THE VNERRING AND VNERRABLE CHVRCH OR An ansvver to a Sermon preached by Mr Andrevv Sall formerly a Iesuit and novv a Minister of the Protestant Church VVritten by I. S. and DEDICATED TO HIS EXCELLENCY The most honorable Arthur Earl of Essex Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Anno 1675. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE MOST HONORABLE ARTHVR EARL OF ESSEX VISCOVNT MALDEN Baron Capel of Hadham Lord Lieutenant General and General Gouernor of his Maiesties Kingdom of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of the County of Hertford and one of the Lords of his Maiesties most honorable Priuy Council MY LORD I present vnto your Exllency a vindication of both Churchs vvhich a viper has endeauoured to byte that the Catholick has bred in her bosom to follovv the Truth if vve belieue him he forsooke all that vvas Deare vnto him he might haue vsed that phrase of S. Peter since that vvhat he had to forsake vvas but Netlyke but iustly may vvee think he expected from Your Excellency as S. Peter had from Christ a return of a Seat not such as Peter obtained but as the children of Zebedee did pretend But your Excellency vvhose Decrees are liuing Ecchos of the Royal sentiments vvill adiudge him rather a Chalice to drink than a Seat to exalt him a Chalice I say such as the Royal Piety of King Iames prescribed to those of his blasphemous opinion in the meeting of his Clergy at Southampton VVee detest in this point the cruelty of the Puritans and iudge them vvorthy of fyre vvho affirm that in the Popish Religion a man may not be saued My Lord all sober men of both Religions desire the execution of this sentence against this impious assertion pronounced in your Excellencies hearing and giuen vnto you in print to profane both your eares and eyes vvith a repeated blasphemy by a late Reuolted from our Church and that not only for a reuenge of the iniury don to your Excellency in particular in adiudging your Noble Ancestors vvho allmost all dyed in that Profession vnto Hell nor for condemning his ovvn to the like misery if for being of the simple sort he vvill not plead for their saluation but for the iniury don to Christian Piety to vvhich that Position is contrary in the iudgment of all learned Protestants But vvhat makes this execrable Position vnpardonable in our Aduersary is that his ovvn vvords accuse him to speake against his conscience pag. 116. he saies Their Tenets are inconsistent vvith saluation though ignorance may haply excuse many of the simple sort but not such as knovv or vvith due care and enquiry may knovv their error By this he exclues all VVyse men of our Profession from saluation and affords it only to the simple sort or those vvho haue an inuincible ignorance That heerin he speakes against his conscience its most apparent for in his discourse he often styles Thomas Aquinas a Saint the first Reformers and Passionat Sectaries degraded the Saints of their Canonization but Mr Sall as yet retains the respect due to their glorious memory VVhateuer he might say of others he knovvs vvell that S. Thomas Aquinas vvas of the Roman Religion a fryer of S. Dominicks Orders None of the simple sort or that could be inuincibly ignorant being vvell vers'd in Scripture and an Eminent Master in most sciences He belieued professed and taught our Tenets of Real Presence Purgatory c. He vvas then in Mr Salls iudgment a Saint reigning in Heauen and at the same tyme is condemned by him to hell because he belieued and professed Tenets inconsistents vvith saluation is not this to speake against his conscience He had vvit My Lord to vnderstand he could not iustify his separation from our Church if in our Church there vvas not somvvhat inconsistent vvith saluation for to separat from the true Church vnder pretence of her being guilty of som errors and of reforming her by purging her from those errors if the errors be not quite damnable and inconsistent vvith saluation is so far from being lavvfull that such Reformers cannot be excused from Schism All things should be endured saies S. Denis of Alexan. apud Euseb Hist Eecl l. 6. c. 25. rather than to consent to the diuision of the Church of God and saies Iren. l. 4. cont Heret c. 62. No so important Reformation can be made as the Euil of Schism is pernicious for if those Errors be consistent vvith saluation then they are no necessary cause obliging to a separation the separation from the true Church is Schismatical and damnable vvhen there is no need or necessary cause for separating consequently to separat from the true Church for Errors vvhich are consistent vvith saluation is a most damnable Schism Mr Sall felt perhaps the force of this consideration and to iustify his separation from the Church vttered that horrid blasphemy of errors in her inconsistent vvith saluation May it please Your Excellency to consider vvhat an iniury he does to your cause in seeking to iustify it by an assertion so contrary to your Church and so odious to your Excellencies Piety That there is no saluation in the Catholik Church That her errors are inconsistent vvith saluation It 's far from your Excellencies Piety to belieue that S. Thomas Aquinas admired by the VVord for his learning and sanctity vvas condemn'd to Hell and yet he belieued and taught the Real Presence of Christ's Body in the Sacrament it 's therefore no error inconsistent vvith saluation Your Excellencie vvill not belieue that S. Augustin is in Hell vvho professed and taught the Tenet of Purgatorie as appears in his Ench. c. 119. lib. 9. Conf. c. 13. and lib. de Haeres c. 53. vvhere he condemns Aetius as an Heretick for denying sacrifice should be offered for the dead Purgatory therefore is no Error inconsistent vvith saluation Your Excellencie vvill not patiently heare any man to say that S. Hierom is eternally damn'd and yet he thaught the veneration and vse of the sign of the Cross Epist ad Dem. and the veneration of Relicks of Saints lib. cont Vigil S. Chrysostom praied and exhorted to pray to Saints Hom. 43. in Gen. Hom. 5. 8. in Mat. and must vvee say that Chrysostom is damn'd to Hell These are the Errors vvhich Mr Sall affirms to be inconsistent vvith Saluation These are the Tenets in vvhose Profession he sayes no VVyse and Learned Man can be saued impiously condemning to Hell the forementioned Saints vvhich the Christian VVorld reueres for the Pillars of the Chnrch and not only them but all VVyse men Seculars and Ecclesiastick of all precedent ages to Luther if inuincible ignorance did not excuse them vvhich they could not pretend nor can vvee imagin they could haue being the most learned Doctors of Gods Church If this Treatise did contain nothing else but a check of this rash and impious assertion it vvould not be vngratefull to your Excellencie but had I left any thing vnexamined of vvhat he treats in his discourse he vvould
be such which are not her errors but of some or many Doctors which you could haue denied and not only remain a Catholick but oblige Catholicks in refuting them But you had a mind to depart and to render your separation more acceptable to our Aduersaries you tooke for pretence those two points which though you know well they were no points of our Religion yet you knew they were very odious to our Aduersaries and them you resolued to please vpon any account was it not therefore that you exclaim against the Church of Rome saying t is but a part of the Church and not the Church Vniuersal pag. 24. as if you did not well know that wee do not pleade for the Bishoprick of Rome and that wee do confess it is but a part of the Church Lastly you alleadge for a cause of your separation the forbidding of the Bible to the common people and the publick Prayers in an vnknowen language in this your first Reformers erred damnably in departing as you do from the true Church for this cause for nothing can iustify separation from the Church but errors and practices inconsistent with saluation which as well our Diuins as yours do confess and it is confessed by any man of common sense that it is not needfull for saluation whateuer you may say of its conueniency to reade the Bible or haue prayers in a knowen language therefore that could be no iust cause of separation to them nor to you But much more criminal are you than they in separating for that cause for you had a sad experience which they had not when they began of the confusion and multitude of sects occasioned by the liberty granted to all people for the reading of Scripture and therefore you were obliged rather to condemn that liberty than to assert it You were forc'd to forsake our Church you say for her errors but S. Augustin tells you lib. cont Parmen c. 11. there is no iust necessity to diuide Vnity and epist 48. It is impossible that any may haue a iust cause to forsake the communion of the Church Our Church therefore which was the only Church extant before and in Luthers dayes and is now the same that then it was had no errors which might be a iustcause or necessity for him or for you to depart from her and deuide Vnity of Religion If her errors wherof you accuse her are fundamental errors inconsistent with saluation then there may be a iust necessity and cause to separat from the Church which S. Augustin absolutly denies if they were but smale inferior and not fundamental errors as generally all sectaries say then there is a iust necessity also to separat from all Congregations and Churches in the world since that in the opinion of all Sectaries there is no Church or Congregation free from some inferior and not fundamental errors the Protestants accuse the Catholicks of many the Presbyterians accuse the Protestants the Anabaptists accuse the Presbyterians and so of all the rest And is it not a pretty iest that you would make vn belieue it 's the desire of security of your saluation which forced you to separat from the Roman Church wherin S. Thomas Aquinas dyed who in the acknowledgement of your own Doctors is a Saint where S. Bernard dyed who in the iudgment of your own Doctors was a Saint saies your whitaker de Eccl. pag. 369. a very pious Man saies your Osiander cent 12. a Saint of the Roman Church saies your Gomarus in speculo Eccl. p. 23. one of the lamps of Gods Church saies your Pasquil in his Return to Eng. pag. 8. could not you secure your saluation in that Church wherin S. Gregory the Great dyed and liued a Pope that Blessed and Holy Father saies your Godwin in his Catal. of Bish. pag. 3. that holy and learned Bishop of Rome saies Mr Bell in his Suruey of Pop. pag. 189. these haue been as your Authors freely confess of the Roman Church and haue been great Saints and I hope you are not so impious as to deny that Xauerius that grat Apostle of the Indies S. Dominik S. Francis and S. Ignatius were Saints nor so impudent as deny that they were of our Church And can wee belieue that you were forced for to secure your saluation to forsake that Church wherin these haue not only be saued but dyed Saints for the Protestant Church wherof there was neuer yet any Saint Let vs suppose that both the Catholick and Protestant Church is a sauing Church yet for to secure his saluation will not any wyse man rather chuse that Church wherin there are so many Saints than a Church which neuer yet afforded any as you would chuse to study in schoole where many learned Doctors are bred rather than in a schoole where neuer any learned man was knowen what wyse man tender of his saluation would not chuse that Church and Religion which generally all persons who know both Religions do chuse to dye in for certainly the election of that last houre when men are most earnest to secure their saluation and setting interest and Pleasures asyde end eauour to prouide for eternity is a great argument of the goodness of a Religion that Church therefore wherin generally all men who know both Religions chuse to dye in ought to be embraced by him who endeauors to secure his saluation This is the Catholick Religion for there haue been many who being born and bred Catholick flincht to the Protestant Religion there haue been many also who being born and bred Protestants were conuerted to the Catholick Religion and thus they knew both Religions and what Man did you euer heare of who becoming from a Protestant to be a Catholick and liued so vntill his dying houre that desired to dye a Protestant or called for a Minister to be reconciled to the Church but to the contrary generally all those who of Catholicks become Protestants and liue so vntill their dying hour then they call for a Priest for to be reconciled to the Catholick Church then they dye or desire to dye Catholicks and wee know by many experiences that the friends of those dying Persons do watch the doores to hinder the access of any Priest is not this a strong proof that it is not deuotion made them become Protestants and that the Catholick Religion is the securest for saluation did you desire to secure your saluation why did not you obserue what Counsel Christ gaue vs for to be saued with aduantage and then you would know which Religion to chuse Consider how much did Christ recommend vnto xs voluntary Powerty if thou vvilt be perfect sayd he Mat. 1921. go and sell vvhat thou hast and giue it to the poor And in the same chap. exhorts vs to forsake Estats Lands houses c. for his sake this has been practis'd by the Primitiue Christians Act. 5. in our Church Kings Princes Noble Men and rich men haue followed this Doctrin I
do not they reape any benefit by your publick Prayers because they cannot vnderstand what is said And if a Hugonot of France came to Dublin who did not vnderstand your language would not you admit him to your Communion and publick seruice by this you see its lawfull of its self to make publick Prayer in an vnkwnowen language You will say and I belieue the Protestant Church will pretend no more that it is not so conuenient for the edification of the people but more needfull it should be in the language that is commonly vsed To this I answer that the Publick Prayer of the Church may be in any language which is thought the most conuenient for the glory of God and spiritual profit of the flock but I say also that it is not you or I or this or that kingdom or Prouince must be the iudge to determin in which language is it most conuenient it should be God has giuen vs a Church who will gouern vs it s to her it belongs to iudge what Rites Ceremonies and manner of Diuin worship wee must practise and as the particular subiects of each Kingdom cannot question the Customs Lawes or Decrees of the Gouernment so the Christian Kingdoms and Prouinces must not question nor iudge of the conueniency of what Rites or practice the Church does establish let vs suppose that in relation to this kingdom of Ireland it might be thought and realy may be som what more aduantagious for the flock to haue the Publick seruice in English or Irish is it therefore it must be lawfull for this kingdom without the approbation of the Church or suprem Pastor of it to vsurp that practice no but you are to represent that conueniency to the Church and acquiesce to her resolution But say you why would the Church of Rome stick on so inconsiderable a thing as that but rather than to be a cause of Schism or separation grant the publick seruice may be in vulgar language and I ask also why would not you or this Prouince or that rather becontent to want that particular comfort which you propose to yourself in doing this or that which is not conformable to the approued practice of the Church rather than to run in desobedience against the Church whose command and Authority is a sufficient warrant for you to allay what scruples your reason may suggest against it The Church ought not to condescend with you and dispense with you in the obseruance of the publick practice and Ceremonies though they be but bcclesiastical and human institutions for if it shoud grant you lycence to say Mass in English why should it not grant France leaue to Communicat in both kinds if France did ask it and if Spaine did ask to Christean with three immersions of the Body and not otherwyse why should not the Church grant it and if Germany did ask the validity of Clandestin Marriages why should it be denyed and so each Kingdom desiring their respectiue priuiledge the vniformity in Diuin seruice Administration of Sacraments and Ecclesiastical Rites so much commended in the Church would be quite ouerthrowen It s the Church therefore must iudge and determin in what language is it most conuenient to worship God by Publick Prayers and wee are to acquiesee to the Decree and commands of the Church And therfore Luther who vnder pretence of greater conueniency and spiritual comfort of the congregation condemned Publick seruice in vulgar languages against the practice of the Church schismatically separated himself from her in which separation you continue by adhering to his Doctrin The Church established Publick seruice in the Latin language behold why because it is the common language of the Church as in respect of England English is the common language and spanish in respect of spaine so in relation to the Church spred throughout all Nations the Latin is the most vniuersal and common Therefore it was conuenient the Publick Prayer of the Church which is said in all parts should be in the publick and most vniuersall language which is the Latin And as each kingdom has a language proper to it self so the Church which is the kingdom of Christ has its proper language which is Latin which is so vniuersally knowen Secondly for to preserue vniformity in the manner of Diuin worship if the Mass had been in English three hundred yeare agon how different would the Mass be now from what it was then the language being wholy an other from what then is was doubtless it would haue caused great alteration in the publick seruice Thirdly if the Mass were not in Latin or som language vniuersally knowen throughout the world but in the particular language of each kingdom when Priests would come from their own Countries to ours in Pilgrimage or for other occasion they would not be premitted or not without great difficultie to say Mass and so would be depriued of that spiritual Comfort Scripture prohibited I pray Sr what do your People learn in their houses by reading the Bible is it not Rebellion against their Church and contempt of all Spiritual Authority each one obstinatly adhering to that sense of the text which he iudgeth the best and thus your Church is deuided into a numberless number of sects this is smale encouragement for vs to permit to our common people the vse of the Bible iudging it better to knovv to sobriety as S. Paul counsels than by pretending to know more than behoueth to run into those inconueniencies wherin you haue fallen You accuse the Catholick Church for exposing Images to the adoration of the flock for the danger of falling into Idolatry and this is the reason that Caluin also giues you haue liued many years in Spain where Images are in great veneration you haue been much acquainted with the Inquisition as you would haue vs belieue you know the seuerity of that Tribunal against Hereticks Iewes and Idolaters how many haue you seen in spain that by adoring Images came to fall into Idolatry doubtless had there been any the Inquisition would haue taken holt of him for though the Inquisition permits Images it would neuer leaue Idolatry occasioned by the adoration of Images vnpunished And not one I dare say did you euer see or heare of to haue been punished on this account Now consider how many haue fallen into Heresies and errours quite opposit euen to your Church by the liberty granted for reading of Scripture hence has proceeding all the Sects that are in our kingdoms and elswhere Does not this demonstrat that there is far greater danger of Heresy in the vsual reading of the Bible than of Idolatry in adoring of Images ought not you rather therefore to decry the liberty of reading the Bible than the adoration of Images But reply you this proues that euen the Priests and fryers ought to be kept from reading it for it s they that haue abused it and broached all heresies and things must not be prohibited that are
Miracles he wrought Mat. 11.3 The blind see the lame vvalk the Leapers are made cleane the deafe heare and the dead ryse again S. Paul 2. Cor. 12.12 calls the Miracles which he wrought the signs of his Apostle ship and S. Mar. last ch saies that the Apostles preaching euery where wrought Miracles in confirmation of their doctrin Christ to proue against the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 9.6 that he had power of forgining sins which they denied cured the sick Man of the Palsie That you may knovv that the son of Man hath povver of forgining sins saith he to the sick of the Palsie Aryse take up thy bed and go to thy house Therefore if the Catholik Church does work Miracles in proof of the doctrin she teaches t is an vnquestionable truth that she is the true Church as Nicodemus concluded Io. 3.2 No man could do those things if God vvere not vvith him and that no man can deny or doubt her doctrin to be from God wherefore Christ Mat. 11.21 pronounced VVo against Corozain and Betsaida because they did not beliue his doctrin to be diuine which they did see confirmed with so many Miracles you say they were no true Miracles but Sorceries and Enchantments or that the Authors were mistaken in iudging them to be Miracles which were but Natural effects of natural causes But I answer that nothing can be said against those Miracles wrought by the Professors of our Religion and related by S. Augustin S. Bernard and other Saints of the Church which may not be also obiected against the Miracles of our B. Sauiour and Apostles Could not the inhabitants of Corozain and Bethsaida say that the Miracles which Christ alleadged were but Sorceries or effects of natural causes did not the Scribs and Pharisees say it to conclude if thy were true Miracles T is euident the doctrin in whose confirmation they were wrought is diuine and all things considered you will find its rashness to deny that they were true Miracles if you read carefully this Chap. Now it is impossible that God who is infinitly True and to whose infinit Veracity it is as repugnant to speake a smale vntruth as a great one should confirm any vntruth euerso smale with a Miracle consequently a Church that would deliuer a mixt doctrin of some great Truths and some smale vntruths it is impossible that God should work Miracles by that Church in confirmation of her doctrin for that would be to own that doctrin for his own and owne smale vntruths to be reuealed by him wheras he giues his commission and his seale and Marks of his authority for to teach them And as it is not credible that the King of England should giue his commission vnder the broad seale of England to any man to induce his subiect into a Rebellion so it s less imaginable that God should giue his commission with his broad seale which are Miracles and supernatural signs to teach an vntruth euer so smale his infinit veracity being so auerse to all vntruth By no other means did he confirm the doctrin of the Trinity to be his doctrin by no other signs did he moue men to belieue than by working Miracles by the Church that taught it if therefore he works miracles by the Church that teachs Purgatory real Presēce and others which you call inferiour points and smale errours he confirms that doctrin to be his and so approues and ownes smale vntruths to be reuealed by him Therefore S. Paul when he preached as well great as inferiour Truths or articles could cōfidently say that his words were indeed the words of God because God did cōfirm his doctrin by Miracles and supernatural signs particularly Mr Sall auerring that the doctrin of Purgatory and real Presence are damnable errours if ignorance doth not excuse the Professors certainly God would not giue the Marks of his Commission which are Miracles to teach them It remayns that wee proue God has wroutght Miracles by the Roman Catholik Church euen in those ages wherin the Protestants affirm that she was plung'd in errours and in confirmation of those Tenets which they say are errors Secondly that wee are bound to belieue them to haue been true Miracles thirdly that the doctrin in whose confirmation they were wrought must be true reuealed doctrin As to the first wee speake not of forged Miracles which haue been and are still condemn'd by the Church and their Authors punisht as impostors wee speake of vncontrolled Miracles wrought in the presence of the very Authors and Authors of an vnspotted credit Holyness and learning euen in the opinion of our Aduersaries who relate them in their works left to Posterity S. Augustin l. 22. de Ciuit. Dei c. 8. relates that in his own tyme many miracles were wrought and som in his own presence by the Sacraments of the Church by the intercession of Saints and their Relicks especially of saint Stephen of saint Geruase and Protase when he being then in the towne their Bodies were by a heauenly reuelation discouered to saint Ambroise at Milan by the sign of the Holy Cross by the sacrifice of Mass and Earth of Christ's sepulcher and mentions in particular besids others that a woman called Palladia was sudainly cured by praying to S. Stephen Ad sanctum Martyrem orare perrexerat quae mox vt cancellos attigit sana surrexit S. Bernard in saint Malachy's lyfe relates many Miracles wrought by this Saint and that he himself after the Saint expired took his hand and layd it vpon the withered and vseless hand of a boy then present who was presently restored to perfect health The Miracles wrought by S. Bernard himself in confirmation of the Catholick doctrin of Transubstantion and Inuocation of Saints opposed in his tyme by the Henricians and VValdenses are recorded by God fred in vita S. Bern. l. 3. c. 5. and particularly that stupendious Miracle of Sarlatum a village neer Toulouse when the Saint blessing som loaues of bread he said to the multitude that were present In this you shall knovv that these things meaning those Tenets opposed by thē foresaid Hereticks are true and those false vvhich the Heretiks endeuour to persvvade you that vvhosoeuer of your diseased persons shall tast of these loaues they shall be healed and the Bishop of Chartres his freind then present adding that the promise was conditional prouided they did eat of that bread with Faith the Saint replyed that he did speak vvithout any such restriction that his meaning vvas that vvhosoeuer did tast of them loaues should bo cured of his sickness And effectualy as many sick persons as did eat of the loaues were cured and this Miracle being publisht such a multitude flockt to meet the Saint from all parts that he was forct to decline the common road No less authentick is that passage of S. Damascen related by Iohn Hierosolymitanus in the lyfe of Damascenus his own scholler and priuy to all his lyfe Leo Isauraus thar
of it has none can any reasonable man desire a more pregnant proof of the truth of the Catholick Church and falshood of the Reformation reade the Historyes and Fathers of all ages you shall find the Miracles wrought by her as I related in the former Chapter you say you find them related but you do not belieue them this I call and cannot be called otherwyse than obstinacy to deny what the whole Torrent of Antiquity affirms as it would be obstinacy to deny there was a Iulius Caesar in the world for which wee haue but the testimony of Historyes written by Pagans for no Christian did see him You say the Authors that relate those Miracles were Papists and therefore their testimony to be suspected I answer the Authors who write those Miracles had no pike against Protestants nor did not write out of any design against you for you were not in the world and therefore you ought not to pretend any exception against them and if but one or two did relate them your reflexion could be pardonable but to say that all the Fathers and Historians of Antiquity were knaues that spoke against their consciences many relating them to haue been wrought in their own presence or fools that did not vnderstand what miracles were is an intolerable impudence Add to the Miracles wrought by this Church in all ages the conuersion of Nations to Christianity and none by the Reformation the succession of her Bishops without interruption for so many ages no such in the Reformation Her Eminent Saints none in the Reformation her vnion in Doctrin of Faith none in the Reformation the voluntary pouerty of her Professors exchanging plentifull estates for the powerty of a religious lyfe a practise recommended by Christ and thought madness by the Reformation the multitude of Churchs built by her and demolished by the Reformation Does not all this proue our Church to be the true Church of Christ that he has qualified with such glorious Marks These makes our Church so glorious and shyne lyke the Citty on the Mountain lyke the candle in the candlestick that it is hardly possible that any man can haue on inuincible ignorance of her being the true Church and VVo be to the man that relying on the perswasion of the inuincibility of his ignorance which in effect is but obstinacy will liue out of her I conclude with that Paper that Mr Sall speakes of wherin he deliuered that a Protestant belieuing the common Principles of Christianity and lieuing acording the rules of his profession being inuincibly ignorant might be saued for which doctrin he complains to haue been censured and cryes Victory because that none of our Clergy did answer though they did censure him He misinforms his Readers it was not that doctrin which was censured and if his Paper did contain no more than it it required no answer it was his indiscretion was censured and I will be iudged by you Reader if he was not indiscreet in this point for if a Preacher were sent to conuert Pagans to Christianity would it be discretion in him to teach them Srs the Christian Religion is the best but you may be very vvell saued in that vvhich you hold if you be inuincibly ignorant The doctrin is very true but a man that goes to conuert them to Christianity from a Religion that he knows is in itself false ought not to encourage them to remayn in that Religion with the hopes of being sauedin it his obligation is to beat them out of their ignorance and not to propose it vnto them as a Medium of saluation would not they answer him well if wee can be saued through our ignorance in the Religion wee haue why do you disturb vs with any other and creat scruples in our minds This is Mr Salls case that was sent to Ireland to conuert Protestants who thought themselues perhaps to be inuincibly ignorant iudge you was it discretion to propose vnto them their inuincible ignorance as an encouragement to remayn in their errors It s not allwayes discretion to declare the truth itself when there is no obligation of declaring it as in this there could be none for the Nobility which he sayes proposed him that question were they Catholiks or Protestants if Catholicks its manifest they needed not to be instructed in that truth it s no fundamental point of Religion If Protestants they were not obliged to know it for the same reason and that the answer was an encouragment to them to remayn as they were and seek no instruction and wheras they made that question it seems they doubted if inuincible ignorance was sufficient and if that answer had not been giuen lykely the would secure their saluation by seeking instruction This is the indiscretion for which he was censured Now wee will descend to the errors which he fixs on the Church of Rome THE SECOND PART OF THE PRETENDED ERRORS of the Roman Church alleadged by Mr Sall. HAuing in the former part shewen the Necessity of an Infallible liuing Iudge and that to be the Roman Catholick Church there needed no other answer to any doubt in Religion though intricat and vnanswerable it might seem to vs but to say the Church vvhich is infallible and Gods Oracle teacheth it therefore it must be true though I do not vnderstand hovv But because our Aduersary confides much in the strength of his arguments wee will descend to examin each point in particular which he impugns and it will appeare that though wee had not the testimony of an infallible Church to rely vpon but only Reason and Scripture as interpreted by Ancient Fathers our cause is better grounded than theirs and if not better at least as well which if it appears then none but will condemn them for forsaking an old Religion and seeking to reuers it by a pretended Reformation when they can shew no better grounds for their Nouelties than wee haue for our Ancient doctrin POP'S INFALLIBILITY AND THE Resolution of Faith expounded HE forsakes the Catholick Church for her errors and which be they the first is the Popes infallibility if this be an error it s not of the Church for as I haue shewen ch 5. it s no Arcicle of Faith that the Pope is infallible if he mislyked that doctrin he might haue denied it and remain a Catholick I can not well perceiue what he thinks of the Church vniuersal whether he belieues her infallible or no for pag. 34. he grants that the text of S. Paul Tim. 3.15 The Church is the Pillar and ground of Truth Must be vnderstood of the vniuersal Church but whether he grants that thence she is proued infallible or no I cannot vnderstand thence he inferrs that the Roman Church that is to say the Dioces of Rome is not infallible nor the Pillar and ground of Truth but alas he might haue spared himself that labor for wee do not belieue that the Dioces of Rome is an infallible Church nor that the
nay Scotus in that place brings for example the Creed of the Nicen Council which sayes he was no new doctrin of the Council but a more explicit declaration of the sence formerly belieued by the Church so the Decree of the Lateran Council was but an explicit declaration of the sence that was held by the Church in all ages in this point of the real Presence Suarez indeed tells vs that Caietan but speaks nothing of Bassoly so much you add of your own spoke rashly of this Mystery but tells vs also that his expressions were censured by the Church and all that Mr Sall can proue by this is that Caietan did err and what then But fayes he Bellarmin and the Roman writers do agree that in that text this Cup is the nevv Testament of my blood the word Cup is taken by a Trope not for the material Cup but for the thing it contains and why will wee not also admit a Trope in the words relating to the bread consecrated Mr Sall playes the Catholick vndoubtedly vnder the mask of Protestancy for this argument proues manifestly our Doctrin wee confess that in the text alleadged the word Cup must be taken by a Trope for what it contains not for the material Cup so wee desire him that in this text the bread vvhich I vvil giue is flesh for the lyfe of the vvorld the word bread may be taken by a Trope not for the material bread but for what it contains which wee proue to be in the Cup the true blood of Christ because of it and not of the material Cup it can be verifyed that it was shed for vs in the bread the true flesh of Christ for of it and not of the material bread that Predicat can be verifyed giuen for the lyfe of the vvorld He concludes with a discourse which shocks the Hierarchy of the Church of England Mr Anderton has lately proued in his iudicious Treatyse stiled a Soueriagn Remedy against Atheism and Heresy the Nullity of the Protestant Clergy and Mr Sall not sufficiently as yet engaged in the defence of that cause as wee may iudge by his so weake opposition of our Tenets and defence of theirs that he has not as yet got so great aduantages by his Reuolt as he expected that should edge his wit to plead with more vigor I know not with what design strengthens this Assertion with his following argument against our Adoring of Christ in the Sacrament How can you sayes he giue Diuin Adolration to the wafer wheras in your own Principles you cannot be sure that Christ is there present for in your Principles That depends of the intention of the Priest who consecrats and of his true ordination this depends of the intention and due ordinatiō of the Bishop that ordained him and this Bishop depends of the true ordination of others that consecrated him and so vpwards of endless requisits impossible to be knowen certainly consequently you cannot certainly know that Christ is present in that wafer how then are you so desperat as to adore it Answer its question less on both sydes yours and ours that som things are essentially requisit for the validity of a Sacrament the defect of which or any one thing of them nullifyes the Sacrament as for the validity of Baptism water is essentially necessary and the form of words I baptize you in the name of the Father son and Holy Ghost This you belieue as well as wee now who doubts but that it depends of the free will of the Minister to vitiat the form for since that the validity of the Baptismdoes not require that he vters the form in aloud voyce he may pretend to speak the form and vtter som what els in lieu of it or if he should pronounce some words of it with an audible voyce he may with an vnder voyce omit some word or add som word that would destroy the form this may happen through malice or ignorance and wee cannot possibly be certain that it does not or has not happened and consequently wee can haue no assurance if Mr Salls discourse be good of the truth of any mans Baptism The ordination of your Ministers depends essentially in your Principles also as well as in ours of the Iurisdiction of the Bishop for if he be no true Bishop he can giue no orders and of the exact form or words essentially requisit for a due ordination the Iurisdiction of the Bishop depends of the due ordination of the Consecrators for he must be consecrated by the imposition of hands of true Bishops and the vttering of the form of Consecration the due ordination of the Consecrators depends of the like requisits in those from whom they receiued their Caracter now since that the defect either of the true form of the Consecration or of the true Ordination of the Consecrators nullifies your Hierarchy and that there is no possible means for vs to know certainly that neither of those two was wanting in any one of the whole trayn of your Ordainers for if it was wanting in any all the Ordinations deriued from him are Null what assurance haue you or can you haue of the truth of your Hierarchy and but that you are all buth meer laymen without any authority or iurisdiction for preaching or administring Sacraments Thus Mr Sall obliges his Church in opening a way to question the Iurisdiction of the Clergy let him make his peace as he can with his Church and Clergy wee will answer his obiection thus Wee can without hazard of Idolatry and ought in conscience to adore the wafer consecrated though wee be not infallibly assured of the Priests intention for our obligation of adoring is grounded on and guided by that General Principle of Faith which is infallibly true that Christ is really present in the wafer duely consecrated this General Principle applied to this particular case of this vvafer consecrated by this Priest obliges me to adore this wafer though that application of the said general Principle be not infallibily sure or I am not infallibly ascertained that it is applyed in this particular case it is sufficient for my obligation of adoring that I am morally assured that it is applyed As in this case this General Principle of Nature Parents are to be honored by their children is infallibly true and iust and grounds an obligation in all children to honor their Parents in virtue of this general Principle applyed this particular Man and woman that are your Parents you are obliged to honor them but are you infallibly assured that these are your Parents not at all are not you not withstanding obliged to honor them is it rashness or folly in you to honor them for though the general Principle that Parents must be honored be infallibly true and iust yet you are not infallibly assured that this general Principle is duely applyed to these in particular but for your obligation that is not requisit its sufficient that you are morally