Accuser So did Luther so did Calvin Socinus Knipperdoling c. How they will Answer it at the last day I cannot understand A word or two more before I make an end I know divers Loyal Persons of the Church of England who are Protestants by the Tyranny of Prejudice or Interest but Catholiques by Inclination Of them I beg leave to ask a few Questions What Priesthood or Holy Orders have Protestants but what they Confess to have received from Roman Catholique Bishops Who gave them Authority to pronounce themselves Sound Members and the Church of Rome a Corrupt Arm of the Catholique Church Did not the Presbyterians anno 1641. pretend the very same warrant of Scripture for Reforming the Church of England And the Independants for supplanting the Presbyterians anno 1647. The Presbyterians said Hugh Peters are no other then Gibeonites who may help to hew Stones and square Timber for a more Glorious Reformation Now as for Roman Catholiques do they ever say Mass to any other Object but the Living God Father Son and Holy Ghost Read the Catechism of the Council of Trent and see whether they attribute any thing to Angels or Saints but as the Ministers and Favourites of the Living God receiving from him whatever understanding they may have of our Affairs upon earth The Angels must know our Affairs because They are ministring Spirits sent forth for the good of those who shall be Heirs of Salvation And because they rejoyce at the Conversion of Sinners And have glorified Saints no Communication or Intelligence with the Angels As for the Images of Christ's humane Nature see the 25th Session of the Council of Trent and enquire whether Roman Catholiques pay any more respects to Them than Protestants do to the Elements of Bread and Wine which say they are but a Figure or Image of Christs Body and Blood. Omnis Superstitio in imaginum usu sacro tollatur saith that Council Let all Superstition be taken away in the use of Images and then gives it in charge to all Bishops to look to it The Church of England Protestants are every jot as offensive to us say the Presbyterians kneeling before the Elements of Bread and Wine as the Pupists kneeling before the Images of Christ I humbly recommend to Protestants the perusal of a late Book Entituled Pax Vobis And of another styled Considerations upon the Council of Trent by R. H. I say no more only give thanks to Almighty God with all my heart that I am escap'd out of the unstable waters of Schism into the Ark of Christ's Church And I beseech him to inspire me with that Spirit of Devotion which I observ'd in the Mass and other Books of Catholicks As for the ill practises of some and the ill Opinions of other Roman Catholicks which Protestants are wont to charge upon the whole Church I pass it over as no Argument at all All Protestants are no more Saints than all Papists In the Council of Trent an unprejudic'd Reader shall find nothing but what is Judicious and Pious And let him view Popery not as Protestants but as Papists represent it who should best know their own Religion In the Church of Rome he shall find variety of Religious Orders but no Schism nor discord about their Sacraments or Liturgy In veste Ecclesiae varietas est scissura non est No confusion of Sects nor disobedience to Superiors but all things perform'd in excellent order and God Almighty served as he is the Creator and Emperor of the World with Reverence and distance O quam dilecta sunt Tabernacula tua Domine virtutum concupiscit deficit Anima mea in Atria Domini Beati qui habitant in domo tuâ in Saecula Saeculorum laudabunt te Amen Psal 84. P S IF any Protestant Reader instead of a material Answer to this Discourse shall think fit to revile the Author 't is but what I expect and what I intend to take no notice of But I intreat him to read the following Quaeries without his Spectacles of Prejudice and Interest Dubia quaedam super Reformatione Anglicanâ ECclesia Anglicana vel est tota Ecclesia Catholica vel membrum illius si membrum duntaxat ostende mihi sub sole Ecclesiam vel coetum cujus Sacramenta amplectitur nisi sit à reliquo corpore abscâ—ssum Num recipit Sacramenta Lutheranorum vel Calvinistarum Vnde Missas est Cranmerus primus ille Reformator Ecclesiae Anglicana quis misit illum ad praedicandum Evangelium