or other considerable Boone when freely given the hard usage which some of your tenants complaine of from their Ecclesiasticall landlords proves sufficiently that you are not insensible to the allurements of the attractive metall Were Church men such as they ought to be the layty would have little reason to repine at their riches althô much greater then they are If they were Treasurers of the Poore Fathers to the Orphans Helps to widdows Hosts to strangers Protectors to the Oppressed common Sanctuaryes to all necessitous persons such as some are in Catholick Church s whome I know many of whome we reade To such as these Riches are no hindrance to their function they give them only occasion of doing much good practicing their Charity If you think this to be blame worthy althô Riches be soe imployed prove what you say out of Scripture excuse your owne Bishops from that crime eris mihi magnus Apollo Voluntary reall Poverty is much commended in the (a) Mat. 19.21 Ghospel we have thousands in our Church who professe it live in it you could never get ten of your communion to embrace it There is another Poverty called of Spirit commended (b) Mat. 5.3 nay (c) Mat. 19.24 commanded in the Scripture how greate soever a stranger you are to spirituall things yet you will not say that this Poverty of hart is inconsistant with effectuall riches otherwise it would be impossible for arich man to be saved A man may be a begger yet be far from that Poverty of Spirit which gives him a ryght to the kingdome of Heaven because his hart is fixt uppon things he hath not And on the contrary another man may be master of agreate part of the world yet have his hart as free from it as if he was not in the world to use the Apostles phrayse (d) 1. Cor. 7.31 use the world as if he used it not Of this sort of poore of spirit there are many in the Church always have beene Heare S. Austin l. de moribus Ecclesiae c. 35. Sunt in Ecclesiâ Catholicâ innumer abiles fideles qui hoc mundo non utuntur sunt qui utuntur tanquam non utentes there are innumerable faithfull in the Church who make no use of the world there are others who use it of if they used it not What hath the Protestant Church to say here Pride Ambition are personall vices soe belong not to this treatise Yet I will say that there have beene both Ancient Moderne Popes who have given greater examples of humility then any your Church can shew who have made appeare that their title servant of the servants of God is no compliment Sixtus V. would not owne his mother when she was brought to him in rich clothes sayng his mothers was a poore woman who never wore silkes in her life shee was ashepe heards wife The next day she being brought to him in Rags he presently acknowledged her Some of them have asserted the Priviledges of their chaire against such as in trenched on their Ryghts which may be done without any Pride at all seing they require it as due not to their owne persons but to their chair to its founders S. Peter to his superiour Christ Iesus I never heard S. Ambrose suspected of Pride for refusing to admit Theodosius the greate into the Church before his Pennance for the slaughter at Thessalonica or for excluding him the cancells after it It was a Zeale of the glory of God the good of the Church which moved him the Emperour him selfe understood it so As for precious ornaments of the Church I will owne ours to be too costly when you shall have proved that any thing is too good for God's service not till then The infinite Majesty of God is ground sufficient to oblidge us to beare him the greatest respect interiourly expresse our duty to our Creator our gratitude to soe greate a benefactour by returning to him in the best manner we can an acknowledgement of his most bountifull gifts This serves also to stirre up in the auditory submission respect adoration which otherwise would fayle CHAPTER XXVII Vnity of the Church in Faith Sacraments G.B. ownes that Protestants are Schismaticks of severity against dissenters of Hugo Grotius G.B. pag. 100. A fourth designe of Christian Religion was to unite man kind under one head into one body not by love pardoning injurys only but also by associating the faithfull into one body the Church which was to be united by bonds of love Governed by Pastors Teachers cemented with the ligaments of the Sacraments ANSWER You say something though discorderly but not all for 1. you omit Faith by which we are inserted into the body of Christ 2. You put Charity which doth not make us parts but living parts of that body whose parts we are by Faith 3. You adde Sacraments which are only exteriour signes of interiour communication 4. You confound Charity Sacraments as equally concurring to the Vnity of the Church yet there is a vast difference betwixt them the one formally quickning the members of the Church interiourly the other only effecting it interiourly testifying it exteriourly 5. Betwixt the Sacraments there is a vast difference as to this you confound them for Baptisme being our Regeneration in Christ is an efficient cause of our union with him makes us his members the others are designed only to nourish those who are already united to in him When you speake of being governed by Pastors I hope the Pope may find place amongst them he being the prime Pastor G. B. pag. 101. The Ghospel pronounceth us free no more servants of men but of God ANSW Free from the ceremoniall law of Moyses not from that of the Ghospel obedience to the Governours of the Church How changeable are your sentiments In the forgoing page 100. the Church was to be governed by Pastors Teachers now she is to obey none but God if any man pretend to command he changeth the authority of the Church into a tyrancall yoke Soe we must have Governours without authority to command subjects without any duty to obey A new model of Government G. B. pag. 101. Those things for which we withdrew from the Church are additions to our Faith Shee added to Scriptures Traditions to God Images to Christ Saints to Heaven Hell Purgatory to two Sacrament five more to the spirituall presence of Christ his corporall presence ANS Never man spake more proved lesse then you who offer not one word in proofe of these disputed points which we declare to be evident untruths Is not this a poore begging of the thing in question But they are say you additions to your Faith Did we adde to your Faith or you cut off from ours that of the whole Christian world before your deformation How
of Traditions ANS You speake as dogmatically as if it were ex Tripode Here is an Assertion without any proofe soe is a convincing proofe that you have none Tradition is indeede our Sanctuary to which you have no claime By it we received 1. Scriptures 2. the sense of Scriptures which is their soul Now when Scriptures are doubtfull in any point or as you phrase it seeme not to reach home without Stretching can we have better assurance of their tru meaning then by the authority of the Church which is cleerely commended us in Scriptures themselves And in following her sense we are certain we follow Scriptures which is the discourse of S. Aug. l. 1. contra Crescon cap. penult Quamvis hujus rel de Scripturis Canonicis non proferatur exemplum Scripturarum etiam in hac re à nobis tenetur veritas cum hoc facimus quod universae jam placuit Ecclesiae quam ipsarum Scripturarum commendat auctoritas ut quoniam Sacra Scriptura fallere nonpotest quisquis falli metuit hujus obscuritate quostionis Ecclesiam de illâ consulat quam sin◠allâ ambiguitate sancta Scriptura demonstrat G. B. Ibidem Till it be proved that an errour could not creepe into the world that way we must be excused from beleiving ANS Unlesse you prove that errours have crept in that way you are inexcusable You actually rejected those things as errours which were in possession all over the world unlesse you prove them to be such your fact is criminall G. B. Ibidem It is not possible to know what Traditions came from the Apostles ANS Habemus hic confitentem reum For if it be impossible to know what Traditions were Apostolicall your Reformers act in rejecting soe many was rash inconsiderate They had beene better advised to retaine all as they found them in the Church them to cut them off But your proceedure is as different in this as in the rest from S. Austin For was any thing doubted of this Saint's methode was to consult the Church adhere to what shee beleived or practised as you see in his discourse above you consult the Church too but it is only to reject her practice condemne her sentiments The weyght of the authority of the Church may be sufficient to convince which are Apostolicall Traditions as it convinces which are Apostolicall writings Yet we have other signes I will instance in two one taken from S. Austin l. 4. de Bapt. contra Donat. cap. 24. Quod universa tenet Ecclesia nec à Conciliis institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi Apostolicâ traditum auctoritate rectissimè creditur We ought to beleive those things to have come from the Apostles which the whole Church holds were not introduced by Councills but were always in use To prove this it is enough that the first persons who mention them speake of them not as of things newly begun but which were of ancient practice The second rule is taken out of Tertullian l. de praescript c. 28. Age nunc omnes erraverint deceptus sit Apostolus de testimonio reddendo quibusdam nullam respexerit Spiritus sanctus uti eam in veritatem induceret ad hoc missus est à Christo ad hoc postulatus de Patre ut esset Doctor veritatis neglexerit officium Dei villicus Christi vicarius sinens Ecclesias aliter in terris intelligere aliter credere quà m ipse per Apostolos praedicabat Ecquid verisimile est ut tot ac tantae Ecclesiae in unā fidem erraverint Nullus inter multos eventus est unus exitus variasse debuerat error doctrinae Ecclesiarum Coeterùm quod apud multos unum invenitur non est erratum sed traditum Suppose says he that all churchs have erred that the Apostle was deceived in the testimony he gave to some the holy Ghost looked to none to leade it into truth to which intent he was sent by the son demanded of the father to be the Doctor of truth let the steward of God the Vicar of Christ neglect his duty permit the Churchs to understand beleive otherwise then he had taught by his Apostles Is it probable that all Churchs should by error fall into one the same opinion when there are soe many by ways those who loose the hygh way wonld scarce wander into the same error Soe that certainly what is sound one the same in many Churchs is no ertor newly invented but it is faith of old delivered Thus Tertullian Answer you to his discourse if you can G. B. pag. 108. A late ingenious writer whose sincere zeale had drawne censures on himself his booke tooke away to repayre his reputation by a new method of proving Popish doctrines that they had them from their Ancestors they from theirs But this pretence hath beene baffled by Mr. Claud as all know who have beene soe happy as to reade his workes ANSWER I am perswaded that your Prelates will scarce think it sincere zeale in Monsr Arnaud of him you speake that the stood out solong against his spirituall temporall Superiors But let that passe You discover your ignorance in saying that Method was new or that Arnaud invented it Mr. Tho. White had it before Arnaud Mr. Fisher a Jesuit before T. W. Bellarmin before him S. Austin S. Stephen Pope Tertullian before them all I have reade Mr. Claude's workes was far from finding soe much satisfaction as you promise your Reader I beleive rather uppon heare say then on your owne experience Nay I have from one of the eminentest wits of the french Hugenots that Claud was not much esteemed a mongst his owne for those workes which would have beene neglected had not Arnaud's enemys commended them You say Claud Bussled him others are of a different opinion I confesse Mr. Arnaud though very learned yet seemed not qualifyed to manage a controversy in defence of church-Church-Authority Tradition having as much as lay in him weakened both by his writings practice during the time he stood out against the Censure the Formula Which gave such advantage to Mr. Claude who industriously gathered together cunningly returned uppon him his owne arguments that some thought he foyled his adversary Yet without any prejudice to the Catholick cause which is not concerned in Mr. Arnaud's personall faylings Let us now heare what you can alleadge against the authority of Tradition to prove a change unobserved in our Faith G. B. p. 121. Weknow the chalice was taken from the people 250. yeares agoe ANS 1 ò You are mistaken in your epocha S. Th. 3. p. q. 8o a. 12. assures it was in his time taken away in many places he lived 400 yaeres ago from the beginning some persons on some occasions received but one species 2. This is an argument that changes cannot happen without some notice taken of them As in this we know when it begun with
ptompts you to make such a map of the fargreatest part of Christianity This will appeare more cleerely when we come to consider your charge in retayle examin your proofes when we see you are forced to seeke them in the obscure withdrawing roomes of man's hart which are inaccessible to all but God of which neverthelesse you speake as confidently as if God had lead you by the hand into them made you partaker of his knowledge Purgatory was invented on designe to enrich the clergy Transubstantiation on designe to make it more esteemed The primacy of the Pope on designe of Grandeur c. And although we vouch Scripture for all these points yet you are pleased to say we doe not ground them on Scripture but on Ambition Avarice Nay you not only faine proofes for our Doctrines but fix on us Doctrines themselves which we disowne as that we teach to breake the Commandments Soe that we may professe that all that is ugly dismall in the Scene of Horrour Misery which you represent comes from your owne pincell is an effect of your owne brayne See what is your temper how much your Reader is oblidged to you CHAPTER II. Of Anti-Christ G. B. pag. 3. Being warned of so much danger to the Christian Religion it is a necessary enquiry to see if this AntiChrist be yet come or if we must looke for another ANSWER Doe you then think it as necessary to know AntiChrist as to know Christ That you expresse your earnestnesse in enquiring after AntiChrist in those words (a) Luk. 7.19 of S. John the Baptist's inquest after the Messias Nay yours are more pressing urgent then those of that greate Saint for he sayd only Art thou he that should come or Looke we for another But you say or must we Looke for another As if it were a more pressing duty to enquire after the AntiChrist then the Messias We are warned indeed of Anti-Christ we are also warned of the danger hanging over the Church from (b) Mar. 13.21.22 false Prophets false Christs Who should say Loe here is Christ Loe he is there All Sectarys pretend to him You will doubtlesse say he is in your Prelaticall Church the Presbyterian says he is in his Assemblyes The independant is for his conventicles the Quaker Claimes him also What shall a Roman Catholike doe what choice shall he make Our Blessed Saviour having forewarned us of the danger armes us against it Ne credideritis beleive none of them but sticke to the old Doctrine the Catholick Church Which I cite as more against you then any thing you can bring against us out of your contemplations on Anti-Christ or the Apocalypse to which you would never recurre had you any cleere grounds against us in Scripture I suspect the cause of any man which to decide a suite-in-law produces obscure dubious for that reason insignificant deedes I should on that score had others beene wanting suspect the cause of the sectaryes millenarians fift-monarky-men the like And that reason is sufficient to make me suspect you who recurre to those obscure Prophecyes of the AntiChrist which at best are extremely obscure as appeares by the errours grounded on it as you acknowledge For you say G.B. pag. 3. Some have stretched the notion of AntiChristiamisme so far that things harmlesse innocent come with in its compasse others have too much contracted it that they myght scape free ANSWER It seemes the limits of the notion of AntiChristianisme are very arbitrary soing they are extn ded or contracted according not to Scripture or Tradition but to the fancy caprichio of every pragmaticall Heade When you consider more impartially the things harmelesse Innocent which you blame in us as AntiChristian very probably you will find your selfe to be of the number of those who stretch its notion beyond its nature those limits which God hath designed for it G. B. pag. 3. AntiChristianisme is not only a bare contradiction to some branches or parts of the Ghospel but a designe entire complex of such opinions practices as are contradictory to subversive of the power life of Christianity ANSWER Never did Junior Sophister amongst illiterate Pesants deliver his sentiments or Apollo amongst his deluded Adorers speake his Oracles more magisterially then you deliver your Opinions in controverted matters of Faith for such is this point seing it is delivered in Scripture there are such variety of perswasions concerning it's tru meaning as you your selfe sayd even now You give us a new notion of it what Scripture what Tradition what decree of a Councill what father doe you alleadge for it None Not soe much as any reason offred Is not this to Lord it over the faith of your Reader To beg the thing in question to expect the world should be so stupid as to be taken with such a slyght That you should meete with beleife because you boldly assert To your bare assertion I will oppose my negation why should not my negation be be of as much weyght as your affirmation Especially seing I speake with all those whome you blame for enlarging or contracting too much the notion of AntiChristianisme you stand alone I confirme my negation with Scripture 1. Jo. 4.3 where those are sayd to be AntiChrist who deny Christ's coming in the flesh Which is only one article of Christianity how soever it be of the most fundamentall Yet let us grant what you soe confidently beg that Anti-Christianisme is acomplex of opinions opposed to the power life of Christianity I know none who hath better title to it then your Reformation for the life of Christianity is Faith Charity you have destroyed the first by Heresy the second by Schisme as shall be proved hereafter Children delyght in Edged tooles which serve only to cut their fingers you your brethren use weapons against us which wound your selves Fatall Experience myght have taught you more discretion then to be still mouing that stone which hath once crusht both your Church state to pieces And truly the reproch of Anti-Christian will fall on your Church if proved against ours For say what you please of the ancient Britans the first Apostles of the Inglish who brought us the light of Faith planted the Ghospel amongst us came from Rome The Hierarchy you pretend to came from thence By authority from the Pope my Lord of Canterbury is Primate my Lord of London is his Suffragan By the same authority the Country is divided into Dioceses your Deanes Chapters setled your universityes founded severall degrees instituted in them If the Pope be the AntiChrist both universitys Hierarchy amongst you is AntiChristian More over the Livings you enjoy were for the most part if not altogether given by the pious liberality of Persons who profest that Faith we professe lived dyed in the Communion of
his humble applications to God bowing to him lifting up his hands to the throne of Grace Heb. 4.16 ro receive thence Mercy then turne to the People to powre it uppon them Thus on Jacobs Ladder the Angells appeared going up downe up to God downe to Jacob a type of what Preists doe when they officiate But he gives them a short Barbariais Benedidiction That Benediction which you a very civilized person disdaine as Barbarous is taken out of Scripture the words of an Angel to Gedeon Judges 6.12 Our Lord be with you Dominus vobiscum Scripture it selfe cannot escape your censure if a Papist use it Your contempt of the language of Angels in this world will scarce make you worthy of their company in the next G. B. page 35. After Adoration the God is to be devoured by the Preist which made the Arabian say Christians were fooles who devoured what they adored ANS Aworthy authority for a King's chaplain in ordinary to build uppon Sir Christ sayd Take eate this is my body Because he says it is his body we adore it because he commands us to take eate it we obey do so But a Turk says it is foolish Let it be soe no Turk's opinion is the rule of my faith Is it of yours Is not this Prodigious that against the expresse words of Christ the practice of the whole Church the authority of a Turk should be brought nay preferred before it this by a minister G. B. pag. 38. Rome enioines severer censures on the violation of these ceremonyes then on the greatest transgressions against either the morall or positive Laws of God ANSWER I know no motive you can have for advancing such notorious untruths but that of Cicero Cum semel limites verecundiae transieris oportet gnaviter esse impudentem You have past those bounds there I leave you CHAPTER XIII Scripture the Church where Of the Resolution of Faith G.B. pag. 41. Papists call the Scriptures a nose of wax the sourse of all Heresyes c. ANS If any Roman Catholick compared Scripture to a nose of wax it is only because the letter may be wrested to different senses made to lookenot that way which the Holy Ghost designed but that which men's Passions leade them to The world affords not amore convincing instance of this flexibility of Scriptures then that of your owne Brethren in the late troubles who brought it to countenance Sedition Rebellion Heresy Murther the horriblest of all Murthers Parricide the killing of the father of the Country Did Scripture of it selfe Looke towards or abet all those crying sins nosure it condemnes them formally It can then be wrested from its owne naturall sense to another meaning contrary to it which is all that is meant by that phrase As for its being a sourse of Heresyes it is not tru that Scriptures doe found heresyes or that heresyesspring out of them but that men draw heresyes out of the words of Scriptures taken in a sense quite contrary to that of the holy Ghost G. B. pag. 41. Papists will have all the authority of the Scriptures to depend on the Church A greate difference is to be made betwixt the testimony of a witnesse the authority of a Iudge The former is not denyed to the Church ANS Here you grant to the Church as much as we desire provided you owne in this witnesse such a veracity as the nature of its Testimony requires to bring us to a certaine undoubted beleife of the Scriptures The Church never tooke uppon her the title of Iudge of Scripture In her Councils she places in the middle of the assembly a hygh Throne as for Christ in it sets the holy Ghospels as his word according to which she Judges of the Doctrine controverted Conc. Calced Act. 1. Soe she judges by Scriptures of the Doctrine of men but doth not Iudge of the Scriptures themselves At the first admission of a writing into the Canon of Scriptures the Church proceding is of another nature A writing is brought to her as writen by a man Divinely assisted of S. Paul for example to the Romans by Phebe or to Philemon by a fugitive servant Onesimus nether as a witnesse give any greate credit to the writing they brought The Pastors of the flocke of Christ consider the writings examin the messengers recurre to God by Prayer to demand the assistance of his Holy Spirit to know whither he were truly the Authour of the writing exhibited If after all these meanes used to discover the Truth they remaine convinced the thing was writen by inspiration of the Holy Ghost they obey it themselve command obedience to it as to the word of God use it as a Rule of Faith manners Soe when an unknowne person brings into a corporation a new Patent as of the King's Majesty presents it to the Major He before he allows the Patentee to act in vertu of it with his Brethen considers the writing the signet the seale the stile c. to know whither it be counterfitte or sincere with a Resolution to obey it himselfe make others doe the same in case it appeare to be truly the Kings The Major cannot be sayd to Judge of the Kings Patents to which as a subject he owes obedience but only to discerne whither an unknowne writing be the Kings Patent or no. You say this makes the authority of Scriptures depend on the Church Which is as rationall as if you should say the authority of the King's Patent depends on the Major of a petty corporation because the Patent is exhibited to him before it be executed If any man hath soe little common sense as not to discerne the difference betwixt these two Propositions to Iudge of the Kings Patent to Iudge whither an unknowne writing be the Kings Patent I am to seeke how to helpe him This authority of the Church to recommend the Scriptures as an undeniable witnesse occasioned that saying of S. Augustin 1. contu Epist Fundam c. 5. Ego Evangelio non crederem nisi me Ecclesiae Catholicae commoveret authoritas I would not beleive the Ghospel did not the authority of the Catholick Church move me to it Which words are cited by all Catholick controvertists as containing an implicit decision of all one controversys they shewing evidently S. Autstin's discourse against the Manichees to be just the same which we use against the moderne Protestants that as we are heyres of that Faith which S. Austin the Church of his time defended against its Opposers the Ancient Hereticks soe are we of the titles by which they enjoyed it the armes with which they defended it I will put downe the whole discourse of S. Austin atlarge that soe we may the better understand his meaning more convincingly shew how much the most understanding of our Adversarys are out of the way in explicating it The thing sought for in that
transubstantiation nothing occurres butfrom sense Then you pull downe Faith place sense in her place Tantae molis erat sanctum subvertere dogma The my steryes about God Christ say you are exalted above the reach of our facultyes But reason it selfe teacheth that it must be soe Here Faith is above reason But after wards pag. 134. Our faith rests on the evidences our senses give Here Faith doeshomage to sense Faith (a) Heb. 11.1 is an argument of things which appeare not Soe that it relyes not on senses for its object doth not appeare nor on Reason otherwise it would be science if the reason be evident or opinion if it were uncertaine Soe it relyes only on Gods veracity which consists of two qualityes one that he cannot be deceived being omniscient The other that he cannot deceive being good Nether is possible to God for to be deceived is an error in the understanding to deceive argues malice in the will Soe the assurance we have by Faith is greater then that of our senses which may be baffled greater then that of Reason which sometimes is mistaken in its principles ofter deceived in its deductious from them Thus (a) Rom. 3.4 God is tru every man alyer which later part imports a possibility oferror in our cleerest operations whither of sense or Reason To say that Faith rests on the evidence of senses as you doe p. 134. is soe contrary to the nature of faith that both Divines Phylosophers doubt whither the same object (b) S. Thom. 2.2 q. 1. ar 4. s. can beseene beleived generally speaking deny the possibility of it And to what our B. Savioursaid (c) 10.20.29 because thou hast seene me thou hast beleived They answer with S. Gregory Aliud vidit aliud credidit He saw man beleived him to be God To what purpose then are miracles if Faith doth not rely on them ANS To dispose our understanding to receive with attention submissiō the word of God by shewing it was God who spoke And when Christ appeales to his workes If (a) 10.10.38 I donot the workes of my father doe not beleive me but if I doe them if you will not beleive me beleive the workes he assignes only the out ward motive of Beleife by which his hearers were ether drawne to beleive or made inexcusable if they persistedin their incredulity Now it is the grossest errour imaginable to think that faith rests on all those things which dispose to it otherwise it would rest on the skill in tongues which is necessary to understand the originall Scriptures item on the masters who teach them on the stationer who prints them c. But what if the man who confirmes his mission by evident miracles teach things contrary to sense or Reason ANS Our duty is to silence both these harken to him (b) 2 Cor. 10. The Armes of our warfare are not carnall but myghty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds casting downe imaginations every hygh thing that exalts its selfe against the knowledge of God bringing into captivity every thought Who says every thought cōprehend's both those grounded on sense others more speculative But to say as you doe that Reason must be subject to Faith but not senses is very preposterously to put reason the mistresse under faith sense the servant above it You declame against Catholicks for acknowledging in the whole Church an authority in order to the word of God much lesse then that which you give to the senses of every particular man What an occasion doe you give us to returne uppon you all your declamations G.B. p. 134. We cannot really doubt but things are as they appeare to us for we cannot beleive it midnyght when we see cleerely the sun in our meridian ANS We should not doubt of what God says who we are sure cannot tell a lye We perceive dayly the Halluzinations of our understanding J am sure sometimes my senses are mistaken my reason corrects them All man is a Lyar every knowing faculty in him is subject to Deceite God cannot tell me it is midnyght when it is noone day because he cannot tell a lye But if God should tell me it is midnyght my eyes should represent to me a luminous body in the meridian perfectly like the sun I should suspect my eyes or guesse I saw a meteor or that I dreamed or raved or were yet in a worse condition The least last of my thoughts would be that God told a lye which is the first thought you suggest G.B. p. 135. Senses unvitiated fixing on aproper object through a due meane are infallible ANS Are they more infallible then God Are we infallibly certain all those conditions concurre may there not be more ways to delude oursenses then are discovered may there not be some latent defect in the Organ unperperceived by us or some want in the meane Answer to these questions withall tell me whiter you have as greate certainty of your answer to these queryes as you have of the veracity of God With more colour another may say that faith cannot be against Reason with Socinus refuse to beleive any thing contrary to discourse soe turne Antitrinitarian I think my self as assuredly certain of that metaphysicall Principle eadem uni tertio sunt idem inter se as of any thing I know by senses yet knowing what Christ hath taught concerning the Blessed Trinity I beleive that explicate that principle as I can why should we not proceede in like manner with oursenses when they seeme to contradict what Christ hath taught we are commanded to (a) Mat. 18.8.9 put out an eye cut off a hand or foote if it draws us to sin What shall we doe if they draw us to Infidelity or doe you think it unlawfull to keepe them yet lawfull to follow their suggestions deny our Faith in obedience to their depositions Heape up then your absurdityes your impossibilityes your incredibilityes your sophismes against Transubstantiation to as greate a bulke as your little studyes lesse diseretion will permit you will only multiply proofes of the insolency folly of the Reason of man which dares enter the lists against the Truth of God G.B. pag. 136. It is little lesse unconcevable to imagin that a man of no eximious sanctity nor extraordinary skill in Divinity should have the Holy Ghost at his command that his decrees must be the dictates of the spirit ANSWER I passe that disrespectfull expression having the Holy Ghost at his command No Catholick everspoke so Doe you think the assistance of the Holy Ghost whence flows all jurisdiction both spirituall temporall is restrained to only saints learned clerks doth Prelate Prince loose their jurisdictiō by every mortall sin Was Amos the sheepe heard a greate divine were Salomon Cayphas greatesaints were the Scribes Pharisyes such whose words all
can heare him The Divine Scriptures are hygh majesticall in the sense simple without affectation in word they are plaine yet in them are hygh Hills which no naturall wit can surmount They are perspicuous yet full of mysterious clouds which baffle the most peircing eye They are all Tru yet S. Austin (c) l. 3. cont Faust c. 2. Piè cogitantes tantae auctoritatis eminentiam latère ibi aliquid crediderunt quod petentibus daretur oblatrantibus negaretur takes notice of some seeming contradictions which cannot be reconciled with our recourse to God the Authour of scriptures Lesse is learnt by study then by Prayer if Prayer be accompanyed with humility The (d) Psal 18. or 19. 7. testimony of God is faithfull giving wisdome to the little ones or making wise the simple as the Inglish hath it And the Author of our faith glorifyes his Father (a) Mat. 11.25 for concealing his mysteryes from the learned wise revealing them to little ones S. Gregory furnishes us with a fit comparison (b) Greg. ep ad Leandrum c. 4. Instar fluminis alti plani in quo Agnus ambulet Elephas natet of a shallow deape river in which a lambe may wade an Elephant swimme That is in it the simple humble find ground to stand uppon which the Proud loose by it are lost The words are plaine easy but the sense sublime hard not to be reacht by humane industry but by Divine inspiration which is denyed to those who rely on their owne abilityes given to such as recurre to God No bookes of the Sybills nor oracles of the Divills or other humane writing can equall Divine Scripture in this point Another character of Divine Scriptures is the force which accompanyes them workes uppon the hart of those who are well disposed which insinuates its selfe into the will enflames it with the love of God breakeing in pieces the stony hart of sinners Art (c) Ierem. 23.29 not my words like fire like a hammer that breakes a Rocke No precepts of Pagan Phylosophers had this energy I will not assure you ever perceived ether of these two qualityes in reading of Scripture in your workes there appeares little signes of ether or of the disposition which they suppose CHAPTER VI. Scriptures Supprest G. B. Pag. 13. Scriptures being the Revelation of the whole counsell of God written by plaine simple men as first directed to the use of the rude illitterate vulgar for teaching them the mysterye of Godlinesse the path of life it is a shrewd indication that if any study to kide this lyght under a candlestick to keepe it in an unknowne tongue or forbid the body of Christians the use of it that those must be conscious to themselves of greate deformity to that rule ANSWER Here you begin your charge of AntiChristianisme against your mother-Church as the charge is false soe in your managing it you mingle many Errours with some few truths A bad cause is not capable of a better defence I will take notice of some of your most considerable slips leave the reader to Judge of the rest That Scriptures were written by plaine simple men is not tru Was Moses such who was learned in all the learning of the Aegyptians Was David the swette singer of Israel a plaine simple man What shall we say of Salomon to whose wonderfull knowledge the Scripture it selfe beares witnesse Amos it is true was but Esayas was not nor Daniel nor Samuel And who ever was Author of the Booke of Job he was certainly far from being plaine simple for in him are found in perfection Phylosophy Astrology Divinity as a queene gouverning them if Caussinus the Jesuit may be beleived as compleate Rhetorick as in any whosoever And as to the Authors of the new Testament as long as S. Paul S. Luke S. John are amongst them you will never perswade the learned part of the world that your speech is not rash inconsiderate But suppose it tru that they were all plaine simple men what then Doth it follow that what they writ is easy to the meanest capacity for that you intend if you intend any thing Doe you not know that these men were only the Scribes of the Holy Ghost that in a scribe capacity of understanding is not necessary but only fidelity in writing No greate science is necessary in a Printer who only Prints what is given him by an Author the Same of a Scribe who writes what is dictated unto him Now all Authors of Canonicall bookes are the Scribes of the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soe their doctrine is to be calculated according to the Meridian of that Divine Spirit not of their qualitys Take the most plaine simple of them all (a) Amos 1.1 the herd man of Thecue reade him over if you say you understand him quite thorough I will say you have confidence to say any thing G. B. pag. 14. The hardests part of Scripture are the writings of the old Testament yet those were communicated to all ANSWER Some parts of the new are as hard at any of the old viz. the Apocalypse some parts of S. Paul's Epistle are hard to be understood (b) 2. Pet 3.16 Likewise Is it not tru that all the writings of the old Testament were made common to all the Israelits The King (c) Deut. 17.18 was indeed commanded to write to himself a copy of the law out of that which was before the Preists the Levits By which it appeares that even Copyes of the law were not soe ordinary Which may be gatheted also out of the 4. of Kings c. 22. there was such astonishment at the finding reading of the booke of the law newly found in the Temple The tencommandments were common the Pharisys Phylacteryes prove it As for the rest it was divided into Parashots sections read unto the People when they met on the Sabboth as you may see Acts 15.21 And in the second of Esdras cap. 8. And the Same custome is still in the Cat. Church which in her service doth dayly reade some of the new old Testament G. B. pag. 14. What paynes are taken by Papists to detract from the Authority of Scriptures how they quarrel its darknesse its ambiguousnesse the genuinesse of its Originalls ANSWER This is a calumny We all unanimously owne Scripture to be the word of God that no untruth can be found in it Out of its darknesse Ambiguity we shew the necessity of receiving its sense from Tradition not sticking to the bare letter of the Scripture without the sense which is to the letter what a soul is to the body G. B. pag. 15. We complaine of Scripture being too much perused ANSWER Another calumny In all our universitys we have masters of Scriptures who in those I know take place of
never mentioned Manichaeus ergo the Church on whose word he received the Ghospel was that of his time not that of the Apostles When therefore E. S. pag. 220. says It is plain S. Austin meanes not the Iudgment of the present Church but of the Catholick Church as taking in all ages places he evidently contradicts the very text of S. Ausstin whence I conclude that ether he speakes against his conscience which I am unwilling to beleive or else which is more excusable that he had not reade the text which he understakes to explicate A third yet more improbable explication is delivered by W.L. pag. 82. He speakes it ether of Novices or doubters in the Faith or else of such as were in part Infidels Mr. Fisher the Iesuit at the conference would needs have it that S. Austinspake it even of the faithfull which I cannot yet thinke For he speakes to the Manichees they had a greate part of the Infidell in them And the words immediatly before these are If thou shouldst find one qui Evangelio non credit which did not beleive the Ghospel what wouldest thou doe to make him beleive Thus W. L. This is like wise plainly fals for S. Austin was nether a Novice nor a doubter in the faith nor in part an infidel when he writ that Booke for he writ it after he was made Bishop as you may see l. 2. retract c. 2. But he speakes of himselfe describes the ground of his owne faith ergo he doth not speake of Novices Doubters or halfe Infidels nor describes the ground of their fath but of those who are firme beleivers I prove that S. Austin speakes of his owne Faith shews the ground on which it relyed For first he says I would not beleive the Ghospel without the authority of Catholicks commending them Secondly he says If you weaken the authority of Catholicks I will reject the Ghospel This I beleive Mr. Stillingf saw therefore sayd pag. 220. If you extend this beyond Novices weaklings I shall not oppose you in it And I cannot think that W.L. had reade that place at least with attention when he writ he could not think S. Austin spake of the faithfull Stillingf pag. 220. Nether you nor any Catholick Author is able to prove that S. Austin by these words ever dreamt of any infallible authority in the present Church Answer seing S. Austin expressely says he would renounce the Ghospel if the authority of Catholicks were weakened in him by discovering they had delivered any one lye he must ether think them exempt from all possibility of lying or else he adhered very loosely to the Ghospel I hope E.S. will not assert the later part wherefore he must grant that S. Austin thought the Church free from all possibility of errour Let us returne to Mr. G. B. G. B. pag. 43. Christ's prophetick office is invaded by the pretence of the Churches Infallibility in expounding Scriptures And why Good Sir should the infallibility in expounding Scriptures be an invasion of the prophetick office of Christ seing infallibility in writing them was no such thing Certainly it is more to compose a writing them to understand it as many can understand Cicero's speech pro Milone who cannot compose such an one And your old women pretend to understand severall parts of Scripture which yet I think will scarce undertake to pen the like By this Say you the whole anthority is devolved on the Church No more then it was on S. John when he writ his Ghospel or S. Paul composing his Epistles Nor soe much nether seing these were so assisted as to compose Holy Scripture when the Church only pretends to expound the word of God How doth such an assistance of the divine Spirit derogate from the infallibility of God from which it is derived But her exposition must be admitted say you though contrary to the sense As if Infallibility did not exclude all possibility of such a wrested exposition The infallibility of the Church may slyght your attempts whilest you are armed only with such straws We have seene you arguments Let us see your Answers to ours G. B. pag. 44. The Gates of Hell not prevailing against the Church Mat. 16.18 Proves not the pretence of infallibility Why not learned Sir Not a word for that but as if you had forgotten what you were about your fall uppon the Inglish Translation of that text which you say deserres amendment And I will leave you to be taught better manners by your fellow Ministers or your mother the kirk of Scotland G. B. pag. 45 The spirit leading into all truth Joan. 16.13 advances not the cause a whit since that promise relates to all beleivers Here is another assertion without proofe as if we were bound to take your word Those words are part of the sermon after the last supper at which only the Apostles were present which was directed immediatly to them You should then give some reason why they relate to all beleivers althô spoken to only the Apostles G. B. The Church's being built on the Rocke Peter proves nothing for a series of Bishops of Rome seing the other Apostles were also foundations ANS If it proves all Bishops together Infallible firme in faith as a Rock it confounds your Reformation which is condemned by them all G. B. The keys of the Kingdome of Heaven Mat. 16.19 import no more then that Peter was to open the Ghospel When you shall give in a proofe we will consider it Till then I will beleive not you but Christ who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 addes the office of the Keys to open shut not the Ghospel but Heaven by loosing binding sins G. B. pag. 46. It is certaine that vice as well as errpr os destrictove of Religion If then there be no authority for repressing of vice but that same of the discipline of the Church it is not incongruous there be no other authority for suppressing of error but that same of the discipline of the Church ANS It is certaine that both in the old new law severall persons have beene secured against Error who were subject to sin S. Peter was truly reprehensible (a) Gal. 2.11 for a thing he did not for any thing he writ or preacht The same of David of Salomon c. For this reason our Blessed Saviour commanded (b) Mat. 23.23 all to follow the Doctrine of the Scribes Pharisys because they sate on the chaire of Moyses but not their example Soe your question why God should provide more against error in faith then against vice in manners can find no place amongst Catholicks who are taught to adore God's holy will even when they understand it not to Bring (c) 2. Cor. 10.5 into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ To you who think it absurd to deny a man the use of his Reason in judging discerning all things submit even Divinely
nether in this world nor in the next Whence it follows that some sins are forgiin the next world Neque enim de quibusdam veraciter diceretur quod non eis remittatur neque in hoc saeculo neque in futuro saeculo nisi essent quibus etsi non in isto tamen remittetur in futuro Aug. l. 21. de Civit. Dei cap. 24. Now to Mr. G. B. G.B. p. 55. For Purgatory the proofe from Scripture was only drawne from one wrested place of the Apostle Paul 1. Cor. 3.12.13.14.15 ANS How can you say this when amongst the ancients S. Austin uses another text as we have just now seene And Bellarmin hath nineteene texts of Scripture as your Patriark W.L. will tell you p. 353. G. B. The Apostles words containe only a Proverbiall forme of speech to expresse the risque they run The Apostle speakes not only of arisque or hazard but of an effectuall losse He shall fuffer losse Says he verse 15. G. B. p. 55. Many visions apparitions were vouched for the proofe of Purgatory ANS I never saw any vouched for that intent I am sure nether the Councill of Trent nor that of Florence nor Benedict XII vouched any such thing for that intent I think not our divine Faith much concerned in asserting the Truth of any purely humane hystory I think most apparitions to be such Yet because severall Protestants as well as all Atheists utterly reject all such relations I desire them to reade S. Austin l. de Curâ pro mortuis cap. 10. where he says it would be an Impudence to deny them all Impudenter venire videbimur si haec falsa esse responderimus And in his 16. chap. he says he had learnt non incertis rumoribus sed testibus certis not from uncertain rumours but from undoubted withnesses that S. Faelix had appeared both to Citizens strangers during the siege of Nola. Had you the same Faith which was then in the Church you would beleive these things your denying them which the Primitive Church S. Austin beleived shews you to be anitmted with a different Faith CHAPTER XVII Priestly Absolution G.B. pag. 60. Another Art for detracting from the value of Christ death is the Preistly Absolution ANSWER This objection is no product of your owne wit you may find it the Authors of it together with an Answer to in S. Ambrose l. 1. de Poen c. 2. Aiunt Novatianise Domino deferre reverentiam cui soli remittendorum criminum potestatem reservant Imò melli majorem injuriam faciunt quà m qui volunt ejus mandata rescindere Nam cùm ipse in Evangelio dixerit quaecumque ligaveritis quis est qui enm magis honorat utrum qui mandatis ejus obtemperat an qui resistit Ecclesia in utroque servat obedientiam ut peccatum alliget relaxet The Novatians says this Saint pretend to honour God by reserving to him alone the power of forgiving sins But really none are more injurious to him or wrong him more then those who breake his orders For whereas he in the Ghospel sayd whose sins soever you bind Who honours God more he who obeys his commands by using that power or he who resists them Now the Church obeys both the commands to bind loose sins effectually binding loosing them Thus S. Ambrose You see Sir that our Doctrine now was that of the Church in S. Ambrose's time that the Novatians held your doctrine made use of the same pretext as you doe to defend their doctrine The Church for which S. Ambrose pleades was Catholick soe must we be in this seing our doctrine is the same with theirs The Novatians in this were Hereticks what are you Indeed the words with which our B. Saviour (a) Mat. 16.18 first promist secondly (b) Ioan. 20.22.23 actually communicated that power to forgive or retaine sins are soe expresse that it is the greatest disrespect imaginable soe to wrest them as they must to draw them from their naturall sense I desire you to shew your art invent us some speach which in soe few words shall more cleerly expresse this sense the Catholick Church understands them in And as for Fathers see S. Cyprian in many places S. Basil qq brev q. 288. S Leo epist 91. ad Theodorum Greg. hom 26. in Evang. Cyr. Alex. lib. 12. in Joan. but above all S. Chrisostome l. 3. de Sacerd. c. 5. tom 3. edit Savell pag. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those who dwell on earth says he are enabled to dispense the things in Heaven To them a Power is given which nether Angels nor Archangels enjoy for to these it was never sayd what you shall bind Earthly Princes have power to cast into prison but their Power is restrained to Bodyes only Where as the bond we speake of reaches the soul Heaven it self In so much as what Preists doe below God ratifyes above the lord confirmes the sentence of the servant And what is this but to have put into their hands all Power to dispose of Heaven whose sins you forgive are forgiven whose sins you retaine are retained What Power can be greater then this God the Father hath given all Power to Iudge to the son the son hath communicated all that same Power to Preists Thus this Glorious Saint You see sir the grounds of our beleife in this point the cleere words of our Lord (a) Ioan. 20.23 whose soever sins you remit they are remitted unto them You see the Fathers the Primitive Church explicating those words as we doe you see Novatians were held for Hereticks for understanding those words otherwise What ground have you to deny a Truth delivered by Christ to the Apostles from them handed downe to us G. B. pag. 62. It was counted a Blasphemy in Christ when he sayd thy sins are forgiven thee which shews it to be blasphemy in all others it being an invasion of his Prerogative ANS Here we have a blasphemous accusation of the Scribes against Jesus-Christ opposed against the cleere words of Christ the meaning of the whole Church Nay their words althô full of malice convinced of falshood by a miracle are preferd before those of Christ as being made a Rule by which his must be interpreted Thus under-pretence of asserting the authority of Christ you overthro wit as your Brethren ruined their souveraigne under pretence of making him a glorious King But say you Christ cleered himself from the Power was committed to the son of man to forgive sins ANS That same Power given by the son of man to the Apostles their successors doth cleere us G. B. pag. 61. After a sinner hath gon over his sins without any signe of remorse told them to a Preist he enjoins a Pennance without wayting that they obey it he says I absolve thee after this they judge them selves fully cleansed from sins ANS Were there
make what resistance they could on that day Which Resolution was grounded on a probable opinion for on the one side was the let er of the law prohibiting all labour on that day then they myght think God would protect them whilst they kept his law as he (b) Exod. 34.24 conserved their goods whilst they went thrice a yeare to the Temple if he did not please to defend them miraculously they myght think it was his will that they should glorify him by giving their lives rather then breake his commandment which perswasion possest the greatest part of Chriltians neere the Apostles times as may be seene in Tert. Apologetick On the other side they considered the law of nature oblidging to seeke selfe-preservation that to expect a miracle was to tempt God c. Hence they concluded that it was lawfull to labour for selfe defence even on the Sabboth To make an Opinion probable Suarez (c) Suarez dis 12. de bonit malit requires that it be nether contrary to the sense of the Church nor to any opinions commonly received that it be grounded on Authority Reason greate above exception All Divines even the largest require a wayghty motive a strong reason that even cōpayring it with the contrary motives otherwise they agree that the Opinion will not be probable but dangerous rash improbable See two large treatises composed by R. F. Antony Teril agreate ornament of the Society an honour to our Nation in defence of this Rule of conscience You will find in him a solide discourse well grounded gravely handled as Truth should be delivered without any of that Booffonnerye which accompagnyes the Authour of the Provinciall Letters which may be tolerable in a Comedy but not in a treatise of Divinity This I think cannot be doubted of in Thesi or in generall I will not deny but in hypothesi in particular doubts or questions some men have not stucke soe close to the letter of the law as they should as Fr. Teril doth deplore But those men's assertions doe not take away what we have sayd for their private sentiments not well grounded deserve not the name of probable Opinions The last classe of Actions are those called indifferent as not being mentioned in any law These must draw all the morality they have Ex intentione sive voluntate operantis In those a good intention of the man who produces them or his will to doe them for the love of God gives them a good morality which of themselves they have not as on the contrary a bad intention gives them the nature of fin Hence what you say that our doctrine is any sin may be committed innocently by directing our intention is a greate untruth as greate a calumny No intention can justify a bad Action but a bad intention may vitiate the best action as to give an Almes (a) Mat. 6.2 for vanity Bonum ex integrâ causâ malum ex quocumque defectu is a maxime never more true then in morall actions We are taught in the Catholick Church not only to doe good things but to doe them well not only to doe juste things but to dothem justly nor pious things but piously non tantùm bona justa pia verum etiam benè justè piè Nay a pious moderne Authour says that God regards more the Adverbes then the nounes or verbes for example A Judge heares attentively a cause pleaded before him in order to give sentence secundùm allegata probata the action of it selfe is good yet his intention may mend or marre it Doth he that for his lawfull allowance it is of small merit Regards he his duty to his Prince country it is better If for God it is best of all But doth he intend by it to pleasure a freind or practice Revenge on an enemy althô his sentence be just yet he is unjust in pronouncing it to satisfy his owne passions of love or hatred This is our doctrine this we teach this we practice which you understand not your perpetuall fault is to speake (a) Iude v. 10. evill of things which you know not If you desire further information of our doctrine in this point see S. Franc. de Sales l. 11. de Amore Dei c. 13. CHAPTER XXV Whither Papists allow to Breake the Commandments FRom page 83. titt 91. you charge Catholicks with teaching to breake the cōmandments produce severall cases for proofe of it To which what I have already sayd may be a sufficient returne satisfactory Answer For if the Resolutions of those persons be not well grounded on solid reason I renounce them soe doth the Church If they be justifiable why should you or we condemne them Wo (b) I say 1.20 unto them who call evill good good evill that put bitter for sweete sweete for litter Soe that those are to blame who call good evill as well as those who call evill good The law-giver may make what laws he please our duty is to Judge according to the law he gives us when the case is cleere when it is obscure to guesse at it as neere as we can And amongst the cleere laws I reckon that not to Judge other men who are (a) Rom. 14.4 God's servants by his Judgment alone must stand or fall This generall answer myght suffice considering I write not here a treatise of morall divinity Yet I will run over some of the particular cases specifyed by you consequently which may seeme to be with you of greater force G. B. pag. 84. Against the first commandment they worship Angels Saints with Acts due only to God The second is violated by Image Worship ANSWER Here are your boiled Cabbadge over over againe Both parts are false as is above sayd G.B. Ididem The thrid is made voyde by the Popes dispensing with oaths ANS I have spoken to this already (b) Chapter 20. I suppose you will not deny that when an oath is unlawfull v. c. the covenant it may be dispensed with Item if it become impossible as of a Pilgrimage to Hierusalem on foote the man become Lame Item if the thing become dangerous or inconvenient as to lend a sword when you heare for certaine the man designes to hill his enemy with it Or if you promist to keepe another company after discover he would carry you to fyght a Duell take a purse or to a naughty house What think you are you or any other bound to keepe dangerous inconvenient impossible unlawfull oathes If not why may there not be a power in the Church to declare for the ease of timorous consciences when those Oathes cease to oblidge And why may not this Power be acknowledged in the Pope as well as in others But is the dispensing with Oathes a Prerogative of God sure it is not Seing God who declared their force (a) Exod. 20. Leaves (b) Num. 39. to some a
publicke concerne 3. In case he be involved in common or private sufferings he ought to beare it patiently expect the turne of the Tyde 4. He may reforme his owne life actions according to the severest laws of state cannons of the Church provided he become not by that trouble some to his neyghbours over whome he hath no authority or dangerous to superiors whose authority over him is establitht by God or disturb the publicke Peace which is to be preferd before all advantages which can be hoped from those petty Reformers or their Reformations 5. Having done that he ought to content himself presse lawfull superiors no further assuring himself he hath fully complyed with the utmost of his duty by acquainting his Rulers with what he thinks is for the publick good by correcting himself And he may suppose that if these doe not follow his advice ether they see the thing not feasible or fore see other inconveniences or expect some fitter conjuncture Where as by further urging he cannot but offend for to communicate his dislikes to others to draw them first to joyne in Petitioning with a seeming submission then by a reall violence to force superiors to what they pretend to unsettle the present Government to aime at setting up a new one under pretence of reforming the old is in the state Sedition in the Church Schisme as greate crimes against both as any except Rebellion Heresy to which they dispose Soe that this Reforming humour in particulars is the daughter of Pride mother of Heresy Rebellion Which makes it be suspected by all lawfull superiors in all establisht Governments till they know all the particulars of which it consists Absalon (a) 2. Reg. 15. alleadged plausible reasons for altring the Government of Israel Oza (b) 2. Reg. 6. for upholding the Arke with his hand The first that the state was abandoned no body looking to the administration of Justice The second that the Arke was in danger of being overturned Both greviously offended exceeding the bounds assigned them by God not withstanding their specious pretences Now to the subject of your complaint The Roman Catholick Church holding her Faith by Tradition of all ages from the Apostles never admitting the least alteration in it from which she is preserved by the helpe of the Holy Ghost promist to her by (c) Heb. 12.2 the Author finisher of it In this shee knows there can be no occasion for it by any errour As to her discipline shee acknowledges some alterations hath no difficulty to admit of a Reformation provided things be done according to order This appeares first by her Councils even that of Trent severall celebrated in France Germany in this last age Secondly by the practice of several Prelates S. Charles Borromeus in Italy S. Francis de Sales in France others elsewhere Thirdly by those of a lower rank as of S. Philip Nerius who establisht the Congregation of the Oratory in Italy Pere Berule after wards Cardinal who establisht that in France Pere Vincent de Paul who founded the Preists of the Mission all Congregations of Clergy living in common under the obedience of their severall superiours Lastly did you regard what they are not what they are sayd to be as much consult the Rules Lives of the Iesuits in themselves as you doe in the writings of their profest enemyes whose testimony for that reason you ought to suspect you would be forced to owne that S. Ignatius de Loyola hath reformed the Clergy establishing a Congregation of Clergy-men who live more conformably to the most ancient Canons to the Ecclesiasticks of the primitive Church then any your whole reformation hath or shall be ever able to shew Which you would perceive did you reflect that the numerous bitter Enemyes which they have had never doe alleadg any things against their lives or Rules which is a convincing proofe they are irreprochable Now a word to those whome you commend for endeavouring à Reformation of the R.C. Iean du Verger Abbot of S. Cyran was only a private Preist not a Doctor of Divinity nor recomended by any other degree which myght distinguish him from the meanest having no Jurisdiction even over the Abby of which hebore the title But his personall endowments other to good or evill were exceeding greate A large comprehensive phancy a tenacious memory a Judgment to use all his learning seasonably Deepe melancholy abounding with adust choler was his temper the first fitted him for the labour of hard studyes the second emboldened him to write whatsoever be fancyed without any regard to persons how greate soever Those who particularly knew him say that no history shews a man of a more intriguing wit fitter to head a faction For using too much this faculty he was by the King's authority cast into prison being accused by a Bishop whome he had before invehgled who discovered his designes through horrour of them Cardinal de Richelieu being solicited to release him R.S. late Bishop of Calcedon answerd You Lordship doth not know the man you speake for Had our fathers dealt soe with Calvin France had enjoyed Peace Now I would know of Mr. B. whither it be tolerable for a private man to caball in his owne Church to frame a party in it besides contrary to the orders of its lawfull superiors oppose all establisht order to unsettle old customes introduce new ones to make for a new Government If you approve this in S. Cyran how can you blame it in your Phanaticks Antony Arnaud was once a Doctor of the Faculty of Paris but was cast out of it degraded by the other Doctors for his odde sentiments in matters of Grace which he obstinately defended even after they were censured by Rome France his owne Faculty And why myght not that faculty retrench from its body members who refuse to submit to the major part as by the law of nature all are bound to doe where there appeares no sin I know of no other persecution he ever endured As to his booke of the frequent Communion it tended not the reforming but to the destroying the Sacrament of Pennance as is seene by its effects where it prevayles I will not say he designed soe much I leave intentions to God the (a) Hieremy 17.10 Searcher of harts Many times a Buke is shot as a man is killed How ever it was unexcusable in him to endeavour to change the customes laws establisht by the Church in force His title of Doctor could entitle him only to explicate the laws received conforme to them not to abrogate reforme them for a Doctor as such hath no jurisdiction without which no laws can be made or unmade The least Bishop nay the meaest Curate of a Parish hath greater Power as to laws then the greatest Doctor as such seing those have some jurisdiction this hath
priviledge of women who have some advantage of birth fortune Drunkenesse for all who have time mony to cast away The prodigious numbers of houses designed for tippling is a sufficient cōviction of the greatenesse of this vice there being more in London alone then in any ten Catholicks townes in Europe probably more then served the whole kingdome in Catholick times which are so many nurseryes of Idlenesse whence all vices flow the thriving condition they all live in shews which may the riches of the nation goe on what their harts are setled You will say these are faults of the Reformers but not of your reformation But in this you are mistaken for it comes from the very substantiall parts of your reformation soe that if any do well it is to be attribued to the goodnesse of their nature If ill it is to be charged uppon your religion which hath retrenched on severall pretences almost all helpes of Devotion Christ to apply to us the merits of his passion instituted seven Sacraments which are administred in the Cat. Church To regenerate us Baptisme to strengthen us in faith Confirmation to nourisb our souls Eucharist to restore us to God's grace if by frailty we have lost it Pennance to prepare us for a passage to the other world Extreame-unction to confer grace necessary for a Church-man or a marryed-man Order Matrimony Of those you have cut off five of the two remaining that of the Eucharist which Christ sayd was his body Blood you make only a bit of Breade spoone full of wine The Catholicks have every day the unbloody sacrifice of the Altar offred at which they can as2ist they are taught that masse is composed out of the law p Prophets the Ghospel Canonicall Epistles that it is a summary of the life of Christ commemoration of his death that when they see the sacred host elevated they must call to mind his elevation on the Crosse for their sakes that they must offer him themselves with him to God the father As S. Austin teaches us l. 10. de Civit. Dei c. 20. This Dayly sacrisice you have cut off having something in Cathedralls on sundays in other Churchs seldome Soe the wholé weeke in all places a greate part of the yeare in most places passes with out that greate exercice for your devotion Ceremonyes in divineservice are necessary to fix our Phancy on the things in hand to helpe to rayse our soul to God This they doe first by their signification as knocking our Breast is a figne of greife cōtrition kneeling bowing of our adoration of God lifting up hands eyes to Heaven of raysing our wills to God c. They likewise encrease within us those dispositions they signify by a sympathy betwixt the soul body These you have retrencht as superstitious which hath opened a dore to the contempt of your holy service places where it is celebrated to which many of you shew little more respect then at other civill actions nay many would not enter into a freinds house with soe little respect as they shew entring into the house of God G.P. pag. 135. Religion consists in few things T is tru nay it consistes in one thing as to its perfection the love of God above all things But what then are helpes to stirre up that love of God to be neglected It is Pharisaicall to place our confidence in the ceremonyes or consider them as the substance of Religion but to looke on them as its ornaments meanes to stirre up strike good purposes deeper into our harts why should it be misliked The wiser of your brethren in france acknowledge bewayle the want of them Soe will you if you consider it well Catholicks have an unquestionable ordination for if we have none yours must fall to the ground you having received yours from us Yours is not only questionable but questioned actually with seeming probability denyed by Cath. 1. for want of a due minister A Bishop 2. for want of due matter forme 3. for want of due intention for your Bishops owning no sacrifice of the new law could not intend to conferre a Power to offer sacrifice which is essentiall to Preisthood They were confirmed in their opinions of your want of Ordination by your Owning Communion with those reformed Churchs in France Holland which have no lawfull ordination according to your principles your directing yours to their Churchs advising them to receive the Sacraments from them admitting those Ministers to the Ministry amongst ou without any new Ordination To conclude they had those same motives to continue in the Communion of the Catholick Church which S. Austin had which he relates I. contra Epist Fundam c. 4. Tenet consensio populorum gentium tenet auctoritas miraculis inchoata spe nutrita charitate aucta vetustate firmata tenet ab ipsa Sede Petri cui pascendas oves post Resurrectionem Dominus commendavit usque ad praesentem Episcopatum successio Sacerdotum Tenet postremò ipsum Catholicae nomen quod non sine causâ inter tam multas haereses sic ista Ecclesia sola obtinuiut ut .... Apud vos autem ubi nihil horum est sola personat veritatis pollicitatio I am retained in the Catholick Church by the consent of nations by an authority begun with miracles nourisht with hope encreased by charity establisht by antiquity I am retained by a succession of Preist beginning from S. Peter to whome our Lord after his Resurrection commended the feeding of his sheepe untill this present Pope Innocent XI Lastly I am retained by the very name of Catholick which with greate reason amongst soe many sects this Church alone obtaines What have you to oppose against such strong motives Scripture the Ghospel which if cleere for you ought without doubt be preferred before all those other motives But they found this very Ghospel this Scripture pronounce in their favour against you This is my body says the Scripture It is not Christ's body say you The commandments of God are not heavy says the Scripture The commandments of God are impossible says you A reward is due to our Good workes says the Scripture No workes of ours are meritorious nay the best are sins say you Faith without workes is dead says the Scripture you commend faith so as to make all good workes be neglected I grant some amongst you of late doe not soe crudely teach some of these doctrines being ashamed of their deformity But you cannot deny but that they were taught by the first Reformers Which was sufficient to convince the world that Scripture gave no evident verdict for them make all affrayd of theyr Reformation who had a care of their souls CHAPTER XXXVI Greater exercise of Piety amongst Catholicks then Protestants BAptisme is given validly in both Churchs but with this difference that we retaine the ancient