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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28845	A pastoral letter from the Lord Bishop of Meaux to the new Catholicks of his diocess exhorting them to keep their Easter, and giving them necessary advertisements against the false pastoral letters of their ministers : with reflections upon the pretended persecution / translated out of French, and publish'd with allowance.; Lettre pastorale. English	Bossuet, Jacques Bénigne, 1627-1704.	1686 (1686)	Wing B3787; ESTC R12514	28,012	60

when they are out of her Unity This great Man hath alwayes follow'd the same Method For when Antonian one of his Colleagues in the Episcopal Dignity was loath to condemn Novatian and would first be infirm'd of his Doctrine St. Cyprian makes him this grave Answer As for that which concerns the Person of Novatian since you desire to be inform'd what Heresy he has introduc'd you must know my dear Brother before all things that we need not curiously enquire what he has taught since he hath taught out of the Church let it be what it will it is not Christian since it is not in the Church of JESUS CHRIST So when Men separate themselves from the Unity and after the Example of Novatian send new Apostels to establish their new Institutions and their new Doctrines in a word to build a new Church tho' they vaunt like him of Reforming the Church and of reducing it as well to a Purer Doctrine as to a more Regular Discipline they are so far from being admitted to prove theirs to be the True Church because of the True Doctrine which they pretend to teach that on the contrary they are convinc'd that they cannot have the True Doctrine when they are not in the True Church and when they would Build a new one Let these False Pastors who boast of their being extraordinarily sent to Build the Church anew fallen into Ruine and Desolation hear St. Cyprian Let them remember on what Maxims he founded his Episcopacy And since they cannot shew us a Mission like his let them cease to imitate the Language of so great a Bishop and to assume to themselves his Authority You have often heard them say That you need not trouble your selves where the Church was since JESUS CHRIST hath pronounced That in whatsoever place two or three Persons shall meet together in Name he is there in the midst of them It is a long time that the Hereticks and the Schismaticks have abused this Passage They serve themselves of the times of St. Cyprian to Authorize the Assemblies which they hold a part But this Holy Martyr confounds them by the foregoing Words where JESUS CHRIST speaks in this manner If two of you shall agree together on Earth as touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven where at first sight it is manifest that these two who agree together ought to be in the Body and Christian Unity in Common Fraternity If two says he of you that is as St. Cyprian understands If two or three Children of the Church two or three who are together in Communion shall Assemble themselves in the Name of JESUS CHRIST he will be in the midst of them and will hear their Prayers Secondly says this Holy Doctor It is necessary that these two or three be united And continues he how can they unite themselves with any one when they are not united with the Body of the Church and with all the Fraternity How can two or three be Assembled in the Name of JESUS CHRIST if it be apparent at the same time that they are separated from JESUS CHRIST and from his Gospel FOR WE HAVE NOT SEPARATED OUR SELVES FROM THEM BUT THEY HAVE SEPARATED THEMSELVES FROM US And since that Heresies and Schisms are alwayes posteriour to the Church as they have formed different Conventicles and diverse Assemblies they have forsaken the Head and the Origine of Truth Lend an Ear my Brethren to this Decision of St. Cyprian He points at those who came after those who separate themselves from the Church which they found Established those who make themselves New Assemblies who upon that account are incapable of Assembling in the Name of JESUS CHRIST and so far are they from being permitted to justifie their Separation and their New Assemblies upon this ground because they Preach the Gospel and because JESUS CHRIST is with them that it is manifest on the contrary according to the Doctrine of St. Cyprian That they are separated from JESUS CHRIST and from the Gospel in as much as they separate themselves from the Church and account themselves obliged to form a new one And to the end they may the better understand of what Church this Holy Martyr would speak it is of the Church which acknowledges at Rome the Head of her Communion and in the place of Peter the Eminent Degree of the Sacerdotal Chair which there acknowledges the Chair of Peter and the Principal Church from which the Sacerdotal Vnity hath taken its Original Finally which there acknowledges a Bishop endow'd with so Eminent a Priest-Hood that the Emperour who assumed among his other Titles that of Pontifex Maximus or High Priest could no more endure him in Rome then he could a Caesar in the Armies disputing the Empire with him Why do not these Coyners of Pastoral Letters who to adorn their deceitful Discourses catch up Fragments of St. Cyprian take all his Doctrine intire Why do not they tell you with him That there can be no Martyr out of the Church that since they are separated from its Vnity it is in vain they shed their Blood for the Confession of the Name of JESUS CHRIST that the stain of Schism cannot be washed out by Blood nor the crime expiated by Martyrdom That there can be no Charity out of the Church and so whatsoever Torments they endure out of Her Bosom they are of that kind of which St. Paul said If I deliver my Body even to be burned if I have not Charity all this will avail me nothing If then these pretended Pastors will speak the Language and attribute to themselves the Authority of the true Pastors let them shew us the Original of their Ministry and like St. Cyprian and the other Orthodox Bishops let them make us see that they are descended from any Apostle let them shew us the Eminent Chair where all the Churches preserve the Unity where principally shines the Concord and Succession of Episcopacy Open your selves my Brethren the Books which you call your Ecclesiastical History 't is Beza that has Composed it Open the History of these salse Martyrs whose unhappy number they would have you to augment you will find that the first who model'd the Churches in France which you call Reform'd were of Laicks made Pastors by the Laicks and by consequence alwayes Lay-men who dar'd at all times to take the Law of God in their Mouth and without Power Administer the Holy Sacraments Call to your Remembrance Pierre le Clerc a Wooll-Carder I do not speak it in scorn of his Profession or to revile an Honest Trade but to tax the Ignorance the Presumption and the Schism of a Man who without having Predecessor or Pastor to ordain him bolts out of his Shop to preside in the Church It is He who carved out the Pretended Reform'd Church of Meaux the first hatch'd in this Kingdom

to the Mass nor to the Real Presence nor the Adoration of JESUS CHRIST in the Eucharist To this so precise a Demand to this Matter of Fact so clearly laid down what has this Minister so full of subtilties answered Do's Monsieur de Meaux says he imagine that the Disciples of Luther and Zuinglius are oblig'd to make formal Declarations of all they thought before the Reformation and that they are bound to insert these Declarations in their Books You see that he had not a Man to name and this Answer may pass for a solemn Acknowledgment that in effect he knows not one Person who has made such a Declaration It is a manifest Illusion to say That these things are not committed to Writing and that notwithstanding it was objected on all Sides and in all Books to the Pretended Reformers That the Doctrine which they taught was unknown when they first appear'd yet it never entred into their Minds to tell us That the greatest number of those that follow'd them had always believ'd as they believ'd Moreover tho' the World has been fill'd with Letters Histories and Treatises and that a thousand and a thousand times they have endeavour'd to satisfie the World concerning the Novelty which we imputed to them they never yet nam'd these Comerades which they suppose they had among us and even at present Monsieur Claude cannot find them tho' he be pressed to name at least some one But in stead of satisfying this Demand he alledges to us the sudden Progress of the Reformation Which shews us says he that the Matter was extraordinarily dispos'd As if the desire to free themselves from Vows from Fasts from Continance from Confession from the Mysteries which transcended our Senses from Subjection to Bishops who were in so many Places Temporal Princes as if the Sweetness of Church Revenues the Disgust taken against Ecclesiasticks who were alas too Ignorant and too Scandalous thee deceitful Charm of Railleries and Invectives and that of a Turbulant and Seditious Eloquence the Power given to Princes and Magistrates to decide Matters in Religion and to all Men of rendring themselves Judges of their own Faith and of believing nothing but the Dictates of their own Sence in short as if Novelty it self had not been the alluring Bait to draw in Troops into the New Reformation whole Cities Princes People and even Priest themselves and Apostate Religious Now whilst Catholicks alledg'd to the Reformers and their Disciples these causes of their Revolt this was the time to Answer it was not of Yester-day they had these Thoughts nay they ought to have explicated this even before that time For in fine they have supposed in their New Pastoral Letters that according to the Doctrine of St. Paul It is not enough to believe with Heart unto Righteousness but that we ought also to confess with the Mouth unto Salvation and glorifie God with the Body and the Spirit because he is the Redeemer of them both 'T is thus the Letter addressed to them who are fallen speaks and that which is Written to the Oppressed by Babylon do's not explain it self in less formal terms Know that it is enough to hate these things with the Heart but they ought to be condemn'd with the Mouth Why do they not then shew us those whom they suppose to have Confessed before the Reformation the Doctrine which is taught Nevertheless they cannot shew us any one So true is it that there were none at all And it appears on the contrary that the first Reformers Priests and Religious for the most part had been Consecrated in the Faith which we profess as we have already seen and those whom they draw into their Rebellion looked on them as extraordinary Men who taught them a New Doctrine Where then in the Name of God were those who believ'd aright since all the World and as well the Reformers as those that follow'd them believ'd as we do Take heed my Dear Brethren that you look not upon this Question as unprofitable or curious The intent is to verifie the Promises of the Gospel Monsieur Claude acknowledges that in Vertue of these Promises of JESUS CHRIST Teach and Baptize I will be always with you Successors was establish'd in the Church but for a time Under pretext that the Holy Ghost descends visibly no more they pretend that he descends no more at all and that this Ceremony is useless They might have pretended with as much reason That because Satan afflicts no more as in former times visibly in their Flesh those whom the Church deliver'd to him she has lost the Power of delivering them to him by her Censures Believe them not my Brethren and be not more wise than all Antiquity Learn diligently of your Pastors what is the Effect of this Sacrament and of the holy Chrism which we bless after the Example of our Fathers from the very beginning of Christianity You should already have demanded of us with ardour a Sacrament so necessary to fortifie your Infant-Faith Come my Brethren come and receive it from our hands Come you that are near desire it ye that are far off and I will come and bring you this Heavenly Gift But above all prepare your selves to Communicate at Easter and to receive the Adorable Flesh of the Lamb without Spot who takes away the sins of the World What is there more to be desired than to exercise the Right belonging to the Spouse to enjoy the Sacred Body of the Heavenly Bridegroom to deliver him your own to be Sanctified by him to be united to him Body to Body Heart to Heart Spirit to Spirit to the end we may be made perfect in one with him that we may be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh and finally two in the same flesh and also in the same spirit with JESUS CHRIST It is not only the Spirit but the Body also which we must prepare for the Body of JESVS For since the Word was made Flesh the Body which he took is the Means to unite us to his Divinity and to consummate the Mystery 't is also by uniting himself to our Body that the Son of God makes this Grace and his Vertue pass into our Souls Run eagerly then to the Body of our Saviour What have you more to desire when you have there found with the Divinity and the whole Person of JESUS CHRIST the Source also of Grace and Life He has said Whoso Eateth me shall live by me He has said Whoso Eateth of this Bread shall have eternal Life He has said The Bread which I will give you is my Flesh which I will give for the Life of the World What other Grace could they receive with the precious Blood And who sees not that the one and the other and both together have but one and the same Vertue Ought you not to be content to Communicate as Pious Antiquity Communicated the Sick as St. Ambrose