resembled to the two great pillars of brasse call'd Booz and Iachin supporting the gates of the Temple of Salomon wherefore these two points are sett at their full length solidly founded and fairely polished by a cleer smoothing and explication of the seeming hardenes of those proposalls which were taken as a hard saying coming euen out of CHRIST'S own mouth but if rightly vnderstood following this Author 's faire exposition they will be acknowleged as our Sauiour himself attested of them Verba quae ego locutus sum vobis Spiritus vita sunt The words that I haue spoke vnto you they are Spirit and they are life And can there be imagined a greater Blessing next to the Beatifical Vision then the Reall Participation of the Body and Blood of our Divine Sauiour IESVS-CHRIST Me thinks that which would haue bin the wish of all zealous Christians if it had not bin the free guift and gratification of God is this Reall Partaking euen in this life of this blessed cōmunication by which we may glory with S. Peter that by this precious promise we are made partakers of the Diuine Nature And surely I haue not seen any worke vpon this designe wherein these two corner-stones of the Catholique Church haue a more solid foundation or that affords a more easy comprehension of these two sublime mysteries By this motiue I haue bin perswaded to passe into my Country this forrein commodity which like a delicate wine of the same place may loose somewhat of the natural Spirit quicknes by the transport yet I may presume that it retaineth all these healthfull and cordiall qualities it had in the natiue production And hauing heretofore presented my Country in their seuerall seasons Spring-Flowers and other Summer-Fruits as the Parfumes of Poesy and the Reflection of Morality now in this winter of my age I transport to my nation this Riper and more wholesome fruit the feeding whereon contrary to the effect denounced against the forbidden fruite may produce life euerlasting Vpon which hope I may summon my Country in that call of our Lord IESVS commanded to be written by S. Iohn He that hath eares to heare let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches for that with greife I say it the reproach of the Prophet Esay may be so truly applied to our Nation Behold you kindle a fire and compasse your selues about with sparkes and walke in the light of your fire and in the sparkes that you haue kindled The strange diuersity of Sects and Severall professions of Religion doth too euidently appropriate this reproach of the Prophet wherefor the rest of my life shall be assigned to sollicite God for the blessing of the Primitiue Christians vpon our so deuided Country to be Cor Vnum and Via Vna One Hart One Way This Vnity was the most feruent prayer we find that our Sauiour euer made to his Father for his Church left vpon earth that they may be One as we are One. In order to some contribution to this Blessed Vnion I haue made this present to my Country and with great sense of Hart for whose Good Happinesse the Syncerity of my zeale is such that I perswade my self I may expresse it in S. Paul's offer for his Conuerts Ego autem libentissimè impendam Superimpendar ipse pro animabus vestris I most gladly will bestow and will my selfe moreouer be bestow'd for your soules And now giue me leaue to closevp this address to my Country in the words of our Lord IESVS which S. Iohn hear'd directed to the Bishop of Ephesus Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe thy first workes For which blessed resipiscence shall be zealously offer'd all the days of my life the best of all the Religious offices and priuate deuotions of DEARE COVNTREYMEN Your most humbly deuoted seruant W A. MONTAGV Permis d' imprimer fait ce 12. Auril 1672. DE LA REYNIE AN EXPOSITION OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE CATHOLIQVE CHVRCH VPON THE POINTS OF Controversie AFTER more then a whole Age's contestation with those of the Pretended-Reformed Religion the matters vpon which they have grounded their breach may be conceiued sufficiently explayned and their minds disposed to a right vnderstanding of the Catholique Churche's Perswasions so that it seemes we can doe nothing better then propose them sincerely and distinguish them from those which have bin wrongfully imputed for in effect I haue observed in diuers occurrencyes that the auersion those persons expresse for the most part of our Doctrines is deriued from the false ideas that they haue figured of our tenents and most commonly drawn from certain expressions which offend them so much as resting at first sight vpon them they neuer passe forward to the enquiry of the grounds of the matter Whereupon I haue conceiued nothing could be more vsefull then to explaine to them what the Church hath defined in the Councel of Trent touching those points which remoue them the most from our Communion I will not therefore stay vpon what they commonly obiect to our priuate Doctors or vpon those matters which are neither inioyned nor vniuersally accepted since all parties agree and Mr Daille him'self that it is vnreasonable to impute the perswasions of particular persons vnto a whole body and he goes further confessing that one ought not to make a separation but vpon Articles Authentically established and whereof all sorts of persons are obliged vnto the Beleefe obseruation I will not therefore fix vpon any but the decrees of the Councel of Trent since it is there the Church speakes Decisiuely of the matters in question and what I shall offer to facilitate the right vnderstanding of those Decisions is approued by the same Church and shall appear manifestly conformable to the Doctrine of that holy Councel This explication of Doctrine will produce two good effects the first that diuers disputes will entierly vanish by reason they will be discerned as grounded meerly vpō wrong explications of our Beleefe the second the disputes remaining will not appear euen according to the principles of the Pretended-Reformers so capitall as they at first sight haue sought to qualify them and that euen by their owne principles they contein nothing that offendeth the grounds of Faith And to begin with these Fundamētall articles of Christian Faith the Pretended-Reformes must needs confess that they are beleeued and professed in the Catholique Church If they state them in the beleefe of adoring one single God Father Sonne and Holy Ghost and the confiding in God only by his sonne incarnate crucified and raysed from the dead for us they are conuinced by their own conscience that we protest the same Doctrine and if they will add the other Articles contayned in the Apostles Creed they doubt as little of our professing them intierly without exception and doe not question our hauing a pure and right vnderstanding of them Mons
r Daillé hath writt a treatise intitled Faith grounded vpon the scripture wherein after having exposed all the articles of Faith professed by the Pretended-Reformed Church he Saith that They are without contest the Church of Rome professeth the beleife of them and true it is that they hold not all our opinions but that we hold all their beleefs Wherefore this Minister cannot deny our beleeuing all the principall articles of Christian Religion vnless he will destroy his own Faith But had not Mons r Daillé graunted this the matter proues it self since all the world knowes that we profess the beleife of all those articles which the Caluinists call Fundamentalls so that an ingenuous syncerity would allow vs without dispute this Assertion that we haue not waued or declined any of the Essential perswasions The Pretended-Reformers discerning the aduantages we may draw from this concession seeke to disapoint vs by alledging that we destroy those articles by asserting others which are inconsistent with them This is what they labour to euince by consequences they inferr from our doctrines but the same M r Daillé whome I produce to them not so much to conuīce them by the testimony of one of their most learned Ministers as in regard that what he saith being euident in it self teacheth them what they ought to beleiue of those sorts of consequences supposing that ill ones might be deriued from our Doctrine This is what he saith in his letter to Mons r de Monglat vpon the occasion of his Apologie Although the opinion of the Lutherans in point of the Eucharist inferres according to vs as well as that of Rome the destrūction of the humanity of CHRIST JESVS yet that consequence cannot be obiected to them without calumnie considering that they doe formally reiect it There is nothing more Essentiall to Christian Religion then the verity of the Humane Nature of JESVS-CHRIST and yet notwithstanding the Lutherans hold a doctrine from which is inferr'd a destruction of this Essentiall verity by consequences the Pretended-Reformers account euident they haue not scrupuled to offer them their communion in respect that their opinion hath no poyson in it as M r Daillé attesteth in his Apologie and their Nationall Synod held at Charenton in 1631 admits the Lutherans to their Communion vpon this ground that they agree in the principles and fundamentall points of their Religion It is therefore a maxime constantly established amōgst them that we ought not in this matter to consider the consequences which may be drawne from a Doctrine but simply what the party maintaineth and what he stateth who professeth it So that when by consequences they pretend to deduct from our Doctrine that we can not sufficiently acknowledg the souueraine glory due to God nor the quality of Saviour and Mediator in CHRIST JESVS nor the infinite dignity of Sacrifice nor the superaboundant plenitude of his merits we may easily defeate those consequences by this short answer which M r Daillé himself furnishes vs with by saying that the Catholique Church disclaiming them they can not be imputed to vs without calumny But I will vndertake further and clear to the Pretended-Reformers by the single explication of our Doctrine that so farr it is from ouerthrowing the Fundamentall articles of Faith either directly or by any just consequence that quite contrary our Doctrine hath established them in a manner so solide so euident that without palpable injustice the aduantage of a right vnderstanding them can not admit a question And to begin with the adoration due to God the Catholique Church teacheth that it consists principally in beleiuing that he is the Creator Lord of all things and in adhering to him with all the powers of our soule by faith hope and loue as to him who alone can conferr our Eternall happinesse by com̄unication of the infinite Good which is himself This interior adoration which we render to G'od in spirit and in truth hath its exterior markes of which the principall is Sacrifice which can not be offered but to God alone by reason the homage of Sacrifice is established in order to a publike confession a solemne protestatiō of the soueraingnity of God and of our absolute dependance on him The same Church teacheth that Religiōs Worship ought to terminate in God as being the necessary end and obiect thereof and if the honour she renders to the Blessed Virgin and the Saints may be termed an Act of Religion it is upon the ground that it relateth necessarily vnto God Before I explaine further in what this honour consisteth it will be vsefull to obserue that the Pretended-Reformers being press'd by the power of euident truth begin to acknowledg that the practise of praying to Saints and honoring their reliques was established in the Church euen in the fourth Century M. Daillé making this acknowledgment in the booke he writt against the Latine Church touching the obiect of Religious Worship accuseth S. Basile S. Ambrose S. Hierome S. John Chrysostome S. Augustin and diuers other great lights of Antiquity which did shine in that age and aboue all the rest S. Gregory Nazianzen who is styled the Deuine as a note of his excellency he taxeth all these with hauing changed in this point the doctrine of the preceding ages But surely it will seeme very improbable that M. Daillé should have better vnderstood the sentiments of the three first ages then those who did as it were inherite their doctrine immediately vpon their death and it is by so much the lesse to be beleiued by reason that the fathers of the fourth age were so farre from perceauing any introduction of new doctrines in this Act of Religion that this Minister himself citeth expresse texts by which they shew clearly that they pretended in praying to Saints to follow the example of their Predecessors But not to examin any longer the iudgments of three primitiue ages I rest satisfyed with the graunt of M. Daillé who yealds to vs so many eminent Doctors who did instruct and discipline the Church in the fourth Age. For though it is an easy matter twelue hundred years after their death to taint them by way of scorne with the title of a Sect calling them Reliquarists as persons who honored Reliques I will hope that those of his Communion will beare more respect to those eminent personages they will not presume at least to object that theyr praying to Saints and honoring their Reliques rendred them guilty of Idolatry or that they ouerthrew the confidence that Christians are to haue in IESVS-CHRIST and we may hope that hence forward they will forbeare those reproaches when they consider they can not apply them to vs without laying the same imputation vpon so many excellent persons whose Doctrine Sanctity they professe to reuerence But since it is my worke to exhibite here our Beleif rather then produce the Mantainers of it we must persue the explication of it The Catholique Church teaching the
preuent all scandal They haue concluded by this regulation that both kindes were not essentiall to the Communion by the institution of CHRIST for otherwise they would haue bin bound absolutely to refuse the Sacrament to such as were not able to receaue it compleat and not to giue it them in a manner contrary to that CHRIST JESVS had commanded and in that case their disability would haue sufficiently excused them But our Aduersaries haue conceaued that such a rigour would be excessiue if they did not allow at least one of the Species to such as were not capable to receaue the other and since this condescendence hath no ground in the Scripture they must needs confesse with vs that the words whereby CHRIST IESVS hath proposed to vs the two Species are liable to some interpretation and that the right vnderstanding of them ought to be declared by the Authority of the Church But it might seeme that this Article of their Discipline which is of the Synode of Poytiers held 1560 had bin reformed by the Synode of Vertueil assembled in the year 1567 where it is said that the company is not of opinion the Bread should be giuen to those who would not receaue the Cupp These two Synodes neuerthelesse are not at all opposite to one another that of Vertueil speaketh of those who Will not receaue the Cupp and that of Poytiers of such as Can not take it And indeed notwithstanding the Synode of Vertueil that Article remaineth in their Discipline nay more hath bin approued by a Synode later then that of Vertueil namely by the Synode of Rochelle in 1571 where the Article was renewed and putt into that state which it now remaineth in But supposing the Synodes of the Pretended-Reformers had differr'd varied in their opinions that would serue only to manifest that the matter in question is not a point of Faith but of that kind which the Church may order dispose of according to their own principles There remaineth now nothing but to expose what the Catholiques hold touching the Word of God concerning the Authority of the Church CHRIST IESVS hauing lay'd the foundation of his Church vpon the Preaching of his Disciples the Vnwritten Word was the first guide rule of Christianity when the writings of the New Testament were adioyned to them the former Word did not for all that loose its Authority which causeth vs to accept with the same veneration all that was taught by the Apostles be it by writing or by word of mouth according to what S. Paul himself hath expresly inioyned And the certain proofe that a Doctrine comes from the Apostles is its being accepted and embraced by all Christian Churches whilst its beginning can not be pointed mark'd out We can not choose but receaue all that is establish'd in this manner with the submission due to the Diuine Authority and we are confident that such persons of the Pretended-Reformed Religion as are not very obstinate haue the same perswasion in the bottome of their harts it being impossible to beleeue that a Doctrine setled and receaued from the beginning of the Church can flow from any other spring then that of the Apostles Wherefore our Adversaries ought not to wonder that we being zealously carefull to inherit all that our Fathers haue left vs doe conserue the Deposite of Tradition as well as that of the Scriptures The Church being ordained by God to be the Depositary of the Scripture of Tradition we receaue from her hands the Canonicall Scriptures and we beleeue whateuer our Aduersaries say that it is principally the Church's Authority that determineth vs to reuerence as Diuine writt the song of Salomon which hath so few sensible markes of Propheticall inspiration and likewise the Epistle of S. Iames which Luther reiected and that of S. Iude which might be suspected by reason of some Apocriphall bookes cited in it in fine there can be no motiue but that Authority to perswade the receauing the whole body of the holy Scriptures which Christians accept as Diuine euen before the reading hath wrougt any feeling of the Spirit of God in those bookes Being then inseparably bound as we are to the Authority of the Church by meanes of the Scriptures which we receaue from her hand we are taught also by her Tradition and by the help of Tradition the true sense of the Scriptures So that the Church professeth to say nothing meerly of her self and likewise that she inventeth nothing new in her Doctrine that she doth but follow and declare the Diuine Reuelation by the interiour direction of the holy spirit which is giuen her for her Teacher That the holy Ghost expresseth himself by the Church the dispute raised about the Ceremonies of the Law euen in the time of the Apostles doth euidence and their Acts haue directed all succeeding ages by the manner that first contest was decided by what Authority all following differences are to be determined so that whensoeuer any dispute happens to deuide the faithfull the Church will interpose her Authority and the Pastours assembled will say after the Apostles It hath seemed good to the Holy Spirit and vs. And when the Church hath pronounced and determined her children will be taught not to examine a new the Articles resolued vpon but that they are bound to accept with all submission the Church's Decisions And in this methode we follow S. Paul and Silas who deliuered to the faithfull the first iudgment of the Apostles and were so farr from allowing a new discussion of what had bin decided as they trauell'd through the townes teaching to obserue the ordinances of the Apostles In this manner the children of God acquiesce in the iudgment of the Church beleeuing that by her mouth they hear the Oracle of the Holy Ghost and it is vpon the ground of this perswasion that after hauing profess'd in the Creed I beleeue in the Holy Ghost we ioine next to it The Holy Catholique Church by which protestation we oblige our selues to acknowledge an Infallible and Perpetuall Verity in the Catholique Church since the same Church which we beleeue perseuering throughout all ages would cease to be a Church if it left to teach the Truth reuealed by God so that such as apprehend least she should abuse her power by introducing Falsities haue little Faith in him by whose hand she is held and conducted And if our Aduersaries would consider discusse these matters in a fairer and more humane manner they would be forced to auowe that the Catholique Church is so farre from affecting to render herself Mistresse of her Faith as her Aduersaries charge her that quite contrary she hath laboured with all her power to binde her self and to exclude all means of In̄ouation since she doth not only submitt to the holy Scriptures but to banish for euer all Arbitrary interpretatiōs which would make the conceipts of men passe for Scripture declareth herself obliged
to vnderstand them in what relateth to Faith or Manners conformably to the sense of the holy Fathers from which she professeth neuer to depart declaring by all her Councells and by all her Professions of Faith already published that she admitteth no point of Doctrine which is not conformable to the Tradition of all preceeding ages Moreouer if our Aduersaries will examine their Consciences they will discerne that the name of the Church hath more authority ouer their minds then they dare auowe in their disputes and I am perswaded there is not any one prudent iudicious man amongst them who finding himself alone in his perswasion how euident soeuer it might seeme to him that would not be frightned with that Singularity so manifest it is that men haue need in these matters to be supported in their opinions by the Authority of some Society that is of the same iudgment And for this reason God who hath created vs and knoweth what is most proper for vs hath ordained for our benefit that all particular subiects should render obedience to his Church the Authority whereof is of all others vndoubtedly the best established not only by the testimony which God himself renders in proofe of it in the holy Scriptures but likewise by the euidencies of his Diuine protection which is manifested no lesse in the most inuiolable perpetuall subsistence then it was in the miraculous establishment thereof This Soueraigne Authority of the Church is so necessary to regulate the differences which arise vpon points of Faith and the right vnderstanding of the Scripture that our Aduersaries themselues after hauing discredited decryed it as an insupportable Tyranny haue bin at last necessitated to authorise establish it amongst themselues When those who are call'd Independants maintained openly that euery indiuiduall of the faithfull ought to follow the light of his conscience without being obliged to submitt his iudgment to any body or Ecclesiasticall assembly and that vpon this ground they refused to subiect themselues to Synodes that of Charenton held 1644. censured this Doctrine vpon the same reasons and in regard of the same inconueniences which moued vs to reject it That Synode obserueth in the first place that the Error of the Independants consisteth in their holding that euery single Church ought to gouerne it self by her own lawes without dependance vpon any person in Ecclesiasticall affairs and without any obligation to conforme to the Authority of Conferences and Synodes in point of their conduct regulation And in order thereunto the same Synode determineth that this Sect is as preiudiciall to the State as to the Church that it setteth open a dore to all sorts of irregularities and extrauagancies that it cutts off all means of applying any remedy and if it tooke place there might be as many Religions inuented as there are particular parishes or assemblies These last words shew cleerly that it was principally in point of Faith that this Synode intended to establish a Dependance since the great est inconuenience it obserues the faithfull would be lyable to by this independency is that there might be as many Religions formed and professed as there are parishes It followeth then of necessity by the Doctrine of this Synode that euery particular Church and much more euery priuate person ought to Depend in what belongs to Faith vpon a Superiour Authority which resides in some Assembly or Body of men to which Authority all the Faithfull subiect their priuate iudgments for the independants doe not refuse to submit vnto the Word of God in that sense they conceaue they ought to vnderstand it nor to accept the Decision of Synodes when after they haue examined them they conclude them reasonable and fitt to be obserued what they refuse to yeald vnto is to resigne vp their priuate iudgment vnto that of an Assembly vpon this ground which our Aduersaries haue lai'd for them viz that all Assemblies euen that of the Vniuersall Church is a company of Men subiect to Error vnto which consequently a Christian ought not to subiect his iudgment since he oweth his resignation but to God alone It is from this pretension of the Independants that all those inconueniences are inferr'd which the Synode of Charenton hath so well obserued for what profession soeuer be made to submit vnto the Word of God if euery one thinketh he hath right to vnderstand it according to his own iudgment though it be contrary to the sense of the Church declared in a Finall decree this pretension will open the way to all sorts of extrauagancies and exclude all means of applying any remedy since the Decision of the Church is no restraint to such as doe not conceaue themselues bound to submit vnto it and in fine it will open the way to frame as many Religions not only as there are parishes but euen as there are priuate heads For precaution against these incōueniencies from whence would ensue the ruyne of Christian Religion the Synode of Charenton is forced to constitute a Dependance in Ecclesiasticall matters and euen in points of Faith But this their designed Deference will neuer retrench those pernicious consequences they haue proposed to themselues the preuenting vnlesse they settle conformably to vs this maxime that euery particular Church and much more each single person ought to beleeue himself obliged to submit his priuate iudgment vnto the Authority of the Church And so we see likewise in the fifth chapter of the Discipline of the Pretended-Reformed Religion tit of Consistories art 31. that desiring to prescribe an expedient to determine the debates which might arise vpon any point of Doctrine or Discipline they decreed first that the Consistory shall endeauor to appease all without noise and with all the sweetnes of the Word of God and after hauing sett and rank'd the Consistory the Conference and the Prouinciall Synode as so many distinct degrees of Iurisdiction coming at last to the Nationall Synode aboue which there is no Authority amongst them they speake of it in these termes There it is that the Entier Finall resolution shall be taken according to the Word of God to which if they refuse to acquiesce in euery point and with a direct renouncing of their Errors they shall be cutt off from the Church Is it not then euident that the Pretended-Reformers doe not attribute the Authority of this Finall iudgment to the Word of God taken alone by it self and without dependance on the Authority of the Church since the Word hauing bin employ'd and consulted in the first conclusions they haue made vpō it they doe neuerthelesse admit an Apeale from it It is the Word as interpreted by the Soueraigne tribunal of the Church that frameth this last and Finall resolution vnto which whosoeuer refuseth to acquiesce from point to point though he boasteth his being authorised by the Word of God is no longer reputed but as a profane abuser and Corrupter thereof But the forme of those Letters
perfection of the new man Their diuine institution is extant in the holy scripture either by the expresse words of CHRIST who established them or by that Grace which by testimony of the same scripture is annexed vnto them and inferreth necessarily God's ordayning them By reason that infants can not supply their own want of Baptisme by the acts of Faith Hope and Charity nor by their vows desire of receauing this Sacrament we beleeue that if they doe not actually receaue it they haue no part of communication of the Grace of our Redemption and consequently dying in Adam they haue no part in JESVS-CHRIST It is fitt to obserue here that the Lutherans concurr with the Catholique Church in holding the absolute necessity of Baptisme for Infants and withall wonder that any one hath presumed to deny a truth which no one before Caluin had euer dared to call in question so deeply was it imprinted in the minds of all the faithful Notwithstanding this the Pretended-Reformers make no scruple willfully to lett their children dye as the Infidels doe without bearing any marke of Christianity and depriued of all the grace that belongs to it if the death of the child happen before the day of their Congregation The imposition of hands practised by the Apostles in order to the confirming fortifying the faithfull against persecutions deriuing the principall efficacy from the internall descent of the holy Ghost the infusion of his guifts ought not to haue bin reiected by our Aduersaries vpon this pretext that the holy spirit doth no longer descend visibly vpon vs no more then it is by all the Christian Churches who haue religiously continued it euer since the Apostles and make vse also of the holy Chrisme to demonstrate the virtue of that Sacrament by a more expresse and sensible representation of the interiour Vnction of the holy spirit We beleeue CHRIST IESVS hath bin pleased to ordaine that those who haue subiected themselues to the Authority of the Chruch by their Baptisme and after this engagement haue transgressed the lawes of the Gospel should be bound to vndergoe the iudgment of the same Church at the tribunal of Pennance where she doth exercise the power conferr'd vpon her to remitt or to reteyn sinns The termes of the commission granted to the Churches Ministers to absolue sinns are so large and general that without great temerity the power can not be restreyned only vnto publick and notorious offences and when they pronounce Absolution in the name of CHRIST JESVS since they doe but follow the expresse termes of their commission the sentence is reputed as giuen by CHRIST himself in whose place they are appointed as Iudges It is this inuisible High-Priest who absolueth interiourly the Penitent whilst the Priest exerciseth the exteriour ministery This Penitentiall iudicature being so necessary a curbe for our licentiousnesse so aboundant a spring of pious and prudent aduises so sensible a consolation to soules afflicted for their sinns when Absolution is not only declared to them in generall termes as the Protestant Ministers doe practise but giuen them in particular and the Penitent effectualy absolued by the commission of CHRIST IESVS vpon a perfect examination and a right vnderstanding of the case we can not possibly beleeue that our Adversaries can contemplate so many good consequences without resenting their losse and feeling some shame of such an abusiue Reformation which hath abrogated so holy so beneficial a practise The holy Ghost hauing annexed vnto Extreame-Vnction by the testimony of S. Iames an expresse promise of remission of sinns and ease vnto the sick party there is nothing wanting vnto this most holy ceremony towards the cōstituting it a true Sacrament We must only obserue that according to the Doctrine of the Councel of Trent the sick are more releeued in respect of their soules then their bodyes and the spiritual benefit is alwayes the principal ayme obiect of the new law it is that also we ought absolutely to expect from this holy Vnction supposing we are rightly disposed for it whereas our corporal eases and releifs in our infirmitys are afforded vs only as relating to our eternal health according to the secret and hidden dispositions of Diuine Prouidence and the seueral degrees of preparation and faith which are already acting in the soules of the faithful When we shall seriously cōsider that IESVS-CHRIST hath induced a new forme into the state of Marriage reducing this holy society vnto two persons immutably indissolubly vnited when we shall reflect that this inseparable coniunction is made the signe of his Eternall vnion with his Church we shall find little difficulty to comprehend that the Marriage of the faithfull is accompanied with the Grace of the holy Spirit we will easily praise the Diuine goodnes which hath bin pleased to sanctify in this manner the spring and deriuation of our birth The imposition of hands which the Ministers of holy matters receaue being accompanied with so present and actual a virtue of the holy Ghost and so intire an infusion of Grace is duly reckoned in the number of the Sacraments and we must confesse that our Aduersaries doe not absolutely exclude the Consecration of Ministers but they reiect it only from the number of the Sacraments which are common to the whole Church We are now at last come to the question of the Eucharist or Blessed Sacrament wherein it will be requisite to explaine more amply our Doctrine and yet not passing farr beyond the bounds which we haue prescribed to our selues The reall presence of the Body and Blood of our Lord in this Sacramēt is solidy established by the words of the institution which we vnderstand litterally and there is no more reason to aske vs why we tye our selues to the proper litterall sence then to question a traueller why he followeth the great high-way It is their part that resort to figuratiue senses and choose such by-paths to shew a reason of this their deuiation As for vs who perceaue nothing in the words which CHRIST IESVS vsed for the institution of this Mystery that obligeth vs to take them in a figuratiue sense we conceaue this reason sufficient to settle and determine our receauing them in their proper and litterall signification But we find our selues yet more strictly tyed vnto it when we considerately examine the intention of the sonne of God in this mystery which I will explaine in the cleerest and easiest termes I can possibly and by such principles as I conceaue our Aduersaries can not disagree in I say then that these words of our Sauiour Take and eate this is my Body giuen for you shew vs that as the ancient Iews did not simply vnite themselues in spirit vnto the immolation or killing of the victimes which were offered for them but did effectually eate of the Sacrificed flesh which was a signe
same name Neuerthelesse our Faith being attentiue to his word who effecteth what euer he pleaseth in heauen and on earth doth acknowledg in this case no other Substance remaining but that which is designed by the same word viz the proper Body and Blood of CHRIST IESVS into which the Bread and the Wine are changed which is what we terme TRANSVBSTANTIATION And notwithstanding this yet the Reality which the Eucharist contains in regard of the interiour part is no impediment to the being a Signe in respect of what it retains of exteriour and sensible but yet a Signe of such a nature as is so farre from excluding a Reality as it carieth it of necessity along with it since in effect this speech This is my Body being pronounced vpon the matter CHRIST IESVS hath chosen is an assured signe that he is Present and although the matters seeme to our senses to remayne the same yet our spirit iudgeth otherwise of them then it would doe if a superiour Authority did not interuene so that although those species and a certaine sequence of naturall impressions which are made on our bodies are vsed to suggest to vs the Substance of Bread Wine yet in this case his Authority whome we beleeue intirely preuailes so much vpon vs that the same species begin to designe to vs an other Substance for we beleeue CHRIST who sayth that which we take and that which we eate is his Body and such is the efficacy of his word as it keeps vs from ascribing to the Substance of Bread these exteriour appearances and moueth vs to referr them to the Body of CHRIST being present vnder them so that the presence of so Adorable an obiect being once ascertain'd to vs by this signe we make no question of offring to it our Adorations I doe not enter into the point of Adoration by reason that the most learned and sober of our Aduersaries haue long since granted vs that the presence of CHRIST IESVS in the Eucharist ought to impose Adoration vpon those who are of that perswasion In fine being once conuinced that the omnipotent words of the sonne of God effect whatsoeuer they pronounce we beleeue vpon good grounds that in the last Supper they produced their effect as soone as they were vttered and vpon a necessary consequence we acknowledg the Reall presence of the Body before our receauing it These preceeding points being supposed the Sacrifice which we assert and maintain in the Eucharist retayns no longer any particular difficulty We haue obserued two actions in this Mystery which cease not to be distinct although the one relateth to the other the first is the Consecration by which the Bread and Wine are changed into the Body and Blood the second is the Eating by which we communicate and partake of them In the Consecration the Body and Blood are mystically separated by reason that CHRIST IESVS said seuerally This is my Body This is my Blood the which includeth a liuely and effectuall representation of the violent death he suffered And so the sonne of God is sett vpon the holy table by vertue of those words couered with signes that represent his death This is what is effected by Consecration and this Religious act carieth with it the protestation of the Soueragnity of God by reason that CHRIST IESVS being present reneweth and in some sort perpetuates the memory of his obedience euen to the death of the Crosse so that indeed there is nothing wanting here towards the rendring it a True Sacrifice Without all question this Religious act as it is distinct from that of the Communion must needs be of it self acceptable to God and must inuite him to looke vpon vs with a more fauorable and propitious eye by reason it presenteth to his sight the voluntary death which his wellbeloued sonne hath suffer'd for sinners or rather replaceth before his eyes euen his own sonne vnder the signes of that death whereby he hath bin appeased and reconciled to Man All Christians confesse that the single presēce of CHRIST IESVS is a most powerfull manner of Intercession before God for all mankind according to this saying of the Apostle CHRIST IESVS presenteth himself and appeareth for vs before the face of God and thereupon we beleeue that CHRIST IESVS being present vpon the holy table in this figure of death intercedeth for vs and representeth continually to his Father the death he hath suffered for his Church It is in this sense we affirme that IESVS-CHRIST offereth himself for vs to God in the Eucharist and in this manner it is we conceaue that this Oblation inuiteth God to become more fauorable and propitious to vs and for this reason we call it Propitiatorie When we reflect vpon what CHRIST IESVS worketh in this mystery and when we looke vpon him by our Faith as actually present vpon the holy table with the signes of death we ioine our selues to him in that estate and we present him to God as our only Victime and as our sole Propitiator by the merit of his Blood protesting that we haue nothing to offer vnto God but IESVS-CHRIST and the infinite merit of his death We consecrate all our prayers by this Diuine Oblation and by our presenting CHRIST IESVS to God we are taught to offer vp our selues at the same time to the Diuine Maiesty in him and by him as liuing Sacrifices Such is the Sacrifice of Christians and infinitely differing from that which was practised in the Law being a Spirituall Sacrifice worthy of the New Couenant wherein the presence of the Victime is not perceaued but by Faith where the word of God is the instrument that separateth Mystically the Body the Blood and cōsequently where the Blood is shed but Mystically and where death interueneth but by Representation and yet a most Reall True Sacrifice for this reason that CHRIST JESVS is truly contained and presented to God in it vnder this figure of death and therefore a Sacrifice also of Commemoration which is so farre though obiected from parting loosening vs from our application to the Sacrifice of the Crosse as it fixeth vs the faster by all its circūstances vnto it since it doth not only relate intirely vnto it but in effect it hath neither being nor subsistance but by this relation from whence it deriueth all the virtue it contains This is the expresse Doctrine of the Catholique Church in the Councel of Trent which teacheth that this Sacrifice is instituted only to the intent of representing that which was once perfected vpon the Crosse and to preserue the Memory of it vnto the end of all ages and apply vnto vs that sauing virtue for the forgiuenes of sinns which we dayly commit Wherefore so farre we are from beleeving that somewhat is wanting to the Sacrifice of the Crosse as quite contrary the Church holds that it was so perfect and so fully sufficient as all which followes it is but ordain'd in order to the
syncere explication of our perswasions and that our Doctrine is Holy and that euen by their own principles none of the Articles of our Beleef ouerthrow the Foundations of our Eternall Beatitude If any one shall conceaue it requisite to reply to this Treatise I must desire him to consider that to aduance any thing towards his intent he must not attempt to refute the Doctrine it containeth since my designe was to Propose it only without Supporting it by any Proofs and if in some passages I haue touched part of the grounds reasons which establish it the reason was because the knowledg of the principall grounds of a Doctrine doth often beare a part necessary for its explication It would be also a great digression from the designe of this Treatise to dicusse the different ways methodes motiues and arguments which the Catholique Diuines make use of to establish or illustrate the Doctrine of the Councel of Trent and the various consequences particular Doctors haue deduced from them To vrge any thing solide against this Treatise and that cometh home to the point it must either be proued by some acts which the Church hath engaged herselfe to receaue that her Faith is not here faithfully deliuered or be shewed that this explanation leaueth all the Aduersaries Obiections in their full force or in fine it must be exposed directly wherein this Doctrine subuerteth the Grounds and Foundation of Faith FINIS Io. 18. v. 38. Io 19. v. 12. Io. 12. v. 43. Ps. 118. v 85 86. Io. 16. 13. Mat. 28. v 20. Jo 6. v. 61. Jo. 6. v. 64 2. Pet. 1. v. 4. Apoc. 2. Esay 50 v 11. Act. 4. Y. 32. Io. 17. 11. 21. 2. Cor. 12. v. 15. Apoc. 2. 5. Designe of this Treatise Apol. c. 6. Those of the Pretended-Reformed Religion confesse that the Catholique Church professeth all the Fundamentall Articles of Christian Religion All Religious worship endeth in God alone Inuocation of Saints Rom. Catech p. 3. tit de cultu Inuoc sanct p. 4. tit quis sit orandus Sess. 25. dec de Inuoc c. Lib. 8. de Ciu. c. 27. Tract 28. in Joan. serm 27. de verbis Apostoli CoÌ„c Trid. sess 22. c. 3. Images and Reliques Conc. Trid. sess 25. decr de Inuoc c. Gal. 2. Pontific Rom. de Benedict Imag. CoÌ„c Trid. Sess. 25. dec de Inuoc c. 1. Pet. 2. Iustification Conc. Trid. Sess. 6. cap. 9. ibid. c. 8. Gal. â— 17. Iac. 3. 2. Merits of good workes Concil Trid. Sess. 6. c. 16. CoÌ„c Trid. sess 6. c. 16. Sess. 14. c. 8. Phil. 4. 7. Phil. 2. 12. ibid. 13. Satisfactions Purgatory Indulgences Sess. 25. decr de Indulg Parum me mouent quae in veterum scriptis de Satisfactione passim occurrunt video quidem eorum nonnullos dicam simpliciter omnes ferè quorum libriextant aut in hac parte lapsos esse aut nimis asperè ac durè locutos Calu. Inst. l. 3. cap. 4. The Sacraments Baptisme Confirmation Act. 8. 15. 17. Pennance and Sacramentall Confession Math. 18. 18. Io. 20. 23. Extreame-Vnction Iac. 5. 14. 15. Sess. 14. c. 2 de sac Extr Vnct. Marriage Math. 19. 5. â—ph 5. 32. Holy Orders 1. Tim. 4. 2. Tim. 1. Cor. faitl 35. Doctrine the Church touching the reall presence of the Body and Blood of IESVS-CHRIST in the Blessed Sacrament the manner wherein the Church vnderstands these words this is my Body Math. 26. Luke 22. 〈…〉 uit 6. 30 Leuit. 17. 11 Math. 26. 28. Luke 13. 12. Io. 4. 50. Math. 9. 2. Explication of the words doe this in remembraÌ„ce of me Luke 22. 19. 1. Cor. 11. 24 1. Cor. 11. 26. Habac. 2. 4. Exposition of the Caluinists doctrine about the Reallity Cat. Dim 53. Conf. of faith art 36. Cat. Dim 52. Dim 53. Dim 52. Dim 52. Of Transubstannation Adoration and in what sense the Eucharist is said to be a Signe Sacrifice of the Masse Hebr. 9. 24 Sess. 22. c. 1. The Epistle to the Hebrews Hebr. 10. 5 Hebr. 9. 24 Hebr. 9. 26. Hebr. 7. 25. Heb. 5. 7. Reflection vpon the preceding doctrine Communion vnder both kindes The written vnwritten Word 2. Thess. 2. 14. The Church's Authority Act. 15. 2â— Act. 16. 4. CoÌ„c Trid. seff 4. The opinion of those of the Pretended Reformed Religion concernig the Authority of the church The Authority of the holy see of Rome and of Episcopacy Conclusion of the Treatise