the Syriack Tongue did insensibly mix with the Hebrew Dialect and became common to the Iews and hath since been called the Hebraick Language IV. He Examins in the Fourth Article the Works of many Authors who make mention of the Old Testament as those of Philon Iosephus Iustus c. in speaking of the Writers of the New Testament he Remarks after St. Ierom that the last Chapter of the Gospel of St. Mark is but in a very few Copies and that we may reject it almost with all the Greeks because it seems to mention several things contrary to those which are spoken of by the other Evangelists Besides he assures us upon the Credit of this Father that that which obliges St. Iohn to write his Gospel after all the rest was that having read the rest he remarked that they had only confined themselves to write the History of one Year of the Life of Jesus Christ viz. from the Imprisonment of St. Iohn the Baptist to the death of our Saviour and thereupon he resolved to give the Church an account of what happned in the preceeding Years He does not precisely find in the Acts of the Apostles the time when St. Paul changed his Name from Saul Mr. Du Pin conjectures that it was after the Conveâ—tion of Sergius Paulus because he says it was the custom of the Romans to give their own Names in Testimony of Friendship It might also be said as Budeus proves in his Pandects that it was to honour their Patrons and Benefactors for these they had obliged to take their Names He ends this Dissertation with the Books of the New Testament which were at first doubted but that were soon after placed in the Canon of Holy Writ by the consent of all Churches to wit the Epistle to the Hebrâ—ws the Epistle of St. Iames the Second Epistle of St. Peter the Second and Third of Saint Iohn that of Saint Iude and the Apocalypse The Bibliotheque it self he begins with Criticisms upon the Letters of Agbar to Iesus Christ and Iesus to Agbar which he shews to be Supposititious as well as the Gospel according to the Egyptians The Gospel according to the Hebrews and many other pieces that some wou'd have to pass under the name of the Apostles There were Persons in St. Ierom's time that pretended the Gospel according to the Hebrews was originally that of St. Matthews because it was written in Syraick and Chaldaick Characters Mr. Du Pin proves here that they were different not only by the passages of this Gospel according to the Hebrews which has nothing in it like the History of the Adulterous Woman in Saint Matthew But also because Eusebius and after him St. Ierom absolutely distinguisheth them that this last had translated the Gospel according to the Hebrews whereas the Author of the Version of St. Matthew is wholly unknown and that in the Gospel according to the Hebrews the Scripture is cited there after the Hebrew and St. Matthew in his follow'd the Translation of the Septuagint Yet there is room to doubt of this last Argument since the same St. Ierom which distinguishes these Two Gospels here confounds them in another place according to the relation of our Author in the 39. pag. of his Dissertation And it is not only Contradiction of that Father which he has observ'd Always saith Mr. Du Pin when St. Jerom Treats expresly of Canonical Books he rejects as Apocryphal all those that are not in the Iews Canon but when he speaks without making any reflection he often cites these same books as Holy Scripture Ib. p. 72. speaking diversly by Economie and according to the Persons with whom he had to do The Epistle of St. Barnabas which we have also an entire Latin Translation of and great part of the Greek Original is certainly his since we see in it the same passages that St. Clement of Alexandria Origen Eusebius and St. Ierom cite out of it But says he if this Letter was really St. Barnabas's it ought not to be added to the other Books of the New Testament That follows not according to our Author for if 't is true that a Book is Canonical when we are certain 't was writ by an Author who had the Authority of making it Canonical Who is it that hath said St. Barnabas must be of this Number rather than St. Clement or Hermas 'T is the business of the Church to declare it and it 's sufficient that it has not done it therefore his Letter is look'd upon as Apocryphal altho ' 't was certainly his own He adds that this Letter is unbecoming this Saint being full of all Stories and Allegories But we must know a little the Genius of the Iews and the first Christians who were nourisht and brought up in the Synagogue to believe that these kind of Opinions cou'd not come from 'em On the contrary this was their Character they Learned from the Iews to turn all the Seripture into Allegories and to make Remarks upon the Properties of Animals which the Law had forbidden 'em to eat of We must not be surprised then if St. Barnabas who was Originally a Iew writing to the Iews has Allegorically explain'd many passages since every body knows that the Books of the first Christians were full of these sorts of Fables and Allegories He rejects the Liturgies attributed to the Apostles Because he cou'd not but make a little Reflection upon what is read in the Celebration of the Eucharist in the First Epistle to the Corinthians and upon what St. Iustin and the first Fathers of the Church have said to perswade us that the Apostles and those which succeeded them have celebrated the Sacrifice of the Mass with great simplicity He only relates a small Number of Orisons but by little and little he adds some Prayers and a few External Ceremonies to Render the Sacrifice more venerable to the People In fine the Churches have regulated all abuses in the Sacrament and wrote down the way of celebrating it as may be found in the Liturgy The Apostles Creed the Canons and Apostolick Constitutions are none of theirs Ruffinus was the first and only Author of the Fifth Age who wrote that the Apostles composed the Creed and he only advanced it as a popular Tradition Mr. du Pin to confirm his Opinion and prove that the Creed was not the Apostles as to the Words and Form gives us a Table of the Four ancient Creeds the Vulgar the Aquilean the Eastern and Roman where one might compare them together and observe considerable Differences between them for Instance the Terms Catholick Communion of Saints and Life everlasting which are in the Vulgar or Common Creed are wanting in the other Three As for the Canons which are attributed to the Apostles he defends the opinion of Aubespinus and Beoregius who believ'd 'em very ancient and who pretend that they were properly a Collection of many Councels held before that of Nice the
tibi solus Sed ubi tres Ecclesia est licet Laici c. Grotius took the part of Mr. Rigaut his Friend and then printed a small Dissertation de Coenae administratione ubi Pastores non sunt It is in the third Tome of his Theological Works We may also see an Abridgment thereof in a Letter to Salmatius which is 260. of the 1. p. where our Author testifies he was of Erasmus's opinion to wit that in the Primitive times the Faithful consecrated the Bread and Wine and communicated together there being often no Priest in the Company See the Letter of Erasmus to Cuthbert Tonstar l. xxvi Epist. Grotius seems to have much respect for Christian Antiquity as may be seen by all his works and by this place of the Letter 191. of the 2. p. Perhaps those who are of Voetius 's opinion will think it will be a Socinianism to make the principal part of Religion consist in the observation of the precepts of Iesus Christ. But I see that the Christians of the first Ages the Assemblies the Doctors Martyrs have been of this Iudgment that there are few things which we ought necessarily to know and that as to the rest God Iudgeth us according to the obedience we have rendered to him The same also appears by a Conversation that Grotius had with the Prince of Condé in 1639. and whereof he gives an account to Chancellor Oxenstiern in Letter 1108. of the 1. p. He relates to this Suedish Lord that the Prince had given him a visit that they had discoursed of several things and that this Prince had approved his Opinions that in this Age one may attribute to himself the Name of a Christian and the Surname of Catholick the Scripture must be believed interpreted not according to the particular Judgment of each one which hath caused Seditions Schisms and often Wars but according to the universal and perpetual consent of the Ancient Churches which we find in the Writings of several excellent men and chiefly in the Symbols and Acts of the true Ecumenick Councils which were held before the Schism of the Eastern and the Western Churches and which the Emperors and all the Churches have approved of That moreover we must abstain from calumniating any one to leave off the Spirit of Parties to endeavour the Unity of the Church such as Jesus Christ hath ordained and the Apostles have founded and to hold for our Brothers to wit for Christians and Catholicks all those who are in these opinions although those who rule over the Churches have separated themselves from the External Communion Haec omnia Princeps sibi dicebat probari sapientissimis quos cognosset hominibus Not that Grotius was very much conceited with the antiquity he believed as some are that the Ceremonies which it hath constantly kept to are all of Divine Right Thus he speaks to Mr. des Condés about Confirmation and Imposition of hands Let. 329. 1. p. I have found by reading that the imposition of hands was a Jewish Ceremony which was introduced not by any Divine Law but by Custom every time that any Body prayed God for another For the Jews prayed God that his Power should accompany that Man as the hands which were put upon his Head and which were the Symbol of the Divine Power were united to him Jesus Christ followed this Custom as several others of the Synagogue whether Children were to be Blessed or the sick were to be Cured in joining Prayer to this Ceremony It is according to this Custom and not consequent to any Precept that the Apostles laid their hands on those to whom they conferred the Gift of the Holy Ghost by Prayer Thus it was that not only Priests used the same when they received any into their Body as it appears by the Example of Timothy 1 Tim. iv 15. But the Apostles themselves received anew the imposition of Hands when they engaged into any new design Acts xiii 2 So if at every time that hands were imposed a Sacrament was conferred we shall find Sacraments in all the Prayers which have been made for any one which is contrary to the true Signification of the word and to the use of the Ancients It 's from this Ceremony continueth our Author which was not ordained by God but which hath of it self been introduced amongst the Jews and Christians that sprung the Sacraments of Confirmation of Ordination and Penitence of Extream Unction and even of Marriage for the Ancient Churches laid their hands on those who were Married as the Abyssins this day do The Baptism of Christians adds he consisted in times past in immersion only as that of the Jews who baptized all those who embraced their Religion It appears not that any laid hands on those who were baptized but those who had the Gift of conferring the Holy Ghost This hath been introduced rather in honour of Bishops to persuade the People that they had succeeded to the Rights of the Apostles In the second Age and the following divers Ceremonies were added to Baptism by allusion to some passages in Scripture according to the Custom of the Ancients who expressed themselves not only by Words but also by Signs and Symbols It is for that that they made those who were baptized to tast of Hony and Milk But it was thought fit to represent particularly by these Symbols that those who believe in Jesus Christ receive in their Soul the same Graces which Jesus Christ made the sick feel which he cured in their Body or that those who make profession of believing in him feel the Eyes of their Soul to open as well as the Ears of their Heart that they are cured of all their spiritual maladies and that the Devil hath no further Power over them Therefore Exorcisms were made use of and the term of Epphata be opened also of Spittle of Oyl whereof Jesus Christ and the Apostles made use of in curing corporal maladies Posterity was not content with this 'T was thought it ought to be made apparent that Christians are Kings and Priests in anointing with a more odoriferous oyl This Unction was joined to Baptism as it is yet with the Greeks and as it hath been a long time in the Latin Church The Priests who baptized administred it as well as the Bishops the Bishop according to the Testimony of St. Ierome and St. Augustine differing from the Priest only in this that the Bishop had the sole right of Ordaining Priests Our Author after having made these Remarks gives his Sentiment concerning a Canon of a 1. Council of Orange which caused then great disputes betwixt Mr. de S. Cyran and F. Sirmond and maintains that the latter had well cited and understood it tho' his Adversary accused him of falshood Grotius believes that this Canon gives the Power to Priests to administer the Chrisme and orders that it should be administred but once Nullus Ministrorum qui baptizandi recepit officium sine Chrismate
and Masoret Hammasoret Pref. 3. 4. But the most of the Jews affirm that Ezra and the Men of the Great Synagogue first invented and placed the Shapes of the Points to the Text as Elias Levita himself in Masoret Hammasoret at the beginning of Pref. 3. observes and Ephodeus cap. 5. cap. 7. Now all these several Opinions agree in this That the Shapes of the Points were placed to the Text by the Time of Ezra and that they are of Divine Original and Authority therefore which is all we are concern'd to prove And herein we have the universal Consent of the Jews one only Elias excepted as hath been proved in the First Part for had another been of his Opinion either himself or his Followers would have produced him which they have not done to this day Now if we consider this Testimony in all its Circumstances it will appear very full and pertinent First As to its quantity 'T is the universal Consent of all the Jews in all Places Times and Ages Secondly As to its quality they are of all sorts 1. The ancient Caballistical Writers and Philosophers 2. The Talmudists 3. The Grammarians they are the most Learned both ancient and modern Thirdly As to the History and the Age of these Witnesses none are so fit for from them we have received the Hebrew Bible by them it is preserved and they are fittest to give the best Account of their own Affairs Fourthly As to the Form of this Testimony here is their plain loud full and open Voice for the Antiquity of the Points and their deep Silence as to the Novelty of the Points So that in all respects the Testimony is full plain and Authentick § 3. But hereunto it is objected That there are express and mute Testimonies of the Jews against the Antiquity of the Points 1. As to express Testimony 't is said and objected That Aben Ezra R. D. Kimchi Cosri and the Author of Tsak Sephataim together with Elias Levita are against the Antiquity of the Points Resp. We have at large proved in the First Part that all these Testimonies are wrested and that all these Rabbins are for the Antiquity of the Points Elias Levita only excepted which proves the universal Consent of the Jews for the Antiquity of the Points seeing Elias Levita and his Followers cannot pick up one single Iew that doth so much as question or doubt of it Object But the Iews are partial to the Praise of their own Nation and so unfit Witnesses only Elias speaking against their Glory is of more moment than six hundred on the other side Resp. 1. Elias speaks most in his own Cause and for the Glory of his own Nation in ascribing the Punctation to the Masorites A. D. 500. when we say the Jews were rejected and under the Curse of God that as such a time they should be owned of God so as to be able to produce so excellent a Work as the Punctation which is the Rule of all our Translations and Expositions of Scriptures This Opinion is most their interest to espouse and most to their Praise whereas the other Opinion belongs not to their Praise any more than ours for the Christian Church succeeded the Church of the Jews What Ezra did was whilst they were God's Church and People which not the Jews but the Christians now are And Ezra had as much Honour as that did amount to besides as being one of the Pen-men of the Scripture and did not so need it as the poor Masorites who had nothing else to boast of 2. But if the Jewish Nation were herein partial to their own Glory yet still they are fittest to give the best Account of their own Affairs All Nations are partial to their own Praise and yet the Records of every Nation are the best Evidences of their Affairs and their own Transactions § 4. Secondly 'T is objected by Capellus and Others That the Iews preserve the Law which they publickly read in the Synagogue without Points thereby to represent the Autographon of Moses being without Points which 't is said Buxtorf confesseth doth prove that the Autographon of Moses was without Points Vid. Considerat Consid. pag. 242. Resp. Buxtorf doth not confess any such thing but the contrary Vid. Buxâ— de Punct Orig. pag. 49 50. And tells the several Opinions of the Jews about the Law of Moses Some suppose it was Pointed at first Others suppose there were two Copies in Moses's his time one Pointed the other without Points That the Law is judged polluted if one Point be put to it is owned but that it was without Points to represent the Autographon of Moses doth not appear They who would know why the Jews read and keep it without Points may hear what themselves say to it who own the Antiquity of the Points and therefore if their Testimony be good in one thing 't is so in another But the Jews give Three Reasons why the Law is kept without Points in the Synagogue 1. Because of the difficulty of Transcribing Copies so exactly as is required for publick use the least defect rendring it profane which indeed with Points were almost impossible to be done 2. That they might have the liberty of drawing many and divers sences whereas the Points consine it to one only but they wouâ—d have many more mysterious 3. That all Learners might be kept in dependance upon their Teachers and 't is not unlikely but they preserve the Law Unpointed that none might be permitted to read it in the Synagogue until he were able to read it perfectly without Points Moreover if it were so this hinders not but that it might be Pointed by Ezra as Megilla or Esther read without Points which yet they own that Ezra Pointed and is of Divine Authority However the rest of the Scripture is read in their Synagogue with Points and the Law it self is read exactly according to the Punctation to a tittle which sufficiently sheweth their esteem of the Punctation as being of Divine Authority Object 'T is said If the Iews did believe that Moses or Ezra either had Pointed the Law they would not have used it without Points Resp. They all believe that Moses or else Ezra Pointed the Law yet none of them Point it in the Synagogue but give other Reasons why they omit the Points though they read by them And had Elias thought there had been any Argument in this Objection 't is like he would have used it which he doth not but acknowledgeth the Jews own their Antiquity § 5. Thirdly T is objected That the ancient Caballistical Writings make no mention of the Points or their Names nor yet do they draw any Mysteries from them as they do from the Letters which if they had been of Divine Authority no doubt but they would have done Also the Mishna and Gemara yea both the Talmuds are very silent about the Points even there where they had necessary occasion to have made mention of them if they
and serve God at Ierusalem and learn the Language of a People whom they hoped to see destroyed and their Tongue with them Also Daniel and the Prophets of that time wrote their Prophecies mostly in the Hebrew Tongue and altogether in the Old Character as none doubteth it is then most irrational to suppose that Ezra should reject them whilst they were even wet and newly written to introduce another Character And that they commonly spake their own Tongue after their return appears in that it was accounted a strange thing that the Children spake partly the Tongue of Canaan and partly that of Ashdod which they learnt of their Mothers who were newly married there to the Jews so that there was no occasion of this Alteration of the Character Some say 't was done that the Scripture should be dispersed and spread through the East Resp. This helps it not Why then was it not put in the Chaldean Tongue They are little the better for its being in their Character only Some say the Jews in hatred to the Samaritans left their ancient Chracter because they would have nothing in common with them Resp. Why then did they not reject the Law also which the Samaritans held likewise Would they thus give the Samaritans cause for ever to triumph over them for having left the Ancient Character wherein the Law was first given in its Original Purity to the Care of the Samaritans their Enemies whilst themselves had rejected it for that of Babylon Were these the Acts of those Jews whom they say dare not put one Point to the Law that they might represent the first Autographon of it as it was written by Moses And who account the Bible unfit for Publick Use by the least misplacing of a Letter or making a letter that is larger or lesser than his fellows but equal to the rest But so it was though they know not why as Eusebius Jerom the Talmuds and some Coyns found with the Samaritan Character do testifie Resp. 1. These Witnesses were born five hundred years after the Fact about which they testifie which impairs their Authority The Fathers had little knowledge of that Tongue especially Eusebius and Ierom who knew most might easily be mislead by the darkness of that time The sence of the Talmuds is disputed by the Jews who say the Talmuds do not intend any such thing as is here fathered upon them but say their Opinion was That the Character we now have was the first ancient Character wherein the Law was at first written by Moses but not commonly understood till Ezra ordained the writing of the Law in that Character only Iacob ben Chabib on Ein Is. p. 142. And as to the Old Coyns as there might be 1. Several sorts of Characters some fittest for Embossing or Engraving and yet the same Hebrew Tongue So 2. The Story is fabulous But be it so if they were so ancient must it needs follow that because these Letters were then known and in use that they only were so Or that the Bible was written with them and those now in use unknown 3. 'T is as confidently affirmed that there were Coyns as anas Solomon's time taken up with the same Hebrew Letters wherein the Bible is now written Vid. Schickard Bechin Hap. Hottinger Cip. Heb. So that this Testimony is as much for the present Character as for the Samaritan being the Ancient Character But the truth is as Dr. Broughton declares in his Positions touching the Hebrew Tongue speaking against this Assertion That Ezra invented the Characters which now we have pag. 668. he saith The Trojans were not willinger to betray their own City than our loytering Fathers and loytering Selves to give Machmad all strength of victory Iews by Fables have overwrought us c. § 3. And thus have we examin'd the Exceptions to the Testimony of the Jews for the Antiquity of the Points by all which 't is faintly suggested That the Iews do not own their Antiquity when at the same time 't is known that all the Jews who at any time have written or expressed their Opinion about the Points have plainly owned their Divine Antiquity Elias only excepted who nevertheless believeth that all the Punctation is perfectly the very same that was at first expressed by the holy Pen-men of the Scripture that only the Shapes were placed by the Masorites not one Iew can be produced that doth so much as doubt of the Antiquity of the Points c. All the People of the Jews to this day follow the Punctation and do still universally publickly profess they believe the Antiquity and Divine Authority of the Points nor is there one Man left alive so much as of Elias his Opinion among the Jews And so much for the Testimony of the Jews for the Antiquity of the Points CHAP. III. §. 1. The Testimony of all Christian States and Churches Ancient and Modern Considered § 2. The Objection of Jerom's Translation and the Fathers and some Modern Divines not owning the Points Answered §. 3. Wherein the stresâ— and strenght of the Testimony of Iews and Christians doth consists § 1. AS to the Testimony of Christians this likewise is Universal of all Ages Places and Parties as appears by their received Translations taken out of the Hebrew as 't is now Pointed But hereunto is objected the silence of Ierom and the Fathers as to the Points the Translation of Ierom differing from the present Punctation the Fathers having recourse to the LXX the Opinion of many Eminent Modern Divines both Papist and Protestant for the Novelty of the Points c. Whereunto we Reply First As to the Silence of Jerom about the Points and that therefore they were not in his time 't is Answered 1. Ierom's Translation for the main of it shews he had the Sound and Force of the Punctation Whether Pointed Copies were as common then as they are now we do not debate nor whether he could get one or not though they were in being then with the Jews nor yet whether the Names of them were then the same they are now nor what need he had to mention them though he had them when many large Rabbinical Commentaries since the Masorites take no notice of the Points neither as Alsheech Abarbinel c. Yet some will dispute several places of Ierom wherein they affirm he speaks of them But grant he were silent about them were they not in being therefore Ierom is as silent about the Keri and Ketib and the Chaldee Paraphrase and yet both were before his â—ime Ierom saw not all things nor is it proved that he mentioned all he saw None else but Origen among the Fathers saw or knew any thing considerable of the Hebrew in those dark times and they were oft constrained to conceal their Esteem of the Hebrew Original because of the Ignorance and Obstinacy of those times Hence 't is no wonder the rest of the Fathers take no notice of the Points when they generally understood
Latin we might justly apply to him the words of Cato Utican on the Subject of Posthumius Albinus who being a Roman would nevertheless write in Greek and yet excused the badness of his Stile saying He did not well understand the Greek Tongue He had rather says this grave Senator beg Pardon for his Fault than not to commit it He has also Expressions so proper to the Greek Tongue that they could not have slipt from an Author that had writ in Latin had he been never so little versed in the Tongue for Example this Author translates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui sunt ciro◠Ptolomaeum instead of saying barely Ptolomaeus or Ptolomaei Discipuli he also makes an Adjective of the proper Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he translates Clarus Mr. Dodwell goes much further and maintains that this Latin Version is so far from being the Original or made by St. Irenaeus as some have believed that it appeared not until a long time after the Death of this Father since Tertullian quotes this Work always in other terms though he writ thirty Years after The first that produced formal Testimonies was St. Augustin in his Books against Iulian. What is most strange is that it seems this Father did not know that St. Irenaeus writ in Greek this Version then must be made in the time that passed between St. Augustin and Tertullian and whereas St. Ierom makes no mention of it in his Catalogue composed the Year of our Saviour CCCLXXX and the Fourteenth of Theodosius it must needs be made between the Year CCCLXXXV and the time which St. Augustin speaks of Our Author thinks it is the Work of some French or Spaniard that was very ignorant in the Latin who undertook this Version upon the account of the Priscillianists who renew'd the Errors of the Gnosticks which St. Irenaeus had disputed against This Version was the occasion of a very singular Action which was that after the Heresies were smothered this Version was so rough and full of strange Matter that it was quite despised so that Gregory the Great could not find one simple Copy of it after an exact Search which he caused to be made and that none of the ancient Schoolmen speak of it But on the contrary the Greek Authors had several Copies of the Greek Original and there are Fragments of it in all Places And nevertheless now this excellent Greek is lost and the World is full of the bad Latin Translation the Fate of Books very often is like that of Fountains there are little Rivers that carry their Name into the very Sea and very considerable ones that lose themselves without any Name St. Irenaeus writ his Books both without Distinction or Arguments and his Translator or some other Authors have added what we see at this day IV. Our Author in his last Dissertation of the other Works of St. Irenaeus begins his Letter writ to Blastus and by the first to Florinus the first treated of Schism and the second of Monarchy Baronius thought that Florin's Errors oblig'd St. Irenaeus to write the Books against Heresies but Mr. Dodwell is not of his mind It is manifest that it is against the Valentinians that this Father intended these Works and Florinus taught a quite contrary Doctrin to that of these Hereticks for whereas these Hereticks establish'd two Principles the one good the other bad them Florinus made conformable to the Doctrin of the Church but he made that the Author of Good and Evil. As for Blastus he is acquitted of the Crime of Heresie whereof many Ancient and Modern accused him and it s believed he was but a Schismatick having done the Office of a Priest after he was deposed by his Bishop These two Letters were writ at the same time after his Work against the Hereticks according to our Author in the Year CLXXXII and the Third of Comodus and the Eighty fifth of Irenaeus Florinus did not stop at these Errors he soon fell into the Dreams of the Valentinians which obliged St. Irenaeus to write him a second Letter which he entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Eighth because it was writ against the Eighth des Eons de Valentinians Our Author believes that Irenaeus was above Eighty five years old when he writ it which was about the CLXXXII Year of Jesus Christ. Irenaeus writ also an Harangue against the Gentiles the Subject whereof was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Science It is known that Isocrates not having the necessary Talents for speaking publickly contented himself in writing several Orations with important Advise to them that ruled the People he was imitated by a great many others and the Christians themselves were assisted by this Custom to teach the Pagans the Truths of the Christian Religion and did not neglect to embellish their Orations with the vain Ornaments of the Sophists to move the Curiosity of the Readers whose Gust lay that way Such was then St. Irenaeus's Discourse of Science that it was addressed to the Greeks that is to say to all them that were not Christians for as the Christian Church succeeded that of the Iews and the Iews called all them Greeks that were not of their Religion so the Christians gave the same Name to all those that did not embrace their Opinions Mr. Dodwell believes that this Work was employ'd to refute the Opinion of some Philosophers who thought that by Study and Meditation one might raise himself beyond all that is sensible or material and to the perfect knowledge of God and of all Spiritual Beings and this by themselves that St. Irenaeus proved that Knowledge was reserved for the other Life and that we do not know in this but only by Faith St. Irenaeus writ another Work which he named the Demonstration of Preaching or of the Apostles Doctrin and dedicated it to one Mavejon to contradict several Writings that were father'd on the first Disciples of our Saviour and particularly the Sermons falsly attributed to St. Peter Mr. Dodwell says that the design of this Work was the same of that of the Prescriptions of Tertullian The Ancients speak yet of another Work of St. Irenaeus intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is according to St. Ierom's and Mr. Dodwell's Interpretations a Book containing divers Treatises our Author imploys a long Discourse to shew that St. Irenaeus had erected a School in his latter days and that he taught his Scholars what he himself had learned of the Apostles Disciples that is to say Apostolical Traditions and that this Work we speak of was a Collection of the Lessons that he made in that School It is pleasant to see the trouble Mr. Dodwell gives himself to establish this his Opinion and it is like he took it with pleasure because it tends to the general end he proposed to himself of reconciling the Traditions of the two first Ages of the Church with the Scripture What is very advantageous is that all these Enquiries include many
that the Apostles insisted upon no points of Ceremonies amongst themselves which should oblige 'em to a certain order as to precedency in walking c. he confesses that one might oppose to this the Authority of some Fathers but he maintains that their Authority is not of so great weight in these things which are not essential to Faith because that upon these occasions they followed their own thoughts and conjectures being as much actuated by the dictates of their imaginations as other-men altho St. Cyprian and other African Doctors assure us that St. Peter had only this Preheminence because that we might learn thereby to keep the Unity of the Church Mr. Barrow omits not to tell us that one might assent to the Priority of St. Peter and he gives there the same reasons for example he was call'd to the Apostleship before the others he was older c. That which can't be granted to St. Peter according to our Author is a Superiority of Iurisdiction whereof nothing is to be found in Holy Writ and which ought to be there contained and very clearly if it were a Doctrine of Faith according to this Rule of St. Austin Credo etiam hic Divinorum eloquiorum clarissima auctoritas esset si homo sine dispendio promissae salutis ignorare non posset The Author is very large in proving that St. Peter had not any Authority like to this over the Apostles and carefully answers the passages of the Fathers which the Roman Catholicks use to object to the Protestants on this occasion and he brings divers of the same Fathers frequently opposing themselves and very strongly confutes those arguments brought for the Superiority of St. Peter Mr. Barrow endeavours in the sequel to shew that the Priviledges of the Apostleship were personal and died with the Apostles according to that Maxim of the Law Privilegium personale personam sequitur cum persona extinguitur That if the Fathers say that Bishops are Successors of the Apostles they also say it indifferently of all Bishops They cou'd not say any thing more than this that the Apostles have established them to govern the Christian Church after 'em not that any of them has succeeded in the utmost extent of the Apostles Charge but because that every Bishop governs the Flock which is committed to him Singulis Pastoribus says St. Cyprian portio gregis adscripta est quam regat unusquisque gubernet c. Episcopatus unus as he adds in another place cujus à singulis in solidum pars tenetur He afterwards attempts to shew that the Episcopacy of St. Peter is incompatible with his Apostleship and that none of the Antients believed that he was the Bishop of Rome where he could not stay long altho' it is pretended he continued many years 'T is said on this occasion that he who wrote the Letter by some supposed from St. Peter to St. Iames does not misrepresent the personage of this Apostle since it makes him to say If whilst I am alive they dare raise so many falsities upon me what will not posterity undertake He maintains yet farther that St. Peter was not Bishop of Rome because there were others there in his time to wit Linus established by St. Paul and Clement established after Linus by St. Peter himself There are yet brought many other Reasons drawn from Antiquity After having refuted the four first Suppositions of the Roman Catholicks he remarks that since they are the only foundation upon which the fifth can be upheld it must necessarily be false since the preceding ones are so which he believes he has sufficiently proved He yet maintains farther which is more than needful that when they grant to St. Peter all the Roman Catholicks attribute to him it would not follow that the Bishop of Rome should be his Successor This he shews all along by many Reasons and by the Testimony of the Fathers as well as by Sacred Writ he much enlarges upon the Inconveniencies which would be in obeying the Bishop of Rome as the only Successor of the Priviledges of the Apostles and he says amongst many other things that the Popes have render'd that definition true which Scioppius has given to the Roman Church viz. Ecclesia est Mandra sive grex aut multitudo Iumentorum sive Asinorum He also mentions the History of the Establishment and the Jurisdiction of the Metropolitans or Primates and maintains that as they were established by Humane Prudence so they might also be abolished by the same Power and other things of this nature which entirely ruine the Authority of the Pope The Author after this applies himself to shew that the Popes since St. Peter have not enjoyed without discontinuation this Soveraign Authority which they usurp since they have not had the power to convocate general Councils nor to preside there nor to make Laws or oppose themselves to the Canons of the Councils and lastly that they enjoy'd not for many Ages the other Rights of this Soveraignty There is in this Chapter the History of the Convocation of General Councils and the oppositions which have been made divers times against the power of the Bishop of Rome In fine Mr. Barrow engages the last supposition of the Roman Catholicks to wit that the Supremacy of the Popes could not be ruined He brings many reasons to evince that it might cease and that when it was granted to the Pope it might happen that he could lose it by the faults he should commit or personal defects as if he turn'd a Heretick because St. Ambrose says those who have not the faith of St. Peter cannot be his Successors Non habent Petri haereditatem qui Petri fidem non habent quam Impia divisione discerpunt and this frequently happens as Dr. Barrow says acccording to the Ancients and is yet seen to this day if we may believe the Protestants whose reasons the Author proposes very strongly in enumerating the sentiments of the Roman Church which are considered as very erroneous 'T is this which contains the treaties of the Popes Supremacy the other follows to wit the Vnity of the Church where Dr. Barrow designs to prove that Vnity may well subsist without the necessity of the Christian Churches having a visible head He engages to shew that the Unity of the Church consists in this that all the Christians do agree in Fundamentals particularly in those which have a necessary connexion with Piety and the Practice of good works and in this that they be joined in the bond of mutual charity c. He afterwards shews in what manner the Christian Churches may root out Heresie and Schism without the assistance of a Visible Head and keep at the same time a Conformity of Discipline in things of the highest consequence even when it cou'd not be established but by Humane Prudence but he yet maintains that this last Union is possible in supposing certain things which are
not necessary nor ordained by the Apostles and he gives many reasons to which he adds divers Examples in Ecclesiastical History by which one may see he believes it not necessary that there be an Union of Discipline amongst the Churches Upon this occasion he particularly makes use of the Epistles of St. Cyprian by which it appears according to Dr. Barrow that every Bishop lay under a double obligation whereof one regarded his Flock in particular the other the whole Church By the first he was obliged to take care that every thing be done in good order in his Church and that nothing should be done which was not for Edification and this should be endeavour'd by taking counsel of his Clergy and his People By the second he was obliged when the good of his Flock required it to confer with other Bishops touching the means of preserving Truth and Peace But in that time a Bishop knew not what it was to be hindered from acting according to the extent of his Power by appealing to a Superior Power to which he was obliged to give an account of the Administration of his Charge Bishops were then as Princes in their Jurisdictions but they omitted not to keep a certain Correspondence for the preserving an universal Peace Statutum est omnibus-nobis saith St. Cyprian ac aequum est pariter ac justum ut uniuscujusque causa illic audiatur ubi est Crimen admissum singulis Pastoribus portio Gregis sit adscripta quam regat unusquisque praepositus rationem actus sui Domino redditurus and elsewhere Qua in re nee nos cuiquam facimus nec Legem damus cum habeat in Ecclesiae administratione voluntate sui liberum arbitrium unusquisque praepositus rationem actus sui Domino redditurus Dr. Barrow shews after this the Inconveniencies which would attend the Government of the Christian Church if it should acknowledge one Visible Head A famous Divine of the Church of England having maintained the Unity of an Ecclesiastical Discipline so that all the Christian Churches ought to be according to him in the nature of a Confederacy which submits every Church in particular to an entire body if it is permitted so to speak Dr. Barrow believes he is obliged to refute this Tenet and to that end he hath drawn from his Works twelve proofs of this Opinion which that Divine has spread in divers places and which he proposed with great care altho' after a manner very obscure and intricate This last Author having objected for instance to those who believe not that the Unity of Discipline is necessary the Article of the Creed where 't is said I believe in the Holy Catholick or Vniversal Church and the Creed of Constantinople where 't is said The Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church Dr. Barrow answers to this that this Article is not in the Abridgment of the Christian Faith which is found in St. Irenaeus Tertullian and St. Cyprian no more than in the Creed of the Council of Nice And 1. That it was not in the Apostles Creed which the Church of Rome makes use of but that it is added after the Times of Ruffinus and St. Augustine against the Heresies and Schisms which sprung up in the Christian Church 2. That it agrees with the Unity of the Catholick Church in many respects and that this is not the manner of Unity which is in Question and which is not decided in the Creed 3 'T is fairly supposed that the Unity which is spoken of in the Creed of Constantinople is that of outward Government 4. That one might reasonably think that the sense of this Article is no other than this That we make profession to remain stedfast in the body of Christians which are scatter'd throughout the whole World and which received the Faith the Discipline and the Manner of living Ordained by Iesus Christ and his Apostles that we are bound to be charitable to all good Christians with which we are ready to Communicate That we are willing to observe the Laws and Constitutions and Ioynt-Opinion of the Churches for the Conservation of Truth Order and Peace Lastly That we renounce all Heretick Doctrines all scandalous Practices and all manner of Factions 5. That it appears that this is the sense of this Article because that he hath put it in the Creed to preserve the Truth Discipline and Peace of the Church 6. That 't is not reasonable to explain this Article in any manner which agrees not with the Apostolick Times and Primitive Church for then there was no Union of Discipline amongst Christians like to what has been since As it was objected to Dr. Barrow that this opinion favours the Independants so afterwards he shews the difference between it and that of these Men after which he draws divers consequences from his own positions as That those who separate from the Communion of the Church in which they live that is established on good foundations are Guilty of Schism and ought to be Censured by and excluded from the Communion of all other Churches and they must not think themselves to be exempted from Error altho some other Church would receive them as a Subject cannot withdraw himself from the obedience of his natural Prince in putting himself under the Protection of another This also is defended by the Apostolick Canons which the antient Church hath observ'd with much Care as Dr. Barrow makes appear by many examples This is according to his opinion a means to extirpate Schisms and not that which is proposed by the Roman Church to wit to Establish a Political Vnion amongst divers Churches by which they are Subordinate to one only Every Church ought to suffer the others to enjoy in peace their Rights and Liberties and content it self to condemn dangerous errours and factions and to assist with Counsel the other Churches when they have need thereof The second Volume contains the explication of the Creed in 34 Sermons upon this Article I believe in the Holy Ghost The rest being briefly explained because that the Author has treated of 'em in other places of his Works marked in a little advertisment which is at the End of his Sermons These Sermons are not simple explications of the Letter of the Creed The Author hath explained the Articles as he had occasion by divers texts of Scripture treating of the matter that he found therein and the particular circumstances of each text He shews first how much doubting is necessary and on the contrary in the two following what Faith is Reasonable and Just. In the fourth and fifth he explains Justification by Faith He afterward proves in four Sermons successively the existence of a Deity by the Works of Creation by the order of the Body of Man consent of all Nations and by supernatural effects The tenth and two following treat of the Unity of God of his power and of the creation of the World In the 13th and to the 20th the Author
fit an infinite number of places of the Antient Councils without having respect to the MSS. which makes Vsher to give him the Title of Contaminator Conciliorum As Hilary and Leontius Archbishops of Arles had favoured Semi-Pelagianism Cesario who succeeded Leontius inclin'd to what the Divines of Marseille called Praedestianism to wit the Sentiments of St. Augustine It was by his direction that the second Council of Orange was held in the year DXXXIX which approved the opinions of St. Augustin and our Author gives us an account of all their entire acts A little while after another Council was held at Valence upon the same matters and which also condemned Semi-Pelagianism Boniface II. approved the acts of this Council by a Letter that he writ to Cesario in the year DXXXI and which Vsher hath inserted in his Works Here it is that endeth the History of Pelagianism and Semi-Pelagianism which was not nevertheless extinguished among the Gauls nor in England by so many Efforts and Decrees of the defenders of Grace as may be seen by the History of Godescalch written by the same Vsher. What can there be concluded from thence according to the Principles of St. Augustin but that God would not apply his Grace to Anathemas to Confiscations to Depositions and to Banishments whereof the Pious Emperors and Holy Councils made use of against the unfortunate Pelagians We may relate the beginning of the third part of the British Antiquities in p. 268. where the Author begins to speak of King Arthur and of the priviledges pretended to be given by him to the University of Cambridge The rest of the Chapter excepting what there is in it concerning Gildas of whose works Vsher makes long Extracts is but a collection of Fables and Citations of Monks The 15 th Chapter treateth of the Colonies that the Facts a People of Scythia and the Scâ—â—ch that inhabited Ireland sent into England and of the manner how these Barbarous People were converted to Christianity There are also in this place more Fables than Truths seeing if we except some general acts the remainder contains only impertinent fictions in this Chapter are also new Fables concerning St. Ursula which some Monks report to have been Daughter to a King of Scotland The 16 and 17 th Chapters which contain the Ecclesiastick Antiquities of Ireland are of the same stamp as the preceding ones and we may wonder how the Archbishop of Armagh hath had the patience to make such a great collection of Fables and to read such a great number of Works of Monks both Manuscript and Printed Those that are minded to know a great part of their fictions concerning the British Isles from the year DXXX unto the end of the fourteenth Age may have recourse to the Original In the same nevertheless may be found some more certain antiquities touching their firâ—â— Inhabitants and the names of these Islands and some considerable changes that happened in them The Author hath also added at the end a Chronological Index where one may see in what time each thing ought to be related It 's a thing much to be wish'd in other Works which contain such disquisitions of Antiquities where commonly there is a strange Confusion Those that desire to be throughly instructed in the Ecclesiastical Antiquities of England ought to add to Vsher's Work whereof we have given now the extract a Book in Folio of Doctor Stillingfleets Intituled Origines Britannicae or the Antiquities of the British Churches with a Preâ—aâ—e concerning some pretended Antiquities relating to Britain in vindication of the Bishop of St. Asaph Printed at London 1685. The true System of the Church or Analysis of Faith c. by Sieur Jurieu Doctor and Professor of Divinity At Dordrecht Sold by the Widdow Caspar and Theodore Goris 1686 in 8vo THIS piece is chiefly designed to answer Mr. Nicoli but the difficulties that Mr. Arnauld Father Maimbourg and the Bishop of Meaux have propos'd in the chapter of the Church are herein examined with the utmost exactness the whole is reduced to these five general questions 1. What are the essential parts of the Church 2. What is the invisibility and maâ—ks thereof 3. What is its extent 4. What is its Vnity and Schism 5. What is its authority and judgments the exact and profound discussion of these matters take up three Books The first is begun by the comparison of the Church with a Human Body animated and it 's pretended that as the essential parts of man are a reasonable Soul and an Organised Body and the Union of this Body and Soul likewise the essential parts of the Church are Faith and Charity the Profession of Faith the outward practice of Charity and the Union of these four Faith and Charity are the Soul of the Church the outward Profession and Practice the Body and according to this Idea neither the Saints in Paradise nor the Predestinated that are not yet born are any part of the Church which is proved by Scripture after that is examined if false Christians and Heretical Societies make part of the Church and having shewn the prodigious incumbrances whereunto the R. C. cast themselves in maintaining that an ill man may be a true member of the Church and even of those Members on whom God confers the Spirit of infallibility We are taught after what manner the men of the World are in the Church and may be lawful Pastors in it Mr. Nicoli stands here a rude brunt for he pretends that his efforts do make St. Augustin agree with the Scholastick Divines upon the question whether the wicked are true Members of the Church which is full of obvious contradictions As to Heretical or Schismatical Societies it 's needless to prove to the R. C. that they do not belong to the Church for they say it often enough yet without giving good reasons why crimes are more priviledged therein than errors but the incumbrance which may be in this respect hindreth not Mr. Iuricu from fully examining this matter he enters therefore into the discussion of the Unity of the Church He maintains always leaning upon his comparison of human bodies that all the Sects of Christianity belong really to the body of the Church and that in this there is no more absurdity than to maintain that a distemper'd Member is a true part of Mans Body he asks whence comes the Idea of the Unity which excludes from the Church all the Christian Societies but one and he persuades himself that the monstrous errors which are raised in the first Ages have been the true Origin of this Idea in accustoming the Orthodox to think that Hereticks are Members wholly separate from the Body He adds that St. Cyp finding this Idea ready at hand applyed the same to the Novations grounded thereon such strong reasons against the validity of the Baptism of Hereticks that nothing of weight was answered him this occasions the Author to criticise on the Hypotheses of St. Cyprians
antagonists He shews them that they understood not what the Unity of the Church is He makes the same reproach to St. Augustin and accuses him of perplexing himself with a thousand contradictions in maintaining on one side that the Baptism of Hereticks is valid and on the other that they are absolutely separated from the body of the Church But St. Ierom is not so used it 's granted that he has better understood the question and it 's proved by his disputes against the Luciferians that he excluded not from the Church even all Hereticks After this it is maintain'd by eleven proofs that the Catholick Church includes all the Christian Societies which retained the fundamentals of Christianity The first proof is drawn from the extent which the Word of God promiseth to the Church for as it is evident that there is no particular Church which hath ever compleated the notion of this extent the promises of God must either be false or verifie themselves by the extent of Christianity in General Here are refuted the pretensions of Mr. Nicole upon the extent of the Romish Communion the second proof is taken out of the places of the Word of God which foretel that the Church shall have a mixture of good and bad of wheat and tares for if crimes hinder not a Christian to be a Member of the true Church why should error have the fatality to hinder from it It is surely a pretention that abuses the light of Nature to say that a Man that kills another is yet a Catholick but if he blames the retrenchment of the Cup he is by that very thing Excommunicated and banished the whole Communion of the Church we need only to ask good reasons for this enormous inequality to make the most resolute Doctors sweat The third proof is drawn from this that God keeps the knowledge of the Truth and Preaching of his Word in Schismatick and erring Societies whence we must conclude that God saves Men in it Other proofs are founded on examples or on the Opinions and Conduct of the Roman Catholicks The examples are the Schisms of the ten Tribes which continued as this Author saith to be the People of God and the Iews that were converted to the Gospel in the Apostles time and who refused to have any Communion with the converted Gentiles For the proofs ad hominem they are drawn either from Father Goar or from Leo Alatius who said that the Schismatick Communions of the East are not out of the Church Or according to Mr. Nicole several persons have been saved tho' of the Arian Communion or else the Gentlemen of Port Royal err which glory in this point of Transubst antiation to have Conformed themselves to the Schismaticks or according to the Confession of the Romish Church that there is a true Mission and a saving Grace in the other Communions so that other sects are Christians and during the Schism of Anti-Popes the true Catholicity was found under divers obediences Mr. Nicole is strongly refuted upon this Article Neither is he with less vigour refuted upon the objection which he hath so much boasted of which is that the Vnity of the Church necessarily includes the Vnity of Communion It is the first difficulty which Mr. Iurieu examins in his answer to the arguments which may be alledged against his system The 2d difficulty is found in the 7th Book of Mr. Arnaud upon the downfal of Morality where he saith this System is that of the indifferency of Religions but 't is strongly denyed him for it 's maintained that one cannot be saved in all the Sects of Christianity and that there are cases wherein we must separate from them which err and that we cannot Communicate in all nor tolerate all nor pass successively from one unto another These are great questions and for to clear them one must have as much wit and depth of Judgment as Mr. Iurieu has He makes a thousand fine remarks upon all this he saith there are two ways which God makes use of to save Men in Heretical Societies one is the Grace he gives them to discern the true spiritual nourishment from the false The other is to bear with their faults according to his great mercy But lest People should abuse this Doctrine the Author brings several Cautions which shew that such as throw themselves into the Communion of Rome have reason to fear their Souls and maintains that it was well done to separate from it as in the last Age. He speaks much upon the important subject of Toleration nor will he have Soveraigns deprived of the liberty of reprehending their Heretick subjects in certain cases nor will he have them that err have any priviledge of maintaining their pretended Truths he examines upon this subject the reasons that have been lately published to maintain the priviledges of a Conscience that really errs and then passes to the visibility and perpetuity of the Church two great questions upon which he says some things that are both solid and curious And so much for the first Book The second runs upon a subject no less important that is upon the Authority of the Church and analysis of Faith The Author begins his proofs against the infallibility of the Church for this reason that the Universal Church being a Collection of all Societies that retain its grounds and principles can no ways be infallible nor has it any need of being unerrable for every part maintaining that each other part being contrary to it's self has fallen into error it follows that the Church being but a Collection of all these parts whereof the one refutes the rest is erroneous in all its parts and that being so how can it be infallible or any single part thereof be unerrable Nor is it less evident that the infallibility of the Church would be to no purpose because it is not possible that a Congregation of all Christian Sects should clear or decide any difficulty And it is confessed here that the unanimous consent of all Communions to teach a certain truth is a kind of infallible judgment given by the Church and moreover the Character of a fundamental truth so hard to be agreed upon is consented to but lest the Socinians might come to cross it it is declared that neither they nor the Fanaticks have any share in it nor yet the other Sectaries of these times After this the Authority of Councils is spoken of and divers reflections made thereon The Councils are considered different ways 1. Either as the meeting of wise Men that have a mind mutually to instruct each other and Communicate their knowledge 2. As commissioned Law-makers that Assemble for to regulate the form of Government 3. As Judges established by their Church to learn the prevarications of Religious Societies The first of these relations belong to them in respect of matters of Faith the 2d In respect of ordering of Discipline and the 3d. in respect of censures and Excommunications this is
that every Year they fill 90 Barrels therewith The Inhabitants profess the Grecian Religion And instead of a Bishop which they will not admit of they have a Protopapa as they call him that is an Arch-Priest The Piety that our Author makes appear throughout this whole work obliges him to complain of the little care that those of its Nation have taken to form an Ecclesiastical Body and maintain a Pastor therein Delos is the most celebrated Isle of all the Cyclades It is two or three Leagues about is also very full of Rocks and by consequence Barren And at present an uninhabited Desert Tho' there still remain some Monuments of it's Antient Splendor The most remarkable is a Pile of White Marble on which the Temple of Apollo was supposed to be built 'T is otherwise with Sestos and Abydos whereof there remains not the least Footsteps to be found what is now called the Old Castles of Rometia and Anatolia not being built in the same places nor having any mark of Antiquity Gallipoli which is also near hath preserved very few of 'em But at Lampsaque which hath still kept it's Name and at Heraclea are many more to be found Constantinople having been above Twelve Ages the Seat of the Eastern Empire Mr. Wheeler thought he cou'd not be too large in describing of it Many Writings being extant of the same nature I shall observe in our Author only what 's the most curious 'T is thought that Titus Livy's Works are all entire in the Grand Seignior's Library But Mr. Wheeler being inquisitive about it himself offer'd as he assures us great Sums to the Bacha who hath the charge of the Books yet cou'd not procure a sight of it One of the greatest Conveniences they have for Travellers at Constantinople and almost every where throughout Turky is the Publick Houses to entertain Strangers which they call Karavan-Seras or Kans where Persons may live as well as they please having commonly near 'em Shops that afford all things necessary at a reasonable Price It is true the greatest part of 'em are like Barns and have about the Walls what they call a Sopha a Foot and a half high for Travellers to lye thereon But those which are now built in Cities or great Towns are incomparably more commodious having many Apartments all distinguish'd from each other Our Author wishes the like conveniencies were establish'd amongst Christians which wou'd cut off many useless Expences and be a Remedy for several Disorders that occur from the contrary The Patriarchal Church is an obscure Edifice without Beauty or any considerable Ornaments And the Patriarchs Palace is not larger than one of the most despicable private Houses in London This Prelates Habit also is very plain and little differing from the ordinary garb of Caloyers or of the Monks of St. Basil. Nevertheless 't is hardly to be credited with what earnestness this Dignity is sought after And how dearly those that aspire thereto pay for it to the Grand Visier who to make it the most advantageous he can often upon the least pretence turns out those he has lately put in to sell it to others so that sometimes there have been five Patriarchs in the space of 5 Years The Celebration of the Eucharist Mr. Wheeler saith is an Act of Religion wherein the Greeks appear the most devout yet he thinks it impossible to determine exactly what is their general Opinion upon this Subject At some places they hold Transubstantiation as at Corfou and at Zant. But he assures us the Bishop of Salone and the Convent of St. Luke in Beotia believes in this Sacrament only a Spiritual and Efficacious Presence and as he found none that received the word Transubstantiation or of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except among those that had some connexion with the Roman Church so he doubted not but others which were not yet deceiv'd by 'em are of the same Faith with the aforesaid Bishop and Caloyers Tho' the Turks have always been lookt upon as sworn Enemies to all Learning Nevertheless our Author says They have very Learned Men among 'em and as in the Seraglio there are Historians on purpose to observe great Events so at Constantinople and elsewhere are maintained Professors in all parts of the Mathematicks in Poetry and in the Arabian and Persâ—an Tongues That they have a Bazar or Purse for the Manuscripts of each several Science compos'd in the Turkish Arabick or Persian Language And what appears the most surprizing is their asserting to us that they had seen an antient Book of Astronomy which suppos'd formerly the Use of the Needle and Loadstone altho' it serv'd them not for Navigation From Constantinople Mr. Wheeler pass'd the Bosphorus and came to Chalcedon and this Town which became so famous by having the 4th Council held there in the Year 452. is now but a small Village that the Turks call Cadiqui Mr. Wheeler designing to Visit all the Celebrated Places of Natolia and particularly those where formerly the seven Churches of the Apocalyps were He sail'd from the South-side in passing by the Mount Olimpus of Mysia the place where Ajax kill'd himself for Despair which the Inhabitants have still stamp'd upon their Moneys 'T is very sad to see the deplorable Estate the Christians are there reduced to who having formerly defended their Liberty as much as they cou'd are now constrain'd to pay double to the others of Caratch or Tribute as 9 or 10 Piastres by the Year the Caratch being commonly but five or four and a half to the rest The first of these famous Cities of the Apocalyps that our Author arrived at was Thyatira a place well peopled with Turks but not above 10 or 12 Christians therein The antient stately Buildings of Marble having been for a long time buryed in their own Ruines and the place fill'd with low despicable Houses it 's Name was almost forgotten but at length was discovered by some old Inscriptions that were dug out of the Earth It is not so with Smyrna For that being a very fruitful Soil and situated advantageously for Commerce they have taken care to keep it in it's former Splendor by rebuilding each place as it fell to decay nevertheless it was overturn'd six times by Earth-Quakes and it 's final Ruine according to an Old Tradition is expected by a seventh A greater Number of Christians inhabited there in a much better Estate than in any of the seven Churches Philadelphia only excepted Many Camelions are in that place which obliges our Author to give us a very exact Description of 'em At Ephesus all the Earth is covered with pieces of Marble Pedestals Pillars and all the Ruines of the handsomest and most antient Architecture This City which was formerly the Capital of Asia so famous and populous is not the receptacle at this day of more than 40 or 50 Turkish Families who live in miserable Tenements without having so much as one Christian amongst ' em Which sorrowful Object
drew Tears from our Author When he there saw that Threatning accomplisht that Jesus Christ had made to this Church when flourishing To remove it's Candlestick from it's place It fares little better with Pergamus whose Church formerly so fine is now composed but of 12 or 15 Families of poor dejected Christians Sardis has no way the Advantage Once the Capital of Craesus's Kingdom is now the retreat only of Beggars and Vagabonds which have a few Christians amongst 'em who serve only as Slaves to these Infidels But the Desolation of Laodicea surpasses all the others for it is absolutely destroyed and deserted There are still at Philadelphia 200 Christian Families who have four Churches where they assemble together which our pious Author omits not the observing that 't is an effect of the promises that Jesus Christ had made to this Church to preserve it in the time of Tryal that shou'd come upon all the World And Greece which he afterwards travelled into presented him with a Picture not less sorrowful for the Inconstancy and Vanity of humane Things than that of Natolia It was no small trouble to Mr. Spon and to himself that they cou'd not find the place where Delphos formerly stood and after a great deal of care and diligent Search they perceiv'd some Old Inscriptions that testified this City once so famous was now a Village call'd Castri upon the Hill of Parnassus Athens has not perfectly shared the same Fate It at least retains it's Old Name for the Greeks still call it Athini and not Satines or Saitenes as it is now read in the Modern Maps 'T is 2 or 3 Leagues in Circumference and is possess'd by eight or ten thousand Inhabitants who are all naturally of a great Wit and Politeness Tho' there remains no sign of it's Antient Splendour but the Ruines of some Rich Places and Noble Monuments Mr. Wheeler assures us next to Rome 't is a place that surpasses all the world for curious Pieces of Antiquity The chief of which he describes very exactly He observes amongst other things that there is in the Acropolis which is the Citadel the Ruines of a Temple of Minerva the Front of which is adorned with Historical Figures round about to an admirable Beauty Likewise he hath not forgot to mention the Stadium where they celebrate the Publick Games call'd Panathenaica 'T is built all with Marble in length about 120 Geometrical Paces in breadth 26 or 27 which had two parallel sides and was enclos'd Eastward and opened exactly at the opposite Point Yet saith he cou'd have no certainty of the Place where the Areopagite was no more than many others related to us in the Histories of former Times The Mount Hymetta which is but three or four Leagues from Athens is the most noted for it's Honey which is indeed the best of all Greece Megara is but a small Village with very pitiful Houses cover'd with Faggots and Turfs thereon And there 's nothing remains of the Antient Grandeur but the Footsteps of its Walls and a few Inscriptions that are not quite obliterated Something more considerable is to be found of the Town and Theater of the Isthmus of Corinth where they kept public Plays and observes the place they begun to dig a Canal to joyn the two Seas together in Corinth hath been more favourably dealt with by time than any of the former since it is at this day large enough to merit the Name of a Town at least it cannot pass for worse than a very handsom Village Tho' nothing is more worthy observation than the Change that hath happened to the Euripus if what Pomponius Mela and Strabo saith is true That in their time it Fluxt and Refluxt regularly seven times a day since Mr. Wheeler affirms That for two days that he staid there he saw no more motion in it than that of our Marishes and all the Inhabitants agree that this Flux and Reflux is sometime regular and often irregular according to the Moon As a Learned Jesuite found out who resided two Years at Negropont that it is regular and very little differing from the Main Ocean at the end of the Old Moon till the first Quarter of the New but at the other part of the Month it is irregular and changes 12 13 or 14 times in 24 or 25 hours In the end of our Authors Work he gives only a succinct Relation of his Return to Zant and from thence to England A New Relation of China containing the Description of the Particularities of the most considerable things of this great Empire Composed in the Year 1668. By the Reverend Father Gabriel de Magaillans of the Society of Jesus Apostolick Missionary and Translated from Portuguese into French by the Sieur B. Paris at Mr. Claudius Barbins 1688. in Quarto pag. 385. and is to be had at Amsterdam at Henry Desbordes ALthough after so many Relations that have been given of China since one Age or thereabouts it seems it is difficult to tell us any new thing thereof notwithstanding we are assured that in this there is scarcely any thing to be found that hath been seen in others and that it will appear to the Readers as new as it is curious Besides that the History of China is a matter rich and vast enough and therefore not to be so easily drain'd it 's pretended that the most part of those who have written thereof instead of making exact Recitals have said nothing on 't but what 's almost all Fabulous that others having written in a different intention to that of informing us of all the Particularities of this great Kingdom have omitted the principal ones or have spoke of them but by the By and that finally amongst so many Men that have treated of the same Subject scarcely was there seen one who could so Learnedly speak thereof as Father Magaillans and that had the same means and the same occasions of instructing himself therein It was therefore in all likelihood to Supply what was deficient in the other Relations that this Jesuite so well informed had composed his But as he dyed in the Year 1677. without having published his Writings and even without having finished it the Publick would have run the hazard of being deprived of all the Fruit that it might gather from this Work if the Translator who is said to be the Abbot Mr. Bernou had not drawn it from its Obscurity and Dust and had not put into a condition to see Light by his Translation and Notes and by all the care that he took thereof This Author begins C. 1. with the divers Names that the Chinois and Strangers give to China And he immediately noteth that it is an ordinary custom where some new Family becomes Master of this State they make it to lose it's name Under the Precedent Family it was called Tai-Mim-que that is to say Kingdom of a great Brightness But the Tartars which are now the Masters call it Tai-cim-que Kingdom
Persecution than the Remonstrants They will have the Fundamental Error of the R. Church to consist in this We must not saith Episcopius in a Writing inserted by Mr. Limborg in the Preface of this Work consider Popery in some of its parts but in its whole not in this Doctrine nor in that which is accused of Heresie for it is almost the same thing on both sides the one is mistaken in one point and the other in another ..... We must look upon the whole Body of the Roman Church which is a composition of ignorant ambitious and tyrannical Men I call them ignorant not because they are not very Learned for sometimes they are too much so but because they know not and are obliged to know only what is prescribed unto them often against their Conscience against Reason and Divine Law It is the most pernicious of all Ignorances because it is a servile one which is upheld only by the Authority of the Pope and Councils and which is the source of the many Sophisms they are constrained to make to maintain such Opinions they have ingaged themselves into whether they find them true or false It extends its Empire as well upon the Practice as Belief because they are both tyed to the Foundations which they are always to suppose unshaken without freeing themselves by examining the solidity thereof Thence Tyranny is form'd It is this which makes it impossible ever to come back from this ignorance and which produceth Idolatry and ridiculous thoughts of the Divine Worship It is the Poyson of true Religion because it leads Men to serve God not according to his Will or by a Principle of Knowledg and Conscience but after that manner which the Pope liketh So that it is in vain to say that in this Church are many things which are good or sufferable this availeth nothing seeing they hold not what is good because it is good but because they are obliged to acknowledge it for such The Remonstrants have upon this establisht Principles which are very opposite to those of the Roman Church They not only believe with other Protestants that Scripture contains clearly all that is necessary to be known to believe to hope to do and to be saved and that all those who read it with an attentive mind and without prejudice may acquire by this reading a perfect knowledge of the Truths contain'd in it and that there is no other Divine Rule of our Faith but they admit also and maintain the necessary consequence of this Principle upon which many Divines expound not themselves distinctly enough Thence it followeth saith Mr. Limborg in this Preface 1. That no Man whoever he be no Assembly how considerable soever its Authority is and how Learned soever its Members are have not a Right of prescribing to the Faithful as necessary to Salvation what God hath not commanded as such in his Word 2. That from the Communion are to be excluded those only whom God hath clearly revealed he will exclude from Heaven 3. That to know certainly Damnable Errors and wholsome Doctrines we must see if in Scripture God hath promised Salvation to those who shall believe these Doctrines or threatned with Damnation those who shall embrace these Errors 4. That the only means to procure the Peace of the Church it to suffer those who retain the Fundamental Doctrines although according to us they are mistaken in things which God hath not commanded nor prohibited expresly under the condition of Salvation or Damnation 5. That if this rule was followed all Christians who have quitted the Roman Church would soon agree in Fundamental Points and differ but in Tenets which have neither been commanded nor prohibited under this condition 6. That consequently none have a right of imposing the necessity of Believing under pain of Damnation these non-essential Tenets 7. That no other means can procure a true Christian Union because constraint may tye the Tongue but not gain the Heart This is the drift of the Preface to come to the Work it self It is composed of three Letters and of a small Treatise of William Bom a Roman Catholick with as many Answers and some other Letters of Episcopius concerning the Infallibility of the Church The matter we see is of the utmost consequence and it is sufficiently known after what manner Episcopius was able to treat thereof Bom was a Priest who was no great Grecian as he confesseth himself and who besides was ingaged in the weakest Hypothesis which the Doctors of Rome ever embraced it is that which makes the Infallibility of the Church reside in the Pope's Person So that although he hath exposed pretty well the common reasons of his Party it may be said of him in relation to his Adversary Par studiis aevique modis sed robore dispar The occasion of this Dispute was a Conference which Bom and Episcopius had at the coming from a Sermon which the last had Preached Some of those who had been present thereat declared That Bom had been reduced to silence upon which he being willing to shew how much these reports were false Writ to two common Friends to put them in mind of the Reasons he had said and added to that a Writing to prove that St. Peter was established chief of the Catholick Church Episcopius at first made some difficulty of Answering this Priest because there is nothing more tedious and more unprofitable for a Protestant than to enter into dispute with a Catholick seeing that as it is an Article of Faith with him that his Church is Infallible so he believes himself obliged in Conscience not to confer with Hereticks but in the design of instructing them and not to have even the thought of receiving any instruction nor any light from them It is not possible without ingaging ones self into an excessive prolixity to relate all the reasons which have been said on each side in this dispute we shall only stop at some of the principal proofs and those which are not so commonly met withal in Books of Controversie Episcopius failed not at first to ask of his Adversary in what place of the Gospel Iesus Christ had appointed any body to be Soveraign Judge of Controversies and to decide without Appeal all the differences which should arise in the Church after the death of the Apostles As there are not in Scripture passages sufficiently express for this institution Bom had recourse to the Practice of the Church upon which Episcopius alledged to him three Acts of the Ecclesiastical History which agrees not well with the Belief of the Infallibility of the Pope 1. The first is drawn from the dispute which fell out towards the middle of the Second Age concerning the day in which the Passover should be celebrated Victor Bishop of Rome Excommunicated the Churches of the Diocess of Asia because they Celebrated this Feast the Fourteenth day of March and not the Sunday following according to the Custom of Rome Palestine and
St. Ioseph who made choice of St. Ann for their Patroness they afterwards established themselves in France under the protection of Ann of Austria Regent of the Kingdom So that it was in our times that the Grand-father and Grand-mother of Iesus Christ were brought into remembrance and I hope his great Grand-father and his Father will be soon deisy'd especially if the principle lay'd by the Maidens of St. Ioseph in this work be followed for if one must make his address to the Blessed Virgin because Iesus Christ cannot refuse her any thing and if we must address our selves to Ann the Mother of Mary to have the Daughters Favour then we must go back to great Grand-mother and so on to the rest BOOKS concerning the Exposition of M. de Meaux his Doctrine I. An Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England upon the Articles that M. de Meaux heretofore Bishop of Condom has Explained in his Exposition of the Catholick Doctrine with the History of this Book Quarto 1686. II. Defence of the Exposition of the Doctrin of the Church of England against M. de Meaux and his Apologists Objections Quarto 1686. III. A Second Defence of the Exposition of the Doctrin of the Church of England against M. de Meaux and his Apologists new Objections Quarto At London Sold by R. Chiswell 1688. IF it be useful in Civil Life to know them that give us advice and the secret motives that make them act such an examination cannot be of less advantage for our Spiritual conduct in the different ways shewn to Christians by the Doctors of divers Societies if Prejudices and Obstinacy do not damn at least it cannot be deny'd but they are very dangerous but when Learned Divines whose imagination is neither overheated with Dispute nor with the Opinion of a particular Party and does endeavour to call into doubts the most constant practices and publick customs there is reason to suspect that they have imbib'd no less odious Principles than Head-strongness and Prejudice If the Roman Church ever had Judicious and moderate Controvertists they were the Iansenists and M. de Meaux and some English that in these times have imitated the former so that if there be want of sincerity in the proceedings of these Gentlemen it is a strong presumption against the Defenders of Rome and no weak proof that its Doctrin cannot be maintained but by indirect courses These Reflections were necessary to shew the usefulness of the Modern History of Controversies as well in France as in England which Dr. Wake gives in his Preface of these Three Works and whereof we design to give a more than ordinary exact Abridgment here because there are remarkable circumstances known to very few I. All the World knows now that the Extirpation of all the Hugonots of France was resolved on even from the Pyrenean Peace and there are some that believed it was one of the secret Conditions of that Peace The difficulty was to put that Decree in execution without raising a Civil War and without alarming the Protestant Princes The Politicians took very just measures to weaken insensibly the Reformed of that Kingdom and either lull asleep or set at variance the Forreign Powers of their Communion There is none ignorant of the success but it would have been more happy if the Divines employed to maintain Rome's Cause had sped as well as the Coyners of Propositions and Inventers of Decrees And nevertheless it might be said that the Roman Catholick Doctors were not in the fault that things did not go on better and that it was not for want of incapacity that they persuaded no body The first that endeavoured to give a new turn to Controversies was M. Arnaud whose very Name is praised enough It is well known that this eminent Man who was a Philosopher a Mathematician well read in the Fathers and as well acquainted with Scripture has had several remarkable victories over the Adversaries of his own Communion yet with all his great qualities all that he did in his perpetuity of the belief of the Roman Catholick Religion touching the Lord's Supper was to repeat over and over that Transubstantiation being now the common Doctrine of the Church it follow'd that there never was any other Belief because it cannot be comprehended how all Christians should have agreed to change their Opinion which had it happened the certain time should be marked wherein the Universal Church had varied in this Point and when and how each particular Church came to Corrupt the Antient Doctrine It is very strange that after so many proofs of matter of Fact which M. Aubertinus alledged out of the Belief of the Holy Fathers that an Argument purely Metaphysical should make so much noise and be so much applauded by the Roman Communion It 's almost a certain sign of the weakness of a Cause to see the maintainers of it blinded with the least Sophism and Triumph in their fancy for the least appearance of Truth There wanted no great strength to ruin these imaginary Trophies The Protestants had no harder task than to shew that this reason supposed no error could be brought into the World nor embraced by a numerous Society The beginning of Idolatry is disputed upon and nothing yet decided Some will have it that it began by the adoration of Stars others from the deifying dead Men and then say they Statues were erected for Kings for the Benefactors of the People for Law-makers and for the Inventors of Sciences and Arts. And this to reduce People to the practice of Vertue and to do it the better they spoke of their Ancestors and proposed their Examples their Actions were spoken of in high Terms and their Soul placed in Heaven near the Divinity they thought they would not be idle there but that God would give them some considerable office there because they had acquitted themselves so well of the Employments they had upon Earth The common sort of People generally much taken with Figures and great Words it may be conceived a higher Idea of those excellent Persons than their first Authors designed and Priests observing that these Opinions made People more devout and brought themselves Riches made the People to pass insensibly from a Respect to a Religious Veneration And hence Idolatry was rais'd by little and little to its height now must we infer from hence that it is not a pernicious Error and that it was from the beginning of the World because the precise time cannot be marked in which People begun to adore the Stars nor tell who the first Hero was that had Divine Honors rendred to him and yet the Argument would be as concluding as Mr. Arnaud's Many Learned Men have Writ much of the Antient and Modern Idolatry and have shewn its various progress One can tell very near what time the Saturnalia were Instituted and the Mysteries of Ceres and Corpus Christi-Day and that of St. Ann. And at what time the Temple of Ephesus
was built and the Church of Loret and when Hercules was Canonized and Aeneas and Francis of Abisa and Ignatius Loyola all this is known But the first beginning of an Error is always impenetrable and can never be found out As for the Consent of Christians which Mr. Arnaud did alledge he was shewn that the Eastern Churches termed Schismaticks by Rome were not of her opinion touching the Lord's Supper and that if they had any Idea of a Real Presence it drew nearer the Consubstantiation of the Lutherans than the Transubstantiation of Rome It is true Mr. Arnaud produces several Attestations of Graecian Priests to shew that the Greeks were of the same opinion with Roman Catholicks but it is likewise true that he obtained the most part of them by Bribes Mr. Wheeler assures us in his Voyages of Greece that he spoke to many Pappas whom M. of Nointel Nephew to Mr. Arnaud had endeavoured to bribe for the same end The Miscellanea of Mr. Smith may also be seen to this effect One might be satisfied with this Answer yet the Superstitions of Rome being not so antient as those of Paganism the Reformed have thought that by a continual search at last that Prodigious Opinion might be discover'd which gave Birth to Transubstantiation And they have accomplisht it for they have shewn how the Energetick Expressions of the Fathers touching Transubstantiation occasioned in the ignorant Ages an obscure Idea of an Union or of an incomprehensible change and they have marked the Authors of these two Opinions differing thus about the Sense of Figure and Vertue Iohn Damascenus in the year 728 began to Preach in the East the Union of the Bread and Body of Iesus Christ and Paschase Ratbert was the first that published Transubstantiation or the change of the Substance of one into the Substance of the other in the Latin Church in the year 818. So that all that the Catholicks of France gained by Dispute was to see their Heroes worsted by a Minister who though Eloquent and Witty enough would nevertheless have yielded to M. Arnaud in many other things This Tryal made the Romish Church sensible that it ran the hazard of losing its reputation with all honest People if its Tenets came once to be examined And therefore their Advocates turned wranglers and barricading themselves with formalities prescriptions and the ends not answering they thereupon pretend that their Adversaries are condemnable without any necessity of examining into the bottom who is in the right and who is in the wrong M. Nicole took upon himself to plead this part and acquitted himself in his lawful Prejudices against the Calvinists with as much cunning and Eloquence as could be expected from a Disciple or Friend of M. Arnaud By ill luck the Iansenists came to the worst both in Rome and in France in the Famous Dispute of the Five Propositions and were forced to say That the Five Condemned Propositions were not in the Augustin of Iansenius whence it clearly followed that neither the Pope nor Councils were Infallible in what they did because they might call People as Hereticks that were not so at all in imputing to them Opinions which they never held nor were to be found in their Works The Iansenists saw this consequence and maintained it openly and did advance several Principles that destroyed the Authority of the Church and its Infallibility The French Protestants presently took notice of this contradiction of Doctrin between the Author of the Prejudices and his Friends or his Disciples and did not fail to promote it M. Pajon did it after shewing with much Wit and Acuteness that the Arguments of a prejudiced Author are more valid in a Iew 's a Pagan's or Mahometan's Mouth against Christianity than they are when used by a Roman Catholick against the Reformed About the same time M. Claude Answered M. Nicole in a direct way shewing that the excess of Corruption which the Doctrin and Worship of the Romish Church was come to made our Predecessors to examin Religion strictly and consequently to separate from a Society that would force them to receive under pain of Damnation a Faith whose practices were altogether opposite to Scripture That was enough to make the Roman Catholicks repent that they gave that turn to their Controversies and that being their last shelter there was no hopes they would leave it for they continued turning their Prejudices into so many meanings and proposing them as confidently as if they had never been refuted And these pitiful evasions pleased the Assembly of the Clergy of France so well in 82. that they made Sixteen Methods of Prescription on which the conversion of the Reformed was to be laboured for And which is yet more these Gentlemen thought them so convincing that they intreated the King that a Copy of them might be given to every Consistory imagining perhaps that some Ministers may happen to be there who might be wrought upon by these Illusions or frightned with the Threatnings of the Pastoral Advertisement The Intendant or some other of the King's Commissaries went on a Sunday accompanyed with some Clergy-men deputed by the Bishop of the Diocess and with Two Apostolick Notaries to acquaint each Consistory with this Writing and give several Copies amongst the People making several Orations to desire them from the King to enter into the Communion of the Roman Catholick Church but all to no purpose M. Pajon Minister of Orleans made presently some Remarks upon this Advertisement and Methods and addressed a Letter to the Clergy wherein there are not so many Figures of Rhetorick as in their Writing but much more Sense and Judgment Dr. Burnet who has always gloried in assisting his Afflicted Brethren seeing most of our Ministers out of a condition of defending themselves gave himself the pains to examin the little Books of the Prelats of France And at last Mr. Iurieu Answered them by way of Recrimination in his Lawful Prejudices against Papism which he proposes to the number of Nineteen which are so many whereof the least plausible has more force than all those of the Clergy We must add to these Books Two other of the same Author wherein he Refutes two of the Indirect ways which the Roman Controvertists use the First is his Apology for the Morals of the Reformed against M. Arnaud and the Second his true System of the Church against M. Nicole All these Methods were in Vogue when the Book of M. de Meaux appeared The turn he gave to the Controversies did much more surprise the Protestants than all the Subtilities which the Divines of France thought of There was a Prelat of great reputation Tutor to the Dauphin that did not intangle himself in the Disputes of Grace and that consequently was neither suspected by Iesuites nor by the Iansenists nor by the Church of Rome nor by the Gallican Church he was seen I say to publish a Book well stocked with Approbations wherein he endeavors to moderate
that Iesus Christ Interceded not for us and takes no care of his Church and that he pities not our Infirmities having suffered them himself and that he will not come at last to Judge all Mankind then there would be Reason to call the one Atheists and the other no Christians but every one knows that they are far from these impious thoughts The Protestants accuse the Romish Church of Idolatry and for having recourse to other Saviours besides Iesus Christ but the Moderators make a noise of that as if it were a hainous Calumny and maintain that it is only God that is to be worshiped with Religious Worship and that we are not saved but through the Merits of Iesus Christ. The Reformed shew them that they invoke Saints and that they worship them and the Cross Images and Relicks as the Pagans did their Heroes their Demons and inferiour Gods their Statues their Idols c. That they believe they satisfie Divine Justice by Indulgences Vows and Pilgrimages and that according to them the Merit of these Actions and of the Saints together with them of Iesus Christ reconcile Sinners to God They prove that this is the Doctrine which their Divines Popes and Councils teach not only in their great Volumes for the Learned but also for the rest in their Catechisms and Prayer Books and other Books of Devotion for the use of the People that it is not only the practice of the Laity and of some ignorant and superstitious Priests but also of all the Roman Church in their Rituals Breviaries Missals and other Publick Offices that it never punished such as pushed the Superstitions to an Excess which the Moderator seems to blame But that far from having a mind to redress these Abuses she prosecutes such as are suspected to have a design to abolish them as the Iansenists and Quietists tho' these two at bottom are but idle People and of little sincerity Would a Magistrate set a Murderer at liberty simply because he denyed a Deed that is well proved or because he has the face to maintain that the killing a Man at 12 a Clock is neither Murder nor a Crime punishable by Law On the contrary this Criminal would deserve a double Chastisement as a Murderer and as a Disturber of the Publick Peace in teaching a Doctrine that is contrary to Civil Society Because M. Daille acknowledges the Fundamental Points which the Reformed teach M. de Meaux pretends to justifie his Church and prove it's Purity tho this acknowledgement serves only to state the Question between both Parties and to shew that the Question is not whether the Fundamental Doctrine of Protestants be true seeing that is confessed on both sides but the Question is to know whether what the Roman Catholicks hold over and above be Articles necessary to Salvation as they pretend or whether they are contrary to the truth that both hold as Divine and whether they ought to be cast away for this reason as the Reformed have done It is according to this method that Dr. Wake explains the Articles exposed by M. de Condom marking in each what the Protestants approve and what they condemn in the Tenets of Rome and bringing some of the chief reasons that make them remark these Distinctions V. We said before that we were not willing to enter upon the particulars of Controversies but because the Roman Church continually fomenting the Divisions of Protestants have persuaded some illiterate People that the Church of England agrees in a great many more Points with it than with the other Protestants We shall mention her Sentiments here according to Dr. Wake 's Exposition upon the Articles wherein the Roman Catholicks brag of this pretended Conformity As First The Invocation of Saints Secondly Justification Thirdly The Necessity of Baptism Fourthly Confirmation Fifthly Orders Sixthly Real Presence Seventhly Tradition Eighthly Authority of the Church Ninthly That of the Fathers Tenthly The Question if one can be saved in the Roman Church Eleventhly If it be Idolatry First The Invocation of Saints Dr. Wake speaking in the name of his Church says it is an extravagant Practice invented at pleasure and so far from being contained in Scripture that it is several ways contrary to it It is true that according to an innocent ancient Custom we make mention before the Communion Table of Saints that dyed in the Communion of our Church thanking God for the grace he did them and praying him to give us the grace to follow their Example But this respect we bear their Memory does not hinder us from condemning a Practice that M. de Meaux seems to have omitted and which cannot agree with us at all which is that Roman Catholicks recommend the Offering of the Host to God by the Merit of the Saints whose Reliques are upon the Altar as if Iesus Christ whom they pretend to Sacrifice needed S. Bathilde or Potentiana's Recommendation to become agreeable to his Father Secondly Iesus by his Passion has satisfy'd Divine Justice for us and therefore God pardons us all our Sins thro' the Merits of his Son and by an Effect of his Good Will treats us with an Allyance of grace and by Vertue of this Allyance solely founded on the Death and Passion of Iesus Christ he sends us his Holy Spirit and calls us to Repentance If we answer this Calling God justifies us thro' his pure Goodness that is to say he forgives us all our past faults and gives us the grace to obey his Precepts better and better and will Crown us in Heaven if we persevere in his Alliance he grants us all these Graces not for any good Quality that he sees in us or for any good we do but only in vertue of the Satisfaction and Merits of his Son that are applyed to us by Faith Thirdly Tho' our Church take all manner of care to hinder Childrens dying without Baptism rather than to determine what would become of them they died without it we cannot nevertheless but condemn the want of Charity of Roman Catholicks that excludes them from Salvation Fourthly The Church of England does not believe that Confirmation is a Sacrament nor that the use of Chrism tho' of an antient Custom was an Apostolical Institution but because the Imposition of Hands is an antient Custom and comes from the Apostles the English have kept it and according to their Discipline the Bishops only have liberty to administer it The Prelate that does it addresses his Prayer to God to beg of him to strengthen with his Spirit him that he puts his Hands upon and that he may protect him from Temptations and that he may have the grace to fulfill the Conditions of his Baptism which he that he prays for ratifies and confirms with his Promises Fifthly Nor are the Orders a Sacrament according to the Church of England because they are not common to all Christians but she believes that no one ought to put himself upon the Function of a Minister without
Ordination and that it belongs to the Bishop only to confer it and she allows the Distinction of Orders And tho' there is none under a Deacon because the Scripture makes mention of none yet she acknowledges that they are very antient Sixthly As for the Real Presence tho' Dr. Wake treats of it at length we will omit speaking of it until we come to the XII Article where there are many Books seen that concern this Subject Seventhly We receive says the English Expositor with equal Veneration all that comes from the Apostles let it be by Scripture or Tradition provided we be assured that they are the true Authors of the Doctrine or Practice attributed to them so that when we are shewn that a Tradition was received in all Ages and by all Churches then we are ready to receive it as having the Character of an Apostolical Institution So our Church does not reject Tradition but only the Tenets and Superperstitions which Rome pretends to justify after this way Eighthly And as for the Authority of the Vniversal Church of all Ages the English acknowledges 1. That they have received Scripture from their Hands and it is chiefly for this Authority that they look upon Solomon's Song to be Canonical and reject other Books Apocryphal which perhaps they would have received with as much ease These Books have our respect even before we know by reading whether they be worthy of the Spirit of God but this Reading confirms us in the respect which the Authority of the Church gives unto them as to the Holy Writings II. If there had been an Vniversal Tradition not contested that had come from the Apostles to us concerning the meaning of the Holy Books as concerning their number the Church of England would receive it also but she does not believe that a particular Church such as that of Rome should usurp this Priviledge nor that it ought to force others to follow the Interpretations which she gives of the Passages of Scripture III. When any Disputes arise concerning Faith the best way to appease them is to assemble a Council but it does not follow that such an Assembly can say as the Assembly of the Apostles at Ierusalem It seem'd good to the Holy Ghost and to us nor that it is Infallible or that it's Canons are not subject to Correction IV. Dr. Wake goes on and says When we say I believe in the Holy Catholick Church we do not only understand that Iesus Christ has planted a Christian Church which is to last to the end of the World but also that the Son of God will conserve either among the Christians or in the Vniversal Church Truth enough to denominate it such a Church that is he will never suffer that Truths requisite for Salvation should be unknown in any place So that tho' the Vniversal Church can err it does not follow that it can sink altogether nor become wholly erroneous because then it would cease to be but such a particular Church as that of Rome can err and fall into utter Apostacy And tho' the Fundamental Points be clearly contained in Scripture and that it is very hard that one Man alone should gain-say the Opinion of all the Church nevertheless if this Man was certainly convinced that his Opinion was grounded upon the undoubted Authority of the Word of God we would be so far being afraid to bear with him that we all agree that the most glorious Action that St. Athanasius ever did was that he alone maintained Christ's Divinity against the Pope the Councils and all the Church V. And so tho we acknowledge that God has subjected Christians to the Government of the Church for Peaces sake and to preserve Vnity and Order and that she has power to prescribe to her Children what Doctrines are and are not to be publickly taught in her Communion yet we believe that the Holy Scripture is the only Support of our Faith and the last and infallible Rule by which the Church and we are to govern our selves Ninthly That there are some that think that the Church of England makes the Fathers of the three First Ages Idols and equals them in Authority to the Holy Scripture But Mr. Wake will undeceive them for says he Tho' we have appealed to the Churches of the first Ages for new Proofs of the truth of our Doctrine it is not that we think that the Doctors of those times had more right to judge of our Faith than those had that followed them but it is because that after a serious examination we have found that as for what concerns the common Belief that is among us they have believed and practised the same things without adding other Opinions or Superstitions that destroy them wherein they have acted conformably to their and our Rule the Word of God notwithstanding it cannot be denyed but that they effectually fell into some wrong Opinions as that of the Millenaries and Infant Communion which are rejected by both Parties Tenthly Whether one may be saved in the Roman Church the English think that as she yet conserves the Fundamental Doctrines those that live in her Bosom with a disposition to learn and leave off their pernicious Errors and profess all the truth that they will discover may be saved thro' the grace of God and Faith in Jesus Christ and by a general Repentance that puts their Errors in the number of the Sins they do not know of But that ill use may not be made of this charitable Grant the Expositor limits it as followeth I. That it is harder to be saved in the Communion of this Church since the Reformation than it was before because its Errors were not so well known nor so solidly refuted which rendred the ignorance excusable II. That they that live among Protestants and in a Country wherein they may learn and make publick and open profession of the Truth are more condemnable than the other III. That Priests are yet more than Laicks In a word the Protestants hope that the good Men of the Roman Church will be saved but they have no assurance that they are to be saved Whereas they are assured That they will be saved that live Christian-like in their own Communion They do not know whether God will condemn Roman Catholicks for the Errors they professed taking them for truth but they are assured that the Crime of those that being convinced of Popish Superstitions leave the Protestants thro' motives of Interest and Ambition and maintain Tyrannical and Superstitious Tenets against their Consciences deserve no pardon Eleventhly As for Idolatry the Homilies of the Church of England accuse that of Rome as well as the English Doctors who lived under Edward the VI. and Queen Elizabeth The Catholicks object that the Learned of this Kingdom changed Opinion in the Reign of King Iames the First and begun to maintain that the Church of Rome was not Idolatrous but these Gentlemen are so unlucky in Proofs that of six Authors
to speak better according to their conjectures 8. That there is no Text in the Bible which priviledges a Man who is not inspired to form an Assembly which should call it self the true and only Church of Iesus Christ and should appropriate to it self it's Priviledges by excluding all others 9. That nevertheless Christians divided themselves into innumerable Sects whereof the most part excommunicates and condemns the other 10. From all this it 's concluded That one cannot look upon any of these Churches nor the Ministers thereof nor the Tenets nor the Ceremonies of them with the same respect which one was obliged to have for the Church and Apostolical Pastors 11. Consequently that these Assemblies have no Right to impose their Doctrine or Worship as a necessary Yoak upon Consciences nor to condemn and excommunicate such as do not the same with them 12. That Baptism and the Supper of the Lord are Sacraments ordained by Iesus Christ whose use is very profitable that the Assemblies of Piety are so likewise provided their Government be not Tyrannical that they are looked upon as the work of some godly Persons who have endeavoured to imitate the model of the Church which they found in Scripture and they confess these Institutors were not infallible and that they left faults in their Works which they are willing to correct when they are better instructed This was the occasion of a Dispute that then made much noise One of Mr. Galenus's Brothers answered these Articles which Mr. Galenus had printed in the Year 1659. with a Reply to his Adversary In 1660. Mr. Pontanus Minister of the Remonstrants at Amsterdam undertook to examine this Opinion in a Treatise which he made of the visible Church of Iesus Christ of it's Office and Worship Without doubt this dispute was spoken of in 1664. seeing one of Mr. Alting's Friends ask'd him his Opinion upon it to which this Professor answered I do not see that the Opinion of Galenus such as you mention it in your Letter is so condemnable it would be in vain now to search the form of the Apostolical Church and the Gifts which the Apostles conferred by imposition of hands I remember I told you that we have a Faith which makes us uncapable of receiving Gifts As we believe that the Signs which according to the Promise of Iesus Christ Mark 16.17 18. should accompany the Faithful viz. the gift of Miracles the gift of Tongues and of Prophecy have ceased in the Church then it is not strange that they descend not to us In the Opinion of some Men this Faith and it's Efficacy lasted not as long as the first Age It wou'd distract us to find out the Signs of it in such distant times after this I do not admire that most Doctors have taken so different ways and that like Painters they have drawn more or less near after the model of the Apostles according as their Pencil was fine or gross Thence sprung so many different Churches to which were given the names of their Doctors as commonly the names of Painters are given to their most excellent pieces It 's true that there are some far better than others but there are none but please some people so much that they despise and condemn sometimes all other Churches how little soever they differ from theirs It 's an evil that could only be deplored hitherto and God only knoweth when it will be remedied When he is pleased to give us this Faith which we have lost he will give us it's Fruits and 't is then we shall be the Image of the Primitive Church In the mean time we must preserve and endeavour to preserve and increase the Faith we have which is that of Tenets and which may conduct us to Salvation notwithstanding the faults of the exteriour form and Government of the Church In answering to the same who asked him his Opinion upon the Visions of Drabicius he saith I know nothing certain upon that business now I cannot approve them and I dare not condemn them I suspend my Iudgment in the design to meditate upon this Subject and perhaps at another time I will write to you at large of it l. 17. In the Twenty first Letter are a great many helps for the History of David and upon the Persecutions which Saul makes against him In answering a Divine of Herborn who exhorted him to make a Translation of Scripture but without swerving from the received Versions and the common Tradition I cannot saith he make that two Councils agree for one ruineth the other to what purpose is it to spoil Paper to say the same things a hundred times over I take notice of another fault which has taken roo◠amongst the Reformed that is that we are very Orthodox upon the Theory or Speculation of Scripture but as to Practice we are altogether Papists Puri puti Pontificii You will acknowledge it if you reflect upon the Actions of both the one and the other You advise me to be silent upon the question of the Sabbath tho' you acknowledge it is of great importance and you will not have me to oppose my self to the received Hypothesis I know full well that it is an Axiom of the prudence of this Age not to touch an evil which is strongly rooted but the Reformers of the past Age had far more Christian Thoughts They had the courage to attack the Errors which were in the peaceable possession of Mens understandings tho' they foresaw the troubles which they would cause throughout all Europe It is in vain to expect to gain time till Men were silent or did agree all to maintain a false Hypothesis this silence and this consent would not render it true I do not take the Testimonies of Men saith Jesus Christ nor would he have St. John Baptist himself to be believed if his words were not conformable to the Writings of Moses 50.27 Upon the famous passage of the Romans 3.25 the Author hath an opinion altogether different not only from the common Interpretation but also from that of Bezae and of Cocceius the first Translates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dissimulatio and the second Prateritio But Mr. Alting will have it Transmissio or Translatio a Transposition He founds it upon this That there is a Pleonasmus in the Version of these two learned Interpreters because the terms of Dissimulation Praeterition and Non-imputation give no other Idea but the Patience of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which mention is made in the following vers 2. He adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which answers here to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hegnebbir which is spoken of Sins 2 Sam. 12.13 and Iob 7.21 and that so Paresis mark'd in this place that Action of God considered as a Debtor who transports the Debt or the Crimes of Sinners upon Iesus Christ who is made their Pledge or Surety So the sense of this Passage is according to our Author that God has transported upon Iesus
by the Reason which we have heretofore mentioned to wit that this Soul never having offended God would notwithstanding be subject to all manner of miseries and that without ever expecting a recompence for the Evils which they should have suffered For again could one conceive that God imprints sentiments of grief in an innocent Creature provided it was with a design to make it deserve Eternal Felicity by it's acquiescing in the pain To this the Author adds this consideration that the Soul of Beasts being innocent would nevertheless be submitted to all the unmeasured desires of Man which is a disorder contrary to natural Light Which will be easily comprehended if we imagine two different Kinds of Men whereof the one to wit the Posterity of Adam should have reserved his Innocence and the other become criminal If the Posterity of Adam being innocent was submitted to the desires of these Criminal Men so that they should treat us as we treat Beasts that they should make us tear one another for their pleasure that they should kill us to feed their Bodies that they should seek into our Entrails during our Life to satisfie their curiosity and all this in Vertue of the Empire which they should receive from God over us who is it that does not herein easily perceive a disorder which offends all the Principles of sound Sense We must then conclude say the Cartesians that if Beasts had a Soul God would not have given to sinful Man the Empire which he hath over them Let it be denied as much as they will with a Physician of Paris named Lami a provoked Epicurean That Man hath over Beasts any other Empire but that which Industry or strength procures unto him it will be still true and this Physician hath not the considence to deny it that God hath suffered Man after the Flood to kill Beasts to feed upon them Which is to grant him an Empire great enough to preserve all the force of the Objection of the Cartesians As to what concerns the second Consequence to wit that if Beasts have a Soul the Immortality of ours can no more be proved the Author clears it very pertinently He expounds the Equivocation of the Word Immortality and sheweth that in a certain Sense Bodies partake thereof but that there is another signification according to which Immortality belongs but to the Soul It were to be wished that this Author should refute those who give an Immortal Soul to Animals for it is unto this that some of those are now reduced who embrace not the Hypothesis of Mr. Des-Cartes being Combated by the purest Ideas of Divinity and forced in their Retrenchments they say that the Souls of Beasts perish not As that enervates the greatest part of the Reasons of this Author his interest is to refute this new Hypothesis The Cartesians would willingly have Men to examin if it be just to make so much ado against their Doctrin concerning the Soul of Beasts seeing they maintain it by Reasons which reduce their Adversaries to the greatest Extremities the Publick may judge whether they have Reason or not This is what concerns the first Conference The second contains the Mechanick Explication of several actions of Animals Descartes de la Forge de Cordemoy d' Illy and Rohault in their Discourses have spoken of the same thing much finer therefore I shall omit it If there is a second Edition made of these Conferences it will be a great deal better to correct the Trials 'T is advice which the Dutch Stationers have great need of A Collection of some curious Pieces concerning the Philosophy of Mr. Descartes in 12. At Amsterdam Sold by Henry Desbordes 1684. THis Collection contains six Pieces The first is an Extract of the Acts of an Assembly of the Fathers of the Oratory which was held at Paris in the Month of September 1680. This Assembly willing to give us an undoubted proof of their Submission to the King caused a Writing to be presented unto him by which they engaged to Teach nothing which should smell of Iansenism or Cartesianism They observe in this Writing after what manner they think Grace should be taught in Seminaries Colledges and in other Houses of the Congregation And as they would have it on the one Hand permitted to every one to Teach Predestination and Efficacious Grace by it self they desire on the other that Men have a particular care to shew that the Efficacy of Grace leaves Man in his Power of Acting or not Acting and that in every state there are Graces truly sufficient As for the Professors of Philosophy the same Writing dictates unto them certain things which they ought or ought not to teach They require that in Phisick Men take great heed not to swerve from the Principles of Aristotle commonly received in Colleges and that they teach that the Essence of the Matter consists not in the extent That there is a substantial Form really distinct from the Matter in each natural Body That there are absolute Accidents That a Vacuum is not impossible c. This is what was understood by this Concordat of the Jesuits and the Fathers of the Oratory of which there hath been so much talk and whereof there were no more Printed Copies in France The second Piece contains remarks upon this Concordat The Author pretends that the Fathers of the Oratory have done great wrong to the Doctrin of St. Augustin in that which they had given for a Model to their Professors in the preceeding Assemblies He maintains that they have been taken for Fools and that they have not seen the Artifice of some Clauses inserted in their Writings He sheweth also it is dangerous to Captivate the Mind of Man in regard to natural Truths and to give an occasion to think that the Catholick Church and Aristotle are really tied together that the one cannot be overthrown without shaking the other The third Piece is Entituled An Explanation of the Book of Mr. de la Ville Mr. Bernieris the Author thereof Mr. de la Ville pretends that all new Philosophers whether Cartesians or Gassendists ruin the Mystery of Transubstantiation by maintaining that the Essence of Matter consists in the Extent As his Book dedicated to the Clergy of France made a noise and injured the Cartesians Mr. Bernier who is known to be a great follower of Gassendus was afraid himself and Composed the Explanation whereof we speak in which he endeavours to reconcile the Principles of his Philosophy with the Decisions of the Church He pretends that Real-presence may be more commodiously expounded by the Hypothesis of the new Philosophers than by the Principles of Schools and assures us that he hath made the experience thereof in the Indies For saith he when I saw some of those new Christians in trouble about the mystery of the Eucharist as not being able to conceive that upon the Altar where there seemed to be Bread with all its Extent and being no
the word He was not the first that had designed the same tho' perhaps he was that executed it Iustin Martyr tells us of a young Man of Alexandria that being brought before Felix Governor of that City desired of him the Permission of a Surgeon that he might put himself out of the State of ever being suspected of any Impurity Felix refused because the Roman Laws forbid it as the Canons of the Church have done since Iustin related this to shew those that accused the Christians of committing horrible Uncleanness in their Assemblies were only Calumniators Demetrius Bishop of Alexandria highly admired this Action of Origen when first done but afterwards becoming an Enemy to this great Man it passed with him for an enormous Crime Origen was so ill treated for it that it is difficult to determine whether this unkind Usage was not the cause when he was advanced a little in Years that he interpreted the words of Jesus Christ in a figurative manner and condemn'd those who had any way mutilated themselves The Emperor Severus Persecutor of the Christians dying the 211 th Year of our Lord Origen made a Voyage to Rome a place he had always desired to see but continued not there long Demetrius recalling him and obliging him to take again his Employ of Catechist This Charge being too great for one he joyned with himself one Heraclas who had been his Disciple and bestowed his leasure Hours in Learning the Hebrew Tongue for which he was so much the more to be praised as he was the first amongst the Greeks that had dared to engage in so difficult a Work and for which there was then so little help It is supposed that his Master was one Huillus a Jew Patriarch of those of his own Nation Origen had always a great Number of Disciples that he instructed in Humane Sciences and in Religion among which one of the most Illustrious was a Man of Quality named Ambrose with whom he studied the Scripture with an extraordinary Application during many Years Whilst he was in this Occupation Demetrius received Letters from the Governor of Arabia desiring him immediately to send Origen to instruct him in the Faith of the Christians He went thither but soon return'd to Alexandria from whence he was obliged as soon to depart to escape the Fury of Caracalla who had entred into Egypt with an Army designing severely to punish the City of Alexandria that had offended him Origen retired to Cesarea in the Palestine where whilst he was yet but a Laick the Bishop desired him publickly to expound the Holy Scripture to the People But Demetrius caused him soon to return to Alexandria after having complained to Theoctist Bishop of Cesarea and to Alexander Bishop of Ierusalem that they had conferred on him an Employ that was never before given to a Laick altho' these two Bishops produced to him many undoubted Examples thereof They assure us that Mammea Mother to the Emperor Alexander Severus being at Antioch and having heard of Origen sent often for him and had many Conferences with him concerning Religion Being returned to Alexandria he applied himself at the Perswasion of his dear Ambrose to compose Commentaries on the Scripture in the Prosecution of which he generally maintain'd seven Copyists that in Latin are call'd Notarii from Nota to Mark because they wrote in Cyphers as fast as Persons spoke Who invented this manner of Writing is not certainly known some attribute it to Cunius others to Tyro the Freed Man of Cicero and some again to one Aquila a Freed Man of Mecoenas These Notaries were made use of in the Primitive Church to write the Discourses of the Martyrs both in Prison and upon the Scaffold as appears by what Tertullian and St. Cyprian saith on the Fasts of the Church and by Pontius the Deacon in the Life of St. Cyprian where he assures us that it was the Custom to Register all the Acts of the Martyrs By which may be seen how the Interrogations and Answers of the Martyrs were preserved the Debates held in Councils and the Homilies spoken Extempore whereof we have so great a Number and all compleat The Commentaries of Origen were so much esteemed altho' they had much defamed him for his pretended Errors that St. Ierom once a great Persecutor of his Followers after becoming openly of their Number said this in his Defence That he would willingly draw on himself the same Hatred as Origen had done to understand the Scriptures as well as he did and that he laugh'd at those Shadows of Errors that he was accused of which were fit only to fright Children whose Imaginations are weak enough to receive Impressions merely from Appearances Hoc unum dico quod vellem cum invidia nominis ejus habere etiam scientiam Scripturarum flocci pendens imagines umbrásque larvarum quarum natura esse dicitur terrere parvulos in angulis garrire tenebrosis Origen was interrupted in this Work by a Voyage he made into Greece which was at that time troubled by some Heresies He passed through Palestine making a short stay at Cesarea where Theoctist and Alexander ordained him Presbyter without his seeking the least after it and with no other design than to make his Ministry more effectual Demetrius had no sooner heard this News but he thought he had found a fair occasion to discover a Hatred he had long conceal'd for a Person whose Learning and Virtue had render'd him much more Illustrious than himself thinking to cover his Malice under the handsome Pretence of defending Ecclesiastical Discipline Then 't was he reproach'd him with that Weakness committed in his Youth viz. The cutting off that part of his Body which seem'd troublesome to him He caused him to be condemned by two Synods wherein they declared his Ordination void and expell'd him Alexandria But these Proceedings did no Injury to Origen he was very well received wheresoever he went and continued to execute his Office of Priest without any regard at all to the Anathema's of the Synods of Egypt Nevertheless the Insults of his Enemies obliged him to think of quitting Alexandria for ever and entirely to give up his Charge of Catechist to Heraclas whom he had converted to the Christian Religion a Man of a profound Learning and great Virtue One thing which prevailed with Origen to take his Mind more easily off Egypt and to depart from thence with less Regret was as Epiphanius tells us his falling into the Hands of some Heathens that were his sworn Enemies who threatned to kill him unless he would resolve to satisfie the Brutality of an Ethiopian Woman or Sacrifice to the Pagan Gods and that in so strange a Choice he rather preferred casting a few Grains of Incense to a false Deity He adds That Origen after this durst no longer continue at Alexandria But Authors that lived in the same time with him make no mention at all of it nor was this Crime ever
well one only Nature he directs his Discourse to the Sabellians but narrow and straitned and which hath not the Propriety of being the Principle of great things as not being capable thereof or not having a will for it It must needs be either by Envy or by Fear that you do not establish any thing which should equal it or that should oppose it But in as much as God is more excellent than Creatures so much is he most worthy of the first cause of being the Principle of a Divinity than of Creatures and of not descending to these latter but by a Divinity which is betwixt two As if the Divinity existed according to the Arians because of Creatures as it seemeth to those who are so very subtle If in confessing the Dignity of the Son and Holy Ghost we made them without a Principle or if we related them to a Principle of another Nature then we should dishonor Divinity or introduce Gods opposed one to another A little lower Gregory saith That the Unity moved it self by reason of its Bounty and that the number of two hath been surpassed because Divinity is beyond Matter and Form which are the two Principles whereof Bodies are composed that Trinity is limited by reason of its Perfection and surpasseth the Conjunction of two so that Divinity is neither too strait nor doth extend it self to Infinity The first addeth he hath something in it very derogatory and the second would cause Confusion The first is altogether Jewish and the second Heathenish The word to move it self in this occasion is a Platonick term which these Philosophers use when they speak of the Productions of Divinity and Gregory meaneth that Divine Nature hath been multiplied to three Hypostases or three Individuals which is opposed to Judaism which holds but one Supreme Nature and to Paganism which establisheth too great a number of Gods The Platonicks disputed amongst one another upon this the one maintain'd that Supreme Divinity hath not been multiplied but to their Gods and that all which is above that is not of a like nature and the others understood it in a greater number of Divinities Plato and Porphyrius were of the first Sentiment and Plotinus of the second Iulian having ascended the Throne in the Year CCLXI sought all manner of ways to ruin the Christians and perceiving they made great use of Pagan Authors whether to form themselves to Eloquence or to draw from thence Reasons fit for maintaining the Christian Religion and to attack Paganism he undertook to hinder the Christians from applying themselves to the Study of Literature Some Ancients say that he prohibited them not only to keep Schools themselves but also to frequent the Schools of Grammarians and Orators amongst the Pagans others seem only to say that Christians were prohibited to keep Schools Iulian himself saith formally in one of his Letters That the Children of Christians should not be hindred to go to the Schools of Pagans because those who offend not but for want of Wit ought to be taught and not punished Gregory of Nazianzen speaks of this Prohibition of Iulian in his third Speech but according to the Judicious Observation of a Modern speaking more like an Orator than an Historian it is hard to penetrate into his thoughts 'T is a bad effect of the continual Rhetorick of the Ancients They are so Eloquent that they are not understood 'T is likely that Iulian prohibited not the Children of Christians to go to the Schools of Pagan Doctors either because he saith it or because it was a good means to seduce them Hence some Learned Men amongst Christians as the two Apollinaries and Gregory put Scripture and Religion in Greek Verses or in fine Prose These Writings would supply the Reading of those of Ancient Pagans and Youth had no need of Grammarians for to understand them Parents could easily serve their Children in room of a Tutor to expound unto them these Christian Verses after having read Scripture Yet this Prohibition extreamly vexed the Christians which would not suffer their Grammarians their Rhetoricians and their Philosophers in the Churches of the Galileans these are the terms of Iulian to expound their Matthew and Luke If he never had done any other thing they would not have introduced so many new words nor so much subtiliz'd upon the Tenets then in Dispute and the Platonick Philosophy had not had so much share in their Decisions It was about this time that Cesar Brother to Gregory who returned as we have said to Constantinople was because of his Knowledge received first Physician to Iulian and placed amongst the number of the Friends of this Emperor who loved learned Men. Gregory writ him thereupon a Letter extreamly sharp wherein he told him that he had covered his Family with Confusion through his Conduct that every one thought it strange that the Son of a Bishop should follow the Court and should seek for Honors and get Riches amongst Pagans that he made his Fathers Life bitter who could not reprehend others of what his Son did commit that they were forced to hide this Conduct from his Mother fearing it should make her dye for very Grief that he had Means enough to live Honestly without exposing himself to so great a Danger that in fine if he continued in this manner of Life he must be ranked amongst such Christians as are least worthy of bearing this name If this Letter obliged not Cesar to return to his Parents there is a likelihood it strengthened him against the Endeavors of Iulian of making him abandon Christianism whereof his Brother speaks in one of his Speeches He saith That Cesar having answered to all his Reasons protested to him he was a Christian and would be so all his Life and that Iulian cried out before several Persons of the Court when he thought on the Bishop of Nazianze and his two Sons O Happy Father O Happy Children Cesar either wearied by the Solicitations of Iulian or touched with the Advertisements of his Brother returned to Nazianze in the time that Iulian departed to go against the Persians It appears to be about the same time that Iulian sent a Captain with Archers to Nazianze to seize on the Church of the Christians but far from being able to do what he desired for if he had not escaped immediately by advice of the Bishop or of some other Person he would have returned with his Legs broken so great was the Anger and Zeal of the Priest of Gregory the Father for this Temple These are the own words of his Son which shews that these good Folks did not always Preach Passive Obedience In the Year CCCLXIII Iulian was kill'd in his retreat from before the Army of the Persians the effect if we believe herein the Charitable Gregory of the Prayers of the same Bishop and the same People who were for breaking the Legs of the Captain of the Archers of whom
very People who make use of it are ashamed thereof when Superstition and Cruelty leave them any interval to think with a little more calmness on what they do This is so true that most of those which have abondoned themselves to the blind Zeal of Superstition have made use of the same artifices Our Age hath seen an illustrious Example of it and if we compare what Gregory saith hereof and the evil Crafts of Iulian with what hath been done not long since in a great Kingdom there will be a great Similitude found betwixt them We shall pass it by here fearing lest it should be thought that we have a mind to stop at a Parallel so Odious as this 6. Amongst the Reasons whereof Gregory makes use to shew that Iulian could not succeed in his Design he thus describes the power of the Saints which Christians honoured Have you not feared those to whom so great Honor is done and for whom solemn Feasts have been established by which Devils have been driven away and Diseases cured whose Apparitions and Predictions are known whose very Bodies have as much Virtue as their holy Souls whether they are touched or honoured of whom some drops of Blood only have the same Virtue as their Bodie We see by these Words and divers places of Gregory and other Fathers of his time that there was then a great deal of Respect had to the Relicks of Saints and that a great many Miracles were said to be done at their Graves It is astonishing that Gregory who loved inlarging hath not said even that the Bodies of Saints had more Virtue after their Death than during their Life for there is no comparison between the multitude of Miracles which were said to be done at the Graves of Martyrs and those which they did whilst alive Many People believe that the Falshood of some Christians and the Credulity of some others contributed much to hold up Paganism 7. Our Author makes a Panegyrick upon the Monks in the sequel after having despised Socrates and Plato and all the Pagan Philosophers Gregory reproacheth Iulian that he did not love Virtue in his Enemies but certainly Zeal made him commit here some such thing and it is very certain that he had infinitely learned more out of Plato and the Discourses of Socrates than in the Conversation of all the Monks that he had seen As to their Lives the endless Seditions of those Pious Hermits and their implacable Humor shew sufficiently that they were infinitely beneath these great Models of Pagan Antiquity 8. He remarketh very well that to be desirous to ruin the Christian Religion in a time wherein the Roman Empire was full of Christians was to undertake to ruin the very Empire When they were in a small number they could not be ill treated without Prejudice to the State but when they were numerous they could not be engaged without causing great Convulsions and too much disorder It were to be desired that the Imitators of Iulian had well weighed this Advertisement of Gregory who despiseth most justly all the good that could accrew from the Government of Iulian in comparison with the evil that so detestable a Design would have caused if he had been able to put it in Execution It were yet to be wished that our Age had been well instructed in the Horror which the Snares that Iulian by his Officers and Soldiers laid for Christians Gregory saith that some Christian Soldiers having one day when Iulian gave some Liberality to his Army cast Incense in his Presence into the fire according to an ancient Custom usually interpreted as if they had burned Incense to the Idols Nevertheless many others had done it without any Reflection and being admonished of their Fault as they invocated Iesus Christ making the sign of the Cross after their Meal by some one that told them they had renounced him they went immediately crying out in the Market-place and in the Ears of the Emperor that they had been surprized and that they were Christians Iulian provoked at the mistake banished them 9. Gregory describes some horrid Cruelties against the Christians which Iulian had authoris'd in Egypt and Syria He saith that the Inhabitants of Arethusa a City of Syria after having made Young-Women consecrated to God suffer a thousand Indignities killed them eat their Livers all raw and gave their Flesh to Swine to feed on covering it with Barly These People treated with an abominable Barbarity the Bishop of this City who notwithstanding appeared almost insensible in his Torments and Gregory marks that this Bishop in the time of Constantius exercis'd having liberty from the Emperor an Habitation of Devils to wit a Pagan Church This Action of Mark of Arethusa had drawn upon him the Hatred of the People as a Pagan would have been detested by the Christians if he had destroyed one of their Churches Notwithstanding Gregory a little lower saith not only that the Christians did not Treat the Pagans as they had been Treated by them But he asketh of them What Liberty Christians had taken from them As if it were nothing to pull down their Temples as was done since the Reign of Constantine They continued with the same Rigor under the following Emperors and that they might be Reproacht with nothing of Paganism it was Prohibited on pain of Death to Sacrifice to Idols with the Applause of all the Christians if St. Augustin can be believed We must not forget to Remark here another effect of the Rhetorick of Gregory It is that in speaking of the Christian Young Women of Aretâ—usa who had been so Abused he Accuses not only the Pagans but also makes an Apostrophe to our Lord thus O Iesus Christ how shall I suffer the pain which you had then 10. Iulian added Insults also to his ill Treatments and in taking away the Christians Goods he said he only assisted them to observe the Gospel which commanded 'em to despise the things of this Life This Railery is in the forty third Letter of Iulian where he saith that the Church of the Arians at Edessa having done some Violence to the Valentinians he had Confiscated all their Mony to distribute it to the Soldiers and kept their Goods to himself fearing lest the Arians being too Rich could not get into the Kingdom of Heaven Gregory Answers to this amongst other things that Iulian acting thus made as if he imagin'd that the Gods of the Heathens thought it necessary that People should be deprived of their Goods without deserving it and that they approved of Injustice He might have been satisfied with this Answer but he adds that there are things which Iesus Christ hath commanded as necessary and others which he hath simply proposed for those that would observe them without indispensibly obliging any one to do it Such is according to Gregory the Commandment of abandoning the Wealth of this World 11. One thing for which they abused
of the Canonical since there cou'd not be two Truths as if to suffer any one was a sign that they believed his Opinions to be true In fine he advises Nectairus to tell the Emperor that what he had done in favour of the Church would be of no use if Hereticks were admitted to Assemble It was thus that good Gregory who would not whilst the Arians were the strongest Party the Emperor being on their side have any thing undertaken which was blamed in them Exhorted his Successor to forget this good Lesson so difficult it is not to contradict our selves when we take not great care to free our selves from Passion The following Year CCCLXXVIII there was an Assembly of Bishops held at Constantinople where Gregory was called but he would not go to it and thus he Answer'd those which Invited him If I must write the truth to you I am disposed always to shun every Assembly of Bishops because I never saw a Synod which had good Success or which did not rather augment the Evil than diminish it The Spirit of dispute and Ambition without exaggerating upon it is so great there that it cannot be expressed It must not be thought that our Bishop said this without thinking well on it in a time wherein he might have any regret He repeats it again in his Letters LXV LXXI LXXII and LXXIV and also diverted himself by putting this thought in Verse I will never be present saith he at any Synod because none but Geese and Cranes herd there which fight without understanding one another There are Divisions among them Quarrels and shameful things which before were hidden and which are Re-assembled in one Place with Cruel Men. Being returned to Nazianze he found that Church Vacant a second time and by that reason Infected with the Opinions of Apollinarius He was immediately desired to take the Place of his Father but he never would do it and that gave occasion to his Enemies to accuse him of Pride as if he had scorned to take care of a small Church after having possest the Patriarchal See of Constantinople Gregory protests in one of his Letters that he had refused it only because he was too Old and too much Indisposed yet seems nevertheless to promise to lend his Body to the Church as he himself said which makes us believe he really took care of the Church of Nazianze at least until they had provided a Bishop for it We shall not speak of what hapned after the retreat of Gregory because he was not concern'd in it only he writ to several of his Friends to endeavour that the Bishops might live in Peace tho they were to be severely Censured for it At his leisure hours he composed some of the Poetry which we have and particularly that which concerns his Life We may say of his Poetry that the Stile is as Prosaick as that of his Speeches is Elevated As there is often top much Ornament in his Speeches so there is too little in his Verse the turn of which besides is harsh enough But he is not alone among excellent Orators who have been indifferent Poets The rest of his Poetry that is extant not being placed according to the order of Time we cannot well distinguish those that he made at the end of his Life from those writ under the Empire of Iulian as has been already observed unless there be in the very Poetry some matter of Fact which may distinguish the time Gregory died very Old according to the Relation of the Priest who writ his Life And Suidas tells us that he Lived above XC Years and died in the Year CCCXCI the third Year of the Reign of the Emperor Theodosius We have still a Testament which he made being at Constantinople and which is at the beginning of his Works some suspect it to be Supposititious but as it contains nothing Singular and no more than Gregory has said before there is no convincing reason that can make us reject it It is not requisite that I should make here an Encomium upon Gregory of Nazianze It might be seen by his Conduct and those Places we have related of his Writings what judgment may be made of him in general and it is not sure to trust to any whatever when we are to judge with exactness of an Author In his writings is a very faithful description of the Manners of that Age as wherein the Penitency of those that lay on the hard Ground and such as rose at Midnight to sing Hymns and to weep hindred not the Ecclesiasticks from being generally very Corrupt Religion began from that time to serve as a pretence to get Mony and as it is more easie to keep an outward guard upon our selves than to correct our inward Defects so cannot be thought strange that many Persons whose Conversation seemed unblameable were nevertheless after some time found out to be very ill Men. The Elections of Bishops were then for the most part made in Churches by the People amongst whom there was strange Caballing to be advanced Gregory wish'd that this Election depended on the Priests who were more capable of judging of the Capacity of Persons than those that considered nothing but their Riches or Authority where People acted impetuously without Reason and were very easily Bribed Nevertheless his own experience taught him as is evident that the very Bishops did not act on these occasions with more Widom than the Vulgar We only need to read his description of the Council of Constantinople to be convinced herein Their judgments were so much the more to be feared because they determin'd very speedily without being exactly informed of the matter in question but agree'd with very great difficulty as in the business of Maximus and Gregory They scarcely thought on any thing but to enrich themselves and to augment their Authority under pretence of Piety as Gregory reproacheth them in divers Places This inclination commonly possessing the Ecclesiasticks of that time made them gather the People into the Churches and begin to publish both Miracles and Legends much more frequently than before and to Preach up a blind Credulity instead of exhorting Christians to examine their Faith and to maintain it by good Reasons An Example whereof may be seen in the Eightenth Speech of Gregory which is in the Honour of St. Cyprian He Accuses the Bishop of Carthage who bore this name of being a Magician and of having endeavoured to seduce a Christian Virgin named Iustina by the means of a Demon who not being able to accomplish his aim entred into the very Body of Cyprian and was driven away by this Magician by calling upon the God of Iustina Those who have read St. Cyprian know that this Bishop never had such an accident and the refutation of the Fable may be seen in the Oxford Edition of St. Cyprian's Works before a supposititious piece that is Intituled Confessio S. Cypriani
curious Remarks which may be read in our Author Besides these Letters of Irenaeus whereof we have spoken this Father writ another to Victor Bishop of Rome upon a Dispute that happen'd about Easter This gives the Author occasion to inquire why the Asiaticks who had the Apostolical Tradition on their side generally embraced the contrary Opinion which was that of Victor This question did not perplex a Roman Catholick who drew hence an Argument for the Supremacy of the Pope through this deference which the Christians had for Victor's Opinion But Mr. Dodwell who is a good Protestant alledges other Reasons for it The First that the Emperor Adrian sent to divers Roman Colonies in Asia who carried their Customs along with them and the Christians who were in these Colonies the way of keeping Easter conformably to the Church of Rome The Second is that the Christians removed as far as they could from the Jewish Customs through the aversion they had for the Jews that made them not scruple reveiving Victor's opinion concerning the day that Easter should be kept on because it was quite contrary from that of this Nation to which the Asiaticks that opposed Victor joyned themselves Mr. Dodwell believes with Mr. Valois that the Letter to the Church of Lions whereof a great part is seen in Eusebius belongs to S. Irenaeus Scaliger said there was nothing in all the Ecclesiastick History that moved him more than that Letter did and that he was as it were beyond himself when he read it Of all these Works there remains only the Latin Version of the first and some Fragments of the others quoted by the Ancients Irenaeus promised to write in particular against Marcion but there is none of the Ancienâ—s that speaks of having seen this Work so that it is likely he did not compose it The Author added to the end of these Dissertations a piece of Philippe de Side upon the Catechists of Alexandria with Notes of his own The reason that made him Print these Fragments was because it contains a proof of what he said in his Dissertations concerning the time that Celsus lived in against whom Origen writ Dissertations on St. Cyprian By Henry Dowdell Master of Arts in Dublin Printed at Oxford 1655. in Folio and Octavo IT appear'd as if nothing could be wished for in the Edition that was given us at Oxford of this Father in 1682. wherein the great Learning of Mr. Fell Bishop of Oxford and Mr. Pearson Bishop of Chester appeared in all its Lustre Nevertheless these Dissertations of Mr. Dowdell shew that this Edition wanted a very considerable Ornament They are thirteen in number and upon important Subjects selected out of the Epistles of St. Cyprian In the First is examined whether what Mr. Rigaut pretends be true that in the first Ages the name of Clergy was given to all Christian People but that the Ecclesiasticks appropriated it to themselves by little and litte to raise 'em proudly above the People The Author as jealous as can be of the Honour of the Episcopal Party refutes this pretension by very good Remarks wherein he inquires after the first occasion of applying to the Christians the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clergy and shews that tho the whole Christian Church was called so yet this Title belonged by a proper Dignity and special Favour to Ecclesiasticks He touches many very Curious Things which he has proved at large in an English Book upon Schism and this makes the first Dissertation short enough The Second is yet shorter wherein he Treats of the signs of Distinction by which one may know whether a Letter be Supposititious or no. The Third Dissertation treats of a pleasant Custom in St. Cyprian's time there were some Nuns that lay with Boys without being less bold in maintaining their Virginity They Swore it and offer'd to suffer the examination of Midwives Mr. Dowdel says that notwithstanding St. Cyprian's Zeal against this Abuse there were some Examples of it in the following Age But to say the truth they were less frequent and in this that Father has not lost very many of his Censures tho he hardly prevailed at all upon another Art the which was that these Persons of different Sexes should not live at all together This Custom has out-lived this Father because in the following Times the Fathers we fain to make Decrees against this as it is proved here and this the Author brings as to what concerns the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which were Persons of different Sexes yoked together by a great commerce of Friendship and a continual communication of Life in all things except Bedding It is reported that Paul of Samosatenus was the first that brought this Custom into the Church of Antioch to which perhaps the knowledge contributed that he had that this practice under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was not now among the Pagans of that famous City However it was he took share of that Liberty which he permitted to others for he always had with him wherever he went a young and handsom Virgin and it appears by a circular Letter writ by the Council of Antioch where he was Condemned that he protested that there passed nothing Dishonest between him and them The Council of Nice expresly forbid this to all Bishops Priests Deacons Sub-deacons and generally to all in Orders 'T was enough to forbid it to such Persons for 't was only they that entred into those Conversations It might be proved that these Commerces went sometimes as far as the community of the Bed for St. Athanasius tells us that when Leontius was forbid to continue the inclination he had for the Young Eustolia by castration he put himself in a condition of Lying with this fair Friend without being suspected of Unchastity The Author seeking the first Spring of these Fancies goes back to the ancient Pagans amongst whom were Women that were equal to Men in Philosophy and Wit and upon that account joyned themselves in a very near Familiarity with them The Mind had the greatest share in this Friendship although the Body was not excluded and upon this there are some of the Opinions of Plato's Philosophy explained concerning Love wherein is shewn how these Opinions might contribute to the establishing of several Customs The following Dissertation relates to a Subject more worthy of consideration viz. of Prophetick Visions The Author proves that they lasted almost to St Cyprian's time without interruption and blames them who attribute almost all to the Sect of Montanus But because the chief difficulty in this matter is to distinguish false Visions from the true he endeavours to shew us how they secur'd themselves from Error What he says here upon this Subject declares him to be a Man not only of great Wit and Learning but also one that is very zealous to silence the Prophane The Fifth Dissertation evidences a great knowledge of Antiquity in relation to the Dypticks wherein were written the Names of
such as were Commemorated in Divine Service the Changes which this Custom underwent and the Source which the Author thinks it proceeded from furnish him with a fair Subject The degrees of several Priests and their Ecclesiastick Deputations furnish him with a no less pleasant entertainment in the Sixth Dissertation The Seventh runs upon a very obscure Point because it relates to the Principle of the Unity of the Church and the different Arguments which St. Cyprian drew from thence for the several Disputes which he maintained The Subject of the Eighth is not less difficult because to clear it well we must go back to the Roman Laws to examine the grounds of such who being received in Peace by the Martyrs after their Fall from the Faith thought that to be reconciled with the Church there was no need of the Authority of their Bishops We shall mention this but in general no more than the distinction of Priests and Bishops which is spoke of in the two following Dissertations we are brief in them that we may have more room to speak fully on the last Dissertations wherein ancient Martyrs are treated upon which is a curious Subject for all sorts of People You must know then that the Author had the same Fate as Astrologers when they endeavoured to number the Stars exactly they believed without doubt what the Commonalty does to this very day that the Stars which are seen in a clear Night are Innumerable yet they hardly find 1022 in the Firmament after they have contemplated the two Hemispheres Thus it hapned to Mr. Dowdell as to the number of ancient Martyrs I do not doubt but that before he Studied the Matter whilst he believed common Tradition he thought that the Pagan Emperors put to Death a prodigious number of the Faithful for so all the World represent to themselves the ancient Persecutions We imagin Martyrs in Heaps and Piles like to the Miracles in the History of Francis Xavier who tells us that such a day was Consecrated to the Memory of 1100 Martyrs and Virgins It is certain that there are great abatements to be made in Peoples Imaginations upon this matter and if we were exact in our account it will be found that the Popes and Roman Catholick Princes have made more suffer for the sake of Religion than the Heathen Emperors ever did but Prejudices are strange things they lessen or augment the same Actions as they proceed from such or such Persons Let us be so just to the Christian Authors that wrote the first after the Heathen Persecutions to think that they have not changed things much 'T was they who were remote from matter of Fact that gave us such false accounts and 't is the ordinary Fate of Human effects as has been observed on the occasion of St. Ignatius's Miracles There is nothing can be so strong a proof that few Martyrs suffer'd in the first Ages as a passage of Origen's where he plainly says that few died for the Faith of Iesus Christ. Would he have said so who writ against a Heathen Philosopher He that had so great a knowledge of things if accounts were true in the Martyrologies which the following Ages compiled Nor is Eusebius's Authority less in reducing the Martyrs to a small number for there are not many spoke of in the two Collections which he made whereof tho one was lost there were Fragments enough of it preserved in his Ecclesiastick History to let us understand what it contained Here also are Proofs alledged which are strengthned before hand against that plausible Objection that during the great Tempests which tost the Church it was not easie to collect Memoires for it is clearly justified by the practice of the first Christians that they were extream exact and devout in celebrating the Memory of their Martyrs and that it was easie for them to learn their Names and the circumstances of their Punishment for we cannot imagine but than they had some good Intervals and this is a point whereby the common Opinion is retrieved in shewing that the Heathen Emperors were not always such Devils as they are thoughâ— to be for of 'em some have been Friends and Patrons to Christians and others have valued themselves so much upon Clemency that they made the chiefest good of their Reign consist in that they could boast they did not cause the effusion of Blood Nor must we believe that the Intendants of Provinces have put many to Death under these Emperors for however brutal an Intendant might be he would not think of making himself a fierce and bigotted Converter when he knew the Court would disprove it and they seldom satisfied their barbarous or superstitious Tempers until they had brought the Prince on their side St. Ambrose tells us that the greatest part of Pagan Governors of Provinces gloried in leaving them without putting any one to Death But whereas these general Reasons would not with all Readers be of sufficient force against the vast Collections of Martyrologies which have been a long time made and are become the Subject of Meditation not only to devout Souls but also to sevoral Rhetoricians the Author takes a particular review of each Persecution of the ancient Church He begins with that of Nero and presently meets with a Passage of Tacitus which does not seem to favour him because this Author says that they put a great number of Christians to Death The Author seeks for no frivolous subtilty to elude this Autorhity but on the contrary he strengthens the Objection with a false Remark in applying to that Time these words of Tacitus Repressar in praesens exitiabilis Superstitio which manifestly relates to the Suffering of Jesus Christ. He acknowledges then the great Multitude but pretends that this Storm fell only upon the Christians at Rome and so diminishes much the Idea's that People framed to themselves of this first Persecution He also believes that the Names of these Martyrs were not put in the Archives whether it was that it was thought they ought not to be put in the number of Martyrs who were not put to death under pretext of Religion but because they were suspected to have set Rome on Fire or whether it was that the Custom of Anniversaries was not then established among the Christians upon this he gives us several critical Remarks and passes to the Persecution of Domitian and shews clearly that it was but little or nothing Since that time to the time of Decius the Church enjoyed great rest if we believe Lactantius It is already a great Prejudice to suppose that it was miserably torn in this Interval for whence should Lactantius's ignorance of all this proceed But not to ground all this Affair on his Omission all that concerns the Persecution of Trajan Adrian Anthoninus Marcus Aurelius Severus and Maximinus is carefully examined and the Advocates of Martyrologies are shewn that their account is to be much lessened This place teaches us a thousand curious things concerning
retake that Shield which by their Apostacy they lost that so they may be armed not against the Church which grieves at their Misery but against their Adversary the Devil a modest Petition a bashful Supplication a necessary Humility and an Industrious Patience will be advantageous to them let them express their Grief by their Tears and their Sorrow and Shame for their Crimes by their Groans Ep. 31. ap Cypr. Tertullian in a like manner describes one in this State by lying in Sackcloth and Ashes by having a squalid Body and a dejected Soul by Fasting Praying Weeping Groaning and roaring night and day by throwing himself at the Clergies feet and kneeling before the Faithful begging and desiring their Prayers and Pardon If the Criminals Repentance was thought real he was admitted to part of the Service but not to all for a long time some two three five ten Years and some even to their Lives end On the day appointed for Absolution â—he came cover'd with Sackcloth and Ashes throwing himself at the Feet of the Clergy and Laity and with Tears in his Eyes begging their Pardon and Forgiveness confest his Fault and received Absolution by the Bishops putting his hand upon his Head and blessing him and then he was looked upon as a true Church-Member again 8. In the Eighth Chap. he comes to shew the Independency that Churches had one of another as to Superiority or Preheminence which concludes very strongly against the Usurpations of the See of Rome he Cites the Decree of the African Synod Apud Cyp. Ep. 55. § 16. Pag. 142. That every ones Cause should be heard where the Crime was committed because that to every Pastor was committed a particular Portion of Christ's Flock which he was particularly to rule and govern and to render an Account thereof unto the Lord. Yet he shews there was such a Dependence and Correspondence betwixt one another Cypr. Ep. 67. § 6. Pag. 199. Although they were many Pastors yet they were but one Flock and they ought to congregate and cherish all the Sheep which Christ redeemed by his own Blood and Passion And a little after We ought all of us to take care of the Body of the whole Church whose Members are distended through various Provinces Apud Cypr. Ep. 30. § 4. Pag. 67. Our Auâ—hor treats next of Provincial Synods which he proves were a Convocation of Bishops Presbyters Deacons and deputed Laimen who often met to advise about Eccâ—esiastical Affairs and reguâ—ate what should appear amiss He shews that this Convocation was usually every Year Per singulos annos in unum Conveniamus Apud Cyprian Ep. 75. § 3. Pag. 23â— In these Assemblies they chose out of the gravest and most renowned Bishops two to be Arbitrators and Moderators Apud Euseb Lib 5. Cap. 23. Pag. â—90 The Decrees that they made were binding and who ever broke them came under the Ecclesiastick Censure 9. In the Ninth Chap. our Author treats of the Unity of the Church Here he shews that the Unity of the Church consisted not in an Uniformity of Rites and Usages but every Church was at its own liberty to follow its own particular Customs Iren. apud Euseb. Lib. 5. Cap. 24. P. 193. In some Churches they fasted one day in others two in some more and in others forty hours but yet they still retained Peace and Concord the diversity of their commending the Unity of their Faith And a little after the same Father They retained Peace and Love and for the diversity of such Customs none were ever cast out of the Communion of the Church Also Firmilius apud Cyprian Ep. 75. § 5. Pag. 237. That in most Provinces their Rites were varied according to the Diversities of Names and Places and that for this no one ever departed from the Peace and Unity of the Catholick Church 'T would be well if this Primitive Union was well considered on by such as keep up the Dissentions amongst us at this day they will certainly have a severe Account to make one day to the Prince of Peace nor will their Ignorance excuse them in not making a due distinction betwixt the Fundamentals of Religion and mere Circumstances Our Author proceeds to shew what condescentions there were amongst them from Iustin Martyr who speaking of those Jewish Converts who adhered to the Mosaical Rites says That if they did this only through their Weakness and Imbecillity and did not perswade other Christians to the observance of the same Iudaical Customs that he would receive them into Church-fellowship and Communion Dialog cum Tryphon Pag. 266. After this our Author shews how the whole Churches censur'd such as were Authors of Divisions about the different Observation of Easter Baptizing Hereticks c. and afterwards he brings in Irenaeus saying That at the last day Christ shall judge those who cause Schisms who are inhuman not having the fear of God but preferring their own advantage before the Unity of the Church who for trivial and slight Causes rend and divide the great and glorious Body of Christ and as much as in them lies destroy it who speak Peace but make War truly straining at a Gnat but swallowing a Camel Lib. 4. Cap. 62. Pag. 292. Here our Authors defines Schism according to the Primitive Fathers to be an unnecessary causeless Separation from their lawful Pastor or Parish Church So that who ever separates upon such a Ground is a Schismatick then he comes to lay down such measures as the Primitive Christians did make use of for Separation from their Bishop 1 Apostacy from the Faith 2 Or when a Bishop renounc'd the Christian Faith and through fear of Persecution embrac'd the Heathenish Idolatries as was done in the Case of Martialis and Basilides two Spanish Bishops 3 ly When the Bishops Life was scandalous and wicked he gives Instances of all of them yet he brings in Origen against this last Opinion his words are these Origen Hom. 7. in Ezek. He that hath a care of his Soul will not be scandaliz'd at my Faults who am his Bishop but considering my Doctrin and finding it agreeable to the Churches Faith from me indeed he will be averse but he will receive my Doctrin according to the Precept of the Lord which saith The Scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses his Chair whatever therefore they say unto you hear and do but according to their Work do not for they say and do not The Scripture is of me who teach what is good and do the contrary and sit upon the Chair of Moses as a Scribe or Pharisee the Precept is to thee O People if thou canst not accuse me of false Doctrin or Heretical Opinions but only beholdest my wicked and sinful Life but do those things which I speak After having mentioned this Father's Opinion he adds that whether Irenaeus or an African Synod or Origen deserves most Credit he leaves it to the Learned to judge but however our Author gives his own Opinion that they
Term Consubstantial when as they freely acknowledg'd the Divinity of the Son of God He approved not of the Disputes at that time upon the Subject of the Hypostasis because he look'd upon those that received Three into the Trinity and those that admitted but of one to be of the same Opinion and only to differ in the manner of Expressing St. Basil was not so moderate for accoding to his Opinion those were Sabellians that said the Father and Son were two in Thought and one in Substance The Demi-Arians or Homoiousians that was those that would not acknowledge that the Son was Consubstantial with the Father and that said nevertheless that he was like him in all things c. the same in Substance were no more Hereticks than those that maintan'd the Three Hypostases in the Judgment of St. Basil St. Hilary of Poictiers of Philaster and even of Saint Athanasius who confesses in his Book of the Synods that Basil of Ancyra and those of his Party differed from those who made a Profession of Consubstantiality as to the name only Some of these Demi Arians are placed in the number of Saints in divers Martyrologies as Euseb. of Caesarea and Euseb. of Emissa and Pope Liberius also being a Catholick receiv'd them into his Communion St. Hilary of Poictiers although a great Defender of the Nicene Faith was not free from Error for to Answer to the Objections that the Arians drew from such passages of Scripture as proved that Jesus Christ was subject to fear sorrow and grief he fell into such an Opinion as made the Humanity of our Saviour a Fantom he maintained that Jesus Christ sustained not really either Fear or Grief but that these Passions were only represented in him To explain what the Son of God says of himself That he was ignorant of the day of Iudgment Mark 13. He says it ought not to be understood in the Letter as if Jesus Christ had been effectively ignorant of this Day but in this Sense that he knew it not to discover it to Man He had an other very very particular Error that he advanced in the Twentieth Canon upon St. Matthew that Moses and Elias should come with Jesus Christ near the time of Iudgment and that they should be put to death by Antichrist contrary to the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews for he says that Jesus Christ being rais'd from death shall dye no more He was of the Opinion also that Predestination was subsequent to Merit and that the Divinity of Jesus Christ was separated from his Humanity in the time of his death As to the rest the Roman Catholicks which complain that some Protestant Refugees have spoken too freely of those that have deprived them of their Goods and reduced them to the utmost Misery may read what St. Hilary says of Constantius That neither he nor the Bishops of his time received the thousandth part of the evil Treatments that the Reformed have suffered Mr. du Pin thinks the Errors of Optatus of Milan small and pardonable although he believed that Hereticks ought to be Rebaptized and seems to give Free-Will the Power not only of willing and beginning a good Action but also of advancing in the way of Salvation without the Assistance of the Grace of Jesus Christ. He approves not however of the Allegorical manner whereby this Bishop explains many Passages of Scripture giving them a very distant sense from what they naturally have and applying them to such things as they have no Relation to This defect says our Author that might be suffered in a Sermon appears intolerable in a Treatise of Controversie where all the Proofs ought to be strong and convincing But Optatus had to do with Enemies that did the same and who abused Passages of Scripture to injure the Church and give Praises to their own Sect. After having complain'd of the loss of Apollinarius's Works the most Learned of all the Christians Authors in Humanity this Loss is attributed to his Errors or rather the Zeal of the Catholicks which have had such an Horror to the Books of Hereticks that they have not even preserv'd those that regarded not their Heresie and that might have been useful to the Church Wherefore continues du Pin we have almost no Books of the Ancient Hereticks remaining Many Men believe that the Disputes with the Heterodox have been the Cause of the Catholicks inventing Solutions which have afterwards pass'd into Opinions such is the Doctrin of the Infallibility of the Church which was not regarded till towards Luther's time Some in this Rank place Original Sin which begun in the Seventh Age to be more acknowledg'd than before according to Mr. du Pin. They speak also more of Grace than they did in the preceding Ages and notwithstanding much was always attributed to Free Will It 's surprising that Titus of Bostres whose Arguments are solid and subtil had not recourse in his Treatise against the Manicheans to Original Sin which he might have made use of as a general Solution to almost all their Difficulties For we may easily apprehend why Man is inclined to evil why he suffers why he is subject to hunger to grief sickness miseries and to death it self where once we have admitted Original Sin Neither doth this Author speak of the Grace of Iesus Christ and he seems to have supposed that Man can of himself as well do good as evil The Disciples of St. Augustin will not find Dydimuss of Alexandria much more Orthodox since he maintains that Predestination is nothing else but the Choice which God hath made of those that he foresaw would believe in Jesus Christ and would Act according to it He likewise believed with his Master Origen that the Incarnation of the Son of God was beneficial to Angels as well as to Men and that it took away the Guilt of their Transgressions As to the Sentiment of the Eternity of Spirits he speaks on 't without condemning or approving it In Truth it would be absurd and impious to fix Eternity to any other Being than God if by this word was understood an Absolute Eternity or Existence by it self but if we suppose that the Souls of Men were Spirits created a long time since which have offended God and which he sends into mortal Bodies there to do Penance for their Faults this Hypothesis perhaps would be instrumental to discover many Difficulties in Divinity which have hitherto appeared Unexplicable All the World hath heard of the Catechumens of the Ancient Church that few well know what they were 1. When an Infidel presented himself to be admitted into the number of Christians they begun to instruct him in private but he was not suffered to enter into the Church nor to assist at publick Exhortations 2. Afterward when he was believed to be well undeceived of his old Errors he was permitted to go to the Church but only to hear Sermons
there are many things very remarkable as that the Cook of Corbie getting up at Midnight the Eve of St. Vitus the year 86 and opening the Larder Door it appear'd to him all of a light fire Cocta autem comestaque in festo paâ—roni carne quam ubi suspenderat Oeconomus splendor iste evanuit I Relate these words in Latin because I fear I could not Translate them well for I find no Syntax in them Upon this M. Paullini says That Bartholin and Aquapendente have made the same experience The Journal of the Learned informs us That on the 14th of Iune 83. at Orleans Meat has been seen at the Shambles to shine like phosphore The Conjecture of Bartholin is not altogether improbable that somewhat of the Glo-worms sticks to this Flesh and communicates this shining There is affirm'd in one of the French Novels of the foregoing Month That M. Lanzwerdo does not much credit such Generations as are called Equivocal that is to say where the Mother is of a different kind from that which engenders or is produced nevertheless one of these Fryars assures us that in the year 874. a Woman brought forth a Black Cat and that a Mare brought forth a Calf He adds That this Black Cat was burned because the Father of it was supposed to be of Devils M. Paullini makes mention of several such Generations and it may be concluded in general that the Text and Commentary thereon make a very curious Treatise There is likewise the History of a Dog that lived in the year 897. at Corbie which was of an Exemplary Devotion hearing the Mass very modestly and observed all the requisite Postures at the reading the Evangelists or when the Priest rais'd up the Host Besides this he kept Fasting Days with so much exactness that all imaginable Civility could not engage him to tast Flesh. If he had seen any Dogs piss against the Walls of the Church he went presently to bite them with great Zeal and if there were any that barked in the Yard during the Mass he would not fail to quit the place without disturbance to quiet them he never suffered any Dog to enter into the Church Father Iohn Eusebe of Nieremberg brings yet a more admirable Example of a Dog if the Crow of the Abby of Conrad were as wise as that Dog he had not felt an Excommunication that took away his Appetite and ordinary briskness the cause whereof was thus Conrad having a mind to wash his Hands took the Ring off his Finger and could not find it when he wanted it again he caus'd it to be sought for in every place without hearing of it so that he had issued out an Excommunication against whoever had stole his Ring the Crow that took it presently felt this stroke and confin'd himself within his Nest with a heavy heart this raised the Abbot's suspicion that it was he that had stole his Ring and in effect so it proved for it was at length found in his Nest upon which the Crow came to his first Condition as may be seen more at large in the Holy Recreations of Father Angelin Gazee A Work full of Pious Iests and Diversions for Devout Souls as the Sieur Rems remarks who has Translated them into French It may be truly said that there are more pleasing Accounts in this Book than in that of Bocace I do not know what to say to that which Fryar Isibord relates concerning a Cat of their House which hatch'd Ducks Eggs and took all possible care of the young ones to whom she communicated her Nature of warring against Rats But for what concerns the inability of the Ears of a certain young Girl the Abbot of Marolles has left no room to doubt of it being so confirmed by the Philosopher Cressot in the 32 page of his Memoirs She much resembled says he the Figures or Pictures of the Cynick Philosophers that are in the Closet of the Curious being as dirty as they with a long Beard and Hair uncombed she had a very particular thing which I never took notice of in any but in her which was to raise her Ears and to fould them at pleasure without touching them Father Messie in his 24th Chapter of his first Part makes mention of a Man which St. Augustin has seen not only to move his Ears at pleasure but also his Hair without any motion of Hand or Head This little Girl then is not so great a rarity as the Relation of a Woman who had 4 Breasts corresponding to each other before and behind equally full of Milk she lived in the Year 1164 and had thrice Twins who sucked her on both sides Nevertheless what we hinted at the Fryars of Corbie does not hinder but there have been very famous Men amongst 'em which may be seen in the Account that M. Paullini published at Ione intituled Theatrum illustrium virorum Corbeae Saxonicae Fasciculus Rerum Expetendarum Or a Collection of Things to be sought after and Things to be avoided Published at Cologne in the Year 1535. by Orthuinus Gratius Presbyter in Daventry for the Vse and Instruction of an Assembly then Conven'd freed from Innumerable Faults according to the best and choice Editions of those may Tractates which are contain'd therein by the Labour and Study of Edward Brown Minister Tom. 19th Sold at Amsterdam WHen Orthuinus Gratius alias Graes Publish'd this Work there was a Council call'd for a Reformation of the Church and the Catholick Princes did extreamly desire it from the Court of Rome yet it was doubted very much whether they shou'd obtain it Nevertheless the Collector of these Pieces believed he ought to publish 'em that in case the Assembly met they might draw thence some very necessary Instructions to satisfie such as were for a regulution of Abuses Wherefore he added it to his Title which was since a little changed in this new Edition Quod si futurum Concilium celebrari contigerit summopere tanquam cognitu necessaria ab optimis quibusque expostulabuntur All these Advertisements being unprofitable this Collection is become very scarce Whether it was endeavour'd to be suppress'd because it has been condemn'd by the Index's of many Books or that length of time only had produced this effect is uncertain However 't was this perswaded Mr. Brown to publish this Book anew though the Roman Church having not received those Truths it contain'd 't is not likely they shou'd be more welcome now than formerly also the World hath not seen this Collection because of the fewness of the Copies I will in brief give an account here of what it means It 's compos'd of 66 different pieces all which relate to some Abuses of the Roman Church either in the Doctrin or in the manner of the Clergy or some Scandalous Histories which this Church hath produc'd since the Popes have had a desire to usurp a Despotick Power over the Revenues and even the Consciences of the Christians or of pretended
Triumphant Hyman upon Iulians being cut off which Israel Sang when the Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea Naz. Orat. 3 p. 54. Iraeneus when some Hereticks made an Argument from the Conclusion of the Form of a Doxology says they alledge also that we in our thanksgiving do say World without End Iren. adv Heres lib. 1 â— 1. This Form is mentioned in Tertullian de Spect. p. 83. And the Gloria Patri was a Form both in the Gallican and African Church Tertul. speaking de Basil c. 13. says Christ had not only imposed the Law of Baptism but prescribed the Form of it The same Father Apol. c. 39. says after having washed their hands and brought in lights they called for some to sing Psalms or somewhat of their own Composing In the Third Century Hyppolitus the Martyr de Consum Mundi Tom 2. p. 357. speaking in his discourse of the end of the World and the coming of Christ says expresly That Liturgies shall be extinguished singing of Psalms shall cease and reading of Scripture shall not be heard Origen in Anno 230. is so full in his Homily on Ieremy that the Centuriators were convinced that Set Forms of Prayer were used in his time It is say they without Question that they had some Set Forms of Prayer in that Age c. The same Father adds on this Subject in Cels. lib. p. 302. They who serve God thro' Iesus in a Christian way and live according to the Gospel use frequently as becomes them night and day the Enjoyed Prayer which is as full as can be to the purpose St. Cyprian de Orat. Sect. 5. p. 310. says That Christians had a publick and Common Prayer wherein all agreed Anno 253. Gregory Thaumaturgus Bishop of Neocesarea was contemperary with St. Cyprian St. Basil an unquestionable Witness says concerning him that he appointed a Form of Prayer for that Church of Neocesarea from which they wou'd not vary in one Ceremony or in a Word nor wou'd they add any one Mystical Form in the Church to those which he had left them c. Paulus Samosatenus was offended at some Hymns and Composed others Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 24. In the Fourth Century Arnobius lib. 2. p 65. says To venerate this Supream King is the end and design of these Divine Offices Constantin's Form of Prayer is well known Euseb. vit Constant. lib. 4. Athanasius in his Apol. ad Constant. p. 156 157. says The People Mourned and Groaned to God in the Church all of 'em crying to the Lord and saying Spare thy People good Lord spare them give not their Heritage for a reproach to thine Enemies Which is an Original piece of Littany and a known Form prescribed in Scripture Athanasius de interp Psalm p. 303. Orders the People to sing the Psalms in the very words wherein they were written Flavianus was intreated to come back to the church and perform the same Liturgy there Theodor. lib. 2. c. 24. St. Cyril says to his Auditors in the Eucharistical Office Lift up your hearts Answer We lift 'em up unto the Lord. P. Let us give thanks unto the Lord. A. As it is meet and just Cyril Catechis Mystag 5. Iulian the Apostate devised to to make a Form of Prayer in parts for the Heathen Worship to be set up in Schools c. which things saith Nazianzen in Iul. Orat. 3. p. 102 are clearly agreeable to our Good Order And Sozomen Hist. lib. 5. cap. 15. speaking of the same thing says that Iulian designed to adorn his Gentile Temples with the Order of Christian Worship appointing prescribed Prayers upon set days and hours The Ingenious Apostat in one of his Epistles Iulian Fragment Epist. in Oper. p. 552. yet extant advises his Pagan Priests to pray thrice a day if possible or however Morning and Evening both in private and publick and to learn the Hymns of the Gods which were made in Old and Latter Times Adding that there was a Liturgy for these Priests and a Law directing 'em what to do in their Temples from which they might not vary The Council of Laodicea which is one of the Earliest Synods and has been always received by the Church says Canon 18. Bev. Tom. 1 p. 461. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That the very same Liturgy of Prayers which the Fathers had appointed for Three in the Afternoon c. In the Council of Sardica Anno 347. A Bishop coming to a strange City is Ordered to Assemble and Perform his Liturgy there Can. 12. There are other Testimonies in this Century of Gregory Nazianzen St. Basil Dionysius Areopagita St. Ambrose St. Ierom Chrysostom the Third Canon Carth. the 70 African Canon And here we come to the time that Mr. Clarkson confesses the uses of the Liturgies So that we need go no further We might run down the 5 th 6 th 7 th 8 th c. Centuries if there was occasion for it but what we have brought does sufficiently answer Dr. Combers end viz. To shew the palpable Errors of Mr. Clarkson about the Innovation of Liturgies Dr. Comber has Written a Second Part wherein he has followed his Antagonist down thro' these latter Ages and does not only shew from the beginning of Christianity till of late that Liturgies and Set Forms of Prayer were used publickly but that Extempâ—re publick Prayer was never suffered in the Christian Church whatever it might be in Private Families The use of the whole Discourse cann't miss this Effect amongst all considering and unpreâ—udic'd Presbyterians that it will either convince 'em that our practice is more agreeable to that of the Primitive Christians than theirs or at least that ours was used as well as theirs Besides it will take off the common Objection against us viz. That our Practices have taken their Original from the Papists since here aâ—e the most clear and convincing Eâ—idences in the World that the Papal Authority was not settled for many Hundreds of Years alter some very considerable Instances which are here brought against Liturgies and Set Forms of Prayers Hymns c. I had almost forgot to do the Author this Justice that he has not only brought his Authorities for the Practices of the Church of England but has also fully answered Mr. Clarksons Arguments against it with that Mildness Perspicuity Judgment and Learning as have not given him a little Repute amongst the Learned Such as wou'd be better acquainted with the Knowledg and Worth of the Author or are any way dissatisfied with this Subject if they please to consult the Author himself they cann't fail to meet with an ample Satisfaction A New Bibliotheque of Ecclesiastick Authors Containing the History of their Lives the Catalogue of their Writings and the Chronology of their Works the Sum of what they Contain a Iudgment on their Stile and Doctrâ—n with an Enumeration of the Different Editions of their Works Tom. the First of the Authors of the Three First Ages with a Preliminary
Author of the Apostolick Constitutions is the first who attributed them to the Apostles before which time they were only call'd Ancient Canons or Ecclesiastick Canons 'T is he who hath inserted many words there to perswade us that the Apostles were the Authors of 'em and in his Constitutions which he would father upon Clement Romanus he attributes many things to 'em which don't agree with the Apostles such are those which concern Temples Catechumens Energumens Feast-Days c. There were even some things absurd and wicked such as that which orders Women to be Shav'd and not Men lib. 1. and that other which permits Womenâ—Slaves to suffer themselves to be corrupted by their Masters lib. 8. Constit. cap. 32. Altho' Baronius Bellarmin and some other Catholick Criticks receiv'd the Acts of the Passion of St. Andrew Mr. du Pin rejects 'em with his ordinary liberty as a Book doubtful and whereof we can make no use to prove an Article of Faith and which was not cited as we have it now till the Seventh or Eighth Age. In the speaking of the Sybils the Author says many things agreeable to what Mr. Petit does and shews in his Notes that there is nothing more uncertain than the Name and Number of these Prophetesses The most particular thought is his refutation of Mr. Vossius who maintained that in the Verses of the Sybils which Otacilius Crassus brought from Greece after the Conflagration of the Capital was slipt in some Iewish Prophesies that however past for the Sybils which are those that the Fathers have cited To Answer to this M. Du Pin shews that this System altho well enough invented suffers many difficulties and that the Doctrin of the Sybils Books is rather that of a Christian than that of a Iew Iesus Christ being therein more plainly foretold than in the Prophets and the Resurrection Judgment Reign of a Thousand Years with Antichrist being there remarkt in formal Terms Twou'd be a groundless imagination to say with Ierom that the Sybils had received the gift of Prophesying in Recompence for their Virginity It s very well known they applyed themselves entirely to things of greater Consequence and that it was often their Fate to be mistaken in profane Histories and cite Supposititious Books such as Hystaspus and Mercurius Trismegistus c. It is not easie to determine either when or by whom these false Oracles of the Sybils were made But as they made no noise till since the time of Antoninus the Pious he Conjectures that these Verses were towards the beginning of the Second Age 'T was says our Author by a Pious Fraud much like this by which a passage concerning Iesus Christ got into the Fourth Chapter of the 18 th Book of the Antiquities of the Iews But the perplexed turn and sequel of the Discourse shews that it enter'd in by force This he proves by Origen Theodoret and Photius to which Mr. Huet answers that these ancient Authors had Manuscripts of Iosephus from whence the Iews had taken away this passage The Book that bears Hermas's Name who was a Disciple to the Apostles is certainly his It was received as Canonical in many Churches and St. Ireneus and Origen cited it as such altho it is fill'd with a great Number of Visions Allegories and Similitudes which make it very tedious Amongst the Works that are attributed to St. Clement he admits as true only the two Epistles to the Corinthians The first of which according to our Author after Holy Scripture is one of the finest Monuments of Antiquity But the Second is not so certainly his The Apostolick Constitutions is a work of the Third or Fourth Age which from time to time was reformed changed and augmented according to the different Customs of times and places False Dionysius the Areopagite was an Author of the Fifth or Sixth Age whose Books were first cited in 532 by the Hereticks that were call'd Serezians The Author speaks there of the Trinity and Incarnation in such Terms as have been used only since the Fourth Age of the Church He proves in his Notes that the true Dionysius the Areopagite never was in France that Photinus Preached Christianity the first in that Kingdom and that from the time of Ireneus his Successor the Faith was only establisht in Two Provinces of the Gauls since there were Martyrs no where else in the Kingdom He rejects the Vulgar Edition of the Letters of St. Ignatius but receives the Seven that the Learned Isaack Vossius published from a Greek Manuscript of the Florence Library which is perfectly conformable to the Version that Usher has published He refutes two opposite Opinions whereof one is that of Belarmin Baronius and Possevinus who received all that were in Greek or who admitted the Three Latin ones as Father Haloix did who altho in a clearer time were not however the best Criticks The other is that of some Protestants as Salmasius Blondel Aubertinus and Dailleus who to the utmost of their power endeavour'd to destroy the Credit of Usher and Voissius's Editions All the World now agrees that the Letter of Polycarp to the Philipians is truly his and that the other Works that are attributed to him are supposititious The Martyrdom of this Saint is described after a very Circumstantial manner in a Letter from the Church of Smyrna to the Churches of Pontus and our Author relates a passage from thence that Merits a particular Notice The Heathens having hindred the Christians from carrying away the Body of Polycarp which continued untouched in the middle of the Flames said it was for fear they shou'd adore it instead of Iesus Christ The Church of Smyrna makes this reflection upon it Senseless as they were to be ignorant that the Christians adored Jesus Christ only because he was the Son of God and that they loved the Martyrs only who are his Disciples and Imitators because of the Love they Testified to have for their King and Master Afterwards the Centurian having burnt the body of this Martyr the Christians carryed away his bones more precious than the rarest Stones and more pure than Gold which they buried in a place where they assembled together to celebrate with joy and cheerfulness the day of his Martyrdom Thus Honouring the Memory of those that Gloriously fought for Religion that they might Confirm and Instruct others by their Examples This is adds Mr. du Pin the Opinion of the ancient Church concerning the respect due to Martyrs and their Relicks explained after a very curious way equally distant from the Contempt that the Hereticks of our time have for 'em and the Superstition of some Catholicks Speaking of Papias who though a Disciple of St. Iohn the Evangelist pass'd in the Judgment of Eusebius for a very Credulous Man and of a most indifferent Wit who pleased himself with the hearing and relating Stories and Miracles He says That he made Errors and Falsities pass for the
Orthodox Treatises of Tertullian he gives the chiefest place to his Apologetick his two Books to the Gentils and that which he Dedicated to Scapula to perswade the Governour of Africk from Persecuting the Christians He proves in this last that all Men ought to have the liberty to embrace what Religion seems the truest to them That 't is no part of Religion to constrain men to embrace a Religion which ought to be a voluntary choice Non est Religionis cogere Religionem quae sponte suscipi debet non vi In the Sixth Book of Baptism Tertullian disapproves of Baptizing Children without Necessity How is it necessary says he to expose God-fathers to the danger of answering for such who may prevent and hinder the performance by Death or Apostatizing from the Christian Religion when they come of Age Our Author assures us that this Opinion of Tertullian is his own particular one and there 's no other Father to be found who hath said as much But Tertullian affirms other things as incredible as for Instance when he says Christians are absolutely forbidden to bear Arms and he calls the Crowns that Soldiers put upon their heads the Pomps of the Devil To râ—ad his Book of Spectacles one wou'd hardly believe that he was the Author of that of Prescriptions but only by his affected Style and Particular Transports he endeavour'd to prove in his Book of Spectacles that Virgins ought to have their Faces covered in the Church contrary to the Custom of the Country which only oblig'd Women to be Vail'd He mightily exclaims against Custom and Tradition and maintains that nothing can be prescribed contrary to Truth 'T is true adds Mr. Du Pin when not Dogmatically enjoyned but 't is when it is done as a Disciplin of little Consequence In mentioning the History of Origen and how he was persecuted by Demetrius the Patriarch of Alexandria he relates an Article of the Discipline of that time viz. when a Priest was once Excommunicated and depos'd by a Bishop with the consent of the Bishops of the Province he cou'd no more be receiv'd into any Church and it was never Examined after the Judgment was past whether it was just or unjust He places among the Errors of Origen the Exposition which he gave upon the words of Jesus Christ Whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth c. because he seems to retain the power of binding and loosing only to Bishops and Priests which follow the vertue of St. Peter and he says that all Spiritual Men are this Stone upon which Jesus Christ hath founded his Church St. Cyprian is one of the Fathers whom Mr. Du Pin has been large upon because the Life and Letters of this Martyr make a considerable part of the Ecclesiastick History of his Age. We may see there in the troubles that were excited amongst the Christians by the parties of Novatian and Felicissimus on the account of those that were fallen by Persecution The Moderation that St. Cyprian observed to avoid the Rigour of the first and the extream Remissness of the second and the Weakness of Cornelius Bishop of Rome who suffering himself to be seduced by Felicissimus writ to St. Cyprian after a disobliging manner These Two Schisms were not extinguisht before a third arose upon the Question whether Hereticks ought to be Re-Baptized proposed by Ianuarius and the Bishops of Numidia who upon that Account came to consult a Council where St. Cyprian was They that composed it answered that this Question was already decided by the Bishops that were their Predecessours who had declared in the Affirmative The Year following another Synod was Assembled in Africk which having confirmed this Decision sent to Stephen who was then Bishop of Rome to perswade him to embrace this Discipline But the Bishops was so far from complying with the Reasons of the Africans that he was Transported with anger against St. Cyprian and his Collegues and treated their Deputies very ill calling them false Christians false Apostles and Seducers even forbidding all those of his Church to entertain them and so depriving them not only of Ecclesiastick Communion but also refusing them the Laws of Hospitality but St. Cyprian testified great Moderation being unwilling that any Person shou'd Separate himself from the Communion upon this Dispute Mr. Du Pin afterwards endeavours to prove in his Notes that St. Cyprian did not change his Opinion and that the Churches of Greece were also a great while after his time divided about this Question He directs the Reader to a Letter of St. Basil to Amphilocus in which this Father relates the different Customs of the Church upon this Point Almost all the Letters of St. Cyprian run upon those Subjects that we have already spoken of the extracts of 'em are given to our Author according to the order of time He relates many fine passages from thence upon the necessity of examining the Disposition of such as are admitted to the Communion the Excellency of a Martyr which principally consists in keeping in every respect an Inviolable Holiness in his words and not to destroy the precepts of Jesus Christ at the same time that he 's a Martyr for him This holy Bishop made it a Law to do nothing in the Affairs of his Church without the Council of his Clergy and consent of the People Whefore in the Council of 37 Bishops held at Carthage in 256. upon the Reiteration of Baptism this holy Man gave this reason against Excommunicating those that were of a contrary opinion to him For no one amongst us says he ought to establish himself Bishop over the Bishops or pretend to constrain his Collegues by a Tyrannical fear because each Bishop has the same liberty and power and he can no more be judg'd be another than he can judge him but we ought all to expect the Judgment of Jesus Christ who only has power to propound to his Church and Judg of our actions In this question the Two Parties pretended to have Tradition on their side And St. Cyprian opposed to the Tradition that Pope Stephen brought the Truth of the Gospel and the first Tradition of the Apostles Our Author says also that St. Cyprian was the first that spoke clearly of Original Sin and the necessity of the Grace of Jesus Christ. The best Edition of this Fathers Works is that which has been lately published by Two of our Bishops But Persons have not much esteem for the observations of Dametius because he endeavours more to confirm the Doctrin and Discipline of our time than to explain the difficulties of his Author Mr. Du Pin rejects all the Letters that are attributed to Cornelius Bishop of Rome except those that are in the Works of Saint Cyprian because the rest and particularly the Epistle to Lupicinius Bishop of Vienna and two other that are in the Decretals under the name of this Pope are not like the Stile of those that are
Innovation upon this matter for they cannot Testifie this great â—oldness without having some Matter of fact which favours them From thence we must Judg that Tradition is intricate and uncertain and condemn no body rashly See what Father Lupus says at the beginning of his Book of Appellations Adversus prophanas vocum novitates adversus quosdam temporum Novatores Do's he seem to level this against the Protestants And who wou'd believe that he refutes Mr. De Marca and Gerbais and Father Quesnel and Garnier On the other side the Epithet Innovator is little less Prodigious Mr. Du Pin in the Second Part of this Treatise refuâ—es F. Lupus He First exmains the Question of Right and then comes to that of Fact I mean that after having disputed to the utmost of his Power upon the sense of some Canons that seem to give to the Pope the Right of the last Appeal he explains the method they observed in the Ecclesiastick Judgments before and since the Ancient Councils 'T is a very Copious Subject and from whence a great number of fine things may be collected The misfortune is that Objections often prevail as much as Solutions to them who have already taken the Popes party The Third Part of this Work treats of Excommunication He pretends here that 't is a dependence upon the Keys that Iesus Christ has given to his Church and that altho' all the Faithful was the Primitive Subject of the Power of the Keys 't is only the Clergy that ought to deduce it to Act. He confesses however that in the First Ages Excomunications were made with the advice of the People and that there are some Tracts of this Practice left in the Writings of St. Cyprian But by degrees the Laicks were excluded from this Jurisdiction but not the Second Order of Ecclesiasticks for it was very rare formerly that the Bishops made a Judgment in such Affairs without their Clergy When a Man was Excommunicated by one Bishop others must not receive him into their Communion but they might call a Provincial Synod upon it and if the case was an Article of Faith it was necessary to follow the resolution of this Synod Excommunication in that time more employed the Church than it does now for lest they shou'd be mistaken they received no strangers into their Communion except they carryed a Letter of Recommendation which declared their Pastors were well satisfyed with them The Author clears all these things with good proofs and observes that to shun all Surprize without much trouble we must suppose that all the Western Churches were in Communion with those of the East when the Patriarch of Antioch was united with the Pope so also to shun the odious name of Schismatick or Heretick and to have a good opinion of all Christians it was very necessary to agree with the Church of Rome and the Church of Antioch and that it was without doubt the reason why the first of these two Churches says our Author obtained the Elogy of the Center of Unity Mr. Du Pin confesses very freely that there may be some occasion in which a Person may separate from the Communion of the Pope and not lose the quality of a good Catholick and when he examins upon whom and for what cause Excommunication is allowable he says Kings come into the Number but not after that manner that many Popes have extended their power viz. not any way that does any injury to a temporal Right or dispenses with their Subjects Breach of Fidelity contrary to their Oath to the Prince He maintains it more advantagious to Christianity to abstain from these proceedings against Crown'd heads than to make use of 'em and that the Bishops of France are always against the Excomunication of their King However he himself shews the contrary in respect to Philip the 1 st and Philip the 2 d. He extreamly blames the flinging about Prohibitions upon Towns or Kingdoms but thinks there 's no harm in Anathematizing the Dead In respect to the effects of Excommunication he wou'd not have it extend to the despoiling of a Man of his Natural Right and the Right which others can confer upon him Thus an Excommunicated Person should not be deprived of his Wife his Children his Friends and those Offices which these Relations engage him in but other men must not so much as eat with him without necessity or keep him company We should never speak of it if we read not the Order which is given us of shutting our Door against an Heretick and not to do so much as wish him a good day Mr. Du Pin Reasons Judiciously upon this and thinks it no difficulty to believe that Excommunication hath any effect upon the Soul and that a man who is otherwise disengag'd from the bonds of Sin wou'd remain perfectly just under the Anathemas of the Church The Journalists of Lipswick have mentioned a Work which treats of Excommunications It was Printed at Dijon in the Year 1683 in Twelves at the charge of Mrs. P.H.B. T.C. who composed it These Gentlemen give a very advantageous Idea of it in their Month of Ianuary 1684. The Fourth Fifth and Sixth Dissertations of Mr. Du Pin are destined to prove that the Pope is the Primate of the Church that his Judgment may be corrected and that the Council is above him We shall speak but little upon his great Controversie it shall suffice to say that he proves here the Primacy of Saint Peter only by the passages of Scripture that speak of him the first in the list of the Apostles As for these Famous Words Thou art Peter and upon this Stone Feed my Sheep I will give thee the Keys he shews that the Ancients have taken them in divers ways which cannot be adjusted to the Notions of the Court of Rome He maintains that the power of the Apostles was equal which nevertheless injured not the Primacy of St. Peter since this Apostle was only in quality of the first Do we not every day says he see Brethren which have all precisely as much right to the Possession of their Father but who are all necessarily excluded except one in the quality of the Eldest But this Argument wont be conclusive till our Author shews how the rest of the Apostles were excluded from either a Heavenly or an Earthly Patrimony when St. Peter was not for so the Parallel of the Argument intimates He examins also what some have said of the Primacy's being founded joyntly upon St. Peter and St. Paul he shews wherein consists the Prerogatives of the Pope according to his Flatterers and what the French Divines say of it He brings the the Examples of those Popes that have committed Errors He answers in particular to Mr. Schelstrate concerning the Council of Constance but says nothing to the difficulties that were published against Mr. Maimbourg's Book He says the Manuscripts upon which Mr. Schelstrate founds his Argument are not of certain Antiquity and that they come from
of making Reflections upon it The Affair happen'd when the Learned M. Pigot Printed the Life of St. Chrysostom writ by Paladius He wou'd have added there amongst other little Pieces this same Letter of his written to the Monk Cesarius and some say that it was ready for the Press but he was desired to Suppress it and made to understand unless he did so he shou'd obtain no priviledge for his Book wherefore he did what they desired him The Protestants who come to understand this Matter have not fail'd to take notice of it as if the Publication of this Letter had been hindered only because it favour'd them One of 'em has Printed a long Dissertation upon this Subject under this Title St. Anastasii Sinaitae Anagâ—gâ—carum Contemplationum in Hexaemeron liber 32 hactenus desideratus cui praemissa est expostulatio de Sancti Iohannis Chrysostomi Epistola ad Caesarium Monachum adversus Apollinarii haeresin à Parisiensibus aliquot Theologis non ita pridem suppressâ Londini 1682 in 4 to Now we shall speak to the Notes This Second Volume wholly fill'd with his Remarks is as I have told you very large yet its only upon the three first Pieces of the Collection which are the Epistle of St. Polycarp that of St. Barnabas and a Discourse on Hyppolitus There is above 15 or 16 to comment upon besides little or great 'T would have been very pleasing if the Author had made Notes on them all for his Commentaries are fill'd with so much Learning and Judgment that all Ingenious Men that read 'em receive advantage from them It wou'd be impossible here to give a particular Accont of all the fine things in this second Volume wherefore we shall be content to give the World leave to judge of the whole by some of its parts The Title of St. Polycarp's Letter by which it appears that he and his Priests writ to the Philippians gives M. Le Moyne a good opportunity to speak of the difference between Ecclesiasticks for after having rejected the Opinion of those that alledge that as a Proof of the equality between Priests and Bishops he shews there was a difference in that time but not so great as is between the Ecclesiasticks at this Day since the Priests Consecrated Virgins even conferred Orders performed the Chrism gave their Opinions in Synods and had Seats like to the Bishops which were call'd Thrones as well as theirs Here he takes occasion to reprehend Salmasius who thought these words of Eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signified Bishops that were Suffragans to a Metropolitan whereas he ought to be understood by 't says our Author Simple Priests which he proves also to have been call'd Antistites which a Learned Man being ignorant of fell into this over-sight and understood by it Antistitem secundae sedis the Patriarch of Constantinople He proves by the Example of St. Cyprian that the Bishops writ conjoyntly with the Priests to other Bishops and Priests both together and some time even with the Deacons He Relates a Letter of Constantine's the Emperour wherein he speaks much upon it because it is directed to Miltiades Bishop of Rome and to Mark which is not conformable to the Idea they have of the Pope's Preeminence for its a little too familiar not only to write to him by himself but also to associate him with another that was only a simple Priest The Author justifies its being read Mark contrary to the reading of a great many Learned Men and he wonders that in the same Book where the great Salmasius who hath cited this Letter of Constantine's against the Pretensions of the Court of Rome shou'd believe it as false This defect of Memory is more supportable than the Infidelity of this Translator who to disguise Constantine's directing to the Pope and to another in the same Letter has thus changed these words of the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nec tuam Sedulitatem Latet The Author makes this Remark upon the word Sacerdos a Sacrificing Priest that it was never given to the Ecclesiasticks in the first or second Age the reason of which he says was because the Christians conforming themselves to the practice of the Synagogues and not that of the Temple of Ierusalem established Priests Deacons Bishops c. But not Sacrificers or Sacrificing Priests by which he Convicts him of Imposture who disguised himself under the Name of Denis the Areopagite and who affected to be call'd Sacerdos He concludes this Remark with Criticising upon some Authorities that seem to be contrary to this point Mr. Le Moyne as occasion offers it self explains all obscure places and corrects the Errors but he has a very handsome Quality that is not very common for he treats those very civilly that are guilty of Mistakes and very often censures the faults without naming the person As he was very well acquainted with Iudaick Antiquities and the Eastern Tongues So he has taken a great many Etymologies from them which has been unusefully sought for both in the Greek and Latin He is not satisfied only with clearing a great many Critical Points but has also engag'd himself to defend our Mysteries the Divinity of the word against a Heretick which was so much the more dangerous as beside his Heresie he had Wit and Learning he was not so uncivil and imprudent as some others who have boldly published it did not concern them if what they affirm'd was never before known to the World His Name was Sandius he was wise enough to see 't was the greatest Absurdity in the World to pretend that an Opinion was true that took birth only in these last Ages or in case that it was true it was not worth the while to trouble the Church for common sense evidently tells us that every Opinion that Christianity has past by for these Sixteen Ages is unuseful for Salvation and of none or at most of very little importance So that when an Heretick is cunning he puts off no opinion but under pretence of its being founded upon some very antient Doctrin this was the craft of Sandius he apply'd himself very much to Ecclesiastical History that he might prove the Fathers of the three first Ages did not believe the Trinity as it is now taught from whence he pretends to draw one of these Advantages either that Error prevail'd in the Council of Nice and that so things ought to be reduced to their Primitive State or that the Fathers of this Council made that an Article of Faith without which their Predecessors burning with Zeal and Holiness had obtain'd the Glory of Paradice and therefore by consequence persons were not obliged to undergo the new Yoke that the Council of Nice wou'd have impos'd upon the Conscience Every one must be sensible that its the Duty of the Orthodox to dissipate these Illusions and the Author deserves praise for undertaking the proof of the Divinity of the Son by Passages of the Antients whilst M.
Wittichius his Collegue maintain'd the Divinity of the Holy Ghost against the same Sandius I believe that after having considered the proofs that M. Le Moyne brings there 's few Men will be so Opinionative as to maintain that the Fathers of the three first Ages were of Acius's Opinion for he relates many express and formal Passages wherein they maintained the Eternal Divinity of the Son of God He doubts not but what was said of Tiberius is true viz. That he proposed to the Senate the Apothesis of Iesus Christ or taking him into the number of the Gods Tertullian Eusebius and St. Chrysostom relate it but this last was deceived when he said the Senate of Rome placed Alexander in the number of the Gods it s very likely he took the Roman Senate for that of Aâ—hens The Author Corrects a passage of Perâ—â—ius's Translation of Iustin Martyr and which Cardinal Bellarmin made use of to prove the worship of Angels He shews that such a worship was not meant in this passage and that it must be pointed according as Christopher Langus and Sigismond Gelenus have pointed it He adds that in the time of this Father the worship of Angels was not practised amongst the Christians He very strictly examin's what was the true Opinion of Paulus Samosatus whereupon he takes occasion to explain the different Fortunes of the Term Homousian I shou'd be too tedious to give an account of the fine remarks he has made upon the Measure of the Encrease of Nile that was kept as a relick in the Temple of Serapis and which the Emperor Constantine carryed to the Church of Alexandria Mr. de Valois has happily corrected the Passage of Socrates where this Translation is Copi'd for whereas Christophorson and Musculus had translated it thus Constantine caused this measure to be removed to the Church of Alexandria his Translation says that this Emperor Commanded Alexander who was then Patriarch of Alexandria to place it in the Church But in remarking so exactly the Errors of others he did not observe he committed on himself when he said that Constantine at the same time caused the Images of the False Gods to be placed in the Church Which is the sense he gives to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Sozomon makes use of The Author shews how improbable it was that Christians shou'd put such abominable objects in so Sacred a place so that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must signify eithe the Standard or Ancient Titles of the Town The Idolaters murmuring against this Translation Reported that Nile encreased more but that they were deceived For the People always imagin'd that upon the change of Religion wou'd follow strange marks of the wrath of Heaven they wish'd it out of spite and yet were afraid of it because of the unhappy effects it might produce and these two Passions made men very credulous we ought not however to think it strange that Providence very often makes use thereof The Christians had their part in the surprise if they believed that Nile was sensible of it when Iulian carryed back to the Temple of Serapis what Constantine had taken from thence The Conjectures of the Author are very fine upon the Reason which made Iosephus cite a Second Book of Ezekiel and upon the sense of a difficult passage of the First Book of the Maccabee's Chap. 3. vers 48. where according to some Versions it is That the Heathens sought Copies of the Law to Paint their Idols by in These conjectures are very learned as well as all that he says upon the Instruments of punishments c. used amongst the Romans from whence he takes occasion to explain many obscurities of the Ancient Authors He says that the Wild-Hony which St. Iohn eat of in the Wilderness was not a kind of Manna or Concrete Dew but a true Hony made by Bees in the hollow places of some Trees as there are Ants in China and Tunquin which fly in great Companies upon the Trees and there make a kind of Wax or Gum whereof the Lacca so well known to the Dyers is made it is also the chief Ingredient of the Spanish Wax he confirms his Opinion by the History of Ionathan who found Honey in a Wood and refutes the Chymical Opinion of the Rabbi who pretended Ionathan only found Sugar there Upon which Mr. Le Moyne examines whether Sugar was in use amongst the Ancients and says That although they knew how to draw from certain Reeds a Juice very agreeable to the Taste yet they had not the Art of Taking Condensing Whitening and making it dry as we do now Lucan speaks of this Reed when he says Quique bibunt tenerâ dulces ab arundine Succos Eratosthenes speaks thereof also in the 15th Book of Strabo and plainly insinuates that they sometimes baked this Juice but 't was a preparation very different from ours Those that alledge this Verse of Stace Et quas praecoquit Ebufita Cannas to prove that the Antients made Sugar did not observe that it was corrupted and that instead of Cannas it must be read Caunus which was a kind of Figs that the Inhabitants of the Isle of Ebusus made very excellent by their manner of preparing them As for the Sugar Mambu and Tabaxir which the Antients had the knowledge of The Author shews 't was a kind of Gum which they made use of to sweeten their Medicines and that this Gum gathered together in the joints of certain Trees or else that 't was the dew which Coagulated upon the boughs He brings a passage of Pliny which Favours this opinion since in it one sees that Sugar is a Hony gathered upon Reeds white like Gum which may be reduced to Powder by the Teeth larger than a Hazle-Nut and which is used only in Medicins Arrian Seneca Galen and Theophrastus have spoken of Sugar either under its proper name or under that of the Hony of Canaan but the Idea they give us of it only resembles a thick juice either running from the Plant it self or taken from the Reed We must therefore conclude with the Author that the Ancients knew not the Sugar that we now have He very Learnedly examins the Reasons how the Rabbi come to commit that mistake and mentions amongst other things the Scripture observation That as soon as Ioanathan had taken of this Hony his Eyes were enlightned which had probably Contributed thereto for the Ancient Physicians ascribed to their Sugar a particular vertue of curing Eyes as may be seen in the second Book of Dioscâ—rdies Chap. 104. He afterwards speaks upon the Goat Azazel upon the dependences of this Mysterious Sacrifice upon Hysop Circumsicion c. To extract from which subjects all that Merits observation wou'd take up too great a part of this Volume I shall therefore content my self with relating these rich Treasures of Learning and with the Thoughts of St. Barnabas That the number of the 318 Persons that Abraham Circumcised in his
l. 10. c. 23. * Socr. l. 5. c. 8. Soz. l. 7. c. 7. * Conc. C.P. c. 4. * Carm. de vita p. 14. * Theod. l. 5. c. 9. * Carm. de vita sua p. 29. * Vid. Conc. Chalced. act 2. †Carm. de vita p. 25. * Ib. p. 27. * Ib. p. 29. * Or. 27. p. 465. * P. 466. * P. 528. †P. 30. * Sozom. l. 7. o. 8. †Or. xlvi * Theod. lib. 5. c. 8. †Ep. lv * Carm. 10. p. 40. †Greg. Presb. p. 52. * Ep. 222. Et Carm. de rebus suis. * Greg. Presb. p. 33. * Vid. Or. 12. p. 191. or 19. p. 308. alibi Passim †Carmine de vita p. 28. vocantur Episcopi mercatores Christi * Or. 19. p. 308. ‡ Ibid. p. 310. Ep. lxxi * Or. 18. p. 394. ‡ P. 286. P. 279. * P. 35.65 66. * Page ad ann 389. N. 5. * P. 230. §. 2 * §. 3. †Lev. 5. c. 30. * §. 4. * See Euseb. H.E. lib. 5. cap. 19. †§ 5 seq * §. 12. seq * H.E. lib. 2 †§. 21. seq * In Esa. 64. * §. 7. * §. 16. seqq * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Epist. ad Cor. p. 54. †Smirnaeorum Eccles c. de praescript advers Haret p. 80. A very good reason for one Bishop being Governor or Minister but of one Church because in the beginning of Christianity one Church was large enough to entertain all the Christians for twenty thirty or forty Miles distance So that the Bishops Power extended as far as those now a days * Ep. 69. § 5. p. 208. The People chose the Bishop because at first the Priests were so few and at such a distance that they could not Assemble together without leaving their own Churches unofficiated at the same time but when the Gospel encreased and the number of Bishops was consequently augmented they removed this Inconvenience though they were long before convinced of it for certainly Persons of an equal Learning and Piety are much fitter to constitute and make a Choice of Bishops than the multitude which was more subject to breed Confusion as Gregory Nazianzen and many others complain of besides the Peoples Voice alone was not sufficient for he was first to have the approbation of the neighbouring Bishops according to our Authors own Citations * This they speak with reference to their Custom of Saluting one another at the Conclusion of their publick Assemblies * Euseb. l. 4. c. 29. * l. 2. c. 17. * De Emond Tanp l. 6. * Iean V. 39. * As is directed in the Table * 59. seq †P. 46. seq * 55. seq * Pag. 129. seq 131 148 157. †P. 137. * P. 139. * P. 214. †P. 225 226. * P. 250 251. * P. 268. * Pa. 277. †P. 283. * Lib. 1. adv Const. †P. 336. * P. 374.376 * P. 940. †P. 381. * P. 389.390 †P. 395.399 * P. 245. †P. 405. * P. 468. * P. 603 604. †P. 608. * P. 612. †P. 616. * P. 648. †P. 632. * P. 672. †P. 681. * P 714. †Hieron Casal Scrip. Eccles * P. 734. †P. 745 747. †P. 770. seque * P. 873. †P. 882. * P. 900. †P. 903. * P. 909. †P. 947. * Tavernier liv 4. chap. 8. * Pag. 57. * Script 5. * Script 6. et Seq ad 11. * Script 12. * Script 13. et Seq ad 18 * Script 19. 20. * Pag. 296. Seq * Scr. 24. Scr. 26. ad 31. Script 34. 'T is spoken of in the 32 th and 33 th Piece upon the first Article * Tome 7. p. 529. 2 edit * Of the Roman Communion nevertheless the Ingenious will like the Bee find something good in all Flowers * P. 158.159 Socrat. I. 4. c. 36. Sosom l. 6. c. 38. * P. 596. * Bed Hist. Angl. l. 1. c. 26. * p. 318. * Sen. de Ben. l. 7. c. 9. ep 90. * Ex eritat sac p. m. 439. * Where Witches are turned into Wolves * P. 2 3. * P. 1.29 * P. 36.84 * P. 32. * P. 74. * P. 85.122 * P. 101. * P. 18. * P. 205.209 * P. 316 228. * P. 261. * P. 264. Seq * P. 323. * p. 146 * 2. c. * P. 239. * P. 282. * P. 283. * P. 2. * P. 309. * P. 361. * Hist. Anim. l. 9. c. 48. * c. 5. * P. 510. * c. 7. * Fol. 59. col 3. ed. Cremon * P. 569. * P. 2. * P. 3. * P 4. Seq * This was not in the Extract * L. 25. C. 1. * P. 44. * Apol. 2. P. 129. * P. 93. Seq * L. 7. c. 45. * L. 6. c. 25. * P. 155 Seq * Apol. c. 39. * L. 5. C. 21 * P. 134 * P. 135. * Strom 7. * Hist. L. 2. C. 24. * Hist. L. 2. C. 24. a Disc. Lit. p. 48. 113. p. 5. 142. p. 65. 121 p 6.29.138 b Ib. p. 28 29 34 35 36 42 51.52 d Ib. p. 44 49 76 60.77 98. e Ib. p. 179. f View of direct p. 136. Oxf. g Lightfoot Vol. 2. p. 1139. h Ib. Vol 1. p. 922.942 946. Anno 60. Philo Iudeus Philo de vit Contem plat Jos. Bel. Jud. lib. 2. â—ap 7. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb. Anno Dom. 1690 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. * Lib. 10. Ep. Carmenque Christo c. Anno 93. Anno 140â— Anno 220. Anno 303. Anno 363. P. 1. * P. 3 d. * P. 4. * P. 7. * P. 18. * P. 18. * In his Preliminary dissertation * 27.32 * P. 12. * P. 74. * P. 51. * P. 51. * P. 59. * P. 60. * Greg. l. 12. Moral * VI. * First Age * Eus. l. 3. * P. 17. * P. 21. * P. 35. * P. 47. * P. 71. †P. 73 col 1. * P. 67. * P. 74. * P. 89. * P. 102.103 * P. 138. (a) p. 145. * Second Age. (b) p. 153.167 (c) p. 167. c. 2. (d) p. 179. (e) p. 184. (f) p. 186. (g) p. 197. (h) p. 198. * p. 210. (i) p. 169. (k) p. 220. * P. 223. * P. 228. * P. 245. * P. 240. * P. 249. * P. 276. * P. 338. * P. 330. * P. 397.487 * P. 444. * P. 442. * P. 474. * P. 490. * P. 513. * P. 514. * P. 516. * P. 339. * He speaks of their extent p. 87. * Cicer. l. 1. de Orat.