there is no reason to say That Men must adore Images that there is no reason to fasten any virtue thereto to imagine that an Image of our Lady doth more Miracles than another that its blame worthy to carry them about in pomp to prostrate ones self before them to place them on Altars to make Vows and Pilgrimages to them and to buâ—n Incense to them as formerly they did to the false Gods If Invocation of Saints be done in the same Spirit as the Prayers which we present to the Faithful alive to pray for us It 's to accuse all those who do Invocate the Saints in another Spirit After all that I demand of those Gentlemen Why they do seek for an Extraordinary Turn That which they had used hitherto either was good reasonable and proper to give just Idea's of the Doctrine of the Roman Church or it was not so If it was not reason it is they should take another But how can it be that for so many years they have defended the Roman Church by so many Works without finding the proper Turn to give a just Idea of her Doctrine It 's a blindness of the preceding Doctors hardly to be conceived It 's a good hap for my Lord of Condom to have first found out the true sense of the Doctrine of the Church whereof one cannot suspect the cause But if the Turn which my Lord of Condom hath found out is different in that thing it self that it's different from others doth it not condemn them If that which he saith to us be the only true Sense of the Church all other Senses which Doctors have given it are false Senses and consequently he condemns all those that have not spoken like him Without doubt my Lord of Condom will say It was not his design to say any thing new that his Explications of the Doctrine of the Church are the Sense of the Canons of the Councils and of the decisions of the Doctors But if he pretended not to say any thing Extraordinary whence then comes the great Noise which those Gentlemen have made of that Work Can they look for so great Honour from a Thing that should have been said by all other Authors Whence is it that they have begg'd Approbations from all parts of the World That they put amongst those Approbators Cardinals Bishops yea the Pope himself For a thing which all the World had said should there be need of so mony Props seeing it could not be combated nor question'd Why doth my Lord of Condom at the end of his Work shew that he would not have us examine the different Means which the Catholick Theologues have used to establish or to cleaâ— up the Doctrine of the Council of Trent If he be agreed with the Doctors of his fide hath he cause to fear lest we should compare his Senses with theirs And is it not clear that he confesses thereby that he stands in great opposition to them If my Lord of Condom hath brought to light but the true and ancient Sense of the Church why doth he say at the end of his Book that he hath ruined all Disputes for that is it which these words signifie For to s y on this Treatise something solid c. they must shew that this Explication leaves all Disputes in their intire state He pretends then that his Explication must make all Disputes to cease I do not believe that he pretends thereto by the force of the Reasons whereby he hath upheld his cause For a little Book that only explains and which doth not prove cannot cause Disputes to cease by way of Discussion If it were true that the Sense which my Lord of Condom doth give is the Sense of the Roman Catholick Church that it should be received by both Parties and that it would not leave Disputes in their whole state it were true also that it would be some thing which the gravest Authors had not yet perceived For hitherto all the Divines of the Roman Catholick Church have verily believed that the Controversies about Images Invocation of Saints Indulgences Satisfactions were intire Disputes and most real The Council of Trent hath without doubt believed so for if their Sense had been that which my Lord of Condom gives and that it 's a Sense which leaves not Disputes whole why hath it pronounc'd Anathema's against the Lutherans and Zuinglians about things whereof it's decisions made all Disputes to vanish Let 's deal truly Did not the Council fulminate and condemn those People They did not then believe that the Sense of their Canons could easily be reconciled with the Doctrine of Zuinglius and of Luther Besides that I do not well conceive how my Lord of Condom can defend himself for having brought to light a Sense that was unknown to all that have Written and to the Prelates of the Council of Trent themselves Without doubt those Prelates pronounced Oracles without understanding them and more than an Age after an Interpreter is come who hath discovered that which the Holy Spirit had hitherto kept secret But it imports not whether my Lord of Condom be the first or only Man that hath understood the Council of Trent to the Exclusion of the Council it self he cannot hinder us from concluding That in establishing his Sense as the only good and as the Doctrine of his Church he condemns all others which the Doctors have given hitherto and therefore he acts for us and favours our Cause as much as it can be favoured Although the Explications of my Lord of Condom should terminate some different we should not be obliged to believe upon his Word that his Sense should be that of the Council of Trent It hath reproached to these Gentlemen that these Explications were against the Bull of Pius the Fourth which expresly forbids all Explications of that Council These be its own words To avoid the Confusions and Disorders that might arise if it were permitted to every One to bring to light their Commentaries and Interpretations upon the Decrees of the Council by Authority Apostolical we forbid all Persons Ecclesiastick or Laick of whatsoever Dignity Condition Honour or Power whatsoever and all Prelates under pain of being Interdicted the Entrance of the Church and others under pain of Excommunication to undertake without our Authority Commentaries Glosses Annotations Observations or any other kind of Interpretations under whatsoever Name neither under the very pretence of maintaining the Decrees better or Executing or any other Colour And if any find there is any thing obscure less clear needing Interpretation we Ordain he should ascend to the place which the Lord hath chosen that is to the Apostolick Seat which is the Master of all the Faithful and whereof the Holy Council it self hath acknowledged the Authority in a manner so full of respect After that should it be permitted to any private Man to give to the Council a Sense unknown to the whole Earth unknown even to the
shew me that Church to whom I must submit I see in the Orient a Greek Church which they call Schismatick in the Occident I see there Societies of Men whom they call Eutychians Jacobites Nestorians Melchites and many others Each one of these Societies tells me that she is the true Church whom I must hear Which shall I believe Believe her say they that hath the Marks of Antiquity of Succession of Chairs and particularly of the Apostolick Chair But every one of those Societies doth boast to have all those Advantages to be the most Ancient to be Apostolical to have had the Apostles for Founders The Church of Alexandria saith that she was founded by St. Mark her first Bishop that of Jerusalem by St. James These are Matters of Fact and to clear my self thereof I must read whole Libraries I that neither have Latin nor Greek which have neither time enough nor piercing Wits to follow hard Studies Either I must remain uncertain or else I shall be reduced to believe that the Roman Church is the true Church upon her own simple Word and upon the Witness that she gives her self which is of all things in the World the most unjust for no Man ought to be believed in his own Cause Yea though I should believe that the Roman Church is the true Church and Infallible If I ask where that Infallible doth rest they cannot teach it me The one will say that it is in the Pope others will say that it is false and I must beware of that thought Some Doctours will tell me that the Infallible Oracle is not found but in Councils but others will call that Opinion Heresie and will Threaten the Tribunal of the Inquisition if I yield unto those Thoughts I know not then what side to turn to to find a solid Prop to my Faith for on all hands I see nothing but Doubts in that which they call the Church uncertainty and dividing of Opinions If I pierce into the bottom of that Church and that I examine the Sense thereof I see People that say with one Voice We must follow the Church One cannot go off from her without wandring But under that appearance of Uniformity I see a prodigious diversity of Opinions Some are Semi-Pelagians and teach That Grace is not efficacious but by the Will of Man others defend Efficacious Grace by it self and accuse the former of recalling Pelagianism Some say That the Command of Loving God obliges at all times and the others say that it never obliges I see some that accuse others to be the Corrupters of Morality and which indeed make the Truth of their Accusation palpable by ones Finger but they who are accused do by turns accuse their Adversaries to be Calvinists Hereticks to ruine the Virtues of Sacraments to estrange the Faithful from the Communion of the Body of Christ and to bind Conscience by unjust Chains All those People are in the Church they follow all the Sentiments of the Church as they say yet are they in Paths so opposite that Hell and Heaven are not more See the Uniformity of that Church whereto they would have me to give up my self It must be a concluded Affair We shall never resolve to leave the Foundation of the Word of God who always abides the same to engage our Selves in a Sea of Doubts and Uncertainties where we cannot set our Foot nor find a fixed Bottom That the important Controversie of Authority Infallible of the Church be not an Obstacle to our Re-union Monsieur de Condom would perswade us by all means that we are in that regard in the same Practise and in the same Opinion with his Church In that we make our Church Judge Soveraign and Infallible of the Controversies which arise among us He proves it by two things First Because we condemn the Doctrine of the Independants which say That every Faithful Man is to follow the Motions of his own Conscience and that each Flock is to be governed by their proper Laws without dependance of any other in Matters Ecclesiastical Whereto we oppose That if that Doctrine had place there might be formed as many Religions as Parishes and we conclude That the Faithful ought to be Dependants in regard of their Faith that is they must depend upon a Superiour Authority which is that of the Church I conceive not what difficulty Monsieur de Condom finds therein Have we ever said That the Faithful ought to be absolutely Independant of the Church Do we deny the Authority of the Church to be great holy venerable Do we consider the Decisions of holy Councils Assembled in God's Name and who have decreed according to his Word as Nothing There is much difference between a Great Authority and an Infallible Authority between a blind and absolute Dependance and a Dependance conditional The Authority of the Church is great but it is not Infallible Councils ought not to be despised but their Decisions are not to be received blindfold The Faithful are to live in Dependance but they must examine by the Word of God those Decisions whereon they are to depend Not to make a New Religion if they think good but to submit to Decisions by a Principle of Reason lightned with Divine Faith and grounded on the Word of God But they will say If those Private Men in their Examen Judge that the Decision of the Church be not true what must they do Ought they to submit or no If they submit against the Judgment of their Reason that is it we ask If they submit not and that they follow their Thoughts there is a new Religion I Answer If those Private Men Judge that the Decision of a Council be false they cannot but follow the Judgmenr of their Heart although all the Popes and Bishops should oppose it but if they be wise they will not stick to their first Examination they will labour to have their Doubts clear'd If they cannot they will keep silence in case the Errour in hand be not Capital If they believe that their Salvation is concerned then their Consciences obliges them not to make a New Religion but to chuse that which they believe most conformed to the Truth of the Gospel I will not engage further into a Question which hath a long Train One may read thereon those who have Written to justifie our Separation and among others the excellent Answer of Monsieur Claude in his Book of Prejudices there may all see what are the Rights of Private Men and of Flocks when the Church begins to wander The other Proof which Monsieur de Condom brings to prove That we give â—â— our Synods an Infallible Authority is drawn from our Discipline That Discipline would have that when a Point of Doctrine is in Controversie after that the business hath passed the Judgment of the Consistory of the Colloques and of Synods Provincial In fine They should acquiesce in the Judgment of the Synod National The same Discipline Ordains
That in the Letters of Mission whereof the Churches do charge the Deputies which go to Synods there be a Clause of Submission in these Terms We promise before God to submit to all that shall be concluded and resolved in your holy Assembly being perswaded that God will preside by his Spirit c. To that Monsieur de Condom adds a Fact drawn from the Synod of Saint Foy Anno 1578. where some Overtures were made of Reconciliation with the Lutherans and deputed Four Men to whom was given an Absolute Power to terminate that Affair as should seem good to them Behold say they where ends the false delicateness of these Gentlemen They will not receive the Decisions of Councils they make no difficulty to put their Faith into the hands of Four Men who would be weary to be obliged to answer so many things that come to nothing What doth all that I pray you Doth that prove that we hold the Church for an Infallible Judge All that Monsieur de Condom says returns to this Reasoning or it returns to nothing Those who give their Synods power to judge Soveraignly of Points of Faith who promise Submission in the assurance that the Holy Ghost presides there and who retrench from the Communion of the Church those that would not submit to their Decision give to these Synods an Infallible Authority but the Calvinists do that therefore they give to to their Synods an Infallible Authority This Argument supposes false and concludes ill 1. It supposes false for it is not true that we promit our Synods a blind Submission What is said to them That we are perswaded that God will preside in the midst of them by his Spirit is a Clause of Civility whereof the Terms are not to be abused That signifies nothing but that we wish and hope that the Holy Ghost will direct them It is not true neither that the Synod of Sainte Foy have put the Faith of the Protestant Churches of France in deposito into the hands of Four Men for what was committed to them was not to make new Articles of Faith but only to compose a Formulary in general Terms which all the World might receive And they did not so far refer themselves wholly to their Judgment but that they reserved liberty not to follow them if they should chance to make some false Advance 2. This Argument concludes ill for from what Power we give to our Synods to Judge of the Points of Doctrine and do cut off those that will not submit to their Judgment Monsieur de Condom concludes that we attribute to them an Infallible Authority This Reasoning is worth nothing or this is good The Bishops and Archbishops do give Ordinances Councils Provincial and National in the Roman Church decide Points of Faith and cut off those that will not submit therefore they believe themselves Infallible I do not therefore think that the Bishops neither separately nor in their whole Body out of a General Council esteem themselves Infallible Must then the Priviledge of Infallibility be had to have the Power to Judge of a Point of Faith There would then be none but the Pope or the Council that could Judge thereof There must be an Order Every Society is in right of Judging of Controversies which arise in its bosom and that Member thereof that will not submit to that Judgment may be cast out of the Body Therefore we do properly complain That the Roman Church having pronounc'd against us in the Council of Trent after that did cast us out of their Body They used in that the right which appertains to every Society but we complain that they have unjustly condemned us The Question touching the Rights and Authorities of Councils and Synods deserves an Examen much more ample we will leave it as an Incident which Monsieur de Condom hath brought into his Book without necessity and only to entangle the state of the Question It imports nothing at the bottom what Authority Synods may have to know whether the Roman Religion is far distant from the Protestant which is properly the Affair here in agitation ARTICLE XVI Of the POPE and of his Authority I Follow the Order of Monsieur de Condom I finish by the Head of that great Body into which they would have us re-enter that is the Pope Here also after him a Point whereof we have made a stumbling Block without any reason What is the Pope It is the Principle of Unity the Cement of Union It 's a Head whereto all the Members have a relation and who makes the Uniting of the Church for Men know there is no Goverment more solid and that contributes more to the Conservation of States than the Monarchical What hurt then can there be to set upon the Body of the Church a Spiritual Monarch a Visible Head that may watch for its Conservation and may govern it Must not People be very Captious to make of that a cause of Separation I will regard well this Article at first under the same face that Monsicur of Condom doth The Pope is a Visible Head a Spiritual Monarch but who hath appointed this Monarch Is it possible that Men do not feel that this puts a prodigious difference between the Religion of Protestants and the Roman Religion To make it appear I suppose that the Lord Jesus Christ would have the Government of his Church should be Aristocratical and that he hath put it into the hands of such whom he hath called Bishops and Priests whom he hath invested with equal Power I know well that this Principle is contested but once more I am not oblig'd to prove any thing in this Work I am permitted to suppose my Principles and in supposing them I must shew how they are incompatible with those of that Church whereunto they would have us return If then the Lord Jesus Christ hath setled a Government Aristocratick in his Church this kind of Government is of Divine Right and if it be of Divine Right none must be permitted to change it under whatsoever pretence The kind of Government is so much of the Essence of a State That the State changes absolutely loses its Name and its Form when the Government is changed All the World knows that a Kingdom which by a general Revolt shakes off the Yoke of its legal Master and then a Popular Government a Republick which by the violence of an Usurper becomes a Monarchy are no more what they were before and they would that without ruining the Church they may make a Monarchy thereof against the intention and design of Jesus Christ We do not understand that Suppose we also that this Soveraign Power exercised at Rome be an Usurped Power It is the Principle of Protestants Selon ce Principe is it possible that they would oblige us to submit to an Usurped Power If a Tyrant or Rebel had taken the place of the Legal Prince were it not extream baseness and a Crime of
beyond what is necessary for the satisfaction of his own Sins which happened to the Blessed Virgin which having committed no Sins hath suffered so many Pains and to the Blessed Prophets Apostles and Martyrs whose life having been most holy hath yet been a continual Series of Crosses voluntary and involuntary 12. So in that Treasure of the Church with the Merits of Jesus Christ are the Sufferings of the Blessed Virgin and of all the Saints which have suffered more than their Sins required 13. By these superabundant Satisfactions of Jesus Christ and of the Saints may be applied to others by the Pastors of the Church both by way of Indulgences and by the Sacraments with this difference That the Satisfaction of Jesus Christ may be applied both by the Sacrament and by the Indulgences but the Satisfactions of Saints cannot be applied but by way of Indulgences 14. That the Pope is he in whom principally resides the Power of distributing these Indulgences therefore he may grant to the Faithful plenary Indulgences 15. That the Treasure of these Indulgences is opened by the Pope not only in favour of the Living but also of those that are in Purgatory for whom the Pope applies out of this Treasure as much as is needful to recompence the Pain which they should pay in Purgatory 16. For Distribution of Indulgences the Roman Church hath established what she calls Jubilees they are priviledged Years wherein they grant Plenary Indulgences both of Guilt and Pain to them all who being contrite and confessed shall do certain Works imposed on them Boniface the 8 th first Author of these Jubilees about the Year 1300. Ordained that they should return every Hundred year About 45 after Clement the 6 th Ordained that they should be celebrated from 50 to 50 Years Urban the 6 th would have them put to 33 Years and published a Bull about it But Paul the Second Sitting in 1464. Ordered them to 25 Years It is good to remark by the by the great Antiquity of these Jubilees that they may not reproach us to have loaded our Discourse with an useless Chronology 17. Of these Indulgences some are for 1000 10000 150000 there are some for Sins past and Sins to come To the Augustines of Padua they grant a plenary Indulgence for all Sins committed after Baptism till the last Confession with 18000 Years for the future 18. These Indulgences are fixed to certain Churches and Priviledged Altars and those Priviledges last no longer than the Stones and Edifices for if they be ruined the Indulgences perish also 19. They obtain these Indulgences by the Visits of certain Churches of those of St. Peter and St. Paul of St. Mary Major and of St. John of Lateran at Rome Every Saint rewards his Devouts at the Concession of these Indulgences At Rome St. Cosme and St. Damian furnish a Thousand Years Indulgences Eusebius 7454 Quarentines St. Praxade 1200 St. Bibiane 600000. 20. In fine These Indulgences are gotten by repeating many times Ave Maria bearing blessed Grains Rosaries Meddals St. Francis's Cord Scapularies Holy Girdles Kissing Relicks and Praying to Saints We must not oppose thereto the Bull published 1678. against Indulgences by Order of Innocent the 11 th now Sitting For beside that that Piece hath scandalized all the Roman Church which we very well know it abolishos only False Indulgences These are the Terms of the Bull It 's meant of Indulgences wholly false and supposititious which are carried and published in divers parts of the World For the rest the Bull confirms what it doth not condemn and for one that it abolishes it leaves without hyperbole more than a Thousand Behold a sincere description both of the Doctrine and Practise of the Roman Churches about Satisfactions and Indulgences Monsieur of Condom would have us to count that for Nothing It is then nothing that Men should be permitted to conceive this proud Opinion that they can give Satisfaction to God Verè propriè truly and properly It is nothing to advance that Maxim so contrary to Humility so far as to say That they satisfie to God beyond what they ought and lend to those that have not Merit enough out of their own Overplus It is that whereof we may see divers remarkable and new Examples in the Second Answer of Anonymus to Monsieur of Condom It 's nothing to make a Treasure stor'd in such a surprizing manner with the Merits of Christ and of Men. What Union can there be between the Finite and Infinite Can Men conceive that this can be no prejudice to Jesus Christ It is nothing to make the Saints enter into their part of that Benefit which delivers Men from a Pain though not Eternal yet altogether like that of Hell How can Men say that these Human Satisfactions and Indulgences are nothing after all but the application of the infinite Merit of Jesus Christ Had Men need if it were so of the Merits and superabundant Sufferings of the Saints to make application of the Satisfaction of Jesus Christ It is nothing of giving to the Pope power of dispensing the Merits of Jesus Christ to whom he pleases It is nothing to put into his hands the Key of those places where the Dead suffer to draw thence whom he pleases in paying for them those Richesses drawn out of his Treasures and so to carry on his Power to the very Empire of death it self It is nothing that they estrange and draw off the Spirits and Hearts of Men from the practice of the true Means which God hath appointed for Application of the Merit of Jesus Christ viz. Sacraments and Contrition of Heart to give them up to such Means whereof Scripture saith not a word as the Visitation of certain Churches Invocations of certain Saints Scapularies and Relicks We must count it for Nothing to fill the Capacity of the Spirit and Heart of the Vulgar which is but narrow with so many Trifles and things of Nought which is the cause that there remains no more room for Acts of true Devotion It is nothing that they dishonour Christian Religion by a confused heap of Practises which are unworthy the Greatness of his Majesty and of his Spiritualness that they carry out the Piety of the Faithful to be diffused upon Rosaries Chapelets Scapularies Cords Girdles Relicks Ashes Churches Stones Altars Images to obtain thereby Remission of Sins which they should receive from God immediately and him alone These Indulgences are nothing which have given place to so many Abuses so many Simonies whereby they have sold the most Holy things and made a Trade of the Remission of Sins It is they which have given birth to those Scandalous Books like to that of the Roman Chancery where every Sin is taxed at a certain Rate Yet it is the Court of Rome that had made them they were the Indulgences which had given place to them There is nothing in this most horrid relaxation of the Discipline of the Church Heretofore she
to Sanctity she makes too much use of Terrour The Spirit of the Gospel is a Spirit of Sweetness The Law of Moses had a hundred Threats for one Promise but the Gospel hath a hundred Promises for one Threatning It s Character is that of Debonairty Mens Souls must be drawn by Love to oblige them to Love God That is the true Principle of Sanctification Though it were true That Purgatory were capable of restraining Men God hath no need of a Lie for his help to uphold his Truth and to settle his Justice But there is something more and we are engaged to regard this Controversie as a Capital Affair and for many Reasons 1. We are obliged to nourish the peace of honest and pure Consciences and of Souls truly penitent They accuse us of lulling them asleep and plunging them into Security God is our Witness therein We present to them just and lawful Terrours by the sight of the Pains of Hell but when they have escaped those Pains by a true Repentance we would account a Cruelty to present to them other Pains of the same Nature and declare them to be unavoidable If the Roman Church should teach this Dogma in good earnest and that it were so believed I maintain it would be Impossible for their Faithful People to die without unimaginable Auguishes A Moment in Purgatory is something more cruel thau whole Years of the Gout or Gravel Colick and all other Pains gathered together in some wretched Creature How could a Man die with any tranquillity being assured to fall into Torments so horrible and of so long continuance If we must consider it as a Capital Crime to make a poor Wretch suffer without the Magistrates Order Racks and dolourous Torments We cannot behold it as a light thing to torment Souls so cruelly without God's Order by the fear of an Imaginary Evil 2. Although Purgatory should do no more hurt at this day it would deserve to be banished for the Evil it hath done It is the Source whence have sprung so many shameful Productions which dishonour the Christian Name so many fabulous Stories false Miracles returns of Souls Visionary Apparitions and a Thousand other things of this sort In a word It 's the Father of Legends and the cause why the Christian People in most places is yet fed with those Windy Meats and with that Word which may well be called the Antipodes of God's Word Shall that be counted for nothing which hath so often served a dishonest Gain And though it were possible to hinder these Abuses why should we retain a Doctrine which exposes both the People and the Conductors to so many Spiritual Dangers 3. I would intreat these Gentlemen that they would well remember the Principle which we have laid in the Subject of Satisfactions and Indulgences it is that to judge well what distance a Doctrine doth cause between one Religion and another it must be regarded by that which is reduced to Practice It 's Practice which is sensible to the People and the People is that Party properly whose Reunion is in agitation Upon that Fort let them consider of what importance is Purgatory in this Affair it is the foundation of a great part of the Worship of the Roman Church it is the foundation of Satisfactions and Indulgences whereof we have seen the Sequels to fill up all their Worship Purgatory is the foundation of Prayer for the Dead the cause of the Sacrifice the occasion of so many Masses of Prayers and of Services of so many Travels of Pennances of Vows of Pilgrimages and Macerations In a word one may say that all is done for Purgatory and Nothing almost for Hell For an Act of Contrition according to these Gentlemen saves from Hell But all the Contrition of all the Penitents together would do nothing against the Pains of Purgatory Men must pass through them or redeem them by Penible Works by Prayers by Alms by Masses and Penances So all the Strength of Devotion is turn'd towards that side 'T is clear then methinks that we cannot tolerate a Doctrine whereupon is fastened a Worship whereof we cannot participate though our Life were laid thereon ARTICLE IX Of Sacraments in General WE have met with so many things which separate us from the Roman Church in those Articles that we have now examined that it is not very necessary to find some in this present Matter which is that of the Sacraments Monsieur de Condom passes it over lightly hastening to that of the Eucharist I will also follow him and pass by this place with the like swiftness The Controversies which regard Sacraments in general their efficacy and their manner of acting are for the most part most Metaphysical and therefore beyond the common capacity of the Vulgar That of the necessity of Intention in the Minister thereof is nevertheless of no small importance It deserves well that Mousieur de Condom should speak a word of it He did too much think of what he was Writing that she should forget it It seems he did not find colours good enough to cover that horrid uncertainty wherein Christians must needs continue whilst they suppose the validity of the Sacrament to depend of necessity on the Intention of him that doth administer it For in fine we maintain that on this Supposition one can nevet be assured neither of having been rightly Baptized nor that what is ador'd in the Eucharist is no more Bread and so Men are never out of the danger of Idolatry About Baptism doth only the absolute necessity of this Sacrament and condemn to death those little Children whose unhappiness it is to die without receiving of it but he brings no proof for it I will only say That what Monsieur de Condom adds is not very true That we fear not to suffer willingly our Infants to die like the Children of Infidels I know none but do fear that and that will not do all that they can to hinder this mishap yea we make no scruple of Baptizing them without our Churches in case of necessity But when the Providence of God prevents our care and suffers it not to succeed we would be very loath to damn to Eternity Creatures more often innocent than those who have given them birth and which have the happiness to be born within the Covenant of Grace About the Sacraments of Confirmation Extreme Unction Order and Marriage Monsieur de Condom leaves the part of Explication and takes that of Probation Though the Proofs were worth any thing I would not examine them himself hath forbidden it us If any one saith he shall think fit to answer this Tract he is desired to consider that for a meet Advancer of the Business to purpose he must not undertake to confute the Doctrine which it contains I have submitted to this Law and have conceived the Equity thereof But in truth without it I should wrong my Lord of Condom if I should mispend time