the contrary saying That because there was no King in Israel everyone went severall ways doing what was good in his own eyes So that by the Doctours way of proceeding one would almost believe that his meaning was that our Saviour had no intention that his Church should be one and consequently that Generall Councills which took great paines to procure Vnity transgressed therein our Saviours order 103. But all Protestants are not of the Doctours mind for though they generally make Scripture not only the Rule but judge also of Faith when controverted Yet they do not so neglect Vnity but that they profess a willingnes to submit their judgments for the sence of Scripture to a Lawfull generall Councill This the Doctour cannot doe now that he has sett forth his Principles unless he will confess the foundation of his Protestant Religion to be unsound He might well enough have done it before whilst he was a Defender of Archbishop Lawd but now it appears that the Archbishops Principles and his are not the same nor probably ever were and I doe assure my self that if the Archbishop were alive none could be more ready to condemn them 104. Other Protestants therefore refuse not submission to Councells as may appear by their confident demanding them For Gesner speaking in their name thus writes We with the loudest voice we can cry out again and again and with all our power we humbly and earnestly beg of Christian Kings and Emperours that a free Christian and Lawfull Councill may be convâ—ked in which the Scripture may be permitted to be the Iudge of Controversies And our Countreyman Sutcliff confidently cryes out that Catholicks are afraid of Councills Yet all the world sees that if a Lawfull Generall Councill were called according to the order of all past lawfull Councills even those received by Protestants they must necessarily be condemned 105. This some others more wise then these loud Sollicitours for Councills saw and therefore when a Councill was ready to be called they providing for themselves would not permit any Point to be decided by Catholick Bishops alone but euery Minister yea Lay-men must have votes in them and a plurality of Suffrages was not to prevayle but an equall number on both sides must dispute and Lay Judges decide that is declared Hereticks must enioy greater Priviledges then Catholicks and instead of a Councill there must be an Assembly of wild beasts consulting to establish Unity in Gods Church which it seems was only to be procured by confusion and not by Order Therefore a certain Lutheran said well of Calvinists calling for a Lawfull Councill that they did imitate a well known Buffon calld Marcolphus who was wont to say That after all his search he could never find a fitt tree upon which he could willingly be content to be hanged Such a tree would a Legitimate Councill prove to the Doctours Principled Protestants 106. Yet there is one expedient for producing Unity which the Doctour may doe well to advise upon for if it take it will certainly have that effect even the Quakers themselves and Fifth Monarchists will not refuse to be of the Doctours Church if they be not already Nay which is more the Catholicks will come in too This is no invention of mine but was many years since suggested by one of the Doctours Protestants Robert Robertson an English Anabaptist of Amsterdam This surely well meaning man perceiving how litle success Scripture alone had to vnite Sects agreeing only in opposing Popery in the year sixteen hundred and two printed a Book in Holland in which he proposed to them all this means of Vnity viz. That they should all ioyn in a common Petition to the States to give them leave to assemble themselves in some Town or field and there each Sect severally to pray to God one after another that he would shew some evident Miracle for decision of their Controversies and declaring which among them had the Truth which he supposed vndoubtedly was not among Catholicks And to the end the Devill might not enter in and deceive them with a false Miracle the man told them he had thought of one allowed by Scripture and which he was sure the Devill could not work namely to make the Sun stand still for a certain considerable time not doubting but that God of his great Goodnes would not refuse to condescend to the Petition of such devout servants of his in a matter so iust and necessary 107. I suppose the Doctour will not deny this design if succesfull to be a most powerfull and unfaileable Mean of producing Vnity which his Principles have utterly destroyed and rendred impossible if not unlawfull And let him with all his wit and invention devise any other more probable since the Catholick Churches Authority is reiected by him and them 108. Notwithstanding all this the Doctour according to his custom and nature is confident that he has demonstrated that the Church of Rome can have no advantage in Point of Vnity above his medley Church Now to the end any impartiall Reader may be a competent Judge between us I will briefly set down the Instruments and Means of Vnity left by our Lord to his Church to 〈◊〉 end the Truth of this Article of our Faith I believe one Catholick Church may remain to the worlds end unalterable 1. Catholicks do ground their Faith on Gods revealed Will in Scripture interpreted by Tradition 2. They believe that God according to his Promise will lead and preserve his Church in all necessary Truth or in the true sense of Scripture 3. That for this purpose he foreseeing that Heresies and Schisms grounded on a false sense of Scripture would in after times come has established in his Church an unfaileable succession of Teachers of his Truth with whom he will continue till the worlds end 4. It is his Will and Command that all Christians should obey these Teachers who are to give an account of their soules 5. These Teachers constitute the Churches Hierarchy 6. The Vniversall Church is represented by these Teachers assembled in a Lawfull Generall Councill 7. Such a Councill therefore is the Supreme Tribunall of the Church from whose Decisions there must be no Appeale 8. But because the difficulties of making such Assemblies are extreamly great therefore it is necessary there should be a standing Authority with power to prevent Heresies and Schisms in the intervalls of Councills arising and disturbing the Church 9. This ordinary Authority is established in the Supreme Pastour the Bishop of Rome 10. His Iurisdiction therefore as to such an end extends it self to the whole Church and is exercised in taking care that the Ordinances of Generall Councills be not by any transgressed and also in case any Heresies arise or that any Controversies in Causis Majoribus can not be otherwise ended either to determine the Points of Catholick Truth opposed or at least to impose Silence upon disputants and Litigants till he can assemble a
Martyr whose Relicks lay there so to be helped with our Lord by his Intercession where it may be observed that S. Augustin both allows Praying to the Martyr in the behalf of such Deceased and supposes the Martyrs hearing such Prayers But withall the Father tells them that should some Deceased not have the happines to be buried in such a Holyplace others are not therefore to neglect their Supplications for such because not so minded of them as of others when they goe to the Memoriall of the Martyr And then comes to our very case that howeuer such soules may want Kindred or freinds to remember them as the other hath yet the Common prayers of the Church pro defunctis are without naming any particular persons offred vp for them His words are Adsupplicationes faciendas pro omnibus in Christianâ Catholica Societate defunctis etiam tacitis nominibus quorumcumque sub generali commemoratione suscepit Ecclesia Vt quibus ad ista desunt Parentes aut Filij aut quicunque cognati velamici ab vna eis exhibeantur pia matre Communi §. 10. Of Indulgences 141. BUt toward the latter end of his Book treating of Indulgences the Doctour alledges a practise in the Church which these Catholicks who pretend to iustify it will J belieue find very great difficulty in answering the Doctours proofs that it is really a hindrance of the care of a good life If any therefore do find harm by relying vpon such a Practise they may thank themselues they voluntarily and without any obligation procure such harm to themselues The Councill of Trent in its decision of this Point of Indulgences expressly Condemns a too frequent vse of them as enervating Ecclesiasticall Discipline and desirous to correct all scandalous abuses crept in them ordains an vtter abolishment of all vnlawfull gain for the obtaining of them enioyning likewise all Bishops in their Provinciall Synods to take care that the Benefit of Indulgences may be dispensed piously holily and without corruption to the people 142. Now if after such solicitude shewed by the Councill all abuses doe not yet cease this must be imputed to humane frailty and corruption and to the erroneous Doctrin of some Schoolmen or rather some passages of them singled out from the context and stript from the necessary circumstances and so misapplied whereby the power of the Donour of them is extended without its certain limitts and a vertue attributed to them far exceeding that which the present Church acknowledges in them 143. This seems plainly to appeare by the words of the Councill declaring That since a Power of conferring Indulgences hath been giuen by Christ to his Church which from the most ancient times hath exercised this Power diuinely granted to her Therefore the Holy Synod doth teach and command the vse of Indulgences to be retained in the Church as very healthfull to Christian people and approved by the authority of Holy Councills 144. From this Declaration of the Councill the Doctour truly says that some Catholick Writers do make this Deduction That Indulgences are only a relaxation of the ancient Severity of Church Disciplin according to the old Penitentiall Canons Which Deduction seems the lesse irrationall since the Indulgences inserted by the Councill are the same which from the most ancient times have been exercised by the Church And such an vse of Indulgences if the Doctour refuse to the Catholick Church he dares not to his own Since he cannot deny but that in the Spirituall Courts the Iudges assume a power either to qualify Corporall punishments imposed by the Laws and Canons on Speciall sins or commuting them into Pecuniary But I must add one thing that euen these Indulgences may be said to extend their vertue till after death Since it is certain that being duly administred and taking away the obligation to the Seuerity of the Penitential Canons they doe consequently abate the Suffrings after death which otherwise the Penitent was to vndergoe having neglected to make Satisfaction in this life In a word Catholicks are taught that Indulgences are beneficiall to none but those that are already in the state of Grace And that Remission of Penalty only and not sin is conceded by them Likewise that they relate to Purgatory only not to Hell And lastly by the form of them it appears that the vertue of them after death is only per modum Suffragij 145. As touching the Doctours Questions concerning Indulgences if he expect an Answer to them he must goe into some of our Catholick Schooles where he will not faile to receiue Solutions to them all if they were twice as many but I dare not assure him that these Solutions will give him Satisfaction For my part I have nothing to say about them nor I am sure any other Catholicks as a Catholick Neither doe I belieue that euer any Protestant Controvertist wrote a Volume against the Catholick Church of which not near a tenth part did in any sort concern her and such a Book the Doctour certainly knows his to be and by consequence every ingenious prudent Reader will easily discouer from how poysonous a heart it issued and to how vnchristian an end it was directed §. 11. Of the Churches Liturgy in a tongue not generally understood 146. ANother Practise in the Catholick Church there is which the Doctour esteems a notable hindrance to Piety which is the Publick Ecclesiasticall Office being in a Tongue vnder stood by few This he will not allow to be a matter of Discipline only and consequently in the Churches power to alter Because the Churches power is only to edification for a power beyond that the Apostles themselues never challenged Now it is manifest saith he that S. Paul judges Praying or Preaching in an vnknown tongue not to be of edification 147. Notwithstanding with the Doctours favour his allegations doe not proue the mater not to be of Discipline meerly For the Case stands thus It was far from being the Churches Primary intention that the publick Office should be in a tongue not vnderstood by the people for it was at first composed in the language generally Spoken and vnderstood through Europe But that Language being changed by a mixture of the Dialects of seuerall barbarous nations she thought it not prudent that the publick Service of God composed with great care and exactnes should be exposed in euery Nation to vnsskillfull Translatours and every age to be varied as Dialects did alter it not being in her power to examine all Translations after every new Edition And the same judgmēt the most ancient most extended Churches in the East had all which in a manner do to this day retain their ancient Liturgies now not vnderstood by the Common ignorant people 148. Notwithstanding to repair as much as may be this incommodity the Roman Church at least has taken great care in her Councills that the people in all Nations should be furnished with
FANATICISM Fanatically imputed to the CATHOLICK CHURCH by DOCTOUR STILLINGFLEET And The Imputation refuted and retorted by S. C. a Catholick O. S. B. Psalm LXXI 4. Iudicabit pauperes populi humiliabit calumniatorem Proverb XXVI 18 19. As a madman vvho casteth fire-brands arrovvs and death So is the man that vvrongeth his neighbour and saith Am not I in Sport M.DC.LXXII Permissu Superiorum TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR MARC-ALBERT D'OGNATE KNIGHT Counsellour to his Catholick Majesty Commissary for Renevving of Magistrats in the Province of Flanders President of the Chamber of Commerce and Navigation and Envoyé from the King of Spain to his Majesty of Great Brittain SIR It had been to be vvished that vve might have concealed from Strangers the Stains of our Nation and that they might remain ignorant that neither Fidelity to our Prince nor Charity to our fellovv-Subjects can secure Catholicks from the vvorst effects of vvar in the midst of Peace such is the Virulence of one malignant Party vvho though they enioy their lives by an unmerited Pardon of their Rebellion vvill never pardon us for our Loyalty In most Countreyes of Europe there are agitated dayly Disputes and Controversies about Religion and in Books on each side ordinarily some sharpness is mingled But in England our Lott must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vve are forced to contend vvith Adversaries vvhose minds by our late Tumults are rendred savage and implacable They to spite us resume a Nevv vvar against Heaven it self deriding and blaspheming the Saints in Glory And against Gods Church on earth they frame Accusations never heard of before making her greatest Vertues passe for the directly opposite greatest Crimes The most Saintly Exercises of Persons among us consecrated to God and entirely subiect to Authority are disgracefully stiled Fanaticism Because vve vvill not be chusers each one of his ovvn Faith vve are accused to have an Enthusiastick vvay of Religion vvee exercise Charity to our Freinds Deceased and that is called an Impediment of Deuotion vve teach as our Saviour did that the vvay to Heaven is strait and consequently that to enter into it vve must practise Confession of Sins Pennances Mortifications Praying Fasting Alms-giving c. and for this vve are charged to be Hinderers of Piety and a Good Life Our acknovvledging an Authority in Gods Church to end Controversies is called an effectuall Mean to multiply them If out of Compassion to persons guilty of Schism and out of a tender love to Vnity any one among us strains his vvitts to persvvade our Adversaries that the distance betvveen us is not so vast as some of them seem vvilling to conceive his recompense must be contemptuous revilings No Pagans or Cannibals must be esteemed so blindly so horribly I dolatrous No Quakers so ridiculously Frantick No Fifth-Monarchists so dangerous both to Church and State These enormous Excesses vvich have been lately exposed to the vvorld in a Stile partly Burlesque and partly Tragicall vvere never heard of in any other Nation but England and only of late in England and I hope for the credit of our Nation are not taken notice of by many Strangers living here and thereby less in danger to be published abroad But from you SIR they could not be concealed since your zeal to Catholick Religion makes you inquisitive into all things that concern it and your perfect knovvledge in our Language renders all our BOOKS as intelligible to you as if vvritten in your ovvn My hope novv is that you being vvell acquainted vvith the present Temper of our Nation vvill judge aright that a Book vvritten in such a Stile and vvholly composed of malignant Passions and nevv-invented Calumnies against Gods Church vvas only the private Design of a malicious Brain on purpose to feed the exulcerated minds of a malevolent Party among us and consequently not to be imputed to any other besides The affection you bear to our Nation from vvhich you are not quite even in blood a Stranger encourages mee to expect thus much iustice from you As for my self I being I hope not the only person engaged in the defence of Truth and Innocence against Malice and Calumny am desirous to address to you this my Ansvver as a Testimony of my gratefull resentment of the favour and honour you have been pleased to conferr generously on mee in allovving mee a share in your freindship the comfortable effects vvhereof have likevvise been extended to an afflicted Community abroad recommended by mee to your Protection But besides this a far greater obligation both my self and all loyall English Subjects have to honour you for your constant respect duty and assistance vvhich you have allvvayes vvith great zeale shevved to his Sacred Majesty and his cause vvhen he vvas inhumanly treated by the same Party vvhich novv so inhumanly treats his Faithfull Catholick Subjects In vvhich fatall Conjuncture also his banished freinds and servants found in your house Hospitality and kindness vvhich vvith them had been banished out of England I beseech you SIR accept this Address as a gage of gratitude honour and respect from SIR Your devoted Servant in our Lord. S. C. To the Reader THE report is very current that Doctour Stillingfleet wonders and even complains that having made a generall formall Challenge to Catholicks to come openly into the field against him being ready with weapons in his hand he cannot yet have the contentment to give further proof of his Skill and courage against them But surely it is not for the Doctors credit to make such a Complaint when the world knows how all passages into the field are stoppd and even walled up I will not say by himself yet at least by his Partizans how Stationers apprehend greater danger in publishing Answers to his Book then any Books of Sedition or Treason and how during the space of a few months since his last Book saw the light Searches into Presses have been more sollicitously exact and more frequent dayly and hourly then they have been all the years taken together since his Majesties Restauration Inquisitors searching into every hole turning over every small paper and rigorously examining both Maisters and Servants whether any thing has been written against Doctour Stillingfleet How securely now may the Doctor triumph and as oft as he pleases multiply his Challenges of Defiance against Catholick Adversaries so bound hand and foot and at how cheap a rate has he gotten from Tradesmen and Gossips immortall honour by a Book then which England never to this day saw any one pretending to Controversy more harmless to the Church he professes to oppose nor more destructive to the Church he professes to defend Now whether this be not a true Character of it I do willingly and confidently stand to the judgment of any learned and considering Protestant Reader who shall think fit to peruse the following Treatise Notwithstanding it cannot be denyed but that the Doctor has used a wonderfull dexterity in mannaging this Controversy
scorns or calumnies when merited only for recommending to devout Christians instructions for the practise of Christian Vertues and Piety in the greatest perfection that this life is capable of His Motiues therefore of writing and publishing this Discourse were first his Obedience to certain freinds whose commands he ought in no wise to resist And then a just Indignation in seeing the most Sacred things and Persons in the Catholick Church selected on purpose by him to be contaminated with his inck full of gall and poyson thereby imprudently ministring new aims to Atheists against whom as a considerable and growing Sect among them he and others begin to preach and write by shewing to his utmost ability that all the Religion professed in the world and that thing that bare the name of a Catholick Church for so many Ages before the times of Luther and Calvin was nothing for their Worship but Idolatry for their Devotions but Fanaticism and for their Doctrine and Disciplin nothing but Faction Ambition and Avarice 2. The task therefore here imposed being to answer in the Doctours last Book not the Points of Controversy between the Catholick Church and Protestants reserved for a more learned pen of his worthy Antagonist but those discourses in his Book and principally touching Fanaticism in which the Doctour seems not to have intended to employ his Talent of Reasoning but to discharge his excess of Spleen and choler and to give free scope to all Vnchristian and even in human Passions the Authour hopes he shall not deserve justly a Censure from the Reader if he endeavour here to defend the Truth with as much zeal and confidence as his Adversary hath assaulted it So long as nothing passeth from him that any way woundeth Christian Charity nor any sharpness is used but such as may through Gods Grace prove beneficiall to him and his applauding Readers 3. Now in the Doctours Book there are three Heads of Accusation selected by him with intention to disgrace and fright his Readers from the Communion of the Catholick Church by imputing to her 1. That she is guilty of Severall Opinions and Practises which hinder Devotion and a good life 2. That Fanaticism is not only countenanced by her but made a ground of believing some Doctrins of making some Ecclesiasticall Ordonnanes of erecting Religious Orders and â—kewise of resisting lawfull Authority 3. That there are among her Subiects Divisions about Doctrins of great moment and no possibility of reducing dissenting Parties to Vnity or Obedience 4. These Accusations my purpose is to refute and for his Proofs of them to shew the invalidity of those which are pretended by him to regard the Church her self But as for such as regard the Opinions or Actions of particular persons and which fill up the far greatest number of his leaves some thing shall be said to those among them which seem of any considerable moment and the rest shall be neglected as needing no Answer though never so truly alledged by him And having done this I will as I am perswaded with much greater confidence retort the same Heads of his Accusations upon himself demonstrating that his Protestant Churches as principled by him 1. doe evidently undermine the foundations of Piety and a Good life 2. That the Essence of his Religion is meer Fanaticism in his own sence of the Word and that it iustifies Rebellion against the Civill Magistrate 3. That by the Grounds of his Religion all manner of Divisions and Schims are not only excusable but lawfull and withall incurable 5. He will perhaps when he sees his large Book pretended to be sufficiently answered in a few sheets of paper renew the scornfull complaint made by him in his Preface That those who in some small measure have attempted to answer him have performed it in a way that Ratts answer Books by gnawing some of the leaves of them the Body and Design of them remaining wholly untouched by them Now who those persons are whom he is pleased to resemble to Ratts I can only iudge by guess and if I guess aright particularly of one Authour I could make it appear to the Doctour that the very bowells and most Vitall parts of his great Volume have been eaten through and consumed by that his Adversary 6. However I conceive he wil not have iust reason to apply this Metaphor to the Authour of this present Treatise since it was his own fault by heaping together a great Masse of rubbage and stuff altogether impertinent to make a short Answer sufficient Does he think his Adversaries in case they were allowed the liberty and commodity of publishing large Volumes so much at leasure as to follow him step by step in examining Quotations and answering Obiections which are of no moment whether they be true or false He may by such a way of writing beget in the minds of the vulgar sort of Readers a high Opinion of the Vastnes of his unnecessary reading and his well-furnished Library but his Adversaries will be much to blame if they trouble themsselves with defending every Old Story or personall imputations or indeed if hereafter they engage themselves in any Controversy with him except in Points pretended by him of such consequence as to iustify a necessity in Protestants of separating from the Catholick Church And few such Points are to be found in his Books 7. But moreover as short an Answer as this is he wil have less reason to say That the Body and Design of his Book will remain wholly untouched in it He may indeed perhaps have some ill Design in publishing as it were by conspiracy with others a Book so voyd of Christian Charity and moderation Which Design may remain untouched by mee because I am unwilling to declare the grounds of my coniectures moving me to look upon it as an Ominous ill-boading Book fore-running some expected mischeif But for the Body of his Book that is whatsoever appears to me in it of consequence it is truly a very slender dwarfish Body being almost entirely contained in a few sheets at the beginning and in the last single sheet which enwraps his Protestant Principles The publishing of which Principles was truly an act of commendable ingenuity and confidence also For I think he is the first Protestant-Controvertist who upou such a tender Subiect has appeared bare-faced out of the Clouds And moreover I may take leave to tell him that from a heedfull consideration of those his Principles I do collect that He and myself are of the same iudgment in one matter of great importance viz. That no shew of Reason or conscience can be pretended to escape from the Authority of the Catholick Church but by renouncing entirely as he has done in his Principles all Ecclesiasticall or even Civill Authority and by consequence that no Churches proceed Logically in asserting the grounds of their Religion but only Catholicks or Single-Independents The reason hereof is Because for any Ecclesiasticall Superiours to acknowledge any
obligation lying on thers Subiects to submitt to their Authority and at the same time to preferr the Authority of a particular Church before that of the Vniversall which is the fountain of all Authority is to putt out their Subiects eyes and to hale them after them with chains And above all other Congregations the Tyranny of Presbyterians is most brutish who after a denyall of all Visible Authority extant before them endeavour violently to subdue mens consciences to the Jurisdiction of their Classes erected upon controverted Texts of Scripture as interpreted by themselves alone 8. The Doctours Principles therefore being by far the most materiall Part of his Book it is not notwithstanding my business in this Treatise to examine them apart one by one or to trouble my self with making a setled Iudgment whether of the two fore-named Parties Catholicks or Independents has the most solid reasons on their side For being engaged to make Reflexions on that part of his Book which is of least importance writen in an immodest uncivill petulant stile it was not fitt in my Answer to mingle considerations on a Subiect so serious and soberly expressed as his Principles are which indeed deserve to be examined separately with all possible calmness and impassionateness as being an Argument on which all other Controversies do depend and which one way or other makes an end of them all 9. Yet for all this it was not possible for me to avoyd all mention of his Principles in this Answer to a different Subiect since as hath been already intimated and will be seen by the Sequele whatsoever Charge he brings against the Catholick Church and which I pretend here to refute does scarce at all touch Her but lyes most heavily and unmoveably upon his Principles and on any Church acknowledging or adopting them He must therefore dispose himself with the greatest patience he can to be put in mind more then once or twice of his Principles and the fatall Consequences of them From which Consequences till he can effectually clear them he will have little cause to call as he hath done for an Answer to his former large Volume For if it shall appear by the ruine of his that the Principles of Catholick Religion only are solide and inexpugnable that is that the Catholick Church is indeed and to be acknowledged the Pillar and ground of Truth from whose Authority no Appeal is to be admitted then both his Former and latter Books are thereby sufficiently refuted as far as they condemn or but question any Doctrins whatsoever determined by her This being once established he will find his Books not having a few leaves gnawed by Ratts but unà liturâ entirely abolished §. 2. A Vindication of the Honour and Sanctity of S. Benedict c from the Doctours contumelious imputations 10. HAving given this Account of the Motiue and Design of this Treatise it is time to take into consideration the forementioned Heads of Accusation layd by the Doctour against the Catholick Church which he thinks of sufficient weight to deterre any one from ioyning in her Communion I will begin with that touching Fanaticism which though the Second in his Order yet principally concerned me to disprove and particularly that part of it which contains an Invective against the Life and Prayer of Contemplation commended and practised only in the Catholick Church it being a State which from the infancy of the Church hath been esteemed the nearest approching to that of Glorified Saints From whence notwithstanding he has taken occasion to vilify in particular the Authour of this ensuing Treatise Who is very well content to receive his proportion of Scorn with such companions as Thaulerus Suso Rusbrochius Blosius c. 11. Now the Doctour to the end he might make an entrance into his In vective with better grace has prepared a way thereto then which a more proper could not be found for such a purpose by producing on his Stage antickly disgvised the famous Teachers and Erectours of Schools for Contemplation S. Benedict S. Romuald S. Bruno S. Francis S. Dominick and S. Ignatius so exposing them like blind Samson to the derision of profane Readers for from Such only can he expect an applause for his impiously employed Wit And he will find in the end except Repentance prevent it that Selius his argument in the Epigrammatist wil prove a dangerous Fallacy 12. And to the end he may not too much boast of the Novelty of his invention and his profanely employed Witt I doe assure him that I my self being then a young Student in Oxford was witness of a far greater and if Fancy alone be considered far better deserved Applause given to a Preather who in a Repetition-Sermon to the Vniversity descanting on the whole life of our Saviour rendred him and his Attendants men and women Obiects of the utmost scorn and a version as if they all of them had been only a pack of dissolute Vagabonds and Cheats This the Preacher performed taking on him the person of a Iewish Pharisee and Persecutour of Christ. And he performed it so to the life that he would have shamed Lucian and raised envy in the Doctour himself But presently upon it changing his stile as became a Disciple of Christ he with such admirable dexterity and force of Reason answered all the Cavillations and Invectives before made that the loudly repeated Applauses of his Hearers hindred him a good space from proceeding Notwithstanding this the Grave Doctours and Governours of the Vniversity though much satisfied with his Intellectuall abilities yet wisely considering that a petulant histrionicall Stile even in Obiections did not befitt so Sacred a Subiect and that it was not lawfull to personate too naturally a deriding Iew obliged the Preacher to a publick Recantation-Sermon in the same Pulpit the Sunday following And this deservedly For Vitium simulari non potest Virtus potest 13. If the Doctour would now make a second Essay of his Witt and invention on severall Stories as we find them recorded in Holy Scripture he would perhaps find his Fancy as inventive and if Nature had denyed him the Devill would no doubt once more furnish him with Expressions as apt to move the Spleen and laughter of his present applauding Readers as any are now found in his Book by which means he perhaps may arrive at the glory to be acknowledged the Head of a New Sect of the Ecclesiae Malignantium And unless Report deceives us there are already severall Books of the Holy Bible descanted upon in a stile like to his and it may be the unhappy Authours conceive that the same Press may without an Imprimatur be allowed them also 14. It is not now my purpose to make a particular Vindication of each Saint traduced by him But considering the publick Interest obliging the whole Western Patriarchat and most especially England to be tender of the Honour of S. Benedict by whose Disciples if they were Fanaticks Christianity has been
precious Gifts to Sects divided from the Church of which scarce any pretend to them and those that doe so do evidently shew by their contempt of all authority renunciation of all Christian Charity furious and restles attempts of new Reformations and Seditious Combinations to the ruine of all Peace that it is a black Spirit which was a Murderer from the beginning by which they are agitated Whereas those humble devout and retired soules among Catholicks stiled by the Doctour Fanaticks are so far from any intention of disturbing Peace and so entirely submitted to Lawfull Authority the Spirit of Prophets being so indispensably Subiect to the Prophets that they are in a continuall readines to renounce all Reuelations Apparitions impulses and whatsoever extraordinary Visitations if they seem any wayes to occasion in them Doubts of the Churches Faith or to prejudice Obedience to her Ordonnances 63. The Doctour I am sure considering his supposed Universall reading cannot be ignorant that such Fanaticks as these though invisible to the busy World were yet esteemd Chariots of Israël and the horsemen thereof That pious wise and Potent Christian Emperours have consulted them in their greatest affairs and have acknowledged themselves obliged to them for miraculous Victories over Tyrants resolving upon warre by their encouragement beginning them with their benediction and conquering by the assistance of their Prayers By their Prayers and not their Disputations the Church has triumphed over Heresies and the world been freed from Plagues and Mortalities At their Names Devills have trembled and by their command though absent those proud Spirits have with a mixture of feare and rage quitted their habitation in the Bodies of unhappy men Yet these the Doctour dares deride and because they are patient will not perhaps repent till it be too lare but will justify still his impious boldnes and petulancy 64. It is truly a sad thing to consider with what disposition of mind persons qualifyed as it seems the Doctour is do apply themselves to the reading of Books of Piety written by Catholicks It is as daggers piercing their hearts when they find no advantage to expresse their malignity If in a great volume full of most heavenly Instructions for the exercise of all vertues and dutyes to God and man they can find but a line or two into which they think they can make their Venenious teeth to enter by that line or two they become edified that is comfortable nourrishment to their minds the whole Book besides being nauseous to them Would not damned soules in Hell if Spirituall Books were sent them thus read and thus descant upon them 65. Now whether the Doctour and some other of his freinds has not shewed himself such a Reader of Catholick Books truly innocent devout and in which the breathing of Gods Spirit may as it were be perceived let any indifferent Reader of his Book be judge How many of such Books from S. Gregory to S. Ignatius his time does the Doctour shew that he has read how many Lives of Saints how many Treatises of Devotion and among them he will give me leave to name Sancta Sophia and poor Mother Iuliana And what account does he give to his Readers of the Spirituall Benefit reaped by him from his laborious reading He it seems is not able out of them all to suggest any point of Instruction in Christian Doctrin not one good affection to God not the least encouragement to a vertuous holy life All these things are vanished out of his memory and evaporated out of his brain having never affected his heart What then does he yeild for his Readers edification He teaches him in reading such Books to pronounce mimically and Scornfully what he finds there concerning Miracles how wel soever attested and concerning Divine Favours communicated by God to his Speciall Servants and this being done to call them Fanaticks and so doeing to esteem such relations sufficiently confuted and such Spirituall Books sufficiently disparaged He teaches him to snatch out of a great Book three or four passages lamely and imperfectly cited to give what construction to them he pleases and whether he does not understand or over-understand them to pronounce them still Fanaticall and there is an end of those Books By the Doctours good will no Protestant hereafter must receiue the least good from them vnless pride malice and contempt of godlines be good things 66. Now having named in the last place poor Mother Iuliana a devout Anchoret about three hundred years since living in Norwich I must needs Signify my wonder what could move his Spleen and choler against her litle Book It is true her language to the ears of this age seems exotick But it is such as was spoken in her time therefore she may be excused Her expressions touching Gods favours to her are homely but that surely is no sin For affections to God are set down with great simplicity indeed but they are withall cordiall and fervent and apt to imprint themselves in the heart of an unpreiudiced Reader The sense and tast she shews to have had of Gods Speciall love to his servants of the omnipotent efficacy of his Grace and his impregnable defence and watchfullnes over his Elect to secure them finally from all dangers of Tentations is indeed admirable Yet the Doctour has no eyes to see any of these things But through what glasses he looked when he spied out blasphemy in her Writing I am not able to say Blasphemy which never hitherto could be observed by so many learned and Religious persons as have perused them But it is no wonder that Spiders should suck and digest into poyson the most wholesom nourishment 67. What hath been hitherto said of Contemplative Prayer is but even too much to such an Adversary it being a Subiect too Sacred and Divine to be treated of in a Polemicall Discourse against an Opponent of the Doctours temper Who I think is the first Protestant Writer that ever made that an argument of Controversy against the Catholick Church The only Excuse that I can devise for so unreasonable a quarrel begun by him is his indulgence to a froward passion conceived by him without any provocation against M. Cressy who severall years since published a Book on that Subiect called Sancta Sophia in which Book notwithstanding he challenges nothing to himself but the Labour of making Collections and the Method of it In that regard therefore it may be permitted him to commend the Directions for the Exercise of Internall Spirituall Prayer and the Practise of all Christian Vertues in Perfection contained in it And this in despight of the Doctours unmerited malice he does with such confidence that he dares promise to himself that if any sober well affected Reader though a Protestant and though at present one of the Doctours admirers shall seriously and with an humble heart peruse it he will either apply himself to the practise of the excellent Instructions contained in it or bewayle his want
But truly we have great obligation to the Doctour though I believe he does not expect wee should thank him for imputing to the Church the frantick Preachings and practises of Mad-men and at the same time telling us that they were excommunicated and other wayes punished by Popes Princes and Bishops Indeed it is a terrible Argument to prove it dangerous to live in a Church because there Heresies false Revelations and impure actions are condemned by it If Holy Institutours of Religious Orders could with their Rules give also power and will to their Subjects not to transgress them the world would be even too happy But this exceeding a Created power to doe it is even necessary that Scandalls should follow such as were given by a Sect of Mendicants the Authours of the horrible Evangelium aeternum the Followers of Petrus Ioannis de Oliva the Beguini Fraticelli Beguardi the Illuminati or Alumbrados of Spain and such other Monsters raised up by the Devill in a cursed imitation of the Graces and Gifts communicated by God to his devout and faithfull servants But the Doctour who can no doubt commend Luther for opposing and dividing Godâ— Church though Luther himself tells him that he did it by the Devills instigation Scornfully derides and reviles any one who shall pretend to defend the Church by Gods Inspiration or Miracles But 〈◊〉 Calvin had not failed in his designed Miracles by raising a man from the dead the quite contrary way the Doctour perhaps would have been reconciled to Miracles and Inspirations 75 Thus we see that nothing that God has done or perhaps can do for the benefit of his Church will please the Doctour If Catholicks live abstracted lives in the Exercise of pure Spirituall Prayer or if God confers on any of them Supernaturall Gifts all this must passe for meer Enthusiasme though the persons with perfect humility submit all to lawfull Authority and though the Doctour alledges nothing to disprove any of these things 76. But least we may in the end hope that he will permitt and encourage us to keep to the Externall Devotions and Publick Liturgy By no meanes there must nothing be thought or done by the Children of the Catholick Church but must be found fault with The Liturgy saith he is a tedious and Ceremonious way of externall Devotion as dull and as cold as the Earth it self Hereto quia de gustibus non est disputandum all that I conceive needfull to say is that the Doctour seems to me not yet cordially reconciled to the Ceremonies and Common Prayer Book of his own lately adopted Church which he knows to have been borrowed from the Catholick Liturgy and for that reason hated by his freinds the Presbyterians and Independents and by them esteemed a tedious and ceremonious way of Externall Devâ—tion as dull and as cold as the Earth it self §. 5. Resisting Authority falsely imputed to Catholick Religion 77. WE have hitherto seen the Doctors charge of Fanaticism on the Catholick Church and his proofs also such as they are But he concludes this his accusation with an Epiphonema truly of great importance if rightly applied which is The Fanaticism of Catholicks in resisting Authority under a pretence of Religion 78. To make this good he very ingenuously absolves the Catholick Church her self and layes this fault only on the Principles and Practises of the Iesuiticall party a party saith he most countenanced and encouraged by the Court of Rome And for proof of this he produces severall Books written and actions done by them in the last age 79. Hereto our Answer must be that Scandalls in Gods Church are unavoydable as our Saviour tells vs. But where will he find any Catholick who will be answerable for all the actions of the Court of Rome or all the Writings of a single party The Popes are absolute Princes as well as Prelats and if some of them have been tainted with ambitiâ—n and a desire to invade the rights of other Princes For what Courts have ever been entirely free Such can never want Ministers zealous diligent and inventive to justify all their pretentions and designs whatever they are Vice will never want Instruments and supporters till the Devill himself be converted and become a good Christian and it will be long before this happen 80. But it is well known that in this Point Princes and States are generally become more clear sighted and more wise then formerly they have been and by consequence the Court of Rome also 81. But to be more particular If the Doctour will think good to consult the Iesuits I believe they will tell him That if they find speciall favour in the Court of Rome it is not with regard to any such Books or Actions imputed by him to their fore fathers and which they are far from defending That they have other Merits and endowments to recommend them to the Popes Favour And particularly that this is not reckoned among their Merits their equally free access and more then ordinary interest of favour in the Court of France where the Doctour knows such Doctrins are far from being admitted will more then sufficiently testify They will further tell him that for as much as concerns the unsafe Antimonarchicall Doctrins contained in the foresaid Books cited by him it is almost a whole Age since that they have been by their Generall forbidden under paine of Excommunication and other most greivous Censures to iustify them either in Writing preaching or disputing and more over which is very considerable this Prohibition was not only made before the condemnation of these Books in France but also was known to the Pope and permitted by him I am moreover confident that he cannot with any tolerable proofs make good his accusation of their being wanting in their fidelity to his Majesty or his Glorious Father during the late rebellious warr which was raised and prosecuted by the Doctours best quondam freinds And more over I may assure the Doctour that if an Oath were framed free from ambiguity and without odious phrases inserted in it wholly unnecessary to the substance of it they would not make any Scruple of ioyning with all their Catholick Brethren in taking it But then what thinks the Doctour of these two Propositions to be sett in the scale against his 1. That it is absolutely unlawfull to Subiects by arms to propagate or defend Religion against their Lawfull Prince 2. That I say not by the Pope to this he and his brethren are as forward as any but by no Assembly Civill or Ecclesiasticall Subiects can be authorized by arms to oppose their Prince upon any pretence what soever Are he and his quondam party ready to declare these Will he or they damne the execrable Covenant Surely the Kings safety and the publick Peace are far more concernd in these then in the former This therefore would be a task in which his Learning and Eloquence would be worthily employed And more over in case himself either by Preaching
His words are these Such a particular way of Reuelation being made choice of by God for the means of making known his Will in order to the happines of Mankind as Writing we may iustly say that it is repugnant to the nature of the Design and the Wisdom and Goodnes of God to giue infallible assurance to persons in Writing his Will for the benefit of Mankind if those Writings may not be vnderstood by all Persons who sincerely endeauour to know the meaning of them in all such things as are necessary for their Saluation And consequently there can be no necessity supposed of any infallible Society of men either to attest or explain those Writings among Christians 91. What is this now but Fanaticism in the heighth of the Notion signified by the word to make euery Christian Soberly enquiring into Scripture to be his own Teacher in all necessary Points of Faith and it is no matter what becoms of vnnecessary Points and to be a competent Iudge of the true sence of Scripture in them all this without any regard to all Externall Authority infallible or fallible either for an infallible one being vnnecessary what necessity can there be of a fallible Authority which none is or can be bound to Belieue If it be Fanaticism to attend to and belieue certain pretended Illuminations Inspirations and Reuelations concerning particular matters perhaps of no great importance with a refusall to submitt them to any Externall Authority what is it to ground his whole Religion vpon his own fancy enquiring into the true sense of Diuine Reuelation 92. But perhaps the Doctour thinks himself and his Churches secure notwithstanding any thing here said because neither himself nor they pretend to any New Reuelations Illuminations or Inspirations in this matter Notwithstanding he will not find an euasion by this For besides that J am sure Presbyterians at least if not the other Sects and likewise the Huguenots of France in their Confession of Faith haue always professed that they haue not only the true sense of Scripture by Inspiration of the Holy Ghost but that thereby they are enabled to distinguish true Scripture from Apocriphall Writings I will take the boldnes to tell him That he himself does the same and if he denyes it it is because he is ignorant of what passes in his own mind 93. To shew this I will here propose a few Questions to him and he not being present to doe it himself I will suppose he gives me leaue to make Answers to them such as J conceiue he will not disavow The. 1. Question Does he after a sober Enquiry vnderstand and assent to the true sense of Scripture in all necessary Points Answer Yes 2. Question Is his Assent to such Points an Act of meer naturall Reason or is it a Diuine Faith Answer A Diuine Faith surely as he hopes and is fully perswaded For he would be sorry if he belieued not better then Devills 3. Question Is a Diuine Faith a Supernaturall Gift of Gods Holy Spirit Answ. Yes the Scripture saying so expresly 4. Quest. Is this Gift of God communicated to his servants any other way then by Illumination Inspiration or the like Diuine operation Equivalent Answ. J must answer in the Doctours place till he better informs me that no other way is known Jn the last place 5 Q. Does he think himself fobliged to acknowledge that he receies this Faith from or to Submitt this his perswasion of a Diuine operation in him to the Teaching of any Church Answ. He will not though J thank God J doe acknowledge any Church fallible or infallible which can iustly require thus much from him Now therefore a primo ad vltimum does the Doctour want any necessary qualification to make him passe for a perfect Fanatick and Enthusiast a Fanatick by duty imposed on him from the Essence of his Religion and moreouer a Teacher of Fanaticism Jf I could absolue him from this I would very willingly but sincerely I cannot since he himself has giuen me a distinct notion of Fanaticism by which he and his party vnderstands an Enthusiastick way of Religion or resisting Authority Civill or Ecclesiasticall vnder a pretence of Religion by which Notion in it self true and proper he is to be iudged without Appeale 94. Now though the Doctour takes vpon him and is generally conceiued by others to be a Champion of the Church of England yet perhaps it would be rashnes in me from his warrant alone to affirme that the Church of England that Church J mean which is established by publick Authority does now at last ground her Faith on such a Fanatick Principle as the Doctour in her name has layd For then it might indeed be truly sayd that the New Faith of the Church of England is the very Faith of New England The Doctour how learned soeuer otherwise he is but a Neophit in this Church and therefore all he says not to be swallowed presently without examining if he wrong the Church of England J am vnwilling to wrong her with him 95. And one particular thing which I have observed from his Book makes me suspect that my Lords the Bishops will not avow this Principle imposed by him on them which is that his Book wants an Imprimatur Now if an Approbation was either not demanded by him or being demanded was refused him it seems strange that against order and Publick command it should be permitted to be so dispersed without any Controll But the truth is there is a great Mistery of late in that Formality of Approbations for some Books want an Imprimatur for the Reader which was not wanting to the Printer Perhaps the Doctours virulence against poore Catholicks was so highly approved by the grave Censor Librorum that rather then it should be hindred from doing mischief to them he was content the Principles also should passe which utterly destroy the foundations of his own Church This may seeme more probable because in like manner a Licence is given to the Printer for a Book of Sermons in one of which composed entirely of Lying Invectives against Catholicks and by a most horrible calumny imputing the Pouder Treason to the Preaching of Catholick Religion there is this passage becoming a Preacher of the Gospell I wish that the Lawes against these Foxes the Papists might be put in execution as they were anciently against Wolues Nothing but an vtter extermination of Catholicks it seems will content the charitable Preacher who seems to intimate also that in his Judgment it is fitt a price should be sett on every Catholicks head as formerly on Wolues to be payed to his murderer Such a Sermon as this the Printer is licenced to print but he who gave it being ashamed that his Approbation of so barbarous a piece should appeare to the world has given order that his Licence should be concealed 96. What judgment therefore in this regard to make of the Doctours
Book truly I cannot determine Only this I may say That if Prelaticall Protestants do allow him for their Champion and approve the Grounds of his Religion it is one of the most Signall Victories that in any Age has been gained by a single Doctour over a whole Church the Governours whereof will be forced to acknowledge that they have no Authority to teach truth or condemn Errours that all the people formerly under them are becom Prophets and that all their Articles Constitutions and Ordonances have been compâ—seâ— and enioyned by an usurped Authority of which they are not willing to be despoyled and perhaps after the example of a late Scottish Bishop to do Pennance for their fault of being Bishops But certainly my Lords the Bishops will hardly with all the Doctours eloquence be perswaded to this compliance with him Regard both to the Kings and Kingdoms safety and their own Character will not permit them to yeeld to an Anarchy first in the Church and presently after in the Kingdom 97. Notwithstanding it cannot be denyed but the Doctour may expect more then ordinary indulgence from them since during their late calamities he did not joyn in the clamour for destroying them He was no Root and branch enemy but on the contrary generously undertook their defence and with great boldness told his then Maisters that though Episcopall goverment and Ordinations as likewise Deans and Chapters which anciently were the Bishops Counsell were not necessary nor perhaps convenient as matters then stood yet neither was their utter destruction they might if the State pleased be retained without sin upon condition that for their Maintenance the ravenous beasts then in power would be content to vomit up three or four hundred thousand pounds of yearly â—ents But my best course is to leave the Doctour to plead his own cause much better then I can doe And I assure him I would not have touched this String nor calld to mind these things passed were it not that hitherto he has made no retractation of any thing written by him and also if his Principles newly published should prevayle in mens minds they would be more destructive to both Kingly and Church goverment then all the Writings of Presbyters and Independents c. 98. But perhaps after all the said Principles though pernicious to Superiours may at least produce Vnity and peace among the people For a man would think if every sober enquirer and who thinks not himself such anone may be allowed to chuse a sence of Scripture for himself what can he desire more Every one then surely will be quiett and contented But I must tell him Quid verbo audio cum facta videam If indeed men could be content to enioy their Faith to themselves and not think themselves obliged to propagate it if they could with patience see their Doctrins confuted their actions derided and their designs opposed peace perhaps might be hoped for ad Graecas Calendas 99. Yet I confess that according to the Welsh Proverb The Gospell and a Stone will drive away a dogg the Doctours Principles and a severe Civill government ioynd together that is a charitable indulgence to tender consciences with a watchfull care to prevent quarrells and eager disputes about Religion may produce that peace which has hitherto never been seen in England since the Reformation and mens minds being enured to tast the pleasure of such a peace may probably in a short time becom as zealous against quarrelling as they are now for it 100. But there is another sort of Peace and Vnity more fitt to be the argument of Writings composed by Ecclesiasticall persons that is Vnity of Faith and Doctrin And this Vnity was intended certainly by Christ when he left his Church established under Spirituall governours to continue in an orderly Succession till the worlds end and was Signifyed by S. Paul saying There is one Body and one Spirit one Lord one Faith and one Baptism c. who also declares that this one Body and one Faith is preserved by Apostles and other Governours instituted by Christ in his Church To the end that Gods people may not be tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrin c. This Unity also is proposed and professed by us in the Creed I believe one holy Catholick and Apostolick Church Now this Vnity the Doctour seeing utterly chaced out of his Churches principled by him earnestly endeavours to prove it a stranger to the Catholick Church also and would seem to intimate that if it be possible to be attained it must be by his Principles And the truth is if men might enioy their consciences and would be induced to abstain from quarrelling persecuting and hating one another Truth in the end would probably prevaile were there not one hindrance more I feare insuperable which is that Truth or true Religion has no other passions and Carnall affections to combat withall besides quarrelsomnes It requires a bending and even breaking of the Will to the Obedience of Lawfull Superiours it requires yet further a captivating even of the Vnderstanding to the Obedience of Faith taught them by the same Superiours It requires also a free discovery of the most secret and most difficult to be acknowledged crimes in order to painfull Satisfactions to be undertaken for their expiation and for obtaining Absolution and pardon of them It requires from many a totall renouncing of all carnall Lusts and all Externall remedies of quenching them These and many other severe exactions are required by true Religion and only by itâ— and therefore no wonder if Sects dispensing in these things prevaile so much against it Yet Gods grace is omnipotent and can work greater and more difficult effects in the hearts of his servants when he is pleased to exert it 101. It is truly an Attempt worthy so heroicall a Champion to pretend to bring proofs from which saith he it appears that the Church of Rome can have no advantage in point of Vnity above his Protestant Churches which is in effect to demonstrate that one Article of our Faith ceases to be true 102. Let this be examined and first let us enquire what helps for Unity I mean Unity of Faith and Doctrin Protestants have and then compare them with those of Catholicks First for the Doctour himself who as yet must pass for the common Advocate of Protestants till he be disavowed surely he will not pretend to contribute the least advantage to such Unity unles he hopes to perswade any one That a licence given to every Christian to chuse his own Faith out of Scripture be a probable way to make all agree in the same Faith which Licence he gives and justifying it is the principall Design of all his Principles Is not this all one as to say Let every man in England think and doe what he pleases and by this means all will agree to be Good Obedient Subiects to the King Yet the Scripture argues
Councill to declare un-appealably the Truth and to do iustice upon the guilty parties Thus the Catholick Church is furnished against Schisms and none of these Defensive arms will the Doctour allow to any of his Protestant Churches and yet he confidently avows that Catholicks have no advantage 109. But let us consider what argumēts an over-weening witt can alledge to prove so strange an affection for he might as well have said That Goverment and such Government as obliges the conscience has not so much force to preserve men in Vnity as Anarchy has 110. As touching his Proofs which take up above an hundred pages our answer to them must be that we may yield him in a manner all the Premises of his faulty Sillogisms and must deny the Consequence of the Conclusions he would draw from them He tells us many Tragicall Stories of miscarriages of Popes how they revolted from the Empire and upon such revolting layd the foundation of greatnes to their See How afterward challenging to themselves a Supreme Temporall Dominion over the whole world they quarrelled with Emperours and other Christian Princes from whence followed rebellions massacres and a whole Iliad of all sorts of mischiefs Well this being granted what follows Therefore says he Papall authority in Gods Church is no good mean to produce peace and order nor consequently Kingly authority in the common wealth since notwithstanding it many Kings have exercised Tyranny and could not always prevent rebellions But S. Peter and S. Paul never thought of such an argument when the most abominable Monster that ever lived governed the Roman world It was to Nero that they commanded Christians to be subiect to pay taxes to yeeld honour c. and this not only out of feare of his power but also for conscience sake It was such an argument as this as the Doctour has reason to remember that was made use of to the destruction of the best King that ever governed this Island Be it therefore granted that after a thousand years of excellent order produced in the Christian world by the government of Popes some of their Successours for about an age or two caused intolerable disorders in the Church and Empire What follows Therefore a Supreme authority in Gods Church is of no good use at all Nay more all manner of Authority is useles for if any authority then Subordination and if Subordination then of necessity a Supreme 111. From hence the Doctour descends to a way of arguing yet less reasonable then this for he tells his Reader of I know not how many Schisms yet all of them after the Church was above twelve hundred years old for before there were scarce any and of yet later disorders since S. Bernards time by reason of quarrels between Bishops and Monastick orders about Exemptions and Priviledges likewise between Regulars and Seculars the other day in England and much more such stuff which Popes either would not or rather could not compose for feare of greater disorders by endangering Schisms yet more pernicious to the Church then the former And what would he conclude from hence The very same as before for his argument in brief is this Subiects are oft times rebellious to their Superiours therefore it were better there were no Superiours at all But might he not as rationally argue that God is Governour of the world yet notwithstanding this the far greatest part of the world not in one or two but in all ages from the beginning hath been rebellious to him therefore his Government is of small benefitt 112. As touching certain truly scandalous quarrells between Bishops and some Regulars concerning Episcopacy and the Churches Government the Doctour ought to have taken notice that never any Regular pretended Episcopacy to be Antichristian as the Doctours freinds the Presbyterians Independents and other later Sects have done Neither have they declared a Government by Bishops to be in it self indifferent or that Ordination and Consecration of Bishops and Priests is a meere Ceremony and conferred as well and Legally by Lay Magistrates as by Ecclesiasticks as the Doctour himself has done The whole controversy consisting among Catholicks about restraining some part of Episcopall Iurisdiction and maintaining Priviledges granted by some Popes to certain Regulars A vast difference therefore there is between Catholicks and Protestants in Disputes touching Church Government and utterly irremediable on the Protestants side whereas wee see it ended or at least silenced among Catholicks 113. But differences of this Nature are not considerable compared to those obiected by the Doctour in the last place which are touching Matters of Doctrin and as he pretends of Faith in which regard he says that the Church of Rome can have no advantage in point of Vnity above others And further he not content with this adds That the Popes Authority being acknowledged by Catholicks the fountain of Vnity and all Catholicks not agreeing in the Popes Infallibility Whereas both Catholicks and Protestants agree in the Infallibility of Scripture which is to Protestants a more certain way of ending Controversy therefore he concludes that Protestants have a more certain and safe way of Vnity then Catholicks For that the Pope has not a sufficient power to reduce to Vnity parties dissenting in Doctrinall Points of weight such as are the Controversies between the Iesuits and Dominicans about Grace and Free Will between the Dominicans and Franciscans about the Immaculate Conception c. is he saith evident since those quarrels have to this day continued many ages and are prosecuted with great eagernes 114. In this manner argues the Doctour whereto the Answer is obvious For. 1. he trifles with and abuses an unskilfull Reader in telling him that the Scripture being acknowledged on both sides to be infallible is a more certain way of ending Controversies then the Popes determination who is not by many Catholick believed to be infallible For how can a Writing the sense whereof is controverted end a Controversy And to say that a writing is of it self a surer mean to end debates then when interpreted by a Iudge to say this and to think to be believed is to call his Readers brutish irrationall creatures and to make all Tribunalls ridiculous 2. It is not the Popes Infallibility but his Authority which ends the Controversies either by Determining the Point in Controversy so as his Determination is accepted by the Church or at least by imposing Silence among Disputants till himself in a Councill unappealeably decide it By which way of imposing Silence severall eager Disputes have been ended by Popes as this age can witness 3. Though all Catholicks do in thesi acknowledge that they are obliged at least to silence when imposed by the Pope Yet it cannot be denyed but that some have not complied with this Obligation But this is not to be imputed to want of Authority in the Pope but to the unrulines of mens passions and pride And the same fault we see in Secular Tribunalls
which yet does not hinder but that Iudges are reputed fitt and proper to end Law suits 4. That neither the Pope nor the Councill of Trent have decided the fore mentioned Controversies we are to ascribe either to the inconsiderablenes of them or to the want of Sufficient clearness of Scripture or Tradition for either party or to a just and prudent care of preventing Schisms in the Church by such Determinations wherein so considerable parties in the Church are divided in opinion 5. Whereas the Doctour says that the Points in Controversy among Catholicks being many of them the same agitated among Protestants are Points of Faith he is manifestly mistaken For there are among Catholicks no Points controverted but such Doctrins where the sense of Scriptures being variously expounded by the two Parties the Church as yet hath determined nothing which sense of them is de Fide though the Parties themselves would each of them have their own to be so not determined I say so clearly as that both sides are agreed that such is the Churches Decision As for Protestants what Doctrins are esteemed Points of Faith and what School Disputes I think no Oedipus can resolue Doctour Stillingfleet elsewhere saith down right That the Church of England holds no Points to be Articles of her Faith but those wherein the Church of Rome also agrees with her and holds the same to be such His words are There is a great deale of difference between the owning of some Propositions in order to Peace and the believing of them as necessary Articles of Faith The Church of England makes no Articles of Faith but such as have testimony and approbation of the whole Christian world of all ages and are acknowledged to be such by Rome it self and in other things she requires Subscription to them not as Articles of Faith but as inferiour Truths which she expects Submission to in order to her Peace and Tranquillity Thus the Doctour But here I cannot well understand why he saith her Subiects Subscribe them as inferiour Truths and yet maintains the Church of England to require no Subscription to her Articles as Truths for that surely is a requiring of assent to them but a Subscription of non-contradiction or non-opposition of them which consists with the parties holding them Errours Now methinks this the Church of England believing nothing as of Faith but what the Popes and the Roman Churches Faith also secures to them to be so should sound somewhat harsh in the ears of many of his Disciples Again it necessarily follows that the Church of Rome notwithstanding its Idolatry Fanaticism c. yet failes in no necessary Point of Faith 6. Lastly that which makes Disputes among Christians about Dostrinall Points pernicious is not the heynousnes of the Errours themselves on either Party but the refusall to submitt to the Churches Authority when condemning them from whence Schisms are inevitable and such Refusers then truly stiled Hereticks No man will deny but that the Errour of the Photinians or Socinians called anciently Homuncionists for affirming Christ to be meer man is a most grievous Errour incomparably exceeding any among Catholicks Yet if one living in the Commuâ—ion of Gods Church should hold this most pernicious Errour not knowing that the Church had condemned it and being ready to renounce it assoon as he knew this S. Augustin professes he durst not call such a man an Heretick How the Doctour would call such an one I know not But this I will iustify that according to the Doctours Principles he ought to pass for as good and as well grounded a Protestant as himself and therefore especially Orthodox for not submitting his judgment to the Church §. 7. The Doctrin of Pennance Vindicated from the Doctours mistakes 115. NOw notwithstanding what hath hitherto been said I do nothing doubt but those popular Readers for whom only I conceive the Doctour wrote his Book will still resolutely judge every line of it unanswerable The like they will say concerning the other Points of accusation charged by him on the Roman Church as 1. many obstructions of a Holy Life 2. Endless Divisions How happy are we will they think who have escaped out of such a Babel were Frantick Subiects are governed by more Frantick Superiours where mens ears are deafned with endless quarrels and where Lawes are made against Piety In the former regards Papists may deserve our pitty or contempt but in the last our hatred For what cruelty is not too Mercyfull against the Professours of a Religion which teaches so many Doctrins hindring a good life necessary to Salvation that it is scarce possible any of them should be an honest man The Doctour has told them that these wicked men make the Sacrament of Pennance ioynd with Contrition that is as he interprets a remoâ—se of mind for sin sufficient for Salvation But his Adversary in effect bids him with Contrition to ioyne Confession and Absolution He is contented but he will needs have one condition more added which is forsaking of sin which they of the Church of the Rome not requiring notwithstanding all their Confessions and Absolutions a thousand times repeated they destroy the necessity of a good life 116. Here if the Doctour were asked Does the Catholick Church held the Doctrin here by him reproved He could not say she did because then the express Decision of the Councill of Trent disproves him Where three parts of the Sacrament of Pennance are declared Contrition Confession and Satisfaction Now in two of these the forsaking of sin are contained For Contrition implies a sorrow for sin proceeding from a love of God victorious over sin and consequently a detestation of sin And Satisfaction signifies yet more viz A holy revenge taken by the Penitent upon himself for offending God by denying to himself even Lawfull pleasures because unlawfull ones have tempted him to sin which is a great deale more then Protestants require 117. A disposition one may say inferiour to this required by the Councill served Davids turne who says I said I will confess my sins unto the Lord and thou forgivest the iniquity of my sin I cannot now believe the Doctour will acknowledge that a Sinner repentant of his sins out of a love of God Victorious over the Devill the world and the flesh and weho tstifies that sorrow and that Love by submitting to severe Pennances and Mortifications willing also to declare to his own Confusion his most secret sins with a serious purpose of amendment will thereby be put in a state of pardâ—n and Salvation Especially having received from Gods Authorised Ministers Absolution from his sins Absolution I say pronounced by Commission and Iurisdiction from Christ himself and not such an aery Phantosme of an Absolution as the Doctour interprets to be the applying the Promises of pardon in Scripture to the particular case of dying persons for this saith he is that we mean by Absolution and which say I the Silliest
Devotions in their Natiue Tongues which are for the most part taken out of the Publick Liturgy and moreouer has commanded all Pastours to interpret to the people in the administring of Sacraments especially the most Holy Eucharist whatsoever they are capable of vnderstanding by which means there is scarce a Rustick so ignorant but well vnderstands what the Priest does through the whole course of the Masse 149. Matters standing thus the Church esteems it more prudent and more conducing also to edification in generall that all Catholick Churches should serve God vniformly in a language which cannot be corrupted especially such provisions being made for the peoples good then to haue the Service of God exposed to Corruptions and continuall Changes But if the Doctour think himself wiser then the whole Western and most Eastern Churches much ioy may he take in his great humility 150. But after all how can the people say Amen will the Doctour say from S. Paul I answer S. Paul in that place Speaks not of the Common Divine Service which was celebrated then in a language well vnderstood and at Corinth doubtles in the Greek tongue but of these Spirituall Hymns and Praises of God extraordinary that were delivered by some in a tongue vnknown And all that can be deduced from it and applied to the Publick Divine servcie is this that either this be performed in a known Tongue or when the Church hath reasonable Motives which she not we must judge of not to change the formerly vsed language of it so much as is necessary for the common people to vnderstand and say Amen to be interpreted as the Apostle saith there ouer and over again Now such Prayers Collects Psalms Hymns Litanies c. as are thought necessary for the common people are interpreted by the Churches order and they have them ready in their Primers Manuels c. Euen all the parts also of the Service of the Masse necessary to be known by them 151. Jt is certain that it is not out of a desire that the people should be ignorāt that the Church thinks not meet to change the language of her Liturgy And I would to God that were the only hindrance of reuniting England to her once beloued Mother for then the breach would not last long §. 12. Of the Churches denying the Reading of the Bible indifferently to all 152. BUt the last and greatest Hindrance of piety and which is wonderfull of Vnity likewise in the Doctours opinion is the Roman Church her denying the reading of Scripture to all persons promiscuously without exception This fault the Doctour will neuer forgiue Her And the truth is if euer there should be a restraint of such liberty in England all the Principles of his Religion would vtterly goe to wrack For how then should euery Sober Enquirer into Scripture frame a Religion to himself How much would the number of Sects be diminished which is great pitty Then Pastours and Teachers would perswade the people that it is their duty to believe and obey them and not to be their own Directours which is intolerable Therefore in so great a concern the Doctours zeale in this Point aboue others may well be forgiuen him 153. How much would the Doctour be beholden to that freindly man who could furnish him with but one line out of any Ancient Ecclesiasticall Writer Father or Councill to iustify the Fundamentall Principle of his and as he pretends of all Protestants Religion viz. That euery sober enquirer may be a Iudge infallible of the sense of Scripture in all Points necessary to Saluation But I can assure him such a freind is not to be found Nay I believe he would thank that man who could shew any Ancient Heretick an Authour of that enormous Doctrin for as he cannot but know that he embraces seuerall Points condemned by the Ancient Church in Hereticks he would no doubt with ioy adopt this Point so beneficiall and necessary to the fabrick of his Protestant Churches 154. To descend to our Modern times Though Luther Calvin Zuinglius c. those disturbers of the world to gain the affections of the Common rabble were very earnest to put the Bible into their hands yet does the Doctour think that they would patiently haue suffred any of their followers to chuse any other Religion out of it but what they as Prophets sent from God had taught them Nay would the Doctour take it well of his own Parishioners if they should doe so Yet he is angry with Catholicks because we rather trust the Churches iudgment then our own a strange quarrell certainly But it is a folly to think that any of the Common sort of people seek into the Bible to find their Religion there not one in ten thousand among us but for his whole Faith relyes vpon the credit and supposed honesty of some zealous Lecturer or reputed learned Doctour Now J would fain know of Doctour Stillingfleet with what conscience he can suffer a whole Congregation of well meaning men who can rely vpon nothing but authority to prefer his authority before that of the whole Church For nothing can be more contrary to the Rules of Common reason in them and for their sinning against Reason he must be answerable to God How does one of the Doctours Parishioners find his whole Religion in Scripture Thus The Doctour will bid him read the last verse of the 6. chap. to the Romans or he will read the words to him The Gift of God is eternall life Here says he the Papists are plainly confuted who say that God rewards our good works with Heaven He will tell him again that the Papists hold that our Lords body is in the Sacrament How shall they be confuted Christ indeed says This is my Body What then this must be vnderstood as if he had sayd This is the figure of my Body Then plain Scripture interpreted by the Doctour is against them Again Look out the first Chapter to Titus you will find that those who are called Elders or Presbiters in the fifth verse are called Bishops in the Seaventh Here our Antichristian Prelats are plainly confuted who exalt themselues aboue Elders c. 155. But one Point there is of main importance to these who will find all things in Scripture which is A Proof that these Books which they are taught to call Scripture are the same which were Anciently written by men inspired by God That they have not been corrupted and that they are rightly interpreted None of all these things they can find in Scripture what remedy therfore for this None in the world but the Doctours own authority He will tell them perhaps that the Vniversall Tradition of all Ages which is of it self credible testifies this and therefore they ought to belieue it But if they should reply and tell the Doctour that for all necessary Points of belief they were according to his Principles to be Iudges for themselues but of that which they call
Tradition they know not how to iudge If any of the Doctours Parishioners should be thus troublesom then must he be angry and with a frown tell them Will ye be Papists Is it not fitter ye should believe me then like blind Papists pin your soules vpon the Authority of the present Vniversall Church This stops their mouths Now they are fully satisfied and ask pardon for presuming to doubt hauing such an Oracle to teach them that they ought to be their own Teachers Thus it is that ordinary people even boyes and girles are to be fooled and made to believe that they see all their Religion in Scripture whenas in very truth they may as well be told that they Smell it out with their noses as I once heard Sir Francis Wenman say in a discourse on a subiect like this 156. Howeuer the whole Stress of the Doctours Religion lying vpon it that euery Christian is to be a judge of the sence of Scripture hence it was necessary for his ends to contend Manibus pedibusque that none should be discouraged from reading Scripture Yet I hope he will excuse those who are not able to read 157. To make this good he employes the vtmost of his invention Subtilty and reading He who cannot find out one single short sentence in Antiquity to help to support the main Pillar of his Religion Yea moreouer he who has not alledged one probable argument of reason for strengthning that tottering Pillar except only a Negatiue one which is this That Christians haue no obligation to belieue any Church or Teacher expounding the sence of Scripture therefore they must if they will be believers believe themselues alone In this miserable exigence this same Doctour notwithstanding to proue that Christians in all times were indulged and exhorted to read the Scriptures flourishes in a Luxuriant stile with demonstrations a priori a posteriori per reductionem ad absurdum impossible which demonstrations also he backs with an army of Ancient Fathers teaching as he himself does viz. S. Clement S. Ignatius S. Policarpus Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian Origen S. Basill S. Hierome S. Chrisostome S. Augustin c. and moreouer that this was their Doctrin is saith he acknowledged by late Catholick Diuines Espenceus and Alphonsus a Castro and one more I will add by the vnworthy Writer of this Treatise also 158. But this being granted no Catholick and J think no man in his right witts will grant that euery Porter Cobler or Landresse is capable to instruct themselues by reading the Scripture alone or if they cannot read them by hearing them read in this Point of main importance that Scriptures are Gods Scriptures or to clear the Doctrine of the Mystery of the Holy Trinity the Incarnation of our Saviour the Procession of the Holy Ghost or the Point of Iustification as determined by S. Paul and S. Iames c. I have so much confidence now in the Doctours ingenuity that he will also acknowledge thus much yea by his experience in teaching ignorant people J am assured he has found no small difficulty in making such and other like necessary Doctrins of Christianity sink into the minds of the rude people though sett down in the simplest plainest Catechisms for infants though also those Catechisms were with all his skill explained by himself 159. Now taking this for granted till he contradict it J would ask him Does he in his conscience think that the forecited Fathers when they exhorted the Christians of their times to the reading of Scriptures did not suppose that for the sence of them in things any way difficult or controverted they would submitt their judgements to the Church which had they not supposed they would haue been less liberal in putting the Scriptures into their hands For hence it is that the Bible is called by S. Ambrose liber Sacerdotalis because to be dispensed to the people according us Bishops and Priests iudged it might proue beneficiall to them and in all ambiguities to be interpreted by the same Pastours Besides this the art of Printing being then vnknown it was not every ordinary Mechanick who could purchase so costly a Manuscript as the Bible was every groom or Chamber-maid could not carry it vnder their arms to Church vnles they could spare at least two years wages to buy it and hire also a litle Asse to carry it so great was the bulk considering the largenes of Letters writen in these Ancient times The persons invited therefore by these Holy Fathers to the frequent reading of Scriptures were for the most part those of the higher rank of more ingenuous education and so Prudence and discretion and especially such as they knew to be firm to the teaching of the Church Now to such persons the Roman Church freely allows the reading of Scriptures and on the other side for such as the Doctour qualifies with the name of Protestants according to his new Mode that is Independents on any Authority the Fathers most certainly would more strictly then they are now have pro-prohibited the reading of them 160. Neither is it much to his purpose his alledging that though in the time of the first four Generall Councills the Fathers had tryall enough of the mischief of Heresies yet notwithstanding they did not on that account forbid the people to read the Scriptures For who knows not the vast difference between the ancient and our Modern Heresies Anciently the In ventours of Heresies were great learned Prelats and subtile Philosophers and the obiect of their Heresies were Sublime Mysteries of Faith examined and framed by them according to the grounds of Plato's or Aristole's Philosophy far above the reach of Vulgar capacities from whence it is that Tertullian calls the Ancient Philosophers the Patriarchs of Hereticks And moreover their applications of Texts of Scriptures for confirming such Heresies were so Speculatively nice and acroamaticall that both great sharpnes of witt and learning too were necessary to the discovering and unridling the fallacy Hence it came to pass that in those dayes the Scriptures might freely enough be read by ordinary Christians without danger especially considering their intention in reading them was not to find out a New Religion but to instruct themselves in Piety and inflame their hearts in the Divine Love 161. Thus stood matters in the Church during the times of the first four Generall Councills But our Modern Heresies are of a quite different Complexion They are conversant about matters obvious to the weakest capacities as the external administration of Sacraments the Iurisdiction of Superiours Civill and Ecclesiasticall the manner of mens Devotions the Institution of Religious Orders the Obligation of Vows the Ordonnances of the Church teaching Fasting Matrimony Celibacy Paying of Tithes c. Or if about Sublime Mysteries Men are taught to examine such Mysteries by naturall Reason and the Verdict of their outward Senses Hence it is come to pass that our late Heresiarcks have not been profound Subtle Philosophers but
at the best a few Sensuall incestuous Fryars abroad and Popular Preachers at home yea as we have lately seen even Mechanicks Souldiers or any other ignorant persons actuated by the Spirit of Pride and Licentiousness to begin a Sect fitt for the palats and complexions of Seekers after Novelties 162. Matters therefore standing thus in these later times can any rationall man be perswaded that if any of those Holy Fathers cited by the Doctour had lived among us or if such Heresies had been spred among their Disciples and pretended to have been evidently deduced from Gods Word they would have been so zealous in their Exhortations to a promiscuous reading of Scriptures But how much think we would such their zeale have been cooled in case such an Architect of Principles as the Doctour is had been in Vogue in their times For Principles they are which evidently contain the most pernicious Soule-destroying Heresy that ever assaulted Gods Church Principles which banish Peace Charity Humility and Obedience vtterly from the Church and State Principles which if through Gods judgment they should generally prevaile what think you would become of our Saviours Promise for there would not be left in the world one Church at all true or false Since where every one is acknowledged the only inventer and Iudge of his own Faith there may meet a Multitude but it is no Church none having right over another errour and truth vertue and vice being equally Iustifiable Lastly these are Principles the admirable vanity of which I think was never paralleld by any Heresiarch but a certain Rhetorius mentioned by Philastrius who taught That all Heresies were in their precepts of life innocent and in their Doctrins true Omnes Hereses rectê ambulare vera docere 163. Non sum ambitiosus in malis I may with a good conscience protest that it is only Truth and a Charitable compassion to soules miserably seduced by so Comprehensive a Heresy as is contained in the Dostours Principles which hath moved mee to fix such a brand upon them Not that I suspect that he would approve such consequences but I am confident with all his skill he cannot avoyd them 164. Now I must acquaint the Doctour that my iust indignation against these Principles is heightned from my own unhappines if not guilt in being the first who gave occasion that they should be known and received into the Church of England This I am sure neither he nor perhaps any one now alive does know and therefore I will acquaint him with the true Story concerning them 165. As I remember it was in the year 1638. that I had occasion to accompany a Noble freind in a iourney from Dublin to London When we were ready to return I went to a Booksellers shop to search out some bâ—oks to be carried back into Ireland and among others I bought Daillé du vray usage des Peres a Book at that time not at all taken notice of That Book the same night I shewd to my Noble dear Lord Lucius Lord Falkland who perusing and liking the Contents of it desired me to give it him which I willingly did About a month after my return into Ireland he sent me a most civill letter full of thanks both in his own but especially in M. Chillingworths name for that small present telling me that that litle Book had saved him a most tedious labour of reading almost twenty great Volumes 166. This Mysterious speech I easily understood For M. Chillingworth a litle before was returned out of Flanders where he had professed himself a Catholick and being sent for by Archbishop Laud was strictly examined by him touching his Religion And whether he went to Masse or Common Prayer to whom he gaue this account That he had entertained such scruples touching Catholick Religion and withall was as yet so vnsatisfyed with the grounds of the English Protestant Religion that at the present his conscience would not permitt him to goe either to Masse or to Common Prayer And therefore with his Graces leaue he was resolued to spend a year or two in a solitude and the Study of Greek and Latin Fathers fully purposing to embrace that Religion which appeared to him most consonant to what the Fathers generally taught The Archbishop much commended his design and dismissed him with his blessing and a promise also that he should enioy entire liberty to prosecute so laudable a Study Very busy in this Study I found and left him in England But it was presently after interrupted by that vnlucky Book of Daillé which perswaded him to a light esteem of the Holy Fathers vpon whose authority he would no longer rely But yet this did not bring him into the Church of England so as to think himself obliged to belieue her Doctrins and whose authority he saw was much inferiour to the other and from all subordinate but diuided English Sects he had a horrible aversion and contempt Therefore without any long demurr he fixed his mind vpon Socinian grounds which he afterwards shewed in a litle Book of one of them which was an Answer to certaine Theses Posnanienses which Theses as J remember asserted the Authority of the Catholick Church in opposition whereto the Socinian reiecting all Externall Authority layd these very grounds of his Religion That in all necessary Doctrins the Scripture was clear Therefore euery sober Enquirer might with ease find them in it without any help of a Teacher or at least any obligation to believe him Vpon these grounds M. Chillingworth dilated his Discourses with much art and gracefullness of Stile in his Book against a learned Catholick writer And the same grounds so discoursed on Doctour Stillingfleet has contracted Methodically into his Principles And both these Books though manifestly destroying all Authority in the English or any other Church haue been patiently and quietly suffred yea commended by Superiours here to their infinit dammage as is seene at this day which dammage is J belieue more sensible to them since they see no considerable prejudice to Catholicks by them for J doe not remember to haue heard of any one Established Catholick Shaken in his Faith by such grounds Though I confess they obctructed a good while my entrance into the Catholick Church 167. Now it being certain that these Princi ples came originally into England from the Socinians a Sect maintaining a Fundamentall Heresy it is of small edification and less glory to the English Church in case as the Doctour pretends his Faith and hers are built on the same Principles that she should consequently acknowledge herself forced to desert the grounds vpon which she proceeded since the Reformation as being grounds by M. Chillingworths discovery found to be Sandy and ruinous and consequently acknowledge all her Articles of belief all her Laws Constitutions Canons c. misgrounded The consideration of this besides disreputation cannot but raise great Scruples in the minds of her Disciples and Subiects till she not only disavow
doubt though J humbly conceive J may Now his fault in case he be guilty having been publick and notorious and no Repentance no retractation appearing unless perhaps he thinks that the accepting a thousand pounds yearly in Preferments is vertually a Retractation and much less any Solemn Absolution having been given him unless perhaps also he thinks that the Act of Oblivion reaches to Heaven discharging the conscience and dispensing in foro interno from an obligation of demanding Absolution either from Bishops or from the Civill Magistrat who according to his Teaching has received the Power of the Keyes and can Excommunicate and Absolve as well as any Bishop matters J say standing thus J must needs tell him that all Prelaticall Protestants can no otherwise look upon him but as one J doe not say traditum Satanae but excommunicated and separated from Christs Mysticall Body And therefore J coniure him that he would take care of his Soule which must needs be in great danger even though in his heart he believes such Excommunications to be bruta fulmina For in that case also he will conclude himself at least guilty of most damnable Hypocrisy 175. It will now be seasonable with this Act of Charity to him to take my leave of him and putt a period to this my Answer which truly I think sufficient though perhaps he will impute my telling him so to an ungrounded confidence or presumption 176. I have onely one thing more to say to him which is this that I with reason enough may accuse him that in writing his Book he has prevaricated with his Superiours For whereas in his Preface he tells his Readers that He was by command publickly engaged in the Defence of so excellent a cause as that of the Church of England against the Church of Rome even of that Church of England which vpon the greatest enquiry he could make he esteems the best Church of the Christian world I desire no other Iudges but the Prelats of his own Church whether by examining his Principles J have not demonstrated how that contrary to Command and his publick engagement he has been so far from defending her that he has betrayed the cause of his Church to all the Fanatick Sects which have separated from her and with most horrible cruelty sought her destruction and with her the ruine of Monarchy Whereby he has left her in a most forlorn condition tottring upon foundations and Principles which to my certain knowledge were not extant at least not known in England thirty years since In so much as if those who commanded him to defend her will still avow him her Champion there will not be nor ever was a Prelaticall Church so miserably devested of all Authority And therefore let any indifferent Reader judge between us two Whether with better Success He has defended the cause of the Church of England against the Church of Rome or I the cause of his own Church against himself 177. To conclude nothing can be more irrationall then for the Doctour holding to his Principles to profess himself a Controvertist till he can demonstrate that he has the Gift of seeing into mens hearts For since he allowes all Sober Enqâ—irers to be for themselues Iudges of the Sence of Scripture in necessaries and Iudges likewise what Points are necessary till he can disprove the allegations of any Adversary Catholick Protestant or Fanatick by demonstrating that they have either not enquired at all or enquired unsoberly and that none besides himself enquires Soberly it will be most unreasonable in him to condemn or but trouble any Dissenters from him 178. But alas the misery is None are more eager in usurping a Magisteriall and Tyrannicall Power over other mens consciences then such as renounce all Authority internally obliging in the Church Because having no tye upon mens consciences or security in their Subiects Obedience they find externall violence the only Mean to support them Which surely argues a horrible deprâ—vation in the minds especially of Ecclesiasticks which depravation can now only be cured by the Wisedom and Power of the Civil Magistrate Da pacem Domine in diebus nostris Amen FINIS The CONTENTS § I. THe Authours Motive of writing this Treatise D. Stillingfleets three Heads of Accusation against the Catholick Church c. pag. I. § II. A Vindication of the Honour and Sanctity of S. Benedict c. from the Doctours contumelious imputations II § III. Of the life and Prayer of Contemplation derided by the Doctour 28 § IV. Visions c. no Grounds of believing Doctrines among Catholicks 71 § V. Resisting Authority falsely imputed to Catholick Religion 76 § VI. Fanaticism returned upon the Doctour and his whole Religion 88 § VII The Doctrine of Penance Vindicated from the Doctours mistakes 121 § VIII Of Conferring Absolution and Extreme Vnction in Articulo mortis 132 § IX Of Prayer for the Dead 137 § X. Of Indulgences 144 § XI Of the Churches Liturgy in a tongue not generally understood 148 § XII Of the Churches denying the Reading of the Bible indifferently to all 152 § XIII The Conclusion with Advicâ—s to the Doctour 171 ERRATA PAge 3. line 6. read inhuman p. 4. l. 2. read about ib. l. 4. read or Obedience p. 5. l. 16. read to the. p. 7. l. 15. r. upon p. 8. l. 4. read their p. 13. l. 3. r. Preacher p. 17. l. 25. r. sayes p. 47. l. 25. 26. r. severall p. 48. l. 14. r. but be p. 52. l. 22. r. rake out p. 59. l. 20. r. helps for p. 60. l. 7. read therefore p. 67. l. penult r. them ib. l. ult r. both p. 75. l. 12. r. permit p. 76. l. 19. r. herself p. 85. l. 5. r. Apostat p. 87. l. penult r. also p. 88. l. 17. r. returned ib. l. ult r. Fanaticks ib. r. Farce p. 90. l. 8. r. flesh p. 91. l. 17. r. nutshell p. 92. l. 18. r. demonstrate p. 93. in the margent r. 15. Principle p. 95. l. 6. r. Points ib. l. 16. in some of the Copies dele not ib. l. 24. r. receives p. 97. l. 4. r. soever p. 100. l. 9. r. government p. 101. l. 2. r. government ib. l. 10. r. such an one p. 104. l. 10. r. p. 105. l. 11. r. because p. 110. l. 1. at the lines â—nd read the. p. 117. l. 4. r. Catholicks p. 123. l. ult read vvho testifies p. 136. l. 4. read by the exercise p. 142. l. 5. r. their p. 145. l. 5. r. eneruating p. 148. l. 8. r. understood p. 151. l. 10. r. Service ib. l. penult r. desire that p. 152. in the margent â—ead p. 215. A Post-script to the Doctor IF this short Treatise shall after more then half a years strugling haue the fortune to break through all hazards and arriue safe to the Doctors hands the Authour of it will presume in concluding it to offer to him a few Requests The First is That unless he do indeed think
himself obliged in conscience by breaking all Rules of Piety and humanity to do all manner of despight to his Catholick fellow-Subiects he would hereafter at least please to abstain from reviling and blaspheming Gods Saints or traducing the most Divine exercises of contemplative soules more perfectly practised only in Heauen Jt argued certainly a heart brimm full of the Gall of bitternes that to oppose only one single line of his Adversary pag. 31. in which all that he sayes is the mentioning new Sects and Fanaticisms he could allow one hundred and twenty Pages in a senceless and execrable recrimination not considering or rather perhaps too much considering and intending that such a recrimination should reflect with great disparagement on the English Protestant Church In whose Calendar severall of those Saints to this day possess a place Truly in all reason his Attempt by his Socinian Principles of depriving the Governours of that Church of all Anthority granted by her Princes and Parliaments ought to haue suffised him without traducing her as a Canonizer of Fanaticks What excuse he can make for this I cannot imagine unless perhaps his tenderly scrupulous conscience dictates to him that the Scottish Covenant requires all this and more from the obligation whereof the Bishops cannot it seems and his Brethren Presbiters will not absolue him If so his zeale methinks should incite him yet further and particularly to make use of the power and high esteem he has by his late Book gotten in his Vniversity of Cambridge to become a Godfather in rebaptizing and giving a New Name to an ancient and famous Colledge there which at present has two Names both of them extremely inconvenient and prejudiciall to the Design of his beloued Book being called not only S. Benets but likewise Corpus Christi-Colledge For as long as these names continue neither will S. Benedict pass there for a Fanatick nor the Reall presence be esteemed aground of a worse then Pagan Idolatry But I believe he will scarce be able with all his Rhetorick to obtain from them such a compliance or even perswade his own Parishioners to renounce Heaven except S. Gregory S. Benedict S. Francis c. be excluded thence A Second Request is that since to his great credit order has been taken by his friends more solicitous for him then their own Church to render his Book unanswerable he would hasten his zealous Huguenot Brethren of the Savoy iust such Defenders of the Church of England as himself to enlarge his conquests through France also by sending abroad their French Translation of his formidable Book the Rationall Account There will be no need to fear any officious Searchers nor the least obstruction to their dispersing their ware in France for there Catholicks are so confidently secure of the invincible Truth of their Religion that the King himself not only permits but invites yea and expressly commands the subtillest of the Huguenot Ministers to write and publish freely whatsoever they are able to say in defence of themselves or against Catholick Doctrines Now it is manifest that the Doctours friends the zealous Searchers and murderers of all Answers to his Book do not believe that he has any confidence at all either in the truth or honesty of his cause And iust reason they have since it is a cause evidently destructive both to the English Church and state as hath been demonstrated And if themselves had any regard at all either to their Church or the Civill state and peace of the kingdom all betrayed by him they would see and acknowledge that their vigilance would have been much better employed in preventing the birth of so deformed and pernicious a monster My third Request is indeed J fear too reasonable to expect it should be granted by an Adversary of the Doctors temper It is this His design beeing to deterr all English-men from Communion with the Catholick Church from a consideration of dangerous Doctrines and Practises in it he is requested that hereafter he would not abuse the world by fathering on the Church Exotick opinions of particular Schoolmen and by representing the Churches Doctrines lamely falsely and dishonestly His enormous faultiness in this regard in mitation of Doctor Taylor committed in his last Book through every one of the Points mentioned by him may be visible to all heedfull Readers and irrefragable Proofes hereâ—fare in a readiness to be produced if his busy friends the Searchers could be perswaded to rest in their beds in the night time He cannot complain of any difficulty to find out all necessary Doctrines in which Catholicks universally agree as we may for Proteflant Doctrines The Councill of Trent alone will sufficiently furnish him Or if he think fitt to have recourse to the interpretations of its Decisions in all reason and conscience he ought to content himself with such as seem to him most moderate and rationall Christian charity and love of Peace requiring this from him But I fear his unconformity hereto must be pardoned For his principall vocation now being to be a Controvertist to which it seems he is by Superiours engaged and to which employment Preaching Sacraments and all must yield it will be impossible for him to write volumes of Controversy his way if he be confined to matters only which are pertinent or to arguments which are Logically concluding For how could he then delight profanc Readers with ridiculous stories or give scope to his own more profane Fancy in descanting irreligiously on the actions of Saints or fill up many sheets with nasty occurrents raked out of dunghills and charging them on the Church which abhorrs them more then himself How could he I say thus play the Controvertist if he were to assault the Church only in her necessary Doctrines and Discipline exhibited in her Councills I must therefore I fear prepare my self with patience to receive a Refusall to Requests though in my opinion very reasonable and which I here sett down because J believe they will be esteemed such by ingenuous and judicious Readers who surely will not judge the cause of Catholicks prejudiced by the Doctors confutation of a Church no where extant in rerum naturâ except in his own disordered Fancy Lastly he is desired to consider that Almighty God commands us to loue Peace and Truth Zach. 8. 19. both these For Peace alone without Truth is a conspiracy in Errour and an imprudent zeale for Truth may be more pernicious then Errour Both these therefore ought to be loved together And to Hate both Peace and Truth seems a depravation scarce consistent with Human nature or any Rationall Agent besides the Devill himself Since therefore the Doctor by demolishing all Tribunalls in Gods Church which might peaceably end Controversies has endeavoured as much as in him lyes to banish Peace eternally from among Christians it is iustly to be expected from him that being now become by Profession a Controvertist he should give some better testimony to the world that he is at least a Seeker and Promoter of Truth and that his Design in writing Preaching and Disputing is to conquer the iudgments of Dissenters to a belief of that which himself pretends to be Truth But can any reasonable man imagine that he had so much as a desire to convert Catholicks who alone seem to be esteemed by him Dissenters by such a Book as his last is which they cannot read without trembling at the blasphemies of it and without a horrible aversion from one who would make their Church and Faith odious for Doctrines and Practises which the said Church is so far from owning that she condemns them and would moreover persuade them to forsake an established Communion without being informed whither to betake themselves These proceedings are so unreasonnable that it seems manifest he had not so much as a thought of convincing their iudgments so that he will have small reason to wonder that not one single person can be found whom he looks on as an enemy who has given him occasion to erect a Trophey yea moreover though perhaps he will not believe it that a considerable number have against his will had their eyes opened by him to see the desperate state of that cause which seems to seek its last refuge in the Protection of such an Advocat A strange fate certainly this is of a Book so boasted of and to which such conquests have been promised Therefore any sober Reader who shall heedfully reflect on the Doctor 's abilities will hardly be perswaded to believe that he intended his last should be a Book of Controversy but rather an Engin raised by him to work during the space of a few months some considerable mischief against the persons of innocent Catholicks at a season as he thought proper for his purpose when he conceived thereby the whole Kingdom might happily be incensed against them Which holy design if he could effect it would afterward be indifferent to him whether his Book were confuted or not However our hope is that Dominus iudicabit pauperes populi bumiliabit Calumniatorem FINIS Nullos esse Deos in ane coelum Affirmat Selius probatque quod se Factum duÌ„ negat haec videt BeatuÌ„ Martial l. 4. Epigr 21. Pag. 262. Psal. 118. Mem. 2. Cor. 12. v. 2. 3. 4. P. 334. P. 336 P. 336. P. 337. P. 244. Suar. in 3. S Th q 27. Anâ—on Summ. p. 1. tit 8. c. Baron ad A. D. 604. P. 248. P. 235. Irenic P. 392. P. 346. P. 349. P. 350. 13. Principle 15 Principle I. Que. Ansvv. II. Qu. Ansvv. III Qu. Ansvv. IV. Qu. Ansvv. V. Qu. Ansvv. Irenic Eph. iv 4. 5. vers 5. Gesner in Re Bellar. Def. Schlusscâ—b P. 443. Ration Accou p 54. Aug. de Bapt. cont Donat. l. 4. c. 16. P. 180. Conc. Triden Sess. XIV cap. 3. P. 183. P. 181. P. z12 Conc. Tâ—id Ses. XIV c. 8. August lib. 50 hom Hom. 41. Conc. Tâ—id Seâ— VII de Sacram Can. 8. P. 206. Gal. 4. P. 183. Aug. Hom. 50. capvlt P. 681. Luk xvi 9. Lib. de curâ pâ—â— moâ—tuis cap. 4. P. 183. Conc. Tâ—id Ses. xxv Decâ—et de Indulg Ibid. P. 516. P. 188. P. 174. Cor. 14 1. Cor. 14. Vers. 5. 9. 13. 27 28. P. â—15 P. 174. Philast Preface pag. 6. Ibid. p. 22.