not doubt but stedfastly believe That whole Christ his Body and Blood is contain'd under either Species of the Sacrament And therefore such a custom of giving the Sacrament in one kind introduc'd by the Church and the Holy Fathers and observ'd for a most long time let it be taken for a Law Theoph. The first part is warily penn'd c Tam sub Specie panis quam sub specie vini veraciter contineri We must stedfastly believe that whole Christ is verily contain'd as well under one Species as the other So it may be if it be in neither and so we hold Christ is contain'd in neither singly but he is signified and Sacramentally represented and really and spiritually exhibited by the Sacrament in both kinds unto the Faithful Receiver His Body that was broken for us is signified by breaking of Bread and his Blood shed by the Wine poured out of the Cup and separated from the Bread in the Sacrament and therefore at present we will dismiss this School nicety and by the Councils leave not take it for granted That whole Christ Body and Soul is in either Species Quod nullus Presbyter sub poena Excommunicat communicet Populum sub utraque Specie But the principal motive follows Seeing such a custom of giving the Sacrament in one kind hath been introduc'd and most long observ'd by the Church and Fathers we Decree it shall be taken for a Law which shall not be changed or reprobated without the Autority of the Church b Bin. Tom. 8. Concil Basil Sess 30. Sub qualibet Specie est integer totus Christus landab quoque consuet commun Laices c. The Council of Basil makes and confirms the same Decree upon the same Motives Whole and intire Christ is under either kind and the laudable custom of Communicating the Laity under one kind induc'd by Church and Fathers and hither to most long observ'd and approv'd by Doctors skilful in Gods Law and in the Holy Scripture and in Church Canons long since Let it be a Law c. Phil. Yes The Custom and Practice of the Church should prevail with sober Men not given to Faction especially when confirm'd by General Conncils Theoph. Why should not then the Custom and Practice of the Church which we have prov'd for so many Ages prevail for administring the Sacrament in both kinds especially being exactly conformable unto Christs Institution and Command and Apostolical Tradition Phil. Stay there We absolutely deny any command of Christ or of his Apostles or of the Church representative in a General Council to administer the Sacrament in both kinds and we shew two Councils forbidding it Theoph. You deny but the Scriptures affirm And the reason why no General Council determin'd the Sacrament to be in both kinds was because the Institution of Christ and the Tradition of the Apostles and the practice of the whole Church was so full and express for it It was never put to the Question as I can find until the 13 th Century and from that time when the School-men began to swarm most of them being sworn Champions of the See of Rome The laudable Custom as the Council speaks approv'd by Holy Fathers viz. Monks and Friers crept insensibly into the Church And this must be made a ground of Canons to establish the Communion in one kind and forbid the Cup and declare a Curse upon all those that shall dispute it And now when I shall declare the reason I hope your goodness will excuse that great trouble to my self and you in those numerous Quotations and Testimonies I have brought to prove the practice of the Church for 1200 Years in giving the Sacrament unto the People in both kinds It was chiefly upon this design to manifest the gross absurdity of those two Councils Constance and Basil who as you have heard do ground their Decree for one kind upon the laudable custom of the Church taken up not above 100 Years before against the Institution of Christ and the conformable practice of the Church for 1200 Years And withal to manifest their impudence in calling that a custom rationally introduc'd when such a Diutissime obs trifling Motives are brought to establish it And in saying it was diutissime observata for a long time observ'd when they cannot shew one clear Instance save in the Age immediatly before That the Sacrament was administred in public in one kind in any Christian Church Phil. It doth not become your Prudence and Moderation so to undervalue General Councils Theoph. Alass Those two pitiful Councils of Constance and Easil you may call them Oecumenical but you give no more Autority to them then you think fit As far as their Decrees suit the Genius of the Court of Rome they are confirm'd and no farther a Part. 2. Tom. 7. pag. 1134. Exparte Approbatum in iis quae consra Wicclesum c. Binius in his Notes upon the Council of Constance tells us It was approv'd in part in those Decrees against Wicliff Husse and Jerome of Prague But in the determination of the Autority of a General Council above the Pope it was abrogated by two General Councils of Florence and the Lateran b Bin. Tom. 8. Sâ—ss 34. Câ—nâ— Basil Tan suum Simâ—niacum perjurum incorig Scismaticum fide devium injurium bonarum Ecclesiâ—e pâ—â—ditorâ—m So the Council of Basil deposing Eugenius the 4 th from his Papacy As a Simoniacal and perâ— jur'd Man an incorrigible Schismatic erring from the Faith injurious and betraying the Goods of the Church And choosing Amadeus Duke of Savoy Pope called Felix the fifth and Declaring That a Council is above the Pope and hath its Power immediatly from Christ Alas for these things this poor Council is hist off the Stage of the World c Sess 11. Bin in notis in Concil â—asil p. 526. Conciliabulum Schismat c. And in the Lateran General Council under Leo the 10 th It is call'd a Schismatical and Seditious Conventicle and altogether of no Autority And yet these are the Councils upon whose Aurority you so much depend to establish your half Communion and pronounce us all Heretical and Contumacious for not submitting our Reason and our Consciences thereunto even against the Scripture and against the Fathers of the Church Phil. But the General Council of Trent hath no Exception being held 18 years and confirm'd by Pope Pius the fourth and subscrib'd by his Cardinals as appears by the Bull of Confirmation See the Council of Trent set forth in Latin by John Gallemart D. D. and Professor at Douey Theoph. Of the Council of Trent read the History of Father Paul a Frier at Venice a Man of Learning Judgment and Piety beyond compare and there you will find what just cause the World â—ath to decline the Autority and Decrees of that Cabal That great Ecclesiastical Body whose Soul and Spirit was at Rome receiving day by day Orders and Directions and
Determinations from thence in a Portmantle The Bishops and Fathers of the Council were acted more by Reasons of State and Principles of Policy then of Piety and consulted the Pope and the Conclave at Rome more then the Holy Scripture and the Fathers of the Church And withal you have no reason to urge us of England with the Autority of the Trent Council when none of our Bishops were there except only one fugitive And as I take it our Potent Neighbors of France have not yet accepted that Council and withal the Council is of too late an Edition to bear up its Autority against the consent and practice of so many Ages of the Church And therefore being now grown weary of the Controversie be pleas'd to answer this Question and we will conclude Why doth the Church persist so stifly to maintain the Communion in one kind against so many advantages we have shew'd and you must acknowledg on the other side especially seeing in the Council of Trent it was so much desir'd by the Emperor Charles the Fifth and by the Princes and People of Germany well affected so to make up the breach and keep many from falling away from the Church of Rome that the Council of Trent would allow the Communion in both kinds yet we find it was not granted but referr'd wholly to the Popes determination who never had leisure to take his infallible Chair and determine that Controversie Phil. To speak freely The Fathers of that Council and the Pope with his Cardinals at Rome in their Wisdom did well perceive that such as moved for the Communion in both kinds were dis-affected to the Church and made this a specious bait to catch the People They saw their Concessions in this plausible case would but make way for many complaints more and grievances to be redress'd You know not long before the Germans publish'd in Print their first a Centum gravamina Century of Grievances every Article being as a Libel against the Church Hereupon they thought it the wisest course to justifie the former Councils and stand upon their Autority and require subjection from the true Sons of the Church and as for Heretics and Schismatics either to subdue them by subtlety and force or else to slight them Theoph. This Observation of yours confirms many Passages we read of Bishops b Joannes Baptistà Hosius Episcopus Rbeatinus Lib. 4. Gonc Trid. Sess 2. Ecclesia nunquam consueverit vel minimum indulg heriticis c. in that Council giving their Vote upon the Question who mightily oppos'd the allowance of the Cup and urg'd That the Church was never observed to give the least Indulgence unto Heretics but to establish that which was diametrically opposite to their Positions c Andreas Cuâ—sta Episcopus Legionensis Another Bishop seconds this Opinion with the Example of the first General Council of Nice wherein those 318. Holy Fathers would not yield one tittle to the Arrians altho Constantine desired moderation and the Controversie had well nigh set in a flame the whole World d A verbis commoda interpretatione molliendis ex composito abstinuerunt Nay saith he they studiously rejected many Words and Expressions of the Arrians which were capable of a convenient Interpretation And thus you see with what intolerable Impudence they accounted their Christian Brethren as Heretics for following the plain Institution of Christ The Arrians found no favor in the Council of Nice from those Orthodox and Godly Fathers nor the least degree of complyance neither must the Protestants in Germany from the Council of Trent But there was somthing more in the Wind that hindred the Reformation of the See of Rome namely this That if upon the complaint of Nations and People the Pope should reform abuses especially such as had been Decreed in Councils It would be a tacite acknowledgment that the Church of Rome had solemnly erred in making such unjustifiable Decrees and so the jealous People would begin to suspect and examine all her Determinations and be easily perswaded by their Schismatical Guides that in many things the Church had miscarried and Bills of exceptions and complaint would be put up one after another as the interest and malice of her Adversaries should contrive them and therefore the safest way was ever found for the Church of Rome to stand upon her Justification against the clamors of the whole World and to put Princes in mind of their Obedience to the Church and the Obligation that lies upon them by force of Arms to subdue their contumacious Subject's and make them submit unto Rules and Disciplines of the Churches This was the sum of that smart Council which Cardinal Soderine gave unto Pope Adrian when the good old Man was much perplex'd with the Complaints and Demands of the German Princes and their People against the corruptions chiefly of the Court of Rome His Piety and Simpllcity and good Nature being not well vers'd in the Politics of Rome promted him to endeavor satisfaction and reform all such Abuses as might give just occasion of offence and grievance to their Adversaries About this great Work of Reforming he consults the Conclave and the necessity of the Times and the public Scandal of Abuses induc'd many of the Cardinals to advise a Reformation of many things which were in question But at last the subtle and experienc'd Cardinal Soderinus who had been vers'd in the Affairs of Christendom under three active Poâ—ds Alexander and Julius and Leo the 10 th turns the Scale of their Votes and absolutly disswades any appearance or attemt of a Reformation He rolls them That neâ—er any Pope with his Cardinals before thought that a coâ—â—enient way but rather by the Interest of Princes and the power of the Sword to suppress and extirpate unquiet and schismatical Spirits That no Pope cut off Heresies by a Reformation a Sed cruciatis quas vocant excitatis contra 〈◊〉 Princibus Populis Crucis simbolo in signitis but by the â—rucrats as they are call'd the Princes and People being stirr'd up against them wearing the badge of the Cross upon their Coat of Arms. Phil. I must confess Experience hath found this way the surest for so Pope Innocent the 3 d supprest the Albigenses in France and Charles the fifth the German Protestant Princes Theoph. But thro the Providence of God you find the Lutherans are yet alive in Germany and several Princes together with their Subjects reform'd themselves in spight of all opposition protesting against those Errors which the Church of Rome intends to justifie only by the Sword and by the Inquisition and the lower you draw your Observation the more success you will find God hath given unto many Kingdoms and People against the Tyranny and Innovations of Rome Phil. The Judgments of God are a great deep and you may not enter into his Secrets and judg of Truths by the Success Theoph. No my design only was to confute
Heaven upon the sons of men but thro the hands and conveyance of the Blessed Virgin Lay all this together and you will soon perceive how by a strange emulation of her Votaries the superstition is improv'd even into the highest degree of blasphemy Phil. Our Church is not concern'd in these follies of private persons and superstitious Votaries Theoph. You have past a just Censure upon them yet you will find they deriv'd their imaginations from others before them of great Autority in your Church You may turn Canisius the Jesuits Catechism set forth in a large Folio under the licence of Pope Pius the fift In his second chap. of the Lords Praier and the Angel Gabriel's Salutation quaest 18 among others he cites out of Damascen Bernard and Anselm these passages b Domina peccatoris orationem accipe To solum gaudii spem habentis c. O Lady receive the praier of a sinner who doth fervently love and worship thee as his only hope and joy and pledg of Salvation Shake off the burden of my sins and subdue temptations and guide me in holiness that by thy conduct I may obtain eternal bliss c Invituperabilem Deipara spem tuam c. Omnipotens auxtlium tuum I shall be sav'd under thine irreprovable hope having your protection as a brestplate and your omnipotent assistance Blessed Mother of God open unto us the Gate of mercy that trusting in thee we may not err and may be freed from all evil d Tu enimes salus generis humani For thou art the Salvation of Mankind e Omnem spem meam in Te repono Mater luminis I put my whole trust in thee ô Mother of Light This he cites out of Damascen Out of Bernard he brings these passages f Praecessit nos Regina nostra praecessit ut fiducialiter sequantur Dominam c. Our Quen is gon before receiv'd into her glory that we her servants may call after her Draw us that we may run after Thee because of the savour of thine Ointments Cant. 1. The Blessed Virgin ascending up on high even she will give gifts unto men For what should hinder seeing neither power nor a will is wanting She is the mercifull Queen of Heaven and the Mother of Gods only Son Let him forbear to magnify thy mercy who hath found thee wanting when he call'd upon thee O thou Blessed who can take the length and breadth and height and depth of thy mercy Out of Anselm this g Peripsam gratiam quâ Te De us omnipotens exaltavit omnia Tibi c. We beseech thee ô Lady by that grace whereby almighty God hath highly exalted thee and given to thee together with himself all things possible that Thou wouldst obtaine for us such fulness of grace which thou hast deserv'd to bring us to Glory Do thou only will our Salvation and we shall be sav'd help us therefore most benigne Lady and not remembring the multitude of our sins incline thy heart to pity us Again if your Church doth not approve how come your Superiors to licence such books why does your Sacred Colledg of Inquisitors strein at Gnats in other'd mens writings swallow these Camels If your Doctors did abhor such blasphemies they would expunge them they would bend their interests and their studies against them But the naked truth is That the Orders of the Franciscan's and the Jesuits most of them have so vehemently espous'd the honor of our Lady that nothing comes amiss to advance it and these having the greatest influence upon the Court of Rome have in a manner silenc'd all such as among your selves would have contradicted For Instance in that great Question about the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin in her Mothers womb the Dominicans were Orthodox and in the negative maintaining well That all who descended from the loins of Adam by natural generation were conceiv'd in sin infected with original corruption That only Christ was without sin and therefore his Blessed Mother was not free at least from original sin That if Christ was her God and Saviour as she acknowledges in the first verse of her Magnificat therefore she was a sinner For he was therefore call'd Jesus or Saviour because he should save his People from their sins But the other party effected that by power and interest which they could not make good by Argument by plurality of votes they prevail'd in the a Concil Trid. sess 5. Declarat tum haec sancta Synodus non esse suae c. Council of Trent That the Virgin Mother should not be included within the Canon of original sin but the Constitutions of Sixtus 4 tus the Pope should be observed The same faction had before prevail'd upon the Pope and Court to establish a Solemn Feast in memory of her Immaculate Conception they procur'd the Edict of Pope Xystus quartus that none should write or dispute against it and so the opinion of the Immaculate Conception is fairly made a Doctrine of the Church seeing the Feast is solemniz'd by the Authority of the Pope For Pope Sixtus an o 1476 publisheth his Bull b Vid. Bin. tom 8. pag. 1051 1052. to establish the Feast with great Indulgences to all such as should devoutly keep the Feast and be present at the solemn Offices and Services of it and seven years after he sets forth another Bull severely forbidding any one to speak or write against the Immaculate Conception and the Council of Trent Confirms that Decree of Xystus You see therefore how matters are carried by favour and affection under shew of piety devotion honour towards the Mother of God they have introduc'd heretical opinions and presumtious blasphemies whereof I have given some instances Phil. I pray forbear your railing keep close to the point of Saints Invocation and bring your exceptions against the public practise of the Church if any you have and trouble not your self and me with personal extravagancies and phancies Theoph. I thought a Popes Bull for the Celebration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the confirmation thereof by your darling Synod the famous Council of Trent had bin no personal extravagance Phil. What is that to the Invocation of Saints the Virgin Mother speak to the point or else conclude Theoph. Yes the Bull of Sixtus the fourth confirms much such extravagancies For in that Decree the Virgin Mary is stiled a Bin tom 8. p. 1051. Kegina Coeli Stella matutina via misericord c. Queen of Heaven the morning Star the way of mercy Mother of grace and the comforter of Mankind Phil. Leave these digressions speak to the point of Saints Invocation Theoph. I am perswaded as you do not approve so you cannot justify such passages and expressions and therefore you have not patience to hear of them but I will follow your direction and contract my observations within the public Offices and Breviaries
of Christianity against the Innovations of the Church of Rome But seeing your self have receiv'd such satisfaction from their Books and from their Priests as to become a Proselyte to Rome I pray be ingenious and free to communicate and impart your new discoveries unto your Friend Phil. The rule of Friendship and of Charity obliging I am much devoted to this good service and most willing to lead such a Friend and Neighbor in the way of Truth and Holiness Theoph. You suppose the new way wherein you have lately chose to walk to be the right and it will much concern you to make it plain and remove those stumbling-blocks and rocks of Scandal which lye therein before you can expect that I should follow you Phil. Engage Theophilus that you will not stumble at straws and I will undertake to remove all other Obstacles out of your way Theoph. I shall not design to trifle in a serious Discourse and therefore will propose only such Objections against your new way as I judg material Phil. Upon this condition I am ready to answer Theoph. I will first give you in such Exceptions which are obvious unto the meanest Understanding and wherewith your self was much dis-satisfied before your new discoveries viz. 1. With the Latin Service of the Church of Rome 2. With her half Communion 3. With her worshipping of Images Phil. I must confess these things gave great offence unto me before I was better inform'd but now I can give a reason of the Churches practice and answer your Objections against it Theoph. We will therefore take them in their order into consideration First The Church of Rome where she hath Autority requires the public Offices of Praier and of the Sacraments to be performed in the Latin Tongue altho it be unknown and nor understood by the common people and this is contrary unto the reveled will of God in Holy Scripture and to the great end of public Praier Phil. Make your Arguments and Prooss and I will answer them Theoph. S t Paul in that known passage to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 14. speaks expresly to this point that in the Church and public Assemblies of the Saints All things should be don to edification ver 12. and that he that preacheth or prophesieth should utter words easie to be understood by the hearers that it may be known what is spoken otherwise he speaketh into the air ver 9. and if I know not the meaning of the voice saith the Apostle I shall be unto him that speaketh a Barbarian and he that speaketh shall be a Barbarian unto me ver 11. Phil. We grant that Homilies and Sermons should be made to the People in a known Tongue that they may understand and receive instruction Theoph. The same reason holds for Praiers and Spiritual Hymns and Benedictions that the People who are oblig'd to be present and to hold Communion in the Praiers of the Church should understand them For S t Paul in the same Chapter saith expresly He that praieth in an unknown tongue that is unknown to himself his understanding is unfruitful ver 14. and therefore saith he I will pray and sing with the spirit and with understanding also ver 15. and he immediatly adds when thou shalt bless with the spirit that is with such a Tongue as the Holy Ghost hath by an extraordinary gift enabled thee to speak how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest For thou verily givest thanks well but the other is not edified ver 16 17. and therefore he declares That altho he had the gift of Tongues more then they all yet in the Church he had rather speak five words with his understanding that by his voice be might teach others also then ten thousand words in an unknown Tongue Phil. You are not ignorant how the Learned have sufficiently answered all these Arguments taken out of this Chapter Theoph. That they have not sufficiently answered them I know full well and that it is impossible they should I pray impart that satisfaction which they have given you Phil. Bellarmine Tom. 1. Lib. 2. De verbo Dei cap. 16. plainly shews That the Apostle in this Chapter doth not speak of the common Forms of Praier and Hymns of praise but of some particular Praiers and Benedictions which by the gift of the Spirit by immediate Inspiration some were enabled to speak in a Tongue unknown to most of the hearers and somtimes not understood by themselves Theoph. How doth he prove the first part of his Answer that the Apostle in that Chapter doth not speak of public Praiers and Benedictions and reading of the Scriptures For these are his words Vera sententia est Apostolum hoc loco non agere de divinis Offici is nec de publica Scripturarum Lectione Phil. He proves it thus Because saith he out of doubt the Corinthians had the Scriptures read in the Church in Greek and the Divine Service in the same Tongue which they understood Scripturae sine dubio legebantur Graece Divina Officiaâ—fiebant graece in Graecia Ibid de verbo Dei cap 16. Theoph. This we readily grant and make no more doubt of it then himself Corinth was an eminent City in Greece and the Greek was the vulgar Tongue with them and therefore doubtless all their public Service was in that Tongue understood by all And because the Apostle would alwaies have it so in this Chapter he forbids everyone to disturb that good edifying way of the Church That none should pray or bless in public or speak in an unknown Tongue because thereby the People who did not understand the Language could not be edified But that which Bellarmine puts out of all doubt and we easily grant That the Corinthians had their public offices of Praier and reading of the Scriptures in Greek I pray observe well how he proves it Graece in Graecia therefore they had their Service in Greek because they were Grecians And the Argument concludes alike for every Country that doubtless they had their public Service and Worship of God in their own Language Graece in Graecia and Anglice in Anglia because they were Grecians they had theirs in Greek and because we are Englishmen we have ours in English and so every Country in their own Tongue For set aside the reason of this Chapter That S t Paul requires the public Service should be in the vulgar Tongue to the end that all the People may understand and be edified and be able to say Amen and Bellarmine could never prove what he takes for granted That the Corinthians had their Divine Service in Greek by his leave the Chapter shall serve our turn as well as theirs That according to the Apostles general rule in England we should serve God in English Phil. But you will find how Bellarmine puts a vast difference between the first Age of Christianity and those which
to wish that the Lord would please to encline his ears unto the praiers of the Priest by reason of his far distance or because the Priest speaks with a submiss and whispering voice as he is somtimes enjoin'd or when himself is deaf or the like and he might well have added one cause more when the public Offices are not understood being perform'd in an unknown Tongue I have singled out this great Oracle of his Age as one for all who was consulted about Casuistical Solutions from all parts of the Western-Church and set forth this Enchiridion or Manual of Confessors after many previous Editions revised and perfected in the 90 th Year of his Life as himself declares in his Epistle Dedicatory to Pope Gregory the 13 th And herèunto exactly suits the practice of their Church The people are solicitous to afford their presence at Mass in their solemn Feasts but it matters not at what distance from the High Altar they place themselves for if they hear the Praiers yet generally they understand them not and therefore they apply themselves some to Auricular Confession in corners of the Temple unto the Priests they have made choice of others mumble over their bead-role of Praiers which they have bin enjoin'd by way of Penance others who had not leisure to pay their Morning Devotions at home recollect them in the Church only when the Mass-Priest with a loud voice concludes the Praiers they are accustom'd to answer Amen and when he elevates the Host they have warning given them to Adore and Worship Phil. You may reckon these as personal abuses and corruptions against the pious intention of the Church in her public Offices Theoph. They are too general to be accounted personal And it is evident the public Service being not understood the great Doctors of the Church judg it reasonable and charitable to allow the people their private Devotions in the Church and therefore it is a mockery for the Priest to exhort the people to pray with him when they understand not his Praiers and are permitted to pray by themselves Phil. The opinion of private Doctors or the corrupt practice of private persons is insignificant Shew the Authority of the Church for this permission Theoph. I shew how the Church gives the occasion by performing the Service in an unknown Tongue for if the people must join in common Praier with the Priest they must understand it that they may devoutly and affectionatly discharge the duty together with him Phil. However I have shewed you before how the Priest is the mouth of the people putting up the common Supplications and offering up the great Sacrifice of Christ unto the Father in the Mass for them Theoph. And so the people are excluded and in vain invited to join in Praier with the Priest and there is no communion in the Service which your self not long before acknowledg'd to be an absurdity And you will find the Primitive Fathers of the Church speaking expresly to this point Of the peoples joining with the Priest in public Praier and of the efficacy of such Praiers as more available with God when the Congregation with one heart and voice did make their common Supplications and sing Praises to him Tertullian in the 39 th Chapter of his excellent Apology for Christians resembles them when assembled together in common Praier unto an Army manu facta as he speaks making an assault upon the God of Heaven and by a Sacred Violence wresting Concessions from him Haec vis Deo grata This is an acceptable force to the Almighty St. Basil compares them unto the rushing of many Waters in his Hexameron the 4 th Homily If the Sea saith he be beautiful in the sight of God how much more is such an assembly of the Church as we have here in which the mingled sound of Men Women and Children making their common Praiers ascendeth unto our God as the noise of Waves beating against the Banks S t Ambrose insists upon the same Metaphor in his Hexameron the 3 d Book and first Chapter Bene mari comparatur Ecclesia in Oratione totius plebis c. Appositly may the Church be compared to the Sea when all the multitude in their Praiers make a noise like the flowing Waves and in the Responsals of the Psalms and in the Hymns of Men Women Virgins and Children S t Chrysostom shews how the people in the public Praiers contribute much to such as are possest and to the Penitents For the Praiers of the Priest and of the people saith he are common All say the same Praier 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homil. 18. in secundum Epistolam ad Corinth With what shew of reason therefore can ye exclude the people from understanding the public Service and joining with the Priest therein Phil. This course you have mention'd out of Antiquity continued not many Ages in the Church Theoph. For 600. Years as appears by Isidore Hispalensis Lib. 10 de Ecclesiast Officiis cap. 10. Oportet ut quando Psallitur psallatur ab omnibus cum oratur oretur ab omnibus c. It is necessary that this rule should be observed in Church Service that when they sing All should sing when they pray all should pray when the Lesson is read All being silent should hear And therefore the Deacon with a loud voice commandeth silence that whether they sing or the Scriptures be read unity be preserved and that which is spoken to all should be heard of all Phil. But the general practice of the Church prevails with sober Men against all Testimonies whatever Theoph. What is the general practice of the Church Phil. In every Nation under Heaven to have the public Service in one of the three Sacred Languages In Hebrew Greek or Latin Theoph. Is one Language holier then another Phil. Not in it self but in the effect because the Holy Ghost chose to communicate unto the World the Holy Scriptures in these three Languages Theoph. You have made an ill Argument for the Latin Tongue for I do not find that any part of Gods Word was originally written in Latin Phil. Yes Bellarmine asserts it a Bell. Tom. 1. l. 2. de verbo Dei cap. 15. Let us be content saith he with those three Tongues which Christ hath honored with the Title of his Cross and which excel all others in Antiquity amplitude and gravity and wherein the Holy Scriptures were first written by their Authors b Quibus ipsi libri divini ab Autoribus suis initio scripti fuerunt And he brings a great Autority for the proof even Hilary in his Preface to his Commentary upon the Psalms c His tribus linguis Sacramentum voluntatis dei beati Regni expectatio praedicatur In these three Tongues the mystery of the will of God and the expectation of the kingdom is published Theoph. This Testimony of Hilary comes not home to the point he saith In quibus praedicatur In which three Tongues the
understanding and devotion putting an acceptable force upon the Almighty by the fervency and importunity of the whole Congregation I have likewise occasionally shew'd before how the Latine Tongue was propagated with the Roman Conquests by their Colonies and in time became even vulgarly known in many parts of the Western Empire but upon the Inundation of the Goths and Vandals c. And upon the decay of the Roman Empire the Roman Tongue every where gave place to the Conqueror and now there is no Nation or People in the World who generally understand it Now then seeing the Latine Service was in use in divers Countries because it was vulgarly understood and for that reason only as we may well suppose the case being so apparently alter'd and no common People now understanding the Latine Tongue it ought in every Country to give place to that Language which is understood And it is the insufferable Tyranny of the Pope and Church of Rome so strictly to keep up the old custom of Latine Service in several Countries when the reason of the first possession ceaseth and the Language is not understood And therefore in this case Augustin shall give an Answer to himself a De Baptisme contra Donatistas lib 3. cap. 6. Plane respondeo quis dubitet veritati manifestae debere consuetudinem cedere I answer plainly saith he who doubteth but that custom must yield unto apparent truth Phil. If any Nation find it a grievance they may peaceably apply themselves to the Pope and his Cardinals or to a General Council and without doubt may have Indulgence and leave granted to have the Service in their own Tongue For so I read how Cyril an Hermit who was a great Instrument under God to convert Moravia to the Faith of the Gospel having first instructed and Baptized Suatocopius their King who was overcome in a signal Battle by Arnolphus the Emperor and liv'd an Exile in the Wilderness b Aenâ—as Sylvius hist Bohemica cap. 13. The History shews how this Cyril went to Rome and earnestly sollicited the Pope that in Divine Service he might use the Sclavonian Tongue which was in Moravia the vulgar and it was granted Theoph. But why do you concele the most memorable Passage of the Story namely That when Cyrils request met with great opposition in the sacred Senate of Cardinals a voice was heard as from Heaven saying c Omnis spiritus laudet Deum omnis lingua confiteatur ei Ib ad finem capitis Let every one that hath breath praise the Lord and let every Tongue consess unto him And so they were in that Senate miraculously convinc'd of the Truth now controverted between us That every Nation should serve God and praise him in their own Tongue even in the public Service Now you cannot deny the Story to be credible seeing your self have made use of the first part and it was written by a famous Cardinal who was afterwards chosen Pope But as for Encouragements to ask leave we shall find very few For in the next Century Hildebrand a furious and turbulent Pope known by the name of Gregory the 7 th flatly denied the same Request made by the Duke of Bohemia Vuratislaus in the behalf of his Subjects And whereas in most of their Churches the People had before taken the liberty to use their own Language in the public Service the Pope strictly inhibits it by the Autority of Peter giving the Duke a charge for the honor of the Omnipotent God with all his power to resist such a vain and rash attemt And the lower we descend in Church History the more stiff we find the See of Rome to make any Concessions unto the People The Immunities of the Clergy must be enlarged and the Laics kept under a blind obedience and to this end their little or no understanding of Gods Worship and of the Mysteries d Binius part 1 ma. 7 Tom. Conc l 6. Epistolarum Greg. Papâ— 7. Epistola 11. Ne fiat quod à vestris imprud exposcitur autorit beati Petri inhibemus c. of Religion and of the Holy Scriptures is very subservient Phil. You are proud and of a Schismatical Spirit and so pretend great difficulties to excuse good maners Theoph. It is the usual course with Men of your Church to supply their defect of Arguments and Reason with railing I have all this while wondred at your patience but you have not bin long acquainted with their waies But in answer to your reproof I will tell you It is no part of good manners to ask leave to serve God in that way which he hath prescrib'd with the heart and with the lips and with understanding also a Lib. 30. cap. 5. contra Fauseum Manich. neque evim cenceditur secundum Veniam nisi peccatum S t Augustin tells us Indulgence is given to such things as are not lawful in themselves Prove it unlawful to understand our Praiers and we will ask your leave to do so And that we do not pretend difficulties is manifest for your Church is so far from allowing the public Service in a known Tongue that it scarce permits any to use their own Language in their private Devotions training up their Proselytes Men Women and Children to say their Pater noster the Creed the Penitential Psalms their Ave Maries in Latine and so like Parrots they are taught to speak what they understand not in particular to utter broken Latine and many Incongruities the intention of heart and mind all the while being not determin'd to those Petitions which they make with their lips For altho they have a moral perswasion that they say the Lords Praier when they mumble out the Pater noster yet for the distinct Petitions they are altogether to seek as I have had occasion to make the trial For when a Female Proselyte of Rome gloried that she could say her Praiers in Latine rehearsing her Pater noster when she came to the fifth Petition Demitte nobis debita nostra I interrupted her and demanded what that Petition was which the then put up to God she answered She could not tell distinctly but she knew in general that she said the Lords Prayer Now certainly it is necessary that the heart should know when the tongue asks forgiveness of Sins that so it may be smitten and deeply affected with a sense and shame of sin in general and with some particular sins which lie as a burthen upon the Conscience and would come into remembrance at that instant when we with understanding beg pardon And the same reason holds for all requests made to God we ought distinctly to understand them that we may be suitably affected with a due sense of our wants Did you never read the complaint which the Lord made to his Prophet Isaiah chap. 29. ver 13. This People draw near to me with their mouth and with their lips do honor me but have removed their heart far from me
Canons and Prohibitions to the season as the wisdom of the Church did judg most expedient and when you examine well their Arguments and Reasons perhaps you may be constrain'd to allow of them Theoph. There must be a strange transformation of Mens minds and manners when the Holy Scriptures which were written for our Instruction and to make men wise unto Salvation shall prove pernicious unto their Souls Phil. As wholefom Food unto sick Stomachs Theoph. But the Holy Scriptures are both Food and Physic to the Soul and were certainly written for all times and for all conditions of Men. Phil. I pray have patience to hear their Reasons before you answer them Theoph. I expect first you should return a sober Answer unto the Holy Fathers of the Primitive Church who as you have heard do so seriously recommend the study of the Scripture unto all Men. Phil. I did not expect you should use so many shifts and subterfuges and I am almost perswaded that being conscious to your self of their convincing Evidence therefore you decline to hear their Arguments Theoph. That will appear in due time and place but have you in earnest no Reply to make unto those Exhortations of the Fathers to read the Bible Phil. Your principal Quotations are out of Chrysostom and Bellarmine hath told you He was an Orator and used to speak Hyperbolies to affect his Auditory Theoph. And I have shew'd how this good Father thro-out his Works so frequently recommends the study of the Scripture as a substantial point of Doctrine and Duty which he press'd upon his hearers not as an embellished flower of his Rhetoric But I pray What Answer doth Bellarmine or any other Champions of your Church give unto the other Fathers Phil. I do not find they have taken much notice of the rest they suppose perhaps one Answer will serve them all Theoph. As one Shoe will sit every Mans Foot And this indeed is very observable That Bellarmine in his great reading should omit Jerome and Basil and Origen and the rest and take notice only of Chrysostoms Expressions and thift them off as Rhetorical Flashes and Hyperbolies and not serious Exhortations to read the Scripture His subtilty without doubt promted him to concele the others for the advantage of his Cause least the pregnant Testimonies of so many Fathers should prevail with sober Men to search the Scripture more then all the Prohibitions of their Church and novel Arguments to restrain them from it And it is his Artifice that he might seem Ingenious to take notice of one Father opposing him that so the unwary Reader being not well vers'd in the Fathers might suppose all the others to have been silent or on his side in the Controversie Phil. You are pleasant with your own Conceits but their Arguments will make you work to answer them Theoph. I have great confidence in the merits of the Cause and do not despair of a ready Answer unto all opposition that shall be made against such a mesur'd Truth which we defend Phil. Bellarmine a Lib. 2. De verbo Dei c. 15. shews how the Old Testament was publicly read to the Jews in the Hebrew Tongue when the People did not understand it because in the Captivity the Jews had forgotten their own Language and learn'd the Chaldee and the Syriac And therefore after their return into Judea it is written Nehem. 8. 7 8 9 12. how the Priests and Levites caused the People to understand the Law They did read in the Book distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading Nehemiah and Ezra and the Levites taught the People and all the People made great mirth because they had understood the words that were declared unto them Theoph. Here is not one word to shew the People did not understand the Language wherein the Holy Scriptures were read but that the Priests and Levites gave the sense interpreted to them the Law of God and caused them to understand the meaning of the Words nay it is expresly said ver 2. That Ezra brought the Law before the Congregation both of men and women and all that could hear with understanding And again ver 3. before those that could understand and all the People were attentive unto the Book of the Law Neither may we well suppose that they had forgot their Mother Tongue in the time of their Captivity but only mix'd and corrupted it in some Words Seventy Years is too short a date to change the Language of a People Withal it might be remembred that some Learned Men of the Roman Communion have said That the Jews were not so long Captives in Babylon that from the desolation of Jerusalem when Nebuchadnezzar burn'd the City and the Temple until Cyrus his command for the Jews return there were but 30. Years And that the term of 70. Years so much spoken of by the Prophet Jeremiah did bear date from the 13 th Year of King Josiah's Reign about the time when Ninevy was destroied and the Assyrian Monarchy was translated to Babylon and those great Neighbors prov'd very terrible and by the Prophet were pointed out to be the destruction of Jerusalem And withal we know the three last Prophets after the return of the Jews from Babylon Haggai Zechariah Malachy encouraging the People to build the Temple and the City spake unto them in the Hebrew Tongue and therefore doubtless the People understood it Nay we read expresly Acts 22. 2. S t Paul spake to the Jews gathered together in a great multitude and tumult in the Hebrew Tongue and therefore for a while heard him with patience when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew Tongue to them they kept the more silence And it is manifest by that which follows ver 21. that they understood him Phil. Bellarmine brings a Confirmation that the Jews did not understand the Hebrew Tongue out of the Gospel of S t John Joh. 7. 49. But this people that know not the Law is cursed Theoph. Both he and you may blush to own such a simple Proof The Scribes and Pharisees there pronounced the multitude that followed Christ accursed not because they know not Hebrew wherein the Law was written but because in their account they mis-applied the Prophesies of the Messiah to Christ And if the Hebrew Tongue was forgotten among the Jews why did Matthew write his Gospel as is supposed in Hebrew for the better Information of his Country-men Phil. Bellarmine likewise shews how even to this day the Jews in their Synagogues have the Scriptures read in Hebrew altho most of them understand it not Theoph. Let the Synagogues of the Jews and the Church of Rome in this regard lay their heads together to justifie their unreasonable practice by the Autority of one another Phil. But what say you to this next Argument which seems demonstrative The Apostles and Disciples preach'd the Gospel unto all People Nations and Languages and yet they did write the Gospels and
own party have done so Phil. But his second Argument is very considerable out of the Acts of the Apostles cap. 2. ver 42 They continued stedfasily in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayer Here saith he by breaking of Bread is meant receiving the Sacrament a Nemo ratione utens negare potest panem hoc loco esse Eucharistiam c. every one that hath reason must acknowledg it b Si cibus esset communis non jungeretur medio loco cum doctrina oratione otherwise had it bin common bread and refection it would not have bin put between the Apostles Doctrine and Praier Theoph. Altho I do not fear the Cardinals censure if I should deny it neither can he or any other make it more then probable that in that place by breaking of Bread is understood a Sacramental Action yet because it is probable both in this Text and in the 20 th Chapter of the Acts ver 7. Vpon the first day of the week when the Disciples came together to break Bread Paul preached Therefore some of our Divines do allow your Interpretation yet your Doctors conclusion will not hold That they received the Sacrament only in one kind altho the Bread only is express'd for here a part is put for the whole action of Communicating for mark you breaking of Bread was the Apostles or Priests act so to distribute it to the People and many other actions must concur to make up the Sacrament as Blessing and Consecrating and the like and you sind these are not express'd but implied and so also must consecrating the Cup be implied also for otherwise if the Apostles did Consecrate the Bread and not the Cup the Sacrament was null by the acknowledgment of your own Doctors They conclude the Consecration of both kinds necessary insomuch that c Part. 3. q. 74. art 1. ad 2. Nec propter desectum alterius est unum sine altere consecrandum Aquinas holds If one part of the Sacrament cannot be procur'd suppose it Wine the other part ought not to be Consecrated And he gives the reason Because the Sacrament would be imperfect And d Dispui 123. c. 30. Necessarium jure divinout ex disp Pentif c. Vasquez holds it necessary jure divino so that by the Popes Dispensation the Sacrament cannot be consecrated in one kind both in respect of the Sacrifice and the Sacrament We conclude therefore that the Apostles who did break Bread in these Texts to the People did before Bless and Consecrate it and after Consecrate the Cup and you cannot say they did not altho these things are not express'd Phil. I grant all this But how will you prove they gave the Cup to the People Theoph. It is your part to shew they did not otherwise you do not make good that the Sacrament was given only in one kind Now all your proof is because the Cup is not express'd as the breaking of Bread is And you know that it is a weak negative Argument and if allow'd it would over-throw your first Postulatum that by breaking of Bread is understood the Sacrament seeing many necessary actions to complete a Sacrament as you have heard are not express'd but only implied altho it is not express'd yet you take it for granted That when the Bread was broken it was bless'd and distributed and that the Cup likewise was consecrated And why will you not give me leave to take it likewise for granted that the Cup was given to them altho it be not express'd Doth the Expression of breaking the Bread exclude giving the Cup Phil. No but being express'd and the other not we may suppose the one without the other Theoph. What you may suppose I know not but this I am sure neither the Cardinal nor you can prove any thing against us out of these Texts And before I leave this passage I cannot but observe a contradiction of your practice unto this Expression of breaking of Bread which you make very much of as the denomination of the whole Sacramental Action and in some places we do not gain-say it and yet when you administer the Sacrament you do not break Bread you omit that significant Action which is express'd in our Blessed Saviors Institution and you give unto the People Wafers whole and single which cannot represent Christs Body bruisd and broken or the Peoples Communion of the same Loaf which S t Paul insists upon 1 Cor. 10. 17. We being many are one Bread and one Body for we all are partakers of that one Bread If you had not studied to go against Christs Institution you could not have omitted breaking of Bread and giving the Cup unto the People in the Sacrament Phil. You have an Art to amplifie and aggravate and to lay heavy things to our charge Theoph. I am solicirous for your sake that you may recover out of the snare and be timely sensible of your Error Tolet hath other Arguments as weak as Water to make good his impudent Assertion That in the Apostolic and Primitive Times the Church administred the Sacrament indifferently either in one or both kinds as she thought fit I shall meet with them in due place For I now proceed as I propos'd to shew the practice of the Church for many Ages both from the restimony of the Fathers and the Learn'd in every Age and from the acknowledgment of your own Doctors to give the Communion in both kinds unto the People according to the Institution of Christ and the Tradition of the Apostles Phil. You love to take that for granted which is the Question Whether Christs Institution and Apostolical Tradition be on your side For altho our Savior gave the Sacrament in both kinds to the Apostles it doth not appear he appointed them to administer it so unto the People as a rule unto succeeding Generations Theoph. The practice of the Church will best interpret the commands of Christ and duty of Christians If the Church Catholic for 1200 Years gave the Communion in both kinds thereby they declare the mind of Christ and our obligation to follow them Phil. We reverence the Autority of the Church and desire nothing more then your submission thereunto Theoph. I speak of Church Practice and you divert unto Church Autority As tho the Holy Fathers who gave the Sacrament in both kinds unto their Congregations did therein follow the Canons of the Church and not rather the Institutions and Command of Christ Phil. The Essential parts of the Sacrament we remit to Christ and his Institution but do believe the Church alwaies had power to appoint and alter Circumstances Theoph. Where Christ hath left them undetermin'd But more-over we account the Elements of Bread and Wine to be material and substantial parts of the Sacrament Instituted by Christ and therefore not to be accounted Circumstances and left to the determination of the Church But I perceive while you contend
wall Phil. This Canon may respect the Pictures of God and not of the Saints and you have dismist that Point Theoph. Your Church however is to blame to transgress this Canon in admitting Images of God and of the Trinity But seeing you allow Worship and Adoration to the Images of Christ and of the Saints the reason given in the Canon reacheth them also The Fathers would not have that which is worship'd pictur'd on the Wall Phil. You will find other Answers given to that Canon That it prohibited Images in the Church because then the People were newly weanâ—d from Idolatry and might be apt to return For the Council was held under Pope Marcellus Anno 305. and withal the Heathen among whom they liv'd might suppose Christians did worship Idols like themselves whilst they condemn'd them and there was danger least the Gentiles should break in upon them and do despite unto the Images of Christ and the Saints Theoph. The Reason given in the Canon confutes these Answers and manifests them to be but shifts That which is worship'd must not be pictur'd Phil. b De Im. l. 2. c. 9. Bellarmin having reckon'd others chiefly approves this Answer The Canon forbids Images upon the Walls least they should be defil'd and stain'd with the moistness and mouldring of the Wall but Pictures in Arrasor Tables are not forbid as not being so liable to such Inconveniencies Theoph. He will say somwhat tho to little purpose such a ridiculous Answer deserves no Consideration Phil. But withal he shews how the Eliberitan Council consisted but of 19 Bishops And what are they if compar'd with such General Councils which afterwards establish'd Images Theoph. This is like himself when any thing makes against him to slight it But this Council was alwaies held in great esteem for the Antiquity and Piety thereof Hosius presided therein and the other Bishops were most of them Confessors and at that time assembled with the hazard of their lives to give Rules and Directions to the People of God And in those days Bishops were not so numerous the World being not subdued to Christianity And lastly Binius acknowledgeth there were six and thirty Presbyters in the Council besides the Bishops Phil. Once more Bellarmin shews That Council did incline to Novatianism denying Reconciliation unto the Church even at their deaths unto some Offenders as appears in the three first Canons of that Council whereas about 20 years after the great Council of Nice in the 13 th Canon Decreed the contrary a Bin. Tom. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We determin in general That any one departing this life and desiring to receive the Eucharist the Bishop upon examination shall give it him Theoph. Bellarmin doubtless was not ignorant That Pope Innocent the first had vindicated the Eliberitan Council from this imputation of Novatianism and reconcil'd the difference of the Canons by the times wherein they were made b Innocent Epist 1. c. 2. Cum illis temporibus crebrae essent persecut c. In those persecuting Times the Fathers of the Eliberitan Council were more severe least the easiness of Reconciliation to the Church should encourage some to Apostatize they Decreed That such as did fall off should not be admitted to the Eucharist even at their deaths But when Constantine restored Peace to the Church and Persecution ceas'd the Council of Nice releas'd the former Canon and Decreed The Communion should be given to such as desired it upon their death beds Now Bellarmin's brother Cardinal c Annal Tom Anno 305. Fatetur se paulo liberius de hoc Concil loquutum c. Baronius taking into consideration this Justification of the Eliberitan Council by Pope Innocent makes acknowledgment That he spoken too freely against this Council in his Annals before and Declares That there could be no suspicion of Novatianism in that Council Phil. d Baron Tom. 1. Anno Christi 57. Baronius suspects this Canon against Pictures may be supposititious put in among the rest by some who had ill will to Images in after times Because saith he the Image-breakers take no notice of this Canon in their defence Theop. This is their constant practice to suspect all that makes against them They have accustomed themselves much of late to the corrupting of Fathers and Councils and would have us believe they have learn'd that Art from the Primitive Times And withal you may observe Baronius's cheat upon his Reader In the year 570. he much labors to undermine the Autority of this Council as being but a particular Council of few Bishops given to Novatianism and for this Canons sake against Images all this indignation and therefore the Canon must be thought supposititious Now when he hath prepossest his Reader with these prejudices against this Council long after in the year 305. as you have heard he recants acknowledging he had spoke too freely against it and that Pope Innocent had acquitted the Council of Novatianism c. Do you not believe the Learned Cardinal knew as much of this Concern when he wrote his first censure of the Council as when he cries peccavi only he was willing to undervalue the Council in the first place and might presume many of his Readers might never go so far as to read this his Recantation But to proceed in Church History concerning Pictures of the Saints in Churches we have a notable passage of Epiphaninus a Learned Bishop in Cyprus who going towards Bethel with John Bishop of Jerusalem in the way he turn'd into a Church in a Village call'd Anablatha to Pray And seeing there a piece of hanging before the door of the Church painted and having the Image of Christ in it or some Saint for afterwards in his Letter to John Bishop of Jerusalem he saith That he did not well remember whose Picture it was he cut the hanging and Picture into pieces and wish'd the Keeper of the Church to wrap some dead Body in it and bury it When some of the Village standing by expostulated with him for the Fact and said That however he should buy another piece of hanging before the door he promis'd to do so and sent it afterwards to the Bishop of Jerusalem to be put up instead of the other Now in this Letter to the Bishop who had Jurisdiction in that place he gives a reason of his action a Hierom. Tom 2. Epist Epiphan ad Jeannem Episc Hiros cum vidissem in Ecclesia Christi contra Script Autorit hominis c. When I saw in the Church of Christ against the Autority of Holy Scripture the Image of a Man set up I cut it in pieces And in the close of his Letter he adviseth the Bishop to command That such hangings should not be admitted into the Church which are against our Religion that so he might take away all scandal and scruple c. Phil. Many Answers you will find given to this memorable Passage Theoph. Yes it
unto the Image it self putting us in mind of our Savior you have high reason to yield all civil honor and obeisance to your Prinoe but will you bow the Knee or put of your Hat unto his Image in your Coin or to his Picture in your Closet Phil. Let me ask you also one Question If any should stab the Image of the King or of your Ancestors and shew great indignation against them would you not be higtly offended Theoph. If the Circumstances declare that he did it out of despight and malice to the person represented by the Picture there is reason to take it as an high affront Phil. By insensible degrees I shall bring you to acknowledge as much as we desire If you should see any Man give honor and respect unto the Princes Picture for his sake would you not approve it Theoph. Yes giving such regard as a pious Prince expects from us not to put a studied affront upon it not to set it up in a contemtible place we likewise shew a dutiful affection in highly valuing the Picture that resembles the King Phil. Why should you except against honor and respect given to an Image of your Savior or of his blessed Mother and the Saints Theoph. We do not set aside the Religious Worship of an Image which may lawfully be made and we will not except against any respect you will give to it for his sake whom it represents you must prove it lawful to worship Images Phil. To a Prince civil Worship and Honor is due and so much you give likewise to his Picture by the same rule seeing unto Christ as Man in union with the Divine Nature is due Religious Worship and Adoration you must give Religious Worship to his Image Theoph. We never said the same honor is due to the Picture of a Prince as to his Person Do you all stand bare in the Parlor because your Princes Picture hangs there or the Pictures of any of his Predecessors And secondly from a civil Worship given unto a Creature to a Religious Worship given unto a Creature there is no consequence to be drawn and the reason is this God hath forbid one and not the other Now the Pictures of Christ and of his Cross and of the Saints are Creatures even the work of Mens hands and therefore to them no Religious Worship to be given Phil. There is a receiv'd Maxim in the Church first taken from Basil the Great a Vid. Damascen Orthod Fid. lib. 4. c. 17. 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The honor done to the Image passeth unto him whom it represents and therefore honoring their Images you honor Christ and his Saints Theoph. 'T is truth what respect is given to a Picture is only with regard unto the thing or person represented by it and therefore it is call'd relative Honor We prize the Picture of a Friend and much more of our Blessed Savior and his Saints if they be drawn to the Life but however to the Picture itself no adoration can in reason be given and honor because it is far inferior to the meanest Man who is the living Image of God and a Picture suppose of Christ but an inanimate Image b Honor est agnitio praecellâ—ntis Now Honor is given to things more excellent Will you say the Picture of a King excels in dignity the person of a Subject or that a liveless Picture of our Blessed Savior is more honorable then a living Disciple of our Blessed Savior Phil. Not in itself but as it is the Image of Christ Theoph. I speak of it as his Image and yet I do suppose you dare not maintain That the Picture of Christ in the consideration as his Picture is more to be esteemed then a Disciple of Christ for suppose one of them were to be destroi'd Would you save the Picture and leave the Man to perish Again for worshipping the Images of Saints it may be of S t Peter Is more honor to be given to his Image now then was to his person in the days of his Flesh When Cornelius fell at his Feet and worship'd him he receiv'd it not but said Stand up I my self also am a Man Acts 10 26 instructing him that no such worship was due to a Man Phil. He would not receive such adoration as was due to God Theoph. Who told you good Cornelius a devout Man intended such worship as was due to God Dare you say Cornelius in that act committed I dolatry giving the worship due only to God unto his Servant Peter he only design'd to give to him such high expressions of Honor and Worship as to a Saint and Servant of God upon Earth and yet Peter would not accept of it and intimates because he was a Man he ought not So we read S t John fell down to Worship before the Feet of the Angel and the Angel said See thou do it not for I am thy fellow-servant and of thy Brethren the Prophets and of them which keep the sayings of this Book worship God Now it is to be conceiv'd John design'd not to commit Idolarry and give Divine Worship to the Angel but only some inferior Religious Worship as your Doctors use to speak and yet the Angel would not receive it being jealous of his Creators Honor and directs the Apostle to worship God Now if we must not worship Saints in their own Persons much less in their Images If Angels will not accept worship from us neither will the Saints Triumphant both instruct us to worship God and not them altho we should intend to give them only inferior worship Phil. The second Council of Nice being the seventh Oecumenical Council hath well stated this Point and establish'd the Worship proper to God call'd Latria to be incommunicable to a Creature But a second sort of inferior Worship and Adoration they determin must be given to the Images of Christ and the Saints Theoph. I wish they had first satisfied you or me why they should determine inferior Worship and Adoration to be given to the Saints in Heaven and to their Images on Earth seeing the Angel expresly forbids it and directs us only to worship God But seeing you have appeal'd to that Council of Nice thither we will go as being indeed the first Foundation of Image worship and if you please I will give you a preliminary account and history of that Council Phil. I pray do so for it will suit with our present Discourse and shew the rashness of those Enemies of Christ and his Saints who brake down their Images and cast them out of Churches as Heathen Idols unto the Dung-hill whil'st the holy Popes of Rome successively wrote Epistles and sent Legats and gave warning to the Emperors whose Zeal without knowledge gave countenance and autority to such Sacrilegious Outrages Theoph. About the year of Christ 720. Leo Isaurus the 69 th Emperor of Rome from Augustus observing the growth of Superstition and Idolatry
Persecutors much more for mercy and favor unto their friends and brethren for they are more inflam'd with charity then with an eager thirst after revenge Theoph. I perceive most of the Arguments are probable diductions from Analogie and proportion but we expect divine Autority to establish such a principle part of Worship which you make the Invocation of Saints Phil. We are not yet arriv'd at that point but preparing the way unto it shewing the Saints in Heaven do understand our affairs and pray for us and with your patience I will give other Texts to prove it Theoph. More pertinent I beseech you Phil. That passage of S t Peter is full to the point 2 d of Pet. 1. 15. I will endeavor after my decease that ye may be able to have these things alwaies in remembrance Where the Apostle shews that after his departure he will endeavor for them Theoph. This feat Argument is Bellarmines and not S t Peters he hath chang'd the order of the words and so by consequence their meaning The Original Text manifests how the words should be read not as you transport them I will endeavor after my decease that you may be able to keep in remembrance c. But Thus a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I will endeavor that every one of you may be able after my decease to have those things alwaies in remembrance And this endeavor he did use in the daies of his flesh in preaching the Gospel until his death and leaving these Epistles as remembrancers Bellarmine indeed hath the confidence to add to the Text his Paraphrase that it might serve his turn b Dabo operam habere vos commendatos sive in Animo post obitum I will endeavor to have you recommended or in mind after my death And yet it is observeable how he concludes this Text after all his patching c Quam vis non sit evidens est tamen probabile argumentum to be no evident but a probable Argument Whereas as he hath shapt it it is cleer and demonstrative to his purpose but his conscience checkt him for his additions and transmutations and so he would not lay any great stress upon it Phil. You will never leave your sinister Construction of his fair dealing but I hope his next Argument has evidence enough That if Dives in Hell was solicitous for his Brethren upon earth and pray'd Abraham to send Lazarus to warn them least they should come into the same place of Condemnation much more are the Saints in Heaven sollicitous for their Brethren the Church Militant and pray for their protection and assistance Theoph. Your Arguments a majori will not hold without some Autority to support them This of the rich glutton is but a feeble Crutch d Justin Eucherius Cyril Chrysost many Intepreters take the whole passage to be a parable not an History and e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Theophylact upon the place reckons the other that it is an History a foolish conceit Now you know the maxim f Parabolae non sunt argumentativae parables are no Argumentative Topick neither are they Narratives of things done but similitudinary representations to fix some Doctrines more sensibly and effectually in mens minds Again if it were an Historical relation of matter of fact it would not prove the point That Dives beindead and in Torment knew the affairs of this world Only he was sensible that he had given an example of voluptuousness and uncharitableness unto his brethren and that their sins would contribute unto his Torment and therefore he was solicitous to have them reclaim'd When he shall urge his example for the Invocation of Saints I will answer That you bring an ill president to confirm a Doctrine of the Church and withal when Abraham or any of the Saints in Heaven shall undoubtedly appear and commune with you you may desire their assistance Phil. Bellarmine hath one material proof that the Saints in Heaven do pray for the faithful upon earth because the Church militant and triumphant do make one mystical body whereof Christ is the head And so there g Ibid. Communio illa exigit necessario ut membra pro invicem sint sollicita mutuo se juvent must be a Communion between the members making them solicitous mutually to help one another Theoph. He might have spar'd to urge the necessary mutual assistance for we do not pray for the Saints in Heaven neither are we solicitous for them who are immutably blessed and of their affection towards us their fellow members militant upon earth we do not doubt neither of their praiers for the Church in general That she may be victorious over all her Enemies as also for the filling up the number of the Elect and their Consummation in bliss but this will not infer their distinct knowledg of things here below or make for your Doctrine of Invocation For you know the Saints militant over all the world are fellow members and mutually solicitous for one another and yet one National Church doth not invocate another in her public offices Phil. I pray give me leave to make the Inference when I have sufficiently fortified the premises you run away with the argument before it is perfect and so conclude it is invalid For you shall find that our Doctors do not only prove how the Saints in Heaven pray in general for the Church militant and for the Saints on earth but that they pray particularly for them for that is Betlarmines next position a Ibid. Sancti qui regnant in coele crant pro nobis etiam in particulari The Saints in Heaven pray for us in particular Theoph. Be pleas'd to let us here his Arguments Phil. He proves the Angels have a special charge over us in particular and pray for us and therefore much more the Saints in Heaven do so Theoph. How doth he prove his much more I doubt it will prove at length much less and the whole Argument a non sequitur Phil. His reasons seem demonstrative our Saviour saith the Saints in Heavin are as the Angels Luk. 20. vers 36. They alwaies stand in the presence of God and most affectionately love us and therefore want neither understanding or will to be assistant unto their brethren upon earth And in one regard they may surpass the Angels in a promtitude to succor us in that they have a nearer relation to us as their flesh and blood and have had experience of our dangers and sorrows and so are the rather qualified to compassionate our infirmities Theoph. Our blessed Savior shews how the Saints in Glory are like unto the Angels and equal to them in respect of their Immortality for they can dy no more and in that they neither marry nor are given in Marriage as you may observe the place but there is no demonstration the comparison should hold in all things and doubtless before the Resurrection
Man and his redemtion by Christ and other Mysteries which were made known unto them saith the Apostle in the Churches by the Ministery of the Gospel See Estius in 4. Sent. dist 46. Paragr 19. p. 294. And so while your Doctors without any warrant of Scripture generally lay this for a Foundation That the Saints in Heaven do know our state and bear our Praiers when they come to the proof and confirmation every one abounds in his own sense and they easily confute one anothers Reasons and Opinions and manifest unto their Readers upon due consideration that they are full of uncertainties in the Point which they take for granted and can urge only fallible Arguments to confirm that which they would have receiv'd by all Men as a mesur'd Truth but we have not learn'd to subscribe to Mens Dictates And you acknowledg your Doctor makes not proof of his Assertion which is a great defect this being the main Hinge whereupon the Controversie turns We conclude therefore there is no reason we should call upon the Saints when they do not hear us as a Child doth not ask his Fathers Blessing when he is out of hearing Now you assert with Bellarmin That the Saints in Heaven out of doubt do hear us but you know not how It is probable say you that in the Face of God they see and know all things that concern them but give no reason of that probability and is it fit that a Doctrine of your Church which takes up in that part the Devotion of all Gods People should be grounded only upon such a probability whereof you can give no reason How can I call upon the Saints with Faith and Comfort when I have no assurance that they can hear me I may with as much reason daily beg the Praiers of pious Friends who live far from me and say It is probable God will revele to them that I desire the assistance of their Praiers Phil. Your Instance runs not parallel Our condition here is a state of ignorance their 's a state of comprehension They can see the Face of God and live for ever they certainly know all things which tend to their consummation in Bliss for they are arriv'd at the state of Perfection and perfect Knowledge is the foundation of their Happiness Theoph. The perfect knowledg of God is so Here we know in part saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. ver 12. but there we shall know as we are known i. e. fully perfectly and this knowledg and Vision of God is Beatifical But how doth this prove their knowledg of the necessities and Praiers of us poor Mortals here on Earth whom they have leâ—t behind them in the vale of Misery we may rather suppose the wisdom of God hath excluded them from the knowledg of their Friends and Relations and of miserable Man here beneath least it should prove a diminution of their Joy and Bliss Your Angelical Doctor holds o Aqu. part 1. qu. 12. Art 8. ad 4. Cognoscere singularia cogitata aut facta c. non est de perfect It belongs not unto the perfection of a created Intellect to know particulars the thoughts or actions of Men. If God only be seen it sufficeth to make men happy As S t Augustin â— He is happy who knoweth Thee altho he have nothing else In a word Cardinals Cajetane was a Learned Advocate of your Church and had studied the Point in hand much and he concludes at last That we have no assurance that the Saints know when we pray to them altho we piously believe it Phil. I well perceive you have a Spirit of contradiction and please your self much in eluding such Arguments which our Doctors urge from Scripture and reason to prove the Doctrine of our Church touching the Invocation of Saints I will therefore take a more convincing way unto such refractory persons and plainly shew by matter of Fact and express Testimony of the Antients That this Doctrine hath bin receiv'd in the Church Catholic from the beginning Theoph. I presume you mean not from the beginning of Christianity you have heard how the attemt of your Doctors to prove it out of Gods Word hath been altogether unsuccessful and some of your Doctors have confes'd that it is delivered in Holy Scripture very obscurely and others have shew'd the reason even the humility and modesty of the Apostles which with-held them from publishing this Doctrine least they should appear to make themselves as Gods after their decease by requiring the People of God to make their Praiers and Supplications to them Seeing therefore your Doctrine is not sounded in the Holy Scripture I could give a short Answer unto your pretended usage of the Church and Testimony of the Ancient That which S t Augustin gave to Cresconius urging the Autority of Cyprian r I am not bound to the Autority of this Epistle for I do not hold the Writings of Cyprian as Canonical but judg of them by the Canonical Scripture and whatsoever is consonant to the Holy Scripture I receive with praise what agrees not with his leave 〈…〉 eject If you could prove what you have urg'd out of the Canonical Books of the Apostles and Prophets I would not contradict but seeing what you haue is not Canonical with that liberty whereunto God hath called us I do not receive his Testimony whose due Praise I can never equal with whose Writings I dare not compare mine own whose Learning I embrace whose 〈…〉 y I admire whose Martyrdom is venerable Again S t Augustin to the same effect elsewhere It is not sufficient unto the Autority of Faith and of the Dostrines of the Church to say Thus Esay or thou faist or he saith 〈◊〉 Thus saith the Lord. So the Blessed Martyr Gyprian himself We must not been what any one hath done before us but what He who is before all Ages hath taught or communded to be don Once more I could answer you out of Gratian t A Custom without the Word of God to back it is not â— B 〈…〉 quâ— T 〈…〉 scit etiamsi alia n 〈…〉 t. 〈…〉 sec 〈…〉 secundie â—hem qn 88. Art 5. Certaratione nescimus an Sancti vota 〈…〉 se 〈…〉 2. contr Cresconium c. 32. Ego hujus Epistolae c. 〈…〉 do sine verbo Lei non esse veritatem sed vetustatem erroris Truth but the Antiquity of Error The Council of Cartbage resolved thus â— The Lord said in the Gospel I am Truth He said not I am Castom Phil. Can you so easily trample upon the Autority of the Fathers You have formerly pretended much honor to the venerable Testimony of Antiquity where you conceiv'd it consonant unto your Principles and now you would decline that Touch-stone because you know full well it is against you in this Point of the Invocation of Saints Theoph. These Sentences I have produc'd are of the Fathers and seeing the Word of God doth not establish your Doctrine
a Qui proprio sanguine laverunt si qua habuerunt peccata The Martyrs if they had any sins have washt them away with their own Blood The Blessed Apostle tells us 1 Joh. 1. The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all unrighteousness Immediatly before these words which Bellarmin quotes S. Ambrose hath this passage b Infirma est caro mens aegra ad Medici sedem non potest debile explicare vestigium The flesh is weak the mind sick and feter'd with the chains of sin and so we cannot creep to the Physician but must call upon the Angels and Martyrs c. Where do you read in H. Scripture that the sick to wit the sinner cannot come to Christ the Physitian did he not come to call sinners to invite the weary and heavy laden to come to him and find rest you shall hear other Fathers generally contradicting this Doctrine of Ambrose and the Holy Scripture much more yet this is the usual pretence for Saints Invocation and Intercession That we are unworthy of our selves to draw neer to an Holy God to put up our supplications to him of which more hereafter herein S. Ambrose contradicts what he hath piously commented upon the first chap. of the Epistle to the Rom. in the 4 chap. of his Commentary c Solent miserâ uti excusatione per istos posse ire ad Deum ut per Comites ad Reg. This is the miserable excuse saith he that by Angels and Saints we may have access to God being unworthy of our selves to come unto him as we go to the King by his Courtiers For which he answers d Ideo per Tribunos Comites itur ad Regem quia homo est c. Ad Deum a. promerendum qui omnium novit merita suffragatore opus non est sed mente devotâ Therefore we come to the King by his Tribunes and Officers because the King is a man and must receive information from others but to obtain the favor of God who knoweth all mens deserts we need no suffragants but a devout mind whensoever such a one calls upon Him he will answer him Nothing could be more directly oppos'd to your usuall plea for the Invocation of Saints The same Father in his book de Isaac Anima cap. 5 tells us from the third chap. of Canticles and the third vers e Anima quae Deum quaerit transit custodes enim sunt mysteria quae etiam Ang. concupiscunt videre That a Soul seeking God passeth by the keepers for there are mysteries which the Angels them selves desire to looke into Phil. Do you then follow S. Ambrose's direction in one place and I will take his advise in the other Bellarmin brings the testimony of many other Fathers of the later Ages of the Church and I must confess I am almost tired in following him especially seeing you so dextriously shift him off Gregory Nyssen speaks home to the point in the latter end of his Oration opon Theodorus a Martyr thus We want many benefits doe thou become our Legat with the King of Heaven Thou art not ignorant of humane necessities procure peace for us That we have bin safe and sound hitherto we ascribe it to thee If you want more assistance take in the quire of your Brethren the Martyrs The praiers of many Saints wash away the sins of Nations and People In the like manner he speaks in his Panegyricks of another Martyr Theoph. This is sufficient to your purpose you need look no further But I pray tell me do you take him for an Orator or Divine in these passages Is it possible he should in earnest ascribe the preservation of the Faithfull all along unto this Martyr hope for security from him for the future and never take into consideration the divine protection Is it good Divinity to say That the praiers of the Just wash away the guilt of Nations and People and never mention the Blood of Christ and his effectuall Intercession Phil. That is to be suppos'd as the principall the Blessed Saints may be instrumentall in these Blessings Theoph. What you suppose is one thing and what he expresseth another But it is neither good Philosophie nor Divinity to intitle the effect unto the Instruments and leave out the principall Agent Should I make such an harangue to an Artists Tooles give them all the honor of the excellent work he would reckon me besides my wits and himself put besides his due commendation praise Phil. You ask Questions instead of giving Answers But I have now concluded to favor you and not overlade you with innumerable testimonies The Authority of the later Fathers perhaps you will except against in this point Such as Bede and Anselme Bernard Damascene the Elder I have hitherto produc'd and yet there remaine two of the Greek Church and two of the Latin Church whose Authorities I will urge out of Bellarmin in confirmation of this point then I shall give you respite The Greek Fathers are Chrysostome and Theodoret the Latin Jerom and Augustin Theoph. You have made a noble choise herein you much oblige me whilst your wisdom and your zeal do prompt you to urge the most effectuall testimonies on your side that you determine to let the others passe which cheifly serve to fill up a number Phil. Bellarmin quotes an eminent passage out of a Homil. 66 ad pop Antioch Chrysostom but we easier find it in his 26 Homilie upon the second Epistle to the Corinthians from whence we suppose the Homilie was collected it is in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of that Homilie The words out of Chrysostom are these He that weareth purple goes and salutes the sacred bodies and laying aside his state b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. stands praying unto the Saints that they would appear before God in his behalf He that weareth the Diadem beesecheth the Tent-maker and Fisherman being dead to become his Advocates Theoph. This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a passage whereunto we find not a second like it in all the works of Chrysostom Bellarmine refers to other pâ—â—ces of this Father but according to his accoustum'd manner without truth and reason It is strange therefore if he were of the opinion the practice in his daies was usual to pray to the Saints before their shrines that any where else he should not speak of it and therefore I must tell you that the originall Greek doth not altogether warrant Bellarmin's translation but equally admits another which will fall short of his proof For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well signifies standing in need of the Saints Intercession as praying for it and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He wants their protection Now we may stand in need and may reap the benefit of the Saints supplications in Heaven for the people of God here on earth yet have no warrant to call upon
of Heaven the Throne of God and Gate of Paradise hear the praiers of the poor and despise not the sighs of the miserable Let our groans and our desires be brought by thee into the sight of our Redeemer which by our misdeservings are cast out f Dele peccata relaxa facinera erige lapsos solve compeditos Blot out our transgressions release our sins raise the faln and loose such as are bound Let the branches of vices be cut off and the flowers of vertue planted g Placa precibus Judicem quem puerp genuisti Redemt c. Appease the Judg by thy praiers whom thou hast brought forth a Redeemer That as by thee he was made partaker of the humane nature so by thee he may make us partakers of the Divine Nature One passage more neer the close of the service I will produce The Catholic Church celebrates the holy memory of Mary Mother of God who stands in need for her salutary help without ceasing h Quoniam reverent quae Matri exhibetur Christo dofertur ideo totis desideriis c. Vt Matrem sentiamus piissimam et felium ejus Judicemisereniss And because the reverence towards the Mother redounds to Christ therefore with all the desire of our hert we will insist on her praises that the Mother may be favorable to us and the Son a serene Judg. Phil. You see most of these passages do proceed upon her praiers and intercession that she would interpose for us and present our supplications and sighs unto our Redeemer Theoph. But you shut your eies and not observe these absolute petitions which are put up to her and where any reference is made to Christ even there it much derogates from his mediation and intercession because it represents Christ as a Judg by her praiers and mediation to be appeas'd the blessed Virgin becoming our Intercessor unto Christ And so by the stamp of public Authority you see these extravagancies confirm'd which above you would not justify as being the fancies as you call'd them of private persons Now in confutation of such blasphemies the Holy Scriptures shew Christ to be our Advocate until the day of judgment not a juige A merciful and faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God Hebr. 2. 17. Hebr. 4. 15. 16. For we have not High Priest which cannot be touched with a feeling of our infirmities but was in all points temted like as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly saith the Apostle unto the Throne of grace that we may obtain mercy It is the design of Holy Scripture to make poor sinners come with confidence and comfort to Christ and to the Father It is the designe of your Church to discourage them with a sense of their unworthiness and to teach them to look upon Christ as a severe Judge that so they may fly to the Virgin Mother and to the Saints to be their Mediators and Intercessors Nothing is more opposite to the Covenant of Grace to the Love of God towards such as are reconcil'd in Christ to the tender compassion of our blessed Saviour and to the gracious promises and Invitations of the Gospel And upon this account I may pronounce your Doctrine of the Saints Invocation and Intercession to be a damnable doctrine destructive to the Souls of men Phil. Satis pro imperio Doubtless you think your self as infallible as we the Pope and you design to put Christs Vicar besides the Chair to place your self therein and magisterially declare against the doctrines of our Church Theoph. If our Declarations like the Pope's many times be against the Tenor of Holy Scriptures regard them not but if the word of God condems your practise that which your Church teacheth in her public Offices Wo unto them by whom offences come I have follow'd your prescription and have kept close to such instances as are approv'd among you by Councils and Popes and Missals of your Church and when you cannot refute the objection you scoff at the opponent But because this Conference hath bin spun out into a great length I will favor you and my self with the omission of many things and give you only one Instance more out of the same Ordinary and Missal according to the use of the Church of Sarum In the Office of S. Thomas the Martyr as you call him Archibishop of Canterbury Chancellor of England He was indeed a Martyr for the Pope standing so highly for his Authority in the justification of Appeals to Rome and not submitting the Clergy to the Laws of the Realm that he betrai'd his Native Cuntry to a sorreign Jurisdiction and became a rebel to the King and Kingdom Hereupon he was banish'd divers years and by the interest of his great Patron the Pope in neigboring Princes he created great vexation trouble unto his lawfull Prince King Henry the II d. After 7. years a reconciliation was made by the mediation of the Pope and other Princes between the King and him and he return'd into England the King abiding in his Territories in France Upon his return by the Popes Bull he Excommunicates the Arch-Bishop of York and those other Bishops who in his Banishment officiated in the Coronation of the Kings son Henry according to his Fathers command alleading that the priviledg of Coronation of Kings of England belong'd to him as Arch-Bishop of Canterbury This and other insolencies being soon related to King Henry in France he spake passionately against the proud Prelate and immediately four Commanders in his Camp went over into England entred the Bishops Palice and purfu'd him into the Chappel and there Inhumanly and Sacrilegiously murder'd him a See Gulielmus Nubrigenses his Hist. of England l. 2. c. 16. p. 25. c. Hereupon by the Pope he was Canoniz'd for a glorious Saint and Martyr and an b Baro. Martyr Rom. in 29. Decembris Annual feast was Instituted afterwards in memory of his Martyrdom upon the 29 th of December a solemn office and service there is appointed for the day as we find it in the missal wherein the Account is given that the first Solemnity of his Translation was kept in the Cathedral of Canterbury Henry the third being present and the Popes Legat Pandulphus the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury all the Prelates and Nobles in the Year 1220 Fifty Years after his Passion and that the Martyr Thomas of Becket honor'd his Translation with many Miracles c Caecis ad visum surdis ad Audit c. Restoring sight to the Blind Hearing to the Deaf Speech to the Dumb and Life to the Dead In the Office we have these Praiers O Jesus Christ by the Merits of Thomas Forgive us our Trespasses Again d T is per Thomae sanguin c. By the blood of Thomas shed upon thy score make us to follow where he 's gon before Another Petition there is to the Martyr himself in that Office e O Thomas give us help Strengthen those
so much for the Autority of the Church you are not willing in this point to hear the constant Testimony of the Church Phil. Not so but we most cordially embrace it knowing that we derive full confirmation of our practice in one kind whatsoever you think of it from the usage and testimony of the Primitive Times Theoph. I will first shew you what they say for us and then do you produce your Evidences for your selves In the first Century we read divers Liturgies ascribed to some of the Apostles and Evangelists The Liturgy of S t James of S t Peter of S t Mark in them we find the Priests and Deacons and all the People give Thanks to God and the Lord Jesus Christ a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That he hath vouchsaf'd unto them the favor to partake of his Body and Blood We read they speak of the Mysteries altogether in the plural Partaking of the pure Celestial life-giving and dreadful Mysieries We read how the Deacons after Consecration take the Patin and the Chalice to distribute the Bread and Wine unto the People Phil. You account those Liturgies spurious and not made by the Apostles and you take them for proofs against us Theoph. 'T is truth we cannot believe they were compil'd by the Apostles for then it would have bin presumption for after Ages not to conform to them but unto Liturgies of their own framing Your Ordo Romanus should have been exactly conform unto Peters Liturgy However they were set forth not many Ages after and pretend to the Apostolical Times and Practice and where they agree give some light to Posterity of their Customs and against you their Testimony holds good because you account them Legitimate Phil. It is sport for Children to fight with wooden Daggers Theoph. They are sharp enough to foil your pretentions unto Antiquity But this is but fencing about I will close with you instantly and produce unquestionable Testimonies of the Sacrament given unto the People in both kinds b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ignatius S t Johns Disciple in his Epistle to the Philaâ— delphians tells us It is one and the same Flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ and the same Blood which was shed for us One Bread broken for all and one Cup distributed to the whole Congregation a Apol 2. prope finem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Justin Martyr in the next Century giving account of the Rites of their Christian Service and Communion he tells the Heathen Emperors to whom he makes his Apology for Christians The President of the Assembly or Priest giving thanks and all the People congratulating they who are called Deacons give to everyone present to partake of the Bread and Wine with Water bless'd and carry those Elements abroad to such as are not present And this nurishment is call'd the Eucharist In the end of the same Century b 2 do Lib. ad Vxorem c. 4. De cibo poculo invadere c. Tertullian exhorting his Wife after his death if at all only to marry in the Lord i. e. a Christian Otherwise saith he how will thy Husband if a Heathen suffer thee to go to that Feast which is so much defam'd to take the Bread and the Cup. And afterwards c Libro de lapsis De cujus manu desiderabit de cujus peculo particip Of whose hand wilt thou receive the Bread of whose Cup wilt thou drink Now Pamelius and de la Cerda in their Notes upon Tertullian acknowledg both these places to be spoken of the Eucharist and both kinds are expresly mention'd and receiv'd d Praesente ac teste meipso Cyprian follows his Master Tertullian and hath many passages to our purpose He gives an account of a strange accident whereof he was an Eye-witness That a yong Maid being at the Sacrament when the Deacon brought the Cup to her she turn'd away her face shutting her mouth and refusing to drink e Reluctanti licet de Sacramento Calicis infudit Sequitur singultu vomitus c. but the Deacon forced her to take down some of the Wine and presently she vomited The Holy Eucharist could not stay in her Mouth and Stomach which was defiled For we read before That when she was an Infant the Heathen took her from her Mother and by force put into her mouth f Panem mero mixtum de immolatione perceptum Bread mingled with Wine taken from the Idol Sacrifice And because of this Pollution thro a Divine dispensation in these severe Times followed that abhorrency of the Sacrament Now here is mention made of the Sacramental Cup but not of Bread delivered to the Damsel tho unwilling And from this and such like places we may as well prove they administred the Cup without the Bread as they from other places conclude the Bread was given without the Cup. Another notable Passage we have g Epistola 54. Cornelio papae fratri ques hertamur ad praelium non inermes c. in his Epistle to Cornelius the Pope his Brother in the Lord He writes his mind to him That in those difficult times of Persecution it was expedient to reconcile Penitents lapst the sooner to Church Communion and with more Indulgence That by the Blood of Christ receiv'd in the Sacrament they may be fortified against assaults and be encouraged to shed their Blood for the Testimony of the Gospel And immediatly after he saith h Quo modo prevocamus eos in confess nominis sang suum effundere c. How shall we exhort them to shed their Blood in the Confession of his Name if we deny them to partake of his Blood He adds immediatly after a Quomodo ad Martyrii poculum idences facimus si non eos prius ad bib in Ecclesia pocul Domini jure communicationis admittimus How shall we fit them to drink the Cup of Martyrdom if we do not before admit them to take the Cup of the Lord in the Church by right of Communication Observe the right of Communicating Phil. b Lib. 4. de Euch. c. 26. Jus Laicâ—r ad communicandum à Sacerdot c. Bellarmin shews how this Epistle of Cyprian is a full confutation of your Opinion That the Church cannot with-hold part of the Sacrament from the People seeing she hath power to exclude from the whole Sacrament For Cyprian writes to Cornelius for some Indulgence for those who were excluded Theoph. Do you believe his first Position That the Peoples right to the Sacrament is given by the Priest to them and by him may be taken from them Phil. Yes when they are Criminals it may be with-held from them by the power of the Priest and upon their repentance again be restored Theoph. So it is with the offending Clergy as well as with the People upon some great offence they may be suspended from the Sacrament and therefore why doth he say the