with so palpably incredible calumnies therein inserted His Account indeed seemes chiefly designed for Vulgar Capacities and therfore he mainly endeavours to captivate their attention and belief with much sophistry and many smooth stories of some Doctors amongst Catholicks whose different Opinions about the Moods of Christian Doctrin which they believe simply as it is delivered them plainly though they Vary in their Explications of Divine Mysteries he makes pass for disagreeing in Articles of Faith of others some who schismatically affected speak the stile of their predominant passions not according to the Religion they received from their Catholick Teachers and are therefore censured by the great Overseers of Christiantâ—y whom nevertheless the Doctor makes to speak the pure sense of the Roman Churches Faith and Piety And of some too whose Judgments guided by the compass of their ambitious and unclean affections driving at gâ—eat Names and Places cause division in the outward Hierarchy and Government of the Church for which neither the Canons of our Faith and Manners gives them any authority nor may it be hoped that either the care or power of our chief Pastors may wholly avoid such Wolves since according to Christ's prophesy scandals will still arise though our Catholick Bishops still oppose themselves against them and yet the Doctor will have these either to be our Church Governors or their actions to be destructive of our Catholick Vnity But all these slights of his are to so little purpose that many sober Protestants has been startled at thâ—se his Cantings and Imputations upon so anâ—iâ—nt and grave a Body of Christians whom their former Teachers ever allowed to be members of Christ's Mystical Body and capable of salvation in their own way of Christian observance Whence as the Cruelty of the old Roman Emperours and Presidents against the Primitive Christians moved many Vnbelievers of those times to embrace the Roman Faith so has the severe Accusations of the Doctor against Catholicks moved many of their Adversaries to a more steddy enquiry into our Catholick Truths to confer more reverently with the Dispensers of the Doctrin of that defamed Religion and oft to conclude somewhat more than ordinary of truth and honesty to be found in that Way which being long since banished this Nation by very severe Laws is still so eagerly arraigned so clamorously cryed down in Press and Pulpit and at any Rate exposed to the severity of those whose Interest passion or dulness has ever since engaged them in its suppression The Doctors whole Account amounts to a pulling down and a setting up first he pulls down the Church of Rome then He sets up his Own he makes Vse of four formidable Engins to overturn that our Catholick Church which your TO KATHOLICO amply examines But surely if the Church of Rome falls all Churches which either received their belief from her or now communicate in faith with her must fall too and thus the Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints an entire Article of the Apostles Creed is on a sudden cancelled Indeed it is so proper to all Church Reformers to pull down Churches and such like Monuments of our forefathers Christian piety suckt in with that faith they originally received from their Roman Apostles that our Natiâ—n has cause enough to bewail the power of thâ—â— Sword of Gospellers in whose sense we may confess The Roman Church in some measure to be no sound Church even no Church at all were their Swords as keen as their Pens and Tongues and as close-laid as Nero once wished His to an Imaginary Neck for we are ever bound to believe each one speaks and writes his own thoughts and hearty wishes The Doctor having endeavour'd to level our Roman Church and not finding One principled according to his own Acephalick passion wherewith to close lays the foundation of his Own properly His Stillingfleet Church Not Roman nor Protestant nor indeed any Church at all for where he leaves neither any constant Rule wherby to square our faith or observance in necessaries not clearly revealed in holy Wriâ—t nor any power to oblige to a conformity in Belief and Practices nor any One Visible Head for our Direction and Communion there can be no Church of Christ but a Babel and Confusion that which evidently follows from the Doctors Own Principles whereunto he pretends the faith of Protestants must be reduced as to the only true Test of its being Christian and Catholick And thus after our long reproaching that Church as Vnprincipled the Doctor in a full Council of his own thoughts assembled in Vertue of his all-truth discerning Spirit synodically pronounces his Anathema's against Vs and publishes Canons of faith to all the Churches of England and will prove it to be One Holy Apostolical and Catholick by such Rules as neither Scripture nor Councels nor Fathers nor any Church ever menâ—â—on'd before nor will ever be solemnly canoniz'd by any Synod of our Englâ—sh Pâ—â—lates however he pretends them to be Protestant wherein we may admire at their silence even by those Rules by which aâ—â—â—elief built on them not borrowed from the Roman Church may be contradictory and will be cleerly resolved not to have One Mark of the true Christian Church even to be no Church at all but a pure Stillingfleet an phantosm His design in forging these his Principles was thence to shew the Protestant Church as Protestant or as it is by Schism separated from the great Catholick Body of Christians to be Positive Vniform and Principled whereas by them it is clearly Negative Confusive and Begs the question in the root of all Briefly thus As for the first the Dr aims directly at the subversion of all traditional Revelation and of an external visible and infallible proponent of divine credibles and of all power obligeing to acceptance of them as such and consequently at the overthrow of all Articles by the Church of Rome allowed and Canonized as truths revealed upon those grounds As for the next his Canons for the interpreting Gods written Revelations are of that Latitude that whoever admits them if he please may disagree with the Doctor and all others and with himself too at different times by virtue of a pretended Personal infallible-all-truth discerning-faculty which he allows all in all fundamentals and superstructures depending on the controverted sense of Gods written Word after a sober enquiry and sincere endeavours however necessary those credibles be to salvation or the framing one Church of many truth-discerning members whether this their enquiry be performed by the working of reason only which in supernatural Truths revives Pelagianism or by a pretended personal divine assistance in regard of each Believer to which every one may as legally pretend and appropriate it to himself by pretence of having used his best means to understand Scripture as the Dr. himself or any other Teacher which is to erect an Acephalick Enthusiasm or Fanaticism And as for the last if it be a legal proof that there
to Saints as Heathens to those dieties Two more falsities Papists do neither of these And the Doctor might be ashamed to talk thus Have not Protestants St. Pauls Church St Peters Church St. Dunstan St. Steven St. Johns Church and the like even as Catholicks have And did ever any Catholick in the world say or write or profess to offer Sacrifice to Saints They use a formal invocation of them One more Formal invocation is only an invocation of the cause who is to give the blessing grace or favour petitioned and from whom all good things do flow and not of him who requests it Popish Hymns and Anthems in honour of Saints are not only Rhetorical Apostrophees used by some of the Greek Fathers or poetical flourishes as those of Damascus Prudentius Paulinus Ambrosius or only general wishes that Saints would pray for us of which are some instances in good Authors or any devout Assemblies at the Monuments of Martyrs which were usual in antient times They are indeed not only this because they are also and principally formal invocations of the most glorious God as any one may perceive who will please to read over our Catholick Hymns for Apostles Martyrs Confessors Virgins in the Breviary as the Doctor more shame for him thus to talk hath done himself St. Austins example when he says Blessed St. Cyprian help us in our Prayers availes not Papists at all for that of St. Austin was but a pâ—ous Apostrophee It availes as much as we need call it Apostrophe or what you please Nor does it availe Papists that Faustus the Manichean Calumniates Catholicks living in St. Austins time with their honouring the memories and shrines of Martyrs and turning the old Idols into Martyrs which those Catholicks worshipped with like Vows for St. Austin's excuse of that fact does not agree with the Papists that are now adayes It so well agrees with them and justifies so punctually all that ever they do in this affair that they need not either to change or add one word to it I will only seâ— down that excuse of St. Austin as Mr. Still has been pleased here in his book to give it us without addition or change of any word All the worship saith St. Austin which we give to Saints is that of love and society which is the same kind with that we give to holy men of this life who are ready to suffer for truth of Gospel Sacrifice is not only refused to Saints and Angels but any other Religious honour which is due to God as the Angel forbad St. John to fall down and worship him The Heathens indeed built Temples erected Altars appointed Priests and offered Sacrifice to their Idols But we erect no Temples to Martyrs as to Gods but memories as to dead men whose Spirits live with God We raise no Altars on which to Sacrifice to our Martyrs but unto our one God only the God of Martyrs as well as ours at which They as men of God who have overcome the world by confessing him are named in their place and order but are not invocated by the Pâ—iest who Sacrifices Whatever Christians do at the memories of Martyrs is for Ornament to those memories and not as any sacred rites and sacrifices belonging to the dead as Gods Nor do we worship our Martyrs with divine honours nor with the faults of men as the Gentiles did their Gods Thus speaks St. Austin to Faustus for the Catholicks then living as Dr. Still himself reports And the Catholicks now alive need no more to be said for them And thus his Idolatry Romance which fill up two of his Chapters is now happily ended And me-thinks Sir that he hath behaved himself herein somwhat like our Country Gypsies who meeting with people in the way under pretence of telling them their Fortunes ask them many odd uncouth Questions about things past not easily to be remembred and speak unintelligable ambiguous words which put them into so deep a muse that the Gypsies get thereby a fair opportunity to pick their pockets ΤΩ ΚΑΘΟΛΙΚΩ THe Doctor pretends Sir in his third Chapter to descend unto some parcels of our morality perswading us that five pieces of our belief and practice are main hindrances of a good life and devotion namely our Doctrine as he calls it of penance of purgatory of prayers in an unknown tongue of the efficacy of sacraments and of our prohibition of scripture His reasons for all this or his cunning leiger ways of perverting all these things his insincerity therein and notable dissimulation you shall hear by and by For perceiving now that after I have set down the sum of his text in gross I am forced to repeat it all again by retail spending thereby both time and paper needlesly I must content my self to give you his text onely in parts with my short comment adjoyned to each parcel as I go But give me leave to tell you Sir thus much in general aforehand that all this his whole Chapter is so palpably uncharitable and unjust that no honest understanding Reader what pleasure soever he took himself in writing it can read it over without disdain and grief What is this world come to and where are we and what strange things do we see and hear daily This one book of Dr. Still is to me such a world of wonders that I shall not hereafter ever marvel any more at any lie or slander that I shall know imposed by any whatever wicked man upon his neighbour Has the fool said in his heart there is no God no providence at all no care or respect to be used towards men Are all things lawful that any one shall lust to do or say against his neighbour no compassion no truth any more God help our innocent Catholicks And sure I am God will help them and justifie their cause in his own good time and preserve them always Hinderances of a good Life and Devotion § 1. Their Sacrament of Penance with contrition saith he is sufficient in the Church of Rome for Salvation without any more ado No mortyfying of passions no forsaking of sin is requisite who would not be of this fine easie way where all the precepts of holiness are insignificant But what one Catholick man upon the face of the earth ever thought or said this which he imposes here upon them all as their religion and faith Holy Gospel and all our spiritual books wherein our substantial religion is contained both those of antient times and of our later writers as Granada Thomas a Kempis S. Bonaventure Parsons Resolutions Bishop Sales Drexellius Stella and others do all of them press and urge this Catholick duty of interiour renovation sanctification and conformity to our Lord Jesus as the main end of his appearance amongst men And Catholicks themselves know that it is their onely care and fear their desire and study so to do such men to live and such to die as our Lord would have us For this
the idols as gods but worshiped God in them O very good Thus the wiser sort among the Heathens say But first who are these wiser sort It behooved him to let us know this But yet for his own procket-reasons he does not But 2ly what says he himself to it O that is needless for his Reader will understand well enough what he ought to think when such a Doctor as Stillingfleet tells him what the wiser sort have thought No body would think with fools but with the wiser sort always And his whole discourse proceeds on this supposed knowledge of the wiser sort and according to it concludes we cannot therefore doubt of his mind But have we no wise sort of antient believers who lived among the Heathens to testifie unto us what the heathens did Have we no Apostles and Prophets to hearken to no renowned and infallible persons to inform us Surely we have and those so many that we need not have recourse either unto persons unknown amongst the heathens for their testimony or to Mr. Stillingfleet the ingenious trifler He tells us that the Heathens did not worship their Idols as Gods but worshiped God in them But our Apostles and Prophets tell us contrary things Hear Moses speak who lived among the thickest of the Heathens To whom did they sacrifice O Moses whom did the Heathens worship Immolaverunt Demoniis non Deo Deut. 32. They worshiped not God but devils they sacrificed to devils saith he and not to God The Nations change their gods and indeed they are no Gods saith Jeremy ch 2. but my people have changed their glory unto an Idol Baruch another Prophet brings in his testimony chap. 4. You have provoked him who made you saith he even the eternal God sacrificing to Devils and not to God The holy Psalmist he tells us no less peremptorily That they immolated their Sons and Daughters to Devils and sacrificed to the idols of Canaan Ps 105. and that all the gods of the Heathens are Devils Ps 95. Saint Paul our own Christian Doctor is bold and expresly testifies both against Stillingfleet and his wiser heathens That the things which Gentiles immolated they sacrificed to Devils and not to God 1 Cor. 10. And yet after all this our Doctor is not ashamed to justifie those his clyents the heathens They did not worship their Idols saith he for Gods but worshiped God in them And whom shall we here believe Moses Jeremy Baruch david St. Paul and all our Christian Doctors or Stillingfleet rather and his wiser Heathens unknown to himself They sacrificed to Devils and not to God they changed their glory into an Idol they irritated the eternal God immolating to devils and not to God they sacrificed their sons and daughters to devils not to God Thus speak our Prophets and Apostles But Mr. Stillingfleet affirms they sacrificed to God they imolated to God they worshiped God and not devils they worshiped not the Idols but God in them But I discern well enough the cause of his mistake Because they abstracted the general notion of God and applyed it each one to his own idols therefore he thinks he may say they worshiped God in them But this is a gross mistake For to worship God in a thing and to worship a thing for God who is no God are two very differing cases Christians worship God in Christ and they do well Heathens who worshiped their Idols for God did ill Cromwell our late Usurper after he had murdered our good King and set the Crown upon his own head would have taken it well if his Army had told him they honoured him for their King but not if they had said they worshiped the King in him The first word had sounded in his ears as a grateful flattery the other as treason to himself To abstract the Deity and apply it to another subject unto whom it does not belong is as far as we are able to behead the true God and set his Crown upon the shoulders of usurping devils And because the true real Deity cannot be removed either by the pleasure of the Usurper or worshiper therefore are these idols devils and false Gods God cannot be worshiped in them because he is not in them and if they be worshiped as Gods it is Idolatry or else there is no such thing as idolatry upon Earth Aaron saith he made the golden Calf not to reduce the People unto heathen idolatry but for an embleme of the good Angel who was to go before them Here is another excuse of Aaron his small fault which drove Moses his brother and Prince into as great a passion of wrath as perhaps he ever felt even so prevalent a grief and anger that it dashed in pieces the very tables of the Law he had in his hands though he was by the testimony of holy writ the mildest of men and all this it seems for an embleme And why that emblem since they had such an emblem before in the pillar of cloud by day and sire by night which was a more significant emblem of the angel who went before them then any Calf of gold could be The holy Prophets testifie of those People and Aaron that in Moses absence this figure was melted and founded by them to be set up in place of the God who had hitherto conducted them with Moses now as they thought vanished out of Egypt into Arabia and to lead them on the rest of their way as their supream conduct after the manner of Egyptian Deities They made a calf in Horeb and adored the figure they changed their glory into the likeness of a Calf eating hay and forgot their God Psal 125. Now if they forgat their own God and slighted him and cast him from them and changed his glory into a Calf and worshiped the very figure then must that sculptil or statue be now accepted for their God The like testimony gives St. Stephen Act. 7. They made saith he a Calf in those days and offered sacrifice unto the Idol and made themselves merry in the works of their own hands What can this import but that they had now altered their religion renounced their former God and made to themselves a new one after the manner of Egypt It is pitty Mr. Stillingfleet had not been with Aaron his confidence would have pleaded for him a little more handsomly then he did for himself But the excuse perhaps being hypocritical and false would have more offended Moses than his former fault Aaron knew well enough what he had done And although he somewhat minced his fault yet would he not tell a lye I cast a little mettal into the fire saith he to Moses and there came out this Calf The Doctor adds two pretty reasons why neither he nor the people could ever think of declining then to any heathen idolatry First because they had no pretence of doing so As though the very absence of Moses whom they had long expected and now thought lost were
ages states and conditions of men wherein they profitted some of them unto admirable sanctity and glory and even the worst and veriest truant among them was yet better than the wide world would have made him The one order of St. Bennet received into it twenty Emperours and ten Empresses forty seven Kings and above fifty Queens twenty Sons of Emperours and forty eight Sons of Kings about a hundred young Ladies daughters to Kings and Emperours a hundred other Princes and Princesses Dukes and Dutchesses Marquesses Earls and Countesses well near two hundred fifteen Bishops who left their Miters to live in that happy retired life and others of the inferiour Gentry innumerable And thus hath this holy order continued thus lived and flourished now a thousand Years in the Christian world the resting place of the rich and refuge of the poor So that all people who lived in those good daies and beheld religious orders had a contrary judgment of them unto Dr. Stillingfleet who was born but yesterday and never saw any Fifthly the eminence of learning in all these orders and the books of all sorts and kinds that have issued from them who is able to recount them No sort of knowledg no kind of literature has escaped them The one order of St. Bennet has brought forth fifteen thousand seven hundred Monks eminent writers and compilers of books The Academies were all antiently in their Monasteries At one Abbey in France called Fleury were brought up at once four thousand Students Their Rabanus set up the School of Germany Their Alcuinus founded the University of Paris Their Bede advanced our Oxford University first renewed by Theodore and Adrian benedictin Monks also Their Dionysius Exiguus perfected the Ecclesiastical computation Their Guido made the scale of Musick Their Silverster invented the Organ Theirs were Anselmus Ildephonsus Bernardus and Rupertus the four Marian Doctours and what not Sixthly if we please to consider the multitudes of glorious men in these five orders who had received a double portion of their Fathers spirit as Elizeus is said to have got of Elias above other Sons of the Prophets who wiâ—l then be able to recount the eminent Saints Confessours Martyrs Aposties and Converters of Countries that have issued out of these divine Sanctuaries The one order of St. Bennet has brought forth forty thousand blessed Confessours above three thousand Martyrs Missioners and Apostles so many and powerful that they have converted no less than thirty Provinces unto Christian faith St. Bennet himself converted Campania which had remained Pagan even to his daies St. Leander part of Spain St. Boniface and his companions much of Germany and Hassia St. Amand Willebrord Wilfred Switbert with their fellow Monks Belgium Holland Friseland and South Saxony St. Willehade Dacia Gothland and Groonland St. Kilian and Lambert the Taxandrians and other Germans St Lugdurus Adalbertus and other Monks out of the Monastery of Corbey Pannonia Sarmatia Poland and Muscovy St. Steven Suecâ—a St. Bruno Lituania St. Albo Gascony another St. Boniface Sclavonia St. Otho Pomerania St. Winkelin Wandalia and St. Austin with his good Monks sent hither by St. Gregory made all our England Christian wherein we now lâ—ve For though our learned and reverend Antiquary Mr. Broughton doth think that St. Austin and his holy Monks brought hither with them the rule of St. Gregory distinct from that of St. Bennet yet that is of small concernment to my purpose now in hand especially since that rule and all the former rules in our Britany did unite at last in St. Bennets rule as lesser lights in the body of the Sun And should I mention the holy Confessors learned Writers valiant Martyrs and vigorous Apostles all those glorious men in the orders of St. Francis St. Dominick St. Bruno and other such like founders bright stars now out of our sight yet shining in a higher heaven the day would fall me My voyage is now bent another way And therefore great Servants of God spirits inkindled from heaven brave vertuous hearts raised up even in your mortal pilgrimage above mortality it self let it suffice I love you Time will bring forth a better Pen to recount your names in a character more worthy of you than mine is I must go hence By this little Sir we may discern if the God of this world hath not utterly blinded our eyes that these holy orders were founded in the wisdom of God and power of God and not in Stillingfleetisme For counsels of men come to nought but what is of God is lasting as wise Gamaliel discoursed in a councel of the Jewes The order of St. Dominick St. Bruno Romwall and St. Francis have been six hundred years in the Christian world St. Bennet almost twice as long and yet live What is of God is powerful of it self without any worldly helps of force or subtilty What is of God is servent and vigorous What is of God however it may seem distastful at the first becomes dayly more delectable attractive and pleasing What is of God is zealous of God loves and bends towards God thinks nothing hard nothing tedious nothing heavy that is undertaken for Gods cause All time is well spent in his service all difficulties easy all labour pleasant all mortification comfortable all our members too few for his imployment all the blood in our vains too little to shed for his love And all this fervour and constancy love of God and amiableness to men zeal and vigour purity and perseverance were looked upon and approved and imitated to their power by such as lived here in England in the days of holy Catholick religion with all heavenly comfort however now out of sight it be all out of mind too so much out of mind that Dr. Stillingfleet calling it fanaticisme expects an applause for his labour The grand Turk a great enemy of Christians when he looked upon poor humble St. Francis who having come a long journey unto his conversion made his way unto him by the very majesty of his countenance and power of GOD that went along with him through all his Guard and Nobility about him the grand Seigneur had so great a reverence for the man that dismissing all that were about him he took him into his closet and there converst with him many hours in private several times And thence at last he dismist him with so much peace and honour as if he had been not a man but an Angel of God rather appearing upon earth And this thing was never done to any in that Court either before that time or since But the doctour never saw either St. Francis or St. Dominick St. Bruno or St. Bennet or any of their orders and therfore speaks of things utterly unknown to him according to the malice of his own heart be the truth what it will It was once a Christian lesson in England that we should speak of the dead nothing but good and of the living nothing but truth But
is here put upon the Jesuitical party And yet it is nothing to our purpose if it were But as to the personal designs of them or any others we can no more dive into them then into the several wandering thoughts and purposes of men museing daily in London-streets about their affairs And one man or other thus museing amiss amongst the Jesuits can no more be called the Jesuitical party then such a one here in England be termed the English party Mariana I am sure has been soundly checkt amongst them and other Catholicks for his fault here spoken of And if the Court or Courtiers of Rome have any fancy that they are higher than Kings and by their excommunication can render them Kings no more as this Doctour here speaks this may argue indeed that they are a high minded people But Courtiers do not walk so exactly according to our Christian religion that this can prove that vanity of theirs to be any part of it Catholick Kings who have been here in England well nigh twenty since the Conquest more among the Saxons and others not a few amongst our antient Brittains and the present Catholick Kings of France Spain the Emperour German Princes and others have and do all know well enough that such a fancy is no part of our Catholick religion Nor did our King Henry the Eighth who first left it off express any such cause or reason for it The times would be very good and happy if all the words and actions of every particular man were answerable to his holy faith But this is not to be expected in this evil world And to call that religion which is done or spoken contrary unto it is a very great injury and injustice Our holy religion teaches us to observe and obey our Kings and Superiours as Gods Vicegerents upon earth though they be Infidels and Pagans and rather to lay down our lives for them then suffer them to be hurt And this is nothing but the very law of Nature antecedent to any religion whatsoever and holds good although there were neither heaven nor hell nor any reward or punishment to come And what power can any man upon earth have to take that away which he never gave nor ever had He that creates can only annihilate So long as kings are Catholicks the Pope prays for them And if they cease to be so he is nothing to them any more And yet are they the same they were in all their royalty and power uncontroulably If the King of France should receive the Garter from our King of England he is thought to be so long his friend as he is pleased to wear it But if he throw it off he is King of France still as much as ever he was I know not what the Court or Courtiers of Rome may think or say in this business For what the Doctour here tells us about the Irish remonstrance is a personal business and not so circumstanced that one can draw any general conclusion or position from it But if they be only so much as said either to have conceived or countenanced any such opinion looked upon by all Catholicks and good Christians upon earth as ungrounded fals and impious it behoves them I should think both for the publick good honour of Catholick religion and their own credit to see it censured with all speed that the progress of Christianity be not stopped by it For no Pagan King will venture at a promise of everlasting felicity with the hazard of his Crown at the pleasure of one man whom he never saw nor knows Sure I am if any such opinion had been heard of when Christianity was first planted in Kingdoms it had never found footing in this world And if it be now countenanced the progress of Christianity is at an end I doubt not but that a Cotholick writer may in his controversy about religion if so he pleas defend an opinion also of any one or other who has professed the Catholick religion which he maintains But this is more then any one needs to do For religion is quite another thing derived from another authour and original established in another manner no less differing from an opinion then a fixed star in the firmament from the mist or fog ariseing from the earth Faiâ—h is one known thing but opinions are innumerable and endless If the various opinions entertained in mens minds but one only day in any City of England were all faithfully recorded at night they would exhibite to a Reader a most prodigious spectacle Opinions are infinitly various infinitly changable infinitely contradictory and absurd in the world Nor may we doubt but that thousands of them are contrary both to religion and law Angry rageing men and wanton women unfaithful servants and di obedient children theevs and murderers cheats and liars can we think when they act according to their own disordered passions that they hold not then an opinion that in such circumstances it is expedient for them so to do Wicked sinners hold wicked opinions be the religion what it will Gainsay and blame them in their heat and it will soon appear that they are stiff and resolved in that their opinion by the very fury of their wrath And what will not sycophants and flatterers either say or write to pleas the mind of those on whom they depend even against their own Rules of law and religion are fixt and stable and ever the same But opinions are moveable as water and never right but when conformable to a right rule of some good law and how far they are conformable so far are they right and no more And therfore it is a madness in any one who undertakes to write against the standard of a religion to object instead of that opinions of men For first one man may have an opinion to day and write it also in a book and yet few years after nay perhaps very few days change his mind Secondly the opinion of one man may be gain-said by a thousand as wise as he who live under the same law and religion Thirdly an opinion in a book is indeed nothing at all in the world but a meer pâ—atonick idea till it be reduced to some reall existence by circumstances which actuate it and make the action really to be and some opinions are worse then nothing For which reason all the multitude of opinions which sill up the books of learned Casuists may be exercises of wit indeed but no guids can they be unto action The direction of a liveing Oracle and Counsellour who can penetrate all present circumstances and prescribe by his wisdom on which side is then most of good and least of evil which is the only rule that directs a wise counsellour what to determin this only is our guide in doubts Wherfore the great Princes of the earth recurre not to books in their difficulties but use the wisdom of their counsel wise and grave men who must hear all
under earth expresly by the same Law forbidden for example Moon and Stars Dogs and Cats Whales and Dolphins The Picture of Martin Luther in their Chamber is the lawful effigies of a man But Saint Stephen in our Closet is a Calf Can any man who talks at this rate be thought to be one that has conversed either with the learned sort of Papists or the wiser sort of Heathens or one rather that had never any conversation at all either with reason or men O but Catholicks worship God by their Images which Protestants do not I marry this is a huge fault indeed that Catholicks take thereby occasion to think of God and his manifold mercies and bless his name and trust in him For they no other way worship God by Images This is the mortal sin which Catholicks commit And if that illogical speech of the Doctor Catholicks worship God by Images be drawn into any kind of sence it can be no other than this that Catholicks take occasion by the pious faces of their Martyrs to think of Gods manifold graces and mercies towards them and thereupon trust in him afresh and bless his name which great errour the Doctor it seems does carefully avoid The ancient devout Christians thought of God and worshipped him by any thing any good thing they enjoyed the verdant fields and sweet flowers comfortable air and pleasing light mountains valleys and liquid streams Plumbs Pears Apples and chearful Grapes by the vertue charity and devotion of men the ministry of Angels c. But now we must take heed of that We may taste a Plumb or a Cherry we may eat a Venison Pasty and drink good Wine if we can get it nay we may have fine Pictures in our Chambers even the Picture of Jesus Christ crucified or any of his followers we may have all this if we be such good Protestants as Mr. Stillingfleet and never think of God or worship God by it But if we worship God by it if we think of God by it then it is all poison to us All is suddenly turned to Moloch to Remphan to Bâ—al Peor to Ashtaroth to Aarons golden Steer and the Calves of Bethel If we do but eat a custard thinking of God or worshipping God by it presently it becomes a Ramphan or Chiun the Idol of the Arabians Walking upon Hamstead hill as people use innocently enough to do if casting our eyes about the prospect we think of God by it as Catholicks are wont the hill before innocent is now become a Baal Peor the Idol of the Moabites A Citizâ—n walking to the Tower may look harmlesly enough upon the Crown and royal Robes there But he must take heed then that he fall not into a meditation of Heaven or the glory of its great King to worship him in his heart by it For then it becomes to him an Adramelech the idol of Sepharvaâ—m And he must beware of the like abuse when he sees the Chamber and Table where his Majesty sits in Council with his Peers lest it become a Moloch to him the idol of the Moabites The very Flags and Banners often seen in London-streets make some simple soul to think of Jerusalem above the peace and happy company there and the God of all but then O how suddenly is the Streamer metamorphosed and tâ—rned into Nesroch the idol of Senacherib Some are so bold when they either see or hear of any corrupted by the French-pox and lecâ—eâ—y to thank God who has preserved them and worship God by it And thereby sin no less grievously than Maacham the Mother of Asa King of Judah in worshipping her idol Priap or Nimphleseth A Gentleman called upon God not in words onely but very heaâ—tâ—ly when a troublesome Fly got into his Eve and much afflâ—cted him but he little thought that by that piety of his he had sinned as deeply as they that worship Baalzebub the idol of Acaron Nothing is more ordinary with Country Gentlemen when walking abroad they behold a goodly fair Flock of Sheep in pasture of their own than to thank God and worship God by it but little do they think good men they are guilty of idolatry thereby as much guilty as they that worshipped Ashtaroth the idol of the Philistins Nay a very Cow or Calf in the Meadows if we take occasion by it to thank God for his benefits or to worship God by it is the same thing then as Aarons Moulten heifer or Jeroboams Calves set up in Dan and Bethel And as it is for substance so for the figures of things St. Paul's picture so long as we do not think of God by it is a lawful picture But if we come once to think of God to worship God by it O then that is a Calf too Aarons Calf one of Jeroboams Calves c. This thinking of God this worshipping of God by any thing this is the pestilential blast that spoils all It turns sweet into bitter lawful into unlawful things innocent into sin and good things to death The representation of our blessed Lord crucified for us so long as we think not of him may pass for a good innocent or at least indifferent thing but if we once think seriously of him if we worship God by it then O Mr. Stillingfleet what is it then And yet answer me not For I will not have those blasphemous words here repeated Speak them to a Jew in order to Jesus Christ and he will embrace and love you But a Christian cannot enduâ—e to hear them § 5. Papists saith he worship God by images and so are guilty of idolatry Catholicks may hear this but can never understand what he means They are never taught in any of their Catechisms to worship God by Images None of their spiritual books wherein all religious Duties are importunately urged and pressed upon them ever mention it and their practice does not infer it For if it did they would easiliest understand it who best know what themselves do They are taught and do in their practice endeavour to worship God in their heart and soul and ardent affections streaming forth thence towards him They worship him with bended knees lips voice hearts and eyes lifted up unto him They worship him with the assistance of Gods good Spirit the Priests Sacrifice and help of mutual Prayers They worship him by mortifying their sensuality and carnal appetites by giving alms and relieving the poor and needy for his Love by observing his Laws and Counsels by resigning to his good will and pleaâ—ure in all things especially in time of afflicting persecutions when they suffer all manner of reproach lies and calumnies loss of goods and sometimes life it sell for his name sake patiently They worship him in Closets in Church-assemblies in the fields as they are walking on Land or Sea where they have oppportunity to do it Thus doth their religion teach them to worship God as with the right causes and instruments as by the true effects and
operations as in the times and places seasonable for worship and devotion But how they should worship God by images or as he speaketh oftner in the context of his discourse in images this they do not easily understand When he lays any thing to Catholicks charge he ought to speak I should think as Catholicks do and then he will be understood by them It is not to be conceived how any one can worship God by images and in images but either for the real presence there or ideal imitation or some sort of occasion of worshâ—p arising thence And so God must be worshipped by them and in them either presentially ideally or occasionally And it cannot be presentially For so God is no otherwise present in a picture than in the wall it hangs upon nor yet ideally for the picture for example of St. Mary Magdalen or St. Paul is no idea of that invisible and glorious Godhead nor yet is any other as the Crucifix for example or Christ our Lord in his Birth or Resurrection for all these figures are representations of his humanity and no idea's of his Deity at all And Mr. Stillingfleet must needs mean one of these two ways For otherwise he could not charge them with idolatry for it And therefore I say that his charge is false and slanderous But if he mean that they worship God by images in their images occasionally which is a moral interpretation and the only true one Then is such a work so far from Idolatry that it is a sublime piety For what can they better do then to give God thanks for so great graces mercies helps and comforts bestowed in Jesus our Lord upon his Apostles Martyrs Confessors and Virgins when they look upon their Figures and Pictures either in their contemplations or patience of Martyrdome or conversion of the world subduing and bringing flesh Satan and the World under their seet especially if Catholicks conceive thereby some pious resolution as well they may of doing something the more and patiently suffering for God in imitation of those pious Heroes our Predecessours in Religion and yet naturally but flesh and blood as we our selves are I say all this is signal piety and our Christian duty And according to this morall meaning Catholicks if they do worship God by their Images and in their Images do well and like good Christians But the Doctor will not charge them I suppose with a matter of so much truth and great piety as this is although his words cannot make out any other sence that is true but only this morall one And the more logical sence of worshipping God by images and in images ideally or presentially is false Let him even take whâ—ch sence he pleases either what justifies Catholicks or what falsifies his own assertion It is all one to me whether we stand or he fall § 6. He adds That the worship of God by Images does not terminate upon God because God has forbid it and so gives Gods honor to the Creature This is strange gibberish An act that tends to nothing is no act If it be some act it tends and has already tended to something and it terminates upon that thing unto which it tends and whose act it is denominated This is clear enough even to a young sophomore or one who indeed never yet came into the Air of Philosophy if he do but understand the terms and words here used For example I cannot see a man in the street except my vision terminate upon him nor can my vision terminate upon him but I must see him And it is all one whether I see him close by me or by my Window or in a Looking-glass at home For I cannot see him any way but my sight must terminate upon him and if it do not I see him not And this course of nature is not hindred nor yet altered at all because that Person may haply have forbidden me to look upon him either this way or that For our acts or actions are accomplished within our selves independently of any acceptance or disacceptance of them Acceptance or dâ—sacceptance commanding or forbidding is another thing extrinsecal and quite differing from the substance of the act or action For they specifie onely either the motive or event which may make the act either good or evil either grateful or displeasing but not make it an act or no act or not to tend where it has tended And so must my act of worshipping God by images terminate upon God or else it is no act of worshipping God by them however God may have either commanded or forbid it God has forbidden blasphemy and yet the act terminates upon him otherwise it could not be a sin against him And if Gods worship by Images do not terminate on God whither on Gods name does it tend and how is God worshiped by them This he does not tell us here unless he insinuate it in those following words oâ— his but gives the honour due to God unto the Creature But how can that be If God should have forbid us by his law to see a star through a tube should we not therefore see it but the tube only or should not our sight then be terminated upon the Star So it seems by this Doctors philosophy who hath conversed with the learneder sort of Papists and the wiser sort of heathens but very little with himself Holy Fathers and Doctors have often said that the honour of an Image redounds to the Prototype but never thought or said that the honour of the Prototype redounds to the Image as it is here affirmed against both art and experience But let us hear him proceed in his discourse He will surely let fall some sence or truth ere long § 7. Gods infinite and incomprehensible Deity saith he cannot be represented O here it is This is very true What a comfortable thing it is to meet with a draught of truth sometimes when a man is dry and thirsts after it But to what purpose is this spoken here Catholicks have no representations of that invisible Deity nor none they look after Figures they have of our Lord Christ born as man amongst us and made flesh and crucified and ascending into Heaven Figures also of his holy Followers and Martyrs but representations of the invisible Deify they never yet saw nor heard nor thought of On then The wisest of Heathens judged any such representations of the Divine nature incongruous and unbecoming his glory Indeed they were wise heathens and their judgment very right and good Nor did I ever hear of any Christian wise or unwise any otherwise minded O how would this Doctor prevail if this wise Discourse of his were as pertinent as it is true But he trusts and hopes well that his good fate will so accompany his Reader that he shall not doubt at all that every word that is true in his book is also to some purpose And to some purpose indeed it is namely to