Church doctrine which is the only thing we enjoin So you are inexcusable Indeed these reproaches of errours are not the cause but the effect of your separation For out of loue to dear lyberty you resolved to renounce all subjection to Christ's vicar vpon earth then to secure this you resolved to separate from his Communion by a Schisme to justify this Schisme these pretexts were invented And by a just judgment of God the disobedient children of your Church haue meeted you the same mesure framed in your bosome another Schisme on the same pretences You say 2. Our excommunicating you was the cause of the Schisme so the causal Schisme is on our side But this is far from satisfiying any thinking man who calls to mind that you had forced the excommunication by precedent justifyed it by subsequent crimes Before any sentence was pronounced against you you had broke the interiour Communion with the Church by altering Faith the exteriour Communion by renouncing obedience to the Head of the Church so the Excommunication was subsequent to the Schisme what did the Reformation begun before but perfected after that clap of thunder Erection of one Altar against another or rather destruction of all Altars profanation of Churchs robbery of all sacred vessels ornaments pursuing with fire sword these who for conscience sake remained in the Catholick Communion Now what hopes of salvation left None vnlesse Schism sacriledge rapine CALVMNY PERIVRY MVRTHER Heresy be venial sins though vnrepented leaue hopes of salvation For the guilt of all these many more ye haue contracted since your separation from the center of Ecclesiastical Communion So your debt contracted by the separation is great but your following demeanour hath enflamed your reckoning to a prodigious summe not to be discharged with any ordinary satisfaction which is yet encreased by a pretence to jnnocency a resolution to justify all these crying sins I acknowledge with S. Austin l. 6. de verâ Relig. C. 6. that some jnnocent persons by Ecclesiastical censures may be cast out of the exteriour Communion of the Church that De facto this hath hapned to some that such Persons interiourly retaine the Communion with the faithfull provided they containe themselves Intra limites inculpatae tutelae do nothing vnlawfull beare their crosse patiently invent no errours practice nothing for revenge attempt not to break open the Church dores to force a readmittance nor barre them vp to hinder it do not endeavour to withdraw others from the Church to encrease the number of separatists make themselves considerable by becoming heads of a Party Giue me such a man thô he seeme to liue dye in a Schisme J shall hope for his salvation with S. Austin Whose words are these Sinit diuina providentia per nonnullas nimium turbulentas carnalium hominum sediditiones expelli de Congregatione Christianâ etiam bonos viros quam contumeliam vel iniuriam suam cum patientissimè pro Ecclesiae pace tulerint neque vllas novitates vel schismatis vel haeresis moliti fuerint docebunt homines quam vero affectu quantâ sinceritate charitatis Deo serviendum sit Talium ergo virorum propositum est aut sedatis remeare turbinibus aut si id non sinantur vel câdem tempestate perseverante vel ne de suo reditu talis aut gravior oriatur tenent voluntatem consulendi etiam ijs ipsis quorum motibus perturbationibusque cesserunt sine vllâ conventiculorum segregatione vsque ad mortem defendentes testimomio iuvantes eam Fidem quam in Ecclesiâ Catholicâ praedicari sciunt Hos coronat in occulto Pater in occulto videns Thus S. Austin divine providence some times permits that even good men are by turbulent spirits cast out of the Church who if they beare patiently this disgrace wrong for the Peace of the Church without endeavouring to frame a Shisme or broach Heresyes they will by their example teach men with what sincere charity they ought to serue God Such men intend ether to return to the Church when the storme is blown over or if they cannot return ether because the stormes ceases not or to prevent another storm continue quietly without gathering conventicles defending to their Power that Faith which they know is taught in the Church Such as these are crowned in secret by the Father who seeth in secret How many are there of your Party who haue thus peaceably demeaned themselves I meane of the more conspicuous governing or leading part Vix totidem quot Thebarum Portae vel divitis ostia nili Scarce as many as the Muses or even the Graces Soe the number that on this score can pretend to salvation is very inconsiderable For the rest how different is their proceeding from the others of whom S. Austin hopes well these beare the wrong done to them patiently for the loue of peace of the Church you by tongue pen hands shew your Passion These introduces no noveltys cause no Schismes or Heresyes you do the contrary These desire to return to the Church the storme being over you raise new stormes endeavour to perpetuate the separation These defend the Faith preacht in the Church you impugn it Those loue Peace you hate it persecute all promoters of it These are guilty of no crime which may deserue the Churchs censure you haue provoked the Heads of the Church to inflict on you such a punishment These are ready to vndergo any Penalty without deserving it you deserue it will vndergo none Jn fine these are jnnocent you guilty guilty of a great crime aggravate it by glorying in it Peccatum suum sicut Sodoma praedicaverunt So we must conclude that their example serves not to justify but to condemne you who differ so much from them therefore thô we grant with that great saint that There is life in the way of these yet your way leads to Death 3. Wherefore it is both an Vsual saying a Setled judgment of Catholicks that Protestants remaining such cannot be saved Because that name imports two greivous sins Schisme by separation from the Communion of the Church Heresy by beleiving errours contrary to Faith Which two sins taken severally or together make vs despayr of their salvation You pretend Protestants will say the like of Papists I reply it may be so but haue they such strong grounds for that saying as Catholicks haue Jn 1642. the Factious part of the Parliament did vie with the loyal peaceable party in verbal expressions of Duty Allegiance to their soverain But on the one side were only words reality on the other it was J think not necessary to cast a figure to discerne which side only pretended Allegiance but intended the contrary And it is as visible whether side in Religion aimes at Peace maintaines the ancient Faith which innovates the wordes of both partys
being vncyp hered by their actions the best interpreters of them Wherefore F. Darcy's argument remaines in force that it is safer to joine with the Catholicks than with the Protestants as it was safer to avoyd Treason to joine with the king than with the Parliament there being no sin in remaining in the Communion of the Catholick Church two great sins Schism Heresy in joining with the Protestants You say that this Reason would proue that in S. Austin's time it was safer to joine with the Donatists than with the Catholicks seing both sides agreed that the Donatists could be saved the Donatists denyed that possibility to the Catholicks Answer you are here grossely mistaken pardon that word for S. Austin never sayd a Donatist remaining such Could be saved nay a great part of his workes against them is employed to proue that they cannot be saved that their Baptism avayles them nothing but serues for their greater damnation Let me beseech you only to open any leafe any page of the several bookes written against them there is none which will not correct that mistake What you should say is only that both sides owned tru Baptism amongst the Donatists which these denyed amongst Catholicks Which argument the Donatists not only myght but did make vse of to pervert Catholicks as you may see in S. Austin L. 1. de Bapt. cont Donat. c. 3. l. 2. cont Petilianum c. 108. else where To this I answer that such a reason from a Donatist to a Catholick is of no force he having no good ground at all for that reason to rely on therefore denying Baptisme in the Catholick Church only out of a peevishnesse of nature Religion it was by them sayd with no more cause than Quakers had to say Thou art damned when they had nothing else to say Where as Catholicks proue that Assertion of theirs with jrrefragable reason drawn from those two crying sins Schisme Heresy of which we accuse the Protestants these do not nay cannot sufficiently cleere I haue all ready explicated these reasons That those of the Donatists were frivolous is evident for they sayd some Bishops of the Catholick Communion were Traditores had delivered the sacred bookes to the Persecutors that all Catholicks by communicating with them did contract the same guilt had lost the Holy Ghost And hence they inferred there could be no valid Baptisme in the Catholick Communion for those who haue not the Holy Ghost cannot give him to others To which the Catholicks answered 1. that those Bishops accused of that shamefull compliance with the jmperial Edicts against Christians were jnnocent of that crime which was never sufficiently proved vpon them no man ought to be condemned vnlesse the crime be evidently proved against him 2. They answered that althô the persons accused were really guilty yet their personal guilt could not prejudice all Catholicks communicating with them because another man's sin cannot prejudice me vnlesse J make it my own by commanding or perswading approving defending or imitating it Now the Catholicks were so far from being accessory to that pretended sin in another that they detested the sin always condemned it in all persons who were really guilty of it but never could find sufficient grounds to pronounce those accused by the Donatists guilty of it as those would haue them doe They answered 3. that supposing not granting that the Persons accused were really guilty that guilt had infected the whole body of Catholicks by communicating with them yet their Baptism myght be valid this not depending on the Personal sanctity of its Minister but on the justitution promises of Christ the operation of the Holy Ghost Hence S. Austin sayd he did not regard Peter when he Baptizes nor Paul nor Iohn nor Iudas but he considered the Holy Ghost who is the Baptist who ever he be who washes the body pronounces the words as Minister of that Sacrament You se how frivolous the reasons of the Donatists were to deny the validity of Baptism in the Catholick Church Shew that ours are as frivolous J will grant the parity but this you can never doe So our Reason stands good against you that of the Donatists against vs falls to the ground It seemes not discreet in an English Protestant to mention the Donatists there being so great a resemblance betwixt these two schismatical Churchs that they may seem sisters the later to haue copyed the other which appeares by these paralel points 1. Donatists were no where out of one corner of the world Africa Protestants of the Church of Eng. that is such as agree with her in points of Doctrine Hierarchy no where out of England 2. Donatists sayd theirs was the only perfect vnspotted Church you say yours is the only Apostolical Church perfectly reformed c. 3. Those endeavoured to justify their separation with some pretended faults of particular men you to justify yours alleadg some indiscreet devotions of old women and vnwary words of some otherwise pious Authours 4. Those appealed to some parts of scripture which you vse against vs And the Fathers proved against them the Vniversality of the Church the necessity of Communion with her out of the same texts which we vse against you 5. Donatists called Rome the seat or Chair of pestilence you call it a Pest-house letter to her R. H. P. 17. the seat of Antichrist 6. Those had their Circumcellions who thought to do God good service in murthering Catholicks you haue some of the same perswasion as appeares by their workes Yet I own a great difference betwixt the old Circumcellions the new ones Those when the toy took them would ether break their own necks or force others to cut their throates the new ones in this do not imitate them they loue too much their mothers sons 7. Those had the Maximianists who left them for the same reasons they had broken off Communion with the Church these haue the Presbiterians others who will not conforme with them vpon the same grounds for which they refuse to conform to the Catholick Church 8. And lastly the Non-conformist donatists made evident to the world that the Donatists had no real ground to break the Catholick Communion by forcing them to solue their owne Objections against the Church of which S. Austin l. 2. Retract C. 35. And your Non conformists with the same successe force you to answer all your pretences against vs breake those weapons with which you haue hitherto fought against the Church Those who will take the paines to examin further the Donatists principles will discover more points of agreement betwixt them you These are sufficient to shew that what is now hath been before will be that as the Church sticks constantly through all ages to the same Faith ways of defending it so Factious spirits seditious Brethren break her Communion turn Schismaticks
pleading for Sense against Faith you endanger the losse of both And of your Reason too giving me here a reason against yourself For if Accidents remaine when the man is no more as certainly he is not when his soul is departed why may not the Accidents of Bread remaine when the Bread is no more D. M. If there could be a substance without its owne Accidents or Accidents without their owne substance yet no man can be obliged to beleiue there was one without the other because it is not possible to judge of one but by the other Rev. All men are obliged to beleiue what God reveales So if God reveales that the substance is changed althô the Accidents remaine we are to beleiue the Change But say you We cannot judge of one but by the other Why not good sir if God speakes Can we not as assuredly ground a judgment vpon his word as vpon any Sense nay all the Senses together 5. Having thus reviewed the grounds of your judgment in this place let vs score vp some Paradoxes of yours 1. Miracles are Appellations to sense What Sense did Christ appeale to when Luk. 4.30 He past through the midst of a multitude of men went his way To what sense doth he appeale when he converts a sinner 2. Miracles Are done to convince our vnderstanding of a Truth J challenge any man to shew in scripture any proofe of this saying taken generally Many Miracles are private done for the releife of private Persons Doth not the Church teach vs to haue recourse to God by Prayer in personal wants And why so if God on such occasions never acts contrary to second causes 3. The Magicians rods were not turned into serpents Jt is expressely sayd Ex. 7.12 Their rods Became serpents J know Fathers are divided in this point But why you should take to that opinion which seemingly contradicts scripture I know not vnlesse it be your custome to regard it little But if they remained rods how had they the Appearance or Accidents of Serpents were by the spectators judged to be such Sure you may as well beleiue there may be the Accidents of Bread without its substance as the Accidents of Serpents where there never were any serpents Againe how could Moses Rod made a serpent devour the rest if they remained staues is not easy to vnderstand That one serpent should swallow another is no greate wonder we dayly see the Dains swallow their young ones vpon approach of danger their limber yeilding bodys are fitted for it But a strong staffe is not so pliable 4. All things consist of are made vp of Accidents as well as of substance So that Accidents are essential to man to other things otherwise they would not make him vp as Well as Substance this being Essential Thus far we haue examined the proofe of your maior Now comes your minor We will see how that succeedes SECTION XII 1. What is the object of sense 2. Whither senses about it do discerne of their objects in it are mistaken 3. Of the conditions requisit to certify our senses 1. D. D. M. p. 11. If Papists say the proper objects of Senses are not the Substances but Accidents of things I answer that though indeed the Objectum formale or Objectum quo of the sense are Accidents yet Substances are the Objectum materiale or the Objectum quod even of our outward senses My meaning is that though Senses do discerne immediately of Accidents onely yet mediatly by Accidents they discerne of substances also So that nether Accidents alone nor Substance alone but the thing consisting of both is the compleate adequate object of Sense Revisor This place seemes not so very proper to procure by some shreds of Latin a few schoole termes the repute of a Learned Clarck when the same things myght as well haue been sayd in plaine English in the text as in the margent had you so thought it fitting I will not imitate you Though you cite as many schoole termes as are to be found in Scotus borrow hard words from Arabick Hebrew as well as from Latin you will never prove that my eye discernes the substance as such My eye represents a white object but whither that white be in an egge or in astone or in some other substance to that my eye says nothing The same betwixt two egges betwixt Chalke Cheese c. And my eares tell me there is an Articulate sound but what it meanes my eare doth not tell Or else we must say our eare is changed as often as we learne a new language Thus the Senses only discover the Colour or the thing Coloured as it is such no further The Eye sees white on a wall discernes if it be pure or mingled with blacke or red spots cleere or darkish The Eare heares the voice discernes if it be musical or not The hand perceiues the object whither it be hard or soft rough or smooth warme or cold But to judge that the white is Plaster on a wall the voice that of a man singing the prayses of God the thing toucht the hand of a freind is the work of the vnderstanding directed by Senses but passing beyond them For as the vnderstanding discovers the meaning of words which the eare heares vnderstands not these two acts thô as different as soul Body are so linkt together as they seeme the same Act so it happens in other Senses whose Actions haue such a connexion with those of the mind which they stir vp that they seeme but one thô they really differ 2. D. M. p. 11. 12. If Senses doe not discerne of Substances how could a man say he saw such a man or heard such a story Is not every Substance discernable by its proper Accidents why are our Senses giuen vs if we cannot by them distinguish things themselues as well as their Accidents wherefore did God giue vs several Senses but onely for the better discerning of objects that if one Sense faile the others may supply Revisor Here are four questions all importing the same thing resolved with the same answer Both you we agree that it is convenient we haue some knowledge to discerne of objects This you will haue to be the sole worke of the Senses We say it is originally in the Senses but it is compleated in by the Vnderstanding Now to your four Queres To the first we can say we saw heard a story because our Vnderstanding helped by senses judged so To the 2. By our vnderstanding we can discerne of Objects substances by the meanes of Senses which represent their Accidents To the 3. Our Senses are giuen vs as servants to our Vnderstanding as its Informers To the 4. We haue several Senses because there are several objects of Senses according to the species of objects there ought to be divers Senses as you may find in Aristotle other Philosophers
countenanced Libertinisme Atheisme Scepticisme you Charge them on vs just as the late long Parliament charged the civil wars that Iliad of miserys caused by themselues on King Charles 1. Keepe to your selues those deformed brats they are yours the essential Principles of your first Reformers are evident Premisses to these vnavoidable conclusions Your Luther your Calvin your Zuinglius your Ivel eate the sowre grapes which set at all your teeth on edge They layd the egges out of which these cockatrices are hatcht And while you retaine your owne Principles you must expect the same odious encrease of mischeif 5. E. M. p. 21. If there be no certainty of Senses how know they that it is the Body Bloud of Christ By immediate Inspiration or by Seing the Scripture or Hearing the Church They pretend to no immediate Jnspiration Seing the Scriptures hearing the Church cannot be relyed on because there is no certainty of Senses Revisor The first part I admit that we do not rely on any immediate mediate Revelation or jnspiration The rest that we cannot rely on what we See in Scripture and Heare from the Church you know is contrary to our sentiments absolutely false Haec si imprudens facis nihil coecius si prudens nihil sceleratius S. Austin l. cont Adam c. 15. If you reproach vs that Paradox not knowing we abhorre it What is more blind than you If you know we renounce it yet charge it on vs what more wicked than you 6. D. M. p. 21.22 Their Interpretation of this place of Scripture must needs frustrate make voyde the vse end of all Scripture of the Church it self also consequently it is not a tru one Rev. Here is a lame jllation out of two false Premisses as J haue shewed And J appeale to any man who hath but common sense to decide whither make voyde the Scripture we who subscribe to it or you who contradict it Scripture says That is Christ's Body Catholicks say That is Christ's Body Non-Catholicks say That is not Christ's Body Credit your eyes for whome you pleade see whither part Frustrates the end of Scripture we subscribe to Scripture we defend it if we are deceived God hath deceived vs. But he cannot deceiue vs so we are sure we are not deceived As for you you contradict the scripture your Senses delude you you fyght against the scripture or if for it it is only as your Tru protestants fought for the King D. M. p. 22 If there be no Transubstantiation the Papists are as grosse Jdolaters as the Heathens says Costerus a Iesuit Revisor If the Heavens fall we may catch larkes And if an Asse flyes he will moue swiftly But what do these conditional Propositions signify while the conditions ramble in the imaginary spaces of impossible Beings are only the objects of fancifull heads You will go hungry to bed if for your supper you rely on those Larkes you will as soon performe your journy riding on a snayle as if you expect the winged Asse And Papists neede not feare Hell or Purgatory if they haue no other sin to Answer for than beleiving Christ's Body to be where he says it is and Adoring him there solely because they firmely beleiue that he is there having his owne expresse words for their warrant Conclusion of this Book An appeale from the sole competent judge which knoweth can determine to one in competent who nether knoweth the thing in question nor can decide it is an evident signe of a desperate Cause You appeale from the sole competent judge God his Church to one incompetent the Senses which nether know the thing in question the meaning of the words of Christ nor can pronounce sentence in it Therefore your Cause is desperate Otherwise thus A sentence of an incompetent judge is insignificant The Sensations are a sentence of incompetent judges therefore they are insignificant THE THIRD BOOK A REVISION OF THE VINDICATION OF THE ARGVMENT FROM SENSE THE PREFACE I Do not professe my selfe a common champion for all Catholicks that either Attacke Protestants or are Attackt by them Had God called me to that taske he would haue endowed me with a greater strength of mind Body a larger extent of knowledge more leasure from other employments then I haue Wherefore I confine my selfe to a much narrower sphere more proportioned to my abilityes viz to that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints Iude verse 3. for which seing all are obliged Earnestly to contend I see my self vnder that general obligation As also to the defence of our Holy mother the Curch by whome we receiue this Faith without whose assistance Faith it self that precious gif of our bountifull lord would fayle As for the sentiments of other private persons the being of the Church the jnnocency of our Doctrine the purity of our Faith not depending on them I think it no necessary duty to make good all they say further than that cannot be destroyed without weakning Faith And in alike manner I do not expect nor desire any should concerne themselues for what I say but only on like occasions that it be such as Faith would receiue some dammage werer it confuted If any one out of an opinion that J go astray or am in an errour in what J write in defense of the Church will take the paines to shew it me with Charity meekenesse J shall thank him for his labour either acknowledge my personal errour if it be such or giue a reason why I do not Hence I was for some time doubtfull whither I should review this Vindication no body being concerned in it besides the namelesse Authour of an obsure Pamphlet whose merits are as obscure as his person namelesse especially some of his opinions being far different from what the Church her felf as well as divines hold if his meaning be sincerely represented by my freind D. M. ryghtly vnderstood by me And I think the Argument from sense low enough whither this Anonimus stand or fall althô M. Doctor page 4. is pleased to say that if this Pamphlet falls his Argument remaines not only vnanswered but vnanswerable as if that anonimus were our Hector our Troy were to be defended by his hand or by none at all Yet I am of opinion that my Reader will find something in my Review of the Argument to which what is here sayd will not giue full satisfaction probably it will scarce be brought within canon shot of it So my Review of this Treatise is a worke of supererogation which J vndertake meerely because there is occasion giuen to handle some few material points which further confirme what I haue sayd if well vnderstood SECTION XIV 1. Division of Miracles 2. Some insensible out of scripture 3. Arguments from Aetymology of words or names frivolous 1. WHo that man was whome p. 1. you call Namelesse is not material but why you
an Ismael in Abraham's family an Esau in Isaacs a Ruben in Iacob's an Absalom in David's an Adam in the terrestrial Paradice a Lucifer in the Celestial All which bad men did nether excuse a separation from the Church in which they lived nor prejudice the rest who did not approue or abette the sins as the Church hath long since declared against the Donatists We professe we beleiue the Sanctity of the Catholick Church which consists in her Doctrine her Laws her Rites many of her children not all And it is the goodnesse of God to make vs partakers of all the good workes which any one doth but not of the bad For we beleiue a Communion of Saints not of sinners of merits not of offenses So the guilt of sin is confined to the person sinning but the merits of vertuous actions spreades to all the faithfull who are in the state of grace Wherefore we ought not to think the worse of the Church for any fault committed by any of her children seing she nether teaches nor commands nor approues it But the Protestant Church cannot so easily cleare her selfe from such spots as the sins of her children leaue her Doctrine of the impossibility of God's Commandments that we are nether the better for good nor the worse for bad actions which are nether meritorious nor demeritorious in the praedestinate of Evangelical liberty the roote of all Sedition Rebellion in Church State c. These I say the like having beene taught by same of her children never condemned by her make her answearable for all sorts of sins which are but the natural sequels of those Premisses effects of those causes fruits of that tree which the first Protestants planted their followers water cherish In Catholicks a bad life is contrary to Catholick Doctrine laws in Protestants it is a natural sequel of both J do not say this to excuse any fault with reason charged vpon the persons mentioned except the gun powder plotters or to forestall my Readers judgment in favour of the Church if those accused should be really found guilty There is no cause for such an Apology The faults alleadged against Mr. Cressey are at the worst indiscreete expressions of edjous things which he thought tru D. M. thinks not so And her R. H. did shew in effect that no Wordly consideration should moue her to professe a Religion of which in her conscience she was not Of which more hereafter Who but Atheists Libertins can blame this Which is only a preferring Heaven to Earth Eternity to time the soul to the body God to man the Peace of a good conscience before the reproach of some bad men Those who think all Religions indifferent that the King is to determine which we are to follow the Hobbians may blame this but not a Disciple of Christ his Apostles SECTION XVII Mr. Cressey excused 1. Whither the Kingdome may be sayd to haue taken the Covenant 2. Whither the K. was the only sufferer for his Religion 3. Many of the Protestant Clergy renounc't their Dignityes 4. Whither the Clergy suffred for their Loyalty or their Religion 5. Of the Actings of the English Protestant Clergy in the troubles 1. D. M. p. 7. It is false injurious to say that the Presbiterians did constrain the whole kingdome to forswear their Religion for it must be the whole Kingdomes taking not the Presbiterians imposing generally of the Covenant that must proue this assertion Revisor You take Mr. Cressey's words in a very strict sense that you may accuse them condemne him Yet I think in good Phylosophy divinity too Propositions In materiâ contingenti althô they seeme Vniversal are not such but only Indefinite For example Philip. 2.21 All seeke their owne not the things which are of Iesus-Christ T it 1.12 The Cretans are always lyars evil Beasts slow bellyes These Propositions are as to their forme Vniversal the first with a distributiue particle to Persons All the second with alike particle of time Always Yet nether are truly Vniversal not the first for nether S. Paul nor several of the Apostles then aliue Sought their owne In alike manner amongst the Cretans some were very good sincere vertuous men Such Propositions are frequent in common discourse v. c. All Spainards are Graue All French men civil All Italians cautious All young men rash All women talkatiue All old men morose c. Which are taken as tru because commonly they are so taken Indefinitè But taken as Vniversals they are false seing several instances can be brought in which they are not tru greate warinesse is necessary in applying any one of them to particulars This is my first Answer Another is that the Kingdome by an ordinary figure is taken for the governing part of it so what is decreed by that may be sayd to be decreed by the Kingdome Which is tru thô some of this part oppose it Thus a Peace or Truce is sayd to be made by the Republick Of Venice v. c. when the Senate decrees it or when the major part of Senators resolue it althô some Senators oppose it are for war Livy Vbi semel decretum erit omnibus id etiam quibus ante displicuerat pro bono atque vtili foedere erit defendendum Plinius l. 6. Epist 13. Quod pluribus placuit omnibus tenendum Dionisius Halicarnassaeus Parendum his quae pars maior censuerit Even those who dislike a decree before it be made are bound to approue it after it is made Provided it containe nothing against Conscience Indeed we see in all Assemblyes where things are carryed by plurality of votes all even the NOES are bound to approue the order vnlesse in some cases when they are admitted to a Protestation Now the major part of the then Gouvernours of the Nation or Kingdome decreed the taking of the Covenant the major more conspicuous part of the subjects may be sayd to haue admitted that decree althô very many considerable both for number quality by some industry shifted off the taking of it so the Kingdome may in some sort be sayd To impose the Covenant also To take it Thus we say that England changed its Religion such a yeare thô a very greate number at that time did not admit of any change And we may say that the Oaths are imposed vpon taken by the Kingdome thô several refuse them Were not Mr. Cressey a Papist I beleiue either of these answers would suffice 2. D. M. p. 8. His second crime is his saying The King was almost the only man who remained so constant to his Religion as to hazard for it the losse of his estate life too This is false say you for many thousands did the same Revisor In the ruin of others there was a complicancy of causes which procured it loyalty to their King hatred to their persons for fyghting against them their
mistaken when you told F. Darcy at Brusselles that one Side was resolved before hand to relax nothing But it is an ordinary custome amongst you to make vs hold contradictory things as they serue your turne D. M. p. 26. The easterne schisme was caused by the Pope's assuming the title of vniversal Bishop of being Head of the whole Church Rev. That cannot be for the Pope never tooke the title of Vniversal Bishop And that other Head of the Church was acknowledged by the 2. General Council you preside over vs as a Head over its members Says that Council D. M. p. 27. 28. Cates by sayd this F. Garnet sayd that c. Rev. Iust the stile of Oates's narratiue myght serue as a Modele of it D. M. p. 30. They suffer Garnet Oldcorne to be put into the Catalogue of Martyrs by the Jesuits Rev. If they do so it is because they judge them Innocent of the Treason for which they suffred not that they like the Treason it self Thus several haue written in defence of some Persons lately accused of Treason beleiving them to be innocent of it who hate Treason more hartily than ether Oates or Shaftesbury the grand promoters of that Accusation D. M. p. 31. Beware of false Prophets who come to you in sheepe's cloathing but are inwardly wolues nay ravening wolues Rev. The same I say yet still I wish it were not in the Power of every malicious man to call Wolf then all the dogs in the country shall be set on a Sheepe worry it Which hath beene lately done on this side the line to the astonishment of the world no little discredit of our Nation D. M. p. 32. It is not their persecution but our owne preservation that we contend for Rev. The law of nature obliges you to seeke Self preservation but Prudence must guide you in the choice of proper meanes to find it And Experience is the best rule of Prudence this demonstrates that Persecution of Papists is the way to Ruin not to Preserue your selues For about 70. yeares through the mercy of our Kings we haue had but two Persecutions of Papists both opened a dore to Factious Rebells who the first time ruined both Church State the second time brought both to the brink of a precipice downe both had gon had there not been put a stop to the preceedings against Papists So the Persecution of Papists is such a remedy to your fainting Church as cutting his throate is to a man in an Ague Dic mihi num furor est ne moriare mori Will any man in his wits prescribe such physicke D. M. p. 34. I will add for justifying the laws made against Papists that if they seeme to haue a watchfull eye hold a stricter hand over them in jealous times they must thank themselues who refuse to take the Pope who forbids them to take the Oaths Rev. I wish you had explicated what you meane by Iealous times Whither such as are occasioned by some Actions or designes of Papists against your Church or State Or without any cause besides the phancy of some melancholy Parson or the Calumnyes of some such Flagitious wretches as of late appeared on the English stage If your jealousyes are are of the first sort no body will blame your severity vpon the guilty Persons If they haue no other ground but the dreames of a fancifull Parson or the word Oath of an Oates or a Bedlow who would starue or be hanged if by such a tricke they did not get a meales meate and their necke out of a halter by a Pardon I leaue you to judge whither this doth justify your strict hand not rather aggravate it A wise man sayd England is in a strange condition For if any man in the Parliament do but cry Popery they will act decree as if they were besides themselues Is this a laudable disposition of the Body Politick Would our taking the Oaths cure this distemper when you your self in this very sermon tell the world that no Oaths can bind vs Me thinks an vnblemisht loyalty both acting suffring as is our duty to the Royal Authority in such variety of hard times as we haue seene myght be a better assurance than such Cobwebs as you describe them D. M. p. 38. The Church of Rome vses greater severity in Spaine Jtaly c. Rev. We are very thankfull to his Majesty for The grace he shews vs either in quite suspending or abating the rigour of the law we-acknowledge it as an act of Mercy yet giue me leaue to tell you that our case in England is far different from that of Protestants either in Spaine or Italy we brought Christianity to the English Nation your Bishops Preists your Hierarchy Orders if you haue any you haue them from vs. Your Churchs we built founded your Celledges Vniversityes are our Donations Your Canon Civil law your Sacred prophane learning are the product of our studyes The very Rites ceremonyes which you vse you borrowed from vs. Which of all these things did Protestants bring settle in Italie or Spaine If none then certainly the case of Catholicks in England is not the same with that of Protestants in Catholick countryes D. M. p. 38. Let me intreate you all to joine with me in this short prayer Rev. We willingly giue God thanks for preserving the Nation from ruin pray him to continu his protection to it that He will giue our Dread soveraigne along life a peaceable reigne a wise Council faithfull Ministers stout souldiers an obedient contented vnited people without those groundlesse animositys which you of the Ministry foment Amen SECTION XIX A Revision of the Letter to her R. H. 1. The publishing of this Letter vnexpected 2. What kind of Directors are the Ministers 3. The report of the change of her R. H. 4. Motiues alleadged to retaine her in the Protestant Religion 5. Spiritual state of the Protestant Church 1. I Was very much surprized to see this letter made publick much more that is was by your order by reason of the character you bore of Confessor to her R. H. For a far different reason there ought to be as greate a freedome of communication betwixt Confessor Penitent in matters of Conscience as to the soul as betwixt Man Wife as to the Body Which liberty is much checeed with the thought that such things may some day become publicke The people of Athens would not let Philip of Macedon's letters to his wife Olimpias be opened thô he were an Enemy as thinking the converse betwixt such persons sacred With more reason ought those betwixt Confessor Penitent be looked on as such But it seemes in the Protestant Church nether secret is regarded for that betwixt Man Wife was broken by order of Parliament for the printing the letters of king Charles I. to the Queene
destructiue to Salvation It is vndeniable that Schismaticks remaming such cannot besaved They shall not haue God for their father who haue not the Church for their mother S. Cyprian And you are in a Schisme I myght alleadge several other things destructiue to Salvation but this one is enough D. M. p. 17. 18. The Papists say there is no salvation out of their Church The Donatists sayd so too And was it not for that saying so that they were pronounced Hereticks Revisor Here are three grosse mistakes of which I haue spoken sec 4. The 1. that the donatists sayd there was no salvation out of their Church Their grande errour was that the Church was lost by communicating with a sinner All their other errours were but sequels of this viz that there was no Church but theirs the rest of the Christians communicating with Cecilianus who had delivered vp the holy bookes 2. That there was no valid Baptisme but in their Communion 3. That the son was lesser than the father the Holy ghost than the son See S. Austin l. de Hereticis ad Quod vult Deum § 69. Epi. Baronij ad annu Dom. 321. n. 4. For these errours the donatists were tru Herticks But for saying that Heresy destroys salvation they could not be Hereticks vnlesse you will make S. Athanasius one who says in his creede Quam fidem nisi quisque integram inviolatamque servaverit absque dubio in aeternum peribit No hopes of salvation where any point of Faith is denyed The 2. That they were pronounced Hereticks for saying so They were pronounced Hereticks for saying other things as J haue shewne The 3. that they were held for Hereticks The Catholick Church held them at first for Scismaticks such they were but not for Hereticks The Catholicks exacted nothing of them but that they should joine Communion with them they offred to that intent that in those cittyes which had two Bishops one of each Communion the surviver which soever it was should governe alone the Diocese that by that meanes the Schisme myght be extinguisht A condition never offred to any Heretick or Hereticks what soever At last indeed they turned tru Hereticks as I sayd on another score D. M. p. 19. For you to conclude in favour of Popery without hearing Protestants is that which cannot be done either in Equity or Conscience Rev. She did not conclude for one side without hearing the other She had heard Protestants from her jnfancy had weyghed maturely what they could say for themselues or against Popery It is wonderfull that a short Conference with some Papist it could be no more if there were so much should be of force sufficient to roote vp all those prejudices against God's Church which you so carefull instill to those vnder your conduct althô they had bin confirmed by long practice reiterated Acts contrary to the Catholick Faith all these backed with almost the greatest temporal interest in the world for on the one side she saw honour Riches the probable expectation of our Imperial crowne on the other Reproaches Calumnyes disgrace probably a tragical End for such had been the fate of her Father-in-law indeed what misery or vnjustice is so evident so greate as a Papist may not feare from a Tru Protestant But Magna veritas praevalet Truth seconded by God's interiour grace assisted by her generous resolution never to admit the whole world into consideration when her soul was concerned overcame all those difficultyes With this Truly Heroical resolution you acquaint vs. For you say to her D. M. p. 21. You your selfe haue told me more then once even since this false report hath beene raysed of you that you would not do any thing whereby you myght seeme to be of a Church or Religion which you are not of indeed no not for any wordly consideration whatsoever And p. 22. you are wont to say that no wordly either Advantage or Prejudice is to be considered when the gaining of the One or the avoyding of the Other comes into competition with the hazarding or securing of our spiritual everlasting jnterest of our souls consequently that if you were convinced there were no Salvation to be had but in the Church of Rome no consideration either of Losse or of Danger here in this world you myght incur by it should keepe you from it Rev. Out of these truly Christian Resolutions often declared to you I gather many material points either vnknowne before or not sufficiently knowne 1. That her R. H. was really enclined to be a Catholick So that Report was grounded 2. That you knew this inclination 3. That you endeavoured to divert her from it alleadging cheifly temporal interest to divert her from becoming a Papist This J gather out of those declarations which she so often made out of this very letter which containes little if any thing at all else 4. That either you which I do not beleiue or some other Protestant advised her to dissemble in matter of Religion professe her self a Protestant thô she were not so What other occasion could she haue to make that declaration that She would not do any thing to seeme to be of a Church of which she was not for all the world Lastly that she was too generous to be fryghted with such Bug beares When her soul lay at stake knowing full well it Would availe her nothing to gaine the whole world if she lost that Mar. 8.36 5. Thus this letter confirmes what was sayd but not commonly beleived of the Religion in which her R. H. dyed that she truly was a Catholick or as you call vs a Papist for you owne her inclination that way you had little to alleadge to divert her from it but temporal interest which was as little able to retaine her as a cobweb to hold a Lion so it is impossible to misse in the conjecture of the event But what judgment will the world make of your Church out of this letter The concerne you writ for was as greate almost as could occurre the retaining within your Communion a person as considerable almost as any whatsoever a person worthily esteemed as greate for her qualifications of mind as to vertu vnderstanding as for her dignity in the Kingdome a person who was a greate ornament to your Church nay a Piller of it So no doubt but all industry was vsed to prevent her leaving you that whatsoever your Art your wit learning could doe was employed to that intent we may guesse that as the cause was common so the concurrence was therefore we may conjecture that all the nerues of the Protestant Church joined to giue this Blow Yet how weake how inconsiderable is it And is then your Glorious Apostolical reformed Church come to this Haue you no motiues to commend her Communion retaine pious souls in it but Temporal will these weygh downe in the scales
as abandon Christ's Body which is the Church according to the expresse words of the Apostle Colos. 1.24 4. Proofe out of Fathers S. Austin l. 4. de Bapt. cont Donat. C. 1. having sayd that the rivers which risse in Paradise watred Mesopotamia Aegipt thô these countryes were not partakers of the happinesse of Paradise so Baptism may be had out of the Church yet could not conveigh eternal Blis but to those who are within It which hath received the keys to bind loose And lib. cont Faustum manich 12. C. 17. Praeter arcam omnis caro c. Out of the Ark all creatures living on the Earth were destroyed by the deluge because out of the Communion of the Church the water of Baptism althô it be the same out as in the Church yet it avayles not to salvation but rather to ruin S. Cyprian hath a long treatise against Schismaticks In it he says they are the work of the devil who finding his Temples abandoned his Altars overturned his sacrifices contemned his rites slyghted his kingdom destroyed by the conversion of the world to Christianity with design to recover his interest on Earth introduced Schismes multiplyed Schismaticks And what opinion he S. Cyprian had of them take in these words Can he retain his Faith who dos not retain the Communion of the Church can any man hope to be in the Church who resists it who abandons the Chair of Peter vpon which the Church is built whosoever leaving the Church cleanes to the Harlot forgoes all promises made to the Church he becomes a stranger a prophane man an enemy God is not a Father to him who ownes not the Church his mother And he assures that nether Faith nor working of miracles nor knowledg of mysteryes not martyrdom it self can entitle a man to eternal life who dyes in a Schism that is out of the Communion of the Church To be short see what the Fathers say severally against the Meletians the Quarto decimans the Novatians the Donatists others With what fervour they plead the necessity of Communion with the Church with what horror they reject the crime of Schism which some think the greatest of crimes My 5. proofe is Remission of sins is necessary to attain Heaven That is not to be found but in the Church Wherefore in the Creed after the Article of the Holy Catholick Church two others are added the Communion of Saints Remission of Sins as being sequels of dependants on that other Which is Calvin's Reflection My 6. Proofe is from the Testimony of such as were actual Schismaticks themselves Calvin l. 4. Instit C. 1. S. 4. says Discamus ex hoc vno matris Elogio quam vtilis sit nobis Eccesiae Communio imo necessaria quando non alius est ad vitam ingressus nisi nos ipsa concipiat in vtero nisi pariat nisi nos alat suis vberibus denique sub custodiâ gubernatione nos teneat donec exuti carne mortali similes erimus Angelis .... Adde quod extra eius gremium nulla speranda est peccatorum remissio nec vlla salus The Church is our Mother out of which title wee may learne how vsefull nay how necessary is our Communion with her seing there is no possibility of attaining to life vnlesse shee conceiues vs in her wombe brings vs forth suckles vs with her breasts protect defends vs till leaving this mortal life we become like vnto Angels .... Out of her bosome no hopes of Remission of Sins nor of salvation Whence he concludes Semper exitialis est ab Ecclesiâ discessio It is always damnable to depart from the Church Thus this grand sower of Schismes the greatest Enemy to Church Communion that ever was whose furious spirit communicated with his writings hath caused more discords Schismes Seditions Rebellions Murthers than all other sects together His followers sometimes wanting Power but never the will to introduce those plagues their ordinary Attendants How odjous this sin is appeares by the industry all Hereticks vse to remoue it from themselves charge it on the Catholicks as knowing it to be of so deformed a nature that nothing can excuse it the stain it leaues of soo deep a dye that a floud of Teares cannot wash it out Thus much to proue the major or first Proposition I passe now to the minor or second 2. That Protestants are out of the tru Church the body of Christ tru Schismaticks is evident Luther their Pratriarck renounced all Communion with the Roman Church nether before nor after communicated with any Church even Schismatick So he separated when he began to Dogmatize from all Christians living for he had not gotten followers consequently had not framed them into a Church Wherefore if ever any one was a Schismatick he was one Such were likewise those who joyned with him in that sinfull separation And he and they continued such till their dying day even when framed into a Congregation for Non firmatur tractu temporis quod ab initio de jure non subsistit Reg. Iuris Processe of time cannot make an Action legal which from the beginning is contrary to law Perseverance in sin is a circumstance which aggravates it it is a Paradox to say that a hainous crime should cease to be such for being long continued as if the devil could become a saint by being obstinate in his wickedness A new way to sanctity vnknown to ancients So my minor is vndeniable So then the first Protestant made a tru Schism those who joined in Communion with him joined in a tru Schisme those who continu in it are in a tru Schisme tru Schismaticks So The guilt of Schisme a sin of the first magnitude lyes at the Protestanes doore they are Say Papists If they liue dye Protestants with out hopes of salvation as living dying in a greivous mortal sin Which is the conclusion of that syllogisme You say 1. that we forced you vpon the Separation by imposing vpon our Communion vnlawfull conditions Which is Gratis dictum sayd without any sufficient proofe for no one point of our faith was ever proved false by you we having much stronger grounds for than you again it So the most you can draw from your reasons is that our doctrine is not absolutely certain whereas nothing can excuse your Schisme but an absolute total certainty that the thing is naught which we enjoine v. c. Prayers to Saints because you ran in to Schisme to avoyd a thing which you know not certainly whether it be good or bad Nay you haue much greater reason to judge good than otherwise 1. for the authority of the past present Church practising it 2. because you rather reproach vs with indiscreet speeches of pious men or some practice of silly women then with the doctrine of the Church defined in our Councils Which shews you haue little to say against our