as if they were first Principles which needed none he draws this Admirable Conclusion worth the consideration of every Member of the Church of England and for which the Dissenters will no doubt return him thanks If says he in Matters of Faith a man be to judge for himself and the Scriptures be a clear and sufficient rule for him to judge by it will plainly follow that if a man be evidently convinced upon the best enquiry he can make that his particular Belief in necessary point of Faith is founded upon the Word of God and that of the universal Church is not he is obliged to support and adhere to his own belief in opposition to that of the Church because he must follow the Superior not the Inferior guide Now from hence any Rational Man will certainly conclude that at least all Dissenters in necessary points of Faith of which I see not but that they themselves must be judges may make use of this Principle to maintain their Dissent And as long as they ground themselves upon the Scriptures interpreted by themselves and have but confidence enough to think they have examined them sufficiently what ever Church pretends to punish or compel them does an unjust action because they are obliged to follow the Superior not the inferior guide Neither is this method as the Defender acknowledges it is liable only to some Abuse Ibid. pag. 81. through the Ignorance or Malice of some men But the Universal Church and much more every particular is put into an incapacity of reducing either the Ignorant or the Malitious to their duty if they have but Pride enough to be positive in as well as conceited of their own Opinions But however this Method tho' thus liable to some abuses is certainly in the main most just and reasonable and agreeable to the constitutions of the Church of England which does not take upon her to be Mistress of the Faith of her Members See. â—rt 20. but alloows a higher place and Authority to the guidance of the Holy Scripture than to that of her own Decisions Thus He. I know not what thanks the genuine Sons of the Church of England will return him for thus destroying the Authority of their Mother §. 115. but I am sure the Dissenters will thank him for this liberty if he will but give them any assurance that it shall be maintained to them with all its consequences and such large concessions as these may Unite them all tho' the Anathemas of their Synods and all the Penal Laws and Tests have proved ineffectual It is not my business to go about to teach the Defender the Doctrin of his own Church Bishop Sparrows judgment of the Authority of a Church but had he read the Preface to the collection of Articles Canons c. by Bishop Sparrow he would have found a Doctrin diametrically opposite to this of his and that one of them misunjhderstood that 20th Article For the Bishop declares that without a Definitive and Authoritative sentence controversies will be endless and the Church's peace unavoidably disturbed and therefore the Voice of God and right Reason hath taught that in matters of Controversy the Definitive sentence of Superiors should decide the Doubt and whosoever should decline from that sentence and do presumptuously should be put to death that others might hear and fear and do no more presumptuously Deut. 17. which is to be understood mystically also of death spiritual by Excommunication by being cut off from the living body of Christ's Church Nay he there proves there is a double Authority in the Church the one of Jurisdiction to correct and reform those impure members by spiritual censures whom Counsel will not win and if they be incorrigible to cast them out of this Holy Society and the other a Legislative power to make Canons and Constitutions upon emergent occasions to decide and compose controversies c. and this he shews by Reason as he says and Gods own Rule by matter of fact by that very 20th Article of the Church of England which declares that the Church has power to decree Rites and Ceremonies and Authority in Controversies of Faith and the practice of the Primitive Church in her General Councils of Nice Constantinople Ephesus and Calcedon whereas all these have no force with our Defender For he it may be is evidently convinced that those Texts of Scripture As my Father sent me so send I you John 20. All power is given to me go therefore and teach all Nations Matth. 28. Obey them that have oversight over you and watch for your Souls Heb. 13 c. were misapplyed by Bishop Sparrow or the Church of England in his days Nay moreover if he be but evidently convinced that the Holy Scriptures where or how I cannot conceive have taught the contrary and that the whole Church has erred in challenging this Authority both in the Primitive and later times he will think himself if he be constant to his Principle obliged to support and adhere to his own belief in opposition to that of the whole Church because he must follow the Superior not the inferior guide That is in plain English if his Fancy tell him the Church has erred he must believe his Fancy rather than the Church he must follow the Superior not inferior Guide Let us now examin a little his two Postulata's upon which he grounds this Doctrin §. 116. His first is That he allows of this dissent or opposition from the whole Church only in Necessary Articles of Faith. The Defenders first Postulatum answered Now I thought the Protestants of the Church of England had at least held the whole Church to be unerrable in Fundamentals or necessary Articles of Faith Our Defender knows very well that the most eminent of his Church have held so and if he have forgot it I will at another time refresh his memory If he answer it was only their private opinion but not the Doctrin of their Church I desire him to shew his assertion that the whole Church may err in necessary Articles of Faith and every private person is bound to dissent from her c. to be the Doctrin of their Church Their 19th Article says indeed that particular Churches have erred But affirms the Visible Church of Christ to be a Congregation of faithful men in which the pure Word of God is Preached and the Sacraments be duly minisired according to Christs Ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the saine Now one would think that that Congregation of Faithful who Preach the pure Word of God an administer the Sacraments duly according to Christs Ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requiste to the same should be freed from error in those Necessaries But this is the new Protestancy our Defender endevors to expound and it is a hard case that we must beforced to teach those who pretend to expound the Doctrin
been the case of St. Athanasius in whose Seat Gaudentius had been placed by the Eusebians nor that these (d) Bin. Tom. 1. Conc. p. 540. c. 1. F. Fathers acknowledged that it would be the best and most agreeable thing that Priests from all Countries should have recourse to the Head that is to the Seat of Peter the Apostle nor that it was looked upon in this Age as an (e) Socrat. l. 2. Hist c. 5. p. 244. D. c. 11. p. 246. c. 13. Epist. Julii ad Orient Episc Apud St. Athan. Apol. 2. Sozâ—m lib. 3. c. 7. p. 446. F. c. 9. Established Law that nothing was to be determined without the concurrence of the Apostolic See all which considered he will find no just reason to reject this Epistle upon the Plea that it Establishes the Popes Authority I have already mentioned that the Second General Council that of Constantinople was called by the (f) Bin. Tom. 1. Conc. p. 667. A. Popes Authority And this (a) Can. 3. Bin. Tom. 1. Conc. p. 661. B. Council ordained that the Patriarch of Consiantinople should have Prime Honor after the Bishop of Rome The Third General Council that of Ephesus (b) Bin. Tom. 2. Conc. p. 282. B. Deposed Nestorius as they say Compelled by the Sacred Canons and the Epistle of Pope Celestine and referred the more difficult case of John (c) Ibid. pag. 353. D. Patriarch of Antioch to the Pope The Fourth besides what I have already mentioned that they admitted â—he accusation brought against (d) Bin. Tom 3. Conc. p. 50. B. Dioscorus for having taken upon him to assemble a Council without the Popes Authority frequently calls Pope Leo the (e) Act. 1.2 3. passim Vniversal Bishop of the Church and affirms that our Blessed Lord had (f) Epist ad Leonem Ibid. p. 474. B. committed to him the care of his Vineyard that is his Church I will not mention any later Councils these may suffice to Protestants of the Church of England as by Law Established Seeing their Authority has been approved by (g) 1 Eliz. c. 1. Act of Parliament Neither will I go to the antient Canons of the Church but shall conclude That seeing it is manifest that ever since the Council of Nice the Bishop of Rome did exercise this Universal Pastoral care over the whole Church Excommunicating offending Bishops in other Kingdoms and Countries restoring those that had been Excommunicated unjustly to their Sees and Confirming others calling General Councils and Presiding in them and that Appeals were usually made to him in greater Causes from all Countries no beginning of which can be shewn nor no opposition made to it in those Primitive Ages but only by the Arians or other Condemned Heretics Seeing I say this is clearly matter of fact we must necessarily conclude that this Authority was looked upon at that time as given him by Divine Right and as coming down in a constant practice from the Apostles For seeing all persons in all Ages and Countries are ready to defend their Privileges and oppose usurpations had this been such or had they been exempt from such Jurisdiction they would have Unanimously opposed it in some of the succeeding General Councils after they had seen such Epistles from the Popes challenging that Authority But we find them so far from this that his plea is admitted in those very Councils and not the least Opposition made From what I have already said it will appear how easy a thing it might be to shew him in the Primitive Fathers and Councils what is given by all Catholics at present to his Holyness or challenged by him as of Necessary Faith. As to the Popes being stiled Vniversal Bishop he knows that St. Gregory the Great declined that Title in one Sense tho' he challenged it in another that is he looked not upon himself as Universal Bishop in this sense as if there were no other Bishop but he Sicut docuit Beatus Gloriesorum Apostolorum Princeps cujus Cathedram Beatitudini tuae credidit Christus optimus Pastor Bin. Tom. 3. Conc. p. 681. c. 2. D. Non enim ignorâ—s ejus ingenium qui quotidie a Sacro doctore tuo Petro doceris oves Christi per totum habitabilem mundum creditas tibi pascere non vi sed sponte coactus Ibid. P. but yet in this other as he was the Supreme visible head of Christs Church upon Earth And for the Proof of this Title besides what I have already mentioned I will send our Defender to the Epistle of the Eastern Bishops to Pope Symmachus in which they do not only acknowledge him to have been placed in the Chair of St. Peter Prince of the Apostles by Christ the chief Pastor but that all the Sheep of Christ in the whole habitable world were committed to him to Feed And in this sense I suppose it is that he was called Vniversal Bishop and Patriarch in the Council of * Bin. Tom. 3. Conc. p. 246. 250. Chalcedon That the Pope was usually stiled the Successor of St. Peter and Vicar of Jesus Christ upon Earth is so noted in Antiquity that I wonder the Defender would desire me to direct him to the places I have already shewn him some of them which I hope may suffice if his business be not to Cavil The last Authority which he says the Pope lays claim to is that all other Bishops must derive their Authority from him The terms of which Proposition are very ambiguous and therefore when our Defender has explicated his meaning more clearly and shewn that all Catholics allow it in the sense he intends I will undertake to shew him that the same Authority was acknowledged to be due to him even in the Primitive times For the Church has not innovated in this any more than in her other Doctrins The Close to the Defender Sir HAving so fully answered all the objections you have made against me or our Doctrin §. 132. and in the soregoing Articles not only vindicated what was delivered by the Bishop of Meaux as the Doctrin of the Catholic Church and Council of Trent but also shewn the consent of Antiquity for the truth of it I hope you will excuse me if I tire not my Reader by a repetition of the same in Answer to your recapitulation under the reflecting Titles of Old and new Popery I shall therefore only refer you and them to what has been said in the body of the Book and most commonly in the close of every Article for an answer to what was not particularly mentioned in your Defence where I hope I have convincingly made it appear that your Parallel is wholly grounded upon your mistake not to give it any worse title of our Doctrin You know very well Sir that I might in exchange have given you a Parallel of New and Old Protestancy if that can be called old which is not of above 150 Years standing with a
I must tell him the Mareschal has more then once expressed the just esteem he had for that Book as for that which first opened his Eyes and gave him satisfaction and did frequently recommend it to others assuring them that if they considered it with diligence it would work the same effect in them If the Defender doubt of the truth of this the Right Honorable the Lord John Bellassise His Majesties Commissioner for the Treasury will assure him that he had it from his own mouth In the Body of the Book he runs through all the Points mentioned by the Bishop §. 10. The Controversie betwixt the Vindicator and the Defender still laying such Doctrins to our charge and backing them with such weak Reasons and falsified Authorities that I thought it my Duty as having Published the Bishops Exposition in our English Tongue to detect the fallacies and lay open the falsifications this I did in my Vindication shewing him upon all occasions that what he opposed as our Doctrin either was not at all our Doctrin and the Authorities he brought to back his Assertion falsified or misunderstood or else if it was the Doctrin of some particulars yet was it neither universally nor necessarily embraced by the Church and therefore not esteemed by us as of Catholic Faith. To this he has made a Reply in his Defence of the Doctrin of the Church of England In which they who Examin nothing but the bold Assertions of an Author will think that he had much the better of it and that the Vindicators Arguments were but silly and that the falsifications c. lay at his own Door But they who will either take the pains to examin matters throughly or Read this following Reply without prejudice will I hope see the matter cleared and that notwithstanding all our Defenders pretences he has not so much as vindicated one of his falsifications nor brought any one Argument but which is merely a fallacy against our Doctrin I shall not go about to prevent the Reader by running through the whole §. 11. The state of the Controversie in particulars but it will not be amiss to shew him wherein the chiefest difficulties of our Controversies ly that he may pass over when he Reads any of our Adversaries Books of which there is so great a glut what do's not make against us tho' it be never so plausible or pleasing for I dare be bold to say that if our Adversaries would but take care of this and write against nothing but what is truly our Doctrins our Controversie would be quickly at an end and all the large Volums that are now Written would dwindle into single sheets How do some People labor to prove §. 12. Honor due to Saints that we Adore Men and Women Stocks and Stones in the utmost propriety of the phrase and shew a great deal of Reading and an excess of Zeal in speaking against Idolatry and Superstition whereas it is no where to be found but in their false accusations For we assure them that we Adore none but God in the utmost propriety of the phrase We honor but adore them not but if you take Adore for Honor in an Inferior Degree we acknowledge that the Saints and Angels may be honored with such an Inferior honor nay all animated Creatures whatever according to their Dignity If you deny it to be lawful to give this Inferior honor to the Saints prove it and you write against us otherwise all your labor is but spent in vain As to Images we say that what we call Veneration for them is no other than an honor pay'd §. 13. Images where we truly owe it to those for whose sake we use such things otherwise then common things We have a Veneration for Images as for Sacred Utensils Dedicated to God and the Churches Service and that too in a less Degree than for our Chalices c. every one being permitted to handle an Image or a Crucifix but not those Vessels which have been rendred venerable by touching the Sacrament of the most pretious Body and Blood of our Redeemer We look upon them as proper Ornaments for a Sacred place as beneficial for the instruction of the ignorant and helps to keep our Minds from wandring or our Affections from being cooled In presence of them we pay our respect to the persons whom they Represent Honor to whom Honor Adoration to whom Adoration but not to the Images themselves which can Challenge nothing of that nature from us because as St. Thomas says inanimate Creatures are not capable of any honor If you dislike this produce your Arguments and you shall be heard But run not to any hard expressions of the Schools as of Absolute and Relative Latria c. if you be Sons of Peace all which tho' they may be perhaps defended in the Sense meant by them yet ought not to be the Subject of our present Controversie which should be only upon those Points which are universally and necessarily received Our positive Answer therefore to the (a) Pref. pag. 20. Defenders Question abstracting from the School Language which he calls Gibberish and containing our selves in the necessary Doctrin and Language of the Church in her Councils is that the (b) See this proved at large by Estius from the seventh General Council lib. 3. dist 9. ◠3.4 Image of our Saviour or the Holy Cross is upon no account whatsoever to be Worshipped with Divine Worship That Worship being only due to God. I say however these expressions of the Schools may be easily defended when they explicate their own Sense if we consider also what they acknowledge to be necessary Articles of our Faith. Thus in this particular our necessary Doctrin is that God alone is to be Adored with Divine Worship This all persons consent to When therefore Scholastics speak of Adoration given to Images their expressions are to be interpreted so that they shock not this their first Principle They tell you indeed of a Relative Adoration but when they explicate what they mean by it it is no more than what our Defender himself must Practise for certainly when he makes an Act of Adoration to God or Jesus Christ he Forms an Idea or Image in his Mind for he will not I suppose say he has at those times the Beatifical Vision but that Image tho' it be only a faint Representative yet is in it's Representative nature one with the Object which it Represents and the Adoration which he pays to God he pays to him as Represented by that Image without making at all times a reflection of the difference betwixt that Image and the Object that it Represents and that Homage which he there pays is Divine Adoration not Absolute to the Idea or Image but Relative in Presence of the Idea to the Object which it Represents And thus say they we may Adore Jesus Christ in Presence of a Material Image neither is there any other
may be given to Creatures and because it has God for it's Ultimate Object for whose sake and upon account of whose Gifts we Honor them yet is it in a Degree Infinitely Inferior to that which we pay to God because the Object which it Regards is Infinitely Inferior to him This Inferior Honor we when we speak in proper terms call Doulia The distination of Latria and Doulia is acknowledged by sober Protestants to have its use Vostus c. nothing hinders them to be taken as no ds of art use to be taken to signifie peculiar conceptions in Christianity Thorndike Epilogue lib. 3. c. 30. pag. 364. for Hyperdoulia signifies nothing but a higher Degree of this Inferior Honor the highest Degree bearing still no proportion to that which we call Latria the one being pay'd to an Infinite increated Object the other to a finite Created Being This Inferior Religious Honor is sometimes also pay'd to Inanimate things §. 7. As in the Old Law to the Ark to Arons Rod c. and now in the New to the Sign of our Redemption to the Bible to the Altar c. If this distinction betwixt Supreme Religious Honor or Worship called Latria and inferior Religious Honor or Worship called Doulia and that which we call Civil do not please him but that he will admit only of the two Extreams and reject that Middle inferior Honor I must ask him what he will call that Honor which was payd to the Ark in the Old Law before which King a 2 Reg. 6. David Danced for the touching of which Oza was slain and the b â— Reg. 6.19 Bethsamites to the Number of 70 Men and 50000 of the Populace for having only looked into it and which was c Psal 98.5 compared with the 1 Paral. 28.2 Commanded by the Royal Prophet to be Adored Nothing of Religion here Nothing of Reverence what will he call that Reverence which God himself Commanded to be done to his Sanctuary Levit. 19.30 Must it not be called Religious Certainly the Church of England as I take it implies at least as much when amongst her Canons she enters this as one That Churches be not profaned Seeing nothing can be profaned but what hath a Religious Respect What will he call that Honor which * Sum Prineâ—pt exercitus Dominl Cecidit Josue pronus in terram Es Adorans alt Josue 5.14 Protestants pay an inferior Religious Honor to mere Creatures Josue paid to the Angel after he had told him that he was only Prince of the Army of the Lord when his own Translation says he fell on his Face to the ground and WORSHIPED I will not urge their Adoration before the Altar nor their Kneeling at the Communion because he will perhaps say they Reverence not the Altar but God and Honor not the Elements of Bread and Wine but Jesus Christ represented by them However tho' they are loath to confess it for fear of giving advantage yet they must needs allow a Religious respect to both seeing I hope he will grant that both the Altar and the Elements may be profaned Is this Respect a Religious Honor or is it only Civil If he cannot for shame say it is only Civil nor dare not say it is Divine he must admit of a Middle sort of Honor which how he will Term I know not if he call it not Religious in an inferior Degree These Notions being Cleared I hope where ever he meets with the Words Worship or Adore he will not immediately judge God or an Idol to be the object of that Cult or that a Sovereign and Divine Honor is meant by those Words but that he will give a right distinction according to the different objects Qui bene distimguit bene decet to which those Words and Actions are Appropriated which if he do I hope I shall easily make him understand our Doctrin in the following Articles What I have here said pag. 90. Clears Maldonat's Expression Cited in the close And as to what he tells us from the Index Expurgatorius that it has ordered these Words that God only is to be Adored and that no Creature is to be Adored to be Blotted out of St. Athanasius and other Authors in which they do occur I wish he had Weighed and Examined well what he Writ For tho' I have not seen the Index Expurgatorius which he mentions In libris autem Catholicorum veterum nihil mutere fas sit nisi ubi aut fraude Haereticorum aut Typographi incurpa manifestius error irrepserit yet I have Consulted the Rules Appointed at the end of the Council of Trent for the Correction of Books and the 4th § de Correctione orders that nothing be Corrected in old Catholic Authors but where a manifest Error has crops in either by the deceit of Heretics or the negligence of the Printers And the Books of Origen and Tertullian c. Si quid autem majoris momenti animadversione dignum accurrerit liceat in novis editiquibus vel ad margines vel in Scholiis adnotare ca inprimis adhibiea diligentis an ex Dodrina locisque collatis ejusdem auctoris sentenlia difficilior illustrari ac mens ejus planius explicari possit which are Printed by Catholics without any Castigations are a plain proof of our Integrity and therefore I doubt not but that our Defender is either out in his Citation or that the word Adore is taken by them in a less strict Sense and only inserted in the Margent or Indexes of St. Athanasius contrary to his Sense and Meaning ART III. Invocation of Saints THis being one of those Points in which as he says he has promised to shew §. 8. that we adore Men and Women by such as Invocation as cannot possibly belong to any but God only and that we make the Merits of our Saints to run Parallel with the Merits of Christ it will be necessary that I shew him wherein his Mistake lyes and the injustice of that Imputation In order to which Prayer Invocation c. are equivocal terms abused by the Defender Epilogue Of the Laws of the Church c. 30. pag. 353. as in the last Article I shewed That the terms of Honor Respect Worship Adoration c. were equivocal so must I here also First premise that the words Prayer Invocation calling upon Address c. are as Mr. Thorndike himself says whose Testimony I all along alledge not so much as the Bishop of Condom says of Mr. Daille to convince them by the Authority of their most Learned Ministers who were never that I heard of censured by their Church as because what he says is in it self evident or may be in spite of our Hearts equivocal that is we may be constrained unless we use that Diligence which common discretion counts superfluous to use the same words in signifying requests made to God and to Man neither are they so proper to God but
As to the Third that of Ephesus S. Prosper tells us it was assembled by the Authority of Pope Celestine and the Industry of Cyril whom he appointed to preside in his place and with his authority And concerning the Fourth that of Chalcedon not to mention the Emperor and his Sister Pulcheria's letter to Pope Leo in order to the calling of it His Legates in the very first Act accused (a) Judicii sui necesse est cum dare rationem quia cum nec personam judicandi haberet subvepsit Synodum ousns est steere sine auihoritate Sedis Apostolicae quod nunquam rite factum est nec fieri lionit Summa Conc. Tem. 1. pag. 246. b. A. Dioscorus Patriarch of Alexandria for calling a Synod without the Authority of the Apostolic See which they say never was rightly done nor was lawful to be done which accusation they would certainly never have brought nor would the Council have admitted of it had they themselves been guilty of the same or if it had not been at that time a constant and known practice that his consent and approbation was necessary according to the Antient Canon and Custom (b) Aug. Epist 91. Athan. Apol. 2. p. 575.1.1 Apud Cons Conc. Yâ—ent §. 45. Secrat l. 2. c. 13. p. 247 C. Soz. l. 3. c. 7. p. 466. F. Nothing is to be determined without the Bishop of Rome Lastly to remove the least scruple in this point it is manifest the Council of Trent was called by the Pope as the Learned Author of the (c) §. 80 c. Considerations of the Council observes after having first had the consent nay after much sollicitation and importunity as (d) Lib. 6. pag. 551. apud Consid Conc. Trid. §. 81. Soave says of the Emperor and all other Christian Princes excepting those that were Protestants and Henry the 8th who being the much less number were either to be concluded by the contrary vote of the rest or else there can never be any General Council hereafter it being evident that seeing Christianity is now divided into so many Sovereign and Independent States and no Heresy can ever need the remedy of a General Council but such as has got the Patronage of some Christian Prince if every such Prince be allowed a negative voice against the rest there will never want some or other whose Extravagances in Religion will make him averse from such Assemblies which he cannot but foresee will Condemn and out-vote his party Soave p. 8.12 Nay moreover it was called by him after the Protestant Princes had declared a great necessity of it and Luther and his Party had appealed to it The Second Exception which the Defender makes against this Council is §. 128. His Second Exception that it was not free answered that it was not free because those who had most to say in the Defence of the Truth durst not appear at Trent being sufficiently forewarned by what others had lately suffered in a like oase at Constance How often has our Author been shewn that this pretence is nul And the Council of Sonstance that of Trent and the whole Catholic Church vindicated from that odious imputation of believing that Faith and Plighted promises were not to be kept with Hereticks Had the Defender perused our Moral Divines as well as Controvertists he would have found it to be a Catholic Doctrin That Faith is as much to be kept to Heretics Insidels Heathens Enemies nay even Subjects in Rebellion Princes having at such times parted with their own Rights as to Catholics themselves in all respects and that no exceptions are made but such as judicious Protestants grant ought to be made even betwixt themselves as where the Faith given was not absolute but conditional and that condition was not performed or if the matter of the Faith Oath or Promise was a thing unlawful to be done either by some Divine or Human Law if in respect of that Human Law it were a Faith given by inferiors and subjects to such Laws How often has he also been shewn §. 128. The Story of John Husse that it is more than Probable that Husse's safe Conduct from the Emperor was either conditional which Conditions were not kept he flying from the Council without leave or at most no other than what was granted by that Council afterwards to Hierom of Prague and upon which he also thought fit to venture himself that is that he should have a safe conduct from violence Justitiâ semper salvâ but not from Justice Seeing neither he nor his adherents who at that time writ the relation of his Death ever claimed the privilege of such a safe Conduct or accused any of the Breach of it How often has it been made manifest haec Sâ—ncta Syne dus Johan Husse attente quod Ecclesia Dei non habecat ultra quid gerere valeat judicio saeculari relinquere ipsum Curiae saeculari relinquendum fore decernit Sess 15. that if any fault was here committed it was by the Secular Power and not the Ecclesiastical for the Church proceeds not to the Sentence of Death but after her having convicted them of Heresy or Schism turns them over as she did Husse to the Secular Power so that if the Secular Power had given him a safe Conduct not only from violence but from the Execution of Justice that Secular Power was to blame to break it but the Church was not concerned in it nor the Council whose safe Conduct he never did demand Neither let the Defender here produce the Councils Decree in the 19 sess to prove that that Council held it lawful to break Faith with Heretics and dispensed with the Emperor in his Duty for that Decree was made after the Execution of Husse and it only pretends that the Emperor by his safe Conduct cannot prejudice the authority of another So that the Ecclesiastical Judge having always an Authority to examin Heretics and proceed against them with the Spiritual Sword The Temporal Authority cannot by giving a safe Conduct deprive her of that Jurisdiction How often has it been shewn that the Delegates of Bohemia who were Hussites about 16 Years after repaired to the Council of Basil upon the fecurity of the Council and the Emperor Sigismond's safe Conduct which they would never have done had they not been convinced that the terms of John Husse and Hierom of Prague's safe Conducts were too narrow to shield them from the execution of Justice tho' it might Secure them from any injury Lastly is it not plain that the Council of Trent gave them a safe Conduct with a non-obstante to the Decree of the Council of Constance and yet notwithstanding all these plain Testimonies have been produced over and over again the Defender moves not one jot from the first Accusation but infinuates it as if it were a known and approved Truth His Third and last Exception is §. 129. His Third Exception against
the number of Italian Bishops answered Chap. 10. §. 167. that those who being present did set themselves to oppose Error and Corruption were perpetually run down and out voted by shoals of new made Bishops sent out of Italy for that purpose This has been answered beyond reply by the Author of the Considerations on the Council of Trent who has not only shewn how naturally it must have followed that more Italian Bishops would be there than of any other Country by reason of the nearness of the place and their not being impeded by National colloquies c. as the Germans were That their presence there cannot be blamed they having all of them Lawful Votes tho' the absence of others might be excused that as the Pope was diligent to send in these so was he earnest to procure a fuller Representative from other Nations and the Council had proceeded to lay heavy Mulcts upon the absent had not the Ambassadors interceded Sâ—ave pig 504.558 559. But he has also shewn from Soave his History That the Italian Bishops were much more addicted to their own Princes in things wherein their Ambassadors craved their assistance than to the Pope and that the Venetian and Florentine Bishops were upon such occasions divided from those of the Papacy That nothing could be passed in the Council if a considerable part contradicted tho' a major part favored it and certainly the Representatives of all other Nations were always esteemed a considerable part so that if the Italians might hinder any thing from being carried by Vote yet could they never of themselves obtain it to be carried That the Pope needed not any such contrivance for the Protestant Controversies in condemning of which Soave confesses the Votes of the whole Council concurred and that * Pag. 282 183. See the unanimous consent of the council as to these following points in Sâ—ave Original sin pig 175.184 Justification p. 223. Confession p. 348. Transubstantiation and Adoration of Christ in the Eucharist p. 324.326 Mass and a Propitiatory Sacrifice p. 544.554.738 Lawfulness and Sufficiency of Communicating under one kind p. 324.325.519 Purgatory Invocation of Saints and Veneration of Images p. 799.803 as to those points like a City Beleagred the Factions among Them ceased and all joyned against the common Enemy And lastly that where the Popes single interest was more nearly concerned he had no such assistance of the greatest part of the Italian Bishops nor the major part of the Council at his command § 168. If then these points being cleared we consider the Exceptions which Arius and his followers with the Socinians at this day make against the Council of Nice and the other condemned parties against the other Three Councils I think I had just reason to ask him whether the Council of Trent was not as General and Free a Council as any of the Four And if such I desire him to remember his promise to allow a much greater deference to it than to a National Church or Council If our Defender think it convenient to go on with his calumnies against this Council I would desire him first to peruse the Considerations of the Council of Trent and not to argue as if nothing had been ever said in defence of it §. 130. The Authority of the Holy See from antient Fathers Exposit Doct. Ch. Engl. pag. 81. As to the Authority of the Holy See he told us he was content to yield him the Bishop of Rome whatsoever Authority the antient Councils of the Primitive Church have acknowledged and the Holy Fathers have always taught the Faithful to give him If he be serious in this I hope he will not refule to say with St. Irenaeus that (a) Ad bancenim Ecclesiam propter potentiorem principalitatem necesse est omnem convenire Ecclesiam S. Iren. lib. 3. advers haer c. 3. it is necessary that every Church should have recourse to that of Rome by reason of its more powerful Principality And will with the same antient Father allow him a Power to (b) Euseb l. 5. Hist c. 23. p. 69. Excommunicate even the Eastern Bishops and much more those sure under the Western Patriarchate With * De Monogamia c. 8. p. 529. Edit Rigaâ—t â—Paris 1664. Tertullian (c) Epist 55. p. 91 Epist 71. ad Quintum Fra trem p. 140. Edit Paris 1648. St. Cyprian (d) Ad ps 131. St. Hilary and generally with all the antient Fathers before the Council of Nice that the Church was built upon St. Peter tho' some of those who lived after the rise of the Arian Heresy added also the Confession of St. Peter that Christ was the Son of the living God as a Fundamental Truth upon which the Church was built With (e) Et tamen Primatum non accepit Andreas sed Petrus Amb. Tom. 5. in crp. 12. Epist 2. ad Corinth St. Ambrose that St. Peter had the Primacy given him tho' St. Andrew was first called And that the (f) Scribo tibiut scias quemodo Ecclesiam ordines quae est domus Dei ut cum totus mundus Dei sit Eclesia tamen demâ—â—s ejus dicatur cujus hodie Redor est Damasus Tom. 5. in cap. 3. Epist 1. ad Tim. Pope is the Governor of the House of God the Church the Pillar and ground of Truth With (g) At dich super Petrum Pundatur â—eâ—â—â—sia licet idipsum in alio loco super omnes Apostolos siat cunlli claves regni Coelorum accipiant ex aequo super cos Ecclesiae fortitudo solidetur tamen propterea inter duodecim unus elagitur ut capite constitute Schismatis tollatur occasio Tom. 2. lib. 1. contra Jovinian c. 14. St. Jerome that even amongst the Apostles a Head was chosen that an occasion of Schism might be taken away (h) Ego nullum primum nisi Christum sequens Beatnudini tuae i. e. Cathedrae Peâ—ri communione consocior Super illam petram aedificatam Ecclesiam scio Quicunque extra hane domum agnum comederit profanus est Si quis in Arca Noe non fuerit peribit regnante diluvio Quicunque â—ecum non colligit spar git Quam brem obtestor Beatitudinem â—uam per Crucifixum per mundi saluâ—em per Homousion Trinitatem at mihi Epistolis tuis five tacendarum sive dicendarum Hypostaseon detur Authoritos Hier. Epist 57. ad Damasum Papam That he following no other Leader but Christ is in Communion with his Holyness that is with the Chair of St. Peter Upon that Rock he knows the Church is built Whosoever Eats the Lamb out of this House is profane Whoever is not in the Ark of Noah shall perish in the Flood That whoever does not gather with him the Bishop of Rome scatters And therefore I hope as he did so will our Defender if he think good to stand to his promise conjure his Holyness by our Crucified Lord c. to give him Authority
how to use or lay aside this word Hypostasis in Explicating the Mystery of the Trinity I may add Transubstantiation in Explicating that of the Eucharist I hope he will with the same Saint glory in being (i) Ego interim clamito Si quis Cathedrae Petri jungitur meus est Ep. 58. ad cund united to the Chair of St. Peter and exhort (k) Et quia vercor i me rumore cognovi in quibusdam adbuo vioere pullulare venenata plantaria illud te pio charita is affectu praemenendum puto ut Sancti Innocentii qui Apostolicae Cathedrae Successor esT teneas Fidem nec peregrinam quantumvis tibi prudens callidaque videaris doctrinam recipias Epist 8. ad Demetriad c. 9. others to do the same With * Deus unus est Christus unus una Ecclasia Cathedra una super Petrum domini vace fundata Altud altare constitui out Sacerdotium novum fieri praeter unum Altare unum Sacerdotium non potest Epist 40. pag. 59. St. Cyprian that there is One God one Christ one Church one Chair founded upon Peter by the word of Christ That the Church of Rome is (l) Post ista adhuc insuper Pseudo Episcopo sibi ab Haereticis Constitute navigare audent ad Petri Caâ—bedram aâ—que ad Ecclefiam principalem unde unitas Sacerdotalis exoria est a Schismaticis profanis literas ferre nec cogitare cos esse Romanos quorum fides Apostolo praedicante laudata est ad quos persidia habere non possit accessum Epist 55. ad Cornelium pag. 95. the Chair of St. Peter the Principal Church from whence Priestly Vnity had its rise and that Perfidiousness can have no access to the Romans And that (m) Neque enim aliunde haereses obortae sunt aut nata sunt Schismata quam inde quod Sacerdoti Dei non obtemperatur Nee unus in Ecclesia ad tempus Sacerdos ad tempus judex vice Christi cogitratur cui si secundum magisteria divina obtemperaret fraternitas universa nemo discidio unita is Christi Ecclesiam scinderet Nemo sibi placens ac tumens seorsum foris haeresim novam conderet c. Ibid. pag. 90. Heresies and Schisms would never arise in the Church if the whole Fraternity paid obedience due to one Priest one Judge Christs Vice-gerent according to Divine Ordinances This for the Fathers §. 131. many more of whose Testimonies I might haye brought but that a Volume might be written of them As for the Antient Councils I shall name two or three of their expressions hoping the Defender will be as good as his word The Council of Nice according to the Arabian Canons plainly testifies that * Sicque praeest Patriarcha iis omnibus qui sub potestate eâ—us sunt sicut ille qui tenet sedem Romae caput est Princeps omnium Patriarcharum Quandoquidem ille est Primus sicut Petrus eui data est potestas in omnes Principes Christianos omnes populos corum ut qui sic vicariue Christi Domini nostri super cunctos populos cunctam Ecclesiam Christianam Et quicunque contradixerit a Synedo excommunicatur Bin. Tom. 1. Conc. f. 416. c. 1. C. Patriarchs are over Arch-Bishops and Bishops as the Pope is the head and Prince of all Patriarchs and calls him the Vicar of Christ over all People and the whole Christian Church and Excommunicates all those who shall contradict it And tho' this be not found amongst the ordinary Canons yet is it manifest that this Council did acknowledge not only a Primacy of Order but of Jurisdiction also For (a) See Bin. Tom. 8. Conc. pag. 715 c. 1. C. St Athanasius having found that the Arians had Corrupted all the Greek Copies of the Canons of that Council sent to Rome to obtain a true Copy of them And the Pope who was not willing to send him the Originals sent him Authentic Copies of such Canons as were necessary for his Defence amongst which Pope Liberius sent him one acknowledging the Privilege of Appeals to the See of Rome by which this Holy Father defended his cause against the Arian Synod of Antioch which had Excommunicated him and from whence he had appealed to the See of Rome And (b) Quas praevidentes Sancti Patres insidias illiciâ—â—s al ercationes unanimiter in praedida Nicena Statuerunt Synodo ut nullus Episcopus nisi in Legitima Synodo suo tempore Apostolica authoritate convocata super quibusdam criminationibus publisatus audiatur i. c. judicetur vel damnetur Sin aliter presumptum a quibusdam fuerit in vanum deducatur quod egerint nec inter Ecclesiastica ullo modo reputabitur Ipsi vero primae sedis Ecclesiae convocandarum generalium Synodorum jura judiâ—ia Episcoporum singulari privilegio Evangelicis Apostolicis atque Canonicis concessa sunt instnutis quia semper majores causae ad sedem Apostolicam mulis authoritatibus referri praecepta sunt Nec ullo modo potest major a minore judicari Ipsa namque omnibus major praelata est Ecclesiis quae non solummodo Canonum Sanctoram Patrum decretis sed Domini Salvatoris nostri vece singularem obtinuit Principatum Tu es inquit Petrus c. Et quaecunque ligaveris c. Porro duâ—um a Sanctis Apestolis successoribusque corum in praefatis antiquis decretum fuerat statutis quae hactenus Sancta universalis Apostolica tenet Ecclesia non oportere praeter sentemiam Romani Ponificis Concilia celebrari nec Episcopum damnari quoniam Sanctam Romanam Ecclesiam Primatem omium Ecclesiarum esse voluerunt Ein Tom. 1. Conc. pag. 475. c. 2. B. Pope Julius is thought to have Writ an increpatory Epistle to the Eastern Bishops shewing them from the Council of Nice That it belonged only to the Bishop of Rome to call a General Council and to Judge Bishops Neither were such Councils to be celebrated nor Bishops condemned without the Sentence of the Bishop of Rome That this Authority of the Roman See was not only granted by Evangelical Apostolical and Canonical Institutions but even by the voice of our Blessed Saviour himself and that this was a thing known from the Apostles times I doubt not but that our Defender as those of his party do usually in these cases will call the Authenticness of this Epistle in question but at least he cannot deny the second Apology of St. Athanasius nor that appeals were made long before this time to the See of Rome nor that the Council of (c) Câ—n. 3 4 5. Bin. Tem. 1. Conc. p. 527. Sardica whose Canons were sometimes cited for those of Nice as only seconding what had been there once confirmed allowed of them and appointed that in case of such Appeals no Bishop should be placed in the See of the deposed Bishop till the Pope had given Sentence which had
proved § 14. By Confession of Protestants By the Testimony of the Fourth Age. Of the Fourth General Council Of Origen and St. Methodius The Defenders affected misapplication of the word Prayer § 15. No Scripture against the Invocation of Saints § 16. Catholics imitate the Scripture Phrase § 17. The word Merit Equivocal and often misapplied by the Defender § 18. The use of it in our Prayers conformable to the Language of Holy Writ Ib. ARTICLE IV. Images and Relics pag. 25. I. THE benefit of Images § 19. 1. To inform the Ignorant 2. To encrease Devotion 3. To persuade to a good Life 4. A Holy Imitation 5. To encrease our Reverence and Respect II. No danger of Idolatry now from the use of Images § 20. From the Nature of Christianity and The Nature of Idolatry § 21. III. Objections Answered § 22. 1. From St. Thomas of Aquin. § 23. 2. The Pontifical § 24. The Use of Incense and Holy-water very Antient. 3. Good-Fryday Office. § 25. 4. The Churches Hymns § 26. Of Relics §. 27. We Pray not to them nor to Monuments Ib. The Defender renders the Councils expression falsely We Honor them and Images as Sacred Utensils § 28. ARTICLE V. pag. 45. Of Justification §. 29. THE Catholic Church falsely accused Ib. Justification and Sanctification § 30. Our Justification is Gratis § 31. ARTICLE VI. Of Merits pag. 49. SCholastic Niceties to be avoided § 32. The Churches Doctrin ART VII Sect. 1. pag. 52. Of Satisfactions §. 34. NO Satisfaction without the Grace of God and Merits of Christ Ib. Protestants grant more Efficacy to a Lord have mercy upon us than Catholics to a Plenary Indulgence § 35. We believe or we suppose ought not to be an Argument against our Possession § 36. SECTION II. Of Indulgences pag. 55. COuncils have redressed the Abuses in them § 37. We defend not Practices which are neither Necessarily nor universally received Ibid. Our necessary Tenets § 38. No buying or selling of Indulgences § 39. Protestant Indulgences sold in the Spiritual Court. Ib. They give greater Power to a Simple Minister than Catholics as Catholics give to the Pope § 40. What a Jubilee is § 41. SECTION III. Purgatory pag. 59. PRov'd by two General Councils which proof comprehends Scripture Fathers Tradition and Universal Practice § 42. No Fathers nor Scripture against it Ib. PART II. ARTICLE VIII pag. 60. Of the Sacraments in General §. 43. ARTICLE IX Of Baptism Ibid. LVtherans and those of the Church of England hold Baptism absolutely necessary § 44. Whether Children dying without it have any part in Christ Ib. The Calvinists oppose this necessity § 45. The Defender mistakes the Bishop of Condom and the Argument Ib. ARTICLE X. Of Confirmation pag. 63. PRoved by Fathers and Scripture § 46. 47. The Ceremonies Explicated § 48. ARTICLE XI pag. 67. Of Pennance §. 49. THe Church of England wishes it were re-established § 50. ARTICLE XII Of Extream Unction pag. 70. THe Defender mistakes the Question § 51. This Sacrament has a respect to Bodily cures § 52. Sanctifying Grace assistance against Temptations and Remission of sins are the Primary effects proved from the Antient Rituals § 53. The words of St. James Evince it § 54. ARTICLE XIII Of Marriage pag. 75. THe Bishop of Meaux and the Defender agreed We demand no more and yet new Cavils must be raised § 55. Lombard do's not deny Grace to be given in it § 56. If Durandus did he is often singular Ib. The Fathers in the time of the first four General Councils acknowledge it to be a Sacrament § 57. Marriage is grown contemptible in England since it was denied to be a Sacrament § 58. It is proved to be a Sacrament from St. Paul and by the Universal Tradition both of the Greek and Latin Church § 59. Not necessary for every one § 60. ARTICLE XIV Of Holy Orders pag. 80. THe Defender allowed it to be a Particular Sacrament § 61. His new Evasions Answered § 62. ARTICLE XV. XVI XVII XVIII Of the Eucharist pag. 83. TWo hundred several Senses put upon these four words hoc est Corpus meum Catholics follow the beaten Road Protestants by-paths § 63. SECTION I. pag. 84. Ours and our Adversaries Tenets §. 64. CHrist must be either really or only figuratively present in the Sacrament Ib. He may be really present after different manners § 65. All agree that he is Morally present in the Sacrament Ib. Catholics and Lutherans agree that he is Really Present but not after a Natural manner § 66. The Zuinglians c. say he is only Figuratively present Ib. Calvinists and the Church of England would gladly hold a middle way § 67. 68. The Church of England has altered her Doctrin since King James the firsts time § 69. The Roman Catholic Doctrin § 70. Three manners of Real Presence § 71. SECTION II. Some Reasons for our Doctrin pag. 89. ALL the proofs for an Article of Faith concur for this § 72. SECTION III. pag. 92. Objections Answered §. 73. Objections from Scripture The first The words of the Institute § 74. 75. The second The custom of the Jews § 76. The third From it's being called Bread after Consecration § 77. Fathers and School-men § 84. 1. From St. Chrystoms Epistle to Cesarius § 78. c. 2. Lombard § 86. 3. Scotus § 87. 4. Suarez § 88. 5. Cajetan § 89. Adoration of the Host § 90. This Adoration shewn to be very Antient and taught long before the time prefixed by the Defender § 96. c. 1. The Scripture commands it not Answered § 93. 2. The Elevation of the Host now Answered § 94. 3. Several Practices of the Antients inconsistent with the Adoration of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament Answered § 95. ARTICLE XIX XX XXI pag. 123. Of the Sacrifice of the Mass §. 99. WHat a Sacrifice is The Essence of a Sacrifice consists not in slaying the Victim § 100. Four things required to a Sacrifice all which concur in the Eucharist Ibid. ARTICLE XXII Communion under both Species pag. 127. THe Vindicators Arguments shewn to be neither false unreasonable nor frivolous § 102. PART III. ARTICLE XXIII pag. 129. Of the Written and unwritten word §. 103. HOw to know Apostolic Traditions § 103. 104. The Nature of such Traditions § 104. The Present Church in every Age is the best Judge Proved Ib. The nature of Error with the rise and progress of it § 105. The Defenders Arguments against this Judge of Tradition answered § 106. 1. Objection Ib. 2. Objection § 107. ARTICLE XXIV XXV pag. 136. Of the Authority of the Church §. 108. THe Defenders Concessions Ib. His Exceptions Examined § 109. First Exception that the Church of Rome is only a particular Church Answered Ib. His second and third Exceptions Null § 110. The Church of Rome is truly Orthodox and all Orthodox Churches have all along Communicated with her § 110. 111. That Church alone which is in Communion with the Bishop of Rome is the True Church proved § 112. 113. His fourth Exception maintains all Dissenters from a Church § 114. 115. His first Postulatum answered § 116. His second answered § 117. What are necessary Articles of Faith. § 118. Scripture Interpreted by Private Reason cannot be our Rule of Faith. § 119. Nor by the Private Spirit § 120. But by the Catholic Church § 121. His Instance from St. Athanasius answered § 122. The True History of Pope Liberius and the Council of Ariminum § 123. 124. ARTICLE XXV pag. 158. Of the Authority of the Holy See and of Episcopacy §. 125. THe Council of Trent Vindicated § 126 c. His first Exception that it was not General answered Ib. The first four General Councils called by the Pope § 127. His second Exception that it was not free answered and the Story of John Husse shewn to be misrepresented § 128. His third Exception against the number of Italian Bishops answered § 129. The Authority of the Holy See. §. 130. From Antient Fathers Ib. From Councils § 131. Nothing Antiently was to be determined without the concurence of the Apostolic See. Ib. The Close to the Defender §. 132. THe Defenders obligation to make Satisfaction to the Church § 132. The Obligation he has laid upon himself by accusing the Roman Catholic Church of Idolatry § 144. The danger he is in by being separated from her Communion § 133. The advantages he is deprived of by being out of the Church § 136. To be added pag. 30. line 14. BVt this is the Language of our Defender The Opinions of the most Learned Doctors tho' esteemed such by his own Party are called Reveries Des pag. 16. The Pious and significant Ceremonies of the Church tho' imitated in their own Assemblies Ib. pag. 18.19 are termed Magical Incantations The Rhetorical Expressions of the Greatest Saints if they thwart his Notions must pass for Horrid Blasphemies St. Thomas heretofore Styled the Angelic Doctor is by a dash of our Defenders Metamorphosing Pen Appendix â—â—â— 110. turn'd Raver St. Germain St. Anselme the Devour St. Bernard the Abbot of Celles St. Antonine and St. Bernarâ—â—â—no Horrid Blasphemers And Christs Holy Catholic Church Idolatrous and guilty of Magical Incantations And yet we must remember that he who Writes this is a Scholar and a Christian nay one who Writes nothing but peaceable Expositions with all the Kindness 〈…〉 85. Charity and Moderation imaginable FINIS