preuent all scandal They haue concluded by this regulation that both kindes were not essentiall to the Communion by the institution of CHRIST for otherwise they would haue bin bound absolutely to refuse the Sacrament to such as were not able to receaue it compleat and not to giue it them in a manner contrary to that CHRIST JESVS had commanded and in that case their disability would haue sufficiently excused them But our Aduersaries haue conceaued that such a rigour would be excessiue if they did not allow at least one of the Species to such as were not capable to receaue the other and since this condescendence hath no ground in the Scripture they must needs confesse with vs that the words whereby CHRIST IESVS hath proposed to vs the two Species are liable to some interpretation and that the right vnderstanding of them ought to be declared by the Authority of the Church But it might seeme that this Article of their Discipline which is of the Synode of Poytiers held 1560 had bin reformed by the Synode of Vertueil assembled in the year 1567 where it is said that the company is not of opinion the Bread should be giuen to those who would not receaue the Cupp These two Synodes neuerthelesse are not at all opposite to one another that of Vertueil speaketh of those who Will not receaue the Cupp and that of Poytiers of such as Can not take it And indeed notwithstanding the Synode of Vertueil that Article remaineth in their Discipline nay more hath bin approued by a Synode later then that of Vertueil namely by the Synode of Rochelle in 1571 where the Article was renewed and putt into that state which it now remaineth in But supposing the Synodes of the Pretended-Reformers had differr'd varied in their opinions that would serue only to manifest that the matter in question is not a point of Faith but of that kind which the Church may order dispose of according to their own principles There remaineth now nothing but to expose what the Catholiques hold touching the Word of God concerning the Authority of the Church CHRIST IESVS hauing lay'd the foundation of his Church vpon the Preaching of his Disciples the Vnwritten Word was the first guide rule of Christianity when the writings of the New Testament were adioyned to them the former Word did not for all that loose its Authority which causeth vs to accept with the same veneration all that was taught by the Apostles be it by writing or by word of mouth according to what S. Paul himself hath expresly inioyned And the certain proofe that a Doctrine comes from the Apostles is its being accepted and embraced by all Christian Churches whilst its beginning can not be pointed mark'd out We can not choose but receaue all that is establish'd in this manner with the submission due to the Diuine Authority and we are confident that such persons of the Pretended-Reformed Religion as are not very obstinate haue the same perswasion in the bottome of their harts it being impossible to beleeue that a Doctrine setled and receaued from the beginning of the Church can flow from any other spring then that of the Apostles Wherefore our Adversaries ought not to wonder that we being zealously carefull to inherit all that our Fathers haue left vs doe conserue the Deposite of Tradition as well as that of the Scriptures The Church being ordained by God to be the Depositary of the Scripture of Tradition we receaue from her hands the Canonicall Scriptures and we beleeue whateuer our Aduersaries say that it is principally the Church's Authority that determineth vs to reuerence as Diuine writt the song of Salomon which hath so few sensible markes of Propheticall inspiration and likewise the Epistle of S. Iames which Luther reiected and that of S. Iude which might be suspected by reason of some Apocriphall bookes cited in it in fine there can be no motiue but that Authority to perswade the receauing the whole body of the holy Scriptures which Christians accept as Diuine euen before the reading hath wrougt any feeling of the Spirit of God in those bookes Being then inseparably bound as we are to the Authority of the Church by meanes of the Scriptures which we receaue from her hand we are taught also by her Tradition and by the help of Tradition the true sense of the Scriptures So that the Church professeth to say nothing meerly of her self and likewise that she inventeth nothing new in her Doctrine that she doth but follow and declare the Diuine Reuelation by the interiour direction of the holy spirit which is giuen her for her Teacher That the holy Ghost expresseth himself by the Church the dispute raised about the Ceremonies of the Law euen in the time of the Apostles doth euidence and their Acts haue directed all succeeding ages by the manner that first contest was decided by what Authority all following differences are to be determined so that whensoeuer any dispute happens to deuide the faithfull the Church will interpose her Authority and the Pastours assembled will say after the Apostles It hath seemed good to the Holy Spirit and vs. And when the Church hath pronounced and determined her children will be taught not to examine a new the Articles resolued vpon but that they are bound to accept with all submission the Church's Decisions And in this methode we follow S. Paul and Silas who deliuered to the faithfull the first iudgment of the Apostles and were so farr from allowing a new discussion of what had bin decided as they trauell'd through the townes teaching to obserue the ordinances of the Apostles In this manner the children of God acquiesce in the iudgment of the Church beleeuing that by her mouth they hear the Oracle of the Holy Ghost and it is vpon the ground of this perswasion that after hauing profess'd in the Creed I beleeue in the Holy Ghost we ioine next to it The Holy Catholique Church by which protestation we oblige our selues to acknowledge an Infallible and Perpetuall Verity in the Catholique Church since the same Church which we beleeue perseuering throughout all ages would cease to be a Church if it left to teach the Truth reuealed by God so that such as apprehend least she should abuse her power by introducing Falsities haue little Faith in him by whose hand she is held and conducted And if our Aduersaries would consider discusse these matters in a fairer and more humane manner they would be forced to auowe that the Catholique Church is so farre from affecting to render herself Mistresse of her Faith as her Aduersaries charge her that quite contrary she hath laboured with all her power to binde her self and to exclude all means of In̄ouation since she doth not only submitt to the holy Scriptures but to banish for euer all Arbitrary interpretatiōs which would make the conceipts of men passe for Scripture declareth herself obliged
to vnderstand them in what relateth to Faith or Manners conformably to the sense of the holy Fathers from which she professeth neuer to depart declaring by all her Councells and by all her Professions of Faith already published that she admitteth no point of Doctrine which is not conformable to the Tradition of all preceeding ages Moreouer if our Aduersaries will examine their Consciences they will discerne that the name of the Church hath more authority ouer their minds then they dare auowe in their disputes and I am perswaded there is not any one prudent iudicious man amongst them who finding himself alone in his perswasion how euident soeuer it might seeme to him that would not be frightned with that Singularity so manifest it is that men haue need in these matters to be supported in their opinions by the Authority of some Society that is of the same iudgment And for this reason God who hath created vs and knoweth what is most proper for vs hath ordained for our benefit that all particular subiects should render obedience to his Church the Authority whereof is of all others vndoubtedly the best established not only by the testimony which God himself renders in proofe of it in the holy Scriptures but likewise by the euidencies of his Diuine protection which is manifested no lesse in the most inuiolable perpetuall subsistence then it was in the miraculous establishment thereof This Soueraigne Authority of the Church is so necessary to regulate the differences which arise vpon points of Faith and the right vnderstanding of the Scripture that our Aduersaries themselues after hauing discredited decryed it as an insupportable Tyranny haue bin at last necessitated to authorise establish it amongst themselues When those who are call'd Independants maintained openly that euery indiuiduall of the faithfull ought to follow the light of his conscience without being obliged to submitt his iudgment to any body or Ecclesiasticall assembly and that vpon this ground they refused to subiect themselues to Synodes that of Charenton held 1644. censured this Doctrine vpon the same reasons and in regard of the same inconueniences which moued vs to reject it That Synode obserueth in the first place that the Error of the Independants consisteth in their holding that euery single Church ought to gouerne it self by her own lawes without dependance vpon any person in Ecclesiasticall affairs and without any obligation to conforme to the Authority of Conferences and Synodes in point of their conduct regulation And in order thereunto the same Synode determineth that this Sect is as preiudiciall to the State as to the Church that it setteth open a dore to all sorts of irregularities and extrauagancies that it cutts off all means of applying any remedy and if it tooke place there might be as many Religions inuented as there are particular parishes or assemblies These last words shew cleerly that it was principally in point of Faith that this Synode intended to establish a Dependance since the great est inconuenience it obserues the faithfull would be lyable to by this independency is that there might be as many Religions formed and professed as there are parishes It followeth then of necessity by the Doctrine of this Synode that euery particular Church and much more euery priuate person ought to Depend in what belongs to Faith vpon a Superiour Authority which resides in some Assembly or Body of men to which Authority all the Faithfull subiect their priuate iudgments for the independants doe not refuse to submit vnto the Word of God in that sense they conceaue they ought to vnderstand it nor to accept the Decision of Synodes when after they haue examined them they conclude them reasonable and fitt to be obserued what they refuse to yeald vnto is to resigne vp their priuate iudgment vnto that of an Assembly vpon this ground which our Aduersaries haue lai'd for them viz that all Assemblies euen that of the Vniuersall Church is a company of Men subiect to Error vnto which consequently a Christian ought not to subiect his iudgment since he oweth his resignation but to God alone It is from this pretension of the Independants that all those inconueniences are inferr'd which the Synode of Charenton hath so well obserued for what profession soeuer be made to submit vnto the Word of God if euery one thinketh he hath right to vnderstand it according to his own iudgment though it be contrary to the sense of the Church declared in a Finall decree this pretension will open the way to all sorts of extrauagancies and exclude all means of applying any remedy since the Decision of the Church is no restraint to such as doe not conceaue themselues bound to submit vnto it and in fine it will open the way to frame as many Religions not only as there are parishes but euen as there are priuate heads For precaution against these incōueniencies from whence would ensue the ruyne of Christian Religion the Synode of Charenton is forced to constitute a Dependance in Ecclesiasticall matters and euen in points of Faith But this their designed Deference will neuer retrench those pernicious consequences they haue proposed to themselues the preuenting vnlesse they settle conformably to vs this maxime that euery particular Church and much more each single person ought to beleeue himself obliged to submit his priuate iudgment vnto the Authority of the Church And so we see likewise in the fifth chapter of the Discipline of the Pretended-Reformed Religion tit of Consistories art 31. that desiring to prescribe an expedient to determine the debates which might arise vpon any point of Doctrine or Discipline they decreed first that the Consistory shall endeauor to appease all without noise and with all the sweetnes of the Word of God and after hauing sett and rank'd the Consistory the Conference and the Prouinciall Synode as so many distinct degrees of Iurisdiction coming at last to the Nationall Synode aboue which there is no Authority amongst them they speake of it in these termes There it is that the Entier Finall resolution shall be taken according to the Word of God to which if they refuse to acquiesce in euery point and with a direct renouncing of their Errors they shall be cutt off from the Church Is it not then euident that the Pretended-Reformers doe not attribute the Authority of this Finall iudgment to the Word of God taken alone by it self and without dependance on the Authority of the Church since the Word hauing bin employ'd and consulted in the first conclusions they haue made vpō it they doe neuerthelesse admit an Apeale from it It is the Word as interpreted by the Soueraigne tribunal of the Church that frameth this last and Finall resolution vnto which whosoeuer refuseth to acquiesce from point to point though he boasteth his being authorised by the Word of God is no longer reputed but as a profane abuser and Corrupter thereof But the forme of those Letters
of deputation which were drawn vp agreed vpon at the Synode of Vitré in the year 1617. to be obserued by the Prouinces when they were to send deputies to the Nationall Synode is yet more positiue it runns in these termes We promise before God to submit to all that shall be concluded and resolved in your holy Assembly and to obey execute it with all our power being perswaded as we are that God will preside in it and conduct you by his holy Spirit into all truth and equity by the rule of his Word Here the point is not the receauâ—ng of the resolution of a Synode after hauing discern'd that it hath ordain'd according to the Scripture but here is a submission made unto it euen before the assembling of it and this is done by reason they are perswaded that the holy spirit will preside in it If this perswasion be grounded vpon a humane presumption can one in conscience promise before God to submitt to all which shall be resolued and concluded and to obey execute it to the utmost of ones power And if this perswasion be grounded vpon an assured beleef of that assistance the holy Ghost affordeth the Church in her Finall ordinances the Catholiques themselues require no more of them Thus the proceedings of our Aduersariers doe manifest that they concurr with vs in the necessity of a Supreme Authority without which there can neuer be a Finall decision of any doubt in Religion and although when they cast of the yoke of Obedience they denied that the faithfull were obliged to resigne their iudgment vp to that of the Church yet the necessity of settling some order among themselues hath forced them in processe of time to acknowledg what their first engagement had moued them to contradict Nay they haue gone much farther in the National Synode held at Sainte Foy in the year 1578. There was some ouerture made of a reconcilement with the Lutherans by means of a forme of profession of Faith general and common to all the Churches which was proposed to be concerted and drawn vp The Churches of this Kingdome were inuited to depute vnto an Assembly to be held for that purpose virtuous persons approued and authorised by all the forenamed Churches with an ample Procuration TO TREAT AGREE VPON AND DECIDE ALL POINTS OF DOCTRINE and other matters concerning the vnion Vpon this proposition the resolution of the Synode of Sainte Foy was agreed vpon in these termes The National Synode of this Kingdome after having giuen God thanks for such an ouerture and commended the care and diligence as well as the good counsels of the fore-mentioned persons conuoked APPROVING THE REMEDIES THEY HAVE SVGGESTED viz principally that of framing a new Confession of Faith and giuing power to some certaine persons to compose it hath ordained that in case the copie of that aboue-named Confession of Faith shall be sent time enough it shall be examined in euery Prouinciall Synode or after some other manner according to the conueniency of each Prouince and in the mean time hath deputed four Ministers the best experienced in affairs of that nature to whome expresse order hath bin giuen to render themselves vpon the places and at the day with letters and ample Procurations of all the Ministers and ancient Deputies of the Prouinces of this Kingdome together with those of the Viscount of Turene to doe all things aboue mentioned and euen in case that MEANS COVLD NOT BE FOVND TO EXAMINE THE SAYD CONFESSION BY ALL THE PROVINCES it is referr'd to their prudence and sound iudgment to agree and CONCLVDE all the points which shall be brought into deliberation as well FOR THE DOCTRINE as for any other matter concerning the benefit vnion and quiet of all the Churches This in fine is the result of that feigned tendernesse of Conscience in the Ministers of the Pretended-Reformed Religion How often haue they reproached to us as a weakenesse that Submission we professe to the iudgment and Decrees of the Church which is say they but a company of men subiect to Error and yet they being assembled themselues in a Body at a Nationall Synode which represented all the Pretended-Reformed Churches of France haue nor scrupuled to leaue their Faith to the Arbitration of four persons with so Absolute a Resignation of their Iudgments that they transferr'd vpon them a full power to change the very Confession it self which they propose euen to this day to all Christian people as a Confession of Faith which containeth nothing but the pure Word of God and for which in presenting it to our Kings they haue said that an infinite number of people were ready to shed their blood I leaue the prudent Reader to make his reflections vpon the Decree of this Synode and will conclude in few words my explication of the perswasions tenents of the Catholique Church The sonne of God hauing bin pleased that his Church should remaine one and be solidly built vpon this Vnity hath instituted founded the Primacy of S t Peter to maintaine and cement it whereupoÌ„we acknowledgethe same Primacy in the Successors of the Prince of the Apostles vnto whome vpon that title we owe that Submission Obedience which the holy Councells Fathers haue taught and inioyn'd the faithfull As for those points which are so vsually disputed in the Schooles although the Ministers doe coÌ„tinually alledge them to asperse and render that Authority odious it is to little purpose to mention them in this discourse since they are not points of Catholique Faith It is sufficient here to confesse a Head established by God which will freely be accorded by all such as affect Vnion Concord of Christian Fraternity Ecclesiasticall Vnanimity And certaine it is that if the Founders of the Pretended Reformation had loued Vnity in the Church they would neuer haue abolished Episcopall Gouernement which we finde established by IESVS-CHRIST himself and which we see impower'd authorised euen in the dayes of the Apostles nor would they haue despised the Authority of S. Peter's seate which hath so solid a foundation in the Ghospel and so euident a continuation in Ecclesiasticall Tradition they would rather haue zealously maintain'd Episcopall Iurisdiction which setleth preserueth Vnion in particular Churches and the Primacy of S. Peter's Chaire which is the common center of all Catholique VnioÌ„ This is the exposition of the Catholique Doctrine wherein to tye my self to what is most important in it I haue declined some questions which the Pretended-Reformers themselues doe not account a legitimate motiue for a Breach or Separation and I may hope that those of their Communion who shall examine fairely with Christian equity all the parts and consequences of this Treatise will by the reading thereof be better disposed to accept and acquiescevnto those proofs vpoÌ„ which the Faith of the Church is established and will at least auowe that many of our Controuersies may be decided by a
syncere explication of our perswasions and that our Doctrine is Holy and that euen by their own principles none of the Articles of our Beleef ouerthrow the Foundations of our Eternall Beatitude If any one shall conceaue it requisite to reply to this Treatise I must desire him to consider that to aduance any thing towards his intent he must not attempt to refute the Doctrine it containeth since my designe was to Propose it only without Supporting it by any Proofs and if in some passages I haue touched part of the grounds reasons which establish it the reason was because the knowledg of the principall grounds of a Doctrine doth often beare a part necessary for its explication It would be also a great digression from the designe of this Treatise to dicusse the different ways methodes motiues and arguments which the Catholique Diuines make use of to establish or illustrate the Doctrine of the Councel of Trent and the various consequences particular Doctors haue deduced from them To vrge any thing solide against this Treatise and that cometh home to the point it must either be proued by some acts which the Church hath engaged herselfe to receaue that her Faith is not here faithfully deliuered or be shewed that this explanation leaueth all the Aduersaries Obiections in their full force or in fine it must be exposed directly wherein this Doctrine subuerteth the Grounds and Foundation of Faith FINIS Io. 18. v. 38. Io 19. v. 12. Io. 12. v. 43. Ps. 118. v 85 86. Io. 16. 13. Mat. 28. v 20. Jo 6. v. 61. Jo. 6. v. 64 2. Pet. 1. v. 4. Apoc. 2. Esay 50 v 11. Act. 4. Y. 32. Io. 17. 11. 21. 2. Cor. 12. v. 15. Apoc. 2. 5. Designe of this Treatise Apol. c. 6. Those of the Pretended-Reformed Religion confesse that the Catholique Church professeth all the Fundamentall Articles of Christian Religion All Religious worship endeth in God alone Inuocation of Saints Rom. Catech p. 3. tit de cultu Inuoc sanct p. 4. tit quis sit orandus Sess. 25. dec de Inuoc c. Lib. 8. de Ciu. c. 27. Tract 28. in Joan. serm 27. de verbis Apostoli CoÌ„c Trid. sess 22. c. 3. Images and Reliques Conc. Trid. sess 25. decr de Inuoc c. Gal. 2. Pontific Rom. de Benedict Imag. CoÌ„c Trid. Sess. 25. dec de Inuoc c. 1. Pet. 2. Iustification Conc. Trid. Sess. 6. cap. 9. ibid. c. 8. Gal. â— 17. Iac. 3. 2. Merits of good workes Concil Trid. Sess. 6. c. 16. CoÌ„c Trid. sess 6. c. 16. Sess. 14. c. 8. Phil. 4. 7. Phil. 2. 12. ibid. 13. Satisfactions Purgatory Indulgences Sess. 25. decr de Indulg Parum me mouent quae in veterum scriptis de Satisfactione passim occurrunt video quidem eorum nonnullos dicam simpliciter omnes ferè quorum libriextant aut in hac parte lapsos esse aut nimis asperè ac durè locutos Calu. Inst. l. 3. cap. 4. The Sacraments Baptisme Confirmation Act. 8. 15. 17. Pennance and Sacramentall Confession Math. 18. 18. Io. 20. 23. Extreame-Vnction Iac. 5. 14. 15. Sess. 14. c. 2 de sac Extr Vnct. Marriage Math. 19. 5. â—ph 5. 32. Holy Orders 1. Tim. 4. 2. Tim. 1. Cor. faitl 35. Doctrine the Church touching the reall presence of the Body and Blood of IESVS-CHRIST in the Blessed Sacrament the manner wherein the Church vnderstands these words this is my Body Math. 26. Luke 22. 〈…〉 uit 6. 30 Leuit. 17. 11 Math. 26. 28. Luke 13. 12. Io. 4. 50. Math. 9. 2. Explication of the words doe this in remembraÌ„ce of me Luke 22. 19. 1. Cor. 11. 24 1. Cor. 11. 26. Habac. 2. 4. Exposition of the Caluinists doctrine about the Reallity Cat. Dim 53. Conf. of faith art 36. Cat. Dim 52. Dim 53. Dim 52. Dim 52. Of Transubstannation Adoration and in what sense the Eucharist is said to be a Signe Sacrifice of the Masse Hebr. 9. 24 Sess. 22. c. 1. The Epistle to the Hebrews Hebr. 10. 5 Hebr. 9. 24 Hebr. 9. 26. Hebr. 7. 25. Heb. 5. 7. Reflection vpon the preceding doctrine Communion vnder both kindes The written vnwritten Word 2. Thess. 2. 14. The Church's Authority Act. 15. 2â— Act. 16. 4. CoÌ„c Trid. seff 4. The opinion of those of the Pretended Reformed Religion concernig the Authority of the church The Authority of the holy see of Rome and of Episcopacy Conclusion of the Treatise